Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Reds 6, Cardinals 5

10 INNINGS

CINCINNATI — Joey Votto's two-out, run-scoring single in the 10th inning completed the Reds' rally from a 5-2 deficit. Cincinnati is 4-0 in extra-inning games this season.

Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Marlins 6, Nationals 5

11 innings

WASHINGTON — Omar Infante slid headfirst and reached over and around Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos to score on Greg Dobbs' double in the 11th inning.

By Chris Girandola, Times Correspondent
Friday, May 13, 2011

TAMPA — Something had to give when the Storm hosted Kansas City on Friday night.

The Command entered the contest having given up the second-most points in the AFL this season. The Storm has been almost as generous, ranking fourth in points allowed.

While the final score didn't indicate a high octane affair, the Storm made some plays then capitalized on some luck as Tampa Bay gave the crowd of 11,172 at the St. Pete Times Forum a 46-30 win for its first home victory of the season.

"We were able to take care of the football and cut down on our mistakes," coach Dave Ewart said. "It was good to get a win in front of our home fans and the guys played hard. Our fans deserve it."

The Storm, which led 27-16 at halftime, seemed on the verge of another third-quarter collapse when the Command capitalized on a good kickoff return and scored within three plays when quarterback J.J. Raterink hit Aaron Hosack for a 5-yard score to cut the deficit to 27-23.

Tampa Bay (3-6) drove within field goal range on its next series and took advantage even when Kyle Chilton missed both field goals; Jermaine Smith recovered a ball off the net on both attempts.

"Just make a play, that's all I was trying to do," Smith said. "It was nice I was able to make two of them."

Brian Zbydniewski (26-of-44 for 277 yards, six touchdowns) then completed a 9-yard pass in the end zone to former USF receiver Amarri Jackson (14 catches, 187 yards, four touchdowns) for a 33-23 lead.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Storm prevented the Command (2-7) from scoring when Hosack had his first fumble of the season when he mishandled a handoff from Raterink. Tampa Bay recovered and Zbydniewski hit Jackson again six plays later on a 5-yard score.

The Zbydniewski-to-Jackson connection happened one more time late in the game as the Storm rumbled to its first home victory since late last season.

"We just took what the defense was giving us," said Zbydniewski, who followed up his previous start in which he had three interceptions while throwing for 304 yards with no mistakes. "They were playing a lot of zone and we have some great receivers. If I can just get the ball into their hands, we'll be pretty successful as an offense. We have a good connection right now and it's all about keeping it going."

Tampa Bay again got off to a good start, leading 14-3 lead after the first quarter. Zbydniewski found Jackson in the right corner of the end zone on a 20-yard strike on the Storm's first drive.

Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Blue Jays 2, Twins 0

MINNEAPOLIS — Ricky Romero took a no-hitter into the sixth and Jose Bautista homered for the Blue Jays. Denard Span had the Twins' first hit, slapping a single past a diving John McDonald with two outs in the sixth. Span was the only Twin to advance to third base. Minnesota's sixth loss in a row is a season high. The Twins also lost a sixth straight home game, the most since they lost seven in a row Sept. 2-17, 2007.

Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Mets 6, Astros 4

HOUSTON — The Mets overcame a 4-0 deficit on the strength of three homers, including two-run shots by pinch-hitter Fernando Martinez and David Wright. New York's bullpen strung together four scoreless innings, and left-hander Pat Misch earned his first win since 2009 in relief.

Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Brewers 5, Pirates 2

MILWAUKEE — Jonathan Lucroy homered for the Brewers in a game in which both benches briefly cleared in the third. Rickie Weeks and Ronny Cedeno became entangled in a rundown, but order was restored quickly and without ejections. Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead in the third when Lucroy homered. Milwaukee beat Pittsburgh for the 31st time in 34 chances at Miller Park since the start of 2007.

Times wires
Friday, May 13, 2011

Rangers 4, Angels 1

ARLINGTON, Texas — Alexi Ogando pitched into the seventh inning, and Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre homered for the Rangers. Ogando was in command in his eighth career start, all this season after he converted from the bullpen. The right-hander allowed one run and five hits in 61/3 innings for the Rangers, who had lost 11 of 16. Jered Weaver has lost his past three starts after winning his first six.

Times wires
Saturday, May 14, 2011

Rockies 12, Padres 7

DENVER — Troy Tulowitzki had a homer and two singles as the Rockies had season highs in hits (16) and runs. San Diego's Cameron Maybin had four hits for the second straight game and had the first multihomer game of his career.

Times wires
Saturday, May 14, 2011

White Sox 4, Athletics 3

OAKLAND, Calif. — Coco Crisp was caught trying to score the tying run on a straight steal of home in the eighth, and the White Sox held off the A's. Omar Vizquel had an RBI double during a four-run second inning and Phil Humber pitched well into the seventh, not walking a batter for the first time in seven starts this season. Paul Konerko added two hits for Chicago, which improved to 5-2 on its current road trip.

Times wires
Saturday, May 14, 2011

Dodgers 4, Diamondbacks 3

LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw allowed three hits over seven innings, Rod Barajas snapped a scoreless tie in the fifth with a homer and the Dodgers won their third in a row while Arizona dropped its fifth straight. Kershaw struck out 11, walked two and left with a 4-0 lead. He retired his final 14 batters to win his fourth straight start vs. Arizona.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, May 14, 2011

The poll

Who has been the Rays' most pleasant early season surprise? Total: 738 votes

35 percent: Sam Fuld

32 percent: James Shields

21 percent: Casey Kotchman

8 percent: Kyle Farnsworth

4 percent: Ben Zobrist

This week's question

Who will play for the Stanley Cup?

Vote at lightning.tampabay.com.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, May 14, 2011

Outside the Lines: 9 a.m. on ESPN. The story of a high school basketball player from Michigan who hit the winning shot to keep his team undefeated going into the playoffs and died of cardiac arrest a few minutes later.

Tampa Bay Sports Central With JP: 11:30 a.m. on Ch. 44. Host J.P. Peterson talks with Lightning forward Ryan Malone.

Inside the Rays: 5 p.m. on Sun Sports. The latest episode features manager Joe Maddon, including clips from his hometown in Pennsylvania.

By Rob Gorta, Times Correspondent
Saturday, May 14, 2011

What's hot: Tarpon are migrating down the west coast beaches. Watch for silver flashes as fish roll. Any beach in the bay area is a good place to start. I will anchor right off the beach and wait. Have the anchor attached to an anchor ball so you do not have to waste time pulling it in. Pods of fish will eventually move right toward where I am anchored. Once a pod is located, I will throw my anchor ball and get into position, careful not to disturb the fish.

Bait: I like to use a 12-foot cast net to throw for bait. This allows me to fill the well quickly and throw in deeper water. I like to have a variety of bait. You never know what a tarpon will eat. Scaled sardines, also known as whitebait, are a top choice. Threadfin herring, which are called greenbacks, are just as good but sensitive and die quickly once their scales fall off. Crabs can be found floating on grass lines on outgoing tides. Use a long dip net to scoop them up.

Tactic: Approach schools of fish with care. Use a push pole or trolling motor on the lowest setting to get close to fish. Running motors will spook fish and shut them down. Tarpon will head west to deeper water when spooked, making it difficult to sight cast.

Rob Gorta charters out of St. Petersburg. Call him at (727) 647-7606 or visit www.captainrobgorta.com.

By Steve Slowinski, Special to the Times
Saturday, May 14, 2011

Expectations. We all have them, and we all react differently to them. Some people thrive on being the underdog. Others need to feel pressured in order to perform at their best. And still others find themselves unable to cope once in the spotlight.

Coming up through the minor leagues, Matt Joyce never had to deal with weighty expectations. He was selected in the 12th round of the 2005 draft by the Tigers, a point at which most future major-league players have already been taken. He did not have any one skill that impressed scouts, and he was not a raw player oozing with unrefined ability.

Instead, he was solidly average or above average across the board. He hit around .280, walked around 10 percent of the time and flashed above-average power and defense.

He rose through the minors quickly and saw some time in the majors with the Tigers in 2008, hitting 12 home runs in fewer than 300 plate appearances and flashing the selective eye that had helped him succeed in the minors.

But this is the point where the story changes. Going into the 2011 season, if you asked Rays fans what they thought of Joyce, you'd probably hear one common answer: Edwin Jackson.

Ever since Joyce was traded after the 2008 season to the Rays for Jackson, the two careers have been inextricably linked. The expectations that had never existed for him settled on his shoulders like a mantle.

Jackson was a 24-year-old pitcher full of potential and talent. He threw his fastball in the high 90s, and although his control had prevented him from ever posting an ERA in the majors below 4.40, many fans were loath to trade him away.

Joyce, on the other hand, had never been rated higher than the seventh-best prospect in the Tigers system and was only one year younger than Jackson.

So why did the Rays make this trade? Quite simply, because they're a small-market team that has to operate with a long-term outlook. Jackson had shown little sign in 2008 of fixing his control problems, walking nearly four batters per nine, and he was about to enter arbitration for the first time. The Rays had three more seasons before Jackson would hit free agency, and until that time he'd cost the Rays millions of dollars each year.

Instead of spending millions on a player they thought wouldn't improve, the Rays decided to trade Jackson for Joyce, giving them a cheap, talented player with six full seasons of team control left.

Since that time, Jackson has performed better than his 2008 statistics suggested he would, while Joyce took a bit longer than expected to reach the majors. Jackson harnessed his fastball and improved his slider, thereby lowering his walk rate, increasing his strikeouts and becoming a much better pitcher. And Joyce had just reached the majors last season when Jackson tossed his no-hitter against the Rays, rubbing salt into an already sore wound.

But consider this: Despite Jackson's improvements and the Rays taking it slow with Joyce, the Jackson-Joyce trade looks better for the Rays over time. Jeff Niemann replaced Jackson in the Rays' rotation, and he has posted a 4.16 ERA over the past two years while Jackson has done only slightly better (4.04 ERA).

Jackson has also been paid $15.5 million and is a free agent after this season, while the Rays are just beginning to reap the rewards of Joyce. Joyce was a huge power boost for the Rays last season, hitting 28 extra-base hits (260 plate appearances) down the stretch and adding some needed oomph to the lineup.

And this season, Joyce has been on fire. As of Friday, Joyce had the highest batting average in the American League and already had 15 extra-base hits, second on the Rays only to Ben Zobrist (22).

According to weighted on-base average — a statistic that measures a player's total offensive value — Joyce has been the sixth most valuable hitter in the major leagues and is quickly turning himself into a viable middle-of-the-order bat to complement Evan Longoria.

Making trades with a long-term outlook can be difficult to stomach at first, which is why many fans had strong, negative reactions to the trades of Jackson, Scott Kazmir, Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza. But as we've seen with Joyce, those trades can pay off in the long run and help ensure the long-term success of the franchise.

Steve Slowinski is the editor-in-chief of DRaysBay.com, a blog on the Tampa Bay Rays that specializes in analysis and statistics.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, May 14, 2011

RHP Andy Sonnanstine is a big-league pitcher — and aspiring hitter. A serious golfer and ping-pong player. A self-described "professional gentleman" of other leisure sports, including darts, billiards, bocce, archery and foosball. An avid photo- and videographer. And now, an author. Sonnanstine teamed with Tucker Elliot to write a book titled Tampa Bay Rays IQ: The Ultimate Test of True Fandom.

The book, available now through amazon.com ($11.95) and to be in stores this summer, is part history, part trivia — actually 200 questions worth.

"I'm really happy with the way it turned out," Sonnnanstine said.

The project came together a bit by chance. Sonnanstine's agents were inquiring about interest in publishing a coffee table-style book of his photos. Black Mesa Publishing, which has done a series of team IQ books, had plans for Elliot, who had written previously on the Braves and Reds, to work next on the Rays. The idea of a collaboration with Sonnanstine was raised.

"I replied with, 'Are you kidding? I picked him up as a free agent in my fantasy league for a spot start early in 2008 and the guy ended up winning 13 games for me,' " Elliot e-mailed. "I was obviously thrilled to learn he agreed to come on board with the project."

Elliot did the writing but said Sonnanstine had suggestions, input and "final say over everything." As a result, Elliot said, "it's the best book in the IQ series because the history you're reading and the trivia you're being tested with is from the perspective of a player who was there."

The questions are supposed to get harder through the innings; some are well-done and thought-provoking, others too nuanced. And there is one glaring flaw: the team is repeatedly called Tampa, not Tampa Bay. But overall, it's an interesting concept, with historical intros to each chapter and pieces of info wrapped into each question.

Trivia answer: d) Andy Sonnanstine

Here's one example:

QUESTION 48

Tampa won Game 3 of the ALCS in Boston, and then gave the ball to this pitcher to start Game 4 … and after giving up a homer to Kevin Cash to start the third all he did was retire 12 straight batters. He carried a two-hitter into the seventh before giving up a triple to David Ortiz. All total he pitched seven-plus solid innings en route to a convincing 13-4 win and a 3-1 lead in the series. Who was the winning pitcher during Game 4 of the 2008 ALCS?

a) Scott Kazmir

b) James Shields

c) Matt Garza

d) Andy Sonnanstine

Got a minute? Rob Delaney

Must-see TV? The Office, but I haven't had a chance to see the one where Michael (Steve Carell) leaves.

Band you'd most like to be on stage with? Metallica.

Worst job? Summer custodian in an elementary school in New Jersey.

Ideal vacation spot? An island. Not Long Island or Staten Island — like St. Maarten.

Dream date? There's a lot of names going through the head right now. … Oh, I know, the blonde from the movie with Adam Sandler (Just Go With It): Brooklyn Decker.

Fun with scheduling

There are always going to be quirks about the schedule, but the Rays are looking at some pretty good ones right now:

• Monday, in their 41st game, the Rays will see the Yankees — that's the AL East divisional foe Yankees — for the first time. That's after playing 9 games vs. the Orioles, 8 vs. the White Sox, 7 vs. the Twins, 6 vs. the Blue Jays and having the Angels at the Trop twice. The flip side: 16 of their final 75 games are vs. the Yankees.

• A grueling and geographically illogical trip this week that has them basically flying in the same airspace four times in nine days and includes two trips through customs and two 4 a.m.-or-later arrivals two days apart: Home to Toronto (late Tuesday) to Fort Lauderdale (late Thursday) to Detroit (May 22) to home (May 25).

• An even more grueling journey next month, from home to Seattle to Anaheim and then to Baltimore, with a June 9 "off" day that will feature a 9 a.m. arrival at their Inner Harbor hotel.

Rays rumblings

OF Desmond Jennings, left, could be a more appealing callup now; after Friday (the 44th day of the season) there's no longer a risk of him reaching free agency a year earlier. … Andrew Friedman's father appears out of the picture to buy the Astros, but there continues to be speculation soon-to-be new owner Jim Crane will seek to lure Friedman back to his hometown, or bring back Rays senior VP and former Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker. … INF Elliot Johnson is taking online classes through the University of Phoenix working toward a business degree: "It's not super difficult, it just requires a lot of time." … The New Yorker magazine is the latest on the Sam Fuld story. … Look for the Rays to wear Tampa Smokers uniforms for a July 2 Turn Back The Clock game vs. St. Louis. … Alonso High RHP Jose Fernandez is among the more interesting prospects being linked to the Rays in mock drafts. … Indians star Shin-Soo Choo said he has heard good things about fellow Korean Hak-Ju Lee, the Rays' prized SS prospect.

Pride of the Yankees

The relationship and rivalry between the Rays and Yankees has obviously advanced, with the two AL East championship banners hanging from the Trop roof good evidence.

"I think it's evolved big time," veteran Rays RHP James Shields said. "There's no doubt there's a rivalry there now, it's a battle every time."

New Rays DH Johnny Damon has an interesting perspective, having starred for the Bombers 2006-09, just as the paradigm was shifting. "The Rays," he said, "were always a pain in the butt."

Damon, who has a bit of a rock star personality anyway, also has a good take on just what it's like to wear the pinstripes.

"It's a great thing," he said. "I enjoyed my four years there — just the way the world respects the Yankees. People love winners and they're the winningest franchise in sports history.

"Jason Giambi used to say this: it could be a traveling circus at times, but you've got true superstars, a Hollywood A-list baseball team coming around. … It's a pretty good gig."

Damon isn't the only one on the other side for the first time: Original Rays manager Larry Roths­child, who went 11-25 against the Bombers, is now the Yankees pitching coach; 2010 Rays closer Rafael Soriano is a Yankees setup man (with a 5.40 ERA); current Rays closer Kyle Farnsworth was a Yankee 2006-08; former Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland is a special assistant in the Rays front office.

Times wires
Saturday, May 14, 2011

Braves 5, Phillies 3

ATLANTA — Martin Prado homered and drove in three runs, and Jair Jurrjens took a perfect game into the sixth for the Braves. Prado is 12-for-27 (.444) with three homers — one a grand slam — and eight RBIs in his past six games. "I think we know who the player of the week is going to be this week," Atlanta's Chipper Jones said. "When he gets it going right, roll with it."

Times wires
Saturday, May 14, 2011

Marlins 1, Nationals 0

WASHINGTON — Anibal Sanchez remained unbeaten against the Nationals, taking advantage of Mike Stanton's long home run by pitching eight sharp innings for the Marlins. "It's a matter of a mind-set or comfort zone," Florida manager Edwin Rodriguez said. Sanchez has allowed five hits in 15 innings in his past two starts against the Nationals and is 7-0 with a 1.99 ERA in his career against them. Last week, he held Washington hitless until the seventh.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, May 14, 2011

BOSTON — When Lightning G Mike Smith heard Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard died, he said, "I got goose bumps."

Smith played with Boogaard in 2005-06 with AHL Houston and said the 6-foot-7, 265-pounder, one of the game's fiercest fighters, really was a gentle giant.

"He was a big teddy bear," Smith said Saturday, "a really likable guy, soft spoken. The way he played did not reflect in any way how he was off the ice."

Lightning G Dwayne Roloson, who played with Boogaard in 2005-06 with the Wild, and RW Adam Hall, also a teammate with the Wild in 2006-07, said the same.

"An awesome guy in the (locker) room," Roloson said.

"A great teammate," Hall said, "fun to be around."

It is quite a picture given the statistics. Boogaard, 28, found dead Friday in his Minneapolis apartment, had three goals and 16 points and 589 penalty minutes in 277 games with Minnesota and New York.

"Not shy but very soft spoken," Smith said, "a guy who was real easy to talk to. You'd think it was two different people when you saw him on the ice and talked to him off the ice. He's going to be missed for sure."

"It's pretty tough to handle," said Roloson, who said he visited regularly this season with Boogaard when Roloson was with the Islanders.

"I remember when he first broke in. Every day he came to work hard. He wanted to get better. He wanted to make it in the NHL and wanted to prove every person out there that said he couldn't make it wrong, and he succeeded. It's very unfortunate. My heart goes out to his family."

Foul play is not suspected in Boogaard's death, but it is being investigated. An autopsy was being conducted Saturday; Hennepin County spokeswoman Carol Allis said results probably will not be released for at least two weeks.

HEAD ISSUES: Simon Gagne did not say he had a concussion from his head hitting the ice April 29 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal against the Capitals. But the left wing described undergoing a protocol meant to detect one.

"The first two days I did the bike 10, 15 minutes to see if anything showed up," he said. "I did a little bit more every day."

Gagne, back in the lineup Saturday for Game 1 of the East final against the Bruins, said the 10-day break between series was an advantage.

"In the regular season I don't know if you can prepare yourself like that," he said.

Bottom line, Gagne said, "I wasn't too worried about it. That's why I'm confident everything is okay."

IN AND OUT: Coach Guy Boucher stuck with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, so C Blair Jones, who played in Gagne's absence, was on the bench.

Jones also had to wait in the locker room after the morning skate as Gagne was interviewed by reporters who spilled into Jones' adjacent space. "My stall is always taken because I sit next to the big dogs on the team," Jones said,

"I got an opportunity to play and I tried to use that as well as I could and felt I did a pretty good job," added Jones, who had zero points and six hits while averaging 6:11 of ice time in three games.

"It's obviously a big boost to the lineup to have Gags back, to add some scoring punch. You can never have enough of that this time of year."

ODDS AND ENDS: Boucher said F Dana Tyrell (foot), out since April 20, needs another week before playing. … D Matt Smaby also was scratched.

Times staff writer Joe Smith contributed to this report, which used information from Times wires.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, May 14, 2011

Jan. 10, 2010

Safety Jermaine Phillips is arrested and charged with domestic battery by strangulation after an argument with his wife. Police said Phillips and his wife quarreled after she questioned him about a woman's number on his cell phone, and authorities say Phillips admitted to pushing his wife by her neck.

The charge, a third-degree felony, was dropped. Phillips, who had just finished playing his final season under contract with the team, was not re-signed.

May 16, 2010

Receiver Mario Urrutia, who spent three games on the active roster in 2009 but mostly has been a member of the practice squad, is arrested and accused of a minor driver's license violation by Hillsborough County deputies. He was not prosecuted, and his status with the team was not affected.

Aug. 31, 2010

Defensive assistant coach Chris Mosley, who worked with linemen, is arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Tampa. Officers said his blood-alcohol content was at least 0.137, above the level at which a person is presumed impaired in Florida (0.08). Mosley remained with the team through 2010. His contract was not renewed this spring, when the Bucs hired co-defensive line coaches.

Sept. 22, 2010

Safety Tanard Jackson is suspended for 12 months by commissioner Roger Goodell for a violation of the league's substance-abuse policy. Jackson was suspended for four games in 2009, and this violation prompted the more serious penalty. Jackson is eligible for reinstatement on Sept. 22. Even if he comes back then, he will miss training camp and at least several weeks of the 2011 season.

Oct. 23, 2010

Tight end Jerramy Stevens, who came to the Bucs with a history of offenses, is arrested in Tampa on three charges, including possession of marijuana with intent to sell. An officer said he found 38 grams of marijuana in his vehicle. Stevens, who had several alcohol-related arrests in his past and was accused of sexual assault (but not charged) while at the University of Washington, was released from the team two days later because the Bucs had taken a zero-tolerance approach since his acquisition in 2007.

Stevens' charge of intent to sell has been dropped, but he faces a felony possession charge for which he goes on trial next month.

Nov. 19, 2010

Rookie receiver Mike Williams is arrested early in the morning on suspicion of driving under the influence following what police described as a failed field sobriety test. Williams was found to be below the limit for which a person is presumed impaired by a Breathalyzer test, causing authorities to administer a urine test.

In January, the state attorney's office cleared him based on the urine results. The team backed Williams throughout and played him two days later against the 49ers.

Dec. 13, 2010

Linebacker Geno Hayes is arrested in Tampa and charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing after a dustup with security at the Blue Martini Lounge. According to police, an attempt to subdue Hayes with a Taser failed because of a thick jacket, prompting the officer to tackle him. Hayes was not prosecuted for the disorderly conduct charge and pleaded no contest to trespassing, for which the court withheld adjudication. He paid $265 in court costs.

March 4, 2011

Less than two months after his promotion to coordinator of pro scouting, Shelton Quarles is arrested off Interstate 275 in Tampa and charged with driving under the influence. Quarles refused to submit to blood-alcohol content testing, and his case is pending in Hillsborough County court.

April 20, 2011

Coaches assistant Jay Kaiser is arrested after he is accused of driving under the influence. One of the roles Kaiser often performs is driving coach Raheem Morris to and from Bucs-related events. Morris was not with him at the time of the arrest. Kaiser's case is pending.

May 9, 2011

Defensive end Alex Magee is accused of possessing marijuana, which an officer said was detected during a traffic stop for an expired tag. Magee was not arrested because the amount of the drug in question was worthy of just a misdemeanor. But Magee will have to appear in court and face the charge. A date for that has not been set.

The Bucs drew raves from local and national media for their moves during last month's draft.

But there have been headlines of another kind, too, as Tampa Bay's players and team officials continue to show up in the police blotter or find themselves under investigation by the league.

Last week, defensive end Alex Magee was cited for marijuana possession during a traffic stop, making him the 10th Buccaneers player or staff member arrested or accused of a crime since the start of 2010. (That doesn't include safety Tanard Jackson, who is suspended by the league.)

And this week in Dallas, a grand jury is scheduled to hear testimony against cornerback Aqib Talib (who was suspended for the opening game last season by the league for assaulting a cab driver) relating to charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for his alleged role in a shooting incident in March.

General manager Mark Dominik says that most of the situations have been dealt with appropriately — most in-house, others more publicly. But with the numbers piling up, it seemed like a good time to review the incidents and, when applicable, the outcomes.

March 31, 2011

After investigating an incident involving the boyfriend of Aqib Talib's sister, police in Garland, Texas, arrest the cornerback and his mother, Okolo, for alleged aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Police say both fired weapons at the boyfriend, Shannon Billings, who had been fighting with Talib's sister. Talib's attorney denies the charge. A grand jury is scheduled to hear the case starting Wednesday and is expected to indict Talib. The Bucs are not permitted to take action against Talib because of the lockout.

Times wires
Saturday, May 14, 2011

Reds 7, Cardinals 3

CINCINNATI — Johnny Cueto, a central figure in an Aug. 10 brawl with the Cardinals, took a shutout into the eighth inning in his first start against them since then and helped the Reds move back into first place in the NL Central. The defending division champions are in first place alone for the first time since April 18. Ramon Hernandez hit solo homers on the first two pitches he saw from Kyle McClellan.