RED SOX GAMES NO LONGER ON WRKO 680 AM EFFECTIVE AUG 26

Effective August 26 2009, ALL Red Sox games will be broadcast on WEEI 850 AM. WEEI announced the change today in what appears to be yet another counter strike against 98.5 The Sports Hub. To quote the great (and I use that sarcastically) Glen Ordway, do you think WEEI 850 AM is ascared of 98.5 The Sports Hub? haha

Most Red Sox games were broadcast on WRKO 680 AM up until the announcement today.

The ratings for 98.5 The Sports Hub have yet to be released but the fact that Red Sox games will now exclusively be broadcast on WEEI 850 AM means they are scared. 98.5 has exclusive broadcasting rights to Bruins and Patriots games and WEEI knows that they are going to lose listeners because of it.

WEEI has masked their fear by saying that the change has been in the works for a while. Supposedly, WRKO 680 AM was disappointing that on the day Michael Jackson died, they cut to a Red Sox game 30 minutes after the announcement. Yea, ok.

Someone has finally challenged WEEI to a fight...and the crazy thing is, WEEI actually feels the need to make changes because of it! OUCH!

SOMETHING FOR RED SOX NATION TO SMILE ABOUT

Baseball is a beautiful thing. Its unscripted drama. And sometimes the story lines sound like something out of an ABC after school special or a bad Disney sports movie.

Paul Byrd hadn't thrown one pitch in the big leagues in 2009. He came into Fenway Park Sunday and threw six scoreless innings. Did I mention that he was pitching against one of best pitchers in the American League. And here are the numbers from Sundays game:

Roy Halladay: 6 Innings pitched, 4 earned runs

Paul Byrd: 6 innings pitched, 0 earned runs

If I had woken up Sunday morning and predicted that these would be the pitching lines, Id have been laughed at. Well, baseball is a beautiful thing and Monday is an off day in Red Sox Nation. So bask in it ya'll. Let's not be negative tommorrow. Paul Byrd pitched a hell of a game. Enjoy it Nation.

TEST RESULTS FROM 2003 LIST WILL BE DESTROYED

According to the Associated Press, federal agents had no right to seize the infamous list of 104 players who failed MLBs drug test in 2003.

And, the test results and samples will be destroyed and prosecutors will not be allowed to use the information.

Translation: We will never know who else was on "the list."

ABOUT THE MASSHOLE SPORTS STORE

Masshole Sports is the home of the funny Red Sox shirt. We are also the home of the original YANKEES FANS SUCK shirt, because lets face it, it’s the Yankees FANS who suck. They are obnoxious, arrogant, rude pricks.

Other funny Red Sox shirts include: “once you go Ortiz, you never go back” “I Touched Peskys Pole” “peace, love, Jeter Sucks” “I Forgive Buckner” “Defrost Ted” “Yooouk” “Pedroia Is Pissa” “Youkilis Is Friggin Awesome” and “Green Monsta”

Click the image below to visit the store:

PEABODY LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM IS DONE!

After losing to Texas and California, the Peabody Little League team is done. They have one more game to play against Kentucky but each team has already been eliminated.

The Peabody Little League team entered the tournament with 17 wins and no losses only to lose their first two games of the tournament by a 24-1 margin including a 14-0 dismantling by the California team. A game that included a 12-run sixth inning by California.

Thanks goodness these kids are kids. If they were a little bit older, they would have also been dismantled by the media.

Thankfully, in Little League the game is just a game…and its only a game. Great job guys. Hope you had a blast.

WHY CANT WE GET PLAYERS LIKE THAT?

John Smoltz struck out nine batters (seven in row) in his Cardinals debut. And Im left wondering, why cant we get players like that?

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Julio Lugo is batting over .300 for the Cardinals right now and has 1 error in 24 games.

WTF is going on? Is it the media in Boston? Dare I ask, is it the fans at Fenway? How is it that two pieces of dead weight leave this town only to become solid contributors in St. Louis?

Maybe Busch Stadium has an easy button. Maybe the negativity in the town really does suck and Boston sports radio is destroying talented players.

Imaging living in a town where the sports talk is all about how badly you suck. You bust your ass and work hard to get better, but for some reason you just cant get it.

Sure, you turn the radio off but all your friends and family listen and call you to tell you that Glen Ordway or Michael Felger (two of the biggest blow hards in this town) are using their airwaves to bash you.

Does that sound like a pleasant work environment? Im going to guess...and just guess...that sports radio in St Louis is a little more friendly than in Boston. And John Smoltz and Julio Lugo are an interesting case study.

JD Drew DOES Have A Pulse!

After being blasted for days on Boston sports talk radio (and Boston sports blogs) for asking to be removed from a game earlier this week, JD Drew went 4 for 4 with two homeruns against the Blue Jays last night.

Sadly, his defining moment as a Red Sox may have come earlier this season when Jacoby Ellsbury stole home and Drew stood emotionless in the batters box.

Actually, I remember the 2007 ALCS when JD Drew hit a grand slam in Game 6 with the Red Sox facing elimination. As he rounded the bases, he had the look of a man who was sitting in the waiting room waiting for his oil change to be over.

I will admit that he is a clutch performer. He has great post season numbers and comes up big in big games. But the man has an unbelievable poker face—one that could probably win him tournaments—but makes it hard to root for him as a ball player.

That felt good. Nothing puts me into a good mood like ripping JD Drew. ahh

College Hockey At Fenway Park On January 8th

The 2010 Winter Classic will be held at Fenway Park on January 1 and the college hockey double header will be on January 8th at Fenway Park.

Boston University and Boston College will play against each other in the at 7:30 and Northeastern University women’s team will host the University of New Hampshire women’s team at 4 p.m.

Public skating at Fenway Park will take place in the week between the Winter Classic and the college hockey doubleheader. Stay tuned for more info about that.

Tickets will go on sale at noon on Sept. 17 and can be bought here: www.tickets.com/fenwayhockey. Tickets are expected to range from $5-90. Not bad for a double header at Fenway Park!

It is expected that the ice (end to end) will be from shallow center field to the home plate. See below. Pretty frickin sweet!

5 Things That Should Make Red Sox Nation Smile

1. The Sox are in the lead for the Wild Card and their biggest threat are the Texas Rangers.

2. Tim Wakefield will be making a rehab start in Pawtucket Saturday

3. Dice K will is aiming at a September 3rd rehab start in Pawtucket

4. When the roster expands on September 1st (from 25 players to 40) the Sox will have no problem keeping Wakefield, Dice K, Tazawa, Buchholz and Penny on the active roster all at the same time. No more juggling the roster and phantom injuries.

5. Also when the roster expands on September 1st, the Sox will be able to bring up the likes of Josh Reddick, Paul Byrd, Chris Woodward and maybe even Michael Bowden and Lars Anderson. The Red Sox depth is an asset that the Rangers and Rays just don’t have.

And if those 5 things don’t make you smile, watch this video of a dog floating:

NESN GIVES FRANK VIOLA A MAKE OVER

Frank Viola was in the NESN booth again last night. He had no #18 gold chain on and no chest hair visible. Wow. Talk about a soul sucking job. They stripped the man of his identity...and he complied. How frickin boring. The next thing you know, they will ask him to work on dropping his New York accent.

Frank Viola in the NESN booth last night:




Frank Viola in the NESN booth last weekend:

JACK CUST TAKES CHEAP SHOT AT RED SOX (and Mitchell Report)

Jack Cust blasted the Mitchell Report, claiming that it intentionally omitted Boston Red Sox players and relied on “a bunch of hearsay.”

Cust is mentioned in the Mitchell Reports. He is said to have had a discussion with Larry Bigbie while the two were in the minors and Cust asked Bigbie if he had ever tried steroids. Bigbie said yes. Cust then said that he had tried steroids as well.

Cust told the Associated Press:

"With all the other stuff going on, with a lot of the guys coming out recently - big-name guys - to me it's kind of funny they spent all that money on the Mitchell Report and a bunch of hearsay and the guy who made all the money off it happened to work for the Red Sox. Were there any Red Sox on the report? How does that happen?"

My question is: Who is Jack Cust? Is that a character out of Dick Tracy or something? Have you ever heard of him? I googled his name and nothing came up. The search engine suggested I search “Jack Cost.” That’s how irrelevant he is.

I checked baseballreference.com and learned that he currently plays for the Oakland As but I couldn’t even find out what position he plays.

Cust went on to say that he has never failed a drug test. To that I say, neither did Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens or Andy Pettite.

Umm..why did I just waste 250 words talking about this guy???

Terry Francona Blasts JD Drew

JD Drew is the anti Kevin Youkilis...the anti Dustin Pedroia...the opposite of a dirt dog. JD Drew is not a gamer. He isnt a "ball player."

The man doesnt have a pulse, never mind a heart. Remember, he was on deck when Jacoby Ellsbury stole home plate. And do you remember how he reacted? He didnt.

Well, Thursday night he ASKED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE GAME. He asked to be removed in the eight inning because his hamstring was sore. That was after Clay Buchholz had been inserted into the game as a pinch runner. When the Red Sox bench was depleted.

Francona said, and Im quoting:

"He [Drew] said to me, I don’t know if I can finish this game. I said, 'Look at the the scorecard. We already put a pitcher into run. That's all we got to do, put somebody out in [expletive] right. It would have been like a circus."

Not only that, but Terry Francona went on to tell the Globe about the situation. Yes, Francona was so pissed that he went to the media and told them what JD Drew did. Now the Boston Globe is reporting that Drew will miss tonights and Tuesdays game.

There was a time when I thought of JD Drew as a modern day Tom Brunansky, Ellis Burks or dare I say Trot Nixon. Now I realize that he is more like a Carl Everett or Jose Offerman. He proved it Thursday night.

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BLAST FROM THE PAST: Frank Viola

Frank Viola was the 26th color comment NESN has used this season. You remember him. He pitched for the Red Sox from 1992 – 1994.

Not only did it sound strange hearing a man with a New York accent in the NESN booth, but he hasn’t changed his style in decades.

He still has the 80s “white man afro” and he still has the 80s mustache.

Heres a picture of Frank Viola in 1988:




Heres Frank Viola in 2009:


I wonder if the #18 gold chain is from the 80s as well.

My Minor League Baseball Experiences This Summer

So I went to a Connecticut Defenders game on Saturday (that’s the double A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) and I swear that the umpire was yelling fuck instead of strike.

Listen:





I went to a Pawtucket Red Sox game a few weeks ago and these two people read their books most of the game. They never even look up:

98.5 The Sports Hub: A SNOOZEFEST

If you need an afternoon nap, simply listen to Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti on 98.5 The Sports Hub in the afternoon.

When 98.5 announced their lineup which includes Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti in the afternoon, Toucher and Rich in the morning and Gary Tanguay and Scott Zolak in the afternoon, I must admit I was excited.

Boston was going to have a new sports talk station to compete with the blow hards at WEEI.

Well, after listen to 98.5 The Sports Hub for one day, I am disappointed. They promised to be the antithesis of WEEI and they are…which is a bad thing. I never thought I would WANT to listen to a bunch of morons talking over each other, but now I realize that it is at least entertaining.

I only hope that 98.5 The Sports Hub can lure talent like Sean Mcdonough, Bob Lobel and maybe even Eddie Andleman. Lord knows he has a HUGE turnout at his hot dog safari every year. If he can get half of that crowd to listen to 98.5 The Sports Hub, then maybe that station will have chance.

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Clay Buchholz: UNLUCKY BASTARD OR A BUST?

Is Clay Buchholz a bust or does he just have worse luck than Jon Gosselin? He is 1-3 on the season with a 4.45 era, ranking him between Brian Bannister (of the Royals) and Scott Baker (of the Twins) among American League pitchers.

I know what youre thinking: between who and who? How did Clay Buchholz, Theo Epsteins boy wonder, end up anywhere near those two in era?

Well in his last two starts, Buchholz has faced Justin Verlander and C Sabathia and the Red Sox were shut out in each of those games.

So is Buchholz just an unlucky guy? Well, you don’t hear elite pitchers in the league talk about how pitching matchups are to blame for their numbers. Time will tell with Buchholz.

I can tell you this, in his personal life, Clay Buchholz is a lucky bastard. He and his girlfriend Lindsay Clubine (a model on Deal Or No Deal) recently got engaged and their wedding is taking place at Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles this November, which is owned by none other than Donald Trump.

I wonder if his Buchholz is getting too “hollywood.” Maybe if he spent as much time working on his change up as he does mingling with celebrities like Lindsay Clubine, Donald Trump and Howie Mandel he’d have an era under 4.

Today I figured I would do some old fashion scrap booking

In case you haven’t seen it enough on ESPN, heres the infamous Kevin Youkilis charging the mound brawl video:



Heres a picture of Youkilis charging the mound on Rick Porcello:


Heres a picture of Youkilis throwing hit helmet at Rick Porcello:


Heres a picture of Youkilis tackling Rick Porcello:


Oh, and heres a pic of Jim Leyland talking shit to Youkilis:


And heres a nice group shot:


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Tom Brady Shows His Guido Side In Details Magazine

Tom Brady is on the cover of Details Magazines' September 2009 issue and he couldn’t look any more guido.

Whats with the pics? I understand that Details Magazine is trying to set fashion trends for men, but cmon. He looks like a full blooded 1980s gay guido straight out of New Jersey.





related Masshole Sports articles:

• Tom Brady Using A Curling Iron On His Hair In ESPN Promo (VIDEO)
• Other People With Tom Brady Hair Cut (PHOTO)
• Tom Brady On His Justin Bieber Haircut: "speak to my wife about that"

AMAZING SLIP AND SLIDE VIDEO

Very convincing, but I doubt its real.

NO SMOKING ON YAWKEY WAY EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

If you plan on going to a game anytime soon, bring your nicorette patch. Effective yesterday, fans can no longer smoke on Yawkey Way.

With no explanation at all, the Red Sox announced at yesterdays game that their no smoking policy extends to Yawkey Way.

I was at the game last night and no one could give me a reason as to why they banned smoking on Yawkey Way.

Believe me, Im not complaining. Im a non smoker. I just hope security monitors the bathrooms because theres going to be more smoke in those bathrooms than at a Snoop Dogg concert.

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WATCH OUT FOR THE MIGHTY TEXAS RANGERS!!!

We are now tied with Texas Rangers for the Wild Card. Yes, the Mighty Texas Rangers. A lot of people in Red Sox Nation are probably shaking their heads this morning wondering how this could be.

Well, over the course of a 162 game schedule, fluky things like this can happen. The Sox are on a slide, the Mighty Texas Rangers have been consistent and today Red Sox Nation woke up to see the Boston Red Sox tied with the Texas Rangers for the AL Wild Card.

Should I write about how the Rangers just may win their first ever World Series title this year? Or should I just laugh it off.

Im sure there are some Texas Rangers fans out there who will tell me to stop being so negative and try to think positively because the Rangers are in first for the Wild Card. LOOK OUT AMERICAN LEAGUE!!!! Tools.

The Ortiz Mess: SO COMPLICATED

David Ortiz said everything right on Saturday. It sounded like a well written college essay, five days in the making. The conclusion I drew from this well orchestrated press conference it is that any name leaked (in the future or in the past) doesn’t mean that said player took steroids. And it is pure b.s.

Ortiz spun it by saying, “I consider myself one of those guys who were definitely a little bit careless back in the days when I was buying supplements -- legal supplements -- over the counter" and went on to say “I never bought steroids or used steroids.”

I am a die hard, life long Red Sox fan and I have no problem saying that those words mean nothing. Remember Rafael Palmeiro waving his finger and telling the world, “I never did steroids…period!”

Palmeiro was one of the classiest players in MLB, kinda like Ortiz. He was well respected and trusted by fans…kinda like Ortiz. Raphael Palmeiro was a liar.

Michael Weiner, the incoming executive director of the union said this on Saturday:

"the presence of a player's name on any such list does not necessarily mean that the player used a prohibited substance or that the player tested positive under our collectively bargained program."

"given the uncertainties inherent in the list, we urge the press and the public to use caution in reaching conclusions based on leaks of names, particularly from sources whose identities are not revealed."

Now I know why there are so many lawyer jokes out there. Those slimy, slimy sharks can tell you that up is down and black is white…and they are pretty convincing in doing so. And some people actually believe them.

Wow. That’s all I can say is wow.

JOHN SMOLTZ IS PUT OUT OF HIS MISERY

John Smoltz is a first ballot hall of famer. He is a big reason why the Braves won the World Series in 1995. He is a class act and a true “gamer.” But we must admit, it was painful to watch towards the end. Watching him walk to the mound was like watching an old dog try to get onto the couch.

Give Theo credit. It was a worthy experiment--cheap money, a guy with a proven record. But in the end, it was just time.

Good luck with your career as a professional golfer, John Smoltz (he really is a good golfer). We hardly knew thee.

BEGINNING OF THE END FOR 2009 RED SOX

I don’t want to think negatively, I really don’t. But after being swept by the Rays (all be it, a two game sweep) and heading into a four game set with the Yankees with a John Smoltz vs Joba Chamberlain match-up I must say, things aren’t looking too good.

Dice K being sent to purgatory, Wakefield going on the DL, Ortiz being outed as one of the 104, and signing Paul Byrd in August all add up to a pretty depressing storyline for the 2009 Sox.

In a better, more perfect world I would be writing about how the Sox swung a deal for Felix Hernandez at the trading deadline and Id be talking about this exciting matchup between Hernandez and Chamberlain.

In a better, more perfect world I would be writing about how Tim Wakefield, the 17 year veteran (and knuckleball pitcher) was competing for the Cy Young.

In a better, more perfect world I would be writing about how it looks like the Yankees may miss the playoffs entirely for the second straight season.

But we live in the real world. And I cant help but have visions of 2006 when the Red Sox got swept in a five game series against the Yankees in August.

I really am searching for a silver lining in all of this. And all I could come up with is the fact that the Red Sox have found a replacement for Varitek. How depressing is that?

DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE BEATS RED SOX

Eva or Evan. I keep getting them confused. So, Eva Longoria is on Desperate Housewives and Evan Longoria hit two home runs for the Rays last night…right? Ugg

My brain has a hard time deciphering between Eva and Evan. I have to stop and think about it before I say either of their names.

Its almost as confusing for me as Jack Nicholas vs Jack Nicholson. Which one is the golfer and which one is the guy from the Shining? Ugg.

Anyway, so Eva Longoria may have single handedly began the Rays push towards a post season birth. The dramatic, walk off win last night is the type of win that can give a team momentum.

And remember, this years Rays team isn't THAT much different than last years. What exactly is this years team missing that last years team had? Chemistry, aura, magic--the feeling that something special was happening.

Well, nothing like a game winning, walk off home run to add some of that feeling. As a Sox fan, it is scary to say but the Rays just may have some of that aura back. Thanks to a guy whose name is eerily similar to a Desperate Housewife.

WEEI COUNTER STRIKES IN BOSTON SPORTS RADIO WAR

WEEI 850 AM announced today that Boston Globe reporters and columnists will now be allowed on the WEEI airwaves. Boston Globe staffers had been banned from appearing on WEEI programming since 1999.

Hmmm….do you think lifting this ban has anything to do with the fact that 98.5 The Sports Hub will be launched next week?

98.5 The Sports Hub has some talented hosts. Their lineup will be:

- “Toucher and Rich” (of WBCN fame) in the morning

- Gary Tanguay (of Comcast Sports Net) and former Patriot Scott Zolak in the mid day

- Michael Felger (formerly of WEEI) and possibly Tony Massarotti in the afternoon. I say possibly because it is rumored that Felger may have rotating co-hosts

And 98.5 The Sports Hub will be airing Patriots and Bruins games. So there only noticeable flaw is the lack of in-studio guests and call-in guests.

That’s what makes WEEIs lifting of their ban on Globe staffers so interesting. If the Boston Globe wants to promote its paper, they’re more likely to book their staffers on WEEI, who has a huge audience, as opposed to a start up.

But if the ban were still in place, the Globe staffers would basically be able to choose their time slot on the new upstart 98.5 The Sports Hub.

I am a self confessed sports radio talk junkie and I cant wait for this radio war. Actually, it seems like its already in progress. Felger and Massarotti ditching WEEI was the first strike.

Stay tuned...

Papi, I Thought You Were Different…

I thought you wouldn’t come up with excuses. I though you wouldn’t “wait a few days” to give a response. I thought you wouldn’t lie and say “I'm surprised to learn I tested positive." I thought you were different.

(note: players who failed the 2003 test were told of their results by the players union)

Here's the reality: players who get caught typically have an excuse or simply lie and proclaim that they are surprised. How many times have we heard the phrases, I didn’t know it was a steroid or I don't know how this could have happened?

Here's the reality that David Ortiz must now live with...and it makes my stomach turn:

DAVID ORTIZ CHEATED, SO WHAT?

The bottom line is that everyone who played baseball in the “steroid era” either used or will forever be suspected of using. Nothing is sacred. No one is untouchable. Everyone is a suspect.

Am I surprised to learn that David Ortiz is a known steroid user? No. I am so jaded by past confessions that this doesn’t faze me one bit. Even though Im a life long, die hard Red Sox fan.

And to take this a step further, I will say that this won’t tarnish his image.

I honestly believe that users of performance enhancing drugs will get into the Hall of Fame. Maybe not on the first ballot (see Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa in 2013, their first year of eligibility) but over time, even the baseball purists among us will realize that EVERYONE used some sort of performance enhancer during the “steroid era” and therefore were on a somewhat level playing field.

Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriquez had amazing number during his career. As did Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite. Are they all to be disqualified?

Over time, this discussion will get tired and old. Over time the leaking of names from “the list” will get tired and old. And that’s when we will be ready to get past this. And that’s when players will begin to trickle into the Hall of Fame…the same way they are being trickled from “the list.”

CAN ANYONE BEAT THE GODFATHER OF BOSTON SPORTS TALK GLEN ORDWAY?

Can anyone beat (or even compete) with the Godfather of sports talk Glen Ordway and his consigliere Pete Sheppard?

Well Michael Felger (aka Benidict Arnold, aka Fredo) is ready to do battle with him. On the day 98.5 The Sports Hub announced it was changing formats to all sports talk, Michael Felger announced that he would host an afternoon drive show and be competing head to head with The Big Show with Glen Ordway and Pete Sheppard.

98.5 The Sports Hub has a decent line up with “Toucher and Rich” (of WBCN fame) in the morning, Gary Tanguay in the mid day and Felger in the afternoon.

AND 98.5 The Sports Hub will be broadcasting Bruins and Patriots games. So they have some guns.



They’ll be stronger than 1510AM whose biggest guns were Eddie Andleman and Sean McDonough and much stronger than 890AM whose big guns were Ryan Orsello and (currently) Bob Lobel…yes, Bob Lobel has a show on 890am from 4-6pm.

Good luck WEEI. You’ve been invited to fight after school and this time the dude has a chance.

It will be interesting to see if any WEEI regular callers will do as Felger did and jump ship. That will be the true measure of success for 98.5 The Sports Hub.

...stay tuned

YANKEES SUE MAN WHO COPYRIGHTED THE PHRASE "HOUSE THAT JUICE BUILT"

The man who trademarked the phrase "The house that juice built" and sells the tshirts outside of Yankee Stadium is being sued by the Yankees!

The ultimate irony is that its TRUE! The Yankees built that new stadium on the backs of known steroid users.

The original Yankee Stadium was indeed built on the back of Babe Ruth...which is why the phrase "The house that Ruth built" has stood the test of time and has long been the nickname of the old Yankee Stadium.

Hopefully, "The house that juice built" will stand the test of time and become the nickname of the new Yankees Stadium because after all, it is only fitting...and TRUE.

Heres a list of known steroid users who played for the New York Yankees:

Alex Rodriquez
Jason Giambi
Chuck Knobloch
Gary Sheffield
Andy Pettite
Roger Clemens
Jose Canseco
Matt Lawton
Sergio Mitre
Randy Velarde
Glenallen Hill
Kevin Brown
David Justice

For full disclosure, heres a list of known steroid users who played for the Red Sox:

Mo Vaughn
Roger Clemens
Manny Ramirez
Manny Alexander
Paxton Crawford

Gee, do you think steroids helped the Yankees win four World Series titles between 1996 – 2000? Look at the names on that list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RICE'S No. 14 TO BE RETIRED BY SOX AND HE DID IT ALL WITHOUT STEROIDS!!!

What makes Jim Rice a compelling case is that he put up Hall of Fame number without steroids.

In 16 seasons (ALL with the Red Sox by the way) Jim Rice was an 8 time all-star WITHOUT EVER USING STEROIDS. Jim Rice hit 382 home runs WITHOUT STEROIDS. Jim Rice was rookie of the year WITHOUT STEROIDS. Jim Rice averaged 27 home runs a year WITHOUT STEROIDS.

Players like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez made all of us fans think that in order to be considered a hall of famer, you had to hit over 50 home runs in a season consistently or that you had to win multiple MVP awards.

Well, those standards are fraudulent. They are things you can only do on steroids.

Jim Rice finished his career in 1989. Right around the time that Jose Canseco allegedly began polluting MLB with steroids.

Jim Rice ended his career just as the “steroid era” began. He was in the last class of players who played without the air of suspicions always hanging over there heads.

No one will ever look at Jim Rice and say, “gee, do you think he did steroids?”

He was the last of a dying breed. He is a TRUE Hall Of Famer.

Congratulations Jim Rice.

JOHN HENRY MOCKS "YANKEES UNIVERSE" ON TWITTER

Ok, we officially have the coolest, hippest owner in MLB. John Henry tweets and not only that, he makes fun of the new phrase "Yankees Universe."

John Henry tweeted from his blackberry, "News from Yankees' Universe. Big upsurge in membership. Apparently coming mostly from Pluto. Not doing nearly as well on Mars."

http://twitter.com/John_W_Henry

HAHA. This is awesome. The dude is funny, he has a hot young wife, he tweets and he owns the Red Sox. I officially have a man crush on him.

But on a serious note, the fact that the Yankees now have something called “Yankees Universe” (which is basically a rip off of Red Sox Nation) is proof that there is a new world order.

The Yankees front office and PR department are looking up to the Red Sox organization. They are using the Red Sox as a model from which to imitate.

The Yankees haven’t won a World Series since Y2K, meanwhile we’ve won two World Series' since then (and it would have been three if Grady Little had the balls to remove Pedro in 2003). The Yankees have declining attendance meanwhile the Red Sox have sold out every game since 2003.

And "Red Sox Nation" stretches across the United States and beyond (thanks partly to the Sox signing Dice K and opening the season in Japan last season).

So what do the Yankees do? They come up with the catch phrase "Yankees Universe." Lets see, the term "Universe" implies that it is bigger than a "Nation." I wonder which boy wonder in the Yankees organization came up with this. How childish.

Anyway, all I have to say to Yankee Universe is this: I know how you feel. Before 2004 I used to feel the same way. HAHA