2008 Woodie Awards
THE FITZSIMMONS FILES: As the Beckett blow sinks in
Brian Fitzsimmons
Issue date: 12/1/05 Section: Sports
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If the Yankees acquired a pitcher who won twenty games the year before, the Sox would fire back and sign someone who had won twenty games in his career. Boston would increase their payroll by eleven million; New York would spend twelve. If the Yankees traveled to scout players in the Dominican Republic, the Sox would end up scouting the polo shirt sales at Banana Republic. Maybe the recent past hasn't been that ridiculously in favor of the Evil Empire, but times certainly have changed.
Enraged with Boston's championship victory, the Yankees went punch for punch with Sox general manager Theo Epstein last winter. Epstein acquired pitchers David Wells and Matt Clement. The Yankees bounced off the ring and threw a potent uppercut by inking Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright. To knockout Boston, New York acquired the most dominant lefthander of this generation, Randy Johnson. It seemed the Yankees won the winter battle, but Steinbrenner's 206 million dollar team failed in 2005, despite the perfect blueprint that was constructed. Now, here we stand after another unpredictable autumn, watching teams fight for enough improvement to dethrone the White Sox in 2006.
Unfortunately for Yankee loyalists, the Red Sox nation had a lot to be thankful for this past week, as twenty five year old pitcher Josh Beckett became the first player to come off Florida's clearance rack. The struggling franchise has had financial troubles for some time, so dumping salary became inevitable. Boston management took the incentive to become the first customers at the Florida Marlins garage sale and New York shook in panic. The elevated fear level in Yankee land is very high, since the 2003 World Series M.V.P. is now with Boston. This is the same Josh Beckett who made the Yankees look like a high school JV team in that World Series, which was also New York's last appearance in the fall classic. I was once a Beckett fan, but now the only time I'll cheer for him is if he gets torched by Yankee hitters in a game next season. We'll give Steinbrenner some time to retaliate, but for now New York needs some statistical band aids.