In honor of its 9th year, a special tribute to one of the Jimmy Fund’s most ardent supporters, Ted Williams will be held. Since its inception in 2002, the Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon raised more than $21 million dollars. In 2009, over $4.5 million dollars was raised, with gifts coming in from every state in the country. The radio-telethon is the Jimmy Fund’s fastest growing event. Once again, listeners and viewers will be able to make gifts online or by phone at 877-738-1234 or at The Jimmy Fun Radio-Telethon website.

As part of the Radio-Telethon there will be special opening ceremonies at both Red Sox games. Comedian/actor Mike O’Malley will throw out the first pitch at Thursday’s game, while actress and cancer survivor Maura Tierney and Today Show co-host Meredith Vieira will throw it on Friday.

The two-day lineup is packed with interviews featuring Dana-Farber patients, doctors, researchers and nurses. Because this is the event’s ninth year a special tribute to Ted Williams will take place.

The 50 State Challenge encourages Red Sox fans and Jimmy Fund supporters across the nation to contribute to the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon.

Where do I sign up?

Until midnight EST, next Tuesday, July 27th, 2010, you have the opportunity to bid on the gear used by David Ortiz in last week’s contest.

With the proceed to benefit the David Ortiz Children’s Fund, his non-profit organization committed to providing critical pediatric services to children in New England and the Dominican Republic, Big Papi will auction off the following:

• David Ortiz Autographed Home Run Derby Winning Nokona Bat: The actual bat used by David Ortiz in the Home Run Derby, covered in ball marks from the 32 Home runs he hit to win the title. The bat has been signed by David.
• One-of-a-Kind Autographed Batting Gloves: The actual gloves used by Big Papi in the Derby, autographed by the man himself.
• Autographed Home Run Derby Winning Reebok Cleats: Remember those flashy red and black cleats he wore when he became the 1st member of the Boston Red Sox to win the Home Run Derby? You could be the proud owner of these autographed shoes–truly a one of a kind item…
• Limited Edition Home Run Derby Winning Replica Nokona Bat: While David Ortiz only used one bat to win the Home Run Derby, this limited edition autographed replica inscribed ‘2010 Home Run Derby Champion is also being offered as part of the raffle.

Big Papi weighs in: “Winning the 2010 Home Run Derby was a thrill to me and I wanted to share that with all the fans of baseball. Most importantly, if offers an opportunity to raise funds for children who desperately need medical care. The auction is a way for me to take this amazing event and use it to help the kids.” To date, the Fund has raised over $1 million for children in New England and the Dominican Republic and has given life, health, and hope to critically ill Dominican children.

About the David Ortiz Children’s Fund:

The David Ortiz Children’s Fund (DOCF) is committed to helping children in New England and the Dominican Republic that do not have access to the critical pediatric services they need. The DOCF is proud to partner with Massachusetts General Hospital to fulfill its mission in New England and with Heart Care Dominicana and International Hospital for Children to fulfill its mission in the Dominican Republic. These organizations are committed to healing as many children as possible by providing critical pediatric healthcare. Working together, these organizations are increasing the number of children that will receive lifesaving services. For more information on the David Ortiz Children’s Fund, please click here…

4 games into the 2nd 1/2 of the 2010 campaign, the Sox have lost the last 75% of their games, and the only reason they are not more games behind is that the Skanks and the Rays beat up on each other over the weekend…

Jon Lester certainly pitched well enough to win, throwing 118 pitches, 75 for strikes, going 8 strong, giving up 4 runs (3 earned, thanks to-yep–Adrian Beltre’s 15th error of the season) on 9 hits while walking 3 and striking out 6. But the Sox defense was shut down by Ranger pitcher C. J. Wilson who kept the Sox to 3 hits and 1 run over 6 2/3, and managed to get 10 strikeouts….

And the 1-4 record isn’t even the worst part: Since the 4th of July, the Sox have only won THREE games in their last 11–which is an abysmal .273 winning percentage…And did I mention the 6.5 games behind the Skanks (and 3.5 behind the Rays for the Wild Card) in the standings?

Crap…

And now they head off to the Left Coast for 8 games in the middle of the night (10 games total) and if they don’t right the ship RIGHT NOW, they will be coming home to a season that will be pretty much over for them…

Some good news on the horizon though–I think: Looks like Josh Beckett will be back this week, after a 2nd start for Pawtucket where he threw 81 pitches (51 for strikes) over 4 innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits while walking 1 and striking out 3. He will throw a side session on Tuesday, and return to the lineup on Friday night against Seattle. I know the Sox want him back, but I am not feeling super confident based on that pitching line from this weekend’s outing…Let’s hope a big league game ramps him up enough to fare better…

Also look for Jeremy Hermida to return to the lineup this week, after he has a couple more days of hitting with Pawtucket…which probably means buh-bye for Darnell McDonald or Daniel Nava…

And Jed Lowrie, despite going 0-4 with 2 strikeouts in his last game with Pawtucket, has been hitting .370 during his rehab stint–They will probably let the timer run out and then decide what to do with him…

While I would never wish pain and injury on anyone, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved to hear that Andy Pettitte is out for 4-6 weeks with a groin tear (He left Sunday’s game with the injury) and the nuclear meltdown of AJ Burnett during Saturday’s game, where he chose to channel Kevin Brown and cut up both of his hands because we was frustrated….and the best part about it? He tried LYING about it, saying he fell up the stairs, when in fact he slammed some doors, and cut both hands on the plastic…PUNK…

As part of Baseball Bloggers Alliance (BBA) commitment to spreading the word about great causes, a number of us have chosen to run PSA’s on our blogs (You can see it on the top of the page). Pitch in For Baseball in an organization who mission is to share the gift of baseball by collecting new and gently used equipment and shipping it to children all over the world, as well as here in the U.S. Anyone is eligible, so long as the community has a genuine need for youth baseball and softball equipment and the kids want to have fun. Pitch in for Baseball normally works with leagues and programs in the community that have the ability to distribute the equipment and have a demonstrated track record of working with kids.

During the Home Run Derby last week Pitch In For Baseball was selected to participate in State Farm’s Go To Bat campaign. This initiative gives you the opportunity to win tickets to the World Series, as well as help out your favorite charity! It’s a win-win!

Here’s how it works:

• Register for your chance to win World Series tickets.
• When you register, you will get a chance to designate a charity that could win up to $25,000/week.
• To designate Pitch In For Baseball as your charity, select PUBLIC GOOD as the charity category and then choose Pitch In For Baseball from the drop down list.
• Revisit each day (you only have to register the 1st time) and play the ‘Go To Bat’ online game to increase your chances for tickets and Pitch In For Baseball’s chance at financial support
• That’s it! And you can help young people from all over the world have the chance to play the greatest game on earth…
• Play often–and good luck!

Finally, our friends over at eTrueSports, have chosen to honor the passing of King George, by putting together a Top 11 of George Steinbrenner Quotes–yes, these are things George actually said:

11. “Some guys lead through genuine respect. I’m not that kind of leader.”

10. “I wasn’t any good at baseball, I never played it.”

9. “I pay the bills around here, I’ll say whatever I want.”

8. “You will never make it in this league” (to Ron Guidry)

7. “I sold my egg company to my sisters for three times what it was worth. They’ve never liked me since.”

6. “I’ve never read such irresponsible crap.” (on reports about Don Mattingly’s career-ending back injury)

7. “Well, he wasn’t perfect but he did have some good things to say.” (on Attila the Hun)

6. “There has to be a heavy in everything. This country didn’t get to where it is without a lot of heavies.

5. “There’s nothing more American than Mickey Mouse, Billy Martin, George Steinbrenner and Goofy.”

4. “I don’t think anyone should be suspended [from baseball] for life for anything other than murder.”

3. “We needed a left-handed pitcher and we got one.” (on acquisition of right-handed pitcher Pat Dobson)

2. “I could sing better than him.” (on songwriter Stephen Sondheim)

1. “Sometimes – as much as I don’t want to – I have to inflict pain. But I also inflict joy.”

You can read more here…

Coming up: Over the next 10 days, the Sox will be playing 8, yes, EIGHT games in the middle of the night–only exceptions are the Wednesday games, which are both at 3:30ish…Tonight, as the Sox kick off their 10 game road trip with 3 at Oakland, the Nation looks to, of all people, Daisuke to help pull the Sox out of this downward spiral. Oooooooooh Boy…He is opposed by Ben Sheets for the A’s. 1st pitch: 10:07pm…

Fantasy Day truly has something for everyone, offering opportunities for folks to support the Jimmy Fund by purchasing tickets to the Fan Zone to enjoy activities in the concourse area including contests, a kid zone, and tours of the park.

Fan Zone tickets are $15 per person for those 12 and over, $10 for children ages three to 11, and free for children under three. Is it someone’s birthday, or you want to make it a family affair? Packages for birthday parties and families are also available.

And, if you want to really get into it, you can actually fundraiser yourself into fielding and batting packages, where you can actually play on the field (Act now, these types of things do NOT last long…) Prices for these opportunities begin at a fundraising minimum of $750….

Since 1992, caring fans taking part in Jimmy Fund Fantasy Day have raised over $ 6 million to support the fight against cancer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. To purchase tickets and for more information, go here…

Benefiting The Greater Boston Food Bank, the ladies, assisted by volunteers from the food bank, will collect 10 non-perishable food items or a $10 donation. Donations can be made up to 2 hours before each game, through the 1st inning. In exchange for your generosity, you will receive an autographed photo of a Red Sox player, handed out by one of the Red Sox Wives.

Can’t make the game, or don’t have a ticket? You can still participate, as the event will take place right outside the gates. On Friday, you can drop your donation off from 5-7:30pm, and on Saturday, from 2-4:30pm…

In 2009, the event raised $25,961.85 (enough for 53,741 meals) and 5,550 pounds of food from Red Sox fans, and since its inception, the Can & Cash Drive has raised approximately $196,000 in cash donations and collected more than 150,000 pounds of food.

The Food Bank’s focus this year is on securing nutrient-rich foods, such as canned lean meats, peanut butter, canned or dry beans, canned or dry fruits and vegetables, non-perishable whole grains, and shelf-stable dairy products. A complete list of suggested foods can be found online here…

About the Greater Boston Food Bank: The largest hunger-relief organization in New England and one of the largest food banks in the country, The Food Bank annually distributes more than 31 million pounds of food and grocery products to a network of nearly 600 member shelters, food pantries and soup kitchens, and feeds more than 394,000 people in nine eastern Massachusetts counties serving over 190 communities.

Founded in 1981, and benefiting from the service of approximately 14,000 volunteers, The Greater Boston Food Bank is a member of Feeding America – the largest hunger-relief organization in the nation.

Due to increased demand from a sharp rise in the number of Massachusetts residents needing assistance, The Food Bank recently moved to a new, 117,000 square-foot, energy-efficient facility – the Yawkey Distribution Center. Designed by Tom Sieniewicz of Chan Krieger Sieniewicz, this new distribution center will allow The Food Bank to significantly increase its distribution over the next 15 years to eventually accommodate 50 million pounds of food and grocery products annually.

For more information about The Greater Boston Food Bank, go here…

The evening begins at 6:00 pm with a celebrity red-carpet event. Then, at 7:15 the celebrity bowling tournament begins, which will include current and past Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins, and New England Revolution players, along with actors, comedians, musicians and celebrity chefs with New England ties. A finalized lineup will be announced at a latter date, but some of the past attendees included: Sox players Jacoby Ellsbury, Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, Clay Buchholz, Tim Wakefield and Mike Lowell; HBO’s Entourage star Adrian Grenier; performer Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of legendary hip-hop trio Run DMC; country music star Pat Green; Boston Celtics 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce and teammate Glen “Big Baby” Davis; Boston Bruins Patrice Bergeron and Milan Lucic; New England Patriots Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Adalius Thomas and Steve Gostkowski; New England Revolution stars Matt Reis and Taylor Twellman…

Finally, there will be a concert by Jason Aldean at the Absolut Beckett Bowl Concert, presented by MGM Grand at Foxwoods at the House of Blues Boston.

Starting today at 10:00am, a limited number of tickets for both the bowling tournament and after party concert will be on sale through Ticketmaster. Tickets are $250.00 to attend both the bowling event and the concert are $250, and tickets for the concert only are $40. A VIP concert ticket for $125 is also available, which includes a meet & greet with Jason Aldean and a reserved seat at the House of Blues.

Local companies and individuals are invited to sponsor four-person bowling teams for the event. Each team will be joined by a celebrity teammate and compete for unique prize packages. For information on sponsoring a team, companies and individuals can call 617-338-2766 or visit Becket Bowl…

Not close enough to attend, or a bit too rich for your blood? There is also the Beckett Bowl Ultimate Raffle in partnership with the Red Sox Foundation, with proceeds benefiting both organizations.

For only $5 per chance (and no minimum) you will have the chance to win 19 different items, including a most excellent Grand Prize:

(2) Tickets to Beckett Bowl presented by Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Absolut Beckett Bowl Concert presented by MGM Grand at Foxwoods, featuring Jason Aldean.

The winner and a guest will also have the exclusive chance to watch a future Red Sox game against the New York Yankees from Beckett’s personal seats at Fenway.

Interested? You can purchase raffle tickets for the Beckett Bowl Ultimate Raffle here.

About The Josh Beckett Foundation: A charitable organization established in 2007 by Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett, allowing him to have a direct and permanent impact on the lives of children throughout New England, The Foundation supports community-based programs that strive to improve the health and well-being of children, especially children that are seriously ill, disabled, poor, or otherwise disadvantaged.

Since its inception in 2007, Beckett Bowl has raised more than $750,000 to benefit the Foundation and the event’s primary beneficiary, Children’s Hospital Boston. Monies from these efforts facilitated the opening of The Josh Beckett Cancer Treatment room at the facility in 2009, which features Boston Red Sox imagery including Beckett and his teammates, crowd scenes and the historic Fenway Park sign.