Boston Red Sox

Roger Clemens was, for many years, my favorite baseball player. I wore No. 21 for one year in Little League. I had his posters littering my bedroom walls and still have one in my office. I saved every article I could find about him so that I could read them later.

Clemens, as far as I could tell, was not only the best righthander in the game, but he was also the hardest worker. I enjoyed watching Roger Clemens compete, even when he was with the Yankees.

As we all know, yesterday we all celebrated Mother's Day. Since all 30 teams had scheduled games, making a day to spend with their mothers impossible, Major League Baseball had something different in mind.

The MLB has been issuing pink bats on Mother's Day for some time now, but I feel that it has never meant more than this year. It is not only a great thing to do for Major League ballplayers, but it has become a fashion statement.

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

Dominic DiMaggio, who spent time as a Boston Red Sox center fielder but was overshadowed by his older brother Joe, passed away Friday at his Massachusetts home.

He was surrounded by family and a replay of Thursday night’s Sox game was on in the background.

The Boston Red Sox have one of the most storied histories among all baseball franchises, although that's not necessarily a good thing. After being the dominant team of the early 1900's, even winning the inaugural World Series against Pittsburgh in 1903, the Red Sox went 86 years without another championship, leading some to believe they were cursed.

Despite the annual letdowns in October, the Red Sox still have had many, many great players patrol the outfield or turn double plays in the infield of hallowed Fenway Park.

Well, after the embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Red Sox two weekends ago up at Fenway Park, the Sawx travel down to the Bronx for their first games in the New Yankee Stadium.

In honor of this occasion tonight, I have come up with another edition of the Smoking With Hank Top Five, where we take a look at the top five moments between the Yankees and the Red Sox to take place at the Old Yankee Stadium. Enjoy!

As an athlete and in most things I do, I consider myself to be a middle of the packer. An average hitter, with average speed (in my day of course) and an arm maybe slightly above average.

As a distance runner, the thoroughbreds win, the plow horses bring up the rear and I am at best a Clydesdale. And in football, the half back scored, the full back opened the holes and I was a situational back.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona continues his bumbling ways.

I mean, let's get Julio Lugo in the game, right? After all, his errors serve to deflect blame away from Francona's decision-making.

Assuredly, Francona is now happy that Lugo has returned to the Sox. Lugo, now playing shortstop with Boston, has an error-prone history.

He made 16 errors in 81 games last season, and has added two more in five games in 2009. And that doesn't count the ninth inning miscue. His mistakes allowed two runs in yesterday's game.