It could be a while before Chris Duncan sees the major leagues again.

The Red Sox are overloaded with first baseman/DH-type players. They acquired left-handed hitting first baseman Adam LaRoche Wednesday in addition to Duncan, so Chris was allocated to Class AAA Pawtucket.

The Boston Herald trumpeted Duncan’s arrival thusly: “Getting a Body for Julio Lugo.” That ought to make Crhis feel good.

LaRoche, an everyday player in Pittsburgh, will be a platoon player in Boston.

“I think he’s an ideal fit for their club, for what they’re looking for and especially that ballpark,’’ Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said, according to the Boston Globe. “With the wall in left field so close, he’s going to stay on the ball longer and hit a lot of balls off the Green Monster. He has the perfect lefthanded stroke for Fenway Park.’’

We’ll see about that. LaRoche’s arrival does appear to knock left-handed first baseman/outfielder Mark Kotsay out of his roster spot.

And word out of Boston has the Red Sox on the prowl for still another bat to round out their attack. Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and Indians catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez are among the rumored targets.

“As with most clubs, we plan to be very active in discussions,” Red Sox GM Theo Epstein told the Globe. “Certainly, there are no guarantees we can find the right deal, but it won’t be for a lack of looking. We hope to make another move between now and the deadline, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to.”

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while wondering what Julio Lugo really offers the Cardinals:

• After watching Duncan depart in a trade, will Rick Ankiel feel a renewed sense of urgency to start hitting?
• What will be become of Roy Halladay? Will he finally escape Toronto this summer?
• How will history remember the Chad Lucas Era with the Rams?
• Would you go to Ricky Williams for help with your spiritual and physical healing?
• With NFL teams going back to camp, will Peyton Manning appear on our TVs every few minutes? Is there no “off” switch on his marketing machine?

MIKE GUNDY HAS CALMED DOWN

The Oklahoma State football coach has moved on from his “I’m a man” rant. And, yes, he admits the whole thing worked out pretty good for his program.

PHANATIC VS. JACK NICHOLSON

With celebrity comes the burden of recognition.

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Rick Reilly, ESPN.com: “Tiger Woods has outgrown those Urkel glasses he had as a kid. Outgrown the crazy hair. Outgrown a body that was mostly neck. When will he outgrow his temper? The man is 33 years old, married, the father of two. He is paid nearly $100 million a year to be the representative for some monstrously huge companies, from Nike to Accenture. He is the world’s most famous and beloved athlete. And yet he spent most of his two days at Turnberry last week doing the Turn and Bury. He’d hit a bad shot, turn and bury his club into the ground in a fit. It was two days of Tiger Tantrums — slamming his club, throwing his club and cursing his club. In front of a worldwide audience.”

Jeff Schultz, Atlanta Journal Constitution: “The SEC isn’t a conference anymore. It’s an ATM with a practice facility. The conference recently signed two television contracts worth $3 billion. That apparently didn’t satisfy Georgia’s thirst for disposable income, because the school then negotiated its own marketing rights deal with ISP Sports for $92.8 million. Why General Motors went to Washington for a bailout and not Athens is beyond me.”

Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle: “Lance Armstrong is to Alberto Cantador as Jeff Garcia is to JaMarcus Russell - the rogue second-banana who wants to be the big enchilada.”

Dan Daly, Washington Times: “The Diamondbacks and Rockies are partnering on a spring training facility to be built on Indian land near Phoenix. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa tribe has agreed to build an 11,000-seat ballpark and a complex that includes practice fields, offices and other amenities - all conveniently located not far from the 700 slot machines, 50 poker tables, 540-seat bingo room, 40-seat keno room and 30-seat racetrack/off-track betting room in the tribe’s two casinos. Just wondering: Have they booked Pete Rose yet for opening day?”

MEGAPHONE

“I don’t have a lot to say other than a big question mark. I’ve hit the ball five times hard over the last two days, and nothing. So I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing. Try to hit it hard, see what happens.’’

Slumping Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew, to the Boston Globe.