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| A New Side Of Lackey |
Whoever told
John Lackey to open up and do
an extensive interview with the Boston Globe is a smart advisor. The wide-ranging interview humanizes Lackey and gives fans a chance to learn a little more about him than the stereotypical notions of 'lousy performances' and 'showing up of teammates in the field'. We learn from the interview that he used to be a first baseman in high school and college, so he knows the value of pitching quickly—and, as he says,
"... I try and support the guys in the dugout because I know how hard it is." OK, this is good. He also dismissed the notion that he hates pitching in Fenway. While acknowledging that he had problems here early in his career, he says,
"... it was better my last few years with the Angels. You have to forget about the wall and just pitch." This is good, too. Finally, he seems to want to be part of what
Ben Cherington likes to call 'the next great Red Sox team'. Says Lackey,
"For me, I want to stay here and be part of turning it around. It would be great to bring this team back and get in the playoffs again. That is the goal." Very nice.
