DENVER -- Nice moment in the midst of Boston's wild celebration in the immediate aftermath of winning a second World Series in four years:

Shortly after closer Jonathan Papelbon had thrown his glove in the air and caught leaping catcher Jason Varitek, with the entire team jumping around in an infield scrum, David Ortiz snuck off in the direction of Colorado's dugout.

As best as a 6-4, 230-pound Big Papi can sneak.

Once there, he wrapped his arms around Rockies reliever LaTroy Hawkins in a tight bear hug. It was a nice Minnesota moment -- two players who came up together through the Twins organization.

"That's my man, man," Ortiz said. "I was so happy to see him in this (World Series) situation. People see how hard you have to work to get to the World Series.

"To see him go down the way he did, I wanted to throw my best at him. I told him he did an amazing job."

Despite the savage beating Boston delivered to the Rockies, the Red Sox went out of their way afterward to compliment their NL counterparts.

"I don't think we dominated them," Papelbon chimed in. "Yeah, we won four games in a row, but we had to scratch and claw."

Someone asked Francona about the Rockies during his brief postgame news conference, and Francona thanked the man for bringing them up.

"I thought the run that they went on, and in this city, having a little bit of background here, it's a special place," Francona said. "You saw the way the fans reacted. They're so classy. I mean, we beat a very good team.

"I hope nobody forgets that because they gave us a battle to the end. I know when you look at 4-0 it may get lost. It won't on us. They're classy people and a classy organization."

Likes: LoDo, the locals' tag for the area around Coors Field, Lower Downtown. ... The docs at UC Davis Medical Center out in Sacramento, Calif. ... Monroe (Mich.) St. Mary Catholic Central opening the first round of the Michigan high school football playoffs with a 38-0 thrashing of Clinton.

Dislikes: World Series games that go 4 hours and 19 minutes for absolutely no good reason. Game 3 set a record for longest nine-inning World Series game in history, surpassing the wild 15-14 Toronto victory against Philadelphia in Game 4 in 1993. That, you could understand. It was a wild one. Saturday was a 10-5 Boston rout. Red Sox games take longer anyway because of the way they work pitch counts, but there comes a point where the rhythm of the game is simply sucked dry. When you're closing in on 4½ hours for a game that is nowhere near a classic, it becomes tedious. Even if it is the World Series.

Rock 'n' Roll Lyric of the Day

"I called up my friend LeRoy on the phone
"I said, 'Buddy, I'm afraid to be alone
" 'Cause I got some weird ideas in my head
" 'About things to do in Denver when you're dead.' "

-- Warren Zevon, Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead

DENVER -- Lining up the World Series, Game 4:

• Perhaps the most watched aspect of tonight's game, and maybe the key, will be how Boston manager Terry Francona maneuvers the Red Sox bullpen. Set-up man extraordinaire Hideki Okajima has thrown 57 pitches in the past three days and Francona hinted before the game that he may not use Okajima in Game 4.

Just before batting practice, Francona said he had not yet spoken with Okajima on Sunday but intended to do so during batting practice. But the manager did express concern about Okajima's physical state and how well rested he may be.

What Francona didn't say -- and you would never expect a manager to admit this, anyway -- was that winning Game 3 Saturday night was huge in allowing the Red Sox the choice to not overuse players. Ahead three games to none, Francona can manage around Okajima in Game 4 with the comfort of knowing that the Sox now have some room for error.

Had the Red Sox allowed the Rockies to come back in Game 3 and the series was 2-1, each of Francona's decisions tonight in Game 4 would carry a whole lot more urgency.

The way things stand now, if it's a tight game in the late innings, Francona can use lefty Javier Lopez, who threw only six pitches in Game 3, in place of Okajima if he feels he needs to give the Japanese sensation a breather.

Meanwhile, closer Jonathan Papelbon has thrown 34 pitches in the past three days. With an off day on Friday between his two outings, and given the fact that he hasn't thrown as many pitches as Okajima, Papelbon probably will be fine if needed to close Game 4.

• The reliever the Red Sox think is their key to pitching in Coors Field is Mike Timlin, because he throws a hard slider that often results in ground balls or in right-handers chasing pitches out of the strike zone. Consequently, he should be especially effective in keeping fly balls to a minimum in Coors Field's big outfield.

That wasn't the case in Boston's 10-5 Game 3 victory, however. Colorado hammered Timlin for two earned runs and two hits in only two-thirds of an inning. He did throw only 14 pitches, however, and may be one of the keys tonight as Boston attempts to win its second World Series clincher in four seasons. Especially if Okajima is given a night off.

• Another lineup change, albeit a small one, as Colorado manager Clint Hurdle continues searching for a winning combination. Ryan Spilborghs, the sad designated hitter in Boston, is replacing Cory Sullivan in center field. The move isn't a surprise, being that Boston is starting lefty Jon Lester.

Asked about the prospect of facing Boston ace Josh Beckett in Game 5 if the Rockies can pull out Game 4, Hurdle said, essentially, bring him on.

"I hope we face him," Hurdle said. "We just need to get ready to hit. He's on the top of his game. He's probably pitching as well as any pitcher I've come across, watched, faced or seen pitch in the postseason.

"Command of all of his pitches, pounding the strike zone. What's he got, 30 innings, two walks and 32 strikeouts? Come on. He's got Nintendo numbers going off the mound. But we've also been a team that beat him.

"We'd love the opportunity to face him again."

• Boston manager Terry Francona is employing the same lineup he used in Game 3, with David Ortiz at first base, Mike Lowell at third and Kevin Youkilis on the bench. If the Red Sox lead late, Youkilis is expected to replace Ortiz at first base.

DENVER -- Significant lineup changes for Game 3, Boston's forced and Colorado's by necessity.

With the Rockies hitting only .180 in this World Series and taking on water quickly, manager Clint Hurdle benched Willy Taveras, moved Kazuo Matsui into the vacated leadoff hole (from the No. 2 slot), shifted shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to No. 2 (from No. 7) and is starting left-hander Cory Sullivan in center field in place of Taveras.

It's not like any of the Rockies are impressing with the bat, but Taveras is 0-for-7 with three strikeouts so far and Colorado is two games from elimination. That, combined with the Series now being played under National League rules, caused Hurdle to pull some levers.

Plus, not only does this give Hurdle the opportunity to perhaps use Taveras in specific situations later in the game -- say, as a pinch-runner or in a double-switch -- this is the lineup that the Rockies used to win 14 of its final 15 regular season games.

"More options come into play in a National League game, more than American League, as far as opportunities to use personnel, whether it be matchup, play defense, pinch-run," Hurdle said. "The lineup necessitated change."

Added Hurdle: "I don't believe you ever want to put a lineup at this point in the season where guys go, 'what?' We have options, and I'm fortunate as the manager that we have enough good players that it gives me a number of different options."

Hurdle said that Sullivan, who hasn't played yet in this World Series and is 1-for-3 in the postseason overall, "plays with an edge. His offensive game, I thought, was rebuilt a little bit this year. He became a lot more disciplined hitter. He opened up the other field, had some gap power. If he gets on, he can sneak a base. He can put the ball on the ground with a bunt, he can do some things offensively."

Right now, the Rockies can use people to do a lot of things offensively.

As for Boston, manager Terry Francona says he will use Kevin Youkilis off the bench as a defensive replacement for David Ortiz at first base if the Red Sox have a lead in the late innings.

Game 3 lineups

Boston
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, 1B
Manny Ramirez, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
J.D. Drew, RF
Jason Varitek, C
Julio Lugo, SS
Daisuke Matsuzaka, P

Colorado
Kazuo Matsui, 2B
Troy Tulowitzki, SS
Matt Holliday, LF
Todd Helton, 1B
Garrett Atkins, 3B
Brad Hawpe, RF
Yorvit Torrealba, C
Cory Sullivan, CF
Josh Fogg, P

DENVER -- This sounds really, really elementary. It isn't. It falls under the category of "Don't make the game more complicated than it already is."

And it is this: Colorado pitchers must throw strikes if the Rockies are going to dig out of the growing hole they're in.

After issuing the third-lowest walks total in the National League this season, the Rockies suddenly can't locate home plate. Their pitchers have walked 15 Boston hitters in the first two World Series games.

Of Boston's 15 runs scored, four of those batters have reached base via a walk.

And in Game 1, Colorado's Ryan Speier issued three bases-loaded walks.

Everyone knows Boston's lineup is picky. The Red Sox are exceptionally disciplined in not swinging at pitches out of the strike zone.

But it's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't proposition. The Red Sox are dangerous enough when they do swing. You can't turn things into a charity case and provide them with free base runners. That's a recipe for disaster.

"It's disappointing," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "It puts you in positions you don't want to get into. That being said, we've got to find a way to correct it."

Starter Ubaldo Jimenez was terrific in Game 2 for three innings, but then inexplicably went away from an effective fastball in the middle innings and started relying more on his curve ball and slider. After holding Boston hitless through 3 1/3 innings, he got himself into difficulty in the fourth and fifth, when he allowed one run in each.

"I thought he got away from his fastball a little bit," Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca agreed. "Especially in two-out situations with two strikes.

"It's almost like with two strikes, they've got us right where they want us. He started pitching away from contact. I don't know if it was deliberate."

Translation: Jimenez started nibbling. And when a pitcher does that, the Red Sox start gorging.

"I thought he went a little bit away from his game plan," Apodaca said. "The kid knows how to pitch. The kid battles."

Next up for Colorado: The Dragon Slayer. Veteran Josh Fogg gets the ball for Game 3 on Saturday night, and he earned his nickname from teammates by the way he went toe-to-toe with some of the big guns in the game this season, pitchers like Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling.

"I think the reason we've had success the last month is that we've taken it one game at a time," Fogg said. "Now more than ever, that's kind of what we have to do. We have to go out there and find a way to win tomorrow.

"You can't think about, 'Oh, we've got to win three here, we've got to win two here.' We've got to win tomorrow. Tomorrow is the biggest game of the year for us. Luckily, that's the way we've played for the past month."

Likes: Great note in Friday's Boston Globe from Red Sox beat man Gordon Edes, who was talking with manager Terry Francona about James Taylor before Game 2 when Taylor was scheduled to sing the national anthem. Francona said he's a big Aerosmith fan and asked Edes whether lead singer Steven Tyler would make an appearance if there is a Game 6 or 7 in Boston. Tyler was around for a bit of the 2004 postseason and Francona loved it. "He was hilarious," Francona told Edes. "He came up to me and said, 'What's that you're chewing? I showed him, and he said, 'Can I have some?' I said, 'Be careful.' He said, 'I've had a lot worse than that.' They said he came through (the clubhouse) about three times, and he was, like, yellow. He said last month if we got to the Series, he'd like to be back."

Dislikes: Drunken drivers.

BOSTON -- Most attractive job in Boston right now?

You could do worse than nominate that of Red Sox hitting coach. Dave Magadan is having a ball right now and, needless to say, getting high marks. The Red Sox have scored 43 runs over their past three games, and while Dave Magadan knows that things eventually will turn, he sure is enjoying riding this one out.

From leadoff man Dustin Pedroia to No. 9 hitter Julio Lugo, these Red Sox are locked in. And don't even ask about David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. They're as fearful a 1-2 punch as there has been in history, ranking right up there with Babe Ruth-Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays-Willie McCovey, you name it.

"It's a lot of fun for a hitting coach," Magadan said. "It's fun to see. I'm proud of our guys. We have our meetings to talk about how we want to approach pitchers, and I'm fortunate enough to have a bunch of guys who can see it through."

Not often is everyone on the same page at the same time, and when it happens in October -- for Boston, St. Louis, the White Sox, anybody -- it is a remarkable thing.

"It's special, because they realize what's at stake here," Magadan said. "They're so focused, it's fun to watch."

• Game 2 lineups:

Colorado

Willy Taveras, CF
Kazuo Matsui, 2B
Matt Holliday, LF
Todd Helton, 1B
Garrett Atkins, 3B
Brad Hawpe, RF
Troy Tulowitzki, SS
Yorvit Torrealba, C
Ryan Spilborghs, DH

Boston

Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Kevin Youklis, 1B
David Ortiz, DH
Manny Ramirez, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
J.D. Drew, RF
Jason Varitek, C
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Julio Lugo, SS

• Nice anniversary dinner with my pal Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times on Tuesday night, the eve of the 103d World Series.

His anniversary, not mine -- and it's probably the sixth or seventh time we've "celebrated" over the years.

Yes. The life of a baseball writer. Ah. ...

Marc and Sue were married long before Marc became a baseball writer. But he has been at it a long time now -- he's covered the Devil Rays since the franchise was awarded (as in, since 1995, before they began play in 1998) -- so he's on the road for his anniversary almost every year. October is kind of a busy month on the baseball beat.

Marc and I first met in Atlanta during the 1995 postseason. A few of us were out at Morton's Steakhouse on an off night before a Braves playoff game and it came up during the dinner that it was his anniversary. Nice way to celebrate it, eh? With fellow baseball writers.

Somehow, he and I wound up in the same group at dinner on the road for the next couple of years, either on or around his anniversary. So eventually it became a running joke. Sometimes we're covering a postseason game on the actual date, but hey, now we always remember. You take your laughs where you can get them when you're on the road for 20 or 30 days in a row at this time of the year. And sometimes more.

So we ate at Legal Seafood the other night after a 12-hour day of writing World Series previews, had a few laughs and shook our heads.

Now, if this World Series stretches through Nov. 1, when Game 7 is scheduled, maybe he and I can get together to celebrate my wife's birthday, too.

Likes: Watching Josh Beckett in October and knowing what you're seeing is just about as good as anybody has ever done it. Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, anyone. ... Aaron Boone -- terrific guy, as we already knew from years of covering him. Make sure to check out our postgame World Series videos. ... Leave it to the Yankees to name their new manager during the World Series, a traditional blackout time for news so nothing will detract from the Fall Classic. But Don Mattingly is expected to be named soon, possibly as early as Friday. ... James Taylor singing the national anthem before Game 2. ... J.P. Licks Homemade Ice Cream on Newberry Street in Boston. You know what's really tasty? The pumpkin ice cream. ... Trident Booksellers & Café, a few doors down. Outstanding magazine selection, in addition to the books.

Dislikes: Nice job by the Baseball Hall of Fame to come up with something to honor the late Buck O'Neal, but it's a little late, isn't it? The Veterans' Committee that failed to vote him should be ashamed of itself, not only for a misguided vote, but for hiding behind closed doors and refusing to talk about the colossal mistake after they made it. Gutless, and not worthy of the Hall's usual high standards.

BOSTON -- Hey, that's not Ubaldo Jimenez taking cover over in the corner of the Colorado clubhouse, is it?

No, no, that was just a joke. But after watching the beating Boston handed Colorado in, uh, welcoming the Rockies into their first World Series, Jimenez sure couldn't be blamed if he were spotted fleeing across the Charles River toward Cambridge right about now.

He's up for Game 2 on Thursday night, and the hard-throwing rookie right-hander will be counted on to even this series for Clint Hurdle's club. And if he doesn't, the Rockies will head back to Denver in a serious hole.

The Red Sox have scored 43 runs over their past four games during a time of the year in which pitching is supposed to dominate. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are flexing their muscles. Dustin Pedroia even slugged the second pitch of Game 1 over the Green Monster in left field.

What, exactly, is a club to tell its pitchers in how to attack a lit stick of dynamite like the Red Sox lineup?

"We just reiterate tomorrow, not just to Ubaldo but to the bullpen, that certain mistakes we have to avoid," Colorado pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. "Against a really good offensive team, you have to trust what you're going to do. You can't fall into the trap of trying to do more than you're capable of doing."

Jimenez, 23, is a flame-throwing rookie from the Dominican Republic who emerged in the season's final six weeks when starters Aaron Cook, Rodrigo Lopez and Jason Hirsh all were injured. His fastball touches 99 mph, and he went 4-4 with a 4.28 ERA during the regular season. In two postseason starts, he has a 1.59 ERA with no decisions.

Of course, like Francis and the rest of the Rockies staff, he'll be facing a different animal Thursday.

In both Curt Schilling and the scorching hot Red Sox lineup.

Jimenez on Schilling, speaking before Game 1: "I know he's one of the best pitchers ever in the history, like one of the best pitchers in the playoffs and the postseason, so I admire him. He has the confidence just to go out there and compete. He's not scared of anybody. I like him."

The right-hander chuckled when asked whether he's looking forward to facing the challenge of Ortiz and Ramirez.

"I mean, I know it has to come, so I just let it come," he said. "I'm not worried about it. I'm just going to go out there and just face everybody like it's the same, just throw strikes and go after them."

BOSTON -- Mystery solved: The Colorado Rockies will begin the World Series with Ryan Spilborghs as their Game 1 designated hitter. Spilborghs will bat ninth, while Matt Holliday (left field), Willy Taveras (center) and Brad Hawpe (right) will line up in the outfield.

Rockies manager Clint Hurdle was mum on the subject when the Rockies worked out Tuesday. Spilborghs started all three games of the division series against Philadelphia in the outfield, though when the Rockies added Taveras to their National League Championship Series roster, Taveras went right into the starting lineup against Arizona. Taveras had been out with a strained right quadriceps, but as soon as he healed, the Rockies wanted to utilize his speed.

Spilborghs appeared in two NLCS games, both as a pinch-hitter. During the regular season, Spilborghs batted .310 as a pinch hitter, and his 11 pinch-RBI ranked fifth in the majors. For the season, Spilborghs hit .299 with 11 homers and 51 RBI in 97 games.

Not quite the .332-35-117 David Ortiz produced as Boston's DH, but that's where things will get interesting for the Red Sox when the series moves to Colorado for Games 3, 4 and 5. Because no DH will be utilized in the NL park, Boston manager Terry Francona has a decision to make over the next few days: Leave Kevin Youklis at first base and Mike Lowell at third in Colorado, and use Ortiz as a pinch-hitter? Play Ortiz at first, Lowell at third and leave Youklis on the bench? Or play Ortiz at first, move Youklis to third and move Lowell to the bench?

"It puts us at a disadvantage," Francona said. "The team that we set up to play 154 of our games, we don't get to send out there."

Part of the decision may rest with how Ortiz's aching knee holds up. If it's hurting him too badly, Francona's answer could become obvious. Part of it will rest with how Hurdle sets up his pitching, too. Right now, the Rockies are unsure whether they'll start right-hander Josh Fogg or lefty Franklin Morales in Game 3. If it's Morales, maybe Ortiz sits then, too, before starting Game 4 against right-hander Aaron Cook.

"Two out of the three will play," Francona said. "And we always say it'll be three out of three. We'll get to that when we know more."

• Game 1 starting lineups for tonight:

Colorado

Willy Taveras, center field
Kazuo Matsui, second base
Matt Holliday, left field
Todd Helton, first base
Garrett Atkins, third base
Brad Hawpe, right field
Troy Tulowitzki, shortstop
Yorvit Torrealba, catcher
Ryan Spilborghs, designated hitter

Boston

Dustin Pedroia, second base
Kevin Youklis, first base
David Ortiz, designated hitter
Manny Ramirez, left field
Mike Lowell, third base
Jason Varitek, catcher
J.D. Drew, right field
Julio Lugo, shortstop
Jacoby Ellsbury, center field

• It has cooled off in Boston today, with the temperature only in the low 60s. Still not bad, but not the 75 degrees it was during the day for most of the ALCS games here with Cleveland. It's expected to dip into the low 50s or high 40s during the game tonight.

Meanwhile, there are gray skies and a few sprinkles, but they pulled the tarp off of the infield around 3:30 p.m. and we're ready to go. Chance of rain during the game tonight, but they're not expecting anything that will stop the game.

Likes: Ed Montague as the plate umpire for Game 1. ... Reclusive Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch tonight. ... Beautiful yellow- and orange-hued leaves now on the trees along the Charles River run today.

Disikes: Another prayer for all those people in Southern California who lost their homes in the wildfires or who are in danger now. And pray for rain, or at least favorable weather conditions so the firefighters can get things under control.

Rock 'n' Roll lyric of the day

"There's a weight that's pressing down
"Late at night you can hear the sound
"Even the noise you make when you sleep
"Can't swim across a river so deep
"They know my name 'cause I told it to them
"But they don't know where
"And they don't know when it's coming"

-- Arcade Fire, Keep the Car Running

BOSTON -- Lining up a Colorado-Boston World Series:

•  Nobody in uniform has more invested in the Colorado Rockies than Todd Helton, who has played in 1,578 regular-season games and, until this season, ranked third on the active list of most games played without appearing in a postseason game.

Now Helton has been in seven postseason games, has yet to lose one, and as the Rockies prepared Tuesday for Boston and Game 1, was very eloquent in discussing his hopes of Colorado's first World Series elevating the stature of the franchise.

"I hope so," said Helton, in his 11th season with the Rockies and pretty much the face of the franchise. "That's one of the things, the sense of people talking about the Colorado Rockies right now, which definitely hasn't been the case in the past. The tradition we're helping to build, not only for the franchise but for the kids in Colorado. They don't have baseball in colleges there. Hopefully, we'll get that going. There's so much to do in Colorado. It's a wonderful state. It's nice to be talking about baseball at this time of year."

•  Rotation talk: The Rockies will line up with lefty Jeff Francis pitching Game 1, rookie Ubaldo Jimenez in Game 2 and the returning Aaron Cook (out with an oblique strain since mid-August) pitching Game 4. Manager Clint Hurdle did not announce his Game 3 starter yet, apparently still thinking about which would be more effective against a Red Sox lineup featuring lefties David Ortiz and J.D. Drew and several switch-hitters, lefty Franklin Morales or right-hander Josh Fogg.

•  After ace Josh Beckett, Boston will go with Curt Schilling in Game 2 and Daisuke Matsuzaka in Game 3. The Game 4 starter is undetermined because the Sox had to leave Tim Wakefield off of the World Series roster because of inflammation in his shoulder. Best bet for Game 4: Jon Lester, who threw a four-inning simulated game on Tuesday. Replacing Wakefield on the roster is reliever Kyle Snyder.

•  The Red Sox sore-kneed outfielder Coco Crisp won't start Game 1. He bruised his left knee when he banged it into the Fenway wall while making an outstanding, game-ending catch in Game 7 of the ALCS the other night. Boston will likely line up with rookie Jacoby Ellsbury in center field and J.D. Drew in right for the opener.

•  The Rockies added starting pitcher Aaron Cook to their World Series roster in place of Taylor Buchholz.

•  How the Rockies handle their nine-day layoff -- eight full days without a game -- undoubtedly will play a pivotal role in this World Series. To that end, pitching coach Bob Apodaca said some members of the Rockies front office spoke with some in the Detroit Tigers' organization since the Tigers had a week off before playing St. Louis last fall. Apodaca also said general manager Dan O'Dowd spoke with some of his old Cleveland connections about how the '95 and '97 Indians handled breaks while advancing to the World Series (O'Dowd was an assistant GM to John Hart then). Apodaca also spoke with a couple of ex-pitching coaches he admires, Mark Wiley (now a scout for the Rockies) and Marcel Lachemann.

Apodaca said they played intrasquad games on Friday, Saturday and Monday based on having the starting pitchers throw on their regular days (e.g., Francis threw Friday's intrasquad game so he would be on regular four days' rest for Game 1 of the World Series) and on which kind of work schedule the relievers preferred.

•  Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon on whether he's joining the Riverdance tour anytime soon: "I didn't know they had one." So where, then, did he learn the funky dance moves he's exhibited on the Fenway infield after the Red Sox clinched this year? "The voices inside my head."

Likes: A team's first appearance in the World Series. The Rockies were like kids running around Fenway Park on Tuesday. ... Jason Varitek's steadiness. ... Dustin Pedroia's spunk. ... Jonathan Papelbon's goofiness. ... Clint Hurdle's looseness. ... Mel Stottlemyre as Seattle's new pitching coach. ... The Thai joint, Chilli Duck, that fed me a quick dinner between World Series preview stories on Monday night. ... Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream, with graham cracker swirls, at Ben & Jerry's.

Disikes: Pray for all those people in Southern California who lost their homes in the wildfires or who are in danger now. And pray for rain, or at least favorable weather conditions so the firemen can get things under control.

Rock 'n' Roll lyric of the day:

"You take it on faith
"You take it to the heart
"The waiting is the hardest part"

-- Tom Petty, The Waiting

BOSTON -- While everyone from Boston to Cleveland an in-between was preparing to spend the next 24 hours psychoanalyzing Red Sox Game 7 starter and multimillion dollar investment Daisuke Matsuzaka, what about little ol' Cleveland starter Jake Westbrook?

For all of the snazzy numbers rang up this season by Cleveland aces C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, it's starters Westbrook and Paul Byrd who have come up aces for the Indians in this American League Championship Series.

And so it is that, as the rotation falls, Indians manager Eric Wedge will hand the ball Sunday evening to Westbrook, who went 6-9 with a 4.32 ERA in 25 starts this season but limited Boston to two runs in 6 2/3 innings during Cleveland's 4-2 Game 3 victory.

"They have a very good lineup and it's going to be a challenge for us," Westbrook said late Saturday following his club's 12-2 Game 6 loss. "I think, for me, it's just a matter of having a good game plan, sticking with it, making some good pitches when I need to make them and do the best thing I can do, which is to try to keep them off balance.

"Hopefully, I can do that."

Strike one was his friend on Monday night in Cleveland. Westbrook was tremendous at getting ahead 0-and-1 in the count, which helped keep the Boston hitters off balance.

"We've got a lot of faith in Jake if he throws the way he did the other night," Cleveland third baseman Casey Blake said. "This series isn't over."

The Indians like him well enough that they signed him to a three-year, $33 million extension in April. He's not flashy -- he throws his fastball roughly 75 percent of the time. Westbrook's key is in the way he varies his fastball. He throws a four-seamer, a two-seamer that sinks and a cut fastaball.

"We're just looking for him to go out there and give us a chance to win the ballgame," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. "Jake has pitched some big games for us, and he's aggressive.

"He knows what he needs to do to be successful. We need him to go out there and pitch his game and give us a chance to win."

The Red Sox are extremely patient, and that's part of what doomed Carmona and Sabathia. By throwing strike one regularly the other night, Westbrook was able to take the Sox out of their game.

"It's a complete lineup," he said. "They've got a veteran ballclub and very patient hitters, and they make you work. That's my job, to kind of mix it up and do the best I can. It's going to be a challenge, and definitely a lot of emotions.

"But I'm excited about the opportunity to be the guy on the mound."

Typical of Game 7s, you can expect most everybody on the Indians staff to be available. And that includes Sabathia, who threw 109 pitches in Game 5 on Thursday. Sabathia said late Saturday that he felt strong enough to work an inning or two Sunday and that, if asked, he would be available.

BOSTON -- Pitching inside on the American League Championship Series travel day before Game 6 on Saturday night:

• Coco Crisp is 0-for-his-last-12, failed to get a bunt down in Game 5 and is looking generally miserable at the plate. Look for Jacoby Ellsbury to replace him against Cleveland's Fausto Carmona in Game 6. Red Sox manager Terry Francona wouldn't commit to a Game 6 lineup, but he did agree with the general thinking that Crisp looked crisped.

"He's really having a tough time. I agree," Francona said. "Even trying to get the bunt down, you could see him trying to maybe be too fine, do too much. He's gotten himself into some things mechanically where he's not been able to make some adjustments. Any time the ball is moving -- and this is with any hitter -- any time the ball is moving and the hitter is moving, it's tough to make the adjustments."

• Cleveland's answer to Crisp: Designated hitter Travis Hafner. He's having a miserable time, going 0-for-11 with seven whiffs and grounding into a double play during Games 3, 4 and 5. But don't expect a lineup change there -- Indians manager Eric Wedge says forget it.

"We wouldn't tinker with that right now," Wedge says. "I mean, Haf has had a couple of tough games. I've got a lot of confidence in him. I think what we need him to do is just to maybe simplify things a little bit. ... He's a great hitter. He's stepped up for us time and time again. There have been times this year I know that he's been disappointed with his performance, but everybody has to remember, when it comes to the postseason ... everything prior to today doesn't mean anything."

Hafner slammed 24 homers and collected 100 RBI this season, and even those numbers were down from 2006, when he went 42 and 117.

• Know who's petrified of starting Game 6 Saturday night in the Fens? Curt Schilling, that's who. Seriously -- at least, to hear him tell it.

"There's always fear," Schilling said. "I mean, I'm scared to death to go out and fail tomorrow. I'm terrified of letting my teammates down and the fan base down and this organization down because they're counting on me to survive and to get past another day. I'm scared to death to not do well tomorrow. But I'm also very cognizant of the fact that that fear is something that has always driven me and always pushed me."

• Five games and one two off days into this ALCS, neither the Red Sox nor the Indians worked out at Fenway Park on Friday. Some of the Red Sox came in for light workouts or treatment, but there was nothing formal.

• Francona was 20 minutes late to his news conference because he wanted to watch Joe Torre's press conference -- or, at least, part of it -- when it came on television.

Francona's reaction after watching Torre's explanation, admitting at one point that he thought the Yankees' offer was insulting?

"It's almost like the Bronx is burning," Francona said. "You're watching something unfold that's just unbelievable. ... I hope Joe is very content and happy moving forward because I feel like he was, in this game, organizations not only have the right, but they have the responsibility to do whatever they want with their teams. That's the way it goes.

"But to do it very publicly, which Joe had to endure, I think was difficult. I'm sure it was difficult, and I feel for him."

• Delightfully warm -- and even a bit humid -- day in Boston on Friday until the rain started falling heavily in the late afternoon. Forecasts call for the mid-70s and a chance of rain on Saturday.

Likes: Total class news conference from Joe Torre on Friday, and I especially liked that he made his points -- one of which was that he found the Yankees offer insulting -- and did so with grace rather than simply talking around things. One final example of Torre's genius at the communicating skills it takes to succeed in New York. And of why he will be so difficult to replace. ... Trey Hillman getting a chance to manage in the bigs, with Kansas City. He's been over in Japan, and he was nearly hired here a couple of times last winter. He should be solid for what the Royals need, a smart baseball man who can develop young kids quickly. ... Starting pitchers departing a day or two early and flying home to be rested for their next postseason start. Curt Schilling watched Josh Beckett's masterpiece in Cleveland from the comfort of his own home in suburban Boston. So now let's see if it works. ... A new Nick Hornby book, Slam. Even though it's aimed at teenagers. I'll still read it -- Hornby is terrific. And if you've seen the movies About a Boy, High Fidelity and Fever Pitch but haven't read the books, you're already aware of his work. And the books are tremendous.

Dislikes: Twenty minutes of sleep between working late and catching a crack-of-dawn flight as the ALCS changes cities. ... The extra days dragging these playoffs out. ... Departing the hotel before USA Today has even been delivered. Ouch.

Rock 'n' Roll Lyric of the Day

"People all over the world
"Join in
"Start a love train, love train
"All of you brothers over in Africa
"Tell all the folks in Egypt and Israel, too
"Please don't miss this train at the station
"'Cause if you miss it, I feel sorry, sorry for you"

-- The O'Jays, Love Train

CLEVELAND -- Outstanding bit of gamesmanship on the part of the Cleveland Indians for Game 5 of the American League Championship Series here Thursday night.

Except, the Indians swear it isn't gamesmanship.

They promise that they know nothing.

In a nutshell: The national anthem singer was Danielle Peck, an up-and-coming country music singer from Ohio who is purportedly a big Indians fan.

She might be their biggest fan in the country for Game 5: She once dated Boston starter Josh Beckett.

Don't know whether it was a friendly split or an ugly breakup, but this is almost as good as former University of Iowa football coach Hayden Fry painting the visitors' locker room pink to mess with the minds of opponents.

"I wish we were that smart," said Bob DiBiasio, Indians vice president for public relations.

According to DiBiasio, here's the true story of how it went down: Another country singer, Taylor Swift, was supposed to sing at Game 5 but her people notified the Indians late, on Monday, of a scheduling conflict.

"So we said to her management, 'OK, find us somebody else with Ohio ties', and they said, 'We have the perfect girl,'" DiBiasio said.

Peck is from a rural Ohio town named Coshocton, which is about two hours from Cleveland.

DiBiasio said he knew nothing about the Peck-Beckett relationship until a local reporter phoned to ask about it on Wednesday evening.

"How would we know?" he asked. "My God, I can't keep up with some of our own single men. How am I supposed to know about the other team's?"

DiBiasio joked that it was just the latest in a line of clever Indians postseason strategy schemes.

"It's another bug thing," he said, chuckling. "We try to pull out all the stops."

Speaking of which ... will those midges, which bothered the Yankees so much, make a return appearance to Jacobs Field this postseason?

"If we need 'em," DiBiasio quipped.

Oh, by the way: Peck also was slated to sing God Bless America during the seventh-inning stretch.

Wonder whether Beckett will still be on the field by then.

Likes: Emerging breakout stars like Cleveland's Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and C.C. Sabathia and Colorado's Matt Holliday and Troy Tulowitzki when off-the-beaten-track teams play in October. ... Walked through the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame on Thursday for the first time in 10 or so years. Among the favorite parts: a handful of John Lennon's old report cards, handwritten Grateful Dead lyrics to Uncle John's Band, handwritten Aerosmith lyrics to Walk This Way, handwritten Beach Boys lyrics to Be True to Your School, the George Clinton and Bootsy Collins outfits, a Bob Seger guitar and some U2 stuff. ... Also loved the video collection of past Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, particularly Jeff Beck at the podium saying, "People say Rod Stewart and I have a love-hate relationship. It's true. He loves me, and I hate him." ... Hey, hey, we're ducking the rain so far. The forecast called for thunderstorms all day Thursday, but it was humid and mostly dry. Latest forecast is no rain until about 3 a.m., and then it's supposed to rain hard all morning Friday in Cleveland.

Dislikes: Another Yankees move overshadowing what's going on in the rest of the baseball world. Boston's Terry Francona fielded two questions about the departure of Joe Torre before finally saying that, uh, you know, he had a fairly important game himself to prepare for and maybe everybody could cease and desist asking about the Yanks. Fair enough. ... 8:30 p.m. ET starts. You wait ... and wait ... and wait ... seems forever until game time.

Rock 'n' Roll Lyric of the Day

"Well the first days are the hardest days
"Don't you worry any more
"'Cause when life looks like easy street
"There is danger at your door
"Think this through with me
"Let me know your mind
"Oh, oh, what I want to know
"Is are you kind?"

-- Grateful Dead, Uncle John's Band

That Manny Ramirez. He has the darndest effect on people.

He's been celebrating his home runs more than Billy "White Shoes" Johnson used to celebrate punt returns for touchdowns during his days with the old Houston Oilers, and you would think it would be about time for someone to plunk him.

Especially given the way he strutted following his monstrous 451-foot homer against the Indians in Game 4 on Thursday night.

And yet?

Well, here was Ryan Garko's reaction a day later when I asked him whether Manny had broken into his home run trot by the time he reached Garko at first or whether Manny was still walking: "He started to run a little bit. That cracked me up. It doesn't bother me. It's just Manny. You hit a ball that far, you can do whatever you want.

"I like Manny. I love watching him hit. I liked it. We're just happy it was a solo shot instead of one with guys on."

It's like Ramirez is everybody's favorite house pet. Everybody loves to pet him, and if he makes a mess, oh well.

"That's Manny being Manny," Indians reliever Thomas Mastny said. "He's earned some respect. He's been in the league a long time. ... It wasn't a game-changing homer. If he wants to celebrate like that ..."

Added Garko: "I honestly didn't think it was a big deal. It was a pretty awesome (home run). It's cool. What are you going to do? It's just Manny being Manny. Even in the dugout, nobody said anything. We just laughed. If you don't want a guy to celebrate, don't let him hit a home run.

"There's very little Manny could do to fire you up or make you mad. I think when he comes back here (to Cleveland) he loves to put on a show."

Likes: 72 degrees and sunny Wednesday in Cleveland. A beautiful October day to play baseball.

Dislikes: Thursday's forecast for Game 5: Thundershowers. Thank goodness we had that off day, when both the Indians and Red Sox worked out, anyway.

Rock 'n' Roll Lyric of the Day

"A self-ordained professor's tongue
"Too serious to fool
"Spouted out that liberty
"Is just equality in school
"'Equality' I spoke the word
"As if a wedding vow
"Ah, but I was so much older then
"I'm younger than that now"

-- Bob Dylan, My Back Pages

The Tim Wakefield/Josh Beckett debate regarding Game 4 for Boston wasn't just short term. Long term, given the way the Red Sox rotation sets up, Daisuke Matsuzaka would be in line to start Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against Cleveland, and that is a scenario now nearly impossible to imagine.

Daisuke has gotten shelled in each of his two playoff appearances (seven earned runs and 13 hits in 9 1/3 innings for a 6.75 ERA) and took Monday's Game 3 loss so hard that he sat in front of his locker, visibly upset, for 63 minutes before speaking with reporters. When he finally did speak, it was only a statement given to his interpreter that said, in effect, you all saw it, I gave up too many hits, I wanted to hand it over to Wakefield in a good way.

It's one thing to take a loss hard, but Matsuzaka behaved as if his world was collapsing around him. Granted, there is a cultural difference and there was the question of letting down the entire country of Japan. But the Japanese journalists here covering him mostly were beside themselves with what the large media group perceived as Matsuzaka's rudeness in making reporters wait so long. Plus, a couple even went so far as to apologize to their American counterparts.

Question I have is, is this the temperament of a man even emotionally capable of standing up in a Game 7 situation right now?

Someone asked Boston manager Terry Francona whether Matsuzaka was strong enough emotionally to bounce back from two playoff defeats, and this was the reply: "I think he's one of the strongest guys mentally I've ever seen. Again, 10 minutes after a game, how a guy reacts won't have anything to do with five days later with time to process things and learn from our mistakes and get back on the right track."

The Red Sox noticed Daisuke's reaction -- it was impossible not to. But reliever Mike Timlin said Tuesday that they will rally around the right-hander and make sure he's up to whatever he's asked to do next.

"We're not worried about him," Timlin said. "We'll handle it when we need to handle it. This is a 30-man family. When one guy falls down, we all pick him up. That's the way it's been. That's the way it is now."

As Timlin said, "He's not a foreigner to pressure situations and playoff situations. If he's maybe trying to do too much with his thought process instead of letting his talent get him through it ... he's going to be fine."

Bucs eying BoSox pitching coach

While former major league infielder Torey Lovullo, who managed Triple-A Buffalo last season, has emerged as a candidate to manage the Pittsburgh Pirates, there is one other man who is currently tied up in this ALCS who is expected to be considered by new Pirates general manager Neal Huntington.

Boston pitching coach John Farrell.

Farrell is widely admired in the game, and he and Huntington developed a relationship when each was in the Cleveland organization in recent years as assistants to Indians GM Mark Shapiro. Farrell was Cleveland's director of player development from 2001-2006.

The Pirates are keeping their managerial search top secret and Farrell declined to comment on the possibility of him replacing Jim Tracy.

Speaking in generalities, Shapiro said that Farrell has the tools to do whatever he wants in this game.

"I see him as a potential impact manager, I see him as a potential impact general manager ... he's one of those rare guys in the game where there's no limit to his role, no limitations to how well he can do a job," Shapiro said. "He has a limitless skill set. He's an extremely hard worker. He's extremely intelligent.

"John's potential really has no limits in my mind. It's just a question of which direction he chooses to go."

In his first season as pitching coach, Boston's staff compiled an AL-leading 3.87 ERA, second-highest in the majors to San Diego (3.68).

Likes: The buzz in Cleveland. So many people are walking around downtown this week dressed in Indians gear. Men, women, businessmen, businesswomen, children. Cleveland remains a great sports town, and a terrific baseball city. ... The debate over whether Tim Wakefield or Josh Beckett should have started Game 4 for Boston. ... Todd Helton, who ranked third among active players in most games played without ever having played in the playoffs when this season started, now advancing to the World Series. ... Running along the lakefront in perfect 60-some degree temperatures. Always did enjoy that run in Cleveland, heading from downtown three blocks or so toward Lake Erie, hanging a right at the Cleveland Browns football stadium, cruising by the science museum and the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and continuing onward. ... The Game 3 sign one of the Jacobs Field fans was holding up: "LeBron: Yanks lose, Wear a Red Sox Hat Please". ... The red beans and rice with grilled sausage at Fat Fish Blue, a Cajun-style restaurant in downtown Cleveland.

Dislikes: Can tell I'm back in the Midwest because of the people hanging around outside of office buildings smoking. ... The Johnny Cash tour bus parked outside the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame -- closed for the season.

Rock 'n' Roll Lyric of the Day

"Imagine no possessions
"I wonder if you can
"No need for greed or hunger
"A brotherhood of man
"Imagine all the people
"Sharing all the world"

-- John Lennon, Imagine

Most likely, Dusty Baker doesn't know something you don't. He did not agree to a three-year deal believed to be worth between $11 million and $12 million to manage in Cincinnati because he thinks the Reds are ready to win now.

No, Baker has a burning desire to manage again, to not let his career end on that 66-96 downer he and last year's Cubs produced, and the simple fact is that after sitting out a year, there really aren't any ready-made situations whereby a skipper can move in and win immediately.

Cincinnati owner Bob Castellini has been wooing Baker for weeks. The Reds remain far from perfect, what with a dearth of pitching, the Ken Griffey Jr. problem (he's an older, injury-prone player past his prime that they really can't shed) and a middle-of-the-order slugger in Adam Dunn who strikes out way too often and is a defensive liability.

Baker, of course, has plenty of experience in managing superstars in various stages of decline -- Barry Bonds in San Francisco, Sammy Sosa with the Cubs -- and knows the National League extremely well. The players still love him, he still has that energy at 58, and one of the hard truths in the game is that the longer you stay away, the easier it is for clubs to forget about you.

Baker did not want to be forgotten, so he surveyed the landscape and made the best of it.

Seattle would have been a a solid fit, but the Mariners made interim John McLaren their full-time skipper.

There still might be an opening with the Yankees that could come as early as this week, but if Joe Torre is axed, Steinbrenner family favorite Don Mattingly, currently Torre's bench coach, is expected to get that job. Or perhaps former Marlins manager and current Yankees broadcaster Joe Girardi.

The St. Louis situation could be fluid depending on Tony La Russa's decision, but hiring a manager who flamed out with the hated Cubs would be a hard sell in that town.

A couple of other updates on the managerial grapevine:

• Former utility infielder Torey Lovullo, who managed Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo this season, is a leading candidate to get Pittsburgh's vacant managerial job. One key tie: New Pirates general manager Neal Huntington was a special assistant to Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro before taking the Pittsburgh job a couple of weeks ago and thinks highly of Lovullo, who has managed in the Clevleand farm system for the past six seasons.

• Don't be surprised if Kansas City hires Jimy Williams, who formerly managed Houston, Boston and Toronto. Philadelphia is bringing back all of its coaches, but Williams hasn't yet accepted -- leading to the belief that he has another good offer elsewhere. His strength is in working with young players, and the Royals have plenty. Former Oakland manager Ken Macha also is a candidate.

• Both Cleveland and Boston were bleary-eyed after rolling into town at daybreak Sunday following Saturday night's wild 11-inning game that didn't end until 1:37 a.m. "That was one of the funnest games I've ever been a part of until the very end, and then it rapidly became a whole lot not of fun," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "We lost in kind of an ugly fashion at the end. Up to that point, like I kind of said last night ... it was one of the funnest, most competitive games I've ever been a part of."

• The bugs were a big topic of conversation during Sunday's off day workouts at the stadium, but kind of for no apparent reason. The temperatures are nowhere near bug-inducing -- it's supposed to be in the 50s and 60s, too chilly for the midges that took over Jacobs Field during the divisional series against the Yankees. Still, Boston pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka said he brought bug spray, just in case. And Francona quipped, when asked whether he's experienced anything like that in his career, "Anytime there's been bugs on my body, I'm not sure I felt real comfortable talking about it."

More than two months after acquiring the 2003 NL Cy Young award winner, the Boston Red Sox are still trying to figure out what to do with him.

If you watched Game 1 of this ALCS, you saw Eric Gagne being used in a 10-3 mop-up situation, pitching to Cleveland in the ninth inning of a blowout.

And you also saw him stumble through that.

Gagne's ninth inning: After fanning pinch-hitter Chris Gomez, he surrendered a base hit to Jhonny Peralta. Then a double to Kenny Lofton. After another strikeout, he walked Casey Blake. Finally, with two on, he fanned Grady Sizemore to end the game.

It wasn't as if he melted down and allowed Cleveland back in the game. But he was enough on the verge that the Red Sox had closer Jonathan Papelbon warming in the ninth on a night he should have been able to rest.

"He's working to find some consistency," Boston general manager Theo Epstein said of Gagne. "He hasn't hurt us. It's never too late to find a groove to make a contribution in postseason. Gagne is struggling like Derek Lowe did in '04.

The man who once converted a record 84 consecutive save opportunities from 2002 through 2004 as the Dodgers closer has been adjusting to two new things at once in Boston: He's never really struggled as a reliever, and he's never been a set-up man. Always a closer.

"He's worked hard," Epstein said. "He hasn't shrunk from his responsibility. I think it's just a series of adjustments -- from the ninth inning to the eighth, from closer to what he's doing now.

"It took us awhile to get to know him, too. What situations to put him into, his relationship with his catchers. And if you ask him, he'd take all of the responsibility on himself."

It's a fine line, working a guy into a role without diminishing returns for anybody else. Regarding Papelbon heating up in Game 1, Epstein said he wasn't concerned because Papelbon didn't reach the point where he was "hot" warming up -- throwing hard.

"It's obvious that Tito (manager Terry Francona) is trying to find him spots with the game on the line to get him back in a good rhythm," Epstein said. "I think he can help the club."

Mostly, it's looked doubtful so far. Gagne was 2-2 with a bulging 6.75 ERA in 20 regular season games for the Red Sox. In the Divisional Series against the Angels, he allowed one earned run in one inning of work.

"When he went to using all his pitches, he was very effective, and when he got away and started staying hard, he ran into a little bit of trouble," Francona said. "So the good news is we had a lead and he got some swing and misses. The other side of it was that he got away from that a little bit, and it caused us to get in a situation where there were men on base."

Gagne has been in those situations more often than not since coming to Boston. So far, it hasn't hurt them too badly.

Francona's job is to make sure it stays that way.

Likes: The Kenny Lofton DHL commercial. Very entertaining. ... Watching the Arizona-Colorado Game 2 until 3 a.m. EDT Saturday morning. I know, I know, ridiculously late, but when you get back to the hotel at 1 a.m. and you can catch a game, that's still pretty good. And the time slot was convenient for Diamondbacks and Rockies fans. ... Smoke blowing through the air throughout Fenway Park in the three hours up till game time from the sausages and peppers on the grills. ... James Taylor on the field before the game. ... St. Mary Catholic Central High (Monroe, Mich.) 28, Riverview 6. Phew, back in the W column.

Dislikes: Stephen Drew wandering off of second base and getting tagged out in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the NLCS Friday night. This is baseball at its highest level? ... Danny Vinik, son of Boston limited partner Jeffrey, throwing the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 of this ALCS. For all of their history and tradition, this is the best the Red Sox could do? Vinik is the 17-year-old kid who snatched the foul pop away from Angels catcher Jeff Mathis during the Divisional Series. It wasn't a bad play -- Mathis was going into the stands to get the ball, so it was fair game -- but good Lord, let's just take it for what it is and move on. Let's not glorify a fan for involving himself in a baseball game, which very well could encourage others to interfere with play.

Rock 'n' Roll Lyric of the Day

"I am no better and neither are you
"We're all the same whatever we do
"You love me, you hate me
"You know me and then
"Still can't figure out the bag I'm in"

-- Sly and the Family Stone, Everyday People

Didn't have time yesterday to get to Atlanta losing a general manager and gaining a president, but John Schuerholz's ascension should not go unnoticed, even if it is during the playoffs and the Braves are absent for only the second time since 1991.

Schuerholz guided the Braves for 17 seasons, building the rosters that produced an incredible 14 division titles. He was a brilliant general manager, surely will be a brilliant club president and definitely leaves large footprints for new GM Frank Wren to fill.

There are many reasons why Schuerholz came to be viewed by his peers as the game's quintessential GM. He was whip smart in the job, always prepared, had a tremendous feel for players, came to work each day with a plan and changed with the times.

Incidentally, I don't think that last part is unimportant. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Schuerholz, to me, was the fact that at 67, he seemed more energetic and more open-minded each season. I was doing a story last spring on some of the new technology that has changed the game -- things like clubs downloading video onto iPods for hitters, computers, e-mail -- and Schuerholz was really interested in and reall