He's the New King of Queens
And the Queen of "Full of Beans"

Martinez $53M Deal with Mets Official, Press Conference Tomorrow

"I think they did everything but the MRI" -- Herald's Mike Shalin on Pedro Martinez' physical / Ted Nation, WEEI

"The doctors can't tell if there's scar tissue buildup, etc., he does have a tear, it's a timebomb waiting to happen. You can tell by the drop in velocity. What happens if he tears it two years into his contract?"-- Jeff Brantley, ESPN

Coming to New York

Petey and the Mets

Henry's kids can shake loose change forever
The spotlight's hitting Schilling
I've been known to change like weather
I killed the fatted calf tonight
So stick around
You're gonna hear merengue music
Crying fans make sounds

Say, Davey and Manny, have you seen them yet
But they're so spaced out, PuhPuhPuhPuh Petey and the Mets
Oh Nelson's weird and he's wonderful
Oh Omar he is really keen
Gave me electric boots, a mohair suit
A free subscription to a magazine
Ah ha, PuhPuhPuh Petey and the Mets

Hey kids, you plugged into the "Faithful"
You were left blinded
'Cause Fernando Cuza's ruthless
We shall survive, but Pete was stringing us along
Where he lied to Theo told you to "Believe"
But we were right, he did you wrong

Say, Davey and Manny, have you seen them yet
But they're so spaced out, PuhPuhPuhPuh Petey and the Mets
Oh Nelson's weird and he's wonderful
Omar said I'll get Respect in Queens
Gave me electric boots, a mohair suit
A free subscription to a magazine
Ah ha, PuhPuhPuh Petey and the Mets

Say, Davey and Manny, have you seen them yet
But they're so spaced out, PuhPuhPuhPuhPuh Petey and the Mets
Oh Nelson's weird and he's wonderful
Oh Omar he is really keen
Gave me electric boots, a mohair suit
A free subscription to a magazine
Ah ha, PuhPuh Petey and the Mets

Petey, Petey and the Mets
Petey, Petey, Petey, Petey, Petey and the Mets
Petey, Petey, Petey, Petey, Petey, Petey and the Mets

Rent's Ride Gave St. Louis Blues

License to Thrill: Edgar Plates Gave Boston the Edge

"The only thing I'm going to bring to the game is what Halama brings."
-- John Halama on what Halama brings

BOSTON GLOBE BREAKING NEWS:
RENTERIA AGREES TO DEAL WITH RED SOX

No Poke Bluffs
Welcome to Edgartown

Edgargantuan

Rent a Shortstop? No, Renteria.

Rent Sure to be a Smash Show

Edgartown Ferry: Shortstop Ship Comes In!

BARRANQUILLA, Colombia -- The Boston Globe is Breaking News that Edgar Renteria agreed to a four-year $40 million contract with the Red Sox today, giving Boston an All-Star shortstop. "The biggest reason was that Boston is a traditional team," Renteria said from his home in Colombia. "They won the Series this year and I like to play on a winning team like Boston, St. Louis or any team that has the opportunity to win." Renteria, who played for St. Louis last season, is a 4-time All-Star, 2-time Gold Glove winner. He has a career average of .289. St. Louis lost to Boston in four games in the World Series, and Renteria made the last out, grounding out to Keith Foulke. "I played with them for six years but finally we didn't come t an accord." A nine-year veteran, Renteria was one of the prime free agents on the market. His decision came down to Boston and St. Louis. "It (Boston's offer) was more generous.They were more interested in my playing for them." The Red Sox offer also includes an option for a fifth year.

Meanwhile, Sox Getting Closer with Pitching Replacements
A.J. Burnett is Front and Center

ESPN.com Insider Report (Based on The Birdhouse Report, who is Offering a $100 Money-Back Wrong Info Raffle):
Renteria Returning to St. Louis Today

ESPN Insider: "Dec. 15 - According to a source close to the situation, shortstop Edgar Renteria will be returning to the Cardinals in 2005 – and the deciding issue was not money. Even though the Red Sox offer (about $36 million over four years) trumped St. Louis's reported final offer ($32 million over four years), Renteria chose familiarity and comfort with his surroundings – teammates, coaches, medical staff – over a few million dollars. His agents are currently in the process of informing other interested teams of Renteria's decision that he will not entertain their offers, but instead will be re-signing with St. Louis."

"No doubt about it, book it, a sure thing."

Report from StLouisCardinalsFans.com: "From a source very familiar with the discussions between the Renteria camp and the Cardinals, I was told today that Edgar will be returning to the Cardinals in 2005. No doubt about it, book it, a sure thing. As I had suspected all along, the deciding issue was not money. Even though the Red Sox “offer” last weekend proved to be false, or at best inflated and premature, there was no doubt that Detroit and perhaps other teams were prepared to pay more than the Cardinals. For Edgar, the most important issue always was comfort with his surroundings – his teammates, coaches, medical staff and the like. He turned the negotiations over to his agents, but all along, in his heart, he knew he would remain a Cardinal. Renteria’s final decision bears that out. His agents are currently in the process of informing other interested teams of Edgar’s decision that he will not entertain their offers, but instead will be re-signing with St. Louis. Edgar will continue to have for many years an income the size of which he could never have dreamed as a child growing up in Barranquilla, Colombia. The Cardinals will have the continued services of a cornerstone player that Manager Tony La Russa calls “The Captain” of his squad at an amount that they can live with. Walt Jocketty and La Russa remain the “good” cops, while Chairman Bill DeWitt can be the “bad” cop who ultimately closed the pocketbook. But, there are really no losers here. Sometimes, stories can end happily. Now, let’s get on with the rest of the off-season!" -- Brian Walton, The Birdhouse