The Sawxophile

   Well, he got his work in today, anyway - over 100 pitches in six innings.

   Whether Curt Schilling is ready to take the mound at Fenway Wednesday night against the Yankees is up to Red Sox management to puzzle over. Plenty of future Pittsburgh Pirates (or not-quites) took their cuts against him today in Inadianapolis on the International League's opening day, and most enjoyed some success against him as the Indians spoiled the Pawtucket Red Sox' 2005 debut, 7-5.

   Schill gave up seven runs in six innings on 11 hits, including home runs that Edwards Guzman and Ryan Doumit can tell their grandchildren about. He was really done in by a four-run second, only allowing one hard-hit ball as Indy dinked and doinked him (Shawn Wooten may provide some power and insurance as catcher on the varsity if Jason Varitek or Doug Mirabelli gets hurt, but a first baseman he isn't). He did record six strikeouts without a walk.

   Wooten and outfielder Justin Sherrod hit home runs to spark a PawSox comeback that fell just short.

   If you're wondering how in the world I picked up an Indianapolis telecast, it didn't require crawling up on my crumbling roof to install a satellite dish. Cox3 and Comcast8, cable access channels in much of Red Sox Nation, picked up the feed from Indy's Channel 40.

   'Twas a very different telecast, indeed. If you think Red Sox and Yankee broadcasts are inundated with promos read by the play-by-play guys, that's nothing compared to hearing practically every Chevy dealership and Mexican restaurant in Indiana get plugged - the poor guy spent more time whoring the products than he did calling the game. Note to old Dodger fans - Carl Erskine is alive and very well as the color guy (he only had to read the ads on the Ebbets Field outfield walls back in his day). 

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