Sports Redux: Rainy Day Road Trip

With a miserable rain forcing the postponement of last night's Sox-Tigers game, our thoughts turn to geography. Yes, they really do. Specifically, to a subject we've been noticing a lot lately: the fact that the Red Sox seem to attract a large number of players whose last names are also the names of towns in our fair Commonwealth. So let's hit the road and take a tour of Massachusetts, Red Sox-style.

Close to Boston, we remember Fred Lynn, the slick centerfielder of the Seventies. There's also Tim Wakefield and Mike Lowell on the current team, and Carl Everett, who we remember all too well. South of Boston, there's Jeff Plympton (who had a cup of coffee with the team in 1991).

In Central Massachusetts, who can forget Joe Hudson, a sometime mid-90s reliever? Going farther back, we meet Lou Clinton, the starting center fielder in '62 and '63, Tom Bolton, a sometime late-80s reliever, and Chick Maynard, who played shortstop very sporadically in 1922. Farther west, there's Ray Webster (he of 3 at-bats in 1960), Mike Paxton (who started 12 games in 1977), Wes Gardner (a serviceable reliever in the 80s) and Jack Russell (who pitched in the Depression and also invented the terrier).

There's a little more Sox action out in the Berkshires. Of course, no one really remembers much about Al Worthington (who pitched eleven innings in 1960) or Garry Hancock (utility man of the early 80s). Or even Bob Montgomery, who backed up Carlton Fisk in the Seventies. But we have current favorite Josh Beckett, who's been so awesome this year that we'll forgive him the extra "T", and Bill Lee, the loveable goofball iconoclastic lefty. And we like to believe that Williamstown was named after the Splendid Splinter himself.

But back to current events. Last night's rainout will be made up at 12:35, then they'll play again at 7:05. On the injury front, J.D. Drew is day-to-day after his collision with the right-field wall on Tuesday. Beckett threw a little yesterday, but will not pitch against Atlanta this weekend; Kyle Snyder might get the start, or maybe PawSox Kason Gabbard or Devern Hansack. Bob Ryan and Tony Massarotti wow us with the news that injuries and setbacks are part of baseball. Shaughnessy is probably waiting for a 3-game losing streak before he jumps on the pigpile.

"Stayin' Alive" was the theme song of last night's playoff action; the Sabres finally showed some life in a win, but still trail Ottawa 3-1. And the Nets extended their series with Cleveland. The Suns, shorthanded victims of that Robert Horry cheap shot and a sternly (pun intended) inflexible NBA rule, blew a sizeable lead and trail San Antonio 3-2. And it's a shame.

Thanks to Baseball-Reference.com for letting us do the exhaustive research.