Kevin Shea figures he has the “best of both worlds.” During the week he is the director of communications and baseball information for the Boston Red Sox.

Then, on weekends, he puts on the stripes of a Hockey East and ECAC linesman-assistant referee.

He has been a frequent visitor to the UMaine’s Alfond Arena.

“I love going up to Orono,” said Shea. “I’ve been fortunate to go up there and see some great series the last three years. I had Maine-New Hampshire two years ago; Maine-BU last year and Maine-BC this season.

“There are very few ice hockey facilities that get going like that place. I truly enjoy doing a game there. It’s intense and demanding but I’d rather have it that way than the other way. Those are the games you love to be involved with,” said the 34-year-old Holy Cross College graduate.

He said his two jobs provide him with a “great diversity” and he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“It’s the best of baseball and the best of college hockey,” said Shea. “I’ve played baseball and hockey my whole life and this is a way to stay involved in both.”

The Red Sox “obviously come first” but he said hockey officiating is much more than just recreation.

“College hockey in this area is serious business. When you do it, you have to take it seriously. You have to give them the performance on the ice they deserve,” said Shea, who has been officiating since 1990.

He said there are a “lot of great people in hockey, especially Hockey East, from the coaches and players to the other officials.”

As for the Red Sox, he feels the team stands in “pretty good shape.

“Dan [general manager Duquette] had put together a list of off-season needs and he has fulfilled them,” said Shea. “We needed a leadoff hitter and we now have one in Johnny Damon, who will also help us in the outfield [center field]. We’ve added pitching depth with Dustin Hermanson, John Burkett and Darren Oliver. Dan said the staff reminds him of the staffs we had in 1995 and 1999. And [first baseman] Tony Clark gives us a bat and a veteran presence which will be a big help.”

Shea added that Duquette also wanted to address “off-field issues” which he did by trading troublesome Carl Everett to Texas.

He said the early reports are “good” on ace righthander Pedro Martinez, shortstop Nomar Garciaparra and catcher Jason Varitek, who missed huge chunks of time in 2001 due to injury; and that the new owners, who bought the Red Sox for $660 million last month, are “very nice people who are very knowledgeable and extremely well-respected in baseball.”

Carter, Rice belong in Hall

Shortstop extraordinaire Ozzie Smith deserved first-ballot induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

He is the only one who will be inducted this year. But should catcher Gary Carter and former Boston Red Sox slugger Jim Rice have made it?

Carter fell 11 votes shy of election in his fourth try while Rice received 260 of the necessary 354 votes.

Carter will eventually be inducted and he should be. He was an 11-time All-Star and hit 324 homers with 1,225 runs batted in while playing the most demanding position in the sport.

He spent several seasons in Montreal where the turf took its toll on players.

Eight-time All-Star Rice should have also made it but didn’t because of his disdain for the media.

His numbers (.298, 382 homers, 1,451 RBIs) are Hall-worthy but not lofty enough to erase the memories of his sometimes surly, uncooperative behavior with the media. The small-town boy from South Carolina was a fish out of water in judgmental Boston.

Larry Mahoney’s column appears on Wednesdays. He can be reached at 1-800-310-8600, 990-8231 or by e-mail at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net