Your Right to Party!

Boston colleges are reluctant to punish Red Sox revelers

The day after the Red Sox' Oct. 20 pennant victory over the New York Yankees, Menino urged schools to immediately expel students caught setting fires or destroying property.

But more than a month later, officials at schools including Northeastern University, Boston University and Boston College have yet to discipline most of the roughly 21 students arrested after the pennant win, The Boston Globe reported Thursday.

"You've got to send a message to the community at large that this will not be tolerated by the university," Menino said in an interview. "They can't say to us, 'There's a process.' The process has lasted over a month now."

Officials at other schools said they would investigate if presented with evidence that a student had broken laws, but would not initiate efforts to identify such students.
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Saved Fenway

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Workers level the field surface at Fenway Park in Boston, Tuesday Nov. 23, 2004. The Red Sox announced plans to improve field drainage, expand the home clubhouse and add a concourse behind the grandstands along the first base line.

So with all the recent work on the old Fenway can the Save Fenway freaks sleep easy at night?

That depends on our long-term ability to make the kind of changes that we think
need to be made both to the ballpark and the neighborhood,'' team president
Larry Lucchino said Tuesday. We are working on that master plan but we haven't
completed it.''

Lucchino estimated the cost of the field work at $1.5 million to $2 million. About two times the amount Gabe Kapler made in 2004. Players requested specific improvements, and the World Series victory helped the club go ahead with some of them. The team also raised ticket prices for next season by an average of 7 percent.

One of the commitments we made to them during the course of the year was that if
you win we will do a lot of the things that you're talking about,'' Lucchino
said. "We'll have the opportunity to generate additional revenue if you win and
some part of that revenue will go to the facilities.''

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More Ramirez

The Boston Red Sox added seven players to their
40-man roster Saturday, including top prospect Hanley Ramirez.
Catcher Kelly Shoppach, left-hander Juan Cedeno and
right-handers Manny Delcarmen, Luis Mendoza, Anibal Sanchez and
Chris Smith also had their contracts purchased by the Red Sox.
Ramirez, a speedy shortstop who was rated the team's top
prospect each of the last two seasons, hit .310 at Double-A
Portland and Class A Sarasota last season.
Shoppach, Boston's first overall pick in the second round of the
2001 draft, is a career .261 hitter with 44 home runs and 190 RBIs
in three professional seasons.
Cedeno is 19-23 with a 3.83 ERA in 73 appearances in four
seasons in the organization. Delcarmen went 3-6 with a 4.68 ERA in
19 appearances last season with Single-A Sarasota after being
sidelined in 2003 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Mendoza went 8-7 with a 3.74 ERA in 25 starts for Sarasota.
Sanchez was 3-4 with a 1.77 ERA in 15 starts at short-season
Single-A Lowell after missing 2003 because of Tommy John surgery.
Smith went 5-2 with a 3.75 ERA in 14 starts at Portland.

Time For A New Curse...

...The EA Curse
Electronic Arts today announced that Boston Red Sox All-Star and 2004 World Series Most Valuable Player Manny Ramirez has been selected as the spokesman and cover athlete for MVP Baseball 2005, scheduled for release next spring under the EA SPORTS brand.

"This has been an unbelievable year for me and being selected as the cover athlete for MVP Baseball 2005 is a huge honor," said Ramirez. "I'm very excited about working with EA and helping to make MVP Baseball 2005 a huge success."

Apparently no one told Ramierez that the cover boy for EA games gets injured the very next year. Whatever you say? Talk to Joe Thorton, Dan Heatly, Michael Vick, the list goes on (i just cant remember it.)

Johnny Damon Has A Posse...

... A New York Posse.
A stenciled image of the long-haired outfielder with a red B on his cap has been popping up across Carroll Gardens, driving Bomber fans bananas.

"Breaking the Curse is still no excuse for defacing public property," fumed Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

The 10-inch-high, spray-painted stencils of the slugger known as "Caveman" have been spotted on at least eight lampposts along Court and Clinton Sts.

The shenanigans have led to a lot of finger-pointing in a neighborhood full of Yankee fans still reeling from the Bombers' defeat by the Sox in the American League Championship Series.


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Dinner With Daddy

Pedro Martinez visited the enemy Tuesday, meeting with New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner at New York's spring training complex in Tampa, Fla.
Taking aim at the World Series champion Boston Red Sox, Steinbrenner talked at Legends Field with the free-agent right-hander.

Martinez was accompanied by agents Fernando Cuza and Pat Rooney. New York vice presidents Mark Newman, Billy Connors and Damon Oppenheimer also attended.

We had a good meeting,"

Steinbrenner said in a statement, without elaborating.



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Aso

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, left, and San Diego Padres manager Bruce Bochy hold a winner''s check after Game 8 of the MLB-Japan All-Star series at Tokyo Dome Sunday, Nov. 14, 2004. Major leaguers beat Japan 5-0 in Game 8 to win the eigh-game exhibition series 5-3.

Dan Duquette Was Along For The Ride

Finally, Finally we won."-says Dan Duquette.

He was in the house when David Ortiz knocked out the Angels. He was present for both Game 3 ("Left when they reached 14") and Game 5 of the Yankee series.

"We finally beat 'em," he beams. "And the way we beat 'em was awesome. I was really happy for the organization," he says. "We've been trying to beat the Yankees for so darn long."

He was at Fenway for Game 1 of the World Series and he was in St. Louis for Games 3 and 4 of the World Series.

"Of course, I would have liked to finish the job," he says. "But it just didn't work out that way for me. But I'm mindful of something Harry Dalton used to tell me. He said it's hard to stay in one place a long time in this business. If you haven't gotten it done in seven years, maybe it is time to move on."

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The Red Sox Aren't the Real World Champs?

An Op Ed peice by GUIVE MIRFENDERESKI:
Red Sox aren't really world champs

November 7, 2004

NO DOUBT this country is a world in itself, which may explain why a tiny minority of the public knows or cares about what is located or transpires beyond our borders.

While the Boston Red Sox deserve every bit of the accolade heaped on them for winning the World Series, they must not be confused with the true "world" champions of baseball: the Cuban national team that took the Olympic Gold in Athens last August. Australia came in second and Japan finished third by beating Canada. The US team, which had lost its regional qualifying game against Mexico, didn't even go to Athens.

Players from many countries labor in Major League Baseball, but the series between the Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals was not an international contest. It behooves the press to remind the fans of the origin of the World Series as one that received its name from the sponsorship of the earlier series by The World newspaper. The Sox are no more "world" champions than the best team in the NBA or NHL can claim to be. The lesson here is that when we ignore history, our present becomes distorted to the point of nonsense. A little less bravado, a little more perspective, please.

GUIVE MIRFENDERESKI
Newton
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Sox Offer Pedro 25.5 Million Dollar Two Year Deal

With a 13 million dollar option for the third year. Will Pedro take it, probably not. The problem is that Pedro thinks he is one of the best (if not the best) pitchers in the majors, and he clearly is not. After a complete season with Pedro not going on the DL (the first time in a long time that has happened), his stats are final and there is no excuses for them. He is what he is. He is not getting any better, and your guess is as good as mine if you think he is going to get worse. What are his stats?

Key Stats
IP	W-L	SV	ERA	Ks	BB
217.0	16-9	0	3.90	227	61

Not that impressive. Sadly those numbers are even above average for the rest of the league. A 16-9 season with a nearly 4 ERA ranks him 13th among all starting pitchers in the majors. A notable difference from just one year ago.

Starting Pitchers

PLAYER	2004	2003	CHNG	W	L	ERA	IP	BB	SO
1. Johan Santana, MIN	118.02	33.26	+84.76	20	6	2.61	228.0	54	265
2. Randy Johnson, ARI	108.96	25.33	+83.63	16	14	2.60	245.2	44	290
3. Curt Schilling, BOS	100.14	57.51	+42.63	21	6	3.26	226.2	35	203
4. Roger Clemens, HOU	97.07	70.71	+26.36	18	4	2.98	214.1	79	218
5. Jason Schmidt, SF	94.89	103.21	-8.32	18	7	3.20	225.0	77	251
6. Jake Peavy, SD	91.44	48.44	+43.00	15	6	2.27	166.1	53	173
7. Ben Sheets, MIL	91.08	39.00	+52.08	12	14	2.70	237.0	32	264
8. Carlos Zambrano, CHC	90.88	71.58	+19.30	16	8	2.75	209.2	81	188
9. Roy Oswalt, HOU	89.85	54.83	+35.02	20	10	3.49	237.0	62	206
10. Carl Pavano, FLA	89.67	42.54	+47.13	18	8	3.00	222.1	49	139
11. Oliver Perez, PIT	77.83	0.12	+77.71	12	10	2.98	196.0	81	239
12. Jaret Wright, ATL	76.22	-52.16	+128.38	15	8	3.28	186.1	70	159
13. Pedro Martinez, BOS	72.52	94.29	-21.77	16	9	3.90	217.0	61	227

12.5 Million dollars is more than you deserve Pedro. Take it, enjoy it, and retire in 3 years. Thank you for being the best pitcher in baseball even though you are not today. Thank you for helping the Sox win a World Series.

Smell My Finger

Ortiz Sits On His Balls

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz throws a ball to Florida Marlins Miguel Cabrera for a pepper during a workout session at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo Thursday, Nov. 4, 2004. Major Leaguers are in Japan to play an exhibition series with Japanese all-star team.
(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

I Think I am Turning Japanese

I love Japan and the Japanese people," said Ramirez, who is making his second trip to Japan. "I'm looking forward to eating some sushi and playing against some great players."

Ramirez, Boston Red Sox teammate David Ortiz and 26 other major-league players arrived in Japan on Wednesday to take on a team of All-Stars from Japan's professional leagues.

The eight-game trip from Nov. 5-14 is the second in three years to Japan for the major leagues and will feature games in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Osaka, Sapporo and Nagoya. The first team of major leaguers visited Japan in 1908.

Game 1 will be at Tokyo Dome on Friday. San Diego Padres manager Bruce Bochy said Roger Clemens will start for the major leaguers. He'll face Yomiuri Giants ace Koji Uehara, considered one of the of the best pitchers in Japan.

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Silver Sluggers

They were a tag team all season long and through the postseason for the World Series champion Red Sox, terrorizing opposing pitching staffs. Tuesday, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were co-members of a different team, as both star run producers received American League Silver Slugger awards.
For Ramirez, who was one of the three American League outfielders, it was the seventh Silver Slugger Award of his career. Ortiz was selected as the DH for the AL, marking the first time he has won the award, which is presented by Louisville Slugger.

Ramirez and Ortiz have become a package deal. You think of one, and the other immediately comes to mind.

"He is one of my best friends on the team, and I think he is also the best hitter on the team," said Ramirez. "He is great, man. He is a guy that you could go and talk to him when you have some problems, like off the field and on the field, you know, so we always talk about a lot of things out there, so, you know, I am very proud to have Ortiz behind my back."

The way Ortiz sees things, it is far than coincidental that he has gone from an unheralded platoon player with the Twins to one of the elite hitters in the game since becoming Ramirez's teammate the last two seasons.

"I'm happy and proud to have a guy like Manny as a teammate," said Ortiz. "He's a great teammate and a great player and he's shown through the years how consistent he is. Everyone knows the guy is a troublemaker when he steps to the plate."

2004 Silver Slugger winners
American League

1B Mark Teixeira Rangers
2B Alfonso Soriano Rangers
SS Miguel Tejada Orioles
3B Melvin Mora Orioles
OF Manny Ramirez Red Sox
OF Gary Sheffield Yankees
OF Vladimir Guerrero Angels
C tie-Ivan Rodriguez Tigers
C tie-Victor Martinez Indians
DH David Ortiz Red Sox

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John Henry: Break Out the Jet!!!!

"The owner of the Boston Red Sox has gotten his plane ready. The pilot of the plane was told get the plane ready, we are not sure where it is going yet, but have it ready to go so that democratic lawyers can be deployed to which ever state they feel they need to go to. At some point in the over night or first thing in the morning."
Ed Henry - no apparent relationship to john

Pedro Voted For Free Agency

Pedro Martinez, who had untill November 11 to file for free agency, picked election day to file for free agency.
Martinez just completed a $75 million, five-year contract. The Red Sox have exclusive negotiating rights with him until Nov. 11, when other teams can make an offer for the three-time Cy Young Award winner.

If they don't get me, it's probably because they didn't try hard enough,"

Martinez said after what might have been his final start in a Red Sox uniform.

My heart is with Boston. I hope I get another chance to come back with this team, but if I don't, I understand the business part of it,I just hope that many other people understand that I wasn't the one that wanted to leave. I'm only doing what I have to do."

If he does leave, he would do so as one of the best pitchers in Red Sox history -- and one of its most colorful.

After beating the Yankees early in the 2002 season, he said,

Wake up the damn Bambino. Maybe I'll drill him in the ass."

But this year the losses to New York piled up and he seemed more resigned.

What can I say -- just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy,''

Martinez said after a Sept. 24 loss.

Martinez won four ERA titles from 1999-03 before shoulder problems turned him into a seven-inning pitcher most of the time. Even then he could be unhittable at times -- he allowed just three hits in seven scoreless innings and retired his final 14 batters in a 4-1 victory over St. Louis that set up Boston's Series sweep.

It's been a great ride,''

Martinez said after his World Series debut.

I hope everybody enjoyed it as much as I did. Even with the struggles that I've
had up and down during the season, I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed every
moment.''

Red Sox officials could not immediately be reached for comment.


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Schilling's Dr Push Back the Knife

Curt Schilling's preference was to get his dislocated right ankle tendon repaired almost immediately following the World Series. However, because of the complex suture treatment the ace needed in order to make his last two starts he will require some additional time before being ready to undergo surgery.
As recently as Saturday, the day the Red Sox had their World Series championship prade, Schilling said he was hoping to have the surgery by Wednesday. However, it will be at least a few more days.

The big right-hander was checked out on Monday by Red Sox team doctor Bill Morgan.

According to Red Sox spokesman Glenn Geffner,

He was checked out today and everything looked good, but his skin was still a little irritated from some lotion they put on it during the World Series."

Schilling will be examined again on Friday. Geffner said that no date has been set for the surgery.

The one reason time is of the essence is because Schilling is expected to require six weeks of healing and six weeks of rehabilitation after the surgery.

With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to Spring Training in mid-February, Schilling will now face a tight window if he is to be ready for the beginning of camp.

Schilling's heroics during the postseason became the stuff of legend. After he was roughed up by the Yankees in Game 1 of the ALCS, there was a good chance his season was over. It was at that point the Red Sox announced that the sheath behind one of his ankle tendons was torn.

But in a breakthrough medical procedure, Morgan and his staff used the suture treatment in which three stitches held Schilling's ankle tendon in place.

The stitches were removed after Game 6 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium, and then reinserted for Game 2 of the World Series at Fenway Park. In those two starts, Schilling allowed a total of one earned run over 13 innings.

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photo:AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy

13 Champions File For Freedom

Ten members of the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox filed for free agency on Monday.

Catcher Jason Varitek, shortstop Orlando Cabrera, pitchers Curtis Leskanic, Derek Lowe, Ramiro Mendoza, Mike Myers and Scott Williamson, first baseman Dave McCarty, catcher Doug Mirabelli and infielder Pokey Reese have all declared their intention to hit the open market.

Thirteen Red Sox have filed for free agency since Boston won the World Series last Wednesday, and three more are eligible, including ace pitcher Pedro Martinez.

Boston celebrated the Sox's first world championship in 86-years with a massive parade Saturday.



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Cover Boys

Sox Boozed it up Prior to Playoff Games

You can't always believe what you hear especially when it comes from Kevin Millar's mouth, but in a turn of events thats reminisant of the Patriots doing blow prior to the super bowl in 1986 Millar told "The Best Damn Sports Show" that he and his team mates did shots of Jack Daniels prior to games in the playoffs.

Before starting Game 6 (of the ALCS). It was about 35 degrees out there at Yankee Stadium, I went around and got a thing of Jack Daniels and we all did shots of Jack Daniels about 10 minutes before the game. And we won Game 6. So Game 7 of course, we had to do shots of Jack Daniels. And we won Game 7, so guess what? I'm glad we won in Game 4 (in the World Series) because these Crown Royal shots and Jack Daniels shots started to kill me. And that's how the Sox did it."

Millar said on Friday's Fox late night sports show.

Can you imagine (manager) Terry Francona taking a shot of Crown Royal before Game 4 of the World Series? It's out there now, baby we were drunk."

He later realized it wasn't exactly the smartest thing to say and said this to Pedro Gammons.

I wish I'd never opened my mouth," he told ESPN's Peter Gammons. "It was one of those group team things, like shaving our heads last year. What we had was one small Gatorade cup, with a little Jack Daniels in it. We passed it around and everyone symbolically drank out of the same cup, because we are a team. It wasn't as if guys were drunk."

Schilling Makes Pitch for Grand Old Party

WILMINGTON, Ohio -- Mixing politics with baseball, President Bush got a boost from Boston Red Sox star Curt Schilling Monday morning.

Schilling and Ohio Gov. Bob Taft introduced Bush to a crowd in an airplane hangar at ABX Air Inc., the DHL overnight delivery airport operation. His appearance kicked off a seven-state tour and came a day after he addressed a crowd at the Cincinnati 's Great American Ball Park.

Bush's Monday schedule included Wisconsin, Iowa and New Mexico. He was expected back in Ohio Tuesday after voting in Crawford, Texas. Bush planned to thank campaign volunteers in Columbus for their efforts, said Bush-Cheney spokesman Kevin Madden.

In Wilmington, the crowd, estimated at 6,500 by the Secret Service, roared as Bush and first lady Laura Bush were flown in to the Monday morning rally aboard a Marine One helicopter. Bush spoke for 30 minutes extolling his familiar theme of leading the fight against terrorism, limiting taxes and promoting student achievement in the nation's public schools.


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