Uh-oh

I woke up cranky enough because I overslept. To make things worse, I then read Josh Beckett left a spring training game because of back spasms. I don't have to say that losing Beckett for any major stretch would be catastrophic.

He came to Boston with a reputation for not being able to hold up for a full season. But in his two seasons with the Red Sox, he has averaged more than 30 starts and 200 innings - marks he never reached with Florida.

Hopefully, he will be ready to go in Japan in little more than two weeks. Terry Francona is optimistic but vague:

Sox manager Terry Francona had a good report on Josh Beckett who left Saturday's game with back spasms after throwing six warm-up pitches. The manager said Beckett "looked way better than we expected,'' but would not commit as to whether Beckett would be ready for the opener in Japan.

More bad news on the pitching front: Clay Buchholz continues to impersonate Adam Eaton this spring, but there is hope it's just a mechanical problem. Speaking of the $24 million dollar man, the candidates to replace him haven't exactly been jumping at the opportunity, but Kris Benson threw all of his four pitches in a minor league game, topping out at 88 mph, giving himself a shot of opening the season in Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, opening day starter Brett Myers continues to exhibit class with a new T-shirt that reads: "You mess with me, you mess with the whole trailer park."

Real class: Thanks to punks such as Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon, it is a story when athletes such as Beckett or Jimmy Rollins care more about winning than money. Rollins took a gamble in 2005 with a five-year, $40 million contract. At the time it was debatable whether the Phillies overpaid. After an MVP season, they have underpaid, but J-Roll doesn't gripe:

I knew there was a chance I would play better and the Phillies would be getting a little bit of a bargain. But there was also a chance I wouldn't produce as much. I knew the market could change after I signed it. I knew all that when I signed.

That column reads like a text the new wave of players should read to learn how to portray themselves and their pay in the press.

Baseball Mogul update: Despite another 90+ win season, I won't be making the playoffs for the first time. I don't know what happened, other than the Braves, D-Backs and Dodgers had better years. I need better starting pitching - it would help if Cole Hamels stopped pining to be a Royal.

Baby shower update: We had a good time yesterday. I learned that it's harder than it looks to drink out of a sippy cup. Don't ask.