It appears Terry Francona and the Red Sox have already decided on an opening day starter already. When speaking to the media about the road trip to Washington, DC the day before their season kicks off against the Yankees, Tito mentioned that ‘even Beckett’ would travel, implying he will be the opening day starter. We are in for a treat to start the season with the Sox/Yankees pitching match-ups.
It appears as if the first 3 games of the season for the Red Sox will a true test of their offensive ability. If the rotation for both teams is as expected, opening day will feature Josh Beckett vs. C.C. Sabathia in a showdown of aces, followed by Game 2 with Jon Lester vs. A.J. Burnett, which will be a show in itself, and the final match-up will be a battle of veterans, John Lackey vs. Andy Pettitte. Does it get any better than that to begin a 162 game regular season?
Most everyone agrees that the two best starting rotations in baseball entering the 2010 season are the Red Sox and Yankees. Regardless of which you feel is best, the top 3 guys in each rotation would be opening day aces on practically any other team in baseball. Of the 6 starters going in the Sox/Yankees opening series, there are a few potential AL Cy Young candidates including Jon Lester and C.C. Sabathia.
Pile those match-ups on top of the rivalry drama and we are in for a wild ride to start the season. The two teams meet so often throughout the regular season (and maybe the postseason) that we often see tensions carry over between games and series, so this opening round bout will set the tone. I can hardly wait for the umpire to yell Play Ball!
For anyone who wants to ask me questions or hear my reactions as the season begins, I will be hosting my first ever LIVE CHAT, right here on this blog, beginning at 7:30pm on Sunday, April 4th. This is a first for BoSox Injection, so I am hoping we can spread the word as much as possible and get a bunch of people involved. I am open to answer any questions during that time and will share my feelings as the evening/night unfolds.