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Twins 4, White Sox 1

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Times wires
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Twins 4, White Sox 1

MINNEAPOLIS — Carl Pavano kept up his recent surge with a six-hitter for Minnesota, which won for the 10th time in its past 12 games. Pavano recorded six one-pitch outs against the free-swinging White Sox, who had won nine of their previous 13 games. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA over his past three starts. Former Ray Delmon Young's two-run single capped a three-run second inning against Chicago's Gavin Floyd, who also pitched a complete game. The series opener was wiped out by heavy rain and a thunderstorm Tuesday.


Tampa Bay Rays' Casey Kotchman confident Boston Red Sox's Kevin Youkilis didn't intend to hurt him in Tuesday collision

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Rays 1B Casey Kotchman had a bruise on his left ankle to show for it but no hard feelings about being kicked on a ninth-inning play Tuesday by Boston's Kevin Youkilis.

"I know he didn't mean to do it," Kotchman said. "I know he didn't do it on purpose."

The question was raised when video replays showed Youkilis running well inside the first-base line. Speculation was he did it out of frustration over a tough night or for revenge for an earlier slide by Kotchman. Youkilis also pleaded innocent, saying it was unintentional.

Youkilis said Kotchman's foot was on top of the base and he didn't make much contact: "It was just my toe kind of just glanced over the top of him."

It didn't look that way. Kotchman went down hard, causing concern in the Rays' dugout that he was spiked or hurt his Achilles', and needed treatment from the training staff and anti-inflammatory medicine.

That wasn't the only point the two players differed on. Kotchman said such occurrences are not common; Youkilis said they are. "It doesn't happen all the time, but sometimes you get nipped a little bit,'' Youkilis said. "From what it looked like, it looked like he blew out. I didn't think I got him that good, but maybe if you hit him on the right spot, guys can feel that. And I'm glad he's okay."

STREAK-BUSTERS: DH Johnny Damon's streak of getting on base ended at 39 games, the longest in his career, Rays history and the majors this season. … RHP Jeremy Hellickson's streak of scoreless innings at Tropicana Field ended at 24, the longest in team history.

NO O: The Rays were shut out for the fourth time this season. … It was the seventh time they've been held to one or no hits since the start of the 2008 season, most in the majors.

PITCHING IN: Part of the reason the Rays rearranged their rotation was for LHP David Price to pitch tonight's series finale, and Price welcomes the opportunity to face the league's best: "I want to throw against these guys, that's for sure." Manager Joe Maddon said the Rays aren't done tweaking the rotation in their efforts to maximize matchups, especially with four games before the All-Star break against the Yankees and the first seven after the break against the Red Sox and Yankees. RHP Jeff Niemann, having completed a three-start rehab for a lower-back strain, said he is "ready to go" and set to rejoin the rotation Monday in Milwaukee.

RAMOS DOWN: Bullpen coach Bobby Ramos missed his fourth game due to an undetermined illness that has left him lethargic. Ramos, 55, had a series of tests to determine the cause of his illness, which at first seemed to be the stomach flu that had been going through the clubhouse but didn't improve. Ramos, typically one of the loosest and loudest Rays, flew home Sunday. "He's not feeling well," Maddon said. "He's lethargic and tired." Maddon said the medical staff does not consider it to be serious. Stan Boroski, assistant to the pitching coach, has been filling in.

HIGH PRAISE: Maddon said he enjoyed former LF Carl Crawford describe playing for the Rays as "like party central all the time." "Absolutely, it's the highest compliment," Maddon said. "I really believe what he means is we have a good time here and we play it hard."

MISCELLANY: Crawford singled in his last at-bat and is 1-for-6 for the series. … Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, was at the game, sitting on the Rays' side. … Second-round draft pick OF Granden Goetzman's bonus of $490,000 was $4,900 above MLB's recommendation, according to Baseball America, making him the first 2011 draftee to sign for over slot money.

Times staff writer Joe Smith contributed to this report.

Phillies 5, Marlins 4, 10 innings, Game 2

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Times wires
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Phillies 5, Marlins 4, 10

GAME 2

PHILADELPHIA — Carlos Ruiz's RBI single to center with two outs in the 10th gave Philadelphia a sweep. Ryan Howard was hit by reliever Mike Dunn's first pitch of the 10th. Two outs later, Domonic Brown walked, and Ruiz laced an 0-and-1 pitch past diving shortstop Hanley Ramirez.

Indians 6, Tigers 4

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Times wires
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Indians 6, Tigers 4

DETROIT — Orlando Cabrera had three hits, including a go-ahead double in the fifth inning, and Cleveland (36-30) pulled back ahead of Detroit (37-31) at the top of the AL Central by a percentage point. The Indians entered the game having lost 15 of 20, but they broke through with four runs in the fourth inning after not scoring more than one in any of their previous four games.

Yankees 12, Rangers 4

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Times wires
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Yankees 12, Rangers 4

NEW YORK — Mark Teixeira hit two-run homers from both sides of the plate and Curtis Granderson homered for the fifth time in seven games for New York. Eduardo Nunez and Ramiro Pena also homered as the Yankees handed Texas its season-high fourth straight loss. New York routed the AL champion Rangers by the same score Tuesday night.

Goalie play leaves doubts for Canucks

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Times wires
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

VANCOUVER — In the hours leading up Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final, Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo tapped a reporter on the shoulder and asked, "You still believe in me, right?"

It's a question Vancouver fans will be asking all summer.

Luongo gave up three goals on 13 shots through two periods, finishing with 16 saves in a 4-0 loss Wednesday night to a Boston team that was supposed to struggle to score.

Not that Luongo was alone in struggling for Vancouver. Captain Henrik Sedin had one point in the Cup final, twin brother Daniel had four, and the winners of the past two scoring titles were on the ice for all four Boston goals in Game 7.

That Zdeno Chara, Boston's 6-foot-9 defensive star and captain, shut down the Sedins is not a huge surprise, but even with the extra attacker, the Sedins came up short.

"We battled real hard. We gave it our best shot," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "This one game, they were the better team. It's that simple."

The Vancouver power play, tops in the league and a huge part of the NHL's best offense in the regular season, was 2-for-32 in the Cup final and surrendered the backbreaking goal in Game 7, a short-handed breakaway by Patrice Bergeron late in the second period. The power play finished the final a minus, with two goals scored and three short-handed goals against.

Bergeron's goal was a microcosm of Luongo's series.

With a penalty coming after defenseman Christian Ehrhoff hauled down Bergeron as both headed toward the net, Luongo seemed to give up on the play as the puck trickled toward him, and he was left with his arms in the air wondering what had happened after he got knocked aside by the sliding players and the puck got knocked in by Bergeron.

After the loss, parked cars were set on fire, others were tipped over and people threw beer bottles at giant TVscreens.

People chanted obscenities, and some leaped over bonfires as riot police moved in to try to restore order in the downtown streets strewn with garbage and filled with acrid smoke.

Gary Shelton: Tampa Bay Rays' Jeremy Hellickson shows true potential in tough loss to Boston Red Sox

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By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — In the years to come, this is how he will look.

He will stand on the mound, his cap tucked to his eyebrows, the brim's shadow falling across his face, and he will dare you to hit him. He will look toward the plate, his face passive and his fastball aggressive. He will seem in control, and he will make batters' hands sweat.

In the years to come, perhaps Jeremy Hellickson will not come in second on a night such as this.

Say what you will about Wednesday night and the not-insignificant detail that Hellickson lost this one 3-0. He made one mistake, perhaps two, and because of it, one of the finest efforts of a young career slipped away.

The Red Sox won because Josh Beckett was one pitch better. The Red Sox won because their batting order was one swing better.

In the middle of the defeat, however, Hellickson allowed Rays fans a glimpse into the future.

Basically, it looks a lot like Hellickson.

In a career that has started fast enough to leave skid marks, this may have been Hellickson's finest performance. This time he pitched the way he will have to pitch if he is to reach his potential. This time he brought a little heat.

"In my mind's eye, that's what he's supposed to be," Rays manager Joe Maddon was saying after the game. "A well-located fastball, a changeup off of that, and then curve mixed in."

Over his first 16 starts, Hellickson has been impressive enough. He entered the game with an 11-4 major-league record, and already he has looked poised beyond his years and precise beyond his team's expectations. He has pitched like a veteran, but along the way he has treated his change and his curve as if they were equal partners.

This time Maddon said he wanted to see Hellickson pitch off his fastball. If Hellickson really is to grow as a pitcher, Maddon said before the game, he wanted to see him throw his fastball for strikes whenever he needed. Granted, that can be a dodgy proposition against a lineup as potent as Boston's, but if Hellickson is going to get big-league hitters out, he can't always sneak up on them.

For six innings, Hellickson was impressive. Out of every five pitches, four were fastballs, and most of them made the Red Sox's bats look as small as those of the Rays looked against Beckett. Through six innings, both pitchers had one-hit shutouts.

"He was rolling along," Boston's Dustin Pedroia said. "He's going to be very good for a very long time."

Yeah, you can quibble with the seventh inning if you want, when the Red Sox got to Hellickson for three runs. The truth of it is that that was as much about bad luck as it was bad pitching, however. Pedroia's triple was beyond the glove of rightfielder Matt Joyce, who felt he was "about an inch away" from making a catch. After an intentional walk, Hellickson's fastball to Kevin Youkilis was a few inches high in the strike zone, and Youkilis hit a high fly ball that barely cleared the fence.

"One bad pitch," Hellickson said. "It (stinks) right now, but I'll move on."

The moral here? There isn't much margin for error in the major leagues.

Especially when a pitcher has the run support of the Rays.

It's hard to hammer the Rays' hitters for this one, however. This isn't the first time Beckett has made an opponent look overmatched. Still, one hit? And an infield pool-cue hit at that? Except for that single, by Reid Brignac in the third, Beckett would have had a perfect game.

Ah, doesn't it feel like this happens to the Rays' lineup an unsettling amount of times? Last year it seemed to be James Shields who kept getting a lack of run support. This time it was Hellickson. That's the constant pressure on the Rays' rotation; it's hard to win a lot of games with zero runs.

"You can't criticize what he did tonight," Maddon said. "He just turned 24, and he went toe-to-toe, heavy gloves against Beckett and did not flinch. He was fantastic. Everything he did tonight was of championship caliber.

"His takeaway from this might be just 'don't give up a home run to Youkilis.' "

In the years to come, perhaps Hellickson learns to keep the ball down. Perhaps he doesn't make the one mistake, maybe two.

"As he matures, I think his curveball will mature," Maddon said. "I like his poise. I like the way he handles himself. All of that makes you feel great for his future."

His immediate past? Yeah, a good night turned bad.

Even in defeat, however, it was hard not to feel better about the nights to come.

Tampa Bay Rays manage one hit against Josh Beckett, lose 3-0 to Boston Red Sox

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Justin Ruggiano drifted back, his Rays and the Red Sox scoreless in the seventh inning, eyeing the arching fly ball by Kevin Youkilis that was seemingly taking forever to come down.

First Ruggiano thought he'd be able to make the catch and have a shot at throwing Dustin Pedroia out at the plate. As it carried unexpectedly deeper, he revised, figuring the run would score but he'd be able to keep Adrian Gonzalez from advancing to second. Then again, when he reached back and his bare hand touched the leftfield wall.

"Once I felt the fence, it was over," Ruggiano said. "I knew I wouldn't get to that one."

As the ball went over the wall, the game was essentially over. As well as Jeremy Hellickson pitched for the Rays, Josh Beckett was even better for Boston, pitching too well for it to end any other way, a 3-0 win by the Red Sox before a gathering of 19,388 at Tropicana Field.

"It was a good pitch," Hellickson said. "He got it up in the air and got just enough of it."

The difference was the three runs, but the margin — in dropping the Rays to 36-32 and 41/2 games off the division lead — was much less. Pedroia got on when his one-out drive just eluded rightfielder Matt Joyce, who got turned around and made a late bid for a leaping catch and was a triple. "That was weird, man," Joyce said. "I don't know how close I was, but I felt like I was an inch away."

After what Rays manager Joe Maddon said was a no-brainer decision to walk Gonzalez in hopes of getting Youkilis to ground into another double play or strike him out, Hellickson was just a couple inches off on an 0-and-1 fastball, leaving it up and over the plate.

"Helly did everything right," Maddon said. "It was just the one pitch that got up a little bit. … He deserved a better fate."

Hellickson didn't have much margin for error.

Beckett held the Rays to one hit — heck, one baserunner — on an infield single by Reid Brignac in the third, a slow roller that hugged the line. He faced only 28 batters and went to only three three-ball counts in his 97-pitch masterpiece, pounding his fastball and getting some help from home-plate umpire Rob Drake.

How good was he?

"Well, he almost threw a no-hitter," Joyce said. "He had one ball hit hard (a liner to center by B.J. Upton) and it wasn't even the hit. So he was really dominating. … It's frustrating. As a hitter it's the most frustrating thing in the world when you get beat by that many fastballs. His fastball was really taking off and almost impossible to get on top of. He was staying at the top of the zone, and getting some calls his way so that made it even harder."

Said Brignac: "He was good. He threw the ball well. He was getting a few calls here and there, and that helps out a plus-plus pitcher like him. He's already got good stuff so it was challenging at-bats for all of us."

Hellickson retired 17 of the first 19, one himself on a pop-up that he nudged catcher John Jaso out of the way for, and got double plays after the two he didn't.

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


Hard to find flaw with Red Sox ace Josh Beckett's outing vs. Tampa Bay Rays

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — The way Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett was throwing in his pregame bullpen Wednesday, he said he wasn't sure he was going to get anybody out.

"It was pretty bad," he said.

But when it came to Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Rays, the first complete-game one-hitter of his career, the only question was: Has the two-time All-Star ever been better?

Beckett, 31, breezed through the Rays lineup, walking none in facing just 28 batters, coming within a Reid Brignac infield hit of a perfect game.

"That's about as good as you can pitch," manager Terry Francona said. "If it wasn't for that 3-iron out of the rough, that ball was in the dirt on the infield hit. He was tremendous; that was fun to watch."

It was the gem of an impressive bounceback season for Beckett, who leads the majors with a 1.86 ERA and is an early candidate for AL Cy Young. Just last year, Beckett was on the disabled list for two months, struggling to a 6-6 record and career-high 5.78 ERA after having been given a four-year, $68 million extension.

But this season Beckett has been healthy, confident and aggressive, showing the kind of stuff that made him a two-time World Series champion and Red Sox ace.

"Beckett was very good — I mean, that was an understatement," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "He was throwing the ball where he wanted to, all of his pitches."

Beckett, who had six strikeouts, credited the defense behind him, as well as a little bit of luck.

"They were hitting balls at guys," Beckett said. "It's nice when you miss your spot and they still hit it at somebody."

The only exception was Brig­nac's infield hit in the third inning. Third baseman Kevin Youkilis was playing toward the hole, like the Red Sox do for most left-handed hitters. Beckett buried a changeup in the dirt and Brignac dug it out, grounding it down the third-base line.

Youkilis had no chance.

"That was unbelievable — I don't know how he hit that ball, and the way he hit it was unbelievable," Youkilis said. "There was really no play on it."

Beckett retired the last 19 batters he faced.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.

Boston Bruins win Stanley Cup

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Times wires
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

VANCOUVER — While the Bruins sprinted across the ice to mob him at the buzzer, Tim Thomas tapped both goalposts, sank to his knees and rubbed the ice in front of his empty goal.

Thomas drew a virtual line in his crease throughout the Stanley Cup final, and the goalie just wouldn't allow the Canucks to cross it.

After 38 seasons without a championship, the Bruins ripped the Cup — and several thousand hearts — out of a Canadian city that had waited four decades itself for one sip.

Thomas was just too good, and the Bruins are the NHL's best.

The Cup is headed back to the Hub of Hockey.

Thomas made 37 saves in the second shutout of the series on his way to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, and Patrice Bergeron and rookie Brad Marchand scored twice each as Boston beat Vancouver 4-0 in Game 7 on Wednesday for its first championship since 1972.

"It still hasn't kicked in, if I'm completely honest," Thomas said. "I can't believe it's over. We've had our battle meter up so high for so long, it feels like we're moving onto the next series or something."

The Bruins leaped over the boards and headed straight for Thomas at the final buzzer, mobbing the goalie who carried them through long stretches of this postseason. The Bruins are the first team to win a Game 7 three times in one postseason, with Thomas posting shutouts in the decisive game of the East final against the Lightning and the Stanley Cup final.

Captain Zdeno Chara nearly slipped when he skated away from commissioner Gary Bettman with the Stanley Cup. But the trophy eventually got a lift from Nathan Horton, the injured Boston forward whose Game 3 concussion sustained on a late hit swung the series' momentum to Boston.

Before Game 7, Horton worked to give the Bruins a home-ice advantage, pouring a bottle of Boston water onto the ice in front of the Bruins' bench 90 minutes before warmups.

"I was just trying to get some Garden ice here and make it our ice," Horton said.

But it was mostly Thomas, who limited the Canucks to eight goals in seven games in the final, blanking Vancouver in two of the last four. "All the physical work we'd done throughout the whole series added up," Thomas said. "Being the last series, we didn't save anything, and we used that physicality again and that was the difference."

Thomas' first save Wednesday, a screened drive by Christopher Tanev, was his 762nd of the postseason, breaking the record set by Vancouver's Kirk McLean in 1994. Also, 1994 was the only other season an American has won the Conn Smythe, Brian Leetch leading the Rangers to a Game 7 win over the Canucks.

A 37-year-old who grew up poor in Flint, Mich. — Thomas' parents pawned their wedding rings to pay his way to goalie school — at one point he and his family sold fruit on the roadside to supplement their income.

After being an All-American at the University of Vermont — as a teammate of the Lightning's Marty St. Louis — Thomas played for years in the minor leagues (Birmingham, Ala., and Houston) and in Europe (Finland and Sweden) before earning a permanent job with the Bruins in 2005.

Now he is expected to win his second Vezina Trophy in three seasons as the league's top goalie after setting a modern record with a .938 save percentage in the regular season.

"Their goaltender was real tough to beat," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "The way they played in front of him was real tough to beat. We had some Grade A chances, and we were unable to score."

Boston dropped the first two games in Vancouver but became the third team since 1966 to overcome that deficit.

"We got the first goal, and we knew that would be important coming here," said 43-year-old Mark Recchi, who plans to retire after winning the Stanley Cup with his third franchise. "If they got any chances, Timmy was there, and it was just scary how good he was."

The Canucks, who had the league's best regular-season record and were the highest-scoring team in the regular season, still seek their first Cup since entering the league in 1970.

"Anybody in our situation right now would feel real disappointed, whether you're the favorite or not," Vigneault said. "We battled real hard. We gave it our best shot. This one game, they were the better team. It's that simple."

Bruins1214
Canucks0000

First Period1, Boston, Bergeron 5 (Marchand), 14:37. PenaltiesNone.

Second Period2, Boston, Marchand 10 (Seidenberg, Recchi), 12:13. 3, Boston, Bergeron 6 (Seidenberg, Campbell), 17:35 (sh). PenaltiesChara, Bos (interference), 16:07.

Third Period4, Boston, Marchand 11, 17:16 (en). PenaltiesHansen, Van (interference), 5:33; Lucic, Bos (hooking), 11:34. Shots on GoalBoston 5-8-8—21. Vancouver 8-13-16—37. Power-play opportunitiesBoston 0 of 1; Vancouver 0 of 2. GoaliesBoston, Thomas 16-9-0 (37 shots-37 saves). Vancouver, Luongo 15-10-0 (20-17). A18,860 (18,810).

Pirates 7, Astros 3

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Times wires
Thursday, June 16, 2011

Pirates 7, Astros 3

HOUSTON — Pinch-hitter Xavier Paul doubled, then stayed in the game and hit a two-run homer and a single as Pittsburgh moved over .500. At 34-33, the Pirates are above .500 this late in a season for the first time since Aug. 15, 1999, when they were 59-58.

Mets 4, Braves 0

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Times wires
Thursday, June 16, 2011

Mets 4, Braves 0

ATLANTA — Dillon Gee combined with three relievers for a two-hit shutout, Angel Pagan hit a two-run homer and New York won for the ninth time in 13 games, including the first two of the series. Gee gave up one hit in four innings but did not return after a rain delay of 1 hour, 11 minutes. The delay cost Gee a chance to become the first Mets rookie to win his first eight decisions.

Athletics 2, Royals 1

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Times wires
Thursday, June 16, 2011

Athletics 2, Royals 1

OAKLAND, Calif. — Josh Outman allowed four hits over seven innings for Oakland, the deepest he has gone without allowing a run among his 25 starts over three seasons. Bob Melvin won his first home game as Oakland manager and is 2-4 since taking over for the fired Bob Geren last week. Luke Hochevar took a no-hitter into the sixth for the Royals. That came despite David DeJesus sending Hochevar's third pitch of the game off his right elbow. It redirecting to second baseman Chris Getz, who threw to first for the out.

Giants 5, Diamondbacks 2

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Times wires
Thursday, June 16, 2011

Giants 5, Diamondbacks 2

PHOENIX — Bill Hall singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth, his first hit since joining the Giants on Saturday. Madison Bumgarner, who entered with the majors' fifth-worst support (2.65 per game), got the win despite allowing solo homers to Willie Bloomquist and Chris Young. That ended his streak of not allowing a homer at 10 games.

Brewers 9, Cubs 5

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Times wires
Thursday, June 16, 2011

Brewers 9, Cubs 5

CHICAGO — After rain delayed the start by 1 hour, 42 minutes, Rickie Weeks homered and doubled twice for the Brewers, who moved into first in the Central. The Brewers ended a two-game skid, their longest since a seven-gamer in early May. They had gone a team-record 35 games without consecutive losses.


Mariners 3, Angels 1

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Times wires
Thursday, June 16, 2011

Mariners 3, Angels 1

SEATTLE — Carlos Peguero's two-out grounder in the seventh inning ricocheted off second base, over the head of shortstop Erick Aybar and into centerfield to score two runs and help the Mariners avoid a three-game sweep. On May 19, Peguero's ninth-inning flyball got lost in the sun by the Angels' Torii Hunter, allowing Jack Cust to score the winning run. Erik Bedard won his third consecutive decision.





Former Florida Gator Danny Wuerffel undergoing treatment for rare disorder of the nervous system

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 16, 2011

Former Florida Gators Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel is undergoing treatment for Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder of the nervous system.

Desire Street Ministries officials have confirmed that Wuerffel, who is the Executive Director of the Louisiana-based school and charitable organization, is undergoing treatment for the nerve disorder, which was recently diagnosed following a bout with a stomach virus last month.

Wuerffel, 37, was released from an undisclosed hospital on Wednesday.

"Fortunately, an early diagnosis identified the disease, permitting swift medical treatment," Desire Street Ministries Board Chairman Luder Whitlock said in a statement. "Consequently, his GBS specialist expects a full recovery. Meanwhile, Danny has asked me to express his appreciation for the prayers, love and support he has received during this time."

Guillain-Barre causes your body to attack its own immune system, causing muscle weakness, loss of reflexes, and numbness or tingling in your arms, legs, face, and other parts of your body.

Wuerffel's most recent public appearance in Gainesville was in April during the annual spring game when he returned for the unveiling of his Heisman Tropy statute, which sits outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium along with statutes of Tim Tebow and Steve Spurrier.

Periodic progress reports will be posted on Wuerffel's message page at www.desirestreet.org and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/desirestreet). Wuerfel requests that any cards or gifts of encouragement be made to Desire Street Ministries rather than to him personally.

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

USF Bulls closer Kevin Quackenbush named 2nd-team All-American

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 16, 2011

USF baseball has its first All-American in 14 years, as closer Kevin Quackenbush was selected as a second-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association after a season in which he posted the lowest ERA ever by a Bulls pitcher.

Quackenbush's 0.81 ERA is the lowest of any of the 24 pitchers on the NCBWA's three All-America teams -- he allowed just three earned runs in 28 appearances totaling 33.1 innings. He also piled up 12 saves, pitching well enough to be drafted in the eighth round by the San Diego Padres. He's the first USF player honored on an All-American team since Ross Gload -- now with the Philadelphia Phillies -- did so in 1997.

Quackenbush was one of six Bulls players drafted, matching the most ever by USF in one draft class.

South Alabama top scorer Martino Brock to transfer to USF Bulls

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 16, 2011

USF Bulls men's basketball coach Stan Heath has picked up a late addition to his 2011-12 roster, as Martino Brock, a 6-foot-5 guard who led South Alabama in scoring as a sophomore, has committed to transfer to USF for his final two college seasons.

Brock, who averaged 14.2 points and did a bit of everything for the Jaguars, will sit out the upcoming season, then have two years with the Bulls. He is originally from Memphis, and chose the Bulls over Missouri, Auburn, Dayton and UAB. He'll give the Bulls another versatile wing in 2012 after guard/forward Hugh Robertson graduates -- he led South Alabama in steals (45) last season and in 3-pointers with 37, hitting 34 percent of his shots beyond the arc. He averaged 11.7 rebounds and 6.3 rebounds per game as a freshman.

Brock made an official visit to USF's campus this week and committed to accept a scholarship offer. He's expected to sign official paperwork with the Bulls next week, then should start classes when the Summer B semester begins on June 27.

Aqib Talib's case rolls on with no resolution or trial date

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 16, 2011

It appears as though Aqib Talib's shooting case will continue to drag on through the summer.

Amid speculation that the NFL lockout could end with an agreement between owners and players soon, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback's attorney, Frank Perez, met with prosecutors Thursday and another announcement hearing is set for June 30.

Talib, 25, was indicted for assault with a deadly weapon for his role in a shooting in Garland, Texas March 21. The case has not been set for trial.

"We are still discussing the case,'' Perez said in a text to the Times Thursday.

Talib has two problems with respect to resuming his football career. First, there is the legal matter. The second degree felony carries as maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Then there is the possibility of sanctions from the NFL. Talib was suspended for one game last season for assaulting a cab driver in 2009. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said players who violate the personal conduct policy during the work stoppage will be subject to discipline once the work stoppage ends. Players are asking that no discipline be given to players who violated the personal conduct policy during the lockout.

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