Back in 2002, a pre-Sox Curt Schilling gave a very interesting interview to Maxim magazine. Curt and Maxim? 2008 Curt would probably keel over and/or die before talking to Maxim. Not only was 2002 Curt loose enough to speak with a lad's mag, 2002 Curt was also loose enough to talk about asshole baseball players (Barry Bonds), beaning guys with a pitch, his dislike for Mitch Williams, Lenny Dykstra's after-hours habits, his inability to stop chewing tobacco and, of course, slumpbusters. He also dropped a couple of M-F bombs along the way -- how very Josh Beckett of him!

I quoted a small piece of the article the other day, but thought I'd go ahead and post the full article here-- because it's chock-full of gems. 2002 Curt deserves to be heard.

Full article after the jump...

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Mike Lowell is officially one of the Good Guys.

On Friday it was announced that in addition to picking up the Thomas A. Yawkey Award from the Boston Baseball Writers for being the Most Valuable Player on the team, Lowell has also been voted the winner of the Tommy McCarthy Good Guy Award for 2007.

No official list has been released of confirmed attendees for the Boston Baseball Writers Association Awards dinner next week, but Lowell, Beckett, Papelbon, Lester, Youkilis, Ellsbury and Buchholz all picked up awards -- so it's likely most of those guys will be there. Also, Papelbon and Pedroia are scheduled to be at the New York Baseball Writers Awards the following week as well.

Let's update that Red Sox trophy cabinet for '07, shall we? In addition to the World Series and American League trophies, these Sox also snagged awards:

World Series MVP - Mike Lowell, 3B
ALCS MVP - Josh Beckett, SP
Gold Glove - Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Silver Slugger - David Ortiz, DH
Delivery Man - Jonathan Papelbon, RP
AL Rookie of the Year - Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Edgar Martinez Outstanding DH Award - David Ortiz, DH
Baseball America Manager of the Year - Terry Francona

2007 All-Star Team
Josh Beckett, SP
Mike Lowell, 3B
Hideki Okajima, RP
David Ortiz, DH
Jonathan Papelbon, RP
Manny Ramirez, LF

The Sporting News Awards
Rookie of the Year: Dustin Pedroia, 2B
All-Star: David Ortiz, DH

This Year In Baseball Awards
Starting Pitcher of the Year - Josh Beckett
SetUp Man of the Year - Hideki Okajima
Closer of the Year - Jonathan Papelbon
Performance of the Year - Clay Buchholz, no-hitter
Postseason Moment of the Year - J.D. Drew, grand slam ALCS game 6

Topps Rookie All-Star Team
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Hideki Okajima, RP

Boston Baseball Writers Association of America Awards
Thomas A. Yawkey Award (MVP) - Mike Lowell, 3B
Pitcher of the Year - Josh Beckett, SP
Fireman of the Year - Jonathan Papelbon, RP
Tony Conigliaro Award - Jon Lester, SP
Jackie Jensen Award - Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Tommy McCarthy Good Guy Award - Mike Lowell, 3B
Minor League Player of the Year - Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Minor League Player of the Year - Clay Buchholz, SP

Player of the Month
April: Hideki Okajima, Rookie of the Month
May: Dustin Pedroia, Rookie of the Month
September: David Ortiz, Player of the Month
September: Jacoby Ellsbury, Rookie of the Month

Player of the Week
May 14-May 20: Daisuke Matsuzaka
May 28-Jun 3: Dustin Pedroia
Jul 23-Jul 29: Manny Ramirez
Aug 20-Aug 26: David Ortiz and Mike Lowell
Aug 27-Sep 2: Clay Buchholz

I've made my adoration of Roger Clemens no secret - he and Nolan Ryan are my baseball idols, he and Craig Biggio are the reason I fell in love with baseball, and he's also the primary reason I became a Red Sox fan in the first place. I may have been the only person in the U.S. who adored him because of his giant attitude, not in spite of it. But that's how I like my Texan pitchers- crazy good on the mound, with a hell of a lot of brashness and balls of steel.

In the wake of the Mitchell Report fallout, I have very purposely not written anything about Roger- not here, not at Ladies..., not at Babes Love Baseball. I've avoided addressing the subject in print because I'm utterly confused and conflicted, so I have had no clear perspective or opinion to offer. Losing Roger to retirement was difficult enough- but losing him under the cloud of suspicion that he's now exited with? Leaves me at a loss for words. The possibility that one of my greatest heroes was a fraud, for at least a period, is less like getting the rug pulled out from underneath and more like destroying the entire landscape of what I've known as "baseball". (<-- hyperbole alert!)

After watching Roger on Sixty Minutes tonight, I still can't sort through the mess. I can't decide if his repeated and strident denials cause me to believe him more... or if his weird fixation on Vioxx and dismissal of the validity of a lie detector cause me believe him less. I do know he is bitterly angry, and I am too. I just can't figure out if I'm angry at him, angry at McNamee, angry at the culture of steroids in baseball-- or angry at myself for being naive when it comes to my idols. Probably all of the above.

So this is the open forum/thread for everyone to discuss The Roger Situation (as I think I will now refer to this debacle) -- because even though I'm conflicted, it's still ludicrous not to talk about it. What did you think of the Sixty Minutes interview? Do you believe him now more, or less? And don't be worried if you think he's a big fat liar who got steroids shot in his butt every day since 1997, or if you aren't sure about the steroids thing but still hate his guts anyway- everyone is allowed to post... so long as you don't rip on him for being a Longhorn. Some things are just sacred.

EDIT: seems I'm not the only one conflicted after watching the interview- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick saw the same two Rogers we've been discussing in the comments.

Shortly before the fateful 60 Minutes interview last night, Roger Clemens went on the offensive against Brian McNamee's threats to file a lawsuit against Roger... and Clemens filed a lawsuit of his own. Roger is suing McNamee in county civil court for defamation - seeking an unspecified amount of damages- and an affirmative finding by the court that he did not defame McNamee. A 1-2 punch, in other words. Roger's filing alleges that McNamee only implicated Clemens after a federal prosecutor threatened McNamee.

Quoting from the lawsuit:

All of McNamee's accusations are false and defamatory per se. They are not true, and they injured Clemens' reputation and exposed him to public hatred, contempt, ridicule, and financial injury. McNamee made the allegations with actual malice, knowing they were false.

Why the delay in filing the lawsuit? Why not file it back in December, when the Mitchell Report was first released? According to the Rocket's lawyer:

"We kept thinking McNamee might change his mind and come to his senses and admit he was lying," Hardin said. But, Hardin said, instead McNamee arranged to talk to Clemens Friday and, rather than getting back to Clemens as promised, their conversation was leaked "with spin" to Newsday.

Strap in folks, this is gonna get (more) crazy.

If I had been old enough during the prime of Goose Gossage, I very likely would have had a secret crush on him-- despite the fact that he's such a big Yankee. He's totally my type of baseball boyfriend: a rough-and-tumble character with a blistering fastball that he would blow past batters with pinpoint accuracy... and a rough attitude to match his appearance. Goose wasn't afraid to peg a batter to keep him in line, a la Nolan Ryan, and he basically helped pioneer the role of a closer in baseball-- but back in the day when closing meant going three innings, not one. Also, there is the matter of his spectacular fu manchu; that alone should earn him Baseball Boyfriend status.

Some of my favorite Goose anecdotes are mentioned in a Time magazine article from 2005:

He once called Yankee owner George Steinbrenner "the fat man upstairs" and another time punched a teammate on the nose during a bathroom brawl. In 1986, after San Diego Padres owner Joan Kroc, the widow of McDonald's founder Ray Kroc, banned beer in the clubhouse, Gossage famously remarked, "She is poisoning the world with her hamburgers, and we can't even get a lousy beer."

Barry Bonds stands up there. When's the last time Barry Bonds was knocked on his ass? Never ... The owners can save millions of dollars--take the pitcher off the mound and put up a tee. 'Cause what they're playing is tee ball. They pitch around him. If I was going to pitch around him, I would have saved four and just put one in his rib cage. You want to go to first? We'll do it easy.

So it's no surprise, really, that Goose hearts him some Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon. In two different newspaper articles, Goose says that Josh is one of the few baseball players he admires -- and that Jonathan is the closer that most resembles his own style.

From the Denver Post:

Rich "Goose" Gossage's stomach turns when he flips on major-league baseball today. Raised in an era when a man took pride in getting his hands dirty, he has watched pitching become the equivalent of shampoo: delicate, soft and a lot of finesse.

Those he admires are few, a list that includes Josh Beckett and Bobby Jenks.

Who resembles Goose Gossage the most of today's closers?

GG: "Don't forget, it's so much different now than it was when I pitched. I was the middle man, setup, and closer all rolled into one. If I pitched one inning, I felt guilty. But in terms of style, I'd say [Jonathan] Papelbon. He's got that high riding fastball that can dominate a hitter. That's the way I was taught. The only thing I don't like about Papelbon is that fist-pumping he does at the end. We were taught to never show up the hitter, and I never did."

Goose has come very close (but no cigar!) to getting into the Hall of Fame over the last few years - but all indications are he'll get in when the inductee(s?) are announced tomorrow.

How about a happy little tidbit, just right for getting your day started off right? And yes, I admit I have been dying to find a way to use "Wakey, Wakey, eggs and bac-y" around here. It's the little things that make me happy.

You might have seen the Tim Wakefield Celebrity Golf Classic listed over in the sidebar calendar as coming up at the end of the month - but the Dec. 31st issue of Sports Illustrated had a small story in their Unknown Stories of the Year from baseball, that gives a lot more insight into what that tournament is all about:

Tim Wakefield was just a pitcher in the minors in 1992 when he made a major pledge to his friend Betsy Farmer, the cofounder of a cash-strapped, five-year-old preschool serving 30 children with special needs in Melbourne, Fla. "If I ever make it to the big leagues," Wakefield said, "I want to help you out."

The Pirates called up Wakefield that summer; a few months later the Space Coast Early Intervention Center was down to its final $51.12. "I was getting ready to close the school," recalls Farmer. But Wakefield, a Melbourne native, kept his word and used his new major league connections to organize an off-season golf tournament. It raised nearly $40,000, an amount matched by Wakefield, who was making $150,000. "We wouldn't be here if it weren't for him," says SCEIC executive director Sally Shinn. "It's that simple." The 16th annual Tim Wakefield Celebrity Golf Classic, held last January, netted more than $250,000.

The school, which now has 90 full-time students, will open a new, 15,000-square-foot facility on Jan. 7. "It's very important to reognize that children with special needs can function normally in society," says Wakefield, 41, whose knuckleball helped propel the Red Sox to two titles. His aid isn't just financial. A father of two, Wakefield regularly visits the school, sitting on the floor and playing with the children. "He'll go for the most severely challenged child, and he doesn't bat an eye," says Shinn. "He's got a great touch."

The East Oregonian has another feel-good article about hometown boy wonder Jacoby Ellsbury. In addition to the normal bits of info about Ellsbury (he was named by his mom after seeing an advertisement for Jacoby brand tractors), there's a great little story about the day in 2007 when Jacoby got the callup to The Show.

We already heard about Josh Beckett telling Jacoby not to "screw it up" - but this anecdote gives a little more insight into Jacoby's state of mind that day.

With an injury to Red Sox centerfielder Coco Crisp, Ellsbury was called up by the big club on June 30 at Fenway against the Texas Rangers.

Hawkins, his girlfriend from Pendleton, drove Jacoby from Pawtucket to Fenway on that memorable day. "I was sick to my stomach all the way there - the magnitude of what was about to happen was becoming a reality. I thought about what I had said when I was a fourth grader in Madras when I told those that would listen, I wanted to be a ball player in the bigs, and now it was about to happen. It truly was an amazing moment and drive to the stadium."

Once he got to the stadium and was in the locker room he thought things would settle down. As he was putting on his Red Sox uniform, star pitcher Josh Beckett came up to Jacoby for what he expected to be words of encouragement. Instead, Beckett looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Don't screw it up."

As it worked out he didn't screw anything up, but instead played well with a couple of defensive gems, hits and a stolen base.

Roger may be embroiled in the biggest scandal to hit baseball since, well, the last steroids scandal - but People for the Ethical Treament of Animals (PETA) has come up with solutions to all that ails him: go vegetarian... and sign with the Phillies.

Dan Shannon, Assistant Director of PETA and avid Red Sox fan, fired off a letter to Clemens yesterday suggesting that he look into switching to an all-vegetarian diet. And in a rather un-PETA-like move (made even more surprising because the author is a Sox fan and the recipient is, well, Clemens), the letter is relatively light-hearted-- and also manages to get in jabs at Ken Griffey Jr. and Cubs fans.

Some excerpts:

On behalf of PETA, I'm writing to offer a suggestion that may help you fend off all the critics that are descending on you like a pack of Cubs fans going after a vendor's last beer. To prove that you don't want any nasty growth-promoting drugs in your body, go vegetarian.

[A] chicken or a pig drugged by the meat industry suffers more injuries than Ken Griffey Jr.

And if you ditch all the cholesterol and saturated fat in meat now, you'll be less likely to keel over from a stroke when testifying in front of Congress.

He's totally thinking about how much he loves veggie burgers

But PETA isn't just concerned about Roger and the steroids issue he finds himself embroiled in- they're also concerned about the future of his career:

And while you are pondering your next career move, may I recommend that if you do play next season, you sign with the Phillies? Citizens Bank Park has the best vegetarian food of any ballpark

Break out the chicken parm, because it sounds like Doug Mirabelli may be headed back to don the Boston home whites again in 2008.

Per the Boston Herald's sources, Dougie Fresh and the Sox have come to agreement on terms that would bring Doug back under a one-year contract worth $550,000, with incentives that will take it up to $1 million. Both the Sox and Dougie had to give in the negotiations - the Sox wanted a non-guaranteed deal, but Doug's guaranteed portion is down from the $750,000 he made last year.

In celebration of the Stud Who Hits Bombs, I thought this would be an excellent time to revisit the classic "Day In the Life of Doug Mirabelli" -- which is uncredited, but if anyone knows who wrote this originally, I'd love to know...

A Day In The Life of Doug Mirabelli
9:00 Shakes off the cobwebs and gets out of bed.
9:01 Lets out a blistering fart and takes 60 second piss on his hands, farts 5 more times.
9:03 Drinks 3 raw eggs Rocky Balboa style and opens the fridge.
9:05 Take out leftovers from the Kowloon pupu platter for 3 he picked up last night.
9:15 Grunts at his wife and gives his kids 20 bucks each to leave him alone.
9:17 Takes a dump.
9:22 Sings Van Halen in the shower.
9:25 Shaves and leaves his goatee.
9:30 Takes 35 vicious cuts with his bat naked in front of the mirror, screams out loud "DOUGIE'S GOING DEEP TONIGHT!"
9:45 Puts on his cowboy boots and tight jeans and tank-top and gets ready to leave.
9:50 Grunts at his wife and kids and tells them he'll see them tomorrow.
9:57 Pulls onto Rt-1 with Led Zeppelin blaring, cuts three people off, gives the finger to all three people.

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Or, at least he parties there.

Freed from the shackles of having to host Red Sox rookies at his ranch in Texas this offseason (boo!), Josh Beckett spent the New Year in Las Vegas. Josh, his girlfriend, his best friend and other assorted Beckett buddies partied it up at Pure nightclub (inside Caesar's Palace) on New Year's Day at a party hosted by Paris Hilton. Seriously. I cannot imagine a more dissimilar pair of people. There most assuredly were epic eyerolls from Josh if those two crossed paths on the dancefloor.

Others in attendance? Mo Vaughn. Seriously. Also Chiefs RB Larry Johnson, Jaguars DT Marcus Stroud, Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin, and former Falcons RB Jamal Anderson. And Suge Knight. Seriously.

It doesn't make up for no Beckett Boot Camp stories, but Josh showing up to a Paris Hilton party- and Mo Vaughn in attendance as well? To have been a fly on the wall...

Hat tip to Kim for first alerting me to this!

Haven't had your fill of steroids-related allegations? How about a rumor with no evidence to back it up -- and not even a name to attach to it? An allegation that is so generic it could refer to almost anyone on a World Championship team? And how about if that team is the 2004 Red Sox?

Well have I got the rumor for you!

Steve Lombardi from the Yankees blog Was Watching reports that when he was listening to XM Radio's The Show yesterday, co-host Kevin Kennedy in discussions about the Mitchell Report mentions seeing some steroid use first-hand. Quoting Steve's report:

In wanting to make a point about the Mitchell Report not being the all-inclusive bible of naming PED users, Kennedy said that a current colleague of his, who was with the Boston Red Sox in 2004, told him that he (the colleague) witnessed, for a fact, a member of the '04 Red Sox injecting himself in the buttocks with a needle full of PEDs. Kennedy said that the user is no longer a member of the Red Sox - but, he was a player on the team that won the ring in 2004. As per Kennedy, his colleague said that the "user" was giving a demo (to the "colleague") on how to do the injection.

A sports broadcaster making an allegation like this on air (thrown out almost as an afterthought at the end of a show), and naming a specific World Champion team but not the player he is actually accusing -- is the absolute worst tactic. It casts a direct shadow over every former Red Sox player from the '04 team, and invites open speculation about a very small subset of players. It's simultaneously a very general, and yet very specific, accusation- the most dangerous kind.

I'll be interested to see if and how Kennedy is called out to back up what he said, and if the "colleague" steps forward to back up what he said.

As a little Friday treat, just right for listening to while getting ready to go out or pre-partying before playoff action, I'm sharing my own personal soundtrack to the Red Sox 2007 season. These are the songs that are part of my memories of the championship, for a host of different reasons-- classic Fenway tunes, players' at-bat or entrance music, songs played at ballparks, songs played during celebrations after wins... or even random songs played during NESN montages that I associate with the '07 Sox. Enjoy!

And what about you? What songs will remind you of the '07 season?

It's time for my semi-regular update on the 1986 Toronto Blue Jays- the team with the coolest mustaches in the game. For a refresher course, I posted about how I got roped into The Sporting News project 1986: Take Two here. J-Money and I also got together and conducted a very serious (if by serious, you mean "not serious at all") study of the '86 Jays and posted our findings over at The Sporting News-- and also here.

The power of Rance Mullinik's Marvelous Mustache continues - because my Toronto Blue Jays are rolling over the competition in the AL East at The Sporting News: 1986 Take Two. The Jays are sitting in first place in their division, with the best record (40-21) in the entire American League. That's right, the only team in the entire project managed by girls is beating the pants off of everyone else. (except the Padres- and we're gunning for you, Friars!) Hey, I gotta enjoy this view from the top while it lasts, ok?

I can't say the same pattern of total domination (hyperbole is awesome when you're winning) is occurring over in the Red Sox camp-- Curt Schilling's guys have only built up a 27-34 record, and are in 5th place in the division. At that rate, Boston will not have to worry about a repeat of the Buckner nightmare, because they won't be anywhere near the World Series.

Besides MY BLUE JAYS, you know who else was awesome in 1986:

Any excuse to post that classic is one I'm going to capitalize on. That clip never gets old.