Yea and pigs can fly =/

Everyone is underestimating Lackey because of his personality.  He was terrible in 2011 because he was pitching through a real injury.  Even in a down 2010 he was a solid #4 who had bad luck with his ERA, his peripherals were on track with his career where he was a quality #2.  I don’t think he’s going to be a top of the rotation guy obviously, but he can definitely be a quality #4.

Don’t know what gives this guy the reason for thinking he could have a huge impact. He has never been that good anyway. Lets not forget when we look at stats, Who did he play for?, what division did he pitch in? Who were his wins against? He has pitched 10 years his ERA is 4.10 given up more hits then innings pitched, never won 20 games. He has 8 shutouts in 10 years, he has a record of 3-4 in the post season. The season before the Sox signed him he beat a team with a winning record 3 times all year, he pitched most of his games against the A’s, Seattle, and the rest of the west west division teams at that time. So for the fans that say he is a quality #4 starter, do you really pay 15 million dollars to a # 4 starter? And nobody is underestimating Lackey based on his personality, its because he is not a very good pitcher, and his career shows that for 10 years he has been average at best.

What else are they going to say, that he looks terrible?  In the offseason of 2010-2011 they said he looked great, lost weight, etc….and he had a decent spring.  Look how that turned out.  He was hurt the whole year.  I give him the benefit of the doubt, because a lot of guys come back strong after Tommy John (a-hem Dicek) but let’s not start the WS parade until we see how he is fairing by mid – May.

IMHO, I think we’re going to see a formidable John Lackey this year. I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see him achieve a 14-17 win season, with an ERA in the 3.5 to 3.7 range.   He is a proud and very tough competitor when healthy, and by all indications, he is healthy for the first time in 5 years.

Lackey could mean a whole 12 wins! With offense being less than it was when lackey last played, he won’t have them to pickup after his average to less than average performance.  So unless he comes out really strong, don’t expect more than 10-12 wins folks.
 

They still play baseball for money>  Gee, I thought the sport had already bored it’s fan base into oblivion.  Altho as bad as it is, it ain’t as boring as African Handball

 or Golf. – At least as a spectator sport.

Lackey needs to go 20-4 to justify his contracxt

I think Lackey will perform more in line with his career averages..so 12-15 wins.

ok, i don’t care if lackey comes to spring training chiseled up, with 5 percent body fat. what matters is will he grow a set of big ones, and decides he wants to be a big-game pitcher.

ok, i don’t care if lackey comes to spring training chiseled up, with 5 percent body fat. what matters is will he grow a set of big ones, and decides he wants to be a big-game pitcher.

ok, i don’t care if lackey comes to spring training chiseled up, with 5 percent body fat. what matters is will he grow a set of big ones, and decides he wants to be a big-game pitcher.

There are some different things that you have to look at with Lackey going into this year….Looking at the past,Lackey was having elbow issues in 2009…Even though he beat the Red Sox and the Yankees in the playoffs that year,his fastball was very flat with very little movement,and super straight..How we didn’t hit him I have no idea.i was VERY upset when I heard we signed him…Understanding that when you have elbow issues,not only do you lose velocity,but you also lose range of motion,which will affect you in the movement and location of your pitches,and your ability to repeat your mechanics to a point…..Now that Lackey is close to 18 months past his surgery,its been reported that his range of motion is much,much greater than it has been in years,as well as an uptick in velocity to the degree of a 2-3 mph increase…They say he’s been looking like the Lackey of old…I believe that he will be under a 160 innings limit…With him being healed and with the extra range of motion,he has a VERY GOOD chance of pitching well…We never saw the real John lackey in his entire tenure with the Red Sox,well,with the exception of his attitude on occasion…You can’t look at a pitcher’s wins only  when it comes to success as a pitcher,but you need to look at his hits per 9 innings,his walks(basically look at his whip),and his era….If those are good,and his run support is good,the wins will come..Understand that Lackey also has never been afraid to throw a breaking ball when he’s behind in the count,and thats a fact!! Unfortunately,his breaking pitches hadn’t had much movement,nor have they been away from the midddle of the plate in the last few years…Bottom line,,our lineup is far better than it was during last august and september,and lackey looks much better as well….Lackey coming back could end up equating into us picking up a decent starting pitcher in free agency..this isn’t a lock,but there is evidence pointing towards the possibility…let me reiterate,I’m not a big John Lackey fan,,,,,I’m just trying to be objective and a realist..

Not making excuses for the guy, he has sucked for us…that being said , he was going through a divorce and clearly had an injury that required surgery, my personality wouldnt have been the greatest either had i been going through all of that. 

So with them saying he looks like the Lackey of old, that’s still not very good. He has been in the league for 10 years, he has averaged 12 to 13 wins and 10 losses a year with a ERA over 4 he has given up more hits then inning pitched. He has pitched most of his career in a weak division. So if you are a realist think about this, he hasn’t pitched in 18 months. He is what his numbers say he is an average pitcher over his 10 years, he might not ever be that average anymore, there is a chance he could be worst. He is a # 4 starter being paid like a number 1, 15 million dollars. He has all that extra pressure of trying to justify that deal. If he starts out bad it could get real ugly

Feel real bad for John Farrell, putting his eggs in a stiff like Lackeys basket.  If  this is what the season depends on itis going to be a long year.  Hello 4th place still love the sox.

Boy his ex Krista is smoking hot!!!!

Pedro,he’s definetly overpaid,I agree..I was PISSED when we signed him….However,,from what the insiders are saying,he looks VERY good….Its definetly a wait and see,but you may see him revert back to his 2009 and previous form,which is a #3,or a lower end #2 who has some playoff success…Also,Seattle,Texas and Oakland had some pretty good teams from 2002-2009…there was always one dog team in the division,but oakland was good until 2006,Texas has been good for about the last 5 years plus,and the Mariners have had their moments….I’m looking at his mechanics,health,and velocity….The evidence points to a possbly decent year…we shall see…From 2002-2009,he was absolutely an above average pitcher….The only way to make his deal look a little better is for us to pick up the option at the end of his deal which we will have Lackey for an extra year at around 1 million dollars for the year….The deal sucked from day one,no doubt…

Wow, first Alex Speier when in the real world has John Lackey ever pitched at a “consistently excellent level”? His best season was like fifteen wins in the AL West, never has Lackey in my mind ever been dominant. He even in his best years sucked at Fenway, I never understood this signing. Why drop 86.2 million on some guy who has no where near the stuff Papelbon has and then let Papelbon walk the next year for 26.2 million less. Ridiculous.

Furthermore, we heard the Lackey is in the best shape of his life BS before, remember the stories before the start of his second year in Boston, anyone?

Here is what we know for sure about Lackey. He does not have the stuff to compete in the AL East and he blows at Fenway. He has or had a drinking problem. He is coming off major surgery hasn’t pitched well in almost four years now and personally I think I adalpho Gonzales would give him a run for his money athletically. Lackey will get hit and blame his infielders. He will not be a leader in the clubhouse but probably contribute to a losing attitude.

I’m done with Lackey and all this bs spin by the red sox, lackey blows get rid of him.

remains to be seen   Lackey to me is a very selfish person he owes  Red Sox big time..

I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.One thing is certain,his attitude is one of a gamer,he always wanted the ball even in pain.How many ball players can you say that about.Anyway we will all find out soon,even in ST.

He stopped us in 2008 i believe in the play offs against the Angels.There is so much about the game thats never mentioned but for a few comments.He’s a fourth pitcher and if you can get a dozen wins from that spot its good.If his arm is healthy 12 wins is very doable from Lackey.

He will lose more games then he wins

He will lose more games then he wins

I like your optimism.  I hope you’re right.  

The propaganda machine is in high gear now.

Defense is worse too. Pray they don’t hit anything toward 1st…

He needs to pull a Denny Mclain.

He could have a big impact, but he won’t.  The Red Sox organization is relying too much on hopes that many of the players will have bounce-back years, when in reality those very same players are all having normal regressions to their game as they get older.  This public emphasis on hyping the idea that players will have bigger years come anew , may just be salesmanship on the part of the organization, but if they really believe those many players will have an improved game over their career norms, then the organization is deluding itself.

It;s not out of the realm if possibility that Lackey has a solid year. I mean, the Orioles made the playoffs last season so anything can happen

Using pitcher wins in an argument really undermines your point

You should probably wait until the actual season starts before b.tching this much

Yeah, a huge impact on local fried chicken and bud light supplies.   Or maybe just a huge impact on the clubhouse toilet.  

Lets see how long this crew puts up with his antics on the mound when someone makes an error.

Farrell is a miracle worker. When with the Sox never went to the mound but kept a great clipboard
charting pitches. Charting is great if you can execute.

This injury was as secret as getting into Fort Knoxx. Seems like the Red Sox had to do something to save him.. So the surgery lets Lackey escape..no word was ever mentioned throughout the “chicken” season about an injury…has anyone thought about that?
Pigs will fly and we will all see pink elephants too.

The Sox need him to pitch well. One would hope that he has recovered from the surgery to be an effective pitcher. Surgeries such as his are not necessarrily a cure all for what ailed this pitcher.I would like to know what pitchers at his age have successfully rebounded from Tommy John surgery that pitched to their previous form. Perhaps very few. One can expect Lackey to be a five inning pitcher and a bullpen killer. 

if john lackey can rebound and miraculously win 18 games for the sox, i could seem them finishing as high as 3rd

Unlike Jacoby who could never get on the field. This guy at least attempted to pitch with a bad arm what was Ellsbury’s excuse, a few sore ribs?

don’t forget, he divorced his wife when she got breast cancer, the guys a real prince!

Excuse me, b*tching is what I do! It’s what these comment sections are for. Honestly though, the book has been written on this loser. There is nothing to wait for, read my post and tell me one thing I wrote that is not an accurate assessment of where Lackey is at right now. Tell me that article by Speier is not ridiculous Red Sox spin, I mean can anyone other than the great baseball mind of Alex Speier possibly argue that Lackey has ever, I mean ever shown he can compete and be a solid pitcher in the AL East? 

For all you morons giving him credit for pitching and losing a ton of games whilst he had an injury. The only reason he pitched through the injury is because he had the elbow clause in his contract, so if he had to have surgery, his last year in Boston is at a minimum salary level. If there wasn’t an elbow clause in his contract he never would have pitched through the injury. He wasn’t doing it to help the team, he was doing it to keep his money. Anyone who doesn’t get that, should have their head checked. 

Didn’t his wife have cancer and he went through a divorce(or started) as well. I’d give him the chance to see if he can do what he did out in Callie

Didn’t his wife have cancer and he went through a divorce(or started) as well. I’d give him the chance to see if he can do what he did out in Callie

Didn’t his wife have cancer and he went through a divorce(or started) as well. I’d give him the chance to see if he can do what he did out in Callie

Didn’t his wife have cancer and he went through a divorce(or started) as well. I’d give him the chance to see if he can do what he did out in Callie

Likely scenario is we finish 4th but if Lackey has a decent season we have a real chance for 3rd place. I’ll take if after last years  debacle. GO SOX!!

 too wordy and a Lackey expert. OMG

 LEAVE SOME SPACE ON THE PAGE FOR SOMEONE ELSE. OMG

 deano=troubled OMG

Lackey could turn out to be a decent 4 this year easily. Nobody really knows until games have been played. The ORIOLES made the playoffs last year. This is baseball where Ryan Vogelsong makes the all-star team, the orioles make the playoffs, and Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion are two of the best power hitters in the game. Tell me ANY of those things were going to happen back in 2008, and I’d call you stupid. Baseball is a funny game

John If your banking on Lackey, your banking on last place.