Projo Sox Blog

No, I can't beat that.

No one can. The news that Josh Beckett was a) scratched from Friday night's start and b) heading to Alabama to see Dr. James Andrews about the elbow problem that has idled him for nearly two weeks trumps anything that happened, or anything that could have happened, on the field yesterday. The Red Sox are trying to paint it as more precautionary than anything else -- for Beckett's "peace of mind," as Theo Epstein put it -- but McAdam points out the Sox don't exactly have a spotless record when it comes to being forthcoming with information on this issue. And their skittishness on the topic is understandable. As the Herald's Tony Massarotti points out, there's quite a difference "between a team with Josh Beckett and a team without him" in the postseason.

It could very well be that this is mostly precautionary. Beckett didn't make himself available after the news broke yesterday, but on Wednesday he told WEEI's Rob Bradford that he's been going to Andrews for nearly 10 years and trusts him completely. Nor is Andrews a cut-first, ask-questions-later medico, as evidenced by the rehab program he prescribed for Joba Chamberlain earlier this month.

But McAdam may have summed up everyone's fears when he wrote: "Then Epstein uttered the three words to which pitchers never want to be associated: Dr. . . . James . . . Andrews."

With them, all the good feeling the Sox had built up over the first two games of the series disappeared -- in Dan Shaughnessy's words -- in a New York minute.

LET ME TELL YA WHAT I'M GONNA DO FOR YA: The blog Baseball Time In Arlington thinks news of Beckett's woes should prompt the Rangers to foist Kevin Millwood on the Red Sox.

ONE LAST THING . . . When it comes to injuries, Jim Rice doesn't want to hear it. As a professional, he says, you "try to step it up another notch and remain productive in spite of injury." (ask14.sullivantire.com)

AND SPEAKING OF INJURIES . . . Joe McDonald has the latest on Sean Casey, J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell.

OH, YEAH, THE GAME: McDonald tells us about the Yanks' come-from-behind 3-2 win, in which the Sox' bullpen (Boston Herald) destroyed a good afternoon's work from Jon Lester. (projo.com) It was, writes the Herald's Steve Buckley, a true throwback game for the Sox in what was, in all likelihood, their final visit to the Bronx.

WELCOME ABOARD: Mark Kotsay went 1-for-4 in his Red Sox debut and tells McDonald he's happy to be here.

NO FOOLING: They won (what was probably) the last Red Sox-Yankee game at this particular Yankee Stadium, and they won it in dramatic fashion, but -- if George King and Joel Sherman and Mike Lupica are to be believed -- no one's entertaining the notion that it was the first note of a glorious Yankee rush to the finish. (Mike Vaccaro, though, isn't ready to lock the lid on the coffin just yet.) Bill Madden says you don't need replay to see where the Yanks went off the track this season.

TOLD YA: Brian Cashman says the Yankees' problems this year shows exactly why the team needs to get younger. (Newsday)

YOUNG, SCHMUNG: So, naturally, Hank Steinbrenner is talking about which free-agent pitchers to buy. (New York Daily News)

A GOOD JOE: Hank also said this season's stumble isn't Joe Girardi's fault. (New York Post)

ALMOST THERE: Joba Chamberlain thinks he'll be back pitching for the Yankees next week. (New York Daily News)

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: His performance in this series, particularly Tuesday night, prompted someone to start a Web site called No More A Rod - The Movement Begins. Peter Abraham treats it with the respect it deserves. (LoHud Yankees Blog)

THE FUTURE: It's bright for the Red Sox, if Baseball Analysts' look at the A.L. East prospects is to be believed.

URBAN LEGEND I: You don't have to look too hard to find people who'll tell you Manny Ramirez was a good, or even an adequate, left fielder in Boston. The blog Baseball Analysts, however, rates individual defensive seasons and finds the worst defensive player in baseball -- all of baseball, every position -- in the three-year period 2004-07 was Manny Ramirez in 2005. The third-worst was Manny Ramirez in 2006. The sixth-worst was Manny Ramirez in 2007. Not surprisingly, Derek Jeter -- his Gold Glove awards looking even more ridiculous than they've always seemed -- is all over this list, too: His 2005 season was the second-worst, fitting in between Manny '05 and Manny '06; his '04 season was the 10th-worst, and his '07 season was the 13th-worst.

URBAN LEGEND II: The notion that the Rays have gotten good because of all those No. 1 draft picks they compiled when they were bad is shot down by the blog Rays Index, who notes only 3 of the 28 players on the roster (including those on the disabled list) were first-round picks . . . and one of them, Rocco Baldelli, has only been active for a couple of weeks. The Red Sox, they point out, have had more No. 1 picks from one draft -- 2005, when, between their own selection and various sandwich picks from free-agent compensation, they acquired Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie and Craig Hansen in the first round -- make contributions to the team this year. The real reasons for Tampa Bay's resurgence? Click the link and find out.

URBAN LEGEND III: Rice says the notion the Rays will falter because of a lack of experience is nonsense.

EIGHTY-ONE AND HARDLY DONE: There's a sense of accomplishment in doing anything for the first time, so even though it's been a foregone conclusion the Rays would finish (well) over .500 this year, both the Tampa Tribune and St. Petersburg Times noted in their game stories that last night's 3-2 Rays win over Toronto was Tampa Bay's 81st, assuring the franchise of its non-losing season ever. It also put the Rays back up by 4 1/2 over the Red Sox.

PLENTY OF REASONS: The fans provide those reasons -- or are they excuses? -- for Tampa Bay's pathetic attendance figures (last night's total: 14,039) to the Times' John Romano, who had written on this very topic the day before.

NOW YOU TELL US: Confirming what everyone with two eyes -- except, of course, Hawk Harrelson and Darrin Jackson -- already knew, MLB admitted yesterday that umpire Doug Eddings blew the interference call on A.J. Pierzynski in Sunday's White Sox-Rays game. (St. Petersburg Times) Not that it makes any difference, since Tampa Bay has no recourse.

MAYBE TOMORROW: The Rays are hoping that Dioner Navarro will be able to return to the lineup Saturday against the Orioles. (St. Petersburg Times)

CLOSING UP: Warwick's Dan Wheeler (right, accepting congratulations for nailing down last night's win) is filling in ably as Tampa Bay's closer while Troy Percival is sidelined. (Tampa Tribune)

STILL HURTING: Although they say he's feeling better, the Mets admit the pain in Billy Wagner's elbow hasn't subsided. (nj.com) John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer wonders if the Mets wll look to the Reds for bullpen help.

A.L. RACES: The Red Sox didn't lose any ground in the wild-card battle, as the Twins suffered a walkoff loss in Oakland. (St. Paul Pioneer Press) Boston remains 2 1/2 in front, three in the loss column, while Minnesota also fell 1 1/2 behind the White Sox in the Central.

N.L. RACES: In the East, the idle Mets increased their lead to a full game as the Phillies suffered what they called their toughest loss of the year, a 6-4 setback to the Cubs (Philadelphia Inquirer) in which they blew a 4-1, seventh-inning lead and lost it on an eighth-inning grand slam by Aramis Ramirez. Meanwhile, the clock is striking midnight on the Marlins. They now trail the Mets by six games with 28 to play after last night's 4-2 loss in Atlanta. (Miami Herald) . . . The Cubs' victory (Chicago Tribune) puts them 6 1/2 up in the Central . . . Can it get any worse for the Dodgers? Their 11-2 loss last night in Washington (Riverside Press-Enterprise) was their seventh in a row and dropped them 3 1/2 behind the Diamondbacks in the West. They now head to Arizona for a crucial three-game weekend series.

PENNANT-RACE PICKUP: Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com reports the Phillies have acquired Matt Stairs from the Blue Jays.

LOOKING FOR HELP: With Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar hurting, the Angels have targeted, among others, three Jays infielders -- John McDonald, David Eckstein and Marco Scutaro -- as they seek reinforcements. (Los Angeles Times)

ANY OLD PORT IN A STORM: The Mets may be interested in Carl Pavano. (New York Post)

OUR CHOICE: Only Baseball Matters, which focuses on the Giants, makes Tim Lincecum's Cy Young case.

HERE AND THERE: Miguel Olivo, frustrated with manager Trey Hillman over his playing time, says he's leaving the Royals at the end of this season (Kansas City Star) . . . The Brewers passed the three-million mark in attendance for the first time in their history (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . Albert Pujols wasn't too pleased with Carlos Villanueva's antics during Wednesday's Brewers-Cardinals game (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . The Padres have lost Jerry Hairston for the rest of the year because of a torn thumb ligament (San Diego Union-Tribune) . . . The Dodgers have designated Tanyon Sturtze for assignment. (rotoworld.com)

OLD FRIENDS: More on Kelly Shoppach: The Indians-based blog WaitingForNextYear takes a closer look at his offensive surge . . . Keith Foulke will probably be activated by the A's next Tuesday. (San Francisco Chronicle)

AND FINALLY . . . Any celebration the White Sox have when they clinch a postseason berth or win a postseason series will have to go some to match how they reacted when they heard Jay Mariotti was leaving the Chicago Sun-Times.

-- ART MARTONE