Hello all who visit Fenway West. I haven’t written for a while. I’ve accepted that there is no more Red Sox baseball to watch (who am I kidding…Pedro is on the mound today, so there is still *some* Red Sox baseball to be watched), but alas….there is still a lot of Red Sox baseball to be discussed.
This entry is all about one Mr. Joshua Patrick Beckett or as some of us like to call im…Becketty Boo.
(To READ MORE….click….READ MORE)
There has been a lot of news about Josh in the last 24 hours, for a guy who is at home…golfing…err…I mean hunting…instead of pitching.
Josh Topic #1: Josh was honored yesterday with the Champion Award by Children’s Hospital Boston at their annual dinner banquet. Josh sometimes has a reputation for being a snarky monster on the mound and with some reporters after the game, but I have never heard anyone say anything other that glowing praise when it comes to the work Josh has done with the Boston Children’s Hospital. Not only does he donate a lot of his money…and his name to raising money, but he also donates his time. It’s clear that this charity is not about PR for Josh…he truly cares for those children.
“Josh has really been there,” James Mandel, MD, who is the CEO of Children’s Hospital, said as he stood next to Beckett. “He’s walked the walk with all the kids and really made a great difference. It’s not the check, Josh. It’s you and all the stuff you bring to the table. He’s a different creature in general. When it comes to generosity and the spirit and the time and the effort on the part of the kids, he is just amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it. And the kids really think so.”
I heart you Josh. I really do.
Josh Topic #2: There is discussion over at redsox.com there is an article about how Josh’s people and Theo may sit down sooner rather than later and try to hash out an extension, since Josh would be a free agent after 2010.
We don’t talk about those things publicly obviously. He’s put himself in a position where he’s valued very highly by us,” said Epstein. “He’s someone that we’d obviously like to have be part of our future. Those things have a way of taking care of themselves. Certainly talking about them publicly or getting out of turn or doing things before it’s the right time doesn’t really make sense. We’ll see what happens.”
There was another article over on Yahoo Sports basically saying the same thing. So, it seems like there may be some interest in both sides to lock Josh up and not have his test out those free agency waters.
Josh Topic #3: And now for something completely different…and kind of the same. I was spending some time puttering around twitter yesterday. Shocking, I know. And, I saw @GlobeChadFinn post a link to an article by Dave D’Onofrio asking if the Red Sox should trade Josh Beckett. The article went on to say that Beckett is perceive as an ace, but in reality is not an ace. Dave stated that Beckett could get a much needed bat on the team…in exchange for his perceived value that he hasn’t lived up to in a Red Sox uniform since his 2007 season.
Clearly Boston’s brass has lost some faith in him, evidenced by their choice of Jon Lester to open this year’s Division Series against the Angels; and the guess here is that you, too, as a Red Sox fan, have lost some faith in Beckett as well.
Umm. For this Red Sox fan, Dave D’Onofrio’s guess is way OFF the mark. I have not lost any faith in Beckett. AT ALL. He’s my ace. He’s the guy I want on the mound. He’s my snarky monster…and the Commander of the Kick Ass Brigade. Do I want to see Josh Beckett traded??? The answer is no, no, no…hell no.
Josh hasn’t had the kind of season like he did in 2007 and maybe he never will, but to say his season last year was a disappointment doesn’t go over well with me. Yes, he hit a rough patch, but also put in some amazing performances. Let’s not forget that he was leading the AL with wins going into the All Star Game. Yeah, that Josh Beckett.
Josh also is a true leader on the team. Who is it who has helped Jon Lester develop? Joshie Beckett. Who is it who Bard say helps him more than anyone else on staff? Joshie Beckett. Who did Buchholz say he likes working with? Joshie Beckett. Josh not only is a dominant beast of a man on the mound…but he also makes everyone else on staff better.
Yes, Jonny Lester is a god…not going to say he isn’t. And yes, I felt extremely confident with Les on the mound against the Angels. So, does that mean I no longer think Becks is the ace? Nope, I just think we are lucky enough to have two bonafide outstanding aces on our team.
Trade Josh Beckett??? Umm. I don’t think so. Lock him up Theo!
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
