It took me so long to recover from the stunning news that Sammy Sosa took steroids that when I finally returned to my senses, there came a deluge of thoughts that had backed up during my stupor. Lucky for me, I was sitting in front of a computer at the time.

Note that I said lucky for me.

• The Red Sox need to keep three things in mind as they decide how to construct their rotation with the addition of John Smoltz: 1) Coming off of major surgery, there’s no guarantee Smoltz is going to be able to get anybody out; 2) Tim Wakefield and Brad Penny have either gotten hurt or pitched poorly in the second half the last few years; 3) As bad as he’s pitching right now, they’re probably going to need Daisuke Matsuzaka to contribute this season.

Despite the depth of the rotation, the Sox didn’t really leave themselves a lot of maneuverability. Realistically, there is only one tradeable commodity among the six starters currently in the mix – Penny. The only one that could reasonably be expected to move to the bullpen, given considerations such as make-up, salary and/or overall willingness to swallow his pride, would be Wakefield. And none of the six is going (back) to Pawtucket except for a rehab start.

There’s no reason the Sox can’t go with a six-man rotation for the short term, perhaps using Wakefield as a swing man if, say, the bullpen is taxed at some point and skipping his turn one or two times. Once Smoltz joins the rotation next week, Boston will have 16 games (against Atlanta, Baltimore, Oakland, Seattle and Kansas City) and just one scheduled day off before the All-Star break. That’s roughly three starts apiece for everyone. No one’s rhythm should be thrown off that much, and if it is, pitching against those weak sisters should make up for it. And it’s not like the Red Sox don’t have a history of giving their starters a break with extra days of rest or skipped starts.

After the All-Star break, it’s two weeks until the trading deadline. The market for Penny should have peaked by then. If the rotation still needs to be pared down by then, deal him off, even if it’s just for a prospect or two.

As for Clay Buchholz, all I can say is, sorry kid, you should have made the most of your first opportunity last year. You’re just going to have to wait your turn again.

• The persistent Rajon Rondo trade rumors are curious. A couple of months ago, folks were saying the Celtics still had a “Big 3,” only with Rondo subbing in for the injured Kevin Garnett. Now, there are reports that the C’s have soured on Rondo’s attitude. That pretty much came out of nowhere, didn’t it. Whether he’s a budding problem child or not, I certainly wouldn’t do the rumored deal with Phoenix for Amare Stoudamire, who is 26 going on 32, having missed 140 games over the last six seasons due to injury. Danny Ainge just needs to focus on getting Leon Powe and Glen Davis re-signed and/or making the bench stronger to make one more title run with the current nucleus.

• The Kobe Cult has worn me out. I’m done fighting them. This is the last time I’m going to say it – Kobe isn’t in Michael Jordan’s class. It’s not really even that close. He’s a great, great player, but thinking he even belongs in the same discussion with Jordan means you’re buying the media hype (as exemplified by the tongue bath ABC gave him in the final minutes of Game 5 of the Finals) and you’re either too young to remember Jordan or have a failing memory.

• I will, however, still meet anyone who thinks Phil Jackson is a better coach than Red Auerbach in a back alley.

• Former Deering and University of Southern Maine star Chris Burleson was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 36th round last week thanks in part to Lewiston baseball coach Todd Cifelli.

An associate scout for the Reds, Cifelli started looking at Burleson last year and sent the Reds area scout some information on the standout shortstop. Burleson was invited to a tryout in New Jersey and impressed with his speed and hands.

“My goal is simply to find kids who have some talent in high school or college from Maine or New Hampshire and get that info in the hands of the area scout,” Cifelli said.

Cifelli said he expects some more local talent to be invited to a tryout in Massachusetts next week.

• The Rumford board of selectmen recently voted to dedicate the football field at the Hosmer Field complex in honor of Chet Bulger. It’s long overdue and it’s a shame Chet, who passed away four months ago, didn’t live to see it. Congratulations to the Bulger family, as well as Matt Kaubris and his family for leading the charge to get it done. The dedication will mostly likely take place at Mountain Valley’s first home game in the fall.

• Colleague Kalle Oakes covered all the bases in these pages Friday with his tribute to Dennis Sweetser, the long-time coach, teacher, and pillar of the Auburn Suburban Little League who passed away this week. I’ll only add this – baseball was obviously a passion for Dennis, but it was also a tool, a way for him to mentor boys and teach them lessons that went far beyond baseball. Fewer and fewer people are getting into coaching now with the same motives. When a community such as Auburn loses someone like Dennis, the void is rarely filled.