Bradford: Cora Hurts Arm | Tonight's Sox Lineup

Astronaughty?

Should a Pooped Papi Have Flown to New York City to Shoot a Spot for Vitaminwater on the First Day of Rest Back Home?
Do We Have a Watered-Down David on Our Hands?

Buckley: Just Say No

Boston Herald, Steve Buckley, 4.10.08: “I just don’t want the Red Sox to come to me and tell me what I can do and what I cannot do,” Big Papi said. “That’s why I don’t even want to talk about it. . . . I don’t want them to think that if I struggle, it’s because of that.”

For Ortiz, it comes down to this: Throughout his tenure with the Red Sox, he has been in the “yes” business. Whether it’s been community outreach activities (speaking with kids, posing for pictures, etc.) or personal for-profit endeavors (such as TV commercials), Ortiz has been able to do it all while maintaining his status as one of the game’s top offensive performers.

As he put it yesterday, “I’ve been doing this for years. I don’t want people to get the wrong idea.”

But when the story of this season is written, it’s now going to be tough for Red Sox players to complain about the burdensome trip to Tokyo, Los Angeles, Oakland and Toronto when one of their own - indeed, one of their marquee attractions - tacked on an extra trip in order to be in a television spot.

Asked about the New York trip, Ortiz said, “Whenever you sign a contract, you’ve got to do it.”

From the Perfect Timing Department ...

Ortiz Sends a Personal E-mail to Sox Fans This Morning

Would David Share Some Thoughts on His Slow Start?
Or a Batting Stance Tip That Will Turn Up His Power?
Nope, Guess Again ...

Forget the Water, Is There Too Much on Papi's Plate?

Does David Need All Those Commitment$?

Too Many Hands on His Time? David Ortiz steps up for fans, charities, "wrote" a book with Tony Massarotti, is featured in advertising for Vitaminwater, Nokona bats, ESPN's SportsCenter, D'Angelo sandwich shops, XM radio, has introduced a new shoe for Reebok ... and even had a plane ...So is all the off-field activity dragging down David's numbers or not?

Bradford: Early Slump Gets Papi Down

McAdam: Time for Sox to Raze the Big Top at Fenway

Sean McAdam, Providence Journal, 4.10.08: On Bucker: "To think that Buckner was, until Tuesday, regarded by Sox fans as some sort of villain is to display an ignorance of the very fans they otherwise venerate. Talk about a tin ear."

On Diamond: "And when Werner was shown raising his arms and swaying to the music, the thing became laughable."

On Red Sox Nation: "Expanding the brand is one thing; relentlessly harping on the team’s appeal is quite another. (It should be pointed out this was not the most egregious co-opting of the Red Sox Nation concept. That came last month when the Henry and Lucchino had Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer swear in broadcaster Jerry Remy as the make-believe president of a nonexistent fan club)."

On the Green Monster Auction: "But the Green Monster auction was something else entirely. Effectively sold out for the season, the move smacked of greed, which is hardly becoming of the group."