Gammons On Felger & Mazz: Beckett 'Is What He Is Now, He's A Fourth Starter'
MLB.com's Peter Gammons joined Felger and Massarotti to talk some Boston Red Sox and Josh Beckett.
Gammons initially challenged Michael Felger's statement that Beckett had a bad attitude, but they later came to agreement that Beckett is not a top-of-the-rotation starter anymore.
"He is what he is now. He's a fourth starter," Gammons said. "That's what his stuff says he is. And if he gets five out of six quality starts, which he has, then he's pitching above really what his talent is."
Gammons said that both former manager Terry Francona and former pitching coach John Farrell had high opinions of Beckett, which led to the team re-signing him long-term. With regard to Beckett growing as a leader, Gammons said that's not exactly what's happened since.
"While I think that [Jon] Lester and [Clay] Buchholz follow him, I don't think of Josh as being future commander-in-chief," Gammons said. "And that's put them in a bind. Having both those guys [Beckett and John Lackey] on the payroll have put them in a bind."
Regarding the controversy surrounding Beckett's golf outing and his reported unavailability during the Sox' 17-inning affair last Sunday, Gammons didn't necessarily take issue with that so much as he did Beckett's attitude.
"I think that the perception when the team is struggling, and he has struggled, it's just ignoring the people that create this base around the team," Gammons said. "I don't think that's smart at all. I understand his whole [shrugging it off] ... and then to say he only gets 18 days off. There are workers at the MBTA who probably get 10 days off the whole year. I was probably more offended by that than anything else."
Felger & Mazz: Isn't It Obvious What Beckett Is?
Gammons also added that he believes the Red Sox would trade one of their major league catchers "in a second," and that Kevin Youkilis will have to get some playing time at third base, despite Will Middlebrooks' rise to fame.
"I would give Youkilis a very short leash of a week or so," Gammons said. "And if it's better for Middlebrooks to play every day, fine. [Send Middlebrooks down to Triple-A] for one week, and then come back. I really like Middlebrooks."
