There are a whole bunch of small news tidbits to share- so rather than post a bunch of tiny posts, or skip posting them at all, I'm rounding them up all together in one post.

Terry Francona was in Charlottesville, VA this weekend to speak at the UVa Baseball's Step Up to the Plate banquet. Tito advised the team "to respect the game, treat people in the game with respect and to take advantage of the chance to get a great education." Others in attendance as part of the reported "pro-Boston crowd"? Coach John Farrell, Javier Lopez, Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and dozens of other former Cavaliers. Coach Farrell's son Jeremy plays for UVa, and is such a little cutie, I thought I'd post his picture here and show him some love. He looks a lot like his dad (or Nick Lachey).

Sox prospect Brandon Moss had his jersey retired by his former high school, Loganville in Georgia, on Tuesday during halftime of Loganville's basketball game. Brandon "holds virtually every offensive and pitching record in LHS history. Single season marks include batting average (.541), doubles (15), home runs (17), runs scored (44) and RBIs (48)." And his high school coach had a bunch of great things to say about him:

"Brandon's work ethic on the field, in the batting cage and in the weight room is what separates him from other players," said Jeff Segars, his high school coach. "I have never seen a player with as much drive as Brandon. It is no surprise that he has made it this far in professional baseball."

Meanwhile, free agent Bobby Kielty was back at his former elementary school, Midland Elementary School in Moreno Valley. Bobby spoke to two jam-packed assemblies of gradeschool kids, and took questions from the kids- including whether he had ever struck out (yes, a lot), how many home runs he hit (53), what sports he played as a child (baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and swimming), how much money he made (2007 salary: $2.1 million) and what was his favorite fruit (pineapple). Love the kid who asked Bobby how much money he made.

Principal Todd Flowers gave Kielty a Midland school sweat shirt at the second assembly. Kielty stripped off his Red Sox jersey and pulled the blue sweat shirt over his head. But before he changed, Kielty called [his fifth-grade teacher, Chuck Orr,] to the front of the multipurpose room. Orr, who has been a Dodgers fan since he was a small boy, wore a Dodgers jacket. Kielty delighted the young audience when he made his former teacher take off the jacket and put on the red and white Red Sox jersey.

"Boys and girls, I hope this doesn't mean the Dodgers are going to have a bad year," Orr said as he straightened the jersey's hem.

I love the handmade decorations, with the little Sox in the corner

Buster Olney may have reported that the Sox pulled Jon Lester off the table (therefore implying that the Sox offer was now solely centered around Jacoby Ellsbury), but the Star Tribune reported tonight that Twins officials dispute Buster's report and say Jon has not been pulled off the table.

Lots of love for Tim Wakefield down in Melbourne, Florida this weekend - where he helped open the Space Coast Early Intervention Center (a pre-school for disabled children) and hosted his annual Tim Wakefield Celebrity Golf Classic tournament to benefit the SCEIC. I posted about Tim's involvement with the SCEIC before, but there can never be too many heartwarming Wake tidbits:

Through the years, Wakefield has written checks into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and likely more than a million dollars when you add it all up, to help fund the school and, more specifically, to aid disabled children.

"This is our 21st year," Shinn says, "but I doubt we'd have made it beyond three if not for Tim Wakefield."

Wakefield's tanned face flushes at the words. He is uncomfortable with the attention.

"I do it because I care," he says later. And then, speaking about professional athletes in general, he adds, "I think more happens, good things, than people realize. A lot goes unnoticed. But we want it to be unnoticed."

There is something about the way his parents, Stephen and Judy Wakefield, raised him that was right. That stuck.

Lots more cute pictures of Wakefield golfing and with the kiddies after the jump.