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Clearing the Bases Blog Index
May 08, 2007
Knuckles

Earlier we stated the obvious, that a team can never have enough arms. After John Barnes' performance Tuesday night, we now ask: Can a team ever have enough knuckleball pitchers?

Barnes, 31, pitched the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against Trenton. Although Barnes played for Trenton in 1998, he was making his Double-A debut Tuesday as a pitcher.
A catcher and outfielder, Barnes reached the majors in 2000, for a brief stay with the Minnesota Twins (20 games). After 2005, Barnes made himself into a pitcher and signed a minor league contact with the Red Sox.
On Tuesday, Barnes threw a two-hit shutout over six innings. He also gave up five walks and hit a batter. But Trenton never got a runner to third base.
Barnes looks like he will stay in the rotation, with the Sea Dogs' other knuckleball pitcher, Charlie Zink, possibly moving up to Pawtucket.
Tim Wakefield has shown the Red Sox how valuable a knuckleball pitcher can be, and Boston is grooming more.

Posted at 11:59 PM

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Kevin covers baseball for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He first reported on spring training games for the St. Petersburg Times in 1978. He wisely moved to Maine in 1994 and now writes about the Portland Sea Dogs and Boston Red Sox—when he's not coaching Little League baseball.

He is married to Nancy, and the couple recently completed their lineup card with the birth of their ninth child.



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