Manny, 'Ortez' Rockets Fuel AL Win. Sox to Have Home Field vs. Cards.

Roger can't get off the launch pad, retires after one bad inning.
Manny hits rocket off Roger, Ortiz piles on Pavano, AL wins 9-4.
(Could have used a two-run jack like that against Texas on Sunday)
Game paused to congratulate Clemens on earlier performance.

Down Goes Jeter.
Down Goes Jeter.

The Greatest is a Sox Fan

"If the Yankees are pursuing this (acquiring Randy Johnson), the Red Sox have to block them from getting him... This is one time the Boston Red Sox cannot allow that to happen. If Johnson is going to be traded to a team in the American League East, if I'm the Boston Red Sox, I'm saying 'that's got to be us.'"
-- Tim McCarver FOX, All-Star Game, 3rd inning

Is RJ on the Way?

Rumors abound. Randy's in play.

Sox message boards buzz with Johnson/Nomar trade rumors.
Chicago Board of Trade runs Nomar to White Sox on squawk box
(too bad they know more about trading soybeans than trading ballplayers).
But is it really the Cubs, not the White Sox, who are involved?

More Reports that Big Unit Won't Come to Boston

"The competition that RJ and I had, it was a lot of fun because you see people setting a bar and doing things that you never thought you could do. And then you go out and do it and you realize there isn't a ceiling there and you compete against each other in a good way. I wanted to pitch better than him, not because he pitched poorly and I pitched well, but because he pitched good and I pitched great." -- Curt Schilling, 2.24.04

Johnson Back on Sox Radar?

Schilling offers to change one of his kid's names to "Randy" in effort to lure
Johnson away from Yanks.

SI's Tom Verducci says Johnson tired of sharing billing with Schilling.