To the Spoiled Goes the Victor, Sox Get Martinez To the Indians Go Masterson, Hagadone, Price To the Braves, Goes New Old Friend Adam LaRoche To Boston Comes Casey Kotchman | Halladay Stays Put
"David Ortiz lied to you. It seems safe to say that his entire Red Sox career is a lie. And those life-changing Red Sox championships of 2004 and 2007? Are they forever tainted? You bet." -- Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe
I Read the News Today ...
(BDD / Screen Images)
... Oh Boy ... The Red Sox Are Getting Ripped to Shreds
"You want more information, I'm pretty sure you guys got the phone number to the union. Call the union, and they can explain that to you guys. ... Me and David, we're like two mountains. We're going to keep playing the game, and we're going to keep doing good. We're trying to move forward; that's the key here." -- Manny Ramirez checking in from St. Louis tonight
"[My name] better not be on it, or there�s going to be lawsuits... When and if that list comes out, I�ll be able to determine what that [2004 Red Sox World Series] championship means to me.� -- Old friend Johnny Damon weighs in with his infinite wisdom
The Greatest Clutch Hitter in Red Sox History Is Listed on Baseball's 2003 Doping List... Along With His Pal, The '04 World Series MVP Yankee Fans Are Going to Have a Field Day
Ortiz talks about A-Rod and baseball's steroids policy during a spring training news conference: "I think you clean up the game by the testing. Okay. I test you. You test positive. You gonna be out. Serious. And period. I know that if I test positive by using any kind of, um, substance, I know that I'm gonna misrespect my family, the game the fans and everybody. And I don't wanna be facing the situation. So what I would do. I won't use it. And I'm pretty sure everybody is in the same page ...you test everybody three, four times a year and that�s about it. You do what you got to do. Yeah, whatever they say. Ban them for a whole year."
A's Take Penny to School Right from the Opening Bell
A's Embarrass Sox at Home Again | Oakland 8, Boston 6 Brad Can't Take the Heat: 7 Runs in 5 Innings That's 8 Losses in the Last 11 Games If You're Counting 5 RBI's! Meet the New Righthanded DH, Mike Lowell Theo Must Really Hate What OC Did Here, Not to Take Him Back in a Deal Mr. .300: Is Jacoby Ellsbury the 2009 Boston Red Sox MVP? Kennedy Elected to Pick Up Where He Left Off Last Night Are AL Pitchers Now Locked In On the Holes in J-Bay's Swing? LaRoche Comes Back to Earth; Has Youk Hit Rock Bottom? Bright Spot: Bullpen Settles Down
"It looked like they didn't finish hitting since last night. The first four pitches they had three hits. It was ridiculous. I guess we ran into them at the wrong time." -- Mike Lowell... the other DH
Papelbon Blows Another One After GrEEn Sets Him Up
GrEEn, Papelbon Combine for Loss | Oakland 9, Chokeland 8 The Theo Epstein Patchwork Plan at Shortstop Ain't Working Again Nothing Gained: The Jury Is Still Out on Mystery Man Clay Buchholz OC Goes 3-for-5 with No Errors... Why Can't We Get Shortstops Like That? Even Nomah Goes 2-for-6, and No Errors at DH Lone Bright Spot: J.D. Drew May Soon Earn His Salary Can Manny Delcarmen Be Part of the Halladay Package? Bard Would Have Closed It. No Question. No Doubt About It. Papelbon Was Busy Thinking About His Weekly Media Gig This Just In: Saito Blames the Red Sox Throwing Program for the Loss, Okajima, Too The Oakland AAA's Had 21 Hits vs. Boston Pitching. Unacceptable. Rice Was Just a Side Dish Last Night
"It�s tough. What are you going to do? It�s just the way I look at it. Things like that happen. It is what it is. You�ve got to move on and come back tomorrow ready to pitch." -- Papelbon tossing cliches better than fastballs
We Haven't Seen a Prima Donna Punk Like This Since the Malcontent Pedro Martinez Shot His Way Out of Town
Dice-K Slams Sox Program, Farrell, Francona Disappointed Funny, He Looked Just Fine Pitching for Team Japan, Sincerely Bud Selig 'Dice-K, Theo, and the President Need to Sit Down and Have a Beer' -- WEEI Whine Thanks for Injecting Some Excitement Into This Dull-Ass Team Dice... Sincerely, Fans Who Dearly Miss the 2004 Free-Spirited Trouble-Making Red Sox The Red Sox Ruined Korean Pitchers Too, Sincerely Byung-Hyun Kim When Does Scott Boras Come In To Pour Us a Drink and Tell Us Some Lies? BDD Archives: It's a Hara Show, Let Japan Pay His Salary
"If I'm forced to continue to train in this environment, I may no longer be able to pitch like I did in Japan. The only reason why I managed to win games during the first and second years [in the United States] was because I used the savings of the shoulder I built up in Japan. Since I came to the Major Leagues, I couldn't train in my own way, so now I've lost all those savings." --Matsuzaka's comments according to WEEI.com's translation
Farrell Questions Whether Fatsuzaka Worked On His Foundation
"In hindsight, there might not have been the work that he needed to put in on his own time during the offseason to build the foundation that every pitcher requires to withstand the workloads that a major league starting pitcher is going to go through here in the States." -- Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell
File Under: He Don't Know When to Quit ... Special-K Blames US Training Programs on Other Japanese Failures
"I know that there are Japanese starters who came to the United States before me only have two or three successful years. I now believe that it is because of a difference in training and conditioning methods." -- Matsuzka according to the Globe's translation
Tito Strikes Back and Is Right on the Money
"We had made huge strides [in communicating] during our meetings. So to hear him say that -- to have him air it out publicly -- I�m disappointed. ...For $102 million, if [Red Sox owner John Henry] came down and asked, �What�s going on?� and we said, �We�re letting [Daisuke] do it his own way,' he probably wouldn�t like that very much... I know there�s frustration, but it�s unfortunate for [Matsuzaka] to say that. I thought everybody was on board with what we were doing.� -- Red Sox manager Terry Francona
Farrell Says Fatsuzaka Has to Be Accountable at Some Point
"If you're going to throw 115 pitches, you've got to go out and be effective. At some point there's got to be some accountability and responsibility from the player." -- John Farrell, back for more
Mazz Takes Dice to Cleaners for Airing Dirty Laundry
"The truth is that the Red Sox were tired of Matsuzaka's high-maintenance act a long time ago, but they kept their mouths shut and put up with it because Matsuzaka won games... What Matsuzaka did not say, of course, was that he showed up in camp this year looking like the Sta-Puft marshmallow man. (What's the Japanese word for doughboy, anyway?) Asked about Matsuzaka's strength when the pitcher returned from the World Baseball Classic, Farrell said at the time that Matsuzaka graded out well when the club tested the pitcher's shoulder. In retrospect, what Farrell did not say was that Matsuzaka looked like he spent the winter eating dumplings and bonbons, which the Red Sox believe contributed to the pitcher's problems." -- Tony Massarotti on Boston.com
Just Call Him Daisuke Martinez or Pedro Matsuzaka
"...In the end, they [Red Sox front office] scraped and bowed and gave [Pedro] the perks he requested, all proof he is different from the other players on the Red Sox... In Boston, Pedro was allowed to do whatever he wanted -- show up whenever and take vacations. The Boston media were easy on him for what he had done. They gave him a mulligan for not attending Game 6 in New York..." -- 12.14.04, Peter Gammons, ESPN.com
LaRoche Leads Hit Parade | Boston 8, Oakland 3 Beckett Bounces Back with Big Outing: 7 Solid, 10 K's That's 5, Count 'Em, 5 Homers for the 2008 MVP La Hits Keep Coming for Adam LaRoche: Will He Bat .400 Forever? The Leading Man: Is Ellsbury Finally Locked In at Leadoff? J.D. Drew... 2 Strike Outs, But 2 Hits, Too This Just In: Jed Lowrie Now Batting Over .100 Everybody Hits, Even J-Bay
"We're moving in the right direction. We've just got to continue to go out there and grind out at-bats, get the pitchers' pitch counts up and get in the other team's bullpen." -- Dustin Pedroia... batting .403 in his last 17 games
"I'd walk away from the game right now if I didn't think I could do what I can do. There's no thought in my head of that right now." -- John Smoltz... in deep denial
"I am a husband called Rice. I am a father called Dad. I am a brother called Ed. I�m an uncle called Uncle Ed. I�m a grandfather called Papa. I am a friend that doesn�t call. Some of my friends know that. Sometimes it�s best to not call at all. Finally, and I do mean finally, I am Jim Rice who is called a Baseball Hall of Famer." -- Jim Rice, reading his induction speech
"I think [the Red Sox] need Halladay more than ever. They can make the deal if they want to. If they don�t and allow someone else in their division to get him, they�re in trouble." -- An unnanmed National League GM to the Globe's Nick Cafardo
Tuesday: Texas 4, Boston 2 | Sox Slip into Second Place Who's the Real Hunter?: Tommy Pulled the Big Gun on Beckett J.D. 'I Like to Watch Third Strikes' Drew Should Get the Lugo Treatment Next Season Have No Fear: Adam LaRoche to the Rescue! Jacoby at Leadoff: ..... Crickets ...... Crickets .....
"This one falls on me. I think the right person got the loss. The game was lost in the first inning. Two-out runs are demoralizing to everybody, especially to a pitcher. ... It's unacceptable." -- Josh Beckett taking the blame that belongs to the bats
Monday: Texas 6, Boston 3 | Smoltz Falls Apart Smoltz Surrenders Five Runs, Three on Homers, in the Sixth Tito Blows It By Leaving Him in to Give Up More Bombs Meanwhile, Where Did the Offense Go? Bay Is Down to .255, Drew at .239 Yankee Walkoff Means First-Place Tie in AL East
"I�m trying my best to not get frustrated over the results, but they do frustrate me because I felt like the game was well in hand.One pitch I�d like to have back, but at the end of the day I gave up six runs. Shake my head, and battle. It�s unacceptable." -- John Smoltz (1-3 with a 6.31 ERA)
Sunday, Toronto 3, Boston 1 | Halladay Finishes Off Sox Lester: Another Sox Starter Less Than Sharp After Long Rest Maybe Jason Bay Was Thinking About His Next Interview RE: His Contract J.D. Drew Sets the Tone for Sox Offense... ZZZzzzzz Theo's Gamble: Green Whiffs Three Times Good News: Ells No Longer Ill
"They should have traded him the other day, and to a National League team." -- Tito on Halladay
Bad Penny
(Reuters)
Remember When Penny Was Winning Every Time He Took the Mound... That Was Awesome Five Straight Starts Without a W and Counting ...
Saturday, Toronto 6, Boston 2 | Bad Penny Rzepczynsk Spells Trouble for Road Sox Bats Sox Strand 7 Runners, 1 for 12 with Men in Scoring Position
"We needed a breakthrough at bat and couldn't get it." -- Sox manager Terry Francona on clutchless offense
BRING BACK CLAY! BRING BACK CLAY!
(AP)
Buch Stopped Here, Shipped Back to Pawtucket
>Friday, Boston 4, Toronto 1 | Clay Slays Jays 103 Pitches in 5 2/3 Innings... He's Working Dice-K's Side of the Street Hip, Hip, Hooray: Mike Lowell Returns to the Lineup Yooooouuuuuukkkkk Starts Strong with 2-Run Jack When Is Daniel Bard Getting Jonathan Papelbon's Contract? A Clap for Pap: Closer's ERA Down to 1.80, Save No. 24
"(Buchholz) was awesome. He threw every pitch in any count. You could tell he was frustrating those guys." -- Former Buchholz teammate Dustin Pedroia
Another Colossal Blunder at the Shortstop Position for Theo Epstein and the Boston Red Sox
"When you see a good looking girl, you get married and sometimes things don�t work out. I gave it my best and unfortunately things didn�t work out. This is the best for both parties. I wanted it to work out but it didn�t." -- Julio Lugo to Steve Buckley today
Lugo Released | The Curse of Orlando Cabrera Continues Buckley: Julio Lugo: 'I Wanted It to Work Out' That's Just Theo Making Another Error at Shortstop. Sincerely, Edgar Renteria It's the Media's Fault, and It's Impossible to Survive in Boston. Sincerely, Nomar Trying to Fill the Big Shoes of Alex Gonzalez Was Apparently Too Much to Ask Good News: The 5th Year of This Godawful Contract is Not Going to Be Picked Up So It's Just a $36 Million Mulligan for the GM, Not $45 Million The Club Has Only Used 18 Shortstops Since the Trade of Garciaparra This Just In: We'll Soon Be Done Paying for Edgar Renteria's Contract We'll Always Have the Mother's Day Miracle, Julio Did You Know? Some Guy Named Hanley Ramirez Is Leading the NL in Batting Hey Umm, Wait a Minute... Can't Lugo Still Hit and Run? Will Nick Green Be the Same as Derek Jeter in October?
Bad Deals Keep Piling Up for Theo Epstein...
How Much Money Is There to Light on Fire at Fenway? Daisuke Matsuzaka: $113.11 Million, J.D. Drew: $70 Million, Edgar Renteria: $40 Million, Julio Lugo: $36 Million ...
He Was As Reliable As a Yugo
(BDD Photo Illustration / Michelle Schacht)
Turns Out We Had Another Rent-a-Wreck on Our Hands
Someone Needed to Explain to Julio How It Worked in Boston: �I don�t care, but sometimes it would be nice to say something positive,� he said. �But all the time it�s negative things, you know? Sometimes, you know, people should say something that�s positive. But every time it�s something negative . . . bring it up, bring it up, bring it up. Why? I understand you (the media) are going to write whatever you want . . . but I come here every day and bust my ass . . . if things don�t work out sometimes, that�s the way it�s going to be. You understand? But sometimes you bring up the same things . . . You get tired of that." -- 5.7.08, Julio Lugo to Steve Buckley, Boston Herald
BDD Tips for Surviving Thursday Without Baseball: Play some baseball, or tennis, or golf, or go to the gym, or for a run, watch a movie, have a conversation with someone you love, make a phone call, get on the To-Do list, cut the grass, wash the car, meet for drinks, go out for fried clams, write a letter, hug your kids, go for a drive, read a book, call your mother, talk to your neighbor, get out of the house, and off the computer...
"It's definitely probably my best catch I've ever made. I didn't think it was going to carry that far. But it carried and I just tried to find the wall and was able to jump up and make a play on it." -- Change the rules to give Carl Crawford the save
The Worst Eephus Pitch By a Lefty I've Ever Seen. Sincerely, Bill Lee No Wonder Fox Blew the Camera Coverage of the Entire Event OK, It Was Better Than Senator Kerry's Ground Ball at Fenway But It Doesn't Compare to President Bush's Perfect Strike in Yankee Stadium Obama Practiced, Too... With a Teleprompter
The Home Run Derby Is Just a Sad Reminder That Major League Baseball's Home Run Records Are Worthless Thanks to Bud, Don, and the Steroid Era All-Stars
When Put to the Test, There Was a Power Outage in St. Louis on Monday Night Fielder Wins Meaningless Competition Lofting Batting Practice Flies Into the Stands It Was Better When the Balls, Bats, and Players Were Juiced the Old Fashioned Way Here's to Sammy Sosa*, Mark McGwire*, Barry Bonds*, Jason Giambi*, Miguel Tejada*, Juan Gonzalez*, Luis Gonzalez*, Manny Ramirez*, Rafael Palmeiro*, Brady Anderson*, Gary Sheffield*, Pudge Rodriguez*, Matt Williams*, Bret Boone* and the Rest of the Home Run Derby Heroes* of the Past Who Paved the Way for the Derby Superstars of Today
"I'm just happy that I was able to put on a show and win." -- Prince Fielder on the Batting Practice Snoozefest
A Little Captain in Them?
(AP Images for Captain Morgan)
This Was More Entertaining Than The Home Run Derby for Sure
Beck on Top
(Jim Davis / Boston Globe Staff)
Sox Roll Into the Break
All Beckett, All the Time | Boston 6, Kansas City 0 The Line: 9 Innings, 0 Runs, 3 Hits, 7 K's, 0 Walks, Win No. 11 Double Trouble for KC: Is Aaron Bates the Secret Weapon? Saturday: Sox Offense Offsets Shaky 'Pen | Boston 15, Kansas City 9 Masterson, Manny, and Okajima Mess Up an Easy Win Youk Goes 3-for-4 With 2 Homers to Avoid the Loss Smoltz Will Live to See Another Start Bard Fires Away to Stop Bleeding
"We�re kind of hitting our stride. Winning a series is the short-term goal, and we�ve been doing that for the most part. We�re going to enjoy the break a little bit, and then come back feeling pretty good about our second half." -- J-Bay at the halfway point
One Hit, One Run, One Big Win But There's Nothing Funny About Close Games with Kansas City
One Way Ticket for Sox| Boston 1, Kansas City 0 Lesterrific! One of Jon's Finest Outings at Fenway... No-Hitter Aside Slow Clap for Brian Bannister Hey Rocco! Thanks for the Help Papelbon, No Drama
"I never squared up a ball (on his first three at-bats) and so my biggest thing was try and hit it on the barrel. That's the worst feeling as a pitcher to throw that good and not win. For their guy, he threw the ball great. And Lester was just a little bit better, I guess." -- Dustin Pedroia on a big night in Boston
We Bet Brad Can't Stand to Watch MDC and Masterson Blow the Game Either
Royal Blues | Tiny Payroll 8, Unlimited Payroll 6 Callaspo, DeJesus Leads Royals; Collapse for Sox Bullpen Theo Would Like to Remind You That Duquette Found Delcarmen Papi Hits No. 300... Needs Just 455 to Catch All-Time Leader Hank Aaron Pedroia Bangs Out Three Hits to Take the Lone Sox .300 Torch Lord Help Us: Masterson's ERA Is On the Rise
"There are times when things don't always work out. Lately, it has been a different guy missing on a different pitch at a different time." -- Justin Masterson on Gasoline Alley revisited
(David Ortiz and Dick Vitale | Jim Davis / Boston Globe Staff)
Papi Drills a Reggie for a Trifecta!
Wake Brings Another W, Baby! | Boston 5, Oakland 4 in a Knee-Knocker Big Papi Was a Human Space Ship Last Night Pedroia's a P.T.P. and Was Mr. Pac Man, Baby... Eating the A's Alive on Defense J.D. Drew, the MVP of the All-Mystique Team Is a Real Dow Joneser Cahill Was Diaper Dandy for the Athletics Early Another Dipsy-Doo Stink-a-Roo Save for Papelbon I Heard About Nick Green, But He Was an MIAer for Boston, Baby It's ZZZZ Time Baby Because the Sox Have the KC Cream Puffs In Town for Four
"I was telling George (Red Sox catcher Kottaras) behind the plate, 'How do you even catch that ball?' He was like, `I just close my eyes.' And I said, 'OK, I'm going to try that one, I'm going to close my eyes and swing.' And nothing." -- Orlando Cabrera on All-Star knuckleballer Tim Wakefield
Fenway, Unscripted
(Jim Davis / Boston Globe Staff)
Boston Still Enjoys a Good Old-Fashioned Garciapopup
After he popped out while pinch hitting in the eighth inning, Oakland's Nomar Garciaparra heard a lot of noise from the fans behind the visitor's dugout as he returned.
Beckett Now 6-0 After a Red Sox Loss Win No. 50 for Boston, All-Star Hurler Gets No. 10
Bay, Beckett Lead Way Over A's | Boston 5, Oakland 2 Just 4 K's But Josh Turned In a Top-Notch Performance Stop the Press: The Sox Have a Hitter Batting Over .300: Jacoby Ells, .303 All-Star J-Bay Gets the Old Stroke Back, HR No. 20 'Tek Drives in Two, All-Star Pedey Adds Some Insurance Good to See Steroid-Cheat, and Sox 2003 Title Thief, Jason Giambi Struggling Speaking of Numbers: Solid Save No. 21 for Papelbon ... With a 3-Run Cushion... Against the AAA's Think the Jays Will Take AAron Bates for Halladay?
"Obviously I blew it in April, but I feel like I've had a good couple of months, really getting back on track... I love pitching here. It's awesome to pitch in front of a full house every night." -- Josh is Beck on track
The John Smoltz Feel-Good Story Is Going to Get Old Fast If He Keeps Putting Up Matsuzaka Numbers on the Mound
Same Old Story for Smoltz | The Mighty Oakland A's 6, Boston 0 But While A's Banged Away on John, It's the Boston Bats That Get the Loss Nomie Goes 2-for-4 with a Garciapopup... Does Not Make an Error at DH And the Crowd Goes Wild for 1-of-the-25 Series Hero Orlando Cabrera... Right? It's the Offense Stupid: Red Sox Hitting a Whopping .193 in The Last Four Games The .200 Club: Not One Member of the Red Sox Is Batting .300 The New Jason Bay: Contract Price Going Down Every Day Great Theater: Nomar Nails First Live Performance at Fenway... Even Better Than the Rehearsals in California with Mia Brett Anderson Pitched Like Brady Anderson on Steroids Note to Theo: All Set with Matt Holliday Welcome (Hank) Aaron (Norman) Bates
"I'm almost there. I really am. I always felt I could pitch in any ballpark, any stadium, against any team, but there's some familiarity that comes with it. I don't know some guys." -- John Smoltz... Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades
"Kids crying all over Boston for a month or two, or maybe some even now still crying at night going to sleep. Nomar was... hey look, I feel it's saad that Nomar's still not a Red Sock. He was the link. Williams. Yaz. Nomar..."-- ESPN's Nomar Delusionist Chris Berman, October 2004
LA Lemmings Will Flock to San Diego to Cheer on the Cheat But Make No Mistake, Manny's Legacy Is Forever Tarnished
Born Again on the Third of July: Cheating Coward Returns to MLB Action And the Gutless Dodger Is Still Afraid to Answer Questions About His Suspension
"I wouldn't be lying to say that when he steps to the plate here he's going to probably feel like he's at home. There's no doubt about it... [Manny's drawn interest] over this event that's really negative and detrimental to himself and the game. It's really kind of taken on a new life of its own. I've never seen, really, something like this." -- Former Red Sox reliever Cla Meredith
The Sox Have a Comeback They Can Call Their Own Today
Sox Turn Tables, Show Some 9th Life | Boston 6, Baltimore 5 Mother's Day Miracle Meet Canada Day Comeback Baldelli Delivers the Big Hit to Tie It Up in the Ninth Who But Julio Lugo to Cap the 4-Run 9th Inning Comeback Ball Was Gone But Not Forgotten: Kevin Youkilis' Clutch Homer The Sox Were Between a Rocco and a Hard Place in the Ninth Ellsbury Comes Through with Clutch Double in the 11th Beckett Was a Bust Early, Then an Ace Late Bullpen Bounces Back: 24 Straight O's Retired at End Pedroia's Gotta Work on Those Wheels Papelbon Gets Save No. 133 with Sox Bay Gets a Baltimore Mulligan
The "Curt�s Pitch
for ALS" program is a joint effort by Curt and Shonda Schilling and The
ALS Association Mass Chapter to strike out Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig�s Disease.
