Wednesday’s Lowell Sun and LowellSun.com shine the spotlight on the local high school scene.

Dave Pevear snares MIAA Lacrosse tournament duty, focusing on Chelmsford High and their top scorer, Jack Curtis. Carmine Frongillo enters the dugout for a chat with Lowell High infielder Myles Lenzi. Recaps of all the varsity action can be found here. Plus the New England Riptide are ready for their season opener Thursday, and we run down the roster for you.

The “suspense thriller� that’s kept Major League Baseball on the edge of its seat all year long is finally solved…Roger Clemens is staying in Houston.

To quote Gomer Pyle; Surprise, Surprise!

No sense rehashing the scenarios again. Lynn Worthy’s post yesterday includes the Newsday story that first reported what anyone with common sense already knew. And if you want to know my take on it, just click on my Rocket Re-Entry post from early February. My opinion never changed, and it was proven correct.

What I do want to discuss is Peter Gammons' appearance on ESPN last night. Despite the obvious, Gammons still tried to insinuate there was some doubt as to where the Rocket’s re-entry would take place. He even mentioned a conversation with a couple of Red Sox “insiders� last week. When Gammons said to them that Clemens-to-Houston looked like a done deal, they said something to the effect of; “is it? We’ll see.� The clear implication; the Red Sox still believed they were going to land the Rocket and they knew something the rest of the world didn't.

Please! If they knew all along but just wanted to give Boston fans false hope, shame on Red Sox Nation for falling for it. If the Red Sox really bought the Texas Con Man’s act, shame on them! They’re not as smart as they’d like us to believe.

Perhaps next time, they can reserve all the hotel rooms in Katy, Texas!

So tell me Sox fans, you didn’t really fall for the “Clemens wants to return to Boston� act, did you?

Final Score
Red Sox 5
Blue Jays 8

We Got the Wrong Guy: It’s Vernon, not David Wells that can still play!

Toronto’s version of the surname blasted 3-more home runs last night, bringing his yearly total against the Red Sox to eight. Amazing! 8-of his 15-HR’s have come against the Sox. Haven’t seen one guy do this much damage to Boston since Albert DiSalvo roamed the streets.

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore, Toto: More proof the National League is a magic Land of Oz for pitchers:

Josh Beckett has now allowed 14-HR’s in 68 2/3 innings. That matches his total from last year, which took 178 2/3 innings to accomplish. Surprisingly, none of roundtrippers have come at Fenway. How odd is that?

NoteWorthy Answer: Since it’s not kosher for a blogger to post comments on the home site, I’ll give my answer to Lynn Worthy’s David Pauley post right here;

For as much fun as we like to poke at the Yankees, the bottom of their rotation (Chacon, Small and Wright) would be an improvement over what the Sox are trotting out there right now. Something has to change, but I pray those Kyle Lohse rumors I’m reading aren’t true.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Rise and shine.

Get ready David Pauley, it’s going to be a big day. You make your first Major League start.

Today, you erase the line in your profile reading “no major league experience.� There’s no telling what you’re going to replace it with, but one way or another it will be filled.

You can be sure, win or lose, you will be the topic of discussion across Red Sox Nation. Not that one performance defines a career.

David Pauley Games Started (Portland): 10 Record: 2-3 Innings: 60.1 Hits: 54 Runs: 20 Opponent: Toronto Blue Jays Record: 29-22 Batting Average: .300 Runs: 287 Home Runs: 75

Roger Clemens’ first pitching line included 11 hits, five runs, and just four strikeouts. Curt Schilling hit a batter, walked five, and gave up six hits, but he allowed only three runs. Neither got the win in their debuts.

On the other hand, Tim Wakefield fluttered his knuckleball for nine innings, yielding two runs, neither earned, and recording 10 strikeouts. If you can pull that off against the Blue Jays in your first start, the names Alvarez, DiNardo, Delcarmen, Hansen, and Lester will take a backseat.

Toronto comes in with a the best team batting average in the majors, the second-most homers, and they’ve produced the fourth-highest run total so far this season. You may have seen their lineup launch four homers and score seven runs in 4.2 innings against Josh Beckett last night.

In other words, you’re not in Portland anymore kid. This time tomorrow you’re debut will be filling up newspaper space and talk radio airwaves.

So rise and shine today because there’s a good chance you’ll want to sleep in extra long tomorrow.

How do you feel about the pitching situation and sending David Pauley to the mound?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

New York's Newsday reported this afternoon that Roger Clemens has reached an agreement to pitch this season for the Houston Astros. Clemens, 43, would earn $3.5 million per month with the new deal, according to the report.

Hold it. Don't throw away your copy of the Roger's Greatest Hits video just yet Sox fans.

ESPN is reporting that the Newsday story was premature. Again, ESPN is citing Astros general manager Tim Purpura as well as Clemens' agent Randy Hendricks as sources confirming that no deal has been officially completed.

For months the Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers, and Astros have been reportedly vying for his services.

Stay tuned. This one isn't over yet.

From ESPN.com report:

"We've had no conduct with Roger's people today," said Purpura, adding that the last time he talked to Hendricks was Sunday.

Purpura said he was told then that "Roger was still in the mode of trying to decide what he wants to do." So essentially, Purpura said, "We're just awaiting his decision."

The end of May is upon us, and you fantasy geeks know what that means. We’re 1/3 of the way through the baseball season. (I break it down into months, not games, the season consisting of April-May, June-July & August-September) With that in mind, we’ve seen enough games to uncover some trends.

In our latest installment of Fantasy Island we’ll take a look at 5 early season surprises who won’t be able to maintain the pace, 5 disappointments who can’t possibly be as bad as they’ve looked and 5 former studs, who while they might be available on the waiver wire, should be avoided like the bird flu:

Ti-i-i-i-i-mber!
Casey Blake-Yeah, right! He’ll keep hitting .329. Sure!
Brandon Phillips-Reds revolving door will get him eventually
Tom Glavine-No way he’s the 2nd best pitcher in baseball over a full season
Bronson Arroyo-Simply not this good, regardless of shift to NL
Kenny Rogers-Only Matt Clement is worse when the pressure’s on

Elevator up!
Todd Helton-3-HR & 16-RBI in Coors Field? Only one way to go
Victor Martinez-Check out last year’s 2nd half splits
Aubrey Huff-Not a stud, but trade to contender will only help the .158 AVG.
Andy Pettitte-Simply too good for 5.76 ERA & 1.63 WHIP
Brad Radke-See Pettitte, only substitute 7.01 & 1.80 figures

Flu Shot, Please!
Barry Bonds-Fear factor is gone. Teams don’t even walk him anymore
Mike Piazza-More “Dunn� than Reds slugger Adam
Adrian Beltre-Lucky for him he had a contract year for the ages.
John Garland-2005 All-Star game seems like ages ago, doesn’t it?
A.J. Burnett-Elbow’s more fragile than cheap china

If you have one of the first five, see what you can get. The middle group you should try to sucker one of your opponents into giving up for cheap. The last group…well…don’t say I didn’t warn you!

All right fantasy phanatics…who else belongs on these lists? Who doesn’t?

With Memorial Day weekend gone and the unofficial start of summer upon us, the Lowell Sun and LowellSun.com are hard at work bringing you all the sports news that’s fit to print.

The Red Sox lose a tough one in Toronto as a former BoSox and Lowell Spinners player delivers the knockout blow. Closer to home, Lynn Worthy sets sail with Dracut’s Nicky Gavel, a member of the Radcliffe crew team. The high schools also come into focus as do the Sun Stars of the Week.

And if you missed out on any of the holiday weekend excitement, you can catch up on all the goings on right here.

Final Score
Red Sox 6
Blue Jays 7

Time to Pull the Plug: O.K…O.K! Enough already. Wave the white flag. We surrender!

The time has come my friends, to end the Matt Clement experiment. It’s not going to happen for him, and if by some miracle it does, it won’t be here in Boston. The guy just doesn’t have “it,� whatever “it� is.

Watch his face when Terry Francona goes to take him out of the game. “Welcome Matt� won’t even look his manager in the eye. He can’t. Not after mouthing off about being skipped in the rotation against the Yankees a few weeks back. Also, watch his face the minute a baserunner gets on against him. It’s like he’s scared out there. It’s getting pathetic, and it’s getting downright disastrous for a team that is fighting hard for a World Series.

To the Red Sox credit, they hung tough and almost made a remarkable comeback against a Cy Young winner and a team that’s given them fits all year. Last night very nearly turned into a joyous comeback. But the 6-Love hole their starting pitcher put them in was just too much for Boston’s Boys of Summer to overcome in the end.

Perhaps it’s too soon to rush the minor leaguers. Maybe the veteran options available in trade right now aren’t very attractive or would cost too much to acquire. But the Sox can’t continue to trot this guy out there every 5th day. Not if they want to make a serious run at the playoffs in the ultra-competitive American League.

What do YOU think? Time to pull the plug on Mr. Clement? What are our options?

Vroom! Vroom! Turn Left. Throw back a cold one. Vroom! Vroom! Turn Left. Throw back a cold one.

That’s my imitation of an auto racing fan watching this past weekend’s Indy 500.

Vroom! Vroom! Turn left. “Honey, where’s the aspirin?� Vroom! Vroom! Turn left. ZZZZzzzz…

That’s my imitation of a sports fan watching the Indy 500.

For those of you who don’t get the joke, I’ll spell it out. Real sports fans don’t watch auto racing. You know why? Because it’s not a real sport!

NASCAR Nation might be thinking; “Dang, that Teddy Panos is doggone crazy. Why’s that boy messin’ with us car racing folk? Don’t he know how many of us are out there? Let’s bombard his blog with thousands of hate letters and teach him a lesson.� (Please pardon my Loudon accent)

But I’m not worried, because I don’t really think that many of you exist. Not here in Massachusetts where we actually have better things to do with our time than watch a bunch of guys named Rusty, Junior or “Buckshot� race circles for hours.

Am I totally out of my mind? Maybe. But behind every inflammatory and sarcastic comment, there’s a valid point. Motor heads may have a point, too. But when they wear their #8 hats, you can’t see it.

Let’s address the “car racing as sport� argument first. I don’t care how hot it gets in the car. I don’t care how much “stamina� it takes to sit in a bucket seat for 3-hours. Race car drivers are not athletes!

The real stars of the show are the automobiles themselves. As in thoroughbred racing, horsepower is what counts. Only at Churchill Downs, they give the animal the blanket of roses, not the jockey. How come at the Brickyard, the driver gets to drink the milk? Shouldn’t they celebrate by giving the jet-propelled engine a swig of motor oil instead?

As for the “auto racing is the most attended sporting event in America� argument…yeah right! That’s only because they count the audience at all the bush-league races run over an entire weekend. (And yes, I meant bush-league, not Busch League) What they fail to tell you is that the same 100,000 yahoos attend all the races.

Bob Bahr, owner of New Hampshire International Speedway once told me 95% of the spectators at his track come from out-of-state. Think about that for a minute. Only 5,000 of the 100,000 or so in attendance are actually from the state the race is held in. No wonder parking in the RV lot is tougher to come by than a spot in the proposed Jackson-Appleton Mills complex. The positive news for the good folk of the Granite State is they do account for 58% of the 175,000 teeth in the audience.

You really want to test auto racing’s popularity? Take beer out of the equation. I’m quite sure Fenway Park, Gillette stadium and The Garden would still be packed if turned into dry facilities. Minus the “Clydesdales� factor, Loudon would be less populated on race day than downtown Lawrence after dark.

Back in 1999, my boss sent me to get the dreaded “man on the street� interviews after the Red Sox beat Cleveland in the playoffs. He recommended a bar in Derry, NH. The first guy I approached wasn’t a baseball fan. He liked NASCAR. The second said he hadn’t seen the clinching game because he watched pro wrestling instead.

Guess which was the better interview?

What are your thoughts on the Indy 500 and auto racing in general?

Final Score
Rays 4
Red Sox 5

Too Close for Comfort: Well, that was certainly an…Ahem!…exciting finish.

A game the Red Sox had in the bag almost turned into a nightmare as a bullpen minus Mike Timlin and Jonathan Papelbon nearly imploded. With Timlin on the DL and Papelbon needing a rest after pitching 3-consecutive days (Keith Foulke apparently also needed a breather), Terry Francona turned to Rudy Seanez and Julian Tavarez to protect a 5-0 lead in the ninth.

Next thing you know, Seanez loads the bases with 2-outs…Tavarez gets a strikeout, only to have Doug Mirabelli misplay the ball (and you thought catching a knuckleball was tough)…Tavarez walks in two more runs making it 5-3…and Carl Crawford singles to left scoring one more and sending the speedy Joey Gathright hurtling toward the plate with the tying run….

Thankfully, Willie Harris woke us out of the bad dream with a rifle to home that got Gathright by 2-steps and preserved the victory for Tim Wakefield. Wake gets the much deserved win after tossing 8-shutout frames and saving most of the bullpen on a day they really needed the rest.

The Sox have now won 4 in a row and hold a 2-game lead over the Yankees. They now head north of the border to face the pesky Blue Jays who stand just 3 ½ back in the East.

Was anyone besides me ready to hurl something at the TV as Seanez and Tavarez did their best to give this one away? Should we be worried without Timlin there to bridge the gap between the starters and Papelbon? Is Foulke up to the task? (Yes, I know Christo…he’s D-O-N-E)

Final ScoreRays 4
Red Sox 6

Milestone for Schilling: Curt Schilling notched his 200th career victory as Boston’s Boys of Summer took their 3rd straight over Tampa. The big righty went 7-strong innings, improving his record to 8-2. The Sox go for the sweep today as Tim Wakefield takes the mound.

Injury Carousel: Lots of comings and goings from the disabled list, so break out your scorecard and pencils.

Wily Mo Pena heads to the DL with a sore wrist as Coco Crisp returns a day earlier than planned to replace him in center. You never like to lose a player to injury, but this transaction still makes the Sox stronger. And for now, it will quiet the ridiculous “we have to find a spot for Wily Mo Pena� talk. Sorry to disappoint John Meterperel, but it looks like the Red Sox still need Manny.

The other injury has no silver lining. Mike Timlin heads to the 15-day DL with a sore shoulder. Manny Delcarmen returns from Pawtucket to take his spot on the roster, but it’s Keith Foulke who’ll have to fill Timlin’s set-up shoes. Julian Tavarez and Rudy Seanez will also have to step it up. Timlin’s been outstanding this season, so let’s hope this is just a case of needing some rest.

Here's an interesting topic for you to ponder...With what he's accomplished so far, is Curt Schilling worthy of the Hall of Fame? I say not yet, but what do you think?

News Flash: The Boston Bruins hire Peter Chiarelli to be the club’s 7th General Manager. The Ottawa Senators Assistant GM (notice I didn’t say “former� Assistant GM) will be formally introduced at a press conference next week, though he can’t start on the job until July 15th.

Teddy’s Take: This is too easy. Dumping on the Bruins isn’t even fun anymore. It’s like shooting monkeys in a barrel.

To illustrate how much of a joke the Black and Gold have become, let me throw out a couple of important dates for you; June 24th=NHL Draft & July 1st=NHL free agency begins. Yes, that’s right Bruins fans. Your new GM, the man who will lead this team into its next era, won’t be on the job until after the draft and the first two weeks of free agency have already gone by. If that isn’t a formula for a successful off-season, I don’t know what is!

Exactly how did the Bruins end up in this mess? Well, for starters, the man they wanted and thought they had for the job, Ray Shero, decided to go work for the Penguins. Reportedly, Shero wanted more money than the B’s were willing to pay. He signed with Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins for $4-million over 5-years. Those are the same Penguins who’ve been battling bankruptcy for over a decade. And still, they’re willing to pay more than one of the most profitable franchises in all of sports.

Jeremy Jacobs and his son Charles then turned their attention to Chiarelli, who played his college hockey at Harvard. Only it appears they never got permission from the Senators to speak to their employee. Now, no one will come right out and say so, but it doesn’t take a genius to read between the lines.

Jacobs admits the final process involved a grueling hearing with the NHL. Seeing as how teams generally don’t stand in the way of front office types in line for promotions, one can only guess there was tampering involved and Boston is being punished. Why else would the Bruins have to wait for their new hockey “el jeffe� until the middle of July?

Oh wait…it gets better. The B’s also have to give Ottawa compensation, with some reports indicating it could be as high as a 2nd round draft choice.

I don’t know if Chiarelli is the right man for the job. I hope he is. He can’t be worse than Harry Sinden and Mike O’Connell. But what I do know is that he wasn’t the first guy offered the position, and the way he got it means he’s already behind the 8-ball in rebuilding a team in dire need of a face lift.

The hits just keep coming Bruins fans. Only it isn’t Cam Neely delivering them!

What are your thoughts on the Bruins General Manager search and hiring? Can Chiarelli possibly turn this team around with such bumbling ownership? How long will it take? Is there a way to get Jacobs to sell the team to someone who’ll run it properly? HELP!!!

Final Score
Rays 4
Red Sox 8

All’s Not Wells: Looks like this is going to be one of those years for David Wells.

The Sox lefty, just back from his 2nd trip to the disabled list, appears headed back for a 3rd go-around after taking a line drive off the right knee. That’s the same right knee he had off-season surgery on and struggled with throughout spring training and the early part of this campaign.

I’m not a big fan of the big fella. Just type in David Wells in the “search� box of this blog and you’ll find more than a few swipes I’ve taken at him. But I felt really bad for him last night. He’s talked openly about giving the game up if his knee didn’t improve. He put a lot of effort into rehab, and just when he finally started to feel up to par and was pitching well, this unfortunate incident takes place.

When it happened and I saw where the ball hit him on the replay, I immediately thought; broken knee cap, career over. It didn’t look very promising as he flailed around on the ground and had to be helped off the field. I’m glad to say as of right now it’s only a deep bruise, though more tests are scheduled. Still, you have to wonder how much more that knee can take.

Either way, the end of the road is near for David Wells. But despite him not being one of my faves, I hope he gets to go out on his terms, and not because of a run of bad luck.

The Good News: Other than that, great game by the Sox. They solve the Scott Kazmir puzzle…David Ortiz comes up huge…Mike Lowell continues to tear the cover off the ball (I’ll have to get into his resurgence in a bit more detail at some point)...and Jonathan Papelbon sets a rookie record with 17 consecutive saves to start a season.

Curt Schilling takes the mound Saturday in search of win #8. We’ll talk about it when the game’s over.

Any thoughts on David Wells? Is this the final straw in a long, frustrating season for the 43-year old left-hander?

An alert reader of this blog (bet you didn’t think such thing existed, did you?) just called our attention to this interesting little tidbit. Lock Monsters Who? writes;

“Has anybody looked at the Lock Monsters web site recently? Typing in http://www.lockmonsters.com redirects you to http://lowelldevilshockey.com. Coincidence? A sign of things to come? Stay Tuned...�

Sure enough, I went there and it’s a brand new site called Lowell Hockey. It's still under construction but the address is indeed lowelldevilshockey.com.

On the heels of the romantic mascot wedding between Allie Gator and Canaligator, it looks like Louie the Lock Monster is about to bite the dust. And while the preceding sentence was just the latest in my feeble attempts at humor, there is a touch of sadness at the thought the Lock Monsters are no more.

Now, there’s been no official announcement. They’ve even prepared us for the possibility that new ownership would change the name of the team. But to actually see the process beginning is a bit of a shock to someone like me who’s a sucker for tradition, even if that tradition is built to a large degree on an empty arena.

I have no doubt whatsoever that the New Jersey Devils will make their Lowell AHL entry a success at the gate. I’ve stated previously, having management in place that knows the business of hockey inside-out can only be a plus for this struggling franchise. Changing the name from Lock Monsters to Devils, or whatever, ultimately makes little difference if the team is run right and succeeds.

Yet still, at least in this space, the Lock Monsters will be missed. Rest in Peace!

Now then…what are your thoughts on the apparent demise of the Lock Monsters name? Sad to see it go? Might as well blow it up and start from scratch? And how about a new mascot? What will it be called?

Might I suggest the new mascot be named after avid Sports Talk poster Louis Cypher? At least it matches the Devils theme!

The Holiday weekend is finally upon us, as is a nice stretch of good weather. As you make your holiday plans, make sure to check out the Lowell Sun and LowellSun.com for all your updates. And hey...if you're going away, make sure to pack the laptop!

Today’s sports section features all the high school action as the athletic seasons wind down. Barry Scanlon plays 10 Questions with Burlington High coach Jim Curtain, who’s been at it since the Eisenhower administration. And Paul Daley looks back at a century of racing at Rockingham Park as the old horse track turns 100-years old.

We’ll keep you posted on any breaking news. If you’re plain bored and just want to chat, we’ll have lots of topics for you to chime in on. Have a great holiday!

Final Score
Rays 1
Red Sox 4

Settling In: Josh Beckett is getting quite comfortable in his new environment. The ace right-hander has now won four starts in a row, improving to 7-1 on the season and getting that ERA down to 3.80.

Of more interest to me is that sterling 1.09 WHIP, which means American Leaguers are having a very hard time getting on base against him. Very rarely will you find an AL starter with a WHIP that low. Heck, that’s great in the NL. If he continues at this rate, 20-wins are a lock and a Cy Young award is a very real possibility.

That is, if Jonathan Papelbon doesn’t beat him to it…LOL!

Dueling Lefties: David Wells returns from his 2nd DL stint tonight. He and Boston’s bats have a very tough matchup against Scott Kazmir. The fireballing lefty has pretty much owned the Sox, even before he put it all together this year. Just 22-years old, Kazmir has 7-wins (pitching for Tampa, remember) and averages more than a strikeout per inning.

Any Mets fans out there want to chime in on the genius of trading him for Victor Zambrano 2-years ago? I didn’t think so. Let’s hear from the rest of you instead!

(You didn't think I could let this pass without getting in my two cents, did you?)

The most anticipated matchup Wednesday night did not involve Red Sox-Yankees, Mavericks-Suns or Hurricanes-Sabres. Instead, that honor went to the American Idol final between Taylor Hicks and Katherine McPhee.

Now admittedly, I watched very little of the show, or the entire series for that matter. My opinions are based solely on brief observations and the barrage of news reports that breathlessly followed this phenomenon known as "American Idol.� Besides, we know what they say about opinions.

That said, this “competition� has about as much legitimacy as a Don King Fight card. However, in boxing the competitor who’s gonna get screwed at least has a chance to knock out his/her opponent before the judges put the wood to them.

Taylor Hicks should get on his knees and thank Simon, Paula and Randy for basically brainwashing the American public into voting for him. I won’t even say the majority of the public, because the “vote early and often� system used by Idol would make Democratic politicians blush.

I’ll go on record as saying Katherine McPhee’s incredible voice will sell more records than Hicks’ purple Barney jacket wearing, cheesy dancing, couldn’t hit a difficult note if you gave him a baseball bat, act. To put it mildly, he no more deserves a million dollar recording contract than the thousands of frustrated karaoke singers lining lounges throughout the country. They can pour as much money as they want into promoting him. I’m telling you right now, Taylor Hicks’ future lies in singing duets with Kathy Lee Gifford on carnival cruise ships.

PT Barnum once said; “You can never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.� Hopefully, they’ll get it right next time.

O.K. sports lovers…let's hear your "Idol" thoughts!

Another great day of weather...another great day of sports coverage from the Lowell Sun and LowellSun.com.

Dave Pevear has the lowlights of Matt Clement’s performance as the Red Sox drop another to the Yankees. Barry Scanlon has the college beat, touching on the UMass-Lowell baseball recruiting class as well as some interesting tidbits about former River Hawks netminder Dwayne Roloson. You can also click into all the high school happenings. And Carmine Frongillo soars with Burlington high jumper Greg Nelson, a junior who’s already cleared the bar at 6-9.

Final Score
Yankees 8
Red Sox 6

Open Mouth, Insert Foot: “Clement is usually good for at least one hot streak per year and he might just be ready to embark on it right now.�

Guess which donkey recently wrote that phrase? If you guessed Teddy Panos, step up and claim your prize!

That’s what I get for complimenting him! Next time, I’ll peek at the schedule, see that Clement is penciled in to face the Yankees next, and realize he’ll shrink from the challenge like cheap cotton in the permanent press cycle.

I refuse to waste any more of my time trying to figure out why a guy with so much talent can’t take it to the next level. For him, “next level� means climbing out of the gutter, because there’s no place for a 6.31 ERA on a team as good as the Red Sox. No more excuses. Forget the line drives to the head. Forget the shot off the leg last night. Plain and simple…this guy can’t get the job done, and it would be wise of the Red Sox to not waste much more time with him. Lord knows they’ve already wasted enough money!

Which reminds me…how’s the “value� working out in not paying Pedro? Please don’t hit me with the “Pedro wanted out� garbage. Had they “overpaid� for him like they OVERPAID for Clement, he’d still be here giving us a 1-2-3 in the rotation of Pedro, Schilling and Beckett. I'd go to war with that any day of the week.

Oh, that’s right…I forgot. We need to worry about what’s going to happen in “year four.� May I please have another cup of Kool-Aid?

There! Got that off my chest. I feel much better now. How about you? What are your thoughts on Mr. Clement?

All the sports news that’s fit to print can be found in the “Hump Day� editions of the Lowell Sun and LowellSun.com.

Red Sox-Yankees duty falls to Dave Pevear, who has some words of warning for Sox fans thinking the “Empire� is dead. In the NHL playoffs, former UMass-Lowell goalie Dwayne Roloson and the Edmonton Oilers are one game away from the Stanley Cup finals. Over in the NBA, the Celtics will draft #7 thanks to another fruitless trip to the lottery.

Locally Jillian Cardillo recaps the inaugural Spinners Cup. My old stomping ground, Dracut High, is featured prominently in the Merrimack Valley Conference’s Player and Coach of the Year honors. And the entire high school slate can be found here.

Finally, Dave Pevear checks back in with the must-read story of Mike LaBrie, a 17-year old Dracut resident who refuses to take no for an answer.

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

The ping pong balls produced the number seven pick overall for the Celtics. Boston Celtics Director of Special Projects JoJo White, who represented the team at the NBA Draft Lottery last night, cut right to the chase as far as the Celtics needs. White said the team is looking for a point guard and a "go-to guy at the power forward spot." Click here to read his comments.

WORKOUTS BEGIN
Potential draft picks have started rolling into Waltham this week with workouts on Monday and Tuesday and more are ahead. Monday saw several backcourt players come to town including Villanova's Wooden Award Finalist Randy Foye, Temple point man Mardy Collins, and the Iowa State guard combo of Curtis Stinson and Will Blalock.

LOCAL FLAVOR TO WORKOUTS
Aside from Blalock, a Boston native, the Celtics have also brought in Boston College's Louis Hinnant as well as Bryant University's point guard John Williams (pictured) a Springfield native who shared Northeast-10 Conference Co-Player of the Year honors with UMass Lowell senior forward Stacey Moragne. Univesity of Connecticut point guard Marcus Williams is also slated to be among the players due in for workouts in the next week or so.

HERE AND THERE
As the first draft without high school players approaches, the last high school player drafted by the Celtics, rookie Gerald Green's one-handed jam against the Toronto Raptors was selected as the NBA.com Dunk of the Year. This offseason also marks the first step in making the Celtics Dancers a reality. With auditions in the coming weeks, the Celtics will become the last team to add a dance team.

Final Score
Yankees 7
Red Sox 5

Ghost of Josh Bard: Is it too late to send a police escort to Logan Airport for Josh Bard? Just kidding! Don’t go getting all sensitive and calling me a hypocrite!

We should have known last night wasn’t meant to be. The signs were everywhere. Johnny Damon leading off the game with a home run…A-Rod blasting a 3-run shot he thought was a pop-up…Doug Mirabelli flailing away at Tim Wakefield’s knuckler like Mr. Miyagi trying to catch flies with chopsticks. Just an ugly, ugly night for Boston’s Boys of Summer, yet still, they had a chance to pull it out in the end.

2 quick notes;

1) Alex Gonzalez is about to become Pokey Reese…a late inning vacuum cleaner of a defensive replacement. I never thought I’d utter these words, but Alex Cora is an upgrade at the plate. (did I really just write that?)

2) I think it’s safe to say Manny Ramirez is back. With Coco Crisp and the warm weather soon returning as well, the Sox are going to start lighting up the scoreboard like they have the last couple of years. Mark Loretta’s and Mike Lowell’s re-emergence really gives that batting order some depth.

Next up; Matt Clement vs. Randy Johnson…has all the makings of a 9-8 affair, but watch it turn into a 2-1 pitcher’s duel instead.

Are we finally gonna hear from our Yankee fans today? Did last night’s victory let you crawl back out of the cubby hole you’ve been hiding in? Louis Cypher? GeorgeHR? Hello! Are you there?

The Lowell Sun and LowellSun.com have the sports news covered for you on this Tuesday.

Chaz Scoggins reports from Fenway on the Red Sox latest thrashing of their arch nemesis, the Yankees. The NHL playoffs come into focus as Carolina, with help from some former Lock Monsters, evens their series against Buffalo. The NBA post-season featured a pair of Game-7’s that saw the Mavericks and Suns advance to the Western Conference Finals. High School action also figures prominently, as it does every day in The Sun.

Unfortunately, the sporting world interacts with the crime world far too often these days. A story from Jack Minch and Robert Mills indicates boxer Dick Eklund was questioned by Lowell police about the incident outside a bar early Saturday morning that led to the death of a 28-year old man.

Final Score
Yankees 5
Red Sox 9

“Not-So� Evil Empire: The Yankees sure don’t look like a good baseball team right now, do they?

The Red Sox took their 4th game in 5-tries against the Bronx Bombers last night at Fenway. More stunning was the ease with which they did it. Don’t let the final score fool you. Only Keith Foulke stinking out the joint made it even this close.

Joe Torre’s troops don’t have the guns right now to compete with Boston. Getting Gary Sheffield back will help, but New York has bigger problems; namely, they desperately need an infusion of young blood in the pitching staff. I know it’s a long season and I fully expect a battle down to the wire, but at this moment, the Yankees just aren’t in the Red Sox class. That they’re even this close in the standings is surprising to me.

Meanwhile, the future couldn’t look rosier for the crimson stockings. A few examples:

*Manny homer last night could be the beginning of a patented tear. You just know he’s going to start pounding the ball at some point.

*Curt Schilling looked like he did in April. Better yet, he was very efficient, getting through 8-innings with only 99-pitches.

*The walking wounded are on the verge of returning. Coco Crisp is finally swinging a bat and running, and should begin a rehab assignment within a week. David Wells is on track to start Friday. You know I’m not the biggest “Boomer Booster� out there, but even I have to acknowledge he’s an upgrade over Lenny DiNardo.

Game 2 of the series is tonight; Tim Wakefield vs. Jaret Wright…advantage Red Sox.

Where are my Yankee fans? You’ve been strangely quiet the last few weeks. Is it because you’re realizing your $200-million plus team isn’t as good as it should be for that kind of money? Red Sox fans, are you sensing this is the year we finally break the Yanks stranglehold on the American League East?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Lottery is tonight and here is the skinny on the guys who were in to workout for the Celtics on Monday.

POSSIBILITIES AT THE POINT Randy Foye School: Villanova Height: 6-4 Weight: 205 lb. Hometown: Newark, N.J. Mardy Collins School: Temple Height: 6-6 Weight: 220 lb. Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa. Curtis Stinson School: Iowa State Height: 6-3 Weight: 215 lb. Hometown: Bronx, N.Y. Will Blalock School: Iowa State Height: 6-0 Weight: 205 lb. Hometown: Boston, Mass.

Villanova’s Randy Foye is without a doubt, a scorer. Projected by many as a lottery pick, he finished as the 8th all-time leading scorer in Villanova history with 1,966 career points.

His list of accolades include: Wooden Award Finalist, a NABC First Team All-American, NCBWA First Team All-American, Sporting News First Team All-American, Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS First Team Member, Big East Player of the Year, and Big East First Team All-Conference.

Temple’s Mardy Collins, ran the point for the Owls and John Cheney, and was nearly as prolific in college dishing the ball of as he was scoring. During the summer he averaged 7.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while playing for USA Basketball U21 FIBA World Championship Team. For his career, he has 1,897 points to rank fourth on the Temple all-time list. He also ranks second at Temple with 292 career steals.

He also was selected to the 2006 Atlantic 10 All-Tournament team and finished the season as the team leader in scoring (16.6 ppg.), assists (122) and steals (86). He is a two-time first team All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection and has named to the USBWA First Team All-District team as well as the NABC Second Team All-District Team.

Curtis Stinson, and his backcourt mate Will Blalock, a Boston native, were also in.

Stinson was a Sporting News & Wooden Award Preseason All-American in 2005,Big 12 All-Defense Team in 2005, and defense was one of the areas of concern for the Celtics this offseason.

Stinson’s resume includes: Iowa State MVP (2004, 2005), First-Team all-Big 12 (AP); Second-Team all-Big 12 (Coaches), ranked in the top-35 nationally in three categories: steals (No. 24, 2.4), assists (No. 24, 5.6) and scoring (No. 33, 19.4), the only player in the nation ranked in the top-50 in those three categories, he became just the third player in Big 12 history to record 1,500 points, 400 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals (Kirk Hinrich, Kansas; Cookie Belcher, Nebraska)...Stinson was the first to do it in three seasons and the first to achieve the feat in school history, led the team and was third in the Big 12 in scoring at 19.4 ppg, his 73 steals this season was the third-best mark in school history, and he finished as No. 11 on ISU’s career scoring chart (1,651).

Blalock, the hometown boy, is a guy who added 35 pounds since the beginning of his freshman season and has improved as time went on. Let’s not forget, Ryan Gomes was a guy who grew up not far, hailing from Connecticut and going to Providence College.

Blalock’s resume: Third-Team all-Big 12 (AP & Coaches), First-Team all-District (USBWA), averaged 15.4 points, ranking ninth in the Big 12, averaged 16.9 ppg in Big 12 play, scoring 20 points in 8 of 16 league games, has 1,078 career points, becoming the 25th member of the ISU 1,000-point club on a first half dunk vs. OSU (2-22)...ranks 22nd on the career scoring list, was second in the Big 12 and 10th nationally in assists (6.1 apg), his 184 season assists ranks fifth in school history, ranked fourth in the Big 12 and 52nd nationally in steals (2.2, 65), has a 2.06 assist/turnover ratio (184/89), ranking second in the Big 12, and No. 5 on ISU’s career assist chart (464)...ninth in Big 12 career assists.

I have issues...serious issues.

Not the kind politicians debate until they’ve bored half the population into not voting. Not the backlog of Sports Illustrated magazines I’ve yet to read. Not the 4th album by the rock band KoRn.

These are serious, deep-rooted, psychological, take the “T� out of tissues, issues.

The realization hit me a little after 6pm Saturday. While a hush fell over Pimlico Race Course mere seconds into the running of the Preakness, my first thought was; Damn! There goes that money down the toilet!

Not that there are any guarantees in gambling. That’s why they call it gambling. If it was a sure thing, they’d call it a Boston College point shaving scandal. And it’s not like it involved a ton of cash. Just two $5 bets of Barbaro paired with Bernardini and Like Now. That Bernardini went on to win in a time so pedestrian Barbaro might have crossed the finish line ahead of the pack had he continued to run on three legs only exacerbated things.

This isn’t the first time it’s happened to me either. The same thoughts crossed my mind 20-years ago as my 15-1 shot at Rockingham Park collapsed with less than a furlong to go in a race he led by at least ten lengths. That $10 ticket got shredded faster than Hillary Clinton’s Whitewater records.

However, the sick-to-the-stomach feeling when they brought out the green curtain and put that poor horse to sleep right on the spot stayed with me a long time. So did the memory of Ruffian, the undefeated filly who broke down on TV during a 1975 match race against Foolish Pleasure.

That’s why I was so disappointed in my initial reaction Saturday night. So when the race ended and the camera focused on Barbaro and his badly injured back leg, efforts to make amends began immediately, as if rooting for the horse to survive could somehow ease the guilt.

Much of Saturday night was spent scanning the news for the Kentucky Derby winner’s prognosis. Sunday, I sat glued to the internet awaiting results of the surgery. My thirst for info got so frantic I even visited chat rooms, those places on the internet where teenagers, lonely adults and troubled individuals search for someone to talk to. Yup…I’d sunk to a new low!

I’m happy to say Barbaro pulled through the 5-hour procedure that saw steel plates and 23-screws inserted into his leg. Dr. Dean Richardson says the thoroughbred has a 50-50 chance of survival and it’ll take months before we know for sure. But right now, the horse is responding as well as can be expected. According to the surgeon, he’s even been eyeing a few of the mares in the ICU unit. Guess some behavior never changes, regardless of species.

As for me, I’d planned on writing about Barbaro all weekend. But as I drove to work Monday, I heard the beginnings of a discussion about which Red Sox pitcher is more deserving of Cy Young consideration; Josh Beckett or Jonathan Papelbon. It’s the kind of meaningless debate that drives sports talk on television, radio, newspapers and the internet. For a few moments, I thought I’d found an easier way out for my weekly column.

Then I remembered the crying spectators, the horse’s owner hugging the jockey on the track, the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, and the thoughts of a badly wounded animal checking out the ladies in the hospital.

See, there’s hope for Barbaro. And for me, too!

What are your thoughts on Barbaro's injury in the Preakness? Was it just a fluke or should he have been pulled from the race after acting up at the starting gate? Are the efforts to save him worth it?

What a difference a week makes! It’s a beautiful spring day and the Lowell Sun and LowellSun.com have all the sports news that’s fit to print.

Barry Scanlon checks in with all the local hockey talk, including former Lock Monsters goalie Cam Ward as he tries to lead Carolina to the Stanley Cup. You can also read details of Barbaro’s surgery.

The high schools are getting caught up after a week of washouts. Lynn Worthy profiles Chelmsford High volleyball player Josh Mark as he returns from a head injury. And find out which other individual athletes are shining in the Sun Stars of the Week.

Final Score
Red Sox 5
Phillies 10

Can’t Win ‘Em All: Especially the ones where Lenny DiNardo is your starting pitcher.

Rather than dwell too much on one loss (Geez! That almost sounds rational. I’d better cut it out!), I’m going to instead touch on a successful road trip that saw Boston’s Boys of Summer go 4-2 and build their lead over the Yankees to a game and a half (2 in the loss column). The Sox played very well away from Fenway. They had a chance to win both games they lost (yes, even yesterday’s was winnable). And now they come back home to face the Yankees 3-more times and Tampa for four.

In closing, let me toss out this interesting little question I heard on the radio this morning. If the Cy Young voting took place today, would Jonathan Papelbon be the winner? As silly as that notion might have sounded coming out of spring training, it’s a very real possibility should the Sox closer continue the pace he’s going at.

What do you think about Papelbon as a legit Cy contender? How about the upcoming series against the Evil Empire?

Final Score
Red Sox 8
Phillies 4

The Josh Beckett Show: (Drum roll please) And now, here’s you host for the show….Josh Beckett! (Cue the Johnny Carson music)

Beckett did it all last night; Driving in the tying run with an RBI single in the 6th…scoring the game-winner on a David Ortiz sacrifice fly…even hitting a solo home run, the first by a Red Sox pitcher since Marty Pattin in 1972. Oh yeah, he also pitched a heck of a ballgame.

The Sox future (present?) ace has righted the ship after some rough sailing a few weeks back. He’s now 6-1 on the season and has held a couple of very good offenses (Yankees & Phillies) in check during his latest run. More importantly, the blister scare from his start in Baltimore seems to be a non-issue at this point.

Overall, Boston’s Boys of Summer are 25-15…have won 10-of-13…lead the Yankees by a game…and are playing their best baseball of the season. Oh, I almost forgot. The Yanks come to town tomorrow.

News Flash: Barry Bonds belts home run #714 to tie Babe Ruth for 2nd place on Major League Baseball’s all-time list. The blast came in the top of the 2nd inning off Oakland starter Brad Halsey and it followed a string of 9-games and 29-at bats between home runs for the once feared slugger. Bonds was greeted with a hug at home plate from his son Nikolai.

Teddy’s Take: Oh well…we knew it would happen at some point. Let’s hope for baseball’s sake, Bonds gets nowhere near Hank Aaron’s 755.

As for the title of this post, I’m not referring to Stuart Scott’s famous and overused ESPN exclamation. Instead, it’s a not-so subtle swipe at the fans in attendance.

Bonds was booed before the game and as he strode to the batter’s box, despite the game being played in the Bay area where the majority of people still loyal to him reside. Of course, showing that fans are just as big, if not bigger, hypocrites than the athletes they jeer, the A’s crowd quickly did an about face and gave the controversial slugger a 90-second standing ovation.

The reaction reminded me of a still shot I saw from ESPN's telecast of a game in which Bonds homered at Philadelphia. The “Philly fanatics� had been bashing the slugger all weekend. But a still photo an instant after Bonds made contact on what would be a home run showed most spectators near the plate with their arms raised cheering and mouths open in awe.

I guess the reaction wherever Bonds goes kind of speaks to the conflicting feelings for him. I think the fans in Oakland realized they had just seen a piece of American history and could brag about “being there� to their family and friends.

My problem is with the hypocrisy of it all. That belated standing “O� might send Bonds the signal that a good portion of the sporting public will one day forgive and forget what he’s done to the integrity of baseball’s greatest accomplishments. And that’s something we should never do!

So now that Barry Bonds has finally tied the Babe, are you folks ready to forgive and forget? Is anyone rooting for him to reach Hammerin’ Hank’s mark? Does anyone think he can stay healthy enough to do it?

Final Score
Red Sox 5
Phillies 3

Good Clement Shows Up: Matt Clement continued his personal good cop/bad cop routine last night in the City of Brotherly Love, shutting down the Phillies and leading the Red Sox to a 5-3 victory.

This was a particularly impressive performance by the much maligned righty, as the “Fightin’ Phils� have been one of the hottest teams in baseball this month. They have a very good lineup with lots of potent bats, and Clement had them off balance from the get-go. Fatigue and Foulke combined to make the game close in the 7th, but Mike Timlin and Jonathan Papelbon slammed the door shut (stop me if you’ve heard that one before) and Boston’s Boys of Summer had their 9th win in 12-tries.

Clement is usually good for at least one hot streak per year and he might just be ready to embark on it right now. He had an impressive performance against the Blue Jays back on May 4th and was skipped in the rotation because of off days. He didn’t take the mound again until May 12th when he got shellacked by the Rangers. Clement was a bit miffed at the long time between starts, but responded well to another long layover (7-days) leading up to last night. With a more regular rotation looming, he could put together a nice little streak here.

What do you think? Is Clement ready to go on a roll? Can he maintain it or is he doomed to be the ultimate “tease� his entire career?

Anyone who’s attended Bill Belichick press conferences can tell you Simon praises American Idol contestants more often than the Patriots coach passes out compliments about his own players. Ask him about the upcoming opponent, and every player is Jim Brown or Gale Sayers. His own? “They do some good things...they do lots of bad. They’re coming along� is about the best you’re going to get.

So I found this article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press very interesting. (Don’t go there yet…finish my blog first!)

I don’t imagine Belichick will be very happy with University of Minnesota offensive coordinator Mitch Browning for sharing what I’m sure was intended as a private conversation. But it’s revealing nonetheless.

Coach Bill appears very pleased thus far with #1 draft pick Laurence Maroney. Though we can’t be sure till they strap on the shoulder pads for real in the fall, the running back appears to not only be the future for New England, he might very well play a big role in the present. Remember, this is the same RB Peyton Manning told Tom Brady the Patriots “stole� from Indy.

(OK…you can go click on the link now…thank you for your attention!)

So what about it gang…you getting as pumped as I am about the Pats #1 pick? Is Corey Dillon even going to last THIS year as New England’s starting RB?

Apparently, NBA no longer stands for National Basketball Association. Judging by the new trend in this year’s playoffs, David Stern should change the name to “National Ball-punching Association. At least he wouldn’t have to chance the acronym.

The latest “jewel hater� is Dallas Mavericks star Jason Terry. Terry felt the need to sucker punch the Spurs Michael Finley during a last second scramble in San Antonio’s Game 5 victory. For his actions, Terry was suspended for the pivotal Game 6 of that series. The penalty matches the punishment handed out to Denver’s Reggie Evans for his low blow on the Clippers’ Chris Kaman.

If you remember (if you don’t, here’s the link), the penalty I called for in that instance was rather stiff and said in a half-joking manner. Not surprisingly, the Commissioner didn’t pay attention to my suggestion, opting for a mild slap on the wrist. I was pretty sure at the time it wouldn’t be much of a deterrent, though I didn’t think anyone would be stupid enough to try something like that so soon. Silly me for underestimating the intelligence, or decency, of the modern NBA player!

Any thoughts on the latest groin punching incident? Is a one game suspension enough punishment? Is this just another example of why the NBA, despite an amazing number of great athletes, just can’t seem to capture the national spotlight it used to? Or am I just making too big a deal out of it?

A busy weekend of sports kicks off in the Lowell Sun and LowellSun.com.

Besides the Red Sox taking on the Phillies in inter-league play, the other big story is Barbaro’s quest for the 2nd jewel in the Triple Crown. Sun Racing writer Paul Daley analyzes the race and gives you his picks. You might be surprised at who he likes.

UMass-Lowell continues its ride through the NCAA Baseball tournament. Chaz Scoggins checks in from Rindge, NH with the story of the River Hawks win over Southern Connecticut. And the high schools are back at it in full force. All the game stories and scores can be found right here.

Have a great weekend!

The last couple of days have been hectic for me, so please forgive the delay in posting my thoughts about the Russ Springer-Barry Bonds incident from Tuesday night.

By now it’s safe to assume regular readers of this blog know my feelings about Bonds, so I won’t bother repeating them other than to say I hope he never reaches Hank Aaron’s sacred record. Heck, if he ends up stuck just one behind Babe Ruth, I’d consider it poetic justice.

That said, the “Jerry� Springer-like performance Tuesday night was a disgrace to baseball and sports in general. Springer’s intent in that at-bat was clear…no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Every single pitch was inside and could very easily have hit Bonds. One went behind him, and one that ended up hitting the bat could very easily have hit his hands. Houston fans went on to give the hometown pitcher a standing ovation after he got tossed. I’ll forgive them because they’re still stupid enough to consider Roger Clemens a hero!

As for Mr. Springer, if you don’t want a batter to make history against you, walk him. Throw 4-pitches in the dirt…throw four high and away…whatever. You could also act like a man and actually try to get him out because you’re an athlete and that’s what you’re supposed to do. Unfortunately, Russ Springer chose neither. He chose the coward’s way out. That it took 5-tries kind of tells you all you need to know about Springer as a pitcher.

I also think Phil Garner is to blame here. It was very clear from the first pitch what was happening and if Garner had any respect for the game, he would have walked out and told his pitcher to knock it off. Felipe Alou, Bonds and the Giants took the high road and didn’t retaliate Tuesday or Wednesday. Some might argue that’s more an indication what his own team thinks of Bonds. I don’t think so, no matter how much of a bad teammate he is. Baseball players are more inclined to follow the game’s “code� and circle the wagons around their own.

But mark my words; somewhere down the line, the Giants will retaliate. The two teams have yet to re-schedule a couple of rained out games in the Bay area, but when they get around to playing them, some Houston Astro is going to get drilled. If it escalates from there, the Astros have no one to thank but Russ Springer…and Phil Garner, too!

What are your thoughts on the Springer-Bonds episode? Did anyone see it? Should the umpire have acted sooner? Should Major League Baseball suspend the pitcher and his manager? Is Bonds just getting what he deserves?

With the flood waters receeding, a flip through Thursday’s Lowell Sun and LowellSun.com reveals an action packed slate of local sports action.

Dave Pevear previews UMass-Lowell’s afternoon baseball playoff against Southern Connecticut. The high schools get busy trying to make up for lost time, and we have extensive coverage here. Auto Racing writer Thom Ring has his look Around the Tracks. And Carmine Frongillo squares off against Chaz Scoggins in a Sparring Partners debate about Hank Aaron.

Final Score
Red Sox 3
Orioles 4

Birds Steal One: The win streak against the Orioles is over, but not before some 9th inning dramatics.

Pinch runner Willie Harris was out stealing on a very close play at 2nd base. This after a David Ortiz 2-run homer pulled the Sox within a run. Despite the loss, it was still a pretty good night for Boston. Tim Wakefield was strong on the mound again and it took a great pitching performance by Erik Bedard, a guy who’s been very tough at home, to beat them. Sometimes, you just tip your cap to the opponent and move on. 8-out-of-9 wins allows you to be gracious.

Snow Falling Out of Favor: Reports indicate J.T. Snow has asked the Red Sox to trade him to a team that will play him more. Yup…bet they’re ringing Theo Epstein’s phone off the hook!

You would think an old washed-up first baseman would just be happy he has a job. There isn’t a single contender he can play for and lousy teams use their roster spots on young players they can develop. The only place he can find regular playing time is in Japan. Wouldn’t it just make sense for Snow to finish out the year in Boston with a legit chance at a championship?

Personally, I’d have released him weeks ago and brought up Hee-Seop Choi, a younger, better player at this point in their careers. Sayonara J.T.!!!

So 38-games in, the Sox are tied atop the East with the Yankees. They begin an inter-league series in Philadelphia, then welcome the Evil Empire to Fenway next week.

Has the season gone about as you’d expect so far? Personally, I’m pleasantly surprised at the record, considering they haven’t had Coco Crisp’s services since the opening week. What are your thoughts?

Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff

Okay, so I know that making a case why Paul Pierce should have been on the All-NBA first team almost assures me of “homer� classification, but come on.

They can’t be serious. Is this the NBA’s idea of a delayed April Fool’s joke? Sure, Pierce didn’t get his team to the playoffs, I get that. I also get that Carmello Anthony is not nearly as important a player to his team as Pierce, his numbers weren’t as good, and he had a lot more support around him than Pierce did.

While Pierce was busy playing elder statesman, go-to guy, and team leader, Mello was just scoring. Oh, and Pierce even edged him out in that category.

Carmelo Anthony Points per game: 26.5 Rebounds per game: 4.9 Assists per game: 2.7 All-NBA points: 97

Paul Pierce Points per game: 26.8 Rebounds per game: 6.7 Assists per game: 4.7 All-NBA points: 29

The Truth accounted for 27 percent of the Celtics total scoring output, and was also the team leader in assists per game, rebounds per game, and steals per game. He was also just one of four players on the Celtics to average more than 10 points per game.

One the other hand, Mello had Andre Miller to initiate the offense for him at the point, he also had 2004 All-Star Kenyon Martin and two-time All-Defensive Team selection Marcus Camby crashing the boards and holding down the fort. In Denver he was just one of seven players scoring in double digits and he got away with shooting less than 25 percent from 3-point range.

So what happened?

Well, this time you can blame it on the media. The voting is done by a 126-member voting panel of writers and broadcasters who voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.

The All-NBA Team

What do you think? Did Pierce get snubbed? Or are folks in the Boston area overrating him because he’s so much further along than anyone else on his team?

At last! The sun re-entered our lives today. (No, I don’t count yesterday’s 3-second peek-a-boo as legitimate sunlight!) So for the first time since last Monday, you can have the sun and "The Sun."

Fortunately for you, the print edition of the Lowell Sun and LowellSun.com have been there every day, every step of the way, providing great coverage of the weather and flooding. Unfortunately, the fun and games department isn’t immune to Mother Nature’s fury. Rick Harrison has the story of the rising waters wreaking havoc with Greater Lowell Tech’s athletic facilities.

Elsewhere, the Lock Monsters sale to the Devils (as reported here first) has been approved by the AHL. Lynn Worthy serves up the story of the undefeated Lowell High Girl’s Tennis team.
Finally, Chaz Scoggins focuses on Abe Alvarez, the Pawtucket Red Sox lefty who many people might not realize actually has a World Series ring from his time with the big club in 2004.

Final Score
Red Sox 6
Oriole