Here’s your first look at MLB 12: The Show, courtesy of our friends over at IGN. Featuring new broadcast style presentation and move controls, MLB 12: The Show hits the PS3 on March 6.

Theo Epstein, the general manager who assembled two World Series championship Boston Red Sox teams, has officially resigned and will depart for the Chicago Cubs, where he has been named president of baseball operations.

The move comes after an epic September collapse and one of the most disastrous endings to a season in Boston sports history.

Epstein has long been rumored to be interested in the Cubs job, as the presidency is a major promotion. He could also perhaps bring a championship to the only team that suffered a longer World Series drought than the Red Sox.

The teams released the following statement:

The Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs jointly announce this evening that, effective immediately, Theo Epstein has resigned from the Red Sox in order to become the new President of Baseball Operations for the Cubs. The clubs also have reached an agreement regarding a process by which appropriate compensation will be determined for the Red Sox and that issue will be resolved in the near term.

Both the Red Sox and the Cubs intend to hold press events on Tuesday, October 25 during which the Cubs intend to announce Mr. Epstein, and the Red Sox intend to announce his successor as General Manager.

Out of respect for the World Series, both clubs have agreed to forego further comment until Tuesday, the next scheduled non-game day.

I’m not a sports journalist. I’m just a blood and guts cops reporter with public relations experience. As my fourth or fifth job, I’m teaching a public relations course at Newbury College this semester, and the concepts I’m lecturing on made me think of what the Red Sox should do to improve their image.

The Red Sox need an empowered public relations pro. I know they have a good PR team already, but the PR people need to be given more power. One of the biggest challenges PR pros face is in convincing management of its benefits — and encouraging management to empower public relations people AND spend money on the cause. Fixing the Red Sox will need both, not just a likely-planned guerrilla radio appearance.

But John Henry’s appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub was interesting, because he called the team’s crisis largely “external,” and he blamed the media for a lot of the team’s image problems. This is also common in the corporate world. The fact is, even if the team got along perfectly in the clubhouse and worked their asses off on the field, the public did not see either. That is a public relations crisis.

Of course, it’s pretty clear that some players did not get along, and a lot of players did not work their asses off. That is a second PR crisis.

The key to managing PR is in managing personnel. It’s the same as any corporation. The employees are the face of the company, and they have to sell a positive image in their words and — as importantly — their actions. If you believe the news reports, then this year the employees failed to do their part to cultivate a positive image for the company. At the same time, job performance suffered, the company lost money (playoffs = cash) and now people have lost their jobs.

Professional sports are a challenge, because such a high percentage of employees are constantly in the spotlight. There a lot of things they can do to mess up. Even well-intentioned actions or airing of inside jokes can hurt image since inside jokes are, by their nature, not meant for others to understand.

In the end, image is related to performance. The team would do better if it looked better and if its employees were on the same page.

This year, teammates did not seem to get along, forming cliques and sometimes flat-out disagreeing with each other in the public eye. You don’t always hear the term “team building” in sports at the professional level, but it’s surprisingly common. It’s something that teams like the Red Sox and New York Yankees need to invest a lot of money into, since they have a lot of star players with high paychecks and big egos. Whether it’s ropes courses, trust games or ballroom dancing, the final Red Sox roster needs to get away for a few days, privately, and have some professional team builders come in to work with them. These guys need to remove the “I” in team and learn to move as a unit.

PR pros have good ideas. Sometimes they are controversial ideas. Sometimes they are ideas that are expensive but that may have long-term financial benefits that are hard for management to understand.

Right now, the team needs two sweeping and broad new rules, and those rules need to be enforceable by fines, suspensions, etc. But the key to these rules is that if they work, fines and suspensions would not ever be needed.

Sweeping and Broad Rule No. 1: All healthy players will be in uniform during games and will sit in the dugout or bullpen.

The previous game’s starter can be in a box or away following their first day rituals. No players, including starting pitchers, inactive players, and injured players, are allowed in the clubhouse during games unless it is at direction of the coaching or training staff. No alcohol may be consumed during games.

Players on the Disabled List may be absent during games, may sit in the dugout with the rest of the team, or may watch the game from a team box.

Sweeping and Broad Rule No. 2: Players will adhere to a strict physical fitness policy. Conditioning staff will have the power to levy fines and suspensions for failure to work to the policy.

–

And now a player-by-player PR breakdown: (No stats here, just image)

Alfredo Aceves: Two words: Endorsement deal. Get this guy on television. How’s this for a Dunkin Donuts commercial — Alfredo’s alarm clock goes off at 4 a.m. and he rises, saying “Time to make the donuts.” A fan recognizes him at their local Dunkin and says “Whoa, Alfredo Aceves, you really are the hardest working guy in baseball.” “I just do my part,” he replies. “Here, try a pumpkin-spiced latte.”

Matt Albers, Scott Atchison, Daniel Bard: Maybe start a bullpen band like Timlin did in 2007? I loved that, and it showed friendship in the bullpen, which performed amazingly in 2007.

Josh Beckett: Keep him. He can turn his image around. Not through endorsements, but through community service. Beckett has to work to get the fans to support him again. Beckett took this year. He took beer, and chicken, and probably took wins away from the team in the process. Now he has to give back.

Erik Bedard: Gone.

Clay Buchholz: He needs to work hard this off-season. Injured for much of the second half of the season, Buchholz was actually spared much of the negative imagery thrown at the rest of the starting pitchers. If he comes back strong, healthy and in-shape and puts up the numbers, Clay can be a huge part of a resurgent 2012 team.

John Lackey: Lackey’s image can not be repaired in Boston. There is almost always a way to manage a crisis, but in this case, Lackey just has to go. Some employees are toxic to image.

This is where good public relations practice can cost a lot of money in the short-term but have a lasting positive impact. Even if the team needs to eat most of his contract, Lackey needs to be traded or released. He cannot contribute to the team’s image.

Jon Lester: Lester is in the Beckett division. He has to show that his lazy, chicken-eating, beer-drinking ways were a one-year digression. He needs to lose a few pounds and come back and win his first few starts. Starting hot next year (which he has struggled with in the past) will result in cheers and help galvanize the rest of the team.

It may be crass and controversial to think along these lines, but Lester’s cancer battle is a story that touches a lot of people. I didn’t hear about cancer one time this year with Lester.

Jonathan Papelbon: Re-sign him. If the Yankees gave up on Mariano Rivera after 2004, they would have missed out on more than six amazing years. Beyond that, Rivera has a reputation as a worker who puts the team first and always takes them on his shoulders when the game is on the line. People love that. Sound like anyone we know?

Tim Wakefield: He needs a sit down. Wake is one of the nicest guys in baseball history, and he does arguably more community service and charity work than anyone else in the game today. His comments at the end of the season about the fans “deserving” to see him chase the team’s all-time wins record instantly black-marked his tenure.

Also, the nine tries, over two months, to score his 200th win didn’t help his image much. Wake’s time may be up in Boston, but if can still pitch and can prove he’s still a team player, there may still be room for him.

Jason Varitek: It’s time to end this. Varitek’s alleged partake in the chicken and beer scandal tarnished his reputation as the captain who led the team to two World Series titles. He never should have been on the team this year, and it showed, badly, for him and the team.

This year, he earned a reputation as a lazy, broken down Old Yeller of a catcher who can’t throw to second and can’t hit. He is a symbol of what went wrong this year.

But beyond Varitek, something else has to go. The captain title is not required in baseball. It did nothing for a team comprised of individuals and egos this year. So next year, there should be no captain. As much as Dustin Pedroia might have earned it, 2012 has to be all about teamwork and less about titles, records, stats, and names. No Varitek in 2012. No captain in 2012.

Ryan Lavarnway and Jarrod Saltalamacchia: These are your catchers next year. Lavarnway is a good story. The smart Yale grad who stepped up when it mattered story goes far with fans. He’s not proven to be an everyday player yet, but Lavarnway has shown he can play at this level. Salty is the main catcher.

Internal public relations rules say that we need to make sure these guys get along with each other. They should make up a secret handshake. Seriously, where has that gone in baseball?

It’s a little thing, but people notice this: If one of them hits a home run, the other should be the first one out of the dugout to congratulate him.

Adrian Gonzalez: Gonzo doesn’t need any more endorsements. He needs footage of him coming in six hours before the game to work out and practice.

Jed Lowrie: Lowrie is partially a victim here. As the other half of Jacoby Ellsbury’s two-man clique, he has to go. Ellsbury needs to make friends with the rest of the team, and a good way to start is by getting rid of his sidekick. Plus, Lowrie’s reputation is falling. He’s unproven and injury-prone.

Dustin Pedroia: While there should be no captain, the team needs to build a brand around Pedroia, including using him more in advertising. He has emerged as a clubhouse leader, and he will receive more respect on a properly trained and team-built team.

Marco Scutaro: Scutaro worked hard this year, and he performed well when most of the rest of the team sucked it up. He earned a lot of respect for that, so the team should keep him.

Carl Crawford: Talk about someone who needs a public relations overhaul. Even the owner said he was against signing Crawford. Couple that with an abysmal year, and Crawford has a PR crisis of Lackeyian proportions. The difference is that Crawford is likely to stay. The team needs to take a stand with him. Do not shop him around. Either pull the trigger on a trade or keep him and stand by him. If he feels unwanted, he will not perform.

J.D. Drew: Done. Happy trails. Fresh start in 2012. Getting someone like a Michael Cuddyer from the Twins would improve this position’s reputation.

Jacoby Ellsbury: Ellsbury will be here for two more years, then it is likely that he will be gone. If Ellsbury is going to be a super star, then celebrate his stardom for as long as you have him. Don’t treat Jacoby like the speedy kid who can hit a little too. Treat him like Ken Griffey Jr.

Josh Reddick: He can’t field or throw. Be cautious if you’re going to have him replace Drew. Fans have a short fuse in right field.

David Ortiz: It might be time to part ways with Papi. Even if Ortiz goes to the Yankees, it will be on him, not the team. Complaining about a scorer taking away an RBI and interrupting his manager’s press conference are not the kinds of actions the team needs going into next year.

Kevin Youkilis: Kevin should be moved to DH. He is a worker, who tried to play through serious injury — something unique to the 2011 team. But now we know that he is injury prone, having lost much of the last two seasons. Convert him to DH, and know that he can play the corners if needed. National League park problem = solved.

Also, play up the friendship between him and Pedroia.

And Finally…

Daisuke Matsuzaka: Sometimes Tommy John surgery works and has amazing effects on a pitcher’s performance. If anyone can make a giant PR leap next year, it’s Daisuke. All he needs to do is win a few games early in the year, and he can be a shining beacon of change in Boston. Staff should monitor him closely. He has a bad reputation right now, but he was not part of the September collapse, the laziness, the beer, or the fried chicken. Imagine that? Daisuke is a breath of fresh air.

(TMZ)

John Lackey has filed for divorce against his wife, Krista, who has been battling breast cancer.

TMZ broke the story based on court documents.

According to the documents, the Red Sox picture filed for divorce in Texas on August 30, claiming “the marriage has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities.”

The couple has been married since 2008.

TMZ reported that Krista had a double mastectomy in March and underwent chemo therapy in June.

The celebrity gossip website also said that Lackey filed the papers using only his and Krista’s initials, which Tony Parker/Eva Longoria and Sandra Bullock/Jesse James used in their also-very-public divorces.

The petition says that the Lackey’s have a prenuptial agreement.

It is unclear why Lackey filed for divorce. He has been given a lot of leeway for his poor performance because “his wife has cancer,” and it was thought to be a major distraction for him as he battled caring for his sick wife and trying to play baseball.

Lackey expressed anger yesterday when reporters asked him about the report during his postgame news conference. He was very upset that a reported sent him a text message asking about the divorce report.

“Let me tell you the truth. Thirty minutes before the game, I got a text message on my cellphone from one of you … somebody in the media, talking about personal stuff,” Lackey said. “And I shouldn’t even be standing up here having to deal with this. I’m sitting here listening to music. I don’t know who got my phone number, but that’s over the line.”

First thought: This is my new favorite baseball movie not named “Sandlot.”

But by the time five minutes had passed, I was delving deeper into my childhood evil dog and PF Flyers pastimes than anyone ever should have.

“Moneyball” is a masterpiece, but in every imaginable way it is the anti- “Sandlot.”

Where “Sandlot” was a childhood fantasy take on the purity of baseball, “Moneyball” is an adult look at the ugly business side of it.

The 2002 Oakland Athletics made an unlikely baseball run based on the statistical likelihood of their washout players getting on base, scoring runs and ultimately winning games.

The theory was that a small-market team with a $40 million payroll could complete and even out-duel the nine-figure salaries of the Red Sox and Yankees by picking up players no one else wanted but who had a proven statistical track record for getting on base. Sometimes that meant putting a catcher on first base and hoping for the best.

It half-worked. I won’t ruin the entire movie for you, just in case you aren’t a diehard baseball fan.

The movie is based on Michael Lewis’s 2003 book about the team, and it’s perfectly done with the right balance of humor, pure acting and movie-drama.

Like any good film, the acting makes it. Brad Pitt plays A’s general manager Billy Beane alongside Jonah Hill’s portrayal of real-life assistant Peter Brand, a student of the stats philosophy, known as sabermetrics. The two play off each other like, well like Brad Pitt and whomever he’s acting next to.

Philip Seymour Hoffman also adds something to the film, playing manager Art Howe. There is a particular poignant scene between him and Pitt after Pitt’s character trades away a star player. Definitely worth watching again.

One of the most gripping takeaway points from “Moneyball” is that it ofers a glimpse into the way Major League Baseball treats an aging player who’s hit 35-year-old and lost a step or two. It also shows the dichotomy between the East Coast baseball powerhouses from really Atlanta all the way up to Boston and the smaller markets of nearly everywhere else.

Director Bennett Miller does a good job crafting a sympathetic feeling for both Beane and his merry band of misfit players.

(“Moneyball” also shoes Red Sox fans how we ended up with Kevin Youkilis, by the way.)

The flick is a bit long at 133 minutes, but it’s good enough that you overlook the length. “Moneyball” takes everything that is romantic about baseball and makes it funny, dark and real, while keeping it romantic — like a rocky but steamy relationship. It’s a must-see.

Manny Ramirez, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Former Boston Red Sox player, Manny Ramirez, was arrested today on charges of a domestic incident, according to TMZ.

TMZ reports that according to witnesses, police removed Ramirez from his Weston, Florida home at about 7 p.m. in handcuffs.

The player’s wife, Juliana, was in the home and the two were believed to be in a fight.  She left shortly after Ramirez was taken away.

He is currently in custody.

Dear EarthTalk: What is being done to enable ocean fish populations to rebound after being so over-fished? Are nations coming together on this in any way? – Deborah Kay, Milford, CT

Although 75 percent of the world’s fisheries are now either overexploited, fully exploited, significantly depleted or recovering from overexploitation, many governments continue to provide huge subsidies -- about $20 billion annually --­ to their fishing sectors. Pictured: A fisherman hauls in a catch in the North Sea. (Thinkstock)

There is no overarching international agreement to limit overfishing globally, but a few governments have been able to implement and enforce restrictions at regional levels that have resulted in rebounding fish stocks. The success of these isolated examples gives environmentalists and marine biologists hope that protecting marine hotspots from overfishing can save the biodiversity of the world’s oceans.

The results of an extensive four-year study released in 2006 by leading fisheries expert Boris Worm of Canada’s Dalhousie University and colleagues showed that overfishing would put every single commercial fishery in the world out of business by 2048, with the oceans potentially never recovering. But University of Washington fisheries scientist Ray Hilborn challenged Worm’s frightening conclusion, offering evidence that several fisheries in parts of the U.S., Iceland and New Zealand were recovering. So the two men decided to team up on a new, even more comprehensive survey of fisheries around the world.

The results the second time around, published in 2010 in the peer-reviewed journal, Science, provided ocean advocates with somewhat more encouraging results. In half of the 10 fisheries studied by Worm, Hilborn and their researchers, closing some fisheries, creating protected areas, setting catch limits and modernizing equipment did result in lower exploitation rates and some fish are indeed on the rebound.

“This is a watershed,” Worm told reporters. The new study “shows clearly what can be done not only to avoid further fisheries collapse but to actually rebuild fish stocks” and provides a baseline which scientists and managers can use to gauge progress. “It’s only a start, but it gives me hope that we have the ability to bring overfishing under control,” he added.

Of course, a little bit of good news hardly means we’ve solved the overfishing problem. Environmentalists were particularly disappointed last year when the European Union (EU) announced it would set quotas for deep-sea fisheries even higher than expected. According to Uta Bellion, director of the European Marine Programme for the non-profit Pew Environment Group, the EU’s decision “will give fleets from France, Spain and Portugal the opportunity to continue plundering these stocks.” She adds that the new quotas go against a 2009 United Nations General Assembly resolution that commits the EU to implement a set of measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish and the rebuilding of depleted stocks.

Meanwhile, some groups are trying to end the government subsidies that effectively bankroll overfishing, legal or otherwise. The nonprofit Oceana, for instance, led an ill-fated 2010 effort to persuade the World Trade Organization to ban subsidies that encourage the depletion of fish and other marine resources. “Although 75 percent of the world’s fisheries are now either overexploited, fully exploited, significantly depleted or recovering from overexploitation, many governments continue to provide huge subsidies—about $20 billion annually—to their fishing sectors,” says Andy Sharpless, Oceana’s CEO. “The fleets are fishing at a level that’s as much as 2.5 times more than what’s required for sustainable catch levels.”

CONTACTS: Pew Environment Group, www.pewtrusts.org; Oceana, www.oceana.org; Boris Worm’s Lab, wormlab.biology.dal.ca; Ray Hilborn, www.fish.washington.edu/people/rayh.

Dear EarthTalk: What’s being done to “green up” professional sports? I know that the last two Olympic Games both made some effort, but are there others? — Rob Avandic, Chicago, IL

The last two Olympics were indeed greener than any before, but environmental awareness isn’t limited to the realm of international amateur competition. In fact, in just the last few years all of the major professional North American sports leagues have made strides in greening their operations.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has helped blaze the trail through its “Greening the Games” initiative. Since 2003, when the National Football League’s (NFL) Philadelphia Eagles turned to NRDC for help saving energy and reducing waste, NRDC has helped dozens of pro teams evaluate their environmental impacts and make changes. Today the Eagles obtain all of their energy at Lincoln Field from wind power, pour fans’ beverages in biodegradable corn-based plastic cups, power their scoreboard with solar panels and have reduced electricity use overall by a third. The NFL itself has also jumped on the bandwagon, implementing various green initiatives at the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl and other big events.
In 2008, NRDC teamed up with Major League Baseball (MLB) to first green the All Star Game and, the following year, the World Series. Subsequently, NRDC assessed each team’s environmental footprint and made recommendations for improving it. Several teams have gone on to build or refurbish their stadiums with sustainability in mind. Boston’s Fenway Park, Atlanta’s Turner Field, Washington, DC’s Nationals Park, and San Francisco’s AT&T Park all get high marks for pro-environment features and operations.

In 2008, NRDC began working with the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) to green its signature event, the U.S. Open. For one, this led to a move to 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper for tournament programs. And an environmental review of all operations at the National Tennis Center in Queens, New York led to a number of green improvements, including the switch to 90 percent post-consumer recycled paper for some 2.4 million napkins and a move to wind turbines for the tournament’s electricity.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) jumped on the NRDC sports bandwagon in 2009, working with the group to organize its first annual Green Week in early April whereby the entire league works in concert to generate environmental awareness and funding for related causes. As part of the festivities, which took place in 2010 as well and will happen again in April 2011, each NBA team hosted community service events including tree plantings, recycling drives and park clean-up days.

NRDC got the National Hockey League (NHL) in on the act as well, helping to green the Stanley Cup Finals and working with individual teams as it did with baseball and football. In announcing the launch of the NHL Green program, league commissioner Gary Bettman commented that it’s only fitting for professional ice hockey to care about staving off global warming: “Most of our players learned to skate on outdoor rinks. For that magnificent tradition to continue through future generations we need winter weather—and as a league we are uniquely positioned to promote that message.”

CONTACTS: NRDC, www.nrdc.org/greenbusiness/guides/sports/; MLB Team Greening Program, mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/community/team_greening.jsp; NBA Green, www.nba.com/green; NHL Green, www.nhl.com/ice/eventhome.htm?location=/nhlgreen; USTA, www.usta.com.

We’re adding a chart at the bottom, so leave feedback on how it should be adjusted.

Fox was the second most watched station of the night with Game 4 of the NLCS. 8.3 million viewers watched the Giants take the lead in the series, and the game scored a 2.7 demo rating.

Modern Family was the night’s most watched show. It averaged 12 million viewers and a 4.7 demo rating. Cougar Towndropped a little from last week, to a 3.1 rating and 7.5 million viewers. The Middle was in the middle at 8, with a 2.6 rating and 8.5 million viewers. Better with You was also in the middle, with a low 2.1 rating and 7 million viewers. At 10, The Whole Truth was pretty bad–with a 1.4 rating and 4.5 million viewers.

Consistency is the name of the game, and CBS consistently won the Wednesday hours. At 8, Survivor: Nicaragua was tops with a 3.5 rating and 12 million viewers, while at 9 Criminal Minds was a strong second with a 3.6 rating and 14 million viewers. The Defenders was a competitive, but low, third, at 10 with a 2.2 rating and 10 million viewers.

NBC was still low. Undercovers was terrible at 8, with a 1.5 rating and 5.8 million viewers, though on NBC, that’s apparently enough to get more episodes. Law and Order: SVU was middling at 9, with a 2.6 rating and 8.5 million viewers, and Law and Order: LA was up sharply from last week, to 8 million viewers and a 2.4 rating, up from a 1.9 rating.

In order, hour by hour, by adults 18-49 ratings

8 PM

Survivor: Nicaragua: 12 million viewers, 3.5 rating

NLCS Game 4: 8.5 million viewers, 2.7 rating

The Middle: 8.5 million viewers

Undercovers: 5.8 million viewers, 1.5 rating

8:30 PM

Better with You: 7 million viewers, 2.1 rating

9 PM

Modern Family: 12 million viewers, 4.7 rating

Criminal Minds: 14 million viewers, 3.6 rating

Law and Order: SVU: 8.5 million viewers, 2.6 rating

NLCS Game 4: 8 million viewers, 2.6 rating

9:30 PM

Cougar Town: 7.5 million viewers, 3.1 rating

10 PM

NLCS Game 4: 8.5 million viewers, 2.8 rating

Law and Order: LA: 8 million viewers, 2.4 rating

The Defenders: 10 million viewers, 2.2 rating

The Whole Truth: 4.5 million viewers, 1.4 rating

"Johnny Baseball" is wicked fun.

If you like American musicals and like the pageantry, ritual and mythology of Red Sox fandom, you will love this. If you like the Sox stuff but don’t like musicals, you’re going to have a good time too, as long as you brace yourself a little, and keep an open mind.

I say this as a redeemed, post-apocalyptic Sox fan who reached the height of obsessive zealotry during the ’03-’04 season, who also loves theater, but has, let me be clear, a very low threshold for the American musical as a genre. I can’t get into the campy conventions, and generally, I don’t enjoy the style of music on offer. I faced both obstacles head-on in the audience of Johnny Baseball. If it weren’t of and for New England it’d be Broadway all the way.

In a nutshell though, this one works because it’s funny, and because, yes: they did their baseball homework. My guess is that the creators, designers and performers put in some serious time studying crowd reaction shots from that infamous, curse-breaking miracle series against the Yanks in ’04. They had the looks, the postures, the outfits, the rhythms and the attitudes of the suffering faithful down to a satirical tee.

Why adapt an already theatrical live event into a stage show—and in this form? Because this is undeniably the defining myth of New England. Because it has staggering parallels to the Greek tragedy—a sin committed nearly a century ago seems to displease the fickle Gods, plaguing a nation for generations, until a band of scrappy heroes comes together from far away lands to take collective action, reverse the curse and defeat the enemies keeping them down–but Greek as it is, it deserves an American form of expression. And finally, because there’s simply more to unpack about the strange experience of investing in the Red Sox for a lifetime, than can ever be explored on WEEI.

Funny and campy as it is, "Johnny Baseball" does not shy away from some of the darker elements of Red Sox history. In fact, it argues that the real sin and curse originate not with the management error of selling the Babe to the hated Yankees, but in the much worse one of being the last team in Major League Baseball to racially integrate.

The play’s central story follows fictional pitcher, Johnny O’Brien (Colin Donnell), a Worcester native and hurler savant, raised by nuns and plucked from obscurity to pitch in The Bigs. An instant baseball success and New England saint, Johnny’s downfall is his love for Daisy Wyatt (Stephanie Umoh), an African-American blues singer introduced to O’Brien by none other than the Babe himself,  who is played as a charismatic, gravelly-voiced degenerate by the very funny, Burke Moses.

When the racist Red Sox management conspires to sunder the couple, citing fears that the Boston fans won’t be able to handle their hero’s taboo romance, O’Brien gets so messed up mentally that he loses his celebrated "stuff."

While the evil plot ruins his career, it also inspires him years later to integrate the team he has wound up couching back in Worcester, and to push for his new African-American star pitcher, Tim (Charl Brown), to be the first to integrate the Sox, an achievement he imagines could redeem him, his ball club and its fans.

"Johnny Baseball’s" greatest strength is its depiction of these fans, from the hoity-toities of the gilded age who believe that God has blessed their team, to the hilarious Worcester Booster cheerleader-leading squad, to the sulky bleacher-bums of ’04.

There’s plenty to quibble with about this show. There’s the often-uninspired songs (I would have been happier with "Tessie," "Sweet Caroline," "Shipping off to Boston," and “Dirty Water") the melodrama, the baseball details it doesn’t get right, and the conspicuous avoidance of a truly important factor of any Red Sox story: the strange mixture of loathing, terror, and often, bitter envy toward the New York Yankees that motivates every aspect of fandom. Plus, some of you, I’m warning you, are not going to appreciate the accents.

It’s imperfect as a work of art to say the least, but in spite of it all, it’s still wicked fun. You can (and should) bring sausages and beer into the theater, and you should be sure to wear your colors—even if you sport a pink hat, or a blue one with a rigid brim.

"Johnny Baseball," written by Richard Dresser (book) and Willie Reale, (lyrics) with music by Robert Reale, directed by Diane Paulus, plays at the A.R.T.‘s Loeb Drama Center through June 27.

Here’s something for your viewing pleasure — five things that are technically possible in real-life, but that a normal person can never do.

1. Throw a Major League fastball.
2. Take a cruise on the Titanic
3. Do ridiculous skateboarding tricks without ever dying.
4. Reunite the Beatles or just become a rock star.
5. Fly an F-14 Tomcat like in “Top Gun.”

What do you think? Leave comments.

Trouble for one of the younger companies in the teetering sports card industry.

Management at the Upper Deck Company today settled a copyright infringement lawsuit brought against them by Major League Baseball in February. MLB granted Topps an exclusive licensing deal over the summer, but Upper Deck started producing cards with MLB teams and logos anyway.

Topps had sought more than $2 million from the Carlsbad, Calif.-based memorabilia company, but under the settlement, Upper Deck promises to cease producing trading cards with MLB trademarks on them.

Upper Deck can and will continue to sell its last three recently released baseball products currently on store shelves: 2009 Signature Stars, 2009 Ultimate Collection and 2010 Upper Deck Series One.

"As a company, we are changing the direction of Upper Deck’s baseball products going forward. We are looking forward to creating fresh and innovative set content that will continue to get collectors excited,” said Jason Masherah, Upper Deck’s director of Sports Brands.

It’s been a bad go of it for Upper Deck since its failed bid last year to acquire Topps, its biggest rival. In January, the company agreed to pay millions to video game giant Konami after a dispute over counterfeit Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards.

The 2010 Major League Baseball season is nearly here. How do we know? Sony and 2K are releasing their baseball games, The Show and MLB 2K10 next Tuesday. But if baseball isn’t your cup of tea, instead favoring massively-scaled, destruction-based multiplayer combat, EA DICE’s Battlefield: Bad Company 2 frags its way to shelves Tuesday, March 2.

Those are the big three, here’s the rest.

Sunday (Feb. 28)
Aztec Treasure Hunt (DS)
City Builder (Wii)
Crazy Garage (DS, PC, Wii)
Dust Devils (360)
Ella’s Hope (PC)
Gunbird 2 Remix (PSP)
Halfbrick Rocket Racing (PSP)
House M.D. (PC)
Hubert the Teddy Bear: Winter Games (Wii)
Hunted (PC)
Party Designer (DS)
Royal Envoy (PC)
Theatre of War II – Kursk 1943 (PC)
Zooloretto (Wii)

Monday (March 1)
Alganon (PC)
Build-a-Bear Workshop: Friendship Valley (Wii, DS)
Dante’s Inferno (PSP)
Mega Man 10 (Wii)

Tuesday (March 2)
Alice in Wonderland (DS, Wii)
Battle of Giants: Mutant Insects (DS)
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PC, PS3, 360)
Foto Showdown (DS)
Lips: Party Classics (360)
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony (PSP)
Major League Baseball 2K10 (PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, 360)
MLB 10: The Show (PS2, PS3, PSP)
Project Runway (Wii)
Silent Hunter V: Battle of the Atlantic (PC)
Sonic Classic Collection (DS)
SpongeBob’s Boating Bash (DS, Wii)
Supreme Commander 2 (PC)

Wednesday (May 3)
Clover: A Curious Tale (PC)
Toy Soldiers (XBLA)

Source: Kotaku

There are two big names in professional baseball simulators; The Show and MLB2K, both of which afford users a truly-great baseball experience, but as competing franchises, one will always try to one-up the other.

This year, MLB 2K10 might have that edge. The game will give $1,000,000 to the first to throw a perfect game and with its new pitching mechanic and over-the-top gorgeous presentation, 2K10 will look to steal some of The Show’s thunder this year.

Released today are 15 new shots from the game showing off the game’s new mechanics and how darn pretty it looks.

Click each image in the gallery to make larger and more wallpaper-ready.

MLB 2K10 releases for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii March 2.

A leaked marketing survey says Tampa Bay Rays’ third-baseman Evan Longoria is on the cover of MLB 2k10.

Now, this could be some wildly amazing Photoshop, but that seems highly unlikely, as the game’s official Tenth Anniversary stamps adorn the box and just really, it looks so damn fine!

There are four options for survey-takers to consider, all of which show Longoria as the lucky man to be honored with the cover next year.

What do you think? I like the bottom two, the more realistic and less stylized imaginations, but that’s just me.

Source: Kotaku

Across most of Major League Baseball (MLB), teams are turning greener than the outfield grass, reports the June 2009 issue of E – The Environmental Magazine (now posted at www.emagazine.com/view/?4664). They’re reducing energy consumption, extending recycling efforts, and taking the first steps into renewable energy. So far, four parks, including Fenway Park in Boston, the nation’s oldest, draw some of their power from solar energy.

There’s activity on the construction side as well, with green stadiums opening in each of the last two years, and another one on the way for 2010. Citi Field, the new home of the New York Mets, just opened in April. Last season brought Nationals Park in Washington, the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified Major League stadium (it reached the silver level), and next season promises a new park in Minnesota seeking LEED gold.

Building from the ground up gives new parks environmental opportunities that existing parks don’t have. Both Nationals Park and Citi Field have energy-efficient field lighting and waterless and low-flow plumbing fixtures, for example, and both designs incorporate green (vegetative) roofs and white (reflective) roofs to battle the heat-island effect. Additionally, both projects emphasized using recycled steel and concrete, and minimized construction waste sent to landfills.

But it’s not only new stadiums that are getting a green makeover. The previous Red Sox owners were loudly on record as wanting to relocate to the city’s waterfront, where, if they’d wanted to, they could have achieved all sorts of green firsts ‚­ not to mention considerable new revenue streams. But the owners decided to update the current ballpark instead, preserving not only its historical allure but all its embodied energy, a fact acknowledged by the city last year when it named Fenway one of its 12 greenest buildings.

It is likely that the vast majority of green construction work over the next several decades will also be renovation, not new construction.‚  MLB is at the end of an epic building boom, and most parks are far nearer their beginnings their ends.

Stadiums “don’t simply get built and then remain intact for 30-40 years,” says John McHale, MLB’s executive vice president for administration. “There’s a lot of rearranging and re-purposing of space, probably at the 8-10 year mark, and then again at 20‚­about every decade. I expect the renovation work is going to be done with a much higher consciousness to LEED certification than has ever been the case.”

Expanding the Field

And the promotional opportunities are evident to more than just the National Resources Defense Council‚­which has partnered with MLB‚­and the teams. All four of the solar installations at MLB parks‚­at the homes of the Colorado Rockies, the San Francisco Giants, the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians‚­were funded in part by local utilities or nonprofits.

In Cleveland, the club was approached by the nonprofit group Green Energy Ohio, the host of the 2007 National Solar Conference, “because they wanted a show piece for the attendees to come see,” says Brad Mohr, assistant director of ballpark operations. The result was a 42-panel, 8.4-kilowatt array.

Mohr, a passionate proponent of renewable energy who now is investigating wind turbines for the club, thinks the panels will not only influence “the average person used to coal burning,” but could also yield an even broader benefit: “What I’m hoping for is that a startup will see that photovoltaics work at this latitude, recognize that Northeast Ohio has an incredibly skilled labor force from the car manufacturing plants that have closed,” and open a plant, he says.

How the Yankees Dropped the Ball

To environmentalists and residents in surrounding New York neighborhoods, a Bronx cheer seems the most appropriate response to the new Yankee Stadium project. They and some of the stadium’s Bronx neighbors are furious at the Yankees and the city for building over 22 acres of public parkland and cutting down 377 mature trees, 70% of the local tree population in a poor area that already had a sky-high asthma rate.

While the stadium accommodates fewer spectators (52,325, including standing room), it boasts more concessionaires, restrooms and nearly double the retail space of the old haunts. There are also more luxury suites: 56 instead of 19, plus 410 “party suites.”‚  Front-row seats sell for a Ruthian $2,500 each.

But don’t expect to see parks advocates lining up for them at the turnstiles.‚  “Kids were crying while they chopped down these trees with no warning whatsoever,” says Geoffrey Croft, president of New York City Park Advocates and outspoken opponent of the stadium project.

Critics cite among their grievances the secretive nature of the city’s deal to allow the Yankees to pave over popular Macombs Dam and John Mullaly parks, which was negotiated and signed before the public was informed, they say. Protests and legal actions against the project were unsuccessful.

“Everybody just loves the Yankees so much that they wouldn’t even consider what the people had to say,” says Karen Argenti, a board member of the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality, which also opposed the new stadium. “There were no elected officials who would stand up for the community. It was impossible to get a fair hearing on this.”

E – The Environmental Magazine distributes 50,000 copies six times per year to subscribers and bookstores. Its website, www.emagazine.com, enjoys 100,000 monthly visitors. E also publishes EarthTalk, a nationally syndicated environmental Q&A column distributed free to 1,750 newspapers, magazines and websites throughout the U.S. and Canada ( www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek). Single copies of E’s May/June 2009 issue are available for $5 postpaid from: E Magazine, P.O. Box 469111, Escondido, CA 92046. Subscriptions are $29.95 per year, available at the same address.

Baseball superstar Manny Ramirez has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and has been suspended 50 games, starting Thursday.

Ramirez released a statement acknowledging the suspension.

“Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was ok to give me. Unfortunately the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under that policy, that mistake is now my responsibility,” he said. “I’ve been advised not to say anything more.”

Some reporters, especially a vocally and clearly angry Bill Plaschke, who ranted on ESPN Thursday afternoon, don’t believe the “doctor” story.

“Was there a Dominican cousin mentioned in there? Who in their right mind would believe that?” said Plaschke.

Plaschke called the situation “devestating to this city’s (Los Angeles) baseball culture, absolutely devastating.”

“How many times are we going to keep believing players who say ‘I didn’t know what it was?’” said Plaschke. “Get the guy out of a Dodger uniform. Get this guy out of baseball.”

Ramirez asserts that in the past, he has successfully passed 15 drug tests.

“Los Angeles is a special place to me, and i know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I’m sorry about this whole situation.”

The Los Angeles Times is first reported the story Thursday morning.

The times reported that Dodgers told AAA outfielder Xavier Paul to be ready to report to Los Angeles.

The Times says that Ramirez will say the test results are because of medication he received from a doctor for a medical issue.

If the report is true, it is a brutal blow to baseball. Manny Ramirez was widely considered one of the last “clean” superstars and was an absolute first ballot hall of famer until today.

Ramirez would be the second of his superstar ilk to fall this season, behind Alex Rodriguez.

Ramirez led the Boston Red Sox to two World Series championships. He leads the Dodgers this season with a .348 batting average and has six home runs so far.

Ramirez has previously denied steroid use.

Fifty years ago, David A. Mullaney was playing baseball in the backyard. To prevent dented siding and cracked windows that resulted from using an actual baseball, he and his friends used a tennis ball and a broom handle bat. His mother happened to be hanging laundry in the yard when he hit a pitch and almost nailed her with the yellow ball. The game quickly came to an end.

His father, David N. Mullaney, was a retired semi-pro pitcher. Unwilling to let his son be forced to abandon his love for baseball by possible injury, space constraints, lack of a full line-up, or the threat of property damage, he began to create a backyard-safe bat and ball and a set of rules that could make a competitive game between as little as two people. What was born was an idea so simple that its genius has become an American icon. Rare is the hand of an American youth which has not handled a WIFFLE ball and bat at some point in their development.

Since its inception in 1953, WIFFLE ball has gone from backyard fun to a competitive sport. Tournaments with serious prize money are offered across the nation. Connecticut has adopted WIFFLE ball as a state game and more states are interested. Variations on rules and pitch speed color national tournaments. Nick Benas and Jared Verrillo, creators of Big League WIFFLE Ball, are at the heart of the WIFFLE phenomenon.

“We’re a medium-pitch organization,” Verrillo said. “We find that pitch speeds up to 35mph create a tournament that is action friendly, allows sufficient hit-ability, and still allows for all the play you expect in WIFFLE pitching.” You can see how satisfying their tournaments are (and how profitable), when you check out their website: www.bigleaguewiffleball.com. Teams in the winner’s bracket can be seen flashing stacks of hundred dollar bills. They even have a Guinness World Record attempt approaching in May 2009 for the largest mass participation in a WIFFLE ball tournament.

You may notice that the winner’s bracket is often inhabited by the legendary professional WIFFLE team called DOOM. Dallas Mall and Adam Trotta dominate the East Coast but constantly are under threat by teams like Absolute Gunners, Lou’s Diamonds, Cereal Killers, and Krusty’s Kids. Teams like DGA tour the Midwest and battle their arch rival High Heat for victories in the Chicago-land area. Chad Heyda and Brian Payne compete in the Minneapolis area and with the help of a mutual friend took first place in a tournament in Madison, Wisconsin.

Serious WIFFLE players like to theorize why the game is so enjoyable. Many believe that it fits a niche in the American psyche where playing baseball can no longer reach the masses. When people are working two or three jobs or taking multiple extracurriculars along with long hours of schooling, there is neither time nor possibility to get the numbers needed for a baseball game at the local diamond. There is, however, time to get a few friends together to hear “the crack of the plastic” as your buddy smacks a home run or to hear the “wiff” of the iconic yellow bat as it misses a wicked curve, slider, or riser. America’s past-time has evolved. It’s latest manifestation is WIFFLE.

Dream teams, disasters (we mean you, Padres) and Manny being Manny.
Just in time for the start of spring training, it’s time to make quick judgments and hasty generalizations about how the 2009 baseball season will shape up. Today, we bring you a quick National League preview, with just enough names and numbers to impress your Phillies-fanatic coworker. This time, we’re doing things a bit differently, with individual previews for each team. Also, be sure to check out yesterday’s AL preview.

NL EAST PREDICTION

1. Phillies: A defensive powerhouse, the dark horse World Series champs are the most powerful team in their division. That doesn’t mean they can contend with the likes of the Red Sox and Yankees just yet, but for now, they’re safe atop the NL East.

2. Mets: The Mets will forever be overshadowed by their more glamorous and successful sibling across town. Still, adding Francisco Rodriguez and amping up their rotation was a smart move that will make the other New York team a contender.

3. Braves: They’ve got the stellar rotation necessary to keep opponents at bay, but can pitching alone win games? We’ll see what Atlanta is made of now that golden boy John Smoltz has shipped up to Boston.

4. Marlins: When Dan Uggla is your most recognizable player, you know you have a problem. The Marlins are starting to suffer from “Mets Syndrome” to the benefit of that other Florida team. Don’t count them out just yet, but maybe it’s a little soon to call them in, either.

5. Nationals: Almost anything would be an improvement over last year’s abysmal season. Seems nothing can go right for Washington; when you’re essentially a sob story non-contender in your division, fans will start switching allegiances to the nearby Orioles. The only upside? Adam Dunn arriving in the capital. Montreal Expos, we miss you.

NL CENTRAL PREDICTION

1. Cubs: These NL darlings will fare better than their cross-town rivals this season, with names like Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden drawing big expectations. If the past has been any indication, winning the division won’t be a problem for Chicago “" but the postseason will be.

2. Cardinals: A team that definitely benefits from their division. Anywhere else the Cardinals would struggles, but the NL Central is notoriously unpredictable. Pujols is a powerhouse, put who else is worth mentioning in St. Louis?

3. Brewers: C.C. Sabathia gave this team a huge boost down the stretch last season, and his departure, coupled with that of Ben Sheets, will hurt their pitching staff, if not team morale. They won’t plummet without Sheets and Sabathia, but they won’t soar, either.

4. Reds: You can say what you want about the “new and improved” Reds with bigger names and mesmerizing offense, but this year will be just like all the others. Maybe next year will be different. Then again, it probably won’t.

5. Astros: Who plays for the Astros these days? No, really. With the names on this roster, Houston might as well be the International League Toledo Mud Hens. Enough said.

6. Pirates: A short drive west of Philadelphia, home of the defending World Series champs, lies Pittsburgh. The Pirates used to be the state’s premier baseball team, with five World Series titles and nine NL pennants. PNC Park, built in 2001, has been declared by many as the best park in baseball. But after massive executive and management changes a few years ago and no big-name players. things just aren’t how they used to be”¦

NL WEST PREDICTION

1. Dodgers: Much rides on L.A.’s ability (or inability) to nail down that money-grubbing superstar of theirs. Manny Ramirez is still holding out for a better contract, which leaves the Dodgers in a scary place. They haven’t done much in the offseason besides chase after Ramirez, but if they get him, they have a good shot at taking their division.

2. Diamondbacks: They’ve got the pitching many teams only dream of, with Dan Haren poised to prove his worth with another big year. A lot is riding on young players, which could be a good thing “" or prove disastrous for Arizona. But with three mediocre teams in their division, they should be able to scrape a second-place finish even without stellar production from their farm-fresh lineup.

3. Giants: Randy Johnson? Really? They may be relying on solid veteran pitchers, but this team couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. Tough getting to first if you can’t put guys on base. Tough luck, San Francisco.

4. Rockies: Colorado lost their 2007 passion last year, and losing Matt Holliday definitely won’t help. The Rockies are young, inconsistent and in the middle of nowhere. Maybe they can blame the altitude.

5. Padres: A sad team. We’re talking bottom-of-the-barrel, insignificant, not even worth mentioning sad. Just because you can drop a few names from their roster doesn’t mean they have any relevance in the NL West. At least their fans can jump on the A’s, Dodgers or Angels bandwagon.

New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003, Sports Illustrated is reporting.

Rodriguez won his first American League Most Valuable Player award in 2003 while with the Texas Rangers.

SI is reporting that four sources independently told the magazine that Arod tested positive for two anabolic steroids at that time.

According to SI, Rodriguez’s name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball’s 2003 survey testing, which the MLB Players Association agreed to allow to determine if it was necessary to impose stricter drug testing in baseball.

The drug Rodriguez allegedly tested positive for, Primobolan, is less detectable than many other steroids because its markers stay in the body for less time than other drugs. It is also expensive, costing about $500 per week, SI reported.

The 2003 steroids tests were sealed by agreement but leaked to Sports Illustrated by sources.

Rodriguez hit 47 home runs in 2003, good enough for his third consecutive home run title.

In a disappointing upset added to an even more disappointingly upsetting winter of un-action, the Red Sox announced the team was not a contender in obtaining star slugger Mark Teixeira.

In an e-mail to Boston media from Sox owner John Henry Thursday night, he explained that “we met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor.”

Teixeira’s agent, Scott Boras released statement as well: “The Boston ownership was kind enough to request and travel to meet with Mark Teixeira. While it was a very positive meeting, Mark was candid and advised he is in the process of making a decision and is now attempting to eliminate teams.”

It is now unknown where he who wants to be the $200 million man will end up.

There is word, however, that Henry might just be calling Boras’ bluff. That remains to be seen.

The following is a parody by Blast’s This is God Given Blog

Hank Steinbrenner has made a name for himself in his few shorts months as the face of the New York Yankees, so one wouldn’t think that he would need a Facebook page.

Hank Steinbrenner on Facebook? (Blast Magazine Staff Illustration/Bill Palmer)

I guess this is a good idea to keep in touch with the young generation that is in his clubhouse, but it does seem a little unprofessional to be in a group called “Papelbon Needs a Pap Smear.” However, it is a good thing that he doesn’t update his status very often because that really gets on my nerves when people clog my news feed.

The one question I have is, how about MySpace? You figure that a guy from New York ould be all over it.

So, here’s to seeing how Mr. Hanky creates his web image and waiting in anticipation for his next drunk wall post.

Now you know what it feels like to be a fan.

It occurs to me, even at the quarter-life age of 24, that this year’s group of college freshmen were largely born in nineteen-ninety — to say nothing of you high schoolers.

That means that 2003 seems like a million years ago. That means you weren’t born in 1986.

With the success of the Red Sox, Patriots and now the Celtics in our Generation Y and Z lifetimes, we’ve not only become spoiled, we’ve become inundated with this new expectation that Boston has to win every year.

Don’t forget that the Celtics were a joke throughout most of our formative years. The Patriots were a bigger joke. Most living fans waited their entire lifetimes for the Red Sox to win a World Series.

We’ll lament together and hold hands at the bonfire of our baseball season going up in flames and — gasp — we might cheer for the Phillies on Wednesday. But don’t feel too bad about this loss. It sucks. It blows. Screw Tampa Bay and its fan base that stood strong at three fans last year. All that jazz. But don’t feel too bad.

In 1986 and 2003 we felt bad. We felt demoralized. All our hopes were crushed. Dreams were gone. The sun refused to shine in Boston for weeks after game 6 in 1986 and then Aaron-bleeping-Boone’s homer in 2003 opened up all kinds of wounds.

Some of you younger fans may feel that way tonight. I don’t. I think a lot of our parents will agree. Sure, it’s too bad we lost, but we lost to a better team. We lost to a group of straggly young rejects and journeymen who got together and formed something special. That’s how the Sox won in 2004, and we have nothing to be ashamed about by losing to the Rays.

With this new winning tradition comes a sad yet sure realization: sometimes we don’t.

BOSTON — One of the defining moments of sportsmanship in the Boston Red Sox 2007 season was when Tim Wakefield took himself out of the roster before the World Series because he knew he was hurt and couldn’t give the team 100 percent.

In case you forgot, the Red Sox won the World Series in 2007.

Josh Beckett is hurt and can’t give the team 100 percent, but he won’t admit that and clearly thinks he can dope his way around whatever injury he clearly has.

And he just got embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Rays.

No one can blame Mike Timlin for taking the loss Saturday (Sunday morning) because the Red Sox never should have been tied 8-8 after 10 innings.‚  All eight of those initial runs were charged to Beckett and his dead arm, shoulder or whatever it is.

Josh Beckett should not start another game until team doctors can medically prove he isn’t playing injured.

Give all the credit in the world to the Rays and their good, pure, young talent, but Boston set itself up to lose by starting a hurt pitcher.

Amalie Benjamin, the Boston Globe’s Red Sox beat reporter, called it in the pre-game show. Beckett is hurt. He’s not the ace if he’s hurt.

The Sox have depth, they’ll make due with what they have. Remember, the Rays closer, Troy Percival got hurt this year, and they stepped up with Dan Wheeler, whose 89 mph fastball embarrassed Boston hitters Saturday.

The Red Sox added veteran reliever Mike Timlin to their American League Championship Series roster Thursday afternoon, replacing infielder Gil Valazquez, a career minor leaguer who recently got his call to the show in September.

Timlin, had a 5.66 ERA in 47 appearances this season and was left off the roster for the ALDS against the Angels when the Red Sox decided to carry 10 instead of 11 pitchers. They’re taking more pitches in this potential 7-game series, manager Terry Francona.

It is widely reporter that Timlin will retire after this season. He had been keeping the last baseballs from his previous 2-3 relief appearances as a momento, in case it was the last go-around for the 18-season workhorse.

Blast loves Mike Timlin, especially after his 2004 and 2007 World Series contributions.

You don’t win pennants in the offseason.‚  You don’t win them during the season either.‚  You win them in the postseason.‚  It is now October and it’s time for some baseball.‚  After six months, eight of thirty teams remain.‚  In a little less than a month, we will have our champion.‚ 

Will it be a repeat for the Red Sox?‚  A curse-breaking for the Cubs?‚  Another series for the Southsiders while their uptown rivals wait yet another year?‚  An exorcising of the Devil for the Rays?‚  A trip to baseball heaven for the Angels?‚  A ring for the LA wedding of a former New York manager and former Boston slugger?‚  A win for the City of Brotherly Love and the team with the most losses in baseball history?‚  How about champagne flooding the streets of the Brew City?‚ 

The best part of October is that anything can happen.‚  Favorites fall.‚  Teams comeback from the brink of elimination.‚  Heroes cement themselves in the annals of baseball lore.‚  There are storylines.‚  Lots of storylines.‚  Here are this postseason’s most compelling:

The New Rivalry

The Red Sox swept the Angels twice en route to this century’s titles and are 9-0 in their last three postseason series against the California-Anaheim-Los Angeles club.‚  This time the Angels are the favorites as they return with a power offense (not to be completely overshadowed by Manny in the real LA, Mark Teixeira has been the answer to the Mike Scioscia’s prayers) and the deepest overall pitching staff in baseball.‚  Still, Terry Francona is 8-0 in the World Series and 7-1 in elimination games.

Josh Beckett

The Red Sox always hog all the stories and this feature is no exception.‚  Last season Beckett joined Gibson, Koufax, Ford and Schilling as one of the all-time great postseason pitchers.‚  The news swirling out of Boston is that Beckett won’t pitch until Game 3 at the earliest due to an oblique strain.‚  Will he go and how effective will he be?

C.C. Sabbathia

Three games on short rest, three wins to send the Brewers into the postseason since 1982 and the first time as a National League club.‚  How much farther is he going to carry the team?‚  The word here in the Brew City is that the Crew was planning on going with a one-man rotation in the play-offs, then realized that would not be right because with just one pitcher, there isn’t any rotating.‚  He’s even going to throw during the day to prevent tightness from setting in.‚ 

Manny Being Manny

Manny might be the best deadline deal ever.‚  Factor in that he’s one of the best postseason hitters of all-time, the Cubs are going to have their hands full trying to get him out.‚  Can he carry the Dodgers to a Hollywood ending, complete with himself, Nomar, Derek Lowe and Joe Torre sitting in the visiting dugout at Fenway?‚ 

A-Rod

Will A-Rod be able to break his 0-220 playoff slump to send Yankee Stadium out in style with a World Series win? ‚ No.

White Heat

It took the White Sox 163 games to make the playoffs.‚  Will they ride the energy through the Rays or did they spend it all getting to Tampa?‚  The pitching isn’t bad and the team loves the longball.‚  After years in Cincinnati, Ken Griffey Jr. is finally playing in October again. But for long?‚ 

New Kids on the Block

If the Rays sold their souls to the Devil, why didn’t he insist they keep his name?‚  This team never had a winning record until this year-when they won the AL East.‚  The Rays have their youth, the favorite for Manager of the Year, a considerable homefield (or home-can) advantage and little to lose.‚  They don’t have “playoff experience” but they also don’t have experience losing playoff games, and that might be worth the most of all.

The Storyline That TBS and FOX Will Beat to DEATH

One of four teams to return to the postseason, the Phillies were swept by the Rockies who were one of the hottest teams ever … until they were swept out of the World Series.‚  The Phillies again took the NL East after an amazin’ collapse by their rival and earned a first-round date with the Brewers.‚  Will Jamie Moyer and C.C. face each other in the most-opposite matchup between two left-handers in postseason history?‚  Will fans in Philly hold off on the “Let’s go Eagles” chants for a‚  few more weeks?‚ 

The Obvious

The Red Sox did it.‚  The White Sox did it a year later.‚  Now, will the Cubs finally shake their demons or will April on Addison be more like the past 100?‚  This is their best chance as they have pitchers with functioning rotator cuffs and an all-around potent offense.‚  Some credit Lou Piniella (he won the 1990 World Series with the “Nasty Boys”).‚  Some will point out the 2001 season in which Piniella’s Mariners won 116 games and were bounced out of play-offs in the first round.‚  Some will also bring up the 1995 and 1997 Mariners but that would just be cruel.‚ 

For the Record

As a fan, I can’t and won’t pick against the Red Sox so they’re my choice to win it all after beating the Rays in war of an ALCS.‚  As much as we’d all like to see a re-match of the 1918 World Series, I’m honestly feeling Dodgers over Brewers in the NL.

As Sunday marks the last game in the House that Ruth Built, Upper Deck posts a fitting tribute to one of the most legendary, beloved and despised sporting arena in American history with a 6,000+ baseball card set detailing every game very played at Yankee Stadium.

“As the wrecking balls ready themselves to start demolishing the old site, the Upper Deck Company has released the largest baseball trading card set ever assembled in tribute to the world-renowned sports shrine. The “Yankee Stadium Legacy” (YSL) collection is a 6,661-card compilation,” the company said in a statement this week. “It began its official debut in February by being inserted in random packs of Upper Deck’s 2008 Series 1 Baseball release. Since then, seven of the nine additional Upper Deck baseball launches including YSL insert cards have packed out.”

With the old Yankee Stadium playing out its last regular season this week, Upper Deck decided it was a great opportunity to acknowledge the incredible history and happenings that have occurred at Yankee Stadium since its doors opened in 1923. Besides chronicling 85 seasons’ worth of Yankees home games, this enormous compilation also includes some of the most famous sporting events that have taken place at Yankee Stadium including: legendary Notre Dame Football coach Knute Rockne’s famous “Win one for the Gipper” halftime speech inside the Yankees locker room (Nov. 10, 1928); the then-Baltimore Colts’ 23-17 overtime victory against the New York Giants in the NFL Championship game, which is often referred to as “the greatest game ever played” (Dec. 28, 1958); and Muhammad Ali’s title defense against Ken Norton (Sept. 28, 1976).‚ 

“Not only is this an ambitious effort by our Product Development Team, but it’s a timely tribute to one of the sporting world’s most celebrated franchises ever, ” said Kerri Stockholm, Upper Deck’s director of sports marketing. “And we packed the cards out in a very unique way as we decided to insert them inside of ten different Upper Deck baseball product launches during the course of the year, giving collectors everywhere a chance to share in the tribute.”

The card set has its own website‚ that includes message boards where collectors can share their personal Yankee stories. There is also a comprehensive YSL Checklist, which shows all 6,661 game cards within the set as well as seven “miscellaneous events” cards from Yankee Stadium’s glorious past that Upper Deck has included.

We’re curious about this one. If you somehow have assembled the entire or close to the entire set, contact us and tell us about it!

The Boston Red Sox acquired right-handed starter Paul Byrd from the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named and/or cash considerations.

He had not expected to be moved.

“I was kind of ambushed,” Byrd told MLB.com. “It kind of was a surprise to me and an emotional moment.”

“So, as he cleaned out his locker with the help of a clubhouse attendant, Byrd grabbed a pair of blue socks — the same socks he had worn in arguably the four best consecutive starts of his 14-year career — and wondered aloud if he should take the lucky pair with him,” wrote MLB.com’s Andrew Gribble.

Time to try a red pair, Paul.

Boston will pay about Byrd about $2 million — the balance of this year’s $7.5 million salary.

Despite being 7-10 this year, Byrd has been on a tear recently, winning four starts in a row with an ERA of 1.24. He’s been arguably the best pitcher in the American League since the All-Star break. He won 15 games last year, plus a win in Game 4 of the AL Divisional Series against the Yankees.

Byrd did admit during the ALCS against the Sox last year, that he had used human-growth hormone.

Red Sox struggling youngster Clay Buchholz lost his job in the rotation and may be headed for AAA Pawtucket.

Chris DeMatteo, one of the original Blast launch issue staffers, weighs in on the Manny Ramirez trade.

Friends, readers, websurfers, lend me your eyes.  I write to bury Manny, not to praise him.  His legacy in Boston will live after him.  A legacy that includes two World Series titles and a series MVP. 

I have been a Red Sox fan my entire life and a Manny Ramirez fan since before he arrived in Boston.  I will continue to be a Manny fan through his tenure with the Dodgers and wherever he goes and finishes his career.  I am not saying “good riddance,” but I am not denouncing the trade and I am not condoning his recent behavior. 

As a writer and a fan, I believe that Manny Ramirez represents the best and the worst in baseball.  He plays like a god but always reminds us that he is human.  Although this has become a trade deadline tradition, I spent much of today awaiting the news.  If Manny stayed with the Red Sox, I probably would have titled this column “Mo’ Manny, Mo’ Problems” and speculated on what would and should happen for the rest of the season.  For better or worse, the Manny Era for the Red Sox is over.  For better or worse, the Manny Era for baseball is far from it.

“Manny Being Manny.”  We have heard it, read it and quite possibly said it, but have we really thought about it?  Manny has been decried as a “man-child” and an “idiot savant of hitting.”  He has also-and accurately-been called the greatest hitter of his generation and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. 

In recent days he has been called “spoiled,” “bratty,” “whiny,” “insulting.”  He is portrayed as a clown, a slacker who is able to get by on his natural talent of hitting and not always try his hardest.  His teammates however, tell a different story.  They have said in the past that no one works harder in the cages than Manny (Julio Lugo recently said that Manny is the first one to the park).  They say that he has an aggressive personal workout.  They have said, for the most part and that may change now that he is no longer with them, that he is a great teammate in the clubhouse.  Manny Ramirez is not a man-child, brat or savant.  He is an enigma.  He is a baseball player.  We mortals cannot comprehend how someone can be so good at anything.  We cannot comprehend the money he makes.  We cannot understand him. 

Major League baseball is not the pure, innocent game that father and son enjoyed so idyllically at the start and end of “The Natural.”  There are big bucks and big egos.  We have seen drugs, gambling and cheating tarnish our game.  We also see tremendous talent and amazing games.  Baseball is a game.  Major League baseball is a business on both sides-the owners and players-and we have the strikes, disputes and contracts to prove it.  Manny’s departure comes in the wake of what has been called his annual “tantrum.” 

This is not the first time he has asked out of Boston nor is it the first time Theo Epstein and management tried to trade him.  (Before the 2004 season, he was placed on irrevocable waivers and was then tentatively traded for A-Rod).  This season was the last of the eight-year contract he signed with the Red Sox but the team had two $20 million options for 2009 and 2010.  While Manny did say at the start of the season that he hoped his options were exercised and that he wanted to finish his career with the Red Sox, he apparently changed his mind and decided he wanted to become a free agent.  There is nothing wrong with trying the open-market.  Now-former teammate J.D. Drew hit payday when he opted out of his contract to sign with the Red Sox for $75 million over five years.  His New York counterpart Alex Rodriguez opted out of his contract only to re-up with the Yankees for more years.  Manny wants to play more than two years and wants a longer contract.  I would hardly call it greed.  The league and owners make billions-it is only fair that their workers who help them earn their fortunes be paid what they are worth. 

While Manny without question dug his own hole, none more than this week, I do feel he was unfairly vilified by the media-both national and local.  Maybe it is because he did not talk to them.  Maybe not.  He is far from the first or the only player to do the things he did and even worse things. 

Manny never fell out of shape, went to another team, demanded a trade to a World Series winner so he could win a ring, sign a contract that allows him special travel privileges, play only half a season, then audition his suitor teams like he was on a dating show.  If he did, would his team’s radio announcer lose it on the air?

Manny has never been linked to steroids or any other performance enhancer.  He did not have any abnormal spikes in homeruns (his 1998 total was actually below what he hit most other years) nor did he suffer a mysterious drop after the league’s new testing policy took effect.  If Manny did admit to taking steroids, would growing a mustache make everything better again?

Manny’s trade was not caused by a feud he had with a teammate.  If that did happen, which player would go to Miami? 

Manny never gambled, corked his bat or ripped his teammates (note the word teammates and not team or management) in the media.  

There are different rules for different people.  Manny was always given a lot of leeway because of his talent.  Whether it was ducking into the Green Monster during a mound conference, not running out groundballs, watching and celebrating homeruns, showing up late to spring training, taking time off, demanding trades or any of his other antics, Manny lived above the law.  The elite do.  Manny’s incident with the team’s traveling secretary in Houston is reprehensible.  Unfortunately, unlike what another Boston writer said at the time, that what Manny did would not earn him an arrest if he were not a baseball player, is not true.  Manny is an elite player-he can only be compared to other elites.  Elite lawyers, surgeons, politicians, scientists, musicians?  It is doubtful one of them would have been punished for pushing one of his or her organization’s employees.  If you are that good, you can get away with a lot.  It is the same in every sport.  Who is to blame?  Everyone. 

Because we cannot comprehend the immense talent or the money that it deserves, we fall in love with the so-called “lunchpail” players like Trot Nixon, Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek.  While they are still far better at baseball and far richer than we are, we still think they are like us and love that they had to work hard.  The truth is that they are also blessed with amazing talent as much as superstars like Manny do in fact work hard.  In life as in baseball, getting one’s uniform dirty only goes so far.  Talent and performance ultimately win out. 

While Manny at his worst represents the worst in baseball, when he is at his best, there is nothing better in or about the game.  As much as we have seen his business side, we have seen him at his playful side.  We saw him having fun and making the game fun.  Although it was only in 2007, one of my favorite Manny moments was his homerun off K-Rod in the Division Series against the Angels.  As soon as he hit the ball, Manny raised his arms and the ball soared into the sky to win the game for the Red Sox.  In the ALCS against the Indians, Manny did the same thing when he hit a homerun even though his team was still down three runs and lost the game.  That was Manny being Manny: he went up there doing what he always did-hit.  He hit and he hit it far and that was what he celebrated.  For that moment in time, it wasn’t about the money, management or even winning.  It was about hitting.  When the Red Sox fell down 3-1 in that series, Manny drew ire when he said that it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if the Red Sox lost.  He was right.  As much as it pains the players and fans, there are far worse things in the world than losing a baseball game or a play-off series.  If only more people knew that.  Then the Red Sox came out playing loose, came back and won the series four games to three.  All because Manny was what he was, a baseball player, doing what he did best, hit.  There is nothing better than watching Manny hit.  It is the other things he does that cause issue. 

Manny will be remembered for a lot in his career, especially in his almost-eight years in Boston.  He will be remembered for his great moments, his funny moments and unfortunately, his departure.  The Red Sox won two titles in his eight years and those will go a long way in healing wounds.  Only time will tell how they do without him.  I wish he could have stayed and more importantly, I wish he wanted to stay.  He will return to Fenway.  If not as a Dodger in the World Series or interleague play or with another team during the season, then as a Hall of Famer when 24 is hoisted over right field near the worthy company of 1,4,9,8,27,42 and, by then, hopefully 14.  Until then, I’m surely going to miss him.

After years of Manny Ramirez trade rumors on deadline day, one finally went through.  The Red Sox sent Manny to the Dodgers, relief pitcher Craig Hansen and outfielder Brandon Moss to the Pirates, and received leftfielder Jason Bay from the Pirates.  The Dodgers sent the Pirates third baseman Andy LaRoche and pitcher Bryan Morris. 

This was as good a deal for the Red Sox as there could be in giving up one of the best hitters in the game and the best on their team.  It was a great deal for the Dodgers.  For the Pirates, maybe it will eventually make them a buyer at deadline day. 

Jason Bay will step right into leftfield for the Red Sox although he might not fill Manny’s cleanup spot in the batting order just yet.  Francona is very good at integrating players into a lineup and he may very well bat Kevin Youkilis or Mike Lowell fourth and Bay lower until he feels he is comfortable in the lineup.  Bay is not the hitter that Manny is (although his numbers this year are close).  He is however a better outfielder and baserunner (he can steal bases), younger, cheaper and definitely less of a distraction.  His runs and RBI will likely increase in the more-potent Red Sox lineup.  He does have the power that is needed to fill the Manny void.  Most importantly, he is under contract for only $7.5 million next year and may be locked into a long-term deal if he impresses this season and next.  Not to mention, he is a right-handed power hitter playing in Fenway.

Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss can hardly be considered losses.  Hansen has a live arm and high hopes but has yet to deliver for the Red Sox.  To his credit he was rushed, but still, he has had difficulty in pressure situations and when you are on a perennial contender, every relief situation is a pressure situation.  Now the Red Sox will not have the option to use him and that may in fact make their bullpen better.  He will probably do well in Pittsburgh.  Moss is a solid outfielder but he was never going to play regularly in Boston.  He does not have the power to take over for Manny in left, will not play center with Jacoby Ellsbury likely a fixture and will not supplant J.D. Drew in right.  For the Red Sox he was at best a fourth outfielder.  He can be an everyday player for a smaller team and may very well step up like former Pawtucket teammate David Murphy (who was traded to the Rangers with Kason Gabbard for Eric Gagne last year).  He was nothing more than a trade chip and now will benefit by receiving more playing time. 

Manny is one of the best hitters in baseball.  He will definitely help the Dodgers and will still hit homeruns in a more-spacious Dodger Stadium.  His defensive liabilities will show more but great hitting beats weak defense every time.  A new environment will also contribute to what will likely be a tear in August and September.  Manny always hits but he hits better when he’s happy and he should be happy in California.  The Dodgers are also a better landing spot than the Marlins.  There are more veterans-including former teammates Nomar and Derek Lowe-and a manager, former foe Joe Torre, who knows how to deal with larger-than-life players.  Moreover, the Dodgers are a big-market team that can afford to sign Manny when he becomes a free agent.  On top of that the Red Sox are paying the rest of his salary this year.  Despite the crowded outfield situation at Chavez Ravine, Manny will not be sharing time with anyone.

Andy LaRoche has played only a little in the majors but has shown he can get on base and may develop power.  In Pittsburgh, he will be able to play across the infield from his brother Adam who is the Bucs’ first baseman, currently on the DL. 

Bryan Morris is a 21-year old right-hander who has only played in the minors but is doing well in A-ball after missing last season due to Tommy John Surgery.  He was the Dodgers’ first-round pick in the 2006 draft and is considered a good prospect. 

Although trading Ramirez was a pressing need, it is hard to say that the Red Sox are better, mostly because they are not.  It is possible that the trade will inject some much-needed energy into an underperforming team but with a roster of veterans and professionals such as Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek, it is doubtful Manny’s antics were responsible for its woes.  The trade failed to address the bullpen and catching situation which are both pressing needs this year and next.  Still, a waiver deal or call-up can rectify the pitching situation.  Justin Masterson is already in the pen and the team may call up Michael Bowden.  If Bartolo Colon comes back, Clay Buchholz may be moved to relief duty where he might even be more effective.  While the Red Sox are paying the rest of Manny’s salary this year, it is only money. 

The Pirates have traded away their best players the past few weeks and have gotten even younger.  While the moves signify rebuilding, it must be stated that the Pirates have been “rebuilding” for years.  Maybe they will be buyers at the deadline.  One would think that if they had this much talent to trade away, they would have enough to use and augment with a trade for a veteran in their own stretch run.

Sony put out a pretty good product in MLB 08 The Show, but that’s the problem.

Great visuals, good player models and “little thing” movements like head nods and celebrations. Pitching is superb, with the catcher calling out which pitch he wants and where he wants it. Fielding feels natural. There’s a deep career mode that goes form spring training, to the minors, to hopefully a big career in the pros.

But every video game baseball title has built on that since the 90s. They’ve all captured faces, swings, and pitch styles. They’ve all done pitching well (though The Show does stick out in this realm).

I want more than this.

MLB 08 The Show is really enjoyable, addictive, realistic and detailed, but I’ll sum up my complaints like this:

There’s a deep minor league system, where your player starts out at the bottom of the barrel and has to work his way up by training in drills and performing well in games. But the game doesn’t include any actual minor league stadiums, just generics. You also can’t “do” anything to make your player better. The “drills” and “practice sessions” are really just big point screens where you spend reward points that you earn based on game performance. There’s no skill. Play a game, spend points. Play a game, spend points.

I want to start out as a young draft pick, maybe go through the Cape Cod league, throw some bullpen sessions with a veteran coach in Rookie League. Warm up in the bullpen during a Single-A game. Throw warm-up pitches at the start of the inning and perform better or worse based on my warm-ups. You can’t do any of that in this game.

There’s also no coaching in the game. Your only interactions with the unseen team manager come from emails he sends you or virtual conversations you have where you can complain about playing time or ask to be traded – but you never actually “do” any of this. It’s all simulated and displayed as text.

I know what it means to be asking for so much more – but at least the AAA stadiums would be a nice touch. And put the coaches in the game for Christ’s sake. Playing the career mode is amazingly repetitive as it stands. I don’t feel like I’m really part of the experience, just along for the ride.

Exhibition mode is a good bet – there’s a great arcade feel to the gameplay. Batting can be a bitch though. Just learn how to time it correctly.

Overall, MLB 08 is a visually appealing high-def title with just enough holes to keep consumers buying it year after year. 

Rich Rieker, who serves as a liaison between MLB and its umpires, said in a recent chat on the Houston Chronicle’s website that replay is coming to baseball.

“Replay is coming,” Rieker said. “If done properly we have an opportunity to set the gold standard in replay, learning from pros and cons from other sports. But we must do so in a fashion that will not delay the game further.”

MLB is currently making tentative plans to experiment with replay in the Arizona Fall League.

“The times are such that our fans are used to seeing all the high technology and they’re used to seeing the other sports that use these systems to make determinations, and the fans are clamoring for all the sports to look at that,” said Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB’s executive vice president for baseball operations.

Rieker was asked in his chat if the plate umpire would be the one to do the reviewing, and he didn’t think so.

“Probably not,” he wrote. “Use of a possible replay official could come into play and we really don’t want to take the umpires off the field to look at replays. Replay could slow down the game, but it could also eliminate unnecessary arguments. So there might be a canceling effect. But surely, there will be some delay.”

ESPN.com points out several instances that could have used replay:

• At Yankee Stadium, umpires reversed their correct call and concluded a home run by the Mets’ Carlos Delgado was foul.

• The following night in Houston, umpires mistakenly ruled a ball off a center-field wall was in play, prompting a reconfiguration at Minute Maid Park the next day.

• And, again at Yankee Stadium, a ball hit by Alex Rodriguez that struck a stairway beyond the outfield fence and bounced back into the outfield was ruled a double when it should have been a home run.

From our Off the Record blog:

Talk about something you never hear from anyone within the Yankees organization. Hank Steinbrenner actually said the Yankees will eventually get everything straightened out, even if it means doing so next year.

“We’ll get this fixed,” he said. “If not this year, then next year.”

Wow! No one with a payroll as high as the Yanks should ever say something like that in mid-May. We’ll be watching any upcoming moves by the Yankees to see if they do indeed reflect “next year.”

Professional sports teams continue to replace antiquated stadiums with modern, awe-inspiring facilities, designed to attract more fans, bigger sponsors and better players. Yet, there remain several historical structures that regularly accommodate scores of cheering crowds.

One of the greatest rivalries in all of sports is between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. And two of the most legendary parks in baseball belong to these teams in Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium.

This year, the Bronx Bombers play their final season in Yankee Stadium. The building served as home to players like Ruth, Mantle and DiMaggio and decisive championship moments forever etched in our memories. Like them or hate them, the Yankees’ home is one of the most storied ballparks in America.

So why is Yankee Stadium being torn down to be replaced by a new park? What pressures did the owners succumb to? Or what financial benefit do they see in the move? And, in that case, why are the Red Sox not following with their own new stadium?

There are six main ways baseball teams generate revenue: corporate sponsorships, luxury box sales, general ticket sales, concessions, local television contracts and merchandise.

Let’s compare Fenway Park to the new Yankee Stadium and see which team is mostly likely to have the strongest financial performance in each category.

Corporate Sponsorships: Even

The Red Sox and the Yankees are the most popular teams in baseball and both national and local companies are looking to sponsor with these clubs. Companies will line up to partner with these two teams, regardless of where they play. Revenues are strong for both clubs in this category.

Luxury Box Sales: Yankees

The new Yankee Stadium will contain three times as many luxury boxes as the current venue, far surpassing comparable boxes in Fenway Park. The Yankees are building more boxes at the expense of regular seats because the revenue from each box is larger and more consistent. The boxes will sell out and the Yankees will collect revenue whether or not the ticket-holders show up.

General Ticket Sales: Red Sox

The Red Sox have one of the smallest seating capacities of any MLB stadium, while the Yankees have and will have one of baseball’s larger venues. At first glance, it would appear that this is a win for the Yankees, but it may not be. Seats do not generate revenue; people in those seats account for ticket volume and the amount they pay for those seats drives ticket revenue.

Entering the 2008 season, the Red Sox sold out 388 consecutive games-a trend that does not appear to be ending any time soon. The Bombers do not always sell out. They do fill all the seats during big games and weekends, but typically leave thousands of seats empty during weekday contests.

The Red Sox also have the highest ticket prices in baseball and will be raising tickets an additional 9 percent for the 2008 season, according to the Boston Globe. How can the Red Sox charge so much? It is a matter of supply and demand, or scarcity as CNN Money refers to baseball ticket sales.

A team like the Yankees knows it will not sell out every game and therefore must keep prices lower to encourage those price-sensitive fans to come to a mid-week game. The Yankees are controlled by the supply, meaning that in order to optimize revenue, they can only charge as much as the last person is willing to pay.

The Red Sox, on the contrary, have a surplus demand. With more people willing to pay for every game than seats are available, the Red Sox can continue to raise prices until exactly the same amount of people are willing to pay the premium price as there are seats in the stadium. (This is not entirely true because tickets for sporting events and concerts are kept artificially low to allow more people the opportunity to afford the tickets).

Therefore, what revenues the Yankees generate from high ticket sales, the Red Sox match and will arguably surpass with revenues from higher ticket prices.

Concessions: Yankees

The Red Sox charge more for ticket prices, but a team can only charge so much for a beer and a hot dog before fans say “enough” and do not to eat at the game. Since prices are even, concession sales are then dependant primarily on attendance volume. This benefits the Yankees who have a larger stadium and will have more people to potentially purchase concessions.

Local Media Revenue: Yankees

The Yankees received more than $91 million in local media contracts, including $67 million from the YES Network to broadcast games on television, Forbes.com reports. While the organization will not keep all of that money due to the league’s revenue sharing agreements, they still retain a significant share.

The Bronx Bombers benefit from a larger market, as the New York metropolitan region is by far, the most populous in the country. The Yankees also have a higher net worth than the Red Sox and can demand larger contracts. While the Yankees and Red Sox have roughly equal numbers of national fans, the fact that more people live in the New York area benefits the Yankees.

Merchandise Sales: Red Sox

Unfortunately, no census is taken of all Yankees fans and Red Sox fans. ESPN reports that since winning the first of two World Series championships in the past four years, Red Sox merchandise sales have skyrocketed. Sales from Sox and Yankees gear account for more than half of all MLB merchandise revenue. USA Today reports, that when on the road, attendance at the opposing ballparks is about 1,300 fans more when the Red Sox are in town than the Yankees.

There are several other reasons why I give the edge to the Red Sox. First, international sales should be up for the Sox. The New York squad has better name recognition, but the Sox have won the Series more recently and played a pair of games in Japan to begin the season. Second, the Red Sox are not involved in the steroid controversy. Roger Clemens’ jerseys are not flying off the shelves this spring.

The Verdict?

Both teams have a distinct business strategy and both are positioned to perform very well.

The Red Sox, by not building a new stadium and leveraging Fenway’s small seating capacity to produce more ticket revenue, are positioned to yield higher profits and retain more of their earnings.

The Yankees are growing their revenues, but also are incurring costs of higher player salaries and financing a new stadium. They have positioned themselves to generate higher overall revenue to supplement their costs. Each strategy compliments the team’s business model.

Regardless of where they play, the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry will continue, escalating with the advent of October. Yankees fans will learn to love their new stadium and Red Sox fans will continue to fill every seat of every game at Fenway Park. A baseball stadium is, after all, is more than a home-it is the soul of a team and its fans.

One of my all time favorite PC sports games was High Heat Baseball 1999. It was behind its time and had sub par graphics, but it was a smooth playing game that was insanely customizable. It had replaceable graphics, importable stadiums (real Citgo sign for Fenway) and custom sound effects and player musical anthems you could add.

Around 1995, well before my High Heat days, I played hours and hours and hours of Hardball baseball. One of the first CD-ROM’s I ever owned — which came with my first 4X CD-ROM drive — was an Accolade game compilation that contained Hardball, Unnecessary Roughness football and Jack Nicklaus golf.

Hardball never had awesome graphics, but it, like many other PC sports games, especially at that time, was game you could truly make your own. You could add players, change teams, add yourself and your friends, add legendary players and change everyone’s skills accordingly.

The March 1996 edition of Computer Gaming World Extra, the free CD that came with issue 140 of the magazine, contains a demo of Hardball 5 as well as CRY.SYS, Space Bucks, 11th Hour, Age of Rifles, Fulltilt! Pinball, Heroes of Might and Magic, NCAA College Basketball and FPS Football 96 packed into a disc with patches, a comic strip and the obligatory AOL installation. It was a very typical magazine CD back then.

The Hardball series itself has been around since 1985, when Accolade put it on Commodore 64. It later ended up on Apple II, Apple IIGS, Macintosh, the Atari 8-bit family, Atari ST, Amiga, MSX, ZX Spectrum, PC (DOS in CGA and EGA), and eventually the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, and Sony PlayStation — if you believe Wikipedia.

Hardball 5 is one of the highest-rated PC baseball games ever made. Gamespot’s Hugh Foster called it “the most playable baseball sim on the shelves today,” in an early review.

It was also one of Accolade’s late titles before the Infogrames took over in 1999. Accolade is responsible for the Test Drive, Deadlock, Bubsy, Brett Hull Hockey, Barkley: Shut Up and Jam (AWESOME Genesis title) and Star Control gaming franchises among many others.

Download the Hardball 5 demo free from Blast Magazine

As you probably know, Roger Clemens is under investigation in the baseball performance enhancing drug scandal.

Every media outlet in every direction is analyzing quotes and the he-said, she-said and trying to figure out who is telling the truth and who isn’t.

I’m not here to do that.

I believe he’s guilty of getting his ass injected with something illegal, and I’m just going to assume he’s lying to Congress.

For four hours and 41 minutes on Wednesday, Clemens did himself no favors. Actually, he hasn’t been helping his case to remain a free American since he started denying steroid allegations to the government. It’s one thing to tell the New York Daily News that you didn’t take steroids. It’s one thing to tell your friends. It’s one thing to tell ESPN. However, Mr. Clemens, it is an entirely different issue to lie to Congress. They tend to frown upon that.

Lying to the public may not get you into the Hall of Fame and you may lose some/all endorsements, but it doesn’t get you thrown in jail. It’s bad news when a congressman feels compelled to tell you he thinks you are full of it.

“It’s hard to believe you, Sir,” Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) said. “I hate to say that. You’re one of my heroes, but itts hard to believe you.”

Remember this is coming from someone who listens to B.S. all day every day.

Chris Webber found himself in a similar situation years ago when he had to testify under oath about possible NCAA violations. It’s not worth it to lie to Congress about a criminal or minor criminal act. Who cares if the University of Michigan can’t get top recruits for a few years? Who cares if your autographed baseballs aren’t worth as much anymore?

Are those things desirable? No, but they also are a great alternative to jail. Clemens is now putting himself in a situation where he could possibly could lose his freedom. His ego and they-can-never-touch me attitude has finally gotten the best of him.

I had a chance to preview MLB Production’s official 2007 World Series Film narrated by superstar and devout Sox fan Matt Damon.

I never, ever get enough of watching the Red Sox win. After living for years under the shadow of my entire Yankee-loving family, I’ve acquired a library of books, posters and DVD’s from all things 2004 and 2007.

The 90 minute special premiere in high-def on the MOJO HD channel January 10, and here’s how they sum it all up:

The film captures all the drama as the Red Sox overcame a three game to one deficit versus the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS to secure a berth in the World Series. They then faced the red hot Colorado Rockies who had won 21 of their last 22 games and became the second team ever to win their first seven games in a postseason. With original game broadcast footage plusoff-the-field candid moments with players and coaches inside the dugout and the clubhouse, viewers can relive Boston’s amazing four game sweep for their second World Series championship in the last four years, including their exuberant clubhouse celebration.

The film includes Dustin Pedroia’s lead off home run and the back-to-back-to-back home runs of Youkilis, Ortiz and Ramirez — first time in World Series history. They also highlight J.D. Drew’s breakout grand slam, Jacoby Ellsbury’s emergence as a star-calibur player, and Mike Lowell’s MVP performance.

I really liked that they also included scenes from the victory parade, which I was front-row for.

The 2007 team was something special, like the 2004 team, they came back from the brink in the ALCS. Then they outright swept the World Series. They just wanted it more, and they have a nation of fans behind them.

You also have to give MLB Productions credit for telling the story of the 2007 Colorado Rockies also. They were basically out of it, but they seemed to win every game in the last month of the season to somehow make the playoffs — 13 wins in 14 games and a win in a one-game playoff against the San Diego Padres that took 13 innings, where they were down two runs in the top of the 13th, against the all-time saves leader, only to come back and win. Then they swept Philadelphia; then they swept Arizona. They easily could have been the story of the year.

Living in Boston, I’ve had a chance to see some amazing sports moments over the last five years — football, baseball, hopefully basketball this year. This film is another chance to take an closeup look at the team and the story.

The 2007 World Series Film will re-air January 23 at 9:30 p.m.

The long-awaited Mitchell report, telling the tale of a decade of steroids and performance enhancing substances in professional baseball, has been released.

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada, Fernando Vina and Andy Pettitte are named in the report. Eric Gagne and Paul Lo Duca are linked to human growth hormone. More played are named in what the Associated Press is calling “baseball’s most infamous lineup since the Black Sox scandal.”

Former Senator George Mitchell delivered a cross-check to baseball, and went on the offensive against the players’ union especially:

“The Players Association was largely uncooperative,” he said

1. It rejected totally my requests for relevant documents.
2. It permitted one interview with its executive director, Donald Fehr; my request for an interview with its chief operating officer, Gene Orza, wasrefused.
3. It refused my request to interview the director of the Montreal laboratory that analyzes drug tests under baseball’s drug program but permitted her to provide me with a letter addressing a limited number of issues.
4. I sent a memorandum to every active player in Major League Baseball encouraging each player to contact me or my staff if he had any relevant information. The Players Association sent out a companion memorandum that effectively discouraged players from cooperating. Not one player contacted me in response to my memorandum.
5. I received allegations of the illegal possession or use of performance enhancing substances by a number of current players. Through their representative, the Players
   Association, I asked each of them to meet with me so that I could provide them with information about the allegations and give them a chance to respond. Almost without exception they declined to meet or talk with me.

The illegal use of performance enhancing substances poses a serious threat to the integrity of the game. Widespread use by players of such substances unfairly disadvantages the
honest athletes who refuse to use them and raises questions about the validity of baseball records. In addition, because they are breaking the law, users of these substances are vulnerable to drug dealers who might seek to exploit their knowledge through threats intended to affect the outcome of baseball games or otherwise.

Players also named include: Chuck Knoblauch, Jason Grimsley, Gregg Zaun, David Justice, F.P. Santangelo, Glenallen Hill, Mo Vaughn, Denny Neagle, Ron Villone, Ryan Franklin, Chris Donnels, Todd Williams, Phil Hiatt, Todd Pratt, Kevin Young, Mike Lansing, 10-year minor league catcher Cody McKay, Kent Mercker, Adam Piatt, Jason Christiansen, Mike Stanton, Stephen Randolph, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Adam Riggs, Bart Miadich, Kevin Brown, Mike Bell, Matt Herges, Gary Bennett, Jr., Jim Parque, Brendan Donnelly, Chad Allen, Jeff Williams, Howie Clark, Marvin Benard, Jeremy Giambi, Jason Giambi, Benito Santiago, Gary Sheffield, Randy Velarde and Nook Logan.

Several other players were named because published news reports indicated possible substance use including:

Rick Ankiel — “On December 6, 2007, the Commissioner’s Office announced that there was insufficient evidence of a violation of the joint program in effect at the time of the
conduct in question to warrant discipline of Ankiel.”

David Bell — “Neither I nor any member of my investigative staff had any prior knowledge of any allegation about Bell.”

Paul Byrd — “Byrd admitted that he had been taking human growth hormone but said that he had been using it to treat a tumor on his pituitary gland.”

Jay Gibbons — “I am deeply sorry for the mistakes that I have made. I have no excuses and bear sole responsibility for my decisions. Years ago, I relied on the advice of a doctor, filled a prescription, charged the HGH, which is a medication, to my credit card and had only intended to help speed my recovery from my injuries and surgeries.”

Troy Glaus — “On December 6, 2007, the Commissioner’s Office announced that there was insufficient evidence of a violation of the joint program in effect at the time of the conduct in question to warrant discipline of Glaus.”

Jose Guillen — “On December 6, 2007, the Commissioner’s Office announced a 15-day suspension of Guillen for violation of the joint drug program, to take effect at the start of the 2008 season.”

John Rocker — “Rocker initially denied the allegations, but his spokesperson later reportedly said that Rocker had been prescribed human growth hormone in connection with shoulder surgery”

Scott Schoeneweis — On December 6, 2007, the Commissioner’s Office announced that there was insufficient evidence of a violation of the joint program in effect at the time of the conduct in question to warrant discipline of Schoeneweis.

ESPN has a full categorized list on their website.

The report largely centers around the cooperation of two men including Kirk Radomski, a former Mets employee, who said he supplied several players with performance enhancing drugs. The report includes copies of checks and notes written by athletes to suppliers of the supplements.

Download the Mitchell Report from Blast Magazine.