Regardless of your political affiliation, get out and vote today if you are in one of the states holding their primary. If you want to come here and scream bloody murder about politics or opinions on politics at least bring the credibility of having voted with you.

FYI I cast my vote for one John McCain at 7am this morning and was happy to see quite a few people at the polls.

For anyone that just is not sure who to vote for, I urge you to get a chance in the coming months to at least hear Senator McCain speak. If you cannot back him after hearing him speak that’s cool, but I’d ask to at least give him that much.

Anyone that can rile up members of both parties in some ways tells me that’s a good thing. While he’s considered a Republican in many cases, he’s not a dyed in the wool politician, which I love.

Mistakes? Yep. Missteps? Yep. Passion? Check. Common Sense? Check. Integrity? Double check. Ability to cross party lines to get things done? I believe he’s the ONLY one in this election capable of doing that and beyond all things that’s what I want from our next President. Someone with the ability to get things done regardless of personal agenda or party affiliation.

If you are a McCain supporter check out this piece, if you are undecided check it out as well

So every all star game each player is given one of their home jerseys to autograph for a charity auction for the MLBPA.

Each year you autograph that jersey and afterwards they collect them and auction them off.

The year in question, Sean gets his jersey, and somehow he is out a jersey or two and ends up autographing the only jersey he has left.

Now he realizes that not only does he not have the jersey for the auction, but he’s autographed the jersey he has to play the all star game in…..

He tells the story and it generates a huge laugh, and I then comment that since he autographed it, he should take a black sharpee into the field with him when he plays, and have each player that gets to first base autograph his shirt as well.

He actually TOOK the black sharpee in his pocket, onto the field with him. I am not sure who he told, but I know he told more than one player about it, and it was hilarious to watch guys at first base start cracking up as he told them the story.

So in the end he got the better of everyone because he had players autographing his jersey while they were standing on first base.

Good stuff and again, this guy is one in a million. Nicest guy you’d ever want to meet and a hell of a player. He’ll be a great addition on and off the field here.

I heard yesterday that we signed Sean Casey. To have someone of his talent come here as a potential platoon player and role filler is huge.

I’ve known Sean and competed against him for a long time. I think he’s gotten the best of me more than I on him.

I have never had him as a teamate until now but I can assure you this guy is pretty much one of the classiest and most respected players in all of baseball.

In addition to being as likable as anyone I’ve ever met, I’ve never heard anyone have anything to say other than what a fantastic teammate and person he and his wife are.

This is a huge piece, even though it might not appear so on the surface. Theo continues to show extraordinary ability to bring players here that most likely could play everyday somewhere else to fill vital and important roles on this club.

All in all a huge signing as much off the field and in the clubhouse, if not more so, than on the field.

Welcome to Sox Nation Sean!

P.S. Remind me to blog about the All Star story I have on Sean when I get a chance, incredibly funny and great insight into why he’s such a funny and great guy.

Here, with his permission, is an email from Holly Youngs father. While I would prefer to cut and paste portions of this email, out of respect to her dad I have posted his email in its entirety.

Not sure how many of you here have been following along since the blog began back in Spring Training.

If you have, and you remember the beautiful young woman who visited us from Dana Farber, you’ll remember I posted a picture of her and I.

Holly Young was her name, and she passed away last night at the tender age of 22.

One of those people you meet that no matter how beautiful they look on the outside you get a glimpse of the inner strength and fortitude, and it blows you away.

Her parents are asking that in lieu of other memorials, her friends consider donations to:

Solid Tumor Research, Jimmy Fund Clinic, 44 Binney St. , Boston MA 02115, 

or to

Holly Young Volleyball Scholarship Fund, c/o Guidance Dept, DY Regional High School, 210 Station Ave, S. Yarmouth MA 02664.

The members of the Red Sox send our deepest sympathies and condolences to the Young family.

God Bless you and yours in this horrible time, may the Lord give you the strength you need and the wisdom you seek.

Shonda’s charity, the Shade Foundation (www.shadefoundation.org) is looking for people to run the Boston Marathon and raise money for SHADE. Runners must raise $3,500 or more to qualify. You can find all relevant information at the website and thanks in advance to anyone taking up the fight for such a worthy cause.

If you are a McCain fan the last few days had to be good ones. Learning from missteps in the past I think the Senator just went to S.C., spoke to the people, they heard him and I think got what I got, and he won.

As I stated earlier, please, if you do care about the upcoming election, if you are not dead set on who you are voting for, if this matters and you have a chance, just hear Senator McCain speak. He may not give you the answer you are looking for, he may not be in agreement with you on a stance or an issue, but the man is honest to a fault, to a fault. And for all the “Anti-War” folks who feel the need to rant and rave and call the Senator a “war monger” I’d tell you to do it in a forum with other suck ups or liars, not here. I know this man very well, “War Mongering” is not anywhere near this man as a character trait.

I’d argue that he’s pretty much got the experience and life lessons to be the exact opposite. If anyone on this planet would be against war you’d have to guess it would be Senator McCain. Too many people are ignorant or just refuse to take an objective look at what he means and says. He’s not pro-war, he’s pro-American. The difference to me is that he’s one of the FEW politicians that absolutely knows ANYONE promising an immediate withdrawal of our armed forces is either

A) A liar trying to get elected to public office

B) Horribly callous, irresponsible and ignorant to the lives of the men and women serving in the armed forces.

I have stated many times before in this blog I want our men and woman to come home, but not until the people in charge of the military forces believe there is enough stability in the Middle east for us to leave and not have to come back. Do you not honestly believe that every time some wing nut like Nancy Pelosi spews about the past mistakes of the Bush administration, the horrific lies told to us at the start of the war about our intents and purpose, there aren’t tens of thousands, if not millions, of hard core fanatical extremists saying “Just a little longer, if we can hang on just a little longer the Americans will leave, and we’ll turn this country back into what we need it to be to allow us to thrive once again”.

I cannot be the only person that thinks this way? I don’t want the war to last one day more, not one, but can you honestly say that we need to elect someone to office who has a middle east withdrawal as a major piece of their election agenda? I can’t. Right or wrong I can’t.

I don’t have all the answers, neither does Senator McCain, and he’ll tell you as much, but neither does Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Obama (the other person of unparalleled character in this upcoming election imo) and neither does anyone else running for the next Presidency.

Anyone wanting to toss out character issues or past mistakes that have to do with Senator McCain please don’t do so blindly, because I promise you your candidate has as much, likely more, dirty laundry than he has or ever will.

But like all other political posts here, the message at the end of the day is vote, if you care enough to bitch and moan about my endorsement of Senator McCain you better not piss away your chance to vote and have your voice be heard. That’s the thing at the end of every day that will and always has separated us from so many countries in this world, for better and for worse. You can write, and I can write, and we can talk and argue about these topics with passion and care, and then we can go home. No one in our families will be jailed for us voicing political opinions, or arguing them, no one gets lynched, shot or raped, or murdered.

The free people in the Middle East deserve the very same rights and opportunities. Hell every person on this planet is born with that right, what human has the authority to take that away?

I received this email from a friend and given the fact that I am now 41, it resonated with me. Thought I’d share it and hopefully someone out there putting this off might think twice.

My name is Adam.  I’ve been diagnosed with PROSTATE CANCER at the age of 45.

Let me give you some background.  There is NO Cancer in my family.  I had absolutely no symptoms. 

 In May of 2007 after some blood work from my annual physical exam a red flag occurred. MY PSA jumped from 1.0 to 3.5 over a 2 year period.  PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) is a test that screens your levels of protein in the prostate gland to see if there is danger of cancer. The rise in my PSA led me to see an Urologist who had my prostate gland biopsy.  It was this test that showed I had a very aggressive cancer (Gleason 9) growing inside me. The Gleason score is what is given by the lab based on the growth of the cancer.  My Gleason score of 9 basically said I had the most extreme form of growing cancer and the prognosis is NOT good.

 This PSA test has been approved by the FDA to be tested for Men over the age of 50 unless there IS cancer in the family.  For some strange reason, my internist runs the test for everyone over the age of 40.  HE probably SAVED my life. Why???? Because I was tested early and often.  Most people who get a Gleason score of 9 or 10 in there 40’s do not have a good chance of surviving more than 5 years.  The reason is that the cancer is growing so fast that is likely spread to other parts of the body.  Because I was tested, it looks like my cancer was caught early enough so that my prognosis is better than most with a Gleason 9 in their 40’s.

 The irony of this is that my wife made the appointment this year for me.  You know you get wrapped up with work, family and life. Never seemed able to make the time. I just kept coming up with excuses.  Thank god she made this appointment.  Don’t be like me!

 So what is the reason for this message?  MAKE SURE YOU GET YOU ANNUAL CHECK UPS AND MAKE SURE YOUR DOCTOR TESTS FOR PSA.  They are already taking blood for other tests they can do a PSA too.

 Maybe this exam will save your life or a family member or a friend. It most likely, and hopefully saved mine.

Outside of the Lord, my wife and my father there was no person who impacted my life more than Johnny Podres. A true mans man if there ever was one. As I enter the final year of my major league career and baseball life I can only hope that when it’s all over the body of work will be something Johnny would be proud of.

Johnny made me realize that being a man wasn’t about the macho cool stuff we think men are supposed to be, but rather compassion, care, commitment, loyalty, integrity and drive. He asked everything of me and always got everything I had. He made me realize the only limits in my life were self imposed, that pushing yourself mentally and physically were what separated players when they crossed the white line.

We spoke often about ‘big games’ and he instilled this belief in me, even before I had a chance to pitch in a truly big game, that when the time came I’d answer the bell. The post season success I’ve been blessed to enjoy I’ve always known to be a direct result of who and what he was. I’ve never in my life run across anyone that didn’t have something kind and good to say about him, and after knowing him the past 17 years I know why.

I’ve certainly said and done things over the years that he’s made note of, and lectured me about, but at the end of the day making Johnny feel good about me was a life long goal, and still is.

The thoughts and prayers of the entire Schilling family go out to the Podres family. John’s wife Joanie is a princess of a woman, and a true friend, our thoughts and prayers are with her.

MLB, the Dodgers and players everywhere lost a very good and kind man today.

I am stepping out on the limb, but I don’t think I’m stepping out too far. Just back from CES and I’ll try and do a wrap up at some point, but I wanted to throw some kudos to the guys at Flying Labs.

I am arguably the last person on the planet to think Pirates and that whole genre are cool, but from my first 30 or so minutes of exposure to

http://www.burningsea.com/page/home I can’t say enough good things about it.

First off the folks at FL are incredibly passionate about the product and that comes through in the first 10 seconds of conversation, but the game is visually stunning, and my exposure to it had me installing it and getting ready to log in and play as soon as I got back.

I can’t vouch for the game play after the initial stuff I saw but I am going to bet it’s going to be a hell of a lot of fun. Partners, competitors, whatever, I love seeing cool passionate people make great games and I think this is going to be a great one.

I’m interested to hear what people that are playing think and those that check it out as well.