Saturday, December 19, 2009
Another Perspective
Check out this column by Tim Marchman at CNNSI.com. He talks about the Lackey/Cameron and Granderson deals. What I find interesting is that he's the first person I've come across, writing for a national audience, that doesn't think Boston signing Lackey makes them the best pitching staff ever (or at least in the AL East). I've, frankly, been surprised by how much praise the Sox have received for the signing. I realize there aren't that many players to get excited about in this hot stove season, but still, Lackey is good, but he's hardly a great pitcher. If I'd asked you six months ago to name your ideal 5 man rotation, would Lackey have made the list? Hell no! You'd've picked Superman, and Wolverine, Sabathia, Halladay, and Santana. So yeah, I'm largely posting the link because he praises the Yanks as really smart and says Boston isn't as smart as everyone pretends. So what?
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5 comments:
Do you mean Carlos Santana? I think he would rock out for the national anthem and could really change up the seventh inning stretch.
I see Lackey as about equivalent to A.J. and his contract seems to reflect that others do to. A.J. has a higher ceiling when he's on, but Lackey is less likely to throw a real stinker I think. The are both somewhat risky injury wise, but have some record of 200+ innings. A.J throws pies and that makes him better. If Beckett has a good year the Sox have a good rotation, if he has a bad one they don't. Same with C.C. but Beckett has a career of ups and downs.
Totally agreed. ESPN was all "ACES WILD!!!!" but IMO Beckett, Lackey, and Dice-K aren't aces (though they are very good pitchers and would be #1 or #2 on most teams, though I am expecting and eagerly anticipating an implosion by Dice-K one of these days). Beckett is still insanely hyped from what he did in the postseasons of 2003 and 2007, even though he's sucked in the postseason since then. Also, he is a douchebag. Not that this has anything to do with his pitching, I just wanted to let that be known.
I would have liked to get Lackey because he is indeed a GOOD pitcher and you can't have enough starting pitching, but I'm not crying that he went to the Sox. I do think their rotation is the best in the AL East and I'm not underselling them but their offense is... uh..., especially if this Mike Lowell deal goes through and they don't get Adrian Gonzalez (and I don't think that's happening, probably), so they're forced to play, I don't know, Casey Kotchman or something.
Though bahahaha that article compared Jason Bay favorably to Manny, hilarious. Just 'cuz he's white doesn't mean he's better/as good, Boston!
Oh, and everyone seems to ignore Lester, who is both the ACTUAL ace of their staff right now, and the only Red Sock that doesn't make me want to throw things at him.
Yeah, hard to dislike Lester, especially with the challenges he's had, how do you root against that? But Beckett's definitely a douche. I wonder how Sox fans feel about him. I know some don't care for J Pap, but never heard similar sentiments shared about Beckett.
My friend who's a Sox fan loves having Beckett on her team but, if I can quote her, "[she] hate[s] looking at his stupid face." She says she'll probably feel the same way about Lackey. She thinks Papelbon is hot though o_O
Full confession: Lester is one of my favorite non-Yankee players and I wish he was on the Yankees soooo bad. I feel like a bad Yankee fan for feeling this way!
You're not a bad Yankee, you're a bad human being. Just kidding. Lester would be a great guy to have, especially at his current age and dollars. Hopefully, Hughes, Joba, or both turn out to be major league starting rotation talent on that level.
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