I'm going to save you some time.

Instead of waiting anxiously to see how the David Ortiz crisis is going to play out, allow me to tell you exactly what's going to happen.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

In the near future, Big Papi will tell us that in 2003 he took some sort of supplements or protein shakes without knowing they included performance enhancing drugs. 

Perhaps he purchased them from A-Rod's cousin.

Most of us won't really believe him, but Ortiz will apologize and - outside of the Bronx - his mea culpa will be accepted.  And life will go on . . . along with the Red Sox streak of consecutive sellouts.

Here's where I stand on the revelation that Big Papi's name is on "The List."

I'm interested in all 104 names because it was supposed to be a secret and now it's not.  It's like when someone starts to share some dirt and then says, "No, I promised I wouldn't say anything!"  The correct response is to push and prod until they fess up.

But at this point, there are very few names on that list that would surprise me . . . and sluggers who enjoyed huge leaps in their performance level are not among them.

I loved to hold out hope that Ortiz was clean, but I'm not shocked that he wasn't. 

Were you?  Really?

It was six years ago.  Players weren't being tested and the temptation to cheat was overwhelming.  That doesn't make it right, but if your livelihood depends on being better than the other guy and the other guy is using 'roids, your moral compass has a hard time pointing north.

I put much of the blame on the clean guys.  When it became obvious that steroid use was rampant, they should have demanded that the union institute a testing policy.

Then again, maybe the non-users represented the minority.

I believe David Ortiz is clean now - that's where he and Manny Ramirez are different.  Manny got busted with a testing policy in effect and a 50-game penalty (40 if you include minor league games) for a first-time offender.  He deserves every bit of ridicule he receives.

I suppose David Ortiz deserves some too, but Red Sox fans will soon forgive even if they don't forget.

I'm fine with that.  Go ahead and give him a standing "O" and accept his apology.

 As long as you eliminate the terms "A-Roid" or "A-Fraud" from your vocabulary.

When the Red Sox traded Mark Kotsay to the Chicago White Sox for outfielder Brian Anderson on Tuesday, I did a quick internet search for some stats and background info and stumbled upon a rather strange tidbit.

According to an "Inside the White Sox" blog, Anderson collects monkeys.  More specifically, stuffed monkeys.  Naturally, I had to find out if that nugget is legit.

"I guess we were playing the Dodgers last year and Vin Scully mentioned something like that," Anderson told me.  "I don't know how much I actually collect them, but for awhile there, my family would see those stuffed animal monkeys that kind of clamp down and hang on things and they would pick me up one.  I don't think I've gone out of my way to collect them, but at the same time, I guess I have a pretty decent collection."

Suffice to say, the Red Sox didn't acquire Brian for his monkeys.

Anderson was a first round draft pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2003 and was their top-rated minor league prospect in 2005.  While his big league career hasn't gone as well as hoped so far - a .225 average in 334 games - Brian gives the Red Sox a solid defensive centerfielder in Pawtucket who provides organizational depth.

"Obviously you want to live up to the hype, but at the same time, just making it to the big leagues is an accomplishment," Anderson told me.  "The next step is being consistent, becoming an every-day player, and getting better every year.  That's what I'm working toward, and hopefully being traded to this team will give me a chance to get to where I know I can be."

Getting dealt did not come as a surprise.  After the White Sox sent Anderson to Triple-A Charlotte on July 20^th, he requested a trade.  But he didn't expect to change Sox.

"I kinda had an idea that something might happen, but I hadn't thought about Boston because their team is so good and they seem to be set at all of their positions," Anderson said.  "But when I talked to Theo Epstein he seemed very excited, and that got me excited.  It showed me that he has faith in my ability and I hope to help the Red Sox this year."

When Brian joined the PawSox, he was greeted by a familiar face - his former high school teammate Chris Duncan, who was obtained from the Cardinals five days earlier in exchange for Julio Lugo.

"That was the first thought that went through my mind, 'Holy cow, I'm going to be playing with Chris again,' Anderson said.  "Sure enough, his brother Shelly sent a text to both of us saying how jealous he was and that it's not fair that we get to hang out and play on the same team while he's stuck by himself.  You never know, crazier things have happened - maybe we'll play with him as well."

They'll play against Shelly Duncan soon enough.  The PawSox play five straight games against Scranton/WB beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday night.

* * * * *

There were two bright spots in Thursday afternoon's 4-1 loss at Buffalo.

Anderson had a pair of doubles in his second game with Pawtucket, and Michael Bowden had his third straight outstanding start.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

The 22-year-old righty was given a 12-day break from July 7^th to 18^th, and it has definitely produced the desired result.  Bowden's velocity is up and his pinpoint control has returned - in 3 starts he's allowed 3 ER in 19 IP for a 1.42 ERA and has not issued a walk in his last 14.2 IP.

Unfortunately, that hasn't been enough for Bowden to earn a win due to the PawSox lack of offense.  Pawtucket has scored 2-or-fewer runs in 10 of his 19 starts this season.

* * * * *

Look for Jeff Bailey to return to the PawSox early next week at McCoy Stadium.  Bailey has been out of action since July 4^th due to an ankle injury, but he's recently been taking batting practice and doing fielding drills.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

Remarkably, Bailey ranks third on the PawSox with 7 home runs, even though he has only played in 36 minor league games this season.

Pawtucket is 20-16 with Bailey in the lineup.  That projects to a 80-64 record over a full International League season.

* * * * *

Pawtucket will try to avoid a 4-game sweep in Buffalo on Friday night at 7:35 with Billy Traber on the mound.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with pre-game coverage at 7:20 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

I learned something fascinating about Dusty Brown this week.  In 2002, he was a minor league teammate of John Henry Williams - the son of Red Sox legend Ted Williams.

(photos courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

It was Dusty's 2^nd year of pro ball and at the age of 20, he was assigned to the Single-A Gulf Coast League Red Sox where his teammates included 18-year-olds Hanley Ramirez and Brandon Moss.

John Henry Williams was 33 years old and had never played pro baseball.  Ted pulled some strings to get the Red Sox to give his son a chance and in the words of Ben Cherington, Boston's assistant director of player development, "Out of respect to Ted and what he meant to the Red Sox, our ownership decided to grant John Henry this opportunity."

John Henry showed up in Ft. Myers with his own personal hitting instructor named Steve Ferroli and told reporters that, "I'm taking this extremely seriously.  My goal is to lead the Gulf Coast League in hitting."

It didn't quite work out that way.

John Henry went 0-for-6 in two games, and was train wreck in the field at first base.

In his first game he got hit in the chest by a routine throw from Moss (who played second base at that time).

In his second game, Williams sprinted after a foul ball that he had no chance of catching and crashed into a wall.  He suffered two broken ribs and his playing career with the Red Sox was over.

And Dusty Brown watched the whole thing from right field (he played outfield more often than he caught back them).

Later that summer, Ted Williams passed away at the age of 83.  Sadly, John Henry Williams died two years later due to leukemia at the age of 35.

* * * * *

At one point this year, PawSox pitchers had thrown 9 shutouts while Pawtucket's hitters had been blanked 5 times.

Now the count is 9 shutouts for, and 13 against.

On Wednesday night, the PawSox squandered a quality start by Enrique Gonzalez and lost to the Buffalo Bisons 3-0.

It wasn't like they didn't have chances.

In the 2^nd inning, Pawtucket had the bases loaded with one out and didn't score.

In the 3^rd inning, the PawSox had a runner at third base with one out and didn't score.

In the 5^th inning, they had runners at first and third with nobody out and didn't score.

You know who the PawSox could use?  Jeff Bailey.

With Bailey in the lineup this year, Pawtucket is 20-16.  Without him, the PawSox are 27-38.

Terry Francona told reporters last weekend that Bailey was one to two weeks away from returning to action from an ankle injury.  That means he should be rejoining the PawSox relatively soon. 

Not soon enough. 

* * * * *

The PawSox play a day game on Thursday in Buffalo beginning at 1:05.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 12:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com. 

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.  

Tuesday was Italian Festival Night at Cola-Cola Field in Buffalo, NY.

But the real attraction for true baseball fans was Japanese.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

23-year-old Junichi Tazawa was the losing pitcher in his Triple-A debut, but only because the PawSox failed to provide adequate support on offense or defense in a 2-1 loss to the Bisons.

Tazawa's pitching line was outstanding:  6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.

Only one of the three hits he allowed was well struck - a first inning single by Buffalo's leadoff hitter Argenis Reyes.

The other hits were a hit-and-run single that would have been a routine grounder, and a medium range fly ball that fell just inside the right field line for a double.

After a 27-pitch first inning (extended by an Aaron Bates error that produced an unearned run), Tazawa needed only 43 pitches to breeze through the next 5 innings.

In short, Junichi deserved a win, but the PawSox were only able to score 1 run on 5 singles.  At one point, 35-year-old Nelson Figueroa retired 15 consecutive batters.

The PawSox current roster includes one player hitting over .270 (Chris Carter at .271) and four players batting below .200. 

For the season, Pawtucket is hitting a league-worst .231 as a team while averaging 3.4 runs.

* * * * *

Brian Anderson should provide a little help.

The 27-year-old outfielder was obtained from the White Sox on Tuesday in exchange for OF Mark Kotsay.

Anderson has spent most of this year with Chicago, batting .238 with 2 HR and 13 RBI in 65 games.  He was recently sent to Triple-A Charlotte, where Brian batted .279 with 2 HR and 5 RBI in 11 games.

Ironically, the Red Sox have traded for two outfielders in the last week who happened to be teammates at Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson, AZ.  Now Brian Anderson and Chris Duncan have been reunited in Pawtucket.

(Do you think the Red Sox swing a deal for another member of that high school team - Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers?) 

Anderson is expected to join Pawtucket on Wednesday in Buffalo.  OF Freddy Guzman was released to open a spot for Brian on the roster.

* * * * *

Thanks to all of you who e-mailed to say you listened to me call the Cincinnati Reds game on Monday night with Hall-of-Famer Marty Brennaman.

It was quite a night as the two teams combined to hit 7 home runs in a 6-4 win for the Reds.

Broadcasting a game next to Marty is like a violinist receiving a 3-hour private lesson with Itzhak Perlman -- I sat and marveled while he showed me how it's done.  He's descriptive, funny, energetic, and never misses a thing. 

I wrote about my favorite broadcasters last month (if you missed it, you can read that entry here).  It's a thrill to say that I've done major league games with one of the best of all-time. 

* * * * *     

Game 2 of the Buffalo series is coming up on Wednesday at 7:05 with Enrique Gonzalez taking the mound for Pawtucket.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

Charlie Zink began experimenting with the knuckleball when he was 12 years old, after seeing a rookie for the Pittsburgh Pirates throw the pitch in a 1992 playoff game.

Some kid named Wakefield.

17 years later, Wake is throwing the knuckler as well as ever while Zink is struggling to control one of the game's biggest mysteries.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

On Sunday, Charlie won his first game in nearly two months as Pawtucket beat Columbus 3-2.  For the season, he's 5-11 with a 5.49 ERA. 

Zink certainly earned the victory as he allowed 2 runs on 4 hits in 6 IP against the International League's top scoring team.

But it wasn't easy.  Charlie issued 6 walks and hit a batter without recording a strikeout.  Since whiffing Syracuse's Jorge Padilla to begin a game on July 11^th, Zink has issued 18 walks and hit 7 batters without recording a strikeout. 

From his first start of the year in which Charlie walked 6 batters and hit a pair, he's had trouble keeping the butterfly in the strike zone. 

Last year when he was the International League's Most Valuable Pitcher, Zink only walked 49 batters in 174.1 IP - an average of 2.5 walks per 9 innings.

This year, Charlie has walked 73 batters in 101.2 IP - an average of 6.5 walks per 9 innings.

So what happened?

Perhaps we should look back at that Wakefield kid.

As a 25-year-old rookie with Pittsburgh in '92, Wake was 8-1 with a 2.15 ERA and averaged 3.4 walks/per 9 IP. 

The following year with the Pirates, he was 6-11 with a 5.61 ERA and averaged 5.3 walks/per 9 IP.

The year after that, Wake was 5-15 with a 5.84 ERA for Triple-A Buffalo leading to his release.

Wakefield figured it out the next year and picked up the first of his 175 wins (and counting) in a Red Sox uniform.  This year, he was an All-Star for the first time at the age of 42.

Charlie Zink is 29.  Hall-of-Famer Phil Niekro pitched until he was 48 and won 208 games after turning 35.

Here's hoping the best is yet to come for Chuck the Knuck too.

* * * * *

I will not be behind the mic for Monday's game against Columbus.  I am heading to Cincinnati for another fill-in stint on the Reds radio network.

I'll call tonight's game against the Padres with Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman before rejoining the PawSox on Tuesday when they open a 4-game series in Buffalo.

If you would like to catch some of tonight's broadcast, tune in to WLW radio.  It's 700-AM and can be heard just about anywhere in the US.  On a clear night, it reaches 38 states!

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

Ever get a song stuck in your head that won't go away?

(I already know the answer - it happens to everyone)

Well, right now, that song for me is "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas.

It's #1 on the Billboard Top 100, but if you're not familiar with the tune, you can listen to the song and watch the video here.

I bring it up because it came on over the stadium loudspeakers while the PawSox were taking batting practice on Saturday and Travis Denker began singing along with his own lyrics.

The actual lyrics are:

I gotta feeling.

That tonight's gonna be a good night.

That tonight's gonna be a good night.

That tonight's gonna be a good, good night.

Denker's version went something like this:

I gotta feeling.

That tonight's gonna be a good night.

The PawSox will score 13 runs tonight.

We'll do high fives after a good, good night.

(If you sing along, it fits quite well.  And if you haven't watched the video yet, Fergie looks quite good)

(photos courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

Incredibly, Travis Denker nailed it!  The PawSox scored 13 runs - with Denker driving in 4 - in a win over the Columbus Clippers.

Unfortunately, it was too-close-for-comfort.  Pawtucket led 10-1 after the third inning and had to hold on for dear life before winning 13-11.

There were plenty of offensive standouts.  Denker had a pair of doubles and 4 RBI.  Chris Carter crushed a 3-run HR to center field and also finished with 4 RBI.  Ivan Ochoa hit a 2-run HR and wound up with 3 RBI. 

It's just the second time the PawSox have scored 10-or-more runs in a game.  They scored a season-high 15 runs in the game played at tiny Doubleday Field in Cooperstown on June 14^th.

The series is even at a game apiece with Game 3 coming up Sunday at 1:05.  Hopefully, Denker will weave some more lyrical magic before the game.

* * * * *

Yesterday I blogged about the loss of our pal Jonathan Van Every to the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Today I received the following e-mail from his folks:

Thanks for the nice goodbye tribute to JV.

We had a fine old time with the Sox, both at Pawtucket and in Boston. 

It was a wild, fun ride, and we'll always remember the people we met. 

The Pawsox family is the greatest, most hospitable bunch of minor 
league folks we've encountered while trailing around behind Jonathan - a real class act. Please share that with the group since we won't have a chance to thank them for all their kindness.

We'll miss visiting up there and we'll especially miss the "radio 
guys". Thanks again and take care,

Gene & Paula Van Every

Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Van Every for the kind words and for taking the time to write.  We look forward to rooting for JV with the Pirates next year.

* * * * *

I received a few responses about my previous post in which I asked the following question:  "If you could have any piece of sports memorabilia in history, what would it be?"

Hyder said it would be the part of the left field foul pole at Fenway where his childhood hero Carlton Fisk hit his game-winning HR in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.

E-mail suggestions included the footballs that Adam Vinatieri kicked through the uprights to win Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII for the Patriots.

George Brett's pine tar bat.

Wilt Chamberlain's black book (it had to be pretty thick to include 20,000 names).

Any more suggestions?  Add them to the comments section or e-mail them to me at dhoard@pawsox.com.

* * * * *

This series continues on Sunday afternoon at 1:05.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 12:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

Tonight is Jon Lester Bobblehead Night at McCoy Stadium.

I plan to bring up this question during tonight's broadcast:  If you could have any piece of sports memorabilia in history, what would it be?

The first thing that came to mind for me was the American flag that goalie Jim Craig carried on the ice after the 1980 Olympic hockey team won the gold medal in Lake Placid.

Or how about the Olympic gold medal that Muhammad Ali tossed into the Ohio River after being ordered to leave a restaurant in his hometown following the 1960 games?

I asked a couple of PawSox players for suggestions.

Bubba Bell said the chunk of Evander Holyfield's ear that Mike Tyson bit off.

Dusty Brown also chose a boxing item.  In 1989, Steve McCarthy was pummeling Tony Wilson when Wilson's mother climbed into the ring and began hitting McCarthy in the head with her shoe.

Brown wants the shoe.

Signed by mom.

Any ideas?  Post them in the comments section or e-mail them to me at dhoard@pawsox.com.

It's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend.

Those are Aerosmith's words, not mine, but Friday's 3-1 loss to Columbus followed a painfully familiar pattern.

Pawtucket's pitching was good enough to win, but the offense sputtered.  After back-to-back singles by Chris Carter and newcomer Chris Duncan produced a run in the first inning, the PawSox managed one hit and no runs over the final 8 innings.

Ready for an unbelievable stat:  It marked the 16^th time (in 96 games) that the PawSox have finished with 3-or-fewer hits.

Ugh.

There was a silver lining - another great start by Michael Bowden.

(photos courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

Bowden pitched 7 innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs with no walks and 5 strikeouts.  He hit 94 mph on the stadium radar gun and threw several good sliders.  In two starts since his midseason "sabbatical," Michael has allowed 4 hits and 2 runs in 12 IP for a 1.50 ERA.

For the season, he's 3-5 with a 3.09 ERA.  Realistically, he should probably have about 9 wins.  Not too shabby for a 22-year-old in his first full year of Triple-A.

* * * * *

The word going around the clubhouse is that Jonathan Van Every has decided to leave the Red Sox organization.

Van Every's season ended in mid-June due to knee surgery.  Boston took him off of the 40-man roster on July 8^th to make room for Jed Lowrie, and released Jonathan 10 days later when the waiver period ran out.

The Red Sox wanted to bring him back next season, but we're hearing that Van Every has agreed to a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.  If that's the case, let's hope that JV is 100% healthy when he arrives in spring training and that he and Brandon Moss are teammates in Pittsburgh next year.

Van Every led the team with 26 HR in 2008, and is one of the most graceful centerfielders we've had the pleasure to watch in recent years in Pawtucket.  Kelly O'Connor took this great photo of a HR-stealing catch than JV made last season.

Best of luck to a great guy and a terrific player. 

I was also bummed (but not surprised) that Mark Kotsay was the odd man out, when the Red Sox activated Adam LaRoche. 

I nicknamed Kotsay "The Fonz" during his rehab stint with the PawSox and it seemed to stick.  (you can read about it here)

* * * * *

Saturday night should be rockin' at McCoy Stadium for Jon Lester Bobblehead Night.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 5:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

And if you Twitter, you can follow my "tweets" at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

Chris Duncan has arrived.  He's in the PawSox starting lineup tonight batting cleanup.

He'll wear the #32, but if you come out to McCoy Stadium you won't need a uniform number to pick him out.  He's huge - 6'5, 230 - and ready to show what he can do in the Red Sox organization after being obtained for Julio Lugo.

"I'm excited," Chris told me.  "I'm looking forward to getting out there tonight and playing and it should be good to get a fresh start.  It's been a rough year for me and hopefully I can come over here and start fresh and do a lot better."

Duncan was batting .227 with 5 HR and 32 RBI with St. Louis this year after having surgery last August to repair a herniated disc in his neck.  He belted 22 HR as a rookie for the Cardinals in 2006, and ripped 21 HR in 2007.

The trade will allow Chris to compete against his older brother Shelly, who is having an MVP-type season with Scranton Wilkes-Barre.  The PawSox face the Yankees 8 more times beginning on August 1^st.

"He's excited," Chris said.  "We're playing them soon and we're both looking forward to playing against each other.  We haven't been on opposing teams since the Florida State League in 2003."

There are a couple of things Duncan will miss about playing in St. Louis - most notably being around his dad Dave (the Cardinals pitching coach) on a regular basis.

He'll also miss watching "The Machine" Albert Pujols every day.  So what will Chris tell his kids and grandkids some day about playing with Pujols?

"I think I'll say that I had a chance to play with the greatest hitter who ever played," Chris told me.  "Being on the same team as him and playing with him day in and day out, you realize that you're playing with someone really special.  He's up there with some of the elite players to ever play the game."

Let's hope Chris gets off to a great start with the PawSox tonight.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

More proof that the internet is the greatest invention ever.

(followed closely by the toaster oven and VCR/DVR)

I'm on the 6-hour bus ride last night from Rochester to Pawtucket when I read that Mark Buehrle threw a perfect game for the White Sox.

Furthermore, the masterpiece was saved by an incredible catch by Dewayne Wise.

In the past, that would mean making sure you were in front of the TV at the top of the hour to see the highlight at the beginning of Sportscenter.

Now it means finding the video online.

MLB.com didn't disappoint.  In fact, today they have a page that shows all of the great defensive plays in recent no-hitters including Jacoby Ellsbury's diving catch to support Jon Lester in 2008, and Dustin Pedroia's remarkable stop to save Clay Buchholz's no-hit bid in 2007.

They even have footage of Mickey Mantle's great running catch that saved Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series.

Here's the link for when your boss isn't looking.  Enjoy.

It was perfect on paper.

An 11:05 am start time on getaway day in Rochester that would allow the PawSox to arrive back home at McCoy Stadium by about 9:00 pm.

In the immortal words of ESPN's Lee Corso, "Not so fast my friend."

The PawSox and Rochester Red Wings needed 4 hours and 10 minutes to complete their game on Thursday, with the PawSox pulling it out 5-3 in 12 innings.

It was worth the wait.

Manager Ron Johnson was hell-bent on avoiding a 4-game sweep at Frontier Field and made so many trips to the mound during the game that the Red Wings would have been smart to put up a toll booth between the dugout and pitcher's mound.

RJ appeared to be pretty animated during those visits.  He said after the game that he kept stressing that "We are not going to lose!  Not today.  Not to these guys."

The victory is certainly making the bus ride home more enjoyable - even though I am out of my element on the so-called "party bus."

An explanation is in order.

On a trip of this length, the PawSox give the guys plenty of room to spread out by taking two buses - the tranquility bus and the party bus.

The terms are misleading.  The first bus really isn't all that tranquil - RJ sits in the first row doing paperwork and most of the guys watch DVDs the entire time.

And they really aren't partying on the second bus.  Trainer Greg Barajas chills in the front row and the players are engaged in card games, listening to music, and mostly ignoring the DVDs.

I've been on the party bus on this trip for the first time ever (one player jokingly said, "Are you lost?").  The wireless internet isn't working on the other bus, so I made the switch in order to get some work done.

One thing is certain - the movies aren't any better on this bus.  Unless you're a big fan of The Big Lebowski.

* * * * *

While Luis Tiant watched Charlie Zink pitch in Rochester on Wednesday night, I mentioned on the broadcast that even though Zink is an outstanding golfer, he always seems to lose when he tees it up with "El Tiante."

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

Word of that comment got back to "Chuck the Knuck" and he reminded me that I left out a key detail:  Charlie doesn't exactly enforce the rules when he's golfing with his former college coach.

Zink is not complaining.  Tiant convinced the Red Sox to give Charlie a chance when he went undrafted out of college.  The least Zink can do to return the favor is to give Luis a few mulligans or lengthy "gimme" putts.

* * * * *

The PawSox open a 4-game homestand against Columbus on Friday night.  Pawtucket will have Michael Bowden on the mound and will likely have newcomer Chris Duncan in the starting lineup.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

Also, don't forget that Saturday night is Jon Lester Bobblehead Night at McCoy for the first 4,000 kids (14-and-under).

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

10 minutes after a front office employee walked into our booth and said the game wouldn't start until noon, the GM just announced that we'll begin as scheduled at 11:05.

So much for breakfast.

FYI -- Chris Duncan will join the team on Friday at McCoy Stadium.

Today's 11:05 am game in Rochester is going to be delayed by rain (if it's played at all).  The tarp is covering the infield and we were just told they are hoping to play at noon.

Not exactly what we were hoping for on getaway day.

If it starts, we'll have it for you on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

In the midst of a horrific month of July that has seen the PawSox go 3-14 with a team batting average of .210, the team desperately needs help.

How fast can Chris Duncan get here?

The Red Sox traded Julio Lugo to the Cardinals on Wednesday for Duncan and a player-to-be-named later (how 'bout Pujols?) or cash.

Duncan is having a tough year.  He was batting .227 with 5 HR and 32 RBI in 87 games with the Cardinals, and has 1 hit in his last 31 at-bats.

But he hit .293 with 22 HR last year and .259 with 21 HR the year before.  Call me crazy, but I think we can find a spot for him on a Pawtucket team that's gone 2-14 in its last 16 games while averaging 2.9 runs. 

According to this story and this story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris had been the target of harsh criticism from Cardinals fans - due in part to the fact that his father Dave is the team's pitching coach.  It sounds to me like he needs a fresh start.

And while I'm sure he's bummed that he won't get to see his dad every day, he will get to see his brother Shelly eight times when the PawSox face Scranton/WB.

Who knows, if he really hits well for Pawtucket, maybe they'll even name a chain of Donut shops for Duncan.

* * * * *  

Ready for a Nostradamus-like prediction?

If the PawSox continue to struggle, Manager Ron Johnson will get thrown out of a game by the end of the weekend.

It's really not a bold call on my part.  RJ admitted he might do that in hopes of lighting a fire under the team.

"Yea, you start looking for stuff," Johnson said.  "I'm sure that the way things have been going - you may see an act here in the next few days.  If there's a play that comes along where you look at it and say, 'there may be some value in going out and putting on a little show for the boys,' then you do it.  I've done it before where it didn't work, and I've done it at times where we've wound up winning.  We'll play it be ear, but yea; I'm definitely thinking about it."

RJ apparently blew off some steam in the clubhouse a few nights ago, when he closed the door to reporters for a few minutes to address the team after a particularly shoddy performance.

What was his message?

"Professionalism . . . hustle . . . it's all about effort," RJ said.  "I told these guys in our first meeting of the year that they'll never be yelled at for wins and losses.  What will cause the hair on the back of my neck to stand up is if I see a less-than-100% effort."  

I suspect the next time Mt. Johnson erupts, the explosion will be directed at an umpire.

* * * * *

He played baseball and hockey at Trinity College.

He was the Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year in 2006.

He does an outstanding job with his "At Bat With Nat" interviews.

And yes, Jeff Natale even makes pasta.

And least when his girlfriend tells him to.

Thanks to Leigh for sending the photo.  Her company is Nella Pasta and you can check it out here.

* * * * *

Don't forget to join us bright and early on Thursday for the 11:05 am start in Rochester.  The pre-game show starts at 10:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

Tonight is Manny Ramirez Bobblehead Night at Dodger Stadium.

All part of a series of promotions dedicated to the great cheaters in sports history.

Rosie Ruiz GPS Night is coming up later this month.

Danny Almonte Birth Certificate Night is scheduled for August.

Ben Johnson Gold Medal Night is set for September (but fans don't get to keep it).

And Barry Bonds Gigantic Hat Night is due in October.

By the way, tonight's game has been sold out for four days.  The only other Dodger's game to sell out that far in advance this year was Opening Day. 

But fans are really upset about steroids.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is on the disabled list with a shoulder strain and has one win for the Red Sox this season.

Now 42-year-old Tim Wakefield is on the DL with a bad back, and by the time he pitches again, will likely have been out of action for nearly a month.

Still wish Boston had traded Brad Penny or dumped John Smoltz to make room for Clay Buchholz?

(photos courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

You gotta admit, right now the decision to have Clay biding his time in Pawtucket is looking awfully smart.  Rather than having to go find this year's version of a retread like Paul Byrd, the Sox have Buchholz ready to plug into the rotation with a ton of confidence and a light workload so far this season.

Look, Theo Epstein is not perfect and has made his share of mistakes (36,000,000 of 'em in the case of Julio Lugo), but the decision to have Clay Buchholz spend 3 ½ months in Pawtucket this year wasn't one of them. 

Clay is a great kid with enormous talent.  I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have been behind the mic for all 34 of his appearances for the Pawtucket Red Sox over the past three seasons.

And I'll be really happy for him if I never have that opportunity again.

* * * * *

While waiting to find out if the PawSox were going to be rained out on Tuesday night in Rochester (they were), I had a great opportunity during the afternoon storm to talk to Aaron Bates.

Bates grew up in the La Selva Beach community in Santa Cruz, CA, and I learned from talking to him that it is near the San Andreas Fault and was close to the epicenter of the infamous 1989 earthquake that delayed the World Series.

"I was 5 years old and doing my homework when my brother and I noticed everything in the house started shaking," Bates recalled.  "In school, we had gone through earthquake preparation, so I hid under my desk and he hid under the kitchen table.  We followed the rules for about 10 seconds - then we ran upstairs to find our mom."

The '89 World Series was called "The Battle of the Bay" since it pitted the Oakland Athletics vs. the San Francisco Giants, and one of the key players was Aaron's first childhood hero - A's slugger Mark McGwire.

A few years later, Bates had a chance meeting with McGwire at a restaurant in his home town.

"He was dining at a place named 'Zelda's' on Capitola Beach and me, my brother, and two friends saw him go in," Bates told me.  "So we promptly raced home - which was about five minutes away - got his baseball cards and went back to the restaurant and waited outside for about an hour because he said he would sign if we waited patiently."

Thanks in part to that childhood memory; Bates does the same thing for kids that wait patiently for his autograph.

"I'm a pretty easy 'sign' and try to sign for everybody, but whenever I come out of the locker room and there are kids waiting there, I'll try to have a conversation with them because they are definitely troopers for waiting at least an hour after the game.  So I'll definitely sign something for them and talk to them a little bit," Bates said.

* * * * *

How's this for great timing?  Luis Tiant is going to be at Frontier Field for an autograph signing on Wednesday night when Charlie Zink is scheduled to pitch in the second game of a doubleheader against Rochester.

Tiant was Zink's head coach at the Savannah College of Art and Design and convinced the Red Sox to give Charlie a shot when he went undrafted out of college.

Zink has really been struggling lately.  In his last 7 starts, Charlie is 0-6 with a 7.65 ERA.  In 37.2 innings, he's walked 27, hit 10 batters with pitches, and only struck out 5.

Let's hope "El Tiante" brings "Chuck the Knuck" some good luck.

* * * * *  

I've joined the Twitter revolution.  If you would like to receive my "tweets", please sign up at http://twitter.com/Dan_Hoard

Don't forget to tune in early on Wednesday night for the make-up doubleheader.  The PawSox and Red Wings will play a pair of 7-inning games beginning at 6:05.  Our pre-game coverage gets underway at 5:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

The PawSox were awful on Monday night at Rochester.

Actually, I don't think awful is a strong enough word.  How about atrocious?  Or ghastly? Or abysmal?

I think you get the picture.

In a 12-5 loss to the Red Wings, Pawtucket committed a season-high 5 errors, allowed 17 hits, and wasted a pair of home runs by Chris Carter.

That's about as bad as it gets right?

Nope. 

Believe it or not, I've seen worse.  In fact, this wasn't even the most painful loss I've witnessed in Rochester.

In my four years as a PawSox announcer, perhaps the strangest loss occurred on August 7, 2006 at Frontier Field.

Pawtucket had an 8-4 lead with one out to go, when Jermaine Van Buren got Andres Torres to ground out to second base for the final out of the game.

The PawSox poured out of the dugout and began the post-game handshake routine.  I had just blurted out my usual, "there's a 'W' in Pawtucket tonight," when I noticed home plate umpire Adrian Johnson frantically waving his arms.

The game wasn't over.  The ump ruled that PawSox catcher Alberto Concepcion was guilty of catcher's interference, negating the final out and sending Torres to first base to load the bases.

You can probably guess what happened next.  Terry Tiffee drilled a grand slam to force extra innings, and Pawtucket lost the game in the 10^th on an RBI double by Quinton McCracken.

It's the only time I've seen the losing team celebrate on the field.

Now that's what I call abysmal.

* * * * *

I received a great casting suggestion for "Heard if from Hoard" the movie.

In the role of Michael Bowden.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

We have actor Ewan McGregor.

Keep the ideas coming!  You can post them in the comments section or e-mail them to dhoard@pawsox.com.

* * * * *

I know it's going to be a few years before he wears a Pawtucket uniform, but I'm excited to see how well Portsmouth's Ryan Westmoreland is doing in his first professional season.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

Westmoreland, a 5^th round draft pick last year, was 3-for-3 for the Lowell Spinners on Monday night with a single, triple, and home run.  For the season, he's batting .293 with 3 HR, 17 RBI, and a .412 OBP.

I had the pleasure of broadcasting one of his high school basketball games on Cox Cable a couple of years ago.  Who knows, perhaps I'll be broadcasting his baseball games in the future.

* * * * *

I hope you'll join us for the radio call on Tuesday as the PawSox look to bounce back against Rochester.  Pre-game coverage starts at 6:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

We should have guessed the PawSox luck was about to change when we saw 8 nuns dressed in white habits on the pitcher's mound before the game.

(photo courtesy of Louriann Mardo-Zayat)

The Little Sisters of the Poor from Pawtucket (posing with Jeff Natale) made their annual visit to McCoy Stadium on Sunday afternoon and their timing was perfect, as the PawSox 8-game losing streak mercifully came to an end with a 3-2 win over Indianapolis.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

Normally, that would have been cause for elation, but the celebration was muted because the PawSox were one out away from the 10^th no-hitter in franchise history.

Michael Bowden (5 IP), T.J. Large (1 IP), and Javier Lopez (2.1 IP) had a combined no-hitter going with 2 outs to go in the 9^th, when Manager Ron Johnson called on All-Star closer Fernando Cabrera to finish the game.

Cabrera got Steve Pearce to fly out to right field, but with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9^th inning, Larry Broadway grounded a single up the middle to spoil the no-hit bit.

Tagg Bozied followed with a 2-run HR to spoil the shutout as well, but Cabrera got Robinzon Diaz for the final out as Pawtucket ended its losing streak.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

Bowden's performance was especially encouraging.  It was his first outing in 13 days after receiving the midseason break that the Red Sox like to give to their minor league starting pitchers, and Michael looked great.  In 5 hitless innings he walked four batters (all on 3-2 counts) and struck out five in reducing his ERA to 3.13.

And congrats to T.J. Large, who bounced back from a rough outing on Saturday to earn his first Triple-A win.

* * * * *

Manager Ron Johnson was in a great mood before Sunday's game after learning that his daughters were big winners at the Morrison, Tennessee co-ed softball awards banquet on Saturday night.

RJ's 9-year-old daughter Bridget was named the girl's MVP and 13-year-old Cheyenne was the girl's home run champ.  As Hyder joked on Sunday's broadcast, "Talent often skips a generation."

It was apparently quite the shindig.  RJ figures he was the only one of Morrison's 802 residents who did not attend.

As for RJ's son Chris - currently playing third base for the Houston Astros Triple-A team in Round Rock, TX - he ripped his 5^th home run of the season on Friday night.  Chris is batting .268 with 5 HR and 17 RBI after coming back from the broken hand he suffered early in the season.

* * * * *

I had an interesting chat recently with Angel Chavez about one of the greatest sports legends from his home country of Panama - boxing great Roberto Duran.

In his heyday, Duran was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" which means "Hands of Stone." 

I told Angel that he is such a great defensive third baseman that his nickname should be the opposite:  "Soft Hands"

Angel provided the Spanish translation:  "Manos Suave."

So if you hear me use that term on the air, you'll understand why.

* * * * *

The PawSox open a 4-game series in Rochester on Monday night with Billy Traber on the mound.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

Somehow, the oldest trick in the book always seems to work.

(photos courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

On July 11^th, Aaron Bates recorded his first major league hit - a pinch-hit single in the 8^th inning off of Kansas City's Ramon Colon in the Red Sox 15-9 win over the Royals.

His Boston teammates made sure they saved the ball, and the memento was waiting for Bates after the game in his locker at Fenway Park.

Unfortunately, Bates soon realized that the guys didn't do a very good job of inscribing the details.  The date was wrong . . . the opponent was wrong . . . shoot, they even misspelled his first name, writing "Aron Bates" on the ball.

And he bought it hook, line, and sinker.

The next day, J.D. Drew asked Bates if he had received the ball from his first big league hit, and Aaron said yes without mentioning any of the errors.  Drew - and others - got a big laugh when they handed over the real thing with all of the proper details.

Aaron said the key to the trick was the fact that the fake ball included the major league stamp for authenticity.  He had already added an "A" to his first name to at least get that right.

* * * * *

Now that the temperature has finally reached the 80's in New England, it's ice cream weather. 

So how about a few scoops of Rocky Cherry?

The first time I heard the PawSox reliever's name, I thought it sounded like a flavor of ice cream, and he agrees.  In fact, Rocky has considered getting a trademark of his name for that purpose.

Furthermore, he's even thought about the ingredients of his eponymous flavor.

"I'd have vanilla ice cream with chocolate covered cherries - kind of like chopped up where there would be chunks of hard fudge and real cherries," Cherry told me.  "I thought I had the perfect mix until I was talking to Javy Lopez and he said, 'Ben and Jerry already has that flavor - it's called Cherry Garcia.'  So now my hopes and dreams are dashed."

Not necessarily.  All he has to do it tweak it slightly and I'm sure it would be delicious.

* * * * *

The official details are in about Dusty and Jordan Brown's son.  I received this e-mail from Jordan on Saturday:

* * * * *

Michael Bowden (3-4, 3.32 ERA) returns to the mound on Sunday in hopes of snapping the PawSox' 8-game losing streak.  It's their longest losing streak since August of 1985.

I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 12:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

So I read today that a movie is in the works based on the book "3 Nights in August."

Actors Billy Bob Thornton and Kevin Pollack are involved in the project and they know infinitely more about the movie business than I do, but I can't imagine a flick (at least a good one) based on Buzz Bissinger's book.  I read it when it came out, and the book takes the reader inside the mind of Tony LaRussa during a 3-game series between the Cardinals and Cubs.

Not exactly high concept.  I don't like its chances against Iron Man 2 in the box office wars.

The movie version of Moneyball is also apparently back on with Brad Pitt starring as Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane.  I found that book fascinating, but still have a hard time imagining an entertaining movie based on a book about a major league baseball team's ability to field a winning team on a modest budget.

Perhaps I'm missing the boat.  Apparently, anything about baseball can be developed into a movie.  With that in mind, I am willing to sell the film rights to the "Heard it from Hoard" blog.

In fact, casting is underway.

In the roles of Dan Hoard and Steve Hyder.

We have ER's Anthony Edwards as yours truly.

And Vincent Pastore from The Soprano's as Hyder.

In the role of manager Ron Johnson.

We have the singer/actor Meatloaf.

In the role of pitcher Charlie Zink.

We have late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon.

In the role of infielder Travis Denker.

We have where-is-he-now actor Richard Grieco.

Any other suggestions?  Please post them in the comments section.

* * * * *

Friday night's 7-3 loss to Indianapolis was one of the ugliest games I can remember - even though the score was not all that lopsided.

In the first three innings, Indy had 8 baserunners without getting a hit off of Charlie Zink (5 walks, 3 hit batsmen).

For the game, the Indians put 27 people on base with 9 hits, 12 walks, and 6 hit batsmen.  Fortunately, Indy left 16 runners on base.

The PawSox have dropped 7 straight and 10 of their last 11 games.

The streak is bound to end sooner or later.  Isn't it?

* * * * *

I hope you'll join us on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 for "PawSox Insider" on the PawSox radio network.  I'll join my pal Bob Montgomery on the TV side for Saturday night's game on Cox Cable throughout Rhode Island.  Coverage begins at 6:00 pm.

Congratulations to Dusty and Jordan Brown on the birth of their son Jude who arrived today at approximately 5:20 pm.

Jude weighed in at 8 lbs, 20 oz and is 20" long.

No word on a uniform number yet.

Jordan, Dusty, and Jude are all doing well.

Congrats!

The Pawtucket Red Sox play 144 games in 151 days.  You don't have to be Stephen Hawking to do the math and figure out that they have 7 days off all summer long.

The 3-day all-star break accounts for 43% of that April 'till September vacation time, so imagine my surprise when I asked Travis Denker how the break was and he answered "too long."

It's official, Denker is nuts.

It wasn't like he sat around doing nothing.  Travis went to Six Flags Amusement Park one day, and played golf on another, but he's an adrenaline junkie who craves action - whether it's baseball or surfing.    

Jeff Natale actually worked during the all-star break - making pasta for his girlfriend's gourmet pasta company.  It's called Nella Pasta and you can check it out here.  No word on whether Natale wore batting gloves while cranking out homemade noodles.

Manager Ron Johnson went home to rural Tennessee and said he "enjoyed every minute of it."  I suspect his beloved horse "Peanut" wasn't nearly as enthusiastic after carrying RJ on his back for three days.  RJ joked that as he was leaving home, "Peanut" stood up on his hind legs and held up a hoof in what appeared to be an obscene gesture.

As least I think he was joking.

* * * * *

By the time you read this, PawSox catcher Dusty Brown could be a dad.

Brown was 1-for-2 with a walk on Thursday night before being replaced in the 8^th inning by Mark Wagner.

We immediately wondered if Dusty's wife Jordan had gone into labor and received this e-mail from Jordan moments later:

Hi guys, just picked Dusty up at the field, we're heading to the hospital. I've been having contractions all day and they're finally close enough together to head to Mass General in Boston!

So if you were on the highway between Pawtucket and Boston on Thursday night around 10:00 pm and thought you saw a car whiz by that featured someone behind the wheel wearing catcher's gear with a pregnant woman in the passenger's seat, it probably wasn't your imagination.

Our best wishes to Dusty and Jordan!  We look forward to hearing all about the arrival of baby Jude.

* * * * *

In case you missed it, both Pawtucket players who were selected to participate in the Triple-A All-Star game appeared in the International League's 6-5 win on Wednesday night in Portland, OR.

Unfortunately, neither pitched as well as they have this season for Pawtucket.

Jose Vaquedano allowed 2 ER in 0.1 IP, and Fernando Cabrera allowed a HR in the 9^th inning.  Cabrera did record the final two outs to get credit for the save.

* * * * *

Relief pitcher T.J. Large joined us on the pre-game show before Thursday's game and answered this hard-hitting question:

According to your bio, your name is Terry W. Large.  What does the W stand for and how did you become T.J.?

"My full name is Terry Wayne Large Jr.  When I was in second grade, my friends would call the house and ask for 'Terry,' and my dad and I would be confused - we didn't know who the call was for.  So ever since second grade I've gone by T.J. just so we would know who the phone was for and it just kind of stuck with me ever since."

So now you know.

* * * * *

The PawSox will look to snap a 6-game losing streak on Friday night in Game 2 of a 4-game series against Indianapolis.  Charlie Zink will start for the PawSox, while Tom Gorzelanny goes for the Indians.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

This will fan the flames of the Clay Buchholz (and others) for Roy Halladay rumors:  Toronto will have at least two scouts in attendance at McCoy Stadium on Sunday as Buchholz takes the mound for Pawtucket.

(photos courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

Sal Butera, a special assistant to Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi, was also in contact with a member of the PawSox staff today.  I've known Sal for years since he was a catcher for Syracuse in the late '80's when I was one of the broadcasters there.

Does it mean a Halladay to Boston deal is in the works?  Probably not, but Toronto is clearly doing its homework just in case.

* * * * *

I was pleasantly surprised to see relief pitcher TJ Large when I walked into the PawSox clubhouse this morning.  He was promoted from Double-A Portland to replace Randor Bierd who's been placed on the temporarily inactive list for personal reasons.

Large was with the PawSox for a couple of weeks at the end of the 2006 season and appeared in 3 games.  He's been pitching brilliantly for Portland this year, going 3-0 with 8 saves and a 1.08 ERA.  He was picked to pitch in the Eastern League All-Star game, but will no longer attend due to his promotion to Triple-A.

A few weeks ago I wrote about the remarkable story behind Marcus McBeth's wicked changeup (it resulted from a badly broken finger).  You can read that entry here.

Large tells a similar story about his best pitch - a cutter.  In 2004 he had surgery to remove a cyst from his wrist and tendons that attach three of his fingers were moved as part of the surgery.  That procedure made his middle finger more prominent than his index finger and when he started throwing again, the middle finger put pressure on the side of the ball and gave him a nasty cutter.

Whatever works right?

* * * * *

Manager Ron Johnson will be on a plane on Sunday night as he heads home to Tennessee for a well-deserved 3-day break.  He hasn't been home since reporting for spring training in January.

I'm sure his wife and kids are thrilled.  I'm not so sure about his beloved horse "Peanut."  He could be "Peanut Butter" after carrying RJ on his back for the next few days.

* * * * *

I hope you'll join us for the radio call as the PawSox play their final game before the All-Star break on Sunday afternoon at 1:05.  Our pre-game coverage starts at 12:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

Do you like fantasy sports?

Then former PawSox outfielder Bryan Pritz has the perfect idea for you.  It's called Real Sports Interactive.

Pritz, who retired after being released by Boston in spring training, joined us on "PawSox Insider" this afternoon to discuss the idea.

Several years ago, Bryan and a couple of buddies came up with a concept in which fans could invest in the careers of minor league baseball players and potentially make big money if the players eventually made it to the major leagues.

Major league baseball frowned on the idea, so it's been changed.  Now for a small investment in a minor league player, fans can receive autographed items or the opportunity to have personal interaction with their player if he advances to the big leagues.

Ironically, the first player to sign up is already in the majors - Red Sox first baseman Aaron Bates.  Here's how it works:

For $14 a fan can purchase an Aaron Bates "sponsorship card."  A total of 2,500 of those cards are for sale.

Once Aaron spends 30 days on a major league roster, his cards can be redeemed for a wide variety of items and/or experiences.  You can see the list of benefits here.

Bates seems likely to return to Pawtucket before he's reached his 30 days, and Bryan tells us sponsorship cards are still available.

What the heck - for $14 bucks it sounds like fun.

* * * * *

Great news for relief pitcher Jose Vaquedano today - he's on his way to the Triple-A All-Star game next week. 

Here's the press release from the PawSox:

The International League announced today that they have added PawSox reliever Jose Vaquedano to the International League All-Star team for the upcoming Triple-A All-Star Game on July 15 in Portland, Oregon .  Vaquedano, 28, is 4-1 with a 2.83 ERA along with 1 SV in 28 relief appearances for the PawSox this season.

He will join PawSox closer Fernando Cabrera who was elected to the IL All-Star team.  PawSox RHP Clay Buchholz was also elected as the starting pitcher for the IL All-Star team but will not attend the game as he is scheduled to start for the PawSox tomorrow (Sunday) vs. Syracuse at McCoy Stadium.

* * * * *

It looks like a perfect Saturday night for baseball as the PawSox host Syracuse at 6:05 with Charlie Zink on the mound.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

Yikes.

The PawSox were shutout on 2 hits on Friday night in a 1-0 loss to Buffalo.

It's the third straight game and 14^th time this season in which the PawSox have managed 3-or-fewer hits.

It was also the 11^th time that Pawtucket has been shutout.

I'm reminded of the old classic movie "It Happens Every Spring," in which a college professor accidently discovers a substance that causes a baseball to be repelled by wood.  The professor immediately realizes the possibilities and uses the stuff to doctor the baseball while leading St. Louis to the World Series.  

Has Professor Vernon Simpson been spotted in the opposing clubhouse?  There has to be an explanation for why the PawSox are having so much trouble making solid contact.

* * * * *

One bright spot on Friday was the scoreless inning tossed by relief pitcher Javier Lopez who celebrates his 32^nd birthday on Saturday.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

Lopez got off to a rough start with Boston this year, going 0-2 with a 9.26 ERA before being sent to Pawtucket in mid-May.  But lately, he's resembled the pitcher who was so valuable to the Red Sox last year when he went 2-0 with a 2.43 ERA in 70 appearances.

In his last 11 outings, Lopez has allowed just one run in 10 innings for a 0.90 ERA.

"I do think that I'm finally back to the form that I've grown accustomed to the last few years," Lopez told me.  "I did have a tough start this year but they always tell you that it's a marathon and not a sprint and sometimes that's hard to swallow, but it's actually coming true so I feel good."

Lopez joined the Red Sox organization in 2006 when Boston also traded for former Atlanta Braves catcher Javier Lopez.  Unfortunately, they never appeared in the same game for Boston, robbing trivia buffs of a Javier Lopez to Javier Lopez pitcher/catcher combo.

The catcher retired after the '06 season, but the PawSox pitcher still frequently gets his baseball cards in the mail from autograph seekers.

"Yea, it's funny how people don't really check out the baseball card and notice that the guy is a catcher and wearing a bunch of equipment while I'm a sidearm pitcher," Lopez said with a laugh.  "But I do get a bunch of his mail and it is kind of funny - I've got to be honest - I have signed a few cards and sent them back.  Some of them are from, like 7-year-old kids and they don't know any better so I do the best that I can and try to copy his signature before sending it back."

* * * * *

We'll see if the PawSox can snap a 3-game losing streak on Saturday night as they host Syracuse.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 5:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

Since being traded from Pawtucket to Buffalo on June 10^th, Chip Ambres has been struggling.

Going into Thursday's game at McCoy Stadium, Ambres was batting .159 in 25 games with the Bisons and was mired in a 0-for-23 slump.

Slump over.

In his first game back at McCoy Stadium as a visiting player, Ambres went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs to lead Buffalo to a 3-1 win over his former mates.

His performance immediately brought to mind a game from my first year as Steve Hyder's broadcast partner on the PawSox radio network.

It was in Toledo on July 25, 2006.  The Mud Hens roster included outfielder Dustan Mohr who started that year with Pawtucket and played horribly.  Mohr batted .169 in 22 games with the PawSox and struck out 23 times in 65 at-bats.  Boston eventually released him in mid-June.

So you can probably guess what happened when he got to face the PawSox.  Mohr hit a 2-run, pinch-hit, walk-off home run in the 10^th inning.

Hyder was doing play-by-play at the time and after describing the essential details, Steve added a classic tag line, "Too bad he never did that for us!"

* * * * *

On Friday night, Jon Lester faces Kansas City for the first time since throwing a no-hitter against the Royals on May 19^th last year.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

We were in Scranton/WB that night and Ron Johnson tells a great story about trying to follow the progress of Lester's no-no while managing the PawSox.

He found a Red Sox fan in the stands at PNC Field who was getting the details from Fenway via cell phone and then would pass them along to RJ.

When Lester recorded the final out in his masterpiece, the fan in Scranton jumped out of his seat and threw his hands up in the air.  RJ immediately realized what must have happened, so he screamed out, "Yea . . . he did it!"

Unfortunately, that was totally inappropriate for what was going on in the PawSox game at the time and everyone around him thought that he was completely nuts.

* * * * *

I saw something really cool before Thursday's game at McCoy Stadium.  Someone brought an electronic keyboard into the PawSox clubhouse and pianist Marcus McBeth put on an impromptu concert for his teammates.  Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, and Paul McAnulty clustered around McBeth and marveled at his musical ability and eventually several other players stopped what they were doing to listen.

* * * * *

Let's see if the PawSox can swing the bats better on Friday night in Game 2 of this 8-game homestand.  They've been held to 3 hits in each of their last two games, and have only scored one run.

I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

No need to worry, Bartolo Colon has been located.

When I heard the news yesterday that the Chicago White Sox were having a hard time locating the former Cy Young Award winner I was neither surprised nor concerned.  The PawSox saw plenty of that act last season.

Colon was Pawtucket's starting pitcher in the first and last games of the 2008 season and pitched brilliantly in both of them.  In the season opener, Bartolo combined with 3 relief pitchers on a 1-hit shutout.  In Pawtucket's final playoff game at Scranton/WB, he threw 7.2 scoreless innings in a riveting duel with Phil Hughes, before the Yankees won 2-0 in extra innings.

Overall with Pawtucket, Colon was 3-1 with a 2.27 ERA.

But with apologies to Austin Powers, Bartolo was the true "International Man of Mystery."  He missed nearly three months of the season due to injuries and was rarely around to rehab.  Colon was constantly returning to the Dominican Republic to attend to personal matters and barely maintained contact with manager Ron Johnson.  When he was scheduled to start, Bartolo would pop into the clubhouse with a large entourage an hour or two before game time and say that he was ready to go.

Bartolo also pitched well for Boston, going 4-2 with a 3.92 ERA, but the Red Sox eventually decided he wasn't worth the headaches and suspended him without pay on September 19^th.  That was the end of his tenure in Boston.

Now it's the White Sox turn to deal with a Colon irritation.  I was amused to read these comments from Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen today in the Chicago Sun-Times:

''To talk to Colon, you got to talk to 20 different people," Guillen said.  "You got to talk to 30 different cousins of his agent who talks to his brother, his brother calls his wife, his wife says he's with Pedro, Pedro says he's with Juan. I guarantee you, I'll call [President] Obama, and we'll have a talk before Colon answers the phone.  It's just the way he is. I remember when we signed him. We called the Dominican Republic, and it took three days to get in touch with him.''

Today's article about Colon's "disappearance" is pretty funny.  You can read it here.

Bartolo is scheduled to make a rehab start for Charlotte tonight and I bet he pitches well.

Just don't count of hearing from him again for several days.

Wednesday's 12-0 loss at Lehigh Valley provided the latest evidence that the PawSox are extremely fortunate to be 3 games over .500 and only 5 ½ games out of first place.

Here is an incredible stat.  So far this season, Pawtucket has scored a league-worst 278 runs while allowing 333.  That means the PawSox have been outscored by 55 runs this year and have still managed to go 43-40 through 83 games.

I don't claim to be Bill James, but the odds of having a winning record while being outscored by more than half a run per game have to be staggering.  I spent about an hour searching online for a "Pythagorean winning percentage calculator" that would allow me to plug in runs scored and run allowed and find out what the PawSox record should be, but came up empty.  Fortunately, after I originally posted this entry, I received a timely response from redsoxstats.mlblogs.com:

The Pythagorean winning percentage for 278 runs score and 333 runs allowed is 42%. That would come out to 35 wins and 48 losses over 83 games. So the PawSox currently have 8 more wins than they are expected to have at this point.

Tremendous.  Thanks for the info!

Lately, the PawSox have stayed above water thanks largely to Clay Buchholz and a great bullpen, but sooner or later, the team is going to have to score some runs to remain in contention for a playoff berth.

As we approach the all-star break, there is not a single player on the team who is hitting within 15 points of his career batting average.  As the old saying goes, the back of the baseball card doesn't lie - a few of Pawtucket's good hitters are bound to have better second halves.

* * * * *

Is there anything better than finding a crumpled-up $20 bill in one of your pockets that you completely forgot about?

Actually, there is - getting a paycheck for a job you didn't even realize you performed.

That happened to Travis Denker recently.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

The PawSox second baseman received a pretty sizable check for appearing in a TV commercial for Kraft foods.  That came as quite a surprise since Travis has no relationship with the company (other than liking their macaroni and cheese) and has done no acting.

Travis's folks e-mailed to say that they have learned the following about his commercial.

"It will begin airing on Friday 7/10 nationally. It's a Kraft singles commercial, some kinda promo for minor league ball I believe. The Ad agency said it can be viewed on Kraft's website beginning on Friday as well." 

It must be an ad for Kraft's Tuesday Night Tickets promotion where you can buy a ticket and get one free with a Kraft singles wrapper.

Maybe Kraft went with Travis thinking they were using actor Richard Grieco.

* * * * *

Kris Johnson had a rough outing on Wednesday allowing 5 runs (4 ER) in 3 IP, but since the PawSox were shutout on 3 hits, his chances of getting a win weren't exactly great regardless of how well he pitched.

That's nothing new for KJ.  It was the third time the PawSox have failed to score in one of his outings, and Pawtucket has scored 2-or-fewer runs in 11 of his 15 starts. 

* * * * *  

Did you read the news that Lenny Dykstra has filed for bankruptcy?

PawSox manager Ron Johnson is not among the people who claim that Dykstra bilked him out of large sums of money, but RJ does have a connection to the former Mets and Phillies star - Dykstra's dad was RJ's Pop Warner football coach.

Johnson and Dykstra both attended Garden Grove High School in Southern California which is also the Alma mater of actor and comedian Steve Martin.

According to the PawSox skipper, Martin was a cheerleader at Garden Grove and showed his comedic chops at an early age when he got his hands on an enormous bra and waved it around at sporting events while yelling "Support our team!"

That's also where Martin tried to popularize the cheer, "Die you gravy-sucking pigs!"

* * * * *

There's one really cool thing about the late night bus ride back home from Allentown. PA.  It's seeing the New York City skyline at 1:33 in the morning. 

One that that wasn't cool was the overnight construction going on in New Jersey.  It added two hours to the trip, and the team didn't arrive at McCoy until sometime after 5 am.

The movie selections on the bus were Valkyrie and Young Guns, but I opted to read instead.  Can you blame me?

* * * * *

It will be good to be home on Thursday night as the PawSox play the first of eight straight home games (4 before the all-star break and 4 after it).

Billy Traber - who once threw a one-hitter against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium - will make his first start of the year for the PawSox after 27 relief outings.

I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.  And tune in early - we're planning on running a new edition of "At Bat With Nat."

I guess it's better late than never.

After the "drain out" fiasco over the weekend that saw two PawSox games postponed at Scranton/WB under perfect weather conditions, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs will not have to deal with the same headache.

Lehigh Valley was scheduled to play there tomorrow and Friday, but the word here is that those games are being moved from Scranton to Allentown.

You can read more about the dismal situation in Moosic, PA here.

Also, remember the Where's Waldo children's books?

Pretty soon, there could be a Where's Lowrie edition.

After being sidelined again last night when the Portland Sea Dogs were rained out, Jed is scheduled to play for the Lowell Spinners tonight in a drastic attempt to get on the field somewhere.

He is scheduled to rejoin the PawSox on Thursday night at McCoy Stadium.

Weather permitting, of course.

The weather is georgeous here in Lehigh Valley as the PawSox go for the 2-game sweep over the Iron Pigs.

I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

Prior to Pawtucket's 6-2 win over Lehigh Valley on Tuesday night, the PawSox and Iron Pigs had not faced each other since April 27^th.  Naturally, both teams have made numerous roster changes over the past two months, and I was amused when I looked at Lehigh Valley's roster and saw LHP Gustavo Chacin.

Chacin was the inspiration for a running gag on our broadcasts over the past several years - a cologne named for my broadcast partner called "Hyder For Everyone."

Allow me to explain.

When Chacin (pronounced sha-seen) pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004, a broadcaster in Toronto decided that his last name sounded like a high-brow men's fragrance and often talked about creating "Chacin For Men" cologne.

Eventually, the Blue Jays did. They held a Chacin Cologne Night in Toronto where 10,000 fans received a small container.

Here was the promotional poster.

The pitcher actually helped design his own fragrance.  Chacin visited Canada's Leslie Cosmetics where they had him smell essential base ingredients to mix together.  He picked citrus, woodsy, and amber.

I told this story one night when Chacin pitched against the PawSox, and we decided that if there was a "Chacin For Men" cologne, then there should also be a "Hyder For Everyone."

The essential ingredients in Steve's fragrance are three of his favorite aromas:  Budweiser, chicken wing sauce, and the crisp, salty ocean air of his native Rhode Island.

You would wear that cologne wouldn't you?

* * * * *

Tuesday's game at Coca-Cola Park was a sellout, and the capacity crowd of 10,000 put Lehigh Valley over the one million mark in franchise history.

To mark the occasion, a fan in attendance named Terry Toth was chosen at random and honored as the one millionth fan in team history.

He received several prizes including a pair of 2010 season tickets.

Not bad, but I was a little underwhelmed by his other prizes.

Toth gets one million sips of Coke, one million potato chips, one million swings at a local driving range, one million kernels of popcorn, one million bites of pretzels, and a one-year supply of candy.

With all those snacks, they probably should have thrown in one million trips to the gym.

* * * * *

Poor Jed Lowrie.

After back-to-back "drain outs" at Scranton/WB, the Red Sox sent Jed to Portland to make sure he could some much-needed at-bats and Lowrie went 3-for-5 in his first game for the Sea Dogs on Monday.

So what happened Tuesday?  Portland got rained out.

Weather permitting; Jed will be in Portland's lineup on Wednesday before rejoining the PawSox at McCoy Stadium on Thursday.

* * * * *

I wonder if we're going to see RHP Junichi Tazawa in the near future at McCoy Stadium.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

Two years ago, Boston promoted then 22-year-old Clay Buchholz to Pawtucket right after the all-star break and he made his Triple-A debut on July 16^th.

Last year, the Red Sox promoted then 21-year-old Michael Bowden to Pawtucket right after the all-star break and he made his Triple-A debut on July 21^st.

The 22-year-old Tazawa is 7-5 with a 2.85 ERA for the Sea Dogs. 

It will be interesting to see if he follows the same timetable.

* * * * *

Next week, Philadelphia's Raul Ibanez will be a starting outfielder for the National League in the All-Star Game, but last night he was in Lehigh Valley's starting lineup against the PawSox as he rehabs a groin injury.

Ibanez got off to an incredible start for the Phillies this year, batting .312 with 22 HR before suffering his injury in mid-June.  Unfortunately, in this day and age, that led a blogger to speculate that Ibanez has used steroids.

Ibanez issued a rebuttal in the Philadelphia Inquirer in which he stated that, "You can have my urine, my hair, my blood, my stool--anything you can test. I'll give you back every dime I've ever made if the test is positive."

I asked Hyder is he wanted any of the items Ibanez was offering.  Not surprisingly, Steve declined.

* * * * *

The PawSox will go for a 2-game sweep on Wednesday night as they send Kris Johnson to the mound against the Iron Pigs.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

Not exactly worth the wait.

After two days of inactivity, the PawSox were finally able to take the field at PNC Field in Moosic, PA and dropped a doubleheader to the first-place Scranton/WB Yankees on Monday night, 3-2 (11 innings) in Game 1 and 4-1 in Game 2.

It didn't help that the PawSox batting order was missing Jed Lowrie and Aaron Bates.

Fearing that the poor field conditions at Scranton/WB would sideline Lowrie for a third straight day, the Red Sox sent Jed to Portland where he promptly went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI for the Sea Dogs.

As for Bates, I'll admit to being stunned when we learned that he had been promoted to Boston to replace the injured Jeff Bailey.

Bates was surprised too.  When manager Ron Johnson called him into his hotel room on Sunday night and said, "You're going to Boston," Bates responded, "What for?"

Aaron was in a terrible slump with Pawtucket, going hitless in his last 29 at-bats, but he did well when he was initially promoted from Double-A Portland.  Hopefully, he'll get off to a fast start with Boston.

Chris Carter was undoubtedly disappointed that he didn't get the call to Fenway, but he really showed me something in Monday's doubleheader.  Rather than feel sorry for himself, Carter was 4-for-5 in Game 1, and 1-for-3 in Game 2.  That's what Chris needs to do to get back to the big leagues.

* * * * *

The wait continues for Dusty Brown and his wife Jordan.

Jordan is due to deliver a son to be named Jude any day now and when Dusty is in the PawSox lineup, his cell phone is in the trusty hands of trainer Greg Barajas in the dugout just in case the big moment arrives during a game.  Dusty was allowed to drive his car on this road trip, so that he can hustle back to Boston at a moment's notice to be there for the delivery.

Jordan was kind enough to e-mail us during Monday's doubleheader with the following update:

Hi guys! I was just out with Lisa (Dusty's mother) walking our dog Rambo. So, obviously no Jude Thomas yet. 

I have a doctor's appt tomorrow in Boston so hopefully she'll give us some good news! Last week, at my last appt the doctor told us that everything was ready to go, and regular contractions would bring Jude out! Still waiting for those contractions... I've heard every wives tale from every possible person (drink a glass of wine, drink castor oil, have pizza and get a perm)... But we're going to let Jude come when he's ready! He's taking his time, getting bigger and stronger, working on his swing and his throwing arm, waiting to make his debut!  We'll keep you updated :) Thanks for asking

I'm reminded of a hysterical exchange between Brown and Jeff Natale when Jeff asked Dusty about becoming a dad on an "At Bat With Nat" segment this year.

"I'm expecting a phenomenal athlete, probably a genius if he's anything like his old man, and I think he's going to be an exceptional human being and I'm excited to have him," Brown said

If nothing else, let's hope that Jude has his dad's self-confidence.

As I mentioned previously on the blog, the baby is being named Jude because Dusty and Jordan are both Beatles fans.  That led Hyder to wonder on Monday's broadcast if the baby would have been named Lady Madonna if the Brown's were expecting a daughter.

I said, no, they would have gone with Eleanor Rigby.

Dusty's mother-in-law sent an e-mail to let us know that we were both wrong.  The baby would have obviously been named Penny Lane.

* * * * *

\

The PawSox open a 2-game series at Lehigh Valley on Tuesday night and will send All-Star Clay Buchholz to the mound.  Clay is 6-1 and leads the International League with a 2.05 ERA.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50.

It's 72 degrees and partly cloudy here in Moosic, PA and according to the national weather service, there is only a 5 % chance of rain this evening.

GAME ON!

That's right, Monday's doubleheader between Pawtucket and Scranton/WB is a go, as the field has been deemed playable at PNC Field.

Game one begins at 5:35 with Michael Bowden on the mound for Pawtucket.  Charlie Zink will go in game two.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Jed Lowrie is no longer with the PawSox.  Fearing the possibility of another postponement at Scranton/WB, Lowrie was transferred to Portland and is expected to be in the Sea Dogs starting lineup tonight.

However, I have good news for PawSox fans.  It appears likely that Jed will return to Pawtucket on Thursday when the PawSox open a homestand against Buffalo.

"I think we'll probably see him when we get back to Pawtucket," manager Ron Johnson told me.  "He went down to Portland because we had to make sure he could get some at-bats in.  He's feeling really good right now.  He got all of his work in here - he's been running, throwing, and he's ready to go.  He just needs to play."

I hope you'll join us for the radio call tonight beginning with the pregame show at 5:20 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

While reading about Tim Wakefield's well-deserved selection to the All-Star Team in The Boston Globe today, I was happy to see how much credit was being given to his personal catcher George Kottaras.

"George has done a tremendous job all year long so far,'' Wakefield told reporters, "and I look forward to him continuing to do the kind of work he's done the whole first half. He's really filled some very big shoes that have been here in the past and I'm very happy and proud of him.''

"That's a pretty big compliment to George,'' said manager Terry Francona. "Takes Wake right out of the chute and it's the first time Wake ever makes the All-Star team. I think George should be proud of himself.''

The Canadian-born catcher was with the PawSox in 2007 and 2008 and was out of minor league options this year when he won the job of catching Wakefield in spring training.

Having the opportunity to catch Charlie Zink the last couple of years undoubtedly helped Kottaras, but his ability to handle Wakefield's knuckler has been remarkable - especially considering that George did not play baseball until he was 15 years old.

My favorite George Kottaras story involves a photograph.  George was a member of the Greek Olympic baseball team in 2004 and met boxer Evander Holyfield at a party in Athens.  After striking up a conversation with the former champ, George asked Holyfield if he would pose for a picture with him.  Just before the photographer snapped the photo, George grabbed Holyfield by the head and pretended to bite his ear.

He says Evander got a big kick out of it.

I wish I had that photo to post on the blog.

It's an absolute joke - and a disgrace.

Trust me when I tell you that the weather has been absolutely perfect for the last two days here in Moosic, PA and due to the poor field conditions, the PawSox and Scranton/WB Yankees have not been able to play the first two games of their series.

They'll attempt to play a doubleheader on Monday night at 5:35 pm, and a twinbill has also been scheduled for August 1^st.

The substandard drainage system at PNC Field has not only cost the PawSox two games under ideal weather conditions - it has cost the team Jed Lowrie.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

Sunday was the 14^th day of Jed's 20-day injury rehab assignment and he's only had 14 at-bats so far.  Fearing the possibility of another postponement at Scranton/WB on Monday, the Red Sox are sending Lowrie to the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs.

"We're going to make a move with Jed," manager Ron Johnson told me.  "He got his work in today (Sunday) and he'll be heading to Manchester tonight to join the Portland team because he's on a timetable and the clock is running.  I got a call from (Red Sox farm director) Mike Hazen and Theo Epstein while this whole thing was going on, and they were already putting the wheels in motion to get Jed to Portland so that he can get his at-bats in.  I hope to God it doesn't rain there."

The situation here is bizarre.  I walked around the outfield today and I honestly don't think it's that terrible.  Plenty of PawSox players agreed and told me that they can't believe the games have been cancelled.  Yes, the grass is mushy in spots and someone could twist an ankle, but I honestly don't think it's more dangerous than playing on a wet field (which every team in the majors and minors does on a frequent basis).

But then again, I'm just a radio guy.

Manager Ron Johnson is in a difficult spot because if the home team tells you that their field is unsafe, it's hard to argue.

"I've known their manager Dave Miley for 30 years and have a tremendous amount of respect for him and he knows their field better than I do," RJ told me.  "When you go out there and all of their folks are saying it's unsafe and unplayable, your choice is really easy."

Sunday marked the 4^th time in the last few weeks that Scranton/WB had to cancel a game under sunny conditions.  According to the local newspaper, if the situation continues, the International League could arrange for alternate sites such at Syracuse or Lehigh Valley for Scranton/WB home games.

(If there's one good thing about this fiasco, it's knowing that the Yankees front office must absolutely be going ballistic)

We'll keep our fingers crossed for Monday night.  According to weather.com, the temperature is going to be in the mid-70's with no chance of rain during the day and only a slight chance at night.  Not that nice weather seems to matter much.

* * * * * 

While the PawSox lost one shortstop in Jed Lowrie, they've added another as Ivan Ochoa has finally come off of the disabled list.  Ochoa went on the DL on May 1^st with a hamstring injury and only recently starting playing in a few games with the Single-A GCL Red Sox where he batted .438 in 5 games.

To make room for Ochoa on the active roster, Enrique Gonzalez has been placed on the disabled list with a calf strain.  His spot in the rotation will be filled by Billy Traber, who is expected to make his first start of the year on Thursday at McCoy Stadium.  Traber started 2 games last year for Scranton/WB (tossing 5 scoreless innings) and has started 129 games in his pro baseball career.

Traber is 5-3 with a 2.19 ERA in 27 relief appearances this year, and has not allowed a run in his last 16.2 IP.

* * * * *

You might not be a fan of his work on MSNBC, but Keith Olbermann writes a terrific baseball blog and I strongly encourage you to check out this entry regarding the warm welcome Manny Ramirez has received since returning from his steroid suspension. 

Olbermann nails it.

* * * * *

If the doubleheader actually takes place on Monday night, I hope you'll tune in for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 5:20.  Hoard and Hyder are certainly well-rested.

The PawSox have just had their first "sun out."

That's right, it is 75 degrees and sunny here in Moosic, PA and according to weather.com, there is a 0 % chance of rain on Saturday night.

Unfortunately, the outfield grass is in such bad shape at PNC Field that tonight's game between Pawtucket and Scranton/WB has been postponed.  The two teams will play a doubleheader on Sunday night at 5:05.

Let's hope there isn't any more rain while Pawtucket is in town, because terrible drainage is the reason why the S/WB Yankees are having so many problems.  Unless this area enjoys several consecutive days with no rain, the headaches are going to continue.  S/WB had 6 home games postponed in June, and this is the third time that they had to call a game on a beautiful night for baseball.

You have to wonder how that's going over with the front office folks at Yankee Stadium.  Their development deal with Scranton/WB runs through 2010, and if the field isn't torn up and fixed in the near future, I can't imagine the Yankees keeping their top minor league prospects in this market.

* * * * *

There's an episode of Seinfeld called "The Handicap Spot" where at Kramer's insistence, George parks his father's car in a handicap parking spot.  After a woman is injured because of it, Kramer tries to help the woman by purchasing a wheelchair.

The funniest line is when the wheelchair salesman - sounding like a used car dealer - makes the following pitch:

Salesman:  This is out best model.  The Cougar 9000.  It's the Rolls Royce of wheelchairs. This is like ... you're almost glad to be handicapped.

Kramer:  So now, what's this got?

Salesman:  Inductive joystick, dynamic braking, flip-up arms, it's fully loaded. I put Stephen Hawking in one of these two months ago, he's lovin' it!  It's rated number one by Hospital Supply and Prosthetic Magazine.

I thought of that episode this morning when I boarded the team bus to Scranton because we were given the "Cougar 9000" of buses by our friends from DATTCO bus lines.

We were in a brand new bus with flat-screen TVs, wireless internet, and power outlets at every seat.

Throw in a refrigerator and microwave and I might move in.

Now all we need are some new DVDs.  The team watched Gran Torino - AGAIN.

* * * * *

Bad field conditions did not prevent us from broadcasting "PawSox Insider" on Saturday afternoon and we enjoyed some great laughs courtesy of my pal Ken Levine, the comedy screenwriter who currently hosts "Dodger Talk" on KABC radio in Los Angeles after LA Dodgers games.

Ken was in attendance in San Diego on Friday night to see Manny Ramirez return from his 50-game drug suspension, and was amused by Manny's interaction with the media.

"Manny had a press conference before the game - it was like four hours before the game, so I guess he was hoping the media throngs hadn't arrived but we were all here," Levine told us.  "He said he would discuss anything at all - except for his suspension, steroids, drug use in general, who is doctor was, or the Sarah Palin resignation.  But everything else was fair game.  He did mention that he was looking forward to the game and that he's one of the greatest players to ever put on a uniform, so it was a press conference filled with revealing information about Manny Ramirez."

Dodgers fans have welcomed back Ramirez with open arms, and Levine admits that fans in Los Angeles don't seem bothered by his steroid use.

"The truth of the matter is, the average baseball fan just wants to be entertained and cares a lot less about steroids and inflated statistics than we (the media) do," Levine said.  "They just want to see the home runs."

Ken will be following Manny and the Dodgers on a road trip to San Diego, New York, and Milwaukee and is sure to have some hilarious observations.  You can read his blog here.

* * * * *

I was surprised to see my photo (and Sam's) on the MLB blog home page.

There's a story about which MLB blogs had the most hits in the month of June, and "Heard it from Hoard" ranked 43rd in its category (which appears to be pretty good for a minor-league related blog).

You can read the story here.

Thanks for putting me on the list!

* * * * *

Pawtucket and Scranton/WB will play a doubleheader on Sunday night at 5:05.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pregame show at 4:50 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com. 

It's too bad they don't award Gold Gloves in the minor leagues because Angel Chavez would be a shoo-in at third base.

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

"It's been unbelievable," Clay Buchholz told me.  "I've told a lot of people that he's the best I've ever seen.  I haven't been in the big leagues for that long, but during the time that I've spent up there nobody has surpassed the way he's played in my eyes."

In Thursday's 4-3 win over Scranton/WB, Angel made four outstanding plays beginning with a sliding stop to rob the first batter of the game. 

"Every time there's a ball hit within 10 feet of him we expect him to make a great play," Jeff Natale said.  "I've never seen a guy who makes two or three diving plays a night, so it's fun to watch."

How does PawSox Manager Ron Johnson describe Chavez's defense at third base?

"Cartoon-characterish," RJ said with a laugh.  "He makes web gems every single night so it becomes the norm.  He's as good as I've ever had - he's saved us."

Shortstop Gil Velazquez has enjoyed the best view of all, as he's lined up next to Chavez in 45 games this season.

"He's been a big reason why we've been winning even though we're not hitting the way we should be hitting," Velazquez told me.  "The play that I love watching him make is the diving play where he throws off of his knees from third base.  I don't think I've even seen a third baseman do that as consistently as he does - he has an awesome arm."

Brooks Robinson won 16 consecutive gold gloves and is generally considered the greatest defensive third baseman in baseball history.  I'm not about to suggest that Angel Chavez is that good - but he's the best I've even seen in the minor leagues.

* * * * *

I haven't seen Saturday's weather forecast for Moosic, PA but it appears that Pawtucket's game at Scranton/WB could be postponed regardless of the conditions.

Scranton/WB replaced an artificial turf field with natural grass a few years ago and the drainage is awful at PNC Field.  I'm told that they've had rain in that area on 18 of the last 20 days and that the outfield is in terrible shape.

The Yankees had 6 home games rained out in June and it looks like their first home game in July could be in jeopardy.

Thank heavens there's a movie theater close to the team hotel in downtown Scranton.

* * * * *

No opposing hitter in the International League scares me as much as slugger Shelly Duncan of Scranton/WB.  Duncan belted 4 home runs in 4 games the last time the Yankees were in town, and ended Pawtucket's season last year with a 10^th inning walk-off  HR in the clinching game of their playoff series.

So, do his eyes light up when he sees "Red Sox" on the opposing uniform or is it just a coincidence that he posts huge numbers against Pawtucket?

"I've gotta believe it's just a coincidence," Duncan told me.  "McCoy Stadium is a fun place to play.  It's a unique stadium and city and I think I can speak for everybody on the team when I say that it's a lot of fun to come here.  The fans are into it, the atmosphere is great, and I think it gives us a boost of energy when we come here."

* * * * *

Pawtucket could pull within 1 ½ games of first place with another win over the Yankees on Friday night.  I hope you'll join us for the radio call beginning with the pre-game show at 6:00 on the PawSox radio network and PawSox.com.

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.

So why is David Ortiz only hitting .225 with 8 HR and 36 RBI after 71 games?

Because he's 33 years old.

(notice that I DIDN'T say it's because he's really OLDER than 33)

Could it really be that simple?

There's a fascinating story on Sports Illustrated's website written by my favorite sportswriter Joe Posnanski in which he talks to Boston Red Sox senior advisor Bill James about the significance of the age of 33 in baseball history.

You can - and should - read the article here.

Posnanski and James make a compelling case that 33 seems to be the age when many great hitters decline.  Here are a few examples from the article:

Hall of Famer, Duke Snider
1959, age 32: .308, 23 homers, 88 RBIs
1960, age 33: .243, 14 homers, 36 RBIs

Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle
1964, age 32: .303, 35 homers, 111 RBIs
1965, age 33: .255, 19 homers, 46 RBIs

Hall of Famer George Brett
1985, age 32: .335, 30 homers, 112 RBIs
1986, age 33: .290, 16 homers, 73 RBIs

This year, the 33-year-olds in major league baseball include Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez (.239), Alfonso Soriano (.230), and Edgar Renteria (.266).

Posnanski and James point out that there are exceptions - including current 33-year-old Torii Hunter (.305, 17 HR, 59 RBI) - and note that many of the all-time greats who had bad years at the age of 33, bounced back and had good ones when they were older.

Still, it certainly makes you wonder with Big Papi.

* * * * *

Manny Ramirez returns from his 50-game suspension on Friday night as the Dodgers open a weekend series in San Diego.

We've lined up a great guest to discuss "Manny Mania" on Saturday's edition of "PawSox Insider" - my buddy Ken Levine who co-hosts "Dodger Talk" after every Dodgers game on 790 KABC in Los Angeles.

I've blogged about Ken before - he's the guy who wrote a character named Dan Hoard into an episode of The Simpsons.  (If you missed that entry, here it is)

He also wrote an episode of Cheers in which a comedy bit for Norm and Cliff was inspired by something he watched me and former PawSox broadcaster Gary Cohen do.

Here how Ken described it on his blog:

One night in a sports bar in Syracuse, New York, I saw the greatest thing. Gary Cohen (now the TV voice of the NY Mets) and Dan Hoard (the voice of University of Cincinnati football and basketball) started reciting the lyrics of 70's chart topper "Hot Rod Lincoln" real fast, in perfect unison. The entire song in less than a minute. When they finished the bar exploded in applause. I thought, this would be a great bit for Norm & Cliff on CHEERS. I laid it out for my partner, David who also thought it might be kind of novel.

So we pitched it the CHEERS producers a few months later when we were about to write a script. They looked at us like we were nuts. I said, "Trust me. This will work. This will become one of those classic CHEERS teasers."

The producers shrugged, and I guess out of respect to our then-prestigious career said, okay, try it.

When they saw the finished draft they still had reservations. It seemed kind of stupid and pointless but so convinced was I that we had struck comedy gold that I made this offer: David and I would perform it at the table reading. We would show all these skeptics. Again, they said go for it.

Everyone assembled for the table reading. The cast, writing staff, some crew members, the studio, and the network. We took our cue and launched into "Hot Rod Lincoln". And we were great. Having practiced diligently for a week we kicked some serious ***. Truly awesome! And when we were done....

Nothing. Nada. Dead silence. A vacuum. You could hear crickets from a field a mile away.

Just fifty faces staring at us with a mixture of bewilderment and sheer pity.

The embarrassment of that table reading was of course, just the beginning. Back in the writing room, David Lloyd got it started by saying, "So the 'Hot Rod Lincoln bit - that worked." Others said they were still not convinced, would we do it again for them? Next week could we perform "Stairway to Heaven"? These jokes continued...for four years. I'm hoping to out live them all because if not I just know they'll reprise it at my funeral.  

Note to young writers: NEVER guarantee a bit will be a classic. And second note to young writers: NEVER EVER make it worse by trying to prove it.

I'll make this guarantee - Ken will be funny when he joins us this Saturday afternoon at 2:00.  I hope you can catch the show.

* * * * *

Congrats are in order for Clay Buchholz and Fernando Cabrera who were named to the International League roster for the Triple-A All-Star game on Thursday.  The game will take place on July 15th in Portland, Oregon -- one day after the MLB All-Star game.

* * * * *

Let's hope the weather cooperates on Thursday night as a standing room only crowd will see Pawtucket face the first-place Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees with Clay Buchholz on the mound and fireworks after the game.

I'll join Bob Montgomery for TV coverage on Cox Sports throughout Rhode Island.  If you don't have tickets to the game, I hope you'll tune in beginning with the pre-game show at 6:00.

I'd love to hear from you.  The address is dhoard@pawsox.com.