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NHL PLAYOFFS

Spring forward, fall back

Sporting News Today’s Matt Hayes weighs in on pro-
grams headed in opposite directions after spring ball.
FLYING IN OVERDRIVE HEADED IN REVERSE
1. Notre Dame 1. Louisville
2. Oklahoma State 2. Texas A&M
3. North Carolina 3. West Virginia
FRIDAY 4. Miami 4. Tennessee
GENE J. PUSKAR / AP
Evgeni Malkin, left, had a hat trick as MAY 22, 2009
Notre Dame on the rise, Page 28
the Pens grabbed a 2-0 series lead. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 304
Stars align: Malkin, Crosby
AP Miami QB Jacory Harris
combine for five points as Pens make
move to return to Cup finals. Pages 7-8
Detroit at Chicago:
8 tonight, Versus.
INTERLEAGUE PLAY NBA PLAYOFFS
Red Wings lead series 2-0

Scoreboard
NBA Playoffs
Western Conference finals
Denver 106, L.A. Lakers 103
Showdown lowdown Interleague intrigue
Interesting A.L. vs. N.L. matchups:
TODAY
Randy Johnson vs. Ichiro Suzuki
Little lefty could ruin Big Unit’s
(Series tied 1-1) Baltimore pitchers warn Phils, ‘There are no holes’ in Yankees’ lineup Seattle homecoming.
Johan Santana vs. Fenway Park MARK J. TERRILL / AP
Mets ace struggles more in Boston
NHL Playoffs BY BILL EICHENBERGER (6.89 ERA) than anywhere. Carmelo Anthony had 34 points as the
Eastern Conference finals beichenberger@sportingnews.com Jered Weaver vs. Juan Pierre Nuggets tied the series vs. the Lakers.
Angels’ red-hot righthander against
Pittsburgh 7, Carolina 4
(Pittsburgh leads series 2-0) NEW YORK—The World Series
Dodgers’ red-hot leadoff man. Not so fast
champion Phillies face the Yankees,
Sporting News’ pick to win it all this
SATURDAY
Dan Haren vs. Matt Holliday on L.A.-Cavs
Baseball Surging slugger could spoil Arizona Inevitable? Hold off on Lakers-
season, when interleague play begins righthander’s return to Oakland.
American League Cavaliers plans for the Finals,
tonight. The Yankees have won nine SUNDAY because Thursday night, Denver
Detroit 4, Texas 3 consecutive games, and with Alex Josh Johnson vs. Evan Longoria derailed the defending West
Minnesota 20, Chicago White Sox 1 Rodriguez healthy, they have Marlins’ flame-thrower meets Rays’ champs in L.A. behind 34 points
Cleveland 8, Kansas City 3 arguably the best lineup in baseball. hotshot. from Carmelo Anthony. Now, it’s
Tampa Bay 6, Oakland 5 Three Baltimore relievers provide a — Stan McNeal the Nuggets—tough in the Mile-
N.Y. Yankees 7, Baltimore 4 scouting report for Philadelphia: High City—holding homecourt
Boston 5, Toronto 1 advantage. Page 11
L.A. Angels 3, Seattle 0 George Sherrill Boston, even Toronto this year is ORLANDO AT CLEVELAND
“(A-Rod) being in the lineup, you AP PHOTOS unbelievable.” 8:30 tonight, TNT
National League don’t go out there and say, ‘Well, I’ve Since Alex Rodriguez, right, returned May 8, Mark Teixeira has raised his batting average 58 points. Magic lead series 1-0
Philadelphia 12, Cincinnati 5 got to give Mark Teixeira more Chris Ray The Lakers aren’t alone. The
fastballs,’ but it ends up happening. He’s super hot. Alex also has Hideki way you go about pitching them. “It’s a lineup that doesn’t quit. Cavs, previously undefeated in
Washington 5, Pittsburgh 4 ... You don’t want to walk him to get Matsui behind him, and that’s pretty There are no holes now anywhere. Most lineups you can eventually get the postseason, coughed up the
Arizona 4, Florida 3 to Alex. I don’t know the numbers, good protection.” You can’t pitch around him to get to down to the seventh, eighth and home edge in a Game 1 loss to
Colorado 9, Atlanta 0 but you can tell that since Alex has someone else because the next two ninth hitter—you can sit back and Orlando on Wednesday. That one
St. Louis 3, Chicago Cubs 1 been back, it’s become a completely Brian Bass guys behind him are also great really attack those guys. But here result pushed Cleveland from
Milwaukee 4, Houston 3 different lineup. He’s protecting “(A-Rod’s) return has definitely hitters. It’s obviously one of the best every hitter up there is going to be a cruise-control to must-win tonight
in Game 2. Page 12
San Diego 3, San Francisco 2 Teixeira, and Teixeira is taking off. changed the whole dynamic of the lineups in the league—them and challenge.”
— Sean Deveney
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com See a Different Game FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 2

Tune In Today AUTO RACING

11 a.m.
GUIDE
OFF THE FIELD If you deliver
A quick look at the best sports on TV
— all times Eastern
VERSUS—IRL, practice for Indianapolis 500
8 p.m.
SPEED—World of Outlaws, at Concord, N.C.
(same-day tape)
it daily, they
NBA

Magic at Cavaliers
BOXING
9 p.m.
ESPN2—Welterweights, Richard Gutierrez
will come.
(24-2-1) vs. Antwone Smith (15-1-1), at Miami
8 p.m., TNT
Sometimes when you watch LeBron James
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
routinely score 40-plus points (he scored 49 in
2 p.m.
the Game 1 loss), you forget how hard he works.
ESPN2—NCAA Division I, Super Regionals,
But there he was after Game 1, with blood trick-
game 1, Jacksonville State at Alabama
ling down his leg and dealing with apparent leg
4:30 p.m.
cramps as well. And now, after losing home-court
ESPN2—NCAA Division I, Super Regionals,
advantage to the Magic, the Cavs must win Game
game 2, Ohio State at Georgia
2 tonight to avoid falling into a huge hole heading
6:30 p.m.
to Orlando. Maybe LeBron will be the source of MATT SLOCUM / AP
ESPN2—NCAA Division I, Super Regionals,
some amazing happenings.
site 1/game 3, teams TBA (if necessary) Cowboys owner Jerry Jones unveiled a 72-foot tall, 160-foot wide TV at Dallas’ new stadium.
8 p.m.
NHL ESPN—Regional coverage, NCAA Division I,

Red Wings
Super Regionals, game 1 Baylor at Michigan,
or game 2 Arizona at Stanford (8:30 p.m.)
11 p.m.
Ex-NFL QB Leaf indicted
at Blackhawks ESPN2—NCAA Division I, Super Regionals, Former NFL quarterback Ryan from the action. The Cowboys on

FREEup!
site 2/game 3, teams TBA (if necessary) Leaf was indicted by a grand jury in Thursday unveiled what they’re call-
8 p.m., Versus
If you’re a hockey fan with no rooting interest Texas Thursday on drug and bur- ing the world’s largest high-defini-
in this game, you’ll find it difficult not to be swept
GOLF
10 a.m.
glary charges. The indictment said tion TV: a 72-foot tall, 160-foot wide Sign
Today!
up by the sight of Blackhawks fans swiveling and the 33-year-old former San Diego screen suspended over the field. It
TGC—European PGA Tour, BMW PGA
celebrating a Chicago goal to the tune of Chelsea Chargers quarterback presented extends from 20-yard line to 20-yard
Championship, second round, at Surrey,
Dagger by The Fratellis. (Check it out at youtube.
com/watch?v=3kBMu89gDBI). The Blackhawks
England an incomplete medical history to line in the $1.1 billion stadium and is
Noon several physicians between Janu- 90 feet above the field, owner Jerry
need the energy their fans provide being down 0-2

The country’s first and only

TGC—PGA of America, Senior Championship,
in this best-of-7 series. Detroit seems to have trouble
second round, at Beachwood, Ohio
ary 2008 and September 2008 to Jones said.
with more well-built players, which means Jonathan get or try to obtain the painkiller
3 p.m.

daily digital sports newspaper.

Toews could be Chicago’s first star tonight.
BASEBALL
Cubs at Padres
10 p.m., WGN
For the backwoods purists who hate interleague
play, this series is your only option this weekend.
The Cubs are blessed with considerable talent,
yet they still have much difficulty on the road.
Enter a series against the Padres, who are 14-6 at
home and haven’t lost six games into their current
nine-game homestand. Tonight marks the return
of Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano from a hamstring
strain, and he’ll need to be on his game to com-
bat Padres strikeout machine Jake Peavy, who on
Thursday rejected a deal to the White Sox.
— Compiled by Roger Kuznia
TGC—PGA Tour, Byron Nelson Championship,
second round, at Irving, Texas
6:30 p.m.
TGC—LPGA, Corning Classic, second round, at
Corning, N.Y. (same-day tape)
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
10 p.m.
WGN—Chicago Cubs at San Diego
NBA BASKETBALL
8:30 p.m.
TNT—Playoffs, Eastern Conference finals,
Game 2, Orlando at Cleveland
NHL HOCKEY
8 p.m.
VERSUS—Playoffs, Western Conference
finals, Game 3, Detroit at Chicago
Hydocodone.
Quick hits
William “The Refrigerator” Perry was
released from a South Carolina hos-
pital after a monthlong stay for com-
plications of a nervous system
disorder. An Aiken Regional Medi-
cal Center spokeswoman said the
former Chicago Bears star, 46, was
released on Wednesday after being
treated for Guillain-Barre Syndrome,
which can be fatal if it progresses.
Fans in the upper deck of the
Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium won’t
have to worry about being so far
Some Bears season ticket hold-
ers were surprised to receive a notice
saying they owe a city-issued amuse-
ment tax on seat licenses purchased
up to seven years ago, according to Delivered via email every morning, 7 days a
the Chicago Tribune. A Bears spokes-
man, who says the team was
week, Sporting News Today is your one-stop
destination for breaking sports stories plus
unaware of the tax or the certified
letters that were mailed out, says the
news about every team, every game and
franchise is looking into the issue.
every score from coast-to-coast.
Lowe’s Motor Speedway dedi-
cated its infield media center dead-
line room in honor of late Charlotte
Experience America’s hottest new product.
Observer NASCAR writer David Poole,
who died in April of a heart attack.
— SportsBusiness Daily, sportsbusinessdaily.com
Sign up at sportingnewstoday.com. It’s free.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com My Profile FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 3

Houston Nutt THE WORLD’S FIRST DIGITAL

DAILY SPORTS NEWSPAPER

CHAIRMAN & CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ray Shaw

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeff D’Alessio
MANAGING EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul Kasko
Born: Oct. 14, 1957, in Little Rock, Ark. CREATIVE DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keith Wood
Status: Married VP, GENERAL MANAGER, ONLINE . . . . . Jeff Gerttula
Alma mater: Oklahoma State VP, INTEGRATED MARKETING & SALES .Stuart Marvin
What’s on TV: I watch the news on CNN and also SportsCenter. I also like DIRECTOR, DIGITAL MEDIA. . . . . . . . . . . . Geoff Shaw
watching CSI and The Andy Griffith Show when I can. VP, MARKETING & SALES DEVELOPMENT . .Eric Karp
What’s in my iPod: Elvis Presley, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Tina Turner,
Montgomery Gentry, Kool & the Gang, Earth Wind & Fire EDITORIAL OFFICES
What I drive: White 2009 Avalanche 120 West Morehead Street, Suite 200
Favorite flicks: I can’t name just one—Rudy, Apollo 13, Field of Dreams, The Charlotte, NC 28202
Shawshank Redemption, the first Rocky 704-973-1550
What I’m reading: Quiet Strength, by Tony Dungy 1-800-443-1886
Worst habit: Biting my nails
On my office walls: Perseverance! All things are possible to him that Letters to the editor:
believes! Mark 9:23 yourturn@sportingnews.com
Love to trade places for a day with … Moses General feedback:
First job: I had summer jobs mowing grass and in construction, but my editors@sportingnews.com
first real job was as a waiter at the Park Plaza Cafeteria in Little Rock. I
made $1.50 an hour carrying trays out to the customers. National Digital Sales Managers
Talent I’d most like to have: To be able to sing Joey Glowacki, 704-973-1856
Favorite meal: A medium Porterhouse steak, a baked potato with butter jglowacki@sportingnews.com
and cheese, green beans, a fresh salad, homemade rolls and homemade Gary Strauss, 212-500-0672
chocolate cake gstrauss@sportingnews.com
Favorite athletes to watch in other sports: I used to love watching Michael
Jordan, but now it’s LeBron James and Tom Brady. ON NEWSSTANDS NOW
Favorite city to visit: Rio de Janeiro
Favorite team as a kid: Dallas Cowboys
Favorite values in others: Unselfishness and a positive outlook on life
Favorite attribute about myself: Positive attitude
And least … Can’t sing
Dream date: My wife, Diana
My greatest love: My family and sports—football, basketball, baseball
My heroes: My Mom and Dad
My bucket list: Win a national championship and travel the world
My motto: These are the best days of your life!
— Jeff D’Alessio

DANNY KLIMETZ / AP A Division I head basketball coach at 31? If

anyone can do it, it’s Memphis’ Josh Pastner,
Sporting News college hoops expert Mike
DeCourcy explains in the new magazine.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Next Gen
RECRUITING DISH

Stephenson’s list trimmed N?8KK@D<@J@K66

to Arizona, Maryland
SG Lance Stephenson has trimmed his list of schools to
Arizona and Maryland, his father told USA Today. Ste-
phenson is the top unsigned basketball recruit in the
nation, according to two recruiting services.
>8D<;8P
The late national signing period for hoops ended on
Wednesday, but a player still can commit to a school
between now and the fall semester, and his enrollment
is considered the same as signing a letter of intent.
Stephenson will wait to announce a decision until
after a June 29 hearing for his misdemeanor sexual
assault case, his father added.
“He wants to clear his name before he makes a deci-
sion,” Lance’s father, Lance Stephenson, Sr. told USA
Today. “He’s going to continue to work out and take
care of his schooling.”
The 6-6 Stephenson has finished his prep career at
Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.). In recent months, he also
had Kansas and St. John’s as part of his short list.

In football: BYU has added its eighth and ninth

commitments for the class of 2010, Scout.com
reported. The Cougars received commitments from
Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) DL Tuni Kanuch and
Murrieta Valley (Murrieta, Calif.) RB A.J. Moore.
Kanuch is a 6-2, 295-pounder who also was being
looked at by Notre Dame, Oregon and Washington State.
“I visited head coach Bronco Mendenhall with my mom
and dad and committed right there to him in his
office,” Kanuch told Scout.com. “I knew if they offered
HENNY RAY ABRAMS / AP
Lance Stephenson, center, may not name his school choice until July.
:FCC<><=FFK98CC
me that I probably would commit and they did, so I
did ... It was good hearing from the other schools, but The 6-1, 230-pound outside linebacker also reported a
ON SALE 6/2/09
BYU has everything I need. It’s a great fit for me and scholarship offer from Louisville, as well as a chance
who I am and what my goals are, so I didn’t feel like I to attend and play for the Naval Academy. Grove had
needed to wait to make my commitment.” 95 tackles as a junior, and broke up six passes, while
Moore is a 5-10, 190-pound back who also had Boise
State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah looking
recovering one fumble.
“It’s a really good feeling,” Grove told Rivals.com. “I ($/''$*/'$.+'+
at him. As a junior, Moore rushed for 1,040 yards and can focus on my season ahead of me and try to win a www.sportingnews.com or www.streetandsmiths.com
10 touchdowns, while also catching 60 passes for 700 championship. I knew I was going to commit early but I SHIPPING: + $3.50 for the first magazine + 50¢ each additional magazine
yards and four touchdowns out of the backfield. didn’t think it would be this early. I sat down with my
parents and they asked what other schools I was waiting
Thomas Johnson (Ijamsville, Md.) LB Jeremy Grove for and I realized there was no better school to wait for.”
has committed to East Carolina, Rivals.com reported. — Brian McLaughlin
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Overnight Report FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 5
BASEBALL / NATIONAL LEAGUE BASEBALL / AMERICAN LEAGUE
San Diego 3, San Francisco 2 Padres 3, Giants 2 L.A. Angels 3, Seattle 0
San Francisco AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Rowand cf 4 1 2 1 0 0 .270

Sixth straight win caps Padres’ busy day

Velez 2b
Aurilia 1b
Sandoval 3b
4
0
4
1
0
0
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 .194
0 .196
1 .298
Angels hitting homers again
B.Molina c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .286
Winn lf 4 0 2 1 0 1 .282
Schierholtz rf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .235 SEATTLE—Sitting in the dugout Angels 3, Mariners 0
SAN DIEGO—The San Diego Padres’ whirl- gave San Francisco a 2-1 lead in the Ishikawa 1b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .226 before Thursday’s game, Los Los Angeles AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
a-J.Guzman ph-1b 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Figgins 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .279
wind day started with team keeping their ninth. B.Wilson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Angeles Angels manager Mike E.Aybar ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 .297
ace pitcher, then finished with the club San Diego won all three games against Frandsen ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Scioscia was asked if his team’s J.Rivera lf 3 1 1 1 1 1 .276
Lincecum p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .158 Hunter cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .306
extending their season-high win streak by one run, including the first two by c-F.Lewis ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .278 power hitting—second worst in Napoli c 2 0 0 0 2 1 .307
with a comeback victory. scores of 2-1. Howry p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 the American League in homers K.Morales 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .274
Affeldt p 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 Quinlan dh 4 0 0 0 0 3 .125
In between star Jake Peavy vetoing a “We’re being tested right now,” Bochy Burriss 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .252 entering the day—was a major Matthews Jr. rf 3 1 1 1 0 1 .278
proposed trade to the Chicago White Sox said. “This was as tough a series as you Totals 35 2 10 2 0 6 concern. Kendrick 2b 3 1 1 1 0 1 .241
Totals 31 3 5 3 3 11
earlier on Thursday and the victory, the could have, the way we lost.” San Diego AB R H BI BB SO Avg. “You can’t just look at slugging
Padres traded for outfielder Tony Gwynn The Giants became the first team to Giles rf 4 0 0 0 1 2 .161 percentage,” Scioscia said. Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Eckstein 2b 4 0 1 2 0 0 .229 I.Suzuki rf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .316
Jr., the son of San Diego Hall of Famer score an earned run off Bell after 17 1/3 Hairston cf 5 0 1 1 0 0 .336 “There’s a lot that goes into the Beltre 3b 4 0 2 0 0 1 .207
outfielder Tony Gwynn. innings when Winn singled in Eugenio Ad.Gonzalez 1b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .279 offense.” M.Sweeney dh 4 0 0 0 0 0 .233
Headley lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .230 Balentien lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .256
Scott Hairston capped off the day by Velez for a 2-1 lead in the ninth. Velez led Kouzmanoff 3b 3 1 1 0 0 1 .240 Then the Angels went out and Branyan 1b 2 0 1 0 2 1 .308
singling in the winning run as the Padres off with a walk and went to third on Pablo Hundley c 2 0 0 0 1 1 .257 scored all their runs via the long Johjima c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .238
C.Burke ss 3 1 2 0 0 1 .261 Jo.Lopez 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .224
scored twice in the ninth for a 3-2 victory Sandoval’s single. With one out, Winn d-Gwynn ph 0 1 0 0 1 0 --- ball, thanks to a trio of homers Y.Betancourt ss 3 0 1 0 0 0 .269
over the San Francisco Giants on Thurs- grounded a single up the middle. Correia p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .250 by Juan Rivera, Gary Matthews F.Gutierrez cf 2 0 0 0 1 0 .254
Thatcher p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Totals 31 0 6 0 3 4
day night. Bell’s scoreless innings streak was the b-Macias ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .333 Jr. and Howie Kendrick that
Hairston’s bases-loaded single with longest active in the majors. Mujica p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- accounted for the Angels’ first Los Angeles 101 000 010 — 3 5 0
Bell p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Seattle 000 000 000 — 0 6 0
two outs off Brian Wilson gave the Padres The Giants wasted a solid outing by e-E.Gonzalez ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .157 three hits in a 3-0 win over the
their season-high sixth straight win and reigning N.L. Cy Young winner Tim Totals 32 3 6 3 3 11 Seattle Mariners. LOB: Los Angeles 4, Seattle 7. HR: J.Rivera (3), off
Bedard; Matthews Jr. (1), off Bedard; Kendrick (4), off
a three-game sweep of the Giants. LENNY IGNELZI / AP Lincecum. The righthander allowed one San Francisco 000 001 001 —2 10 3 “We talked about slugging Olson. RBIs: J.Rivera (13), Matthews Jr. (13), Kendrick
“It’s been a crazy 24 hours,” Peavy said San Diego’s Scott Hairston celebrates as he runs to run and four hits over seven innings. He San Diego 001 000 002 —3 6 0 percentage before the game and (20). SB: I.Suzuki (6), Branyan (2). CS: Jo.Lopez (2).
first after his game winning single in the bottom Runners left in scoring position: Los Angeles 2
before San Diego’s comeback win. struck out 10, walked one and hit one Two outs when winning run scored. a-grounded into those guys took it to heart,” Scio- (J.Rivera 2); Seattle 4 (Jo.Lopez 2, Beltre, Johjima). DP:
The day would end with the Padres of the ninth inning gave the Padres their sixth batter. a double play for Ishikawa in the 7th. b-struck out for scia joked afterward. Los Angeles 1 (E.Aybar, Kendrick, K.Morales); Seattle 1
straight victory. Thatcher in the 7th. c-struck out for Lincecum in the 8th. (Y.Betancourt, Jo.Lopez, Branyan).
sweeping the Giants and Gwynn Jr. scor- Lincecum struck out 10 batters or more d-walked for C.Burke in the 9th. e-struck out for Bell in The Angels could laugh about
ing the game-winning run on Hairston’s Diego ninth with an infield single off for the third time this season and the 14th the 9th. E: Ishikawa (2), Velez (2), Lincecum (2). LOB: their barrage of solo shots— Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
San Francisco 6, San Diego 10. HR: Rowand (4), off Cor- Saunders W, 6-2 7 4 0 0 3 3 101 3.17
single after a pinch-hit walk. Wilson (2-3) and was sacrificed to sec- in his career. reia. RBIs: Rowand (17), Winn (19), Eckstein 2 (12), Hair- about a 1,000 feet worth of hits— S.Shields H, 6 1 1 0 0 0 1 15 6.89
“I’m glad to be back,” said Gwynn Jr., ond. Gwynn Jr. then pinch hit and drew a “Coming out of this series the way we ston (19). SB: C.Burke (3). S: Hundley, Correia. Runners thanks largely to the pitching of Fuentes S, 11-13 1 1 0 0 0 0 16 4.30
left in scoring position: San Francisco 3 (J.Guzman, Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
who grew up in the Padres’ locker room walk. After pinch-hitter Edgar Gonzalez did, it’s hard to take,” Lincecum said. “We Frandsen 2); San Diego 3 (C.Burke, Giles, Headley). DP: Joe Saunders, who made sure Bedard L, 2-2 5 2 2 2 2 6 95 2.64
during his father’s 20-year career, all struck out, Brian Giles walked to load the have to find a way to bounce back.” San Diego 2 (Eckstein, C.Burke, Ad.Gonzalez), (C.Burke, the lead would stand up against Morrow 2 0 0 0 0 3 35 8.03
Eckstein, Ad.Gonzalez). Olson 2⁄3 3 1 1 0 1 18 5.27
spent in San Diego. “It still hasn’t really bases. Kevin Correia matched Lincecum as he Seattle’s anemic offense.. Stark 1 1⁄3 0 0 0 1 1 23 9.00
kicked in yet. But my nerves were actu- Wilson then hit Eckstein in the left faced his former team for the first time San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Rivera welcomed back Seattle
Lincecum 7 4 1 1 1 10 113 3.45 Inherited runners-scored: Stark 2-0. WP: Stark.
ally pretty good being up at the plate in shoulder to force in the tying run before after spending the first seven years of his Howry 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 16 4.41 starter Erik Bedard—scratched Umpires: Home, Brian Knight; First, Dana DeMuth;
the ninth inning.” Hairston lined a single to left for the win. career with San Francisco before signing Affeldt 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 6 2.41 from his last start with a bad Second, Doug Eddings; Third, Hunter Wendelstedt. T:
Wilson L,2-3 BS,3-12 2⁄3 2 2 2 2 1 26 4.87 2:46. A: 18,468 (47,878).
San Diego retained Peavy when he “It builds confidence for us to put run- with the Padres as a minor-league free San Diego IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA hamstring—by hooking a 3-1
turned down a trade to the Chicago White ners on and win a ball game,” Hairston agent in the offseason. Correia 6 1⁄3 6 1 1 0 3 81 4.53 pitch just inside the left-field pole
Thatcher 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 5 0.00
Sox, choosing to remain with his long- said. Correia retired the first nine Giants in Mujica 1 0 0 0 0 2 13 3.10 with two outs in the first. Two
time team. The Padres and White Sox “(Wilson) got off to a bad start with the order. The righthander allowed just two Bell W, 2-0 1 4 1 1 0 1 19 0.50 innings later, Matthews went
had reached an agreement, but needed dribbler,” San Francisco manager Bruce singles before he gave up a two-out solo Inherited runners-scored: Affeldt 1-0, Thatcher deep for the first time since Sept.
the 2007 Cy Young Award winner to Bochy said about Kouzmanoff’s hit. “The homer to Aaron Rowand in the sixth to 2-0. HBP: by B.Wilson (Eckstein), by Lincecum (Kouz- 23, also against Seattle.
manoff). Umpires: Home, Gary Cederstrom; First, Jim
waive his no-trade clause. walks and the hit batter killed us.” tie the game at 1-all. Wolf; Second, Brian O’Nora; Third, Fieldin Culbreth. T: Kendrick capped the night
San Diego obtained Gwynn Jr. from Heath Bell (2-0), who gave up his first — The Associated Press 3:00. A: 19,921 (42,691). with a drive into the second deck
Milwaukee for outfielder Jody Gerut. earned run of the season, picked up the of left field.
Kevin Kouzmanoff led off the San win. Randy Winn’s RBI single off Bell Yankees win again, Page 18 — The Associated Press

SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
SN’s 2008-09 AWARDS
ALL-NBA TEAM
Cavaliers small forward LeBron James, Sport-
ing News’ NBA Player of the Year, was a unani-
mous selection to SN’s 2009 All-NBA team.
The team was selected by a poll of 41 NBA
coaches and executives. Lakers shooting guard
Kobe Bryant and Heat shooting guard Dwyane
Wade appeared on 38 ballots. Magic center
Dwight Howard was on 34 ballots, and Hor-
nets point guard Chris Paul was on 29. Spurs
power forward Tim Duncan, with six votes,
was the only other player to appear on more
than five ballots.
Dwight Howard, C, Magic
20.6 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 2.9 bpg
He averaged almost a full block
more than in ’07-08 and led the
league in rebounds per game.
LeBron James, SF, Cavaliers
28.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 7.2 apg
The individual stats always have
been there. The 66 wins—up from
45 in ’07-08—are something new.
Kobe Bryant, SG, Lakers
26.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.9 apg
His 46.7 percent shooting was his
best since 2001-02, and he made the
NBA’s All-Defensive Team for the
fourth straight season.
Dwyane Wade, SG, Heat
30.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 7.5 apg
He led the league in scoring and was
the only player to average more than
two steals and more than one block.
Chris Paul, PG, Hornets
22.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 11.0 apg
He almost won the MVP award last
year, then put up career-high averages
in points, rebounds and steals (2.8).
ON SALE NOW!
Awards FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 6
This week, Sporting News unveiled its NBA and NHL
award winners. The full package can be found in the new
issue of Sporting News Magazine.
ALL-NHL TEAM
Washington forward Alex Ovechkin,
Sporting News’ NHL Player of the Year,
was named on 36 of 39 ballots by league
coaches and executives and heads SN’s
2009 All-NHL team.
The other top forwards are Pittsburgh’s
Evgeni Malkin, the second-leading vote-
getter with 31, and New Jersey forward
Zach Parise, who garnered 20 votes.
Washington’s Mike Green was the lead-
ing vote-getter among defensemen with
30 and Boston’s Zdeno Chara was second
with 17. The goaltender selection is Tim
Thomas, SN’s Goalie of the Year.
Alex Ovechkin, F, Capitals
Topped 50 goals for the
third time in the past four
seasons.
Evgeni Malkin, F, Penguins MORE THAN
Led the NHL with 113
points, the highest total of
his skyrocketing career.
900 INSIDERS
Zach Parise, F, Devils
TALKING ABOUT...
Gets better every year; 45 NICK WASS / AP
goals put him among the Tim Thomas was chosen as top goalie through a poll of 292 NHL players. s MLB’s 50 Best Players
league’s elite scorers.
GOALIE OF THE YEAR s2009 NBA & NHL Awards
Zdeno Chara, D, Bruins
Led Boston’s resurgence Tim Thomas, who posted league highs in goals-against average (2.10) s2009 MLB Draft
with a physical presence and and save percentage (.933) while helping the Boston Bruins climb to
the league’s hardest shot. the top of the Eastern Conference, has been named Sporting News’ sChargers QB Philip Rivers
Goalie of the Year, outdistancing rookie Steve Mason by nine votes in
Mike Green, D, Capitals a poll of 292 NHL players.
The seventh defenseman Thomas, 35, is a model of perseverance, a fierce competitor who
in league history to score 30 battled for eight long seasons overseas and in the minors before find-
goals in a season. ing his way to Boston and eventually earning the starting job. His
style is unorthodox, his playing style combative—a perfect fit for the
Tim Thomas, G, Bruins in-your-face Bruins.
Led the league in save per- “He’s a fierce competitor,” Washington forward David Steckel said.
Subscribe Today and SAVE 88%!
centage (.933) and goals- “His human nature translates on the ice. … He’s not going to take any- One Year just $14.97
against average (2.10). thing from anyone.”
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SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Pittsburgh 7, Carolina 4
Malkin beats Hurricanes at their own game
PITTSBURGH—It was the kind of
game the Carolina Hurricanes
like to play. They give up a goal.
They answer. They give up
another. They answer again.
They’re a resilient bunch, this
team now known as the Cardiac
Canes.
By the time
Carolina
winger Patrick
Eaves scored to
tie the game 4-4
early in the
third period, it
Craig Custance looked like
HOCKEY
another tight
win was on the
way for the Hurricanes. That’s just
what they do, especially in Game
2s.
“It’s been one of those things
where we’re back and forth,
back and forth, and usually we
come up with the win,” Carolina
defenseman Tim Gleason said.
Usually.
“That wasn’t the case tonight,”
he said.
The Hurricanes might have
found a team equally resilient
and it shouldn’t be surprising.
Both Carolina and Pittsburgh
battled slow regular-season
starts just to get into the playoffs.
They were both coming off
intense seven-game series where
they were gritty survivors.
They both have fought through
injuries to get where they are
right now. So we know about the
resiliency of the teams.
Now we’re learning about the
resiliency of one of the players.
With three goals Thursday night, Evgeni Malkin now has four of Pittsburgh’s 10 tallies in two games against the Hurricanes.
Evgeni Malkin had his best
game of the postseason Thurs-
day in Pittsburgh’s 7-4 win. He
finished with his first career
playoff hat trick.
The way he went top shelf with
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
a backhand for his third goal of
the game is hardly ever seen.
“Not personally against me, but
I’ve seen it on TV,” Carolina defen-
seman Dennis Seidenberg said.
Added Pittsburgh coach Dan
NHL
GENE J. PUSKAR / AP
Bylsma: “There’s not many play-
ers in the world that can make a
play like that. And two of them
are on our team.”
That goal showed Malkin’s
skill. But he also showed an
ability to go to the net, to lead the
rush, to play physical—all the
facets of his game that make him
a world-class player.
And he’s doing it at the time of
year when, in the past, his abil-
ity, even his will, has been ques-
tioned. During the Stanley Cup
finals last season, Malkin was a
no-show against Detroit. He was
ripped. It’s the criticism that
accompanies an underachieving
superstar.
During a stretch this postseason
where he went five consecutive
games without a goal, that criti-
cism returned. So, too, did the
whispers that Malkin isn’t cut out
to perform when the games get
tight—when he’s needed the most.
You want resiliency? Malkin
now has 13 points in his last five
playoff games. Last year, he was
criticized for fizzling out of the
playoffs. This year it looks like
he’s getting stronger.
“I don’t think he really let (criti-
cism) bother him a whole lot,”
Crosby said. “It’s just experience
and knowing that there are going
to be tough games and not worry-
ing about it, moving on.”
That alone is why this Pen-
guins team is better than the one
that advanced to the Stanley
Cup finals last year. Malkin is
experienced. He knows what to
expect. And now he knows how
to raise his game to a level that is
necessary at this time of year.
“(When) he’s playing like
that,” Crosby said, “it’s hard not
to follow.”
ccustance@sportingnews.com
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 7
Kunitz’s first goal
is the one that counts
In an 11-goal game, it’s easy for one to get lost.
Especially when a star like Evgeni Malkin scores
his first career playoff hat trick.
But Chris Kunitz, the left winger brought to Pitts-
burgh late in the season to play with Sidney Crosby,
didn’t need a hat trick. He just needed one.
After 14 playoff games, Kunitz still was look-
ing for his first goal. He was getting power-play
time. He was skating with one of the best play-
makers in the world—and nothing. He was
goalless.
“You think about it,” he admitted before
Thursday night’s game. “You can’t change
what’s in the past. I have to go out and make my
next one count.”
With 7.3 seconds remaining in the second
period, Kunitz ended it. His wrister beat Cam
Ward high and the drought was over. This goal
wasn’t just a slump-buster, it was exactly the kind
of goal Kunitz wanted. One that really counted.
It gave the Penguins a one-goal lead heading
into the final period, after which Malkin took
over and ended any chance of a Carolina
comeback.
And, yes, getting that goal was a relief.
“It definitely feels good,” Kunitz said. “We’re a
close group in the locker room and no one cares
who is scoring goals. … Personally, it felt good to
get it done already.”
The goal was the highlight of a strong game
from Kunitz. He earned his eighth assist of the
playoffs with a nice feed to Crosby for the game’s
first goal, and his ninth on Malkin’s second goal.
He also had a power-play shift where he
unleashed at least three shots on Ward, who made
the saves. His four hits trailed only Brooks Orpik
for the team lead. It’s that combination of well-
rounded game that kept Dan Bylsma from worry-
ing too much about his lack of goal-scoring.
“His teammates are happy for him because we
know the situation when you read it in the paper.
He tries to put it inside,” Bylsma said. “I’m happy
for him. I’m happy that, you know, he can stop it.”
— Craig Custance
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Pittsburgh 7, Carolina 4
Penguins score three in third, go up 2-0 on Canes
PITTSBURGH—The Carolina Hurri-
canes talked and talked before the
Eastern Conference finals about the
importance of slowing down Sid-
ney Crosby. Maybe they forget
about the Pittsburgh Penguins’
other star, Evgeni Malkin.
Malkin put Pittsburgh ahead for
good by scoring twice in the third
period of his first three-goal playoff
performance, and the Penguins beat
the Hurricanes 7-4 Thursday night
to open a two-game lead in the series.
Crosby scored a record-tying sixth
goal to start a playoff game, yet was
upstaged by NHL regular-season
scoring leader Malkin during an
exceptional effort that also gave Mal-
kin the playoff scoring lead 25-24
over Crosby. Malkin has four of Pitts-
burgh’s 10 goals in the series.
“It was a great game for me,” Mal-
kin said.
Carolina had won five straight
Game 2s, including the first two
rounds this spring after losing
Game 1 each time, but couldn’t
match Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux
era-like run-and-gun offense
despite rallying to tie three times.
The Hurricanes will host Game 3
on Saturday night.
Malkin, seemingly motivated by
Carolina’s attempts to be more physi-
cal with him than usual during the
second period, ended a succession of
strong shifts by scoring to make it 5-4
with 8:50 gone in the third period.
“He played a determined game,”
teammate Bill Guerin said of Mal-
kin. “He’s got that size and skill.”
Malkin, relying on his speed and
offensive creativity to set up scoring
Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, right, scored the opening goal for the sixth time in a playoff game, tying an NHL record.
chances on almost every shift in the
final period, made it 6-4 less than
four minutes later with a one-man
goal. He picked up the puck in the
corner, carried it behind the net and
used a spin move to put a backhander
past goalie Cam Ward from a bad
angle for his 10th of the playoffs.
“It was a great shot,” Carolina
defenseman Dennis Seidenberg
said. “I don’t know who saves that.
He’s a great player and great play-
ers, eventually they break out.
NHL
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Today was his day it seemed like.”
Malkin didn’t exactly call his shot,
but Guerin and Max Talbot said Mal-
kin told his teammates what he was
trying to do on his last goal.
“We have set plays on faceoffs
and he told me before the draw what
he was going to do—and he did it,”
Talbot said.
Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma
said the play is called The Geno,
Malkin’s nickname.
“And for a reason,” Bylsma said. “He
GENE J. PUSKAR / AP
pushed through and got the puck him-
self and, after that, it’s just all him.”
As dozens of hats littered the ice,
Malkin’s father, Vladimir, repeatedly
kissed his mother, Natalia—the par-
ents are visiting from Russia—as Pen-
guins fans cheered them almost as
loudly as they did the Malkins’ son.
“It was good to do that for my
parents,” Malkin said. “I was very
happy I could do that for them.”
Ward had won his last five Game
2s, allowing an average of only 1.18
goals per game, but couldn’t handle
the repeated flurries by the Penguins,
who have scored 29 goals in six
games. Tyler Kennedy scored later in
the third for Pittsburgh, and Talbot
and Chris Kunitz added goals, with
Kunitz getting his first in 24 games,
dating to the regular season.
The Penguins, trying to become
the first team since the 1984 Edmon-
ton Oilers to lose in the Stanley Cup
finals one season and win the Cup
the next, won the first two games at
home for the fourth time in six play-
off rounds, dating to last season.
“This isn’t going to be a four-game
series, I’ll tell you that,” Carolina
defenseman Tim Gleason said.
Kunitz’s goal with 7.3 seconds
remaining in the second gave Pitts-
burgh a 4-3 lead and was his first in
the postseason since May 11, 2007,
with Anaheim. The Hurricanes,
who came in averaging only 2.3
goals per game, turned to its fourth
line to get the goal back as Patrick
Eaves scored 2:35 into the third
during his third shift of the game.
Carolina stalled after that, unable to
match Pittsburgh’s speed or the
repeated ability of its stars to find
open ice for repeated scoring chances.
Crosby and Malkin, as usual, got
it started.
Crosby scored his 13th with 1:51
gone—the sixth time he has scored
the opening goal in these playoffs.
Bobby Hull of the Blackhawks (1962)
and Edmonton’s Fernando Pisani in
2006 also had six game-opening
goals in a playoff year. Malkin scored
slightly more than six minutes later,
but Carolina quickly came back each
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 8
time as Chad LaRose and Jussi Joki-
nen scored.
Seidenberg and Talbot traded
goals ahead of Kunitz’s score.
— The Associated Press
Series glance
(Pittsburgh leads series 2-0)
May 18: Pittsburgh 3, Carolina 2
Thursday: Pittsburgh 7, Carolina 4
Saturday: Pittsburgh at Carolina,
7:30 p.m., Versus
Tuesday: Pittsburgh at Carolina,
7:30 p.m., Versus
May 29: Carolina at Pittsburgh,
7:30 p.m., if necessary, Versus
May 31: Pittsburgh at Carolina,
7:30 p.m., if necessary, Versus
June 2: Carolina at Pittsburgh, 7:30
p.m., if necessary, Versus
Carolina 3 0 1 — 4
Pittsburgh 2 2 3 — 7
First Period: 1, Pittsburgh, Crosby 13 (Kunitz, Guerin), 1:51. 2,
Carolina, LaRose 4 (Whitney, E.Staal), 3:07. 3, Pittsburgh, Malkin 8
(Kennedy, Cooke), 8:15. 4, Carolina, Jokinen 7 (Walker, Brind’Amour),
8:40. 5, Carolina, Seidenberg 1, 12:10. Penalties: Kunitz, Pit (high-
sticking), 15:33; LaRose, Car (tripping), 18:50.
Second Period: 6, Pittsburgh, Talbot 3 (Malkin, Crosby), 3:11. 7,
Pittsburgh, Kunitz 1 (Guerin, Eaton), 19:52. Penalties: Crosby, Pit
(tripping), :50; Cullen, Car (high-sticking), 10:02; LaRose, Car (rough-
ing), 12:06; Malkin, Pit (roughing), 12:06; Fedotenko, Pit (tripping),
13:21; Cole, Car (holding), 16:11; Gonchar, Pit (interference), 16:11.
Third Period: 8, Carolina, Eaves 1 (Bayda), 2:35. 9, Pittsburgh,
Malkin 9 (Kunitz, Cooke), 8:50. 10, Pittsburgh, Malkin 10, 12:25. 11,
Pittsburgh, Kennedy 3 (J.Staal, Cooke), 18:11 (en). Penalties: Cullen,
Car (tripping), 4:13; Bayda, Car match penalty (match--deliberate
injury), 18:41; Gleason, Car, major (fighting), 18:41; Eaves, Car, major
(fighting), 18:41; Satan, Pit, major (fighting), 18:41; Letang, Pit,
major-game misconduct (fighting), 18:41; Seidenberg, Car (cross-
checking), 18:58; Adams, Pit (elbowing), 18:58.
Shots on Goal: Carolina 14-6-8: 28. Pittsburgh 12-16-14: 42.
Power-play opportunities: Carolina 0 of 3; Pittsburgh 0 of 4.
Goalies: Carolina, Ward 8-8-0 (41 shots-35 saves). Pittsburgh, Fleury
10-5-0 (28-24).
A: 17,132 (16,940). T: 2:42.
Referees: Marc Joannette, Kevin Pollock. Linesmen: Brad Lazaro-
wich, Jay Sharrers.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Despite Datsyuk’s struggles, Wings continue to win
CHICAGO—Pavel Datsyuk has been battling
a scoring slump during Detroit’s run at
another Stanley Cup championship. And
now the star center and MVP finalist has a
sore foot to deal with heading into Game 3
of the Western Conference finals at the
United Center.
Datsyuk missed practice Thursday
before the Red Wings departed for Chicago.
But coach Mike Babcock and teammates
were hoping he would be able to go against
the Blackhawks tonight.
Datsyuk was struck by a puck during
Detroit’s 3-2 overtime win in Game 2 Tues-
day night.
“He took a rocket off the foot the other
night. We’ll go from there and see what
happens,” Babcock said. “He’s day-to-day,
simple. We’ll see how his foot reacts.”
Datsyuk, who had 97 points in the regu-
lar season, has scored only one goal in 13
playoff games. He did have an assist in
Game 2, giving him two in the series and
six overall in the postseason.
But despite his scoring drought, the Red
Wings continue to win. They lead the series
2-0 and are two victories away from return-
ing to the Stanley Cup finals—six away
from a second straight championship.
Datsyuk is one of several top Red Wings
struggling to score. Marian Hossa, who had
40 goals in the regular season, has man-
aged four in 13 playoffs games.
“As long as you win, it’s all good. But we
still find a way to put ourselves on the
scoreboard,” Hossa said.
Datsyuk will be evaluated after today’s
morning skate, and if he can’t play, the Red
Wings will simply adjust—something they
do very well. During practice, Valtteri Filp-
pula replaced Datsyuk on a line with Hossa
and Tomas Holmstrom.
“We’ll have to pick up for him all over the
ice,” Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood said,
referring to what it would take to replace
Pavel Datsyuk (13), who had 97 points in the regular season for Detroit, has only one goal in 13 playoff games.
Datsyuk.
“I expect him to be out there,” defense-
man Nicklas Lidstrom said. “But we haven’t
relied on him solely to carry the team so far
in the playoffs. The depth has been the
thing.”
It also has taken some top-notch saves
from Osgood, who made 37 in Game 2, and
NHL
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
the play of Lidstrom defensively to slow
down Chicago’s fast-paced transition
offense.
Chicago’s Patrick Kane, 20, is finding the
net elusive against the Red Wings. He had
no shots on goal in the opener and only
three in Game 2—with no goals. This on the
heels of his first career hat trick in the semi-
CARLOS OSORIO / AP
final clincher over Vancouver.
“A guy like Lidstrom puts his stick in
great positions all the time and he’s knock-
ing pucks away from you,” Kane said.
“Sometimes stats are a little deflating. I
guess it’s one of those things. I felt a lot bet-
ter (in the second game). I was creating
more. It would be nice to see one go in the
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 9
Today’s game
Conference finals
(Best-of-7), all times ET
Detroit at Chicago, 8 p.m., Versus
Betting line
Today
FAVORITE ..........LINE UNDERDOG ......... LINE
at Chicago .............-125 Detroit ....................+105
net here and there, but we have a lot of play-
ers who can do it. So I’m not worried about
that.”
Osgood, who already has been a part of
three Stanley Cup winners, is 10-3 so far in
the playoffs. Detroit’s victory on Tuesday
night marked his 100th playoff game with
the Red Wings.
Chicago was able to solve Calgary’s
Miikka Kiprusoff and Vancouver’s Roberto
Luongo in the first two rounds, but Osgood
has been unflappable so far in two games.
“His calmness really installs confidence
in us,” teammate Dan Cleary said.
There won’t be too many calm moments
tonight at the United Center where the sell-
out crowd starts getting revved up before
the puck even drops, cheering loudly
throughout the national anthem.
Detroit is used to hostile environments
and Osgood says it’s not always a bad
thing.
“We’re not succumbing to or assuming
that because we’re playing in the other
building that we’re going to be pinned in
our own zone for the first 10 minutes or
whatever,” he said.
“We feel we can use that energy to get the
jump on them for the first 10 minutes or
longer.”
— The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Chuck Fletcher will be Wild’s new G.M.
Minnesota has agreed to terms
with Pittsburgh assistant general
manager Chuck Fletcher and report-
edly will name him new G.M. of the
Wild sometime today, according to
Michael Russo of the Minneapolis
Star Tribune.
Russo cited NHL sources while
breaking the news that Fletcher, a
son of longtime NHL executive Cliff
Fletcher, will replace Doug Risebrough,
who was fired April 16.
Fletcher has been around the
game since childhood and has 16
years of experience in the Florida,
Anaheim and Pittsburgh organiza-
tions. He’s only 41 and has worked
alongside such respected execu-
tives as Bill Torrey, Bobby Clarke, Bryan
Murray, Brian Burke and Ray Shero.
Fletcher reportedly has experi-
ence in contract negotiations as
well as scouting and drafting. The
Star Tribune cites the part he played
in Florida’s 1993 expansion draft
that set the stage for a run to the
Stanley Cup finals in 1996. He also
has helped Anaheim and Pitts-
burgh advance to the Cup finals.
Fletcher, whose Penguins still
are playing in the Eastern Confer-
ence finals, could not be reached
for comment and there was no con-
firmation from the Wild.
Both New York senators say a
relocation of the Phoenix Coyotes to
Hamilton, Ontario, would have a
negative impact on the Buffalo
Sabres. Sens. Charles Schumer and
Kirsten Gillibrand have written to NHL
commissioner Gary Bettman about
their concerns. The Sabres’ yearly
revenues are enhanced annually
from 15-20 percent by southern
According to Jeremy Roenick, the reason Chris Chelios, center, isn’t playing much for Detroit is because coach Mike Babcock doesn’t like him.
Ontario hockey fans. Schumer and
Gillibrand say that fan base and
financial support may erode if
Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie
purchases the Coyotes and moves
them to Copps Memorial Coliseum
in downtown Hamilton. “Locating
another team so close to the Sabres
would unfairly penalize the fran-
chise and their loyal fans in western
New York, in Rochester and in
southern Ontario, and it must not
be allowed to happen,” Schumer
and Gillibrand wrote in their letter
to Bettman. “Along with current
NHL
INSIDE DISH
owner Tom Golisano and the NHL, we
worked very hard to keep the Sabres
here in Buffalo,” the senators added.
“They are woven into the fabric of
life in this whole region and we must
do all we can to see that they con-
tinue to prosper and grow.”
— Jim Fink, Business First of Buffalo
Outspoken Jeremy Roenick, a
Chicago teammate of Chris Chelios for
six seasons in the early 1990s, said
in a radio interview that there’s no
love lost between Chelios and
Detroit coach Mike Babcock, which
ROSS D. FRANKLIN / AP
might explain why the veteran
defenseman’s playing time has all
but disappeared.
Roenick made his comments
while appearing on the Monsters in
the Morning show for Comcast
SportsNet in Chicago.
“The coach just doesn’t like him
for some ungodly known reason,”
said Roenick, who now plays for
the Sharks. “He’s (Babcock) got a
grudge against American players.
But he does not like Cheli at all.”
Babcock, when informed of
Roenick’s comments by The Detroit
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 10
News, refused to reply.
Playoff glance
CONFERENCE FINALS
(Best-of-7), all times ET
“There is an underlying—I don’t
EASTERN CONFERENCE
know if it’s a hatred, because hate is
Carolina vs. Pittsburgh
a strong word—but there is some
(Pittsburgh leads series 2-0)
underlying issue there that I don’t
May 18: Pittsburgh 3, Carolina 2
understand,” Roenick said. “You
Thursday: Pittsburgh 7, Carolina 4
know Babcock is the coach. You
Saturday: Pittsburgh at Carolina,
have to respect him for his deci-
7:30 p.m. Versus
sions on who he plays. And all that
Tuesday: Pittsburgh at Carolina,
is well and good.”
7:30 p.m., Versus
Friday, May 29: Carolina at
Kevin Epp, the agent for Ana- Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m., if necessary,
heim’s Niedermayer brothers, told
Versus
Team 1040 Sports Radio in Van-
Sunday, May 31: Pittsburgh at
couver that his clients might be
Carolina, 7:30 p.m., if necessary,
interested in playing for the
Versus
Canucks next season, according to
Tuesday, June 2: Carolina at
TSN.ca.
Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m., if necessary,
Epp told listeners that D Scott Nie-
Versus
dermayer and F Rob Niedermayer, both
of whom will become unrestricted
WESTERN CONFERENCE
free agents July 1, will consider all
Chicago vs. Detroit
options before making a decision.
(Detroit leads series 2-0)
Both Niedermayers maintain off-
May 17: Detroit 5, Chicago 2
season homes in Cranbrook, Brit-
May 19: Detroit 3, Chicago 2, OT
ish Columbia.
Today: Detroit at Chicago,
Scott Niedermayer has yet to
8 p.m., Versus
announce a decision about whether
Sunday: Detroit at Chicago,
he’ll play another season or retire.
3 p.m., NBC
Wednesday: Chicago at Detroit,
Phil Kessel, who led the Boston 7:30 p.m., if necessary, Versus
Bruins with 36 goals, has under-
Saturday, May 30: Detroit at
gone surgery to repair a torn rota-
Chicago, 8 p.m., if necessary, Versus
tor cuff and labrum in his left
Monday, June 1: Chicago at
shoulder and is expected to miss
Detroit, 7:30 p.m., if necessary,
about six months. If that timeline is
Versus
true, Kessel, 21, will miss the start
of next season.
Hall of Fame player Clint Smith, announced Thursday. He played 11
a two-time winner of the Lady years in the NHL with New York
Byng Trophy while with the Black- (1936-43) and Chicago (1943-47)
hawks and Rangers, has died. He and was the lone surviving mem-
was 95. ber of the Rangers’ Stanley Cup-
Smith died Tuesday, the Canucks winning team in 1940.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Denver 106, L.A. Lakers 103
This time around, Nuggets close out with victory
LOS ANGELES—Similar game, differ-
ent ending for the Los Angeles
Lakers.
Their 24-year playoff dominance
of the Denver Nuggets dissipated
over the final 29 seconds of the
fourth quarter in the second down-
to-the-wire game in the Western
Conference finals.
That’s when Kenyon Martin hit a
layup in traffic and Chauncey Bil-
lups made 3 of 4 free throws to give
Denver a 106-103 victory in Game
2 on Thursday night to even the
series.
“It’s going to be a long series,”
Nuggets coach George Karl said.
It was Denver’s first playoff win
against Los Angeles since 1985, a
span of 11 games, the second-lon-
gest postseason winning streak
against one team in NBA history.
“There was just a demand that
we had to win this game,” Karl said.
“There was an inner spirit. We’re a
much more smart, mentally tough
team than you look at last year and
what we are now. It’s a great win.”
Carmelo Anthony had 34 points
and nine rebounds, Billups had 27
points and Linas Kleiza added 16
points for the Nuggets. Nene fin-
ished with six points, nine
rebounds and six assists.
“To get one on the road is always
tough. We came in and got it,”
Anthony said. “We’re mentally
tough and we showed that in this
game coming off the loss that we
gave away in Game 1.”
Anthony twisted his ankle in the
game, but he said he would be fine
for Game 3 Saturday in Denver.
NBA FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 11
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Series glance
(Series tied 1-1)
Tuesday: L.A. Lakers 105,
Denver 103
Thursday: Denver 106, L.A. Lakers
Kobe Bryant had 32 points, pushed on Trevor and Trevor tried 103
including making all 10 of his free to get rid of the ball, and no foul Saturday: L.A. Lakers at Denver,
throws, Trevor Ariza scored a was called and they recovered the 8:30 p.m., ABC
career playoff-high 20 points and basketball,” Lakers coach Phil Monday: L.A. Lakers at Denver,
Pau Gasol had 17 points and 17 Jackson said. 9 p.m., ESPN
rebounds for the Lakers, who Martin then fouled Gasol, who Wednesday: Denver at L.A. Lakers,
dropped to 7-2 at Staples Center made both before Billups got 9 p.m., if necessary,
this postseason. fouled. Friday, May 29: L.A. Lakers at
Denver, 9 p.m., if necessary
“They have home court advan- The Lakers were shaky on free
Sunday, May 31: Denver at L.A.
tage now. Now it’s time to go to throws in the fourth, making 9 of
Lakers, 8:30 p.m., if necessary
Denver, see if we can do the same,” 14, while Denver didn’t blink at the
Bryant said. “We’re not the best line. The Nuggets were 29 of 37,
road team in the NBA for no with Billups hitting 13 of 16 and
reason.” Anthony 10 of 14. Denver 23 31 26 26 — 106
L.A. Lakers 31 24 26 22 — 103
The Nuggets recovered from Kleiza’s 3-pointer early in the
poor free throw shooting in a two- fourth quarter gave the Nuggets an DENVER Min FG FT Reb A PF PTS
Anthony 42:01 12-29 10-14 5-9 4 3 34
point loss in Game 1 to make 17 85-82 lead, their first since the Martin 35:12 7-10 2-2 2-3 2 5 16
consecutive foul shots until Billups game’s opening minutes. Billups Nene 34:41 2-5 2-3 1-9 6 5 6
Billups 43:38 6-15 13-16 0-2 4 3 27
missed one with 4 seconds remain- followed with two free throws and Jones 12:38 1-4 0-0 2-3 1 5 2
ing. He made the second for the Anthony hit two straight baskets to Smith 24:30 1-6 0-0 1-4 3 4 3
Andersen 19:39 1-2 0-0 0-4 0 2 2
three-point lead. extend Denver’s lead to 91-84. Kleiza 21:41 5-8 2-2 3-8 0 2 16
“I want to kill Chauncey for miss- Bryant missed a jumper, but he Carter 6:00 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 240:00 35-79 29-37 14-42 20 29 106
ing that free throw,” Karl said. came up big on the Lakers’ next
Derek Fisher launched a possession, hitting a 3-pointer with Percentages: FG .443, FT .784. 3-Point Goals: 7-21, .333 (Kleiza
4-7, Billups 2-4, Smith 1-4, Anthony 0-6). Team Rebounds: 10.
3-pointer from the right corner that Anthony’s hand in his face. Shan- Team Turnovers: 14 (15 PTS). Blocked Shots: 5 (Andersen, Anthony,
Nene got a piece of as time expired. non Brown tossed in a 3 and Lamar Nene, Martin, Smith). Turnovers: 14 (Anthony 4, Martin 3, Smith
3, Nene 2, Andersen, Billups). Steals: 9 (Martin 3, Jones 2, Anthony,
“Nene had a great contest,” Bil- Odom made two free throws as Billups, Carter, Nene). Technical Fouls: Billups, 4:58 first; Martin,
lups said. “I don’t think Fisher got part of an 11-2 run that put the Lak- 5:47 fourth.
a good chance to get a good look on ers back in front 95-93. L.A. LAKERS Min FG FT Reb A PF PTS
the shot. Nonetheless, I was down Denver regained the lead before Ariza 33:26 6-7 6-8 0-3 2 2 20
Gasol 43:37 5-8 7-10 5-17 3 4 17
there trying to rebound and trying Bryant’s 3-pointer, again with Bynum 18:27 4-8 1-3 0-2 0 1 9
to get my hands on the ball again, Anthony guarding closely, tied the Fisher 27:42 1-9 0-0 0-1 3 5 3
Bryant 39:42 10-20 10-10 2-5 3 4 32
try to get back on that free throw game at 99 with 1:59 remaining. Odom 29:37 4-9 2-2 5-9 2 5 10
line.” Billups made two free throws Vujacic 5:35 0-4 0-0 0-1 0 1 0
Walton 18:53 1-3 0-0 0-2 4 2 2
Fisher thought he did get a good MARK J. TERRILL / AP before Bryant’s jumper tied it at Brown 16:47 3-8 1-2 1-2 1 2 8
look. Carmelo Anthony, right, had 34 points and nine rebounds to frustrate Pau Gasol and the Lakers. 101. Farmar 6:14 1-1 0-0 0-1 3 1 2
Totals 240:00 35-77 27-35 13-43 21 27 103
“I figured they were going to try The Lakers led by 14 early in the
to foul to prevent us from shooting game.” ball away to earn a jump ball with second quarter. Anthony began a Percentages: FG .455, FT .771. 3-Point Goals: 6-15, .400 (Ariza
2-2, Bryant 2-4, Brown 1-1, Fisher 1-5, Odom 0-1, Vujacic 0-1, Wal-
a 3,” he said. “I got rid of it a little Tied at 101, Martin made the 18 seconds left. Gasol controlled the run of 14 consecutive points for the ton 0-1). Team Rebounds: 7. Team Turnovers: 16 (11 PTS). Blocked
quicker than I probably had to. layup off Nene’s assist that gave the tip to Ariza, but the ball squirted Nuggets to get them to 51-40. They Shots: 6 (Gasol 2, Odom 2, Bryant, Bynum). Turnovers: 13 (Gasol
4, Ariza 3, Bryant 2, Fisher 2, Walton 2). Steals: 9 (Ariza 4, Bryant,
Definitely don’t want to put your- Nuggets the lead for good. away and Fisher fouled Billups. He outscored the Lakers 14-2 to get Bynum, Fisher, Odom, Walton). Technical Fouls: Gasol, 5:47 fourth.
self in a position where you need Bryant dribbled upcourt and got made both for a 105-101 lead. within 55-54 at halftime.
A: 18,997 (18,997). T: 2:45. Officials: Dick Bavetta, Marc Davis, Steve
that kind of shot to try and tie the into traffic, with Nene tipping the “Looked to me like Anthony — The Associated Press Javie.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
LeBron, Cavaliers get first taste of playoff adversity
CLEVELAND—The 24-second shot clock has
been fixed. The Cleveland Cavaliers are
next on the repairs-to-do list.
The Orlando Magic caused some exten-
sive collateral damage with their stunning
win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference
finals.
They exposed Cleveland’s depth, shred-
ded its defense, snatched home-court
advantage and put the NBA’s top-seeded
team in an unfamiliar position—behind in
a series and desperate for a win heading
into Game 2 tonight.
“We’re looking at it as a must win,” MVP
LeBron James said before practice on
Thursday.
“It’s obvious,” Cavs guard Mo Williams
said, echoing the must-win sentiment. “My
grandma knows that. Yeah, it’s a must win.
Hell yeah.”
Behind a torrent of clutch 3-pointers—the
winner by Rashard Lewis with 14.7 sec-
onds left—and Dwight Howard’s broad
shoulders, the Magic muscled their way
into Cleveland’s noisy arena and rallied for
a stunning 107-106 victory that may have
altered the perception that the Cavaliers
are the team to beat in the postseason.
This is no smoke-and-mirrors Magic act.
Orlando is the real deal.
Howard set the tone by busting one of the
shot clocks with a vicious dunk in the open-
ing minutes, a we’re-here-to-play moment
that stunned a Cleveland crowd that later
shuffled out of the building wondering
what went wrong after seeing the Cavs lose
on their home floor for just the third time in
LeBron James calls tonight’s Game 2, ‘a must win,’ after the Cavs dropped Game 1.
46 games.
After Thursday’s practice, Howard,
standing near the same basket, was asked if
he was done breaking things.
“No,” he said, flashing a smile. “Not yet.”
Despite the win, the Magic, who beat
Philadelphia in the opening round and
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NBA
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
DAVID RICHARD / AP
eliminated the defending champion Boston
Celtics in the conference semis, feel as if
they’re not being given a chance to win this
series and advance to the finals for the first
time since 1995.
“I don’t even think most of the nation
knows that we’re in this series,” Orlando
Today’s game
Conference finals
(Best-of-7), all times ET
Orlando at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m., TNT
Betting line
Today
FAVORITE ..............LINE O/U........... UNDERDOG
at Cleveland ................ 9 (188½) ................Orlando
coach Stan Van Gundy said after the Mag-
ic’s light workout at Quicken Loans Arena.
“This is the ‘Cleveland Cavaliers and LeB-
ron James series.’ Who they are playing
against is incidental.
“It doesn’t bother me and I don’t think it
bothers our guys. That’s the way it is. Look,
they won 66 games. They swept through
two rounds of the playoffs. They’ve got the
most valuable player in the league ... But it
doesn’t matter.
“The bottom line is this is not the BCS,
where people get to vote for who the best
teams are. We actually get to play on the
court to decide that.”
The Magic, a mercurial squad that can
dazzle one minute and disappear the next,
fell behind by 16 points in the first quarter
of Game 1 and were down 15 at halftime.
But urged by the fiery Van Gundy, they
kept chipping away and fighting, and in the
second half their shots began to fall.
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 12
Orlando shot 59 percent after halftime,
went 7-of-13 on 3s and outscored the Cavs
59-43. Now 9-3 in their last 12 games
against Cleveland, the Magic survived an
ungodly playoff performance by James (49
points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds) to hand
the Cavs their first loss in nine postseason
games.
James has often maintained that a series
doesn’t truly begin until one team wins on
the road.
So, LeBron, is this one on?
“Yep,” he said. “It’s already started.”
The Cavaliers seemed to have shaken off
any shock from the loss when they gathered
at their suburban training facility to pre-
pare for Game 2. The mood was typically
loose during the portion open to the media.
In the opener, James was bothered by leg
cramps in the fourth quarter that became
so severe he was forced to call timeout for
treatment. He blamed part of his fatigue on
the long layoff since the Cavs swept Atlanta,
saying it was impossible to replicate the
game-day adrenaline rush during practice.
James said he was physically fine and
mentally refreshed.
“I hate to lose, so I was sick after the game,”
he said. “But today is a new day. I’m fine.”
Orlando now wants to nail down Game 2.
The Magic won the series opener at Boston,
but didn’t bring the same energy the next
game and were beaten by 18.
“We can’t take this win for granted,” Lewis
said. “We have to come out more hungry and
humble to try and get another one.”
— The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
New Bulls G.M. makes Gordon priority
The new general manager for
the Bulls says re-signing high-
scoring G Ben Gordon is his top pri-
ority heading into the offseason.
Gar Forman told reporters Thursday
that he believes Gordon wants to
stay in Chicago, but that there’s
still a lot of work to do before that
happens.
“We like Ben,” Forman said,
according to the Chicago Tribune.
“He’s our kind of guy. He’s got
great makeup and character, a
great work ethic.”
Gordon played a key role in the
playoffs, when the Bulls lost to the
Celtics in seven games. He
becomes a free agent on July 1.
Forman replaces John Paxson,
who will remain with the Bulls as
executive vice president of basket-
ball operations. Gar’s in charge of
day-to-day basketball decisions,
while Paxson will deal mostly
with long-term organizational
planning and talent evaluation.
With thousands swaying to
gospel tunes, Wayman Tisdale was
remembered Thursday as a bas-
ketball star and gifted musician
who led a “blessed life.”
A horse-drawn carriage held the
casket carrying the former Okla-
homa All-American, making a
3-mile trip to the downtown arena
in Tulsa, Okla., for the public memo-
rial. There was live jazz music, clap-
ping and shouting in honor of the
man who died last week at 44 after a
long battle with cancer.
“Wayman lived a blessed life,”
said Billy Tubbs, Tisdale’s former
Sooners coach. “He did more in
his 44 years than most people can
do in 88 years.”
Tisdale played 12 seasons in the
NBA for the Pacers, Kings and
Suns. Former NBA players Charles
Smith, Rory Sparrow and John Starks
paid tribute Thursday.
The Timberwolves hired for-
mer Pacers executive David Kahn to
run their basketball operations,
four days after being rejected by
Blazers assistant general manager
Tom Penn. An announcement on the
hire is scheduled for today.
It is not known how the Kahn hir-
ing will affect coach Kevin McHale’s
status. According to the St. Paul Pio-
neer Press, that situation won’t be
decided until next week at least the
earliest.
Kahn worked for the Pacers’
front office for nearly nine years.
He was mostly on the business
side, but he played a big role in
helping the franchise move to
Conseco Fieldhouse in 1999. He
served on the NBA’s competition
committee and also was consid-
ered an expert in the collective
bargaining agreement.
G Stephen Curry says he’s eager to
begin workouts with NBA teams,
and figures he’ll get looks from
clubs with picks in the six-to-12
range. “It’s still early in the whole
process and I haven’t worked out
yet, so I could potentially move up
with the way I work out in a couple
weeks,” Curry told Sporting News
Today’s Chris Littmann. “But right
now, I think most people have their
top five set. Maybe I can sneak in
INSIDE DISH
there, maybe not. But a lot of teams
need a point guard, and I can step in
and fill that role.”
Pistons SG Richard Hamilton has
filed a federal lawsuit accusing his
former business manager, already
at the center of recruiting allegations
at the University of Connecticut, of
stealing about $1 million from him.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in
U.S. District court in eastern Penn-
sylvania against 34-year-old Josh
Nochimson of Glenview, Ill. It accuses
Nochimson of using Hamilton’s
credit card to buy airline flights,
game tickets and other items.
The Kings were granted per-
mission by Celtics president Danny
Ainge to speak to assistant coach
Tom Thibodeau about their head
coach opening, The Boston Globe
reported. Thibodeau is also slated
to interview with the 76ers about
their coaching position. Accord-
ing to The Sacramento Bee, the
Kings also asked the Lakers for
permission to speak with assistant
Kurt Rambis. The Kings already have
interviewed Eddie Jordan and Paul
Westphal.
The Wizards hired Randy Witt-
man and Sam Cassell as assistant
coaches on Flip Saunders’ staff, the
team announced Thursday. Witt-
man was most recently with the
Timberwolves, where he served
as head coach from Jan. 23, 2007
to Dec. 8, 2008. Cassell will begin
his coaching career after a 15-year
playing career in which he won
three NBA titles.
NBA FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 13
Playoff glance
CONFERENCE FINALS
(Best-of-7), all times ET
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Cleveland vs. Orlando
(Orlando leads series 1-0)
May 20: Orlando 107, Cleveland 106
Today: Orlando at Cleveland, 8:30
p.m., TNT
Sunday: Cleveland at Orlando, 8:30
p.m., TNT
Tuesday: Cleveland at Orlando, 8:30
p.m., TNT
Thursday, May 28: Orlando at
Cleveland, 8:30 p.m., if necessary
Saturday, May 30: Cleveland at
Orlando, 8:30 p.m., if necessary
Monday, June 1: Orlando at
Cleveland, 8:30 p.m., if necessary
WESTERN CONFERENCE
L.A. Lakers vs. Denver
(Series tied 1-1)
May 19: L.A. Lakers 105, Denver 103
Thursday: Denver 106, L.A. Lakers 103
Saturday: L.A. Lakers at Denver, 8:30
p.m., ABC
Monday: L.A. Lakers at Denver, 9 p.m.,
ESPN
Wednesday: Denver at L.A. Lakers,
9 p.m
Friday, May 29: L.A. Lakers at Denver,
9 p.m., if necessary
Sunday, May 31: Denver at L.A.
Lakers, 8:30 p.m., if necessary
NBA calendar
June 4—NBA finals start date (pos-
sible move-up to June 2).
June 15—NBA draft early entry
entrant withdrawal deadline (5 p.m.
ET).
June 18—NBA finals latest possible
end date.
June 25—NBA draft.
CHARLES REX ARBOGAST / AP
Ben Gordon, left, averaged 20.7 points and matched a career-best by shooting 45 percent.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Peavy rejects deal to White Sox, calls San Diego ‘best place’
Jake Peavy turned down a trade to
the Chicago White Sox, choosing
Thursday to remain in the National
League.
The Padres and White Sox had
reached an agreement, but needed
the 2007 Cy Young Award winner
to waive his no-trade clause.
“San Diego is the best place for
us, right this second,” Peavy said
before Thursday night’s game
against San Francisco.
“It’s been a crazy 24 hours,” he
said. “I don’t want to be any kind of
distraction to the team. We’re play-
ing as well as we possibly can, win-
ning five in a row and I’ve got a big
game (tonight) vs. the Chicago
Cubs.”
Peavy, who turns 28 later this
month, is 3-5 with a 3.82 ERA. He
made his major league debut with
San Diego in 2002.
Several reports said the White
Sox would’ve sent top pitching
prospect Aaron Poreda and young left-
hander Clayton Richard to San Diego
as part of the package for Peavy.
White Sox general manager Ken
Williams declined comment earlier in
the day and did not immediately
respond to a message after Peavy’s
decision.
San Diego did finalize one deal
Thursday, sending OF Jody Gerut to
Milwaukee for OF Tony Gwynn Jr., son
of the former Padres star.
After re-aggravating his sore
right calf in Wednesday’s game,
Mets SS Jose Reyes had an MRI exam
on Thursday. The Associated Press
reported the exam revealed only
tendinitis and that Reyes is day to
day. New York was off Thursday
and opens a three-game series at
INSIDE DISH
After all the trade talk, Jake Peavy will start tonight—for San Diego.
Boston tonight.
The Los Angeles Times reported
Dodgers OF Manny Ramirez eventually
is expected to meet with the media
and apologize for violating baseball’s
drug policy. However, he isn’t
expected to go into much detail about
why he was suspended 50 games.
According to the New York Daily
News, Yankees OF Xavier Nady (elbow)
took batting practice Wednesday for
the first time in more than a month.
Nady hopes to serve as a DH in rehab
games next week. It is unclear when
Nady will be able to throw, and that
presents a problem because OF Hideki
Matsui only can DH at this point
because of his sore knee.
Baseball
DENIS POROY / AP
Rangers manager Ron Washington
told reporters that he hopes to have
OF Josh Hamilton (groin) and P Frank
Francisco (biceps) back for tonight’s
game at Houston. Hamilton hasn’t
started since Sunday, and Francisco
hasn’t pitched since May 6.
Indians CF Grady Sizemore
served as the team’s DH for the
third consecutive game Thursday.
The usual leadoff man also was the
No. 2 hitter for the third consecu-
tive game.
The Akron Beacon Journal
reported the drop in the batting
order is an attempt by manager Eric
Wedge to bust Sizemore out of his
slump, and the DH duty is because
of a sore elbow. However, Wedge
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 14
THE LAUNCHING PAD
What to expect in the major leagues today
Rolling with Dice-K
told the newspaper that the elbow In the first night of interleague play, the Red Sox will welcome back right-
hander Daisuke Matsuzaka. Because of shoulder fatigue, Matsuzaka hasn’t
injury is nothing serious.
pitched for Boston since April 14, when he lasted only an inning and was
pounded for five earned runs. His first start of the season wasn’t much bet-
With his move from the bullpen ter (four earned runs, 12 baserunners allowed in 5 1/3 innings), but Dice-K
to the rotation, Phillies P J.A. Happ told posted a 1.54 ERA in three minor league rehab starts. It won’t be easy
The Philadelphia Inquirer that he plans tonight at Fenway Park, as Matsuzaka will be matched up against Mets ace
Johan Santana. Thanks to a rare burst of run support in his most recent out-
to revive his curveball, which he
ing, Santana picked up a win despite allowing a season-high four earned
hasn’t thrown yet this season. Happ, runs at San Francisco.
who replaced struggling P Chan Ho
Park in the Phillies’ rotation, will
make his first start of the season Sat-
Big Z is back
Also making his return from the disabled list tonight is Cubs righthander
urday at Yankee Stadium. Carlos Zambrano. Because he will be pitching at San Diego in the weekend’s
only non-interleague series, Zambrano will bat. That’s a good-news, bad-
According to the Chicago Tri- news scenario for Zambrano, who fell a triple short of the cycle in a game at
Arizona last month but who injured his hamstring while trying to beat out
bune, White Sox OF Carlos Quentin is
an infield single earlier this month. Zambrano is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA (and a
suffering from plantar fasciitis. .375 career batting average) in three career starts at Petco Park.
Quentin hasn’t played since last
Friday but hopes to return to the
starting lineup tonight.
Seattle reunion
If Giants lefthander Randy Johnson had won his most recent start—he
was pounded for seven earned runs in four innings by the Mets—he would
Astros P Jose Valverde flew to have been going for career win No. 300 tonight at Safeco Field. In his 10 sea-
Miami to get a second opinion on sons with Seattle, Johnson went 130-74 with a 3.42 ERA. Instead, he’ll make
another run at No. 299. Working against the Big Unit: an 11.04 ERA in his past
his strained right calf at the UHZ
three starts and an 11.37 ERA in three road starts this season.
Sports Medicine Institute, accord- — Chris Bahr
ing to the Houston Chronicle. The
closer is on the 15-day disabled list
and hasn’t pitched since April 26.
In other Astros injury news, P Mike
Hampton (thumb) told the newspa-
per that he should make his next
start.
The mystery of Reds 1B Joey Vot-
to’s health has been solved. The team
announced Thursday that Votto,
who is hitting .366 but hasn’t played
since May 16, was diagnosed with an
inner-ear infection. He could return
to the lineup in a few days.
According to The Seattle Times,
Mariners SS Yuniesky Betancourt is in
high demand as trade winds begin
to swirl. The Pirates and Padres GEORGE NIKITIN / AP
are among the teams believed to be Randy Johnson, who won 130 games for Seattle, goes for No. 299 tonight vs. the M’s.
interested in Betancourt.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Head-to-Head
In the A.L. West, the surprising Rangers are destined to ...
McNeal says: Remain in the race
Now that the Angels are getting healthy, you almost
expect manager Mike Scioscia to send Rangers man-
ager Ron Washington a thank-you card. Something
like: “Thanks for holding down first place for us, but
we’re ready to move back in. See you in second place.”
In previous seasons, the Rangers would have obliged
without much of a fight. Some combination of bad
pitching, lousy defense and Texas
heat would take its toll, and the Rang-
ers would be left looking up at the
Angels.
But these Rangers are different.
These Rangers have the look of a team
that belongs in contention. Summer
has yet to arrive, so there is plenty of
Stan
McNeal time for Texas to wilt. There are also
BASEBALL plenty of reasons—below are three—to
believe Washington would return Scio-
scia’s thank-you card with his own message: “Hey, Mike.
We like it up here just fine. Come and get us if you can.”
Pitching
Veteran righthander Kevin Millwood must have
been listening when team president Nolan Ryan talked
during the offseason about wanting Rangers starters to
be tougher and pitch deeper into games. Millwood has
pitched at least six innings in all nine of his outings,
and his 3.12 ERA is among the best in the A.L.
The rest of the rotation isn’t far off Millwood’s lead.
Rangers starters are second behind Toronto’s in the A.L.
in innings pitched, and their 4.34 ERA entering Thurs-
day’s games ranked fifth in the A.L. (and is more than a
run better than last year).
The Rangers have insurance if the rotation falters,
too. Prospect Neftali Feliz is pitching well at Class
AAA, and the club continues to monitor the rehab of
unsigned free agent Ben Sheets.
Defense
When Michael Young initially balked at moving from
Baseball
Bahr says:
Cede soon to L.A.
Make no mistake, this Rangers
team is impressive. No club goes
on a seven-game winning streak
by accident. Few teams can match
up with Texas offensively, and the
pitching has gone from horrible in
recent seasons to respectable this
season. Because
the Rangers are
more than capa-
ble of putting up
seven-plus runs
on any given
night, the pitch-
MATT SLOCUM / AP ing doesn’t have
Michael Young’s move to 3B actually has helped Texas’ defense. Chris Bahr to be great.
BASEBALL But don’t expect
shortstop to third base, it couldn’t have been because of this to last.
concern over his ability to handle the position. Young has That still would have been my
given the club an upgrade at third, almost as much as message if Texas had gone into
rookie Elvis Andrus has improved the shortstop position. Detroit and swept the Tigers,
Solidifying the left side of the infield has been key in extending their winning to 10
improving the Rangers’ defense. The Rangers led the games (instead of being swept). In
majors in errors last season. They now rank in the middle Detroit, the Rangers were shut out
of the pack. for the second time this season (by
Dontrelle Willis, of all people) and
Offense lost their first series since April
Power remains the Rangers’ strength. They continue to 21-23 at Toronto.
flip-flop with the Yankees for the major league lead in What should worry Texas? Not
homers, even though Josh Hamilton has spent time on the the offense. With Josh Hamilton,
disabled list and has yet to hit his stride. Ian Kinsler, Hank Ian Kinsler, Hank Blalock, Nelson
Blalock and Chris Davis made the Rangers the first team Cruz, Chris Davis and Michael
to have three players with 10 home runs. After an off year Young, among others, the team is
in 2008 (.284 average), Young leads Rangers regulars going to continue to bash. In an
with a .335 average. unexpected development, the
Of course, Young and a .300 average go together like defense also has been much
the Angels and a runaway lead in first place. Until this improved. The Rangers finished
year, anyway. last in the majors in fielding per-
smcneal@sportingnews.com centage and first in errors last
John Lackey and the Angels sure have the experience edge over a young Texas team.
season, but have made big strides
in 2009.
So, as always, it’s the pitching.
As impressive as righthander
Kevin Millwood has been thus far,
he doesn’t have a track record of
sustaining early season success
since coming to Texas. Last March/
April, he posted a 3.86 ERA in his
first seven starts; he finished with
a 5.07 ERA. In 2006, he had a 3.52
ERA after seven starts, but fin-
ished at 4.52. Righthanders
Vicente Padilla and Brandon
McCarthy are hardly consistent.
And though youngsters Matt Har-
rison and Scott Feldman have been
impressive, the jury still is out.
Let’s see what happens this sum-
mer, when the ball really starts to
fly at Rangers Ballpark in Arling-
ton. As for Texas’ bullpen, its ERA
still is hovering around 5.00.
The biggest reason the Rangers
won’t hang on to their A.L. West
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 15
ELISE AMENDOLA / AP
lead? The team directly behind
them. The Angels have endured
everything from tragedy to inju-
ries this season, but they are easily
visible in Texas’ rearview mirror.
The Angels’ rotation finally has
John Lackey and Ervin Santana
back, and Vladimir Guerrero is
expected to return early next week
from his chest injury. Guerrero
won’t be ready to play in the out-
field, but that’s actually a plus.
Bobby Abreu is an upgrade in right
field anyway, and the team is much
more interested in Vlad’s bat.
Yes, the Rangers recently swept
the Angels, but as impressive as
that was, one series in May proves
nothing. L.A. is a much more bal-
anced team with much more pen-
nant-race experience (four division
titles in the past five seasons) and
has one of the best managers in the
game.
cbahr@sportingnews.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
O’s happy to welcome ‘priced out’ Yankee fans to Camden Yards
BY RYAN SHARROW
Baltimore Business Journal
BALTIMORE—It takes Harry and Craig Col-
vett about an hour to travel from upstate
New York to the Bronx for a glimpse at their
beloved Yankees in action. But on a recent
weekend in May, the father-and-son duo
preferred driving five hours to Baltimore to
watch the Yankees take on the Orioles at
Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The reason? They feel “priced out” of the
glitzy new $1.6 billion Yankee Stadium that
opened in April. “It’s actually cheaper for
us to come down to Baltimore for two days
than it is for one game up” in New York,
said Harry Colvett, the father.
At the O’s-Yankees game at Camden
Yards on May 8, the Colvetts spent $140 for
two tickets 12 rows behind the Yankees’
dugout. Those seats at the new Yankee Sta-
dium cost a minimum of $525 apiece. That’s
a relative bargain compared with the
$1,000-plus seats a few rows lower.
So after spending on tolls, a couple of sea-
food dinners and $150 for two nights at a
local La Quinta, the Colvetts are paying less
for the short vacation to Charm City than
they would have paid for one game at Yan-
kee Stadium.
The news of Yankee fans traveling from
the tri-state area to Baltimore is nothing
new, but it now is heightened by the pricey
new Yankee Stadium. Basking in the spot-
light of New York City’s glitz, the average
ticket price at the 52,300-seat ballpark
skyrocketed 76 percent this season com-
pared with prices at the old Yankee
Stadium.
Some Yankee diehards recently strolling
the Inner Harbor before a game said Cam-
den Yards has become the most conve-
nient—and affordable—option for seeing
their favorite team.
That is welcome news for local restaura-
teurs, retailers and hoteliers searching for a
boost in business during a recession that
The average cost for a family of four to attend an Orioles game this year is $163.68—compared with $410.88 at Yankee Stadium.
has turned travelers into homebodies. The
high prices in New York might be the addi-
tional fuel that fans were looking for to hit
the road for a Yankees game in spite of the
downturn.
It’s also an opportunity for the Orioles to
get larger crowds at Camden Yards and flex
their marketing slogan as being one of the
most affordable professional sports options
Baseball
in the region.
Both businesses and the O’s would prefer
the Yankees return to Baltimore for their
typical weekend series in the summer. In
recent years, the Yankees have visited the
Orioles for a weekend series late in the
season.
The Radisson Plaza Lord Baltimore saw
its occupancy rate spike nearly 40 percent
ROB CARR / AP
to near capacity from May 7-9 when the
Yankees were in town. The economy forced
the hotel to cut its rates nearly in half to a
little more than $100 a night. General Man-
ager Brian Conyers said Yankee fans were
enticed at the last minute by the bargain.
New Jersey natives Travis Peck and
Melissa Capriotti spent $80 total for their
luxury club-level seats for the May 8 game
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 16
at Camden Yards. At a ballgame they
caught earlier this year at Yankee Stadium,
the two spent $60 for “nosebleed seats,”
Peck said.
“Don’t get me wrong, it was an awesome
experience,” Capriotti said of her trip to the
new Yankee ballpark. “But for the price
here, it was way better.”
Some Yankee fans interviewed for this
story said Camden Yards is also more “fan-
friendly” than their hometown park. At
Camden Yards it is easier to get closer to the
field during warmups to try to snag player
autographs, fans said.
Dennis Coates, a sports economist at the
University of Maryland, Baltimore County,
said he is not surprised by fans willing to
make a longer drive to see their team. “Peo-
ple respond to price changes and when you
talk about enormous prices changes, they’re
going to respond in that way,” Coates said.
Orioles spokesman Greg Bader said Yan-
kee fans making the trip to town “speaks to
the affordability of Orioles baseball” and is
a “huge boon for area business.”
The average cost for a family of four to
attend an Orioles game this year is $163.68,
according to Chicago-based Team Market-
ing Report. That is compared with $410.88
at Yankee Stadium.
Having wrapped up the weekend series
earlier this month, the Yankees don’t return
to Camden Yards until Aug. 31-Sept. 2, a
Monday-Wednesday matchup. Between
both the popular Red Sox and the Yankees,
the Orioles usually host the two on three or
four weekends a season. This season it is
just three, with the Red Sox coming to town
on weekends in August and September.
The Radisson’s Conyers was hoping for
that fourth.
“We look forward to any weekend where
there are business opportunities,” he said.
“Those two teams in particular provide a
good business opportunity.”
— Ryan Sharrow is a staff writer for the Baltimore Business Journal.
E-mail him at rsharrow@bizjournals.com.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 17
Fantasy Focus LEAGUE LEADERS
American League Standings
Batting Average Home Runs East W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Start ’em, Sit ’em Toronto 27 17 .614 — — 5-5 L-3 16-6 11-11
A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Boston 25 16 .610 ½ — 6-4 W-3 16-4 9-12
Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team New York 24 17 .585 1½ 1 9-1 W-9 13-7 11-10
VMartinez Cleveland .400 CGuzman Washington .373 CPena Tampa Bay 14 AdGonzalez San Diego 15 Tampa Bay 21 22 .488 5½ 5 6-4 W-1 11-10 10-12
Baltimore 16 25 .390 9½ 9 3-7 L-4 11-11 5-14
MiCabrera Detroit .381 Beltran New York .370 Bay Boston 13 Ibanez Philadelphia 15
Bartlett Tampa Bay .376 DWright New York .362 Morneau Minnesota 12 Pujols St. Louis 14 Central W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
AdJones Baltimore .364 Zimmerman Washington .353 Six tied 11 Bruce Cincinnati 12 Detroit 23 16 .590 — — 7-3 W-6 14-5 9-11
Kansas City 21 20 .512 3 4 3-7 L-2 14-10 7-10
AHill Toronto .346 Ibanez Philadelphia .349 Dunn Washington 12 Minnesota 19 23 .452 5½ 6½ 4-6 W-1 14-9 5-14
Kubel Minnesota .336 Pence Houston .347 Reynolds Arizona 12 Chicago 17 23 .425 6½ 7½ 3-7 L-1 10-9 7-14
MYoung Texas .335 Hudson Los Angeles .345 ASoriano Chicago 12 Cleveland 16 26 .381 8½ 9½ 5-5 W-2 7-11 9-15
West W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Runs Stolen Bases Texas 23 17 .575 — — 7-3 L-3 14-6 9-11
Los Angeles 21 19 .525 2 3½ 5-5 W-1 12-8 9-11
GUS RUELAS / AP A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Seattle 19 23 .452 5 6½ 3-7 L-1 10-11 9-12
Oakland 15 23 .395 7 8½ 4-6 L-1 8-10 7-13
Mets OF Gary Sheffield is 6-for-11 vs. Dice-K. Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team
AdJones
Markakis
Baltimore
Baltimore
36
36
Pujols
Ibanez
St. Louis
Philadelphia
36
35
Crawford
Figgins
Tampa Bay
Los Angeles
25
18
Bourn
JosReyes
Houston
New York
13
11
National League Standings
Start ’em East W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Kevin Slowey, SP, Twins. In seven Scutaro Toronto 36 Zimmerman Washington 34 Ellsbury Boston 17 Taveras Cincinnati 11 Philadelphia 22 17 .564 — — 7-3 W-1 8-12 14-5
BRoberts Baltimore 35 ASoriano Chicago 33 Abreu Los Angeles 15 Five tied 10 New York 21 19 .525 1½ 2½ 4-6 L-4 12-8 9-11
interleague starts, Slowey has a Bay Boston 34 Braun Milwaukee 31 BUpton Tampa Bay 13 Atlanta 20 20 .500 2½ 3½ 6-4 L-1 8-12 12-8
2.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 6.7 K/9 Damon New York 33 Werth Philadelphia 31 Bartlett Tampa Bay 12
Florida 19 23 .452 4½ 5½ 2-8 L-2 8-12 11-11
Washington 12 28 .300 10½ 11½ 2-8 W-1 6-14 6-14
ratio. Be sure to have him active Four tied 32 Two tied 30 Crisp Kansas City 11
against the Brewers. Central W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
Milwaukee 26 15 .634 — — 8-2 W-1 12-7 14-8
Gary Sheffield, OF, Mets. If he is RBIs Pitching (4 decisions) St. Louis 24 17 .585 2 — 5-5 W-3 15-8 9-9
healthy, have Sheffield in your lineup. Chicago 21 18 .538 4 2 5-5 L-4 12-7 9-11
A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Cincinnati 21 19 .525 4½ 2½ 4-6 L-1 8-11 13-8
He is 6-for-11 in his career against Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team Pittsburgh 19 22 .463 7 5 7-3 L-1 11-9 8-13
Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka. Longoria Tampa Bay 46 Ibanez Philadelphia 40 Palmer Los Angeles 5-0 1.000 Martis Washington 5-0 1.000 Houston 18 21 .462 7 5 6-4 L-1 9-12 9-9
Jason Varitek, C, Red Sox. Boston’s Bay Boston 44 Fielder Milwaukee 39 Frasor Toronto 4-0 1.000 Broxton Los Angeles 4-0 1.000 West W L Pct GB WCGB L10 Str Home Away
captain is 8-for-18 with a homer in AHill Toronto 35 Pujols St. Louis 38 Halladay Toronto 8-1 .889 Meredith San Diego 4-0 1.000 Los Angeles 29 13 .690 — — 7-3 W-4 17-3 12-10
Lind Toronto 35 Cantu Florida 35 Greinke Kansas City 7-1 .875 Billingsley Los Angeles 6-1 .857 San Francisco 19 21 .475 9 4½ 3-7 L-3 13-8 6-13
his career against Mets ace Johan San Diego 19 22 .463 9½ 5 6-4 W-6 14-6 5-16
Markakis Baltimore 35 Dunn Washington 33 Buehrle Chicago 6-1 .857 Stults Los Angeles 4-1 .800 Arizona 17 24 .415 11½ 7 5-5 W-2 9-15 8-9
Santana. CPena Tampa Bay 35 Hawpe Colorado 33 Slowey Minnesota 5-1 .833 Cain San Francisco 4-1 .800 Colorado 16 24 .400 12 7½ 4-6 W-1 7-10 9-14
AHuff Baltimore 34 Phillips Cincinnati 33 RRamirez Boston 4-1 .800 Pelfrey New York 4-1 .800 z-first game was a win
Sit ’em
Brett Myers, SP, Phillies. Myers is Doubles Strikeouts
Pitching Matchups Today’s Games (All times Eastern)
tied for the major league lead in A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Interleague The Line
homers allowed (12) and is pitching Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team Baltimore (R.Hill 1-0) at Washington (Zimmermann 2-1), 7:05 p.m. at Was -130 Bal +120
in homer-happy Yankee Stadium. Longoria Tampa Bay 17 Hudson Los Angeles 15 Verlander Detroit 77 Lincecum San Francisco 76 Colorado (Jimenez 3-4) at Detroit (Porcello 4-3), 7:05 p.m. at Det -120 Col +110
Randy Johnson, SP, Giants. The Big Callaspo Kansas City 16 Kotchman Atlanta 15 Greinke Kansas City 73 JVazquez Atlanta 73
Philadelphia (Myers 3-2) at N.Y. Yankees (A.Burnett 2-1), 7:05 p.m. at NYY -160 Phi +150
Unit has an 11.37 ERA and 2.53 MYoung Texas 15 HaRamirez Florida 15 Lester Boston 58 Peavy San Diego 69
Cleveland (A.Reyes 1-1) at Cincinnati (Arroyo 5-3), 7:10 p.m. at Cin -130 Clev +120
WHIP away from San Francisco Byrd Texas 14 FSanchez Pittsburgh 15 Halladay Toronto 57 JSantana New York 67
Lind Toronto 14 FLopez Arizona 14 FHernandez Seattle 56 Billingsley Los Angeles 63 N.Y. Mets (J.Santana 5-2) at Boston (Matsuzaka 0-1), 7:10 p.m. NYM -125 at Bos +115
this year. Don’t expect a happy VMartinez Cleveland 14 Zimmerman Washington 14 Garza Tampa Bay 53 Haren Arizona 56 Tampa Bay (Sonnanstine 2-4) at Florida (Nolasco 2-4), 7:10 p.m. at Fla -120 TB +110
homecoming in Seattle. Five tied 13 Three tied 13 Bedard Seattle 49 Two tied 53 Toronto (Halladay 8-1) at Atlanta (Kawakami 2-5), 7:35 p.m. Tor -150 at Atl +140
Pedro Feliz, 3B, Phillies. Feliz is Texas (Holland 1-1) at Houston (F.Paulino 1-3), 8:05 p.m. Tex -105 at Hou +105
just 2-for-12 with no homers or Triples Saves Milwaukee (M.Parra 3-4) at Minnesota (Slowey 5-1), 8:10 p.m. at Min -115 Mil +105
RBIs in his career against Yankees A.L. N.L. A.L. N.L. Pittsburgh (Duke 5-3) at Chicago White Sox (Floyd 2-4), 8:11 p.m. at ChW -110 Pit +100
starter A.J. Burnett. Player Team Player Team Player Team Player Team Kansas City (Davies 2-2) at St. Louis (Wellemeyer 3-4), 8:15 p.m. at StL -130 KC +120
— Matt Lutovsky Crisp Kansas City 5 Kemp Los Angeles 4 Fuentes Los Angeles 11 Bell San Diego 11 Arizona (Buckner 0-0) at Oakland (Cahill 2-3), 10:05 p.m. at Oak -145 Ari +135
Andrus Texas 4 Bourn Houston 3 Papelbon Boston 11 Franklin St. Louis 11 L.A. Angels (Jer.Weaver 3-2) at L.A. Dodgers (Kershaw 2-3), 10:10 p.m. at LAD -130 LAA +120
MORE COVERAGE JBuck Kansas City 3 Morgan Pittsburgh 3 FFrancisco Texas 9 Broxton Los Angeles 11 San Francisco (Ra.Johnson 3-4) at Seattle (Vargas 1-0), 10:10 p.m. at Sea -115 SF +105
Crawford Tampa Bay 3 JUpton Arizona 3 MaRivera New York 9 FrRodriguez New York 11
Get everything you need to DeJesus Kansas City 3 Victorino Philadelphia 3 Jenks Chicago 9 Hoffman Milwaukee 11 National League The Line
dominate your fantasy league at 13 tied 2 Winn San Francisco 3 Rodney Detroit 8 Qualls Arizona 10
sportingnews.com/fantasy/baseball Chicago Cubs (Zambrano 3-1) at San Diego (Peavy 3-5), 10:05 p.m. at SD -125 ChC +115
DWright New York 3 Two tied 7 Cordero Cincinnati 10
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 18
AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. Yankees 7, Baltimore 4 Boston 5, Toronto 1

Losing Chamberlain doesn’t slow Yankees Lester helps complete sweep

BOSTON—Jon Lester rebounded Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 1
NEW YORK—The New York Yankees have Adam Jones’ one-out liner in the first Yankees 7, Orioles 4 from two bad outings and left the Toronto AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Scutaro ss 5 0 2 0 0 0 .280
racked up victories in a variety of ways inning hit Chamberlain just above his Baltimore AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Toronto Blue Jays hoping to A.Hill 2b 5 0 2 1 0 2 .346
B.Roberts 2b 5 1 1 1 0 3 .289
during their nine-game winning streak. right knee. He threw to first to retire the Ad.Jones cf 5 0 1 0 0 0 .364 recover from their first three- Rios rf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .272
V.Wells cf 4 0 2 0 1 0 .268
This one had an extra degree of diffi- center fielder, took a few shaky steps Markakis rf 5 1 3 1 0 0 .327 game losing streak of the season. Lind dh 4 0 0 0 0 1 .303
A.Huff 1b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .264
culty after righthander Joba Chamber- near the mound then bent over as Girardi Mora 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .263 The lefthander escaped jams Rolen 3b 3 0 1 0 1 1 .310
Millar 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .293
lain was knocked out in the first inning and trainer Gene Monahan came out of Reimold dh 4 1 2 0 0 0 .296 in each of the first four innings, Barajas c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .309
Pie lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .193
with a bruised right knee. the dugout. Zaun c 3 1 2 0 1 0 .208 blanked Toronto through six Bautista lf 3 1 1 0 1 1 .303
Totals 37 1 11 1 3 7
Robinson Cano drove in three runs, “I was concerned when he got hit Andino ss 2 0 0 0 0 0 .212 and helped the Boston Red Sox
a-Wigginton ph-ss 2 0 2 2 0 0 .232
Alfredo Aceves led a solid effort by a because when a guy gets hit there in the Totals 39 4 12 4 1 5 to a 5-1 win Thursday night and Boston AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Ellsbury cf 4 2 1 0 0 0 .302
depleted bullpen and the surging Yan- leg right away you can’t tell if it’s off the a three-game sweep of base- Pedroia 2b 4 1 2 1 0 0 .318
New York AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
kees shrugged off Chamberlain’s injury kneecap, or where it’s at,” Girardi said. Jeter ss 4 1 1 0 1 1 .273 ball’s highest-scoring team. D.Ortiz dh 4 0 1 1 0 0 .211
Youkilis 1b 3 1 1 1 1 1 .402
in a 7-4 victory over the Baltimore Ori- “There was some concern. It’s probably Cano 2b 4 2 3 3 0 0 .317 The Blue Jays were held to Bay lf 4 1 1 2 0 1 .301
Teixeira 1b 3 1 2 1 1 0 .250
oles on Thursday night. fortunate that he got a little bit of glove on A.Rodriguez 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .171 five runs in the three-game J.Drew rf 3 0 1 0 0 1 .258
Lowell 3b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .289
“That’s a tough game because you’re it.” H.Matsui dh 4 1 1 1 0 1 .252 series, only one off Lester (3-4). Varitek c 3 0 0 0 0 2 .237
Swisher rf 2 1 1 0 2 0 .238
asking an awful lot out of your bullpen,” After a short conference, Chamberlain Me.Cabrera lf 4 0 1 2 0 0 .319 Lester was 16-6 last season Lugo ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .293
Totals 31 5 7 5 1 7
manager Joe Girardi said. “We were threw a couple of warmup pitches and Cervelli c 4 0 0 0 0 2 .323 and emerged as the co-ace of
Gardner cf 3 1 0 0 1 0 .235
somewhat fortunate.” remained in the game. Totals 32 7 9 7 5 4 the staff with John Beckett. Toronto 000 000 100 — 1 11 1
Cano hit an RBI double in New York’s Boston 301 010 00x — 5 7 0
Markakis then singled ahead of Huff, But he had allowed 13 earned
Baltimore 000 012 100 — 4 12 0
four-run first and a two-run shot in the who was booed each time he came to the New York 420 010 00x — 7 9 0 runs in 10 innings in losing his E: Scutaro (1). LOB: Toronto 12, Boston 3. 2B: V.Wells
second. Melky Cabrera, subbing for a (11), Ellsbury (8), Pedroia (13). HR: Bay (13), off R.Ray.
plate and dumped Chamberlain’s second two starts before Thursday. RBIs: A.Hill (35), Pedroia (14), D.Ortiz (18), Youkilis (21),
a-doubled for Andino in the 6th. LOB: Baltimore 9, New
sore Johnny Damon, had a two-run dou- pitch into the right-field corner for York 6. 2B: Zaun (7), Wigginton 2 (6), Jeter (9), Cano “You hit a little bit of a rough Bay 2 (44). SB: Ellsbury (17). CS: J.Drew (2). Runners
ble in the first and Hideki Matsui con- left in scoring position: Toronto 6 (Lind 4, Scutaro,
another single. (11), Teixeira (9), Me.Cabrera (6). HR: B.Roberts (6), patch, you think you can’t get Bautista); Boston 1 (Bay). DP: Toronto 1 (Barajas, Bara-
off Albaladejo; Markakis (7), off Albaladejo; Cano (8),
nected in the fifth to give Yankee Stadium PAUL J. BERESWILL / AP That brought Girardi and Monahan off Eaton; H.Matsui (5), off Eaton. RBIs: B.Roberts (17), anybody out,” Lester said, “so jas, Scutaro); Boston 1 (Pedroia, Lugo, Youkilis).
the record for most homers in a ballpark’s Joba Chamberlain left the game after being hit in out to the mound again and this time Markakis (35), Wigginton 2 (15), Cano 3 (25), Teixeira you need to just get back to the Toronto IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
(32), H.Matsui (14), Me.Cabrera 2 (18). Runners left
first 20 games. the leg by a liner from Baltimore’s Adam Jones. Chamberlain walked gingerly toward in scoring position: Baltimore 5 (Mora 2, B.Roberts basics of throwing strikes and R.Ray L, 1-2 4 1⁄3 6 5 4 1 4 87 4.44
“It feels great,” said Mariano Rivera, League 1 2⁄3 1 0 0 0 2 19 4.12
the dugout. Aceves then got Melvin Mora 3); New York 2 (A.Rodriguez 2). throwing to halves of the plate” Carlson 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 3.27
who tossed a perfect ninth for his 57th New York last won nine in a row June to fly out to end the inning. Baltimore IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA instead of aiming for the Frasor 1 0 0 0 0 1 14 0.56
save against Baltimore, his most against Boston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
5-14, 2007. The Yankees said X-rays on Chamber- Eaton L, 2-5 4 2⁄3 8 7 7 3 1 95 8.56 corners. Lester W, 3-4 6 1⁄3 8 1 1 2 4 109 5.91
Bass 2 1⁄3 1 0 0 2 1 30 4.61
any team. “We’re playing together. We’re Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis lain’s knee were negative, and he insisted Sherrill 1 0 0 0 0 2 11 3.24 The sweep cut Toronto’s A.L. R.Ramirez 1 2⁄3 2 0 0 1 2 27 0.79
Papelbon 1 1 0 0 0 1 13 0.95
playing as a team.” went deep for the Orioles, who have lost he would make his next start. New York IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA East lead to a half-game over
Chamberlain 2⁄3 2 0 0 0 1 14 3.70
Rivera’s second save in two days and four straight and five of six. Ty Wiggin- “I’m 100 percent confident,” he said. Aceves W, 3-0 3 1⁄3 3 0 0 1 1 50 1.32 Boston, 15-2 in its last 17 home Inherited runners-scored: League 2-0, R.Ramirez
2-1. Umpires: Home, Marvin Hudson; First, John
ninth in 10 opportunities this season ton hit a two-run double in the sixth to “Did some tests and it felt fine, a little stiff Albaladejo 2 1⁄3 5 4 4 0 2 35 6.00 games. Hirschbeck; Second, Wally Bell; Third, Marty Foster. T:
Veras H, 3 1 2⁄3 2 0 0 0 0 22 6.00
capped an admirable effort by New end an 0-for-16 skid by Baltimore pinch obviously but that’s just going to be the Ma.Rivera S, 9-10 1 0 0 0 0 1 11 2.89 “I don’t think anybody in this 2:55. A: 38,347 (37,373).
York’s bullpen. Aceves (3-0) followed hitters to open the season. way it is. We’ll come back tomorrow and clubhouse is happy,” Blue Jays
Inherited runners-scored: Bass 1-0, Aceves 2-0.
Chamberlain with 3 1/3 scoreless innings. “It was good to get back in the game get after it.” Umpires: Home, Paul Emmel; First, Angel Campos; manager Cito Gaston said
Jonathan Albaladejo allowed four runs and for me to contribute,” Wigginton Derek Jeter, Cano and Mark Teixeira Second, Gary Darling; Third, Bruce Dreckman. T: 2:45. before leaving for a three-game
A: 43,342 (52,325).
and five hits over 2 1/3 innings but Jose said. “But unfortunately we fell short.” opened the bottom half of the first with series in Atlanta.
Veras got three outs to get the ball to Chamberlain didn’t last very long in consecutive doubles off Adam Eaton “We certainly have to put this
Rivera. his first start against the Orioles since (2-5) to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead. behind us and move on and go
Aceves hasn’t allowed a run in 9 1/3 Aubrey Huff mocked him with two exag- Cabrera came up with his big hit after down to Atlanta and see if we
innings over his last five appearances gerated fist pumps while he rounded the Eaton walked Nick Swisher with two can play a little better
since May 13. bases following a three-run homer off the outs. baseball.”
“He’s been pitching great,” Cano said. demonstrative right-hander on May 10. — The Associated Press — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 19
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Detroit 4, Texas 3 Tampa Bay 6, Oakland 5

Tigers complete sweep, win sixth straight Pinch hitting suits Zobrist
DETROIT—Once again, the Detroit Tigers 4, Rangers 3 ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.—Ben Rays 6, Athletics 5
Tigers found a way to spoil the Texas Texas AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Zobrist, pinch-hitter deluxe. Oakland AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Kinsler 2b 5 0 1 0 0 2 .295 O.Cabrera ss 5 0 1 1 0 0 .242
Rangers’ trip to Comerica Park. Dav.Murphy lf 3 2 3 1 2 0 .233 Zobrist came off the bench K.Suzuki c 5 0 1 0 0 2 .305
The Tigers stuck with Edwin Jackson, M.Young 3b 5 0 0 0 0 1 .335 and tied the game with a two- Cust rf 4 0 1 0 1 2 .261
Blalock dh 4 1 1 0 0 0 .237 1-R.Davis pr-cf 0 1 0 0 0 0 .167
even after he’d allowed Texas to tie Byrd cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .291 run homer in the bottom of the Holliday lf 3 2 1 0 2 0 .271
Thursday’s game. The righthander, N.Cruz rf 4 0 2 2 0 0 .278 ninth, then Carl Crawford won Giambi dh 4 1 2 0 1 0 .208
C.Davis 1b 2 0 0 0 2 2 .212 Kennedy 2b 5 0 3 2 0 1 .386
with plenty of help from Miguel Cabrera, Saltalamacchia c 3 0 0 0 1 3 .252 it with an RBI single to give the R.Sweeney cf-rf 3 0 2 2 1 0 .257
rewarded the club’s faith. Andrus ss 3 0 1 0 1 0 .270 Tampa Bay Rays a 6-5 victory Crosby 1b 4 1 0 0 1 3 .205
Totals 33 3 8 3 6 8 Hannahan 3b 4 0 1 0 1 2 .143
Jackson worked out of further trouble over the Oakland Athletics. Totals 37 5 12 5 7 10
and Cabrera hit a go-ahead single in the Detroit AB R H BI BB SO Avg. “He’s turning into a cult fig-
Granderson cf 3 1 1 2 1 0 .258 Tampa Bay AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
eighth inning to help the Tigers win their Polanco 2b 4 1 1 0 0 0 .265 ure,” Rays manager Joe Mad- B.Upton cf 4 0 2 1 1 1 .186
sixth straight game, 4-3 over the Rangers. Thomas rf 3 1 1 1 1 0 .302 don said of Zobrist. Crawford lf 5 0 1 1 0 1 .318
Mi.Cabrera dh 4 0 1 1 0 0 .381 Longoria 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .329
Curtis Granderson and Clete Thomas Larish 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 .256 Zobrist got the Rays even at 5 C.Pena 1b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .245
homered for Detroit, which completed Inge 3b 2 0 0 0 1 0 .280 with the homer off Andrew Bartlett ss 4 1 1 1 0 0 .376
J.Anderson lf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .288 W.Aybar dh 2 2 1 0 2 0 .284
its second sweep of Texas this season Everett ss 2 1 1 0 1 0 .311 Bailey. Iwamura 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .295
and has beaten the Rangers 11 times in a Sardinha c 3 0 0 0 0 3 .053 “I tried to throw a backdoor Kapler rf 3 1 1 1 0 0 .200
Totals 28 4 6 4 4 3 a-Zobrist ph 1 1 1 2 0 0 .281
row at home. cutter and it just went middle,” Navarro c 4 1 2 0 0 0 .189
The Rangers arrived in Detroit this Texas 100 000 020 — 3 8 0 Bailey said. “It wasn’t away Totals 34 6 10 6 4 4
Detroit 102 000 01x — 4 6 0
week with a seven-game winning enough.” Oakland 000 200 012 — 5 12 0
streak, but managed only seven runs in LOB: Texas 9, Detroit 4. 2B: Blalock (8), N.Cruz (8), Zobrist is 4 of 12 with three Tampa Bay 020 001 003 — 6 10 0
Andrus (3). HR: Dav.Murphy (2), off E.Jackson; Thomas
their three losses. (1), off Millwood; Granderson (11), off Millwood. RBIs: homers and nine RBIs as a One out when winning run scored. a-homered for
“We just got beat,” manager Ron Dav.Murphy (9), N.Cruz 2 (25), Granderson 2 (26), pinch hitter this season. Kapler in the 9th. 1-ran for Cust in the 9th. LOB: Oakland
Thomas (6), Mi.Cabrera (32). SB: Kinsler (10), Dav. 13, Tampa Bay 7. 2B: W.Aybar (5), Kapler (7), Navarro
Washington said. “In the last two games, Murphy (2), N.Cruz 2 (6), Andrus (5), Everett (3). CS: “For me sometimes, it’s free- (5). HR: Bartlett (6), off Braden; Zobrist (8), off A.Bailey.
we were one hit away from the game Larish (1). Runners left in scoring position: Texas 5 ing to know that you’ve got one RBIs: O.Cabrera (15), Kennedy 2 (7), R.Sweeney 2
(M.Young 3, Kinsler, Saltalamacchia); Detroit 2 (Polanco, (12), B.Upton (7), Crawford (19), Bartlett (23), Kapler
being different. Larish). GIDP: M.Young, Everett. DP: Texas 1 (Kinsler, shot and might as well take (3), Zobrist 2 (22). SB: R.Davis (5). CS: B.Upton (3).
“Today, we were one hit away from Andrus, C.Davis); Detroit 2 (Thomas, Thomas, Sardinha), your hacks,” Zobrist said. “It’s SF: R.Sweeney. Runners left in scoring position:
(Polanco, Everett, Larish). Oakland 6 (Hannahan 4, O.Cabrera 2); Tampa Bay 1
the game being different on three differ- pretty easy not to get a hit in the (Bartlett).
ent occasions. We just couldn’t get the Texas IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA situation. It’s a tough situation.
Millwood L, 4-4 8 6 4 4 4 3 121 3.12 Oakland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
knock,” he said. Detroit IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA I kind of tell myself I’ve got Braden 7 6 3 3 2 4 97 3.67
Fernando Rodney earned his eighth E.Jackson W, 4-2 8 7 3 3 5 7 132 2.55 nothing to lose. Go up there and A.Bailey 1 1⁄3 2 2 2 1 0 25 2.03
Rodney S, 8-8 1 1 0 0 1 1 21 3.50 Ziegler L, 0-1 0 2 1 1 1 0 11 4.15
save in as many chances, getting Michael look for something hard to hit, Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Young to ground into a game-ending dou- Umpires: Home, Angel Hernandez; First, Bill Welke; and if it’s in the zone just try to Garza 6 2⁄3 7 2 2 4 8 107 3.41
Second, Tim Welke; Third, Scott Barry. T: 2:40. A: 34,356 Shouse H, 6 2⁄3 1 1 1 0 1 14 3.77
ble play with runners at first and third. (41,255). put a good swing on it.” Wheeler BS, 2-2 2⁄3 2 0 0 0 0 10 5.40
Jackson (4-2) won his third straight After Dioner Navarro dou- Percival 1⁄3 1 2 2 2 0 23 6.35
start, throwing a career-high 132 pitches bled and B.J. Upton walked J.Nelson W, 1-0 2⁄3 1 0 0 1 1 14 5.60
in eight innings. against Brad Ziegler (0-1), Ziegler pitched to 3 batters in the 9th. Inherited
Manager Jim Leyland visited the Crawford lined the game-win- runners-scored: Shouse 1-0, Wheeler 1-1, J.Nelson
3-2. Umpires: Home, Randy Marsh; First, Mike Winters;
mound before the Rangers tied the game, PAUL SANCYA / AP ning single to center. Second, Lance Barksdale; Third, Alfonso Marquez. T:
but said he had no intentions of pulling Curtis Granderson, above, hit his 11th home run of the season Thursday, connecting off Kevin Millwood. “It would have been a bad 3:07 (Rain delay: 0:19). A: 14,374 (36,973).
Jackson, even during the rocky eighth. loss, absoultely,” Maddon said.
“He’s a warrior,” Leyland said. “I felt Cruz hit a two-run double. With run- ’pen,” Jackson said of Leyland’s decision Tampa Bay’s Matt Garza
like he deserved to be out there.” ners at the corners, Jackson struck out to stick with him, “but I’m glad he had allowed two runs and seven
Jackson was a strike away from escap- Jarrod Saltalamacchia to end the threat. that confidence. It rubs off on a pitcher.” hits in 6 2/3 innings.
ing the inning with a 3-1 lead, but Nelson “It would’ve been easy to go to the — The Associated Press — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 20
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Minnesota 20, Chicago White Sox 1 Cleveland 8, Kansas City 3

Indians get to Royals’ ’pen

Mauer leads Twins’ cathartic charge KANSAS CITY, MO.—In a battle of Indians 8, Royals 3
CHICAGO—While the Chicago White Sox Twins 20, White Sox 1 bullpens, fate favored the guys Cleveland AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
A.Cabrera ss 5 2 4 2 0 0 .327
weren’t exactly showing their best side to Minnesota AB R H BI BB SO Avg. with all the blown saves. Sizemore dh 1 2 1 0 2 0 .213
Span cf-lf 5 2 2 0 0 1 .299 V.Martinez 1b 5 0 2 3 0 2 .400
Jake Peavy, the Minnesota Twins were Mauer dh 4 2 3 6 0 0 .417 Cleveland’s Luis Vizcaino,
Choo rf 5 1 3 2 0 1 .303
taking out their anger on the baseball. d-B.Harris ph-dh 1 0 0 0 0 0 .267 Matt Herges and Rafael Betan- Jh.Peralta 3b 4 0 1 1 1 1 .264
Morneau 1b 2 1 0 0 3 0 .327 DeRosa lf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .253
Joe Mauer hit a grand slam, two dou- Buscher 1b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .224 court kept Kansas City at bay
B.Francisco cf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .248
bles and drove in a career-high six runs Kubel lf 4 2 3 2 0 0 .336 Thursday after Royals ace Zack Shoppach c 5 1 1 0 0 2 .225
Gomez cf 2 1 1 0 0 0 .230 Valbuena 2b 5 2 2 0 0 3 .179
as the Twins routed the White Sox 20-1 Cuddyer rf 6 4 4 3 0 0 .275 Greinke departed with a one-
Totals 40 8 16 8 3 13
Thursday, matching Chicago’s most-lop- Crede 3b 6 1 1 2 0 0 .226 run lead. Victor Martinez had
J.Morales c 4 3 3 0 2 0 .358 Kansas City AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
sided loss in team history. Tolbert 2b 6 2 3 4 0 1 .208 three RBIs and the Indians
DeJesus lf 5 1 1 0 0 1 .240
“I think a lot frustration came out Punto ss 5 2 0 1 0 3 .193 pulled away for an 8-3 victory. Callaspo 2b 5 1 1 0 0 0 .333
Totals 46 20 20 18 5 5 Butler 1b 4 1 1 1 0 2 .283
today,” said Mauer, whose Twins had “We faced a pitcher who’s at
Jacobs dh 4 0 1 1 0 2 .261
lost the first six games of their road trip Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg. the top of his game every time J.Guillen rf 3 0 1 1 0 0 .299
Podsednik lf 4 0 1 0 1 0 .267 Teahen 3b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .279
before winning big on getaway day. “We Al.Ramirez ss 3 0 0 0 1 0 .213 out and we wore him out, I
Olivo c 3 0 0 0 0 2 .218
had a rough trip. It was nice to get some Dye rf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .270 think,” said Cleveland starter a-J.Buck ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .230
a-J.Nix ph-rf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .212 Maier cf 4 0 2 0 0 1 .294
runs. We kept on saying, ‘Keep at it, keep Thome dh 1 0 0 0 1 0 .255 Carl Pavano (4-4), who matched
Aviles ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 .191
at it.’” b-Quentin ph-dh 2 0 1 1 0 0 .233 his more celebrated opponent 1-Bloomquist pr-ss 0 0 0 0 1 0 .320
Konerko 1b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .313 Totals 34 3 7 3 3 9
There was nothing nice about the game c-Fields ph-3b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .215 nearly pitch for pitch. “It looked
for the White Sox, whose only other Pierzynski c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .267 like he was kind of laboring Cleveland 002 000 240 — 8 16 2
e-C.Miller ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .212 Kansas City 201 000 000 — 3 7 1
19-run defeat ever was a 19-0 loss at Ana- Betemit 3b-1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .225 and we got him out of there and
heim in 2002. Getz 2b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .241 were able to get to the bullpen.” a-walked for Olivo in the 9th. 1-ran for Aviles in the 7th.
Bri.Anderson cf 4 1 3 0 0 1 .281 E: V.Martinez (2), Valbuena (1), Olivo (1). LOB: Cleveland
“We did everything wrong we could Totals 34 1 8 1 3 3 Greinke’s record stayed at 7-1
10, Kansas City 8. 2B: A.Cabrera (12), V.Martinez (14),
do,” Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. with his first no-decision in Jh.Peralta (9), Valbuena (3), Callaspo (16), Butler (13).
Minnesota 171 106 400 — 20 20 1 3B: B.Francisco (1). RBIs: A.Cabrera 2 (22), V.Martinez
“You name it, we did it wrong.” Chicago 000 000 010 — 1 8 2 nine starts. He went six innings,
3 (30), Choo 2 (26), Jh.Peralta (18), Butler (20), Jacobs
Michael Cuddyer, Joe Crede and Matt gave up a season-high eight hits (24), J.Guillen (19). SB: A.Cabrera (7), DeJesus (1),
a-grounded out for Dye in the 6th. c-grounded out for Bloomquist (8). CS: Maier (1). S: Sizemore 2. Runners
Tolbert also homered as part of a 20-hit Konerko in the 6th. e-struck out for Pierzynski in the 9th. and left with a 3-2 edge. His
left in scoring position: Cleveland 8 (Choo, Shoppach,
Minnesota attack that made the CHARLES REX ARBOGAST / AP E: Tolbert (1), Betemit 2 (4). LOB: Minnesota 7, Chicago major league-leading ERA B.Francisco 2, V.Martinez, DeRosa, Jh.Peralta, Valbuena);
9. 2B: Span (5), Mauer 2 (5), Cuddyer (8). HR: Cuddyer Kansas City 5 (Olivo 2, Callaspo 3). DP: Cleveland 1
White Sox pine even more for Peavy. After losing the first six games of their road trip, Joe Mauer and the Twins won easily on Thursday. (6), off Colon; Crede (6), off Colon; Mauer (8), off Gobble; crept up to 0.82 from 0.60.
(A.Cabrera, Valbuena, V.Martinez); Kansas City 1 (Aviles,
After talking trade with Atlanta and Tolbert (1), off Gobble. RBIs: Mauer 6 (24), Kubel 2 (23), The Indians tied it 2-all with Callaspo, Butler).
Cuddyer 3 (25), Crede 2 (18), Tolbert 4 (8), Punto (11),
the Chicago Cubs during the offseason, lineup scored within the first three in two innings. Quentin (19). CS: Podsednik (2). S: Punto. SF: Mauer. two run in the third and loaded
Cleveland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
the San Diego Padres agreed to deal their innings. “I always think positive,” Guillen said. Runners left in scoring position: Minnesota 4 the bases before Greinke Pavano W, 4-4 6 6 3 3 1 8 101 6.10
(Crede, Kubel, Punto, B.Harris); Chicago 6 (Dye 2, Getz 2, Vizcaino H, 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 19 1.93
ace to the White Sox. However, Peavy “There were a lot of good performances “Colon will be real fresh for his next Fields, Podsednik). DP: Minnesota 1 (Crede, Morneau). escaped by striking out Mark
Herges 1 1 0 0 2 0 32 1.86
turned down the trade. out there—too many to name, up and start.” DeRosa and Ben Francisco. R.Betancourt S, 1-3 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 4.57
Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
His team having lost nine straight on down the lineup,” Gardenhire said. Although all seven second-inning runs Blackburn W, 3-2 7 4 0 0 3 2 82 3.83 “I just wasn’t real crisp. It
Greinke 6 8 2 2 2 8 103 0.82
the road, Minnesota manager Ron Gar- “Everything kind of blew up out there. If were unearned after an error by third Mijares 1 2 1 0 0 0 20 2.08 was really stupid pitching for Ho.Ramirez L, 0-2 BS, 12⁄3 2 2 2 0 0 15 6.61
Nathan 1 2 0 0 0 1 16 2.87 J.Wright 1⁄3 1 0 0 0 1 8 2.42
denhire shook up his batting order. The you’ve been in the game long enough, baseman Wilson Betemit, Colon’s latest Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA that whole inning probably,”
J.Cruz 1⁄3 3 4 4 1 0 25 3.32
strategy worked, with the Twins scoring you’ve seen those.” in a series of poor outings had White Sox Colon L, 2-4 2 7 8 1 2 1 61 4.23 Greinke said. “I started throw- Mahay 2⁄3 1 0 0 0 1 9 3.21
Broadway 3 1⁄3 7 6 5 2 2 68 5.06 Farnsworth 1 1 0 0 0 3 12 4.11
at least 20 runs for only the 13th time in Mauer’s second career grand slam fans hoping the Peavy would get done. Gobble 1 5 6 6 0 0 26 18.90 ing two-seamers to get ground
franchise history. capped a six-run sixth inning. Tolbert’s Minnesota’s Nick Blackburn (3-2) Carrasco 2 2⁄3 1 0 0 1 2 42 2.73 balls and it’s not really how I Herges pitched to 3 batters in the 9th. Inherited
Mauer batted second for the first time first big league homer, a three-run shot allowed four hits over seven innings to pitch. I got behind on everyone runners-scored: R.Betancourt 3-0, J.Wright 1-1,
Inherited runners-scored: Gobble 3-3. IBB: off Colon Mahay 2-2. HBP: by Pavano (J.Guillen). WP: Pavano.
this season, Cuddyer had four hits and in the seventh, made it 20-0. win for the first time at U.S. Cellular (Morneau). HBP: by Gobble (Span). WP: Blackburn. because I was throwing the PB: Olivo. Umpires: Home, Jim Joyce; First, Brian
Umpires: Home, Tim Timmons; First, Rob Drake; Runge; Second, Bill Miller; Third, Derryl Cousins. T: 3:33.
three RBIs and Tolbert drove in four Bartolo Colon (2-4) allowed eight runs Field, where he had been 0-4 with a 5.27 Second, Jeff Kellogg; Third, Mark Wegner. T: 2:58. A: two-seamer. It was just stupid,
A: 23,095 (38,177).
runs. Cleanup man Jason Kubel had ERA. 23,048 (40,615). really stupid.”
three hits and everyone in the starting Peavy rejects trade to White Sox, Page 14 — The Associated Press — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 21
NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis 3, Chicago Cubs 1 Milwaukee 4, Houston 3 Brewers 4, Astros 3
Milwaukee AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Counsell 2b-3b 5 1 3 0 0 1 .342

Pujols busts slump, sign with 14th homer Fielder, Hart Hardy ss 4 1 1 0 1 2 .230
Braun lf 4 1 2 1 0 0 .326
Fielder 1b 5 0 1 2 0 1 .270
M.Cameron cf 5 0 2 0 0 1 .287
trigger rally Hart rf
Hall 3b
McClung p
5 0
3 0
0 0
3
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
0
.252
.241
.000
ST. LOUIS—Albert Pujols ended a five- Cardinals 3, Cubs 1
a-Gamel ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .333
game RBI drought in spectacular fash- Chicago AB R H BI BB SO Avg. HOUSTON—When the Houston Villanueva p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500
A.Soriano lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .265
ion, lining a first-inning homer that Astros unraveled, the Milwau- Coffey p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Theriot ss 4 0 0 0 0 0 .279 Hoffman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
knocked out the “I’’ on the Big Mac Land Fukudome cf 4 0 1 1 0 1 .317 kee Brewers did just enough to Kendall c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .229
D.Lee 1b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .239
sign in left field. rally for a victory on Thursday. Suppan p 2 1 0 0 0 1 .133
Bradley rf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .184 Iribarren 2b 2 0 0 0 0 2 .000
“It’s cool doing things like that,” Pujols Fontenot 2b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .195 Prince Fielder drove in two Totals 39 4 13 4 2 11
Cotts p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
said. “But you know what, you take a A.Guzman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 with a single and Corey Hart
Houston AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
home run no matter what, and to take the Soto c 3 0 1 0 0 1 .206 had an RBI double in a three- Bourn cf 4 0 0 0 1 2 .289
Freel 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .120
lead early it’s big.” run seventh to lift the Brewers Keppinger 2b 5 0 0 0 0 2 .293
Marshall p 1 0 1 0 0 0 .200 Berkman 1b 2 0 1 0 1 0 .233
Adam Wainwright took it from there, a-Scales ph 0 1 0 0 1 0 .296 to a 4-3 win over the Astros. Erstad 1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 .159
Ascanio p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
coming within an out of the St. Louis Hunter Pence and Miguel Ca.Lee lf 3 1 1 0 1 0 .322
Miles 2b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .216 Pence rf 4 1 2 2 0 0 .347
Cardinals’ second complete game during Totals 31 1 5 1 1 7 Tejada homered for the Astros, Tejada ss 4 1 2 1 0 0 .327
a three-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs who blew a 3-0 lead after man- Blum 3b 3 0 2 0 1 0 .261
St. Louis AB R H BI BB SO Avg. 1-Ja.Smith pr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
in a 3-1 victory Thursday night. The Car- Br.Ryan 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .240 ager Cecil Cooper and first I.Rodriguez c 4 0 2 0 0 0 .274
Rasmus cf 4 0 1 1 0 0 .250
dinals had two complete games all last baseman Lance Berkman were Oswalt p 2 0 0 0 0 0 .111
Pujols 1b 3 1 1 1 1 0 .326 Fulchino p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
season. Y.Molina c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .276 ejected for arguing a close call Byrdak p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Stavinoha rf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .222
“Honestly, I felt stronger as I went,” at home plate in the fifth. Sampson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Schumaker rf 2 0 0 0 0 2 .295 W.Wright p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Wainwright said. “I feel like I could still Barden 3b 3 1 2 1 0 1 .275 Berkman singled with two Arias p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Thurston lf 3 0 1 0 0 1 .235
be out there pitching, and I think they outs off Milwaukee starter Jeff Hawkins p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Wainwright p 3 0 0 0 0 1 .167 b-K.Matsui ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .233
probably read that.” Franklin p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Suppan, advanced on Carlos Totals 33 3 10 3 4 5
T.Greene ss 3 1 1 0 0 1 .257
Wainwright (4-2) allowed five hits in 8 Lee’s walk, then raced for home Milwaukee 000 010 300 — 4 13 0
Totals 31 3 6 3 1 7 Houston 020 100 000 — 3 10 0
2-3 innings, striking out seven with one KYLE ERICSON / AP on Pence’s single to left. Left a-was intentionally walked for McClung in the 7th.
Chicago 000 001 000—1 5 1
walk before Ryan Franklin got Milton St. Louis P Adam Wainwright gave up a run on five hits with seven strikeouts for his fourth victory. fielder Ryan Braun threw home b-grounded into a fielder’s choice for Hawkins in the
St. Louis 101 100 00x—3 6 0 9th. 1-ran for Blum in the 9th. LOB: Milwaukee 11,
Bradley to line out with a man on for his and catcher Jason Kendall tagged Houston 8. 2B: Hart (10), Kendall (4). 3B: Braun (1).
a-walked for Marshall in the 6th. E: Freel (1). LOB:
11th save in 12 chances. The Cubs were team. Kudos to the whole team for not runs in 16 2/3 innings his last two starts Chicago 4, St. Louis 5. 2B: Soto (4), T.Greene (3). Berkman as he slid and touched HR: Pence (5), off Suppan; Tejada (4), off Suppan. RBIs:
Braun (30), Fielder 2 (39), Hart (18), Pence 2 (19), Tejada
limited to two runs in the series while hanging their heads.” after lowering his arm slot, losing 1-0 to 3B: Thurston (2). HR: Pujols (14), off Marshall; the plate with his left hand. (24). S: Oswalt. Runners left in scoring position:
Barden (4), off Marshall. RBIs: Fukudome (18), Milwaukee 7 (Fielder 3, Hall 2, Kendall 2); Houston 4
batting .154, have lost four in a row for Brian Barden also homered and Colby the Brewers’ Jeff Suppan in his last Rasmus (16), Pujols (38), Barden (8). Runners Umpire Delfin Colon called
(Keppinger 3, Oswalt). GIDP: Hall, Pence, I.Rodriguez.
the second time this season and also have Rasmus had an RBI single for the Cardi- outing. left in scoring position: Chicago 2 (Freel, Bradley); Berkman out and the Astros DP: Milwaukee 2 (Hardy, Counsell, Fielder), (Iribarren,
St. Louis 3 (Y.Molina, T.Greene, Rasmus). Runners Fielder); Houston 1 (Keppinger, Tejada, Berkman).
dropped five of six to the Cardinals. nals, who handled their biggest rivals Wainwright is 2-0 in three starts moved up: Theriot, Br.Ryan. GIDP: Fontenot. DP: slugger jumped and screamed
St. Louis 1 (Br.Ryan, T.Greene, Pujols). Milwaukee IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
“If we pitch like this the rest of the year, right after getting swept by the Brewers. against the Cubs this season. in his face. Cooper ran out of Suppan 5 8 3 3 4 2 104 4.71
we’ll be very happy,” Chicago manager The Cardinals swept the Cubs in a three- Soriano was 1-for-12 with six strike- the dugout, pushed Berkman McClung W, 1-1 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 2.70
Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Villanueva H, 7 1 0 0 0 0 2 12 4.29
Lou Piniella said. “If we hit like this the game series for the first time since outs in the series. Ryan Theriot was 1-for- Marshall L, 2-3 5 4 3 2 1 3 78 3.96 away and started yelling at Coffey H, 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 2.95
Ascanio 1 2⁄3 2 0 0 0 3 34 4.76 Hoffman S, 11-11 1 2 0 0 0 1 19 0.00
rest of the year, we’ll be very sad.” August 25-27, 2006. 11, and Mike Fontenot and Milton Bradley Cotts 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 4 5.63 Colon.
Houston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Joel Pineiro threw a three-hitter in a “You know what they say about the each went 1-for-10. Piniella said he’d A.Guzman 1 0 0 0 0 1 9 3.15 “Tonight, overall, we got Oswalt 6 1⁄3 10 3 3 1 7 106 4.47
St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Fulchino L, 0-1 0 0 1 1 0 0 3 5.27
3-0 victory in the series opener Tuesday stock market, you’re looking for a bot- probably bench Fontenot, who’s in a Wainwright W, 4-2 8 2⁄3 5 1 1 1 7 116 3.41 shafted by some poor umpir-
Byrdak BS, 2-2 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 3.21
and Chris Carpenter worked five score- tom,” Piniella said. “Well, hopefully 2-for-39 slump that’s dropped his aver- Franklin S, 11-12 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1.53 ing,” Cooper said. “It was a bad Sampson 2⁄3 1 0 0 1 0 12 2.08
less innings on Wednesday in a 2-1 we’ve found the bottom here in St. age to .195. job of umpiring.” W.Wright 1⁄3 1 0 0 0 1 10 7.50
Inherited runners-scored: Cotts 1-0, Franklin 1-0. Arias 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 4 5.40
decision. Louis.” Pujols hit a 1-1 pitch from Sean Mar- Umpires: Home, C.B. Bucknor; First, Mike Everitt; Berkman hadn’t been ejected
Second, Gerry Davis; Third, Brian Gorman. T: 2:20. Hawkins 1 0 0 0 0 2 15 2.55
“You start a series off like that, you Wainwright was hurt only by Kosuke shall (2-3) with two outs in the first for from a game since June 8, Fulchino pitched to 1 batter in the 7th. Byrdak pitched
A: 44,235 (43,975). to 1 batter in the 7th. Suppan pitched to 2 batters in
send your team a message,” Wainwright Fukudome’s RBI single in the sixth. He his 14th homer and sixth in the first 2007.. the 6th. Inherited runners-scored: McClung 2-0,
said. “We played a really bad series retired the Cubs in order five times with inning, to end his longest RBI drought of “I definitely touched home,” Fulchino 2-0, Byrdak 3-2, Sampson 2-1, Arias 1-0. IBB:
off Sampson (Gamel). HBP: by Fulchino (Braun). WP:
against Milwaukee, top to bottom, and two of his strikeouts against leadoff hit- the year. Berkman said. Oswalt. Umpires: Home, Delfin Colon; First, Mike Reilly;
we came back and beat a really good ter Alfonso Soriano. He’s allowed two — The Associated Press — The Associated Press Second, Laz Diaz; Third, Eric Cooper. T: 3:18. A: 25,037
(40,976).
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 22
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia 12, Cincinnati 5 Phillies 12, Reds 5 Washington 5, Pittsburgh 4
Philadelphia AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Rollins ss 6 2 4 1 0 1 .234

Phillies’ bats conceal more bad pitching Utley 2b

Ibanez lf
Howard 1b
4 2
5 1
5 1
3 4
2 3
1 1
0
0
0
1
0
2
.295
.349
.266
Nationals end seven-game slide
Stairs rf 1 0 0 0 1 0 .304
b-Werth ph-rf 2 0 0 0 0 1 .272 WASHINGTON—Craig Stammen Nationals 5, Pirates 4
CINCINNATI—Four homers. Twelve runs. Victorino cf 5 1 1 0 0 2 .257 left his major league debut to a Pittsburgh AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Dobbs 3b 2 2 1 1 2 1 .143 Morgan lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .293
The N.L.’s highest-scoring offense took S.Eyre p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- standing ovation—and his team F.Sanchez 2b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .302
full advantage of the friendly dimen- Park p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .100 was trailing. McLouth cf 3 1 0 0 1 0 .284
Escalona p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Ad.LaRoche 1b 4 2 2 2 0 0 .232
sions at Great American Ball Park, then Ruiz c 4 1 1 0 1 1 .236 The Washington Nationals Moss rf 4 1 2 0 0 0 .267
Blanton p 1 1 0 0 1 0 .091
set off to see what it can do in the A.L.’s a-Bruntlett ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .129 made sure the rookie’s gutsy An.LaRoche 3b 3 0 1 2 0 1 .279
Condrey p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- c-R.Vazquez ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .200
newest launching pad. effort wasn’t a footnote in Jaramillo c 2 0 0 0 1 0 .255
c-Feliz ph-3b 2 1 1 2 0 0 .310
How will the Philadelphia Phillies Totals 39 12 14 12 5 11 another disappointing defeat. d-Delw.Young ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .359
Ja.Wilson ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .267
take to the new Yankee Stadium? Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Snell p 2 0 0 0 0 0 .176
“It’s a new, expensive ballpark,” said Taveras cf 5 1 1 1 0 2 .288 Dunn had RBI singles in the a-Hinske ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .250
A.Rosales 3b 3 0 0 1 0 1 .242 Gorzelanny p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Chase Utley, who drove in four runs Herrera p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 eighth inning, helping the J.Chavez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
during a 12-5 victory Thursday over the Burton p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Nationals end a seven-game Totals 32 4 5 4 2 5
d-D.McDonald ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 .175
Cincinnati Reds. “It’s a great place to hit, Lincoln p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 skid with a 5-4 victory over the Washington AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Weathers p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
so I’m excited to get started there.” e-Dickerson ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .237 Pittsburgh Pirates. C.Guzman ss 4 1 1 0 0 0 .373
Bruce rf 4 1 2 0 1 0 .247 N.Johnson 1b 4 1 2 0 0 1 .338
The defending World Series champi- “Whenever somebody comes Zimmerman 3b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .353
Phillips 2b 5 1 1 3 0 0 .275
ons are up-and-running on offense as L.Nix lf 4 0 1 0 0 2 .292 out there and gives you an Dunn rf 4 0 1 1 0 1 .280
R.Hernandez 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .276 Hanrahan p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
they head into their first interleague Hanigan c 2 1 1 0 2 0 .333 effort like that, you obviously Willingham lf 3 2 1 0 1 1 .212
series. The pitching? That’s another mat- Janish ss 4 1 1 0 0 0 .306 want to do everything you can W.Harris cf 4 1 1 0 0 2 .264
Owings p 1 0 1 0 0 0 .304 J.Bard c 3 0 1 2 0 0 .222
ter. As they have for much of the season, R.Ramirez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- to reward them,” Zimmerman A.Hernandez 2b 1 0 0 1 0 0 .280
the Phillies spent the day overcoming Hairston Jr. 3b 1 0 1 0 1 0 .262 said. “It was nice to come back Belliard 2b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .182
Totals 34 5 9 5 5 6 Stammen p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000
another subpar start with superb hitting. and get (Stammen) off the hook Tavarez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Philadelphia 131 101 410 — 12 14 0
Utley had a two-run single and a dou- AL BEHRMAN / AP Cincinnati 000 050 000 — 5 9 1 because he did throw so well.” b-Kearns ph-rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .213
Totals 31 5 8 5 1 7
ble off Micah Owings (3-5), who got nine Chase Utley, left, and the Phillies begin an interleague series at homer-friendly Yankee Stadium today. Washington’s bullpen—
a-struck out for Blanton in the 6th. b-struck out for Stairs
outs and showed the strain of throwing in the 7th. c-doubled for Condrey in the 7th. d-walked for which had been 1-15 with 13 Pittsburgh 000 010 300 — 4 5 0
Burton in the 7th. e-flied out for Weathers in the 9th. E: Washington 020 100 02x — 5 8 0
a lot of innings lately. Utley also had one the Phillies to use their bullpen early. their starting staff take a few hits. Edin- Hanigan (1). LOB: Philadelphia 7, Cincinnati 8. 2B: Utley blown saves in 19 chances—
of the Phillies’ four solo homers—Greg Philadelphia’s starting rotation has a son Volquez had to leave a game Satur- (6), Ibanez (10),Victorino (9), Ruiz (5), Feliz (10). HR: Dobbs came through for a change. a-grounded out for Snell in the 7th. b-popped out
(1), off Owings; Utley (11), off R.Ramirez; Howard (10), off for Tavarez in the 8th. c-struck out for An.LaRoche in
Dobbs, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez 6.31 ERA that’s worst in the majors and day in San Diego because of back spasms Herrera; Ibanez (15), off Lincoln; Phillips (7), off Blanton. Julian Tavarez (1-3) got the vic- the 9th. d-struck out for Jaramillo in the 9th. LOB:
connected, as well. has given up 46 homers, the most in the that landed him on the disabled list. RBIs: Rollins (15), Utley 4 (30), Ibanez 3 (40), Howard (30), tory with 1 2/3 innings of score- Pittsburgh 3, Washington 4. 2B: Ad.LaRoche (13),
Dobbs (4), Feliz 2 (23), Taveras (8), A.Rosales (7), Phillips 3 Moss (8), N.Johnson (6), Willingham (6), W.Harris (3).
Jimmy Rollins had four hits, scored majors. The Phillies have spent the first That game turned into a 16-inning loss, (33). SB: Rollins (5), Victorino (4). S: R.Ramirez. SF: Utley. less relief and Joel Hanrahan HR: Ad.LaRoche (7), off Stammen. RBIs: Ad.LaRoche 2
Runners left in scoring position: Philadelphia 6 (Vic-
twice and drove in a run. The top three two months of the season trying to out- with Owings coming in on three days of torino, Howard, Dobbs, Ibanez, Utley, Rollins); Cincinnati 3 got three outs for his fourth (20), An.LaRoche 2 (20), Zimmerman (32), Dunn (33),
(Taveras 2, L.Nix). DP: Philadelphia 1 (Utley, Howard). J.Bard 2 (4), A.Hernandez (11). SF: A.Hernandez. Run-
hitters in the order—Rollins, Utley and score their opponents. rest to throw 5 2/3 innings. save in seven opportunities. ners left in scoring position: Pittsburgh 1 (Hinske);
Raul Ibanez—went 9-for-15, scored five For the most part, they’ve pulled it off. Owings looked tired on Thursday. He Philadelphia IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Stammen retired the first 12 Washington 2 (Dunn, W.Harris).
runs and drove in eight. The Phillies have won six of their last needed 71 pitches to get through three Blanton W, 2-3 5 7 5 5 1 4 97 7.11 batters he faced in his first big
Condrey H, 3 1 1 0 0 1 0 22 2.38 Pittsburgh IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
“We couldn’t keep Jimmy Rollins off seven games, all on the road, as they get rough innings, leaving with a 5-0 defi- S.Eyre 1 1 0 0 1 1 17 3.60 league game, but couldn’t hold Snell 6 4 3 3 1 6 92 4.88
Park 1 0 0 0 2 1 25 6.88 Gorzelny L,1-1 BS,1 1 1⁄3 4 2 2 0 0 30 6.00
the bases, and Utley and their big boys hit set to visit the Yankees’ new place. cit. Utley’s solo homer off Ramon Escalona 1 0 0 0 0 0 13 0.00 a 3-0 lead. The 25-year-old J.Chavez 2⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 10 2.00
the ball out of the ballpark,” Reds man- “Going into New York was always some- Ramirez made it 6-0 in the fourth. Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA righthander had his contract Washington IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Owings L, 3-5 3 6 5 5 3 3 71 4.70 Stammen 6 1⁄3 4 4 4 1 3 85 5.68
ager Dusty Baker said. “You knew they thing special because the old Yankee Sta- “Micah didn’t have his best stuff, and R.Ramirez 2 1⁄3 1 2 2 1 3 41 7.71 purchased from Triple-A Syra- Tavarez W, 1-3 1 2⁄3 0 0 0 1 0 21 5.71
Herrera 2⁄3 2 1 1 0 0 11 2.30
were going to erupt, and they erupted dium had a real feel to it,” manager Charlie you knew he wasn’t going very long Burton 1 3 3 3 1 2 29 5.89 cuse earlier in the day. Hanrahan S, 4-7 1 1 0 0 0 2 19 6.52
today. Everybody knows they can hit.” Manuel said. “I’m sure this one is going to because he pitched six innings the other Lincoln 1 1 1 1 0 1 15 9.60 “I thought I controlled my
Weathers 1 1 0 0 0 2 18 2.51 Inherited runners-scored: J.Chavez 2-0, Tavarez 1-0.
That’s not the problem. have a good feel because of the way they day,” Baker said. emotions and my thought pro- Umpires: Home, Chad Fairchild; First, Paul Nauert;
Herrera pitched to 1 batter in the 7th. Inherited Second, Joe West; Third, Ed Rapuano. T: 2:24. A: 17,816
Joe Blanton (2-3) got the win despite built it. They are hitting a lot of home runs Howard led off the seventh inning runners-scored: Herrera 1-1. IBB: off Burton (Dobbs). cess pretty well,” said Stam- (41,888).
letting most of a six-run lead slip away. there. Hopefully we can tee off on some.” with his fourth homer in the last seven HBP: by R.Ramirez (Stairs). Umpires: Home, Dan men, who allowed four runs in
Iassogna; First, Sam Holbrook; Second, Charlie Reliford;
The righthander gave up five runs in The Reds, who host Cleveland in their games, and the Phillies scored three Third, Adrian Johnson. T: 3:27. A: 25,901 (42,319). 6 1/3 innings, walked one and
five innings, including a three-run annual interstate series starting today, more in the inning, pulling away. struck out three.
homer by Brandon Phillips that forced have dropped five of six while watching — The Associated Press — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Baseball FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 23
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Colorado 9, Atlanta 0 Arizona 4, Florida 3

Cook keeps ball, Braves down for the count Reynolds caps solid series
MIAMI—Arizona wore out Flor- Diamondbacks 4, Marlins 3
ATLANTA—Aaron Cook kept throwing Rockies 9, Braves 0 ida’s bullpen, then reaped the Arizona AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Ojeda ss 2 0 0 0 1 0 .289
sinkers, and his infielders kept making Colorado AB R H BI BB SO Avg. rewards the next night. b-S.Drew ph-ss 2 0 0 0 0 1 .183
plays. Fowler cf 4 1 2 0 1 0 .254 With no veteran relievers R.Roberts 2b 4 1 2 0 0 2 .367
Tulowitzki ss 5 0 0 0 0 1 .234 J.Upton rf 3 1 0 0 1 2 .306
Cook pitched a four-hitter and Todd Helton 1b 5 2 3 5 0 1 .338 available Thursday, the Marlins Reynolds 3b 3 1 2 3 1 0 .266
Helton’s grand slam ended Colorado’s Hawpe rf 4 0 2 1 1 0 .336 asked Cristhian Martinez to pro- Byrnes lf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .209
Iannetta c 4 0 0 0 1 1 .227 Tracy 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .188
power slump as the Rockies beat the Spilborghs lf 5 1 2 0 0 3 .281 tect a one-run lead in his major Snyder c 4 1 2 1 0 1 .235
Atlanta Braves 9-0 on Thursday night. Atkins 3b 3 2 0 0 2 2 .189 league debut, and Mark Reyn- C.Young cf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .167
Barmes 2b 2 2 1 1 2 1 .245 Zavada p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Cook (3-1) retired the final 16 batters Cook p 2 1 0 2 0 2 .176 olds’ two-run homer off the T.Pena p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
for his second career shutout. He had 20 Totals 34 9 10 9 7 11 rookie in the eighth inning gave c-Garland ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Qualls p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
groundouts and did not allow a baser- Atlanta AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Arizona a 4-3 victory. Scherzer p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .214
unner to advance past second for his Escobar ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .301 “To put a young guy in a situa- a-G.Parra ph-cf 2 0 1 0 0 0 .333
D.Hernandez ss 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 34 4 7 4 3 13
first win in eight career starts against Kotchman 1b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .290 tion like that, up a run, it’s tough
Atlanta. C.Jones 3b 3 0 1 0 0 1 .316 for anyone,” Reynolds said. “We Florida AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Prado 3b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .306 Bonifacio 3b-cf 4 0 2 1 0 2 .263
“I didn’t need to show up today,” said McCann c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .266 were able to capitalize on what he Hermida rf 4 0 1 0 0 2 .262
Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta of his G.Anderson lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .240 was out there doing.” Ha.Ramirez ss 4 1 1 0 0 1 .325
K.Johnson 2b 2 0 0 0 1 0 .235 Cantu 1b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .285
easy task of calling pitches for Cook. Francoeur rf 3 0 2 0 0 1 .252
Florida’s relief corps was spent Jo.Baker c 4 0 0 0 0 2 .259
“The choice was between a sinker and a Schafer cf 3 0 1 0 0 0 .220 after a doubleheader split Uggla 2b 4 1 1 1 0 2 .206
sinker. ... It was the best sinker I’ve seen M.Diaz cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .288 Wednesday, capped by Arizona’s C.Ross cf 2 1 1 0 0 1 .252
Medlen p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Helms 3b 1 0 0 0 1 1 .220
this year.” Parr p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 victory in a 13-inning nightcap Coghlan lf 3 0 0 0 1 3 .162
Jeff Francoeur singled with two outs Moylan p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 that ended at 1:48 a.m. A.Miller p 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000
a-Norton ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .120 C.Martinez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
in the fourth and then Cook retired O’Flaherty p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- The Diamondbacks managed d-Gload ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .245
everyone else. The only other hits that Totals 31 0 4 0 1 3 only two runs in seven innings Totals 33 3 7 3 2 16
Cook gave up were a single to Chipper Colorado 100 501 200—9 10 0 against Andrew Miller, then ral- Arizona 000 001 120 — 4 7 0
Jones in the first and back-to-back sin- Atlanta 000 000 000—0 4 0 lied. Martinez (0-1), summoned Florida 110 001 000 — 3 7 0
gles by Francoeur and Jordan Schafer in a-grounded out for Moylan in the 8th. LOB: Colo- before the game from Double-A a-grounded out for Scherzer in the 7th. b-grounded out
rado 9, Atlanta 5. 2B: Helton (8), Spilborghs (12). for Ojeda in the 8th. c-struck out for T.Pena in the 9th.
the second. 3B: Fowler (1), Hawpe (2), Barmes (1). HR: Helton
Jacksonville, retired the first two d-struck out for C.Martinez in the 9th. LOB: Arizona 6,
“When he’s got that sinker with that (5), off Parr. RBIs: Helton 5 (27), Hawpe (33), batters in the eighth and had an Florida 6. 2B: R.Roberts 2 (3), Ha.Ramirez (15). HR: Sny-
late movement, it’s every bit as good as it Barmes (16), Cook 2 (2). S: Cook. SF: Cook. Runners 0-2 count on Justin Upton but der (4), off A.Miller; Reynolds (12), off C.Martinez; Uggla
left in scoring position: Colorado 6 (Spilborghs, (7), off Scherzer. RBIs: Reynolds 3 (23), Snyder (16),
gets in this game,” said Braves catcher Tulowitzki 2, Iannetta 2, Cook); Atlanta 2 (Medlen, walked him. Reynolds hit the Bonifacio (11), Cantu (35), Uggla (28). SB: R.Roberts
Brian McCann. “He baited us and made Schafer). DP: Atlanta 1 (Moylan, K.Johnson, Kotch- next pitch for his 12th homer. (2), Reynolds (10), Ha.Ramirez (7). S: A.Miller. Runners
man). left in scoring position: Arizona 3 (Byrnes 2, S.Drew);
us swing at tough pitches.” GREGORY SMITH / AP Reynolds went 7-for-16 in the Florida 2 (Hermida, Uggla).
Colorado second baseman Clint Colorado IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA series and has four homers and
Colorado P Aaron Cook retired the final 16 batters for his first-ever victory over Atlanta. Cook W, 3-1 9 4 0 0 1 3 108 4.68 Arizona IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Barmes had 10 assists. Atlanta IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA eight RBIs in the past six games. Scherzer 6 6 3 3 2 10 109 3.50
“I was cheering for the guys making without a homer this season. in the fourth. Medlen L, 0-1 3 3 5 5 5 3 80 15.00 “He gave me a slider over the Zavada W, 1-0 1 0 0 0 0 2 13 0.00
Parr 4 7 4 4 1 5 91 5.79 T.Pena H, 6 1 1 0 0 0 1 13 1.33
the plays,” said Cook of his infielders. “I The Rockies posted only their second The Rockies recovered after losing Moylan 1 0 0 0 1 0 13 5.52 middle of the plate,” Reynolds Qualls S, 10-11 1 0 0 0 0 3 12 2.50
was throwing strikes, keeping the ball shutout of the season. The only other games Wednesday and Thursday by the O’Flaherty 1 0 0 0 0 3 13 2.30 said. “When I’m rolling like this, Florida IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
A.Miller 7 4 2 2 2 9 112 4.94
down. ... I always take a lot of pride in one was a 3-0 victory over Arizona in combined score of 20-5. Medlen pitched to 4 batters in the 4th. Inherited I just go up there and swing. Martinez L,0-1 BS,1-1 2 3 2 2 1 4 37 9.00
our defense.” the second game of the season. “We definitely needed this one, no runners-scored: Parr 3-3. HBP: by O’Flaherty Right now the barrel is finding
(Barmes), by Medlen (Cook). WP: Medlen 2. Balk: Balk: Scherzer. Umpires: Home, Jerry Layne; First, Tony
The Rockies had gone four games— Helton had three hits and drove in five doubt about that, especially after the Medlen. Umpires: Home, Bob Davidson; First, Jeff the ball, and I don’t want to think Randazzo; Second, Chris Guccione; Third, Todd Tichenor.
and 46 innings—with a homer before runs as the Rockies spoiled Kris way we got beat last night,” said Helton Nelson; Second, Mark Carlson; Third, Tim Tschida. about it too much.” T: 2:42. A: 12,045 (38,560).
T: 2:35. A: 25,481 (49,743).
Helton’s shot in the fourth inning. Before Medlen’s major league debut. of the Braves’ 12-4 win on Wednesday After the game, Martinez was
that mini-drought, the Rockies had not Medlen (0-1) gave up five runs in three night. optioned back to Jacksonville.
had as many as two straight games innings. He left after facing four batters — The Associated Press — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NFL FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 24

Eagles need rookies—especially McCoy—to make a difference

BY CLIFTON BROWN
cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com
Poised to produce
Five other skill-position rookies with a chance to make an imme-
PHILADELPHIA—Jeremy Maclin was diate impact:
drafted first by the Eagles, but sec-
ond-round pick LeSean McCoy is
more likely to make an immediate 1. Michael Crabtree WR, 49ers. He will be driven to prove he
should have been first receiver drafted.
Percy Harvin, WR, Vikings.
impact.
Running backs like McCoy gen- 2. Knowshon The Vikings needed a playmaker of
Harvin’s caliber, whether Brett Favre joins them or not.
Moreno, RB, Broncos.
erally have an easier time making a
transition to the NFL than wide 3. Mark Sanchez, His versatility as a runner and
pass catcher will fit Josh McDaniels’ attack.
receivers like Maclin. None of the 21
wide receivers who had more than 4. Matthew Stafford,QB,QB,Jets.Lions.
First he must win the starting job, but
the Jets drafted him to play, not sit.
1,000 yards receiving last season
were rookies. Meanwhile, three
rookie backs ranked among the top
5. learns will pay off later.
If he plays this year, the lessons he

10 in rushing—Steve Slaton of the

Texans (1,282 yards), Matt Forte of
the Bears (1,238) and Chris Johnson
of the Titans (1,228).
Though the Eagles would love to
get an immediate contribution from
Maclin, McCoy’s quick develop-
ment is almost a necessity. Long-
time Eagles backup Correll
Buckhalter signed with the Bron-
cos as a free agent, which left Brian
Westbrook without a proven
backup. No wonder coach Andy
Reid gave McCoy the hands-on
treatment during rookie minicamp
Wednesday. Reid did not like the
way McCoy ran a pass pattern, so
Reid made McCoy do it again and
again until he finally got it right.
“He’s very precise,’’ McCoy said
of Reid. “He wants things done the
right way.’’
Here are three ways in which the
Eagles hope Maclin and McCoy make
a difference:
Less reliance on Westbrook.
Perhaps no team depended on a run-
ning back last season like the Eagles
depended on Westbrook. And it took
a toll. Westbrook, who turns 30 in
The addition of rookie RB LeSean McCoy, left, to the Eagles’ roster should help keep aging starter Brian Westbrook fresher.
September, was banged up by sea-
son’s end. He failed to rush for 1,000
yards for the first time in three sea-
sons, and his 4.0 yards-per-carry
tied for the worst in his career.
The idea is for McCoy to spell West-
brook, reducing his workload but
increasing his production. But to be
an effective tailback in Reid’s system,
you must be a complete back like
BRADLEY C. BOWER / AP
Westbrook—a runner, a reliable pass
catcher and a capable pass-blocker.
The Eagles know McCoy can run,
and his hands are good. But his
ability to pass-block is a question
mark, and the Eagles will not get an
accurate picture of his blocking
ability until they put the pads on at
training camp. They want to be able
to run everything in their playbook
no matter who is in the backfield.
And McCoy already is intrigued by
the possibilities.
“That’s the cool thing about this
offense,’’ McCoy said. “They find
ways to get you in the open field,
matched up one-on-one with a
defender.’’
More wrinkles in the offense.
Maclin feels comfortable lining up
wide or in the slot. He can return
kicks and punts. He can run
reverses. Both Maclin and McCoy
took direct snaps from center in col-
lege lining up in the Wildcat forma-
tion. The Eagles hope to incorporate
Maclin’s speed and versatility in a
variety of ways.
“I’m not sure why Maclin
dropped to No. 19 in the draft
because I think he may have been
the most versatile receiver in the
draft,’’ said Ron Jaworski, ESPN
analyst and former Eagles
quarterback. “I was really
impressed with how he operated
from the slot. And with DeSean
Jackson and Kevin Curtis already
there, it’s not like Maclin has to step
in and be the No. 1 receiver. I think
he’s a real nice fit for them.’’
A stronger running game. Last
season, only 10 teams ran for fewer
yards than the Eagles. They strug-
gled in short yardage. They strug-
gled in goal-line situations. And
while the average NFL pass-run
ratio was 55-45, the Eagles threw
on almost 59 percent of their plays.
After signing fullback Leonard
Weaver and adding tackles Jason
Peters and Stacy Andrews, the
Eagles hope to improve their run-
blocking, which would lead to more
success in short-yardage situations
and more offensive balance.
“This team has a lot of pieces,’’
said former Eagles defensive end
Hugh Douglas, now a television
sportscaster in Philadelphia.
“DeSean Jackson helped the Eagles
a lot as a rookie. He has shown these
guys it can be done.’’
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Scouts’ views
Outside linebacker rankings: Ware leads the 3-4 sack pack
With the 3-4 defense becoming all the
rage, the outside linebacker is a prime-
time player. The ability to rush the passer is
an integral part of the job description, but
these players also must be able to cover
tight ends in the passing game and find
the ball and wrap up ballcarriers in the run
game.
RealScouts, SN Today’s team of former
NFL scouts, rank their top 20 outside line-
backers for 2009:
1. DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys. The
NFL leader in sacks last
season, he made a serious run at
Michael Strahan’s season record of
22½. Ware is a dominant pass
rusher who exhibits remarkable
speed and strength.
2. James Harrison, Steelers. Harrison
is the reigning Defensive
Player of the Year after recording
16½ sacks and a league-high seven
forced fumbles. He’s 31 and got a
big new contract this offseason, but
Harrison plays with a chip on his
shoulder and won’t rest on his
laurels.
3. Shawne Merriman, Chargers.
Merriman is one of the
league’s most dominant defensive
players. He wants to prove himself
this year after coming off a knee
injury and entering his contract
year. Coordinator Ron Rivera calls
an aggressive game, and Merriman
should benefit.
4. Terrell Suggs, Ravens. A franchise
player for the second straight
year, Suggs is the motor that makes
the Baltimore defense go. He has
stellar physical tools, can align
almost anywhere in the front seven
Coming off last year’s knee injury, Shawne Merriman will be out to prove himself.
and showed tremendous toughness
last year playing through a sepa-
rated shoulder in the playoffs.
5. Joey Porter, Dolphins. In a big
comeback season, Porter had
a career-high 17½ sacks and made
the Pro Bowl. That number likely
will go down with the signing of
Jason Taylor, who will steal some
snaps. In the end, that will be a
NFL
LENNY IGNELZI / AP
good thing because Porter, 32, will
stay fresh and have a better chance
of getting through the season.
6. Adalius Thomas, Patriots. With the
departure of Mike Vrabel, it
would make sense for New Eng-
land to let Thomas loose as a pass
rusher off the edge. He is a versatile
player who can play just about
anywhere in the Patriots’ 3-4.
7. Lance Briggs, Bears. Briggs has
the quickness and instincts to
make plays all over the field. He
diagnoses plays quickly, is a sure
tackler and has a nose for the ball.
He’s a stellar pass rusher and is one
of the league’s top cover
linebackers.
8. Keith Bulluck, Titans. He’s a
fantastic run defender who is
a sure tackler and one of the most
underrated players in the league.
He’s another team guy who doesn’t
care about his stats and does
everything you can ask of a
linebacker.
9. Julian Peterson, Lions. Peterson
had a quiet season on a bad
team in Seattle last year. This year,
he will benefit from playing for Jim
Schwartz and getting a chance to
rush the passer more.
10. LaMarr Woodley, Steelers.
Woodley is the other half of
the Steelers’ deadly pass-rush
combo. Very quick and athletic, he
can do a lot of good things, but he’s
at his best rushing the
quarterback.
11. Aaron Kampman, Packers.
Kampman is a natural pass
rusher who is an excellent athlete
and can handle all the responsibili-
ties that will come with playing as
a stand-up defender in the Packers’
new 3-4. He’ll still be a pass-rush
force.
12. Mike Vrabel, Chiefs. Vrabel is
getting up in years and
coming off a subpar season, but he
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 25
will have an important leadership
role in the Chiefs’ transition to a
3-4 scheme. Coordinator Clancy
17. Parys Haralson, 49ers.
Haralson stepped into a
starting role under Mike Single-
Pendergast likes to play the tary last year. He’s a hard-work-
matchup game and mix looks, and ing player who shows a knack
Vrabel can play just about any- for getting to the quarterback.
where, even on offense. Look for him to remain on the
weak side and post 10-plus
13. Greg Ellis, Cowboys. The
Cowboys have been trying
to replace Ellis, but he totaled 20½
sacks if he gets the opportunity
to start all season.
sacks the past two years and has
maintained a high level of play.
He’s not the run defender he once
18. Calvin Pace, Jets. The Jets’
defense will be much
more aggressive under Rex Ryan,
was, but he still cam get after the and that will benefit Pace, who
passer. will have a Suggs-type role in the
new scheme. He’s a playmaker
14. Shaun Phillips, Chargers.
Phillips had a chance to
and has the versatility to move
around the formation. He’ll be a
stand out in 2008 after the season-
ending injury to Merriman, but he
didn’t fully capitalize. He had eight
key piece in the matchup game,
and his numbers will improve as
a result.
sacks but should get more this year
with Merriman back and com-
manding attention from blocking 19. Angelo Crowell, Buccaneers.
Look for a bounce-back
schemes. year for Crowell, who missed all of
2008 with a knee injury. He’s a
15. Leroy Hill, Seahawks. Though
middle linebacker Lofa
versatile tackling machine who
can play either outside spot. He
Tatupu and first-round pick Aaron
Curry will be the “playmakers,”
Hill is a very instinctive player who
should get a chance to make plays
in the passing game in the Bucs’
cover 2 scheme.
has the athleticism and versatility
to make plays all over the field.
Improvements along the line
should help him as well.
20. Chad Greenway, Vikings.
Greenway is a smart player
with great range who can play in
coverage and get after the quarter-
16. Michael Boley, Giants. Boley
steps into a good situation
back. That makes him a great fit
for the strongside linebacker role
in New York. He can be an explo-
sive edge player and has the speed
and range to play sideline to
in the Vikings’ scheme. Playing
behind an aggressive front helps
him.
sideline. With a strong line in front
of him, Boley will be free to run to
the ball, which is what he does best.
— RealScouts analyze NFL and college players,
coaches and teams exclusively
for Sporting News Today.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Quinn has edge in Browns’ QB battle; Roethlisberger dispels rumor
It’s early in the Brady Quinn-Derek Anderson
quarterback competition, but Browns
coach Eric Mangini says Quinn has the slight
edge based on three practices this week.
Both QBs are splitting time with the first
team.
“(Quinn) has done a really outstanding
job in the offseason program,” Mangini told
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. “Not that
Derek hasn’t done well, but (Quinn) had the
edge.”
As Quinn and Anderson battle for the
starting job, Brett Ratliff, acquired in an off-
season trade, will be a backup. He could
move up to No. 2 on the depth chart if the
team trades away the loser of the Quinn-
Anderson competition.
“I’m going to look at that position com-
pletely,” Mangini said. “It’s one of those
things where he’ll get opportunities and
there will be a rotation. There will be some
days where any of the four quarterbacks
can be the one. But right now my primary
focus is with Brady and Derek.”
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger told the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that social network-
ing websites claiming he has skin cancer
are bogus. Roethlisberger said he is not
active on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter.
His agent, Ryan Tollner, says he’s actively
working to get those impostors and the
misinformation they spread off the
internet.
A benign, baseball-size tumor has
been removed from the chest of Cardinals
DE Kenny Iwebema. Coach Ken Whisenhunt says
the surgery was performed Monday. The
tumor was discovered during routine
X-rays April 30, the day before the start of
minicamp. Iwebema showed no symptoms
and that the condition could have been life-
threatening had it gone undetected,
Whisenhunt said.
New Browns coach Eric Mangini praised the offseason work of Brady Quinn, above.
“Because it didn’t show up the year
before, it appeared to be something that had
grown very rapidly,” Whisenhunt said.
Iwebema, a fourth-round draft pick out
of Iowa in 2008, can begin some rehabilita-
tion work in two to three weeks but isn’t
expected to resume football activity for 6-8
weeks. Doctors were able to use a mini-
mally invasive laparoscopic procedure to
remove the tumor through Iwebema’s side.
The Bears have moved Corey Graham,
NFL
INSIDE DISH
DAVID DUPREY / AP
entering his third NFL season, from cor-
nerback to free safety. This week during
practice, Graham worked with the second
unit alongside Josh Bullocks. Craig Steltz and
Kevin Payne worked with the first team. The
coaches hope the experiment goes well and
that Graham, who shows great range, earns
the starting job alongside Payne.
“Once I start to learn what I am doing, I’ll
play faster,” Graham told the Chicago Sun-
Times. “It’s more mental than anything. ...
It’s not only picking up what I am doing,
but what everyone around me is doing,
too.”
Bucs CB Torrie Cox sustained facial cuts
at practice this week, when he tried to stop
a fight between OT Donald Penn and CB Aqib
Talib. Cox was struck accidently by Talib’s
helmet, coach Raheem Morris said. This isn’t
Talib’s first incident. Last year, Talib got
into a fight with teammate Cory Boyd at the
NFL rookie symposium.
“Anytime you play this violent of a game,
you’re always going to have some type of
controlling your emotions issues,” Morris
told the St. Petersburg Times. “I’ve got my
own controlling my emotions issues. That’s
when the coach steps in and helps him and
he has to grow from it, he has to learn.”
Morris did not announce Talib’s punish-
ment but reportedly was more upset that
news of the fight was leaked to the media.
Talib and Penn both downplayed the epi-
sode to The Tampa Tribune.
QB Kurt Warner skipped the Cardinals’
first voluntary practice but looked as sharp
as ever in the second. This comes just nine
weeks after having hip surgery to repair a
torn labrum. Warner says he still feels some
residual discomfort but improved mobility
and flexibility.
“I don’t know if it’s going to make much
of a difference at all,” Warner told The Ari-
zona Republic. “I may be able to move better
... but for a guy my age, I’m not expecting to
be able to break any records or get a lot
faster than I’ve been in my career.”
Soon after losing CB Walt Harris to a sea-
son-ending knee injury, the 49ers signed
free-agent CB Dre Bly to a one-year deal.
Bly, 32, played the last two seasons with
the Broncos, intercepting seven passes.
Shawntae Spencer and Tarell Brown are expected
to start, but Bly will be penciled in as the
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 26
nickel back.
The Lions signed veteran OT Ephraim
Salaam to a free-agent contract. Salaam, 32,
has played for the Falcons, Broncos, Jag-
uars and Texans. Lions coach Jim Schwartz
says Salaam will back up both LT Jeff Backus
and RT Gosder Cherilus.
Cowboys WR Isaiah Stanback had
arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to
repair a torn lateral meniscus, the team
announced Thursday. Stanback spent last
season on I.R. after separating his left
shoulder in preseason.
The Giants added depth to their offen-
sive line by signing 10-year veteran Tutan
Reyes on Thursday. Reyes has started 37
games in a career that includes stops. To
make room, the Giants waived TE Martrez
Milner.
Although the Raiders’ Michael Huff, a
first-round pick in ’06, continues to strug-
gle at safety, coach Tom Cable says he won’t be
moving to cornerback.
“No, not yet,” Cable told the San Francisco
Chronicle. “I think we need, to again, let him
continue to develop at that free safety spot,
because as you’ve seen, he’s got a ton of
range, made a couple of big plays yesterday
coming from center field. I think it’s better
off for us to leave where it’s at right now.”
The Jaguars waived WR D’Juan Woods
and acquired CB Tyron Brackenridge off waiv-
ers from the Jets. Woods spent parts of the
last two seasons on Jacksonville’s practice
squad, playing in one game.
Brackenridge played in 14 games with
the Chiefs the past two seasons with 20
tackles and two forced fumbles. He signed
with the Jets on Feb. 19 but was waived
Tuesday.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com NFL FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 27
DEFENSE
Remaining free agents
Cutler brings heat in Bears’ workouts
Defensive ends—Kevin Carter, Tampa Bay; Earl Cochran,
A quick look at the remaining NFL free agents by position Houston; Sean Conover, NY Jets; Nick Eason, Pittsburgh;
(R-restricted free agent, F-franchise tagged player): Kalimba Edwards, Oakland; Ebenezer Ekuban, Denver;
John Engelberger, Denver; Simon Fraser, Atlanta; Roderick
OFFENSE Green, San Francisco; Travis LaBoy, Arizona; Jayme Mitchell,
Quarterbacks—Brooks Bollinger, Dallas; Ken Dorsey, Minnesota; Jerome McDougle, NY Giants; Julius Peppers
LAKE FOREST, ILL.—After trying to “We’ve looked at a lot of stuff that
Cleveland; Gus Frerotte, Minnesota; Charlie Frye, Seattle; (F), Carolina; Josh Savage, New Orleans; Anthony Weaver, catch a few of Jay Cutler’s passes in Chicago has done in the past couple
Drew Henson, Detroit; Quinn Gray, Kansas City; Trent Green, Houston; James Wyche, Jacksonville. practice Wednesday, Bears wide of years,” Cutler said. “We’ve looked
St. Louis; Rex Grossman, Chicago; Brad Johnson, Dallas; J.P. Defensive tackles—Kenderick Allen, Minnesota; Gary
Losman, Buffalo; Jamie Martin, San Francisco; Craig Nall,
receiver Rashied Davis knew the at some of the stuff we’ve done in
Gibson, Carolina; La’Roi Glover, St. Louis; Vonnie Holliday, team’s offense will look different Denver. A lot of terminology is the
Houston; Marques Tuiasosopo, Oakland; Anthony Wright, Miami; Antwan Lake, New Orleans; Langston Moore,
NY Giants. Detroit; Kindal Moorehead, Atlanta; Dewayne Robertson, this season. same. With the West Coast system,
Running backs—Darian Barnes, New Orleans; Tatum Bell, Denver; Orpheus Roye, Pittsburgh; Hollis Thomas, New A pass from Cutler “comes fast and (there’s) just a lot of memorization
Denver; Brian Calhoun, Detroit; Jesse Chatman, NY Jets; P.J. Orleans; Josh Thomas, Indianapolis; John Thornton, Cincin- it’s on you real quick,” Davis said. and we might call something ‘A’ and
Daniels, Baltimore; Reuben Droughns, NY Giants; Warrick Dunn, nati; Darwin Walker, Carolina; Ellis Wyms, Minnesota; Brian
Tampa Bay; DeShaun Foster, San Francisco; Samkon Gado, St. “Once you get used to running they call it ‘B.’
Young, New Orleans; Jeff Zgonina, Houston.
Louis; Nick Goings, Carolina; Ahman Green, Houston; Andre Hall, Linebackers—Rufus Alexander, Indianapolis; Jason
routes with him and catching the “It’s a little bit different, but the
Denver; Kay-Jay Harris, NY Giants; Maurice Hicks, Minnesota; Babin, Kansas City; Rocky Boiman, Kansas City; Derrick ball from him, it gets a little bit eas- way we line up and get guys to dif-
Edgerrin James, Arizona; Rudi Johnson, Detroit; Deuce McAl- Brooks, Tampa Bay; Khary Campbell, Washington; Anthony ier,” Davis said. “But he throws the ferent places, it’s all the same.”
lister, New Orleans; Travis Minor, St. Louis; Chris Perry, Cincinnati; Cannon, Detroit; Dan Cody, Baltimore; Rosevelt Colvin, New
Andrew Pinnock, Denver; Michael Pittman, Denver; P.J. Pope,
ball pretty hard, and the heat is still The Bears and other NFL teams
England; Donte’ Curry, Carolina; Donnie Edwards, Kansas
Denver; Cecil Sapp, Houston; Aaron Stecker, New Orleans; Selvin on the ball 20 yards down the field.” are allowed 14 organized team
City; Keith Ellison (R), Buffalo; Troy Evans, New Orleans;
Young, Denver. Gilbert Gardner, Chicago; Curtis Gatewood, Kansas City; The Bears began the transition to activity workouts before training
Wide receivers—Drew Bennett, St. Louis; Marty Booker, Morlon Greenwood, Houston; Marques Harris, San Diego; their new quarterback when orga- camp starts. The highlight from
Chicago; Drew Carter, Oakland; Jason Carter; Carolina; Keary Napoleon Harris, Minnesota; Abdul Hodge (R), Cincinnati; nized team activities started at Halas Wednesday’s first workout was
Colbert, Detroit; Jayson Foster, Denver; D.J. Hackett, Caro- Mike Humpal, Pittsburgh; Brad Kassell, NY Jets; Jason Kyle,
lina; Dante Hall, St. Louis; Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis; Ike Hall with a healthy dose of passing easily the bomb Cutler threw to
Carolina; Teddy Lehman, Buffalo; Paris Lenon, Detroit; Wesly
Hilliard, Tampa Bay; Darrell Jackson, Denver; Nate Jackson, Mallard, Seattle; Jim Maxwell, Cincinnati; Willie McGinest,
drills, seven-on-seven and full- Hester to beat strong safety Kevin
Denver; Matt Jones, Jacksonville; Joe Jurevicius, Cleveland; Cleveland; Marques Murrell (R), NY Jets; Ryan Nece, Detroit; squad, non-contact scrimmaging. Payne for a touchdown.
Ashley Lelie, Oakland; Brandon Lloyd, Chicago; Dane Looker, Shantee Orr, Cleveland; Antwan Peek, Cleveland; Carlos Several receivers had to adjust Cutler called it a benefit to be
St. Louis; Marcus Maxwell, Baltimore; Anthony Mix, Tampa Polk, Dallas; Junior Seau, New England; Matt Sinclair, Wash-
Bay; Ben Obomanu (R), Seattle; Tab Perry, Miami; Jerry to Cutler’s arm, including tight working with some players he
ington; Gary Stills, St. Louis; Terrell Suggs (F), Baltimore;
Porter, Jacksonville; Kevin Robinson, Kansas City; Koren Rob- end Greg Olsen, who had trouble knows. Wide receiver Earl Bennett,
Dontarrious Thomas, Minnesota; Pisa Tinoisamoa, St. Louis;
inson, Seattle; Edell Shepherd, Denver; Travis Taylor, Detroit; Marcus Washington, Washington; Nate Webster, Denver. hanging on to one throw, and who played with Cutler at Vander-
Amani Toomer, NY Giants; Kelley Washington, New England; Cornerbacks—David Barrett, NY Jets; Fakhir Brown, St. Devin Hester, who dropped a short bilt, lined up at a starting spot oppo-
Todd Watkins (R), Oakland; Harry Williams, Houston; Reggie
Williams, Jacksonville; Wallace Wright (R), NY Jets.
Louis; Terry Cousin, Cleveland; Jason Craft, St. Louis; Travis screen pass. site Hester. Right tackle Chris
Fisher, Detroit; Reynaldo Hill, Tennessee; Roderick Hood, “We’ve got a lot of young receiv- Williams also played at Vanderbilt.
Tight ends—Courtney Anderson, Houston; Adam Bergen, Arizona; William James, Jacksonville; Michael Lehan,
Denver; Mark Bruener, Houston; Scott Chandler, San Diego; New Orleans; Sam Madison, NY Giants; Ricky Manning Jr.,
ers, and they’ve got to get used to the “I think anytime you come to a
Owen Daniels (R), Houston; Nate Lawrie, Cincinnati; Michael St. Louis; Derrick Martin (R), Baltimore; Chris McAlister, way I throw the ball,” Cutler said. “I team that you’re familiar with, and
Merritt, Kansas City; Martrez Milner, NY Giants; Chad Baltimore; Mike McKenzie, New Orleans; R.W. McQuarters, thought Day 1 looked good.” you’ve got some guys that I played
Mustard, Denver; Jeff Robinson, Seattle; Derek Schouman NY Giants; Deltha O’Neal, New England; Dunta Robinson
(R), Buffalo; Stephen Spach (R), Arizona; Daniel Wilcox, No one complained, especially with at Vandy, it makes the transi-
(F), Houston; Lewis Sanders, New England; Duane Starks,
Baltimore; Kris Wilson, San Diego. offensive coordinator Ron Turner. tion a lot better,” Cutler said. “And
Jacksonville; Brandon Sumrall, NY Giants; DeJuan Tribble,
Offensive tackles—Tyson Clabo (R), Atlanta; Anthony San Diego; Jason Webster, New England; Jimmy Williams, “Just his arm strength, I’ve never the locker room is full of great
Davis, St. Louis; Jon Dunn, Detroit; Wayne Gandy, Atlanta; Houston; Stanley Wilson, Detroit. been around anything like that guys, and they’ve welcomed me
Kwame Harris, Oakland; Jonas Jennings, San Francisco; Levi
Jones, Cincinnati; James Marten (R), Oakland; Fred Miller,
Safeties—Oshiomogho Atogwe (F), St. Louis; Michael before,” Turner said. “And he’s with open arms, so it’s been nice.”
Boulware, Minnesota; Mike Brown, Chicago; Oliver Celestin, shown very good accuracy the lit- In July, the preparation will turn
Chicago; Rob Petitti, St. Louis; Jon Runyan, Philadelphia; Kansas City; Corey Chavous, St. Louis; Will Demps, Houston;
Charles Spencer, Jacksonville; Barry Stokes, New England; Mike Doss, Cincinnati; Hiram Eugene, Oakland; Mike Green,
tle bit I’ve been around him.” more serious at training camp in
Mark Tauscher, Green Bay; Mark Wilson (R), Oakland. Washington; Rodney Harrison, New England; Terrence Holt, The Bears acquired Cutler on Bourbonnais, Ill. Cutler knows
Guards—Lennie Friedman, Cleveland; Pete Kendall, New Orleans; Dexter Jackson, Cincinnati; Sammy Knight, April 2 from Denver along with a there will be pressure.
Washington; Matt Lentz, Detroit; Terrence Metcalf, Chicago; NY Giants; Marquand Manuel, Denver; Marlon McCree,
Edwin Mulitalo, Detroit; Chris Naeole, Jacksonville; Tutan fifth-round draft pick for two first- “I knew coming into it, anytime a
Denver; Lawyer Milloy, Atlanta; Chad Nkang, Jacksonville;
Reyes, Jacksonville; Grey Ruegamer, NY Giants; Kendall round picks, a third-rounder and NAM Y. HUH / AP team wants to make a trade like that
Jarrad Page (R), Kansas City; Pierson Prioleau, Jacksonville;
Simmons, Pittsburgh; Rob Sims (R), Seattle; Jason Whittle, Chris Reis (R), New Orleans; Dwight Smith, Detroit; Jimmy quarterback Kyle Orton. Jay Cutler is wowing new Bears teammates and coaches with his strong arm. and give up what they gave up, it’s
Buffalo. Williams, San Francisco; Cameron Worrell, Chicago. Cutler threw for a franchise-re- going to be a lot of pressure, a lot of
Centers—Brennen Carvalho, Green Bay; Jean-Philippe SPECIAL TEAMS
Darche, Kansas City; Melvin Fowler, Buffalo; Matt Lehr, New
cord 4,526 yards, 25 touchdowns of his passes for 9,024 yards, 54 team’s conditioning program. He high expectations, and I welcome it,”
Kickers—John Carney, NY Giants; Matt Stover, Baltimore. and 18 interceptions with Denver TDs and 37 interceptions. also has spent a lot of time memoriz- he said. “It’s going to be fun. It’s
Orleans; Andy McCollum, Detroit; Jeremy Newberry, San Punters—Mitch Berger, Pittsburgh; Mike Dragosavich,
Diego; Scott Peters, Arizona; Cory Withrow, St. Louis. Indianapolis; Sam Koch (R), Baltimore; Kyle Larson, Cincin- in 2008. In his 37-game career in He and some Bears receivers ing the playbook and going through going to be a good challenge.”
nati; Ryan Plackemeier, Cincinnati. Denver, he completed 62.5 percent worked out on their own during the film cutups of the offense. — The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com College Football FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 28

Notre Dame moving up, Tennessee staying down this fall

How big is this season at Notre Dame? Even President Barack There’s a common thread among A&M now is behind both Okla-
Obama has chimed in, punctuating one of those cheesy, pay-to-yuk- the four teams on the rise: an homa State and Texas Tech in the
upgrade in recruiting. The Canes South—and Baylor, with charis-
it-up political fundraisers in Indianapolis by stating Notre Dame
have recruited better than any of matic coach Art Briles and
football is an issue “we may not resolve within my the four, and consistent, efficient dynamic quarterback Robert
four years.” play at quarterback—something Griffin—is closing fast after
Take heart, Irish fans. Captain Hope has just the team has lacked in coach beating the Aggies by 20 last year.
given your team more oomph this fall. Anyone who Randy Shannon’s two seasons— West Virginia. WVU had a
thinks ND coach Charlie Weis won’t use this as will change everything. BCS-ready team—a national title
motivation—hey guys, the leader of the free world contender—in coach Bill Stewart’s
thinks you blow!—thinks a national playoff is coming Four on the decline first season. It finished the year
Matt Hayes soon, too. Louisville. Cards athletic scrapping out a victory in a useless
COLLEGE FOOTBALL Weis and the Irish have been beaten down for two director Tom Jurich told Sporting late December bowl game.
years now while developing young, dynamic News Today’s Dave Curtis earlier There were numerous instances
players. The coach is feeling heat, the players are insulted, the this month that coach Steve of poor coaching, poor clock
Kragthorpe is his guy, that’s he’s management, poor decision-mak-
storm is brewing.
not panicking despite growing ing. You know, the things you
Every year at the end of spring drills, we examine programs on the unrest among a passionate fan base didn’t see when Rich Rodriguez
rise and on the decline. And here comes Notre Dame, with everything that got a taste of the BCS hierar- was in Morgantown.
seemingly against it, primed for a return to the nation’s elite. chy under former coach Bobby The most damning issue from
Petrino. Year 1 under good-guy Stewart:
Four on the rise Oklahoma State. The Cowboys Kragthorpe’s teams have won 11 WVU lacked emotion and
Notre Dame. The difference are the hot pick to become this games in two seasons despite intensity.
between this year’s team and Weis’ year’s Texas Tech. I’ll go one step playing with the best quarterback Tennessee. A decline with an
first two that went to BCS bowls: further: how about this year’s in the game (Brian Brohm) in Year asterisk: The Vols have serious
this one has more talent and speed. Oklahoma? The Sooners have 1, and last season with an experi- personnel issues, and it’s going to
Now it’s a matter of finishing gotten worse (see: rebuilt offensive enced, senior quarterback (Hunter take more than one big recruiting
games. line) and the Cowboys have gotten Cantwell) who had success under class to fix it.
If ND finishes off three double- better (see: Bill Young as defensive Petrino. Given time—and a ton of
digit leads it blew last season—the coordinator). Louisville, with its SEC geogra- patience—new coach Lane Kiffin
difference between a young, fragile The Cowboys have three legiti- phy, SEC-type lunatic fans and will bring championship-caliber
team and a team steeled by previ- mate Heisman Trophy candidates SUE OGROCKI / AP SEC deep pockets (these are all talent to Knoxville. You can’t win
ous experiences—you’re looking at (Zac Robinson, Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson is one of three Cowboys who could win the Heisman Trophy. good things), should own the Big big games in the SEC without an
a nine-win team playing in the Dez Bryant), and the first 11-win East. That’s it. elite quarterback or a team full of
Gator Bowl against Clemson. In season in school history (the last punishing, athletic defensive 1997’s 11-win season under Mack Texas A&M. The entire coaching experience protecting a quarter-
other words, a 10-win team. 10-win season was 1988) isn’t that linemen and elite skill players on Brown. community shuddered when back who doesn’t make mistakes.
The Irish aren’t that far away, far away. offense. Miami. While we’re all so Kentucky fired basketball coach Right now, Tennessee isn’t close to
especially with a manageable This is what happens when a Davis has signed 26 five- and enthralled (really, just ESPN) with Billy Gillispie after two seasons. either.
schedule and an offense more big-money booster (T. Boone four-star players in his three Robert Marve’s choice of colleges You better believe Mike Sherman, This fall won’t be much better
dangerous than in Weis’ first two Pickens) and a tireless coach (Mike recruiting classes, and much like after he left Miami because he lost whose first year in College Station than last year, and the Vols likely
seasons. Gundy) find each other: recruits the personnel situation at Notre the starting job, we’ve forgotten was awful, is feeling the reverbera- will start a true freshman at
There’s more speed on defense, are drawn to immaculate facilities Dame, the experience will kick in that Jacory Harris is a big-time tion from Kentucky’s decision. quarterback in 2010. Again, not a
and any team that can rush the and a young, charismatic and this fall. The Tar Heels lost four talent. Watch how he develops in Competing in the Big 12 South good sign in the meat-grinder
passer and cover in the secondary innovative leader. games last year by a combined Year 2 without a hint of quarter- Division is all about competing for conference. By 2011, we’ll know if
can create turnovers and force North Carolina. Butch Davis is nine points, but if quarterback T.J. back controversy—and under the players in recruiting, and Sherman Tennessee will make the turn
mistakes. ND will get those 10 doing exactly what he did at Yates stays healthy, this team wins tutelage of new offensive coordina- at least made inroads with a strong under Kiffin.
wins this fall—and maybe more. Miami: building his team around 10 games for the first time since tor Mark Whipple. class in February. But the reality is mhayes@sportingnews.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
INSIDE DISH
Marve chooses Purdue, will be eligible for 2010
Former Miami QB Robert Marve announced Thursday
that he is transferring to Purdue. He will have two sea-
sons of eligibility remaining but must sit out this fall.
“We are really excited to have a player the caliber of
Robert become a Boilermaker,” Purdue coach Danny
Hope said in a statement released by the school. “We
became a better football program today.”
Marve started 11 games last season as a redshirt
freshman at Miami—he was suspended for the team’s
opener and Emerald Bowl appearance—and completed
54.6 percent of his passes for 1,293 yards, with nine
touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
He announced Dec. 30, three days after the bowl
game, that he would transfer.
Marve also considered walking on at Tennessee.
The NCAA has told Florida State it needs more
time to consider the school’s appeal of a ruling that
could force the Seminoles to vacate victories in 10
sports in which 61 ineligible athletes competed.
The ruling could erase 14 wins from the football pro-
gram and coach Bobby Bowden’s record.
The NCAA’s Infractions Appeals Committee now
has until June 2 to respond to the appeal, according to a
report by the Orlando Sentinel.
South Carolina junior DT Ladi Ajiboye and sopho-
more CB C.C. Whitlock are back on the team after serving
suspensions.
Coach Steve Spurrier told The State of Columbia, S.C.,
that both players would miss at least one game this fall.
Auburn senior TE Gabe McKenzie is ready to begin
working out with the Tigers again after missing spring
practice for undisclosed health reasons, coach Gene Chizik
said in a report by the Press-Register of Mobile, Ala.
Chizik said senior WR Montez Billings is still working
through some academic issues that kept him out of the
spring.
Former Michigan WR Toney Clemons is transferring
to Colorado and will enroll June 1, he told the Daily
Camera of Boulder.
He will have two seasons of eligibility left after sit-
College Football / College Basketball
Ole Miss coach wants Kentucky to succeed
Kentucky’s immediate resur-
gence under John Calipari is going
to make life tougher for every
coach in the SEC, but Ole Miss
coach Andy Kennedy said it also can
make life better.
He said the widespread diag-
nosis of the SEC as having a down
season in 2008-09—reflected in
regular-season champ LSU earn-
ing a No. 8 seed—was partly the
result of Kentucky’s struggles.
“The Southeastern Conference
needs Kentucky to be Kentucky,”
ANDREW HANCOCK / AP Kennedy said, “and I think John
Purdue coach Danny Hope, center, is thrilled to have Robert Marve. Calipari will most certainly take
Kentucky back to the standard
ting out this fall. that’s expected.
Clemons caught 12 passes for 106 yards in two sea- “He’s going to get very good
sons at Michigan. players, he’s going to coach them
and I’m sure they’re anticipating
For at least the second straight year, Big Ten ath- a very high level of success.”
letic directors spent part of their spring meetings in Kentucky’s collapse toward the
Chicago discussing the addition of a ninth conference 2009 NIT began when Ole Miss
football game each season starting in the middle of the interrupted the Wildcats’ 5-0
next decade. SEC start with an 85-80 home
Conversations are preliminary, several directors victory. But by then UK already
said, and there several major obstacles. The primary had lost at home to VMI and
one—it’s mathematically impossible for each of the Miami, and was drilled by even-
league’s 11 teams to play nine conference games. tual national champion North
Still, many of the league’s schools seem set on somehow Carolina.
playing more conference games to help increase revenues. Those kinds of results helped
— Dave Curtis lead to the SEC ranking sixth in
conference RPI standings, which
ABC will televise the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in turn helped result in only two
matching Alabama and Virginia Tech on Sept. 5 in the at-large bids for the league.
Georgia Dome in Atlanta at 8 p.m. When Kentucky is strong, get-
ting a victory over the Wildcats
Georgia plans to add 53,000 square feet to its football carries a much greater value for
facilities, including a new weight room, coaches offices, its league opponents.
new training facilities and a large multi-purpose area “If you think about it, North
The school’s athletics association board has approved Carolina needs to be good in the
up to $40 million for the additions to the Butts-Mehre ACC,” Kennedy said. “The Pac-
athletics facility. 10, until UCLA became UCLA
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
INSIDE DISH
CHRIS O’MEARA / AP
Andy Kennedy has a 61-39 record as coach
at Ole Miss.
again, everybody was saying the
Pac-10 is down. I think every-
body in our league would say
Kentucky—based on the sheer
numbers and the passionate sup-
port—it needs to be Kentucky.
And it’s certainly well on its
way.”
— Mike DeCourcy
Former Marquette G Wesley
Matthews sees Wisconsin’s
methodical half-court style as the
wrong fit for fast-paced prospect
Vander Blue.
Blue, a 6-4 guard who will be a
senior at Madison Memorial next
season, is considered the state’s
top 2010 prospect and was con-
sidered the centerpiece of coach
Bo Ryan’s recruiting efforts. But
Blue began wavering on his deci-
sion recently and said Tuesday he
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 29
was backing out of his oral com-
mitment for now.
Matthews is in a unique posi-
tion to offer advice—he went to
the same high school as Blue and
chose Marquette over the home-
town Badgers.
“Not a knock on the Badgers,
but I just don’t think that Vander,
knowing him as a person and a
player, would be his best fit,” Mat-
thews told the AP after a predraft
workout with the Milwaukee
Bucks. “I’m not even saying Mar-
quette would be his best fit, I just
know that his best fit would be
being able to get up and down (the
floor). He needs to be taught to
play off ball screens and make
reads and stuff like that.”
Former Tennessee G Ramar
Smith has surrendered to police in
the investigation of a home inva-
sion robbery and turned himself
in on a charge of aggravated rob-
bery, The Associated Press
reported.
Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl dis-
missed Smith after the 2007-08
season. He averaged 7.4 points
and 3.2 assists per game that sea-
son, but Pearl said he failed to
meet expectations off the court.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski
has been selected for the Army
Sports Hall of Fame. A 1969 West
Point graduate, Krzyzewski
earned three letters as a player for
Army and then coached the Black
Knights for five years. He fin-
ished with a 73-59 record before
taking over at Duke in 1978.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Despite splashy moves, it wasn’t all about Kentucky this spring
Not long ago spring basketball recruiting
was a lot like the Running of the Brides at
Filene’s Basement, an astonishing scrum
you’ve seen periodically on TV news.
Yep, it was just like that. All the college
coaches would crush through the doors
after the Final Four hoping to discover an
uncommon bargain, but
in such a rush it never
was easy to be certain
about quality or fit.
It’s different now. A lot
of the players available in
the spring aren’t left-
overs; they are back on
Mike DeCourcy the market because of
COLLEGE BASKETBALL coaching changes.
Schools routinely allow
players affected by such
circumstances to void their letters, and
some players ask for such assurances in
advance, which means succeeding in
spring recruiting now can turn around a
program in a hurry.
Of Scout.com’s Top 10 prospects in the
2009 class, five selected their final
answers in the spring period and one,
guard Lance Stephenson of New York, has
yet to decide. So those who got all their
work done early missed on some of the best
deals (although it’s probably not best to use
that particular word, even
metaphorically).
These were your biggest springtime
winners:
1. Kentucky
Spring additions: PG Eric Bledsoe, C DeMarcus
Cousins, SF Darnell Dodson, PG John Wall.
Surely you’ve heard enough about the
Wildcats by now.
2. Kansas
Spring additions: SG Xavier Henry, PG C.J.
Henry.
The Jayhawks should be celebrating
over who they did not sign (Stephenson) as
much as who they did (Xavier Henry).
Stephenson was all set to commit to KU
in late March, but the Jayhawks asked that
he delay until everyone was certain the
NCAA would certify his amateurism.
While they waited, John Calipari’s depar-
ture from Memphis—which had landed
both Henry brothers—led both to consider
other schools.
That meant KU would not have to deal
with any eligibility issues nor whether
Stephenson would be interested in fitting
into a team already talented enough to
contend for the Final Four.
Does it seem Kansas is always a few
seconds away from disappointment and
then something miraculous happens?
3. Arizona
Spring additions: SF Solomon Hill, C Kyryl
Natyazhko, SG Kevin Parrom.
One reason a lot of coaches weren’t so
eager to become the new Wildcats coach—
including the one they landed, Sean
Miller—was the near-vacant roster the
next guy would inherit.
Miller helped fix that by retrieving Hill,
who’d abandoned the commitment he
made before Lute Olson’s sudden retire-
ment, landing Natyazhko after doing the
groundwork while at Xavier and bringing
along Parrom, who’d signed in the fall with
the Musketeers.
“That would have been a great class if
he’d just gotten that without moving
schools,” Scout.com analyst Evan Daniels
said. “To get that in a month was unbeliev-
able. Those are three very talented guys,
all top 100.”
4. Georgia Tech
Spring additions: PF Derrick Favors, C Daniel
Miller.
Tech got Miller because a coaching
change at Georgia led him to request a
release, but the Jackets would have ranked
here simply for landing Favors.
College Basketball FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 30
Scout.com continues to rank him No. 1 in
the 2009 class despite the frenzy that
developed around Wall.
“We just feel as far as post prospect, he’s
got a really nice upside,” Daniels said. “I
think he’s more skilled than some people
think. Defensively, he’s all over the place.
He put up ridiculous numbers on the AAU
circuit and seemed to be more aggressive,
appeared to get a meaner side to him. We
just think once he gets in a college weight
room he’s really going to just explode.”
Favors would be an ideal complement to
Gani Lawal, who started inside for the
Jackets as a sophomore. Lawal, though, is
leaning hard on staying in the draft. If he’s
gone for good, Favors will be that much
more important to the Jackets’ season.
5. Mississippi State
Spring additions: C Wendell Lewis, C John
Riek, PF Renardo Sidney.
Sidney is an extremely versatile
offensive player whose principal problem
has been learning to play with great effort. If
he embraces college coaching, Sidney could
be as productive as any player in this class.
Riek is an import who can give MSU an
even more fearsome inside defense than it
derives from Jarvis Varnado alone. The
Bulldogs agreed to confront some signifi-
cant eligibility issues in taking on both, but
this team could be super if they are cleared
and ready to play in the fall. They’ll no
longer be a shoot-em-up 3-point team.
They’ll have a power game and the long-
range shooting to create room for the bigs.
With most of last year’s SEC tournament
champs back, the Bulldogs were looking
for one more big and content to get Lewis
in the spring. Then both Sidney and Riek
sort of fell to them.
“It doesn’t happen very often like that,”
coach Rick Stansbury said. “You can
spend a lot of time spinning your wheels
and not have it happen for you.” AP PHOTO
decourcy@sportingnews.com Xavier Henry, above, and brother C.J. landed with Kansas after initially committing to Memphis.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
INSIDE DISH
Long will appeal
record penalties
Carl Long says the engine that led to record-
setting penalties to his Sprint Cup team was
purchased from a reputable builder and he
has filed a letter of intent to appeal the 12-week
suspensions handed to him; his car owner
and wife, DeeDee Long; and crew chief Charles
Swing.
NASCAR also fined Swing $200,000 for
the oversized engine that was used in Long’s
car during practice for the Sprint Showdown
last weekend at Lowe’s, and the team was
penalized 200 owner and driver points.
— SceneDaily.com
Suspended owner/driver Jeremy Mayfield
and his attorneys met with NASCAR officials
and attorneys for about an hour Thursday but
did not come to a resolution of the issues over
his positive drug test taken May 1.
Mayfield declined to comment, but his attor-
ney Bill Diehl said, “It was a cordial meeting.”
Diehl indicated that as far as the next step,
“you’ll probably know that (today).”
— Bob Pockrass, SceneDaily.com
Brad Keselowski wrecked two No. 88 JR
Motorsports Chevrolets at Lowe’s Motor
Speedway during practice for Saturday’s
Nationwide Series race. A third car was sent to
the track from the shop in nearby Mooresville,
N.C.
“Yeah, it’s just one of those days,” a glum Kes-
elowski said.
Keselowski said two right-front tires went
down, but there wasn’t a problem with the tire.
The issue was apparently with the suspension,
which seems to have rubbed against the tire in
each instance.
“I don’t want to throw anyone under the bus
because I make mistakes, too,” Keselowski said.
“We’re having some issue with the right front
where we’re losing tires.”
— Lee Montgomery, SceneDaily.com
TERRY RENNA / AP
Jeremy Mayfield, left, and his attorney Bill Diehl met with
NASCAR officials regarding Mayfield’s suspension.
SK Motorsports has shifted from Patrick Car-
pentier to driver Donny Lia for Saturday’s Nation-
wide Series race after sponsorship fell through
and the team opted not to have Carpentier fly in
from Canada.
— SceneDaily.com
Sean Caisse will drive a Richard Childress
Racing entry in the June 6 Nationwide Series
race at Nashville Superspeedway. Caisse, 23,
who won the ARCA race earlier this season at
Rockingham, N.C., has been signed as an RCR
development driver and will run more races
throughout the year.
— Bob Pockrass
NASCAR
Newman wins eighth pole at Lowe’s
BY REID SPENCER
rspencer@sportingnews.com
CONCORD, N.C.—Everything’s coming up
roses for Stewart-Haas Racing.
Five days after owner/driver Tony Stew-
art won the Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s
Motor Speedway, his teammate, Ryan New-
man, ripped off a pole-winning run for Sun-
day’s Coca-Cola 600 at the 1.5-mile track.
Newman turned a lap in 28.651 seconds
(188.475 mph) Thursday to earn the top
starting spot for the 600-miler, NASCAR’s
longest race. Kyle Busch (188.258 mph)
made a concerted attempt to unseat New-
man, who gave Stewart-Haas its first
Sprint Cup pole, but fell just short after a
slight mistake getting into Turn 3.
Newman now has 44 career poles and
eight at Lowe’s (the most among active
drivers) but hasn’t started from the top
spot in a Cup race since April 12, 2008, at
Phoenix. A prolific pole winner earlier in
his career, Newman won his first pole in
his third Cup start (at Lowe’s) and has
claimed the top starting spot for the 600
in every odd-numbered year since.
“After winning your first pole in your
third start, and then going more than a year
without winning one, you start to feel pole-
deprived,” Newman quipped. “I really
wasn’t totally satisfied with the lap—every-
body says that—but obviously, you don’t
have to be when you have a fast racecar.”
Coincidentally, the top three qualifiers
for Sunday’s race are the same three who
went three-wide through the fourth cor-
ner on Lap 93 of the Sprint All-Star Race,
with Jeff Gordon wrecking and Busch
and Newman each sustaining damage.
“Yeah, as of right now, I’m going to call
a meeting in the NASCAR hauler for all
three teams to sit down and talk about the
first lap,” Newman said, laughing. “But
it’s kind of ironic how things work out.”
Gordon (188.193 mph) qualified third,
one spot ahead of Hendrick Motorsports
TERRY RENNA / AP
Ryan Newman won his first pole in more than a year.
teammate Mark Martin (188.166 mph). Jim-
mie Johnson (187.820 mph), who, like Gor-
don has five wins at Lowe’s, will start fifth,
followed by Kasey Kahne (187.493 mph)
and Mike Bliss (187.422 mph), the fastest of
the drivers required to qualify on speed.
Busch knew exactly where he came up
short during his qualifying lap.
“I was trying to make sure that it
wouldn’t bust loose, because I pinched it
so much getting into Turn 3 that I didn’t
have a good arc off the corner,” he said.
“Typically, when you arc it in real nice,
you can get a smooth arc through the cen-
ter and a straighter drive up off the cor-
ner. I was the exact opposite.”
Notes: Bill Elliott qualified 10th for
what will be his 800th Sprint Cup start.
… J.J. Yeley (subbing for suspended Jer-
emy Mayfield), Mike Garvey, Todd
Bodine and David Starr failed to qualify
for the race.
— Reid Spencer writes for the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 31
Coca-Cola 600
At Lowe’s Motor Speedway
When: Sunday, 5:45 p.m. ET
TV: FOX, 5 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN/Sirius XM Satellite Ch. 128
Track layout: 1.5-mile oval
Race distance: 400 laps/600 miles
2008 winner: Kasey Kahne
2008 polesitter: Kyle Busch
Starting lineup
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (39) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 188.475
2. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 188.258
3. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 188.193
4. (5) Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 188.166
5. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 187.820
6. (9) Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 187.493
7. (09) Mike Bliss, Dodge, 187.422
8. (83) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 187.396
9. (42) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 187.188
10. (21) Bill Elliott, Ford, 187.169
11. (87) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, 187.162
12. (1) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 186.916
13. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 186.864
14. (20) Joey Logano, Toyota, 186.832
15. (19) Elliott Sadler, Dodge, 186.825
16. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, 186.735
17. (2) Kurt Busch, Dodge, 186.599
18. (82) Scott Speed, Toyota, 186.574
19. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford, 186.548
20. (96) Bobby Labonte, Ford, 186.477
21. (00) David Reutimann, Toyota, 186.368
22. (29) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 186.233
23. (47) Marcos Ambrose, Toyota, 186.220
24. (33) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 186.181
25. (66) Dave Blaney, Toyota, 186.014
26. (77) Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 185.970
27. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 185.829
28. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 185.778
29. (71) David Gilliland, Chevrolet, 185.707
30. (17) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 185.605
31. (98) Paul Menard, Ford, 185.593
32. (13) Max Papis, Toyota, 185.433
33. (26) Jamie McMurray, Ford, 185.319
34. (6) David Ragan, Ford, 185.172
35. (12) David Stremme, Dodge, 185.096
36. (07) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 184.704
37. (7) Robby Gordon, Toyota, 184.590
38. (44) A J Allmendinger, Dodge, 184.338
39. (55) Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 183.949
40. (31) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 183.281
41. (34) Tony Raines, Chevrolet, Owner Points
42. (43) Reed Sorenson, Dodge, Owner Points
43. (36) Scott Riggs, Toyota, 184.433
Failed to Qualify
44. (41) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 184.093
45. (73) Mike Garvey, Dodge, 182.457
46. (64) Todd Bodine, Toyota, 182.426
47. (06) David Starr, Dodge, 179.081
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
Four Final Four
players to watch
BY TERRY FOY
InsideLacrosse.com
Here’s a look at who’s bound for big (or at least
important) performances in Foxborough on Saturday
at the NCAA Final Four in Gillette Stadium.
Max Quinzani, Duke, Jr., attack
One of the most interesting aspects of Quinzani’s
development this season has been his emergence as a
ball-carrier when Duke’s looking to possess the ball
without attacking the goal.
If the Syracuse-Duke matchup (noon, ESPN2) turns
out to be as high-scoring as expected, securing the ball,
valuing each possession and keeping the ball away from
Syracuse’s offense is going to be more valuable than
usual. Add his typical propensity for scoring goals, and
Quinzani is worth his weight in gold.
Dan Hardy, Syracuse, Sr., midfield
Against Duke last week, six of UNC’s 11 goals came
from midfielders, and sophomore attackman Billy Bit-
ter was held to two assists. While Syracuse needs to
get more from its attack this week, they’re better
served being paced by the midfield, and that starts
with the 6-foot-4 Hardy.
Hardy has the train moving in the right direction
after scoring twice against Maryland last week, and if
he can get his shot on the run going like he did in last
year’s national championship game, Duke’s defense
will have to make serious adjustments to move some-
one on to No. 22 with the size to slow him down.
Matt Moyer, Cornell, Sr., defense
Moyer has really impressed in two NCAA Tourna-
ment games, but he’ll likely be matched up with
Tewaaraton Trophy finalist Danny Glading at 2 p.m.
Saturday (ESPN2). Glading’s deceptive speed and
power will test Moyer’s injured leg, but the more
intriguing aspect of a Moyer-Glading matchup is the
strength-against-strength component.
Multi-year starters who’ve played with All-Americans
throughout their careers, each are amazingly poised, good
Lacrosse
ALGERINA PERNA / AP
Mike Timms, left, is being counted on to shut down Max Seibald.
decision-makers and positive influences for their team-
mates. Their conversations when the ball is at the other
end of the field would be worth the price of admission.
Mike Timms, Virginia, Sr., longstick middie
The Big Red have gotten this far by relying on their
role players, and the stars will need to come out if they
hope to advance to Monday’s title game. For Cornell,
the stars don’t get any bigger than two-time Tewaara-
ton finalist Max Seibald.
Much has been made of No. 42’s long scoring streak
ending against the Tigers on Saturday, and while lots
of factors came into play, one was clearly the perfor-
mance of Princeton longstick middie Charlie Kolkin,
whose big frame gave Seibald problems. Timms brings
the same thing to the table, and if the Cavs get up early
on Cornell, Timms can shut down Seibald, their go-to
goal producer in tough spots.
Final Four
Saturday at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
All times ET
Syracuse (14-2) vs. Duke (15-3), noon, ESPN2
Virginia (15-2) vs. Cornell (12-3), 2 p.m., ESPN2
Championship
Monday, 1 p.m. ESPN
MORE COVERAGE
For more Tournament coverage, go to: InsideLacrosse.com
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
www.insidelacrosse.com
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Golf FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 33
Matt Bettencourt 35-36—71 +1
Leaderboard Stephen Leaney 35-36—71 +1

Nitties joins Duke as surprises sharing early lead Thursday at TPC Four Seasons Resort
Irving, Texas
Purse: $6.5 million
Yardage: 7,166; Par: 70 (35-35)
Steve Allan
Tim Petrovic
Chad Campbell
Ryuji Imada
Charley Hoffman
35-36—71
35-36—71
34-37—71
35-36—71
34-37—71
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
IRVING, TEXAS—Fun-loving PGA First Round Todd Hamilton 37-34—71 +1
Ken Duke 34-31—65 -5 Bart Bryant 39-32—71 +1
Tour rookie James Nitties can
get serious, too.
Byron Nelson James Nitties
Brad Adamonis
34-31—65 -5
34-32—66 -4
Jimmy Walker
Chris Riley
35-36—71
34-37—71
+1
+1
While not shy about his tour Championship Scott McCarron 34-32—66 -4
Charles Howell III 33-33—66 -4
Jeff Maggert
John Senden
37-34—71
34-37—71
+1
+1
Mike Weir 34-32—66 -4 J.J. Henry 37-34—71 +1
bio that lists his special interests Site: Irving, Texas. John Mallinger 33-34—67 -3 Jason Bohn 35-36—71 +1
as clubbing, girls and movies, Schedule: Today-Sunday Chris DiMarco 33-34—67 -3 Adam Scott 37-34—71 +1
Kent Jones 33-34—67 -3 Hunter Mahan 34-37—71 +1
the 26-year-old Australian is Course: TPC Four Seasons Aaron Watkins 35-32—67 -3 Marc Turnesa 35-36—71 +1
trying to stay focused on a Resort Las Colinas (7,166 yards, Colt Knost 35-32—67 -3 James Oh 34-37—71 +1
Jesper Parnevik 34-33—67 -3 Rod Pampling 37-35—72 +2
stretch of tournaments that par 70) Tommy Armour III 32-35—67 -3 Chez Reavie 38-34—72 +2
Robert Allenby 33-34—67 -3 Brad Faxon 37-35—72 +2
could culminate with a spot in Purse: $6.5 million. Winner’s Kevin Streelman 31-36—67 -3 John Rollins 37-35—72 +2
the U.S. Open. share: $1,152,000 Matt Weibring 33-34—67 -3 Mathias Gronberg 35-37—72 +2
James Driscoll 32-35—67 -3 Webb Simpson 35-37—72 +2
“It’s not easy, but I just made TV: Golf Channel (Today, 3-6 Spencer Levin 33-34—67 -3 Rich Beem 35-37—72 +2
an executive decision where I p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-2:30 Troy Matteson 37-31—68 -2 David Berganio, Jr. 37-35—72 +2
Dustin Johnson 34-34—68 -2 Vaughn Taylor 38-34—72 +2
have to play well over the next p.m., 9:30-11:30 p.m.) and CBS Jonathan Byrd 35-33—68 -2 Michael Bradley 34-38—72 +2
D.J. Trahan 33-35—68 -2 Greg Kraft 37-35—72 +2
five weeks,” Nitties said. “It’s not (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.). Steve Lowery 35-33—68 -2 Shaun Micheel 36-36—72 +2
just fun and games out here.” Kevin Sutherland 32-36—68 -2 Jeff Klauk 37-35—72 +2
Bob Heintz 34-34—68 -2 Kevin Na 37-35—72 +2
Nitties finished with four con- Scott Gutschewski 35-33—68 -2 Martin Laird 37-35—72 +2
secutive birdies for a 5-under 65 D.A. Points 37-31—68 -2 Shigeki Maruyama 36-36—72 +2
Marc Leishman 33-35—68 -2 Bill Haas 37-35—72 +2
Thursday to share the first- best finish was a tie for fourth in Greg Chalmers 32-36—68 -2 David Mathis 35-37—72 +2
Brian Davis 34-34—68 -2 Gary Woodland 34-38—72 +2
round lead at the HP Byron Nel- the FBR Open at TPC Scottsdale, Rory Sabbatini 35-33—68 -2 Chris Stroud 38-34—72 +2
son Championship with Ken renowned as the biggest party Mark Calcavecchia 32-36—68 -2 Jonathan Kaye 36-37—73 +3
Greg Owen 35-33—68 -2 Dean Wilson 36-37—73 +3
Duke, another surprise at the stop on the PGA Tour. The Nel- Michael Letzig 34-34—68 -2 Ryan Palmer 35-38—73 +3
top of the leaderboard. son also is known for its lively Jay Williamson 36-32—68 -2 Carl Pettersson 35-38—73 +3
Bryce Molder 34-34—68 -2 Charlie Wi 35-38—73 +3
Duke snapped a streak of 11 atmosphere. Kris Blanks 37-31—68 -2 Nicholas Thompson 38-35—73 +3
Brett Quigley 36-33—69 -1 Notah Begay III 37-36—73 +3
consecutive rounds in the 70s to “There are a lot of good sights Y.E. Yang 32-37—69 -1 Roland Thatcher 35-38—73 +3
share the first-round lead for out here, but my best result was Anthony Kim 33-36—69 -1 Davis Love III 34-39—73 +3
Brian Bateman 34-35—69 -1 Harrison Frazar 35-38—73 +3
only the second time in his 118 at one of the biggest party events Joe Ogilvie 33-36—69 -1 Peter Lonard 36-37—73 +3
career starts. His putt at No. 18 of the PGA Tour and no one Tim Wilkinson 34-35—69 -1 Rick Price 35-38—73 +3
Ian Poulter 36-33—69 -1 Wil Collins 39-34—73 +3
stopped 3 inches from the hole, thought I would do half decent Glen Day 34-35—69 -1 Troy Kelly 38-35—73 +3
Scott Verplank 36-33—69 -1 Brendon de Jonge 38-35—73 +3
or he could have had another in that,” Nitties said. “I know Fred Couples 33-36—69 -1 Peter Tomasulo 37-36—73 +3
birdie and the lead alone. when to put distractions and golf George McNeill 34-35—69 -1 David Toms 35-39—74 +4
Alex Cejka 35-34—69 -1 Jarrod Lyle 38-36—74 +4
“You think you should do bet- into two parts.” Steve Marino 34-35—69 -1 Dean Larsson 34-40—74 +4
ter than you’re doing, and then As for those special interests Briny Baird 34-35—69 -1 Casey Wittenberg 35-39—74 +4
Ricky Barnes 32-37—69 -1 Jeff Overton 34-40—74 +4
you press the issues and don’t listed on his bio, Nitties describes Danny Lee 35-34—69 -1 Tom Pernice, Jr. 36-38—74 +4
Jeff Quinney 34-36—70 E Ted Purdy 40-34—74 +4
just let it come to you,” the TONY GUTIERREZ / AP it as “pretty brutally honest” Nathan Green 34-36—70 E Leif Olson 38-36—74 +4
40-year-old Duke said. “I guess Ken Duke just missed getting a birdie on the 18th hole that would have given him the lead by himself after the first round. and normal for a single 26-year- Robert Garrigus 34-36—70 E Scott Piercy 37-38—75 +5
Bob Estes 36-34—70 E Tyler Aldridge 38-37—75 +5
that’s kind of what I’ve done.” old. Brian Gay 35-35—70 E Brian Vranesh 35-40—75 +5
Until the Nelson, when he had Defending champion Adam decent shape with one more 504-yard 15th, and 6 feet at the “I love going to the movies. I Kirk Triplett 37-33—70 E Dave Schultz 38-37—75 +5
Daniel Chopra 36-34—70 E Justin Leonard 38-37—75 +5
five birdies over eight holes after Scott started with consecutive birdie. par-5 16th. After a 13-foot birdie love hanging out with mates and Steve Flesch 33-37—70 E Stuart Appleby 39-36—75 +5
J.P. Hayes 33-37—70 E Tim Herron 36-39—75 +5
being even through the first bogeys and went on to a 71. “The scores, they weren’t that at the 198-yard 17th—his longest having a couple of drinks in bars Cliff Kresge 35-35—70 E Steve Elkington 37-38—75 +5
eight. Nitties, who appeared on the good, so it didn’t put any pres- made putt of the day—he closed and chasing girls,” he said. “It’s Bo Van Pelt 33-37—70 E Jose Coceres 39-37—76 +6
Bill Lunde 36-34—70 E Billy Mayfair 36-40—76 +6
Mike Weir, Scott McCarron, Golf Channel’s “Big Break” sure on me to do anything crazy,” with another 5-footer. typical of a guy. I’m just the only Jaxon Brigman 36-34—70 E Mathew Goggin 41-35—76 +6
Charles Howell III and Brad series and finished second at the Nitties said. “I was thinking 2 “It was not the best ball-strik- one that actually says it and Brendon Todd 36-34—70 E Ryan Moore 38-38—76 +6
Heath Slocum 35-35—70 E Matthew Borchert 39-37—76 +6
Adamonis shot 66s, and Jesper PGA Tour qualifying tourna- under, I’ll be happy with. It’s just ing round, but it was a smart doesn’t say I like hanging out Vijay Singh 33-37—70 E Michael Schachner 39-38—77 +7
Johnson Wagner 36-34—70 E Kevin Stadler 41-36—77 +7
Parnevik and Tommy Armour ment last fall, was 1 under a solid day.” round,” Nitties said. and fishing, when I really do Matt Kuchar 34-36—70 E Corey Pavin 37-40—77 +7
III were among a group of a through 14 holes. After seeing Nitties then knocked his Nitties made the cut in seven normal stuff.” Darron Stiles 36-34—70 E Derek Fathauer 38-40—78 +8
Aron Price 35-35—70 E Eric Axley 40-40—80 +10
dozen players with 67s. the scores, he figured he’d be in approach within 5 feet at the of his first 14 tournaments. His — The Associated Press Ben Crane 35-36—71 +1 John Huston WD
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com
INDIANAPOLIS 500 Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC
Servia, sponsor help Rahal get back to Indianapolis 500
INDIANAPOLIS—Oriol Servia and
Bobby Rahal came agonizingly close
to missing the Indianapolis 500.
The driver and team owner came
together just in time to qualify for
Sunday’s race. Servia, who made
his first Indy start last May, spent
the winter looking for work after a
lack of sponsorship cost him his
ride with KV Racing Technology,
and Rahal had struggled to find a
sponsor for open-wheel racing’s
biggest race.
Rahal, whose Rahal Letterman
Racing team won Indy with Buddy
Rice in 2004 and introduced fan
favorite Danica Patrick here in
2005, got DAFCA, a company that
provides security against cyber ter-
rorism and counterfeiting, on board
just in time. And just two days
before the final weekend of time tri-
als, Servia finally got in the team’s
No. 17 Dallara.
“It’s not ideal to do only the
reduced program, especially when
you’re not a team or a driver partici-
pating all season,” Servia said. “It
had been six months I had not been
in the car, and this is not an easy
place.
“It’s a fast, fast place, and the car
has to be right. Although I was
excited and thought, ‘It’s going to be
fine,’ there was a little bit of doubt
inside of you how good it was going
to be. But I promise you, on my sec-
ond lap on the track I felt so relieved
to finally be in a car after all these
months and all the stress of trying
to put a deal together, and the car
felt just so great. I was the happiest
man on earth.”
Oriol Servia, above, qualified 25th for the Indianapolis 500, assuring Bobby Rahal a return to the historic race as a car owner.
And he only got happier after
qualifying the car for the 25th spot
in the 33-car field.
With 20-year-old son Graham in
the lineup for the second year, Rahal
would have been at the race regard-
less. Still, he’d rather have more
than a rooting interest.
“It’s nice having the car,” said
Rahal, who won the 500 in 1986.
“We’ve been here a long time now,
and it would have been very strange
to not be competing here.”
Servia started 25th here last year
IRL
NOTEBOOK
and finished 11th.
No problem
Racing at more than 200 mph is
tough enough. No one wants to find
themselves wheel-to-wheel with
someone who’s under the influence
of drugs.
“If we’re out there driving at those
speeds,” said Ryan Hunter-Reay,
who will start from the final row in
Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, “it’s
good to know everyone has a clear
head.”
DARRON CUMMINGS / AP
The Indy Racing League conducts
random drug testing under a policy
that was beefed up before the 2008
season. But the drug-testing debate
was stirred up again this month
when NASCAR racer Jeremy May-
field was suspended over a positive
random test that remains clouded
in secrecy. Mayfield was the first
driver to be suspended under that
series’ new policy, toughened up for
this season after former stock car
driver Aaron Fike admitted using
heroin—even on days he raced.
On Thursday, The Associated
Press surveyed the entire 33-driver
field for the Indy 500 and found
general agreement that the testing
procedures for open-wheel racing
are sufficient to weed out anyone
who uses recreational drugs.
Still, there was a wide range of
debate on the touchy subject. Gra-
ham Rahal said he would like to
have more random testing. Oriol
Servia believes there should be just
as much emphasis on performance-
enhancing drugs as there is on
mind-altering substances. And
longtime driver Davey Hamilton
said there’s little doubt he’s raced
against guys who were under the
influence during his career.
The AP survey found at least nine
drivers have been randomly tested
this year, while 20 said they haven’t
been screened since their preseason
physical. The other four drivers said
they couldn’t remember when they
had their last test or refused to
answer.
“We don’t get tested nearly that
often,” said Rahal, son of former
IndyCar champion Bobby Rahal
and one of the up-and-coming stars
in the series. “I don’t think it would
be a bad thing to do more testing.
I’m kind of curious to see if anybody
is messing around.”
The IndyCar testing program
allows the series to conduct annual,
random and “targeted” tests—those
that are administered because of a
driver’s behavior or other suspi-
cions. In one section, the policy lists
23 potential reasons for a targeted
test, everything from a driver
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 34
Indianapolis
500 lineup
Row 1
1. (3) Helio Castroneves, 224.864
2. (6) Ryan Briscoe, 224.083
3. (10) Dario Franchitti, 224.010
ROW 2
4. (02) Graham Rahal, 223.954
5. (9) Scott Dixon, 223.867
6. (11) Tony Kanaan, 223.612
ROW 3
7. (5) Mario Moraes, 223.331
8. (26) Marco Andretti, 223.114
9. (12) Will Power, 223.028
ROW 4
10. (7) Danica Patrick, 222.882
11. (99) Alex Lloyd, 222.622
12. (2) r-Raphael Matos, 223.429
ROW 5
13. (15) Paul Tracy, 223.111
14. (14) Vitor Meira, 223.054
15. (18) Justin Wilson, 222.903
ROW 6
16. (27) Hideki Mutoh, 222.805
17. (20) Ed Carpenter, 222.780
18. (4) Dan Wheldon, 222.777
ROW 7
19. (41) A.J. Foyt IV, 222.586
20. (16) Scott Sharp, 222.162
21. (67) Sarah Fisher, 222.082
ROW 8
22. (44) Davey Hamilton, 221.956
23. (06) r-Robert Doornbos, 221.692
24. (8) Townsend Bell, 221.195
ROW 9
25. (17) Oriol Servia, 220.984
26. (19) Tomas Scheckter, 221.496
27. (24) r-Mike Conway, 221.417
ROW 10
28. (43) John Andretti, 221.316
29. (13) E.J. Viso, 221.164
30. (23) Milka Duno, 221.106
ROW 11
31. (00) r-Nelson Philippe, 220.754
32. (21) Ryan Hunter-Reay, 220.597
33. (36) r-Alex Tagliani, 221.115
actually being observed using drugs
(or alcohol on race day) to needle
marks to slurred speech.
The IRL doesn’t list the drugs
banned under its policy, saying it
needs flexibility to keep up with
new or unexpected substances.
— The Associated Press
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Tennis
NOTEBOOK

Nadal eyes fifth French Open title, Federer seeks first

PARIS—Can one match really
change everything?
Roger Federer certainly hopes
so. Rafael Nadal certainly thinks
not.
Can one win over Nadal—in a
final; on clay; last weekend—
reverse Federer’s recent malaise?
Perhaps even point him toward a
title at the French Open, the only
Grand Slam tournament he hasn’t
won?
“I am very excited about going to
Paris, whereas a couple of weeks
ago, I was still a little bit unsure
about my game,” Federer said, “and
not sure if I could win the French.”
There are other story lines that
merit attention over the 15 days of ANDRES KUDACKI / AP
the year’s second major tennis Roger Federer has 13 Grand Slam titles, but has not won the French Open.
tournament:
The Williams sisters try to make first singles tournament since
up for their 2008 French Open, being sidelined nearly 10 months
when both lost to unheralded players Open odds after shoulder surgery.
in the third round. Serena Williams Odds to win French Open for
aims for her third Grand Slam tro- select seeded players: Austrian Open
phy in a row, even though she has a Player ODDS KITZBUEHEL, AUSTRIA—Mikhail You-
balky knee and a four-match losing
streak.
Rafael Nadal
Roger Federer
1-5
7-1
zhny of Russia beat second-seeded
Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 6-4 Thursday
You’ll never burn out on our quality NASCAR coverage
Novak Djokovic 12-1
Maria Sharapova recently to reach the semifinals of the Aus-
Andrew Murray 15-1
played her first singles match in Andy Roddick 150-1 trian Open. The 48th-ranked Rus-
nearly 10 months after having sur- sian will play Guillermo Only Sporting News Magazine puts you in the fast lane with all the NASCAR analysis and intelligence you
gery on her right shoulder last year. WOMEN’S SINGLES Garcia-Lopez of Spain, who upset
Dinara Safina 4-1 crave. Each issue is packed with great storytelling and impactful photography from insiders like Tony
New men’s No. 3 Andy Murray third-seeded Victor Hanescu of
and Djokovic plan to show that the Jelena Jankovic 6-1
Romania 6-2, 6-2. Stewart, Sporting News’ NASCAR experts, prominent sports columnists, best-selling authors, scouts, big
Serena Williams 7-1
gap from Nadal and Federer to them Svetlana Kuznetsova 8-1 name executives and the real experts, the drivers themselves.
is narrowing, while newlywed Andy Elena Dementieva 10-1 Strasbourg International
Roddick, meanwhile, would like to Venus Williams 10-1 STRASBOURG, FRANCE—Ayumi
win a French Open match for the Maria Sharapova 25-1 Morita of Japan beat third-seeded
Amelie Mauresmo 40-1
first time since 2005. Peng Shuai of China 7-5, 6-2 to
reach the semifinals of the Stras-
Warsaw Open bourg International on Thursday,
WARSAW, POLAND—Rushing shots Alona Bondarenko in the quarter- leaving the clay-court tournament
and unable to find her range from finals of the Warsaw Open on without any remaining seeded
the baseline, Sharapova was beaten Thursday. players. SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND SAVE 88%! ONE YEAR JUST $14.97
in straight sets by 39th-ranked Sharapova was playing in her — The Associated Press    sWWWSPORTINGNEWSCOM
SPORTING NEWS TODAY www.sportingnews.com Back Page FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2009 36
IN BRIEF
TRANSACTIONS

Armstrong out of contention, but could decide race BASEBALL

AMERICAN LEAGUE
DETROIT TIGERS: Assigned OF Wilkin Ramirez and LHP Luke French to Toledo
(IL). Activated OF Magglio Ordonez from the bereavement list. Activated LHP
RIOMAGGIORE, ITALY—Levi Leipheimer
Nate Robertson from the 15-day DL.
moved within striking distance of the MINNESOTA TWINS: Reinstated OF Delmon Young from the family medical
Giro d’Italia lead Thursday. Now he emergency list. Optioned C Jose Morales to Rochester (IL). Recalled RHP
hopes Lance Armstrong can help him Anthony Swarzak from Rochester.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS: Optioned OF Aaron Cunningham to Sacramento (PCL).
get the pink jersey.
National League
Leipheimer finished second to Denis ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Recalled RHP Kyler Newby and LHP Clay Zavada from
Menchov in a grueling individual time Mobile ( SL). Placed LHP Scott Schoeneweis on the bereavement list. Optioned
trial and moved up to third overall, 40 RHP Bryan Augenstein to Reno (PCL). Recalled RHP Billy Buckner from Reno.
ATLANTA BRAVES: Placed INF Omar Infante and LHP Jo-Jo Reyes on the 15-day
seconds behind the Russian. Danilo Di
DL. Purchased the contract of RHP Kris Medlen from Gwinnett (IL). Recalled INF
Luca, who entered the 12th stage with Diory Hernandez from Gwinnett.
the overall lead, dropped to second, 34 CINCINNATI REDS: Placed RHP Edinson Volquez on the 15-day DL.
seconds behind Menchov. FLORIDA MARLINS: Placed INF-OF Alfredo Amezaga on the 15-day DL, retroac-
tive to May 17. Assigned INF Andy Gonzalez outright and optioned OF Alejandro
“I’ve never seen Leipheimer attack
De Aza to New Orleans (PCL). Purchased the contract of RHP Cristhian Martinez
and he’s going to have to now if he wants from Jacksonville (SL). Recalled LHP Dave Davidson from New Orleans.
to win this Giro,” Di Luca said. SAN DIEGO PADRES: Traded OF Jody Gerut to Milwaukee for OF Tony Gwynn Jr.
That’s where Armstrong comes in. WASHINGTON NATIONALS: Purchases the contract of RHP Craig Stammen from
Syracuse (IL). Optioned RHP Garrett Mock to Syracuse.
The seven-time Tour de France winner
Midwest League
is still regaining his form after 3½ years QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS: Announced RHP Jason Buursma has been added
of retirement and breaking his collar- to the roster from extended spring training.
bone in March. Out of contention in 12th American Association
FORT WORTH CATS: Released RHP Kyle Yates.
place, Armstrong can afford to sacrifice
SIOUX FALLS CANARIES: Signed RHP Noel Baca.Can-Am League
himself for Leipheimer. KEVIN RIVOLI / AP NEW JERSEY JACKALS: Released RHP Derek Duclos.
“Lance Armstrong is very important Michelle Wie shot a 73 at the LPGA Corning Classic, but believes she still has a shot to win. SUSSEX SKYHAWKS: Signed OF Maikel Jova and OF Jorge Moreno.
for Levi, without a doubt. Everyone FOOTBALL
knows that,” Menchov said. Wie, who made birdie at the two par-5s John Daly at 1-over 73. Players Champi- Major League Soccer National Football League
EASTERN CONFERENCE CINCINNATI BENGALS: Waived OL Digger Bujnoch.
on the front nine but also had three onsip winner Henrik Stenson shot 78. W L T Pts GF GA DETROIT LIONS: Signed OT Ephraim Salaam.
Golf bogeys on the round. Chicago 3 0 6 15 16 11 MIAMI DOLPHINS: Signed TE John Nalbone to a multiyear contract.
CORNING, N.Y.—Hee Young Park matched The Corning Classic, the lone event on Boxing D.C. United
Kansas City
3
4
1
4
6
2
15
14
17
14
15
12
NEW YORK GIANTS: Signed OL Tutan Reyes. Waived TE Martrez Milner.
Canadian Football League
her career low with an 8-under 64 for a the LPGA Tour with the same title spon- MIAMI—Guillermo Rigondeaux, who Toronto FC 3 3 4 13 13 15
New England 2 2 4 10 7 13 WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS: Signed WR Romby Bryant to a contract extension.
share of the lead at the LPGA Corning sor and held at the same venue every defected in February along with two other New York 2 5 3 9 10 12 HOCKEY
Classic with Karine Icher of France, who year since its inception (1979), will end national team members, will make his pro Columbus 1 2 6 9 12 15 National Hockey League
also tied her best round as a pro. for good on Sunday, another victim of debut tonight at the Fontainebleau Hotel in WESTERN CONFERENCE LOS ANGELES KINGS: Agreed to terms with F Dwight King on three-year
W L T Pts GF GA contract.
Tied just one shot back were Minea the depressed economy. Miami Beach. He is scheduled to face Juan Chivas USA 7 1 2 23 14 5 American Hockey League
Blomqvist of Finland, Sandra Gal of Ger- More golf, Page 33 Noriega of Danville, Ark. in a four-round Seattle FC 4 2 3 15 12 6
MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS: Named Charlie Larson vice president of communica-
Colorado 3 2 3 12 11 9
many, and South Koreans Sarah Lee, Soo- super-bantamweight bout. Houston 3 2 3 12 8 6 tions.
Yun Kang, and Hee-Won Han as nearly “I am happy that my debut will be Real Salt Lake 3 5 1 10 14 13 SPRINGFIELD FALCONS: Named Bob Oliver senior vice president/alternate
Los Angeles 1 1 7 10 11 11 governor, Chris Thompson vice president of business development and Mike
half of the extended field of 147 that VIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND—Tour rookie here, where there are many Cubans sup- San Jose 1 5 2 5 8 16 Kelly manager of group sales/broadcaster.
started broke par on a sun-splashed day. David Horsey, Anthony Wall and Gon- porting me,” Rigondeaux said. FC Dallas 1 6 2 5 8 16
COLLEGE
Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, zalo Fernandez-Castano shot five-under Rigondeaux, a veteran of more than NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie. ARMED FORCES BOWL: Announced the resignation of Tom Starr, executive
Nicole Castrale, Sarah Kemp of Austra- 67s to share the first-round lead in the 300 amateur bouts, was the top ban- All times ET at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m. director.
Saturday’s Games San Jose at Houston, 8:30 p.m. PURDUE: Announced Miami QB Robert Marve will transfer to the school.
lia, and Jimin Jeong and Na Yeon Choi of BMW PGA Championship. Some of the tamweight in the world over a five-year New England Seattle FC SAMFORD: Named Michelle Durban associate director of athletics for compli-
South Korea were at 6 under. top players faltered Thursday, with span. He won Olympic gold medals in at Toronto FC, 4 p.m. at Colorado, 9:30 p.m. ance.
Long-hitting rookie Michelle Wie Masters champion Angel Cabrera and 2000 and 2004 and world champion- Real Salt Lake
at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. Sunday’s Game
wasn’t deterred by her performance, a newly-elected Hall of Famer Jose Maria ships in 2001 and 2005. CD Chivas USA Chicago at New York, 3 p.m
1-over 73. “There’s a lot of golf left,” said Olazabal each shooting 2-over 74 and — The Associated Press at Kansas City, 8:30 p.m.
Los Angeles