The Boston Globe
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Pauley to start as Wells goes on DL
By Chris Snow, Globe Staff
May 31, 2006

TORONTO -- One day in March, as David Wells pitched in a mock game at the Sox'
minor league complex, Double A righthander David Pauley sat behind the backstop
charting Wells's pitches as a favor to the coaches. Tonight, he will be taking
Wells's turn in the rotation, without so much as a single appearance above
Double A Portland.

"Pure excitement," the 22-year-old Colorado native said yesterday. "Obviously, I
was shocked at first. It took me a few minutes to come down and realize what was
going on. Biggest point in my life."

To activate Pauley (2-3, 2.39 ERA in 10 starts with Portland), the Sox will put
Wells on the disabled list today with a right knee contusion, ruling him out of
pitching Tuesday at Yankee Stadium and ruling him out of anything until at least
June 11 vs. Texas.

"That's the next thing we're shooting for," said manager Terry Francona.

Wells, who was struck in the knee by a line drive last Friday, did not go on the
DL until now, Francona said, "because he was giving it such a good shot to try
to pitch."

When Francona suggested the DL yesterday, Wells "wasn't giving me any argument,"
the manager said. "I said to him, `Seems to me that if you thought you could
pitch you'd be yelling at me.' And he says, `Yeah.' So it made it painfully
obvious to me that that was the move to make.

"How he comes through [this period of time] will be telling."

In going with Pauley, the Sox dipped into Double A for a starter for the first
time since calling up Abe Alvarez in July 2004. Alvarez, who is 5-1 with a 2.78
ERA for Pawtucket, could have been summoned to pitch today on normal rest. But
the decision-makers didn't want to use a soft-throwing lefthander against a
Toronto lineup stacked with righthanded power.

"We didn't want to rush a lefty in to face Toronto," Francona said.

Francona said of Pauley, "We didn't think it would bother his progression. We
have a day off the next day. It's not like he has to go eight. And hopefully
some unfamiliarity with him will get him through. We think he can handle a start
or two or whatever it ends up being."

A second start would fall Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, though it's hard to see the
Sox thrusting Pauley into that setting. Pauley is widely regarded as a fringe
fifth starter in the big leagues with average to below-average arm strength, a
scouting report he probably wouldn't dispute.

"When I first got drafted [eighth round in 2001 by San Diego], I was basically
an average guy -- four-seamers at 88 to 90 [m.p.h], curveball was inconsistent,
and below-average changeup," he said.

After being dealt to the Sox in December 2004 with Jay Payton and Ramon Vazquez
for Dave Roberts, Pauley morphed into a sinkerball pitcher. He said he throws
sinkers about 85 percent of the time, usually at 86-91 m.p.h.

"My changeup has come a long way," he said. "And I have my curveball, too, as a
strikeout pitch. And I can get ahead with it."

Pauley said he's thankful to have started an exhibition game April 1 at Citizens
Bank Park in Philadelphia, and he's somewhat thankful to have struggled (4 IP, 8
H, 5 R, including a three-run homer by Chase Utley).

"If I hadn't pitched there I probably wouldn't know what was going on now," he
said. "It's a pretty significant jump."

Francona said he did not even ask his player development people whether there
was a possibility of starting Craig Hansen. Hansen, who is 0-1 with a 1.54 ERA
in three starts with Pawtucket, would be pitching on three days' rest if he were
called upon.

"I've tried to stay away from asking questions besides, `How's he doing?' "
Francona said. ``When he's ready, they'll let us know. Then we can decide what
role he's best suited for here."

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Canon Inc. said on Thursday that it would consider
halting development of new film cameras as it focuses resources on digital
models, the latest sign of the rapidly fading role of film in photography.

A spokesman at Canon, the world's largest digital camera maker, said it would
consider whether it needs to continue developing both compact and single lens
reflex (SLR) film models because the markets for both are shrinking.

Canon said it would continue to produce and sell existing models and make a
final judgment on the business in the future while monitoring market demand.

Canon's statement follows an announcement earlier this year by rival Nikon Corp.
that it would stop producing most of its film cameras, expect for a few
professional products.

Konica Minolta Holdings Inc., meanwhile, has said it would exit the camera and
photo film markets, where it has been losing money amid stiff competition and
weak demand.

The photographic film and film camera markets have been shrinking rapidly in the
past few years due to the rising popularity of digital cameras, which can take
and store photos without the need for film.

8:00 My Name Is Earl
8:30 The Office
9:00 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
10:00 ER

O.J. Pulls White Bronco Prank on 'Juiced'
The Associated Press
Friday, May 12, 2006; 2:04 AM

LOS ANGELES -- In a scene from his new candid-camera program "Juiced," O.J.
Simpson pulls a prank involving the infamous white Bronco, drawing criticism
from the family of a man he was accused of killing.

As part of the pay-per-view show, Simpson pretends to sell the Bronco at a used
car lot and boasts to a prospective buyer that he made the vehicle famous,
according to a segment aired Thursday on "Inside Edition."

"It was good for me _ it helped me get away," Simpson said, referring to the
slow-speed, televised police chase that preceded his 1994 arrest on charges of
murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

Goldman's father, Fred, told "Inside Edition" he found Simpson's comment
"morally reprehensible."

Simpson was acquitted of murder. A civil jury later held him liable for the
deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million to the Brown and Goldman families.

Much of that judgment remains unpaid.

"Any money that he makes, I hope, will go to satisfy the multimillion dollar
judgment made against him in the civil case," said Brown family attorney Gloria
Allred.

The hour-long program is airing on pay-per-view this month, and a DVD offering
uncensored material will be made available soon, "Juiced" executive producer
Rick Mahr told The Associated Press.

Other practical jokes include Simpson disguised as an Elvis impersonator, a
vagabond selling oranges for money and an elderly man leading a Bingo game.

Simpson was not paid for the program, Mahr said.

"Basically O.J. Simpson has decided to do this because he wants to do it, and he
wanted to have fun with it," Mahr said.

©2006 The Associated Press

Apple's iTunes starts selling Fox TV shows
50 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes has started to sell episodes
of shows from News Corp.'s Fox television network, the latest major U.S. TV
network to reach a deal with Apple's Internet download service.

Shows including "24" and "Prison Break," as well as FX Network shows such as
"The Shield," were available on the download service on Tuesday morning, at
$1.99 per episode.

iTunes has also started to sell episodes of older series, such as "Buffy the
Vampire Slayer" and "Lost in Space."

The three other major networks, including Walt Disney's ABC, General Electric's
NBC, and CBS Corp. already sell shows on iTunes. They also redistribute some
programming via other means over the Internet, including their own Web sites.

Networks are pursuing the younger generation wherever members get their
entertainment, which is more often on the go with devices such as the iPod from
Apple. ITunes allows downloads for watching on the computer or on an iPod.

James Gianopulos, co-chairman of News Corp.'s Fox Filmed Entertainment, in
December told the Reuters Media and Advertising Summit that Fox would be open to
a deal with iTunes.

Star Wars fan Philip Wise has purchased a home-video copy of George Lucas'
seminal sci-fi film six times--"seven, including the Beta edition"--and he's not
done yet. Because Lucas isn't done yet.

Repeatedly released in various formats during the past 29 years, the 1977
theatrical version of Lucas' Star Wars will be issued on home video again, but
for the first time on DVD, on Sept. 12, LucasFilm announced Thursday.

The theatrical versions of 1980's The Empire Strikes Back and 1983's Return of
the Jedi, Star Wars' companion movies from the original trilogy, also will make
their DVD debuts on that date.

Thus far, only Lucas' recut and digitally repopulated "special edition" versions
of the three trailblazing films have been available on DVD. Having taken the
keeper of the Force at his word when he said the special editions were his final
word on the movies, Wise, the Webmaster of the leading Star Wars fan site,
TheForce.net, called Thursday's announcement a "big surprise."

The films' original cuts will be sold separately in "attractively priced"
two-disc sets that will include the movies' respective special-edition versions
which, in true Lucasonian fashion, have been issued on DVD multiple times in
recent years. According to Lucasfilm, "attractively priced" works out to $29.95
per package.

"Over the years, a truly countless number of fans have told us they would love
to see and own the original versions that they remember experiencing in
theaters," Lucasfilm and LucasArts executive Jim Ward said in a statement.

Wise agrees that Jedi followers have been vocal about wanting the original
Star Wars movies, in their original forms, on DVD.

"[The fans were telling Lucas,] 'You've been taking our money for 30 years, so
why not take it again, because this time we want you to take it,'" says Wise.

Indeed, Lucas has taken in quite a bit of money from the completist fan. Last
year, Forbes estimated that Lucas' Star Wars empire has generated more than $20
billion in sales, no small chunk of which is likely due to home video.

Made at the right time, at the dawn of the VCR, Star Wars has been released and
rereleased so many times in so many different formats and versions that a
StarWars.com history of the franchise on home video runs more than 3,000 words,
beginning with the 1977 release of clips from the original movie on Super 8
film, and ending in 2002, before the special editions of Star Wars, Empire and
Jedi were issued in a four-DVD box set in 2004, and then issued again in a
three-DVD box set in 2005.

To date, the complete, theatrical version of Star Wars has been available in box
sets, in non-box sets, on fullscreen VHS, on widescreen VHS, on THX-mastered
VHS, on Beta, on a couple of early laser disc formats, and on the more
traditional laser disc format (where it was issued first in fullscreen, natch,
and later in widescreen, natch).

"When are people going to wake up to the fact that they've got six copies of the
same thing lying around?" asks Tony Gentile, a software/Internet developer who
has argued for the advent of the perpetual license, aka the right to enjoy Star
Wars or any other movie in any existing or future format with just one purchase,
on his blog, buzzhit!

For the record, Gentile does not blame Lucas for "making a living and delivering
what he honestly believes what people want"; he blames consumers for not
realizing "they're getting the raw end of the deal."

Gentile, who owns the original trilogy on VHS (special-edition version), says he
doesn't believe the latest Star Wars DVD release will be the last Star Wars DVD
release.

"Eventually, [there will be] hi-def," Gentile says, "then there's going to be
something after hi-def, and then something after that...So, where does it end?"

Officially, the upcoming Star Wars DVD sale will end Dec. 31--that's when the
limited-edition releases are to be pulled from stores. But unofficially, Wise
expects one, maybe two more DVD packages in the coming years, including a
six-pack that would include all of the franchise's big-screen movies. And,
dedicated as ever, he expects himself to buy Star Wars "two or three more
times."

Asked how Lucas foresaw the future of Star Wars on DVD (and whatever format
comes after DVD), a Lucasfilm spokesman said Thursday, "You're going to have to
wait and see what the future holds."

Here's guessing said future comes with at least one all-new new commentary
track.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Sally will drop nightshade into Dr.
Finkelstein's tea in 3-D come Halloween, when Walt Disney Pictures releases a
digitally remastered version of "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas."

The digital release of the 1993 stop-motion animated classic is set for October
20.

"Nightmare" marks the second digital 3-D theatrical release from Disney after
"Chicken Little" did banner business last year in digital 3-D on 84 U.S. screens
at 81 locations. The digital 3-D boxoffice returns outperformed the standard
screenings nearly 3-to-1, according to Disney estimates.

Burton and "Nightmare" director Henry Selick are involved in the digital
remastering of the stop-mo feature starring Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king
of Halloween Town.

"When visitors came to visit the set of 'Nightmare Before Christmas,' they were
always amazed by the intricate sets and beautiful puppets -- that they actually
existed in miniature," Selick said Monday. "It was disappointing to see this
effect lost on film. By remastering for 3-D, I hope that some of this magic can
be captured and shown to the audience in a way they've never seen before."

Disney's rerelease of the wicked tale represents the first 3-D feature to stake
a claim on the Halloween holiday, much like Warner Bros. Pictures called dibs on
the Christmas frame with the 3-D rerelease of 2004's "The Polar Express."

"Nightmare" is in the early stages of being digitally scanned and converted into
3-D by the computer-graphics group at George Lucas' Industrial Light + Magic.

Executives were reluctant to discuss the design of the 3-D passive glasses that
will be handed out to audiences at "Nightmare" screenings but suggested they
will be appropriately ghoulish and collectible.

Domestically, "Nightmare" made $50.3 million when first released in 1993.

Sony Pictures' "Monster House," executive produced by Robert Zemeckis and Steven
Spielberg, is expected to be the next film to play in digital 3-D when released
July 21.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

He got the call, from Padres general manager Kevin Towers, at 8:30 a.m., Pacific
time, Monday. He caught the first pitch, a knuckleball from Tim Wakefield, at
7:13 p.m., Eastern time. In between? He gathered his belongings, left his wife
and two daughters, boarded a plane, nearly had to switch in Kansas, arrived at
Logan Airport, changed clothes in a state trooper's car, and got to Fenway just
in time to crouch behind the plate and attempt to catch the most challenging
pitch in baseball.

And you thought you had a busy day.

Though Doug Mirabelli had heard rumors of an impending trade, he was not certain
it would come. Or that it would be back to Boston, his preferred destination.
(He does want everyone to know, he emphasized yesterday, that he did not demand
a trade. It just worked out for him.) It had been nothing more than intimation
and innuendo. Until moments after Mirabelli awoke in his San Diego home Monday
morning, when the ringing led to the very words Mirabelli wanted to hear from
Towers.

''I was excited," said Mirabelli, who, against some people's advice to ''cut the
cord," had watched every Red Sox game this season. ''I was hoping it was going
to get done. I was worried the Yankees would step in and do that. I'm glad it
worked out the way it did.

''I knew, since they were flying me across country, that they wanted me here as
fast as possible. I told Theo [Epstein] after I got traded, 'If I can make it on
time, I'll play.' "

He made it. Barely.

With a private plane scheduled to touch down for him at 9:30 a.m., and not much
prep time, Mirabelli spent his last few moments in California throwing as many
clothes as he could into a bag, hoping the combination would result in enough
acceptable outfits to last until his in-laws could help pack up his wife and
kids for the move back East.

He arrived at the airport around 10, factoring in time for the plane to refuel
and prepare for a cross-country jaunt, and though the jet arrived about a
half-hour late, the catcher was in the air -- with just the two pilots for
company -- at 10:30 a.m.

Which meant, really, that he had a five-hour break from the craziness, though it
was almost interrupted by a fuel stop in Kansas, where the jet company had an
extra plane waiting, just in case. Sleep came. People magazine filled the rest
of Mirabelli's time. Once the plane came within an hour of Boston, some tension
began to filter in.

''I'm looking at my watch, saying, 'Man, this is not going to work,' " Mirabelli
said. ''I had a feeling there was no way I was going to get from the airport
here, dressed and all that, in time to make the game. But we got it done."

When the plane touched down at 6:48 at Logan, waiting there was a single police
car (an SUV, complete with sirens) and a single state trooper (Sgt. David
O'Leary from F Troop, according to Red Sox officials, though the police would
confirm none of the details, including the spelling of his name). O'Leary, who
had been hired from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. by traveling secretary Jack McCormick,
already had stopped by Fenway to pick up the Red Sox team bag packed by
assistant clubhouse manager Pookie Jackson -- which included a home jersey,
pants, undershirt, underwear, and red socks -- that he would hand to Mirabelli
before getting into the car for the mad dash to home plate.

And, as the world now knows, Mirabelli donned that uniform for the first time
since Boston was eliminated by the White Sox last October as the vehicle raced
through the streets of Boston, lights flashing and sirens screaming, giving rise
to the sure-to-be-infamous Mirabelli quote, in response to the question of
whether he ever had been in a police car, ''That was the first time naked."

As the SUV passed the corner of Ipswich and Boylston Streets, McCormick's
cellphone rang. O'Leary, who had driven the entire way from Logan with one hand
on the wheel and his cellphone pressed to his ear, confirmed that Mirabelli
would make it in time. He turned right on Yawkey Way, right on Van Ness, then
into the players' parking lot, pulling as close as possible to the players'
entrance, arriving at 7 p.m.

Then, with just his socks on his feet, Mirabelli ran into the clubhouse, and
into a pair of size 11 1/2 Reebok spikes. (Mirabelli has a deal with Mizuno, but
when Jackson surveyed the team, he found that only Rudy Seanez wears Mizuno, a
size 10, so he had to go with Dustan Mohr's shoes.)

The catcher arrived behind the plate with almost everything he needed -- living
dangerously, he didn't don a cup until the second inning -- in time to catch Tim
Wakefield's first pitch at 7:13 p.m., four minutes past the scheduled 7:09
start.

McCormick, when asked if he ever had to arrange anything like Monday's travel,
said, ''Not anything with that time frame. We've had late buses, late planes,
not anything with meeting a deadline.

''Once we had the jet company check and the pilots said they would be touching
down at 6:44 [though they actually arrived at 6:48], I knew with the police
detail in place, they'd ensure him getting here and I knew we'd have time."

''There couldn't have been more pressure on me at that moment," said Mirabelli.
''You've got a Yankees series, you trade a guy to get me back because I'm
supposedly the guy that can catch the knuckleball, and there's a lot pressure
out there. If I go out there and start boxing balls, I'm going to hear about it
from the fans. From everybody.

''Believe me, I just wanted it to work out like it was supposed to, like it
did."

After the Red Sox had won, 7-3, Mirabelli shed Jason Varitek's equipment, and
was bound for his fellow catcher's house. There, he picked up a car, one of
Varitek's, to drive back to his own place, the one vacated that day by the
renting Gabe Kapler. He got to sleep in his own bed. He got to stop moving.

Finally.

Copyright © 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.

The Boston Red Sox have finalized a trade to obtain catcher Doug Mirabelli from
the San Diego Padres in exchange for catcher Josh Bard, minor-league pitcher Cla
Meredith and cash, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney is reporting.

Mirabelli, Tim Wakefield's normal catcher last season when Mirabelli was with
the Red Sox, will be in the starting lineup Monday night against the Yankees.

The Yankees also tried to obtain Mirabelli to keep him from returning to the Red
Sox.

The Red Sox traded Mirabelli to the Padres for second baseman Mark Loretta in
December. The Padres' compensation in this latest deal is still unclear.

Mirabelli had been Wakefield's personal catcher in Boston before being traded.
In 2005, he batted .228 in just 136 at-bats in 50 games. This season, he is
batting .182 in 22 at-bats for the Padres.

He is a career .240 hitter with 47 homers and 165 RBI in 459 career games for
Boston, Texas, San Francisco and San Diego.

Bard, who has caught Wakefield's five starts in 2006, leads the major leagues
with 10 passed balls.