Thursday, June 9, 2011

OAKLAND, Calif. — With his banged-up team mired in a nine-game skid, A's GM Billy Beane believed he had no other choice than to make a change.

So Thursday, Oakland fired a manager during the season for the first time in a quarter-century, letting Bob Geren go after four-plus seasons and bringing in former Arizona and Seattle manager Bob Melvin for at the least the rest of the season.

"It got to the point where the emphasis was on the status of the manager on a daily basis and no longer on the field," Beane said. "When that starts to happen, you need to shift the focus to what's really important, which is performance."

Geren, who was unavailable for comment, went 334-376, including 27-36 this season.

The A's are last in the AL with 223 runs and have four starting pitchers on the DL, including a season-ending shoulder injury for Dallas Braden. They also were without injured All-Star closer Andrew Bailey for the first two months.

Melvin, a Bay Area native, went 493-508 in seven seasons in Seattle and Arizona, leading Arizona to a division title in 2007.

"It's a dream come true," he said. "This doesn't happen very often in baseball; where you literally get to come home in the capacity that I do."

Geren came under criticism from his bullpen in recent weeks for a lack of communication with reliever Brian Fuentes, and former Oakland closer Huston Street publicly criticized him.

"I can't say it was a surprise," Fuentes said. "Regardless … when things don't go well, there are always moves that are made."

This is the first time the A's have fired a manager during the season since getting rid of Jackie Moore in 1986. Jeff Newman took over for 10 games before Tony La Russa was brought in to start a run that included four division titles, three World Series berths and the 1989 title.

Yankees reliever likely needs major surgery

NEW YORK — Yankees RH reliever Joba Chamberlain has a torn ligament in his right elbow. He likely will require ligament replacement surgery (also known as Tommy John surgery), which could keep him out for all of next season. But a final decision hasn't been made, and there is no timetable to do so.

A test Thursday revealed the tear. It came a day after Chamberlain went on the DL with a stiff elbow. But Chamberlain and the Yankees said they had no idea the injury was so severe. Chamberlain said he was "kind of in shock" and shed a few tears. He added he didn't know how or when he hurt himself.

"I know I can get surgery and get it fixed," he said.

Indians: DH Travis Hafner is set to take batting practice today for the first time since going on the DL with a strained side muscle on May 20. If it goes well, a rehab stint will come soon after.

Marlins: Eduardo Perez left his job as an ESPN analyst to become hitting coach. Perez played at Florida State then 13 seasons in the majors, including 2004-05 with the Rays. He replaces John Mallee, who was fired Wednesday.

Mets: Manager Terry Collins said he will sit LF Jason Bay for at least two games to help him end a hitless streak that has reached a career-high 23 at-bats. Overall, Bay, 32, is hitting .207 with two homers and 10 RBIs.

Pirates: C Chris Snyder went on the DL with a herniated disc and is set for surgery today.

Red Sox: An exam found 2B Dustin Pedroia has a bone bruise on his right kneecap, but he is expected to play tonight.

Royals: 3B Mike Moustakas, considered one of the top prospects in baseball, was called up and is set to start tonight. The second overall pick in 2007 was hitting .287 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs at Triple A.

Twins: CF Denard Span was out of the lineup for the fifth time in six games because of whiplash from a home-plate collision last week. Span, a graduate of Tampa Catholic, said his dizziness has subsided but the pain remains.

Times wires
Thursday, June 9, 2011

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The attorney for former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor said Thursday that Pryor turned down a chance to play in the Canadian Football League and is focusing on being selected by an NFL team this summer.

"He's definitely looking at the supplemental draft," Larry James said.

"Some time ago I put up a top-100 list (for the 2012 draft) and I had Pryor right around 100 on that list," said Gil Brandt, an NFL draft analyst and former general manager of the Cowboys. "And that was before all of this came to fruition."

The "all of this" Brandt was referring to are the problems at Ohio State: coach Jim Tressel's forced resignation, an ongoing and all-encompassing NCAA probe and, on Tuesday night, Pryor's announcement that he wouldn't return to school and play his senior season.

Pryor, the nation's No. 1 quarterback recruit when he signed in 2008, had already been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season for trading autographs and memorabilia for cash and discounted tattoos. The NCAA also is looking into the cars Pryor has owned or was loaned while at Ohio State. Investigators left campus last week, president Gordon Gee says, but the probe will continue ahead of an Aug. 12 meeting between OSU officials and the NCAA's committee on infractions.

James said that, since Pryor is no longer a student, he felt no compunction to speak with investigators anymore.

"They're not going to give him or any other student-athlete any due process rights to speak of, so he's moved on," James said.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders, who held Pryor's Canadian Football League negotiating rights, made a play for him Wednesday. Pryor turned down the Roughriders and the CFL on Thursday morning.

To get into a supplemental draft, Pryor would have to petition the NFL for entry. Pryor won a lot at Ohio State but was never selected first-team All-Big Ten and has questions about his passing ability, leadership qualities and dedication.

"I would be surprised if somebody took him before the fifth round in a supplemental draft," said ESPN college-football analyst Chris Spielman, a former All-American linebacker at Ohio State who played 11 years in the NFL. "You'll maybe have an opportunity to grow into the job. Right now, he's not close."

bush heisman: Reggie Bush's copy of his 2005 Heisman Trophy is in the possession of a San Diego sports museum, but not on display. Angela LaChica, a vice president at the San Diego Hall of Champions, says the hall received the trophy from the family in March but never displayed it and now is in the process of getting it back in the hands of Bush's family. The Heisman Trust no longer recognizes Bush as the winner of the award.

tennessee: The university will merge the men's and women's athletics departments and longtime women's AD Joan Cronan will be interim director. She was named the interim vice chancellor and director of athletics, overseeing all sports, and will be responsible for hiring a baseball coach. She has been an athletic director for 38 years and Tennessee's women's director for 28 and will be the first woman to manage men's and women's athletic programs in the SEC. In other news, coach Derek Dooley dismissed defensive tackle Montori Hughes for unspecified reasons.

swac ban: The Southwestern Athletic Conference voted to ban Jackson State and Southern from competing in the league's 2011 football championship game because of low APR scores.

track: Sophomore Jeremy Postin earned UF's first All-America honor in the men's hammer throw and junior distance runner Genevieve LaCaze broke her own school record in the women's steeplechase (10:04.68) on the second day of the NCAA outdoor championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Basketball: Former Arizona point guard Momo Jones will transfer to Iona, according to several reports. … North Carolina State transfer Ryan Harrow enrolled at Kentucky for summer classes. He will sit out this season, and coach John Calipari said he expects Harrow to be a "major contributor" in 2012.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 9, 2011

GAINESVILLE — About 29½ hours after Holly Palmeter and her 11-year-old grandson, Alexander Ruhe, arrived at the Butler Plaza Walmart in Gainesville on Wednesday afternoon, Alexander found himself face to face with one of his favorite athletes — Tim Tebow.

Ruhe was wearing a navy Denver Broncos jersey with the No. 15 emblazoned in white and carrying a copy of Tebow's new book, Through My Eyes.

"I like the jersey," Tebow told him.

And that made the wait well worth it.

Palmeter of Hudson was among several hundred fans who lined up early Wednesday to buy a copy of Tebow's book and be among the 600 who would receive autographs from the former Gator quarterback.

"I didn't care if I had to wait a week for that man," Palmeter said. "He's an inspiration. My grandson's going to be in middle school, and he's got a good role model in Tim. His book is wonderful. I've started reading it — at midnight we all got two copies. I'm a longtime Gator fan. It was well worth it."

Tebow arrived at the Walmart about 6:03 p.m. Thursday and was scheduled to sign books until 8. Earlier in the afternoon, Walmart roped off a section of the store for fans awaiting Tebow's arrival. By 5:45, the parking lot was packed, fans were jammed in the store, and more than 1,000 books had been sold.

"The first person arrived around 10:30 a.m. (Wednesday), and we didn't begin selling the book until midnight," said Frank Bradley, a Walmart employee who spoke before management stopped the interview, saying the corporate office would not allow reporters to speak to anyone in the store. "Everybody in by 3:25 was guaranteed a signed book. They stayed all night, and the line has been growing ever since."

Marian Walmsley worked 32 hours straight to make sure she could get the day off at the Department of Corrections. She arrived at 4:20 p.m. Wednesday to begin her wait. She has about 2,000 photos of Tebow, including some from his visits to inmates at the DOC. But she was willing to wait all night to be around the former Heisman Trophy winner once again.

"I'm the 12th person in line," she said. "He's such a role model. He's not just a great athlete, it's his leadership, determination and willpower. Anything he can do to help anybody he goes above and beyond."

Not everyone found the experience pleasant. Many fans weren't aware they would have to spend the night in line to get the book. They expected to receive a number or wrist band to return later and get their autographs.

Darian Williams convinced her friend to go early Wednesday, but she was among those who didn't know she'd have to stay.

Palmeter said Walmart officials did all they could, including handing out drinks and other refreshments. "They were wonderful to us," she said.

Andrew Arrington waited 24 hours for Tebow's autograph, and while he was thrilled to have it, he said there were a few problems.

"I'm just a big Gator fan," he said. "I've been wanting his autograph for years, and for years I've been trying to get it. But at the very beginning it was chaos, I don't think it was very well planned. But it got a lot better. (Thursday), I don't know what time, but they finally started giving us wristbands after us begging for an entire night. I knew, but a lot of people didn't know they had to stay all night. It was a long night but definitely worth it."

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

"I didn't care if I had to wait a week for that man. He's an inspiration. My grandson's going to be in middle school and he's got a good role model in Tim. His book is wonderful. I've started reading it — at midnight we all got two copies. I'm a longtime Gator fan. It was well worth it."

Holly Palmeter of Hudson

Times wires
Thursday, June 9, 2011

Royals 3, Blue Jays 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jeff Francoeur hit a two-run single and Luke Hochevar won for the first time in seven starts despite a shaky ninth by Royals closer Joakim Soria. Hochevar, who had been winless since May 1, did not give up a home run for the fourth consecutive start after allowing 13 over his first 10. Soria, reclaiming the closer role he lost May 30 after consecutive blown saves, loaded the bases with two outs. But he got Corey Patterson to pop out, giving Kansas City just its fifth win in 19 games.

Times wires
Thursday, June 9, 2011

MIAMI — Jair Jurrjens threw seven innings and drove in a run as the Braves handed the Marlins their eighth straight loss, 3-2 on Thursday.

It was Atlanta's first sweep in Miami since May 2-4, 1995.

The eight-game skid is Florida's longest since Aug. 15-22, 2007.

Jurrjens, the league leader in ERA at 1.82, threw 61 of his 87 pitches for strikes and struck out two.

Florida's Chris Volstad had a no-hitter entering the sixth and had retired 10 in a row. But Matt Young opened the sixth with a 75-foot dribbler down the first-base line. The ball traced the line as catcher John Buck raced toward it. He let it run its course until it stopped in fair territory on the dirt.

Young scored three batters later on Alex Gonzalez's double off the leftfield wall.

Volstad unraveled in the seventh, allowing four hits, walking a batter and throwing a wild pitch. One hit was a single by Jurrjens that made it 3-0 and chased Volstad.

Times wires
Thursday, June 9, 2011

DETROIT — After arriving home from Texas at 4 a.m., the Tigers were battling fatigue. Luckily for them, Justin Verlander made sure they didn't have much to do Thursday.

Verlander allowed one run over eight innings as Detroit beat Seattle 4-1. Verlander pitched so quickly that the "night" game ended at dusk, the final pitch coming 2 hours, 17 minutes after the first and just 16 minutes after sunset.

"I knew I was the only guy that got a good night's sleep so I better do a good job," said Verlander, who had been sent home from the road trip earlier. "If I don't, my early flight was all for naught."

Verlander struck out a season-high 10 and is 5-0 with a 2.14 ERA over his past seven starts.

"I don't feel like this is my best run, but I feel like I'm pitching pretty well," said Verlander, who already has a no-hitter this year. "I just want to keep this momentum going."

Seattle's Brendan Ryan is just glad the Mariners won't face Verlander again this season unless both make the playoffs.

"It isn't fun facing him. It is not fun at all," Ryan said. "He's throwing 98 (mph). "He's got closer stuff, and he's got extra pitches on top of that."

Times wires
Thursday, June 9, 2011

Diamondbacks 2, Pirates 0

PITTSBURGH — Chris Young hit a two-run homer in the eighth for the Diamondbacks, who ended a three-game skid. Arizona had lost five of eight since winning 15 of 17. Reliever Micah Owings legged out a one-out infield single. Then Young pulled a 2-and-0 pitch from Chris Resop just inside the leftfield foul pole. The Pirates failed to move above .500 this late in the season for the first time in 12 years.

Times wires
Thursday, June 9, 2011

Mets 4, Brewers 1

MILWAUKEE — Jonathon Niese retired his first 11 batters and tied a career high with eight strikeouts for the Mets. New York took two of three from the team with the majors' best home record. The win came one night after New York blew a four-run, eighth-inning lead. Niese allowed only an RBI double to Prince Fielder in the fourth and singles in the seventh and eighth. Yovani Gallardo had won six in a row for Milwaukee.

Times wires
Thursday, June 9, 2011

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Former NBA All-Star Mike Mitchell, who played 10 seasons for the Cavaliers and Spurs, died Thursday after a struggle against cancer. He was 55.

The former Auburn star died in San Antonio after fighting the disease for two years, said his son, Mike Mitchell Jr.

Mr. Mitchell averaged 19.8 points and 5.6 rebounds during his career. He was an All-Star in Cleveland in 1981 and had his winningest years in San Antonio, playing alongside George Gervin and Artis Gilmore.

"We have a great deal of respect and admiration for Mike Mitchell," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "He was a good man who cared deeply about his family and the community of San Antonio."

The Spurs reached the Western Conference final in 1982 and 1983, losing to the Lakers both times.

A first-round pick in 1978, Mr. Mitchell spent 3½ seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the Spurs. He averaged 24.5 points during his one All-Star season, when the Cavaliers were among the league's worst teams.

Mr. Mitchell played more than a decade in Europe after his NBA career ended in 1988.

pacers: Players want interim coach Frank Vogel to get the full-time gig. "I'll be happy if Frank gets picked," center Roy Hibbert said. "I've been with him since I was a rookie, so I hope he gets it.'' Team president Larry Bird has praised Vogel, who appears to be the front-runner.

Pistons: The team reportedly obtained permission from the Bucks to interview assistant Kelvin Sampson for its head coaching job. Sampson has been an assistant to Bucks coach Scott Skiles since May 2008. Sampson's earlier tenure as coach at Indiana University ended in scandal.

Times wires
Thursday, June 9, 2011

DALLAS — Rick Carlisle couldn't believe what he was being asked, nor was he about to say what he really thought.

And, to think, this question he treated as if it was bordering on offensive was merely an invitation for him to brag about his own performance in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, when his series of moves involving players and strategies resulted in the Mavericks beating the Heat and evening the series at 2-2.

"Listen," Carlisle said, "the players play the game."

By the same token, coaches coach, and Carlisle has done a heck of a job all season.

He took a collection of ring-less veterans, got them committed to defense and to each other and won 57 games — despite losing second-leading score Caron Butler on Jan. 1 and getting little value from another expected starter, Rodrigue Beaubois.

He could've lost the club when they blew Game 4 of their first-round series, letting a 23-point lead slip away over the final 14 minutes in part because he refused to change the coverage on Portland's Brandon Roy. Carlisle told players he messed up and they dropped only two more games on their way to the finals, his first such trip in nine seasons as an NBA head coach.

Dallas lost Games 1 and 3, then pulled off comeback wins at the end of Games 2 and 4.

If Carlisle ever was going to toot his own horn, it would've been after ending the Lakers' two-year reign as champs and sending Phil Jackson into retirement with the first sweep of his coaching career.

"He's been great," Mavs point guard Jason Kidd said. "When you look at all the champions, their coaches have always pushed the right buttons and they've put their players in a position to win. Hopefully he keeps pushing the right buttons."

Carlisle rarely lets his guard down, often trying to figure out the motivation to questions before answering them.

When Carlisle went with a buzz-cut early this season, it took days for him to explain it to his wife. He didn't reveal it publicly until early this postseason (It's a tribute to his bald dad).

Carlisle's coaching career was most noted for his time as Bird's sidekick in Indiana, for getting the Pistons to the brink of a title before Larry Brown got them over the top, and for being in charge of the Pacers when Ron Artest started a brawl in Detroit.

Two more games like Tuesday night, and he'll have something better on his resume.

Donnie Nelson, Dallas' president of basketball operations, called Game 4 a coaching masterpiece. He said Carlisle did many things right, "most of which will not be understood or known."

NBA Finals

Mavericks 2, Heat 2

Game 1: Heat 92, Mavericks 84

Game 2: Mavericks 95, Heat 93

Game 3: Heat 88, Mavericks 86

Game 4: Mavericks 86, Heat 83

Thursday: at Dallas, late

Sunday: at Miami, 8, Ch. 28

Tuesday: at Miami, 9, Ch. 28 *

* If necessary

Times wires
Thursday, June 9, 2011

DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks finally have the lead in these ultra-close NBA Finals, and now it really is "now or never" for LeBron James and the Heat.

Nowitzki scored 29, driving for the go-ahead dunk with 2:45 remaining, and the Mavericks made 13 3-pointers to beat the Heat 112-103 Thursday night, taking a 3-2 lead.

Five years after going up 2-0 on the Heat, the Mavs can wrap up their first championship in Game 6 at Miami on Sunday.

"We're a very resilient team, you know that," said Mavs guard Jason Terry, who scored 21. "We've been in tough battles all playoffs long. It's not going to stop. It's going to get even harder. But we're ready. We're determined, and this is our time."

James, who called this game "now or never," responded from his worst playoff performance with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and Dwyane Wade battled through a sore left hip after a first-quarter collision to finish with 23 points. James had the first triple double in Heat playoff history.

They get the final two games at home, but history is against them as they try to win a title in their first season together: In the 26 previous times the Finals were tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner won 19.

"We're much better than this,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Mavs shot 60 percent through three quarters, briefly gave up the lead in the fourth, then controlled the final few minutes, just as they had in comebacks in Games 2 and 4.

This time, they got to play from ahead thanks to sizzling shooting: 56.5 percent from the field, including 13 of 19 (68 percent) from 3-point range.

"That was a big win,'' Nowitzki said. "Now we're going down there, we don't want to give this great team any hope.''

Nowitzki said he was fully recovered from a fever that he played through in Game 4.

James wrote "Now or Never!!" on his Twitter page early Thursday, later calling this the biggest game of his career.

But they feel the same urgency in Dallas, where the slogan "The Time is Now" is on those blue T-shirts that surround the court, and where the Mavs are loaded with 30-somethings — late 30s, in Jason Kidd's case — who could be on their last shot at an NBA title.

Did you know? James is the fifth player in the past 25 years to have a triple double in a losing effort in the Finals, and only Larry Bird in 1986 went on to win the title that season, according to Elias Sports Bureau. … Twelve of the 20 quarters in the Finals have been decided by two points, one point or tied, according to Elias. The average margin per quarter in the first five games is 2.7 points, the lowest in the Finals in the shot clock era:

MIAMI (103): James 8-19 1-2 17, Bosh 6-12 7-9 19, Anthony 1-1 0-0 2, Bibby 1-2 0-0 2, Wade 6-12 10-12 23, Haslem 5-8 0-0 10, Miller 3-5 0-0 9, Howard 3-3 0-0 6, Chalmers 4-6 3-3 15, House 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 37-70 21-26 103.

DALLAS (112): Marion 4-11 0-0 8, Nowitzki 9-18 10-10 29, Chandler 5-7 3-5 13, Barea 6-11 1-1 17, Kidd 4-6 2-2 13, Terry 8-12 2-2 21, Cardinal 1-1 1-2 4, Stevenson 1-2 1-2 4, Mahinmi 1-1 1-3 3. Totals 39-69 21-27 112.

Miami 31 26 22 24— 103

Dallas 30 30 24 28— 112

3-Point Goals—Miami 8-20 (Chalmers 4-6, Miller 3-4, Wade 1-2, Bibby 0-1, Bosh 0-1, House 0-2, James 0-4), Dallas 13-19 (Barea 4-5, Kidd 3-5, Terry 3-5, Cardinal 1-1, Nowitzki 1-1, Stevenson 1-2). Rebounds—Miami 42 (James, Bosh 10), Dallas 32 (Chandler 7). Assists—Miami 25 (James 10), Dallas 23 (Terry, Kidd 6). Fouls—Miami 26, Dallas 20. Technicals—Marion.

NBA Finals

Mavericks 3, Heat 2

Game 1: Heat 92, Mavericks 84

Game 2: Mavericks 95, Heat 93

Game 3: Heat 88, Mavericks 86

Game 4: Mavericks 86, Heat 83

Thursday: Mavericks 112, Heat 103

Sunday: at Miami, 8, Ch. 28

Tuesday: at Miami, 9, Ch. 28 *

* If necessary

Times wires
Thursday, June 9, 2011

Twins 5, Rangers 4

MINNEAPOLIS — Alexi Casilla's opposite-field single with two outs in the ninth lifted the Twins. The Rangers tied it in the eighth on a homer by Nelson Cruz estimated at 450 feet. Earlier, teammate Josh Hamil­ton hit a homer estimated at 441 feet. Minnesota still has the majors' worst record despite winning seven of eight.

Times wires
Thursday, June 9, 2011

White Sox 9, Athletics 4

CHICAGO — Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko hit two-run homers for the White Sox. Dunn was back in the lineup after sitting out two games because of a miserable start during which he hit . 176. He was hit by a pitch and scored during a three-run second and homered for the first time since May 24 in the third. Chicago's Mark Buehrle is 5-1 with a 3.00 ERA over his past seven starts.

Times wires
Thursday, June 9, 2011

Cardinals 9, Astros 2

HOUSTON — Daniel Descalso's two-run double highlighted the Cardinals' five-run sixth. Lance Berkman added his second homer in two nights for St. Louis. The Astros' Hunter Pence singled in the first to extend his hitting streak to 20 games.

Times wires
Friday, June 10, 2011

Cubs 4, Phillies 3

11 INNINGS

PHILADELPHIA — Tyler Colvin scored from second on a throwing error in the 11th.

Times wires
Friday, June 10, 2011

Rockies 9, Dodgers 7

DENVER — Troy Tulowitzki drove in four runs, including a tying two-run single in a five-run seventh, and the Rockies rallied. Tulowitzki delivered against Mike MacDougal then pinch-hitter Jason Giambi drew a bases-loaded walk to break a 7-7 tie.

Times wires
Friday, June 10, 2011

Padres 7, Nationals 3

SAN DIEGO — Chase Headley hit a two-run homer and Anthony Rizzo, called up from Triple A, had a triple and scored a run in his big-league debut for the Padres. Livan Hernandez has eight losses, tied for the majors' worst. He is 0-6 in his last eight starts, and 0-6 in eight road starts.

Times wires
Friday, June 10, 2011

Reds 3, Giants 0

SAN FRANCISCO — Johnny Cueto pitched seven scoreless innings, ending a four-start winless streak, and former Ray Jonny Gomes had three hits and an RBI as the Reds opened a seven-game West Coast swing with a win. Nick Masset pitched a scoreless eighth and Francisco Cordero finished the four-hitter for his 12th save in 14 chances. Miguel Tejada doubled twice, but the Giants had only two other hits and were shut out for the sixth time this season.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, June 10, 2011

Tampa Bay Rays top draft pick Taylor Guerrieri broke his nearly week-long silence since being the No. 24 pick, saying he is still "very committed" to the University of South Carolina and that signing with the Rays will be "a tough decision.''

The righthanded pitcher wouldn't say much about his past, except that there was "an incident" that led him to transfer high schools and that he has "moved on" from.

Guerrieri, 18, said he was "really excited" about being draft by the Rays, and acknowledged "we waited a little longer than we were expecting to" in being taken 24th overall, but "it worked out just fine. We' re in a good spot."

He also said that he expected the negotiatons "to be a long process'' and didn't know when talks would start.

Also, that the reason he didn't do any interviews until Friday was that he was "at the beach" with family and friends.

Among his comments:

On not doing any interviews until Friday (the draft was Monday):

"Sorry I'm just now getting back to you guys, I was at the beach with my family and friends just enjoying this whole opportunity."

On being drafted by the Rays:

"It's definitely very exciting, they have a great farm system, great young talent in the minor-league system and it's a great opportunity for me. I'm really excited about it.''

On lasting until the 24th pick given higher projections:

"We waited a little longer than we were expecting to, but it worked out just fine. We're in a good spot we feel like. So we're happy how it worked out."

On his pending decision to attend South Carolina or sign with the Rays:

"I've always pictured myself playing college baseball first before any professional baseball takes place. Huge Gamecocks fan, still very committed to Carolina. I'm looking forward to the opportunity with them too. It's going to be a tough decision.''

On speculation and questions on why he transferred from North Augusta to Spring Valley High School in October of his senior season:

"I'm not going to explain it on a public format. I had an incident. I'm moving past it, I'm actually moved past it. We just wanted to be closer to USC really, and just get a feel for everything else up here. We were excited about Spring Valley and everything, and it turned out it worked out fine for us.''

On what type of "incident" it was?

"I'm not going to talk about it. I've talked about it with the team, and they're fine with it. It was just something minor, it wasn't anything big. And we've moved on from it.''

On whether it's fair for there to be speculation about his background and maturity?

"At some point. ... But there's been a lot of rumors, a lot of it's not true. That's all I can really say, a lot of it's not true. I've moved on from what happened. And that's it.''

On clarifying why he transferred:

"We just wanted to be closer to USC, move up to Columbia. That's pretty much it."

On why he didn't do that during the summer instead of during the school year:

"That's the best time we thought we could do it. Like I said, we had a little incident and moved on from it."

On whether he plans to meet soon with the Rays to start negotiations:

"It's a process, it's going to be a long process. We're not sure when we want to talk to everybody. But we're looking forward to the opportunity and everything.''

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, June 10, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — The unusual four days of silence since being the Rays' first-round pick in Monday's draft Taylor Guer­rieri was willing to explain: "I was at the beach with my family and friends just enjoying this whole opportunity."

But otherwise, Guerrieri said little in his first public comments Friday to address questions about his past — specifically the decision to change high schools during his senior season — and concerns about his maturity and makeup.

If anything, he created more by referring several times to an "incident" but declining to provide any details or explanation.

"I'm not going to talk about it," he said. "I've talked about it with the team, and they're fine with it. It was just something minor. It wasn't anything big. And we've moved on from it."

South Carolina and Georgia public records and media reports don't show any legal issues, though juvenile cases are not included. Guerrieri turned 18 in December.

"There's been a lot of rumors. A lot of it's not true," he said. "That's all I can really say. A lot of it's not true. I've moved on from what happened.

"And that's it."

Rays scouting director R.J. Harrison said the Rays are not concerned and there has been "a lot of misinformation" and things being "blown out of proportion."

Guerrieri wasn't much more forthcoming about his future, saying he expects talks with the Rays — which are expected to start next week when Harrison visits — to be "a long process."

He said he was "very excited" to be taken by the Rays with the No. 24 pick and considered it "a great opportunity," but he also indicated he won't be an easy sign given his commitment to the University of South Carolina.

"I've always pictured myself playing college baseball first before any professional baseball takes place," he said. "Huge Gamecocks fan, still very committed to Carolina. I'm looking forward to the opportunity with them, too. It's going to be a tough decision."

Guerrieri spoke on a conference call, and another person could be heard at times whispering answers to him.

His official line is he transferred from North Augusta High (near Augusta, Ga.) 80 miles to Spring Valley High in Columbia, S.C., "to be closer" to the university campus, which is also in Columbia, and "just to get a feel for everything else up here."

But why do so in late October of his senior year as opposed to during the summer?

"That's the best time we thought we could do it," he said. "Like I said, we had a little incident and moved on from it."

Guerrieri was considered one of the top high school pitchers in the draft, and his fall to the Rays at the No. 24 spot also raised questions.

"We waited a little longer than we were expecting to, but it worked out just fine," he said. "We're in a good spot, we feel like.

"So we're happy how it worked out."

The No. 24 pick last year, Cal State Fullerton outfielder Gary Brown, signed with the Giants for a bonus of $1.425 million. The Rays have until Aug. 15 to sign Guerrieri, though they would get the 24th pick in next year's draft if they don't.

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