Red Sox-Devil Rays (August 31, 2005)

The bad news from last night: Curt Schilling served batting practice to the Devil Rays ... in the second inning. The good news from last night: Schill rebounded to get the Sox through the sixth inning without allowing another run. The great news from last night: Trot Nixon hit a walk-off bases loaded single to give Boston a 7-6 victory. Can the bats keep it going tonight (7:05 p.m. on NESN and WEEI)? The Red Sox have now scored at least 7-runs in twelve straight home games. Tim Wakefield (13-10, 4.35) hopes to benefit from the high scoring Sox offense as he faces former Sox prospect Casey Fossum (8-10, 4.76). With the Yankees losing last night in Seattle, the Sox now have a 2.5-game lead in the A.L. East.

Red Sox-Devil Rays (August 30, 2005)

Another big night for the offense led to another home win for the Red Sox last night. Matt Clement finally got to win No. 12 with five good innings sandwiched around a lengthy rain delay. Big Papi hit two more home runs and Johnny Damon added another in the 10-6 rout. On the negative side of things, Abe Alvarez did his best Mike Remlinger impersonation, getting whacked for four runs in 1.1-innings. Curt Schilling (5-6, 6.89), starting his first game at Fenway since April 18, is once again holding the hopes of Red Sox Nation on his shoulders tonight. Tampa Bay will run out the hard throwing Scott Kazmir (7-9, 4.12). Imagine listening to WEEI tomorrow if Schill gets schelled tonight. The game will be covered by NESN and WEEI and starts at 7:05 p.m. Weather permitting, that is.

B.C. Football Preview

The Boston College football team will open their 2005 season this upcoming Saturday in Provo, Utah against Brigham Young University. The B.Y.U. contest will be one of five road games for the Eagles who play six games at home in Alumni Stadium. 2005 marks a new beginning for B.C. football as they leave the Big East Conference for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Gone (for now) are traditional games against Syracuse, Pittsburgh and West Virginia. The Eagles will now regularly face the likes of Florida State, Maryland and Virginia. Fellow Big East-to-ACC defectors Miami, Fl. and Virginia Tech will also be on the schedule in most years, including a late October trip to Blacksburg to face off against V-Tech. The fresh start in the ACC could be a productive one for B.C. and head coach Tom O'Brien in '05. The Eagles are rated No. 22 in the country in the preseason AP football poll. Senior defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka was voted by the ACC coaches as the Conference's preseason player of the year. Other defensive standouts include linebacker's Brian Toal and Ray Henderson and cornerback's DeJuan Tribble and Jazzmen Williams. The offense will be led by quarterback's Quinton Porter and Matt Ryan, running back's L.V. Whitworth, Andre Callender and A.J. Brooks, a stellar offensive line fronted by Jeremy Trueblood, and receivers Will Blackmon, Larry Lester and Tony Gonzalez.

Red Sox-Devil Rays (August 29, 2005)

Fenway Park is just what the Boston offense needed as they took 2-of-3 from the Detroit Tigers by scoring 28-runs over the three games, including 11 on Sunday in an 11-3 win. David Wells gave the pitching staff a rest by going seven innings and allowing only the three runs to gain win No. 11 on the season. Chad Bradford pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Abe Alvarez, just called up from Pawtucket, pitched a perfect ninth in his first professional relief appearance. Monday marks the beginning of a four-game series with Tampa Bay. Matt Clement (11-3, 4.35) gets the nod for the Red Sox in the opener and he will oppose Tampa's Seth McClung (5-7, 6.40). NESN and WEEI will carry the game in the Boston area. Clement, who has surpassed even the highest preseason expectations, is still in search of win No. 12. With pitching becoming a concern for the defending World Series champions as of late, a strong finish to the year by Clement will be vital to the postseason aspirations of the BoSox. A great finish by Clement should propel Boston towards the playoffs, a mediocre finish could have the Sox making tee times for the first week of October.

Red Sox-Tigers (August 27 and 28, 2005)

The Red Sox won their 14th-consecutive game at Fenway Park last night by a 9-8 score over the Detroit Tigers. They shoot for 15 tonight at 7:05 p.m. on NESN and WEEI. Bronson Arroyo (10-9, 4.19) goes for Boston against Detroit's Sean Douglass (5-2, 4.76). Sunday's game will be a 2:05 p.m. start on both NESN and WEEI -- the scheduled starters are David Wells (10-6, 4.53) for the Sox and Nate Robertson (6-10, 3.85) for the Tigers.

Red Sox-Tigers (August 26, 2005)

Please note that tonight's game wil start at 8:05 p.m. instead of 7:05. The grounds crew needs the extra time to finish getting the field ready for baseball after the Rolling Stones shows earlier in the week. The game will be carried by WSBK, NESN (outside of Boston) and WEEI. Tim Wakefield (12-10, 4.29) opens this three-game series versus the Detroit Tigers. Wake will be opposed by Detroit's Jason Johnson (7-9, 4.09). With the Yankees creeping up slowly behind them in the A.L. East -- they are only 2.5-games back to start today -- the Red Sox need to take advantage of the lowly Tigers and take all three contests. Last night served as a kick to the Red Sox Nation jewels. Curt Schilling started is first game since April 23 and it was not pretty. Schill was schelled -- he lasted five innings and his stat line of 9 hits and 6 earned runs isn't what we were expecting. In all fairness to Schilling he hadn't started a major league game in just over four months and he had also been in the closer role for the Sox since the All-Star break so maybe (hopefully) last night was just a rough draft of what will be a masterpiece finish for the Boston ace. If not, put him back in the bullpen and let Jonathan Papelbon start -- at worst the Sox would finish out of the playoffs but at least they would be laying the foundation for the future of the organization.

Red Sox-Royals (August 25, 2005)

The only word to describe Wednesday's loss to the Royals is miserable. The Red Sox left thirteen men on base and were a pitiful 2-for-10 with men in scoring position. The Sox look to bounce back tonight with Curt Schiling (5-5, 6.43) on the hill, facng K.C.'s Jose Lima (4-12, 6.47). The Red Sox can't be too sure as to what they are going to get out of Schilling who has made only three starts all year but if he resembles even 80% of the 2004 Schilling then Boston's pitching problems will be at least partially solved. The game starts at 8:10 p.m. and will be covered by NESN and WEEI.

Red Sox-Royals (August 24, 2005)

The Boston bats, combined with the performances of starter David Wells and middle-man Jeremi Gonzalez, carried the Old Towne Team to a 5-2 victory on Tuesday night over the Royals. The one negative in the game was the shaky outing by de-facto closer Mike Timlin in the ninth inning. Timlin allowed the only Kansas City runs and with two outs, former Sox minor leaguer Chip Ambres represented the tying run but he grounded into a force out. Matt Clement (11-3, 4.38) tries to finally get win No. 12 tonight. He will be opposed by D.J. Carrasco (5-7, 4.89). NESN and WEEI have the game at 8:10 p.m. As a side to my note on Red Sox MVP candidates, where would the Red Sox be without Jason Varitek? As a catcher, he has carried a patch-work pitching staff to the top of the A.L. East. It is true that the Boston team E.R.A. (4.79) is eleventh out of fourteen American League teams but you must take into account that he has worked with a staff without it's No.1 starter (Curt Schilling) for the vast majority of the year and without it's closer (Keith Foulke) for a good portion of the season as well. At the plate Varitek is having one of the great offensive seasons by a catcher in baseball history. 'Tek is hitting .301 with 21 home runs, 59 RBI and an impressive .927 O.P.S. Lastly, Varitek is the captain of the most insane team in the game. He is the voice of reason on a team of self-proclaimed Idiots that include Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez, Schilling, Foulke and Kevin Millar. In a city such as Boston, with its' swarming media hordes, and a home park such as Fenway, with its' tiny clubhouse space, Varitek is almost always front and center in answering questions about himself and the rest of the team. He is a true leader -- behind the plate, as a hitter and off the field. He would get my vote as American League MVP.

Red Sox-Royals (August 23, 2005)

Over the course of a 162-game schedule a team will find many ways to win (and lose) games. But the fashion in which the Boston Red Sox won their game on Sunday in Anaheim -- a game they absolutely needed to win in order to create more space between themselves and the Yankees in the A.L. East -- was a little more than extraordinary. First of all, rookie starter Jonathan Papelbon gave the Red Sox another solid start. He did not get the decision but his shut-out ball for 5 2/3-innings put the Sox in position for the win. Then with two outs in a 0-0 game in the eighth inning, Edgar Renteria hit a three-run home run. The next batter, David Ortiz, laid down a Willie McGee-esque bunt down the third base line to beat the shift which was followed by an Angels pitching change from Paul Byrd to Brendan Donnelly and then Manny Ramirez' 33rd-home run of the season. The final was 5-1 (Schilling had a bumpy ninth inning) and the Sox salvaged a split out in California. How many times did you ever think you would be able to see Renteria hit the clutch, late inning home run while Big Papi was dropping down well timed bunts? That's baseball for you -- anything can and will happen during the long, hot summer. Tonight the Red Sox open a three-game series with the struggling Kansas City Royals. The Sox swept the Royals at Fenway in August, in the midst of a 19-game losing streak for K.C. that ended over the weekend against Oakland. Boston will start David Wells (9-6, 4.70), who is coming off of a terrible start his last time out in Detroit. K.C. will counter with Zack Greinke (3-14, 6.02). Despite his numbers, Greinke is actually a good, young pitching prospect. NESN and WEEI have the game locally, beginning at 8:10 p.m.

Red Sox-Angels (August 21, 2005)

The Boston bats were quieted by Angels rookie Ervin Santana for 7.2-innings and a late rally couldn't do the job, wasting a fine performance by Bronson Arroyo (6 IP, 1 ER). With their lead in the A.L. East now down to just three-games, the Red Sox need to win today to split the series with the Angels. Impressive rookie Jonathan Papelbon (0-0, 3.48) faces off against Paul Byrd (9-7, 3.88). NESN and WEEI have the game starting at 4:05 p.m. Even though the Sox are out West, Fenway Park will still be rocking tonight. The Rolling Stones are in town for two shows (tonight and Tuesday night) and while the investigation as to whether or not the Stones opened Fenway in 1912 is still ongoing, let it be known there will be no refunds if Jagger, Richards or another member of the band croaks before they finish their Fenway sets. (All kidding aside, the Stones are great and everything but TheBostonInsider is demanding that U2 be the Fenway band of choice in 2006!)

Ainge On Cusp Of Big Move?

According to today's Boston Herald, the Celtics are on the verge of signing point guard Dan Dickau to a contract. For those of you keeping score at home, that would bring the total point guards on Boston's roster to five (Delonte West, Marcus Banks, Orien Greene, Will Bynum and Dickau). If Dickau is signed the total number of players on the roster would be 17 (with the NBA maximum being 15). What this leads TheBostonInsider to believe is that Danny Ainge may be on the verge of a major move that would completely change the C's personnel. With there being five point guards on the roster, one of them -- Marcus Banks? -- is a logical candidate to be moved. The Celts would also love to move Mark Blount and his Jon Konkac-like contract. And the captain, Paul Pierce, could also be on the trading block. This has been a fairly low-key summer for Ainge and the Celtics. Other than the Antoine Walker sign-and trade to Miami (which really wasn't a blockbuster move on the part of the Celtics) there has not been any major changes to a team that is more than a few moves away from being a true title contender. Maybe this is Ainge's time to strike a big deal, one that may sink the 2005-06 Celtics but one that could put them on track to be in the running by 2007-08 when the likes of Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins, West and Gerald Green have matured into seasoned NBA stars. Keep those eyes and ears open.

Red Sox-Angels (August 20, 2005)

For the second straight year, "Big Papi" David Ortiz went ballistic in Anaheim, causing himself to be ejected. Upset over home plate umpire Bill Welke's strike zone, Ortiz let him know that he was not pleased with a called third strike in the eighth inning. Unlike last year's episode against the Angels, Ortiz doesn't figure to miss much -- if any -- time due to suspension. Lost amongst Papi's furor was the fact that Boston pulled out a tenth inning win after Mike Timlin had one of his only bad appearances of the summer. Starter Matt Clement (7 IP, 1 ER, 5 K's) handed off a 3-1 lead to Timlin in the eighth but No. 50 gave up two runs that allowed the A.L. West leading Angels to tie the game. In the top of the tenth, Gabe Kapler and Johnny Damon led off with singles and then after Edgar Renteria struck out, Ortiz' replacement Roberto Petagine walked to load the bases. Manny Ramirez and his 20 career grand slams walked to the plate and delivered -- a slow grounder to third base that scored Kapler. Curt Schilling pitched a perfect ninth and tenth to pick up the win. In the third game of the series -- 4 p.m. on FOX and WEEI -- Boston will send out Bronson Arroyo (10-7, 4.28) against Ervin Santana (6-5, 4.62). With the Yankees still hot on their trail at only 4-games back in the A.L. East, the Red Sox could certainly use a victory today.

Red Sox-Angels (August 18, 2005)

A potential playoff series with the Angels opens tonight out in Los Angeles/Anaheim/Orange County at 10:05 p.m. on NESN and WEEI. Tim Wakefield (12-9, 4.07), who has won his last four starts for Boston, will face Bartolo Colon (15-6, 3.44) of the Angels. The Red Sox are coming off a disappointing series in Detroit where they lost 2-of-3 to the lowly Tigers. It was the worst showing since my brother Ben skipped an all-you-can-eat Chinese food buffet in Quincy a few weeks ago. This four game series against the Angels will be an important one for the Sox as the Yankees are still only 4.5-games behind in the A.L. East.

Schilling, Red Sox-Tigers (August 16, 2005)

Guys like Curt Schilling are not supposed to get hammered when they lead in the count 0-2 but that is exactly what has happened to No. 38 in his last three appearances. My take is that Schilling isn't healthy and that the Red Sox Nation pipe dream that he will return to the starting rotation to front another World Series run is not going to happen this fall. Schilling still looks like he is struggling to push off his surgically repaired ankle (which may have to go under the knife again this winter if it truly is not healed) and that when Keith Foulke returns to the team some time next week, Schilling will go back on the disabled list. In the time being, Schill will continue to pitch on guts alone while doing what he can to save the bullpen and Red Sox wins. As for last night's game ... I don't want to talk about it. We all know what happened and with the Sox being on such a hot streak, a tough loss was more or less inevitable. Jon Papelbon (0-0, 3.38) -- a possible Schill replacement if TheBostonInsider's theory holds water -- takes on Detroit's Nate Robertson (5-10, 4.10) at 7:05 p.m. on NESN and WEEI. If you missed Papelbon's first major league start a few weeks ago, make sure to watch tonight. The 24-year-old righty is a hard thrower with a wicked fastball.

Saw Doctors Tonight

For those music fans out there, the Saw Doctors, a hard rocking Irish band, are playing tonight at the Hampton Beach Casino Ball Room in New Hampshire. Even if you are not familiar with the group, they are certainly worth the price of admission (which is rather cheap by the way) and the Casino Ball Room is a great party atmosphere at which to watch a live concert.

Red Sox-Tigers (August 15, 2005)

Rain washed away Sunday's game -- and saved the Red Sox home winning streak in the process -- but it couldn't dampen the spirits of Red Sox Nation. With 47-games left on the schedule, the Sox have a 4.5-game lead in the A.L. East over the Yankees. A long and winding road trip is slated to begin tonight in Detroit at 7:05 on NESN and WEEI. Bronson Arroyo (10-7, 4.28), who almost threw a no-hitter earlier this season in MoTown, faces Sean Douglass (4-2, 4.08). It will be an absolute failure if the Red Sox do any worse than take 2-of-3 from the Tigers.

Red Sox-White Sox (August 14, 2005)

The Sox have the brooms ready for the fourth straight series at Fenway. Matt Clement (11-3, 4.53) faces Orlando Hernandez (8-5, 4.67) in the series finale today at 2:05 p.m. on NESN and WEEI. The only negative in the two wins so far against the White Sox is that Curt Schilling has been schelled in the ninth inning in both games. Not a good sign for the guy Red Sox Nation is expecting to front the playoff rotation. Expect to see Schill back out there today if need be though -- he is the last person to shy away from a challenge.

Boston MVP Vote Will Be Split

As the baseball season enters the dog days of August, the men are literally separated from the boys. America can now say good-bye to the Orioles, Cubs, Nationals, Twins and Rangers. All five teams looked poised to be playoff contenders as early as a few weeks ago but the summer has worn them down. The teams that appear to be heading to October are the White Sox, Cardinals, Red Sox, Angels, A's and Braves. The reason the should-be playoff teams are in the hunt is because their best player(s) put the rest of the club on their back(s). This is the time of year that MVP's are made. In Atlanta, Andruw Jones (.275 BA, 37 HR, 90 RBI) is pushing the Braves toward another N.L. East title. On the west coast, Oakland's Eric Chavez (.274, 20, 73) has carried the A's from 15-games under .500 to the top of the A.L. West. Both players are among the favorites to capture the MVP in their respective league. Unlike the other contending teams, the Red Sox do not have just one clear cut MVP candidate. No, the Red Sox have at least four players that will garner consideration for the A.L. MVP award. Johnny Damon (.337, 8, 56) is the game's best lead-off man and is the player that ignites the potent Boston offense. Manny Ramirez is the Hall-of-Fame slugger (.287, 32, 107) who at times acts like a Little Leaguer but who always produces at the plate. David Ortiz (.297, 28, 99) is the mammoth, fun loving masher who has a smile for all of his teammates and a powerful swing for all of his opponents. The captain, Jason Varitek, isn't a candidate for his numbers (.305, 18, 54) alone -- he is also one of the game's best catchers and he is the emotional center of a sometimes crazy Boston clubhouse. The sad part is that the Boston four will all garner so much consideration that the vote will be split among them, allowing an Eric Chavez or Vladimir Guerrero to slide in and grab the hardware. But while they may not win the MVP, the Boston players are still in position to win another World Series and that is all that truly matters to the guys over on Yawkey Way.

Red Sox-White Sox (August 13, 2005)

The greatest value in professional sports history came through at the Fens once again last night -- "Big Papi" David Ortiz powered the Red Sox to a 9-8 victory with a 4-for-5 night at that plate that included 2 home runs and 6 RBI's. All that production for just $6.5-million per year. Tim Wakefield (11-9, 4.13) gets the ball on Saturday night facing A.L. Cy Young candidate Jon Garland (16-5, 3.29). When these two teams faced off in Chciago last month Garland shut the Red Sox offense down and tonight the Red Sox look to have a better night versus the tall right hander. NESN and WEEI have the game beginning at 7:05 p.m.

Two Friday Notes

Some things to think about as the weekend kicks off ... 1. There is a new Paul Pierce rumor over at CelticsBlog.com. Supposedly the L.A. Clippers are hot after Pierce (does Donald Sterling know this?). The rumored "deal" would most likely bring athletic swingman Corey Maggette to the C's, possibly along with power forward Chris Wilcox or center Chris Kaman. The deal could also include Marcus Banks going west for the talented Shaun Livingston (that's doubtful). 2. When will Nuts Barry return to Fenway? According to a source inside Aramark, Nuts may be sent on a rehab stint to either Pawtucket or Portland. However, if he goes on rehab, do not expect to catch any peanut bags from the long time Fenway nut tosser. Instead, Barry would probably be throwing bags of Cracker Jax -- they are slightly lighter and they would allow him to build up arm strength.

Red Sox-White Sox (August 12, 2005)

A big weekend series against a likely playoff opponent opens with David Wells (9-5, 4.45) going for the Red Sox against Mark Buehrle (13-4, 2.79) of the White Sox. WSBK, NESN (outside of Boston) and WEEI have the game at 7:05. While Fenway Park has been very generous to the Red Sox lately (11 straight home wins) the White Sox, with baseball's best record, will challenge that home winning streak this weekend. The bad news for Boston is that is will face Chicago's top two pitchers in Buehrle and Jon Garland but the silver lining is that Wells, Tim Wakefield and Matt Clement all will pitch for the BoSox. For those of you looking to the future, big Craig Hansen has been called up to Double-A Portland. In his Sea Dog debut the St. John's product tossed a scoreless inning with one strikeout and one hit allowed. Also on the horizon, Jon Papelbon pitched three perfect innings in Pawtucket to earn his first save. Help is on the way for the A.L. East leading Red Sox.

Red Sox-Rangers (August 10, 2005)

A thrilling tenth inning win on Tuesday night was capped off by Edgar R-EE-nteria coming through with the game winning hit in his sixth at-bat after going hitless in his first five tries (and two errors). Matt Clement pitched well but the bullpen -- newly acquired Mike Remlinger -- let him down. The Sox go for the sweep at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday with Bronson Arroyo (9-7, 4.24) on the hill for the Old Towne Team. The favorite of photographers everywhere -- Kenny Rogers (11-4, 2.77) -- returns from his now reduced suspension for the Rangers. ESPN must have been tipped off that Rogers was coming back because they have the game, as does NESN and WEEI.

Red Sox-Rangers (August 9, 2005)

Matt Clement (11-3, 4.67) gets the start for the Sox against Texas' Joaquin Benoit (3-1, 2.49) in the middle game of this series. The game begins at 7:05 p.m. and it will be carried locally by NESN and WEEI. Game One was an offensive showcase -- there were 28 total hits in an 11-6 Boston victory. Big Papi hit home run No. 26 and Tony Graffanino hit his first Boston homer, a shot into the Monster Seats. It's safe to say that pitching will not be taking the spotlight in this series.

Red Sox-Rangers (August 8, 2005)

After blowing a win on Saturday night, the Red Sox bounced back on Sunday afternoon to beat up the Twins by a score of 11-7. The offense, lead by Manny Ramirez' 4-for-4 day, knocked around Joe Mays and J.C. Romero and Tim Wakefield struck out a career high 11-batters. The only negative was rookie reliever Manny DelCarmen allowed three earned runs in 2/3-inning but he did give Schilling the opportunity to earn save No. 9. On Monday night Wade Miller (4-4, 4.78) will open a three-game set against the Texas Rangers at 7:05 p.m. Miller will be opposed by Ricardo Rodriguez (2-3, 4.95) in what should be an offensive battle. As always, NESN and WEEI will carry the contest. As for my trip to Shea Stadium on Friday, it didn't go as planned. Cubs starter and Milton native Rich Hill had control problems which combined with some bloop hits by the Mets to lead to an early exit for Hill. However, I would like to thank the Pig 'N Whistle in Times Square for not cutting off TheBostonInsider after his fourth (or fifth) Irish Car Bomb. I will be making the trip to the Windy City on Wednesday to see Rich go for career win No. 1 against the Cincinnati Reds.

Cubs-Mets (August 5, 2005)

Wondering why the entire Red Sox-Twins series was previwed in just one post? The reason is that TheBostonInsider will be away in New York this weekend for a trip to Shea Stadium to watch the Chicago Cubs play the New York Mets on Friday night. Starting for the Cubs on Friday will be Rich Hill (0-0, 3.78). It will be quite an experience to see Hill on the mound live in a big league game for me. We were on the same Little League team together, played high school basketball together and drank about 1,000 beers in his garage together. Rich will be pitching against another Massachusetts lefty, future Hall-0f-Famer Tom Glavine (7-9, 4.50). (As a side to the Hill-Glavine match-up, would it kill a local writer to do a feature on this game? There in nary a mention in either the Globe or Herald today. How many times have two Massachusetts natives pitched against each other in a major league game? Couldn't Steve Buckley get off the trail of Jon Papelbon's kid brothers playing in the NECBL to write this story?)

Red Sox-Twins (August 5 - 7, 2005)

The A.L. East leading Red Sox open a three-game set in Minnesota with Bronson Arroyo (9-6, 4.22) shooting for win No .10. Arroyo is opposed by Brad Radke (6-10, 3.88). WSBK, NESN and WEEI all have the action, starting at 8:10 p.m. On Saturday night (7:10 p.m. on NESN and WEEI), David Wells (9-5, 4.45) squares off with fellow lefty -- and 2004 A.L. Cy Young winner -- Johan Santana (10-6, 3.65). In Sunday afternoon's finale, Tim Wakefield (10-9, 4.23) and Joe Mays (5-6, 4.62) will get the nod for their respective clubs. Sunday's game is a 2:10 p.m. start on NESN and WEEI. As Arroyo and Wells look to join Matt Clement and Wakefield with at least 10-wins, the Boston starting rotation looks good. But a closer look will reveal that the BoSox staff is still rather shaky. All five starters right now have ERA's over 4 -- Arroyo (4.22), Wakefield (4.23), Wells (4.45), Clement (4.67) and Wade Miller (4.78). This statistic is just another reason why the Sox need to get Keith Foulke back to his 2004 form and supplant the bullpen with the likes of Manny DelCarmen (already with Boston), Jon Papelbon and Craig Hansen. All three are hard throwers with the stuff to get hitters to swing-and-miss, a very important skill in the postseason. Fixing the bullpen allows Curt Schilling to get back in the starting rotation -- something the Sox desparately need. He is the only starter with enough mound presence to carry this team through October. Without him, the Red Sox are just another team like the Cleveland Indians of the late '90s -- a great lineup with quality pitching that carries them to October but isn't enough to get the job done in the playoffs.

Red Sox-Royals (August 4, 2005) & Two Notes

The Sox go for the sweep of the lowly (but competitive) Royals today at 1:05 p.m. today on NESN and WEEI with Matt Clement (10-3, 4.43) -- in his first start since being hit by a line drive in Tampa Bay last week -- facing D.J. Carrasco (5-5, 4.37). With a 4.5-game lead over the Yankees in the A.L. East, it's time for the Red Sox to go on a tear that carries them to the playoffs for the third straight year. For those of us who dream to be in Cooperstown, here is the first hand account of Peter Gammons' weekend at the Hall-of-Fame. One day in the future we will all be seeing Manny, Nomar and Pedro enter the hallowed grounds in upstate New York and we will fondly remember a time when the Sox ruled all things baseball. Hey WEEI, are you ready for some competition? ESPN Radio is hitting the Boston market -- slowly at first but they are coming. Quick question, do you want to listen to Dennis & Callahan (and that twat Meter) in the morning or do you want ESPN? I thought so.

Walker Trade

Danny Ainge and the Celtics finally pulled off the long awaited Antoine Walker sign-and-trade deal to the Miami Heat. In the biggest trade in NBA history -- five teams and thirteen players -- Walker was shipped to South Beach to play with Shaq and Dwayne Wade while the Green got Curtis Borchardt from Utah, Qyntel Woods and the draft rights to Spanish center Albert Miralles from Miami as well as two second-round picks and a $5.4-million trade exemption from the Heat. In terms of talent, the Celts look to have gotten swindled. Walker may not be the player he thinks he is (ask Shaq how it feels to have his power forward tossing more 3's than Michael Jackson in 6-months) but he must certainly be worth more than Woods, Borchardt and Miralles. Then after taking a second look, the deal doesn't look so bad. Both Woods and Borchardt are in the last year of their contracts which will give Boston more financial flexibility for next summer and Miralles is expected to remain in Spain. And while the picks in the second-round don't seem to be worth that much, remember that Ainge has plucked Brandon Hunter (now with the Magic), Justn Reed, Ryan Gomes and Orien Greene in Round Two. None are considered All-Stars but Hunter and Reed have shown they can compete in the NBA and Gomes and Greene are being counted on to play for Boston in the '05-'06 season. (The point is that Ainge finds value after the first-round.) Finally, the trade exemption of $5.4-million, coupled with a $1.2-million exemption from the Walter McCarty-to-Phoenix trade gives Ainge the ability to trade for a player who makes up to $6.8-million more than the players he is being traded for -- maybe this is where the Celtics will find their veteran point guard for the '05-'06 season. Whatever Ainge does for the rest of the summer -- if he keeps tweaking the roster or if he is done -- the Celtics are in better position today than they were yesterday. They have eliminated salary and in the process have much more flexibility to improve the roster.

Red Sox-Royals (August 3, 2005)

A very good win on Tuesday; Wake was shaky early but he kept the Sox in the game long enough for Manny Ramirez and the offense to capitalize on the young Kansas City pitching staff. On Wednesday night Wade Miller (3-4, 4.57) will take the ball for the Red Sox in opposition of Kyle Snyder (0-2, 8.59). On paper the Sox are rightfully the heavy favorite but remember that the Red Sox do struggle from time-to-time against weaker pitchers. NESN and WEEI have the game at 7:05 p.m.

Red Sox-Royals (August 2, 2005)

Tim Wakefield (9-9, 4.19) is on the hill tonight as the Red Sox open a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals. Runelvys Hernandez (8-9, 4.49) will start for the Royals. This is a series that seems like a sure sweep for the BoSox but keep in mind that the Royals have played close to .500 since Buddy Bell replaced Tony Pena as manager. Still, anything less than taking 2-of-3 will be viewed as a major disappointment.

And What About The Viagra....

I do not buy it at all. Rafael Palmeiro is a lying sack of you-know-what and he is trying to get us to believe it again. Do you remember the Senate hearings during Spring Training when Palmeiro told the world that he never took steroids in response to the allegations in Jose Canseco's autobiography? Well it was all a crock. It was the equivalent to Bill Clinton telling America that he never did the nasty with Monica. Two cheaters. (At least Bubba was cheating on Mr. Hillary Clinton. Palmeiro cheated on America's Pastime.) Today Palmeiro was handed a 10-game suspension by Major League Baseball for failing a steroid test. The Orioles first baseman -- who recently became only the fourth person in MLB history with 3,000 hits and 500 home runs -- actually denies the results of the test. He claims he doesn't know how the sterioids got in his system. Rafael, it was probably the little needle you have been sticking in your ass for the past 15-years. The sad thing is (for baseball fans) is that this is another example of Hall-of-Fame numbers being caused by illegal substances. The home run totals of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield should be wiped clear from the slate. Hitters like Andre Dawson and Jim Rice should be celebrated; they produced without the aid of steroids.