Who's the Bigger Phony?

Pierciaparra, Always the Bridesmaid
The Sulkster Wants the Ball Tonight
Remember Paul, Walk, Don't Run.

They're Back...

They Make a Fortune, and They're Playing .500 Baseball. Again.
Another Texas Mess as Hitless Wonders Lose 7-2

While the Senior Starters are Dropping Like Flies

Wade Miller is On the Rise

Miller Test Run a Success in Pawtucket

WEEI Big Show Audio: Gammons on Sox Status, Schilling, Steroids
And a Very Funny Whiner Line

EIGHT MEMBERS OF SOX, RAYS DISCIPLINED BY YANKEE BOB
Francona, Nixon, Arroyo Suspended. Ortiz Fined.
Do you think the suspensions are fair?

'Pedro, D-Lowe'...
'D-Lowe, Pedro'...

Fuggedaboutem! Pedro Was Never Staying.
And D-Lowe Wanted Too Much Dough.

"The Red Sox made a decision last year to part ways with Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe, who signed with new teams for a combined eight years and $89 million. In their place, the Sox signed Clement, Wells and Miller to deals totaling six years and $35 million. Of course, signings like Lowe and Martinez are long-term commitments, and those deals, too, could prove foolish by 2008. But given that the Red Sox ultimately offered Martinez three years and $40 million before losing him to the New York Mets, here is the question that remains unanswered: If the Sox were willing to give Martinez as many as three years by the time December arrived, why didn't they offer that to him in March 2004 in hopes of preventing him from going to free agency altogether?" -- Tony Massarotti, Boston Herald (...and NOT part of the cartel)

ESPN Page 2: Schilling's Guide to Life

Curt "opens up" on the media, Tom Cruise's love life, hair loss, the war on terror,
the LA Clippers, career advice, "American Idol," and more in this lame parody

BDD has no new content today as we have not yet received instruction from the Head of the Red-Sox-NESN-New-York-Times-Company-Boston-Globe-WEEI Cartel that the Boston Herald's Howard Bryant exposed* to the world yesterday. If any of the other cartel members got today's memo, please forward so we can carry out the not-so-secret agenda. Thank you.

*Boston Herald, Wednesday, April 27, 2005 -- Howard Bryant/Boston Uncommon -- Sox can't change history -- "The Red Sox are part of a growing synergistic cartel that maintains addresses at Yawkey Way, Morrissey Boulevard and Brookline Avenue (NESN's headquarters). The New York Times Company owns the Boston Globe, and a piece of the Red Sox, which owns NESN> The Sox are also business partners with WEEI, the most influential sports radio station in the region. That means that the cartel not only has the means, but a financial interest in controlling information. That includes history. Boston has always been known for its insularity, but such naked consolidation is a little too cozy to be acceptable."

More From Lou: Pinella Rips Schilling for Comments
Cartel Approved Gordon Edes Chat Wrap

KIDS: Win a chance to meet Curt Schilling and throw out the first pitch at Fenway

(This Cartel approved posting below is for everyone in Red Sox Nation, which is why it's here, you can paste to message boards or use the text in print please)

(Medfield, MA-April 28, 2005) SHADE Foundation of America's SunWise poster contest in New England is reaching thousands of students under the age of 17. In its second year in New England, the poster contest aims to make kids and teens aware of the dangers of over exposure to the sun and the simple steps to practicing sun-safety.

The contest calls for teachers to encourage students to creatively depict skin cancer prevention in an 8 1/2" x 11" poster. One winner will be chosen from each of the New England states. A grand prize winner will be selected among the New England winners. The Grand Prize winning artist will have his or her photo taken with Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and will throw out the first pitch at Fenway Park on June 4, 2005 when the Red Sox play the Los Angeles Dodgers. Each New England state winner will also have his or her photograph taken with Curt Schilling and receive two tickets to the game. Each state winner will also compete in a national online competition beginning July 5, 2005, which encourages people to select one national poster contest winner online. The artist who wins the national prize will receive a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The teacher of the winning artist will receive two tickets to the Red Sox game.

"An Environmental Protection Agency statistic states schools engaging in sun-safety programs have an 11% decrease in sunburn cases, a very encouraging statistic," said Shonda Schilling, melanoma survivor and founder of the SHADE Foundation. "Each year the number of contest entries increases, demonstrating the number of students who we are reaching with our sun-safety message."

Statistics indicate one in 5 children will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Educating kids about the need for SPF 15 sunscreen, wearing sunglasses, hats, long sleeves and avoiding the sun during prime sun hours of 10am and 4pm is instrumental in preventing future cases of skin cancer. Shonda Schilling launched the SHADE Foundation in 2002 after undergoing 5 surgeries to remove malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. The annual poster contest was first created by Schilling in 2003 in Phoenix, Arizona when her husband, Curt Schilling was pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks. When Curt Schilling was traded to the Boston Red Sox the contest traveled cross country with the Schillings.

"The tremendous response we received last year in Boston from the poster contest proved that kids were eager to participate. If they are drawing the message, we know they are learning the message. This year we are proud to be running the poster contest in 10 states reaching students about skin cancer prevention," said Shonda Schilling. "You can limit the sun without limiting the fun."

Entry forms can be downloaded from the SHADE Foundation website at www.shadefoundation.org Posters should be mailed to Boston Red Sox SunWise Poster Contest, PO Box 859066, Braintree, MA 02185-9948. Posters must be postmarked by May 9, 2005.

Sox Starters are Going, Going... Gonzalez

"Now warming up in the bullpen for the Red Sox,
tonight's starting pitcher, Jeremi Gonzalez, Gonzalez."

Boot, Wade, Bobble...

Curt Schilling wears a protective boot on his injured ankle. If they don't have him for a while they could try and use the "Curt Schilling Bobble Ankle Doll" that was unveiled at an earlier press conference, and for a while was on the steps of the Boston dugout. Pitcher Wade Miller runs by the doll as he heads for the clubhouse after doing some throwing in the rain this morning. Miller time won't be anytime soon.

And Boomer

David Wells has his sprained foot examined by team doctor Thomas Gill in the Red Sox trainer's room.

Docs Glazed Over Wells' X-Ray!

BDD Exclusive: Sox Docs Missed Foreign Object That Caused Wells' Sprained Foot.

Today's Game Rained Out
Congratulations to Kevin and Jeanna Millar on the Birth of Their Twins Kashten and Kylie Last Night

R.I.P. Earl Wilson

Earl Wilson with Red Sox catcher Bob Tillman in their dressing room June 26, 1962 after Wilson pitched a no hitter against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park in Boston. Wilson also hit a home run in the 3rd inning to win the game 2-0.

When it Rains it Pours

Breaking News: Schilling Going on 15-Day DL on Friday with Bone Bruise on the Right Ankle

A Nightmare for The Nation
Your Thoughts: Can Sox Survive Without Wells, Schilling?

"They'll be a short term challenge but a very important one for us to step up and meet. We can't rush Wade Miller because there's more of a need in the big leagues now, he'll be ready when he's ready. One step along the way is going to be Thursday for him in Pawtucket and we'll be there to watch him. There's just no pitching (outside the organization). We're going to keep looking but it's very hard to acquire pitching this time of year, so many teams looking for it. But we're lucky we've got Jeremi Gonzalez throwing well for us at Triple A, we've got Halama ready to step into the rotation and soon enough Wade Miller. We've just got to keep everyone else healthy and have other aspects of our team step up and keep playing good baseball until we get our team back." -- Theo Epstein on Red Sox pre-game show

"The term the doctors are using is a bruising of the bone. In the general area where he had problems last year. They're gonna put him in a boot for a couple of weeks. He needs to alleviate the pain. We all know he can pitch with pain, but right now this pain means that we don't want this to get worse, so they're going to alleviate the stress from it in a boot. He's going to talk to a nutritionist, a couple people, try to use these couple weeks to do the best he can at other things. And when the pain is gone he'll come back and pitch, that's about the best we know right now. He said he felt a tweak right at the very end (of his outing in Tampa). This wasn't something that was nagging him for a month or since spring training. He felt a tweak but he wasn't that concerned about it. He went out and threw a side yesterday and that's when the concern escalated a little bit because he was going to have a tough time doing his side day, so then we took it from there and we went and did the appropriate tests with the medical people. Again you just have to wait and get results back, and this is happening sometime during the game, so it gets a little quick. I do think these things happen. You're dealing with athletes that are asking exceptional things out of their body and we all know what Schill's come back from and how things like that so sometimes maybe we ask our bodies to do stuff that sometimes we just can't tolerate. We try to use the best judgment we can and we tremendous medical people, athletes are... part of the reason they're good is they push themselves. Sometimes they push too hard and you suffer the effects.We obviously sat down at length last night and this morning and tried to figure our best options out (regarding the rotation). We've got some weather issues today, so we'll get through today's game, we've got the day off tomorrow, and after today's game we'll set our rotation, we've talked to our pitchers, they have some idea what's going on. We're kind of crazy to set it in stone (with the impending rain) because it could change real quick." -- Terry Francona on with WEEI's Dale and Holley

Tejada They Fall

What the...? Foulke!

Mora the Same for Baltimore at Fenway
Keith Can't Get Fastball, Changeup Past O's
Sox Falling Apart in April, Lose 11-8, Record 11-10
Kevin "The Weightlifter" Millar Has 2 Extra Base Hits, 9 RBI...
on the Season. Get Back on the Chicken Buddy
Edgar Renteria Says "Climb on My Back Boys"... Not.
Clement. 12 Hits. 4 2/3. 'Nuff Said.
Tito: We %#@! and then (expletive) %#@! they %#@! (expletive) so %#@!

One Foot in the Grave for Sox?

David Wells Goes On DL
Could Be Out Six Weeks, DiNardo Called Up, Halama to Start

Grin and Bare It

David Wells is Escorted by Fenway Security as He Leaves the Trainer's Room to Head to Beth Israel Hospital to Have His Injured Foot X-Rayed
(Lighten Up David Fer Chrissakes, It's a Joke, Get Well Soon)

"Lou's trying to make his team be a bunch of tough guys and the telling sign is when the players on that team are saying 'this is why we lose 100 games a year because this idiot makes us do stuff like this.' They said that on the field."

Schilling Fires Some Fastballs

And Kruk, Pinella, and Magrane Go Down Looking

4.26.05: Curt Schilling on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan

On ESPN's John Kruk's saying "until David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez stop flipping the bat after home runs and disrespecting and showing up opposing pitchers, this (bean brawl) is going to continue to happen": That's crap. That's Krukie doing what he does best which is stirring up crap. This started last year and he obviously wasn't paying attention and that's not surprising. This started last year when Kazmir hit Manny and Millar and continued this year. They're (Tampa Bay) leading in hit-by-pitches by the way. One of the problems with being an analyst and not paying attention is that you miss some of the important facts of the story... John Kruk's been around this. John Kruk was involved in a scenario much like this back in the early '90's (tells story)... I don't like to see people who played the game make idiots of themselves like John did. Kruk's as much a part of the problem as he is talking about it 'cause they show it every night. And they glorify it, laugh about it, think it's funny, and guys do it for that reason.

On Rays' manager Lou Pinella: The problem is when you're playing a team with a manager who somehow forgot how the game is played, there's problems. This should have been over a little bit ago. Lou's trying to make his team be a bunch of tough guys and the telling sign is when the players on that team are saying "this is why we lose 100 games a year because this idiot makes us do stuff like this." They (Rays' players) said that on the field.

On Rays' television color analyst Joe Magrane: Magrane said on Sunday’s telecast during the bench clearing “Schilling running his mouth again, shocking Dwayne (Staats), shocking. He’s too old for this. He threw his walker down and tried to make his way out there." He’s an idiot. He’s a frickin’ idiot. The funny part about that is a guy’s who’s career is over at 24-25. He was a sub .500 pitcher who obviously… he came into the big leagues with a lot of… he was a high pick, but getting on my health when he was done at 25 and I had my best years after I was 34, I mean there’s kind of an irony there I guess, I don’t know, but you know Joe Magrane was a tool when he played, and he is now. I mean he’s the kind of guy when you’re in the clubhouse and the game’s on, you turn the sound down. It’s tiring to listen to, and it’s the same way when he played. But you expect that from people like Joe. That’s how he was when he played. He was an idiot.

Random observations from The Nation:

Hanley loves Jeter? "I just saw the little clip where protégé Hanley Ramirez has decided he idolizes Derek Jeter. Now before I say this, it should be pointed out that I am a die hard sox fan, with roots in Bangor, Maine, I live in south Florida and go to school in Boca Raton, where every other person is a Yankees fan, trust me on this, Sox fans like me are hard to find, I even started a group called Red Sox Fans Rock. So I need not be questioned, I may live in south Florida, but I listen to every single Sox game on XM radio, and before that became available used to get MLB ticket services.