Oh My Josh!

Sox On Verge of Reeling in Beckett

"'This is a no-brainer for Boston,' said one American League GM of the deal that, barring some problem with medicals, will send Beckett and Lowell to Boston for Ramirez, prized pitching prospect Anibal Sanchez and a Single-A pitcher not on Boston's 40-man roster. 'Beckett is a premier player, 25 and entering his prime. He could go win the Cy Young award in the next two years.'

"At the end of the season, Boston's rotation had three 39- to 42-year-olds -- David Wells, Curt Schilling, Tim Wakefield -- along with Matt Clement and Bronson Arroyo. Now if they can sign Beckett, who is two years from free agency, to a long-term deal, they'll have three premier power pitchers in their rotation in Beckett, Jonathan Papelbon (24) and left-hander Jon Lester (21), plus two premier young power relievers in Craig Hansen and Edgar Martinez. That's pretty good work from Boston's GM-by-committee of Jed Hoyer, Craig Shipley, Ben Cherington, Peter Woodfork and Bill Lajoie." -- 11.21, Peter Gammons, ESPN.com Insider (by subscription only)

"'Everybody in the game would love to have him,' said a major league executive, who added that most teams stayed away from Beckett because they were unwilling to take on Lowell's salary. 'He's got a plus fastball, a plus breaking ball, and a plus changeup, and he comes right at you. He's a horse.'" -- 11.22, Gordon Edes, Boston Globe

"'I haven't heard anything yet,' said Beckett, who added he would welcome the chance to pitch in Boston. 'Actually, I'm a little excited about it.' As for his arm, Beckett pronounced himself healthy, boasting, 'I don't need any physical.'... Lowell did not return calls from reporters Monday, but Beckett reached him by phone and said Lowell was happy with the trade. 'I told him he's going to hit 40 homers, 38 of them when I'm pitching,' Beckett said." -- 11.22, Miami Herald

Wilbur: Grin and Beckett
Snow: Sox Closing in on Beckett
Schilling: 'Next to Burnett, He's as Electric as They Come'

What Do You Think of the Big Deal?

From the Wayback Machine...

"With all due respect for the future of Josh Beckett, after beating the 21-year-old right-hander, (the Diamondbacks) Curt Schilling told the media, 'It just goes to show it's not as easy as pure stuff. It's more than that. At midnight before the game, I was on my computer, preparing and reviewing video and scouting reports. He was probably sleeping. I was on the computer at 8 the next morning, preparing my game plan. He was probably sleeping. What is he, 13?'

"Ask Schilling's teammates. The day after beating the Braves, he was talking in the clubhouse about how he wanted the outfield positioned for Cliff Foyd, his next start being against the Marlins." -- 05.04.02 Peter Gammons, ESPN.com

11.22.05, Curt Schilling: "But see if you don't take those (comments above) in context they sound bad. I was complimenting him on his stuff, and the differences in where we were. Next to Burnett, he's as electric as they come imo."

And About Those Blisters...

"One of the best examples is Josh Beckett, who has 10 major-league wins at 23, yet remains healthy and a near sure-fire bet for stardom. Beckett was rushed up to the majors with less than 200 professional innings. Then last year, he was bothered all season by blister problems. 'We tried everything,' Marlins pitching coach Brad Arnsberg said. Indeed, Beckett tried superglue that tore off the skin. He tried rice, cow urine and, finally, late in the season he got hold of a vial of dermabond called 'Stan's Rodeo Cream.'

"And Stan's Rodeo Cream worked. Beckett applies a vial of the cream the three days he throws between starts. It is expensive since each vial costs $40 and he uses the entire vial every time he throws. But the investment is worth it to the Marlins, who appreciate that Beckett has the stuff and the makeup to be a star." -- 2003, Peter Gammons, ESPN.com

Some Fun Facts About Beckett