For the Love of Baseball.

Kevin Millar was cut by the Cubs at the end of Spring Training and signed on to be an analyst for MLB Network but that job doesn't mean that he'd done with playing. Millar has signed on to play independent ball for the St. Paul Saints this season. Best of luck to him.

Cancer Sucks.

There are probably plenty of things that Dave Roberts has done in his lifetime that he will be remembered for. Around here there's only one moment that really matters. A long time ago I promised that, should I ever be in charge of naming a little boy, I would call him David Robert _______. It's close enough, it's not overly obvious, and it's a nice name. Sadly, now the man who ran for Kevin Millar is battling Hodgkin's lymphoma.

It's a highly treatable cancer and they, reportedly, caught it early. So that's good news. The absolute best of luck to him and hope for a full and speedy recovery. And perhaps consider giving blood or, if they'll take you, signing up for the bone marrow donation registry, with Roberts in mind to help others with lymphomas.

Colonials and Indians.

No one has ever accused Curt Schilling of being politically correct or tempering his words or generally being aware of how people perceive him. It's just who he is: a loudmouthed, opinionated guy who, because he was able to throw a ball with great speed and accuracy, was presented with a platform from which to shout his opinions. I'm not saying his opinions are wrong, it's just that had he not been a baseball player he'd still be the annoying coworker who is never wrong and makes sure that everyone knows it.

And so it should come as no surprise when Curt finds himself in a bit of an imbroglio. The current problem? A company he has ownership in (not the video game company) has put out a board game that depicts the King Phillip War. The game seems to be a combination of Dungeons and Dragons (I might be wrong about this because I've never played Dungeons and Dragons) and Risk. One player takes the side of the English, the other the Native Americans and they battle it out to either capture Boston or defeat the Native Americans. It's an idea that some find offensive.

Curt, of course, will not be deterred:

"If everyone intent on keeping historical events stopped at content that might be offensive, we'd lose sight of the horrific mistakes of this nation, the world and the human race are capable of, and that would be a horrific thing."

I am not a history buff and I won't pretend to know much of anything about the conflict. Now it's granted that the historical record may not be very accurate but it was a historical event. Insisting that it paints a population in a negative light and therefore should be ignored is silly; especially when you haven't seen the game. We've all been so well conditioned to accept the English as the aggressors that they were (Colors of the Wind, people), one would assume the English would come off just as poorly. And to say that it trivializes a tragedy seems obtuse simply because the King Phillip War is probably already trivia to most people.

And lest anyone think that I'm as out of touch as Curt, I still refuse to call the Cleveland baseball team by anything other than Cleveland. I hate the stupid guy with the drum and I find Chief Wahoo incredibly offensive.

End of the Line.

It looks to be the end of era. The Cubs gave Kevin Millar his walking papers today. If he hooks on with another team or he ends up hanging out with his family for the season, I hope he enjoys whatever he ends up doing. And if he's looking for a broadcasting job, NESN should give him anything he wants.

Papa Lopez.

A special congratulations goes out to Javier Lopez on the birth of a daughter, Kylan Gabrielle, last Friday. For a couple of very intelligent people, he and his wife gave the girl an awful name (How does one pronounce Kylan? Is it like Ryan but with a K and an L? Is it Kay-Lynn? And, I'm sorry, but Kylan--however it's pronounced--Gabrielle does not go with Lopez.) but I've always liked him and thought that he got a raw deal last season.

Confession.

This may make me a terrible person (although, I don't think that I've ever claimed otherwise) but when they booed Jason Bay down in Florida today it made me snicker. By all accounts, Bay is a good guy and I don't begrudge him his move to Queens. I don't. But I wish that were possible for a player to leave Boston without subsequently whining about what an awful place it is and how terribly he's been treated by the front office.

Maybe the players are right. Maybe the front office is a terrible place filled with terrible people that don't respect players--I do have a suspicion that Theo is really a power-hungry baddie from some comic book series who uses ballplayers as his pawns in some manic scheme to take over the world while nestled deep within his secret lair. Maybe they shouldn't have to carry their own bags and maybe they should be allowed to star in commercials proclaiming their joy at finally being with a winner. Maybe it shouldn't be suggested to them that they might need surgery. Maybe I don't want to hear about it.

If you're Petey you can get away with it because, well, you're awesome; you're the best pitcher of the modern era and arguably in the top ten since the beginning of baseball. (If Roger Clemens hadn't become such a clown, then he might have fit into this category as well.) The rest though, should stop pretending to have been so grievously wronged and just leave. If they're going to say anything at all, a simple I followed the money would suffice. It's widely accepted that (with the possible exception of Tim Wakefield) all ballplayers are money grubbing. And so except for those players who swear false loyalty to a club before going off and signing with the Yankees, no one blinks when a player behaves in this manner.

Manny, for all his faults, did it right. I do come close to wearing blinders when it comes to Manny but I don't recall him ever saying anything about how awful Boston was, once he got to L.A. There was a story (I'd guess in the ProJo given the inflammatory nature) where he said something like "Dodger fans are the best fans in the world" but that's hardly the same thing. I really do hope that if they decide not to pick up David's option next winter that he goes Manny's route; that he doesn't start whining about lack of respect and about what he deserves. I would hate to be annoyed with him.

Adios Nomar.

CSNNE broke up the presser into little pieces so possibly in the wrong order:











Maybe it's a little bit silly but this is a good thing. There was a time when Nomar Garciaparra was idolized around here. He meant a lot to the people of this town and, seemingly, they meant a lot to him.

Immediately before he came up, the Sox were not a very good team; they were poorly run and the number of games they won was surprising. Combined with some lingering resentment over the strike, the Sox didn't exactly inspire warm fuzzies. But then Nomar came along and knocked a little hole through the clouds over New England. He was phenomenal to watch and seemed destined for the Hall of Fame.

It's hard to argue that it didn't end the way it should have--they've had plenty of success without him. I think it's safe to say, though, that it didn't end the way anyone would have wanted it to end. It's a nice little corollary to his career.

The idea of him ending up in the media is a bit of a laugher but he seems so calm and happy during the press conference that maybe it'll work out for him.

Meanwhile Out in Arizona...

I would like very much for the Red Sox to win the World Series year in and year out. That would please me. But if there had to be a team besides the Red Sox to win the World Series, I would like it to be the Cubs. I'm not a fan of the Chicago Cubs but I do empathize with their fans. I would like them to experience that joy, to feel that release; barring, of course, that victory coming against the Red Sox.

Although, I suppose the best way to say it would be: If my boys were going to lose the World Series, then the least offensive team to lose to would be the Cubs. Obviously, if it came down to a Cubbies-Sox series "Go Sox!" but from the distance of early March I'd be okay with Chicago taking it all.

And so out there somewhere in Arizona, Kevin Millar tries to work his magic and convince the Cubs that they stand a chance against the Cardinals and the dark-horse Reds. As he tries to find himself a seat on that bench the Chicago media is digging the stories of Jack Daniels in the Gatorade and "Don't let us win tonight." Says Millar of playing in the World Series:

''I always thought experience was overrated until you get to those playoff games, until you get to the World Series and your heart rate's about a bazillion. That's something I'll never forget. And the good ones have a way of bringing that heart rate down, like your Joe Montanas or your Derek Jeters.

''Everything's so fast. Every pitch means something. Every ball, every strike. You try to slow it down like it's a regular-season game. You're finding a way to bring that heart rate down to a regular beat and talking it out.''

If Millar wants to play, then I'd like for him to get a job doing so. But if he doesn't find a spot, then the Sox should snap him up, appoint him Secretary of Keeping it Real and give him something to do. They could force NESN to give him Heidi's job; he would be fantastic at that--miles better than Ms. Watney.

Pinstriped Blindness.

It's true what they say: Time (and a uniform change) heals all wounds. Johnny Damon made his appearance at Tigers' spring training camp this morning and reading about it caused me to break out in a wide grin. Alright, so he fits right in with Dustin Pedroia's assessment of baseball players but he's easy to fall back in love with.

Family Ties.

Justin Masterson may now make his home in the Midwest but that hasn't stopped Happy from dropping in on his old friends. Indians pitchers and catchers isn't until February 21 in Arizona and while he's in south Florida visiting some friends, he stopped by Fort Myers for a work out. Says Justin:

"You miss the guys out here, but I'm excited to get to know the guys with the Indians better. I wanted to get some work in. I haven't been outside to throw since the end of last season."

Old Friends.

 

Wayne Gomes last threw in a major league baseball game on September 28, 2002. It was the second to last game of the season and the Sox lost 6-9 to Tampa; finishing in second place with a 93-69 record. He played for the Phillies AAA team in 2003, the Oakland AAA team in 2004, in 2005 he played in the Mexican leagues and in Independent ball before calling it quits. Since then he has opened a baseball academy in his hometown of Hampton Roads, VA.

Yesterday, he called on his old friend Terry Francona--whom he met when he played for the Phillies and Francona was his manager--to lead a hitting clinic at his academy. In the video he urges the kids to stay in school just in case the baseball thing doesn't work out. He also gave an interview in which he praised Jeter and Rivera.

My Kind of Town.

Kevin Millar is hoping to join the Chicago Cubs next season. He's signed a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training, which will be made official later this week. Hopefully it works out for him but it is too bad he wouldn't get to come back to town next year.

Happy Talk.

Baseball Prospectus has an interview with Justin Masterson. He continues to come across as a ridiculously sweet, caring individual and, as arrogant as it possibly is, I continue to feel the need to protect him. He talks about the trade and how Francona was on the verge of tears when he told him, being closer to home, and his hope for this season's Cleveland team.

I really think that Sweetums would be a perfect nickname for Masterson, especially if he were to try to grow out his hair again. The people of Cleveland need to get on it.

Man on the Move.

Tomorrow night in New York City Tim Wakefield will be honored for his community service by the Baseball Assistance Team with the Bart Giamatti Award. Wake will be honored for his work with Franciscan Hospital of Boston, the Jimmy Fund, and the Space Coast Early Intervention Center. Also attending the dinner will be Fred Lynn, former best beloved Craig Breslow, Mike Stenhouse, and Tito Francona.

And then on Sunday, February 7, Wakey will be back home and act as an official race starter for both the full and the half marathon at the Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon down in Melbourne, Florida.

Also, word is that Timmeh is working on a memoir about "how he revived his career by mastering the knuckleball, as well as a behind-the-scenes stories from Boston's two World Series Championship teams." Unfortunately, he's working with Tony Massarotti.

Just Ducky.

I liked Jason Bay. He seemed like a nice guy. If he wants to be sullen and spend time and effort justifying why he's playing for the Mets--well, I can understand that. The Mets are a disaster and I feel for the guy. The whole Rob Bradford piece came across as sour grapes and was best ignored, though. But The Sporting News has a sweet little story from Bay's last stint with the Mets and Jose Reyes:

"He didn't speak one word of English, I didn't speak one lick of Spanish," Bay recalls. "We stayed at a hotel that was about five blocks from the ballpark. I knocked on his door every day at 2. 'Are you ready?' He'd say, 'Yep, yep, yep.' We'd walk to the park and not say one word because we couldn't. When the game was over, we'd shower up and I'd say, 'You ready?' 'Yep, yep, yep.' We walked back to the hotel or get some food. I ended up being his off-the-field chaperon.

"Because of that, I followed his career more than most people would think. When the Red Sox played an exhibition at Citi Field last year, I was talking to him about how his English had gotten a lot better. He got a big smile and said, 'Yep, yep, yep.'"

Aww.

Hanging 'Em Up.

Mark Loretter is reportedly going to call it quits next week to take a front office job somewhere. Loretta didn't have a fabulous year with the Sox in 2006; he did hit for a decent average but without much power and without a lot of walks. He did hit his very first walk off home run against Seattle on Patriot's Day 2006, though. Best of luck to him.

School Days.

Part of me wishes that I had done something impressive while I was in high school so that I could have my name on a plaque or on a banner somewhere in that building for posterity. But I was a quiet, studious kid; the closest I came to notoriety was the National Merit Competition but in the end I didn't even qualify as a finalist. It's been awhile since I've been back there but I suspect now that they must have changed the banners out every ten years or so anyway as none of the records were particularly old. So it' no great loss.

Someone who will always be remembered at his high school is Mr. Bronson Arroyo. Some kid fifty years from now will be playing for the Hernando High School baseball team in Brooksville, FL and ask to wear number 1 and his coach will say "Sorry kid. Bronson Arroyo wore number 1. It's retired." And the kid will say "Bronson who? The guy wore the number seventy years ago. If he didn't screw up his heart because of the drugs he took, then he's probably a doddering, old man who can't tell his ass from his elbow." [Aside: If you think kids today are rude and self-centered, just wait until you meet the ones fifty years from now.]

It's nice to be remembered, though.

Going Hollywood.

Someone go comfort Ms. Watney, Nick Green is moving to LA. It's only a minor-league deal with the Dodgers but he might stand a chance of making the roster as a back up. His time in Boston was error-prone but he did pitch two innings, hit a walk-off home run on Father's Day, and have an epic walk against the Angels. So good luck to him.

Trot.

Trot Nixon was showed up to help out at the Jimmy Fund's New Stars for Young Stars event earlier today. It's nice to see Trot. Curt was there too.

National League Champs.

The season hasn't even begun but the National League might as well not bother playing. The Atlanta Braves are on the verge of signing Eric Hinske. A.K.A. Smiley McGee, participant in the past three World Series.