Boston Red Sox

The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo has tweeted some speculation that the Chicago White Sox' Paul Konerko may be a fit at Fenway in 2011. Frankly, the idea that Theo Epstein would sign Chicago's overachieving 34-year-old first baseman is laughable.

The Boston Red Sox have released journeyman outfielder Jeremy Hermida, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. As much as Hermida expressed surprise when he was designated for assignment at the end of July, surely his outright release yesterday could be considered a shock.

Hermida's release was confirmed late last night via an online announcement on RedSox.com.

In a year of stunning rookie performances, Cuban defector and Reds uber-prospect Aroldis Chapman made his major-league debut on Tuesday, facing three batters in one inning of work. The 22-year-old was electric, hitting 103 mph on the radar gun.

The Boston Red Sox have dealt struggling reliever and hometown flame-thrower Manny Delcarmen to the Colorado Rockies for minor league pitcher Chris Balcom-Miller, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.

After first breaking in with the Sox's in 2005 and posting a respectable 3.00 ERA, the 28-year-old Delcarmen has experienced distinct peaks and valleys in his six seasons in Beantown.

Very late last night the Los Angeles Angels had their catcher, Mike Napoli, claimed by an unknown team. There were several teams in the hunt for a catcher, but in the end ESPN's Joe McDonald revealed that it was the Boston Red Sox that won the Mike Napoli sweepstakes. 

The Angeles gave the Red Sox a time frame until Monday for them to workout a deal. , McDonald added that the Red Sox will probably not want to complete a deal.

After the Red Sox won the first game in Tampa, 3-1, behind a solid effort from Jon Lester (even with his three wild pitches) hope had begun to spring forth that they could overtake the Rays and still get the wild card.

I am not counting them as "dead" yet, but last night's 3-2 loss in extra innings may have been the straw to break the Sox's back.

Top five Stories From Yesterday

1.    Tampa Bay comes from behind to get a walk-off win over Boston, but the Yankees win in Chicago to keep pace in the AL East.

2.    Jets starting LB Calvin Pace suffers a broken foot and will miss the first month of the regular season.

3.    Tiger Woods gets off to a bad start, but rallies to shoot a 1-over 72 that leaves him nine shots off the lead at The Barclays.

Victor Martinez backed Jon Lester in a big way, leading the Boston Red Sox past the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tony Massarotti said on 98.5 The Sports Hub this afternoon that the odds were stacked mightily against the Red Sox heading into Friday night's critical series opener at Tampa Bay.

Well, the Johnny Damon saga has ended here in Boston.

He is staying with the Tigers.

I, for one, am glad. Not for the fact that he’s staying with Detroit, but for the fact that I don’t need to hear about it anymore. The absolute foolishness of “Red Sox Nation” is absolutely staggering. It sometimes makes me ashamed to be a Red Sox fan.