Playing nine innings while looking forward to buying a "2009 AL wild card champions" t-shirt for $3.99 at Olympia a month from now . . .

1. Peter Gammons tweeted this bit of info this morning, and it caught me by such surprise that I had to turn to MLB.com for confirmation, but it is true: J.D. Drew is second among qualifying American League outfielders in OPS this season, behind only teammate Jason Bay. (Adam Lind, who would be first, doesn't count since he's primarily been a DH.) Further, Drew is 11th overall, trailing these 10 boppers: Joe Mauer, Youk, You're On The Mark Teixeira!, Miguel Cabrera, Lind, A-Rod, Ben Zobrist, Bay, Michael Young, and Kendry Morales. Damn good company. I don't know if this is an indictment of OPS as a measuring stick regarding a player's contributions and value, or a sign that we've been sleeping on a very useful season from the player who is in the top five on the Red Sox' all-time list of enigmas. But the conclusion is inescapable: Drew has had a sneaky-excellent season.

2. It's tempting to root for the Morneau-less Twins in this honest-to-goodness pennant race with the Tigers, if for no other reason than the slim chance that it will enhance Joe Mauer's MVP candidacy in the brussels sprout-sized minds of those who believe there is any other logical choice. But . . . but . . . I just can't do it, for two reasons: I can't stand the Twins' addiction to Punto-ing away outs with small-ball tactics, and, more important, I'm fairly sure they'd be roadkill against the Yankees. I've shared this dream before, and I will again, because I'm convinced it can become reality: Justin Verlander, who is 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 14 innings against the Yankees this season, beats CC Sabathia in Game 1 . . . and suddenly, the Yankees are counting on maddening A.J. Burnett to win Game 2 . . . and the entitled and desperate jackals get bloodthirsty, and . . .

3. Obviously, the priority over the final four games is to get the pitching staff lined up and the lineup rested for the postseason. But I hope David Ortiz, who undoubtedly could benefit from a day off or two, gets the opportunity to wallop the two homers and drive in the four runs he needs for his sixth career 30 homer/100 RBI season. Considering that he didn't hit his second home run until June 6 -- the 56th game of the season -- it's remarkable that he even has a shot at the dual milestones at all. And for all that has happened to him this season -- and all he did for Sox fans in previous seasons -- it is very, very easy to root for a little bit of redemption for the man

4. The Tek Army, depleted, battered, and on the verge of acknowledging that their idol is barely able to throw to second base in under 2.5 seconds, has been reduced to suggesting that their captain should call pitches from the bench during the postseason. I know it's hard to believe, but I never wanted it to come to this; my problem was never with Varitek, an admirable and important player during the Red Sox' terrific recent run, but with those who exaggerated his secondary abilities when it was apparent that his truly valuable skills were eroding. I actually wouldn't mind if he's behind the plate for Josh Beckett's Game 2 start -- Varitek's presence is of apparent importance to the pitcher, and that's worth something. I just don't want to see him digging in to the batter's box for a meaningful late-inning at-bat. Heck, I'd rather see the suddenly available Eric Wedge get a few swings. Check out that HR rate in '92.

5. Yeah, I suppose it was in questionable taste for Angels players to toast (and douse) the image of Nick Adenhart on the outfield wall with champagne and beer during their playoff-clinching celebration Monday night, given that the promising young pitcher was killed by a drunk driver. But I don't have much of an issue with it, considering that their intent was heartfelt and genuine. What did bug me was Angels broadcaster Rex Hudler's relentless yapping as the Angels' players headed out to pay tribute to their fallen teammate. Even Chris Berman knows that moments such as that one don't need a running commentary.

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Playing nine innings while wondering if Clay Buchholz's bizarre habit of throwing to first base at unnecessary times is some sort of tribute to Matt Young . . .

1. Despite losing two of three this weekend and six of their last seven matchups with the Yankees overall, I still feel oddly confident in the Sox' chances.

Why? Here's why: A.J. Burnett, No. 2 starter, all-time enigma. He's 33 years old, is as unhittable as any pitcher in the big leagues when he's on and interested, and yet he still carries himself like Nuke LaLoosh's petulant kid brother. In fact, I'm pretty sure this conversation actually occurred on the Fenway mound sometime around the second inning Saturday:

Burnett:[to himself]: Why's he calling for a curve ball? I want to bring heat. Shake him off. Throw what you want. [Posada gives Burnett the sign for the pitch, Burnett shakes his head again. Posada and his ears walk to the mound.]

Posada: Why are you shaking me off?

Burnett: I want to bring the heater. Announce my presence with authority.

Posada: To announce what?

Burnett: My presence with authority.

Posada: To announce your presence with authority?! This guy's a first ball fastball hitter, looking for the heat.

Burnett: So what? He ain't seen my heat.

Posada: All right, Meat. Give him your heat. [He walks back to his place behind the plate, muttering something about Carl Pavano.]

Burnett: Why's that big-eared guy always calling me Meat? I'm the guy driving a Porsche.

Posada: [to Kevin Youkilis, standing at the plate] Fastball.

[Burnett delivers. Youkilis crushes a home run, pausing to admire it.]

Posada: What are you doing standing here? I gave you a gift. You stand here showing up my pitcher? Run, dummy, or I'll have Chamberlain stick one in your ear.

Yes, that went on way too long, and yes, Burnett actually wanted to throw his curveball more. But other than that minor factual alteration, I am absolutely sticking to my story. With that indulgence out of the way, on to real baseball matters . . .

2. No, I don't think Josh Beckett is injured. I think he's had two lousy starts in a row, the first because he had to pitch to Victor Martinez, and the second because he hadn't recovered from the trauma of having to pitch to Victor Martinez. (Now that the Tek Army loyalists have nodded their heads and moved along to their dream-filled days of ice cream, unicorns, and squared-jawed catchers with brush-cut hairdos who can hit .250, let's try to come up with a sensible reason why Beckett has done the Wasdin thing over his last two starts after about two months of dominant pitching.) And look! Here's one, courtesy of Buster Olney, who suggests on ESPN Insider blog that the Yankees may have solved Beckett's pitching pattern entering Sunday's game.

The Yankees' home run data from Sunday night showed a definite trend in how to approach Beckett -- look for a first-pitch fastball, then curveball with two strikes. Derek Jeter and Hideki Matsui's leadoff homers in the first and second innings were both off fastballs. Robinson Cano and A-Rod later followed with homers off two-strike curveballs. This proved to be a great approach: Beckett threw 25 of 33 first-pitch fastballs (76 percent versus 59 percent overall). Beckett threw curveballs in eight of 18 of at-bats that reached.

This proved to be a great approach. Olney's not one for hyperbole, is he? Someone with the Yankees deserves kudos for cracking the code and allowing the Yankees to hammer a legitimate Cy Young candidate. Conversely, how come the Red Sox seemed to be so complacent in their pitch selection? I realize Beckett can be stubborn -- something tells me he'd like throwing to Posada about as much as Burnett does -- but if you don't mix it up, at some point, an advance scout is going to catch on. You'd think John Farrell and, yes, Varitek, would be aware of this, though I'd be curious to know if the pitching pattern was the same when Beckett threw to Martinez in his previous start at Toronto.

3. Mike Lowell since the All-Star break: .366 batting average, .591 slugging, 1.016 OPS, five homers and 21 RBIs in 93 at-bats. I believe the extra rest has helped him to a degree -- he does seem to be moving laterally better in the field -- but I bet he'd tell you that the numbers are the best evidence yet that he should be playing every day. At this point, I tend to see it his way, if only because the Sox lineup is so much deeper when Lowell and David Ortiz are a part of it.

4. By conventional statistical measures, Jacoby Ellsbury is having a pretty decent second full season in the big leagues. He's hovering around a .300 batting average (.294) at the moment, he plays a borderline Gold Glove center field, and with his next stolen base will break the club record that has been held since 1973, when Tommy Harper swiped 53. But a glance at his baseball-reference page leaves you with one fundamental conclusion: He's been almost the same exact mediocre player he was last season. His adjusted OPS is 87, the same as it was during his rookie season, and lower than Jason Varitek's and David Ortiz's this season. His on-base percentage is up .004 from a season ago, and his OPS is just .010 higher. Really, the only statistical changes are that he will probably score few runs, and he'll strike out less often. Not exactly the leap in production we were hoping from him in Year 2. He's going to be 26 in two weeks. It might be time to start wondering if what you see is what you are going to get with him.

5. I've been doing my best to not allow eight mostly brutal starts with the Red Sox alter my appreciation of John Smoltz's 20 mostly admirable seasons with the Atlanta Braves. So far, so good, though I have to admit it was intensely aggravating to watch him go out and dominate the Padres Saturday as if he'd suddenly discovered the fountain of youth beneath the Gateway Arch. Though the Padres have an offense that would probably finish in the middle of the pack in the Atlantic League, Smoltz, who whiffed nine in five scoreless innings, did look like the pitcher the Sox thought they were getting when they signed him back in January. He looked liked someone truly capable of contributing to a pitching staff through October, and only adding to a Sox fan's frustration was the implication during the game, when the Cardinals announcers were fawning over Yadier Molina and Dave Duncan's work with Smoltz, and afterward, when the Cardinals claimed that Chris Carpenter immediately noticed that Smoltz was tipping his pitches during a bullpen session. The Sox deny this, but if the Cardinals are right, shouldn't John Farrell and a certain catcher with all of those alleged intangibles have picked up on this at some point? Or have we blamed them for enough already today? It would go a long way toward explaining why opposing batters hit Smoltz like they knew what was coming, though I'm not sure I entirely buy it. The Cardinals like to be the smartest guys in the room, and Smoltz's batting-practice fastball didn't help his cause here Boston, either.

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Playing nine innings while humming the "This Week In Baseball" theme song for no apparent reason (except that it is awesome) . . .

1. An Alex Gonzalez sequel? Eh, I suppose it's an upgrade over Nick Green and Chris Woodward, though at this point the other Alex Gonzalez might be an improvement, and he's been out of baseball since 2006. As we learned first-hand in 2006, Gonzalez has never been much with the bat -- his career-best adjusted OPS is 99, set in 2007 with the Reds -- and he's having an awful year this year, batting .210 with three homers. Of course, we know why the Sox brought him back: He's always been one of the most graceful fielders in the game, and that hasn't changed, though there is some debate as to whether he's lost a significant amount of range since 2006, when he played the best defensive shortstop most Sox fans can recall. (Full disclosure: I thought Pokey was better.) My man Kilgore passes along this tidbit: Fangraphs rates Gonzalez's range as being worse than . . . Nick Green's. Green's biggest weakness is his erratic arm, so if anything, Gonzalez should provide defensive stability in the late innings. I think we're wise enough not going to expect much more than that, though.

2. I'm a little stunned by all the gripes I've heard (particularly in the chat this afternoon) regarding Tito's decision to sit Dustin Pedroia yesterday against Justin Verlander. I sometimes get accused of being a Francona apologist, and I do probably go too far in his defense on occasion simply because it seems he's a permanent target of the miserable I'm-Never-Happy-Unless-I'm-*$(#))ing-About-The-Red Sox-Manager crowd. But Pedroia has been struggling lately (he was hitting .167 over the previous five games), he hasn't had a full day off since early July, and besides, isn't it a good idea to give your hitters a mental health day against an elite pitcher every now and then?

3. I'm a little late on this, but I loved White Sox general manager Kenny Williams's decision to claim overpaid underachiever Alex Rios off waivers from the Blue Jays for a couple of reasons. 1) Williams is one of the few GMs with the daring to make deals that don't jibe with the conventional wisdom (the Jake Peavy swap was another). He has the courage of his distinctive convictions, but more importantly as far as fans are concerned, he has a knack for generating some interesting baseball discussion. 2) I have this completely unjustifiable hunch that Rios, who is only 28, is going to be worth the gamble despite his lackadaisical reputation. 3) If I recall correctly, Williams was mocked by Billy Beane in "Moneyball," so there's some irony in him bailing out J.P. Ricciardi, a former Beane underling, by taking Rios's bad contract off his hands just a few years after the outfielder's value was so high that there were rumors he'd be dealt to the Giants for a kid named Tim Lincecum.

4. Justin Masterson, who makes his second start for the Indians tonight after being dealt at the deadline in the Victor Martinez trade, has a 1.29 in his previous two appearances (one start) with Cleveland. I think that is enough evidence to rest my case that the Sox should have parted with Clay Buchholz, he of the .250 winning percentage, instead. See, now that's how you cherry-pick stats to make an argument. In all seriousness, Buchholz's last couple of starts have been cause for optimism, particularly his gutsy (if losing) effort in New York when the Sox were in the final stages of their disastrous trip. My questions about Buchholz have had little to do with his ability and just about everything to do with his makeup and grace under pressure. If he can continue to pitch consistently well in the bad times as well as good, then that is beyond encouraging concerning his future with the Red Sox.

5. In retrospect, the seemingly puzzling Casey Kotchman acquisition at the trading deadline probably shouldn't have been relegated to afterthought status, though that was easy enough to do after the Victor Martinez deal grabbed the headlines. While he hasn't hit for the 25-homer power that was projected for him when he was the Angels' No. 1 prospect a few seasons ago, he's an adequate hitter (career 97 adjusted OPS) who plays an outstanding first base, and there's certainly some value in that type of player. I thought it was interesting that Theo Epstein, who was surprisingly candid during his interview with WEEI's "Dale and Holley" yesterday, indicated that Kotchman, who is just 26, might be a bigger part of the Red Sox' future plans than we have realized. I wasn't sure why they made the deal when they did, but after watching Kotchman and hearing the Sox' explanation, I like it a lot. Now, if I could just forget that notorious second-half slugger Adam LaRoche has an 1.122 OPS for the Braves since the deal.

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Playing nine innings while wondering if Tek sent A-Rod a gift on the five-year anniversary . . .

1. Here's where I stand with the Adam LaRoche deal: I like it a lot, and yet I'm still hoping for something better. Does that make sense? As we've all heard the past couple of days, LaRoche is a notorious second-half hitter, and Terry Francona would be wise -- in lineup terms, if not clubhouse terms -- to institute a straight platoon with the creaky Mike Lowell to see if LaRoche can go on one of his hot streaks. But unless he goes on one of his streaks, I can't see how the slumbering Sox offense is significantly better with him in the lineup instead of Lowell. He's an upgrade, but not enough to offset their other issues. If a couple of core hitters -- say, Youkilis and Bay -- don't get hot at the same time, and soon, then I suspect we'll be frustrated that the Theo Epstein didn't pay the price in prospects on a bigger name with bigger numbers.

2. In a related note: Would you trade Clay Buchholz to Cleveland for Victor Martinez? According to Peter Gammons, the Sox had the chance and declined, leading them to pull the trigger on the longstanding LaRoche offer from Pittsburgh. You know what? The more I consider it, the more I think Theo should have taken a few swigs of his favorite beverage, reminded himself that Buchholz will be 25 next month, is just a half-a-year younger than Jon Lester, and still seems to get the moonie-eyes whenever he finds himself in trouble, and make the deal while his value is highest. Then again, I must confess that I never would have written this in the aftermath of his terrific season debut against Toronto before the All-Star break, and there is a tremendous amount of risk in trading a pitcher of his repertoire and promise. It's a tough call, and that's why Theo gets paid the big bucks. But if he Sox can't entice Mark Shapiro with a package starting with Michael Bowden, it's worth revisiting Buchholz's availability again.

3. The way it's looking right now, I'll keep saying I expect the Red Sox and Jason Bay to come to a contract agreement, right up until he's standing next to a smug Brian Cashman and holding up a pinstriped jersey for $18 mil a year. Actually, if there's any fallout from his recent imitation of Ed Sprague-circa-2000 -- Bay is batting .170 with 16 total bases in July -- let's hope it results in him deciding to lower his asking price with the Sox. Maybe he would benefit from a clearer mind right now. It would also help if a friendly pitcher would throw him something other than a slider once in a while.

4. You wouldn't think a injury-prone outfielder/first baseman who batted .242 with one homer in 210 plate appearances since joining the Sox (hat tip) would be lamented upon his departure, but I'm a little bummed to see Mark Kotsay go. He was still an A-/B+ defender and a class act, and with a little bit of luck last postseason, he could have had a moment or two to remember. (He batted .250 in 10 postseason games, but seemed to sting the ball right at someone just about every time up.) Ideally, he'd clear waivers, go to Pawtucket, and come back Sept. 1. But even with his struggles this season, he's worth a flier for a contender. Just as he was for the Sox last year.

5. You won't catch us lamenting the dismissal of Julio Lugo -- surprising, I know, and kudos to Theo for getting a semi-live body in return for one of the least enjoyable Sox players in recent memory. But it has suddenly become imperative that Jed Lowrie, who is batting a robust .107 right now, shakes off his rust quickly and remains healthy, because Nick Green has turned into Scranton Wilkes-Barre Nick Green, not Feel-Good-Story-of-the-First-Half Nick Green. He's batting .163 with a .568 OPS in July after posting .233/.698 numbers last month. At the least, he could use a rest since he's already played the second-most games of his big league career.

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Playing nine innings while wondering whether Jonathan Papelbon will find his AWOL command in the second half . . .

1. Have to imagine the Red Sox front office's internal conversations about Roy Halladay went something like this: "Man, can you imagine a front three of him, Josh, Jon? Pretty close to unbeatable -- well, as long as we have enough offense to score three runs a game, anyway. Which reminds me of the real reason we're gathered here right now -- to figure out how to get the bat this team needs . . . " In other words, a little bit of daydreaming about acquiring the Blue Jays' 32-year-old workhorse/ace, followed by a healthy dose of reality. We'd all love to see Halladay on the Sox, including those who get paid to consider such things. But if Theo Epstein is going to spend his prospects on an upgrade for this year's club, a quality bat (Garrett Atkins need not apply) must come in return, particularly since you have to be skeptical that Mike Lowell can last the season on his gimpy hip. Halladay would make the rich richer. But another hitter would make them better.

2. I'll admit, there is some level of pinstripe paranoia lingering in the back of my mind regarding the supposed Halladay sweepstakes. I don't know if the Yankees could put together a package of prospects to J.P. Ricciardi's liking -- I imagine it would start with Phil Hughes and Austin Jackson -- but they certainly should try. It's noble of Brian Cashman to pretend that he is also following the Red Sox blueprint of trying to build a player development machine, but at some point the Yankees might be best served by admitting they are what they are -- a high-priced collection of big names, most of whom came up through another team's farm system. They should have made the Johan Santana deal two years ago, and they should deal for Halladay now. Here's hoping they're not smart enough to realize as much.

3. Burned a few minutes the other day trying come up with a list of Sox infielders through the years who had a stronger throwing arm than Nick Green. Rick Burleson was one -- he'd hold the ball just so he could show off his hose, unleashing a laser at the last possible second and nipping the runner by a half-step at first. (That also may explain why the Rooster blew out his rotator cuff.) Glenn Hoffman, who in retrospect might have been better served by taking the career path of his kid brother, was another. Who would you add to the list? And don't say Lugo.

4. I've never been happier for or more encouraged by a .224 hitter than I am for David Ortiz right now. He was batting .185 with one homer as of May 31, and the word excruciating doesn't begin to describe the start to his season. But since June 1, he's hit 10 homers and driven in 26 runs in 103 at-bats, and he really does look like his old self. Big Papi is Big Papi again, and it sure is nice to write those words.

5. Baseball is better when Pedro Martinez is involved, and so it's encouraging to hear that he's close to returning to the big leagues and inking a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. I would have rather seen him end up with the Dodgers or Cubs -- I'm not sure that Williamsport-style bandbox the Phillies play in will treat him well -- but having him back in the majors where he belongs will be reward enough.

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Playing nine innings while preparing to eat a heaping helping of crow should Jason Varitek's redemption tour continue . . .

1. Sixth? Seems about right for poor Papi, and his season debut (1 for 3, double, walk) in a spot in the batting order that has been unfamiliar to him since May 2004 was a small success. To be honest, though, I wouldn't be averse to Terry Francona dropping him to seventh or lower since he's still in a prime run-producing position. Tito clearly has more respect for Ortiz than that, and you can't fault the manager for giving one of his most beloved and historically dependable players every opportunity to come out of this tailspin. I just wish I could convince myself it's going to happen. While it was a warm moment, it soon became quite clear that Papi's lone home run this season came off an overwhelmed pitcher, Brett Cecil, who had no business being on that mound, and Ortiz's subsequent slide afterward was confirmation that all was not solved by the one home run. He's still struggling to hit a decent fastball, his mechanics at the plate are a tangled mess, and he looks -- justifiably -- as if he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. It's like the Seattle respite never happened. For now, all we can do is cross our fingers and hope against hope that Papi finds his mojo again. Last night was a baby step. It would be nice if Kevin Slowey would play the role of Brett Cecil tonight.

2. If Ortiz doesn't come out of this, I'm still on board with the idea of acquiring Victor Martinez from Cleveland if the cost isn't too prohibitive -- and I do not consider Michael Bowden as too much to sacrifice for a legitimate middle-of-the-order hitter who can catch and play first base. I'm also curious -- as I mentioned on my Twitter feed the other day -- if the Sox might be able to put together a package to acquire Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego. While his contract is appealing to the Padres -- in March 2007 he signed a four-year, $9.5 million with a $5.5 million team option for 2011 -- Gonzalez is a player who has appealed to the Sox since he was buried behind Mark Teixeira and Hank Blalock in Texas, and he might be one they could be willing to overpay for in terms of prospects. Admittedly, this is all speculation, and it would probably only happen if (or when) the surprising Padres (23-22) stumble, but on the surface it makes a lot of sense.

3. At this point, I'm almost wondering whether the Sox should track down Pokey Reese and stick him at short. Sure, he'll be 36 in June, hasn't played in the majors since 2004, and would as usual struggle to hit his weight . . . but at least you know he'd catch the bleepin' ball, which makes him an immediate upgrade over Julio Lugo and Nick Green. Actually, all facetiousness aside, this isn't much different than suggesting the Sox should acquire ancient Omar Vizquel, who is somehow hitting .372 for Texas. And I'd also take him.

4. I'm not particularly concerned about Jonathan Papelbon giving up two-run homers on back to back outings on Saturday and Monday. One came on a poorly located pitch to a hitter, Omir Santos, who was obviously sitting on a fastball and got a fat one, and the other was hit by Joe Mauer, who is so hot right now that he could probably go 3 for 4 with a double and a homer against vintage Koufax. What does concern me is Papelbon's increased walk rate, which is apparently the result of altered mechanics. He has three more bases on balls this season than he had all of 2008 -- and that's in 48.1 fewer innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio last year was a ridiculous 9.63-to-1. This year, it stands at 2.18. Given that his first three seasons as a closer stack up with any pitcher's in history, it seems to me there was no reason whatsoever to tweak his delivery or his approach unless the Sox have more concerns about the long-term condition of his shoulder than they are letting on. Is there any other reason to mess with such a good thing?

5. The Ramon Ramirez/Coco Crisp deal with the Royals is looking like one of those rare win-win swaps. Ramirez -- who remains something of a mystery to me; do we know anything about this guy? -- has been absolutely lights-out for the Sox, with a 0.74 ERA and a Pedro-like 0.74 WHIP in 24.1 innings over 22 appearances. Although Crisp is hitting just .236 for the Royals -- he has an interesting explanation for this on his Twitter feed (second item down) -- his .751 OPS is the same as it was last season with the Sox, and his sensational defense in center field prompted Zack Greinke to suggest that his approach on the mound is to get the batters to hit the ball in Coco's direction. Not a bad policy, as we learned so memorably around here in 2007.

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Playing nine innings while loving the new MLB.tv setup this season . . .

1. A jerk's knee-jerk reactions to the tied-for-fourth-place Red Sox after three of 162: Game 3 against the Rays in this series looked quite a lot like Game 7 last October -- the Sox just couldn't deliver a big hit when they needed one. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's a little too early to be concerned about the offense as a whole, however. Save the "We Miss Manny" nonsense . . . David Ortiz went just 2 for 9 with no home runs in the series, but there was one very encouraging sign -- he's back in his old familiar waiting-to-pounce crouch at the plate. Last year, when his knees were barking, he was noticeably more upright, and it affected his power . . . Are you concerned at all about Jed Lowrie and/or Jacoby Ellsbury, who are a combined 3 for 24? No? Not even just a little? . . . Yesterday's hiccup aside, Daisuke Matsuzaka will win his usual 14-18 games this season. We might even get through a few of them without pulling our hair out . . . Manny Delcarmen is finally in his ideal role, and you can interpret that as you wish . . . Now that was vintage Josh Beckett. If he can maintain something close to that velocity through the summer, his starts will become must-see events.

2. Still can't decide if I like Rays manager Joe Maddon or not. I do admire his creative thinking and willingness to leave cleat marks on conventional baseball wisdom. And while there's no manager in the game today I'd rather have running the Sox than Terry Francona, I believe Maddon -- the runner-up for the gig after Grady Little was sent back to the barnyard -- would have been a very interesting and progressive choice. On the other hand, he does give off a deliberate "smartest-man-in-the-room" vibe, and sometimes it seems like some of the Rays' strategy and tactics are done in part to show off his unconventionality. I suppose I have 15 more games this season -- and perhaps more -- to make up my mind.

3. Interesting story on Red Sox fan-favorite Mark Teixeira in Newsday this morning. According to reporter Kat O'Brien's story, Hal Steinbrenner -- he's the Steinbrenner son without the Tonka trucks and Army men in his office -- had to be convinced by general manager Brian Cashman to pursue the slugging free agent first baseman. And he was apparently persuaded to get involved only when it looked like Teixeira would end up in Boston:

Perhaps one argument that swayed them was these words from Cashman about the Red Sox: "I know you're not interested, but they're going to get this guy. He's going to fall in their lap, and he's so perfect for us."

Oh, he's perfect for the Yankees all right. He's a (choose your own adjective).

4. I realize Evan Longoria is a budding superstar, the Rays' franchise centerpiece at age 23, and I wouldn't be surprised if he collects an MVP award or two in the next five years. It's hard to believe he doesn't even have a full year of service time yet, because it feels like he's been pounding Red Sox pitching for about a decade at this point. I am really looking forward to the day Sox scouts recognize something resembling a hole in his swing or a weakness in his approach, because every time he comes to Fenway, he turns into some combination of Mike Schmidt and George Brett. And he's not that good. Yet, anyway.

5. Three games into the season, and the relentless Varitek Army is already beating down my door. The demand? That I apologize immediately for having the gall to suggest that his career is on an accelerated down-slope after he hit roughly .220 over the last year-and-a-half. Color me skeptical, but I'm going to wait for another chunk of the next 159 games to pass before I'm convinced that a 37-year-old (as of tomorrow) catcher is capable of bouncing back. That said, I'm perfectly fine with his current pace: .167 average, 108 hits, and 108 home runs over a 162-game season. Look out, Barry Bonds!

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Playing nine innings while wondering if A-Rod is actually a "Saturday Night Live" skit come to life . . .

1. While Theo Epstein said Sunday that the Red Sox and Jason Bay have broken off contract talks for now, the strong hunch here is that the sides will quietly work on a deal through the spring, and the good news of its completion will probably arrive when we're not expecting it. An agreement just makes too much sense for both parties. Bay fell for Boston and the Fenway experience not long after being rescued from Pittsburgh purgatory last July 31, and while his impending free agency makes it extremely unlikely that he'll accept a deal that's as team-friendly as those signed by Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, and Jon Lester, it doesn't sound like he's trying to shake every last coin out of John Henry's pockets, either. And it would be beyond wise for the Red Sox to make it a priority to retain him. He has legitimate 30-homer power, and next year's free-agent class lacks a true knock-down-the-fences slugger (the holdouts and rubes will realize this year that Bay is a superior offensive player to Coors Field-dependent Matt Holliday, who's about to be exposed in that cavernous ballpark in Oakland.) Bottom line: Bay's happy here, he cured the club's Manny headache, he's a good fit skill-wise, and in the next few months, he'll sign a reasonable deal to remain here for the next few seasons. (Completely off track: Is it me, or does Bay look like Gabe Kapler here?)

2. Can't blame Kevin Youkilis for being annoyed with David Ortiz's recurring comments that he needs protection in the lineup. After all, Youk did win the Henry Aaron Award as the top hitter in the AL last season while batting immediately behind Ortiz in the lineup -- what more is he supposed to do? While I actually agree with Papi's point to a degree -- Mark Teixeira would have been the perfect fit, and there are a couple of potential sinkholes in the lineup if certain things don't go right, such as Jason Varitek's bat being resuscitated from the dead -- it's time to let it go and move on. The more Papi mentions it, the more it appears he was spoiled by having Manny batting behind him for all of those years.

3. Daniel Bard has generated some "Next Papelbon" buzz this spring because of his triple-digit fastball. While that's hyperbolic to some degree, it is easy to be encouraged about the 23-year-old former No. 1 pick, particularly since he's walked just two while whiffing 10 in seven innings. Sure, that's a minuscule sample size, but considering this is a pitcher whose command was so completely on the fritz two years ago that he walked 78 batters in 75.1 innings at two stops in Single A, it's nonetheless a reminder of how far he has come. That Bard is at the point where he could be a significant contributor to the big club's bullpen later this season is a credit not only to his own toughness, but also to Red Sox brain trust for the way they handled him during his struggles.

4. Not to be cruel, but I suppose if a Red Sox regular had to get hurt, it might as well be Julio Lugo, though you do have to feel bad for him in a way since he was having something of a redemptive spring. The only way I can see this affecting the Sox is if Mike Lowell suffers some sort of setback during the next few weeks in his recovery from hip surgery. With Jed Lowrie now taking over full-time at short instead of filling the super-sub sort of role the Sox envisioned for him, the club has lost its best backup plan at third base for the time being. In the meantime, I'll continue to daydream about a midseason upgrade at shortstop, since I'm not particularly thrilled with either Lugo or Lowrie. J.J. Hardy, anyone?

5. I may have mentioned this before, but it still staggers me. I don't know if this is the most prescient comment Bill James has ever written, but it certainly has to rate somewhere among his greatest hits, doesn't it? It comes from "The Baseball Book 1991," and it's about a player who hadn't played an inning above Double A at that point. You'll know who it is before you're even through the first sentence:

"You never know exactly how good a young player will be, but with some luck [for the player], Lou Gorman will hear about the . . . trade until the day he dies. It could be one of those deals, like Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio, Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi, and Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas, that haunts the man who made it."

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Playing nine innings while hoping Gene Orza and Scott Boras fight to the death . . .

1. It's understandable for a Red Sox fan to take a certain amount of glee in watching Alex Rodriguez, that pathological narcissist (that’s a nice word for what the New York Post called him this morning), suffer a self-inflicted fall. And it’s easy to savor the schadenfreude as another layer of his phoniness exposed. But the more information that spills about the circumstances and culture of baseball in the mid-'90s and beyond, the more convinced I become that clean players were in the vast, vast minority. And to be honest, I’m roughly the distance of an A-Rod home run in April beyond the point of outrage, and no single name is a surprise anymore. I just wish the whole truth -- every last name, every last positive urine test -- could be revealed in one swoop. Then, and only then, will we be able to put the entire era in perspective and move on. I'm not holding my breath.

2. As for A-Rod's apology, well, pardon the cynicism, but he simply did what he had to do -- a mea culpa was the man's only real option. I still don't believe there is much about this guy that is particularly sincere or honest, and his comments today were nothing but a fundamental approach to damage control – reveal the whole dirty truth as you see it, act contrite (even if you are not), and wait for the populace to move on to tomorrow’s scandal. Andy Pettitte grasped this, though I think we all found a certain level of sincerity in his apology. That steakhead Roger Clemens did not, or at least his Hall of Fame ego would not permit him to. And you know how their stories played out. One is long since forgiven and preparing to pitch a 12th season for the Yankees this year. The other appears obliviously en route to wearing a different kind of stripes. A-Rod and his advisers knew better than to take the contentious Clemens/Bonds path. Sorry, but I'm not praising him for following the only logical option.

3. Been re-reading Seth Mnookin's "Feeding the Monster" lately -- I'd forgotten how detailed and insightful it was, particularly considering we all think we know everything about the Sox -- and I stumbled across a passage that details the tight friendship between Mark Kotsay and John Henry dating back to their time with the Marlins. That was news to me, and in a sense it reassured me that the Sox probably aren't peeved at Kotsay for having back surgery a few weeks after he was signed. However, Brad Wilkerson and his mincemeat shoulder is not a suitable replacement, and I wouldn't mind if Theo found another capable backup outfielder in the bargain bin. I almost wish there was a place for Bobby Abreu.

4. I think I might be giddier about the John Smoltz signing than I would be if the Sox had signed Mark Teixeira. I realize that is somewhat irrational -- okay, very irrational. It's just that I keep looking at the numbers Smoltz put up last season while his shoulder was barking -- 36 strikeouts in 28 innings, a 2.57 ERA, and a 165 adjusted ERA -- and given his history as a big-game bulldog, it is not that much of a leap to think he will be the steal of the offseason, especially since Theo Epstein raves about the workout he had for the Sox before they signed him.

5. Um, Theo does still plan on bringing in a young catcher this season, right? Right? Two more weeks and I might start thinking Buchholz-for-Saltalamacchia is a reasonable idea.

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A special Jason Varitek-is-staying-now-I-can-sleep edition of Nine Innings . . .

1. In the end -- the glorious, waayyyyy overdue end -- I'm glad ol' No. 33 is back with the Red Sox. I know, you probably don't believe me given the snark (and statistical truths) I've utilized while making the case over the past few months that Varitek is cooked as a major league hitter. But it is consistent with what I said all along -- that if he came back on the Red Sox' terms and in a limited role, there should be a place for him. The pitchers -- particularly Jon Lester, from the sounds of his recent comments -- are comfortable with him, and that does count for something. But again, this is the key -- a limited role. Terry Francona must resist the temptation to lean on him like he has in the past, because he simply is not a player capable of performing at an adequate offensive level anymore. Considering Francona's blind spots for certain veterans -- a washed-up Mike Timlin the past two years, Kevin Millar over Kevin Youkilis in '05 -- it's imperative for Theo Epstein to acquire their proverbial Catcher of the Future soon -- and "encourage" the manager to give the new guy at least 50 percent of the playing time. That's the only way this is going to work.

2. I mentioned this in today's chat, but it bears repeating: It's unfair to the Red Sox' veteran pitchers to suggest that they depend greatly on Varitek's wisdom or guidance. Look at their histories: Brad Penny and Josh Beckett pitched the Marlins to a World Championship with Pudge Rodriguez -- universally panned as a game-caller -- behind the plate. John Smoltz threw to Javy Bleepin' Lopez for years, and we learned the hard way what he's all about. Dice-K seems to do his own thing, Varitek doesn't even catch Wakefield, and to suggest he's the secret to the success of the likes of Jonathan Papelbon and Jon Lester does a great disservice to their talent, dedication, and competitiveness of those pitchers. Yes, to a man, the Sox staff respects him and is comfortable with him, and yes, I suppose he calls a good game, though there's no way to measure beyond anecdotal evidence. But in the end, it's not Jason Varitek who delivers the pitch. It's worth remembering that.

3. The suggestion -- spewed forth all too frequently in the comments section -- that Varitek should or will fire Scott Boras is only slightly less foolish than the notion that Varitek was ever going to get a Posada-type deal as a free agent. It sounds good, but it's never going to happen. Sure, Boras botched this offseason from the moment he declined arbitration -- he seriously misread the marketplace and the effects of the economy, and Varitek certainly has the right to be annoyed about that. But in the big picture, Boras has served Varitek extremely well since becoming his agent 15 years ago. This is a player whose most similar comps include Mike Lieberthal and Mike Stanley (yes, that Mike Stanley), and yet he has made $57 million in his career. Boras bollixed the situation this time around. But overall, Varitek is well ahead on the financial scoreboard in his career, and he has his career-long agent to thank for that.

4. Phrases I never want to hear again in relation to Varitek: They should make him a player coach . . . gritty and gutty . . . he's our captain! . . . best game-caller in baseball . . . selfless leader on and off the field . . . the .220 average was a fluke -- he'll bounce back!. . . and probably a few others I have blacked out. The Varitek Army is still permitted to use "knowledgeable" and "prepared," but that's it.

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Playing nine innings while snickering that the Yankees have almost replaced Mike Mussina's 20 wins . . .

1. When the topic is Mark Teixeira and free agency, I have held two beliefs all along: 1) He's going to get at least $200 million. 2) The winning bid will come from the Yankees. I remain convinced of No. 1. I'm no longer convinced of No. 2, though if I had to bet, I still say the Yankees, whose offense was just as mediocre last season as their pitching staff, are going to swoop in with the insane offer Scott Boras has been waiting for, just as they did for Johnny Damon after the 2005 season. Part of this is my lifelong (but recently dormant) Yankees paranoia talking, but if they threw 10 years and $250 million Teixeira's way Thursday morning, I wouldn't be surprised. As someone who has coveted Teixeira in Boston since Texas first put him on the market midway through the '07 season, you know I'm desperately hoping the Sox are the team that makes him the proverbial Offer He Can't Refuse, though I'm also preparing myself to be disappointed. I want to believe all of the vague reports coming out of the Bellagio that the Sox are the frontrunner for the 28-year-old slugging first baseman, but then I remember that Theo Epstein is essentially giving reporters the mime treatment and Scott Boras isn't offering too many updates from his lair, either, and I can't help but think the notion is little more than the speculation at this point. Teixeira has said he wants to know his destination before Christmas. I hope it's settled much sooner than that. The anticipation is exhausting.

2. Jon Lester should be the Sox' next target for a long-term contract. Jonathan Papelbon seems intent on gambling that he will remain healthy and dominant long enough to hit the jackpot in free agency, and it's still to be determined whether Kevin Youkilis will continue to be the force he was in '08, or whether it was a career year -- I want to see him do it again. I have no doubt that Lester, assuming he avoids significant injury, is going to become one of the game's premier lefthanders for the next 5-6 years. And in certain ways he's already a franchise icon, though I suppose the same could be said for Papelbon and Youkilis to a lesser degree.

3. If the reports that the Yankees will offer Derek Lowe a four-year, $66 million deal are true, he'd be nuts to turn it down, simply because of the ridiculous amount of loot. But baseball-wise, D-Lowe in the Bronx might be doomed to fail. Lowe is master at getting groundballs, as you might recall, and the Yankees' infield defense isn't exactly conducive to supporting a sinkerballer, as you also might recall. To put it another way: There are statues on Easter Island that have better range than Jump-Throwin' Jeter at this point, and second baseman Robinson Cano considers defense an excellent time to catch up on his sleep. I can see Lowe's first season stats in New York now: 12 wins, 14 losses, 4.36 ERA, 203 innings, 356 hits, 222 of which would be groundball singles up the middle.

4. Just for the fun of it, here's how I currently rank the Red Sox' Big Four pitching prospects in terms of value:

1. Justin Masterson. A little bit of The Eck, a little bit of D-Lowe. Untouchable.

2. Clay Buchholz. Yes, he was shockingly brutal a season ago, and there are questions about his makeup. But he has the stuff and his health, and it wasn't that long ago he was one the premier prospects in baseball. I'd be shocked if the Red Sox sold low, though a deal for Jarrod Saltalamacchia makes plenty of sense.

3. Michael Bowden. The opposite of Buchholz. He's a bulldog by all accounts -- I loved Sea Dogs manager Arnie Beyeler's comments to Adam Kilgore after Bowden's debut -- but I'm not the only one who isn't quite convinced that he has a top starter's repertoire.

4. Daniel Bard. An unreal arm -- it seems like he hits 98 effortlessly -- but the couple of times I saw him in Portland, he really made the catcher work. Watching him made me appreciate Papelbon's command for some reason.

5. I was never much of a Greg Maddux fan -- I was always more entertained by the flash of Pedro Martinez in his prime, or even the rage of Roger Clemens in those suspicious seasons after the twilight of his career should have arrived. Heck, among among the Braves, I enjoyed watching John Smoltz and his electric slider more. (Brief aside: I'm on board with the thought of the Sox signing him, provided it's an incentive-laden deal.) But I was smart enough to appreciate Maddux, and I actually found myself wishing he'd hang around a little longer for this reason: Once he's gone, there's a good chance we'll never see anyone quite like him again. Maddux's accomplishments are staggering -- he won at least 15 games for 17 straight seasons -- but I think his most impressive feat is posting back to back adjusted ERAs of 271 and 262 in 1994-95, the fourth- and fifth-best ERA+ seasons in history. He was every bit as dominating as Pedro during the steroid era, just in a subtler way.

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Playing nine innings while wondering when Josh Beckett turned into Steve Trachsel . . .

1. I never thought the day would come when I'd think the Sox would be better off with Mark Kotsay in the lineup over Mike Lowell, but, well, here we are. I haven't seen a Sox third baseman so obviously impaired by an injury since Butch Hobson was juggling bone chips in his elbow and endangering the patrons in the first-base side box seats with his scattershot throws during the summah of 1978. Hobson, whom we later learned was also impaired by other things in his career, eventually went to titanium-skulled manager Don Zimmer and asked out of the lineup for the betterment of the team. Terry Francona, who, thank goodness, has nothing common with Zimmer but a hairline, won't allow the situation with Lowell come to that -- I can't imagine he'll be in the lineup tonight after his tough but helpless performance in Game 3. He looked like he was playing his last innings of the season.

2. Anyone who doubts Jon Lester tonight simply hasn't been paying attention since last October. I have no doubts he'll deliver another outstanding performance tonight. What worries me is the Red Sox lineup versus Angels starter John Lackey, who seems to have finally solved his longtime nemesis, save for one ill-advised fastball to Jason Bay. Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz went a combined 0 for 8 last night, and are 3 for 26 in the series overall. At least one of them needs to snap out of it tonight against the Angels' alleged ace, and right now it looks like Pedroia is closer to coming through than the sadly lethargic Papi, though all it takes is one mighty swing to make things right.

3. For the record, Mike Scioscia, who had the speed of a three-legged end table, swiped 29 bases in 53 attempts in his big league career. So if you were wondering why he doesn't seem to be particularly concerned with playing the percentages on the basepaths, that might be a small clue. He was both slow and somewhat reckless, and at least the latter also describes him as a manager.

4. Welcome to the enemies list , Mike Napoli. As far as we're concerned, you're Jonny Gomes with a catcher's mitt.

5. I don't care if Jonathan Papelbon threw 31 or 131 pitches last night. He must be available tonight if the Sox are holding a slim lead in the late innings. To put it another way: The Sox have to do everything they can to avoid a return trip to Anaheim, and that includes deploying their weary closer if the moment calls for it. This isn't a must-win, but it's pretty damn close, unless you feel confident in Dice-K on the road in Game 5. (Yeah, didn't think so.)

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Playing nine innings while wondering if the Angels are capable of being patient against Dice-K . . .

1. I've probably written this a half-dozen other times this season, but I have to say it again: I couldn't have more respect for Jon Lester. At age 24, he's become everything you'd want in a starting pitcher: durable, clutch, smart, efficient, overpowering, and as a bonus, lefthanded. I used to think his ceiling was as a Bruce Hurst clone. Then, after his final flourish last season, I raised the bar to Andy Pettitte. Now I see him as a harder-throwing version of Pettitte, a true ace whereas Roger Clemens's former BFF was more of a very good No. 2. Lester is 27-8 with a 3.81 ERA in the regular season through his first 59 career starts. Through his first 60 starts, Pettitte was 33-17 with a 4.00 ERA. Looks like the ideal comp to me.

2. I'm not saying TBS analyst Buck Martinez talks too much, but I think he said more words in the third inning Wednesday night than Vin Scully has in his entire career. And there's not exactly a whole lot of insight amid the nasally jabber, either: His favorite topic was the intangible value and game-calling skills of Jason Varitek, which made sense once I realized Buck (real name: John Albert Martinez) spent parts of 17 seasons in the big leagues and had an OPS+ over 95 exactly once. He spent his entire career as the player Varitek is now. (But for the sake of saying something nice about the guy, he does have really great hair for a guy about to turn 60 in a month. I bet even the Eck is envious.)

3. While I believe Tito Francona stands alone at the peak of his profession, I imagine the Angels' Mike Scioscia would be voted the consensus "Top Manager In Baseball" by those who decide such things. There's no doubt he's very good at his job, but I also think a lot of the praise he gets is because his team typically plays a brand of baseball that appeals to the old-school stat-phobes in the media, bunting and stealing bases and playing the game the "way it should be played" . . . right up to the point where their aggressiveness turns on them with an inexcusable gaffe like Vladi Guerrero's in the eighth inning Wednesday night. The Angels give away way too many outs -- and we won't even get started on their see-it, hack-at-it approach at the plate -- and that sort of recklessness has come back to haunt them more than once in recent postseasons. In the end, doesn't that have to reflect on the man in charge?

4. You probably suspect it anyway, so I might as well admit it: I'm enjoying the Manny Ramirez Show in the postseason. Loving it, actually, though I do want the Cubs to win the series (and believe they still can). I guess I look at it like this: I've never enjoyed watching someone hit like I do Manny, I'm a complete sucker for his goofball charisma, and I reconciled myself a long time ago to the fact that he would be maddeningly irresponsible, usually without any logic or explanation. I'll never be glad he's gone, but I completely understand why he is. He's a 36-year-old man who acted like a toddler, he faked an injury -- again, he faked an injury -- and near the end he made the clubhouse such a miserable place that his teammates cited the execrable Carl Everett in describing Manny's divisive behavior. I like Manny, and I always will. Can't help myself. But even I know there's no point in trying to defend the indefensible.

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Let's hold off on our look back at the Bill James Handbook projections for another day (or month). After all, it's now October (and you know what that half-wit Dane Cook says about that), our minds are focused on the Angels and tonight's opener, and so it just seems right to spin through a special pregame edition of Nine Innings instead . . .

1. You tell me who wins tonight's game, and I'll tell you who's going to win this series. (How's that for getting to the point? So unlike me.) But I mean it. If Jon Lester comes out and pitches the way he did in September -- actually, the way he did during practically his entire breakthrough 16-6, 3.21 season -- and the rested, favored, and supposedly ready Angels struggle to generate offense, you have to figure thoughts of "Here we go again" will creep into their heads, and the banged up Sox will no longer be underdogs against a franchise they've defeated in their last nine postseason games. But if Lester struggles, the Angels ' jackrabbits generate a few runs, and the Teixeira/Guerrero/Hunter thumpers do their thing against the pitcher who has been the Sox' de facto ace virtually all season, I fear that all of those prognosticators who are picking the Angels to gain redemption in this series with relative ease will be proven right. I think you know where I stand on this -- I could not have more faith in Lester. Sox win tonight. Sox take the series in four.

2. I was almost as encouraged by the inclusion of third-string catcher David Ross on the final roster as I was by the news that Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew were among the final 25, for this reason: It's a clear sign that Tito Francona intends to pinch hit for the mummified remains of Jason Varitek when the situation calls for it. One of the countless things I admire about Francona as a manager is that he consciously changes his approach in the postseason. He manages with more inning-to-inning urgency, whereas from April to September he always has the big picture and the long season in focus. There were a handful of times during the regular season when I'd catch myself screaming at the Samsung after Francona refused to hit for Varitek in a key situation. (Varitek, of course, either whiffed or grounded into a routine double play, depending if there was a runner on first). Ross's presence on the roster is all the proof I need that Tito is about to change his ways again.

3. I admire Lowell for trying to gut it out in this series, but unless he's secretly been fitted with a bionic hip in the last week, I can't imagine he's going to survive for long against the hyper-aggressive Angels. I hate saying it, because the 2007 World Series MVP is obviously an integral part of the Sox' championship hopes, but he's hobbling and wincing like a guy who needs the offseason to hurry up and get here.

4. If any other significant Sox pitcher besides Josh Beckett suffered an oblique injury so close to the postseason, I'd be worried-bordering-on-panic-bordering-on-a-tantrum. But I honestly believe Beckett is one of those true aces of October, like Curt Schilling before him, who can almost will himself to be successful in big moments, even if he doesn't have his best stuff and is not at peak health. To put it another way: If Beckett takes the mound for Game 3, he will deliver.

5. Can someone please explain the following stat to me, courtesy of longtime Friend of TATB Chuck Waseleski (who, from what I hear, is quite maniacal):

The Red Sox were 63-35 (.643) in games Coco Crisp started, 32-32 (.500) in games that he did not start.

I always find myself rooting for Coco for some reason, so I'm glad to see this, but by most measures he had an adequate season at best (94 OPS+). So what am I missing here? Is this just a fluke? Help me, Stat Gurus! (Sending out bat signal to Keith Law . . .)

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Playing nine innings while wishing the sizzling Sox had a ballgame tonight . . .

1. Theo Epstein deserves endless credit for his shrewd maneuvering after the trading deadline. In both Paul Byrd and Mark Kotsay, he's acquired exactly what the Red Sox needed, a dependable old pro capable of steady if not spectacular contributions. It reminds of the way the Yankees always used to seem to get what they needed in late July and August; they'd add a David Justice, while the Sox would bring in some stiff like Ed Sprague. In a related note, on the days when Terry Francona pencils in an outfield of Kotsay, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Coco Crisp, is that the best defensive trio in Red Sox history? All three of those guys are above-average center fielders. And no, Jimy Williams, your Lewis-Buford-Bragg daydream does not qualify.

2. I've enjoyed watching A.J. Burnett pitch dating back to his days with the Sea Dogs a decade ago, and I realize the brash righty has long been a favorite of John Henry's. But I can't imagine that there's much legitimacy to this report (via SoSH) that the Sox will pursue him in the offseason should he opt out of his deal with the Jays as expected. For all of Burnett's ability - and he has a ton, perhaps the best arm in the AL - he's a 31-year-old injury-prone underachiever, a real-life Nuke LaLoosh whose similarity comp is career 74-game winner Chuck Dobson. I'd rather he gets his next ridiculous eight-figure contract elsewhere. Preferably the Bronx.

3. Until the Yankees are officially, mathematically, stake-through-their-cold-hearts dead when it comes to their playoff hopes, I just can't bring myself to root for them, even when they're playing the team the Sox are chasing in the standings. Wanting the Yankees to lose - and lose painfully - is an instinct that you can't turn off just because they're suddenly irrelevant . . . though with a few more seasons of practice I suppose I could learn.

4. Looks like the player we pegged in yesterday's post as Dustin Pedroia's main competition for the AL Most Valuable Player award may not be able to make his case for at least a few games, and perhaps more. White Sox slugger Carlos Quentin, who has had a remarkable breakthrough season with 36 homers and 100 RBIs, is sidelined with a sore right forearm, and the team says he'll miss a week and maybe longer. If Quentin can't come back anytime soon, Pedroia has to be considered the easy favorite for MVP, and no, I never would have thought three months ago that I'd be writing those words.

5. It's not quite Pedroia-esque, but Brandon Moss has been on an impressive tear himself lately for the Pirates, batting .366 with four homers since Aug. 20, and posting multiple hits in five of his last eight games. You might recall that Moss was a binky of ours around here - I still think he will be a better hitter than David Murphy and could have Trot Nixon's career - but there was no real place for him with the Sox, and it's nice to see him getting his deserved and overdue chance to establish himself in the big leagues.

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Playing a weekend edition of nine innings while wondering if Josh Hamilton is still waiting for Willie Mays to turn around and acknowledge him . . .

1. It's absurd to suggest Manny tanked that now-infamous, 1-2-3-sit at-bat against Mariano Rivera. Absurd. Not only was Manny in the early stages of one of his hot streaks (he had reached base 8 of 13 times in the series to that point, and went 11 for 22 in the following six games), but hitting is the one thing he has always taken seriously. Even when he's going well, Manny often guesses, not only at the pitch but the location, and Rivera froze him with three straight damn near unhittable cutters on the black. That wasn't tanking; it was one future Hall of Famer getting the best of another future Hall of Famer. It happens. And for what it's worth, I put the odds of a Manny return next season at 50/50, though if there really is a front-office mole conveniently leaking information to the likes of Bob Lobel, then I'll greatly lower the odds, because that would suggest to me that certain members of the Sox front office are already greasing the skids for his departure.

(Arizona State Photo)

2. I'm probably the last one to learn about this, but it turns out there was some pretty interesting history between AL All-Star second basemen Dustin Pedroia and Texas's Ian Kinsler. They were teammates in 2002 at Arizona State, but after Pedroia beat out Kinsler for the starting shortstop gig, the current AL batting leader transferred to Missouri. I have a feeling how the majority will vote on this one, but I'll ask anyway: If you could have either player for the next five years, which one would you take? I'll go with Pedroia, if only because I'd hate to be so wrong about him again.

3. I'll remember James Posey as I remember Dave Roberts: an athlete whose stay in Boston was brief, but who made a crucial, unforgettable contribution to a champion. As was the case with Roberts, who was dealt by the Sox because of his wish to play every day, I don't fault Posey for leaving. It was his last shot at legitimate NBA riches, and he took the best offer once it was obvious Danny Ainge was keeping the long-term interests of the franchise in mind and wasn't going to give him a fourth year. Posey will be missed - I don't see how they can come close to replacing him for the coming season, for he was everything you could want in a role player - but at least he left behind a season's worth of lasting memories.

4. All right, quick and supremely dorky trivia question for you . . . and believe me, this is trivial. I was killing some downtime digging through some old sports sections at work the other day (nothing ever gets thrown out around here) when I came upon a Sept. 1987 edition of the Sunday Globe. While scanning the Eastern League season-ending leaders on the Scoreboard page, it dawned on me that the pitcher who finished dead last in ERA is the only player listed in the 21-year-old piece of agate who has been on a big-league roster this season. Two hints: He never pitched in the majors for the team that owned his rights at that time, and he's not Curt Schilling. Your answer is right here.

5. I hope Jonathan Papelbon's experience with the New York tabloids and the bloodthirsty jackals at that ill-conceived All-Star parade doesn't affect his personality. While he's probably not the sharpest barb on the wire - Josh Beckett calls him a redneck, which tells you all you need to know - and he's sometimes a little too glib with the media, his affability is genuine, mostly harmless, and downright refreshing when compared to the canned, robotic responses most players of his stature offer when the cameras are on.

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Playing nine innings while assuming J.D. Drew will be day to day until August . . .

1. I'm not saying the two aggravating losses in Baltimore took a terrible toll on interim manager Brad Mills, but the photo to the left? That's what he looked like before this road trip started. Man, the Sox bullpen can age a man in a hurry. Okay, all silliness aside, it would be nice to see Mills get a legitimate managerial shot of his own once this season is complete. He's been Terry Francona's sounding board, vice principal, and strategic counselor for a pair of world championship winners, and Francona is the first to say that Mills's organizational skills and ability to act as a respected liason between the manager and his players have been invaluable to the Red Sox's success. Here's hoping he gets a team of his own to run, because people smarter than me believe he'll be a fine manager someday, despite the results of the past couple of days.

2. This week's discovery from the addictive and potentially life-altering SI Vault: a March 22, 1982 feature, written by Steve Wulf and titled, "Let's Play Ball, Dad," on a pair of emerging young stars whose fathers were well-known in big league circles: Baltimore's Cal Ripken Jr. and Montreal's Terry Francona. Not sure whatever happened to the Ripken boy, but Francona seems to have turned out okay, finding his true baseball calling after his playing days. I hadn't heard a lot of the stuff on Young Tito, and I especially liked this snippet, when he's talking about first signing with Montreal out of college.

[Expos Director of Player Personnel] Jim Fanning wanted to send his new acquisition to Class A ball, but Terry insisted he could play in Double A, at Memphis. "I still can't believe I had the nerve," says Terry. "I go into the meeting and I say, 'What's this garbage about sending me to A ball?' As it turns out, Mr. Fanning had said the garbage." But Fanning capitulated, and Terry went to Memphis and hit .300. "Mr. Fanning was right, though. I hit a weak .300."

After reading that, you get a sense for why he's so fond of Dustin Pedroia. When he was young, he was just as brash.

(And as bonus Tito coverage from SI, here is his Faces in the Crowd writeup from 1976, when he was a high school senior. I highly recommend clicking on the "view this issue" link to see his ridiculously goofy headshot.)

3. Maybe it's because the Celtics are commanding center stage right now, but you know the mentality of Red Sox fans has officially changed for the better when the team can lose four games in a row and 5 out of 6, and yet the prevailing mood is that it's a mere hiccup, everything will be fine, and the mighty Rays will be overcome in the long run. It's so much more fun being a fan when you don't expect the worst and your faith is . . . well, rewarded.

4. I'm fairly confident in saying that Kevin Cash won't approach his current stats - .375 batting average, 147 OPS+, .910 OPS - once the season is done. But even if he reverts to his career average of .188, he's already a borderline folk hero in my mind for proving once and for all that Doug Mirabelli isn't the only person on the planet who can squat and catch a knuckleball at the same time. Cash is a heck of a defensive catcher, and Tim Wakefield doesn't seem to miss Mirabelli in the slightest. Neither does anyone else.

5. I suspect Clay Buchholz's trip to the disabled list has less to do with an owie on his fingernail, and more to do with keeping him on pace for no more than 175-180 innings. The hiatus is probably a wise idea from a mental health perspective as well. While I expect Buchholz to be one of the ballclub's most dependable starters by the end of the season, he's having Arroyo-like command problems with his fastball, and he's suffering though the growing pains that most young players must endure before fulfilling their potential.

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Playing nine innings while hoping Terry Cashman is banned from the premises today . . .

(AP Photo)

1. Might as well get used to it: Until the Red Sox, 3-4 and slumbering at the bottom of the AL East, start playing up to their capabilities and string a few wins together, we're going to continue hearing about the effects of the trip to Japan. I'm not saying that's how it should be: Really, it's impossible to tell whether their uninspired performance in Toronto this weekend was due to the lingering hangover from all the travel, or the fact that they ran into a pretty damn good opponent, one that has had their number lately. But I will be disappointed if the excuses and gripes come from within the Red Sox clubhouse; the last thing we want is for someone on this accountable team to pull a Mussina and use the whole thing as a chronic excuse for lousy play. While we've heard a couple of mild complaints from Papi, Mike Lowell, and Jonathan Papelbon, I hope the rest of the team leaves the why-me melodrama to the WEEI banshees and mimics Dustin Pedroia's typically blunt take on the whole thing: "Yeah, we had to go to Japan and yeah, we had a 19-day road trip, but that’s the schedule, we have to accept it, no excuses. We played like (expletive) for three games and got our (butt) kicked, how’s that?” Yes, the trip was an ill-conceived money grab. Yes, the abbreviated spring training put their starting pitchers at a disadvantage. Yes, the schedule is hellacious. They have plenty of excuses within their grasp. But this team is rich with talent and has a roster full of experienced professionals, and they have too much going for them to ever have to reach for them.

2. I'm not one of those contrarian dopes who picked the Blue Jays to win the AL East; I still think that when all the innings are accounted for come October, Toronto will end up in its usual spot in third place behind the two superpowers in the division. But after watching them rake the field with the Sox in a three-game sweep over the weekend, I have to admit that the Jays have the potential to be a summer-long aggravation, and if everything falls right, a legitimate contender for a playoff spot. They probably have more "ifs" than the Sox and Yankees do - if A.J. Burnett pitches up to his talent level, if Vernon Wells bounces back, if B.J. Ryan's elbow is sound, if Scott Rolen can stay off the operating table - but it's apparent to me now that J.P. (Sure, I'll Give You A Quote) Ricciardi has put together a pretty damn good baseball team north of the border.

3. Judging by a couple of threads on SoSH (this is the milder one), it appears I was the last remaining human being in New England who had any use for Kyle Snyder. Honestly, I don't get the venom. He was fine for what he was - an 11th or 12th man who knew his role, handled it at least adequately (3.81 ERA, 124 ERA+ a season ago), and had an odd knack for the Three True Outcomes (32 walks, 41 strikeouts, and 7 home runs in 54.3 innings last season). I'm not convinced Julian Tavarez is a better or more useful pitcher, and while David Aardsma and Bryan Corey may prove to be upgrades, there's also a reasonable chance that they will be worse. Snyder will get a big league job, and he deserves one.

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