By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2011

ESPN's Steve Berthiaume, a host of Baseball Tonight and occasional blogger, believes the time has come to move the Rays out of the Tampa Bay area.

Writing on espn.com, Berthiaume says:

"The Tampa Bay Rays must be moved. The Rays' barely tenable existence in St. Petersburg, Fla., is getting worse and it's becoming, to borrow a word from star pitcher David Price in describing a critical but sparsely attended game late last season, "embarrassing." This is not about assigning blame. The Rays have some passionate and supportive fans. There are simply not enough of them. The franchise has done the best it can with a suffocating stadium lease. The past three seasons have been the most successful in Rays' history, but those seasons have produced no attendance momentum. In fact, Rays attendance figures and local television ratings this season are in decline. Baseball needs to lower its rope and let the Rays climb out of their sinkhole."

Berthiaume questions whether building a new stadium in Tampa would solve the problem, and writes: "The Tropicana Field lease coupled with a new ballpark's high price tag and the lack of another viable, major league-ready market to which the Rays could move, have all created a painful stall that can't last much longer."

Citing the Rays' lowest-in-the-AL attendance figures and praising the efforts of the Stuart Sternberg ownership group, Berthiaume concludes:

"Again: This is not about assigning blame. Nobody is a bad person for not attending a baseball game. Even with 30 new ballparks one major league team would still have to be last in attendance, and even with a new stadium on the Tampa side, there is nothing to suggest that team wouldn't be the Rays. The Tampa Bay area is a great place. It just hasn't been a great place for Major League Baseball to do business."

There is an accompanying piece on espn.com, by Howard Bryant, that traces the Rays' stadium mess to MLB's 1992 decision to block the move of the Giants and says, "to baseball, Oakland and Tampa Bay — not the financially challenged New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers — are the game's two most troubled franchises.''

Also, it's been pointed out by a number of sharp-eyed readers on several blogs, such as raysindex.com, that the photos with Berthiaume's original piece (one of which was been removed) were from a 2004 game that had its game time changed on short notice, and the other from a 2008 workout day that was not open to fans.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2011

Former Florida Gators CB Janoris Jenkins, as expected, has signed to play his final collegiate season at the University of North Alabama - coached by former Auburn head coach Terry Bowden.

Jenkins' career at Florida came to an abrupt end in April when he was dismissed from the team after two marijuana-related arrests in three months.

More on the story here.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2011

USF self-reported no violations to the NCAA relating to its football or men's basketball programs during the 2010-11 school year and just five minor violations overall, according to documents released to the Times on Wednesday.

USF's compliance department, responding to a public records request to the Times, provided documentation of five secondary violations, which resulted in letters of admonishment and compliance education to the staff members in question. The NCAA characterizes secondary violations as those that are "isolated" and "inadvertent."

The violations show the level of scrutiny placed on athletic programs -- violations were discovered by USF through routine audits of expense reimbursement, travel lists and practice logs, as well as "newly implemented phone monitoring software."

– USF women's soccer coach Denise Schilte-Brown allowed a student-athlete to compete in an exhibition match on Aug. 9, four days before she had been certified eligible by the NCAA. Schilte-Brown was suspended from one game and USF's women's soccer program was fined $500.

— Four USF women's basketball players who had already had roundtrip airline tickets purchased for them for a holiday tournament also received airline tickets from the team's travel coordinator, Debbie Pershing, allowing them to travel directly home after the tournament. The players had to make donations to charity in the amount of the extra benefits (between $139 and $192).

– The brother of a men's golf signee had two meals paid by USF assistant Justin Fetcho during the athlete's official visit in February. The athlete made a charitable donation to match the total value of the meals ($12.70).

— The women's tennis team was given only one day off (instead of the required two) by head coach Agustin Moreno during consecutive weeks outside the team's playing season in November. A 2-for-1 penalty was assessed and the team had four days off (instead of two) the following week.

— Men's track assistant Lissa Olson called a recruit who had signed with USF twice during a "quiet period" in December, but because the athlete had signed a grant-in-aid and not a national letter of intent, a violation took place. The entire track staff was restricted from calling recruits for one week.

By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors-Fitness Editor
Thursday, June 23, 2011

SAND KEY — When you are beach fishing for tarpon, you have to pick your shots.

"We don't need a lot of bait," Tyson Wallerstein said as we hooked pumpkinseeds in the early morning light. "A dozen or so will do."

In June and July, schools of tarpon move along our local beaches. Some pods of fish move south. Some move north. The trouble is you can never tell which ones will eat.

"For the past week, the northbound fish haven't been hungry," Wallerstein said as he stopped his flats skiff about 100 yards off the beach. "But you never can tell."

The trick is to be the first boat on the water, when the sea is slick calm, so you can see the fish as they approach. Then, when the pod is still 50 yards away, you drop your bait right in their path.

"When it hits ... just reel, reel, reel," Wallerstein said. "You won't get many chances."

Running with the pod

As the pod of northbound tarpon approached the baitfish dangling a few feet below the surface, Wallerstein prayed the school did not hear the faint hum of his trolling motor and veer off course.

"The southbounders have been the only ones eating ... " he said, but before he could finish his sentence, the line went taut. "Fish on! Fish on!"

As Wallerstein had advised, I reeled down hard to remove any slack from the line and then lifted the rod tip to feel the full weight of the fish. Then the fish jumped.

"Good fish," he said matter-of-factly. "Hope you are ready for a long fight."

Some tarpon make a couple of jumps, maybe one or two long runs and then roll over and give up. But others, and it doesn't matter how big they are, sometimes refuse to give any quarter.

This particular tarpon acted like it wasn't even hooked and just kept swimming along the beach with its fishy friends.

"You are going to lose it if it stays with the school," he said. "You have to pull it out of there."

Battle to open water

After 20 minutes of reeling and lifting, reeling and lifting, the tarpon still wouldn't budge.

"Don't burn yourself out," Wallerstein said. "Save your energy."

I've fought plenty of tarpon over the past 20 years, but most of those battles never lasted more than an hour. This fish, however, seemed totally oblivious to the human pulling on the other end of the 50-pound test line.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I turned its head. The school swam on and the tarpon, perhaps out of annoyance, jumped for a second time. Then it headed straight out to sea.

"You better start your engine," I told Wallerstein, as the fish stripped 100 yards of line off the reel in one long, fast run.

Wallerstein chased the fish a mile offshore, then it stopped, swam straight at the boat, trying to find a weak spot in the line.

"Reel, reel, reel," Wallerstein yelled.

Bruises on the belly

This fish was tough and smart.

Now, more than an hour into the fight, wear and tear started to show on my 50-year-old body.

My legs felt wobbly and my forearms ached. I knew the fish had to be getting tired. It had made three long runs and each time, I'd fought to regain every inch of line.

"This tarpon can't possibly go much longer," I said to Wallerstein, marking 1 hour and 15 minutes on my watch. I should have kept my mouth shut because the tarpon ran again and then jumped for a third time.

At the 1 hour and 30 minute mark, I became conscious of the rod butt digging into my thigh and stomach. I knew I'd have some bruises.

"Wish I brought a fighting belt," I said aloud.

"Sorry," Wallerstsein said. "I forgot about it in the heat of the moment."

Now, with a stable platform for the rod butt, I could really put some pressure on the fish.

Blood on the deck

After 1 hour and 45 minutes, I began to wonder who would give up first. I thought about handing the rod to the captain, but I figured enduring a few more minutes of pain would be better than a lifetime of heckling.

"This fish has to be done," Wallerstein said.

I managed to get it close enough for Wallerstein to reach out and grab the leader. But the fish took one look at the boat, then ran again and jumped for a fourth time.

That was its last hoorah.

Wallerstein finally grabbed the fish and posed for a picture, then we switched spots. But before he could snap the shot of me and my catch, the tarpon reared up, sliced my wrist, and swam off.

"Guess he had the last laugh," I said.

By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors Editor
Thursday, June 23, 2011

SAND KEY

When you are beach fishing for tarpon, you have to pick your shots. "We don't need a lot of bait," guide Tyson Wallerstein said as we hooked pumpkinseeds in the early morning light. "A dozen or so will do." In June and July, schools of tarpon move along the local beaches. Some pods of fish move south. Some move north. The trouble is you can never tell which ones will eat. "For the past week, the northbound fish haven't been hungry," Wallerstein said as he stopped his flats skiff about 100 yards off the beach. "But you never can tell." The trick is to be the first boat on the water, when the water is slick calm, so you can see the fish as they approach. Then, when the pod is still 50 yards away, you drop your bait right in their path. "When it hits … just reel, reel, reel," Wallerstein said. "You won't get many chances."

Running with the pod

As a pod of northbound tarpon approached the baitfish dangling a few feet below the surface under a float, Wallerstein prayed the school did not hear the faint hum of his trolling motor and veer off course.

"The southbounders have been the only ones eating …" he said, but before he could finish his sentence, the line went taut. "Fish on! Fish on!"

As Wallerstein had advised, I reeled down hard to remove slack from the line and then lifted the rod tip to feel the full weight of the fish. Then the fish jumped.

"Good fish," he said matter of factly. "Hope you are ready for a long fight."

Some tarpon make a couple of jumps, maybe one or two long runs and then roll over and give up. But others, and it doesn't matter how big they are, refuse to give any quarter.

This particular tarpon acted like it wasn't even hooked and just kept swimming along the beach with its fishy friends.

"You are going to lose it if it stays with the school," he said. "You have to pull it out of there."

Battle to open water

After 20 minutes of reeling and lifting, reeling and lifting, the tarpon still wouldn't budge.

"Don't burn yourself out," Wallerstein said. "Save your energy."

I've fought plenty of tarpon over the past 20 years, but most of those battles never lasted more than an hour, even the 150-pounders. This fish, however, seemed oblivious to the human pulling on the other end of the 50-pound-test line.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I turned its head. The school swam on and the tarpon, perhaps out of annoyance, jumped for a second time. Then it headed straight out to sea.

"You better start your engine," I told Wallerstein, as the fish stripped 100 yards of line off the reel in one long, fast run.

Wallerstein chased the fish a mile offshore, then it stopped, swam straight at the boat, trying to find a weak spot in the line.

"Reel, reel, reel," Wallerstein yelled.

Bruises on the belly

This fish was tough and smart.

Now, more than an hour into the fight, wear and tear started to show on my 50-year-old body.

My legs felt wobbly and my forearms ached. I knew the fish had to be getting tired. It had made three long runs and each time, I'd fought to regain every inch of line.

"This tarpon can't possibly go much longer," I said to Wallerstein, marking 1 hour, 15 minutes on my watch. I should have kept my mouth shut because the tarpon ran again and then jumped for a third time.

At the 1-hour, 30-minute mark, I became conscious of the rod butt digging into my thigh and stomach. I knew I'd have some bruises.

"Wish I brought a fighting belt," I said aloud.

"Sorry," Wallerstein said. "I forgot about it in the heat of the moment."

Now, with a stable platform for the rod butt, I could really put some pressure on the fish.

Blood on the deck

After 1 hour, 45 minutes, I began to wonder who would give up first. I thought about handing the rod to Wallerstein, but I figured enduring a few more minutes of pain would be better than a lifetime of heckling.

"This fish has to be done," Wallerstein said.

I managed to get it close enough for Wallerstein to reach out and grab the leader. But the fish took one look at the boat, then ran again and jumped for a fourth time.

That was its last hoorah.

Wallerstein finally grabbed the fish alongside the boat, unhooked it and posed for a picture, then we switched spots. But before he could snap the shot of me and my catch, the tarpon reared up, sliced my right wrist with its gill plates and swam off.

"Guess he had the last laugh," I said.

Tyson Wallerstein runs Inshore Fishing Charters and can be reached at (727) 692-5868 or via e-mail capt.tyson@hotmail.com.

Times staff
Thursday, June 23, 2011

The NHL has released the Lightning's regular-season schedule for 2011-12.

You can view the schedule here.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2011

Florida Gators sophomore center Patric Young has made the final cut for the 2010 USA U19 World Championship Team, USA Basketball officials announced today.

The USA squad, features five players - including Young - with prior USA Basketball experience. The team will try to defend the gold medal won by the U.S. in 2009 at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship.

"The selection was harder than I expected,'' said Paul Hewitt, the USA U19 head coach. "The young man we decided not to keep, Javon McCrae, it was really just a numbers situation. He played more than well enough to make the team. We just didn't feel comfortable going over there without three point guards.'

Young was part of USA Basketball's 2010 U18 team, and also participated on the USA Junior National Select Team that won the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit.

The team will complete its domestic training Thursday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., and then depart for Europe on June 24. The USA squad will train June 25-28 in Lithuania. The Americans will face the Lithuania U20 National Team in an exhibition game on June 26 in Panevrzys, Lithuania, and then meet the Lithuania U19 National Team on June 28 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship for Men is being held June 30-July 10 in Valmiera, Liepaja and Riga, Latvia.

"I like the depth and versatility of this team, in particular our big guys,'' Hewitt said. "I think our big guys are a great presence around the basket and do an excellent job of screening," said Hewitt. "Defense will have to be a staple for this team and we have work to do. I'm not happy with where we are defensively. I think we made steps, we're doing some good things, but in order to compete for the gold medal we have to get better.''

Here is the full USA U19 World Championship Team roster:

Keith Appling (Michigan State/Detroit, Mich.); James Bell (Villanova/Orlando, Fla.); Anthony Brown (Stanford/Huntington Beach, Calif.); Jahii Carson (Mesa High School/*Arizona State/Phoenix, Ariz.); Tim Hardaway, Jr. (Michigan/Miami, Fla.); Joe Jackson (Memphis/Memphis, Tenn.); Jeremy Lamb (Connecticut/ Norcross, Ga.); Meyers Leonard (Illinois/Robinson, Ill.); Khyle Marshall (Butler/Davie, Fla.); Doug McDermott (Creighton/Ames, Iowa); Tony Mitchell (North Texas/Dallas, Texas); and Patric Young (Florida/Jacksonville, Fla.).

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2011

There are no 12-game home stands on the Lightning's 2011-12 schedule, as there was last season.

But there is a seven-gamer from March 10-24, part of a season-ending stretch of 35 games in which Tampa Bay plays a comforting 21 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

That is just one of the highlights from the schedule that opens with a season-long, five-game road trip, beginning Oct. 7 at Carolina. Lightning spokesman Bill Wickett said the team did not request the trip, but it does allow renovations at the Times Forum more time to finish.

Start times for Saturday home games have been changed to 7 p.m. Weekday starts stay at 7:30.

"This gives our fans, particularly families, the opportunity to get in and out of the arena earlier," Wickett said. "A good portion of our fan base is asking for earlier start times, so this will give us a chance to effectively measure the response."

Other highlights:

• The home opener is Oct. 17 against the Panthers.

• There are a season-most 10 home games in March.

• Steve Yzerman makes his first trip to Detroit as Lightning GM on Nov. 30.

• There are 10 sets of back-to-back games.

• There are three trips to Winnipeg, including the April 7 season finale, because of the relocation of the Atlanta franchise.

• Tampa Bay will not visit western Canada, Los Angeles or Anaheim.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2011

TAMPA — Danous Estenor had decided he was too hungry to wait until he got home for dinner, and as he parked his car outside the Bull's Den Cafe on USF's campus, he heard a woman screaming for help.

Across the parking lot on that Thursday night in February, he saw a frightening scene: a tow truck driver pinned under the rear tire of a 1990 Cadillac Seville that had lurched forward as he worked underneath it, his wife struggling in vain with two men to lift the car.

Anyone could have heard the screams. But fortunately for Pedro Arzola, a father of four, Estenor is not only a football player at USF, but one of the strongest ones, a 6-foot-3, 295-pound offensive lineman.

"I just see his legs. The car is crushing him. He's not moving. I'm thinking, 'Oh, God, this guy is going to die,' " said Estenor, a 21-year-old son of Haitian immigrants from Palm Beach. "I tried to lift the car, and when I first tried, it didn't budge. I backed up. I don't know. But I felt this energy come, and I lifted it. I don't know how, but somebody pulled him from the car."

Maria Uribe had been sleeping in the cab of her husband's truck when she heard Arzola, 34, yelling "Ayudame!" — help me. She said the scene looked "like a horror movie … a lot of blood," as the Cadillac's front right tire had run over Arzola's torso and dragged him about 10 feet. Somehow, he sustained only cuts, bruises and a dislocated shoulder that was pinned beneath the rear tire. He was back towing cars two weeks later.

"I said, 'God, bring an angel to my side, help me,' " Uribe said. "In Spanish, we say, 'milagro' (miracle). I appreciate him doing what he did, saving my husband's life. If nobody helps me, I don't know if he is in the room right now."

Estenor walked away from the scene and into the cafeteria. And as hungry as he'd been, he could barely eat, shaking in disbelief at what had happened.

"The shock of doing that, it's not an everyday thing you do," he said.

That night, he told his roommates, offensive tackles Jamar Bass and Damien Edwards, still unsure: "Did this really just happen?" he asked. Teammates the next morning didn't believe him; that is, until one day after spring practice, when Bulls coach Skip Holtz asked Estenor to stand in front of the team.

"I wanted to let you know that Danous is a real hero," begins the letter written by Jodi Rivera, manager of the Bull's Den Cafe, and read by Holtz. The letter closes by saying, "I know in my heart that without Danous there, the driver may not have survived the night. His quick thinking, willingness to help and strength saved that man's life."

"Unbelievable story," Holtz said last week. "What a phenomenal story. Not all of us can lift a car. I'd be over there going (strains, laughing). 'Um, call the ambulance.' And Danous just walked away? I can totally see that. Just humble, quiet, keeps to himself."

How could Estenor lift a Cadillac that weighs roughly 3,500 pounds?

The phenomenon is called "hysterical strength," a burst of adrenaline that allows people to perform feats far beyond their normal physical limitations. USF's strength and conditioning coach, Mike Golden, said Estenor can bench-press 405 pounds but few people even of his size and strength could do what he did.

"He's just a good, hard-nosed, country-strong kind of kid," Golden said Thursday. "Danous has that extra little strength in him that people don't just normally walk around with. You could name 100 people — I mean NFL people — and ask them to walk over to a car and pick it up like that, and they couldn't.

"The World's Strongest Man guys would struggle with that. He just was in the right place at the right time, got that adrenaline rush and got it done."

And once you've lifted a Cadillac, what can't be accomplished on a football field?

Estenor has played 10 games during a career that slowed by a knee injury, but he's healthy entering his redshirt junior season and competing for a starting position on a line that lost three starters. His teammates give him grief and call him "hero" during workouts, but it reminds him not to set limits on what he can do.

"Ever since Coach Holtz read the letter, they all say, 'Oh, where's your cape?' " Estenor said. "It's not bad. They're just making fun, but I'm glad (Holtz) let them know what happened. I always feel good when I do a good deed, to help somebody, any kind of way. Small or big, as long as I can make a difference, I feel good about it."

Estenor, who is majoring in organizational communications with a minor in economics and hopes to go into sports administration, has gone back to the Bull's Den a few times since. He has talked with the two men who helped him lift the car — Chris Merrick, a cook at the Bull's Den who owns the Cadillac, and Marcus Baker, who works as a dishwasher.

"I don't think we would have gotten it up if it wasn't for him," Baker, 22, said Wednesday on his front porch in Ybor City. "It's like it was meant to happen. I still remember him. Every time I see him, I'm like 'How did you pick up a car?' "

Arzola still gets dispatched to the same parking lot on USF's campus, and Uribe said one time, the student he was towing asked him if he knew another driver who had been pinned under a car there and died.

"Pedro laughed and said, 'You know what, sir? That's me,' " Uribe said. "Everybody says, 'That's a miracle.' I don't know how to explain it. It's too crazy."

Greg Auman can be reached at auman@sptimes.com and (813) 226-3346. Check out his blog at tampabay.com/blogs/bulls and follow him at twitter.com/gregauman.

By Rick Frazier, Times Correspondent


Thursday, June 23, 2011

Tarpon Roundup update: Joshua Black was the Week 4 (June 10-12) winner of the Suncoast Tarpon Roundup over Mike Clark, each releasing one tarpon. Under the event's rules, because Black's tarpon was released earlier during the 5 p.m. Friday to midnight Sunday fishing window, he was awarded the victory.

Mary Quinette caught two fish to bring her total to seven in women's division.

Junior division angler Aaron Crisp and landlubber division angler Bert Waterman both released one fish for the weekly crown in those categories.

Week 5 (June 17-20) brought a big change to the leaderboards, with David Rhea winning the week and taking the overall lead with nine releases. Landlubber Eddie Herrington had one release for the weekly title.

Overall, Logan Clark leads the junior division with two releases, Waterman the landlubber with three, and Mary Quinette the women with seven.

Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376.

By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2011

Making News

Scallopers get additional Harvest time

Saturday marks the early opening of scallop season in areas of Florida from Mexico Beach in North Florida to the Pasco-Hernando border. The season extends through Sept. 25. State officials added three weeks to scallop season this year in hopes of relieving the economic hardships of communities affected by the 2010 BP oil spill.

It is illegal to land bay scallops in waters outside of the designated areas. The daily limit is 2 gallons of whole bay scallops or 1 pint of meat per person.

For a complete list of scallop rules, visit MyFWC.com.

Conservation

Learn about state of local reefs

If you're looking for something free and interesting to do next month, there will be a multimedia presentation at St. Petersburg College on the state of Pinellas County reefs. The presentation will take place at 7:30 p.m. July 21 in the Fine Arts Auditorium of the Clearwater campus of the college. Topics discussed will include training sport divers to monitor the reefs, reef cleanups, water quality and data from sport diver surveys. For information, go to www.reefmonitoring.org.

Q&A

Ask the experts

Got a question pertaining to one of Florida's great outdoors pursuits?

E-mail it to rkenda@ sptimes.com and put Q&A in the subject field.

We'll try to find an expert to provide an answer in our outdoors pages.

Rodney Page, Times staff writer

Solunar table

AM PM major minor major minor

6/24 0 5:50 12:00 6:10

6/25 12:25 6:30 12:45 6:50

6/26 1:05 7:10 1:20 7:35

6/27 1:50 7:55 2:05 8:20

6/28 2:35 8:40 2:50 9:05

6/29 3:20 9:30 3:45 9:55

6/30 4:10 10:20 4:30 10:45

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2011

NHL draft: 7 p.m. on Versus. The Lightning enters the draft in St. Paul, Minn., with five picks, starting with the 27th overall. Friday Night Fights: 9 p.m. on ESPN2. WBC lightweight champ John Molina Jr. (21-1, 17 knockouts) takes on Robert "Red Hot" Frankel (28-10-1, five knockouts) in the main event.

Boxing Gym: 11 p.m. on Ch. 3. Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman focuses on those who train at a gym in Austin, Texas, in this PBS special.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer


Thursday, June 23, 2011

Times wires
Thursday, June 23, 2011

Sprint Cup

What: Toyota/Save Mart 350

When/where: Today, practice (Speed, 3 p.m.), qualifying (Speed, 11 p.m.); Saturday, practice (Speed, 2:30); Sunday, race, (TNT, 3 p.m.), Sonoma, Calif.

Fast facts: Last year, Jimmie Johnson won for the first time on a road course. … Jeff Gordon has a Cup-record nine road-course wins, five at Sonoma and four at Watkins Glen. … Tony Stewart has seven round-course wins, two at Infineon and five at Watkins Glen. … Juan Pablo Montoya won the 2007 race for his first Cup victory. He also won last year at Watkins Glen.

Standings: 1. Carl Edwards, 532; 2. Kevin Harvick, 512; 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 505; 4. Kyle Busch and Johnson, 503; 6. Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch, 491; 8. Ryan Newman, 456; 9. Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer, 455; 11. Stewart, 454; 12. Gordon, 438

Nationwide

What: Bucyrus 200

When/where: Today, practice; Saturday, qualifying, race (ESPN, 5:30 p.m.), Elkhart Lake, Wis.

Fast facts: Last year, Carl Edwards won the inaugural series race at the track. He has four victories this year. … Jacques Villeneuve, the Canadian who won the 1997 Formula One title, is driving the No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge in place of Brad Keselowski. He won CART races at the track in 1994-95. … Ron Fellows will pilot JR Motorsports' No. 7 Chevrolet. He is a four-time Nationwide winner on road courses. … Max Papis is driving Kevin Harvick Inc.'s No. 33 Chevrolet.

Standings: 1. Ricky Stenhouse, 525; 2. Elliott Sadler, 523; 3. Reed Sorenson, 521; 4. Justin Allgaier, 508; 5. Aric Almirola and Jason Leffler, 471

IndyCar

What: Iowa Corn Indy 250

When/where: Today, practice, qualifying (Versus, 6 p.m.); Saturday, race (Versus, 8 p.m.), Newton, Iowa

Fast facts: Last year, Andretti Autosport's Tony Kanaan raced to his first victory in nearly two years, passing Helio Castroneves with 10 laps left. … Last week, Chip Ganassi Racing's Dario Franchitti won for the third time this year, taking the lead at the Milwaukee Mile when Castroneves had a tire problem. … Will Power and Franchitti, who are tied atop the standings, went down to the final race of the season a year ago, with Franchitti clinching his second straight points crown when Power hit a wall at Homestead. Given Power's prowess on road courses, Franchitti could use some quality points from Iowa as the season approaches its midway point. … Former NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace designed the track.

Standings: 1. Power and Franchitti, 271; 3. Oriol Servia, 198; 4. Scott Dixon, 195; 5. Graham Rahal, 176

Formula One

What: European Grand Prix

When/where: Today, practice (Speed, 8 a.m.); Saturday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 8 a.m.) Sunday, race (Ch. 13, noon), Valencia, Spain

Fast facts: Last year, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won the second of his five 2010 victories. His teammate. Mark Webber, says a "nasty'' crash last year is forgotten as he looks forward to Sunday's 57-lap race. … Sergio Perez will decide after today's practice if he is fit enough to race for Sauber. Perez was hospitalized for a concussion after a crash during qualifying for the Monaco GP. Spanish driver Pedro de la Rosa replaced Perez in Montreal and is on standby in Valencia. … The course has an F1-high 25 turns.

Standings: 1. Vettel, 161; 2. Jenson Button, 101; 3. Webber, 94; 4. Lewis Hamilton, 85; 5. Fernando Alonso, 69

NHRA

What: Summit Racing Equipment Nationals

When/where: Today, qualifying; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 10 p.m); Sunday, final eliminations (ESPN2, 8 p.m.), Norwalk, Ohio

Fast facts: Last year, Greg Anderson raced to his first Pro Stock victory of the season. Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won.

Standings: Top Fuel — 1. Del Worsham, 763; 2. Dixon, 732. Funny Car — 1. Mike Neff, 765; 2. Jack Beckman, 705. Pro Stock — 1. Jason Line, 694; 2. Mike Edwards, 670. Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Karen Stoffer, 380; 2. Andrew Hines, 337

Trucks

Next: UNOH 225, July 7, Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Ky.

Standings: 1. Johnny Sauter, 326; 2. Cole Whitt, 306; 3. Ron Hornaday, 293; 4. Austin Dillon, 291; 5. Matt Crafton, 285

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2011

Legal brief of the day

Tom Melsheimer, an attorney for Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, filed a legal brief this week to dispute a claim by team investor Ross Perot Jr. that Cuban has "mismanaged" the franchise. Among the items in the brief: a photo of the team celebrating the NBA title.

Jersey of the day

He missed half the NHL season, but the Penguins' Sidney Crosby led the league in jersey sales for the 2010-11 season, Sports Business Daily reported. He was followed by the Capitals' Alex Ovechkin, the Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, and the Penguins' Evgeni Malkin. No Bruins or Canucks, the teams that met for the Stanley Cup, were among the top 10.

Times wires
Thursday, June 23, 2011

WIMBLEDON, England — After playing so well, so often, at this year's first two major tournaments, Li Na had her run at the third come to an early end.

Nearly three weeks after giving China its first Grand Slam singles championship, at the French Open, and five months after being the runnerup at the Australian Open, Li was knocked out in the second round at Wimbledon on Thursday, the grasscourt tournament's biggest upset so far.

Li, seeded third, wasted two match points and succumbed to the speedy serving of wild-card entry Sabine Lisicki in a 3-6, 6-4, 8-6 loss. Lisicki hit 17 aces, including one at 124 mph, which the WTA said is the fastest serve by a woman all season.

"(From) the first point till the end of the match, every serve was, like, around 117 miles (per hour)," said Li, 14-1 in Grand Slam play in 2011 before Thursday. "This is impossible for the women."

"Obviously, a good serve is important, but also, you have to use it well," said Lisicki, ranked 62nd and who trains at Bradenton's IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy. "And I think I'm serving quite smart as well. So it definitely helped me today."

Elsewhere, Serena Williams again was pushed to three sets before winning, then complained a bit about having to play on Court 2 instead of Centre Court or Court 1; Roger Federer overwhelmed his opponent in straight sets playing under the retractable roof at the main stadium for the first time, and Tampa resident John Isner exited for the second year in a row, losing to Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3.

Williams was forced to a third set for the fourth straight match since returning to the tour after nearly a year off because of a series of health problems. And while she eventually seized control to beat Simona Halep of Romania 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, it's clear she is still working her way into shape.

After the match, she wondered why she and her sister Venus each had to play on Court 2 while top men have been on one of the two principal courts for all their matches this week.

Tournament spokesman Johnny Perkins said there was no intentional snub and several factors go into scheduling decisions, including TV, where players stand in the draw and what ticket-buyers want to see.

Rain fell intermittently during the day, and four second-round women's matches were postponed, including the one involving top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki. Some matches were halted in progress.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2011

Rays at Astros

When/where: 8:05 tonight, Minute Maid Park, Houston

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

Starting pitchers

Rays

RH James Shields (7-4, 2.40)

Astros

LH Wandy Rodriguez (5-3, 2.88)

Watch for ...

Complete-game James: Shields has thrown complete games in his past two starts and has a major-league-leading and team-record-tying five complete games overall. He is 8-6 with a 4.49 ERA in interleague play. He has never faced the Astros.

Magic Wandy: Rodriguez also has been on a roll, going 4-0 with a 1.31 ERA over seven consecutive quality starts, and he has a 12-inning scoreless streak since a three-week disabled list stint (elbow). Rodriguez is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts against the Rays.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Rodriguez

Johnny Damon 2-for-3

Evan Longoria 1-for-5

B.J. Upton 0-for-3

Astros vs. Shields

Carlos Lee 1-for-2

Jason Michaels 0-for-5

On deck

Saturday: at Astros, 7:05. Sun Sports. Rays — Wade Davis (6-5, 4.57); Astros — Bud Norris (4-5, 3.26)

Sunday: at Astros, 2:05. Sun Sports. Rays — Jeff Niemann (2-4, 4.82); Astros — J.A. Happ (3-9, 5.33)

Monday: vs. Reds, 7:10. Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (7-6, 3.09); Reds — TBA

Tuesday: vs. Reds, 7:10. Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (8-6, 3.51); Reds — TBA

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

'Do of the day

OF Matt Joyce said he and 3B Evan Longoria figured they had struggled enough and it was time for something different. So they got their hair cut in Milwaukee, planning "to do something with the 'hawk." The modified mohawk goes from higher and wider in front to lower and pointed in back. It doesn't have a nickname, said Joyce, right. "We'll call it the 'do." A video of the cut is at tampabay.com/blogs/rays.

Quote of the day

"I know there are a lot of baseball purists out there who love the pitchers hitting, but oh my gosh.

Kelly Shoppach, Rays catcher, who clearly isn't among those purists

Times wires
Thursday, June 23, 2011

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — No matter how hard she tried, Paula Creamer couldn't catch Yani Tseng. Neither could anyone else.

Tseng, the world's top-ranked player, shot 6-under 66 Thursday to take a one-shot lead over Creamer after the first round of the LPGA Championship.

Tseng, at 22 the youngest player to win three majors, made five birdies on the front nine and three more on the back to go with a pair of bogeys as she began her quest for another major championship.

"I tried to put it on the fairways as much as I could," said Tseng, who finished second to Stacy Lewis at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in March, the first major of the year. "When you put it on the fairways, you have more chance to make birdies. The second shot I hit it very good."

Among her eight birdie putts on what was mostly a sunny, calm day at Locust Hill Country Club, none was longer than the 8-footer she made at No. 15. And although Tseng hit only six of 14 fairways, her strength allowed her to hit solid shots out of the thick rough, and she was able to reach 15 of 18 greens in regulation.

Creamer was pumped after a solid first round that matched her best at Locust Hill.

"Normally I shoot myself in the foot after the first day with putting pressure on myself and wanting to do so well," she said. "It's nice to be on the other side going into (today). I just need to keep it going and try to make as many birdies as I can."

Angela Stanford, Meena Lee, Diana D'Alessio and Stacy Prammanasudh were 4 under, and Morgan Pressel led a group of seven another shot back.

Seminole's Brittany Lincicome shot 2-over 74.

A brief shower in the late afternoon was followed by a thunderstorm that forced suspension of play for just more than two hours with 58 players on the course. Six players will complete their rounds this morning.

PGA: Michael Bradley had a one-stroke lead when first-round play in the Travelers Championship was suspended for the day in Cromwell, Conn. Bradley was 6 under with two holes left when play was stopped. The course received just more than an inch of rain in the 61/2 hours before play was called for the day around 6 p.m., tour officials said. Only two groups finished the round. Officials hoped to play from 7 a.m. to sunset today and be back on schedule to finish on Sunday. The forecast called for more rain.

Times wires
Thursday, June 23, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO — Tim Lincecum needed a psychological boost. When he got it, his fastball command returned.

Lincecum struck out 12 in seven innings, helping the Giants beat the Twins 2-1 Thursday.

"Early in the game, when I was commanding the zone, I just opened my mind to be that much more confident," said the two-time Cy Young winner.

Miguel Tejada and Cody Ross drove in runs for the Giants, who won their second straight after a season-long five-game skid.

Lincecum rebounded from a rash of poor starts. He gave up three hits, walked two and never allowed a runner past second base. He had entered with the worst NL ERA (7.59) in June, but he threw 72 of his 109 pitches for strikes and won for the first time since May 27.

"Even when I threw a bullpen I wanted to have belief in myself," Lincecum said. "I wanted that to carry over into games. I was executing my pitches and believing in what I threw at the moment."

Brian Wilson got three outs, despite allowing his first run in 151/3 innings, for his 21st save in 23 chances.

Times wires
Thursday, June 23, 2011

Mets 4, Athletics 1

NEW YORK — Chris Capuano got the A's to chase changeups and pitched six scoreless innings before leaving with a tweak on his right side. Capuano said he might have become dehydrated during a rain delay. Jose Reyes hit a pair of RBI singles, with help from the A's. Longtime second baseman Mark Ellis shifted to first base for the first time in his career and misplayed a ball that led to a run.