John Rooke and Ron Hobson

John Rooke and Ron Hobson filled in for Dale and Neumy on the WEEI midday show. The show pretty much covered two topics. The origin of the “K” as the symbol for a strikeout, and Grady Little’s refusal to sacrifice bunt. A little Patriots talk was mingled in here and there. More Little roasting took place on the Eddie and Jag man show on WWZN. On WEEI’s “Big Show”, Greg Dickerson was teamed up with Larry Johnson and Steve Buckley, and baseball trade talk was the main topic. Buckley shouted at a caller who accused the panel of not dismissing talk that Jose Offerman has been tanking it in an effort to get released.

Butch Stearns was joined on the McDonough group by Kevin Paul Dupont and Mike Giardi. Evan Grant the beat writer for the Texas Rangers came on WWZN and he said the Red Sox and Seattle are the two teams Rogers would accept a trade to. Boston is the frontrunner. He said Boston has been “very interested”. He thinks Rogers would be a very good # three starter. He’s been a new pitcher since surgery on a rib removed some pressure on an artery in his shoulder. He can grip the ball better, and has developed a cut fastball. He thinks he’s as good as his numbers. He wants to come back and re-sign with the Rangers after the season. The Rangers want Casey Fossum. Asked by Giardi about Rogers’ ability to handle pressure, Grant acknowledged that Rogers has struggled in the playoffs, but thinks that a team that wants to get to playoffs would be interested in him. He isn’t a good matchup against the Yankee. The holdup for the team might be that the Red Sox are trying to work an extension with Rogers. Grant feels that after the surgery and with his development of the third pitch he has a couple good years left. The only Carl Everett story he had was Carl using the word “hecklement” to describe some razzing.

BostonCityBeat magazine has added Boston Metro sports editor Christopher Price to its sports roster, and Price will be contributing two or three columns a week to the website. Price has a brief notes article from Patriots training camp. Marty Steeves, aka The Mooseman, is another BCB regular, and he remembers the thrills from last season as he gears up to go through it again. Patriots.com has an article following the Charlie Weis press conference, in which Weis said the primary motivation was his health, not just improving his appearance to try to get a head coaching job. He spoke to six doctors, who all encouraged him to have the surgery. Ones who have criticized the decision to have the surgery now look to have spoken too hastily.