ALCS: RED SOX (Game 7 Pitching)

Why would you start Dice K tomorrow in Game 7??

Wouldn't it make more sense to start Wakefield for 4 or 5 ( or as much as you can get) and then bring in Beckett for as far as he can go, and then let Papelbon finish it out? With this rotation, you have great contrast in speed and style. If you lose, at least you lose with your best!

I'd stay away from Dice K....who has been VERY inconsistent....and Gagne, who has been hideous.

What would you baseball experts do?
Please give opinions and then justify them.....
DDD

 

Wakefield?

Interesting approach but if you're looking for consistency a knuckleballer isn't the place to look. I absolutely agree with your idea of a short leash for the starter but the starter should be the best one left that's been starting games all along the way. I guess that would be Dice K. Then it's Johnny Allstaff starting with Beckett next.

 

ERR...me thinks this should be in the Baseball Forum, not the preps baseball forum

 

I'm never comfortable with Wakefield pitching. Of course, I hate knuckleball pitchers in general. I would rather face a spitball pitcher than a knuckler and I would rather play defense behind a spitter than a knuckler.

You're probably right D3, about Dice, but dang, after paying over 100 million for the guy, I got to give him a shot (with a short leash). The one thing I like about Dice is he is a competitor with good stuff. He is pitching at home, he will be pitching with a chip on his shoulder and I think he will be better prepared mentally for this game. I wouldn't be surprised to see the guy have his best game of the year.

 

I don't think Dice-K is going to have to be that good. Bosox offense is in high gear and as we all know those kind of rolls tend to keep going for awhile. Westbrook is not a front of the rotation guy even though he has been good lately. I predict Boston gets 7 or 8 and Dice-K gives them five or six and on to the Series.

 

Sounds like you guys think the RedSox are in the driver's seat because of the offense. We'll all know the answers in 12 hours!

The logic of having to use your best on the bench is valid....and the thought of using the guy you paid over $100M makes sense. Dice K just hasn't looked comfortable to me. If he loses tonight, the good folks in Boston may make his life not so wonderful. When you make all the money, you better perform.

Interesting point about the defense behind a knuckler....I'd never really given it much thought. I knew the catcher had tough job responsibilities, but forgot about how it affects the rest of the team on the field.

Still...in Game 7...if it's me, I start Wakefield and try to get 4 innings out of him. I think forcing the Tribe to see a knuckler for 4 and then Beckett for 3 or 4 might make hitting VERY difficult. The timing difference would be WILD and I'd be interested to see how the Indian batters would adjust.

 

The 100 million dollar question

It's time for Dice-K to show the Sox why they spent 100 million on him. If he goes 6 strong the bullpen can take over with, lopez/timlin-7th, okajima-8th, papelbon-9th. Tito needs to start Ellsbury in center again and hope JD doesn't play like he did prior to last night.

 

GO WITH WHAT BROUGHT MAMA TO THE DANCE!!

I say start Dice-K... He's produced all year, get what you can out of him... However if you end up using Wakefield at all most likely you lose Varitek unless you start MIrabelli and bring in Varitek when Wakefield is out. I feel like you need 4-5 out of Dice-K and the pen should be able to hold up its end. Of course you could then go with Wakefield or Beckett in extra innings, most likely Wakefield because he's done it before.

 

The guys who should really be sweating bullets right now are the Red Sox execs who decided to fork over $50 million to Dice K's former team in Japan just to be able to negotiate with Matusaka.
Dice K has singlehandedly transformed the Red Sox Nation into Rolaids Nation.
He may just pitch a gem tonight, but the guy I wish was healthy and ready to go tonight is Clay Bucholtz.

 

007...are the yankees in the playoffs?...