So, after a very, from a Red Sox perspective, uneventful Hot Stove league, the regular season is upon us. With the only real issues during Spring Training being the battle for CF between Coco and Elsbury and the sad, but but as it seems inevitable end of Gehrig38's career, not only in a Red Sox shirt, but as a player too, we're finally at a stage where games start to matter.
However, as "spring" is here, the snow hits London...go figure. Yes, I also realise this post is already a week into the season, but seeing as the Fenway home opener is tomorrow, after the Red Sox travelled about 10 time zones and four venues before returning home after a 20+ day roadtrip, it is fitting to look at the state of the nation, n'est-ce pas?
If we start with Schill, it is a sad end to a HOF career. With no.38 only having a one-year deal with the Sox, and at 42 years of age, it is not in the clubs interest to look at anything past 2008. Schilling's personal physician, the same doctor who performed shoulder surgery on Schill in the 80s, Dr. Craig Morgan, does not mince his words.
If Schilling has the surgery, there’s a “75- to 80-percent chance,” said Morgan. “And the percentage of him being able to pitch effectively with conservative treatment is probably between zero and five percent.”
Obviously, this is two different opinions coming from two very different sides. Red Sox is out $8m for a Schilling who they say would not be able to pitch in 2008 if he had surgery. Dr.Morgan has nothing invested in Schilling pitching this year, although one would assume it is his goal that Schilling pitches again.
The Red Sox said:
“Curt Schilling was examined by Red Sox doctors in January after he reported feeling right shoulder discomfort. Curt has started a program of rest, rehabilitation and shoulder strengthening in an attempt to return to pitching.”Morgan replied with:
“In all honesty and respect for the Red Sox, they are relying on medical advice from people within their organization, and in doing so they truly believe that that’s the best thing for them and Curt,” said Morgan. “I’m not faulting them on that, and I want to make that clear. I just have to disagree with that — strongly.”
“I know his shoulder better than anybody who breathes on this planet,” said Morgan. “I’ve known it for thirteen years. The other two operations that I did are carbon copies of the controversy that is going on with this one. I was told by the organization he was with for those two other operations that my approach was way out on the fringe, wouldn’t work and had no shot at success. How did I do?”
One has to give Morgan a point here. Whilst I think Schilling sadly will not pitch again, I truly hope that Morgan for once is wrong. Let's hope the Red Sox are not blinded by the contract, but actually look past the next few months here.
On another note, what magic wand does the Blue Jays hold over the Red Sox. No team has beaten the Red Sox more times over the last three years than the Blue Jays, and it continued this weekend. Despite a relatively solid effort by Beckett (3 of his 5 earned runs came on Frank Thomas grand slam hit off Manny Delcarmen's poorly located fastball, but the base runners were inherited, thus they go against Beckett), the Blue Jays swept the BoSox on the horror that is the artificial turf in Rogers Stadium. How Scott Rolen, with his rickety body volutarily went there I don't know. I'm sure Torii Hunter is in heaven on the green grass of Angel's field, regardless of how they're doing or how crowded the outfield is.
Finally, despite having potentially the best lineup since the Yankees Murderers Row, the Tigers are experiencing that pitching and defence are still key to the game. The loss of Zumaya and Rodney is creating a big problem for Leyland, and as all MLB personnel guys (including the Red Sox in 2003) knows, one of the most diffcult holes to fill early in the season is relief pitching. (Remember the Byun Yung-Kim nightmare?)
All we need now is an actual spring here too...playing bball in cold weather is something we have to live with, but in snow - even I draw the line there...
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