In his three years as the general manager of the dreadful Pittsburgh Pirates, Neal Huntington hasn’t shied away from shocking moves. First was in his inaugural season, shipping off Jason Bay. Then in his second year, sending Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Nate McClouth and Adam LaRoche packing for new cities, new teams and new dreams. Well Huntington has pulled the trigger once again, with what he calls his “Legend Package.”

During a one hour press conference on Fox Sports Pittsburgh, Huntington announced his new plan of action for the organization. Many had no idea what he was referring to and when the plan was revealed, it left the numerous members of the media in Pittsburgh stunned. In what Huntington called, “a deadline deal,” the last place Pirates acquired LW Wayne Gretzy, not sure where he is going to play but they have had similar problems with Lastings Milledge, P Roger Clemens, who will likely be sent to jail for a very long time in the next year and SG Michael Jordan, who in the mid 90s explored a baseball career in the Chicago White Sox organization.

“We feel Gretzky will give us needed depth and a bat to go to in the later innings. I heard he scored alot, runs I believe. He’s about as old as Andy LaRoche, and hey, they both suck so I figured might as well sign him.”

When asked about the Clemens acquisition, Huntington replied, “He can’t be much worse than Ross Olendorf, and he is a fighter, that’s what we need. Come on, the guy has denied steroid use for the past three years, he can handle adversity.” When BtBS attempted to contact Jordan on the situation, Michael had no valuable comment. “The Pirates. Me? No, can’t be possible. I gave up that sport awhile back.”

After a bombardment of criticism from the Pittsburgh media, Huntington stayed strong with his bold move.

“Look, playoff baseball hasn’t been played here since Pamela Anderson was a virgin.”

Huntington would add later, “It’s August 31st!!!!!! Trade Deadline, duh.”

When you’re 33 games out of first place and 44 games under .500 anything is possible. But for Pittsburgh, this is truly shocking. Usually they trade players, not sign them. With a month left in the season, it’ll be very interesting to see how the Bucos do down the stretch with the AARP squad out on the field at PNC Park. “When we win 35 straight games and steal the World Series, I’ll be the one laughing. Neal Huntington. Out” Can’t blame a guy for wanting to win, but Huntington’s plan for success is about as dismal as the Stimulus Package.

• In other National League news, the Cincinnati Reds extended their lead over the St. Louis Cardinals to seven games after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 8-4 in a game where the Cuban Missile Aroldis Chapman came in relief.

• The Chicago Cubs have found their heir apparent to Lou Piniella. Sources tell BtBS that Isiah Thomas has been in contact with the organization about the managerial position. Thomas, who is under contract with the Florida International basketball program, told Behind the Box Score that, “If I can get this job, I will finally be able to complete my masterplan. Operation Knick Destruction.” Not sure how he will be able to accomplish that but this is coming from a man who believed Eddy Curry was the savior for New York basketball.

• Omaha Nighthawks RB Maurice Clarett practiced with his new team today in front of a crowd of seven. Clarett, who served three and a half years in prison in Toledo is excited for his new start. “It’s a blessing. Instead of facing Big Bubba on every down, I’ll face guys with less intention.” Clarett is slated as the no. 2 back behind Ahman Green who is returning from hip replacement surgery.

On the first day of free agency for Major League Baseball, the NL’s best team traded for one of the best pitchers in the league but also took a risk in the process. After failing to acquire Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay before the trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies finally completed a deal with the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays just minutes ago. According to SI.com, Philadelphia dealt the dominant Cliff Lee to Seattle and it is rumored that Halladay will sign an extension in the coming days after indicating his interest in Philadelphia.

The puzzler is why the Phillies would give up Lee, who after going 7-4 in the regular season with the Phils, was as dominant as any pitcher in postseason history, compiling a 4-0 record including Philadelphia’s only wins in the World Series.

The remaining details of the trade has yet to be known but it has been noted that Seattle wanted an ace and got their Christmas wish today. With any big trade, prospects will be involved so look for the Blue Jays to receive younger players as a future movement has apparently been started on Canada’s lone representative. Rumors are that Philadelphia will also receive prospects from Seattle, after the Phillies sent several top prospects to Cleveland last August for Lee.

With Halladay, 31, consistency has been his mantra and with a 17-10 record last season with a 2.79 ERA including nine shutouts, the product on the mound won’t change for the NL’s champs. Lee, on the otherhand has been shaky throughout his career, but as of late has been arguably the best pitcher in baseball. Looking to take down the New York Yankees, two of the MLB’s best teams made a splash today. With the aforementioned Halladay heading to Philly, the Yanks’ arch rival Boston Red Sox signed RHP John Lackey to a five year deal. Whether on not Halladay will be more effective than Lee remains to be seen but for now this trade is a big time blockbuster in a rather quiet off-season.

After Brett Favre signed with the Vikes on Tuesday, another old-timer signed a contract, this time in baseball however. John Smoltz signed a deal with the NL-Central leading St. Louis Cardinals, after being with the Red Sox for the beginning of the year, going 2-5 with an 8.33 ERA. “He had very little demands,” Cards GM John Mozeliak said about the 42-year old Smoltz. “He had no demands. From everything he had heard about this club, he was excited to take this opportunity. The reason for the start was just to get him work and know what we have.”

The Cards have already added to their lineup earlier this summer, getting Matt Holliday from the A’s for minor league prospects. This time, the money won’t ever be much of a problem, with the Red Birds only giving him ML minimum 100,000 for the rest of the year. He will most likely come in being the 5th starter for St. Louis (68-53), who is 6 games up on second place Chicago (60-57).

The other MLB news that is going down is a deal to bring the ex-Brewer Bill Hall to the Mariners. Hall had been given the deadly designation for assignment, about a week ago, which gave Milwaukee until friday to do something with him. The other end of the deal for the Brewers had them recieve minor league pitcher Ruben Flores. The Brewers will pay Hall’s contract this year, and most of his contract for 2010.

Even a month after he admitted to taking Andro from 1998 to 2004, he still is taking some drugs on the days he pitches, and some on off days. According to a USA Today report, he said that, “I have a lot of guys in the locker room who think I’m out of my mind because I’m taking a lot of things not on the approved list. I take 10 to 12 different things a day, and on the days I pitch, there’s four more things. There’s a caffeine drink I take from a company that Curt Schilling introduced me to in ’05. I take some Korean ginseng and a few other proteins out there that are not certified. But I haven’t failed any tests, so I figured I’m good.”

*Warning, Comedy Corner/Rant Upcoming*

I mean really? You take some type of PEDs before every time you pitch? The numbers don’t really show that. You are 10-11, and 10 of your 23 starts you have given up 5 ER or more. Not to mention the games you must have lost your pills and forgot where you left them at your house, when you got rocked for 9 ER, twice, only one time you had somehow made it through five innings. Could you somehow have not gotten those drugs across the Canada-US border when you got crushed for 10 ER in ONE INNING? I thought taking still illegal PEDs would help you get more speed on that fastball, or more turn on the curveball. But I guess the ball just flies 600 feet out of the yard no matter if you do take your drugs or not.

Oh, I’ll leave you with a nice quote all you Manny lovers. “I can see where guys like Hank Aaron and some of the old-timers have a beef with it. But as far as looking at Manny Ramirez like he’s serial killer Ted Bundy, you’re out of your mind. At the end of the day, you think anybody really cares whether Manny Ramirez’s kidneys fail and he dies at 50?

A week after David Ortiz’s positive test in 2003 was released, Ortiz decided to speak on the issue. Expected to give a testimony similar to Alex Rodriguez, Ortiz told the public, he has “no idea how I tested positive, I have never taken steroids.” Denial is a common theme with many steroid users and we will never know who is telling the truth.

 For many users, you can believe both ways whether they juiced or not, due to the stats they put up before the news of their positive test. Barry Bonds, yeah he took steroids but he was still hitting home runs before he allegedly using. Manny Ramirez, yes he was also hitting home runs before 2003.

David Ortiz, who? Did anyone know “Big Papi,” prior to ’03? With a lack of power and a weight issue, the Minnesota Twins released the newfound slugger after the 2002 season. In six seasons with Minnesota, Ortiz hit 50 home runs, yes throughout his entire tenure. That’s an average of 8.33 per season, and in 2003 during the first half, Ortiz had only four home runs. After the break was the turning point, in less than 100 games, Big Papi pounded out 27 jacks to end the year on 31.

Interesting right? How can you go from hitting 8 a season to 27 in one half? How can that be when Ortiz tested positive the year he had his “breakout” season? With numerous media outlets backing the Boston star, someone had to step up and bring some evidence to the table. At the age of 33, Ortiz has hit 246 home runs with Boston, four times the amount he averaged in Minnesota. During his hot streak, Ortiz was in his prime but a jump similar to his is just beyond belief. An unnamed scientist may have said his theory is “possible” but with the evidence shown, we all know what was going on.

 Two years removed from the Spygate scandal, another Boston sports team is corrupt and it’s about time somebody told the truth. Ortiz juiced and everybody knows it, but the mythical “Red Sox Nation,” refuses to believe it when the evidence is there, just give up the 2004 ring and quite possibly the ’07 ring, for most teams in Major League Baseball do it the right way, Boston in an 86 year drought decided to turn to steroids and the truth is coming out. Ortiz was roided so was Manny and it remains to be seen what will come from a trio of teams in Boston that hit more home runs than ever and won games because it.

Starting with the offensive attack, Mark Teixeira lead out the charge, going 2-4 with a HR and another RBI. Teixeira’s home run came at the right time, with the Yankees deadlocked 2-2, only two pitches removed from Johnny Damon’s HR to tie it. Daniel Bard hung a high curveball that Tex punished deep into the New York night. That would prove to be the game winner as the Yankees piled on two more runs in the inning to take a commanding 5-2 lead, a three run lead that Mariano Rivera would not give up, picking up his 32nd save on the season.

The starting pitching for each team was phenomenal as Andy Pettitte and Jon Lester duked it out. Pettitte threw seven scoreless innings, only allowing five hits but striking out four. Lester, who coming into the game was 2-0 in three decisions against the Yankees, also threw seven strong, allowing a run on five hits, striking out seven. For New York, just to get Lester out of the game with a lead was key, as the Bronx Bombers torched the bullpen for four runs in just one inning, a bullpen hurting from the loss of Justin Masterson, a lights out pitcher in the Cleveland pen who was dealt for Victor Martinez. Martinez on the other hand has been struggling as of late, only going 1-4 last night to drop his average to .286. Martinez did homer off of Phil Coke in the eighth which gave the Sox a temporary lead, but was quickly taken away with the superhero antics of Johnny Damon and Teixeira.

Now holding a 6.5 game lead of the Red Sox, the Yankees can relatively “cruise” into the playoffs if they can continue to play ball at their current level and use the advantages of Yankee Stadium. For Boston, they will need to step up as the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays are hot on their tail. Texas is a half game back and Tampa is only two and a half. Boston’s next series is with Texas, a team that took two out of three last time they played. With their best pitchers going down in New York, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buccholz, Texas could use their big bats to slid into the Wild Card slot. Tampa, a team that owns the Sox as of late could also make a big push. In baseball, anything is possible so it remains to be seen what the rest of the season holds for both teams.

For a city that never sleeps, the Yankee pitching put the Boston bats to rest early in the series and the results showed as the Bronx Bombers took all four games. So Sox fans, watch out the rest of the season. When you thought that you couldn’t beat Tampa but could always rely on New York, that is no longer the case as the Yankees just destroyed you. Hope for Victor to play like he did in Cleveland or the season may end early for the Ped Sox.

The New York lineup came alive for the third straight game this series, picking up five runs on nine hits. Robinson Cano carried out the strongest attack, going 3-4 and improving his batting average to .314, incredible for a seven hole hitter. Derek Jeter homered in the eighth inning, his 12th on the year and also picked up RBI’s 43 and 44. Mark Teixeira was 1-3 while picking up two walks and bringing in a run, his 82nd RBI on the season, only strengthining his case for AL MVP. On the contrary, Alex Rodriguez continue to struggle, going 0-4, a night after his walk off HR to bring the Yankees home with a win. The best performance by far from anyone on the team was CC Sabathia.

Sabathia, who reached the eighth inning in a 7.2 inning performance giving up two hits while striking out nine and only walking two. Phil Hughes threw the rest of the inning, not allowing a hit and David Robertson cleaned up the ninth inning, allowing two hits but not surrendering a run. The Yankees played their best series at the right time, and if they can continue to play at their current level, they will win the AL East and will make a trip to the World Series. For Boston, steroid allegations loom and the aura of Fenway is no longer there as the tides have turned in Major League Baseball’s toughest division.

In addition to Zach’s post earlier about the Red Sox possibly being tainted, another person thinks his name may show up on the list. Bronson Arroyo, who said that he would “not be surprised” if his name showed up on the list of the 104 MLB players that tested positive in 2003. Two other names, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez were released yesterday. “But guys like David and Manny, if they did something, it didn’t make them who they were. Did it make them a little better? Probably.” Bronson said. Also, he would not share any other information, that anything that happened wouldn’t go past the clubhouse doors.

Arroyo said he got his start in taking PED’s after being with the Pirates in 1998, in which he took androstenedione, banned in 2004. “Andro made me feel great, I felt like a monster. I felt like I could jump and hit my head on the basketball rim.” He gave up Andro after the banning. “Before 2004, none of us paid any attention to anything we took. Now they don’t want us to take anything unless it’s approved. But back then, who knows what was in stuff? The FDA wasn’t regulating stuff, not unless it was killing people or people were dying from it.”