John Lackey RUMORS & NEWS

Boston Herald "A decade ago, John Lackey and Joe Maddon developed a close relationship as pitcher and bench coach, respectively, with the Angels. Times have changed. Pitching for the Red Sox here Monday night, Lackey touched off a dugouts-clearing dustup in the sixth inning against the Maddon-managed Rays..." June 11

ESPN Boston "Through his first three years in Boston, it would have been tough to classify John Lackey as anything other than a disappointment. The right-hander, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the team before the 2010 season, had a 4.40 ERA in his first season -- which ballooned to 6.01 in..." May 20

Boston Herald "Thunderstorms drowned John Lackey’s shot yesterday at completing one of the finest starts as a member of the Red Sox. On the bright side, though, two things did happen. One, the Red Sox won, which meant Lackey doubled his win total to two in his increasingly intriguing and promising..." May 20

CSN New England "John Lackey was activated from 22 days on the disabled list to start the homestand finale against the Astros on Sunday. It would be just his second start of the season, and just his second start since Sept. 25, 2011. The Red Sox were unsure of what they could expect from him. Four, five innings,..." April 29

Boston Globe "Mike Napoli has known John Lackey a long time. They played together in Anaheim from 2006-09, when Napoli caught him 61 times (for a 3.63 ERA). They are now on the Red Sox, and with Napoli now a first baseman, their interaction is a bit different. But Napoli doesn’t forget what his old..." April 29

Boston Herald "Will the fourth time be the charm for John Lackey and the Red Sox? Actually, as Take 4 of the Lackey era starts this afternoon, the better question might be is Lackey healthy for the first time since he came to Boston in 2010? The answer just might be yes, which finally could make this..." April 28

Boston Globe "After leaving his first start with tightness in his right biceps and being placed on the 15-day disabled list earlier this week, Red Sox pitcher John Lackey will begin a throwing program Tuesday, said manager John Farrell. "The symptoms have subsided," Farrell said. "So any kind of range of..." April 15

WEEI Boston "The Red Sox placed right-hander John Lackey on the 15-day disabled list due to his right biceps strain. With right-hander Alfredo Aceves moving from the bullpen into the rotation, the Sox reinforced their relief corps by calling up right-hander Alex Wilson, who will be in the majors for the first..." April 10

Boston Herald "John Lackey appeared relaxed, almost carefree, as he made his way to the field before the Red Sox opened Fenway Park yesterday. So far, as least, the medical report on his right arm is as positive as can be. An MRI administered Sunday revealed only inflammation, “not any detection of a..." April 09

Boston Herald "John Farrell neither crossed his fingers nor held his breath. But as the Red Sox left for a flight home last night, the manager was anxiously awaiting results of right-hander John Lackey’s MRI exam. Indications, however, were that Lackey felt better than on Saturday, when he left his start in..." April 08

Boston Herald "So far, the news on John Lackey continues to be as positive as the Red Sox could have hoped. An MRI administered Sunday revealed inflammation, but "not any detection of a tear," in Lackey's right biceps, according to manager John Farrell. As such, the Sox have not made a decision about whether..." April 08

CBSSports.com "Red Sox right-hander John Lackey left Saturday's start against the Blue Jays with an apparent arm injury. He was making his first start since September 2011 after having Tommy John surgery. Lackey, 34, left the game immediately with his right arm hanging by his side. He was in obvious pain and..." April 06

Boston Herald "John Lackey couldn’t fool himself yesterday, but he did fool more than a few future Tampa Bay Rays. Although many of the young kids who stepped into the batter’s box to face him left wondering what kind of pitch that was they’d just missed, Lackey couldn’t fool himself into thinking that facing..." March 27

NESN "John Lackey is becoming more than just a “work in progress.” Lackey has made strides in each of his spring training starts. Even when the stat line hasn’t been all that impressive, the Red Sox have at least been able to hang their hats on Lackey’s continued development as he battles back from..." March 22

Boston Herald "The difference between John Lackey pre- and post-surgery needn’t always be presented as an abstraction. There are very tangible ways in which Lackey feels like a new pitcher, and one of them was on display yesterday against the Tampa Bay Rays. On a number of occasions, Lackey spotted his..." March 11

NESN "John Lackey ran into some third-inning trouble and wasn’t exactly overpowering, but the right-hander once again took another step forward in his fourth start of the spring on Sunday. Lackey allowed two runs on four hits, walked one and struck out two while throwing 66 pitches in 3 2/3 innings...." March 11

Boston Herald "Facing a real lineup with something to play for, John Lackey last night provided the strongest evidence yet that his return remains on target. With Puerto Rico in town to prepare for the World Baseball Classic, Lackey faced a lineup with big league regulars Angel Pagan, Alex Rios, Carlos..." March 06

Boston Herald "John Lackey got through his second start of spring training without any physical issues, and he introduced his breaking ball to his repertoire. That in itself was far more important to the Red Sox and Lackey than the three-run home run he gave up in his second inning of what turned into a 16-6..." March 01

Boston Herald "John Lackey smiled. John Lackey laughed. John Lackey made us wonder if we were living in The Matrix. Was this the same guy who basically created a new verb (“to surl”) while ensuring no one could see the side of him that makes him universally loved by teammates, even if it meant being reviled..." February 24

Boston Herald "When the Red Sox open their spring training schedule here tomorrow, it may seem like just another ho-hum exhibition in the Florida sun. Don’t tell that to John Lackey. “I’ve been fired up for this for over a year, absolutely,” said Lackey, who will start against the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue..." February 22

Boston Herald "Having spent most of the offseason transforming his body, John Lackey insists he’s now ready to alter his mindset, too. “I feel like it’s my first year in the big leagues again,” he said yesterday. Sixteen months removed from surgery, Lackey has a rebuilt right elbow and another chance to..." February 15

CSN New England "John Lackey's not one for pronouncements. So as he begins his fourth season in a Red Sox uniform, he's not declaring this a makeover, or a comeback, or anything of the sort. It doesn't seem to matter that Lackey is noticeably trimmer -- manager John Farrell said the pitcher's lost 17 pounds,..." February 15

ESPN.com "Pitcher Jon Lester, for one, hopes that John Lackey's days as Boston’s DH --designated heavy -- can come to an end after three years of being pilloried as a lousy pitcher and a worse person. “I’m always encouraged by Lackey,’’ Lester said. “People don’t understand how happy-go-lucky he..." February 12

Over The Monster "It's the most annoying headline of the offseason: "_____ is in the best shape of his career." It comes when the well runs dry in terms of signings and trades, when there's nothing to do but count down the days until pitchers and catchers report. This year, the player whose shape we've heard the..." February 07

Boston Globe "To fans, John Lackey is the most unpopular player on the Red Sox. There is no second place; that’s how much of a landslide it is. Lackey is an expensive free agent who didn’t meet expectations, a quick path to getting booed at Fenway Park. His ill-tempered answers and dismissive gestures to..." February 06

Boston Herald "Perhaps it was a good thing that Red Sox manager John Farrell recently traveled to Dallas to visit with John Lackey. Otherwise, he may not have recognized the big right-hander. Reached by phone yesterday as he prepared to leave today for Fort Myers, Farrell said Lackey has lost at least 10..." February 01

Boston Herald "As we try to envision exactly how the heck the Red Sox [team stats] will contend next year, here's a name worth remembering: John Lackey. The 33-year-old right-hander has been the invisible man for most of the season, which he has spent rehabbing from November Tommy John surgery. Lackey is..." September 20

Boston Herald "John Lackey's long journey back to the mound is nearing an end. After throwing live batting practice again yesterday at Tropicana Field, Lackey has been scheduled to pitch an intrasquad game in Fort Myers on Sunday, his "last duty of the year," according to Red Sox [team stats] manager Bobby..." September 19

Boston Herald "John Lackey threw batting practice yesterday at Fenway Park. Cue the jokes. All kidding aside, it was a significant milestone in Lackey's comeback from Tommy John elbow surgery nearly 11 months ago and the first step to a potential appearance for the often-criticized right-hander under game..." September 09

Boston Herald "Mike Tyson's punching bags absorbed fewer blows than John Lackey last year. The right-hander could do no right during the most trying year of his life. On the field, he stunk, posting the highest ERA in Red Sox history before being listed as an accomplice in the beer and fried chicken scandal...." February 21

New York Daily News "While they would never admit it, you have to think the Yankees got a shiver when they heard Tuesday that Boston's John Lackey will miss all of 2012 due to Tommy John surgery, news that could make the winter as sticky as a humid summer for the Yankees. After all, increasing the Red Sox's need..." October 27

Boston Herald "If the Red Sox fall apart in 2012, fans won't have one of their favorite targets to blame. New general manager Ben Cherington dropped a bombshell during his introductory press conference yesterday, disclosing that right-hander John Lackey will undergo Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow..." October 26

Boston Globe "New Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said today that pitcher John Lackey will have Tommy John surgery and miss the 2012 season. Lackey had elbow soreness during the season, and recently saw a specialist, Dr. Lewis Yocum. "John Lackey will go ahead and have Tommy John surgery,"..." October 26

Boston Herald "A few random Red Sox observations as we await the transition from Theo Epstein to Ben Cherington, which will signal the actual start of the offseason: • Here's one that will come as a shock to Red Sox fans. If you were to poll the clubhouse over who's the best teammate among beleaguered..." October 21

Boston Herald "Given the circumstances, it was arguably the best start of the season for John Lackey. But he had no interest in discussing it. After Jacoby Ellsbury's three-run homer gave the Red Sox a had-to-have-it, 7-4, 14-inning victory in the finale of a doubleheader last night at Yankee Stadium,..." September 26

Boston Herald "The Red Sox [team stats]' injury list continues to pile up. Yesterday, both Kevin Youkilis [stats] and Erik Bedard were in Boston receiving treatment on their new injuries, and then John Lackey was knocked out of his start early last night. Youkilis received an injection to..." September 10

Boston Globe "John Lackey hasn't justified his $82.5 million contract, a mission that probably never will be accomplished. But for seven weeks this summer, his pitching helped stabilize the Red Sox rotation. The righthander had won seven games, compiling a 4.11 ERA, just slightly above the league average...." September 05

New York Daily News "The Red Sox insist they were not trying to hit Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli with the first pitch of the seventh inning, a play that brought both teams out of their dugouts and bullpens. But after the way he celebrated his fifth-inning home run, they weren't all that disappointed it..." August 31

Boston Herald "From a distance, Texas Rangers infielder Michael Young had a two-word reaction last month when he heard the Red Sox [team stats] traded for left-hander Erik Bedard. Great move. Everyone knows solid pitching is paramount to a long postseason run, and the way Young sees it, the trade-deadline..." August 29

Boston Herald "Ladies and gentlemen, your Game 3 starter — John Lackey. Words that once sounded borderline vomitous are becoming mildly palatable. Lackey may never be the guy the Red Sox [team stats] thought they were getting when they signed him to an $82.5 million free agent contract two winters ago. But..." August 24

Boston Globe "That John Lackey is waiting for him in the clubhouse every day to go outside and play catch still amazes Josh Beckett, even all these months later. Because there were so many days he expected that wouldn't be the case. "I tell the guy every day that he's my hero for sticking it out and being..." August 16

Boston Globe "The Red Sox will send one of their hottest starters to the mound against the Mariners tonight. Believe it or not, it's John Lackey. The righthander is 5-0 with a 3.58 ERA in his last six starts and is facing a team he historically has pitched well against. Lackey is 14-10 with a 3.53 ERA in..." August 13

Boston Globe "Terry Francona said that for the first few innings tonight, it looked the Red Sox were still enjoying their day off. Seattle took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and led 4-2 after four innings. But despite a lineup that had to be changed when Kevin Youkilis and Marco Scutaro were scratched..." August 13

Boston Herald "There's been no fanfare at all, but John Lackey has emerged as a force for the Red Sox. Just in time, too. The Red Sox are such obvious locks to make the playoffs, the focus on them is beginning to soften. The air conditioning does not need to be on all the time, the Patriots are getting..." August 12

Boston Globe "Red Sox fans probably have found it easy to forget that John Lackey once won the deciding game of a World Series, made the All-Star Game, and led the American League in earned run average. Some of the games he pitched earlier this season may not indicate it, but the Sox did not sign him to a..." August 07

Boston Herald "Give John Lackey all the due in the world for the way he pitched yesterday at Fenway Park. With every sign pointing in favor of the Yankees and CC Sabathia, Lackey delivered the type of start that was good enough to make his many doubters admit they were wrong. Lackey came up big, and even..." August 07

New York Daily News "In the middle of Saturday's game, the Yankees and Red Sox seemed headed for one of their marathon slugfests in which liners thwack off the Green Monster all afternoon and runners sprint around the Fenway bases. Turns out, only the Red Sox got to double digits in runs in their 10-4 victory...." August 07

Boston Herald "John Lackey came out of the gate last night and pitched like an ace for three innings. But by the time he walked off the mound in the middle of the seventh, he had reverted back to the same old Lackey who too often has given up too many hits and too many runs. The turnaround was as abrupt as..." August 02