The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 41

TV HIGHLIGHT ONHL Bruins-Maple Leafs 7:30 p.m., NESN Listings, E2 E7 E8 Scoreboard Weather The Boston Globe Tuesday, Nove mber 28, 2006 if ID) 1 10) WAV P1. IV Aj i WW i 4 if Bob Ryan For this voter, Cardinal's sins are unforgivable on election day JIM DAVISGLOBE STAFF The time has come, and the answer is no. Mark McGwire may get into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot, but it won't be unanimous. I know one vote he's not getting. This is the voting hot potato we've been waiting for, and now it's here with the release of the ballot yesterday.

A while back, I would have said "dreading." But I dread or probably no or probably yes no longer. I'm comfortable with my decision. If someone wants to vote for him, fine. But I'm not going to do it. I'll 4 ij A also wager that more people are thinking my way than are thinking the other way.

I doubt that he'll get in, at least this time. To those who will ask, "Where were you in '98, when he was hitting baseballs into places baseballs had never been hit before?" I answer, "Watching and enjoying." I was sent to St. Louis for that Labor Day weekend when he was breaking the Roger Maris record of 61 home RYAN, Page E5 Perhaps realizing his arm injury is serious, Junior Seau gives the crowd a wave Sunday. Seau out for season Patriots put LB on injured reserve By Christopher L. Gasper GLOBE STAFF CAST YOUR BALLOT Would you put McGwire in the Hall of Fame? Vote online-at boston.comsports.

POLL RESULTS The Associated Press askedl50of 575 eligible voters whether they would vote Mark McGwire into the Hall of Fame, and 125 responded. BREAKDOWN: 74 will not vote for McGwire; 23 will vote for him; 16 are undecided; five refused to say; five aren't allowed to vote by their employers; two will abstain from voting. Survey was conducted Nov. 21-27. 1 1 I FOXBOROUGH When Junior Seau walked off the field after seriously injuring his right arm during the second quarter of the Patriots' 17-13 victory over the Chicago Bears Sunday, he seemed to be saving goodbye, waving to the crowd with his left arm.

The Patriots officially said goodbye to Seau for the season yesterday, plac-' ing the veteran inside linebacker on injured reserve. Whether Seau's farewell gesture signaled the end of his 17-year career is uncertain, but his departure certainly left a large hole in the New! England linebacking corps. Except for when the Patriots opened in a nickel defense against the Cincinnati Bengals, Seau has started every game this season. He was fourth on the team with 70 tackles, and he waQ nflrf nf thp thirrl-rnnVprl rnri Hp- fense in the league, one allowing 83.2 yards per game. Playing beside Tedy Bruschi, the 12-time Pro Bowler, who was coaxed out of retirement and signed Aug.

18, PATRIOTS, Page E2 i I (y- tT-' 'V r-v I i ELSAGETTY IMAGESFILE 2001 loivonen a stand-up goaltenaer Bruin considered demotion hen efi rial By Fluto Shinzawa GLOBE STAFF WILMINGTON For the last three wpplrc lrTannu Tnivnnpn hnc frtrcaVpn i nwt i i if a ir rr i'ita 'ji t7i in' 4 nis $532,000 JNriL salary ana all its perks charter planes, first-class hotels for the smaller paychecks and weary bus travel of the AHL When he was assigned to the Providence Bruins Nov. 7, everybody with' the team knew it was the right move! for the man once projected as Boston's No. 1 goalie. General manager Peter Chiarelli' gave the go-ahead to Toivonen's demotion. Coach Dave Lewis figured Toivo- NL teams warm up to idea of a Ramirez deal the Angels, who last week signed center fielder Gary Matthews Jr.

to a five-year, $50 million deal, have no interest in moving setup man Scot Shields, and with Garret Anderson, Vladi Guerrero, and Juan Rivera to share the corner outfield spots and DH, have little motivation to surrender top prospects for Ramirez, who will turn 35 next May RED SOX, Page E5 By Gordon Edes GLOBE STAFF The Manny Ramirez trade chatter predictably spiked upward yesterday, with the winter meetings just days away. While the Red Sox continued to close in on a deal for free agent outfielder J.D. Drew, and have made an offer to shortstop Julio Lugo, whom they were among the teams that have "kicked the tires" about the left fielder. Meanwhile, the usual suspects, Texas and Anaheim, appeared improbable destinations for Ramirez, who as a 10-5 player (10 years in the majors, 5 years with the same team) can veto any deal. The Sox are all but conceding that they cannot wrest shortstop Michael Young from the Rangers, while coach Bob Essensa knew his pupil could use some mental housecleaning.

But most important, Toivonen himself realized he didn't deserve to be in the NHL "It was the right thing to do," said Toivonen, recalled to Boston Sunday, after his first practice back withthe big club yesterday. "I wasn't playing TOIVONEN, Page E4 project forming a speedy on-base combination at the top of the order with Coco Crisp, the speculation about possible destinations for Ramirez intensified. The Padres were identified as "an interested party" by a team source, there was further confirmation that the Giants had spoken with the Red Sox about Ramirez, and the Dodgers i i i i 1 1 1 1 i i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 iiiiniiiii in i in i in 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 in ii mi 1 1 mi i it mi ill ill i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i Mini in i itimiii EMASS PLAYOFFS Today's divisional matchups (winners advance to Super Bowls on Saturday). Previews, E6 raMHECfEl i GET Also today Weak side NBA's Eastern Conference is lacking again this season. E3 Job security Harvard rewards football coach Murphy with five-year extension.

E5 Xaverian (8-3) vs. Central Catholic (8-3) Burlington (11-0) i Masconomet (9-2) Everett(lO-O) vs.Wayland(ll-O) vs.Winthrop(ll-O)- Brighton (7-3) vs. Marian (9-2) at Stonehill, 4 at Lowell, 7 at Lowell, 4 at Acton-Boxboro, 7:15 at Quincy, 7:15 ONLINE TODAY BOSTON.COM SCHOOLS Live playoffs scoreboard: Check Boston.com for updates and highlights. Arlington Catholic (9-1) vs.Whittier(ll-O) at Arlington, 7 Abington(ll-O) vs. Medfield(lO-l) at Brockton, 4 Manchester (8-3) vs.

Ipswich (9-2) at Acton-Boxboro, 4:30 Cape Cod Tech (9-1) vs. West Roxbury (9-2) at Greater New Bedford, 4 Wareham(lO-l) vs. Hingham (9-2) at Greater New Bedford, 7 Dartmouth (10-0) Weymouth (9-2) Bishop Stang (9-0) vs. Brockton (5-5) vs. Marshfield(lO-l) vs.

Foxboro (8-2) at Brockton, 7 at Quincy, 4 at Stonehill, 7.