Dragnet Canadian Bacon: Red Sox at Blue Jays

Alright everybody, put down the Tim Horton's crullers and maple syrup flavored frappe (yes, they really do exist) and get ready for the Tim Wakefield knuckleball experience, v. 1.0 of 2008.


After a strong spring training, Wakefield will take the mound at Rogers Center, hoping that the roof will be closed - check Wake's splits inside this particular dome and outside, and you'll see why - and hoping that the Jays aren't smarting too much from a disappointing, late loss to the Yankees and rookie hurler Phil Hughes last night at Yankee Stadium. Needless to say, that was the last turn of events Boston needed heading into a three-fer in Toronto this weekend.

But just as this is Wakefield's first start, and he's pitching against Shaun Marcum tonight - it's more significant in relation to the man sitting behind the plate. This is the first Wakefield start for Kevin Cash in his second go-round as Wakefield's personal backstop, after the unceremonious Boston decapitation of our personal god of backup bit players. And while Cash has been almost flawless in stopping those swerving knucklers through spring training - including a true circus show last Saturday in L.A. - it apparently hasn't cooled down Theo Epstein's jones for another catcher. Maybe it's that anemic .200 batting average then? Hmmmm.

Regardless, Cash's value will be judged more in terms of passed balls and runners thrown out, as the Globe's Gordon Edes lays out nicely here. If he can keep Wake's offerings in front of him, and if Wake can replicate the kind of renaissance he threw out last year, Cash may be around longer than any of us think.

Of course, that won't keep WMYM from hoping we get another Doug Mirabelli resurrection. After all, Mirabelli The Third would finally be his glorious, Hall of Fame worthy campaign. WMYM is absolutely sure of it. At least that's what we're telling ourselves. Otherwise those two rented storage spaces full of "Do It Dougie!" t-shirts and hats are really going to set WMYM back. Ugghhh.

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