Times staff, wires
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Autos

IndyCar issues a $5M challenge

LAS VEGAS — The IndyCar series is putting up $5 million for any driver who thinks he or she can beat the open-wheel professionals in their championship race in Las Vegas.

IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard issued the invitation Tuesday as the series announced its season-ending world championship will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 16.

"A very important element of our sport is that these are the best, fastest, versatile race car drivers in the world," he said. "Well, we're here to put our money where our mouth is."

As many as five outside drivers can compete in the race if they're picked by a selection committee and qualify on the track the weekend of the race, then win the race outright to collect the $5 million, he said.

"There's some pretty big steps in there," he said. "But we're looking for the best drivers in the world, and the selection committee's not going to let (just) anybody have an opportunity to race against the best drivers in the world."

Star power and ability will be considered as the committee issues invitations, he said. NASCAR drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart are possibilities.

The event is the finale of a 17-race schedule, which begins March 27 in St. Petersburg.

Meanwhile, logistics company DHL signed a multiyear deal to be a co-primary sponsor for Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Soccer

FC Tampa Bay sets preseason schedule

FC Tampa Bay opens its preseason March 5 against the University of Tampa (7:30 p.m., Pepin Stadium). Other preseason games: March 12 vs. Swedish first division club BK Hacken (Fort Lauderdale); March 19 vs. Florida Gulf Coast University (4 p.m., Brandon Area Youth Soccer League); March 26 or 27 vs. UCF; March 30 vs. St. Leo University (7:30 p.m., Azalea Youth Soccer League); and April 3 at USF (7 p.m.). Ticket information will be released later.

UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid was held to a 1-1 tie by host Lyon in their first-leg match, and Chelsea rolled to a 2-0 win at Copenhagen.

Et cetera

Golf: Mark Calcavecchia will play in the Outback Steakhouse Pro Am on April 15-17 at TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz. This will be his first appearance in the Champions Tour event. He turned 50 on June 12 and played in two tour events in 2010. Calcavecchia, a former Florida Gator, won the 2007 PODS Championship at Innisbrook. Tom Lehman, who tied for 44th last year, committed as well. … Tim Clark (elbow) withdrew from the Match Play Championship, which begins today in Marana, Ariz., and was replaced by J.B. Holmes.

Horses: Tampa Bay Downs missed out on being the host for the 3-year-old debut of Uncle Mo, favorite for the Kentucky Derby on May 7. Uncle Mo's connections said the colt is being pointed to the Timely Writer at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach on March 12, same day as the Tampa Bay Derby. The Timely Writer, an ungraded $100,000 stakes, was created recently to lure Uncle Mo. The move paves the way for Sam F. Davis winner Brethren to possibly run in the Grade II $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby at Oldsmar. Both colts are trained by Todd Pletcher.

Tennis: Second-seeded Mardy Fish of Tampa reached the second round of the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships when Bjorn Phau (illness) retired. … Top-seeded Roger Federer and second-seeded Novak Djokovic advanced to the second round of the Dubai Championships.

Rodney Page, Times staff writer; Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires

Times wires
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

TAMPA — Hank Steinbrenner didn't take back anything he said Monday; he simply tried to explain his comments.

In a way only he could.

"It was a euphemism," Steinbrenner said Tuesday afternoon. "It was a poor choice of a euphemism, but it was a euphemism. That's all it was. I think you guys went to journalism school, so you should know what that means."

On Monday, Steinbrenner suggested the Yankees didn't win a second straight World Series because they were complacent having won the year before. In doing so he seemed to take a shot at Derek Jeter, who built a large home in the Tampa area.

Tuesday, Steinbrenner showered praise on Jeter.

"Sometimes teams get a little complacent," he said. "They celebrate for too long. You see that a lot in sports nowadays. It certainly isn't Derek. Derek has five rings. You don't win five rings by being complacent. So it was definitely not Derek I was talking about."

Jeter, mostly, seemed amused.

"I have no problems, don't make it like I have a problem with Hank," Jeter said. "I just don't know what to say."

Jays: Snider healing

DUNEDIN — Blue Jays OF Travis Snider returned to the field Tuesday as he tries to recover from a ribcage muscle injury that has sidelined him for more than a week.

Snider fielded ground balls and expects to increase his activity in the next few days, the Toronto Sun reported.

"If it keeps moving forward I'll be able to swing off a tee by the end of the week," Snider told the Sun. "There's no set progression. We'll just let how I feel dictate the next steps."

GOING SLOW: RH reliever Frank Francisco will not appear in a spring game until the second week of the exhibition season. Francisco, 31, is being limited to long toss on flat ground but denied that he is injured. "It's just me. It's how I start every year," he told MLB.com.

Phils: Staff lined up

CLEARWATER — The Phillies appear to have set their starting rotation, with their two left-handers split up.

If everyone stays on his spring schedule, RHP Roy Halladay will start the season opener, followed by LHP Cliff Lee, RHP Roy Oswalt, LHP Cole Hamels and RHP Joe Blanton.

Hamels will start Saturday's spring opener against the Yankees. Halladay will make his spring debut Monday against his former team, the Blue Jays.

DURBIN RETURNING?: RH reliever Chad Durbin, who spent the past three seasons with the Phillies before becoming a free agent, may re-sign on a minor-league contract. MLB.com's Peter Gammons reported that Durbin could rejoin the team Thursday if he doesn't get an offer from a contender.

Don Jensen, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

TAMPA — The gym's tepid temperature was nothing compared to the heat Blake put on Jesuit on Tuesday night.

Blake used relentless defensive pressure on Jesuit's back court, holding the Tigers to a season low in points, and advanced to the Class 4A region final with a 55-32 victory.

The No. 2-ranked Yellow Jackets can earn a state berth Saturday at Fort Myers.

"All week, we've been working on defense," said senior guard Andre Smith, who led Blake with 21 points. "We wanted to stop them from scoring outside and make them have to work the ball inside."

Blake (27-2) broke open a tight game in the third quarter. Jack Fleming opened the second half with a 15-foot jumper to pull No. 9 Jesuit (24-5) within 25-23.

But the Yellow Jackets' defense took over, forcing the Tigers to miss their final 10 shots of the quarter. Blake closed the quarter with nine straight points.

The Yellow Jackets coasted after that, limiting Jesuit to only 11 second-half points. The Tigers finished with 20 turnovers and missed 23 of their final 29 field-goal attempts over the final three quarters.

"We played a little more aggressive defense," Blake coach Winston Davis said. "We pushed them outside, tried to take their guards out and overplay their big men inside."

Curtis Fountain added 12 points and Clarence Peterson 10 for Blake. Travis Johnson led Jesuit with 11 points, two in the second half.

Jesuit pulled within 41-29 with 31/2 minutes remaining, but the Yellow Jackets made 10 of 13 free throws to cement the victory.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Late Monday, the Nuggets traded superstar Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks in a three-team, 13-player blockbuster that included draft picks and cash. In acquiring Anthony, the Knicks gave up four regulars. Years from now, we'll look back on Monday's deal and decide that this was either a move that made the Knicks a contender or a mistake that crippled the franchise. We take a look at other superstars who were traded and the impact of those deals.

Wayne Gretzky

The deal: The Oilers trade Wayne Gretzky, Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski to the Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three first-round picks and cash. (Aug. 9, 1988)

The result: Gretzky, only 27 at the time of the trade, never brought a Stanley Cup to Los Angeles, but his presence turned the Kings into a marquee franchise and renewed American interest in hockey. Meanwhile, the trade actually panned out well for the Oilers, at least in the short term. A year later, they shipped Carson off to Detroit in a deal that landed the Oilers, in part, Adam Graves, Petr Klima and Joe Murphy. Those three players and Gelinas were all part of the Oilers team that won the Stanley Cup in 1990.

Herschel Walker

The deal: The Cowboys trade Herschel Walker and four draft picks to the Vikings for Jesse Solomon, David Howard, Issiac Holt, Darrin Nelson, Alex Stewart and eight draft picks, including three first-rounders and three second-rounders. (Oct. 12, 1989)

The result: This is considered one of the most lopsided deals in sports history. Thinking Walker was the missing piece, the Vikings gave up the ranch. He played decently in three seasons, but the Vikings went 24-24 with one playoff appearance. The Cowboys eventually packaged those Vikings picks for more picks or higher ones while selecting players such as Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, Darren Woodson, Kevin Smith, Alvin Harper, Dixon Edwards and Robert Jones. They returned to glory and won three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s. The Vikings never did collect that sought-after title.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The deal: The Bucks trade Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley to the Lakers for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, David Meyers and Junior Bridgeman. (June 16, 1975)

The result: Abdul-Jabbar won three MVP awards and an NBA championship in Milwaukee but didn't like the Midwest lifestyle, so he requested a trade to New York or Los Angeles. The Bucks acquired decent young players who developed into solid NBA players. But Abdul-Jabbar was more than "solid." He became the NBA's all-time leading scorer while winning three more NBA MVP awards and five more championships with the Lakers.

Alex Rodriguez

The deal: The Rangers trade Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees for Alfonso Soriano and a player to be named later (Joaquin Arias). (Feb. 15, 2004)

The result: Mired in last place, the Rangers decided to trade A-Rod, the reigning AL MVP, and his hefty contract. A-Rod went to New York after a deal with Boston fell through. Soriano had two good seasons in Texas before being traded again. The regret for the Rangers was taking Arias, who played only 91 games in four years with the Rangers, instead of Robinson Cano, whom the Yankees were willing to trade at the time. A-Rod's career in New York has produced six All-Star appearances, two MVPs and a world championship.

Eric Lindros

The deal: The Nordiques trade the rights to Eric Lindros to the Flyers for Ron Hextall, Mike Ricci, Peter Forsberg, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, a first-round pick (Jocelyn Thibault), Chris Simon and a 1994 first-round pick. (June 30, 1992)

The result: The Nordiques drafted Lindros first in the 1991 draft, but he refused to play for them. He forced a trade to Philadelphia, where he played well, winning an MVP award, making six All-Star teams and getting the team to the final. But the trade helped the Nordiques, who eventually moved to Colorado, become an NHL power. Ricci and Simon became vital players. Thibault was the key piece in a deal that landed the Avs goalie great Patrick Roy. And Forsberg became a superstar, helping the Avs win two Stanley Cups.

Ken Griffey Jr.

The deal: The Mariners trade Ken Griffey Jr. to the Reds for Mike Cameron, Brett Tomko, Jake Meyer and Antonio Perez. (Feb. 10, 2000)

The result: The greatest player in Mariners history was traded to his hometown to be closer to his family. Griffey was a 10-time All-Star and former MVP when he was sent to the Reds at age 30. It looked as if the Mariners got little in return. But Cameron had a nice stint in Seattle, winning a pair of Gold Gloves. The other three had little or no impact in Seattle. After a superb first season with the Reds (40 homers and 118 RBIs), Griffey was plagued by injuries. He hit 210 homers in nine seasons, but he wasn't really the same player after he left Seattle.

John Elway

The deal: The Colts trade John Elway to the Broncos for Mark Herrmann, Chris Hinton and a first-round pick. (May 2, 1983)

The result: Elway refused to play for the Colts, who drafted him with the first overall pick in 1983. The demand for Elway was high, and, looking back, you have to ask if the Colts could have made a better deal with another team. Herrmann played sparingly over two seasons with the Colts. Hinton turned into an excellent offensive lineman, making six Pro Bowls with the Colts. The first-round pick ended up being guard Ron Solt, who played five seasons with the Colts with one Pro Bowl appearance. Meanwhile, Elway turned into one of the all-time greats, winning two Super Bowls and becoming a Hall of Famer.

Ricky Williams

The deal: The Saints trade their entire 1999 draft (picks in the first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds) plus their first- and third-round picks in the 2000 draft to the Redskins for the right to select Ricky Williams. (April 17, 1999)

The result: Saints coach Mike Ditka was so certain that Williams, the Heisman Trophy running back from Texas, was a once-in-a-lifetime player that he mortgaged the Saints' future to get him. Williams wasn't all that bad with the Saints. In three seasons, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards twice. But the Saints went 3-13 the season after the trade. That first-round pick in 2000 turned out to be the second overall pick, and Ditka was fired. Interestingly, the picks the Saints traded never produced a special player, unless you want to count LaVar Arrington, who made three Pro Bowls but griped his way out of Washington.

Patrick Roy

The deal: The Canadiens trade Patrick Roy and Mike Keane to Colorado for Andrei Kovalenko, Jocelyn Thibault and Martin Rucinsky. (Dec. 6, 1995)

The result: Roy was a goalie legend in Montreal, having backstopped the Habs to the Stanley Cup in 1993. But after a fallout with coach Mario Tremblay, Roy demanded a trade. The Habs honored Roy's request and sent him to Colorado, where six months later, he led the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup. Roy, again, helped the Avs to the 2001 Stanley Cup and was named playoff MVP. Roy might have been the greatest goalie ever. Meanwhile, the Canadiens went on to win only one playoff round over the six seasons after the trade.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

PORT CHARLOTTE — B.J. Upton is trying something else this year.

His batting stance is going to look a little different, the product of some slight adjustments after offseason work that included a two-day private tutorial with Hall-of-Famer Rod Carew.

So, too, is his approach, stripped down to the simplest of goals:

Having fun.

"The past couple years have been up and down for me," Upton said. "Have parts of it been fun? Yeah. As fun as I want it to be? No.

"You've got to get over it, put it behind you. I think the main thing for me this year is to have fun. I think everything else is set into place. I know what I need to do. I just need to have fun doing it."

No longer, Upton said, will he allow his failures to torment him, saying, "I can't beat myself down from the neck up."

Nor will he care about the frequent fan criticism, acknowledging, "In the past I've worried about what people have said instead of worrying about the task at hand."

He is not concerned about stepping into a primary leadership role among his Rays teammates, admitting, "I don't want to drive, I like the back seat ride."

And, perhaps most significant, he has decided that the best way to finally post the breakout season that would end the ongoing discussion about his failure to live up to potential is to stop thinking and talking about it.

"Yeah, I was supposed to have that year two years ago," Upton said. "I was supposed to have that year last year. I've gotten to the point where I just kind of block that out and go, 'Go play.'

"It's going to happen. I feel like I'm in a good place right now."

So far, the Rays like what they've seen and heard from their fleet centerfielder.

"I've already noticed a difference in him," manager Joe Maddon said. "Just watching him (Tuesday) in batting practice and talking to him, he's wide open. He's very receptive. He's eager and he's ready. He's got a different look about him right now and I'm very impressed with it."

Upton should get it by now — he's 26, entering what will be his fifth full major-league season (and seventh overall), has a younger brother (Justin) in the majors and a son (Riley) in Tampa and knows the league and himself (for example, adding 10 pounds to stay stronger during the season).

The primary flaw in his offensive performance has been inconsistency, raising the question of whether his dazzling 2007 season — a .300 average with 24 homers and 22 steals — was the exception rather than a sign of what's to come.

He hasn't had anywhere near that kind of sustained success since, apart from his torrid 2008 postseason run when he hit an AL record-tying seven homers and batted .288 in 16 games despite a left shoulder that required offseason surgery.

The shoulder has remained more of an issue than he has let on, and he said it's just this winter that he was able to return to the position at the plate where he is most comfortable and, in theory, more consistent in his timing and smoother, with less movement, in his swing.

As disappointing as last season appeared to be with a .237 average, he otherwise put up impressive numbers, one of two big-leaguers (along with ex-Ray Carl Crawford), and just the 19th in AL history, to compile 60 extra-base hits and 40 steals. So he prefers to ponder the positive possibilities of extrapolating those numbers with a higher average.

But there are still some areas of concern, specifically the repeated episodes where Upton showed a lack of hustle on the field, leading to several benchings and last season's much-publicized dugout confrontation with teammate Evan Longoria (who remains a close friend and whom he just accompanied to the Daytona 500).

Though Maddon said he'd "really like to believe" Upton is beyond any further such issues, he also admits it's as much a matter of Upton's perspective on the subject as anything: "He just did not see it that he was not hustling; I really believe that." And Upton said that though he plans to avoid any further controversies, he can't guarantee it, for much the same reason.

Nor does he regret what has happened.

"Obviously you wish things could have gone a little bit different, but that's part of life," Upton said. "You live and you learn. If I hadn't gone through those things, I don't think I'd be the person I was today. Can you say I regret it a little bit? Maybe a little bit. But I learned from my mistakes, and that's pretty much all that matters."

Pretty much. That, and having a little fun.

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com.

Thomas P. Corwin, Special to the Times
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Class A

Lancers dispatched on late 3

NAPLES — Cambridge and Seacrest Country Day were evenly matched on paper, which translated to a close game on the court. A last-second 3-pointer by Seacrest's Austin Hunt made the difference as the Stingrays topped the Lancers 51-49 in a Class A region semifinal Tuesday night.

Cambridge (20-7) almost pulled it out as Spencer Smith drove in for a layup to give the Lancers a 49-48 lead with 13.7 seconds left.

"It was a tough game for either team to lose," Cambridge coach Scott Thompson said. "It came down to who made more plays, and they made one more play than we did. Our kids had prepared well for this one over the last three days or so.

"We owe a lot to our success tonight — and all season — to our seniors. They came in as eighth-graders when we'd been 2-20 the year before."

Smith led all scorers with 17 points.

The Stingrays (23-6) led much of the first half, which ended with Clay Bello's wild 3-pointer from near midcourt before the buzzer for a 24-20 lead. The Lancers put together a 21-8 run in the second half and led by seven before Seacrest rallied.

Thomas P. Corwin, Special to the Times

Chris Wagenheim, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

TRINITY — In a game loaded with stranded runners, passed balls, wild pitches and errors, Mitchell was able to squeeze out a run in the third inning and edge Ridgewood 1-0 Tuesday.

"I did not expect one run to cover it, not with the way Ridgewood plays," Mitchell coach Scot Wilcox said. "They are a tough team to beat on any night and we are not built for the close, one-run games."

Although the Mustangs' winning run got on base with a walk and was advanced by a passed ball then eventually came in on a Gavin Hunt single, they were unable to capitalize more than once. The Rams (2-2) struck out only two batters, walked four and committed two errors.

Mitchell (3-1) helped the Rams stay in the game with a number of its own defensive foibles, but made solid stops in tight jams. The Mustangs had three passed balls, two wild pitches and two errors. An error at first put the tying run on base in the last inning and a passed ball advanced it, but it was a clutch 6-3-5 double play that ended the inning and the game.

"I trust in my defense. I still think that defense is one of our strengths," Wilcox said. "Like I was telling my guys, we will make an error here and there, but then we go out and make a play."

And while Mitchell stranded four runners, Ridgewood stranded seven — two on first, two on second and three on third.

"We have to get the young kids to swing," Rams coach Larry Beets said. "All the third call strikes were sophomores and freshmen."

Derek J. LaRiviere, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

SPRING HILL — It was the first of a couple grudge matches between Hernando and Springstead on the schedule this season, and the Leopards were led by a former Eagle on Tuesday night.

Brett Maggard, a senior transfer from Springstead, tossed a one-hit shutout over five innings to lead Hernando to the 11-0 victory on the road.

The Leopards (4-0) were without Christian Arroyo, another transfer from Springstead (2-2), who injured his hip in the last game and will be out for about a week according to the coaching staff. Pride, however, was on the table for both clubs as they took to the diamond.

"These boys are friends," Hernando coach Tim Sims said. "I told (Hernando's) Ian (Townsend) and (Springstead's) Julian (Perez) that it's fun to watch you guys."

Hernando was able to notch a score off Springstead starter J.R. Wright (41/3 innings, six earned runs, six strikeouts, three walks) in each of the first three innings.

"J.R. is tough," Sims said. "Our guys finally did a good job discipline wise."

Meanwhile, Maggard was nearly flawless as he got staked to the lead. The only hit he gave up was to Brandon Brosher.

Maggard pitched the entire contest, striking out seven. He also reached base three of the four times he was up to bat, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. He also reached on an error.

He was joined by Brandon Gemmiti as the batting heroes. The second baseman's triple in the top of the fifth put the 10-run rule into effect, all but closing the door on Springstead's hopes for victory.

Rod Gipson, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Class 3A

Fourth time's the charm for TC

TAMPA — Tampa Catholic may have stumbled upon a new strategy for the region playoffs: Lose to the same team three times beforehand and set up a fourth game deep against the same team at its gym.

Tampa Catholic rallied twice to run past Berkeley Prep for a 63-52 win Tuesday night in the Class 3A region semifinals.

"I don't think it's a good strategy, but it worked for us," Tampa Catholic coach Don Dziagwa said jokingly.

Tampa Catholic (20-8) overcame big Berkeley leads twice in the first half. The Bucs (20-8) opened the game with a 9-0 run. But behind the play of senior guard Lashawn Harrison and key outside shooting from Antonio Rubio, Tampa Catholic quickly chipped away.

After Tampa Catholic took the lead at the end of the first, it was Berkeley's turn to heat up again. Reggie Barnes helped the Bucs go on a 14-4 run and seize an eight-point advantage midway through the quarter. But the Bucs allowed Tampa Catholic to rally in the second half and pull away.

Berkeley pulled within seven in the fourth but Tampa Catholic nailed 12 of its 16 free throws to keep the Bucs at bay.

Tampa Catholic had four scorers in double figures, led by Harrison's 15 points. Rubio, Isiah Thomas and Chivarsky Corbett each added 10. Berkeley was led by Barnes' 14 points and Justin Gray's 10.

"We just hung in there and kept plugging away," Dziagwa said. "…And maybe our strategy was that we were tired of losing to them."

Rod Gipson, Times correspondent

Todd Foley, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

TAMPA — With a reputation of big comebacks, Sarasota Riverview made a bid at another one at Wharton on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats controlled the game on both ends for the first 31/2 quarters but let the Rams cut the lead to five points with less than three minutes to go before finishing strong to win 62-53.

"We knew they were not going to quit," Wharton coach Tommy Tonelli said. "They are a tough team and it was a big win."

The Wildcats were up by 16 points at the start of the fourth quarter before Riverview made its run. The Rams hit five 3-pointers in the quarter and made the last few minutes interesting. Trailing 56-46, Riverview hit a quick layup then Eric Traver hit a deep 3-pointer to cut the lead to five.

Knowing Riverview came from 17 down to knock off Plant last week, Tonelli called timeout to reorganize his team.

"We were just getting a little careless with the ball," Tonelli said. "But we were able to come back and do what we needed to do."

The Wildcats (23-5) fought through the Riverview screens on defense to stop the open 3-pointer, then broke the press a couple of times for some breakaway layups to end the game strong with a 6-2 run.

Wharton's A.J. Astroth led all scorers with 25. Traver was scoreless in the first half but finished with 16 for Riverview.

By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

PORT CHARLOTTE — Others see prosperity. Bless his heart, Hank Steinbrenner sees communists.

Others talk about labor peace, competitive balance and a golden era. Hank Steinbrenner talks about whacking teams.

In case you missed it Monday, while he was absolutely, positively, definitely not insulting Derek Jeter, the co-heirman of the New York Yankees took a broad swipe at baseball's economic system and seemed to suggest Tampa Bay did not deserve a major-league team.

Granted, these are not particularly outlandish points of view. Baseball's business model could definitely use some tweaking. And, like it or not, Tampa Bay has invited criticism with its rather tepid support of one of the league's most successful franchises during the past three seasons.

Still, leave it to Steinbrenner to recall McCarthyism as part of the good old days.

"At some point, if you don't want to worry about teams in minor markets, don't put teams in minor markets, or don't leave teams in minor markets if they're truly minor," Steinbrenner said. "Socialism, communism, whatever you want to call it, is never the answer."

No offense, but that's Bolshevik.

I'm sure I don't have to remind Comrade Hank that the spring training facility in which the Yankees play was built with about $30 million of taxpayer money in Hillsborough County. And, while we're on the topic, New York City's Independent Budget Office reported in 2009 that the new Yankee Stadium will cost the city close to $400 million. A state Assemblyman once estimated the Yankees would reap about $4 billion once all the tax breaks are considered in the coming years.

So, yeah, there may be better examples of socialism in baseball than the current revenue sharing agreement.

Not that I blame Steinbrenner for being a bit miffed at the revenue sharing checks he has to write every year. The Yankees are baseball's biggest earners, biggest spenders and the game's biggest source of the revenue sharing pool.

Now MLB is pretty secretive when it comes to such matters — commissioner Bud Selig supposedly told Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner to buy a muzzle for his older brother Tuesday — but reports suggest roughly half the teams lose money in the revenue sharing pool and half the teams receive more money than they put in. For most, the amount coming and going is fairly negligible.

But there are a few teams at the deep end of the pool — that would be the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Mets and Dodgers — and a handful at the shallow end — the Marlins, Pirates, Rays and Royals — that are losing or gaining tens of millions of dollars every year.

According to documents leaked to Deadspin.com last year, the Rays picked up $39 million and $35 million in revenue sharing in 2007-08. And, according to Steinbrenner on Monday, the Yankees paid close to $130 million in revenue sharing and luxury taxes last year.

Those are obviously substantial numbers, but they are also necessary to baseball's overall well-being.

And if Steinbrenner doesn't realize this, then he hasn't been paying attention.

For, if you want to limit the game to markets that are able to stand on their own financially, you're going to have teams in about a dozen cities. Somehow, that doesn't seem like a way to hold on to all the fans who already are fleeing to NFL stadiums and telecasts.

And if you want to eliminate baseball's one-for-all-and-all-for-one spirit, then you also have to ditch territorial rights. Which means Brooklyn might look like a nice destination for the Athletics, the Rays might find it comfy in Connecticut and the Marlins could have already fled to New Jersey. Somehow, I don't think Steinbrenner would approve of other box offices springing up in his back yard.

The same kind of reality is true of the baseball draft, which would have to be abolished. And, if the game were truly democratic, players shouldn't have to wait six years to file for free agency.

In other words, a little socialism, and some monopoly-friendly business practices, ain't such a bad thing if it helps sustain an industry with close to $7 billion annually in revenues.

Does baseball need to do a better job of spreading the wealth? Absolutely. The luxury tax is too lopsided and the threshold is too high. Since it was introduced in 2003, only four teams have been assessed, and the Yankees have accounted for about 92 percent of the taxes. Not only that, luxury tax money doesn't even get redistributed to poorer teams.

Baseball also needs to figure out a better way to ensure the so-called welfare teams are not pocketing revenue sharing as profits instead of re-investing the money in their franchises.

Honestly, I don't think Steinbrenner would be inventing his own Cold War climate if the Yankees hadn't failed to win the AL East in two of the past three seasons. It must be galling to spend three and four times as much as the Rays in payroll, get the snot beat out of you then have to turn around and write a check to Tampa Bay.

Still, the answer is not spending less on revenue sharing.

It's spending less on stupidity.

John Romano can be reached at romano@sptimes.com.

Times wires
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

NEW ORLEANS — For flamboyant tight end Jeremy Shockey, the party is over — at least in New Orleans.

Shockey was released Tuesday by the Saints, who appear ready to move on with promising Jimmy Graham, a 2010 third-round draft choice.

Shockey, 30, was no stranger to the Big Easy social scene. He also played a role as the Saints ignited one of the city's biggest parties when his fourth-quarter touchdown helped them beat the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

The nine-year veteran, who starred in college at Miami, had one season and $4.2 million in base salary left on his contract.

Last season the former Giant had 41 catches for 408 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games.

A note was posted on Shockey's Twitter page: "Always will remember my time in New Orleans. … Onto the next chapter, the Deep Unknown."

PONDER CHANGE: Former Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder, who initially said he would not throw at this month's pre-draft scouting combine, will throw there after all, profootballtalk.com reported.

LABOR TALKS: The players' union told agents that their meeting Thursday in Indianapolis would be postponed because of mediation between the union and owners. Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith and members of their bargaining teams talked for about eight hours Tuesday, the fifth day they met with federal mediator George Cohen. Several players joined Smith in the talks.

PODOLAK ACCIDENT: The daughter of Ed Podolak said the former Chiefs running back was in stable condition at a hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he was hit by a car while crossing a street. Laura Podolak said in a statement that he was having "minor" surgeries.

BRONCOS: The team signed 10-time Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey to a four-year deal believed to be worth between $40 million and $44 million.

BROWNS: The team put the franchise tag on kicker Phil Dawson.

PANTHERS: The team put the non-exclusive franchise tag on two-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil. General manager Marty Hurney chose to restrict him rather than running back DeAngelo Williams and defensive end Charles Johnson.

TITANS: Four coaches were added: Dave Ragone (wide receivers), Art Valero (assistant offensive line), Chet Parlavecchio (assistant special teams) and Arthur Smith (defensive quality control assistant). New coach Mike Munchak did not retain Marty Galbraith (special teams assistant) or Tim Hauck (assistant secondary coach).

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

TAMPA — In a year that will radically change the look of USF's athletic district, the first new venues to debut for Bulls fans will come this week, as years of planning and nine months of busy construction give way to the grand opening of baseball and softball stadiums.

The long-awaited upgrade will be a boon to both teams and a draw for fans, with 1,500-plus seatbacks on the baseball stadium, built on the site of 43-year-old Red McEwen Field, and 700 more in the softball stadium adjacent to the south. Both can accommodate larger crowds with extensive berm seating and hospitality pavilions around the stadium.

"These are first-class facilities, as unique as any you'll find in the country," said athletic director Doug Woolard, who can see the baseball park from his office, as well as a new soccer stadium that will debut this fall.

The baseball stadium, part of a $34 million package of facility upgrades, is something even former players are excited about — Addison Maruszak, the Bulls' shortstop from 2006 to 2008, had his engagement announcement pictures taken on the new field this week. Both coaches were closely involved in the planning and design of their new homes.

"It's really a perfect college ballpark," said baseball coach Lelo Prado, who has eagerly awaited a new stadium since taking the USF job in 2007.

Both fields are complete, with official permitting reviews scheduled for today. Executive associate athletic director Bill McGillis said the stadiums are a work in progress, with final touches being added over the next three or four weeks. Berm seating might be restricted because of new sod, and temporary scoreboards will be used initially.

Before long, both stadiums will use large video scoreboards in the outfield — baseball's is 25 by 50 feet, while softball's measures 13 by 25 — allowing for better graphics with each at-bat, advertising and promotions between innings and eventually video replay. "The scoreboard's going to be the wow factor," Prado said.

Extreme dimensions

The outfield wall for Ken Eriksen's new softball stadium is unique in its incorporating the maximum and minimum dimensions the NCAA allows for its softball fields. In straightaway center, the wall is 230 feet, the deepest allowed by the NCAA, and that distance is softened by a 6-foot wall; in the corners, it takes just 190 feet to leave the park, but that challenge is extended with a 10-foot wall.

"We wanted to bring the triple back into the game," said Eriksen, whose players hit 10 triples last season in the old park, six more than opponents. The Bulls have five triples in their first 10 games while playing in Clearwater, including two by freshman phenom Kourtney Salvarola.

Best of both parks

It's rare that baseball and softball will play at home simultaneously — perhaps five times in a given season — but when they do, there's an open walkway between the two stadiums, overlooking both fields between the first-base side in baseball and third base for softball. It's named the "Donaldson Deck" for USF supporters Bob and Lynn Donaldson, and in planning the parks, the architects studied whether a foul ball from one field could reach the other — it's more likely that a well-hit foul baseball could reach the softball field.

"It's absolutely beautiful — they've done a great job," said Bob Donaldson, who got a tour of the facilities last week. "It's really something to behold."

Fiscal savings

Woolard is careful to point out that all costs will be covered by the athletic department, through initial donations and debt service paid from the athletic department's annual budget. Because of the economy and state of the construction industry, Woolard estimates that USF saved 15 percent to 25 percent in costs on the new facilities. And by building the baseball and softball stadiums as a single entity with a shared entrance, the Bulls were able to build a concrete stadium with all seatbacks, as opposed to early models with metal bleachers.

A path to the mound

One nod to Red McEwen Field is a clay path from home plate to the mound, something Prado added his first season when he couldn't get grass to grow properly in front of the mound. Often called a "keyhole" for the shape it creates with the mound, the feature used to be a regular aspect of major-league parks, a retro nod still seen at Detroit's Comerica Park and Arizona's Chase Field.

Andy Villamarzo, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

LAND O'LAKES — Sunlake coach Jami Finan was a little worried about Wiregrass Ranch on Tuesday night.

Not because the Seahawks have faced the Bulls or even scouted them. But because in the who has beaten whom game, Sunlake was defeated by Pasco in the first game of the season and Wiregrass Ranch cruised by Mitchell, which beat Pasco.

End result? The Seahawks calmed their coach's nerves as they racked up eight hits and took advantage of several errors in an 8-2 victory in a Class 4A, District 8 contest.

"This game was a big deal because according to their schedule they beat Mitchell, who beat Pasco and they beat us," Fanin said. "It was kind of nerve-wracking going into this game for us. It just goes to show whoever shows up to play, anybody can win. This is our second district win, so we're doing good."

Sunlake (3-1, 2-0) wasted no time in controlling the game, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning, highlighted by a double launched deep to left-centerfield by junior Courtney Durbin (3-for-4, two doubles). The hit scored Alex Rogers from second.

Durbin scored in the inning on a throwing error by Wiregrass pitcher Rachel Heath (two strikeouts).

Down 4-0 in the top of the sixth inning, Wiregrass (3-2, 0-2) mounted a two-out rally and scored two runs off Sunlake's Tyler Riendeau (six strikeouts).

The Seahawks repelled the rally with one of their own, scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning to seal Sunlake's second district win of the young season.

Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

TAMPA — Though a tardy arrival, adversity still shoehorned its way into a raucous Chamberlain gymnasium throng of roughly 800 Tuesday night.

It didn't stick around long. The resilient hosts sent it — and a hearty legion of Sickles fans — on a quiet, crestfallen exit shortly thereafter.

Trailing by seven in the fourth quarter with their top scorer saddled with five fouls, the Chiefs (24-2) rallied for a 48-45 triumph in a nip-and-tuck Class 5A region semifinal. Chamberlain seeks its first state tournament berth since 2006 Saturday at Gibbs.

Contrary to widespread perception, the Chiefs will take more than a two-man team to St. Petersburg.

With sleek sophomore Reggie Hart (20 points) fouled out and normally prolific scorer Eric Storts (12) struggling to find his shooting touch, the Chiefs turned to a mantra — and a moxie-laden sophomore — down the stretch.

"We talk about players make plays," Chiefs coach Christopher Snyder said, "but we also say that defense wins games and free throws make the difference."

On Tuesday, Chamberlain forced three turnovers in the last 1:09, hit 5-of-6 free throws in the last three minutes, and got a clutch scoring sequence from lean 10th-grader Ariel Martinez.

Sickles, by contrast, squandered prime chances to extend its late lead. Storts cut his team's deficit to 43-38 on a putback before the Gryphons missed the front end of consecutive one-and-one free-throw chances. The first miss resulted in two Storts free throws on the other end to make it 43-40.

The second led to Martinez's baseline 3-pointer, tying the score at 43 with 2:34 to go. Martinez later added a putback to re-tie the score.

The Gryphons (23-7) gave away the lead for good with 11.6 seconds to play when Rod Hart sank two free throws after snagging a loose ball on the Sickles' wing and being fouled on an ensuing fastbreak attempt.

That made it 47-45. Martinez sank 1 of 2 free throws after another Sickles turnover with 1.8 seconds to go.

"I just thought during the fourth period, the execution wasn't quite there," Sickles coach Renaldo Garcia said. "But I'm really proud of our kids. We came over here in a hostile environment and the kids competed well."

Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Gibbs has emerged recently as a team of exquisite completeness. One that is tall, deep and balanced. One that attacks inside on offense and throws up a dense thicket of arms on defense. One that has learned to take a lead and hold it.

All of this was on display Tuesday night in a 62-39 victory over Northeast in the Class 5A region semifinals. This is the fourth time the Gladiators have beaten the Vikings this season.

Gibbs (22-7) moves on to host Chamberlain in Saturday's region final.

The biggest task for the Gladiators entering Tuesday's game was to stop Northeast forward Andres Sanchez, who came up big in upset wins over Boca Ciega and Clearwater during the Vikings' exhilarating playoff run.

From the opening tip, Gibbs began to push and shove Sanchez as if trying to get a soda out of a uncooperative vending machine.

The Gladiators dropped guards inside to help, surrounding Sanchez in a mass of long limbs. The plan worked as Sanchez was held without a field goal in the first half.

"We knew we had to contest every shot with Sanchez," said Gibbs coach Larry Murphy, whose team also held Sanchez scoreless in the first half of the district final two weeks ago.

"If you don't box him out, he'll get to every rebound. We had to put a body on him, make it tough for him."

In the first quarter, Northeast slowed the pace and took a 7-6 lead as Adam Barker was fouled from beyond 3-point range and hit all three free throws.

Then the Gladiators found another gear.

Quincy Ford took care of the bulk of the scoring as he maneuvered past Viking defenders to score on a series of short jumpers and layups. Ford scored 16 of his team-high 24 points in the first half and helped Gibbs outscore Northeast 25-6 in the second quarter.

"We just felt we had to turn it up in the second quarter," Ford said. "We wanted to get up and make sure Northeast did not get on that run that has made them successful in the playoffs. I just wanted to do my best and score to help the team."

The Vikings have rallied from big deficits before, erasing double-digit leads in the fourth quarter in wins over the Pirates and the Tornadoes. It appeared Northeast was set to do it again in the third quarter.

Down 31-13 at the half, the Vikings cut it to 33-23 midway through the third quarter. But they never got closer. Gibbs kept finding ways to score inside and was back up by 15 a few minutes later.

"We were spunky and played hard," Northeast coach Dave Redding said. "We got on a run in the third quarter, but I think after we cut it to 10 we might have run out of gas."

Besides Ford, the Gladiators had two other players, Marquel Walton (10 points) and Devante Miley (10), who reached double figures.

Sanchez, who scored three in the first half (all free throws), led his team in scoring with 15.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

. Tonight

Lightning vs. Coyotes

When/where: 7:30; St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM

Key stats: The Coyotes are on an eight-game winning streak, tied with the Devils for the league's longest active. … Phoenix G Ilya Bryzgalov has stopped 227 of 240 shots in that stretch (.946 save percentage). … Phoenix's Keith Yandl entered Tuesday leading all defensemen with 51 points and 42 assists. … Lightning LW Marty St. Louis has seven assists in a six-game points streak. … The Coyotes are 21-9-5 when outshot.

Justin Dargahi, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

TAMPA — It was a little closer than the previous three games but Tampa Prep once again got past Calvary Christian.

The Terrapins started strong Tuesday and were able to hold off the Warriors for a 54-43 win to advance to the Class 2A region final.

Tampa Prep (24-3) jumped out to a 12-4 lead after the first quarter, but the Warriors played the Terrapins close the rest of the way, which didn't surprise Tampa Prep coach Joe Fenlon.

"You know each team is so familiar with each other at this point," Fenlon said. "The outcome of the previous three games didn't matter for this game and it kind of showed."

After the Terrapins took an 11-point lead into the half, the Warriors responded with a couple of scoring runs thanks in large part to 6-foot-9 center Kyle Wiedinger, who had his way inside and finished with 18 points.

Calvary (18-10) cut the lead to four midway through the fourth but could get no closer after a key offensive foul on Wiedinger wiped out a potential three-point play.

The Terrapins' main duo of Devontae Morgan (18) and Josh Heath (17) once again led the way for the home team, which will play Admiral Farragut on Saturday for a shot to go to the final four for the third consecutive season.

"We get to play for another regional championship and I'm very happy for our kids," Fenlon said. "To be able to host it is even better."

The Herald
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Class A

Freshman negates Seffner's rally

BRADENTON — The biggest game of the season had moved into the fourth quarter, and senior Daniel Magley had just picked up his fourth foul.

One thought ran through Austin Walker's mind: "I've got to take over."

Strong words from a freshman. Fortunately for Bradenton Christian, Walker's game was stronger. The point guard scored 13 fourth-quarter points and piloted the Panthers to a 73-62 win over Seffner Christian in Tuesday's Class A region semifinal.

With BCS (19-11) up 60-57 with just less than four minutes left in the game, Walker got into a well-timed groove. He buried a 3-pointer at the 2:20 mark after the Crusaders (13-14), who lost to BCS four times this season, had trimmed their deficit to one on a basket by Andrew Swartz with roughly three minutes left.

Then Walker added two layups roughly 20 seconds apart to give the hosts a 67-59 lead with 1:39 remaining. Walker, who finished with 26 points, said he has enjoyed similar hot streaks before.

The Herald

Basil Spyridakos, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, February 22, 2011

TARPON SPRINGS — Dunedin's Mike Clarkson established himself as one of Pinellas County's elite pitchers, throwing a complete-game, six-inning shutout and recording his second win of the season Tuesday night.

"He threw well for me out there," Dunedin coach Tom Hilbert said. "I think he's got really good stuff and he's definitely a competitor.

Clarkson allowed only three hits and struck out nine, leading the Falcons to a 10-0 victory over Tarpon Springs.

Dunedin's Jordan Savinon got the game going by hitting an RBI double into centerfield and scoring the game's first run in the first inning. Savinon finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a walk.

The bottom half of the inning belonged to Clarkson, who struck out the side and established momentum for Dunedin.

"We knew that Tarpon was a good team this year and we just wanted to come out and play our game," Clarkson said. "Our hitting came together and I felt really good on the mound."

The bats became apparent at the top of the fourth when Ben Emery led off with a double, followed by a single from Alex Libby and an RBI single by Michael Tipton. Dunedin (4-0) crossed home plate three times in the third and four times in the fourth.

Tarpon Springs (3-1) hurt itself with multiple errors as well as passed balls at the plate that Dunedin took advantage of.

"We've just got to move on," Tarpon Springs coach Dickey Hart said. "Dunedin's a good team. You can't make those kinds of mistakes against them."