Fire Gardy

Mismanaging games since 2002

Game 1 Preview

April 22nd, 2009 | Author: FunBobby | Category: Uncategorized

The Twins and Red Sox will hopefully get at least one of the two scheduled games in today.  The weather in Boston is dicey, but it looks like it will be OK for the first game.

We are facing Tim Wakefield, and that got me to thinking about knuckleballs and knuckleballers.  Will the addition of RA Dickey this season perhaps help the Twins hitters in their approach to facing a knuckleball?  Maybe having him around to throw batting practice or something will help.  However, the reason the knuckleball is effective is because of its unpredictability.  A hitter could see a BP knuckler hundreds of times, and it really won’t help them in a game situation.  Especially since I’m sure the pitch varies from pitcher to pitcher more than a traditional pitch.

Hopefully the wind isn’t too strong in Fenway this afternoon.  I would hate to see Baker break some sort of record for most homers given up in the first two starts.  Because he has to be somewhat close.

The Red Sox bats are starting to wake up, which is another reason to be very nervous about this game.  Hopefully I am wrong and Baker rights this ship with an impressive showing, and the bats tee off on wakefield and his knuckleball.

6 comments

6 Comments so far

  1. sirsean April 22nd, 2009 9:58 am

    Speaking as someone who can’t hit any type of pitching, much less a knuckleballer … it seems to me that the way to beat them is to make a mistake.

    All knuckleballers make mistake pitches once in a while, resulting in a fat 75 MPH ball up in the zone. You can smack that around like Livan Hernandez is pitching.

    If it’s biting well, just ignore it, since it’ll drop out of the zone and you’ll probably get walked anyway.

    Of course, that strategy plays well for Boston’s offense, NOT for ours.

  2. MarkW April 22nd, 2009 11:02 am

    Off to a great start! Homerun by Youkilis in the 1st and Wakefield looks to be fooling us with the knuckle!

    Yeah, patience at the plate would be key…

  3. FunBobby April 22nd, 2009 11:04 am

    and another homer to Nick Green. this is terrible.

  4. MarkW April 22nd, 2009 11:04 am

    Okay, I’m done with this game… Something’s not right with Baker still… Nick FN Green hits a homerun now? this is going to get ugly in a hurry…

    4-0

    2 fastballs hit out of the park… great.

  5. FunBobby April 22nd, 2009 11:06 am

    Where is the magical rick anderson?

  6. MarkW April 22nd, 2009 11:11 am

    Middle inside fastball and he hit it OUT of Fenway…

    nice.

    Can he go 4 innings today? maybe get that ERA down to 13.00?

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