Top 10 Moments of 2007: #4, Josh Beckett, ALDS Game 1.

by Allen Chace on Feb 5, 2008 4:23 PM EST in Open Thread

Josh Beckett gesticulates. Such an odd sight from him.

Elsa/Getty Images

October 3, 2007

It would not be unfair to say that Josh Beckett's first season in a Red Sox uniform was not terrific. 36 HRs and 74 BB = not great for a starting pitcher.

As kind of pretty bad as Josh Beckett's first season was, he was just as pretty good/excellent in his second season. In short, for most of 2007, Josh Beckett imposed his will on the unlucky hitters of MLB.

20 wins, a 1.141 WHIP, and 194 Ks are numbers any starting pitcher would be proud of. They earned him a second place finish to deserving Cy Young winner C.C. Sabathia, and helped the Sox take their first division title in 382 years. But as amazing as his sophomore effort in Boston proved to be, it was nothing as compared to his first start for the Sox in the postseason.

I don't like the Angels. Really, it probably has a lot to do with our SBN sister site. I make no apologies or excuses for this. However, I can't say that it didn't make this game, and the ultimate result of the series, just a little bit sweeter.

As much as Becks imposed his will on the hitters of the AL in 2007, he pitched this game on a different level from that, and on a different level from the Angels' hitters he was "challenged" with.

By the numbers:

9 innings
31 batters faced
8 Ks, 4 singles, no other baserunners
108 pitches, with 83 of them for strikes

But if you saw the game, you know it goes much further than that. Beckett looked effortless the entire way through. His delivery was smooth, he was composed but as always, supremely confident, and there was never a doubt how the game would go from the beginning.

And of course, this game would start a string of competition-destroying for Josh Beckett in the postseason. In total:

35 Ks in 30 IP.
TWO BBs.
4 ER, 19 H

The other impact this game had was semi-indirect. I know I was not NEARLY the only member of RSN who thought, before Game 5 that Josh Beckett could keep the Clevelands down, and change the momentum of the ALCS. And the rest, really became history.

What's left to say? Just this:

Thank you, Josh Beckett.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff

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Comments

Re: Top 10 Moments of 2007: #4, Josh Beckett

Inhuman. Postseason MVP.

by Devine @ Over the Monster on Feb 5, 2008 5:06 PM EST reply actions

Wow. Just... wow.

His WHIP for the entire postseason was 0.7. Just putting that out there.

by Liza on Feb 5, 2008 6:06 PM EST reply actions

Re: Wow. Just... wow.

So you're saying there was room for improvement?

by RSNexile on Feb 5, 2008 6:08 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Wow. Just... wow.

No, jeez, no--I guess it sounded like that, didn't it? I meant it as, "Holy crap, the guy is amazing." Not as, "Well here's this statistic that shows he somehow wasn't incredible."

I should word my comments better...

by Liza on Feb 5, 2008 8:52 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Wow. Just... wow.

Relax -- that was tongue-in-cheek! That's something my parents used to do to me; I'd come home with a 99 on a test and they'd ask "What happened to the other point?"

by RSNexile on Feb 6, 2008 9:35 AM EST up reply actions

Re: Wow. Just... wow.

Heh. I'm really, really bad at sensing tongue-in-cheek and sarcastic comments. >.> I get all sensitive. You don't take it personally, either.

by Liza on Feb 6, 2008 9:50 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Top 10 Moments of 2007: #4, Josh Beckett, ALDS

Beckett's postseason performance was nothing short of Hall of Fame caliber. And it's not the first time he's done that. I hope he'll do it a few more times for the Sox.

by RSNexile on Feb 5, 2008 6:07 PM EST reply actions

Rev. Clutch's performance (s) were amazing

I cannot stand the folks over at Halo Heaven or whatever its called...they are good for some laughs if anyone is ever in need. Bitter, jealous, peeps its quite comical! Beckett is and was a beast, and we own the Angels.

by Matzushocka on Feb 5, 2008 6:59 PM EST reply actions

Re: Top 10 Moments of 2007: #4, Josh Beckett, ALDS

Beckett was magnificent. Took a year to take his beating crossing leagues in the wrong direction (at this point going from the NL to the AL is like getting promoted to Boston from Pawtucket), and he figured it out. Competitor he always has been, you figured he would.

The HOPE is that Matsuzaka, the competitor he was in the past, will make that transformation also.

I admire the Patriots, but I LOVE the Sox.

by sriram12078 on Feb 10, 2008 4:09 PM EST reply actions

Re: Top 10 Moments of 2007: #4, Josh Beckett, ALDS

Matsuzaka had an even bigger transition to make, and he did better than Beckett in his first year with the Sox. I think he's in for a big year.
Beckett

5.01 ERA, 1.295 WHIP, 36 HR
3.27, 1.41, 17 HR

Matsuzaka

4.40, 1.324, 26 HR
?

by 0157H7 on Feb 10, 2008 11:06 PM EST up reply actions

Re: Top 10 Moments of 2007: #4, Josh Beckett, ALDS

is that right? did his WHIP go up?

crazy.

Manny Ramirez is a bad man

by tommy.otm on Feb 11, 2008 7:52 PM EST up reply actions

Nevermind

It was a typo, 1.14 in '07.

Manny Ramirez is a bad man

by tommy.otm on Feb 12, 2008 12:14 AM EST up reply actions

Re: Top 10 Moments of 2007: #4, Josh Beckett, ALDS

The best measure of the bunch is ERA+ (higher is better, 100 is league average)

Beckett 2006: 95
Beckett 2007: 145 (4th in the AL)

So from below average to 4th in the AL. Astonishing turnaround. 3.25 walks per 9 innings in 2006, down to 1.79 walks per 9 innings. Homeruns down from 36 to 17. So he was around the plate more, but allowed fewer homeruns. Fewer walks, fewer homeruns, his stuff = far fewer runs.

What Matsuzaka needs to do is to trust his stuff. No need to nibble with that changeup of his. He tried too much to be perfect when he merely needed to throw the right pitch to the right location. If he aims less, pitches to the strike zone more (allow guys to swing and miss at him), he will become more pitch efficient. He gets more pitch efficient, maybe he can become the innings hoss he seemed to be earlier in the season.

I admire the Patriots, but I LOVE the Sox.

by sriram12078 on Feb 11, 2008 9:39 PM EST reply actions