This is very interesteing stuff... but I have to say, I kinda feel like we already went through his when they sent Clay to Pawtucket earlier this year. He supposedly fixed his mechanics, and he looked nasty in AAA, but fell apart as soon as he came back to Boston.

Discovering the problem, isn't the same as fixing it - Bucky needs to execute... we'll see it he can do it tonight...

Also, Remy made a good point about Cabrera last night that reminded me of Buchholz - Remy said he thinks Cabrera's body type may be working against him... he's tall and a little lanky and that can make it hard to consistently keep your mechanics in check.

Clay is even "lankier" (is that a word?) - Leading me to wonder if he'll ever gain enough control over his body to be consistently effective for 6+ innings...

Just a thought.

Hm, that's a good point about his body type. I never thought about it.

Hopefully Clay will be able to fix his problem by tonight. If not, well, at least it's only the Orioles.

The Sox have already taken 2 of 3, so a loss tonight wouldn't be devestating... If they can win each series on this road trip - I'll be happy...

so far so good.

I feel like im trying to read one of those ink blot tests. Lets face it, they should've just kept Masterson in the rotation

I couldn't agree more Adam... although Masterson has been a lifesaver out of the pen a few times already this year... they've got the poor kid plugging all the leaks with his fingers!

Masterson belongs in the bullpen. He is the most reliable guy who can pitch more than one inning. Hopefully Beckett will only miss one start and Colon should be back soon. We have such a strong rotation when everyone is healthy: Beckett, Lester, Dice-K, Wakefield + Byrd, Colon or Clay.

I'm hoping Clay has a good start, I think he really needs one. And besides, he has some pretty good history against the Birds (coughnohitcough).

Fascinating post, Texy. I'm glad Farrell is getting to the bottom (hopefully) of these issues, again.

Randy Johnson is about as lanky as a pitcher can get and he has his mechanics in check. Makes me think that there's a lot of mental toughness that needs to be mastered.

I have a whole new appreciate for mechanics after picking up golf, however. It's amazing how your swing can be "on" and then go to hell.

Adam, do you have any memory regarding what the bullpen looked like before they sent Masterson there?

His pitches are built for the bullpen; guys with those nasty sliders perform better in relief for longer stretches because they don't get the same kind of joint aggravation. Masterson was starting to get worn down when they sent him to the pen.

Do you even like the Sox? You boo them on the field, you hate every move they make, you are constantly ragging on the players... why do you even bother?

Clay needs to build up more strength, which he will over time. He's a great pitcher and can win. They fixed one problem in Pawtucket before (yes they did), and now they've discovered another one secondary to that-- the re-engineering is still in progress. He's young, and I'm getting really freakin tired of everyone blathering on about his supposed ineptitude on the mound. He'll get the toughness and the pitches. Patience, patience. I know everyone's anxious given standings and races and all that, but patience. I really believe it will pay off big time.

Also, it isn't just ink blot tests. They actually support her argument if you bothered to read before sharing your ever-cheerful opinion with the universe.

Also, Rob, to be more specific about Pawtucket's fix, and in a more tolerant tone:

It was because he was so nasty in Pawtucket that they couldn't see this problem. Without people getting on base, it wouldn't be apparent.

Since Clay is a MAJOR strikeout pitcher (71 Ks in 72.2 innings the last time I checked)-- since Ks are more difficult to get in the big leagues, this problem became more apparent.

If you compare the innings where he falls apart to those where he doesn't, the key is in his strikeouts.

Jules - you make a good point with Johnson... and let's face it, toughness is not a problem with The Unit... so yeah, maybe Bucky just needs more time.

MHC - you also make a good point, many of us expect alot from Bucky, but he is still very raw...

I guess I go back to one of my original points - recognizing the problems, is different from fixing them... At some point, all this mechaincall stuff will hopefull come naturally, but if he continues to think to much (mechanics, pitch count, baserunners, etc.)while on the mound, he will continue to struggle...

Let's hope the righting of the S.S. Bucky starts tronight!

MHC, does the bullpen look lights out now? If you feel confident when MDC or Oki come into games then good for you, but lets face it the bullpen has spit the bit many times this year. Masterson was taken out of the rotation because Clay was pitching well in Triple A and they had him projected to be better long term and probably didn't want to give a heavy load to Mastersons innings this year. But Buccholz has stunk this year! Any time he gets in trouble he relies more and more on his offspeed pitches with little to no confidence in them. Everyone including myself was very giddy for him last year (including myself) because of the no hitter, but he has been horrible, how can anyone justify him in the rotation right now??

And if a player isn't going to perform well, why should I cheer him and say great job and say oh well, we'll get him next time. This isn't little league!

First of all, Buchholz hasn't stunk all year-- indeed, most innings he doesn't. He gets in trouble and then falls apart. That's different from being a crappy pitcher.

It's great that you were giddy for him last year-- do you think maybe that's coloring your judgment of him now? If he hadn't thrown the no-hitter, would you be as harsh with him?

As for the bullpen, no, it doesn't look lights-out, but it isn't losing leads anymore. It also has improved with time.

How can anyone justify him being in the rotation? Really? Because I thought you said you were giddy about the no-hitter. If you truly were, you'd be aware of the talent the kid has.

He has to go through this. It will be now or it will be later.

You don't have to cheer for players who don't do well-- indeed, I don't-- fc will corroborate the fact that I questioned whether Coco served a purpose in the universe last night. But you do have to recognize players when they do do well, when they have made adjustments.

I'm not patting Buchholz on the back right now. Far from it. But I don't think:
a) it's worth the time to sit and muse about how much he or anyone else might suck;
b) assume that "let's face it" is sufficient evidence to support your claim, because it presumes a consensus, which is in fact totally unnecessary when stating your opinion--and that's all;
c) you know how to spell BUCHHOLZ;
d) that you understand where I'm coming from. Don't use terms like "how can anyone justify him in the rotation" and reminding me that this "isn't little league" like I'm some kind of featherweight fluffy feelgood fan. I'm not. I know my shit. I'm not saying these things because I feel sorry for him, I'm saying these things because I've thought about them and predicted these problems last year after he was shut down.

The Sox pitching staff do things for a reason. If the sole concern was Masterson's innings, they could have sent him down and brought up a reliever like Chris Smith. It would have saved time and effort. But they didn't. They want Clay in the rotation (clearly demonstrating, by the way, that yes, SOMEONE can justify it, and they're the ones who actually know how to make these decisions) and they want Masterson in the bullpen right now. That's it. They didn't have to do either.

You don't have to cheer a player who is bombing. But for the love of all that is sacred, why are you so consistently nasty about it? You think players that suck don't know they're sucking but for your booing? "Oh thank god! I had no IDEA I was doing so poorly! You've saved my career!" Come on, man. It isn't coddling them-- its about not being a gigantic and overwhelmingly dark vortex of negativity when some people find baseball, you know, fun.

I'm gonna try to touch on some of that

A. no, i dont know how to spell bookholtz, I'll admit it. 4 years later I still don't know how to spell Mientiwekzsifjdkj (makes me a terrible fan!)
B. Masterson has done well in the pen so far, but how many 1-2 run games has he been in with a tie or lead (Seattle?) Just because he's in the bullpen doesn't mean they are a lights out group so far. Outside of Papelbon, you hold your breath with everyone else.
C. They did send Masterson down to transition to the bullpen. It's different when you're pitching 6-7 innings a night as opposed to 1-2.
D. Some people are positive, i'm negative. I was unaware that all of the red sox fanbase is a bunch of positive people.
E. Bucholtz or Buccholtz or Buchholz or however you say it is trying to be developed while the red sox are winning at the same time. I understand he misses bats and is a part of the big picture in the long run, but he doesn't deserve to be in the rotation right now when the red sox are fighting to win the division. It's one thing if you're pitching like this on Seattle, where they can handle the growing pains. Look at the Yankees, they've relied heavily on young pitchers, and their starters have bombed (relievers have done well), and they're 11 games out of 1st place. This isn't now or never, but if he goes 4 innings and gives up 6 runs after the Red Sox spot him a 3-0 lead, maybe someone else will see my viewpoint

I held off responding but finally can't resist.

First off, no one contended that the bullpen is "lights out" at this point, so there's no debate to be had.

As for Clay BucHHolz, here's how I see it, as a less-than-technically-savvy baseball fan and appreciator: He's demonstrated that he has the stuff, but of course there's reason for concern; thus the attention he's receiving from Farrell et al. People far more knowledgeable than I (see above posts and alternating comments) have analyzed and continue to analyze his delivery. From the info in front of me, I think that he can develop into a consistent major league pitcher. My concern right now is the timeframe he needs vs. the time left in the season and the race for a postseason berth. The Sox need to balance their plan for Clay's development and their longterm plan for the rotation vs. their drive to the postseason. That's not the same as the personal attack of "he doesn't deserve to be in the rotation."

And now for one of my favorites: Negative person, positive person - huh? How about being a fan? How in all the world does publicly denigrating the players on the team you supposedly support when they're not doing well make you a fan? Do you think these guys don't want to do well? (In the words of the previously-much-maligned JD Drew, "Of course I want to do well. This is my profession.") Do you even want them to? No dog to kick? (Gosh I hope not.)

What can I say - I gotta back my peeps. And my Sox.

I also corroborate mhc's questioning Coco's purpose on Earth. Coco, not missing a beat, amply demonstrated his worth to her during Pedroia's post-game locker room interview.

i think Clay was fixed as of yesterday but watching him now he broke again .....I feel really bad for him hes really trying to hard and needs to step back a bit .

well at the end of the day, Buchholz with 2 H's was afraid to attack a lineup when handed a 4-0 lead after 2 innings. When Francona goes and loses faith in you in the 3rd inning when only 3 runs are allowed, you know you aren't pitching anymore. Heres hoping for a healthy recovery for Wakefield!

Buchholz, it's time for you to back your bags.

GET OFF THE TEAM.

I'm only going to touch on one thing here, the thing that bothered me the most...

Adam, your constant trashing of the team when they don't do everything perfectly is very immature and not what a true fan does. I am also a pretty negative person, but I don't boo the Sox if they make a fielding error or whiff on some high heat. Sure, it's disappointing, but, as mhc mentioned, they are completely aware and having 'fans' remind them doesn't make them feel any better. If anything, it probably makes them feel worse and then they're apt to go out and do it again with all the pressure on them to perform well. If he isn't doing so great, the best thing to do would obviously be to cheer him on and hope he does better next time. That's what real fans do.

please give it up already. This idea that I have to love every single player on every single team that I root for is utter nonsense.

So when fans go to see the Yankees and Arod comes up with the Yanks down 1 in the 8th with the bases loaded and he grounds into the inning ending dp and people boo they're wrong?

When the Mets have a 3 run lead in the 9th and someone in their bullpen coughs up the lead and everyone boos, it's wrong of them?

Don't give me this "this is what real fans do" nonsense.

Some people can handle pressure (ortiz/schilling), some people can't (gagne/lugo). I could care less for the feelings of people getting paid 10 million dollars a year

I don't see anyone saying you "have to love every single player on every single team that you root for". So you're arguing something that no one has argued against.

Surely you're not honestly citing Yankee fan behavior as any sort of model that we, or anyone else, should follow. And any Yankee fan who boos A-Rod is a total dumbfuck who knows nothing about baseball.

I do agree that I could not give a shit about players' "feelings" -- but booing is bush league behavior, and speaks only to the neanderthal nature of the boo-er, and doesn't make a bit of difference towards improving the level of play on the field.

It all comes down to this: if the Red Sox and baseball make a person so pissed off and angry and miserable and bitter and full of hate 24/7, such that their first reaction to every bit of news on every player or every loss or every bad outing is to spew bile and boo their own team - to be nothing but negative about everything having to do with the Sox - why in the hell does that person watch?

There's a difference between having a pessimistic outlook on things, which is the hallmark calling card of Sox fans, and just being nothing but a constant wet blanket of bitter hate and bitchiness. The Pollyanna "everything is swell" people bug the shit out of me, but the Lemonsucking "everything is horrible" people are just as vomit-inducing.