When Josh Beckett took the mound on Friday night, the Fenway crowd was excited. The Sox were playing the Yankees for the first time since April. Despite a poor road trip, a win over the Yanks would go a long way toward reviving their fortunes. Yes, there had been an incredible number of injuries, but rookies and second-liners had come through to keep the team in the postseason hunt.
What happened? In a first-inning meltdown reminiscent of Oil Can Boyd’s performance in game 3 of the 1986 World Series, Beckett surrendered two singles, hit a batter, walked in a run, gave up a single for two more and a pair of sacrifice flies . Five runs before his team came to bat. The Sox quickly got back in the game and Beckett allowed only one more run before leaving after 5 innings with Boston ahead 7-6. But this and the fact that the relievers lost the game is unimportant. Josh Beckett has become a liability.
For once, the man spoke after a loss. “I was really struggling. In the first inning I just wanted to throw a strike. I didn’t care where they hit it. I was really battling myself. Just words, Josh. No apology there, just like there was none for playing golf while hurt on an off day.
Beckett’s stats are depressing for a man making 17 million a year. 14 starts, 89 innings pitched, 86 hits, 9 homers allowed. The 8 quality starts are misleading- he has often pitched just badly enough to lose. Approaching the all-star break, his record is 4-7 with a 4.43 ERA. I don’t have his midseason career stats, but it is likely that this is his poorest ever at the all-star break.
I have finally run out of patience. It’s time for a trade. It would be addition by subtraction. Just as the team got tired of Manny being Manny, it should now apply to Josh being Josh.
With Carl Crawford possibly missing the entire season, perhaps a speedy outfielder could be part of the deal. Beckett’s 10-5 situation could complicate things, but Nick Cafardo quotes a National League GM as saying he would get some interest if some of the money was absorbed.
Josh Beckett was once as close as the Sox had to a “certified stopper”, but no more. It’s time to go.
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