By far the most mesmerizing pitch in the major league catalogue, the knuckleball has a storied history. The origins point back to the early 1900s and is scattered throughout the century with dozens of hurlers offering the pitch.

Most famously, Ted Lyons and Phil Niekro helped use the pitch to catapult them into the Hall of Fame.

Charlie Haeger can hope he becomes just as lucky.

After getting released by the Seattle Mariners earlier this year, Haeger signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox.

Haeger started for the Sea Dogs on Saturday during the annual Futures at Fenway game. Picking up a no-decision in the Sea Dogs loss, the Michigan native had a strong outing, going 6 2/3 innings while allowing two runs off seven hits and three walks while adding three strikeouts.

“I thought I threw the ball well until the seventh inning. I got a little tired there and walked a couple batters,” Haeger said of his outing. “I lost the strike zone a little with the knuckleball, but other than that it was a decent outing.”

If it seemed like Fenway Park was nothing new to Haeger, that’s because he’s been here before. Back in 2007 as a member of the White Sox, Haeger appeared in two games of relief, first retiring Mike Lowell, David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis.

“It was pretty much the same,” he said. “It was a normal game. Although it was cool being at Fenway.”

In the second game, Haeger came on in relief for Jon Garland and toed the mound opposite Wakefield himself, marking one of the rare occasions that two knuckleballers squared off. While Haeger mentioned that he and Wakefield conversed a few years back when he visited Fenway, he hasn’t gotten a chance to chat with the best knuckleballer in the game.

“I haven’t had a chance to this year, but hopefully we can get together and work out,” Haeger said.

Before journeying through the West Coast for a little bit (with stops at San Diego and Los Angeles), Haeger spent some time in the Midwest, appearing in 15 games for the Chicago White Sox between 2006 and 2007. After a short stint in Seattle’s minor league system, Haeger joined the Red Sox to help fine-tune his game.

During his high school days, Haeger wasn’t seen as a knuckleballer. Pitching in the low 90s, Haeger didn’t have an issue of getting players out.

It wasn’t until his velocity started to dip that Haeger turned to the old knuckle.

“I was heading out of the game so I had to figure out a way to keep myself in baseball and that was my best option,” Haeger said.

While Haeger’s journey has been a difficult one strewn with injuries, he has shown promise at just about every stop he’s made on his way to Portland.

In his first start in 2010 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Haeger struck out 12 in six innings en route to his longest major league stint, sticking around for six starts while fighting arthritis.

After major back surgery this spring, Haeger says he feels good as new.

“I feel healthy,” he said. “My back feels good and everything feels strong.”

While you may think knuckleballers need to alter their daily routine — let alone their pitching mechanics to help adjust for the knuckleball — you are sorely mistaken.

“There isn’t much difference,” Haeger said of the pitching approach. “Mechanically we both have to be pretty good. Sometimes those guys can get away with a little more than I can but it’s pretty much the same.”

Final, 3-1: Syracuse's pitching was just too much for Pawtucket to overcome.

Jeff Mandel continued his strong performance, first by getting Jose Iglesias to ground out to third.

He followed that up by getting Che-Hsuan Lin to fly out to left field.

There was still a little bit of hope for the Red Sox, as Ryan Kalish lined a pitch into left field. But Roger Bernadina chased it down, stretched himself out, and snagged the ball for the final out and arguably the best play of the game.

Brad Meyers is the winning pitcher, and Kyle Weiland is the losing pitcher. That's all for tonight from us, so have a good night.

Mid 9th, 3-1: Pawtucket came out with its own pitching change, swapping Jason Rice for Tommy Hottovy.

Hottovy sailed two strikes past Corey Brown, before Brown drove a single to left field.

Hottovy recovered, getting Steve Lombardozzi to fly out to center field and striking out Roger Bernadino.

With two outs, Pawtucket brought out Michael Bowden, who came out to "Shipping Up to Boston." Needless to say, everyone at Fenway started clapping and singing along.

Bowden finished the inning easily by getting Chris Merrero to fly out.

End 8th, 3-1: Syracuse came out with another pitching change, replacing Atahualpa Severino with Jeff Mandel.

Pawtucket countered with its own move, getting Nate Spears to pinch hit for Hector Luna. Spears hit a leadoff single.

Mandel then struck out Brett Carroll, and then Luis Exposito grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Mid 8th, 3-1:The first two outs came pretty quickly — Jason Rice  struck out Jhonatan Solano and then Matt Antonelli lined out to third.

But, Seth Bynum, who's been doing a lot for Syracuse the entire game, lined a single off the Green Monster.

The next batter, Jeff Frazier popped up to end the inning.

End 7th, 3-1: Atahualpa Severino started off by walking Daniel Nava, but Lars Anderson grounded into a double play.

Will Middlebrooks grounded out to shortstop to cap off an easy inning for Severino.

Brad Meyers went six innings, threw 85 pitches and gave up one earned run. On the same note, Kyle Weiland went five innings, 92 pitches and three earned runs.

Mid 7th, 3-1: Things settled down a little bit for Pawtucket, especially in terms of pitching. Jason Rice struck out Roger Bernadina to start the inning. 

Chris Merrero took Rice to a full count, but Rice got Merrero to strike out swinging for the second out.

There was a little bit of a scare for Pawtucket when Jesus Valdez hammered the ball deep to the center field triangle, but Ryan Kalish was there to snag the ball for the out.

Syracuse removed Brad Meyers from the game and put in Atahualpa Severino.

End 6th, 3-1: Pawtucket finally managed to get something going against Brad Meyers when Jose Iglesias hit a leadoff single up center field, but it didn't last long.

The Chiefs quelled the comeback by picking off Iglesias at first, with Che-Hsuan Lin in the batter's box.

Meyers then struck out Lin, which brought up Ryan Kalish. Kalish didn't do much better — he grounded out to end the inning.

Mid 6th, 3-1: Well, Rice came out and threw two straight balls. He threw a couple more strikes and ultimately got Jeff Frazier out, but not before Seth Bynum advanced to second.

Corey Brown fouled out near third base, and Steve Lombardozzi grounded out to first baseman Lars Anderson to end the inning.

7:19, 3-1: Pitching change. Jason Rice will come in for Kyle Weiland. Zero outs in the inning so far.

Top 6th, 2-1: Matt Antonelli lined one into the left-field corner, securing a leadoff double.

Antonelli advanced to third on Kyle Weiland's wild pitch, putting him on the corner with zero outs.

Seth Bynum lined a single up the field, and Antonelli scored easily from third.

End 5th, 2-1: In a very short inning, Meyers retired the side.

After working Brad Meyers to a full count, Hector Luna struck out looking.

Meyers then got Brett Carroll to fly out to second base, and Luis Exposito flew out to right-center field to wrap up the inning.

Mid 5th, 2-1: Small ball seems to be working for the Chiefs right now.

Corey Brown hit a groundball between first and second, but Lars Anderson managed to cut off the ball before it hit the outfield and throw Brown out at first.

Weiland responded by walking Steve Lombardozzi on four straight pitches, putting one on with one out.

Roger Bernadina took Weiland to a full count before grounding out to first and advancing Lombardozzi to second.

Lombardozzi's position came into play when Chris Merrero stepped up to the box — Lombardozzi stole third, successfully. Exposito's throw was very close, but Lombardozzi beat it to third.

Weiland worked up two strikes against Merrero, but the count turned full pretty quickly, and Weiland ended up walking Merrero.

With runners on the corners Weiland threw a first-pitch strike to Jesus Valdez. With two strikes and zero balls, Valdez found a pitch he liked and drove it up center field to score Lombardozzi.

But Weiland struck out Jhonatan Solano swinging to end the inning.

End 4th, 1-1: It was a pretty quick and easy inning for Brad Meyers, who seems to have really settled down since giving up a home run to Daniel Nava.

Nava, Pawtucket's first-inning hero, grounded out to first to start the inning, after making Meyers work a little for the out.

Lars Anderson followed Nava's pattern, hitting the ball hard down the first base line. For a second it looked as if Anderson would be safe, because Chris Merrero bobbled the ball at first, but his teammates came to his rescue and barely beat out Anderson for the out.

Shortly after, Will Middlebrooks flew out to end the inning.

Mid 4th, 1-1: Weiland got two strikeouts and retired the side. He struck out Matt Antonelli to start the inning and then struck out Seth Bynum, although Bynum forced the count full before Weiland caught him.

The inning ended when Jeff Frazier lined out to right field.

End 3rd, 1-1: The Red Sox had another chance to score, but Brad Meyers was able to put out the rally and keep the game tied.

Luis Exposito lined a double off the other wall in Fenway, the much shorter center-field wall, to kick off the inning for Pawtucket.

Jose Iglesias then grounded to third. Matt Antonelli threw to first to get the out, but Chris Merrero's throw back to third was unable to catch Exposito, who slid in safetly.

After Che-Hsuan Lin grounded out, Ryan Kalish stepped into the box with two outs and Exposito on third. But Kalish was unable to give Pawtucket the lead back, as Brad Meyers struck out Kalish to end the inning and the scoring threat.

Mid 3rd, 1-1: Weiland seemed to settle down in the third inning. He gave up zero runs and retired the side.

To start the inning, It didn't take him long to get Chris Merrero to ground out to third.

He then threw a first-pitch strike to Jesus Valdez. Two pitches later, Valdez flew out to center field.

Weiland finished the inning by striking out Jhonatan Solano.

End 2nd, 1-1: Will Middlebrooks, who was just called up from Portland, struck out to begin the inning.

Brad Meyers walked Hector Luna, but Meyers managed to get out of the inning fairly quickly by gettng Brett Carroll to fly out.

The Chiefs caught Luna stealing to end the inning while Luis Exposito was batting.

Mid 2nd, 1-1: Weiland's second inning was a little rougher than the first.

Matt Antonelli smacked the ball just over shortstop Jose Igesias' glove to get to first. He moved to second when Luis Exposito had a passed ball.

Seth Bynum then knotted up the score when he drove a single up the middle to score Antonelli.

With zero outs and Bynum on first, Weiland walked Jeff Frazier to put runners on first and second. Corey Brown then laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners to second and third with just one out.

Syracuse's rally died down when the next batter, Steve Lombardozzi, popped out to shortstop. Weiland then struck out Roger Bernadina to escape the inning with minimal damage.

End 1st, 1-0: On a full count, Daniel Nava crushed a full-count pitch into the center-field bleachers to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead.

The damage could have been worse for Syracuse pitcher Brad Meyers, because Che-Hsuan Lin singled to right to lead off the inning,

But, the single was soon negated as Ryan Kalish hit a line drive right to first baseman Chris Merrero, who turned the double play.

Lars Anderson was called out as he tried stretching a single down the first-base foul line into a double to end the inning.

Mid 1st, 0-0: In the first inning of his first start at Fenway since being optioned down to Pawtucket, pitcher Kyle Weiland managed to give up zero runs.

Steve Lombardozzi led off the inning with a single to shallow right field. 

Roger Bernadina followed by throwing down a bunt at the first pitch he faced. Bernadina was thrown out at first, but he successfully advanced Lombardozzi to second.

The Chiefs, however, couldn't capitalize on the scoring oppurtunity. Chirs Merrero flew out to deep first before Weiland walked Jesus Valdez to put runners on first and second. Jhonatan Solano ended the inning by flying out to right field.

5:30: Pawtucket's roster is being introduced, so the game should be underway shortly.

5:15: The players are in the outfield now, tossing the ball around, but the infield is still getting some work done. The game should be starting in roughly 15 minutes.

4:54 p.m. ET: Jashvina here, taking over for Jesse for Futures at Fenway Game 2. Start time for the Pawtucket Red Sox-Syracuse Chiefs game is expected to be around 5:30 p.m. ET.

Kyle Weiland, who is 8-8 with a 3.40 ERA, will be taking the mound for Pawtucket, opposite Brad Meyers. Meyers is 4- with a 3.79 ERA.

While the ground crew gets the field set up, here are the lineups:

Syracuse Chiefs

Steve Lombardozzi, 2B
Roger Bernadina, LF
Chris Merrero, 1B
Jesus Valdez, RF
Jhonatan Solano, C
Matt Antonelli, 3B
Seth Bynum, SS
Jeff Frazier, DH
Corey Brown CF,

Pawtucket Red Sox

Che-Hsuan Lin, RF
Ryan Kalish, CF
Daniel Nava, DH
Lars Anderson, 1B
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Hector Luna, 2B
Brett Carrol, LF
Luis Exposito, C
Jose Iglesias, SS

Final, Mets 6-4: Although the late-game heroics by Alex Hassan made it appear like it was the Sea Dogs' day, one swing by Kai Grounauer in the 11th inning changed all that. 

Grounauer's homer helped propel the Mets past the Sea Dogs in extra innings as Binghamton still had to fight off a late rally by the Sea Dogs.

 Ryan Dent came on to pinch hit in the top of the ninth, leading off with a single off new Mets pitcher Erik Turgeon, followed by a double that was torn down the right field line by Jeremy Hazelbaker. 

After a groundout by Oscar Tejada, Jon Hee cut the deficit in half with a two-RBI base hit before getting thrown out trying to take second on the throw home. 

John Stinson took over for Turgeon on the mound for the Mets, striking out Mitch Dening looking to take care of the only batter he faced.

Mid 11th, 6-2: Juan Lagares led off the inning with a bunt single. 

After a strikeout by Brahiam Maldonado, new shortstop Niuman Romero executed a perfect hit-and-run with Lagares, hitting the gap left by the shortstop and allowing Lagares to advance to third. 

A base hit by Eric Campbell drove Lagares in, as Campbell is now 3-5 on the day.

So much for the small ball approach. With two men on, Kai Gronauer demolishes a homer off the light tower in the Monster seats, opening the Mets lead to 6-2.

Jon Malo followed up the three-run shot with a single up the middle of his own, however a double-play ended any more trouble for Chris Martin.

Top 11th, 2-2: The Sea Dogs tried their own attempt at small-balling a run after Mitch Dening led the inning off with a single. 

A sacrifice bunt by Ryan Khoury pushed Dening to second, with an intentional walk for Alex Hassan putting a runner on first. 

The leadoff runner couldn't be turned into the game winner, as Mark Wagner flew out and Reynaldo Rodriguez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Mid 10th, 2-2: After a leadoff double by Jon Malo, the Mets tried to score him with a little small-ball after Matt Den Dekker laid down a bunt to move Malo to third. 

A fly ball to center field by Michael Fisher wasn't deep enough to drive Malo in, as he was stranded there as Reese Havens grounded to second to end the inning.

4:00 p.m.: Chris Martin comes on to relieve Josh Fields. 

Fields line: 2 1/3 innings pitched, no hits, no runs, one walk and two strikeouts.

Top 10th, 2-2: Looking to start something off in the last half of the ninth, Jeremy Hazelbaker tried to lay down a bunt on the third base line, but it was snuffed out by Jon Malo. Hazelbaker came up limping slightly down the first base line.

Two infield flies, one by Oscar Tejada and the other by Jon Hee helped bring this game to extra frames. 

When you're having this much fun, why stop at nine?

Bottom 9th, 2-2: The Mets brought on their third pitcher of the afternoon, Rhiner Cruz, to pitch the bottom of the ninth. The line on Ricky Brooks: two innings pitched, one hit, two earned runs, one walk and three strikeouts.

Mid 9th, 2-2: The top of the ninth looked like it was going to be a breeze for Josh Fields after a fly out by Brahiam Maldonado. 

But a walk and an error put two on with one out. However, a 5-4-3 double play negated any trouble that might have been started, keeping the game tied heading into the last of the night.

Top 9th, 2-2: With one swing of the bat, we have a whole new ballgame, as Alex Hassan's two-run home run ties it back up in the bottom of the eighth.

After Ryan Khoury drew a walk, Hassan blasted the homer to deep center off Ricky Brooks.

Brooks was able to settle in after the homer, getting Mark Wagner to fly out and Reynaldo Rodriguez to strike out before Dan Butler flew out to right to end the eighth.

Mid 8th, 0-2: Josh Fields has no problems in his first full inning of relief, getting the Mets out in order. 

Michael Fisher grounded to short to start things off, followed by a fly out to shallow left by Reese Havens and capped off by Fields' first strikeout of the day, the victim being Juan Lagares. 

Now the Sea Dogs hope to cut into the two-run deficit with an inning-and-a-half remaining.

Top 8th, 0-2: Ricky Brooks comes in and does immediate work of Jeremy Hazelbaker, striking him out to lead off the inning. 

It looked as though the second batter for Brooks would be easy as the first, getting ahead of Oscar Tejada 0-2, but a botched play by third baseman Eric Campbell allowed Tejada to reach for the first time today. 

Tejada reached scoring position after a fielder's choice groundout by Jon Hee but was stranded there after Mitch Dening struck out to end the inning.

3:15 p.m.: Ricky Brooks comes on to replace Collin McHugh who is in line for the win. McHugh went six innings, giving up four hits and one walk while striking out six.

Mid 7th, 0-2: Control became a bit of an issue for Charlie Haeger in the seventh, as he issued his first two walks of the game to back-to-back batters. 

After getting Juan Lagares to fly out, Haeger walked Brahiam Maldonado and Allan Dykstra before getting Eric Campbell to strike out. 

With two strikes on Kai Gronauer, Dan Butler let one of Haeger's knuckleballs get away from him. Butler attempted to gun down the runner heading towards second but overthrew the base, resulting in the Mets' first run. 

After Gronauer managed a walk, Jon Malo added the second run on the game with a single, driving in Dykstra and ending Haeger's day. 

Josh Fields came on in relief, striking out the only batter he saw in the inning in Matt Den Dekker

3:08 p.m.: Josh Fields is on the mound for the Sea Dogs after Charlie Haeger lost a bit of his control in the seventh. 

The line for Haeger: 

6 2/3 innings pitched, seven hits, two runs, one earned run, three walks and six strikeouts.

Top 7th, 0-0: Alex Hassan led off the inning with his second single of the game and looked like he was on his way to scoring on Reynaldo Rodriguez's double but was held up at third. With the late stop sign thrown up, Rodriguez was caught up between second and third and tagged out. 

The out proved important, as the Sea Dogs failed to take the lead with Hassan on third. Dan Butler had a bloop look like it were to fall in shallow center, but a spectacular diving catch by Matt Den Dekker saved a run and closed the sixth inning down with the score still tied. 

Mid 6th, 0-0: Trying to get something going in the sixth, Michael Fisher was thrown out trying to steal second as the only baserunner of the inning. 

Matt Den Dekker led off the inning with a groundout to third, which required a nice swipe-tag by Reynaldo Rodriguez. 

After Fisher's single and subsequent tag-out at second, Reese Havens flew out to end the inning. 

Top 6th, 0-0: Collin McHugh is still in his groove, completing his second 1-2-3 inning of the game with two strikeouts.

After sitting down Jon Hee, Mitch Dening couldn't provide the same heroics at the plate as he did in the field and flew out to right field. Ryan Khoury struck out while searching for his second hit of the game. 

Mid 5th, 0-0: A leadoff single for Eric Campbell proved to be no problem for Charlie Haeger, as he finished up the away half of the fifth in 1-2-3 fashion. 

After the single, Kai Gronauer grounded into a double play and Jon Malo ended the inning flying out on a foul ball. 

It took quite some effort by right fielder Mitch Dening to record that third out, reaching into the first two rows along the Pesky Pole to record the final out.

Top 5th, 0-0: Collin McHugh has the entire Sea Dogs lineup fooled thus far. 

After a routine groundout by Reynaldo Rodriguez, McHugh had Dan Butler completely confused en route to his third K of the game. 

A little patience by Jeremy Hazelbaker extended the inning and got another Sea Dogs runner in scoring position after a steal, but Oscar Tejada's second strikeout of the game ended any chance for the Sea Dogs.

Mid 4th, 0-0: It must be nice growing up with a Green Monster in your backyard. 

After Juan Lagares struck out to lead off the top of the fourth, Brahiam Maldonado crushed a ball off the top of the Green Monster but right fielder Alex Hassan snagged the ball on one bounce and fired it back into second to hold Maldonado to the single. 

It was a vital play too, as Allan Dykstra grounded into a 3-6-1 double-play to end the inning and keep Charlie Haeger's line pretty clean. 

Top 4th, 0-0: The Sea Dogs had their best scoring chance thus far with runners on the corners and two outs, but a groundout by Mark Wagner ended the threat.

Jon Hee started the inning off by getting hit by the pitch and was tagged out at second on a fielder's choice. Alex Hassan ripped a single up the middle to advance Mitch Dening to third, but the Wagner groundout ended any scoring chance.

Mid 3rd, 0-0: Once again, the Mets managed to get a runner in scoring position and, once again, he stayed there, as Michael Fisher reached on a two-out single before stealing second. Reese Havens flew out to shallow center to strand the third Mets' base runner of the game. 

Matt Den Dekker crushed a ball to deep center field before Fisher's single only to have Jeremy Hazelbaker reign it in before crashing into the wall. 

Top 3rd, 0-0: Collin McHugh made quick work of the Sea Dogs in the bottom of the second, retiring the side in order. 

Catcher Dan Butler fouled out to third base, followed by a long drive by Jeremy Hazelbaker that died at the warning track and was brought down for the second out. 

McHugh picked up his second strikeout of the game after sitting down Oscar Tejada. 

Mid 2nd, 0-0: After putting out a couple Sea Dogs, Brahiam Maldonado had a taste of his own medicine when he flew out to center field to lead off the inning. 

It looked like it was going to be smooth sailing for Charlie Haeger as he picked up his fourth strikeout after fanning Allan Dykstra, but Eric Campbell got the finest contact on the ball thus far, ripping a double to right-center. 

After a passed ball moved him to third, Haeger got out of the jam by popping out Kai Gronauer.

Top 2nd, 0-0: The Sea Dogs mirrored the Mets in the bottom half of the first, getting the lead runner on with a single to left field by Ryan Khoury but couldn’t capitalize on it.

After Alex Hassan roped a liner right at left fielder Brahiam Maldonado, Mark Wagner flew out and Reynaldo Rodriguez struck out to keep the score knotted up.

Mid 1st, 0-0: Sea Dogs pitcher Charlie Haeger managed to settle down after allowing a leadoff single to Matt Den Dekker, striking out the side to escape further damage.

After stealing second, Dan Dekker was stranded as the three batters after him all looked confused by Haeger’s knuckleball.

1:05 p.m.: First pitch is now just seconds away.

12:45 p.m.: With soft toss seemingly wrapping up in the field, it looks like we're about 20-30 minutes away from first pitch. While a little overcast, it looks like the first game may stay dry today, but time will tell about the second contest.

Here are the lineups for your enjoyment.

Portland Sea Dogs

Ryan Khoury, SS
Alex Hassan, LF
Mark Wagner, DH
Reynaldo Rodriguez, 1B
Dan Butler, C
Jeremy Hazelbaker, CF
Oscar Tejada, 2B
Jon Hee, 3B
Mitch Dening, RF

Binghamton Mets

Matt Den Dekker, CF
Michael Fisher, DH
Reese Havens, 2B
Juan Lagares, RF
Brahiam Maldonado, LF
Allan Dykstra, 1B
Eric Campbell, 3B
Kai Gronauer, C
Jon Malo, SS

12 p.m. ET: Futures at Fenway returns for the sixth year, hosting two minor-league matchups. First, the Portland Sea Dogs and the Binghamton Mets, Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets, will battle over fifth and sixth place. Then Boston's Triple-A affiliate Pawtucket will face off against the Syracuse Chiefs.

Portland has a 9-7 edge in the season series so far, but the Sea Dogs (53-72) are one game behind the Mets (54-71) for last place in the EAS Eastern Conference.

The Pawtucket Red Sox (72-54) are leading the INT North and have a 14.5 game lead over Syracuse (56-67), whom Pawtucket has defeated six times in 10 meetings this season. The Syracuse Chiefs are the Washington Nationals' Triple-A affiliate.

First pitch is at 1:05 p.m., when the Sea Dogs and Mets face off. The Triple-A matchup will begin at 4:30 p.m.

Some things that may get pushed to the backburner in the eyes of an aspiring hurler may be the correct way to track down a fly ball or the minute differences in differentiating a splitter from a cutter while at the plate. 

Alex Hassan may not be the first ballplayer to make this transition from mound to outfield, but he is the latest in a long line of former players to excel in the field after rustling the rosin bag.

Shortstop Ryan Khoury is leading off for the Sea Dogs, followed by left fielder and Milton, Mass., native Alex Hassan.

Dan Butler is making his 12th appearance for the Sea Dogs behind the plate and is batting in the fifth spot after Rodriguez.

Jon Hee gets the start at the hot corner, while knuckleballer Charlie Haeger and his 2-0 record toes the rubber for Portland.

Center fielder Matt Den Dekker will lead off for the Mets with formidable speed, swiping nine bags in 56 games thus far at the Double-A level.

A good source of the Mets' power comes from the fifth spot in the order with left fielder Brahiam Maldonado and his 24 home runs. Second on the team with 17 bombs is first baseman Allan Dykstra, batting sixth.

Collin McHugh is on the mound for the Mets, posting a 6-2 record with a 3.61 ERA on the season.

Binghamton Mets
Matt Den Dekker, CF
Michael Fisher, DH
Reese Havens, 2B
Juan Lagares, RF
Brahiam Maldonado, LF
Allan Dykstra, 1B
Eric Campbell, 3B
Kai Gronauer, C
Jon Malo, SS

Collin McHugh P

Portland Sea Dogs
Ryan Khoury, SS
Alex Hassan, LF
Mark Wagner, DH
Reynaldo Rodriguez, 1B
Dan Butler, C
Jeremy Hazelbaker, CF
Oscar Tejada, 2B
Jon Hee, 3B
Mitch Dening, RF

Charlie Haeger P

According to ESPN.com, the MLS is lowering the charge against the salary cap that designated players account for. MLS teams are currently allowed to have three designated players on their roster, which means their entire salary does not count against the salary cap. With the charge lowered on the younger international players, it allows teams to purchase more without the financial concern if the player doesn't turn into a star.

International players 20 or younger will be charged $150,000 while players aged 21 to 23 will count $200,000 against the cap. Both totals are down from $335,000, which remains for all other designated players.

"Our designated players are anywhere from their mid- to late-20s to their mid-30s. We're getting players that are good players, veteran players, but we've been out of the market for the most part in young, promising players," MLS executive vice president Todd Durbin told ESPN.com. "If we want to continue our growth and continue the improvement of our on-field product, this is an area we have to be in."

The change will take effect at the beginning of the 2012 season.

After falling short down the stretch in 1991, the Sox stumbled in '92, finishing seventh in the American League.

It was also the first time in nearly 70 years that there wasn't a Yawkey figurehead for the organization as owner Jean Yawkey, the wife of prior owner Tom Yawkey, passed away early in 1992.

Finishing with their worst record in 26 years, there wasn't much to cheer about other than Sox legend Wade Boggs picking up his 2,000th hit in front of the Fenway Faithful. The celebration was short-lived, however, as Boggs packed up and left town after the season was over.

Lester starts off a Monday doubleheader against the Rays and James Shields, in what will surely be one of the better pitching matchups of the week. Lester looks to stop a losing streak that has seen him drop his last two decisions, first to the Yankees then last week to the Twins.

Bedard hits the mound for the finale of the doubleheader, looking to pick up his first win in a Sox uniform. Bedard pitched well in his last outing, giving up two runs on three hits in five innings and grabbing a no-decision.

Lackey, last week's Amica Pitcher of the Week winner, looks to continue his fine stretch after the All-Star break, as he finishes up the three-game series with the Rays.

Wakefield will get another shot at win No. 200 while on the road in Kansas City later this week. Since picking up win 199 on July 24, Wakefield has been unable to get over the hump, falling short in his last four starts.

Lastly, the Red Sox ace looks to halt his four-game winless streak, as Beckett is scheduled to take the mound against the Royals later this week.

With at least $40 million heading toward Arsenal in exchange for the World Cup champion, Fabregas leaves a team in transition for a team that can't find spots on the field for all their talent — including their newest midfielder.

With a center midfield duo rivaled by no one in Andres Iniesta and Xavi, it's going to take some fancy managing by Pep Guardiola to fit all his talent onto the pitch.

When Fabregas was just 10 years old, he joined the Barca Youth Camp, before Arsenal bought him and made him their youngest player to see the field, when at 16 he suited up for the Gunners in the League Cup.

His English and Spanish squads have crossed paths multiple times with Fabregas directly in the middle of it, with Barcelona gaining the advantage first in the 2006 Champions League Final and in the last two years, as Barca has knocked the Gunners out of European competition.

"I waited many days, months and years for this moment," Fabregas told fans at his welcoming press conference. "It is a very special day. I return home after eight years. I know I disappointed many of you when I left, but I'm back for the challenge of my life. I hope to leave good memories."

To get some insight into that preparation, Northeastern Univeristy is producing "Huskies Unleashed," a behind-the-scenes look at some of the work the Huskies are doing to get ready for competition both on and off the field. The first installment features the women's soccer team.

The first week showed us the opening meeting with second-year coach Tracey Leone addressing the 18 returning players along with nine freshmen.

The video series will also look at specific players, with Week 1 focusing on sophomore Hannah O'Donnell and her fight to come back from three ACL tears. O'Donnell also described the dreaded "YBMI" fitness test, which stands for "You better make it."

After less than half the girls completed on time the first day, Leone brought them back out on the second day to try again, with improvements across the board, even in the inclement weather.

To check out the entire behind-the-scenes look, watch the video below.

According to deadspin.com (via a translated Argentinian blog), Argentina-based sports writer Walter Rotundo named his newborn twin girls Mara Delfina and Dona Isabella, which, of course, make the name of soccer legend, Maradona.

Rotundo, who writes for the blog Pasion Paternal, which covers the Argentinos Juniors, said he named his girls after Maradona's 1986 World Cup performance, during which he scored two goals to defeat England in the semifinals en route to the Championship.

According to the Huntersville, N.C., Police Department, Trevor Lynse and Jerome David Frey, a front tire changer and mechanic for EGR, respectively, were caught with 10 1/2 pounds of marijuana.

Lynse, who works on Juan Pablo Montoya's Sprint Cup team, was charged with one count of trafficking marijuana, one count of possession with intent to sell and one count of maintaining a dwelling to distribute marijuana.

Frey was charged with one count of trafficking and one count of possession with intent to sell.

Lynse was released on $30,000 bond and will likely face suspension from NASCAR for violating the drug policy.

Ben Watanabe, Assistant Editor, 8:38 a.m., Monday

Happy Monday all,

The Red Sox lineup has been so strong this season that multiple members of the lineup have been mentioned for American League MVP consideration. Adrian Gonzalez was an early favorite thanks to his monster start, and Jacoby Ellsbury has gotten a lot of attention for his walk-offs, but he’s having an outstanding season the other eight innings of games, too.

In this week’s edition of “Field Judges,” who is the Red Sox’ MVP to this point in the season?

Michael Hurley, Senior Assistant Editor, 10:39 a.m., Monday

With all due respect to the nature of this debate, I don’t think there’s any debate that it’s Adrian Gonzalez. If we were trying to determine the best hitter in July, it would be Dustin Pedroia. If we were trying to figure out the most-improved hitter or the most surprising hitter, it’d be Jacoby Ellsbury. But if you’re trying to determine the best hitter from Opening Day until right now, it’s Adrian Gonzalez. And it’s not even close.

Aside from all the numbers (AL-best .348 average and AL-best 91 RBIs for a .962 OPS), Gonzalez is a steadying presence in the middle of the Red Sox’ order. Everything else that happens around him, you could argue, is influenced by his very presence. Ellsbury and Pedroia are having great seasons, and it’s not a coincidence they bat in front of Gonzalez. Gonzalez, who’s become the lefty opposing teams have to worry most about, also helped David Ortiz, who is hitting 47 points higher against lefties than his career average.

The defense argument is less clear, as you could make a Gold Glove case for both Pedroia and Gonzalez, and you’d be hard-pressed to find many complaints about the job Ellsbury’s done in center, as well.

But by season’s end, when Gonzalez finishes with a .350 average and something like 25 homers and 130 RBIs, there won’t be much doubt as to who’s the Red Sox’ MVP.

Jesse Scardina, New Media Intern, 12:16 p.m., Monday

It has to be Jacoby Ellsbury.

Although I couldn’t ask for more from Gonzalez for what he’s done in the middle of the lineup, it has been the breakout season of Ellsbury that has lifted this team to another level, and that’s why he is the MVP thus far.

One of the key reasons Gonzalez leads the league in RBIs is because Ellsbury has been able to get on base and, more importantly, get into scoring position, so Adrian and the rest of the Sox lineup can drive him in.

Before the season started and everyone was trying to figure out the batting order, Terry Francona made it clear that the Sox are at their best when they have Ellsbury in the leadoff spot. We always knew Ellsbury had the speed (Taco Bell, anyone?) but this recent display of power from our leadoff spot is reminiscent of classic Rickey Henderson, except Ellsbury may be displaying more power this year than Henderson ever did.

Jacoby is the key cog that makes the Red Sox lineup what it is. Without him tearing up the basepaths and the pitchers while speeding through the spacious Fenway center field, the Sox aren’t the same offensive juggernaut.

Ben Watanabe, 1:07 p.m., Monday

We all know Mr. Hurley doesn’t put much stock into advanced statistics, so I won’t bother to mention that Dustin Pedroia is second in all of baseball in Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs.

Oops, too late.

Despite all the mumbo-jumbo that goes into a lot of these new stats, WAR is one I believe in strongly. Different databases have different ways of calculating it, but the simple explanation is that WAR takes what are widely considered the most reliable offensive and defensive measurements, adjusts them for position (since shortstop is harder to play than left field, for instance) and comes up with a shorthand way of showing who are the best all-around players. This way we can see exactly how many wins a player contributes to a team compared to a replacement Triple-A level player.

I see you nodding off Hurley. Wake up!

Pedroia is second at 6.7 WAR to Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista’s 6.9. After that, nobody’s close. Ellsbury is a distant third, at 5.9.

Most Sox fans don’t need WAR or wRAA or UZR or RAAAHHHRRR!!! (alright, I made up the last one) to tell them Pedroia’s importance to the team. If it was just his numbers, that’d be one thing. But the numbers combined with the intangibles make him the most valuable Red Sox player.

Mike Cole, Assistant Editor, 1 p.m., Monday

When it comes to wins and losses this season, Josh Beckett has been a little unlucky. For what it’s worth to the righty — a ton I’m sure — he’s my pick for the Red Sox’ most valuable player.

The Red Sox, despite arming Beckett with just 3.44 runs every time he toes the slab, are 16-6 in the big right-hander’s starts. In 10 of his starts, he’s gone seven innings or more. While the Boston starting rotation has had its issues (Jon Lester’s lat, Clay Buchholz’s back, John Lackey’s inconsistency, Daisuke Matsuzaka … well, you know), Beckett has been a model of consistency.

He’s also outdueled Yankees ace CC Sabathia three times, including a two-hit, 10-strikeout gem over eight innings in April on a Sunday night that helped start the Red Sox’ turnaround. He’s 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA overall against the Bombers this season, and he is the main reason Boston is 10-2 against New York, and thus, holds a lead in the AL East.

Beckett is looking more and more like the one guy the Red Sox could least afford to lose down the stretch. Take him away, and you’re going to have a difficult time convincing anyone that the Sox are a serious World Series contender, and that is the truest measure of Josh Beckett’s value.

Ben Watanabe, 1:10 p.m., Monday

Four responses, four different MVPs. Wow.

John Beattie, Associate Editor, 1:49 p.m., Monday

Adrian Gonzalez is the obvious choice so I’m doing my best to steer clear of the chalk. Jacoby Ellsbury was my first non-Gonzo choice, but while I’m always open to a tater, I’d rather see Ells keep it on the ground, get on base and have the big dogs smack it around behind him. Give me 20 pushups, Jake.

My choice is Dustin Pedroia -– not just for his high numbers and dirt dog ways, but his even-keel swagger on and off the field and his leadership in the clubhouse. You can rely on Pedey to be out there every night and you can place this No. 2 hitter anywhere in the lineup, including the No. 3 and No. 4 holes -– who else could you say that about? He’s a perfect balance of speed, power, consistency, defense and toughness.

Tony Lee, Red Sox beat reporter, 4:38 p.m., Monday

I don’t think I can keep that trend going, Ben, for Adrian Gonzalez is still my guy. I can echo much of what Mr. Hurley has said, and add a note on consistency.  Remember, this is a yearly honor, and the scope of the entire season should be considered, whether you are talking RAHHHHHRRRRR!!! or any of that other stuff, some of which is woefully overrated.

It was just after the All-Star break when Gonzalez had his first real swoon with the Red Sox, his average plummeting all the way to .337 (yikes!). Everyone wondered if the Home Run Derby was the culprit, and when Gonzalez snap out of it. In the uber-confident manner that is his way, he told reporters they would be asking him about a three-hit game in a matter of days. Well, he had four hits the next day, beginning a 14-game hitting streak that saw him bat .483 (28-for-58).

That helped Gonzalez finish July strong and gave him these four monthly OPS totals: .836, .989, 1.185, .949.

Pedroia and Ellsbury both had numbers below .836 on multiple occasions.

Of course, OPS is just one indication, but when we’re talking about a lineup loaded with hitters who can work the count and hit for power, it’s a pretty good place to start.

If there’s a “knock” on Gonzalez, it lies in the fact that his home run totals have not been what some had hoped, especially after that binge he had in May. But he has always been a guy that goes in streaks when it comes to power, while the rest of his game remains rather steady. He also may be a victim of hype in the sense that there were too many predictions of him lofting balls over the Green Monster on a regular basis. Gonzalez himself said that he would probably get more wall-ball singles than anything, and that’s what we’ve seen. He has eight home runs in 58 games at Fenway, compared to 10 in 53 road games, which is much more in line with his career norms.

During his recent hitting streak, Gonzalez homered just once. Safe to say that the .483 average made that a non-factor. That’s what makes him the MVP. Even when one portion of his game isn’t quite there, or a few teammates ride the roller coaster, Gonzalez remains a rock.

Ben Watanabe, 8:40 a.m., Tuesday

If I’m going to be swayed off Pedey, I think I’m liable to take Gonzalez over Ellsbury. Even though center field is a more important position than first base, the MVP should be who has been the best the entire way, as Tony mentioned, not merely the best the last few weeks.

Beckett has absolutely, positively been underrated this season because of his win total. But if Pedro Martinez couldn’t win MVP in 1999, then I’ll go to my grave insisting no pitcher can be MVP ever. I hope Ivan Rodriguez doesn’t display his trophy prominently, because as a catcher he should recognize how dominant Pedro was that season.

I don’t put a whole lot of weight in RBIs or runs scored, since those are too reliant on what sort of team you play for (Jose Bautista might have roughly 326 RBIs if he played for the Rangers or Red Sox), but there’s no denying what his presence in the middle of the lineup and defensively has contributed.

Looks like we’re leaning toward Gonzo. Any objections?

Mike Cole, 11:39 p.m., Tuesday

Fiiiiine. Even though I still think that Beckett is the guy the Sox can least afford to lose at this point and going forward (can someone tell him that by the way? I feel like he’s someone whose good side you want to be on), I think there’s no question that Gonzalez has been the most valuable player for the Sox -– at least in terms of everyday guys.

For me, it comes back to consistency. Gonzalez has been there seemingly every day. Like, seriously. He’s missed, what? Two games all season? The guy shows up to work every single day, and he does his job better than just about everyone else. Speaking as a baseball fan, he’s truly been a pleasure to watch.

However, they don’t give out MVP awards because someone is a pleasure to watch. That said, you can’t argue his run production, even if you don’t believe in RBIs (that’s a debate for another day), and his defense has made everyone around him better – including No. 19.

So there you go. Just before the buzzer sounds, I’m now in the Gonzalez boat. On a related note, we’re gonna need a bigger boat …

Michael Hurley, 8:03 a.m., Wednesday:

A debate for another day? How about right now? AL leaders in RBIs, since 1996: Albert Belle, Ken Griffey Jr., Juan Gonzalez, Manny Ramirez, Edgar Martinez, Bret Boone, Alex Rodriguez, Carlos Delgado, Miguel Tejada, David Ortiz, Ortiz again, A-Rod again, Josh Hamilton, Mark Teixeira, Miguel Cabrera.

National League: Andres Galarraga, Galarraga again, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Todd Helton, Sosa again, Lance Berkman, Preston Wilson, Vinny Castilla, Andruw Jones, Ryan Howard, Matt Holliday, Howard again, Howard once more, Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols.

Jeez, what an awful representation of players. RBI is clearly an incredibly flawed stat if its leaders over the past 15 years include some of the best hitters in the history of baseball. (I’ll give you that Preston Wilson and Vinny Castilla are the anomalies here.)

To take anything away from Gonzalez because of the two batters in front of him is sheer lunacy. The man had 90 RBIs by the end of July. Put David Ortiz in that spot, and he doesn’t have 90 RBIs. Put Josh Hamilton in that spot, and he doesn’t have 90 RBIs. Put Joey Bats there, as Ben suggested, and his .315 average isn’t enough to drive in 92 runs. Sure, he’d see a few more hittable pitches and walk less often, but remember, Gonzalez is “protected” in the lineup by Kevin Youkilis, a guy batting .270 and having a down year in almost every category. It’s not as if Gonzalez is hitting in front of Manny Ramirez in his prime.

Batting third in such a potent lineup obviously increases your RBI opportunities, but when you hit better than .350, you’ve earned every single one of those RBIs.

Wait — we were debating the value of RBIs, right?

Ben Watanabe, 8:17 a.m., Wednesday

We can debate the value of RBIs another day. My point is, nobody who evaluates baseball players even looks at RBIs other than for contextual information. They just don’t care because it’s such a relative stat.

On the actual topic, it looks like we have something of a consensus.

RULING

Although Josh Beckett’s importance as the team’s ace can’t be disputed, Jacoby Ellsbury’s resurgence has made every one of his at-bats the start of a potential rally, and Dustin Pedroia’s impact offensively, defensively and intangibly makes him a fan favorite, the reliability Adrian Gonzalez brings makes him the Red Sox’ MVP. Also: We need a bigger boat.

What do you think of the ruling? Share your opinion in the comments below.

Crowder, one of the league's most notorious trash-talkers, said Tuesday he has decided to call it a career less than two weeks after being cut by the Miami Dolphins. The veteran linebacker made the announcement on WQAM radio, where he has been a talk-show host.

"I know I can still play football," said Crowder, 27. "But I decided to hang it up. Now I'm not worried about icing my knees anymore or getting stingers or concussions. I did it long enough. I played football since I was 9 years old."

That included six NFL seasons, all in Miami, where Crowder developed a reputation as a jester and motormouth. For that reason, he conceded, his announcement might be met with skepticism.

"I'm not making a comeback," he said. "If somebody tells me I don't have to go through training camp and I can come in Week 1 and play — but I don't see it."

After being released by the Dolphins, Crowder said, he tried out with the New England Patriots.

"It was just so weird," he said. "I went to their practice facility to work out, and I ran over the red dummies instead of the orange ones. I was so used to Miami, and I loved Miami so much."

Crowder said several other teams also expressed an interest in signing him, but he and his wife are expecting a baby, and he wants to remain in South Florida.

"I don't want to be jumping from team to team," he said. "Financially we're stable. It's not there. I don't want to go."

Crowder's agent, Joel Segal, said he doesn't anticipate a change of heart.

"I think Channing has made a permanent decision to retire and pursue a career in broadcasting," Segal said. "He's a passionate guy. He loves football. He loved playing for Dolphins. Once that chapter ended, I think he's ready to move on."

Crowder played for the Florida Gators before being drafted by the Dolphins in the third round in 2005. He was a starter for Miami since his rookie season, winning praise for his leadership and toughness while drawing criticism for his failure to make more big plays.

The day after he was released, the Dolphins signed veteran Kevin Burnett as a replacement at inside linebacker.

Last season, Crowder made 33 tackles in 11 games. He missed five games with injuries.

When Crowder was released, Dolphins players said they would miss his yakking, which always kept the locker room loose. He famously feuded with New York Jets coach Rex Ryan.

"A lot of teams we played either hated me or loved me," Crowder said. "You love the stuff I talked, or you hated it because I was talking it to you. But I have friends around the league that enjoyed it. It got me going when I played."

Bird and Mullin are arguably the two greatest shooters in NBA history, and are also members of the original Dream Team. And with Mullin's recent induction to the Hall of Fame, both of them will rightfully live on forever in basketball lore.

But who was the better shooter?

Mullin informed Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle about a legendary shootout between himself and Bird while both were in Barcelona with the Dream Team.

"It was just basic shots — jumpers, bank shots, not like the McDonald's commercial," Mullin said. "I got off nice. After a while I had him by … quite a bit."

Jenkins asked how much Mullin was up by, as each miss tacked on another $100.

"I think I was up like 20 shots. So we're talkin' back and forth (Bird was a legendary trash talker), and he starts coming back. I'm thinking, we could go another 30 minutes. Somebody's gonna win big here.

"Finally, he gets it back to zero," Mullin said, "and he goes, 'I'm out.' Just cut off the game right there."

I'd still have my money on Bird.

Between this epic shootout between two greats and the legendary stories from the inter-squad scrimmages and games against college players, someone needs to release all this Dream Team footage.

I think you know where this one is going.

Keeping in shape and busy, many NBA stars have hit the streetball circuit to help hone their skills while putting on a show for the rambunctious masses.

Watch the video below to see one of the NBA's best young guards humiliate an unsuspecting defender in the Dyckman League in New York City.

Most recently, the first baseball game in New York after Sept. 11, 2001, when Mike Piazza blasted the go-ahead home run that helped lift an entire city and entire nation out of its smoky daze.

Back in 1980, the U.S. men's hockey team defeated what was thought to be an unbeatable Soviet Union squad, doing so with the hope of an entire nation resting squarely on their pads.

And the last one, the one that is remembered the least, is Jesse Owens' display during the 1936 Summer Olympics.

Perhaps that's the curse of the clock, as time passes memories and moments seem to fade. However, what Owens did during those Olympics, in that country, during that time, with that color of skin, is something that will never be reached again.

If you don't know, the 1936 Olympics were used as the Nazi Germany's coming out party, and were the first Olympics to be broadcasted on television. It was the first time the torch was brought to site with a torch relay. Adolf Hitler was hoping to showcase how perfect the Aryan race was, allowing only members of said ethnicity to compete for Germany. Things were going well until Jesse Owens came around.

On Aug. 3, he won the 100-meter. On Aug. 4, he won the long jump. On Aug. 5, he took gold in the 200-meter. And to round it off, he won the 400-meter relay after he was a late addition (the rumor is that Owens and another African-American replaced Sam Stoller and Marty Glickman, the only Jews on the U.S. Olympic team, to save Hitler from further humiliation).

Owens took a myth that an entire nation was taking to be true, and completely shattered it. The fact that he returned to the America and had to race animals to make ends meet is appalling.

To win four gold medals in one summer Olympics is almost unheard of (only Carl Lewis has repeated the performance). But, to do it under those circumstances is what's truly astonishing. Coming from a country that believed you were a second-class citizen is one thing. But going to a country that disagrees with your existence is another story.

Tuesday was the 75th anniversary of Owens helped fourth gold medal of those Games. It's up to us to make sure another 75 years go by with us remembering what he did.

However, beers have been noticeably absent at college football games — which is weird, because college accounts for about 75 percent of the drinking anyone will do in their life.

According to the USA Today, that absence may be no more. A number of universities across the country are changing their alcohol restrictions at games from just the luxury boxes to all in attendance of legal drinking age.

"With the deficits that are being run at some schools getting bigger, you're going to have more and more schools going to it," West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck told the USA Today.

The Mountaineers will be selling beers for all fans of legal age and are "expecting to profit around $1 million."

With athletic budgets getting sliced across all platforms, more and more universities are looking for ways to increase profit. The number of high-profile schools selling beer to regular fans this fall has doubled since last year, from 10 to 20.

Not all colleges are on board with this drinking game, as Iowa athletic director Gary Barta told the USA Today.

"Right, wrong or indifferent, the college model in a vast majority of the stadiums is not to sell beer in a broad way," he said.

The NCAA doesn't have any rules against selling alcohol during its regular season events, but bans the sale and advertising during their 88 championship events.

Some athletic directors think that the sale of alcohol in the stadium will help eliminate the access of drinking before the game and the sneaking in of alcohol to the event itself.

"There's also the thought that you control the alcohol situation better if you're selling within your stadium," Cincinnati's athletics director Mike Thomas told USA Today.

"Rather than people trying to sneak in alcohol, they can buy it in a controlled environment. Does it curb it completely? Probably not, but I'd guess that it's not happening as often."

According to the Los Angeles Times, the city approved the overall framework for financing the $1.2 billion project with a unanimous 12-0 vote. The agreement with stadium developer Anschutz Entertainment Group allows for the demolition and relocation of a section of L.A.'s Convention Center, which would make room to open up a 72,000-seat stadium just south of Staples Center. With the proposed name of Farmers Field, if all goes right construction is slated to be finished in 2016.

"Today, in moving this forward, we don't lose one bit of leverage. We don't lose one bit of control," council president Eric Garcetti told the L.A. Times. "The great suggestions that people make along the way, we can sit down and talk to folks about. But it is time to take the next brave step forward."

That next step is nine months of negotiations with AEG, as they've promised to pay for the construction of the stadium and two parking garages on their own dime.

City officials expect the construction to create 14,000 temporary construction jobs and 6,300 permanent jobs.

One cause for concern are the property owners around the proposed area of the stadium and how traffic and noise would affect the area.

The signing of Leonel Angel Coira stirred up more noise than the $61 million signing of 22-year-old Argentinian Javier Pastore to PSG and Kun Aguero — Diego Maradona's son-in-law — to Manchester City.

Some people were outraged that a club is trying to one-up the competition by signing a player who barely knows how to spell his own name. My guess is those are the same people who think this youngin' is going to be lining up next to Cristiano Ronaldo, ready to take on Barcelona in front of 80,000 people.

Calm down, because if this kid even blossoms into a star, he still won't reach the big boys' pitch until around 16, which is not that rare in the soccer world.

Little Leo's idol, fellow pint-sized Argentine Lionel Messi, was playing club soccer at age 5 for Grandoli, a club that his father coached. In 1995, between the ages of 8 and 9, Messi joined a larger club, Newell's Old Boys, one of the most famous clubs in Argentina. Messi was bought up by Barcelona just a few years later to join their youth program, and premiered in the starting XI at 16.

Another example, English star Wayne Rooney was signed to Everton's premier youth camp at the age of 9 after showcasing tremendous skills in various youth leagues. Rooney flew through their youth leagues, playing in the U-19's at 15 years old, eventually making the first team shortly thereafter.

Coming closer to home, over the weekend, the New England Revolution featured a 16-year-old substitute named Diego Fagundez who shined in a 3-2 loss. Fagundez was brought on in the second half and drew a penalty kick before scoring a goal of his own. He was the first Revs' homegrown player to appear for the team, hailing from Leominster, Mass.

Although 16 is a lot older than seven, if this little Leo has any ounce of potential in him (and if you're getting scouted by Real Madrid before you can find it on a map, you must), then he is in exactly the right place. Name a better place for an aspiring soccer player than one of the most prestigious youth camps in the world.

Still waiting.

That's right, you can't. If it's okay to enroll children into acting at younger ages, then why can't a 7-year-old hone his skills under the watchful eye of Real Madrid. No one is complaining about how the youth camp affected Iker Casillas, Real Madrid's starting goalie and recent World Cup victor, who started in the youth camp at age 9.

It also appears the kid may be a little more mature on the pitch than his age lets on, as he prefers to "provide the pass" rather than score. Go ask your 7-year-old if they'd rather pass or score.

The fact that people are blasting his family for doing this is beyond me. They're giving their child the best opportunity to succeed at what he does, and are helping him along the way. When Coira was discovered by scouts, it was while he was playing for his local youth club team while his father coached.

Sound familiar?

And the family isn't cashing in on their child prodigy, as they receive no compensation from the signing other than "pay for transport."

While the fortunes of little Leo are uncertain, this move sets himself up best to live his dream, which is what we want all children to strive for.

"[My] dream is to meet Messi, play in the first division with Madrid and for Argentina in the World Cup."

He's well on his way.

Proclaimed the "Heart of the Red Sox" by Tom Verducci, Dustin Pedroia appears to defy gravity as he tries to turn two against the New York Yankees on the cover of the Aug. 15 issue of Sports Illustrated.

Since 1988, the Red Sox are the only baseball team to have all nine positions be represented on the cover (11, if you include DH and separate starting pitchers from closers). Catcher Jason Varitek, starters Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez, closer Jonathan Papelbon, first baseman Mo Vaughn, second basemen Pedrioa and Mark Bellhorn, shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, third baseman Wade Boggs, left fielder Manny Ramirez, center fielder Johnny Damon, right fielder Dwight Evans and DH David Ortiz are the Sox players that have been featured.

In the interview, Pedrioa gives some insight to his new nickname: "David [Ortiz] was eating this chicken from the Dominican Republic," he told SI. "I don't know who he got it from. But it was [bleeping] disgusting. So I said, 'I want to be called that.' … [Bleeping] Muddy Chicken…. They started laughing, so they started calling me that. And it was a 16-inning game, and I think there were some cocktails involved in some people's interviews. That's basically it. And then we got back home and, thanks to New Balance, there are boxes of Muddy Chicken T-shirts. I'm like, 'What's wrong with you guys?'"

Take a glimpse at the cover in the picture below.

Oh, and apparently Jay Cutler doesn't care what you think.