He Was the Texas On Man Today

Boston 5, Seattle 0 | Candle in the Win for the Birthday Boy
Redemption Song? Happy Birthday to You
Beckett's Bottom Line: 7 IP, 4 Hits, 0 Runs, 9 Ks
Stop the Presses: 4 Straight Games Under 3 Hours
Big Papi Gives Mariners the Run-Around, Two Ways
Sox Outscoring Opponents 34-8 During 5-Win Streak
Hold the Applause: Bobby Should Have Taken Him Out Mid-Inning
And It's the 732nd Consecutive Sellout to Boot, No Really
Ichiro? He Plays for Seattle. Sincerely, Jimi Williams
So What Do We Have Here with Mr. Daniel Nava?
The 0-drian Gonzalez Watch in On Again
Aviles's Bat Comes Alive in the 9-Hole

"That's his saddle and he looked pretty comfortable in it." -- Bobby V, postgame

"I don't think I was trying to make a statement." -- Josh Beckett, on his early velocity

Finally, Jon Lester's the Complete Package

Boston 6, Seattle 1 | Four in a Row for the Red Hot Red Sox
Master and Commander: Lester Effort Helps Right the Ship
Just Sayin' Dept.: Josh Reddick, 9 HRs, Adrian Gonzalez Has 2
Water Seeks Its Own Level. Sincerely, Mike Aviles
Deep Threats Nava, Shop Homer in Easy Win
Streak Over for Dustin Pedroia at 14
Best Park: Game Time: 2:25

"When you're working fast, it's a good thing to be able to pitch and not think about anything. Sometimes you have nights like this where things are going your way." -- Jon Lester on being the anti-Josh Beckett

(BDD / MAGUIRE)

Nice W-W-Weekend

(Globe and Wire Photos)

After Beckett Blow Up, Sox Bounce Back Against Tribe

Friday: Boston 7, Cleveland 5 | Buchholz Stays Off Bus to Pawtucket
Captain Pedroia Stays Red Hot with 3 RBIs
Another Not-So-Clean Save for Aceves
Saturday: Boston 4, Cleveland 1 | Doubront Does It Again
Ross Puts Game Away with HR No. 6
Another Day, Another Save for Aceves
Sunday: Boston 12, Cleveland 1 | Mother of All Blowouts
Salty Shakes Up the Offense, Willowbrooks Homers Again
Hot Nava: Little Left Fielder Gets Right in the Flow
Bard's a Little Shaky, But It Doesn't Matter

Beckett Finds the Rough Against the Indians
Then Buries Himself in the Trap Postgame

EVERYBODY HATES JOSH:
Beckett to Bradford: 'No One Else Wants You Here Except for Your Teammates'
Mazz: Beckett's the Second Coming of the Texas Con Man... Roger Dodger
Passan: Beckett's Golf Round Further Proof Red Sox Aren't His Top Priority
Wilbur: Beckett Needs to Go for Good of the Franchise
Tomase: Beckett Off Course | Light 'Em Up, Bobby V
Edes: Defiant Beckett Doesn't Get It
Video: Beckett Defends Golf Outing

"I don’t want to be part of a reality show. If I wanted to be part of a reality show I would move to LA. That’s not what I’m here for. I’m here to win baseball games and we’re not doing a good job of that. Am I part of the solution or am I part of the problem? I want to part of the solution, not part of the problem..."

"It sucks because it seems nobody else wants you here except for your teammates. What are supposed to do? What am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to go home and pout and take that home with me. That ain’t happening. That’s not me. Like I said, if I wanted to be part a reality show I would go to LA. I’m not into that." -- Josh Beckett to Rob Bradford

(BDD Photo Illustration)

Beckett: "This is like being in a reality show. Khloe and Lamar in Boston."

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) May 11, 2012

"They took the beer out of the clubhouse, but nothing changed. They switched the man in the manager's office, but he's no better. The rot in the Boston Red Sox organization runs too deep for cosmetic upgrades, and nobody better personifies it than Josh Beckett, the clueless, defiant egomaniac who's poisoning another Red Sox season." -- Jeff Passan, Yahoo Sports

"We get 18 off days a year. I think we deserve a little time to ourselves... I spend my off days the way I want to spend them... My off day is my off day." -- Josh Beckett, off base again

"It doesn't look good." -- Bobby V on Michael Kay show today... no wonder he was ill prepared for his press conference with the Boston media

The New York Yankees #ThingsBostonLikesMoreThanJoshBeckettRightNow

— Eric Stangel (@EricStangel) May 11, 2012

(BDD Photo Illustration / Steve Garberg)

1. Change 'Didn't Execute' to 'Flat Pitches'
2. Cash Weekly Check for $302,884.00
3. Nod Whenever Valentine Speaks
4. Ask Wife How Baby Is Doing
5. Work On My Short Game

(BDD / James MacLeod Cartoons)

From Bridge Year to
Year of the Bagman

It's BYOBag at Fenway Again Tonight

Meet Bag Man, the New President of Red Sox Nation

Had to take bag off head at Fenway ... People behind couldn't see. The other 30 thousand people wish they couldn't

— Jon O'Hara(@JonOcomedy) May 11, 2012

While Josh Spends All His Time Putting Around
For The Wollaston Whisperer

"But I'm sure that Josh wouldn't do anything that's going to jeopardize his team or his season. I know that." -- Bobby V, the comedian

Beckett Hung McDonald Out to Dry Sunday, But He Hit Long Drives on Thursday
Josh Couldn't Pitch in the 17th, But He Had No Problem Playing 18 Holes
Yes, Hitting Long Drives All Day Long Is the Best Remedy for a Bad Back
Every Game Counts, Every Game... Every Game... Especially Golf

He's Got the World on a String

(BDD Photo Illustration / Steve Garberg)

Beckett Keeps Doing Whatever He Wants, Whenever He Wants
And No One in the Red Sox Organization Will Stand Up to Him

"If that was the case [that Beckett played 18 holes], I would say that was less than the best thing to do on that day off." -- Bobby V yesterday

"I've never seen a pitcher get hurt playing golf." -- the shell of the puppet that is Bobby V today... after they got to him

And Some Cheers for Our Ears

(Oct. 20, 2004: Getty Images Photo)

Now More Than Ever, the Red Sox Could Use
A Couple of Likable Guys That We Loved to Love
Welcome Home Derek Lowe and Johnny Damon

(Oct. 20, 2004: Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis)

Give It Up Tonight for 2 Special Members of 'The 25'

(Oct. 6, 2003: Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin)

Thanks for the Memories Johnny and D-Lowe

(Feb. 22, 2005: Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis)

A Look Back at the Life and Good Times of Johnny Damon

(Boston Globe Advertisement )

No, Really, The Pleasure Was All Ours

"Coming in here, you kind of get these old vibes that are fresh in your mind. We had a lot of good memories here, and I have a lot of fond memories of the players. It's a great place to play, too." -- 6.19.09, Derek Lowe makes a Brave return

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls
Fenway Park Won't Be the Same Without 'The Voice'
Rest in Peace, Carl Beane

Finn: Beane Dies While Driving
Petraglia: Beane Was Much More Than the Voice of Fenway

(BDD / MAGUIRE)

Remembering Beane Ball

(CarlBeane.com Photo)

Sox Announcer Held Back After Benches Clear in 2007

'Now Being Restrained for the Red Sox Media Team, Carl Beane'

"New York pitcher Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record and ESPN.com drilled Red Sox broadcaster Uri Berenguer (Spanish Beisbol Network) with a fastball in the helmet. Berenguer collected himself off the dirt before saying a few words to Klapisch, who approached home plate with more adult words. Both players were restrained. Benches emptied. Red Sox [media team] manager Carl Beane got into the action, which featured plenty of pushing and shoving." -- -- 6.4.07, Kevin Gray, Union Leader Blog

Royals Rally in the 8th for Win, Sox Season Slip Sliding Away

Kansas City 6, Boston 4 | No Finishing Touch for Red Sox
Gonzo Hits Just Enough to Get Everyone Off His Back for a Day
Vaunted Red Sox Offense Puts up Goose eggs from the Sixth Inning On
Middlebrooks Cramp Puts Damper on Fast Start for Youk's Replacement
Will He or Won't He Be Able to Stay in the Lineup the Rest of the Way?
Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Matt Albers Blowing the Save

"I thought [Bard] was in complete control of the game." -- Bobby V... wrong again

Let's play the player game:

Player A is Dustin Pedroia. He's the third best hitting second baseman in Major League Baseball (.309/.384/.504), 4 home runs, plays flawless defense, 14 walks against 15 strikeouts, makes $8 million this season.

Player B is Adrian Gonzalez. He's the 12th best hitting first baseman in Major League Baseball (.280/.343/.390), 2 home runs, 12 walks against 24 strikeouts, makes $21 million this season.

Could This Be the Second Coming of One of
The Last Great Third Basemen?

No. 64's Season Is Starting to Look Like Brooks Robinson's MVP Year in '64
2 Home Runs, 10 Total Bases for the Red Hot Red Sox Rookie
Youk Can Take All the Time He Needs. Sincerely, Bob from Accountemps
Cold School Hamels Would Like to Welcome Will Middlebrooks to the Big Leagues
I Don't Think It's Fair for Youkilis to Lose His Job. Sincerely, Drew Bledsoe
Kevin Youkilis Will Now Be Known as the Greek God of Pinch Hitting
Where There's a Will There's a Way...
The Weary 11, Kansas City 5 | Road Sweet Road
16 Hits After 17 Innings Gets Hapless Sox Back on the Winning Track in KC
The $173,186,617 Team Beat Up on the $60,916,225 Team, Thank You Bud Selig
Under the Radar: Pedroia Hitting .343 Over the Last 15 Games
Doubront Was Decent, Which Means Excellent to Bobby V
Strand Theater: V-Pad Saves Sox

"Just wanted to help the team win." -- Will Middlebrooks, who may have inherited the Adrian Gonzalez personality gene

"It shouldn’t be mathematically possible for me to run that far." -- Kelly Shoppach on his first career triple

(BDD / MAGUIRE)

Coming Soon to a Rotation Near You

Matsuzaka's Still a Wild Man, and He's Added a Bad Elbow to His Repertoire
So It's Time for Bobby V to Make Room for Dice-K

Adam Bomb Sinks Sox in 17
Orioles Lower the Broom at Fenway

Baltimore 9, Boston 6 | Stinko de Mayo Party Rocks On at Fenway
Wilbur: Gonzalez the Perfect Face for These Free-Falling Sox
Byrd Doesn't Exactly Fly Around the Bases, Does He?
Ain't Life Grand? Middlebrooks Likes to Watch
Maybe Clay Buchholz Could Be Mr. Mop Up Man?
Curse of the Andino: 3-Run Blast By the Sox Killer
You Thought Josh Beckett Would Pitch In? Haaa
Gotta Get Away? Jarrod Saltalmacchia Does
And It's the Greek God of Walking Programs
More Days in First Place for Dan Duquette
More Bad News: Liverpool Loses FA Cup
Baltimore 8, Red Sox 2: Sox Cooked Early in Stinko de Mayo Matinee
Baltimore 6, Boston 4: Friday, the 13th. Horror Show at Home Continues

“I thought I had it. They just made a great play. Great throws. I thought I had a good jump and thought I could make it." -- Marlon Byrd, who ran around third slower than Milan Lucic skating through water

Just Ask the Red Sox

Globe: Fenway Sold Out, Plenty of Good Seats Available
So Why Do They Sell the Standing Room Seats in December Again?
Nah. The Sox Don't Profit from the 400 Percent Markups at Ace Ticket Either
Survey: 85 Percent of the Fans Aren't Buying What the Sox Are Selling
On WEEI: Sam Kennedy's Knee-Jerk Reaction and Talking Points:
1. The Red Sox Were Using This Fuzzy Math Before We Got Here
2. Everybody Else Cheats, Too

"We have a [sellout] definition that is tied to this metric which the team has used for a long, long time and again it's based upon the seating capacity at Fenway, and that goes back to if there are more standing room tickets sold, that's how you can exceed that seating capacity. It's a metric and a definition that's been used here for decades, and by other professional sports teams in town." -- Red Sox COO Sam Kennedy, dealing with the faux-sellout mess on WEEI's Mut and Merloni show

It Might Be the End of the Road for the
Closer Sox Fans Loved to Love

So Is Papelbon Now The Heir Apparent As He Claimed for So Many Years?
Cashman Can Only Dream of Stealing Mark Melancon Away From the Sox Now
Lupica: Mo Might Not Be Able to Save Career
Sherman: One Sad Ending

"At this point, I don’t know. Going to have to face this first. It all depends on how the rehab is going to happen, and from there, we’ll see.” -- Mariano Rivera, sounding like he's going to retire

How Low Can Adrian Go Before He Takes a Seat?

Oakland 4, Boston 2 | It's McCarthy's Park
Is Adrian Gonzalez 'Tired' From Counting All The Money?
Pathetic Numbers: .697 OPS, 7 Extra Base Hits, 20 Strikeouts
Fair Trade? Even Anthony Rizzo Is Having a Better Year Than Gonzalez
Carl Crawford Has Carried the Team More Than A-Gon Since Arriving in Boston
So Much for Daniel Bard's Upward Trajectory Every Game He Pitches
There's No Place Like Home... Where the Sox Have Lost 7 or 8
The Tiny Market A's Have a Better Record Than the Sox
Middlebrooks, Mortensen Just Fine at Fenway
And Beckett's Cooked Already?

"This game is all on me. I had two great opportunities and I didn't come through. It's one of those things that I'm going to make a definite point to not let that happen again." -- Adrian Gonzalez, making promises he can't keep

"I think he's just tired. He's played the entire time and his timing and recognition of the strike zone is just a little off." -- Bobby V, trying to sell us that the $154 million superstar needs a day off in May

From the Fenway 100 Cutting Room Floor:
Oil Can Used Cocaine Every Day in '86

"I can remember going and locking myself up in the bathroom and smoking some dope right there at the ballpark [in Oakland]. I was afraid that they knew and that the clubhouse manager had smelled it, he was gonna tell on me. So I gotta get rid of it.

"I had it under the bib of my cap, inside the crease inside of the cap. And when I was warming up in the ballgame -- third, fourth inning -- it fell off my head." -- Dennis Boyd to ESPN's Buster Olney in a not-so Can did conversation

ESPN: Oil Can Discussed Drug Use... With Dr. Pappas, Too
The Latest Dennis Boyd Fenway Fantasy Is That He Was
Growing Cocaine in the Outfield Between Starts
Next We'll Hear That Josh Beckett Drank Lone Star and
Ate Popeyes Fried Chicken Every Day in 2011

(Oct. 10, 1986 / Globe File Photo)

Now Pettitte Says He May Have Misunderstood Clemens

Yankee Doodle Andy Crumbles Under Cross Examination

"I'd say that's fair." -- Andy Pettitte when asked by Clemens' lawyer if it was fair to say it was "50-50" that he misunderstood the conversation with Roger

"Andy Pettitte is my friend. He was my friend before this. He will be my friend after this and again. I think Andy has misheard. I think he misremembers." -- Roger Clemens, after testifying to Congress in February 2008

Doubront Can't Handle Triple-A's

Boston 3, Oakland 5 | Sox Offense Fizzles in the Drizzle
For All the Accolades, Dubront Is Carrying a 5.19 ERA
Sox Hitters Make Jarrod Parker Look Like Roy Halladay
Did Papi Sneak Some Rice and Beans Into His Dinner?
Guess God Had Different Plans for 0-drian Gonzalez
Wasn't AG Supposed to Be Some Sort of Superstar?
Will Cherington Trade for Closer Jordan Norberto?
Was Youk's Back This Bad When He Was Single?
More Good News: Crawford Got Paid Yesterday
Bright Side: Rich Not-Over-the-Hill
Noodle-Bat Iglesias to the Rescue

"We're down 5-1. It's very easy to fold, get three quick outs and take it to the house. It's cold weather, nasty weather, but I think it just shows a lot about the team. We came back and we tried to give it a little fight." -- Iron Mike Aviles