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Boston Globe:
Sox-Yanks pitching matchups > Sox do it again > Wake Comments
were doctored > Robinson's legacy set in stone > Thumbs |
Boston Herald:
'Tek good in pinch > Heckuva first game > Cora corralled >
Schilling offers a far-from-Curt response > Chamberlain to miss
Sox |
ProJo:
Varitek's 9th inning homer fuels comeback > Ailing Cora could be
put on the DL > Schilling insists: I won't play for Yankees >
Wrapup |
Hartford Courant:
Farnsworth comes up big in Yankees win > ESPN settles with
Reynolds > Phillies beat Astros > Tigers rally past Twins |
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It's Red Sox vs. YankeeZZZzzzzz: Rivalry's Buzz Takes a Beating
38Pitches: 'Umm, no.' | Wilbur: Space Shot | Yankee Swap
Video: Big Papi Explains Reason for Hitting Woes
Roids? No Rage.
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Bill Chapman) |
Congress Moves Too Late
No one in Florida gives a rat's behind whether Giambi and his fellow juicers used the cream or the clear. Baseball fans have been beaten down by lingering scandal, and will settle for invisible asterisks.
Bud and Fehr win. Time to play ball.
Boston.com Blog: Fort Myers Rumblings and Some Spring Things
Miller Time Out: Wade to Miss at Least a Month
Starter Finishes Strong
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(Getty Images/Al Bello Photo) |
Clement Gets Past Second Shaky Start to Finish Strong Against Twins
The Kids are Alright and Rally in Eighth for 7-4 Win
"I got in a pretty good groove, especially after the first inning. I thought I was commanding both sides of the plate pretty well with the movement I wanted on the ball."
-- Sox starter Matt Clement
You Can Get Here From There
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(Boston.com Photo) |
Happy Campers Adam, Brad, and Snoring Bobby Made the Trek from Bangor, Maine to Fort Myers, Florida Just to Sleep on the Street for Red Sox-Yankees Spring Training Tickets
Fan All-Nighter Ticket Sleepover Photo Gallery
Sox Take One on the Chin Against Twins
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(AP Photo) |
'Tiz Slam Not Enough as Minnesota Explodes for Six in Fifth to Even Up Mayor's Cup with 12-7 Win.
Champs Get Back on Winning Track in Sarasota Split Squad Rally Over Reds 8-7
Sox Separate the Men from the Boys
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(AP Photo) |
Northeastern Gets No-Hit 17-0, BC Makes it a Game Losing 11-5
Maybe the Hard-Hitting UMass Minutemen Nine Should Get a Shot?
No Beating Around The Bush
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
"What took you so long?"
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE WORLD SERIES CHAMPION BOSTON RED SOX
3:54 P.M. EST, THE PRESIDENT: Please be seated, unless you don't have a chair. (Laughter.) So, like, what took you so long? (Laughter.) Welcome. And welcome to the citizens of the Red Sox Nation. (Applause.) I'm proud to be joined by the Vice President. He's a Chicago Cubs fan. So, like, he knows what you've been through. (Laughter.) We're really glad you're here.
There's been a lot of people in this town waiting for this day to come. Some have said it would be a cold day when the Red Sox made it here. (Laughter.) I am honored to welcome the world champs, the mighty Boston Red Sox, to the White House. (Applause.)
I want to welcome the members of the Massachusetts delegation who are here. I know that Senator Kennedy is here. Senator Kerry is on his way. We have just finished a ceremony honoring Jackie Robinson. I know members of the congressional delegation are here from like Massachusetts -- and everybody else that claims to be a Red Sox state. (Laughter.) You all are welcome here. I appreciate the Commissioner coming. And, Bob, it's good to see you. I thank the members of my Cabinet who are here. I appreciate the Mayor being here, the Mayor of Boston. (Applause.) You've had a heck of a year, Mayor. (Laughter.)
I want to thank and welcome my friend, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino. I'm sorry John Henry is sick. You know, Lucchino, I knew you'd amount to something eventually. (Laughter.) I appreciate the way this team played baseball. You know, it took a lot of guts and it took a lot of hair. (Laughter and applause.) It took a great manager and coaching staff -- (applause) -- and I'll never forget calling Terry Francona after the team won the championship, and he -- the only thing I remember him saying was, it's all -- it all depended upon the players, which is why he's a good manager, isn't it?
I appreciate the fact that Dom DiMaggio and Jimmy Piersall are with us. (Applause.) You guys represent a lot of great Boston Red Sox players that a lot of us grew up watching play, and you're welcome here in the White House, and you're representing a great tradition of wonderful folks.
You know, the last time the Red Sox were here, Woodrow Wilson lived here. (Laughter.) There were only 16 teams in baseball then. After the World Series victory in 1918, a reporter from Boston said, "The luckiest baseball spot on Earth is Boston, for it has never lost a World Series." (Laughter.) That's one optimistic writer. (Laughter.)
Senator, welcome. Good to see you. Only time I -- I like to see Senator Kerry, except when we're fixing to debate. (Laughter.) If you know what I mean. (Laughter.)
No one really expected the answer to the curse of the Bambino would come from a group of players that call themselves "idiots," except for maybe idiots who don't understand baseball. This is a heck of a team. This is a team that came together from South Korea and Dominican Republic, from Anchorage, Alaska, Fort Riley, Kansas, and incredibly enough, Midland, Texas. (Applause.) Oh, yes. Finally, somebody from Midland amounted to something. (Laughter.)
I love the way this team played, and so do baseball fans. I mean, this is a team that won eight games in a row when it wasn't supposed to. It's kind of courage, and a couple of stitches. You answered 86 years of prayer. That's an amazing feat, isn't it? I mean, when the Red Sox won, people all over the world cheered. They cheered in New England, and they cheered in Baghdad, Iraq. (Applause.) One guy said -- from Boston -- he said, "Now we just have to wait for the other six signs of the apocalypse." (Laughter.)
I really appreciate what Boston does off the field, too. The Jimmy Fund is a classic example of a sports franchise giving something back to the community in which they play. You created the Red Sox Scholars, which awards scholarships to disadvantaged fifth graders. I appreciate what individual players do. I know firsthand what the Schillings do, the Shade Foundation to work to prevent skin cancer and the -- and Shonda and Curt's leadership in the battle against Lou Gehrig's disease. I appreciate what the Red Sox are doing in the Dominican Republic with Señor Octubre.
But most of all, our purpose here is to welcome champs. We wish you all the best in the upcoming season. We know that you've been able to do what has been viewed to be the impossible. And just like that sportswriter said in 1918, you know, Boston is the place to cover champs.
Welcome to the White House. May God continue to bless you all. (Applause.) END 4:01 P.M. EST
Walker's Back
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(AP Photo) |
To the Sound of Welcome Back Kotter By John Sebastien
Walker's back,
Danny's dreams were your ticket out.
Walker's back,
To that same old place you took the Pacers out.
Well the names have all changed since you hung around,
But Danny's dreams have remained and they're turned around.
Who'd have thought he'd Bring ya (Who'd have thought He'd bring ya)
Back Here where we need ya (Back Here where we need ya)
Yeah we tease you a lot 'cause you took the wrong shot, Walker's back,
Walker's back, Walker's, Walker's back
-- Scott Rodrigues
Bush League
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(AP Photo) |
The Guys in the White Hats Head to the White House
Schilling and the Republican Red Sox (Players) Are Fired Up to Meet with The President
"America needs a leader who makes sure they have everything they need to get the job done, a leader who believes in their mission and honors their service, a leader who has the courage and the character to stay on the offense against terrorism until the war is won. That leader is our commander in chief, George W. Bush.
"One of the best things about playing in the World Series was seeing the footage of soldiers cheering for the Red Sox in Iraq, it was great to know that we could make them feel closer to home and do something to put a smile on their faces, while they were on the front lines. Those troops deserve all of our support, and all of our thanks.
"And there's something else we can do for them. We can make sure we elect a president who supports them every step of the way."-- 11.01 Curt Schilling in Wilmington, Ohio
Meanwhile Theo "Howard Dean Lives!" Epstein, Larry "Hillary in 2008!" Lucchino, and John "I've Got the Planes and Lawyers Ready to Challenge the Election in Ohio!" Henry Will Attempt to Get Past the Secret Service on Pennsylvania Avenue
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(AP Photo) |
"It's been four days and I'm finally starting to believe the Red Sox won the World Series, but it's been four long years and I still can't believe George Bush is President of the United States."-- 10.31 Sox GM Theo Epstein at John Kerry rally in Manchester, NH
"In October, New England won the World Series. And in November, New England's favorite son is going to win the presidency of the United States." -- 10.31 Sox owner John Henry at John Kerry rally in Manchester, NH
Some food for thought to chew on
2.28.05: Some random leftovers while still digesting
the SoSH Trophy Party carving station offerings :-) and waiting for Dr. Charles
to give us the official count of members in Red Sox Nation based on the
not-yet-delivered official membership cards...
If Nomar lied to his teammates about the extent of
his "day-to-day" injuries, as was well-documented last season, don't expect him
to be forthcoming about how he really feels about getting a World Series ring
when questioned by reporters. And yes, we know the 2005 calendar was updated.
Pedro fans can read on about
how Pedro can save the Mets here. And why the
Red Sox shouldn't be so confident about beating out the Yankees in the AL East.
And I thought they hated Jimy Williams in this town:
I'm a regular reader of your site, going back a
few years. I am not prone to write angry letters except under extreme
duress. In this case, I have to say, however, I was VERY disappointed to see
your site acting as a shameless shill for the ultimate Red Sox fraud, Jimmy
Fallon. Let me say that again:
THE ULTIMATE RED SOX FRAUD.
Nevermind that he is from New York, an admitted Yankees fan (not to mention
the most overrated member of the SNL cast in twenty years); I get things
free with my breakfast cereal with more talent than this %#@!.
The fact that he defiled the field in St. Louis with his no-talent presence
moments after the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series championship
in nearly nine decades just to film an alternate ending for his new film
about a team he is at best indifferent to, and at worst hates, should in and
of itself be enough for all of Red Sox Nation to boycott his film.
As one of the supposed keepers of the flame, I am nothing short of appalled
that you are now shilling for this super-fraud and that you can't or choose
not to see through him.
I am THOROUGHLY disgusted. Outraged. Mortified and stupified.
Jimmy Fallon stinks goats, and you should be calling for true Sox fans to
boycott this film, not giving press to this wimp, no-talent fraud. You
can count one less member of your readership if you don't call this guy out
for the fraud he is. What a joke. I thought you were better than that.
Your probably former reader,
-- Derek Peplau
Oh well, one reader down, about 59,999 to go. Update, one of many replies to Mr. Peplau
First of all Derek, who the heck still watches SNL and if you do - who admits it... remember what it says in the begining, "Live from New York"... who's the sellout now? And your overall rant about Jimmy Fallon as a fraud. Come on now... that's just silly!
Simply, it's a movie and Jimmy Fallon is an actor. By the statements below you are actually complimenting Mr. Jimmy Fallon as an actor. Who the heck cares if he's a Yankee fan or a freakin' Birmingham Barons fan - the movie is about Red Sox Nation and us, and we should be proud that we are on a national stage for all to try and understand. Take care and once again, it's a movie and he is an actor.
-- Sean Patrick Farrelly
Wait until Trot and Curt hear about this:
Speed Stick commercial slams A-Rod subliminally!
There is a new commercial for Speed Stick deodorant starring Alex Rodriguez.
He's talking about how tough a town New York can be. But at the end, there
is something that I noticed that I don't think was really part of the
message. Here it is:
At the end of the commercial, it shows the product in front of the backdrop
of a baseball stadium at night. You can clearly see the light fixtures. Some
bulbs are missing, but the lights are on. In the main fixture, it appears
that the bulbs that are on are in the configuration of the characters "E5".
Was this on purpose?
-- Dave
Hopefully A-Rod had his Stick on in this picture with Jetes. And what is
this
Yankee fan in training up to?
Good-time Derek Lowe just can't let it go. So much for taking the proverbial High Road
out of town. D can't stop whining about the party lines written (and only one of many
stories made it out in public.)
Okay, so we weren't the only ones in the online
crowd to support the Nomar-for-Cabrera deal:
Nice scoop on the surly, sourpuss ex-shortstop.
I am not surprised at whiney Nomah at all.
BTW:
We also fully supported Theo on the move at the time.
Thanks and looking forward to a great season. Keep up the humor - baseball
is too important to be without comedy! -- John M.
Yes it's true. David Wells did not find the humor in
the NY Diner Photoshop we had with the number "3" stitched in his forehead.
I think they should have named it the JeterCenter
for the day. Some people need to lighten up.
If you read one of the 717 Red Sox-Yankees-World
Series books this year, it looks like
"Emperors and Idiots" by the New York Post's Mike Vaccaro is the must-read
of the season. (OK, fair disclosure, our snappy commentary is mentioned
throughout :-)
Jose Canseco is on board with the plan, now it's
your turn Bud.
Greenwell for MVP.
Hey we just said Nomar was named in Caseco's book.
He was. Bill Burt
linked him to steroids. We always believed Nomar was clean in that regard.
Overthemonster.com
wants a shout out. So does this
Bellhorn geosite.
FenwayFanatics.
Red
Sox Hall of Famers. Yanks Fan vs. Sox Fan. And the humorous
TalkingBaseball.
While we love Jeff Horrigan's work at The Herald, you read about
Mrs. Petagine here first on
February 8: "On a
non-baseball note, his wife Olga, who is 24 years Roberto's senior, was his
friend's mother when they met."
-- Daigo Fujiwara, Boston Dirt Dogs, founder of
JapaneseBallplayers.com
An unconfirmed report on Tedy Bruschi:
Totally rumor (no first hand info.)...reports I
(a Doctor) hear suggest that Tedy Bruschi could have something called a patent foramen
ovale, allowing for a small blood clot to migrate from the right side of the
circulation to the left and go to the brain. One would not discuss
anticoagulation (blood thinning) for a leaking blood vessel/aneurysm.
Puljols too? I'm sure Tony-the-Phony LaRussa knows
the deal:
The Boston Globe reports that Cardinals are
cautiously observing Pujols Plantar tendonitis! An inflammation of the
muscles surrounding the heel. A rare injury but one that Mark McGwire once
experienced! I think the Globe is trying to tell us what we all suspect bout
Poooo Holes, THE JUICE! Talk about exploding craniums. This guy has the
world's largest melon.
Next Barry "the fraud" Bonds will be on the 15 day disabled list for a
strained left eyebrow muscle.
Damn freaks! -- Jim Berish
In case you missed it,
the Red Sox Inc. may getting into NASCAR next.
Thank God we don't have to deal with any more
curse crap like this any longer.
Not only is the Nike Pro Warriors campaign the most
horrendous advertising seen in decades, Nike screws things up at the local level as
well:
Nike Town on Newbury Street has their new Nike
Pro ads up in the windows, I was walking by last week, the one right behind
the counter facing outside was Keith Foulke, but it was spelled "Foulk." I
walked by yesterday and the sign is now turned around so that it looks like
a white backdrop. How does somebody make the mistake of spelling his name
wrong in BOSTON when he was on the mound for the last out of the Sox first
WS win in 86 years?!?
If you get a chance, check out the band
"Breaking
Benjamin" when they make their run through Boston.
Bet the house on the Sox in Los Angeles:
My LA book is carrying these odds to win the AL
East:
Baltimore Orioles 50-1
Boston Red Sox 7-2
New York Yankees 1-8
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 100-1
Toronto Blue Jays 100-1
Amazing value to get the Sox at +350. The Yankee odds are ridiculous.
Ballgate negativity:
Would you please DROP the
subject of Minky and that stupid ball? This has gone beyond ridiculous.
If you want to chase him down for the ball, you'll have to do the same
for every other baseball player who took home a simliar ball, including
Cal Ripken. And while you're at it, what about Tom Brady, who left Heinz
field Sunday night with the final football, saying "I'm trying to build
up my trophy case." Where's the vendetta against HIM?
Though Minky is now
apparently on his way to the Mets, I for one will never forget him and
the key contributions he made to the Red Sox season. No Minky, no World
Series championship. He deserves accolades, not condemnation. And your
Web site is a disgrace.
...And you might call it a
"fun topic," but Jodi and Doug and their families have been going
through crap (including threatening and vicious phone calls) for
doing something that anyone else in the same spot would have (and have)
done. And I don't think abusing people is "fun." And that is why your
site is indeed a disgrace -- you take pleasure in causing people pain.
-- Harry and Charlotte Marks
Not always Sonny in Santa Monica:
I know reading or hearing about
a Boston bar in Santa Monica seems exciting to people here in the Hub. I've
been to Sonny's a couple of times and at first it is pretty cool. You walk
through the threshold and it's like you stepped 3,000 miles into Beantown.
The TV is tuned to Boston stations, the wall is covered with pictures of
Cousy, Russell, Orr, Williams, Bird, etc, etc.
But do not be fooled. This place
is for chumps and run by chumps. They clearly have been out of Boston for
far too long. On game days, whether is the Pats or Sox they hold seats for
folks even when dozen are standing. What is this!? Do you think an
establishment in Boston would try to pull that?
The place is not all that and I warn Dirt Dogs about legitimizing a place
run by rank amateurs and used to be Bostonians.
My best buddy and a crew of hard
core Bostonians are boycotting the joint and I hope others will too. If you
are in the area, there's a great bar on Franklin St. The Mr. T. Mexico Bar
will treat you right with REAL Boston fans and folks who treat everyone
fairly. F Sonny's! -- Eric Anderson
More proof we get more Yankee fans reading here than
any Yankees' site, and some of them are very good people. This from Bill who
wrote "Talkin' Disgrace-Ball" for today's front page:
Your website really makes my and my wife,
Toni's, day. She is 58-years old and a three-year cancer survivor (non-Hodgkin's
small lymphocytic lymphoma). Her disease is not curable, but thankfully, has
remained stable to the pint where she continues to work -- and has missed
only 3-4 days in the past 3 years. She'll be thrilled when I show her that
my parody made it onto your website.
As I said, we're both Yankee fans, but always enjoy the Sox/Yankee rivalry.
One of our good friends is 78-year old Arthur Richman, who is a senior
advisor to George Steinbrenner, and the guy who recommended that he hire Joe
Torre back in November of 1995. We became friends with Arthur when I lived
and worked in the Tampa, Florida area back in the early to mid-'90s, and
have stayed close with him through the years. (Arthur's older brother was
the late Milton Richman, a Hall-of-Fame sportswriter who used to work for
UPI.)
My background includes over 25 years in advertising, marketing and freelance
journalism (my major in college). I started out as a sportswriter for the
now-defunct Worcester, News Recorder and did some stringing for the
Worcester Telegram and Gazette back in the 1970's.
I still love to write, though I have become jaded and quite cynical over the
years. Lately, my only "contributions" to the field of journalism have been
e-mails to WEEI's Dennis and Callahan show (I'm known only as "Bill in Rhode
Island). They keep reading what I submit ... so I guess I'll keep sending
them my stuff.
That's one of the reasons Toni and I thoroughly enjoy BostonDirtDogs.com so
much. You have an uncanny ability to find the irony and humor in things that
many fans are beginning to take way too seriously, in my opinion.
No matter what the outcome of the games, it's always great to logon to your
site and be able to laugh out loud the next day.
I'm proud to have become an honorary contributor.
Thank you again from the bottom of my heart (and for the big smile I know it
will bring to my wife later today when I show it to her).
Keep up the great work.
Best regards,
Bill Bingham
Check here and Boston.com for live updates from Fort
Myers starting Thursday right through March 31.
More...
"Talkin' Disgrace-Ball"
(To the tune of "Talkin' Baseball" ... with apologies to Terry Cashman.)
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| (Mark McGwire - Getty Images -
Feb. 15, 2005) |
(Mark McGwire - NBC Photo -
Jan. 25, 1999) |
Baseball season's coming,
And everybody's bumming
'bout steroid use by players in the game.
Now Jose's book is finally naming names
of cheaters and all those who share the blame.
(Chorus)
Talkin' Disgrace-Ball,
Canseco and McGwire,
Yes, Disgrace-Ball,
Bonds says, "You're a liar."
Pudge and Rafael say "Where's the proof?"
While homerun numbers shoot straight through the roof.
We're talkin' Barry, BALCO and the juice.
Oh, Sheffield was dreaming,
Didn't know what he was creaming,
And, Jason's sorry,
But, who knows for what?
McGuire's sticking needles in his butt.
Caminiti's dead,
Look at Barry's head,
Bud Selig says, "So what?"
(Chorus)
Talkin' Disgrace-Ball,
Just can't put out the fire,
Yes, Disgrace-Ball,
And Bonds says "You're a liar."
His homers will surpass the great Babe Ruth,
Hank Aaron surely wasn't this aloof,
We're talkin' BALCO, Barry and the juice.
Say-Hey … Say-Hey … Say-Hey,
Cheatin' Barry, BALCO and the juice
Go away … Go away … Go away …
By Bill Bingham (I'm a 52-year old, lifelong Yankee fan), Westerly, RI
 Blood
Feud, Part Two…
In the Big Inning, God created the Red Sox and the Yankees...
The genesis of this book lies in our love of baseball and our fascination with the relationship that exists between its two most colorful teams. We set out to create a fair and balanced look at the Red Sox-Yankees “rivalry.” But somewhere along the way, we gave up our role as creationists and allowed the book to evolve into a different sort of animal.
Originally, we were going to serve up platitude-laden pabulum on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two teams, always painfully careful to delineate the rich tradition of the competition and the deep and mutual respect that exists between the two great franchises. And then we sat down to write. It wasn’t long before we knew how the authors of the Bible must have felt. At some point they too must have realized that there is no way to give Good and Evil equal time and still sleep the sleep of the just.
It turns out that neither author of this book wanted to represent the Yankees point of view. In fact, neither of us could bring ourselves to write enough complimentary things about Steinbrenner’s team to fill the back of a matchbox, let alone half a book (the morning after the Red Sox lost to the Yankees in the 2003 ALCS, Jim Prime, one of this book’s authors, conducted a previously-scheduled radio interview from the ledge outside Room 745 of the Prince Edward Hotel in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; the host of the radio show eventually talked him down). It was a revelation. Besides, we rationalized, that balanced, politically correct perspective on the Red Sox-Yankees phenomenon has been given, and there are several books on the market that take the “high road.” It is a road paved with good intentions. These books speak of the “rivalry” in politically correct and antiseptic terms. We came to the realization that, for us at least, such an approach would ultimately be phony, and even hypocritical.
In fact, unless you were born in Idaho, or are currently sitting on the fence in downtown Purgatory, there is no balance to this rivalry. And that’s another thing. Who’s kidding whom? This is no rivalry. A rivalry is what happens between Pillsbury Bake-off contestants, or maybe Heinz and Campbell’s or Hertz and Avis. Or between tourist bureaus in Maine and Massachusetts arguing who has the best fall foliage. No, this is no rivalry. This is a %$&*# feud. This is a duel to the finish, a knock ’em down, drag ’em out, survival-of-the-fittest cage match full of animosity, hatred, jealousy, pettiness and rancor. (God, that felt good!)
This is the unvarnished story of two teams that are scant miles apart geographically but light years apart philosophically. It is about Red Sox Nation and The Evil Empire. It is—not to put too fine a point on it—about Good vs. Evil.
Damn Yankees was a play about a guy who made a deal with the devil to ensure that his team—the Washington Senators (ha!)—finally beat the Yankees. That notion is almost blasphemous. Devilish deals are done by the Yankees and not to them.
As young baseball fans, and certainly over the intervening years, these writers occasionally pondered whether God was a Yankees fan, maybe even whether He hated the Boston Red Sox. How else could mere mortals explain the Yankees’ miraculous success story and the Biblical proportions of the Red Sox’ ineptitude? Year after year the Bosox suffered baseball’s version of famine, plague and pestilence while the Yankees were perennial visitors to that Garden of Eden known as the World Series. By the 1960s our suspicion had hardened into deep conviction—a conviction that only very recently we have rejected. We now believe. God may have switched teams for a while, but He is now a Red Sox fan. He watches them, He roots for them, and He even occasionally intercedes on their behalf—not on the field of course. He doesn’t cause a Red Sox player to jump higher (what Manny Ramirez did to rob the Yankees’ Miguel Cairo of a home run at Yankee Stadium last year was entirely above board). That kind of divine intercession would be wrong, and God is, above all else, fair. Once in a while a Red Sox player may do something that appears miraculous, but it is not a true miracle by God’s high standards. And He would never strike a Yankee dead or anything like that. The most He would contribute would be to ask the umpires to confer on a call in order to get it right. In the past, He didn’t even intervene to do that. He allowed mortals to make mistakes that robbed us year after year. So, as you can see, our lapse of faith was understandable, and hopefully forgivable.
Nevertheless, it was His fondest wish to have His Red Sox win the World Series. He also wants world peace, universal health care, the end of reality TV, a solution to those vexing problems in the Middle East, and nuclear nonproliferation. And maybe a little more respect for His environment and the natural world He gave us. Until the fall of 2004, all of these objectives seemed equally unlikely to be achieved.
God bends over backward to be neutral, but we now know that He’s pulling for the Sox. Somewhere up there in those Sky Boxes in the clouds, he’s sitting with Cy Young and Jimmie Foxx and Joe Cronin and Ted Williams and other saintly, celestial Sox and He’s watching the innings play out. Once in awhile He even visits Fenway, sitting near the Red Sox dugout in a seat once occupied by superfan Lib Dooley. He pretty much keeps quiet, just orders a single Fenway Frank and a large Coke and observes. You can tell it’s Him because He never participates in the wave and He covers His ears during some of the ruder chants. He is uncomfortable with the presence of Wally and other graven images (although ironically, He always got a perverse kick out of the New Jersey Devils mascot). His favorite player is David Ortiz, although His Son appreciates Johnny
Damon in the same way that Jimmy Stewart used to grudgingly admire the
work of Rich Little.
How do we know all this? Faith mostly…
Faith? What does baseball have to do with faith? And is faith enough to endure an 86-year draught? Have the Yankees really committed all seven deadly sins? Find out next week, in our final
Boston Dirt Dogs exclusive excerpt from Blood Feud: The Red Sox, the Yankees, and the Struggle
of Good versus Evil. And to get the full story, pick up your copy of
Blood Feud, available this March at fine bookstores everywhere and online
at
www.rounderbooks.com.
Just Wear It New York
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo Illustration/ Robert Looney) |
The Pinstripers have adopted a new marketing approach for the 2005 season. Nike just put up this huge billboard on 7th Avenue across from Madison Square Garden. (Hey Mariano, you look better with The Gimp mask on)
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(Nike Photo) |
The Most Moronic Campaign Ever
"I Love Walkah"
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(AP Photo) |
Can You Hear Them Now?
Celtics Take Giant Step and Bring Antoine Walker Home
Breaking News: Paul Pierciaparra™ Reportedly Cracks a Genuine Smile
Blood
Feud, Part One…
Game
Three, 2004 ALCS — The Lowest of the Low
Final
score: Yankees 19, Red Sox 8
The
Yankees had administered a crushing, demoralizing 19-8 thrashing in front of
what remained of a thoroughly disheartened Fenway Park crowd and what remained
of an equally deflated TV audience that extended throughout Red Sox Nation, from
Nova Scotia to Nantucket and well beyond. Over the three games, the Yankees had
a team batting average of .377, while the Red Sox pitching staff was embarrassed
by an ERA of 11.52. The Red Sox were teetering on the brink of a humiliating
Series sweep. By the time the final out was recorded, Fenway Park was all but
empty. Those disillusioned fans that remained showered their former heroes with
vitriol that would almost have made Yankee Stadium look welcoming.
The latest
battle in the ancient blood feud between the two venerable American League
franchises from New York and Boston seemed destined to end with a whimper and
not a wallop.
The talk
shows in Boston were alive with invective, venom, finger pointing, and
defeatism. There were calls for Terry Francona’s head on a platter. He was being
called another Grady Little, a name tantamount to Benedict Arnold in its infamy
throughout these benighted colonies. In New York, radio stations and tabloids
were crowing loud and long about yet another Boston choke . . . like the one in
2003, the one in 1986, the one in 1978 . . . and on and on. The only Sox fans
heard from, though, were those who still had enough energy left.
Most fans
were beaten down, subdued. There was no chance now.
Again and
again, we were reminded that no team, ever, had come back from a 0-3 deficit to
win the final four games. For the second year in a row, it looked like the
Yankees would whip the Red Sox and go on to represent the American League in the
World Series, but this time without even a respectable challenge by the Sox.
And so
Game Four of the 2004 American League Championship Series was poised like a
rusty guillotine above the bowed necks of Red Sox Nation. With the New York
Yankees leading the ALCS three games to none—the last game a disheartening,
embarrassing, soul-destroying slaughter in front of their own fans at Fenway
Park—the only thing remaining was the final, fateful blow. At least the end
would be quick.
It wasn’t
as if the Red Sox had not lost before, but they had always managed to make it
excruciatingly close, to come within five outs—or even one strike—of victory.
This time was embarrassing. Humiliating. This time it was nothing but a rout.
Could anything conceivably be worse for a Sox fan? We’re used to defeat, but
this was shameful. 19-8. A sinking feeling that could sink no lower. Boston had
bottomed out. We were reminded time and time again that no team had ever come
back from such depths. We were condemned to another long winter, and another
spring and summer of “19-18” taunts and T-shirts. The next season would find us
all bewildered, groping to find any semblance of self-respect as Sox fans. At
least there was some healing over the months after 2003’s Game Seven. If the
2004 Sox were swept by the Evil Empire, the wound was going to sting and fester
and might never heal. If it scarred over at all, the scars were going to run
deep.
How did it
all come to this? Let’s step back and review a little of the history between
these two teams, before resuming the story of the 2004 American League pennant
race…
What
forces drove two grown men to write an entire book on the Sox/Yankees rivalry
from the Sox point of view? Is God a Red Sox Fan? Find out next week, in another
Boston Dirt Dogs exclusive excerpt from Blood Feud: The Red Sox, the Yankees, and the Struggle
of Good versus Evil. And to get the full story, pick up your copy of
Blood Feud, available this March at fine bookstores everywhere and online
at
www.rounderbooks.com.
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OPENING DAY HAS A NICE RING TO IT!
Sox Three Ring Circus is Over
Brass Ring Decision Has Been Made
Internet Tail Wags the Dog Again
2.21.05: Boston Dirt Dogs has learned that Fenway Park will host a World Championship Red Sox ring ceremony on Opening Day when the Olde Towne Team faces the New York Yankees.
Owner Tom Werner had told WEEI's Dennis and Callahan this morning that Charles "Lord of the Rings" Steinberg would make the decision on the ring ceremony and that "Ring-gate would go on for a few more days." But it was Werner who was instrumental in finalizing the decision to have a ring ceremony at Fenway on April 11. The California-based owner had been on record as saying he "was looking forward to the ring ceremony on April 11" shortly after the Sox won the Series last October. Late Sunday night, Dr. Steinberg was on CBS4's Sports Final still dancing around the issue, blaming fans who he thought misinterpreted Jeff Horrigan's crystal clear column in the Herald last week. Steinberg continued to hide behind The Red Sox Foundation fundraising idea (Don't we do enough as a fanbase? Aren't we the most generous?) as the reason to change gears and have a separate ring ceremony. Chief Operating Officer Mike Dee was actually the first one to champion this idea in a Red Sox fan brainstorming and feedback session at Fenway Park back on February 10. (Remy Report message board link) A separate ceremony may also take place which will fund The Foundation after the home opener.
Ultimately it was the hundreds of angry phone calls that flooded the Red Sox offices last week that drove ownership to step in and get the ring ceremony back to its original scheduled date. Curt Schilling and the players also stepped up this week to let their voices be heard that they wanted to have the ceremony in front of their fans on Opening Day at Fenway. The official announcement from the team should come Tuesday or Wednesday.
"Rings Will Be Ready for Opener"
Josten Denies Henry Claim Rings Won't Be Ready
Big Dog Not Expected to Get Ring Despite Yeoman's Work on Nomar, Pedro, D-Lowe, and World Series Ball PR Campaigns on Behalf of Organization
No Progress Made in Ring Talks
Nation, Sox to Meet on Monday
Steinberg Intermediary
Negotiates with Boston Dirt Dogs to "Call off the Dogs"
Special to Boston Dirt Dogs:
Late Friday afternoon, Red Sox EVP Charles Steinberg contacted a highly-placed
intermediary to negotiate with Boston Dirt Dogs in an attempt to halt the
hundreds of protest phone calls on BDD's behalf that had besieged and crippled
operations at the Red Sox Yawkey Way offices. While the hired gun negotiator
revealed that the good Dentist regrets his initial decision to change the ring
ceremony date in deference to the Yankees, and Big Dog ensured him that inciting
the Nation was nothing personal, those talks broke down at 6:00 p.m. Friday
evening without resolution as Big Dog said "I'll make Bob Goodenow look like a
"yes man" before this Nation rolls over for the New York Yankees."
Red Sox Plant Supermodel Ambassadors at Fall
River Trophy Celebration to Break Down Big Dog
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The unnamed
supermodel Red Sox ambassadors who broke down Big Dog in Fall River
late last night. |
In a bigger surprise than the NHL
talks being revived, Ring talks resumed again later last night due to an act
that Big Dog described as "dirty pool." Upon his arrival at the Fall River
Maplewood Babe Ruth Baseball League’s annual awards banquet and World Series
Trophy celebration in Swansea, MA last night, Big Dog was immediately greeted by
banquet organizer and Babe Ruth league president Norman Yelle who had a message
that "there's some people from the Red Sox who would like to meet you." As Big
Dog wandered over to the Red Sox table he was greeted by two Red Sox supermodel
ambassadors who immediately exclaimed "so you're the one who's been driving all
the calls" that nearly shut-down the Red Sox offices on Thursday and Friday.
Both representatives said they had spent the better part of Thursday and Friday
answering and returning calls from fans angry about kowtowing to the New York
Yankees. Knowing that the two blond bombshell ambassadors would be BDD
kryptonite, Steinberg's strategy was ultimately successful as Big Dog agreed to
"call off the dogs" in the Nation until Wednesday next week with the hopes that
the two sides could strike a deal. BDD asked for the concession that Steinberg
stop pretending that the website doesn't exist, as he has for three years, and
stop attributing the BDD driven activity to radio stations and random emailers.
Big Dog also foolishly agreed not to post pictures of the two special agents on
the "popular fan website" (Thanks Dan Shaughnessy... that nameless reference in
your column today never would have happened if Champ were still alive) as
the Sox starlets indicated that it was against department policy for their pictures to
appear on "popular fan websites." A lousy policy Dr. Charles if you ask us.
Stop Calling the Red Sox Front Offices Until
Further Notice
See above.
John Henry Don't Know Much About Red Sox
History
The venerable Red Sox owner, citing
popular internet message board fodder, asks a tired Nation "When was the last
time a team gave out the rings on Opening Day?" Well John, Red Sox Nation is not
concerned with the practice of other teams who chose to hand out their rings on
other random dates in order to boost attendance and pump television ratings. The
Boston Red Sox have a tradition of handing out their championship rings on
Opening Day. Respected Red Sox broadcaster Joe Castiglione confirmed Friday on
WEEI's Dale Arnold show that the Red Sox tradition is to hand out rings at the
home opener. Joe Castig witnessed the celebration and ceremony on the field for
the home opener on April 10, 1987 when the team handed out the American League
championship rings prior to the first pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays. John Henry also
went on in a popular newspaper column to make this amazing statement which shows he
ain't from around here "I don't think it's necessary to do anything in anybody's
face," said the polite owner. "Just to try to do something like that ...I can't
imagine feeling any worse than we did in 2003, except for the way they felt in
2004. I think 2003 plus 2004 equals a very interesting 2005. We still haven't
finalized the ring decision. I have no idea if they will be ready." Yikes.
That's some scary thoughts there John. Don't even know where to begin on that.
Regardless of the fact that a huge majority of Red Sox Nation has no problem
rubbing the Yankees noses in it for once, and Dr. Charles did say they would do
what the majority of the fans wanted, THIS ISN'T ABOUT THE YANKEES, it's about
what you said you were going to do, i.e. give out the rings on opening day,
which is well documented and was well-publicized on broadcast outlets (not everything is a link), contrary to some beliefs. The dugout cop was expecting his ring on April 11. A MLB/RedSox.com article/announcement last December, whatever that site is, was under the impression, as everyone else was, that rings were to be handed out on April 11, regardless of the opponent. And
it's about following Red Sox tradition, not what any other teams have done to
raise additional revenue or sell out their stadiums.
Deep Throat Tells BDD: "Follow the Money"
As usual, this is about money
according to Deep Throat.
Brass Ring Position Unchanged
At the timing of this update on
Saturday afternoon, an agreement had not been reached, and no major progress was
made today, although the sides agreed to continue the discourse through their respective representatives on Monday. We expect Charles Steinberg ("others had these other ideas, it's not
about the Yankees") and John Henry ("rings might be late and we can't make the
Yankees feel bad") to actually get on the same page by next Tuesday. Then we'll
see where we're at. Former WEEI talkmaster Bob Neumeier, vacationing in Tuscany with
Angie Dickenson, also said it would be "beyond the pale" not to give out the
Rings on Opening Day as had been planned since last October.
Ring it For...
WEEI callers were also
overwhelmingly against moving the ceremony as Ring talk dominated the airwaves
all day. And if it is about the Yankees, longtime caller Paulie from New Bedford
said that the Red Sox should give out the Rings "for Bill Lee who was
sucker-punched by Mickey Rivers in Yankee Stadium... for Jose Offerman's phantom
tag in Yankee Stadium... for Ted Williams who was forced to take a back seat to
Joe DiMaggio..." With apologies to SoSH, who do you want to Ring it For? |
Rose Knows Rings
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
100 years young Red Sox fan Rose Bolger, who remembers the 1918 championship, told Boston Dirt Dogs last night at Fall River's Babe Ruth League Banquet that the Sox "need to give out the rings on Opening Day." She also called Pedro "a dirty player."
Pedro Being Pedro
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(AP Photo) |
Martinez Late for Day One of Mets Workouts
Boston Dirt Dogs has learned that former Red Sox diva Pedro Martinez showed up late to the first New York Mets spring workout. First-year Mets manager Willie Randolph learned first-hand who will run the show in New York this season. Randolph "was stomping around looking for him in the clubhouse" before practice, but the Prima Donna was nowhere to be found.
2.19 Update: Popular Newspaper Columnist Picks Up on This Theme Today
Sox-Obsessed Yankees to Change Sinatra Song at The Stadium for 2005
"New York, New York" to be replaced with
"I've Got You, Under My Skin"
The Yankees Probably Don't Even Know Sinatra, born in Hoboken, Was a Dodger Fan His Entire Life. First Brooklyn, then LA.
Didn't the Yankees Camp Open a Couple of Days Ago?
RING-GATE
Sox Now Admit Moving Ceremony in
Deference to Yankees Was Lousy Idea
Red Herring Alert! Rainmaker Blames Ring Makers
New John Henry Spin Puts Blame on Ring Makers Timetable
(Apparently Dr. Charles Didn't Get the Memo)
Revenue Streaming: Cheeseball Player Wannabe Rings Were Ready to Go in 45 Seconds, But Player Rings Might Not Be Ready for Opener
Sox to Reconsider Having Ring Ceremony on Opening Day
Charles Steinberg Dances Like Deney Terrio Around Ring-gate
Brass Will Give in to Public Pressure,
Over 500 Calls Received to Overturn Chump Move
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
The Dentist Gets Drilled on The Big Show
Doctor Charles Steinberg on WEEI's The Big Show: "Oh it's all good things, the question that Jeff (Horrigan) had called me with yesterday, he had heard that there were some thoughts, um, circulating about having the ring ceremony take place at an event other than opening day. And I told him I had heard those thoughts as well. People have made suggestions, some have said (read: him) 'why don't you have an event at Fenway so that not only the 35,000 people lucky enough (read: to get the magic scalper links) to get opening day tickets get to enjoy a celebration where you would raise the flag, but 35,000 more could make it say a fundraiser for the Red Sox Foundation and do the rings in a separate ceremony?', so that's one idea to come our way. One of the advantages to that is if you did it before April 3rd, um, it would be a decisive punctuation mark on what is 2004 so that you start 2005, uh you know, fresh, and raise the curtain... now another idea had come forth that said 'why don't you make it uh a high-end fundraising dinner for the Red Sox Foundation?' and you could do that as well, but when Jeff and I were talking about doing it opening day he said 'are you at all concerned about doing it in front of the Yankees?', well we're not concerned at all about doing it on opening day or doing it in front of the Yankees the way we would do it I believe would be full of decorum and respect which I think is what the Red Sox...(Buck thankfully interrupts here with "Charles, Charles") ought to continue to stand for."
Steve Buckley has Bingo: "Charles, don't confuse fundraising with fan allegiance and so forth because I think Red Sox fans are among the best in baseball when it comes to fundraising as is evidenced by the support of the Jimmy Fund over the years (Steinberg: "Amen") and what concerns us and I'm willing to bet 99% of our listeners right now is that this is something Red Sox fans have been waiting for for 86 years adn I don't think a single Red Sox fan really has one iota of interest in decorum and dispatching and anything like that. They just want to see those rings and they want to see it happen in front of the Yankees. And I guarantee you that Red Sox fans are in unison on this topic."
Steinberg: "Well that was the original thought. That's the plan that I've been sketching out in the offseason, and I think it's a great one. I can envision that ceremony and I was getting as excited as anybody who might have lived here um for not only their whole life but through generations. So that was the starting point. It was just when the question came, might you take it to a separate event, I said yes, we've heard those requests and there's been some early simple debate about it but I think that all of those who feel strongly in our organization we all haven't been in the same place at the same time for quite a while and I think we will be down here in this coming week but you want John, you want Tom, you want Larry, you want Theo, Mike Dee, all together, cause, Meg Vaillencourt, who is the Executive Director of the Foundation, put everybody together and what you want to do is that which will best resonate with the desires of Red Sox Nation (Thank God Glenn interrupts). And if you say they're in unison that they would like it most on Opening Day then I think that's going to be a very, very strong pull."
(blah blah, more decorum, less decorum "emit emotions scenarios")
Steve Buckley has Bingo: "How is there any measure of decorum being lost by having a ring ceremony which these players deserve and it is the home opener which is the proper forum for these things, it just so happens that the Yankees by the luck of the draw happen to be the team lined up on the third base line?"
Steinberg: "Right, let me correct what might be a misperception. I wasn't referring to decorum as a reason to not have the ring ceremony opening day. I think having it opening day is great. It's just that you and when you set out these options of how to do it opening day, one is where the Yankees have no choice but to see, the other one which they can avert their eyes from actually gives the fans a longer opportunity to give a soulful ovation." (But Jeff Horrigan's piece quotes when, not how: Leery of appearing that they are taking their success and rubbing it in the collective face of the New York Yankees, the Red Sox are leaning against presenting World Series rings to players prior to the home opener at Fenway Park on April 11. "There's a degree of decorum you'd like to show and a degree of respect you'd like to demonstrate," Steinberg said. ``When it is done, it will be done tastefully.")
Steve Buckley has Bingo: "See my take is the Yankees need to be made aware that life as they know it is forever altered."
(Dr. Steinberg then thanks us for driving over 400 conversations with Molly at the switchboard as he feels it is important to "resonate with Red Sox Nation"... so thanks for calling folks)
And I've got a million more emails where this came from: "hey,
is it true that the sox are really considering moving the ring ceremony??? I have invested over $2000 for tix and airfare and hotel to enjoy the purest moment in my life (with the exception of my two sons being born)! how dare the sox take away a sox fan's god given right to enjoy watching the first title in 86 years take place in front of the damn Yankees! if the roles were reversed we all know damn well the sox would watch an endless ceremony acknowledging a Yankee title (which would be just as long and as that painful 7th inning (lets cool down a pitcher) stretch anthem! Im appalled that I reserved vacation time and stole $$$ out of my sons college fund for my selfish act to watch my beloved red sox celebrate a joyous time in my and my entire families life!
Greg McCambly
Gilbert,AZ"
Sox Forced to Rethink Shameful 'Rings' Decision as Fans Inundate
Dr. Steinberg's Fenway Office with Protest Calls at 617-267-9440
Sean McAdam on the The Big Show: "This is political correctness run amok. This doesn't pass the smell test. This wouldn't happen if Larry Lucchino were still the CEO. I would not say this much about this new ownership team, but this smacks of guys who aren't quite sure of the local landscape. They have been given a gift by the schedule maker, and they are in danger of
screwing it up."
Steve Buckley on the The Big Show: "Charles is missing on this one. This is the first serious misstep he has made. If the Yankees had won the World Series, on that Sunday night in
Yankee Stadium, they would have had their ring ceremony."
Glenn Ordway on the The Big Show: "I was disturbed when I saw this. Why wouldn't you take advantage of this (gift MLB schedule makers gave you)? Why would you not go out to embrace this thing? He is missing the mood of the Red Sox fan out there. They've waited '86 years, you bet your life they wanna get up there, and they want to party. And they want to rub it in."
Sox Brass Now Kowtows to Steinbrenner, Yankees
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(AP Photo) |
Sox Will Now Be Presenting the World Series Championship Rings in a Ceremony "Prior to a Non-Yankees Game at Fenway."
Since when do the Boston Red Sox grant special treatment to the New York Yankees? Why don't you guys just walk around in "Yankees Suck" t-shirts if you're that paranoid and are willing to change our celebration schedule for this American League also-ran. And Bucky "Decorum and Respect" Dent throwing out the first pitch for Game 7 says "Hello" Dr. Charles.
I Guess We Know Who Our Daddy Really Is
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(AP Photo) |
This Would Never Have Happened if John Henry Were Still Alive. And You Can Bet Your Donkey That if the Yankees Were the 2004 World Series Champions, Rings Would Be Handed Out April 3 in Yankee Stadium.
Embedded Yankee Mendoza Rejoins His Old Team
Wells Gets in on Slappywhacking; Curt Calls Out Paydro
"Twiggy" McGwire Makes a Public Appearance
Roger Maris Turns Over in His Grave
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| (Mark McGwire - Getty Images -
Feb. 15, 2005) |
(Mark McGwire - NBC Photo -
Jan. 25, 1999) |
I Want My MVP – Ode to The Gator
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
To: Money for Nothing by Dire Straits
I want my, I want my MVP
I want my, I want my MVP
Now look at them bozos, that's the way you do it
I played the outfield, I’m the MVP
That ain't workin', that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free
Now that ain't workin', that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya, them guys ain't class
Jose get a needle on your upper biceps
Maybe get a needle in the ass.
We got to visit all of the ballparks
Custom bleacher deliveries
Now we gotta show some love to the Gator
We got to watch some NASCAR movies
The little Yankee with the money and no makeup
Yeah, buddy, that's his own flair
That little A-Rod got his own jet airplane
That little A-Rod he's a billionaire
I shoulda learned to play the outfield
I shoulda learned to play the wall
Look at that pitcher, he got it movin' for the camera
Man I could hit that ball
And I’m up here, hit fifty-seven homers
My last six years; in ’92 hit two-three-three,
Oh, that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
I play the outfield, should be the MVP
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free
--Ron Sen, Boston Dirt Dogs
Would-Be 1988 MVP Mike Greenwell Talks to WEEI's D&C About the Plethora of Steroids in Baseball in the 1980's. Of Course Head-in-Sand Selig, Quick Sandy Alderson, and Tony the Absolute Phony Flip-Flopper La Russa Knew Nothing Until 1998
Minky Lied About The Ball, Foulke Asked for It
"The funny thing about all this, all this came up now. I’ve been telling everybody since the minute we won that I had it. No one has contacted me, no one has said two words to me about this ball." -- 1.7.05 Doug Mientkiewicz to WEEI's Dale and Neumy
Ballgate: Foulke Asked for The Ball, Stinky Minky Wouldn't Give it Up
Meanwhile Dirt Dog Maintains His Claim as Rightful Owner
Quick Sandy Alderson and Tony the Phony La Russa
Put MLB Spin on Steroid Scandal
Deadbeat Dad's Daddy Will Let Him Respond to Trot's Slap
D-Lowe Removed from Red Sox Complex
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo Illustration) |
Breaking News: Derek Lowe, who had been working out at the Red Sox minor league complex in Ft. Myers was removed by police today and driven to Vero Beach to be dropped off at the Dodgers training camp. The former Sox Cy Young candidate refused to accept the fact that he will not be returning to the World Champions this season and spent the month working out at the Sox facility with the hopes they would change their mind. When told that he would have to leave today as the actual Red Sox pitchers and catchers would be arriving, Lowe snapped and Red Sox officials had to call for assistance to get him off the property.
Made in the SHADE
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(Sports Illustrated / Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
SI Swimsuit Issue Model Citizens
(Scottsdale, AZ -- February 16, 2005) Curt Schilling and his wife Shonda are asking families if their team is sunwise. Statistics indicate one in five children will grow up to develop skin cancer. In a public service advertisement produced specifically for Sports Illustrated's popular swimsuit issue, Curt and Shonda along with their four young children will showcase sun protective swimsuits in an effort to promote sun safety awareness for the SHADE Foundation of America.
"Think of your child and his or her four best friends. One of them has a chance of being diagnosed with skin cancer during his or her lifetime," said Curt Schilling. "The tools exist to prevent skin cancer, they are education and good sunsafety habits. We hope people will begin to think sunwise."
"The swimsuit issue reaches so many people who are thinking about swimsuits and being tan. This is a perfect avenue to make readers stop and think sunsafety," said Shonda Schilling. "Reaching adults in SI, many of them are parents. We want to educate them about the importance of sunsafety for their most valuable team, their family."
Shonda Schilling is a melanoma survivor. She was diagnosed and battled the deadly form of skin cancer in 2001, the year Curt Schilling and the Arizona Diamondbacks won the World Series. In 2002, Shonda founded the SHADE Foundation of America attempting to educate and save future generations from skin cancer. SHADE Foundation of American is a nonprofit based in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information you can log onto www.shadefoundation.org.
The Curse of Using 'Curse' in the
Title of a Good Book Continues
Another Tool Publisher Plays to the Lowest Moron Denominator Thinking He's Going to Sell More Books by Adding "The Curse" to a Book Title
I Want My, I Want My,
I Want My MVP
Mike Greenwell who finished second to "Jose Ruiz" Canseco
in the 1988 MVP voting, wants his just rewards
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
Canseco Got His Money for Nothin', Fix for Free
"Where's my MVP?" said Greenwell, now a Fort Myers real estate developer and a volunteer assistant coach for the Riverdale High School baseball team. Greenwell graduated from North Fort Myers High in 1982.
"He's an admitted steroid user," Greenwell said of Canseco. "I was clean. If they're going to start putting asterisks by things, let's put one by the MVP.
"I do have a problem with losing the MVP to an admitted steroids user."
-- Ft. Myers News Press
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(NewsPress.com Photo / Amanda Inscore) |
Looking at Greenwell's guns above,
you have to wonder if Gator is on...
Cheater on Cheater Crime
Yanks Keep Coming Undone: "I am not like Jason Giambi sitting here crying"
-- Steroid User Gary Sheffield
Carlee Drives for Show
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(AP Photo) |
Free Stack Pose Puts Pointer Past Terrier at Westminster
BASEBALL IN SHAMBLES
Senator McCain Says Records Can't Be Trusted
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(AP Photo) |
Senator John McCain appearing on CNBC's Dennis Miller was asked if people can trust today's baseball (home run) records in a historical perspective, he replied "I don't think you can."
"I think that the problems that are out there are coming to the surface, which I think is good for baseball." -- Sox manager Terry Francona
"I know that we were well on our way to having serious steroid testing, drug testing, and we still are and we didn't need a book to come out and tell us that we needed to do something."
-- Sox former captain Trot Nixon
'Present and Future' Danger
Selig, Alderson Strategy of Spin and Silence is Not Working
Canseco Will 'Shock the World'
Jose tells The Big Show on WEEI that he will "shock the world." There is another stage coming out that will prove he told the truth about McGwire. "There's a lot more coming out, a lot more happening in the next month."
Dirt Dog Barks at A-Fraud
"I'm not a deadbeat dad, you clown."
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
Nixon Blasts A-Rod in Ft. Myers, Says Alice is Not "Yankee Type."
"He's done some great things on the field. He's one of the best baseball players in the game and probably will be when it's all said and done. But when people ask me about the Yankees, I tell them about (Derek) Jeter and Bernie Williams and (Jorge) Posada. I don't tell them about Rodriguez."
He also criticized Rodriguez for slapping the ball away from Boston pitcher Bronson Arroyo along the first base line in game six of the American League Championship Series.
RED SOX ACQUIRE INFIELDER ALEJANDRO MACHADO FROM WASHINGTON NATIONALS, ANNOUNCE DENNEY TOMORI SIGNING
The Red Sox today acquired infielder Alejandro Machado from the Washington Nationals for a player to be named or cash considerations. Machado will be added to the Red Sox' 40-man roster, which now stands at 40. The switch-hitting middle infielder is a career .291 hitter over six seasons in the Braves (1999-2001), Royals (2001-03), Brewers (2003) and Expos/Nationals (2004) organizations. With 154 career steals, he has averaged 25.7 a campaign. The 22-year-old has posted 30 steals in a season three times, including last year with the Expos' Single-A Brevard County and Double-A Harrisburg affiliates. He also stole 30 bases in 2003 with Double-A Wichita (Royals) and Double-A Huntsville (Brewers), and in 2000 with Rookie-level Danville. The six-foot, 184 pounder tied for the Expos organization lead with his 30 stolen bases in 2004, while ranking fourth with a combined .306 batting average. The Venezuelan hit .355 (66-for-186) with 11 steals in 46 games for Brevard County before his promotion to Harrisburg, where he batted .280 (97-for-346) with 19 steals in 93 games.
Tito Rear-Ended in Florida
Francona's Car Gets Hit from Behind While Talking on the Phone with Dale and Mazz. Bob Neumeier and Grady Little Sought for Questioning.
Mazz: The Dale and Holley Show Debuts on WEEI March 1
At least Holley knows baseball (cough)
MLB Buys the Mickey Mouse Online Ticket Broker that Put Hundreds of Thousands of Sox Tickets into the Hands of Scalpers for Years, and Shut Out the Vast Majority of Fans from Having a Chance to Go to Opening Day
Yanks Knew Giambi was Using, Cashman Lied, "Steroids" Deleted from Contract
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(AP Photo) |
Yankees Gladly Made Deal with the Devil
And Giambi's Two HR's in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS
Put Sox Through Hell, and Cost Them Series Shot
"Besides trying to spin their oversight to their advantage, the Yankees have also been less than forthcoming in their reaction to the suggestion that they omitted references to steroids at Giambi's request.
"In one breath, General Manager Brian Cashman called the report inaccurate and hogwash. In the next breath, Lonn Trost, the chief operating officer, acknowledged that the Yankees indeed had done the deed.
"The Yankees can't even get on the same page. When they were signing Giambi, maybe they were missing the page that would have prompted them to ask him the question." -- Murray Chass embarrasses the lying Yankees in the Times
Bud Lied: FBI Said MLB Knew of Steroid Abuse in Mid-90's
Orza Tried: Union Scumbag Tried to Downplay Advantage in 2000
Thanks Bountiful
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
What Did Mo Know About Nomar?
"If you start to get injured at the age he’s getting injured then that just brings up speculation... what happens is when you start hurting your wrist, and your ankles, and things aren’t healing that's what brings up the speculation. -- Mo Vaughn on WEEI with Michael Smith and Steve Burton
Garciaparra Distrusts Steroid Testing
The Captain Shapes Up
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(AP Photo Special to the Globe / John Amis ) |
Tek Getting Stronger Every Day the Natural Way
"I think I was lucky and taught at a young enough age about working on elastic movement and flexibility, and now my work is starting to show. My flexibility is better now than it was when I was young. I'm bigger and heavier, but my speed and quickness are better and I move better. That's a good combination to have. I continue to try and gain an extra step from the year before." -- Jason Varitek in Gordon Edes gem
In other news: Ken Rosenthal interviews Curt on a variety of topics. Schilling is on Sports Center today working his butt off in Arizona, but Gammons thinks it will be Wells vs. Johnson for the Opener in New York.
Won't Outsell Canseco But Still Required Reading
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(Boston Dirt Dogs photo) |
Exclusive Excerpts Here Next Week
Nomar Named
Garciaparra Named Briefly in The Book, but
Jose Says Nomar is Not on His Steroid List
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(Sports Illustrated Photo / March 5, 2001) |
A Boston Dirt Dogs source says that former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra will be named in Jose Canseco's upcoming book "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big."
(Former Red Sox pitcher Casey Fossum is not named in this edition.)
Juice Guy Has Jitters Addressing NY Media
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(Getty Images Photo) |
Giambi Apologizes But Won't Say for What
Liar Says He Didn't Lie to Grand Jury, Blows Chance to Educate Kids on
the Dangers of Steroids
Nixon's Back
Trot "feels good, ready to go" and has been working out in Ft. Myers since January
(But Wade Miller could be out for five months)
Bob's Dope
"I thought that call from Terry Francona would be the highlight of our day until I went to bostondirtdogs.com" -- 2.10.05 Dale Arnold of the now (sniff) defunct Dale and Neumy Show (yes, dope is a good thing here Bob, and rhymes with Bob Hope :-)
Thanks for the Show Neumy
Sung to the tune of Bob Hope's "Thanks for the Memory"
Thanks for the show Neumy
It was life "beyond the pale," you sitting next to Dale
Every morning on The View, you’d reminisce of Seattle Slew
How lovely he was!
Thanks for the show Neumy
27 bottles of wine, your stories were so fine
The football pool and tips on Pickle’s over-under line
How lucky it was!
More...
The Commissioner
Wears No Clothes
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(AP Photo) |
Selig Thinks You're Stupid
Bud Light Wants You to Believe He's a Dummy
(Unless He's Lying)
"While whispers of steroid use in baseball date back more than a decade, when bulked-up players began hitting homers in record numbers, Selig said he hadn't heard the rumors until about 1998, when McGwire broke Roger Maris' single-season home run mark.
''I never even heard about it,'' Selig said. ''I ran a team and nobody was closer to their players and I never heard any comment from them. It wasn't until 1998 or '99 that I heard the discussion."
-- Bud Selig on Steroid Crisis
So Bud's the Only One Who Didn't Hear the
"Ster-oids! Ster-oids!" Chants at Fenway in 1988?
Or for the Next 10 Years Afterwards?
LIAR, LIAR: "I don't know if there were allegations in the early '90s," Selig said. "I never heard of them."
"Fourteen years ago (1988) the crowd at Fenway Park in Boston chided Oakland A's outfielder Jose Canseco during the American League Championship Series with damning chants of "Ster-oids! Ster-oids!" The game had never before seen a physical marvel such as Canseco, a 240-pound hulk who could slug a baseball 500 feet and still be swift enough to steal 40 bases. Upon retiring last month after failing to catch on with a major league team, Canseco, while not admitting steroid use himself, said that steroids have "revolutionized" the game and that he would write a tell-all book blowing the lid off drug use in the majors. Canseco estimated that 85% of major leaguers use steroids." -- Sports Illustrated, June 3, 2002
And Why Wasn't Anything Done in 2002 Bud?
(We Know, Those Slimebags Fehr and Orza)
"No one denies that it is a problem," says commissioner Bud Selig. "It's a problem we can and must deal with now, rather than years from now when the public says, 'Why didn't you do something about it?' I'm very worried about this." -- Sports Illustrated, June 3, 2002
Schill Certainly Knew the Drill
"Arizona Diamondbacks righthander Curt Schilling thinks twice before giving a teammate the traditional slap on the butt for a job well-done. "I'll pat guys on the ass, and they'll look at me and go, 'Don't hit me there, man. It hurts,'" Schilling says. "That's because that's where they shoot the steroid needles."
"You sit there and look at some of these players and you know what's going on," he says. "Guys out there look like Mr. Potato Head, with a head and arms and six or seven body parts that just don't look right. They don't fit. I'm not sure how [steroid use] snuck in so quickly, but it's become a prominent thing very quietly. It's widely known in the game.
"We're playing in an environment in the last decade that's been tailored to produce offensive numbers anyway, with the smaller ballparks, the smaller strike zone and so forth," Schilling continues. "When you add in steroids and strength training, you're seeing records not just being broken but completely shattered.
"I know guys who use and don't admit it because they think it means they don't work hard. And I know plenty of guys now are mixing steroids with human growth hormone. Those guys are pretty obvious." -- Sports Illustrated, June 3, 2002
Now That's the Ticket
Some Non-Scalpers and Non-Net-Savvy Fans Will Actually Be Able to Buy Some Overpriced Tickets This Season through the Red Sox Monster Seat/Yankees Game Drawing
(Unless Your Email is on the MLB.com Black List of Course)
"Oh thank you, thank you, dear Red Sox, for the chance to be on of the CHOSEN FEW. Those who will, once again, be thrown into the Waiting Room from Hell. No escape....No tickets for the masses. The only hope I have of EVER getting a choice seat that are available in this so-called "lottery" is if I pay some guy with 15 vowels in his name 10x face value of the ticket on the Mass Pike overpass. Until the Red Sox fix this disgrace of a system, I'd rather spend my 2 hours of useless torture slamming me head in my car door. At least when I do that there is the off chance I might decide there is pain, and stop." -- 2.10.05 Tim Frost, Red Sox fan
Gammo Knows Web Gems
Peter Gammons Hall of Fame Chat Wrap
andy2dandy: What's your take was on the increasingly popular baseball bloggers? Do you think this may eventually change sports writing?
Gammons: I think the Internet and blogging has already dramatically changed journalism. It's not bad, it's actually quite democratic. I find myself going to the Boston DirtDogs site every morning to see what's going on.
(Yikes, we've got to start getting up earlier)
Yawkey Bust: Sox to Break Pain in the Glass
CBS4 Reports .406 Club to Have Outdoor Seating Next Season
Two Tiers of Glassed-In Seats Will Be Open-Air in 2006
200 Additional Heated Seats to be Added
Sox Helped Pats Win Super Bowl as Philly Planned Their Own Roving Rally Early
"New England’s first two titles came courtesy of Adam Vinatieri field goals in the final seconds—and this victory was only slightly less tense. Again, the Pats relied on their patented formula of individual opportunism, selflessness, innovative game-planning and emotion fueled by perceived disrespect. The last of those came after the Patriots received a copy of an e-mail sent from an Eagles official to a member of the Boston Red Sox organization seeking advice on a prospective victory parade, a missive that Belichick milked for maximum effect during his address to the Pats on Sunday morning at the team’s hotel in St. Augustine." -- Michael Silver, Sports Illustrated
The Early Worm Gives
Sox Fans the Bird
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(AP Photo) |
Prima Goner shows up early for the first time ever
"It was always a lie that I reported late. I was always on time."
Hey Schill, if the phone don't ring, it's the guy who stayed behind in Boston for Game 6 against the Yankees on the other end: "The Red Sox don't need to worry about me no more, I'm not worried about them. I moved on. I went out of their lives. My ex-teammates, I'll give them a call, I'll call Jason (Varitek), I'll call (Derek) Lowe, (Kevin) Millar, Bill Mueller." -- The Dominican Diva to NY Post
Pedro the Providence Party Boy Cleans Up His Act
Breaking News: Schill's Red Sock Walks into Hall of Fame
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(Photo Special to Boston Dirt Dogs) |
Breaking News Exclusive -- Sock Joins Shoe: The famous bloody sock worn by Curt Schilling during Game 2 of the 2004 World Series has been reunited with its K ALS shoe and is now on display at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Today, Curt Schilling's mother-in-law and father-in-law, Don and Patsy Brewer, hand delivered the sock to Ted Spencer, the Curator of the Hall of Fame. The bloody sock and the K ALS shoe will be on display with other memorabilia from the 2004 World Series until October, 2005. File under: Karma Suture.
Schilling Killing Belichick in Mass. Governor Vote
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Meir Weinberg) |
But Bill's a Real Genius
Roberto Cemente
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(AP File Photo) |
Sox Cement Lineup:
First Baseman Petagine Gets Minor-League Deal
"Roberto Petagine, a 33-year-old Venezuelan, first came to the Japanese
Pro Baseball League in 1999 with Yakult Swallows, and hit 44 HRs,
winning the home run title. Hideki Matsui finished second with 42 HRs
that year.
"Petagine was a major force who brought Yakult Swallows to their Japan
Series title in 2001, along with then ace Kazuhisa Ishii (who now plays
for LA Dodgers) and then closer Shingo Takatsu (now with Chicago White
Sox). He won the title for most HRs and RBIs and was named Central
League MVP (again, over Hideki Matsui) that year. He also won the Gold
Glove at first base three years in a row from 2000 to 2002.
"Before the 2003 season, Tokyo's Yomiuri Giants (think: Japanese Evil
Empire), who was looking for a replacement for Hideki Matsui, signed him
for $7 mil a year for two years and converted the gold glover to an
outfielder. But this conversion was unsuccessful (or should I say a
disaster) and he had to convert back to 1B, where he had to split his
time at first base with Yomiuri's star player Kazuhiro Kiyohara (that
made both stars very unhappy). He had surgery on his left knee before
the beginning of 2004 season, ended the season with the least home runs
(29) in his Japanese career, and was released by Giants this off season.
"Bats: Left, Throws: Left. He has a Japanese career OBP of .446 (his 2004
OBP, .409, was the worst in his 6 years in Japan).
"Does his signing have more impact than Denny Tomori? Definitely. Is he
better than Hideki Matsui? That maybe hoping too much (though he was in
1999 - 2001). I do think he is a good left handed bat off the bench
(more pop than Ramon Vasquez) and a good back up at first for Kevin
Millar. Though that would put more pressure on Youklis.
"On a non-baseball note, his wife Olga, who is 24 years Roberto's senior,
was his friend's mother when they met." -- Daigo Fujiwara, Boston Dirt Dogs, founder of JapaneseBallplayers.com
Curt's Coming on Strong: Schilling May Be Ready for Opener
Miller Timely: Wade Working Out, Throwing in Florida Already
Pats Didn't Cover, but Get on Another
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(Sports Illustrated Photo) |
Branch Makes the Right Calls
This week's cover image marks the 10th time that a Boston-based team has been on the SI cover since July 04. Red Sox with five covers (July 5, 2004; Sept 13, 2004; Nov 1, 2004; Nov 8, 2004; and Dec. 6, 2004 ) and the Patriots with five (Sept 6, 2004; Oct 18, 2004; Jan 24, 2005; Feb 7, 2005 and Feb 14, 2005.).
SI's Rick Reilly: "In the final hours before the Super Bowl, NFL players have been known to go and get, say, a $40 hooker. Or go to Tijuana and get muy smashed. Or try to set the coke-snorting world record.
"But before this Super Bowl, wide receiver Deion Branch of the Patriots did something even stranger.
"He picked up his cellphone and called every coach in his life who meant something to him. He called Pee Wee coaches. He called his high school receivers coach. He called his junior college offensive coordinator. He called his college head coach. He called 13 coaches in all.
"And do you know what he told them? Thank you.
"Thank you for caring about me when I could’ve gone south. Thank you for making me run stairs. Thank you for believing I could do this.
"He thanked his coach at Louisville for not giving up on him when his grades were lousy. He thanked his high school coach for believing he wasn’t too puny. He thanked one coach for being there for him when his infant son was near death.
"He got so emotional while thanking them that “I was crying half the time,” says Branch, 25. “It’s hard, but I don’t want them to think I’ve left them behind. I want them to know I’m thinking about them all the time.”
"And when he was done calling—about two hours later—he got on the team bus, put on his number 83 and made the Patriots thank God they had drafted him.
"Branch caught 11 passes—tying the Super Bowl record co-owned by his hero, Jerry Rice—for 133 yards. He was named the MVP of New England’s 24–21 win over the Eagles." (continued in this week's Sports Illustrated)
McGwire Exposed!
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / NBC) |
Canseco Blows the Whistle on Unnaturally Big Mac,
He Personally Injected Palmeiro, Juan Gone, I-Rod, and Mark McGwire
Canseco in Juiced: "McGwire and a young Jason Giambi heading into the men's room to inject each other with the anabolic steroids that would turn them from lanky lads into musclebound behemoths."
"If you were around the game and didn't hear any of that, well, you purposefully had planted your head in the sand, whether you were an owner, a player, a union leader, a writer. Everybody knew; everybody blew it, to varying degrees." -- Buster Olney, ESPN The Magazine, on the steroid disaster
The Unabashed Brothers
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(Boston Globe File Photo / Jim Davis) |
Jose Gives McGwire a Private Lesson
The New Old Single Season Home Run King: Roger That
Iron*: 63*, 64*, 65*, 66*, 70*, 73*
Irony: 61, no asterisk.
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(AP File Photo) |
The Natural
Above: Roger Maris, New York Yankees' slugging outfielder, follows through on his swing as he hits his record-breaking 61st home run on the last day of the season, October 1, 1961 at Yankee Stadium. Maris broke Babe Ruth's single season home run record in the fourth inning on a pitch from Tracy Stallard of the Red Sox. Maris' home run record, 61 in a single season has stood for over 43 years, but 1998 was the year the record almost fell. Three flaxseed oil soaked sluggers, St. Louis Cardinals Mark McGwire*, Chicago Cubs Sammy Sosa*, and San Francisco's Barry Bonds* have all attempted to hijack Maris' record in the years that followed to no avail.
His fate in hands of Veterans Committee, many wonder why Maris has been left out
Steroidgate: What did the President know and when did he know it?
Breaking News: Dirt Dog Tries to Steal The Ball!
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(Boston Police Department Photo) |
Caught Red-Handed!
The founder of the popular Boston Dirt Dogs website was arrested earlier today by Boston Police detectives when he was caught red-handed while attempting to steal the million dollar World Series Ball from Fenway Park. He was quickly apprehended and led away in handcuffs as he was heard screaming “I am the rightful owner of this baseball! It belongs to me, not Larry Lucchino!” Jodi Mientkiewicz, who was outside the park in the alleged getaway vehicle, has been held for questioning. The Red Sox are expected to press charges. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.
"Don't Be a Punk After Pats Win"
Theo urges the low-rent scumbags and "college students" who embarrass our city to behave this time around in a public service announcement on postgame safety and vandalism. Speaking of which, how's the Victoria Snelgrove four month murder investigation coming along Commissioner O'Toole?
MILLION DOLLAR BABY RETURNS!
Boston Gets The Ball Back
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(AP Photo) |
Above: New England Patriots Vice Chairman Jonathan Kraft delivers a bag containing the ball that was caught for the final out for the Red Sox' first World Series win in 86 years to Fenway Park on Thursday.
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(AP Photo) |
Above: Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino examines the Historic World Series Ball to assess the damage done when the million dollar ball was knocking around among sharp objects in Jodi Mientkiewicz's purse for a week.
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(AP Photo) |
Ball Gets Red Carpet Treatment
Following an 86-year journey, the “Final Out” Ball arrived at Fenway Park early this afternoon. The historic ball was delivered to the park in an armored Brinks truck by security officers of the Brinks Company. Two armored guards carried the ball in a black canvas bag down a red carpet that had been laid out along Yawkey Way and brought it inside the ballpark. It was then whisked up to the .406 Club elevator near Gate A. The ball was then carried to the Hall of Fame Club and handed-off to Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino and placed in a custom-made presentation case. The ball will accompany the World Series Trophy on its tour of Massachusetts.
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(AP Photo) |
Sammy So-So Joins O's
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(Getty Images Photo) |
Sosa packs bags for Baltimore:
Flaxseed Oil, check. Cork from wine bottles, check.
A Very Brady Cover
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(Sports Illustrated Photo) |
Another Reverse Jinx for Pats.
New England Going to the Super Bowl is Like Watching the Movie Groundhog Day
A-Fraud Wants You to Give Him a Hand
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Sawin) |
ESPN.com: "Yet, Rodriguez called it, "a smart play, one I would've made again. In the heat of the moment, you do things sometimes out of instinct," Rodriguez said. "I thought it was a smart play, and we almost got away with it. We put an umpire in the position of having to turn over a call like that in Yankee Stadium. It gave us a shot. (Umpire) Jim Joyce told me, 'if you'd knocked the crap out of (Arroyo) it would've been legal because he was in your way.' So if I had a chance to do it again, I would've tried to run him over. Even though I probably would've hurt someone with my weight and velocity, dropping my shoulder down."
"With my talent people will follow naturally."
-- Alice Rodriguez
Big Stein Tells Slappy to Get His Tired Act Together
The Boston Red Sox have invited 16 non-roster players to major league spring training.
Invitees include righthanders Scott Cassidy, Jack Cressend, Jeremi Gonzalez, Josias Manzanillo and Kris Wilson, and lefthander Jason Kershner. Catchers Jeff Bailey and Shawn Wooten, infielders Dave Berg, Tim Hummel, Dave McCarty and Kenny Perez, and outfielders Chip Ambres, George Lombard, Billy McMillon and Simon Pond round out the group.
Johnny Be Good
"He spent a couple of days in Rhode Island last week and was part of a charity event at Foundry Sports Medicine on Wednesday. Proceeds from the event will benefit Friends Way, The Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Women's Oncology program at Rhode Island Hospital." -- Providence Journal
"It's incredible... What more can you ask for? Even being mentioned in the same sentence as Jesus or God... I mean, those guys are awesome. I'm just a knucklehead."-- Johnny being Johnny
Another Ticket Fiasco and Virtual Waiting Nightmare
Sox fix TicketsDotCom flaw they said never existed which locked thousands of fans out of an Opening Day opportunity during Christmas at Fenway. This time fans wasted a weekend locked in VWR hell hoping for more 'Magic Links' but if you had 700 windows open, or a 'Tinyurl,' are a scalper, or ticket 'broker,' you're fine as usual as the Red Sox Ticket Fiasco beat goes on.
It's Not in the Cards
Shocker: Red Sox Nation Cards are a Scam
And the 'Stocking Stuffers' Advertised on December 9, Won't Be Arriving Until Spring Training
"I waited 8 hours and never received the opportunity to pay $85 a seat for my tickets. My sister bought me the RSN for Christmas and when I was selected yesterday I thought I won the lottery. Instead, I didn’t work today and wasted 8 hours waiting to come out of the Virtual Waiting room. I have called and e-mailed the Sox before but when you have an endless supply of supporters you don’t need to worry about the little guy!" -- Stephen Thompson
Is it a Red Sox Nation or Patriots Country?
Even on the brink of another Super Bowl appearance, a survey on the Patriots section of boston.com revealed that a whopping 82% say the Red Sox rule.
(Gerry Callahan just threw up in his mouth)
Yankee fan Brady and Yankee player Jeter Separated at Birth?
"Derek Jeter's. I like how Derek Jeter does a lot of things."-- Tom Brady when asked by WEEI's John Dennis "if you had a son and could by him one player jersey, whose would it be?"
Why Tom Brady Loves the Yankees
"Back in the late '90s, the University of Michigan football team had two very good quarterbacks. At the time, the "better" one was Drew Henson, who doubled as the U of M third baseman.
Henson was both a star quarterback with Heisman Trophy hopes and a top-rated major league prospect who was drafted by the Yankees yet, like many Yankee prospects, was traded away to the Reds for Denny Neagle. However, Steinbrenner is a graduate of Ohio State University (Williams actually, honorary from OSU) - Michigan's main rival in football. Looking for a way to screw over his rival team, George gave Henson a $17 million dollar contract to get him off the Michigan football team.
With the expected QB gone, Michigan had to turn to its backup - Tom Brady. Tom took his role and led Michigan to a Big Ten title and sending them to a BCS game, a victory over Alabama. In the spring, the Patriots took a small risk and picked him.
Without George blowing money to screw over a rival, Brady might never have gotten his chance to show what he was worth...and never be in the situation he is in now."
-- Gordie Fall, Waterford, MI
"I just wanted to clarify the info you had about Brady and Steinbrenner. George did pilfer the Michigan QB in order to screw over the Wolverines but that was done after 2000, a year after Brady graduated. Henson in fact played a full year at Michigan after Brady left and was relatively successfull. During the 1999 season, Brady and Henson split time with Henson doing most of the slinging and throwing of interceptions (see the second quarter of that Orange Bowl) and Brady coming in and leading the team to victory late in the game. In the Orange Bowl, Henson sat on the bench the entire second half while Brady brought the team back from a 2-touchdown deficit."
-- Christopher Murphy
"The email about Tom Brady/Drew Henson/NYY is just plain false. Henson was a true freshman in Brady's fifth year (red-shirt senior), and started two games. AFTER Brady graduated, Henson was the full-time quarterback at UM for a full season before he was drafted by the Yankees. George played no part in Brady's success. In fact Brady started over Henson and had an amazing season, leading Michigan to a 11-1 record and a Rose bowl victory. It is truly unbelievable that Brady was drafted in the sixth round, and this may be indicative of how good a player Henson might become."
-- Rick James (superfreak?)
Breaking Ball News:
Joins Trophy on Tour
The Boston Red Sox and Doug Mientkiewicz today announced that the baseball caught by the Gold Glove first baseman for the final out of the 2004 World Series will begin accompanying the Championship Trophy on its year-long tour throughout Massachusetts, New England, and Red Sox Nation. Representatives of the Red Sox and Mientkiewicz reached an agreement for the exhibition of the ball over the weekend. It will be encased in a special plaque created to commemorate the moment.
Now He's Jacked and Pumped
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Nick Merrill) |
Stop the Presses: KFK is Actually Going to Get in Shape
"I've been in the weight room. I've worked as hard as I ever have this offseason, probably the hardest I ever have. I'm in the best shape I've ever been in just because of this whole thing. I'd do pushups just to keep the nights going by." -- Mr. Red Sox on MLB.com
"While shoveling the steps this morning (again), I finally understood. Of course. The Red Sox won the World Series, right? This is hell freezing over."
-- 1.28.05 Allen Rutberg,
Holliston, Boston Globe, Letters to the Editor
The Gotham Gimp
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(Nike.com photo) |
Mariano Rivera Stars in New Nike Debacle
Breaking News: Sox Sign Tomori
95 MPH Throwing Relief Pitcher Picks Sox over Reds, Blue Jays and Dodgers
37-year-old Japanese league (Yokohama Bay Stars) pitcher Denney Tomori agrees to a one-year deal with the Red Sox (amount undisclosed and changes if he makes the cut in spring training). He chose the Red Sox because Theo called him personally and told him that the Red Sox needed him. Tomori and his agent conducted an open house practice session Dec. 11 in Anaheim and 22 teams sent scouts. The Sox sent three scouts there to check him out at the time. Official announcement expected next week. Read more on Tomori here.
New Ballgame Baby! Henry Lays the Hammer Down
BREAKING BALL NEWS: SERIES BALL COMING BACK TO BOSTON
Minky Gives Ball Back to Sox "For One Year"
"We have reached an arrangement with the Red Sox
but we will wait for them to disclose the details."
-- Jodi "Pants" Mientkiewicz to Gordon Edes
"There was never a fight, there was never words exchanged. It was very cordial, and we worked something out. I want the fans to see it, and that's what both the Red Sox and I agreed on. They waited a long time to see that ball and to live it. The fact that I had it was just so we could keep it and give it to the fans and let them see it. I didn't expect all of this with the ball. Sometimes in life you think you're doing the right thing and it doesn't turn out that way. That's kind of what happened here. I didn't think it was going to come out to this. Like I said, I gave Derek Lowe the Game 7 ball from the ALCS, and no one seems to want that one. There were never any hard feelings about it, though, with me and the front office. The whole thing, when the article came out, was blown way out of proportion. It made it sound like we were fighting for the ball. In order to be a fight, the other side has to not want to give something up and that's not my point. They never asked for it. When they asked for it, they got it. They're coming to get it and now it's over and done with." -- New York Met Doug Mientkiewicz
Jodi Expected to Make Official Announcement Soon
Doug Busy Signing "Last Out" Series Balls for eBay
Sox Blow Two Run Lead in 10th, Lose Game 6 6-5
Stanley, Gedman Come Undone After Schiraldi Meltdown
"Worst Loss in Red Sox History"
The Night We Never Met
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(AP File Photo / Roger Clemens first pitch 10.25.86) |
The Red Sox Try to Clinch Their First World Championship in 68 Years Tonight on NESN
In Case You Can't Bear to Watch Game 6...
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Mr. X) |
Watch Paul Pierciaparra (he's the one in the black and grey stocking hat)
and the Celtics Take on the Pacers Tonight
Truth or Consequences? "Pierce Not Piece for C's"
Mientkiewicz Trade Official
Mets Introduce New BP Jerseys
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Evan J. Shenkman) |
Theo Makes Trade for The Blade
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(NYFanSites.com Photo) |
Millar's His Binky, So There Goes Minky
Historic World Series Ball Negotiations with Jodi Mientkiewicz Ongoing
Ian Bladergroen profile from USA Today Sportsweekly: Opening Day age: 22 HT: 6-4 WT: 210 B/T: L/L A torn wrist ligament suffered in July ended what could have been an amazing statistical season for Bladergroen, a 44th round draft and follow from 2002. When injured, he had been among the minor league RBI leaders and was having an overall Player of the Year calibre campaign. Bladergroen, who hit 32 homers in his last year of junior college, has plus power and is an excellant defensive first baseman. He hit .285 with 6 homers and 36 RBI at short season Brooklyn in his 2003 pro debut.
It's a Whole New Ballgame
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(Getty Images Photo) |
Now That Delgado Has Signed, Theo is Scrambling to Move Minky
"Now that Delgado has landed with
the Marlins, I think the Red Sox will trade Mientkiewicz to the Mets for either Victor Zambrano or Jae Wong Seong. The Red Sox need a healthy starter. Just my albeit humble prediction.
-- Chip
Minkball Not Playing Well in Bismark: "Just Give the Ball Back Doug"
John Henry Wants Ball Back, Doug Gone
"I think the whole thing is disgusting," said one Sox decision-maker.
ACE OUT: 'Fold' Schilling Goes Down to Brad Garrett
But Curt Raises $5,000 for SHADE in Celebrity Poker
California Screamin'
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Adam Roth) |
Transplanted New Englanders, friends of ours, and Red Sox fanatics Jon Davis (Dukes of Hazard Movie), Daniel Kellison (Jimmy Kimmel Live), John Ennis (Mr. Show), Eli Roth (Cabin Fever), Dicky Barrett (Mighty, Mighty Bosstones), Bill Simmons (ESPN.com), Dave Rath (Hollywood talent manager), Adam Roth, Gabe Roth and the rest of the Left Coast Crew throw back a few at the first annual Kevin Hench's (FoxSports.com and BDD alum) Red Sox World Series Celebration at Sonny McLean's in Santa Monica, California on Monday night.
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Adam Roth) |
Eli and Sports Guy Wanted More Appletinis
Ace of Diamonds is Dealing
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(Bravo Network Photo / Paul Drinkwater) |
On Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown Tuesday
Curt Schilling plays no-limit Texas hold 'em against Ray Romano, Brad Garrett, Sarah Rue and Catherine O'Hara for charity in the first episode of the series' fifth tournament on Tuesday night. Schilling plays to raise money for The SHADE Foundation, the skin cancer awareness foundation he and his wife Shonda founded in 2002. Check your local listing for a time in your area. (Boston is 8:00 p.m.)
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Jason Hatzopoulos) |
The Newest Item for Sale Today at the Steelers.com Pro Shop
(The Steelers AFC Champion t-shirts are also 50% off)
BRANCHING OUT
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(Reuters Photo) |
Schilling Breaks Out a Brady Shirt
Dynasty 41 Pittsburgh 27
Favored Over Eagles by 6
R.I.P. Johnny
"For three days after death hair and fingernails continue to grow but phone calls taper off."
-- Johnny Carson 1925 - 2005
Well-Oiled Machine
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(Boston Globe File Photo) |
Rock & Roll 45's
Yes He Can: Boyd Wants to Return to Big Leagues at 45
"I'm throwing the ball as well as I ever have. I probably throw 90, and I've never thrown 90. I'm throwing all of my pitches."-- Former Sox Star Dennis Boyd
Slap Shot
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Mike Hansen) |
Slap Yap Yaps
"We beat him up a couple of times during the season, and he sat crying on the bench," Rodriguez recalled of Schilling. "Then he lost Game 1 in the series, and he wasn't talking."
(Except for the fact that Curt was talking just fine after he lost Game 1)
Asked whether he thought the comments were made for self-motivation and to stir up the rivalry, Schilling responded: "If that's what he needs, cool."
Say Hello to My Little Friend
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(Reuters Photo) |
See You in April Mr. McBluelips
Who's Crying Now?
"The biggest move, when all was said and done, was the non-move. I think if we get A-Rod [Alex Rodriguez], we don't get here [to the World Series]. I don't question that for a second," said Schilling.
"He's a Hall of Famer, sure. But after getting to know people who a) play with him and b) have played with him, I don't think it would have worked here. I think this clubhouse would have been a much different place, and I don't think it would have been better, given the personalities involved."
-- 10.28.04 Curt Schilling on Slappy
Belli Knew Minky Was After The Ball All Along
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(AP Photo) |
Minky's Mind Was Already Made Up
""I could read his mind," Mirabelli said of Mientkiewicz. "He was
in that dog pile and squeezing his glove as hard as possible."
Doug Digging Trade Show Circuit
Top dollar paid for signatures and memorabilia
"Typically, organizers have flown in Sox players -- who dubbed themselves the Dirt Dogs during the '04 season -- to sign memorabilia for three or four hours in a private setting, then fly them back out. "Someone like (cable channel) QVC will sell a jersey for three grand," Mirabelli said. "At public shows, there's a flat fee. But I'd rather do private stuff; you don't have to feel like you're taking money straight from the public." -- Las Vegas Sun
Lawyers, Deans, Professors: Mientkiewicz last in line for rights to ball
U. S. Supreme Court Delivers Opinions on Million Dollar Ball
Thanks Beautiful Looking Good
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Chris Rattey) |
Year-to-Year Contract Cub Nomar Garciaparra says "the Achilles is feeling really good"
326 days after his day-to-day soccer sheath wrist groin Achilles nagging discomfort.
'Rest' Was Key to Recovery
"It's funny because, often times, the doctor tells you that what you need is rest and you don't want to hear it," he said. "But they're actually right sometimes. Actually having the rest and having an offseason, it feels really good. You can't control the future or what will happen, but as of right now, I feel great." -- Nomar Garciaparra going into another free agent year
Breaking Ballgate News
Online Book Offers To Pay Minky FSU Tuition,
Then Give Sox Series Ball to Boston Fans
"Sportsbook.com is determined to purchase the ball and toss it back to the Boston community which stood by its team for almost nine decades," said Alex Czajkowski, Marketing Director, Sportsbook.com. "We have a very loyal customer base in Boston who have been great to us over the years," Czajkowski said adding "This is an opportunity for us to give something back. If four years at FSU is all it takes to bring a piece of history home to millions of devoted Boston Red Sox fans, then Sportsbook.com is more than willing to foot the bill." Sportsbook.com has informed the Boston Red Sox and a representative of Doug Mientkiewicz of its offer.
Commercial Appeal for Boston's Finest
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(Boston.com Photo) |
Nation Idol
Vote-for-Mike Schuster-for-(insert team here)-Fan-of-the-Year and other over-the-top types are already in line for MLB's new "I Love This Game" commercials* casting call taking place
at Fenway on Saturday. I would imagine you need to bring your Official Red Sox Nation membership I.D. card in order to participate in the screening to represent Red Sox Nation.
* Fan promotion commercials are for playoff team cities only. Milwaukee, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Colorado and other Triple-A Fans are not invited to participate in this promotion as it is hopeless for them to compete and MLB is admitting it's now a 10 team league.
Eats Roethlisbergers for Breakfast
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(Sports Illustrated Cover Photo) |
Dr. Z Gives Pats All 'A's'
"How about New England being favored over a 16–1 Pittsburgh team that’s playing at home? That ought to get the Steelers mad enough to ... to what? Put up more points? Figure out a way to crack a defense that stopped the Indy machine dead in its tracks on Sunday?
"No, I don’t think that’ll happen. I don’t like a rookie quarterback, even one as formidable as Ben Roethlisberger, against a Bill Belichick defense. Of course I said the same thing in October, when I picked the Pats to win. But Pittsburgh beat a crippled team that played without Corey Dillon (144 rushing yards against the Colts) and was without both tackles by game’s end. If your tackles can’t stand firm against the Steelers’ outside rushers, you’re dead meat, and that’s what happened to New England. Pittsburgh’s wingmen, Joey Porter and Clark Haggans, were turned loose and gave Tom Brady a rough afternoon.
"Belichick and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel had two weeks to prepare for the Colts, and the result was devastating for Indianapolis. I’ve got to believe that during that time, they were doing a workup on the Steelers as well. The Patriots win it and meet the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX."
— Paul Zimmerman, Sports Illustrated
The Artful Dodger
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(No Hitter 4.27.02 -- AP Photo) |
"I didn't do anything wrong!"
D-Lowe wishes Boston and the Red Sox "nothing but the best" but said that the Sox spent the same money signing "4-5 guys to replace us (Pedro and him)" and that Pedro's lashing out at the Red Sox took him by surprise. Derek also denies the rumors that he went out before the September 18 Yankees debacle and called it a "low blow." He was frustrated by the way it snowballed again after they clinched in Tampa saying "somebody kept resurfacing it (stories of his going out too late) either in the media or the front office because it would have died, case in point Tony Massarotti wrote about it last weekend." However he reiterated that a big market city like Boston "with intensity and media coverage" is appealing to him. "There's nothing like it" according to Derek who unlike Pedro left this town saying that the Red Sox were "a great organization."
WEEI D&C: Derek Doesn't Pull a Pedro on Way Out of Town
And Had 1,000 More Reasons to Over the Pampered Prima Donna
Sneak Preview of Numb3rs
To help capture an over-hyped quarterback-turned-playoff-lightweight, FBI Special Agent Don Eppes recruits his genius brother Charlie, who uses a mathematical equation to identify the Peyton Manning media mania point of origin by working back from the playoff game locations.
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Robert Fallon) |
With Special Guest Star Peyton Manning
Jets Steal Page from Yankees Playbook
Double-Choke Debacle in Pittsburgh
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R A Z O R
S H A R P C H A N T |
"Hoo-sier Dad-dy!"
"Hoo-sier Dad-dy!"
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Peyton Gets Spanked by Big Daddy Again Tonight
Dinner and a Movie
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Meir Weinberg) |
Just a Couple of Things You Can Do Before 4:45 on Sunday.
Don't Put Miracle on Ice Just Yet: Curt May Try to Come Back Month Early
NEW POLICY WONK
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(Getty Images Photo / Chad Steiner Transformed to Hulk) |
The Incredible Bulk
Bonds* Knows He's Still in "The Clear" with New Policy
Artificial Heir to HR Crown's Growth Treatments Will Beat System
No Forced Retirement for Bonds* in "Harsher" Steroid Plan
Cheater Won't Be Banned in in New Drug Deal
Aaron, Ruth Legitimate Records Remain at Risk
More...
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' 7 5 W O R L D
S E R I E S W I N T E R ON
N E S N |
CARBO LOADS SOX ON HIS BACK
BOSTON BATTLES BACK TO BEAT CINCY, SEEING REDS TONIGHT
Bernie Shot Heard 'Round the World
Carbo Stays Alive and Hammers Another Pinch Hit Homer. Bernie Three Run Bomb at 11:11 p.m. Brings Sox Back from Brink in Eighth to Tie Game 6 at 6.
Lynn Slams Wall and Ball. Dewey Goes Way Back for Greatest Grab.
Pen Writes Winning Script. Fisk Pole Shot Seals Deal in 12th.
Spaceman on Launchpad for Game 7 Tonight
New York Times OP-ED on Ballgate: "Doug Mientkiewicz should return the ball to its owner: the St. Louis Cardinals. Or he should just mail it to Bud Selig, the commissioner of baseball.
Let him decide what to do with it."
Terry Francona's Gotta Go!
Stool Pigeon: Tito's the Metamucil Informer!
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R A Z O R
S H A R P C H A N T ON
S U N D A Y |
"Hoo-sier Dad-dy!"
"Hoo-sier Dad-dy!"
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Peyton Gets Spanked by Big Daddy Again on Sunday
Update: "AFC Champions 2004" Gear removed from Colts Website
Vanderjerk Made T-shirts
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(Indianapolis Colts NFL Pro Shop Photo) |
The Colts Are Just Waiting for the NFC Champion to be Announced
Shea Hey is a Blue Jay
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
The Hillenbrands Come Back East
"I'm not going out quietly, I'll tell you that much," Hillenbrand said yesterday. "They think we're stupid."
"But if you tell me that Bill Mueller is going to be the first one off the bench and he's going to give you a day off, would you sign him to two years for $4.5 million? And they're talking about cutting costs and saving money. I'm not stupid."
"Why not sign me to a multiyear [contract]? Sign me now so I don't have to go to arbitration." What happens if I go out and have an All-Star year this year and go to arbitration? You have to pay me more."
Hillenbrand said on-base percentage is overrated unless you're the leadoff batter. To me, if I get a 7-8-9 hitter on base, it don't mean [expletive] to me." ...
They don't know what they have with me. If they get rid of me, they'll know what they have. You've heard of Jeff Bagwell?"
-- 5.29.03 Shea Hillenbrand on the Red Sox trading him to the Arizona Diamondbacks
The Flaxseed Oil Kid Will Ride
the Quarter Horses to Toronto This Time
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
Shea-hole is excited to see Theo "that little twerp"
(among other things he called the GM) 19 times a year.
The Horse and the Horse's Behind
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
"The horse's name is 'Lewinsky'" -- Steve Ciaccio, WEEI
The Hillenbrands Get Ready for Move Back East
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
Where's Noah's Ark When You Need It?
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
Welcome back Shea!
And yes, we've heard of Jeff Bagwell.
Wade Boggs Grabs Shotgun, Jumps in Truck
After Seeing Hillenbrand Animal Clan
Theo Won't Sign Delgado
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Kyle Potter) |
But Carlos Would Look Great in a Boston Uniform
Big Baby Blowup
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(CBS2 Photo) |
Hothead Melts Down in Midtown
Big Apple Snapple
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Image / Nick Merrill) |
The Manhattan Project's Tirade
Watch the Video Here
Angry Unit Shoves Cameraman on Day One
"Don't talk back to me!"
The Bronx Hillbilly
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Xpurgation) |
Come 'n listen to my story 'bout a man named Randy
The sad Diamondback, was his modus operandi
And then on the day he turned his head to cough
He saw a cameraman, and told 'em to #&@! off.
"Frightened", he is, country boy... city streets...
Well, the first thing to know, is he's a millionaire
A tall, ugly southpaw, with curly 80s hair
He said, the "New York Yankees is the only place for me"
So he loaded up the truck and he moved to NYC
"Toilet", that is, press pools... nudie bars...
Well, now it's time to say goodbye to "The Randy Honeymoon"
He might be better suited playin' basketball with Boone
We're all invited back again to this reality:
He's just a cranky cracker with a gimpy, swollen knee
Hillbilly, that is, set a spell, take your shoes off
Y'all come back now, hear?
-- Peter Stasiowski, Boston Dirt Dogs
Meanwhile Schilling Runs a Marathon
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(SHADE Photo) |
...Shonda Schilling, not the Big Guy
Boston Red Sox Ace Curt Schilling, in the spiffy Johnny Unitas Baltimore Colts throwback jersey, hugs his better half Shonda, as she finishes the P.F. Chang's Rock and Roll Marathon Sunday in Phoenix. Shonda finished the marathon in 4 hours and 50 minutes raising $40,000 for the SHADE Foundation. It was Shonda's first marathon (congratulations!). She will now be running the Boston Marathon in April to raise money again for SHADE. Stay tuned for details on how you can sponsor Shonda's first Boston run.
And Gammons Has a Beer
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / George Rizer) |
... Named After Him.
Get some limited edition Harpoon 'Commissioner's Pale Ale' produced to honor Peter Gammons and his role in the Hot Stove Cool Music benefit supporting the Jimmy Fund.
Ballgate Swings Wide Open
Everybody Has An Opinion on the Story They Want Everyone to Stop Talking About
"Doug sounds like he is trying to sound like a guy thinking this out as he goes along. I have heard everything said recently by Doug and canny wife, Jodi who clearly has a big future in public relations work and I hear a whole lot of spin going on. As both Doug and Jodi admit when she first saw him in the clubhouse, she quickly got around to asking; “do you still have the ball”? Interesting preoccupation, don’t you think? ...
"Some achievements in baseball despite occurring in a team context speak so much of individual accomplishment; a three thousandth hit, a no-hitter, a 20 strikeout pitching performance, hitting for the cycle, really any record individual performance, that we readily accept that the player deserves to keep memorabilia associated with the performance. But where was the individual performance here?
"What heroic individual feat trumping team play did Doug Mientkiewicz accomplish in Game 4 of the 2004 World Series that merited singling him out over the effort of the Boston Red Sox team and the hopes and histories of their legions of fans over 176 baseball games?
"The first time such a playoff series winning baseball came Doug Mientkiewicz’s way in a Red Sox uniform was in game 7 of the ACLS. He rightly saw that if one individual deserved the baseball, it was Derek Lowe and he gave the ball to Derek Lowe; nice gesture, Doug.
...
"I am confident that despite the initial response by Larry Lucchino who probably regrets his public airing, the matter will now be negotiated quietly behind the scenes. But make no mistake, Red Sox ownership will not tolerate a situation with an employee where they feel they are being taken advantage of and have options.
"If Doug and Jodi Mientkiewicz don’t come to their senses, Doug won’t be wearing a Boston Red Sox uniform in April 2005. This would be truly unfortunate as it is generally understood by people in the know that the Boston Red Sox intended if possible to trade Kevin Millar, in part because of off-field behaviors, and make Doug Mientkiewicz their first baseman, a move vigorously debated-largely supported by the fans."
-- Brasstacks on RedSoxNation.net
Hot Stove, Cool Music Tonight
Cesar Salad Days Over, Crespo to Pirates
Five Out of Five Sources Agree: "Mets Get Beltran"
Ray-from-Lynn Reveals His Secrets
Hellowe, Goodbye
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(Globe Photo / John Bohn) |
D-Lowe Has Signed Deal with the Dodgers
Press Conference in LA on Tuesday
Saturday Wake Service:
Donovan's Tavern in Dorchester at 6:00 p.m.
Joe's American Bar & Grill on Newbury Street, 9:00 p.m.
Division 16, 11:00 p.m.
The Rack, 2:30 a.m.
Sunday Funeral Procession to Los Angeles:
Leaving from Dunkin' Donuts in Quincy, 11:55 a.m. sharp.
"If you don't have a drink and shed a tear for our own Derek Lowe tonight, I don't know what we're doing in this life."-- Ted Sarandis at sold-out Conte Forum
Godspeed and Thank You for Everything D
You Will Be Missed by Many in Boston
The Verdict is In
Especially the Mrs.
But Sox Were Dumb Not to Claim The Ball Before Series Sweeper.
Making the Most of Ballgate
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(Boston Globe Archive Photo) |
“Foulke underhands the ball to first. ... He’s out!. ... and Mientkiewicz steals it! Over to Jodi. Mientkiewicz stole the ball! It's all over! It's alllll over! Doug Mientkiewicz is being mobbed by the fans. It's alllll over! Doug Mientkiewicz stole the ball.”
-- Dearly departed Boston Celtics broadcaster Johnny Most, on Doug Mientkiewicz legendary play to end Game 4 of the 2004 World Series against St. Louis.
Twins Killing: Minky Thrown Under Bus for Taking Ball
Hrbek, Larkin, Kelly Kick Doug to Curb
And Jodi emails the Star Trib too
Gene Larkin: "I think if I had it and the team had
wanted it, I'd give it to the team," Larkin said. "If Doug wants to keep it for
himself, honestly, I don't think the Red Sox would want him on their team."
Twins Legend Kent Hrbek offered this advice: "If
Doug was playing in the U.S. Open tennis tournament and he won it on the final
serve, then that tennis ball belongs to him. But baseball is a team game, so
that's a team ball. That's what I would have done.
Hrbek recalled Mientkiewicz's tenure with the Twins
when he often angered his employers with bold comments. "There goes Dougie,"
Hrbek said. "Right in the middle of another controversy."
Manager Tom Kelly: "He needs to give the ball back.
Can you imagine him stepping on the field there if he doesn't?" He didn't need
much time to determine what Mientkiewicz should do. "That ball is certainly not
his," Kelly said. "... When Mr. Lucchino asks for the ball, I'm sure he'll hand
it over. Right?"
Lucchino Airs Dirty Laundry, Drags the Nation into Mess
WEEI's Glenn Ordway: "He (Lucchino) wants to return it to ‘Red Sox Nation,” and now the Red Sox are charging people $10.00 to be a part of ‘Red Sox Nation.’ …I agree with that (there’s hypocrisy on Lucchino’s part)… Larry Lucchino could have dealt with it in a private manner behind closed doors as opposed to putting it out in the public. He chastises the media all the time for creating stories, creating controversies, I hear him all the time on Dennis and Callahan ‘here we go again’ well ‘here we go again’ Larry Lucchino is out there and creating controversy himself and kind of throwing some dirt out there."
It's Doug's Lucky Day
Sox President Larry Lucchino: "We're going to make a request of him to return it to us. We want it to be part of Red Sox archives or museums so it can be shared with the fans. We would hope he would understand the historical nature of it… This is a gray area as to what players think they can take with them. We're going to ask Doug for the ball. I think it would be a nice gesture on his part to return it to Red Sox Nation."
Shaughnessy Sets the Record Straight
CHB on Mustard and Johnson: "I was actually curious about the ball, and I had been asking myself, ‘he must have it,’ he actually walked by me in the corridor in St. Louis after they had won and I said ‘is that the ball?” and he was clutching it like he was Tiki Barber going into the line holding the thing. So I assumed he had it, and why wouldn’t he have it? So I did call and we chatted briefly about the Millar situation, first-base trade and there’s not really anything groundbreaking or new there and I wasn’t particularly interested in that anyway unless he was going to say ‘I demand a trade’ or something. I said ‘what about the ball?’ He was very forthcoming, he was very lighthearted. When he says ‘I can be bought’ I know that’s tongue in cheek. I think in the paper… I read somewhere where he said he expected a lighthearted article, I kinda thought it was, I mean I said it was like the Faberge Egg, The Hope Diamond, and it wasn’t until Lucchino called me back which was late Thursday night and said that they’re going to ask for it back that it took on a little bit of kind of a contesting of the ball. And at that point I called Peter Chase, Charles Steinberg, and Glen Geffner and said ‘here’s what I got, it would be good to get Doug again on this’ and they were unable to reach him for the rest of the night, I said ‘you can call me until 1:00 in the morning. John Henry called me at midnight and said he was going to try to talk to Doug. He said he couldn’t believe no one had asked about it. He was kind of surprised. I think that they’ve kind of been wondering. I was in Lucchino’s office Tuesday and said ‘what’s up with the ball?’ he says ‘geez I don’t know’ and he called somebody in their administration and that kind of got the ball rolling so to speak. I was just curious, but when Doug called me back he was very forthcoming about it and I certainly didn’t misquote him and I don’t think he’s pretended to say that, he wanted to present it as he said it with his tongue in his cheek but I thought that was apparent… I didn’t present it like he’s throwing down the gauntlet or anything and I did try to reach him after Lucchino at 9:30 on Thursday night, and that was with calls all day and emails. I emailed John Henry at noontime Thursday (to ask him about it), he said ‘I’ll get back to you on this today and 12 hours later he called me… I don’t think Doug’s a bad guy at all. I don’t blame him for doing what he’s doing. I think that he’s got it. When a guy puts it in a safety deposit box and has it authenticated I think it’s pretty clear he thinks it’s his and I’m not saying that makes him a bad guy at all. He seems like a great guy. It’s just an interesting question… technically I think the St. Louis Cardinals own the ball, one guy at the Red Sox said ‘the Cardinals buy the balls for the games there, we buy the balls for the games at Fenway’… MLB is saying it belongs to the ballplayer unless the Red Sox choose to contest it, I don’t know how strongly they’re going to contest it. If you notice, Doug’s not happy with me, maybe feels ambushed whatever, but at the same time he has the ball and he doesn’t want to give it back, which is OK, but don’t get mad at me because of that, I mean he’s the guy that’s got the ball and won’t give it back… We know it’s a stupid thing, it does happen to have monetary value to a lot of people, certainly to a high bidder it probably would, that’s why Doug has it in a safety deposit box and got it authenticated… It’s just something that everyone has an opinion about it. It’s harmless, fun, nobody gets hurt here, no one’s a bad guy. It’s just a harmless, fun story."
Who's Your Mommy?
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(Jodi and Doug Mientkiewicz) |
Jodi Says Lucchino Has to
Go Through Her
Jodi, and Doug's Mother, Are Calling the Shots
Not Your Average Jodi: Mrs. Mink Calls into The Big Show, Says They "Have No Intention of Selling the Ball"
"It’s amazing that
we’ve had it for three months, we’ve told lots of other media sources that have
asked ‘where’s the ball?’ we told them we had it authenticated, we told them
it’s with us in Miami, no one’s ever said anything, no one from the Red Sox has
ever said ‘we’re glad you kept that ball’ nothing… I had to just drive home with
it, I drove home from Boston and I was scared to death because I had it in the
car. As we got back I put it in the same safety deposit box that we have the
Olympic medal in and the irony is Doug can’t even get into that box because it’s
registered under my name and his mother’s name, so you can’t even really blame
Doug, blame me. He (Lucchino) has to go through me.
"He had it in the
clubhouse (after the game) and I asked him, I said ‘do you still have the ball?’
and he said ‘yeah’ and I said ‘let me put it in my purse so it doesn’t get lost
in here because I don’t know if any of you guys were in there, there was a lot
of media in there, and it was chaotic when they won. I just kept it in my purse.
And the next day MLB actually approached Doug and said ‘if you want to
authenticate it, we’ve got people here and we’ll register it to you, and it will
be registered under your name and everything, so he went ahead and did it.
"We do not have
any intention of selling this ball. We’ve actually had people who have asked to
buy it and we’ve said no to them. They went through our agent. There was one
offer that was very, very low and I think the highest offer was $25,000 maybe I
believe. No one has ever asked us to put it anywhere... I don’t understand the
timing of it at all, we’ve had it for three months, I would have thought
somebody would have contacted us right afterwards, he had it authenticated at
Fenway, it’s not like they didn’t know he had the ball, but nobody had said
anything and then Shaughnessy called actually to talk about the whole Kevin
Millar trade thing, and Doug didn’t want to comment on that so they just started
talking about the ball.
"It’s sad that
everybody’s dealing with this, and this is this national issue today when the
Red Sox could have just come and said we have this museum, or we’d like to do
this with it, and do we have your permission, you could still retain ownership.
I mean it would have been ‘yes, yes’ here it is. The ball would have already
been there probably by now… but that’s not the way things unfolded.
"It’s not any
question of the ownership. If MLB says that we own it, and it was registered
under Doug’s name, I was standing right there, then yeah, we do own it, but that
doesn’t mean we don’t want everybody else to experience it.
"If this is the
way that the writer portrayed it to the media, I can only imagine when he called
them to get their quotes, the way he said that Doug said it, you know what I
mean, I don’t know how that transpired, I don’t know what their conversation
was, I can only imagine he called up and said ‘hey, you’ve go this player who
says it’s his ball and he’s gonna sell it and send his child, who he doesn’t
even have, to Florida State… I don’t think it will affect how he plays, it might
affect how some people perceive him and that’s just gonna be whether you believe
some of the stuff that you read in the paper today, or you believe the truth.
"I told Doug I
said ‘now that this has become funny with the ball, maybe the ball will be my
little Nelson and I’ll just take it to the park and take pictures, $10 to take
Polaroid pictures…”
(After
listening to Jodi, when she's not posting online or emailing about this, has
anyone ever seen her and WEEI quasi-celeb-caller Allison-in-Cambridge in the
same room together? She's making Brenda Warner look like a wallflower.)
"I just didn't realize how one writer could infuse a load of bull onto a nation. We have all kinds of media from around the country calling to say -- "Will you give the ball back?" Is there nothing else newsworthy right now?"
-- Jodi Mientkiewicz on RedSox.com message boards
Eyechart Sees Ball Differently
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Nick Merrill) |
Hear what Minky had to say with Dale and Neumy
Mr. and Mrs. Minky Fire Back on Ballgate
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / John Tlumacki) |
Minky Says He Was Sandbagged by Shaughnessy, Says Lucchino Has His Number, Maintains Claim Ball is His
"I should never have called him back, and I did and I didn’t want to... First of all he (Foulke) wasn’t going to throw it to me, I’m yelling at him, ‘throw me the ball!’ I want to be on Sports Illustrated too. He threw me the ball and I held on to it. I held onto the one when we won against the Yankees too. Derek had pitched such a good game, he’s gotta have that ball. I gave it to him after all that he had been through, and I was going to give him this one, and I thought, “this is crazy, I’m a baseball buff, it’s something I want to hang on to.”
“The funny thing about all this, all this came up now. I’ve been telling everybody since the minute we won that I had it. No one has contacted me, no one has said two words to me about this ball.
“The whole thing about me wanting to sell it, I was saying it laughing. The other guy (Shaughnessy), he was laughing. I thought it was going to be a light-hearted article, I was just joking around with him and kidding about it and the whole thing about I can be bought, it was all in jest, it was one of those things. I’ve tried to keep my mouth shut all winter, but when someone backs me into a corner that way, I’m going to come out fighting. If someone portrays me as as someone I’m not, I’m going to have a problem with that. Red Sox fans have not had a chance to know me, to know my personality. The last thing I am is money crazy but I’m also not going to give the thing away either. Not in the near future (does he have plans to sell the baseball)… I would like to keep it. I’ll be more than happy to loan it out, that’s part of baseball history. That’s why I had it authenticated…” -- Doug Mientkiewicz with WEEI's Dale and Neumy
Doug says: "If they want to show it to fans, I’d be happy to. In fact, I’d show it off myself. I was furious when I came home after lifting weights, and got all these messages, people calling my mom, my sister. It’s out of control." -- mabrowndog transcript of Mientkiewicz's interview on SoSH
Jodi Doth Protest Too Much
"well i might find that i regret posting this but i used to post frequently on the twins board and found most of them to be respectful and intelligent baseball fans. from what i have read here over the last 6 months, i find the same to be true here so i will at least impart the truth of this story. yes doug does have the ball and yes we did authenticate it after the series. thank god we did or any person off the street could claim they had the ball. we have told numerous sources since the series ended that we have the ball and not until this article have we been approached by anyone with the red sox to return it to them for a museum. furthermore, the first we heard of that was through the media and not through a personal conversation with anyone with the red sox. doug and i have no intention of selling the ball for profit. doug did say he could be bought, joking and laughing the whole time. he also said how much he knows the value of this ball and what it means to red sox nation. so before everyone goes crazy, know this, we have always had the ball, we have told other media sources we have it and they have never pitted us against the ownership. there must be some agenda here that i am unaware of but i am sure doug and the team can resolve everything and all will be happy in the end.
"honestly - until this morning- we had not even talked about it. so to be completely forthcoming, i don't know where it will go first. i am sure it will end up there. like i have said- we have not even talked to the management to find out what they would like to do. one thing we know - it should not sit in a safety deposit box. we need to discuss with the red sox where it should go, whether it be to a museum, or the Hall or on a tour. this should have been a conversation we had privately but i guess it gives people something to get fired up about when exposed to the public. based on the way the media operates up there- you guys will probably know before i do as to what happens.
"you're welcome. the irony is he called doug to talk about the kevin/doug situation going on and doug did not want to comment about anything until theo made a decision so they started talking casually about the ball and the world series.
"trust me - we are no strangers to slanted journalism but i think he is going to wait til after he speaks with ownership privately before he comments publically. the one thing this shouldn't become is doug gets traded cause he didn't give the ball back or kevin gets traded cause doug did give the ball back. it should have nothing to do with management's decision. they are both great players and we should probably let this simmer down for a bit."
"this is definitely learning the hard way not to say anything in jest. When a writer calls wanting to get info on the kevin/doug debate - gets nothing from doug - then goes on to ask him what he did with the ball -when we have already told everyone. And then prints doug's lighthearted comments about being able to be bought as some statement of "ill take the highest bidder". bottom line if doug wanted to sell the ball - it would have been sold. if the red sox wanted the ball from doug - they should have asked him for it. i just had some reporter show up at my door 15 minutes ago to talk to doug. this is so exaggerated, it's ridiculous. yes ulimately doug did answer the writer's questions in a playfull manner. but if the red sox wanted this ball so badly to put in a museum, why did they wait 3 months til the week when a deicision is going to be made about trading doug or kevin to discuss it - and not with doug- but with the media? i don't know why all of this is being brought up now but i'm sure we will all find out.
"trust me we have heard far worse than this before- but i just didn't realize how one writer could infuse a load of bull onto a nation. we have all kinds of media from around the country calling to say - will you give the ball back? is there nothing else newsworthy right now? it will probably start a whole series on "where are they now" - all the last outs of the all the world series balls. and if the red sox don't go to the WS it will be the curse of doug mientkiewicz and then if he gives the ball back and we don't go to the WS it will be the curse of the ownership taking the ball back, etc. now we have reporters taking pictures of our house so i am sure you will all see our house by tomorrow."
-- Jodi Mientkiewicz, RedSox.com message board
Whose Ball is it Anyway?
Boggs Will Wear Red Sox Cap into Hall of Fame
World Champs to Open MLB Season Sunday on ESPN in Bronx
Out Law: Ty's Gotta Eat Someplace Else, Pats Career Over
Theoretically Speaking
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(Globe Photo Archive) |
Theo on WEEI with Dennis & Callahan. Listen here.
On Schilling: "I wouldn't count him out guys (to face Randy Johnson on Opening Day in New York). The main reason that Schill said he won't be ready for Opening Day is not because his ankle won't be healthy enough to pitch, it's because the process of being in the cast and doing the rehab pushed his preparation schedule back, he has one of the longest off-season programs of any starting pitcher...I still think there's a pretty decent chance he's ready on Opening Day... it's not as big a deal as people are making it out to be, anything can happen -- we're dealing with ankle surgery -- but if the rehab continues to go well, he'll be fine."
On the Idiots: "The reason it worked last year 98% of the time is that they respected each other, they respected the game, they still behaved in a professional manner, again, for the most part. We just want to make sure we don't go too far over the line, and lose professionalism, we don't want to lose respect for the game. We do want to maintain the relaxed, fun elements of our clubhouse. We just want to make sure we have the Jason Variteks of the world, the Edgar Renterias of the world, Trot Nixons, Tim Wakefields, I could go on and on and on and on but the guys who really do things the right way. And I think we do, I think we have a good combination of personalities in the clubhouse now. Yeah (the line was probably crossed a few times), just like you probably crossed the sometimes, and I do too, sometimes when you're having fun, and good things are happening, you get too much of a good thing, and you probably do things that you look back on and wish you hadn't done or said, but that's just life. That's the way it happens, and it was nothing we couldn't overcome and it will probably happen again next year."
On Beltran: “I hope it’s one of those two (Mets or Astros) and not the Yankees. I think it’s probably best for baseball if he goes back to the Astros, we were trying to trade for him, a lot of teams were, they (Houston last year) I guess made the best offer, they made a great trade, he helped turn their season around, they did really great things in the second half, he was unbelievable in the post season for them, it probably be best for baseball if they’re rewarded and he gets to stay there and maybe not even at top dollar, but what makes sense for him, so I hope that’s what happens. Early in the off season (we considered Beltran some) you kind of look at what money is available to you, what money maybe you can free up, what are your needs, what’s it going to cost to acquire him, but in the end it wasn’t worth it for us, not only because of the price tag, but because of the process. In other words, we couldn’t put so many of our eggs in that basket, when by definition because of the salary involved that’s a lot of eggs, and then wait and on January 8th be finding out whether you’re going to have a successful off-season or an unsuccessful one because that’s the way this process was going to work with this player and this agent. In this particular case, we couldn’t put that many eggs in that basket.”
On Johnson and the Yankees: "It's a good acquisition for them... our approach to the Yankees, especially during the off-season, is we assume they are going to win 100-105 games every year, they have basically limitless resources and they're extremely smart, and they usually spend their money the right way, they have a great gameplan, and their track record. They're going to win 100-105 games, why worry about it? Nothing we can do to prevent that, just sets the standard for us. If we want to compete in the division we've got to try to win about 100 games and that's our long-term baseball plan, and our business plan, win 95 to 100 games every year, get in the post-season hopefully every year, and that gives us a chance to 'one of these days we're going to do something special in the post-season and win the World Series in the post-season and it happened. It doesn't change our long-term plan. You don't have to try and build an uber team. You don't have to try to react the Yankees and build the perfect team. You can't do it and stick to your baseball plan. I'd love to get in there 9 out of 10 years if we can and try to win more than one World Series."
On Hanley Ramirez: "Hanley's probably going to Double A to start the year, he only played several weeks there at the end of last year, he's just 21 years old, he's got a lot of development left to do, his ceiling is really limitless, so he's going to stay at shortstop for now but sure, down the road, if we're put in a position where we have to consider a position change for him, he's got tremendous athletic ability, tremendous instincts, size, speed, power, range, and arm, so he could play center field, he could play third base, he could play second base, but we're going to keep him at shortstop."
On Wade Miller: Cautiously optimistic, this is a guy who’s not available at all if he’s completely healthy, but we had a leg up on the competition, in acquiring him because we were trying to trade for him. We had gotten all the medical from Houston, we did a physical with our doctor and we knew the state of his shoulder when I think a lot of other teams didn’t. So when he was non-tendered, and we got an idea towards the end that he might be, other teams probably had to go out and do due diligence on his shoulder, and we already knew, so we were able to sign him right away. Last exam he had he had full range of motion in his shoulder, excellent rotator cuff strength, excellent strength throughout the shoulder. And he’s going to start throwing this week. So he could start 30 games for us, he might not start one game for us, but at $1.5 million, and then controllable for next year, makes all the sense in the world to us, and we think he could be a big addition.”
On Matt Clement: “Kind of overlooked here has been Clement, we’re bullish on him, he’s awfully talented, but it hasn’t come together for him in the course of one season yet, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t pitched well, what really hasn’t happened is he hasn’t had run support, he hasn’t had certain circumstances to boost up his win total, but you stack up his performance, let alone his stuff and his potential, up against other pitchers, he’s on the cusp of being a 15-18 game winner, getting 6 runs of support a game as we hope to provide for him should really help as well.”
On the starting pitching market and managing risk: “Something unanticipated I think, throughout baseball, happened to the starting pitching market, every team had to adjust, I’ll be the first to admit, we had to adjust, you can’t always script things out perfectly, but you have to be able to call audibles and adjust. What happened was a couple of signings occurred with other teams and next thing you know there’s a long list of pitchers who are in line to get $8 million a year over three or four years, that otherwise wouldn’t have gotten that. To be completely honest with you, in my mind, were not worth that. Clement was, but there were a long list of pitchers who got that who in my mind probably weren’t worth it, so we considered that an unmanageable risk, and unnecessary risk, just going out and signing three guys to those contracts because that was the going rate was not wise, it was unmanageable risk, so what we did is… we knew we had to take a risk of some sort in the starting pitching market, so instead of taking an unmanageable risk, we decided to take a manageable risk, one that we could deal with and by that I mean in most years we probably don’t go get a 41 year old David Wells, but getting a quality guy like that, on a heavily incentive-laden deal, makes sense given the alternative of unmanageable risk. Signing Wade Miller coming off a frayed rotator cuff, in most years I hope we have the luxury to do that, but most years we don’t especially if we dive headlong into the starting pitching market and spend big bucks there. So now we risks that we can manage, we have six starting pitchers, now we can manage risk a little bit, come out with five healthy guys who have to pitch to earn their money and we’re really happy with the way it turned out even though it wasn’t anticipated.”
Millar and Doug the Ball Stealer: “Both guys deserve to be every day first baseman, both guys help teams win and bring a lot to the table. Obviously they have different skill sets. It’s a shame we can’t keep both of them but they’re both at points in their career that they want to play every day and it makes sense for our budget to make a trade. Go get a prospect and continue to build our farm system, and let both guys play every day. I wish we could make a trade now so I could let both guys know, but I think with Delgado out there, a lot of teams are waiting for him to sign before they go ahead and address first base... we have trades we could make right now, but I think once Delgado goes off the market we'll have more engagement and make something happen.”
On Delgado: “That’s (the LA radio report of Delgado signing), you know, people get creative this time of year but we’re not on Delgado, we’re going to do exactly as we said, trade one of the first basemen, hopefully get a good prospect, and that’s our team.”
On the fear of having Tony "The Phoney" Clark beat you: "The one at bat that I think about, that I get cold sweats about, and this has gone on under the radar screen is, remember that at bat at the end of Game 6 in New York, we kind of had that game in control, the A-Rod play happened and all that, then all of a sudden Foulke’s getting squeezed by the home plate umpire, he doesn’t have a good change-up that day, he’s thrown about 1,000 pitches in the last 72 hours then all of a sudden Tony Clark comes up, as the winning run, with two outs, yeah he punched him out, but not after a tough at bat and I'm thinking 'the guy basically ruined our 2002 season' (editor's note: THANK YOU THEO), now he's going to ruin our 2004 season. After Aaron Boone the year before, I think that would have made me jump. But yeah you figure you gotta throw him a fastball, he doesn't have a good change-up, the strike zone's really small, Clark, if he runs into one, is going to hit one out to end the season, and that would have been the worst possible way, and he struck him out, but that was probably the at-bat that I was the most nervous for during the year, and I still kinda cringe when I think about it because I could just see him running into one and ending our season."
No Deal for Delgado
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(AP Photo) |
Update: Sources close to the situation have confirmed that there is no validity to the Los Angeles-based radio report that Carlos Delgado has signed with the Red Sox. Earlier today, Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton, a host of LA based radio station XTRA Sports 690/1150 (The superstation) reported on air that the Boston Red Sox had signed free agent first baseman Carlos Delgado to a four-year deal for $46 million ($11.5 per year).
"Having spoken to an irrefutable source," CN8's Ed Berliner also confirms "there is absolutely no validity to the story whatsoever" and the source was "laughing at the LA radio report." The source did confirm that Delgado's representatives have been in contact with the Red Sox, but nothing is imminent or worthwhile to report at this time."
Car Dealer’s Choice
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Jason Dalrymple) |
Headline: Commissioner Bud Selig Approves Johnson Trade.
Ever since Commissioner-for-life (CFL) Bud Selig approved the New York Yankees trade of Javier Vazquez and megabucks for Randy Johnson, I’ve been troubled. Troubled by what future imbalance of power or misrepresentation could cause el jefe to reject a trade. Recall, of course, that in 1976, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the Red Sox purchase of Joe Rudi and Rollie Fingers from the A’s, delaying the Red Sox inevitable ascension to World Champions.
How appropriate that baseball’s CFL began his career as a humble multimillionaire car dealer, allowing him to join baseball’s ownership club as purchaser of the Seattle Pilots for $10.8 million. In baseball, he didn’t have to worry about Lemons (Bob or Chet) just about winning baseball. Of course, when he became Commissioner, his ownership was placed in trust. Forbes estimated the Bud Selig Trust ownership franchise Milwaukee Brewers franchise value at $238 million dollars, just above the Yankee annual payroll.
To quote from the Selig biography at www.baseball-almanac.com. “As the owner of a small-market team, Selig obviously understands the difficulties that the “Milwaukees” of the world have going up against financially superior teams like the New York Yankees. This issue will continue to plague Major League Baseball and along with the debate over mandatory drug testing, has turned the spotlight on Bud to fix the problem at all costs. Over the last few years, many fans and media have doubted Selig's abilities refusing to recognize that any of his policies have had a noticeable impact on fixing today's “broken game”.
What constitutes grounds for approbation of a baseball trade? Follow the money. Selig obviously sees a redistribution of MLB wealth as the principal benefit. As baseball’s Robin Hood, he takes from the rich, George Steinbrenner, and gives to the ‘poor’, Arizona. Does Troy Glaus have incriminating pictures? The Yankees will fork over additional dollars in luxury tax for the privilege of owning the forty-something Big Unit. Another win for baseball’s ‘small market’. We are talking a virtual rise of the proletariat.
What could keep Selig from approving a trade? At Boston Dirt Dogs, we have solicited opinions from around the globe in search of the truth.
Unnamed source from the Dalai Lama’s staff: “We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection. An unkind word from New York could turn our cheek.”
From the Wachowski brothers, writers of The Matrix: “you know the scene where the agents make Neo’s mouth disappear. Something like that, you know, where the Commish couldn’t speak. Freaky, man.”
From the Federal government: “duct tape and plastic. Enough duct tape and plastic and you can stop anything.”
From Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs: “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”
From Reverend Jerry Falwell, “The ACLU’s got to take a lot of blame for this.”
From Bill Clinton: “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured for what is right with America.”
Of course, more likely causes for Bud’s rejection of a Yankee trade would be the Solar System disappearing in a black hole, the earth being hit by a giant asteroid, or Selig attending a marathon session of the NHL’s new videos, “highlights from the 2004-2005 hockey season.”
Some say the Yankees are unbeatable with Johnson and their quarter million dollar infield. I think Albert Einstein’s view of next season is good enough. “I never think of the future, it comes soon enough.” Whatever happens, be sure that Selig will be wearing his pinstripe suit.
-- Ron Sen, Boston Dirt Dogs
Boggs Style Wasn't in Fashion
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(AFP Photo) |
Wade Rips 'Selfish' Tag
1.5.05: Hall of Famer Wade Boggs on WEEI’s The Big Show:
Steve Buckley: When you played for the Red Sox, your critics, and I believe you know who they are and were (WB: Haa, you mean “the geniuses?”), exactly the geniuses would say about Wade Boggs, all he cares about is getting on base, now in 2004 (WB: It’s fashionable) It’s fashionable, exactly. The GMs are going out and beating the bushes looking for Wade Boggs…
WB: And guys that can do that are making $8-9-10 million a year too… (SB: Are you amused by that?) I think it’s funny, it was something that I was good at. I was sort of a pioneer along those terms. And back then it wasn’t fashionable to get on base 300 times. It wasn’t fashionable to get 200 hits and 100 walks. And nowadays when guys do it, it’s unbelievable. And getting on base and having an on-base percentage of .450, .460, .470, umm I’m still trying to figure out what’s selfish about that… somebody’s gotta get on in front of Big Jim Rice to hit that three-run homer.
Steve Burton: Do you believe Jim Rice should be a Hall of Famer?
WB: Absolutely. Absolutely I’ve been talking about Jim for two days now and I’m one of his biggest backers. He’s got proven numbers, .298 with 1,400 RBIs over 350 home runs, over 2,400 hits. When you look at his stats and the amount of time that he did it in, I believe it’s 16 years, without a doubt he’s a Hall of Famer.
Glenn Ordway: I wonder what you’re feeling was watching the Red Sox win something that you tried to help with and that you know how important it was for this community. What was your reaction?
WB: “I loved it. We were just pulling for the Red Sox, and we were just going nuts. And I still have a lot of close friends that are elderly in the New England area and they were begging the Red Sox to win a World Series before they went up to that big Fenway Park in the sky so I was so happy for the New England area and the Boston Red Sox organization that I felt a part of it. And to listen to Curt Schilling say that this one was for the guys that came before us, the Wade Boggs and this and this. That was so special, he didn’t have to say that. And to sit there and to finally see something that took so long to occur, and two months ago I was in Boston for the (Red Sox) Hall of Fame dinner… just walking down the street looking at individuals with their head held high and their chest poked out, there’s a different swagger about Bostonians right now that they’re on top and I’m telling you it just brought back that old-timey rival of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry and it’s so great for baseball and I was so proud for New England.
GO: When you first came up you were not a great fielder, but you worked at it to the point where you won a couple of gold gloves and I wonder how difficult that was…
WB: Johnny Pesky. That’s plain and simple. Johnny Pesky is the reason that I won those gold gloves. He got all those blisters all those years at 3:07 asking Johnny ‘hey, let’s go’ and that was another one of the superstitions, had to take ground balls at 3:07. And Johnny would hit the ground balls. That was the one label that I wanted to knock, to get off my back, was “all hit and no glove.” And eventually did that. And every player who plays this game wants to be known as a complete plalyer. And in ’94, when I won the gold glove, it solidified that so that was a very proud moment.
Steve Burton: Let me ask you this, 3,010 hits, 75% of your hits were singles, are you aware of that? People would get upset at you because they were thinking “oh man, he’s just hittin’ for himself, he’s a selfish player, he’s just hitting, and I remember when you hit the home run in the All-Star game, why doesn’t he hit like that all the time?’
Wade Boggs: That was a fluke. The home run in the All Star game was a fluke, just like my 3,000th hit was a home run and it was a fluke. See there’s one thing that I knew that I could do good and that’s hit a line drive. I worked from left and to right center and through the biggest part of the field. I knew if I hit long fly balls I was out. I didn’t have these big giant muscles that these guys have nowadays to hit the ball out of the ballpark (SB: You mean steroids?)… I could hit a line drive and I hit by recognition. I hit by looking for the little dot on the baseball, looking for the little tumble on the fork ball. So it was a situation that, when you hit that style, you’re not out in front of balls and grounding out to second base and you’re not popping up balls to the shortstop (a.k.a. “Garciapopup™”) and flying out weakly to the outfield with a man on third and ending rallies with a wild strike out with a fork ball in the dirt or something like that. No, I got 200 hits and 100 walks each and every year, and on base .450 and scored over 100 runs, that was my contribution, that was how I felt like I was contributing to the team and not going up there and hitting .220 with 20 home runs and striking out 190 times and saying “boy I had a great year.”
Was Boggs One of Boston's Best?
Sports Illustrated: Every Team Needs a Bruschi
Make that Tedy Bruschi, and New England has the only one. The big-play linebacker and unsung leader of the defense gives the Pats a shot at their third title in four years.
By Josh Elliott, Sports Illustrated
He is outnumbered again, staring down a menacing double team. If it’s fair to say a man’s work is never done, then right here—at the backdoor to his house, after several hours of trading blows and barbs with his New England Patriots teammates—Tedy Bruschi’s long day isn’t over yet. When the two young boys lunge at him, chirping with delight, Bruschi sees himself in their tiny faces and hears his own father’s words: Get the ball, Tedy. Go get the ball. Those words, which were sometimes said in derision, have motivated Bruschi since he was a child.
The Bruschi boys set upon their dad again and jog him from his reverie, throwing themselves at him over and over. Later, as he is recounting this scene, Bruschi couldn’t be happier. “My boys are just like me: really physical,” Bruschi says of Tedy Jr., 4, and Rex, 2. “Every day it’s a big tackle-athon. I love it. They never quit. They play just like their dad—and just like their dad’s team.”
While the Pittsburgh Steelers (15–1) are the AFC’s nouveau power and the Philadelphia Eagles (13–3) are the class of the NFC, the NFL playoffs remain the domain of the defending champion New England Patriots (14–2). Winners of 29 of their last 31 games (including the postseason), the Pats have a first-round bye before beginning their quest for a third Super Bowl win in four seasons with a divisional-round game on the weekend of Jan. 15–16. New England is the league’s model franchise because each player, no matter his position or cap figure, embraces coach Bill Belichick’s team-first philosophy. “I know one thing,” says Bruschi, 31, a New England linebacker for nine years. “I was meant to play with these 52 guys, for this coach, in this system.”
Indeed, Bruschi seems the picture-perfect Patriot. Hard-nosed and a vocal leader, Bruschi (pronounced BREW-ski, to the joy of beer-swilling, pigskin-loving New Englanders) is admired for his toughness and loyalty to an organization that risked a third-round draft choice on him in 1996, when he was an undersized defensive end out of Arizona. And long before Pats defensive tackles lined up as fullbacks and wideout Troy Brown intercepted three passes as a part-time cornerback, Bruschi’s versatility was celebrated. Too small, at 6'1" and 245 pounds, to play end in the NFL, he learned three linebacker positions in two schemes under three coaches. Though unheralded in a conference that features the Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Lewis and the Miami Dolphins’ Zach Thomas, he has become an All-Pro–caliber inside linebacker and routinely makes game-breaking plays.
But to understand a player so humble that he wonders aloud who would ever read an article about him, ask Bruschi what he considers to be his most important contribution each week. “Punt team,” he says, not missing a beat. “The punt’s the most important play in a game. So many things can happen: a turnover, a score, a big change in field position. My college coach, Dick Tomey, told me he didn’t care who I was—he needed me on punt team. So I covered punts, and still do. I love covering punts.”
Says New England linebacker Mike Vrabel, “Everybody needs a Tedy Bruschi, but good luck finding one. It’s impossible to put value on everything the guy does. When he walks into a meeting or a huddle, he brings instant credibility. He’s been productive for so long, even though he’s had to switch positions. He’s everything for this team.”
This year Bruschi finished with 122 tackles, second best on the team, and 31¼2 sacks for the NFL’s ninth-ranked defense. But for all his fundamental strengths, it’s his knack for making the big play that sets him apart. “Their defense isn’t the same without him,” says New York Jets center Kevin Mawae. “He plays 100 miles an hour. He makes plays that are unbelievable.” ...read the rest in this week's Sports Illustrated
The Hall's Getting Wade
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Stan Grossfeld -- Boggs, Bruce Hurst, Al Nipper 10/27/86) |
The Original OBP Machine Takes the Fast Track into the Hall of Fame
"I think that was the turning point in my career that even allowed me to be considered for the Hall of Fame, to become a complete player. It took a while. But taking all those ground balls and going out there early with Johnny Pesky paid off." -- The 17th Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Wade Boggs
Rice Not Done, but Comes in 4th with 307 Votes. Sandberg In.
It's El Tiante Time
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(Sports Illustrated Photo / Dick Raphael--Luis Tiant, Walter Iooss, Jr.--Johnny Bench) |
Red Sox Rage Against the Big Red Machine
Looie Leads Sox into Series vs. Cin City
Tiant and Gullett Go in Game One Tonight on NESN
"I look at all of these guys throwing 100 pitches," says a steaming Tiant. "What's the difference between 110 and 100? Nothing. If you go to the park thinking you're going to win the game, you don't worry about the amount of pitches. You do whatever it takes. If the bullpen comes in, they come in."
Adding fuel to his fire and cigar smoke, Tiant added this caveat.
"And I pitched 21 years of winter ball," says Tiant. "I didn't go to Mexico to rest and vacation. I went to pitch. The only way you get stronger is by throwing a lot. They have it all wrong."
Tiant says it starts in college and the minor leagues. "All I say is pitchers are pitching less but getting hurt more," says Tiant. "Do the math. You don't have to be a scientist to realize something is wrong." ...
"Pitching inside," says Tiant. "That drives me crazy, too. Pitchers today don't know how to pitch inside. It was my favorite thing to do. And I'm not talking about throwing at a guy's head. That's stupid. I mean near the chest." -- Bill Burt, Eagle Tribune
Phoney Baloney
High Maintenance Malcontents Exposed as
Self-Absorbed Frauds
I-Me-My-Martinez Skipped Team Playoff Workout Entirely
Nomar Selfishly Sulked About Errors and Quit on His Teammates While Sox Battled Yankees for Division
Tito Blasted Pedro Privately for Skipping Out After 2004 Opener
"I can think of at least five separate periods with five separate players (Pedro, Nomar, Manny, Millar, D-Lowe) in which Tito employed a great deal of intestinal fortitude, sensitivity, patience, smarts, and affection so that potentially major things -- things that happen on baseball teams over 162 games plus spring training and postseason -- worked out extremely well both for the player involved and most importantly for the team."
-- Sox owner John Henry in Hohler piece
Do Not Miss the Red Sox 2004 Video on Red Sox This Week.
Tonight at 10:30pm on UPN 38.
"This is a brand new tape.... and I'd hate to say better, because I love the one Brian (Fox) and I did, but we threw ours together in a couple nights.
This new piece had A LOT of time and effort into it and it really shows -- it includes stuff from the whole season (and years past). It's produced by Peter Masucci and edited by Kevin Connelly."-- 1.2.05: Joe Giza Red Sox Producer
UPN38/CBS4
Happy New Year
from Beaumont Texas
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Nick Merrill) |
Kevin and Jack say "Be careful out there... and Cowboy Up!"
Juicy Juice in January
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(JoseCanseco.com Photo) |
Globe's Names: "BATTING CHUMP It was originally scheduled to hit stores in time for spring training, but with the revelations about Barry Bonds and steroids, the publication of the juicy tell-all by former Bosox slugger Jose Canseco suddenly has been moved up to January. (Yes, there'll also be the requisite appearance on "60 Minutes" with Mike Wallace.) In "Juiced," the former Bash Brother, who's been out of baseball since 2001, reportedly IDs several big-name players who used illegal growth hormones. Luckily, no big names played for Boston, when Canseco was here in '95 and '96, so the Sox may not be smeared in the book. (OK, Mo Vaughn was on the team, but his body was definitely not the result of 'roids.)"
Who's Got the Juice Now?
Visit JoseCanseco.com, the Disneyworld of Websites
"Canseco's life after baseball remains bizarre. Having sold his 1988 American League MVP plaque for $30,000 and his rookie-of-the-year ring for $5,100 on eBay, Canseco is parting with his sports mementos. "Baseball is over," Canseco told the Miami Herald through Ames. "... I'm doing my new life, which is acting." Ames said Canseco doesn't need the money - he just lacks sentiment.
"We sold the MVP plaque because it was sitting around and the dogs were eating it," Ames said." -- Miami Herald
TOP DIRT DOG
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / John Tlumacki) |
"Being a Red Sox, this city, it pulls a lot out of me, because I think a lot of my values are like a lot of the fans' values, and a lot of the guys that play here have the same values. They like to get dirty. Fans like us to get dirty." -- 12.24 Captain Varitek
Jason Varitek Press Conference Transcript
Theo Epstein’s opening comments:
“We could not be happier.
It’s not every day that you’re lucky enough to find a player who
embodies everything you want your franchise to be. And when you’re lucky enough to have that player, you
don’t let him get away. And you
lock him up for as long as you can and you make him the rock of your franchise.
Jason has been the leader here for a long time.
We are lucky to have a lot of leaders -- Tim Wakefield is here supporting
Jason today. Jason is a special guy
in the clubhouse and has had an instrumental role for a long time here and will
for a long time to come. We all
know he’s a leader, but we actually have a little bit of a surprise here
today. We are going to formalize that role for Jason, and make you
(to Jason) the team captain.”
Jason Varitek’s opening comments:
“I’m extremely honored right now. I don’t really know what to say.
You add all these things together with it being Christmas Eve, it turns
into a special day. To hold this
honor in this city and this region for this team is something I’ll wear
proudly. But it doesn’t change
much what I do. I can’t really
change what I do. I’ll just
continue to try to do the same.”
Q: Why is loyalty so important to you?
A: (Jason) “Well, I think it always has
been. But this has nothing to do
with it besides two sides worked very hard together.
Scott worked very hard with Theo and went through many, many, many
conversations and worked through a lot of things for this to happen.
They put their foot forward and wanted to keep me here and Scott knew how
I felt and how I wanted to make sure we exhausted all avenues here.
And that’s why we’re able to remain a Boston Red Sox.”
Q: Was there a moment where you thought it
might not happen?
A: (Jason) “Yeah, every day. It’s an easy thing to think that way. I just felt in my heart - just letting time in the
discussions and letting Scott do his job for me -- I couldn’t be happier with
the job they did, the two of them working together.”
More...
'Twas
the Day Before Christmas
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(AP Photo) |
'Twas the day before Christmas,
when all through the Nation,
We were happy for ‘Tek, but
worried about the rotation;
Randy in pinstripes? That deal
fell through,
But Pedro went walking to the
orange and blue
Schill was nestled online,
reading a thread,
While thoughts of ripping Petey a new one danced in his head;
But then he looked at his
“2004 World Series Champions” cap,
And forgot about the Met and
his mouth that yap-yaps
When out on the ‘net there
arose such a clatter,
Who was getting away? Now
what’s the matter?
Typing on boards fingers flew
like a flash
Like when Tony Soprano slips
his girlfriends the cash
And on some dot com I got such
a blow,
They were reporting “RJ to NY” is finally a go;
He’s #1 for the Yanks, or so I feared,
But wait – it was on ESPN, and the report was unclear
Johnny Damon was on his honeymoon,
the new newlywed,
Now will he pull a Ricky Williams? Will he ever leave his bed?
We'll miss Roberts, and Kapler, OC, D-Lowe and Pete
And Mientkiewicz or Millar, 'cause one of them is hittin' the street
Now Curt’s on the shelf, no
more blood in his socks,
And D-Lowe is home playing with his mental blocks;
Our starters are gone! Who is to blame?
Who are these new guys? What are their names?
“Now, Boomer! now, Miller! now,
Clement and Halama!
On, Mantei! plus Payton! and Vazquez and Edgar!
A whole new clubhouse! GM made the call!
Free agents dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
But Theo went to the Wells and
a Cub named Clement;
Have faith in our genius, it’s money well spent;
And now we’ve got Miller, the second best Wade,
In the history of Boston (so his labrum’s a little frayed)
And then, in a twinkling, he
was back on the mound,
The prancing and pawing of the
old top throwing hound,
Laying his finger aside of the
seam,
He gave ‘Tek the nod, an almost
impossible dream;
He spoke not a word, but went
straight to his work,
He went into his windup; then
turned with a jerk,
As he threw out his hand, and
was coming around,
Down towards home plate, the
ball took off with a bound;
He threw like the old days, so
lively and quick,
I knew in a moment, Schill was
no longer sick;
His heater’s mid-nineties, the splitter has bite,
Let’s mark him down for eight innings a night!
More rapid than eagles came the
Opening Day game,
Up went The Flag, the Yanks
looked ashamed;
Johnny's speed back in center, Manny’s long drives lit the sky,
Papi had the old stroke back,
when he hit ‘em, they fly
I sprang to my feet, to the
team gave a whistle,
They circled the bases,
Schilling threw another missile;
The good times were back for
our championship ballclub,
"LET’S GO
BACK-TO-BACK, MORE PENNANT FEVER GRIPS HUB"
(Thanks to Santa's Helpers
Andrew Kuller and Valerie Cwiekowski)
Schill Thrilled for Tek
But He's Very Put Off by the Stat Heads
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Matthew Lee) |
Curt Schilling to BDD on Jason Varitek: "Christmas came early. I am so friggin' ecstatic about this and so happy for him. Proud that he earned the right to become a free agent and even prouder that he chose to stay where he was needed most. I felt all along that no matter what happened this winter losing 'Tek would cost us more than any player they brought in could make up. He and Doug are as good a tandem as I've ever been around. I'd heard about 'Tek in bits and pieces before coming here but I've never seen anyone put more time and effort into his job both physically and mentally than this guy. I kept getting very put off by the stat heads who argued that this is the age when he will start declining, they have no idea of his makeup, and 'Tek is pretty much worlds apart from other 32 year old catchers I have seen and played with. His value goes so far beyond his offensive numbers that he's worth whatever the number they ended up at IMO. I'm happy for him and for the club, this IMO, goes a long way in putting us on track to try and defend our world championship title."
THEOVERPAYS BUT
TEK DEAL GETS DONE
Jason Returns for 4 Years, $40M
"He's the backbone of our team... he's our leader."
-- Just Married Johnny Damon, CBS4 call
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
CAPTAIN COMES BACK TO RED SOX,
BUT DIRTBAG BORA$ WINS AGAIN
Varitek returning to Red Sox
By Boston.com Staff | December 23, 2004
Jason Varitek is returning to the Red Sox in time for the holidays.
The free-agent catcher has agreed to a four-year, $40 million contract, a source directly involved in the negotiations told the Boston Globe’s Gordon Edes.
The Red Sox were expected to announce the deal on Friday.
According to the source, the 32-year-old Varitek’s demand for a no-trade clause was the singular issue that kept the sides from reaching a deal previously, but they found some way to satisfy Varitek without granting him a no-trade clause.
ESPN's Peter Gammons to BDD: "Boras told all other teams for two weeks that he would not even discuss Varitek until after Jan. 8, the last date the Sox could sign him, per request of Jason, who made it clear that he wanted to return to Boston."
What do you think about the re-signing of Jason Varitek?
To get Tek signed, Sox go through hell and high water,
and forty million dollars
Who's Been Naughty... and Who's MNice?
The internet is a buzz with chatter that Jason Varitek is on the verge of agreeing to a deal with the Red Sox. On ESPN's Sports Nation message board, a user named MNice109 posted a thread this morning that proclaimed that Varitek was a "done deal." Normally a random message board rumor is not news, but this particular poster has had an uncanny knack for posting Red Sox signing news a day in advance. On Dec. 9, s/he posted that the Sox were serious about signing David Wells and the Wells signing news did not happen until early Dec. 11. On Dec. 12, MNice109 reported that Manny was on the trading block in a Mets deal, no word in the mainstream media until Dec. 13. Now on Sunday, Dec. 12, MNice109 posted that Renteria was out of the picture, but that was the day before Pedro agreed to a deal with the Mets that freed up the money for Edgar. On Tuesday, Dec. 21 the new post said "The Sox are signing Wade Miller." The news came out first on ESPN almost 24 hours later. Now today, at 8:52am, MNice109 posted that "Tek is a done deal." No news since. Take it for what it's worth.
Newsday: Tek Re-Signing with Sox
Wade
Miller Phone Conference
(with comments from Theo Epstein)
How you feeling?
The prognosis was I had a frayed
right rotator cuff, sidelined me for the second half of the year this past year.
I’m currently doing rehab, I started rehabbing the day I got home, I’ve been
doing that three times a week, it’s been going fairly well. I saw the doctor
in Boston yesterday, he said everything looked good and I plan on throwing the
first week of January. I start throwing as I normally would any other year, and
I plan on going down to spring training a couple of weeks early to get ready
down there, to start throwing outside, and get used to throwing outside. You
have to hit the rehab hard and when the season starts you don’t stop that. You
have to keep going and doing the exercises and keeping the arm strong.
Why Boston?
I wanted to go to a good team.
Obviously they have good pitching, I think I can be a good part of that.
They’re the best team in baseball right now, I thought it was a good fit for
me and my family. It didn’t take long, they were aggressive, they wanted to
get something done right away, and I was open to that. I know other teams had
interest, but I’d been to Boston before, it’s a great city, great baseball
town, and it’s something I wanted to be a part of.
Pitching in the AL?
I’ve thought about it a little
bit, you don’t have the pitcher in there to ease the pain as they would say,
skipping over the eight hitter to get to the pitcher, I realize that but it’s
a little bit harder. I’ve pitched against the Yankees, the Red Sox, and Kansas
City a few times, so it’s exciting. I’m ready for the challenge, I’m ready
to face new hitters and see what I bring to the table.
Pitching in Boston?
I’ve pitched at Minutemaid for
four years, that was a pitcher’s park and I’m going to pitch the same as I
do at any park, regardless of the dimensions of the ballfield, I just try to go
out there and pitch my game and not try to think about the short left field. It
might add a little bit more pressure to do well (the passion of the fans, World
Series team), with the new team and
everything. They have great fans. I always loved coming to Boston. The passion
and the love for baseball. I think it’s very exciting. I’ve always thrived
more when I pitched in Chicago than any other away ballpark.
Why non-tendered?
I was disappointed but I wasn’t
surprised. I knew it was a possibility. They had a decision to make. They felt
they weren’t going to take a risk on me that’s what I think. They made a
decision, there’s no hard feelings there, but I played nine seasons there,
it’s tough to move on.
Theo speaks:
We looked at this as a great
opportunity, one that was definitely worth our while. It’s not every day that
you get a chance to acquire a guy who’s a potential top of the rotation
starting pitcher. We think that we structured a contract that’s fair to both
sides with relatively minimal risk if the injury provides more of a setback than
we anticipate but there’s also upside for Wade if he goes out and does what we
expect him to do and stays healthy all year. He’s a guy who impacts a pitching
staff, and those guys are hard to come by in trade, let alone free agency.
Schilling, Clement, Wells, Miller,
Arroyo, Wakefield, they’re all starting pitchers. You can never assume health
and readiness to go, so we’ll be very fortunate if we’re in a situation
where we have six guys ready to go and healthy at the same time, then Tito will
have to make a decision and somebody will have to go to the pen but that’s in
an ideal world. This protects us, in case we don’t have somebody ready to go,
we still have five starters to throw out there.
I’m prohibited by federal law, the
Hippo regulations from going into any detail (Miller’s exam, who examined him,
etc.) about Wade’s medical condition. I’ll just say the latest exam shows
full range of motion, excellent strength throughout the shoulder and rotator
cuff and we’re very optimistic that he’s going to have success when he
starts throwing in the next couple of weeks.
Breaking News: Sox Gifts Heading South from North Pole
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Daniel O'Connor) |
Santa Source: Both Naughty and Nice Nation Citizens Getting Sox Stocking Stuffers
Iguchi: Over and Out
"During scouting meetings last week in San Diego, the Sox also worked out Japanese shortstop Tadahito Iguchi. But the Sox, who on Monday traded outfielder Dave Roberts to the Padres for infielder Ramon Vazquez and righthanded-hitting outfielder Jay Payton, plan to pass on Iguchi, according to industry sources familiar with his talks with the team." -- Gordon Edes, Boston Globe
"...the bell horn which protects the this season second base, in lease remaining behind the policy of doing annual salary arrange in prerequisite. The Iguchi "position" which protects the second base and guerrilla warfare is not definitely promised." -- Daily Sports Japan (Babel Fish translation)
NOW COMES
MILLER TIME
Sox to Sign Wade to One Year Deal
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Nick Merrill) |
"Wade Miller, I think that’s a great pick up. I got to see him quite often the last couple of years, the only thing that’s stopped him is he’s had a couple of freak injuries rather than actual injuries where he needed surgery or what else I’m not sure what the injuries were. Great pitcher, hard thrower. He pitched well against us many times over the last three years." -- 12.22 Matt Clement on new Sox pitcher Wade Miller
ESPN's Peter Gammons to BDD: "When the Red Sox were talking to teams about Dave Roberts before the 20th deadline, they discussed a Roberts-Miller deal with the Astros. Theo Epstein had promised Roberts, out of respect, that he would try to trade him to a team where he would play regularly, and Roberts did not see that opportunity in Houston with Lance Berkman coming back in May or June and the possibility of Carlos Beltran signing, and ended up in San Diego in what could be a very good trade for Boston. The Sox will pursue Miller, but as one GM told me, "there will be a dozen to 15 teams in on him, and it could be costly for the risk involved."
Schilling on SoSH: "Wade Miller would be a good sign IMO. In addition to being a serious competitor he knows how to pitch. Given the dynamics of the staff that handles players here this would be a very different situation for him to be in. A lot less pressure and a lot more attention. Look at what the training staff did for Pedro this past season. They got him to the post, along with his hard work for every start. I love the thought of this guy coming here and being able to come back as he can. He can pitch and he can win. Put him in front of this offense and it could be a steal. Bringing guys this good here in this kind of situation seems to me to be a win win given that he'll most likely sign a deal that's incentive laden. I think it's a great move. Considering the staff that's being assembled in NY this year is gonna be another huge challenge and pitching once again IMO will carry the day when it all comes down to it."
Olney Busted
"There is surprise in some baseball circles that the Red Sox are holding to budget with certain players and are not going the extra mile, especially since they raised ticket prices... I don't think Clement is a good fit in Boston, he has too many idiosyncracies, superstitions, and doesn't handle pressure well."-- 12.22: Buster Olney on WEEI D&C
Matt Clement: I don't know
Buster Olney and I don't know how he'd know if I had any idiosyncrasies and I
really don't care what he thinks that way but as a person, during times like
this people try to pull things out, and try to get you, try to put... it's
always negative talk that tries to come out of it. I, myself just try to go out
there and pitch. You have your few things you do when you're on the mound as a
routine, but in my eyes I don't have any idiosyncrasies or superstitions that I
know about, so maybe he can tell me what they are.
The Matt Clement Conference Call
Matt Clement: I've heard
there's a lot (of scrutiny of the team) since I've signed and even before I made
the decision, I've always been the kind of person that is up for a challenge
like that and I've been pretty well prepared being at Wrigley Field the last
three years and for me to sit here and compare the two atmospheres, the scrutiny
and everything else would be terribly irrelevant because I've never been through
it in Boston before. Chicago's not the easiest place for a player or team to
play, especially, there's a lot of similarities with the Cubs and the Red Sox
until what happened at the end of last year so I think I've been well prepared,
if it's a little tougher it's something that you're gonna have to adjust to but
I'm so excited, how many pitchers get the chance to pitch at Wrigley Field for
three years especially in the excitement we did and now I get to come to Fenway
Park for three years and get to do the same thing especially after a World
Series and to be in contention . I am just unbelievably excited to come to
Fenway Park and be a pitcher for the Red Sox.
No matter what the case, I'm going out there, 110%
and I'm gonna be out there to answer the call if unless it's physically
impossible for me to get out there. I'm a ground ball pitcher. I use my slider
as my effective out pitch. And I'm just gonna attack the hitters aggressively
the best I can.
A huge thing for
me was the catching situation, and hopefully that's the same as it's been for a
while here. It's something that as a pitcher, when I watch games, I watch how
the catcher performs and think to myself, "man, I'd love to throw to this guy"
and I remember saying that many times about Varitek, both him and Mirabelli last
year and that's something that I'm very excited about.
I don't think
Theo can give me a sure answer on (Varitek signing). You're probably better off
asking Theo about that and I'm sure you guys have done that already. As far as I
know it's something that they're trying as hard as they can to do and as I said,
it's not really, especially just being in the organization for one day to really
give a great opinion on it, it's just something I'm hoping for.
I called Bill
Mueller, it was somebody I was close with when we played on the same team in
Chicago, we had some of the same values and ideas about things and I feel like I
can fit into any team, I'm not a hard person to get along with, I never have
been and I can adapt well. More of my question was about living in Boston as far
as my family... he wasn't trying to sell me but he had unbelievable things to
say about all his teammates, about the organization, the area, and I trust Bill
and what his decision was, I tried to call people that I trust and weren't going
to sway me one way or the other, they were going to tell me the truth and I take
a lot of credibility in what Bill says.
Others talked about my being on a good team for
three years, a catching staff that hopefully will be completely in place here
soon, and I heard more raving reviews about him from different people than I
ever had in the past about anybody.
Much has been made about pitchers coming from
the National League to the American League, as a guy who has pitched in the NL
his whole career, are there any particular challenges?
I'm up to a challenge. I'm not
really gonna miss hitting all that much, that's why pitchers don't like to leave
the National League after they're there. I'm sure Curt Schilling's a pretty good
person to talk to since he just did it and he's been pretty successful with it.
For me it's a thing where I just, a lot has been made of switching, I've never
really put much into it. I love to pitch. It's a different league, I've always
pitched pretty good in interleague play, I know that's not a great barometer but
I've had 10-15 starts in interleague play in the last 3-4 years. For me it's
going to be an adjustment period probably, but it's a challenge I'm definitely
up to and it's something that I hope won't be expecting to be a big deal.
How much did it factor into your decision to see that the Red Sox averaged just under six runs a game?
Definitely. Going into the offseason here and the free agent period was new for me and there were a lot of things were going to factor in. I definitely wanted to go to a team that… I don’t know if it was so much just the runs, that’s obviously a nice perk to have, how great their offense is. It more factored in the whole team, the ability to reach the post season year after year like they have. And also the ability to do what they did last year, and win the World Series. I wanted to go to a team that had a chance to experience that. I started to get on the brink of experiencing that in Chicago with what we were able to accomplish the last two years and it was a place where I wanted to go where I think I can get to that next step.
Why in your view were you dropped from the rotation in the end of September, with the team right smack in the middle of the race? Was it purely physical or did it go beyond that?
I think I’m always the type of pitcher, or I have been in the past, that pitches through everything I’ve ever felt. If I’m sore, if I don’t feel right, I’ve always pitched through it. I have a lot of pride in making all my starts. I think in honesty, the whole thing how it fell down, I was fighting through a soreness in my trap and neck area at the end of the year, and it came down to the fact that I was fighting through it, and I think in May or June, when I’ve fought through stuff like this before, I’ve been able to get through it because my arm’s still fresh. Here it was the end of the year and was probably bad judgment on my part and I think that, I was told, they made the decision for me, just because they didn’t want it to get any worse and they thought that I wasn’t getting through it like I normally do. It was awful. It was the worst week and a half of my career probably so far because especially earlier in the year when Woody and Mark were down, and hurt, and not being able to contribute and Carlos (Zambrano), myself, and (Greg) Maddux, it was put on our shoulders pretty heavy, and then Glendon (Rusch) came in and did a good job, and felt like I was a big part of why we were in the situation we were in. And at the end of the year to have it… you know there was no way in the world it was going to be my decision where I wasn’t going to get to pitch, and they kind of did it, it’s a thing where you really can’t express yourself either the way you feel about it, just because it’s about the team at that point in the season. You have to go with it. I fought tooth and nail to go out there and it was a decision they came up with. I wasn’t happy about it. It was a tough week to sit there and see what happened, especially against the Reds, but that’s something you live and learn and maybe next time when I first feel something I won’t try to pitch through it from the get-go.
Sox Re-sign Lenny DiNardo to One Year Deal
And You Can Meet Mike Myers in St. Louis
Johnson to Yankees Delayed as Dodgers Pull Out
In other news, ESPNews stops running "Breaking News: Johnson to Yankees" scroll that has appeared for the last 21 days, and read on WEEI every half hour.
Second Chance for Iguchi?
A BDD source says that Japanese news reports indicate that Richard Moss, agent for Tadahito Iguchi, said he is confident that the former Fukuoka Daiei Hawks speedy second baseman will end up signing with the Red Sox. So far Iguchi has received an offer from the Chicago White Sox for two years at $4M but Moss has dismissed that offer, referencing Kaz Matsui’s three year, $20.1M deal with the Mets. Iguchi is quoted as saying "I don't expect to know where I will be when (Randy) Johnson doesn't know. I hope to know by the time (spring training) camp starts." Yankees manager Joe Torre was asked about Iguchi as a back up to Tony Womack and said "I don't know about him."
Miller Time: Will Sox Sign Wade?
2003: COWBOY UP! -- 2004: CONTRACT UP! -- 2005:
Break 'Em Up!
San Diego Steals Roberts
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Stan Grossfeld) |
How Many Gamers Can the Sox Afford to Lose in the Dismantling of the World Series Champs?
Speedy Dave Joins Kapler, Cabrera, Lowe, and Martinez in Mass Soxodus
Jay Payton, Ramon Vazquez Coming to Boston for Thank You Dave
Meanwhile, D-Lowe Waits for Ugly Smear Campaign to Begin...
Angel in the Infield
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
Orlando to Anaheim, Shortstop
Thank You Cab Gets a 4-Year Deal with the Angels
A Very Brady Christmas Gift
Pats Knock Sox Off Front Page
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
Easonesque Pass Fails Miserably in Miami as Pats Blow 11 Point Lead in 4th, Lose 29-28
Hot-Head Harrison Penalty Costly Too
"That's a non-issue."-- Tom Brady on Charlie Weis hanging out in South Bend last week
Big Break-Up
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Pedro and Nelson are Done
Sox to Sign Good Luck Charm
"He broke my heart," de la Rosa told the Daily News yesterday. "That's not right what he said about me... I wanted him to stay with Boston, but that's his decision."
-- Nelson de la Rosa on break-up with Pedro Martinez
Sign of the Times
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(AP Photo) |
Autograph Hounds
2004 World Series MVP Manny Ramirez, signs memorabilia for $195.00 per piece for fans who have paid a $20.00 admission fee during a New England Collectors Show, Saturday in Marlborough, MA
"So when when I left the Convention Center yesterday I wanted to take a shower, anything to wash away the slime of naked commerce. To wash away the sight of overpaid players, who should get down on their knees and kiss the feet of the fans, instead of charging people who adore them too much. And the people who want to give someone who makes $20 million a year $195 for his autograph?
This way to the Egress." -- Bill Reynolds on the show/ProJo
Who is to blame for Red Sox fame?
FACT VS. FICTION: A CURT REPLY
TO PRIMA DONNA PETEY
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(Boston Herald Photo) |
Schilling Tells It Like It Was with I-Me-My-Martinez
"He left the game the first start of the season in the middle of the game (referring to Martinez' departure on Opening Day in Baltimore). What does that say about the respect he has for his teammates? He wasn't there for Game 6 of (the American League Championship Series). I don't remember what his explanation was... It's obvious: The barometer he uses for respect is money."
-- Curt Schilling, Herald
"He came to the park when he wanted and did what we wanted. That was different to me. It took a lot of getting used to... I never said he got preferential treatment; I said Pedro was on his own program and did his own thing. That's how (the Red Sox) handled him. We went on despite it. I had to be walked along to handle it. There were multiple times this season when I wondered where he was." -- Curt Schilling, ProJo
Clement Time
From Padre Phenom to Dusty's Doghouse to Sox Starter:
Clement Signs with Sox, 3-Years, $25M
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(Jeff Shaw Photo) |
Sox Go to the Matt for Starters
Pedro Bids Hub Adieu
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Image) |
Nothing Left Standing By Scorched Earth Pete
"They (Boston) will field the best bad team in baseball history"
-- Our $90M Man
AS GG SS... ER
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(AP Photo) |
Priceless: Sox Fans Pay Up; Denis Leary Finally Steps to the Plate
(Congrats to Michael Schur and his friend James for writing such a smart bit)
Things that make you go hmmm, if NYUnit deal goes through...
NYY April Rotation: Mussina, Johnson, Pavano, Wright, Brown
BOS April Rotation: Wells, Clement, Arroyo, Wakefield, Halama
Renteria Press Conference at 5:45pm
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jhony Olivares Rodriguez) |
Had to Wait Until He Won the Last Game of Dominoes
"Schilling, Schilling, Schilling!"
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Pete Berce) |
'Jan Brady' Martinez Still Can't Let Go of Curt Obsession;
Disingenuous Delusionist Throws Tito, Theo, Lucchino, and Schill Under the Bus on Way Out of Town
"Schilling is 38, I'm only 33. The fact that I had an off-year doesn't mean that I can be below Schilling. Still, with an off-year, I'm way over Schilling as a pitcher and I've pitched pretty much like Schilling the last few years... Schilling's not taking anything away from me... And they should have thought about the rest of the stuff and not just Curt Schilling and his personal catcher. And all Theo argued was ``Schilling got this, Schilling got that.'' Everything we were going to negotiate was based on what they did with Schilling... Schilling doesn't even work with us. Schilling cannot run with me."
-- The Disingenuous Diva Lying Again to His Longtime Boston Agent Michael Silverman
Martinez to Mets Fans: "St. Louis was my first choice." On Piazza: "We can move him to first or somewhere. I would like every good player that is out there to be on my team. I want 'Tek. 'Tek is a good player, a good catcher." On Francona: "He was manipulated from upstairs." On Theo: "Theo got really arrogant on Fernando and I didn't appreciate it." On Nomie: "It wasn't like Nomar (Garciaparra), that wasn't happy playing the game. It wasn't like that. I played the game and I enjoyed it and I competed."
Three Out of Three Fallen Icons Agree
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(Photo submitted to Boston Dirt Dogs) |
Rent to Own
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(Boston.com photo image) |
Edgah's Better: The ER Signing Conference Today at 2:00pm EST
Meter Throws Cab Under Bus
12.15.04: "I was down at Fenway yesterday afternoon talking to my moles... guy you trust, not part of front office smear campaign :-)... the OC was a high maintenance guy and was not well liked in the clubhouse. Here's the worst part, he was not good to the 'little people' (Nelson?) No. The clubhouse attendents, guys who work around the park, he did not show them respect."-- Weston's own John Meterparel, co-host of the Dennis & Callahan Show, 6:00am - 10:00am on Sports Radio 850 WEEI -- that's AM on your radio dial
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(AP Photo) |
We Give Props to The OC
Thanks for Everything Cab
12.17.04 -- BDD Fenway Source: "OC was a great guy around the park, in the clubhouse, looked to be a great teammate, he was always having fun like you saw on TV. Meter's gotta be making this one up."
Latin King
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(Reuters photo) |
Manny and Juliana Ramirez arrive on the red carpet, at the second annual Fox Sports Premios awards show in Miami Beach. Manny received the award for Outstanding Latin American Baseball Player.
Meanwhile Back in the DR...
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Stan Grossfeld) |
The sun comes up, the sun goes down,
and Hanley Ramirez has lunch
Yankee Doodle Randy
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(Boston.com image) |
Yankees Feeling Randy After Sox World Series Win
Report: Yanks Finally Pull Off Three Way for RJ
More Bad News: Tim Hudson traded to the Atlanta Braves
Meanwhile on As the Rotation Turns: My Darling Clement Time,
Mr. Potential May Sign with Sox for D-Lowe Money
Derek Talks About Lowe Blows on Way Out of Boston
"So if they make it ugly, and kind of drag your name through the mud, people will say “well now I see why they’re not bringing him back.” But if they leave on good terms, people will be wondering why they didn’t bring this guy back. So there’s a lot of politicking going involved. And I think a lot of it has to do with the media." -- Former Sox Pitcher Derek Lowe
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
12.14: Exclusive full transcript of Derek Lowe with Arnie Spanier on Sporting News Radio's The Arnie Spanier Show discussing his departure from the Red Sox along with the Red Sox not re-signing Pedro Martinez.
Derek Lowe (on Pedro): I’m shocked in a way. Over the
last couple of weeks there was lot of talk in Boston about being able to afford
both Carl Pavano and Pedro. Having gotten none of them was kind of a shock. It
was kind of disappointing. Started last spring training, opportunity to get
something done last year, and it didn’t. Maybe the outside world is shocked but
me seeing what he’s gone through isn’t really that big of a shock.
This goes back to last year for a lot of us. Everyone knew we
were going to be free-agents after the year, they tried sparingly last spring
training to get us done. And I think a lot of us weren’t happy with the way the
progress went. This isn’t just something that didn’t get done in three weeks,
it’s gone on for over a year.
If you look at it from a financial standpoint, it really wasn’t
the money because they’re ultimately going to give that much money to other
people. I think it was a decision of who they really wanted to come back. And
Pedro and myself, and Nomar as you can see weren’t in the plans, and so it’s a
great organization, they’re going to keep getting quality guys to go there. But
I’ve said all along, when you find a group a guys that works, it kind of makes
sense to try and stick with it.
Don’t Red Sox fans deserve better coming off first World
Series in 86 years?
Yeah, again, looking at it from a players’ standpoint, it’s
shocking to see what they’re doing. They’re not bringing back Orlando Cabrera
who helped out to get Renteria which I believe is kinda the same person.
They went out and got a 42-year old Dave Wells and gave him what
looks like it’s going to be $9 million a year. And you have a Curt Schilling who
did so much for us last year, he said today it looks like he’s not going to be
ready for Opening Day and then you have a 38- year-old Tim Wakefield, then
Arroyo, so, again they definitely have a plan and and I think time will tell how
they’re going to do.
What if they call you up in an hour and say ‘we really need
to have you back,’ you sound like that really isn’t an option.
No, it really isn’t an option. You could kinda see how things
were going to unfold with me, over the last two weeks of the season, with them
kinds telling me I wasn’t even going to be on the roster as a starting pitcher,
that tells me where you believe you are in their eyes, which is fine. As a team
we pulled together and won a World Series. But obviously they haven’t
prioritized me as even one of the top 10 guys they want to bring back.
You weren’t even asked back to the Red Sox holiday party, Was
this a slap in the face?
Yeah (it was a slap in the face) it was disappointing, but you
know what? I saw it happen with Mo Vaughn. I saw it happen with Nomar. You’re
seeing it happen with Pedro. And myself. Unfortunately when you leave the Red
Sox, unfortunately has to be ugly. And I don’t think it really needs to be that
way, I mean it’s a business I completely understand if they don’t want to bring
you back. They had a get together down in Ft. Myers when I live, and not to be
invited was disappointing.
Why the disrespect?
They came out publicly and said they invited me but it was after
an article came out and said they didn’t invite me. 30 minutes later they called
and said they invited you. To me that’s not really an invite, it’s a reaction to
an article. They had three weeks if they really wanted you to come. You move on.
I enjoyed my time there, and to win a World Series, but to break up the team
that won, it’s shocking.
Why did it have to be ugly?
You’re in such a high media market, and they are so conscious of
what people say because people in the New England area have such strong
opinions, good and bad. So if they make it ugly, and kind of drag your name
through the mud, people will say "well now I see why they’re not bringing him
back.” But if they leave on good terms, people will be wondering why they
didn’t bring this guy back. So there’s a lot of politicking going involved. And
I think a lot of it has to do with the media.
Are we going to see negative stuff about Pedro Martinez now
that he signed with the New York Mets?
Yeah, I read an article today, and that’s exactly what they
said. It’s so unfortunate that it has to be like that, but it’s exactly what you
said. They did it with Nomar. They did it with Mo Vaughn before. I know it was a
different regime. They did it with me. And they said “well now it’s gonna to
look like they’re going to start bringing up bad things about Pedro,” and sure
enough they are, saying he’s a selfish player, he broke the rules, which really
doesn’t need to be brought up. This guy did so many things for them. He brought
them a World Series, you’re kinda doing the guy disjustice (sic) by dragging his
name through the mud.
What’s the part that hurts the most?
The big thing is the friendships we had on our team, I think
that was the main reason why we were able to come back from being down 3-0. We
enjoyed playing with one another. We had a bunch of talented guys. And to know
that that group of guys really could have stayed together, but management broke
us up, that’s the most disappointing thing.
You’ve got interest from the Tigers, the Cardinals, and you
won’t accept arbitration with the Red Sox.
As you can see… it would actually be funny if I did (accept
arbitration) to see the look on their faces. But no, it doesn’t look like that’s
going to be a route.
Where do I go? A lot of pitchers are signed to a lot of places
they would definitely like to go. There are definitely places I feel I would
like to go. Time will tell. It’s my first time through this process. It’s a slow
process. Wherever I end up, you hope to start off fresh and bring a World
Championship.
You don’t necessarily want to go back and burn them. For me
personally and from a team standpoint, Just pitching the way I was able to do in
the post-season, bringing a championship to the city. There is probably going to
come a day when I’ll be pitching against the Red Sox, and you look forward to
it.
"Pedro was a Little Testy."
-- Chris "Mad Dog" Russo after WFAN interview with the Disingenuous Diva
Questions About Bum Shoulder and Deferential Treatment Set Pedro Off
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(Getty Images Photo) |
Prima Goner Press Conference:
Disingenuous Diva Says "It's the Mets, Not the Money"
Rambling, Confusing Apology Speech Proves Omar Minaya
Was Dropped on His Head as Child
Watch the Domini-Con Man's Press Conference
Pedro on Mike and the Mad Dog: "I didn't feel that the Red Sox should have waited until the last moment to try to get Pedro Martinez like a leftover... I thought they should have shown more respect, to wait until the last moment, the last minute, the last second, wasn't the right thing to do, I had already given my word to Omar... It didn't bother me, the attention Schilling got, I actually don't like so much attention and it seems like he does... When I got to Boston in 1998, Boston had finished dead last (did not), dead last, before I arrived here, dead last... I have no idea, I have no idea (if Mets offered the most money), my agent has all the details... physically I can throw still the same way, and pitch the same way, I just had an off year... I don't pay attention to those things (high ERA, HRs up, etc.), I don't know, maybe I am getting older and not so good anymore?... without a doubt (I'm wearing down)... we have to think positive if we want to win, we can't start thinking negative right from the get-go. If you guys are going to wish me well, please do it... who said I had separate rules? You're coming from speculation you have been hearing from a lot of people. I have a different regimine of working, no one wants to ask about that. People want to know "how come you got lit up by the Yankees?"... you guys don't look at how we work, I had to recover in 2001. I work a little longer than the average pitcher, people want to deal in controversy and create ratings... They let me go? I left. I didn't ask them to guarantee any more years... if they had offered the third year a week ago, I'd be signed with the Red Sox right now. Are you hurt by the way the Red Sox acted? A little bit, yeah... I would like to stay healthy, with God's help... I will miss the players, my ex-teammates, my fans, the stadium and the tradition you carry around there. The fans respect me a lot."
He's the New King of Queens
And the Queen of "Full of Beans"
Martinez $53M Deal with Mets Official, Press Conference Tomorrow
"I think they did everything but the MRI" -- Herald's Mike Shalin on Pedro Martinez' physical / Ted Nation, WEEI
"The doctors can't tell if there's scar tissue buildup, etc., he does have a tear, it's a timebomb waiting to happen. You can tell by the drop in velocity. What happens if he tears it two years into his contract?"-- Jeff Brantley, ESPN
"The only thing I'm going to bring to the game is what Halama brings."
-- John Halama on what Halama brings
Rent's Ride Gave St. Louis Blues
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Tomar Ranch) |
License to Thrill: Edgar Plates Gave Boston the Edge
Coming to New York
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Jason Dalrymple) |
Petey and the Mets
Henry's kids can shake loose change forever
The spotlight's hitting Schilling
I've been known to change like weather
I killed the fatted calf tonight
So stick around
You're gonna hear merengue music
Crying fans make sounds
Say, Davey and Manny, have you seen them yet
But they're so spaced out, PuhPuhPuhPuh Petey and the Mets
Oh Nelson's weird and he's wonderful
Oh Omar he is really keen
Gave me electric boots, a mohair suit
A free subscription to a magazine
Ah ha, PuhPuhPuh Petey and the Mets
Hey kids, you plugged into the "Faithful"
You were left blinded
'Cause Fernando Cuza's ruthless
We shall survive, but Pete was stringing us along
Where he lied to Theo told you to "Believe"
But we were right, he did you wrong
Say, Davey and Manny, have you seen them yet
But they're so spaced out, PuhPuhPuhPuh Petey and the Mets
Oh Nelson's weird and he's wonderful
Omar said I'll get Respect in Queens
Gave me electric boots, a mohair suit
A free subscription to a magazine
Ah ha, PuhPuhPuh Petey and the Mets
Say, Davey and Manny, have you seen them yet
But they're so spaced out, PuhPuhPuhPuhPuh Petey and the Mets
Oh Nelson's weird and he's wonderful
Oh Omar he is really keen
Gave me electric boots, a mohair suit
A free subscription to a magazine
Ah ha, PuhPuh Petey and the Mets
Petey, Petey and the Mets
Petey, Petey, Petey, Petey, Petey and the Mets
Petey, Petey, Petey, Petey, Petey, Petey and the Mets
BOSTON GLOBE BREAKING NEWS:
RENTERIA AGREES TO DEAL WITH RED SOX
No Poke Bluffs
Welcome to Edgartown
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Nick Merrill) |
Edgargantuan
Rent a Shortstop? No, Renteria.
Rent Sure to be a Smash Show
Edgartown Ferry: Shortstop Ship Comes In!
BARRANQUILLA, Colombia -- The Boston Globe is Breaking News that Edgar Renteria agreed to a four-year $40 million contract with the Red Sox today, giving Boston an All-Star shortstop.
"The biggest reason was that Boston is a traditional team," Renteria said from his home in Colombia. "They won the Series this year and I like to play on a winning team like Boston, St. Louis or any team that has the opportunity to win."
Renteria, who played for St. Louis last season, is a 4-time All-Star, 2-time Gold Glove winner. He has a career average of .289.
St. Louis lost to Boston in four games in the World Series, and Renteria made the last out, grounding out to Keith Foulke. "I played with them for six years but finally we didn't come t an accord."
A nine-year veteran, Renteria was one of the prime free agents on the market. His decision came down to Boston and St. Louis. "It (Boston's offer) was more generous.They were more interested in my playing for them."
The Red Sox offer also includes an option for a fifth year.
Meanwhile, Sox Getting Closer with Pitching Replacements
A.J. Burnett is Front and Center
ESPN.com Insider Report (Based on The Birdhouse Report, who is Offering a $100 Money-Back Wrong Info Raffle):
Renteria Returning to St. Louis Today
ESPN Insider: "Dec. 15 - According to a source close to the situation, shortstop Edgar Renteria will be returning to the Cardinals in 2005 – and the deciding issue was not money. Even though the Red Sox offer (about $36 million over four years) trumped St. Louis's reported final offer ($32 million over four years), Renteria chose familiarity and comfort with his surroundings – teammates, coaches, medical staff – over a few million dollars. His agents are currently in the process of informing other interested teams of Renteria's decision that he will not entertain their offers, but instead will be re-signing with St. Louis."
"No doubt about it, book it, a sure thing."
Report from StLouisCardinalsFans.com: "From a source very familiar with the discussions between the Renteria camp and the Cardinals, I was told today that Edgar will be returning to the Cardinals in 2005. No doubt about it, book it, a sure thing.
As I had suspected all along, the deciding issue was not money. Even though the Red Sox “offer” last weekend proved to be false, or at best inflated and premature, there was no doubt that Detroit and perhaps other teams were prepared to pay more than the Cardinals.
For Edgar, the most important issue always was comfort with his surroundings – his teammates, coaches, medical staff and the like. He turned the negotiations over to his agents, but all along, in his heart, he knew he would remain a Cardinal. Renteria’s final decision bears that out.
His agents are currently in the process of informing other interested teams of Edgar’s decision that he will not entertain their offers, but instead will be re-signing with St. Louis.
Edgar will continue to have for many years an income the size of which he could never have dreamed as a child growing up in Barranquilla, Colombia. The Cardinals will have the continued services of a cornerstone player that Manager Tony La Russa calls “The Captain” of his squad at an amount that they can live with. Walt Jocketty and La Russa remain the “good” cops, while Chairman Bill DeWitt can be the “bad” cop who ultimately closed the pocketbook. But, there are really no losers here.
Sometimes, stories can end happily. Now, let’s get on with the rest of the off-season!"
-- Brian Walton, The Birdhouse
Fuggedabouthim
Martinez Never Cared About the Boston Red Sox. He Used the Team in a Highly Unethical Fashion to Get the Most Money. The Sox Were Crazy to Offer Him Three Years. Period.
"There are a lot of people who love me in Boston and I know that right now they must be crying. I tried. I offered my heart, my soul, to stay in Boston. Things could not work out the way we wanted them to. But in reality it's no one's fault. God simply wanted this to be my destiny right now."
-- Another Amazin' Speech from Pedro
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(AP Photo) |
FYI: Martinez Forced to Have MRI
Martinez Confirms Mets Deal
While Minaya Acts Like He's Never Heard of the Guy
New Gammons on Pedro, Cuza, Minaya, and the MRI
"There's gonna be some stink here..." -- Gammons on Pedro MRI
More PG on 'EEI's Big Show: "I was told by someone from the Mets, that I really trust, that he will have an MRI. But this doctor, the new doctor that's come in in the last couple of years, is very tough. And there's gonna be some stink here because when Jaret Wright went for his, if a doctor sees anything he's not sure about, he's goes "I'm not taking responsibility for this." So then they have to ship them to Dr. Andrews or somebody else... my guess is there's gonna be a little question on this. Didn't Pedro get upset this spring when they asked him to take an MRI? (Sean McAdam: Yep). I don't know. Pedro is a very good pitcher, but before getting hysterical over losing Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez, we're still looking at 200 innings and a 4.60 ERA between the two of them.
Pedro is very good, but I believe the word is, one of the Red Sox front office guys said, if they had the three-year $40.5 million contract with the 252 perks, said to me "this contract is going to cause us more anxiety than anything, there's no way to get a penny of insurance... if you look at Pedro's baserunners per nine innings, hits per nine innings, strikeout to walk ratios, they've all gone south dramatically in the last five years, strikeouts per nine innings pitched too. Those are indicators that the stuff is not there. He had a 5.00 ERA when he pitched in a normal rotation on four days rest. Tom Verducci admired what Pedro did in the post-season, pointing out that his three good starts were on 7-8-and-7 days rest. And then when he pitched on four days rest, he didn't pitch well.
I really worry for Omar Minaya that this could be a terrible deal. And I'll tell you why I object to Fern Cuza. I think the right thing is to do the best thing for your client. And the best thing for your client whose already made $92 million and is guaranteed $133 million dollars. He's allowed to do basically what he wants to do. People leave him alone. Nobody made a big stink about his not oing to the sixth game of the Yankees series, which I still think is perposterous. But in New York, well over half the media view him as a complete and utter mercenary who grovels to get one extra dollar. Pedro does not take kindly to any criticism. He's going to get killed in New York. And with the franchise run by a PR guy from New York named Stu Sucherman, cause he has the final say on every decision made because he's Fred Wilpon's PR hack, I just think he's in for big trouble. I think he could be miserable, or it's obvious there's a chance he's gonna break down. This has all the earmarks of a disaster and an ugly way for his career to end." -- Peter Gammons
"Pedro gets through the MRI with a wink and a nod from the Mets. His shoulder is the big open secret in baseball, the Mets had to know this, but Omar Minaya just wants to make a big splash." -- 12.14 Buster Olney, ESPNews
Contract Described as Mo Vaughnesque
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Joel F. Gibson) |
Make Room for Boomer
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(Jonathan Wiggs / Boston Globe Staff Photo) |
Wells Passes Physical with Red Sox
In Theo We Bust?
Nation Gets Nervous as Pressure to Bring in Hudson or A.J. Burnett Mounts
"There's a lot of names out there that I'm pretty excited about, Tim Hudson, A.J. Burnett. A.J. Burnett I think has probably the best arm in the big leagues. Absolutely. This guy is incredible. Obviously big key is health. To me he had a much higher ceiling than Josh Beckett. I know don't where he's at medically. Tim Hudson obviously. A guy who's making I think under $7 million this year. And he's a winner... I'm counting on Theo to make sure this five man rotation and 25 man roster will have the ability to defend a world title."-- Curt Schilling on D&C
Schilling Won't Be Ready Until May, the Earliest
Opening Day Goes Away. Ace Recovery Taking Longer Than Expected.
Cannot Rotate Ankle for 4-5 Weeks. Month Behind Puts Him into May.
12.14.04: Listen Here: Curt Schilling on WEEI with Dennis & Callahan
Gerry Callahan: Will you be ready to report on-time and be ready for spring training?
Curt Schilling: Things are going well, but no I don’t think so. I’m gonna be late, I think, starting the season. I just moved into a boot this past weekend and I was told in the last 10 days, unbeknownst to me up to this point, that I will not be allowed to rotate my ankle in and out for another 4-5 weeks. I’m not really sure what the date is, I think today’s right around the 15th, but that’s the day I start throwing, which I cannot do. So I’m looking at least another month, before I start throwing, which puts me a month behind.
GC: You said season, you mean opening day season?
CS: Yeah, I think so. I don’t think so (be ready to start opening day). Lots can change once it comes out of a cast and I get going and I know I’ve been a quick healer, but as of right now the timetable looks something later than opening day.
Pedro Rules!
"The fans let it go, and, there's definitely
different standards, which I was surprised to see given the passion here. That
players are cut a lot of different slack in a lot of different scenarios and
situations..." -- Curt Schilling
GC: Is inaccurate to say he was spoiled?
CS: In what sense Gerry? We're all spoiled
GC: Yeah that's true. Was there a different set of
rules?
CS: Petey had his own set of rules. No question.
GC: Did you? CS: In what regard? GC: I guess what we
are referring to with Pedro are the things that we know about, were leaving
early (JD: arrivals and departures), showing up late, (CS: yeah), missing a day
or two around the All Star break (CS: yeah, yeah sure)
CS: Those were his own rules. They had been
established and in place before I got here. Before Terry got here. He was
allowed to do those kind of things and that was something that... yeah, that is
different than other players. But, what are you going to do? There was a
precedent established before we got here, and it was OK with everybody and hey,
the media didn't have a problem with it. So I guess as players it was not up to
us to have a problem with it. The fans let it go, and, there's definitely
different standards, which I was surprised to see given the passion here. That
players are cut a lot of different slack in a lot of different scenarios and
situations, but I also again wasn't here for the seven years prior, I didn't get
a chance to see up close the things he had done for this city and this team as a
performer.
Martinez Won't Take Mets MRI
The Stark Truth About Pedro, Cuza
Is the old tear in labrum putting new fear in Pete? Or the frayed rotator cuff?
Jayson Stark on Perks, Planes, Privileges, Pedro being "hurt and angry," Cuza using Sox deal, and more: "They know -- everybody knows -- Martinez has a tear in his labrum that's practically as wide as the San Andreas Fault. One informed estimate put that tear as 90 percent full."
R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find Out What it Means to Pete
Cuza Told Larry They Had a Deal
"His representatives led us to believe it (the Red Sox final offer to Pedro) was acceptable.
It was not." -- Larry Lucchino in phone conversation with CBS4's Bob Lobel
Dan Rather Posts Memo on SoSH with Late Details on Pedrogate (Email Hoax Travels Around the Net)
"John Henry wanted Pedro out" early, wants "all new players," micromanagement accusations
2005 Rotation: Sox Senior Tour
Steve Phillips (wink :-) Reports Sox Close to Signing
Jesse Orosco to Replace Pedro, Round Out Rotation
Jack Morris on Radar as Schilling Insurance
Now it Can Be Told: Pedro Could Have Started Game 5 in Cleveland in '99
Threw Saberhagen, Lowe to Wolves as Sox Pair Gave Up Eight Runs Early. O'Leary Saved Day.
Diva Defection
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
Martinez Agrees to Terms on 4-Year, $50M Contract with Metropolitans
Eight Years to the Day that Roger Clemens Bolted for Toronto,
Pedro Double-Crosses Sox and Heads South to New York
Theo: "We put our best foot forward and made an offer that makes sense to the club ($40.5 million, three-year deal that contained a club option for 2008). We think it's a fair and generous offer."
Lucchino: "He will be missed, and we are disappointed to have lost him to the Mets and the National League."
Three Major League Sources Now Confirm Deal,
Sox Now Close with Renteria
Schilling to Nation: Trust in Theo
"Things change... this is a different market to play in. There were members of the press that he had a dislike for... I want Petey here... Trust that Theo a firm backup plan in place... If someone offered me a little bit more money and I'm somewhere I want to be, I'm going to stay where I can enjoy myself." -- Curt Schilling on Pedro to 7 News
"The Sox still haven't been informed Pedro is taking the Mets' offer, but they're proceeding as if he's gone. They're currently negotiating with Barry Meister, who has taken over doing Edgar Renteria's deal. And there were indications they could reach agreement with Renteria soon." -- Jason Stark, ESPN.com Insider
"I'm keenly disappointed he didn't take the last deal we offered him." -- Larry Lucchino to Buster Olny, ESPN The Magazine
Prima Goner Was All About the Money
Pedro Metinez Leaves Sox, Fenway for Shea
Four More Years: Minaya, Metropolitans Pay a Queens Ransom to Fragile Free-Agent Starter Pedro Marteamez
WEEI: Herald's Tony Mazz Says Mets and Martinez Agree to $56M Deal
CBS4's Dan Roche on WBZ-1030: "It appears he is set to leave the Red Sox... this move has caught everyone by surprise."
ESPN's Crasnick Says Sox Going After Clement
Dec. 13 -- "Now that Pedro Martinez is moving closer to leaving Boston for the Mets and Carl Pavano is about to sign with the Yankees, the Red Sox have jumped back hard into the Clement sweepstakes, reports Insider's Jerry Crasnick. The level of interest in Clement could lift him out of the three-year, $21 million to $22.5 million realm inhabited by Jaret Wright, Jon Lieber and Kris Benson and bring him a three-year deal in the range of $8 million to $9 million annually."
Gammons Confirms Mets Offered 4-Year Deal, Pedro May Be Leaning NY Way
Dec. 13 -- ESPN radio per Peter Gammons reports that Pedro Martinez appears to be leaning towards the New York Mets as they have offered Martinez a 4 year guarantee in their most recent contract proposal.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark also heard the Mets have guaranteed a fourth year on a contract offer to Pedro and there are indications Martinez is leaning toward accepting the deal. Martinez was close to deciding between the Red Sox and Mets, but the fourth year might make the decision for him.
Martinez, who previously has said his first choice is to remain with the Sox, wanted some last-minute additions before agreeing to a three-year deal worth at least $38.5 million plus $2 million in incentives to return to Boston. The Mets initially offered three years at $37.5 million plus a $12.5 million option for 2008.
It's Pay Day
Sox Within $350.60 of Signing Payro
Deal Could Be Struck Today, Or...
Martinez Holds Out for Every Last Dime.
MLB Source Calls Cuza/Martinez Weekend Behavior "Shameful." (Payback's a bitch. And so is Pedro.)
Sox Trying to Move Manny Again?
(But he's only got like three toes in New York this time.)
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(AP Photo) |
Big Red Dog Redux? Don't Met on It.
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(AP Photo) |
NY Daily News: "Mets turn down Red Sox
offer of Manny for Floyd"
Delgado, Renteria, Piazza Names All Come Up
Catcher in the Nigh: Tek Signing Delayed; Giants Sign Matheny
Gammo a Go-Go...
to the Hall of Fame
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(Globe Staff Photo) |
Major League Baseball Hall of Fame Tour Now Rated PG as
the Kid's in the Hall
Bravo: Gammons to Go in with Globe Cap, Not ESPN
"...I work on a national stage, yet my heart is always in New England, and I like to think that I represent New England, which is why being only the second person from the area -- Harold Kaese was the other -- to be elected to the Hall means so much." -- PG to BDD
Winter Meeting Minutes
Sox Go Back to the OC; Will Theo Take Cab?
Dan Roche: Sox Talking to Orlando Agent in Anaheim
ESPN's Tim Bonds*-Kurkjian: Cards Now Have Upper Hand for ER
Edes/Hohler: Mets Suggest Manny/Piazza Blockbuster
Sox Backup Plan: Kaz Matsui for Mink
Theo Refutes ESPN Report on Renteria.
Sox Still Shopping for Shortstops, Might Address Through Trade
Cardinals, Tigers Still in Edgar Hunt, Sox Offered $38M/4Y
Gammons: Sox Couldn't Afford Pedro and Pavano,
May Not Be Able to Afford Pedro and Renteria Either
Wells' Signing Put Sox Between the Sheets in 2006
Dan Roche: Theo Meets with D-Lowe; And Bora$ on 'Tek
Sox Add Perks to Pedro Deal, Cuza Back Up to Theo's Room at 11:00pm
Tim Hudson in Play; Roberts/BK, Payton/Vazquez (Infielder) Deals Still Alive
Henry on Hanley. Is He the Starter?
12.11.04: "Henry asked me where I saw myself playing next year, and I told him in Pawtucket. But he told me to go to spring training with the idea that I would be able to be the regular shortstop at Fenway. I smiled nervously and was moved by those words." -- Red Sox SS Hanley Ramires to ESPN Deportes
Christmas at Fenway, Bah! Humbug!
Scalpers, Some Fans Score Big Ticket
Majority of Unofficial and Offline Nation Gets Scrod
Expect Sox to Blame State, Season Ticket Holders, But Not Selves
Lucchino Continues to Disappoint His Biggest Lapdog :-(
Sox Fail to Put Security on the Street Again
Bitter Yawkey Way Waiter Describes Chaos
Scalpers Intimidate and Muscle In On Ice-Rain Campers
Crooks Cut Lines with No Problem, No Red Sox Repercussions
Some Fans Camp for 3 Days, While Online Savvy Crowd Got All Tix/Pax in 3 Seconds Flat
"Magic Links" Take a Carpet Ride All Over the Internet, Sold on Craigslist
While Virtual Waiting Room is Dead Fan Walking, Other Idiots in Phone Purgatory
Tickets on sale for up to 8 Times Face on eBay in Seconds
Same Old Song and Dance for Cardless, Computerless Members of Nation
MLB.com Investigates and Breaks it All Down for the Fans
No Poke Bluffs
Welcome to Edgartown
Sox on Verge of Signing Renteria
(Theo met with Edgar agents Meister and Lane at 5:30 PST)
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(AP Photo) |
Edgargantuan
Rent a Shortstop? No Renteria.
Renteria Would Replace OC, 4 Years, $40M
Carl Pavanoverrated Signs with Yanks
NY overpays for .500 pitcher with 4 year deal
Did Carl's mother or girlfriend make the NY decision?
Brian Rose is next on Yankees radar screen
Gammons: Sox sign lefty John Halama
(WEEI news reader Pete Sheppard chokes on his cannoli)
Modern Day Mythology
Be careful what you pretend to be because
you are what you pretend to be
– Kurt Vonnegut
Most of us, Red Sox Nation, card-carrying
or not, have spent our lives either envying or despising our American League
rivals, the New York Yankees. So many years they either outhit, out pitched,
or out-defended the locals. In our youth Mantle, Maris, and Ford played our
antagonists. As we grew, they morphed into Reggie Jackson, Gregg Nettles,
and Goose Gossage, and later the likes of Paul O’Neill, Ramiro Mendoza, and
Bernie Williams became the villains.
Free agency became a
contradiction, as salaries and ticket prices escalated. Franchise prices
became astronomical. While owners decried outrageous payrolls, they
continued to play the fool, bidding up not just the stars, but the price of
mediocrity.
Amidst the folly, pockets of
sanity existed. The Twins won a few championships living within a budget,
and the Marlins and Angels both overcame Yankeebucks to capture the World
Series.
Meanwhile, our Red Sox emulated
what we detested. New ownership came with the determination and the capital
to compete. They understood the need to increase revenue and have developed
NESN into a regional cash cow. Professionally, the organization brought not
only the dollars but the dynamic, quantitative analysis through the eyes of
GM Theo Epstein and Senior Baseball Advisor Bill James to identify the
missing ingredients for championship recipe.
The Sox had never been cursed by
the sale of Babe Ruth or the trade of Sparky Lyle but by the failure to
develop and maintain pitching excellence. While other teams sought or
cultivated power arms, the Sox relied primarily on pitching craft, with guys
like Bill Lee, Rick Wise, and Reggie Cleveland. Strategy and pitch selection
can take you so far in baseball. As Al Capone said in ‘The Untouchables’,
“you can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind
word.” The same applies to baseball, which is why they call it ‘hardball’.
The Cardinals tried to get by
with Woody Williams and Jeff Suppan. Tony LaRussa’s
genius
evaporated the way it always had since losing baseball’s real genius,
talent.
Theo Epstein recognized the twin
objects of the game are not only run creation, but also
run prevention. Opening up the
franchise checkbook, Epstein fought the arm’s race for solutions to both the
front end of the rotation (Schilling) and the back end of the game (Foulke).
With the imminent departure of Derek Lowe, he found a possible solution in
David Wells, while patiently awaiting the development of prospects Alvarez,
Papelbon, and Lester.
The gap between baseball’s haves
and have-nots (small markets) widens continually. Kansas City and Milwaukee
have become the Ethiopia and Somalia of baseball.
Win at any price remains our
mandate. We have tasted the fruits of victory, and we are not satiated.
Celebrate the first baseball championship of Red Sox Nation and spend
megabucks to resign our and other’s baseball mercenaries. A simple truth
emerges. For most of baseball, we too have become what we pretended not to
be -- the Yankees.
-- Ron Sen, Boston Dirt Dogs
Welcome to Boomtown
Sox Ink Wells
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(AP Photo) |
Late Boomer
Boston Globe Exclusive:
Sox Lower the Boom on the Right Lefty with Two Year Deal
Jayson Stark: "Steinbrenner just about exploded (when he heard.)"
Not Exactly an Idiotic Signing
An Even Bigger Tab
Newbury Street and Faneuil Hall establishments, devastated by the loss of
D-Lowe, are estatic about Boomer's arrival.
In other news: Bottle of red, bottle of white, Dr. Morgan lost his job last night
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Kap Guns are Real
"There was a guy I played with in the
minors. He told me that in college his best shots would never quite make
it out of the park. Then he turned to the steroids and he said that
within a month and a half, he was hitting balls 20-30 feet over the
fence. When your strength is that far superior to other guys, you have a
greater margin of error if you don't hit the sweet spot... I understand
the human body pretty well. I know the human body doesn't do things that
some of the human bodies we've seen are doing. Your bones don't grow.
Muscles can grow, but when you see somebody whose facial features have
grown, it opens some eyes."
--
Kap says all the right things again about steroids, which have been illegal in this country since 1990, for all citizens. |
No Thanks, I'm Already a Member
This ruse on the Nation has also hit the newspapers. Naturally they don't mention they are "thanking you" by making you pay $10 a year for the privilege of being "counted."
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(MLB ad in today's Boston Herald) |
Make a False Impression
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(MLB.com Photo) |
The Red Sox are now selling World Series rings to player wannabees. You will no longer be able to tell players from fans and the value of players' WS rings just dropped 90%. If you are a man who wears rings, and still wear your high school keepsake, this latest effort to drive MLB revenue is for you.
Update: Yankee Fans Are Joining Red Sox Nation "By the Thousands"
Boston Dirt Dogs Exclusive: Apparently there has been such an exodus from Yankee Country after the 2004 ALCS, that MLB has now set up a special online form for Yankee fans who would like to convert and become "official" members of RSN as well. If you are a Yankee fan and would like to convert immediately, please register for your official card, ID number, and forehead tattoo here.
My Grandfather Just Turned Over in His Grave
Shame on the Boston Red Sox
You're Not My Daddy!
"I am a Red Sox fan. I will not be numbered
like a slave to Selig." -- Doug, The Soxaholix
"Red Sox fans who are basking in the glory of the World Series championship now have the chance to be Founding Members (of Red Sox Nation) by registering for official Red Sox Nation membership (for $9.95... per year)."
How dare MLB grab onto the nickname for Red Sox fans coined a long, long time ago (by Dan Shaughnessy) and charge you $10 a year for the privilege. This is a cheap San Diego Padres marketing stunt with a Red Sox logo slapped on it. Major League Baseball does not own Red Sox Nation. It's not theirs to sell. Period. Call it an MLB discount card (like the free loyalty marketing card you have for CVS or Stop & Shop) and sell it if you need to, but leave Red Sox Nation out of it.
If you are reading this now, if you ever went to a Red Sox game with your dad, bought a Sox t-shirt, subscribe to NESN, listened to a game on the radio with your grandfather, etc., you are already a proud, "official" member of "Red Sox Nation."
But MLB tells you: "Years from now, you still might be telling future generations of Red Sox diehards how you saw the team win the last eight games of the 2004 Major League Baseball season and then became one of the first to make it official with Nation membership... the front of the card features your own RSN citizenship ID number." I cannot wait to tell my father, who was bringing neighborhood kids to Fenway since 1972, who doesn't have a computer, that he has never been an official member of Red Sox Nation because he hasn't coughed up $10 to get his "ID number."
Remember how we got this godawful idea to sell the name of the proud fanbase put on hold a month ago? You thought they might scrap it due to the embarrassment? How they told you it was to determine the (cough) "size of the fan base outside New England?" "The citizenship cards are a way of gauging how many fans there are beyond the Sox hotbed of New England, team spokesman Charles Steinberg said." Well now they've come back a month later after many brainstorming sessions, and the result is they jacked the price of membership from $5 to $10 a year, and threw in a few more perks of membership. And once all the sales are tallied, that will be the official count of Red Sox Nation. If you don't buy a card and get your ID number, well, I guess you are a phony fan on the outside looking in, no matter how long your family has given their heart, soul, and wallet to this team.
More...
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Baba
Wawha? |
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Karl Rove |
Curt Schilling |
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Helped get the President elected in Ohio. |
Helped get the President elected in Ohio.
Raised millions for ALS Research.
Karma Suture -- had tendon moved in radical medical procedure, pitched with
stitch, blood and guts, touched by God, miracle on the mound.
Led World's Most Popular Sports Franchise to first World Championship in
86 Years.
(Fascinating choice ABC. You get an F.) |
Sox Go to the Matt
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(AFP Photo) |
Hurt, So Good
OFFICIAL Mantei Passes Physical:
Oft-Injured FA Closer Deal Done
"[He's a] fantastic teammate, hard worker, good guy. He will definitely shorten the game from a bullpen standpoint, which is huge. [If] he feels good, this could be every bit as lethal a bullpen as anyone else's with Mantei, [Mike] Timlin, [Alan] Embree for seven and eight, and Foulke for nine. It puts a huge amount of pressure on opposing teams to be ahead by the seventh. Now you put a rotation that can pitch innings in front of that pen and it gets better." -- 12.8.04 Curt Schilling on new Sox pitcher Matt Mantei
Nothing to Fehr
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(AP Photo) |
"The public and the fans are always among the players' highest concerns."
You can tell Donald Fehr is lying again because his lips are moving.
Guilt by Association
It's NOT a "union." Shaughnessy peels back the onion.
The Most Fascinating Person of 2004
Tune in Wednesday night at 9:00pm on ABC
In the meantime, we've got this most fascinating piece from Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll
I was fortunate enough to cover the playoffs from a Red Sox perspective on Will Carroll's Baseball Prospectus radio show this past fall. Will was asked to write a 'season in review' piece on Schilling for an upcoming book on the Sox that he and the rest of the BP crew are currently working on. This is something that Sox fans will really enjoy. The following is an exclusive excerpt on Curt Schilling, who called it a "very, very well done piece."
Curt Schilling: Rockin’ One Leg
The base of most championship teams is often their starting
pitching. The Boston Red Sox are no different in this. Peter Gammons said, “The
curse was broken by pitching.” Basing a team on a pitcher with an unstable base?
Now that’s a bit more rare. Years from now, when the legend of the 2004 Red Sox
is told, Curt Schilling’s ankle will be the centerpiece. Limping out to the
mound and mowing down the powerful Yankees in Game Six of the ALCS, stitched
together like some fastball Frankenstein, Schilling has gone from mere man to
baseball myth.
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(Boston Globe Photo / Barry Chin) |
The myth is often more interesting than the truth, but in rare
cases, the truth is better than the layers of fiction laid on later. From the
glow of a computer screen on Thanksgiving weekend to the afterglow of a World
Series win, Curt Schilling’s 2004 season is the type of story that Ring Lardner
wrote best...
More...
Why Not Us?
Boston Dirt Dogs Exclusive Excerpt of Leigh Montville's New Book
Chapter 10: My Story
I was called by the
public relations department of Sports Illustrated in April 2004 to appear on a
panel to discuss sports in Boston. SI was celebrating its 50th
anniversary and part of the celebration was a traveling tent show of mementoes,
blown-up pictures of SI covers and interactive games. The show was going to all
50 states in 50 weeks, each visit coinciding with lists of Best Athletes and
Greatest Moments and articles about the particular state that would appear in
the magazine that week...
More...
Breaking News: The Red Sox are offering arbitration to the usual suspects.
Thanks Beautiful!
Cubs agree to one-year deal, $8M deal with Garciaparra
How did rejecting that awful $60M Sox offer work out for you Nomie?
Exclusive: First Evidence that Giambi Used "The Cream"
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Bill Chapman) |
California Creaming
The Mamas and the Papis
When Jason’s “four pounds” down (He’s just “four pounds” down?)
What did people say? (Needles all the way)
Now he would like to walk (Cheater still won’t talk)
And make it go away (now how much does he weigh?)
Steroids were the norm (Flaxseed oil the norm)
It’s the Giambi way (Reform is on the way)
California creamin' (California creamin')
But Georgie’s gotta pay
Lawyers try to search
But they won’t find a way
A buyout would you please? (He'd get down on his knees)
Then he could go away (But this ain't going away)
You know the New York fans are cold (Watch it all unfold)
They know he cannot stay (yes he must go today)
California creamin' (California creamin')
And Georgie’s gotta pay
Giambi’s such a clown (“I’m just four pounds down”)
The home runs went away (But Game 7’s been played)
Now he would like to walk (Donald Fehr will balk)
Just make it go away (back to San Francisco Bay)
If the jury didn’t tell us (Thrown him under the bus)
”A diet all the way” (That’s still what he’d say)
California creamin' (California creamin')
Steinbrenner’s gotta pay
California creamin' (California creamin')
The Boss has got to pay
California creamin' (California creamin')
Yes Georgie’s gotta pay
BDD Rumor Mill: Sox set to sign Danny Bautista as 4th Outfielder?
2B/SS Iguchi was at Fenway for Game 1 of WS, may return in December
Sox Brass to Go Kiss Ass in DR
Henry, Lucchino to Make Martinez "Social Visit"
D-Lowe stiffs Sox at Ft. Myers rally; Bora$ thinks somebody gotta pay $48M for 4 years of D-Wreck (The Lowe Down -- 2004: 14-12, 5.42 ERA, while receiving an average of 7.29 run support per nine innings, second in the majors. Lowe ended the season winless in his last five starts, allowing 18 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings.)
There is No Santa Claus
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(Ft. Myers News-Press Photo) |
Wally exposes himself at World Series rally in Florida.
And he turns out to be Sipowicz!
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Fehr and Loathing |
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The scumbags are back for more talk and no
action. Just like last year. And don't hold your breath waiting for the
players to tell them who they really work for either. |
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Curse of the Bondsino
What to do now? For starters, Barry Bonds*
needs to retire to protect the records of Aaron and Ruth. Then MLB needs to
adopt the minor league steroid testing program pronto. Then add the
asterisks to Mr. Flaxseed Oil*, Giambi*, Sosa*, and the rest of those who cheated
history. |
Hank Aaron, the Real Home Run King, Rips Bonds* for Cheating, Steroid Abuse
‘Take One for the Team?’
12.6.04: Scandal isn’t new to baseball, with the history of the Black Sox, the spitter and the Vaseline ball. Catchers and pitchers deface the baseball with belt buckles, mud, nail files, and sandpaper. Baseball gave us Pete Rose, corked bats, and high tech spying. But baseball has a unique language ‘authorizing’ subterfuge.
Maybe if the ball and the players aren’t juiced, then teams will take more interest in stealing. As Martha Stewart might say about stealing, “that is a very good thing.” Infielders are certainly aware of holding runners close to the bag, as they cheat over to take that extra step away.
Pitchers know they must protect not only the strike zone, but their science and discipline. One of the key elements to pitching is deception and pitchers regularly attempt to fool batters, keeping them off balance with the curveball. We all want our pitchers to pick off enemy runners. Some pitchers who pitch inside become known as headhunters.
A fielder makes a great play by robbing a batter of a hit. Fielders limit baserunning justice through
obstruction. A strong-armed fielder guns down a runner. Sometimes to complete a closely contested double play, middle infielders
give up their body with a runner bearing down on them, trying to take them out. Of course, a well-executed double play, also known as a
twin-killing, ends or kills a rally. An exceptional rarity occurs with the
hidden ball trick.
Hitters seem to be getting the short end of the stick with all this talk about performance-enhancing drugs. The most fundamental offensive play in baseball is
a hit. The Yankees 1927 lineup bore the moniker ‘Murderer’s Row’. Pundits dubbed Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew
‘Killer’. Juan Marichal gave new meaning to batter John Roseboro in 1965. In baseball terms, hitters regularly lay down a
sacrifice, hit behind the runner to give themselves up, or rarely employ
‘the suicide’. And we want to criticize the MLB players’ union, nearly two-thirds of them batsmen for that altruism?
Even the grounds crew gets involved with game play. Teams
doctor the baselines to keep bunts fair or foul, water down the base paths to slow down the opposition, or tailor the grass to accelerate or decelerate ground balls through the infield. Some even accused the Minnesota Twins of trying to affect fly balls by manipulating the air conditioning. Who can imagine such homer hanky-panky?
Sabermetricians talk about pitcher abuse. Writers talk about managers
abusing the bullpen and we know the best coaches steal signs.’ The Atlanta Braves fans do the
‘Tomahawk Chop’. Amateur baseball has the ‘slaughter rule’.
Sometimes an expression gathers new meaning through usage or experience. The recent revelations (who could have guessed) surely give new meaning to
‘take one for the team’.
-- Ron Sen, Boston Dirt Dogs
Schilling on Giambi and the Steroid Scandal
"I'd like to see all those guys that are making this same mistake caught,
and come clean. The ones we all know have done it but are awaiting
the last piece of the puzzle, public admittance."
12.4.04 -- Boston Dirt Dogs Exclusive: Many of you wrote in about the comments Curt Schilling made before last night's SI Sportsman of the Year party regarding the Jason Giambi steroid situation. On several Boston television news outlets, Curt called Giambi a "stand-up guy" for coming forward about his steroid use and said he was "proud of him" and hoped he would now be able to turn his life around. As you know, Giambi lied to the world and his confession was only exposed via his federal grand jury testimony, which was given two months prior to his public denials.
"I was traveling all day yesterday," Schilling said. "I had no idea what had 'come out.' I was told he came clean yesterday by the media member asking me the question.
"I found out this morning (Friday) that that was not the case at all. Jason is a friend of mine, and I know him well enough to know he's a good person, with a HUGE heart. He made a mistake. I pray he doesn't pay for that mistake with his life considering the repercussions of using steroids. I hope he can move forward and re-establish himself as the great player he was prior to all this.
"Hey, we all make mistakes, some bigger some smaller, but the bottom line is we all screw up. I don't think any less of him as a man or a friend now, the same way I didn't think those things about Ken (Caminiti) when he went public with his problems. Does it hurt the game? Sure it does and for that I feel horrible, but as a player and a friend I want to see Jason get healthy and get his life back first. Then I'd like to see all those guys that are making this same mistake caught, and come clean. The ones we all know have done it but are awaiting the last piece of the puzzle, public admittance.
"As a player I will side with the union on any program that supports a more stringent policy, but at the same time is done within the framework of our constitutional rights. I don't want someone knocking on my door Christmas morning asking me to pee in a cup, but I am all for something stricter, something that will assure the players we are all on a level playing field, and the fans that the game they are watching is pure on the field and off."
Cheating: Our National Pastime | A member of the Nation responds to Curt
Victor Conte said on ABC's 20/20 last night that "the baseball (steroid testing) program is a joke. More than 50% of the players are using steroids, and 80% of them are using stimulants before games." Jose Canseco said on WEEI's Big Show Thursday that his forthcoming book "Juice" (now due out in April) "will turn the baseball world on its ass"... but "you have to read the book" to get ANY info out of the former Bash Brother.
BONDS, SHAMED BONDS
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(Getty Images Photo) |
Barry Blotter and the Sorcerer's Syringe
SUICIDE BONDS
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Neil Roberts) |
Don't you know what you're doing?
You've got a death wish
Suicide Bonds, Suicide Bonds
Suicide Bonds, Suicide Bonds
Suicide Bonds is the discolored millionaire
He's a cheap distraction
In this gross affair
We knew he was finished
When his story began
Something tells me Fehr lost the fans
Babe Ruth is safe now
Suicide Bonds
No Aaron devastation
Suicide Bonds
Go meet your maker
Suicide Bonds
No salvation for
Suicide Bonds
He'll been ripped as a cheat
But will his clothes stay on?
White lights everywhere
No more home run king
Finally brought to his knees
A mad, sad moment
Bid him adieu, bid him adieu, say a prayer
Got some revelation put into our hands
Our game is in misery
Like rain across the land
Don't you see
The colour of deception
Turning our world around again
Baseball's big faker
Suicide Bonds
Permanent vacation
Suicide Bonds
No records to break here
Suicide Bonds
No ESPY admiration
Suicide Bonds
That's the story
[repeat till he fades away]
BONDS BOMBSHELL
(Not really, you already knew the truth)
The brainiacs at MLB.com want you to send Bonds* a note to congratulate him.
No Worries Nation, Yanks Can't Get Out of Giambi Contract Until It Ends
Good Sports, Good Times
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
Belli, Embree, and Schill enjoy the award that "was never made for the Yankees," Sports Illustrated's "Sportsmen of the Year"
Schill's OK, but the ankle hurts a lot more than he thought it would.
Celtics News: Might be time for Paul Pierciaparra to hit the road
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Image
/ Mike Laprey) |
Yanks Now Playing Possum After RJ Report
ESPN News: Peter Gammons reports RJ to NY for players named below
Yankee Doodle Randy
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(Boston Dirt Dogs photo) |
Yankees feeling randy after Sox World Series win
According to a Boston Dirt Dogs source, Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson is not coming to Boston. "You're right on Johnson. They (Arizona) don't want Arroyo." The source added that the New York Yankees will acquire RJ (should be next week) in exchange for starting pitcher Javier Vazquez, third-base prospect Eric Duncan, $4M per year, plus a "yet-to-be-determined part, either a new pitcher the Yankees acquire or, less likely, set-up man Tom Gordon."
Sox Still Dealing with the Devil
But they'll have to go through hell and high water to get Tek signed
UNITed We Stand a Chance?
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Peter Stasiowski ) |
Sean McAdam: Sox pursuing RJ for Arroyo and Jon Lester
(But file this one under: Not Happening)
PRIMA GONER?
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(New York Post Photo) |
Greedy Petey Gets His Deal
GM Omar-tinez Minaya should be fired mañana for trying to add more bad contracts to Metropolitans' payroll
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
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(Omar) What you want
(Omar) Baby, I got
(Omar) What you need
(Omar) Do you know I got it?
(ooh) All I´m askin´
(ooh) Is for a little respect when I come back (to the National League)
Hey baby (just a little bit) when I come back
(just a little bit) Mister Minaya (just a little bit)
I ain´t gonna do you wrong if you pay me
Ain´t gonna do you wrong (ooh) ´cause I want the money (ooh)
All I´m askin´ (ooh)
Is for a little respect if I sign here (just a little bit)
Baby (just a little bit) if I play at Shea (just a little bit)
Yeah (just a little bit)
(Omar) I´m about to give you all of my money
And all I´m askin´ in return, Petey
Is to keep my job like Willie
When you sign here (just a, just a, just a, just a)
Yeah baby (just a, just a, just a, just a)
When you meet Willie (just a little bit)
Yeah (just a little bit)
Ooo, your kisses (ooh)
Sweeter than Georgie (ooh)
And guess what? (ooh)
All I want is money (ooh)
All I want you to do (ooh) for me
Is give it to me if sign here (re, re, re ,re)
Yeah baby (re, re, re ,re)
Give it to me (respect, just a little bit)
When I throw home, now (just a little bit)
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to Pete
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, CHB
Oh ($ock it to me, $ock it to me,
$ock it to me, $ock it to me)
A little respect ($ock it to me, $ock it to me,
$ock it to me, $ock it to me)
Whoa, Nelson (just a little bit)
A little respect (just a little bit)
My shoulder gets tired (just a little bit)
But I keep on tryin´ (just a little bit)
(Omar) You´re runnin´ out of foolin´ (just a little bit)
But I ain´t lyin´ (just a little bit)
(re, re, re, re) ´spect
When you throw home (re, re, re ,re)
Or you might give up homers (respect, just a little bit)
And find out I´m gone (just a little bit)
I got to have (just a little bit)
A little respect (just a little bit)
Sox to Play Tigers in Cooperstown Exhibition in May
Red Sox World Series shares: $223,619.79 each
Nomar still gets 3/4 of a share for playing 38 games! Sox were the most
generous team with sharing the WS wealth, giving out a whopping 58 shares
According to ESPN's Peter Gammons, Lying Rat Bastard Scott Bora$ has dropped his ransom to $44M for 4 years for Tek. Rotoworld adds "if the Red Sox didn't come back to win Game 4 of the ALCS, Varitek would probably be settling for $24-$27M over three years right now."
It's Reigning Men
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(Sports Illustrated Photo) |
BOSTON RED SOX NAMED SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S 2004 SPORTSMEN OF THE YEAR
“We are naming the Red Sox the Sportsmen of the Year because of the way they underline the connection between a team, a franchise, a town and the fans,” said SI Managing Editor Terry McDonell. “Every Sox fan everywhere shares in this with the team.”
The Red Sox completed an impressive regular season followed by their historic comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the New York Yankees in the ALCS and their sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Along the way, the Sox carried with them generations of Red Sox Nation, their devoted and fanatical faithful.
By virtue of being a member of the Red Sox, Curt Schilling becomes only the second person to be accorded the honor twice (Tiger Woods, 1996 and 2000). He joined his Arizona Diamondbacks teammate Randy Johnson as co-Sportsman in 2001. Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski is the only other Red Sox player ever named Sportsman (1967).
Five previous Sportsman selections played in or have ties to Boston: Yastrzemski, Bill Russell (1968), Bobby Orr (1970) and members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team and 1999 U.S. Women’s World Cup Soccer Team. The Red Sox are the first major professional sports team to receive the distinction.
The sport of baseball is being honored for the 13th time: Johnny Podres, 1955; Stan Musial, 1957; Sandy Koufax, 1965; Yastrzemski; Tom Seaver, 1969; Pete Rose, 1975; Willie Stargell, 1979 (with Terry Bradshaw); Dale Murphy, 1987 (one of eight Athletes Who Care); Orel Hershiser, 1988; Cal Ripken Jr., 1995; Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, 1998; and Schilling and Johnson.
Sox fans get a piece of award too
Cold Turkey
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(AP Photo) |
Hot Stove cools off over Thanksgiving. Mirabelli to re-sign,
Martinez meets with Mets Minaya. Sox win SI Sportsmen of the Year.
Thank You.
Thanks to the thousands of men and women in the United States Coast Guard, Army, Navy,
Air Force, and Marines who read this page daily from stations all over the world and all servicemen and women defending our freedom in some of the most dangerous places on earth.
No Go on Pavano?
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(AP Photo) |
Sox Target May Be Philly, New York Bound
A Boston Dirt Dogs source indicates that free-agent pitcher Carl Pavano "is definitely signing with Philadelphia." The only issue apparently holding it up was that Carl's mom is a big Yankees fan. The source indicates that "Boston wasn't even in the mix at all -- Pavano wants to play in Philly, but he's considering the Yankees as well." The Phillies have already offered Pavano a three-year contract. An MLB source on this report: "I can't see Philadelphia being anyone's clear cut choice especially knowing the people that work there, and what the atmosphere is
like, even when butt kissing free agents."
Saving Private Fenway
I, Me, Miami Martinez
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(Sports Illustrated Original Photo) |
Afternoon Delight: The Diva and Alice Spent the Day in Miami
"Alex gave Pedro the pitch, he told him what the Yankees are about, how Joe Torre runs things, about the clubhouse atmosphere and what's expected," Martinez' agent Fernando Cuza said." -- New York Post, George King/Steinbrenner
(If that's the case, then Pedro and Nelson hopped on the next shuttle to Santo Domingo for happy hour. They're perfectly happy with mahow the Red Sox "run things.")
"Alex is the best ballplayer..." -- 11.19.04 Pedro Martinez
(You hear that Manny? Who does Pedro think he is, Kevin Millar?)
Pedro Gets Nation's Goat
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Janet Knott) |
"I would play baseball even in a goat's den," he said. "Anywhere. That doesn't worry me." -- NYT on Prima Donna Petey
Nomar Booed at Boston World Series DVD Premiere
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(Globe Photo / Jim Davis) |
But mark us down for supporting making a one-year offer to Nomar to play shortstop (gulp) for the Red Sox. 2005: Let's Win One With Nomie. In other news, Hanley Ramirez tripled, doubled, walked and scored three times for Licey of the Dominican Winter League yesterday.
MLB DVD misses mark on capturing high drama, Leary narration lifeless, more shots of Ruth than Roberts, shows ALCS sans-Slap, makes too many C-word and about 86 "86 years of suffering" references, and force feeds you "Tessie" one more time to boot in lieu of "Dirty Water."
NESN/Red Sox DVD out next week. A much better effort.
W, O. C.
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(AP Photo) |
Former Texas Rangers Owner Woos Cabrera for New Team
Sayonara Super Sub
Kapler Headed to Japan
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(Getty Images Photo) |
According to a Boston Dirt Dogs source, and now confirmed by several Japanese news outlets, former Red Sox outfielder Gabe Kapler just earlier today signed with the Yomiuri Giants for 1 year at a reported $2 million.
Kapler said he and his family are excited to go to Japan and he is eager to
show his "energetic" playing style.
Pedro is Ready to Leave Sox
Likes Steinbrenner and Jeter. Calls A-Rod Best Player. Would Like to Play with Bonds* in San Francisco or Vlad in Anaheim.
“I am not asking
for anything that I don’t deserve”
Pedro clarified that he expects the highest bidder to
offer not only money, but to treat him with the respect he is used to
By Yancen Pujols / The Caribbean Sunday, November 21, 2004
El Caribe translation: Pedro Martinez is negotiating a contract in the same way in
which he works when he is on the mound: Willing to do anything for the sake of
obtaining the goal desired without the smaller charge of possible conscience.
... In an exclusive one with The Caribbean, he clarified that in
his next contract he considers other things more important than money, such as
respect ...
"In reality I will do the necessary thing. We will do it
without favoritism and we will do it well", indicated the righthander in
its first statement after last week’s meetings with the Yankees and Red Sox.
"I want respect, affection and the best possible treatment.
I am not requesting anything that Pedro Martinez does not deserve. The people do
not understand that when you enter free agency, you can go to the highest
bidder," he said.
After a long day that included his return home after visiting
the United States ... Martinez sat down on a sidewalk to talk long with The
Caribbean.
As if it was in the movie "Question of honor",
Martinez does not intend to yield neither an apex to the parameters he refers
to.
"I would say that in this point in my career, I have a
level in the market and if it’s dropped from there, it’s dropped for all the
players looking for raises. Therefore, for that reason, respect matters even
more," he said.
"We are going to see how much interest they show the parts
and the interest that give me", added.
On Boston. Pedro was emphatic at the time, indicating that
he has a clear conscience and that is prepared to launch in any place.
"I have not asked for $17.5 million. I do not want that.
For a long time I told them I am not asking for that ...", the Dominican
said, with great clarity.
"Therefore, this will not weight on my conscience, I know
the respect that I deserve and the value that I have", he said.
"I have been myself preparing for the moment when free
agency arrived. One does like the ants, is prepared at this time to go in
another direction", he added. And what do you have to say to those who say
at this point in your career, you prefer to pitch in the National League for
convenience?
"I would play baseball even in a corral of goats, wherever
that be. That does not worry me, I am healthy thanks to God and I expect to
pitch well", he said.
In Sunday’s edition, the Boston Globe published that the Red
Sox increased their offering to Pedro, that according to reports some $40
million dollars were guaranteed.
Martinez did not go into details on the teams that have
approached him, but commented that "many people have approached and are
showing interest. I have to do things calmly."
He felt the respect of Jeter and the Boss
Pedro never had talked with George Steinbrenner, but the way to
negotiate with the "Boss" brought a lot of the attention.
"The reception with Steinbrenner was huge. The Yankees have
a lot of respect for me," Pedro said.
"That man is a lot better than people think and there I was
with Derek Jeter, who stopped to greet me and the encounter happened in a very
pleasant way", exposed the man that has polarized to the Yankees in which
to a possible acceptance he refers.
More...
I Hate This Game
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(Detroit Free Press Photo / Julian Gonzalez) |
The NBA: Where gangsters, thugs and smugglers are thoroughly respected
Sox are Ready
to Overpaydro
Sox Play the Game, Take Page from Duquette School of Negotiating and Bid Against Themselves for Mr. Martinez
"Even after the principal owner George Steinbrenner met Martínez last week, and even after the Yankees were told that the Boston Red Sox had guaranteed Martínez a three-year, $37.5 million contract, the Yankees still had not made Martínez an offer, according to two baseball officials."
-- 11.22 New York Times
NYT source confirms BDD report of Martinez' 4/$60M request "basing his logic on the $15-million-a-year deal Kevin Brown signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998. Brown was 33 then, the same age Martínez is now."
Dominican Republic Godfather Tells Pedro to Stay Put in Boston
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(Globe Photo / Barry Chin) |
Juan Marichal Wants Pedro to Accept the Red Sox Offer
Today's Listin Diario reports that highly-respected Hall of Famer Juan Marichal wants Pedro Martinez to accept the Red Sox offer and stay in Boston. Dominican talk show caller Miguel reports to Dale and Neumy that people in the Dominican were furious that Pedro spoke to the Yankees "The Boston Red Sox have been very good to the people of the Dominican Republic. If Pedro goes to the Yankees, he will create a lot of enemies in the Dominican Republic."
I Dream of Petey
"Slappy McBlueLips is "dreaming to play with Pedro." If Pedro stays in Boston, I hope he drills A-Fraud in the ass for that comment. Ugh. -- Anthony Gertz, cardless member of RSN
Will Sox Give Placido a Go?
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(Reuters Photo) |
The Boston Herald reported Friday that the Sox have been in discussions with Phillies' Placido Polanco's reps, trying to bring the 29-year-old infielder to Boston to be a backup for infielders Mark Bellhorn and Bill Mueller. Polanco hit .298 with 17 home runs and 55 RBIs in 126 games for the Phillies this past season.
Wednesday quotes of note: Schilling on the Worst Damn Show; Disney CEO Eisner
"I don't see anybody beating them right now." -- Curt Schilling on the Steelers going all the way
Curt: "I got trashed for that here (supporting Bush in Kerry's back yard). I find it ironic, people can burn flags in this country, The KKK can march, but I can't support my President publicly? That's a joke."
The Godawful Tom Arnold: "You get one choice. George Bush gets re-elected President or Red Sox win the World Series for the first time in '86 years, what are you going to choose?"
Curt: "George Bush"
"My two biggest personnel mistakes were Michael Ovitz and Mo Vaughn." -- Michael Eisner
$ox on the Fly
CBS-4 Reports: John Henry, Larry Lucchino, and
Theo Epstein Sat Down with Pete Today
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Peter Bedard) |
Tony K. on PTI: "Apparently the Red Sox thought it might go somewhere (with the Yankees) because they got on a plane to go meet Pedro in Florida"
MANGO TANGO
The Dominican Diva and His Sugar Daddy
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(New York Post Photo) |
Hench: Time to Say Goodbye to Pedro
"Whoever signs Pedro will overpay. He is a No. 2 or 3 starter who will insist on and get No. 1 money. The Red Sox have already reportedly offered him 27.5 million for two years, yet he is a six or seven inning pitcher with wildly erratic stuff. From start to start you never know which Pedro you'll get." -- Kevin Hench, FOXSports.com
"His act wouldn't work here, George. Those jags he goes on when he won't speak to the press, when he won't come to the ballpark on time, when he leaves the stadium early . . . all that stuff was tolerated in Boston. That's who the Red Sox are." -- Mike Vaccaro, New York Post
"Martinez told The Boss how much he wanted to be a Yankee, according to one source, and another source said that Steinbrenner gave his Yankees sales pitch to Martinez." -- Ken Davidoff, New York Newsday
"A Martinez departure wouldn't lead to mourning on Yawkey Way. Many in the organization have been fed up by his late arrivals, a frequent diva attitude, mood swings and his thin skin when it comes to dealing with criticism. Should he depart, the team would not have to worry about having the payroll flexibility to sign free agent Carl Pavano, who is schedule to visit tomorrow." -- Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald
"No matter what he says publicly, Terry Francona has told people close to him that he can't stand Pedro, and is hoping he does take his shenanigans elsewhere so the Sox manager can begin to restore some order in the clubhouse." -- John Harper, NY Daily News
"The whole mango tree bit? Wait until he finds out why they call NYC a concrete jungle. There ain’t no mango trees in the Bronx for Pedro to sit under. There is, however, Steinbrenner’s never-ending money tree, and it’s got more than enough than the 50 cents Martinez needs for his bus. Greyhound, due southwest. South to Penn. Fenway to the Stadium. Rebellion to the Evil Empire." -- Eric Wilbur, Boston.com
Signs everywhere: The Pedro “Thank You” billboard above the Cask 'N Flagon has been replaced with a Starbucks ad. The Manny “Thank You” billboard still remains across the street.
In Other NY News, Yanks GM Brian Cashman's Recurring January Dream
Hey ESPN.com, Can You Really 'Break News' Seven Hours After a Story Has Already Been Reported?
"Boston Dirt Dogs, a very popular and reliable website based in Boston is reporting that Pedro had lunch with Steinbrenner today." -- 11.16 ESPN's Peter Gammons on Sports Center
Pedro in Meeting with Boss
at Legends Field Right Now
BDD Source: Martinez is seeking 4 years/$15M per,
Yanks are offering 3-4 years at $14M per year
Pedro initiated get-together, Steinbrenner says meeting was "good"
BREAKING NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Update 4:58pm ET: Pedro Martinez, his agent Fern Cuza, and Yankee executives Randy Levine, Mark Newman, Billy Connors, and George Steinbrenner are meeting in the Boss's 4th floor office at Legends field right now.
According to a Boston Dirt Dogs source, Pedro Martinez was picked up at Tampa International Airport this morning at 10:00a.m. by a Yankee official and is meeting with George Steinbrenner now at the Yankees complex. Pedro will be having lunch with the Boss, possibly at Malios Steakhouse, and touring the facilities at Legends Field in Tampa all afternoon. Stay tuned for further developments.
"I promise, I'm not going to the Yankees. I want to stay right here."-- 10.29 Pedro Martinez to The Boston Globe's Stan Grossfeld
"Make the deal for Zito or Hudson, sign Parvano, and let's all admit that the Red Sox are now Schill's team anyhow. Let the Yankees over-sign another old pitcher one centimeter away from a torn rotator cuff with a guaranteed contract."-- Longtime Red Sox aficionado Shaun Kelly
Official Red
Sox 2005 Spring Training Schedule
(Sox Games in Dominican Republic Were Cancelled, Hmmm)
Guerrero wins MVP, Sheffield Second, Manny 3rd, Ortiz 4th
Vote Coleman, Martin, and Woods by December 1st
Ft. Myers: Spring Tix on Sale Dec. 7, No D-Lowe at Rally, $5 for 5 swings (Sox mascots "Lefty" and "Righty" will not be there selling memberships into Red Sox Nation) | Unofficial 2005 Regular Season Schedule
Gammons: Angels will offer Tek 4 year deal
BDD source: D-Lowe, in Las Vegas last weekend, indicated he really
wants to stay in Boston (we want him to stay too)
Johnny Damon is all over Brooklyn
Most Valuable Phony
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Barry
Then |
Bonds*
Now |
Under cloud of controversy, Bonds* "explodes" in MVP conference call
"Baseball fans, like the writers, are gradually coming around. they know watching Bonds go deep is like watching the 6-foot-tall kid with the mustache strike out the side in the Little league World Series. Someone's cheating. ...The home run king has no clothes, and everyone knows it. In the end, the commissioner doesn't have to worry about putting an asterisk next to Barry Bonds in the record book. You can rest assured, Bud: It's already there."-- 11.16: Gerry Callahan, Boston Herald
Teknically Speaking...
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(Improper Bostonian Photo) |
He's Not Our Captain, or Even Our Catcher Anymore.
Lose the Lying Agent Jason and Come Back Home.
Gammons on Schneider, Pavano, and Bora$ past lies
(Nation disappointed that Tek is teamed with a lying scumbag like Scott Bora$)
Sportspapi of the Year
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(Getty Images Photo) |
Reilly makes pitch for Papi
The winner will be revealed Sunday, November 28 at 4:30pm on FOX
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Shawn Newell) |
Sox fans celebrate the Major Leaguer's 5-0 Series Finale Win
Fans Turn Out in Foxboro to See World Series Trophy
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(Getty Images Photo) |
Almost 65,000 turned out at Gillette Stadium to see Johnny Damon and Curt Schilling present the Red Sox World Series trophy. As an added treat, the Patriots suited up and played an exhibition game against the Buffalo Bills and Drew Bledsoe who returned to Foxboro to give Schilling the garage door openers that he forget to hand off when they passed papers on the Medfield estate almost a year ago. A very, very happy Johnny Damon nearly went on ESPN which would have resulted in another "Joe Namath moment."
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(Globe Photo / Jim Davis) |
College Student Video IDs Officer Who Killed Torrie
Patrolman Rochefort Milien fired two shots
aimed at head level
"...then voices on the video clip called out, ''They hit her in the eye" and ''You [expletive] killed her," as the camera panned toward the sidewalk, where a man in the crowd signaled for help." -- 11.13 Boston Globe
Witnesses: 10-30 minute gap between rowdy behavior and the shootings.
Silta and O'Toole were not trained to use gun that killed Red Sox fan
Another Pink Slip Up
The smarmy loudmouth Yankee fan who got clobbered, then fired, on The Apprentice 2 last night wants to take your money but he can't spell "objectives" in the lede on his canned website. File under: Always the bridesmaid.
Russo chalks up his unmotivated leadership - he told his team the task was “impossible” - to illness. “The truth is I was sick,” he said. “On the previous task, we had been working in the rain. That’s not an excuse. That’s just the reality.” File that wimpy excuse under "the anti-dirt dog." (This is not a guy you want in your foxhole)
Scott Peterson Guilty of First and Second Degree Murder
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Ben Affleck |
Scott Peterson |
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Separated at Birth?
Veteran's Night
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
'67 Star Gentleman Jim Lonborg Talks to Haze at the Red Sox Hall of Fame Dinner Last Night
- "We just ran out of gas at the end..." -- Bruce
Hurst on the '86 team
- "When I saw Geronimo turn his back as I was
rounding second, I said 'that ball's getting out of here' and I look at
Pete Rose and he's yelling at me 'yeah, this is World Series baseball baby.'" -- Bernie
Carbo on the Second Greatest Home Run Ever Hit in Major League Baseball
(after Dave Henderson's game saver in Anaheim in '86)
- "Johnny (to a teary-eyed Pesky) would hit me
175 ground balls a day... he was there for me every day... I'd come up the
steps and there he was waiting, ready to go... and if I made an error, it
was 25 more ground balls." -- Wade (new hair looked just OK) Boggs
- "You (Hazel Mae) look pretty good to me!
...then (after Schilling's mistaken kiss on the lips) D-Lowe came up to me,
he calls me a peckerhead..." -- Mr. Red Sox Johnny Pesky
- "When I came off that mound at Fenway, I got
a standing ovation...and I thought 'that's what I'm talkin' about.'" -- Mr.
Emotional Dennis Eckersley
- "I'm doin' alright." -- Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd
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Schilling to Werner at HOF Dinner: "Forget Bush, Sign Tek"
Wallace: Signing Pedro is "Tough Call"
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(Reuters Photo) |
"Pedro dominated the game for probably six years. I don't know that he's that guy anymore, but he's certainly smart enough to know what he can do. It's going to be a tough call (whether to re-sign him). It's a tough call when you get to a guy who is in his 30s, I think he just turned 33. He's not (throwing) 95 or 96 (mph) anymore. But he started every game (when his spot came up). He's probably a seven-inning guy now, but he's a good one." -- 11.10 Sox pitching coach Dave Wallace
Bigger than Ben?
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
Jimmy Fallon plans to unseat Ben Affleck as the No. 1 Sox Celebrity Fan
Schilling Surgery Successful
Second Operation on Ankle Joint Required Substantial Cutting,
Curt Spends Night at St. E's
The Gory Details
Hey John Heyman, Laura Vescey, How's Curt's Fake Ankle Injury?
More...
Scott "Willard" Bora$ is Back
Says Tek Wants 5 years, No Trade!
Nation Calls for Tek to Dump Agent, Stay with Sox
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
Boras Negotiates in Public Through Dale and Neumy,
Sox Brass, Fans Smell a Dirty Rat
How Scott Boras Adds Value to Baseball, Teams, Fans by Selling "Icon Players"
The Texas Rangers were lucky to get Chan Ho Park, 5 years, $65M and
saved the franchise by signing A-Fraud at 10 years, $252M
The Los Angeles Dodgers thank Scott for Kevin Brown, 7 years, $105M
and Darren Dreifort, 5 years, $55M
Nation to Sox, MLB:
"You're Not My Daddy!"
Sox Delay Monday Rollout of Fan ID Cards to Rethink Idea After Nation Pressure, Negative Feedback
While the Marketing Gurus Rework Plan, Print Out Your Free Red Sox Nation Certified Membership Card Below:
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IDiot Card
Don't Pay $5.00 to be a Sox fan
Donate to the
Jimmy Fund
instead |
|
I'm already a member of
Red Sox Nation
Root Free or Die |
Miami Meet Puts
Heat on Pete
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(Globe Photo / Barry Chin) |
As the window of exclusivity with Tek, D-Lowe, OC, and Pedro closes, Theo starts building the new-look 2005 Red Sox with or without Martinez
Schilling Beats Out Bonds, Beltran, Ichiro, and Ortiz for
Sports Illustrated's 2004 MLB Player of the Year
JapanEdes: Clemens captures 7th Cy, Ready to Say Sayonara
SOX TELL FANS TO PAY UP
AND BE COUNTED
Red Sox and MLB to Play Big Brother
Claim to Own Nation's Fans
Will Issue $5.00 ID Cards
Are They Really Shocked to Learn Nation Extends Beyond New England?
"The citizens of Red Sox Nation will make the size of their chorus known to us...
we want to identify all the citizens."
-- Dr. Charles Steinberg, VP Public Affairs, Boston Red Sox
Newsflash: If you're reading this, you're already a member
Drilling down and scrubbing a few numbers tells us that Red Sox Nation stands at about 15.7 million members worldwide. Getting people to send in $5.00 won't change that, (unless you're going to use the $78,500,000 to sign Tek, Pedro, D-Lowe, and the OC). And why can't Sox use their free email product to count their visitors? They want you to pay $5.00 for a Stop-and-Shop-style Red Sox loyalty card instead. Fine. But keep your hands off the Nation.
"I will never pay $5 to prove that I'm a Red Sox fan." -- zeteclark on SoSH
Jack Daniels-san Desu Ka
(Is it Jack Daniels?)
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(AFP Photo) |
Roger Clemens (C) and Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jack Wilson (R) drink cups of "green tea", prepared by Kevin Millar, with Japanese pupils during a tea ceremony at an elementary school.
Another World
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(AP Photo) |
Rocket, Manny, and Papi on the Same Team
The Capital Schill
Curt Surgery Tuesday
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
Curt Schilling speaks to the crowd at the WROR ALS fundraising dinner in Newton at The Capital Grille, "...the foot's fine. We're gonna get it fixed on Monday. I had a little bit of an infection in there which is why we had to delay it... feels a lot better than it did a week ago."
Update: An examination of Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's right ankle was postponed again. Schilling was expected to be seen by doctors Saturday. He had originally been scheduled for an exam Friday, but a conflict pushed that date back to Saturday. Schilling's surgery on his ankle tendon is now scheduled for Tuesday.
Turning Japanese
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(AFP Photo) |
Manny Ramirez attends a sake barrel opening ceremony along with Japanese baseball great Sadaharu Oh (L) at a welcoming party at a Tokyo hotel. In keeping with tradition, Kevin Millar (not pictured) is cleaning the shot glasses in preparation for the ceremonial swig of sake before the Japan exhibition series this week. Submit your photo caption here.
The Ohio Players
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Anderew Ayer) |
in Sports Schillustrated
Can You Dig It?
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(CBS-4 Photo from Tom Surette) |
Janet Marie Smith's team begins work on the new Centerfield2005 seats expected to be ready for next April's home opener at Fenway. Many Monster Seats will now be Obstructed View with these new, closer to the infield, club seats.
The High Price of D-Lowe
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
If it weren't for Scott Boras,
Re-signing Derek would be a slam dunk
Can the Sox Repeat?
Idiot Reign Over
2005 Sox Will Have More Discipline
In this week's Sports Illustrated: In his story, "Now Comes the Hard Part," SI senior writer Tom Verducci looks beyond the championship and explores the difficult roster decisions ahead and, for once, the challenge to repeat. Verducci writes that re-signing Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe may be the trickiest decisions, and quotes Theo Epstein, "As much as I'd like to bring all the buys back, you have to look at it objectively and make the tough decisions."
More...
Matt Damon Wants You to Get Out and Vote
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Jason and Ick Kubach) |
Decision 2004
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
Millar Tells Everyone That Players Threw Back Some Jack.
Six Sox Tell Letterman/Leno No Shots Were Fired.
Who's Telling the Truth? You Decide.
"That's the unfortunate thing. This comes off as everybody doing it and that's not what happened in that clubhouse," one Sox player said. "We don't want this to tarnish what we brought home. It hurts the organization, but most of all it hurts the player who said it." -- Boston Herald, Tony Massarotti
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(Paul Drinkwater/NBC via Getty Images)
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(CBS photo)
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"Yeah, I heard a few guys got hit by a few things, but I got hit by a panty."-- Johnny Damon on David Letterman
Bottoms Up
Shots Heard 'Round the World Series
Sox Were Jacked Up Against Yanks,
Royally Crowned Against Cards
Kevin Millar said on FSN's "Best Damn Sports Show Period" last Friday that the team drank shots of Jack Daniels at 7:45pm before Game 6 of the ALCS to keep warm in the 35 degree temperatures in the Bronx. Since they won Game 6, they did the same for Game 7. To keep the streak going they switched to Crown Royal for the World Series (Games 1, 2, 3, and 4). Millar said "I'm glad we won in four games, because those Crown Royal shots and Jack Daniels shots started to kill me." He also added that they asked manager Terry Francona to do a shot before Game 4 of the Series to calm his nerves, he obliged.
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Tom Surette) |
Millar Sobers Up with Gammons
"It was one of those group team things, like shaving our heads last year. What we had was one small Gatorade cup, with a little Jack Daniel's in it. We passed it around and everyone symbolically drank out of the same cup, because we are a team. It wasn't as if guys were drunk. Can you imagine Trot Nixon or Jason Varitek or Mike Timlin actually sipping alcohol before a game? No way." -- 11.01 Kevin Millar to ESPN's Peter Gammons
And Flip-Flops on Tito
"First, he never would," Millar said. "Second, this was just between the players. It's not a story about 25 shot glasses, it's one small Gatorade cup that we shared as a symbol. And once we won Game 6, we had to do it before Game 7, just like the lucky coin I had in my pocket every game." -- 11.01 Kevin Millar to ESPN's Peter Gammons
And the beat goes on: Millar opens mouth, morons blame the media
Curt Answers the Call
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(AP Photo) |
"America needs a leader who makes sure they have everything they need to get the job done, a leader who believes in their mission and honors their service, a leader who has the courage and the character to stay on the offense against terrorism until the war is won. That leader is our commander in chief, George W. Bush."
"One of the best things about playing in the World Series was seeing the footage of soldiers cheering for the Red Sox in Iraq, it was great to know that we could make them feel closer to home and do something to put a smile on their faces, while they were on the front lines. Those troops deserve all of our support, and all of our thanks.
And there's something else we can do for them. We can make sure we elect a president who supports them every step of the way."-- 11.01 Curt Schilling in Wilmington, Ohio
Meanwhile Former Howard Dean Election Committee Member Theo Epstein Goes After President in New Hampshire, Sox Brass Campaigns for Kerry
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(AP Photo) |
More...
TIME talks of Demons, not Damon
PEDRO PLUNKED BY PUNK AT PARADE
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photos / Scott Darlington) |
Was it a Yankees fan or an anti-Yankees t-shirt wearing idiot who went headhunting on the Charles yesterday?
The Boston-area whereabouts of Nomar Garciaparra at the time the incident has not been confirmed. Just throwing it out there.
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Curt Unable to Campaign for President This Weekend
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo) |
Three Kinds of People
"Would I rather have the truth or a lie that gives hope? I’d rather have the truth."-- Louis Theroux
Once upon a time (all fairy tales begin this way) a baseball team and its fans, intimate to despair and shattered seasons, could only dream of becoming champions. Today, they and we awake to that dream fulfilled.
We feel like Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, our emotional investment multiplied beyond our wildest imagination, the archvillain Yankees only spectators to the World Series. As for the Cardinals, you can stick a fork in them, because they’re done. Sox fans hesitate to count our chickens before they’re hatched, because so often we’ve ended up only with the stock trader’s breakfast, egg on the face.
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No Place Like Home
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Big Man on Kenmore
Champagne Kings
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Sky High Club
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Stan Grossfeld) |
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You Better Believe It!
Sox Win World Series
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Peter Stasiowski) |
It's Been a While
Sweep Dreams Come True in Boston
St. Louis: Blues
If you are reading this now,
it happened in your lifetime
Total Eclipse of the Heart
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / James Mandolini) |
"You know what I'm happiest for? I'm happiest for Bill Buckner, Calvin Schiraldi, Bob Stanley, Johnny Pesky, Ted Williams, all of the Red Sox that played before us will now be remembered for the great players and great people they were instead of all the other crap."-- Curt Schilling
DONE DEAL
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
D-Lowe Delivers When it Counts
Damon HR, Nixon RBIs Lead Sox 3-0
Now What?
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ALL SYSTEMS LOWE
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / John Bohn) |
Just Win Tonight's Game.
Being Curt: The Schilling Interview
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(AP Photo) |
In an exclusive e-mail Q&A with the Boston Dirt Dogs that included reader-submitted questions, Red Sox ace Curt Schilling talks about his ankle, his spirituality, the World Series and the media.
On whether he'll start Game 6 ... Let's say there was going to be a Game 6 in Boston on Saturday. If the medical team says they can try to sew you up again, can you physically do it without doing permanent damage? Or do you fear you'll be ineffective for any particular reason? Curt Schilling (CS): "I am preparing for Game 6 just like I did for Game 2. It's really a day to day thing and the medical staff is doing an incredible job, without them I don't take the ball again after game 1 versus NY, AND have to stew on them kicking my ass all winter."
'Act of God': Sunday's events
Now that a couple of days have passed, can you elaborate on the way the day went and the events that took place Sunday? Do people really understand how fortunate you were to be out on that mound? How did Shonda ever manage seeing you in so much pain during these games that you were pushing yourself for the Sox, without it hurting her heart to see you bleeding? I know she knew you were pursuing your dream, but to see you in pain had to be devastating.
CS: "Well as I stated after the game, I woke up around 7 a.m. and immediately knew something was very wrong with my foot. I'd had no real resting soreness or pain since it all started. When I woke up Sunday morning I had what I can only describe as a severe toothache in my ankle. I was walking around the house like a 90-year-old man with a bad wheel. I woke Shonda up, and I called both trainers. I wasn't going to let the day go by without some sort of contingency plan in place when I couldn't take the ball. I knew immediately that pitching was not an option, but I had no clue as to what was wrong. I assumed that the area had become infected at the very least. I got back to sleep around 10 and woke up around 1, and got ready to head to the park, again talking to the trainers prior to leaving.
I also said my first prayer of the day around then too, just asking for some sort of miracle that would allow me to move around and be able to at least take the ball. I left the house and told Shonda that I was not going to be pitching, and that she not need to be in a hurry to get to the park.
"Once I left the house, and started the drive in, which was made a bit tougher since I had to drive with both feet, I saw the customary signs around Medfield, they had been posted when we got into the postseason. But on Sunday they continued pretty much all the way into Boston. There was a fire station that had a huge sign out front wishing me luck, pretty cool stuff. But I also knew at that time, I wasn't pitching, so it was pretty disappointing too.
"Once I got to the yard I met with the training staff, and Doc Morgan and Doctor Theodore. They knew almost immediately that the extra stitch put in this time had pierced a nerve and that was what was causing the problems, so they took it out. This provided almost instant relief. I could now move around and flex my foot a bit more, and once the Marcaine began to work I started to think about the Cards lineup. At that point I knew I'd be able to take the ball. The training staff had worked another miracle.
"Now my thoughts shifted to actually pitching, and Jason and I went about prepping for the game once we got the lineup. Two things jumped out at me, I was sure Womack would lead off, and that Mabry would DH, neither happened.
"I started my pregame work at the same time I have since start one in spring training, this being Sunday meant that I would miss baseball chapel, but I asked a teammate to ask the minister to stay behind if possible so I could chat with him prior to going to the dugout. Once I was finished I met with Walt, the walk up the stairs was a long one, and a heavy one. I had a ton of things going through my mind, not the least was that Game 2 of the World Series was about an hour and 20 minutes off. I asked Walt to pray for me, not to ask the Lord to help me pitch well, or be better than Matt, but just like the New York game I just wanted the strength, His strength, to get me to the mound and allow me to compete. If I could compete I'd accept whatever the results were, just like Game 1 against New York where I had the ability to win, but in that game I got waxed by a better team, and a better pitcher."
"I had been anticipating that walk for four days, Game 2 of the World Series in Fenway, hitting the top step of the dugout in a sold out Fenway to walk to the pen, and the fans, and the noise, and it was exactly what I had hoped it would be. I watched Lieber, Mussina and the others do it in New York, and it was thunderous, awesome, and until you've done it, experienced it, it's something that cannot be described."
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First Things First
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(BDD Photo courtesy of Jake Scaltreto) |
The Best Defense is a Good Offense.
Show Me the Money Pedro
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Patrick from Worcester) |
"This is basically a football team with a baseball uniform on," Leskanic added. "These guys really aren't afraid to fail. If you get us this inning, we're going to get you next inning. If you get us this game, we're going to get you next game. We're just a relentless bunch of guys. We're going to keep coming after you.
"It's just an awesome mentality," Leskanic added.
Sure is, the same kind of dirt dog mentality that once made the Yankees champions."
-- Yankees inspired Sox run, Kevin Kernan, NY Post
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Paul Coffin) |
Welcome to Curt's
House of Pain
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Ace Walks the Walk
Schill's Pain is Sox Gain
Schill Will Get His World Series, Bonus.
The Lord Helps Him Gain Game 2 Win
Varitek, Bellhorn, Cabrera Two Out, Two Run Hits Take Game 2, 6-2
St. Louis Looks to be a House of Cards
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(Getty Images Photo) |
Strength and Honor
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Zack Schweitzer) |
What We Do in Life Echoes in Eternity
AROUND THE BELLHORN
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(Globe Photo / Stan Grossfeld) |
SOX DECK CARDS IN GAME 1
Manny does the World Series Shuffle for Cards,
but 'Tiz, 'Horn Make Some Noise
Sloppy Sox Take Game 1 11-9
Saved by the Bellhorn
the New Series
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Mike D'Onfro) |
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Mark Three Times the Charm
Ben There, Jen Phat
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(Boston.com Photo / Steve Silva) |
Ben shows Jen how to throw the knuckleball.
Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen M. O'Toole Must Be
Held Accountable for Celebration Fiasco, Victoria's Death
BPD Crowd Control Strategy Disorganized, Reactionary, Complete Failure
Lansdowne Street Death Could Have Been Avoided with Simple Plan to Keep Kids Off Wall
Overreaction Escalated Situation
Different Official to Head Weekend Crowd Control
"A tactical response unit officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that only a handful of officers in the unit have received training with the weapons." - Boston Globe, Oct. 23, 2004
CURT SPEAKS OUT ON TRAGEDY, BAD BEHAVIOR
Wake Up Early This Time
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(Boston Globe Staff Photo / John Tlumacki) |
Embedded Yankee Mendoza Removed from Premesis,
Youk is Served!
MEET ME ST. LOUIS
Sox face off against Cards and their fraud self-proclaimed "best fans" for World Series
Don't Forget to Get Your "2004 Back-to-Back" American League Championship Shirt Before Daddy Pulls Them
Fox Interrupts This Posting for a WebMD Update
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Graphic / Adam Green) |
New Angle of A-Rod Bush League Play Shows Slap
Pennant Fever Flips Hub: Real Idiots Smash, Burn and Flip Cars
Rest in Peace Victoria Snelgrove
All the disgraceful trash, punks and thugs posing as "college students" who shamed Boston and Red Sox Nation, and cost Victoria her life, must be punished and prosecuted. Use the TV footage. Use the photographs. Whatever it takes.
Where's Northeastern? Doing nothing again?
Where's BU, busy building buildings?
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Graphic / Peter Stasiowski) |
Statue of Liber'Tiz
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Norman Dalager) |
Idiot Savant
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(Boston Dirt Dogs graphic / Kent Jones) |
Miracle Workers Put Yanks on Ice
Sox watch 'Miracle on Ice' before game, D-Lowe talks to Jim Craig
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Sox Bring Down The House That Ruth Built
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Schill, Sox Stick a Foulke in NY in Game 6, 4-2
D-Lowe Will Go in Game 7
BLOOD AND GUTS
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For One Big Night, Curt Schilling was Larry Bird, Tom Brady, Bobby Orr, and Ted Williams all Rolled into One
Schill's Ankle Was Sutured
Skin Was Stitched Between Tendons
Who's Your Doctor?
Jim Rowe, Chris Correnti and Dr. Bill Morgan Get Major Props
“...my anticipation is that Curt will be there for the World Series....just kind of dire measures, really, you have to use dire techniques to try to control it and so no, there’s no precedent for this, and this was a last ditch effort to try to keep him playing.” -- Red Sox team physician Dr. Bill Morgan
10.20.04: Dr. Bill Morgan on WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan:
Dr. Morgan: “…concerned about Curt’s health, now and in the future. There’s just no way of holding that tendon in position effectively regardless of the splint we were using, etc., when it popped in and out it was really painful for him regardless of numbing it up, the sensation was uncomfortable, so the thought was just to buttress the tendon in place short term until we could fix this thing and Curt being the player he is and just wanting to get out there and do it, was all for it, and luckily it worked out pretty well last night.”
John Dennis: “So the high top wasn’t working, the splint wasn’t working, any kind of wraps you put on it wasn’t working to hold it in place, tell us the physical theory and exactly how you did this…”
Dr.M: “Well we know that the tendon itself was not in a position that we need it to be in and there wasn’t best being out of position because it would pop back into the groove and that would give him difficulties, and it was really just putting a few sutures in just percutaneously, through the skin without making any incisions or anything like that, and making a wall so that the tendon would stay in position and not really being able to move back into an awkward position for him.”
More...
We're Half Way There
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
More...
"They're a walking disaster. They act like they're tough, how they care so much about winning, but it's all a front. They're just a bunch of characters." - BALCO Gary "on six teams for a reason" Sheffield
WHO'S YOUR PAPI NEW YORK?
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(Globe Photo / Jim Davis) |
Staying Alive, Sox Survive in 12, 6-4
More...
Last Call for D-Lowe, Sox
BOSTON MASSACRE
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(Globe Photo / Jim Davis) |
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Peter Stasiowski) |
Turn Out the Lights, the Party's Over
Yanks Win 19-8 (Teen?)
Das Boot
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(AP Photo) |
May Be Just What the Doctor Ordered
Here Comes the Rain
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(AP Photo) |
Game Washed Out
Wild Card Champions
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SuperCelebFan Ben proudly shows off his Wild hat
THE SCHILL IS GONE
"I tore this thing facing Miguel Cairo, the last out of the Yankee game during the regular season."
Curt won't start Game 5... that's it. It's not over, but he's not starting Sunday. D-Lowe will go.
10.15.04 Curt in the car on WEEI with Dale & Neumy: "...we gotta find a way to get this game tomorrow and get right back in this series.
Neumy: Curt where do you stand right now with your ankle, and your prospects about pitching again this season?
Well, you know what, beyond, I'm not pitching Sunday, and beyond that we don't know. We're gonna do everything we can between now and Sunday to try and make some adjustments, do what we can to try and get this situation stabilized, try and get back on the mound.
Neumy: Curt is this appreciably different than stuff you've been battling all summer long?
CinC: Well this is a totally unrelated as of now injury. The unfortunate part of this is almost like the Warren Commission and it's reporting, once it gets to the point now, there's just so much false information out there as far as how, why, where and when and umm I think a lot of people are taking some undue heat for some things that aren't happening, I mean the short of it is I tore this thing facing Miguel Cairo, the last out of the Yankee game during the regular season. And it popped on the first pitch thrown to him and there was some pain for, I threw five more pitches I think to finish that game, I was out of that game after that.
Dr. Morgan diagnosed it probably 30 seconds after we got done looking at it. We treated it. He told me everything that was going to happen. The training staff was freakin' phenominal in getting me out there to face Anaheim. We had some issues in the Anaheim game. I got injected in third inning in Anaheim. And it flared up again later in that game. As far as tweaking it on the play, that last play where I threw the ball away against Anaheim, it popped a couple of different times because I took a couple of different wrong steps, but that wasn't the trigger.
The most serious days were the days following that where I had an appreciable amount of swelling and a lot of tenderness a lot of discomfort. The Red Sox, Doctor Morgan, they talked to everybody they could to address the issue. The two days leading up to the game against the Yankees were by far the two best days I've had up to this point. I was going into that game incredibly confident that whatever we were dealing with, we were going to be able to overcome. And then I had problems in the bullpen. It was not actually walking down the steps in the dugout where I had the problems, I had a couple of different times in the bullpen where it was an issue, but I felt like, regardless of how I was throwing at the time, I was going to be able to do what I needed to do to make it right and that's why I took the ball. I thought for sure I was going to be able to answer the bell and unfortunately hindsight being what it is, I look back now and realize that I could not do that.
Neumy: So there was no specific issue of you tweaking it or whatever after your bullpen, en route to the mound before Game 1?
CinC: No. No. No there wasn't.
Dale: You actually pitched the entire Anaheim game with this problem though, your appearance in the Anaheim game was with this problem...
CinC: Right but Dr. Morgan injected it in the third inning because I was having some discomfort, and we were fine. And that's kind of what I assumed how yesterday was going to be, how Game 1 would be. But like I said I could not make that work.
Neumy: Curt I know as an athlete you welcome the challenge of pitching for the postseason, you accept "X" amount of responsibility. I'm wondering, do you have moments where, since then you second guessed yourself saying "would a healthy Derek Lowe, a healthy other pitcher, do a better job than a less than 100% Curt Schilling in that spot?
CinC: Well I thought I was pretty clear after the game. And when I look back on it, I mean the way we played that ballgame, I felt like that anybody but me would've won that game for us. I mean that's certainly my opinion going in. But when you look back on it I assume you guys would come to the same conclusion when you look back at what happened and how I pitched. I certainly didn't envision that being the scenario when I was walking to the dugout. I mean there's 55,000 people who were not going to shut up. The adrenalin was at an all-time high and it was an absolute perfect environment to thrive in and I couldn't do that.
Dale: Is this a pain issue Curt?
CinC: Uh... No, no. It's more of a stabilization issue and you know that one of the analogies I was trying to use was, I don't know if you guys play golf at all, but if you ever try to hit a ball under a tree, and you have to hit a shot out from under that tree, you have to adjust your swing, and you think you're going to be able to make the right swing on the ball and you take your backswing and you hit the tree in the middle of your swing? It screws you up. That's kinda what I was going through the other day and when I was coming into my set position, bringing my leg up, the ankle was popping. And as hard as I was trying to make myself get past that, I couldn't. That's the frustrating part for me is I knew that I could and I didn't.
Neumy: Is it generally the players decision to make that call or do you respect a field manager or a general manager that would come up to you and say "lookit Curt, there's too much at stake here, we can't afford to take this risk, we're gonna try somebody else in that spot?"
CinC: Well I work for them. Here's the thing. People talk long about my relationship with Terry and the fact that for some reason people think I call the shots. And regardless to whatever's been said, that's not the case. Terry has a lot of respect from me, I have a lot of respect for him, I've earned the right to be in a situation, but I don't dictate when I come out of a ballgame, I don't dictate that and I never have. I do get more leeway in the sense that there's conversations we me sometimes that he may not have with other people. When he wants me out of a game, I'm out of a game. That's just a respect thing. I've respected his decisions, I don't always agree with them. But that's not really relevant to the issue.
Dale: What has to happen for you now to be able to pitch again in Games 6 or 7 if there are games then?
CinC: That's too broad of a question for me to ans.. I don't know. We need to find something that's going to help me stabilize the ankle and stop the tendon from dislocating when I'm throwing the baseball. Tim Rowe and Chris Correnti, and Dr. Morgan and a bunch of other doctors and people around the country are sending in stuff. They're doing everything they can. I trust that they're going to find something that's going to be able to help me take the ball again.
Dale: But you're not worried about making this worse?
CinC: No. Not at all. The only concern I would have, which is my No. 1 concern, I think most people's concern is altering my mechanics to try to adjust for the issue. If I can't pitch without without altering my mechanics, then we're going to have to win a World Series without me, which is entirely possible for us to do." -- Curt Schilling with Dale and Neumy
Lucchino said Curt hurt ankle coming down dugout steps before start.
Where was Tito's Plan B? Six runs too late later? Geesh.
Step it Up
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(Boston.com Photo / Chris Rattey) |
Or Step Aside
"...we put ourselves in this situation. I accept responsibility for letting Game 1 get out of hand early. There were things we could have done to stop the bleeding sooner.
Look, we've got guys here still damp from the Division Championship party, trying to figure out which t-shirt they're going to wear in Kenmore Square when we sweep the Yankees. Making new designer handshakes for different TV appearances. That's what I'm dealing with okay? You probably heard we're loose and have too cool hairdoos... Meanwhile we haven't won a championship in '86 years around here. And we've got a long way to go just to get on base in the first six innings of a baseball game. Well see what happens then. ...Is that it? You guys all set?
Oh yeah, Curt (Schilling) he has a sore lower leg, more than that I can't really say. I am not a doctor. And, as for Pedro (Martinez) I think he has a sore upper body, but again I am not a doctor, so your would have to ask someone else."-- What Would Bill Say?
Time to Show Some Guts or Go Belly Up
Sox Brush it Off Tonight
Yankees Gain Custody
I Heart Yankeewannabees
"It actually (Yankee fan taunting) made me feel really, really good... why are you laughing when I haven't finished answering the question yet?... I actually realized that I was somebody important, because I caught the attention of 60,000 people ... plus the whole world watching a guy that if you reverse the time back 15 years ago, I was sitting under a mango tree without 50 cents to actually pay for a bus.  And today, I was the center of attention of the whole city of New York, I thank God for that... I respect them (Yankees fans). I don't regret anything. I kind of liked it. I don't like to brag, or talk about myself, but they did make me feel important. I've seen a lot of people about this team, I feel so thankful I got their attention, and they got mine. I was really emotional, sometimes we don't realize who we really are and for me to be out the biggest stage in the world, at this moment only God can ask. I had the opportunity to show everybody that. My daddy brought me from the mango tree to the biggest stage in the world at the moment."
-- Pedro "I Heart New York" Martinez
Pedro Makes His Free Agent Pitch to the Bronx
"He did everything but sing along with Sinatra after the game." - Gerry Callahan, Boston Herald
Did Martinez Hoodwink Nation with His Original 'Daddy' Comment?
"I can't do anything if we don't score runs." -- Pedro Marteamez
"If we score one, I can't give up any." -- Curt Schilling circa May 2004
LieberAce
Olerud Awakening,
3-1 Yankees, Lead Series 2-0
Papa Jon Delivers, Idiots are Dumbed Down
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(Globe Photo / Barry Chin) |
Red Sox announce 2004 season theme #37 "THE INVISIBLE MEN"
...t-shirts at the printer.
It's Father's Day in the Bronx
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(AP Photo) |
Crowd Let's Pedro Have It but Pete Loves the NYC Spotlight.
WHY US?
Schill Needs Sheath Surgery
Has Dislocated Ankle Tendon
Status Uncertain for Game 5
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(Getty Images Photo) |
3-Month Recovery Slated After Season
There's a possibility Curt Schilling has pitched for the final time in 2004.
Red Sox team doctor Bill Morgan said today that Schilling has a dislocated tendon in his right ankle, and said he's "relatively optimistic" they can find a way to stabilize it enough for the Sox ace to make his scheduled Game 5 start. However, if the ankle cannot be stabilized, Sox general manager Theo Epstein said Schilling will not start Game 5. Sox docs optimistic they can use a new brace, however, if he does not pass his next test, he will be shut down.
Globe's Gordon Edes Post-Game 1 Chat Wrap
"I've got to think a few Sox players were privately seething at Pedro for giving the
Yankee crowd fresh fodder with which to taunt them."
NESN's Tom Caron Pre-Game 2 Chat Wrap: Panic Room?
Daddy Affirmation
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(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo / Neal Roberts) |
Positive Pete, aka Stuart Smalley, Mahowboy Ups Tonight
"Hello, I'm Pedro Martinez! Well, I'm still receiving some negative reaction from my post-game remarks on the Yankees being my daddy, and, I have to admit, that was not my best game... but that's o-kay. I have to give myself permission to have a bad game every now and then. However, I'm going to throw a terrific game today! And I'm gonna help my team! Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and, doggonit, people like me!"
Mother of All Must-Win Starts for Martinez Tonight
SCHELLACKED!
CAME WITH THEM ALRIGHT
Yanks Add Insult to Injury
Schilling Cries 'Ankle!'
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(Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
HURT SCHILLING
Open and Shut Up Case
Schill Ill Ankle Throws Wrench into Sox Plan
Curt May Not Pitch Again if He Can't Help the Team
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(Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Schill Didn't Put Up, Now NY Won't Shut Up
Sox Too Far Down to Come All the Way Back
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(Globe Photo / Jim Davis) |
Wake Runs Costly, Timlin Torched in Tight Game Again, Would D-Lowe Have Made a Difference Tito?
"I'd rather see D-Lowe than Timlin, that's just me... Timlin finds too many bats for me at times. He's had some great outings, but he always scares me like a Wakefield non-knuckler." -- BDD chat
Francona Makes All the Wrong Pitching Moves
Nation in Shock, Bombers Crush Boston, Hopes 10-7
Same Old Story: Sox Get T-Shirts. Yanks Get Trophies.
Hell Came Tonight. Daddy Hits Home Tomorrow.
Boston Dirt Dogs Tuesday Pre-Game Chat Wrap
"...he (Curt) was seen lunging for it (ankle) during a session last Friday, he's got to be in some pain. And he was limping on the field during the on-field celebration after the sweep, not jumping around as I've read. I'm not worried about the Marcaine shots, he's pitched well with it before, even mid-game injections, it's this ankle brace that worries me."
Make Room for Big Daddy and The Boston Red Sox
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(Globe Photo / Barry Chin) |
It's Father Time
Schill Sits 'Em Down, Stadium Schuts Up Tonight
"I'm not sure I can think of any scenario more enjoyable than making 55,000 people from New York shut up."-- Comes Up Big Schill
Marcaine
If Schilling pitches beyond, from 6th inning on, Marcaine.
If he schuts them down, and Yankees don't come around, Marcaine.
Schill does like, he does like, he does like, Marcaine.
Bum ankle blues, he's gonna need that juice, Marcaine.
When your day is done he will have won, Marcaine.
Big Daddy like, he does like, he does like; Marcaine.
When his ankle's done he's still gonna pitch on; Marcaine.
Don’t forget this fact, he'll take this team on his back; Marcaine.
Schill does like, he does like, he does like, Marcaine.
Schill will thrive, don't ask "why?", Yankees bye...
Marcaine.
No Reason 'Why Not?' Curt
Red Sox Bring Mystique and Aura
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(Boston.com Photo / Steve Silva) |
Ankles Away
Schill Thinks He'll Be Bad to the Bone Tonight
(from lyrics to the original Anchors Aweigh)
Stand Schilli out to sea
Fight our battle cry
We’ll never change our course
So vicious foe steer shy-y-y-y
Roll out the M.R.I.
Ankles Aweigh
Sail on to victory and
Sink their bones to Todd Jones hooray!
Yo ho there Schill dog
Take the fighting to the far off sea
Hear the wailing of the Nation banshees (by the second batter in
New York tonight)
All hands, fire brands Let’s blast them as we go, so
More...
So Much for the Yankees Being Too Cool for School
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(AP Photo) |
We normally don't throw at .260 websites (Tek never made a similar comment to A-Rod), but ESPN = Wrong Again: "Same with the Red Sox. No matter how wildly they clinched their LDS series, they celebrated like they actually won something. Did you see the Yankees? Clinching almost as dramatically, they sauntered onto the Metrodome turf. Those dueling mindsets are at the heart of the ALCS."
"RE: The Yankees celebration that just did not happen at the Metrodome Saturday night... How is it that Flash (in the pan) Gordon is still nursing an injury to his eye resulting from it’s high speed union with a champagne cork?-- Mack
Sox Considered Starting Pedro but They're Going to Let Schilling and His Bad Ankle Go in Game 1
Ace will tough it out and wear ankle brace and take Marcaine injections to make it through Game 1. Schill, who went down fast and grabbed his ankle after a pitch during a bullpen session before Friday's sweeper and was limping on the field during the onfield celebration, had a good workout yesterday and was proclaimed good to go. Gammons confirmed that Schilling will still have surgery to correct the problem after the Sox win the Series, something Curt said was possible months ago.
SHIRTGATE UPDATE:
Sox Official Tells Neumy MLB Properties Denied 'Evil Empire' Sox Fan Shirts.
Why is Georgie MLB's Daddy?
MLB said 'Evil Empire' shirts "denegrates an individual" yet "Who's your daddy?" doesn't? MLB says Pedro said it. But so did Lucchino? Meanwhile the Yankees Clubhouse retail stores all over New York continue to sell the supposedly "banned" t's.
"On the trash talk, rivalry front, DirtDogs and others are incensed by MLB's "Who's Your Daddy?" T-Shirts. It does seem a bit odd of MLB to do something like this, especially considering there's nothing from the Red Sox fan p.o.v. to balance it out. You know a "Juice Guys" shirt or maybe one showing Steinbrenner in a Darth Vader costume or something. On the other hand, I think it's a good omen. I guess the 26 World Championships and all that Yankees legacy isn't enough to appeal to the fan base any more. The veneer is cracking, folks. The Yankees fans are jumpy. This is the kind of t-shirt that will appeal to someone convulsing with nervous, paranoid laughter."
-- Ed Cossette, Bambino's Curse
MLB's 'Daddy' Shirts Now Being Pulled Out of All Retail Outlets in New York. AP Story: "T-Shirt Riles Sox Fans"
MLB Blinks, Succumbs to Nation Pressure, Pulls 'Daddy' Shirts Offline
The Nation Fires Back at MLB-NYY,
We Get Shirts Too. Pick Your Favorite.
Here's Our Entry for the Sox Shirt Howard
Please Swap in Kevin Brown for Giambi Before You Print
Tail Wags Dog Again as Sox Fans Threat to
Hit MLB in the Wallet Works Every Time
Unfortunately MLB "Must Have" Daddy Shirts Are Already On Sale at the Yankees Clubhouse stores, Bob's Stores, University Square Mall in Tampa, FL, etc. MLB Will Have to Make Good with the Red Sox and The Nation and Offer a Public Apology for Their Error in Judgment.
Major League Baseball has now yanked the "Daddy" shirt from the online store. After the barrage of phone calls and emails, we suspect they had a big powwow and decided to pull the crass shirts rather than add an additional anti-Yankees shirt to the Red Sox online store. Thanks to all the BDD readers who stepped it up as usual.
Unfortunately the MLB endorsed "Daddy" shirts are already on sale in retail outlets throughout New York, at University Square Mall in Tampa, and many other outlets. MLB may have to apologize to the Red Sox and their fans, or still produce an anti-Yankees shirt to sell at offline retail locations. Stay tuned for details as they develop.
Earlier today, Howard Smith, SVP for licensing and merchandising for MLB told a BDD source that the anti-Red Sox "daddy" shirts were "fair game... the fans want an attitudinal product, so we're giving it to them." After much spinning and BS, Howard had agreed to produce an anti-Yankees shirt that is equally insulting and sell it on MLB as well. Submit your catchy (and clean) suggestions for an anti-Yankees shirt here, then we'll have a poll to vote for the winner, and we'll get it over to MLB Properties to see if they resurrect this idea for an "official" attitude t-shirt.
The Mother of All MLB Insults
"This product is temporarily out of stock." Yes, and the check is in the mail Bud. Don't add insult to injury. Just apologize. No more lies.
MLB Never Got Permission to Use Sox Logo on Shirt/Pacifier
Acting Hastily to $quash the Little Guys Printing Similar Unofficial Shirts
What's Next Bud, Official "1918" Shirts? We've Got to Deal with That Yankee Fraud Calling the Games, Now This? Can't Wait for All the "Curse" Crap from FOX (We Know It's in Production)
Lose the Stupid Shirts MLB. Now.
More...
HUGE PAPI!
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(Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
"We knew they (Anaheim) couldn't win this game. If they won this game, we had to wake up early and play a game (Sat. at 1:00pm). We're not morning people. Now we can go out and get a headache the natural way... We have no rules. We're just having a good time. We play cards, we have our PlayStation, we don't stretch, we just go out and strap it on." -- Johnny "telling it like it is again" Damon
There's No Place Like Home
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(Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin) |
Sox Win Hands Down
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(Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
Brothers in Arms
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(Globe Staff Photo / Stan Grossfeld) |
More...
MAHOW ABOUT THAT!
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(Reuters Photo) |
Bronson, Ortiz, Sox Put the Full Nelson on the Angels
Anaheim is '86'd, 8-6
We Found the Infamous Rally Monkey
Hanging Around Fenway
(Mr. Monkey won't be coming down for breakfast no more)
Let's Go Cornroyo
It's a Long Row to Hoe, but It's a Can of Corn for the Kid
"Mahow, mahow... (pound, pound)"-- Nelson de la Rosa, Red Sox good luck charm returning to Fenway this afternoon
Bronson Has Death Wish for Angels
"When you got a guy hanging over the cliff holding on with one hand, you don't want him to get his other hand up there, you want to go ahead and stomp on it."-- Trot Nixon
Arroyo Rings Up Halos This Afternoon
"(Guts) the Size of Saturn"
Inside Edge scouting report on Bronson
Sure, bring on New York.
The Red Sox will march over the Yankees...
...like Sherman through Georgia.
Halo Goodbye!
Sox are Home Sweep Home
Acey Deucy: Sox Aces Take Two in Anaheim
Sox Shock the Monkey, Lead ALDS 2-0
Do These Cats Have 9 Lives Left in Them?
M NNYFEST
DESTINY
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(Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
Angels in the Outhouse
Daddy's Home
Pedro Gets Monkey Off His Back
Daddy Likey Postseason Pedro
MVP, Cabby, Trot Put Sox Over the Top
Sox Blow it Open in 9th, OC Double Seals the Deal 8-3
"We feel great. Going back 2-0 with a day off today, you can't ask for much better than that."-- Hair's Johnny
Dominican Dynamite: Manny Lights the Fire, Pedro Brings the Heat
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(Getty Images) |
Little Orphan Pedro: He Ain't Got No Daddy Now
No Repeat Performance for Pete. Reports of His Demise Were Greatly Exaggerated.
"It actually took the pressure off (starting Game 2), watching Schilling go out there... I appreciate that." -- Pedro Martinez
See You When You Land Back at Fenway Fellas
High Tek Blast Tied it Up
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(Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis) |
Sox Look Like Idiots on Bases, in Field Early. Small Ball Beats Anaheim at End.
Bellhorn Rung Up at Second Kills Big Inning
Vlad Almost Pedro's New Dad as Martinez Nearly Falls Apart in Fifth
Sox Leave Bases Juiced in the First. Don't Take Advantage in Second.
Nixon, Millar can't come through in first,
Manny walks one in second time around
Torii, Torii, Torii Does it Again, but Joe Blows It for Twins. Yanks Win in 12
Berman Talking Fantasy Baseball
"Kids crying all over Boston for a month or two, or maybe some even now still crying at night going to sleep. Nomar was... hey look, I feel it's saad that Nomar's still not a Red Sock. He was the link. Williams. Yaz. Nomar."-- ESPN's Nomar Dilusionist Chris Berman
Tonight We Got a Petey Like It's 1999
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(Getty Images) |
The Old Pedro is Good to Go
Bartoloco
Meanwhile, the sun comes up, the sun goes down, and Bartolo Colon has lunch (and gets a new haircut) before tonight's big game.
"We are not the cowboys anymore. We are just the idiots this year...
We got the long hair, we got the cornrows, we got just guys acting like idiots.
And I think the fans out there like it." -- Johnny Damon
"No way man. I just ordered another 1,000 "Hell's Comin' With Us... so Let's Cowboy Up... and Skin It to Win It... Yee Yaw!" t-shirts. Tell Damon to quit workin' my side of the street. I'm still gonna Cowboy Up! C'mon Boston, Cowboy Up! Please... I got a contract with these folks who have the dang Cowboy Up logo. I'm the slogan guy around here!" -- Kevin Millar
GAME WON
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(Globe photo / Jim Davis) |
Angels in the Doubt Field
Umm, Nice Toss Boss
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(Globe Photo / Jim Davis) |
(Hey you didn't say anything about pictures big guy :-)
First Down, 10 to Go
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(Globe photo / Jim Davis) |
Stairway to Heaven: Sox Complete Step One
In the Big Inning, They Get Seven Runs for Schilling
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(Getty Images) |
Thunder Sticks: Manny, Millar Provide the Lightning as Sox Strike First 9-3
OC Brings the D (While Nomar Watches on TV)
The Schill of Victory
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(Getty Images) |
Curt Gets the "W" and Timlin Goes for the Win
Washburn goes down in flames. Guerrer0-for-5.
Twins Double Trouble for Yanks
Formula, 4:09
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(Globe Photo / Jim Davis) |
Curt Cleans up Today in California
"I understand if I don't go out and do things I've done in past Octobers, the season will be a wash as far as my [21-win] contributions go. That's what was expected of me when I came here." -- The Game One starter
The Sox Have a Better Mix Than '86,
'88, '90, '95, '98, '99, '03. First Pitch at 4:09.
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(Globe Photo / Jim Davis) |
California Here We Come!
Pennant Express Goes West as the Road to the World Series Goes Through Anaheim
Let's Hendu It!
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(The dejected Angels catcher above is Bob Boone, father of a former NY Yankees third baseman) |
"I have followed them on a pitch-by-pitch basis since Johnny Pesky was managing the team. I have seen them participate in sixty-eight playoff and World Series games in five different decades. I have seen them play in person at their last three World Series - '67, '75', and '86. I have seen them win 9 Series games and 19 playoff games. I have seen them come oh so very close.
You'd think that I'd become somewhat jaded over the years, but I am already pacing around like a young father, wringing my hands, waiting for the baby to be delivered. Five more days and my stomach, which is already in knots, will be like heavy water left over from the Manhattan Project.
Win. Just win, please! If the Pats, the joke franchise of all time, the freaking Pats - "Will Bob Gladeaux please report to the Patriots locker room?" - if they can become the model team in professional sports, then the Red Sox can certainly secure a championship sometime. There are no more Ghosts of Clive Rush, Ben Dreith, Chuck Sullivan, Rod Rust, and Victor Kiam. Instead, they have been replaced by two glistening Lombardi trophies on display in the lobby of Gillette Stadium.
I am sick of 1918, Jack Hamilton; the St. Louis Cardinals; Bob Gibson, ski slopes in Colorado; Jose Santiago's bum arm; Eddie "The Fox" Kasko; trading Sparky for Danny "Are You Kidding Me?" Cater; trading the most popular player in franchise history for all players named "Tatum"; Luis Aparicio's base-running skills; Yaz not looking up to see where the runner is in front of him; three-run homers - starting pitching - and Earl Weaver's tomato patch out in the bullpen; losing Septembers as the Birds do nothing but win in the end; trading Reggie Smith and getting Reggie Cleveland as one of the players in return; Vern "High and tight to Rice" Ruhle; rain delays which cost World Series games; Larry Barnett and Ed Armbrister; Rick Wise and his unlimited potential; Cecil "Mr. 1 for 18" Cooper; Bill "Let me do my Rip Sewell thing in the 7th game of a World Series game" Lee; Darrell Johnson taking out Jim Willoughby for a pinch-hitter; Jim Burton - "let's see how the kid does here"; Joe Morgan and his squirting fly ball; the wasted talent of Roger Moret; Fergie Jenkins on hash; Craig Nettles; Mickey Rivers' sucker punch; The Gerbil; no hurler to back up El Tiante; "You know, Ken, Tom House is going to be the next great closer"; losing to the Yankees twice on the last weekend of two successive seasons; trading away Bernie Carbo and ignoring Yankee killer Bill Lee; Bobby Sprowl, the poor kid - up yours, Zim; the Boston Massacre; Lou "Mr. Sun Glare" Pinella; Steamer and a hanging slider to Reggie; Yaz swinging at the first strike; the unjust firing of Martin and Woods; Luis Tiant and Boomer in Yankee uniforms; Jerry Reinsdorf - the most evil man since Harold Frazee; Haywood not dropping Pudge's contract in the mail before December 31st; the Major playing with dirt in front of the dugout; the New Gold Dust Twins - Reid Nichols and Shag Crawford; John McNamara and his pea-brain; Tom Seaver's bum knee; what the hell is Schiraldi doing out there?; My English neighbor on seeing who's coming in - "Not Bloody Stanley!"; Geddy's passed ball; "Son, this is the darkest day in this town since Jack Kennedy was shot"; why isn't Can pitching the final game? Al Nipper actually pitching in game 7 when it mattered - Al Nipper! Cokehead Strawberry taking five years to get around the bases.......etc., etc., etc."
Just win. Please. Please. With jimmies on top.
-- Shaun "jacklamabe65 on SOSH" Kelly
Sigh of Relief
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(AP Photo) |
"They're not called the Derek Red Sox. This isn't about me. We're in the playoffs. I pitched twice out of the bullpen last year. I just look forward to contributing."-- Derek "Feeling" Lowe
McCarty Sharp in Pen but Sox Drop Finale 3-2
Double Winner
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(AP Photo) |
OC goes deep, Kim gets a win, 7-5
Mientkiewicz triple breaks tie
""It [ticks] me off. Boston comes down here and kicks our [butts] and the whole stadium is cheering. It's sad, but it's one of those things you have to deal with. It's amazing how Boston fans can get 30,000 tickets."-- Baltimore starter Sidney Ponson
Arroyo ready to go, Damon drives more in, 7-5
"I feel good. I've been throwing the ball good, I feel healthy, I feel strong and rested."-- Bronson "Good to Go" Arroyo
Wake Sends Birds South
Tim tune-up OK, Johnny hits No. 20, 'Tiz bangs No. 41,
Sox blow out Baltimore 8-3
D-Lowe Out of Rotation
Struggling Free Agent Starter Scratched
Former Sox Cy Young candidate Derek Lowe will not be pitching in his regular start on Sunday which would have lined him up to start Friday or Saturday in Boston (BK Kim may start the final game of the season). Bronson Arroyo and Tim Wakefield are expected to be named Game 3 and Game 4 starters for the ALDS.
Not-so-Super Agent EmBorased
3-years/$27-million is gone.
So is D-Lowe when Sox run is done.
Thanks Beautiful!
No Show Nomar, Cubs Out of Playoffs
Deja Nomah
"I never turned down any money in Boston. So that's kind of funny they keep saying that."-- Nomar Garcialiar
"Even after that, Epstein said Monday, he told Tellem that if Garciaparra accepted the Sox' four-year, $48 million offer, the team would abandon its pursuit of Rodriguez. He conveyed the same message to Garciaparra in a phone conversation just before flying to New York to meet with Rodriguez, a meeting he told Garciaparra he was planning to have.
Garciaparra rejected that proposal, and in a telephone interview Monday night made it clear he was unwilling to accept a proposal so far below what the Sox had offered the previous spring.
Henry, asked if he understood why Garciaparra might have been offended, said: "Why would you be offended? I guess you could take offense. This spring we offered him $60 million again in a meeting with Arn. Granted, it wasn't all up front. A portion of it was deferred. I didn't think the deferrals were a big deal because the Red Sox would be there and the interest rates were low.
"We were trying to find a way to sign him. We never received a counteroffer to any of the proposals we made."-- Boston Globe, Gordon Edes
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(AP Photo) |
Bad News Bear Punts When Cubs Needed Touchdown
"He removed himself from the moment. How pathetic."
-- Former Nomar Rumpswab Bob Neumeier, WEEI
"When the Cubs traded for Nomar Garciaparra on July 31, Dusty Baker looked like a kid in a toothpick store. The options! Aramis Ramirez, Moises Alou, Derrek Lee, Sammy Sosa and here came Garciaparra. An embarrassment of riches. The riches have left the building, and the embarrassment has stuck around.
With one out and a man on first in the 12th inning, Garciaparra bunted. By itself, it wasn't a bad idea. The element of surprise might have gotten him a bunt single. One problem: He showed bunt on the first pitch, then pulled back. When he finally did bunt, the Reds were ready. The game went quietly after that." -- Rick Morrissey, Chicago Tribune
"...up to the plate came Nomar Garciaparra, who was acquired because of his slashing line drives and power. With one out, Garciaparra should have been swinging, not worrying about grounding into a double play. No one gave him the bunt sign, obviously, yet strangely, he decided to bunt anyway, successfully moving Macias to second base but reducing the Cubs' margin of error to one out. Please explain, superstar.
''The guy was playing back,'' Garciaparra said of third baseman Felipe Lopez. ''We needed baserunners at the time, especially with the guys coming up behind me. In the worst-case scenario, we do get a guy in scoring position. He made a great play.''
Someone asked him if he was trying to be cute. Translation: Why would an offensive force who once hit .372, who had 35 home runs and 122 RBI in a single season, choose this strange moment to move over a runner? Suddenly, Garciaparra was having a Boston flashback. The media were badgering him. Did it ever occur to him that he's The Curse, the link between the Red Sox and Cubs?
''I don't know why that would be cute,'' he said of the sacrifice. ''Did you expect me to bunt? I thought it was a great idea to put a guy in scoring position. I don't think anything was shocking there. It doesn't matter what kind of hitter I am in that situation. It matters what kind of team you have.''
The Cubs are not much of a team, as we learned many months ago. They are choke artists and babies, with one of the biggest whiners, Moises Alou, fittingly ending this latest dark episode in franchise infamy with a lazy fly out. ''We work on [bunting] all the time,'' an exhausted Baker said. ''We just came up short today.''
And Garciaparra's decision? ''He did that on his own,'' Baker confirmed." -- Jay Mariotti, Chicago Sun Times
Stop the Presses. Yankees Win Division.
Maybe next year.
(But Mike Timlin would like an XL of the above please)
Meet Pedro's New Daddy
Tampa Bay spanks him again 9-4
Martinez acts like a baby on the bench
There's a New Scheriff in Town
And it's Not Nelson's Rocky Fella
Schill Will Be Number One
Ace Will Begin Sox Quest for World Series Championship Tuesday. Devil Rays Make Pedro Say Uncle. Twins Tank Games vs. Yanks. Division Chase Over. Dave Wallace Will Have the Guts to Go and Tell Him They're Going to Push Him Back.
"I don't know how people are going to have the guts to come and tell me they're going to push me back. But if they did it, I wouldn't argue. I'm only an employee here that does his job." -- 9.22 Pedro Martinez
Nelson Was No Lucky Charm
Did Mahow-Mahow Put a Hex on Pedro?
And who is Franklin's friend from Providence?
And will Pedro kiss his good luck charm goodbye?
Extra Crispy Win
Mahowboy Up!
Kentucky Fried Kevin Delivers in the Trop, and Mahow
Lowe Five for D-Wreck (But Keep Him Number Three)
"He looks messed up." -- Eck, who still wants D-Lowe to start in the playoffs
Back of the Pen Comes Through for Win After Another
D-Lowe EmBorasment
Division Dreamers 10 Devil Dogs 8
Johnny Cash
Damon Brings Home the Bacon Again
Nelson Was No Lucky Charm
Did Mahow-Mahow Put a Hex on Pedro?
And who is Franklin's friend from Providence?
Pedro's Hat is in the Ring
"I thank God because this is the chance that I always look forward to and... I think, it's enough for me now. I'm about to get a ring. And I wanna get one." -- Pedro Martinez
Sox New Lucky Charm
Pedro: "My friend is Nelson. His name is Nelson. He's 36 years old. He's from the Dominican Republic and very funny character, and very animated. Everybody's happy with him. He's our lucky charm now. Now a days. The guys are falling in love with him."
CBS-4's Dan Roche to Nelson: "How do you feel about being the lucky charm of the Boston Red Sox?
Nelson: "Se siente mejor"
DR to Pedro: "What'd he say?"
PM: "He say it feels better, to be the lucky charm."
DR: "How did you two meet?"
Nelson: Aqui (after Pedro asked him in Spanish)
PR: "We met through Franklin's friend in Providence. Since then we became friends and I hang out with him now."
DR: "What would you like to say to Red Sox fans out there?" (Pedro translates in Spanish)
Nelson: "Bueno... estancia fuerte."
DR: "What'd he say?"
PM: "He went like that (made a muscle), it means he wants them to stay strong and actually keep rooting. That's pretty much what he meant."
DR to Nelson: "What would it mean to win a World Series, see Pedro especially win a World Series?"
PM (after listening to Nelson): "He wants us to continue to win more and more, and become champions."
DR: "Great (Nelson said word) Bueno."
Nelson: "Bueno"
More...
Dress for Success (Sort of)
You Tell 'Em We're Coming and
Mahow's Comin' with Us, You Hear?
Pedro May Take Lucky Charmer on the Road
"...And his entourage has taken on Fellini-esque proportions -- his guests over the weekend was a 29-inch Dominican performer. I'm told that Pedro plans to take him on the road, too, as a good-luck charm. I'll find out this week if that's the case."-- Gordon Edes mailbag on boston.com
Say Hello to My Little Friend
A Circus Atmosphere
The Full Nelson
Big Daddy Curt Schilling Gets Revenge on the Team
That Spanked Him at Fenway in July
Pedro's Bronx Cheer
Since You Can't Beat Your Beloved Yankees Pete,
Join Them Already
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(Globe Photo / Barry Chin) |
Powderpuff Daddy Martinez Makes His Play for a Yankees FA Signing in 2005 Since Boston Hates Quitters
His Message to George: Yankees Can't Be Beat, Please Sign Pete
The Mother of All Loser Quotes
"I just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy. I can't find a way to beat them at this point. You just have to give them credit and say, 'Hey, you guys beat me, not my team.' I wish they would [expletive] disappear and never come back. "-- Former Ace Pedro "Sonny" Martinez
Too Little. Too Late.
Meet the New Loss, Same as the Old Loss
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(Globe Photo / Barry Chin) |
A Very Grady Rematch: Deja Lose All Over Again 6-4
"If I run out there after two pitches, it makes it look like I wasn't making a good decision before the inning."-- Terry "Duh" Francona
50 years ago today, Johnny Pesky played his last game. But he can't sit in the dugout tonight.
Winners Never Quit
and Quitters Never Win
"I was trying to protect some people ahh if there is blame, I will take it, because it didn't work. I will agree with that." -- Terry "Say Anything" Francona
Tito Gives Up on Game, Division as Sox Lose to Baltimore Again and Again 9-7
Grady Francona had El Guapo and Scott Sauerbeck ready to come in, just in case the Sox got any closer to winning.
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(Globe Photo / Jim Davis) |
Since D-Lowe can't go beyond five, and Pedro can't go nine anymore, Francona let Myers pitch to righties and gave BK some batting practice. So now your Yankees tickets for this weekend are worth pennies on the dollar as the games are purely an exhibition.
In other news, Kevin Millar gets his 'Cowboy Up' speech ready for Wild Card Champion night. The WC parade route is being mapped by the mayor. And the Baseball Tavern gears up for another wild celebration, not seen since last season's WC championship blowout.
Orlando Magic
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(Globe Photo / Jim Davis) |
Abra Cabrera, Sox Win it on Walk Off Over the Wall Ball
Cab Takes Plane: From Red Eye to Green Monster,
on a Very Special Episode of The OC
Another Foulke Implosion, but 'Tiz, Cab Come Through in Clutch. Extra Winnings: Sox 7 O's 6
25 Guys, One Cab
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(Globe Photo / Jim Davis) |
Separated at Birth
Williamson, Mendoza hold the line. Leskanic 3-2-4 double-play saves the day.
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(Globe Photo / Jim Davis) |
BUTCHSLAPGATE
D-Lowe Blow: Stearns Pulls Out Lowe, Wakefield Video Conversations from Off-the-Field Late Night Charity Party
(but they still don't say anything newsworthy)
On FOX-25's evening news, sports anchor Butch Stearns, in an effort to show he had players on tape supporting his claim that Curt Schilling and Pedro have issues, showed video of Derek Lowe at the The Franciscan Hospital for Children's charity party at Comedy Connection, Thursday night August 12.
(Stearns says he doesn't want to be part of a story, yada yada...)
BS: "...I don't make up stories. In fact, I've talked to several Red Sox players this year, both on and off the air.. off the record, about this subject. Here's what a few of them had to say recently on the record."
BS to D-Lowe: "... But what is their relationship (Pedro and Curt), do they push each other?"
D-Lowe: "Probably not, probably not, I think they're totally different guys. I mean you can call one 'A', call the other one 'Z', and there's a lot in between and ah the fact that people may say 'OK, now it's, you know, maybe Curt Schilling's team' you know, that doesn't sit well with him (Pedro) I would imagine, you know he does have three Cy Youngs..."
(Wake simply says they challenge each other)
FOX-25's David Wade: "And Butch what you're not saying here on the air because I know that you don't want to hang out some of your friends on the team, or some of the people that you know on the team, but what you're not saying here is that they told you off-the-air, some people have told you off-the-air that the two are not friends, that they're just, they're teammates and that's it."
BS: "Well here's the interesting thing David to me and why it's a story and why it's a topical one. Very soon Pedro or Schilling's gonna pitch Game One of the World Series or of the playoffs or Game 7 of a deciding series. And when Pedro hits free agency, I've been told by one player, that it will be a factor. Schilling's relationship, his presence, the dynamic of him being here with Pedro, in Pedro's decision. They're not sure whether it's good or bad, but it will be a factor. So to me, that's what makes it a story about their relationship and whether Pedro's future will be in Boston or not."
DW: "Well Curt Schilling didn't want it to be a big story, he made it a big story Butch..."
Who should be the Game One starter in the playoffs?
"I don't know how people are going to have the guts to come and tell me they're going to push me back. But if they did it, I wouldn't argue. I'm only an employee here that does his job." -- Pedro Martinez
Stearns Tries to Outfox Schilling
9.23.04: Fox 25's Butch Stearns (BS) was back calling into WEEI's Big Show today. Butch started yapping about how he doesn't "make stuff up!" and said "I have a tape of several players saying what I said yesterday" which he will play on the FOX-25 News. He said this is a story because "it will affect whether or not Pedro re-signs in Boston." Butch is angry with people at WEEI (read: Dennis, Callahan, Meter) today and said they questioned his credibility. He said he received threatening messages at FOX-25 and added "If you're gonna call my line at least have the balls to leave a name and number!"
Curt Gets Stern with Butch
 AP Photo
"Because you don't see us playing grab-ass on the field doesn't mean a thing." -- Curt Schilling
9.23.04: Fox 25's Butch Stearns (BS) was on WEEI's Big Show today. Butch started yapping about how he had some information that the relationship was not great between Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez adding "How do you think Pedro feels when he sees Schilling pitch a game like last night?" and "go look at the tapes (of past games) you never see Schilling and Pedro embrace after a win." (oops, see above from July)
"Next we have Curt in the car up next here on the Big Show (sans Ordway again when Curt calls, must kill him, Pete Sheppard, Steve Burton and Butch Stearns)"
Schilling: "How you doin' guys... (hey we got Schilling! How ya' doin' Curt?), hey listen I'm not going to be long but I'm gonna say one thing, I don't know who it was that just said something regarding Pedro and I... (that was Butch Stearns -- that was me Curt) Don't be stupid enough to think you can make something out of nothing. That's how dumb idiotic rumors get started by those who don't know the game. I have (well we're glad you calle...) I HAVE nothing but the utmost respect for Pedro. I think he's probably one of the best pitchers I've ever pitched with. He's a great guy. We get along awesome. Because you don't see us playing grab-ass on the field doesn't mean a thing. Don't say something stupid and something ignorant like that. (BS: Alright Curt, I understand, and I'll apologize for that, but can I ask you a question?) No. Here's my problem. If I don't call up you don't apologize for it, you don't retract it, and somebody calls and you make it a bigger deal than it is (BS: I'm not trying to make it...) It's a stupid idiotic comment to make. It's irresponsible. And you know what it's ignorant, because you don't know, obviously you just made it up (BS: I didn't make anything up) Sure you did. Sure you did. I've hugged Pedro on the field this year, after we've won a game, that's a stupid thing to say... isn't there some other controversy you can go to? Because you had some valid points, but don't make up stupid stuff."
More...
Around the Bellhorn
On your Mark, get set, Mueller and Roberts go home
Sox win in walk off, 3-2
MLB.con: "Sox lose as Bellhorn strikes out"
Ian Browne checks in with "Dewey beats Truman" gaffe.
"Hi, I am the author of the bogus story that was up on MLB.com for a few moments
last night. here is what happened. i have a deadline of filing the story at
the last pitch. in the type of game that last night was, my only choice is
having one story ready to go if they win and one if they lose.
unfortunately, in my rush to get down the locker room after bellhorn's hit,
i sent the WRONG microsoft word attachment file to my editor. for some
reason, my editor deployed the story as was, without making the changes,
even though this person was indeed aware of the final score and knew that
the Red Sox had won. it was an operator error on my part, and a terrible
editing error on the other side. basically my mistake was flicking the wrong
switch, and after all, isn't that why i have editors? anyway, if you could
please run my explanation in any way possible, i would appreciate that. i
don't want people to think i was making up the wrong score and didn't know
that the Red Sox actually won the game. it's tough being compared to Dewey
defeats Truman :)
thanks a bunch."
-- Ian Browne, MLB.com
Schill Win Blown
Curt came up big but Foulke blows save and gets win
Deja O's All Over Again
Mora the same, Wake comes undone,
Baltimore owns Boston 9-6
Sox lose third straight but Ace has 21 tomorrow
Lowe Boat to China Club?
Change in the Weather May Have
Forecast Lousy Performance
After the Sox beat the best closer in baseball Friday night, the forecast called for a long period of heavy rain on Saturday. So did D-Lowe and friends decide to stay out a little late thinking they had the next day off? Reports are circulating among people who live in New York City and other media types that some players went out on the town after the big comeback win in the Bronx. One source told Boston Dirt Dogs that Derek and a few teammates were out at the famed China Club past 3:30am Saturday morning. The rain stopped a few hours later and the Sox soon found themselves down 9-0 to the Yankees after the second inning later that afternoon.
"D-Lowe looked like he had an hour of sleep." -- Michael Felger, Fox Sports Net
"...have to wonder if they did not believe it (the game) was going to be played." -- Greg Dickerson, Fox Sports Net
Time to Take a Walk
on the Wild Side
"I went to the miserable game yesterday at Yankee Stadium. I'm done seeing the Red Sox. They broke my heart yesterday and nearly got me arrested for assault. At least this time I wasn't fighting an 11 year-old. No, this time it was his trash father...." -- Sox fan Sara Stonner, New York City
NEW YORK NIGHTMARE
Pete Can't Even Compete
Not ready to go Pedro is a no-show like D-Lowe. No excuses necessary for sorry Sunday effort. Subtract the division from the equation.
Sox played like Ryder Cup Runnerups 11-1
Manny can't get the ball out of the infield while Tek is 0-for-34 for the Bronx
More Good News and Positive Signs: No-Name Baltimore Oriole Lefthander Facing Sox on First Game Back from Road Trip
BRONX BLOWEOUT
Gidget Goes South in Gotham
Fore! Yankees 14 Boston 4
A Real EmBorasment and a Tubthumping
We'll be singing
When we're winning
We'll be singing
He gets knocked down but he gets up again
You're never going to keep him down
He gets knocked down but he gets up again
You're never going to keep him down
He gets knocked down but he gets up again
You're never going to keep him down
Pissing the game away
Throwing to the wrong base
He drinks a whisky drink
He drinks a vodka drink
He drinks a lager drink
He drinks a cider drink
His agent tries to remind him of the good times
He's been in games that remind him of the better times:
"Oh Derek Lowe, Derek Lowe, Derek Lowe..."
He gets knocked down but he gets up again
You're never going to keep him down
He gets knocked down but he gets up again
You're never going to keep him down
He gets knocked down but he gets up again
You're never going to keep him down
Pissing the game away
Throwing to the wrong base
He drinks a whisky drink
He drinks a vodka drink
He drinks a lager drink
He drinks a cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him of the better times:
"Don't cry for me, George Steinbrenner..."
He gets knocked down but he gets up again
You're never going to keep him down
He gets knocked down but he gets up again
You're never going to keep him down
He gets knocked down but he gets up again
You're never going to keep him down
We'll be singing
When we're winning
We'll be singing
Johnny Apple Seed
Damon Plants a Game Winner,
Sox Confidence Grows
Nixon, Roberts, Cabby, Johnny Cash in on Rivera Comeback Kids Win It in Ninth,
Foulke Closes it Out 3-2
Money Grab
Catch of the Year
Let's Go Bronxon Arroyo
No 'tip your cap' to them. No 'turn the page,' no 'whatever it happens,' no 'we'll get 'em tomorrow.' No excuses. No marathons. No backdoor wildcard.
B.ullpen K.ey?
"BK had a hip flexor problem at the tail end of the minor league season, he's here working out, getting ready both physically and mentally for 2005. He's been making progress of late. He's going to throw a couple of side sessions. If that goes well, I wouldn't rule out his contributing this year."-- GM Theo Epstein, Red Sox Pre-Game Show on WEEI
TWENTY
SOMETHING
SPECIAL
There's a New Scheriff in Town
Damon, Millar Go the Distance for Schill
Sox Trump Tampa 11-4
A Ton of Seats
The Boston Red Sox announced their intention to add an additional two thousand seats to venerable Fenway Park. In the past few seasons, the Sox have modified the ballpark by adding the Monster Seats and the right field roof seats without changing the atmosphere or the character of the venue. New box seats have also crept ever closer to the playing surface, with fans able to distinguish the cologne of players (not Bartolo) and sprinkle in comments about players’ nose hair.
Where exactly will another 2000 seats fit in the major leagues’ smallest park? It’s too obvious to suggest that the box seats are moving in even closer. Fans need chain mail to watch from the boxes now.
Only through some true imagination can Theo and the Trio squeeze in the anticipated seats, that at fifty bucks a pop, could add another eight million dollars or so (plus concessions) to Sox coffers.
‘Gondola seats’. The Sox intend to string a series of wires from the roof boxes on both sides of the field. After using the facilities, Sox fans would board gondolas suspended from the wires and peer through glass-bottoms to the field below. Of course, the gondolas would be in play, creating yet additional caroms for enemy outfielders to overcome. Painting the bottom of the gondolas white might even confuse Minnesota outfielders.
‘Laugh-in seats’. On the NBC ‘Rowan and Martin Laugh-In’ show, characters appeared from behind a wall through ‘window’ seats. The Sox will add hundreds of ‘window’ or ‘laugh-in’ seats in the wall. During the game, the windows are opened, and any balls hit through the windows are ground-rule doubles. Of course, during visitor at-bats, if a ball were launched toward the wall, fans would close the windows to keep the balls in play, reducing the chances of extra bases.
‘Triangle seats’. The Sox could install many hundreds of seats in the centerfield ‘triangle’ adjacent to the bullpen. Players drive only a handful of balls during each homestand into this remote area of the park, so run production would probably increase marginally. Free agent pitchers need not apply. The seats could alternatively be named the ‘Wayback Wasdin’ seats.
‘Pole seats’. The Pesky Pole goes largely underutilized. The Sox intend to construct seats suspended from this landmark, too. If the pole is sixty feet high, with seats every six feet, then another ten seats are projected. It does give ‘standing room’ new meaning. Getting fans to sign off on liability concerns shouldn’t be much of a problem with such a unique vantage point.
‘Backstop seats’. The upper portion of the screen could surely hold Generation X-ers, particularly those who would be willing to ‘camp out’ in designated squares, lying either prone or supine during the game.
‘Hammock seats’. The back wall of the bleachers provides yet another opportunity for profit, er, entertainment. Fans could easily hang suspended from either pitons and ropes or specially designed hammock seats.
‘Helo seats’. Currently, with the high cost of fuel, the Sox have elected not to put fans in specially designed Sikorsky MH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters. The Sea Stallion has a large fuel capacity with extended loiter time and can spend up to six hours on station. A specially configured Sea Stallion could easily fit up to fifty Sox fans, giving them a unique perspective of the ballpark, also providing heavy armament should crowd control come into play from Jeff Nelson or other surly bullpen types. A fleet of ten Sea Stallions would be noisy, but also assist in keeping the field dry should inclement weather arise.
I’m sure that other readers can develop some equally cost-effective seating plans for Ye Olde Towne Team. After all, a team that sold out its entire eighty-one game schedule surely counts a lot of dreamers among its fans.
- Ron S.
See the 20-game winner tomorrow on Today (8:30am)
Sox Keep Comin'
Bats out of Hell: Kentucky Fried Kickin'. Bellhorn Makes Noise. Nixon's the One. Fire in the Belli.
Wake Shaky Again. Bottom Line, Sox Win 8-6
Tim gives a better performance in his Bernie & Phyl's commercials
Pen is Hell Bent: Myers, Mendoza, Timlin, Foulke Finish Off D-Rays
It was pretty ugly, but the "W" is beautiful
New York Times on Jason E. F. Hutton:
"When Jason Varitek speaks, people listen."
Ramirez Ramirez
Manny Loves Hanley
See You in Court
Nomar's keeping busy while the Cubs fight for the playoffs: "...Contract action where the defendants (Sanderson Sales & Marketing Inc.) refuse to refund the plaintiff his down payment on a restored car. The defendants agreed to refund the money after the car was sold at auction for over $118,000 to another buyer, but the defendants now refuse. The plaintiff (Nomar Garciaparra) did not buy the vehicle because the original estimate he was given was far less than what the defendants ended up charging. The plaintiff and his wife, both well-known professional athletes, signed the vehicle and had pictures taken with it in order to boost the purchase price." -- Nomar Garciaparra v. Sanderson Sales & Marketing Inc.; Steve Sanderson, 9/13/2004 04-9415-A
And the Beat Goes On
"NO NOMAR: The Cubs hoped shortstop Nomar Garciaparra would miss only about five days with his strained right groin and be ready to play again. But that appears to be out of the question.
Asked if Garciaparra was expected back next week, manager Dusty Baker couldn't say.
''I don't know, that's a tough one,'' he said. ''We got to get him some at-bats and get his timing down. I hope he can play next week. We are hoping and praying he can.''
There is no guarantee, however, that Garciaparra will be back in the lineup before perhaps the final week of the season."-- Mike Kiley, Chicago Sun Times
"Nomar started the following day and went 0-4 with a double play. At one point, the Cubs Cory Patterson hit a home run and Nomar never moved off the on deck circle. Cory took a step toward Nomar for congratulations and Nomar started looking at his shoes again. Patterson turned back to seek a friendly hand."-- Steve Kerman, Chicago Daily News
Who Will Show Up Tonight?
Division is Wild Goose Chase
Just print the stinkin' "Wild Card Champion" t-shirts now and tell Picked-Off Millar to man the taps at the Baseball Tavern... it's Wild Card Party Time! Yee-yah! Pedro goes six innings in a pennant race. Cowboy Up!
All That Kaz
Kazmir Makes Sox Itchy
Another Lefty Rookie Has the Right Stuff Against Sox
Pedro Leaves After Six, Sox Lose After Nine, 5-2
More good news: Mueller reinjures knee.
Too bad only 35% of Sox "fans" want him starting in right.
Hell of a Play KFK
Next time we'll "Tell you he's coming to second,
and the ball's comin' with him. Cowboy Up!"
The First Family of Fashion
Juliana Ramirez with son Manny, 18 months, and husband Manny, right, at the Red Sox Wives fashion show and luncheon today at The Heritage on The Garden during a fundraiser for the Gillette Center for Women's Cancers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Fight for the Pennant in Oakland
Fandemonium in the stands
Former Sox farmhand Frank Francisco was arrested after he threw a chair and hit two spectators in the head during Monday night's loss in Oakland.
Bad News Bear is Out Again.
Is Garciaparra Gone for Season?
More...
"You think George will cry after this one?" Henry asked.
More...
Bronson-of-a-Gun
Can of Cornrows
Boston 9 Seattle Scoreless
"He doesn't just want to pitch, he wants to be a winner and a contributor. You can see the difference. He's growing up kind of right in front of us." -- Terry Francona
Bellhorn (74) and Damon (73) Lead RBI Parade
Millar, Manny, Kap and even Hyzdu Chip In
Hey Nineteen
"...Sweet things for Boston, Cy Young and Schilling" -- Steely Dan, Hey Nineteen
Schilling the Stopper Again
Boston 13 Seattle 2
"I wanted to come here and help this team get to a World Series, and right now it's working out that way. We're playing great basbeall and things are going well for us." -- Curt Schilling
"He's got wins to the left, wins to the right. And he's the only Cy in town." -- Buffett
'Manny Ortez' Does it Again
More Bellhorn, Damon, and Roberts
Sweepless in Seattle
Wake Stops Another Win Streak
Manny Having a Little Too Much Fun in the Field
Madritsch as Hell and Sox Take It
Seattle Slews Boston 7-1
Cabrera Brothers in Arms
The Yankees win. Theeee Yankees win.
Sox now 3-1/2 back of New York,
and Pats can't cover 3-1/2 vs. Indy
Corey Thrillin'
Pats Have a Back Who Can Run
Mariners Greet Arrival of Red Sox
"The Red Sox needed only three innings to knock out Tim Hudson and blew out Oakland, 8-3, to complete a three-game road sweep of the AL West leaders. Anaheim, Texas and Oakland were supposed to be big obstacles for the Red Sox, and instead, Boston won eight of nine and outscored the Westies, 63-35. Overall, that makes 26 wins in 31 games for the Red Sox, 14 of their last 15, and they're just two games behind the Yankees. Imagine the AL East as one of those Dukes of Hazzard car chases: While the Yankees have cruised on the easy road through Toronto and Tampa Bay lately, the Red Sox disappeared into the side road from hell -- mud bogs, cattle crossings, a leap through a hay barn -- but as both turn the corner and head down the home stretch, Boston is still right behind New York, bigger than ever before in the rear-view mirror." -- Buster Olney, ESPN The Magazine
"I can't wait for these next few weeks," said Martinez, his anticipation palpable when someone mentioned the upcoming six apocalyptic games with the Yankees. "I've been through a lot (in seven years with Boston) and I know not to get my hopes up but man, we are more balanced and confident than I've ever seen. Everything is how it's supposed to be at the end of the season. Just like you dream. Only now the dream feels real."-- Lisa Olsen, NY Daily News
BOSTON
M SACRE
Easy Street for Pete
Sox Sweep, Kick A's to the Curb Again
Ho, hum... Boston 8, Choakland 3
Sox move to 30 games over .500 taking 20 of the last 22
West Coasting
Night Kap Contributes Again
"I prepare the same way every day whether I'm starting or not." -- Gabe Kapler
Lowe Picks Up Where He Left Off in Oakland
Derek Does it Again, Sox Romp Over A's 7-1
("We needed to get Matt Clement" says hello to all the armchair GMs out there)
Yankee Dirtbag Randy
"The rule states that if your team is here and ready to play, and the other team isn't here and not ready to play, there should be a forfeit, and we believe there should be a forfeit." - Yankees president Randy Levine
The answer: "No!" is blowin' in the wind
"The Yankees absolutely embarrassed themselves. Every time Randy Levine talks, he embarrasses himself. Win it on the field, will ya! Are they scared of the Red Sox because they might have better pitching and defense than they do for the first time in ninety years? People were killed in that hurricane, for God sakes! How are the Yankees damaged in comparison to the people in South Florida? The Yankees look very, very bad in this whole thing. The Red Sox are up their rear ends; that's why they are running scared here." -- Mike Francesca, WFAN
Sox Win Dirty
""The Yankees are all clean cut," said Millar. "They wear helmets during batting practice. When Schilling first came over here, he'd say, `Look at them. They look like pros.' Over here, we're not. You see guys during BP wearing sleeveless shirts or parachute tops, no hat, game hat, red-and-blue hat. We look like sloppy, no-discipline dirtbags."-- Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe 9.9.04
"Boston's players believe it's OK to look the way they want, within reason, because they have the approval of management. When Damon arrived at spring training sporting a beard and flowing locks, Epstein received critical letters from fans who told him if he was doing his job properly, he'd order his center fielder to get a haircut.
"But Epstein held firm, under the theory that players are individuals and should be allowed some freedom of expression provided it doesn't get in the way of the team concept and winning games. Epstein actually prefers loose, free-spirited "dirt dogs" in the Millar-David Ortiz mold, because he thinks they'll be less inclined to melt in a pressurized environment like Boston." -- By Jerry Crasnick, ESPN Insider
Jump Starter
"The reason I came here was to be on the mound here in September and, hopefully, October. It's set up that way now. If this team had won [the World Series] last year, I would not have been here." - Curt Schilling in Sports Illustrated
More...
Up, Up and Away
'Manny Ortez' Goes Deep
And Mueller, Roberts Put it Away
Bronson bounces back from bad outing
Sox tie it up, take the lead, and break it open,
topping Oakland 8-3
Star Tek
Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek slept uneasily, having absorbed a half-dozen foul balls off his face mask. Catching takes a toll on you, physically and mentally, the sum total of countless contrecoup brain trauma, however subtle. How else can you explain Yogi Berra?
As he drifted off to sleep, with its inevitable dreams, he entered a conversation with Science Officer Spock, the Vulcan from the Starship Enterprise.
Varitek: “We’ve really been on a tear, winning 18 of 20, playing great baseball.”
Spock: “Random chance seems to have operated in our favor.”
Varitek: “In plain, non-Vulcan English, we’ve been lucky.”
Spock: “I believe I said that.”
More...
10
in a row.
2-1/2
Back. No more Foulk in around.
First double-digit winning streak since August 1995.
"Yeah, no offense, but the division wasn't really much of an option entering the season let along for the past few months." -- Yecul on SoSH 8.5.04
Brown Out in New York
"Sorry if you've received this a dozen times in the last few minutes. Apparently he (Kevin Brown) was so angry after being removed he punched a wall and broke his (left) hand! I've seen a Yankees message board where they're going nuts... Andrew"
Sox Turn Up the Pete
Top Texas 2-0
Solo Effort: Manny and Mueller just pull up their Sox,
and do the rock-away. Now lean back.
More...
Bartolo Colon Gets Ready for Tonight's Start
Meanwhile D-Lowe Takes a Run Around the Charles
What's the Theme for the 2004 Team?
The Beat Goes On
The beat goes on, the beat goes on
Bats keep pounding a rhythm, winning games
La de da de dee, la de da de da
Nomar was once the rage, uh huh
History has turned the page, uh huh
The O.C. is the current thing, uh huh
Manny bopper is our newborn king, uh huh
Johnny Damon is the superstar, uh huh.
Little Grady can't break their hearts, uh huh.
And men still keep on marching off to war
Electrically they keep a baseball score
Grandpas sit in chairs and reminisce
Sox keep chasing Yanks and still just miss
The guys keep running faster all the time
Fans still cry, "Hey Manny, we're out of time"
And the beat goes on, yes the beat goes on...
Picture Perfect
Even Petey Said Cheese on Team Photo Day
Angels and A. Sele Fold
Sox Outslug Halos 12-7,
After Arroyo-yo, Sox have Terry Christmas as Adams,
Myers hold the line for the win.
"This guy has a 1.25 ERA in 21 appearances. 24 Ks in 21 2/3 innings. he's given up no homeruns and has held batters to a .097 BA for us this year. I'll gladly take an approximation of those same stats for games in the fall campaign if he's indeed healthy. Raise your mug for SWilly!" -- Kosimar
Don't Look Now New York
Hamm-ing it Up
Meanwhile, North of the Border
"Manager Dusty Baker said if shortstop Nomar Garciaparra had been able to handle catcher Michael Barrett's throw and tag out a stealing Endy Chavez, Prior could have held the Expos to one run in the first. Garciaparra didn't catch the ball cleanly, it appeared, and three runs followed later in the inning." -- Chicago Sun Times | Top 10 screenshot courtesy of our friends at Royville.com
Schillenegger
The Terminator
Hasta la vista, baby!
Sox 10 Caleefornia 7
Mike Myers Nearly Turns Blowout into a Horrow Show
"It's one of those days you pray that you show up and do your job, because it's such an awesome thing to be out there in front of those people... it was enough to give me chills." -- Curt Schilling
Schill Gets Chills... Watching Mueller Play Third
Trophy Guys Cy Schilling and MVP Manny
Rise Above Anaheim's Angels
Cleveland Squeezes Past New York 22-0,
Sox Three Games Back in Loss Column
"Contrary to the belief of a lot of people (read: morons) in this region, the Yankees don't suck." -- Cy Schilling
Georgie Porgie's Gonna Need Some Vodka After Last Night
"If you are watching a horse race with one horse ten and a half lengths in the lead, and suddenly the second place horse begins to close in on that leader to just three lengths, you have to think that the leader is in big, big trouble." -- Michael Kay, Yankee broadcaster
"As of Saturday, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays had a lower team ERA (4.55) than the New York Yankees (4.57). That is one of the more amazing stats in recent sports history, if you ask me." -- Peter King, Sports Illustrated
He Was Just 17
You know what I mean.
Ready, Schilling, and Able
Cy Schilling cranks it up a notch tonight
More...
Sox Streak Continues
Only 4-1/2 Games Back
"The only difference between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees in 2004 are the teams' individual records against the Baltimore Orioles." - Dan LeBetard of ESPN Radio
Wakefield Campaign Run Rolls Through Detroit
Outstanding Outing is Par for the Course for Tim as He Hits the Greens Again and Putts Clean to Win Tiger Tournament.
'Manny Ortez' is Clutch, Sox Sweep 6-1
Sveum!
Sveum!
He's gonna wave forever.
He sends Ortiz on a fly,
Why?
He feels it's now or never,
Dale Sveum will send 'em then cry
Sveum!
He can't even make it a close play,
Out like a light, douse the flame,
Sveum!
He's gonna wave forever,
Davey remember his name,
Remember, Remember, Remember, Remember, Remember, Remember.
Detroit Rocked City
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Martinez Manhandles Tigers
Bellhorn, Mueller, Damon Take Care of Offense,
Sox Rock On 5-1
Hair of the Dog
Detroit is the Cure for a Three Month Hangover
Sox Keep Motor Running, Top Toothless Tigers
High 5-3 for D-Lowe
Animal Cracker
Derek Lowe (W 12-10) 8.0 7 3 3 0 7
Oh Ricky You're So Fine... Gutierrez Goes 3-4
X-Rays Negative on Manny's Foul Off Knee.
Mueller, Foulke Join Walking Wounded.
SCHILLING HEADED BACK TO ARIZONA
Curt Won't Be Coming Down to Plow Your Driveway with His Ford F-150, He's Hitchhiking Back to Paridise Valley
And rumors that these two aren't close were greatly exaggerated. In fact, they may be a little too close. What's up with that Shonda?
Boston Red Sox ace Curt Schilling said today that he plans to leave Boston after this season
Mass#@%! and Stupid Star Gazers Driving Schillings Away to Arizona
Political insider says move could hurt Curt's potential run for Governor
8.27.04: Curt Schilling on with Loren and Wally 105.7 WROR. L/R: (With Curt's kids going back to school) "Are they worried that kids are only gonna like them because of who their father is?"
Curt Schilling: "You know what? That's a been a very, very big issue for us here. How the kids have been treated. On both sides of the fence. Just a very different, not altogether positive situation. It's something we've had to deal with. It's something that... umm one of the reasons why I think probably we're gonna end up living in Arizona during the winter time. (Really?) Yeah, it's not a good situation and "kids are kids"... and it's something Shonda and I have stressed that time and time again with our kids as far as, who they are and not what they are, it's just really hard here. But we had a perfect set up in Arizona, all four kids had, we had a next door neighbor with four kids who were the same age, so were waffling a lot of different things like that but it's just been a very different environment, both for them and for Shonda."
Today's the Day
$1,550,000 Million Raised And Counting...
"Outstanding" -- Don Orsillo
And Tonight's Not the Night
CN-8's Ed Berliner called to say they are still taking donations for the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation and the Bobble Bash will be rescheduled soon.
BROKEN "GLASS" EVERYWHERE
And Beating a Dead Horse's Ass
"We said at the time of the trade that we were making the changes to make us a better team"
-- 8.27 Sox GM Theo Epstein
Bad News Bear: Cubs fans already annoyed with sketchy shortstop's stories
If #5 stayed in Boston, today would be day 14 of 15 on the DL. Cabrera hitting .368 (21-for-57) since Aug. 15.
WRIST WATCH IS ON
And Tender Garciaparra Unlikely to Play on Expos Turf
UPDATE -- Gammons on WEEI's Big Show 8.26.04: "Chicago didn't lie about Nomar's injury to keep it from Houston when they told people he was sitting out because of his Achilles and it was his wrist. They can see what he looks like in batting practice. They lied to keep Nomar happy... it's about his contract... I'm worried about this wrist. He's in a contract year and he's got tendon problems in his wrist and his heel... it's too bad... he carried so much resentment towards Red Sox management. And all this business with the dirt in front of shortstop, "they're tapping my phone," I mean..."
UPDATE -- NECN's Chris Collins, Improper Bostonian 8.25.04: "A source close to the ordeal tells me that a big moment in the breakup came upon Nomar's return from his honeymoon this past off-season. He got off the plane in Los Angeles and immediately called Sox owner Tom Werner to ask about where the team was with the Alex Rodriguez negotiations. Werner invited Nomar over to his Southern California mansion the next day to assure him that the A-Rod thing was dead and all their time and energy would be focused on keeping Nomar with the Sox. Days later Garciaparra got a phone call telling him that Sox CEO and president Larry Lucchino and Epstein were on their way to Texas to meet with A-Rod. Nomar and his agent Arn Tellum, apparently called the duo as Lucchino and Epstein were on their way to do the Texas two-step and pursue the A-Rod deal again. That conversation reportedly ended with Lucchino saying "(Bleep) you Arn, (Bleep) you!" That's the way Lucchino does business. Nobody can question his intellect: He's become a rich man in baseball management. But let's be honest: His temper played a huge role in the Sox failure to land Rodriguez, and his lack of candor played a significant role in Nomar's reluctance to stay in Boston."
"There's some talk out in Chicago that he may need surgery on that wrist but let's wait and see."
-- 8.25.04: CBS-4's Bob Lobel on UPN-38's 10:45 Sports
UPDATE: Remy Report Post Confirms Nomar Wrist Rumor: "...overheard Dr. Morgan discussing that Garciaparra will undergo season ending wrist surgery."
According to a Boston Dirt Dogs source, former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra may have to have season-ending wrist surgery in the near future on the injured tendon in his left wrist. Red Sox sources were "not surprised" to hear about this new development.
Bad News Bear Back in the Lineup
Mr. Hamm Re-Injures Wrist
(Not the one he had the surgery on, the left one, which he has injured before as well)
More MRI Than RBI: Will Garciaparra Go Back on the DL
Like He Promised to in Boston?
Cubs Hiding Garciaparra's Injuries!
"As for the latest injury to the superstar shortstop nicknamed "Glass" by his minor-league teammates because of his fragile nature, it's just as curious as all the others to hit the Cubs this season." -- 8.24: Chris De Luca, Sun Times (House of "Glass" is perfect. Smooth yet fragile.)
"Garciaparra didn't mention the injury when talking to reporters about his Achilles' tendon in Houston after Sunday's game, and the Cubs didn't let on either. "That could be a possibility," Garciaparra said (regarding going on the DL). "That's something we haven't discussed or gotten into yet. Right now, we're looking at the present day and the very near future, and see how that goes. Then we'll worry about the rest when it comes." -- 8.23: Cubs shortstop Nomar Garciaparra
"But we have to wait to see what's up with Nomar because if you put him on the DL and it's only a matter of a few days, then you've lost him [for 15 days]. We just have to wait this out and see." -- 8.23: Cubs manager Dusty Baker
"Could he play Tuesday? "There's a possibility," Garciaparra said. "Right now we're going day to day, and that's the attitude we're taking right now. (The wrist) is going to tell me. There's been some discomfort. There was a reason for the exam but at the same time it's more symptomatic and you have to listen to it."
Is Nomore taking a shot at Tito and Theo? "Garciaparra is expected to undergo an MRI exam at Northwestern Memorial today when he visits team orthopedist Stephen Gryzlo and hopes to be cleared for a return to the lineup.
"I'm going to see the doctor and check things out," said Garciaparra, adding that he told manager Dusty Baker he could play Sunday against the Astros. "[Sunday] was one of those days. I told Dusty I was ready to play. He's great. He's like, 'No, you're not playing, I'm making the decision.' "He's looking after me, which says a lot about him. He said, 'Let's get more answers.' I'll have more answers for you [today]."
MLB.com: "Do you know if today's opposing starting pitcher is right-handed or left-handed?"
Garciaparra: "I have no idea."
Nobody Missing Nomar
"There isn't anybody doing their own thing now and that's different. Nomar had a lot of things going on and he's introverted. He had the Achilles'. He had the contract. And it was its own story. Every day with the trade,
that changed the atmosphere immediately in here."
-- 8.27.04: Curt Schilling to Dan Shaughnessy
We hadn't played so great before the trade happened. Now we're playing better. I don't know what the reason is. It would be unfair to say that trading Nomar is the reason, but is it part of it? I think so, yeah." -- Kevin Millar in the Boston Globe on the Sox after trading Nomar
"We're all getting along great, this is a good bunch of guys. We got rid of one superstar, but we got three everyday players who can play defense. We're professionals. We see the revolving door all the time, but I do think we're better than before, in every way. Defensively, we can count on those guys all the time. I think we're better." -- Johnny Damon in the Boston Herald after trading Nomar
Sox Make Hay While Bronson Shines
Boston is Motor City as Sox Engine is Humming.
Ortiz Cleans Up Again. Sox Win 4-1
"We're playing great, man. I think the big key is everybody's in the doghouse having fun and playing hard." -- Manny Ramirez
Sox Control Towers
Two for 'Tiz
'Manny Ortez' Lets the Ball Fly in SkyDome
How Schweet it is for Schilling, Sox Trounce Toronto 11-5
in 17 hit attack. Manny, David (2), and Cabby go long
"I had the best fastball I had in 3-4 months. Minimal effort tonight, that was big. One of the things I've taken pride in is to be able to make adjustments, which i did tonight... We had a great road trip, we're clicking. We're just going out tomorrow and treating it like the most important game of the season." -- Curt Schilling 16-6
Hail to the Cab: Orlando hitting .429 since August 15, 10-game hitting streak
Hey David, it's not about where you're hitting in the order, or what your batting average is in the middle of a pennant race. Very disappointing Mr. Ortiz. Maybe you need to sit down with Gabe Kapler and Doug Mientkiewicz and get back to focusing on the team concept today.
"Mientkiewicz Would've Had It" Hurt. "Day to Day" kiss of death per Tito.
Schweet 16
Curt gets sweet revenge on Toronto tonight
(Nice look. Can I borrow your A Flock of Seagulls cassette? :-)
Fire in the Belli
Sox rally and hang on to win 5-4.
Timlin is back for more. Tito gamble in seventh pays off.
"Mike deserves the win, not me today." -- Tim Wakefield
Ramiro the Hero. That's All Foulke. Save No. 23.
Big Night Outing for Tim
You just can't go wrong with that picture.
Wake simply looks great in that black shirt.
Lincoln Falls to Thousand Oaks 3-1
Tek Will Serve Four-Game Suspension Starting Tonight
"...not all players can play in Boston. It takes a certain make-up to be successful here. If a player is not a "gamer" or a "dirt dog" it will be difficult to fit in into this city. The fans here want players who grind it out in the good and the bad times."
-- Jason Varitek mailbag on The Remy Report
Manny's in the Driver's Seat
"Boston is the best city ever," he says. "The fans are great. They love me. Oh my God. You go out to eat, they don't let you pay for nothing. You win it there and people will go nuts. I'm going to party for a month."
See Tuesday's Boston Globe as Stan Grossfeld follows Manny as he picks the color on his Dad's new wheels at "Rad Rides by Troy," in the village of Manteno, 53 miles south of Chicago. Ramirez went here on a Sox day off to select a color for a 1967 Lincoln Continental convertible he purchased and is having totally restored for his Dad's birthday. Kevin Millar remains pissed that they chose to stop at Mickey D's over the chicken stompin' KFC he represents.
McManny is Lovin' It
Sox Wilt for Lilly
Sleepy Sox Shutout 3-0, 13 Ks
and only three hits
More...
Here Come the Red Sox
High-Tek Resurgence Continues
More...
CLEMENS WINDOW CLOSED
Bob Lobel reports on UPN-38 that the window for the Red Sox obtaining Roger Clemens is now shut.
Sox had 48 hours to seal the deal.
Sox Would Not Give Up Youk
Roger Clemens: "It's not a big deal. It's not going to happen anyway. They just did it to block me from going to the Yankees."
(Sorry Roger but it wasn't about the Yankees, the Red Sox wanted to bring you back to Boston)
SOX FUELING
ROCKET RETURN
Roger That.
Think Responsibly?
More Bud for Werner and Company
Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig's term as baseball commissioner was extended for three years through 2009 in a unanimous vote by owners today.
Morons Stuck
Brass Tacks on Smart Policy: The Boston Red Sox have finally come to their senses and recently formally instituted a new policy that bans all t-shirts that feature the 1990's paranoid inferiority complex phrase "Yankees Suck" (which does more to promote the team from New York and does nothing to support Boston) and/or related anti-Yankees slogans from Fenway Park. Ticket holders wearing the embarassing shirts are now asked to turn the low-rent vulgar t's inside out or change them before entering the gates at Fenway. Point: Lucchino. No decision has been made regarding the banning of any shirts that have the word "Curse" printed on them, which of course promotes some sort of curse no matter what it says in front of the "C" word. Read Hench's Yankees Suck? No Such Luck.
"It makes us look, as a community, like idiots." -- Bill Burt, WEEI's The Big Show on the YS shirt wearing fandom
"Maybe they finally realized that after 86 years of winning nothing and countless wild cards later that THEY are in fact the team that sucks and not the Yankees?" -- Dooley Womack, nyyfans.com
"I've stated many times that there is ZERO hatred on the field between these two teams (Red Sox-Yankees), for the most part, zero. Probably as much respect as anything... The hatred part is in the stands and in the media, they need that sorta stuff for material, and they make it into their own little story often times. What they don't make up, fans seem to give them willingly." -- Curt Schilling
Theo reveals that Pokey's injury put Cabrera in the Nomar trade mix. Listen to Theo pinch hit for Larry Lucchino on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan.
More...
Oh Baby! Wake Up for a
Good Night's Sweep
And a Night on the Town
Wake Great for Eight
Millar, Mueller Timely in 6-4 Win
Sox jump on top early, hang on late
Snyder remarks after Fenway stand
Sveum
Sveum
Waving, keep my whole body shaking
You got me so confused it's a Sveum
Sometimes I think I'm going insane
Still I want you to stay
(Wavin' your arms that's what I want to see)
What I want to see (Want to see)
(Wavin' your arms that's my high)
High
Sveum
Ooh my mamma says you ain't got a brain
And what you do at third is a Sveum
Ooh wouldn't wanna live without pain
Mamma just don't understand
(Wavin' your arms that's what I want to see)
What I want to see
(Want to see)
(Wavin' your arms that's my high)
High
I can't get enough
(Ooh) Ooh baby enough of that magic touch
Thrown out from the start, tearing the rules apart
So why should Dale be ashamed?
Sveum
Only wins can beat the pain
And if we lose this game it's a Sveum
Ooh I wouldn't want to live without pain
Send 'em in forever
(If we lose this game it's a Sveum)
Oh no
(If we lose this game it's a Sveum)
(Never gonna find home again no) no (no) no (no) no
I can't get enough
Ooh baby enough of that magic touch
Thrown out from the start, tearing the rules apart
Ooh it's a ooh
(Sveum)
Send 'em in forever
(Sveum)
Only wins can beat the pain
No no no
(Sveum)
Mamma says you ain't got a brain
Mamma just don't understand
(Sveum)
What you do to me is a Sveum!
Francona Talks about the Fun and Games
Tito Not So Testy without Neumy on Weekly Call to Dale and Felger
Schilling eats Sheppard Pie for Lunch Again on The Big Show
('EEI audio coming soon for another episode of "Curt in the Car" -- bad link/file in Audio Vault)
Little Prince of the City
Let's Go Crazy
25 GUYS, ONE CAB
CAB DRIVER TAKES TEAM HOME
More...
The Sloppy Hose
Bad News Cabreras Play Without a Care,
They Don't Know Where to Run or Throw, but Still Slip Past Toronto 8-4
A High Impact Outing for D-Lowe and Once-a-Week Keith,
Millar and Cab Drove in Two Runs Each
Gammons Says Sox Need a Leader
From Monday's chat on ESPN.com: David (Plattsburgh, NY): "How much blame do you place on Terry Francona for the Sox being a .500 team and will he be fired after the season?"
Peter Gammons:"I think Terry has gotten much too much of the blame for the Red Sox problems. They are no where near as good an offensive team as they were last year, essentially, playing without Trot Nixon, who was 5th in the league in OPS last year, and of course, Nomar. Tim Wakefield and Derek Lowe have been inconsistant and the Sox middle relief is below average. The problem with the Red Sox is not as much the manager as it is that they DO NOT have a star player who accepts the accountability for his team's success. They need to either become Jason VAritek's team or go out and spend money to sign a Tejada-type player who can lead them out of their nonchalant style."
"Of course I'm cynical and I've heard all the whispers, but regardless of how Nomar got his body to where it is now, it just isn't a body that makes a very reliable shortstop."
"As he struggled down the stretch in '03 — while the rest of the team was "cowboying up" — it was as if the fissures in Nomar's fragile psyche were splitting open for all to see. He would take silent oh-fers where he failed to hit the ball out of the infield. Some in the Boston press pointed out how Nomar always seemed to struggle when his then-fiancee Mia Hamm was in a given road city..."
-- Hench bids farewell to Nomar
More...
Soggy Bottom Boys
I am a Fan of Constant Sorrow
I am a fan of constant sorrow
I've seen trouble all my days
I bid farewell to the ol' Division
Second place I was born and raised.
Second place he was born and raised
Eighty-six years I've been in trouble,
no pleasure here in Boston I've found
For with this team, I'm bound to tumble,
No more Nomar to help them now.
No more Nomar to help them now
It's fare thee well, my old true shortstop,
I never expect to see you again.
For I'm bound to ride that Red Sox Railroad,
perhaps I'll die upon this train.
Perhaps he'll die upon this train
The Winless City
Boston All Wet Against Chicago
Carlos Lobo: More Lee Fits as Timlin Lets One Out Again
Lee Spike Off Mike Silences Fenway in 8th
Is This Bad Bullpen Management or Bad Bullpen Staffing?
Cab Clutch Bad
Orlando a deer in the headlights
The OC cancels final comeback episode in 9th and with bases loaded
Arroyo-yo: Sox Fall Behind for Good After New Guys Lead Comeback
Team Can't Overcome Red Shirts (sigh) and White Sox, Lose 5-4
More of the Sveum: Youkilis Hurt in Home Plate Collision
(Youk has lower right leg contusion, x-rays negative, day-to-day)
Dave Roberts Looks Like Dave Winfield... Striking Out
Two for 'Tiz
David Gets Back to Being Goliath. Schilling Too.
"I've been fighting myself for a while now. I am human. You can put yourself in a rut sometimes without actually needing to be in one or deserving to be in one, and I have been so inconsistent and frustrated with a lot of different things, and fighting that on a daily basis." -- Never satisfied (good) Curt Schilling
Big Curt bounces back after early bombs, and
Good Sox win a one-run game for a change 4-3
Long ball puts White Sox on the short end of the stick
Schilling Walks the Walk Tonight
And Talks About it Later
Millar, Francona, and Schilling in Stereo
The Kevin Millar Backtrack Backroad Tour on FSN NEST with Greg Dickerson, on NESN post game, and here on WEEI with Dale & Neumy 8.12.04: "The big thing was it wasn't about Francona (his outburst about Francona's lineup), I just basically you know I apologized to him because it shouldn't have got to the media, I got caught with my pants down for a couple of minutes but you know I was frustrated. And sometimes, you know what, it's good for a team, you know I'm not stupid. I wouldn't have gone to the media the way I did but there's also some stuff that we need a little spark and uh you know I mean Francona's been unbelievable and he's our commander and I'd never challenge him and I felt bad for the... it looked as if I was challenging Terry Francona and that wasn't it at all, it was just "hey, let's get something rollin' here, and let's get this team going, and sometimes someone's got to step on a landmine, and that was me... He's been unbelievable, Terry Francona has like I said earlier in the year, he had more confidence in me than I did. You run through those times. And this guy stood behind me, he's the last guy that I'd ever try to hurt, and that's where I felt terrible the next day, because it came out that way, obviously, then you've got all the opinions on the radio shows and the papers, and the true story was, that wasn't the case. I was just frustrated, I checked the lineup. I expected to play that day because I was told one thing, but hey, that happens. I should have just walked away like I said and went down in the dugout, but you know those things happen, you make a mistake, it came out that way, and obviously Francona and I looked like we were in a little spat, but I came in that next day and apologized, we had a great conversation, and everything was great, we cleared it up, and let's get on a roll now."... on FSN NEST: "I'm gonna pop off (this week), I'll talk to John (Henry), I'll give him a call, we'll have some coffee :-)"
8.12.04: Listen to Terry Francona's call into WEEI's Dale & Neumy
(more Tito vs. Neumy cat-and-mouse antics)
"...and this has been a team, definitely not as likeable as the team from last year"
8.12.04: Curt Schilling on WROR with Loren, Wally, and Sue.
Loren or Wally: ...you're over it now... (Monday's loss)...
Curt Schilling: You know it's... you wear 'em. I carry those with me a lot longer than I carry the wins. Oh absolutely.
More...
COMPLETE PETE
Turns Up the Heat
More...
Deep Six Can't Sink Sox
After Costing Sox Games, Some Ortiz Payback
Wake Survives Six Detroit Bombs, Avoids Funeral, Gets Win,
Low-Cal Ripken Out Sick (Not Pharyngitis) Again
Flu-like Fielder Stays on Bench but Youk is Served as Offense Outlasts Tiger Attack 11-9
Comfortably Dumb
Kentucky Fried Should Wear Dunce Cap Tonight
Lou Piñata Loses Respect of Nation for Good
Insert Post-Meeting Backpeddle Here: "I wanted to apologize to Terry. I didn't want this to turn out where he's the bad guy... I'm not challenging Terry Francona as manager... he's always been loyal to me (and then some wouldn't you say?)... but this isn't a situation that's going to last. We turn the page... and we go on. That's basically it." -- Kevin "Don't Come to Fenway No More Then, Media That Don't Pay Me are "Riff-Raff," Now Go Buy Some Ice Cream and Fried Chicken" Millar
Francoma Flips Out and Lays Down the Law with Millar: "I'm not sure the way he handled it is the way I would have wanted him to handle it."
(Yankee fans, front office types, players, and especially Big Stein are simply laughing their asses off at this laughing-stock of a team right now.)
Mow Town
Pedro Tames Tigers
Ace of Diamonds Gets 11 Ks, ERA Drops to 3.94
Millar Goes Too Far,
Cowboy Upsets the Applecart
Texas Con Man Rips Terry Cloth
Millar Throws Manager Under a Freight Train: "This isn't me being selfish. It's when my teammates come up to me and go, 'What's going on?' (note: KFK's been in the lineup for two weeks) They want me in the lineup. It's a team, it's a family (says Mr. Name on the Front of the Uniform blah, blah). I'm not going to be lied to. I'm not going to be lack-of-communicated to. I wasn't told I was on the bench. I didn't know that was the situation. I didn't know they traded for [Mientkiewicz] to be the everyday first baseman... No one knows where they're hitting. No one knows where they're playing. No one knows what's going on. That's the whole thing." -- Kevin "Don't Come to Fenway No More Then, Media That Don't Pay Me are "Riff-Raff," Now Go Buy Some Ice Cream and Fried Chicken" Millar
Iron Manny Sits Out, IMeMyMillar Penciled In,
Roberts Leads Eight Hit Attack in 7-4 Win
(But Dave Roberts will have to be Dave Winfield the rest of the way for the trade to work out for Sox as Nomar is getting three hits a night for Cubs)
Breaking News: The Arizona Diamondback's Partnership is expected to fire newly appointed superagent Jeff Moorad tomorrow for re-signing Diamondback 1B Shea Hillenbrand to an eight-year $83 millon contract in his first act as CEO of the fallen franchise. -- Edes Mailbag: Nobody knows Nomah, can't call Sox liars
PANIC IN DETROIT
MOTOR CITY LOWEDOWN
Yes Dearborn Derek, Sox Hit Detroit Breakdown Lane
More of the Sveum
Ugueth It... Tigers Tame Road Hogs 4-3
Orlando Cabrera 1-for-his-last-17
Wasn't it Great When Ortiz Threw Those Bats?
Hench Mini-rant 8.6.04: "If the Red Sox were a football team we'd be calling them "gutless." They can't stop anyone on third and one, can't win a close game, can't convert 10 hits and three walks in 5+ innings off Maroth into more than three runs. Cabrera should not be hitting third, obviously. He's lost. What was that hit-and-run in the first? Why do we still try it? We must be 1 for 20 on the year."
Francona on the SoSHot Seat 8.7.04: "You generally don't like to see the manager make as many as one idiotic, indefensible lineup decision. But three or four?
1) You just cannot play Bill Mueller at 2B with Derek Lowe on the mound. Period. With Lowe on the mound, the defensive difference has to approach 0.5 runs per game. If you have zero confidence in Ricky Gutierrez, tell the GM that and have him get you somebody who can at least field the position. The offensive edge of Youkilis vs. Gutierrez is dwarfed by the defensive difference at 2B with Lowe pitching." -- Eric Van on Tito, on SoSH
Did You Know? Your Boston Red Sox went 51-30 (.630 winning percentage) on the road in 2002. They talked about being away from the pressure of Fenway then, being able to relax on the road. Can we get that feeling back please?
They're Back
Sox Catch Mike Myers
|
Yoko Ono |
Mia
Hamm |
 |
 |
|
COINCIDENCE?
The
both have 7 letters in their name
and they both broke up the band
Twist the Truth and Shout -- Drive My Star -- Shove Me Do Yesterday
-- Normargian Would (This Bird Has Flown) -- Ballad of John (Henry)
and Nomar
HAMMING IT UP:
MIA PLAYS NOMAR SHRINK, TOSSES SOX CAPS
"To listen to her teammates tell the tale, Hamm even has been acting as a corporate and motivational psychologist for the sensitive Garciaparra, counseling him that the move to Chicago is just part of the business..."
|
SOCCER BOMB
Update: Players Not Brass Sold Out Secret Soccer Story
Hamm, and Egg on Nomar's Face
Former Sox SS Hurt His Heel Playing Soccer
Garcialiar Told Generations of Nation Tall Tales About Mystery Foot/Ball Injury
Garcialiar gives up on defending his fraudulent faux pas: "I've heard so much made up about me, I don't even want to comment... I've addressed all those things (yeah right, read his one nervous, stumbling, bumbling 'address' of how he hurt his Achilles with Steve Burton below. Sounds confident. Story makes a lot of sense) ...I'm here now, and that's all I'm focused on." (can't say I blame him since his lies are getting exposed by the hour in Boston)
Late May 2004: CBS4's Steve Burton interviews Nomar Garciaparra and asks how the shortstop got hurt...
Garciaparra: "I didn't even tell my trainers anything, I was like you...(Burton: "You didn't even tell anybody...) not, not, not when it initially happened, not when it first... (SB: But was it a practice ball that hit you?) I just, ahh during BP, you know balls, you know flying around, walking off and I just got hit, I didn't think much of it and I was like alright, bruise, whatever, you know numerous bruises all (laughing) over my body at the time (SB: Put ice on it) yeah exactly and it was, and it was something I was like 'ahh, just go play, just go play,' yeah it's something there, you work through and I went three four days working through it, wasn't getting any better, one thing you know I don't know what's gonna you know how or whatever but I'll definitely be going out to give it 100%, that's for sure."
DAS BOOT: The Net-Net is Nomar Kicked His Team in Teeth Again
In other news, D-Lowe sees going away party for Garciaparra, starts to imagine his own,
decides to stay in Boston telling Boras "just sign the last goddamn offer right now!!"
GUILT TRIP FOR GARCIALIAR: Baseball Gods Strike Back:
Nomore Goes 0-5 Room .222 for Improvement with BA
Gammo Says Dirt Dogs All Over Nomar Trade
"Boston Dirt Dogs was very close to the truth on the Garciaparra injury diagnosis, they do such a good job over there."
Gammons on Garciaparra: "I read the transcript of Schilling's interview, where he said 'this is a no-brainer,' and I agree. Curt couched it politically, and was very careful in what he said, but he said 'you want 30 or 40 games from Nomar Garciaparra the rest of the season or do you want 60 games of Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz, and if Schilling said that, and believe me, Schilling voiced what his teammates believe." -- 8.05.04 ESPN's Peter Gammons on WEEI's The Big Show
WHY NATION WON'T LET IT GO
Where Good Is Not Enough
8.5.04: I had the good fortune today to have a conversation with the director of an Olympic development school educational program. She organizes the athletic and educational programs for several hundred young Americans who compete in gymnastics and figure skating. Some head for Athens and the Olympics. She smiled with pride talking of Olympic champions whose development she had overseen, helping to mold their athletic skill globally with dance, weight, and sport-specific training, and educating them in the three R’s as well as the difficult world of media relations.
We agreed that while you can make an athlete play, you cannot make her care, that is, passion for the game comes from within.
The primary metric of a baseball player, individual achievement, cannot via force of personality create a championship quality team. If it were so, then Carl Yastrzemski’s 1967 Red Sox would have beaten the collectively superior St. Louis Cardinals. Red Sox fans can recite the litany of batting title winners, from Runnels, to Yaz, Lynn, Lansford, Boggs, Garciaparra, Ramirez, and Mueller. Others remind us that 'statistics are for losers.'
For most of his Red Sox tenure, Nomar Garciaparra played as hard as a baseball player can. He will someday likely arrive on the podium in Cooperstown, speaking of the pride and professionalism with which he approached his career. Many great players never win a batting title or win a World Series. No championships graced the Nomar Garciaparra era here, just as none have reappeared in four score and five years.
Still, things changed for the Red Sox shortstop. He missed most of the 2002 season with a serious wrist injury. His overall power, speed, and defense, although superior to the days of the Luis Rivera, Spike Owen, Mike Lansing, and John Valentin, diminished. For reasons unknown, he struggled during the stretch run and playoffs, especially the American League Championship Series in 2003. The first pitch swings, formerly line drives, became popups or just flails.
Call it 'counteroffering' if you want, but Garciaparra rejected the Red Sox monster offer of four years and sixty million dollars. Whether ownership hurt him irreparably with the failed A-Rod trade, or whether he simply tired of being asked to be something he was not (a private man asked to be the public face of the second greatest franchise in baseball) he wanted a change of scenery.
The African proverb says 'it takes a village to raise a child, but a child can destroy the village.' The achievements of the Oakland Athletics of the early 1970s and the 1978 Yankees remind us that a baseball team doesn’t have to be Pleasantville to win. However, Dave Cowens’ admonition that "nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm" also rings true.
Players and ownership always tell us that "it isn’t about the money." Players don’t earn fifteen million dollars in Kansas City, Minnesota, or Timbuktu, not because money isn’t there. The same passion doesn’t exist. Green Bay is the city of millionaires, but not the Baseball Hub. In a country where poverty, homelessness, and medical disenfranchisement still exist, baseball megastars have relatively few locales demanding both excellence and winning, with ownership willing to satisfy their vainglorious quest. From a baseball standpoint, the dollars follow the passion.
Our six-year old nieces and nephews cry after the departure of their idol. Maybe it happens in Minnesota when the Mientkiewiczs, Reardons, and Aguileras move on. Maybe small fry in Dallas mourn the loss of the Siamese basketball twins, Antoine Walker and Tony Delk. I doubt it. Whether Bostonians want to believe it or not, Nomar Garciaparra wanted out of his failed marriage with the Red Sox. We should wish him and his family well. He deserves no less. He too should understand that his candle here had burned down. The Red Sox lost Nomar’s desire not to play, but to care. There is no crying in baseball. Good is not enough in Athens or Baseball’s Athens.
-- Ron S.
OCD and OBP
Hench's Hardball Redux -- 5.3.03: Does anyone remember the old Nomar?
The bigger the situation, the harder he'd hit the ball. Everything was a rope. Or a bomb. Remember those two playoff series against the Indians? Or the ALCS against the Yankees? In 54 postseason plate appearances he has an impossible 1.399 OPS with a .383 BA, .463 OBP and a .936 slugging percentage. These numbers just don't happen in October.
During his back-to-back batting title seasons of 1999 and 2000 I'm sure Nomar popped weakly to the right side on a pitch out of the strike zone a couple of times. I just can't remember it. Now it seems to happen every time he comes to the plate with a runner in scoring position.
What changed?
Can it all be traced to Sept. 25, 1999 when Baltimore's Al Reyes dotted Nomar on the longitudinal tendon? Nomar played the entire 2000 season with the tendon fraying, hit .372 and, most encouragingly, drew a career high 61 walks. But then the dam burst, the tendon split and all the progress he had made in raising his OBP from .345 his rookie year to .439 in year four was seemingly wiped away. When he came back, he was jumping at the ball, swinging at everything and resolutely refusing to draw a walk as he posted a .352 OBP in 21 games.
But 21 post-surgery games was hardly a fair sample to gauge just how much Nomar had regressed in his hitting approach. So we all waited with bated breath for 2002. He had almost 700 plate appearances last year and walked 41 times, repeating the .352 OBP he had put up in his abbreviated 2001 season. The strength certainly seemed to have returned to his wrist as he piled up 85 extra-base hits, including 24 home runs. But the modicum of patience he was slowly starting to develop over his first four seasons was gone.
Compounding the OBP problem, Nomar was no longer killing first pitches. Why?
Gooooooooal! CBS-4's Bob Lobel Reports That Former
Red Sox Shortstop Nomar Garciaparra Hurt His Achilles Heel Playing Soccer Prior to Coming to Spring Training
"You (Ted Wayman) and I talked about that off the air, I'm not going to report on who he was playing soccer with, because I don't know that. I'm not going to say that." -- Bob Lobel on CBS-4 News/Sports
"At some point, don't be surprised if the Red Sox take legal recourse over this." -- Michael Felger on FSN NE Sports Tonight
Is No more, Nomar, No Mas
a Cause for Celebration?
Or is This the True Cause of Nation Frustration?
The Grim Reality: Sox 10-1/2 Games Behind
New York Yankees and the AL HR Leader.
The 32% Speaks: We were told he had to go.
8.7.04: "We were told that he no longer cared about the Red Sox, and was polluting the clubhouse. We were told he was going to miss 25-30 games after he expressed his desire to rest a couple times during a six-game turf trip in Minnesota and Tampa Bay.
On Friday night, the Red Sox sent out Orlando Cabrera batting third, and Doug Mientkiewicz batting seventh vs. former 21-game loser Mike Maroth and the Detroit Tigers. Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs sent out Nomar Garciaparra batting second vs. Cy Young favorite Jason Schmidt and the San Francisco Giants.
Cabrera and Mientkiewicz combined to go 0-9 with no walks, the only two members of the Red Sox lineup not to reach base. The Red Sox left 19 men on base en route to a 4-3 loss, and almost half of them -- 9 -- were stranded by Cabrera and Mientkiewicz. Meanwhile, Garciaparra had three hits against Schmidt, including two doubles, and finished 3-4 with a walk. Though the still took their first defeat with Nomar, he showed that it takes special talent to hit special pitching.
For the "No More Nomar" crowd, the rest of this season is a win-win. If Nomar plays poorly in comparison to Cabrera, the trade justifies itself. If, however, Nomar's production continues to dwarf Cabrera's as it has for seven years, the No More Nomars will simply say that Garcialiar would have dogged it for the Sox, had to go, and was only motivated to perform by their trade of him. Sounds like Dan Duquette to me.
The truth is that Nomar Garciaparra loved the fans of Boston a lot more than he loved the management and media, but those two have joined forces to influence the shaken Nation against their former star, who this season was the same lonely soldier he had always been, with less romanticizing and more villifying of his quirky ways.
This weekend in San Francisco, Nomar will take a day off to rest his Achilles. If we're lucky, so will Cabrera."
Mike Mitchell
Branford, CT
Lobel Blows the Cover off Nomargate at 6:20pm on CBS-4
SPEED KILLS
Roberts Was Out By a Mile with No Outs
Sveum old song and dance my friends. Lou Piñata and Send 'Em in Sveum show us again why you can't get wild about the Sox chances in the post season. Sending Dave Roberts with no outs in the ninth is unforgivable.
Tito amazingly has absolutely no idea whatsoever how to use a pitching staff. It's shocking really as he goes with Arroyo when Bronson was done and the bases jacked in the critical seventh inning while Bronson shakes off Tek and serves up game-winning softball.
Another Worst Loss of the Year, 5-4
Fans are asking about Grady Little. Seriously. That's all you need to know.
"Baldelli hasn't made a whole lot of good throws," said Sveum, who might not have known Baldelli led the league in outfield assists last year (14) and has six this season. "Obviously he pulled one off tonight. They made a great play. To be honest with you, if we did it the same tomorrow night I'd do the same thing. It's obviously a situation where you got that kind of speed on the bases and you got a closer [in the game]."...
..."He made a mistake at a tough time to make a mistake," Francona said. "He pitched so well. Obviously I thought he pitched well for him to be in that situation." -- Heuschkel, Hartford Courant
8.5.04: Hench Mini Rant -- "I don't have the time, will or emotional constitution to write yet another column on the idiot manning the third base coaching box for the Red Sox. I trust that the Big Dog will link you to my last offering on this subject (Sveum Old Song and Dance).
"I truly can't believe that this guy may cost us a playoff spot. Before a team hires a third base coach, do they break down film on him? Does anyone check to see if he understands the fundamentals of the job?
"I have a simple rule: If you're trailing and there is nobody out, that runner has got to be able to score standing up. Now, we all know Dave Roberts was obliterated by 20 feet and that Maurice Green would have been out too, so what gives? There is only one answer: Dale Sveum does not know what he's doing. There is an 80-90 percent chance that you score that runner from third with nobody out and with Baldelli in center there was a considerably higher possibility that Roberts would be thrown out at the plate. Sveum has proven over the course of this season that he is incapable of making this calculation. It also would seem that he does not prepare himself prior to a pitch for the decision that may be suddenly upon him. How many outs? Who's on deck? Which outfielder has the weakest arm? The best? What's the score? It's just unbelievable that on a team whose whole philosophy is built on not making outs on the bases that this incompetent is coaching third."
More...
Schill Airs it Out on the Air
August 5, 2004: Curt Schilling on 105.7-FM WROR: Loren or Wally (who the hell knows) "In all of this it seems like the fans overwhelmingly are backing the management* on this whole thing here?"
Curt Schilling: "I'm not sure, when it's all said and done, how you can't. I mean when you look at what's happened, what was said, and what was done... he was leaving. He was leaving at the end of the year and I think that people need to really focus on that. He was leaving and I don't know the details. The other thing was it was very evident that he was going to need some time off in the next couple of weeks to be able to play in September. So you had Nomar for 35-40 more games, Pokey Reese or Rickey Gutierrez filling in, and then he was a free agent. Theo was up against the wall and Nomar even stated a couple of different times, I read a response to a couple of questions that people were bringing up to him about coming back late and tanking it and all that other crap that people were trying to accuse him of and he said 'listen, why would I want to sit out and not play when I was going into free agency.' So he's basically saying he was going to be a free agent. So it's very clear and very evident. I'm not shocked people are stunned. I'm not shocked that people are emotional on both sides of the fence because of where we're playing, but if you're rational about this, this guy was going to be a free agent, didn't want to come back, and the team made a move to do the best that they could without letting him walk for nothing."
*(In a Boston Globe SportsPlus poll of over 21,000 Red Sox fans surveyed, 68% said they believed Larry Lucchino's account of Nomar Garciaparra's departure while 32% said they believed the shortstop's version of the events).
More...
Garcialiar Hurt Heel on His Own Time
Sources Tell Boston Globe Nomore Did Not Injure Himself with Batted Ball in March as Was Reported
CBS4's Bob Lobel reported last night today's Boston Globe story by Bob Hohler that Nomar Garciaparra injured his Achilles' heel prior to reporting to spring training for the Boston Red Sox according to sources.
The Red Sox did not make that report public, initially stating on March 6, 2004 that Nomar Garciaparra was "day to day" regarding his return from the Achilles problem the shortstop suffered.
This revelation is not surprising in this space as no one ever confirmed if Garciaparra's heel was injured before, during, or after the Northeastern or Boston College games on Friday, March 5 or before or during batting practice sometime prior to the game against the Yankees in Ft. Myers on Sunday, March 7, a game Garciaparra was forced to sit out due to the injury.
It never made any sense that Garciaparra could have been hit in the back of the foot with a batted ball causing the injury as he would have had to have his back to a batter while standing in the infield during live batting practice, which is obviously forbidden, foolish, and extremely dangerous.
8.5.04: CAPTAIN QUEEG? Gammons jumps in on Nomar Pile on 'EEI revealing that Garciaparra resentment reached new levels when Nomar accused Fenway grounds crew them of leave clumps of dirt and pebbles in the shortstop position area just to cause him to make errors and make him look bad. (Just another day in the life of Pain Man... what time is Judge Wapner on in Chicago Nomie?)
More...
Garcialiar!
Angry John Henry Reveals Nomar Lied About Calls, Contract, Correnti Conversation
"Henry said he was in accordance with the club's assertion, after Garciaparra met with team trainers and manager Terry Francona last Wednesday in Baltimore, that the shortstop had indicated he could miss a significant amount of playing time this month because of his injury. That left the club little choice, Henry said, but to make a deal for another shortstop.
More...
On Proud Nine
Schilling Has a Change-Up of Heart
and Goes the Whole Nine Yards.
Defense Makes a Difference. New Guys Bring Better Living Through Chemistry,
Schill Will Get the Win 5-2
Free Agent Tek Goes Yard. M&M&M's Mueller, Millar, Mientkiewicz Swing Away.
NOMAR NEWS WATCH: Turn on WGN to See Garciaparra Sprint Up the Line
in Colorado Like Carl Lewis on Fire. He's Hurting My Ass.
Sox-Nomar PR Teams Working Overtime: Boston Brass: "Let's Move On." Nomar Nonsense: "Just Being Sarcastic" (Hey, stop working our side of the street Nomie)
"We feel real good about this team. The energy seems to be back in the team. We're happy with the situation we're at right now." -- Johnny Damon
"Defensively, we're better. That's a big thing. That's not a stat. It's hard to quantify what it means in wins and losses. But as a pitcher it's a big difference. I've watched Orlando play for a couple years in the National League and I know Dave too. We're definitely a better defensive club." -- Curt Schilling
More...
|
CURT'S CORNER |
Boston Dirt Dogs Exclusive |
Ace Chimes in on
the Nomar Madness
"Theo had to decide if 30-40 games of Nomar at SS, with another 20-30 games of Pokey/Ricky at SS was better than 50-60 games of Orlando Cabrera at SS. Look, Orlando Cabrera is not a .250 hitter, he's a legitimate gold glove winner and in my opinion his career numbers are a lot closer to the real player than the numbers he had put up this year."
Boston Dirt
Dogs: Curt, an email came in from
a lifelong Sox fan after yesterday's trade that
started like this:
"I picked up my
daughter at a birthday party yesterday
around 5 pm and told one of the parents
there that Nomar was traded to the Cubs. A
little boy with a Red Sox hat overheard me
and started crying and had to be taken
away..."
What do you say to
all the little Nomah-5 shirt wearing fans out
there, and the people who thought Nomar was the
next Ted Williams, and would spend his entire career
here?
Curt Schilling: You tell
them the truth I think. Listen, no one died
here, I am certain though, being a new guy in
these parts, that some people feel like someone
did actually die. This is a sport, big business,
not life and death. Trades happen, and this one
was obviously larger and had much more impact
given the team and the fans and the player and
all the combined history.
It was no mystery
that Nomar wasn't going to re-sign here, I
continue to be amazed at the amount of dancing
around this actual fact by everyone. Given that
he wasn't going to be coming back, the GM of
this team had a very significant decision to
make on whether 30-40 games with him, and then
the eventual compensation draft choice, were
worth not trading him.
Theo had to decide
if 30-40 games of Nomar at SS, with another
20-30 games of Pokey/Ricky at SS was better than
50-60 games of Orlando Cabrera at SS. Look,
Orlando Cabrera is not a .250 hitter, he's a
legitimate gold glove winner and in my opinion his career
numbers are a lot closer to the real player than
the numbers he had put up this year. From what I
have read, he was also one of the potential
replacements to be pursued this winter when
Nomar left.
Regardless of all
the "he said she said" going back and forth now,
the facts have been pretty plain and very
obvious since I got here. Nomar was not
re-signing here, he was going to be a free agent,
rather than let him walk for the pick our GM
decided to try and improve the one area this
team has a gaping weakness in, and did. As far
as losing his offense I look at it this way. We
spent the first 1/3 of the season without him,
and we played well, we were also missing Trot,
like now, they are both not in our lineup, we
found a way to win then, and we can do so now,
we have to.
Would our offense be
better with BOTH of them in it? Sure would, but
you can't have everything you want, you have to
take what's given to you and make it work, and I
think we will.
So I guess the short
answer is to tell them to appreciate what
they got a chance to see, and remember it. Tell
them that Nomar is a ballplayer, not a fireman
or a police officer or a doctor, those people
are the ones she needs to look up to and
respect, along with her parents. Ballplayers are
there to perform and be cheered, booed and
jeered, to entertain fans with their god given
ability, and to perform at a level no one else
can. Then, at the end of the day, we go home and
do the same things you all do.
|
More...
38th Special
Birthday Oh Boy! Tim Wakes Up Sox
with 2,000 Innings Spectacular.
McCarty Parks a 3-Run Drive Bye. Youk Comes Through.
Sox Don't Flop in the Trop, Win 6-3
Embree Gets Right Against Lefties, Foulke Gets in Game.
Laughing Hyenas Pedro and Manny Having a Great Time on the Bench While Teammates are Mad as Hell About Blowing the Division
SHOCKER: Lou Piñata Outmanages Lou Pinella
BREAKING NEWS (LITERALLY):
BELLHORN HAS A BROKEN THUMB, HEADED TO DL Mueller to play second. Dave Roberts joins club.
You Can Handle the Truth!
Dirt Dog: You want
answers? 
Fanboy: I think I'm entitled to them.
Dirt Dog: You want answers?
Fanboy: I want the truth!
Dirt Dog: You can't handle the truth!
Son, we live in a Nation
that has thin walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with big
mouths. Who's gonna say it? You? You, Mr. Nomah's Better? I have a
greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom.
You weep for Nomie
and you curse the Media. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of
not knowing what I know: that Nomar's death in Boston, while tragic,
probably saved the team.
And my existence, while grotesque and
incomprehensible to you, saves players...You don't want the truth.
Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want
me on that website. You need me on that website.
We use words like honor, code, loyalty...we use these words as the
backbone to a life spent banging on this keyboard. You use 'em as a SoSH
signature line.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain
myself to a fan who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very truth
I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it! I'd rather
you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you
pick up a ticket in standing room only. Either way, I don't give a damn
what you think you're entitled to! 
Fanboy: Did Nomar break the code Red Sox?
Dirt Dog: (quietly) He said the things we told you he said.
Fanboy:
Did Nomar break the code Red Sox?
Dirt Dog: You're goddamn right he did!!
There's No One Else to Blame,
Tito Costs Sox Another Game
Is There a Manager Trading Deadline?
Nation Knew Pedro Needed to Pitch in the Eighth. Period. Francoma Asleep at the Wheel Again, Removes Cruising Ace for Firestarter Timlin.
Game. Set. Overmatched.
Another Needless Loss to Twins in Game They Had to Win, 4-3
That Was No Cabrera Error, Kap's Fault Obviously, Runner Scores on Next Fly Anyway...
But This Defense Still Stinks. Where's Johnny in Center? Ortiz Ban Costly.
Tito's Terrible Managing: Embattled Skipper Blames Pedro's Pinched Hip That He Caused Himself by Leaving Ace in 10-Run Blowout on Wet Mound. Unacceptable Lame Excuse Terry. Pedro Was Not Out of Gas, But Gasoline Alley Had Plenty and It's Disingenuous to Say You "Were Comfortable" with Timlin, Embree. Did You See Mike Pitch to Matsui Last Week? He's Not a One Run Game Boy. Was Embree Effective Last Night? We are Not Stupid Tito. And Now You Can Kiss the Division Goodbye. Where's the Outrage? What the Foulke?
NEW CUBS POUT
LET THE ORLANDO CABRERA BEGIN!
Cabby Hits Home Run in First At-Bat!
(Nomaaaahhh's Better Off Elsewhere, Stop Crying)
Survey: Knowing what you know now, does this trade help or hurt the Boston Red Sox chances of winning a World Series?
ACHILLES' HEEL: "IT'S FINE NOW"
Perfectly Healthy Nomar Tried to Tank Red Sox Chances at World Series, Kicking Our Grandfathers in the Teeth by Threatening to Put Himself on the Disabled List This Month
Lying Boston Backstabber Will Wear #8 and Bat Second for Chicago Today as He's Suddenly Able to Play. Remaining Nomar Lemmings Wait to See if He Goes on DL for the Cubs When They'll Have No One Left to Blame But the Guilty Garciaparra
Multiple sources have confirmed to Boston Dirt Dogs Bob Lobel's breaking news report that former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra went to see Red Sox trainers Jim Rowe and Chris Correnti four days ago and informed them that his tendonitis "was bothering him" and he would not be able to play in the crucial series in Minnesota. Garciaparra then added "I'll probably have to go on the DL in August, I need extended time off, to be ready for the end of the year... the most important time for me to be healthy is in November (when open bidding begins on his services)."
After a full examination of Garciaparra's heel, the trainers concluded that Nomar was indeed fit to play, telling the disgruntled shortstop that the heel "looks fine to us."
Nomar then sat out Friday's game in Minnesota. On Saturday, when the trade opportunity with the Chicago Cubs heated back up, Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino called Nomar Garciaparra and informed him that there was a strong possibility that he would be moved to the Cubs by the 4:00pm deadline in the spirit of full disclosure. Lucchino then asked Garciaparra how his Achilles' injury was doing. Nomar replied "It's fine now."
CBS4's Bob Lobel chimes in: "This isn't about me or Boston Dirt Dogs, Gammons, Remy, or anyone in the media. Nomar had an exit strategy and he used it. No one wins here, especially the fans that loved #5. He used his options to get out of town; the front office did what they could to appease him. It's a no win situation for everyone. No one lied, no one cheated, no one did the club's bidding, and there was no bad reporting involved. Everyone had their agendas and, once again, the fans are left wondering and questioning who lied, who is the bad guy here, who is the good guy, and who got screwed over... besides the Red Sox fans. It's painful to live in this town sometimes. This is one of those times. When someone holds all the cards, and chooses to play those cards, almost everyone is without much of a choice. It's our lot in life. It's not a lot but it's our life. The only thing left to say is... why can't we get players like that?"
EPSTEIN BARS VIRUS
GONE-SEE-YA-PARRA!
Theo Cures Cancer in the Clubhouse,
No More Nomar as Malcontent Shortstop Traded to Cubs,
First Thing: Milosevic Out of Exile, Sox Go on Defensive,
Orlando Comes to Disneyland, Cabrera Takes Taxi to Boston,
New Team Shortstop Replaces Lone Ranger, Plugs #5 Hole.
Mad About Nomar
8.1.04:
I cannot believe you idiots are happy Nomah was traded !!!!!
Let’s think back about the team’s history, shall we? Hmmmm, Ruth, Boggs, Clemens, Tiant, Fisk, Lynn, Cy Young, Eckersly, and now Nomah. Starting to see a pattern now? You are so busy spewing hatred about the one and only player who ever stayed true to a team and not to the almighty dollar. I bet you are now hoping that we trade Varitek instead of offering him a good chunk of cash, huh?
I used to enjoy visiting your website and getting some info. But now I cannot stomach your ramblings. This sight has become the National Enquirer of the Boston Red Sox. You aren’t interested at all in the Sox winning a Series because that will leave you nothing to bitch about on a daily basis. You love when the owners do this stupid (expletive) so you can keep your website up and running.
I have lost all faith in Theo. Lucchino, Henry and Werner are even bigger idiots than you dirt dogs so it (sic) clear why you support them. First Lucchino screws up Baltimore, then he and Werner totally F up San Diego and now they have moved on to my beloved Sox and totally screwed us over. Nice job guys! So you dirt dogs keep sending your support to those A-holes – you are all meant to be together!!!!
- The Favoloras
(In other news, online, out-of-town fanboy lemmings keep blinders on, remain up in arms over losing their Nomie. They refuse to believe the truth, look to blame the media and Lucchino (yawn), and are mad that the Nomah posters have to come down from their bedroom walls and grouchy that they can't wear their #5 jerseys to work no more.)
As Dirt Dog posted on RedSoxNation.net 7.31.04. 1:30am: "Here's the latest from various sources fwiw: D-Lowe appears safe and should make his start tomorrow. But the Red Sox are working frantically as we speak to move Nomar... his sour-puss, selfish attitude has gone even further south. Sox are giving up on his re-signing at this hour and they are on the phone with the Cubs frantically trying to make a deal that works for both teams."
"7.31.04 - 2:02am -- BDD update: Changes in attitude: D-Lowe is safe, while Sox scramble in the 11th hour to move malcontent Nomar Garciaparra."
Media ups and downs: Bob Lobel on CBS4 broke the Nomar trade story yesterday at the 4:00pm deadline during CBS's Buick Open golf coverage. Channel 4 broke back in at 4:45pm to confirm the players involved in the deal. Other broadcast news outlets including WCVB Channel 5 (who's sports coverage is even worse that their bumbling DNC coverage) and Sports Radio 850 WEEI (weekend crew was weak), reported inaccuracies throughout the day, e.g. the Cubs deal had fallen apart, Derek Lowe was scratched for last night's start, and that D-Lowe had been traded to Chicago for Matt Clement, were incorrect. Mile-wide-inch-deep Greg Dickerson botched the coverage for the Red Sox flagship yesterday as he's done on Randy Johnson (following the lies of the NY rags for weeks). Earlier this week, he also repeatedly botched Dave Borkowski's name, calling him "Joe." Michael Holley did a nice job filling in for D&C fwiw.
If You Go to Church Today...
Thank God for Theo Epstein.
Embree Oh No!
D-Lowe Delivered, But Pen Writes Bad End
Where Was Keith Foulke Over the Money?
Another Horrible One Run Loss for Road Hogs 5-4
Alan Wrench: Embree Fails in Critical Situation.
Tito Simply Cannot Manage When the Game's on the Line Late
(See Night Kap Run).
Who Needs Johnson?
We've Got Bronson!
Arroyo steals the show, Sox grind Twins into the turf 8-2
Arm and Hammer: Gabe leads the way.
Sweet 16 hit attack for Road Hogs.
Watsonofabitch!
'Yankee Bob' Screws Sox Again, Selig Powerless to Stop NY Corruption
Tek gets four games for answering foul mouth punk's challenge. Nixon gets three games for pulling behind-the-back sucker-choker Sturtze off Kapler's neck. Gabe gets three games for defending himself against mugging. Schilling,
Ortiz fined for no reason. MLB is a disgrace.
"Keep Us in Suspension"
"The new team motto for 2004" -- Boston media icon Bob Lobel
Are these suspensions fair?
'Happy' Campers Kick Off Today
No worries, we've been Pats fans since '67. We eat our own football players too. The only coverage you need is right here:
Will this selfish "team" of bland underachievers finally get their act together? Has Brady overstayed his welcome in Boston? Is a trade for Hollywood Tom in the works? Who is Ty Law? And who will show up late today and why? Is Belichick on the hot seat again? Was Corey Dillon seen buying a box of Little Debbie snack cakes at the Allston-Brighton Super Stop & Shop at 2:30am last night while Ricky Williams waited in his car? Follow all the drama, turmoil, fumbles, bumbles, and miscues of the 67 cabs for 67 players New England Patriots all season long on Boston Turf Dogs...
The Big Borkowski
What Happened Dude?
Sox Bowled Over in Baltimore by Dave Borkowski,
They Can't Strike in Splitsville, Lose 4-1
Hitters Couldn't Spare the Time to Work the Count,
Orioles Playing Out of Their League, While Sox Can't Pull
Themselves Out of the Gutter, Can't Pin Down a Reason,
Schilling was Framed, That's Life in the Sox Lane in 2004
Jesus, Boston Just Can't Lick Lopez, Orioles
"...no margin for error (last night) and every mistake cost me. Gotten Javy out more than once on the same pitch he homered on in the 7th... Had a chance to get a game on the Yanks too. I knew in about the 4th this was gonna be a tough one to get..." -- Sox Ace Curt Schilling
Looks Like RJ Will Stay Put
As expected, Randy Johnson will most likely stay in Arizona:
"The Yankees now believe that Randy Johnson will stay with the Arizona Diamondbacks past the trading deadline, a development that would be a devastating blow to a team with a shaky starting rotation.
"Officials from several teams, including the Yankees, said on Wednesday that Johnson seemed most likely to remain in Arizona, despite his desire to be traded to the Yankees. The Diamondbacks have acted as if they want to keep Johnson, failing to tell the Yankees what it would take to acquire him. They have also not made a serious effort to find other interested teams to which Johnson would accept a trade." -- 7.29.04 New York Times
Nomar Not Going Anywhere
Never mind trading him, if he softens his stance,
and loses the attitude, he'll be re-signed.
(But stance hardened, attitude went south... bye-bye)
Schill Takes the Hill on Hump Day
Aggressive Ace Will Keep Streak Alive,
But is He Dressed to the Nines Tonight?
Baltimore Takes Batting Practice Off Wake
(Sox-O's Luckily Washed Out; Tim Still Hurting)
Hip Check: Did Tito Slip Up Pitching Pedro on Wet Mound with 10-0 Lead?
Gammo Offers up Some Well Known Gems
"Tanyon Sturtze did put a headlock on an unsuspecting Gabe Kapler, but contrary to hysterical reporting, David Ortiz was trying to pull Sturtze off Kapler." ( Is that how the Yankees' Bob Watson will see it Pete?)
"People don't understand that Terry Francona is managing a team where the three star players are, well, different. The Boston Herald's esteemed columnist Howard Bryant reported that Manny Ramirez was upset at being called out by his manager, and thus sat out games. Pedro goes on his own schedule. Garciaparra, who never has wanted to be a vocal leader, is embittered by his war with ownership, right down to being upset with his use in a movie made about Red Sox fans, which led to his being taken out of all promotions for the film." (Nothing new here. Nomar is known to run up to John Henry's office to complain if someone says "hello" to him during fielding practice. It's been beyond ridiculous for quite some time)
"Kevin Millar's streak began when he conceded he needed to make changes the previous Monday in Seattle. "I had to spread out," says Millar, "and stop popping everything out. I was watching that Miguel Olivo hit and said, 'that's what I need to do.' And it worked. Some guys copy Barry Bonds or Albert Pujols; I copied Miguel Olivo." (Nonsense. It started when he told third-generation fans they suck and to stop dropping $200 a night at Fenway 'cause he knows how this works having been in Boston for a year and a half)
"The starting rotation may not be as bad as it currently looks -- if Kevin Brown and/or Mike Mussina come back and Orlando Hernandez pitches as well as he has; El Duque says he feels better than he has in four years." (Oops, Pete spoke too soon, El Duque left the game in the second inning last night with tightness in his left hamstring)
Read Peter Gammons notes on ESPN.com: "Big Unit to LA Makes Sense"
No Recount Necessary in Maryland: Sox Win in Landslide
Road Warrior
And the Pete Goes On,
Aggressive Ace Gets Back at Birds
Offense Explodes, Tek Back, Manny Gets His Swing On,
Sox Reign Supreme 12-5, Pedro pinches hip on mound slip
He'll run through it and be OK for next start
Nation nervous about Nixon, say a little prayer for Trot
while Kap (3 hits) steps up again
"I like the momentum of our lineup." -- Super...sub Gabe Kapler
"Maybe that's what we needed, to actually start going after everybody a little more aggressively." -- Sox Ace Pedro Martinez
BullDoza
The Embedded Red Sox? Ramiro the Hero? 2.08 ERA
And the answer is...
Who is Karim Garcia?
Yankees' Watson Says Somebody's Gonna Sit
"There will be some suspensions. You can best believe that."
Down Goes FU-Rod, Down Goes FU-Rod
Stupid is as Stupid Does
"He's [Bronson Arroyo] not trying to hit him right there. That's ridiculous. You just don't do that. We're down, 3-0. A-Rod hadn't done much against us. He got a hit the night before, but it's not like he's killing us. Not that you'd hit him anyway. He overreacted to the situation. It was stupid. He's not trying to hit someone there. The pitch before was a fastball and he was trying to get in there [inside corner]. He's got to with the way he pitches. He got carried away. That happens. It happens more than you'd like to see in baseball." -- Red Sox Ace Curt Schilling
Blood and Putz
Bronx Coward Tanyon "Mickey Rivers" Sturtze Finds Out the Hard Way What You Get When You Back Door Sucker-Choke Gabe Kapler and the Boston Red Sox
Schill agrees "How could anyone write anything other than Sturtze deserving getting his ass kicked after grabbing Gabe in a choke hold."
Stock in Trade
Yanks Take Lowe Blow
D-Lowe Has Win for the Road, Sox Outslug Yanks 9-6.
Finger Lickin' Good: Millar Leads Charge Again as Nation Scrambles for New Insults to Keep His Hitting Streak Alive. Damon Dogs Single into Double, Lets Pop Drop to Start Game, but Pole-arizes Yankees at End.
Timilin Lets Yanks Back in but That's All Foulke.
Yankee fans show their true colors on Jose Con-man: "Incredible. He is brave enough to jump on a raft over the Atlantic, but he see's the Sox uniform and he browns his pants. Enough. Do not pitch him against Boston again." -- nyyfans.com
Short and Cheat
Mound of Trouble? Kerry Elects to Choke Up on First Pitch but Still Can't Go the Distance as Fastball Goes Left, Right, Left, Then Bottoms Out in Dirt.
"Whichever aide suggested that John Kerry throw out the first pitch, get booed and look out of place Sunday night should be forced to drive Michael Dukakis' tank for a week." -- ESPN's Peter Gammons
All Systems Lowe
(Sink and Swim D)
KNOCKOUT PUNCH
Over, The Bill. Mueller Time to Win.
FIGHT CLUB!
DIRT DOGS BITE
Boston Pops, New York Flops
Sox Smack Bombers Around Fenway.
Tek, Nixon, Kapler Knock A-Rod, Yanks on Their Ass,
Battle Back on Scoreboard Thrice to Win 11-10
Theo Pen Implosion Again as Gasoline Alley Returns,
Lescan'tic Throw Strikes, Malaska Lights Fire but
Mendoza Holds the Line. Nomar K's with Bases Jacked in
6th, but is Double Trouble in 9th
More...
Think Tank
Ace Tanks When Big Gun Was Needed Most,
Nation Has Full Head of Steam
Same old song and dance my friends
Sox come back, but suffer another Foulke up with hockey puck closer 8-7
Cliché king pings three, but while Millar giveth, he also taketh away.
Francomatose again: Manny misses out in left field and Tito lets A-Rod hit game winner.
Birthday boy can't hold a candle to Jeter again. Nomar's burnt out in Boston.
In Theo We Bust?
(Wake us when this front office actually walks-the-walk)
Schill thinks Sox will get it done: "Time to maintain a streak now, and then watch this team go out and whip the @#%$ out of some people for a few weeks." -- 7.22.04: Curt on The Remy Report
California Dreamin'
(Happy 31st Birthday Nomar!)
When Nomar leaves our town (Nomar leaves our town)
We don't have to pay (we don't have to pay)
The Contract Ups will walk (Contract Ups will walk)
On a winter's day (on a winter's day)
He'll be safe and warm (He'll be safe and warm)
When he is in L.A. (When he is in L.A.)
California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On Nomar's birthday
Married Mia in a church
In Californ-i-a
Well, he got down on his knees (got down on his knees)
And he began to pray (he began to pray)
You know Red Sox fans are cold (Boston can be cold)
We know he's going away (yes he will go away)
California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On Nomar's birthday
When Nomar leaves our town (Nomar leaves our town)
We don't have to pay (Big contract goes away)
He won't have to talk (He won't have to talk)
Or care what writers' say (when he is in LA)
If he wasn't signed here (if he wasn't signed here)
He would leave today (He'd be on a pla-ane)
California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On Nomar's birthday
California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On Nomar's birthday
California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On Nomar's birthday
Tony Mazz Turns the Perfect Phrase
"Let's be honest: These Sox are a Fortune .500 company. They make a fortune and play .500. On most occasions this season, the Sox have treated baseball as a nuisance and demonstrated little or no enthusiasm. They have played poor defense. They run the bases neither well nor aggressively. They fail to advance runners or execute the simplest fundamentals, and they generally have lacked respect for the game or the effort it requires.
And then, when asked to explain how it all could be so wrong, they scratch their heads, shrug confusedly and offer a look of bewilderment.
Just wondering: Do they have mirrors in the Boston clubhouse? Do they?" -- Yanks want it more: Sox haven't shown enough grit
Buckley adds: "These Yankees always seem to be taking the extra base, wheras the Red Sox seem more concerned with taking the extra day off."
SOX SOUND THE BATTLE CRY!
"We can't afford to let them come here and kill us." -- Johnny Hair
A Leader is Born
(And he doesn't speak in hackneyed cliches)
"We've had a couple of instances recently where we've gotten behind in a game, I think we could have... I think that we need to fight a little bit harder. I think that uh we've become semi-lifeless, and I think it's important that we show a certain amount of tenacity for wins and losses... I don't think we have a sense of urgency... we need to become the scrappy team that we are." -- Boston Dirt Dog Gabe Kapler
Dog tired travelers prepare for electric chair,
Baltimore murders Boston as usual 10-5
Sox Practice Outfield Relays
Pedro Gets Shelled
(he asked for it, literally)
Who is Miguel Tejada?: Well-rested Martinez is all smiles and giggles after loss, tips hat to O's, says he took one for the team. Bad cut: Damon can't get jump on ball, or figure out which way to turn, but gee did his hair look great tonight, full of body, no problem with humidity. Dirt Doggin': Kap Krunches one, catches another.
Pokey on DL. Youk, Malaska Back Up. Gutierrez Deal Done.
Youkilis will play third, Bellhorn at short tonight. Sox also pick up second baseman Ricky Gutierrez for PTL/cash considerations.
The Boston Red Sox placed infielder Pokey Reese on the 15-day disabled list and called up third baseman Kevin Youkilis from Triple-A Pawtucket, general manager Theo Epstein said Wednesday.
Reese strained a rib-cage muscle during batting practice several days ago. He played Monday night against Seattle but left the game in the third inning after experiencing pain in his right side.
Reese, who missed four games late last month because of a sprained left wrist, had been scheduled to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam in Boston on Wednesday after the team returned from a road trip.
Youkilis was scheduled to start at third base Wednesday night against the Baltimore Orioles.
Mark Bellhorn was scheduled to start at shortstop for Nomar Garciaparra, according to manager Terry Francona's lineup card. Garciaparra was supposed to have Tuesday off, but played because Reese was unavailable.
Bill Mueller, Boston's regular third baseman, was in the lineup card at second base.
Reese is hitting .230 with three home runs and 27 RBI in 77 games.
Youkilis made his big league debut May 15. He hit .287 with three home runs and 19 RBI in 38 games. He was optioned to Pawtucket last month.
The Red Sox also recalled left-handed relief pitcher Mark Malaska and optioned right-handed reliever Joe Nelson to Pawtucket.
Gidget Up!
Last call for D-Lowe?
(on the field, not on Newbury Street)
McCarty Parks Millar (and other news): Kentucky Fried Kevin takes a seat this afternoon as McCarty is playing first. The "badly limping" Nomar Garciaparra is back in the lineup at short. Pokey Reese may be headed to the DL with his bruised rib cage injury. Tim Wakefield will start game two of the double-header against the Orioles on Thursday. According to Gordon Edes, AL enforcer and New York Yankee Bob Watson has just received the "official tape" of the David Ortiz eruption from Friday and is expected to render a suspension decison over the next couple of days. Theo still talking tough on pre-game: "I don't like the tone of things on this team right now."
SEATTLE SLEWS SOX IN MASSIVE FOULKE UP
"...terrible, absolutely brutal" -- Red Sox "closer" Keith Foulke
SEATTLE'S WORST: Boston Blows 4-1 Lead in Eighth Inning as Bullpen Ruins Bronson's Best
Keith has no teeth, fools no one with 85 mph, $21M junk balls. Gasoline Alley bullpen returns as Francona's phonies crumble in worst loss of the year. Sox are 35-35 since April 30. Sox look like slop in the field again. What the Foulke happened to this team?
Time for "changes for changes sake" Mr. Epstein.
Another Boonedoggle as Lescan'tic gives up grand slam in 11th
Road Hogs turn to D-Lowe who looked like death on rye bread on bench in Anaheim
Nation goes to sleep after High Tek boom
but wakes up feeling sleepless
Mariners 8 Road Hogs 4  Dirt Doggin': Pokey goes down with injury. No good news today.
"No-mar's Bit-ter... No-mar's Bit-ter... No-mar's Bit-ter..."
Kentucky Fried is Cooked
Cow-boy Up Needs to Sit Down
He got endorsements in the off-season, but didn't bother to get in shape.
Kevin's KFC Targeted by Animal Rights Groups
"An investigator for an animal rights group captured video showing chickens being kicked, stomped and thrown against a wall by workers at a supplier for Kentucky Fried Chicken."
ESPY*
 
*Erratic Sox Playoff Year?
Schill stops the bleeding again while David picked a fine time to suspend the baseball.
"That's not pressure, that's expectation. You get that through production. People wouldn't be expecting me to win if I hadn't done it before. That's part of the pride I take in doing my job. I expect that we should win on the days I pitch. And if we don't, then I've done something tremendously wrong." -- Red Sox prideful Ace Curt Schilling
Terry Cloth stays tough, keeps Hammy on the bench.
MVP Schilling gets Sox back to winning
Road Hogs 6 Anaheim 2
Dirt Doggin': Kapler makes his case for staying in the lineup.
"Kapler, McCarty... these are your real dirt dogs." -- WEEI's Gerry Callahan, 7.19.04
Sox Fail Colonoscopy Exam
Sox can't hit for %#@! with Mickey Mouse lineup.
Tito's feud with the American League left fielder continues while the losses pile up and the season is slip sliding away. We know there's an "i" in "team" in Boston Terry, deal with it. We do.
KFK with his 25 RBI stays in lineup. David and his BS excuses and his 79 RBI will have to sit out soon over bush league blowup. The best Triple-A bullpen Theo can buy with $130 million is an absolute joke on us. Stay tuned for the pre-game where we'll hear how great $10 million BK is doing in Pawtucket.
Sox will be ready, Schilling, and able today, but it may be
too little, too late.
Another Wake funeral. Tim is what he is.
Garbage time homers don't help. Game over in first inning.
Anaheim 8 Road Hogs 3
Hammer time: Is Kapler a five tool player who needs more time, less pine?
Batman Robs Red Sox
David Ortossed: Slugger will be suspended over selfish act.
Tizzle acts like chump by tossing bats at umps.
No excuse. That selfish stunt hurts the team, and the city of Boston. Home plate ump Matt Hollowell was horrible, but you just can't argue balls and strikes. One tossed bat nearly hit umpire Bill Hohn in the leg.
How many critical games will David miss? 3? 5? 10?!?
"It just ran out of hand for a second. Things happen. I made a mistake... That's not my personality. I don't mean to hit anybody, I just wanted to throw my bats out there, like, `Here, you hit for me.' I'm not a kind of guy who's trying to cause trouble, but we're not perfect. I did something wrong, and I apologize to the umpires and the fans. It's over." -- Red Sox favorite son David Ortiz (unfortunately for the Boston Red Sox, it's not over as the fans await the suspension decision.)
Pedro, Night Kap Get Sox Back on Track
Manny's hammy hurting again. All-Star out of left field indefinitely. Ouch.
Nomar, Gabe Ruth homer. Pete brings the heat.
Road Hogs 4 Anaheim 2
Dirt Doggin': Trot puts head down, runs past Sveum stop sign to score key run.
More Kap. Less KFK.
Thank You, Ned Martin
By Shaun L. Kelly
His distinct tenor, reassuring and cerebral, was the second-most heard male voice of my childhood. Only my father's fixed baritone surpassed his as the soundtrack of my years growing up in the greater Boston area. For thirty-two summers, with discernable sagacity and style, Ned Martin served as the principal voice of the Boston Red Sox.
In an age where humility and grace slowly receded from our national character, Martin's modesty and elegance separated him from a host of other announcers - and people. He never intentionally developed a defined signature call for a homerun. The ball was simply, gone.
More...
Road to Perdition
D-Wreck, Sox come completely undone in Anaheim.
Now why didn't the "Ace" start?
(Oh, it's only mid-July and eight games back, right, got it)
Manager Lou Piñata has them west coasting again,
Angels 8 Road Hogs 1
Loweball: More emBorasment for Derek but good news for Sox as slimeball agent
says D-Lowe will now play for $75.00 per start next season.
SOX SLIP BACK INTO
AS DEAD ASS TEAM RETURNS FROM BREAK
7.15.04 -- Breaking News:
The Boston Globe has confirmed that Kevin Youkilis has been sent down to Triple-A Pawtucket and embattled reliever Ramiro Mendoza has been activated by the big league club for tonight's game. (Dale Arnold follows up, but won't source report, on WEEI.)
Surf's Up!
Let's just hope the sinker stays down.
Gidget catches a wave in California tonight.
All Systems Lowe for the Second Half Run
California Dreamers
Hooray for Hollywood
Nomar and Mia ham it up at the ESPY awards in Los Angeles.
(Did Sly Stallone Garciaparra get a perm?)
General Manager's Decision
Surly Bumpkin Fired
"I don't know much about guns. I'm not Charlton Heston."
-- Former major league manager Jimy Williams
Manny, 'Ortez' Rockets Fuel AL Win. Sox to Have Home Field vs. Cards.
Roger can't get off the launch pad, retires after one bad inning.
Manny hits rocket off Roger, Ortiz piles on Pavano, AL wins 9-4.
(Could have used a two-run jack like that against Texas on Sunday)
Game paused to congratulate Clemens on earlier performance.
Down Goes Jeter.
Down Goes Jeter.
The Greatest is a Sox Fan
"If the Yankees are pursuing this (acquiring Randy Johnson), the Red Sox have to block them from getting him... This is one time the Boston Red Sox cannot allow that to happen. If Johnson is going to be traded to a team in the American League East, if I'm the Boston Red Sox, I'm saying 'that's got to be us.'"
-- Tim McCarver FOX, All-Star Game, 3rd inning
Is RJ on the Way?
Rumors abound. Randy's in play.
Sox message boards buzz with Johnson/Nomar trade rumors.
Chicago Board of Trade runs Nomar to White Sox on squawk box
(too bad they know more about trading soybeans than trading ballplayers).
But is it really the Cubs, not the White Sox, who are involved?
More Reports that Big Unit Won't Come to Boston
"The competition that RJ and I had, it was a lot of fun because you see people setting a bar and doing things that you never thought you could do. And then you go out and do it and you realize there isn't a ceiling there and you compete against each other in a good way. I wanted to pitch better than him, not because he pitched poorly and I pitched well, but because he pitched good and I pitched great." -- Curt Schilling, 2.24.04
Papi, Corky
Star of David could have used some extra shoot tonight.
Or-Tease gets three in Derby. Plus one F-bomb.
"Like Manny Ortez... Manny Ortez, David Ortez" -- John Kerry pulls a Ted Kennedy
(Listening to Morgan and Berman call that sideshow last night was even more embarrassing)
Second Half Effort?
The Ask-Out Red Sox try to catch the All-Out Yankees starting Thursday night.
The Lyric Little Dollhouse
 |
Diva Doll Says:
"Hey lay off Manny. If Pedro Marteamez had started Sunday instead of body surfing in Manoguaybo, the Sox would have won."
Wake wasn't great. Comeback too little, too late. Keith Foulke up again.
Sox come up shorthanded 6-5 in first half finale.
|
Me Too
Hamstringing us along?
"What happened? Who died here? I can't get a day off? You guys should have gotten him (Alex Rodriguez). If we got A-Rod, he would've played every day." -- Manny Ramirez, 7.11.04
Citizen Caning
(and what Manny was thinking)
(...is this that old guy that was taking all the notes on the bench? Is he a coach or something? I'll ask Ino ...why is he still talking? My legs are getting tired... someone tell Millar there's chicken on his finger... I'm going to write about this on my website... I wonder if this guy goes online?)
 Boston Globe Photo / Jim Davis
"Manny, if you vote for that empty suit nightmare
John Kerry, you're loco. Loco."
Gidget Goes Through Texas on the Big Screen at 7:00pm Tonight
Texas Hold'em
Sox on a roll 7-zip
Bronson of a Gun:
Eight Shutout Innings; Johnny Jumpstarts Sox Again.
"We want to get the fans and the media off our backs." -- Johnny Red Sox
SPEED DAMON WINS IT IN PHOTO
FINISH
Mueller Timely With Game Winning Hit
Bottom Line: Sox Win 8-7 in 10
Home Sweep Home
Timlin, Keith Foulke Up
Is He Still on the Oakland Payroll?
Soft Underbelly of Sox Bullpen Belches Again
as Boston Becomes Choakland; Schill Win Blown
The Dominican Dominators Lead the Attack. Kentucky Fried Kevin Too.
Schill Goes Downhill After 7-1 Lead. All-Starter?
HEAD CASE CLOSED. D-LOWE SAYS "I'VE PITCHED LIKE #%@!, THAT'S IT."
But he doesn't blame #%@! Internet bull#%@!
Johnson Headed to Yankees?
We'd love to comment, and have our own details, but we are currently under a Red Sox requested gag order and cannot comment on anything related to the pursuit of tall left-handed pitchers.
"An RSDD (BDD) gag order means he can only write about it in 20 pt type, not the usual 60pt." - Monbo Jumbo, SoSH
Schilling Not Pitching in Houston.
But he will go to the All-Star game. Mulder expected to start. DiNardo on DL with blister. Iron Scott Williamson in Cincinnati for second opinion, will be back in Boston July 14th. Juliana Ramirez still awaiting her All-Star seating assignment.
Johnson Won't Come to Boston.
Should Theo Still Go to Houston?
Peter Gammons reports on ESPN radio that Diamondback pitcher Randy Johnson has no interest in winning a World Series with the Boston Red Sox and will not waive his no-trade clause for the Red Sox. The lanky left-hander is more interested in taking an easier road to his 300th win with the Ego Empire and be just another pitcher.
Gammons makes pitch for Roger to come home to Boston. (Now you're talking)
BDD has learned that Johnson's agent Alan Nero also said Boston would not be in RJ's mix. He's hoping Diamondback owner Jerry Colangelo talks him into staying with Arizona, but RJ remains interested in the possibilities of Anaheim and the Yankees.
GM still hot and bothered.
Meanwhile a cranky Theo Epstein is still PO'd about all the %#@! Internet BS (while the Nomar three-way trade was an Internet report, RJ was already a TV report, but let's blame the Internet for RJ anyway) and continues to hit dead ends trying to track BDD sources when he should be out looking for live arms.
Will cooler heads prevail? Would the Red Sox be better off if Theo cools off on Nantucket for a few days instead of heading to Texas?
Will Roger return to the Hub? And does Juliana Ramirez plan to sit next to Debbie Clemens in Houston?
Last Wake Up Call
Sox need to get all A's this week.
(No Booing Tonight. Not for No Show Nomar. Not for Asleep at the Wheel for Most of the First Half Francona. And Theo for That Matter.)
|
Make Them an Offer They Just Can't Refuse. And Throw in a Few Grando.
|
|
|
|
SoSH Report of Three Way Trade Must Have Been Infected by the Internet Bad Source Parasite.
LA Nomar image by StazGraphics/Pete Stasiowski
Manny Bird Hits the Ball in OT
Crazy like a Cox: Bobby Chose to Pitch to Man on Fire
3 hits for Nomar. Ortiz HR. Mueller Delivers.
Arroyo Gets an A. Good Effort.
Nation Uncomfortably Numb.
Sox pick up Anderson, Puffer. Caesar Salad Days Over.
Same Hit, Different Day
Green with Envy, Braves win it in 12th
A-Mart Comes Apart, Keith Foulke's It Up This Time
Red Sox are Yesterday's News Again
Another Spine Chilling Shame... Thank God Schilling's Got Game
The turnaround starts tonight.
Leskanic Pulls Fans Back Off Ledge as Sox Survive the 12th
Sox Strand Winning Runners on Base Again and Again
Jeterrific Catch
Extra Excruciating as Captain Intangibles Robs Boston in 12th with Catch of the Day, Crashing into Stands. That's a Dirt Dog.
Did Tito Makes All the Wrong Moves with Pinch Hitters in 7th?
Pedro Throws a Hanging Changeup to Tony-the-Longest-Swing-in-the-World, the $5-Million-AL-Rep-with-Us Phony Clark, Who Gets a Curtain Call in Yankee Stadium After Two-Run Bomb.
Early Fireworks as Mucho Macho Plunks BALCO Gary, Posada Gets His Revenge
Manny Breaks Out with 2-Run Homer
Mazz on pre-game: Schill (no comment) and Wake (denial) got into it with Williamson last night(was he stung like John Heyman and the NY mediots?)
MANNYFEST DESTI
NY
(Not exactly. But so much for the SI Jinx)
Ramirez Puts Sox Up in 13th with 2nd HR
The Terry Cloth Kids Got Tough
DEJA DEVASTATION ALL OVER AGAIN
Sox Swept Away in a New York Minute
Parasites 5 Boston 4, 13 Unlucky for Sox
Trot Gets in Game with Massive Pain (Giambi Too), But Where Was Nomar?
Fredo Says Nomar "Trying to Get Loose" in Most Important Game of the Year to Date
Another Chicken Capital Brigham's Scoop by Millar
Leskanic Doesn't Panic, But Curtis Runs Out of Gas
SoSH Reports Garsitaparra Deal Done
Nomar to Dodgers?
Boston Red Sox would get: Odalis Perez and Carlos Delgado
Toronto Blue Jays would get: Cesar Izturis and minor-league pitcher
Los Angeles Dodgers would get: Nomar and BK Kim
Updated "FungoHesketh" post:
have no new info. There was going to be a press conference to announce
a trade tonight, my source claims involving the Dodgers and Blue Jays,
and then the press conference was canned. Did the trade break down? Are
they waiting until the morning after a tough loss, or for another
reason? I don't know, and probably won't have any new information for a
while. I apoligize (sic) for this thread, as for whatever reason, there
is no deal to report." SoSH report
Mona Lisa Martinez Watches Sox Succumb in the 9th 
(Pedro Martinez: This is no laughing matter.) "Varitek
called a players-only meeting yesterday, which was a great idea except
Pedro Martinez didn't get to the park on time to participate. Pedro,
who has spent the first two nights here bantering with Yankee fans
nonstop (think he wants to play here next year?) works on his own
schedule. Asked if Pedro was late when the rest of his teammates were
stretching at 5:30 -- after the players-only meeting -- Francona said,
"He's pitching tomorrow. When I know where people are and the reasons
why, I'm OK with it." - Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe
Dave Stapleton McCarty Sits While Fredo Waits to Lose 
Tim Bitchin' After Game: "Ask the manager... I'm only an employee." Fredo Francona: Timlin-Mirabelli just "trying to get on the same page" Why can't we get relievers like Tom Gordon Lobie? More Good News: Kentucky Fried Kevin will be joking around with his friends on The Worst Damn Sports Show on Thursday Williamson Has No Elbow Room: Scott Has Forearm Injury Now
WAKE, THEN FUNERAL  
Sox Boot Another One in a New York Minute Yankees 4, Red Sox 2, Boo Hoo. Six Feet Under, Eight Games Back in Loss Column Error, Error Read All About It Oh Nomar! Red Sox Defense Does Them in Again, 10th Error in Last 4 Games Ortizzle Giveth and Taketh Away OBP = LOB: Sox Come Up Empty with Bases Full
Lucchino's Not Happy Sox
prez says to "back off Nomar" but said "I don't think anyone on this
team is untouchable, we don't have no trade contracts for a reason...
we reserve the right with players of all stripes." Garciaparra and Lowe
should have taken their contract offers. Tito needs an attitude
adjustment and a good talking to. Hear the Dennis & Callahan WEEI interview here. Nomar and Trot out of lineup tonight. Millar in right. McCarty at first base.
Cover Boy 
And the SI Jinx Stinks (Manny Goes 0-4) (Only good news: Giambi has parasites)
WHEELS COME OFF "It's
obvious why one American League official told Newsday's Ken Davidoff
the Red Sox are "a dead team." It has something to do with the fact
that they are without a pulse. Not
that they'll find sympathy on the other side of the field. When Pedro
Martinez made a loud entrance onto the field in street clothes
yesterday afternoon, a couple of Yankees uncomfortably shook his hand.
But not all. "I don't know the guy," Posada sniffed. "He's not my
friend. No sense for me to say hello." Boston's
clubhouse was deadly quiet before the game. Manny Ramirez clicked off
the voice of Bostonian baseball analyst Peter Gammons talking on ESPN
about how lifeless the Red Sox are. Later, there was a half-serious
confrontation between Jason Varitek and Curt Schilling about why
Schilling blew off the pre-series pitchers' meeting, in which opposing
hitters are discussed. That Schilling isn't pitching either of the next
two games was no excuse, for Varitek or Schilling. When
Schilling tried to take the offensive, Varitek reasonably wondered why
the guy who missed the meeting was the one raising his voice. The
historic visual of "25 players, 25 cabs" was fresh in anyone's mind who
witnessed this scene. It's nice from a Yankees perspective that Boston appears to be coming unglued." -- Newsday: More of the same
Pedro Caught Clowning Around on YES While His Team is Taking a Vicious Beating in the Bronx "I'm
watching YES....I actually do not mind Jim Kaat... he was talking about
Pedro clowning around with the fans in the middle of an ass whooping...
he said that most managers would not allow that.. he said it is one
thing to be loose, but it looks like you don't care about the team." - Scott Cooper, SoSH (yes, that Scott Cooper... no) 
Yankee
fan emails us: "WTF is Pedro doing? Joking with the fans, flashing his
tetas at them, smiling with an 11-3 deficit? Some leadership."
6.30.04: Bronx Blowout ERROR, ERROR, ERROR, READ ALL ABOUT IT NEW YORK NIGHTMARE  
The Big Awful Yee-Yuk, Gone-see-ya-parra, Sox Drop the Ball New York 11 Boston 3, D-Lowe Comes Undone, Sox Defenseless, Lethargic, Fundamentally Unsound Sheffield and Tony-the-Phony Clark Clobber Lowe  Sloppy Sox Slip Back into Francoma
"For the last two months, there's been a lull here." - Derek Lowe "He
is starting to look like Wade Boggs circa 1992, like a man so consumed
with resentment that he cannot focus on anything else." -- Mazz on
Nomar "There
may have been unhappier players in the history of Boston sports, but
this typist remembers none. It could not be more clear that these are
the final days of Nomar Garciaparra in Boston." -- Dan Shaughnessy Fredo:
"Nomar's trying to hustle, Kevin looks up because Lofton's fast. No
that's not an excuse, that's what happened. We need to play the games
as well as possible. We've got to come out here grinding."
"It's Payback Time" – Georgie Porgie 
Hopefully Payback's Not a Bitch Big Stein. In other NY Post news, Giambi sees a psychic.
Gordon Edes Chat from New York City .RuYeeGas
02:10PM | In your opinion, what would Joe Torre do with Kevin Millar? | Gordon Edes (Moderator)
02:12PM | I
don't know, take him out for chicken? Giambi is in a big slump, and
Torre is still playing him. Tony Clark hit less than a buck and a half
in June and he's still getting some playing time. I mean, Torre would
do what Francona will do if Millar doesn't get hot, and that's to take
playing time away from him, regardless of what he might have said.
Burks and Mueller are both on rehab assignment and presumably getting
close, so that will impact how often Millar plays. |
Pokey's Back! | | Johnny Damon | CF | | Mark Bellhorn | 3B | | David Ortiz | DH | | Manny Ramirez | LF | | Nomar Garciaparra | SS | | Trot Nixon | RF | | Jason Varitek | C | | Kentucky Fried Kevin | 1B | | Pokey Reese | 2B |
Loserville? Not with Schill. "It's not win or lose, it's win or else." 
Marcaine Just in case you forgot, Schill still needs a shot of Marcaine.
With fans feeling down, all over town; Marcaine.
Schill does like, he does like, he does like; Marcaine.  Will Monday bring good news? MRI's confuse; Marcaine.
When Sunday is done he'll be able to shun; Marcaine.
Curt don't like, he don't like, he don't like; Marcaine.
If his ankle's cooked before he gets the hook; Marcaine.
Don’t forget this fact, he's got a two-year contract; Marcaine.
Curt don't lie, pitch or die, sit don't fly; Marcaine. One tough guy, can't deny, battle cry: Marcaine. |
Fire and Ace 
Schilling Comes to Sox Emotional Rescue. Horse Stops Phillies After Bad Start. 10-4 Good Buddy, 7-0 at Home. All-Star Start on Radar. Double Trouble NomaRBIs are Game Winners. Manny's a Monster. Ortiz is Amazing. The World's Highest Paid Male Cheerleader wakes up in 8th with double too after two pop ups and a strikeout. Sox Win Series! Boston Slaps Philly Silly 12-3, Pen Holds the Line He's All Freddy Gone (More good news: Mendoza recovering well from stiff neck after clubhouse nap.)
Theo Rips Sox (sort of) "We've been playing .500 ball for two months, and that's a disappointment. We haven't met our standards." | Can Sox Snap Out of it in the Bronx? 
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6.28.04: Damon: "We need a nice kick in the butt" 
(that's why we're here Johnny)
Sox Slip Back into Francoma
Nation Not Happy About Love of Country  Today's
left fielder Kevin Millar and some of the Red Sox players celebrated
their big loss to the Phillies country style last night as they kicked
up their boots at the FM-99.5 Country Music Festival at the Tweeter
Center.
Red
Sox fans in attendance were less than thrilled to see the Achy, Breaky,
Heartless bunch out on the town after their Bad News Bears effort
yesterday and a must-win day game on tap today. Lou Piñata on the ball as usual: "I
think when you're down 9-2, if it's a party in the dugout, something's
wrong. I think these guys care a lot. There's always that fine line. If
you're winning, it's a good loose club. If you're losing... it's always
been that way. It always will be... I actually like our guys' attitude
a lot." - Terry Francoma (The
hoedown was a few hours later Tito. We're having flashbacks to the late
nights at The Rack in 2001 before getting crushed by the Yanks the day
after. We'll see today.)
Sox Slip Back into Francoma
"Rampant unrest in the Nation. A
25-25 record since May Day. Three consecutive series losses. Sitting
second in the American League East, nearer to Tampa Bay than New York.
The prospect of falling a season-high six games behind the Yankees.
Terry Francona getting roasted like a Fenway Frank on the Fourth of
July." - Pedro reigns
"Having
good players helps. That (meeting) wasn't for anybody's... I don't know
how that stuff gets out.. it was a very low key conversation... I
really enjoy this group a lot. And we're capable of not playing good
baseball, but great baseball." - 6.26: Tito pre-game
While Philly is Hungry Like the Wolf 
Error, Error, Read All About It: Sox Outhit Philadelphia, Lose 9-2 Arroyo-yo up and down again. OBP = 11 LOB. FOUR MORE ERRORS. FIVE UNEARNED RUNS. Red Sox Absolutely Refuse to Play Defense Kentucky Fried Kevin can't wing it at first. Damon is defenseless. (Good news: Johnny is getting a trim, pedicure, and a new shirt at Copley Place tonight!) Lou Piñata Thinks More Golf in Ft. Myers Will Help Next Spring
He Did Come Back to Haunt Us After All 
Oh, give me a home where the superstars roam
Fenway's fun to just hang out and play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day. Let's Be Franc: Only 39% Want Lou Piñata Gone "When the weather gets warmer, it'll help our guys get locked in." - Terry Francoma, still waiting around for something else to happen later on, June 24, 2004 (just wait until Ellis Burks gets back, oh baby, then we'll start to put it all together) At least Francoma called a meeting to wake people up yesterday.
Suicide Blonde Nextel's Kentucky Fried Friendly's Kevin dies his hair Fat Boy Slim Shady blonde. (yawn) Suicide blonde, suicide blonde
Suicide blonde, suicide blonde
Suicide blonde was the colour of his hair
Like a cheap distraction
For a tired affair
He knew it was finished
Before it began
Something tells me you lost the plan
The Heat's On Pete Tonight Martinez simply has to come through.
Philadelphia Flyer 
Print the "Manny Would've Had It!" Bumper Stickers Lobie
Hero, then Pedro 
United
States Marine Lance Corporal James Preston Crosby, of Boston, who was
paralyzed while serving in Iraq, delivers the ceremonial first pitch.
Good News from Pawtucket! Stiff OK After Neck Problem. Kim Hits 83 on Gun. "Ramiro
had stiffness in his neck, he said during warm-ups it may be a
problem," said PawSox manager Buddy Bailey. "He slept on it wrong and
it had nothing to do with his shoulder, thank goodness." (Baltimore is
salivating as we type) "However,
while Kim was throwing 94-95 miles per hour a year ago at this time, as
the Red Sox closer, he reached 83 mph just once on the radar guns of
several scouts in attendance and was consistently clocked around
80-81." - The Woonsocket Call has it all
| The Just-Happy-to-be-Here-and-Livin'-Large-on-Big-Coin 2004 Red Sox Don't Have It. Meanwhile the Devil Dogs are Playing Like Dirt Dogs and Nipping at Dead Sox Heels. |
Nomah Errah Garciaparra Throws Game Away "That (ruling of two-base error) is hilarious to me. Pretty funny." 
Update: Scoggins Changes Nomar's Fielding Error to Infield Hit for Guzman Why is Nomar worried about the scorer when the team is tanking Tito? Is Nomar not getting it? Nothing funny about a dead ass team with a boatload of cheap excuses, Twins win in 10 innings 4-3 Sloppy defense sinks Sox, lose third straight series. Balfour rings up Sox late; Nathan's famous for saves. Garciapopup ends game again. That's all Foulke.
Hunter Kills Sox with Two-Run Homer 
Torii Spelling T-R-O-U-B-L-E for Boston (Sox have double play trouble too. Twice. Both sides.)
Blondes Do Have More Fun 
Source: Schill slipped Shonda some tongue on the lip lock :-) "She’s so hot." Is she a good cook? "She’s so hot." – Curt Schilling will Start on Sunday How’s the ankle?
"It feels good. It’s still attached. It’s not really something I’m
limping around with, it only bothers me to do some real specific
movements, and most of those movements happen when I throw a baseball.
Otherwise it’s fine." - 6.24: Curt Schilling on 105.7-FM with Loren and
Wally.
Tito thinks Pokey will be OK 
But he also thought the Hindenburg made a smooth landing at New Jersey's Lakehurst Naval Air Station.
Beltransition: Boston the Focus Again "According
to several sources, the three-way Beltran/Dotel trade broke down for
financial reasons, despite the fact that owner Steve Schott had told
The Chronicle last week that he would increase the payroll to improve
the bullpen. At issue was the fact that Dotel will be arbitration
eligible after the season and, as a closer, he could command quite a
bit more in arbitration than his current $2.8 million salary. According
to one source, Kansas City was to receive Triple-A third baseman Mark
Teahen and rising Class-A reliever Jairo Garcia (Astros minor- league
catcher John Buck also was to be part of the deal). The Royals were
said to be furious that the deal collapsed and now are believed to be
shopping Beltran to Boston instead." - San Francisco Chronicle "The
Royals then began shopping Beltran all over again, and industry sources
said the Boston Red Sox might have positioned themselves to acquire
him." - Houston Chronicle Larry Lucchino: "We are willing to rent a player." - Sox CEO on WEEI with D&C
Cloud. Silva Lining. 
Reese Hurt. Silva, Twins Shut Down Sox 4-2. Bellhorn, Trot can't complete comeback solo. D-Lowe pitched just well enough to lose. Thumbs the Word Pokey x-rays negative, should be able to avoid surgery. Docs will watch overnight swelling. RedSox.com: "Doctors optimistic he could return this weekend" Captain Morgan on NESN: "Pokey will need a few weeks to recover" Here we go again. Theo on with Dale & Neumy on WEEI:
“The thumb is doing much better than he thought it would. The swelling
and the soreness has not risen to a level that he expected after
yesterday. So that’s good news especially because we’re going to be
treating this thing by the symptoms. It’s a sprain. It’s not a complete
rupture of the ligament. Surgery is not indicated. So we’re really
going to treat it with taping, maybe a partial splint and hopefully
that’s tolerant. I’d imagine that late this weekend, maybe Sunday,
he’ll try to take BP, and if that goes well he shouldn’t be too far
away from playing but we have not placed him on the disabled list,
that’s a pretty good indication that our medical staff thinks that we
need to treat the symptoms.”
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s Kickin'
