Free Republic

Here in Rhode Island, where I was brought up and still spend my summers, it’s not so much Democrats vs. Republicans or haves and have-nots. Rhode Islanders are divided pretty evenly between whether you are a Red Sox fan or a Yankee fan. For Red Sox fans, this past weekend has been an unmitigated disaster, as the Yankees, mostly recovered from debilitating injuries, faced an obviously dispirited Red Sox team with its team captain and on-field leader on the bench, injured. Two hapless catchers, Lopez and Mirabelli, have been trying to spell the irreplaceable and scrappy Jason Varitek, but have...

Francona in hospital for testsWon't manage Wednesday's game against Yankees By Ian Browne / MLB.com 04/06/2005 11:11 AM ET NEW YORK -- Red Sox manager Terry Francona was taken to a hospital Wednesday morning after experiencing stiffness in his chest. The 45-year-old Francona, who will not manage Wednesday's game against the Yankees, was at Yankee Stadium doing his normal pre-game routine, including fulfilling media obligations, when he felt discomfort. He was taken by ambulance to New York Weill-Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan. "He experienced some chest stiffness earlier this morning," Boston general manager Theo Epstein said. "The best course of...

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Terry Francona was in a car accident yesterday, which you know if you happened to be listening to his appearance on WEEI. While on the radio via cellphone, the Red Sox manager was rear-ended. He was not injured, he said. ADVERTISEMENT "I could see him coming," Francona said later in the day. "I was in a turn lane, and I could hear [tires] squealing. I braced. He hit me pretty hard. "It's just a pain in the neck, not literally. I just have to get it fixed. The back rear passenger-side lights are all broken. Some...