The morning after brings all the usual symptoms. Headache. Dry mouth. Listlessness. If I feel this bad, Red Sox Fan thinks to himself, how must Beckett feel?

 

Fan is very concerned about what is going on in Josh Beckett's head, especially after watching him give up seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings to the light-hitting A's on July 14 -- part of a 15-3 Fenway drubbing in which Beckett also served up his major league-leading 27th long ball. Fan has seen the big righthander rage around the mound all season. Seen him shout down Ryan Howard for admiring a towering fly ball in a meaningless spring training game. Seen him scream at Shea Hillenbrand for questioning an umpire's strike call. Seen him pump his fist after early-inning punchouts. So an emotional guy like Beckett would have to be on suicide watch after the A's game, no?

 

"I'm all right," Beckett says, after completing some day-after-start cardio. His smile seems genuine enough. He's back to work. In just a bit, he'll play some first base during infield practice, shag some fly balls, maybe spit some sunflower seeds. The four-day process of getting ready to pitch again is under way, and the most important part is clearing the memory bank. "The last thing I'm going to do is feel sorry for myself," he says. "I make too much money to play a game I love to feel sorry for myself. It would be an insult to everyone for me to whine."

 

It's a smart take, one that Beckett has made his trademark this season. He won 11 games before the All-Star break, but when he was bad -- he made it past five innings in only one of his four first-half losses -- he stood up and answered questions thoughtfully and patiently, never short-fused or defiant. He has actually been a tougher quote on the days he's pitched well.

 

Humble in victory and accountable in defeat is never a bad way to go. It helps too that Beckett looks interviewers straight in the eye with his big browns, sprinkles in salty language and manages to be self-deprecating and cocksure at the same time.

 

Still, there's nothing he could say that quell the fears of The Nation. Expecations for Beckett are off the charts. The weight of being a top pick and $3.6 million bonus baby, not to mention the burden of being the Next Nolan Ryan, must seem like nothing now. Since last Thanksgiving, the day the Red Sox -- then led by interim GMs Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington and team president Admin Lucchino -- traded four prospects (including shortstop Hanley Ramirez and righthander Anibal Sanchez) to the Marlins for Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell, Beckett has been touted as the difference-maker in the pennant race. With a 97 mph fastball, a devastating nose-to-toes curve, a changeup that could put a hitter in traction and a nasty streak to boot, the 26-year-old hurler was supposed to make Boston fans forget what it was like to depend on an aging, improvising Pedro Martinez and remember what it was like to watch a young, high octane Roger Clemens.

 

The Beckett trade was baseball's biggest offseason deal. "Bosox Trump Yankees With Their New Ace" shouted the headline in the New York Daily News. From both sides, it seemed that Beckett had tilted the scale of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry in Boston's favor.

 

But thats not what they're saying on the Morning After. "Tonight's a must-win game," bellows a WEEI talking head. He rambles on about how Curt Schilling now has to clean up the mess Beckett left the Night Before. The co-host finally chimes in: "It's July 15. Come on." They share a nervous chuckle, then proceed to take one call after another from fans uptight about Beckett, who "was supposed to be the guy who held the keys to the Red Sox winning the World Series this year," as co-host No. 1 reminds the listeners. Now, he says, "you have to wonder."

 

This discussion and dissection will continue through August, September and, The Nation hopes, October. Forget that Beckett is right up there among the league leaders in wins, and that he has lost only once at home. Fans want to know why, by mid-July, he'd already given up 12 more dingers than in his worst season, and why his ERA is hovering in the high fours. And they want to know much more than that. Does he like Boston? His teammates? The American League? Is his shoulder okay? How about the blisters? Does he need to throw the curveball more? Is he showing too much emotion on the mound? Would Theo Epstein have given up so many prospects for him? On WEEI, on the Sons of Sam Horn message boards, on the Lansdowne Street beyond The Monstah, it goes on and on and on.

 

Beckett has appeared on ads for the NRA. On the mound, when in doubt, he rears back and fires.

 

It's mind-numbing ... or not. "It's awesome," Beckett says of the red storm. As a Marlin, he was a big fish in a small pond; now that he's had a taste of Boston, he can't imagine doing the reverse commute. "I don't think you could go from here to a place like Florida. To go from this type of environment to something less would be really, really, tough."

 

While he welcomes the buzz, his transition to facing AL lineups hasn't been without bumps and bruises, partly due to hsi own machismo. The 6'5" 220-pount Beckett is an old-fashioned country boy. He grew up in Spring, Texas, north of Houston, and now owns a ranch southwest of San Antonio, where he hunts deer. He has appeared in ads for the National Rifle Association. On the mound, when in doubt, he rears back and fires. "He's never going to be a touch-and-feel guy," says Red Sox pitching coach Al Nipper. "He will challenge hitters with his fastball." But when hitters have worked the count to their favor this season, Beckett has paid the price.

 

"His fastball is pretty straight," says a rival AL scout. "So on the days he has been wild in the strike zone, he's given up the long ball. I think over time, the curveball is going to be a more important pitch for him in this league. He may have to learn how to pitch backward more, throwing breaking balls in fastball counts, and vice versa. There's no shame in that. Randy Johnson used that strategy to become an all-time great."

 

Beckett won't discuss pitch selection, but he does concede that the competition, especially in the AL East, is a little stiffer than in the NL East. "There are no days off in our division," he says. "Even a team like Tampa Bay can beat you up."

 

Of course, The Nation doesn't want to hear about how tough the Devil Rays are. Winning the AL East was supposed to be Beckett's starting point. From there, he was going to duplicate his 2003 postseason, when he was basically untouchable, most notably in a Game 6, five-hit shutout of the Yankees to clinch the World Series. In New York. On short rest.

 

"You can't fake your way through a game like that," Lowell says. "You either have what it takes, or you don't." Adds shortstop Alex Gonzalez, another ex-Marlin, "You need more than good stuff to win that game in Yankee Stadium. You need guts." And Schilling: "You don't pass a tougher test than that one. Any question of 'Can he handle this?' is answered right there."

 

Or is it?

 

Here's how the Red Sox Fan thinks: While you can't take anything away from what Beckett did in 2003, you also have to remember that he entered those playoffs with a career record of 17-17, and more predictable than his blistering fastball were his blistering fingers. Time and time again, it seemed, when Beckett got on a roll, blisters would flare up. He also had elbow, back, should and oblique problems. All told, in his first four full major league seasons, Beckett never threw more than 179 innings, and he was on the disable list nine times. He was 41-34 in those seasons, pitching in the offense-deprived National League.

 

So which matters more, that one glorious postseason, or his larger body of work? Remember, this is Red Sox Fan here. Leading the league in wins is nice, but the high ERA and all those homers are red flags that indicate that Beckett may not be the ace he was built to be. "I wonder if he's hurt," a WEEI caller says. Another frets, "The blisters always have to be in the back of your mind. Hard to believe you'd just outgrow that problem."

 

The Nation sees and heard all, even little things like the fist pumps and primal screams after big outs. "He did those things in Florida," Gonzalez says. "Double play to get out of an inning, when we had small crowds, everyone could hear him yelling. There, it was no big deal."

 

"Every move he makes now is on television," Lowell says. "I don't like how people say he's cocky. To me, he's confident. A cocky guy looks to embarrass the other guy. Josh is confident."

 

How confident? In 1999, when Beckett was drafted out of Spring Hight as the No. 2 overall pick, he predicted he'd be in The Show within a year. (It took him two.) And after closing out the World Series, he shouted into the Yankee Stadium crowd, "Go on and get the hell out of here!"

 

So is that confidence or cockiness? "He's cocky," Schilling says. "So am I. You have to be cocky to be good."

 

Schilling tried to lay out the "media minefield" for Beckett in the spring: "There are three or four guys he can trust. The rest he can kick to the curb." Schilling also told him, "Every time you leave your apartment in Boston, someone writes about it." But Beckett doesn't duck or hide. The only coverage that upset him is when New England Sports Newtwork cameras zoomed in on his fingers as he gingerly rubbed them in the dugout during a May 15 game at Baltimore. Beckett seethed at the subsequent media buzz that he might be feeling those blisters again. The next day, walking past a group of writers outside the clubhouse, he shouted out, "Speculation!"

 

Is he cocky or confident? "He's cocky." Schilling says. "So am I. You have to be cocky to be good."

Later, in calmer tones, he explained how he's constantly mantaining the skin on his pitching fingers and flaking off calluses. And he asked the writers to please wait on the facts before guessing about injuries.

 

As for Schilling's other advice, Beckett says he's enjoying everying about Boston, from the fans to the restaurants. He's not exactly the second coming of Johnny Damon at Back Bay hot spots, but then again, the Red Sox team isn't the same bunch of Idiots as from 2004. That group partied like the Hilton sisters; this group pitches, plays record-setting defense and shows up at the park looking well-rested. Suffice it to say, Beckett doesn't have to cause a stir to get attention. "Josh is a single guy with an outgoing personality," say ex-teammate and current Yankee Carl Pavano. "In Florida, he could go unnoticed, but I know he's loving the life in Boston."

 

Beckett proved his love on July 19, when he signed a three-year, $30 million extension. That same day, he shut out the Royals over eight innings, allowing just four hits as the Sox held on 1-0. Win No. 12. Five days later, he avenged the blowout loss to Oakland with a solid six innings. Win No. 13, two shy of his career high.

 

"The attention you get here is what you make of it," Beckett says. "I can't worry about exterior distrations. As soon as you start doing that, things magnify on you. It's something you have to learn. I mean, when you first get to the big leagues, you worry about everything. There are f---ing Kit Kats in the clubhouse! There's a f---ing ice cream machine! All that stuff. There are different levels of distrations. Eventually you have to block it all out and pitch. That's the only way you can succeed."

 

Beckett then reitarates his theme: No one should feel the least bit sorry for him. Not on days when he can't get out of the second inning (which happened five times before the All-Star break). Not even on days like the Morning After, when it seems as if an entire Nation can't recall a single good game has thrown in a Red Sox uniform. "I'm not stupid," he says. "I know what I make, and I know about the guy who works 9 to 5. My older brother makes about $20,00 a year. Think he's going to feel sorry for me when I've had a bad day at work? He shouldn't. I know this is a good time in my life."

 

Entering the stretch drive in his first season in Boston, Josh Beckett is healthy and happy. Will Red Sox Fan ultimately be happy with him? That's an open-ended question, with partial answered provided every fifth day.

 

And discussion to follow every Morning After.

I'm happy for Josh

 

he deserves to be in a city like Boston, where everybody in the stands is as emotional about the game as he is

I'm glad his awesome 4.76 ERA is ESPN the Mag cover worthy.

 

Is he cocky or confident? "He's cocky." Schilling says. "So am I. You have to be cocky to be good."

 

Problem is Beckett hasn't been very good this year. So if you are cocky and not good, it just makes you annoying.

I'm glad his awesome 4.76 ERA is ESPN the Mag cover worthy.

 

Is he cocky or confident? "He's cocky." Schilling says. "So am I. You have to be cocky to be good."

 

Problem is Beckett hasn't been very good this year. So if you are cocky and not good, it just makes you annoying.

This is what really boggled my mind:

 

It's mind-numbing ... or not. "It's awesome," Beckett says of the red storm. As a Marlin, he was a big fish in a small pond; now that he's had a taste of Boston, he can't imagine doing the reverse commute. "I don't think you could go from here to a place like Florida. To go from this type of environment to something less would be really, really, tough."

 

:plain :plain :plain :plain :plain :plain :plain

Beckett has been good for his first year. He's going to win 18-19 games this year and in his first season in a new league he is going to improve and I'm already liking how he has performed in Fenway. His ERA would be in the 2s in the NL, its not as if he's lost anything he just needs to go to the curve more and not become predictible with the fastball.

 

That cover is the sex though, I'm gonna have to pick it up.

Beckett has been good for his first year. He's going to win 18-19 games this year and in his first season in a new league he is going to improve and I'm already liking how he has performed in Fenway. His ERA would be in the 2s in the NL, its not as if he's lost anything he just needs to go to the curve more and not become predictible with the fastball.

 

That cover is the sex though, I'm gonna have to pick it up.

 

I get it in the mail via my GameCrazy subscription at Hollywood Video. The rest of this particular issue is garbage. Not exactly worth $4.99.

 

Then again, I'm not a Sox fan.

Well they also mention Coach K, which in turn gets me hard.

Beckett has been good for his first year. He's going to win 18-19 games this year and in his first season in a new league he is going to improve and I'm already liking how he has performed in Fenway. His ERA would be in the 2s in the NL, its not as if he's lost anything he just needs to go to the curve more and not become predictible with the fastball.

 

That cover is the sex though, I'm gonna have to pick it up.

 

I don't know how you can say that his ERA would be in the 2s in the NL. Not sure where the logic is in that one. I don't care if he wins 30 games, 4.76 ERA is not a good year

 

with that said, he has all the talent of the world and expect him to get better with age and could put up a Cy Young season any time. I think he needs to control his emotions

Beckett is only going to win so many games because he gets so much run support. If a guy like Nolasco or Willis had that support and his "reputation" they'd be Cy Young candidates.

 

When Colon won it last year, I knew it wasn't about ERA............ :blink:

I sat in section 149 row 25 seat 1 for Big Tex' major league debut.

 

 

I liked him from the start and I wish him nothing but the best.

 

 

 

How soon some of them forget October 2003 huh Josh?

Beckett has been good for his first year. He's going to win 18-19 games this year and in his first season in a new league he is going to improve and I'm already liking how he has performed in Fenway. His ERA would be in the 2s in the NL, its not as if he's lost anything he just needs to go to the curve more and not become predictible with the fastball.

 

That cover is the sex though, I'm gonna have to pick it up.

 

I don't know how you can say that his ERA would be in the 2s in the NL. Not sure where the logic is in that one. I don't care if he wins 30 games, 4.76 ERA is not a good year

 

with that said, he has all the talent of the world and expect him to get better with age and could put up a Cy Young season any time. I think he needs to control his emotions

In his 13 wins he has a 2.52 era and a 0.90 WHIP. That's why I'm fine with how he's been this year.

How soon some of them forget October 2003 huh Josh?

 

That has nothing to do with this year.

 

He has been an average pitcher at best this year.

 

And that is an unbaised opinon.

 

Beckett has been good for his first year. He's going to win 18-19 games this year and in his first season in a new league he is going to improve and I'm already liking how he has performed in Fenway. His ERA would be in the 2s in the NL, its not as if he's lost anything he just needs to go to the curve more and not become predictible with the fastball.

 

That cover is the sex though, I'm gonna have to pick it up.

 

 

He had ERAs of

 

4.10

3.04

3.79

3.37

 

in his seasons in the NL.

 

Add in the fact he has having a bad year and how does that equal an ERA in the 2s?

 

 

Beckett has been good for his first year. He's going to win 18-19 games this year and in his first season in a new league he is going to improve and I'm already liking how he has performed in Fenway. His ERA would be in the 2s in the NL, its not as if he's lost anything he just needs to go to the curve more and not become predictible with the fastball.

 

That cover is the sex though, I'm gonna have to pick it up.

 

I don't know how you can say that his ERA would be in the 2s in the NL. Not sure where the logic is in that one. I don't care if he wins 30 games, 4.76 ERA is not a good year

 

with that said, he has all the talent of the world and expect him to get better with age and could put up a Cy Young season any time. I think he needs to control his emotions

In his 13 wins he has a 2.52 era and a 0.90 WHIP. That's why I'm fine with how he's been this year.

And in all the other games what is his ERA?

Again, he's not having a bad year.

 

The AL probably adds 1-1.5 to your ERA.

Again, he's not having a bad year.

 

The AL probably adds 1-1.5 to your ERA.

 

So he is the 32nd best starting pitcher in the AL then?

Beckett has been good for his first year. He's going to win 18-19 games this year and in his first season in a new league he is going to improve and I'm already liking how he has performed in Fenway. His ERA would be in the 2s in the NL, its not as if he's lost anything he just needs to go to the curve more and not become predictible with the fastball.

 

That cover is the sex though, I'm gonna have to pick it up.

 

I don't know how you can say that his ERA would be in the 2s in the NL. Not sure where the logic is in that one. I don't care if he wins 30 games, 4.76 ERA is not a good year

 

with that said, he has all the talent of the world and expect him to get better with age and could put up a Cy Young season any time. I think he needs to control his emotions

In his 13 wins he has a 2.52 era and a 0.90 WHIP. That's why I'm fine with how he's been this year.

And in all the other games what is his ERA?What the hell are you getting at? My point is in his wins he's been dominant, and despite the ERA the wins aren't the result of a big time offense so when I say he has 14 wins that certaintly holds weight. When he's on his game and winning he's as good as anyone. Few guys I'd trade him for and he's going to be a cog on this team for the life of his contract.

And when he loses his team has no chance, as they are generally blowout losses. This as we all know is why Josh has never been a true ace, as he doesn't keep you in the ballgame when the wheels fall off.

He's a big-time pitcher, but with that ERA he's fortunate to be playing for the Red Sox behind that offense.

Again, he's not having a bad year.

 

The AL probably adds 1-1.5 to your ERA.

 

If Beckett is not having a down year then he is an average pitcher.

 

He has the 32nd ERA among starters in the AL.

 

If you think Beckett is the 32nd best starting pitcher in the AL then you are making my point for me.

Timely comments by me today.

 

:plain

Yikes, 6 runs in an inning...

Not a shot at you at all Passion, but Beckett now has a 5 ERA.

 

Yeah he couldn't be happier.

I was just saying to one of my friends how odd it was that Beckett's home/road splits are so drastic when he is pitching in a major hitter's park--before tonight...

Home (10 starts) 6-1, 3.22 ERA, .201 batting average against, 5 HR

Road (12 starts) 7-4, 6.17 ERA, .267 batting average against, 23 HR

 

Looks like he's trying to even it out tonight. :plain

Kind of unrelated but funny story regarding Beckett's blowup tonight.

 

I had the game on while doing some work. Sox are up, and then I turn as he gives up the GS. My room's pretty far from the family room where my dad is watching the game, I just hear one big "COCKSUCKER", I nearly died.

 

Anyway, pretty good game. The Sox are climbing back.

If we are to win this game it just gives Tito yet another pass for all the stupid ass decisions he makes. We could easily been on the verge of getting swept here if not for the comebacks.

 

Jesus this 'D' is good.

My God Gonzalez is amazing with the glove.