Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Hey Julian

Julian Tavarez is flawed pitcher. He is overly emotional. He is ill-suited to be a consistent starter or reliable closer. When he's off he's liable to get knocked all over the park. But I love this guy. He is a reliever in the true sense. They would've called him a fireman in the '70s. He is completely devoid of fear, regardless of the situation, and it is impossible to intimidate him.

Last night after Lester spotted the Indians with a three run lead. Julian came into the game a promptly struck out the first three batters he faced. The Sox are going to need him a lot with the young arms on which they are trying to rely. When Lester and Buchholz are dealing it's easy to think that the pitching staff will be dominant for the next ten years. However, at times they can't find the strike zone with sonar. I don't know how many innings they will be able to log this year. They are not yet accustomed to the grind of the full MLB season. When they do falter, Tavarez can come in for those log relief appearances.

Sometimes, like last night, he's at his fearless best. Once in a while it's like he's throwing batting practice. Most often, he will eat up some innings and keep the Sox in the game. He's the biggest reason they pulled out the 6-4 win last night and the most underrated member of their pitching staff.

No comments: