Sorry!  Gotta call it like I see it....  Sounds like the same old same old ST nonsense I've grown accustomed to hearing from Lackey every ST!  "So few pitches in the 1st, it's all about getting up & down a few times.......getting my pitches in.......  hitting my spots....  Arm strength good.... yada yada yada."

I've heard the same song & dance from him every ST.  The only thing different is his attitude & his being in good shape!  BRAVO for that!!!!  Still, the results are always the same....

Admittedly, I've been killing the guy since he stepped foot in Boston, BUT I've really been hoping to jump behind him this ST as he did come into camp with a great attitude (much dif. than the last few years), and seemingly in GREAT SHAPE.

I just don't see it happening.  He is what he is!  So far, 3 innings, & he's given up 4 runs.  NOT GOOD!  In fact, he's sucked!  PERIOD!

 

Now some of you ladies are about to come unglued???  Let me remind you how off the charts, breathlessly atwitter you've been over JBJ.  If you bash me over bashing Lackey with the small sample, you might want to get ahold of yourself with respect to JBJ.  Your scorn over my blaspheming Lackey, juxtaposed to your teenybopper giddiness with JBJ is simply laughable.

For the record.....  I really like JBJ!!!!  Just preemptively pointing out your hypocrisy.  :)

Now man up & have at me!  :)

In response to redsoxdirtdog's comment:

He has pitched 3 innings since coming back from TJ what did you expect?

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Jonathon Papelbon has a 81.00 ERA so far this spring.It's going to be a long year in Philadelphia with him closing. 

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and, if Lackey had pitched shutour ball for 2 innings today after more than a year away from baseball, would the author of this thread slammed poster for making snap judgements about how great John will be this year? 

I think so.

 

 

Give the guy a chance to get on track.

But "the ball was coming out of his hand really well"...........lol......but I think he'll be ok. I think he'll surprise some people. I still predict 14-9/3.80ish.

In response to moonslav59's comment:

Of course I would Moon. ;) 

Honestly?  I would have loved it if he looked good, & likely would have acted like a schoolgirl at a Justin Bieber concert.  OK, maybe not quite that giddy, but I would have definitely would have been excited for him.  YES!  I know ST COULD mean next to nothing???  I know it COULD be just shaking off the dust???  I know it generally means next to nothing for many guys.  I just don't see it happening with Lackey.

I hope he makes me look foolish!  This is where I am 100% different from Stiffy!  I love being dead wrong if it helps OUR Red Sox.  I was dead wrong about Pedey his first year, & I'm still loving it!!!!

In response to TheExaminer's comment:

DAMN!  I forgot to add "the ball coming out of his hand really well."  NICE!  :)  LOL...  Seriously laughing out loud on that one.

If he wins 14, I will HAPPILY video myself eating a crow, & post it on this board!!! 

 

 

he got the W what else do you need

seriously not only is it just the beginning of ST

U R talking about a guy coming back form TJ

where regaining control is the last part of recovery

and  takes time

In response to redsoxdirtdog's comment:

You must be knew to following spring training.

Every pitcher says the same thing -- getting his work in; working on pitches; building up arm strength; working on mechanics.

Did you really think that a pitcher who is coming back from Tommy John surgery was going to be lights out from the get-go in spring training. Are you that stupid?

Is your post just simply to get responses or are you serious in your remarks, in which case, yeah, I guess you are that stupid.

Sounds like the same old same old ST nonsense I've grown accustomed to hearing from Lackey every ST! 

Really? Are you talking about his 2011 spring training when he posted a 1.72 ERA and allowed just three runs in 15.6 innings.

I know -- you're talking about his 2010 spring training when he posted a 1.35 ERA and allowed just three runs in 20 innings.

 

Spring Training you want two things.

 

1. Players to get some timing back.

2.  Players not to get hurt.

 

Do not worry about hitting, pitching, etc. Especially from players with guaranteed contracts who already know they have a roster space. 

 

If you really do believe everything you see in ST is representative, bear in mnd that KC and Colorado have the best records in the AL and NL respectively.  Shall we wager on them meeting in the World Series?  How about a wager on either of them making the WS?  Or even the post-season?

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Everyone needs to calm down about Lackey.

He had major surgery.  It is going to take some time. 

Remember if he pitches decent - it will be a plus.

People who were saying he'd win 18 games are insane.

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In response to TheExaminer's comment:

LOL

I have no faith in Lackey.  But it is kind of idiotic to assess how he'll be doing 4 months from now based on 3 innings of work, particularly for a guy coming off TJ surgery.

All I can say is, great Boston Red Sox fans have good reason to question Lackey!  As I've said many times, I will root like hell for him, but I think we've EARNED the right to question the guy.  I know many of you reflexively think it's disloyal to question any Red Sox player, but I care much more about the team than some schmuckk who was dubbed one of the 3 horsemen in ST of 2010.  Trouble was, he was riding the apocalypse down upon our Red Sox.

CLEARLY early ST generally tells us next to nothing about how a guy is going to do in the regular season, but with Lackey????

If Lackey does great, there will be no happier Sox fan than me!  I stand behind the Sox!  Not Lackey!  He's got a lot to prove to win us back!!!

In response to DirtyWaterLover's comment:

 

I have no faith in Lackey.  But it is kind of idiotic to assess how he'll be doing 4 months from now based on 3 innings of work, particularly for a guy coming off TJ surgery.

 

 

AGAIN......   For the 10th time.....  Is it then not equally rediculous to say a guy like JBJ is READY to take over for Ells after a few at bats & one or two pop flies????

If guys still can't understand the juxtaposition, I don't know how to explain it more slowwwly???

 

MY POINT....  in the OP.........Guys / girs tend to get a we bit more touchy when you say a Red Sox player looks like crap early on in ST, vs. saying a guy LOOKS GREAT after a couple great at bats early on in ST????

Perhaps if I explain in a monosyllabic format???

 

:)  Come on fellas....  Lighten up!  You'd think I called your girlfriend fat?  Which she probably is?  Just kidding!  Calm down.......  again.....

In response to redsoxdirtdog's comment:

Its clearly rediculous to say that about JBJ as well. Lackey is coming back from TJ surgery which has kept him out of the game for over a year. It really is that simple.

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Wow. Did you see the game? Lackey threw about 40 pitches, about 30 for strikes. Good velo. First time this spring throwing curveball which had decent bite. Results, 2 ground ball hits, one hanger taken yard. No pain. Increased pitch count. Starting to work in secondary pitches. 

Positive step in 2nd appearance. Anxious to see where Lackey is in his 6 th start. I have been at the park ( in Anaheim, albeit pitching for the Sox in an 8-0 win) when this guy has been dominant.

Call me crazy, I think Lackey will be very good this year. Not good, but very good. He has a bulldog mentality, is the ultimate competitor to a fault, has the talent and experience to lead this staff. Lester and Buch have everything but leadership qualities. Lackey has them, and has been the leader in Anaheim.

I am hoping for continued progress.  

In response to redsoxdirtdog's comment:

I'm as skeptical as the next guy that Lackey is going to give us anything even close to decent this year, but it's still just spring training.  I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for a little while, but I'm not going to have a lot of patience with him if he can't get things together by mid-May or so.