Warren: Art...did you see Clemens pitch on Saturday..I thought he was mediocre at best and cause for concern for the yanks...granted Roger will get better with more work..the question is at 44 going on 45 I wonder how much...If he pitches against any half way decent team like he did Saturday he is going to get clocked ?

Art Martone: I didn't see the game, just the highlights. There'll be sterner tests than the Pirates, for sure, but the numbers look decent for a first outing. After all, the guy *is* a) 44 going on 45 and b) basically just finishing up spring training. I think Friday's start against the Mets will give a better indication of just where Clemens is and, perhaps more importantly, where he's going.

Mark: Thoughts on Roger Clemens-Waldman's first start?

Art Martone: I just did, but I *had* to include the question . . . for obvious reasons!

Mike: You mentioned today on SoxTalk that you'd like to see Lugo out of the leadoff spot. Who would you put at the top of the order: Youkilis? Pedroia? Someone else?

Art Martone: Sean McAdam and I discussed this topic on SoxTalk, and we agreed that Terry Francona will probably take Julio Lugo out of the leadoff spot starting tomorrow night. I mentioned this on the Sox Blog this morning, but Lugo hit .207 in the month of May and is hitting almost 100 points *lower* than that in June. The obvious choice in Pedroia. A lineup of Pedroia/Youkilis/Ortiz/Ramirez/Drew/Varitek/Crisp/Lugo would have be to more productive than a lineup that starts with an automatic out in the No. 1 spot.

Warren: Is it true what yankee fans are saying...the sox have thrown in the white flag and yankee playoff tickets go on sale Friday ?;) Geez the yankee fans are so full of themselves ? ;)

Art Martone: Imagine what they'd be saying if they were 8 games back, instead of 9 1/2!

Warren: Art...there is a saying that the quickest way to the majors is to play catcher...and yet why the league wide lack of quality catching , particularly back-up ?

Art Martone: Good question. I think the talent flow tends to be cyclical, and right now we're in a bit of a down period for catchers. No particular reason, just the way it is. I know the Red Sox, who are disappointed in Kotteras' lack of progress in Pawtucket this year, are in the market for a backup catcher -- if not for this year then for next -- since it looks as if Mirabelli's hit the end of the trail.

Warren: Art...what's the word on Hansen...do the sox think he may yet turn into what they thought they were getting when they drafted him or have they started to set the bar lower ?

Art Martone: There are questions about Hansen, to be sure. He's really not pitching well at all in Pawtucket. His WHIP is a ghastly 1.92, he has almost as many walks (14) as strikeouts (16), and his ERA is over 5.00. Considering there were those who felt he could step right in as the closer after being drafted in 2005, yes, I'd have to say he's been a grave disappointment. I seriously doubt the Sox have the same hopes they had two years ago, when they thought they'd made the steal of the draft in getting Hansen late in the first round.

Warren: Art....are you planning on bringing any players to particpate in these chats ?

Art Martone: At the moment, no. But things could change.

Warren: Art....Randy Johnson sure looked like the Randy Johnson of old yesterday...was it just a change of scenary that he needed or is he doing something different than last year ?

Art Martone: The players said he was throwing the ball better yesterday than he had at any time they faced him last year. (And since he's always had a lot of success against Boston, that's saying something.) He had the offseason surgery, so that may have helped. But I also have a sneaking feeling that getting out of New York helped him, as well, since he was clearly uncomfortable in the spotlight.

Warren: Art....are the trade winds blowing in Boston ?

Art Martone: Nothing is imminent, unless you count the J.C. Romero talks. (The Sox have seven more days to trade him after designating him for assignment on Friday.) I think they're still in the process of mapping out strategy for the "trade season" in July; i.e., deciding what their needs are, prioritizing them, and seeing if they can do something in the trade market.

Mark: When do the NBA finals start? Seriously, the NHL gets hammered (and rightly so) when its finals fall flat in terms of public interest. But the NBA final has been no better so far, yet the national media is silent. What's up with that?

Art Martone: Interesting point. I think the answer is two-fold: 1) The hockey ratings were so low this year that the NHL became an easy target and 2) the NBA finals benefit from the ABC/ESPN brand, which give it a legitimacy beyond what the NHL received from being on the Versus network. I also think the Stanley Cup finals suffered by having no easily accessible hook into the casual fan. The NBA finals may get one yet with LeBron James, who may catch fire the way he did in the last four games of the Detroit series.

Warren: Art...I caught some of the yankee game and was curious...the yanks pulled young prospect Clippard after coughing up another lead yesterday and noticed they let the rookie stew in his own sauce on the bench...where was all the high priced yankee coaching ? Why weren't they talking to him ? Where was Roger...shouldn't he have walked over to give the kid some words of encourgement or advice ?

Art Martone: I hesitate to comment on things like this, because there could be any number of reasons why all that happened . . . including that the cameras didn't catch when they *were* talking to him.

Warren: How bad is Lowell's wrist ?

Art Martone: Right now it appears to be one of the many aches-and-pains players suffer during the course of any season. The days ahead should indicate whethere it's actually something more.

Warren: Art....I noticed the other day when MLB held it's draft that the bigger the city the less coverage about the draft in the morning papers with the New England area being the exception....Any thoughts on why ?

Art Martone: Because no one knows who these guys are. Because they're so far away from the major leagues. And because the baseball draft is more of a crap shoot than any of the others.

Warren: Art....did you see the Belmont Stakes on Saturday...that was some race by Rags to Riches...why is it so hard for a philly to win the belmont...Rags was the first in over a 100 years

Art Martone: I have to admit: I know so little about horse racing that I can't answer any of those questions with any degree of certainty. I rely on others -- specifically Jim Donaldson, who's very savvy when it comes to thoroughbreds -- to tell me what I have to know.

Warren: Art....might it not be a bad idea that all teams that play the Pittsburgh Pirates have to spot the Pirates a 5 runs lead before the game starts ?

Art Martone: I don't know about every team, but it might not be a bad idea when they play the Yankees.

Warren: Art...the sox have today off and then start a nice long home stand...is good ole home cooking just what the doctor ordered ?

Art Martone: I wouldn't consider six games to be a "nice long home stand," but sure, I think being at home will help.

Pam: OK, OK, I've got to chime in here as a native Pittsburgher (re: the Pirates). Warren, be careful! You could curse your own team talking like that.

Art Martone: I'm not getting in the middle of this one . . .

Warren: Art....Have the sox ever thought of building as another attraction at Fenway a Red Sox Hall of Fame....something bigger than a room that would play up the sox history and be another fun thing to do when at the park ?

Art Martone: I think there's some talk about it, and we may find out more when they announce the next wave of renovations this winter.