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Byrd or Wakefield? You make the call

Sep 18th, 2008 by Bill Burt

If you’re wondering about the stress level in Terry Francona’s face, this is another issue he is going to have to deal with head on.
Does he go with a proven commodity, Paul Bryd, as the No. 4 starter or does he go with Old Faithful, Tim Wakefield, who is beginning to look like a 40-year-old pitcher again?
Last night was not a good sign for Wakefield. The Red Sox “needed” last night if they were going to put off an early trip to Anaheim. Wakefield was, as he intimated, awful.
After one of the steadiest three-month periods in his career — he had only bad outing (Yankee Stadium on July 26) in June, July and August — he hasn’t gotten past the third inning in two of his last three outings.
Is it over for Wakefield? No.
But it begs the question about he and Byrd. Bryd, though, hasn’t been dominant by any stretch. He has allowed at least four runs in four of his six starts with the Red Sox. The key with him is the Sox have won four games he has pitched, which means he gives the Red Sox a chance to win.
My guess is both guys are put on notice. The No. 4 spot in the rotation is still, I believe, up for grabs.
Let me know what you think.

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  • John

    I tend to lean towards Wake, as the knuckle ball dances more in the Oct weather.

  • Muldoon for Mayor

    A game 4 would mean the Sox would’ve won at least one playoff game. Think about that for a minute.

  • Marcel

    I have to go with Byrd. With any luck, the 4th starter really won’t matter that much with the abilities of Beckett, Lester, and Daisuke. The bigger reasoning behind Byrd in the 4th spot though, is that allows them to move Wake to the pen. After Papelbon, MDC, Masterson, Oki, and Lopez, I really don’t want to see any current members of the bullpen in the postseason. Wake gives you a guy that’s good enough to use in the late innings of a close games (as long as he’s not brought in with runners on) and he can also go 4 or 5 innings in mop-up duty if one of the starters drops the ball.

  • http://blogs.eagletribune.com/sports/ Bill Burt

    I am up in the air. Wakefield has been, despite his mediocre record (9-11), astounding and consistent this season. He has allowed five or more runs six times this season, twice in his last three starts. A year ago, that number was nine.
    Byrd is steady. And if you remember in the ALCS last October, he gave the Sox fits in Game 4, allowing only two runs in five innings (he did the same thing against the Yankees in the ALDS). He has been there and done that. As of now, as much as I like Wakefield’s consistency until recently, I’m leaning Bryd … leaning.

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