Bradford: Beckett's Painful Game 6

by 0157H7 on Oct 23, 2008 2:59 PM EDT

Rob Bradford, one of my favorite Red Sox baseball writers, has a story on WEEI.com about Beckett's injury and how he gutted through Game 6. It's well worth a read. A sample:

When Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein describes Beckett’s five-inning performance in Game 6 as “borderline heroic” it is with good reason.

Beyond the fact that he had to adjust his game to the point of throwing nearly 40 percent off-speed pitches because of the ailment, there was the immense obstacle that the pain presented.

Even with the assistance of pain-relieving medication following the ALCS win, Beckett still struggled to put his shirt on just before getting exiting the Tropicana Field visitors’ clubhouse.

Beckett's start is all the more impressive considering this, although it might've been wiser to just rest him. Winning in the playoffs is important, but not to the point that it destroys young talented pitchers.

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I feel like TBS.

WEEI’s website isn’t working at the moment. Sorry for the inconvenience. Randy or Allen, feel free to delete this.

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Oct 23, 2008 3:13 PM EDT reply actions

I've seen this story linked elsewhere, Ecoli.

I can vouch for its legitimacy until we can find another link.

"Are you a real doctor, or a doctor like Dr. Pepper is a doctor?"

by Allen Chace on Oct 23, 2008 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Okay, we need a poll to go along with this:

More impressive injured Game 6 performance? Becks or Schil?

Clutch: A measurement of how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/glossary/

by bdalebs on Oct 23, 2008 4:16 PM EDT reply actions

Schill’s easy.

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Oct 23, 2008 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions

"Winning in the playoffs is important, but not to the point that it destroys young talented pitchers."

Francona always “errs on the side of caution,” as he likes to put it. He always plays it ultra-safe, regarding his players’ physical well-being , so he wouldn’t risk ruining Beckett.

Either the report is not accurate or Beckett’s pain was not going to affect his health. Either way, your assumption on Tito risking “destroying” his star pitcher is ludicrous.

by ccthemovieman on Oct 23, 2008 4:29 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Oct 23, 2008 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions

For the Cubs

Destroying young arms is worth it if they could win a World Series but due to bad luck and such they haven’t won one but they are still destroying young arms.

Baseball is God's sport! All Truth Goes Through Three Stages 1.It is ridiculed 2.It is violently opposed 3.Finally, it is accepted as self-evident. kinesiologist

by E5 on Oct 23, 2008 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Beckett's injury

Beckett had an oblique tear, not anything structural in his arm, this is why Francona let him pitch injured. If he had any risk of blowing out his elbow or shoulder he wouldn’t have been pitching.

by Gnick on Oct 23, 2008 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh I agree

I knew his oblique was torn just watching him pitch. The obliques are actually really important for a pitcher and the fact that Beckett could give it a go at all was impressive.

Baseball is God's sport! All Truth Goes Through Three Stages 1.It is ridiculed 2.It is violently opposed 3.Finally, it is accepted as self-evident. kinesiologist

by E5 on Oct 23, 2008 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I was a bit hyperbolic in using the word “destroys.” You’re right – I don’t know the full extent of the injury – and I haven’t read anything that Beckett’s playoff time might adversely affect him.

On one point I disagree. Francona and company didn’t err on the side of caution in the case of Curt Schilling. We won the ALCS, and the World Series with his help. Then, Schil spent the majority of 2005 and 2006 recovering from that injury.

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Oct 24, 2008 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions