Boston Red Sox 2004 - Red Sox baseball

Thu. - Sat.. Jan. 29-31

Will Yankees Go After A-Rod?

"The Yankees, finding themselves without a third baseman, somehow jigger their finances, make up some package that is frankly beyond my imagination and trade for A-Rod, who would be more than thrilled to rip the "C" off his mental uniform and switch to third base next to his old pal Derek Jeter." - NY Times, George Vecsey

"I should note that Cashman and A-Rod were sitting next to each other. And, A-Rod talked about how much he loved New York City. I honestly think that Boston, as a state would commit suicide if he came to the Bronx." - Zimmer's Way

Three Stooges

Stuck in the Middle (You Lose)

(lyrics to Stuck in the Middle with You)

Well I don't know why they named him that night
You get the feeling that something ain't right
He's so scared and looking stiff in his chair
And he's still wondering how he'll get outta there
Clown to the left of him, Joker on his right
There he is
Stuck back in Texas (boo hoo)

Yes A-Rod's stuck back in Texas (smooth move)
And he's wondering what it is he should do
It's so hard to keep that smile on his face
Losing games, the Rangers stay in last place

Clown to the left of him
Joker to his right
There he is
Stuck back in Texas (you lose)

Well you started off with millions
And you're proud that you're a self made man
And your filthy owner calling
Slap you on the back and say
Please (stay)!
Please (be my Captain)!

Tried to make some sense of it all
But I can see it makes no sense at all
Does a Captain have one foot out the door?
PR stunt, can't be anything more

Yes he's stuck in last place with Buckaroo
Stuck back in Texas (he'll hear boos)
Buried like Cap'n Kangaroo

Captain A-Odd

"I guess I'm probably kinda sorta pretty sure it might work
out for the best sometimes." - Rangers "Captain"

Captain Rallies the Troops in Texas

"Guys, this game we have against Boston tonight is pretty important for us, so I just wanted to say before we take the field that I think that if we go out and give it our best, maybe we might not embarrass ourselves. Though I'm not promising anything and to be perfectly honest, I'd feel a whole lot more confident if I was playing for them instead of you. Now, let's go get them! Just don't get hurt.''
- Caple Calls Captain A-Fraud

Dewey Defeats Truman

NFLShop.com Jinx

Yep, They're Selling It Online.
Patriots Victory Guaranteed.

(Yes we know you can dig around for the Patriots DVD box too, yeesh, no fun)

Wed. Jan. 28

Danny Strange

Jim O'Brien, the longest tenured coach in the NBA's Eastern Conference, has resigned his post with the Boston Celtics due to 'philosophical differences' with director of basketball operations Danny Ainge.

CURT'S CORNER

Let's Talk Baseball, Real Baseball

On Statistical Analysis

I think it's gone too far in some instances. The main problem I have is that hard core fans, IMO, are using this kind of stuff as their sole analysis of players, period. For the true hard core fan that really may be the only way to do it I guess. Problem for me is I see the real life application of these opinions formed by the stats. I eat, sleep live and breathe with those guys you love to hate, and hate to love. I see what happens when a stadium full of people boos the hell out of one of my teammates. Whether it was warranted or not, you go home at night, miserable with your player, mad at whatever he did, and I go to the clubhouse, and see the real effects of your actions and reactions to my teammates, and to me. I'm not whining, not in the least, it's all part of playing a professional sport, and for the most part we all understand that. That doesn't change the impact, the effect, that fans create. RSN is a nation of people that for the most part that determines their opinions on new guys based on their OPS and WHIP, which is understood given the passion and history here. I can't, and don't, and when the media creates or stirs that opinion in a way I know to be untrue, I am more than bothered. Stats have their applications in the game, no one knows that more than me, but a media guy who's writing career is pretty much founded on these new stats and has a legion of followers, a guy like Neyer on ESPN, I tend to have more dislikes, than likes of.

I'm not saying he's wrong, or right, just that he talks about the numbers as they pertain to future performance almost as if it's an absolute. Oh I know he always inserts the italicized "maybe" and "potentially", but the tone of his writing suggests his belief lies more in what he is writing to be fact, than just trend and probability. I've seen him say things in the past about players, and be so far wrong it's ludicrous, but you do enough projecting, of enough people, and at some point you'll be right, or near right.

On Statistics Determining Value

That's a hard one for me to answer, since value to me is way beyond the numbers in a lot of instances. Back in the late 1990s before I left Philly, one of my closest friends on the team was Kevin Jordan. I played with Kevin for about 5 years, and to this day we are still very good friends. His 2000 season was a forgettable one. His main role was our 1st guy off the bench to PH, and utility guy every now and then. I watched him from '96-'99 turn himself into a very very good pinch hitter. Probably one of the better 2k hitters I have ever seen. He's the guy you got 0-2 on in 2 pitches, then 13 pitches later watched him push a single to right. He got that way by studying his craft, working his ass off. I saw it firsthand, and loved every minute of it. Now fast forward to 2000, and he's struggling, big time. His PH appearances are starting to have much longer downtime in between than normal, and even when he centers a ball, it's an out. But, the entire time this is happening, I am watching him on the bench, in the clubhouse, working EVERY single day by talking to the young players, teaching them the routine for being good at his job. At the time it was him saying "do as I say, not as I do", and he was respected enough that the younger guys saw that his approach, regardless of the outcome at the present time, was A HOW TO in being a young ML player. He taught a lot of the younger players, Lieberthal, Abreu, Burrell and others what it REALLY meant to be prepared. If he wasn't in the game he'd head up to the video room in the 4-5th innings, watching their bullpen righty and lefty, depending on score, and then he'd warm up, stretch, hit off the tee, get himself ready.

When his turn came, when he was up there, he had done all he could to be prepared, and as far as teammates go, that's all I could or would ever ask. There are guys in the major leagues now that owe Kevin a HUGE thanks, because they are better major league players because of him. There were games that he won for us that year without every being in the lineup, because one of the young guys had tried his approach, was ready for his AB's in a way he might not have been, and he produced. I know it to be true, because I watched it happen.

That's value, above and beyond any numbers or stats out there. I am sure there are a lot of people rolling their eyes, the put up or shut up crowd usually does, but that's what happens in our clubhouses and on our fields. That's real life. Kevin went into 2001 and struggled again, and now he's playing AAA ball and working on trying to get back. I talk to him every few weeks and always love the hell out of our conversations, because he got it, and I got to see him use it.

So yes, stats have a place, but they don't come close to painting the whole picture of any one player IMO. When someone, and there were a lot of someone's in Philly at that time, wrote something that was derogatory about KJ, you know the kinda thing like "Jordan could be released, he's just taking up a spot on the bench and roster right now" I got bothered, and still do, because neither success nor failure can be summed up that easily. ...Read more on SoSH

Belichick's No Microphony

But Let's Get this Show on the Road Already.

Tues. Jan 27

Martinez Muscles Up

Positive Reports on Pedro's Shoulder from Miami.

Mo Gone

Retirement. Right from the Horse's Mouth.

Schilling on the Spot in Boston

"The Red Sox haven't won a World Series since 1918. Now they've brought in a 37-year-old ace, a former Red Sox farmhand, to beat the Yankees and bring a world championship to Boston.

He'll have a lot of help and a good team behind him, but being trusted more than anyone to break an 86-year curse brings a lot of pressure." - ESPN Magazine 1.23

"Sure over the course of a season there are certain players that have more of an impact than others, but when the recipe is finally put together, it's the sum of all the parts that makes the meal, not any one individual thing. Leave just one out, and it changes dramatically, same thing here." - Curt Schilling on SoSH

Thurs. Jan. 21 - Mon. Jan 26

*Nine Out of Ten Dentists Agree

The A-Rod Deal Bears Its Teeth One More Time Before Spring Training

(*The tenth dentist has been identified as Dr. Charles Steinberg, 4 Yawkey Way, Boston)

"The strength of the wolf lies in its pack." - Bill Belichick

"Get Rid of Steroids Now!"

President says using steroids sends the wrong message that a "shortcut to accomplishment is more important than character," urges teams and players to get them out of baseball.

(The President is not expected to intervene in the A-Rod trade talks at this time.)

"Product Marketing Mistake"

Sox Fan Wants Her A-Rod Jersey

1.21.04: "Back to the whole jersey thing. I was one of the unfortunates who actually purchased one yesterday. I got a conformation number and my credit card had a pending charge to Digital River-MLB for $101.95.

I just got off the phone with MLB.COM about this. At first the guy played dumb like he had no idea what I was talking about. Then he said "it was a product marketing mistake" and "they could not get the jerseys from the vendor" he also said no one hacked into their site and that my credit card would not be charged.

I want to know what product marketing mistake is and I WANT MY JERSEY."

- remcat, redsoxnation.net

MLB.com removes Red Sox A-Rod Replica Home Jerseys from ShopMLB.com at 11:11am, 1.20.04. Thank God for screen grabs:

Or Get the Boston Red Sox Alex Rodriguez Red Retro Cooperstown Jersey for
Only $200 Large
(MLB.com dropped Cooperstown and Warm-up jersey pages too, 1.20.04)

ESPN.COM LOSES ITS SHIRT ON
A-ROD SOX JERSEY STORY,
MLB ADVANCED MEDIA CAUGHT WITH THEIR PANTS DOWN.

CURT'S CORNER

Let's Talk Baseball, Real Baseball

On Pitch Counts and Workloads

One of the old saws is that in the "old days' guys could throw 165 pitches a start or whatever because they didn't have to throw each pitch with the intensity that is necessary today.

Which is true, since you could give up a 400 foot fly ball and have it be an out. You didn't have to be as sharp on EVERY single pitch. The game of pitching has changed DRAMATICALLY in the past 30-40 years. Moreso than any other aspect of the game. Factor in the following, and you can see.

First off the strike zone. It used to be right below the letters, to the lower knee, shin area. Today it is pretty much top of the knee to high thigh up and down. Now we have a much smaller area to pitch to, which means a lot less area for a hitter to have to cover. Compound that with harder baseballs, MUCH smaller parks, overall lack of pitching depth, talent, MUCH bigger, stronger, faster hitters, and you get the offensive explosion we are witnessing over the last decade. Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton and Jim Palmer told me that when they pitched, you could actually "mush" the seams and leather of a baseball, meaning you could actually create wrinkles in the ball by pinching the leather. Pick up a ML baseball today, they are pool balls, not swimming pool either, but billiard ball hard.

There is much less margin for error in the game today as a pitcher, that means to be good you have to be REAL REAL good, and that's every pitch. I can remember talking to some HOF pitchers, including Robin Roberts, and on more than one occasion they told me that in some parks you'd just make sure to throw FB middle out, because if you didn't pull the ball in the air, it was an out. Heck Richie Ashburn told me that they used to park the batting cage in one stadium out in deep center field, ON THE FIELD, during the game, since it was so far away it was never really in play. Now I don't know about you, but I have yet to see a park with those dimensions .

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

No.

More generally, there is clearly some corollary between a heavy workload and a pitcher breaking down, but the specifics of what that corollary is are as vague as can be. Some commentators, without any firm basis, have said that the way to get the most innings out of pitcher is to keep innings per start down, but go back to a 4-man rotation. The idea being that it is the 130 plus pitch count starts that wear a pitcher down, but outings with less than 100 pitches would permit a guy to thrive on a 4 man rotation. Do you have any sense of what an optimal workload would be and how it should be apportioned, or is the status quo the result of tried and tested practice?

Here is how I have come to view pitching fatigue, injuries and all the things that come with them.

Example: If I throw 135 pitches in a 9-2 game, a game my team leads early and big in, I am gonna feel stiff the next day, bit sore maybe, but not nearly as sore and stiff as throwing 95 pitches over 7 innings in a 1-1 game. The game, score and pitch counts all factor in, and by pitch counts I mean if I have to throw 30 pitches in the 3rd inning with runners in scoring position all inning long, in a scoreless or close game, that's gonna take a TON out of me for later. I always call these kinda situations reaching into the tank. I feel like I can muster up two of these a game if I have too. Situations that in my mind the outcome of the game is riding on. I try and make sure the 2nd time I have to do this is after the 7th. ...Read more on SoSH

Wed. Jan. 20

NO HOAX FOLKS

ESPN.COM LOSES ITS SHIRT ON
A-ROD SOX JERSEY STORY, MLB ADVANCED MEDIA CAUGHT WITH THEIR PANTS DOWN.

1.20.04 Dan Patrick on SportsCenter: "There's certainly movement on the A-Rod to Boston deal online. A person with access to create a page on MLB.com posted a link to the websites online shop that offers fans an opportunity to purchase an Alex Rodriguez replica Boston Red Sox jersey for a mere $99.95. The page eventually appeared on a Red Sox fan site (hello). A source close to the situation said the link was up for minutes and the same person who posted it apparently took it down."

"An authorized person conducted an unauthorized hoax"
- Jim Gallagher, spokesman for MLB Advanced Media

"Dirt on the Shirt. A-Rod Jersey a Hoax." ESPN.com news services - Tuesday, January 20, 2004 (our comments in parenthesis). A person who has access to create pages on MLB.com posted a link to the Web site's online shop that offered fans an opportunity to purchase an Alex Rodriguez replica Boston Red Sox jersey for $99.95. (Nope. No link, the pages were embedded into the ShopMLB.com database. That was one sample product and size. There were three A-Rod Red Sox jersey styles that went live on ShopMLB.com on January 16th -- Sox fans discovered pages last night when the images went up here. The jerseys were loaded into MLB.com's searchable database as attested to by many fans on the redsox.com forum, redsoxnation.net, SoSH, and other discussion boards last night. The red Cooperstown jerseys were going for $200.00 each and some people were actually able to backorder it, as they were already out of stock. See warm up shirt above.)

An image of the page appeared on Red Sox fan site www.bostondirtdogs.com. (Correct, and I should have grabbed the other two products -- Cooperstown and warm up jerseys -- as well had I known about this sketchy spin). The file containing the A-Rod jersey image was uploaded to bostondirtdogs.com on Friday and was accompanied by the text "Boston Red Sox Alex Rodriguez Replica Home Jersey." (Nope. The images and screen grab were saved last night when Red Sox Nation online discovered the gaffe of releasing these shirts to the live shop database early instead of leaving the pages in the testing area.) "Be one of the first to own a jersey customized with the name and number of the newest Red Sox, Alex Rodriguez! $99.95." (Again, that was just one size, one style -- there were three.)

A source close to the situation said the link was up for several minutes and the same individual who posted it apparently removed it from MLB.com. ("Several minutes" my donkey. A simple peruse here, January 19, 4:13pm, and here "three different ones?" will prove otherwise. This gaffe was just discovered last night. Pages on MLB.com were live since January 16th. "Minutes" to pull it down maybe after Dr. Steinberg called and said MLB Advanced Media has to take the fall for this one -- the Sox took the heat for bannergate just two weeks ago right?)

"An authorized person conducted an unauthorized hoax," Jim Gallagher, spokesman for MLB Advanced Media, which runs MLB.com and 30 team Web sites, told ESPN.com. "We take this situation very seriously and we are currently investigating." (Yeah right, an authorized person made three different sample A-Rod shirts, built the pages with sizes and pricing variables, put them into the database, and launched them all live... for a joke. Are you related to Gene Mota Jim? We've got guys that bought the shirts Jim. You took credit cards on those shirts, bottom line.)

MLB.com Advanced Media editor-in-chief Dinn Mann was not available for comment. (Smart move Dinn)

-- Darren Rovell, ESPN.com (Quit your day job buddy but run a correction first.)

VOTE ON A-ROD TRADE TALKS

"Of course it can get done... done in private without a whole lot of media scrutiny... privacy will rule the day if this trade ever has a chance." - Jeff Moorad

"You're (ESPN) jumping the gun." - Scott Boras

ESPN on AROD

1.20.04 Dan Patrick, ESPN SportsCenter: "Earlier today a major league baseball official confirmed to me that trade talks between the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers centering around Alex Rodriguez are still being explored. The source was quick to point out that no deal is imminent, and given the much publicized talks of last month, both sides have gone about their business in a covert manner. Money has been the major stumbling block in the A-Rod deal getting done."

Bruce Levine, ESPN radio 1000: "If you talk to the people involved right now they'll tell you the story is totally incorrect and that there's no meeting but Texas people did verify that Texas people will be in New York (NY baseball writers dinner/MVP presentation)... but if a deal like this is going to get done, certainly the media is not going to be reporting on it. This was a good source, two good sources that I had on this, and they said, you know, you're going to have to sit on this thing because, Dan, no one is going to talk about this until it gets done. None of the teams can absorb the type of publicity involved here if the thing doesn't get done this time."

Rangers-Red Sox Offer Strong Denials This Time Around

Negotiations to Stay Out of the Media for Round Three

"This deal is dead. Honestly. There is no chance of this happening. Don't read anything into some of those people being in New York." - Rangers statement, 1.20.04

"The reports are completely baseless. There are no plans for us to meet with anybody. We just learned about it. I was surprised by it, John Henry was surprised by it, Larry Lucchino was surprised by it, Tom Werner was surprised by it. It's unfortunate that someone can apparently fabricate a story and then Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez have to read about their futures again in the press. It's completely baseless, it's not true. The healthiest thing is just to move on. This story has been behind us for several weeks now." - Theo Epstein, General Manager, Boston Red Sox, 1.20.04... but is it deja vu all over again?...

"It's baseless" - Theo Epstein, General Manager, Boston Red Sox, 11.12.03

THE WHOPPER OF A DEAL IS ALIVE

(Elvis says "Hey Baby" from Burger King)

AND IT IS ON

NOW CLOSE IT

Teams Learn from Past Mistakes
and Deny Reports

Talks to Resume this Weekend

(SHHHhhh!)

1:20:04, 1:17pm: ESPN radio's Bruce Levine on Dan Patrick's radio show is now saying that talks on the Manny-for-A-Rod trade heated up this past week and John Henry and Tom Hicks either met last weekend or will meet this coming weekend. Patrick says A-Rod was bending Bud Selig's ear about the trade at Sammy Sosa's birthday party in the Dominican a while back and is pressing hard for the deal. According to Levine, who says the deal will happen according to his sources, all parties still want the deal to go through, and Selig's comment was to "get the deal done then call me only after everyone has approved the trade." Patrick says the deal will get done most likely by "this weekend." Alex has not spoken to manager Buck Showalter since the trade talks stalled in December.

(Hey, it beats Terry Shumpert talk)

TROT GETS ONE YEAR DEAL, KIM SIGNS FOR TWO

Tues. Jan. 20 -

He's Back!

A-Rod Red Sox Home Jerseys On Sale
at ShopMLB.com

(MLB files uploaded Jan. 16, 2004; MLB dropped page, 1.20.04)

"Boston Red Sox Alex Rodriguez Replica Home Jersey. Be one of the first to own a jersey customized with the name and number of the newest Red Sox, Alex Rodriguez! $99.95"

ESPN Radio's Bruce Levine, who broke Pettitte to Astros, Roger too, reports of "secret talks" scheduled this week between the Red Sox and Rangers.

Does MLB Know Something We Don't Know?

It's Good to Be ALIVE!

Sun. Jan 18, Mon. Jan 19.

SUPER ROLL

PATS OUTGUN COLTS
WITH XXXVIII SPECIAL

You Can't Break the Law in Foxboro

AFC Champions 24 Colts 14

(Carolina, You Have A Problem)

That's Manning Being Manning

Foxboro is Not Peyton's Place

Four Interceptions = Fourteen in a Row for Patriots.

Colts Go Pony Up!

Pats Fans are Houston Rockets

Gillette's Go Pats

It's Patriots Day

Sat. Jan 17

Boo Hoo

Gillette's Go Manny!

Ramirez Allegedly Afraid of Fan Blitz While Nomar Calls an Audible for Pats Game and Goes Back to Phoenix.

"They boo because they want to cheer you." - Mike Timlin

Eskimo Up! Get on the Plane to Foxboro Manny.
And Get Some Bonus Miles with the Fans.

"I think Manny will be met with a mix of jeers, boos, and half-hearted cheers. But the place will positively erupt if either he or Nomar hits a dinger, much more so, I predict, than if, for example, Kevin Millar or Bill Mueller homered.

Manny isn't unequivocally a villain in the the eyes of Red Sox Nation. But he's a mix of great characteristics and confounding and aggravating characteristics. On rare occasions, the aggravations rise to be real problems (like when he wheeled out of the batters box or refused to pinch hit), but those are rare. Most times, the guy performs like a monster and has fun with this teammates. His bosses hate him, but I'm not his boss and I could care less if he or anyone make their jobs more difficult if Manny produces.

In the race thread, someone described Boston as a liberal city. I disagree. There is a small academic community that grabs headlines and attention, but Boston is very much a blue collar, working class city, much like Chicago. And I think that the people of Boston like their heroes in their own image - flawed in some way, with contradictions, and rough edges. I think that was part of Bird's appeal. I also think that's why Tom Brady is really, really, really well-liked, but not beloved or adored. Quite frankly, I think white-bread A-Rod (he may be "a person of color" but A-Rod is pure Wonderbread) would get the same reception." - dag2000, redsoxnation.net

What's the Mato Here?

Manny's Agent Spins Guilt Trip on Gordon Edes.
And Trips Up.

Return address correct
Agent insists Ramirez not unhappy in Boston

By Gordon Edes, Boston Globe Staff, 1/17/2004

"Ramirez bought a plane ticket and planned to fly up from South Florida to attend tomorrow's AFC Championship game with Mato, but as of yesterday, Mato said, Ramirez had a change of heart and is probably going to stay home."

(Then why even tell us the story? To make us feel guilty? You've got to be kidding Gene. This strategy won't work in Boston buddy.)

"He's afraid that if he goes to the game and they show him on the scoreboard, everybody will start booing him," Mato said."

(Boo hoo. Fans may boo to acknowledge that they know he asked to be traded and wants to play for the Yankees. And as D-Lowe said "they cheer when you win, they boo when you lose." Get over it.)

"And that would be unfortunate, the agent said, because despite whatever people may believe at this stage, Ramirez is glad to be coming back to the Red Sox this season."

(Only because he was deathly afraid of trying to fill A-Rod's shoes in Texas. We know he's a Yankee at heart, but we'll cheer him anyway. We're stuck with each other, he wears our laundry, what's the point?)

"As evidence, Mato cites the date, Dec. 6, when he and Ramirez placed a phone call to Red Sox owner John W. Henry, in the midst of the trade talks that would have sent Ramirez to the Texas Rangers for shortstop Alex Rodriguez. "He called John Henry and told him he didn't want to be traded," Mato said."

(See above. We have enough evidence to convict Mato right now.)

"John's been great with Manny. Manny likes him a lot. Manny doesn't blame John for anything."

(Why should he blame John. Tried to trade him. Tried to give him away. Unfortunately he could not "accommodate Manny's requests." But he tried.)

"Yes, Alex Rodriguez is a great player, but he's already proved he can't do it alone. Why break up the great chemistry that team had?

(Huh? He proved that even with a great hitter you need pitching. The Sox have it. And a lineup to support him. Losing Manny wouldn't affect the chemistry Gene. But you know that.)

"Manny seems to be real excited about this year. He started working out about three days after the Red Sox lost to the Yankees, and he's probably in better shape right now than he was at any time last year."

(We assumed at twenty million dollars per season he would always be excited to play for the Boston Red Sox. And why can't we hear it from him directly Baghdad Bob?)

"Get ready. Get ready for this year. He is going in angry."

(Yeah, angry that his trade requests leaked out last season, angry that the Yankees wouldn't pick up his contract, angry at Millar's comments... what's he got to be angry about? He's our Manny!)

"Mato said Ramirez would not consent to an interview at this time, though he urged the player to do so just the day before. "If he says something," Mato said, "he feels it will be taken out of context. People misinterpret him, so he says let people think whatever they want."

(Godalmighty. Does Mato think we're stupid up here? If Manny speaks, and he does speak perfect English Gene, he can't be misinterpreted. Ask Curt Schilling.)

"Nobody's heard Manny's story," Mato said. "They just say Manny wanted to leave, but that wasn't the case. There were times he did want to leave. That is true. But one thing that also is true is that when the A-Rod rumors first started, he called John Henry to let him know he wanted to stay in Boston."

(Ohmygod. It is Baghdad Bob! I thought he was captured?)

"He doesn't deny complaining several times throughout the year. There were certain issues. He doesn't deny saying he wanted to be traded at some points. But it had nothing to do with the fans. He loves Boston. But he's an emotional guy. Things developed, and he wanted to get out."

(Oy vey! What "things developed" Manny? Your trade requests? Chat with Joe Morgan? Skipping the Yankee series?)

Mato acknowledges that Ramirez's emotions were running high when the Sox hosted the Yankees over the weekend of Aug. 29-31, especially after media reports that a supposedly ailing Ramirez had gone out to eat with Yankees infielder Enrique Wilson, a longtime friend.

(sigh... his emotions are supposed to be running high because they were playing the Yankees and he's our cleanup hitter. He should have been in the lineup, or at least on the bench. Period. He should not be worrying about gossip.)

"Though the players did see each other that Saturday evening, Mato insists the two did not have dinner. "People say Manny didn't want to beat the Yankees," Mato said. "Nobody wants to beat the Yankees more than Manny."

(and if you can't beat 'em... join 'em... or try to right Baghdad Bob?)

"Manny lives at the Ritz-Carlton. Enrique went to see him. He came downstairs to see Enrique because he doesn't want anyone in his home. He saw Enrique about a half-hour. They never had dinner. I wasn't there, but according to Manny, he started feeling sick when he was with Enrique. He went back to his room that night feeling real bad and when he woke up the next day, he felt terrible."

(Except that he went with Wilson back to the other hotel:

"Wilson, who went 3 for 4 to help lead the rout, visited the Sox superstar at the Ritz-Carlton/Boston Common, on Avery Street, where Ramirez lives during the season.

"He told me that he was sick," Wilson said. "He didn't want to play [Saturday] because he didn't feel so good."

The Sox official said Ramirez accompanied Wilson back to his hotel, the Ritz-Carlton/Boston on Arlington Street. - Ramirez actions raise a red fag, Boston Globe, 9.2.03

Left there an maybe went home. Then blew off the doctor's appointment Sunday. Wouldn't sit on the bench to intimidate Torre as his teammates had wanted at a minimum. Oh, but he did eventually call Ino Guerrero. How thoughtful.)

"They [the Red Sox] knew Manny wasn't going [to the park on Sunday] -- I spoke to them," said Mato, adding that he couldn't recall which Sox official he spoke with. "I told them he was sick. They wanted him there regardless. They disagreed on whether he wanted to be there or not. One of the things I told Manny is they wanted him to be there."

(Sorry Gene you lied. And if you lie once... well... Boston Globe, September 2, 2003: "While manager Grady Little waited to write his lineup, hoping Ramirez would be well enough to play, team officials tried to reach their prized cleanup hitter, to no avail... While the Sox continued their attempts to reach Ramirez, the slugger phoned Ino Guerrero, his close friend and staff member, near the end of batting practice and said he did not plan to report to the park." You didn't speak to anyone Gene. "Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here." - Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson), As Good as it Gets, 1997.

"Still, when the season ended, Ramirez was placed on waivers, but no team claimed him for the $20,000 waiver price. Mato said Ramirez became upset that the process became public and that the Red Sox did not offer any public explanation (Sox officials said baseball rules prevented them from commenting on the waiver process)."

(The explanation was that they were "honoring Manny's request" according to John Henry who might have a tad more credibility than Mato right about now wouldn't you say?)

But whatever distress Ramirez felt at the time, Mato insists, is no longer an issue. "What bothered Manny most was what [Kevin] Millar said," Mato said, referring to interviews in which Millar came out in favor of the Rodriguez trade. "But Kevin has reached out to Manny and they've worked it out. Kevin was put in a bad situation. Kevin didn't mean any harm by it, but what's done is done, and they've already worked it out."

(Millar's fault again (sigh). Hey, Kevin was told it was a done deal too. 100% done before Orza torpedoed it)

"There is no animosity, Mato said."

(Nor should there be, not our fault no one picked up the contract.
It is what it is.)

Gene, Gene the Lying Machine

Mato Could Be More Disingenuous than Moorad,
if That's Even Possible (Dump Him Manny)

"He told one group of reporters that his grandmother was ''kind of sick,'' another group that his grandmother had died, even going so far as spelling his grandmother's name for one reporter and giving her age to another. He said he felt obligated to come because he was the only Sox representative."

"But his agent, Jeff Moorad, and Moorad's associate, Gene Mato, had said nothing about Ramirez's grandmother Monday, when they offered the explanation that Ramirez had skipped the flight the Sox had arranged for him on Sunday night and flew out on a private plane on Monday in order to tend to some personal business that involved a stopover in New York. Yesterday, Ramirez didn't arrive at the ballpark until almost 2:30 p.m. and said that he had flown to Miami, contradicting his agents." - Ramirez Mystery, Boston Globe, July 2001

"His agent, Gene Mato, said that the rising star, facing astronomical prices in Boston, won't be looking for a penthouse apartment or even a house, just "something simple, in a quiet area." - AP 12.18.00

Meanwhile, Manny's Penthouse Was Quietly for Sale

"TAKING A SWING AT THE MARKET? And speaking of baseball players, slugger Manny Ramirez's penthouse condo in the Ritz Towers has been the subject of more trade speculation than he has. The condo, when we checked this week, was not on the market, although it had been briefly, in a very quiet way." - Boston Globe 12.28.03

Williamson Signs One Year Deal. Trot Close to Three Year Package.

Terry Shumpert alive and signs a non-guaranteed contract with Sox.

A-Rod Deal Could Be Given Last Rites Soon.

Millar Gets Back on Campaign Trail

10. Did Grady stick with Pedro too long?

"No. I stand behind Grady Little and his decision for this reason: Pedro Martinez is our ace. We live with Pedro; we lose with Pedro. I would never have taken him out -- Pedro did everything he could. We lost the game. That's the bad part; but with Pedro out there, we absolutely had the chance to have it."

But earlier, Millar confessed: "To tell you the truth, I'm not real smart."

10 Burning Questions for Kevin Millar, ESPN.com Page 2

Fri. Jan. 16

THEY'LL WIN, CHILL

Pats Kick Colts Ass on Sunday

Ghost is Back in the Machine

Grady lands job as Cubs' reporter.

Big Dan on Campus

Duke Waves Goodbye to MLB

EgoManiac Names New Berkshire Collegiate Team After Himself. Was this John Flynn's idea?

John Henry considers changing name of
Boston Red Sox to "The Boston Henrys"

"I have a friend who plays in that league. He says he'll quit if
he has to play for Duquette." - The Ghost of Todd Jones, redsoxnation.net

"The Dukes plan to spend more days in first place than any other team
in the New England Collegiate Baseball League."
- Dan "Twilight Zone" Duquette, President, Berkshire Dukes

Seriously, take a spin out to Hinsdale this summer, say hi to The Duke,
watch some baseball in the Berkshires... good times.

Done Deal on M-Rod?

"We'll have guys there to watch him but that's all I'll say.'' - Theo

File under: close, but no Cuban cigar yet.
(It's about 2% done for those keeping score at home.)

CURT'S CORNER