Boston Mass

Even if you're the biggest Derek Jeter fan, you've got to have a taste of empathy for what the Boston Red Sox are enduring right now. The BoSox, who have the AL's second-highest payroll at $120 million, had an 8-21 August and basically eliminated themselves from the playoff race. But that's not even the most serious part. Injuries, and lots of them, have been the saddest thing about a team that won the World Series just two seasons ago.

The Sox's head trainer is due for a crazy raise the way he's been working to right ailments to outfielder Manny Ramirez (a sore knee), starting pitcher Curt Schilling (muscle strain) and rookie reliever Jonathan Papalbon (shoulder strain) over the past week or so. David Ortiz's irregular heartbeat was something a lil' too serious for Fenway Park facilities, so he's been in and out of the hospital. And if all of that wasn't enough, rookie pitcher John Lester was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma on September 1. I don't care who you root for, that's some heavy stuff for one locker room.

"With my situation,” Papelbon told reporters about Lester's condition, "it makes it seem like no big deal. You've got much bigger things in life going on. A small injury like I got right now, it's minuscule compared to what Jon's got going on right now." Pap, the Yankee faithful would even agree with that.