Red Sox Features On wbztv.com
Feb 17, 2008 6:05 pm US/Eastern
Beckett Looks To Repeat In 2008
FORT MYERS, Fla (AP) ―
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Beckett warming up at Spring Training Saturday.
WBZ
This is more Josh Beckett's style.
There are no more questions of blisters or inconsistency dogging the Red Sox right-hander into spring training after he cemented his reputation as one of the game's best pitchers last season.
"I don't really have anything to compare it to," Beckett said of returning to the core group that won a World Series, a luxury he never had after his 2003 Florida Marlins were dismantled that winter. "I think it would be pretty cool just going through everything (again) with the same guys."
The feeling's no doubt mutual, with Curt Schilling's future in question and Beckett coming off a career year. He finished second to Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia in voting for the American League Cy Young.
He was 4-0 with a 1.20 ERA, 35 strikeouts and two walks in four postseason starts, including a 7-1 win over Sabathia and the Indians with his team facing elimination in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.
Beckett went on to win Game 3 of the World Series sweep over Colorado, improving his lifetime record in October to 6-2 with a 1.71 ERA, including his star-making, World Series MVP performance against the Yankees in 2003.
After struggling through his AL introduction in 2006, Beckett lowered his ERA (from a career-worst 5.01), home runs allowed (36 to 17) and walks (74 to 40) in his second season in one of baseball's toughest markets.
For now, he's a relative bargain, with two years and $20 million -- plus a $12 million team option for 2010 -- left on the three-year contract extension he signed midway through 2006.
Beckett said he's not concerned with any current or future deals, but rather, how he can duplicate the 2007 consistency that has at times eluded the second pick in the 1999 draft.
"Josh worked his tail off last year, both mentally and physically, preparing for every start," catcher Jason Varitek said. "You can always look to be a little sharper. He can continue to work on his change-up, to work on the location of his fastball and look for places to run his sinker. Perfection, we're not looking for, but consistency, we are."
Manager Terry Francona said that might best be achieved by convincing the Texan he doesn't have to "duplicate every single little thing he did" in 2007.
"He competes and works hard (but) he's able to see the big picture," Francona said. "He understands the process and doesn't think about five starts ahead. He knows if he has a good work day today, tomorrow will come easier. Then his start will fall in place."
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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