Comments on: Keith Foulke: Heading back home to patch his bones

By: crimsonohsix

crimsonohsix — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 14:53:25 +0000

Hey Seth I have a question - Theo always seems to be talking about not mortgaging the organization’s future by trading away top prospects for over-the-hill veterans, but when I read articles on ESPN and BP ranking top prospects and farm systems, the Red Sox are always only a little above average.

After five years of Moneyball-driven drafts, shouldn’t we be doing a bit better, or is this just an example of old school scouts undervaluing talent?

(I’m a big Theo fan, by the way - just a bit perplexed as to why other organizations seem to always be stocked up on the top pitchers)

By: s1c

s1c — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 02:12:15 +0000

In my opinion Foulke was the MVP of the ALCS and the World Series with Big Papi coming a close second. God speed Foulkie and may retirement bring happiness

By: chris

chris — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 20:16:27 +0000

I’ve been under the impression that Keith Foulke was injured in 05 and 06 because he overdid it in October ‘04. If I’m misinformed, ignore this, but if it’s true, shouldn’t RSN be kissing his ring? I think he was heroic, but of course I don’t have to hang out with him. Keith, wherever you are, big thanks.

By: okayterrific

okayterrific — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 04:51:37 +0000

It’s great to finally read someone that is giving Foulke some of the credit he deserved. His pitching during the playoffs of the 2004 playoffs was brilliant, and his performaces in games 4, 5 & 6 of the ALCS specifically is probably one of, if not the best, “clutch” pitching performaces in post season history.

Granted, he never came across as the most likable person, and he certainly didn’t endear himself to sox fans with some of his comments, but as a fan I will always appreciate him for what he did out in the field that year.

And great point about him being classy in his own way. He never once complained about being overused even though the heavy workload in the 2004 playoffs may have contributed to his physical problems the last 2 years.

By: benschon

benschon — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:35:59 +0000

Can you imagine walking away from that much money? Had he just lingered around for another year on the DL he would have collected all of the $5 million Indians were crazy enough to give him. I hope someone packages this sentiment and sends it to J.D. Drew when he is too hurt to continue.

Foulke collected at least $33 million of salary between 2001 and 2006. (I can’t find salary numbers for his first three seasons, but it probably wasn’t much, in the big picture.) I guess he is one of those extraordinarily rare individuals who has decided that he has enough money. Wow.

Here is what he said BEFORE he signed the $20 million deal with the Red Sox.

“I didn’t want to be greedy. I didn’t want to go out and set any records,” said Foulke, who is only the third reliever in White Sox history to have 30 saves in consecutive seasons.

“Win or lose, going to arbitration, whatever — I don’t have to worry, my family is going to get taken care of. We’re going to have food on our table and a roof over our heads.

“The bottom line is we got the number we really wanted to get.”

By: redsoxtimes

redsoxtimes — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 22:46:44 +0000

rog…thanks for the beat down

Coincidently would have been the proper choice of words.

By: HFXBOB

HFXBOB — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 22:03:50 +0000

Right on, Seth. Any true Sox fan has to be grateful to Foulke for the one-for-the-ages contribution he made to the championship. I guess that would leave out Mr. Shaughnessy, who talked about rejoicing in Foulke’s retirement in his column Sunday, and I don’t think he meant it in a nice way.

Great Foulke moment was the shot of him in the Sox bullpen before the bottom of the ninth in Game 6, tossing the ball up and down like a kid on the bench in Little League. He was running on fumes at that point, but somehow managed to get the Yankees out.

You’re right about him being classy in his way. He could have blamed the physical ills of the past two years on being overused in the ‘04 postseason, but he never played that card.