Kazmanian Devil

Here's the Real Inside Pitch:
Kazmir Has Learned How to Beat the Sox
Rally Comes Up Short, Road Hogs Drop 7 of 10 with 5-4 Loss

Today Was the Day We Needed 133 Pitches from Schill
Downtown Hall: Toby Takes Schilling Deep (Sox in Deep Trouble)
Bases Empty Again: Big Papi Puts Up Another Solo Effort
Lowell and Behold: Mike Gets a Hold of One But It's Not Enough
Alexcellence: Gonzalez Gets Hit and Raises Average to .186
Wily Mo Power Surge: Pena Passes Arroyo in Homers
Another Rudy Awakening: Tito Was Asleep at the Switch with Seanez

"That was the game. I went 0-2 and I rushed the pitch. I knew what I wanted to do. I threw the pitch thinking about how the inning was going to progress instead of being focused on making the pitch. Just a horrific mistake." -- 4.30, Schilling takes the blame needlessly

Bill James Named to the 2006 TIME 100 World's Most Influential People

Sports Figures in the 'SCIENTISTS AND THINKERS' category: BILL JAMES, Statistician: “When I asked our general manager, Theo Epstein, what he thought about James' impact on the game, he said, 'The thing that stands out for me is Bill's humility. He's like somebody outlining the Internet in the '80s and watching silently as it comes to pass,'” writes John Henry, principal owner of the Boston Red Sox since 2002. “What I call Jamesian principles infuse our thinking with a perspective that is objective rather than subjective.”

They Shall Overcome

V-Tek Just Kicked in Yo! Captain Steps Up in the Clutch
Sox Come Back Big Time and Time Again, 9-6

First Things First: Youk Kicks Off Comebacks
Manny, Trot, Lowell, and Wily Mo in the Mix
Going, Going, Gonzalez? How Long Can Alex Last?
Saving Grace: Papelbon is a Relief Ace

''We battled back, especially to get back in the game, lose it, get back in the game, lose it -- we had to. It was a good job." -- 4.29, Jason Varitek on the comeback win

RUN MANNY RUN!
Lollygagging Ramirez Turns Homer into Triple
Why Does the Manager of the Boston Red Sox
Allow Manny Ramirez to Stay Home and Admire Fly Balls?

Struggling Loretta to Ride Some Pine Tonight

Sox Flop in the Trop

Rays Run Around the Bases While Sox Walk into a Dead End
Casey Koufax Shuts Down Pathetic Offense
as Tampa Bay Coasts to 5-2 Win

Will It Get Worse Before It Gets Better?
Remember the Days of Clutch Hitting and Comeback Wins?
Lenny DiNardo (gulp), a Nation Turns It's Angry Eyes to You
This Would Never Happen if Theo Epstein Were Still Alive

Clement Returned to the Mound at the Trop for the First Time Since...

Catch All the Excitement of Red Sox Baseball in April

Pitching-Thin Sox May
Have to Go to the Matt

If DiNardo is Needed Tonight, Matt Ginter Starts Tomorrow

Jonathan Papel-box

Sox vs. Yanks Already Underway

As a preview to the upcoming Sox-Yankees matchup at Fenway on Monday, Jon Papelbon strapped on the Xbox Live headset and challenged Yankees reliever Kyle Farnsworth in a virtual match up playing MLB 2K6 on Xbox Live.

Gaming from Cleveland, Papelbon opted against starting Curt Schilling or Josh Becket, handing the ball to knuckleball specialist, Tim Wakefield. Back in New York, Farnsworth went with Randy Johnson.

Farnsworth had the Big Unit's pitches working early, breezing through the first three batters, which earned a compliment from Papelbon who said, “Man, that splitter is nasty.”

Johnny Don't-Boo-Me Damon led off the bottom of the first with a base hit and with two outs, juice guy Jason Giambi knocked a triple off the wall in right center, scoring Damon.

The Sox got on the board in the top of the second when Manny Still-Slumping Ramirez scored on a wild pitch, but the Yanks broke the tie in the bottom of the inning when Jorge On-Dirt-Dogs-Fantasy-Team Posada hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Hideki Matsui.

Both teams put up zeros in the third, but the Yanks were dealt a huge blow in the top of the fourth when Giambi left the game due to an "abdominal strain" after diving into the stands to catch a foul ball. Possibly rattled by Giambi’s sudden injury, Farnsworth unleashed a 98-mile-per-hour heater with cyber Randy, almost taking off David Ortiz’s head. “That got me off the plate, but you better not come in again,” said Papelbon who then proceeded to drill a line-drive base hit with Big Papi.

After advancing on a wild pitch and a single by Mike Lowell, Dirt Dog Trot Nixon stepped up to the plate with runners at first and third with two outs. Trot pounded a Johnson changeup into the right field corner, scoring Ortiz easily. Playing the ball off the wall, Gary "Chris House Is Back at Fenway" Sheffield threw a strike to virtual Yankees 2B Robinson Cano as Lowell rounded third attempting to score. Cano got the ball out of his glove quickly, firing a bullet to Jorge Posada who applied a quick tag on Lowell for the out, ending the top half of the fourth inning with the teams tied 2-2.

Shutting each other out in the fifth and sixth innings, Farnsworth came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning on a mission. “Get a pitch up in the zone, come on Bernie,” Farnsworth shouted as the Yankees DH, Bernie Williams, took to the plate. After belting a solid single off Wake, Papelbon decided to make a pitching change and brought in Iron Mike Timlin who proceeded sit the next three Yankee batters down in order.

With the score remaining tied at two heading into the top of the ninth, Farnsworth made an interesting move –- passing over himself to bring in Worcester's Own Tanyon Sturtze. Sturtze made the biggest mistake of the game on his very first pitch, leaving a belt high fastball over the plate to Manny Ramirez who crushed it 500 feet, landing in the back row of the bleachers in right center. Adding insult to injury, Jason Varitek nailed the very next pitch over the wall in center, putting the Red Sox ahead 4-2.

Up by two runs heading into the bottom of the ninth, Papelbon brought in himself to shut the door naturally. “I know this guy can bring it,” Papelbon said of himself jokingly. After retiring the Yankees 1-2-3 in the ninth for the Red Sox win, Papelbon proclaimed that the Yankees should expect the same outcome when they hit the field for real on Monday night. (Information courtesy of Alan Taylor Communications)

Schilling to Retire After 2007!... as Reported in Feb. 2005
In Other Breaking News, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is Still Dead

Schill's Read on Roger

“ 'I find the whole thing about him coming back to Boston almost a comedy in and of itself. That there are people in Boston who would hate this guy and not know this guy has never cheated anybody in his life or not know how hurt he was the last two years he was here, how much crap he had to pitch through.

“ 'And then, for a guy like (former Sox general manager) Dan Duquette to call him out and say he’s on the back end of his career. That was the biggest middle finger ever given to a player from the front office. You know, I laugh at (stuff) like that.' ” -- 2.28.06, Curt Schilling to Steve Buckley, Boston Herald (subscription only)

Josh Pit

Beckett Gets Slammed
Indians Rake at the Jake, 15-3

Beckett Disrespects the Game and Screams at Himself
That Sound You Heard Was Johnny Damon Booing from the Bronx
On Second Thought: Roger Clemens Says Thanks But No Thanks
It's Offensive: Time for Coco to Rip Off the Splint and Grab a Bat
Maybe Manny Ramirez Should Pitch and Manny Delcarmen Should Bat
Ben Hurt: Theo Should Have Held Out for Broussard

Coco Knows Best

“I think he’s gonna get a lot of cheers, you’re gonna have your boo-birds, kinda get drowned out by a lot of applause because he's done so much for this club.” -- 4.27.06, Coco Crisp to CBS4's Dan Roche on Johnny Damon's triumphant return to Fenway on Monday

Video: Delmon Young Throws Bat at Umpire

Now Foulke Wants to Take 'The Ball' From the Fans

And He Wants His Shoes Back!

"Foulke said he still believes he deserves to have the ball. A teammate, who did not want to be identified, agreed.

" 'It's not on my mantel where it should be,' Foulke told the Hartford Courant Wednesday...

" 'As far as I know, I've never heard of a team wanting the ball so badly,' Foulke said. 'It's one of those deals where I got the last out. I think that's kind of the common practice in baseball [to give the ball to the pitcher on the mound].'

"Foulke said he had asked Mientkiewicz for the ball over the winter following the World Series but was turned down. Now that it's in Cooperstown, Foulke knows he has no chance to get his hands on it.

" 'Speaking of the Hall of Fame, do you know where my shoes are?' Foulke asked. 'I'm still looking to get back our stuff that went in after last year. We've got to find it. They said they're only keeping it for a year. I would imagine the White Sox got their display in there now. I want my stuff back.'" -- 4.27.06, Hartford Courant

And Now 'The Ball' Is Speaking Out About Minky's Abuse

" 'I know that the ordeal is over now, and I'm aware that this sort of thing happens to baseballs every day, but Doug Mientkiewicz took a part of me that I will never get back,' said the scuffed, dirty ball, which will be restored to its original condition by trained professionals in the coming weeks. 'Mr. Mientkiewicz absconded with me, and brought me into a world of lies and deception for his own petty financial gain. He locked me inside a small box for months at a time for what he called 'safe keeping.' I can tell you, there is nothing safe about darkness.' " -- 4.27.06, The Onion

Ball Game Over: '04 Series Ball Heading to Hall

Wallace to Have Surgery; Hansen Promoted to PawSox
Gordon Edes Thursday Chat Transcript

When Johnny Comes Flying Home Again

Don't Be a Hater, 'Cause He's Not a Traitor
If You're Going to Fenway Monday, Do the Right Thing
and Show Johnny What We're Made Of

"I just hope the fans there remember the good times we had together... I don't know what's going to happen when I get there, but I know I gave them everything I had... I don't want them to hate me. I don't want them to think I'm a traitor. We have enough hatred in the world without this... I don't understand some people, using biblical terms to criticize me when this is just a game. People saying some stupid things about me: 'I'm a traitor. All I care about is money. I'm not grateful.' It's crazy. People have the right to say what they want, but as long as I can go to bed at night and look myself in the mirror, I'll be all right. I know who I am. And I know I'm a good person." -- Johnny Damon: 4.26.06, USA Today Sports Weekly

"I certainly hope he will be greeted fondly for all of the contributions he made here to our success. I think that is appropriate initially, and then he's on his own." -- Red Sox President Larry Lucchino: 4.26.06, USA Today Sports Weekly

"I would be more upset for Coco Crisp if they booed me. The fans should be happy about having him, and I know he's happy about being there. I was happy about being there, too. If they boo me, it's just showing displeasure for how the team is being run and that they don't like the player they have." -- Johnny Damon: 4.27.06, The Sporting News

Video: Johnny and Michelle Cook with Martha Stewart
Your Turn: Would You Cheer Johnny on Monday?

Angst Lee

Cliff Lee Gives Sox Fits
Bats Quiet Again for Tim in 7-1 Slaughter

Wake Hangs a Fastball to Peralta, Game Over
Shocker: A Lefty Shuts Down Red Sox Lineup
Give No-Hold-Bard a Break, It Ain't Easy. Maybe 'Tek Should Step Up?
Wily Mo Ties Bronson Arroyo with Second Homer

"He's [Bard] not the reason we're losing -- I am. So get off him." -- Tim Wakefield, the No Luck Knuckleballer

Time to Buy Your Roger Clemens Red Sox T-Shirt?

Nip on Roger's Return | Sox No. 1 Choice | Wily Mo in Center?
Old Friend Bronson Arroyo Goes to 4-0 with One Hit Win
Lefty, Righty, Awful | More 'Tessie' Torture | High on Lowell

Stand and Deliver

He Likes to Watch... the Red Sox Win
Comeback Kids Aren't Fit to Be Tied, Indians Get 8-6'd

A Hot Manny is Good to Find on a Cold Night in Cleveland
They Were Caught in No Manny's Land: 'Tek, Ramirez Run into Outs
DeMarlo Sveum? Plays at the Plate Too Close for Comfort
Schill Win Blown: 7 Wasn't Heaven for Curt Tiant and His 311 Pitches
Get Your Mota Running: Former Sox Sauerbeck and Mota Ignite Rally
'Pen Props: Foulke Looked Sharp, Timlin Gets Super Sizemore Strikeout
Ho Hum, PapelVaughn Keeps Rollin' On with Ninth Save
Willie or Won't He?... Replace Harris on the Roster

Extra Bases: Wake, Beckett to Face Yanks

Clemens Not Too Far Out of Shape | Ask Edes: Chin Music
Eric Wilbur: The Twilight Zone

Spectacular Effort

Third Annual 100 Innings of Baseball Spectacular in the Books
Final Score: Team Stamina 69, Team Endurance 66

The Boston Men’s Baseball League completed their third annual “100 Innings of Baseball” game at Fitton Field in Worcester last weekend in windy, rainy, and cold conditions. The game aims to bring awareness and raise funds to help eliminate Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. In a remarkably close contest, Team Stamina outlasted Team Endurance by a score of 69-66. The game was tied as late as the 97th inning.

(Shonda Schilling with umpire Walter Bentson and Brett Rudy, Event Coordinator from Boston Men’s Baseball League)

The first pitch was thrown at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning and the game was played with no stops through the night -- finally finishing up on Sunday afternoon around 4 p.m., some 30 hours later. More than 120 local amateur players suited up to raise funds over the course of the event. Twenty-two “Iron Men” were in the lineup for the full tilt -- a new record.

Walter Bentson, a local umpire battling PLS (primary lateral sclerosis -- a neuromuscular disease in the same family as ALS), successfully completed his mission of being on hand for all 100 innings. Though his doctors urged him to just umpire one symbolic inning, Walter’s determination found him behind the plate for over two-thirds of the game, including the first and 100th innings.

(Shonda pitching a scoreless 94th inning)

Shonda Schilling made a relief appearance in the 94th inning for Team Endurance. The marathoner retired the first two batters on easy ground balls. Then, taking a page from Curt’s book to work the inside part of the plate more, she threw a high hard one that plunked the next batter. She immediately received a “warning” from umpire Bentson. She then showed off more of that Schilling heat, allowing one hit in her appearance.

Proceeds from the game are benefiting the ALS Association MA Chapter and the Curt’s Pitch for ALS Program -- the initiative started by the Schillings. The 2006 total is still being tallied, but the event will have brought in over $300,000 for the battle against ALS in three years time. Donations are still being accepted and can be made by visiting www.100innings.org.

Just Say Yesmar!

High 5: Garciaparra Injures Astros with Grand Slam

Not Your Typical Garciapopup as Media Darling Hits a Big Dinger
(No Reports of Nomar Injury on the Swing or Trot Around the Bases)

Whole New Board Game: Make Fenway Monopoly's New Boardwalk

What a Relief!

Keith Foulke Has a Whopper of an Outing
Sox Stop Streak, Avoid Sweep, Beat Toronto 6-3

Jays Look Weak-Kneed: Keith Finally Shows Some Teeth
Sox Control Towers While Clement Kept Boston in the Game
Papi Shifts Gears: Toronto Punts, So He Bunts (and Homers)
Where's His Contract Extension? Nixon Hits, Runs, and Catches
Another Double for Lowell While Gonzo Stays Above .200
Jon 'Wild Thing' PapelVaughn Takes Care of Big Guns for 8th Save

Coco Glass?

"A May 15 return, coincidentally, would place Crisp back in Baltimore, where he was injured April 8 awkwardly sliding into third base. If he were to return on that date, he will have missed five weeks and 33 games. Despite the reckless abandon with which he played, Johnny Damon, in his four seasons with the Sox, played in all but 51 of 648 possible games." -- 4.24, Chris Snow, Boston Globe

Ball Game Over: '04 Series Ball Heading to Hall

DiNardo Disaster

No Drama, Just a Savage Beating Right from the Start
Sox Drop Third Straight, 8-1

Lenny's Lineup Takes a Holiday Against Halliday
Trot Stays Hot, Hitting .385 While Ump's Out Call Was Cheap
The Pawtucket Shuffle: Van Buren Goes Down, Delcarmen Coming Up
Time to Close the Deal on Clemens

Something Wild for Papelbon

Hair Do's and Don'ts: It's a Close Shave for the Closer

6-2... and Jays Get Even

Beckett Blew It, Tito Too

Josh Ignites Jays Rally in Extra Painful Loss
Sox Give Away a Win: Toronto 7, Boston 6

Stupid Is as Stupid Does: Beckett Decides to Hit Hill, Sox Go Downhill
The Real Kiss of Death: Going to Timlin in the Eighth in a Tight Game
Blame Tito: Francona Afraid to Let Papelbon Get a 5-Out Save
That's My Manny: Ramirez Finally Wakes Up and Goes Deep
A.J. Burnett Packs Bags for the Keith Foulke Alabama BBQ Tour
No Foulke Implosion, But the Ump Was a Chump on Strike Three
Overbay and Out: Another Rudy Awakening, Say Sayonara to Seanez

"I know I didn't end up with the 'L' beside my name, but it's totally my fault. I can't explain it. I'm quite embarrassed about it... I made some bad pitches and just one of those deals, I guess. That's what big league hitters do when you don't execute pitches. They hit them hard. It's a tough lineup over there. It was just one of those things. There's got to be some kind of deal you learn from this." -- 4.21, Josh Beckett on blowing the game

Mayday, Mayday: Not Having Crisp Is Starting to Hurt
Coco's Attempt to Steal Third Base in the Third Inning of Fifth Game of the Season Worked Out Well

Is Roger Getting Ready to
Return to Boston?

Boston Dirt Dogs has learned that the Red Sox may now be the frontrunner in the Roger Clemens sweepstakes. Clemens reportedly said Wednesday he'd like to put No. 21 on his back and finish his career where he started. The Yankees are supposedly his second choice even though owner George Steinbrenner hasn't yet made Roger an offer; however, Roger expects him to at some point. The Astros may have moved up to Roger's third choice while the Texas Rangers, who made a great presentation, are not generating any real excitement in the Clemens camp.

According to MLB.com, Clemens said Wednesday that physically, his body feels pretty good, and that his arm is "not too far away" after working out with son Koby, an Astros prospect playing at Class A Lexington, for five days recently. Clemens also said he is enjoying retirement and isn't ready to think about pitching again at this point. "I understand the Red Sox side of it, the history with New York and I understand what's happened here [in Houston] the last few years," Clemens said on Wednesday. "Again, that's just not something I'm thinking about just yet. I'm going to pass on those questions right at this point. I've not decided to go there there just yet. I'm getting updates and calls from the other three teams. They're very flattering. If I decide to go in that direction, I'll get myself mentally prepared for that."

In his ESPN Insider blog, Peter Gammons writes today "There is a growing feeling in Houston that even though the Astros have three rookies in their rotation that owner Drayton McLane would rather not spend the coin for Roger Clemens, and would rather have him sign with the Yankees or Red Sox and paint him as a mercenary. The Yankees-Red Sox bidding war is a Hendricks Brothers' dream. Then it will come down to Clemens' reverence for Joe Torre versus seeing his No. 21 retired in Fenway as he passes Cy Young."

Kazmir Makes Sox Soft

Lefty Has the Right Stuff Against Boston Again
Sox Lose Easily 5-1

Kazzz Puts Sox Bats to Sleep
We Need Mohr of That: Dustan Homer Not Enough
Run Away from Gomes: Two Homers from Jonny Hurt
Bats Won't Wake Up: Another Tough Luck Loss for Tim
Room .222: Can We Talk About 'Tek's Slump Yet?
Oh My Bard: Will There Be Better Days Ahead?

Extra Bases: Fenway Updates on a Down Night
Some Minor Matters | TC: A Stern Grasp | Wilbur: Plus/Minus April
ESPN.com Projects Schilling Will Go 43-0

Fat Cat Still Playing Like a Dog

Will the $20 Million Manny Step Up Soon?

Return of the Idiots?

Since When Did Fenway Become Loserville?

Security Blanket: A Member of the Sox Security Staff Brings Down a Clown Who Disrupted Last Night's Game and Was Hopefully Sent to Jail
(Belichick Should Take Note of the Open Field Tackle Technique)