Curt Hurt...Part Two

It's Friday morning, and yes, the news has sunk in. It's quite possible that Curt Schilling's career is over. Finis. Finito. Caput. We have to hope not, however. The diagnosis from three (yes, three!) different doctors did not come without controversy and disagreement between the club and the pitcher. And the Red Sox knew that Schill was hurting before the Johan Santana trade discussions were concluded. Read this, and I'll be back with a few words of my own...

"But even the knowledge of Schilling's balky shoulder did not change the team's approach in the offseason, particularly on free agent prize Johan Santana.
The Sox really didn't want Santana, not for the outlay of young talent he would have cost. So they stayed in trade talks long enough with the Twins to know the Yankees weren't in it, then got out. They did so knowing they had depth - six starters - and were confident that Clay Buchholz, who would have been ticketed for Pawtucket, could slip into the No. 4 or 5 spot.
The way the Sox figured it, Tim Wakefield and Schilling basically would take up one spot in the rotation - between them, the Sox hoped to get a full season. They also have a rising young starter in Justin Masterson, or Kyle Snyder, or Julian Tavarez, who was their No. 5 starter most of last season.
Are the Sox a lesser team because Schilling won't be with them for at least half the season? Unlikely. Schilling isn't the workhorse he has been most of his career, and the Sox knew that."

Peter here. I expected Curt to provide good pitching while gobbling up innings in 2008. Clay Buchholz will prove to be a valuable asset to the team, even though he only pitched 148 innings in the majors and minors last season before the club was forced into a September shutdown. That 148 innings was an increase of 29 innings from 2006. The Sox might be wary of Clay getting a start every fifth day, and it is said Julian Tavarez is standing by and ready to slip into any spot starts that will be needed. I HOPE THAT WILL NOT BE NECESSARY! I can't stress that point strongly enough. Julian Tavarez is a long reliever, even though he has filled in to bolster the rotation in the past. But just like Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia, Buchholz is part of the Red Sox future greatness. It just so happens that the future will be moved up a little. By a little, I mean less than two months from now. Opening Day 2008. In the Far East. And that's just fine with me. I've watched and rewatched Clay's no-hitter against the Orioles and was amazingly impressed with the movement on ALL of his pitches. And he has embraced his off-season strengthening agenda, just as Jonathon Papelbon did a little more than a year ago. So we'll wait. We'll watch. And we'll see. Such is the life of a proud member of Red Sox Nation and Red Sox International. As Bruce Springsteen said in his 1987 song TUNNEL OF LOVE..."You've got to learn to live with what you can't rise above." Wise words, Bruce. And we will rise. I just know it. And you know it too.

Click on the title of this post if you wish. You'll be instantly directed to a Gordon Edes Boston Globe article with all the information you'll ever need about the Schilling "event." And to you, my Constant Readers, have a safe and wonderful Friday.