If prog-rockin’ John Henry continues this sort of retaliatory P.R., he might someday have a shot at becoming the Brockton Rox director of marketing. From the Boston Herald’s Michael Silverman.

Shortly after the Yankees™ new Boss, Hank Steinbrenner, complained about œwhat a bunch of (expletive) Red Sox Nation is, Red Sox principal owner John Henry has responded.

I™m a big Hank fan, wrote Henry in an e-mail to the Herald. œJust to ensure he knows how cool Red Sox Nation is, (Saturday) we officially inducted him as a member of Red Sox Nation and we are sending him his membership card giving him access to an array of options including our newsletter, bumper stickers, pins, Green Monster seats and a hat personally autographed by David Ortiz.

When told about the offer, Steinbrenner said no thanks.

œI am not joining Red Sox Nation, honorary or not, Steinbrenner told the New York Post yesterday at Yankees headquarters at Legends Field. œI™ll respond to that later. Trust me, I am not joining Red Sox Nation.

Humorless Hank is entitled to play the badass all he wants, but surely he could’ve upped the ante by sending Henry a Yankeeography DVD box set?

In other Bombastic news, John Sterling regaled listeners of today’s tilt with the Phillies with a story about dining with Willie Maze. That’s not a typo, folks. Sterling claims he recently had dinner at Morton’s with contest winners Mr. and Mrs. David Maze and their son, Willie.

Suzyn Waldman found the story as hard to believe as the rest of us. What sort of prize is socializing with Sterling?