…Curt Schilling could be pitching for the Red Sox in the post season, well that’s if they would’ve allowed his doctor to operate on his shoulder last winter. This is coming from Schilling’s doctor Craig Morton.

“If the [team] would have let me do the surgery in January, he’d probably be pitching in the playoffs now,” Morgan said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

…According to a Associated Press report the San Diego Padres are downplaying a report that owner John Moores would sell his 49% of the Padres are part of his divorce to wife Becky.

“Obviously, since the Padres are part of the community estate, the matter of the Padres will need to be addressed as part of the divorce proceedings,” the team said in a statement released in response to the report by NBC 7/39.

“No decision regarding the Padres has been made, and the divorce proceedings are the subject of confidential mediation. Neither John Moores nor the Padres will have any further comment on the report.”

…When the Boston Red Sox take the field tonight for Game 1 of the ALCS in St. Petersberg, center fielder Mark Kotsay will be manning first base. With Mike Lowell out of the remainder of the playoffs manager Terry Francona has decided to move regular first baseman Kevin Youkillis across the diamond to third base meaning that Mark Kotsay who was aquired by trade in August will man first.

“At first base, you’re 110 feet from guys like (lefty) Cliff Floyd,” Kotsay said. “I’d prefer to be 220 feet away, because there is more reaction time.”

“I’ve watched enough good first basemen to know how to make the smart play as opposed to the aggressive one,” he said. “I hope I feel natural over there. Getting comfortable comes with repetition.”

I’m still a little confused why you’d start a guy that’s only played a grand total of 34 games at first base when you’ve got Sean Casey sitting on your bench,  who as luck might have it is a first baseman by trade.

…According to Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star the Blue Jays wont be able to talk contract terms with pitcher AJ Burnett until November. It’s pretty much a done deal that Burnett opts out of his contract and takes a gamble with the free agent market. Here’s what his agent Darek Braunecker had to say.

“He’s got till fifteen days after the World Series (to decide on the opt-out),” Braunecker said. “I don’t know if it should or would take all fifteen days to make that decision. If he does so, it’s probably going to be sooner rather than later.”