TheFightinPhils
02-09-2005, 03:24 PM
BOSTON -- One year ago, Keith Foulke arrived at Spring Training with unquestionable ability and credentials as a closer. The one thing that was unknown was whether the right-hander could handle the pressure of Boston.
As it turned out, Foulke didn't merely handle the pressure. He brushed it aside just as smoothly as he set down American League hitters from the spring to the summer and deep into October.
In retrospect, it is very easy to say the Red Sox would not have won the World Series without Foulke. He went from being a solid closer in the regular season to a Foulke hero in the postseason.
By being nothing short of prolific in the clutch, Foulke figures to be an even more confident pitcher entering the 2005 season.
Consider that in 11 postseason outings, Foulke posted an 0.64 ERA. He was the epitome of a man who took it to another level when it counted most.
The Boston bullpen figures to be sturdy again with an anchor like Foulke.
One of his best traits is the way he takes pressure off of his setup crew. Foulke is not your typical three-out closer. He'll take the ball with his team losing, tied or in the lead. He could care less if it's a save situation. And there were many times Red Sox manager Terry Francona called on Foulke prior to the ninth inning.
Of course, the setup crew also takes pressure off Foulke, because the Sox have some seasoned veterans in that capacity.
The righty-lefty tandem of Mike Timlin and Alan Embree is together for the third consecutive season. Much like Foulke at the end of the game, Timlin and Embree always want to take the ball in the seventh and eighth, regardless of how difficult the situation might be.
Timlin will be 39 on Opening Day, but he works hard at keeping himself in shape and still has nasty sinking action on his fastball.
The 35-year-old Embree doesn't have quite the same velocity he had when he joined the Sox in 2002, but he knows how to locate and reach back for something extra when he needs it. He is by no means a lefty specialist, as he's has good success against right-handed hitters.
One thing that could really make the Boston bullpen a dominant entity this season is if newly acquired Matt Mantei can stay healthy. The former Diamondbacks closer baffles opponents when his arm is feeling right. He could give the bullpen the fourth weapon that Scott Williamson was when healthy last year.
"It seems like we're getting deeper in our pitching staff, and you can't have enough pitching," said Embree. "Mantei, when he's healthy, is dominating. That can only help Mike and I, having him around."
The Sox also have a pair of intriguing long-man possibilities in left-hander John Halama and sidewinding righty Byung-Hyun Kim.
Halama has made 114 starts in his career, but also has 91 relief appearances. Kim was once a dominant closer, but wanted to start. He got that chance, but quickly lost it, due to injuries and a mysterious dip in velocity. This spring, Kim will simply be trying to prove that he still belongs.
At the age of 26, it's hard to believe that Kim is already in the breakdown lane.
"We expect him to come to Spring Training and show a lot of improvement from where he was last year," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. "Right now, he's going to be in a role where he's not pitching with the same expectations as in the past. He's not going to be asked to close. He's not going to be asked to be a member of the starting rotation coming out of Spring Training. We'll see. We think he's got a chance to really round out our pitching staff and provide a lot of depth for us in a variety of roles."
As for the Boston bullpen in general, Francona will have no shortage of viable options, be it long, middle or short relief.
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bos/news/bos_news.jsp?ymd=20050208&content_id=940573&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp
As it turned out, Foulke didn't merely handle the pressure. He brushed it aside just as smoothly as he set down American League hitters from the spring to the summer and deep into October.
In retrospect, it is very easy to say the Red Sox would not have won the World Series without Foulke. He went from being a solid closer in the regular season to a Foulke hero in the postseason.
By being nothing short of prolific in the clutch, Foulke figures to be an even more confident pitcher entering the 2005 season.
Consider that in 11 postseason outings, Foulke posted an 0.64 ERA. He was the epitome of a man who took it to another level when it counted most.
The Boston bullpen figures to be sturdy again with an anchor like Foulke.
One of his best traits is the way he takes pressure off of his setup crew. Foulke is not your typical three-out closer. He'll take the ball with his team losing, tied or in the lead. He could care less if it's a save situation. And there were many times Red Sox manager Terry Francona called on Foulke prior to the ninth inning.
Of course, the setup crew also takes pressure off Foulke, because the Sox have some seasoned veterans in that capacity.
The righty-lefty tandem of Mike Timlin and Alan Embree is together for the third consecutive season. Much like Foulke at the end of the game, Timlin and Embree always want to take the ball in the seventh and eighth, regardless of how difficult the situation might be.
Timlin will be 39 on Opening Day, but he works hard at keeping himself in shape and still has nasty sinking action on his fastball.
The 35-year-old Embree doesn't have quite the same velocity he had when he joined the Sox in 2002, but he knows how to locate and reach back for something extra when he needs it. He is by no means a lefty specialist, as he's has good success against right-handed hitters.
One thing that could really make the Boston bullpen a dominant entity this season is if newly acquired Matt Mantei can stay healthy. The former Diamondbacks closer baffles opponents when his arm is feeling right. He could give the bullpen the fourth weapon that Scott Williamson was when healthy last year.
"It seems like we're getting deeper in our pitching staff, and you can't have enough pitching," said Embree. "Mantei, when he's healthy, is dominating. That can only help Mike and I, having him around."
The Sox also have a pair of intriguing long-man possibilities in left-hander John Halama and sidewinding righty Byung-Hyun Kim.
Halama has made 114 starts in his career, but also has 91 relief appearances. Kim was once a dominant closer, but wanted to start. He got that chance, but quickly lost it, due to injuries and a mysterious dip in velocity. This spring, Kim will simply be trying to prove that he still belongs.
At the age of 26, it's hard to believe that Kim is already in the breakdown lane.
"We expect him to come to Spring Training and show a lot of improvement from where he was last year," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. "Right now, he's going to be in a role where he's not pitching with the same expectations as in the past. He's not going to be asked to close. He's not going to be asked to be a member of the starting rotation coming out of Spring Training. We'll see. We think he's got a chance to really round out our pitching staff and provide a lot of depth for us in a variety of roles."
As for the Boston bullpen in general, Francona will have no shortage of viable options, be it long, middle or short relief.
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bos/news/bos_news.jsp?ymd=20050208&content_id=940573&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp