PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Every pitcher at the Triple-A level can put the ball where he wants to. There’s no denying that. But it doesn’t hurt to have a guy with a World Series ring around the clubhouse, either.
The starting pitchers of the Pawtucket Red Sox got an extra day off when Josh Beckett was scheduled to make his rehab start on Sunday. What they lost in game experience, though, they are making up for in simply watching talking to Boston’s big right-hander.
"Anytime you’re around those guys, you kind of learn by watching them," PawSox starter Adam Mills said. "You see them go about their business the way they do."
What Mills will examine closest is not Beckett’s curveball, rather his demeanor, both on the field and in the dugout, especially if he gets caught in a jam.
"The one thing from a pitcher watching a pitcher is just the way with how he deals with things," Mills said. "He may dominate for however long he pitches. But if he gets into a little trouble, how does he handle it and what are his feelings in the dugout in between innings? You take notice of that stuff. If he’s dealing it with this way, how can I deal with it like that?"
Fellow starter Fabio Castro has taken advantage of major league pitchers’ brief visits to the minors before, and he is doing it again with Beckett.
"It helps the young guys, because they get to see how he works, and it’s good for the team, too," Castro said. "We can learn a lot from a guy like that. I remember when I started, I learned a lot from Coco Cordero, and he taught me a lot, like take control of your pitches. If you want to throw inside, throw inside. It’s the same thing now [with Beckett]."
It’s more than just a live lesson in mechanics, though. Beckett’s presence in the Pawtucket locker room not only gives fellow players a seasoned veteran to learn from but also reminds them that they are one step away from the majors.
"It gives you the vision of, ‘Hey, I’m almost right there,’" Mills continued. "It gives you that awareness that you’re right on the rim of being in the big leagues."
