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Little Time For Rest in Stretch Run
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In Game 6 of the 2003 World Series, needing one more win to clinch, the Florida Marlins gave the ball to a rookie named Josh Beckett, who, despite pitching on three' days rest, shut out the New York Yankees on five hits to secure the Marlins' championship.
Things had changed by the time Beckett returned to the postseason, in 2007 with the Boston Red Sox: His four postseason starts were made on five, eight, five and five days' rest -- although he was just as dominating, if not more so. The change was partly due to questions about Beckett's health and the fact he was much more of a financial investment at that point.
And it is all but certain Beckett will not be among the pitchers starting on short rest in this year's playoffs. Not only have the Red Sox not started anyone on short rest in the postseason since Bret Saberhagen in the 1999 Division Series, but Beckett is nursing a strained oblique muscle that forced the Red Sox to push him back to Game 3 in the first round against the Los Angeles Angels.
One development that could greatly boost the number of short-rest starts this postseason is the White Sox getting in. While many old-timers pine for the good old days of the four-man rotation -- which gradually grew extinct during the 1970s and early 1980s, as teams shifted to the less-taxing five-man staff -- Manager Ozzie Guillén practically brought it back single-handedly this month.
With the White Sox fighting to make the playoffs, Guillén has used Buehrle, Floyd and Vázquez twice each on short rest during the season's final two weeks, including Floyd's start yesterday. "He's going to have a lot of rest -- maybe five months to get some rest," Guillén at one point told reporters, speaking of Buehrle.
Because the White Sox won yesterday, they are expected to start rookie John Danks in today's one-game playoff against the Twins.
You guessed it: Danks would be starting on short rest.
