Two-Day Hangover

Sloppy Sox Make Four Errors in Awful 10-3 Loss to Jays
The Good News: At Least the Yankees Are in Last
More Good News: Lester Starting For Pawtucket

"It was a tough game. We made four errors tonight and it's not going to help you win ballgames. All you can do is put it behind you, that's it." -- 4.24.07, Eric Hinske

Buzzkill

Blue Jays Rain on Sox Parade, 7-3
Letdown Was Bound to Happen After the High of the Yankees Sweep

"It was a lethargic day. It didn't feel like we had the energy we had against New York. It didn't seem like we had anything going. Sometimes you don't have it every single day. A little blah today." -- 4.23.07, Doug Mirabelli

Fantastic Four

History-Making Homers Power Sox to Sweep-Clinching Win
Red Sox Take Third Straight From Yankees, 7-6

Manny, Drew, Lowell, and Varitek Make History
Lowell Does it Again in Seventh
Dice-K Just OK, But Good Enough
Chase Wright Has the Right Stuff for Red Sox

Game Photos | Pick your favorite weekend moment

"I'll tell you, I haven't been part of anything like that, not even in Little League. It was good to see Manny put a swing like that on the ball, and then J.D. crushed one. I just wanted to get hold of one, and I did. The dugout was going crazy. It was a unique feeling." -- 4.22.07, Mike Lowell on being part of the Sox' back-to-back-to-back-to-back homers

Welcome to Broomtown

Matsuzaka Should Be Money in the Bank Tonight

Big Time

Papi Puts Sox on Top to Stay,
Boston Takes Game 2, Too, 7-5

MVP for a Day: Papi Wins the A-Rod Award on Saturday
Just Win Baby: Beckett Just Good Enough to Get a W
Oki-Doki: Lefty Reliever Is Becoming a Not-So-Secret Weapon
The Small Ball Sox: Bunting Their Way to Wins
Get in the Game: Front Row Fans Let Minky Steal Another Ball
Two Timers: 'Tek and Coco Stay on the Comeback Trail
Bizarro Sox: Everyone Hits But J.D.
Papelbon Voyage
Game Photos

"You play the game. You've got to be aggressive. Sometimes you think too much and don't do your thing, don't take chances. You've got to play the way you know how to play the game." -- 4.21.07, Alex Cora on laying down a bunt hit

The Gr8 Escape

It's a Green Party at Fenway as Sox Seize the Mo-ment in 8th; Okaji is More Than OK in the 9th

Comeback Kids Knock Out New York, 7-6
Bottoms Up! Lowell, 'Tek, Coco, Cora Lead the Way to a Win
Okajimania at Fenway: A-Rod Learns Japanese the Hard Way
Nothing Left for the Yankees: Mike Myers Can't Stop Papi from Starting Rally
Extra Crispy: It Was the Biggest Hit in the History of Earth for Coco
The Hit Parade: Varitek's Bat Makes a Cameo Appearance
Spring Preview: Rodriguez Shows What He'll Do at Fenway for 81 Games in '08
Strike That From the Record: Ump Lost Sight of His Job in Spotlight
Forget Me Not: Kyle Snyder Comes Through in Clutch Situation
Cora! Cora! Cora! ... Must Get More Starts
Even Red Would Agree: Ban the Green Shirts Forever [Red Tomato Tops, Too]

"...But it's an exciting night for us to run Oki out there and watch what he did. You saw the excitement in everyone's faces... I patted him on the chest. I think I knocked him back about 2 feet." -- 4.20.07, Terry Francona on the save of the year

Turning Point

Give Coco an 'A' for Effort on A-Rod Blast
And for Blasting a Triple Off Rivera

Schilling's Not at a Loss for Words After Big Sox Win
Extra Bases: Okaji Interview | Friday Game Photos

Now on DVD: Red Sox Baby, Part II

New A-Rod Chant at Fenway Tonight:
"MIS-Ter AAA-Pril ...
MIS-Ter AAA-Pril ..."

Ready or Not ...

... Here They Come

Ryan: Rivalry Not So Big | TC: The Rivalry Is Back

Sox Break Out Alec
to Cool Off Alex

Baldwin Welcomes Bombers to Boston
Hot Head Expected to Heckle MLB's Hottest Hitter Tonight

Angry Actor Hopes to Scare the Hit Out of A-Rod

"I don't give a damn that you're 31-years-old or 32-years-old, or a diva, or that your agent is a thoughtless pain in the ass who doesn't care about what you do next season... You've been getting a lot of hits but the Red Sox and I are going to STRAIGHTEN YOUR ASS OUT TONIGHT!" -- 4.20.07, An irate Alec Baldwin in a phone call to Alex Rodriguez

A Rally Big Win

Manny Gets In the Game, and Cora Delivers on Both Ends
Sox Come Back to Beat Jays, 5-3

File Under Clutch: Manny Hits a Rope to Tie the Game in 8th
Coco Knows: A Bunt Is as Good as a Hit, Wait... It Is a Hit
Tip Your Cap to Julian Tavarez for Keeping it Real... Close
No Damage: Piniero, Romero, and Timlin Hold On for Papelbon
All the Right Moves: Tito Francona Flying Under the Radar

On Second Thought ...

Should We See More of Cora?

Overbay Goes Overboard and Alex Takes One the Hard Way

"It was a tackle. I don't mind people going hard, but when you see the replay, he's going in with his hands up, he can't reach the bag. I don't mind when they go hard, but not with their hands up... That's something I really don't like in the game. That part really bothers me sometimes." -- 4.19.07, Alex Cora on being taken out at second base by Lyle Overbay

High Fives All Around ...

Low Fives Too, Because ...

It's Sayonara Sanjaya!

And Sox Top Jays, 4-1
A Great Indoorsman: Wake's Officially on a Roll
Three Earned Runs in 20 Innings

Papi Picks It Up, While Manny's Not Being Manny
Mike Lowell, Going Deep, Hitting .280
Oh My Josh Bard: Mirabelli Bangs Out Another One
Warning: Coco Crisp Criticism Free Zone, Pedroia Too
Papelbon Creates His Own Save

The Dice Deck? Fenway May Get New Seats on Right Field Roof
King for a Day? Felix Hernandez Injured
Schilling: More Q&A and Observations

Dice-BB

Bases Loaded Dice Unravels in Fatal Fourth Inning
Jays 2, Sox 1, Matsuzaka Now 1-2

MatsuzaKKKKKKKKKKa Plays Fast and Loose, But Still Loses
Another Quiet Night for Spotty Sox Offense
Jays Starter Steps Up: Another Chacin Redemption Against Boston
Okaji Picks Up Where Dice-K Left Off
Welcome to the Season, Wily Mo
Would Have Been a Good Time for Manny To Come Through

Things Could Be Worse ...

Easy as Pie

Slice-K Hits His Mark, Then Gets Tossed From Park

Bats + Beckett = Blowout at Fenway
Sox Romp 7-2, Outscore Angels 25-3 in Three-Game Rout
Watch the Pizza-Tossing Incident and Laugh All Over Again
The New Yorker: Waiting for Manny

Here's to You, Mr. Robinson

Summer of 42: Robinson's Impact Beyond the Number

Taxing Season

Extra Bases: Rainy Days and Sunday Notes
38Pitches: Schilling Breaks Down a Command Performance

The Write Stuff

Take Note: Schill Sharp Again in Another Blowout Win
The Winning Numbers: 8 Innings, 4 Hits, No Runs, 2.84 ERA
Red Sox 8, Angels 0

Say Hello to the Eric Hinske of Old
J.D. Hits End: Drew Flew Out of the Gate with 9 Game Hit Streak
Papi's Got His Pop Back and Slow Starting Manny Gets and RBI
Not Your Average Bottom Feeders: Varitek, Pedrioa .222... Coco .111

"I absolutely thought I was going to finish that game right up through the (28-pitch) seventh inning. Going back out for the ninth would have been me trying to get a shutout as opposed to me trying to make 33 or 34 starts and be as healthy as I can for every one." -- 4.15.07, Curt Schilling don't need no gratuitous complete games

Mission Timpossible

Seven Strong: Wakefield of Dreams Can Still Come True
Standing Ovation for Overlooked Knuckleballer
Red Sox 10, Angels 1

Battery Power: Mirabelli Bangs One Out, 2 RBIs
Lugo go go: Leadoff looks like a strength again with Julio at the helm
Pap Was in the Right Place at the Right Time
Papi Picks It Up in the RBI Dept.
C'mon Coco, No Pressure Here

"He's [Mirabelli's] so valuable to me. Tonight, he won the game for us." -- 4.13.07, Tim Wakefield making sure the much-maligned Mirabelli gets his 15 minutes for stepping up

FARM REPORT by Gary Jacobs

Caretaker of the Future

PAWTUCKET, RI | April 13, 2007-- It’s opening night in Pawtucket, and two hours before game time, McCoy Stadium is filling.

Fans in the blue general admission seats arrive early to stake their claim in the seats of their choice, which is almost completely pointless; there truly is no bad seat here, with the possible exception of the hundred or so seats for which the overhanging press box obstructs their view of the field.

The player/media parking lot is choked with police and fire honor guards, practicing their drills, making sure their shoes and badges are shined to a high gleam. In the public areas of the stadium, as well as the hidden hallways underneath the stands, the smell of new paint contends with the more traditional aromas of hot dogs and beer. McCoy is old – older than can be covered up by a coat of paint – but it is spotlessly clean, and that’s really all you can ask of a stadium that is older than most of the people in it.

On the field the PawSox are taking infield practice, and the man with the bat is no coach; it is the skipper of the team himself, Ron Johnson. As often as not there is a smile on his face, which is typical of RJ, as he is known; he is as far removed from the stereotypical crusty baseball lifer as it gets. Unfailingly positive and never one to deliver a message through the media, his players to a man enjoy playing for him.

“Well, I enjoy being their manager,” says Johnson. “Therefore I think it’ll maybe rub off and they enjoy playing for me. I don’t want to create an atmosphere where guys don’t want to be at the ballpark. If that goes hand in hand with wanting to play for me, then sure.”

***
Johnson was first drafted by the then-California Angels in the 13th round in 1976, but didn’t sign, opting instead to attend Fresno State University. After a standout collegiate career (first team All-American in 1978), he was drafted by Kansas City in the 24th round, thus beginning a tenure in professional baseball that is entering its 30th year.

His own major-league career was short-lived; it started with a September callup in 1982. “I’ll never forget that day [September 12], because it was in Anaheim, and I grew up in Garden Grove,” he remembers. “It was really neat for me because my Dad was in the stands. And he ended up passing away of prostate cancer…he was my biggest fan. It was obviously not a long career, so to be able to play your first game, have your first at-bat with your Dad in the stands, it was pretty special.”

After spending parts of the next two seasons in the bigs, playing mostly first base but spend some time in the outfield and even a few games catching, he was demoted by the Montreal Expos in 1984 and never saw Major League action again.

Johnson: “I spent ’85 in the minor leagues. I was in the twilight of a mediocre career. It was very obvious that my playing days were coming to an end. I got released by the Tigers in 86, got picked up by the White Sox and finished out the season there up in Buffalo. The next season I was just out…working in a carpet store.”

After ending the first phase of his career, he embarked on his second; after contacting John Schuerholz, who originally drafted him, he took a position as a part-time coach in the Royals farm system. By 1992 he had become the manager of the Single-A Baseball City Royals. He worked his way through the organization, eventually taking the helm of the triple-A Omaha squad just two years later.