Major League Baseball released the 2011 postseason schedule Wednesday, which no longer includes off days except for when teams have to travel.

In past seasons, the league had assigned off days to coordinate certain games with TV coverage. This year, all four divisional series are set to play their five scheduled games over the course of one week.

The lack of days off will benefit teams with deep pitching rotations, which gives the Red Sox a distinct advantage over the Yankees.

Every ALDS, NLDS and NLCS game will be aired on TBS, while FOX will broadcast the ALCS and World Series.

Each of the three Red Sox-Yankees games from this past weekend drew big numbers from around the country, according to the MLB Public Relations department.

Friday night’s game was MLB Network’s highest-rated game of the season and second all-time only to Stephen Strasburg‘s major league debut last year.

Saturday’s game scored over four million viewers on FOX, the station’s highest rating for a day game in three years.

Sunday night’s game took the cake with 4.72 million viewers, making it the most-watched ESPN game in over four years. ESPN hasn’t had a larger audience since June 3, 2007, which was also a Yankees-Red Sox matchup.

Former Red Sox star Roger Clemens leaves federal court in Washington, D.C., Thursday after jury selection for his trial. (AP)

Remember when Roger Clemens was on top of the Boston sports world? With the Rocket’s perjury case in progress, those days have never felt further away. Whether it’s because of contract disputes, trouble with the law, or locker room drama, plenty of former Beantown sports heroes have fallen out of favor over the past few years. We’ve got 10 that take the cake.

10. Nomar Garciaparra

If you were a Red Sox fan from 1997 to 2004, chances are you had at least one article of clothing with the number five on it. After winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1997, Nomar quickly became the undisputed face of Fenway Park. With two batting titles and five All-Star selections, he was grouped with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez as the three most exciting short stops in the league. Garciaparra seemed destined to play out his career in Boston, and perhaps help the Red Sox finally break the curse of the Bambino.

However, when TV cameras caught him sulking in the dugout while sitting out of a 2004 classic against the Yankees (when Jeter dove headfirst into the stands), Red Sox fans did not react well. That incident, combined with general manager Theo Epstein‘s desire for improved defense, led to the shocking trade. Garciaparra had to look on from Chicago as the Red Sox won it all without him with the help of Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz. Still, Nomar can expect a much better reception in Boston than most of the athletes on this list, especially because a one-day contract allowed him to retire as a member of the Red Sox.

9. Joe Thornton

Thornton entered the NHL with Boston in 1997 and led the team in scoring for several years, but it was never enough to get the Bruins to the next level. The center faltered under intense scrutiny, especially in the postseason and during his time as captain. After being traded to the Sharks in 2005 for Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau, Thornton won the Hart Trophy, making him the only player ever to be named MVP in the same season he was traded.

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According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees are looking to trade for left-handed pitching to counter the Red Sox’ lefty-heavy lineup. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman doesn’t think the market for lefties is good enough to make a move.

“I don’t think I can trade for any starter that is better than Bartolo Colon or Phil Hughes, or a reliever better than Rafael Soriano,” Cashman said. “One of our areas of weakness is the left side, but I can’t force it. I can’t make it happen if it is not there.”

There aren’t many left-handed pitchers on the trade block, but Sherman offered two righties, Matt Garza and Anibal Sanchez, as possible trade deadline targets for New York. While the Yankees held the best record in the American League entering Tuesday, they’ve won just one out of nine games against Boston this season.

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

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Boston has the most obsessed baseball fans in America, according to a statistical analysis by Bundle.com. The website based its rankings on attendance, team revenue and fantasy baseball participation, along with spending on entertainment and dining out. Following Red Sox Nation are fans of the Giants, Cubs, Cardinals and Yankees.

♦ Could the lockout lead to the return of Brett Favre? At NFL.com, Steve Wyche speculates that some teams might want to give the oft-retired legend another look because young quarterbacks’ development will be slowed due to coaches’ inability to work with them this offseason.

♦ With commissioner Bud Selig rejecting the Dodgers’ proposed television deal with Fox, Frank McCourt appears finished as owner of the team. In The Los Angeles Times, Bill Plaschke writes: “He’s out of money. He’s out of schemes. He’s out of time.”

♦ Jeff Goodman at CBSSports.com is not high on BYU star Jimmer Fredette‘s chances of succeeding in the NBA. Goodman notes that Fredette’s previous experience against NBA-caliber competition did not go well, especially defensively.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On June 21, 1916, which diminutive Red Sox pitcher threw the first no-hitter in Fenway Park history with a 2-0 blanking of the Yankees?

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The first weekly update on the American League All-Star voting bodes well for the AL East, but not necessarily for the Red Sox.

The Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista leads all candidates in the majors with 1,261,659 votes, thanks to his league-leading 20 home runs through Tuesday. Bautista likely is the only Toronto player who will start in the All-Star Game, while six different Yankees are in line to be starters.

If the All-Star Game were to start tomorrow, the AL squad would have an all-Yankee infield, with Mark Teixeira at first, Robinson Cano at second, Derek Jeter at shortstop, Alex Rodriguez at third and Russell Martin behind the plate. Curtis Granderson is second in the outfield voting behind Bautista, so he’s in line to start as well.

The closest Red Sox player to a starting job is David Ortiz, who is 30,000 votes behind Michael Young at designated hitter. Adrian Gonzalez is more than 200,000 votes behind Teixeira, and Dustin Pedroia is nearly 500,000 votes behind Cano.

Fans can vote here until June 30 at 11:59 p.m.

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 LOCALLY THURSDAY:
NHL: Canadiens at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN)
MLB Preseason: Red Sox at Marlins, 1:05 p.m.

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Forbes magazine did an analysis of Major League Baseball and determined that the Yankees are the sport’s most valuable team for the 14th straight year, worth $1.7 billion. The Red Sox are No. 2, but 86 percent less valuable than the Bronx Bombers, at $912 million.

The Padres were the most profitable in 2010, with an operating income of $37 million. The Red Sox had an operating income of minus-$1 million, but they make that up with their share in NESN. The average value of a major league team is $523 million, up 7 percent from last year.

♦ Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco began his soccer tryout with Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday. According to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star, Ochocinco was feisty but rusty playing the game he loved as a youngster. Afterward, Ochocinco denied it was a publicity stunt. “What you rather have me do during a lockout? Go get arrested, get in trouble? Act like Charlie Sheen? I’m one that never gets in trouble, I do nothing wrong. I just try to have fun,” he said.

♦ Agent Scott Boras responded to a critical piece written by an anonymous major leaguer in ESPN the Magazine by telling the New York Post the player’s implications that he does not provide struggling clients with enough support are baseless. “Our commitment to the player is extreme,” Boras insisted.

♦ In The New York Times, Jere Longman writes about Baylor women’s basketball player Melissa Jones, who lost vision in her right eye after a collision on the court in February but is back with protective glasses, helping the top-seeded Bears advance to the Sweet 16.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On March 24, 1974, which Bruin had an assist in a 6-3 victory over the Canadiens to become the third player in NHL history (joining teammates Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr) to have more than one 100-point season?

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According to a tweet from MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez, the Yankees have agreed to terms with free-agent catcher Russell Martin.

A two-time All-Star with the Dodgers, Martin slipped in 2010, batting just .248 with a slugging percentage of just .332. It is believed that the Red Sox were also interested in Martin.

Former Dodgers catcher Russell Martin could sign with the Yankees as early as Monday. According to a tweet by Buster Olney, “The Yankees have continued to be aggressive on C Russell Martin; would not be a surprise if we heard at any time of the agreement.”

The former All-Star hit just .248 with six home runs and 25 RBIS in 97 games this season. Martin was an All-Star in his second and third season in Los Angeles averaging 16 home runs and 77 RBIS.

The Red Sox and Blue Jays also were reported to be interested in Martin. He would likely serve as insurance for the Yankees, who hope that Jesus Montero can take over as the starting catcher in 2011.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com (via twitter), the Reds and pitcher Bronson Arroyo have agreed to a three-year, $35 million extension that will keep the pitcher in Cincinnati from 2011-13.

Arroyo had a career high 17 wins in 2010, going 17-10 with a 3.88 ERA. In five seasons with the Reds, he has a 70-60 mark with a 3.97 ERA while averaging 217 innings a season.

The Reds acquired Arroyo from the Red Sox during spring training in 2006, picking him up in exchange for outfielder Wily Mo Pena. Pena proved something of a bust in Boston, and was out of baseball early last year before resuming his pro career in the independent Atlantic League. Earlier this week, Pena signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks that could pay him $675,000 if he makes the big league team.

The Reds had exercised a $13 million option on Arroyo for the 2011 season, but the two sides instead agreed to hammer out the extension.