Timlin in the 8th ... Mike Timlin signed a one-year contract for $2.5 million; it also includes a $2.75 million option for 2005 if he makes 50 appearances next season. ... Speaking of the pen, Theo Epstein said: "I still think the dominant reliever should pitch at the end of the game. But he shouldn't be saved for the ninth inning. He can be used in the eighth inning and should be used in tie games because those are the most critical innings. I just believe the best pitcher should pitch the most important innings." ... The Sox are apparently asking about Kelvim Escobar.

The 911 Commission will allow the White House to edit its intelligence reports before allowing two Commission members to see them and make notes. The White House will review those notes before they can be shared with the other members. After threatening the White House with a subpoena for the president's daily briefings, the cowardly Commission backed down (the two chairmen disagree). Committe member Tim Roemer: "This report [the August 6, 2001 briefing] could prove there was no warning; there was no smoking gun provided to the president. ... And he won't provide access to these things." ... The Bush administration, in actively working against any investigation of 9/11 and now refusing to fully comply with the Commission, is demonstrating that its political viability is more important than learning as much as possible about the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. Bill Harvey, whose wife died in the attacks, voted for Bush (and twice voted for Bush's father): "He's obfuscated this investigation from Day One. I just don't understand why ... he's not interested in investigating how this was able to happen."