Was in the middle of watching the Boston College game, taking in all the scores from around the tournament, and realized something was missing. Alas, believe or not I’m the only person with a television set and a semblance of a gambling bone not to have filled out a tourney bracket. You don’t know what you had until it’s gone, as was evidenced in my inexplicable lack of interest in the Maryland/Davidson game.
Looking for Red Sox connections for the NCAA Tournament, here’s one: Red Sox draft choice Dustin Richardson. This from The Eagle-Tribune (June 11) …
Sox get dose of reality (TV)
Perhaps the most intriguing pick of the Red Sox’s draft was their fifth-round selection, Texas Tech pitcher Dustin Richardson.
Richardson, a 6-foot-6 lefty who can get his fastball up to the mid-90s, has already shown an innate ability to survive. This past fall, the hurler participated in the ESPN reality show, “Knight School,” in which Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Bobby Knight chose from 16 candidates to make the Red Raiders hoop team as a walk-on.
The Newton, Kan., native made it to the contest’s final elimination, consisting of himself and Tyler Hoffmeister. And, according to Richardson, if not for his commitment to the Texas Tech baseball team, Knight’s choice wasn’t necessarily whom ESPN ultimately presented.
“Coach Knight said on television that he wished he could have picked us both, but because of baseball he had to go with Tyler,” said Richardson, who has already signed with the Sox and will report to Lowell this week. “But after the show, he called me in his office and said I would have been his natural pick and everything, but because of baseball circumstances he couldn’t pick me. That was pretty cool. He took me as far as he could.”
Richardson said the show, which was filmed over 21/2 months, offered a fair presentation of what happened (save for a few rolled ankles that went unreported).
“I felt I was (portrayed) as unathletic at times, and they gave me the nickname of ‘Cool Breeze’,” he said. “But I still outcompeted the other guys, so whatever.” And if nothing else, he made an unlikely new friend in Knight.
“Knowing he is a reference I can use later on in life is pretty awesome,” Richardson said. “I didn’t want to create drama, and I was there just to play basketball. What you saw was pretty accurate.”
Our discussion on Fox Sports New England last night was mentioned in one of the comments, which centered around Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett. The jumping off point was John Henry’s comment in which he said his first inclination was to sign Burnett instead of executing the Beckett deal.
“I made the point that one could argue that signing A.J. (Burnett) to a long-term contract was potentially cheaper than giving up a number of prospects and acquiring the players we acquired.” — John Henry, The Eagle-Tribune, Dec. 6, 2005.
This is how I would summarize my thoughts on the two pitchers and how everything shook out:
1. Florida general manager Larry Beinfest deserves a great deal of credit for identifying the right guys to get in return. Not only did both Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez turn out to be major league-ready, but both Harvey Garcia and Jesus Delgado have been identified by some as eventual end-of-the-game relievers. So good for Beinfest.
2. The Burnett contract, I believe, will prove to be a good one. There was a definite hurdle the pitcher had to get over at the beginning last year (both mentally and physically), but talking to some Toronto people this spring they say Burnett is in a good place. Five years for $55 million in this day and age of desperately seeking top of the rotation pitching is a good deal.
3. Once you get past the success of who the Red Sox gave up, I think it is important to appreciate the fact that Boston has secured a pitcher like Beckett for the next three years at $10 million a season. I think he has figured some things out and will have a very good year this season, but even if we want to simply go off the potential it is worth having him around to develop. Especially considering he doesn’t have to be the No. 1, but could very well be in the not so distant future.
4. Who who I rather have? I will say this, there are few pitchers in the big leagues who can be as dominant at Burnett. But, that said, knowing Beckett’s mentality, the fact he has gotten over the 200 inning hurdle, and his current approach/state of mind, the Red Sox hurler can be as valuable as anyone in the league if all goes right. My answer is I would take either, although the success of Burnett might have a bigger influence on the A.L. East race just because the Jays have to rely on him more than the Sox have to with Beckett.
Little known fact: The Blue Jays have a full-time acupuncturist (who aids the likes of Burnett), but the Red Sox don’t. One of the reasons is that the practice is much more accepted in Canada.
Oh, and those Armando Benitez rumors … I’m feeling pretty secure (thanks in part to the Herald’s John Tomase) in saying that isn’t happening.
