Boston Red Sox Bet Blog and Information

Red Sox 9 White Sox 6

2006-10-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

David Ortiz smacked his 31st homer and the Boston Red Sox made it three straight wins by downing the Chicago White Sox 9-to-6.
Ortiz is the first player to hit 31 homers this season after going deep for the eighth time in his last eight games. It came a day after he became the first Red Sox player to reach 30 home runs before the All-Star break.

Kevin Youkilis (yoo'-kih-lihs) put Boston ahead to stay with an R-B-I single in the sixth before Doug Mirabelli and Alex Cora added run-scoring singles an inning later.

Josh Beckett picked up his eleventh win despite blowing a pair of two-run leads. He gave up five runs in six innings to get to 11-and-4.

Jonathan Papelbon earned his 26th save and David Riske (RIHS'-kee) dropped to 0-and-2.

Jermaine Dye homered twice and Jim Thome (TOH'-mee) belted his 30th home run of the season for the White Sox.

Red Sox 5 Rangers 4, 1st game

2006-06-13T11:35:00.001-07:00

BOSTON (AP) _ David Ortiz launched a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to give the Boston Red Sox a 5-to-4 win over Texas in Game One of a doubleheader.
Trot Nixon and Coco Crisp hit back-to-back singles with one out before Ortiz smacked his 18th homer of the season. Ortiz also hit an R-B-I single that put the Red Sox ahead 2-to-1 in the third inning.
Manny Ramirez hit his 16th homer of the year as part of the Red Sox's eleven-hit attack.
Kevin Mench cracked a two-run homer that put the Rangers ahead 4-to-2 in the sixth.
Manny Delcarmen worked two innings of shutout relief for his first major league win.
Akinori Otsuka (OHTS'-kuh) blew the save and dropped to 2-and-2.

Red Sox 5 Rangers 4, 1st game

2006-06-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Schilling guides Red Sox to big win in New York

2006-06-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Curt Schilling hurled eight solid innings to help the Boston Red Sox rout the New York Yankees 9-3 on Thursday, while Jason Varitek led the attack with a three-run homer for the visitors.
Schilling (9-2) surrendered just four hits -- three of them solo home runs -- in becoming the American League's first nine-game winner of the season while helping the Red Sox avoid a series sweep at the hands of their arch-rivals.

"The mark of a good pitcher is giving up home runs without any men on base," Yankees manager Joe Torre told MLB.com.
"A lot of great pitchers over the years have done that. Schilling is a competitor. He's not going to give in.
"He's not going to beat himself by walking people.
"He's going to make you hit it, and if you do damage, you're going to do it with nobody on."
With the Yankees clinging to a 2-1 lead, Boston broke open the tight contest with three runs in the sixth, then put it out of reach with a five-run burst in the seventh highlighted by Varitek's blast.
Varitek finished the evening with three hits, four RBI and two runs scored, while Coco Crisp also drove in a pair of runs and scored once.
Jaret Wright (3-4) was tagged with the loss, yielding four runs on eight hits in five-plus innings.
The defeat capped off a bad day for the Yankees, who learned earlier that slugger Gary Sheffield would undergo surgery on his injured left wrist and could be out of action until September.
The Yankees also played without all-star shortstop Derek Jeter, who missed his third straight game with a sore right thumb.
"A lot of people have counted us out because we lost some key guys, but we're battling, and that's what we have to do as a team," Yankee outfielder Johnny Damon said.

NY Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

2006-06-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 8th 2006 7:00 PM ET
Yankee Stadium

By Jacob Mitchell
http://www.wagerweb.com
Contributing Writer

It was almost a perfect night for Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina last week as they faced the Tigers in Detroit; he pitched the entire game allowing six hits and no errors; unfortunately one run that separated him from having his first shutout in almost a year.

"They shouldn't have scored at all and I just wanted to finish it," said Mussina, who notched his 57th career complete game.

Alex Rodriguez went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs for the Yankees, who have won five straight. The Yankees want to keep their winnings streak this week against their archrivals the Boston Red Sox in a game that will be full of adrenaline and excitement.

The Yankees have a great team this year as usual and despite all the injury problems they’ve been able to overcome that and manage to win important games.

Lineup
1. Melky Cabrera, LF. 2. Miguel Cairo, SS. 3. Jason Giambi, DH. 4. Alex Rodriguez, 3rd B. 5. Jorge Posada, C. 6. Robinson Cano, 2nd B. 7. Bernie Williams, CF. 8. Andy Phillips, 1st B. 9. Terrence Long, RF.

The Red Sox got a much needed victory after losing the first two games of the series against the Blue Jays at Toronto. Boston had a total of four home runs in the game half of those scored by Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.

David Pauley the starter for the Red Sox pitched four innings, allowing eleven hits and six runs with the same amount of errors but had no decision in the game; meanwhile Jonathan Papelbon had his 19th save of the season.

"We needed this. That's what they've been doing to us," Boston manager Terry Francona said.

Boston is now preparing to travel to New York where it awaits a difficult series against the Yankees, both teams needs to win the series but Boston is now behind the Yankees in the standings for the first time in the season and they need to get back on track.

This is with no doubt one of the most exciting match ups in the league, that’s the reason why it brings so many sports betting fans to bet on the games between these two.

Lineup
1. Coco Crisp, CF. 2. Mark Loretta, 2nd B. 3. David Ortiz, DH. 4. Manny Ramirez, LF. 5. Kevin Youkilis, 1st B. 6. Mike Lowell, 3rd B. 7. Doug Mirabelli, C. 8. Trot Nixon, RF. 9. Alex Gonzalez, SS.

NY Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

2006-06-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 8th 2006 7:00 PM ET
Yankee Stadium

By Jacob Mitchell
http://www.wagerweb.com
Contributing Writer

It was almost a perfect night for Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina last week as they faced the Tigers in Detroit; he pitched the entire game allowing six hits and no errors; unfortunately one run that separated him from having his first shutout in almost a year.

"They shouldn't have scored at all and I just wanted to finish it," said Mussina, who notched his 57th career complete game.

Alex Rodriguez went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs for the Yankees, who have won five straight. The Yankees want to keep their winnings streak this week against their archrivals the Boston Red Sox in a game that will be full of adrenaline and excitement.

The Yankees have a great team this year as usual and despite all the injury problems they’ve been able to overcome that and manage to win important games.

Lineup
1. Melky Cabrera, LF. 2. Miguel Cairo, SS. 3. Jason Giambi, DH. 4. Alex Rodriguez, 3rd B. 5. Jorge Posada, C. 6. Robinson Cano, 2nd B. 7. Bernie Williams, CF. 8. Andy Phillips, 1st B. 9. Terrence Long, RF.

The Red Sox got a much needed victory after losing the first two games of the series against the Blue Jays at Toronto. Boston had a total of four home runs in the game half of those scored by Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.

David Pauley the starter for the Red Sox pitched four innings, allowing eleven hits and six runs with the same amount of errors but had no decision in the game; meanwhile Jonathan Papelbon had his 19th save of the season.

"We needed this. That's what they've been doing to us," Boston manager Terry Francona said.

Boston is now preparing to travel to New York where it awaits a difficult series against the Yankees, both teams needs to win the series but Boston is now behind the Yankees in the standings for the first time in the season and they need to get back on track.

This is with no doubt one of the most exciting match ups in the league, that’s the reason why it brings so many sports betting fans to bet on the games between these two.

Lineup1. Coco Crisp, CF. 2. Mark Loretta, 2nd B. 3. David Ortiz, DH. 4. Manny Ramirez, LF. 5. Kevin Youkilis, 1st B. 6. Mike Lowell, 3rd B. 7. Doug Mirabelli, C. 8. Trot Nixon, RF. 9. Alex Gonzalez, SS.

Red Sox Rebound With Strong Weekend

2006-05-29T16:14:00.000-07:00

Coming off consecutive two-run losses to the New York Yankees last week, the Boston Red Sox wanted to come back strong and send a message to the rest of the American League East.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays got that message loud and clear, after being swept in a four-game series at Fenway Park over the weekend.
In the first game of the series, Boston rode the right arm of Josh Beckett to an easy 4-1 victory. Beckett pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out seven.
In the month of May, few pitchers across the league have been more dominant than Beckett, who has won four straight starts. He is now 7-1 with a 3.80 ERA for the season.
On Friday the Boston bats came alive, as the Red Sox put up eight runs to take the second game of the series. Slugger David Ortiz provided the spark with a bases-clearing double in the fifth inning to put the Red Sox ahead for good.
But the win did not come without a cost for Boston, as starter David Wells, who was making his return from a lengthy stay on the disabled list, was drilled in the knee with a line drive and had to leave the game in the top half of the fifth inning. Though Wells was hit on his surgically repaired knee, he remains hopeful of making his next scheduled start on Wednesday.
Curt Schilling followed suit with a solid seven-inning pitching performance on Saturday to record his 200th career victory. The strong pitching continued on Sunday, as Tim Wakefield tossed eight scoreless innings to earn his fourth win of the season. With relievers Jonathan Papelbon, Keith Foulke and Mike Timlin unavailable for the finale, the Red Sox desperately needed every one of the eight innings Wakefield put forth.
"He has the ability to throw a lot of pitches and suck up some innings for us, that's one of the biggest values or assets he has," catcher Doug Mirabelli said of Wakefield. "He can go deep in a game and give that rest (to the bullpen). His knuckleball is still effective even when he gets tired."
With a few rested arms, the Red Sox will now turn their attention to the Toronto Blue Jays and their potent lineup. Monday's game is the start of a 10- day road trip for Boston.

Quarterly Report on Major League Divisional Races (NL WEST)

2006-05-24T14:33:00.001-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Now that most teams have played around forty games, let’s look on in the Divisional Races:

NL WEST

Here’s a division where all the teams are in the hunt for the title. Not much has been determined in the first quarter of the season except that the division is not nearly as bad as many thought it would be. All four teams currently have winning records and they are only separated by 2.5 games.

Arizona has been led by Brandon Webb (7-0), who is probably the early leader in the NL CY Young race. Unfortunately, the rest of their pitching staff has about a 6.00 ERA. Jose Valverde (13 saves), Luis Vizcaino (3.38 ERA) and Brandon Lyon have led a bullpen that is improved over last year’s version. After a miserable start, Shawn Green has been on a torrid pace and Chad Tracy was recently rewarded with a $13 million plus contract extension for his fine work. The offense has been a moneyball fan’s dream: Craig Counsell (.387 OBP), Conor Jackson (.372) and Luis Gonzalez (.387) have certainly managed to get on base. Most analysts of the minor leagues rank Arizona near the top of the list and they are going to need to dip into their system to get some rotation help if they are to win the division or compete for the wildcard.

Colorado has been one of this year’s early surprises. One of the best bets in recent years was against the Rockies on the road, but they have dramatically improved this year. The skepticism usually associated with their gaudy numbers are not valid this year as guys like Brad Hawpe who is hitting .340 overall is hitting .383 on the road. Matt Holliday has added 11 dingers and Garrett Atkins has filled out what has been a very productive, albeit no name, middle of the order. In Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook, the Rockies have developed two nice young starters. Brian Fuentes (10 saves, 1.45 ERA) is having his second straight good year. The Rockies appear to finally have a sound plan in place. In a division that will beat up on each other, you can’t count the Rockies out.

The Dodgers have gone the high risk/high reward strategy the last couple of years. Nomar Garciaparra is the perfect example. He has hit .369, but injuries have limited him. J.D. Drew has 8 homers and 33 RBI so far, but don’t you wish wagerweb.com let you bet on whether or not he would make it through the season? Kenny Lofton (.350 OBP) keeps chugging along, but the Dodgers are waiting for Furcal (.244) to get going. Brad Penny has been pitching well (4-1, 2.53), but also has a dicey injury history. Will Eric Gagne be healthy and effective for the second half of the year? Like Arizona, the Dodgers have a strong farm system. Unlike Arizona, they may be willing to trade a few to fill holes.

Most of the attention surrounding the Giants has been around Barry Bonds. The fact that Bonds is hitting close to .250 and still has an OBP close to .500 speaks volumes about the Giants offense, especially without Moises Alou. The starting rotation led by a resurgent Jason Schmidt (3.07 ERA), the recently returned to action Noah Lowry (3.38 ERA) and Jamey Wright (3.38 ERA) have pitched well enough to keep them in contention, but it would seem another bat is needed for them to stay in the race.

The San Diego Padres recently won 15 out of 18, but still appear to be the weakest team in the division. Mike Piazza has hit 6 homers and has hit better of late, but 15 RBI for a cleanup hitter is just not going to cut it. The challenges of Petco aside, this team has a definite power outage. Only Khali Green has joined Piazza in hitting over 5 homeruns to this point. As usual, Brian Giles continues to get on base with an OBP over .400 and Trevor Hoffman (7 saves, 1.20 ERA) and Scott Linebrink (3.27 ERA) lead a strong bullpen.

So it will come down to Arizona’s farm system, Colorado’s youngsters, The Dodger’s health, The Giants pitching and San Diego’s ability to keep doing it with mirrors. Stay tuned.

Quarterly Report on Divisional Races --- NL CENTRAL

2006-05-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

After a few weeks and with some surprises, the NL Central has begun to look a lot more as expected, particularly at the very top.

With a lineup containing the best player on the planet, the Cardinals have recently started to pull away and
seem well on their way to their third straight division title. Pujols’ numbers are mind-boggling (22 homers and 54 RBI). Barring an injury or a stunning slump, he’s practically locked up the MVP Award in May. Underrated David Eckstein has an OBP of .390 and provides the kind of spark few leadoff hitters can match. While injuries and age have slowed Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen to some degree, they are both still dangerous hitters. Juan Encarcion and Yadier Molina have been disappointments, but the rest of the lineup has picked them up so far. Chris Carpenter has continued to pitch like an ace and starters Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan, and Jason Marquis form a solid rotation that always keeps the Cardinals in the game. After a slow start, closer Jason Isringhausen has rounded into form. Only injuries will keep the Cards from playing in October.

Losers of 10 of their last 15, the “Big Red Mirage” are starting to play like their talent level indicates they should. Bronson Arroyo has been an outstanding acquisition and is obviously thrilled not to have to face those tough NL lineups, but you simply can’t send out such a mediocre starting rotation and expect to stay in the race. I told you a few weeks back to bet against them and those who listened are a bit richer today.

The Astros got off to a hot start before their starting pitching went through a horrid stretch. Roy Oswalt remains one of the league’s top pitchers and Wayne Rodriguez has been a nice surprise, but Andy Pettitte has struggled, Brandon Backe is out for the year, and the rest of the rotation has been inconsistent. Brad Lidge has struggled (mostly with his control), but expect him to turn things around. Morgan Ensberg hit home runs in six straight games early in the year and Lance Berkman would be an MVP candidate in a league without Pujols. Also, very quietly, Brad Ausmus has put together a very good year (.418 OBP). The Astros could stay in the wildcard race and may soon get the kind of help that could rocket them to the finish line.

The Brewers are fun to watch. They lead the majors in home runs, and youngsters Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Bill Hall mix nicely with veterans Geoff Jenkins, Carlos Lee, and Corey Koskie. The only thing is they may be too dependent on getting home runs and they strike out too much. A bit of small ball might help them at times. Getting Ben Sheets healthy would help a rotation that has one underrated star (Chris Capuano) and mostly back-of-the-rotation types. Derrick Turnbow is showing he’s no fluke, but the bullpen lacks depth. This year’s trendy sleeper pick will stay around a while, but ultimately doesn’t have enough for the playoffs.

First the Red Sox, then the White Sox, now the Cu … stop right there. Derrek Lee’s injury has revealed just how impotent the rest of the Cubs lineup is. Juan Pierre has an OBP of .271. Aramis Ramirez is hitting only .231. It’s ugly on the North Side. Greg Maddux’s May has been very different than his April and still no sign of Mark Prior. Dusty Baker must be on edge. No playoffs here, folks.

The Pirates were expected to be an improved team this year, but their starting pitching has failed them. Zach Duke has hit a bit of a tougher time facing teams the second time around, and whatever happened to Oliver Perez, who was thought to be a fast rising star? Not much hope in the Steel City either.

So early on, it looks like it’s the Cards division to lose and the Astros waiting for Roger Clemens to make them serious wildcard contenders.

Major League Surprises and Disappointments at the Quarter Pole

2006-05-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

By Mike Brody
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

We're a little over a quarter of the way through the major league baseball season, and like every season, there have some been some great stories and some sad tales so far. With Barry Bonds finally catching the Babe in home runs, we can now focus on the teams and the pennant races.

Detroit 'Stop' City
The biggest surprise in all of baseball has to be the Detroit Tigers. Heading into Tuesday's games, Detroit has the best record in the majors at 30-14, one game ahead of the defending world champions, the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers were expected to improve under new manager Jim Leyland, but no one could have predicted this kind of success.
Detroit will be in the race for the long haul because of their outstanding starting pitching. The Tigers’ staff is leading everyone with a 3.26 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. Veteran Kenny Rogers has led by example in his first year in Motown. He's headed towards another all-star birth, posting a 7-2 record with a 2.91 ERA. Rookie Justin Verlander has been outstanding, winning 6 of his 9 starts including a 5-hit shutout of Kansas City on Monday night. Fourth-year pro Nate Robertson is 4-2 with a 3.03 ERA, and 23-year-old Jeremy Bonderman, who was expected to be the club's ace coming into the season, has a 1.14 WHIP and is averaging 8 strikeouts per 9 innings.

Angels Can't Get Out of the Infield
No American League team has been more disappointing than the Los Angeles Angels. Mired in last place in the AL West, only the anemic Royals have a worse record than the Angels. Their offense has been pathetic. They are dead last in the majors with a .299 on-base percentage and last in the AL in slugging percentage.
The only player hitting anywhere close to his average is Vladimir Guerrero. But the Angels have no one in the lineup to protect Guerrero, so teams have already started to pitch around the all-star outfielder. Los Angeles had a chance to acquire Manny Ramirez in the off-season, but decided the price tag was too high for the Red Sox slugger and went with unproven youngsters like Casey Kotchman, Robb Quinlan, and Dallas McPherson. They have combined for 2 HRs and 11 RBIs so far.

Return of the Big Red Machine
Over in the Senior Circuit, Cincinnati has gotten off to a Red-hot start. Cincinnati is hanging tight with St. Louis in the NL Central and would be the National League wild card representative if the season ended today.
The Reds have belted the second most home runs in the National League behind only the Brewers. Adam Dunn leads the team with 16 big flys, trailing only Albert Pujols, who is in a league of his own. Dunn and fellow 26-year-old outfielder Austin Kearns are both slugging over .500 and with the return of Ken Griffey Jr. to the lineup, Cincinnati's offense should continue to put up impressive numbers all season.
While the Reds' offense was expected to be good, not much was expected of the pitching. A March trade with the Red Sox changed all that, though. Cincinnati acquired Bronson Arroyo in the deal for outfielder Wily Mo Pena with the hopes that he would turn out to be the team's ace. Arroyo has not disappointed as he has an NL-leading 2.40 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. He even blasted a home run in each of his first two starts. The rest of the Reds' staff has been average at best, however, and ultimately will be their downfall.

The Loveable Losers
In a position all too familiar to their long-suffering fans, the Chicago Cubs are struggling again. Like the Angels in the American League, the Cubs can point to their pitiful offensive output as the reason for their problems. Chicago is last in all of baseball with a .364 slugging percentage and their .301 on-base percentage ranks last in the NL.

Injuries have decimated the Cubs. Star pitchers Kerry Wood and Mark Prior have been out all season with shoulder injuries. Wood just returned but was tagged for 3 home runs in 5 innings in a loss against the light-hitting Washington Nationals in his first start of the season last week. Prior has just started throwing off the mound in his rehab assignment and the club hopes he can return to the majors in early June.
The other devastating injury to Chicago was to first baseman Derek Lee. Lee, who was a triple-crown contender last season, was off to another brilliant start batting .318 with 3 homers and 10 RBIs through 14 games. Lee is still in a cast after breaking his wrist and most likely won't be back until after the All-Star break. Even if the Cubs get all of their stars back from injury, don't bet on them making a run in the NL Central. They'll be too far back with not enough time left.

Fantasy Tip of the Week

2006-05-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

By Chris Goudey
WagerWeb.com Contributing

Writer We are about 1/3 of the way through the 2006 MLB season, and whether you are doing well or are struggling, this is a crucial time. You know what categories you need to improve on and one of the best ways to improve your standing is to pick up guys who have started off slowly but are due to break out. Here is a list of players to target who have had a bad spring but should soon get as hot as the weather:

Batters:

Marcus Giles, 2B, Atlanta –He is historically a .300 hitter who is currently hitting .235. He’s a perfect buy-low candidate.

Manny Ramirez, OF, Boston – Usually good for 40 HRs and 130 RBIs, he is currently in single-digits in HRs and very low in RBIs. He is the ONE player who is due to go crazy in the month of June.

Juan Pierre, OF, and Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Chicago Cubs – Both players have seen their value decrease with the injury to Derrek Lee. Pierre isn’t scoring or hitting as well as normal, and Ramirez’s numbers are all down. When Lee returns, watch these numbers start to rise.

Ken Griffey Jr., OF, Cincinnati – IF he can stay healthy, a power surge is coming. Todd Helton, 1B, Colorado – Now over his mysterious stomach ailment, he should be sending many homers into the Mile-High air shortly.

Reggie Sanders, OF, Kansas City – Should be good for at least 15 homers and 15 steals in the upcoming months.

Garret Anderson, OF, LA Angels – The Angels’ offense has been horrible so far, so look for Anderson to have more RBI opportunities as they begin to heat up.

Jeff Kent, 2B, LA Dodgers – Kent is always good for 25 HRs and 100 RBIs, so take advantage now and reap the rewards later.

Cliff Floyd, OF, NY Mets – Floyd has really struggled so far, barely batting over .200. That won’t continue. Alex Rodriguez, 3B, NY Yankees – Along with Manny Ramirez, he is the highest-profile player on this list. Look for A-Rod to really explode soon. He is too good a player not to.

Jimmy Rollins, SS, and Bobby Abreu, OF, Philadelphia – It’s amazing the Phillies have done as well as they have with two of their biggest players slumping. Abreu is about to bust out, so snag him quickly. Rollins is the best SS in the NL, but you wouldn’t know it judging from his numbers so far. He will hit over .300 and get you at least 20 steals the rest of the way, so grab him now!

Jason Bay, OF, Pittsburgh – He’s already started to break out, but if you can find an owner who isn’t paying attention, go get those 20-25 HRs and 75-80 RBIs that are coming. Richie Sexson, 1B, and Adrian Beltre, 3B, Seattle – These two were supposed to be the Mariners’ power duo of the future, but it just hasn’t happened….yet. Look for both of these guys to get it together soon and help Ichiro out.

Jim Edmonds, OF, St. Louis – With only 5 HRs so far, Edmonds is a very good candidate to bust out. He’s normally good for 35, so look for him to get at least 25 more for the year…IF he can stay healthy, which is always his biggest issue.

Carl Crawford, OF, Julio Lugo, SS, and Aubrey Huff, 3B, Tampa Bay – All 3 of these guys have had slow starts due to injury (Lugo/Huff) or just a sub-par performance (Crawford). All 3 should start to pick it up together.

Mark Teixeira, 1B-DH, Texas – With only 4 HRs so far, Big Tex is my bet to hit the most homers in the AL from here on out. He is simply too good a player not to have a huge hot streak and in the 100-degree Texas heat, the ball simply flies out of the stadium.

Jose Guillen, OF, Washington – This is a talented player if he can keep his head on straight. He was projected to have 30 HRs and 100 RBIs, so pick him up now and hope he stays on the straight and narrow. The numbers will come if he can.

Obviously not all of these players will break out and start to hit immediately, but they have done much better historically than this year. Next week, I’ll take a look at some pitchers to acquire that fall under the same classification.

Red Sox, Yankees ready for another big series

2006-05-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

Chien-Ming Wang takes aim at his fourth straight win this evening, as baseball's fiercest rivalry resumes with a three-game set at Fenway Park between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
Wang has been sensational over his last five starts for New York, allowing just 10 runs over 34 innings in that time. He improved to 4-1 Wednesday against Texas as he surrendered three runs (two earned) on six hits over eight innings to lower his earned run average to 3.79.
The 26-year-old right-hander earned a no decision against the Red Sox earlier in the season and is 0-1 lifetime against them with a 4.41 ERA in three games, two of which have been starts.
Boston will counter with powerful right-hander Curt Schilling, who has won two of his last three starts. Against the Baltimore Orioles last Tuesday, Schilling picked up the win despite allowing five runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 frames.
Schilling, who is 6-2 with a 4.17 ERA on the year, has allowed five or more runs in three of his last five starts and has seen his ERA rise steadily since tossing a season-high 133 pitches against the Cleveland Indians five starts ago.
The 39-year-old hurler lost to the Yankees earlier in the year and is 5-5 against them in his career with a 4.96 ERA in 16 games (11 starts).
Boston, which has won three of four from the Yankees this season, enters tonight's tilt 1 1/2 games in front of New York for the lead in the American League East.
The Red Sox took two of three from the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, but dropped Sunday's finale, 10-5, at Citizens Bank Park. Mike Lowell went 2- for-4 with a homer and two RBI while Kevin Youkilis also went deep for Boston, which lost for just the second time in its last six games.
Starter Lenny DiNardo(1-2) lasted only two-plus innings for Boston and was roughed up for four runs on seven hits. The left-hander also walked two and struck out two in the setback.
The Yankees, meanwhile, dropped two of three over the weekend to the New York Mets, culminating with a 4-3 loss in Sunday's finale at Shea Stadium.
Derek Jeter went 3-for-5 with two RBI and Bernie Williams finished 3-for-3 with two walks for the Yankees, who left 15 runners on base on their way to their fifth setback in eight contests.
Alex Rodriguez had a miserable night, as he finished 0-for-4 and left seven runners on base. He hasn't homered since May 13 against Oakland and has just one RBI in his last eight games.
Aaron Small (0-2), making a spot start for the injured Shawn Chacon, was hit with the loss. He was charged with four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 frames.
Boston holds a 32-29 edge in this series since the beginning of the 2003 season.

Next week on TV (5-22/5-28)

2006-05-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

By Daniel Kline
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

If you’re not captivated by the NBA playoffs, place a bet on who will coach the Knicks next year and how many games they will lose. Expect coaching and executive rumors to heat up with the league finals as the backdrop. Over in the NHL, the end of the season will mean a huge amount of player movement as the new collective bargaining agreement continues to create turmoil.

*All times Eastern

Monday, May 22
Yankees at Red Sox (7:05 p.m., local/satellite)
The season isn’t even half over, and these two teams have traded the division lead half-a-dozen times. Expect this to continue at least until October because neither the Sox nor the Yanks have the pitching to break away from the other one.

Tuesday, May 23
WNBA, Connecticut at Minnesota (9 p.m., ESPN2)
Take a break from the long baseball season by watching this game and be a true maverick among sports fans. The most surprising bet on this game would be whether anyone outside of hardcore fans watches it. Still, if you want to see high school level basketball played by unattractive women, this is the sport for you.

Wednesday, May 24
Tigers at Royals (8:10 p.m., local/satellite)
The Tigers have to be considered a major success story this year as nobody expected that Jim Leyland would have them playing this well this fast. The Royals, on the other hand, continue to be one of the most predictable teams in sports. Still, even lousy teams win sometimes, and Detroit intends to be a real contender, they have to fatten up on teams like Milwaukee.

Thursday, May 25
Senior PGA Championship (2 p.m., USA)
The Masters tour now has so many recognizable faces that if the cameras don’t get too close, you’ll think its 1980, and the sport was back in its good old days. It may not be 1984, but these guys can still play, and Masters tournaments have a depth of potential winners that rivals even the main tour.

Friday, May 26
Soccer, U.S. versus Venezuela (7 p.m., ESPN2)
The U.S. squad prepares for the World Cup with this tune-up against Venezuela. The American squad actually has a shot at making it pretty far into the tournament this year, so these warm-up games should help the coaching staff make some important player decisions.

Saturday, May 27
NASCAR Busch Series (8 p.m., FX)
Kyle Busch has dominated the Carquest Auto Parts 300, winning it each of the last two years and finishing second in 2003. Expect the competition to be stiff as more and more Cup drivers moonlight in Busch cars.

Sunday, May 28
Indianapolis 500 (12 p.m., ABC)
Though the race has lost a lot of its luster in recent years, it gained some attention last year with Danica Patrick’s attempt at becoming the first woman to win the race. Patrick didn’t win and still hasn’t won a race, but she has been competitive and will be the story again.

Daniel Kline’s book, 50 Things Every Guy Should Know How to Do, is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.

“Ain’t no sucker like Jim Duquette”

2006-05-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

A baseball trade is basically a wager by two general managers that the player each acquires will be better than the one he gives up. It may or may not work out well. That’s gambling.

Now that Scott Kazmir is off to a great start at 5-2 with a 2.94 ERA and Victor Zambrano has just undergone season-ending surgery, it might be a good time to review how Jim Duquette, the Mets GM at the time, broke every single rule of gambling.

NEVER BET MORE THAN YOU CAN AFFORD
When the Mets traded Scott Kazmir, their farm system was almost completely bare. The only true blue-chip pitching prospects at the time were Phil Humber, who has since undergone Tommy John surgery, and Alay Soler, a Cuban defector who just made it to the U.S. this season and is currently pitching at AA. This year the Mets are throwing out such retreads as Jose Lima and Jeremi Gonzalez as they wait for Mike Pelfrey and the next wave of prospects to be ready. Do you think they would rather have sent out Jose Lima – or Scott Kazmir, to try and sweep their arch-rival Braves last week?

NEVER BET WHILE INTOXICATED
Right around the time of the trade in 2004, the Mets had just swept their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees, in an exciting three-game series. The Mets, who had been dead in this town since 2000, finally had some juice. They were close to first place and back on the back page. Of course, they still had a .500 record and not much talent. But Duquette, drunk on the city’s enthusiasm, wanted to “win now” no matter what the future cost.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK
You wouldn’t bet on a Falcons game without checking if Michael Vick was hurt, would you? Yet Mr. Duquette failed to adequately check into Victor Zambrano’s injury before the trade. Zambrano admitted he has been hurt the entire time he has been a member of the New York Mets. The week the trade was made, Zambrano skipped a start because of arm stiffness. Shouldn’t some alarms have gone off? Duquette blamed Tampa doctors for downplaying the injury, but you don’t need to be able to read medical charts to know something might be amiss.

LOOK FOR VALUE
Barbaro, who was such a good bet on Derby Day, might not be such a great bet for the Preakness. You won’t get enough in return. A lefty who throws 97 MPH has more value than a barely over .500 pitcher with control problems. Had Mr. Duquette waited until the off-season, he might have received Tim Hudson or Mark Mulder in return.

KNOW WHEN TO WALK AWAY
This is the one Mr. Duquette clearly missed. Tampa officials were said to be laughing to themselves when they realized what they were getting. Mr. Duquette should clearly have just walked away. Next time you’re in Baltimore and you’re looking for someone to round out your poker game, look up Mr. Jim Duquette because there ain’t no sucker like the one who doesn’t know the rules.

“It’s Not Rocket Science”

2006-05-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan WachsWagerWeb.com Contributing Writer Wagerweb.com has posted odds offering bettors the chance to predict which Major League Baseball team Roger Clemens will return to. Clemens is clearly enjoying the attention he is garnering from his four suitors. Let’s take a look at how Clemens has played this situation thus far, and how it will play out at the end. THE EASY MARK:Roger Clemens enjoyed opening day in Arlington Stadium, sitting next to owner Tom Hicks. When Clemens was introduced and shown on the scoreboard, the fans went crazy. Do the Rangers, who have gone all these years searching for pitching, really have a shot at Roger Clemens? Well, the Rangers are an improved team, with Kevin Millwood leading some young up-and-coming pitchers. And it would do wonders for Clemens’ legend to ride into Arlington on his horse and lead them to their first World Series Championship. Is it going to happen? No. Why would Clemens pitch in a hitter’s park for a team which, despite their improvements, is not a serious World Series contender? More likely, Roger was paying attention when Tom Hicks bid against himself to sign Alex Rodriguez to his franchise-crippling $250 million dollar contract. This is exactly the type of guy you want to draw into the bidding. Wagerweb.com has the odds on Clemens going to the Rangers at 6-1. Trust me, it’s far longer than that. AN OFFER HE CAN’T REFUSE:Roger Clemens still keeps in touch with buddies Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, and there were reports that Jeter had his ear during the World Baseball Classic. And if Clemens is looking for a sure bet to get to the playoffs, it’s been a while since the Yanks sat out October. Can Clemens return to the Yankees? Probably not. Roger Clemens already got a Hummer as a retirement gift, and you have to figure, after feasting on weaker National League number eight hitters, and pitchers’ feeble attempts to catch up to his fastball, he might not be dying to face more formidable American League lineups. If Randy Johnson keeps looking his age, can George Steinbrenner make Roger Clemens an offer he can’t refuse? Could happen, but George will never let Clemens skip road trips in fear that all of his stable of superstars will demand the same special treatment. At 1:2, this is not a good bet. FINISH WHERE HE STARTEDImagine the nostalgic feeling of coming back where you began your career, and leading that team to a World Series. What a perfect symmetry to a career. Almost like a movie script. Only the impact of leading the Red Sox to a World Series is not nearly what it was two years ago. The Red Sox already have had a hero who started in their organization come back and lead them to the Promised Land. And that hero wore a bloody Red Sock. How can Clemens possibly top that? Besides, if the Red Sox really get close, Mr. Steinbrenner may very well make him an offer he can’t refuse. At 1:1, I just can’t see this as a good bet. FINISH WHAT HE STARTEDThe first year, Clemens led the Astros to the playoffs. His second year, he helped them to their first World Series. Why not finish what he started? The Astros are off to a great start. Besides, the Mets, Cardinals and, possibly the Phillies, who can you remotely predict can stop them from at least getting there? His best friend Andy Pettitte has mentioned the possibility of retirement after this year (Don’t bet on that, though). Houston offers him a chance to stay close to home and it lets him skip those pesky road trips. They have already made him a generous contract offer. The odds are 2:1. After all that analysis, it must come down to this: If you could work closer to home, travel less, and not have to work as hard, for similar money, what would you do? Come on, this may be Roger Clemens, but it is not rocket science. Bet the 2:1 on him returning to the Astros. It may be the best bet available on the entire website.

Red Sox option Delcarmen to minors

2006-05-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

The Boston Red Sox optioned pitcher Manny Delcarmen to the team's Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket.
Delcarmen posted a 9.82 earned run average in just four relief appearances with Boston since being recalled from Pawtucket on April 23.
The Red Sox will make a move to replace Delcarmen on the active roster prior to the team's game on Tuesday night in New York against the Yankees.

Next Week on TV (5-8/5-14)

2006-05-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

By Daniel Kline
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Things are starting to get tight in both the NHL and the NBA as both leagues move into their semifinal rounds. Pretty much anything can happen in the battle for the Stanley Cup as seeding, home ice advantage and being the favorite hardly seems to matter. The NBA title might come down to whether anyone in the East can stay healthy enough to beat the Spurs.

* All times Eastern.

Monday, May 8
Twins at Rangers (7 p.m., ESPN)
This match-up pits two teams that might stay in the playoff race or might completely implode. Though the Twins lack any real drama (because even if they make the playoffs, they won’t go far), the Rangers have the capability of being a real contender. If they manage to hang in the pennant race, they also may be a player in the Roger Clemens sweepstakes.

Tuesday, May 9
College Lacrosse (Times vary, CSTV/FCS)
The college lacrosse season is winding down, and a variety of league championship games and end-of-season match-ups are airing, today. Though lacrosse may not be one of the big sports, it is violent and entertaining, and college playoff games are nearly always close.

Wednesday, May 10
Red Sox at Yankees (7 p.m., local/satellite)
After pulling out to a quick early lead, the Sox and Yankees are back in almost a dead heat for the division lead. The two games just finished a highly-charged series in Boston that featured Johnny Damon’s return to Fenway, where he was met with a chorus of boos. Expect Damon—as long as he’s hitting—to get a nicer greeting from the New York faithful.

Thursday, May 11
Byron Nelson Classic (4 p.m., USA)
A wide-open tournament, this PGA event was won last year by the relatively-unknown Ted Purdy. This is also the tournament that ended Tiger Woods’ record streak of making cuts, so truly anything can happen.

Friday, May 12
Boxing, Edner Cherry vs. Monty Meza-Clay (9 p.m., ESPN2)
Edner Cherry takes on Monty Meza-Clay in a super-featherweight battle. Meza-Clay has yet to be beaten and has knocked out more opponents than he hasn’t. Still, Cherry’s an experienced fighter, so this should be a real test as Meza-Clay works his way into title contention.

Saturday, May 13
Tennis Master Series in Rome (Noon, TENNIS)
Quarterfinal action featuring the stars from when tennis players actually mattered. Sometimes, the Masters tournaments have better action than the regular tour because the older players come from a time when the money for losing in the quarters wasn’t enough to make it not worth fighting to get into the finals.

Sunday, May 14
Formula One Racing: Spanish Grand Prix (Noon, CBS)
American race fans rarely get a chance to see races in the world’s premier racing circuit. Fernando Alonso holds the overall lead in points and has looked very strong in winning two races this season. Expect Jenson Button, who hasn’t won but has finished in the top 10 in every race, this season, to challenge for the victory.

Daniel Kline’s book “50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do” is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.

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Baseball’s First-Month Awards

2006-05-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The calendar has turned on the first month of the 2006 baseball season. While there is plenty of season left, it’s a good time to evaluate who has the early lead on baseball’s top awards.

American League MVP:

1) Jim Thome – While he has slowed somewhat since his sizzling start, Jim Thome has been the best acquisition any American League team has made. Many questioned what he had left, but he put any doubts to rest immediately by homering in his first 2 games and 6 times in his first 10 games. His 10 homeruns and 24 RBIs are tops on the American League’s most talented team.

2) Jason Giambi – His .542 OBP is fantastic as Giambi continues to expand on last year’s comeback- player-of-the-year performance. While he leads the AL in walks with 27, Giambi is not just being passive, as he also leads the AL in RBIs with 27. Only his statuesque defense and stubbornness about embracing the DH role make him second choice.

3) Vernon Wells – The Blue Jays went on baseball’s biggest shopping spree, this off-season, but one of their incumbent players has turned in his best effort so far. With 9 homers, 25 RBIs and a .374 batting average, Wells is carrying a heavy load as Toronto tries to prove that they can keep pace with the Red Sox and The Yankees.

National League MVP:

1) Albert Pujols – Provided he stays healthy, it appears as though this award will be his to lose for many years to come. His record-breaking 14 homeruns in April and 32 RBIs have led the Cardinals to another great start.

2) Lance Berkman – The reason for the Astros’ slow start, last April, was likely because they missed Berkman’s bat. Berkman has had a fast start, this year (10 homeruns, 31 RBIs and .240 BA), and so have the Astros.

3) Carlos Delgado – The best acquisition any National League team made, this off-season, Delgado has really carried the load (10 homeruns and 21 RBIs) while Beltran was injured and Cliff Floyd slumped.

American League Cy Young:

1) Jose Contreras – His 4-0 record and league-leading 1.45 ERA still leads a pitching staff that makes the White Sox the best bet to win the AL Pennant at the sports book.

2) Curt Schilling – Baseball’s biggest loudmouth is once again able to “walk the walk.” His 4-1 record, 2.88 ERA and durability (40.2 IP) have led the Red Sox to an early tenuous hold on first place in the AL East.

3) Kenny Rogers – The ace on a staff of promising young guns, veteran Rogers has done everything you can ask for the Tigers (4-2, 2.59 ERA and a great 0.98 WHIP).

National League Cy Young:

1) Greg Maddux – Talk about giving a club a lift. Once again frustrated by injuries to Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, the cursed Cubbies are thrilled by Maddux’s early renaissance (5-0, 1.35 ERA).

2) Pedro Martinez – The daily updates by a panicked New York press corps on Pedro’s toe during spring training are long forgotten as Pedro has been fantastic (5-0, 0.89 WHIP). He already has beaten the hated Braves twice.

3) Bronson Arroyo – Wow, after the AL East, this is sure easy. Arroyo (5-0, 2.06 ERA) has led the way for baseball’s biggest early season surprise.

Rookies of the Year:

American League:

Jonathan Papelbon – Thrown into the Boston pressure-cooker, Papelbon leads the AL in saves (10) and has yet to allow a run in over 15 innings.

National League:

Prince Fielder – Unlike his father, Cecil, Prince didn’t need to serve some time in the Japanese League to find his stroke. Fielder’s .343 average leads all rookies.

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Blue Jays-Red Sox

2006-05-03T13:06:00.000-07:00

Given who is showing up at Fenway Park now, the Boston Red Sox might wish their archrivals had never left town.
The Toronto Blue Jays, the only AL team with a winning record against the Red Sox since the start of last season, go for their third straight series victory over Boston in a two-game set beginning Wednesday night.
The Blue Jays (13-12) are 4-2 against the Red Sox this season, having taken two of three games in a series at each club's home park. Toronto is 15-9 versus Boston since the start of 2005, and Red Sox slugger David Ortiz thinks the Jays are only getting better.
''I've been here four years and that is the best team they've had,'' Ortiz said after going 0-for-4 in an 8-1 loss to Toronto on April 22 at Rogers Centre.
Roy Halladay (3-1, 2.84 ERA) held the Red Sox (15-11) to one run over five innings to win that contest, and takes the mound again Wednesday. The right-hander has won four straight decisions against the Red Sox, and is 8-6 with a 4.37 ERA in 24 appearances against them.
Despite the hitless effort last month, Ortiz is 16-for-53 (.302) with five homers in his career against the Blue Jays' ace.
Halladay followed up his win over Boston by defeating the New York Yankees last Thursday, allowing seven hits in 5 1-3 innings but stranding six New York baserunners and not allowing a run.
''He's the best pitcher in the American League, period,'' Yankees center fielder Johnny Damon said.
Damon went 0-for-4 Monday night in his first game at Fenway Park since leaving the Red Sox for the rival Yankees via free agency. Boston won the game 7-3, snapping a stretch of four losses in five contests, in a game that had a postseason feel.
''What an atmosphere,'' Red Sox second baseman Mark Loretta said. ''Every game at Fenway Park has been electric, but tonight was extra electric and (there was) a great buzz out there.''
Josh Beckett (3-1, 4.50) had been slated to work Tuesday's series finale against the Yankees, but after that contest got rained out, will face Toronto Wednesday. The right-hander has already pitched twice against the Blue Jays this season.
He allowed one run in seven innings to defeat the Jays at Fenway Park on April 11, but did not receive a decision in Boston's 7-6, 12-inning loss at Toronto on April 21, when he gave up five runs in 7 1-3 innings.
Beckett allowed eight runs and six hits in 3 2-3 innings of a 15-3 loss at Cleveland last Thursday, and has given up six homers in his last 11 innings after not allowing one in his first three starts.
Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells went 0-for-3 with a walk in Tuesday's 9-2 loss at Baltimore, snapping his 11-game hitting streak but keeping his run alive of reaching base safely in all 25 games this season.
Wells is 11-for-28 (.393) against Boston this season with four homers and 11 RBIs, with two of the homers coming off Beckett on April 21.
The Blue Jays, 2-3 on their current seven-game road trip, have scored seven or more runs in all four of their wins over the Red Sox this season.

Bonds’ alleged cheating scandal hurting baseball history

2006-05-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

By Bill Kugelberg
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Having just finished reading Game of Shadows – the alleged tell-all book in which the authors claim to have records detailing Barry Bonds’, as well as other athletes’, use of performance-enhancing drugs – it has become crystal clear that Bonds cheated, continues to cheat, and could not care less about it.

Bonds just about says this when he claims in his grand jury testimony that he hasn’t played in a baseball game since college when he attended Arizona State University. Basically, what he’s saying, and what he continues to say, is that he is an entertainer and not a competitor. He conveniently forgets how his alleged cheating has impacted the other players in the game, both past and present. And how, every night, in every stadium he plays in, he is the only person who is in on this little secret.

When I go to a game, I’m not there to be entertained. I’m there to see the team I support try to win. And when I make a wager on a team, I’m not doing it for the entertainment; I’m doing it to win. If I go to Vegas and play blackjack or craps, I consider that to be entertainment. While I would like to win, and I don’t believe the outcome has been predetermined, I still understand the odds are against me coming away a winner.

But Bonds apparently doesn’t see playing baseball as a competition. It sounds as though he views it as our opportunity to watch an “entertainer” stand up there and be walked two or three times a game and, maybe, just maybe, see him grace our presence with a home run. Get over yourself, Barry. Not only are you coming off like a pompous ass, you are also making an impact on the game that the record books will reflect forever.

For example, since 1999, when his steroid use is alleged to have begun, the San Francisco Giants have won or finished second in the NL West every year, except for last year when he spent just about all of the season on the disabled list, and they finished third. Take away Bonds’ production, or fill in the production that most players would contribute, and the Giants find themselves in a different position. Also, as he approached 40 years old, his numbers would naturally decline, not go up. With that factored in, the Giants truly would be hurting for production from Bonds.

Just ask Albert Pujols, who has finished second to Bonds in National League MVP voting twice, how Bonds’ steroid use has impacted his post-season award possibilities.

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Unfortunately, the players who have truly been impacted by Bonds’ steroid use are the players who finished playing the game years ago. Bonds, along with Mark McGwire, has succeeded at setting the bar so high that no one will be able to approach their records. In doing so, they have made the average fan believe that 40 home runs a season is nice, but not Hall of Fame-worthy. One player who has been affected by this is Andrew Dawson. Dawson hit 438 home runs and drove in 1,591 RBIs. He also played baseball for 21 years and has 2,774 hits with 8 Gold Gloves and 314 stolen bases. With close to 10 knee surgeries, Dawson should have been the one allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs, not Bonds.

One thing I love about Bonds is that he refuses to even admit that Game of Shadows exists. The book has been out for about three months now and I have yet to hear of a lawsuit filed on Bonds’ behalf that contests the contents of the book. And yet everyone just casually goes about their sports day, without a care that Bonds continues to cheat because, as an entertainer, he feels he can.

As the book explains, Bonds has never had to stand before anyone and explain his actions – not even when he was a kid. He was always the best player on the team, received the benefits that comes with that title, and he continues to expect that to be the case. Regardless of how it impacts his body, the other players in the game, the kids growing up who are learning the game, or the record books – Bonds is concerned with one thing – reaping the financial advantages that being an “entertainer” in baseball provides.

And regardless of who has to pay to make that happen, Bonds is only too happy to stand there and take the paychecks and accolades that come with it. I’ve often wondered how he sleeps at night, knowing that he has an advantage that many other players don’t have – that he has cheated to get to where he is. And the only answer I can come up with is that when you are on the stage and being an entertainer, it’s just acting. It’s not who you really are – so you can get away with more. The question I have for Bonds is, when the show is over and you walk off the stage – who are you then?

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The Next World Series Champion

2006-05-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

By Brad Halfond
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Just like clockwork, every spring brings the same hopes to major league baseball teams all over the country. Some fans of teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals and the Detroit Tigers are just hoping to stay in the pennant race after the first few weeks of the season, while other fans have higher aspirations.

Take the rabid fans of Boston Red Sox nation or the equally intense fanatics who root for the New York Yankees. Not only do these fans demand that their teams be in the playoffs or World Series every season, they also demand that the two clubs beat each other.

Boston and New York are separated by about four hours in a car, but their baseball fans and ideas are separated by much more space than almost anyone can imagine.

The best word, although not too politically correct, is “hate.” It is not a stretch of any imagination to say that the fans of these clubs hate each other.Every year, fights break out in the stands or in sports bars across America, and they are all involving Yankee or Red Sox fans. Ever seen or heard about a Cardinals and Braves fan fight?

Both Boston and New York have fans who are living in various cities away from their hometown, and this has spread the rivalry across many time zones. Trust me from first-hand experience, you can find New Englanders and New Yorkers almost anywhere in the USA.

The rivalry and bad blood runs fairly deep for me, and I would not be able to write with such certainty on the topic had I not been so directly involved through many years.

Being born and raised in New York, you have a choice between teams. Once you select the Yankees (in my case, passed down by dear ol’ Dad), the next step is to immediately work up a hatred for Red Sox fans, Red Sox management, New England Clam Chowder and even anybody foolish enough to be wearing actual red socks.

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If you’re a Yankees fan, that is your first given in life – hate thy Red Sox fan. With their annoying accents, general lack of knowledge toward the game, their laughable track record of winning over the years and barrelful of excuses for losing, it is fairly easy to work up a good lather against them.

Another year is upon us, and 2006 will see these two teams meeting 19 times. The first pair of these games takes place on May 1-2 in Beantown. If you’re a baseball fan and you’re not watching these games, you either better be getting married or mourning a death in the family. If you’re a Yankee or Red Sox fan, there is no excuse not to be watching—just keep the volume low on your mini TV and nobody at the funeral should get too upset.

But emotions and people getting upset are actually the hallmark of this rivalry. It’s easy to go back and cite all the times on the field that these two teams have mixed it up, which in turn usually carries over to the stands or the bars.

More recently, we had Alex Rodriquez taking on Jason Veritek, and Don Zimmer battling it out with Pedro Martinez. Granted, the names and faces change, but the intensity between the two teams and their fans is legendary.

I can personally attest to one infamous episode during Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship series. It was the game where New York recovered from a 5-3 deficit to defeat Boston with a home-run from Aaron Boone that sent the Yankees to the World Series.

Drinking a beer amidst hoards of Red Sox fans at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, I was resigned to watching the Sox advance to the World Series. Soon, the Yankees mounted their comeback, and my bravado had started taking the best of me. Although very conservative in my early remarks, I saved the best for last: When Boone’s shot landed in upper reaches of Yankee Stadium, my outburst lasted for several minutes—which most likely felt like hours for Red Sox fans.Now this incident took place before Boston finally won a World Series title, so Red Sox fans were more surly than usual.

With my yelling ringing in their ears and their sorrow turning to desperation, two New England tourists started hurling insults my way, and we exchanged profane remarks for several minutes before your classic dimwitted Red Sox fan charged at me, telling me to keep quiet.Now, telling a Yankee fan to keep quiet is like telling Pam Anderson not to show any cleavage, so it quickly turned ugly.

In the end, Red Sox fan lost the fight but had some red blood to show for it on his nose, and his wife was also the recipient of some collateral damage.If you’re curious, all charges were dropped.I would expect nothing else from the loyal, overzealous fans of either team. In the end, being a Yankee or Red Sox fan is like defending your country. If attacked and provoked—or just not a fan of a particular nation—let them know you’re serious and that they best not challenge you again.Winning a World Series title hasn’t made Red Sox fans any smarter or relevant, it just gave them a one-year sense that everything was fine—but pinstripes will always be the real color of choice.

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Next week on TV (5-1/5-7)

2006-05-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

By Daniel Kline
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Both the NBA and the NHL close out the first round of their playoffs. In baseball, you’ve got the Orioles and the Blue Jays, matching up in what has to be one of the biggest questions of the baseball season. One of these teams might hang on to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox, but probably not both, making this early season tilt a little more interesting.

*All times Eastern.

Monday, May 1
NFL Europe, Berlin at Rhein (3 p.m., NFL Network)
Stop arguing about who your team drafted and check in on the sport’s minor league with this mid-afternoon match-up. Though NFL Europe might not get the attention of its big brother, the league offers a good chance to figure out which back-up players might break through come the fall.

Tuesday, May 2
Yankees at Red Sox (7:05 p.m., DirecTV, regional)
Every Yankees versus Red Sox match-up gets covered like a playoff game in Boston and New York, so expect tempers to flare in this tilt. The Sox have had the early season advantage, but that’s nothing new, as the Sox always have a division lead in the Summer – the question is whether they can hold it in the Fall.

Wednesday, May 3
Boxing (9 p.m. ESPN2)
Sharmba Mitchell takes on Jose Luis Cruz in a 10-round welterweight tilt. Cruz plays the role of the fighter on the way up, taking on former two-time champion Mitchell, who wants one more shot at the gold. Mitchell was knocked out in the sixth round in his last fight, but that was against Floyd Mayweather – one of the best in the division – so he’s aiming to prove that was a fluke and knock Cruz off the ladder of contention.

Thursday, May 4
Wachovia Open (4 p.m., USA)
A Tiger-less field should leave this one pretty wide open. Vijay Singh attempts to repeat as champion, a title he took last year in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk.

Friday, May 5
College Volleyball (Midnight, ESPN2)
Catch the men’s semifinal of the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament. This might be your last chance to see some of your favorite players before they turn pro and head out on the lucrative men’s volleyball tour.

Saturday, May 6
Kentucky Derby (6 p.m., NBC)
Horse racing only matters three times a year to the average fan, but the Kentucky captures the best of the sport. Because it’s the first Triple Crown race, every Derby winner stands the chance of being the first horse to bring home racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.

Sunday, May 7
Premier League Soccer (5 p.m., FOXESP)
Two of the big powers in the Premiership face off as Newcastle battles Chelsea in an attempt to cut into Chelsea’s overall lead in the standings. Chelsea did just fall in the FA Cup semifinal, but their big lead in the regular season standings makes clinching the title almost inevitable.

Daniel Kline’s book “50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do” is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.

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Fantasy Baseball Breakdown

2006-04-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

By Mike Brody
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
The Six-Month Grind
We’re three weeks into the 2006 baseball season, and if your fantasy team looks anything like mine, you’re ready to unload half of your roster. I know it’s hard, but be patient. The worse thing you could do right now is panic and make a bad trade or drop a good player.
Baseball, more than any other sport, is driven by statistics. It’s a long season with a lot of ups and downs for most players. In the end, the numbers usually even out. If you stick with your guys long enough, they should come around and start producing like you expected them to.
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Off to a Hot Start
While it’s very difficult to watch your team stumble out of the gate (as I’m writing this, my offense is a collective 0-15 today and I’m about ready to have a fire sale), there was a reason why you drafted these guys. If you were lucky enough – or smart enough, depending on how you look at it – to draft Chris Shelton, Jonny Gomes or Nick Swisher, you’re probably at the top of your league, right now. But are these guys really going to lead the league in home runs?
Manny Ramirez hit his first two home runs of the season, last weekend. Mark Teixeira and Richie Sexson have three and two homers, respectively, through the first three weeks. These guys are all perennial 40-home-run-hitters, and barring injury, you can be sure that they will get their numbers by the season’s end.

Waiting for the Right Time
Everyone’s heard the cliché “buy low, sell high.” It’s sound advice. Knowing the right time to deal that guy who’s off to a hot start is the key to making this happen. There’s no way Shelton, Gomes and Swisher are going to keep up the pace they’ve set so far – Shelton’s already started to slow down – but how can you not ride their hot streaks a little longer? Just don’t wait too long if you’re planning on dealing them.
Knowing players’ trends is another key in making the right deal at the right time. Some players are traditionally slow starters, like Ramirez and Jim Edmonds, and trading for them at the end of their slow start could mean big stats for you the rest of the way. A lot of hitters heat up when the weather does too, so they could be busting out of these slumps any day now. On the Rise
Targeting players who are showing signs of breaking out is another key to making the right roster adjustments. Here are a few players who might be available and could definitely help some teams:
Josh Barfield – The rookie second baseman has excelled since being moved to the No. 2 spot in the Padres lineup. He’s got his average over .300 and has 2 HRs and 6 steals. Grab him if he’s still available.
Ty Wigginton – Playing for his third team in four years, the journeyman third baseman seems to have found a home in Tampa Bay. He’s taken advantage of Aubrey Huff’s knee injury and already has 8 home runs and 20 RBI. Playing in hitter-friendly Tropicana Field should help, too. Ride him while he’s hot. Brad Hawpe – The Colorado Rockies outfielder has established himself as the everyday right fielder and is firmly entrenched in the heart of the Rockies lineup. He’s batting over .340 and already has slugged 5 HRs. The 2000 College World Series MVP is well on his way to a .300-30-100 season. You never can go wrong having a Rockie in your lineup.
The Pitching Hole
While there is plenty of time to make up ground on offense, falling behind in the pitching categories – especially ERA and WHIP – can be a killer. Avoiding those complete disasters in the early season is a key to remaining competitive on the mound.
With pitchers, it’s all about the matchups. Don’t be afraid to bench one of your better pitchers for a riskier play if the matchup is right. Throwing a marginal starter against Kansas City or Pittsburgh is always better than having just about any starter face the Yankees or pitch at Colorado.
Whether you find yourself at the top of your league or at the bottom of the pack after these first three weeks, don’t stop looking to make your team better. Stocking your bench with productive players who could be used as trade bait is always a good idea. The inevitable injuries will come, and having players to step in during those times will help you avoid having to make a desperate deal. Bet MLB Baseball Player and Game Propositions @ WagerWeb.com Sportsbook

Michael Brody
Writer/EditorWagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
Mike has been writing and reporting on sports for 14 years.
He started his career as a sports writer and radio broadcaster at Cal State Northridge. Mike has written for the Los Angeles Daily News and has been a writer/editor for KNBC in Los Angeles, where he worked on the nightly sportscast with Fred Roggin. He also wrote and edited material for NBC network specials and has more than 10 years of online journalism experience. Although he lives in Southern California, Mike was born and raised in the Boston area and is a diehard fan of all the Boston professional teams.

Waiting for Take-Off

2006-04-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

By J.D. Jackson

Wagerweb.com Contributing Writer

You would not know it by their 10-4 record through the first two-and-a-half weeks of play, but the Houston Astros need Roger Clemens pitching for them. It’s not too often that you read about a team needing a 43-year-old pitcher to have a legitimate shot at the playoffs, but Clemens is not a pitcher who comes along that often. At 42, he put together one of his more stunning seasons in his illustrious 22-year career by going 13-8 with a 1.87 ERA, striking out 185 batters and walking just 62 in 211.3 innings. While Chris Carpenter won the Cy Young for the National League, last season (Clemens finished third behind Carpenter and Dontrelle Willis), his 2005 was one of his three or four best seasons over the course of his career (better than his 2004, in which he did win the Cy Young Award).

His 1.008 WHIP was the second-best in his career (bested only in 1986), his 1.87 ERA was the best in his career, and his 44 earned runs allowed was also the best in his career with a minimum of 100 innings pitched. And he was 42. Clemens tired down the stretch. He labored his way through the playoffs, going 4-3 while helping guide the Astros to the World Series. It was clear that Clemens had worn down, and an injured Clemens posted a 13.50 ERA in his lone outing as the Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox. Had Clemens not been injured and tired, the history books might remember the 2005 season a little differently. Without Clemens, this season, Houston is winning games by mashing the ball, which is not something that the ’Stros are accustomed to. They are second in the National League in team average, fourth in home runs, tied for second in runs scored, and second in OPS.

This is largely the same team that finished near the bottom in all of those categories in 2005. Though Roy Oswalt continues to prove that he is an ace pitcher, and Brandon Backe has surprised early on, Andy Pettitte has struggled to a 1-2, 6.35 ERA start. Wandy Rodriguez has started off well, but he is a guy who would come out of the bullpen, ideally. Ezequiel Astacio, the Astros’ emergency starter in the 2005 playoffs, has been downright pathetic in his two appearances, this season. The presence of Clemens allows everyone to shift down a spot in the rotation: Oswalt becomes the #2, Pettitte becomes the #3, Backe becomes a #4, and then the Astros can choose between Rodriguez, Astacio, or Taylor Buchholz for the fifth spot. The rotation goes from being second-best in its own division (behind the Cardinals’ deep rotation) to becoming the best rotation in the game, simply by adding Clemens.

Assuming that the Cardinals turn it on like they are able to do, assuming the Mets continue to play spectacular baseball while the Braves play their normal brand of solid ball…the Astros without Clemens will have a hard time winning even the Wild Card. The offense just is not good enough, and the pitching just is not deep enough. The possibility still exists, of course, that Clemens will rejoin the Astros in May. That period exists because the Astros did not offer Clemens arbitration. There are other teams, though less realistic, in the mix. The Red Sox have spoken to Clemens, but here’s to doubting that you will ever see Clemens back in a Red Sox uniform.

It is awfully hard to cross a river when you have burned just about every single bridge that leads back to the other side. The Texas Rangers are also interested and seem more than willing to pay any amount of money required to get Clemens to pitch in Arlington. It is just not evident that Clemens reciprocates those feelings, though pitching for the Rangers would satisfy his requirement of staying close to home. The Yankees have called, as well, but Clemens left the Yankees to return home; it is unlikely that Clemens would leave home to return to the Yankees. Besides that, Clemens’ leaving the Astros for any of those teams would leave a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. Clemens went to Houston to pitch specifically for the Astros. He wanted to be close to his home, close to his family, and able to spend more time away from the game while still competing. In other words, while he was getting paid the highest salary of his career ($18 million in 2005), Clemens was not doing it for the money.

The man has made $121 million over the course of his career in salary alone. If he became the latest Yankee hired gun, it would be a disgusting act to many, many people. No, the only place where Clemens truly fits is in Houston. And though there was some tension about the Astros’ not waiting on Clemens’ decision about retirement and not offering him arbitration, it is apparent that Clemens would return to Houston in May after taking the first month of the season off. It would allow Clemens to continue resting, the entire month of April, essentially adding a month onto his stamina and effectiveness in 2006, assuming that he is healed completely (and after a 1-1, 2.08 ERA, 0.81 WHIP in two starts during March’s World Baseball Classic, it is safe to assume that he is the same old Rocket). For Houston, the equation is simple: Clemens equals another trip deep into the playoffs, while no Clemens might mean no playoffs at all for 2005’s National League Champions. Even at 43, Clemens still makes all the difference in the world.

Missed opportunity hurts Sox

2006-04-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

BOSTON -- As much as the Red Sox enjoy a wire-to-wire job from one of their starting pitchers, it doesn't feel quite the same when it comes attached to a loss.
Veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield went the distance, and was superb for all but one of those nine innings in Boston's first complete game of the year. But one shaky frame -- the top of the third -- was all it took in a 3-0 loss to the Mariners.
Well, that, and one glaring missed opportunity by the Red Sox. Consider that in the bottom of the second, Josh Bard worked a 12-pitch walk against Mariners right-hander Joel Pineiro to load the bases with nobody out.
Next thing you knew, Pineiro had struck out Alex Gonzalez and Adam Stern and gotten Alex Cora on a groundout to end the inning.
Talk about a momentum killer.
"That second inning was probably the turning point of the game," said Red Sox first baseman J.T. Snow. "Usually you don't like to look back and think something that early in the game was the turning point. We had him on the ropes, he threw a lot of pitches. After that, he seemed to settle down."
Making it more painful for Wakefield was that his one blemish on the day came right after that lost opportunity by his teammates.
Wakefield ran into big problems in the third inning. Yuniesky Betancourt led off with a double to left field. Not even a strikeout to the next batter -- Ichiro Suzuki -- did Wakefield any good. The knuckler squirted past catcher Bard for a passed ball, setting up runners at the corners with nobody out.
"I'm not going to make excuses," said Bard. "It was a great pitch and I didn't catch it. I'll just leave it at that."
Ichiro then stole second and Betancourt scored on another passed ball by Bard.
"It's just one of those things. It hit off the end of my glove," Bard said. "Obviously, I'm disappointed and frustrated about it. But you got to keep working. I've got to really focus in on my mechanics, especially when guys get on base and the game speeds up a little bit. I really got to make sure I keep my head still. It's frustrating when you feel like you do it for 98 pitches today and two of them get away. That's not enough. My expectations are to catch every catchable ball. It will eat at me for a little bit, but you got to put it behind you."
The Mariners extended their lead to 3-0, thanks to an RBI double by Raul Ibanez and an RBI single off the wall in left from Richie Sexson.
"I'm really disappointed with the way things went in the third inning," said Wakefield. "I left a ball up to Ibanez that got over Wily Mo [Pena's] head and a ball to Sexson that I thought was a pretty good pitch, but then I looked at it on tape and it was kind of belt high on the insider corner, which is his hot zone."
Wakefield found his hot zone from that point on, stifling the Mariners over his final six innings.
"I felt great," Wakefield said. "Really strong."
The Red Sox had a makeshift lineup for this one, as Mark Loretta and Mike Lowell both got a breather and Coco Crisp and Trot Nixon are still out with injuries. Jason Varitek, who never starts games Wakefield pitches, was also on the bench.
Did Red Sox manager Terry Francona consider keeping Loretta and Lowell in there given that he was short-handed at other positions?
"Well, I wrestle with it a lot," Francona said. "I just come to the conclusion that 162 games is a long time and I try not to do something that I'm not supposed to, because it will end up catching up with us. I just think that if you do things against what you think is right, you're going to end up causing more problems. You might win one game and lose 10 down the road."
It was a challenge for the Sox to put rallies together. Pineiro was in top form, firing 6 1/3 innings of shutout baseball.
"I think we hit some balls pretty good, but we hit some balls right at guys, guys made some great plays behind him," said Snow. "He was throwing all his pitches for strikes. Any time a guy is throwing two or three pitches for strikes consistently at any time during the count, he's going to be tough that day. You can't get up and sit on one pitch. He was throwing his fastball and his changeup and his slider and his curve for strikes."
The Sox did put something together in the seventh. Pena led off with a single to right and Gonzalez was hit by a pitch with one out. Mariners manager Mike Hargrove then went to the bullpen, and J.J. Putz got the job done, striking out Stern and inducing Cora into a flyout to center.
The Mariners went to closer Eddie Guardado in the ninth, but aside from a leadoff walk by pinch-hitter Loretta, the Red Sox couldn't muster anything else.
"It was a great effort," Francona said of Wakefield's performance. "Most of the time Wake goes out there, gives up three and throws a complete baseball game, we are out there shaking hands and patting him on the back. He was great."

Lowell has Monster debut at Fenway

2006-04-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

BOSTON -- As it turned out, Mike Lowell made it through his Fenway Park debut Tuesday smelling like a rose and baby-fresh clean. Only 24 hours earlier, teammate David Ortiz had warned all the new Red Sox players that they might want to consider a diaper as insurance against any Opening Day jitters.
Ortiz kept the advice limited to baseball on game day, and Lowell obviously paid attention, matching career highs with four hits and three doubles helping to power the Red Sox over the Blue Jays, 5-3. All four hits went to left field, including his first of many anticipated wall-ball doubles off the Green Monster in the eighth inning.
"Actually, we were talking about hitting way before the game, and I was telling him that sometimes right-handed hitters get confused with the Green Monster and was telling him not to get caught in between," said Ortiz in relating his conversation with Lowell. "Stay to the middle [of the field]. If you see an inside pitch, you pull it, you do whatever you have to do, but don't be thinking about it too much, otherwise it will get you in trouble."
"I don't want to get too pull happy just because I'm a pull hitter," Lowell said after his first home game. "For me, if I stay middle [of the field], it allows me to keep the ball straight and not hook it. I have to tune out the wall really and let it happen if it happens. I've heard a lot of people where that wall has driven them crazy, because you see it so close. You still have to hit it. It's not like you can hit a pop fly to short."
And hit it he did with regularity Tuesday before an adoring crowd of 34,491. The buzz in the crowd and at his new home field definitely wasn't lost on Lowell, who has two World Series rings to his credit with Florida in 1997 and 2003.
"It felt like it was playing in the playoffs with the Marlins," he said. "This feels like it might be 81 playoff games, just that energy and as a player that's a good feeling. You don't prepare any differently but you feel differently."
His manager wasn't picky about where his hits were falling Tuesday.
"I think he looked out and saw that wall and [felt] like he could reach it without his best bolt," Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I'm sure that is very reassuring to get rewarded, because he is a big, strong kid and he pulls the ball a lot. Watching him running out of the [batter's] box, he is running as fast as he can, because he knows those are possibly either outs or singles."
Tuesday also marked Lowell's fifth career four-hit game and his fourth career game with three doubles. Four of his eight hits this year are doubles. If that continues, last year's .236 average and eight home runs will quickly be forgotten.
"Mikey Lowell is a great player and one of the smartest players I've ever played with," said starter Josh Beckett, who knows a thing or two about his third baseman from his days with the Marlins. "Probably the smartest player I've ever played with. He's going to be fine. Everybody's talking about last year, but what about the five years before that? Are you going to tell me that the five years before that was a fluke and last year was what he really is? You'll never convince me of that."

2006-04-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

ARLINGTON -- For a sixth consecutive Opening Day, Manny Ramirez was sitting in the heart of the Boston batting order. On this day against the Rangers, he was batting cleanup and playing left field.
There was a period this winter when it seemed a strong possibility Ramirez would be somewhere else. But a trade could not be worked out, and Ramirez has come in with new focus, and seemingly an improved relationship with manager Terry Francona.
"I think so and I think, not just with Manny, but with everybody, it needs to be," said Francona. "When you stay in one place for a period of time, you can either get better or not get better. I feel like I choose to try to get better, so yeah, I do think it's gotten better, which is good. Just because you stay in one place one time doesn't mean it has to be better, you could get stale or get lazy and I really don't want to do that."
Ramirez told Francona prior to Sunday's exhibition game against the Phillies that he'd rather take extra batting practice than play in the game. Francona appreciated his honesty.
"Part of my responsibility is just to make sure he understands that he can do that," Francona said. "I was really pleased. He had played in a lot of games in a row. I think it was good. Manny knows he's in for the long run. If he misses a game, Red Sox Nation goes in an uproar. But when you look at the end of the year, he plays in 150 games."
When Ramirez asked the club if he could report to Spring Training on March 1 instead of the week before when everyone else reported, Francona appreciated the way the communication went. And the left fielder lived up to all of the promises made in that phone call.
"He was terrific. He said he would be. I'm telling you, we had a good conversation that night on the phone and I was really pleased," said Francona. "That's why when he said he wanted to come in a little bit late, I had no problem. I thought it was a pretty good conversation and I thought he'd come in and do well, and he's done great."

Mailbag: Where does Pena fit in?

2006-03-27T13:45:00.000-08:00

I was shocked by the trade for Wily Mo Pena. I can't really see how he can fit into the lineup with Manny Ramirez, Coco Crisp and Trot Nixon in the outfield. What will Pena's roll be for the Sox this year?-- Chris A., Albany, N.Y.

Pena offers the Red Sox thunder off the bench, and someone who can start in right field against left-handed pitchers and maybe even serve as the designated hitter if David Ortiz needs an occasional day off. Also, if one of the other outfielders gets hurt, Pena has the ability to play all three positions.

Why did the Red Sox grab Hee-Seop Choi off waivers from the Dodgers? Since Boston has two very capable first basemen, where is Choi going to fit in?-- Avi S., West Orange, Mass.

Choi presents the team with some depth at the position in case there is an injury or decline in performance from Kevin Youkilis, J.T. Snow or Mike Lowell. If something were to happen with Lowell, Youkilis could move across the diamond to third base, in which case having Choi in the system could prove to be valuable.

Hopefully, Keith Foulke will be healthy and successful this season as the Red Sox's closer. However, if either his health or effectiveness becomes a problem, how will Boston's decision-makers address the situation, and who will the team rely upon to act as the closer?-- Adam R., St. Albans, Vt.

The fact that the Red Sox have Jonathan Papelbon at their disposal in the bullpen gives them a good safety valve in the event that Foulke struggles or gets injured. I'd think Papelbon would be the closer if anything happened with Foulke, but Mike Timlin also has plenty of experience in that role. For now, the Red Sox don't think they'll have to worry about finding a replacement for Foulke, which is definitely good news.

What are the chances of Dustin Mohr getting on the Major League roster? What is going on with Willie Harris?-- Cody D., Ashland, Mass.

Mohr will probably move to another team now that the Red Sox have added the right-handed hitting Pena. As for Harris, he is still on the bubble for a roster spot. At the very least, Harris should be with the Red Sox once Adam Stern spends his 17 days on the roster to fulfill his Rule 5 Draft service time.

What will happen when Gabe Kapler is ready to return? Will we still have room on the roster for Stern and Harris since Pena has no Minor League options?-- Chris F. Portland, Maine

I don't think the Red Sox see the need to think that far ahead of time. Kapler is still a ways off, and the logic of baseball seems to indicate that someone else might be banged up by then. The main concern for both Kapler and the Red Sox is for the outfielder to get fully healthy again.

How different of a player will Crisp be from Johnny Damon in terms of offense and defense?-- Octavio G., Chicago

I think when you look at the numbers at the end of the year, Damon and Crisp will be pretty equal in a lot of categories. But they go about it in different ways. Damon is a more patient hitter, where Crisp is more aggressive. Crisp probably has a better first step, but Damon has similar speed once he gets in gear. Defensively, Crisp has a slightly better arm than Damon. They are probably about equal in terms of range.

I know the 'pen is setting up to be one of the best in the league, but does the lack of a quality lefty put us at a disadvantage down the road when we need that out?-- Rob J., Boston

The Angels typically haven't had a left-hander the last couple of years, and they have had one of the best bullpens in the game. Timlin and David Riske both excel against left-handed hitters, which might lessen the need to have a true lefty specialist. Also, don't be surprised to see Theo Epstein add a left-hander at some point during the season.

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