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:
MLB: Orioles at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Lions wide receiver Nate Burleson, who lines up opposite standout Calvin Johnson, is comparing his team’s passing game to the undefeated Patriots of 2007, who featured Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Explained Burleson to the NFL Network (via profootballtalk.com): “This year I’m going to try to be the black Wes Welker. I’m going to get as many catches in the slot or on the outside opposite Calvin because he’s going to attract a lot of attention all year.”

Burleson was a teammate of Moss’ on the Vikings in 2003 and 2004, and he sees a similarity this season in Johnson.

“One of the biggest factors with me signing with Detroit was Calvin Johnson, hands down,” Burleson said. “Playing with Randy Moss, I know first hand the benefits of playing with a guy who is going to attract a lot of attention. Calvin, by far, in my opinion is the best wide receiver in the league. If you haven’t been paying attention, four touchdowns in two games: The guy is pretty much showing everybody that he is.”

♦ With Tigers ace Justin Verlander at 24 wins and counting, Real Clear Sports has a list of the top 10 most dominating pitching seasons. Two Red Sox are on the list. No. 9 is Roger Clemens‘ 1990 season, when he went 21-6 with a 1.93 ERA. No. 7 is Pedro Martinez‘ 2000 season (1.74 ERA). Belmont native (and former Red Sox) Wilbur Wood ranks No. 4 for his 1971 season with the White Sox (22-13, 1.91).

In The Los Angeles Times, Helene Elliott ranks the sports commissioners. Despite the lockout, NBA boss David Stern holds the top spot, ahead of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Baseball’s Bud Selig and hockey’s Gary Bettman are below the commissioners for college’s SEC and Pac-12.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Sept. 20, 1955, which player who would go on to become an executive with the team made his debut as a catcher with the Red Sox?

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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 LOCALLY MONDAY:
No games scheduled

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ The Orioles are not pleased with what they perceive to be insensitivity on the part of the Yankees regarding the rescheduling of a game in Baltimore postponed by Hurricane Irene. The Yankees were pushing to cram in another game Friday afternoon in an attempt to avoid losing one of their two remaining days off in September. The Orioles, however, wanted to avoid a doubleheader on Friday partly because they were planning a tribute to Mike Flanagan, who died last week. And with Hurricane Irene affecting millions of people in the area, there was little sympathy for the ballplayers.

The comment that apparently angered Showalter came from Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who said of the decision not to play Friday afternoon: “It’s silly to me.”

“First of all, I felt that some of the stuff was a little disrespectful to Flanny quite frankly,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter told MLB.com. “That didn’t sit with me very well. I can tell you that. … I’m sure if [the Yankees] stopped and thought about it, if the same thing that happened to one of their greats, that they probably would have given a lot of consideration to how they were going to handle that day.”

Added Showalter: “Their opinion on what the Baltimore Orioles should do for their fans and for their organization isn’t really that relevant to me personally. I can tell you that.”

♦ Apparently, the Red Sox aren’t the only major league team with disagreements between players and management about treatment of injuries. All-Star right fielder Andre Ethier complained to The Los Angeles Times about playing through pain, implying that the team was not listening to his concerns. “I keep getting put in the lineup, so what am I supposed to do?” he said.

The Dodgers responded by sitting Ethier Sunday, but manager Don Mattingly said the situation was a surprise to him. “I was a little taken back by it,” Mattingly said. “I talked to ‘Dre about it to see if he felt that the way it came out was accurate. To me, the way I read it, was that ‘Dre’s been telling us he can’t play and we just said: `Well, you’re playing, anyway.’ And that’s definitely not the case. I would never do that. That’s not part of my DNA.

“To me, that takes a shot at my integrity, the organization, the training staff and Ned. But it really gets back to me, personally – that I would put a guy out there that was hurt and was taking a shot at hurting his career. I would never do that. And I told ‘Dre that, too.”

♦ BYU basketball player Brandon Davies was reinstated Friday after his March suspension for a violation of the school’s honor code, and he does not appear to be bitter. “I’m excited to be back at BYU and look forward to the future,” he said in a statement. “I’m grateful for this opportunity.” In The Oregonian, John Canzano is amazed that Davies returned to the Cougars.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Aug. 29, 2000, Pedro Martinez had a perfect game for eight innings in a beanball-marred game in Tampa. Which Devil Rays hitter ended the bid with a single to open the ninth inning?

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The Red Sox every year seem to have multiple players selected for the All-Star Game, but for the most part the Sox players never seem to do anything outstanding. Only four Sox players have been named All-Star MVP: Carl Yastrzemski, Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez and, most recently, J.D. Drew.

This year the Red Sox had six players named to the All-Star team. They include pitchers Jon Lester and Josh Beckett and position players Adrian Gonzalez (starter), David Ortiz (starter), Kevin Youkilis, and Jacoby Ellsbury. Lester will not play due to injury.

WEEI.com takes a look at the 10 best performances in All-Star Game history by Red Sox players.

10. Fred Lynn, 1979

Lynn’s best All-Star Game moment occurred in 1983, but he wasn’t a member of the Red Sox at the time, he was a California Angel. He hit the only grand slam in All-Star history in that game and went on to be named MVP. Lynn was named to nine All-Star Games, including six with the Red Sox. In the 1979 game Lynn hit a three-run home run to give the AL a 3-2 lead. The AL went on to lose the game 7-6.

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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 »

Former Cy Young Award pitcher Pedro Martinez is contemplating a return to the big leagues. Martinez did not pitch in the majors this year after a short 2009 stint with the Phillies. Martinez went 5-1 with a 3.63 earned run average during 2009 but was not signed by a major league club.

The former Red Sox ace is now working out in the Dominican Republic and he may choose to play winter baseball for the Licey Tigers. Martinez has battled injuries in recent seasons and no major teams have been willing to pay a high price for the veteran.

“I’m looking for motivation to come back,” Martinez told ESPN’s Enrique Rojas.

Martinez, 39, was a three-time Cy Young Award winner in 1997, 1999, and 2000. He was also a eight-time All-star and a member of the 2004 World Series Champion Red Sox. Martinez has a career record of 219-100 with 3,154 career strikeouts. Over his career, Martinez played for the Dodgers, Expos, Red Sox, Mets and Phillies.

Although the season is not yet over for the Red Sox, speculation already has begun about whether or not the team will resign All-Star third baseman Adrian Beltre. Because Beltre undoubtedly will warrant top dollar, there is a good chance the Sox may pass on locking him up long-term. Good players come and go through a city all the time; it is the nature of the game. A player performs well during a contract year, or finishes up a long deal with the team, and decides a change of scenery is necessary.

With that in mind, we thought it would be a good idea to put together a list of the best players who have played here and then decided to leave for greener pastures via free agency.

10. Jason Bay

Bay came to the Red Sox in the Manny Ramirez deal in 2008, showing fans right away why he was an All-Star outfielder for the lowly Pirates. In his two years in Boston, he batted .274 with 45 home runs and 156 RBI. He seemed to be a perfect fit on the team. Instead, he joined the Mets in the offseason, and has struggled in New York, battling both injury and inconsistent play.

9. Luis Tiant

Tiant made his MLB debut with the Indians in 1964, and in 1968 led the league in ERA (1.60) and shutouts (9). The Cuban right-hander then came to Boston in 1971 and became one of the more popular players in the team’s history. Unfortunately for Sox fans, Tiant joined the Yankees at the end of the ’78 season, playing two years with the Bronx Bombers.

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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 TODAY:
MLB: Red Sox at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. (NESN, WEEI)

SATURDAY:
MLB: Red Sox at Yankees, 4:10 p.m. (FOX, WEEI)
MLS: D.C. United at Revolution, 7:30 p.m. (CSNNE)

SUNDAY:
MLB: Red Sox at Yankees, 8 p.m. (ESPN, WEEI)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Former Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez made a promotional appearance in New York Thursday and said the Phillies and several other teams recently tried to lure him out of retirement, but he’s going to continue to spend time with his family instead — at least for now. And in comments that should sound familiar to Boston fans, Pedro criticized the Mets for not re-signing him after the 2008 season. “They didn’t pull me back,” Martinez told the New York Daily News. “They left me hanging after I let go of so many teams. It’s business. I know that baseball has a bad side. And that’s the bad side of baseball — business.”

♦ A youth baseball coach in Slidell, La., was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail and two years probation for assaulting a rival coach during the handshake line after a game two years ago. Jason Chighizola, who coached the Yankees, attacked Robert Johnson in front of players and parents after Johnson’s Red Sox won a game to move into first place at the end of the season, leaving a bloody Johnson with facial injuries that required nine stitches. Chighizola, who grabbed a bat during the fracas before being calmed down, later tested positive for extremely high levels of animal steroids.

Here’s the video of the fight:

Here’s the news report of Wednesday’s sentencing:

♦ With the Karen Sypher extortion trial now over, Rick Pitino faces a rebuilding job at Louisville, writes Eric Crawford of the Louisville Courier-Journal.

♦ West Virginia is the latest school to face the wrath of the NCAA, with accusations of five major violations occurring withing the football program. the Charleston Gazette has the story. Meanwhile, Andy Staples at Sports Illustrated addresses problems with the NCAA, noting the case in which Boise State coaches could not attend the funeral of a recruit without breaking NCAA rules.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Aug. 6, 2001, which Red Sox player hit into a triple play and smacked a grand slam in the same game?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We lose a big part of our heart and soul. One of the best hitters, one of the best players in the league. It’s a blow.” — Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein on Kevin Youkilis‘ season-ending injury

STAT OF THE DAY: 0.93 — Daisuke Matsuzaka‘s ERA in his last four games against the Indians

‘NET RESULTS: A 77-year-old golfer wins $10,000 for making a 50-foot putt.

A Canadian Football League player has an impressive leap over a defender.

This soccer player couldn’t miss this tip-in again if he tried.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Scott Hatteberg

SOOTHING SOUNDS: On this day in 1965, the Beatles released the album “Help!”

Pedro Martinez said he recently received offers from several teams that were “very tempting,” but the former Red Sox ace has decided to remain retired. Speaking at a promotional event for Gillette in New York, Martinez told The Associated Press he was “really happy” to receive the offers the past two weeks from teams he did not identify. He said he will spend the rest of the year with his kids and go on vacations.

Martinez signed with the Phillies last July and went 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA in nine starts, helping Philadelphia reach the World Series. He threw out the first pitch at Fenway Park for the Red Sox’ home opener this season.

Pedro Martinez will not pitch this season, according to the Boston Herald. The report states that the former Red Sox ace is still considering a return, but that it would not be until the 2011 season.

Martinez joined the Phillies for the stretch run last season and went 5-1 with a 3.63 earned run average in nine starts. In parts of 18 seasons, Martinez has a career record of 219-100 with 3,154 strikeouts in 2,827 1/3 innings. He has won three Cy Young awards, including two with the Red Sox.

Since the start of the All-Star tradition in 1933 — skipped only in 1945 because of World War II — Major League Baseball’s midsummer matchup has featured dazzling plays and unforgettable feats by the best players to grace the field.

Here’s a list of some of the memorable moments that have impressed us, frustrated us, or simply made us appreciate the tradition that is the MLB All-Star Game.

July 10, 1934: Hubbell strikes out five legends

The 1934 All-Star Game at the New York Polo Grounds brought some of the best hitters in the history of the game together on one field. But it also brought Carl Hubbell’s screwball. Though Hubbell got off to a rough start, allowing Charlie Gehringer a leadoff single (he then moved to second base on outfield error) followed by a walk to Heinie Manush, Hubbell quickly regrouped. He struck out the next three batters — all-time greats Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx. The next inning, whiffs of Al Simmons and Joe Cronin would make it five strikeouts in a row for Hubbell.

July 9, 1946: Ted Williams returns from war and goes 4-for-4

With World War II’s end, the Midsummer Classic returned after a one-year hiatus on July 9, 1946, at Fenway Park. While many of the league’s rivals hadn’t faced each other in years, Ted Williams and Rip Sewell provided the matchup everyone had been waiting for. Sewell tried to keep Williams at bay with his high-lobbing “eephus” pitch, but Williams homered — the only player to hit a home run on the pitch — and ended up going 4-for-4 with five RBI to contribute to the American League’s 12-0 blowout. Read the rest of this entry »