With Leather hit the ultimate sexy trifecta today, what with porn stars, Playmates, and teenage amputees all making the front page.  In an attempt to balance things out for the lady readers — and any dudes who happen to enjoy celebrating masculine strength — here's Red Sox pitcher and noted Penthouse Pet humper Clay Buchholz (center, standing) notching some serious bro time. 

Don Chavez, who found this picture and several more, thinks the photos were snapped during spring training this year, but let's focus on what really matters here: making fun of people we don't know in order to feel better about ourselves.  Hey, that guy looks gay!  Now I don't feel so bad about my parents' divorce!

Yesterday's revelation that Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz is dating Pet of the Year Erica Ellyson was a delightful development for masturbation addicts and people who read sports blogs (quick Venn diagram of those subsets: Ο), but Clay's father didn't have details of how they met when he confirmed it on WZLX.

In what you should probably call a With Leather exclusive, a reliable and anonymous source at Penthouse disclosed the details of their meeting:

[Ellyson] and Buchholz met at Scott Ferrell's live remote from the Super Bowl–at Hooters, naturally. Buchholz asked to be introduced to all 15 Penthouse Pets present that day, but it was Erica Ellyson who hit it off with him right away. She flew down to Tampa a few weeks ago at his invitation to visit him during spring training.

It must be nice to be a pro athlete.  I wonder if he made that demand while sitting on a huge satin pillow as he was fed grapes by hand.  "There are nude models here?  Bring them before me!  Parade the beef!"  I can't think of a more romantic way to meet.  Unless he asked her how much it was for a lap dance.

I don't know if you've heard this yet, but penthouse pet of the year, erica ellyson, was on howard stern this morning saying she was banging a "red sox player"…..guys from stern dug deeper into another interview she did on the scott ferrall show last week and there she said she was doing bucholz [sic].

So, yeah… not exactly what you might call "confirmed" or a "fact," but — like a jug of wine or illegal drugs — it's nice to pass around and share with everyone.  For posterity's sake, or maybe because I felt like exercising what minuscule journalistic inclinations that lay hidden away in my shriveled black heart, I checked out the recap of the Stern show in question (NSFW-ish), and there was no mention of the Red Sox.  Lots about anal sex and lesbians, but no Red Sox.

UPDATE – Confirmed by Buchholz's dad on the radio. Not bad for a guy who looks like this.  I guess hot women like pro athletes or something.

My favorite part is when Beckett says the rookie did much better than Curt Schilling.  They sure look like they're having fun, but I think I had just as good a time at the reception.  By the way, if anybody out there knows why I have a hospital ID bracelet on my wrist, please contact me. -KD