Brad Wilkerson

Brad Wilkerson to a minor league deal with roster and playing time incentives. Last year, he split time with Toronto and Seattle by hitting a combined .220/.308/.326 in 309 plate appearances and fighting nagging shoulder and back injuries Wilkerson prior to the 2008 off season as a 4th OF type before he went to Seattle and maybe they see something regarding his swing that they can fix.. Dunno.

Although he may only be 6th or 7th on the outfield depth chart, Wilkerson provides solid depth if his shoulder is healthy. He's always been a solid player when he's been on the field. He's only a year removed from hitting 20 home runs, gets on base at a decent clip, and possesses the rare ability of being a left handed hitter who hits lefties better than righties.

He plays both corner positions above average as well as first base, which may be best suited for him because of his shoulder. With the fragility of Lowell, Drew, and Baldelli, it's a solid pick-up in case of the inevitable injury. He'll begin the year in Pawtucket where his shoulder will be closely monitored.

Kitty Genovese

Kitty Genovese case of a woman in New York who was attacked in full view of her neighbors in the evening, then followed into an apartment while she continued to scream as she was being killed. People pulled their shades and did nothing. The case became synonymous with the problem of people not willing to be involved when a crime is taking place, even if someone is being killed.

The case also calls to attention how speech can incite violence. Some organizations declare that the atmosphere created by hate-mongering in speech, and the negative attitudes towards gays, creates incidents where individuals will use a word like homosexual to incite negative response and provoke a fight.


The incident occurred outside a grocery story in the inner city of Washington DC. Several youth were fighting. Jose Sanchez was struck, then fell and hit his head on a van parked near the curb. He lay on the sidewalk a full 20 minutes before someone reported what happened. The assailant, whose name was not disclosed at the time of CNN’s early report, has maintained that he slugged Sanchez because Sanchez called him a homosexual. Sanchez was reported dead shortly after being taken by ambulance to the hospital.