Phillies strike first

This morning, purely coincidentally, I pulled Trent's SoxandPhils bib out of the drawer. It says, "I'm not torn, I root for the SoxandPhils."

I thought it was appropriate.

He didn't see much of tonight's game, a 5-0 Phillies win. Josh Beckett was a little bit rusty coming off his stomach bug, five runs in six innings, while Cliff Lee was as smooth as he's been all month, a shutout with just two hits, two walks and five strikeouts. That's three straight shutouts, and his scoreless streak is at 32 innings. Watch out Orel Hershisher.

Game 1 goes to the Phils. I'm just glad I was home for it. I doubt I will be tomorrow.

Nobody sleeps if nobody hits

The Red Sox and Phillies are playing late games on the West Coast this week. For no reason, I teased Christine last night that Trent wanted to be woken up if Josh Beckett were pitching a no-hitter.

Sure enough, when I flipped on MLB Network to check the score, they did a live cut-in to Anaheim where a story was brewing - Josh Beckett had a no-hitter into the 6th inning. He immediately gave up a little bloop infield hit.

But, no worries, the network quickly switched to San Diego, where Roy Oswalt was working on his own no-hitter. I didn't bother to watch. It was late. I was tired.

Besides, as I told Christine, who was worried about staying up herself, he had thrown nearly 80 pitches and there was no way he would pitch a no-no.

"But there could be a combined no-hitter," she countered.

There wasn't. Oswalt gave up a hit in the 5th and combined with three relievers on the 3-0 shutout. Beckett, who may actually be back this year, gave up two runs in eight innings, but had to settle for a no-decision in the Red Sox 4-2 11-inning win.

Oops

When I handed last night's post to Christine for her superb editing, I had written that the Dodgers were cruising to a victory. She toned it down a bit to say the Phillies were attempting a comeback, but I don't think she seriously expected them to come all the way back from an seven-run deficit in the 8th inning, even though they had scored a couple of runs by the time she posted.

I certainly didn't.

Oops ... Chooch did it again, knocking in the winning run in the best comeback of the year, in what could be the only game to rival Roy Halladay's perfect game as the Phillies game of the year.

Tonight, however, they couldn't come back from a one-run deficit. For the second time in a week, Cole Hamels pitched a gem against the Mets, but had to eat a 1-0 loss. The Phillies have been shut out in all four games they've played at Citi Field this year. Incredible.

The Red Sox and Rangers aren't participating in such a pitching duel. David Ortiz, Adrian Beltre and J.D. Drew went back-to-back-to-back in a seven-run 4th inning, but Josh Beckett couldn't keep his foot on the Rangers' neck. The Red Sox still lead, 9-8 in the 8th, but I'm not comfortable at all.

Mobile madness

Christine thought Trent could use a mobile for his room.

I disagreed.

A SoxandPhils baby should have two mobiles: a Phillies mobile with the Phillie Phanatic and a Red Sox one, even if it has Wally the Green Monster.

Christine didn't go for my idea of dueling mobiles, so we set out (on Trent's first day as a vaccinated baby) to the local baby supply store to find a more traditional mobile - something in a jungle animal theme to complement his room. We also stopped by a bookstore to beef up the Dr. Seuss selections in his library.

We found the prefect mobile - it had the required jungle animals, and they were playing different sports. (The baseball player is an elephant.) But it was out of stock, so we headed to another store a couple towns away while we listened on the radio to Roy Halladay lead the Phillies past the Mets 6-5.

Trent was doing well on his first day out and mobile and we were getting hungry, so we decided to push our luck and stop at a chain restaurant to attempt our first dinner out as a family of three.

Dinner was flawless, and when we got home, we set up the athletic critters to spin around his crib. I read Trent some Dr. Seuss as the Red Sox started their game against the Yankees. The only bad part of the day is that Josh Beckett got knocked out in the 5th and the Red Sox trail the Yankees 7-2 in the 7th.

I've been telling Trent that you can't quit on your team, but reality is starting to sink in.

Mike Lowell almost was the next Mike Stanley

Good news: Mike Lowell is in the starting lineup, which means he wasn't traded to the Yankees.

Bad news: Mike Lowell is in the starting lineup, which means Kevin Youkilis is on the DL.

The last time the Yankees and Red Sox swapped players, Mike Stanley was traded back to the empire and we got Tony Armas Jr., who was included with Carl Pavano in the Pedro Martinez deal. So I guess dealing with the devil isn't necessary all that bad.

Joining Youkilis on the DL is his fellow SoxandPhils first baseman, Ryan Howard. Unbelievable.

Tonight's games, aces up: Roy Halladay and the Phillies lead the Marlins 6-1 in the 8th, and Josh Beckett has the Red Sox ahead of the Indians 3-1 in the 7th.

Phillies (yawn) land big-name pitcher before trade deadline

For the second consecutive year, the Phillies landed a big fish for their rotation. Of course, the celebration is muted for Roy Oswalt because only a few months ago the team had jettisoned a better, slightly younger ace who was very popular in the clubhouse and among fans.

That was my first thought, but then I considered this: What if, last year, the Phillies landed Roy Halladay midseason and Cliff Lee never came to town? Can you imagine the euphoria there would be today if the Phillies then acquired a matching Roy for the top of the rotation?

Under that scenario, Ruben Amaro Jr. would be viewed as a god in this town. But that's not the scenario we have, so he'll probably be remembered as the dolt who dumped Cliff Lee (even if the Phillies win more World Series).

We'll see what the new Roy has to offer when he debuts tomorrow.

The Phillies continued to roll tonight, beating the Diamondbacks 3-2 in 11 innings on 1980s night.

The Red Sox were off, but they were still rolling, too. It was Josh Beckett's charitable bowling event.

Not a good week for SoxandPhils old goats

First, there were the reports that Pedro Martinez will not pitch this year. He hasn't retired, but I doubt he will be able to come back again.

Then, Jamie Moyer left Tuesday's start with an injury. There's a good chance he'll need Tommy John surgery. If any 47-year-old can return from Tommy John surgery, it's J-Moy. And, he's hopeful that he can pitch again this year. But you can't help but think that this is the end of a remarkable career.

Then, Moyer's former teammate, Tim Wakefield, who is a Sox, but never been a Phil, was sent to the bullpen as Josh Beckett came back.

Finally, as I was typing this, we watched former SoxandPhil and now Brave Billy Wagner blow a save against the Marlins. So it's not all bad tonight, especially because the Phillies beat the Rockies 6-0. The Red Sox and the Mariners are tied at 1-1 in the 4th.

Sunday switcheroo

Last night, as we watched Roy Halladay dominate the Pirates in a 2-1 complete game loss, Christine noted that he was on track to start Sunday against Josh Beckett.

I almost cautioned her not to count on Beckett. Unfortunately, or hopefully fortunately in the long run, I was right. Despite the Yankees protest, he is injured and has been placed on the DL, so it will be Tim Wakefield vs. Doc on Sunday. Game on.

Red Sox vs. Phillies history: Lifetime, Josh Beckett is 8-4 with a 3.98 ERA in 19 games (17 starts) against the Phillies (including his Marlins starts). He has hit them well: .222/.276/.444 in 27 at-bats, including two of his three career home runs. We were there for one of them in 2006. As a Red Sox, Beckett is 2-1 in three starts, including a debacle last year.

Against the Phillies, including his time with the Pirates, Wakefield is 3-1 with a 3.15 ERA in nine games (seven starts).

As a Blue Jay, Halladay is 14-14 with a 4.28 in 41 games (38 starts) against Boston.

So, give the Red Sox the edge on Sunday. C'mon, despite last night's victory, delusion is all I have right now.

Tonight's games: Jamie Moyer pitched well, but the Phillies bats are still silent. In the 7th, Cubs 2, Phillies 0.

David Ortiz hit another home run (MVP! MVP! MVP!), and the Red Sox lead the Twins 2-1 in the 6th.

Kicking a dog when he's down

It's been a ruff week for Pat and Elvis Burrell. They were designated for assignment by the Rays, which might end their baseball career. And the following day Ronnie James Dio - whose Holy Diver served as their intro music during some of their Philly days - died. Just when you thought they couldn't sink any lower, they had to endure this insult:

[Sports collectible expert Ted] Taylor says the plethora of bobbleheads available is exactly the problem. "Every team has just been cranking them out," Taylor says. "In the catalog there are 13 pages of bobbleheads in small type."

Taylor pauses and adds with a chuckle, "I have a Pat Burrell one you can have."

That was in a pretty interesting story the Daily News did on the Phillies' history with bobblehead promotions. They also compiled a complete list of Phillies bobbleheads. Christine has long been a fan of the trinkets that we just learned are also called nodders. She predicted they'd be popular when they started to make a resurgence in the late '90s.

Chase Utley is one of the rare Phillies to have two bobbleheads in his career. I guess he deserves it because, if you consider fielding and base running, he's been called the best player in baseball.

Tonight's games: Tonight's bobblehead honoree, Roy Halladay, pitched a complete game but lost to the Pirates 2-1.

Coming off last night's debacle - Jonathan Papelbon's gave up his first-ever walk-off home run. to Alex Rodriguez, no less - the Red Sox are trailing the Yankees in the 5th inning in a 3-0 rain-delayed game.

Tonight's starting pitchers, Halladay and Josh Beckett, are scheduled to face each other on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park.

Red Sox vs. Phillies history: I hope Papelbon doesn't give up a walk-off homer against the Phillies this weekend; he has pitched well against the Phightins' in the past. In 7.2 innings over six games, he has given up a run on four hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts. He has given up a home run. He's 1-0 with three saves and at least one blown save because of that home run hit by the best player in baseball. The Red Sox won it in 12 innings, though. That was June 2006.

Mugged

At the game on Saturday, we noticed that the Phillies have a new screenshot for players.

Shane Victorino's looked like a mugshot. Actually, not so much when we loaded the picture onto the blog, but on the scoreboard at the park, he really looked like he was just booked for something. Trust us on this one.

The Philadelphia Zoo isn't new to the scoreboard, but it usually it features a frog (one of Christine's favorite critters), not a polar bear (one of mine).

We think Jayson Werth looks like he's ready to go bear hunting.

But considering all the talk about his next contract, he should probably stay safe and keep away from bears in the immediate future.

Today's news: The Blue Jays were mugged and will have to "host" the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park because of the G20 summit next month. Prediction: The Blue Jays will win one game with a walk-off in their opponents' park. ... Josh Beckett was mugged by a back spasm and will miss a start. Tests came back OK, so I hope this is a case where he takes a couple days off and comes back pitching like the ace we paid for. ... Roy Halladay was mugged from his first start in his hometown tonight because of rain. The Phillies and Rockies will play two tomorrow.

Tonight's game: Daisuke Matsuzaka is pitching well - one run on three hits (no walks and nine strikeouts) through six. He's only thrown 94 pitches, but I hope Terry Francona quits while we're ahead. Jason Varitek hit his 6th home run of the season. In the 6th, Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 1.

Mowing 'em down

When I got home tonight, I realized my grass had grown six inches over the past week, and with a decent chance of rain tomorrow morning, I decided to be a responsible adult and broke out the mower instead of watching the Red Sox battle the Yankees on MLB Network.

I didn't miss much. Josh Beckett got shelled, and Phil Hughes is pitching like Josh Beckett circa 2007. In the 8th, Yankees 10, Red Sox 2. Blech.

I did miss a fun little bit of history in Philadelphia, however, as Jamie Moyer became the oldest pitcher to ever throw a complete game shutout. He was beautiful: two hits and no walks. He needed just 105 pitches (71 strikes) to finish off the Braves 7-0. In the 2nd, he needed only three pitches, and that was one of the two innings he gave up a hit. He saw 25 pitches in his four at-bats.

Jayson Stark and Rob Neyer were all a-Twitter during the game.

Charlie Manuel got so excited that he's going to have to miss tomorrow's game. Just kidding. He will miss tomorrow's game, but that was announced before Jamie Moyer made his push to catch Roy Halladay on the all-time complete game list. They're just saying non-health personal reasons. We're guessing he's finally getting hitched to his long-time companion, Melissa Martin.

C'mon Todd Zolecki, get the scoop. We're dying to know.

Halladay lowers expectations

So Roy Halladay will not go 32-0, just a pedestrian 31-1 after he lost last night 5-1 to the Giants. The region is in shock. Halladay vows to learn from the experience:

"You learn from it and move on," Halladay said. "You take something out of it. You take the positives and try to correct the mistakes and move on. There's nothing you can do about it now other than learn from it. You do that, show up tomorrow, work hard and go out and be aggressive next time."

I wonder, however, whether last night was just a masterful stroke by Doc and that in six months we'll be reading about how he set up the Giants for his first playoff win by losing to them in April.

Halladay's ERA skyrocketed from 0.82 to 1.80. But that's still minuscule compared with Josh Beckett's 7.22 after last night's debacle in Toronto. The Globe points out that his crappy start to 2010 is very similar to his crappy start in 2009:

Josh Beckett after five starts last season: 2-2, 7.22 ERA, 28.2 IP, 36 H, 24 R, 23 ER, 16 BB, 31 K, .303 OBA

Josh Beckett after five starts this season: 1-0, 7.22 ERA, 28.2 IP, 37 H, 24 R, 23 ERR, 13 BB, 20 K, .316 OBA

Let's hope he finishes this year as well as he did last year, or else the season could hinge on whether Daisuke Matsuzaka redeems himself:

"If by coming back I can help give the team any sort of little boost or change of momentum, I think that's all that I can ask for," Matsuzaka said. "And by that, I don't mean that I single-handedly am going to make all the difference. But I think sometimes you change the roster up a little bit, and good things start to happen, and I'm hopeful that I can be a part of that."

He starts Saturday, and we'll be watching very closely.

New SoxandPhil: Fabio Castro was called up; Scott Atchison was sent down. Bittersweet day over here.

Tonight's games: The Red Sox lead the Blue Jays 2-1 in the 8th. OK, I'll jinx it - Clay Buchholz is pitching well. Phillies play late again in San Fran.

Home run for Howard

In this time of 24-hour media, we don't know how it's possible to quietly negotiate a five-year $125 million contract extension, but that's what apparently happened between the Phillies and Ryan Howard.

I'm still trying to get my mind around it. Good for Ryan, but I don't think this one will end well. My first thought (Christine's too) was that this means the Phillies are conceding that Jayson Werth will be a worthless Yankee next year. But Todd Zolecki, who I concede is the better authority on these things, said the opposite:

I've gotten the sense recently that the Phillies think they can sign Jayson Werth to a contract extension. It might be because they realize they have to have at least one right-handed bat in the middle of their lineup. But I don't think today's deal means Werth is gone. Now, if Werth wants a five-year, $100 million deal, yeah, the Phillies probably won't sign him to something like that. But if it's a fair deal -- the Roy Halladay, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins contract extensions seemed to work out for both parties -- then I see a chance at Werth sticking around. They could use him, too.

Rob Neyer doesn't like the deal. Christine doesn't like Neyer because she thinks he hates the Phillies. Not so - he even has praise for them while ripping this deal {I guess Greg has never heard of a backhanded compliment}:

Ryan Howard's new contract is a testament the enduring power of the Are-Bee-Eye. It's also a testament to old-school ignorance: ignorance of aging patterns, ignorance of position scarcity, ignorance of opportunity costs ... hey, take your pick. The Phillies have done a lot of things right over the last few years. But this is a big bowl of wrong.

In another surprise signing, the Red Sox signed a catcher from Cuba, Adalberto Ibarra. And I thought Jason Varitek (four Are-Bee-Eye tonight) was having a bounce-back year.

Tonight's games: Josh Beckett blew a 5-0 lead to the Blue Jays, but the Red Sox have come back and lead 8-6 in the 4th. I'm sure this one will change a few times before it's over. The Phillies play really late in San Francisco. I had a long day, so I may conk out before their game even starts.

Saturday follies - fish and falling off a ladder

Our fish have a new home - but it was a planned move, not like last year or the year before.

We decided to go from a 10- to 15-gallon tank, and because the weather was colder than it has been lately, I figured today would be a good day for the indoor project. Things were going so swimmingly during the transition that I decided to cut the grass in the afternoon.

But first, I had to turn off a motion-sensor light in the backyard that has been on for days. It would not shut off, so we decided to finally replace the thing that has never worked quite right since we moved here almost five years ago.

It was an easy project, but complicated because the light is at the highest part of the house and my ladder isn't quite tall enough. It was difficult at times trying to wire a light with one hand while clutching the house with the other, but I got the sucker up without major incident.

The major incident came when I was caulking to finish the job. Maneuvering a caulk gun and standing on ladder rungs you're not supposed to stand on don't mix.

As I fell, a couple thoughts crossed my mind: I'll just land on my feet - no problem ... oh wait, I'm falling, I can't move ... I hope Christine gets out the way, she could get hurt too.

I landed squarely on my back and had a little taste of what Mick Foley put himself through. I groaned, but thought I was OK until Christine pleaded with me to say something. I understood what she was saying, but kept groaning. "Oh no, I can't talk," I thought to myself. But soon enough I got my bearings and folded up that darned ladder.

One of the hardware stores has a 16-foot ladder on sale this week. I wish I knew that when I was at that store buying the light.

Postscript: I'm fine. Fishies enjoy their new tank. The light works as it's supposed to.

Phillies: Christine is upset because the Phillies game is not on again. They're on tomorrow (Roy Halladay), but she won't be able to watch much because she has work obligations. Jamie Moyer gave up five runs in the 3rd inning, but the Phillies regained the lead when Ryan Howard hit a two-run homer off Brandon Lyon in the 7th. (Yes, that's the guy who was part of the 2003 Red Sox bullpen by committee who the Phillies were supposedly interested in this year until Ed Wade signed him to what is considered the worst signing of the offseason.)

Red Sox: It wasn't the prettiest pitching duel, but tonight's matchup of Josh Beckett and Zack Greinke turned out to be a spirited back-and-forth contest. The Red Sox lead 6-3 in the 9th; hopefully the bullpen won't blow another one. (I knew I shouldn't have written last night that Tim Wakefield may get a win.)

Opening Day doesn't matter

Christine and I were heading home after Easter dinner in North Jersey. We listened to ESPN radio in Philadelphia as the Red Sox struggled in the early innings of their Opening Night showdown with the Yankees. Suddenly, the game was interrupted by a breaking news bulletin. (How often does that happen anymore?) I immediately knew what was coming. Christine didn't, even though she had predicted the news several days ago.

The Eagles traded Donovon McNabb to the Redskins!!!
The Eagles traded Donovon McNabb to the Redskins!!!
The Eagles traded Donovon McNabb to the Redskins!!!

A few days ago, while discussing the McNabb trade rumors, Christine said he would be traded on Opening Day. I thought she meant that the Eagles would try to steal attention from the Phillies, but she really thought the Eagles would hope to draw as little attention to the fact as possible. (Neither of us even considered the possibility that he would be traded to a division rival.) Whatever the motive for timing the news for Easter Sunday and the eve of Roy Halladay's Phillies debut, it drew attraction. I heard some analyst comment that it was the story of the day, ahead of Tiger Woods, the NCAA final and Opening Day.

The Eagles traded Donovon McNabb to the Redskins!!!
The Eagles traded Donovon McNabb to the Redskins!!!
The Eagles traded Donovon McNabb to the Redskins!!!

It did dominate the news cycle, when the Red Sox filled Opening Night Sunday with guests who pleased the crowd before launching a dramatic comeback 9-7 victory against the Empire (I stayed up until the middle of the 8th inning). And then today, Doc and the Phillies offense delivered as advertised in an 11-1 romp over the Nationals (even Barack Obama couldn't hold down the potent Phillies lineup).

But none of that mattered because ...

The Eagles traded Donovon McNabb to the Redskins!!!
The Eagles traded Donovon McNabb to the Redskins!!!
The Eagles traded Donovon McNabb to the Redskins!!!

Oh, and Josh Beckett signed his four-year $68 million extension:

"This is a very special place," said Beckett this afternoon during a 3 p.m. press conference at Fenway during the deal, which will take him through the 2014 season, was announced. "Anyone who has had a chance to play here knows that. And anyone who hasn't had a chance to play here probably know that through other people that have."

That's good to hear, but not as important as ...

The Eagles traded Donovon McNabb to the Redskins!!!
The Eagles traded Donovon McNabb to the Redskins!!!
The Eagles traded Donovon McNabb to the Redskins!!!

Lots of news - some expected, some not

A year ago, Sports Illustrated pulled a pretty good prank, picking the Mets (Hahahahahahahahahhahahahaha!) to win the World Series. This time around, the magazine is picking the Phillies to win the National League for a third straight year. But the pundits still aren't over whatever they were on last year, because they're not picking the Phils to lose a spirited contest against the Red Sox, but to beat the Rays in a rematch of the 2008 World Series.

I'm not big on jinxes, but I don't have a good feeling with "This might hurt" next to Roy Halladay on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

In other news:

The Red Sox and Josh Beckett may be progressing toward a contract extension. ... Junichi Tazawa has some tearing in his elbow, according to the dreaded Dr. James Andrews, but they haven't officially announced surgery yet. ... How long has Tim Wakefield been around? He played for the last Pirates team that finished over .500. ... Speaking of old pitchers, the Phillies officially named Jamie Moyer the fifth starter. ... And while Jayson Werth and Reggie Jackson weren't discussing playing for the Yankees, Mr. October must have mentioned the Yankees no-facial hair policy because Werth ditched the beard in anticipation of his big payday from the Empire.

(Yesterday, Christine wanted me to mention the facial hair ban when we dumped on J-Dub, but we forgot about it when we posted.)

Starting off eccentrically

Jamie Moyer had a dominant start last night, but like most of his spring starts, it was against weak competition. (OK, the Yankees are a little bit tougher than the Blue Jays B squad.) The Phillies haven't announced it, but everyone expects the 47-year-old to open the season in the rotation despite Kyle Kendrick's fantastic spring.

You can argue either option, but it's clear that J-Moy will start a game this year, and Rob Neyer notes what a remarkable feat that will be:

Moyer turned 47 last fall. There have been exactly three men in major league history who started a game after turning 47.

Phil Niekro, a knuckleballer, started 32 games in 1987, when he was 47 (and he started 26 more the next season). Jack Quinn, a spitballer, started one game in 1931, when he was 47. Satchel Paige, a Methuselah, started one game in 1965, when he was 58. And that's it, friends: 60 starts, with one knuckleball pitcher accounting for 58 of them.

The word "remarkable" is thrown around a lot, but I think it's not overblown to use it here. As Neyer also said, there isn't much suggesting a good season from the old timer, but there's no doubt he will be one of the most interesting pitchers we will ever see.

Red Sox staff: They've also thrown things for a loop, using a five-man rotation, but throwing Josh Beckett twice before Clay Buchholz, who I guess was demoted to fifth starter, appears:

After Beckett, Lester, and Lackey pitch the opening series against the Yankees, Wakefield will start in Kansas City. Beckett will pitch the next game, followed by Buchholz. From there, the rotation will be Lester, Lackey, Wakefield, Beckett, and Buchholz.

I am glad for Wakefield and hope that Buchholz's poor spring was just a minor blip.

Scott Schoeneweis story: I was familiar with some of Scoeneweis' life story, but didn't realize how complicated it was until reading Nick Cafardo's account. I wonder whether I'm going soft because I didn't feel like shouting out roider when reminded he was in the Mitchell Report. I'm still rooting for Scott Atchison though.

Sick SoxandPhils

Although the SoxandPhils have been having quiet spring training camps, they haven't been without issues. Our guys have been getting sick. A lot.

This week, the Phillies infirmary has been visited by Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino and Sam Perlozzo, who were bitten by flu bugs. Earlier, Chase Utley had an upper respiratory problem.

Curiously, Christine has not questioned the integrity of Chooch, Shane-O or Utley like she did when we found out Josh Beckett was ill.

Jacoby Ellsbury has also been ill and, of course, Jed Lowrie has mono.

We're going to start a brand of SoxandPhils hand sanitizer and send a complimentary case to the Red Sox and Phillies so they can keep the players healthy because this is getting ridiculous.

Raul helps team chemistry

Everyone was pleased with the way Raul Ibanez replaced Pat Burrell last year, even though the Phillies didn't achieve as much as they did in 2008.

Ibanez isn't resting on his laurels and, in a true spirit of SoxandPhils, has even helped the Red Sox. When Adrian Beltre considered whether to sign with the Red Sox, he was concerned about stealing Mike Lowell's spot.

Today's story by the Globe's Amalie Benjamin almost suggests that Beltre didn't want to come to Boston purely out of respect to the 2007 World Series MVP. But Ibanez, who played with Beltre in Seattle and is a friend of Lowell, put those feelings to rest:

"I talked to [Ibanez] and said I was thinking about calling Mike before," Beltre said. "He said, 'Don't. Just talk to him when you're in spring training. Mike's a great dude, and he'll understand.'"
[...]
"Those are things that you can't control," Ibanez said. "You can't look to the left or to the right or behind you. You can only look at what's right in front of you and control what's right in front of you."

And, now despite a situation that can't be welcomed for Lowell, the two are handling things very classy and professionally:

Their stories are intertwined, the new third baseman and the old. Their lockers are close together. They take ground balls one after the other, inhabiting a spot big enough for only one. A situation that could have bred distrust and strife in a clubhouse has not, from all evidence, though it is clear that, on many days, Lowell would rather be just about anywhere else.

Perhaps that's because they are, as Ibanez calls them, "two of the best people I've had the pleasure of knowing."

Thanks, Raul. If Lowell's still around in October, I'm sure he'll tip a bottle of champagne to you before he dumps it on Beltre.

Christine's psychic powers strike again: Yesterday, Christine and I were discussing Jamie Moyer's good spring. I noted that Tim Wakefield, the other SoxandPhils elder statesman, was also exceeding expectations. She asked me what the Red Sox were going to do with their rotation, and I said they'll probably start Daisuke Matsuzaka in the minors on injury rehab and then see what unfolds.

"Oh yeah," she said. "And he hasn't even had his annual spring injury yet."

Oops. A stiff neck has officially reduced the number of starters the Red Sox could use to start the season from six to five.

And, last week, Christine and I were talking about Ryne Sandberg, and she noted how no one else has that name. Today's spring training update: "Josh Beckett is sick and will not start today. Minor leaguer Ryne Miller will get the nod."

Her insulting questioning of Beckett being sick on a Sunday morning will be ignored.

Pondering baseball on snowy Super Sunday

Before tackling the snow again, I had a minute to read Nick Cafardo, who suggests the Red Sox won't re-sign Josh Beckett because of health concerns. That's not entirely startling, except when reading about one of the paths the Red Sox could take instead:

Which is why the Sox should wait on a Beckett extension and even explore the possibility of a free-agent-to-be like Cliff Lee. He was a pitcher the Sox looked into at the trading deadline, and he has a history with pitching coach John Farrell from their Cleveland days.

Wouldn't that be an interesting twist of fate for SoxandPhils followers? Imagine Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez teammates again, this time in Boston.

Of course, as John Tomase points out, that could be just a fan's dream - like a rotation topped by Lee and Roy Halladay. It seems the big 2011 free agent class that everyone has been salivating over may not come to fruition thanks to the extension for Halladay and likely deal for Joe Mauer. It could be that the big names heading to market will be departing Boston: Beckett and V-Mart, meaning we should soon start hearing speculation about Martinez pairing up with Beckett and/or Lee in the Bronx.

If there weren't two feet of snow in my driveway, I'd say that would be the worst thought of the day.

Pigskin picks: Usually, I get turned off by the team everyone is rooting for, but the Saints really do have a fan base that deserves a winner - even before Katrina struck. I'd like to see a huge Mardi Gras celebration, but I don't think Peyton Manning will allow it to happen.

Puppy picks: I'm going with Bear to chew up the competition; Christine thinks Blaze is ready to pounce, but could see Kiva in an upset.