Ten free minutes for me, 10 free throwaway lines for you . . .

(MLB.com Photo)

1. I'm not saying the Yankees' pregame ceremony was a transparent attempt to duplicate the Red Sox's transcendent and still-unmatched festivities from the '99 All-Star Game, but the only thing missing from making it a complete ripoff was a hitter.net hat atop George Steinbrenner's head.

2. James Posey wants four years? As far as I'm concerned, James Posey gets four years. I won't fault him if he ends up taking more money to join the Hornets, though. Byron Scott's smart, tough team would be an ideal fit for him.

3. Well, I think it's obvious now why few questioned Tampa Bay's decision to take Josh Hamilton over Spring, Texas phenom Josh Beckett in the 1999 MLB Draft. You know a kid has uncommon gifts when he takes off nearly four years to smoke crack, gets his life together, and somehow returns with his immense talent intact. His is a story even ESPN can't overdramatize, though bloviating Chris Berman sure tried his best.

4. With each new Melrose Place-style antic in the A-Rod divorce saga - seriously, he was spying on his wife? - I catch myself wondering how history would be different if he had ended up coming to the Red Sox in the winter of '03. For starters, there's a pretty good chance we'd be whining about a 93-year curse right about now, and it's also worth remembering that the admirable Jon Lester was the Single A pitcher the Sox were sending to Texas along with Manny in exchange for A-Rod. Sometimes the best deals . . .

5. Old friend Steve Solloway paid appropriate tribute to the Official Defunct Minor League Team of TATB with this well-written and melancholy piece on the Maine Guides. Hard to believe they've been gone 20 years. I'd also love to read Steve Buckley's take on the Guides at some point. Back in the day, he was the must-read beat writer for the Press Herald, and some of his best work still occupies a place in my keeper file.

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Ten free minutes for me, 10 free throwaway lines for you . . .

1. While the Pink Hatters' relentless shrieks when he steps to the plate can get a little annoying in an eardrum-shredding sort of way, it's been nothing but a pleasure to watch Jacoby Ellsbury in his rookie season with the Red Sox. Even with his recent struggles, there's no doubt he's going to be a star here for years to come. But anyone who thinks he, and not Tampa Bay phenom Evan Longoria, is the frontrunner for the AL Rookie of the Year award needs to start watching "Baseball Tonight" once in a while, or at least something other than NESN propaganda. While Ellsbury's batting average is a point higher (.272 to .271) and he obviously blows him away in steals, Longoria has a huge edge in homers (15 to 5), OPS (.874 to .739) and OPS+ (134 to 94), among other categories. Frankly, as much as we admire Ellsbury, the competition and comparison isn't even close. Longoria, coming off a torrid June in which he had a 1.066 OPS, is the superior rookie. I just hope he doesn't show as much in the next few days.

2. The win total (216) is low, and the ERA (3.46) is probably too high, but in the end, yes, I think Curt Schilling will get into the Hall of Fame. He was a crucial-to-heroic contributor on three World Champions, won 11 of 13 postseason decisions, and will be remembered as one of the greatest big game pitchers in the annals of the sport. Thanks to the bloody sock, he may be one of those players whose legend and legacy continue to grow. And while Schilling plays it humble and says he doesn't belong in Cooperstown, I betcha he has a rough draft of his speech already written.

3. So Carlton Fisk is now doing radio spots for "Just For Men" hair color. Funny, after seeing him at RemDawgPalooza the other night, I was pretty sure his dye of choice is Valvoline. We should all look so good at 60, though. (Wait . . . Pudge is 60? Good heavens, where did the time go?)

4. I've long thought Lance Berkman was baseball's most underrated great hitter - his most similar player according to baseballreference.com is David Ortiz - and he only enhanced my opinion of him while tormenting Sox pitching this weekend. But he does have one stat this season that caught even a longtime fan by surprise, and it's not the .363 batting average. Berkman is third on the Astros, behind burner Michael Bourn and Kaz Matsui, with 12 stolen bases. He must be a hell of a savvy baserunner, because he doesn't look like he could take a one-legged Sean Casey in a footrace.

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Ten free minutes for me, 10 free throwaway lines for you . . .

1. It's not possible to exaggerate it: tonight is set up to be the defining moment of Kevin Garnett's career. A strong individual performance in a Celtics victory would secure his legacy as a champion, as the player whose arrival revived Celtics Pride, and as one of the sport's 25 to 35 all-time greatest players . . . or, should he play as poorly as he did in Game 5, it would only enhance thearguments of those who say he swallows his tongue in the biggest moments, that he'll never be a true superstar because he habitually shrivels in the spotlight. I think I've made clear over the course of this wonderful season how much Garnett his admired around here, and while I'll agree that he does make curious decisions on occasion, I believe wholeheartedly that he will deliver one of his classic 24-point, 15-rebound performances in front of the home crowd tonight. Other than watching Paul Pierce celebrate as a champion, I can't think of another angle I'll enjoy more than the KG redemption.

2. I have to admit, I didn't think the Celtics would miss Kendrick Perkins as much as they did in Game 5, and it's reassuring that he's going to try to give it a go tonight. In his absence, and with KG in foul trouble, Pau Gasol actually asserted himself, which he hasn't done since his mother tried to talk him out of wearing his sister's leotard to school in fourth grade.

3. I guess this means the advertising was effective, because I'm actually curious to see how those NBA split-screen, talking-head commercials end once the Finals are over. Gotta figure it will be Garnett's mug alone, rhapsodizing about winning a championship, followed by Pierce and Ray Allen, right? Oh, and Scal, obviously. Just as long as Larry in a tank top doesn't make another appearance, we should be cool with whatever they come up with.

4. In case you ever catch me offering fantasy baseball advice in this space again, please, remind me that I recommended and coveted these three players at the start of this season: Justin Verlander, Troy Tulowitzki, and Aaron Hill. Yikes - even Bill Bavasi wasn't that inept. I'm just grateful I didn't get any of them, and stumbled into Brandon Webb after Verlander went a few picks earlier.

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Ten free minutes for me, 10 free throwaway lines for you . . .

1. Because I enjoyed this piece so much, I'm kicking off this post with this week's discovery from the addictive and potentially life-altering SI Vault: A February 5, 1979 story, titled "Flying to the Top," on a certain painfully shy basketball star for Indiana State who was just then arriving on the brink of fame. While the one and only Larry Joe Bird eventually became comfortable in his superstar's skin, revealing a dry, biting sense of humor and proving the son of French Lick was far from a dumb hick, he refused to be interviewed for this story - in fact, he was so media-phobic then that he refused to be interviewed for nearly every story. But even without fresh quotes from the subject, this piece was fascinating. Not only was it frank about part of Bird's appeal having to do with his skin color, but it also revealed some petty jealousies among his less gifted teammates. (Where have you gone, Carl Nicks?) I also got a kick out of this paragraph breaking down his skills:

Southern Illinois Coach Joe Gottfried has said somewhat facetiously of Bird, "If this guy has a weakness, it's that he can't shoot the 20-foot jumper lefthanded." But most pro scouts agree that Bird is not particularly quick, is only so-so on defense and is a bit too reluctant to dribble under pressure. Still, Laker General Manager Bill Sharman calls Bird "one of the best college forwards I have ever seen." And Slick Leonard, coach and general manager of the Pacers, says, "I've seen two great passing forwards in my time. Rick Barry is one, and Larry Bird is the other. Bird seems to see guys before he even gets the ball."

Rick Barry passed? Have to admit, I thought of him as merely a chucker. Anyway, if you're not going to click on the link for the Bird story, then maybe I can entice you with this: Christie Brinkley was on the cover.

2. If I wasn't convinced after his first start, you know I am now: Justin Masterson is going to be a significant factor for this team before the season is through, possibly as the seventh-inning setup man. My only concern with him - and it's a fairly minor one at that - is that his stuff moves so much that it's often out of the strike zone by the time it finds the catcher's mitt.

3. David Ortiz, the last 28 days: .319 average, 1.080 OPS, 8 homers, 21 RBIs in 91 at-bats. Yup, I think it's safe to declare his mystifying season-opening slump officially dead.

4. Last season, Josh Beckett allowed 17 home runs in 200.2 innings. This season, he's coughed up nine already in 54 innings. Should we be worried that he's reverting to his '06 form, when he allowed a league-high 36 in 204.2 innings? Nah, not so soon. Beckett gets a lot of leeway here as a repeatedly proven Legitimate Ace, and I'm still chalking up any mistakes he makes to his delayed start to the season. I'll leave the shrieking to the WEEI crowd for now.

5. My apologies for failing to crank out the usual Starting Five post after the Celtics' Game 1 win over the Pistons Tuesday night. I was in the office, saw the game only in bits and pieces, and returned home to discover I forgot to DVR the thing. I get stupider by the day. Anyway, for once I'm not going to pretend to have any sort of expert take on the game, other than to say I'm more confident than ever that Rajon Rondo can hold his own and then some against the overrated, arrogant, and ailing Chauncey Billups. If Rondo plays the rest of the series like he did Sunday - and I realize that's a major if given how inconsistent he has been in the postseason - the Celtics will have an easier time finishing off schizophrenic Detroit than they did LeBron and the Cavs.

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Ten free minutes for me, 10 free throwaway lines for you . . .

1. I'll admit, I bought the hype about the new-look Tigers in the offseason, but after catching their act the past few days, I'm beginning to think they're a classic looks-good-on-paper ballclub that has too many crucial flaws to succeed consistently. Jeremy Bonderman (career ERA+: 93) is sadly miscast as a No. 2 starter, the infield defense is brutal, Gary Sheffield (.202) and Pudge Rodriguez (.252) are showing their age, and the bullpen is such a disaster that I expect an infuriated Jim Leyland to put out his cigarette on a relief pitcher's forehead one of these days.

2. I hope Jonathan Papelbon was appropriately scolded for taking out his frustrations last night on the water cooler. If he wants to kick something, he should know to start with Julio Lugo and go from there. Sometimes I can't believe the Sox won a World Series with that high-strung, scatter-armed mediocrity playing shortstop. You'd think he'd have screwed it up along the way.

3. All right, Dice-K, I give up. Just when I think he's on the verge of establishing himself as a legitimate, consistent No. 2 starter, he goes out and coughs up an excruciating five-inning, 109-pitch, eight-walk hairball, ends up with the win anyway, and I end up as perplexed as usual with this ridiculously enigmatic pitcher. And enigmatic is the right word - just look at his stats this season: 5 wins, 0 losses, just 22 hits in 40 innings, a 2.43 ERA, and a 1.20 WHIP. Outstanding, right? Yup . . . until you notice the 33/27 K/BB ratio, which is both alarming and inexcusable. Like I said, I give up. I can't solve this mystery. I'll leave that to John Farrell.

4. I almost feel sorry for Matt Walsh, who it seems to me is about to be exposed as an insecure, scorned braggart who simply wanted to feel more important than he is or ever will be. (The key word there is "almost.") I hope all the Easterbrooks and Kings who have been reveling in this controversy, often at the expense of logic and facts, have their mea culpas ready now that it's apparent that Walsh didn't have anything more than what the Patriots already divulged.

5. The early scouting report on NESN newcomer Heidi Watney: Certainly easier on the eyes than, say, Eric Frede, but in terms of baseball knowledge I suspect she's going to make Tina Cervasio look like Buster Olney. And that's no easy feat.

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Ten free minutes for me, 10 free throwaway lines for you . . .

(Scout.com photo)

1. We all know it's good policy to give it at least two or three years before ultimately judging an team's draft class - it helps to actually see them play an NFL game first - but at the moment it's easy to be encouraged by the Patriots' picks for two reasons. 1) They added youthful talent at two positions on defense (cornerback, linebacker) where they needed it most. 2) Bill Belichick seemed absolutely giddy - well, for him - during his press conferences the last couple of days, and it's pretty obvious he thinks Jerod Mayo could be a special player.

2. I admire Al Horford's relentless style of play, and if I had a rookie of the year vote, he'd probably get it over inefficient Seattle scorer Kevin Durant. And I don't blame him for getting in Paul Pierce's face at the end of Game 3 - don't you want your young players to play the game with such passion and confidence? That said, I have a feeling he's going to learn a lesson in humility from ol' No. 34 and the rest of the Celtics in Game 4 tonight. Horford may have the game to back up the talk, but I'm fairly certain he picked the wrong hornets' nest to whack with a stick.

3. Call me a Tito Apologist if you must, but I don't blame him at all for leaving Clay Buchholz in during the eighth inning Saturday night, when his spectacular performance was spoiled by Akinori Iwamura's two-run homer. Seems to me the same people who were charbroiling Francona for leaving Buchholz in are the same ones who would be yowling if he pulled him and either Hideki Okajima or Jonathan Papelbon had coughed up the game. The kid was cruising, and he was beaten when a good hitter hit a good pitch. Sometimes that happens.

4. Felger pointed this out on his radio show the other day, and frankly, it terrifies me: According to baseball-reference.com's Similarity Scores, the player most like David Ortiz at ages 25, 29, 30, as well as tied for the most similar through age 31, is Maurice Samuel Vaughn. Now, provided Papi's knee problems aren't worse than we are led to believe, he should have a longer career than Mo, who was doomed at 35 by injuries, his addiction to bacon, and his Foxy Lady lifestyle. But just the thought of Papi suffering a similarly rapid decline is almost enough to make you pop in "Faith Rewarded," just to catch a glimpse of him when all was well.

5. Right about now I'm missing the punchline Devil Rays of Victor Zambrano, Ryan Rupe, Tanyon Sturtze, and 12-3 losses to the Red Sox. This sweep was not a fluke, folks. The Rays are stacked with young talent - the long-term signing of rookie Evan Longoria was brilliant and progressive - and while the Sox should still beat them more often than not, I'm convinced they're the third-best team in the AL East right now. And they'll only get better as their young pitching arrives and develops.

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Ten free minutes for me, 10 free throwaway lines for you . . .

(AP Photo)

1. Wonder if Pistons fans are aware that Kevin Garnett's good buddy Chauncey Billups advised him, when KG was uncertain if Boston was the right fit, that accepting a deal here would be a wise career move, in part because it would be "easier to win." You have to give Billups credit for being a loyal friend, though should the Celtics bounce the Pistons from the postseason, I wouldn't blame Detroit fans for questioning his loyalty to them.

2. Sure, I admit it. I've hopped aboard the Bruins' playoff bandwagon much in the same way noted college hoops aficionado Bill Simmons suddenly thinks he's some sage combination of Jay Bilas and Pat Forde every March. So take my opinion on this with a whole shaker of salt, but from my mildly informed perspective, it seems like Claude Julien has handled his team brilliantly in this series. Consider: After a gruesome Game 1, he decides his team's only chance of making this a series is to emphasize smart aggression and discipline, so he sits talented softie Phil Kessel. That strategy works for the most part and the Bruins scrap to make it a series, yet they struggle to put the puck in the net, so Julien brings back a clearly motivated Kessel for Game 5. Not only does Kessel (who looks like a young Gary Busey) score a goal, but he tries to do all the little things that he usually avoids. Pretty astute coaching and knowledge of your personnel, I'd say.

3. One more Bruins item: Got a kick out of watching the Montreal "faithful" stream out of Le Ribbit Centre Thursday night after the Bruins took a two-goal lead with about 10 minutes remaining. Who knew those little towels they like to wave were actually white flags? In that sense, the Canadiens fans reminded me quite a bit of Yankees fans, except with a much better command of English.

4. Just can't imagine the Falcons will spend that No. 3 overall pick on BC quarterback Matt Ryan. They've already had Joey Harrington once.

5. Manny's turning Mike Mussina into his personal batting-practice pitcher while crushing the ball like he's 28 again. Papi's hitting like he's possessed by the ghost of Calvin Pickering (until last night, thank goodness). And strangely enough, both developments have left me with the same thought: Man, we've been so lucky to watch these two phenomenal hitters do their thing all these years. Savor it while it lasts, because, damn, is it ever going to be a bummer when it ends.

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