Bartolo Colon, in his second Triple-A start since a stint on the disabled list, threw six innings of one-hit, shutout ball as the Pawtucket Red Sox beat the Buffalo Bisons, 2-0, today in Buffalo. The game was only seven innings under Triple-A rules, because it is part of a double header. Colon struck out four batters, all of them looking, did not walk anyone and needed only 64 pitches to get through the six innings.
The PawSox scored both of their runs in the first, on an RBI single by George Kottaras and a sacrifice fly by Sandy Madera.
As Steve Krasner reported today, Colon could be a candidate to start for the Red Sox against Kansas City on Tuesday, now that Clay Buchholz has been placed on the disabled list.
Red Sox' Lester pitching free ice coffees in Warwick
Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester is tossing free ice coffees today to customers of the Dunkin' Donuts on 1678 Post Road, Warwick. A company spokeswoman said Lester is there now and probably will leave by noon.
Lester is pitching in on a Dunkin' Donuts promotion that gives customers a free 16-ounce (small) iced coffee from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at participating shops nationwide.
Two customers in Warwick will win a pair of Red Sox tickets each to an upcoming Red Sox home game.
Steve Krasner reviews Sox' problems at quarter-point of season
The Boston Red Sox have basically completed one-quarter of the season.
They had yesterday off as an opportunity to lick their wounds and assess their M*A*S*H issues after a disappointing 4-6 trip through Detroit, Minnesota and Baltimore that finished with four losses in a row and five in the last six games.
Tonight they will open up the interleague portion of their schedule when the Milwaukee Brewers, featuring embattled closer Eric Gagne (remember him?) and ex-Sox player and minor-league manager Gabe Kapler, will visit Fenway Park for a three-game set.
Check around the baseball world and experts still consider the Red Sox to be the class of the American League and a good bet to make it back to the World Series with a chance to claim back-to-back World Championships, even if they are a half-game behind the surprising Tampa Bay Rays in the A.L. East.
But no team is perfect. The Sox aren't going to waltz to the A.L. crown just by showing up and throwing their gloves on the field.
This interlude in the schedule provides an opportunity to discuss some concerns facing the Red Sox at the quarter-pole.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Hideki Okajima's ineffectiveness with runners on base, and what the Red Sox have to do about it, the team's hot-and-cold nature in the early part of the season, and Manny Ramirez's endless entertainment value.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: A very bad day in Baltimore
Click here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk (audio only today). Sean discusses the Red Sox' harrowing day yesterday, Josh Beckett's surprising inability to retire the Orioles' usually inept lineup, the Terry Francona-Brad Mills relationship, and the Red Sox' meeting this afternoon with Daniel Cabrera, the guy who sparked a bench-clearing incident with the Sox last September.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Clay Buchholz's troubles on the road, and how it makes the club's decision about Bartolo Colon easier, looking to deal Julian Tavarez and giving Craig Hansen a vote of confidence, Josh Beckett's assignment tonight in Baltimore, Alex Rodriguez's injury and the Rays' run for first place.
The Sox' Kevin Youkilis was named the American League's Player of the Week for the period May 5-11.
Over that stretch, Youkilis batted .375 (12 for 32) with three doubles, five homers and 10 homers for a slugging percentage of .938. He led the league in extra-base hits and total bases for the week.
Youkilis had five multiple-hit games in the seven games for the period, with at least one extra-base hit in five of the games.
This is the first time Youkilis has been honored as a Player of the Week.
Right-hander Julian Tavarez has been designated for assignment to make room for Sean Casey on the roster.
The Sox now have 10 days to trade Tavarez, release him or outright assign him to the minors, an assignment Tavarez can veto because of his service time. Tavarez was the forgotten man in the Boston bullpen this season, appearing in only nine games, including a 1 1/3-inning stint against the Twins on Sunday night. He was 0-1 with a 6.39 earned-run average.
The move spared Craig Hansen an option to Pawtucket. The Red Sox have been impressed by Hansen's performances in Pawtucket this season, and have seen enough good things out of him in three outings with Boston over two brief periods with the big-league club to forego the easy move -- optioning him to the PawSox.
The roster move cuts the number of Red Sox pitchers to 12, adding to a position player to the very thin bench. Casey had been on the disabled list since April 26 because of a right hip strain. Casey was hitting .346 (18 for 52) when he suffered the injury.
Farnsworth's suspension for throwing at Manny reduced
NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Farnsworth’s suspension was cut from three games to one Friday by Major League Baseball following an appeal by the New York Yankees reliever.
Bob Watson, baseball’s vice president in charge of discipline, announced the original penalty April 19, two days after Farnsworth threw a fastball behind the neck of Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez. Farnsworth wasn’t ejected and said the ball slipped.
John McHale Jr., executive vice president for administration in the commissioner’s office, heard Farnsworth’s appeal Tuesday.
Farnsworth was to serve the suspension Friday, baseball spokesman Rich Levin said.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: That hot-starting Youkilis
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Kevin Youkilis' hot start -- can he make it last? -- Josh Beckett's steady improvement, Manny Ramirez's quest for 500 home runs -- and is 600 a realistic goal? -- and the Minnesota Twins, who are hanging in there despite the loss of Johan Santana and Torii Hunter.
Red Sox first baseman Sean Casey (hip sprain) and infielder Alex Cora (elbow strain) are playing for the PawSox this afternoon as both continue their rehab assignments.
Cora, who went 2-for-4 in his first appearance on Wednesday, is batting second and will play second base again today against the Durham Bulls. He will play shortstop on Friday and will rejoin the Red Sox this weekend. He said this morning that he's 100 percent. He grounded out in his first at-bat.
Casey is serving as the PawSox' DH today and will play first base on Friday. He singled in his first at-bat.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: a tough, tough way to lose a game, Julio Lugo's channeling of Edgar Renteria, whether there's a market for Julian Tavarez, and the struggles of tonight's Tigers starter, Justin Verlander.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports today that David Sanborn, a Red Sox fan from Oceanside, Calif., has been ordered to pay about $25,000 for his role in a bar fight in 2006 with Mario Melendez, a Yankee fan. Melendez sued for damages because he injured his hand when he punched Sanborn (Melendez said the punch was in self-defense). No criminal charges were filed in the incident, but a Superior Court jury on Tuesday awarded Melendez $15,297 for medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering; and $10,000 in additional punitive damages.
Sanborn, a Massachusetts native, claimed that Melendez challenged him to a fight and then sucker-punched him.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: The old guys can still pitch
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the combined shutout by 41-year-old Tim Wakefield and 42-year-old Mike Timlin; the first throwing session of the year for 41-year-old Curt Schilling; Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz becoming a force in the middle again; and the MLB Players Association's investigation of the owners' failure for not finding a job for Barry Bonds.
Curt Schilling made 25 tosses from a distance of 60 feet from 1:43 to 1:49 this afternoon at Comerica Park, the first time he has thrown a baseball this spring as he continues to rehabilitate his right shoulder.
The session went well. He will repeat the workout on Thursday.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Daisuke Matsuzaka's inability to control his pitches, Craig Hansen's inability so far to seize the opportunity handed to him, Mike Lowell's first RBIs of the season, and the inconsistency of the Detroit Tigers.
NASHUA, N.H. (AP) -- A woman accused of running down a man in her car after a Red Sox-Yankees argument in a bar never hit her brakes as she accelerated toward the small group he was in, a prosecutor said today.
"She never braked, and she accelerated at a high speed for about 200 feet. She went directly at this group of people," prosecutor Susan Morrell said of Ivonne Hernandez, who is charged with reckless second-degree murder in the death early Friday of Matthew Beaudoin, 29.
Authorities won't describe the argument beforehand in Slade's Food & Spirits, but witnesses said it heated up when Hernandez identified herself as a New York Yankees fan. Like the rest of New Hampshire, Nashua, 45 miles northwest of Boston, is Red Sox country.
Bartender Tanya Moran said the argument spilled outside, and at least one person in a group that included Beaudoin began chanting "Yankees suck!" when they saw a Yankees sticker on Hernandez's car.
Hernandez, 43, allegedly gunned her car and struck Beaudoin and his friend Maria Hughes, 21. Hughes had only minor injuries, which Beaudoin's sister Faith said was because her brother shielded his friend.
Hernandez, of Nashua, was arrested at the scene. She acknowledged she had been drinking and refused to take a breath-alcohol test, said Morrell, a senior assistant attorney general. Hernandez said she had been in an argument with the group.
"She indicated to police that she wanted to scare this group of people. She thought they would get out of the way," Morrell said.
Hernandez was ordered held without bail after being arraigned toay in Nashua District Court. The charges, including aggravated drunken driving, are felonies, so Hernandez could not enter a plea.
Her public defender, James Quay, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Beaudoin died of massive head trauma at a hospital, Morrell said.
Moran told The Telegraph of Nashua during the weekend that Beaudoin came to the bar regularly to socialize, sing karaoke and have fun.
"He came to hang out. He didn't really drink much," she said.
Chris Lovett, a disc jockey at Slade's, told the New Hampshire Union Leader that Beaudoin kept to himself and "wasn't an instigator."
Faith Beaudoin said her brother, who lived in Nashua, was a 1997 graduate of Nashua High School who worked dealing poker at Sharky's in Manchester and Nashua. She said his organs, including his heart, live and kidneys, were donated in hopes of saving other people's lives.
"He was always helping people when he was alive, and he's still saving lives," she said, choking back tears during the weekend.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the bizarre balk call that prolonged last night's game (I had already turned the thing off...); the Red Sox' abysmal offensive showing this week; a showdown series against ... Tampa Bay; and the injury problems down in the Bronx.
For the month of April, plus the two games played against Oakland in Japan, the Red Sox have won eight games in which they scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning or later. That compares to just three such victories last season, when the Red Sox were a little less dramatic and more methodical in roaring out of the gate on their World Series championship season.
We've put together a photo gallery looking back on the eight dramatic wins, plus the equally dramatic rain-soaked game in Boston in which the Sox held off a Yankee comeback. Click here to view the gallery.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Another dramatic victory
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: A fourth consecutive fine pitching performance offsetting the general offensive futility, Toronto's penchant for beating itself, the latest injury news and the advantages of a potential spring-training move to Sarasota.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Last night's ninth-inning victory, Dustin Pedroia as a danger to his own health, up-and-down Jon Lester very much up last night, and Roy Halladay's frustrating world.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Jacoby Ellsbury's 17-for-17 stolen-base streak, Bartolo Colon's path back to the mound, the Toronto Blue Jays struggling early in the season, and the latest Roger Clemens scandal.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Swept Away in Tampa Bay
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the five-game losing streak, Tampa Bay's prospects to compete down the road, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz giving good outings, and the coming return of Mike Lowell.
Red Sox 'curse' jersey fetches $175,100 for charity
BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Red Sox jersey secretly buried under the new Yankee Stadium in a failed curse attempt sold Thursday for $175,100 in a charity auction.
The bid was the highest of 282 for the battered No. 34 David Ortiz jersey, which the Yankees jackhammered out from under two feet of concrete earlier this month.
The Jimmy Fund, the cancer charity that sold the shirt, did not immediately reveal the name of the winning bidder after the weeklong eBay auction ended at 12:30 p.m.
That person, whose screen name is 2004carman, did not immediately respond to an e-mail requesting comment. The winner also will receive a new Ortiz jersey and two tickets to a Red Sox game.
Mike Andrews, The Jimmy Fund chairman and former Red Sox second baseman, said the charity was "absolutely thrilled."
"We are grateful for the generous bid, and extend our deep gratitude to the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox for coming together again in the fight against cancer," he said in a statement.
Construction worker Gino Castignoli, a Red Sox fan from the Bronx, dropped the jersey in wet concrete, hoping to hex the Yankees.
New York found the jersey after receiving information from anonymous tipsters. The Yankees then decided to donate it to the Jimmy Fund, the Red Sox's official charity that is affiliated with Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the illness that is messing up the Red Sox' plans, what to expect from Justin Masterson, and Craig Hansen's 2008 debut.
Josh Beckett, who missed his scheduled start on Tuesday night because of a stiff neck, was able to throw a bullpen session this morning. That puts him in line to be able to make his next scheduled start, which will be on the road Sunday against Tampa Bay
Daisuke Matsuzaka, who missed his scheduled start on Wednesday night, is being examined this morning by Red Sox doctors to determine how contagious he is.
The likely plan is for Matsuzaka to remain in Boston while the Red Sox spend the weekend on the road, playing the Rays. Manager Terry Francona said he didn't see any sense in taking Dice-K along on the trip given the severity of his illness.
If the right-hander feels strong enough while Boston is on the road, the Red Sox will make whatever arrangements are necessary to make sure Matsuzaka can throw in Fenway Park. His next scheduled start would be Tuesday at home against Toronto, but there's no guarantee he'll be healthy enough to pitch that night.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Ellsbury shines vs. L.A.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Jacoby Ellsbury's terrific night against the Angels, the Ellsbury-Dustin Pedroia duo looking great, David Pauley's future with the team, and the roster move to come later today.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Happy stories all around
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. All's right for the Red Sox fans of the world, as our conversation topics suggest: the team's fast start (same record through 21 games as they had en route to the World Series last year), Jacoby Ellsbury's standout play of late and Julio Lugo responding to the challenge from young Jed Lowrie. Also, Sean provides a briefing on the L.A. Angels, who hit Fenway for three games beginning tonight.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Earning the split in New York
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning as from New York. He discusses Manny Ramirez's mastery of Mike Mussina, Kyle Farnsworth's brush-back pitch and possible repercussions down the road, Josh Beckett, similarities between the current editions of the Sox and the Yanks, and why Jonathan Papelbon struggles when the game is not on the line.
Ortiz jersey buried in Bronx will be auctioned for Jimmy Fund
BOSTON (AP) - Some might call it a curse, others might call it a cure for cancer.
The Boston Red Sox's official charity, the Jimmy Fund, is auctioning off the David Ortiz jersey that was buried under the New York Yankees' new stadium by a Boston fan trying to curse its American League rivals.
The auction began Thursday on eBay Inc. and lasts for one week. The starting bid is $500.
All proceeds will go to the children's cancer charity, which is affiliated with Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Construction worker Gino Castignoli had dropped the jersey in wet concrete, apparently hoping to hex the archrival Yankees.
Anonymous tipsters led the Yankees to the jersey's location, and it was dug up Sunday.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: A long and fruitless night
Last night's was a pretty ugly game, so I guess it's appropriate that today's edition of SoxTalk is sound only, with no pictures. Sean discusses Clay Buchholz's tough night, Chien-Ming Wang's inability to follow up on Friday's excellent effort, Kevin Youkilis' injured foot and the strange scheduling decision by Major League Baseball to have the Yankees finish this season on the road.
Reversing practice so far during the NHL playoffs, NESN will be carrying the Red Sox-Yankees game tomorrow night -- meaning that the game will also be available on high definition -- while the Bruins-Canadiens game 5 will be pushed to Cox.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Another ninth-inning win
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning from as he was en route to the Cleveland airport and a morning flight to New York. He discusses the motivation teams get from late-inning wins, Jason Varitek's early-season power surge, Jed Lowrie's debut, Alex Cora's injured elbow and tonight's Clay Buchholz vs. Chien-Ming Wang matchup.
Radio report: Cora on DL; Thurston likely replacement
WEEI is reporting this morning that, as anticipated in today's Providence Journal, utility infielder Alex Cora has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow injury, and that Pawtucket infielder Joe Thurston will probably take his place on the Boston roster. Thurston, 28, has had previous big-league stints with the Dodgers and the Phillies. Click here to read a profile of Thurston by Joe McDonald.
CLEVELAND (AP) - Indians closer Joe Borowski was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, a day after blowing a save and giving up a two-run homer in the ninth inning to Boston's Manny Ramirez in a 6-4 loss to the Red Sox.
The club said Borowski, who led the AL with 45 saves last season, has a strained triceps. He had been puzzled and frustrated by a significant loss in his velocity.
The club recalled right-hander Tom Mastny from Triple-A Buffalo.
With Borowski out, Indians manager Eric Wedge likely will turn to Rafael Betancourt as his new closer. Betancourt was one of baseball's top set-up men last season. He had three saves last season and has 12 career saves.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Yankees go home, and now we're off to Cleveland
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning as he was on his way to Cleveland. He discusses the Red Sox bullpen, Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Red Sox' ability to capitalize on Phil Hughes' mistakes, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and the continued difficult schedule.
Yankees want to pursue charges against Ortiz jersey guy
NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Yankees could seek criminal charges against a Boston Red Sox-loving construction worker who buried a jersey of his favorite team in the new stadium.
But Gino Castignoli, the Red Sox fan who said he intended to curse the Yankees by planting the jersey, said he did it in jest.
"Anybody with half a brain knows it was all done in fun," Castignoli said in Monday editions of The New York Post.
About possible legal actions the Yankees may pursue, the Bronx-born Local 780 cement mason told the Boston Herald in Monday editions: "It's typical Yankees... It's not like I snuck in there. It didn't do any structural damage. I didn't put anyone in harm's way."
But maybe his bad vibes got to the Yankees anyway: The pinstripes fell Sunday to Boston, 8-5, in the series finale Sunday night.
Castignoli's bid to curse the Yankees was foiled earlier that day when the home team removed the offending shirt from its burial spot.
After locating the shirt in a service corridor behind what will be a restaurant in the new Yankee Stadium, construction workers jackhammered through the concrete Sunday and pulled it out.
The team said it learned that a Sox-rooting construction worker had buried a shirt in the new Bronx stadium, which will open next year across the street from the current ballpark, from a report in the New York Post on Friday.
Yankees President Randy Levine said team officials at first considered leaving the shirt where it was.
"The first thought was, you know, it's never a good thing to be buried in cement when you're in New York," Levine said. "But then we decided, why reward somebody who had really bad motives and was trying to do a really bad thing?"
On Saturday, construction workers who remembered the employee, Gino Castignoli, phoned in tips about the shirt's location.
"We had anonymous people come tell us where it was, and we were able to find it," said Frank Gramarossa, a project executive with Turner Construction, the general contractor on the site.
It took about five hours of drilling Saturday to locate the shirt under 2 feet of concrete, he said.
On Sunday, Levine and Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost watched as Gramarossa and foreman Rich Corrado finished the job and pulled the shirt from the rubble.
In shreds from the jackhammers, the shirt still bore the letters "Red Sox" on the front. It was a David Ortiz jersey, No. 34.
Trost said the Yankees had discussed possible criminal charges against Castignoli with the district attorney's office.
"We will take appropriate action since fortunately we do know the name of the individual," he said.
A spokesman for Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson said Sunday he did not know whether any criminal charges might apply.
Levine said the shirt would be cleaned up and sent to the Jimmy Fund, a charity affiliated with Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
"Hopefully the Jimmy Fund will auction it off and we'll take the act that was a very, very bad act and turn it into something beautiful," he said.
Last night: "They were able to score runs in bunches, had three different innings where they scored four runs, and kind of broke out a little bit offensively. That's something they haven't been able to do."
Ortiz: "It may only be 10 games, but ... he really seems lost up there. Some of it may be the surgically repaired knee is not yet 100 percent. He has traditionally been a slow starter, who has said that it usually takes him a little while to find his swing, and it's pretty obvious right now that he hasn't found it yet. And until he does, there are going to have to be others who come through and pick up the slack a little bit."
Cash: "He's very solid fundamentally and defensively. He's not going to provide a lot of offense, but then again neither was [Doug] Mirabelli, and I think they're very happy with the way that Cash not only catches the knuckleball and handles Wakefield, but is available and pretty sound to contribute in other ways when he's behind the plate."
The Yankees: "They are a little banged up. They just got [Jorge] Posada back, and [Derek] Jeter looks like he's going to be out for a few more days. And as a result of a couple of those injuries, the offense really hasn't clicked. ... No one doubts that the Yankees are going to be able to score runs in bunches. They haven't yet ... and maybe the Red Sox are catching the Yankees at the right time this weekend, if they're able to get these games in."
Last night: "They were able to score runs in bunches, had three different innings where they scored four runs, and kind of broke out a little bit offensively. That's something they haven't been able to do."
Ortiz: "It may only be 10 games, but ... he really seems lost up there. Some of it may be the surgically repaired knee is not yet 100 percent. He has traditionally been a slow starter, who has said that it usually takes him a little while to find his swing, and it's pretty obvious right now that he hasn't found it yet. And until he does, there are going to have to be others who come through and pick up the slack a little bit."
Cash: "He's very solid fundamentally and defensively. He's not going to provide a lot of offense, but then again neither was [Doug] Mirabelli, and I think they're very happy with the way that Cash not only catches the knuckleball and handles Wakefield, but is available and pretty sound to contribute in other ways when he's behind the plate."
The Yankees: "They are a little banged up. They just got [Jorge] Posada back, and [Derek] Jeter looks like he's going to be out for a few more days. And as a result of a couple of those injuries, the offense really hasn't clicked. ... No one doubts that the Yankees are going to be able to score runs in bunches. They haven't yet ... and maybe the Red Sox are catching the Yankees at the right time this weekend, if they're able to get these games in."
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: An ugly loss to Detroit
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses last night's game, Mike Lowell's injury, possible roster replacements for Lowell, the bullpen dilemma and Edgar Renteria, who has hit .342 against the Sox since being booed out of town after the 2005 season.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
Last night's game: "It was not the best showing for the Red Sox on either side. Jon Lester had control problems, walked four, and that directly cost him. And after geting Bonderman on the ropes early, the offense wasn't able to take much advantage after that; the attack was pretty nonexistent after the third inning."
On Lowell: "He was pretty uncomfortable last night. In fact he needed some help getting his jacket on over his hand and that sprained thumb. ... He'll be reevaluated today, but I think it's clear that were not going to see Mike Lowell for the next few days. I guess for the Red Sox the best case scenario at this point is to stay away from a D.L. visit early in the season, and hope that it can maybe calm down in the next four to five days."
Call-ups if Lowell goes on the DL? "It's not going to be [Chris] Carter, because they do not see him as a first base candidate -- he's had real difficulties over there. [Brandon] Moss could be a possibility to come up, and have Youkilis play third base every day. Another option would be essentially what they did last night, with Casey taking over at first, Youkilis at third and then maybe bringing in somebody like Jed Lowrie to give them some flexiblility; Lowrie can play third as well [as shortstop]."
Aardsma vs. Corey vs. Lopez: "I would have said a week ago that Corey was the guy who probably was going to be kept. ... But he's not helped himself in the last week, either with his showing Saturday in Toronto, or last night when he had a bad inning. For that matter, neither Aardsma nor Lopez have looked sharp of late. So I'm not sure what decisions are going to be made here, but it seems as though neither one of these guys is stepping up and claiming this job for himself."
Renteria, a target of Boston fans: "It seems as if he has used that as some sort of motivation in coming back here, either with Detroit, or playing pretty well against them as a member of the Atlanta Braves. I think it's more evidence that the year he had here was essentially a fluke and that ... hes been a pretty good major league shortstop for 10 years."
Cox Communications today announced that it will broadcast 21 New England Revolution soccer games on Cox Sports (Cox channel 3) for the 2008 season. In addition, Cox will televise tomorrow's Red Sox-Tigers game, which will not be shown on NESN. The Red Sox' usual broadcast network will show the Bruins-Canadiens playoff game.
Brad Feldman and former Revolution defender Greg Lalas will provide play-by-plays or the Revs, while head coach Steve Nicol will be on hand for in-game reaction.
Coverage will include innovative side-by-side replays, and exclusive halftime features will give viewers an inside look at the team.
The 2008 New England Revolution broadcast schedule is as follows. (All games are live except where noted otherwise.)
Wednesday, April 9, 8 p.m. - at Kansas City Wizards
Saturday, April 12, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Colorado Rapids
Saturday, April 19, 7:30 p.m. - at New York Red Bulls
Saturday, May 3, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Chicago Fire
Sunday, May 11, 9 p.m. - at CD Chivas USA (tape delayed)
Saturday, May 17, 7:30 p.m. - vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Sunday, June 8, 3 p.m. - vs. FC Dallas
Wednesday, June 18, 7:30 p.m. - vs. New York Red Bulls
Saturday, June 21, 9:30 p.m. - at Real Salt Lake
Saturday, June 28, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Toronto FC
Friday, July 4, 10:30 p.m. - at Los Angeles Galaxy
Saturday, August 9, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Chicago Fire
Saturday, August 16, 10 p.m. - at San Jose Earthquakes
Wednesday, August 20, 7:30 p.m. - vs. D.C. United
Saturday, August 30, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Los Angeles Galaxy
Saturday, September 6, 7:30 p.m. - at Columbus Crew
Saturday, September 20, 9 p.m. - at Colorado Rapids
Saturday, September 27, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Columbus Crew
Saturday, October 4, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Real Salt Lake
Saturday, October 11, 8 p.m. - at Kansas City Wizards
Saturday, October 25, 7:30 p.m. - vs. Kansas City Wizards
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: The opening day victory
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses the struggling Tigers, Daisuke Matsuzaka, J.D. Drew and Bill Buckner.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On the Tigers: "I think it's O.K. to get worried now, if you're Jim Leyland. When you go more than a week into the season and are still without your first win, then that spells trouble, particularly when you're in a division with a team that came within a few outs of the pennant last year -- the Indians -- and other teams that are kind of upstarts, like the Royals."
Matsuzaka attacking the hitters: "I think the problem last year came when he got himself in a situation where he fell behind so often that he was throwing the fastball on hitter's counts, and of course that spells trouble for a pitcher. But they clearly seem to try [this year] to get ahead more with the fastball and let other pitches do the work once he does that."
J.D. Drew's fast start: "If you go back and look at his April last year, the first two or three weeks were pretty good. And the hope if you're the Red Sox is that he continues that hot start this season, and doesn't dip the way he did last year."
On the Buckner tribute: "I thought the time to have Buckner back would have been for the 2005 ceremony, when you're trying to wash away all the sins of the past and put all the curse stuff behind you. To me, yesterday, it seemed out of place. I think the 2007 world championship that they were celebrating yesterday, and I don't want to classify it as just another championship, but it seemed to me that the time for that would have been a few years ago. And I think people forget that Buckner has already been forgiven, back in 1990 when he returned as a player for the second part of his career with the Red Sox. I thought it was a little bit of wallowing in the Red Sox' tragic past, when they should have put all of that behind them."
BOSTON -- Those tears he wiped away were real. Bill Buckner admitted that his suprise appearance today at Fenway Park touched him deeply, and that he was indeed teary-eyed as the fans cheered while he made his way in from left field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
"It was about as emotional as it could get," Buckner told a group of reporters in the Fenway Park interview room immediately after the ceremony. "A lot of things were going through my mind" as he walked in from left field. "Just good things . . . which is a good thing.
"I appreciate all the thought behind [the invitation from the Red Sox organization]. It was hard to do for me."
Here is the official Red Sox pregame release on the Opening Day ceremonies:
Some quick highlights: The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown out by former Red Sox Bill Buckner. Along with the World Series trophy, the Stanley Cup, Larry O'Brien Trophy and the Lombardi Trophy (NFL) will be on hand today.
The Boston Red Sox celebrated their 108th Home Opener, and the 96th for Fenway Park, on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 with a pre-game ceremony that celebrated the Club’s 7th World Championship Title and ushered in the 2008 season at home. The ceremony featured the presentation of the 2007 World Championship Rings, the hoisting of the 2007 World Championship Banner, a parade of flags from 62 countries representing the breadth and diversity of Red Sox Nation, a flyover of F-16 jets, and a Ceremonial First Pitch from a Red Sox Alumnus making his long-awaited return to Fenway Park.
The following is a detailed description of each aspect of the pre-game ceremonies.
Videos of Memorable Moments from 2007: The ceremonies were kicked off with three videos recapping the most memorable moments from the 2007 season. The first video featured game clips from the 2007 regular season that ended with the Sox winning their first American League East Championship since 1995. The second video showcased clips from the 2007 American League Division and Championship Series, the last video highlighted clips from the 2007 World Series where the Red Sox swept the National League Champion Colorado Rockies in four straight games to win their seventh World Championship title.
The Parade of Nations: The recap videos were followed by a parade of flags in front of the Green Monster from 62 different countries that represented the wide-spread appeal of the Red Sox throughout the globe. The nations represented by these flags either count Red Sox Nation members as its residents or have citizens who have been in touch with the Red Sox Front Offices via letters and emails professing their love for the ‘Olde’ Towne Team’. The countries represented were: Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Venezuela and Vietnam.
The Banners: All seven World Championship banners were ceremoniously unfurled on the Green Monster to the Theme from Jurassic Park, composed by John Williams, which was chosen because of its gentle yet celebratory grandeur. The 2004 and 2007 championship banners spanned the length of the entire left field wall. The Sox are the only Major League Baseball team to win two World Championships in the 21st century. The large 2004 and 2007 banners were all hand-stitched and created by Heritage Flag of South Boston, MA. The swallow-tail banners representing championships in 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916 and 1918 were made by Flag Graphics of Somerville, MA. All flag and banner related logistics were handled on Opening Day by John Coyne of USA Sign in Boston, MA.
Champions of Boston: The pre-game ceremony featured an impressive array of athletes from the Bruins, Celtics and Patriots. The ‘Champions of Boston’ ceremoniously carried the World Championship Rings to be presented to the 2007 Red Sox and handed them over to Red Sox Ownership for presentation.
From the Boston Bruins
Left Wing John ‘Johnny’ Bucyk
Left Wing Ken Hodge
Left Wing Donald ‘Don’ Marcotte
Right Wing John ‘Johnny’ McKenzie
Defenseman Bobby Orr
From the Boston Celtics
Guard/Current Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge
Guard/Forward M.L. Carr
Guard/Forward John Havlicek
Guard K.C. Jones
Center Bill Russell
Guard/Current Director of Special Projects Jo Jo White
From the New England Patriots
Linebacker Tedy Bruschi
Running Back Kevin Faulk
Linebacker Larry Izzo
Long Snapper Lonnie Paxton
The 2004 Boston Red Sox
Infielder Brian Daubach
Pitcher Curtis Leskanic
Infielder/Pitcher Dave McCarty
The Championship Trophies: The Champions from each of the four Boston sports franchises were accompanied by one of the Championship trophies that each of those franchises won.
The Stanley Cup: National Hockey League
The Larry O’Brien Trophy: National Basketball Association
The Lombardi Trophy: National Football League
The Commissioner’s Trophy: Major League Baseball
By our research, this is the first time that all four trophies have been in one location at the same time.
The 2007 World Championship Rings: The 2007 Boston Red Sox World Series Championship ring is cast in brilliant white gold. The top of the ring has twenty-eight round brilliant-cut diamonds channel-set around the bottom of the bezel. On the top of the bezel, recessed in black letters, are the words “World Champions”.
Centered on top of the ring is the Red Sox logo, (a pair of red socks) cast in brilliant white gold each set with four custom fitted natural rubies mounted on a diamond base crest depicting a baseball diamond. The diamond base crest is inlaid with fourteen princess-cut diamonds. The baseball diamond overhangs an inner bezel and is set on a field of four custom faceted synthetic blue sapphires.
The left side of the ring has “7th World Series Championship” in raised relief on a black background. Underneath is a depiction of Fenway Park with “4-0 Sweep” at the bottom of the panel.
There are two versions of the right side of the ring. For those players’ who played on both the 2004 and 2007 World Championship teams, their rings have a panel with the recipient’s name in raised relief on a black background above a maroon-enameled initial “B” between two World Series Trophies. For those players who played only on the 2007 team, their rings have one trophy on the right and a maroon-enameled initial “B” on the left. For all rings, at the bottom of the panel in raised relief is the recipient’s uniform number with the year “2007”.
The inside of the ring is engraved with: “Boston Red Sox” and “10-28-07”.
The ring features a total of 42 diamonds with a total weight of 2.33 carats. The total weight of the ring is 50 dwt.
"The ring is stunning! Clearly reflecting the great care the Red Sox take in recognizing their organization,” said Tim Larson, president and CEO, Jostens. "Jostens is honored to work with Red Sox on the entire process that culminates in the delivery of the World Championship rings for today's historic ceremony."
The Ring Presentation: The rings were presented in nine distinct groups in order: Manager and Coaches; Trainers and Clubhouse Staff; Catchers; Starting Pitchers; Infield; Outfield; Bullpen; Closer; and the Designated Hitter.
The rings for the Manager and the Coaches were given out as the Boston Pops played the Main Theme to the Magnificent Seven, originally composed by Elmer Bernstein, chosen to collectively represent Manager Terry Francona and his team of six coaches.
When the Saints Go Marching In was played during the distribution of rings for the Trainers and Clubhouse Staff.
The Main Theme to Superman, composed by John Williams, was performed by the Boston Pops when Captain and Catcher Jason Varitek, Catcher Kevin Cash and former Catcher Doug Mirabelli received their rings to represent Varitek’s signature at-bat song Kryptonite by the band 3 Doors Down.
The Main Theme to Raiders of the Lost Ark, composed by John Williams, was played as the starting pitchers received their rings. The song was chosen to embody the ‘go-getter’ spirit of the pitching staff that was best embodied by the Indiana Jones character.
The 2007 Infield received their World Championship rings to the tune of the popular James Bond Theme, originally composed by Monty Norman, representing their slick defensive and dashing offensive capabilities.
The 2007 Outfield received their rings to the strains of the John Williams masterpiece The Throne and End Titles in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, which was selected because of its regality and splendor reflecting the myriad personalities of the Red Sox’ spectacular outfield last season.
The Bullpen from last season received their rings to the tune of He’s a Pirate from the Pirates of the Caribbean series, which was chosen to appropriately represent the ‘pirate’ theme that the bullpen went by the entire season last year.
Closer Jonathan Papelbon received his ring to his signature song, Shipping Up to Boston by the Dropkick Murphys
Designated Hitter David Ortiz, responsible for so many exciting walk-off wins during his tenure here in Boston, received his ring to the Red Sox’ victory song at Fenway Park, Dirty Water by the Standells.
2007 World Championship Flag: Created by Flag Graphics of Somerville, MA, the 2007 World Championship Flag was hoisted on the centerfield banner. The flag went up as the Boston Pops played A Hymn To New England, composed by John Williams and played as a tribute to New England, its people and Red Sox fans who have stuck with the team through the good times and bad.
Flag Military: Members of the Electronic Systems Center and Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA assisted with the giant United States Flag draped on the Green Monster. They were led by Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds.
National Anthem: The National Anthem was performed by members of the Boston Pops Brass Ensemble led by James Orent.
Flyover: The Flyover was presented by the 158 Fighter Wing ‘Green Mountain Boys’ of the Vermont Air National Guard. Four F-16 ‘Fighting Falcon’ jets flew in and out of Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA for the Opening Day presentation.
Ceremonial First Pitch: The Ceremonial First Pitch was delivered by former Red Sox First Baseman Bill Buckner. Buckner amassed 2715 hits and 1208 RBI in a 21-year career in which he wore the uniform of five different Major League teams. He won the National League batting title with the Chicago Cubs in 1980 with an average of .324 and was named to the National League All-Star Team in 1981. He recorded only 453 strikeouts in 2,517 games and had one of the best at bats-per-strikeout rates in the history of the game. In 1986 he drove in 102 RBI during the regular season to help the Red Sox win the American League Pennant. In Game 6 of the World Series, Mookie Wilson’s grounder through his legs led to Ray Knight scoring the winning run for the Mets, capping a 3-run rally, and pushing the series to a 7th game in which the Sox once again surrendered a 3-0 lead. Marty Barrett made the last out for the Sox with Buckner on-deck as the Mets won the World Series. Buckner played part of the 1987 season before being released on July 23, 1987.
Buckner made a return to the Red Sox in 1990 and played in 22 games before retiring from baseball. Buckner makes his first visit to Boston since September 1997 when was at Fenway as a Hitting Coach with the Chicago White Sox.
Buckner walked out to the Closing Credits theme from the movie Glory, composed by James Horner. The movie is based on the history of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment during the American Civil War and was one of the first formal units of the U.S. Army to be made up entirely of African American soldiers.
Play Ball: The ceremonial pronouncement of “Play Ball” was made by 88-year old Johnny Pesky, who first donned a Red Sox uniform on April 14, 1942, almost 66 years ago.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning as he was driving to Fenway Park. He discusses the plan for opening day, Bartolo Colon's trip to the disabled list and the continued challenges of juggling Coco Crisp and Jacoby Ellsbury.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On today's pregame ceremonies: "The bar has been set pretty high from past pregame extravaganzas, specifically in '05 -- they'll be hardpressed I think to top that from an emotional standpoint, given that that was the first [championship celebration] in 86 years -- but I don't think Red Sox ffans are tired of the ceremonies yet."
On changes at Fenway: "They've done the best with a less than optimum situation. ... I still think -- and maybe this makes me a heretic among Red Sox fans -- but I still think they'd be better off with a new ballpark. But I think financially, they decided that was not viable, so they decided to do the best they can with this, and indeed they have. ... For the first time, this year we can assume that the Red Sox will draw more than 3 million fans, and that's something I think that few people ever imagined possible at Fenway."
On Colon: "I think people got a little too amped up when he had a couple good performances, both for the Red Sox in Los Angeles and, more recently, opening Pawtucket's season. ... I don't think it's going to be much of a setback. I think that it's still quite possible that Colon will be in the rotation by the end of the month."
On Crisp and Ellsbury -- will they continue to get equal playing time? "I don't think it will be equal. I still think that they envision Ellsbury as the guy who is going to take over the job sooner rather than later, but I think early in the year it's smart to keep both of them sharp. It's also not a bad idea to showcase Crisp for some scouts who might be interested in dealing for him. ... Given that Crisp missed so much time in spring training, that sort of made it more difficult to move him, as did the whole Japan and travel and timing issues. So i think eventually they'll get to that, but until they do, they've got to find a way to work it out."
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses the Red Sox' sorry showing in Toronto as well as the coming series with the 0-6 Detroit Tigers.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On the team's travel fatigue: "I think it was inevitable that it would catch up with them at some point. I think the combination of a pretty good team to beat, and maybe the Red Sox sort of collectively hitting the wall right before they got home, combined to result in those three losses."
On Josh Beckett "It's worth remembering that Beckett did not have a traditional spring training. He faced a college team in his first actual start down in Fort Myers at the end of February, and then when he took the mound the next time, that's when the back spasms happened, and he had to scratch himself from what would have been his first real Grapefruit League start. And then everything after that was either in a camp game, a simulated game, a minor-league game -- he never really faced major-league hitters. ... So they understood that he was not going to be at 100 percent [yesterday]. He hadn't maxed out on his arm strength or thrown as many pitches as he normally would have before facing major-league hitters in a regular-season game. So I think that's the explanation for tiring in the fifth inning and having some difficulty, and that resulted in leaving the bases loaded, and things unraveled after that."
On the bullpen: "One of the things I thought was interesting was that you have the fifth inning yesterday, which is hardly the time when you would ordinarily bring in one of your power setup guys that might otherwise be used in the seventh or eighth, and Terry Francona felt compelled to go to him in the fifth. To me that spoke to some issues about perhaps not having a lot of faith right now in the middle guys, and sort of having to use a guy like that far earlier in the game than you might otherwise do."
On the Tigers: "They're not 100-percent healthy ... they're without both Gary Sheffield and Curtis Granderson, so that affects that lineup that everyone knows is going to be pretty fearsome when it gets clicking. And it just seems like they came out of the gate and had everything bad happen to them at once. Bullpen blew a couple of games late ... really nothing has gone very well for them."
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: On Colon, Hansen, Wakefield and the Blue Jays
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He puts last night's events in Pawtucket into context and looks ahead to the weekend series in Toronto.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
What's next for Colon: "I would think, and this is just conjecture on my part, that they would want at least one more Triple A start for him, if only to build up that pitch count a little bit. ... I would think they would want him to crack that 90-pitch threshold somewhere else other than the big leagues for the first time, and that would translate into at least one more start, and then you're looking at probably the 16th, 17th, 18th of April where he's ready to make his [Boston] debut.
Craig Hansen -- this year's Manny Delcarmen? "I think that's exactly how they envision him. ... They have not given up on this guy, and that's understandable. They invested a lot of money in their number-one pick, signed him to a major league deal to get him signed, rushed him to the big leagues to their detriment -- and his, now it would seem. But anyone who can throw in the mid 90s the way he can, and has the kind of arm and raw ability that he has; they believe he's still salvagable."
Wakefield on the eve of his 14th Red Sox season: "He had a great spring and there are no physical worries on the Red Sox part at all."
Can the Blue Jays contend? "It seems every year we think that this is going to be the year they break through that glass ceiling in the American League East and give the top two teams a real run for their money, and unfortunately for the Blue Jays it seems like every year something happens to derail them. A lot of times it's been injuries, and already they've got Scott Rolen sidelined for a month and [closer B.J.] Ryan not quite ready to go. ... I think Dustin McGowan is going to be one of the guys to keep an eye on in the American League; I really think he could break through into a 15- to 18-game winner this year, and that would give them some additional pitching depth. But the key is keeping everybody healthy. ... If they do, I think they can hang in there at least for a while. Even with their injuries the last couple of years, they've given the Red Sox all they can handle."
BOSTON (AP) - A 13-year-old girl touring Fenway Park on a school trip was attacked by a resident red-tailed hawk that drew blood from her scalp.
She wasn't seriously hurt, but some observers saw an omen for a certain New York Yankees slugger in the attack Thursday at the home of the Boston Red Sox. The girl's name is Alexa Rodriguez.
Vice Jenetta, a teacher who chaperoned her class trip from Memorial Boulevard Middle School in Bristol, Conn., told The Boston Globe that Alexa is "a little shaken, but OK."
The hawk perched on a railing in the upper deck behind home plate as the group toured the stadium. The hawk took flight and swooped at the girl with its talons extended, scratching the her scalp.
A single egg lay in the hawk's nearby nest in an overhang near the stadium's press booth.
The nest and egg were removed at the direction of state wildlife officials.
Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Wrapping up the Oakland trip
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning, as he was headed for the San Francisco airport and a cross-country flight back to New England. (Steve Krasner will pick up our Red Sox coverage this weekend in Toronto.) Sean discusses Jon Lester, David Ortiz, the Oakland A's future and Bartolo Colon.
Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:
On Lester:"Even though he did walk three, he did get ahead of most of the hitters and put himself in control to sort of dictate what was going to happen in the at-bats, and you can do that when you can throw strikes with multiple pitches."
On Ortiz: "He did not feel great in Japan -- kind of battled the bug, or a flu, or something -- and wasn't at full strength, in addition to all the demands of the travel. And then you factor in the fact that Ortiz has traditionally been a slow starter; by his own admission it usually takes him a little while to get his swing together when the season starts. So all those things conspired to get him off to a slow start. ... But to be able to knock the first one out and have it be the hit that gave the Red Sox their first two runs yesterday in the seventh inning, must have been something of a relief for him."
On the state of the A's: "They made an awful lot of moves in the offseason, trading Danny Haren, Swisher, Kotsay, and it's clear that they are in a rebuilding mode. When you talk to people in the game, they maintain that Billy Beane did a good job in getting a good inventory of prospects back for those guys, particularly the Haren deal ... and those are the kinds of guys that are going to dictate how good this franchise is going to be in another two, three or four years."
What to expect from Colon tonight: "His velocity was pretty good at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. He was up pretty regularly at 91-92, which is certainly enough for him to be effective at the big-league level. In terms of workload and pitch count, I think they want him to get up to about 75, maybe 80 pitches maximum."
Joe McDonald will have an inning-by-inning blog of tonight's start by Bartolo Colon in the Pawtucket Red Sox' season opener against the Indianapolis Indians. Colon, who could be destined for Boston in the near future, is a former Cy Young Award winner trying to make his way back to stardom following an injury-plagued 2007 season. You can find Joe's reports tonight on our SoxBlog.
Multimedia: Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam, from Oakland
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses Daisuke Matsuzaka, Kevin Youkilis' errorless streak, Jason Varitek, and the latest injury to former Sox ace Pedro Martinez.
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses the the Red Sox' challenges in the month of April, Clay Buchholz's tenuous hold on the fifth starter job, and J.D. Drew's health questions.
NEW YORK (AP) - The beginning of the end will have to wait.
The final opening day at Yankee Stadium was postponed because of rain Monday, pushing back New York's game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The game was rescheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday, previously an off day in the series. Chien-Ming Wang had been slated to pitch for the Yankees on his 28th birthday against Toronto ace Roy Halladay.
New York owner George Steinbrenner showed up around noon for the 84th opening day at Yankee Stadium, but history was put on hold by a steady rain that washed away batting practice and the planned festivities.
The tarp remained on the field until the game was called at about 2:30 p.m. after a delay of approximately 85 minutes. Players never were introduced.
Next year, the Bronx Bombers will move into a $1.3 billion new Yankee Stadium, under construction just across 161st Street.
"You see the new stadium, but it still seems like that's years away, even though it's only one," Derek Jeter said. "Just 100 yards away? That's not too far for the ghosts to go."
The rain also delayed Joe Girardi's debut as Yankees manager. Girardi is taking over this season from his mentor, Joe Torre, who spent the past 12 years in charge.
Torre guided New York to the playoffs every season from 1996-2007 and won four World Series rings in his first five years. He walked away in the offseason when the club offered him just a one-year contract with a pay cut, then quickly was hired to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Yankees have won 10 consecutive home openers, the best run in franchise history and the longest active streak in the majors, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"There's so many memories here that go beyond baseball," Jeter said.
The rainout means there still has never been a regular-season game in March at Yankee Stadium, christened by Babe Ruth's homer before 74,200 fans on opening day in 1923. The Yankees played at Shea Stadium, home of the Mets, from 1974-75 while Yankee Stadium was being remodeled.
Notes: Shannon Stewart was penciled in to start in left field for Toronto instead of Matt Stairs, who has a left hip flexor. Stairs was supposed to be available off the bench, and the Blue Jays said they don't plan to put him on the disabled list. "He feels really well right now so we'll see how he feels after he takes batting practice in the cage," general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "Just go day to day right now." Stairs, who tested his sore hip during the team's workout Sunday, also had a hip problem last season. "This one might be a little bit more intense than the one last year," he said Sunday. "I just want to get that little clicking out of there that's catching when I run sometimes. It doesn't bother me on any swing, just running and lifting that leg up. You get a pinch once in a while." ... The Yankees have won 15 of their past 16 home openers and 21 of 24.
World Series trophies coming to Rhode Island on Sunday
Both the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox World Series trophies will make a Rhode Island appearance on Sunday.
They will be at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket before and during the Pawtucket Red Sox game scheduled that day for 1:05 p.m., Governor Carcieri's office announced today. The PawSox will host the Indianapolis Indians.
Gates open at 11 a.m. and Pawtucket Red Sox ticket holders can have photos taken with the two most famous pieces of hardware in Red Sox lore. The photos will later be available at pawsox.com, where they can be downloaded.
"As Rhode Island is the heart of Red Sox Nation, it is truly an honor to have the first presentation of both World Series Trophies here at McCoy Stadium," Carcieri said in a statement. "The Pawtucket Red Sox organization provided the foundation for both the 2004 and 2007 World Series teams and all Rhode Islanders are proud to share in their accomplishments. It is fitting that we kick off the 2008 season with the good fortunes of the past."
The first 4,000 fans coming into McCoy Stadium Sunday will get a commemorative Red Sox World Series pennant.
The PawSox' season opener is this Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at McCoy.
Multimedia: Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam, from Los Angeles
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses the rocky first outings by Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester in Japan, Manny Ramirez's new attitude, and Saturday night's freak-show exhibition game at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Multimedia: Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam, Monday, March 24
Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded today from Tokyo. The topics include the Red Sox' decision to bat Dustin Pedroia leadoff, Mike Timlin's health and what it means for the bullpen, and some lasting memories of Japan.
