Cody Ross Blasts 2 More HR's

Cody Ross is finishing up a nice spring training. He had 2 taters today & has 6 homers to lead the Sox in that category.

Ross is an excellent outfielder as well. He will play left while Crawford is out & platoon with Ryan Sweeney when Crawford is in the lineup.

I like Ben's additions this year. Besides Andrew Bailey, Ross may be the most significant. We should have no trouble forgetting J.D. Drew.

One Week Until Opening Day

Spring Training is dragging on for this final week before Verlander & Lester go at it next Thursday. It's a long, very long, last week for the players as they are ready to go by now. Rem Dawg always thought 2 weeks was plenty of time to get ready. Heck, Andy Pettitte may pitch in a game this week after 1 week of conditioning & throwing.

For a few players their roles will finally be determined by the time the Sox break camp. Bobby V. has to figure out:

- Who are my 4th & 5th starters in the rotation?

- Who will make up the bullpen?

- Which extra players will he take to round out the 25-man roster? infielder? outfielder? more pitchers?

We should know the answers to these questions by the end of the weekend. It's time to get the real games started.

Dodgers Sold for $2 Billion

A group led by Magic Johnson turns out to be the preferred buyer of the LA Dodgers. There were several groups vying for this storied franchise & the selling price far exceeds that of any other baseball team.

Subject to MLB approval, this should end the McCourts nightmare of buying this team on credit & then running it into the ground financially. I wonder who approved that sale to the McCourts? Because it's Hollywood, throw in a nasty divorce between the McCourts for good measure which this team became embroiled in. Reality show over now.

It will be nice to see the Dodgers back with stable management & funding for the future.

Lackey - Open Mouth, Insert Foot

John Lackey may be on the DL this year, thanks to Tommy John surgery, but his mouth is still in mid-season form. Lackey stirred up the "beer & chicken" brigade again by saying a beer after a start is done in every clubhouse. Translation - we are no worse than anyone else.

Today Lackey apologized for his comments by saying that they were insensitive. It was as if John boy was having a tooth pulled to get him to admit that this behavior was wrong. Why even bring it up & try to defend these actions?

His comments remind me of a kid I coached who got benched for throwing a helmet. She admitted that she broke a team rule, but then came the infamous "ya, but" other players had done it as well. They hadn't. And, of course, the parents backed her up to foster more entitlement since rules didn't apply to their lovely daughter. I was picking on her. In short, that's the reason I stopped coaching.

Why is personal responsibility so hard for anyone to take account of these days? Own it & move on.

Iglesias, Anderson Sent Down to Minors

Seems like the right decision was made.

Jose Iglesias & Lars Anderson were both sent down to Triple-A Pawtucket. Both will start the year in the minors, but they are just one injury away from a call-up during the season.

No real shock here, even though Valentine mentioned how much he enjoyed Iglesias vying for the shortstop job with Mike Aviles & Nick Punto.

It's the right thing to do for both of these players. Keep them playing on a regular basis & then wait for your chance.

Lester Pitches 2-Hitter

Even though it's only Spring Training, it was nice to see Jon Lester have a 7 inning, 2 hits, 10 K performance against the Phillies. This type of outing shows us all how good Lester can be when he pounds the strike zone.

I hope this start will have some carryover into real game #1 in Detroit on April 5th.

Tough April Ahead For Sox

We are in the last full week of March & April will be upon us very soon. April means real games start.

The start of the 2012 season on April 6th for the Red Sox will be no picnic. They play a lot of the heavy metal & playoff contenders right out of the gate. Let's hope they break camp with their game faces on & they are ready to play. Otherwise, it will be a long April for Red Sox Nation.

There are 23 games in April. 10 home. 13 away. The Sox open away at Comerica Park in Detroit against the AL Central winners for 3, then fly to Toronto to play an improving Blue Jays team for 3 more. Next, they come home to play 9 games against the Rays, Rangers & Yankees - all playoff teams from last year. Then it's back on the road to play at the Twins & at the White Sox for 7 games. They end the month at home against the A's.

Given their poor start last year, I would be happy with a 12-11 or 11-12 record based upon the quality of competition they are facing during the first month. What do you predict?

Bard, Aceves, Cook Or Dubront?

There are 2 open starting spots for the 4 pitchers mentioned above. If you are Bobby V., which two do you start & which two go to the bullpen?

Aaron Cook is either a starter or he doesn't make the team. He is not a reliever. I think he has shown enough in Spring Training to get the one of the two open spots.

That leaves Bard, Aceves & Doubront for the last starting spot. Sentimentally, you would think that Daniel Bard should be given a chance to start for his body of work over the past 2 years. However, he walks a lot of batters & has not been impressive this spring.

Alfredo Aceves has been more consistent, notwithstanding a bad outing yesterday. However, he has the flexibility to pitch everyday out of the pen versus every 5th day in the starting rotation. I also don't expect Aceves to have the same career year as last year.

Finally, Felix Doubront learned from his mistakes of 2011 & did come into camp in shape. No setbacks this spring. He has pitched well, including a nice start yesterday.

If I am voting on the sole criteria of where they help the team the most, I would start Aaron Cook & Felix Doubront. I would place Bard & Aceves back into the bullpen which would gives less innings to everyone out there & keep the bullpen fresher over the course of a long season. The 7th, 8th & 9th could look like Melancon, Bard & Bailey with Aceves pitching the 7th & 8th as needed on opposite days.

As the last week of Spring Training gets started, it's time for Bobby to make a decision.

Joba Possibly Out for the Year

Joba Chamberlain may be out for the year. He severely injured his ankle in a trampoline-type device while playing with his son. The Yankees GM Brian Cashman made a general statement, but did say that the injury is significant.

Joba, Joba, Joba. How bad is it when a professional athlete gets injured on a kid's trampoline? I guess his balance isn't what it should be.

Talk about underperforming assets. We have Bobby Jenks. They have Joba.

Bobby Jenks - Criminal

DUI.

Leaving the scene of an accident.

Destruction of private property.

That's how Bobby Jenks spent his Friday morning. Police have notified the Red Sox of his arrest in conjunction with the above accusations.

What a colossal waste of money on Jenks. Reminds me of Eric Gagne, but at least Gagne took the mound - albeit not too well. I guess Jenks didn't get the memo that alcohol wasn't part of his rehab.

It wouldn't surprise me if Jenks was released. If he has a morals clause in his contract, maybe the Sox can get off the hook for the remaining dollars owed to him.

Pedroia Hit

OK, here's my last article on a meaningless pre-season game against the Yankees last night. Check the other 2 if you want to start stirring the pot for the regular season.

Dustin Pedroia gets hit with a fastball above the wrist by a weirdly named Yankee minor leaguer who had no control for most of his outing. It was not intentional, but it shouldn't have gone unnoticed. Luckily, it was just a bruise that will be sore for awhile.

While a Yankee batter was hit later in the game, I would have plugged Curtis Granderson right in the butt the next inning. You hit one of our starters & key players, we hit one of yours of equal caliber.

It's never too early to start protecting your key guys.

Bobby V. Not Happy With Yankees

Rightfully so, Bobby V. was looking forward to seeing Clayton Mortenson pitched the 10th inning for the Sox in a 4-4 tie with the Yankees.

As the Red Sox pitcher came out for the 10th, the umpires informed Bobby V. that the game was over. The Yankees had no pitchers left. (See my previous article about Blockhead Girardi.)

Bobby's beef was that no one informed him that the 10th would not take place. His guy Mortenson had to warm up for nothing & he didn't get a chance to see a kid trying to make the big club.

I'm with Bobby on this one. Welcome to a new page of Red Sox - Yankees cold war.

Giradi Is A Blockhead

The Yankees squandered a 4-0 lead against the Red Sox last night & Joe Girardi decided not to play the customary 10th inning with the scored tied 4-4 after 9 innings.

Why was that? The Yankees ran out of pitchers.

Why did they run out of pitchers? Because Girardi was a blockhead in the 9th & changed pitchers after they threw to just one batter.

Gee, Joe. I didn't realize that this was playoff game & you had to use your whole bullpen to get the proper left-left, right-right matchups to bring home the big victory in spring training.

As it turns out, Girardi's decisions couldn't stop the Red Sox from tying the game on a suicide squeeze.

Take that, Joe. You are a blockhead for running out of pitchers.

Tito to Broadcast Red Sox, Yankees Today

ESPN Boston is reprting that Terry Francona will be in the broadcast booth tonight when the Sox & pinstripes go at it in a pre-season game.

That has to be a little odd, don't you think? With Francona & Valentine flip-flopping roles this past year it ought to be interesting to see what kind of relationship these two guys develop, if any.

Never a dull moment at any Red Sox - Yankees game, even in Spring Training.

Bard Not Sure to Start

ESPN Boston is reporting that Bobby V. has not yet committed to Daniel Bard as a starting pitcher versus the team's closer. These are decisions to be made in the coming days as Valentine sets his starting rotation & bullpen.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog article, there are pro's & con's to both jobs for Daniel Bard. One thing is for certain - Bard does have an important job with this team in 2012.

I think Bobby V. is bringing a fresh pair of eyes to everything without being biased by previous relationships. The use of Bard will be governed by where he can best help this team win. I'm OK with waiting a little longer.

Manning In, Tebow Out

Peyton Manning is now a Denver Bronco & the highest paid QB in the NFL. Quite a fete for a guy who was injured the entire last year & needed 3 neck surgeries to get back into playing condition. Like the Albert Pujols deal, only time will tell if this hunch on Peyton Manning by the Denver Broncos pays off.

And Tebow-mania is officially over in Denver. The guy who led a non-contending team to the playoffs now finds himself on the chopping block. Sometimes life isn't fair.

Time For Pitching Cuts

The Red Sox website indicates that Bobby V. will have to cut his current pitching staff of 25 in half & do it soon. Cuts should be made sometime this week to establish a rotation & bullpen with assigned responsibilities.

What do we know? Well, Beckett, Lester, Buchholz & probably Bard are in the starting rotation. Andrew Bailey is your closer to start the year. Beyond those 5 guys, everything else is up in the air.

There are no options left for 5 pitchers - Albers, Bowden, Doubront, Miller & Morales. If they don't make the big club, they get released. I think all 5 of those guys stay with the club in some form or fashion.

Aceves & Melancon should be added to that mix, even though neither has pitched well lately. Doubront had a poor outing too.

Depending who gets tapped as the 5th starter, I think the competition is really between Cook & Padilla to make the big club. I say Padilla has an edge since he is willing to work out of the bullpen, as well as start.

Should be an interesting week.

Bard Or Aceves?

There are pluses & minuses on both sides of the coin flip when thinking about Daniel Bard or Alfredo Aceves joining the starting rotation.

Bard could close & move Andrew Bailey & Mark Melancon back to the 7th & 8th innings. Likewise, Aceves could be the 7th inning guy with Melancon the 8th & Bailey the 9th. It's unlikely that both Bard & Aceves will both go into the starting rotation. The 5th spot should go to Aaron Cook, Felix Doubront or Vicente Padilla.

My gut says that the Sox owe a chance to Bard to try & crack the starting rotation. Unless Andrew Bailey fails miserably in the closer role, Bard could stay in the rotation's #4 spot. The #5 spot will probably revert back to Dice-K in June.

Buck Looks Good, Throws 5 Innings

Other than a golf shot by Evan Longoria on a good pitch, Clay Buchholz looked in mid-season form against the Tampa Bay Rays. His fastballs - 2 & 4 seam - plus curveball & changeup were all working yesterday.

Even though Jon Lester was named the Opening Day starter, I pick Buck to wins the most games of any Red Sox starter this year. He possessed great stuff before his back injury & he looks to be all the way back & nasty again.

I'm looking for 15 to 20 wins from Clay Buchholz this year.

Broken Bats Still A Problem

In the first few weeks of Spring Training games in 2012 there are still too many broken bats. MLB did a study in the past, but - as far as I know - no results were ever released.

It's just a matter of time before a pitcher, catcher, hitter, infielder, umpire or fan is severely injured by a flying piece of bat. So far I've seen a broken bat land straight up in the grass between home & the mound. I've seen a bat fragment stuck in the netting behind home plate, saving a fan. And I've seen a first-baseman complete a double play, unaware that a bat head was flying towards him & it landed a few feet behind him.

Whatever the MLB study found about why bats break a plan to safeguard players, umpires & fans should be considered before a major injury occurs.

Saltie - Hip Bursitis

Primary catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia has hip bursitis which is treatable with ice, anti-inflammatories & rest. No surgery needed.

Catching is such a nasty position. All the squating, foul balls off different parts of the body, etc. It takes it's toll over time. That's what made Jason Varitek & Jorge Posada so unusual - their durability.

Good thing we have Shoppach & Lavarnway to fall back on as needed.

Jenny Dell Replaces Heidi on NESN

Where does NESN find these girls? It's a long tradition of beautiful women as the NESN sideline reporter during Red Sox games. Hazel Mae. Tina Cervasio. Heidi Whatney. Move over girls to welcome Jenny Dell in 2012.

Dell was working for ESPN & was a reporter for their X Games. Now she gets the big gig to replace Heidi on the Red Sox sidelines. And her looks are more than an adequate replacement.

Good luck, Jenny! Us males will have no trouble watching you do your reporting this year.

Halladay Having Terrible Spring

Jon Lester isn't the only pitcher having trouble finding the plate in Spring Training. Roy "Doc" Halladay is giving up 5 runs an outing so far.

When reporters speculated that Halladay was ineffective because he must be injured the Doc quickly accused the media of being stupid in their assumption. He said everything is fine & he will be ready to pitch come Opening Day.

Remember what I said earlier - it's just Spring Training, emphasis on training. All fans - don't get too worked up yet.

Andy Pettitte Is Back

Out of the wild blue yonder comes Andy Pettitte for a comeback with the Yankees at age 40. He signed a $2.5 million minor league contract.

Pettitte would be in the same category as Tim Wakefield when it comes to pitching in your 40's. His best days are behind him, but he gets another payday for a pitching strapped team like the Yankees.

What does that say about the confidence in the Yankees rotation of CC, Kuroda, Pineda, Garcia & others? Not much I guess.

How About Asdrubal Cabrera for SS?

This will never happen, but the Red Sox & Indians have made trades in the past.

Earlier this week, the Cleveland Indians were unable to come to terms on a long-term contract with Asdrubal Cabrera, their all-star shortstop who will enter free agency next year. Once the Indians can't make a long-term deal it usually means that they will trade the player to get something in return. Remember the Justin Masterson trade for Victor Martinez?

Asdrubal is coming into his prime as a shortstop. He is a slick fielder & a switch hitter who handles the bat well. AC has no problem going into the hole & throwing out runners. He could be the Red Sox answer to shortstop for the next 5-6 years & bring stability to the position.

If the Red Sox are ready to give up on Iglesius, I'd trade Iglesius & Anderson for Asdrubal. Maybe even throw in Michael Bowdon. I think it would be worth it to get an everyday guy who will only get better & solidify a problem position for the Red Sox.

Sox Lineup Vs. Lefties

As promised, here's what I see as the Sox lineup against a lefty starter.

1) Dustin Pedroia - 2B

2) Jacoby Ellsbury - CF

3) Adrian Gonzalez - 1B

4) Kevin Youkilis - 3B

5) David Ortiz - DH

6) Cody Ross - RF

7) Kelly Shoppach - C

8) Darnelle McDonald - LF

9) Mike Aviles - SS

The Sox have a number of lefty/righty combos to utilize like Aviles/Punto, Ross/Sweeney & Salty/Shoppach. Once Crawford is back I'd even see Bobby V. using a Crawford/McDonald tandem for awhile to ease Crawford's wrist back into swinging.

I think there is a lot of versatility on this team as compared to prior years.

Starting Lineup

Have you had any thoughts about a starting lineup for the Sox this year? I venture to say that it will change from game to game with a lefty or righty starter. Here's my best crystal ball on what Bobby V. will put out there.

Righty Starter:

1) Jacoby Ellsbury - CF

2) Dustin Pedroia - 2B

3) Adrian Gonzalez - 1B

4) David Ortiz - DH

5) Kevin Youkilis - 3B

6) Mike Sweeney - RF

7) Cody Ross - LF

8) Jarrod Saltalamachia - C

9) Mile Aviles - SS

Lefty lineup to follow tomorrow. Let me know what you think.

Red Sox 1, Yankees 0

Isn't it fun to beat the Yankees? So what if it's in Spring Training.

My choice for the Red Sox 5th starter, Felix Doubront, pitched 4 strong innings against the boys in pinstripes yesterday. I saw him pitch last year & I think it would be great to have a 2nd lefty in the rotation, especially against the Yankees & Rays lineups. Maybe Felix has learned that you don't come into camp overweight which led to injuries last year.

In my perfect world I'd like to see Doubront take the 5th spot in the rotation & put Aceves back in the pen to start the season. Aceves, Melancon & Bailey would be a nice 7th, 8th, 9th combo.

Yu Darvish - OK

OK is the rating I would give Yu Darvish for his 3 innings of work today. In some sense he was less than I anticipated after the hype.

Darvish walked his first 2 batters, but benefitted from 2 attempted steals & 2 thrown out by the catcher. Inning #2 was better from a control standpoint. His 3rd inning saw more wildness which resulted in 2 runs.

Maybe he was nervous. Like any pitcher he needs to find the strike zone to be a front-of-the-rotation guy. Otherwise, it's going to be a long year.

Spring Training - Week 2

Because it's Spring Training there is not a lot to write about. Pitchers are pitching. Hitters are hitting. Fielders are fielding.

Here's a few thoughts thus far.

- Bobby V. is looking at different lineup configurations. I'm OK with that. And it's nice to see a National League approach of run & bunt with the faster guys.

- I like Nick Punto & what he brings to this team as the utility guy.

- I don't like all the walks by the pitching staff, especially Lester & Bard. But it is Spring Training & they are working on different pitches. I'm keeping an eye on free bases anyways. There were way too many last year.

- I do not like Mike Aviles at short. He was indecisive on a ground ball a few nights ago & couldn't find an out. I hope he hits a lot to make up for his defense.

- Lars Anderson & Pedro Ciriaco are having good camps. Not bad back-ups to have in Pawtucket should something go wrong via injury in Boston.

Mike Sweeney got a little tweek in his leg, but other DL guys like Crawford & Dice-K continue to progress. I wonder what the scoop is on Bobby Jenks?

Overall, things are going well. Not much else to say right now. Another injury-free week would be good.

Fan Etiquette

Yes, it's that time again. I've only been to 3 games this year, but my pet peeves are building up already. If you are sitting anywhere's close to me at a game, please observe Don's Rules of Conduct.

1) Don't be a slob & pick-up your trash so I don't have to walk over or around it. The best is the drunk guy behind you who spills his 10th beer that sticks to your sneakers. Fans do things to trash ballparks that they would never do in their own house. Why is that?

2) Stop waiving your arms during games so you can be seen on TV. If I'm sitting behind you trying to actually watch the game, you will be getting a tap on the shoulder after the 1st time you wave. As a follow-up rule, parents should not make their little kids go down to the front row & waive at the camera. That's even more annoying.

3) If you are sitting behind me & need to talk incessantly about non-baseball stuff throughout the whole game, do it without yelling & stop talking to come up for air once in awhile. I had 2 male Padres fans who were worse than 2 old ladies talking for 9 solid innings about when they were in the 4th grade, what color a neighborhood dog was & how to end the Afghan war. And all that stuff would have been OK if they weren't talking so all 3 rows up & down from them could hear their conversation. Maybe the 10 beers they drank had something to do with it. Amateurs!

4) If you leave the park to smoke, take several deep breaths & brush your clothes before you return. I had a lady who left to smoke & came back yesterday smelling like her clothes were on fire. She must have had 3 cigarettes going in each hand. This routine happened several times during the game. I think I have lung disease now.

5) Don't talk & walk around during the national anthem. My best pet peeve is the on-field camera man who has to run by the players in front of the dugout to show them chewing gum & standing still. Really? Have a little patriotism & leave that camera shot out.

I'm sure more things will pop into my head as I attend more games this spring. Let me know if you have any pet peeves to add to this list.

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

It was my good fortune this week to receive a hand-me-down copy of this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Of course, I read the articles - ha! ha!

Kate Upton is a great choice for the SI cover. Not only is she a stunning beauty, but Kate has a very healthy look to her. There have been enough anorexic-looking models infiltrating the minds of young girls in the past.

If I had a vote & I had to pick someone other than Kate Upton, I would have chosen Genevieve Morton. My granddaughter has a friend named Genevieve & she reminds me of her. Genevieve has an American, California look to her - at least in my mind.

If you have a favorite model, after reading the SI articles of course, let me know. You can comment anonymously so as not to unnecessarily trouble your spouse or significant other.

Buck Pitching Pain Free in 2nd Outing

If you watched the Red Sox last night, you saw Clay Buchholz continue in his progress back from his stint on the DL last year. You might say his back is back!

Like the other Red Sox pitchers, Buck continues to do his work & get ready for the grind of 30+ starts during the regular season. Since the no alcohol proclamation it has been a very low key camp to date, maybe because expectations outside of Red Sox Nation are not that high for the Sox this year.

All the players are getting their work in as needed & any minor nicks & scrapes are coming along just fine. Andrew Bailey will work on Monday & Carl Crawford should be ready to get back to work in a week or so.

Let's continue to keep it low key & just get ready for the regular season.

Impressions of Albert Pujols

I got to see Albert Pujols play about half a game for the Angels today in the Cactus League. First impressions:

- He is one big muscular dude!

- He ran out his groundballs hard which is a plus in my book.

- The scorebook won't show it, but he nailed a couple of line drive fouls that left the park very quickly, so he certainly has power.

- He is a big target for infielders to throw to at first base.

I don't know if Pujols should have ever left St. Louis where he could have finished his career & he could have been a modern day Stan Musial to Cardinal fans.

I don't know if anyone is worth a 10-year contract at $240 million, but time will tell. I just see how A-Rod is breaking down on the Yankees with several years left on his deal.

But one thing is for sure - Albert is bringing excitement to the Angel fans.

New Podcast

Gaff, Steve & I are creating a new podcast today to give you our thoughts on the 2012 edition of the Boston Red Sox. It should be uploaded to this blog within a few days. Give a listen when you can & feel free to hit the comment button below with your thoughts.

Thanks & happy spring training!

Bard, Aceves Look Good

Both Daniel Bard & Alfredo Aceves pitched 2 shutout innings against the Orioles yesterday. The pitchers seem to be coming along nicely as far as getting their work in without injuries. That was especially important with Clay Buchholz on Monday.

No one questions that the Red Sox offense will produce. It's up to the pitching staff to rebound in 2012.

Other than that, don't worry about results. Remember that Spring Training is just what the name implies - training.

Peyton Manning No Longer A Colt

Peyton Manning & the Indianapolis Colts are no longer together. It's a divorce of Hollywood proportions.

Manning will begin looking for new suitors, even though another hit to his neck could result in major health issues. My question - does he really need to continue playing a la Brett Favre?

The early front runner for Manning's services is the Miami Dolphins. That would put Manning & Brady against each other twice a year which could be interesting to see.

With 2 little boys & a number of commercials to his credit I think it may be time for Peyton to hang them up. Nothing left to prove, other than sibling rivalry as little brother Eli has outplaying his big brother in recent years.

Just quit, Peyton. No one wants to see you paralyzed.

First Game

It's the smell of hot dogs, sausage & popcorn.

It's visiting the gift store.

It's the college girls across the way drinking beer & texting throughout the game.

It's the national anthem.

It's a good catch &/or a bad miss of a foul ball in the stands.

It's the little guys with their mom & dad asking for ice cream every inning.

It's the elderly couple slowly walking out of the stadium with their matching team shirts.

That was the experience with my first Cactus League game yesterday where the home team Cleveland Indians beat the visiting KC Royals 3-2 on a Shelley Duncan 3-run homer.

You always remember your first game every year.

Buck On the Hill Today

Jon Lester & Josh Beckett have made their first starts of the early season in Spring Training. Now it's Clay Buchholz' time to return to the mound today.

This will be the first time that Buck returns to the mound since being injured last year with a nagging back injury. That injury, originally thought to be minor, kept him on the sidelines for more than half a season.

Rest & rehab have him back to good health in 2012. In fact, there was talk that Buck might have been able to return last year in the playoffs - which we never made it into. Just as well from his perspective to get a full off-season of rest.

I think Clay Buchholz is "the" key to the Red Sox season in 2012. A healthy Buck with 17 or 18 wins is the recipe needed to stop a slide like the one of last September. A lot of eyes from Red Sox Nation will be watching his first start today.

More Than A Game Of Catch

I can remember playing catch with my dad in a parking lot behind our apartment building. He threw a mean knuckleball! It was one of those father & son moments that many of us remember with a smile.

I read a story in the local newspaper about a baseball player from Arizona State. He slid into second base last year & sustained a freak injury to his spine which has left him paralized. One of the things his dad said is that he misses the old days of throwing the ball around & playing catch with his son.

Many major leaguers that graduated from ASU have stepped up to help with support. Dustin Pedroia is one player who has sent a video of well wishes to this kid from all the Red Sox players.

Like most things in life, you don't miss them until they are gone -- even a simple game of catch. I wish this young player the best in his recovery.

Scott Disses Sox Fans

ESPN Boston reports that Luke Scott is not a fan of Red Sox Nation. The former Oriole, now Tampa Bay Ray, says that Red Sox fans are vulgar & arrogant.

So? Grow a pair, Scott, & turn off those rabbit ears when you are playing ball. If you are a professional athlete, you tune out any comments from the stands & concentrate on your job in the field. Why do care about a heckler from the stands?

Apparently Scott prefers the ballpark atmosphere in St. Louis where everyone is laid back & nice with their comments. I guess he should play in St. Louis then!

Even if Scott thinks that about Red Sox fans, he should have never come out with his comments. How do you think he will be received 9 times this year in Fenway Park?

Just dumb comments, not very professional.

Jason Varitek Hangs Up Spikes

Jason Varitek made it official last night that the uniform he wore for 14 years is officially off for good. Tek expects to stay with the team in a coaching or consulting role.

They say that catcher's gear are the tools of ignorance. However, any player or coach will tell you that a catcher runs the team. You won't find a good team, or a winning team, without a good catcher. And Varitek was a very good catcher for the Red Sox, leading them to many post-season appearances & 2 World Series wins.

Good for Tek for retiring like his teammate Tim Wakefield. It's time for the new kids to have their turn.

A-Rod, Jeter Not Fans of Valentine's Comments

Bobby V. is speaking his mind.

Jeter's flip in '01 was unnecessary. The runner would have been out anyways.

A-Rod got clocked by Varitek in '04.

Neither A-Rod nor Jeter would comment on Bobby V.'s take of past encounters between the Red Sox & Yankees.

But the best rivalry in all of sports will not remain dormant for long. The start of Spring Training is usually when fuel gets thrown onto the fire for the upcoming season. Remember Lucchino's Evil Empire quip a few years ago?

Games in Florida start this weekend. It won't be long before the real ones begin.