Beckett's "Golf Business" Leads To Trade Talk!

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Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett played golf with Clay Buchholz on his day off after skipping a start because of a sore shoulder and the wonderfully patient, forgiving Red Sox Nation is outraged.

Looks to me like Beckett missed an opportunity to weigh in on the state of the golf business when he was questioned. From Gordon Edes' column:

Thursday night was the first opportunity for Beckett to explain himself. But that was beneath him. He made it clear it was an affront to his right to privacy for anyone to even question why he would play golf the day after Sox fans were told he was physically unable to perform. Or for anyone to ask him, in light of how badly the Sox are playing, if he even thought of how it might look from the outside.

No, this is what Josh Beckett chose to do instead, on a night he was savagely booed as he left the mound having given up one run for every out he recorded (7 runs, 7 outs) before departing.

Question (paraphrased): Did the golf business have any impact on how you pitched?

Answer: None. None.

Question: Anything to say about the golf business?

Answer: No. I spend my off days the way I want to spend them.

Question: Any regrets?

Answer: My off day is my off day.

Question: Given that you were skipped a start with what was described as a tight lat muscle, do people have the right to question why you were golfing?

Answer: Not on my off day.

Question: Do you understand the perception that leaves when the team is playing as poorly as it is?

Answer: We get 18 off days a year. I think we deserve a little time to ourselves.

That's Beckett. Defiant to a hurtling-off-the-cliff fault.

Buster Olney reports on the possibility of trading Beckett over his round of golf.

There is a disconnect between the Red Sox fans and Beckett, reflected in the boos he heard as he came off the mound -- and even in the Boston front office, the question of whether he has irreconcilable differences with the team for which he pitches should probably be asked. The Red Sox should probably begin exploring trade avenues. Moving him might not be easy, short of giving him away, and even if a trade partner could be found, Beckett maintains 10-and-5 rights, and thus the ability to veto any deal.

Josh, I have two clubs ready to take your money: Riviera, Bel-Air. Come west young man!

Romans: "It's like a guy from Augusta putting on the green jacket."

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Randy Beard on trainer Dale Romans, who I know you all revere as the Preakness-winning trainer of the great, legendary and unforgettable Shackleford, really wants to win Saturday's Kentucky Derby.

And how can you not root for a Louisville native who wheels out a golf analogy?

"It's like a guy from Augusta putting on the green jacket," said Romans, referring to The Masters golf tournament. "The (Kentucky) Derby is the dream."

Based at Churchill Downs, Romans trains Dullahan, an 8-1 deep closer in a speed-heavy race who drew the five post and who so far has largely shown himself to be a synthetic specialist. Kind of like a golfer who really only plays well on Nicklaus courses.

"It was excruciating to say the least"

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Phil Attinger on 75-year-old Albert Miller getting attacked by a 9-foot gator at Lake Ashton Golf and CC last Wednesday while retrieving balls in a clear pond.

"He lifted me up three feet and slammed me down," Miller said.

Price ran over and grabbed Miller under his shoulders while the animal was thrashing and pulling.

The other two golfers in the foursome ran over to help.

Miller said the animal took one look at him and clamped down harder.

"It was excruciating to say the least," Miller said.

As the animal started dragging Miller into the water, Miller prayed for a miracle.
He got one.

"He let me go," Miller said. "I was three feet from my life. He had me submerged up to my belt buckle. That was my miracle of the month."