Love him or Hate him, Josh Beckett Delivers
By Editorial Staff
If we could rewind the clock and yesterday was May 2011, wouldn’t every man, woman and child be glued to the television yesterday when the marquee matchup of Josh Beckett vs. Cliff Lee? But, that was last year when both teams were supposed to demolish their competition and waltz into the World Series. Not this year, both teams holding up the bottom of their respective divisions. Worst yet, we had the hated Josh Beckett on the mound.
Don’t you get those mixed emotions every time Josh Beckett takes the mound? Isn’t Beckett the poster child for everything that we hate about today’s athlete? He doesn’t give a damn about the fans or his teammates. He is a selfish, egotistical malcontent. Yet, after imploding against the Cleveland Indians two starts ago, here he is back in command again.
Albeit against the lowly Seattle Mariners and yesterday against the seeming weak Philadelphia Phillies. Beckett has now gone 14 innings while allowing only one lonely earned run. Was it David Ortiz’s closed door session that got Beckett’s head out of his ass? Or is it the level of competition he has been facing?
The Sox have been on a roll, winning 8 of their last 10 games. Unfortunately what we have seen the past two games form Beckett is what we need. He had command of his pitches and he was very efficient with his pitch count. He may have lost that over powering fast ball, but that comes to all pitchers with age. Unless your name is Roger Clemens but he had a secret potion that he used.
So as much as we may all have a bad taste in our mouths with the big three of Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Beckett. If we want to win then we need to control our emotions and root for the devil once in a while.
Me? I enjoy the games more when Felix Doubront and Daniel Bard start. Even when they lose you know they have left everything on the mound.
Maybe Beckett cares more than I think, but only time will prove me wrong. Until then I will take any Sox victory that I can, even if it is from the worst kind of human being on the mound.