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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.Schilling since the allstar break last year: 11-8 4.37ERA 1.40WHIP. 205 hits allowed in 171 innings.
Even if he is experiencing some tired arm or something to that effect, he has been a mediocre pitcher for about a full season now. Expecting Schilling to be anything more than marginally above league average is expecting far too much of him. I certainly hope that I'm wrong and he starts pitching great from now on, but I'm pretty sure that Curt Schilling the Ace has turned into Curt Schilling the inconstant 4th starter.
Schilling since the allstar break last year: 11-8 4.37ERA 1.40WHIP. 205 hits allowed in 171 innings.
Even if he is experiencing some tired arm or something to that effect, he has been a mediocre pitcher for about a full season now. Expecting Schilling to be anything more than marginally above league average is expecting far too much of him. I certainly hope that I'm wrong and he starts pitching great from now on, but I'm pretty sure that Curt Schilling the Ace has turned into Curt Schilling the inconstant 4th starter.
I think mediocre is being a tad kind. After having a good April, Schilling has put up a 4.70ERA and 1.50WHIP since the start of May. That ERA is good for second worst among Red Sox starters in that time, while the WHIP is good for worst. Schilling's WHIP, OBA, BAA, k/9 and h/9 are either the worst or second worst marks of his career as a starter, and despite him holding the record for consecutive starts of at least 5IP, he has failed to do that twice this year.I think you're exaggerating the meaning of mediocre.
He has an ERA+ of 107 this year. He's better than league average. Is he an ace? Of course not. Does he give you a chance to win when he pitches? Yes. Thankfully the Sox already have Beckett and Daisuke and don't need Curt to be the ace.
I think mediocre is being a tad kind. After having a good April, Schilling has put up a 4.70ERA and 1.50WHIP since the start of May. That ERA is good for second worst among Red Sox starters in that time, while the WHIP is good for worst. Schilling's WHIP, OBA, BAA, k/9 and h/9 are either the worst or second worst marks of his career as a starter, and despite him holding the record for consecutive starts of at least 5IP, he has failed to do that twice this year.
He certainly still gives the team a chance to win and I haven't written him off yet, but right now he is performing like a 4th starter.
If Lester replaces Schilling in the rotation and pitches well I'd love to see what they do when Schilling comes back. They won't bump Schilling out of the rotation, Tavarez has been fantastic (5-2, 3.45ERA, 1.35WHIP since his first 3 starts of the year) and shouldn't be bumped out, and if Lester does well I'd think they'd want to keep him up instead of moving him back and forth from Pawtucket to Boston. The obvious answer is to move Tavarez into the bullpen, but as of late hes been one of their better starters.
And if Tavarez is moved to the pen or Lester back to AAA, I wonder how much slack they give Schilling if he continues to struggle.
April: 3.27ERA (137ERA+), 1.09WHIPI still think you're punishing Schilling unfairly when you compare him to A) his past, and B) the other Sox starters.
Mediocre wouldn't be starting for the Sox this year. Mediocre is a 4th starter on a bad team. I guess I'm just getting caught up on the word.
league average (or slightly above) has value. It's not worth $13M, but it has value. I'll happily take a 40-something Schilling as a #3 starter in the playoffs.
A reliever with a personal catcher is not going to work, and Wakefield has already said that he doesn't want to pitch with anyone other than Mirabelli behind the plate.actually, the obvious move would be moving Wakefield to the bullpen.
A reliever with a personal catcher is not going to work, and Wakefield has already said that he doesn't want to pitch with anyone other than Mirabelli behind the plate.
I'm not saying that hes done and I believe he is still a valuable guy to have around, I'm just saying that if he goes 13-9 with a 4.60ERA this season no one should be shocked. But like you said hes not the Ace and isn't relied on to win 17-22 games, so going 13-9 won't be a crushing blow to the team.I see what you're saying, and it is valid and makes complete sense. I guess I just don't see his decline as this season progressed to mean that he's done for good.
As much as I would love for Mirabelli to go, I'm not too confident it will happen considering the FO passed on signing a decent backup this past offseason despite a pretty decent crop of them (Greg Zaun, Rod Barajas). As long as Wakefield is a starter Mirabelli will be on the team. And Wakefield will be a starter until he no longer gives league average innings and is thus no longer a bargain at $4M a season. Unless he retires (which is never out of the question) than there is no reason for the Sox to get rid of him or move him to the pen. He may not be great and usually hovers around league average, but as long as he continues to do that than he is he is a bargain.Wakefield doesn't NEED a personal catcher. He likes it, and Varitek likes not having to catch Wakefield, but they can deal. Wakefield is going to have to deal when the team gets rid of Mirabelli this offseason (oh dear God I hope so) anyway. Matsuzaka, Beckett, and Tavarez are all out-performing him. In the hypothetical Schilling returns and Lester is brought up, and that leaves Wakes the odd man out.
He might have to either go to the pen or retire soon anyway, as the young guys are going to push him out. maybe next year, 2009 at the latest, we're looking at Beckett, Daisuke, Lester, and Bucholz as holding down 4 spots. That leaves only 1 spot for either Wakes, a free agent, or another young guy like Bowden. I guess you can just let Wakes keep it and ignore FA starting pitching for awhile (except for re-signing Beckett in '10 or whenever he's up).