La Russa: Would Have and Could Have's

There is no doubt in my mind (with an added day off) it would have been a more competitive series."

La Russa told reporters on Monday when he was talking about the extra day off the Red Sox had going into the World Series since the NLCS started one day later then the ALCS.

Boston had a lot going for it and deserved to win...We celebrated to 3 or 4 in the morning, had Friday to take care of family and fly to Boston and Saturday we are hitting in the series -- now that was a scramble, Now you try to explain that and it sounds like an excuse. So you stay away from it. I just felt that it should have gone six or seven games because we were a good enough team to make it a really good series," La Russa said

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Millar Opens his Queer Eye

Kevin Millar, seen here with a damn big horse, has agreed to be a guest on the gay make over show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy". Millar appears to be a good candidate for this show as he is quite possibly that least fashionable of your fab 25 Red Sox. Commonly sporting t-shirts with the sleeves cut off and 1980s hairstyles he could certainly use the touch of a fashionable gay man.

They wanted to shave my head. I said no,"

The episode is set to be shot during spring training and instead of the need to make over his hotel room the show has decided to make over a public baseball diamond that was affected by one of the numinous hurricanes last year.

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(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Schilling Makes Strides Second Session

Curt Schilling had surgery on his gimpy ankle after the Word Series in November, and last Thursday he threw off the mound for the first time since pitching in the world series. The results were not sexy. On Saturday he tossed his second session...

I think he made progress today. He's certainly not where he wants to be for opening day."

Terry Francona told reporters after the session. He went on to say that...

Opening day is not judgment day,''

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EA Cursed

Manny graces the cover of the latest EA sports baseball game. Will he be added to the long list of players that were afflicted with the EA injury curse? What is the curse? You get put on the cover of an EA sports game, that following year you get injured or something freakishly bad happens to you. You don't believe in curses, well why should you, but you may want to talk to these former EA victims.


Eddie George
Daunte Culpepper
Marshall Faulk
Mike Vick
Eric Lindros
Dany Heatley
Jay Williams
Shane Mosley
Lennox Lewis

Red Sox Heading to D.C.

The day before spring training games start the Red Sox will be on the road. 1500 Pennsylvania Ave to be exact. As tradition affords the world champions will be meeting the George W Bush at his current residence of The White House. And yes Nomar and Pedro will be invited, Larry Lucchino said that players who played for the Red Sox last season and now play for another team will be

welcome guests."

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Nomar Will Get Ring

According to Red Sox sources every player that took the field for the Red Sox last year and played at least 1 full inning will receive a World Series ring. That is about 50 players and about twice as many as the number of players on the World Series roster.

I think you will see there's been a philosophy of inclusiveness with respect to the players who contributed,"

said Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino.

Theo and Tito who were responsible for identifying the players who would be recipients of the rings, took a broad -- and I think appropriate -- view that anybody who wore that uniform last year should be included."

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Terry Lays Down the Law

Smack talk slow down
Red Sox player manager Terry Francona took the opertunity of his first full squad work out to let it be known that he will not tollirate anymore negative quotes being printed about the New York Yankess and A-Rod.

I think those will slow down,"

Francona said when he was questioned about what he told his players not to do. By all acounts the directions Francona handed out came from above.

I just don't think you'll see a lot of continuing commentary," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said.

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Welcome #3

So who actually lost weight this off season?

(Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)

Johnny Dangerously

Johnny Damon is introduced to the crowd prior to the start of the Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2005.
(AP Photo/Glenn Smith)

Tek will actually wear a C on his chest

Jason has decided to actually wear a "C" on his chest when he takes the field in 2005. Typically this is more of a hockey thing to do and not done by baseball players, but Jason is not your typical baseball player.

Smack Talking: Round 4

Add two more Red Sox players to the chorus of A-Rod critics.
Pitcher Bronson Arroyo, involved in two tangles with Alex Rodriguez last season, said Friday the Yankees third baseman

"was out of line"

when Arroyo hit him with a pitch on July 24 and his reaction helped spark a brawl.
And catcher Jason Varitek said,

"I don't need to boast"

about workout habits. That's what Rodriguez did in an interview last month.
By HOWARD ULMAN, AP Sports Writer
Friday, February 18, 2005
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The honors keep pouring in for the Boston Red Sox organization.
Even as the World Series champions opened spring training Thursday, the team’s Single-A affiliate in Lowell was certified as the Guinness world record holder for the "World’s Largest Game of Duck, Duck Goose." A total of 432 fans played the children’s game, encircling outfield on Aug. 14, 2004.

The game was started by Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivary, who was caught and forced to sit in the middle.

The record had never been attempted, so the folks at Guinness said at least 300 people had to participate. To meet the requirement that an "expert in the field" be on hand, the Lowell Spinners brought in Jo-Ann Spence from the Lowell Day Nursery School.

The Spinners sent in a videotape, media clippings and sign-in sheets from all 432 fans as proof, then waited for confirmation of the record.
The Associated Press
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Smack Talk: Round 3: Johnson

I haven't done anything to them... So they'll be mad at me if I pitch well against them?"

Randy Johnson said on Thursday

Bring it on then"

he said, laughing.

So I guess I'm a target. but I'm going to go out there and do the best I can," Johnson said. "I'm not going to be firing quotes and stuff like that to make myself more of a target, that's for sure. I'll leave that to other people that can do that better than I probably could."

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Smack Talk: Chapter 2: Lowe

All seemed pretty cool with the Red Sox vibe as Spring Training approached. The worst story printed all winter was about a Baseball a first baseman held onto. Derek Lowe was working out with his former team, the fabled truck was heading south down 95, and Terry Francona was singing kumbaya around a camp fire. Then reality set in, Trot Nixon questioned A-Rods manhood, and now Derek Lowe, the didn't want to be dispatched starting pitcher is making his true feeling known. Talking to Los Angles reporters this week Lowe stated that Sox officials asked him to leave the Ft Myers facility where he had been working out with former teammates.

I don't want to say that [the Red Sox] don't want controversial people, but they certainly don't want you to criticize them for anything," he said.

"The funny thing is, I'm the one getting attention for working out, but there are probably guys from three or four organizations working out here."

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Smack Talking Round 2

"I'm not getting into a war of words with them," Jeter said Wednesday. "That's between Trot and Alex. You ask Trot what he meant."

Rodriguez has not yet arrived at spring training and has not responded to Nixon.

"I'm sure he'll address it," Jeter said.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman didn't think the Red Sox were trying to get to Rodriguez, a player they tried to acquire from Texas in December 2003.

"I just think that's how they feel. He's a lightning rod for a lot of things that took place for them last winter," Cashman said.

By RONALD BLUM
AP SPORTS WRITER
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Let the Smack Talking Begin

Nixon criticizes A-Rod

Trot Nixon wasted no time in fueling the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, criticizing Alex Rodriguez on Tuesday.

Two days before the official opening of Boston's training camp, the Red Sox outfielder praised Rodriguez's playing ability but said the third baseman wasn't the "Yankee type."

"I don't look at him as that. He might be in a lot of people's eyes," Nixon said. "He's done some great things on the field. He's one of the baseball players in the game and probably will be when it's all said and done. But when people ask me about the Yankees, I tell them about (Derek) Jeter and Bernie Williams and (Jorge) Posada. I don't tell them about Rodriguez. ... He can't stand up to Jeter in my book or Bernie Williams or Posada."

By HOWARD ULMAN
AP SPORTS WRITER
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Japanese Relief

Japanese relief pitcher Denny Tomori has agreed to a minor-league contract with the World Series champion Boston Red Sox.
Tomori, 37, went 0-1 last season for the Yokohama BayStars in Japan's Central League and has a career 18-28 record with 30 saves over 13 seasons in Japanese professional baseball.

"This is a new challenge for me," the Japanese reliever told reporters Sunday. "I want to thank the Red Sox organization for giving me this chance. It's never too late."

Tomori will attend Boston's spring training camp from Feb. 18 as a non-roster player and has agreed to a contract worth $310,000.

Tomori's best season in Japan was in 1998 when he went 7-4 with eight saves, 68 strikeouts and a 2.60 ERA for the Seibu Lions.

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The Roger Clemens Factor
In the seven years Pedro played for Boston he showed up early for spring training zero times. Tuesday Pedro arrived nine days early to Mets Spring Training camp. Why? The very same reason Roger Clemens showed up for his Spring Training debut with Toronto in the best shape of his career. Clemens used the bitter ending with the Red Sox as a launching pad for his "I'll show them" anger stored up, and it worked; for Clemens. Sadly it will not work for Pedro. Pedro came to camp (late) in all varieties of different shape. This began after his shoulder problems reared their head in 2001, and all of the off-season workouts or rest never returned Pedro's dominance on the mound. Pedro has lost speed, confidence, accuracy, and most importantly his un-hittable aura. No amount of working out will give that back to Pedro and Mets Fans should not be expecting a Cy Young performance from Pedro ever again because of it.

Off Season Timeline

November 10 - Claimed pitcher Billy Traber off waivers from the
Cleveland Indians.

December 6 - Claimed pitcher Tim Bausher off waivers from the
Colorado Rockies.

December 8 - Signed free agent pitcher Matt Mantei, who had been
with the Arizona Diamondbacks, to a one-year contract.

December 13 - Acquired pitcher Victor Prieto from the Washington
Nationals for cash considerations.

December 14 - Signed free agent pitcher David Wells, who had
been with the San Diego Padres, to a two-year contract.

December 15 - Signed free agent pitcher John Halama, who had
been with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, to a one-year contract with
a mutual option for 2006.

December 17 - Signed free agent shortstop Edgar Renteria, who
had been with the St. Louis Cardinals, to a four-year contract
with a club option for 2009.

December 20 - Acquired outfielder Jay Payton, infielder Ramon
Vazquez, pitcher David Pauley and cash considerations from the
San Diego Padres for outfielder Dave Roberts.

December 21 - Signed pitcher Jason Kershner, who had been with
the Toronto Blue Jays, to a minor league contract.

December 21 - Signed outfielder Billy McMillon, who had been
with the Oakland Athletics, to a minor league contract.

December 21 - Signed outfielder Simon Pond, who had been with
the Toronto Blue Jays, to a minor league contract.

December 22 - Signed free agent pitcher Matt Clement, who had
been with the Chicago Cubs, to a three-year contract.

December 23 - Signed pitcher Wade Miller, who had been with the
Houston Astros, to a one-year contract.

January 5 - Signed free agent pitcher Josias Manzanillo, who had
been with the Florida Marlins, to a minor league contract.

January 26 - Acquired first baseman Ian Bladergroen from the New
York Mets for first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz and cash
considerations.

February 1 - Signed pitcher Jack Cressend, who had been with the
Cleveland Indians, to a minor league contract.

February 1 - Signed pitcher Jeremi Gonzalez, who had been with
the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, to a minor league contract.

February 1 - Signed catcher Shawn Wooten, who had been with the
Philadelphia Phillies, to a minor league contract.

February 1 - Signed free agent infielder Dave Berg, who had been
with the Toronto Blue Jays, to a minor league contract.