CMcCartney

Beckett gets lit up last week against Toronto with Martinez catching, and the airwaves are filled with people who said 'If Tek was behind the plate this wouldn't have happened.. He calls a great game!'.. So his next start, Beckett gives up 5 bombs, and guess who's behind the plate? The captain.. I guess maybe Beckett stunk the last two nights, and my grandmother could have been catching and it wouldn't have been any worse.. Tek can't hit, can't throw anyone out, and he couldn't save Beckett from himself last night.

Real World

Not for nothing, but my buddy and I were just discussing this half hour ago. Something we thought also, was how the press has been all over the Burnett start on Saturday, questioning the pitcher catcher relationship. Well, where are the questions here? The most overplayed diarea is that "calls a good game" crap. Good pitchers are going to pitch good, and bad pitchers are going to pitch bad. Catchers can help, but ultimately, and generally speaking, the catchers aren't as important as some think. I respect Tek and all, but he's horrible. He has been for a few years now. I understand that he's very well respected, and provides a lot of leadership both on the field, and in the club house, but his skills have passed him by. Tek should have been a back-up 2 years ago. Ideally, he'd have been a back up tutoring a youngster for a few seasons.

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

Double G

That Burnett start was a classic on Saturday, a real award winner.

The most entertaining aspect (there were several as a matter of fact) was after he threw that meatball right down broadway that Ortiz hit into the Atlantic Ocean, Burnett whirls around and says "Why!? Why!? Why!? Why!? Why!?"....................

This guy is going to be entertaining come playoff time.

And fatso too, him and his make believe friend "Danny".

CC, aka, "Mr August."

And A-Rod, aka "Mr April."

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"We don't throw at .260 hitters." Tek to Pay-Fraud before he smacked him across the face.

IcyPatriot

I was ROFL'ing over this when WEEI / Ordway was all over this inane topic. Ordway's opinion was Beckett sucked pitching 3 times without Varitek and was great with him. Well that in itself wasn't exactly ROFL material ...


Then there was this gem by the fat bastard himself. He theorized that an effort should be made to let Tek catch Beckett and Lester but it did not matter for pitchers 3-5. So ... pitchers 3-5 should be able to be caught by any JAG but Beckett and Lester absolutely need someone like Tek or they suffer.

... gee I wonder what Beckett and Lester think about not having a clue how to pitch without Tek. Ordway is a dope and the other day cemented his legacy as the prince of dopeville.

ausbacker

Im sure Tek not being behind the plate is the reason for those hanging breaking balls.. eh eh eh.

IcyPatriot

I'm sure Tek calls a good game and I'm sure he's always 110% prepared to call a game. But if he was that valuable then why wasn't he in more demand this past offseason? If Tek was so good then why did Schilling keep a notebook? I'll give Tek credit ofr probably being a 2nd pitching coach out there - but they still have to hit the corners regardless of what he calls.

CMcCartney

I would think it would be just the opposite, actually.. that the 3-5 guys need Tek's 'expertise', while the top guys could probably pitch to anyone.. Beckett just didn't have it his last two starts.. He was missing his spots with both Tek and Martinez.. His curveball is off, and he's not spotting the fastball too good either.. Hopefully he gets it back, or we can kiss the season goodbye..

ausbacker

I was drawing attention to the mud Beckett was pitching. He left his breaking balls elevated and they were crushed. It didn't matter who was behind the plate.

We know Josh is money, he's just had a couple of average outings of late.

cupofjoe1962

How did Josh Beckett win the 2003 world series (& MVP) without Varitek?

Who has caught the last 2 Cy young winners in the AL?
Answer....Victor Marinez & Kelly Schoppach.

Martinez split time with Schoppach in Cleveland.
I feel that Martinez should catch 60% of the games for the
remainder of the season and Varitek should catch 40% (2 of 5).

When the playoffs start Martinez should start every game that follows
a day off.

He should also start every game 5 in a best of 5 or every game 7 in a best of 7.

Varitek is batting 175 with 1 homerun and 9 rbi's since the allstar break.
Victor Martinez is batting 322 with 5 homeruns and 16 RBI's in 21 games
since being traded to the Red Sox.

WhiskeyBreath

Simple.

The Sox offered Tek arbitration this winter. Tek was a type A free agent and would have cost the team signing him their first draft pick.

The only reason why Schill kept his notebook on the bench with his was because he wanted everyone to see that he had it. A good amount of pitchers have that type of book but they don't flaunt it on the bench like Schill used to.

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“I'm a simple man. All I want is enough sleep for two normal men, enough whiskey for three, and enough women for four.”