YES (again)

Cue the Suzy Waldman dramatics.

Put the YES camera crews on call for an instant Yankeeography.

Have Howard Rubenstein draft a missive from George Steinbrenner. Um, too late for that one.

But I hope The Trentonian headline writers are feisty because Roger Clemens was indicted for lying to Congress. I know I shouldn't be so gleeful about my once-hero falling so far down, but I can't help myself. Besides, it couldn't happen to a bigger jerk.

See you in 30 years, Rocket.

Another item of note: Jarrod Saltalamacchia might have a staph infection. He's on the DL. That's the fourth Red Sox catcher to be disabled this season. Incredible.

Tonight's games: The Phillies and Red Sox tried to finish off sweeps of California teams, but the Giants beat the Phillies 5-2 and the Angels beat the Red Sox 7-2. That win saved the Angels the indignity of going 0-10 against the Sox this year.

Another injured SoxandPhils catcher

Victor Martinez, Carlos Ruiz, Jason Varitek, Brian Schneider and now Kevin Cash. Five catchers DL'd by the Red Sox and Phillies this year.

It's incredible that both our teams have lost their entire catching corps for portions of the season. Although, the latest addition, Cash, who I believe is the 17th Red Sox to hit the DL this season, might need an asterisk.

That's because there have been several wink-like references from beat writers that suggest this move was a sham just to call up newly acquired Jarrod Saltalamacchia:

Meanwhile Varitek is working on his throwing with Gary Tuck, playing catch with Cash.

Boy, for a guy who needs to go on the DL Cash looks pretty good.

Whatever. All I know is that the Red Sox beat the Blue Jays 10-1, which pulls them within 3.5 games of the Rays. And if the Rangers can clean up Cliff Lee's mess and hold on to beat the Yankees, we'll be just four games from the top spot.

The Phillies partied like the 2005 Astros, beating the Dodgers 2-0 behind Roy Oswalt's first Phillies win and a clean save by Brad Lidge.

2004 - Trent hardly knew ye

I made a difficult decision today. My officially licensed 2004 World Championship T-shirt, like many others from my past, is too large to wear anymore.

I wore it today, but decided it should now go in the Goodwill donation pile.

I told Trent about my decision and used the opportunity to tell him the story of the 2004 Red Sox and how you can never give up hope.

Actually, he knows the story. Someone had given me a copy of Dan Shaughnessy's The Legend of the Curse of the Bambino years ago and it's a mainstay of Trent's library. I enjoy it too, even if I don't like the way Shaughnessy has marketed the curse.

Anyway, Trent will be well-versed in Red Sox history. Tomorrow, he'll meet the guy who kept my spirits up when the Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the 2004 ALCS, which is when I promised myself I would never give up hope.

You can never give up hope (1): After years of trying, the Red Sox finally acquired catcher Jarrod Saltamalacchia. He's had trouble throwing the ball back to the pitcher, but you can't give up on him fixing this problem.

You can never give up hope (2): The Red Sox trailed the Tigers 4-2 in the 9th, but after the Tigers intentionally walked Kevin Youkilis to load the bases, David Ortiz hit a double to win the game 5-4, as if it were 2004 all over again.

You can never give up hope (3): The Phillies kept chipping away and finally took the lead in the 9th against the Nationals. But then Brad Lidge came in. Nats 7, Phils 5.

There are some times, such as any time Lidge steps on the mound, when you should at least temper your hope.

Contractual difficulties

Shortly after the cleanup crews picked up the confetti after the celebratory parade, I naturally began to wonder which of the champs would begin to sour things with a protracted contract dispute. Ryan Howard? Cole Hamels? Maybe the more veteran and likely to depart Pat Burrell or Jamie Moyer?

Nope.

Try Charlie Manuel, whose agent Pat Rooney is frustrated with the lack of progress on a contract extension that will keep the champion manager a Phillie until he retires.

"Slow," he said, sounding frustrated. "We had hoped to have had this done before now. We hope to get it done this week. Charlie wants to manage another three to five years and wants to be treated fairly. He'd like to retire a Phillie."

I write this in jest. Cholly's demands seem reasonable, and the Phillies shouldn't tamper with 2008's good karma by dragging this out. As crazy as it might have sounded a year ago: Sign up Manuel for as long as he wants.

Other GM meeting news: The Rangers traded Gerald Laird to the Tigers, eliminating a landing spot for Jason Varitek and probably killing the chances of Jarrod Saltalamacchia being traded to Boston. ... The Phillies are reportedly interested in Delmon Young. I'd pass, unless it's only to see the interesting combination of he and Brett Myers on the same team.

My forced unemployment ends Monday.

Salty wants to be a lieutenant

The slow offseason sputters on. The only thing of note today is Nick Cafardo's column in which Jarrod Saltalamacchia says he'd love to come to Boston to learn how to be a major league catcher under Jason Varitek.

This is welcome news because he has long been on the team's radar and one of the priority's this offseason is finding a replacement or supplement (depending on how serious Scott Boras is about that four-year, $52 million contract for the 36-year-old who can't hit) for the Captain.

Also of note in the column is that Charlie Manuel is campaigning to bring Manny Ramirez to Philadelphia. God no. I'd sign Shea Hillenbrand and his zoo (read the column) before letting Manny ruin the World Champions' mojo.