Times wires
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Tigers 6, Royals 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Magglio Ordonez's two-run homer six pitches into the game lifted the Tigers. The Royals have lost 14 of 19, and Kyle Davies has lost seven consecutive decision. Andy Dirks doubled on Davies' first pitch. After Brennan Boesch's groundout, Ordonez hit the struggling right-hander's first offering for a 2-0 lead.
Times wires
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Diamondbacks 7, Cardinals 6
ST. LOUIS — Leadoff man Kelly Johnson broke a seventh-inning tie with his second career grand slam and the Diamondbacks' bullpen hung on. Chris Young added a two-run triple and David Hernandez earned his fifth save in as many attempts as the stand-in closer.
Times wires
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Twins 8, White Sox 5
CHICAGO — Luke Hughes' three-run homer capped a six-run fourth and the Twins improved to 6-0 vs. the White Sox this year and 28-6 in the past 34 meetings. The White Sox scored five runs in the first, but Gavin Floyd was driven out after 3 2/3 innings when Rene Tosoni hit a bases-loaded single to tie it. Hughes greeted reliever Will Ohman with a three-run homer to left.
Times wires
Saturday, July 9, 2011
PHILADELPHIA — Raul Ibanez's homer with one out in the 10th inning lifted the Phillies to a 3-2 victory over the Braves on Friday in a matchup of the NL East's top teams.
The victory was Charlie Manuel's 600th as manager of the Phillies and increased their lead to 31/2 games.
These teams battled for the East title last year, Philadelphia overcoming a seven-game deficit on July 22 to win its fourth consecutive crown (though Atlanta earned the wild card).
Fittingly, in a matchup between teams with the two best ERAs in the majors, runs were scarce. Three Phillies relievers combined for three perfect innings. Antonio Bastardo worked the ninth to run his scoreless innings streak to 16. The lefty has allowed one hit in 42 at-bats in that span.
Finally, Ibanez ripped Scott Proctor's 2-and-0 pitch to right to end it. It came one batter after centerfielder Jordan Schafer robbed Ryan Howard of extra bases with a diving catch on his drive to left-center.
Times wires
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Dodgers 1, Padres 0
LOS ANGELES — Rafael Furcal singled in the game's only run in the eighth for the Dodgers, who have recorded shutouts in their past two games. Chad Billingsley got the win despite walking a season-high five and allowing baserunners in every inning except the seventh. Rookie Javy Guerra earned his third save in as many chances. He loaded the bases in a three-pitch span, a double and two hit batters. But he struck out Kyle Phillips and Will Venable before Jason Bartlett's liner to center was caught.
Times wires
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Angels 4, Mariners 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mark Trumbo's leadoff homer in the ninth off David Pauley lifted the Angels, who have won 12 of 15. The Mariners have lost 14 of 16 at Angel Stadium. The Angels tied it in the seventh on Hank Conger's homer. In the eighth, they loaded the bases on two walks and a single. But Pauley got Howie Kendrick and Alberto Callaspo on weak grounders. That left the Angels 10-for-53 (.189) with the bases loaded this season.
Times wires
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Mets 5, Giants 2
SAN FRANCISCO — Scott Hairston hit a go-ahead homer to lead off the ninth for the Mets. Pedro Beato earned the win by throwing one pitch. He entered in the eighth with a runner on first and got Aaron Rowand to hit into a double play. Hairston, pinch-hitting for him, then homered off Brian Wilson.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Derek Jeter became the 28th player in baseball history to reach 3,000 hits, and joined Tampa Bay's Wade Boggs as the only to do so with a home run, when he went deep off Rays LHP David Price in the third inning Saturday.
Jeter came into the day needing two hits - having been idled by Friday's rainout - and got started with a crisp single between third base and shortstop to lead off the game.
He came up second in the third inning, went to a full count and then drilled a home run to left field to reach the milestone.
Boggs is the only other player to reach 3,000 with a homer, coming on Aug. 7, 1999 at the Trop.
Jeter slapped his hands as he rounded first - as Rays 1B Casey Kotchman tipped his cap - and then and after he crossed home was mobbed by his teammates, who came racing out of the dugout and bullpen. After he was greeted there, a number of Rays, led by Johnny Damon, came out of the dugout and onto the dirt to applaud him.
Price, who had already thrown more than 50 pitches, came off the mound to the dugout to get a drink of water then returned and threw a few warmups during a delay that lasted less than 4 minutes.
After Jeter saluted the crowd, he pointed toward the mound, and Longoria tipped his cap in return.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 9, 2011
NEW YORK — With the exception of David Price, who is now the answer to a trivia question he wanted nothing to do with, the Rays welcomed their latest place in history Saturday, as Derek Jeter joined the 3,000-hit club in the rarest way, a home run to leftfield.
It was Jeter's 3,0003rd hit — his fifth of the game — they could have done without. The Yankees' captain capped a remarkable afternoon by singling in the deciding run in New York's 5-4 victory.
"It's unfortunate," Rays manager Joe Maddon said, "that he had such a wonderful day."
Jeter became the 28th player to reach the 3,000-hit milestone, joining former Devil Ray Wade Boggs as the only two on a home run, and the first to do so wearing Yankees pinstripes.
"I was excited," Jeter said. "But, to be honest with you, I was pretty relieved. ... I've been lying to you guys for a long time saying I wasn't nervous and there was no pressure. I mean, there was a lot of pressure to do it here."
Two hits away after Thursday's game (and Friday's rainout), Jeter moved immediately to precipice Saturday by singling in his first at-bat, slapping Price's full-count pitch crisply between third and shortstop.
When he came up next in the third, the Yankee Stadium sellout crowd of 48,103 in full roar, Price stepped back off the mound.
The 25-year-old lefty had closed out the seventh game of the 2008 ALCS, pitched in a World Series and started an All-Star Game, but admitted the moment got to him. He was fully aware of loud it was, and noticed the special marking (J3) on the ball. "I was just spinning out there," he said.
With the count again full after seven pitches, Price looked up and saw the video board notation that he'd given up a home run (and hit No. 2,530) to Jeter in his Sept. 14, 2008 debut. "It was unreal," Price said.
The next pitch was a curveball, a bit unusual for Price in that situation but he didn't have his blazing fastball, and, it wasn't a particularly good one.
And at exactly 2 p.m., with No. 2 on his back, Jeter got the second hit he needed (and, don't forget, the second to reach 3,000 with a homer), hitting a ball over the Yankee Stadium fence for the first time in more than a year (June 12, 2010), and to leftfield at that, tying the game at 1.
"He really knows how to do it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "This is a guy who's always been a big-time player in the big moment. And that's exactly what he did today."
As Jeter made the first left turn on his celebratory trot, Rays first baseman Casey Kotchman, who figured on a single or a double he'd be the first to offer congratulations, had to improvise. "He's got that flair for the dramatic," Kotchman said. "I wasn't going to be able to shake his hand, so I tipped my cap."
After the Yankees mobbed Jeter at home plate, the Rays, led by Johnny Damon, came out of the dugout to applaud, Jeter repeatedly acknowledging the crowd, as well as the Rays, during a four-minute celebration.
"Everything he's accomplished in the game is amazing," said Damon, a Yankees teammate 2006-09. "That home run was something that's epic."
The fan who caught the ball, Christian Lopez, a 24-year-old from the West Point area, happily gave Jeter the ball, and the Yankees rewarded him with four suite tickets for the rest of the season, and Jeter-signed bats, balls and jerseys. "Right now, it's a little bit of a blur," Lopez said.
The celebration was over, but the game was still to be decided. The teams went back-and forth a bit, with Damon, who wanted to be in the lineup despite his still bruised left hand, tripling and scoring to tie it 4-4 in the eighth. "I tried to ruin their parade ... but I think I made Derek step it up a bit more," Damon said.
After Eduardo Nunez doubled to open the Yankees eighth and moved to third on a bunt, Jeter - who doubled in the fifth and singled in the sixth - stepped up again against reliever Joel Peralta, with the Rays infield in.
"It would have been really, really awkward to be out there doing interviews and waving to the crowd after the game if we had lost," Jeter said. "If we didn't win, it definitely would have put a damper on things."
But this was Jeter's day, and he punched a 1-and-2 pitch through the middle, adding a game-winner to his milestone in just the third five-hit game of a career bound for the Hall of Fame and perhaps Hollywood.
"It was just one of those special days," Jeter said. "If I would have tried to written it and given it to someone, even I wouldn't have bought it."
"Hopefully," Damon said, "he can act very well and he can play himself in his own movie. That's the type of day that this was."
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 9, 2011
NEW YORK — With the exception of David Price, who is now the answer to a trivia question he wanted nothing to do with, the Rays welcomed their latest place in history Saturday when Derek Jeter joined the 3,000-hit club in the rarest way, a home run.
But it was Jeter's 3,0003rd hit — his fifth of the game — they really could have done without. The Yankees' captain capped a remarkable afternoon by singling in the deciding run in New York's 5-4 victory.
"It's unfortunate," Rays manager Joe Maddon said, "that he had such a wonderful day."
Jeter became the 28th player to reach 3,000, the first Yankee and the second, after former Devil Ray Wade Boggs, to do it with a home run (his to leftfield).
"I was excited," Jeter said. "But to be honest with you, I was pretty relieved. I've been lying to you guys for a long time saying I wasn't nervous and there was no pressure. I mean, there was a lot of pressure to do it here."
Two hits away after Thursday's game (and Friday's rainout), Jeter singled in his first at-bat, slapping Price's full-count pitch crisply between third and shortstop. When he came up next, in the third, with the Yankee Stadium sellout crowd of 48,103 in full roar, Price stepped off the mound.
The 25-year-old lefty has closed out the seventh game of the 2008 American League Championship Series, pitched in a World Series and started an All-Star Game, but, he said, the moment got to him. He was fully aware of how loud it was and noticed the special marking (J3) on the ball.
"I was just spinning out there," Price said.
With the count again full after seven pitches, Price looked up and saw a video board notation that he gave up a home run (and hit No. 2,530) to Jeter during his Sept. 14, 2008, debut.
"It was unreal," Price said.
The next pitch was a curveball, a bit unusual for Price in that situation — he didn't have his blazing fastball — and it wasn't a particularly good one.
And at exactly 2 p.m., with No. 2 on his back, Jeter got the second hit he needed, hitting a ball over the Yankee Stadium fence for the first time since June 12, 2010, tying the score at 1.
"He really knows how to do it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "This is a guy who's always been a big-time player in the big moment. And that's exactly what he did (Saturday)."
As Jeter made the first left turn on his celebratory trot, first baseman Casey Kotchman, who figured that on a single or a double he'd be the first to offer congratulations, had to improvise.
"(Jeter has) that flair for the dramatic," Kotchman said. "I wasn't going to be able to shake his hand, so I tipped my cap."
After the Yankees mobbed Jeter at home plate, the Rays, led by Johnny Damon, came out of their dugout to applaud. Jeter repeatedly acknowledged the crowd, as well as the Rays, during a four-minute celebration.
"Everything he's accomplished in the game is amazing," said Damon, a Yankees teammate from 2006-09. "That home run was something that's epic."
The fan who caught the ball, Christian Lopez, a 24-year-old from the West Point, N.Y., area, happily gave it to Jeter. The Yankees rewarded him with four suite tickets for the rest of the season and Jeter-signed bats, balls and jerseys.
"Right now, it's a little bit of a blur," Lopez said.
After the celebration was over, the game was still to be decided. The teams went back and forth a bit, with Damon, who wanted to play despite his still-bruised left hand, tripling and scoring to tie it at 4 in the eighth.
"I tried to ruin their parade, but I think I made Derek step it up a bit more," Damon said.
After Eduardo Nunez doubled to open the Yankee eighth and moved to third on a bunt, Jeter — who doubled in the fifth and singled in the sixth — stepped up against reliever Joel Peralta with the Rays infield in.
"It would have been really, really awkward to be out there doing interviews and waving to the crowd after the game if we had lost," Jeter said. "If we didn't win, it definitely would have put a damper on things."
But this was Jeter's day. He hit a 1-and-2 pitch through the middle for his third five-hit game.
"It was just one of those special days," Jeter said. "If I would have tried to have written it and given it to someone, even I wouldn't have bought it."
"Hopefully," Damon said, "he can act very well and he can play himself in his own movie. That's the type of day that this was."
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Wade Boggs welcomed Derek Jeter as the only other player to reach his 3,000th hit with a home run.
"I pretty much expected it,'' Boggs told the Times from Tampa. "Because he's Derek Jeter.''
Boggs, who went deep for the Devil Rays on Aug. 7, 1999, said he didn't figure Jeter would reach the milestone with something mundane like a single up the middle.
"That's not New York style,'' Boggs said. "You've got to do it with flare.''
Boggs said he knew from playing with Jeter in 1996 that he was destined for greatness given the consistency of his swing. "Good for him, I'm proud of him,'' Boggs said. "I knew it was just a matter of time.''
Boggs didn't see the hit live but saw a replay shortly after. "I don't think anyone expects to hit a home run for their 3,000th hit,'' Boggs said. "Makes me famous again.''
Times staff
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The poll
Because the legal case of Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib won't be resolved until after the season, do the Bucs or commissioner Roger Goodell have reason to discipline him? Total: 390 votes
69 percent: No. His guilt or innocence hasn't been determined.
31 percent: Yes, for patterns of behavior that violates the personal conduct policy
Another poll
What should determine homefield advantage for the World Series? Total: 153 votes
71 percent: World Series team with best record
14 percent: Alternate between AL and NL
8 percent: Result of All-Star Game
7 percent: League with best interleague record
This week's question
Which Rays reliever inspires the most confidence? Vote at rays.tampabay.com.
By Neil Taylor, Times Correspondent
Saturday, July 9, 2011
What's hot: If anglers aren't selective about when they go fishing, they usually end up hot while the fishing is not. Early morning, late afternoon and nighttime fishing have been steady. Redfish, trout and larger flounder have provided plenty of action. But midday fishing has been dismal for the most part.
Tackle and techniques: A medium-heavy spinning outfit will cover the steady-action times. Use a 1-yard length of fluorocarbon leader and a 1/8-ounce jighead. Trout and flounder will be caught on a variety of soft-plastic lures in deeper (3-8 feet) water over a mix of grass and sand bottom, and decent current. Redfish will be n depths of 2 feet or less on shallower grass flats.
Regardless of venue, the goal is to run the lures near the bottom to connect with the fish. Use very slow lure action in deeper water. Success comes by fishing the right locations between 6 and 10 a.m. and 6 and 10 p.m., when the fish are more aggressive. Anglers who do fish during the hotter hours will find that action diminished.
Neil Taylor charters kayak fishing trips in the Tampa Bay area and can be reached at strikethree kayakfishing.com or (727) 692-6345.
Times wires
Saturday, July 9, 2011
SUPER-BESSE, France — Rui Alberto Costa won the eighth stage of the Tour de France after withstanding a late attack from Philippe Gilbert in the final climb Saturday, and Thor Hushovd kept the overall leader's yellow jersey.
Costa, from Portugal, waved his hands in delight and punched the air as he crossed the line in 4 hours, 36 minutes, 46 seconds to clinch the first Tour stage win of his career.
"I knew I could get in the breakaway (Saturday). The team put me in the best position," Costa said. "I was lucky that I managed to hold on until the end. I'm very happy with this win.
"I attacked on my own at the end. I saw that my legs were good and that I could hold it alone. When it got to (1.2 miles) from the end, I really worked hard and managed to reach my objective."
The race entered the mountains for the first time in the 117-mile trek from Aigurande to Super-Besse. Gilbert of Belgium made up a huge amount of time before crossing 12 seconds adrift, with Cadel Evans finishing 15 seconds behind Costa in third place.
American Chris Horner pulled out of the Tour, a day after breaking his nose and sustaining a concussion in a crash. RadioShack team spokesman Philippe Maertens said Horner, who also hurt his right calf muscle, would spend the weekend in a hospital.
By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 9, 2011
TAMPA — Ronde Barber is a great football player, as evidenced by his 14 years in the league, five Pro Bowls and distinction as the only one in NFL history with at least 25 sacks (26 total) and 40 interceptions.
The Bucs cornerback has been asked numerous times what he would be doing if he weren't playing pro football, and people are surprised at his answer. He never had a Plan B.
"I always thought great people, successful people, allow what they're great at to define them," Barber said.
And that, in a nutshell, is his advice for CB Aqib Talib.
The talented but troubled Talib is scheduled to stand trial in March on charges of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with a shooting in Texas in March of this year.
Barber hopes Talib will be presumed innocent and permitted to play in 2011, but commissioner Roger Goodell has said players who run afoul of the league's personal conduct policy during the lockout will be punished once a new collective bargaining agreement is signed.
Talib, who was suspended for the first game in 2010 by Goodell for punching a cab driver, has allowed his off-field problems to overshadow his on-field accomplishments.
"I don't want say he can't do without football, but he's so good at it, football shouldn't be interrupted for a guy like that, especially for anything that happened outside of football," Barber said.
"If I had any guidance for Aqib it would be to make him focus on football. Everybody has priorities, and I'm not one to tell anybody what to do with their lives, but we all know that football has got to be something that defines him, not all this other stuff."
Barber said he and coach Raheem Morris have implored Talib to spend his offseason training in Tampa. But Talib has chosen to return to his hometown near Dallas, where his mother and two sisters live.
It was there, in Garland, where Talib and his mother, Okolo, were arrested in connection with a shooting involving the live-in boyfriend of one of Talib's sisters March 21.
"He has his life in Dallas, and I don't know what that life is," Barber said. "Aqib is a person that should be … the confident Buc.
"But he's got to embrace Tampa the way Tampa as the team wants to embrace him. (Former Buc great) Warren (Sapp) was great with that. He knew the team atmosphere was better when everybody is around. There's a culture, a spirit, and nowadays (players) want to go back and train wherever they are.
"That's different than from when I was coming up. We always wanted to be around."
TIKI UPDATE: Barber's twin, former Giants RB Tiki Barber, told USA Today the Bucs and Steelers are on his "short list" of teams for which he wants to play as he returns from retirement.
How realistic is it that the Barbers could be reunited in Tampa Bay?
"It was an entertaining thought four or five years ago," Ronde said. "I don't know how realistic it is now. I've not had a chance to talk to (GM) Mark (Dominik) or Raheem about it. Maybe the situation would be a little different under different circumstances. But I know he wants to go somewhere where feels like he's wanted."
The Bucs had the youngest team in the NFL last season, and RB LeGarrette Blount led all rookies in rushing with 1,007 yards. RB Cadillac Williams will be an unrestricted free agent, so it remains to be seen if there is a spot for a third-down back.
"He's prepared. He looks like did preretirement," Ronde said of Tiki. "He really dedicated himself and has been in there working out for four months. The only thing he doesn't have is the on-field endurance.
"He's very adept at what he used to do. I don't see him having a problem. The one thing he can't fail at is football. He had somewhat mastered it when he retired."
By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The story of how elite goaltender Tomas Vokoun was signed by the Capitals to a one-year deal at the astoundingly low price of $1.5 million is about timing (bad for Vokoun) and dumb luck (good for Washington).
Vokoun was without a team when he offered himself and his bargain-basement price to the Capitals after other teams looking for goalies in the free-agent market made their signings.
Those teams include the Lightning, which July 1, the day free agency opened, inquired about Vokoun, who with a 2.55 goals-against average and .922 save percentage was one of the few reasons the sad-sack Panthers were competitive last season.
With those numbers, Vokoun's price must have been high, certainly more than the $3 million Tampa Bay spent on its one-year deal with Dwayne Roloson.
But a funny thing happened. The goalie market dried up.
Credit an already tight market squeezed more after the Flyers, before free agency began, signed Ilya Bryzgalov for nine years and $51 million, the kind of deal Vokoun would have liked.
Then the Coyotes lured Mike Smith away from Tampa Bay with a two-year, $4 million deal. The Avalanche traded for Capitals goalie Semyon Varlamov, and the Panthers, knowing they would lose Vokoun, signed Jose Theodore for two years, $3 million. And just like that, teams were set in net.
That is when Vokoun, 35, approached Capitals general manager George McPhee, who after dealing Varlamov was ready to play next season with Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holtby.
Why Washington? Because, Vokoun said, he wanted a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
Told McPhee should have bought a lottery ticket that day, Lightning GM Steve Yzerman said, "He didn't need to. He already won the lottery."
Even so, Yzerman said he has no regrets he signed Roloson, who will be 42 next season but was so good for the Lightning in 2010-11. "When we have to make our decision, he's the best option," Yzerman said. "I like Roli. He's a battler, and when we need him, he'll be there for us. We're happy with our decision."
WHAT'S LEFT? With Smith's departure, every player Tampa Bay received from the Stars in the February 2008 trade of Brad Richards is gone. But follow the permutations. The trade over the long haul helped Tampa Bay land a couple of pretty good players: defenseman Eric Brewer and right wing Teddy Purcell.
The original deal: Richards, MVP of the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup run, and goalie Johan Holmqvist for Smith, forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, and a 2009 fourth-round draft pick.
Smith, an unrestricted free agent this year, left with no return, and the draft pick went to the Wild for negotiating rights to Brian Rolston, whom Tampa Bay could not sign before the 2008 free-agent period, so no return there.
Jokinen was traded in February 2009 to the Hurricanes for Wade Brookbank, Josef Melichar and a 2009 fourth-round pick that became part of a March 2009 deal that sent goalie Olaf Kolzig and defenseman Jamie Heward to the Maple Leafs for defenseman Richard Petiot.
Brookbank and Melichar are no longer with the organization, and though Petiot was signed this month as a free agent, his in-between stint with the Oilers takes him out of this discussion.
Halpern in March 2010 was traded to the Kings for Purcell and a 2010 third-round pick that turned into defensive prospect Brock Beukeboom, who last season was traded to the Blues in the deal for Brewer.
So, that's it: Brad Richards for Brewer, the cornerstone of the defense, and Purcell, a budding star. Was it worth it?
Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com.
By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Nearly nine years have passed since Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown in the freezing cold at Veterans Stadium to clinch a win in the NFC Championship Game over the Eagles.
But rarely a week goes by without Barber being asked about that signature play, he says.
"It comes up every four or five days, especially if I'm with somebody I don't know," Barber said.
"I love hearing stories about what people were doing at the time."
Stunned silence
What's still interesting nearly a decade later is that the loudest play in Bucs history was made in stunned silence.
The interception, with 3 minutes, 12 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of what became a 27-10 win, sent the Bucs to their first (and so far only) Super Bowl, in which they defeated the Raiders 48-21.
As Barber ran untouched toward the end zone, a hush fell over the stadium. It was somehow appropriate because the play also quieted concerns about whether the Bucs could win in the cold, could beat the Eagles in a postseason game and could emerge triumphant from the hostile confines of the Vet, which had become the Bucs' house of horrors.
Philadelphia had won the previous four meetings between the teams, including knocking Tampa Bay out of the playoffs in 2000 and 2001, the latter prompting the dismissal of coach Tony Dungy.
In both games, the Bucs were no match for the cold, the Eagles or Philadelphia's rabid crowd.
Barber silenced it all.
"You couldn't hear a sound," then-Bucs safety John Lynch said. "The stadium noise stopped. There was that sweet silence. There was nothing to say."
Monster game
What time has dulled is that Barber, who is entering his 15th season and is the only remaining active player from that team, had a monster game all around. He also had three tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and four passes defensed.
"That's like hitting for the cycle a couple times," Barber said. "The sack/fumble, a bunch of open-field tackles, beating blocks, and I factored in every statistical category except a fumble recovery.
"The interception gets earmarked, and rightfully so, because it was such a big play. But the entirety of the game is what I will always remember."
The play
The Bucs led 20-10 when quarterback Donovan McNabb drove the Eagles from their 18-yard line to a first and goal at the Tampa Bay 10.
With the Eagles in their two-minute offense, Barber was playing the slot receiver, where he always has been most dangerous as a pass rusher and defender. Before the snap, he walked up to the line of scrimmage in a blitz position before peeling back into coverage.
"I was just trying to bait (McNabb) a little bit," Barber said. "It's best to show blitz and to blitz in hurry-up situations when you can tell when the snap count is going to be. In that situation, you just move around, you don't want to give them a static look.
"Over the years, I kind of got a feel for it. (McNabb) fell for it. I don't know why. Maybe it was because he just had a great play and thought I was going to blitz. But either way, he believed I was coming and threw it right to me."
The aftermath
Barber knew immediately that his touchdown could lead to a Super Bowl championship.
"We thought the best team in football was the Philadelphia Eagles," he said.
As he reached the end zone, Barber held the football in his right hand and pointed to the name on the back on his jersey with his left, a gesture he has repeated many times in his career.
"I had never done it before that touchdown," Barber said. "I did it against San Francisco the week before (after scoring), but (the touchdown) got called back because (then-Bucs defensive end) Simeon (Rice) had a penalty. The first time on film was that Philly game."
Send your memories of the play to sports@tampabay.com.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The best thing you could say about the Rays season thus far is little has gone as expected but yet it hasn't been half-bad. A look back:
First-half MVP
1. Kyle Farnsworth, RHP
The simplest definition of an MVP can be this: What player would the team be worst off without? By that measure, and many others, Farnsworth is that guy. Primarily a middle reliever in his career, he stepped up and filled the closer's role better than anyone could have expected, converting a career-high 17 of 19 saves (four of four or more outs) with a 2.02 ERA and .209 opponents' average and the willingness to pitch in any situation.
2. Ben Zobrist, RF/2B
Sure, he has been streaky. His power has dropped off. There have been a few miscues in the field. He doesn't lead the team in any major category. But Zobrist has done more than any other position player, playing top-notch defense at both spots, hitting first through seventh and having quality at-bats almost every time up.
3. James Shields, RHP
The team is built for the starting pitchers to carry it. But it wasn't likely Shields, coming off a 13-15, 5.18 disappointment, would lead the way. The quality of his work offset the inconsistency of the other four and earned him a trip to the All-Star Game.
Runnersup: 1B Casey Kotchman, CF B.J. Upton
Biggest disappointment 1. Reid Brignac, SS
Of all the players taking on new roles, the one the Rays seemed least concerned about was Brignac. But he turned out to be the biggest problem, his poor offense leading to him losing the everyday job and the team's confidence. Among the 263 big-leaguers with at least 175 plate appearances through Friday, his .462 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentages) is the lowest and his .194 average sixth worst.
2. John Jaso, C
Kelly Shoppach takes most of the heat — and with a .174 average he should — but at least he has been solid behind the plate. Jaso, after an impressive 2010 rookie season, has stepped back quite a bit, hitting .223 with only a .298 on-base percentage and throwing out only 7of 43 basestealers.
3. Manny Ramirez, DH
Everybody expected there to problems at some point during the season. But the Rays had to expect they would get more than one hit out of him before he was done.
Runnersup: Shoppach, 1B Dan Johnson
Most pleasant surprise 1. Casey Kotchman, 1B
Just playing every day is an accomplishment given his poor 2010 season in Seattle, being forced to take a minor-league deal and not making the Rays team out of spring training. But to be playing this well, with a .345 average to go along with his usual flawless defense, is simply stunning. In a good way.
2. Kyle Farnsworth, RHP
The Rays saw something in him, and he has showed them to be right, and everyone else.
3. Johnny Damon, DH
The Rays knew he'd bring a lot, but his offense (.279, 9 HRs, 41 RBIs) and his clubhouse leadership and presence have exceeded what they expected.
Runnersup: RHP Joel Peralta, OF Sam Fuld
Well, hello to you
It should have been some kind of sign that the season started on April Fool's Day, because the first 10 days looked like a cruel joke. Which was worse, that the Rays started 0-6, then 1-8? That their best player, 3B Evan Longoria, got hurt in the second game and missed a month? That their prime off-season acquisition, DH Manny Ramirez, up and left after a positive drug test, forcing a major reshuffling of their lineup? And yet the Rays rebounded - going 48-31 (.608) through Friday - to become just the seventh of the 78 teams (and third since 1922) to climb out of a 1-8 or worse hole and get at least 10 games over .500. They'll get to the All-Star break with the second-best record of those 78 teams:
Year Team W-L Pct.
1995 Reds 43-25 .632
2011 Rays 49-39 .557
1973 Cards 51-45 .531
1945 Red Sox 36-35 .507
1983 Astros 40-40 .500
1959 Tigers 40-40 .500
1939 Pirates 34-34 .500
No place like home
For all the complaints about the Trop, the one good thing has been how well the Rays have played there, with a 158-85 record (.656 winning pct.) from 2008-10 that matched the Red Sox for best in the majors. But this season, it's been anything but home sweet dome as they have just a .500 record under the tilted roof. The obvious issue is a significant lack of offense, but the why is a mystery as neither the change in personnel nor turf should matter this much. Consider, with rank in the majors:
W-L Rank R/PG Rank ERA Rank
Road 28-18 (1) 5.20 (2) 3.91 (16)
Home 21-21 (14) 3.26 (26) 3.27 (10)
Man, oh, Manny
Manny Ramirez got exactly one hit in the five games he played for the Rays before bailing, and they probably can't thank him enough. If Ramirez had not "retired," Sam Fuld wouldn't be a legend, Casey Kotchman wouldn't have been called up when he was, and Johnny Damon wouldn't be as productive if he were playing leftfield every day. Manny for MVP?
The dearly departed
How the big-name players who left for more money or were dealt in the offseason are doing:
• RHP Grant Balfour, A's * #
4-2, two saves, 4.21 ERA
• SS Jason Bartlett, Padres
.238, one homer, 21 RBIs
• RHP Joaquin Benoit, Tigers #
2-3, two saves, 4.28 ERA
• LHP Randy Choate, Marlins #
0-1, no saves, 0.98 ERA
• LF Carl Crawford, Red Sox *
.243, eight stolen bases, .275 on-base percentage
• RHP Matt Garza, Cubs *
4-7, 4.26 ERA
• 1B Carlos Peña, Cubs #
.221, 19 homers 48 RBIs
• RHP Rafael Soriano, Yankees *
1-1, one save, 5.40 ERA
• RHP Dan Wheeler, Red Sox * #
1-1, no saves, 5.27 ERA
* Spent time on the disabled list # Not including Saturday's game
Long on bad luck
So far, this season, 3B Evan Longoria has had a car stolen, his spring house burglarized, spent a month on the DL with a strained oblique, got so sick he missed his homecoming series in Anaheim, has been hampered by a nerve condition in his left foot, failed to make the All-Star team for the first time in his four-year career, committed six errors in 58 games and hit just .247. His season in a word? "Unlucky," he said.
Notables
• DH Johnny Damon's climb up the majors' hit list included passing the legendary Ted Williams, who was 71st at 2,654.
• 2B/RF Ben Zobrist had a team-record eight RBIs in the opener of the April 28 day-night doubleheader at Minnesota then two more in the nightcap, giving him 10 for the day and 18 for a five-game span.
• RHP James Shields had three consecutive complete game wins and six total.
• OF Sam Fuld, a New Hampshire native, had four extra-base hits and 11 total bases in his first game at Fenway Park.
• Matt Joyce led the majors in hitting for 13 days, last on June 2, the latest for a Ray.
John Romano, Times Columnist
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Some destinies are obvious. Some ballplayers are that blessed.
The left-handers. The flamethrowers. The guys stamped early with greatness, and viewed forever with anticipation.
These are your first-round draft picks. Your Baseball America darlings. These are the majority of the players who will line the field during introductions at the All-Star Game on Tuesday evening.
Then there is James Shields.
The self-made All-Star. The blue collar millionaire. The guy who saw 465 players selected ahead of him in the 2000 draft, and the guy who missed an entire minor-league season with a shoulder injury. The guy left off all of Tampa Bay's minor-league rosters in 2005, and the guy who took a step backward in 2010.
Today he will make his final start of the first half before taking off to Phoenix for the All-Star Game, and the latest affirmation of a journey plotted by design rather than destiny.
"I wasn't a high draft pick. I wasn't on anybody's radar," Shields said. "I had to work my way through the entire organization. I had to outpitch all the first-rounders, I had to outpitch all the guys in front of me in order to get moved up.
"I had to put up the numbers, and I liked that because it was a challenge for me. I had all of these prospects ahead of me and my goal was to outpitch them all. If I outpitched them, then no one could stop me.
"It's been a long road, no doubt about it. But I'm a grinder, man."
For a change, the grinder is being noticed. It was never quite enough that Shields was one of the most durable pitchers in baseball, or that he earned the only World Series win in franchise history. He never got the acclaim of Scott Kazmir, and never came close to a posed Sports Illustrated cover shot like David Price.
It bothered him, truth be known. But it bothered him in the right kind of way.
It is what drives Shields to spend offseasons working harder than almost anyone else. It is why, four days a week in the winter, he sets his alarm at 5 a.m. and spends a couple of hours in the gym before coming to Tropicana Field at 9 a.m. for the regularly scheduled offseason workouts with Tampa Bay's other pitchers.
"He works his (butt) off," Rays trainer Ron Porterfield said. "I will vouch for that."
Some of this, no doubt, was instilled in him by his father who had a construction business in California when Shields was growing up. Much of it was learned from his cousin Aaron Rowand, an 11-year veteran outfielder now with the Giants, who taught him that the best big leaguers were born in the sweat of the offseason.
But much of it was instilled by the Devil Rays, an inadvertent gift in the final days of an outgoing regime.
Shields had missed his second season of pro ball with shoulder surgery in 2002, then was dogged by nerve damage in his shoulder in 2004.
By the time he came to spring training in '05, he had spent four seasons in the minor leagues and had only four starts above Class A. His lone shot at Double-A ended abruptly when Kazmir was acquired from the Mets, and Shields was shipped back to Class A Bakersfield to make room for the hot shot lefty with the 95-mph fastball.
Shields thought he pitched well that spring, but when the rosters for Tampa Bay's minor-league teams were posted in the clubhouse, his name was nowhere to be found.
Not in Triple-A. Not in Double-A. Not even the high Class-A team. Shields had been relegated to extended spring training, a 23-year-old playing with high school draft picks and teenagers from Latin America.
He had a baby daughter, a crummy minor-league salary and no clue where his career was heading.
"That scared him. It scared me," his wife Ryane said. "Spring training is like the first days of school where everyone is excited about what classes they're going to get, and he finds out he's not going anywhere. It's hurtful. It hurts your ego. I could see it in him.
"I think it triggered something inside of him. It gave him that drive, gave him that push. That's really what changed his entire career."
As a 16th-round draft pick, the Rays did not have a lot invested in Shields. And with the accumulation of injuries, they still weren't sure what type of pitcher he could be.
They weren't necessarily down on him, they just had no reason to believe in him.
Shields pitched well in extended spring, and said then-Tampa Bay player development director Cam Bonifay called to tell him he was going to Class A Visalia. Shields said he was adamant about not going back to the California League, and offered to pitch out of the bullpen in Double-A. One relief appearance later, he was in the starting rotation and finished the season with a 2.80 ERA, and was in the big leagues a year later.
"There comes a time in a career where a player has to self-evaluate, and figure out where he is in his journey," Rays director of minor league operations Mitch Lukevics said. "Jamie was always a good worker, but I think he would tell you himself that he wasn't the type of worker he is today. It took a while to figure that out, to become that consummate pro, and now he's reaping the benefits.
"He should be very proud of where he is today."
Today he is one of the finest pitchers in the American League. He corrected a tiny flaw in his mechanics with pitching coach Jim Hickey in the spring — Shields rocked too far back toward first base in his delivery, so his hips would swing too far in the other direction and this caused his fastball to stay too high and flattened out his breaking pitches — and he has shaved his ERA in half (5.18 to 2.47) from last season.
Shields, 29, has always been determined. He has always been confident. Now he was beginning his sixth season in the big leagues, and felt as if it was time to master his craft. In a spring training meeting with manager Joe Maddon, Shields told him he was determined to throw more complete games in 2011.
"There were times last year where he obviously didn't trust me to finish games," Shields said. "I basically told him this spring, 'Hey, you know I've always been a workhorse, I've always been the kind of guy that wanted the ball late in the game.' I basically told him this is what I want to do. He gave me the ball and said, 'Here, show me.' "
Shields enters today's game with the Yankees with a league-leading six complete games. Because he is starting in the final game of the first half, Shields is not eligible to pitch Tuesday in the All-Star Game.
That's a little disheartening, but he'll take the night off.
After all, he did all the work to get there.
John Romano can be reached at romano@sptimes.com.
By Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 9, 2011
That slumberous sigh you hear Wednesday will be the collective yawn of a nation deprived of its daily sports fix. The day following baseball's all-star game is generally considered the dullest on the annual sports calendar. Major League Baseball has the night off, and it's a dead period for football, hoops and hockey. Golf and tennis are between majors, and the only competitive baseball involves minors (see Little League). Not exactly sports-bar fodder, which leaves us only with sports-bar debate: What is the best sports day of the year? Here, in no particular order, are our top eight. (Sorry, pseudo-sports days such as the NFL draft and National Signing Day weren't considered.)
Super Bowl Sunday
A no-brainer, even if only a fraction of the 45 Super Bowls has matched the shameless hype. This day has evolved into a cog in our culture, a de facto national holiday with all the surrounding elements — commercials, concerts, etc. — often rendering the game to subplot status. Even when it's boring, it's transcendent.
Second Saturday of college football
Aside from two or three glitzy matchups, Week 1 is essentially college's preseason, with most top-25 teams working out their respective kinks against a for-hire directional school. Week 2 is when it really gets rolling. Check out the second Saturday of this September: South Carolina at Georgia, Notre Dame at Michigan, Alabama at Penn State, Utah at USC, Mississippi State at Auburn.
Sunday at Augusta
Is there a more sublime setting in all of golf than the final pairings approaching Amen Corner as the Sunday sun makes its initial descent at the Masters? The azaleas and intensity are in full bloom at that point, setting up arguably the most compelling two hours of golf you'll witness all year.
March Madness, opening day
If we were forced to rank our days, this would be our No. 1 — by a buzzer-beater. If you're like us, you're gazing at your NCAA Tournament bracket over breakfast, catching the early games over lunch, and watching the late-night games over the objections of your spouse, who wishes you'd turn the TV off after 12 hours of hoops.
Thanksgiving Day
A pumpkin-spiced fusion of gastronomical and gridiron nirvana, packaged in a crisp November day. What could possibly be better than gorging yourself, watching football and dozing off in the recliner? Repeating the entire process that night. Blissful.
Kentucky Derby day
The most exciting two minutes in sports annually is preceded by two (or more) hours of some of the best build-up reporting you'll see all year. NBC's pre-race coverage is always teeming with poignant features and sharp analysis, and the Churchill Downs pageantry is a hoot to behold. Moreover, by day's end there's still hope of having a Triple Crown winner.
New Year's Day
We'll be the first to admit this day has lost a lot of its juice. Its onetime fixtures — Sugar, Orange and Cotton bowls — have been pushed back a few days, and the BCS title game doesn't arrive for another week. Still, nothing soothes a New Year's Eve headache like a couch and college football, and New Year's has plenty of it.
Opening day, major league baseball
This day has inspired poetry, which we'll leave to the poets. We simply like it for the fresh start it symbolizes. The grass looks greener, the unis seem brighter and Tropicana Field is fuller. Then comes Day 2.
Joey Knight can be reached at jknight@sptimes.com.
