Eleven years after he last played in the Majors, Jose Canseco is again on the comeback trail after signing a one-year contract with the independent league Worcester Tornadoes. The team plans to use the 47-year-old former All-Star as its designated hitter when its season begins in the middle of next month. Canseco also plans to be at Friday’s Yankees-Red Sox matinee to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park.

“I am very much looking forward to putting on a uniform and competing on a professional level again this year,” said Canseco in a team press release. “I love the game of baseball. I am particularly grateful to the Worcester Tornadoes for embracing me and having the confidence in me to help the team win.”

In their eight-season history, the Tornadoes have only signed one other former Major Leaguer — former Phillies infielder Abraham Nunez.

Has criticizing Tiger Woods gotten out of hand? Less than two week’s after Tiger’s disappointing showing at The Masters, his swing coach Sean Foley went on an unprompted mini-tirade on satellite radio defending Tiger from cyber bullying and other supposedly undeserved criticism. Foley wants you to know that Tiger is really a swell, if complicated, guy who deserves more respect.

“Tiger is a wonderful person, and he is a good dude, and he lives a complex life,” the swing coach said. “I think things have got to slow down, it has got to stop, the daily referendums and the criticism.”

Foley says the true victim of Tiger bashing is the sport itself. “I know everyone has a job to do, and I get it,”  said Foley. “But if it is about the game of golf, Tiger Woods is an extremely important part of the game, and I think everyone understands that. It has just gotten to the point where the tearing down of Tiger as a person and a golfer has become just too much. I think it is just out of hand.”

The Washington Capitals edged the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Thursday night, to win Game Four at home and even their first round best-of-seven series at two games each.  Despite being outshot 45-21 on the night, the Capitals never trailed in Game Four thanks to a tremendous game from 22-year-old goaltender Braden Holtby. Alex Semin put the Caps ahead for good with a power play goal late in the second period.

“When your goalie is back there making saves like that and looking under control that way, it has a settling effect on a team,” said Capitals forward Brooks Laich, whose assisted on Marcus Johansson’s goal that gave Washington a 1-0 lead just 82 seconds into the contest. “Holtz is going to get a lot of the credit and he deserves it.”

The Vancouver Canucks avoiding being the first team to be eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 3-1 road win over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night. The Canucks now take the best-of-seven first round series back home to Vancouver, but still trail three games to one — and only three teams in history have come back to win a series after losing the first three games.

The Kings led 1-0 after the first period of Game 4, but the turning point came in the third period when the Canucks had built a 2-1 lead. The Kings had a chance to tie on a penalty shot, but Canucks goalie Cory Schneider stopped Kings captain Dustin Brown’s attempt. Just 22 seconds later, the Canucks went up 3-1 on a power play goal by Henrik Sedin, assisted by brother Daniel Sedin in his first game back after missing a dozen games with a concussion.