Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Red Sox Hope It's Not 'The Old Bailey'

Yesterday's inaugural outing by new Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey was not ideal. He pitched one inning, gave up three hits and one run. He did manage to record strikes on 14 of his 19 pitches. And he got out of the inning well. But the big question facing the back end of Boston's bullpen is: "Will Andrew Bailey stay healthy?".

The "Old Bailey" (apologies to our barrister cousins across the pond) was subject to injury far too often for him to enter the ranks of premier closers—despite winning the Rookie Of The Year award with Oakland. His minor lat injury this Spring did not bode well for a "New Bailey"—free of injury. Luckily, he'll have ample time to get his work in before opening Day, but his fragility remains a concern. And, what this 'Team Full Of Questions' does not need is more cause for concern.