For Red Sox Beckett, 'It's Not About Last Year'
BOSTON (CBS) – Josh Beckett has been on the firing line since last season's historic Red Sox collapse, and rightfully so.
His September was on par with the rest of the team's, going 1-2 with a 5.54 ERA. Both losses came at the hands of the lowly Baltimore Orioles, and Beckett was only able to make four starts after injuring his ankle early in the month.
But now that 2012 is here, all of that is in the past.
"I think I'm always motivated to come in as good a shape as I can and help the team win. I hate the way the way things ended last year, but to me spring training is about this year," Beckett told WBZ-TV's Dan Roche shortly after reporting to Fort Myers. "It's not about last year, atoning for things, making up. You can't go back and change those things. We just have to go out and do good this year."
Beckett On Off-Season, Leadership
"I've definitely made changes in my life over the last couple years, but none of them were big ones from last year," said Beckett. "For me, I'm about going out there, doing my work and being prepared to pitch and help this team win."
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After the Red Sox season ended that September night in Baltimore, it was just the start of a whole new part of Beckett's life. His wife, Holly, gave birth to their first daughter Ryann just hours after the season-ending loss.
"I have different things that I think about from day-to-day now. That doesn't take anything away from the day I pitch," said Beckett. "Baseball is what we do, it's not who we are. At least that's the way it is for me…. For me it's what I do, not who I am."
As far as his season in 2011, it may have ended poorly, but Beckett felt it was one of his better ones over his 11-year career.
"I think as far as executing pitches, I did as good a job last year as I have in my career. Just staying in that rhythm of not getting too far ahead of yourself and just really focusing and bearing down on this pitch," he said. "Especially in situations with guys on second with less than two outs; those situations I feel like I limited the damage."
Beckett On Daughter, Persona
Beckett finished the season 13-7 with a 2.89 ERA in 30 starts, the first season of his career he had an ERA under three.
Beckett said he is determined to lead the Red Sox both on and off the mound, trying to shed the "Texas Tough Guy" image that he says is not him.
"Somebody else gave me that. It's not something I was really trying to strive for," he said of the nickname. "I think when I'm out there, I'm trying to execute pitch after pitch, and I'll probably keep that."
As for leadership, he is going to follow in a former teammates footsteps.
"People look to people. I don't think you become a leader by saying 'hey, I'm a leader.' Those people get weeded out really fast. I think you try to set a good example and go about your business the way people want to be looked at," said Beckett. "Part of my role on the team is when people have questions, people come to me. I don't know why they do that, maybe it's because I'm an honest person. Maybe it's because I came over with a guy like Mike Lowell. I feel like he's always been the best; he's the guy when I had a question, I would go to him. Now I think guys do that with me."
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And as for the 2012 Red Sox being "underdogs" in the American League, he says look no further than last year's preseason predictions.
"I don't know about underdogs. They get it right last year in Vegas?"
Beckett will start Sunday against the Twins when the Red Sox kick off their Grapefruit League schedule.
