It would appear there is a bit of controversy surrounding Curt Schilling's bloody sock during his courageous 2004 World Series outing.

Orioles announcer Gary Thorne suggests that Mirabelli had told him that it was all a publicity stunt. Instead of blood, it was red paint.

Read Boston Globe's article Schilling's sock called into question.

Wow! I'm flabergasted. How could anyone make that accusation? What does one gain. The sock didn't enhance a victory and as long as they won Schilling was going to be a hero.

Mirabelli denies saying anything of the sort.

Perhaps I'm one of the gullible fans of Red Sox Nation, I don't buy the red paint theory.

Schilling appears to be a straight shooter. Perhaps even the most blunt individual in MLB. To think, even if it were true, that he would be apart doesn't make any sense.

Who is this Gary Thorne guy anyway? It turns out he is an Old Town native. In fact, a Bangor Daily News article dated April 13 called him the 'perfect fit' for the Baltimore's airwaves

I wonder what they think now.

It would not surprise me to find the sock in some lab to confirm the blood stain.

So after all my advocacy, perhaps Wily Mo is not the answer. I have watched him carefully over the last few games and it has been very disappointing to say the least.
He can't field; he has misplayed several balls.
And he can't hit; he's batting .120 for the year and has one solo home run.
Daniel Cabrera simply made him look silly, as Pena whiffed at curveball after curveball. Three strikeouts on the night. Ouch. Almost the golden sombrero.
To think that I really wanted to see him in the lineup everyday, pains me.
I can take solice in the fact that I was not alone. The Boston Herald writes about the failure of the fans' choice.

Sox are still #1.

On the fantasy front:
I get pretty excited when I see double-digit boxscores in the newspaper or ESPB's crawl. I wonder who on my team contributed. Usually, I'm let down. Take today for example. I saw that Colorado scored 11 runs. I have third baseman Garrett Atkins and outfielder Brad Hawpe. Atkins did not play (still wondering about that) and Brad Hawpe went two for five with a run. Yippee!
At least Derek Lee pulled his weight. The Cubs' first baseman went 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, two runs and two rbis.
I'm thinking of changing my name to the cellar dwellers.

As I was on my morning commute, I turned on WJAB. Joe and Shoe were talking about the upcoming drafts (NFL, NBA) but in their discussions, they also turned the focus on the "Last Place New York Yankees." A look at the standings would suggest a reason for the excitement. However, it may be a tad bit premature to spread rumors of the Yankees' demise.

It's only April and even more important it is only a four-game separation.
I'm not that excited, especially when the Sox miss two more opportunities to widen the gap.

Nothing could be sweeter than the best pitchers in the league meeting arguably the best hitters in the league. Now add the fact, that it's Red Sox vs. Yankees - pure honey.

The New York Yankees bring the hottest hitter in baseball to Fenway when they begin a three-game series tonight at 7 p.m. That's right the oft-maligned A-Rod already has 10 home runs and is well on his way to break the MLB record of 14 for the month of April. I hate it, but it adds to the drama.

He has already set the AL record - the quickest player to hit 10 home runs; it has only taken him 14 games. He has also amassed 26 rbis in this short stretch. Pretty impressive, if you like that kind of stuff.

I prefer pitching. Which is exactly why this matchup is going to be very interesting. The Sox will place Schilling, Beckett and Matsuzaka on the mound this weekend. Can you think of a better way to get the 2007 rivalry started? The Red Sox, with their 2.58 ERA, lead the AL in pitching.

Daisuke will get his first taste of the greatest rivalry in sports history. I wonder if anything in Japan is comparable. The Fenz will be electric all weekend, win or lose. The fans will be at their, err, best.

Those three powerhouse starters will go up against Andy Pettitte, Jeff Karstens (gets his first start of the season) and Chase Wright (pitching his second game in the bigs) respectively.

We all know about Andy Pettitte. He's off to a terrific start. But who are these other guys?

Daisuke Matsuzaka put forth another good performance Tuesday. And yet again, the Sox can only manage one run.

Is Gustavo Chacin that good of a pitcher? No, but he does apparently win vs. the Red Sox. Last year the lefty recorded 4 wins against Boston with a respectable 3.43 ERA.

With J.D. Drew getting the night off (and most likely the rest of the series) to avoid the turf, Wily Mo Pena provided the only run in the game - a mammoth blast to straight-away center.

I do not know why the Sox insist on placing him so low in the order. His rightful place should be at No. 5 to offer some protection for Manny.

One thing is for sure Kevin Youkilis does not belong there. Last night, he went 0-for-4. When batting fifth in 2006, he hit a mere .215 with 13Ks and a paltry .307 OBP. Not exactly insurance.

I can't blame it all on Youk; he only left one man stranded.

Let's see if the Sox can put it together for Tim Wakefield. Wakefield has a stellar 1.26 ERA going into tonight's game though I doubt the Rogers Center will do him much good.

Before the game broadcasters, announcers and fans speculated on the existence of the "gryo-ball." They talked about what tools the 26-year-old Matsuzaka had in his arsenal. The talked about the most anticipated matchup since Clemens vs. Piazza.

So much attention was given to the two Japanese superstars that people forgot about a certain 21-year-old pitcher sitting in the vistor's dugout.

Last night, King Felix lived up to his name. He ruled Fenway.

His foot soldiers held the defense and much to my amazement a no-hitter was in sight.

Though I was not disappointed in Daisuke's outing, I can't say the same about Boston's other 9.

What is happening to the Red Sox offense? Is pitching that far ahead of hitting? Or his Hernandez that good?

Hernandez is that good. There's a reason why M's fan David Shoenfield is glued to his set everytime Hernandez is on the mound.

Only a week ago he struck out 12 A's in another shutout victory. In 17 innings he has given up a total of four hits (one last night). What is equally impressive? He has 18Ks. In fact, if he were to continue this trend he would match his career total in Ks, this year. Not likely but possible.

The SportingNews breaks it down.

While Hernandez was masterful last night, I'm still worried about Boston's offense. Where is it?

Six of the starting nine are hitting below .233. And A-Rod (6) has more home runs than the Red Sox (4) combined.

The team is lucky to be at .500.

I know it's early and as the weather heats up so will the Sox. But unfortunately the weather is not going to heat up anytime soon.

Thank God for J.D. Drew! It was as if I was cheering Carl Everett all over again - though Mike Mussina's no-hitter would have stung more.

Drew has been a shining light in the otherwise dark tunnel. He's batting .393 and leads the Sox in total bases and rbis. He's second on the team in runs with five. (Ortiz has six). I guess he is worth the money afterall - go figure.

With this type of production, I can only hope today's game is a rain out. I couldn't handle another loss after traveling in the storm. Besides Wakefield could use some support.

Although I have four tickets to today's game, I'll place them in a drawer awaiting a better day.

Good things come to those who wait. Perhaps I'll see Daisuke with the raincheck or maybe a couple of hits.

I'm having a hard time concentrating. The game is on my mind. I can't escape it.
Remember that dear Yankee fan who took the time to call me after opening day to check up on the baseball happenings? Well, she resurfaced again today.
It appears that her friend has invited her to attend tonight's game. She was calling for some advise as to how to get out of work.
"Simple, try the truth."
"That's what my mom said."
"Well..."
"That never works," was her reply.

As the conversation continues I can't help but feel a tinge of jeolousy. Or some other emotion I'm not familiar with.

Here is a die-hard Yankee fan who may attend the most anticipated games in baseball history.

That's not all. Her friend must have some killer connections. There's a 90% chance that she will not only meet Daisuke, but will have her photo taken with him before the game.

Can you believe it?

I sat waiting for the punchline, certainly this was some sort of cruel joke.

Yankee fan: "Can you believe it. I have the chance to see history. Dice-K pitching the home opener."
I correct her. "Well, yesterday was actually the home opener."
"You know what I mean."
Yes all too well. I add, "Not too mention Ichiro."
"What? Ichiro's going to be there?" She placed her hands over her mouth in excitement and awe, gasping for breath.
"Yes."
"I can't believe it. I didn't know that was the matchup. Ichiro's pitching vs. Dice-K."
"Ah, no. Ichiro is a hitter and will be the first batter Daisuke will face."
"You know what I mean," she continued.
Yes, all too well.
Then she continued, informing me that she will be donning her Yankees' garb.
"You can't do that," I insist.
"I have to represent. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm not going to lie."
"But you don't need to advertise. You're going to go to Fenway to perhaps the biggest game in recent history and meet Daisuke Matsuzaka wearing Yankee gear?"
"Yes. And when I shake his hand, I'm going to pull one of his fingers." She says with a light-hearted laugh.
"On second thought, perhaps you shouldn't go. But, if your friend is looking for someone to take that ticket..."
"I've got to go talk to my boss."
"At least get me an autograph."
"Yeah, right."

I hang up the phone, disgusted.
Meanwhile, I hold tickets to Thursday's sure to be rained-out Wakefield "opener."
Can you believe the luck?

Make sure that you don't miss Felix Hernandez today amidst all the hype. The king will be a sight. He struck out 12 Oakland Athletics in his first start of the season, recording his first 'W' of the year.

I'm telling you this could be historic.

Thousands of fans and perhaps as many media personel will be on hand for the first ptich of today's game between Seattle and Boston. I could be the best in all of MLB. Though, the clicks and flashes of cameras may drown out the cheers.

Too much hype? I think not.

Ichiro paved the way for a new era in baseball. Now new stars are emerging thoughout the majors.

In fact, every division in baseball has a Japanese player, except for the N.L. East (Atlanta, Philly, Mets, Nats and Miami) which in itself is quite surprising considering the size of those markets and the Japanese population in those cities.

The Cardinals have So Taguchi in the outfield. In Tampa Bay there's Akinori Iwamura. Tadahito Iguchi covers second for the White Sox (and my fantasy league). The Sox got a taste of Akinori Otsuka when he closed for Texas. The Rockies have a comeback candidate in Kaz Matsui. In Pittsburgh Masumi Kuwata pitches. Takahashi Saito closes for the Dodgers. In Toronto Tomo Ohka (once with the Sox organization) starts. And the the Yankees have Hideki Matsui and Kei Igawa.

But today, Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka will meet Seattle's Ichiro. MSNBC has a little preview.

I'll take the 3-3 start to the season. Heck, the Sox were on the road. And pitching wasn't been a problem.

Yes, Schilling struggled in his first outing but Sunday he had returned to form, allowing only one run.

However how long can the Sox put Julian Tavarez out there? Unlike Schilling, he does not have what it takes to take the mound every fifth day. Whenever a pressure situation arises Tavarez seems to freeze.

So for the next two weeks, you might as well mark a 'L' for his starts. Where's Kyle Snyder when you need him? Actually I would not be surprised to see Snyder make a sport start if Tavarez throws another dud.

There is good news though, Jon Lester is on his way back. I would imagine that the Sox will have the lefty up to the bigs by mid-May barring any unforeseen injury. Lester is rebounding nicely. He will make three starts at single-A and then I would guess two starts in AAA, then we'll see him in the No. 5 slot. One blogger gives us a much needed update.

One word - Matsuzaka.
You can call him Dice-K all you want. I choose to be more respectful. This guy can pitch.

I know it's only April and it's only the third inning, but if I were to go to any game I would hope he was on the mound.

I can already see him as the Rookie of the Year, this being the third game of the season - he's a lock. Though anyone on the Royals could make a bid.

This has been a fun start to the season, even with Schilling poor outing and Mike Lowell's uncharacteristic errors. Don't worry about Lowell, he'll still end up under 10 for the year.

I can already see good things for J.D. Drew and only wish I had the chance to get him in the draft. The front four are on base so many times he can only reap the benefits. Bonus: he plays a mean outfield. He makes playing right look easy, well at least in Kansas City.

Speaking of the draft. I did poorly.

At 9 a.m. Tuesday my office phone rings, "Can you tell me who won yesterday? I have yet to see the paper?"

My favorite Yankee fan (if there is such a thing) was on the other end. Her coy way of getting in a quick jab to start the season.

"Look at the bright side," she continued. "You're tied for third."

This is how the season was to begin.

I had already fallen down a 14-tread staircase the day before the regular season. I hobble into work for a few hours Monday, before having a bad reaction to some pain medication. I soon found myself lying on my sofa, sick and in pain. Yup, all before the first pitch.

Then I watch the Royals put on a hitting clinic against Curt Schilling, the (gulp) "Ace" of the Red Sox pitching staff.

How could this happen?

The Royals are playing without pressure. Heck, if they lost 90 games that would be an improvement over last year. So why not just go out there and have some fun.