Beckett Looks AND Feels Great!

Josh Beckett pitched against the Double A team from New Britain, Connecticut (one town away from me!) called the Rock Cats, and he looked mahvelous, as Billy Crstal used to say. He went 4 innings, shutout ones too, throwing 47 pitches, 35 (!!) for strikes, while allowing one hit, striking out 6 and walking none. After seeing Lester and Daisuke in Japan, the walk total and the ball to strike ratio are refreshingly good ones. Josh "Baseball" Beckett's future plans are now NOT up in the air. This is from the Boston Herald...

"Beckett is scheduled to join the team for its three-game series in Toronto from April 4-6. If all goes as planned, Beckett then could make his first start of the season in the series finale, but, as Francona explained, “That’s not etched in stone.”
“I told him, ‘We’re going to include you in on this conversation,’ ” Francona said. “For me, it’s good because he’s healthy. He’s just trying to get ramped up for the season. Everything’s been great, that’s why there isn’t anxiety from that standpoint.”

Peter here, with, as Tito said, NO anxiety. We need Josh and need him badly. The Sox took their time to allow him to heal, and their efforts have been rewarded. PHEW! Boston plays 3 exhibition games this weekend against the LA Dodgers, a team led by Joe Torre. Saturday night, believe it or not, they will play in front of 115,000 people, dedicated baseball fans, at the LA Coliseum. After those three tune-ups, they resume their regular season on Tuesday in Oakland for two against the A's. Daisuke will start game one, with Lester taking over for game two. Both pitchers need to sharpen their control and put pitches in, or on the edge, of the strike zone. First pitch strikes are monumentally vital. I hope Saturday night's game in LA will, somewhere on some channel, be televised. To watch a baseball game played in front of THAT many people will be a treat to see.

Hey, it's Friday! Enjoy it. And by clicking on the title you will be directed to the Boston Globe's RED SOX NOTEBOOK, with all the news about Josh, Mike Timlin and JD Drew, who is still considered doubtful. Coco and Jacoby in center and right? A definite maybe. So click away, and as always, BE WELL.