Image courtesy of United States Postal Service

By Zuri Berry, Boston.com Staff

The United States Postal Service said it will feature Red Sox hall of fame player Ted Wiliams individually on its new "Forever" stamps, a change from its original plan.

Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Larry Doby and Willie Stargell were to be featured on the new "Forever" stamp sheets together, but demand for the stamps spurred the postal company to reconsider the group configuration.

"We’ve heard from Indians, Pirates, Red Sox and Yankees fans and we’re stepping up to the plate to immortalize their revered players individually,” said U.S. Postal Service Stamp Services Manager Stephen Kearney in an e-mailed statement.

The stamps, designed by Los Angeles based artist-illustrator Kadir Nelson, will be released July 21, but will be available for order through Aug. 21. There will be a special event in Boston July 21 for the Williams stamp unveiling. Details about that event will announced later, according to the postal service.

"It will be interesting to learn which of the four players sells the most individual sheets," Kearney said.

Red Sox fans can order the stamps online at http://www.usps.com/play-ball, or by calling 1-800-STAMP24 (1-800-782-6724).

Or, in the spirit of the enterprise, by mailing a check or money order to:

MLB Pre-Order Offer
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive #210
Kansas City, MO 64144-0001

By Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff

We caught up with Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia Thursday at the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston where he along with teammates Daniel Bard, Darnell McDonald, and other members of the Red Sox staff were on hand promoting the new music album: "Fenway Park Greatest Hits" to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ballpark and to benefit the Red Sox Foundation.

Saltalamachhia talked about what's contributed to the Red Sox turnaround on the recent road trip that just concluded in Baltimore.

"I feel good," Saltalamacchia said. "Like I said before we started the road trip, the starters set the tone, and they've done a great job with that, they've set the tone, bullpen's done their job where they just come in and shut guys down, and our offense put some runs on the board and we're able to just continue and feed off each other."

By Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff

We caught up with Red Sox starter Daniel Bard -- fresh off his fourth victory of the season -- Thursday at the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston, where Bard and teammates Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Darnell McDonald and other members of the Red Sox staff were on hand promoting the new music album: "Fenway Park Greatest Hits" to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ballpark and to benefit the Red Sox Foundation.

"Today, already before the first CD is sold, we're already aware of $20,000 to the Red Sox Foundation by virtue of this CD," Dr. Charles Steinberg from the Red Sox front office said during the event.

Bard, Saltalamacchia, and McDonald are part of several current and former Red Sox who appear in a variety of roles alongside professional musicians on the album. Bard plays acoustic guitar on the song "Let the Good Times Roll," made famous by the Boston band The Cars. Saltalamacchia plays guitar on the Aerosmith hit "Dream On." And McDonald sings backup vocals on the Fenway favorite "Sweet Caroline."

See the full track listings and performers on the album here.

Bard spoke about the ongoing process of transitioning from a reliever to a starter this season.

"It's definitely a process, and I guess we're about nine starts into that process, plus spring training, so I'm learning something new every time out," Bard said. "It's kind of just learning that every start's a new battle and definitely learning new things about yourself, so I'm just trying right now to find that consistent delivery and mentally, I'm good. As long as I can scratch out a win like I did yesterday, or help the team win, but not really feel like I had my good stuff, I'll take it."

We'll have more video Q&A with Saltalamacchia talking about the Red Sox turnaround from today's event in The Buzz shortly.

By Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine spoke Wednesday on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show about having Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez, and Will Middlebrooks all in the lineup at the same time. Valentine was asked if the new outfield alignment was sustainable over the long term.

"I don't think it's an everyday thing," Valentine said. "I think it's something that can be used throughout the year, but no I don't think it's an everyday solution ..."

"You have to see things to figure out what can go right and what can go wrong only because of the lack of familiarity with Adrian playing right field mainly, but even Kevin, he'd have to get back in the saddle at first base to do it every day. I just don't know that it's an everyday fix."

Regarding third baseman Middlebrooks's status with the big club, Valentine said he and Sox GM Ben Cherington were both on the same page.

"I totally am on board with Ben's take (that Youkilis would not lose his job to injury)," Valentine said. "Kevin's going to play third base. This is a situation that arose out of necessity, not out of choice. We're lucky to have a guy as versatile as Kevin to play on both sides of the infield and a guy as willing and versatile as Adrian who would move from first to right field to allow us to line those guys up for a while."

The Red Sox manager expressed a few concerns with having Gonzalez in the outfield, but nothing that is stopping him from using doing it again. Valentine said Youkilis would be back at first base today with Adrian Gonzalez in right field if he "had his legs under him." Valentine also said Scott Podsednik would get a start in center field in today's matinee at Camden Yards.

Before Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Orioles, Youkilis downplayed his return from a DL stint. He started at first base.

"There's not more to the story than playing tonight and just going out there and playing ... that's it. There's not a story here, just going out and playing ... I played first base for five years here, it's not like they asked me to play center," Youkilis said.

Regarding having the speed-challenged Gonzalez play in Fenway Park's spacious right field, Valentine did not rule it out.

"Adrian is a very astute baseball player," Valentine said. "He positions himself as well as anyone I've seen in the outfield in the two games he's played there. He understands the hitters that we're playing against and he's moving more than normal, so if we pitch properly and the guy hits it where they're supposed to, I think that he'll be able to close a gap, but there's no way of covering all the ground because of a lack of foot speed."

Valentine did not embrace the idea of having Gonzalez play left field because of the added challenge of having a different view of the ball coming off the hitter's bat on the left side of the field, but wasn't ruling out having the All-Star first baseman seeing substantial playing time in right field while the outfield injury crisis continues.

"He played right field one winter ball season in Mexico," Valentine said, and then adding later, "We had a situation where Adrian, to try to allow the team to win, was volunteering to pitch, and the relationship I've had with Adrian from the first day of spring training has been one where he communicates his thoughts freely and he has thoughts every day on what could be the best thing and the best solution for our team and when this situation presented itself, it was eye contact was all that was needed and he came walking in and said 'if you're thinking about me in right field, go for it. I'll come out tomorrow and take fly balls.' You know he came out the next day and took some fly balls and you know, we're ready to go and that was just interleague play. When Cody [Ross] got hurt, he came in after the game and said the same thing."

Valentine indicated Middlebrooks would be on the Red Sox bench rather than be sent back to Triple-A Pawtucket.

"On occasion that probably will happen," Valentine said. "I don't know [if he'd go to Triple-A]. We'll see how the usage is being executed. I think we just have a situation where we have to play this by ear. This isn't something that was planned out over the winter or even was planned out last week or two weeks ago when Will first came up and Kevin first went on the disabled list. This is a work-in-progress. We'll adjust to it as the situation presents itself."

CBS Boston is reporting that David Ortiz was involved in a car accident on Boylston Street on his way to Fenway Park this afternoon.

According to the report, everyone involved in the accident, including Ortiz, is OK.

The Globe is working to get details on this story. Check Boston.com for details as they become available.

By Zuri Berry, Boston.com Staff

Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was involved in a minor car accident on his way to Fenway Park earlier today.

Someone rear ended Big Papi (David Ortiz) right in front of our hotel. What a character. yfrog.com/kfgx5twj

— Brendan McCormack (@BMacinCle) May 11, 2012

WBZ first reported Ortiz's accident, which was on Boylston Street. No one was injured.

"I lost a little control coming out of the gas station and I hit a car, but I’m fine. Everybody is fine," Ortiz said.

Two witnesses at the scene told WBZ that it appeared Ortiz was speeding.

“What happened was he was speeding, tried to slam on his brakes and spun out of control, hit a car and then turned around," Tyler Bishop said.

“I think everybody is going to make mistakes,” said Kayley Bishop. “He went a little too fast and he’s not going to do it again."

Ortiz is today's lineup against the Cleveland Indians.

By Matt Pepin and Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff

A Red Sox fan that wore a bag on his head during the early innings at Fenway Park during last night's Red Sox-Indians game created quite a stir on Twitter last night.

Jon O'Hara, who spoke about wearing the bag on his head on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher and Rich show this morning, was seated in the second row just to the left of home plate during the early innings of last night's game.

"I don't recognize this Red Sox team so I don't want them to recognize me," O'Hara said during this morning's interview.

O'Hara had to leave the section, that was in full view of NESN cameras, after the second inning when the people that had the tickets for those seats showed up. He said he continued to wear the bag when he took his seats in the loge section.

While he was in the second row, O'Hara said one of the Fenway ushers approached him and said he may be asked to take the bag off, but no one had said anything yet.

Had to take bag off head at Fenway ... People behind couldn't see. The other 30 thousand people wish they couldn't

— Jon O'Hara(@JonOcomedy) May 11, 2012

His disappearance after the early innings led to the creation of a hashtag -- #FreeTheBagGuy -- and the hashtag was trending in Boston by the fourth inning.

Here's another picture of the O'Hara giving the thumbs up while Shin-Soo Choo stepped into the batter's box.

Wade Boggs, far left, and Oil Can Boyd, far right, are having issues right now. (Stan Grossfeld / Globe file photo)

By Zuri Berry, Boston.com Staff

Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd's book publicity tour is still having ramifications. Last week, he revealed in interviews that using cocaine was regular pregame fixture. But overlooked in the drug revelations was Boyd's comments on former teammate Wade Boggs, whom he called a racist who used racial epithets on a daily basis.

Boggs, who played with Boyd during Boyd's tenure in Boston from 1982 to 1989, vehemently objected to the accusation on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan's radio show.

"Absolutely, positively, 100 million percent, I am not a racist, I am not a bigot," Boggs said. "You have a delusional drug addict who let not only his family down, but his team, the city of Boston, Red Sox Nation when it counted most. Now he wants the good people of Boston to go out and spend money on this garbage to support his habit. I find that extremely amusing."

Boggs' wife also joined the radio program, defending her husband and Boggs' father, who Boyd said was the source of his racism.

"I have never heard either one of them use the word that starts with an ‘N’ in public or even in private," said Debbie Boggs. "They never used that word. We have relatives that are African-American in our immediate family. They are so hurt."

Boyd's book, "They Call Me Oil Can," will be released this summer.

By Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff

According to a report by 98.5 The Sports Hub's Hardy, Red Sox righthander Josh Beckett played golf in the area last Thursday afternoon, two days before he was scheduled to miss a start against the Orioles because of stiffness in his latissimus muscle.

The Sports Hub's Michael Felger said the report had been confirmed when he opened the Felger and Mazz show today, but that Hardy did not reveal the name of the golf course to protect his sources. Clay Buchholz was reportedly golfing with Beckett on the off day for the Red Sox.

After Beckett's 126-pitch effort last Sunday in Chicago, the Red Sox announced that Beckett's next start would be skipped because the righthander admitted he had soreness in his lat muscle. He also admitted that the situation existed before his last start.

"I don't know that I'm aware of it," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said of the golf report during his weekly appearance on WEEI's Big Show today. "I'm aware of the story being out there... No, I haven't gotten to Josh about that yet and I'm trying to sort out my feelings. Golf is as much a part of the pitching culture as a curve ball, I know that for sure.

Valentine stressed that Beckett wasn't shut down with an injury after his last start.

"When we decided for Josh not to make his start, it wasn't because he was injured," Valentine said. "It was a precautionary situation because his his lat was a little tight,"

Valentine said he needed to get specifics before he could comment on the situation.

"Again, I don't know the specifics of the situation," Valentine said. "I don't know if he was out at a charity match, just putting, or if he was whaling away and felt that might have loosened things up. I have no idea what the situation actually is, so it's hard for me to comment on it. ... If that was the case [that he played golf, drove the ball], I would say that was less than the best thing to do on that day off."

Beckett addressed the situation that had the Red Sox recommending he skip a start last week.

"It's kind of been there for about a week, kind of leading into my last start," Beckett said. "On your start day, you can always make yourself believe that things are better than they are. I really wanted to pitch. I just ended up making things worse."

Beckett is scheduled to make his next start Thursday against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park.

"He threw (Monday) and said he felt fine and was ready to go," Valentine said earlier this week in Kansas City, where the Sox are taking on the Royals.

The Globe will attempt to speak with Beckett and Valentine later this afternoon in Kansas City. Check our Extra Bases blog for updates.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Theo Epstein is taking his biannual benefit concert with him to Chicago.

The former Red Sox general manager and current Cubs team president will hold a concert benefiting Cubs charities and Epstein's Foundation To Be Named Later on June 14 at the Metro music venue in Chicago's Wrigleyville. The show will be headlined by The Smashing Pumpkins and will also feature The Figgs, Jenny Dee and the Deelinquents, and members of Buffalo Tom. Comedians Mike O'Malley, Jeff Garlin and Joel Murray will serve as the evening's emcees

Hot Stove Cool Music was founded in 2000 by former Boston Globe baseball writer Peter Gammons and former Boston Herald writer Jeff Horrigan. The event has raised more than $5 million for Epstein's foundation and the Jimmy Fund. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased on the venue's website. The concert is the night before the Cubs and Red Sox start a weekend series at Wrigley Field.

The last Hot Stove, Cool Music Boston event was held in January, and there are plans to continue to have a Boston show once a year.

Former Red Sox player Jose Canseco was officially introduced as a member of the Worcester Tornadoes, an independent baseball team in the Can-Am League.

“Anyone who wants to shag baseballs is welcome to go over the highway,” Jose Canseco said, a reference to the proximity of Interstate 290 to the outfield wall at the team's ballpark.

Team owner Todd Breighner said signing the 47-year-old Canseco, who played his final major league baseball game in 2001, was not a publicity stunt.

“Clearly this is not a gimmick,” Breighner said. “Jose is here to play baseball. We're very proud to have Jose here,” Breighner said. “The team is excited, the ownership group is excited, Jose is excited.”

Canseco, an admitted steroids user, played for the Red Sox in 1995 and 1996.

Information and photograph provided by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Chris Christo photo).

By Gary Dzen, Globe Staff

Former Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe, who won the clinching games in the divisional series, league championship series, and World Series in 2004, is missing his championship ring.

The Fort Myers News-Press reports that the Lee County (Fla.) Sheriff's office is investigating the theft of Lowe's World Series ring, as well as a trophy, some necklaces, and women's shoes and purses from his home. The total value of the stolen goods is estimated at $90,000.

The 38-year-old Lowe is currently a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. He lives in Fort Myers during the offseason.

By Matt Pepin, Globe Staff

"100 Years of Ass Kicking," screams the paper's front page this morning.

The Yankees have a 1,133-954 lead over the Red Sox in their all-time series, including Friday's 6-2 Yankees victory, according to the Red Sox media guide. However, in the last four years, the Red Sox have split or won the season series, including a 12-9 edge last year.

Terry Francona may attend Fenway Park’s big party after all.

ESPN reported that the former Red Sox manager told the network on Wednesday that he would accept the team’s invitation to attend the 100th anniversary celebration of Fenway Park on Friday. Francona is now an analyst for ESPN.

Last week, Francona told the Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy that his feelings were still too raw after parting ways with the Red Sox following eight seasons as manager following the 2011 season.

“I just feel like someone in the organization went out of their way to hurt me,” Francona said, in reference to an explosive Globe story that examined why the Red Sox blew a 9 1/2-game lead and missed out on the playoffs last September.

The Red Sox will host the Yankees on Friday on the 100-year anniversary of the first game played at Fenway Park. They have invited every living former Red Sox player back to Fenway Park to take part in the ceremonies.

Photo by Steve Silva / Globe Staff

The Popeyes fast-food restaurant near Fenway Park gave fans heading to the Red Sox' home opener a good chuckle with this sign today.

For those who have hibernated from Sept. 29 until, say, Thursday, the sign was a reference to Red Sox pitchers who spent their off-days eating fried chicken and drinking beer in the clubhouse rather than watching games from the dugout bench.

Are you a Red Sox fan with $100,000 or so kicking around and a penchant for masochism that somehow hasn't been fulfilled by the end of last season and the beginning of this one?

If so, have we ever got the item for you:

The infamous “Buckner Ball” from the 1986 World Series, Game Six, perhaps the most recognized baseball in the world, will the be the centerpiece of The Seth Swirsky Collection when it comes across the block as part of Heritage Auctions’ May 3-5 Vintage Sports Collectibles Signature Auction. The ball, being offered without a reserve, is expected to bring more than $100,000.

“This is indeed the ball that dribbled between Bill Buckner’s legs when Mookie Willson hit his ‘little roller’ up the line in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, giving the Mets the win,” said Chris Ivy, Director of Vintage Sports Auctions at Heritage. “It represented the cumulative crushed hopes of generations of Red Sox fans for almost 20 years until the Sox finally shook the curse in 2004. It’s a crucial piece of baseball history and easily the most notorious baseball ever hit – or missed – depending on how you look at it.”

It should be noted that Swirsky purchased the ball from Charlie Sheen. Feel free to supply your own punch line.

Are you a Red Sox fan with $100,000 or so kicking around and a penchant for masochism that somehow hasn't been fulfilled by the end of last season and the beginning of this one?

If so, have we ever got the item for you:

The infamous “Buckner Ball” from the 1986 World Series, Game Six, perhaps the most recognized baseball in the world, will the be the centerpiece of The Seth Swirsky Collection when it comes across the block as part of Heritage Auctions’ May 3-5 Vintage Sports Collectibles Signature Auction. The ball, being offered without a reserve, is expected to bring more than $100,000.

“This is indeed the ball that dribbled between Bill Buckner’s legs when Mookie Willson hit his ‘little roller’ up the line in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, giving the Mets the win,” said Chris Ivy, Director of Vintage Sports Auctions at Heritage. “It represented the cumulative crushed hopes of generations of Red Sox fans for almost 20 years until the Sox finally shook the curse in 2004. It’s a crucial piece of baseball history and easily the most notorious baseball ever hit – or missed – depending on how you look at it.”

It should be noted that Swirsky purchased the ball from Charlie Sheen. Feel free to supply your own punch line.

By Gary Dzen, Globe Staff

The commercialization of Red Sox nation took a turn toward the intimate last season with a new line of clothing from Victoria's Secret.

The line, trademarked as "Pink Loves Red Sox", features comfortable clothing for women as well as, ahem, underwear. Victoria's Secret debuted the line last summer, and model Chanel Iman and David Ortiz promoted the event at Cambridgeside Galleria.

There are some new items in the collection this season. You can see two examples of the clothing above. The Pink line should go well with the hats.

What do you think? Will you buy it? Leave a comment below.

Red Sox starter Josh Beckett is in Cleveland today getting his right thumb examined by Dr. Thomas Graham, a hand specialist, according to multiple reports.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports was the first to report the Beckett visit to see Dr. Graham at the Cleveland Clinic. According to Rosenthal:

The team wants Beckett to visit Graham for “peace of mind” and still expects him to pitch the second game of the season, sources say. But the visit will mark the second time in two days that Beckett has seen a hand specialist for a thumb problem.

Beckett was in San Antonio on Monday to be examined by Dr. Mark Bagg, another hand specialist.

“If he needed to talk to me, he was going to talk to me. He didn’t talk to me, so I think he was fine,’’ Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said Monday regarding Beckett.

Beckett threw a lengthy bullpen session on Sunday and did not miss any of his starts this spring. He allowed two earned runs on seven hits over 19 innings against major league competition.

“He threw 100 pitches yesterday and felt great, hit location,’’ Valentine said. “He’s had a little situation that he’s getting taken care of today just for peace of mind.

Red Sox reliever Andrew Bailey is also having his right thumb checked out by Dr. Graham in Cleveland today as well.

The Globe reported Monday that Red Sox team doctors in Boston determined Bailey will require surgery. If Graham agrees with the recommendation for surgery, it could happen as soon as today.

Graham also performed surgery on Kevin Youkilis and Jarrod Saltalamacchia in 2010. Youkilis had a torn muscle in his right thumb and Saltalamacchia a torn ligament in his left thumb.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

Red Sox BeerGate has spread up from inside the clubhouse to a couple of steps down from the field of play.

Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and John Lackey drank beer in the Red Sox dugout during games, two Sox employees told Channel 7 today. According to the report, no other Red Sox players participated in the in-game beer drinking, which started as early as the sixth inning. The employees told Ch. 7 that Beckett, Lackey, and Lester would fill plastic cups with Bud Light beer inside the clubhouse and return to the dugout to drink the beers and watch the game.

“Beckett would come down the stairs from the dugout, walking through the corridor to the clubhouse and say, ‘It’s about that time,'" a team employee told Ch. 7. "Beckett was the instigator, but Lester and Lackey were right behind him. It was blatant and hard not to notice what was going on with all three guys leaving at once.”

LeBron is in, Henry is out.

While LeBron James managed to rub it in the faces of both distraught Red Sox fans and distraught NBA fans by announcing that he would be attending the soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester United on Saturday, Sox owner John Henry has reportedly decided to cancel his plans to be in attendance at Anfield.

According to the Herald's Inside Track column, Henry and wife Linda Pizzuti canceled their planned trip to England to watch the LFC-Man U match in person.

“Too much going on here,” Henry wrote in an email to the Inside Track.

James, who owns a minority stake in Liverpool, had announced on Twitter that he would be attending the match between the Premier League arch rivals.

"Just got to Liverpool, England," James wrote. "Riding through the city. What a beautiful place. Home and birthplace of the One and Only 'BEATLES'"

Great. On the day David Stern threatens another deadline that could cancel the NBA season for the calendar year, the league's best player is psyched about attending a soccer game.

Meanwhile, back in PanicTown, NESN.com's Twitter feed is promoting James' attendance of the game as a good thing, quipping, "LeBron James takes his talents to Anfield."

Good for whom exactly?

Updated Oct. 14, 9:53 a.m.

By Steve Silva, Globe Staff

Kevin Youkilis, a weekly guest on WAAF's Hill-Man show during the season, spoke on the radio program today about the disappointing end to the Red Sox season, shared his thoughts on reports that have surfaced recently about some players, and confirmed that he's having surgery to repair a sports hernia tomorrow.

"I'm still in shock," Youkilis said regarding the events that took place over the last five days. "I don't think it's really hit in a lot of ways, whether it's the bad September, Tito resigning, and it's been wild, and the one thing is is I think for a lot of us players, it won't hit us until we walk through those doors in Fort Myers and realize that Terry [Francona] is no longer with us and the crazy thing is is we're all going to be walking into a different environment anyway with the new spring training, so it's going to be a weird couple of months but I think hopefully this team will get the pieces together and be prepared for the 2012 season."

Youkilis was asked if had any awareness that Francona was feeling he was unable to get through to the team.

"Every year there's different players that come in, whether it be young guys or veterans, it's always different," Youkilis said. "I don't know. I think sometimes it was hard to tell. We started out 2-10, and then we had the most unbelievable months ever where we were just winning like it was the easiest game possible and then we had the month of September, so I think the biggest thing was is in all this is the fact that the thing that is upsetting is there's so much finger pointing at this person and that person and this and that but we're failing to realize that we're all at fault.

"Everyone needs to understand that every single person on that team. Everyone from the coaches to the general managers to the front office, whomever, we're all at fault. We always go with the philosophy that we win as a team and we lose as a team. And we all lost. To sit around and blame this person and that person and try to figure out the answers, it will take... you're just going to... too much blame will go around. We all need to be accountable and we all were at fault."

Youkilis was asked about a published report that singled him out as a potential problem in the clubhouse.

"Jackie MacMullan, I've always respected and every time she comes in the clubhouse, which this year was maybe three times, that one really irked me," Youkilis said. "It really irked me for two things. One, she comes around three times a year, so she really doesn't know what's going on in that clubhouse, and the funny thing was when I read this article, and it said that I brought up the Jacoby Ellsbury thing which, this thing is getting overplayed more than anything I've ever dealt with in my life and she came to me because she was writing a story on Jacoby. So she asked me what happened last year, what transpired, and then I read this article like I didn't even mention this...

"I have no issue with Jacoby. When this game was over and I went up to him, I said I just want to tell you that that was one of the most remarkable seasons I've ever seen a player and I just think that, I just want to tell you, I know it didn't end well but that was one of the most impressive seasons I've ever seen. The thing is it's played out like everyone keeps talking about that and everyone's misquoting, and that's the problem. My philosophy is this, and I will believe in this until my dying day: There should be implemented, which has always been implemented, when you're hurt, you either go to Fort Myers or you go with the team, and I'm not going to change my philosophy, and it's a matter of opinion, some people don't believe in it, some people do, it's opinion and it's not that big of a deal, and everything is really blown out of proportion and quite frankly, I was answering a question about this this year that I don't even know why. It didn't matter. And you sit there and you sit back at your locker like what is going on here? God, this is a never-ending story."

Youkilis was asked if there was an issue of calling guys out in the locker room this year.

"No, I don't think so," Youkilis said. "I think we're talking about, for three months this season, life was good. Life was real good. And going along with that Jackie MacMullan thing, she said I was a detriment because I was meddling in people's affairs. The thing that happened was, she was in the locker room, and I'm going to set this straight, something was happening because one of her colleagues keeps on writing stories that are inaccurate about players. And the thing I was frustrated about, and I keep getting frustrated about, is: Why are there more stories now written by sports reporters that don't talk about sports? They talk about people's personal lives, they talk about what's going on. And then, when they're not accurate on those stories, one, that's not fair to the person that they're writing about, but two, it's not fair to the public. It's not fair to the fans [to get] inaccurate stories. They don't need to be fed inaccurate stories and the problem is we have no accountability anymore. Things just get blasted on Twitter. Things get blasted out everywhere, and next thing you know, the story's out there, the athlete can't answer the question because, you know what, either way, you're better off not answering...

"And that's the problem a lot of guys have is they don't want to say too much, or they don't want to say what's on their mind because they're sometimes worried and that's the problem right now is, and the fact is when stories are inaccurate, we don't see, and it's been going on for years, it's like the blurb is down in the bottom corner of the newspaper. But I think that was one of the tough things. And that was the thing, I was frustrated because somebody was writing an inaccurate story about one of my teammates. And the problem is we all try to stick up for each other, and it's media vs. players, media vs. players, media vs. players. And it doesn't need to be that way."

Youkilis said he expects the finger pointing to be rampant during times like this.

"When things like this happen, in a town like this that is so passionate about their baseball, they want answers," Youkilis said. "And sometimes there is no answer for it. And we can sit around and make up as much stories as you want and say it was this, it was that, this person did this, and I know there's a story out there that a source on the team, and I hope all the players that want to say what they want to say about this year, say, 'Put my name on it.' Don't be a coward, don't be a guy that's going to be the source said. Put your name on it and say what you gotta say if you want to say it... if people are going to talk to reporters, be a man, put your name on it. Don't go to this media source to try to get this going."

Youkilis was asked about reports of Red Sox starters drinking beer in the clubhouse this season.

"You know that's something that's in-house, and I don't even want to talk about," Youkilis said. "That's in-house things that, if it happened, if it didn't happen. A lot of us position players, we're so busy playing that we don't what's going on. There's things that you have no idea what's going on. You're so busy playing that you don't know even half the stuff. That's the funny thing too is, I swear to you I'm always the last person to find out things, too."

The Red Sox third baseman wouldn't say whether or not there was a beer-filled cooler in the locker room.

"I mean, that's another thing too, that's... I don't know if that's been out there, that's in the media, what we have and what we don't have," Youkilis said. "I don't know if I'm allowed to say if there is or there isn't."

Youkilis was then asked if he cared if anyone who wasn't playing had a beer in the clubhouse.

"I don't think it's the right thing to do, personally," Youkilis said. "I don't think it's the proper way to go about things but I also don't think that's how you win or lose games. To say that's the reason why you're losing games, I don't think so, but yes, I don't think that's the right thing to do."

Youkilis also spoke about the Red Sox conditioning, which has come into question this season.

"The funny thing is is the greatest player of all time is Babe Ruth," Youkilis said of the larger-than-life baseball legend. "People are going to say whatever, and I'm speaking for myself. I don't have what you call the best body in the world. It's been well-stated and well-known. I think people are expecting baseball players to look like football players and I'm just going to tell you right now, that's not going to happen. Pitchers need to have a little more weight, and they're going to tell you that. If pitchers are skinny and ripped up, they're going to have a lot of physical issues. I've always loved that one: 'Oh, my God that pitcher looks out of shape,' I'm like, 'How are they out of shape?' What they're doing is they're going down hill every time and to have more weight that's going to give you more velocity a lot of times. Not to say that you should be 300 lbs., and six-foot tall, but I think that [Josh] Beckett's overplayed and guys are out of shape and this is what happened and I think that's kind of crazy because our strength coach [Dave Page] is really good, great guy, and he works his butt off and is very passionate about this team and being healthy."

Youkilis was asked about some of the complaints aired by Red Sox players at the end of the season and if he thinks some on the team feel they're entitled.

"Overall, and talking to guys around the league, the younger generation is a lot more entitled," Youkilis said. "And I think that's something that's going to go on for years...

"Sometimes it's tough and you're not feeling good that day, you got in at 4 a.m., you’re just not feeling it that day. It’s tough but you gotta go out and play and I know everyone’s blowing this up about Adrian [Gonzalez], I think he’s just giving you an example about how a season with all the crazy games on Fox or ESPN, it can have an effect on players but on the other end, you got to think as a player, too, and a lot of this stuff is why we get paid a lot more in Boston and New York and all these other places but New York had to go through the schedule we had to and we can’t use excuses why we win and lose.”

Youkilis also confirmed that he is scheduled to have surgery to repair a sports hernia tomorrow.

“I’m having surgery tomorrow,” Youkilis said. “The best thing is is the doctor said in four weeks you should be 100 percent and ready to do stuff and then hold off on lifting a little bit longer but he told me I could be riding a stationary bike in a week, so I’m pretty pumped about that.”

Listen to the complete Youkilis interview on WAAF here.

By Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff

Red Sox manager Terry Francona might be looking for a new job as early as today according to a report by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

Rosenthal writes that according to major league sources Francona will meet with Sox management this morning, and "the expected resolution is" that Francona will no longer be employed as the manager of the Boston Red Sox.

While Francona's departure is not certain, it is the likely outcome, in part because he is pressing for a resolution, sources say. He would not be fired; the Red Sox would simply decline their club options on him for 2012 and '13.

The New York Daily News is now reporting that the Red Sox and Francona have parted ways and it was Red Sox principal owner John Henry's decision:

The Daily News has been told by sources that Francona is out as Red Sox manager in a meeting this morning with team owner John Henry. The sources said that the decision to end the Sox' relationship with Francona was Henry's call, not general manager Theo Epstein's...

In addition, the Chicago Sun Times is reporting that Francona wants out of Boston, and that the White Sox could be a logical landing spot now that Ozzie Guillen has departed.

“He [Francona] has had his fill of the whole thing," a source told the Sun-Times.

Francona was asked during yesterday's press conference at Fenway Park whether he wanted to stay with the Red Sox.

“Theo and I talked today a little bit. I think we’ll continue to talk tomorrow," Francona said. "Maybe it’s best today to stay with where we’re at. I’s still pretty fresh and pretty raw. It’s a fair question."

Former ESPN sports guy and Friend-of-Tito Keith Olberman also writes that he's heard Francona is heading out of Boston:

As a peck of mainstream baseball guys report that Terry Francona will probably not return as manager of the Boston Red Sox – possibly by mutual consent – I can tell you that early in the week I was told by one source that it was a foregone conclusion. There was only the one indicator, so obviously I didn’t say anything, but I will note that all of the murmurs about people not being on the same page, and the Sox thinking Francona’s light touch with his players had somehow contributed to the September collapse, did not come out of thin air. I got to visit with my friend Tito over the weekend here in New York and while it was two friends talking and should remain that way, I have to say that all the stuff you’ve heard, he’d heard.

Speculation has already begun on who might replace Francona in the Red Sox dugout.

ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted this morning: "A guy who would be a good fit if the Red Sox and Francona part ways: Pete Mackanin, who is currently Charlie Manuel's bench coach."

And there's more chatter about Red Sox GM Theo Epstein.

The Sun-Times is reporting via Gordon Wittenmyer that the Chicago Cubs will be making a run at Epstein:

A day later in Chicago, the question became the same one uttered by a player amid the din that night: ‘‘You think [Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein] would leave to come here?’’

If the answer is yes — and one report Thursday suggested he has told friends he would ‘‘embrace the challenge’’ — the next sound could be the cheering coming from the Cubs’ boardroom.

Epstein yesterday said "nobody blames Tito [Francona] for what happened in September -- that would be totally irresponsible and totally short-sighted."

It's the rubber game of the series, with Lester (14-6, 3.09 ERA) up against Burnett (9-11, 5.31 ERA). While you're watching the game, trade your opinions and insights with other Sox fans in this moderated chat.

As the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline approaches in baseball, we take a look at some of the reports surrounding the Red Sox:

Erik Bedard LH starting pitcher

Last updated: 7/30, 10:39 a.m. Red Sox keeping tabs on Mariners' Bedard The Globe's Peter Abraham wrote on Friday that Red Sox front office personnel will be keeping a close eye on Mariners lefthanded starter Erik Bedard, who took the mound Friday for the first time since coming off the disabled list. While he was seen as a good option to hedge against the possibility Clay Buchholz's back injury might keep him out longer than originally anticipated, Bedard was awful Friday, lasting less than two innings, allowing five runs on three hits and four walks. Abraham says other starting pitchers who are possible Red Sox targets include Dodgers righty Hiroki Kuroda, Jeremy Guthrie of the Orioes, Rich Harden of the Athletics and Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez.

Matt Thornton Relief pitcher

Last updated: 7/29, 10:59 a.m. White Sox put Thornton on market The Globe's Nick Cafardo reports the White Sox want to ship the lefthanded reliever, and are hoping to interest the Red Sox because the White Sox have been keeping close tabs on the Red Sox farm system. Thornton has two years left on his contract at $5.5 million per.

Kevin Slowey Starting pitcher

Last updated: 7/27, 2:19 p.m. Slowey could be an option for Sox rotation LaVelle Neal of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that the Red Sox, Dodgers, Cardinals, and Blue Jays were scouting Kevin Slowey in July. The righthander has appeared in only six games this season because of an abdominal injury.

Ryan Spilborghs Outfielder

Last updated: 7/27, 2:05 p.m. Red Sox looking at Spilborghs for help According to CSNNE's Sean McAdam, the Red Sox have an interest in 31-year-old righthanded-hitting outfielder Ryan Spilborghs of the Rockies as a low-cost bench upgrade.

Ryan Ludwick Outfielder

Last updated: 7/25, 2:05 p.m. Ludwick could provide outfield help One name that has surfaced in the search for righthanded hitting outfield help is Padres outfielder Ryan Ludwick. The former Cardinal is batting .242 with 11 home runs and 61 RBIs on the season.

Randy Choate LH relief pitcher

Last updated: 7/25, 1:55 p.m. Choate could fill relief need for Sox SI.com's Jon Heyman reports that Marlins reliever Randy Choate could be on the Red Sox radar as a lefthanded relief specialist. Choate is 1-1 with a 1.31 ERA in 20.2 innings of work this season.

Craig Breslow LH relief pitcher

Last updated: 07/25, 1:47 p.m. Breslow could have right stuff for lefty Left-handed reliever Craig Breslow could be a potential Red Sox target to give them some lefthanded bullpen relief. The former Red Sox reliever is 0-2 with a 3.28 ERA in 35.2 innings.

Josh Willingham Outfielder

Last updated: 07/25, 1:07 p.m. Willingham could fill need According to reports, Oakland's Josh Willingham could be one of the righthanded hitting outfielders on the Red Sox radar to fill a part-time role in Boston. Willingham is batting .241 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs.

Rich Harden Starting pitcher

Last updated: 07/25, 12:37 p.m. Sox look into Harden According to Peter Gammons, the Red Sox have inquired about making a deal for Oakland starter Rich Harden, who missed most of the first half of the season with a strained lat muscle. Harden is 2-1 with a 4.63 ERA.

Hiroki Kuroda Starting pitcher

Last updated: 07/25, 12:37 p.m. Kuroda could provide relief to rotation According to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi, the Red Sox are "keeping tabs on Hiroki Kuroda but nothing serious now, sources say." Kuroda is 6-12 with a 3.19 ERA. However, the Globe's Peter Abraham reports that Kuroda wants to remain in L.A.

Tyler Clippard Relief pitcher

Last updated: 07/25, 12:25 p.m. Clippard on the Sox radar According the Globe's Nick Cafardo, Nationals setup man Tyler Clippard has shown interest from the Red Sox in addition to the Braves, Yankees, and the Rangers, who have made "a lot of inquiries" into the righthander. The Nationals All-Star has a 1.73 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 57.1 innings.

Ubaldo Jimenez Starting pitcher

Last updated: 07/25, 11:30 a.m. Jimenez would bolster Sox rotation Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd has stated that Jimenez may be available at a cost. O'Dowd told the Denver Post that it would take a "Herschel Walker-type deal" to move the Rockies' ace. Jimenez is 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA in 2011.

Jeff Francoeur Outfielder

Last updated: 7/25, 10:44 a.m. Report: Red Sox have discussed Francoeur According to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi, the Red Sox have discussed acquiring outfielder Jeff Francoeur from the Royals. "One person who was briefed described the talks as "exploratory." Francoeur is batting .269 with 13 homers and 60 RBIs. The righthanded hitting outfielder is batting .309 vs. lefthanded pitching.

By Lenny Neslin, Boston.com Staff

You can hear Smoltz and Matt Vasgersian on the call for Thursday's Rays-Yankees game on MLB Network at 7 p.m.

Boston.com: We're a little past the halfway point now, but no team is running away with its division. What race is the most intriguing to you?

John Smoltz: The most intriguing would certainly be what's happening in the NL Central, but when it comes down to Boston and New York every year that's always what most people want to see or like to see and the animosity that exists between the two of them. It certainly looks like it's going to go down to the wire. Both teams have jockeyed, both teams have had injuries -- significant injuries -- both teams have stayed right where they're at for the most part. It's going to be a battle.

B: As you mentioned, is there any bigger surprise team in baseball than the first-place Pirates right now?

S: No. They've won the last two games with just dominant pitching. Their closer [Joel] Hanrahan is having an unbelievable year. Kudos to what's going on there because this time of year they are about ready to ship players other places, now they may actually be in the market looking for players.

B: All right, awards time. Who are your AL/NL Cy Youngs and MVPs?

S: That AL Cy Young is going to go absolutely down to the last start because you've got three horses right now in the race: CC [Sabathia], [Jered] Weaver and [Justin] Verlander. I never got caught up in one start, so that's why I'm still going to give Verlander the edge, but if CC continues at the rate he's continuing he's going to win it. Verlander had one bad start in his last nine or 10 games.

As far as MVP, at this current rate [Adrian] Gonzalez.

For National League Cy Young, it's going to be interesting to see how the team of -- whatever team, the Braves or Phillies, that wins the division is going to have the Cy Young.

As far as MVP, that one's more wide open. [Jose] Reyes has got a chance on a team that may not going anywhere. He might get traded; he might end up being the losers MVP because he gets traded. You got Prince Fielder in the last year of his contract, maybe trying to put his team on his back to win the MVP. I think the National League is wide open; there isn't an obvious choice.

B: The Red Sox have a small lead over the Yankees, but with the trade deadline looming many expect those two to make some upgrades. What is a bigger need for the Red Sox: pitching or a right fielder?

S: Well, you know what's interesting is I never would have said pitching, but they seem to find ways to sustain injuries every year and can overcome some of them, but not when you get a rash like they've got, a 1-2-3-4-5 situation. Every starter has been hurt.

B: [Josh] Beckett has been fairly healthy.

S: Yeah, but he missed a start or two and tweaked his knee. You're right, he hasn't gone on the DL. As far as needs, I think they are the most balanced team. If they all of a sudden made a rule that nobody could trade, Boston would be in the best position. There's no team without a weakness, but I think it's kind of hard to even imagine that Boston could upgrade, depending on what they'd be willing to give up, in a scenario that if they get healthy they're as good as anyone.

B: You spent a little time in a Red Sox uniform at the very end of your career. When you were on the mound in Fenway, how would you compare it to the experience in Atlanta?

S: Well there's really no comparison. Fenway is unique in itself, the whole idea of pitching in Fenway is unlike any other ballpark, period. The atmosphere, as well as the tradition of the guys that played there and the fans, games being sold out all the time, there really isn't a comparison I can make with Atlanta that I can make. Atlanta is a bigger ballpark, nicer, bigger room for the pitcher to give up mistakes, certainly not sold out all the time. Two totally different kind of venues.

By Lenny Neslin, Boston.com Staff

This incident occurred the same day as a memorial services for Shannon Stone, the firefighter who died of injuries suffered in a fall from the stands at a Rangers game last Thursday.

"I thought: I've lived a good life," Keith Carmickle said.

Carmickle's brother, Kraig, and his friend Aaron Nelson caught him.

"I stepped up on the table, I missed the ball by 2 or 3 feet and went over," Keith Carmickle said. "We caught three balls and I told the guys I was going to go for the cycle. Dude, they were really holding onto me."

By Lenny Neslin, Boston.com Staff

American baseball fans voted the Yankees as their favorite team in baseball for the ninth consecutive year, edging the Red Sox (2d) for the third year in a row, according to The Harris Poll.

The Red Sox were tied with the Yankees in the poll for what team will win the World Series, while the Phillies finished in third.

Other notes from the results:

• Thirty-six percent of Americans say they follow Major League Baseball. Forty-one percent followed in 2009.


• The Yankees, Red Sox and Braves have finished as baseball's favorite teams in the same order for three straight seasons.


• Besides the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies, no team received more than five percent of the vote for the expected World Series winner vote.


• The Padres and Blue Jays were voted as America's least favorite teams, however, no Canadien residents were surveyed.

The Harris Poll surveyed 2,163 adults online between June 13 and 20 by Harris Interactive.

David Ortiz gets a rare start at first base as he holds Placido Polanco of the Philadelphia Phillies close to the bag. (Len Redkoles / Getty Images)

By Zuri Berry, Boston.com Staff

How so, you ask? Because part-time players David Ortiz and John Lackey showed they can play full-time. Let me explain.

Of all people, Big Papi is having another one of his stellar seasons. Despite the doubts of his place in Red Sox kingdom, he keeps on trucking, batting .311 (.391 OBP and .581 SLG) with 17 homers and 48 RBIs. Nobody is questioning whether or not the man should get at-bats. They just want to know at what cost, especially with injuries and interleague play forcing an awkward scenario into Terry Francona’s hand. On one side, to have a player of Ortiz’s talent on the bench is a waste. But on the other, experimenting with players out of position can be dangerous. Not because of injuries, but because of errors that can be costly to the game. The brouhaha yesterday over inserting Ortiz at first base -- in which he played only four times in 2010 and 17 times in the last 5 years -- while moving Adrian Gonzalez to right field inevitably starts the chatterboxes.

But that same chatter drowns out the larger issue at hand. When guys like Ortiz and Gonzalez show up and perform their jobs at par no matter where they stand on the diamond, nobody thinks “of course, they’re professional athletes.” Instead, they breathe a sigh of relief and clamor for Theo Epstein to find another suitable outfielder for 15 days. And while Ortiz played flawlessly at first base, Lackey doubled in a run to left center off of Vance Worley (later working the count admirably on his counterpart). Between the three, you could say they played more than ably in the field and at the plate.

You know why? Because they’re baseball players. And despite the label of a P, DH or 1B, they all know this game more than the average schmuck and can honorably man any number of positions outside of stepping on the mound. It’s a stance I’ve argued for years and what I believe is the fallacy of the American League. The players need to play both phases of the game, for sanity’s sake as much as integrating the leagues.

John Lackey reacts after hitting an RBI-double off Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Vance Worley Wednesday. (Matt Slocum / AP photo)

History bears a large part of the blame. The competition of the NL and the AL (and its former incarnations) predate the last two centuries. From the beginning, the differences in price, rules and level of competition have fueled this ever idiotic debate of the National League vs. the American League. And that was the selling point for the first Major League Baseball agreement that would feature a “World Series” to determine a champion. When the DH came along in the 70s, it revolutionized the game in favor of the AL. It’s an advantage that has tipped the scales in the debate, allowing for AL teams to post higher batting averages every year since 1973. (Between 1973 and 2010, the NL has batted an average of .258 and the AL has batted an average of .265). I don’t think it’s far-fetched to say the argument of which league is better has ever ended. But we all really know the answer.

However, now we must worry if the luster of the DH has worn off and, presumably, the core difference between the two leagues. I think so. The whole notion of two separate leagues with two separate sets of rules is practically archaic in modern sport. Baseball fans don’t want nor need that. They want the best competition possible and a level playing field. In essence, they want conferences and uniform rule play. Think of the NBA, NFL or NHL. A reversion to the rules prior to 1973 would help balance the argument. And I believe Ortiz as well as Lackey exemplified last night what it means to play full-time, earning their stripes in both phases of play.

But what’s more, there is a strong sentiment that baseball is an east coast sport, as if there aren’t 12 teams west of the Mississippi River. As the invention of the commercial airplane allowed the advent of baseball west, the ease of travel should also bury the notion of a regional game in which clusters of teams are forced to play each other 11 to 20 times a year and a measly three or four interleague series. Where’s the balance in that? There’s something admirable about taking a west coast swing. San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Colorado are all worthy opponents and nice trips to boot.

Baseball doesn’t need interleague play. It needs league play and conferences to sustain its historical differences. Teams should play their interleague counterparts more frequently -- not less. Just as designated hitters should play the field more and pitchers should take more cuts in the box. (If you’re man enough to throw a 90 mph fastball high and inside, you should be man enough to see one coming at you.)

So instead of Red Sox fans concerning themselves over a possible rusty first baseman, they should be concerned about their slugger’s 0 for 4 outing, Lackey’s pitching and getting a chance to see how Cole Hamels, Tim Lincecum and other young studs of the NL fare against their beloved Sox. There’s no reason to keep the status quo for the sake of the status quo. It didn’t make sense in 1973 and it doesn’t make sense now.

By Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff

"We expect to win," Buckner said before the game. "I like what I've seen so far. I think we have a good defense, the pitching's been pretty solid so far, so that's good, it means we're going to be in all the games. We've got some guys that can play."

Rox catcher Chris Grossman hit a solo home run in the second inning and first baseman Melvin Falu went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Brockton offense. Righthanded starter Mike Smith picked up the win for the Rox, throwing five innings of one run ball.

Former Red Sox relief pitcher Bob Stanley threw out the first pitch.

These are the shirts and caps the Red Sox and Cubs will wear Saturday for their game at Fenway Park. (Amy Donnelly/Boston Red Sox)

By Matt Pepin, Boston.com Staff

The jerseys are replicas of the uniforms worn by the two teams the last time they met in Boston, in 1918. The Red Sox have at least one high-profile staffer who is not a fan of them.

"Not good," manager Terry Francona told the Globe's Peter Abraham.

The Red Sox wore plain white uniforms and caps for most of the 1910s and 1920s, according to the team, and didn't add words to the front until the 1930s. The Cubs, on the other hand, changed their uniforms almost every year in the 1910s.

The uniforms will be signed by the players and auctioned. Proceeds will go to the Red Sox Foundation charity.

Story: Red Sox, Cubs to turn back the clock

Former Red Sox and current Atlanta Braves pitcher Derek Lowe was arrested last night for driving under the influence, Georgia State Police told the Atlanta Journal Constiution.

Lowe was pulled over around 10 p.m. last night. A trooper "detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage" on Lowe's breath. The 37-year-old pitcher took a field sobriety test but refused a state-administered alcohol test. He was taken to jail and was also charged with reckless driving and failure to maintain lane.

Lowe pitched for the Red Sox from 1997 to 2004. He won 21 games for the Red Sox in 2002 and was a playoff hero in 2004, winning the clinching games against the Angels, Yankees, and Cardinals as the Sox won their first World Series title since 1918. Lowe left as a free agent following the 2004 season, with off-the-field issues factoring into Boston's decision not to bring him back.

By Steve Silva, Boston.com

Miami Heat star LeBron James is teaming up with Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner in a deal that brings the basketball superstar together with the parent company for the local baseball team.

The Celtics' nemesis' deal with the Sox owners gives James a minority stake in Liverpool Football Club (LFC), which Fenway Sports Group (FSG) -- led by Henry and Werner -- purchased in October. The Fenway group will partner with James's sports marketing firm, LRMR Branding & Marketing to become the exclusive representative for James.

“I am thrilled to be working with John Henry and Tom Werner,” James said in a statement. "These guys, like me, have a passion for sports. You can see the drive and commitment they have for their teams. For me, this is about being in business with an organization that loves sports as much as I do.”

As part of the deal, James obtained a piece of LFC, one of the world's most famed soccer teams and a longtime marquee franchise in the English Premier League now owned by FSG.

The 26-year-old James will work with FSG via Fenway Sports Management (FSM), the sports marketing arm of FSG established in 2004. FSM has Boston College sports, the Deutsche Bank PGA golf championship, Roush Fenway racing, Liverpool FC, and Professional Bull Riders among its client base.

"I can't even explain the level of excitement that we have right now," James' manager and LRMR CEO Maverick Carter told the Associated Press. "As far as my business career goes, it's one of the most exciting times. And the opportunity for growth for us is huge. The guys at FSM understand it too and they probably see it even more than we do."

The deal came together quickly, but Carter and James have been familiar with Henry and Werner for some time. Their relationship was born, in part, through mutual acquaintances with Berkshire Hathaway — billionaire Warren Buffett's company.

And that relationship between James and the Red Sox owners presents a bit of irony — after all, James is a devout Yankees fan.

"It's strictly business. ... It's very humbling," James said.

"That's the great thing about sports: It brings people together," Carter said. "And this is about business."

Werner believes this will be a powerful collaboration between FSG and LRMR and LeBron.

"There are very few athletes who can match his global reach, appeal and iconic status,” Werner said. “We are very excited that LeBron will be part of the Liverpool FC family. LeBron and Liverpool each has a powerful presence internationally, with particular strength in Asia, but we feel the business opportunities for both working and being identified together in emerging international markets will result in unforeseen opportunities that neither would have been able to realize alone."

Red Sox chief operating officer and FSM president Sam Kennedy said Wednesday that the group is not looking to get into representing individual athletes, but the chance to work with a blue-chip brand such as James was too good to pass up.

"What FSM does for Roush Fenway, Liverpool, and the Red Sox, we will now do for LeBron James," Kennedy said. "We will aggressively pursue business opportunities for him."

James has pursued marketing opportunities across the globe before, especially in Asia and Europe — obviously, two key markets for Liverpool as well.

James stressed that the relationship is a partnership, one brand helping another, and that LRMR's operations aren't being essentially taken over by FSM.

"We're not interested in talent or athlete representation but we think he is one of the most remarkable athletes of his time," Werner said to the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. "We believe we can open doors for LeBron and LeBron can open doors for us."

James said he was "humbled" by the deal.

"The first time I stepped on an NBA court I became a businessman," James told the Journal. "This is a great opportunity for me."

"There are very few athletes who can match his global reach, appeal and iconic status," Werner said. "We are very excited that LeBron will be part of the Liverpool FC family. LeBron and Liverpool each has a powerful presence internationally."

“LeBron shares our love of all sports and we are very excited to make him part of the Liverpool family," said Ian Ayre, Managing Director of Liverpool FC. "We look forward to working with LeBron, LRMR and FSM, and exploring the business opportunities this new relationship could bring forth both here in the U.K. and abroad."

“Liverpool is one of the most important clubs in all of sports, and I am excited to be affiliated with this incredible organization,” James said.

The news of James' ownership stake in LFC has lit up the football club's online discussion forum.

"Can he play left back?" was one question that was posted.

"It may have an impact in Asia, where Lebron is a God," wrote another veteran forum member. "What people don't realise though is that while he is one of the most hated athletes around, he's also one of the most popular. For every guy who hates him there is one who idolises him."

Kennedy said the partnership represented a new way of thinking about the sports marketing business.

"[This partnership] enables us to apply our team and brand marketing experience to elevate LRMR and LeBron to new heights,” Kennedy said. “We’re thrilled to play a lead role in developing their global sports marketing strategy and we’re excited to engage the corporate community and explore how we can build their brands in the domestic and international marketplace by aligning them with one of the brightest stars in professional sports.”

"Eighteen championships," James said to the Journal regarding Liverpool's success. "I see myself trying to do the same things they have."

Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff

Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti have built a strong following and strong ratings in their 18 months as 98.5 The Sports Hub's afternoon drive tandem.

Today, they have one more acknowledgment of their success, agreeing to a three-year contract extension to remain with The Sports Hub.

“In the last 18 months, Mike and Tony have built a very compelling show that speaks to an enormously devoted and passionate listener-following,” said Mark Hannon, CBS Radio's senior vice president and market manager. “We are thrilled they will be part of 98.5 The Sports Hub for years to come.”

Said Felger: "This job is a blast. I don't know what I'd do without it. I think this station has been good for Boston. We needed another voice, another perspective. I consider myself lucky to be included among the group that helps provide it."

Not long after its debut in August 2009, the Sports Hub emerged as a legitimate competitor to WEEI (850), which long had a sports-radio monopoly in the market.

Felger and Massarotti have been at the forefront of the Sports Hub's ascent, challenging WEEI's long-established and recently revamped "The Big Show" in the 2-6 p.m. window and frequently winning the battle between the stations in the Arbitron ratings in the crucial men 25-54 demo.

(Charlie Sheen photo posted on twitpic.com)

In a tweet last night entitled "the warlock's carry-on," actor and train-wreck Charlie Sheen linked to a photo that displays his Mets-Red Sox 1986 World Series pin (pictured above) that he presumably plans to take with him, along with a baseball glove, on an upcoming flight.

Sheen, a longtime Cincinnati Reds fan who spent his formative years in Dayton, Ohio, has always showed a passion for baseball and has starred in two popular movies on America's pastime.

In the Chicago White Sox period piece "Eight Men Out," Sheen played real-life major leaguer "Hap" Felsch. In David S. Ward‘s 1989 Cleveland Indians classic "Major League," Sheen played the memorable role of Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn (right), a foul-mouthed flamethrower who spent some time in the California Penal League.

Cincinnati.com has details on Sheen's "epic" parties with the Reds that took place back in 1990 and 1992.

Sheen purchased the "Bill Buckner baseball" at a 1992 auction for $93,000. For those who may have forgotten, that's the ball that went through Buckner's legs during Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, allowing the New York Mets to go on to win the Series in seven games.

Sheen sold most of his baseball collection in April of 2000, and the Buckner Ball is currently in the collection of songwriter Seth Swirsky, who refers to it as the "Mookie Ball," after the Mets' Mookie Wilson, who hit the grounder that rolled through Buckner's legs during the infamous Game 6 play.

As an interesting aside, Swirsky has what he claims to be a note from '86 Red Sox manager John McNamara regarding the Buckner Ball. The text of that note follows:

Seth:

I hate to remember the '86 W.S. -- it still is bitter. Bill Buckner is not to blame for that loss as we had chances to score more & didn't capitalize; The wild pitch or passed ball that tied the game was the "major" factor in that inning. The ground ball just ended the game.

John

Boston Dirt Dogs also posted a satire piece recently that has Sheen purchasing the Red Sox from current owner John Henry.

Sheen, who made a surprise appearance on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, will also be making a stop at Boston University's Agganis Arena on April 12 in a live show entitled "My Violent Torpedo of Truth," as part of a US and Canada tour.

By Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff

The A's released the following statement on the matter:

Coco Crisp was arrested and detained early this morning under the suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was released from the City of Scottsdale Jail this morning and arrived at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on time for team pre-game drills. The A's are aware of the situation and take such matters seriously. The team and Coco will have no further comment until further details are available.

Crisp, a former Red Sox center fielder, was pulled over by Scottsdale police while driving his 2009 Rolls Royce Phantom, according to TMZ, who also has the mug shot following Crisp's arrest. According to TMZ, police said Crisp was stopped after officers noticed him "failing to stay in one lane of traffic."

The 31-year-old Crisp, who agreed to and performed field sobriety tests at the scene, was released from jail and arrived at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in time to take part in pregame drills before the Athletics' Cactus League game against the Cleveland Indians. He was in the A's clubhouse before the game but did not speak with reporters, nor did he play in today's game.

Crisp is in his second season with the A's and is expected to play center field and be the team's leadoff hitter. Crisp signed with Oakland as a free agent in December 2009. He hit .279 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs in 2010 but played in just 75 games because of a fractured pinkie and strained rib cage muscle.

After Johnny Damon signed with the Yankees, the Red Sox traded with the Cleveland Indians to acquire Crisp in Jan. 2006. The deal sent the center fielder along with catcher Josh Bard and reliever David Riske to Boston in exchange for third base prospect Andy Marte, reliever Guillermo Mota, catcher Kelly Shoppach, a player to be named later, and cash.

In 2006, Crisp broke his left index finger attempting to steal third base and spent the next 42 games on the disabled list. Crisp played in 145 games for the Red Sox in 2007, batting .268 and scoring 85 runs. While Crisp was the team's starting center fielder throughout the 2007 season, he was benched mid-series during the ALCS for rookie outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. Crisp remained benched for the 2007 World Series, only appearing late in games for defensive substitutions. In Nov. 2008, Crisp was traded to the Kansas City Royals for relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez.

Crisp is the third major league player to be charged with DUI during spring training.
The Tigers' Miguel Cabrera was arrested last month in Florida on DUI charges, and the Indians' Austin Kearns is facing a similar charge after being pulled over in Kentucky and arrested on Feb. 12.

In other Coco news, Crisp was in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago taking a little batting practice with ubiquitous newsmaker and baseball fan Charlie Sheen.

By Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Liverpool Football Club superfan Linda Pizzuti spoke on Saturday about her experiences watching soccer matches unfold at LFC's home stadium at Anfield and the similarities between Red Sox fans and LFC fans.

"It is a lot of fun," Pizzuti said in a brief Q&A from the Red Sox player development complex. "The Red Sox fans and Liverpool fans have a lot in common in that they're both really well informed. They know what's going on. They know who the players are, and what their skills are, where they should be playing as opposed to where they're playing sometimes, and they both bring an incredible amount of fun and atmosphere to Anfield and to Fenway."

During her first days at the Kop, the wife of Reds and Red Sox principal owner John Henry became the not-so-secret weapon for LFC. After she witnessed two consecutive Reds wins at Anfield, she was dubbed 'Lucky Linda' by the fanatical Reds fans.

LFC has moved up to sixth place in the Barclays Premier League and hasn't lost a match since Jan. 12 at Blackpool. The high-priced arrivals of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll after the departure of superstar Fernando Torres to Chelsea has added some spark along with popular manager Kenny Dalglish, who replaced the embattled Roy Hodgson in January.

In the video above, The Globe's Stan Grossfeld talks to Bostonians about the Sox... and slush.

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Red Sox made multiple offers for Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista at last month's baseball winter meetings.

Rosenthal says the offers came after Jayson Werth signed with the Nationals but before the Red Sox closed their deal with Carl Crawford.

According to the report, the Blue Jays were not enthusiastic about trading Bautista, who led the majors with 54 homers last year and has one year of arbitration left before he becomes a free agent.

(AP)

It appears Linda Pizzuti is fast becoming the not-so-secret weapon for Liverpool Football Club, after watching two consecutive Reds wins at Anfield. The wife of Red Sox and LFC owner John Henry has quickly earned the moniker 'Lucky Linda'.

The 31-year-old Pizzuti endeared herself to LFC fans last week when she asked them on Twitter what songs she should learn to chant during the matches.

The First Post reported last week, the LFC fans will want to see more of Pizzuti at the Kop:

As one correspondent in the press box at Anfield commented last night, "She'd better be prepared to fly over for every match. The Kop needed a new lucky mascot after Liverpool's dreadful start to the season. They're not going to let her go now."

After Liverpool's impressive 2-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday, Pizzuti tweeted:

"We had some Red Sox folks there for their first match & they were also blown away by the passion, humor, and power of LFC supporters... Didn't believe it was possible, but Anfield was even more electric and exciting than what I got to experience on Thursday...

No word yet on whether Pizzuti will be on hand tomorrow when Liverpool takes on Wigan Athletic at DW Stadium tomorrow.

Free agency formally began yesterday, and the Red Sox apparently have not waited long to contact a player long believed to be someone they would covet.

Citing a baseball source, ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes reports that the Red Sox have been in touch with Jayson Werth's agent, Scott Boras, to express interest in the five-tool outfielder who has spent the past four seasons with the Phillies.

Werth, a 32-year-old seeking his first big payday after injuries plagued the early years of his career, is hitting free agency at the right time. He is coming off arguably his best season, during which he batted .296 with a .921 OPS, hit 27 homers, and led the National League with 46 doubles.

The only other free agent outfielder who will draw similar interest is Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford, and Werth is the only true high-end power-hitting outfielder available.

Crawford, like Werth, will appeal to the Red Sox and a number of other suitors, though there are no reports of specific teams contacting him yet.

The Boras factor is of interest to the Red Sox. He's notorious for prolonging free agency for his clients, and he represents not only Werth, but third baseman Adrian Beltre. Crawford is represented by Brian Peters.

Meanwhile, in the Bronx, the Yankees reportedly wasted no time checking in with the agent of ace lefthander Cliff Lee, who beat New York twice in the ALCS while leading the Texas Rangers to the World Series.

According to the New York Daily News, the Yankees were one of several teams Sunday to express interest in Lee, one of baseball's premier pitchers the past three seasons.

The Daily News reported that the Rangers, Nationals, Phillies, Cubs, Brewers, and Angels also contracted his agent, Darek Braunecker. It was uncertain whether any team made a formal offer, but that seems to be a mere formality as far as the Yankees are concerned:

The Yankees are expected to be aggressive in their pursuit of Lee, who is far and away the best player available on the free-agent market this winter. Lee, 32, is believed to be seeking a six-year deal worth at least $23 million annually.

The Yankees nearly acquired Lee at the July 31 trade deadline from the Seattle Mariners for premier prospect Jesus Montero, but the Rangers trumped the offer with a package including first baseman Justin Smoak.

Now that the Giants have been crowned World Series champions for the 2010 season, it's time to turn our focus to 2011 and the Red Sox roster.

There's lots of work to be done to rebuild the third-place Red Sox. The Sox have only five days of exclusive negotiating rights with Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek, who were among the first players to file for free agency. And the Sox must make a decision on David Ortiz this week.

To get the stove cranking, here's a look at the latest rumors and available players that may impact the Red Sox this offseason:

Will David Ortiz get a multi-year deal from Boston this week? Ortiz told WEEI.com recently that he's not comfortable coming back for the final year of his current contract, and the Red Sox must decide whether to pick up Ortiz's $12.5 million option by Thursday or consider offering the 34-year-old designated hitter a new multi-year contract.

"I'm not comfortable coming back just for one year because it's going to be the same roller-coaster that I had this year," he said. "All the question marks. People still don't realize what you're capable of doing even after eight years. I'm the kind of guy who likes to be left alone, play my game and be the best at my position."

In today's Globe 10.0, Bob Ryan and Dan Shaughnessy debate what the Red Sox should do with David Ortiz.

Is Carl Crawford the answer to fire up the Red Sox fan base? According to Peter Gammons, the Red Sox are going to go hard after the fleet-footed outfielder:

“There is no doubt in my mind that they are going to go really hard after Carl Crawford. That will be a matchup with the Angels, and you know there are some puffs of smoke coming out of New York that suggest the Yankees might go after him, even though their primary need is pitching.”

ESPN's Buster Olney has more on the Crawford pursuit:

Carl Crawford is going to get extraordinary offers as a free agent this offseason, but if everything is equal (if the Red Sox or the Yankees make the same level of offer as the Angels) do not underestimate the impact of the competitive callus Crawford has built up against Boston and New York in his career. For years, he has been battling the Red Sox and Yankees, and he will need to be persuaded to join them, according to a friend.

Crawford and Jayson Werth, another veteran outfielder the Sox are reportedly interested in pursuing, are both Type A free agents.

Can the Sox hang on to catcher Victor Martinez? Gammons doesn't think so at this point:

I don’t expect Victor Martinez to come back [to Boston], I think Detroit is going to give him four or five years. And I don’t think anybody else is going to give him four or five years to be a catcher.

Where will Adrian Beltre land? According to the Globe's Peter Abraham, the Tigers are in the mix for the third baseman:

The Red Sox and Tigers are doing a little dance as teams prepare for free agency. Detroit has apparently decided to keep Brandon Inge and have him play third base, which takes one team out of the mix for Adrian Beltre. However, the Tigers are said to be very interested in Victor Martinez after light hitting Alex Avila did their catching last season. Then there's Carl Crawford. The Sox would love to have him and so would the Tigers, who see a Crawford-Austin Jackson combination giving them premier defense in the outfield. The Tigers had Ryan Raburn in left field for most of last season.

Is the captain returning to the Red Sox? The Globe's Nick Cafardo writes that Jason Varitek would be a nice veteran backup for the Brewers, who need someone to mentor Jonathan Lucroy, but the veteran catcher is still in Boston's plans.

Cafardo also reports today that the Red Sox have told Bill Hall they will reject the $9.25 million option but want the utility man back. Hall is expected to see what's available for a starting job, but could return to Boston.

With John Farrell heading off to Canada to manage the Blue Jays, the Sox are in the hunt for a new pitching coach, and Curt Young continues to lead the pack of favorites to replace Farrell. Buster Olney wrote last week that, barring a dramatic change, the Red Sox will hire Young, who recently ended a seven-year tenure with the A's and has a relationship Terry Francona, who was a coach in Oakland before becoming manager of the Red Sox [Update: Young named Sox pitching coach].

On the front office side, it looks like J.P. Ricciardi is considering joining the Red Sox braintrust according the New York Post's Joel Sherman:

[Mets GM] Sandy Alderson is expecting to hear no later than today from J.P. Ricciardi if the former Blue Jays GM will accept a key role in baseball operations. Ricciardi also is weighing an offer from the Red Sox. The Boston job holds particular allure to Ricciardi because he still lives in Worcester County, Mass., and has two school-age boys he wants to stay close to. Besides the obvious — the Red Sox in Boston — the organization’s top two minor league affiliates, Triple-A Pawtucket and Double-A Portland (Maine), are within a reasonable drive. However, Ricciardi has told friends the allure of working again with Alderson, who he considers a mentor, also is attractive, especially since he might be able to do a significant piece of his work from home.

For a look at more players who may be on the Red Sox radar this offseason, take a look at our free agent photo gallery.

John Henry finally touched base with the passionate fans of a certain team in transition this morning. The Red Sox? No, the Reds. As in the Liverpool Football Club Reds.

The Red Sox principal owner and prospective Reds buyer broke his year long silence on his Twitter account by offering encouragement to fans of the Premier League football club on the morning of the critical court case that will determine whether Henry's New England Sports Ventures (NESV) will be allowed to buy the venerable soccer team.

"...everyone is hoping for the best," Henry said in a message to Liverpool fans on his Twitter account today. "There have been enough twists and turns. Hopefully all gets sorted out soon; LFC moves forward."

Liverpool, which won the last of its 18 English league titles in 1990, is off to its worst start to a season since 1953.

Before today, Henry's last tweet was over a year ago, after the Red Sox lost the first two games to the Angels in the 2009 ALDS. "Angel pitching dominant in first two games," Henry tweeted at the time. "We've been here before a couple of times." The Sox went on to lose Game 3 and the series at Fenway when the Angels rallied for a comeback win off Jonathan Papelbon in ninth inning and advanced to ALCS.

Today, Henry broke his silence on the Liverpool takeover situation when he tweeted: “Hello LFC supporters!"

In response to questions, Henry said: “It would be inappropriate and presumptuous at this time to respond to questions. In the interim, we're all rooting for the same thing.”

Henry later added, "One question I can answer: Who are we?" and linked to a new video about NESV.

According to the Liverpool Echo newspaper, Henry is looking forward to getting together with Liverpool fans.

"Mr Henry is said to have become increasingly frustrated that he has not yet been able to travel to Merseyside to meet fans and do interviews," according to the Echo.

Royal Bank of Scotland, which holds the bulk of Liverpool's debt, is seeking a court order preventing co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. from removing two of the three rival board members supporting a $476 million sale to New England Sports Ventures.

You can follow the proceedings from the High Court in London live here on LFC online and on Twitter @liverpool.

Red Sox fans got a first-hand view of Manny Ramirez over the weekend. It was never going to be one of those "remember-where-you-were" moments, but Manny's return proved even less memorable than it could have been. And that's after Manny's big, heartfelt confession that he was wrong, he's grown up now, and if given the chance, he would have come back to Boston.

The Labor Day holiday had something to do with the lack of interest in Manny. So did Hurricane Earl. But, being in the stands Saturday night, a "mixed reaction" is being too kind to Ramirez. It was about 80-20 boos-to-cheers.

Which leads to how Ramirez is being perceived in Chicago. He went 4-for-9 over the weekend at Fenway, though he failed to drive in a run. Ramirez may perform well on the field for the White Sox this month, but the Manny mystique certainly isn't there this time around. A Chicago Tribune poll asking readers about their initial impressions of Ramirez lists three possible responses, all of them starting with "What was all the fuss about?"

Following the news that Ramirez would be coming to Boston, the Tribune's David Haugh wrote that it was hard to applaud bringing in a player with Ramirez's reputation.

Both the Tribune and Sun-Times are having fun with the length of Manny's hair, but it feels forced. The White Sox as a team aren't marketing Ramirez like the Dodgers did two years ago. There won't be a Mannywood on the South Side. The manager, Ozzie Guillen, is still the team's biggest personality, and Manny's presence isn't going to change that.

Are you a Sea Dogs fan? Do you enjoy watching Double A baseball games in torrential rain and wind?

If so, you're in luck.

The Portland Sea Dogs are giving away tickets for their game with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Friday night to anyone named Earl.

To take advantage of the offer, people named Earl can contact the Sea Dogs ticket office at 207-879-9500. If your your name is Earl, you'll get one free ticket in either reserved or general admission seating. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Hadlock Field in Portland.

Proper identification is, of course, required.

The Sox -- those of a white variety rather than red, of course -- expressed an interest in adding Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez earlier this week.

Now it appears the White Sox may get their chance to acquire Ramirez, provided no team with a worse record puts in a claim ahead of them.

As expected, Ramirez, the enigmatic former Red Sox slugger, was placed on waivers by LA this afternoon, according to a report by ESPN's Buster Olney.

The news comes as little surprise. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com was the first to report earlier this week that if Ramirez, who is batting .306 with eight homers in 63 games during an injury-plagued season, would be claimed by the White Sox if the Dodgers exposed him.

But the process is not simple, nor is it cut-and-dried that the 38-year-old will end up in Chicago. Teams have until Friday afternoon to make a claim, and the team awarded the claim will have until Tuesday afternoon to try to work out a trade with the Dodgers should they request compensation.

Ramirez must pass through waivers in the NL before any AL team can claim him, and the order is determined from worst record to the best. The White Sox currently have the sixth-best record in the AL.

The situation is further complicated by his full no-trade clause since he would have to approve any transaction.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has reported that the Chicago White Sox plan to claim former Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez if the Dodgers put him on waivers, which could happen today.

Rosenthal said sources have also told him the Rays and Rangers may have an interest in Ramirez, but the White Sox would have dibs if Ramirez is placed on waivers.

The Dodgers are out of the NL West pennant race and a long shot in a crowded NL wild-card race, and may look to dump the $4.25 million remaining on Ramirez's salary for the season.