Oil Can Boyd Making a Comeback!

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Oil Can Boyd pitched three shutout innings of one-hit baseball in an exhibition opener for the Brockton Rox. He will make his second start for the Brockton Rox this Saturday night, May 21, against the New Haven Cutters. The Brockton Rox is a professional baseball team in the independent league.

Boyd, 45, is attempting a comeback from retirement. He last pitched professionally in 1997 for the independent Massachusetts Mad Dogs. The right-hander was 16-10 with a 3.78 ERA for the Boston Red Sox in 1986, the best season of his 10 year major league career, which ended with Texas in 1991.

I may just have to go see him this weekend.

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i heard he can still hit 90 on the radar gun...

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Look here to read a funny article on the subject now that Oil Can Boyd, Rickey Henderson (he just won't go away) and Pat Borders are still playing on independent leagues.

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Before you sneer, consider:

Anybody have any better ideas what a 45 year old should be doing besides making an honest effort to re-achieve a level of skill he once had, if that re-achievement would pay him several million dollars?

One or two decent seasons, and Oil Can can bank millions. And he is a pitcher. If he learns one more pitch or gets that slight extra on the ball, somebody will give him a call.

There is always some team whose pitching is decimated who will invite him over, if he finds that tiny bit extra.

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Here is a guy who apparently isn't trying a comeback, but would be better off if he were.

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I saw the Can this weekend. I went to the game and considering his age I thought he did pretty well. I noticed one pitch as fast as 81 mph. He got a great reception at the game and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him pitch again.

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Linkat wrote:

I noticed one pitch as fast as 81 mph.

Err, I hope you mean 91 mph.

Actually, the speed is somewhat deceptive. The ball moves as it comes toward the batter, so the speed is counterbalanced by the elusiveness of the ball movement.

As a result, the speed is useful only in the context of the pitcher himself. One pitcher might be great as long as he hits 90 mph-his movement is that good. Another pitcher might be only mediocre at 95 mph.

At his prime, Garry Maddox only threw 90 mph. Ball movement was the key. Near the end, Ron Guidry had some days he could throw 94 mph. But he had to soon retire because of ineffectiveness.

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Your right Keltic - ooops! It was also funny when this woman complained behind us that the pitch was only so fast. My husband explained to her that it wasn't a fastball.

He pitched about 6 innings and had to be taken out - prior to that the other team did not score any runs. I thought that was pretty impressive for a 45 year old. In any case, it was just plain fun to see him again - especially so close up. He was also pretty cordial to the fans, nodding and smiling when walking into the field for practice when fans called his name.

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Well, if he keeps pitching like that, some club might sign him for the pennant drive. Clubs love vets that have been through the fire of pennant chases, playoffs and world series if they feel they have a shot at the playoffs.

Forty five is not so incredibly old, especially for a pitcher, where footspeed is not particularly an issue. Remember, George Foreman was heavyweight champ at the age of 49! Very Happy

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Oil Can Boyd Making a Comeback!

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