The weather got you down? Me, too.

Well, here is some news, tidbits of information, observations and rumors (good ones) that might add a little bounce to your step in these ugly, ugly days:

Pena needs a little help

Haverhill's Carlos Pena could use a little luck to go with his all-star-caliber season. In most any other year, the American League leader in homers (23), who has scored 59 runs to go with a league-high 56 walks, would have a shot at playing in his first All-Star game in St. Louis next week.

But Pena's .231 batting average and 105 strikeouts, coupled with the fact that there are at least four other first basemen with all-star credentials — Justin Morneau, Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis and Victor Martinez (who splits his time between first and catcher) — killed his cause. Morneau, Teixeira and Youkilis are in. Pena, though, has a sliver of hope. He is among the five finalists for the bonus selection, made by fans online.

Even for the spot, it's an uphill battle with Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler, who was in the running for MVP after two months, the current vote leader and expected winner.

Rays manager Joe Maddon told me, "Carlos is a star. Not only because of is ability on the field, but also what he does in the clubhouse and in our community. The only part of his season that I see getting better is he will hit for a higher average. Am I worried about his strikeouts? No, because that is part of who he is. My main concern is that he keeps his strike zone organized and accepts his walks. When he is walking, he is hitting."

Maddon's got guts

Joe Maddon deserves credit for naming Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield to the All-Star game roster. While Wakefield has the wins (11), his ERA is 4.14, which is not that impressive. But nobody knows better the importance of Wakefield's early success while a few Red Sox pitchers — namely Josh Beckett (he's was named, too) and Jon Lester — struggled in April.

Wakefield's near no-hitter (seven innings) in Oakland on April 15 ended a streak of six losses in seven games, and ignited the team. Texas starter Kevin Millwood, who is 8-5 with an ERA of 2.80, lost out in favor of Wakefield.

"Wakefield is having a good year, obviously, pitches in Boston and he's had a tremendous body of work throughout his entire career," said Maddon. "I just felt that getting him on a team was the right thing to do."

He's right.

Bet on Grant Hill to C's

The Boston Celtics are inches away from adding longtime NBA star Grant Hill to their stocked roster. The Orlando resident will make a decision between the Celtics, Knicks and his current team, the Suns. The bet here, though, is the Celtics win out.

He is friends with Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who coached him in Orlando and whom he met with last Sunday. Hill would cost the Celtics only $1.9 million, which is the "exception" for teams over the salary cap. Hill made a little less than that with the Suns last year. According to a source, Hill has "always been intrigued" with the Celtics mystique. If we've learned anything, we've learned Rivers is a good salesman.

Nomar to Red Sox?

The reception given to Nomar Garciaparra on Monday night ranks among the top five highlights of the year at Fenway Park. He was truly grateful. His broken voice at his press conference after the game epitomized that. It would have been a shame if he never came back here, which almost happened.

What was also nice was the fact that his wife, Mia Hamm, was there to share his joy. I can honestly say I've never seen the guy happier.

Remember, he almost retired before this season. It makes you wonder if he would consider returning to the Red Sox for one more go-round. He would come cheap and has mentioned he would like to return. Interesting proposition, isn't it?

Pats 'Raid' Oakland again?

Maybe it's the calm before the storm, but word has it the Patriots are still interested in acquiring disgruntled Oakland Raiders linebacker/defensive end Derrick Burgess. It would take, at least, a second-round pick to get Burgess, who had 11 sacks in 2006.

While his numbers haven't been eye-popping since (11.5 sacks in 24 games), he is noted for his ability to rush from the outside. The only issue is the Raiders dealing with the Patriots. They feel like they got robbed by the Patriots for Randy Moss (only a fourth-round pick) and later filed charges of tampering. Anyway, the Patriots want this guy. Stay tuned.

Chung the next Harrison?

The last time the Patriots drafted a Chung, it didn't go so well. Eugene Chung, an offensive lineman out of Virginia Tech, was drafted 13th overall in 1992, and barely lasted three seasons.

Well, rookie safety Patrick Chung apparently opened some eyes at minicamp last month. The rugged safety had some current Patriots bringing up the name Rodney Harrison when looking for a comparison. Chung was a noted hitter and run stopper as a safety at Oregon.

While rookie defensive backs don't see a lot of time under coach Bill Belichick, it appears Chung may be the exception.

Take the Halladay

News broke Tuesday that the Toronto Blue Jays are willing to move their superstar pitcher, Roy Halladay. He has one year remaining on his contract ($15.5 million in 2010) after this one and the Jays realize his value might never be higher, especially with the likes of the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers and possibly the New York Yankees in the market for a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.

I would like to add one more team to the mix ... the Red Sox.

Halladay, I believe, is the best starting pitcher in baseball. Not only is he consistently very good, but he pitches a lot of innings, leading the league three times in innings pitched and four times in complete games.

Would I trade Clay Buchholz, Brad Penny and one-to-two other formidable prospects? Probably.

Halladay, only 32, is a sure thing. He would give the Red Sox three aces, which would all but assure them of a World Series berth.

E-mail Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.