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From WEEI:
Josh Beckett looked sharp yesterday, throwing 15 strikes and 22 total pitches. Here he talks about using his change-up more:
"It was actually kind of nice because I wanted to come into the spring wanting to throw my change-up more during the spring to get a feel for it and it seemed like their lineup was kind of stack with lefties, at least the part that I went through."
It's a big feel pitch for me and the more I throw it the more I can command it the more I can take speed off of it, add speed to it. It's a lot more feel pitch than my curveball is. I want to try and get in as many as I can that way I don't have to be catching up with it in the regular season."
"I didn't throw it much all year (in 2006). There were a bunch of different people saying it was too hard. Well, coming from the National League that was basically how I pitched was fastball-change-up and the curveball was kind of like a little out-pitch."
Click here for VIDEO from Beckett's outing.
From the Boston Globe:
Tim Wakefield said he felt "rusty" in yesterday's outing against the Twins:
"I'd like to have better results, but I felt fine," he said. "The shoulder felt fine. Just need to work the rust off a little bit. It was the first time facing hitters. Just need to work on a few things."
That would explain the three runs (two earned), five hits and two walks through two.
"I threw good knuckleballs," Wakefield said. "It's just my mechanics are a little off. They're not in the strike zone. Out of the windup they were fine. My timing's a little off. So it's just a matter of more repetition and getting in game situations again."
Speaking of the knuckleball - Josh Bard did not allow a past ball in two innings of work with Wake... a good sign, but we've got a long way to go. Wake will pitch again on Sunday, so we'll see if Tito pairs him up with Bard again.
Side Note: Clcik here for a cool piece on the "Drop Contest" - All catchers will be counting how many balls they drop during spring training. Bard was in 4th on Tuesday with 4 (750 pitches) ... non-roster invitee Carlos Maldonado was leading with zero drops in 860 chances at that point.
Rocco Baldelli K'ed twice yesterday, but played five full innings and made a nice running catch in left. Tito talked about how they the Sox plan to handle Rocco:
"The understanding I have with Rocco is that short-burst, sprinting, those types of things he is more than adequate," Francona said. "His body can handle that. The long-term things - he wouldn't be a very good marathoner. As his muscles fatigue, they're going to shut down, obviously he's not going to be as potent. But in those short bursts, he's actually built for that."
Click here to read the "Ongoing Notes" post from yesterday's Sox v BC game.
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