Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

THURSDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NFL: Packers at Lions, 12:30 p.m. (Fox; WEEI)
NFL: Dolphins at Cowboys, 4 p.m. (CBS; WEEI)
NFL: 49ers at Ravens, 8 p.m. (NFL Network; WEEI)
College basketball: Boston College vs. St. Louis, 2 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: UMass vs. Florida State, 4:30 p.m. (Versus)

AROUND THE WEB:

Paul Deutsch went from senior league to NHL for a brief moment Wednesday.

♦ The Wild were in a bind before Wednesday’s game against the Predators when starting goalie Nicklas Backstrom had to leave the team to address a personal issue. They summoned Matt Hackett from their minor league team in Houston, but they weren’t sure if his plane would arrive in time for him to serve as the backup to Josh Harding. So, they called Richard Deutsch, a 51-year-old who was a high school teammate of Wild assistant coach Mike Ramsey. Deutsch, a screen printer who plays in a local senior league, had some experience filling in for Wild goalies at practices on an emergency basis, even though he only starting playing the position at the age of 37 when his senior team was shorthanded at the position. Wednesday’s experience was a little different than a practice, however.

“Practice is one thing,” he said. “I have to tell you, the game faces are on, and I don’t see those very often. Usually it’s a practice, and we’re calm and we’re laughing and we’re ha, ha, ha. But game day is a lot different, so I’m trying to stay out of the way and not get in any trouble.”

After Deutsch “let the guys fire away” on him during warmups, Hackett arrived and was able to suit up in time to take the 51-year-old’s place. But Deutsch still got to say he signed an NHL contract, which he did just before the league deadline of 4 p.m. for him to be eligible that night.

“I actually was shaking while I was signing,” said Deutsch, who filled in “Minnesota Roosevelt Junior Varsity defenseman — 1978,” as his previous team on the contract.

♦ Giants running back Brandon Jacobs continued to voice his frustration with home fans who boo the team, as they did in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles. “We try to work hard and overcome adversity and they make it even harder for us to overcome our adversity when they do things like that,” Jacobs said Wednesday on WFAN radio, echoing his criticism from after the game. “As a player we don’t want to hear that.”

Added Jacobs: “I’m not saying I don’t care about our fans. When we’re down and going through adversity we need them to lift us up, not kick us down. That’s all I’m trying to say. We do have great fans and I’ve witnessed that as well throughout my seven years here. The things we’re going through this year, as far as playing at home, the negativity. We don’t want to hear things like that when we’re playing at home and we’ve still got a chance to win. It’s really hard. That’s all I’m saying.”

♦ In honor of the new Muppets movie, Baseball Prospectus matches Muppets characters to major league baseball players. For example, clean-cut Kermit the Frog best compares to Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. And the egomaniacal, arrogant Miss Piggy is best represented by Alex Rodriguez. Three former Red Sox make the list: Manny Ramirez is compared to the oddball Gonzo, Jonathan Papelbon is a match with the zany Animal, and Adrian Beltre fits as Pepe the King Prawn.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Nov. 24, 2005, the Red Sox traded prospects Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Jesus Delgado and Harvey Garcia to the Marlins for Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and which third player who never pitched for the Sox but remains active in the majors?

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Welcome to Wednesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY WEDNESDAY:
MLB: Orioles at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Former Red Sox star Manny Ramirez, who retired in April after reportedly testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, apparently wants to return to baseball. Winston Llenas, president of the Cibao Eagles in the Dominican Republic, told The Associated Press Tuesday that Ramirez has expressed a desire to play for his former team in his home country. Llenas said the 39-year-old wants to “play before the Dominican fans and to perhaps motivate other major league stars to also play in the country.”

Ramirez, who is facing charges in Florida after allegedly hitting his wife last week, had some support from his former teammates on the Dodgers. Said Matt Kemp: “It shows he loves this sport a lot.” Added James Loney: “It’s good any way you look at it. Manny loves baseball and the Dominicans love Manny.”

♦ Someone stole the glasses off a statue of late Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell in front of Detroit’s Comerica Park. A new pair is being prepared and will be secured as tight as possible. “Fans go a little overboard,” team spokesman Ron Colangelo said. “As much as we can, we hope the public will appreciate it enough to just admire it.”

♦ The Chargers have been accused of faking an injury to slow down the Patriots during Sunday’s game. On Monday, two Giants players suddenly dropped to the ground and appeared to fake injuries to stop a Rams drive, leading to the Rams filing a complaint with the league office. In The Los Angeles Times, Ron Farmer looks at the “no-shame defense” and if there’s anything the NFL can do to prevent it.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Sept. 21, 1985, Wade Boggs set a Red Sox record when he recorded his 223rd hit of the season (he would finish with 240). Whose record did he break?

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Adrian Gonzalez is off to a scorching start in his first season in a Red Sox uniform. The powerful first baseman is leading the American League in RBI (57) and is also in the top 5 in batting average (.338) as of Saturday. If Gonzalez were to keep up that type of production for the remainder of the season, an American League MVP award could be in his future. But where would it rank among the greatest first seasons in Boston? To help answer that question, here’s a look at the top 10 first full individual seasons in a Red Sox uniform since 1961. (Apologies to Ted Williams, Jimmie Foxx and Cy Young, each of whom could have earned spots on this list without the time restricition.)

10. Bill Mueller 2003, .326, 19 HR, 85 RBI

The former Red Sox third baseman is probably most remembered in Boston for his base hit that drove in Dave Roberts to send Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS into extra innings, but what a year he had in 2003. Signed as a free agent in the offseason, Mueller was expected to be a sure-handed third baseman who would do nothing more than just hold his own at the bottom of the Red Sox order. Instead, he exploded for career highs in not only average, home runs and RBI but also hits (171), runs (85) and doubles (45). His .326 average beat out Manny Ramirez (.325) and Derek Jeter (.324) by just points for his first and only batting crown.

9. Jonathan Papelbon 2006, 0.92 ERA, 35 saves, ROY runner-up

Before Papelbon made “Shipping up to Boston” a fixture of the Fenway Park experience, he was a starter-turned-reliever coming into the 2006 season that came in and took the closer spot from Keith Foulke. From there, the hard-throwing righty flourished in the role that he still holds to this day. He allowed earned runs in just six of his 59 appearances (68 1/3 innings) and also walked only 13 batters over that span. A shoulder injury kept him from pitching in September and may have kept him from securing the Rookie of the Year award (won instead by Detroit pitcher Justin Verlander), but the fact remains that Papelbon’s 2006 campaign may have been the best ever by a rookie closer. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY TUESDAY:
NHL Playoffs: Bruins at Canadiens, 7 p.m. (NESN)
MLB: Red Sox at Orioles, 7:05 p.m. (NESN Plus; WEEI)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Michael Vick is speaking out against a cell phone app in which players train dogs to fight. The Eagles quarterback, who serve 21 months in prison for his role in a dog-fighting ring, joined the Humane Society in criticizing the designer of “Dog Wars” and calling for the removal of the game. “This app just sends the wrong message,” Vick said in a statement.

Kage Games, the company that designed the app, insisted it was “a satire” and that a portion of proceeds were intended to go to animal rescue organizations. “We are confident in humankind’s ability to distinguish between a rudimentary game and the consequences of real life,” the company said in a statement.

♦ There are a couple of interesting articles about former Red Sox sluggers worth a look. In The New York Times, Sara Rimer writes about Manny Ramirez‘ innocent high school days in New York City. In the Reno Gazette-Journal, Chris Gabel writes about Wily Mo Pena, who is tearing it up for the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A team.

♦ The NCAA released a Notice of Allegations against Ohio State for improper behavior by its football program, and it indicates that coach Jim Tressel‘s lies are “potential major violations.” At Fox Sports Ohio, Bruce Hooley writes that Tressel should resign, but he explains why the school won’t fire him in the meantime.

♦ With the Dodgers’ and Mets’ financial troubles drawing concern around baseball, Real Clear Sports has a list of 10 sports franchises that filed for bankruptcy. The Penguins appear on the list twice. There are no Boston entrants.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On April 26, 1995, the Red Sox signed which free agent pitcher who would go on to a successful career in Boston?

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Rays manager Joe Maddon came to the defense of Manny Ramirez after the former Red Sox slugger was booed by the home fans Tuesday while going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts as Tampa Bay lost for the fourth time in four games this season.

Ramirez signed a $2 million free agent deal with the Rays in the offseason. He has just a single and one RBI in 16 at-bats.

“I want the fans to know he works, this man really works, this man really cares,” Maddon said. “It’s not working for him right now, but he’s going to be just fine. … We need to let him be himself and let Manny be Manny and go up there and not try to carry us. The last thing I want him to do is feel like he has to carry us.”

Added outfielder B.J. Upton: “Here’s a man who has had an unbelievable career. This game is not easy. His start obviously hasn’t been what people wanted it to be. But if everybody could do it, everybody in America would be playing right now. They’re not and he’s done it for 16 years. So that bothered me a little bit. Because I think if you’re a true baseball fan, you know what type of player he is and the type of damage he can do. It’s way too long of a season to be booing somebody right now. That I do not understand, not one bit.”

Welcome to Friday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY FRIDAY:
NBA: Warriors at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI)
MLB Preseason: Red Sox at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. (NESN)

SATURDAY:
NHL: Penguins at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN)
MLB Preseason: Red Sox (SS) at Orioles, 1:05 p.m.
MLB Preseason: Marlins at Red Sox (SS), 1:05 p.m. (NESN)

SUNDAY:
NBA: Celtics at Bucks, 9 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI)
MLB Preseason: Red Sox at Mets, 1:10 p.m. (NESN)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ A high school basketball player in Michigan died Thursday night after hitting the game-winning shot that capped his team’s undefeated regular season. Shortly after he was lifted up by teammates in celebration while fans rushed the court, 16-year-old Wes Leonard of Fennville High School collapsed. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

Leonard, a 1,000-point scorer, also was an honorable mention all-state quarterback on the school’s football team.

♦ Steve Mandl, who coached Manny Ramirez at George Washington High School in New York and has been at the school for 27 seasons, is fighting a one-year suspension he received for violating the league’s prohibition on recruiting.

♦ ThePostGame.com blog has the story of two girls from Southern California, Ghazaleh Sailors and Marti Sementelli, who play varsity baseball at different high schools. On Saturday, the two are scheduled to be the starting pitchers against each other, making it the first time two girls take the mound as starters on opposing teams.

♦ The University of Oregon football team is taking some heat for paying $25,000 to a Texas man, Will Lyles, who claims to run a scouting service but reportedly steers players to colleges. Oregon also paid a lesser fee to a former University of New Hampshire player, Baron Flenory, who runs camps and has close relationships with recruits. Flenory played at UNH when current Oregon coach Chip Kelly was an assistant for the Wildcats.

♦ Forbes magazine has a look at the top 10 highest-paid college basketball coaches. Kentucky’s John Calipari is No. 1 at $4 million per year. Next up are Michigan State’s Tom Izzo ($3.4 million) and Florida’s Billy Donovan ($3.3 million).

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On March 4, 1984, which former Red Sox catcher was named to the Baseball Hall of Fame?

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The Celtics' trade of Kendrick Perkins is just one of many trades that shocked Boston sports fans in this young century. (AP)

The Celtics’ trade of Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Thunder for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic on Thursday marked the second surprising trade of the winter for Boston sports teams. Back in December, the Red Sox got Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres for prospects Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo and Reymond Fuentes. That got us thinking about other shocking trades by the hometown teams this century. Here are the top dozen.

12. Nov. 24, 2005: Sox land Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell

Top prospect Hanley Ramirez had been mentioned in a number of rumors, but it appeared that he was pretty much untouchable. That was until the Sox sent the shortstop to the Marlins — along with prospects Anibal Sanchez, Jesus Delgado and Harvey Garcia — in exchange for Beckett, Lowell and reliever Guillermo Mota. As expected, Ramirez turned into a superstar, but Beckett and Lowell became key parts of the 2007 World Series team. Most would probably agree that this deal was a win-win.

11. Nov. 28, 2003: Curt Schilling comes to Boston

Schilling was just one year removed from back-to-back 20-win seasons and consecutive Cy Young runner-ups when the Sox acquired him from the Diamondbacks for pitchers Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon and Jorge De La Rosa. Lyon and De La Rosa went on to have serviceable careers, but Schilling helped lead the Sox to two World Series titles, posting another 20-win season and Cy Young runner-up in 2004 along the way.

10. Sept. 18, 2009: B’s ship Phil Kessel to Toronto

The Bruins sending Kessel to the Maple Leafs wasn’t a total shock because everyone knew the B’s probably wouldn’t be able to keep all three of Kessel, David Krejci and Milan Lucic long term. But it’s still surprising any time you trade a 21-year-old former fifth overall pick who was the leading goal-scorer on your first-place team the previous season. The deal ended up looking much better when the first-round pick Boston got in return turned out to be the second overall selection, which became Tyler Seguin.

9. March 6, 2000: Ray Bourque heads to Colorado

The trade itself wasn’t shocking — everyone knew Bourque wanted a chance to win the Stanley Cup and everyone knew the Bruins were happy to accommodate the legend — but just seeing Bourque in another jersey was. After 21-plus seasons in Boston, Bourque was sent to the Avalanche along with Dave Andreychuk in exchange for Brian Rolston, Martin Grenier, Samuel Pahlsson and a first-round pick. Bourque and the Avs went on to win the Cup the next season.

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According to a foxsports.com report, 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez is eyeing a return to the American League East with the Blue Jays. Ramirez, who will soon be a free agent, made comments on Tuesday praising the club’s decision to hire former Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell as their manager.

“John has tremendous knowledge of the game, a very pleasant man, and he trains ballplayers,” Ramirez said. “Toronto has made a great acquisition. Farrell is a manager for whom I would like to play, and Toronto is a team I’ve liked since they had all those Dominican players in the ’80s.”

Farrell became the Red Sox pitching coach after the 2006 season. Ramirez played for the Red Sox from 2001-08, before being dealt to the Dodgers at the ’08 trade deadline. In the middle of 2010, the Dodgers then moved Ramirez to the White Sox for the remainder of the season. In a season shortened by injuries, he hit nine home runs with 42 RBI in 90 games. The 38-year-old had surgery two weeks ago for a hernia suffered during the season.

Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY:
NFL preseason: Patriots at Giants, 7 p.m. (WBZ-TV Ch.4)
MLB: Red Sox at Orioles, 7:05 p.m. (NESN, WEEI)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Flamethrowing Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman, called up from the minors on Tuesday, picked up his first win after pitching a perfect inning in relief during the Reds’ victory over the Brewers on Wednesday night. In the process, he threw a pitch registered at 103.9 mph, the fastest pitch in the majors in the last three seasons. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports on how Chapman electrified the audience with his appearance.

♦ In the Chicago Sun-Times, Rick Morrissey joins the legion of people chiding the White Sox for their acquisition of Manny Ramirez, calling the September playoff push “Guilty Pleasure Month.”

♦ Andy Roddick was bounced by Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic in the second round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday, and he didn’t go quietly. The ninth-seeded American berated an official for calling a foot fault and telling him the wrong foot was the one that faulted.

♦ At Yahoo! Sports, Jason Cole looks at how free agency may be a bargaining chip for NFL players in the CBA talks.

♦ Larry Brooks in the New York Post looks at the NHL’s hard-line stance on the Ilya Kovalchuk-Devils deal and reports that two other contracts are being contested.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Sept. 2, 2001, which Red Sox player broke up a no-hit bid by Yankees starter Mike Mussina with two outs (and two strikes) in the bottom of the ninth inning?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It’s definitely different right now … I don’t think we’ve completely folded up the tent.” — Red Sox starter Josh Beckett, on his team’s playoff chances

STAT OF THE DAY: 13-0 — Jon Lester‘s career record against the Orioles, following Wednesday night’s Red Sox win in Baltimore

‘NET RESULTS: Basketball juggling trick shots.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Carl Everett

SOOTHING SOUNDS: Sam Gooden of the Impressions is 71 today.

Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY:
No local games scheduled

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Roger Clemens will plead not guilty to federal perjury charges Monday in Washington, D.C., and then the former pitcher will fly to South Carolina to play golf, according to the New York Daily News. The Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C., starts a few hours before Clemens’ 2 p.m. arraignment, but Clemens plans to take a private plane to the event so he and his wife can participate in the opening round.

♦ Manny Ramirez ended his tenure with the Dodgers by getting thrown out of Sunday’s game after one pitch for arguing with the home plate umpire. At Yahoo! Sports, Jeff Passan writes that the White Sox are getting a handful in Ramirez, and he recounts some of Manny’s acrimonious breakups. In the Chicago Tribune, Phil Rogers writes that the “Hail Manny” play is worth the risk for the desperate White Sox. In The Los Angeles Times, Steve Dilbeck bids farewell to Manny and his muddled legacy.

♦ The NFL’s plan to add two more games to the regular-season schedule despite recent studies detailing issues with concussions, brain trauma and other injuries shows there is no limit to owners’ greed and hypocrisy, writes Phil Sheridan in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

♦ Pete Thamel in The New York Times has a feature on 19-year-old Spanish guard Ricky Rubio, who said he plans to take his game to the NBA (the Timberwolves own his rights) in 2011.

♦ Johnette Howard of ESPN.com takes John McEnroe to task for his recent comments about women not being able to handle the strain of the WTA schedule.

♦ Pakistan has been rocked by a “spot-fixing” scandal in cricket involving three key players.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Aug. 30, 1984, which Red Sox player broke Jackie Jensen’s single-season team record for grounding into double plays with his 33rd of the season (he would finish with 36)?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I mean, what are we five or six behind? We’ve got a lot more games than that. I’m not a math whiz, but I think it’s doable.” — Red Sox pitcher John Lackey, after Sunday’s loss to the Rays

STAT OF THE DAY: 599 — Career saves for Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman, who on Sunday closed to within one save of being the first reliever with 600

‘NET RESULTS: Minor league manager Gary Robinson of the State College Spikes gets his money worth after being ejected, taking first base, signing it and giving it to a fan.

This is Frenchman Nicolas Batum, and this is an example of why the Trail Blazers feel he can take the minutes of Rudy Fernandez.

One bad play in a football game, and it’s immortalized forever on the web.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Jim Rice

SOOTHING SOUNDS: On this date in 1965, Bob Dylan released his groundbreaking album “Highway 61 Revisited.”