A Tale of Two Pitchers
Written by Chriso, Tuesday June 23 2009
It was the best of cheers, it was the worst of jeers. In 2004 Derek Lowe pitched for the World Series winning Red Sox. In 2007 Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched for the World Series winning Red Sox. This past weekend, they both played in Boston, Lowe now with the Braves, while Dice-K is still with the Sox. The crowd reaction for each was like night and day.
Lowe left as a free agent after the 2004 season, but the Sox never made a real effort to sign him. So he went west, young man, and went to play for the Dodgers. He returned for the ring ceremony, as a Dodger, but wore a Red Sox jersey. Lowe now pitches for the Braves. Saturday night was Lowe's first time opposing the Sox at Fenway since he left. The crowd cheered for him before the game, they cheered for him as he left. Maybe you really can go home again.
On Friday night, Dice-K started for the Sox, and gave up a homer to the first batter, then had trouble finding the plate, loaded the bases and walked in a run without recording an out. A strikeout and double play helped avoid more damage in the first. But it was 5-0 when Dice-K was pulled in the 5th to a chorus of boos. Maybe you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.
Maybe if the baseball gods had a sense of humor, Lowe would have faced Dice-K. Still, seeing the fan reaction in back to back nights is interesting. Consider the Sox players in these categories, 1) members of the 2004 team that left before 2007, 2) "double sox", players that were on the '04 and '07 teams, and 3) members who arrived in time for 2007.
Lowe is one of the last members of category 1 to come back. And all of the other players coming back have been cheered with one exception, Johnny Damon. Damon went to the Yankees. Even Pedro Martinez, who left for the Mets found that there was no shame in going to New York, just make sure it's not the Yankees. Martinez was cheered.
As for the players in category 2, it includes Manny Ramirez, who would probably get booed if he returns. But there is a feeling that he quit on the team. And now with his suspension for steroids, the Manny Ramirez fan club in Boston is just about out of business. But this category also includes David Ortiz, who struggled for the first two months of the season. And the Boston fans were very supportive, and gave him time to come back. I can not remember another Boston sports hero receiving a grace period like it.
Dice-K falls in category 3. Like Ortiz, Dice-K struggled to start the season. However, Ortiz has the added bonus of having been a part of the 2004 team. Ortiz was a bargain, being picked up off the scrap heap from Minnesota. Dice-K required a posting fee to the Japanese League just to try to sign him. There was mention in Boston that Dice-K put too much of a priority on the WBC this Spring. Also, comparing a hitter that is struggling to a pitcher has this flaw: the hitter has 8 other teammates in the line-up to pick up the slack. The pitcher stands alone on the hill. The Sox did not have a good substitute at DH. But they did have other starting pitchers to replace Dice-K with the return of John Smoltz from rehab and minor league prospect Clay Buchholz lighting up AAA waiting for another chance at the majors.
The weekend ended with Dice-K going on the D.L., and Lowe leaving with the Braves for a make-up game against the Cubs and their upcoming series with the Yankees. Right now, the pitchers are heading in different directions. But in the past, they had been in Boston for the best of times.
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2 comments
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If Lester and Beckett could keep going, Penny is showing some good signs, who knows what Smoltz will be like coming back and Wakefield leads the team in wins!!! Pretty good staff...plus a strong bullpen...
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Think the Red Sox will ever have as good of pitching as they did when they won it all in 04? I dunno if the Sox can contend without a healthy Dice-K. Nice article.