I’m not a big Kirk Minihane fan but he’s dead on here…get rid of this guy…the sooner, the better…shop him, play games with him, get maximum bang for the buck and unload him….

send him to lackeyland.

great article.  Spot on.  

 I’d wait until around July 31st to trade Josh Beckett. Kevin Youkilis too, for that matter.

Instead of giving these assets away for a bag of balls, why not showcase them for a month or two and then make a contender overpay for them at the deadline?

This whole running Beckett out of town thing by the sports media is a joke. First of all he’s a 5-10 guy, so he has all the leverage. Second, who do you replace him with – Brandon Duckworth? Justin Germano? Please. And to all those people who say, “I’d rather watch those guys than this ‘unlikable team’ – you’re all liars. You won’t watch those guys because they’ll be even WORSE that what you’re not watching now. And I bet this team gets a lot more likable if they started winning. Grow up, all of you. 

how about Valentine then Beckett…now that would show how serious they are!

Nothing like cutting off your nose to spite your face. In this brilliant fantasy world, who takes Beckett’s starts the rest of the year?  Cook? Wow, there’s an upgrade! We do not have a young AAA pitcher capable of pulling a Middlebrooks and helping this team. Cutting or trading Beckett makes this team worse, and this is exactly the kind of knee jerk reaction that we should not make. Beckett was told he was being skipped because he had some soreness from throwing too many pitches over his last 3 starts, now it is debatable whether playing a round of golf had any affect on what was categorized as a lat strain, but this is again another case of things being blown out of proportion. I suppose if Beckett gets lit up tonight, it has to be because he played golf, but if he throws a shutout, it will be despite the awful decision to play golf on an off day.

The more I listen to Minihane the more I understand he really cares about finding the real truth and giving HIS honest opinion.
I don’t always agree with him, but this article is proof of that.
He hits the nail on the head here big time.

Unfortunately we are stuck with this arrogant SOB. He helped get Francona fired for his antics as well as a guy, the conditioning coach last year, a working stiff, because Josh could not do what he gets paid 17 million dollars a year to keep himself in shape and pitch. I wish I could have taken him with me in the invasion of Iraq when I left my family for 13 months. That would have straightened his fat rear end right out.

Send him to Houston for Wandy Rodriquez and Jose Altuve…love that little guy who reminds me of Pedroia…but probably not possible, eh?

The fact that he couldn’t pitch 1 or uh, maybe 4…innings in that 17 inning game is completely beyond me. You do what is needed to help your team. That is what sports are built on. A lot of players on this team have lost that perspective. 

Has Beckett really put on 40 lbs over 12 months?  I don’t see it.

As for the golf thing.  Beckett reported soreness. The team decided to skip his start as a precaution since he had thrown 126 pitches and has a history of labrum/rotator cuf problems that is a ticking time bomb. I doubt golf puts the same stress on your lat(labrum?) as throwing a ball 100 times 90+ mph, and it’s a better/healthier way to spend the off day than eating chicken and drinking beer while watching TV.  Also, since when do pitchers have to volunteer to pitch. Managers should always know who is available or not.  Bobby V needs to get to the park earlier and keep himself informed.

Not a Beckett fan, but I find this overblown.

 ”Look, you can scream about media overkill from the top of Mt. Everest and I’m usually right next to you.”  Seriously?  How can YOU say that?  You are pretty much the epitome of sensationalized, irrational and inaccurate reporting.  There are a lot of lies in this article, but just to point one out: “is so hurt that he needs to beg out of a Saturday start.” Valentine told Beckett he wasn’t pitching.  It wasn’t Beckett’s decision and there was certainly no begging to come out.  This was about an opportunity that presented itself based on Cook’s opt-out clause, and the beginning of 20 games in 20 days.  He shouldn’t have gone golfing.  That was stupid and irresponsible, but why is it so hard to say that without making stuff up?  Talk about media overkill.

 The Sox would first have to get him to wave his 10-5 status, which I’ll bet he won’t do, unless it’s to Texas. Theo has F’d up this team big time and is laughing his boney backside off. 

Great.  With the media wolves circling, no team would give the Sox anything of value in a trade for Beckett.

Josh is going nowhere. 10 and 5 guy first of all and who is going to want to take on that salary unless he gets his head back into the game.  No way. Sit him down and talk to him and if he doesn’t listen then make some kind of move even if you have to eat crow.

The guy is a 10-5 guy….so not easy to move…particulary with his recent history.  Who’d want him..he’s not the Ace he thinks he is.

Kirk, I think this is the right solution but you have the problem wrong.  Beckett’s lat strain was always a mere contrivance to open a temporary rotation spot for Cook.  The golf thing is nebulous. 

I insisted that he’s a cancer and should be traded over last off-season.  I still believe that to be the proper answer.  But what really shows Beckett’s continuing arrogance is his refusal to do his workout routine last week.  Apparently, he basically told training personnel to go screw when he was directed to do his routine.  If that is the case, we MUST get rid of him.  No one on this team refuses to do their workouts, ever.  That is purely unacceptable and firing offense.

You would have thought this organization would have learned their lessons with manny……instead they go out & add more selfish players and enable all this nonsense. Folks its gonnna get worse before it gets better. What a joke…..

Theo didn’t trade for beckett dummy……

Ok guys… seriously? Stop reading into things that aren’t there.

There was a South Park episode about this… There is no underlying theme or message. Yes, Josh is going to be Josh. We’ve known that since we got him. Nothing new. But to say that it’s time to show our most consistent pitcher the door? After he nearly was in Cy Young talks until his injury at the end of last year?

It’s not relevant to what’s going on with the Red Sox. Jacoby Ellsbury is out. Crawford is out. Guys are playing hurt. Buchholz hasn’t bounced back. And the Red Sox still have the second best offense in baseball. In terms of the pitching staff, remove Clay Buchholz’s ERA and Aceves’ first two relief outings, and it looks a lot nicer.

Buchholz may take a full year to bounce back. It’s time to make a deal, and I’m sure the Red Sox are already exploring their options. But to deal Beckett and further weaken the staff? That’s madness. Dice-K is on his way back as well, and reports say he’s throwing the best he has in a Red Sox uniform. The Yankees have as many pitching problems as the Sox do, and really more because there is less talent in their rotation.

There is also an element of bad luck involved. If the Red Sox split up their offense a little better, they’d be above .500 right now. But they score 11 runs one night, and struggle to score 3 the next. Yes it’s May. Yes it’s 1/5 through the season. But the Sox are only 7.5 games out. One good week of baseball, and they are a wild card contender again. It really is that simple.

First of all know what the hell you are talking about before you post something. Theo traded Hanley Ramirez and Annibel Sanchez for Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett. 

“Time for Sox to show Beckett the door”

The most ridiculous thing I’ve read on this site in months

Maybe the Yankees should show Sabathia the door too… It took him too long to get skinny. Just as relevant of an argument.

This article is plain ridiculous.

“It’s almost breathtaking arrogance, isn’t it? Either that or incomprehensible stupidity.”

No and no.

I like Josh a whole lot, but this is getting really old.  Time to trade Josh, I have great memories of Josh in person at Turner Field in Atlanta where he was 3-0 in Atlanta in 2006, 2007, and 2009.  Good Luck, Josh wherever you are traded to.

 Valentine has been outstanding. He’s gotten max production out of guys like Aviles, Ross, Sweeney, McDonald, etc. He’s made some great pinch hitting calls, resulting in runs for the Sox. He’s done a solid job with the pen as well as with forcing issues with the front office when he needs to step in.

Has he made some mistakes? Sure. Was the Youk think uncalled for? Sure. But that got dealt with by the best captain in baseball (Pedroia) and it’s a non-issue. Not only that, Youk responded by hitting a big home run and driving in 7 runs the following week. If you are looking for a target, you COULD make an argument about McClure. But you’d look silly as he is one of the best pitching coaches in the game wherever he goes.

i have a life, i play golf, don’t need to 1 million dollar or 20 million dollars brats like you.

You probably right there is just one problem they can’t win because they stink, he is the biggest primadonna in sports

Just watched Beckett give up easy 7 runs in less than 3 innings..what a total FRAUD…he is a STIFF…sore LAT…..right…just an overpaid stuffed shirt stiff….I’m finding it easier to be a fan of the opposing teams every night.  SOX ARE LOSING FANS EVERY DAY !

What a joke. It feel like these guys a throwing in the towel and take the money and run.

Seven runs, knocked out in 2+ innings.  Dear God, where’s the bottom?

I really can’t imagine a big league club wanting this guy.

I heard they held him out and he didn’t ask to skip a start.  If that’s the case, then it’s a non-issue

toooooo late

you would have thought that BV would have mentioned that when 1st asked about him playing golf if that was the case

This is very true. Beckett needs to go if he is going to act like Madonna on roids and be the world biggest diva trade him to a team for some extra cleats and a new bat boy and say see ya…… Jackass

 Agreed 100%.  Time to go.

Well written.

Seems to me the last time Bobby V implied a player (Youkilis) was a little soft, he wound up apologizing after GM Ben Cherington came down on Youk’s side.  I’ll admit Valentine is not qualified to manage this team but face it, he isn’t getting any help from the front office.

send that clown beckett packing and off to the golf course permanently and let him take that other genius, valentine, as his caddy.

That’s why Theo left. He saw this team was falling downhill and he bolted town. And it’s mainly his (Theo) own doing. All these fat, unmovable contracts (Wacky Lackey, Beckett, Buchholz, Crawford) Now he’s in Chitown and prolly laughing all the way to the bank.

I was initially happy with the Valentine hire, however since the season started he has goofed up way to much, he took out Bard to late, twice, why didn’t he learn from the first time?  He just seemed to lose a lot of grey matter in his 9 year absence from MLB, but ya might as well keep him, this team looks like a doormat for the rest of the season, no fight, lackluster play, there are some bright spots but they are over shadowed by selfish players like Beckett, he should go immediatle if not sooner.  Youk should follow, to many cancers on this club, I think it is to late for a playoff spot as evidenced by the FO and stupid comments from Ben, saying as soon as Youk comes back he’s back on 3B, insanity, where are the brains, I don’t see them in the FO or the field manager?  This team is making me sick, sorry I’m a life long Red Sox fan and just am filled with revulsion when watching the Red Sox try to play, they have to dig deep and really pull out all the stops just to find mediocrity!

Not near ridculous as the Red Sox play or their demeanor!  Bungling is thier forte!

Like yourself I’m into the Red Sox full term a Red Sox lifer since 1951, but you speak mostly with your heart and not reality, Bucholz either has to be put on the D.L. if possible down to Pawtucket, we’ve bungled up everything possible, if you can’t see what is transpiring by just looking at the daily mistakes, you’re looking through Rose Colored glasses, this is a team in dire straits, there is no getting around it, the pitching staff is in deep do do, plus the Media just stirs up everything, I knew they would make this golfing thing out to be the equal of the Boston Strangler.  Seriously we need a complete overhaul, how can you do that with the contract situation as it stands? You can’t!  So we’ll continue to be the laughing stock of Baseball soon if not now!  A fractured FO, the already mentioned contract situation, the injured, the list never ends, and I’m really unsure about Valentine, I’d love to see the man succeed, but he has made some bonhead mistakes and keeps making them!  I guess we’ll just have to take it a day at a time and just cross our fingers for some good luck.

Hey … I just proposed trading Becket a few days ago in post of mine.  Looks like Kirk Minihane is following my lead.

Very good post, I wish you could have taken him also, but that is wishful thinking, just get rid of him somehow.

I like to think I’m grown up, I also laugh at your little spiel, you’ve got to face reality, how long has Beckett played his games? Quite awhile, this should be the last chapter in his quest for idiocracy!  Yeah I understand how the media distorts reality etc, but I also see the reality facing the Red Sox, with Clay (no improvement) Bucholz trying again tomorrow, this will really be something, you think he’ll throw a gem?  No, he’ll take a long time to improve so Boston is aka Pawtucket, we have a mixed team of AAA & sol called Major League Professionals, well fans this is not Professional Baseball, this isn’t quite the caliber of AAA, time to make some whole sale moves, back up the truck, fire sale time, be like San Diego & Miami, start over, we have to do something, right?

You were right on the mark.This organization has turned  into a JOKE?????What a huge disappointment Bobby V has been.He kisses these players behinds no matter what.He talks like they are 18-11.He is in fact COMA 2 As proved by Beckett the inmates are still running the asylum.Thats why Valentine got the job.Now all he does is cover the players butts.Listen to him he sounds like an idiot.When little BEN didnt cover him vs YUCK I guess hes afraid of the players.
  They are on the train to nowhere,FAST,They need a major jolt.They should send some players down, like BUCHHOLTZ hE LOOKS LIKE HES IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE.i WOULD SEND SALTY DOWN N BRING  UP LAVARNE.pLEASE WHAT DOES MCDONALD HAVE ON MANAGEMENT.hE HASNT BEEN OVER 200 IN THREE YEARS???tHIS TEAM NEEDS A SHAKEUP  FIINALLY GET RID OF THE LYIN,FAT,-HOLE   BECKETT hE IS A CANCER AND MANAGEMENT never DEALT W IT.bEN IS ONLY LUCCHIUNOS PUPPET SO MAYBE HE DOESNT HAVE THE POWER.jUST LIKE LAST YEAR THIS TEAM IS DEAD.mANAGEMENT BETTER DO SOMETHING SOON????OR IT WILL BE A LONG SUMMER

Mike, it doesn’t matter who takes Beckett’s starts… this team is in the crapper and going NOwhere.  The sooner you see that (isn’t it obvious at this point) the happier you’ll be.  Blow it up!!!

Holes everywhere on this team… Outfield, Catcher, Bullpen…. no ace pitcher (might argue no #2)  Why are you worried about “getting worse”?  It doesn’t get any worse.  Not a playoff team so time to shake it up.

One thing about fans here is you are so damn quick to jump ship or throw people under the bus.  How about this… maybe he’s just not pitching well.  And maybe he is hurt.  But what if in either case the truth is that has absolutely nothing to do with golf, fried chicken or beer.  What do you think the rest of MLB pitchers do when they aren’t pitching?  I’d bet a lot of them play golf and eat junk food.  All that this guy has done for Boston and after a few bad starts you just wanna dump him just like that?  Unbelievable…

I know you media guys are more in the know than us – you probably have your sources close to the team and all but how are you so on JB for this golf thing?  How do you know that he begged for a day off and not  BV using the sore lat as a reason to let Cook have a try and asked JB to sit? I don’t think you do. Cuz that’s what I think happened.

I think Josh is Josh and says what he thinks (maybe some pr wouldnt hurt but the honesty is refreshing) If he says his family is more important than baseball people hold it against him.He alsways admits when he sucked and let the team down during an outing.
If his lat felt ok and he had previous plans to golf maybe he thought it wasn’t gonna hurt the lat, maybe even loosen it up. I’m not defending just saying these probablitites i’ve mentioned are all very likely possibilities. And I don’t think you know otherwise for sure. But I do know all this bashing isn’t going unheard and it probably isnt motivating him.

He knows what it takes to pitch, he’s a professional. Maybe rumors of him being lazy during practice and not doing running drills are true, maybe not. But do you think CC sabathia or any number of those really heavy pitchers care about their weight or fitness? What about Babe Ruth – do you think he ate more hot dogs or did more situps? C’mon let it rest, this is baseball. At least he’s not suffering a coked-up hangover from the previous night like, I don’t know, someone else may have done in the past. All messes are forgiven if they perform, and now they arent performing so the finger pointing starts.

If the guy turns out to be unaccountable then you are right but i dont think its the case. I’m tired of individuals getting bashed for every little thing cuz the team is losing. A couple days ago people were asking for Gonzo’s head after a couple bad outings at the plate, gimme a break. It’s like this every year with some sox fans and some media members. It’s tiresome.

The sox are stinking right now as a team and we all are unhappy about it and there’s nothing to do when huge contract players are on the DL(Lackey, Crawford, Ells….) and some of those players should never have been signed so huge(Lackey, Crawford) so we are stuck and cant make anymore moves – its like racking up credit card debt buying stuff you cant afford until you are at the limit then you cant get stuff that you need when you need it.. Just flippin deal with it and when they come around they come around, hopefully sooner than later.

Any time the sox are losing some fans and media members go crazy looking for a new scapegoat every other day. It’s tiresome. But maybe it’s just an outlet fromour  everyday stress. And maybe we take our Boston sports teams way too seriously.

(Sorry for the long comment, but the article was long too.)

Please don’t put Youkilis in the Josh Beckett category.  Youkilis works his asterisk off.
He will straighten himself out eventually. At least he is not mailing it in.
I will rout for anyone that is giving 100%. 

What size is YOUR pink hat pal.

There’s no way to interpret what’s happening without knowing how the missed start came about.  On the one hand, if the Sox asked him to skip the start just so they had an open date for Cook to make a start and give them an indication of his progress, then Beckett should be free to do whatever he wants on his off-day.  If the lat strain is a charade, an excuse to give Cook the start, Beckett has no issues. 

But if that were the case, why did Valentine act so surprised and borderline disappointed when told that Beckett played golf?    The fact that he was surprised, and said it was potentially “less than the best thing to do”, tells me that Beckett asked to skip the start.  And if he did, and played golf the next day, then we have a bigger problem and Beckett has to answer for that.  His day off is his business, but not if the activity he’s chosen is stressing the same muscle groups that he’s potentially claimed are sore and/or the cause for needing to miss a start.  I’m no professional golfer, but you can’t convince me that playing golf puts zero load on a player’s upper body or lat muscles. 

Either way, I”m the type of fan who needs to have some emotional connection to the team in order to want to watch, and root, and spend the time.  But rooting for this team is like rooting for the Bank of America executive team to get larger bonuses this year.   

Fabricio…sorry you had to return the Grammy. On the other hand, glad you took the time to preface your deep analysis with fandom re: KM. Thanks for sharing. Am I missing something here? Where,, other than the headline, does Kirk discuss how and when that door is opened and who among these cowardly enablers will push him out?

And who among the boggest losers (hint- worst starting pitcher) felt he deserved a day off on the links instead of studying, working out and otherwise improving his historically abysmal start to the season? A 10 era deserves a golf date? Maybe, if you only the 45th worst, you could justify…but the absolute worst deserves a day at the links?

Remember,Beckett defended the chicken, beer and justified deliberately throwing a game in September because family is more important than baseball. He might have proved that phony premise by spending that day off with that precious family instead of hackers at the country club. Man up Red Sox geniuses and waive this toxic loser…addition by subtraction. Then Buch, Lester, Darnell, Ross, Byrd, et al. When the season is over in May, no risk in complete overhaul. You already have a clown as designated fall guy to take the blame – Bobby Cherington. Or is it Ben Valentine? Anyway, pass the blame, purge and putsch the comissars, the proles and the commentariat alike. Perps, payroll and enablers – go away. That means you, lame apologists Gammons, Buck, et al al. Stop parsing, stop pirouretting around your paychecks and start pricking the pompous inflated egos enveloping and suffocating this team, including your own. Gammons, HOF scribe, stop stammering as anodyne apologist for owners and players and take a salary from Beckett as his PR agent if you ‘see nothing wrong’ with chicken, beer, golf etc.

If only baseball was like the NFL. No completely guaranteed contracts. If baseball had contracts like the NFL, Beckett would’ve been cut LAST SEPT! You think Belichick would want a player that’s more interested in playing golf & watching tv and eating fried chicken? Yea I thought so.

I am a Kirk Minihane fan but Alex Speier told me that Josh Beckett is a workhorse and we all know Alex went to Harvard and is wicked smart so I’m sticking with Alex and Josh.  And Aaron Cook is really good too.  Besides, Theo gave Beckett the extension and everyone knows Theo is the greatest GM ever.  Beckett is just going through a rough patch.

I care more about golfing than about this team – and I don’t play golf. 

It is impossible to be worse!  That’s number one.  Two, Yes, I would rather watch a minor leaguer than to know that any red sox starter who we know is going to lose.  The minor leaguer can do no worse.

Because they suck and the longer they play the less you can get for them

The pounds is in this buckett face.  Look closely, he has a big head because of his accomplishments years ago.

He isn’t worth anything, so how can red sox lose?

Send him down.  If you cannot do that, then sit him and let him watch what others can do.

Okay, then let theo trade for him now.  Who cares who traded for him, we are talking about getting rid of the jerk.

Who cares who you replace him with? You think this team is going anywhere? You only need to worry about that if this is a legitimate World Series contender. At this point they need to trade some people off and get some young guys in.Some players will not get them much but trading guys like Beckett, Buccholz, and Youk will go a long way to getting the next generation of players off on the right foot. Their best players are at the lowest levels. Renaudo, Barnes, and others. This team will not be a contender again until 2015 or so

What if Beckett wasn’t hurt at all?  Maybe the Sox were just using that as an excuse to get Aaron Cook in a game.  It makes since.

Kirk is right – Beckett does not come across as a guy who cares to be here.  I think he (and others) were stupid last September and it cost the manager they supposedly liked a job.  Come this year, Beckett is pouting because the organization moved on from Francona (never admitting he was a big part of the reason why they moved on), and so he’s gonna stick it to the decision makers on Yawkey Way and blow off the season.  What I don’t get is why he would do that to his teammates – and why they would let him.  Why isn’t Petey or Ortiz stepping up to put this guy in his place.  Time to move on, either he needs an attitude adjustment or needs a ticket out of town

Then the manager and all of upper managemetn should be fired.  If you want to see someone pitch, you sit the number 4 or number 5 starter, not the number 1 or 2.  Thank god we have the Pats, bruins, and Celtics to fall back on.  They might not always win but they give us 110%

Right on Kirk – The arrogance – billigerence – the ego – got to go – He is the Red Sox cancer cell.

Only thing worse then a free ticket to a red sox game is two free tickets……

Love to see this guy working for the Pats and how fast he would be spit out, just like a computer virus.

Amen brother

Arrogance, Hmmmmmmmm  Sounds like the President of baseball operations Larry Lunch box, get rid of both and the inmates will fall in line.  Next up Buchholz if he bombs Friday Pawtucket will have a nice ring to it.  Out all last year and people wonder about his subconcious worries of his back.  Try working out and strengthening it.  NOT 18 holes.

Bravo Kirk!!!

the people defending becket are fooloish. yes you tarde him, i dont care if you get a bag of baeball in return. i fefuse to watch that arrogant ahole pitch on the mound, he doesnt care and doesnt want to be here. i rather watch minor leagers give their 100 percent effort and actually care about the team and lose, than watch these bums play

This article is dead on. Beckett isn’t even a hasbeen he’s a neverbeen.

Great article! Josh is a BUM. God has given him the talent to be a shut down pitcher. Yet, like most of these over priced athletes they care more about being paid accordingly then actually WINNING!!!   I’m a DIE HARD fan but this team just has players that are hard to keep pulling for. Beckett is on the top of that list- Get ‘em out! I personally don’t care if they have Darnell Macdonald replace him every fifth day. That at least would be interesting to watch…

Personally, I think they should have gotten rid of Beckett after he gave up more home runs than any other pitcher in MLB history! The year that followed was better, but anything would have been better than that!!!!! He needs to go before he becomes contagious.

 Wrong KK. That trade was made while Theo was on tour with Pearl Jam following his Halloween Gorllia Suit exit. When Theo returned he went on record as saying he wouldn’t have made the deal because it included Ramirez. Of course he then signed Beckett to that ridiculous extension of of many “brilliant” move by the “boy wonder” GM       

People need to go to Cotts Baseball Salaries. It gives a breakdown of every players compensation.
Beckett gets 15.7 m next year and 15.7 m the year after. No one’s going to touch that.
Don’t come here and start blabbering about trading him until you done a little research.

Contrary to Minahane’s comment, Francona was not” a proven winner” last spring or in September.
Quit living in the past.

Contrary to Minahane’s comment, Francona was not” a proven winner” last spring or in September.
Quit living in the past.

You’re an idiot.  Doesn’t matter what he gets paid, never has with the Sox.  The real question is if they are serious, how much are the Sox willing to eat.  Talk about getting facts straight – go see Edgar Rentaria….

You’re an idiot.  Doesn’t matter what he gets paid, never has with the Sox.  The real question is if they are serious, how much are the Sox willing to eat.  Talk about getting facts straight – go see Edgar Rentaria….

Hey smart boy, if you’ve been paying attention, you would realize the days of writing a check to get someone out of town are  over. There counting pennies. Why do think Scutaro is gone? Is this too tough to follow?

Let’s meet at KFC before the Golf outing !
Straight up trade for Derek Lowe right now !
Beckett is as much help as …. on a Nun

So were signing ridiculous contracts but Crawford’s suppose to be in left field isn’t he.  And if you think that’s the only reason Scutaro is gone – I’ve got a bridge to sell you!

Hey! Ben! It’s a no-brainer; unload Beckett & Lackey. You can trade Beckett to a high-end country club (within the Nation, if you choose) for annual dues, social benefits and, above all, unlimited golfing privleges… & Lackey, to a combo pyscho ward – cocktail lounge, for life-time anger management refresher courses and anger re-development scenarios…
They’re both a couple of Bobby Soxer’s.
Also, bring back Varitek as a bench coach. Pedroia and his mates will go to the mat for him, and then when you’re contemplating unloading Valentine (can you say “All-Star Break”?), the Captain can step right in. He’ll make a great manager!

Scott

Hey! Ben! It’s a no-brainer; unload Beckett & Lackey. You can trade Beckett to a high-end country club (within the Nation, if you choose) for annual dues, social benefits and, above all, unlimited golfing privleges… & Lackey, to a combo pyscho ward – cocktail lounge, for life-time anger management refresher courses and anger re-development scenarios…They’re both a couple of Bobby Soxer’s.
Also, bring back Varitek as a bench coach. Pedroia and his mates will go to the mat for him, and then when you’re contemplating unloading Valentine (can you say “All-Star Break”?), the Captain can step right in. He’ll make a great manager!
 
Scott

The decision on what to do with Beckett shouldn’t be laid at the feet of Valentine.  It should be the responsibility of those who sign his paycheck.  Here’s what I would do if I were Henry:  I would suspend Beckett for two starts, and require him to sit on the bench each game until the last out in the 9th was recorded.  He can only go into the clubhouse to relieve himself.  Then, if he doesn’t show contrition, I would tell him that he is benched for the entire season (while I tried my best to dump him to any other team that would like a cancer in its organization).  Because of the CBA, there are things that can’t be done.  But as an owner, I can decide not to play a person on my payroll.  Let Beckett beg for mercy and perhaps he’ll allow his contract to be bought out so he can go elsewhere.  I would take a page out of the Belichick book:  no player is more important than the team.  If you can’t be a team player, you’re gone.  Jackie McMullin said it best: the Red Sox brand is more valuable than any player.  Eliminating Beckett from the Sox roster will do more for the brand than anything else right now.

I used to circle the games Beckett was starting and make sure to pick up a game day ticket….I was even going to visit the ranch in Texas…(as a paying customer)….no more thoughts about doing either anymore….. 

here is a solution because tonight Bucholtz is leaving the game no later than the 4th inning;  put him on the disabled list or send him down;  bring up Justin Germano, a 29 year old right hander in Pawtuckett.  He has started 7 games in AAA and has given up 2 or less runs in all 7 games.  he is 4-1 with a 2.29 ERA.  Who would you rather see pitching:  Bucholtz or Germano?  Secondly, Beckett has to be dealt with.  he may only agree to be traded to Houston, Texas, or Arizona as he is a 10 and 5 guy.  you can’t just “get rid of him.”  If not that put him on the DL and let DiceK take his place.  Keep Lester and Bard in the rotation.  Keep Youkilis at 3B and send Middlebrooks down for more work (looks like a bad Jason Bay who strikes out a lot).  Stabilize the lineup.  If the Red sox do not improve soon look for them to trade Ellsbury after he is back in line up.

you have to remember, a “showcase” would imply the fact that they put together a string of performances that makes them desirable to other clubs.  Nothing about their performance this year and going back to last season makes them enticing. And I don’t see any promise of either improving on their abysmal starts.  I’m okay with keeping Youk though. He may be slumping, he may be hurt, but he pretty obviously still gives a damn.  Can’t say the same for Beckett. 

I know it’s next to impossible to move Beckett.  But something has to be done about him.  You cannot allow a player like this with his kind of attitude to be around the other players.

First, all the people here saying the Sox would be WORSE without Beckett, you need to ask yourself how worse would the Sox be with someone else in the rotation?  Beckett gave up 7 ER.  He’s had TWO good starts the entire season.  I’m not sure the Sox would be much worse without him on the mound.

Second, leaving Beckett in the rotation destroys any leverage or credibility that Valentine might have with the other players.  Beckett is telling everyone that he is better than anyone else and no one can tell him what to do.  He’s fat.  He’s out of shape.  And he will stay that way all season.

Since it is unlikely the ownership will move him … something else has to be done.  Take him out of the rotation.  Can the Sox send him down to AAA or AA?  Because if they can, that’s what they should do.  They should tell Beckett, this is the way you want to play, this is how you handle being a leader on the team?  Guess what, it stinks.  Go enjoy playing for Pawtucket for a while.  Go eat all the chicken, drink all the beer, play all the golf you want … in Pawtucket.

Kirk, you nailed it. ( And here I came to WEEI.com fully expecting to read the Rob Bradford piece were new excuses would be unvieled, en route to another piece on how we should all be more patient with Beckett)

@ca7facbde26ef5de983e0c15d8b8135b:disqus With all due respect, THIS incident isn’t being blown up. Yes, maybe the chicken and beer was blown out of proportion (and even that should have been a BIG red flag), but now it’s just ridiculous with him. Minihane is right, the guy is fat and content. As a fan you should be pissed! We all pay money to see this team perform, at 179 million for a payroll we should be up over 20 wins easy at this point but where are we? An “Ace” barely keeping himself out of the 5′s in ERA, another “Ace” looking to the 8′s in ERA and playing golf when he should be resting an “injury”, yet ANOTHER “2″ who’s seemingly out of a game before he gets to the mound, three outfielders who should be playing in AAA, a $160 million dollar first basemen who only hits singles, and a manager who’s completely lost and still arrogant! I’m glad you’re content with that bulls**t, I’m not at close to $100 a ticket we pay to support these clowns.

Beckett was TOLD to sit. If you had gotten your facts straight then you wouldnt have had cause to write this article since your whole beckett-bashing article was based on the premise that he ‘begged-out’ of the start. I realize it now is ‘fashionable’ to get on the bash Beckett band wagon, but please, you are getting paid to make articles here, you need some facts, don’t be like some of the fans here that make comments based on knee-jerk emotional reactions and zero logic or facts or interest in the truth. You’re the professional here.

We are all fans and unhappy with the Sox record right now, but saying that it is one playe’rs fault and blowing everything out of proportion is annoying and stupid. The fact that the Sox have, out of their top 12 highest-paid players, seven of those top 12 on the DL or rehab is probably the major factor right now for that losing record: (Crawford, Lackey, Youk, Dice-K, Ells, Jenks, Bailey). And in addition to the DL problems the fact that some of these players are so over paid leaves the buget lacking to go and get other playeres. See how making a ‘big-splash’ contract is fun for a minute but then you’re stuck with the contract whether the guy is on the DL or just plain stinks shows that big-splash shouldnt happen too often despite the glamour, but that’s another issue.

The ‘fashionable’ thing right now is to say ‘get rid of beckett’ then what? put in Cook? Go get another high-profile pitcher? How is that all gonna happen or work out. It’s not. But getting all pissy on one player for a lousy team record may be ‘fashionable’ but it makes no sense cuz the reason(s) for the lousy record goes a lot deeper.

Trampoline themed restaurant? Sounds like a vomitorium. Better stock up on Lysol.

I’ll spit the obvious here.  Ty Law is the best cornerback the Patriots have ever had.  I would argue that he meant more to this team than some of the other very best meant to their teams around the league.  Even Prime Time.  Patriots wouldn’t have won 2 of the 3 Super Bowls (he was hurt for the last one, Randall Gay was the starter) if he wasn’t playing.  Period.  End of story.