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Welcome to the National League


If you ever wonder about the difference in pitching in the National League in comparison to pitching in the American League, than just look at the performances of Brad Penny and John Smoltz.

With the Red Sox Brad Penny and John Smoltz were both dreadful. In 8 starts with the Red Sox John Smoltz pitched to a 8.32 ERA. With the Cardinals in two starts he's pitched to a 0.82 ERA. It certainly helps that both of those starts came against the Nationals and Padres. Meanwhile Brad Penny pitched to a 5.61 ERA with the Sox this year and was booted out of the rotation following a dreadful 2nd half of the year. Last night in his first start with the Giants Brad Penny threw 8 shutout innings against the defending World Series Champion Phillies. This was just the 2nd time the entire season that Penny did not allow a run the entire season and the first came against the Oreo's.

A move to the National League is all you need to get healthy apparently. Both Penny and Smoltz were so miserable with the Sox that they were jettisoned without any negative fanfare. Then they go to the National League and they get nice healthy and fat with shutout innings and victories.
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davejb851 said…
Gee........Why can't we get pitchers like these guys!!

A lifelong Red Sox fan
9:54 AM
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