3/18/08. Mickey MouseTron To Go?—From The Boston Herald: "A phalanx of Sox executives will use the trip to Tokyo as an opportunity to explore partnerships with a number of Japanese businesses, as well as to recognize current sponsors, including State Street Corporation, EMC Corporation and Funai. The club will meet with electronics companies to explore the future acquisition of a state-of-the-art scoreboard for Fenway Park."

3/15/08. Coco-A-Go-Go?—From The San Francisco Chronicle: "Boston has considered moving center fielder Coco Crisp since the end of last season, and the A's have been linked to Crisp several times. Now, the teams are believed to be discussing Crisp again. If the Red Sox were to ask for any of the A's top prospects, Oakland would want someone like young center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury rather than Crisp. Chris Denorfia, the frontrunner for the A's center field spot, is batting .138 this spring, and Ryan Sweeney another possibility, is batting .200 and might be best suited to a corner spot. Denorfia, who is from New England, might even be a Boston target."

2/24/08. RATGER'S KODAK MOMENT—From The Boston Herald: Roger Clemens’ lawyer was told a photograph exists that shows the pitcher at a party hosted by former teammate Jose Canseco, an issue that was disputed in Congress this month. A June 1998 party at Canseco’s house in Florida was one of several topics discussed during Clemens’ Feb. 13 testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.Clemens’ former trainer, Brian McNamee, said the seven-time Cy Young Award winner was at the party. Clemens denied being there when he gave a deposition to congressional investigators, then testified later that it was possible he could have stopped by after playing golf.In the Mitchell Report on doping in baseball, released in December, McNamee alleged that Clemens spoke with Canseco at the barbecue and soon after approached the trainer about using performance-enhancing drugs. McNamee said he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone at least 16 times between 1998 and 2001.Congress is deciding whether to ask the Justice Department to investigate the contradictory testimony given by Clemens and McNamee under oath.

2/17/08. MATTER OVER MIND?—According To Rob Bradford of the Boston Herald: "The Red Sox suffered their first casualty of camp when mental performance coach Don Kalkstein suffered a badly pulled hamstring while doing sprints alongside catcher Doug Mirabelli."

2/03/08. TEX A DEADLINE PICK-UP?—Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe: "When the Braves signed first baseman Mark Teixeira to a one-year, $12.5 million deal, it may have just put off the inevitable loss of him in free agency. Teixeira, a player the Red Sox tried to deal for when he was in Texas, will likely command a salary of $20 million per year. His agent is Scott Boras, who couldn't get the Braves to bite on a long-term deal for Andruw Jones. The Braves should contend in the NL East, but if they don't, there could be a trading-deadline deal involving the slugging first baseman."

1/22/08. Metropolitans Have Johan Edge—According to the St. Paul Pioneer-Press: "The Twins say they're not panicking while holding out for the best deal for Johan Santana. But word within baseball circles is that offers by the New York Yankees (no more Phil Hughes) and Boston Red Sox are diminishing by the week. Best bet now for a trade of the two-time Cy Young Award winner appears to be with the New York Mets in a deal that would not include fast-rising hitter Fernando Martinez."

1/22/08. RUN FOR PRESIDENT!—Race as the President You Always Wanted to be. Not since the Beatles have four idols taken the nation by storm. Here's your chance to run in the footsteps of giants! The Nationals want you!The Nationals seek part-time, seasonal staff to perform as the famous Racing Presidents. Race around Nationals Park while tens of thousands cheer for you. Presidents will also pose for photos, sign autographs and appear at select outside events. Qualifications:- Between 5'7" and 6'6" in height- Ability to run from right field to home plate (approx 100 yards) while wearing a costume weighing approx 45 pounds- Availability for about 40% of the Nationals home games. To apply, email letter, resume and recent photo to entertainment@nationals.com.Please put RACING PRESIDENT in the subject line.

1/14/08. New Tek Deal Due—According to John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus: "Boston is expected to sign catcher Jason Varitek to a two-year extension worth around $20 million." Indications are that the Captain would then retire after the 2010 season.

EDITOR'S NOTE: By the way, can we finally agree that much-maligned former GM Dan Duquette deserves some kudos for getting the following 2004 contributors: Tek, Lowe, Pedro, Manny, Trot, and Nomar? Or are we so enamored with the NOG, that we have all forgotten the past?

10/24/07. Thoughts From "Down Under"—Australian-based Sox fan and FN reader Mark Lawrence has this suggestion for the NOG: "Has anyone in the Red Sox organisation considered hiring Joe Torre as a 'Special Advisor' to the team? He wouldn't really have to do anything, just show up at Fenway occasionally in one of those baggy Francona sweatshirts and a Red Sox cap and wave to the crowd. In fact, someone ought to leak it to the NY press that it's being considered - can you imagine the drama in NYC?"

5/24/07. Garko Protector—FROM THE CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER: "First baseman Ryan Garko, struck in the groin by a Jhonny Peralta throw during batting practice Tuesday, wasn't wearing a protective cup. He wore it Wednesday during BP. 'I was distracted and never saw the ball,' Garko said. 'I had to lay down for about 30 minutes in the locker room.' Garko played Tuesday and was examined by a doctor Wednesday. 'I'm OK,' he said."

3/20/07. Name That Deck!—FROM SCOTT VAN VOORHIS OF THE BOSTON HERALD: "The team is seeking a naming rights sponsor for the latest section of Fenway Park to be renovated as part of a years-long, $200 million upgrade of the antique ballpark and its environs, Kennedy confirmed. The latest revamp to Fenway involves the creation of a 'Third Base Deck' behind the grandstands near third base. A narrow passage flanked by a brick wall is being transformed into a wide concourse that will feature food stands and other amenities. 'We are actively pursuing a corporate sponsor for the Third Base Deck,' Kennedy said."

3/16/07. Sox Move To Vero Beach?—FROM DAN GRAZIANO OF THE NEWARK STAR-LEDGER: "Vero Beach mayor Tom White didn't return phone calls for this story, but he has said publicly that he believes he will get another team to move in and take over the facility. The Baltimore Orioles have talked about moving here from Fort Lauderdale. There are whispers about the Boston Red Sox moving from Fort Myers, or the Toronto Blue Jays moving from Dunedin. And it would make some sense for some team. Within the past five years, renovations to Dodgertown have resulted in a huge new home clubhouse, team offices and a conditioning facility behind Holman Stadium's right-field fence."

3/5/07. Chicken Helton?—FROM NEWSDAY'S KEN DAVIDOFF: "The widespread industry belief is that the Red Sox and Rockies will re-ignite trade discussions involving Todd Helton. The two clubs remain stalled in a game of chicken. Boston doesn't want to give up any young players with potential, with only expensive veterans Mike Lowell and Julian Tavarez on the table, and the Rockies don't want to hand over Helton in a straight salary dump."

2/25/07. Helton Revival?—FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE'S NICK CAFARDO: "Todd Helton would still love to play for the Red Sox. According to a source familiar with the Rockies situation, the team would love to see the Red Sox rekindle talks for a deal that makes sense for both sides. Would Ramírez be a part of it, as he was when the deal was discussed in November? Probably not. But the Rockies love their young hitters, would like to make a move on Yankees righthander Carl Pavano, and need to dump some of Helton's salary. 'I think the Red Sox want to see Helton in spring training to make sure he's all right from his [stomach problems] last year and to make sure his back is OK,' said the source. 'Helton in that lineup makes them unbelievable.' "

1/22/07. Juice Probe Seizure—FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE: "The Globe's Gordon Edes learned that last week Mitchell's investigators, with the consent of the team's legal staff, took several computers belonging to Sox personnel, and are believed to have done the same with several other clubs. Among the Sox computers taken were those used by clubhouse personnel, including equipment managers and the team's traveling secretary, Jack McCormick. Sox owners were asked if they had concerns about the seizure of the computers, specifically whether it raised concerns that investigators suspected steroid use among their players." Any review of documents must, of course, these days, include a review of e-mails related to the subject," Lucchino said in an e-mail yesterday."

1/5/07. ROGER REDUCTION—FROM AN E-MAIL SENT TO THE NEW YORK POST FROM AGENT RANDY HENDRICKS: "Nothing has changed on Roger. First, he has to decide whether he will play. If he decides to play, then he will have to decide upon the team, which would be either New York, Boston or Houston. If he does play, it will likely be for a shortened season. I do not expect anything to happen on this matter any time soon."

1/2/07. ROGER REDUX?—FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED.COM 2007 PREDICTIONS--RHYMES WITH FICTIONS (VIA A HEADS-UP FROM PETER'S RED SOX FOREVER SITE): "The Red Sox will sign Roger Clemens. The contract will pay Clemens $12 million to join a six-man rotation anchored by Daisuke Matsuzaka, and he'll sign it on June 1, just before a home game against the Yankees. Boston will also agree to retire the Rocket's number 21 at the end of the season. Clemens will then announce (again) that he's retiring."

12/27/06. JOEL TO THE SOX WORLD?—FROM THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: "Joel Pineiro should thank Seattle for not offering him a contract as he's attracting interest from Boston, the Yankees, Kansas City, San Diego and possibly Tampa Bay. Some want him as a reliever. The money's in starting."

12/9/06. LEAVE THE RESIN BAG, TAKE THE CANNOLI—FROM THE NEW YORK POST: "The Red Sox appear the favorite because Clemens was trying to get back there in July last year for all the marketing and nostalgic reasons associated with going full-circle with Boston."

12/8/06. WILY MORE YEAR?—FROM THE WASHINGTON POST: "There was some buzz as the meetings closed that the Nationals were again involved in discussions about sending closer Chad Cordero to Boston for a package that would include outfielder Wily Mo Peña, a Bowden favorite. But Nationals officials insisted there was no chance that would happen. One executive familiar with the talks said the Red Sox were "dead" as a trading partner for Cordero. . . ."

12/4/06. D-MATTER OF FACT?—FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: "Don't pay too much attention to the squabbling between the Red Sox and agent Scott Boras about Japanese pitcher Daiseke Matsuzaka. Boras will go to the last minute before the midnight Dec. 14 deadline trying to squeeze Theo Epstein & Co. and then take the best offer. He's not going back to Japan."

11/30/06. MANNY TALK SUBSIDING?—FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE'S GORDON EDES : "While speculation continued to run hot that the Sox were closing in on making a deal for Ramírez, nothing appeared imminent last night...As of late last night, the Sox had not spoken with the Dodgers, considered by many to be a leading landing place for Ramírez because of their wealth of young prospects...The Sox, while aggressively exploring trade options, still would prefer to have an unhappy Ramírez return for another season in Boston than make a lopsided deal they would regret."

11/26/06. SUNDAY!!!!!!—FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE'S NICK CAFARDO: "The Sox also are close to buying into the Jack Roush racing team, which could bring them significant NASCAR revenue."

11/20/06. Manny Redux?—FROM THE NY DAILY NEWS: "As for the Angels, owner Arte Moreno had vowed 'to do something really big' in regard to acquiring a middle-of-the-lineup hitter to protect Vladimir Guerrero, and after losing out on Soriano, he is said to now be exploring a trade for Manny Ramirez. The Red Sox are entertaining discussions about Ramirez...The Red Sox are looking for bullpen help and with the signing of Speier, the Angels suddenly have a surplus of hard-throwing righties in Steve Shields, Hector Carrasco and closer Francisco Rodriguez."

11/18/06. Eric The Red Sock?—FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE: "Free agent reliever Eric Gagne, a teammate of Cora's with the Dodgers, was mentioned to the infielder as a player the Sox might target. I know [Gagne] loves to compete," Cora said. "He doesn't want to go to a situation where he's going to lose. He loves LA. He loves that atmosphere . . . He's a rock star there. He's like the Canadian version of David [Ortiz]."

11/17/06. DREW-BE-DOOBY-DO II?—FROM THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS: "Outfielder J.D. Drew, who opted out of the remaining three years and $33 million on his Dodgers contract, is expected to sign a two-year, $30 million deal with Boston."

11/14/06. Julio Down By The Scoreboard?—FROM MICHAEL SILVERMAN IN THE BOSTON HERALD: "The Sox might not have the Blue Jays to worry about as competition for free agent shortstop Julio Lugo. According to talk here, the Jays decided to turn their attention to less expensive options after figuring they were unlikely to outbid the Sox, who always have liked Lugo. Lugo is expected to seek a four-year deal worth approximately $8 million a year. "

11/10/06. Who Drew?—FROM NICK CAFARDO IN THE BOSTON GLOBE: "The Red Sox are expected to target Dodgers outfielder J.D. Drew to replace Trot Nixon in right field, according to the Globe's Nick Cafardo. Drew opted out Thursday of the final three years of a contract with Los Angeles that would have paid him a guaranteed $33 million. Drew hit .283 with 20 home runs and 100 RBIs last season."

11/02/06. Turning Japanese?—FROM THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS: "Japanese third baseman Akinori Iwamura,....27, a lefthanded hitter, batted at least .300 with 30 homers the last three seasons for the Yakult Swallows. He is also drawing interest from the Indians, Red Sox and Padres. All are expected to bid for Iwamura."

10/30/06. Hermanson AGAIN?—According to the Catbird In the Nosebleed Seats: "The White Sox are said to be leaning against picking up Hermanson’s $3.5 million 2007 option—and that, as the Globe phrased it, “has some teams salivating,” since he nailed 34 saves for the White Sox en route their World Series championship. (Hermanson missed most of 2006 with back trouble.) The Boston Red Sox are one team believed to be pondering a run at Hermanson, with breakout closer Jonathan Papelbon slated to join next year’s starting rotation."

8/14/06. Coco Clutch?—Who do you want at the plate in close and late situations? Papi, of course. But, how about this interesting information from STATS, Inc. which shows Coco with a slightly better average than Papi?!! Of course, once you look at RBIs and OPS, the comparison more closely matches what we all know.

CLOSE AND LATE SITUATIONS—2006

7/25/06. Manny Being In-Sanny?—From Jeff Horrigan of the Boston Herald: "An interesting sight in the visitors’ clubhouse occurred when the Sox were watching the Yankees-Rangers game on TV and Derek Jeter clubbed a triple. One player clapped: Manny Ramirez."

7/19/06. Starting Pitch?—From Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal: "The club continues to scour the trade market, but there's little of interest being made available. Among the names circulating are Minnesota's Kyle Lohse, Arizona's Miguel Batista and perhaps Cleveland's Jake Westbrook."

6/22/06. Torii, Torii, Torii?—From Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune:"Torii Hunter still has five teams in his no-trade clause: the Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. But he confirmed that he'd be willing to negotiate and possibly waive the clause for the Cubs and Red Sox, if the Twins decided to trade him to them, for some reason."

6/20/06. Beckett Off The Bench?—Through the games of 6/19/06, Red Sox pitchers are out-hitting position players by a pretty good margin (.312 TO .281). Maybe the next time Tito needs a key hit off the bench, he should think beyond Willie Harris.

6/9/06. Where Are The Manny Bashers Now?—Once again, they seem to have crawled back under their rocks. Why? Oh, maybe the fact that he is leading the team in BOTH on-base percentage (.437) and OPS (1.005). He remains, despite his salary, one the greatest bargains in baseball. Someday, we will appreciate what he has done in Boston.

6/2/06. Sox On First?—The Following 10 ex-Red Sox players have played 1B for another team in 2006: Shea Hillenbrand, Tony Clark, Todd Walker, Mark Bellhorn, Nomar Garciaparra, Scott Hatteberg, Kevin Millar, Doug Mientkiewicz, Andy Abad, and Roberto Petagine. Too bad Daubauch and Olerud weren't still active!

3/22/06. Wily Mo Daylight?—Sharp-eyed FN reader Rebecca Kiley found these astonishing stats on Wily Mo Pena's day/night performance differential. Looks like a trip to LensCrafters might be in order! 2005: Day: .326/.385/.663 (BA/OBP/SLG) in 86 at bats. Night: .227/.272/.427 in 225 at bats 2004: Day: 324/.403/.695 in 105 at-bat. Night: .229/.273/.450 in 231 at bats.

2/13/06. RICHARD THE "Not-So-Great"?—NEW YORK NEWSDAY: "Richard Hidalgo, off a profoundly disappointing 2005 with the Texas Rangers...is still looking for work, with the Orioles, Red Sox and Reds most interested. The former Met might have to settle for a minor-league contract. Hidalgo did hit 16 homers in 308 at-bats last year."

1/20/06. Coco? Junior?—According to the Boston Globe: "...there were ongoing conversations between the Sox and Indians aimed at bringing outfielder Coco Crisp to Boston. The deal, according to a major league source, probably would cost the Sox top prospect Andy Marte and probably would include multiple players changing sides.....Another.....rumor had the Sox sending Arroyo to Cincinnati in a deal for Ken Griffey Jr., who is signed with the Reds through 2009 and could veto a deal to Boston."

12/26/05. It's Not About The Money...BUT:—Here's an interesting tid-bit from baseballreference.com: In their respective careers, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz have compiled quite different-sized fortunes. While Manny is 4 years older than David (33 versus 29), he has made exactly NINE TIMES the amount of money through 2005—$108 million for Manny, $12 million for David. Yikes!

12/21/05. MichelleGate:—From George King Of The New York Post: "Why did Damon leave Boston for the blood rival Yankees? Damon was concerned about the upheaval in the Red Sox front office that resulted in the highly respected Theo Epstein leaving his GM post. Also, Damon's wife has voiced a displeasure over the way she has been treated by the Boston media."

11/30/05. EVIL INTENT:—From the Boston Herald: "The Red Sox released their spring training schedule and conspicuously absent from a visit to City of Palms Park are the Yankees, who will host the Red Sox in Tampa on March 22. It is the first time since 1997 the Yankees have not traveled down to Fort Myers but there is no official reason for their absence."

11/23/05. TRADE A-RANGER?—From the Dallas Star-Telegram: "The Red Sox are among the teams interested in first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Catcher Kelly Shoppach, a 25-year-old Brewer High School graduate, and 22-year-old outfielder Brandon Moss might be of interest to the Rangers."

11/21/05. NOMAR—REDUX?—From Gordon Edes Of The 17% Globe: "While it was Epstein who traded Garciaparra, the shortstop's biggest complaint was with Sox president Larry Lucchino. But time heals all wounds, and it wouldn't be outrageous to suggest that Garciaparra could return to Boston as a left fielder, center fielder, third baseman, or first baseman should the Sox deal Manny Ramírez and lose Johnny Damon."

11/15/05. NOMAR—O?—The Baltimore Sun speculates on "Nomah At The Yaaad": "The Orioles are also talking to Arn Tellem, the agent for the Chicago Cubs' Nomar Garciaparra, but if they signed the former Boston Red Sox shortstop, who also played some third base for Chicago, it would only be if he were willing to play first base or the outfield."

11/06/05. NOMAR PR?—The New York Post's Joel Sherman has the following astounding thought about Nomah: "Like Mike Piazza and Sammy Sosa, Garciaparra needs someone to remember better days when he could stay healthy and produce. Interestingly, hardly anyone is talking about him as a shortstop. It is mainly third base and left field. More interesting, one person in the know said, don't discount the possibility of the Red Sox trying to regain some P.R. points after losing Epstein by bringing Garciaparra back to play third base."

10/13/05. CASH-MAN & SWINDAL—Am I the only one who thinks it's a little ironic that two of Phineas T. Bluster's chief minions in Gotham City are: one guy named "CASH-MAN" who administers (at least for the next day or two) a $210 million payroll and another guy named "SWINDAL" who is the heir-apparant to the Boss by virtue of marrying his daughter? You can't make this stuff up! —Ernie Paicopolos, Editor-In-Chief

9/25/05. SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES—One of the beauties of the MLB cable package is you get to see some oddities that you never would have noticed otherwise. Plus, it's nice to take a break from the tortuous Empire-Red Sox struggle and just watch some stress-free baseball. So, it was with bemused pleasure that I watch a play in Sunday's Dodger-Pirate game that involved 3 former Red Sox players. Derek Lowe delivered the pitch, Freddy Sanchez drove an opposite field fly to right, and Jose "We Hardly Knew Ye" Cruz, Jr. made the nice running grab. I know, I know, I need a life.—Ernie Paicopolos, Editor-In-Chief

9/12/05. AND, (IS IT) OVER?—From The Andover (MA) Townsman Police Log:"Friday, September 2nd. At 10:53 PM, a caller reported a loud party in the area of Heritage Lane. Police checked the house and said it was adults watching a Red Sox game. The baseball fans promised police they would keep it down. The Red Sox beat the Orioles, 7-6."

8/15/05. JETER?—WHO KNEW?—From Wikipedia:"Charles and Dorothy Jeter named their son, Derek Sanderson Jeter after him [former Bruin great Derek Sanderson]." Wouldn't Giambi have been a more likely candidate?

7/26/05. EL GUAPO SIGHTING?—From the Boston Herald: Francona reported that during his time in Ft. Myers, Kapler caught a glimpse of former Sox right-handed reliever Rich Garces, who has re-signed with the ballclub and is currently working out for them. ``I've heard he's big,'' Francona said of El Guapo, ``and I heard he's throwing the ball great.''

7/25/05. HOME OF THE BRAVE(S)?—Gordon Edes in the Boston Globe: "Billy Beane's Athletics, who just swept the Rangers in Texas....are a stunning 36-13 since May 29, when they were 15 games under .500. Only one team in major league history has qualified for the postseason in a season in which it was 15 or more games under .500, and that team was called a ''miracle," the 1914 Boston Braves."

6/22/05. EXTRA CREDIT—The Red Sox have established a new MLB record by playing the first 70 games of 2005 without going to extra innings. They broke the previous record of 69 set by the 2002 White Sox.

6/21/05. POOR BABIES—This is fun. The New York Media is now referring to the Empire as: "the seven-time defending AL East champions" NO KIDDING! (NY Newsday—6/21/05).

3/24/05. NOMAR'S BACK?!?—Chris Snow in the Boston Globe: ' It's possible, likely even, that Nomar will be spotted in the Red Sox clubhouse this season. But this Nomar is not a .322 career hitter with Hall of Fame credentials. Not yet, anyhow. Nomar Vazquez is just 10 months old, the son of Sox utility infielder Ramon Vazquez. The little guy is not named for the iconic shortstop."With San Diego everyone knew," Vazquez said. "I'm expecting people now that I'm here in Boston to say that."
Like Nomar Garciaparra, Nomar Vazquez received his dad's name, spelled backward."I heard the story about Garciaparra," said Vazquez, who was acquired from the Padres in December. "I don't really like my name much. Even a long time ago I figured it out. My name backward would be Nomar."I talked to my wife and she liked it. As a man, [Ramon] sounds OK, but for a baby it's too strong." '

2/17/05. NOG SHELTERS #45 AND #5: According to the Boston Herald, the Red Sox will not make available to new players the numbers 45 and 5 out of respect for Pedro and Nomar. Both are likely candidates to have their numbers retired by the Sox in the future. A heartfelt nod to the NOG for a classy move.

2/15/05. JETER SEES RED: From The NY Post: "Yeah, there's more closet Red Sox fans now, everywhere we go you see Red Sock hats and people that used to have different hats have Red Sock hats on now, so ... Boston's in a good mood right now."

1/28/05. GOLD"SPLIT"FINGER: The World Champion Red Sox are paying $27,000,000 to their top 5 starters this year. Pretty outrageous, huh? Maybe. Until you look at the also-rans from the Bronx. The team that hasn't won a World Series in this millennium will be paying its top 5 starters (are you ready?): $52,864,286. That's a mere $25,864,286 difference.

1/12/05. WHAT A HEAVY BURTON: Has anyone else had painful memories dredged up during NESN's wonderful World Series replay broadcasts? Here's something to comfort you while Tom Caron recounts the heartache: the day the Red Sox clinched their first World Series title in 86 years (October 27, 2004) was Jim Burton's 55th birthday. Burton, a rookie in 1975, gave up Joe Morgan's cheap single in the ninth inning of Game 7. He pitched only one more game in the majors. It must have been a very sweet 55th for Jim.

12/25/04. SS MERRY-GO-ROUND IS BOSTON THING: Have you noticed that the recent SS Round Robin involves three players with Boston connections? First, The Sox signed Edgard Renetia (who made the last out in the '04 Series), then the Angels signed erstwhile Sox SS Orlando Cabrera, and then the Cards, desperate for someone to play in the middle, signed David Eckstein, product of the Sox farm system (drafted in the 19th round by Boston in 1997, and claimed off waivers by the Halos in 2000). Oh, and the Cubbies signed some guy named Nomar to a 1-year deal.

12/23/04. YANKS TO GET "BELTED" AGAIN?: From GEORGE KING'S DAILY NEWS COLUMN (A NORTORIOUS YANKEE TOADY): "The Yanks got some other potentially disheartening news as well. One day after meeting with Steinbrenner in Tampa, Carlos Beltran met with Houston officials yesterday. Beltran and his agent, Scott Boras, spoke with Astros owner Drayton McLane, team president Tal Smith and general manager Tim Purpura at the team's spring training camp in Kissimmee, Fla.  'We feel we had a positive discussion today,' McLane said in a statement. 'We'll continue to have dialogue in the hopes of having Carlos in an Astros uniform for many years to come.'''

12/19/04. INSIDE THE BELT-RE: From PETER GAMMONS' ESPN COLUMN: "The reason the Mariners had to go to $13 million for five years with Adrian Beltre is that that's where the Red Sox went with Scott Boras. Boston planned to plug the 25-year-old star in at third and go for a cheaper shortstop until Hanley Ramirez is ready, but Beltre preferred the West Coast and wanted $14 million a year over five seasons to go to Boston. So Beltre went to Seattle and the Red Sox signed Edgar Renteria, 29, counting on him being close to his 2002-2003 norm when his on-base percentages were .364 and .394 with an average of 55 extra base hits and 88 RBI. When the Mets were talking about trading their entire farm system for Manny Ramirez, the Red Sox were in position to sign Beltre, Renteria and J.D. Drew, 27."

12/17/04. DEATH TO MINKY?: From the ST. PAUL PIONEER-PRESS: "Word in Boston is that the Red Sox are still trying to unload ex-Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are said to be interested in ex-Twins catcher A.J. Pierzynski, released Tuesday by the San Francisco Giants, but for about $1.5 million. That would be less than half of his salary this year."

12/10/04. KENT LAMENT : From PETER GAMMONS' ESPN COLUMN:'Kent sincerely wants to win. "I loved it in Houston and thought we were going to win," he said. "But when I watched that celebration in Boston after the World Series, I thought about the fact that they wanted me so badly to play first base. They offered me more money and three years, but I wanted to go home to Texas. But I thought about it a lot when I saw how great that was."'

12/02/04. COWBOY GONE? : From the Boston Herald:'A National League source said the Red Sox have been shopping both of their first basemen, Kevin Millar and Doug Mientkiewicz .   ``One of those two guys is going to be moved,'' the source said. Shopping the pair reflects the conventional wisdom that the Red Sox do not intend to enter the 2005 season with both first basemen vying for playing time. With each signed through next season at a $3.5 million salary (Mientkiewicz' contract contains a 2006 option worth $3.75 million) and each bringing different strengths to the table, the duo are likely to draw varying amounts of interest.'

11/25/04. CRY "ANKLE!": From the Boston Herald: 'Red Sox team doctor Bill Morgan said he removed the stitches remaining from Curt Schilling [stats, news]'s right ankle surgery two weeks ago and the pitcher is recuperating at his Phoenix home.``The wound is looking good,'' Morgan said. ``He'll be back in his cast for another three weeks. Everything looks as good as can be expected and I don't anticipate any problems. He's going to be following the expected course.'' The expected course is for Schilling to be ready by or near the start of spring training.'

11/16/04. THE "HANLEY" REGATTA: From the Boston Herald: "Recent reports from the Dominican Winter League might convince the Sox they don't need to sign shortstop Orlando Cabrera [stats, news] to a multi-year contract and could get by with a one-year seat-warmer for Hanley Ramirez. The Sox' top minor league prospect, who is expected to take over as the team's everyday shortstop in 2006, is off to an outstanding start in the Dominican and leads the league with five homers for Licey. Ramirez also has wowed scouts with his defensive play and speed on the bases. The Sox might contact veteran Barry Larkin this week about a one-year deal. If the Sox go that route, they also are expected to bring in another veteran infielder to spell the 40-year-old Larkin. Larkin has been approached by at least three other teams."

11/12/04. CLOCK-STOPPERS: From the Boston Herald: "The average length of games this season was 2 hours, 47 minutes, a minute longer than a year before and two minutes off baseball's goal. Alderson said that an Arizona Fall League ongoing experiment that requires batters, with some exceptions, to keep at least one foot in the batter's box between pitches has shown the potential to shave off 7-8 minutes per game. The rule could be implemented at some levels of the minor leagues next season, Alderson said."

11/10/04. PETEY'S PURSUERS: From the Boston Herald: In Hoy and El Nacional, a pair of newspapers in the Dominican Republic, Martinez reiterated his desire to re-sign with the Red Sox but repeated a sentiment he has expressed before about what kind of team he would want to play for.  ``If I don't play in Boston, which is my desire, then I would like to play with a manager who respects a pitcher like me, someone like (San Francisco skipper) Felipe Alou, who is like a father to me,'' Martinez told Hoy. Martinez also mentioned St. Louis' Tony La Russa and Chicago Cubs [stats, schedule]' Dusty Baker as acceptable managers. He mentioned also that his shoulder has fully healed and that he expects to throw in the mid-90s next year consistently for the first time since his shoulder problems arose in 2001. Also, Martinez said that there were eight teams so far who have expressed interest in him, including the Yankees, Angels, Dodgers, Cardinals and Marlins.

10/29/04. FOR WHOM THE BELLHORN TOLLS: Who do you think led the Red Sox in the World Series in: on-base percentage (.563); slugging percentage (.700) and OPS (1.263)? Ladies and gentlemen, second baseman Mark Bellhorn.

10/25/04. GOING GLOBAL : While loyal readers of FenwayNation know that our own Editorial Board is international in scope (Ric Glaub reports regularly from Uzbekistan), our recent web-report shows that Sox fans are following the Olde Towne Team on FenwayNation from the following countries: Canada, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Italy, Germany, Austria, Singapore, Sweden, Poland, France, New Zeland, Spain, Taiwan, Brazil, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Greece and Israel.

10/15/04. NOW BOARDING, DESTINY: After falling into an 0-2 hole in the Bronx, the Red Sox flew back to Logan Airport from NYC on the 11:30AM Delta Airlines shuttle. Care to guess what the flight number was? Yup, 1918. Read the full column by The Globe's Dan Shaughnessy here.

10/08/04. UZ-BECK-AND-CALL: FenwayNation Assistant Editor Ric Glaub defends the Nation even in the far-flung reaches of Central Asia. At a recent diplomatic reception in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Glaub entered the room to see both Sox and Yankee banners displayed. Boldy, he walked up to U.S. Ambassador Purnell, and said : “Mister Ambassador, tear down that Yankees banner!.” Read the whole story and more here.

9/21/04. BOSTON HERALD: "It appears Byung-Hyun Kim could be activated today. Kim, projected as the fifth starter entering spring training, has not appeared for the Sox since May 10"

9/16/04. DIRTY COPPER:FROM "THE WEEK" (courtesy of Empire-based FN contributor David Sylvia): "......two beer salesmen at Fenway Park found a 1918 penny stuck to their counter. The salesman said the coin, minted in the year the Red Sox last won the World Series, was an omen meaning that the team was finally free of the 'Curse'.". Is Brad Penny a free agent?

9/03/04. WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU? :FROM THE AP: "Kevin Brown's frustrating season finally reached a boiling point, and now his hot temper could cost the New York Yankees at the most important time. Brown broke his non-pitching hand when he punched a wall in the clubhouse Friday night during a 3-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles that cut New York's lead in the AL East to just 2 1/2 games over Boston." It's OK, you can smile.

8/12/04. ROGER STILL IN LOVE WITH THE EVIL ONES:Need another reason to fuel your hatred of the "Texas Turncoat"? How about this little tid-bit from the New York Post during his trip to NYC to play the Mets: ' "I love the city," Clemens said. "You go back to your favorite restaurants. Obviously everybody's been calling me, all my friends. I wish I had more time here. I'm just not gonna get to see everybody I'd like to see.He stays in touch with Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada via e-mail.' What a fraud!

8/03/04. NOMAR STILL CONNECTED:From the Chicao Sun-Times: "Despite wearing a Red Sox-red wrist band on his right forearm and a Red Sox-black wristband on his left, Garciaparra seemed to fit in well with his new surroundings and new teammates." Ugh!!!!

7/19/04. WALKING ON THE MOON:FROM ROTOTIMES: "Acquired from the Expos yesterday, Carl Everett (OF) CWS should be with the White Sox today and start in right field, according to the Sun-Times. He could end up at DH later this week, assuming Magglio Ordonez is ready to return to the outfield by then."

7/16/04. DIVINE INTERVENTION?: As reported in the Providence Journal, from the AAA All-star game festivities in Pawtucket: "Red Sox great Johnny Pesky admits he's 'said a lot of Hail Marys' over the years but says 'it's like a black cat is following them. Over the years, this is not a lucky ballclub.' The old shortstop then summed up the wishes of the entire New England region when he looked to the heavens and said, 'Oh God, please. Just one time.' Amen.

7/07/04. UNIT PRICING?: Numerous media reports (the Globe's Gordon Edes, Bob Ryan and Nick Cafardo, WBZ-TV's Bob Lobel) speculated (and we stress speculated) that Randy Johnson may be on his way to the Sox. Tidbits offered: Shonda Schilling sitting with the Johnsons at the All-Star game in Houston; Theo supposedly given "permission" to speak to Randy by Arizona (directly denied on NESN by Epstein); the Unit's agent saying he'd never go to NY but has no such barriers to a HUB landing. Keep your Sox on, Citizens of the Nation...do you recall a guy named A-Rod?

7/06/04. POKE-LESS POKEY: Lost in the shuffle of the club's overall decline is the fact that Pokey Resse has had a horrible offensive stretch that gives him the following stats going into the crucial upcoming home-stand: AVG: .245 OBP: .289 SLG: .338 OPS: .627 But he's been clutch you say? Here are his stats in close games late: AVG: .235 OBP: .278 SLG: .294 OPS: .572 YEESH!!!!

6/18/04. "THE 'NATION' IN THE ROCKIES".: From the AP: 'Just like the series' first two games, about half the crowd was filled with Red Sox fans who tried to make their team feel at home. The cheering started with the first batter and several chants of "Let's Go Red Sox!" rang out throughout the game, including twice in the second inning.Rockies fans did their best to drown out the chants in the second, but couldn't overcome the roar that came a few minutes later when Pokey Reese lined a two-run single up the middle off Aaron Cook (1-2). Boston's fans started up again in the fifth inning, when Ortiz made it 3-0 with a hard single that shortstop Royce Clayton couldn't handle. It got even louder in the seventh when Ortiz hit a two-run homer to the second deck in right off Kevin Jarvis to put the Red Sox up 5-0. Ortiz added a two-run double in Boston's three-run eighth, finishing 3-for-5.'

6/17/04. "VISUALIZE A SINKER THAT ACTUALLY SINKS".: From Sean McAdam in The PROVIDENCE JOURNAL: " Lowe began using the services of a sports psychiatrist several years ago and this season, after switching to Scott Boras as his represenative, began working with Dorfman, who gained attention about a decade ago while working with members of the Atlanta Braves. More recently, Dorfman was hired by Boras to work exclusively with his clients. "

5/20/04. "DR. FRANCONA".: From The Pawtucket Times: "Johnny Damon was fine after being inadvertently elbowed in the head by Tampa Bay's Julio Lugo on Tuesday night. Francona said he gave Damon a test to see if he was conscious on the field: "I took off my hat and said, 'Do I have a lot of hair?' 'No.' 'Then you're O.K.'" .."

3/29/04. "19 MINUTES TO PARADISE".: The Boston Globe's Gordon Edes reported on WBZ-TV's Sports Final, that Derek Lowe chartered a Learjet to fly himself and five teammates from Ft. Myers to Jupiter to play the Mets—a whole 19 minutes worth of flight time!!! Apparently, Curt Schilling did the same thing last week. Remember 25 cabs, 25 players? Are these guys on a different planet than the rest of us, or what? And we thought A-Rod was a prima donna.

3/13/04. "THIS STUFF ONLY HAPPENS AROUND THE RED SOX" DEPT.: "Judge Judy" Scheindlin and former Sox manager Joe Morgan were seen "exchanging pleasantries" at City of Palms Park on Friday. Oh, to be a fly on the proverbial wall!!!!

3/10/04. "POKED" POKEY: Pokey Reese was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with a sore jaw. While stretching Monday, David McCarty accidentally hit Reese with his elbow. Sources revealed that Gumby was notified and picked Reese up at City of Palms.

3/03/04. SCHILLING "THROWS BACK" TO 1919: From the Philadelphia Daily News:"Schilling was wearing a replica 1919 Red Sox jersey from Mitchell&Ness, Philadelphia's famous purveyor of throwback uniforms. It had Ruth's No. 3 on the back and, yes, he said he did the research and determined that Babe's last year with Boston was the first year the team featured numbers." Got to love this guy!!!!

2/04/04. The Texas Fraud (AKA: Roger Clemens) Reconfirms His Love of the Empire: In case you started to have positive, cushy feelings toward Roger, check this out from the New York Post: "Though Clemens will be pitching in his hometown Houston this year, he reiterated last night his heart still belongs to The Bronx. He said he still plans on wearing a Yankees cap into Cooperstown, he still hopes to help young pitchers in the Yankees organization when he's done playing, and he remains convinced his strong relationship with George Steinbrenner will never change."

1/26/04. Mo probably won't ever be called the "Manager-Dog", from the Globe's Gordon Edes: For what it's worth, Vaughn defended Grady Little's decision to leave in Pedro Martinez in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. Vaughn noted that he was friends with Little, who was Boston bench coach in Vaughn's last season. "To me, Grady Little is No. 1 my friend," Vaughn said. "He helped me through some tough situations. That was a broken-bat base hit [Jorge Posada's tying hit]. He didn't go bridge over the fence. To me, I would have left him in, also." Then he added: "Maybe I won't be managing here."

1/23/04. Gammons Paranoia from an Empire Fan Website called, subtly, NYYFANS.com: "Since the close of the 2003 World Series, Gammons has penned 18 columns for the web site. Of these 18, one deals with Pete Rose, one with a charity concert, one with the untimely passing of Ken Brett. That leaves 15 columns that deal explicitly with analyzing the sport of baseball. Nine out of those 15 cover the Red Sox as their primary topic, including an astonishing six in a row. The potential ARod/Manny Ramirez trade was certainly a huge story. But did we really need four straight columns from Gammons on a deal that hadn’t yet happened? Did we need to hear about it from every conceivable point of view, from Nomar Garciaparra all the way down to the bat boys? How about two straight columns concerning the Manny Ramirez non-tender, another story about nothing really happening? And let’s not forget an entire column devoted to Theo Epstein’s scintillating search for a manager. Gammons is out of control. There have been a myriad of interesting, important stories this off-season that he has virtually ignored while he covers the Red Sox like a beat reporter. Other teams’ fans have even more right to complain than Yankees fans. New York, as Boston’s natural rival, has at least had some bandwidth devoted to its team, but whither the world champion Marlins, or perennial contenders in San Francisco and Minnesota? Someone in Bristol needs to rein Gammons in, before he turns ESPN.com into the Boston Globe and Baseball Tonight into NESN." Editor: Don't you love seeing them squirm?

1/21/04. More Quotations from Chairman Curt (AKA Gehrig38) on Sons of Sam Horn Website:

Q. I'll take the perogative of deeming that questions about agents are not "baseball, real baseball"...so:

A. Not at all, agent questions are fine.

Q. Given that you're such a workhorse, I wonder what your thoughts are about pitch counts and workloads.

A. Oh, meaty subject, nice.One specific and one general element to this. Specifically, we all know pitchers at some point tire.Yes, though the better ones usually only realize they are tired, and feel the effects of being tired, while doing post game interviews and icing.I've always been curious to what degree do warm-up tosses, throws to first base, etc have an impact on a wearing a pitcher down.They don't. Keep in mind this is from my perspective only, but these are really non-issues when it comes to fatigue. Though I throw over very little anyway, I really never do it much on hot day games, but not for the obvious reasons. Throwing over, that takes time, time spent by your infielders and outfielders standing around in hot weather. They are the ones that you worry about when it comes to fatigue and stuff in hot day games, least I do.I'm particularly curious to know if different pitches have different effects on a pitcher.

Q. Do breaking balls, changes and/or heaters have a different effect on pitchers' arms?

A. From a fatigue standpoint? I don't think so. Different pitches do have an effect on me the day after I pitch. I'm usually a bit more stiff and sore the day after I throw alot of breaking stuff than other times when I am throwing alot of fastballs.Lastly, one of the old saws is that in the "old days' guys could throw 165 pitches a start or whatever because they didn't have to throw each pitch with the intensity that is necessary today. Which is true, since you could give up a 400 foot fly ball and have it be an out. You didn't have to be as sharp on EVERY single pitch. The game of pitching has changed DRAMATICALLY in the past 30-40 years. Moreso than any other aspect of the game. Factor in the following, and you can see.First off the strike zone. It used to be right below the letters, to the lower knee, shin area. Today it is pretty much top of the knee to high thigh up and down. Now we have a much smaller area to pitch to, which means alot less area for a hitter to have to cover. Compound that with harder baseballs, MUCH smaller parks, overall lack of pitching depth, talent, MUCH bigger, stronger, faster hitters, and you get the offensive explosion we are witnessing over the last decade. Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton and Jim Palmer told me that when they pitched, you could actually "mush" the seams and leather of a baseball, meaning you could actually create wrinkles in the ball by pinching the leather. Pick up a ML baseball today, they are pool balls, not swimming pool either, but billiard ball hard.
There is much less margin for error in the game today as a pitcher, that means to be good you have to be REAL REAL good, and that's every pitch. I can remember talking to some HOF pitchers, including Robin Roberts, and on more than one occasion they told me that in some parks you'd just make sure to throw FB middle out, because if you didn't pull the ball in the air, it was an out. Heck Richie Ashburn told me that they used to park the batting cage in one stadium out in deep center field, ON THE FIELD, during the game, since it was so far away it was never really in play. Now I don't know about you, but I have yet to see a park with those dimensions

Q. So, does dialing down a fastball -- throwing it 91 instead of 94 -- help maintain your freshness?

A. No.More generally, there is clearly some corrollary between a heavy workload and a pitcher breaking down, but the specifics of what that corrollary is are as vague as can be. Some commentators, without any firm basis, have said that the way to get the most innings out of pitcher is to keep innings per start down, but go back to a 4-man rotation. The idea being that it is the 130 plus pitch count starts that wear a pitcher down, but outings with less than 100 pitches would permit a guy to thrive on a 4 man rotation.

Q. Do you have any sense of what an optimal workload would be and how it should be apportioned, or is the status quo the result of tried and tested practice?

A. Here is how I have come to view pitching fatigue, injuries and all the things that come with them.Example. If I throw 135 pitches in a 9-2 game, a game my team leads early and big in, I am gonna feel stiff the next day, bit sore maybe, but not nearly as sore and stiff as throwing 95 pitches over 7 innings in a 1-1 game. The game, score and pitch counts all factor in, and by pitch counts I mean if I have to throw 30 pitches in the 3rd inning with runners in scoring position all inning long, in a scoreless or close game, that's gonna take a TON out of me for later. I always call these kinda situations reaching into the tank. I feel like I can muster up two of these a game if I have too. Situations that in my mind the outcome of the game is riding on. I try and make sure the 2nd time I have to do this is after the 7th.Example:1998 Kevin Brown and I square off. Top of the 6th, Gary Darling behind the plate. My stuff has been very very sharp all day long, and it's 1-1 as the inning starts. I know Gary is a very tempermental Ump, he is a pretty decent ball/strikes guy, but he has his times going both ways, and this inning he went a way that wasn't gonna help me. I give up a leadoff single, 4 pitch walk, 4 pitch walk. Btw it was like mid may, and those two walks were like my 9th and 10th of the year, and I walked the guys on 2 balls Anyway, here I am, bases drunk, 0 outs, 1-1 game, versus Brown. Game is pretty much on the line in my opinion. Todd Hundley up, count goes 3-0, I step off, tie my shoes, and basically realize that I am winning or losing this game based on each pitch now, no margin for error. WOrk the count back to 3-2, 3 straight foul balls, all of them FB and all of them pitches I had to reach into my "tank" to make. 3-2 split, strike 3, one out. Hollandsworth up, exact same situation, count goes to 3-0, on 2 balls btw, work the count back to 3-2, FB away, strike 3, 2 outs. Beltre up, again count goes 3-0, which any of you that know the game know how impossible this is, getting Adrian Beltre to take three pitches, work the count back to 3-2. 4 straight foul balls, 3-2 slider, hard grounder to 2nd, inning over. WE come back and score 7 times off Brown in the bottom of the inning, and win like 12-2. I came out after 7, 110 or so pitches, but it felt like 175 to me. When you see pitchers have to reach back early in a game and get out of jams, in my mind your getting bad with the good. It's great that he worked out of the jam, but the shot of getting 8 innings out of him is pretty much gone. Over the last few years I have really watched this as it pertains to me. WHen I have real long early innings and have to work hard to keep the game tight, I know now that that means barring a free swing fest and some 5 pitch innings, I am not going to be around for the 9th, so I put myself into late innings mode from the 5th inning on instead of waiting for the 7th to ramp it up.The World Series in 2001 was a great example. I pitched on 3 days rest for game 4 because game 1 was a walk in the park. We got up early, and by alot, and the stress, both mentally and physically was 1/10 what it was for me after game 4. Both games I went 7 innings, but I was hanging after game 4, enough that I went to our manager and told him I didn't know how it was gonna feel for game 7 and that he should hold off a day or so before he announced anything. That all changed after sitting on the bench for game 5 and watching what happened happen. My point is that in two completely similar statistical outings I had two completely different day afters. One game was a blowout, the other a nail biter, and those are HUGE factors in rebounding and keeping your arm healthy.

1/14/04. Quotations from Chairman Curt (AKA Gehrig38) on Sons of Sam Horn Website:

Q. Can you weigh in on how you dealt with pressure early on as a rookie (when I presume you felt it the most because it was new to you), and also if that pressure impacts performance?

A. Pressure is self imposed. Regardless of what anyone in the world expects of me, no one expects more of me than myself. That's my pressure. What you call pressure I call adrenalin. Pressure is what I think people feel we are under to win the big one, to come through in the clutch. I have always felt I had the ability to funnel outside forces, home/road crowd noise, big game, big AB, crucial situation etc., into a positive adrenalin rush for me. I use it, I think I perform better with it. I also think as a pitcher that being able to recognize when the situation has intensified, for both hitter and pitcher, and perform accordingly, stay within yourself, is a huge key to success. I have watched and studied Greg Maddux for years. He is so far ahead of the field when it comes to the mental aspects of pitching that its scary. I watched a game about 10 years ago, Maddux was pitching in SF, bases loaded, Dave Martinez hitting. 2-2 count. Maddux throws ball three, way way outside, a fastball, then goes 3-2 and throws a picture perfect change up, not even close to the zone. Martinez swings, inning over. It stuck with me so much that the next year when I saw him I asked him about it. He remembered it, he told me on 2-2, the crowd was pumped in SF, he had great command of his changeup, he knew that 3-2 Martinez would sit FB and would be swinging and that the crowd would be even louder, the situation even more tense on the hitter as well as the runners would be going, always a nice distraction, something he wasn't sure of 2-2, so he intentionally threw ball 3 to ramp up the situation, lure Martinez into a false sense of security, then pulled the string on him. When the situation intensifies, and the game is on the line, the only players that distance themselves from others and achieve are the ones that don't get "caught up" in that pressure in the wrong way, they actually hold back. Everyone else is pressing, except the guys that know their adrenalin is way kicked in, and their ability plus the extra adrenalin will do the work for them.I've always thought that once I started doing all the work to prepare for games, the only thing that would be different from game 1 of spring training to game 7 of the world series was the 27 outs I needed to get, all the other stuff would always be present, but narrowing my focus would allow me to not have time to get caught up in it. I am an adrenalin junkie, I want the ball in the biggest games because that's when you prove the most, when more is at stake. People afraid of those situations look at it from the other side, there's more to lose than there is to gain....

Q. Lastly, once you learn to deal with pressure, does it matter how much pressure there is (i.e. the World Series different from LCS, etc.), or is it that once you learn to tune it out, it doesn't matter if its game #142, 9th inning two on, vs. Game #6 of the World Series with 10,000,000 watching?

A. I can tell you this, the pressure in the division series and NLCS was ten times more than world series pressure. If you get to the world series you've done something, you've won the league, if not you've done nothing IMO.I was ten times more nervous in games 1 and 5 of the NLDS and game 3 of the NLCS than I was for games 1 and 4 of the world series in 2001. Now game 7 was a little different animal, lots of subplots to that one on a personal level, but that night I worked with my sports psychologist and slept better than I ever had.

Q. Also, what aspect of the performance did "pressure" impact? Is it the mental part - not thinking clearly and calling the wrong pitch, fielding a bunt and throwing it to the wrong base (or offline) during the 9th inning of game 7 etc, or the physical part - gripping the ball more tightly and not hitting the spot or not getting a sharp break on the ball?

A. Like everything else that is player dependent. Honestly before games, any game I am starting, you couldn't pull a pin out of my butt with a tractor, I'm that nervous, fear of failure can be a tremendous motivator. IT can also be a paralyzer to the player that fears failure too much. You have to have perspective, in a game where failing 7 out of 10 times every day for 20 years can get you to the hall of fame, failure takes on a different meaning. I have always stayed away from that word too, failure, I believe you can only truly fail at something if you quit, everything else is just roadblocks that you've been given the tools to navigate if you can find it in yourself to push.

FoulkeLore II/ More Info: II.) On November 22, the Boston Globe's Bob Hohler added the following on Foulke-en Quest: "The Sox plan to make a strong pitch early next week to free agent Keith Foulke, an All-Star closer last season for the A's. The righthander is scheduled to travel to Fenway Park from his home in Texas for a meeting. Foulke, 31, saved a league-leading 43 games last season and is considered the top closer on the free agent market. Coveted also by the A's and Mets, Foulke earned $6 million last season as he completed a two-year, $10 million deal he signed with the White Sox before he was traded to Oakland for Billy Koch in a six-player deal after the 2002 season. He is expected to seek a three-year contract with a modest raise." I.)The Boston Herald's Tony Massarotti suggests that the Sox are hot after top A's closer Keith Foulke: "The American League Fireman of the Year in 2003, the 31-year-old Foulke was a sterling 9-1 with 43 saves (in 48 chances) and 2.08 ERA. He was tied for ninth in the league in appearances and pitched 24 times in non-save situations, helping to explain his outstanding won-loss record. Foulke earned a base salary of $6 million in 2003 and could earn $8 million to $10 million in a multiyear deal as a free agent. While the A's are seeking to retain him, they may be unable to bid with the Red Sox and New York Mets, who are believed to be the two primary bidders for Foulke's services."

Fear of Flying? According to the Boston Herald: Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said yesterday that he expects to interview Anaheim bench coach Joe Maddon sometime next week in Arizona during the general manager meetings, making Maddon the third candidate in the mix to replace Grady Little as manager. Maddon is considered a technologically savvy coach, upon whom Angels manager Mike Scioscia has relied upon heavily and successfully the last couple of years.

Black-Out. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports: "Angel pitching coach Bud Black all but removed himself from consideration for the managerial vacancy with the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, when he said he expected to decline an interview for the job."It's more than likely I won't be going back to interview," he said. The Red Sox received permission Friday to discuss the job with Black and Dodger coach Glenn Hoffman. The Red Sox interviewed Hoffman on Monday. In a weekend conversation with Boston General Manager Theo Epstein, Black said he expressed ambivalence about the opportunity and did not set an interview date.Black, 46, said he remains concerned about moving his wife and two teenage daughters so far from their San Diego County home, the same reason he cited last year when he withdrew from consideration for the Cleveland Indians' managerial vacancy. "

Edgar and "Stand Pat" Square Off: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer documents a clubhouse blow-up between (now-EX) GM Pat Gillick and Team Icon Edgar Martinez after their quick 4-0 loss in Anaheim on 9/24. Gillick ordered the Team Bus to leave 15 minutes early since "the team had played quick, so they were leaving quick". Edgar heard this and shouted to Gillick, "Hey, we've been busting our asses all year. We don't need this." Hmmmm. Things are getting a little testy in the Great Northwest.

Manuel Scoreboard: Well, it's not just long-suffering Red Sox fans who complain about the sloth-like left-field scoreboard updates at Fenway. Enter one Jerry Manuel, manager of the Chicago White Sox. As his team was being beaten by the Red Sox (largely by giving up 12 walks), Manuel was relegated to watching to see how his division rival Twins were faring. After several innings with no change, Manuel commented after the game: "They need to update that thing out there because that thing stayed in the sixth inning a long time. If you need help, I can go out there and operate it." Memo to the NOG (New Ownership Group): Get someone out there with an IQ bigger than a blender. While you're at it, fire the trained monkey who can't keep balls,strikes and outs updated during innings of games on the field in front of him. Spend more time fixing the little things that have been wrong at Fenway for decades, and less time on the big symbolic acts. We know you care, try showing it.

Nation to McCarty: "Don't Make Me Hurl": David McCarty says he'd like to play next season as a pitcher/outfielder/first baseman as does Milwaukee's Brooks Kieschnick. "This is something I've thought about for years, but now with Brooks Kieschnick doing it, I thought it might be something that could enhance my career," said McCarty. Can Mendoza play first?

The Revolution will be televised: No, not those Communist soccer matches, the march to the first World Championship in 85 years. Many thanks to Ed Berliner of Comcast's stellar CN8 Sports Pulse television program for having representatives of FenwayNation on his telecast. Members have made two appearances so far this season, and look forward to future chances to vent our venom on the air.

The Colonel's Curse: USA Today's Paul White traces the origins of another baseball curse: the Hanshin Tigers and the The Curse of Colonel Sanders. One difference: the Tigers have a good chance of breaking theirs this year.

"Victory Interruptus": The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan demonstrates why he is—by far—the best sportswriter in Boston in a great article that captures the angst of the Sox crushing 3-2 loss to the A's. Ryan gets FenwayNation's official dispensation for originally being from New Jersey. He is truly one of us.

Welcome Back!!: Gabe Kapler talks about his acceptance—along with Shawn Green—of being a role model for young Jewish athletes in an interesting Boston Herald article by Jeff Horrigan.

The Chavez Grapevine (Editor's Note: anyone born after 1970 won't get the strained reference in this headline) Eric Chavez tells the Oakland Tribune of his running palaver with Manny Ramirez: "I talked to him the whole week, and he said his timing was off. He hasn't found the right leg kick. It's weird because he took some off-balance swings this series, and he was trying to find it, but he hit, what, two or three home runs. He's so talented, it's ridiculous."

Johnny and The Curse: In the Oakland Tribune, Johnny Damon gives a fascinating, wide-ranging interview on everything from the Bambino Curse to Nomar being "greedy" (in a good way). Here's a taste: "The Patriots won (the Super Bowl) a couple of years ago, but if the Red Sox won (the World Series), that town would shut down for quite some time. "

Welcome, Mr. Quinlan, Sir: The L.A. Times reports on an Angel debut at Fenway: "First baseman Robb Quinlan never had set foot in Fenway Park before Tuesday, but the intense Boston fans let him know they already knew of him. 'I heard a couple of them yelling Quinlan,' he said. 'I couldn't really understand what else they were saying, but I'm assuming it wasn't good.' "

Coming Soon To a Fenway Near You: Red Sox prospect Kevin Youkilis (3B) has reached base in 71 straight minor league games, tying a record set by Kevin Millar. Youkilis was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket nine games ago after hitting .327 with a .487 on-base percentage at Double-A Portland.

Sad Ending for Mo: Peter Gammons cites this incredible statistic in his most recent WEB column: "After being traded for one another, Kevin Appier and Mo Vaughn will be paid a combined total of $43.7 million by the Angels and Mets not to play for them, $300,000 more than the entire 2003 payroll of the Oakland Athletics."

Suppan and Lyon Return: Theo Epstein's statue at Quincy Market comes even closer to fruition as the Red Sox acquired Jeff Suppan from the Pirates—by essentially reversing last week's trade for Scott Sauerbeck. The Red Sox re-acquired Brandon Lyon and Anastacio Martinez and sent out prospect Mike Gonzalez, three players involved in last week's trade. So, bottom line: the Red Sox got Suppan and Sauerbeck in exchange for prospect Freddy Sanchez.

His Eminence Theo the First ?:The Bergen Record (located somewhere in the vicinity of New Jersey Turnpike Exit 16W) quotes Theo Epsteins's Dad, Leslie, on his son's future after we win the World Series under his guidance: "Be careful what you wish for. What if he wins the World Series this year? What does he do next? Become a Jewish pope? What would he do for an encore?"

"Force"-Feeding the Rivalry: You got to hand it to Larry Lucchino—James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader, you know, the guy who led the "Evil Empire") did the national anthem before the Sunday Night ESPN game. Luke, I am your Daddy.

Just What The Sox Need—Numerology: David Heuschkel of the Hartford Courant points out that one particular number predominated at the July 23rd Sox-Rays game: "Sevens were wild Wednesday night at Fenway Park. Through no fault of his own, it took Tim Wakefield more than a month to get his seventh victory. It didn't take his Red Sox teammates long to score seven runs in the seventh inning. "It was a quick seven-run inning," Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella said. No. 7 had something to do with it. Trot Nixon, who batted seventh, broke open a close game by hitting a grand slam that led the Red Sox to a 10-4 victory in their seventh game of the homestand." Doesn't Clemens have "666" tattooed on his left in-step?

Where the Elite Meet to Eat?: The Boston Globe recently reported on a very disturbing new service offered to the 400 or so "fans" who sell their first-born for Dugout Seats at Fenway. The new "in-seat" service allows the beautiful people to use their cell phones so that $5.00 bottles of water can be delivered to their seats by some representative of the Great Unwashed. So refined. I hope these morons remember to actually watch the game while they dial in "1-800-ELITISM"—God forbid they should get their nose jobs out of whack from a foul ball. Ready for the worst part? Here's the rationale from one of the 472 Red Sox Vice Presidents—someone named Sam Kennedy: ''This is an amenity that goes along with a higher ticket price". So, Sammy Boy, when exactly will my $60.00 per seat Season Tickets qualify as high enough? Maybe John Henry is just too damn rich to know what real fans want and need. Just a thought.

Ponson Burner: The Baltimore Sun reports the Orioles have "shot down" rumors of a three-way trade that would have sent Sidney Ponson to the Braves and Joe Kennedy to the Orioles. Could they be warming up to a trade with the Sox for Trot Nixon? The Sun also reports on the following amazing stat on Sir Sidney: "In his first start, Ponson gave up five runs in 2 1/3 innings against the Red Sox. Since then, he is 12-4 with a 3.35 ERA. " Ironic, isn't it?

Whither Nomar?: In a Gordon Edes column in the Boston Globe we are treated to both optimistic and pessimistic evaluations of Nomar's future with the team. One unnamed "industry" source claims Nomar has already made his decision: "I think he's going to the West Coast. In Boston, he feels the burden of the marketplace. He knows that if anything goes wrong, he'll have the heat, the pressure again, and I don't think he wants it." On the other hand, listen to Anthony Nomar Garciaparra himself: "The fans have been unbelievable...I've always said how incredible they've treated me. And hopefully they've sensed what I've tried to give back, how I wear the uniform with pride and all that stuff, how I prepare myself the best I can. I've always appreciated what they've done. There's never been a question about that." The FenwayNation position remains unchanged: The NOG (New Ownership Group) must re-sign the greatest Sox player of our time. Period.

Bottom Line Bill James: In the midst of a fascinating New Yorker article on the famed Sabrematrician and Sox Executive, we found the following wonderful quote: "All of the dreams I have in which we are successful are dreams in which we succeed in reducing the Yankees to a more appropriate stature in life." Sweet.

This is War. The Boston Globe's Gordon Edes surveys the battlefield in the "headhunting" war between the Empire and our noble Jedi Warriors (this Stars Wars analogy is getting a bit strained, don't you think? Somehow, I can't picture Pedro with a light sabre). The most intriguing aspect of all this is the "at a distance" war of words among Clemens, Millar, Phineas T. Bluster (The Boss for you uninitiated), Pedro, Soriano, and Jeter. Wild stuff.

Pre-Emptive Strike? : Is it possible to issue a warning before a game? The Cowboy Cretin (AKA Roger Clemens) issued the following not-so-veiled threat to David Ortiz after the Sox DH clobbered two home runs (one of them off of the Yankee Cap Boy) on July 4th. As Clemens so eloquently put it : "Ortiz's plate coverage was a little surprising...I might have to make an adjustment the next time I see him." Uh- huh. Earth to Bud Selig: Do you have the guts to sanction a Yankee before he goes head-hunting again? Ooops, I forgot. You're not a real Commissioner. You just play one on TV. Sorry, Bud. Go back to whatever you were doing.

John Tomase of the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune chronicles the most excruciating 15 losses of the season. Fasten your seat belts, it's a bumpy ride!!! The Sox have actually won 12 games in their last at-bat, but lost 10 games in the opposing team's last at-bat. Good grief. Maybe now, with BK as the REAL closer, we can finally relegate the "closer by committee" concept to the waste bin of history. Kudos to Theo for recognizing his error and fixing it.

According to Alex Speier of the Boston Metro, there are four "untouchable" Red Sox prospects in any trade talks this month: 3B Kevin Youkilis, 2B Freddy Sanchez, C Kelly Shoppach, and SS Hanley Ramirez. The rest of Speier's article is an excellent analysis of the multiple trade options facing the Sox. By the way, how come some of the best sportswriting in the city is in the free Boston Metro? Makes you think.

The Boston Herald's Jeff Horrigan recounts a nice gesture by an ex-Sox hurler during the team's trip to Tampa Bay: "Former Boston hurler Rolando Arrojo, who opened a bakery in St. Petersburg last season, sent over some samples to the visitors clubhouse."

The Miami Herald reports the following reaction from Marlins pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal after his team's lost weekend at Fenway: ''I just want out of town."

Big Three Lock-Up?:Kevin Gray of the Manchester (NH) Union-Leader reports that Sox owner Henry remains optimistic that the Big Three (Pedro, Nomar and Manny) will still be around after next season. Says Henry: "For one thing, I don't think the price of players is going up. If you look at the end of next season, you've got 30 clubs all asking the same question. How do I keep this team together? We think about it all the time....We have to do what's right for the franchise. I think we have every reason to believe we can keep our three superstars." (Emphasis added).

Dinosaurs and Moonwalks:On Monday night, June 23rd, a rare convergence took place at the Ballpark at Arlington. The deciding play of a game between the Rangers and the A's involved an all-ex-Red Sox cast of characters. The Rangers lead (inexplicably) 1-0 entering the bottom of the ninth. Bring on the closer!!! Ugi Urbina swaggered to the mound. He then proceeded to load the bases. He got the next batter on a called third strike. One out. Bases still loaded. Up comes Scott Hatteberg. We are told that, with the bases loaded, opposing batters have hit .386 against Ugi lifetime. No kidding. Hatteberg raps a double into the right center field gap, right past none other than: Carl Everett. Yes, Carl, there were dinosaurs, men did walk on the Moon, and there is an order to the Universe.

Mother of All Stats: Recently, Detroit pitchers had a higher batting average than their positional players. Yikes.

The Bergen Record's Bob Klapisch reports on a possible deal for Armando Benitez: "If nothing else, the Mets know Boston's interest is legitimate, since Duquette was contacted by Fenway officials instead of the other way around. Boston's relievers have blown 7 of 21 save opportunities and have a 5.50 ERA. The Mets are taking Boston's inquiries seriously enough to have begun assessing the Red Sox roster, both at the major and minor league levels, to determine who'd they ask for in return."

The Houston Chronicle chronicles Craig Biggios's take on playing the Sox: "In one way, everyone was excited from the standpoint that we got the opportunity to come here to....Fenway Park...But on the other side, we're playing the season. Our main goal is to hopefully get back to the playoffs. You know that when you play Boston...you're playing the best."

Best T-shirt of the Year, seen at Fenway on 6/10/03: "1986 New York Mets Suck". We knew that all along, of course.

The Boston Globe reports that there may be an Ugi in our future again: "Reports abound that Ugueth Urbina is heading to the Yankees to be Mariano Rivera's setup man, but don't count the Red Sox completely out of that mix -- strange as it may seem. General manager Theo Epstein would not address the subject, citing tampering rules, but Sox sources indicate they have been keeping their radar out there, with the possibility of Kim staying in the rotation."

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports on Glendon Rusch: "....he is 0-8 with an 8.24 ERA, with 101 hits allowed in 59 innings. Rusch's statistics qualify him as the worst starting pitcher in the National League. No other pitcher taking regular turns has allowed more hits (113), runs (64) and earned runs (61), lost more games or allowed a higher opponents' batting average (.362)." Said Rusch: "I need to get going in the other direction." Uh-huh.

The Boston Globe reports on a rumored deal supposedly passed on by "one National League executive" where the Red Sox would send second baseman Todd Walker to the Mets in exchange for second baseman Robbie Alomar.

The Evil Empire may be looking to upgrade its sputtering offense. Of interest, according to New York Newsday, are "San Diego's Dave Hansen and Tampa Bay's Travis Lee". Listen carefully, I hear a big yawn emanating from FenwayNation.

Perhaps the most bizarre passage in a Boston Globe article on Shea Hillenbrand's sour grapes toward the Red Sox was this reference by new and former teammate Carlos Baerga about Manny's reaction to the trade: " 'Shea told me Manny cried when he heard,'' Baerga said. ''Manny said, `They trade everybody. They got rid of Urbina. They traded Hillenbrand.' ''

Greg Hansen of the Arizona Daily Star on the big trade: "The knock on Kim is that he's a hard psychological read, mentally fragile, rather than tough, an inscrutability brought on more by the Korean language barrier than by anything else. Once he gets to Boston and goes under the Red Sox media microscope (at least 10 times that of the D'backs' small media corps), anything can happen - good or bad."

Actual Roger Clemens quote in the wake of career loss 154: "It could not have worked out any better, other than the loss".

As of May 27th, the top three teams in the American League in On-Base Percentage were the AL East's Boston (.358), Toronto (.358), and New York (.357).

Murray Chass of the NEW YORK TIMES, on the mood of Phineas T. Bluster: "One club official and one baseball official have said in the past few days that Steinbrenner is 'worse than ever.' People in and out of the organization made similar observations last year, which apparently means worse has turned to worst. 'He's off the wall,' the club official said before the game."

The LA TIMES, on Trot Nixon's bonehead play on May 17th: "Nixon's play did not affect the outcome of the Angels' 6-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox, but it did highlight the differences between two teams with playoff aspirations. The Angels do not beat themselves, and the Red Sox just can't help it."

NEW YORK NEWSDAY displays typical New York arrogance in assessing the upcoming series at Fenway: "An extremely disappointing offseason in which the Red Sox lost out on A's general manager Billy Beane, former Met Edgardo Alfonzo and pitchers Bartolo Colon and Jose Contreras has been wiped out by a typically strong start. If recent history holds, Boston will win most of the six games against the Yankees this week and next week (today through Wednesday at Fenway, then May 26-28 at Yankee Stadium) before falling apart shortly after the All-Star break."

The DALLAS MORNING NEWS opines on how Casey Fossum is exactly what the Rangers want in a pitcher: "Fossum is like a walking wish list for Showalter and his pitching counselors, Orel Hershiser and Mark Connor. Fossum does many of the same things that trio has been preaching to the Rangers' young pitchers. 'He has an above-average fastball and throws other things [sweeping curve and cut fastball] to get you off that,' Showalter said. 'He has good tempo, and he attacks the strike zone. For left-handers that command the fastball that good, this is a good place to pitch because people get into that pull mode.'"