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New Miami Hurricanes coach Al Golden focused on conditioning, beefing up Tampa Bay recruiting efforts

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

First-year Miami football coach Al Golden was in Tampa on Friday, speaking to boosters at Avila Golf & Country Club. He talks about his new job:

How has your transition been adjusting to the new job, with a full spring under your belt?

It's such a thrill to be working at a place like Miami, with the tradition and the legacy. That part of it provides a lot of fuel, not just for me but for our staff. That's been fun, and my wife and kids are doing good, getting acclimated.

You haven't coached a game, yet you've been at UM longer than athletic director Shawn Eichorst, hired last month from Wisconsin. What do you like about your new boss?

No. 1, he's a communicator. Whether you like his response or not, he's honest. He's earnest. He communicates. He's direct. So that's incredible traits to have as a leader. That part of it is tremendous. Very bright, a lot of energy. You can tell in a very short period of time that he has a plan and a vision.

Tell me about the program you inherited and what the biggest keys are this season to restore some of the swagger and confidence associated with Miami football.

Conditioning. Conditioning. Conditioning. As a team, if we can … get to the next level in terms of our condition and improve our team unity, then we have a chance to play with passion and play with confidence.

Is that to say you were surprised by the level of conditioning when you came in?

I'm not going to comment on anything that happened prior to me. It's immaterial. What I will tell you is I know what I want it to look like. … It's probably the area we've made the most progress in over the last four months, but it's nowhere near where we need it to be.

About your quarterbacks — you have two that played last season, senior Jacory Harris and sophomore Stephen Morris. How do those two stand heading into two-a-days this fall?

They're in a dead heat right now. I'm very pleased with both of them in terms of their preparation and their progress, their ability to learn a new system with (unit) coach (Jedd) Fisch (also the offensive coordinator). There's a lot of college coaches going around the country, doing these functions, that don't have an experienced quarterback or a starting quarterback coming back. We have two.

Miami only had two players from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties on its roster last fall. That number should be three this fall, including defensive end Anthony Chickillo from Alonso. Talk about your recruiting efforts in this area.

I think it's great football. I had a chance to get around a little bit with Anthony Chickillo and a couple other guys we were starting to recruit in this area. We were late. I'm really impressed with Tampa metro football, so much so I felt one coach in this area wasn't enough. So I put two coaches in this area, (offensive line coach) Art Kehoe and (former Bucs assistant) Jethro Franklin. I'm not pleased with our representation on the team from this area. It's already getting better, with Dallas Crawford from Fort Myers.

Chickillo is a young man our readers know well. What have you seen from him and what might we see this fall?

It's a lot easier to recruit to your core values than it is to train your core values. There's a lot of kids that deserve a coach that believes in them, a coach to continue to educate and train. But let's face it: If you have to train everybody, you're in trouble. You need guys in that locker room that represent your core values. I can tell you, that young man represents what we're trying to be. Smart, tough, passionate, intense, rugged, gym rat, (good) work ethic.

See sports.tampabay.com for more of Greg Auman's talk with Al Golden.


Kevin Harvick vs. Kyle Busch Sprint Cup feud still boiling

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Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

DOVER, Del. — Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch might have to play nice on the track now that they're on probation.

Off the track?

Well, boys, have at it.

"It's kind of one lie after the other," Harvick said of Busch.

"He'll talk to you to your face like you're best friends, but then behind closed doors … he has the utmost disrespectful thoughts," Busch said of Harvick.

The verbal smackdown between the NASCAR stars has not abated since their dustup last week.

Harvick and Busch disagree about the incident and in general on NASCAR's policy of, "Boys, have at it."

They did agree Friday at Dover International Speedway that they don't like each other.

"I've never gotten along with the guy," Busch said.

NASCAR fined Harvick and Busch $25,000 apiece and put them on probation for their actions on pit road at Darlington Raceway. Thursday, the drivers were summoned separately for a meeting with top officials.

The already contentious relationship between two of Sprint Cup's most successful drivers took another blow late in the race at Darlington after Busch made contact with Harvick.

Harvick said officials stressed he was penalized because of the postrace blow-up on pit road. Harvick stopped his car, climbed out of it and threw a punch into Busch's window. Busch pulled away, using his car to bump Harvick's car out of the way.

The empty car turned and hit the inside wall. No one was hurt, but Harvick's crew members were running down pit road when the car hit the wall.

"I think they would back me whether I was right or wrong…. That's the great part about our team," Harvick said.

"The No. 18 team is not backing him up. I mean when you don't have a backbone how do you back someone up?"

One-liners aside, safety issues were at the heart of the penalty. Pit road is no place for payback.

NASCAR adopted a "Boys, have at it" policy at the start of last year that gave the drivers more leniency to police each other on the track.

"I think when you look at the, 'Boys, have at it,' theme, it's obviously changing as we go through the process," Harvick said.

Surprise. Busch insisted he knew exactly what those words mean.

"When matters get taken into the drivers' hands or anything else onto pit road, where innocent bystanders can be injured or something, NASCAR is going to step in and they're going to intervene," he said.

NASCAR tradition is steeped in fights, feuds and rivalries.

They help create excitement for the sport and get fans talking. Maybe this feud could spark flagging ticket sales for Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Dover.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. tries to avoid this sort of fracas but said: "If I ran up front all the time, I'd be in my share of those mix-ups. … When your car ain't running good enough, you just look like an idiot running over people."

"I want to be a part of it because I want to sell the hats and the T-shirts," driver Greg Biffle said. "I don't want to be a part of it though, because I don't want to … be backward in the fence or have the radiator busted out of the car and finish 35th.

"It is fun for the sport though."

"It's kind of one lie after the other."

Kevin Harvick on Kyle Busch

"He'll talk to you to your face like you're best friends, but then behind closed doors … he has the utmost disrespectful thoughts."

Kyle Busch on Kevin Harvick

"It's kind of one lie after the other."

Kevin Harvick on Kyle Busch

"He'll talk to you to your face like you're best friends, but then behind closed doors … he has the utmost disrespectful thoughts."

Kyle Busch on Kevin Harvick

Rangers enforcer Boogaard, 28, found dead in his home

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Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Derek Boogaard, one of the league's toughest fighters, was found dead by family members in his Minneapolis apartment Friday. He was 28.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office said foul play was not suspected and the death was under routine investigation. An autopsy was pending.

"Derek was an extremely kind and caring individual … who will be dearly missed by all those who knew him," Rangers general manager Glen Sather said.

The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native signed a four-year, $6.5 million deal with the Rangers in July after five seasons with the Wild. He played 22 games and missed the last 52 of the regular season with a concussion and a shoulder injury.

"Unreal guy. Just a really big teddy bear," Wild goalie and former teammate Niklas Backstrom told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "Outside the rink, he didn't want bad for anyone."

He was a seventh-round draft pick by the Wild in 2001.

West final: For the first time since 2007, the Sharks open a playoff series on the road, a detail that underscores their long-standing success over the 82-game schedule and indirectly highlights their failure to make it as far as the Stanley Cup final.

San Jose got this far a year ago, only to be swept by the Blackhawks. It faces the Canucks in Vancouver beginning Sunday.

"The team started the season talking about growth," said defenseman Dan Boyle, who was on the Lightning's 2004 Cup-winning team. "This is where we start growing, from here now."

Islanders: Rookie of the year finalist Michael Grabner (team-high 34 goals) agreed to a five-year contract extension worth a reported $15 million.

Florida greyhound racers happy for legislative reprieve

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By Don Jensen, Times Correspondent
Friday, May 13, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Cal Holland welcomes great news at any time. Even at 3:39 in the morning.

Awakened by a ringing cell phone in the early hours of May 7, Holland learned that legislation threatening greyhound racing in Florida had failed to pass the Legislature.

"It was one of the nicest calls I ever got," said Holland, Tampa Bay Greyhound Association president and Derby Lane kennel owner.

Senate Bill 1594 and House Bill 1145 were written to decouple the state requirement that dog track owners hold a certain number of live races to maintain licenses for a card room or casino, or simulcast wagering. The Senate allowed the bills to die.

It was a stunning development considering the Senate version passed its only two votes and the House version passed all five of its votes. "I was kind of shocked, in a way," Holland said. "But I knew where all the ducks in a row were. We can give our thanks to our lobbyist, Jack Cory, for planning ahead and having the right people in the right places that we could count on."

Cory, chief lobbyist for the Florida and national greyhound associations, said on the Florida group's website: "The tracks' attempt to get slot machines was killed in the Florida House, and the tracks' attempts to get additional tax cuts failed."

Another issue was the dogs. Had the legislation passed, a perfect storm could have resulted in a racing shutdown as early as July 1. Greyhound adoption groups would have been unable to absorb more than 8,000 greyhounds within the state at one time.

Holland, 66, worked tirelessly to defend the sport to which his grandfather introduced him. "Everyone (in racing) is relieved," he said. "It gives us another year or two of racing. Then if (track owners) really want to phase us out, they'll be back (in Tallahassee) next year. … I'm sure they will be."

Derby Lane spokeswoman Vera Rasnake said the decision had no bearing on the St. Petersburg track. "Regardless if that bill passed or not, we still planned on carrying on business as usual," she said. "It doesn't change anything for us — eight weekly performances year-round."

Holland said the bill, if passed, would have allowed tracks until Aug. 31 to amend their racing dates for the 2011-12 season. Derby Lane is one of 13 operating dog tracks in the state.

Now Holland can look ahead to the $20,000 Gold Trophy Juvenile that enters third-round qualifying tonight at Derby Lane. His littermates, Kentucky Fire (Race 6) and Kentucky Harold (Race 10), are in the top six in points, at 22 and 20, respectively.

Hi Noon Renegade of Nova kennel is the points leader with 32. He goes for a career-best seventh straight victory in Race 10. Qualifying ends Wednesday for the 550-yard finale May 21.

Playoff numbers for East finalists Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins

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By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

Playoff numbers of the Lightning and Bruins

Goals

Goals against

Shots PER GAME

Shots allowed PER GAME

Penalty minutes

Power play

Penalty killing

Lightning

38

Bruins

37

Lightning

12-for-45

(26.7 percent)

Bruins

2-for-37

(5.4 percent)

Lightning

51-of-54

(94.4 percent)

Bruins

33-of-41

(80.5 percent)



Lightning

24

Bruins

24

Lightning

26.7

Bruins

33.8

Lightning

35.5

Bruins

34.4

Lightning

134

Bruins

134

Auto racing fun stuff

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Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Quote of the week

"Honestly, I'm kind of new to the bad boy market."

Ryan Newman, right, on being involved in a feud with fellow Sprint Cup star Juan Montoya; the two had a couple of on-track incidents on April 30 at Richmond and didn't have things settled by a meeting with NASCAR either, with reports emerging that Newman threw at punch at Montoya while meeting with NASCAR officials

Number of the week

6 Jimmie Johnson's Sprint Cup victories at Dover International Speedway, site of Sunday's race; only Richard Petty and Bobby Allison (seven apiece) have more

Sports in brief: Venus Williams joins sister in skipping French Open tennis

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Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Horses

Trainer, 3 fillies to join Hall

Jerry Hollendorfer, who has been among the nation's leading trainers for nearly a quarter-century and is closing in on 6,000 career victories, was elected to the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

"It's something you can never expect in life to be put in the Hall of Fame," Hollendorfer, 64, said.

Champion fillies Open Mind, Safely Kept and Sky Beauty also were elected in the contemporary category by a 183-member panel. The Historic Review Committee will announce its picks next month, and the 2011 class will be inducted Aug. 2.

Et cetera

Hockey: Sweden and Finland advanced to the finals of the world championship in Slovakia. The Swedes got two goals from Blues forward Patrik Berglund in a 5-2 win over the defending champion Czech Republic. Finland beat Russia 3-0.

NFL: Quarterback Cam Newton, the top overall pick of the Panthers, is working out at IMG Academies in Bradenton with former NFL and FSU QB Chris Weinke.

Obituary: Former Cowboys running back Ron Springs, who spent the past four years in a coma after losing oxygen during a 2007 operation, died Thursday in Dallas without ever regaining consciousness. He was 54. Mr. Springs first slipped into the coma after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from his forearm about seven months after receiving a kidney transplant.

Swimming: Michael Phelps finished sixth, 1.34 seconds behind winner Dominik Meichtry, in the 200-meter freestyle final at the Charlotte UltraSwim.

Times wires

Tennis

Venus joins sister IN skipping French Open

Venus Williams pulled out of the French Open on Friday, 24 hours after her sister, Serena, withdrew, making it the first Grand Slam tournament since 2003 without either Williams.

Venus' agent, Carlos Fleming, wrote in an e-mail to the Associated Press that the seven-time Grand Slam champion notified tournament organizers she wouldn't compete at Roland Garros, where play starts May 22.

Venus, 30 and ranked 19th, has been off the tour since January because of a hip injury. A left knee injury limited her to one event in the last six months of 2010.

Serena, 29 and ranked 17th, pulled out of the French on Thursday; she hasn't entered a tournament since early July. She cut her foot, which led to two operations.

Italian Open: Rafael Nadal will keep the men's No. 1 ranking after a 6-1, 6-3 quarterfinal victory over Marin Cilic in Rome. Nadal was at risk of losing the spot to Novak Djokovic if he failed to reach the semifinals. Djokovic extended his winning streak to 37 matches, 6-3, 6-0 over Robin Soderling. Djokovic will play Andy Murray, while Nadal will face Richard Gasquet. On the women's side, top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki defeated Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 and will next face Maria Sharapova. Part-time Tampa resident Sam Stosur ousted Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-4 and will face Li Na.

Auto racing news and notes

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Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Kyle Busch again tops in trucks

DOVER, Del. — Under probation, Kyle Busch was on his best behavior racing side-by-side with rival Kevin Harvick. Under caution, Busch geared up for the restarts that helped move him up the NASCAR charts.

Busch won Friday's NASCAR truck race at Dover International Speedway, moving into a tie for fifth place with Mark Martin with 96 career wins in the three major divisions. Busch, 26, has won 21 times in Sprint Cup, 48 in Nationwide and 27 in trucks.

"It wasn't quite the walk in the park it seemed," Busch said. "This place is so difficult, so challenging."

His biggest challenge in the Lucas Oil 200 came from rookie Cole Whitt, who led 23 laps. But Whitt, 19, could not make a move on Busch during late restarts.

"Kyle's one of the best in the business on restarts. He definitely schooled me a few times," Whitt said.

Regan Smith still soaking in victory

Regan Smith still hasn't come down from his whirlwind week. He knows, though, it's time to get focused. A week after shocking the sport at Darlington Raceway with his first NASCAR victory, Smith wants to prove he's no one-win wonder. After all, the Southern 500 win was his third consecutive top-20 finish in Sprint Cup. "I think we're just going to focus on doing the same thing we did last week," Smith said. He spent the week enjoying all the perks that come with taking the checkered flag. He received countless messages from fellow drivers, fans and others in the sport. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper called team owner Barney Visser (Furniture Row Racing is based in Denver) to offer his well wishes. "As much fun as that was," Smith said, "I want to get that thrill again."

Elsewhere

Kevin Swindell will drive the No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford in today's 5-Hour Energy 200 Nationwide race at Dover in place of Trevor Bayne, the team announced this week. Bayne had been hospitalized for nausea, swelling, numbness and impaired vision. He is expected to return for the May 21 Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte. … John Force had a run of 4.072 seconds at 310.98 mph to lead the first day of qualifying at the Southern Nationals in Atlanta. Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also led their classes. Qualifying ends today.

Times wires


Toms leads impressive field

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Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

PONTE VEDRA BEACH — David Toms has gone five years without winning and 10 years since his lone major at the PGA Championship.

Now he has to fend off a host of players who have won big events a lot more recently.

Toms went 25 holes before making bogey Friday and countered with enough good shots for 4-under 68, giving him a one-shot lead over Nick Watney going into the weekend at TPC Sawgrass.

Watney won a World Golf Championship two months ago at Doral. Despite missing four birdie putts inside 12 feet on his last seven holes Friday, he got into the final group.

Luke Donald, the World Golf Championship winner at Arizona in February, became the first player since 2004 to make it around Sawgrass without a bogey for the first 36 holes. He birdied the island-green 17th and shot 67 to finish two shots back.

Others two shots behind:

• U.S. Open champion and Ryder Cup star Graeme McDowell (69).

• Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover (71), who won last week at Quail Hollow.

• Steve Stricker (67), who has won two FedEx Cup playoff events and has become a regular among the top 10 in the world.

The favorite?

"Whoever plays the best on the weekend," Glover said.

Toms quit trying to be perfect on a course that looks like it demands no less. It led to nearly perfect play over two days at the Players Championship.

Toms doesn't have a great record at TPC Sawgrass. In 18 previous attempts, he has missed the cut 10 times and only once has finished in the top 10. He just couldn't figure out the right angle into the greens and always believed it had to be just right.

"It seemed early in my career around here I was always trying to play the perfect shot," he said. "I think the last few years, I've just learned to try to play my game, my shot … rather than trying to hit the perfect shot on the golf course."

Meanwhile, Watney started the back nine with back-to-back birdies then gave himself a chance on every hole. He missed four birdie putts inside 12 feet over his last seven holes, settling for 71 after opening with 64.

"I'm not exactly happy," Watney said, before ending his remarks with, "I'm excited where I am."

Toms was at 10-under 134, leading a quality list of contenders at the biggest event of golf's strongest tour.

Looming particularly large was Donald, the Englishman who can go to No. 1 in the world with a victory. And so far, he hasn't made bogey all week.

"I think it's an accomplishment anywhere," Donald said. "This is a tough course. There is a lot of danger lurking. It is pretty easy to slip up around this course. So it's pretty satisfying to go without making a bogey 36 holes."

Four major champions are among the top 10 — one of them is Ryder Cup captain Davis Love, a two-time winner of the Players who was three back. All but Toms among the top six have won tournaments in the past year.

But fortunes can change quickly, and so can confidence.

McDowell missed three of his past four cuts on the PGA Tour before the Players, and he was starting to wonder what was going wrong.

"You go through a spell like I've just gone through where I just couldn't piece anything together, you have crazy thoughts. 'Will I ever win again? Will I ever be in contention again? Am I done? Am I finished?' It's just the craziness of this sport," he said. "You never know what's around the corner."

Grizzlies, Randolph survive for Game 7

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Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

MEMPHIS — Zach Randolph is doing everything he can to keep the Grizzlies' memorable playoff run going.

Randolph had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and the Grizzlies avoided elimination by beating the Thunder 95-83 on Friday night to push their Western Conference semifinal to Game 7.

"We came out with a lot of energy — playing together," Randolph said. "I was a little more aggressive."

The Grizzlies had never won before when facing elimination, but that was in 2004, 2005 and 2006. These Grizzlies are having not only the best playoff run in franchise history, but they now have won more games this postseason than any other No. 8 seed from the West.

"It ain't over with yet," Randolph said of the series, which moves to Game 7 on Sunday in Oklahoma City. The winner plays the Mavericks, with Game 1 of the West final at 9 p.m. Tuesday in Dallas.

O.J. Mayo, who started in place of Sam Young, scored 16 for Grizzlies, who improved to 5-1 on their homecourt in this postseason. Mike Conley had 11 points and 12 assists, and Tony Allen added 10 points.

The Grizzlies outscored the Thunder 51-29 in the second half and 46-38 in the paint.

Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 27 points. Kevin Durant, the NBA's leading scorer in the regular season, was held to a postseason-low 11 points.

Randolph had been limited to just 19.8 points and 31.9 percent shooting since he scored a career-best 34 in Game 1. He had been the focus of the Thunder's defense.

But the power forward scored 11 in the fourth to preserve the Grizzlies' lead. He scored six straight, capped by a 12-foot fallaway jumper.

The Thunder had its biggest lead at 54-41 just before halftime and looked ready to blow out the Grizzlies, just as it did in Game 5 on Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.

But Shane Battier ended the first half with a 3-pointer, and the Grizzlies used that as the start of an 18-5 run into the third. Randolph's bucket with 5:19 left in the third tied it at 59, Marc Gasol tied it again at 65, and Mayo's three-point play put Memphis ahead to stay at 68-65 with 2:10 left.

Grizzlies 95, Thunder 83

OKLAHOMA CITY (83): Durant 3-14 4-6 11, Ibaka 4-6 0-0 8, Perkins 1-3 4-6 6, Westbrook 11-22 4-5 27, Sefolosha 2-4 0-0 4, Harden 5-10 2-3 14, Collison 3-5 0-0 6, Mohammed 0-2 1-2 1, Maynor 2-5 2-2 6, Cook 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 31-74 17-24 83.

MEMPHIS (95): Allen 4-6 1-2 10, Randolph 12-22 6-8 30, Gasol 3-8 2-2 8, Conley 3-12 4-4 11, Mayo 6-12 2-2 16, Battier 2-6 0-0 5, Haddadi 0-1 0-0 0, Vasquez 0-2 0-0 0, Arthur 3-7 2-2 8, Young 3-7 1-2 7. Totals 36-83 18-22 95.

Oklahoma City 21 33 14 15— 83

Memphis 23 21 28 23— 95

3-Point GoalsOklahoma City 4-25 (Harden 2-5, Westbrook 1-5, Durant 1-9, Maynor 0-1, Sefolosha 0-2, Cook 0-3), Memphis 5-16 (Mayo 2-4, Allen 1-2, Battier 1-3, Conley 1-4, Randolph 0-1, Young 0-2). Fouled OutNone. ReboundsOklahoma City 48 (Durant, Perkins 7), Memphis 53 (Randolph 13). AssistsOklahoma City 15 (Harden 5), Memphis 20 (Conley 12). Total FoulsOklahoma City 21, Memphis 22. TechnicalsHarden, Ibaka, Westbrook, Mayo, Randolph. A18,119 (18,119).

Rivers, Celtics agree to five-year extension

WALTHAM, Mass. — During his postseason news conference, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge took a call — and he said it was his new coach.

But he was only half-joking: It was Doc Rivers, who had just agreed to a five-year extension.

"I think Doc is the best coach in the league. So it's great for us," Ainge said.

Rivers' contract was set to expire — he had an option for next season — and he said after the Celtics were eliminated by the Heat on Wednesday night that he was "leaning heavily" toward coming back. So he agreed to a five-year extension worth a reported $35 million.

Rivers has coached the Celtics for the past seven seasons, winning the title in 2008 and reaching the Finals in 2010 before losing to the Lakers.

Meanwhile, center-forward Jermaine O'Neal will have "pretty serious surgery" on broken bones in his left wrist, Ainge said. O'Neal was injured when he took a charge in the Knicks series and landed on his wrist.

Indians 5, Mariners 4

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Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Indians 5, Mariners 4

CLEVELAND — Travis Hafner hit a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth off Brandon League to hand the Mariners their third loss in four games via a walkoff hit. Michael Brantley opened the ninth with a double, then Asdrubal Cabrera doubled over leftfielder Carlos Peguero. Shin-Soo Choo's groundout moved Cabrera to third, and he stayed there when Carlos Santana grounded out to second. Hafner then took a strike before homering.

Tampa Bay Rays notebook: Best case for Jeff Niemann's return is mid June

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — RHP Jeff Niemann said his strained lower back is feeling better.

"Quality progress," he said.

But it could be well into June before he returns to the mound.

Niemann likely won't start playing catch for another 5-7 days, then he will be on a throwing program for about two weeks and is likely to need at least one or two rehab starts.

On that timetable, a best-case scenario would have him back in the rotation around mid June.

Niemann has been out since leaving a game May 4, and at the time manager Joe Maddon said he would miss a minimum of three weeks.

RHP Andy Sonnanstine moved from the bullpen to take Niemann's spot, but he struggled in his first start Tuesday. He will get another Sunday, with Maddon predicting improvement. If not, the Rays could look to the minor leagues, with LHP Alex Torres a possibility.

TOUCHING TRIBUTE: The Rays "retired" the radio signs of three slain St. Petersburg police officers by painting them on the back wall of the Trop — K-2 for Jeffrey Yaslowitz, S-23 for Thomas Baitinger, 143-B for David Crawford.

"To have members of the police force be killed in the line of fire is awful," Maddon said. "It's just something small we can do to honor the memory of these guys."

Members of the officers' families and Rays players participated in the brief ceremony. Yaslowitz's son, Caleb, then threw out the first pitch.

J.P. DUTY: LHP J.P. Howell came through his back-to-back rehab appearances for Triple-A Durham fine despite a rough line Thursday (2/3 inning, three hits, four runs, 24 pitches) and remains on schedule to rejoin the Rays next week.

He will make a final appearance for Durham on Monday, then likely rejoin the Rays bullpen on Thursday in Toronto.

"To this point, everything's been well and he's feeling great," Maddon said.

UPTON DOWN: CF B.J. Upton returns today from his two-game suspension, and Maddon hopes it's like he never left.

"His whole game has been elevated — offensively, defensively, his baserunning has been outstanding," Maddon said. "I told him, 'Listen, man, I know you have to sit out two days but don't lose that edge; you've been fabulous.' It's as good of a complete game as I've seen him play."

COMMAND CENTER: The Rays are looking for RHP Wade Davis, who starts today, to throw more fastballs and to throw them more accurately.

Davis is 4-2 with a 3.07 ERA in seven starts, but he hasn't been particularly sharp, walking nearly as many as he struck out (19-20), allowing 40 hits in 44 innings and lasting seven innings only twice.

"I'd like to see him get deeper into the game with better fastball command and work everything else off of that," Maddon said. "That seems to be the big issue with him right now."

BRUSHing UP: So much for the rewards of a 5-1 road trip. The Rays were on the field early Friday afternoon for an extra practice session, working on pickoff plays and, more specifically, going over bunt defenses in advance of next week's interleague series at Florida.

"I've always been amazed in baseball where you expect to do some drills in spring training and have them carry through the rest of the season," Maddon said.

MISCELLANY: INF Elliot Johnson took ground balls at first base, which he does on an occasional basis. … The Rays started Friday with OF Ben Zobrist leading the majors in runs (31) and OF Matt Joyce atop the AL in hitting; Joyce went 2-for-2 Friday to raise his average to .369. … OF Sam Fuld will sign autographs from 10-11 a.m. today at Tampa's Triple Play Sports Cards (2219 S Dale Mabry Highway). Prices start at $15.

Tampa Bay Rays notebook: Hot-hitting Matt Joyce keeps approach simple

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — The numbers on the stat sheets provide a pretty good indication of how well OF Matt Joyce is doing right now: a .369 average that leads the American League, a .417 home mark that's top in the majors, a .479 clip over his past 14 games.

But also telling were the four fingers Orioles manager Buck Showalter held up for an intentional walk when Joyce, with a homer and a single already, came up in the sixth with a man on second.

"You want a chance to drive them in,'' Joyce said, "but it shows a sign of respect, I guess. So take it with a grain of salt."

Joyce, who has five homers in his past 12 games, is trying to keep his explanations as simple as his approach. "I'm seeing (the ball) pretty well," he said. "I can't control whether the hits fall or not. I try to have good at-bats and put a good swing on it. That's it."

ON THE MEND: RHP Jeff Niemann said his strained lower back is feeling "definitely a lot better" and he has made "quality progress." But it could be well into June before he returns to the mound. Niemann, out since May 4, likely won't start playing catch for another five to seven days. Then, he said, he will be on a throwing program for two weeks and likely will need one or two rehabilitation starts.

TOUCHING TRIBUTE: The Rays "retired" the radio signs of three slain St. Petersburg police officers by painting them on the back wall of the Trop — K-2 for Jeffrey Yaslowitz, S-23 for Thomas Baitinger, 143-B for David Crawford. "It's just something small we can do to honor the memory of these guys," manager Joe Maddon said. Members of the officers' families and Rays players participated in the brief ceremony. Yaslowitz's son, Caleb, then threw out the first pitch.

J.P. DUTY: LHP J.P. Howell came through his back-to-back rehab appearances for Triple-A Durham fine despite a rough line Thursday (2/3 inning, three hits, four runs, 24 pitches) and remains on schedule to rejoin the Rays next week.

He will make a final appearance for Durham on Monday, then likely rejoin the Rays' bullpen Thursday in Toronto, just before the one-year anniversary of his shoulder surgery.

"To this point, everything's been well and he's feeling great," Maddon said.

When Howell comes back, he will switch from No. 39 to 74 in tribute to his longtime pitching instructor, Guy Dubets, who died recently from diabetes.

The number came from the alphabet — 7 for the G, 4 for the D — the thought from the heart.

"He was my coach since I was 11 and played a crucial role in who I am as a pitcher today," Howell said. "I never got to repay him properly. So this is about the only way I could think of."

UPTON DOWN: CF B.J. Upton returns today from his two-game suspension, and Maddon hopes it's like he never left.

"His whole game has been elevated — offensively, defensively, his baserunning has been outstanding," Maddon said. "I told him, 'Listen, man, I know you have to sit out two days, but don't lose that edge; you've been fabulous.' It's as good of a complete game as I've seen him play."

YOU COMPLETE ME: Friday was the third time in Tropicana Field history that both pitchers threw complete games. The others were Sept. 4, 2003 (Jorge Sosa, Seattle's Ryan Franklin) and Aug. 22, 1999 (Rolando Arrojo, Kansas City's Jose Rosada).

MISCELLANY: The Rays are a majors-best 17-4 when scoring first. … RF/2B Ben Zobrist's streak of runs scored ended at 10 games. He shares the major-league lead at 31. … The Rays did early work to go over bunt defenses in advance of next week's interleague series at the Marlins. … OF Sam Fuld will sign autographs 10-11 a.m. today at Tampa's Triple Play Sports Cards, 2219 S. Dale Mabry Highway; prices start at $15.

Tigers 3, Royals 1

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Friday, May 13, 2011

Tigers 3, Royals 1

DETROIT — Justin Verlander made a bid to become the second pitcher to throw back-to-back no-hitters before allowing an RBI triple to Kansas City's Melky Cabrera in the sixth. In his first start since throwing a no-hitter at Toronto on Saturday, Verlander pitched 5 2/3 hitless innings before Cabrera sent a drive to the gap in right-center. Verlander settled for allowing a run on two hits and three walks in eight innings. Austin Jackson and Jhonny Peralta hit solo homers for the Tigers.

QB Forcier a no-show at Miami

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Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

CORAL GABLES — Tate Forcier's career at Miami is over before it started.

The former Michigan quarterback broke off contact with UM about six weeks ago because of undisclosed personal matters, the Associated Press reported Friday. Forcier's father did not return a message.

Forcier, declared academically ineligible for Michigan's trip to the Gator Bowl, announced his transfer soon after. But he never enrolled at Miami.

USF BACK TO VERO: The USF football team will return to the Vero Beach Sports Village for 11 days in August. Coach Skip Holtz took his first USF team to the former Dodgertown complex for his first training camp last fall. "Vero Beach is a done deal. Everybody's on the same page," Holtz said. "It's a good thing to put the team in a camp atmosphere." USF also picked up its fifth oral commitment for 2012 from Joshua Parris, a 6-3, 230-pound tight end from Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson High. He said he chose USF over Vanderbilt and Mississippi.

More football: Mississippi coach Houston Nutt suspended linebacker Clarence Jackson and defensive end Delvin Jones indefinitely after both were charged with public drunkenness.

Belmont: The school is leaving the Atlantic Sun and joining the Ohio Valley Conference effective in the 2012-13 academic year.

Mississippi St.: Former pitcher Forrest Moore sued the school and baseball coach John Cohen, saying t overuse and negligence by the coaching staff contributed to an elbow injury. Cohen said only he knew of the suit.

Nebraska: Doc Sadler said no one from Texas A&M has contacted him about its men's basketball coaching job. Sadler was named in media reports as a possible candidate to replace Mark Turgeon, who left for Maryland.

Times staff writer Greg Auman contributed to this report.


Tampa Bay Rays news and notes: T-shirts for sale, yoga with Evan Longoria

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

Rays vs. Orioles

When/where: 4:10 today, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Probable starters:

Rays RH Wade Davis (4-2, 3.07)

Orioles RH Brad Bergesen (0-4, 5.57)

Tickets: $12-$255 at Tropicana Field box office, Ticketmaster, raysbaseball.com, team store in Tampa, $3 surcharge within five hours of game.

Promotion: Darius Rucker postgame concert

Watch for ...

Wading in: Davis has won without pitching that well, benefitting from the best run support on the staff. He is curiously almost even with 20 strikeouts and 19 walks in 44 innings. He is 4-2 with a 3.09 ERA in seven starts against the Orioles, including Sunday when he went five innings for a victory.

Nothing doing: The Orioles are winless in the seven games Bergesen has pitched (including six starts). And he is winless in five starts against the Rays, posting a 9.13 ERA and failing to complete six innings.

Key matchups

Rays vs.bergesen

Johnny Damon 4-for-12

Evan Longoria 3-for-9, HR

B.J. Upton 7-for-13, HR

ORIOLEs vs. DAVIS

Vladimir Guerrero 1-for-8

Adam Jones 1-for-11

Nick Markakis 3-for-22

On deck

Sunday: vs. Orioles, 1:40. Sun Sports. Rays — Andy Sonnanstine (0-0, 2.87); Orioles — Jake Arrieta (4-1, 4.17)

Monday: vs. Yankees, 6:40. Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (5-3, 3.12); Yankees — A.J. Burnett (4-2, 3.38)

Tuesday: vs. Yankees, 6:40. Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (4-1, 2.08); Yankees — Ivan Nova (3-3, 4.70)

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

T-shirts of the day

• 3B Evan Longoria has been on a national stage on the field and in commercials. But he was still a bit humbled Friday knowing thousands of female fans were sporting their Ladies Love Longo T-shirts. "It'll be interesting," Longoria said. "But it's cool."

• The team unveiled the Rays' Navy SEALs shirts that will be given away at Tuesday's game vs. the Yankees. The first 10,000 fans in Rays gear, or with military ID, get them. First pitch is 6:40 p.m., gates open at 4:40.

Strike a pose with Longo

3B Evan Longoria is inviting up to 15 people to take a one-hour yoga class with him on Tuesday and June 14 at the Bella Prana studio in Tampa, with a portion of the $100 fee going to the Moffitt Cancer Center. E-mail bella prana@gmail.com to register.

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McDowell returns, apologizes for conduct

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Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

ATLANTA — His eyes red and voice wavering, Roger McDowell returned as the Braves' pitching coach Friday and apologized for his crude conduct that led to a suspension. He spent a "very humbling" two weeks away from the game and promised there will be no repeat of such actions.

"I've always said this is the best office in the world," McDowell said. "When I put the uniform back on, I felt how fortunate I am to be able to put this uniform on and represent the organization."

McDowell apologized in his statement "to anyone who was offended by my actions," and he answered questions.

"I am not proud of the way I acted, and I know that it will not happen again," he said.

McDowell had issued an apology in a statement after the confrontation April 23.

The suspension by MLB came after a fan made McDowell's actions public. Justin Quinn was at the Braves-Giants game in San Francisco with his wife and 9-year-old twin daughters. He said he saw McDowell ask three men, "Are you guys a homo couple or a threesome?"

Quinn said the coach made lewd sexual gestures with his hips and a bat. Quinn said he shouted, "Hey, there are kids out here." According to Quinn, McDowell said kids don't belong at a baseball park, picked up a bat, walked up to Quinn and asked him, "How much are your teeth worth?"

McDowell said he has apologized to Quinn's family and is in sensitivity training.

More Braves: RHP Brandon Beachy left his start against the Phillies with an injured left side.

Hamilton takes BP: Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton took batting practice for the first time since injuring his right shoulder in April. The 2010 AL MVP will hit in the cage for the next few days then have a CT scan next week to determine how well the shoulder is healing. OF Nelson Cruz, out with a strained right quad since May 7, also took batting practice and will test his leg this weekend. Meanwhile, CF Julio Borbon left in the seventh inning against the Angels with a strained left hamstring.

Astros sale: Owner Drayton McLane is "very confident" he will be able to complete the sale of his team to businessman Jim Crane, but they are still working on finalizing the deal.

Blue Jays: DH Adam Lind sat with a sore back against the Twins and is day to day.

Indians: OF Grady Sizemore missed his third straight game because of a bruised right knee.

Mariners: RH closer David Aardsma will not need elbow surgery to repair a strained ligament. … RH reliever Jeff Gray was claimed off waivers from the White Sox.

Marlins: RHP Javier Vazquez was reinstated from the bereavement list and is scheduled to pitch Sunday against the Nationals. OF Logan Morrison, who missed 21 games because of a strained arch in his left foot, returned from the 15-day DL.

Orioles: LHP Brian Matusz (strained rib cage muscle) had a 45-pitch bullpen session and is scheduled to start for Class-A Frederick on Monday.

Reds: 3B Scott Rolen (left shoulder and neck) was activated off the 15-day DL, and INF Scott Valaika was optioned to Triple-A Louisville.

Rockies: 3B Ty Wigginton, who has been battling a strained oblique, was activated off the DL, and INF Ian Stewart was sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Tigers: OF Magglio Ordonez went on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Wednesday, because of weakness in his surgically repaired right ankle. The contract of OF Andy Dirks was bought from Triple-A Toledo.

Twins: LF Delmon Young was activated from the 15-day DL after recovering from a strained left oblique. OF Rene Tosoni was sent to Triple-A Rochester to make room on the 25-man roster.

Yankees: To add relief depth, RHP Hector Noesi was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and RHP Buddy Carlyle was optioned to Triple A.

Phillies 5, Braves 4

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Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Phillies 5, Braves 4

ATLANTA — Raul Ibanez snapped a tie with a run-scoring single in the eighth and Ryan Howard hit a three-run homer for the Phillies. Braves reliever Cristhian Martinez retired all 12 batters he faced and had a two-run double.

Red Sox 5, Yankees 4

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Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

NEW YORK — Clay Buchholz won his third straight start, Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis homered, and the Red Sox beat the Yankees 5-4 Friday night as the struggling rivals met for the first time in New York this season.

Buchholz led early but allowed Russell Martin's tying, two-run homer in the fifth. Youkilis' homer gave Boston a 5-2 lead in a three-run seventh.

With the Yankees threatening in the eighth, Daniel Bard got Jorge Posada to end the inning with a groundout on a 101 mph fastball.

Jonathan Papelbon finished for his sixth save in seven chances, ending career-high stretches of six games and 20 days without one. He got Mark Teixeira to pop out with the tying run on base.

Gonzalez homered leading off the fourth against Bartolo Colon, his fourth homer in three games, and he put the Red Sox ahead with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly off Joba Chamberlain. Youkilis reached out for a 98 mph fastball and powered it over the rightfield scoreboard for a two-run homer.

Tampa Bay Rays' Jeremy Hellickson fires four-hitter to beat Baltimore Orioles 3-0

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 13, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Two significant accomplishments took place in the general vicinity of the Tropicana Field mound Friday night.

First, rookie starter Jeremy Hellickson threw the first nine-inning complete game of his life, and a four-hit shutout at that, in the Rays' 3-0 win over the Orioles.

And second, the usually stoic and stone-faced Hellickson actually, amazingly, flashed a smile about it.

"I was just really happy," Hellickson said.

Manager Joe Maddon was pretty sure he saw the makings of a slight smile as Hellickson wiped off the vanilla whipped cream facial applied by David Price, and took it as a sign that Hellickson was "absolutely, hysterically happy."

Price, who has better control of his pitches than his pies, said he was certain he saw a big grin.

"He was cheesing," Price said.

There was a lot to be happy about as the Rays improved to 23-15 and extended their AL East lead over the Yankees to two games before a spirited Tropicana Field crowd of 20,476.

Matt Joyce continued his torrid reign as the American League's top hitter, delivering a two-run homer in the second to boost his average to .369. Johnny Damon added a solo shot in the eighth that also pushed him into 73rd place on the all-time hit list at 2,606, supplanting Tim Raines as the leader among Orlando-area players.

But it started and, more important, ended with Hellickson.

The Des Moines, Iowa, native had thrown several seven-inning complete games, "a few" for Hoover High and one as part of a doubleheader in July 2007 at Class A Columbus. But he had never worked more than eight innings in his 102 other minor-league starts, and seven was the high in his brief big-league career.

Friday was different, certainly better than his five-walk, five-inning outing in Baltimore last weekend. He mixed his fastball, changeup and curve in a way that made it look easy for him and made the Orioles look bad.

"He had really good off-balance stuff," Maddon said. "They didn't know what was coming. … I think he had them guessing all night long. He had only three (strikeouts) but a lot of weak contact because he was locating so well and mixing all of his pitches."

"He pitched backwards," Orioles centerfielder Adam Jones said, "and had us completely off balance all night."

Hellickson, 24, wasn't really threatened, allowing only two runners past first base, getting help from his defense (and himself with a pickoff) and retiring the last 13 batters.

The bigger challenge was whether Maddon was going to let him finish.

"I wanted it bad," Hellickson said. "This is the one that counts."

He had already thrown 107 pitches, matching his personal high at any level, when he started the ninth. Maddon didn't tell him, but with Kyle Farnsworth warming, the plan was Hellickson could pitch until he allowed a baserunner or got three outs.

Hellickson figured as much, getting the final three Orioles in a span of 13 pitches, and Maddon was glad to see him do it.

"With a young pitcher like that, to throw a complete-game shutout can really catapult him into the next level," Maddon said. "That's the kind of moment right there that can really make Jeremy take off. … Because once you've done it, you know you can do it in the future and you know what it feels like to do it. … That's a good way to teach yourself a lesson right there."

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