BOSTON — One of the defining moments of sportsmanship in the Boston Red Sox 2007 season was when Tim Wakefield took himself out of the roster before the World Series because he knew he was hurt and couldn’t give the team 100 percent.
In case you forgot, the Red Sox won the World Series in 2007.
Josh Beckett is hurt and can’t give the team 100 percent, but he won’t admit that and clearly thinks he can dope his way around whatever injury he clearly has.
And he just got embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Rays.
No one can blame Mike Timlin for taking the loss Saturday (Sunday morning) because the Red Sox never should have been tied 8-8 after 10 innings.‚ All eight of those initial runs were charged to Beckett and his dead arm, shoulder or whatever it is.
Josh Beckett should not start another game until team doctors can medically prove he isn’t playing injured.
Give all the credit in the world to the Rays and their good, pure, young talent, but Boston set itself up to lose by starting a hurt pitcher.
Amalie Benjamin, the Boston Globe’s Red Sox beat reporter, called it in the pre-game show. Beckett is hurt. He’s not the ace if he’s hurt.
The Sox have depth, they’ll make due with what they have. Remember, the Rays closer, Troy Percival got hurt this year, and they stepped up with Dan Wheeler, whose 89 mph fastball embarrassed Boston hitters Saturday.
Leave a Reply