I WAS THINKING: LONG TIME COMING; Beaning Big Papi was a hit Sabathia had to give up

That really is an amazing stat. In 597 regular-season at-batsagainst the Yankees, Big Papi has a .307 average with 34 HRs, 124RBIs, 103 runs and 92 walks. David Ortiz has what amounts to atremendous season in his career against New York. But he was neverhit by a pitch? Not even by a curveball that slipped out of the handof any number of the lefty specialists Joe Torre and Joe Girardihave trotted out from the bullpen to face him?

How did it take this long? Pedro Martinez used to use DerekJeter's hands for target practice. The teams are bitter rivals. Theyplay at least 18 games against each other every season. They battlefor the AL East on a regular basis and Ortiz swings for the fencesevery time up. Nobody ever thought to throw inside to him?

Well, someone finally did. And it was rookie reliever HectorNoesi.

The 24-year-old fellow Dominican made Papi jackknife out of theway of a belt-high inside fastball on Tuesday night. The next pitchended up in the right-field bleachers, Papi tossed the bat, twirledto his left and trotted around the bases, pointing to the sky as hetouched home plate.

A.J. Burnett was the starter on Wednesday night. It was a goldenopportunity for a pitcher who is consistently questioned about hisheart, his guts, his ability to battle on the mound.

He should have plunked Papi. Not to try to hurt him. Not even tomove him off the plate. Just to show all the Yankee hitters who havestepped into the batter's box over the past decade -- the ones whohave been pelted by Pedro and beaned by Beckett -- that, you knowwhat, I'm gonna make one of their guys sore for a few days, too. I'mstanding up for my guys.

But he didn't. And if you look at Burnett's makeup, it's notsurprising. But when Noesi missed and Burnett balked, Sabathiastruck. And everyone knew he was gonna do it. That's the type ofbaseball player Sabathia is.

This is the guy who threw seven complete games in 17 starts, withthe last four all coming on three days' rest, to try to get theBrewers into the playoffs in 2008. Everyone, especially Sabathia,knew he was a three-month rental after his trade from Cleveland. Butsaving his arm or trying to prevent an injury -- and potentiallyruining that $160 million contract he was going to sign with theYankees in the offseason -- didn't enter his mind. He pitched hisbutt off. And if you've ever seen him, you know how much pitchingthat took.

- Will the Pittsburgh Pirates someday look back at letting JoseBautista go the same way the Minnesota Twins look back at lettingOrtiz go?

- Register high school softball beat writer Mike Pucci walkedinto the office around 2:30 on Saturday afternoon. Nothing out ofthe ordinary there, if not for the fact that he was supposed to becovering the Class L championship game between Foran and BaconAcademy at DeLuca Field in Stratford.

Even though it hadn't started raining yet, the game was postponedtwo hours before the scheduled first pitch. Only problem, BaconAcademy is located in Colchester, and the Bacon Academy team wasalready in Stratford. The field conditions were bad overnight,didn't change in the morning and weren't going to change in theafternoon. Can we save the Bobcats a three-hour bus trip?

I'll let Pucci take it from here: "They have to move the finalsaway from DeLuca forever, because the field conditions are alwayslousy. Even if there's just a mist, the field floods. I can spit onit and it would flood."

Anything else?

"Great idea for whoever decided to build a field on a swamp andthen host state tournament championship games there."

The game will now be played at 3:30 p.m. on Monday at BiondiField in West Haven. Unfortunately for Bacon Academy, that will beits second three-hour bus trip in three days. More rain is in theforecast for today, but never fear, Pucci says there will definitelybe softball on Monday.

"Biondi Field is always in great shape and has the best groundscrew in the state."

Your move DeLuca.

- I hate to lend creedence by getting involved in a ridiculousargument, but this LeBron James/Michael Jordan stuff needs to stop.Jordan was as fierce a competitor as there ever was. LeBron quit inthe playoffs last season against the Celtics when he was on theCavaliers. LeBron hasn't shown up in the fourth quarter in any gameof this year's finals with the Heat.

Last year there were Internet rumors a teammate was having anaffair with his mom. This year there are Internet rumors another NBAplayer is having an affair with his fiancee.

Whatever is being thrown around on the Internet, and the merit oraccuracy of said gossip, is not the point, LeBron is not mentallytough enough to block it out when he's on the court.

He wants to be liked. It seems like he needs to be liked. Jordandidn't care about being liked. He was arrogant and abrasive in hisHall of Fame speech, years after he retired from playing.

LeBron James quit on his team during the NBA playoffs. That'sinconceivable when thinking about Jordan.

No matter if the Heat win the championship this year, next yearor any year after that, one thing will be certain: LeBron James tookhis talents to South Beach, but Dwyane Wade will bring the titles.

Mike Wollschlager can be reached at mwollschlager@nhregister.com.Follow Mike on Twitter @nhrMikeW. To receive breaking sports newsfirst -- simply text the word "nhsports" to 22700. Standard msg+datarates may apply.