RED SOX STARTING ROTATION IS SET!

The Boston Red Sox 2010 starting rotation has been announced and skipper Terry Francona has opted to use all five of his guys instead of, because of many off days in the beginning of April, just four. As I mentioned yesterday, Josh Beckett will start things off against the dreaded NY Yankees. Timmy Wakefield will pitch game two, followed by Jon Lester, who pitched six stellar innings yesterday. John Lackey will pitch April 9th with Josh Beckett following him on his normal five days rest. Clay Buchholz will debut on April 11th. See, all five with two for Josh. The Sox are not counting on Matsuzaka until he's ready. That won't be until the last ten days of the month. There's no sense hurrying him...he's been fragile at times, too many times. Here's the Boston Red Sox pitching coach, John Farrell...

“I think all five have earned a spot, and the right, to be in the rotation,” pitching coach John Farrell said. “I think we’re pretty comfortable with where we ended up,” Francona said of the rotation.

As for Tim Wakefield, who should become the winningest pitcher in Boston Red Sox history, pitching coach John Farrell had this to say...

“He’s done everything we could’ve asked,” Farrell said. “He’s come in, he’s proven he’s healthy, he’s thrown the ball very well, and it gives us a confident feeling that we’re fairly deep, one through five, in this rotation.”

I'm very happy with the fact that Wakes will start game two. At times, he's devastating against the pinstripers. In fact, I'm happy with everything right now. As I said earlier, Jon Lester looked great on Friday. He went six innings, allowed six hits and two runs, neither of them earned. It was his own error that allowed those unearned tallies and he was unhappy about it but his team scored three in the ninth to pull out the victory. Here's the skipper again...

"He (Lester) was strong," manager Terry Francona said. "Sometimes trying to be too strong. And again we didn't make a couple plays behind him. But I think he's raring to go."

Papelbon, Okajima and Ramirez, the eventual winner, put up three goose egged innings. All in all on a sunny and very humid Florida day, nobody got hurt and just about everybody got their work in. Dustin Pedroia was given another day off, much to his chagrin. He's feeling just fine. He very jokingly said this after learning of his Friday fate...

"I'm not playing today, it's not wrist related. I told Tito he looked like Corrado Soprano. He benched me."

I want to thank JQ for that quote. Thanks John! Funny stuff. A day off in spring training can NEVER hurt. Have a great Saturday and a terrific weekend. You can click on this post's title for more on the Red Sox and as always, BE WELL. I'll see you soon...that's a promise. A promise I intend to keep.