Ageless Arrojo puts spark in rotation
Some say he is 32 years-old. Others lay claim that the Cuban-born pitcher is 35 or even 36 years-old.
I don’t care.
Satchel Paige pitched until he was 47 years-old, and came back to pitch a few innings for Kansas City and the ripe old age of 59. Arrojo is no Paige, but he’s still a helluva pitcher.
Last night, Arrojo shut down the Seattle Mariners, lasting seven innings and scattering just five hits. He gave up a meaningless home run to Jose Guillen, a pitch on which Guillen did his best Tiger Woods impression and golfed one past the Pesky’s Pole in right field.
The only thing Arrojo did wrong this season occurred during a game against Kansas City, when in which he injured his ankle kicking a water cooler in disgust, which disallowed him from continuing to pitch that game.
Arrojo has been a steal for the Red Sox. All the Red Sox had to surrender for Arrojo was Way Back Wasdin, fifth starter Brian Rose, the disruptive Jeff Frye and minor league closer Jeff Taglienti. When you consider that the Yankees gave up three top prospects for Neagle in Ed Yarnall, Jackson Melian and Drew Henson -- the Red Sox equivalent of Tomokazu Ohka, Rick Asadoorian and Wilton Veras -- it makes the Arrojo acquisition that much sweeter.
In his last five starts with the Red Sox, Arrojo is a perfect 4-0 with a 3.90 ERA. Exclude one Sal Fassano homer in Arrojo’s Red Sox debut, and the right-hander has a 3.53 ERA. Aside from the woeful Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Arrojo’s starts have all come against teams with top offenses.
The Red Sox have needed this type of a starter all season. Ramon Martinez, Jeff Fassero, Tim Wakefield and Pete Schourek have been inconsistent this season, and all but Wakefield have been on the disabled list this season. Paxton Crawford showed flashes of brilliance, but was sent back to the minors after a freak back injury. Starters not named Pedro Martinez have lasted a scant five innings per start, largely because they were getting racked, and racked early.
Arrojo provides stability and balance that was desperately needed to the top of the rotation. Don’t think that pitching coach Joe Kerrigan has played anything less than a huge role in the success of Arrojo, either.
After Arrojo’s first two games with the Sox -- 11 innings, eight earned runs -- Kerrigan made a few adjustments to Arrojo’s mechanics. First, he made Arrojo keep his eye on the catcher’s mitt at all times, as Arrojo previously had a tendency to drop his eyes to his cleats before he delivered the ball. He also encouraged Arrojo to throw more changeups and taught Arrojo how to throw what appears to be a cut fastball, as showcased in last night’s performance.
The vast improvement Arrojo has shown in his time with Kerrigan and the Sox has been amazing. He is already twice the pitcher today that he was when he first arrived, dizzy and wary from the effects of pitching home games in the launching pad known as Coors Field.
As long as Arrojo stays away from those water coolers, the Sox’ rotation will be pretty good.
BEN BADLER
How about a tip of the cap to Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette? The consensus cry from Red Sox Nation was that the Yankees went out and got Denny Neagle from the Cincinnati Reds, while the Red Sox shopped at the bargain basement and got Arrojo from the Colorado Rockies. But since both pitchers arrived at their respective clubs, Neagle is 4-4 with a 4.88 ERA, while Arrojo is 4-1 with a 4.15 ERA.
Rolando Arrojo has provided a stable number two starter for the Red Sox.