Players Goodwill - Half Full, Half Empty, or Completely Dried Up?

As uproar over Josh Beckett's bad start to the season gets louder it occurred to me that Josh was been riding on stored up goodwill for a while now. It is my theory that each player has a store of fan goodwill that can be drawn upon in tough times that allows them to ride out storms of playing badly without as much outcry from the fans and media. Of course, if you go too long your cup of goodwill empties out or you could be one of those unfortunate players who never had much good will to begin with for one reason or another. Below is my assessment of where everyone stands with their good will.

Josh Beckett - Josh has been living on his 2007 season good will for a while now. He has replenished it regularly with streaks of brilliance in the years after 2007 and used it to ride out the rough patches he had in 2008 and 2009. But after a poor ending to the 2009 season and a horrendous start to the 2010 season coupled with his expensive new contract, I think his goodwill is perilously low. I could single handedly replenish it for a while with all the goodwill I have toward him but I'm afraid it won't hold him over through this season for long.

David Ortiz - Big Papi had a very, very full cup of goodwill. It tided him over nicely through his bad patch in 2009 and the steroid revelations. Unfortunately, his cup is also getting low. Not empty yet, mind you, but he's only got a couple inches left unless he makes a big turnaround.

J.D. Drew - J.D. is one of the unfortunates that never had any goodwill to begin with and never seemed to get any. I'm not entirely sure why since he has come through in a clutch often, plays the outfield beautifully, and doesn't cause any trouble. Perhaps it is this last one that is his downfall. People think J.D. doesn't try, doesn't care, etc. As long as J.D. keeps doing what he's doing the lack of goodwill doesn't affect him but the minute he does poorly...

Jon Lester - You'd think Jonny would have tons of goodwill and after this season I think he will. But as evidenced by his bad Aprils both this year and last it can be hard for fans and media to come off a Spring Training and watch their new ace do so badly. But around here we call Jon the Easter Bunny because who doesn't like the Easter Bunny?

Mike Lowell - Mike Lowell has so much good will stored up I can't imagine he'd ever use it all. If it were transferable he would gladly give some to struggling players (thereby increasing his goodwill even more).

Dustin Pedroia - Another one in no danger of using up his goodwill any time soon. Pedroia is gritty, team oriented, funny, and an all around good player. It would take a long, rough patch for him to get that glass even half full.

Kevin Youkalis - Youk is pretty much in the same boat as Pedroia but maybe with a tiny bit less goodwill. But again, he is in no danger of losing it soon.

Jacoby Ellsbury - Jacoby is also high in goodwill. Less than Youk and Pedroia simply because he's not as good a hitter and those UZR ratings made him look bad (although I am skeptical of them). He's a big fan favorite though and his stolen bases help boost his goodwill.

Jason Varitek - Tek's goodwill tends to fluctuate wildly. He can have tons of it one month and be completely out of it the next. Just look at last season when he was so hot at the beginning and his goodwill was overflowing. Then next thing you know it's completely empty and everyone wants him gone because his bat has gone cold.

Tim Wakefield - Another player with what seems like never ending goodwill due to his time with the team and his willingness to do anything asked of him. He can get away with being a little bitter this year because of all that goodwill.

DiceK Matsuzaka - Dice K had an outpouring of goodwill when he was first signed. Outrageous amounts of it in 2007. His goodwill quickly got used up however, and last year if it were possible he would have negative goodwill. His lack of goodwill explains why Josh Beckett's starts this year weren't decried nearly as much as DiceK's inability to get going this year.

Clay Buchholz - Clay got lots of early goodwill due to being such a good prospect and of course, that no hitter he threw. He used up a lot of it after that no hitter when he went on a bad streak that got him sent down to Pawtuket. He had enough left though, that when he came back last year every was excited to see him and forgave him some rocky starts last year. He continues to add to his goodwill this year.

Jonathan Papelbon - Pap has always been one of those guys you either love or hate. As such, his goodwill has never been as high as it should been for his performance. His goodwill was at its highest in 2007 (well, wasn't everyone's?) and has taken a nose dive since then. His lack of more than one pitch, his tendency to turn closes into high drama, and some of the comments he's made about salary and contracts has lowered his goodwill considerably.

Manny del Carmen, Ramon Ramirez, Okajima Hideki - I'm lumping them in together because they all have the tendency to have low amounts of goodwill that don't sustain them for very long. Our memories for relief pitching are short. You blow a couple of leads and we forget the five leads you maintained. Sorry guys, it is just the way of the world.

Victor Martinez - He's a little too new to have too much goodwill but he came in last year at a time when we desperately needed him and he delivered. As such, he has enough goodwill stored up to get him through this slump he's in.

Everyone else is too new or doesn't play enough to have goodwill. Some, like McDonald, are working on storing up goodwill for the future. Others, like Beltre, have no goodwill going for them yet.