Josh Beckett Golf Story: Boston Media’s Dumbest Frenzy Yet
Apparently, on May 3rd, the day after it was announced that Boston Red Sox starter Josh Beckett would miss his Saturday May 5th start, he was seen playing golf in the greater Boston area. Beckett Predictably, this has caused a stir in the hyper-sensitive Boston media. Manager Bobby Valentine is “looking into” the incident, saying that if he did, in fact, play 18 holes of golf that day it would be “was less than the best thing to do.” Of all the ridiculous things for fans and writers in Boston to get in a huff about, this one takes the cake. Certainly, fans and media pundits would be justified in their anger if Josh Beckett was injured and playing golf, but that is not at all the case.
First, Josh Beckett was not skipped because he was injured. Bobby Valentine was clear about that.
”He wasn’t an injured player. I know that. And we’ll take it from there. But I’m sure Josh wouldn’t do anything that’s going to jeopardize his team or his season. I know that.”
Beckett was skipped for “precautionary measures” with the team citing some tightness in his lat as the reason for concern. He had thrown 126 pitches in his previous outing and he has averaged 102.3 pitches per start thus far this year. Generally pitch counts over 120 pitches are considered especially strenuous on pitcher’s arms and this heavy workload is likely the only reason for the alleged soreness.
I write “alleged” soreness because the other major factor here that is being carelessly overlooked is the need to start Aaron Cook. Aaron Cook had a May 1 opt-out clause that allowed him to leave the team for free agency if he was not called up to the majors on or before that date. The Boston Red Sox had not added him as of May 2nd, when the announcement that he would start was made. In fact, before that date, there were no public plans to use Cook in the rotation. By not calling up Cook on May 1, the team opened the door for him to leave. They seem to have given him a start at the last minute to keep him from exercising that opt-out. If that is case, it was a choice between giving Josh Beckett some extra rest or skip the struggling Clay Buchholz. Given Beckett’s importance to the rotation, it is little surprise that he was skipped.
So in the end, a pitcher, who was not injured, who was skipped for largely procedural reasons played a low impact, leisurely game on his off day. That is the reason to call him “the face of everything that is wrong with the Boston Red Sox right now” as the guys on WEEI’s The Big Show suggested in their coverage of this story? Really? Give me a break.
Boston Red Sox fans have endured a lot between September 1, 2011and now and it is hard to blame them for being edgy with the team is sitting in last place, five games below .500. However, the constant moralizing by the Boston media is just laughable. The majority of those working at the major outlets are doing their witch-hunting, puritan ancestors proud while failing to relate any relevant insight into the Red Sox real problems. From the reports about how fried chicken, beer and video games caused the team to go 7-21 in September to this latest absurdity, no logic is too baseless, no hyperbole too great for those looking to sell ad space and get site views. Instead of reading about real issues, like Valentine’s slow hook, Beckett’s declining strike out rate or Clay Buchholz’s inability to throw his best pitch, this is the crap we get from many of the most prominent voices in the media.
Baseball history is full of teams that didn’t get along, and players who dominated the sport while destroying their minds and bodies. The 1986 New York Mets dominated the National League while players were getting in fist fights on the flights, constantly drinking and snorting Scarface-sized mountains of cocaine . The 1977 New York Yankees absolutely hated each other as they made their way to the World Championship. Does any really believe the 2011 Red Sox were more undisciplined than the 2004 team that won the team’s first championship in 86 years?
A round of golf is nowhere near as dangerous as, say, wrestling alligators, a favorite hobby of legendary lefty Rube Waddell, who managed a career 135 ERA+ in his 13 years. Perhaps you have heard of Mickey Mantle. Or Pete Alexander. That Babe Ruth guy could have drank a little less beer and cut down on the fried chicken. Joe DiMaggio smoked four packs a day. Bill Lee smoked pot then ran five miles to get to the game. Wade Boggs ate an entire fried chicken before every game and drank a case of beer on overnight flights. A wise man once said, “if you win 20 in the show, you can let the fungus [on your sandals] grow back and the press’ll think you’re colorful. Until you win 20 in the show, however, it means you are a slob.” What is colorful and even endearing in times of victory is a damning character flaw in defeat.
Josh Beckett played golf. On his off day. Oh, and he might have had a little shoulder tightness. Stop being such sissies, this is not an issue.
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