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Baseball Today: Friday, July 13

OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: For all the talk of improvements the Red Sox need to make before the trade deadline, one theme recurs in every conversation: David Ortiz (above left) and Manny Ramirez (above right) (Journal photos by Bob Breidebach) have to start hitting like, well, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. And last night, in the first game after the All-Star break, they did. Steven Krasner provides the details (projo.com) of their combined 5-for-9, 5-RBI effort in the Sox' 7-4 win over the Blue Jays. Also hitting again is Julio Lugo, whose 2-for-4 night made him 8-for-22 over the last nine games and lifted his average over .200. (Boston Globe) The Sox also did the little things right last night, and Jim Donaldson says the biggest such effort came from the littlest player of all, Dustin Pedroia. (projo.com) All in all, not a bad start to the second half.

MBM: On his ESPN.com blog, available to subscribers only, Peter Gammons reports that Ramirez ''gets custom-made clothing at a chic Boston store . . . [and] instead of his actual initials . . . [has] 'MBM' sewn into his shirts and jackets. Yup. Manny Being Manny.''.

MVP: Seth Mnookin's first-half Red Sox MVP is Coco Crisp.

NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY: David Ortiz cleared up the confusion regarding his right knee problems after last night's game, saying a) he has a torn meniscus, b) he originally hurt it in 2006, not earlier this year, and c) it hurts more than it did last year but he can play through it.

SOFTER LANDING: Remember when J.D. Drew bruised his lower back while crashing into the bullpen wall in mid-May and had to miss a few games? (Right, AP Photo) Well, when they returned to action last night, outfielders found that the Sox added two inches of padding to the top of that wall, making it safer for outfielders leaping in an attempt to snare deep fly balls. (Boston Herald) DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME: Mike Lowell says he won't give the Red Sox the short-term deal it would take to keep him here, but that -- even though he likes it in Boston and would love to stay -- he understands the business of baseball and knows he'll land on his feet somewhere next year. (Boston Herald)

GET IT STRAIGHT: The Herald's Tony Massarotti says the Sox need insurance, not reinforcements, for the stretch run.

IT'S ALL ON YOU: SI.com's Jon Heyman identifies each team's key individual for the second half. For the Red Sox? Curt Schilling. For the Yankees? Joe Torre.

'THINGS I HEARD':Careless and/or uniformed announcers -- such as last night's Blue Jays crew -- are prime targets for old friend Allan Wood. (joyofsox.blogspot.com)

MR. HATFIELD, MEET MR. McCOY: Dave Stewart has made clear his dislike for Roger Clemens over the years, but he reveals in an interview with Todd Devlin of MLBlogs that the Red Sox pursued him as a free agent in the 1992-93 offseason, which would have made them teammates.

IN FOR A DIME, IN FOR A DOLLAR: The Yankees' attempt to negotiate a contract extension with Alex Rodriguez goes against team policy of holding contract talks during the season, leading some to wonder how the Yanks could break their rule for A-Rod and not for some of their other free-agents-to-be, specifically Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Joe Torre. (New York Post) But, according to the New York Daily News, the Yankees are talking to Rivera and Posada, too. Rivera seems receptive to the idea of negotiations, but Posada insists he's going to test the free-agent waters.

NOW OR NOT AT ALL: The Daily News also reports the Yankees have warned A-Rod that if he opts out his contract after the season, they won't attempt to re-sign him. That would, theoretically, lower Rodriguez' open-market value, since he and his agent, Scott Boras, wouldn't have the Yankees to drive up the bidding. Neither of them seems too concerned, though, and both reiterated they have no intention of negotiating during the season.

KEY TO THE SEASON: Peter Abraham, on the LoHud Yankees Blog, says that for the Yanks, it appears to be Bobby Abreu.

ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL: The Yankees' Jeff Karstens, sidelined since late April when his leg was broken by a Julio Lugo line drive, pitched five strong innings in a rehab start for Staten Island. (New York Post)

CHOOSE YOUR ENEMIES CAREFULLY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO YOU END UP RESEMBLING: The Daily News' Anthony McCarron writes the Mets' firing of hitting coach Rick Down made Omar Minaya seem a lot like George Steinbrenner Classic. And in another bit of Yankee Flashback, Willie Randolph distanced himself from Minaya on the decision to fire Down, saying it was ''their'' call. (New York Post)

THAT OLD DETERMINATION: Julio Franco will turn 49 next month and has just been released by the Mets, but he thinks he can still play. (New York Daily News)

MAVERICK BID: Mark Cuban, owning the Cubs? The Chicago Tribune's Rick Morrissey doesn't think MLB will let it happen.

AS DON CORLEONE WOULD SAY, LET US REASON TOGETHER: Eric Byrnes says he'll give the Diamondbacks a hometown discount -- ''within reason'' -- to remain in Arizona. (Arizona Republic)

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN: Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi shot down all Troy Glaus trade rumors by saying Glaus will remain in Toronto (Toronto Globe and Mail) . . . The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold thinks that if the Cardinals trade Scott Rolen, as some rumors are suggesting, it probably won't happen until the offseason . . . The Reds called Ken Griffey Jr.'s agent to deny Griffey-to-the-Brewers rumor.

WHISPERS: The Mets have asked about the Astros' Roy Oswalt (Houston Chronicle) . . . Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle speculates that Yankees, Twins and Angels might have interest in the A's Mike Piazza . . . The Orioles are shopping Jay Gibbons, Kevin Millar, Steve Trachsel and Corey Patterson, though none are expected to fetch more than a mid-level prospect in return (Baltimore Sun) . . . Jermaine Dye, Tadahito Iguchi and Jose Contreras could be had from the White Sox (Chicago Tribune) . . . The Dallas Morning News says the Rangers have a host of suitors for Mark Teixeira, and the Red Sox are one of them.

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:59 AM | Permalink