So Doug Mirabelli has finally left the Red Sox. I wasn't Doug's biggest fan, as a matter of fact I couldn't stand him. I think it's bad when your hoping and praying that Jason Varitek catches every time Wake is done is not the best thing in the world. What questions me is the timing of this whole thing. I mean first he's in the lineup, then he's scratched, then BAM released.
I believe that something happened between him and the upper management yesterday (Theo, Jed, and Tito.) I mean really, how random to just release your back up catcher. Doug is pretty much known for his big ego and maybe it got the best of him yesterday and he did a move to Theo and he said "we're not dealing with this anymore. You're gone." Boston Globe claims that the Red Sox told Wake for the reasons of releasing him. I can almost say that they probably don't want him to have a personal catcher, and to me it's kind of stupid to have one for the reason if he gets hurt or like Mirabelli, released.
I didn't get the chance to talk about the Yankee/Rays brawl. Shelley "Red Sox Suck" Duncan said that he doesn't understand why he got pushed down the way he did. Seriously, bub. Weren't you the one who was giving a message to them for playing baseball when they slid into your catcher. What do you do? THE SAME THING! I tell ya, and you can quote me, he's going to be the next Johnny Damon. Someone with a lot of energy and really, doesn't know when to shut his trap.
Before I leave and finish my schoolwork. Curt Schilling on the 60-Day-DL. Julio Lugo's back is still hurt. Bobby Kielty has a calf injury. Coco Crisp is helping his own competition by not playing with a groin injury.
Theo, trade Coco now!
Friday, March 14, 2008
News and Notes
Posted by Krystle [RSO] at 10:43 AM
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5 comments:
I think we keep a "personal catcher" for Wake out of respect for Tek, who absolutely hates trying to catch the knuckleball. I have no problem with Wake having his own catcher and a guaranteed off day for Tek every four starts.
That being said, the reason the front office signed Doug for 2007 & again for 2008 was because they won't risk *Wakefield*. 2006 pitching to Josh Bard stressed Wake out so badly, it ended with stress-fractured ribs from trying to overcompensate for a catcher that could not figure out the flutterball. Last year though we learned that Wake likes Kevin Cash & is confident pitching to him. Dougie has been on a decline offensively over the past few years, and has been even worse this Spring, and he is struggling to perform *defensively* now. We were holding onto him for what he provided on defense and with that gone and a new younger guy who also can catch the knuckleball, Mirabelli's release was inevitable. I don't really think it was anything sudden so much as they finally saw enough good in Cash & enough decline in Doug that they knew they could safely provide a new backstop for Wakey and also help the team. And they had to do it by a certain date or they would have owed Dougie $550 thousand instead of the $150 thousand they paid him to void the contract now.
Was that REALLY the reason for the stress-rib fractures in 2006? Wow. I didn't know that!
I loved Cash, did from day 1. Mirabelli was only good with Wake and in the end - that wasn't good. As my friend Roger used to say, he runs like he has a frige on his back.
Either way, God Speed to Doug - hope he finds a good home and NOT the yankees.
Oh yeah and about Tek or Thighs of Steel, take your pick. It really is unnatural to see him catch Wake.
Yeah, he was quoted after the fact saying that he was never really comfortable pitching to Bard because Bard was so freaked out by trying to catch the knuckleball. So Wake started overcompensating & everything tightened up... Just a big mess. I am so happy he pitched five perfect innings to Cash the other day though!
Have you seen our Red Sox video blog/comic strip?
www.redsocksdiaries.com
Sincerely,
Chip
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