More Concern for the
Nation's Rotation?

Blister Trouble for Beckett?
Ace Leaves After 7 Strong Innings of Two-Hit Ball

“Now why did he come out? He said after the game it was his back, but, [showing video of Beckett in dugout] they’re checking his finger. Must be some eastern-type medicine. Take a look at the back through the finger… he’s got a blister problem history, but get out the Stan’s Rodeo Cream and let’s saddle up and ride again.” -- 5.15.06, Bob Lobel, CBS4 Sports

False Alarm on Beckett's Fingers?

“He had some dirt and mud caked in his spikes and we saw him slip. If something was wrong we’d be kicking ourselves, and he was fine.” -- 5.15.06, Terry Francona, postgame interview

Beckett Thinks Tito Pulled Him Because of His Back

“It would have been nice to go out there and try and finish it. We hadn't played in two days and the bullpen's gotta get some work. After my foot slipped on that warm-up pitch Tito just felt like it was probably better to get somebody else some work and let everything else just deal with itself.

"Just the late call, I wasn't upset with the umpire, I wasn't upset with Tejada either, it's just one of those deals, I'm just trying to protect myself. That late [to call off a pitch], anything can happen. Blow out an elbow. Blow out a shoulder. Blow out a back, whatever you know. Just trying to protect myself and not the kind of guy that goes about it quietly protecting myself. It was no problem, it was just how late it was, I just made it known that I really didn't like how late it was. I was in the middle of my delivery, my leg was already up and I see that there's time out, I gotta go through a whole process of slowing my body down. I'm just trying to go out there and pitch every five days, so.

"The mound, they put that tarp over it, and it happens a lot whenever it's really humid and after it rains. They put that tarp over there and that stuff just bakes over there... every pitch I would have stuff stuck to my foot, it would have been a six hour game if I had gotten all the crap off my foot every time. So I'm out there, I'm not trying to pay attention to it, I'm trying to focus on executing pitches and my foot slipped out from underneath me and my whole right side had to tighten up to stop everything. My lower back grabbed a little bit and I think that had a little something to do with Tito taking me out even though I was still pitching pretty good up to that point. It's a little tight, but we'll just assess the situation tomorrow and everything will be fine. It's not like it's never happened to me before, and it didn't cause me to miss a bullpen or anything like that so, just start taking care of it and I think everything will be fine.” -- 5.15.06, Josh Beckett, postgame interview

A History of Blisters ...

“Every time we think we got it figured out (blister problem), another one pops up. Maybe just getting out of heat and getting out of that humidity maybe that might help a little bit… We’ve tried a lot of stuff, the one that I’ve found that’s been the most productive is some stuff that’s called Stan's Blister Ointment in between starts and keeping it shaved down with a callous shaver. That’s been the most helpful thing. What was happening earlier in my career is that I wasn’t developing a callous. Whenever I would get a callous, I would let the callous get so big that a blister would develop underneath the callous, and then we’d have to cut the whole callous off and start over again. Whenever you start all over again with unhealthy skin, it’s almost like starting at a negative number instead of starting back at zero." -- 11.26.05, Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett, Extra Bases blog

Blistering Fastball His Curse ...

“For the fifth time in his young career Beckett landed on the disabled list with a debilitating blister on his pitching hand. It sounds like a practical joke: Beckett is blessed with a superhuman right arm and cursed with delicate skin that Palmolive Madge no doubt fantasized about." -- 7.23.04, Stephen Cannella, Sports Illustrated

All Clear with the Cream?

"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

Blisters No Match for Stan's?

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