When Josh Beckett was introduced during the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Boston Red Sox home opener at Historic Fenway Park, there were a smattering of boos mixed in with some cheers. By the time he walked off the mound in the 8th inning, there were no boos heading his way.

Just a standing ovation from the crowd.

Beckett’s pitching along with the day his batterymate Kelly Shoppach had were the big reasons the Red Sox won their home opener 12-2 over their AL East rivals the Tampa Bay Rays.

Of course this was all overshadowed by the injury suffered by Jacoby Ellsbury when he tried to break up a double play and Rays shortstop Reid Brignac came down on his right shoulder. The initial reports are that Ellsbury has a shoulder dislocation and will miss 6-8 weeks. An official announcement from the Red Sox should come at some point today.

For the second straight start, Beckett’s velocity was down a few miles per hour from where it normally is. But that really didn’t matter on Friday.

Beckett was able to mix in all of his pitches and command all of them. His changeup might have been his best pitch of the afternoon. With his velocity down so were the strikeouts. Beckett had at least one strikeout in his 280 career games and he almost didn’t get there until he struck out Carlos Pena in the 8th inning which turned out to be his final inning.

Beckett would have probably gotten the chance to go for the complete game win since he had thrown an economical 94 pitches through eight innings. He didn’t get that chance though as his teammates put up an eight spot in the bottom half of the inning.

Given that Beckett did so well with Shoppach behind the plate, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the two paired up again in his next start. Of course it also didn’t hurt that Shoppach was 3-for-4 with three RBIs, three runs scored and his first career stolen base in his first attempt. And it was a stolen base that he’ll never forget due to the ugliest slide and steal of second you’ll ever see.

Shoppach was the catalyst on the offense though.

He started off the 3rd inning by getting hit with a David Price pitch and came around to score one of three runs the Red Sox put up in the inning. With one out in the 4th, he doubled off of Burke Badenhop and came around to score on an Ellsbury single. And in the 8th, he doubled in two of the eight runs on the inning.

Of the starting nine players on offense, only Cody Ross didn’t have a hit. Ross however did knock in a run with a sacrifice fly and was outstanding defensively in center after Ellsbury left the game. Adrian Gonzalez joined Shoppach with three hits on the afternoon with an RBI. Kevin Youkilis looks to be warming up offensively as he had two hits and three RBIs while David Ortiz knocked in two runs on two hits as well.

Given the poor start, it was nice to see the Red Sox come out and make Price work. They got him out of the game after three innings. We’re used to seeing the Red Sox do that to pitchers and that was something they hadn’t done in the first six games.

Hopefully they can do that again this afternoon.

We’ll be back later on today with this afternoon’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day. So for now, let’s take at look at the overnight links from the media by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

Rays of light for Beckett [Boston Globe]

Gain and pain [Boston Globe]

Shoppach thrilled to bag his first stolen base [Boston Globe]

Lengthy absence would really hurt [Boston Globe]

Safe at home [Boston Globe]

As if one were needed, reminder of a fried season [Boston Globe]

Pair are masters of the ceremony [Boston Globe]

Crawford close to seeing game action [Boston Globe]

Scott stands behind comments about Fenway [Boston Globe]

Much lost in win [Boston Herald]

Hard play, harder hurt [Boston Herald]

Shopp ’til he flops [Boston Herald]

No twiddling Sox’ thumbs [Boston Herald]

Cody Ross now man in middle [Boston Herald]

Optimism shines through at Fenway [Boston Herald]

Center of concern [Boston Herald]

Last mound visit for Wake, Tek [Boston Herald]

Jacoby Ellsbury injury a reminder of ’10 nightmare [Boston Herald]

Varitek, Wakefield honored with first pitch at Opening Day [CSN New England]

Beckett, Sox blow away Tampa Bay, 12-2 [CSN New England]

Shoppach gets first steal; keeps base [CSN New England]

Beckett flips script, dominates Rays [CSN New England]

Beckett, Shoppach groove together [CSN New England]

Rapid reaction: Red Sox 12, Rays 2 [ESPN Boston]

SB makes Shoppach’s great day historic [ESPN Boston]

Best guess for Ells? 6 weeks minimum [ESPN Boston]

Josh Beckett aces Boston Red Sox home opener test [ESPN Boston]

Hill continues his progress [Extra Bases]

What are the potential implications of Jacoby Ellsbury’s injury? [Full Count]

Closing Time: Josh Beckett dominates Rays; Jacoby Ellsbury injured [Full Count]

Worst-case scenario for Jacoby Ellsbury? Very, very bad [Full Count]

Josh Beckett Far From A Punch Line In Fenway Opener [Hartford Courant]

Does Tampa Bay Have the Best Starting Rotation in Baseball? [NESN.com]

Red Sox Worried About Jacoby Ellsbury’s Injury, Prepared to Adapt If It’s Deemed Serious [NESN.com]

Josh Beckett’s ‘Perfect Outing’ Jump-Starts Red Sox Season and Pitcher’s Possible Cy Young Candidacy [NESN.com]

Cherington takes Red Sox’s slow start in stride [RedSox.com]

Shoppach steals show with stolen base [RedSox.com]

Bittersweet first Fenway opener for Bailey [RedSox.com]

Crawford set to start extended spring games [RedSox.com]

Red Sox staff uses off-day for good cause [RedSox.com]

Wake, ‘Tek enjoy emotional day at Fenway [RedSox.com]

Sox fan to celebrate his and Fenway’s 100th [RedSox.com]

Everything’s not Jake: Sox prepare for life without Jacoby Ellsbury [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Red Sox find the comforts of home [Touching All The Bases]

For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSN New England,  ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.

And if you must check out the enemy news, head over to the Tampa Bay Times and Tampa Tribune websites.

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photo credit: Elsa – Getty Images

Destination Red Sox Nation is our look at how the minor league teams of the Boston Red Sox fare each night. Game story and box score links as well as links to team rosters, team stats and league standings can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

If you would like to listen to any of the Red Sox minor league affiliates’ games, MiLB.com offers them for free.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

Pawtucket Red Sox

The PawSox got three runs in the 6th on a Will Middlebrooks homer and held on a for a 4-3 win over the Rochester Red Wings.

Middlebrooks Powers PawSox Past Red Wings [PawSox.com]

Pawtucket Red Sox @ Rochester Red Wings 4.13.12 box score [MiLB.com]

Pawtucket Red Sox 2012 Roster

Pawtucket Red Sox stats

International League 2012 Standings

Pawtucket Red Sox website

Portland Sea Dogs:

The Sea Dogs got two runs on a Juan Carlos Linare home run in the 8th to beat the Binghamton Mets 4-3.

Linares’ Two Run Homer Wins Game for Sea Dogs [PortlandSeaDogs.com]

Sea Dogs dig deep for victory [Portland Press Herald]

Binghamton Mets @ Portland Sea Dogs 4.13.12 box score [MiLB.com]

Portland Sea Dogs 2012 Roster

Portland Sea Dogs 2012 stats

Eastern League 2012 Standings

Portland Sea Dogs website

Salem Red Sox:

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans got two in the 8th to beat Salem 8-6.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans 8, Salem Red Sox 6 [Roanoke Times]

Resilient Pelicans Upend Red Sox 8-6 [OurSports Central]

Fans at Red Sox opener notice missing tarps [Roanoke Times]

Myrtle Beach Pelicans @ Salem Red Sox 4.13.12 box score [MiLB.com]

Salem Red Sox 2012 Roster

Salem Red Sox 2012 stats

Carolina League 2012 standings

Salem Red Sox official blog

Salem Red Sox website

Greenville Drive:

The West Virginia Power walked off with a 3-2 win over the Drive in 10 innings.

Power take win [OurSports Central]

Greenville Drive @ West Virginia Power 4.13.12 box score [MiLB.com]

Greenville Drive 2012 Roster

Greenvillle Drive 2012 stats

South Atlantic League 2012 Standings

Greenville Drive website

Lowell Spinners:

The Spinners season will begin on June 18th against the Connecticut Tigers.

Lowell Spinners 2011 Roster

Lowell Spinners 2011 final stats

NY-Penn League 2011 Final Standings

Lowell Spinners Blog

Spinners website

Gulf Coast League Red Sox

The GCL Red Sox season will begin on June 18th against the GCL Rays.

GCL Red Sox 2011 Roster

GCL Red Sox 2011 final stats

Gulf Coast League 2011 Final Standings

Gulf Coast Red Sox website

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Football links

Cornerbacks Wreh-Wilson And Gratz Have A Strong Spring [Hartford Courant]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Michala Johnson talks about decision to leave UConn [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Michala Johnson speaks about transferring [New Haven Register]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

What will UConn’s roster look like next season? [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

Oriakhi: “I was thinking Missouri since the day I decided to transfer” [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

Ex-Husky Oriakhi commits to Missouri [CT Post]

Evans coming, Drummond and Bradley going from UConn [CT Post]

Andre Drummond Makes It Official; Bradley Out, Evans In At UConn [Hartford Courant]

Michael Bradley on the way out, R.J. Evans on the way in [New Haven Register]

Andre Drummond confirms he will turn pro [New Haven Register]

NFA grad R.J. Evans to suit up for UConn next season [Norwich Bulletin]

R.J. Evans commits to UConn [The Day]

Other UConn related links

UConn Club. UConn Club To Honor 15 As Outstanding Senior Scholar-Athletes [UConnHuskies.com]

W. Lacrosse. Huskies To Take Part In Lax-4-Life To Benefit Suicide Prevention [UConnHuskies.com]

Baseball. Baseball Drops Series Opener at St. John’s, 7-2 [UConnHuskies.com]

W. Track. Huskies Continue Success At Sea Relays [UConnHuskies.com]

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

The news isn’t so pretty for the Boston Red Sox even after their 12-2 home opening day win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

It appears that Jacoby Ellsbury, who was injured when Reid Brignac came down on him after he tried to break up a double play, will miss 6-8 weeks with a possible shoulder dislocation according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. That same injury report was also confirmed by Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston.

The Red Sox are already thin in the outfield with Carl Crawford still out with an elbow strain.

It’s expected that Che-Hsuan Lin will be called up to replace Ellsbury in the outfield. Lin was a late scratch before Triple-A Pawtucket’s game against the Rochester Red Wings. It’s quite possible that Lin will have the best arm in the outfield judging by this throw he had last year.

Lin is off to a slow start with the PawSox as he is just 3-for-20 to start the season.

This is a big loss from the Red Sox as there were high expectations from him coming off of his almost MVP season of 2011. Now the Red Sox will have to play without him.

We can only hope that the injury isn’t serious after more tests are done and that he’s out the minimum time and not the maximum.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Former UConn Huskies forward Alex Oriakhi has finally picked a school to transfer to. He’ll be heading to Columbia, MO to play for the Missouri Tigers, who will play their first season the SEC next year.

Here’s the release from Missouri:

Columbia, Mo. – The University of Missouri men’s basketball program has added a highly-regarded big man to help the Tigers for the 2012-13 season, as Alex Oriakhi, a 6-foot-9, 245-pound power forward, will attend Mizzou. Oriakhi will have one year of eligibility remaining after transferring from the University of Connecticut, where he helped lead the Huskies to the 2011 NCAA Championship as a sophomore. Oriakhi has signed a financial aid agreement to attend Mizzou, as announced by Mizzou Head Coach Frank Haith.

Oriakhi, a native of Lowell, Mass., averaged 7.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 109 games over the past three seasons at UCONN. He turned in career-best averages of 9.6 points and 8.7 rebounds during his sophomore season as the Huskies won the 2011 NCAA title, with Oriakhi playing a major role in the tournament run. He scored 11 points and added 11 rebounds and four blocked shots in the national title game against Butler. He also contributed eight points, 10 rebounds and a block in the national semi-final win over Kentucky. An outstanding shot-blocker, Oriakhi swatted 166 shots in his 109 games at UCONN.

The 2009 Gatorade High School Player of the Year in New Hampshire and a McDonald’s Prep All-American, Oriakhi will be reunited with current Tiger guard Phil Pressey. The two were teammates previously together for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club.

“We’re very excited to add a talented and proven player like Alex to our program,” said Haith. “Addressing our front court depth has been a major emphasis of ours for this next year, and when you add Alex to a group of newcomers including Stefan Jankovic, Ryan Rosburg and Tony Criswell, we are definitely heading the right direction. Alex is a very hard worker, he’s somebody who we expect to fit into our program’s culture right away. He will do whatever he’s asked to help the team, and he can impact a game any number of ways, whether it’s scoring, rebounding or defending,” Haith said.

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photo credit: Richard Messina – Hartford Courant

Lose three players, gain one player. And now it appears the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team will be losing another player.

According to Brendan Quinn of Nooga.com, redshirt freshman Michael Bradley will be leaving the program to transfer to another school.

Bradley sat out his first season in Storrs, earning a redshirt. He missed the entire 2011-12 season after fracturing his ankle in October.

Quinn states that Bradley could transfer somewhere closer to home and possibly receive a hardship waiver since his grandmother was recently diagnosed with cancer.

I have to be honest here. If this report turns out to be true, I’m shocked.

With Alex Oriakhi leaving the program and Andre Drummond heading to the NBA, Bradley was in line for a chance to become a part of the regular rotation for Jim Calhoun. Now, we are looking at Enosch Wolf being our center for the 2012-13.

Either way, best of luck to Bradley.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Photo credit: Bettina Hansen – Hartford Courant

While the UConn Huskies men’s basketball program may not be eligible for the 2013 NCAA Touranment at this time, it’s not stopping Connecticut native R.J. Evans from coming to Storrs, CT.

The Salem, CT native announced on Friday that he will attend and play at UConn after graduating from Holy Cross this May. 

“It’s every Connecticut kid’s dream to play at UConn. It’s a dream come true. I’m grateful and thank God. It’s a great opportunity and I’m going to make the best of it.”

Evans did play four season for the Crusaders but he injured his knee his junior year and earned a medical redshirt. He will be able to play right away for Jim Calhoun’s depleted Huskies squad.

Evans led the Crusaders with 15 points in their 77-40 loss to UConn on December 18, 2011.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credit: Brad Horrigan – Hartford Courant

After reports came out yesterday that UConn Huskies freshman center Andre Drummond was going to jump ship and head to the NBA, he made the decision official on Friday.

Here’s the release from UConn:

STORRS, Conn. – University of Connecticut freshman Andre Drummond has announced that he will make himself available for the 2012 NBA Draft, foregoing his final three seasons of college eligibility.

“My family and I feel that this is the right time for me to take the next step in my basketball career,” Drummond said. “It has always been a goal of mine to compete against the world’s best players and that is one of the big factors for me in making this decision.

“Although I was only at UConn for one year, the experience I gained playing against the best competition at the college level greatly helped me prepare for what I will face as I pursue a career as a professional.”

Drummond (Middletown, Conn.), a 6-10 center, is expected to be a top five pick in the draft, which takes place on June 28 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

“Andre is a developing player with unlimited potential and his projected position in the draft is as good as almost any player I’ve ever had,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. “Very few players get such a tremendous opportunity, and he’s got to take advantage of it.”

Drummond, 18, did not decide to attend college until just before the first semester began, paid his own way, and therefore has been classified as a walk-on with the Huskies. He made quite an impact, however, playing in all 34 games, the last 30 as a starter, and averaging 28.4 minutes a contest.

Drummond averaged 10.0 points per game, while leading the team in rebounding at 7.6 per game, field goal percentage at .538, and blocked shots with 92. His 2.7 blocks per game ranked third in the BIG EAST Conference and 14th in the country. Drummond, who was selected to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team, had 10 double-doubles during the season, a record for a UConn freshman under Calhoun.

“I really appreciate the time and effort that Coach Calhoun and the whole coaching staff at UConn put in to help me improve my game,” Drummond said. “I also want to thank our tremendous Husky fans and my teammates. I have developed strong relationships at UConn that will be part of my life forever.”

Sophomore Jeremy Lamb, who declared his availability for the NBA Draft earlier this week, and Drummond become the 14th and 15th UConn players under Calhoun to leave school early to enter the draft. Of the 13 before Lamb and Drummond, all but one was drafted in the first round and 10 were lottery picks.

“Andre came here because he wanted to play for the state school and he showed a great deal of loyalty to our program and to the state itself,” Calhoun said. “Andre and his family have been great people to deal with. Naturally, we’re sad to see him go, but we wish him nothing but great successes in the future.”

Drummond was considered one of the top prospects in the country while leading St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn., to the 2011 Prep National Championship.

“I truly enjoyed my whole college experience and I hope to return in the future to earn my degree,” Drummond said. “As a kid from Connecticut, playing basketball at UConn in front of hometown fans for me was a dream come true.”

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credit: John Woike – Hartford Courant

After going 1-5 in their first six games, the Boston Red Sox return home to the friendly confines of historic Fenway Park for the first game of a four-game set with their AL East rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays.

First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. and the game will be broadcast in the Red Sox television market on NESN. If you live in the Rays television market, you can catch the game on Sun Sports.  If you don’t live in either market, you’re in luck as the MLB Network will have coverage of the game as well. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.

After getting roughed up in his first start, Josh Beckett looks to right the ship in the home opener for the Red Sox. This will be Beckett’s fifth home opening day start with the Red Sox (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010). On the season, Beckett is 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA (7 ER/4.2 IP). He made three starts against the Rays in 2011 and was 2-0 with a 0.78 ERA (2 ER/23 IP). Beckett has had good success against the Rays in his career as he is 9-4 with a 2.94 in 19 career starts.

David Price gets the ball for Joe Maddon’s Rays squad. Price picked up the win in his first start which came against the New York Yankees after allowing two runs in 6.1 innings on April 7th. Price made five starts against the Red Sox in 2011 and was 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA.  Overall in his career, he’s made 10 starts against the boys from Beantown and is 6-3 with a 3.16 ERA. Four of those starts have come at the Fens where he is 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA.

Click on the read more button below to see today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the overnight and day if you’re on the home page.

Here are today’s lineups:

4-2		1-5
1. Desmond Jennings	CF	1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF
2. Carlos Pena	1B	2. Dustin Pedroia	2B
3. Evan Longoria	3B	3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
4. Matt Joyce	LF	4. Kevin Youkilis	3B
5. Ben Zobrist	RF	5. David Ortiz	DH
6. Jeff Keppinger	2B	6. Darnell McDonald	LF
7. Stephen Vogt	DH	7. Cody Ross	RF
8. Jose Molina	C	8. Mike Aviles	SS
9. Reid Brignac	SS	9. Kelly Shoppach	C
David Price	SP	Josh Beckett	SP

And here is how the hitters have fared against today’s starting pitchers:

REFRESH OR CHECK BACK OFTEN AS MORE LINKS WILL BE ADDED BEFORE GAMETIME IF/WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AND WILL BE BOLDED

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

Beckett excited to be in the driver’s seat [Boston Globe]

Can we home in on any hope here? [Boston Globe]

He’s adjusting to changeup [Boston Globe]

Pedroia will be all ears [Boston Globe]

As Red Sox sputter early, sellout streak in jeopardy [Boston Globe]

GREEN MONSTERS FOR ALL [Boston Globe]

The Fenway Years: Pedro Martinez (1998-2004) [Boston Herald]

It’s a matter of trust [Boston Herald]

Josh Beckett not worried by greeting [Boston Herald]

First baseball game at Fenway:  Casey at the bat (and on the mound) [Boston Herald]

Red Sox officially open Fenway, work overtime to beat NY [Boston Herald]

Open wounds hard to close [Boston Herald]

Fenway Park’s Greatest Moments not just from Red Sox [Boston Herald]

Fans find their ‘happy place’ on Yawkey Way [Boston Herald]

Red Sox at Fenway: Our Top 10 List [Boston Herald]

Bobby V says he’s “still holding my breath that Josh is fine” but believes thumb a “moot point” [Clubhouse Insider]

Elbow setback means Carl Crawford return ‘will have to wait a little longer’ [Clubhouse Insider]

Bailey ready to begin rehab, hopes to contribute [Clubhouse Insider]

Pregame notes: Talking Shop(pach); almost Miller’s time [Clubhouse Insider]

On second thought . . . Beckett usually strong after opener [Clubhouse Insider]

Francona regrets controversy over anniversary snub [CSN New England]

‘3 up, 3 down’ [CSN New England]

Sports Tonight: How will fans greet Sox today? [CSN New England]

Elbow strain the latest setback for Crawford [CSN New England]

Video: Time to panic yet? [ESPN Boston]

Our 100 Greatest Red Sox Players [ESPN Boston]

Video: Edes on Red Sox struggles [ESPN Boston]

Somewhere, is Tito smiling at 1-5 start? [ESPN Boston]

Video: As old as Fenway [ESPN Boston]

Catching up: Bobby V interview [ESPN Boston]

Video: State of the Nation with Gordon Edes [ESPN Boston]

What to watch for from Beckett today [ESPN Boston]

Luke Scott: Fenway Park is ‘a dump’ [ESPN Boston]

Last 14 home openers, Sox average 8.3 runs [ESPN Boston]

Bailey: ‘Everything going well as can be’ [ESPN Boston]

Shoppach gets the nod vs. former club [ESPN Boston]

Setback for Crawford, this time with elbow [ESPN Boston]

Schill: ‘Massive’ concern if Josh struggles [ESPN Boston]

Did Schill’s invite get lost in the mail? [ESPN Boston]

A hearty welcome to you, Luke Scott [Extra Bases]

Carl Crawford says he has strained left elbow [Extra Bases]

Henry hoping for some better news [Extra Bases]

Luke Scott on Fenway: ‘Get a new park’ [Extra Bases]

Rob Bradford talks with Seth Everett about all things Red Sox [Full Count]

Nuggetpalooza: Red Sox nuggets from Toronto [Full Count]

Friday morning with Bobby Valentine: Excitement for opener, bated breath for Beckett [Full Count]

Credibility on the line for Red Sox now [Tony Massarotti – Boston Globe]

Bobby Valentine, Joe Maddon Share Quirky Personalities But Have Different Styles [NESN.com]

Luke Scott Continues to Endear Himself to Red Sox Fans, Calls Fenway Park ‘A Dump’ [NESN.com]

Josh Beckett Could Benefit From Strong Outing in Red Sox’ Home Opener for Many Reasons [NESN.com]

Fenway Park Turns 100, Celebrating a Century in Boston (Photos) [NESN.com]

‘Red Sox Small Talk’ to Kick Off Summer-Long Schedule With Kevin Youkilis [NESN.com]

Send Bobby Valentine Questions to Answer on ‘The Bobby Valentine Show’ [NESN.com]

Bobby Valentine Could Be In Position To Return to 12-Pitcher Roster, Promote Utility Man [NESN.com]

Dustin Pedroia’s contract will limit his free-agent payday [Projo Sox Blog]

A Series Matter: Red Sox-Rays and Revenge [Projo Sox Blog]

Pitching staff might drop from 13 to 12 by Saturday [Projo Sox Blog]

Crawford dealing with elbow strain [Projo Sox Blog]

Rays’ Zobrist on Red Sox slow start: “If I was them, I wouldn’t think too much about it” [Projo Sox Blog]

Wakefield and Varitek throw out first pitches; some boos for Beckett and Valentine [Projo Sox Blog]

Red Sox return to Fenway, but will they hear cheers or boos? [Providence Journal]

Pedroia may just be Boston’s best bargain [Providence Journal]

Beckett, Red Sox hope return to Fens turns tides [RedSox.com]

Beckett, Red Sox hope to win back trust of fans [RedSox.com]

How (and why) the 2012 Red Sox were built this way [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Five Things Nobody Wants To See At The Home Opener [Surviving Grady]

Will Red Sox hear boos at home opener? [Touching All The Bases]

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Photo credits: Getty Images, AP Photo

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Football links

More NFL draft fun: Jones, Reyes, Wolfe [Andrea Adelson – ESPN.com]

UConn Responds To Claim Program Aide Mike Cerullo Was A Whistleblower In NFL Saints Case [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Unrelated To Bountygate Sources Confirm Mike Cerullo Has Left UConn For Another Gig [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

WTIC Radio To Broadcast Spring Football Game [UConnHuskies.com]

Former UConn Football Aide Cited In Saints Bounty Case [Hartford Courant]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Five former UConn stars to take part in U.S. training camp [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Dom answered a question in his mailbag [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Drummond’s exit leaves UConn frontcourt thin [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

A Look Back at Andre Drummond’s Career [Kevin Duffy – CT Post]

Will Lamb and Drummond make it in the NBA? [UConn Huskies Basketball]

UConn’s Andre Drummond going pro [CT Post]

Andre Drummond Leaving UConn To Enter NBA Draft [Hartford Courant]

Andre The Unready: UConn Might Have Been Better Off Passing On Drummond [Hartford Courant]

Andre Drummond to turn pro [New Haven Register]

Drummond is the next one to go [The Day]

Andre Drummond: D-12 or Kwame Brown? [Chad Ford – ESPN Insider]

Other UConn related links

W. Track. Huskies Travel To Sea Ray Relays [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn Club. Driscoll To Receive Pappanikou Award From The UConn Club [UConnHuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Schneider Named AHA Player of the Month [UConnHuskies.com]

Softball. Softball To Host USF [UConnHuskies.com]

M. Track. Huskies To Host Third Annual Dog Fight [UConnHuskies.com]

W. Track. Flowers Captures First Place In The Hammer [UConnHuskies.com]

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.