But Wait! There's More.

John Smoltz is apparently willing to become this season's Bartolo Colon. After spending twenty years in Atlanta, Smoltz will likely sign with the Sox as early as tomorrow afternoon. It will be strange to see him in anything other than a Braves uniform. The Sox do meet the Braves in Interleague this season--three games at Fenway (June 19-21) and three games at Atlanta (June 26-28)--which would make it even stranger.

After pitching 200+ innings in the previous three seasons, Smoltz had surgery on his right labrum on June 10 of last year. They don't expect him to be ready to play again until next June. He wants to be a starter but he did close for the Braves from 2001-2004. If he can return to form, wow.

And you thought Theo was sulking in his bedroom like a sullen teenager after missing out on Teixeira, Nirvana on the stereo, practicing CMaj-amin-FMaj-GMaj(7)-CMaj and GMaj-emin-CMaj-DMaj(7)-GMaj for Saturday. Didn't you?

Also, Smoltz's son is the spitting image of him--in profile anyway. There's little call for a Maury Show appearance with that nose leading the way.

The Great Gabbo Speaks.

According to Peter Gammons, the Red Sox are thisclose to signing Rocco Baldelli. The announcement is expected tomorrow at the BBWA dinner. No word on what kind of deal it might be, though. If he can be healthy, then this is a really great signing. He offers a good right-handed bat with power and a solid defense. He doesn't walk a ton but he used to have pretty good speed. He will, also, not offer Youkilis any competition in the facial hair department as this:

was a poor decision.

As a local boy he's got that angle going for him (though I seem to recall that during one of the series the Rays played at Fenway last season he said that he was not a Sox fan growing up and that he didn't want to talk about it.) And as a human interest story, his might be right up there with Jon Lester. His presence might take some of the pressure off Lester to be THE KID WHO SURVIVED CANCER AND WENT ON TO BECOME A DOMINANT PITCHER. When they go on the road the two of them could have a little sideshow. Step right up! Come see the pitcher who's lymph nodes went haywire and the outfielder who is easily fatigued! It could be a goldmine.

But salud, Rocco!

Dinner Dates.

Justin Masterson has a busy off-season, or he's in Boston for the weekend and that's why he scheduled so many appearances. On January 9, he'll be at the Portland Seadogs Hot Stove Dinner up in Maine. The money raised goes to Strike Out Cancer in Kids. Tickets are $50 but they come with a photo of Happy. On January 10, he'll be at the Jimmy Fund's New Stars for Young Stars event. On January 11, he'll be at the car show. And on January 12, he'll sleep.


Meanwhile down in North Carolina, Terry Francona will be the featured speaker at UNC's First Pitch Dinner on January 31. The event will be held at The Carolina Club on the University of North Carolina's campus. Tickets are $75.

Adventures with Jerry.

Jerry Remy is not the adventurous sort. He seems to be a bit of a homebody; only having seen the sights of Tokyo after being pulled by his ear. He won't leave his hotel room but he'll visit Worcester? (Kidding. I have nothing against Worcester.) Jerry Remy will be attending a meet-and-greet dinner at the St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Worcester on January 15. Tickets are $30.

Dougie's Going Soft in His Retirement.

When Doug Mirabelli was forced into retirement last spring it was a sad day; not because it was a shame to lose him as a catcher but because of his folk hero status. Mirabelli inspired so much brilliance in someone that the rest of us were left, at least, thinking "Dougie's going deep!" every time he stepped up to the plate. The rock star like reception that he received when he emerged from the dugout to get his ring last April is proof enough of the affection that people had for him.

So what has retirement held for Dougie? He's been quietly spending time with his family in Traverse City, Michigan. Yesterday, however, Mirabelli emerged from his fortress of solitude to hold a baseball clinic at the local YMCA. Dougie spent the day teaching thirty kids between the ages of eight and twelve how to pitch and catch. Apparently considering a position change, Curtis Granderson shrunk, changed his race, and then fully kitted himself out to get lessons from Dougie.

And if you have a former Red Sox player on hand why resist the urge to ask said player about the Yankees? No need to be creative--it's expected. So when the intrepid reporter asked Dougie about the Yankees spending he replied thusly:

"It doesn't surprise me, it's the Yankees. Has that ever been different for them to do? There's such a fear factor between the Yankees and Red Sox of what the other guy is going to do. I think the Yankees have really fallen into a trap of worrying about what the other people are doing, as compared to what's most important to their team sometimes. I think the Red Sox over the course of the last eight years or so have really proven they can pass up on guys. It seems like their plan for the future is a little more in depth than the Yankees."

But it's not all 'no work and all play' for our Dougie. He still followed baseball last season (though if memory serves, he was back in Boston during the summer and said that he hadn't seen any of Wake's starts.)

"I like to take a look at it and it's interesting to me. I had a good time when I was doing it, but I can separate myself from it now."

Good for Doug.

Medical Miracle.

When Mike Lowell went under the knife back in October there was some concern that he wouldn't have enough time to fully recover before spring training got under way. I believe that there was some speculation that he might not be ready until May. It turns out that that may have been an extremely pessimistic view.

The promoter of the Puerto Rican team for the WBC seems to have taken the optimistic track:

"El promotor anunció que el antesalista Mike Lowell confirmó su disponibilidad para participar."

Leaning heavily on my, admittedly rusty, high school Spanish:

"The promoter announced that third baseman* Mike Lowell had confirmed his availability to play."

Good news, if true.

*I have no idea what 'antesalista' means but third baseman seems like a pretty good guess. Baseball positions just didn't come up very often in class. I have sussed out that 'lanzador' is pitcher, 'receptor' is catcher, and 'jardinero' is outfielder. Though, I suppose it could mean "Ignore everything else I just said. I'm lying." But that seems unlikely.

The Way We Were.

Admittedly, I wasn't as excited about the MLB network as some people. I'd watched the preview with Haze and a very old looking Harold Reynolds but I kind of tucked it into the back of my mind as something to check out if there was nothing else on. It wasn't going to be appointment television.

Tonight, though, I watched the 2004 World Series highlights show. I hadn't seen those games since 2004 and in that time I must have romanticized them and glossed over their awfulness. I didn't remember them being that bad. Back then I'd driven home the sixty-ish miles from school each day to watch the series with my Dad. We'd watched the first three games together but my Dad bailed on game four in the second or third inning, too nervous to watch. I stuck it out but kept repeating to myself, mantra-like: "They don't have to win this game. The don't have to win this game." And the final out? I guess that was one of the times when time stands still. I distinctly remember sitting on the floor of the den and having the mantra change to: "Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God." followed by "He's going to throw the ball into the stands. This whole thing is going to come unraveled." It seemed too quick when I just saw it.

Yet somehow I didn't expect those games to still have the emotional impact that they did. But with the interviews of Curt, Pedro, Millar--I might even be able to hug Johnny Damon right now. Michael came home shortly after the program ended and I was still walking around with a big goofy smile on my face. Excerpt from ensuing conversation:

Michael: Hey! What are you so happy about?

Me: The Red Sox won the 2004 World Series.

Michael [looking confused]: OK?

The point? There is a point to this ramble. The program started with the ALCS which, even knowing the glorious outcome, was still gut-wrenching. If you're up to it (and who wouldn't want to watch a Yankee beat down, especially one that comes at the hands of the reviled Curt Schilling), game 6 of that ALCS will be shown for free at MLB.com/Live tomorrow at 11am.