Quotes.. Doug Mientkiewicz said leaving the Twins clubhouse was "the toughest 12-foot walk I've ever had to make. ... My best friend's college apartment, you saw the Citgo sign from his window. I love playing in Fenway. I'm looking forward to playing with the white uniform on."

Theo: "We're deep into the season now and as much as I like our club, as much as I'm responsible for it, I thought there was a flaw on the club that we couldn't allow to become a fatal flaw. The defense on this team was not of championship caliber. We might have gotten to the postseason but in my mind we were not going to win a World Series with our defense the way it was. ... What we've done today is lose a great player. But what we've also done is made our club a more functional club. We acquired two very good major league players who do some things well that we're not very good at. We need to be able to win low-scoring games in October, when things like defense take on greater importance."

Red Sox players react and say goodbye; Scott Williamson and others in Pawtucket; Bob Ryan was with the Yankees.

Stories in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. Another Sun-Times piece quotes Nomar: "If it was in my control, I'd still be wearing a Red Sox uniform because it's the place I know, I love." Bullshit. He had the chance to resign twice (4 years at $60 last fall and then at $48 over the winter) and turned them both down. Will someone please call him on this crap?