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?

 

On Wednesday Kobe Bryant declared that he wanted to be traded. By Wednesday evening he had changed his mind after a conversation with his coach Phil Jackson. Even though Kobe retracted his trade wishes, every hungry team in the NBA should be burning the phone lines to Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, including the Celtics. YES, you heard me correctly, the Celtics. If there is one sport where one person can make an immediate impact it is basketball and Kobe is one of those players. Would the Celtics package their #5 pick and Paul Pierce for Kobe? I don’t know how tempting it is for Danny Ainge but I would bite. Kobe is a scoring machine who can take over a game. He is 29 years old and once scored 81 points in a game. Prior to the NBA draft lottery there was renewed interest in the future and, more importantly, hope. All that fizzled with the words “ the fifth pick in the 2007 NBA draft goes to The Boston Celtics.” The thought of Kobe wearing green is enticing and tempting. Will the Celtics pick up the phone?

 

If you are looking to laugh, have a good time and help out a great cause at the same time there are two events this week that will satisfy those requirements and both support the Joey Fund. Tonight at the Comedy Connection in Faneuil Hall Eddie Andleman will host the first annual Comedy Extravaganza. Funny man Steve Sweeney and five other comedians will be busting your guts from 7pm – midnight. There will be a number of sports celebrities, a live auction and of course – all the hot dogs you can eat. If you can’t make it tonight, then head over to Suffolk Downs Sunday for the 18^th annual Hot Dog Safari. For a $10 donation you can play games, eat hot dogs, meet sports celebrities and help families with Cystic Fibrosis. Joey O’Donnell was one of my heroes; he died of CF more than 20 years ago but his feisty spirit flourishes thanks to the relentless efforts of his mother Kathy and his father Joe. So when you are looking for something to do tonight or Sunday, do something for Joey. You won’t regret it.

I am not worried about the Red Sox. I am not even really worried about Curt Schilling, but C'mon Curt- you are supposed to be the man!

I know it's only May, but it was the Yankees and you looked like you were throwing BP (batting practice). I mean even Doug Mientkiewicz took you deep. That's Doug .231 Mientkiewicz.

Curt, you can look mediocre against  Baltimore, which you did 12 days ago, and even against Detroit, like you did 7 days ago, but these are the Yankees. I don't care if they were 10 1/2 games out. Put them out of their misery. End their season. You had the chance to do that and you laid an egg-giving up 6 runs in 6 innings. Lay an egg against Tampa not the Yankees. You'd better hope that lackluster performance doesn't come back to bite the team in September. 

 

 

took you deep

With the Bruins and Celtics both relegated to spectators for the playoffs interest in the NBA and NHL postseason is almost nonexistent. Without looking at the sports page, how many of you can tell me which teams are still alive in both leagues? Playoff basketball and hockey used to be a right of spring here in Boston. Scoreboard watching was mandatory to check out future playoff opponents, players to fear and villains to despise. We have become a two sport town with the Red Sox and Patriots overlapping for most of the year. The only gap that exists is the two weeks between the Super Bowl and the reporting date for pitchers and catchers. Once the Celtics and Bruins seasons end their respective sports become irrelevant in this town. Patriots mini camp and a Red Sox injury report garner more attention than the Suns-Spurs or the Red Wings-Ducks. Sadly we are out of touch with the boys of winter.

 

Fenway Park has had some unusual event this season. Four consecutive home runs against the Yankees, some of the largest crowds of all time and on Monday night, the first complete game this season by a Red Sox pitcher. As a matter of fact the nine innings pitched by Dice K was only the 20^th complete game pitched in the entire major leagues this season. Somewhere pitchers of yesterday are chuckling. For instance former Sox hurler Cy Young tossed 41 complete games in 1902. The Bambino, Babe Ruth, threw 35 complete games for the Sox in 1917. Mel Parnell had 27 of them in 1949, Jim Lonborg had 18 in 1967, Luis Tiant was on the hill for 25 complete games in 1974. The Rocket, Roger Clemens had 18 complete games in 1987 and Pedro Martinez started and finished 7 games in 2000. Since that year there have not been more than 3 complete games thrown by any Sox pitcher. So when you marvel at Dice K’s night, tip you cap to those who spent far more time soaking their arm in a tub of ice after a game.

 

This week should be a decent test for the Red Sox. After winning fourteen of nineteen against the weak American League East, the Sox will get some of the iron over the next seven days. The defending American League champion Detroit Tigers are in town until Thursday night followed by the perennial National League East champion Atlanta Braves. The Tigers began the week in first place in the AL Central division even though they are without 17 game winner Kenny Rogers who is recovering from a blood clot. The Tigers have added some punch to their lineup this year with the addition of the ever dangerous, Gary Sheffield. And as a bonus the Sox have four days to audition in front of this years All Star manager Jim Leyland. On the weekend the Braves come to town. The Braves don’t have their usual quality pitching but they still have some guys who can mash, especially Andruw Jones and don’t forget former Red Sox shortstop Edgar Renteria, who ran up an eighteen game hit streak this season. Quality baseball, all week long at Fenway.

 

How was that for a Mother’s Day gift? Over 36,000 at Fenway had more than one reason to celebrate yesterday. As mom’s throughout the region were feted with brunch, flowers and gifts there were a number of mother’s treated to the Red Sox - Orioles game. A brilliant sun bathed the ballpark as mothers were promised they could come down to the field and run the bases after the game with their children. The end of the game couldn’t come soon enough as the Sox were being handcuffed by Baltimore pitcher Jeremy Guthrie who was inexplicably removed in the bottom of the ninth when the mother of all comebacks began. Down 5-0, with little hope, the sox roared all the way back with 6 runs to give all of the moms a gift that is impossible to wrap. Great stuff for mom, who always deserves the best!

There are some major league rookies, 2nd year players (like Jonathon Papelbon for instance-$425,000 salary) and 3rd year players (The Phillies Ryan Howard-$900,000.) who are baseball bargains. But it would be tough to find many better deals in baseball right now than Tim Wakefield.

Last year Wakefield signed a contract extension/life time contract with the red sox guaranteeing that he would finish his career in a red sox uniform, and doing so at a reasonable salary (these days) for major league pitchers at 4 Million per year. But right now that salary is a bargain.

Wakefield is the 12th highest paid player on the Red Sox (getting less than half od what matt Clement is getting) but after last night's 7 shutout innings against the Blue Jays, Wakefield is #1 in the American league in Earned Run Average at 1.79.

Wakefield will not get the national recognition because win-loss record is the sexy statistic and Wakefield's teammate Josh Becket has grabbed the national spotlight with his is 7-0 record compared to Wakefield's 4-3. What the national media doesn't realize is that Beckett is being supported by an average of 8 runs a game while Wakefield is getting half that amount.

Not bad for a guy who will be 41 on Aug 2nd

Is Curt Schilling the greatest? Of course he is, just ask him.  But I want you to know about Keith Gill, because unlike Schilling- he won't tell you.

Gill was cut from his HS baseball team and told to try something else. He decided on track and ran all the way to all-scholastic honors and Stonehill College.

Gill’s Cross country season his freshman year was ended on it’s 3^rd day due to an injury. His sophomore year a mysterious setback plagued him for 5 months nearly ending his running career. After finding out it was Mono and anemia he began running again.

Last spring, in outdoor track, Gill attained All-America honors. In the fall, in cross country, Gill did it again-achieving All-America status. And then in the winter, in indoor track, Gill became Stonehill's 1st ever 3 sport All-America.

Haven’t heard of him? Probably because he doesn't have his own blog to tell you how great he really is.

    Josh Beckett's 7-0 start is certainly impressive but is he really any better than some of his teammates?
  Beckett is getting an average of 8 runs a game in support. If Schilling got that support he would be..7-0. Daisuke would also be undefeated as would Tim Wakefield who, this season, has been arguably Boston's best pitcher-he does have the teams lowest ERA at 2.11.
   Do we dare mention Julian Tavarez? His worst outing was giving up 6 runs against Toronto in a 10-3 loss, but if he would have been given 8 runs to work with..?
   I know, as Don Merideth once said, If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, then we'd all have a Merry Christmas, or in this case Cy Young Awards. But because of the timely hitting by his teammates and his own good performances- Josh Beckett is the leading candidate for this years Cy Yong Award, an award, btw, that Schilling has never won, so do not count him out of it yet- there's a long way to go.

With the Celtics not in the playoffs you usually try to find a team to pull for. Phoenix?-maybe, Detroit?-No way! Utah?- YES.

Old school coach Jerry Sloan has his Utah Jazz playing basketball the way it's supposed to be-unselfishly, hard and usually without the whining that is so prevalent in today’s game.

It is not a team of all-stars, -officially only Carlos Boozer has been named (once), but he may now be the most valuable/outstanding player in the entire playoffs. (How good would he look in Celtics Green, something Danny Ainge tried very hard to do last off-season)?

Andrei Kirilenko is their thin 6-9 forward whose scoring average has gone from 16 to 8 to allow Boozer and rookie point guard Deron Williams to get more shots- Kirilenko doesn't care- he just goes out and blocks more shots. An attitude, a team attitude that is worth cheering for.

 

There will be two major sporting events this weekend and neither of them have anything to do with the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL or the PGA. On Saturday afternoon Churchill Downs hosts the 133^rd Kentucky Derby while later that evening Las Vegas hosts the WBC Junior Middleweight title fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Both sports have seen better and more popular days. When was the last time anyone asked you “who do you think will win the fight tonight?” There is more interest in a Red Sox – Yankees bench clearing brawl than a world title fight. Too bad because nothing beats fight night. For arena electricity, it rivals a seventh game in basketball or hockey. As for horse racing, it suffers from the same lack of interest as boxing which is a shame because the sport is filled with “lifers” who grab the public’s attention only a handful of days per year. For the record Oscar De La Hoya has been a great champ but he will lose to the loud mouthed Mayweather. In the Derby, I’m placing my two bucks on “Any Given Saturday”. Makes the most sense to me.

 

Spent some time in Foxboro this week talking to various people about the NFL draft which has turned into a major spectator event over the years. Had a chat with Robert Kraft who said that he met with Randy Moss, pulled him aside, looked him in the eye and told him what he expected of him as a New England Patriot. Robert told me that after that face to face conversation he was comfortable making the deal, although he did admit there was a spirited discussion within the Patriots hierarchy. Bill Belichick told me the whole deal began late Saturday night with phone calls, travel arrangements and a physical that all had to be completed by Sunday morning when the draft resumed. Belichick conferred with a number of his peers who had been around Moss and they gave him the green light to pursue Moss. You can catch all of these interviews on our draft edition of Patriots All Access Saturday night at 7PM on WCVB TV CH 5!

We all know baseball is a marathon, not a sprint.  Often April's contenders are October's pretenders. With that said let's take a quick peek at the Red Sox after one full month. They own the best record in baseball at 16-8.  Josh Beckett joined Babe Ruth and Pedro Martinez as the only pitchers in Red Sox history to win five games in the month of April.  David Ortiz had his customary seven home runs in that same span. If I were to hand out a tenth player award for April it would be a split decison. The award would be shared by Alex Cora and Hideki Okajima.  Cora hit .360 in 14 games with seven RBI, just one less than J.D. Drew.  Okajima gave up a home run on his very first pitch in Kansas City on opening day but he has been perfect since.  He hasn't given up a run and has 17 strikeouts in just under 13 innings.  Pretty good stuff from a couple of irregulars.

 

For the first time in his career Randy Moss is not the one holding the hammer. When he was drafted by the Vikings in 1998 he was to be the club’s savior, he was “the man” of the Vikings. With New England, for the first time in his career, he is just “another man.” Moss has no leverage with the Patriots who will only pay him $3 million as opposed to the $9.75 he was due to receive and the contract is not guaranteed. With the Vikings and Raiders Moss had a long leash, here in New England Moss will be under the microcope 24/7, on and off the field. There won’t be any discussions with any transgressions, he’ll simply be out of work. Fear can be a great motivator and so can winning. The Pats are banking on the latter.

 

So the recalcitrant Randy Moss is now a New England Patriot. After nine seasons in the NFL, Moss is finally with a perennial winner and it’s that word “winner” that will keep Randy Moss in check. Keep in mind that there is a solid core of veteran leaders on the Patriots – Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Troy Brown, Tom Brady and Rodney Harrison- none of these guys will put up with any nonsense from Moss and he knows it. It’s the fourth quarter of his career and Randy Moss just received a new set of downs. This deal is a winner!

Mike Lynch

SportsCenter 5

1st off- I am not a Curt Schilling basher, never will be. I don't think he's a bad guy- a bit eogtistical,but That is propbably part of what makes him a pretty good pitchetr. Probably the best way to describe my attitude towards Schilling is he amuses me. He takes himself way too seriously but he is amusing.

This whole sock thing is a joke. Orioles broadcaster Gary Thorne spoke way out of hand with nothing to really back it up, and 2 years later??? C'mon. The Sock was bloodied and not painted

My only problem with Schilling in this matter is that he loves to lump all of us "journalists" with one another and that "none of us are accountable" etc, etc. That is not true, at least in my case-I am accountable to a number of bosses here at the station and, just as importantly, to you the viewer, to hundreds of thousands of viewers. If you don't like us, or don't think we are being accurate and fair- you won't watch us and eventually we'll probably be looking for work elsewhere

How would Schilling like to be lumped in with Barry Bonds and Albert Belle and some of the many professional athletes who are real jerks, and believe me-there are MANY.

Like a Said before I have nothing against Schilling. I think he is a very good pitcher, probably a pretty good Dad and husband and very entertaining. He is amusing and we'll all miss him when he retires, or leaves whichever comes first.  

   Willie Mo Pena is not doing Theo Epstein any favors. Every mistake Willie Mo makes, thoughts wander to Bronson Arroyo, who by the way this year has an impressive ERA of 3.25.
   The Willie Mo for Bronson Arroyo trade has been well documented, Arroyo making the all star team last year with the 4th lowest ERA in the entire National League. And poor Willie Mo, he seems to be getting worse at the plate and in the field rather than better.
    Now it is possible that the 6-3, 245 pound physical speciman Willie Mo, who is just 25 years old, may become a valuable power hitter . The again, have you seen him try to hit a curve ball. Ouch.
   Overall, Theo has spent John Henry's money pretty well, with an occasional hiccup-Edgar Renteria & Matt Clement- 2 very expensive hiccups. Red Sox fans can only hope that he doesn't make any MO trades like the Bronson Arroyo deal.

   Every single Red Sox player and manager Terry Francona said before last nights game against Toronto that there would be no letdown after the sweep of the Yankees. There couldn't be. The excitement that is always present at Fenway Park would prevent it. So much for that theory.
   Fans, even the unequaled passionate fans at fenway can generate only so much excitement. They must have something to build on and last night they were give little. No pun intended but it was the littlest red sox player who provided the night's only real spark with his 1st 2 RBI's of the year on a 2 run double. After that it was a flat peformance, and who really can blame them? After that weekend?
   The real problem is that tonight the Red Sox face arguably the best pitcher in the American League in Roy Halladay so they are looking at what might be back to back losses and taking that on the road for 2 at Baltimore where the Orioles have been playing way over there head, and then into Yankee stadium for 3 where the Yanks and their fans are going to be all riled up looking for revenge from this past weekends sweep by the Red Sox.(and just in case you missed it, A-Rod hit 2 more out last night and is on a ridiculous pace to hit 127 HRs this season)
    My suggestion is for Manny and Varitek to pretend that they are again facing the Yanks tonight because that is who they excel against. Last night's 1 for 19 by the top 4 hitters in the Red Sox lineup ceryainly will not get it done.

    He is still hitting just .200, but with Manny's 1st homer of the year in yesterdays 14th game of the year, he IS ahead of last years pace when he didn't hit his 1st home Run until game #17 and ended up with 35, so can we expect manny to hit 40 HRs this year. (while I was wondering yesterday if Manny and his .176 average needed a day off, I did predict in an earlier blog a week or so ago that Manny would hit his 1st homer of the year in Toronto -just didn't realize that it would come down to his final at bat of the 3 game series. Manny, thanks for making me look like I kind of know what I'm talking about)

    Your suggestions that he show up earlier for spring training might help him get warmed up earlier cannot be discounted.

    And what is with Alex Rodriguez? I'll tell you what- it is a contract year. A-Rod can opt out of his contract after this season, so if he hits 60 home runs (his simply ridiculous start has him on a pace to hit 115 HRs this year !). 2 walk-offs already? Let's see what he does this weekend.

    Let's also see what the Red Sox big 3 does this weekend-I'm talking Schilling, Beckett, & Daisuke. I don't think that is what this series will come down to because the Yankees are going to hit- their offensive lineup, lioke them or hate them, is awesome. Let's see if Varitek can regain some of his hot hitting against the yankees. The Red Sox are going to need it.

    Cheers for Coco, hey if you can't get a normal hit- help the team with what you did yesterday -some bunt singles. And poor Dustin Pedroia- this kid needs a break, he is not this bad but how can you keep Cora out of the line-up after what he did yesterday? You can't.

    I like the Sox to win 2 out of 3, but I'm still not sure which of the 1st 2 they win. Daisuke definitely wins Sunday night.

So how long before we give Manny a day off? He went 0-3 last night with a walk and 3 relatively ground outs- 2 to the opposite side so he's not even getting around on ground balls. For those of you keeping track-Doug Mirabelli has 2 more HRs than Manny. Ouch.

Manny's day off is not going to come in the Yankee series so do we keep him in the line-up today hoping that he will snap out of it going into this weekends series? In 13 games he has 9 hits. Last year in a very slow start he was hitting .239 after 13 games, with no HRs- his 1st HR came in game 17.

And let's not even talk about Coco .136 Crisp who also went hitless again last night.

On a much more positive note- you've got to love Tim Wakefield. 7 innings-1 run. An ERA of 1.35, and yes he'll be 41 in a few months.

 

For the second straight spring we are loserville USA. Celtics and Bruins playoff series were once a rite of spring. Sadly we have a generation of hockey and basketball fans that have no clue how a playoff series can grip an entire region. The Bruins have failed to reach the post season for the third straght year and fifth time in this decade while the Celtics have missed the playoffs four times in the same span. As a matter of fact there have been five springs in the last ten years when the Garden has been dark during playoff time, with both the Bruins and the Celtics finishing out of the money. Prior to 1997 you have to go back all the way to 1950 to find the last time there wasn't a Bruins or Celtics playoff series in town. Nothing beat the buzz on Causeway Street,the subway, the lobby of the Garden on playoff night. Often, on Sundays, the Celtics would take care business with the Hawks, Pacers or 76ers in the afternoon and then after the Garden cleared out, the Bruins would put on their show at night with the Canadiens, Rangers or Oilers. There was always a villian, public enemy #1 on the opposition while new heroes emerged in Black and Gold or Green and White. Forget the regular season, teams make their everlasting mark during playoff time, under pressure as well as intense scrutiny from an entire region of loyal as well as peripheral fans. Celtics and Bruins, we'd love to keep the light on for you, but you've given us no sign that you are close to coming home.

If Daisuke had the attitude of Pedro Martinez he would be demanding a trade for Hideki Matsui and Ichiro Sazuki because Daisuke is not getting any support from his present teammates. 1 run in the last 2 games?? Are you kidding? with this 145 million dollar payroll? Get some hits.

Manny wake up-.205?? Hey Francona, why don't you give Manny a day off like you have JD Drew and Kevin Youkilis who have 2 of your teams 5 highest batting averages. Manny is hitting less than Mirabelli. Less than Mirabelli!! and Eric Hinske is hitting .800. Hey Francona-get him in the lineup!!

Daisuke is going to be just fine, in fact alot better than just fine- ALOT! Wakefield tonight- you might want to wake up manny on your way out to the mound and tell him that the regular season started 2 1/2 weeks ago. 

It has only been a short while since the 111th running of the Boston Marathon. There aren't enough heat packs, ice packs or tubes of Ben Gay to assuage the aches and pains of the Hopkinton to Boston jaunt for those 23,000 plus brave souls who made it the the finish line on Boylston Street. The hurt from the run will fade but the thrill of competing will never wane. In what other sport on the planet can you compete in the same event, in the same field, on the same day with the best in the world? You can't jump into the Masters and compete against Tiger. Forget about grabbing a bat and trying to hit against Dice-K or lace them up and try to catch a pass from Tom Brady during an NFL game at Gillette. But in Boston you can run in the same race with the greatest marathoners in the world and for those that have competed the satisfaction is unmatched. Training for and competing in the Marathon is an enormous task that consumes about six months of you life. And the most rewarding part of it all is that you don't have to cross the finish line first to be a winner!

Not that Daisuke was bad in his 2nd start, in fact he pitched well enough to win, especially with this line-up. (check out Josh Beckett's run support-9 runs per game!)but tonight Daisuke will be pitching in conditions that will be familiar and much more to his liking as he pitches in Toronto's Dome, the Rogers centre.

My Prediction?-With a somewhat depleted line-up, 3rd baseman Troy Glaus and outfielder Reed Johnson are both out, I expect Daisuke will look dominate. Put the W in the win column. I also predicted that Manny would hit his 1st home run of the year in this series- I will go with tonight and it won't be a cheap one.

BTW, did you see the flying pizza yesterday hit that fan down the lefty field line. That was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Unusual-certainly. Who in the world stands up when a foul ball gets hit their way and thinks to throw a piece of pizza at someone else? Probably Only someone who has been drinking since 10 in the morning. I certainly do not condone this type of behaviour and Mr Pizza Special Delivery man was thrown out of Fenway while the victim was cleaned off, tho I think that he was not feeling any kind of pain if you know what I mean. I interviewed him and that fact was confirmed by his speech was slightly slurred.

This week Major League Baseball and the sporting public celebrated the 60th annivsersary of Jackie Robinson's first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson was arguably one of the greatest all around athletes of all time, lettering in four sports in one school year at UCLA. He was an All American football player, led the Pac 8 basketball in scoring two straight years, won the NCAA title in the long jump and was a standout on the UCLA basball team - all in the same year. He left UCLA to joint the army and faced a court martial for refusing to sit in the back of a military bus. Robinson was the perfect person to be the first African American to play Major League baseball. His education and his temperment helped him "turn the other cheek" when he was subjected to taunts from fans, opposing players and even his own teammates. It is still difficult to fathom that there was a time when a ballplayer couldn't stay in the same hotel with his teammates because of the color of his skin. It is with great admiration as well as shame that we look back on this man's accomplishments and what he did for all the great African Americans who followed the incomparable Jackie Roosevelt Robinson

Jason varitek, batting 7th- finally made the Red Sox 1st out of the game after 6 batters had reached, 5 of those scored.  It is now 6-1 Sox on the strength of 3 1st inning doubles by Lugo, Ortiz, & Lowell.

Josh Beckett hit Vladimir Guererro in the 1st on the hand knocking him out of the game. Warnings were issued to both benches so their would not be retaliation by the Angels, to which Angels manager Mike Scocia was ciruously upset about since now if his pitcher happens to hit anybody or even throw inside unintentially- he'll be thrown out.

5 up, 5 reach base, 4 hits, 4 runs and one error. Red Sox up 4-1 in the bottom of the 1st- NO OUTS

The Tarp is off and opening line-ups have been announced and there cannot be more than a thousand people here. C'mon down and sit wherever you'd like. Ever sat right next to the dugout- too bad you're not here. It must still be raining alot of places because 35,000 of this sell out crowd is still not here.

By the way- is it too early to start talking about the Yankees series this coming weekend? I didn't think so. The Red Sox do go to Toronto for 3 games Tues-Thurs and then come back for the Yanks, who if you have not been paying attention, will be without both Mike Mussina and Carl Pavano who have both just been put on the 15 day disabled list, so the Red Sox 145 million dollar line-up should be able to score big, big runs this week-end.

The national anthem has been sung and the players have taken the field and their are still only a couple thousand people here.

More later