Josh Beckett Heaps Praise on Jon Lester for ‘Sacred’ Opening Day Nod

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Josh Beckett was the Opening Day starter for the Red Sox in 2010. He will go fourth in 2011, and is just fine with the change.

One factor in being OK with the decision by manager Terry Francona is Beckett's knowledge that he is just one portion of a very deep rotation, with a true ace at the top in Jon Lester.

"Not just what he did last year. It's a body of work, it's not just a one-time deal," Beckett said of Lester getting the nod for the April 1 opener. "It's a sacred thing. There's a lot of people who downplay it but it's a really cool honor to have, especially with an organization like this.

"It's something that nobody can ever take away from you, no matter what happens. It's something that's special and I'm happy for him. I knew eventually, I've been telling him for years, 'Don't worry, you're going to have plenty of Opening Day starts.'"

As for being held back until the fourth game of the season, Beckett said he has his manager's back.

"Those are his decisions," he said. "Just as I would always feel that he would back me up, I would back him up on his decisions as well."

Francona said on Thursday morning that giving Beckett the fourth start in Cleveland on April 5 will be "a good place to start" for the 30-year-old right-hander, who is coming off an injury-riddled campaign where he went 6-6 with a 5.78 ERA.

Citing his very good 2009 campaign in which he got off to a very slow start before producing a remarkable run of dominance, Beckett was uncertain whether the extra days and the easier opponent will make much of a difference.

"I look back on '09 and I started off terrible, and then I feel like I put together a three, four-month stretch there that I've never been in that kind of a position before," Beckett said. "I was as good as I've ever pitched in the big leagues in '09. You take away a couple or three August starts, I think that's the best year I've ever had."

Beckett added that it was "nice of him to think that way" when asked of Francona simply looking for a way to get his staff leader off on the right foot.

He also stressed that no matter how he felt of Francona's decisions, he knows it cannot be easy.

"It is what it is. I don't get paid to make those decisions," Beckett said. "Tito gets paid to make those decisions. I don't want that job, I'll never want that job. I'll let him make those decisions and I'll go out and pitch the best I can to put us in a position to win."

We now know that that mission begins April 5 in Cleveland.