By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 30, 2011

Agent Kent Hughes stressed it all is part of the process and does not mean there are any hard feelings between his client and the Tampa Bay Lightning. In fact, Hughes said he believes Teddy Purcell will get a new contract through negotiations. Still, Hughes said he is ready to file for arbitration by the July 5 deadline on behalf of the right wing.

Purcell is a restricted free agent. The Lightning made his a qualifying offer of 105 percent of his $750,000 salary to maintain his negotiating rights.

"We've had some conversations, but there's not a heck of a lot to report," Hughes said of negotiations with Tampa Bay. "At the end of the day he's an arb-eligible player. We'll file for arbitration and then we have a window of time to try to come to a negotiated solution."

Purcell, 25, had a breakout season in 2010-11 with career bests of 17 goals, 34 assists and 51 points. He also played well in the playoffs with six goals, 17 points in 18 games.

As for negotiations, Hughes said he understands and appreciates general managers go down a list based on time lines and priorities. And with the draft just finished and the rush to sign unrestricted free agents before Friday and the first few days of actual free agency upcoming, it is understandable Steve Yzerman's immediate priority is not with an arbitration-eligible case.

"Teams are really trying to tackle things on a priority basis based on time lines," Hughes said. "So, the fact that they qualified him reflects the fact that they're ready to live with whatever the arbitration decision is."

That said, Hughes added, "My assumption is we're going to be able to negotiate the terms of a deal. I have no reason to believe otherwise."

By Seth Leto, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 30, 2011

What's hot: Stronger tides surrounding today's new moon will have tarpon feeding aggressively. There are still plenty of fish on the beach, although most of the schools have broken up into smaller pods. Tarpon can be fished with a variety of baits — crabs, threadfin herring, mullet, pinfish and shad. Typically the two most popular baits, when sightfishing for tarpon, are crabs and threadfins.

Tactics: During morning hours look for fish rolling on the surface and cruising along the bottom. Generally tarpon use the same paths as they travel the waterways outside the beach. Find an area where fish are rolling then use the trolling motor to position yourself for a cast. Another tactic is to anchor in those same lanes where tarpon have been rolling and fish the water column. Put out live baits under floats and fresh dead baits on the bottom, then chum with pieces of cutbait. This is an effective technique when the water is rough and murky or while fishing at night.

Still hot: Beach fishing for snook is still red-hot. Some of the biggest snook of the year have been caught while fishing the afternoon outgoing tide. Areas that are holding the biggest concentrations of snook have been the passes between the barrier islands. The baits of choice for those 15-plus-pounders are greenbacks and pinfish.

Seth Leto charters out of Tarpon Springs and can be reached at capt.seth@yahoo.com or (727) 385-0382.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Why, hello there, heavyweight division. It's been a long time.

You look …different.

Have you lost weight? Gotten your hair done? Teeth whitened?

Whatever it is, it becomes you.

What's that? Saturday night? You and me?

Oh, I don't know. I've heard your promises before. You've stood me up so many times. Broke my heart, really. Maybe you've forgotten Sultan Ibragimov or Nicolay Valuev, but I haven't.

Now you want another chance.

Sigh. Fine. You know I can't quit you. But if this time doesn't work out, it's over.

Six reasons to give the heavyweight division one last chance

1. A good fight!

No, really, that's what almost everyone is thinking. Or, is it wishful thinking?

Nevermind what division it's in. The David Haye-Wladimir Klitschko bout Saturday night is one of the best matchups in the past three years.

There's a buzz. Genuine excitement. I even received two e-mails this week asking where to see the fight.

There has been better matchups on paper than this one, which features the giant Klitschko who hasn't lost in seven years, against a smaller former cruiserweight champ who won his title against Valuev and has a questionable beard.

But these guys really hate each other, and not in the but-let's-get-a-beer-afterwards way. There's serious animosity.

It's going to be a fight!

(There I go again, getting all hopeful)

2. It's the best heavyweight fight since Vitali Klitschko-Lennox Lewis in 2003.

Klitschko had Lewis seemingly out on his feet in that one, but couldn't finish the champ off. Lewis managed to bust Klitschko's face up to the point the fight had to be stopped, and lucky for him as he trailed on all three cards.

The rematch? Never happened.

Lewis retired, Vitali got his title and retired, and the division's great history was handed over to champs like Lamon Brewster and Ruslan Chagaev, to name a few.

3. Haye is a polarizing, charismatic, compelling figure.

He is talented and has the kind of punching power the division has been sorely lacking, but in the run-up to this fight he has been annoying, charming, arrogant, self-deprecating, funny.

But mostly, annoying.

In other words, exactly what the heavyweight division needs.

Some have likened it to Cassius Clay's approach against Sonny Liston before their first fight in 1964.

Like Clay, Haye is the underdog.

Like Clay, he is diligently working on driving his bigger, stronger opponent crazy with insults.

Boxing has thrived on such characters. It relies on its protagonists, needs them as much as it needs those with the technical skills and knockout power. We need someone to love, but sometimes someone to hate is even better (see Mayweather, Floyd).

So Saturday, you're probably either rooting for Haye to beat Klitschko and inject some fresh blood into the division, or you want to see him get knocked out of the ring.

There's no in between.

4. It's the first legitimate challenge for Wladimir Klitschko since 2005.

Klitschko has reigned over the division since beating Samuel Peter in a tough decision, and it's been rather painful to watch ever since.

It's not Klitschko's fault. He came along at the wrong time.

Is he good? Yes.

Is he great? We'll never know.

Does he put you to slee…zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Klitchsko has defended his title eight times, and if you can name any of the guys he has beaten, you need to spend more time with family and friends on Saturday nights.

(Tony Thompson, Ibragimov, Chagev, Hasim Rahman, Ray Austin, Calvin Brock …okay, I'll stop.)

5. Saturday's fight can save the heavyweight division.

Remember how mad you were when you missed that Buster Douglas-Mike Tyson fight?

Don't make the same mistake again.

Nothing against the reign of the Klitschko brothers, but it's easy to agree with Haye when he likens it to watching paint dry.

"It would be a shame if the Klitschko brothers ended up with all the belts,'' he told Wladimir Klitschko, to his face, on HBO's Face Off program. "What a way to truly (dump) on the heavyweight division. …I can't allow that to happen. For the good of boxing, for the good of the world, for the good of the universe. We got to take them belts off you, boy.''

One fight may not save the division. Two might.

If Haye wins, he wants big brother Vitali next and even showed up to a news conference wearing a T-shirt depicting the decapitated heads of the brothers in each of his hands.

Think of the drama, the buildup, the story lines.

Haye trying to pull off what seems to be the impossible double play.

Vitali trying to avenge his brother.

Are those goose bumps?

6. Saturday's fight can kill the heavyweight division.

If Haye gets knocked out, the Klitschko brothers will hold all the belts in the division, and that would be a shame. They won't fight each other, and chances are they will win until they retire and hand the belts back to the IBF, WBC, WBA, etc.

Thanks, guys. We're done with these.

Vitali will next fight Tomasz Adamek, who just beat Kevin McBride, a guy who has lost five of his past six fights though, yes, he did send Mike Tyson into retirement and a role in both Hangover movies.

As for Wladimir, which of the top-rated contenders do you want to see him fight?

His choices, according to the current rankings, will probably be Chagaev, Eddie Chambers, maybe Thompson.

He's already knocked all of them out.

John C. Cotey can be reached at cotey@sptimes.com.

By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 30, 2011

Making News

Blue Crab trap closure allows for cleanup

In 2009, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved various rule amendments to blue crab regulations. One of those rules was to hold regional blue crab trap harvest closures every other year throughout Florida. The 10-day closure for the Tampa Bay area is July 10-19. The reason for the closures are to give crabbers a chance to identify and retrieve lost or abandoned traps. During the closed period, any traps in the water are considered derelict. And during the closure, Tampa Bay Watch, a nonprofit conservation organization, is hosting a derelict crab trap removal event July 16. Volunteers are welcome. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon. To register, go to tampabaywatch.org.

Double safety efforts for holiday

The FWC expects state waters to be packed this Fourth of July weekend. Here are some boater safety tips: check the weather before boating, check all safety equipment, leave a float plan with a responsible party, check the VHF radio. Children under 6 and all people on personal watercrafts are required to wear life jackets. For more tips, go to myfwc.com.

Boating

Classes sharpen boater skills

The St. Petersburg Sail and Power Squadron is offering a boating course beginning July 11. It is a four-week program that runs from 7-9 p.m. and covers a range of boating skills, from rules to knots and chart reading. Materials are $35. For information, go boating-stpete.org or call (727) 498-4001.

Rodney Page, Times staff writer

Solunar table

AM PM major minor major minor

7/01 6:00 0 6:20 12:10

7/2 6:55 12:40 7:30 1:15

7/3 7:50 1:40 8:20 2:05

7/4 8:45 2:35 9:15 3:00

7/5 9:40 3:30 10:10 3:55

7/6 10:35 4:25 11:05 4:50

7/7 11:30 5:20 0 5:45

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 30, 2011

BRADENTON — Even while the majority of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster assembled for a three-day player-organized minicamp, it was the conspicuous absence of a certain middle linebacker that generated nearly as much buzz as those in attendance.

Barrett Ruud, the team's leading tackler the past four seasons, was 1,500 miles away in his home state of Nebraska, perhaps wondering whether Tampa Bay has any intention of retaining him. Or maybe Ruud already has his heart set on seeking a lucrative free-agent contract from another club when he finally gets the right to test the market.

Either way, the possibility of the Bucs playing 2011 without Ruud is very real, making it essential for those who might replace him to be up to the task.

A couple of the leading candidates attended this week's camp, including incoming rookie Mason Foster and former USF star Tyrone McKenzie. Can they fill Ruud's shoes?

"I'm just going to come out and play as hard as I can like I know how and, if it's kickoff (coverage), kickoff return, starting linebacker — it doesn't matter," said Foster, a third-round draft pick from the University of Washington. "I'm going to play as hard as I can and help the team win."

McKenzie went so far as to call Ruud and ask that the two sit down and study film together to solidify McKenzie's grasp of the defense. When McKenzie learned Ruud had left Tampa for a while, McKenzie hopped on a flight to Nebraska where Ruud graciously extended a helping hand.

"I flew up to Omaha, and (Ruud) drove from Lincoln," McKenzie said. "Me and him met in the lobby (of a hotel) and went over tape. That shows what kind of class he has and what kind of leadership he has."

It was an ironic arrangement, Ruud helping educate the very player who might replace him.

"Barrett's a great guy," McKenzie said. "I hope to see all the guys back. But I'm not in charge of the business aspect of things. I'm here to do what I have to do to get the job done."

McKenzie needs the reinforcement given his limited time on the roster last season. After his release from New England, McKenzie joined the Bucs practice squad in November before being promoted to the active roster in December.

Foster, meanwhile, is capable of playing all three linebacker spots, but the Bucs intend to start by teaching him the middle linebacker position.

"(Coaches said) pretty much to learn all three," he said. "They want me to be interchangeable. They definitely want me to learn (middle linebacker) first because it's going to be the toughest."

The Bucs face a decision at strong-side linebacker, too. Quincy Black, who has started the past two seasons, and key backup Adam Hayward could both become free agents.

Dekoda Watson spent his rookie season last fall learning the position and, later, stepped into a more prominent role after Black was lost for the season in December. Watson shared the position with Hayward and showed promise. There's a potential opportunity for him in just his second year because the Bucs have not been shy about promoting young players.

"That shows the maturity and how smart the coaches are," he said. "Then it's the players and how they perform on the field. I know we're young, but they drafted us for a reason. They see a quality that we have and they want us to display it."

Already, McKenzie said, he sees a difference in Watson.

"Dekoda is prepared," McKenzie said. "I plan on meeting with Dekoda and just reviewing all this stuff with him in the next couple weeks. He was actually on top of his game (Thursday) and the past couple of days. ... A guy like that, you know he's been grabbing his playbook.

"That shows his maturity."

And depending on the team's decision on Ruud and elsewhere, that's something the Bucs will need in large doses, and soon.

By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors Editor
Thursday, June 30, 2011

Diver down

With the scallop season in full swing, boaters should keep an eye out for snorkelers. State law requires that a vessel with divers or snorkelers in the water display a diver-down flag (red with a white diagonal stripe).

The flag must be at least 20 by 24 inches if displayed on a boat or at least 12 by 12 inches if towed on a float by the diver or snorkeler.

In open water, vessels must make an effort to stay 300 feet from a divers-down flag. In a river, channel or inlet, the distance is 100 feet. Vessels may operate within those distances, but at idle speed.

Stay cool on the flats

Surfing, fishing, paddling — these are the pursuits of summer. Chase Heard and Andy Stepanian, a.k.a., the Howler Brothers, grew up chasing fish and waves in Florida and Virginia, but now both live in Texas, where they started a clothing company to fit their lifestyle. They came upon the name in Costa Rica, where they were entertained by the call of the loudest animal in the Americas, the howler monkey. The loggerhead long-sleeve shirt will keep you cool, dry and comfortable on the flats. Price: $65. Go to howlerbros.com.

Tip from a pro

During the summer spawn you can catch snook using the same type of baits used the rest of the year — live whitebait, pinfish, threadfins, and shad. You can also catch snook on all types of artificial lures, such as jigs, topwater plugs and crankbaits.

One trick for catching those monster linesiders: Catch fresh mullet, cut the head off and fish it on the bottom.

Mike Manning runs Action Fishing Adventures out of Tarpon Springs. Call him toll-free at 1-800-644-5940.

Catch and release

Snook season may be closed through the end of the year, but that doesn't mean these prized game fish will stop biting. So anglers should bone up on the finer points of catch and release.

If you hook a snook, land the fish as quickly as possible. Leave the fish in the water and unhook it using pliers or a dehooking tool. The quicker you release the fish, the better its chances of survival.

If the hook is too difficult to remove in one, clean motion without ripping flesh, wet a rag and use it to lift the fish out of the water. This helps keep the fish's protective slime intact. Be careful not to tear additional tissue while removing the hook. Back it out through the hole. If this fails, cut off the tip of the hook and try again.

If the hook has been swallowed or is deeply embedded, cut the leader as close to the shank as possible and leave it in the fish. Most nonstainless steel hooks dissolve in a few days.

Biologists estimate that only 2 percent of the snook that are caught and released do not survive, as compared to 5 percent of the redfish and 8 percent of the trout.

trailmix

{outdoors-related bits and bites}



Scallop season

N ormally, July 1 marks the start of the scallop season. But this year the season opened a week early, on June 25. You will find Argopecten irradians scattered throughout the Gulf of Mexico, but it's the places where freshwater rivers flow into the ocean where the scallops are the thickest. These tasty mollusks need the right mix of saltwater and freshwater to survive. If rains are heavy, too much freshwater can flood the bay and wipe out a crop. If the water is too salty, they won't survive, either. The state's prime scallop grounds — Homosassa, Crystal River and Steinhatchee — have the perfect combination of both fresh and saltwater.

If you are looking to get in on "the hunt," then you will need a boat, diving mask, snorkel, saltwater fishing license and dive flag. The best time to go is on a slack tide, when the grass blades stand straight up.

There are advantages to waiting later in the scallop season to search for these tasty shellfish. First, they are bigger, which means more meat for the table. Second, most people think the grass beds have been picked clean. So on a weekday in July, you pretty much have the place to yourself.

The season runs through Sept. 25, and it is legal to gather scallops north of the Pasco-Hernando (near Aripeka) county line to the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County.

You can land up to 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell, or 1 pint of scallop meat each day during the open season. Recreational scallopers may not possess more than 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or a half gallon of meat aboard any boat. Visit myfwc.com for complete regulations.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, June 30, 2011

ST. LOUIS — Tony La Russa is not always all business.

There are a few jokes on occasion. The tireless hours he spends on his Animal Rescue Foundation. The impressive list of FOTs — Friends of Tony — that he will host, which one day last week alone included Super Bowl winning Packers coach Mike McCarthy, Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean and former NFL star Trace Armstrong.

And there is a full-sized stuffed toy tiger that sits on a black leather chair next to the desk in his office, which came from a fan after the 2006 World Series win over Detroit and good buddy Jim Leyland. "It reminds me of cats," La Russa explains. "And I call it Jimbo for Leyland."

But most of the time, La Russa, 66, in his 33rd big-league season, is all about winning. It's been that way since he first got into pro baseball 49 years ago, signing with Kansas City the night of his June 1962 graduation from Tampa's Jefferson High, and pretty much every day since in a career he never expected to last this long. "Hell, no," he said.

After a middling playing career, he began managing in the minors in 1978, made it to the majors the next season with the White Sox and has been at it ever since, having moved to the A's and then the Cardinals, winning more games (2,681) than the Rays have played.

The weekend series at the Trop is special, just the second time he has gotten to manage in his hometown (though the Cardinals did have two springs in St. Petersburg before vacating to make way for the Rays). Both his parents have died, but La Russa still has plenty of family in the area. "They're going to be out in force," he said.

In a half-hour conversation with the St. Petersburg Times last week in his Busch Stadium office, La Russa was willing to discuss a number of topics. Here are excerpts:

On managing his 5,000th game last month, second most in MLB history behind Connie Mack's 7,755:

That got my attention. I've been taught so well from all those mentors and the one thing they always tell you is that you pay attention to what's now, or shortly beyond it, but don't ever get distracted by that other stuff. It was 10 days before and one of our people in PR said, 'Y'know, it's a shame that 5,000 will be on the road.' And I said, '5,000 what?' That's a lot of games. Of all the things, that one got my attention.

On how much the 2,681 wins — third most of any manager — mean to him:

I think I've tried to be very honest about that and I get a lot of skeptical looks — the target was never a number of wins. Way back when at the winter meetings Topps used to have a party — current managers, past managers and Hall of Famers — and I remember when I first went in there, you saw these giants of baseball. Topps used to have a tradition when you won 1,000 games they'd give you a little briefcase. I remember going, "1,000 games — man, can you imagine winning 1,000 games? And whenever that happened (in 1991 with Oakland), that was the only one. ... Since then I really haven't paid attention to it. And this is where I'm disappointed when someone doesn't believe me. ... I don't take the win total personally.

On his reasoning that his success is the product of the good situations he has been in, compared to colleagues such as Jim Leyland and Tom Kelly:

From the White Sox to the A's to the Cardinals, I have never not had the good fortune of the ownership and the front office and the players. If you ask Don Zimmer right now to put a hand on the Bible, or a Racing Form, and you say, you're going to tell me if Jim Leyland had been in Chicago, Oakland and St. Louis, he'd probably tell you — and I would agree — that he'd have more wins that I have. Or Jim would have the 2,000 and I would have the 1,000. So when you look at the good fortune of the organizations, and you look at your friends and your peers, it's tough to take (the success) personally. You appreciate the good fortune and leave it at that.

On whether he'll return next season to surpass John McGraw (who won 2,763) for second place on the wins list behind Connie Mack (3,731):

I'm either going to be there because I'm all fired up to manage, or I won't because the fire's out. It will have noting to do with how high I could go up on the list.

On if there is a word, given all those others have used, that he likes to describe himself:

Yeah, baseball man. Two words.

On whether "relentless," which comes up a lot, is a compliment:

It's a reality. You ask any coach, especially in baseball where your challenge is to be ready to compete every day. You've got to have a relentless kind of approach.

On what he's most proud of:

I always look at this that we have a unit here — the coaches, the trainers, the guys that handle your equipment, the person that does your travel — and all of us try to create an environment where guys can be as productive as their talent allows. With the exception once in a while of somebody disputing that, the thing I'm most proud of is I can go back to the Chicago days and the Oakland days and now the St. Louis days and have a real closeness with a lot of players. ... We've always preached you win the right way and you lose the right way. ... It's been such a consistent philosophy over the years. I defy you to find people who don't think that's how we do it.

On what to do with the DH:

Dump it. No. 1, I think both leagues should have the same rules. ... (Without the DH) there's a lot of strategies and possibilities .... and I think the game would lose a lot without having those moments, basically to sit out there and slug and slug and slug.

On interleague play:

Total question for the fans. If they like it, if the fans are for it — and they keep showing attendance is up — then I'm all for it. If the fans don't like it, there's a lot of rough edges.

On expanded use of instant replay (as he is on the commissioner's special committee):

I think used carefully — that's what the committee is trying to do and what the commissioner is stressing, that you don't want to overwhelm the game and add time for reviews — I think there will be a little bit here, a little bit there. Personally, I think a great majority of the time I would rather rely on an umpire's judgment.

On whether players linked to performance-enhancing drugs should get into the Hall of Fame:

My two cents is to treat them all the same. If you want to say none get in, then none get in. But you can't pick and choose a couple guys and what they are representative of. I see quite a difference of opinions, and it comes off kind of hypocritical. .... If you want to not understand it, fine. But then everybody that's been somewhat proven, nobody gets in. One thing I'd add, and I think this is a good point that I hardly see any more, in the early days of weight training, when the stuff really started in the '80s and into the early '90s, a lot of that was creatine-driven, and that's not illegal. ... There's no doubt there were some illegal substances, but I think there's a point there where there were also a lot of assumptions about when the period started and who was doing what when it was creatine, and that wasn't anything like a banned substance then or now.

On whether he'd vote admitted steroids and HGH user Mark McGwire (now the Cardinals hitting coach) into the Hall of Fame:

Yes.

And Barry Bonds, who has been repeatedly accused?

I don't know about Bonds. I know what's been reported. I just know that I watched Mac work. And I know when he was talking about taking some of the stuff, what was that HG-whatever, he was having problems with his heal. We thought his career was over.

On his impressions of Rays manager Joe Maddon:

I think back to when (pitching coach) Dave Duncan did a tour of Europe with Joe (in 1995) and he came back and said, "Man, I met a guy that really knows the game." He goes over to California (as a coach) and does a great job and now he comes here and he's the manager and he does a great job. So I think he's a really talented guy.

And on the Rays success overall:

I think a lot about the Rays like I think about the A's during their heyday. They signed an exceptional group of players and pitchers and have done a great job of developing them — and that's why the system doesn't work. I don't care if you look and say how many different teams have been in the World Series, if the system really worked then the guys you develop through your system you'd be able to keep then beyond the time when they get to make a lot of money. ... The way it is now, if you work hard you have this shot in a little window that you play to your best and then you may be able to keep a piece or two, but you can't keep all pieces.

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

By Larry Blue, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Nice find: Heading offshore the other day I noticed the flash of several jumping mackerel. As we got closer, we could see that the mackerel had the water in a froth as they forced small baitfish to the surface. Mackerel have been almost nonexistent for the better part of the season, but there was no shortage on this particular day. We boated 26 mackerel and continued offshore for some bottom fishing.

What's hot: Red grouper appears plentiful. We found that 50 feet of water is the minimum depth to start, and the bite was even better to about 80 feet. Take lots of bait; frozen sardines and squid is the standard fare. Live pinfish should tempt the largest grouper, usually gag or black will take that offering.

Be watchful: While offshore watch for the occasional whale shark; one found Tuesday had a substantial escort of 100 cobia. Also, massive bull sharks are in the area. While fighting a lemon shark, a big bull tried to make a meal of our catch.

Larry Blue charters the Niki Joe from Madeira Beach Marina. Call (727) 871-1058 or visit CaptainLarryBlue.com.

Times wires
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Athletics 2, Mariners 0

OAKLAND, Calif. — Scott Sizemore drove in both runs to help Oakland avoid a sweep. Sizemore homered in the first and hit an RBI single in the fifth. Both came off Jason Vargas, who pitched his fourth complete game over his past seven starts. Guillermo Moscoso allowed only singles to Dustin Ackley in the second and Adam Kennedy in the seventh to win for the first time since May 29. He won first two starts before going 0-4 in June despite posting a 2.25 ERA. He has allowed just one earned run over his past 242/3 innings.

Times wires
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Brewers 3, Diamondbacks 1

MILWAUKEE — Casey McGehee hit a pinch-hit three-run homer in the seventh as the Brewers avoided a sweep. McGehee, benched for three of the previous five games because of a season-long slump, hit his first home run since May 20. He had been hitting .171 since then. Upon returning to the dugout after the homer, McGehee spiked his batting helmet, apparently letting out his frustrations.

Times wires
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Royals 4, White Sox 1

CHICAGO — Bruce Chen retired his first nine batters and escaped a big jam to help the Royals take the rubber game. The lefty earned his first win against Chicago in 11 games (six starts) and four decisions. Down 4-0 in the sixth, Chicago loaded the bases with no outs. After a popup, Adam Dunn's walk forced in a run. But Chen got a called third strike past Paul Konerko — who hopes to make the All-Star team via interactive voting — and got Carlos Quentin — already on the team — to pop out.

Times wires
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Tigers 5, Angels 4

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Miguel Cabrera hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh as the Tigers avoided a sweep. Michael Kohn relieved Hisanori Takahashi with one on, and Cabrera sent his third pitch over the leftfield wall. Brad Penny won for only the second time in nine starts. He retired 16 of 20 after allowing two runs in the first, being chased by Mark Trumbo's homer in the seventh.

Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Storm's season has seen its share of ups and downs, and Friday night was a major down. Tampa Bay, clawing to remain in the playoff hunt, was thumped 64-33 against New Orleans — owners of the worst record in the AFL.

The loss didn't mathematically eliminate the Storm, but the odds of the five-time AFL champion making it to the postseason for the 22nd time in team history look bleak.

"Until someone tells us we have been eliminated," coach Dave Ewart said, "we're going to keep fighting."

The division winners from each conference make the playoffs with two wild cards, regardless of division, rounding out the field in each conference. In the American Conference, only South Division winner Jacksonville is locked in.

That leaves two slots, with Orlando and Georgia — both 9-6 — in the driver's seat. Either Cleveland (9-6) or Pittsburgh (8-7) will win the East Division, with the other one also figuring into the wildcard mix.

"Right now we have to just focus on winning one football game, and that's against Tulsa (on Saturday)," Ewart said.

The best-case scenario for the Storm is to win out and finish 9-9.

If Georgia, Orlando and either Pittsburgh or Cleveland lose out, a lengthy series of tiebreakers would ensue that couldn't be predicted until the final week.

"We've got to win them all anyhow," Ewart said. "I'll worry about anything else when it's over."

Record Watch: Cliff Dukes didn't record a sack against New Orleans, leaving the linebacker three short of the single-season record of 151/2 with three games to play. Dukes has had just 11/2 sacks in the past four games.

Record Watch Part 2: DL Tim McGill recorded a sack in his third straight game. McGill's eighth sack of the season brings the defensive line's season total to 35. The Storm's front four needs three sacks to tie the AFL single-season team total, set in 1988 when the Storm was based in Pittsburgh.

Triple threat: Hank Edwards' seven catches for 82 yards against New Orleans gave him 1,012 receiving yards for the season, joining Huey Whittaker and Amarri Jackson in the 1,000-yard club. It's the third time in team history the Storm has had three receivers pass that plateau in the same season.

Transactions: Marcus Udell's season ended this week when the rookie defensive back was placed on injured reserve after tearing his labrum against New Orleans. The Storm is expected to fill the roster spot today.

Times Staff
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Tampa Bay Golf Tour

Looking for one website for information on area public courses? Tampabay.com/golf has you covered. The site has all public regulation and executive courses in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties. Each course has a video review, breakdown of yardage, greens fees and contact information.

Local junior playing with Champions

Junior golfer Benjarong Murray of the First Tee of St. Petersburg is playing this weekend in California at the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Murray is paired with Champions Tour pro John Huston of Palm Harbor. The First Tee Open at Pebble Beach is an official Champions Tour event that pairs 78 juniors with pros. The event will be televised Friday through Sunday on the Golf Channel.

Slam in sight

Juli Inkster, 51, completed a career grand slam more than a decade ago, so she understands the pressure Yani Tseng is under this week at the U.S. Women's Open. "You've got to have a golf course to your liking and you've got to get some breaks," Inkster said. "… (Tseng) is playing extremely well. She's fearless. She's putting good. I think that's what's putting her over the edge right now."

By Eduardo A. Encina, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

TAMPA

Forward Mike Ambersley said after practice Wednesday that 60 to 70 percent of soccer success is being confident. If that's true, Tampa Bay reaches midseason coming off its best offensive output of the season.

It scored a season-high four goals in a 4-2 win over Fort Lauderdale in front of its largest home crowd of the season, 4,248, on Monday. With the win, it gained three points to tie Fort Lauderdale for fifth place in the NASL standings.

"A win does a lot for everybody's confidence," said Ambersley, who has a team-high seven goals, including five in his past five games. "It doesn't matter what position you're in. When you win, you feel better about yourself."

The offense is starting to come around for Tampa Bay (4-5-5, 17 points), which has scored nine goals in its past four games after scoring eight in its first 10.

"The back players set the tone," coach Ricky Hill said. "We didn't look as vulnerable to the counterattack (Monday) and didn't look as stretched as we've been in the last 45 minutes in previous games. I was very pleased with how we managed to defend as a group 20 yards from our goal."

The back row is solidifying with the addition of Kwame Watson-Siriboe on loan from Chicago and the return from arthroscopic knee surgery of J.P. Rodrigues, who has played 90 minutes the past two games.

Kickin' it with | Midfielder Pascal Millien

Coming off a game in which he scored a goal and assisted on two in Monday's win, Millien was named the NASL offensive player of the week.

How big was Monday's win?

We're in the position right now where we need wins.

This is your second year in the league. How much have you learned?

Coming in this year, people expect more from me. You're not a little kid anymore. You're an experienced guy. After going through a struggling year last year, I've learned from the bad, and now I'm just trying to get the good going. I know I can do so much more as a player. I just need to be me.

You recently went back home to Haiti to start a soccer academy. What was the lasting memory of that experience?

For me, it was like a dream come true. The academy is going now. Kids are training every day. But we still have a lot of work to do. When I was growing up, I didn't have anybody to do that for me and put me in that position. I know how much they need it, especially when we put school and soccer together. Some kids used to have D's, and now they have A-plus because that's how bad they want it. That pushes me, too, to work harder every day.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Rays at Yankees

When/where: 7:05 tonight, Yankee Stadium, New York

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

Starting pitchers

Rays: RH Jeff Niemann (3-4, 5.05)

Yankees: RH Bartolo Colon (6-3, 2.88)

Watch for …

Big Jeff: Niemann has had two solid starts and one bad one since returning from the DL after missing six weeks with a back strain. He beat St. Louis his last time out. He is 2-0, 3.74 in four starts against the Yankees.

Big Bart: Colon, 38, has been a hefty part of the Yankees' success in his first big-league action since July 2009. He is 9-2, 3.63 in 18 games against the Rays, only one since July 2007.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Colon

Johnny Damon20-for-54, 2 HRs

Evan Longoria1-for-3

B.J. Upton2-for-11

Yankees vs. Niemann

Curtis Granderson1-for-10

Derek Jeter5-for-9

Mark Teixeira2-for-11, HR

On deck

Friday: at Yankees, 7:05. Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (8-7, 3.21); Yankees — Freddie Garcia (7-6, 3.13)

Derek Jeter tribute quotes of the day

"Here's a guy that's going to be the only Yankee with 3,000 hits. It couldn't happen to a better guy."

Rays senior adviser Don Zimmer, a longtime Yankees coach and Jeter admirer

"He's been a tremendous player for a long time. He's a great teammate, and he's a great champion."

Rays DH Johnny Damon, a former Yankees player

Derek Jeter reality quote of the day

"I hope we beat their (butt) four in a row and … he gets his 3,000th hit."

Zimmer, who will be in New York for the series

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

MINNEAPOLIS — As swollen, discolored and painful as Johnny Damon's left hand was, the good news was initial X-rays indicated it wasn't broken and there's a chance he could be back in the lineup before the end of the weekend.

"I got lucky," Damon said. "I'm just hoping it doesn't take me through the All-Star Game."

Damon was hurt when he was hit by a Francisco Liriano pitch for the second time Wednesday, in the back as he led off the game as the DH then on the hand in the third.

"He got me pretty good; probably the worst I've got it in my career," Damon said. "And I've taken one off the face before."

Damon stayed on the bases till the inning ended and immediately started icing in hopes of getting another at-bat. But the swelling became too much.

Damon, 37, was adamant he wouldn't end up on the disabled list: "No chance. I can't. If I go on the DL, my career is close to being over."

So, too, would his streak of playing at least 140 games, currently at 15 straight seasons.

Head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield was similarly optimistic, but the diagnosis could change. Initial X-rays, done with a fluoroscope, didn't show any breaks. But depending on how Damon feels today, the Rays might send him for further tests.

And while manager Joe Maddon said he hopes to have Damon back in the lineup by Friday or Saturday — "It's definitely a day-to-day thing," he said — he also had his office door closed for 15-20 minutes after the game discussing options.

Sean Rodriguez might get more at-bats initially with the possibility 3B Evan Longoria, bothered recently by a left foot issue, could be used as the DH. If the Rays need another bat, Triple-A Durham outfielders Brandon Guyer and Desmond Jennings are possibilities.

Liriano hit Damon twice and Rodriguez once in the first four innings, but Maddon said he was certain it was not intentional given the left-hander's overall lack of command. When asked, Damon said, "I hope not," adding that then there would be a question why the Rays didn't retaliate.

PARTY TO HISTORY: The Rays are pretty much resigned to Yankees SS Derek Jeter getting his 3,000th hit — he's three shy — during the four-game series that starts tonight. They just hope to delay the achievement — and excessive celebration — for as long as they can.

Rays starter Jeff Niemann — against whom Jeter is 5-for-9 — has already had a preview of what it could be like. He was on the Yankee Stadium mound Sept. 9, 2009, and allowed Jeter's 2,721st hit, a single that tied Lou Gehrig's Yankees record.

"Hopefully, I've already done my part," Niemann said.

STEP DOWN: Longoria was 3-for-6 with four RBIs, including a three-run homer. But he remains bothered by a nerve condition in his left foot (a Morton's neuroma), enough so that Maddon took him out in the ninth. Longoria will require another pain-killing injection, though he hasn't decided when.

PITCHING IN: RHP Wade Davis lasted only five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) and nine hits. But he said that was a success as he had "the worst stuff I had all year."

Added Maddon: "He didn't have his best anything."

MINOR MATTERS: C Eric Otanez, a touted 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic, was one of nine international free agents signed this week. Baseball America ranked Otanez 36th among the top 40 international prospects. … Venezuelan Summer League C Oscar Hernandez, 17, who had a .388 average and 10 homers in 22 June games, was named the minor-league player of the month. Short-season Class A Hudson Valley RHP Jason McEachern was named the top pitcher for going 2-0, 0.54, including 62/3 no-hit innings in one of his three starts.

MISCELLANY: 2B/RF Ben Zobrist remained last among the five candidates for the final spot on the AL All-Star roster. Voting through mlb.com concludes at 4 p.m. today. … Maddon said there was still no word on disciplinary action from Friday's ejections or the possibility of RHP Kyle Farnsworth being added to the All-Star team. … Damon was hit twice in the same game for just the second time. It also happened in 2001 by San Diego.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

>>UP NEXT

at Yankees

Tonight-Sunday

What's new: SS Derek Jeter is back from the DL and, as you might have heard, closing in on 3,000 hits. The bigger story is since losing to the Rays on May 16 at the Trop, the Yankees have been sizzling with an MLB-best 31-15 record. More impressive is how they've done it; with a patchwork rotation (13 wins from Bartolo Colon and Freddie Garcia and Phil Hughes returning from the DL on Wednesday) and a bullpen ravaged by injuries, with ex-Ray Rafael Soriano and Joba Chamberlain among the missing. Of greater concern, closer Mariano Rivera has been unavailable due to elbow soreness, though he says he will be healthy for the series. The offense is the key as the Yanks lead the majors in runs and home runs, including 25 each from CF Curtis Granderson and 1B Mark Teixeira.

Key stat: The Yankees have four players with at least 50 runs and 50 RBIs: Granderson, Teixeira, 2B Robinson Cano and 3B Alex Rodriguez. No other team has more than two.

Connections: Rays DH Johnny Damon, RHP Kyle Farnsworth are former Yankees, as are bullpen coach Bobby Ramos, special assistant Dave Eiland and senior adviser Don Zimmer. … Yanks RHP Cory Wade was in Rays spring training and at Triple-A Durham before signing with New York. Soriano, the former Rays closer, is on the DL. Yanks pitching coach Larry Rothschild was the first Rays manager.

Series history: The Yankees lead 142-80 overall and 75-34 in New York (though only 10-8 at the new stadium).

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Times wires
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Braves 9, Rockies 1

ATLANTA — Chipper Jones hit a two-run homer and Jair Jurrjens earned his NL-leading 12th win for Atlanta. Dan Uggla added a two-run homer in the eighth and Jordan Schafer had four hits. Jurrjens has allowed no more than one run in four straight starts, leaving his NL-leading ERA at 1.87. Jones' homer in the third pushed the lead to 5-0.

Times wires
Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Astros 8, Pirates 2

PITTSBURGH — Hunter Pence had three hits, including an RBI single during a five-run sixth, and the Astros ended a five-game skid after a lengthy team meeting. Bud Norris allowed two runs over seven innings to win for the first time in five starts. He had lost his two previous starts vs. the Pirates, though the Astros scored a total of one run for him in those games.