Posted by Rob Bradford

Click here to listen to the Big Show’s interview with Rangers beat writer Evan Grant, who left American League MVP Dustin Pedroia out of his Top 10 on his ballot.

Here is a partial transcript of the interview, which aired on Tuesday afternoon:

Evan Grant: Sure, fire away. Before you go into any questions let me say this. I know Red Sox Nation is extremely passionate and I did vote Kevin Youkilis as the AL MVP.

(Where was Dustin Pedroia, 11 or 12?) Grant: He was in different ballots I had cooked up as late as mid-September I was toying around with him as my AL MVP … It was probably before he had some big, big games in late September.

(When did you file the ballot?) Grant: I didn’t file the ballot until after the season was over …

(Did you not say at one point you were viewing him as the AL MVP?) Grant: I did say that and I did say at one point and time I had scenarios where I considered him as my AL MVP … The stats I weighed the heaviest I think when it came down to everything were things like OPS, batting average with runners in scoring position, clutch hitting type situations. And when I looked at Kevin’s numbers compared to Dustin’s numbers, they dwarfed them in those situations.

Grant: What I did want to say was it was completely and totally, based on what my all my colleagues, all of whom I respect very much, have voted today was that my opinion was totally wrong. Dustin Pedroia did belong on the ballot and he did belong in the top five. When it came down to it, again I looked at those numbers and looked at guys individual success. I’ll just go back and look, I’ve wrote this down since I’ve been bombarded today, Pedroia was 18th in OPS in the league, he was 30th in batting average with runners in scoring position, he was 53rd in OBP with runners in scoring position …

(Runs, doubles, hits, multi-hit games …) Grant: It’s entirely acceptable if you don’t agree with my opinion.

(There is no way somebody who watches the game of baseball and say Dustin Pedroia is not in the Top 10 candidates) Grant: I can only tell you as the month of September takes place I constantly put together an MVP ballot. I look at the entire season. After many conversations with players in the past I kind of changed my tune a bit. Most players have told me you shouldn’t value September over everything else because it is a 162-game season and you can’t because Carlos Quentin was hurt in September he can’t be considered …

(Yes you can) Grant: Well, that’s your opinion. I will be happy to tell your listening audience and all of New England that if they feel I was wrong in leaving Dustin off the ballot that opinion is entirely acceptable to me. But to suggest I don’t watch the game or to suggest I don’t know what is going on is a little bit unfair.

(I’m suggesting you didn’t watch Dustin Pedroia) Grant: I don’t cover the Red Sox.

(You cover baseball) Grant: I told you he was a Top 10 candidate. I just didn’t put him in the Top 10.

(How do you feel when your colleagues voted him as the MVP and you don’t put him in the Top 10) Grant: It makes me feel like my opinion is wrong … So I’m wrong, how wrong am I? … This is unproductive. If you wan’t to say I’m really wrong, then I’m really wrong.

(Everybody is entitled to their opinion) Grant: I’m obviously not because the minute I come on the air and do what I did you make me out to be an idiot.

(Reason?) Grant: I’m not going to convince you guys.

(What did Pedroia do or not do to fall out of your Top 10) Grant: He merited all the consideration in the world to be in the Top 10, but on the day after the season when I looked at all the numbers over the course of the entire season the body of numbers suggested that as good as a candidate as he was for the Top 10 I thought in my mind I could be comfortable with the other 10 guys.

(Grady Sizemore at nine?) Grant: I can see where people would … again, everybody else may be right and I may be wrong in retrospect and I will live with being wrong. I will tell you in a number of emails I have responded to people that I got too cute in trying to analyze the final two spots on the ballot. But do not sit here and insinuate Grady Sizemore didn’t have an outstanding season.

(How did things change after Pedroia had such a great August) Grant: Again, it’s based on the entire body of numbers over the course of the season. I know Pedroia won a Gold Glove at second base and Grady Sizemore is considered a Gold Glove defender in the outfield, too. Is Pedroia a better candidate in retrospect? Guys, I’ve acknowledged that time after time after time. I am telling you when I put together the list on the day after the season, ultimately the numbers I came up with all of that stuff led me to think hey wait a minute I don’t want to overvalue Pedroia’s guttiness and grittiness and if anything I may have erred on the side of statistical analysis.

(Did you take into consideration that he struck out only 52 times) Grant: No, I did not … I don’t know why I would take into account the number of strikeouts in an MVP candidate.

(Are you serious) Grant: How far down the list of strikeouts does it have to be to be considered an MVP? Where did Ryan Howard finish in the National League MVP? Where did he finish in the voting?

(I think where our disagreement is is that you don’t understand his game) Grant: What I value is getting on base and producing runs.

(He led the league in runs scored. The answers you’re coming up with ) Grant: I’m glad you guys have that opinion and that’s where you stand on that, but again this is a guy who did not lead his team in on-base percentage his numbers were dwarfed by Kevin Youkilis … I’ve been voting for the MVP for about 10 years now, I know how the ballot works.

(It’s not who is No. 1 or No. 2, it’s who is No. 10) Grant: Guys, all I can do is tell you is you’re right, you’re right and I’m wrong. I admitted I was wrong on my ballot in retrospect. If that’s what you’re trying to get out of me that’s what you’re getting out of me. I do not understand the process of continuing to go back and ask why I left him off the ballot. I just told I left him off the ballot.

(Trying to get answers) Grant: When I gave you my answers you’re not accepting them.

Grant: I’ve told you why I left him off the Top 10, you don’t buy that and I accept that.

(When you submitted your ballot did you think it was going to be controversial?) Grant: I didn’t really concern myself with whether or not it was going to be controversial. I think ‘99 was the year when I voted Pedro (Martinez) No. 2 and people were asking why the guy left Pedro entirely off the ballot … It is such a subjective award. It is so full of every year trying to put together what you’re impressions are and no matter what you say you only have a limited amount of exposure to each guy …

(In this day and age it is different) Grant: I’ll tell you this, I do have an opportunity. I cover my club about 12 hours a day, I sleep for about 6 or 7, and then the rest of the time I try to have a life. If you want to question my integrity, or whatever you want to do on that end, I don’t think that’s fair. If you want to disagree with my vote that’s entirely a fair point.

Posted by Joe Zarbano

For all of you Planet Mikey listeners: Here’s whats ahead on the show!

Lenny and The Email Female

WEDNESDAY: We’ve got a full 5 hour show! 6P-11P…Make sure you tune in…We’ll have the Planet Mikey legend Lenny Megliola in studio. We will also have the lovely Christina the Email Female reading all of your emails. Email us at PLANETMIKEY@WEEI.COM and tell us what moves and signings Theo and the Red Sox have to make this offseason to get back to the World Series. The best email will be chosen and read on air by Christina. The winner will recieve the EA Sports video game Fifa Soccer 09′ for XBOX 360. So make sure you listen in to see if your email is chosen.

Tim Thomas on the Planet this Thursday

 THURSDAY: Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas will call in at 6:45p. Apparently Tim Thomas is a big fan of the Planet Mikey Show! Tim and the 1st place Bruins have had a great year thus far. So, for all you Bruins fans who call in every night and complain because we don’t talk enough about the B’s, make sure you listen in Thursday night. Just in case you miss Tim, we’ll post the interview on WEEI.COM afterward.

- Make sure to check back later on the Twisted Pair Blog for video footage of Cam Neely’s 14th Annual Comics Come Home benefit.

Joey THE Fish

Posted by Mike Petraglia

And let it begin. Quentin Richardson against the world, or at least the world champion Boston Celtics.

He didn’t hold back following Tuesday’s loss in Boston. He accused the Celtics of throwing their title, their rings and everything else in his face in the form of trash talk.

What could turn out to be a facsinating storyline if the Knicks remain relevant throughout the season evolved Tuesday night into a backyard brawl. Just listen to ‘Q’ explain his side of the story.

Richardson said the Celtics were trash talking.

Tensions flared in the second quarter when Richardson actually played peace-maker, separating his teammate Zach Randolph from Leon Powe under the Knicks basket as the two began to get into it.

Richardson said if this weren’t a basketball court, things would be different.

Paul Pierce on all the trash talk going on.

Celtics center Kendrick Perkins said ‘Q’ has it all wrong.

One thing is for sure, our Jessica Camerato doesn’t have it wrong. She has as terrific look back at last year, showing that this isn’t the first time Richardson has popped off in Boston’s direction. Check out that and more on the Celtics Game Day Blog.

Oh by the way, the stars of the game did have something to say about how the Celtics managed to win without Kevin Garnett.

Perkins said there was no replacing Kevin Garnett on Tuesday.

Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said he takes comfort in outplaying Celtics in the fourth quarter.

Doc Rivers on the win without KG.

Paul Pierce said they didn’t feel extra pressure without the Big Ticket.

Posted by Paul Flannery

It was late in the game and the ball swung to Brian Scalabrine in the corner. As they have every time the ball has found him in those situations, the crowd at the Garden began to rise. At times this year this reaction has seemed to un-nerve Scalabrine and made him think just an extra second, long enough for the shot to not be available to him any more.

This time, however, it wasn’t the closing seconds of a blowout win. It was a close game against a division rival and the outcome was still very much in doubt. In other words, there was no time to think. “What we’re trying to get Scal to do is just keep the game simple,” his coach, Doc Rivers was saying after the game. “When you’re open, shoot it. If not, pass it.”

Scal was open. He shot it. And it went down. It was his third 3-pointer of the game and it was critical in the Celtics, 110-101 win over the Knicks Tuesday night.

And so, the evolution of Brian Scalabrine from scapegoat to curiosity to folk hero took another twist as everyone’s favorite reserve stepped into the starting lineup for a suspended Kevin Garnett and not only helped the Celtics win a game against the Knicks, he also made perhaps the biggest shot of the night. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by Jessica Camerato

This time last year Quentin Richardson wasn’t buying into the hype surrounding the Big Three. To him, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett were just another handful of players who hadn’t won a championship. Despite their hot start to the 2008 season, Richardson wasn’t in awe.

“It’s not that big a deal to us,” the New York Knicks forward told the New York Post last year. “It’s like the media makes more of The Big Three and all of them. We’re not in awe of them. They ain’t won no championships. They have a good record right now, but that don’t matter.”

At the time, Pierce shrugged it off.

“You know what? I really don’t get caught up in all that talk,” Pierce said. “He’s going to say what he’s going to say to try to motivate his team. We don’t need to be motivated. We’re a self-motivated team and we’re going to go out there and take care of business.”

Fast forward 12 months. The Knicks faced off against the Celtics on Tuesday night in Boston for a heated battle that included plenty of trash-talking and technical fouls to go around. This time the Knicks were playing the defending NBA champions. This time … was no different than the last for Richardson.

“I think a few of those guys know they can’t just say anything to us,” he said following the Celtics tension-filled 110-101 victory. “I’m just real curious to see what those guys will be saying if we weren’t in a basketball league and didn’t have referees. I mean it wouldn’t be the same story. I mean they are the World Champions and rah-rah-rah, but the tough part I don’t factor. I come from a neighborhood where you can say what you want to say, but til you do something, it don’t mean nothing. Some of those guys are happy to get a ring, but you ain’t been in the league long enough to talk to people like that. I don’t have a lot of respect for that. Like I said, I’d be curious to hear what they have to say in a different setting, I’d be very curious to see that.”

A year later, Pierce is still shrugging off Richardson’s rants.

“We just have to keep our composure,” the Celtics captain said. “The Knicks try to get you to play their game with the talking and the small ball. We can’t get caught up in the way they’re playing. We have to play our game and take advantage of what we do out there well.”

Don’t expect this to be the last heard from Richardson. The Celtics and Knicks will see each other again three times this season. Next up, December 21 at the Garden.

Posted by Jessica Camerato

We kick off the final 12 minutes with Mike D’Antoni getting T’ed up in between quarters. He was bantering with the refs and Quentin Richardson was yelling too. So much hostility tonight. Now Q is yelling at his teammates in the huddle, who enter the fourth down 89-77.

- Let’s keep an eye on Nate Robinson, who was getting into it with Rondo in the third. Robinson is now guarding Eddie House. Not sure if he can rattle the confident vet.

- There are 24 seconds on the clock for a reason — so the players can see them. Tony Allen lost track of the count and made an extra pass to Davis as the buzzer sounded. On the next possession, the Celtics ran the clock down to two seconds before House threw up a missed three.

- Down 92-82 with nine minutes to go, the Knicks bench are on their feet. Richardson, who is easily identified with his sweatband, is leading the charge of reserves.

- Cue the motivational video. This time it comes to us from Pierce, who has asked the crowd to make some noise. A fan behind me just introduced his son to the joys of chanting “Airrr-balll.” But right now the loudest people are the Knicks coaches yelling on the sidelines.

- Every player on the court has scored in double-digits tonight. The Celtics are going with Powe, Rondo, Ray Allen, Pierce, and Perk while the Knicks are hoping Duhon, Robinson, Chandler, Richardson, and Randolph can make a comeback. This game isn’t over yet. The Celtics are up nine with 3:30 to go but the Knicks aren’t going down quietly.

- I watched Chandler at Vegas Summer League and was impressed, but summer league performances don’t always translate into regular season success. Chandler, though, is proving he’s for real tonight. He already has 21 points but more impressively, he has got 20 shots off. Next time guarding him a little tighter could be in the Celtics game plan.

- Tough call. Up 104-99 with 1:35 left, Perk was whistled for an offensive foul when he pushed off on Chandler trying to clear the ball up the court. Kudos to Perk for only getting called for three personals tonight against a feisty Knicks team.

- The Garden is on their feet for a three-pointer by Scal. “Scalllll for threeee!” gets them going every time.

- The most impressive performance tonight has come from Rondo. The point guard has quietly posted 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. He was finally attacking the basket and taking his shot. Good things can happen when he plays a little selfish.

That’s a wrap. Celtics 110, Knicks 101. More from the locker rooms in a few …

Posted by Paul Flannery

And we’re back for the third quarter. The Celtics figured out a very simple formula in the second: Pound the ball inside. The Knicks are just not a good defensive team in the paint and Leon Powe had his way with them in the paint.

The starters, except for Ray Allen, are well-rested after sitting out all of the second quarter. Let’s see if they can expand the lead… Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by Jessica Camerato

Trailing 35-32 with eight minutes left in the second quarter, the Celtics outscored the Knicks 25-12 to take a 56-47 lead at the half.

The quarter was anything but calm with runs, drives, hard fouls, and even a scuffle at the hoop …

- It’s ironic that I talked to Leon Powe before the game about what KG has taught him about maintaining his composure in heated game situations. Powe and Randolph were just given technical fouls for a tussle under the Knicks basket. The two had to be separated by their teammates and have been exchanging frozen stares at each other down the court. Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck was spotted giving the “eject him” sign to the refs. “He always talks to us about that, especially me, just about keeping my composure even when i’m mad and if I want to go back at somebody, you go back at somebody by taking your time and really doing it in the game and the team concepts,” Powe said of Garnett. Hmm …

- There is a life-sized Nutracker walking around the Garden. The costume is part of the Boston Ballet’s halftime performance, but for those who are unaware of the entertainment, it just looks creepy.

- Timeout with six minutes to go and the Celtics second unit has taken over with a 45-37 lead. So far they have knocked the Knicks down to 44% field goal shooting while boosting their own to nearly 70%. The reserves are playing with a fiery intensity that has Pierce clapping and encouraging them in the huddle.

- Two smart moves by Tony Allen: the first, an aggressive drive to the basket that he finished off with a layup and the second, a drive and dish to Big Baby for the jumper that he’s been perfecting.

- The question tonight was, who will make up for Garnett? While KG is irreplacebale, it’s Powe who is stepping up in the post. He has eight points in eight minutes of play and he could easily wind up with 15 tonight.

- Rivers has Ray Allen playing with the second unit (Eddie House, Tony Allen, Glen Davis, Leon Powe). They give up a lot of size with this lineup but are going for defensive stops. It also helps the Celtics that the Knicks leading scorers, Quentin Richardson and Wilson Chandler, are taking a breather.

- The Celtics looked like they had control early on but enter the second quarter allowing the Knicks to shoot 52% from the field. Seven turnovers haven’t helped the Cs either. Let’s see what they can do …

At the start of the second quarter … Knicks 28, Celtics 26

… Paul brings you the action for the third …