Buchholz: ‘Feel Like I Don’t Want To Waste Bullets (in Pawtucket)’

Posted by Adam Hart June 14, 2009 at 9:46 pm

The tale of Clay Buchholz’s career, at least to this point, is one of a big up, followed by a downhill slide. He has pitched strongly at Triple-A Pawtucket this season, but wants back in the Majors.

In his second start with Boston Red Sox, Buchholz tossed a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles. Left off the postseason roster, Buchholz watched his teammates win the 2007 World Series.

In the off-season high of celebrating its second championship in four years, Boston’s fanbase did not forget the promise shown by Buchholz at season’s end.

But 2008 was no cake walk for Buchholz, who started the season in Boston’s rotation. In 15 starts, the young righthander went (2-9), compiling a 6.75 ERA.

Buchholz was optioned to the minor leagues, where he returned at the start of the 2009 season.

At Triple-A Pawtucket, Buchholz has returned to form, dominating opposing batters. But a logjam in the Red Sox rotation has left him waiting in the wings.

Mike Giardi caught up with Buchholz at McCoy Stadium for a candid interview in which Buchholz makes his intentions clear — he wants to be pitching in the big leagues as soon as possible.

“Until I got to the big leagues is whenever I faced the problems that arose, and I feel like I’m more equipped with everything that I have right now — as far the pitches, and the mental aspect and I’m physically healthy — to be up there and helping that team. And if not that team, I want to be in the big leagues and I do want to go somewhere where I’ll be able to play and pitch every fifth day.”

As the trade deadline nears, there may be an opening on a Major League roster for Buchholz, either in Boston or elsewhere. Thus far this season, the Red Sox have experienced an uncanny wealth of pitching depth.

When Daisuke Matsuzaka went down with what appeared to be the aftereffects of pitching in the World Baseball Classic, manager Terry Francona filled the need from within his Major League roster, promoting Justin Masterson to the starting rotation.

“There’s nowhere to go, and it’s sort of a logjam up there (in Boston),” Buchholz said. “Whenever they come to a problem, they seem like they find a way to fix it without me being in the picture. It is what it is — it’s frustrating at times.”

Masterson has proven himself capable of handling pressure situations, having pitched meaningful relief innings in the 2008 Playoffs. Buchholz, though, has battled murmurs that he was immature last season — a potential cause of his troubles on the hill.

“Everybody goes out and has a drink at the bar after they pitch, it’s just holding that to a minimum,” Buchholz said.

Before being sent down in 2008, the Red Sox tinkered with Buchholz’s mechanics. The change did nothing to improve his results.

“I reverted back to what my mechanics were,” Buchholz said. “It felt like I was trying to do something that wasn’t right to basically stay in the big leagues.”

“I needed to be in the minor leagues last year, for sure, and work on the things that I needed to work on. And pitching was the big key for me,” Buchholz said. “I feel a lot stronger mentally than I did last year.”

Mentally strong, maybe. But Buchholz knows that a pitcher cannot pitch forever. And he does not want to toil in the minor leagues all that much longer.

“Everybody knows that this game doesn’t last forever, for a pitcher especially,” Buchholz said. “I feel like I don’t want to waste bullets here.”

“I definitely still have something to prove, and not in a bad way,” Buchholz said. “I feel like I’m ready to go, and hopefully in the next couple weeks, month or so I’ll get that chance.”

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