Another key component of the Boston Red Sox will be undergoing surgery in the coming weeks as skipper Terry Francona announced he will be undergoing to back surgery to repair a problem that’s been bothering him since May.

Will you go to any Arizona Fall League games?

I don’t think so. I need to probably have some back surgery so I can stand a little straighter. I’ve had this since May. I’ll go the next couple of days to get it figured out and then we’ll get it done so I can feel a little bit better.

What is your specific back problem?

I’m not sure, to be honest with you. We’ll go get that figured out and get that started so you can have a little bit of an off-season, we’re not rehabbing, but I’m on my way over there in a few minutes to get some evaluations.

On future managerial career considering your own accomplishments and health problems

Have I given it some thought? Yeah. If there comes a time where I don’t feel like I can do my job appropriately, I won’t do it. This job takes an unbelievable amount – sometimes almost sucks the life out of you. Again, you need to be careful the day after the season’s over, especially when you’ve been sick and you don’t feel good. You’re at the bottom of the energy, and I try real hard every winter to make sure when I come to Spring Training I can do my job because I owe that to the players and to the organization because it does take it out of you, this place more than any other place I’ve seen. And I do have some health issues, there’s no getting around it. So I need to go get checked and get some of that fixed, but if there’s ever a day where I don’t feel like I can do my job, I won’t do it.

You can see the full transcript of the press conference with Terry Francona by heading over to WEEI.com.

UConn Huskies head honcho Randy Edsall announced this afternoon that Dave Teggart will handle the field goal duties this weekend against the Cincinnati Bearcats instead of Tony Ciaravino.

“All through the preseason, and the first part of the season, we kick those guys and we chart them,” Edsall said. “Those two guys are very close. There’s not much difference at all. [After] Tony’s performance last week, we feel David should have the opportunity to be the field goal and extra point kicker this week. It’s no different than any other position.

Ciaravino missed 3 field goals during the 12-10 loss to Rutgers, including one with just over a minute to play in the game.

Teggart is a redshirt freshman out of Northborough, MA and his career longest field goal in high school was 47 yards.

NFL.com’s Adam Schefter is reporting that New England Patriot safety Rodney Harrison suffered a torn quad last night at the end of the third quarter in the win against Denver. He says Harrison will be placed on IR ending his season and possibly his career.

And just a note that the usual Tuesday “In The Red Zone” feature will run on Wednesday this week because of the Monday night game.

This is for all of the Philadelphia Phillies fans either heading to the Trop or watching the games on FOX. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

I swear I’m not bitter about the Rays beating the Red Sox. This was just way too good pass up. Many thanks to my old college friend Tim for the picture.

Former UConn Huskies women’s basketball player Mel Thomas will be returning to action this weekend when she takes the court for the Bausch and Lomb Waterford Wildcats in the Basketball Ireland’s Womens Superleague.

Thomas her senior season with the Huskies cut short when she blew out her knee against the Syracuse Orange on January 15th with just under 2 minutes to go.  After her surgery, Thomas spent many many months rehabbing her knee to get back to this point of playing competitive basketball again. She was still a huge part of the team as well cheering on her teammates at every game.

Thomas will practice with the Wildcats on Thursday and then will play in her first game on Saturday when they travel to Dublin to take on the Tolka Rovers BC.

We wish you all the best Mel and good luck.

And oh by the way, Mel’s book “Heart of a Husky” should be in bookstores sometime before Christmas.

Yesterday, I chronicled Dennis Eckersley’s whipping boy status during the TBS broadcasts of the ALCS. Well during the final broadcast for TBS after Game 7 of the ALCS, Eck was still not immune to any good natured ribbing as the fellas in the truck got him one more time.

Maybe that was just Eck trying out to be in a shampoo commercial. I’m just saying.

Matt Garza outdueled Jon Lester and the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen made it hold up as they went to beat the Boston Red Sox 3-1 to earn their first ever berth in the World Series. The Rays and Phillies will kick things off on Wednesday night on FOX.

David Price was back on in the 9th inning and walked Jason Bay to start things off. Price rebounded to strike out Mark Kotsay and Jason Varitek. Jed Lowrie pinch-hit for Alex Cora and Price got him to hit a groundball to Akinori Iwamura who stepped on second to start the celebration in front of 40,473 at Tropicana Field.

Jon Lester gave it his all tonight but it just wasn't good enough.

Jon Lester was outstanding tonight for the Red Sox and kept pace with Garza. Lester went 7 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits while striking out 8. Hideki Okajima struck out 1 in his inning of relief.

Garza gave up 1 run on 2 hits and 3 walks while fanning 9 Red Sox hitters in 7+ innings of work. David Price worked the final 1 1/3 innings for the save. Garza picked up ALCS MVP honors for winning 2 of the 4 games for the Rays. Maybe he should be called Big Game Garza since James Shields definitely didn’t live up to that billing.

Dustin Pedroia got the Red Sox out in front early on when he hit a 1-out fastball into the seats in left field.

Lester sent down the first 9 Rays hitters he faced before an Iwamura single to start the 4th inning. He struck out B.J. Upton and got Carlos Peña to ground into a fielder’s choice with Iwamura out at second. Evan Longoria followed with a double that scored Peña all the way from first base to tie the game at 1.

Willy Aybar led off the 6th with a double and stayed there when Dioner Navarro reached on an infield single to short. Rhode Island’s Rocco Baldelli gave the Rays a 2-1 lead as his single scored Aybar from second. After that, Lester settled down and got the 3 outs in the inning.

The Red Sox had a good chance to score in the 7th inning.

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GO RED SOX!!!!

Much like Charles Barkley has been during the NBA on TNT, Baseball Hall of Famer and NESN anaylst Dennis Eckersley has been the whipping boy during the TBS Sports postgame shows during the ALCS.

First it was Ernie Johnson throwing Eck under the bus then it was them picking on Eck on the 20th anniversary of him giving up the home run to Kirk Gibson during the 1988 World Series. And now after Game 6 of the ALCS, it was once again time for Eck to get picked on during the EJ’s Neat-O Stat of the Night portion of the telecast.

Jason Varitek broke out of his slump with a go-ahead solo home run and the Boston Red Sox got just enough from Josh Beckett as they went on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 in front 40,497 at Tropicana Field to force a Game 7 in the ALCS Sunday night at 8:07 PM.

Josh Beckett gave the Red Sox just enough to force a Game 7.

Beckett had struggled in his first two starts of the postseason but started to show glimpses of the October Beckett that we all know and love. He went 5 innings allowing 2 runs on 4 hits while walking 1 and striking out 3. Hideki Okajima followed with 2 strong innings of relief walking one and striking out 1. Justin Masterson hit a batter in his inning of work and also struck out 1. Jonathan Papelbon struck out 1 in the 9th to pick up his second save of this ALCS.

Varitek’s lone hit of the night was the home run while Kevin Youkilis had a solo home run of his own and knocked in 2 on the night. Coco Crisp had another big night at the top of the lineup with a 3-for-4 night including a walk. David Ortiz had 2 hits and knocked in a run while J.D. Drew continues to swing a hot stick as he added 2 hits to the winning cause for the Red Sox.

The start of the game was not shown on TBS as they were experiencing some technical difficulties.

Coco got things started off in the 1st with a bunt single off “Big Choke James” Shields but Shields picked him off first. Dustin Pedroia popped out and Big Papi struck out to end the top half of the 1st.

Beckett’s night looked good to start as he struck out Akinori Iwamura but B.J. Upton continued his long ball prowess with a home run off the catwalk in left field to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. He then walked Carlos Peña but got a 6-4-3 inning-ending twin killing off the bat of Evan Longoria.

The lead didn’t last too long though for the Rays as the Big Choke gave up a leadoff home run to Youk. Drew followed with a single but Jason Bay grounded into a fielder’s choice. A Mark Kotsay single moved Bay up 90 feet but Jed Lowrie and Jason Varitek flew out to Upton in center.

Pedroia reached on a 1-out walk in the 3rd and Big Papi followed with a double. The Red Sox took a 2-1 lead when Youk grounded out to short. Shields then walked Drew and Bay but Kotsay flew out to center field.

The game was delayed for 15 minutes at the top of the 4th when home plate umpire Daryl Cousins had to leave the game after taking a foul ball off the bat of Varitek. Cousins ended up having a bruised collarbone and Tim McClelland took over for him. They ended up working with a 5 man crew and didn’t have an umpire stationed in left  field.

Dioner Navarro led off the 5th with a single off of Beckett. Ben Zobrist came into pinch-hit for Gabe Gross and flew out to center. With Jason Bartlett at the plate, Varitek picked Navarro off first base. This would be huge as Bartlett crushed a home run into the left field seats to tie the game at 2.

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