He may not be getting the Boston Phoenix glory, but I have tremendous respect for Brian Young over at Wallball Single (he formerly wrote Tao of Manny). He doesn't write quite often enough for my taste, but that's a compliment of sorts anyway. And his pieces are always well-reasoned and solidly written. I think Brian is probably the most underappreciated Sox blogger there is.
Today he has a piece up that discusses, among other things, why putting Keith Foulke in before the 9th inning doesn't really mean he's been demoted--in fact, it may mean just the opposite. The pertinent section of the post I'm referring to is too long to excerpt in its entirety, but here's a sample:
Jonathan Papelbon is getting a lot of well-deserved kudos for his job as a “closer,” and he’s getting the gaudy “save” stats. And really, his 0.00 ERA and other stats are remarkable; he’s done a wonderful job (I take some satisfaction in it because I’ve been hyping him for almost two years now). But the real developing story is that the Sox now have a true 2 inning relief ace in their midst, and he’s being used like one. Keith Foulke has entered into this role, and (the run given up last night notwithstanding) he’s thriving in it.
You really should go read the whole thing.
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