Tuesday Wednesday Curveball - Week Ten The Olympics officially kick off this Friday in Beijing, and if you're anything like me, you're going to be watching 7-8 hours of coverage every day, minimum. One thing you won't be watching after this year, though, is baseball-- 2008 marks the last time baseball will be played as an Olympic event. So let's hear from you: if you were the manager of the USA Olympic baseball team, and (like with the NBA) could have your pick of MLB players, who would you select as your starting 9? This wouldn't be like the All-Star vote, tainted by nostalgia and bias -- who is the best player you'd select at each position to help America take home the gold? Obviously, no Canadians or other nationalities can be selected -- but naturalized citizens are still eligible (Papi, Manny, Pujols, etc.)

As always, you don't have to be a fan of the Red Sox to get in on the discussion. All baseball fans- even Yankee fans- are welcome.

Every Tuesday, I'll post a discussion topic or question for everyone to think about and then discuss in the comments section. Tuesday is always one of the most difficult days of the week to get through - you don't have the afterglow of the previous weekend's fun any more, and yet you're still days away from the next weekend. This should give us something fun to do to pass the time.

Tuesday Curveball - Week Nine Even though there's no real baseball on, tonight will bring the All-Star Game and all the surrounding pageantry and hoopla. David Neal of the Miami Herald wrote a very interesting article filled with ways that MLB could shake up the ASG and make it more exciting. What, if anything, would you change about the All-Star Game? How would you change the selection process? The event itself? Not this year, but overall.

As discussion starters, here were some of David Neal's thoughts:

* Not only make all fan voting online, but limit it to one vote per e-mail address. Also, this way, you could require each voter to pass a poll test. I know this has bad precedent in this country, but it would be nice if voters demonstrated more knowledge about the current season than ``Hey, Derek Jeter! I've heard of him!''

* The fan voting wouldn't decide the starters -- it would decide, hopefully, who will decide the game. Fan favorites would play the last three innings after managers figure out how to get everyone else in the previous innings.

* Here's another way to liven up those late innings. There's little riveting about the winning league getting the home-field advantage in the World Series. Give the winning league's fans 10 percent off on all stadium food, beer and programs for the next month and you better believe there will be some serious fan energy off which the players will feed. Folk heroes, which the All-Star Game doesn't make anymore, could be born.

* I'm also for changing the American League vs. the National League format. With so much talk about money in the game today, how about breaking up the teams by salary? Select the players then split them into teams that are economically equal one year, then, the next season, Richer Men vs. Not Quite As Rich Men.

As always, you don't have to be a fan of the Red Sox to get in on the discussion. All baseball fans- even Yankee fans- are welcome.

Every Tuesday, I'll post a discussion topic or question for everyone to think about and then discuss in the comments section. Tuesday is always one of the most difficult days of the week to get through - you don't have the afterglow of the previous weekend's fun any more, and yet you're still days away from the next weekend. This should give us something fun to do to pass the time.

Tuesday Curveball - Week Eight It's been awhile since we've had one of these, but I thought it was time to kick them off again. With the July 31st trade deadline fast approaching, there have been rumors that the Red Sox front office has taken a look at adding Barry Bonds to the roster. Would you want Bonda to join the Red Sox- and why (or why not)?

As always, you don't have to be a fan of the Red Sox to get in on the discussion. All baseball fans- even Yankee fans- are welcome.

Just like players convene on the pitcher's mound to discuss questions or strategy, sometimes everyone could use a little bit of a pitcher's mound conference about baseball. This will be an occasional series in which readers can submit questions via email about anything related to the Red Sox or baseball... and I do my darnedest to answer them for you.

Last night I was watching the 8th inning of the Cubs game (I'm a Sox fan but I love baseball so much if the Sox aren't on, I watch anything), and Zambrano was pitching.. he had stepped off the mound and was about to go back on the mound, but took his foot off the dirt so he could lick his hand. The announcers said something that he's not allowed to lick his hand while on the mound or else the ump would issue a walk? (I think that's what they said). Have you heard of that before?

A pitcher cannot lick his fingers while standing on the mound, period. Under Rule 8.02(a)(1), the pitcher is forbidden from bringing his pitching hand in contact with his lips or mouth while standing on the pitcher's mound (other than to blow on his hands in cold weather, if previously agreed on). The penalty is a ball (unless the batter otherwise reaches base and no runner is out, in which case, the penalty is disregarded and the batter stays where he is). If it occurred with 3 balls on the count, it counts as a fourth ball and the batter takes first base.

A pitcher is allowed to lick his fingers while he is standing on the turf surrounding the pitcher's mound... but he must wipe his fingers before touching the ball again.

Every Tuesday, I'll post a discussion topic or question for everyone to think about and then discuss in the comments section. Tuesday is always one of the most difficult days of the week to get through - you don't have the afterglow of the previous weekend's fun any more, and yet you're still days away from the next weekend. This should give us something fun to do to pass the time.

Tuesday Curveball - Week Seven It's been awhile since we've had one of these, but I thought it was time to kick them off again. Who wins your Red Sox MVP Award for the month of April, and why?

As always, you don't have to be a fan of the Red Sox to get in on the discussion. All baseball fans- even Yankee fans- are welcome.

Every Tuesday, I'll post a discussion topic or question for everyone to think about and then discuss in the comments section. Tuesday is always one of the most difficult days of the week to get through - you don't have the afterglow of the previous weekend's fun any more, and yet you're still days away from the next weekend. This should give us something fun to do to pass the time.

Tuesday Curveball - Week Six Everyone loves Fenway - it's "America's Most Beloved Ballpark"! Just ask the giant banner hanging on the side of the Park! But other than Fenway, what is your favorite ballpark to visit and watch a game at- and why? It doesn't have to be a modern park - if you really dug sitting in those rainbow seats in the Astrodome, tell us about it. And you can pick your favorite based on whatever reason you want - skyline view from PNC, great food at CBP, cheap tickets at the Trop... whatever!

As always, you don't have to be a fan of the Red Sox to get in on the discussion. All baseball fans- even Yankee fans- are welcome.

Every Tuesday, I'll post a discussion topic or question for everyone to think about and then discuss in the comments section. Tuesday is always one of the most difficult days of the week to get through - you don't have the afterglow of the previous weekend's fun any more, and yet you're still days away from the next weekend. This should give us something fun to do to pass the time.

Tuesday Curveball - Week Six Everyone loves Fenway - it's "America's Most Beloved Ballpark"! Just ask the giant banner hanging on the side of the Park! But other than Fenway, what is your favorite ballpark to visit and watch a game at- and why? It doesn't have to be a modern park - if you really dug sitting in those rainbow seats in the Astrodome, tell us about it. And you can pick your favorite based on whatever reason you want - skyline view from PNC, great food at CBP, cheap tickets at the Trop... whatever!

As always, you don't have to be a fan of the Red Sox to get in on the discussion. All baseball fans- even Yankee fans- are welcome.

Normally, every Tuesday, I post a discussion topic or question for everyone to think about and then discuss in the comments section. This week, the Tuesday Curveball is the Thursday Curveball - which, I suppose we might have expected would happen sooner or later given that it IS a curveball we're talking about.

Tuesday Thursday Curveball - Week Five Yesterday, the position players reported for camp- which means we've got everyone down in Ft. Myers (save for Bobby Kielty, whose wife is having a baby today). Which Red Sox prospect are you most excited about seeing develop into a major leaguer? For purposes of this discussion, let's not count Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury- both of whom are already guaranteed major leaguers (it's just a matter of when). I want to hear about those guys who are still battling it out to even make the 40-man, who are looking to maybe get a cup of coffee in the bigs - or turn a cup of coffee into a big league career within the next couple of years.

As always, you don't have to be a fan of the Red Sox to get in on the discussion. All baseball fans- even Yankee fans- are welcome... just substitute your team where it says "Red Sox" in the question above.

Every Tuesday, I'll post a discussion topic or question for everyone to think about and then discuss in the comments section. Tuesday is always one of the most difficult days of the week to get through - you don't have the afterglow of the previous weekend's fun any more, and yet you're still days away from the next weekend. This should give us something fun to do to pass the time.

Tuesday Curveball - Week Four Since Lenten season is now upon us, it's time to give up some bad habits. What bad habit or behavior will you try to give up for this baseball season? Doesn't matter if you're Catholic or Protestant, Jewish, Muslim or atheist -- I know most of us have at least one or two bad behaviors we exhibit at the ballpark, or bad habits we follow when watching baseball games. This is your chance to try and fix one of those- what are you giving up for Baseballent? (see what I did there!)

As always, you don't have to be a fan of the Red Sox to get in on the discussion. All baseball fans- even Yankee fans- are welcome.

Every Tuesday, I'll post a discussion topic or question for everyone to think about and then discuss in the comments section. Tuesday is always one of the most difficult days of the week to get through - you don't have the afterglow of the previous weekend's fun any more, and yet you're still days away from the next weekend. This should give us something fun to do to pass the time.

Tuesday Curveball - Week Three What is the most embarrassing piece of Red Sox memorabilia you own? Don't tell us about your most treasured memorabilia- the dirt from Busch Stadium after game 4, the autographed Yaz jersey... I want to hear about the dorky, lame or otherwise embarassing Sox stuff you've got.

As always, if you're a fan of another team, substitute your team for "Red Sox" in the question above.

Every Tuesday, I'll post a discussion topic or question for everyone to think about and then discuss in the comments section. Tuesday is always one of the most difficult days of the week to get through - you don't have the afterglow of the previous weekend's fun any more, and yet you're still days away from the next weekend. This should give us something fun to do to pass the time.

Tuesday Curveball - Week Two Other than the Red Sox, what one major league team do you most enjoy watching or root for? Other than the Yankees, what one major league team do you most dislike and root against? Pick just one of each, and tell us why that team is your favorite or your least favorite.

Today I'm kicking off a new weekly feature I hope everyone will enjoy - Tuesday Curveball. Every Tuesday, I'll post a discussion topic or question for everyone to think about and then discuss in the comments section. Tuesday is always one of the most difficult days of the week to get through - you don't have the afterglow of the previous weekend's fun any more, and yet you're still days away from the next weekend. This should give us something fun to do to pass the time each Tuesday.

Tuesday Curveball - Week One Who are your favorite ballplayers... that do not currently, and have not previously, played for the Red Sox? Give me your top choices, and tell us why they're favorites. For purposes of this question, let's hear about current ballplayers only.