WHERE'S WILLIE ANDREWS? IN JAIL

Patriots defensive back Willie Andrews was arrested early Monday morning after threatening his girlfriend with a "large capacity" handgun by pointing it at her head. He is being charged with unlawful possession of said gun, as well as assault. He is being held without bail until a hearing on Thursday.

This is the second arrest for Andrews during the off-season. Two days after the Super Bowl, he was taken in for possession of a half pound of marijuana (intent to distribute). This weapons charge and assault will probably affect the outcome of the marijuana case.

This isn't the first trouble he's had with guns, either. Back in his college days at Baylor he was arrested for unlawfully carrying a weapon.

But I think it's safe to say that this will be Willie Andrews' last legal problem as a member of the New England Patriots. It's a shame because he did so well on special teams last year. But this guy is obviously too much trouble.

Sources:
Associated Press
Boston.com

SOX FALL TO RAYS...AGAIN

The Red Sox lineup has struggled all year to really click all at once. At the moment, Dustin Pedroia is scorching hot (20 for his last 36 or .556), Mike Lowell is also hot (17 for his last 32 or .531), and Youkilis is hitting well (.337 average in June). On the other side of the spectrum; JD Drew has cooled off a bit, Manny Ramirez is cold (.205 in the last two weeks), and Jason Varitek has officially frozen over (.127 in June).

This disparity between extremely hot and extremely cold results in an inconsistent offense, with runners left in scoring position, rallies killed right as they start, and quick 1-2-3 innings for opposing pitchers. And that was the case last night as the Sox fell to the Rays 5-4.

Masterson once again had a decent - not good, not bad - start, going 6 innings and allowing 4 runs. But he was up against James Shields, who is pretty much untouchable in Tropicana Field (coming into the game, 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA at home). The Sox got 2 off of Shields, and managed to get him out after 6.1 innings. But these aren't your older brother's (Devil) Rays. This Tampa team has a bullpen that doesn't moonlight as a slapstick comedy troupe.

Speaking of bullpens, Chris Smith started the 7th for the Red Sox, but only got 1 out and walked the bases loaded. Javier Lopez did a good job of minimizing the damage, holding the Rays to 1 run in the inning. But that run would turn out to be the game winner.

The Sox rallied against Troy Percival in the 9th. Lowell and Brandy Moss had big doubles, with a Youkilis single sandwiched in between. Varitek hit a sac-fly to make it 5-4. But Julio Lugo failed to deliver with a man on 3rd and 2 outs.

The Rays now hold a 1.5 game lead over the Red Sox. It feels odd saying that on July 1st. And guess what, it's a 3 game lead in the loss column. The Sox are 6-4 against the rays this season, which isn't bad, but they were 13-5 against Tampa in '07.

Tim Wakefield goes against Matt Garza tonight. Garza is coming off a complete game, 1 hit, 1 run performance against the Marlins. I'm just glad Kevin Cash gets to bat tonight.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

MANNY BEING MANNY TAKES ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING

For the second time this season, Manny Ramirez was involved in a physical altercation with a fellow member of the Red Sox organization. This time it was travelling secretary Jack McCormick.

Here's what happened:

Manny asked McCormick to get 16 tickets for Saturday night's game.

McCormick told Manny that he might not be able to get so many tickets on the day of the game.

They argued, Manny yelled "do your job!" and shoved McCormick.

Eventually, Manny apologized, and the matter was handled internally. Francona and the Red Sox plan on taking no disciplinary action.

But doesn't all of this seem tremendously out of character for Ramirez? First the incident with Youkilis, now this stuff? He's gone from someone who was relaxed, nonchalant, and cool as a cucumber; to Paul O'Neil. I'm not sure if I like it or not.

Source:
The Sporting News

CELTICS DRAFT PICKS

Last night was the NBA Draft, and the Celtics made three picks. Here they are:

1st Round, 30th overall: J.R. Giddens - SG, New Mexico

6' 5", 208 lbs, 23 years old
Formerly of Kansas, Giddens transferred after getting involved in a bar fight during which he was stabbed in the right calf. He played his freshman year at Kansas, making the All Big XII freshman team. Played his sophomore year at KU, then transferred and had to sit out for a redshirted season due to NCAA rules. His junior year he was suspended by New Mexico coach Ritchie McKay for not being "a good teammate." But his senior year didn't see any incidents like that. Giddens averaged 16.3 points per game last season, with 8.8 rebounds. This helped him earn co-player of the year honors in the Mountain West Conference.



The Celtics could have gotten Giddens later in the 2nd round. He was projected by many to go in the 2nd or not at all. So they could have used their 47th overall pick, or traded down. And to be honest, Giddens doesn't impress me that much. That being said, he might turn into a good player if he's surrounded by the right teammates and the right coach. And the Celtics have both of those.

2nd Round, 47th overall: Bill Walker - SF, Kansas State

(Drafted by Washington, rights traded to Boston)
6' 6", 220 lbs, 20 years old
Was Michael Beasley's teammate at K-State, and OJ Mayo's teammate in high school. His freshman year for the Wildcats started late and ended early with an ACL injury. He averaged 16.1 points per game his sophomore season. Considering his age and lack of experience, you'd expect him to need to work on parts of his game. He isn't the best shooter in the world, nor is he the best ball handler. But he has potential to be a decent player in a few years.



2nd Round: 60th overall: Semih Erden - C, Fenerbahce Ulker (Turkey)

7' 1", 240 lbs, 21 years old
Token large European. Hasn't shown much in European play, averaging only 20 minutes, 6.7 points, and 4.3 points per game. His defensive shortcomings have drawn criticism, especially considering his size. On offense he's a non-force outside of the paint.

Sources:
ESPN.com
Boston.com
Draft Express - JR Giddens
Draft Express - Bill Walker
Draft Express - Semih Erden

ISN'T IT NICE BEATING RANDY JOHNSON AGAIN?

Even without the Yankee pinstripes, it's still a pleasure to put a loss next to Randy Johnson's name.

Tim Wakefield pitched great, holding Arizona to 2 hits over 7 innings of work. He only walked 1 and struck out 6. Delcarmen pitched the 8th and looked sharp, striking out 2 of the 3 men he faced. Craig Hansen looked shaky and once again forced the Sox to use Papelbon when they really shouldn't have had to. But Paps struck out the one man he faced to earn Save #23.

Dustin Pedroia continues to hit the ball well. He was 3 for 5. coco Crisp had a big night, going 3 for 4 with a trio of doubles. Kevin Ca$h Money hit his first homerun in a Red Sox uniform in the 8th, and it was a big one. His three run shot gave the Sox some insurance, which was quickly cashed in by Hansen. The one black mark of the game was that Manny was 0 for 4 with 3 strikeouts.

This was game #81 for the Red Sox, and halfway through they look pretty sharp. They're on pace for 98 wins, which would be the most regular season wins since 2004. And we all know what happened in 2004. Their offense is impressive, even when missing some of its biggest pieces. But the pitching could use some improvement in all areas. Starters and relievers.

The Sox have Thursday off before starting a 3 game set in Houston. Daisuke will make his return, facing former Red Sox property Runelvys Hernandez. Hernandez is making his first MLB start of the season.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Elise Amendola

SOX SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST

A 4 run 8th inning propelled the Red Sox to a 5-4 victory over the D-bax last night. Three of those 4 runs scored with 2 outs.

Dustin Pedroia got the scoring started in the 1st with a solo homerun. It was his 7th of the season. He only hit 8 last year.

Pedroia would later play a part in the 8th inning rally. He knocked in a run with a single to make it 4-2, and eventually scored the tying run. After hitting .260 for the month of May, Pedroia has really turned things on. He's hitting .284 in June. In the last 10 games, he's hitting .441 with 3 homeruns.

Kevin Youkilis didn't start due to the eye injury. But he was able to come in and play the 9th inning.

Justin Masterson looked solid once again. He went 6 and allowed 4 runs, and his big mistake was the 3 run homer in the 3rd. But he's really impressed me this season. I wish the Sox weren't so desperate for starters at the moment so he could pitch in Pawtucket for the rest of the year and start full-time in 2009.

Randy Johnson and his 5.09 ERA take on Tim Wakefield tonight.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Elise Amendola

WILL THE BRUINS GET MARIAN HOSSA?

The NHL free agency period begins on July 1st, and you can bet the farm that the Bruins will be calling Marian Hossa's agent, if they haven't already started talking to each other.

The Bruins tried to get Marian Hossa in February, but were unwilling to part with Phil Kessel, which turned out to be a deal breaker for the Penguins. But now Hossa has expressed an interest in testing the lucrative waters of free agency.

The problem is that the Bruins don't have much cap space. Making a competitive offer to Hossa would require creating some, most likely through the dismissal of veteran winger Glen Murray. But even then, the best the Bruins could do would be to match the other offers Hossa receives, and there will be plenty of those.

The Red Wings and Penguins will be in the mix, and they can offer Hossa a better chance to hoist the Stanley Cup. Then again, Hossa would be a secondary star for both teams. If he were to come to Boston, he'd already be on the same level with, if not slightly above Patrice Bergeron.

The offensive flexibility offered by Hossa is mouth watering, especially since the Bruins were 24th in goals scored last season. Hossa would also help out the Bruins' 16th ranked power play.

But I honestly don't see why Hossa would choose Boston. Due to the cap, they can't really outbid other teams for him. They can't offer him a great chance at winning a Cup. About the only thing the B's have in their favor is that Zdeno Chara is friends with Hossa. But God only knows what that means. The two played in Ottawa together, and for the Slovakian national team, so I'm sure they're buddies; but I doubt they call each other every night just to chat, or text each other in between periods.

It would be nice, though, for the Bruins to have a Kevin Garnett moment.

I remember finding out about you...

Sources:
ESPN.com
Boston.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn, File

SOX LOSE PITCHER'S DUEL, AND YOUKILIS

The Sox were on the short end of a 2-1 duel between Dan Haren and Josh Beckett. Haren went 7 and only allowed 2 hits. The Sox only managed 4 hits in total, and got their lone run off reliever Tony Pena in the 8th.

Beckett pitched well enough to win. He allowed 2 runs in 8 innings while striking out 8. That's something encouraging to take from this game. He's only allowed 11 runs in his past 40 innings (2.48 ERA), which is what we're used to seeing from him. But in those 40 innings (which came over 6 starts), he's only 2-2. But as the quality starts continue, the wins will follow.

One bad thing to take from this game was the early exit of Kevin Youkilis. During warm ups in between innings, Mike Lowell bounced a ball, and it hit Youk in the eye. He started to swell up and was replaced by Brandon Moss at first (Casey started his 3 game suspension). The CT scan was negative. But losing Youkilis for any period of time hurts, especially with Ortiz on the DL and Casey suspended.

Justin Masterson goes against Doug Davis Tuesday night.

Sources:
ESPN.com
The Sports Network

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Krupa