Being a die-hard Red Sox fan, nothing scares me more these days then when I se Keith Foulke make his less than manly stroll out of the bullpen. As a matter of fact, I'd rather open the door and find OJ Simpson, wielding knife and all, then see Keith Foulke enter the game. I mean, your closer is supposed to do one thing: CLOSE OUT GAMES! With that being said, I have very little confidence in a guy whose fastball resembles more of a trip to the medium-fast batting cage than that of a professional baseball player. When your change-up is your out pitch, you have serious problems. Don't get me worng, he can be effective when on, and his location is great, but there's not much fear you can strike into the hearts of juiced up major league sluggers when your chage up tries todecieve an 86 MPH heater. Lately, Foulke has made mention of him wanting to return to a starter. FINE! DO IT! As a matter of fact, I think that'd be the best thing for him to do. The Sox rotation has been hit by injury bugs, so move Foulke into long relief, strtch his arm out and promise him a spot in the rotation next year. Either Wells or Shilling will be gone, meaning the spot wouldbe his to lose. You might ask who would assume the role of Red Sox closer since league rules may pohibit the Sox rolling out an electronic pitching machine, which essentially what Foulke is. My answer is Wade Miller. Here's a guy who has had elbow andshoulder issues that have limited what should have been a great career and those injuries were the direct effect of over use. Lessen his work load by moving him to the bullpen. He has lights out stuff. He has great control and you can decrease his work load by 60%. The greatest closers in the game, past and present, were converted starters: ECK, Smoltz, Gagne, Righetti, etc. Why can't Wade Miller do the Sox and their fans a favor by moving to the closer position and sparing all of us the agony and agnst of having to watch Keith Foulke choke away another close game?
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