Projo Sox Blog

When an American League team hears that its pitchers are about to take batting practice, a crowd starts to gather. Players line up at the top of the dugout in the hopes that they can razz the hurlers.

Problem is, some of the Red Sox pitchers can really swing the bat.
Brad Penny and Josh Beckett, big guys both, played in the National League for years. Tim Wakefield was drafted as an infielder. Penny, allegedly, was talking a little smack about his batting skills before the session.

Yet Jon Lester, improbably, showed all of them up today. Lester, using Gil Velazquez' bat, cranked three home runs to lay claim to the lead for the day. They weren't dinky home runs, either - one looked like it had a chance to reach the middle deck in right field, but fell instead about 12 rows deep.

Lester, who has never had a major league hit, said that isn't his normal batting practice show.

"Hey man, I'm just swinging, trying to make contact," Lester said.

Beckett, who has two major league home runs to his name, hit two in batting practice. Penny, who hit two in 2003 and batted .246 in 2007, had one. Penny's personal jury is still out on who the best hitter on the staff is.

"I'm probably the most experienced. Still, I've got to see them more," he said.

 Tags  Brad Penny Dan Barbarisi Jon Lester Josh Beckett

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