April 2006 Archives

News Flash: The Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Phoenix Suns, 99-98 in overtime, to take a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series. In the game, Kobe Bryant hits a runner to send the game to the extra session…then drains a pull-up jumper at the buzzer to win it.

Teddy’s Take: The greatest image turnaround since Stone Cold Steve Austin morphed into a good guy is now complete!

What had to make it even sweeter for Bryant is the fact both plays resulted from Steve Nash turning the ball over and getting tied up for a jump ball, respectively. The two all-stars have been going at each other hard all series, with some shoving and finger pointing even taking place, no doubt spurred by the leaked news that the Suns point guard had won his 2nd consecutive MVP award.

Hey, Nash is a great player and a difference maker. Don't get me wrong. He deserved the MVP last year and I was rooting for him to get it. He may have had an even better year this time around. But I’m sorry, that award belongs to Bryant. He is the best and most valuable player in the league…by far! I’ll even argue that LeBron James should have finished ahead of Nash. Both Kobe and LeBron carried lousy teams to the post-season. But until King James starts doing it on “D�, Kobe is the man.

That crunch time performance in Game-4 was as good as anything Michael, Larry and Magic ever pulled off in the clutch. It was amazing theater, even for a guy like me who absolutely detests the Lakers. But I will admit to feeling a tad bit vindicated about Kobe, and in a strange way, rooting for him.

From the moment he and Shaq had their very public divorce, I’ve been saying that Bryant was as responsible, if not more responsible, for those 3 championship rings than the big fella and that the Lakers chose to keep the right player. I also told anyone of my friends and family who’d listen that Kobe will win another NBA title before Shaq does. (And now, I’ve told all of you!) Watching O’Neal deteriorate right before our very eyes, that statement doesn’t sound so far-fetched anymore, does it?

What are your thoughts on the NBA MVP? Nash, Kobe or LeBron?

Final Score
Red Sox 4
Rays 5

Food for Thought: So much for momentum from Saturday's stirring comeback!

A disappointing road trip ends with another loss in Tampa. The Sox have now dropped 7-of-10 and are tied with the Evil Empire atop the American League East.

Though it’s a long season and most of the specifics from this trip will be long forgotten come August and September, it’s interesting to note how one seemingly meaningless decision 5-days ago could have made the difference in Sunday’s loss.

Remember how Terry Francona brought Curt Schilling out to pitch the 7th inning against the Indians Tuesday, despite the fact the 39-year old righty had already thrown 111-pitches? (If you read this blog you surely remember, because I’m such a nitpicker and pain in the butt I’ll never let you forget!) Well, Schilling went on to throw 133-pitches that night, and the extra tosses didn’t help the Sox cause or the ace’s.

Fast forward to Sunday, when Francona removed Schilling after 6-innings and 98-pitches. “Tee-ball� Rudy Seanez proceeds to surrender a 2-run homer to Carl Crawford (his first of the year, mind you) which turned out to be the difference in the game. Now, I wasn’t privy to the manager’s post-game comments, but I’ll betcha the fact Schilling had thrown 133-pitches last time out led to his early withdrawal. (God, I hate when I’m right!)

Bring on the Yankees: Time to put these games behind us and focus on what shapes up as a fun week ahead at Fenway. First up…the Yankees and Johnny Damon’s return to Beantown. We Red Sox fans like to think of ourselves as the best and smartest in the country. If so, I hope Damon gets the standing ovation he deserves for busting his hump for 4-years, playing great, playing hurt, and helping deliver that World Series we had been dying for.

I know a lot of you are angry and feel jilted because he left town and took the riches in New York. Get over it! This is a business on both sides, and Damon was nothing but gracious to the team, media and fans alike. I’ll assume there will be a few idiots who boo, but if they’re not quickly drowned out by 35,000+ rising to their feet and saying thanks for the great memories, I will be very disappointed in Red Sox nation.

So what will it be gang…boos or cheers for Johnny Damon?

Final Score
Red Sox 9
Rays 6

A Win to Build On: Tough to say an early season victory in Tampa is big, but this one’s as close as you can get. The Sox had lost 3 in a row, had Lenny DiNardo on the mound, and were staring at a 4-0 deficit after 3-innings. Number-4 was well within sight.

But just like that, the Sox bats woke up…they battled back not once, not twice, but 3-times. It’s the kind of win Boston’s Boys of Summer haven’t really gotten yet this year, so it will be interesting to see if they can build on it and get a little momentum to close out an otherwise miserable road trip.

Curt Schilling takes the mound Sunday in what should be an interesting match up against Scott Kazmir. After that, the First World War of 2006 begins as the dreaded Yankees invade Fenway Park Monday.

News Flash: The Patriots select Laurence Maroney with their 1st round pick (#21). The 5’11�, 217-pound running back rushed for nearly 4,000-yards in 3-seasons at the University of Minnesota. He is considered by many to be the 2nd best back in the draft behind Reggie Bush.

Draft Update: Hanging Chad: The Patriots trade a 2nd and a 3rd round pick to Green Bay to move up in the 2nd round and select Wide Receiver, Chad Jackson out of the University of Florida. Jackson was expected to be taken in the first round, and many prognosticators had the Pats taking him with their first selection

Teddy’s Take: Love the picks! Absolutely love them!

Once again, Bill Belichick surprised everyone, going offense with his first 2-picks. Maroney was a natural fit for the Pats, so much so that hardly anyone expected him to be the pick. He fills a big need as Corey Dillon, Kevin Faulk and Patrick Pass are all getting a bit long in the tooth. At worst he’s an insurance policy should Dillon not be able to rebound from an off year. At best, he’ll be the workhorse running back Tom Brady can count on for years to come. One bonus; Maroney was someone the Colts were thought to be very interested in.

Jackson is a steal where he was chosen. Like Maroney, he helps fill an obvious need with the departure of David Givens. Coming from Florida, he’s well versed in offensive football and has blazing speed, running a 4.35 in the 30.

Belichick and Scott Pioli still have some work to do to plug the holes left by free agency and the team still isn’t as good as the one that limped off the field in Denver. However, the rebuilding process is far from complete, with 8-more draft picks on the board and some decent free agents still roaming the market. Expect linebacker to be the next position the Pats focus on.

If nothing else, today’s moves assure Brady some weapons to work with for the foreseeable future and make the Pats offense young and dangerous again. There will be a lot of fresh young faces at training camp, and even if youth isn’t served in 2006, the Patriots are well-positioned to compete in 2007 and beyond.

Give New England an A+ for day one of the NFL draft.

What’s your take on the Patriots draft? Were you surprised the defensive-minded Belichick went offense with his first two selections? Is there someone else you’d rather they’d taken?

You ever wonder how it is that some teams stink year, after year, after year? Every sport has them, those franchises that end up with top tier picks in every draft, yet are never able to break that vicious cycle of losing. Well, there’s a reason for that.

BECAUSE THEY MAKE STUPID DECISIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE DRAFT PICKS!

Take the Houston Texans, who decided to pass on the most talented player to enter the NFL in ages, Reggie Bush, to take defensive end Mario Williams. That’s the same Mario Williams whose college career consisted mostly of disappearing acts against quality opposition and about whom scouts often say “could work harder than he does.� There’s a ringing endorsement!

Look…Williams could turn out to be a good pro, but until he turned in impressive performances at the combine, no one considered the kid top pick material. And last I checked, football games are played on a gridiron, not in a weight room. I don’t care how many bench press reps he does. This is a player who never dominated on the field, and isn’t very likely to do so by stepping up to the highest level of competition.

On the other hand, Reggie Bush dominated college football games, and often did so when it counted most. Forget his recent troubles. (Troubles that should get the Heisman Trophy stripped from him and place USC on probation…sorry Lynn. Rules are rules!) For proof, check out ESPN classic next time they show USC-Notre Dame and study Bush’s performance against Charlie Weis’ crew last fall. This kid is the most electric college running back since Barry Sanders. You don’t pass on players like that for Mario Williams.

And that my friends, is why the Houston Texans have stunk, do stink, and will continue to stink in the foreseeable future.

Did Houston make the right move, passing on Reggie Bush? If so, should they have taken someone other than Mario Williams? You’re on the clock!!!

Final Score
Red Sox 2
Rays 5

Bats Go Silent: As much as the Red Sox starting pitching is struggling, the biggest concern right now might be the team’s inability to hit in the clutch.

Only 2-runs scored is bad enough, but leaving 14-runners stranded against the “immortal� Casey Fossum and a crew of very hittable Tampa relievers is not going to win you very many ballgames.

I’d like to be able to attribute this to Coco Crisp’s bat missing from the top of the lineup. I’m pretty sure once their leadoff hitter is back, the Sox will be able to muster enough offense to win a lot of games. (It doesn’t take much help for Big Papi and Manny to carry an offense) However, there has to be an uneasy feeling about the production from the bottom of the order right now. There are just too many easy outs.

We all hear how pitching wins championships, and that’s true when you add this qualifier…pitching AND clutch hitting. If pitching alone were enough, the Houston Astros would have won 2 World Series by now, and the 2002 Angels dynamic duo of Bartolo Colon and Jarred Washburn would have more empty space in the jewelry box.

And that’s assuming, of course, that the Red Sox pitching is good enough to get them to the post-season…a big IF right now.

Do the Sox have enough offense to get the job done this year? Will all be well when Coco returns? Am I just too negative right now?

Final Score
Red Sox 3
Indians 15

“Female Dog� Slapped: Well, that’s about as ugly as it gets!

No sense rehashing what happened. In the grand scheme of things, it’s no big deal and counts the same as if they’d lost 2-1 in extra innings. Plus, there’s nothing like a weekend trip to Tampa to help cure a sick team.

I would like to touch on Josh Beckett for a moment, though. Former Sun scribe Gerry Callahan made an interesting point this morning, talking about how elite pitchers don’t get pounded this badly, even on their worst nights. I thought about it and couldn’t really remember Schilling, Clemens, Pedro, Santana, Halladay, etc. looking so bad unless injured.

I’m not saying Beckett won’t ever get to that class…he is still very young. But you do have to stop and wonder why he hasn’t been able to put an entire season together. The injuries account for part of it, but I still can’t help feeling there’s something missing. The kid was unhittable up until he stupidly plunked a Toronto batter in the 8th inning last Friday. All of a sudden, he morphed into Lenny DiNardo, giving up more gopher balls than a Caddyshack groundskeeper.

Anyone else having doubts about Beckett’s ability to put it all together? Can Curt Schilling help get this guy’s head straightened out, much like Roger Clemens did for him a few years back?

Final Score
Red Sox 1
Indians 7

Failed Experiment: Can we finally put this Bard/Wakefield experiment out of its misery? 4 more passed balls last night, 10 in 5-starts on the season…haven’t seen a marriage produce results this bad since Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston!

If the Sox insist on someone other than Jason Varitek catching the knuckleballer, can they at least do whatever is necessary to get Doug Mirabelli back from the Padres. It’s not like they need him…he’s just sitting behind a washed up Mike Piazza. What do you say…David Wells for Mirabelli and Dave Roberts?

Catching Up: While on the subject of former Red Sox, I figured this might be a good time to check on how a few of last year’s fan favorites are doing in their new digs:

Johnny Damon: .286 AVG, .374 OBP, 1-HR, 10-RBI, 15-Runs, 5-SB
Doug Mirabelli: .167 AVG, .318 OBP, 1-Run, goose eggs everywhere else
Bill Mueller: .320 AVG, .435 OBP, 2-HR, 13-RBI, 9-Runs
Kevin Millar: .209 AVG, .264 OBP, 2-HR, 10-RBI, 11-Runs
Edgar Renteria: .365 AVG, .400 OBP, 2-HR, 11-RBI, 10-Runs, 1-SB

And the one that really hurts right now:

Bronson Arroyo: 4-0, 2.34 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 30-K’s in 34.2 Innings

OUCH!!!

Today's entry in our never-ending quest for humor leads us to a little fun at the expense of Red Sox Nation’s favorite target; Alex Rodriguez.

In the TV business, they always warn you to be careful what you do or say when a camera is pointing in your direction. You never know when that red light will go on and catch in the middle of a no-no.

Seems the Yankees 3rd baseman forgot the golden rule of television and the result is a humorous close-up captured live. In the old days, it would have ended there, seen only by Baltimore and New York baseball fans. But thanks to the wonders of modern day technology and one of my favorite sites, YouTube.com, it will be forever immortalized on the World Wide Web.

So with all due respect to the classic poem Casey at the Bat, here’s the link to A-Rod at the Bat.

Enjoy!

The main reason sports fans say they dislike the media is because they view reporters and sports personalities as having an “agenda.� While I’d like to defend the profession by saying most try their best to be unbiased and give both sides of a story, I have to admit that those who cover athletes often get too close to them to have any objectivity. This happens even with the best in the business.

Case in point; Peter King sounding foolish this morning trying to defend Brett Favre. And I like Peter King. I enjoy listening to and reading him because he’s well-connected and usually brings a fresh, outsider’s perspective to a Patriots fan base growing increasingly yahoo.

When discussing the ripping Favre is getting for waiting so long to announce his intentions for the upcoming season, King actually said something to the effect of; well, Packers management told him to take all the time he needed to make his decision. No one told him to decide before the draft.

No one told him to decide before the draft? Are you kidding me? How many hits to the helmet does it take before you forget that the team you play for, a team that’s rewarded you quite handsomely I might add, needs to know if its highest paid player at the most important position will actually retire before it goes into the biggest weekend of the off-season?

Now, I’m sure Brett Favre has given King plenty of good scoops through the years, but he loses a ton of credibility by defending his actions, especially with that lame excuse.

Frankly, I think Favre is the most overrated player in the history of the NFL. He’s 22-interceptions shy of breaking the all-time record, and his biggest moment in the last 10-years was a cameo in There’s Something About Mary. His recent behavior is incredibly selfish and an insult to the Packers and the most loyal and rabid football fans in the country.

Perhaps that’s why in a recent poll cited by King, a Wisconsin newspaper poll with about 11,000 respondents, 81% said the Packers should trade Brett Favre. King, no doubt, was part of the 19%.

What are your thoughts on Favre? Should he have made his intentions known sooner? Should he retire and spare himself the indignity of breaking the dubious record? Would Cameron Diaz even give him a second look after his pathetic performance last year?

And what about those of us in the media? What drives you nuts about the way we go about our jobs? Who are the worst offenders? Who are the ones you like?

Final Score
Red Sox 8
Indians 6

Positively Negative: A big win for Boston’s Boys of Summer, with lots of positives to talk about. A win on the road against a good opponent…Curt Schilling keeps his team in the game against a tough offense…Manny and Papi prove they can carry this team offensively when they’re both going good…and the bullpen’s Big-3 close the door once more.

So naturally, I’m going to nit-pick. Sorry! Can’t help myself…I’m a Sox fan!

I really like Terry Francona as a manger. I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. I think he’s the perfect guy for this team, in this market. I rarely disagree with his moves because I think he has very logical reasons for almost everything he does. The numbers generally back him up.

So why then does he insist on leaving Curt Schilling in games longer than is necessary and statistically smart? I know he’s a horse. I know he loves to get the ball and finish what he started. But sending him out to start the 7th inning when he’s already thrown 111 pitches in tough conditions makes absolutely no sense at all. Especially when you consider the Sox were playing after an off day and the bullpen was rested.

For a guy who relies on numbers so much, he ignores the most important one when it comes to Schilling; after 105 pitches, the big righty becomes a glorified batting practice pitcher. Schilling himself admitted on WEEI this morning that his stats are awful after that magic mark. He has no explanation for it, but even this incredibly proud man knows it’s true. It’s true of every major league pitcher.

If he knows it, you know it and I know it, I’m sure the manager knows it. So why was he brought out to start the 7th Tuesday night? Why does Schilling always seem to be left in the game an inning too long? Anyone?

I couldn’t let this story go by;

News Flash: Ricky Manning Jr. was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Manning reportedly was part of a group that beat up a man at a Los Angeles Denny’s. The former Panthers defensive back had just signed a lucrative free agent contract with the Bears last Friday.

Teddy’s Take: Who says blogging isn’t dangerous business!

The assault allegedly occurred because the victim was working on his laptop in the restaurant and Manning and his acquaintances began calling him a geek. When the man asked a Denny’s manager to intervene, Manning punched him in the face and friends joined in for a good old fashioned beat down, knocking the geek...I mean man...unconscious.

A couple of thoughts here; First…you’ve just signed a $21-million contract and you’re still reduced to beating up Denny’s customers at 3am? Time to re-evaluate your life! Second…how dare you call a guy working on a laptop a geek?

And here I thought all these people laughing at me were calling me a “Greek!�

In our never-ending quest to bring you the most "ass"-inine sports news out there, I think we've finally hit rock "bottom"...literally.

It's hard to feel sorry for they guy, especially since I have him on one of my fantasy team. (Hey...the walks alone make him a steal in the 8th round) He's one of the biggest jerks in the history of sports.

That said, dealing with this kind of stuff must get annoying after a while. Realize that this idiot is sitting in some pretty expensive seats, so you can imagine what's going on in the bleachers. And check out the guy laughing next to him. How great is that?

I'm not sure how much longer Barry Bonds has left in this game, but things like this are likely to speed up his departure. Just imagine what it would be like at Fenway!

So what do you think? Shall we start a pool on when Bonds heads for the disabled list, never to return?

O.K. all you Mel Kiper wannabes…here’s your chance to put your prognosticating skills to the test…and you don’t even have to make a fool of yourself on national TV in the process!

Tell us who you think the Patriots will select with their first pick in the upcoming NFL draft. The person, or people, who correctly guess the name will receive 2 Tickets to a Lowell Lock Monsters hockey game next year. Don’t worry…we will still honor the contest even if they’re not known as the Lock Monsters anymore!

To enter, send an email with your name (the real one), a valid email address, and the player you think the Patriots will select first to tpanos@lowellsun.com by noon (est.) Saturday, April 29, 2006. To avoid any confusion, make sure to list the player’s first and last name, as well as the school he attended. (Throw in the player’s position as well, if you really want to show off!)

You are also encouraged to enter your guess on this post, though you don’t have to give your real name if you don’t want to…a screen name will do just fine. That way, we can all laugh at you when you’re wrong!

Remember, only one entry per person and you must send an email with your contact info so I can get you the tickets if you win. No other disclaimers apply. Employees of the Lowell Sun, friends and family, convicted felons, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, anyone, anyone at all…may enter!

For you beginners out there, here's a little draft helper courtesy of the AP and LowellSun.com.

Good luck and may the force be with you!

Something’s missing.

The calendar says late April, like it always does. The weather is alternately warm and wet, like it always is. The Red Sox season is well underway. And the Patriots are busy gearing up for this weekend’s NFL draft. Everything seems normal.

Still, something’s missing.

The youngsters out there might not realize it, but if you came to sports consciousness in the 70’s and 80’s, you know what I’m talking about. This was always a two team town in Spring. Only those teams used to be the Bruins and Celtics, not the Patriots and Red Sox.

This might come as a shock to those who think Fenway Park was always packed to capacity with zealots willing to tolerate ridiculous ticket prices and criminal parking costs. It used to be you had to go to Duke Lacrosse parties to get violated like that.

There was also a time when the Pas draft choice was relegated to a 30-second television news snippet and a mention in next day’s paper. Now, we watch breathlessly as ESPN provides wall-to-wall coverage on a screen that’s 15% video and 85% graphics and scrolling letters. Only in such an environment can Mel Kiper go from “Eddie Munster all grown up� to a “guru.�

Maybe I’m just getting old, but I miss the old days. April, May and early June are supposed to be about the playoffs. Greek Easter Sunday used to be a delicate balancing act between going to church, working the restaurant, devouring a lamb feast, and watching Larry Bird chew up and spit out some poor, helpless Bucks or Hawks. I’m sorry, but a David Ortiz bunt single in an early season contest doesn’t create quite the same stir as Larry Legend’s classic shootout against Dominique Wilkins in Game 7.

The Bruins were an even bigger thrill back in the day. Because my mom wouldn’t let me watch TV on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, I remember having to sneak to the television to watch the Black and Gold turn opponents Black and Blue. One of my biggest thrills was as a 6-year old when my dad woke me up on a school night so I could watch Bobby Orr parade the Stanley Cup around Madison Square Garden. Now I fall asleep watching the parade of losers skating around the new Boston Garden.

The reasons for this dramatic shift in the area’s sports climate are many. We discuss them, along with other topics, daily on The Sun Blog. If you haven’t visited and chimed in yet, well, what are you waiting for?

Perhaps that’s part of the problem. Whereas every Red Sox and Patriots move is the subject of endless debate, mention of the Bruins and Celtics generates less excitement than an 84-year old at a nudist colony. It’s sad, but it’s true.

An entire generation has grown up without experiencing the passion that drove cities throughout Massachusetts to build ice rinks because of the Orr-led hockey boom. Go to any outdoor basketball court and you’ll see more kids wearing LeBron and Shaq jerseys than green number-34.

I hope the Red Sox and Patriots are paying attention. Despite recent success, there are signs they, too, are starting to take you for granted. You may not see it now, but there was a time when Bruins fans were also o.k. with losing the team’s best players and replacing them with unproven ones.

I’d hate to sit here 30-years from now, with the B’s and C’s in the midst of a playoff run, still thinking; something’s missing.

Final Score
Red Sox 6
Blue Jays 3

“Little� Papi Comes Up Big: David Ortiz continues to pound Toronto pitching and he’s even added a little “small ball� to the repertoire.

After belting another one yesterday, Big Papi now has 10-home runs in his last 13-games against the Jays. Perhaps more importantly, he added a bunt single against the shift teams have been deploying against him. “You gotta do what you gotta do� said the Sox DH. It says here if he keeps doing it, his power numbers may go down, but he’ll end up with a career high batting average and help the team more in the long run.

Far From D-O-N-E: A quick note here to reader Christo; I’m willing to admit when I’m wrong. Are you ready to take back your “Keith Foulke is done� argument? Seems to me the Red Sox now have the best of both worlds. A rock solid closer in Papelbon and a pretty good set up guy in Foulke.

How about the rest of you Foulke bashers? You have a different opinion now? And what about Big Papi? Should he bunt a few more times against the shift to try to draw teams out of it? Or should he just slug away and "hit it where they ain't"...over the fences?

He’s not in New England anymore, but Charlie Weis has got himself another quarterback with a golden arm...at least as far as high school players go.

This weekend Jimmy Clausen decided the former Patriots assistant coach was the guy for him, committing to Notre Dame and leaving the former Patriots head coach, Pete Carroll of USC, high and dry.

Clausen, the brother of former Tennessee University quarterback Casey Clausen, is ranked by many as the top high school prospect in the nation for the class of 2007. The California native weighs in at 6’3� and 200 pounds.

Last season Fighting Irish quarterback Brady Quinn set school records for passing yards in a season with 3,633 and touchdowns with 32.

By the time Clausen arrives, Quinn will have graduated, paving the way for the four years of Weis and Clausen.

Which happens next, the Patriots winning another Super Bowl, Notre Dame winning another national championship in football, or USC bouncing back for another national title?

Final Score
Red Sox 1
Blue Jays 8

“Woe� Canada: What is it about the Canadian national anthem that makes the Red Sox play such lousy baseball?

Boston’s Boys of Summer dropped their 4th game in 5-tries against their neighbors from the Great White North. With Lenny DiNardo facing Roy Halladay on the hill, this one looked like a mismatch from the get-go and it quickly turned into one. The Jays poured home 4-runs in the 1st inning and never looked back.

Me thinks the Sox have the wrong Wells. Vernon continued to pound Boston pitching, going 3-4 on the day, with 2-runs batted in. On the young season, he’s 10-24 with 4-HR’s and 11-RBI’s in 6-games.

Meanwhile, our own Mister Wells may be nearing the end. The Sox lefty sat down for a 1-on-1 interview that will air on Channel 7’s “Sports Xtra� program Sunday night at 11. From what I’m told, the 43-year old sounds an awful lot like a man who’s reached the end of the line and knows it.

If this is indeed the case and Wells can’t return to the form that allowed him to at least be an innings-eating workhorse, the Sox might be in the market for a starting pitcher sooner, rather than later. Unless, of course, you think DiNardo as a 5th starter is good enough for a team with World Series plans.

What’s the verdict out there? Is David Wells done? Should the Sox start giving Vernon Wells the “Bonds� treatment and walk him every time up? Are the Blue Jays a legitimate threat in the AL East?

Final Score
Red Sox 6
Blue Jays 7

Revenge Isn’t Sweet: Well, chalk this one up as a wasted opportunity. The Sox had Toronto dead to rights, 6-2 in the 8th and Josh Beckett working his magic on the mound. And then Boston’s new ace suffered a major league brain cramp.

With men on first and second in the top of the 8th, Blue Jays pitcher Jason Frasor hit Alex Gonzalez with a breaking pitch. Anyone who knows the game knows you don’t hit a banjo hitting shortstop with a breaking pitch with 2 runners on. Perhaps now we have better insight into why a kid with so much talent hasn’t been able to put it all together yet.

So Beckett decides to do the macho thing, drilling Aaron Hill right in the back with the first pitch in the bottom half of the inning. Next thing you know, Russ Adams and Vernon Wells go yard, Troy Glaus slaps a Mike Timlin offering over the wall, we go off to extra innings, and the Jays have a 7-6 victory.

Now I know baseball has its unwritten codes and this was only one game. The problem is, the Blue Jays now have the kind of victory you can build on. Here was this team that thought they were ready to take the next step and challenge Boston and New York. Rather than put them back in their place, the Sox have lost 3-of-4 to them and now throw Lenny DiNardo against Roy Halladay. Think the Jays are feeling good about themselves right about now? Is this a team Boston’s Boys of Summer will be able to scare anymore?

Perhaps next time, Beckett will remember that revenge is a dish best served cold!

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Former Florida Marlins pitchers Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett duel tonight as the Red Sox travel north of the border.

Last year Burnett’s name was rumored to be involved with possible trade talks involving Boston and Florida. Some reports were that the Marlins wanted to make him part of a package deal including new Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell. In the off-season he became a free agent acquisition of the Blue Jays.

When asked last night what he could tell his teammates Burnett would bring to the mound tonight, Lowell said, “Heat. He throws hard. I mean he’s a guy who’s going to come after you. When he’s got his stuff it’s going to be tough, but we still a good team. One day of when we didn’t swing the bats too well doesn’t mean we’re not going to swing them well tomorrow. So, we got Josh throwing, hopefully he keeps doing what he’s doing. We should be fine.�

Burnett had an injury that forced him to miss some time, tonight will be his second start of the season. He got the loss in his first start after pitching seven innings, giving up four runs, and striking out five.

Wakefield a Bard-luck loser...

Rookie catcher Josh Bard’s passed ball last night gave him a total of six in four games catching for Tim Wakefield, equaling the number of passed balls Doug Mirabeli had in 33 games catching the knuckler last season.

“Obviously, I‘m very frustrated, very disappointed that I dropped the ball, but I felt like I stuck with my fundamentals you know, so I‘m disappointed.“ Bard said after last night’s game.

Last night’s passed ball led to the Devil Rays second run on a night when the Red Sox only put up one run.

Sox captain Jason Varitek said the passed balls aren’t as big an issue as the lack of hitting from the team when Wakefield’s on the mound. Tuesday night and Wednesday night Boston exploded all over Devil Rays pitching, but somehow Wakefield has ended up with the short end of the stick, getting 5 runs to work in his four starts.

“We haven’t scored runs for Wake, that’s the bigger issue,� Varitek said.

On the Pawtucket shuttle…

Following Wednesday night’s game, the Red Sox optioned Red Sox outfielder Adam Stern to Triple-A Pawtucket and purchased the contract of Willie Harris from Pawtucket.

Harris entered last night’s game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and replaced Dustan Mohr in center field. Mohr hit his second homer of the season last night to give the Sox their lone run. Harris also had a single in the ninth inning.

Folks in Pawtucket will get to see Andy Marte pay a visit. The third base prospect, now with the Indians system, was part of the deal that sent Edgar Renteria to Atlanta as well as the deal that brought Coco Crisp to Boston.

PawSox pitchers have been mowing down batters so far this season. Manny Delcarmen and Cla Merideth haven’t let up a run so far this season, and lefty Abe Alvarez has gone 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA.

In Double-A Portland Craig Hansen has yet to give up an earned run in four appearances out of the bullpen.

Feel free to chime in with your thoughts on the state of the Red Sox after the first 16 games.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Scott Kazmir didn’t need to shoot off his mouth to answer Curt Schilling’s comments about young pitchers with control issues, specifically Kazmir, causing some of the bad blood between the Red Sox and Devil Rays. Instead, he answered it on the mound by leaving the Red Sox hitters guessing all night as Tampa Bay took tonight’s meeting, 5-1.

The 22-year-old hurled 5.2 innings, allowing four hits, and issuing one walk, while striking out seven. His fastball was still registering 93 miles per hour in the sixth inning. He was taken out after 101 pitches with two outs and a 2-2 count to Mike Lowell because of muscle cramps in his thumb and wrist on his throwing hand. Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz combined to go 0-for-5 with a walk.

Mike Lowell on Kazmir: “The report is he throws so hard and he was actually mixing up his pitches real well and baring down when he had to. So, he did a good job today.�

“The last couple of games we’ve swung the bat well as a team, but sometimes you run into a guy who’s got his A-game.“

Dustan Mohr on Kazmir: “We put together good at-bats, we just didn’t have anything to show for it. You know, sometimes that happens. You get a guy like Kazmir throwing tonight and it makes it tough on us, especially when they take a 2-1 lead and he’s throwing that way.�

Tim Wakefield again got little in the way of run support from the BoSox. Last Saturday he got 0 runs in a 3-0 loss.

The Red Sox are now off to Toronto where they’ll face the newest arm on the Blue Jays staff, A.J. Burnett.

Let's hear Red Sox Nation sound off on tonight's ball game. I know Red Sox fans aren't shy. What's your take?

Final Score
Rays 1
Red Sox 9

Top of their Game: 15-games into the season and the Red Sox sit atop the baseball world with a league best 11-4 record. In today’s Lowell Sun, Chaz Scoggins recaps last night’s 9-1 rout of the Rays in which Kevin Youkilis was the offensive hero and Curt Schilling kept the Tampa bats in check for 6-innings.

Now I know its early GeorgeHR, and I know we haven’t exactly played any playoff contenders except for the Blue Jays, but Red Sox Nation has to be quite pleased with the results. The pitching has been good, the defense even better, and the offense is doing what’s necessary to win. Considering they’ve gone a week and half without one of their key components, Coco Crisp, the start is all the more impressive.

A quick note here about Schilling; never before has the big righty started a season 4-0. I think that’s more an indictment of the lousy teams he’s played on, but still it’s a surprising stat when you consider how good he’s been over the last decade or so. The thing I find even more impressive is that Schilling says he’s still not clicking on all cylinders.

Isn’t that a scary thought?

Posted By LYNN WORTHY, Sun Staff

It’s officially draft time. With a final record of 33-49 (identical to that of Minnesota and old pals Ricky Davis and Mark Blount), the only teams with a better lottery status will be Toronto, New York, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Portland.

The final record is a full 12 games worse than last year’s (45-37) and Beantown will not see even one playoff series in the Garden, but the Celtics come away from this season with optimism as well as a couple distinct areas of concentration for next year.

The good, the bad, the young

First, second, and third, among those areas of concentration will improving on the matador defense and the 99.5 points per game opponents tossed in this year. In the Celtics defense, it’s by no means a surprise that team defense was lacking in a group where half the guys aren’t old enough to rent a car yet. If NBA defense was on an even level with that of high school and college defenses, well, Kobe Bryant would score 80 points at least twice a week. Of course, Kobe would probably take 50-60 shots per game to do it.

Another area that has been painfully obvious all season long is that the Celtics can cough up the ball better than almost anyone in the NBA, literally. The 16.6 turnovers per game given away was the second worst team total this season behind only the junior varsity team known as the New York Knicks. For clarification, being in the same breath with the Knicks, in just about any category this year, means make changes or get out of the game of basketball.

Still, there were bright spots

Paul Pierce elevated his game this year, playing better defensively, stepping up late in games, taking the leadership position on this young squad, and raising his offensive game to the point where he finished as the sixth-leading scorer in the association just ahead of Dallas’s Dirk Nowitzki.

Unlike Boston’s other winter sports team, the Celtics actually benefited from their in-season trade. Shipping out Ricky Davis and Mark Blount’s ridiculous contract helped open the door for guys like Kendrick Perkins and Ryan Gomes to get more playing time as well as Gerald Green to get quality minutes later in the season. In the final 10 games Gomes averaged 12.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game, while Green put up 12.7 points per game and shot 48 percent from the field in 25.7 minutes per game during that same span.

The Doc is in


“It’s great to have potential, but it’s better to have it realized,� Rivers said in his post-game press conference last night. He acknowledged, as he has all year, that there have been several signs of development over the course of the season, but he stressed that the season was not what the organization had hoped, pointing out that there is a difference between some guys having had “success� and the team being “successful.�

“The key for us is our young guys can't believe that they've already achieved anything; they haven't," Rivers said. "We're not going to the playoffs. We didn't have a very good year. And most of them, even though they showed signs of being good players, were not consistent.�

Yesterday on Boston sports radio station WEEI, Danny Ainge discussed the season and said he does believe Doc Rivers is the guy to guide the Celtics in their next stage of development, and he expects Doc to be back next year despite some rumors that he may be looking to get closer to his family still living in Florida.

Ainge also added that he was especially happy with the way Delonte West progressed this year, saying point guard isn’t necessarily a primary concern for next year, but he also touted West’s versatility and ability to play the two spot along with another point guard.

What are you thoughts about the Celtics season and future?

Bill Belichick held his annual pre-draft press conference this morning, and boy was he enlightening.

The Patriots normally secretive coach openly discussed draft strategy, broke down the strength’s and weaknesses of specific players and ran down a list of trades available to the team should they decide to move up or down a few spots.

In case my sarcasm didn’t give it away, this is one yearly Patriots tradition I don’t mind skipping out on. Reporters poke and prod, looking for the slightest hint about who the Pats will select in the first round, questions which the Pats coach dodges more artfully than a Charles Dickens character. Belichick and Scott Pioli then pull a Logan Mankins, Ben Watson or Daniel Graham out of the hat, leaving every New England draft watcher wondering; who dat?

Still, there were a couple of interesting thoughts about this particular draft class. For one, Belichick thinks the players at the top of the board are less accomplished or have had less opportunity to prove themselves than guys from years past. This is surprising when you consider big names like Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Vince Young are atop most boards. I doubt he's talking about them, so I think this shows how much BB thinks of the non-skill position players available.

He does think this class of linebackers is pretty deep for the type of player the Pats require in their system. He also doesn’t think an injury like the one LenDale White is battling affects where he’s taken, provided it’s not a Willis McGahee type injury that forces one to miss a significant amount of time. And when asked about his preference for “big� running backs, BB said; “I wouldn’t rule out anybody. Reggie Bush, I think he could play for us.�

So with all that valuable info now available to you Mel Kiper wannabes, what do you think the Patriots should do with their first round pick? Trade up? Down? Out? Stay where they are? Any specific players you’d like to see?

Final Score
Rays 4
Red Sox 7

Hero of the Night: As is the case with most successful teams, the Red Sox are getting key contributions from different people every game. Mark Loretta played hero Monday. Tuesday, it was a tag-team effort from Kevin Youkilis and Adam Stern. Make sure to check out Chaz Scoggins' game story in today's Sun.

The Greek God of Walks provided the lumber with a clutch, 2-out, 2-run double in the bottom of the 8th. He came around to score on a Loretta single, accounting for the 7-4 final. For the year, Youk is batting .318 with a stellar .426 on base percentage. He’s yet to homer, but he’s a nice upgrade over Kevin Millar defensively at first base. He’s big enough where I’m guessing the power numbers will eventually come.

Stern, who hasn’t hit a lick since a big day in Baltimore, saved the game with a spectacular diving catch for the final out in the 9th. Jonathan Papelbon had loaded the bases as he struggled for the first time this year. Enter the speedy center fielder who dove to rob Damon Hollins of a hit. Had that ball gone past Stern, all three runs would likely have scored to tie the game.

I’m not sure the plan when Coco Crisp returns, but I’d much rather see Stern on the roster than Dustan Mohr when that time comes. I think Dave Roberts pretty much demonstrated the value of a role player who can come in and play good defense while also being a late-inning threat on the base paths.

The Sox record is now 10-4…the Yankees are in last place…the Orioles stink, no matter what they're record says…Tampa is improved…and the Blue Jays appear to be legit. Is it too early to make any determinations? Will this be the year the Bronx Bombers don’t recover from their slow start?

Final Score
Mariners 6
Red Sox 7

Making his Mark: The Fenway faithful got their first taste of what Mark Loretta can do Monday. The 2nd baseman came to town with a reputation as a productive and pesky hitter who would score a ton of runs from the top of this batting order, but has struggled to get on base thus far.

He only got one hit yesterday, but boy did he make it count. Loretta’s first home run of the year was the game-winner in a come-from behind 7-6 victory over Seattle. He also helped out with the glove, making a diving play in the top of the 9th that helped hold the Mariners to just one run in the inning. Let’s hope this is the start of a nice little run for the newcomer.

Nixon for President: I’ve never been a huge Trot Nixon backer, but after his latest absence I might just become President of his fan club. He never became the superstar Lou Gorman led us to believe he’d be, but he’s an above average bat and glove and better than any alternatives the Sox have right now.

The batting order just looks a lot more potent with him in the 5-hole and the outfield is much more secure with him roaming right field instead of Wily Mo Pena. I know Pena is young and can hammer left-handed pitching, but he is such a liability defensively, Terry Francona might be better off letting Trot face southpaws at home and saving Wily Mo for less treacherous ballparks than Fenway.

Overall, 9-4 is a great start considering the Crisp and Nixon injuries. Can the Sox keep up this pace? Or will their weaknesses be exposed once they get into the iron of their schedule?

I love my job. Whether it’s been as a behind the scenes producer, on-air “talent,� or “king of the keyboard,� I’ve been blessed to cover sports for 14-years. In one way or another, I’ve enjoyed every single event I covered.

That is, all except one…the Boston Marathon.

Each year, as they did Monday, thousands of runners from around the world gather in the tiny town of Hopkinton, Mass to begin the 26-mile trek to the Hancock building. And each year, as I did Monday, I sit back and wonder what on earth they’re thinking.

I know why the elite runners do it. In Kenya, the average yearly salary is $1,000. This year’s winner, Robert Cheruiyot made 100-times that, all for running a distance he used to cover 5-days a week going to school.

I also understand why people run for charity. There’s something noble about the Shonda Schillings, the Micky Wards and the thousands of anonymous runners suffering for a good cause. If not, Mother Theresa sure did waste 87-good years.

And the one time even a miserable jerk like me cheers is when Dick and Rick Hoyt cross the finish line. That Dick does it in better time than most who carry less weight on their bodies than he pushes up and down Heartbreak Hill might just be the athletic story of our lifetime.

It’s the rest of the pack I worry about. What’s wrong with you people? Remember laughing at Forrest Gump running just for the sake of running? What? You think the idea of torturing your body for 26-miles is any less ridiculous? Dressing like Superman, Wonder Woman or Father Guido Sarducci doesn’t help your cause, either.

Look, if I’m going to travel to the Hancock building, you can be damn sure I’m going to check on my investments. And believe me, I’m taking my car. If you see me running, that means the meal I just had doesn’t agree with my stomach.

Which brings me to another reason I don’t like the Boston Marathon; it completely killed my crush on Uta Pippig. You remember her, the cute little German who ran the course with that big, infectious smile and finished first 3-consecutive times? Yeah, that’s the same Pippig who crossed the finish line covered in her own waste when she won in 1996. Up till that point, it never once crossed my mind that two and a half hours is a long time between pit stops, if you know what I mean.

Face it, running long distances just isn’t much fun. I don’t care what runners say about the thrill. Their faces tell a different story. Don’t believe me? Next time you’re out on a nice ride with your music blaring and your air conditioning on full blast, take a good look at the faces of the joggers you see. That tortured look on their faces sure makes me want to hop out and join in the fun.

Please don’t lecture me about the health benefits. Jim Fixx wrote the book that started the jogging craze in the 70’s and he died of a heart attack at the age of 52. Know what he was doing when he died? Jogging!

Not me. If I’m going down, I’m going down happy. I can almost visualize it right now; stretched out on the couch…an empty plate that used to be a juicy steak dinner on the table…the laptop displaying my fantasy baseball team’s exploits right in front of me…the remote control firmly in my grasp as I watch a sporting event.

Any sporting event….except the Boston Marathon!

That's my take on the Boston Marathon and running in general...what's yours? Any of you out there ever run a marathon? Can you tell me why you do it?

In case you didn’t notice, the Bruins season ended this past Saturday. As someone who came to love sports in the golden days of Orr, Espo and the Big Bad Bruins, I’m disgusted at how much apathy exists. Even the diehard “Hockey Krishnas� seem to have abandoned ship.

Well, for those of you who believe hockey begins and ends with the black and gold, let me suggest a new team to root for…San Jose! Thanks to the acquisition of Joe Thornton, the Sharks swam from 11th to 5th place in the Western Conference. With one game remaining, Jumbo Joe leads the NHL in scoring with 125-points. His 96-assists are 26 more than Jason Spezza in 2nd place.

The Bruins meanwhile, finished above only Washington and Pittsburgh in the East. Seeing as how the Capitals and Penguins at least have super rookies Alex Ovechkin and Sydney Crosby to build around, I’d say the B’s are the most pathetic team in the conference. I can’t think of better punishment for Jacobs, Sinden, O’Connell and the rest of the clowns running that once proud operation than to watch Thornton skating around the rink with Lord Stanley’s Cup.

So how about it…will you join me on the San Jose bandwagon? Or have the B’s ruined your love of hockey for good?

Final Score
Mariners 2
Red Sox 3

Dueling Aces: It appears Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett have a nice little competition going here. Beckett improved to 3-0 with yesterday’s victory over Seattle, matching Schilling’s perfect start.

Boston's pair of aces and the rest of the Sox starters are reminding me of some famous baseball sayings. When Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain pitched the 1948 Boston Braves to the pennant without much help from the rest of the staff, Gerald Hern of the Boston Post penned a poem that eventually evolved to; “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain. When young Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana (before his junk ball days) toiled for the otherwise pathetic California Angels, the saying became; “Tanana and Ryan and 3 days of cryin’.‿

With the Sox aces 6-0 and the rest of the team only 2-4, the Sox may require their own version of the saying; “Beckett and Schilling and if the lord’s willing.‿

That's the best I can come up with...you have any other suggestions?

Final Score
Mariners 3
Red Sox 0

First for Francona: The intent of this “Noise from the Nation� feature was to give Red Sox fans a chance to do what they do best...second guess and debate every move no matter how meaningful or meaningless it may be in the long run. Hey, WEEI’s made a living off that strategy all these years. Usually, it’s the manager on the hot seat. I guess it’s a testament to how good a job I think Terry Francona does that I waited till the 11th game to really question one of his moves.

My problem with yesterday was the lineup. Do me a favor; check out that box score and count for me the easy outs in that batting order. There were just far too many of them for a team that considers itself a World Series contender.

Now I understand there are some decent reasons for what we saw Saturday at Fenway. The Coco Crisp and Trot Nixon injuries have taken two good weapons out of the manager’s arsenal. I also understand the need to give guys time off here and there, especially with the Mariners tossing a righty in between two southpaws. And of course, there’s this silly (I think) rule that Tim Wakefield must have his personal catcher and that it can’t be the best defensive catcher on the team (Varitek).

But is it necessary to have Adam Stern, Joey Cora, Josh Bard, J.T. Snow and Alex Gonzalez all in the lineup the same day? That’s just far too many weak or unproven hitters for one day, especially a day when the unpredictable Wakefield is on the mound and Manny Ramirez is still swinging the lumber like Fanny Ramirez. (apologies to my female readers!)

Case in point: Scoreless game in the 2nd…the Sox load the bases with no outs. The next three batters are Gonzalez, Stern and Cora. You see what I’m saying here? Next thing you know; strikeout, strikeout, ground out…end of inning. Somehow you just knew with that lineup there wouldn’t be too many more scoring chances on the day. There weren’t!

So that’s my beef with the manager. Do you have any? Or is everyone out there pretty happy with a 7-4 start?

Final Score
Mariners 1
Red Sox 2

“Ace�-ing His Test: I told you when I first started this blog I wouldn’t be afraid to take controversial stands. I also said I wouldn’t be afraid to admit when I was wrong. Well…I was wrong about Curt Schilling. Dead wrong!

I doubted whether a 39-year old could return to form after major ankle surgery. Stupid me! Not only has Schilling come back, but he’s better than he’s ever been in a Red Sox uniform. Even the big righty himself admits he pitched most of 2004 with a bad wheel, and he still won 21-games. He’s even better so far this year.

The numbers don’t lie; 3-0…1.64 ERA…0.64 WHIP. That last stat, my friends, translates to “unhittable.� Last night’s performance against Seattle was the best yet. “Curt on the Car Phone� dialed up only 104-pitches to make it through 8-innings, giving up a run, 3-hits, and ringing up 7-K’s along the way.

Now I’m guessing this level of complete dominance won’t continue. He’s bound to suffer a few bumps along the road, and who knows, perhaps that near 40-year old body will wear down come the dog days of August. But for now, I’m just going to sit back and enjoy watching one of the best at his craft working for the home team. And I’ll be glad I was wrong.

In “Kneed� of More Rest: On the other hand, I fear I’m being proven correct about David Wells..

For the second time in the young season, Wells is headed back to the disabled list because of a bum knee. The team called up Jermaine Van Buren from Pawtucket to replace the lefty on the roster, though there’s no word yet on who will take Wells’ spot in the rotation. Van Buren has tossed 4-scoreless innings of relief for the PawSox.

What I want to know from you is; who should start in place of Wells…DiNardo? Someone else from Pawtucket? Or better yet, is it time to do what they should have done right out of spring training and inserted Jonathan Papelbon into the rotation and cut their losses with Wells forever?

A bit of clarification here for loyal reader and poster T2 who writes:

"Come on Teddy, how do you define depth? Starters 3 thru 5 consists of Wakefield, Clement and Wells. 2 of 3 of which have winning lifetime records. And a bullpen that consists of not only Foulke, Timlin and Papelbon, but also Riske, Tavarez, Dinardo with Craig Hansen waiting in the wings. I'd say that's pretty deep."

Depth is difficult to define because it’s so subjective. (What isn’t in sports?) I guess the best way to put it is to borrow from former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart who famously said of pornography; “I know it when I see it.‿ So pardon me while I make like Edward Scissorhands and cut up the argument.

The Yankees had depth with Pettitte, Clemens, Wells, El Duque, Mussina and the rest of the 90’s dynasty crew. The Braves had it with Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz and Avery. The White Sox had it (temporarily) with last year’s Buehrle, Contreras, Garcia and Garland collection. The 2006 Red Sox do not.

Let’s leave aside middle relief for a minute, because I can’t believe you have any faith in a crew consisting of DiNardo, Riske, Seanez and Tavarez. I'll worry about depth in the minor leagues when it gets to the majors...too many Brian Roses and Bobby Sprowls have passed before my eyes to get excited about the future...I live in the present.

Now let’s focus on the three starters mentioned. Wakefield, while incredibly valuable as an innings eater, has a career record of 145-124 with a 4.29 ERA while pitching for mostly good or very good Red Sox teams. I’d consider that average.

I looked up the definition of mediocre in the dictionary and it had Matt Clement’s picture next to it. Clement’s career record is 83-82 with a 4.41 ERA…almost perfectly mediocre! Next to his picture, the dictionary said; also see choker.

Clement’s ERA before the all-star game last year; 3.85…after the break; 5.72. I know it’s popular to blame the line drive he took to the head for the decline, so I looked at the year before. Clement’s 2004 ERA pre-all-star game; 2.91…after; 5.09. See a pattern? Think the Cubs knew something when they yanked him from the rotation in September of ‘04? And I’ll spare us the horror show of his “mound meltdown‿ in Game-1 against Chicago last year.

As for my favorite whipping boy, David Wells need I remind people...he’s 43-freakin years old!!! His career record does us absolutely no good the older he gets. It's like saying Elizabeth Taylor was hot once. No kidding, but Hugh Hefner dropped her number from the speed dial years ago.

Those are my thoughts on the Sox depth. I don’t see it…case closed...unless T2 or someone else would like to re-open it!

Final Score
Blue Jays 8
Red Sox 6

Follow the Formula: The blueprint that worked so well week one (solid starting pitching, timely hitting and lights out relief) has been replaced by extended batting practice, too many men left on base and mop-up duty. The results, not surprisingly, haven’t been very good. Dave Pevear has last night’s game story in today’s Sun.

All I’ll add is that the Sox starting pitching isn’t as deep as some members of “The Nation� believe. Beckett and Schilling are great, but beyond that, mediocrity runs rampant until you get to Timlin, Foulke and Papelbon. Two great starters are enough in the playoffs, but you must get there first. Remember the year Pedro and D-Lowe both won 20 and the BoSox still didn’t make the post-season?

Clement, in particular, reminds me of the chick you pick up at closing time. She (he) may look o.k. in your drunken stupor, but when you take the beer goggles off in the morning (games that count) you realize she (he) isn’t as attractive as you were led to believe.

Manny being Manny: In 2005, Manny Ramirez didn't hit his first HR until April 16th, at which point he was batting just .211. Well, Manny is off to a slow start again, and it’s killing the offense right now. Perhaps it’s the delayed spring training arrival. Perhaps it’s unhappiness in Boston. Perhaps it’s the wrong hair style. Whatever is causing it, I hope it ends soon because as we found out last year, every single game counts in a pennant race…April or September.

Far From D-O-N-E: As for my friend Christo who keeps chiming in about Keith Foulke, I hope you watched last night. The guy is pitching very well since opening day and if it weren’t for a Wily Mo Pena misplay, he’d have four consecutive scoreless appearances. If you ask me, I’d rather see Foulke on the mound instead of that Yankee in Red Sox clothing (Wells) any day of the week!

So what’s the thought process now gang…are Boston’s Boys of Summer as good as they looked the first week, as bad as they looked the last two nights, or somewhere in between?

Posted By LYNN WORTHY, Sun Staff

Something is missing from the last class of high school entries into the NBA.

That something?

Numbers.

Apparently, the lack of eye-popping numbers from the latest crop of youngsters left the folks at USA Today with an empty feeling. On Thursday they drew attention to the less than gaudy averages of the eight rookies drafted straight out of high school this past year.

They even pointed out that five of the eight had spent time in the Developmental League. And they did include our own Gerald Green of the Boston Celtics and his 3.4 points per game and just 209 minutes in 27 games.

How short a memory we must have. It doesn’t take a lot to think back to Kobe Bryant’s first year with the Lakers or Jermaine O‘Neal‘s first two seasons with the Trailblazers.

Bryant scorched scoresheets with 7.6 points per game and 1.9 rebounds per game in 1996-1997. O’Neal filled up stat columns to the tune of 4.1 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per game in 1996-1997 and 4.5 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game in 1997-1998.

Wow, I see what they mean. The numbers guys like Green are putting up are completely unacceptable. Especially these:

• Apr. 7 against Philadelphia - 6 of 9 shooting for 17 points in 25 minutes



• Apr. 9 against New York - 6 of 13 shooting for 14 points in 35 minutes



• Apr. 12 against Indiana - 10 of 16 shooting for 22 points in 27 minutes

In other words, don't worry about the high school kids. The final bell hasn't sounded just yet.

Where do you fall when it comes to this year’s crop of high school draftees like Gerald Green? On the NBA’s new rule stopping high school kids from being drafted? On Gerald Green’s future in Celtic green?

Final Score
Blue Jays 8
Red Sox 4

Boomer Goes Bust: Guess David Wells isn’t ready to pitch to major leaguers after all. At least he was kind enough to throw extra batting practice for the Blue Jays. 7-runs and 10-hits in 4+ innings is a bad enough line, but it could have been a lot worse were it not for one outstanding play and two double plays started by Alex Gonzalez. Perhaps next time, Wells will listen when his manager tells him he should toss some rehab assignments. Until then, he should shut his mouth and be grateful any team is willing to pay $8-million a year to an old, overweight loudmouth whose best days are far behind him.

Lots of “Glove‿ for Alex: Speaking of Gonzalez, he is phenomenal in the field. He can’t hit a lick, but at least he’s not letting it affect his play. So far, the Fenway faithful have been appreciative, but I wonder how much longer he can hit under his weight before the masses turn on him. For now, I’m willing to just sit back and enjoy the glove work.

Which brings up an interesting debate…the Red Sox never really had good defensive shortstops while I grew up watching them. Even Nomar was very overrated as a fielder, in my opinion. But the last 3-years have brought us Pokey Reese, Orlando Cabrera and now Gonzalez. (Notice I didn’t include Rent-a-wrek on the list) Those three have finally taught us what outstanding shortstop play is all about.

So which one of the three do you think is the best defensively? In my mind, Cabrera was the better all-around player, Pokey the best fielder, though a few more games and I might give the nod to Gonzo.

What’s your take? And how about the charming Mr. Wells. Is he done? Or was last ngiht just a bump in the road?

News Flash: The Patriots and Richard Seymour reach agreement on a long-term contract extension. Details have not been released and the deal can’t officially be signed until August, but Seymour is expected to be among the highest paid defensive lineman in the league.

Teddy’s Take: The best news to come out of Foxboro this off-season! On a team that promotes the “system� above individual accomplishment, this is one guy, along with Tom Brady, the Patriots can ill afford to lose. As much as Seymour has accomplished already, it’s hard to believe he’s only 26-years old.

I’ve been a bit critical of Bill Belichick this off-season, but he hit paydirt with this move. There’s been lots of speculation that part of the reason the Pats were reluctant to hand out generous contracts to retain some of their free agents was because they were keeping money aside to sign Seymour and Deion Branch. Without knowing the exact figures, it’s safe to assume the 4-time Pro Bowler will eat up a good chunk of the $20-million or so New England is under the salary cap without crippling the team’s future financial flexibility.

A quick word about Seymour here; as big a terror as he is on the field, he’s been nothing but a model citizen off it. He’s a great representative for the franchise in the media and in public, and the way he handled his dissatisfaction with last year’s contract situation scored some major points with me. Seymour held out briefly, but kept his mouth shut and attended the ring ceremony at Robert Kraft’s house and never became a disruption. It’s good to have him here for the long-term!

So Pats fans, did you let out a collective sigh of relief? Or was there never any doubt about Seymour going anywhere else? Is Branch next in line for a big payday? Is this move enough, or does Belichick still have a ways to go to plug all the holes left by free agency?

Final Score
Blue Jays 3
Red Sox 5

Backing Beckett: The Fenway Faithful got their first up-close look at Josh Beckett, and they surely like what they see. Despite 1st inning struggles, the Sox new ace held Toronto to one run in 7-innings. Beckett is now 2-0 on the season with a 1.29 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. (remember the importance of that stat?) If he avoids the blister problems that plagued him in years past, he will easily win 20-games with this lineup behind him and be right in the thick of the Cy Young race.

M.A.S.H. Unit: Boston’s outfield will have its depth seriously challenged the next few days with Trot Nixon joining Coco Crisp on the sidelines for the next 5-7 days. That means plenty of playing time for Adam Stern, Wily Mo Pena and Dustin Mohr. Stern has been a pleasant surprise, though his outstanding play for Canada in the World Baseball Classic hinted at more ability than we gave him credit for.

Pena, on the other hand, may be the biggest disappointment of an otherwise stellar first week. At the plate, the kid looks more out of place than Mike Dukakis in a tank…and he isn’t much better in the field. Perhaps regular playing time will shake him out of the doldrums, but the switch from a fastball league (National) to a junk ball league (American) isn’t helping this free-swinger.

Bashing Bronson: On a related note, Bronson Arroyo belted his 2nd home run of the season yesterday while also tossing 7-shutout innings. I’d make the trade again in a heartbeat, but you have to be happy for Arroyo.

So what’s the early season verdict…is Beckett a Cy Young winner in the making? Will the losses of Coco Crisp and Trot Nixon prove costly? Who will hit more home runs this year….Wily Mo or Bronson?

Referring to opening day, the Yankee Clipper Joe DiMaggio once said; “You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.�

Of course Joltin’ Joe was a ballplayer, so getting to and through opening day was kid’s play for him. But as those of us who don’t get to step between the lines know all too well, opening day can sometimes be more trouble than it’s really worth.

So with the Red Sox ready to take Fenway’s field for the first time in ’06, I thought I’d throw together a little primer to help you through the day. Consider it just another gift from your friendly, neighborhood blogger. Free of charge, because the rest of opening day could bankrupt you.

The first dilemma one faces is scoring tickets. Unless you have a season account or know a season ticket holder who suffered the loss of an immediate family member, your only choice is armed robbery or scalping. If you’ve had the “pleasure� of purchasing opening day seats from a scalper, you realize the only difference between the two is the word armed.

The next obstacle is finding an excuse good enough to get you out of work or school. Sports fans may view opening day as a holiday. Unfortunately, bosses and principals do not. This is where creativity counts. A simple illness might not cut it. You’ll probably need to embellish with something timely. My suggestion: “the noxious fumes from Duck Island caused me to pass out and whack my noggin.�

Once that’s taken care of, you have to actually get to the ballpark. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Between traffic and lack of surrounding parking, a trip to Kenmore Square by car takes more time than the average New Englander gets in sleep. You’d also be amazed how quickly $50 parking lots fill up.

Once in the ballpark, I’ve found the most important thing is to avoid the beer lines. Between the tedious pre-game ceremonies and normally bone-chilling weather, visits to the vendors can come early and often. (That’s if the traffic jam hasn’t already caused you to crack open a few big boy beverages in the car) But drinking too much can lead to numerous scenarios, most of them bad.

For example, it makes the trek to your seat hazardous. Not only must you struggle to walk a straight line among a mass of humanity moving slower than a Lowell public school project, but the temptation to make a wise crack to one of the hundreds of politicians in attendance can be overwhelming. “Senator Kennedy, how was the ride over the bridge?� may draw some chuckles in Texas, but it’s a sure-fire way to turn the old ballyard into not so friendly Fenway.

To summarize, my tips for attending opening day at Fenway are simple. Take out another mortgage on your house to buy tickets. Lie to the people who hold your financial future in their hands. Set out on the drive before Katie Couric and Al Roker wake up for work. Avoid the one thing that makes the entire day bearable…booze. And only harass the Massachusetts Republicans in attendance…both of them.

Or, you can just stay home and watch on TV like I will. At least then you can drink and heckle me on my blog!

What are your thoughts on the Red Sox hope opener? What's the best excuse you've heard for taking the day off from school or work?

News Flash: The Red Sox sign David Ortiz to a 4-year contract extension, reportedly in the neighborhood of $12-million dollars per year. The deal runs through 2010, with a club option for 2011.

Teddy’s Take: See, they do have money to spend when they want to. The best part of this deal in my eyes is that the Sox kept one of their superstars in town and never let him get close to the free agent market to really test his value. Anyone care to guess how much “Georgie Porgie� would pay to have a left-handed bat like that slugging away in the House that Ruth Built?

On the surface, 12-mill a year for a player as valuable as Ortiz is a bargain, but a closer look shows Big Papi to be the highest paid DH in baseball. (Jim Thome is making over $14-million, but that’s part of a deal he signed with the Phillies as a 1st baseman) Still, it’s money well spent. As Ortiz showed during the 2004 World Series run and 2005 MVP runner-up season, there isn’t a better bat in baseball to have at the plate with a game on the line. It’s comforting to know he’ll be right in the heart of the Sox batting order for at least 4-more years….positively terrifying if you’re a Yankee fan!

So Red Sox Nation, how glad are you to know Big Papi is safely in the fold? Were you worried this might drag on and he'd get a "Godfather" offer in free agency?

Final Score
Red Sox 4
Orioles 1

Winning Formula: The Red Sox seem to have perfected a nice little formula for winning; solid starting pitching, lights out relief and timely hitting. It’s a mixture that works quite well in the regular season and very well come playoff time. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. For now, Boston’s Boys of Summer are 5-1 with the home opener on tap tomorrow and I, for one, am enjoying the ride so far.

Oh Oh Coco: The Sox may be without Coco Crisp for anywhere from 1-2 months. The centerfielder reportedly has a broken knuckle suffered while sliding Saturday night. He didn’t play yesterday and is going to be examined today. If that is indeed the timetable, Boston will have a huge hole in the lineup and in the field. Adam Stern will help fill the void, but expect Wily Mo Pena to see a significant increase in playing time and be the starter until Crisp returns.

A Fan of Foulke: Let me take a moment to give a shout out to Keith Foulke. Not so much for his impressive 8th inning of work Sunday, but for the way he’s handled the demotion. Not only has he not whined about it in the media, he actually looks like he’s helping young Mister Papelbon learn the ropes. Perhaps it’s a sad indictment of athletes these days, but the fact Foulke is putting team ahead of himself and his pride is worth some cheering when he’s introduced tomorrow!

Are the Sox in some trouble if Crisp is out a significant period of time? Is anyone of you heading to the home opener tomorrow? If so, are you playing hookey to do so? And will you cheer Keith Foulke?

Final Score
Red Sox 2
Orioles 1

Case Closed…: Once again, Terry Francona turned to Jonathan Papelbon to protect a 2-1 lead in the 9th inning. Once again, Papelbon dominated, retiring the Orioles 1-2-3 and punctuating the performance with a strikeout of Kevin Millar. At the moment this kid’s stuff is electric, and for the Sox to have the best chance to win games right now, he needs to stay in this role.

…Or is it?: Which brings us to what’s best in the long run…Papelbon as starter or closer? I heard Peter Gammons on radio this morning, and he made an interesting point; If and when either Schilling, Beckett or Wells goes down with injury (a very good possibility), will you have a better chance of finding a good starter to take their spot or a better chance of Keith Foulke, Mike Timlin or Craig Hanson being able to handle the closer’s role? It’s an interesting dilemma because we, as fans, live day to day. If it’s working, don’t mess with it, and Papelbon as closer is working just fine. Just remember, the longer he stays in this role, the tougher it will be to stretch him out as a starter. That’s why Francona and Theo get paid the big bucks…to make tough decisions like this. We get paid to second-guess!

“Yanking" Our Chain: Are the Yankees done? Or is this just another example of a slow start that they’re sure to overcome. I mean, they have to have a bad year sometime, don’t they? But I wouldn’t bet on it being 2006. For one, they’ve played two pretty good teams in the A’s and Angels. Second, they had a horrific first 2-months last year and still won the division. Finally, the last time they began a season 1-4 was in 1998. Care to guess how many games they won that year? Try 114.

The plan was to wait until after the Bruins season had officially ended (savvy hockey fans knew it was really over the second they traded Joe Thornton) before writing an obituary type piece burying them.

That was before one of our loyal readers and commentators sent an email, basically doing my work for me. By now you should all know two things about me….how much I love to bash the current B’s ownership/management group and how much I love to take the easy way out of work. Presented with an opportunity to do both, here in its entirety is RobzRantz email, titled Bashing the B’s:

I suppose this Rant is a little late. But I wanted to make sure I collected all my thoughts on this subject.

SCREW THE BRUINS. I've had it with this Ownership/Management Group.

Jeremy Jacobs
Over the past few years this former absentee owner has shown his face in and around Boston by showing up on Sunday Night Sports Shows and WEEI Radio. This last ditch effort is to appear that Jacobs gives a crap about YOU, the Bruins fan. Attendance at the Garden for the B's has declined over the years and Mr. Jacobs knows the fan base is starting to smarten up and take notice of the goings on Causeway St.

Yes, Jacobs is a big supporter of local charities, most notably the Jimmy Fund, but giving money to charities is the LEAST he could do and it's quite evident that he is in business to do THE LEAST HE CAN DO. A business man with no ties or loyalties to the Boston area he is nothing more than Joe Pesci in "The Super", , a Slumlord who collects the rent and lets the buildings just rot.

Mike O'Connell
From day 1 we knew that O'Connell was just another Sinden in that he wasn't going to spend money on free agents. And then came Martin (No Points) Lapointe. Then we knew O'Connell was also bad at evaluating talent. Pre and Post-Lock out we heard nothing except how the Bruins Management was poised to become a BIG player in the Free Agent game. After all, it was the current CBA that caused the B's to be so FRUGAL for all those years. Or at least that is what they told us. These last Free Agent signings were proof positive of the ineptness of Bruins Management. The "product" they put on the ice was not worthy of our Storied Franchise or City. They couldn't score or play defense and I believe even Alexander Hamilton had better luck in SHOOTOUTS.

Harry Sinden
I'm sorry but the "Fuzzy Ole Grandpa" act isn’t doing it for me. NEVER HAS FAILURE BEEN MORE REWARDED SINCE THE G.W. BUSH RE-ELECTION. He threw O'Connell under the bus faster than you can say Mariusz Czerkawski. Let's not be fooled, Sinden put his stamp of approval on EVERY move O'Connell made. With the current skipper and 1st mate the S.S. Bruins will suffer the same fate as the S.S. Minnow. For years the Bruins have been considered a joke but who knew the laughs were at OUR expense.

Well, there you have it...couldn't have said it better myself! You folks out there agree with Robz Rant? Is there any hope for this once proud franchise?

Final Score
Red Sox 14
Orioles 8

Wild About Cabrera: Not much suspense in this one thanks to Daniel Cabrera. The Orioles gigantic righty took a walk on the wild side, walking 6-batters in the first inning after Coco Crisp’s leadoff bunt single. The Sox capitalized with 4-runs, then added three more in the second thanks to another Cabrera walk and some lousy Baltimore relief pitching. Think Leo Mazzone regrets leaving Atlanta to oversee this collection of pitching talent?

Oh My Darling “Clement-ine�: Another nice performance from a Boston starter. This time it’s the much maligned Matt Clement shining. Clement tossed 6-shutout innings before giving up 4-runs in the 7th, an inning he probably shouldn’t have pitched with an 11-0 lead. But Terry Francona seems to be stretching his starters out, as he did the same thing with Curt Schilling in the season opener. With how rocky the middle relievers have been, perhaps it’s not such a bad idea after all.

All is not Wells: Keeping with the pitching theme, David Wells made a rehab start in Pawtucket and got slapped around a bit. The big lefty gave up 7-runs in 5-innings, walking three and surrendering 2-gopher balls in the process. He’s still in line to make his season debut next Wednesday. Hope he shows better form.

So gang...3-1 after 4-games...is this what you expected? Can Clement finally become a consistent season-long starter or will he just wilt away when the pressure builds? Should we expect anything from Wells in '06?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

It really doesn’t matter if the game is basketball, hockey, Parcheesi, or curling, the playoffs are still the playoffs.

Scotland’s skip David Murdoch made that point crytsal clear without saying a word when he angrily slammed his broom at the conclusion of the first end of Scotland’s match with Canada in the 1 versus 2 match-up yesterday afternoon.

On the surface Scotland relented the hammer and just one point to Canada, but Murdoch knew the vital rule of post-season play: Dig a hole early and the chances are you’ll never get out of it.

The Canadians went on to score three in the second end to go up 4-0, followed by one in the third end, and by the time the fifth end wrapped up the Scots were looking at an 8-1 defecit. The match wrapped up with Canada taking it by a final score of 8-2 in just six ends shortly before 4 o’clock this afternoon.

Canada will now wait to see who their opponent will be on Sunday. The USA-Norway tilt taking place at 7 p.m. tonight will decide who faces Scotland on Saturday for the right to play Canada.

News Flash: The Patriots attempt to plug 2-holes by signing safety Tebucky Jones and Placekicker Martin Gramatica.

Teddy’s Take: In Bill I trust….In Bill I trust! I have to, otherwise I’d be downright pessimistic about New England’s off-season thus far.

The Pats are probably looking at Jones as more of a special-teamer than a safety. Anyone who remembers his first stint in Foxboro will tell you Tebucky was known more for his bone jarring hits than his coverage skills. If the intention is to plug the hole left by Matt Chatham’s departure from special teams, this is a good move. If Jones ends up having to fill in for Rodney Harrison, the Pats are going to be in some trouble.

Gramatica is a decent gamble, but a definite step down from Adam Vinatieri. (Then again, who isn’t?) At one time one of the top kickers in the league, “Automatica� last played in the NFL in 2004 and struggled noticeably, especially from the 40+ yard distances that define kickers. He underwent surgery to repair a torn abdomen muscle and missed all of ’05.

Going from the warmth of Tampa to the frigid late-season conditions of Foxboro won’t help the cause, but Gramatica does provide as good an option at the position as you’re going to find at this stage. I fully expect New England to draft a college kicker and let the best man win come training camp.

So what about it Pats fans…these moves get you pumped and jacked, as Pete Carroll used to say? Are you disappointed that Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli haven’t done more to upgrade a roster with some serious holes to fill right now?

Final Score
Red Sox 2
Rangers 1

New Sheriff in Town: Move over David Ortiz…the Sox now have another Big Papi they can count on in the clutch. Jonathan Papelbon collected his first career save with a perfect 9th inning last night. Forget Terry Francona’s talk about Keith Foulke still being the closer. He’s not even the top setup man. Closers and setup men pitch the 8th and 9th innings of 2-1 ballgames, as Mike Timlin and Papelbon did. If the Sox had any faith in Foulke, they’d have brought him in somewhere last night, instead of in a mop-up role Monday. Francona can spin this any way he wants, but the genie’s now out of the bottle. Jonathan Papelbon is Boston’s new closer, and he should be!

“Josh� What the Doctor Ordered: Josh Beckett’s impressive debut is exactly what the BoSox had in mind when they traded top prospect Hanley Ramirez to the Marlins. After a shaky first inning, Beckett manhandled a potent Texas lineup. It’s performances like this that make the money the Sox took on in Mike Lowell more than worth it. When you have a chance to get a legitimate ace, you don’t pass it up, no matter the cost.

Coco “Crisp� in Center: Judging by the opening series, Coco Crisp’s shift from left to center field won’t be much of a problem. Boston’s new man in the middle chased down numerous fly balls and made a couple of outstanding plays. Don’t know how his bat will play out in the long run compared to Johnny Damon, but early indications are the Red Sox haven’t lost anything in the field, and may have even improved in that area.

What are your thoughts on the closer situation? Is Foulke done? How impressed were you with Beckett’s performance? Can we finally put Johnny Damon behind us or does Coco still have a lot to prove?

Posted By: Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

It’s official, he is the reincarnation of The Babe. Bronson Arroyo not only got the job done on the hill, he took the opposing pitcher deep in his first start for the Reds.

Sox pitcher Matt Clement will have his work cut out for him on Friday night in his first start of the season if he wants to match Arroyo's output.

Arroyo’s line: 6.2 innings, 6 hits, 3 earned runs, 7 strikeouts, and 1 win.

At the plate: 1 for 1 with a homer, 1 run batted in, 1 run scored, and a walk. His batting average after one game is 1.000.

The question is, after Terry Francona chose to leave Keith Faulke in the bullpen to collect dust last night while Jonathan Papelbon shut the door in the ninth, will the bigger regret for the BoSox be shipping Arroyo out after he took the hometown discount, or will the big regret be not finding a way to ship Faulke somewhere, perhaps to Burger King?

What are the thoughts of you out there in Red Sox Nation?

Posted By: Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

After a full day to step back, I dare say the women’s Final Four in Beantown this weekend, with the University of Maryland capturing its first championship in the history of the women’s basketball program, was the better take of the two NCAA Basketball Final Fours.

True, the early part of the game was more than a little sloppy, but you can’t ask for a whole lot more than a fast-paced game with a team coming back from down 13 points, a three-pointer with less than 10 seconds left to send the game into overtime, and a national title game ultimately decided by a three-point margin.

After all, it was about time somebody was able to cheer for a championship at the new Garden.

In all seriousness, the women’s side did have storylines. There was the LSU and the nation’s leading scorer Seimone Augustus. North Carolina rolled through the regular season with one loss during the entire regular season and one junior guard, Ivory Latta, who looks like she might be able to bench press more than USC running back LenDale White. Then there was the tremendously successful Duke program and “Coach G� still looking for their first title. And finally, there was Maryland and their fourth-year head coach leading a team with no senior starters to the school’s first Final Four appearance.

As for the men, the fellas from Florida did their thing and beat up on UCLA, leading by 20 points at one point. Somehow, Florida’s Joakim Noah became the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Yeah, his father was a famous tennis player, but I can’t be the only one who thinks (a) the kid needs to get rid of that long-haired ponytail before he gets mistaken for a women’s player, and (b) The Scarecrow, as I’ll now refer to him Noah, ain’t going to be able to play down low in the NBA.

Can I be the only one who thinks the women’s game just might have been the one to watch this year instead of the Joakim lovefest???

Sometimes words aren't necessary. The picture tells a story in itself. However, feel free to post your own comments. And yes, I realize minus the blonde hair and butt hanging out the mouth, the rest of the shot resembles me at the practice range!

(photo courtesy of The Augusta Chronicle)

Final Score
Red Sox 4
Rangers 10

Splitting Aces: While this may be a good idea at the blackjack table, I just don’t understand the Red Sox fascination with this strategy. Can someone please explain? Will major league hitters really get that confused because Tim Wakefield pitches in between Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett? It didn’t seem to make much of a difference in ‘04 when they split Pedro and Schilling. And if it’s such a great strategy, why didn’t they do it in the playoffs that year? The answer; because it’s stupid to not have your best pitchers pitch one right after the other, playoffs or regular season.

No Bard of Avon: Josh Bard’s debut catching Wakefield wasn’t exactly poetry in motion. (Break out your Shakespeare if you missed that one) Three passed balls, plus a terrible outing from Wake. Mark Loretta for Doug Mirabelli was a great trade for the Sox, but with most of the knuckleballer’s rough outings last year coming when Mirabelli was injured, might the Sox be better off if the team’s best catcher, Jason Varitek, chased the knuckler and let Bard be someone else’s personal backstop?

Ordinarily, 9:00am is an ungodly hour for a sports guy to show up at work. Heck if I wanted to do that, I’d get a real job. But then I’d have to really work for a living, so scratch that idea.

Still, seeing as how I’ve intentionally woken up to watch 5:00am World Cup Soccer matches or the Canadian cable channel’s Olympic coverage, I figure a 7:30 wake up call for a World Championship event right here in my back yard isn’t too much of an inconvenience. (Of course, I’d rather they allowed me to import my blanket and a couch so I could watch in comfort, but hey, who’s complaining)

Here then, is a taste of the 2006 World Curling Championships as seen through a tired, unstable mind:

8:54am: You’ve heard of Breakfast at Wimbledon? Breakfast at Tsongas consists of a cup of coffee and a chocolate biscotti. Note to self: get back to the concession stand and try the cannoli. (Hey, you think this body comes naturally?)

9:00am: The morning’s matches begin, with less than 100-spectators in attendance. A wise guy might comment how this is just like a Lock Monsters or River Hawks game. Not that I would ever say anything like that.

9:06am: I quickly realize I’m lost without announcers. Despite watching curling as a kid (don’t ask, I told you I was strange) and during the last 2 Winter Olympics, I simply can’t understand the strategy without an expert describing what’s going on. Any pretense of me reporting on the matches or analyzing the strategy is now officially out the window.

9:13am: I knew American “skip� Pete Fenson was cool, not because he won a bronze medal at the last Olympics, but because he owns and operates a pizza place. There’s something to be said for someone who toils in a kitchen. What I didn’t know was how cool his friends and family were. There’s a group of about 15 of them across the way, cheering and leading chants that are answered by another group across the arena. The U.S.A. outfits and Uncle Sam hats they’re wearing complete the image.

9:34am: Now they’ve done it. Fenson’s clan takes me back to my high school days by breaking out the “La-di-dah� cheer made famous by teen cheerleaders throughout the country. Makes me want to run out on a court somewhere and miss a wide open jumper.

9:54am: In the restaurant business, we have this saying, “the bus just rolled in,� meaning a wave of customers is about to enter the building. Well, here at Tsongas Arena, the bus just rolled in…literally. Scores of schoolchildren are filing into the arena, filling almost two entire sections. Don’t know if they know much about the sport, but I have a feeling it’s going to get a lot louder in here soon.

10:02am: Yup, I was right. A shot by Fenson just drew the loudest response of the morning, and well it should have. The “stone� just earned team U.S.A. 4-points and a commanding 6-1 lead over Germany.

10:31am: The Fenson clan has now fanned out across the arena and is leading cheers right in front of the school sections. Pretty good stuff. Much like a soccer match, some of the best activity is taking place in the stands. The kids seem to be really enjoying themselves, and some of it doesn’t even have to do with the fact they’re not in class right now.

10:35am: A quick glance to my left shows Finland with a commanding 12-3 lead over Denmark. Is there a mercy rule?

10:36am: I have my answer. No mercy rule, but the two teams are shaking hands. Much like a beaten golfer conceding a putt, the Danes have decided they no longer want to sweep. Wonder if that works at home with their wives?

10:40am: Blowouts everywhere. Left to right, the scoreboards read 12-3, 6-1, 7-2 and 6-1. Unlike the ignorant blogger, me thinks the schedule makers knew what they were doing putting these groups together in the sparsely attended morning sessions.

11:04am: The Germans finally concede. The Americans improve to a tournament best 7-1 record with the favored Canadians awaiting them tomorrow night. Fenson shakes hands with teammates and opponents, then walks the length of the ice smiling at and waving to the cheering fans. Believe it or not, I think I’m watching the birth of a folk hero right before my eyes.

11:12 am: All matches have now been conceded. The arena lights are turned down and the kids begin filing back out to the buses earlier than expected. Bet they’d rather stay here and watch more curling.

Then again, so would I. Despite the fact I didn’t quite get all the strategy and goings on, the atmosphere was kind of fun. I’ll definitely be back for some of the bigger matches. I’m guessing this place gets downright electric when the hundreds of Canadians in town fill up the Tsongas.

A lot of these people drove for days to get here and others flew in from around the world. Your trip is much shorter. You should make it at least once!

News Flash: Roger Clemens visits the Red Sox clubhouse prior to their season opener in Texas. Clemens and his agents hold a “private� meeting with Theo Epstein in an office with a window where all players and media could see what was going on.

Teddy’s Take: Will McDonough dubbed Clemens “The Texas Con Man� and the late great sportswriter would have been proud of the shell game the Rocket participated in yesterday. Talk about a staged media circus, all for the eyes of one George Steinbrenner.

Listen folks, forget all this retirement b.s. emanating from the Clemens camp. He’s going to pitch this year, and he’ll pitch in Houston if the Astros are in playoff contention and the money is in the right ballpark.

Should the Astros and the Club Med rules they let the Rocket play by fall out of contention, Clemens will go to the highest bidder between the Red Sox and Yankees. As we well know, and as the Red Sox remind us every time they don’t pony up the cash for a star player, Boston’s Boys of Summer simply can’t compete with Georgie Porgie at the high stakes table.

If Steinbrenner wants Clemens in pinstripes instead of crimson hose, that’s what he’ll wear. Forget the sentimental talk about Boston and the tears in his kids’ eyes as they watched the video. “The Texas Con Man� has always been about the money, and this time will be no different.

I say, let the Yankees have the fraud! He's a far different pitcher in the American League and he no longer scares anyone in the playoffs. Not that he ever did!

What are your thoughts on Roger Clemens? Is anyone buying the retirement talk? Do the Red Sox really have a chance to land the Rocket?

Well, since it seems Red Sox talk dominates the comment pages, I thought I’d introduce Noise from the Nation, a game by game post where you guys and gals can feel free to do what you do best; argue and second-guess every single game and strategy decision.

I’ll basically put out a couple of thoughts and fun facts from each game, then leave it to you to chime in with your nightly observations. I’m sure the typical Sox-Yankees war of words will continue, but I’d also love to hear from some of the more “rational� readers out there who live and die with the BoSox on a game by game basis.

Final Score
Red Sox 7
Rangers 3

Sharp Schill: Curt Schilling put aside his spring struggles to toss 7-impressive innings. The 117-pitches might have been a bit unnecessary and I’ll be curious to see how he responds next start, as he often struggled in 2004 after outings with high pitch counts. Still, it’s nice to see Curt flashing his dominant form.

What the Foulke? Looked like a repeat of last year as Keith Foulke gave up a run on two hits in the 9th inning. Even more troubling was how the Rangers seemed to hit every mistake hard. A few more like this one, and mister Papelbon will get a shot at closing sooner rather than later.

Coco vs. Loco: Some fuel for the Crisp vs. Damon arguments; Crisp goes 1-for-5 at the plate with 2-runs scored and 2-K’s while also playing some sharp “D� in center. Damon turns in a 3-for-7 performance with 2-runs and 1-RBI while striking out once. On the whole, I’d say both clubs are happy with their respective centerfielders after opening day.

So what are your opening day thoughts?

The first week of April is a time when sports thoughts turn green, from the sparkling grass on opening day and the obscene money rookies make for being chosen early in the upcoming NFL draft, to the hideous jacket the world’s best golfers will compete for at the Masters.

And that’s where my thoughts come in. Thoughts that turn green with envy.

You see, I hate Tiger Woods. There, I said it! I hate Tiger Woods.

It’s not like I don’t have reason to. I mean, before Tiger came along, golfing was so easy. You could hop in your car, drive out to any public course no matter the time of day and tee off within minutes, often alone and able to play as many balls as you cared to play until you hit a shot that ended up where you wanted it to. Thanks to the Tiger-led golf explosion, those days are long gone, like so many of my tee shots.

Then there’s the price of playing itself. In the Tiger era a round of golf at your average course costs more than what the illegal immigrants lining American streets in protest make a week. Let’s not even get into equipment, because my first car was less expensive than my last driver and that ridiculously priced Titleist I shank is more juiced than a major league slugger.

So you see, I do have legit reasons for hating Tiger Woods. It’s just that the petty ones far outweigh the rational ones.

For example; When Tiger was in grade school, his dad taught him the inner workings of a golf swing. When I was in grade school, my dad taught me the inner workings of a restaurant dishwasher.

Between the ages of 18-20, Tiger won 3 consecutive U.S. Amateur championships, competed in the Masters and British Open, signed $60-million in endorsement deals and was selected Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. Between the ages of 18-20, I won a Greek Church League basketball championship, made my first $20 tip, and was selected for jury duty.

At the age of 21, Tiger won his first Masters by a record 12-stroke margin. At the age of 21, I became old enough to drink.

At the age of 25, Tiger started dating gorgeous Swedish model and nanny, Elin Nordegren, whom he would eventually marry. At the age of 25, I got Blanche from the Club Diner to wink at me while dropping off a late night plate of ham and eggs.

At the age of 28, despite having already won 8 major tournaments and holding the number one ranking in the world for 264 consecutive weeks, Tiger decides to remake his swing for the second time because he sees room for improvement. At the age of 28, I’m forced to remake my swing for the 133rd time because my gut no longer allows me to see the golf ball at address.

This week, at the age of 30, Tiger will try for his record 5th green jacket. 10-years ago, at the age of 30, one of my sports coats turned green in my moldy basement.

Yup, I sure do have plenty of reasons to hate Tiger Woods. So why do I wish I could be more like him?

What are your thoughts on Tiger Woods? Is he a shoe-in to win the Masters? If not, who's going to beat him?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Two days and five draws are in the books, and the United States is one of three teams to escape the weekend unbeaten (Scotland and Switzerland were the others).

The good times, and the rocks, rolled in the arena, while the tap continued to flow outside in the hospitality tent, but none of the members of Team Sweden were able to take advantage of it. By the way, you haven’t truly experienced an international sporting event until you’ve heard fans cheering the Swedish translation of “Nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey hey hey, goodbye.�

Of course our friends from the north have come out in full force and the Canadian flag is waving merily in the stands of Tsongas Arena. Canadian television stations are all over this thing like flies on...uh, just trust me, they're all over this thing.

There’s still a lot of round robin play to go, but let there be no doubt that the World Curling Championships have arrived. Don’t be surprised if you here a lot of different accents or several distinct languages filling the air in the vicinity of Merrimack Street.

Word on the street is that the visitors have already getting use to two of local staples, the “Boston accent� and the Boot Mill Sandwich.

I pose the question to you all out there in cyber space:

What’s the verdict on the opening weekend of the World Curling Championships in Lowell? What you expected? Better? Worse? Fellas, are you still disappointed that the United States team didn’t bring the Johnson girls from the women’s team? What's the early line on Team Ireland pulling out the title?

With the start of baseball season finally upon us, here’s something even more useless than the traditional ceremonies that mark opening day...my predictions for the upcoming season.

As with any other advice I give, don’t bet the mortgage. And before you laugh, at least I’m brave enough to commit mine to print. (* denotes wild-card winner)

AL East
1)NY Yankees (Never bet against a streak)
2)Boston (Better built for playoffs than the Yanks...too bad they won’t get there)
3)Toronto (Improved, but not enough)
4)Tampa Bay (No longer a pushover)
5)Baltimore (Tejada will ask out by all-star break)

AL Central
1)Cleveland (Not many easy outs in that lineup)
2)Chicago (Better offense than ’05 champs, but pitching won’t repeat)
3)Minnesota (Tony Batista and Luis Castillo the big acquisitions…enough said)
4)Detroit (On the right track)
5)Kansas City (Permanently derailed)

AL West
1)Oakland (Love to see Billy Beane with big city budget)
2)Los Angeles* (Edge out both Sox because of easier division schedule)
3)Seattle (Moving in the right direction)
4)Texas (Worst pitching in league)

NL East
1)Atlanta (see NY Yankees)
2)NY Mets* (Pedro gets last laugh)
3)Philadelphia (Ryan Howard will lead league in HR’s)
4)Washington (Early ’05 magic disappears this time around)
5)Florida (What they keep doing to this team is a shame)

NL Central
1)St. Louis (Albert Pujols is only 26…scary!)
2)Houston (Clemens’ 1-month absence will cost them)
3)Milwaukee (Everybody’s trendy pick…don’t see it till ‘07)
4)Pittsburgh (Along with Brewers, will challenge next year)
5)Cincinnati (Big Red Machine needs junking)

NL West
1)Los Angeles (Hope Grady pulls his starters early this time)
2)San Diego (82-wins won’t cut it again)
3)San Francisco (No “juice��?=no health for Bonds)
4)Arizona (2001 seems like forever ago, doesn’t it?)

So there you have it…now chime in with your picks. We so-called experts will compare notes in September!

This week’s fantasy tip may sound suspiciously like a 1980 smash hit by DEVO. But if you want to build a pitching staff capable of winning your league, the best advice is to WHIP it good!

I’m talking of course, about that category most casual baseball fans have never heard of, but fantasy players are well aware of; Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched. The problem for many owners is that they don’t place nearly enough importance on it.

For my money, it’s the best indicator of a great pitcher. Wins are often times a product of luck and a good real-life team. Ditto for ERA, where one or two performances can skew that number deceivingly upward or downward. Strikeouts show occasional dominance, but far too many hurlers match high “K‿ totals with WHIP killing walks that lead to ERA killing gopher balls.

There’s no deception with WHIP. You either get batters out or you don’t. Check your league rankings year in and year out, and chances are the pitchers with the best WHIP are the best pitchers, period. They tend to have the lowest ERA’s, they tend to get the most strikeouts, and if there’s enough offense on their side, the most wins.

Take it from someone who rode Pedro Martinez in his prime to two fantasy championships and numerous playoff appearances. Look to the column on the far right. The closer it is to 1.00, the better. If it’s below that number, you have a stud on your roster.

Crack that WHIP, and you’ll most likely crack the top of your league’s standings.