As far back as mid-March, Ron Roenicke was ready to commit, unofficially, to Ryan Weber as part of the team's starting rotation for the regular season. Tossing nine scoreless innings in Grapefruit League play helped solidify his spot.
"I like him because he goes right after hitters,'' said Roenicke after watching Weber for four innings in an intrasquad game at Fenway. "He moves the ball in-and-out. He's got command, He throws strikes. He's capable of going through some really good lineups. He's a great athlete, so I think he'll be able to repeat (his delivery). I like everything I see. I think with where we are in our rotation, he's going to obviously fit in there nicely as part of the five-man staff.
"Webby seems to have (the right) personality. Not much affects him. He's pretty low-key and he doesn't have his highs and lows and those kind of guys, as starting pitchers, tend to be more consistent.''
Weber, of course, doesn't being to throw as hard as most major league pitchers, with a fastball that tops out in the high 80s. But when he has precise command, he can move pitches around the strike zone, keep hitters off balance and provide some contrast to hitters accustomed to greater velocity.
"I think it's fun for the people at home (to watch) someone who's out there, doing it a little different than most of the guys now,'' said Weber. "It's fun for them to watch pitches that move and aren't 98 mph or a 12-6 curveball right down the middle. The ball's moving in, out, around. And the pitch mix is crucial, too.
"But the command portion is what really what makes me effective, when I'm on -- throwing all five of my pitches to both sides of the plate in any count. When I'm out there and everything's working, it's pretty fun.''
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