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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Kevin Neary and Leigh A. Tobin

When I was a young girl, I played Little League softball for 4 years, playing a variety of positions, and even making the All-Star team one year. And while my dad wasn’t my formal coach, (he and my mom did sponsor my team one year, though), many hours were spent with him on the field, or in our backyard, teaching me how to throw and catch and bat. I wasn’t very good, but he was patient and kind, and helped me get better. Those were some of my fondest memories as a child…

Of course, my experiences of playing baseball with my dad are not unique at all. I bet if you ask a 100 people, more than half would tell you that baseball with their dad is a huge part of why they love the game–even today.

And professional baseball players are certainly no different. And that is where Major League Dads comes in.

Inspired by the Little League World Series, and Hall of Famer Gary Carter, who frequently mentioned how his own father coached him for many years, Major League Dads all have one thing in common: They all coached, formally, or informally, their MLB player sons…

On each page or 2, a Major League baseball player shares his memories and experiences with his dad as his coach, and how they shared their love of the sport, and taught them about baseball, how to play better, and to be a great teammate.

One of my favorite stories from the book was the one shared by catcher Johnny Estrada. Despite not being the best, or the fastest, his father instilled in him a strong work ethic, taught him how to switch hit, believe in himself, and supported him all the way to the majors.

Filled with nearly 140 stories, and many photos of players when they were young, this book covers baseball players from modern day superstars such as Roy Halladay and Justin Verlander, to Red Sox favorites such as Mike Lowell, Tim Wakefield and Curt Schilling, to the everyday players like Sam Fuld, Chone Figgins, and Kelly Shoppach, who round out a baseball team. Major League Dads is a beautiful homage to Dad’s and how they shape their children’s lives and a lovely trip down memory lane

With a forward by Terry Francona, who followed his own father’s professional baseball career with one of his own, and available where all good books are sold, Major League Dads is the perfect father’s Day gift for your dad, no matter what team he cheers for–and the perfect thank you for those hours teaching you to love the game of baseball. Check it out!

The Boston Red Sox don’t have ANY of those pitchers anymore. The closest is still Josh Beckett, but I don’t trust him anymore. It’s not that I don’t think he has the stuff anymore, because I do. I think he could still be an ace. I just don’t think he cares anymore–and that is even worse…

Daniel Bard did pretty well yesterday–but the devil is in the details. The TWO balks in the 2nd inning lead to 3 runs being scored, which was bad enough, but he did himself no favors with the 4 walks, and then he got tired in the 8th inning, and was pulled from the game with 2 runners left on base. AND, as these things usually go, the bullpen couldn’t pick him up, and Matt Albers, as he has oh so often in the past, allowed the 2 inherited runners to score, giving Daniel Bard his 4th loss of the year. But at least Alber’s sparkling 1.84 ERA is still intact (YUK)–I actively HATE the whole inherited runner scoring rules as they are currently written…ACTIVELY.

Bard’s line: Throwing 96 pitches, 60 for strikes, he went 7+ innings, giving up 5 runs on 6 hits while striking out 1, AND he threw a wild pitch…

Oh, and in case you were wondering, it’s been 23 years since 2 balks were called in an inning on a Red Sox pitcher, John Dopson did it in June of 1989 against the Tigers…

And Will Middlebrooks, who is STILL hitting the cover off the ball, couldn’t try and save the day (again), as he was pulled in the 2nd inning when his left hamstring tightened up again…

More than likely only 1 more rehab start for Daisuke, and then the Sox have to decide who is going to go in the starting rotation–or at least move somewhere else…His last start, on Monday night was brilliant, throwing a 2 hitter in 4 2/3 innings while walking 3. He only threw 84 pitches, 49 for strikes… His next start for Pawtucket is on Saturday…

And if I had my druthers, the Sox would send That Clay Person to Pawtucket to work his crap out…Probably won’t happen, but it’s a good idea…

And apparently Josh Beckett’s lat is all better, as he threw his bullpen session this week with incident, and is scheduled to make his next start on Thursday against Cleveland. But then again, his arm might be about ready to come off, and he may not tell anyone…

Finally, a moment of silence please, for Red Sox announcer, Carl Beane, who was killed in a car accident in Sturbridge today. Most famously known for his “Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Welcome to Fenway Park”, Beane, 59, has been the voice of Fenway Park since 2003. Godspeed Carl…

Coming up: The rubber match in KC, with Jon Lester taking the mound, opposed by Bruce Chen. You remember him, the Sox wanted to sign him to get them to the postseason during last year’s September collapse–good times! I reallyREALLY hope Lester gets himself together–he is better than this. 1st pitch 8:10pm…

There is also an ongoing debate (which has quieted down in the last few years) about whether or not Ted Williams really wanted to be cryogenically frozen to later be brought back to life if the technology was ever available. His son said yes, his daughter, no.

In Bruce E. Spitzer’s book, Extra Innings, both questions are answered.

It’s 2092, ninety years after Ted’s death, and subsequent freezing, his head has been selected to be re-attached to a donor body, to see if in fact Ted Williams can be brought back to life. The complicated surgery is done by Dr. Elizabeth Miles, a single mother to a young son, Johnnie, and is a complete success.

Ted Williams, who is now 174 years old, has been reborn. And what a world it is. Fenway Park is now Fenway Island, the Boston Red Sox haven’t won a World Series in 60 years, and the Pitcher has been replaced by a Botwinder–a mechanical computerized pitcher who was created to combat the rampant PED use by players. Unfortunately, to keep up with the Botwinders, a drug cocktail was created, perpetuating the vicious cycle.

And the United States is still at war. But now, Afghanistan is an ally, and Pakistan is the enemy…

Regretting the distant relationship with his children, his contentious past with the media, and fans, and his desire to win a World Series, Extra Innings is the story of Ted Williams’ 2nd lease on life (literally) and where his journey takes him.

Expertly researched, and wonderfully written, the story pulls you in from the 1st page, getting you wholly invested in this future world–and it’s a completely believable one. The science and the military aspects of the book are fascinating and intelligent without being too complicated to understand. I was actually sad when the book ended; I felt that I had gotten a private look into the man, myth and legend that was Ted Williams, like getting to know a good friend…

Available where all good books are sold, Extra Innings is the perfect book for the Sci Fi or baseball fan in your life. And if you are a Red Sox or Ted Williams fan, it’s a must read. Because of some of the salty language and adult themes, I would say PG-13 would be a good guideline if you are thinking about it for a young person. Check it out!

UGH…

To be fair, the Aaron Cook debacle was totally not his fault, that wound was NASTY, and 11 stitches, and a DL stint later, he is out of commission for a while…

But what the #@&*^#*&@^# is going on with That Clay Person? To say he sucks, is putting it mildly. Maybe he thought the fan base was missing John Lackey too much and decided to CHANNEL HIM. That’s the only reason I can think of for a legitimate #3 starter to have a 9.09 ERA, and have given up TEN homers in his 6 outings this year.

To wit: When asked if he was feeling OK: “I feel good. If I knew the reason I was giving up runs I’d probably fix it. Gotta figure it out.” All you need is the “For Sure” and you would think you were freaking talking to Lackey…

And let’s look at yesterday’s line: 3.2 innings, throwing 81 pitches, 46 for strikes, Buchholz gave up 5 runs on 7 hits (including THREE homers) while walking and striking out 4 each.

And what about THIS crappy stat: In EVERY last one of his starts this year, 6 in all, That Clay Person has given up AT LEAST five earned runs. It’s my understanding that’s a new record. Well, bully for him!

And let’s not forget the THREE Errors, 2 by Saltalamacchia and Middlebrooks, one of which lead to the extra run which CAUSED all the crappin extra innings nonsense in the first place…

I have NO idea what the Sox are going to do for a bullpen. They don’t have another off-day until May 24th–and after pitching 26 2/3 of the 39 innings this weekend (!!!) How can they possibly not be exhausted???

I must be delirious, because I cannot believe I am saying this: But maybe they should call up Daisuke to pitch a couple of innings tonight–Honestly, could he do any worse than anyone else has?

And truly, the only bright spot in yesterday’s contest was the first career Grand Slam by Will Middlebrooks, tying the score at 5 in the 5th inning. There is no timetable on Kevin Youkilis’ return…

And the Bang-Up Job Award goes to Josh Beckett, who already HAD a lat issue before he pitched a million and 26 pitches last weekend, and didn’t think that kind of info is the stuff his manager might want to know, so he could, oh, I don’t know, NOT have him throw a million and 26 pitches last weekend. Twit…

Holy Hell, I don’t even know what to say anymore. My friend Paul from Boston called me today, and I babbled incoherently for about 15 seconds this afternoon, (which is different from my normal incoherent babbling) before I could actually get anything out. This team is making me speechless…and I HATE THAT…

Coming up: The Sox have a quick road trip, heading to Kansas City for 3, before heading home again. Felix Doubront (who had better pitch a complete game shutout tonight) takes the mound for the Sox, opposed by Jonathan Sanchez. 1st pitch 8:10pm…

The Royals are in even worse shape than the Sox, if that is even possible starting the day at 9-18…Let’s hope that trend continues…