Can Sox be kings if they're without ace?

The injuries are being overplayed here as well as this perceived large gap between the quality of the Angels and the Red Sox. The fact is, if the Sox cannot go to California and split with their two best starters from this season, then they are not legitimate contenders and Beckett's health and availability for any games after that is a moot point. We've heard about the tremendous depth, the improved defense, the "great-bunch-of-guys" clubhouse vibe, etc. Let's see it in action. I don't like the way the groundwork is being laid for a first round exit by the defending champs, just like I didn't like how it somehow became fine that the Sox lost the division.

"Mr. Dwyer",

Out of curiousity, do you direct demeaning, and sometimes scathing remarks on websites/blogs related to the team you follow? Do you offer "advice" to the reporters who follow your team? Or do you have so much hatred for the Red Sox and everything about them that you cannot see that the team you support (no doubt) has its own issues?

Sir, your act is getting very old.

If Becket pitches well in Game 3, the Sox are not in any particular disadvantage because he will be opposing the Angels #3 in a critical game regardless of the outcome of the prior two games. But if he cannot pitch at all or is done after this series, it is very very unlikely Sox can get to Series.

Don't minimize the fact that the Sox can get a lights out post season performance from Lester as well. He has a World Series victory (clinching game, to boot) under his belt, and his starts this year have me convinced this guy has the goods.

I'll take my chances with Lester.

Josh Beckett, this season, has not been Boston's ace. That has fallen upon the shoulders of Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka. In the past, Beckett has been phenominal in the playoffs but that is the past. The game three starter is up for grabs between Tim Wakefield and Paul Byrd if Beckett is not able to go. But no matter how you arraign the rotation, Sox pitching is going to be tough on the Angels' hitters. Does anyone know the status of Colon?

The best pitcher in baseball, arguably ? Oh, my the stretches you sox fans have. What was his W-L this year, WHIP, ERA ? Please, lets talk American League East Ok shortie, just one team Blue Jays--Doc Halliday or the injured wonder AJ Burnett both are ARGUABLY better that the wonder boy with a f......n attitude. Give me a break, he's probably not even the best pitcher on your staff.

i think the red sox have a team that works hard and does their best. no matter what happens in the playoffs, we should support and applaud the way they played the game this year. i can't wait to root for my favorite team, yes i said team.

My fellow Bob is too typical of the Nation these days: spoiled!
5 out of 6 years with a playoff appearance will do that to us....
How dare we even consider that injuries make us vulnerable.
A first round exit to an excellent Angels team would be no disgrace. But hopefully our strong starting pitching will make the difference ...

Rob,
Colon is gone. He had a temper tantrum when told the Sox wanted to get him in shape for bullpen use in the playoffs. He quit, and went home to the Dominican rather than take advantage of the chance to play for a potential champsionship team that invested in his recovery all year. To think of a guy quitting at that stage is simply unfathomable, but yep, it happened.
Hard to believe the Sox came overcome the loss of Drew, Lowell and Bekett in this series. But stranger things have happened. That's why they play 'em right?

My colon is working just fine, I did a cleanse over the weekend.

Colon is all done. He went back to the Dominican Republic when the season ended.

I'm fine with Lester and Daisuke going in GM1 & 2. They were better this year anyway. I am concerned with Wake or Byrd for GM3. The Angels hitters can take those two apart. I don't want to see them at all this series. However, I think Beckett will get pushed back. Oblique's are a crap shoot, but they almost always take a long time to heal.

I thought this was fairly obvious, but apparently it is not. This is Tony Massarotti's blog and comments should be made to him. It is not my blog.

Also, anything other than glowing praise of wildcard jubilation and requests for more dixie cups of kool-aid to sip out of, should not be posted here for fear of upsetting the "real" Red Sox fans. I had thought the Patriots bandwagoneers had this market cornered, but now the new generation of Sox fans wants nothing other than "The Sawx are wicked awesome!" posts rather than honest discussion of strengths and weaknesses.

Agree with the previous post. Beckett has been "ace" in name only. He showed up to Spring Training out of shape (remember the picture on BDD showing his flab?), immediately hurt his back, and has been working through a variety of injuries and ineffectiveness since them. Even in his most recent starts, he's been throwing 92-23, not 95-96. If he can go in Game 3 we'll be fine. If he can't, there's still a chance.

Colon's on the restricted list... so unavailable.

Geez, Dwyer--that's some deep stuff! Maybe you could do a little volunteer work with a Congressional sub-commitee and put those bulging brains of yours to work on bailing out Wall Street.

I thought this was fairly obvious, but apparently it is not. This is Tony Massarotti's blog and comments should be made to him. It is not my blog.

Also, anything other than glowing praise of wildcard jubilation and requests for more dixie cups of kool-aid to sip out of, should not be posted here for fear of upsetting the "real" Red Sox fans. I had thought the Patriots bandwagoneers had this market cornered, but now the new generation of Sox fans wants nothing other than "The Sawx are wicked awesome!" posts rather than honest discussion of strengths and weaknesses.

Are you guys all kidding? Beckett hasn't been an ace all year, why have the expectations changed?

I think the Red Sox are outsmarting all of you. Lester and Dice K have been better than Beckett all year long..... this "injury" pushback was just a smart way to break it to the fans without Beckett losing face and being exposed as the #3 starter.

please..no wakefield!!

Not having Beckett would be a little bit of a hit to the Red Sox but did everyone already forget how well Paul Byrd played in the post season against the Red Sox?? I personally would have no problem running Lester, Matsuzaka, and Byrd. If Wakefeild can figure out how to get his pitch back he could also win some big games. I’m more worried about the middle of the rotation then the starting rotation.

No, Beckett hasn't been the Sox best pitcher this season, but, like Schilling, is known to step up in the playoffs and is probably one of the most dominating post-season pitchers in history. The Sox have some other good starters, but their chances are definitely diminished without Beckett. Hopefully, he'll be good to go in Game 3.

The Red Sox are in real trouble. Our lineup is largely injured and without, nobody has mentioned, Manny Ramirez. It in no way scares the opposition - no disrespect intended to those who have stepped up nicely this year. The Sox do not have offensive fire power to overcome a shaky bullpen and questionable rotation.

Question: What would have happened if Red Sox had beaten Tampa Bay in that Sept. game that Papelbon blew a 9th inning lead as far as who would have won the AL East? If they had, both teams would have finished 96-66 & 9-9 vs. each other. Is there another tie-breaker? Or would they have had a 1-game playoff?

What would be the problem with having Wakefield pitch in this series? As a longtime fan, Wakefield has been indispensible. From the last pitch of 2003, to his 2004 WS game 1 outing, he has been nothing but reliable. When he pitches the soxs know they have to drive in at least 5 runs to win, but wake will keep the other team in check- not dominate- but in check. Lester, Dice-K, Wake or Byrd, we will play with who we have available and find a way to win.

I love the guy, but picturing Wake pitching to Vlad in Fenway will make the entire crowd want to duck for cover.

I'll duck for cover, and I'll be watching on TV!

yankees4ever "arguably the best big-game pitcher in baseball today"...not "arguably the best pitcher in baseball today" are not the same thing, he is arguably the best big-game pitcher because of his postseason stats. Don't get all worked up on a misquote that you made.

How has Wake done against the Angels this year?

Bob Dwyer got one thing right. This perceived LAA talent gap over the Sox is totally overblown. Lester/Daisuke are at least equal to any 1-2 combo LAA can muster. With a healthy Beckett, ...

The lineup isn't 100% and that is a problem for the Sox.

Beck is toast- his conditioning has been suspect since he came to spring training way out of shape. Les and Dice can pitch well but we don't have the bats due to injury.

I think watching Lester pitch probably through the eighth inning and I am guessing they won't even need Papelbon in game 2 (because it isn't anywhere near a save) will finally put Beckett into that scary playoff pitcher. Then a closer game in game 2 where undoubtedly our bullpen is tapped more (but hopefully just Masterson, Delcarmen, Okajima, Papelbon) will get Beckett rev'ed up. And the whole team will know that they aren't pitching game 1 with their ace so they are more on their toes from the get go. I actually think I am more confident now than I have been.

Yeah, please...... No Wakefield.... Had solid '03 but besides that a complete disaster in the playoffs...

It doesn't matter if Becket pitches or not. The Angels owned the Sox in the regular season and they will clean them out quickly in the playoffs.

Yankees4ever,

I guess reading comprehension wasn't taught at your school. (You did attend once in a while, didn't you?)

The columnist wrote, "arguably the best big-game pitcher in baseball today". First of all, arguably implies it's not a no-brainer. More importantly, you (purposely?) omitted the words "big-game" and "today".. Beckett's numbers show his big-game performance is unsurpassed.

Is his "Big Game" performance better than Doc H or AJB? - we don't know. They haven't had any of those starts with the Blue Jays. Come to think of it, we don't even know if Beckett is better in big-game situations than Joba - unless you count the flea bag game in Cleveland last year - and maybe won't know about any Yanks "big game" potential for a while now.

Aint it sweet?

The Original Nation

What about Masterson to start game 3 ?If Beckett can't go I'd rather see him than Byrd or WAKE.

Good move by Tito to put Beckett in the 3rd spot....it is certainly consistent with his recent and ....relevant....performance ...this is not last year ...and "last year" in no way translates to what they should do with the starting rotation in the Div series this year. Josh has not been close to what he was a year ago. Spot Josh 3rd in the rotation and trust what Dice-K and Lester have delivered in 2008.

When will the Globe stop referring to Beckett as the Sox's ace? Based on this season he is their third best starter.

Lester is the Ace of the staff, not Beckett. Dice K is a good No. 2.
If Beckett can pitch the 3rd game fine. The ourcome may not be critical since Lester can pitch the 4th game. etc.

I actually thought Dwyer made some thoughtful comments. I didn't see them as scathing at all. You can be a fan and be critical or even not be a fan and post. What's the big deal?

im not as worried about beckett as much as are relievers. Paps is struggling he can't get anything but the fastball over and who is going to pitch in middle relief. i like masterson and don't think the pressure will be to much for him, but delcarmen, timlin, oki, are all question marks to me. i don't feel confident with any of them and that just puts even more pressure on paps. if the angels get a lead or keep it close in late innings they clearly have the advantage. lester is an ace in the making and is a true big game pitcher, vteck won't let him get outa line, dice-k is a seasoned vet. and will try and take the role of ace if beckett can't come back. i love wakefield but he either gets destroyed or pitches great i would like to go with byrd who has a lot of motivation because he is getting old and hasn't won a ring. that means lester and dice-k come back on short rest, which is common in post season situations. also i am worried about lowell a true clutch hitter and great defensive 3rd basemen but we got a solid 1 through 9 and i think jacoby and lowrie with be rejuvenated with post season play

Interesting observation on the part of King B... Although VERY GOOD at times this past season, Josh Beckett simply has not demonstrated the consistent level of excellence in terms of both pitch location and velocity. Has anyone noticed that over the course of this year, opposing teams have put up numerous "crooked numbers" in single innings? These "mini melt-downs" occurred in excess of what transpired in the '07 season. If one evaluates 2007 as the year Josh should have won the Cy Young Award and compares it to 2008, the inevitable conclusion is that Josh Beckett did not have an "Ace" year.

Beckett, as Tony pointed out, has earned his designation as an ace based on his playoff resume. That can not be argued. I would like him in Game 1, but Lester and Matsuzaka are still a very dangerous 1, 2 for the angels. If the Red Sox split out here I still like our chances

I think Josh Beckett will do fine in game 3 of the play offs and we will go all the way, Josh Beckett is the ace and I have faith in him to pitch in game 3. Josh Beckett is an awesome pitcher.

Any chance the Red Sox kept this injury under raps until the Angels selected the 3-starter schedule for round 1? Seems they would have wanted the 4-man schedule if they knew Beckett might be injured. By the way - where is Bartolo Colon?

Wow a sox fan that is humble I am honored to have seen this post dwyer.

Go Sox - Let's enjoy today and bask in the glow of not only the Yankees missing the playoffs, but also the Mets folding for the second season in a row on the last day of the season. After savoring that for a day, then we can look forward to a winning the Angels series.
Let's also hope that the "real" Manny shows up against the Cubs and strikes out every time up. Or, if he hits the ball that he jogs to 1st. He is a disgraceful human being!!!

don't panic,this was done for a reason,this sets up dice-k for games 2 and 5 away where he pitches much better...beckett will be stronger after a little rest

Does anyone think that Manny will get very nervous and stop hitting knowing that the Red Sox and their cameraphone-toting pursuers are just across town? And as far as Beckett goes, Theo pulled the rabbit out when he got Byrd...a few double pumps, and the Halos are duped. My prediction: Byrd will be an asset as this series unfolds, then moreso in the LCS.

People are speaking like they have some inside information and that they really know what's going on inside the Red Sox organization. This notion that the Red Sox have some ulterior motive with Beckett is the most absurd one I've heard yet. Regardless of whether you're in the camp that believes that they need Beckett to carry them through the playoffs, or the other end of the continuum that believes a true champion can win regardless, you are setting yourself up to have egg on your face. Of course, these type of blowhards usually don't admit it when they're wrong afterwards anyway. Trust in the Red Sox to do as much as they can.

Maz -

Don't you think you're laying it on a little thick, placing Beckett first in a line of kings on the strength of one great season/post season in a Sox uniform? We all have a soft spot for the young gun, to be sure, since he beat the Yanks in '03 - but to be a true ace you need consistency, year after year. Beckett still hasn't shown that.

I'm excited to see Lester in Game 1, though - he was a warhorse this year, throwing harder than any season before. Not as pumped about Dice in Game 2, but as you say we only need a split, and the guy was 18-3 with a sub-3 ERA in the American League - pretty awesome season. Then we hope Beckett can go in Game 3 - it's a big drop-off to Byrd and Wake as everyone else has said.

I'd also say, after watching him in September, I'll be more inclined to agree with your characterization of Beckett's greatness if he turns in another couple of dominant wins in the postseason - but if he's out for this series, and can't do much in the playoffs, I feel like '08 was a lost opportunity for the guy.

Beckett is a gamer, that means, when game 3 comes, oblique willing, you will see the real Beckett. 95-97 with great command. Remember how terrible Shill was in Game 1 of the 04 ALCS, with a bad ankle? When we needed him the most, and the season on the line, he went out and pitched like Shill to win game 6, with 1 ankle. Beckett has earned similar postseason praise like Shilling. Like Shill, he is also a gamer. Expect to see Josh in game 3 ready to dominate. The Angels are going to be tough, but I can bet you they and their fans aren't too thrilled about playing us.

Chad-give Wake a shot. He has proven he can pitch in the big game. As long as I don't see Byrd, I'm happy. Everyone hear seems to forget the regardless of year stats, injury's and setbacks, things drastically change for a player in the playoffs.

Folks who paid attention to Beckett's starts the last 2 months of the season should have noticed that his run support was a mere fraction of what it was in '07. Yet, aside from the terrible start against the 'Jays (injury related), he pitched well down the stretch. Too many folks in Red Sox nation have short memories.

I love the Lester, Dice, Josh combo. exactly how it should be played. face it, we're the underdogs and a split in LA would be great. the pitching will be there, but will the bats? will i make it past 11 o'clock on a school night no less... irish coffees can't start until game time if i'm going to make it.

Angel fans are not worried about the Sox. The Angels are healty this year compared to last year. Vlad finally has some protection in Mark Tex & Tori Hunter & our three man rotation (Lackey, Saunders, & Santana) are as good if not better than any team out there. So I hope your bandwagon fans come to Anaheim for the first two games so we can run you out of there & then take it from you at Fenway. It would be best if you had an early round exit this year so you can catch your Abercrombie & Fitch sale and get those wicked awsome cargo shorts that I swear are sold at Fenway.

Spoken like a true Lakers fan. Sounds like you're dealing with it....