I'm going to Comerica Park tomorrow night to catch the Red Sox while they are in town, and I am really glad that we're getting Dice-K's start out of the way the night before. I almost completely agree with Bob Ryan's recent article in the Globe, he is just frustrating to watch, physically painful even. Go ahead, start every inning with the bases loaded and a 3-2 count on the batter. Here's my prediction for his pitching line tonight:
5.0 IP 12 H 3 ER 10 BB 7 K (110 pitches; 40 strikes, 70 balls)
He is a nibbler, and I just can't stand it. He gets two strikes on each batter, and then throws every pitch after that point just inches off the plate, trying to get the batter to chase. You get two strikes on the guy, finish him off! C'mon man! Some fans come back with "well, he went 18-3 in 2008. That's pretty good." I can't argue with that, it's true, that's a great win/loss ratio. But the guy averaged less than 6 IP per start in 2008. He struck out only 1.6 batters for every batter he walked, compared to 2.3 for Lester, 5.1 for Beckett, and 2.0 for Wakefield (and he's a knuckleballer!).
This guy could be so much better. Just put a shock collar on him that gives him a stiff jolt if he throws a ball.
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