You know what, Ryan Dempster? Shoot for the stars. You should.
Dempster, who has a reputation for joking around, was true to form Wednesday when he talked about his goals for the season.
“I’m thinking — I would love — my goal is 30 wins,” he said, according to The Boston Globe. “If I can get 30 wins, I’m going to take that. I won’t get greedy. I won’t get greedy, I won’t ask for 33 or 34. I’m just going to try to do that.”
Dempster is starting his 16th season in the major leagues, with his highest win total being 17 with the Cubs in 2008. But, all hyperbole aside, he was optimistic as he starts a new chapter with the Red Sox after joining the team in free agency in the offseason.
Dempster’s first test comes against a team that has roughed him up throughout his career. In five starts against the Yankees, Dempster has yet to win a game, and he was tagged for nine hits and eight runs when he faced New York last season soon after joining the Texas Rangers.
“You’ve just got to continue to make pitches, just make as many quality pitches,” he said of his approach in moving to the American League and facing teams like the Yankees. “The biggest adjustment is you’re facing a bona fide middle-of-the-lineup hitter instead of a pitcher. So that just requires making more quality pitches, but other than that, the game’s all the same. You face hitters whether it’s American League or National League, and you just go out there and make pitches.”
Sounds like a recipe for 30 wins.
