Beckett and Hinkse: Our Very Own Polar Opposites

This is going to be a big year for Josh Beckett, mark my words. Never mind that Beckett led the major leagues in home runs allowed last year, that his league-adjusted ERA was still 4.61 (his everyday ERA being 5.01), that his hits allowed jumped by almost 40, or that he allowed almost 50 more runs in only 30 more innings pitched; focus on his mentality.

Last year, Beckett was green, a National League hurler coming into the Pitcher's Nightmare Division, the American League East. He was trying to shake off accusations that he was incapable of reaching 200 IP, and that he would never be able to keep his blister problem under control. He's a Texan, and though it's a stereotype it's one we've seen repeatedly in pitchers from his neck of the woods, meaning that for a large part of last year he was grappling with his ego just as much as his pitching ability. This year, however, he's promised to be different.

As early as his arrival in Fort Myers, Beckett appeared a changed man. Gone is the sure-fire confidence in his own ability to lean on his talents, and in its stead is a maturity that sees no weakness in leaning on the game-calling abilities of Jason Varitek. Instead of throwing fastballs in trouble counts, Beckett has tuned in to the fact that his greatest strength is the ability to change speeds rapidly. When he beat the Yankees in the 2003 World Series, Beckett went from blistering heat to crisp curveballs, then to embarassingly effective changeups and back again.

It is that dedication to changing speeds that we've seen all spring, and it's yielded very productive results, with a 3.04 ERA, averaging over a strikeout per inning and yielding only 4 walks in 23 2/3 IP. Along with his Texas-sized confidence and 4-seamed leanings, Beckett is also incredibly driven to succeed. The AL East is his challenge, he's motivated to overcome it. Look for big things.



Just as Beckett is poised to contribute greatly to the succcess of the Sox this season, pine-riding super-sub Eric Hinske is poised to jack squat. Carrying a pricetag of a hair less than $3 million, Hinske has all the game-changing qualities you can get when you're dragging around a line that looks like .260/.337/.437 (that's a .774 career OPS, for those of you keeping score at home). Sure, he bats left-handed, but even in the most optimistic eyes he's a nonfactor on defense. His offense is standing on the fragments of the foundation his 2002 Rookie of the Year award laid for him, and there aren't many fragments left. In my opinion, Hinske's acquisition was one of the worst of the 2006 campaign, ranking high on the list of Theo's Uh-Ohs over the last several seasons: Rudy Seanez, Wade Miller, Jason Johnson, Dustin Mohr, Willie Harris... need I continue?

Chances are the Sox are going to carry 12 pitchers, like most teams in the East, meaning that every bench spot is a valuable commodity. Alex Cora is solid with the glove and has patience enough at the plate to compensate for his lack of real hitting ability. He can play any position in the field except catcher, and that's only because we've never tried it out. Wily Mo Peña may strike out a lot, but he's big and scary. Hinske lacks Cora's versatility, and even lack's Wily Mo's indimidation factor, looking like no more than Rob Dibble with a bat. (Sidenote: Wily Mo Peña needs to carry around a cinderblock and in between innings should take it out of the dugout and just punch it repeatedly, grunting like a Neanderthal. It would scare the hell out of anyone within earshot and make for great television. But, I digress...) Hinske is taking up a valuable bench spot, one that, in my opinion, would be better utilised if it were occupied by someone like David Murphy or Jacoby Ellsbury. They'd be able to get some major league time without the pressures of everyday use (the downside, of course, being lack of significant at-bats). At the very least they should carry Alex Ochoa, so he can throw lasers from the rightfield fence through the top hole of Wily Mo's cinderblock positioned so carefully on home plate.

Anyways, there's my rant. I can't stand Eric Hinske. He just sticks out too much for me to ignore him, and he's not talented enough for me to feel any sort of affection towards him. What's he good for? Exactly, a trade. I officially give my permission to all of you poor fans who miss Bronson to call for his return now, however misguided such pining might be.