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Former USF Bulls QB Matt Grothe cut by CFL's Toronto Argonauts

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, May 26, 2011

Former USF quarterback Matt Grothe was released by the CFL's Toronto Argonauts on Thursday, less than a week before rookies are scheduled to report for preseason training camp.

Grothe, signed to Toronto's practice roster at the end of last season, was facing a numbers crunch in Toronto -- even after his release, the Argonauts have five quarterbacks on roster, most with CFL experience.

"We believe that with the four quarterbacks returning and a young prospect in B.J. Hall, there would not be enough reps for Matt Grothe to effectively compete, and we felt it was in his best interests to release him at this time," Toronto general manager and head coach Jim Barker said in a statement.

Grothe has fully recovered from the knee injury that ended his college career just three games into his senior season, but Thursday's release is another setback in his pro career. Grothe earned an invitation to the Bucs' rookie minicamp last summer but wasn't signed, then was cut in preseason by the UFL's Florida Tuskers before signing with the Argonauts. He has been working out in his hometown of Lakeland and working as a substitute teacher at his alma mater, Lake Gibson High School.

Grothe holds the Big East record for career total offense, finishing his USF career with 10,875 yards -- 8,669 passing and 2,206 rushing.


Stanley Cup Final to start Wednesday in Vancouver

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Times staff
Thursday, May 26, 2011

The Stanley Cup Final between the Vancouver Canucks and the winner of Friday's game between the Lightning and Boston Bruins will begin Wednesday in Vancouver. Here is the full schedule, released today by the National Hockey League:

Game 1: Wednesday, June 1, 8 p.m., Vancouver

Game 2: Saturday, June 4, 8 p.m., Vancouver

Game 3: Monday, June 6, 8 p.m., at Eastern Conference Champion

Game 4: Wednesday, June 8, 8 p.m., at Eastern Conference Champion

* Game 5: Friday, June 10, 8 p.m., Vancouver

* Game 6: Monday, June 13, 8 p.m., at Eastern Conference Champion

* Game 7: Wednesday, June 15, 8 p.m., Vancouver

* if necessary

NBC will telecast Games 1 and 2 and, if necessary, Games 5-7, while VERSUS will broadcast Games 3-4.

Fishing 101: Hard-bodied baits

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By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors Editor
Thursday, May 26, 2011

Fishermen love to debate the merits of fishing lures. Soft-plastic jig? Or hard-plastic plug?

Both have their merits, but with summer here and the fish on the move, I'd put my money on a hard-bodied baits any day.

"The fish are active," said Eric Bachnik of the L&S Bait Company. "It doesn't take a lot to make them strike."

When it comes to fishing lures, Bachnik knows the business. He comes from a long line of tacklemakers. In 1937 his grandfather, Harold LeMaster, built his first lure, a bass plug, in Illinois.

Ten years later, after moving to Florida, he saw a fisherman using a homemade lure that flashed in the sun. That's how LeMaster got the idea to put a mirror inside a fishing lure, hence the name MirrOlure.

The name game

Artificial baits made of hard plastic, or "hard baits" as they are commonly called in the tackle industry, come in all shapes and sizes. The Largo-based MirrOlure's nomenclature can be confusing at times because they use a numerical system instead of naming each lure individually.

"Most of our lures mimic or imitate some sort of forage fish," Bachnik said. "In this area, the major players are finger mullet, scaled sardines and threadfin herring."

Knowing what baitfish are in the vicinity will help you pick an artificial lure that does not look out of place. Fly fishermen call this "matching the hatch."

Once you settle on a pattern you need to decide what action you want in your lure.

Floating twitchbaits

MirrOlure sells a variety of hard baits that resemble wounded baitfish. When twitched, these baits dive below the water's surface and resurface, just like a fish that has been nailed by a predator and can't seem to get oriented.

These baits are ideal in most areas of Tampa Bay where depth can be a factor. Fish them in the shallows and along the mangrove shorelines, oyster reefs and/or open flats. The trick is enticing your prey to strike, so these are not passive lures. Anglers must work to make them perform.

Examples: MirrOLure's 7M Classic or Sebile's Floating Stick Shad.

Surface walkers

When retrieved with a constant twitching action, these lures zigzag across the surface of the water. Some anglers refer to this motion as "walking the dog."

Surface walkers are an essential "tool" that can be used to find fish on an open flat. Tournament anglers sometimes call these lures "probing" baits because they are used to locate fish while covering a lot of water. These hard baits are essential components to any redfish angler's tackle box.

Examples: MirrOlure's Top Dog Junior or Rapala's Skitter Walk.

Suspending twitchbaits

By far the hottest category in saltwater fishing, these lures suspend in the water column just a few inches below the surface. The longer a lure remains in the "strike zone," the greater the chances of a hookup.

These hard baits are particularly effective when the fish keep missing, or short-striking, surface plugs. Suspending twitchbaits are another great option for the shallow waters of Tampa Bay.

Examples: MirrOlure's MirrOdine or Rapala's Sub Walk.

Sinking twitchbaits

This category is what made MirrOlure famous. These lipless lures sink in the water column and are used when the water depth is greater than 4 feet. With a twitching retrieve these lures dart, flash and mimic a wounded baitfish.

Examples: MirrOlure's 52M Classic or Sebile's Sinking Stick Shad.

Crankbaits

These baits feature a lip, which allows the lure to swim. They are ideal for anglers with little experience using artificial lures. Simply cast and crank back in, the lure does most of the work.

Examples: MirrOlure's L29MR or the Bomber Long A.

Fishing 101: Hard-body baits

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By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors Editor
Thursday, May 26, 2011

Fishermen love to debate the merits of fishing lures. Soft-plastic jig? Or hard-plastic plug?

Both have their merits, but with summer here and the fish on the move, I'd put my money on a hard-body bait any day.

"The fish are active," said Eric Bachnik of the L&S Bait Company. "It doesn't take a lot to make them strike."

When it comes to fishing lures, Bachnik knows the business. He comes from a long line of tacklemakers. In 1937 his grandfather, Harold LeMaster, built his first lure, a bass plug, in Illinois.

Ten years later, after moving to Florida, he saw a fisherman using a homemade lure that flashed in the sun. That's how LeMaster got the idea to put a mirror inside a fishing lure, hence the name MirrOlure.

The name game

Artificial baits made of hard plastic, or "hard baits" as they are commonly called in the tackle industry, come in all shapes and sizes. The Largo-based MirrOlure's nomenclature can be confusing at times because they use a numerical system instead of naming each lure individually.

"Most of our lures mimic or imitate some sort of forage fish," Bachnik said. "In this area, the major players are finger mullet, scaled sardines and threadfin herring."

Knowing what baitfish are in the vicinity will help you pick an artificial lure that does not look out of place. Fly fishermen call this "matching the hatch."

Once you settle on a pattern you need to decide what action you want in your lure.

Floating twitchbaits

MirrOlure sells a variety of hard baits that resemble wounded baitfish. When twitched, these baits dive below the water's surface and resurface, just like a fish that has been nailed by a predator and can't seem to get oriented.

These baits are ideal in most areas of Tampa Bay where depth can be a factor. Fish them in the shallows and along the mangrove shorelines, oyster reefs and open flats. The trick is enticing your prey to strike, so these are not passive lures. Anglers must work to make them perform.

Examples: MirrOLure's 7M Classic or Sebile's Floating Stick Shad

Surface walkers

When retrieved with a constant twitching action, these lures zigzag across the surface of the water. Some anglers refer to this motion as "walking the dog."

Surface walkers are an essential "tool" that can be used to find fish on an open flat. Tournament anglers sometimes call these lures "probing" baits because they are used to locate fish while covering a lot of water. These hard baits are essential components to any redfish angler's tackle box.

Examples: MirrOlure's Top Dog Junior or Rapala's Skitter Walk

Suspending twitchbaits

By far the hottest category in saltwater fishing, these lures suspend in the water column just a few inches below the surface. The longer a lure remains in the "strike zone," the greater the chances of a hookup.

These hard baits are particularly effective when the fish keep missing, or short-striking, surface plugs. Suspending twitchbaits are another great option for the shallow waters of Tampa Bay.

Examples: MirrOlure's MirrOdine or Rapala's Sub Walk

Sinking twitchbaits

This category is what made MirrOlure famous. These lipless lures sink in the water column and are used when the water depth is greater than 4 feet. With a twitching retrieve these lures dart, flash and mimic a wounded baitfish.

Examples: MirrOlure's 52M Classic or Sebile's Sinking Stick Shad

Crankbaits

These baits feature a lip, which allows the lure to swim. They are ideal for anglers with little experience using artificial lures. Simply cast and crank back in, the lure does most of the work.

Examples: MirrOlure's L29MR or the Bomber Long A

Captains corner: Suncoast Tarpon Roundup off to slow start

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By Rick Frazier, Times Correspondent
Thursday, May 26, 2011

Tarpon Roundup update: If you think that tarpon fishing was slow last weekend, you're not alone.

After the first weekend of the annual Suncoast Tarpon Roundup all-release tournament, only one fish was reported, by James Roehm fishing from the Long Pier in Redington Beach.

Tarpon tale: Fighting a tarpon is no easy task, even harder when done from a stationary position such as a bridge or pier. So skilled tarpon anglers often come up with ingenious ideas during battle.

I once witnessed a pier angler fighting a tarpon that went under the pier. I thought the fish would be lost to the barnacle-encrusted pilings. But the angler quickly snapped on a small-diameter nylon rope to his rod and reel outfit and let the fish pull it, with the rope attached, in the water through the pilings while he held the rope. When the rod came out the other side, a buddy with a long-handled gaff caught the rope and pulled the rod and reel back up so the angler could continue the battle and eventually bring the fish to gaff.

Rick Frazier, who will provide occasional Roundup updates, runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376.

Desmond Howard blasts college athletes sense of entitlement at black coaches convention

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, May 26, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard, keynote speaker at this week's Black Coaches and Administrators convention at the Renaissance Vinoy, told BCA members on Thursday morning that there's a troubling sense of entitlement in today's athletes that wasn't nearly as prominent when he was in college 20 years ago.

"The way these coaches recruit these kids, they make them feel like they're the cat's meow, that the program can't move forward without them at the school," Howard said. "When you recruit them that hard, then you gas them up on who they are. You give that guy a sense of entitlement. I was told by a giant, Bo Schembechler, that no one man is bigger than the program. Not even (himself). He was larger than life. For me to sit there and this guy tells me nobody's bigger than Michigan, that's all he had to say."

He said the prominent coverage of recruiting has young players in the spotlight before they've accomplished anything significant on the college level. He said if Florida State coach Bobby Bowden can be forced out, why should any player feel irreplaceable?

"I'll give you a perfect example: Michigan fires Coach Rich Rodriguez," said Howard, who starred at Michigan from 1989-91. "All the noise in Ann Arbor is, 'Is Denard Robinson going to stay or leave?' I'm like, 'Hey, if the kid wants to go, don't let the door hit you on the way out.' You looked fantastic for five games against nobody. That's what you did. I'm not going to deny his talents, but you ain't won nothing in Ann Arbor, son! Not so much we need to worry about if you're going to be here next year or not."

HONORS: At today's awards ceremony, the BCA will honor its 2011 men's and women's basketball coaches of the year, with the honors going to Virginia Commonwealth coach Shaka Smart and Penn State coach Coquese Washington. UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero will receive the Myles Brand BCA Administrator of the Year award.

THIS AND THAT: Former NBA star and current analyst Len Elmore will make a presentation today for iHoops.com, a site that serves as the youth initiative for the NCAA and NBA, aiming to improve the quality of youth basketball and inform recruits about the recruiting process. ... Louisville coach Charlie Strong, whose team won the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl at Tropicana Field in December, was in attendance for the second year in a row. ... This morning, the BCA and the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, based in Orlando, will present their Hiring Report Card for women's basketball, grading schools on their practices in including minority candidates during their head coaching job searches.

Outdoors news and notes: FWC cautions boaters as busy weekend begins

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By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, May 26, 2011

Making news

FWC cautions Boaters as Busy Weekend begins

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and that means more boats will be on area waters. Boaters are urged to take extra precautions during this busy boating season. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there were 79 confirmed boating-related deaths in 2010. Of those, 60 percent were attributed to drowning. So far this year, 18 people have lost their lives in boating accidents in state waters. The FWC reminds boaters to pay attention on the water and to wear their personal flotation devices.

CHeck it out

Students to aid housing on lake

If you're cruising by Mirror Lake in St. Petersburg today, you'll notice students from Lakewood High "launching" two islands into the lake. The islands are to help the water quality of the lake and give birds a place to nest. The students are from Lakewood's Academy of Environmental Technology and Marine Science and received a federal grant from the Florida Learn and Serve program. The launch begins at 11 a.m.

Things to do

Tonight: Backpacker magazine's Get Out More Tour, 6:30 p.m., Bill Jackson Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park. Free seminar on trip planning, choosing gear and clothing, and outdoors safety. Information: (727) 576-4169.

June 3-4: Johnny Ferlita Memorial Fishing Tournament (inshore species). Captains meeting, 6:30 p.m. June 3, Bay Club at Westshore Yacht Club (6001 Westshore Blvd.) in Tampa. Information: (813) 269-0955.

Rodney Page, Times staff writer

Solunar table

AM PM major minor major minor

5/27 1:05 7:05 1:15 7:25

5/28 1:40 7:45 1:55 8:05

5/29 2:20 8:25 2:35 8:45

5/30 3:00 9:05 3:15 9:30

5/31 3:45 9:50 4:00 10:15

6/1 4:30 10:35 4:45 11:05

6/2 5:20 11:35 5:45 0

Consistent approach has Tampa Bay Rays' Matt Joyce atop baseball's batting leaders

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, May 26, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Matt Joyce chuckles now as he tells the story about how the Rays outfielders were gathered during a pitching change in the April 7 game in Chicago, and B.J. Upton was grumbling about former teammate Edwin Jackson throwing another dazzling game at them.

"B.J. was like, 'Man, sweet trade. Why did we trade Edwin?'" said Joyce, who just happened to be the player they got for Jackson in the December 2008 deal with Detroit. "I was like, 'Wow, man, thank you very much for that. I'm going to go walk to rightfield now and be by myself.'"

Upton quickly realized his faux pas, but Joyce didn't need an apology. "I thought it was one of those funny moments."

Besides, the way it's been going since, Joyce is the one people should be asking about.

The 26-year-old Tampa native sits atop the major leagues in hitting with a stunning .367 average, and is third with an equally impressive 1.071 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), turning what started as a hot streak into a month-long showcase. In his last 25 games, the left-handed hitter has hit a torrid .429 with 15 extra base hits (including all eight of his homers) and 22 RBIs.

"I'm trying to ride it as long as I can," Joyce said. "A lot of hits have fallen. Some bloop hits have fallen, and some line drives have been caught. I can't control whether or not they fall. You just try to have good at-bats. ... At least I can tell my grandkids that I led the major leagues in hitting for a little bit."

Joyce said he doesn't pay much attention to the stat sheet, joking that his father, Matt, does it enough for both of them. "The fact that he's not texting as much as he usually does is worrying me," he said.

Joyce probably isn't going to stay up among the elite, since he's considered more likely to hit for power than average. But with the changes he has made from last season, and even the adjustments after his 1-for-20 start this season, the Rays aren't putting limits on anything.

Some alterations are obvious: He is keeping the barrel of the bat in the hitting zone longer, and he is making a concerted effort to use the whole field, resulting in a number of line drives to leftfield for hits he didn't used to get.

Others are less so. He says he is more relaxed and has reduced the pressure he put on himself during the slow start after a talking-to by manager Joe Maddon. And his confidence, which is a key part of his approach, grew when he started having some success.

Also, he bought into hitting coach Derek Shelton's plea for consistency.

"Sometimes in the past, when things didn't go his way, he'd want to change something," Shelton said. "I think he's matured. Now in our daily conversations we're talking about being as consistent as possible. ... The biggest thing with him from last year to this year is just the consistency."

The one thing missing has been success against lefthanded pitchers. This season his is hitting .190 average (4-for-21) against lefties (compared to an MLB-best .397 vs. righthanders) and is .167 (12-for-72) for his career, with one of his 33 home runs.

There's plenty of debate over whether Joyce's success is a result of not facing many lefties, or a reason that he should get to see more. But since Maddon controls the lineup card, his opinion counts most. And he isn't ready to turn Joyce loose yet, saying only that he'll let him face lefties whose profile creates a favorable matchup.

"Right now it's working so well with him the way it's going, why mess with it?" Maddon said. "I can say with certainty, if he was playing against lefties he wouldn't be leading the league in hitting right now."

This week's return to Detroit provided a good measure of how far Joyce has come. The Tigers made the deal at the time because they had other young outfielders and wanted Jackson, who they got 13 wins out of in 2009 and then traded in a three-team deal that netted them Austin Jackson and Max Scherzer among others.

They still claim they knew what they were giving up.

"We always thought he'd be a really good hitter with power," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said of Joyce. "He's doing very, very well. Good for him. He's a good kid. He's got a real sweet swing. And he's got a loud sounding bat. He always has. He's a good outfielder too. He's just a good-looking player."

By now, even Upton has noticed.

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com


NCAA president Mark Emmert navigates many challenges in college sports

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, May 26, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — ESPN analyst Desmond Howard compared NCAA president Mark Emmert to President Barack Obama Thursday, saying that he has inherited a multitude of high-profile problems at "probably the worst time in the history of college sports."

Speaking at the Black Coaches and Administrators convention at the Renaissance Vinoy, Howard lauded Emmert who's dealing with ongoing investigations about major NCAA violations at Ohio State, and Auburn won its national championship amid concerns surrounding the recruitment of Heisman Trophy winner Cameron Newton. There has been a $1 million fine levied against the Fiesta Bowl, whose CEO had to resign amid controversy.

Howard had the first question during a Q&A session with Emmert, and he was blunt: "What have you seen that made you shake your head in sadness, and how do you correct what you've seen?"

"This is the hardest part: You quickly realize that you cannot write enough rules, you cannot hire enough enforcement people, you cannot have enough cops on the street to get people who are bound and determined to be wicked to be otherwise," Emmert said. "At some point, our success in college athletics depends upon our collective goodwill. It requires us to remember why we do this."

Emmert has spent decades as a college administrator, so he has ample experience with the temptations facing college coaches wanting to do everything they can to build a winning program.

"I'm not naive about the pressures. I know it full well," he said. "Dealing with those pressures in a forthright, honest way is one thing. Kind of sliding over to the dark side is another. If you get over there, we don't have enough rules to prevent somebody who really wants to take advantage of kids, or take advantage of the system or be self-serving, all the things our parents taught us not to be. If you go over in that direction, that's saddening, because there's not a lot anyone of us can do to reel that person back in. You just have to find those people and weed them out. Just say, 'You can't be part of this anymore. Your values don't match up with us. Just go away. Do something else for a living, but you can't be near our kids."

Emmert addressed many topics Thursday, including:

The need to properly educate student-athletes on the realistic chances of their making a living from the sport after college:

"Young men and women have grossly unrealistic expectations of what's waiting for them in the world. Think of this statistic for a minute. We got this data this year. Half the men playing Division II basketball — 50 percent — believe they are going to make a living playing professional basketball. Division II. The truth is, I don't know, half of 1 percent? The fact that they love basketball is wonderful. We want them to love their sport, have a great experience. For that half of 1 percent ... we want them to reach for the stars and live their dream. But the other 99.95 percent, whatever the number is, we want them to get a great education and develop as young men, to become teachers and doctors and lawyers and citizens and moms and dads. We want to make sure students ... use their sport as a vehicle to develop the skills and abilities to be successful in life."

The huge amount of money that comes into NCAA schools for the benefit of college athletes:

"We will provide $2 billion — with a B — in scholarships to student-athletes this year alone through intercollegiate athletics. More scholarship money in athletics than anything other than the federal government, which is very impressive. Having that money to support college athletes is great. But along with that come opportunities for all kinds of bad behavior. This is the history of economy. When there is opportunity for wealth, people occasionally do stupid things, sometimes just plain wicked things. ... We have to make sure we have our incentives and our values lined up right and we have to remind ourselves of those values all the time."

Elite 11-under team is champ

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Thursday, May 26, 2011

Last week seemed to be a big one for championships in our area. Pinellas County teams brought home soccer, baseball and basketball state championships.

The West Florida Elite 11-under baseball team won the USSSA boys Florida State Championship May 21-22 in Kissimmee. The team was 6-0 in the tournament and defeated the Daytona Stingrays 8-3 in the championship game. The team is made up of boys ages 9-11 from East Lake and Trinity areas. It also won the USSSA 11-under national championship last fall in Leesburg. Team members are Jon Jon Kostantis, Zach Henderson, Brenden Gerlach, LJ Pratt, Justin Koehler, Colin Wray, Tyler Odak, Kam Volchko, Connor Marley, Logan Ganoe, Derick Stager and Reece Marley.

The 10th-grade Suncoast Basketball Club of Clearwater won the Grade DI state championship last week in Clearwater. The team was 4-0 in the tournament. Team members are Kayla Kivinski, Rachel Boyette, Kaylin Ingram, Neena Pacholke, Reggine Brown and Jamie Appelt. Coaches are Jim Appelt and Aaron Pacholke.

And then there's the Oldsmar Legends under-13 girls soccer team. It qualified for the Florida Youth Soccer Association State Cup final four May 21-22 in Auburndale despite having only 11 players and a losing record in the regular season. After defeating Jacksonville 2-1 in the semifinal, Oldsmar faced Ponte Vedra in the final. Oldsmar won 1-0 to claim the championship. Team members are Allyssa Woodring, Savannah Plentovich, Lauren Dodge, Carly Plentovich, Emily Cady, Elisha Holmes, Abby Harkins, KB Weimer, Kai Greenless, Katie Ernst, Molly Geier, Francesca Mascali and Kathryn Huapaya.

Tennis

In keeping with state championship theme, Pinellas County (Clearwater) won the women's 4.0 championship in Daytona Beach on May 25, defeating Orange/Seminole counties 2-1 in the final. The Pinellas squad was captained by Anne Pulley. Teammates are Debbie Dawson, Sally Marshall, Henriette Skoczen, Nancy Bahls, Leslie Godwin, Deborah McCleery, Marion Murch, Ann Worthington, Sharon Carlile and Sandy Martin. The team advances to the USTA League Senior 3.0 and 4.0 national championships in Rancho Mirage, Calif., on Oct. 14-16.

• St. Petersburg's Danielle Collins continues to add to her junior tournament resume. She won the ITF Junior 18-and-under tournament in Fort Lauderdale by defeating Allie Kiick 6-0, 6-2 in the singles final. Collins lost only one set in the tournament. Last week, Collins won two golf balls at the Women's Supernational, also in Fort Lauderdale. She won her singles final 6-3, 6-1 over Sherry Li. In mixed doubles, she teamed with Tampa's Kent Wright to win the championship.

Golf

The County Golf Association held an individual tournament May 19 at Seminole Lake CC. The regular division gross winner was John Lisenbee, who shot 72. The regular division net winner was Mike Zehnder, who shot 60. The senior gross winner was Mark Wheaton, who shot 65. The senior net winner was George Leone, who shot 61.

The CGA's better ball tournament was held May 23 at Isla Del Sol. The regular division gross winners were John Ladd and George Leone, who shot 69. The senior division gross winners were Bobby Kilgore and Mark Wheaton, who shot 66. The overall net winners were Walter Durrett and Bob Lent, who shot 60. The ladies net winners were Karen Engle and Linda Bryan, who shot 66.

Gymnastics

The Gold Medal Gym in Pinellas Park competed in the AAU spring state championships in Tampa on May 7-8. Level 3 winners were Wynn Bryant (vault, bars, overall) and Kira Minor (beam). Level 4 winners were Hannah McAuliffe (beam, floor), Tiffany Bare (vault) and Meghan Hashem (floor). Level 7 winner was Teresa Petroski (beam).

• The Tampa Bay Turners of St. Petersburg competed in the Prep-Op Regional Championship meet April 29-May 1. Winners were Bonnie Barber (beam, all-around), Monica Coundouriotis (vault, all-around), Mina Kim (vault, bars, floor, all-around), Casey McLaughlin (bars, floor) and Melissa Morgan (beam, all-around).

Basketball

The Masters Basketball Association's National Senior Championship was held May 9-14 in Coral Springs. The winning team in the 45-over group was Gulfshore Sports, which defeated South Florida Elite in triple overtime. Two local players were on that team, Jeff Hadden and D.J. Jackson, both of Clearwater.

Bowling

The Gulf Coast USBC Open City Championship was May 14-15 Twedt's Lanes in Seminole. The winning team with a score of 2,905 was Chris Swenton, Timothy Gnauck, James Billera and Jason Krzyzanowski. Doubles winners were April Lewis and Joe Le and Casey Whitlock and Jacob Leach, who rolled 1,494. The singles winner was Jacob Leach, who rolled a 2,386.

Tampa Bay Rays struggle to score, win at home

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, May 26, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Not that much is different about the place. The new AstroTurf is a little bit slower, and the crowds have been down nearly 20 percent from last year, though that's a relative decrease anyway.

Otherwise, Tropicana Field is still pretty much the same. It just hasn't been much of a homefield advantage. After posting a major-league-best-matching 158-85 record the past three seasons (.656 winning percentage), the Rays are 11-13 under the tilted roof this season.

The dropoff stems from a staggering lack of offense. They average nearly three full runs fewer per game at home (2.88) than on the road (5.52), and a full run less than opponents are averaging (3.83) at the Trop.

The problem is the Rays don't know why.

"I have no idea; I honestly don't," manager Joe Maddon said. "I think it speaks to offense in general, but I don't know why it's even less there. … I have no good understanding of why we've done so poorly offensively there."

For the record, Maddon said the turf isn't the issue. And "it has nothing to do with" attendance, "because we've had some good crowds that we haven't played well in front of, too."

The Rays' average crowd of 18,021 is 28th among the majors' 30 teams and down 19.6 percent from the same point last season, though they had six games against the Yankees and Red Sox then, compared with two this season.

But, Maddon said, "for whatever reason, we have just not been as energized (at the Trop) as we have in the past. And we need to be."

KING DAVID: Ace LHP David Price takes the mound tonight against the Indians looking for a turnaround after a pair of disappointing starts that resulted in a no-decision against the Yankees and a loss to the Marlins.

"I've just got to get that feeling back, to go out there and feel like I'm in complete control of the baseball game," he said. "Once I do that … things will start to click again and we'll get those positive results."

The necessary adjustment, he said, is more mental than physical.

INDIAN SUMMER? Maddon is among those believing the Indians, who come to the Trop tonight with a majors-best 30-17 record, are for real. He raves about their stars — SS Asdrubal Cabrera, RF Shin-Soo Choo and C Carlos Santana admires veterans 2B Orlando Cabrera, CF Grady Sizemore and DH Travis Hafner (on the disabled list), and praises what he considers an "okay" rotation.

But his prediction comes with a caution: "They're going to hit like a really nasty moment at some point. Nothing's gone wrong. Something will go wrong, and then we'll see what they've got. But I like them."

MISCELLANY: Today is the rededication of the Big Game James Club, a suite sponsored by RHP James Shields and his wife, Ryane, to host foster children, in cooperation with Eckerd Youth Alternatives. … Tonight the Rays can extend their major-league-record string of games without multiple errors to 50. … With the offense struggling, Maddon seems likely to give Sean Rodriguez more playing time at shortstop than Reid Brignac. … There will be a postgame concert Saturday by pop singer Avril Lavigne.

Tampa Bay Rays news and notes: Not so hot at Trop; Stuart Sternberg's owners ranking

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, May 26, 2011

Rays vs. Indians

When/where: 7:10 tonight, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

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

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

Promotion: James Shields "Juego G" T-shirt to first 10,000 fans.

Starting pitchers:

Rays

LH David Price (5-4, 3.89)

Indians

RH Josh Tomlin (6-1, 2.41)

Watch for ...

Price check: Winless in his past two starts, Price has had success vs. Cleveland, winning May 11 and winning his past three against them with a 2.14 ERA. He is one of three lefties to beat the Indians this year.

No Joshing: Tomlin, a 19th-round draft pick in 2006 who made his big-league debut in July, has quickly become one of the American League's top pitchers, allowing only a .182 batting average. He got a no-decision against the Rays on May 10, allowing three runs over six innings in a 5-4 Cleveland win.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Tomlin

Johnny Damon 2-for-3

Matt Joyce 2-for-3, HR

Casey Kotchman 2-for-6

Indians vs. Price

Asdrubal Cabrera 1-for-7

Shin-Soo Choo 2-for-10

Austin Kearns 1-for-12

On deck

Saturday: vs. Indians, 4:10; Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (5-2, 2.00); Indians — Carlos Carrasco (3-2, 5.16)

Sunday: vs. Indians, 1:40; Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (5-3, 3.14); Indians — Justin Masterson (5-2, 2.50)

Monday: vs. Rangers, 6:40; Sun Sports. Rays — Wade Davis (4-4, 3.71); Rangers — Derek Holland (3-1, 4.68)

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Home, sweet home

Tropicana Field hasn't been much of a homefield advantage, based on the difference between the Rays' offense numbers home and away, with rank in majors:

W-L Avg. Rk. R/G Rk. OBP Rk. Slg. Rk.

Home 11-13 .224 28 2.88 28 .289 27 .369 22

Road 15-10 .258 8 5.52 3 .327 9 .419 4

Ranking of the day

5 Rank of Rays' Stuart Sternberg, right, among owners, by ESPN's Jim Caple. The top four: Boston's John Henry, Texas' Nolan Ryan, the Angels' Arte Moreno, New York's Steinbrenners.

Dr. Remote

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By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, May 26, 2011

Lightning at Bruins: 8 p.m. on Versus. One game for a berth in the Stanley Cup final.

Friday Night Fights: 9 p.m. on ESPN2. The always entertaining Chris Arreola (31-2, 27 knockouts) and Tony Thompson (35-2, 23 knockouts) are featured in co-main events. Also, Bernard Hopkins will be in studio to talk about last week's victory against Jean Pascal.

Tonight Show With Jay Leno: 11:35 p.m. on Ch. 8. Bengals linebacker and Travel Channel host Dhani Jones is one of the scheduled guests.

He wrote it

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Times wires
Thursday, May 26, 2011

He wrote it

"When black men degrade gays, we are hypocrites. We cheapen our own history and struggles. It remains stunning to me why more African-American athletes don't understand this. When a slur is aimed at us, we feel the impact. So why wouldn't gays?"

Mike Freeman, Sportsline.com columnist, who is African-American, writing about NBA stars and African-Americans Kobe Bryant and Joakim Noah being fined for using gay slurs during games

He said it

"I was thinking, 'If the world had ended on Saturday the way it was supposed to, we wouldn't have to deal with these issues.' "

Sandy Alderson, Mets GM, on rumors the team will have to slash payroll by $40 million next season

Up next for Tampa Bay Rays: Cleveland Indians

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, May 26, 2011

. UP NEXT

vs. Indians

Tonight-Sunday

What's new: The Indians continue to be the biggest surprise in baseball, riding a better-than-you-think offense, a power-armed bullpen and an unheralded rotation to the best record in the majors. DH Travis Hafner (strained oblique) went on the disabled list last week, but they are expected to get CF Grady Sizemore (right knee bruise) back this weekend. SS Asdrubal Cabrera has emerged as one of the league's best all-around players, and OF Shin-Soo Choo and C Carlos Santana are special, too. 2B Orlando Cabrera adds presence and attitude.

Key stat: Cabrera has 10 home runs in 193 at-bats this season; he had 18 in his first 1,412 over his first four seasons.

Connections: Rays C Kelly Shoppach and 1B coach George Hendrick played for the Indians; hitting coach Derek Shelton was a coach. … Indians RHP Mitch Talbot was acquired from the Rays for Shoppach. … closer Chris Perez is from Bradenton, 1B Matt LaPorta from Port Charlotte.

Series history: Indians lead 68-40 overall, 28-24 at the Trop.

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer


Infielder answers late call to pitch 19th for Phillies

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Times wires
Thursday, May 26, 2011

PHILADELPHIA — Wilson Valdez has a new career as a late-inning reliever. Really, really late.

Valdez shifted from second base and wound up as the winning pitcher when the Phillies needed 19 innings to outlast the Reds 5-4 early Thursday.

In front of a dwindling crowd at Citizens Bank Park, Raul Ibanez hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to decide the longest major-league game this season. It ended at 1:19 a.m. local time after 6 hours, 11 minutes.

"I can go for three more, four more (innings). Whatever," Valdez said in the locker room.

Valdez, 33, threw a hitless 19th inning in his first professional pitching appearance.

The first batter he faced was Joey Votto, and the reigning National League MVP flied out to deep center.

Valdez hit 90 mph on a fastball to Votto. He shook off catcher Dane Sardinha.

The infielder became the first position player to earn a win since Colorado catcher Brent Mayne went one inning to beat the Braves on Aug. 22, 2000, Stats LLC said.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard put his mitt over his face to hide his smile when Valdez shook off his catcher.

"I was like, 'What is he going to throw? What does he have?' " Howard said. "It was funny, but he got it done."

Valdez hit Scott Rolen, but then retired Jay Bruce on a fly ball and got reliever Carlos Fisher on a popup.

Up next races on major auto racing circuits

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Times wires
Thursday, May 26, 2011

IndyCar

What: Indianapolis 500

When/where: Today, Carb Day, including Firestone Freedom 100 Indy Lights race (Versus, 11 a.m.); Sunday, race (Ch. 28, noon); Indianapolis

Fast facts: Alex Tagliani became the first Canadian to earn the pole, topping the field with a four-lap average of 227.472 mph for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Chip Ganassi's Scott Dixon, the 2008 winner, qualified second, and Oriol Servia completed the front row. … Defending champ Dario Franchitti qualified ninth. Helio Castroneves, the winner in 2000, 2001 and 2009, was 16th.

Standings: 1. Will Power, 168; 2. Franchitti, 154; 3. Servia, 110; 4. Mike Conway, 102; 5. Ryan Briscoe, 101; 6. Tony Kanaan, 99; 7. Tagliani, 85; 8. Dixon, 84; 9. Graham Rahal, 82; 10. Takuma Sato, 80

Sprint Cup

What: Coca-Cola 600

When/where: Saturday, practice (Speed, 11:30 a.m.); Sunday, race (Ch. 13, 6 p.m.); Concord, N.C.

Fast facts: Five-time defending series champ Jimmie Johnson has six Charlotte victories. He won five times in a six-race stretch at the track — taking the 2003 Coca-Cola 600 and sweeping the spring and fall races in 2004 and 2005 — and also won the 2009 fall race. … Jeff Gordon won the 1994 race for his first victory. He also won in 1997 and 1998. … Darrell Waltrip won the race a record five times.

Standings: 1. Carl Edwards, 416; 2. Johnson, 392; 3. Kyle Busch, 379; 4. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 364; 5. Kevin Harvick, 362; 6. Matt Kenseth, 342; 7. Ryan Newman, 340; 8. Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch, 336; 10. Tony Stewart, 328

Nationwide

What: Top Gear 300

When/where: Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 10 a.m.), race (Ch. 28, 2:30 p.m.); Concord, N.C.

Fast facts: Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula One champion, is making his series debut. He was 15th last week at the track in his first trucks start.

Standings: 1. Elliott Sadler, 418; 2. Reed Sorenson, 411; 3. Ricky Stenhouse, 410; 4. Justin Allgaier, 398; 5. Jason Leffler, 375

Formula One

What: Monaco Grand Prix

When/where: Saturday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 8 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speed, 8 a.m.); Monte Carlo

Standings: 1. Sebastian Vettel, 118; 2. Lewis Hamilton, 77; 3. Mark Webber, 67; 4. Jenson Button, 61; 5. Fernando Alonso, 51

Trucks

Next: O'Reilly Auto Parts 250, June 4, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City

Standings: 1. Cole Whitt, 260; 2. Johnny Sauter, 259; 3. Ron Hornaday, 257; 4. Matt Crafton, 243; 5. Austin Dillon, 240

NHRA

Next: Supernationals, June 2-5, Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, N.J.

Standings: Top Fuel — 1. Del Worsham, 613; 2. Tony Schu­macher, 534. Funny Car — 1. Mike Neff, 593; 2. Jack Beckman, 557. Pro Stock — 1. Jason Line, 578; 2. Greg Anderson, 537

Phillies 10, Reds 4

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Times wires
Thursday, May 26, 2011

PHILADELPHIA — Pitcher Cliff Lee drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double and a single, and worked eight effective innings, leading the Phillies to a 10-4 win over the Reds on Thursday afternoon.

"He has a strong swing," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "When you can swing the bat, it means a lot. You can really help yourself."

Lee helped himself in the series finale after Wednesday's 19-inning game that ended at 1:19 a.m., after 600 total pitches.

Raul Ibanez hit a three-run homer for the Phillies, who took three of four from the Reds.

With the score tied at 4, the Phillies loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth against Daryl Thompson. After a walk, Lee huddled briefly with Manuel to discuss a strategy that went something like "get a hit."

Lee hit a first-pitch ground-rule double that bounced over the fence in center.

"First-pitch fastball," Lee said. "I was looking for something out over the plate that I could put a good swing on."

An inning later, Lee hit an RBI single, becoming the first Phillies pitcher to drive in three runs since Cory Lidle on Sept. 4, 2004, against the Mets.

Orioles 6, Royals 5, 12 innings

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Times wires
Thursday, May 26, 2011

Orioles 6, Royals 5

12 innings

BALTIMORE — Vladimir Guerrero singled in Robert Andino in the 12th to give Baltimore its season-high fifth straight victory. Nolan Reimold had four hits, including two homers for the Orioles, who are back at .500. "We've got a little win streak going, so it feels very good," Reimold said.

Overton opens without bogey

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Times wires
Thursday, May 26, 2011

IRVING, Texas — When the par putt dropped for Jeff Overton on the second hole early in the Byron Nelson Championship, things suddenly seemed to be going in the right direction for him again.

"That broke a lot, and I thought I missed it, and it actually went in," Overton said about the 10-footer on the 220-yard par 3. "And next thing, I was able to hit a lot of great shots and strike out early. I never had a chance of making bogey from there. "

Overton went on to a bogey-free 6-under 64 Thursday to take the first-round lead, a stroke better than Ryan Palmer.

After that breaker on No. 2, Overton made consecutive birdies. He started his back nine with four birdies in seven holes for his best score in 15 career rounds at this tournament.

Among his three runnerup finishes last season, when Overton was on the Ryder Cup team, was at this event.

"It's nice having confidence because of last year," Overton said. "I knew I played well. I just wanted to keep things rolling."

Sergio Garcia, who withdrew from a British Open qualifier this week and didn't play a practice round at TPC Four Seasons because of an infected fingernail on his left hand, was in a group of nine players two strokes back after opening 66s.

Garcia's finger was so sore a few days ago that he thought he might not even be to play.

How about this for a cure: atibiotic cream, draining the infection, seeing the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie and an opening eagle.

"It's funny how golf is sometimes. Yeah, rarely practice at all, and then we get there," Garcia said about holing a sand wedge from 116 yards on his first hole, the 418-yard 10th. "I hit it, and I saw guys on the green saying 'In,' and I thought, 'Perfect!' I couldn't have started in a better way."

Dustin Johnson, who played with Garcia, was in the group at 66 along with Jeff Quinney, Scott Piercy, Will Strickler, Chris Riley, Josh Teater, Joe Ogilvie and Keegan Bradley.

Champions: Japan's Kiyoshi Murota surprised even himself by shooting 6-under 66 to grab the first-round lead in the weather-plagued Senior PGA Championship in Louisville, Ky.

After a 90-minute delay at the start of the round and a later suspension of play that lasted more than three hours, half the field was still on the course when darkness fell. Those 78 players will hit Valhalla Golf Club early today to complete the first round.

Murota had a one-shot edge on alternate Trevor Dodds, with former Masters and British Open winner Mark O'Meara another stroke back after 68. Tom Watson shot 70.

European: Luke Donald shot 7-under 64 to take the lead in the suspended first round of the BMW PGA Championship, leaving him eight strokes ahead of No. 1 Lee Westwood in their battle for the top spot in the world ranking. Donald mastered the wet, windy conditions on Wentworth's West Course in Virginia Water, England, to match his lowest tour round. He had five birdies in a seven-hole stretch and finished with eight birdies and a bogey. The second-ranked Englishman needs to outperform Westwood to take the top spot.

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