Carl Yastrzemski, one of the best ballplayers to ever grace a Major League uniform, and last player to win the triple-crown award, was hospitalized today at Mass General for what his spokesman says is some chest pains. The following comes from the Boston Herald:

BOSTON - Baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski has been hospitalized in Boston for what his spokesman called something “serious.”

The spokesman, Dick Gordon, would not give any details or say when Yaz had been admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital.

When asked if it was serious, Gordon said: “Any time you are in the hospital, it’s got to be pretty serious.”

The 68-year-old Yastrzemski was baseball’s last player to win the Triple Crown in 1967 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1989.”

Last week, millions of households witnessed the Winchester, MA native and Olympian gymnast, Alicia Sacramone, and her struggles in Beijing.

After a horrific fall on the balance beam (which might have cost the U.S. a gold medal), she was inevitably robbed of a medal by the Olympic judges during the vault competition. Sacramone completed two clean attempts while China’s Cheng Fei made a costly(?) error by landing on her knees while attempting her second vault jump.

Apparently a gymnast can now earn a bronze medal even with a fall, as Cheng Fei captured the bronze medal due to the “difficulty of her vaults.”

Alicia, you were robbed, and that sucks.

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So why am I writing about Sacramone and women’s gymnastics? Well, for one, I was one who was caught up in the drama that is the Olympic judging. Also, Alicia is not your ordinary gymnast. What makes her different?

• She’s a Bostonian — got to love that.
• She can knock you out — check out this video.
• She’s not your typical China-doll, 4′5″, 80lb gymnast.
• She’s an Ivy-league college student (lots of gymnasts are barely 18).
• Let’s face it: she’s easy on the eyes.

Sacramone earned a silver medal with her U.S. teammates and was robbed of a bronze. Not too shabby at all.

So how do I tie this in with the Red Sox?

I’m not sure if Jed Lowrie is single, but he’s just a few years older and also attended a sort of prestige school (Stanford), so the two of them have something in common.

Jed, you might want to take a look into that.

1967 was the year of the “Impossible Dream” pennant race in Major League Baseball. In 1967, Yaz won the triple-crown award, the Sox went from last-to-first and reached the World Series, the team consisted of names like Yaz, Williams, Tartabull, Petrocelli, and Scott.

On this day 41 years ago, a young phenom they called Tony C stepped up to the plate in Fenway Park.

Conigliaro was the future of the Boston Red Sox, the youngest player to reach 100 home runs, the man who clobbered 24 HR’s as a 19-year-old rookie, a Revere, MA native, St. Mary’s of Lynn graduate and true a Bostonian. Tony C encapsulated what it meant to be a true Red Sox icon.

It was this faithful day in which the Sox icon’s career was in jeopardy.

Many didn’t know what to make of the result of the at-bat when Conigliaro was struck in the left cheek bone and carried off in a stretcher, especially after a great 1970 season in which he hit 36 HR’s and 116 RBI’s.

In the end, however, damage to his eyesight result in an early retirement and a big misfortune to he and the fans of Boston. He was just 30 years old when he was forced to give up the game he loved.

Let’s honor Tony C today as he was a spark-plug of the memorable ‘67 team and a true Red Sox & Massachusetts hero.

I do wish I was old enough to watch him play.

Is Jason Varitek’s personal life affecting his performance on the field? The answer is no.

If you haven’t heard by now, ‘Tek and his wife, Karen, recently split-up after 12 years of marriage. We’re hearing the news now, but Varitek filed for divorce about 3 weeks ago.

One can make a case that Varitek’s struggles at the plate may pertain to his off-the-field issues. It’s surely a possibility. Last year we witnessed J.D. Drew struggle out of the gate due to a couple of reasons; one being the situation with his sick son, the other adjusting to the Boston sports scene.

With Varitek, his struggles haven’t been solely based on this year. If we look at his splits from last year, the drop-off occured after last year’s All Star break, in which The Captain hit a mere .225 in the second half.

Keeping the stats in mind, maybe we can assume that Varitek is simply losing his swagger at the plate. Indeed he calls the best game behind the plate as a catcher, but at 36-years-old, one might have to assume an offensive drop-off is expected.

We as a fan-base must face the facts: Varitek’s offensive game is diminishing; but is it worth it to let Varitek walk as a free agent at the end of the year considering what is out on the market in terms of catchers? Who would the Sox bring in?

Exactly.

Let’s hope ‘Tek is willing to take a paycut to stay in 2009.

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Now that we’ve indulged in the personal life of ‘Tek, why not continue?

According to various sources, it appears that Jason Varitek and Sox sideline reporter, Ms. Heidi Watney, are apparently working out in the bedroom. This may serve as a valid reason why the break-up between ‘Tek and his wife is currently occuring. Watney started working for the Red Sox in May. If true, she didn’t take long to jump all over Captain and become a home-wrecker.

As for her job, the Watney era may come to an end shall these rumors become valid.

That would be a shame; and shame on you people who are secretly congratulating Varitek for hooking up with the unbelievably good-looking, astounding sideline girl.

Any type of baseball game’s outcome in which the final tally compares to that of an NFL score is a thrilling game to watch — last night’s Red Sox/Rangers game lived up to it as the Sox edged the Texas bombers, 19-17.

The Red Sox exploded with a 10-run first inning, capped off by David Ortiz’ 2 HR’s and 6 RBI’s. I started to see remnants of the Red Sox/Marlins game back in ‘03 in Fenway. The Red Sox scored 14 runs in the first inning of the game off Carl Pavano, and Mike Lowell was on the other side of the spectrum, playing third base for the soon-to-be World Champion Florida Marlins team.

Only this time the Red Sox managed to blow their massive lead. Here’s an interesting fact from Yahoo Sports: The last time a team came back from a 10-run deficit was May 8, 2004, when the Rangers rallied from a 14-4 deficit to win 16-15 in 10 innings, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. I’m not sure what it is about Texas, but their teams have been notorious for being able to rake. We all remember this game from last year.

One might question Francona’s decision of leaving the rookie Charlie Zink in for too long. Quite honestly, Zink was pitching well up until the fourth — maybe Francona should have given the hook to Zink earlier in the 5th, but I don’t blame him for not.

What really makes Sox fans worry is the inconsistency of the middle relievers. Javier Lopez has been fairly solid throughout the year, so a shake-up from him here or there is bound to happen. I have to question whether or not David Aardsma is healthy. Last week we witnessed his resurgence back into the Boston bullpen from a DL stint, but, he hasn’t pitched too well since then.

As for Manny Delcarmen, his up-and-down struggles continued last night. It’s surprising to me because I honestly felt after last year’s performance, Delcarmen was set as a force and fixture in the 7th or 8th innings. It seems as though he’s taken a step back. Red Sox Nation has to hope he can regain his confidence and be the Delcarmen of ‘07.

All in all, the middle relief last night decided to take the day off, only they couldn’t weasel their way past Mr. Rooney & company.

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Three guys saved us last night — Okajima, Papelbon, and Youkilis. Youk’s quickly transforming into a power-hitter by our very eyes. Don’t be surprised to see Youkilis hit an average of around 25 HR for the next few years.

Oki, criticized for his inability to shut down inherited runners in 2008, pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless frames. After Youkilis launched his second HR of the night, Papelbon came in and closed the door.

It was entertaining, certainly not pretty, but the Red Sox managed to pick up the W — isn’t that all we can ask for?

*On a side note: Chris Davis of TEX is a beast. I have him on both of my fantasy squads and it has paid dividends. He’s only 22 and the kid can flat out hit. In 41 Major League games this year, he has walloped 11 HR and 32 RBI, while maintaining his average close to .300. In the minors he’s hit 74 HR in 275 games. This kid is for real*

Normally I wouldn’t ponder about the performance of Drew, especially one day after he hammered a go-ahead double in last night’s 5-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox, but his comments after the game sent a friendly reminder of the type of player he’s been — soft.

“It’s almost like an off day, but it’s not,” Drew said. “It’s a nice break for the legs, the stress of going after balls in the outfield, cutting balls off in the gap - it’s nice to get a break from that.”

Wait a minute, the “stress” of going after balls in the outfield? Sorry, J.D., we didn’t mean to hinder your bliss of YOU. This serves as yet another case in which if J.D. Drew doesn’t feel 100%, he won’t mind having a day or two off. His career-high in games played during a single season is 146. Drew is certainly not one to grind out a game. Baseball Prospectus broke down a yearly overview of Drew’s injuries since 2000. Below is the assertion from 2001.

“Lower back sprain, bruised chest, wrenched ankle, strep throat, broken hand. No, it’s not Les Nessman’s winter itinerary, it’s a brief overview of J.D.’s 2001 Medical Mystery Tour. When Drew was in the lineup, he was in a very select group of performers in a cluster behind Barry Bonds, and every bit as good as advertised. Hopefully, he won’t take the Fred Lynn career path into several immovable objects. If he can find his way to 650 plate appearances, he’ll be a good bet for the NL MVP Award.”

He was the hero last night, but overall the outfielder still has the representation of an oft-injured, delicate player. If I were him, I’d be doing what I could to rid the depiction of “Nancy” Drew from my name.

Compare Drew to the injured, but currently active 3B Mike Lowell (hip) and we see two contrasting styles in play. As a fan, you have to give it to Mikey Lowell — his hip injury is seriously bothering him — you can see him laboring when he runs the bases.

Mike Lowell is a type of player that the Sox need. With David Ortiz lamenting his oft-injured wrist, it’s almost a necessity that guys like Drew, Lowell, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia stay healthy. Youkilis just missed a game because of a shoulder issue while weight-lifting.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but in-season weightlifting for baseball should consist of light-weights and high-reps — is that accurate? With the left-fielder from Washington Heights gone, the Red Sox’ lineup isn’t as intimidating as it used to be, so it’s important for guys to avoid a stint on the DL. The Red Sox are certainly not on the right foot as far as that goes, as Tim Wakefield, an integral part of the rotation, was placed on the DL yesterday.

To sum this up, Ortiz is hurting, Lowell is laboring, Drew is being Drew, Youkilis is thinking he’s Ronnie Coleman, and Wakefield is resting his strained shoulder. We have a pitcher making his Major League debut tonight, and as far as the young “phenom” that is Clay Buchholz, his confidence is currently at an all-time low.

Well, at least Crawford & Longoria hit the DL….

Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reported this morning:

“Wakefield was supposed to start tomorrow’s homestand opener against the Texas Rangers, but instead will go on the disabled list. A replacement has yet to be named, but Michael Bowden, today’s scheduled starter for Triple-A Pawtucket, is a top candidate with Devern Hansack a possibility as well.”

The reports have apparently changed as the Providence Journal’s Sean McAdam reports that budding minor-league knuckleball pitcher, Charlie Zink, is the favorite to finally jump ship to the big leagues. He also mentions that Devern Hansack is another option, but the Sox seem to be leaning towards the knuckleballer.

As for Bowden, it’s a great idea that the Sox not rush the top-regarded prospect to the Majors. He was just called up to AAA and his arm needs more seasoning before he should be considered an option. Look for Bowden to get a chance sometime late next year if things go to plan.

As for Zink, he is certainly no Wakefield, but his 2008 minor league numbers have been spectacular for AAA Pawtucket. As we know with knuckleball pitchers, they can be streaky – the same goes for Zink. Although his 2.89 ERA helps his cause for a couple of spot-starts, the Sox are still considering Hansack. Hansack has some, although limited experience with the big club.

Zink should get the call because of how well he’s pitched this season. Replacing a knuckleballer with another knuckleballer is not a terrible thing. After being seasoned by Wakefield himself, Zink can put his advice to good use and pitch well for the Red Sox during Wakefield’s DL stint.

SoxProspects.com says that Zink is fearless with his knuckleball, even when way behind in the count. He has a mid 80’s fastball and cutter that he can throw for strikes. Click here to read his full prospect report.

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If Zink does get the call, it will be quite difficult to keep the same consistency that Tim Wakefield has set throughout the season. We can make an argument that Wakefield has been the most consistent all year. (It’s very realistic. Lester struggled earlier this season and Beckett hasn’t been Beckett as of late.)

Add this with the struggles of Taylor, er….Clay Buchholz, and the Red Sox have some serious decisions to make, says Rob of The Bottom Line.

Buchholz confidence has to be at an all-time low, even though his post-game interviews makes it seem otherwise. Buchholz was confident he made some good pitches. As for Red Sox Nation, maybe we expected too much, too soon from the kid.

The fact of the matter is that Buchholz’ job is seriously in doubt. If it weren’t for Wakefield’s injury and Bartolo Colon’s setback, Taylor might be sent back down to AAA for more grooming.

I mean, Clay.

If you haven’t heard the recent news by now, the Red Sox claimed Brian Giles off waivers yesterday and have 48 hours to work out a possible trade to bring the veteran outfielder to Boston. The real question we have to ask ourselves is, why?

Rumor has it that Theo placed in the claim simply to deny the Angles or Rays a shot at picking up the 37-year-old. In that case, this ordeal indeed makes sense, but lets play the role of Terry Francona and say Brian Giles were to agree to come to Boston.

Defensively, the Red Sox are set in the outfield. Coco Crisp and Jacoby Ellsbury’s defense in the center field has been nothing short of superb. Jason Bay seems to have a knack for playing balls off the wall, sort of like the Sox’ old left-fielder from Washington Heights. JD Drew certainly isn’t a liability as your starting right fielder. He could be a quality bat off the bench, but do you think Brian Giles would be alright with that?

Beyond that, if we take a glance at the stat book, we see that Giles’ numbers have irrevocably diminished with age. He’ still a guy who can get on base and draw a fair share of walks, much like the Greek-God of walks, Kevin Youkilis, but the power isn’t there anymore.

From 1999-2002, a time in which baseball was still considered "The Steroid Era", Giles averaged 37 HR’s and 108 RBI’s while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Over the past several years, he’s put up a total of 48 dingers in 540 games. Suspicious, isn’t it?

Just by reading these numbers alone, I start to wonder why Brian Giles wasn’t named in the Mitchell Report. The numbers don’t lie, the ‘Roid Era doesn’t lie, too.

If Giles indeed does agree to come to Boston, a couple of questions arise. Where would he play? How will he handle right field in Fenway? How comfortable will he be with reduced playing time? Amalie Benjamin of the Globe says Giles has some incentive to come to Boston , as she stated in her column today:

"But there is financial incentive for Giles to approve a trade. In addition to the $9 million he is being paid this season, he gets $2 million if he’s traded. His contract has a club option for 2009, which pays him $9 million, or $11 million if he is dealt. There is also a $3 million buyout on the option.

The money (and the chance to play for a team in a pennant race) would seem to be the big enticement for Giles to waive his no-trade clause, as it wouldn’t be playing time."

** UPDATE: As this post was coming to the close, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports that Giles has nixed the trade to Boston **

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On a side note, don’t you find it strange that players have certain clauses in their contract in which they can veto a trade involving certain teams? Boston seems to fall in that category much too often. Is it because of the pressure to play in Boston? Is it because people seem to think Boston is a racist city (a la, Barry Bonds)? It’s funny how the only contender out of the 8 teams in which Brian Giles can veto a trade to is Boston (The Rays are also on the list, but this was before they were atop the AL East. The other teams include the Pirates, the Nationals, and Orioles, to name a few.

Take all the factors into account about Giles, and I can honestly say it didn’t matter if Brian Giles came to Boston or not. But with these facts, the only true assumption we can make about Brian Giles is he’s simply a washed-up ‘roidiac.

After last night’s preponderance over the Kansas City Royals, you can bet Jacoby Ellsbury was flexing his muscles in the clubhouse mirror, aspiring to look like Arnold before his 6th run at Mr. Olympia in South Africa.

It was Ellsbury’s towering 3-run blast that helped spur the 8-2 Red Sox victory.

For the past couple months, Ellsbury has been sleeping with the fishes. During the hiatus, from June 1 - August 2, we witnessed his batting average drop from .298 to .258. In that time-frame, he stole just 9 bases.

As the post-Manny era began last week, Ellsbury’s resurgance could not have come at a better time. Two nights ago he stole his first base since July 1 and last night came a rare home run for the young Oregon native — his first off a southpaw in his career. Ellsbury’s last home run came on June 15th during an interleague game with the Cincinatti Reds. He cracked that home run off Homer Bailey, the Bronson Arroyo, Jered Weaver, and Tim Lincescum look-a-like. (What is it with these pitchers and their stupid, little haircuts?)

Who knows what factors may have benefited the return of Jacoby Ellsbury, but one factor might be the arrival of one Jason Bay. The vibe in the clubhouse has to be soothing since the departure of Manny Ramirez. Jeff Passan at Yahoo Sports said it best when he stated in his most recent column:

“One week A.M. – After Manny – and the Boston Red Sox have survived. Jacoby Ellsbury is playing cribbage. David Ortiz is leafing through Us Weekly. Mike Lowell is scrolling through his iPhone. The only tension in the room comes from the bands pitchers use to strengthen their arms. Everything, if not copasetic, seems awfully close to normal.”

It’s amazing what one man’s departure can do for a clubhouse.

I’ll admit it, I was first to question how legit Jason Bay would be in a Red Sox uniform, but so far, so good. Even though it’s been a quick sample-size, I’ve come to accept the fact that Manny HAD to be traded, and the Red Sox did the best they could do given the circumstances. I’m now a Jason Bay fan — maybe he’s not as overrated as I thought.

As for Ellsbury, the past two night we’ve seen him steal 2 bases and launch a home run to straight away center field. What has he been drinking?

I’ve heard milk does a body good, but if he were to speak to Arnold, he’d say “milk is for babies, real men drink beer.”

Whatever it is, we hope Ellsbury can stay on track.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence that Joba Chamberlain was recently placed on the DL due to right shoulder tendinitis — maybe this was simply a foregone conclusion.

The fact of the matter is the Yankees ownership wanted the fire-baller to be a starting pitcher, so they quickly tried to groom the reliever to try to handle a starting pitchers workload. The Steinbrenners raised eyebrows as many felt Joba’s best role was the setup man in New York. We now know Joba’s rush to the starting rotation was a foreshadowing of what was to come — a visit to Dr. James Andrews. Anybody in baseball knows that visiting with Dr. Andrews raises much concern for a pitchers future.

It dumbfounds me how mindless GM’s and ownership can think with a quick snap of a finger, a reliever can easily transfer to the starting rotation without any repercussions. The Red Sox faced a similar ordeal during Spring Training of last year. Remember how Jonathan Papelbon was supposed to be in the rotation , thus complete the best starting 5 in the game? The Red Sox quickly downed that idea when it was clear to not only the organization, but to Jonathan Papelbon himself that he wasn’t meant to be a starting pitcher. Papelbon is a closer and will always be a closer.

So where do the Yankees go from here? They are without Chien Ming Wang, Phil Hughes, and now down goes Joba. Their postseason hopes have taken a serious blow because of this injury.

The funny thing is it seemed as if the Yankees were being very cautious with Chamberlain last year. What it ultimately came down to was the senseless brains of the Steinbrenners and Brian Cashman.

If Joba comes back, Joe Girardi wants to make it clear that they will be extra cautious with Chamberlain, even through a tight pennant race or playoff series.

“You’re always careful with your players,” Girardi said. “You don’t want to jeopardize their long-term health. And we’re talking about a 22-year-old kid here.”

Too little, too late, Joe. The lesson is learned. We hope you enjoy watching the Red Sox and Rays in the playoffs from your living room home.