MLB Player Survey: 1%-5% Using PEDs Now

The website Althon Sports claims to have exclusively conducted an "off-the-record" survey that received responses from "more than a fifth" of all MLB players. For those of you who are statistically-challenged, that's around 20%—and around 80% who did not respond. Nevertheless, that's a pretty good response rate. Althon asked a range of questions, but the most telling response centered on the issue of PED use. The majority of players (53.0%) said between 1% and 5% of their compatriots are using PEDs right now, while a scant 6% said no players are using. More than one-quarter of those responding (25.6%) say the percentage of PED users is at least 6% or higher—with 5.5% saying the percentage of use is between 11% and 20%. Most of the other questions in the survey are trivial, silly (or both), but these results are chilling.

REPORT: A-Rod Met With Bosch At ALCS

The Fraudulent One

A figure associated with the disgraced Biogenesis Clinic in Florida says Alex Rodriguez met with the clinic's owner (Anthony Bosch) during last year's American League Championship Series. Porter Fischer, the former Marketing Director of Biogeneis, says Rodriguez sought out Bosch's help in the middle of his atrocious 1-9 slump during the ALCS. This obviously deepens A-Rod's problems—as reports already suggest he could be suspended for 100 games by MLB. Again, all of this could not happen to a more deserving guy.

Jerry Remy Returns To Booth Next Tuesday

RemDawg Back At Ya!

The best news The Nation has received in a long time came today with word that Jerry Remy will be returning to the broadcast booth with Tuesday's interleague game against the Colorado Rockies at Fenway Park. The Red Sox icon had been out due to illness since May 28th. NESN has been filling in with Jim Rice, Dennis Eckersley and a whole host of lesser lights since then. Of course, no one can touch the RemDawg or match the rapport he has with play-by-play man Don Orsillo. All of us look forward to Jerry's return!

Manny 'Misses Family', Leaving Taiwan Friday

Manny Being Mascot

I guess this could be called: Manny Being Manly. If you believe him. According to the authoritative blog, Manny Does Taiwan, the enigmatic one has been released by his Taiwanese team (the EDA Rhinos) and is leaving the country on June 21st for parts unknown. Manny's reason?—"because he misses his family." Of course, we know the real reason, don't we? He's just prepping for the next iteration of the Magical Mannystry Tour—this time with the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese League for bigger bucks. That's why he's leaving. Manny Being Monetary.

Jennifer Garner: No '04 Sox, No Marriage To Ben

(Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Cambridge's Ben Affleck is one lucky guy. He's famous, richer than Matt Damon and married to a lovely woman who actually understands his obsession with the Carmine Hose. Said woman, actress Jennifer Garner, stated recently that if it weren't for the 2004 World Series win, she doubts she would have married the Academy Award-winning director of Argo (oops, sorry he wasn't even nominated by those LA morons). Anyway, Jennifer believes that she'd have been viewed as too much of a "jinx" to marry had the Sox lost to the Cardinals. Not an unreasonable outcome. Perfectly logical. Wouldn't you say? What?

Both Buchholz And Ross Land On Disabled List

Clay Buchholz and David Ross both landed on the disabled list Tuesday—the former on the standard 15-day and the latter on the 7-day concussion variety. Buchholz—who hasn't pitched since June 8 complaining of "neck soreness"—is eligible to come off the list on June 24th. Ross—who was on the 7-day concussion DL earlier in the year—was repeatedly pummelled on the face mask by foul balls in his last two starts. Ryan Lavarnway was called up to replace Ross.

UPDATE: Sox Sign First Round Pick Trey Ball

Top Sox Pick Trey Ball

UPDATE-Jon Heyman: Red Sox Sign Trey Ball
WEEI.com's Alex Speier reports that Boston's first pick in this year's MLB Draft, Trey Ball, is set to sign with the club as early as today. The #7 overall pick is a left-handed high school pitcher out of Indiana. Ball is expected to sign below the $3.246 million slot number—which (in conjunction with other savings) will allow the Red Sox to sign their third round pick (catching prospect Jon Denney) at a higher amount that his slot allotment. Ball showed mid-90s velocity and a minuscule ERA (0.76) in his senior year—all in a New England-like climate.

'Dropkick' Jonny Walks Red Sox Off With Sweep

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

About 10 hours after baseball began at Fenway, Jonny Gomes sent a two-run walk-off HR into the night—giving Boston a doubleheader sweep of the Rays, 5-1 and 3-1. On his way around third base, Gomes drop-kicked (or more precisely punted) his batting helmet out of play. Gomes' heroics were necessary because Andrew Bailey blew Felix Doubront's finest career outing—eight shutout innings. On Bailey's second pitch of the ninth, Kelly Johnson homered to tie the game at one. Daniel Nava had homered earlier for the first Red Sox run. In game one, fans survived a three-hour rain delay to watch Boston defeat Tampa, 5-1. Alfredo 'Ace' Aceves came off the farm once again to deliver a rain-shortened five-inning gem—allowing just one run on three hits. David Ortiz drove in three of the runs and Jacoby Ellsbury was a HR shy of the cycle. All in all, a good day for the Carmine Hose.

BREAKING: Youk Having Back Surgery

The Yankees have announced that Kevin Youkilis will have back surgery Thursday. He will be out a minimum of 10-12 weeks. Effectively, this ends his brief career with The Evil Ones. 

Jerry Remy To Miss Another Week Of Soxcasts

Editor With Remy In 1992

Red Sox color analyst Jerry Remy will miss another week of Red Sox television broadcasts due to illness. Remy—a cult legend in New England—announced in April that he was again being treated for lung cancer. He missed most of the 2009 season being treated for the disease and recovering. In late May, Remy stated on his TWITTER feed that he was missing games due to allergies and then followed up in June by saying he was suffering from pneumonia. NESN will fill the enormous void with a host of back-up talent. Needless to say, everyone in The Nation sends its best wishes to Jerry for a speedy recovery. Get well soon, RemDawg!

'Wil' Myers Help Tampa Bay's Anemic Offense?

Rays Phenom Wil Myers

One of the most interesting aspects of the upcoming "three games in two days" love fest between Boston and Tampa will be the Fenway debut of the Rays' Uber-Prospect Wil Myers. Myers was the centerpiece of the trade that sent James Shields to Kansas City, and he will now be expected to pump up Tampa's paltry offense. Myers hit a robust .354 in his final 23 AAA games—clouting 10 HRs and driving in 32. Over the last five games, Tampa has averaged just 2.4 runs. Of course, the Rays will not exactly be facing the iron of the Red Sox pitching staff—with Felix Doubront and Alfredo Aceves going in today's twi-night double-header. It will be interesting to see if Myers really is the next coming of Mike Trout and Bryce Harper.

18-Year Old Sox Prospect Debuts For Spinners

(Lowell Spinners Photo)

Tonight, 18-year old center-field prospect Manuel Margot will start his professional career with the Lowell Spinners. In weekend exhibitions, Margot showed why the Red Sox organization is so high on the 6', 170-pounder from the Dominican Republic. Margot has plus-plus speed and showed it by stretching a gap shot into a triple—and then scoring on an overthrow. In last year's Dominican Summer League, Margot hit .285 with 4 HRs and 45 RBIs—and that was at age 17! Look for him to move swiftly through the system.

POLL-Overwhelming Support For Papelbon Deal

Early voting in our latest FenwayNation Poll shows that more than four in five respondents favor the idea of the Red Sox trading to get former closer Jonathan Papelbon. As the chart shows, fully 83% of early voters select the "yes" option, while only 17% say "no" to the proposed trade. You can still vote in this poll HERE.

Sewage Greets Players At Oakland Coliseum

Welcome!

Anyone who has ever visited the Oakland Coliseum (AKA O.co Coliseum) knows the truth. It is—by far—the worst venue in major league baseball. The first sign of trouble is the barbed wire fencing that greets fans as they emerge from the BART station (see pic). It goes downhill from there. Despite this, Commissioner Bud Selig continues to "study" whether or not the A's need a new stadium—this being the fourth year of that study. Yesterday, raw sewage was flowing into the player's shower rooms—probably a good indication that a new facility is needed. What do you think, Bud? The crux of the matter—and the main reason for Bud's inaction—centers around the territorial rights of the World Champion San Francisco Giants. They don't want those pesky A's in San Jose—robbing them of fans from the South Bay. So, Bud dithers and the raw sewage flows. Lovely. Maybe they should call it the E-Coli-Seum.

POLL: Should Red Sox Trade For Papelbon?

The Red Sox Pursuit Of Papelbon?
Should the Red Sox trade for Jonathan Papelbon?	Yes No
	Current Results

Red Sox Among Three Teams In On Papelbon

(Associated Press Photo)

Despite all the denials, the Phillies are shopping Jonathan Papelbon. And, your Carmine Hose are—according the the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo—one of three teams in on the bidding. Along with Boston, the Tigers and Cardinals are looking at the former Red Sox closer. This year, Papelbon has been outstanding—a 1.46 ERA and 13 saves. The 32-year old is still owed $39 million over the next three years (the final year being an easily achievable vesting option). Given the shakiness of Andrew Bailey in the 9th inning, this type of acquisition might be necessary if Boston wants to seriously contend. Given the huge financial obligations left on the contract, the Sox should get away with offering middling level prospects in return.

Clay Buchholz May Be Headed To The DL Soon

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

The lingering neck issue that has pushed back two Clay Buchholz starts may soon have an even bigger effect on the team. Word is that Buchholz is likely to go on the disabled list with "discomfort" in his trapezius muscle. So, he won't pitch on Tuesday as originally hoped and—if he avoids the DL—won't start until next Saturday. So, the best starting pitcher on the team has been out of action for at least three starts. It's not surprising that the lead in the division is shrinking fast—and all the teams seem to be clustering together again. Even the once-pathetic Blue Jays have won five in a row and are just 8.5 back of Boston. Beyond Buchholz, there is really no "sure thing" anymore. Ironically, John Lackey may be the closest thing we have to a legit #2 starter.

Napoli And Carp Possible For Tuesday Games

The Red Sox have Monday off and then play a double-admission day-night doubleheader against the Rays on Tuesday. Based on current evaluations, both Mike Napoli and Mike Carp should be ready to play in those Tuesday games. Napoli is out with an undisclosed "illness" and Carp tweaked a hammy while legging out a double. The 1PM start on Tuesday is a make-up of a rainout on Friday, April 12th. Tickets for that April game are valid for the first game.

Again, 'Lester' Rather Than More; Sox Lose, 6-3

(Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Jon Lester continued his long slide from dominance to doghouse with five more uninspired innings in a 6-3 Red Sox loss. There was a time when the feathered ones from Camden could not touch Lester, now he's just another lefty. Lester threw 106 pitches, gave up nine hits and five runs—and coughed up a monster 2-run HR to Chris Davis. Behind 5-0, Will Middlebrooks unloaded his 9th HR of the year—a three-run blast that got Boston relatively close. But the Carmine Hose managed just six hits all day and the Baltimore bullpen shut them down the rest of the way. Jose Iglesias extended his hitting streak to 17 games with one hit—he's now hitting a paltry .438. Richard Gere threw out the first pitch—and it's unclear if the Red Sox could have gotten to him today.

Bailey's 'Creamed' In 9th; Red Sox Still Win, 5-4

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

All the Red Sox have to do for the rest of the season is go into the ninth with a 3-run lead or better. With that bulge, it should be a piece of cake for Andrew Bailey to close it out. Today, given a 5-2 lead, Bailey gave up a two-run HR to Matt Wieters and was one bonehead running play away from maybe allowing the O's to tie the game. The Sox ended up winning, 5-4. Boston fell behind early 2-0, but John Lackey righted himself and went on to pitch 7 solid innings—walking just one and striking out four. The offense was primarily provided by a two-run HR by Mike Carp (his 8th in limited playing time) and a solo shot by Jonny Gomes. Dustin Pedroia and Stephen Drew also drove in runs. Jose Iglesias had yet another hit—extending his hitting streak to 16 games.

Offensive Indifference Re-Surfaces; Sox Fall, 2-0

Jonathan Ernst/Getty Images

After leading the universe in runs scored, the Red Sox came to the Inner Harbor and forgot how to cross home plate. Friday night, they were shut out by four different Bird pitchers in a 2-0 loss that cut their division lead to just 1.5 games. Chris Tillman took a two-hitter into the seventh and his bullpen did the rest. Two of the three Boston hits came from our resident offensive juggernaut—Jose Iglesias. The shortstop went 2 for 4 and is now hitting .451. All together now, "He's not going to hit .400 all year." Right. Ryan Dempster pitched well enough to lose, going 7 2/3 solid innings and making one basic mistake on a HR to Chris Davis.

Everett Man Confronts Red Sox On Concessions

Sox Owner Tom Werner On Yawkey Way (FN Photo)

An Everett, Massachusetts man is offering to outbid the Boston Red Sox for the right to sell concessions on Yawkey Way during ballgames. Joseph P. Marchese Jr. has told the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) that he is willing to pay twice what the Red Sox pay for an exclusive license to sell concessions. The Red Sox are nearing the end of the 10-year, $1.5 million contract some have called a "sweetheart" deal between the team and their City Hall BFF Mayor Thomas Menino. Marchese is willing to pay $3 million for the next 10-year term. Reportedly, the BRA has refused to acknowledge Marchese's bid, so the restaurateur/lawyer is thinking of suing the public agency. Despite their liberal, "goody-two-shoes" image, the current Red Sox ownership are highly adept at good old-fashioned political log-rolling. It will be interesting to see if the outgoing Mayor sends one final "kiss-in-the-mail" to his good buddies in the NOG.

Harry Agganis Film To Air On WGBH On 6/20

A documentary film about Harry Agganis will air on Thursday night, June 20th at 9PM on WGBH-TV (Channel 2 in Boston) with an encore showing on Friday, June 21st at 1:30 PM on WGBX-TV (Channel 44 in Boston). The film, Agganis—The Golden Greek, Excellence To The End, was written and narrated by Boston sports icon Clark Booth. 'Agganis' chronicles the life of one of New England's most storied athletes. The film is a touching portrayal of a young man who rises from the immigrant experience in Lynn, but never forgets his roots. The documentary tracks Agganis from a sandlot phenom to one of the most heavily recruited high school football players ever. Agganis turned down multiple offers to play professional football and baseball outside New England, and chose to play for the team he loved as a kid—the Boston Red Sox. The film does raise troubling questions about the nature of his sudden death at the tragically young age of 25. There is particular focus on the actions—or non-actions—taken by doctors treating Agganis for a mysterious set of conditions. They are questions that, nearly six decades later, need to be asked. Overall, this is a heart-warming film for all who love stories about New England sports and the heroes that make us proud.

Do Guggenheim Dodgers Have $ To Land Cano?

The Guggenheim Group that now owns the Los Angeles Dodgers could be in for a big cash windfall. Yeah, you know, the same guys that unburdened the Red Sox of over a quarter-billion dollars in salary (and threw in a couple of blue-chip prospects as well)? Rumor has it that the team and MLB are about to settle their TV rights dispute—netting Big Blue about $6 billion. This extra scratch would allow them to extend ace Clayton Kershaw for about $200 million and sign prime free-agent Robinson Cano for about that same amount. Moreover, Henry Silverman (of Guggenheim Baseball Management), said the following,  "And, if there was a need to put another $100 million into the stadium, we could do that too." Sure, what the heck? Former Dodger owner (and Bostonian) Frank McCourt could not be reached for comment.

Anthony Ranaudo Strikes Out 13 For SeaDogs

Anthony Ranaudo Ks 13

The Red Sox selected Anthony Ranaudo out of LSU with a first-round "sandwich" pick in 2010 (#39 overall). They knew that eventually they'd  have something special on their hands. The 6'7" 225-pound right-hander is starting to show those special features more and more with each AA start. Last night in Portland, Ranaudo struck out 13 Erie SeaWolves (what happened to naming teams after sea creatures that actually live in the sea?) over 7 2/3 shutout innings. These were career-high marks in both strikeouts and innings for Ranaudo, and the 23-year old may be ticketed for promotion soon to AAA Pawtucket.

Pedro Ciriaco Dealt To Padres For PTBNL/Cash

AP Photo/Winslow Townson

Well, as predicted, it did happen. Pedro Ciriaco was traded today to the San Diego Padres for a player to be named later or cash considerations. With the activation of Will Middlebrooks and the stellar performance of Jose Iglesias, Ciriaco's mediocre 2013 play could no longer justify a roster spot. San Diego's rookie phenom Jedd Gyorko has been sidelined by injury, so Ciriaco could immediately see some playing time at second base. We wish the former "Yankee-Killer" all the best at PETCO.