Question for RedSox fans

Petescorner

I'm a Marlins fan but I find myself rooting for the RedSox year in and year out, mainly because I see them as the team with the best shot at beating the Yankees. My question is this: How much confidence do you have in Tim Wakefield when he takes the mound? I know he's been with the team a long time, so he must be doing something right, but I swear every time he pitches, I expect a RedSox loss. Granted, when he's on, he's fantastic, but it just seems like way more often than not, he's pitching batting practice for the other team.

perkdog

My biggest concern with Wake is him getting run support, for some reason it seems we have a hard time getting him that sometimes. The thing about a knuckleballer is in general they are tough to hit but when they are off you got a batting practice ball coming in over the plate. I personally have confidence in him giving us innings and quality starts but in a playoff caliber game I would feel much better with Schilling.

Bosox1976

Wake is 70% great, 30% BP. The weather plays a factor. There are many people who have joked that Wake should start every game; if he's on let him finish and if he's off then use the regular rotation. Everybody laughs, but I'd love to see a simulation. He can eat innings like nobody else in the game.

ctsoxfan

I agree with that. Wakefield is a big innings eater year after year (last year was the first time he was really hurt that I can remember). He has been with the club since at least 1995, and always provides a good steady 4th or 5th starter for the team while usually giving you quality starts. He has been especially good so far this season, he usually isn't this unhittable. But tonight's game shows the problem with a knuckleball pitcher - it seems like you either look foolish at the plate chasing the ball, or if he hangs one that doesn't break (like the one to Arod) the hitter crushes it.

Barndog

I feel the Sox have a 60-40 chance of winning with Wakefield on the mound. He has been able to keep the opposition from scoring too many runs (most of the time), but the team doesn't seem to come to hit that night, so Wakefield takes some tough losses. Wakefield over Clement ANY DAY OF THE WEEK!

perkdog

<< <i> Wakefield over Clement ANY DAY OF THE WEEK! >>




OMG NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!

TheVon

I agree with the 70/30 breakdown and with the concern about run support. Wakefield didn't look very good today, but in his previous two starts he threw 14 consecutive scoreless innings . . . both games happened to be in domes (Minnesota and Toronto-that's still a dome right?) and that lends support to the statement that the knuckleball depends a lot on the weather.

It also seems like some teams are better at hitting knuckleballers than others. The Yankees, for example, don't seem to have a problem with Wakefield nor do the White Sox or the Rangers. On the opposite side, Wakefield has good lifetime records against KC (10-5, but who doesn't fit this category?), Minnesota (12-4), Oakland (9-4), and Toronto (14-9).

Just FYI (because I think it's interesting), Wake has a 3.65 lifetime ERA in domes and an 18-8 record while in open stadiums he's at 4.33 and 137-130.

RipublicaninMass

I agree as well, even though wake gave up six runs, the sox are averaging about 6 runs per game, they left about 20 people pn base last night

jad22

Wake has stretches where he is unhittable and other times where he gets beat up. He is a streaky pitcher, ie 1995. I think he is a good number 4 though. Look at the 2003 championship series, he was on his way to the championship series MVP.

Petescorner

Which Wakefield will show up tonight? Any pre-game guesses?

RipublicaninMass

looked ok??

RipublicaninMass

NOT! Why pitch him vs the Yankees

TheVon

Wake sucks tonight. This inning (the 4th) has looked worse than a little league game with all the wild pitches and passed balls.