El Guapo's Ghost Rambles on about the Red Sox

The talk around RSN is that the post-season roster will carry 11 pitchers including Jeff Suckpan. The last spot going to Todd Jones (no appropriate nickname), Charles In Charge Bronson or Heart of a Lyon. As most of you know, I think it is a mistake for the Sox to take 11 pitchers. In most cases in the playoffs, a long-man comes into the game when your club is very unlikely to comeback and win the game. The value of holding your opponent is minimal since the outcome is likely determined. The only benefit is saving your pen for future games and in a five game series with a day off that value is almost nothing. An extra bench player, rather than a mop up pitcher, can help win a game when your club has better shot at doing so. The player can pinch hit or bunt, steal a base, be used as a defensive replacement which all could be critical in a determining the outcome of the game.

Specifically, the Sox should have 10 pitchers on the roster for the following reasons:
*The three announced starters average over six innings per outing.
*Pitch counts = NA in the playoffs.
*At least seven arms in the bullpen for each game.
*Soursuck and BK could pitch in each game of the series without fatigue being much of a factor.
*Wakefield would be available out of the pen for games four and five assuming a four-man rotation.
*If a starter is pulled after one or two innings, he could be available out of the pen later in the series.
*David McCarty could throw an inning.

Plus, Suppan, Jones and Lyon's have been, for the most part, ineffective. The last pitcher, the tenth, taken should be Charles In Charge. Bronson has been the most productive of late and can pitch multiple innings as the long-man. Hopefully, we will not be seeing Bronson take the mound in October of 2003.