UConn Women’s Basketball links

This and that about USA, UConn and the WNBA [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Knee injury frustrates UConn’s Moore [Connecticut Post]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Jeff Adrien [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Late night in Storrs [Neill Ostrout – Connecticut Post]

It was a special night for baseball on Monday night as Nomar Garciaparra made his first trip to Fenway Park since being traded back in 2004.  The night also marked the Fenway debut of John Smoltz in a Boston Red Sox uniform.

In the end though it was Nomar’s A’s who came out on top 6-0 behind a brilliant pitching performance by rookie Brett Anderson in front of 38,294 fans.

The loss drops the Red Sox to 49-33 but they maintain their one game lead in the AL East over the Yankees, who lost to the Blue Jays. The A’s improve to 35-46 on the season.

The early part of the night belonged to Nomar early on as he received a 1 minute and 14 second ovation from the crowd during his first at-bat of the game in the 2nd inning. He finished the night 2-for-4 with an RBI before giving way to a pinch-runner.

The rest of the night belonged to Anderson who baffled Red Sox hitters all game long. He threw the first complete game shutout of his career allowing just 2 hits along the way. He walked just 2 and struck out 9 Red  Sox batters.

Nerves may have played a part for Smoltz in his debut at the Fens. He gave up a few hits early on but then settled in for a couple of innings. He then got touched up for 4 runs in the 4th as he struggled with his command. Smoltz went 6 innings, allowing 5 runs on 10 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts.

Both Daniel Bard and Ramon Ramirez had good outings on the evening. They both went an inning with Bard striking out 2 and Ramirez allowing a hit. Takashi Saito, on the other hand, struggled as he gave up a run on 4 hits.

Jason Bay and Nick Green had the only hits of the night off of Anderson. The Red Sox really didn’t hit too many balls hard off of Anderson either.

After an emotional night at Fenway, these two teams are back at it again tomorrow night. Dana Eveland gets the start for the A’s and he’ll be opposed by Josh Beckett.

After salvaging the series against the Seattle Mariners over the weekend, the Boston Red Sox will now play host to their former shortstop Nomar Garciaparra and the Oakland A’s.

The game tonight will start at 7:10 PM EDT and will be televised in the Red Sox television market on NESN. If you live in the A’s television market, you can catch the game on Comcast SportsNet California. And if the television isn’t your cup of tea, you can catch the game on one of the many affiliates of the Red Sox Radio Network.

After making two starts on the road, John Smoltz is set to make his Fenway Park debut tonight. He’s started two games so far and is 0-1 with 6.00 ERA. His last time out, he was a victim of a rain delay and actually was throwing the ball well. Smoltz has faced the A’s just twice in his career (one start) and is 1-0 with a save and a 2.61 ERA.

Rookie Brett Anderson makes his 15th start of the season for the A’s. On the season, he is 4-7 with a 5.45 ERA. He’s the faced the Red Sox once this season, suffering the loss after giving up 2 runs in 7 innings back on April 15th in Oakland.

Amanda just posted a pretty nice article about Nomar and his time with the Red Sox. Be sure to check that out. By the way, Nomar just happens to be my favorite Red Sox player of all-time.

Drew and Ellsbury, a comparison [Extra Bases]

Sox may need hitter [Extra Bases]

Nomar is here [Extra Bases]

Pedroia scratched from lineup [Extra Bases]

Nomar gets emotional [Extra Bases]

Garciaparra on Fenway fans: ‘I always loved them and appreciated them’ [Projo Sox Blog]

Photos of Nomar in his Boston days [Projo Sox Blog]

Monday’s main event: Nomar or Smoltz? [NESN.com]

Monday Nuggets – Sunday’s Play By Play [Nuggetpalooza]

Return of the Last Great Shortstop [Center Field]

Here are the lineups for tonight’s game:

Here is how the hitters have fared against tonight’s starting pitchers:

Believe it or not, it’s been five years since Boston Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein shocked the baseball world by trading away fan favorite and five-time All-Star Nomar Garciaparra on the July 31 deadline in 2004.

I specifically remember that dreadful day (at the time). I was at work all day with no access to a computer or blackberry and by the time I had gotten home my friend left me a voice message on my cell phone. At the same time I turned on the television, but ended up hearing the horrific news first on my phone then glanced at the TV screen stunned, shocked, and broke out into tears.

Garciaparra was traded as part of a blockbuster four-team deal involving the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, and Minnesota Twins.

Boston sent him along with Single A outfield prospect Matt Murton to the Cubs and received Expos shortstop Orlando Cabrera and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz from the Twins.

My friend thought I already knew about it because I’m always on top of breaking Sox news, but for some reason I wasn’t that day. July 31, 2004 was easily one of the worst days being a Red Sox fan in my young life. Nomar was and still is my favorite Red Sox of all time (keep in mind I’m 23 years-old so I’m too young to have seen Carl Yastrzemski or Ted Williams play).

I did not understand it. I eventually excepted it. And even till this day if it had to be done all over again, I would have agreed with Epstein’s decision. Let’s face it Red Sox Nation, if Epstein didn’t make the trade, the Sox would not have won the World Series in 2004.

Since then, Garciaparra has not come back to face the Red Sox because he’s been on two National League clubs, the Cubs and then the Los Angeles Dodgers. Earlier this season, Boston made the trip up to Oakland, Garciaparra’s new home team.

Tonight Nomar (as Sox fans always tended to use his first name rather than his last) returns to the Fenway Faithful as a member of the Athletics for the first time in five years.

I expect to see countless Garciaparra jerseys in the stands and I also expect him to receive a massive standing ovation, in which he rightfully deserves. Despite being on the Sox for just about nine seasons, he very well goes down on the list as one of the best team players of all-time. And to back up my statement I give you his resume.

Continue reading for Nomar’s resume.

Continue reading →

The Boston Red Sox have announced that they have placed Jeff Bailey on the disabled list with a sprained ankle. Bailey suffered the ankle sprain during Saturday’s loss to the Mariners.

Aaron Bates was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket this afternoon to take Bailey’s spot on the 25-man roster. Bates will make his MLB debut tonight at first base and is batting 9th.

Bates started the season with the Portland Sea Dogs and was promoted to the Pawtucket Red Sox a few weeks ago. In 52 games with the Sea Dogs, Bates was hitting .340 with 7 home runs and 39 RBIs. In 18 games with the PawSox, he was hitting .182 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs.

Bates was drafted in the 3rd round back in 2006 by the Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox celebrated the news of a MLB-high six All-Stars yesterday with an 8-4 comeback win over the Seattle Mariners.

For two games in a row, it was the Mariners who scored a run off the Red Sox bullpen to win. Yesterday the Red Sox returned the favor by scoring five runs off of the Mariners bullpen.

The day yesterday though belonged to Tim Wakefield as he was named to his first All-Star Team in his 17 seasons (last 15 with the Red Sox).

Wakefield will join Jason Bay, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon in St. Louis for the All-Star Game.

Sox OK on the whole [Boston Globe]

Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox turn it on [Boston Herald]

It’s Seattle’s turn for a bullpen implosion [Providence Journal]

Wakefield easily the star of six Stars [Boston Globe]

Tim Wakefield proud of AL selection [Boston Herald]

Six Red Sox players — including Wakefield — headed to St. Louis for All-Star Game [Providence Journal]

Is Pedroia dustin’ off the old stroke? [Boston Globe]

All-Star treatment [Boston Herald]

Varitek, Lester welcome Wakefield’s All-Star selection [Providence Journal]

Sox sending six to St. Louis as All-Stars [Boston Globe]

John Smoltz steps up [Boston Herald]

Red Sox journal: Lester keeps it close until bats get untracked [Providence Journal]

The Rockets’ Red Glare [Justin Masterson – Wicked Good Sports]

Mark Kotsay hits a comfort zone [Boston Herald]

No joke: Wakefield headed to St. Louis [Full Count]

Impressive Sox Stars [Hit and Run with Dan Roche]

Five Things We Learned on a Day When Pedroia Played Like an All-Star [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Are six Red Sox All-Star selections too many? [Red Sox Monster]

For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Providence Journal websites.

And to see what the enemy papers have to say, you can check out the Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Tacoma New Tribune websites have to say.

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Buck ready for restart with UConn [Connecticut Post]

UConn’s Maya Moore Sitting Out Tournament With Knee Injury [Hartford Courant]

Like mother, like daughter [Philadelphia Inquirer]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Tanzanian rookie Thabeet now a Grizzlie in the NBA [The East African]

Inside the draft with Hasheem Thabeet [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Adrien D-League news [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Roy Hibbert interviews Thabeet [UConn Huskies Basketball]