But Daniel Bard did OK in yesterday’s outing, certainly well enough for his 4th win of the season: 5 1/3 innings, throwing 90 pitches, 49 for strikes, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits (including a homer) while striking out 2. The 5 free passes (4 walks and a hit batter) are a bit troubling, and that is something he really needs to work on. In 48 innings of work over 9 outings (8 starts), he has struck out 28, but walked 29–and hit 5…

Darnell McDonald has started swinging a bat, as he rehabs his ailing oblique…Hopefully all goes well, and he is back soon, as its too scary having Adrian Gonzales playing the outfield. I know he is willing, and has done a good job thus far, and it’s good the Sox are being creative) But I think having player continued to play out of position is just asking for trouble…

But how bout the Scott Posednik story? Out of MLB since September 2010, he was recently signed by the Sox, and has been playing at Pawtucket. Because of the 7, (yes SEVEN) outfielders currently on the DL for the Sox, they called him up. And he hits a solo shot in the 8th inning, which wins the game for the Sox…I love it when stuff like this happens…

I was scanning headlines the other day, and I saw something like “Ben Cherington has nothing but respect for David Ortiz”, and I am thinking? What is THAT all about? Well, apparently, Big Papi is on the “I don’t get no respect” bandwagon AGAIN. On Monday night he and Gordo were having a conversation, and it’s not really clear on what the question was, probably something about being a leader, and this is part of what he said (I am not going to put the whole quote in, as its pretty long, and really doesn’t make a ton of sense…): “What they call leaders is not what a leader is all about. They need to go to the dictionary and find out what the word ‘leader’ means. You know what I’m saying? The leaders they call leaders are the ones who get in front of the crowd and try to lead them. But that’s not the case here…I don’t give a [expletive] if they want to call me a leader. I don’t give a [expletive] if they want to call me a captain….I don’t get no respect. Not from the media. Not from the front office. What I do is never the right thing. It’s always hiding, for somebody to find out.”

Uh…WHAT? I’m sorry, how exactly are you not respected? Because you didn’t get the multiyear deal, at exactly what you wanted to be paid? Someone missed an ass kissing on some alternate Tuesday? What?

The Neato Stat for today: On August 3, 2003, #7, 8 and 9 hitters, Trot Nixon, Bill Mueller, and Doug Mirabelli, all hit a homer in a game. That hasn’t happened since–until yesterday, when #7, 8 and 9 hitters, Daniel Nava, Scott Posednik and Kelly Shoppach, all hit a homer in a game. And BOTH have happened at Camden Yards…

So I get these e-mails from the “Red Sox Insider”; I am sure some of you do as well–it’s supposed to be this “mole” in the front office of the Sox who is imparting all this inside info. Do they really expect us to believe that this is super secret stuff that is being leaked by this guy? Really? The Boston Red Sox are a carefully calculated PR machine; NOTHING gets out without their blessing…

Coming up: A much needed day off for the Sox, after playing 20 games in a row (and going 11-9 in that span). They will resume baseball activities at the Fens tomorrow with a 7 game homestand. First up: 3 with Tampa Bay. Jon Lester gets the nod in game 1 of the series, opposed by Alex Cobb for Tampa Bay. 1st pitch 7:10pm…

It took the Sox until May 21st. MAY 21st. To climb back to .500. I can even remember the last time they were here…UGH

And last night’s win was no thanks to That Clay Person, who had a 31 pitch meltdown in the 3rd inning, coughing up 4 runs… He managed to hang on a couple more innings, but Holy Hell, if he is going to be AT ALL successful he needs to get it together and throw the damn ball…

The rest of his damn line: 5 1/3 innings, giving up 5 runs on 6 hits (including a homer), while walking 4 and striking out 2. He threw 94 pitches, 57 for strikes, and has a spectacular 7.84 ERA. Ducky…

But for a refreshing change of pace, the Sox were able to score when Tommy Hunter BALKED in last night’s contest…

So, I think the Sox are going for the record. How many players can land on the DL before the team totally collapses on itself. Because I don’t see Ben Cherington DOING anything, and now my beloved Cody Ross is on the DL with a “non-displaced fracture of the navicular bone in his left foot” And in ENGLISH, that means–6-8 weeks, and MAYBE he won’t need surgery…this is the same injury Dustin Pedroia had that requires the screw in his foot that annoyed him all last year…Freaking marvelous…

And Jake and Carl Crawford (remember him???) MIGHT be back in July, but until then…From Ben: “We’ve looked at different things, internally and externally. We’ll continue to do that. We’re looking for ways to upgrade. We’ve been banged up in the outfield before today. We were looking for ways to upgrade if we could; we’ll continue to do that, but there’s nothing imminent.” Nice…

Looks like Kevin Youkilis will be back tonight, and since the Sox are pretty much without an outfield, Will Middlebrooks will be staying…And it’s going to get VERY interesting in terms on manning the outfield–there is talk about Adrian Gonzales being out there again, after a successful stint on RF in Philadelphia, although I think they would move him to Left at Fenway, as it’s much easier to deal with than the wacky right field…

Daisuke, recovering from the cortisone shot in his right trapezuis muscle, will rest for 7 days, and then more than likely resume his rehab starts–and at that point, the 30 day clock starts again. Daisuke weighs in: “The same area maybe flared up about three weeks ago. The same symptoms seemed to clear up, but they came back again. It restricts my movement. That’s why I got the shot and hopefully it gets better from here. My rehab, so far, has been going really well. It is a setback, and it’s a little disappointing, but hopefully the shot takes care of it and I can continue my rehab from there.” It’s been less than a year since he had his Tommy John Surgery….

Today’s Neato stat: Guess who is the BEST catcher in the AL right now? Yep, our boy, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who leads all AL catchers in slugging (.565) and OPS (.301) and is hitting .278 with 7 homers, and 19 RBI’s…

Coming up: Game 2 of the 3 Game series, Felix Doubront goes for his 5th win of the season, opposed by Brian Matusz. 1st pitch: 7:05pm

Do you ya think maybe we could stay at or above .500, for at least a little while?

Truth be told, I would have been happier with a sweep, because then they probably wouldn’t had to deal with Jonathan Papelbon, cause THAT is the last person I think anyone wants to hear anything from…

But at least the Sox didn’t have their colective a**es handed to them this weekend. That is pessimistic I know, but I don’t totally trust this team not to put the “sprags” to us (as my friend Clair would say) just when we get lulled into the idea that this team is the real deal…

But Josh Beckett put up AND shut up yesterday, pitching 7 2/3 of 1 run ball for his 4th win of the season. Throwing 103 pitches, 72 for strikes, Josh gave up 7 hits (NO homers) while walking 2 and striking out 5…

Can I just say that if there was anyone to replace Jason Varitek as the starting backstop of the Boston Red Sox, it IS Jarrod Saltalamacchia? He gets smashed in the ear on Friday night, has to go to the hospital to get 12 stitches in his earlobe, and then sends a text to Bobby Valentine: ‘Hey Bobby, this is Salty. Everything came back good. Doctor cleared me to play, and I’m good for tomorrow. Plus, I’m due to hit a bomb.” And then HE DOES… a solo shot of Joe Blanton in the 4th inning–and he went 3-4 in the contest. And then on Sunday, he does it AGAIN, this time a 3-run shot off Cliff Lee in the 3rd inning…This is the kind of stuff that legend is made of…

Kevin Youkilis made his 1st rehab start at 3rd base on Saturday, playing 7 innings, and going 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts, then, he was off on Sunday, and will probably play another game with the PawSox, this time a complete 9 innings, before he gets activated, probably Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest, unless his back falls off or something…THEN we’ll see what is done with Will Middlebrooks, whose bat has cooled off as of late…

And then there is Daisuke, who now has a strained lat, and is back on the DL. So now when he is ready, he just bought himself another 30 days in the minors–it’s not surprising, Bobby Valentine was talking last week about how Daisuke didn’t feel he was ready, and that there were reports over the weekend of him getting a shot in his neck…Take all the time in the world–the last thing on earth the Sox need is to mess with a rotation that, for the moment, is working…The original 30 days would have run out tomorrow…

The Oreos have the best record in the ENTIRE AL? Near the end of May? Really? Holy Buckets, between this and Dick Clark, the Mayans might be right about this whole world ending in 2012 thing…

Finally, fellow BBA-er Steve from The Greatest 21 Days, which focuses on minor league players from 1990 on, and what happened to them after they left the game sent this interview along; its focus is on John Leister, a Red Sox pitcher for 10 games split between 1987 and 1990. Really good read, check it out!

Coming up: The Sox, who are in a much better place than they were the last time they played the Oreos, hope to gain some ground in the AL East (or at least get to .500) as they kick off 3 against the Cookies. That Clay Person gets the start, opposed by Tommy Hunter. 1st pitch 7:05pm…I’m just glad they are back to AL rules–pitchers hitting, and Adrian Gonzales in the outfield is just too weird for me…

It’s bad enough when the Sox play well, and get beat by the other team, but when they beat themselves, especially with something as stupid and obscure as a BALK? How bout THREE balks? Holy Buckets…

And since we are meandering through obscure-ville today, how bout a HAIKU?

Sox inconsistent
Seven Weeks, Still in Last Place
THREE Balks in one game???

Ahem…

So, now the Sox hold the dubious honor of having SIX balks on the season, and HALF of them happened last night! That Clay Person Daniel Bard and Franklin Morales each have 2…I don’ t think I remember the Sox having 6 in 6 years before this…

The rest of That Clay Person’s line: Balk #1, 5 innings, throwing 87 pitches, 59 for strikes, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits while walking 1, hitting a batter, striking out 5, and a freaking partridge in a pear tree…

Continuing with the madness is Franklin Morales, who had the other TWO balks of the game, threw a wild pitch, AND hit a Will Rhymes in the arm, who then passed out at 1st base and had to be carried off the field…

Oh, and then there is Adrian Gonzales who isn’t blaming God anymore for the Red Sox losing, now its the UMPIRES who are at fault for bad calls–and he promised to hit a homer TODAY…

Holy Hell, with the fun EVER stop?

Interesting developments on Daisuke: He probably won’t be ready when his 30 day rehab timer runs out next week. Bobby Valentine weighs in: “Right now, I don’t think he’s all that close to pitching in the major leagues. He might take a big step. Not until he’s ready. It’s not the calendar that’s going to dictate whether a guy pitches in the major leagues, I don’t think.” He is scheduled to make 2 more starts before the 30 days are up, and then the Sox will reevaluate…It will be interesting to see if the fact that there is no language barrier anymore will have an impact on Daisuke’s success in this last year of his contract with the Sox…

Kevin Youkilis had his 1st rehab start last night at Single A Durham, where he was the DH. He went 1 for 2 with a walk, as well as scored a run. He is off today, and then will play 3rd on Friday…

Coming up: Felix Doubront, fully recovered from being hit in the head over the weekend, takes the mound tonight in the final game of the short series against Tampa Bay. He is opposed by Matt Moore. 1st pitch 7:10pm…

Could we possibly get through a WHOLE game without something STUPID happening?  Thanks so much…

On his 32nd birthday (hard to believe he’s 32–sometimes he acts like he’s 4…), and the day the Sox honored the ultimate teammate, Tim Wakefield, Josh went 7 strong, shutout innings, giving up 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out a season high 9. He threw 93 pitches, 63 for strikes…

Still have the Tim Wakefield celebration on my TiVo; hope to get to that this weekend. I still have the 100th anniversary there as well, and I need to get to that to, it’s just that when they were playing horribly, I just didn’t want to deal with them at all…so I have A LOT of Red Sox stuff to catch up on…

Classy as ever, this is what Wake had to say yesterday: “I was very nervous, even driving into the park today. I wasn’t even this nervous when I knew I was pitching. I knew there was going to be some surprises, but the anxiety that goes with the unknown was pretty awesome. It was a very emotional day for me to be able to share it with the fans that have been supportive of me over the past 17 years. Every time I walked off that mound they were there to greet me and gave me a standing ovation, and I’ll cherish that for the rest of my life.” Holy Buckets I am going to miss him–he has been one of my favorite players EVER…

Probably catch up on Red Sox TiVo this weekend, as when the Sox face the Phillies, I get blacked out of most of the games–probably get Friday night’s if its shown on the local sports channel, but that’s it…

And of course, because the Sox face the Phillies for the 1st time since Jonathan Papelbon left, we know get to hear all the nonsense and crap that will come out of his mouth for the next week or so, about how we suck, and the Phillies fans are great, blah blah blah–probably went to Johnny Damon for pointers on how to alienate a whole fan base…

And the whole split personality, talking about himself and “Cinco Ocho” is freaking contrived, and STUPID…thought it was stupid when he did it with the Sox…does he really think anyone is impressed or entertained by that? I cannot even TELL you how glad I am that he is gone…

As expected, Kevin Youkilis will play a couple of rehab games in Pawtucket, starting today. He will start off as DH, probably get 3 or 4 at bats in, and then go from there…He can come off the DL next Monday, but it will probably be a couple days after that before he joins the Sox…Feeling very ambivalent about his return…

Scary stuff yesterday, when Felix Doubront was hit in the head, specifically his right ear, with an errant fly ball during batting practice. Fortunately, he is completely fine…He weighs in on the incident: “The ball hit off the fungo and I didn’t see the ball…just came right to my ear, but I’m fine, I’m good.”

Is anyone else just a tiny bit freaked out that Baltimore is still in 1st place–in the middle of May–with a .622 win %???? Holy Hell, maybe the world really IS going to end in 2012!

Coming up: The Sox start an important, but short series against Tampa Bay, before the Interleague play portion of our program begins. That Clay Person, hoping to build on his last good start, takes the mound, opposed by Jeremy Helickson. 1st pitch: 7:10pm

But here I am, having been able to write about a World Series championship for my beloved Sox, met some incredible people, read amazing books, and done some wonderful things. So thanks to all of you who contributed to BRT, in word or deed, and most of all to my readers–I am humbled that you take the time to read Boston Red Thoughts. Thank you.

So how bout Jon Lester last night??!! I wanted to check for pods in the basement, as he hasn’t pitched that well in I don’t know HOW long. A complete game (his 1st since 2010), taking the shutout to the 9th inning, and only giving up 1 run then? AND ending the game on a high note, with his 6th strikeout of the contest.

The rest of his line: Throwing 119 pitches, 73 for strikes, Lester gave up 8 hits and walked NONE…

Looks like Kevin Youkilis will be back sometime next week, but then the $64 thousand dollar questions is, what do you do with Will Middlebrooks? He is ON FIRE, how can you send him down? Bobby Valentine isn’t saying just yet: “I think that’s a little premature. We’ll do exactly what’s right. Those things, they usually play themselves out. No need to really make a decision until it’s time to make a decision.”

So glad Daniel Nava is back, and that he is doing so well, since returning to the Sox, he has started all 5 games and has batted .583 with 6 RBI’s, including a 2-run shot in last night’s win vs the Mariners. Oh, and an OBP’s of .750…SEVEN FIFTY…Yeah, it’s a small sample size, and he won’t be able to keep it up for a season, but it’s still nice to see the nice guys do well…

Supposedly, the placement of Jake on the 60-day was only to free up the roster spot to replace the ailing Darnell McDonald, I reallyREALLY hope this is the case. With the move, the earliest he could be back is June 13th, which apparently is probably not going to happen anyway. He has not been cleared to do any baseball activities at this point, only doing strength and cardio….

Also in pace to return soon is pitcher Aaron Cook who was spiked in the knee in his only start of the 2012 Campaign. He has started throwing again, despite the 11 stitches used to repair the nastiness that was the gouge in his knee. He can come off the DL on May 21st, and will probably be ready to do so then…

And that should be right around the time that Daisuke is back, despite a less than stellar performance in his last start (5 runs in 5 1/3 innings)…so its gonna get interesting, especially if Josh Beckett continues his crappiness–on the field and off…

Neato (and completely unbelievable) stat: Remember how the bullpen was like, THE WORST? How bout these apples? Since April 23rd, the Red Sox bullpen leads ALL OF BASEBALL with a 1.41 ERA in 76.2 innings. Holy Buckets!

Had the TiVo all fired up to record the Pre-game ceremony honoring Tim Wakefield today–probably get very dusty in the home office of Boston Red Thoughts…

Recently sat down with BBA President and Founder, Daniel Shoptaw, of C70 At The Bat, and had a great conversation about Boston Red Thoughts, The Red Sox, and baseball in general, you can check that out here…

Finally, fellow BBA-er Michael Clair, from Old Time Family Baseball, has done rigorous research for the 2nd year in a row, as to whether or not using pink bats on Mother’s Day improved performance. In other words: Does love for your mother improve your on-field performance? Check it out here…

Coming up: Josh Beckett takes the mound for 2nd and final game of this short series against Seattle. Hopefully, he will suck less than he did in his last outing, where he could not get out of the 3rd inning. And hopefully there will be some attitude adjustment–cause right now, his attitude is sucking worse than his pitching, if that is even possible.

And ya know what Josh? Today is Tim Wakefield’s day–even if you don’t give a crap about the fans anymore, do it for your former teammate, who ALWAYS had your back. He is opposed by Blake Beavan for Seattle. 1st pitch 4:05pm…