We are two weeks away from this summer’s All Star Game in San Francisco. Fans have been punching chads in their ballots for their favorite players all season, on line voting will end this Thursday at midnight. Last week the Red Sox asked David Ortiz if he would mind if Kevin Youkilis had his name added to the player’s ballot as a first baseman, where Ortiz holds a sizeable lead. Naturally Big Papi agreed and why not. Check out some of these numbers for Yuke. He is in the top ten in batting average in the American League at .331. His on base percentage is .413. Fielding percentage is perfect at 1.000 that means NO ERRORS to date this season and is riding a consecutive errorless game streak that is approaching 120. He is having an All Star type season and would probably hitch hike to San Francisco if selected by the players or manager Jim Leyland. So find a ballot, get online and give Yuke the vote he has earned

It's a road trip. Get over it. Everyone takes them and most everyone makes them in alot less comfortable of conditions.

A few of the Red Sox players (and manager) have talked (in a whiny way) what a tough long road trip this is for the team. Over 7,000 miles the team will travel. All of it on chartered Jets with all the luxuries of a 5 star hotel, which by the way is where they stay on the road. and oh yah, they had to endure a whole day off in San Diego-where do I sign up?

This is all a ready made built in excuse in case they lose 2 of 3 in both San Diego and Seattle. San Diego is a good team- the NL's best so don't give me this long tough road trip excuse. Seattle is 5 games over .500. Beatable indeed. Even with Kason Gabbard who by the way is 1-0 this year beating the Braves earlier this season.

With or without Curt Schilling (and lately they have been better without Schilling), the Sox must continue to win on a regular basis with no excuses about tough road trips. Oh, if we all had it so tough.

And the most honest- Julian Tavarez.

You’ve got to like this guy, a lot. He is overachieving and if you can ever call a major league player underpaid (Ok realistically-you can’t), he is. He is the lowest paid of the team’s starters (but at over $3M he certainly won’t go hungry).

In these days of Athletes trying to be so PC (boring), Tavarez is the exception. On the field he displays true emotion and not just at his own strikeouts. And when asked a question-he actually responds honestly. Now that emotion has gotten him into trouble before and may yet again, but while he behaves himself he is refreshing.

Julian Tavarez, who has been in the Majors 14 years is on pace to set career highs in starts and wins, as well as fist pumps and pointing and his performance is a major reason the Red Sox have enjoyed a double digit lead over the Yankees

Shut Schilling Down

June is not the time for heroes, October is. No one knows that better than Curt Schilling so shut it down Curt, especially if Theo Epstein will not stand up to you and tell you to shut it down.

I don't care if there is no structural damage in your shoulder; tendonitis means its sore so rest it -Now. Your team and their healthy 9 game lead will not fall apart without you plus let's reward Jon Lester for his patience and success at triple A. Lester can come up and make a couple of starts and then when Schilling is well rested Francona can have the luxury of having 6 starters to juggle.

Oh yah Curt, one more reminder- you're 40 and pitching for a new contract. No one is going to pay big bucks for a 41 year old pitcher with a questionable shoulder.

That final message should convince the Big $chill to shut it down for awhile.

 

June 15 has finally arrived and the controversial Barry Bonds will be at Fenway tonight. I suspect many Red Sox fans will be gargling and resting their vocal chords all day so they can do what many do best – boo. Each time Bonds steps on the field (if he plays he most likely will DH) or his name is announced there will be a cacophony of boos. Why waste your energy? True, he is a loathsome character who has his own PR man, his own section of the locker room with his own flatscreen TV that only he can see. So why boo the man? Yes he is suspected of using steroids but until now he has never tested positive and the only abuse he admits is using flaxseed oil and crème to treat arthritis. Bonds thrives on booing, it drives him, motivates him and fuels him. Want to drive him crazy tonight? Ignore him, don’t utter a sound, and turn your back on him. Don’t waste the energy booing Barry Bonds. He could care less, but if you show you could care less with your apathy, he might just get rattled.

 

Did you catch the full page spread in Sunday’s Globe sports section? It was a salute to one of the most valuable Bruins over the past three decades. It wasn’t a player or a coach; it was Nate Greenberg former Public Relations Chief and Special Assistant to the President. Nate worked his last day for the Bruins last Friday; later that evening there was a gathering of close friends and workers who celebrated his friendship. If it was an open house, the party would have had to have been held in the Garden. As one well wisher stated, “When Nate spoke to you, you felt like the most important person in the world.” That’s how Nate made all of us in the media feel and that’s how he wanted every Bruins fan to feel. Nate loved and promoted the Bruins every day for the past 34 years. It’s too bad the Bruins administration didn’t notice this. They let one of the best skate away.

 

The NBA Finals could be over by the end of the week and by the ratings for the first two games not many folks are going to miss this series. It’s too bad because the San Antonio Spurs are one of the more interesting teams to watch in recent years. They actually pass the ball, they moved without the ball, they set picks, they rebound and they play defense. Celtics fans still drool every time they watch Tim Duncan and wonder what might have been, but his supporting cast is dazzling. Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker may be the most potent 1-2 punch in years. Neither played college basketball, Ginobli speaks three languages, Parker speaks two. Both have been eating up opponents throughout the playoffs and will be happy to applaud unselfishly when Tim Duncan walks off with the Finals MVP award. As for the Cavs, it has been a great run for LeBron who has matured beyond anyone’s expectations in his four years. He is fun to watch and each time he steps behind a microphone I am quite impressed. Quality basketball with quality players. Will anyone notice before it’s over?