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Edgy DC Aug 29 2006 09:55 AM

Papi's getting checked for an irregular heartbeat. Ortiz to return to Boston for medical tests By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer August 29, 2006 OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was scheduled to leave the team Tuesday and return to Boston to be examined again for an irregular heartbeat. Big Papi was a late scratch for Boston's game at Oakland at Monday night for what was first thought to be the flu. Ortiz, who on Sunday hit his major league-leading 47th home run at Seattle, already spent time in a Boston hospital earlier this month for the condition. He said he thought it was caused by fatigue. "He will get a clean bill of health before he plays again," manager Terry Francona said. "The games are important, but we have a responsibility to do what's right." Ortiz was scheduled to be seen by Dr. Larry Roman. Francona, general manager Theo Epstein and trainer Paul Lessard met with Ortiz just more than an hour before game time. "We honestly think he's OK, but he can't play like that," Francona said. "We can't do it." Earlier, the beat-up Red Sox placed rookie left-hander Jon Lester on the 15-day disabled list and sent him back to Boston for further evaluation of his strained back. The Red Sox also sent pitcher Kyle Snyder back to the hotel before their 9-0 loss because of a bug that has been going around the clubhouse. All-Star left fielder Manny Ramirez was out of the starting lineup for the fourth time in five games with a sore right knee, and Francona doesn't expect him to play again until the team returns home later this week. Lester, one of four rookies on the Red Sox pitching staff, originally was slated to start Monday's series opener at Oakland, but Kason Gabbard took his place in the rotation. The move is retroactive to Thursday. Lester almost didn't take the mound Wednesday night against the Angels in Anaheim, where he beat Kelvim Escobar and threw 96 pitches over five innings. "He came out of that start the other day with his back grabbing at him," said Francona, whose reeling Red Sox were coming off a three-game sweep by the Mariners in Seattle. "We just kind of felt we'd send him back to Boston and get him thoroughly checked. He's a big part of our future. We've asked a lot of him already. We're a little concerned." Boston purchased the contract of first baseman Carlos Pena from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Lester's roster spot and transferred Adam Stern to the 60-day DL with a hamstring injury. Lester is 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA in 15 starts this year. Shutting him down for the rest of the season is not being considered at this point, though Francona will monitor him closely over the season's final month. "He'll get a clean bill of health and we'll all feel better," Francona said. "We don't want to hurt this kid. ... If we had to shut him down, we would." Even Francona, who has been taking blood-thinning medication for several years, was spitting out blood only hours before game time -- as well as during Sunday's game at Safeco Field. He had bitten a chunk out of the inside of his left cheek, causing the excessive bleeding. When the team gets back to Boston, catcher Jason Varitek and right fielder Trot Nixon both will be close to rejoining the team. Varitek had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Aug. 3, while Nixon has been on the 15-day DL since July 31 with a strained right biceps. Varitek will probably only play four or five innings when he first returns. "We have to use some common sense," Francona said. "We have to try to find a way to survive and win games. Right now, we're not the team we were a month ago. We're beat up and playing different guys."

Johnny Dickshot Aug 29 2006 09:57 AM

RIP, 2006 Sawx. Get well soon, Papi.

soupcan Aug 29 2006 10:03 AM

I was up in the Boston area last week including the weekend of the 2006 Boston Massacre. Listening to WEEI (Boston's equivalent of WFAN) it is apparent that the only player escaping the fans wrath for this season's fold is Papi. There were calls for the beheading of everyone from Theo to the groundskeeper. Not Papi though, they just adore the big guy. The funniest thing though was after the 5th loss to the Yankees last Monday, it was like 'How 'bout them Pats?'

metirish Aug 29 2006 10:07 AM

It's tough not to like Papi,get well soon.

MFS62 Aug 29 2006 10:22 AM

Best wishes for a full and speedy diagnosis and treatment program for Papi. And kudos to Edgy for the clever thread title. Later

ScarletKnight41 Aug 29 2006 10:58 AM

My fondest memory of Ortiz was during this year's Home Run Derby, when he came up to towel off David Wright during one of the later rounds. I always thought that Pedro told Big Papi to take care of Mr. Wright in Pittsburgh for him. Get well soon Papi!

Edgy DC Aug 29 2006 01:49 PM

Johnny Dickshot wrote: RIP, 2006 Sawx. Hey, they beat Jered Weaver.

metirish Aug 29 2006 02:06 PM

The Sox are indeep RIP for 06 but I think Theo did the right thing by not trading away his young pitchers and getting stuck with huge salaries for the next few seasons,although the Beckett trade and sign looks bad right now,they need to fill some holes for next season but they should be ok.

soupcan Aug 29 2006 03:13 PM

That was basically the party line coming out of Fenway last week. Theo's exact words included something to do with not looking to build an 'uberteam' - talking about passing on Abreu - and keeping the young pitchers - particularly Lester and Hansen. I recall Sox management saying this past spring that they were not necessarily looking to win this year anyway. The media up there still believes that the Sox will make a huge push for Oswalt in the off-season, possibly continuing their pursuit of Andruw Jones to that end.

Frayed Knot Aug 29 2006 03:55 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 29 2006 04:08 PM

I turned on the BoSox game briefly last night (from Oakland at 10PM - lost 9-zip) and: - they're pitching some guy I'd never heard of - Papi's out and Manny's out ... not to mention long-term out-ees Nixon, Varitek & Wakefield, or even Lester who was just added to the DL - they had a brand new callup at 2nd - Youkilis was in the OF They're basically a freakin mess right now. A far cry from "the best team in baseball" tag they were getting during that 15 game or so run where they were steamrolling everyone including us. The Yanx went out west, lost 4 of 6 to Seattle and Anaheim ... and increased their lead

Yancy Street Gang Aug 29 2006 03:59 PM

Youkilis? Is he Greek or somethin'?

Frayed Knot Aug 29 2006 04:07 PM

I liked what Terry Francona (who, btw, also has a host of physical maladies) had to say about Youkilis's less than gym-rat quality body; 'I've seen the guy in the shower and, believe me, he ain't the Greek God of anything'

MFS62 Aug 29 2006 05:55 PM

="Yancy Street Gang"]Youkilis? Is he Greek or somethin'? Let's not go there again, but the name is Roumanian. Later

Frayed Knot Aug 29 2006 08:09 PM

btw, the BoSox have the worst record in MLB during the month of August. And consider that in light of Seattle losing 11 straight at one point.

Yancy Street Gang Aug 29 2006 10:31 PM

="MFS62"] ="Yancy Street Gang"]Youkilis? Is he Greek or somethin'? Let's not go there again, but the name is Roumanian. Later Huh! I wonder why I thought that Roumanian's name was Youkilis?

Willets Point Aug 29 2006 10:38 PM

="Yancy Street Gang"] ="MFS62"] ="Yancy Street Gang"]Youkilis? Is he Greek or somethin'? Let's not go there again, but the name is Roumanian. Later Huh! I wonder why I thought that Roumanian's name was Youkilis? it's spelt Raymond: Luxury Yach-t, but it's pronounced 'Throatwobbler Mangrove'.

Rockin' Doc Aug 29 2006 11:20 PM

It must suck to be Saladoc Sabermetrics right now. Just when you swear of the team of your childhood, they get good, while your newly chosen example of a well run organization goes in the freakin' tank during the stretch run.

Frayed Knot Aug 29 2006 11:24 PM

P.S. Wily Mo Pena is also out indefinitely and I don't know what's going on with Alex Gonzalez. He wasn't hitting much anyway but his play in the field early in the year put him on track to earning the gold glove at SS instead of you-know-who.

soupcan Aug 30 2006 03:45 PM

7 Year-old Boy Permitted To Choose Own Guardian August 30, 2006 Roxbury MA (AP) - A seven-year-old boy was at the center of a Boston courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the degree possible. The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy informed the court that they also beat him. After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him. After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Boston Red Sox, whom the boy firmly believes is not capable of beating anyone.

silverdsl Aug 30 2006 04:16 PM

="Frayed Knot"] The Yanx went out west, lost 4 of 6 to Seattle and Anaheim ... and increased their lead That was definitely the Red Sox chance to get back into it as far as the division goes, instead they just sunk lower. I never count any team out, but it sure doesn't look good for them now. Hopefully Ortiz checks out okay.

Frayed Knot Sep 02 2006 09:17 AM

So the team that didn't have enough problems had young pitcher Jon Lester diagnosed with Lymphoma yesterday. It's treatable but obviously ends his season. Papi said he was going to be back on the field Saturday but his doctors say "not so fast" Then the closer Papelbon walks off the mound last night holding his shoulder. Oh yeah, and Schilling's being pulled from his next start