Those who say baseball is a non-contact sport, haven't seen a Red Sox game. Although it may appear that the Sox are the aggressors, there is not one hot-head in the bunch.

On Sunday, six ejections, including Piniella and Terry Francona, were handed out by the umpires before the end of the seventh inning.

It would appear the Devil Rays needed to learn a lesson that A-Rod and the Yankees learned last year - you mess with one Red Sox player, you mess with them all.

Devil Rays pitcher (and I use the word loosely) Lance Carter threw one-too-many pitches at the heads of the Red Sox sluggers. One sailed behind Manny, the other almost took the head off David Ortiz. Manny got his revenge with a bomb, but Ortiz didn't get the opportunity.

It must be frustrating, having a dismal pitching staff, but you can't go after Big Papi and Manny Ramirez. Lou Piniella should know this.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, the old-school manager refrained from admitting fault. "They might have gotten away, they might have not," Piniella said.

I'm sure Piniella called for those pitches. It is tough to prove, but Carter doesn't walk too many people, which shows a fair amount of control. If anything, I'd say Carter throws too many strikes - indicated by his 14 hits in 10 innings.

Tampa Bay Online reminds us that these incidents are nothing new when the Sox meet Devil Rays. I don't really understand why Piniella encourages his young, impressionable team to disrespect others.

On Saturday, the Seattle Times wrote about Piniella's frustration and ponders how much more he can take. Not too much more? I would have a tough time walking away from millions.

Sunday's incidents should not take away from Jay Payton's grandslam. It's nice to know that we have a baseball player to fill in for Trot Nixon on occassion.

I haven't always agreed with Francona, but he does know how to keep a team happy. He has juggled the starting lineup perfectly. Everyone knows his role and everyone gets time on the field. Payton is a perfect example.

Payton has been in the starting lineup whenever a lefty starts a game. No one can question his ability in that role. Payton is batting .276 with 2 home runs and 10 rbis. Not bat for a guy who has 28 at-bats. I doubt Nixon minds, he was 2-for-15 last year vs. lefties and is 0-for-5 so far. Boston.com says that Payton is just grand as a fill in. I would have to agree.

In fact, one could argue an occassional day off is helping Nixon. Last year, he missed much of the season to injury. This strategy may keep him healthy.

The Payton-Nixon scenario is just one example. Another is keeping Doug Mirabelli fresh. Mirabelli is guaranteed a start every five days as Tim Wakefield's personal catcher. He does a fantastic job behind the plate and makes the most of his 4-5 abs. Although he only has two hits thus far, one was a home run. He also has a respectable on-base percentage (.313) for a part-time player. Besides, the battery has worked quite well together.

And then there is Ramon Vasquez in the utility role. Vasquez can play three infield positions. He hasn't shown too much with his bat, but his defense has been great. He proved his worth Sunday with a brilliant double play ball.

So for all my griping about the manager, Francona is the right choice for this ball club.

E-mail this entry to a friend