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Women's World Cup final facts: United States vs. Japan

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

United States

Previous World Cups: Five

Finishes: Champion in 1991 and 1999; third place in 1995, 2003 and 2007

Coach: Pia Sundhage

Top players: F Abby Wambach, D Christie Rampone, GK Hope Solo

Roster

Goalkeepers

1 Hope Solo *

18 Nicole Barnhart

21 Jill Loyden

Defenders

2 Heather Mitts

3 Christie Rampone *

4 Becky Sauerbrunn

6 Amy LePeilbet *

11 Ali Krieger *

14 Stephanie Cox

19 Rachel Buehler *

Midfielders

7 Shannon Boxx *

9 Heather O'Reilly *

10 Carli Lloyd *

15 Megan Rapinoe

16 Lori Lindsey

17 Tobin Heath

Forwards

5 Kelley O'Hara

8 Amy Rodriguez *

12 Lauren Cheney *

13 Alex Morgan

20 Abby Wambach *

* Likely starters

Japan

Previous World Cups: Five

Best finish: Quarterfinal in 1995

Coach: Norio Sasaki

Top players: M Homare Sawa, M Kozue Ando, F Mana Iwabuchi, M Aya Miyama

Times wires

What to watch for Three things to look for from the United States and Japan in today's final:

United States

Hope Solo. She is, arguably, the best goalkeeper in the world, and she essentially gives the Americans an extra defender.

Height advantage. Abby Wambach is one of the best players in the world in the air, and the former Gator standout has scored two goals off headers in the past two games. Japan's tallest player is 5 feet 7 — 4 inches shorter than Wambach.

• Composure in the midfield. The Americans have improved their creativity, and they'll need more of that against Japan.

Japan

Homare Sawa. Playing in her fifth World Cup, the 32-year-old has looked ageless, scoring four goals to share the lead in the tournament with Marta.

Possession-oriented system. Japan has drawn comparisons to Barcelona for its lightning-quick passes and slick combination play, and the Japanese often look as if they're playing a game of keepaway.

Nahomi Kawasumi. After playing just 29 minutes total in the first four games, she was a surprise starter in the semifinal against Sweden and scored twice.

2011 World Cup results

United States, Group C (second place)

Date Opponent Result

June 28 North Korea 2-0 W

July 2 Colombia 3-0 W

July 6 Sweden 2-1 L

Quarterfinal

July 10 Brazil 2-2 W (extra time, 5-3 penalty kicks)

Semifinal

Wednesday France 3-1 W

Japan, Group B (second place)

Date Opponent Result

June 27 New Zealand 2-1 W

July 1 Mexico 4-0 W

July 5 England 2-0 L

Quarterfinal

July 9 Germany 1-0 W

Semifinal

Wednesday Sweden 3-1 W


High school recruiting: Life lessons from one who has been there

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By Eduardo A. Encina, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 16, 2011

TAMPA — When Ricky Sailor was one of Hillsborough County's top high school football recruits a dozen years ago, he wasn't handed the road map to success.

And he veered off the path.

Now Sailor, the defensive coordinator of Jefferson's reigning Class 3A state title team, has set his sights on not only helping today's recruits get a scholarship offer but making good use of it.

With all the buildup to national signing day every February, Sailor is one of the few who is still there after the pens are packed away.

In January, he officially began his own company, Unsigned Preps, to help prospects prepare for college life on and off the field. It has less to do with 40 times and more to do with the long haul.

"I help kids get recruited, but I'm not a recruiting service," Sailor, 30, said. "What I do is far different. My life experiences are really the driving force of how to help these guys. I didn't do it by reading a book. I did these things, good or bad, so I could come back and help. Everything they did, I did. I've been there.

"I tell them my story."

As a defensive back at Leto, Sailor committed to Wake Forest, but a senior season that included a 10-day suspension for fighting and a transcript with little punch — Sailor had a 2.0 grade point average and a 740 SAT score — didn't cut it for Wake.

So Sailor went to Butte College, a junior college in California, where he had 17 interceptions in two years and was a two-time junior college All-American. From there he went to Texas Tech, excelling on the field and in the classroom.

"I had a 2.0 GPA in high school, but I graduated college with a 3.0," Sailor said. "I didn't all of a sudden get smarter. I just learned how to handle different things better."

That's what Sailor hopes to do with Unsigned Preps, which he runs out of his Tampa home and is free to the athletes in lieu of community service. The key, he said, is thinking strategically, and realistically, about a player's recruiting while teaching valuable life lessons.

This month, Sailor took 23 players from seven counties on a bus trip to college camps at North Carolina, South Carolina, N.C. State and N.C. Central, where about 30 college coaches saw them firsthand — something he said is way more valuable than participating in one of the countless combines. To some players, who paid $355 for their registration to the four camps and three nights in hotels, it was their first time on a college campus, so it opened their eyes to a world beyond their neighborhoods.

The day before the bus trip, his group went to West Tampa's Rey Park, where former Jefferson quarterback and reigning Florida Mr. Football Quentin Williams cooked pigs in a blanket for local kids and made speeches about making good decisions.

The instruction for Sailor's mentees doesn't stop there. Everything he does takes a page from Tyrone Keys, a former NFL player who founded the All-Sports Community Foundation, a mentor program for kids that Sailor was involved with as a child.

His players participated in an NFL symposium in partnership with the Bucs, where they were instructed on how to handle college life — from the media to girls to Facebook.

He has had etiquette primers. Plans are in the works for some of his players' moms to send care packages to athletes in their first two years of college. All of the seniors he helped get into college this year will come back to do a youth camp next summer. He even wants to teach his players how to play golf to prepare for possible business deals down the line.

"I want to introduce guys to a different world," Sailor said. "Half of business decisions are made on the golf course. They're not made at happy hour at the Blue Martini, so our guys need to be on the golf course."

The caveat, at least early on, is helping land kids a scholarship, and two of Sailor's best success stories didn't play at Jefferson.

He helped former Plant receiver Allen Sampson land at Hawaii. In the midst of the Panthers' 2009 state-title season, the 5-foot-7, 150-pound speedster had four Division I-AA offers, deemed by many too small to play Division-I.

Sailor sat Sampson down and made him call a list of schools outside the region that ran West Coast offenses.

"I called all these coaches' secretaries," Sampson said. "He made me do everything. It taught me a lot about doing things on my own. It was a cool process because I never thought I'd be recruited by a school so far away. He opened my eyes to all these schools."

Hawaii ended up being a natural fit, and Sailor's old defensive coordinator at Texas Tech, Greg McMackin, is the Warriors' head coach.

Sailor also helped just-graduated Pasco senior Jamie Byrd get an offer to Texas Christian in the recruiting season's eleventh hour. The Horned Frogs were looking for a safety in late January, and Sailor remembered Byrd from when Pasco played Jefferson in the region playoffs.

Byrd, raised in the hard-luck Pasco County community of Lacoochee, had committed to Boise State, but after visiting TCU late he fell in love with the school, not to mention playing in the Big East and the fact that family was nearby.

"He gave me options," Byrd said. "One thing Coach always tells me is that you never know who is watching you, so always be respectful. You hear that, but he proved it to me and showed me that really is true. He liked how I carried myself in the game and after the game."

"TCU heard about me and the same day offered me. He made one call, he got it done. You never know who Coach knows. He knows a lot of people."

Barry Clark, a Tampa Catholic graduate who played at Ball State and has known Sailor since their days together at All-Sports, predicted that Unsigned Preps will be the model other recruiting brands will look to. His son, former Alonso cornerback Tyree Clark, signed with UConn with Sailor's help.

"Ricky leads with his heart first, and he's always trying to outdo himself," Clark said. "He feels like a parent, he thinks like a coach and he's focused like a CEO. When you introduce a college coach to Ricky, he'll have the coach's home phone number by the end of the conversation."

Sailor plans to make Unsigned Preps officially a nonprofit, which will open the door to more fundraising.

"The dream is big," he said with a smile. "You can drive around town and you'll see coaches all over trying to help kids get bigger, faster and stronger. Drive around and see how many are trying to make them better off the field. There aren't too many doing that. That's what I'm trying to do."

Eduardo A. Encina can be reached at eencina@sptimes.com.

N. Koreans in doping trouble

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

FRANKFURT, Germany — North Korean officials blamed traditional musk deer gland medicine used after a lightning strike for five positive tests for steroids at the Women's World Cup, the biggest soccer doping scandal at a major tournament in 17 years.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Saturday that after two players were caught this month, the world soccer governing body took the unprecedented step of testing the rest of the North Korean squad and found three more positive results.

"This is a shock," Blatter said. "We are confronted with a very, very bad case of doping, and it hurts."

A North Korean delegation told Blatter and the head of FIFA's medical committee Saturday that the steroids were accidentally taken with traditional Chinese medicines based on deer glands.

"The North Korean officials said they didn't use it to improve performance. They said they had a serious lightning accident with several players injured and they gave it as therapy," said Michel D'Hooghe, chief of FIFA's medical committee. "It is not systemic because not all of the players took it. We would have found it with the others, too."

The case will be taken up by FIFA's disciplinary committee. Players face a ban of as long as two years.

Defenders Song Jong Sun and Jong Pok Sim tested positive for steroids after North Korea's first two group games and were suspended for the last match. The team was eliminated in the first round.

Blatter said the North Korean federation "wrote to us, and they presented their excuses. They said that a lightning strike was responsible for this."

The names of the three other players will be made public later, FIFA said.

FIFA annually spends about $30 million on 35,000 doping tests. Despite the cases at the Women's World Cup, "doping really is a marginal, fringe phenomenon in football," Blatter said.

The last doping case at a major event came at the men's 1994 World Cup in the United States, when Diego Maradona was kicked out after testing positive.

Sweden strikes late in third-place game

SINSHEIM, Germany — Marie Hammarstrom scored in the 82nd minute, giving shorthanded Sweden a 2-1 victory over France in the third-place game.

Down a player for almost 15 minutes after Josefine Oqvist was sent off for kicking Sonia Bompastor in the chest, Sweden won a corner kick that the French cleared at the near post. But the ball popped out to Hammarstrom, who faked out a defender with a small side-volley, touched the ball a second time then let fly with a left-footed strike from the edge of the box.

Lotta Schelin staked Sweden to a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute, and France equalized in the 56th minute on Elodie Thomas' strike.

Angels 4, Athletics 2, Game 1

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

Angels 4, A's 2

Game 1

OAKLAND, Calif. — Jered Weaver didn't allow a hit until the fifth in winning his sixth consecutive decision for the Angels. He walked his first batter then retired 13 in a row. This was the opener of the majors' first planned doubleheader since the Padres at Phillies on Aug. 2, 2003 (and Oakland's first at home since Aug. 10, 1997). Since then, doubleheaders have been only part of makeup games.

Yankees 4, Blue Jays 1

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

Yankees 4, Blue Jays 1

TORONTO — CC Sabathia won his seventh straight start, ending the Blue Jays' win streak at five and becoming the majors' first 14-game winner. Toronto won the series' first two games by a combined score of 23-8. Sabathia has struck out 59 with a 1.68 ERA over his career-best win streak. He has won 11 of 12, his only defeat June 9 to Boston. Toronto's Ricky Romero has failed to pitch into the seventh in three straight starts after doing so in each of his previous eight.

Marlins 13, Cubs 3

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

Marlins 13, Cubs 3

CHICAGO — Mike Stanton homered twice for the Marlins, who have won seven of eight. He hit a leadoff homer in the fourth that made it 4-0 and a three-run shot in the fifth that made it 8-0 and chased Carlos Zambrano in his first start back from a stiff lower back. Javier Vazquez struck out a season-high 10.

Mets 11, Phillies 2

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

Mets 11, Phillies 2

NEW YORK — Scott Hairston, replacing the ill Carlos Beltran, homered and drove in a career-high five for the Mets, who ended a skid at three. Hairston doubled twice (driving in two on the second) in three at-bats against Cole Hamels, improving to 8-for-20 (.400) against him. He hit a three-run shot off Danys Baez in the seventh to make it 11-2.

White Sox 5, Tigers 0

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

White Sox 5, Tigers 0

DETROIT — The White Sox's Edwin Jackson pitched his first complete game since no-hitting the Rays on June 25, 2010, while with the Diamond­backs. He threw 149 pitches in Arizona's 1-0 win but needed only 101 on Saturday. The only other complete-game shutout of his career was on Aug. 11, 2007, with the Rays. Juan Pierre had a season-high four hits, including an RBI single in the ninth. He lost an RBI in the seventh when Gordon Beckham left third too early on a flyout.


Bowyer focuses, blocks out penalty

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

LOUDON, N.H. — Clint Bowyer put the trophy from last year's victory at New Hampshire in his house.

The other memories from that weekend are not so good.

Bowyer's winning car in the Chase for the Championship opener flunked inspection, and NASCAR levied penalties that ended his Sprint Cup title hopes.

The 150-point penalty from his September infraction was so devastating that not even another Chase race victory at Talladega could budge him out of last place in the 12-driver field.

But that episode is far from Bowyer's focus in his New Hampshire return this weekend.

Bowyer is in 12th place again, a spot that, thanks to the revamped points system, puts him outside the Chase field.

"This is a crucial time for us," he said. "We're still within reaching distance of the cars in front of us, so this is a good time to get things pointed back in the right direction points-wise."

There are eight races left until the Chase field is set.

For 10 races, Bowyer was inside the top 10, and a string of five straight top-10 finishes made it look as if he would stay in contention. But consecutive poor finishes (36th at Daytona, 35th last week at Kentucky) knocked him out of the Chase field and behind 11th-place driver Tony Stewart.

Bowyer and his Richard Childress Racing team have huddled for solutions.

"Everybody across the board — driver, crew chief, the pit crew, over-the-wall guys — it can very easily become a negative and spiral out of control," Bowyer said. "But there are so many positives about our season. We've run well, and that's what has put us in this situation."

Bowyer, 32, who is eligible for free agency at the end of this season, hits a milestone today when he makes his 200th career Cup start. He has led more than 400 laps at New Hampshire and has two wins.

"He just has a kind of unique feel and setup for this particular racetrack as to what he likes in the car," teammate Kevin Harvick said.

It's the car that got him in trouble last year.

He entered the race as the last seed in the field then led a race-high 177 laps and stretched his final tank of gas 92 laps to win. The victory snapped an 88-race winless streak for Bowyer.

His celebration seemed to last only slightly longer than the race. NASCAR said the No. 33 Chevrolet had been altered and did not meet its strict specifications.

Bowyer was penalized 150 points. NASCAR fined crew chief Shane Wilson $150,000 and suspended him for six races. Car chief Chad Haney was suspended for six races, and Childress was docked 150 owner points.

When he rolled into Dover the next week, Bowyer gave a defiant defense of his team. Other drivers openly mocked his excuse — that a wrecker hit the rear bumper when it pushed the car into the winner's circle — and the penalties clearly tarnished his victory.

Bowyer again stuck up for his team this weekend and insisted the incident was behind him. He just didn't understand the process NASCAR put his car through.

But now it's about cracking the top 10. Those spots are guaranteed. There are two more wild-card spots reserved for drivers from 11 to 20 with the most victories. Bowyer is winless this season, so inching up to two spots is huge.

"With this crazy wild-card thing, this is a good track for us to get a win and solidify ourselves in the Chase," he said. "So it's an important weekend."

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Matt Joyce gives the Rays a scare - and then a spark

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer


Saturday, July 16, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG - RF Matt Joyce gave the Rays a scare - and then a spark - in a two-pitch sequence in the fifth inning.

Joyce fell to the ground after fouling a ball off his right knee cap on a 3-2 pitch from Red Sox RHP John Lackey. He stayed down in obvious pain for a minute or so, getting attended to by manager Joe Maddon and head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield.

"It definitely hurt," Joyce said. "I just tried to tough it out."

Joyce certainly did, shaking it off and stretching before ripping Lackey's next delivery into the rightfield seats for his 13th homer of the season, setting a new career-high.

"I'm pretty glad that happened - not going to lie," Joyce said, smiling. "I figured he was going to try a cutter or something inside again, and fortunately he left it enough over the plate for me to hit it well."

Joyce admitted his knee tightened up a little while running on a groundout in the ninth, but said he took X-rays and is fine. And Maddon said Joyce should feel good about his day, his first three-hit game since May 27, when his average was .377.

"It's all about confidence," Maddon said. "A day like today is definitely going to help bolster his confidence and we just need him to get back up on the high end of it and when he does, you're going to start seeing him hit like that on a consistent basis."

PITCHING IN: RHP Alex Cobb will be recalled to pitch Monday's game against the Yankees, taking the spot of injured RHP Wade Davis (right forearm strain). Part of the reason the decision took so long is that Cobb got hit in the head by a ball last week during batting practice with Triple-A Durham, and they wanted to make sure he was okay. Durham LHP Alex Torres was pulled after just two innings Friday, making him available just in case.

The Rays will have to make room for Cobb by dropping a pitcher, with the candidates for demotion to Triple-A including RHP Brandon Gomes and LHP Cesar Ramos. LHP Jake McGee, who was called up Friday, seems to be in their plans for now.

RHP Jeremy Hellickson will start Tuesday.

RARE DAY: It was a unique day for 1B Casey Kotchman, batting third for the first time this season and picking up just his second triple of the year. And the smooth-fielding Kotchman also recorded his first error since Aug 21, 2010 against New York, snapping a span of 102 consecutive games without one.

The miscue occurred in the sixth, when Kotchman had trouble handling a Josh Reddick grounder, and then didn't flip it to RHP James Shields at first.

"That's why they're errors - they're just dumb," Kotchman said. "I had a couple chances - I could have fielded it clean, and I could have tossed it, and I didn't do either one."

MEDICAL MATTERS: Davis threw a bullpen session Friday and said all went well, with another bullpen planned for Monday. Maddon said if he stays on schedule, he won't have to make a rehab start before rejoining the rotation.

LINING UP: C Jose Lobaton, who came off the bench the past two games after getting called up Friday, is expected to start today, his first big-league start since 2009 with the Padres.

"I'm excited for that," Lobaton said. "I'm happy, and I'm just trying to do my best here and show these guys I can play everyday."

MISCELLANY: DH Johnny Damon and McGee will sign autographs along the rightfield wall near the Rays dugout today from 6:15-6:45 p.m.; because of the night game, kids won't be able to run the bases post-game...Durham OF Desmond Jennings, who missed 12 games with a fractured right index finger, returned to the lineup Saturday as DH, going X-for-X. .. The seven homers for Boston in the last two games are the most one team has hit against the Rays in back-to-back games at Tropicana Field since Oakland hit seven on Aug 20-21, 2004..The Rays promoted OF John Matulia and RHP Ryan Reid from Double-A Montgomery to Triple-A Durham.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Matt Joyce gives the Rays a scare — and then a spark

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer


Saturday, July 16, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — RF Matt Joyce gave the Rays a scare and then a spark in a two-pitch sequence in the fifth inning of Saturday's 9-5 loss.

Joyce fell to the ground after fouling a ball off his right kneecap on a 3-and-2 pitch from Red Sox RHP John Lackey. He stayed down in pain for a minute or so, which brought out manager Joe Maddon and head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield.

"It definitely hurt," Joyce said. "I just tried to tough it out."

Joyce shook it off and stretched before ripping Lackey's next delivery into the rightfield seats for his career-high 13th homer of the season.

"I'm pretty glad that happened; not going to lie," Joyce said, smiling. "I figured he was going to try a cutter or something inside again, and fortunately, he left it enough over the plate for me to hit it well."

Joyce admitted his knee tightened up a little while running on a groundout in the ninth. But he said X-rays were taken, and he is fine. Maddon said Joyce should feel good about his day, his first three-hit game since May 27, when his average was .377.

"It's all about confidence," Maddon said. "A day like today is definitely going to help bolster his confidence, and we just need him to get back up on the high end of it. And when he does, you're going to start seeing him hit like that on a consistent basis."

PITCHING IN: RHP Alex Cobb will be recalled to pitch Monday's game against the Yankees, taking the spot of injured RHP Wade Davis (right forearm strain).

Part of the reason the decision took so long is Cobb got hit in the head by a ball last week during batting practice with Triple-A Durham, and the Rays wanted to make sure he was okay. Durham LHP Alex Torres was pulled after just two innings Friday, making him available just in case.

The Rays will have to make room for Cobb by dropping a pitcher with the candidates for demotion to Triple A including RHP Brandon Gomes and LHP Cesar Ramos. LHP Jake McGee, who was called up Friday, seems to be in their plans for now.

RHP Jeremy Hellickson will start Tuesday.

RARE DAY: It was a unique day for 1B Casey Kotchman, batting third for the first time this season and picking up just his second triple of the year. The normally smooth-fielding Kotchman also recorded his first error since Aug. 21, 2010, against New York, ending a run of 102 games without one.

The miscue occurred in the sixth, when Kotchman had trouble handling a Josh Reddick grounder then didn't flip it to RHP James Shields at first in time.

"That's why they're errors. They're just dumb," Kotchman said. "I had a couple chances. I could have fielded it clean, and I could have tossed it. And I didn't do either one."

MEDICAL MATTERS: Davis threw a bullpen session Friday and said all went well with another bullpen planned for Monday. Maddon said if Davis stays on schedule, he won't have to make a rehab start before rejoining the rotation.

LINING UP: C Jose Lobaton, who came off the bench the past two games after getting called up Friday, is expected to start today, his first big-league start since 2009 with the Padres.

"I'm excited for that," Lobaton said. "I'm happy, and I'm just trying to do my best here and show these guys I can play every day."

MISCELLANY: DH Johnny Damon and McGee will sign autographs along the rightfield wall near the dugout from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. today. Because of the night game, kids won't be able to run the bases postgame. … Durham OF Desmond Jennings, who missed 12 games with a fractured right index finger, returned as DH, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored. … The seven homers for Boston in the past two games are the most one team has hit against the Rays in back-to-back games at Tropicana Field since Oakland's seven on Aug. 20-21, 2004.

Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg says empty seats won't affect push for playoffs

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By Marc Topkin and Joe Smith, Times Staff Writers
Saturday, July 16, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — With attendance and TV ratings down, and efforts for a new stadium stalemated, Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said he will focus for now on the field and his team's efforts to get back to the playoffs.

He said their attendance — 13th in the AL, 28th in the majors going into Saturday — "is what it is" and he was tired of talking about it (and figured people were tired of hearing about it). He said the reported MLB-high 37 percent decline in TV ratings was "not good" but wouldn't affect operations.

Sternberg sounded resigned to waiting out the stadium issue, currently being held up by a disagreement with St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster, and perhaps a bit exasperated by the situation given the team's on-field success.

"We're not changing anything at this point," Sternberg said. "I've tried everything. People know it. We hear it all the time; we're winning on the field, we're putting a good product out there, the place is inviting, we've got concerts, we've got the second-most affordable team. There's not much else to be done at this point.

"It's baseball here. I believe in the game, I love the game. And just like (Lightning owner) Jeff Vinik loves hockey or the (Bucs-owning) Glazers might love football, you follow your passion and you put everything into it that you possibly can. And you'd like people and businesses and politicians to share your enjoyment and passion for it. Fortunately we've got a lot of people here who really support us and watch our games nightly and come out, and I'm genuinely grateful for everybody that follows the team. …

"There's no 2012 election, there's no new Congress coming in. This is what it is. It's been focused on and talked about. We need to have better resources somehow, and how it plays out eventually I don't know."

Sternberg also said he found the excessive speculation about incoming Astros ownership coveting executive vice president Andrew Friedman "very irresponsible" but wasn't concerned about losing his top baseball man.

"I don't think about that," Sternberg said. "Fortunately Andrew doesn't think about that either. (Team president) Matt (Silverman) doesn't think about it. He's got a great department, they work well together. And it's my job to make sure everybody is happy here and motivated and rewarded and that comes in a lot of different ways. I couldn't be more pleased with how things are working."

Yanks not sure Jays peeking from field

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

TORONTO — Yankees manager Joe Girardi offered a new twist Saturday in the sign-stealing saga between his team and the Blue Jays, suggesting Toronto "could be" using devious means to acquire information.

"Sometimes we have inclinations that things might be happening at certain ballparks, and we're aware of it and we try to protect our signs," Girardi said. "The last thing you want is the hitter to know what's coming."

C Russell Martin said Thursday that he suspected the Jays were relaying information from second base to the batter during Toronto's 16-7 victory. The Yankees made some adjustments but were beat 7-1 Friday. New York won 4-1 Saturday.

Girardi said Friday that he has no problem with players and coaches trying to steal signs, and it's up to the defense to protect them, but "I think if it's coming from the bullpen or someone's binoculars or it comes from the stands, that's out of bounds."

He suggested Saturday that the Jays were doing more than peeking in from the basepaths.

"Obviously if you feel it's coming from somewhere else besides a player on the field, I do have issues with that," he said. " … I'm not 100 percent sure about anything."

Blue Jays manager John Farrell pointed at Toronto's 21-22 home mark as evidence that there's no funny business going on. "We don't look to any other means than what takes place in between the lines," Farrell said.

More Yankees: RHP Rafael Soriano (elbow) threw at the spring complex in Tampa, but RHP Mark Prior (groin) was scratched from his appearance with the Gulf Coast team.

Bosox put Jenks on DL

Red Sox RHP Bobby Jenks (back) was put on the 15-day disabled list. Manager Terry Francona said the reliever felt pain in his left mid-back area while warming up in the bullpen Friday at Tropicana Field. LHP Randy Williams, who worked one scoreless inning Saturday, was called up from Triple A to replace Jenks. … OF Carl Crawford (strained left hamstring) went 0-for-3 for Triple-A Pawtucket in his second rehab game. He is expected to join the big club Monday in Baltimore.

Blue Jays: Slugger Jose Bautista (right ankle) missed his second straight game after injuring himself on a slide. The majors' home run leader is wearing a walking boot but said swelling has gone down.

Brewers: LF Ryan Braun left the game against the Rockies in the sixth with tightness in his left hamstring and calf. He missed eight games in July with a strained left calf.

Cubs: With the return of starter Carlos Zambrano (stiff back), the team optioned reliever Chris Carpenter to Triple A. "I felt good, my fastball was good," Zambrano said. "My arm, body (were) good. Intelligence? Not good. Bad pitches to (the Marlins' Mike) Stanton twice (for homers)."

Mets: All-Star Carlos Beltran sat out against the Phillies with the flu and a high fever.

Orioles: SS J.J. Hardy agreed to a three-year contract, a deal that almost certainly assures he won't be traded before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline. "That's a big part of the whole contract, that I know I'm going to be here for three years," said Hardy, 28, who reportedly will receive around $22 million and has a partial no-trade clause.

Tigers: Eleven months to the day since he last played in a major-league game, Carlos Guillen, 35, returned to the field and started at second. He hadn't played since Aug. 16, when a runner slid into him while he was trying to turn a double play, injuring his left knee.

Twins: Former All-Star Joe Nathan will take over the closer's job, replacing Matt Capps. "Kind of do a flip-flop, try to get Capps going again earlier in the ball game and then let Nathan finish off a few here," manager Ron Gardenhire said. Capps blew his seventh save chance in 22 tries Friday, giving up a two-run homer to Royals rookie Eric Hosmer.

Boston Red Sox bats pummel Tampa Bay Rays 9-5

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 16, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays' planned march back to the postseason is taking place on a narrow path. Principal owner Stuart Sternberg admitted as much on the field before Saturday's 9-5 loss: "We don't have a lot of room for error right now."

After scoring a 9-6 win over the Red Sox on Friday, the Rays looked to be in good position again Saturday, taking a three-run lead in the first inning with All-Star James Shields on the mound.

"Not a good feeling," even Red Sox manager Terry Francona acknowledged.

But Shields didn't pitch like he has most of the season, and the offense faltered as it has too many times, and their good start turned into a bad ending before a near-sellout crowd of 32,487 at Tropicana Field. The loss dropped the Rays (50-42) back to a season-high six games behind the first-place Sox in the AL East, as well as 4½ behind the wild-card-leading Yankees.

"It's disappointing," Shields said. "With the way we gained a game up on them and now we could have gained two games up on them, and we've got a 3-0 lead right out the gate, I've got to do a better job of that."

Typically, he does — more than 93 percent of the time. Going into Saturday's game, Shields started 60 innings with a lead this season and held it 56 times.

But he wasn't sharp, lacking the control and command, and the consistency in his delivery, that made him so successful over the first three-plus months.

The two home runs he allowed, after giving up just one in his previous seven starts, were a sign. So were the four extra-base hits, one fewer than in his past six outings combined. But so too were some of the balls he threw, just by how much they missed the strike zone.

"His control and command wasn't there, and that's not like him," manager Joe Maddon said. "Even when he gives up runs, he's normally more around the plate. He just did not look comfortable."

Shields didn't have any reasons, such as the disruption of going to the All-Star Game or the extra day of rest, nor any concerns with his fourth straight loss, just disappointment.

"Tonight was not a good game for me," he said. "It was kind of out of my element a little bit from what I've been doing all season long."

Shields had some bad luck, too: Had Josh Reddick's foul tip gone into catcher Kelly Shoppach's glove instead of glancing off during a second-inning at-bat, Reddick would have been out instead of hitting the next pitch for a two-run homer.

Worse, the Sox took the lead with a flurry the next inning. Adrian Gonzalez drew a five-pitch leadoff walk, then Kevin Youkilis singled and David Ortiz and J.D. Drew rapped doubles.

As much as Shields took the blame, his teammates let him down, too. They could have scored more than three runs in the first, the bases loaded when Sam Fuld hit into an inning-ending double play. And they had a similar opportunity in the second, when Casey Kotchman did the same. After getting three hits with runners in scoring position in the first inning, the Rays were 1-for-10 the rest of the way, leaving eight runners on second or third.

"We were feeling great going into the second inning," rightfielder Matt Joyce said. "Put up three runs and Shields is on the mound, and we're just like, 'You know what, we got this. We got it. Just put up some more runs and we'll hold them down and be fine.' "

Instead, the margin just got smaller.

Busch wins 100th race in NASCAR

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

LOUDON, N.H. — Kyle Busch grabbed a souvenir for his victory lap: a white "100" flag that rippled out the window of the No. 18 Toyota.

Whether purists like it or not, Busch joined an elite list, becoming the third NASCAR driver to win 100 races.

Busch's victory Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway also tied him with Mark Martin for first in career Nationwide series wins with 49. Busch has 22 in Sprint Cup and 29 in the trucks series.

Busch led the final 33 laps and blew past the field on restarts to win on a green-white-checkered finish. Kevin Harvick was second and Kasey Kahne third.

"It will stick out for a long time because it is No. 100," Busch said. "But I'm not going to say it's the biggest one. This is certainly a special day."

Richard Petty is NASCAR's leader with 200 wins, and David Pearson is second with 106. Petty won all of his races at the Cup level. Pearson won 105 races in Cup and one in Nationwide.

"You set your goals high and get out there and try and do it," said Busch, 26. "It's down the road, but hopefully one day we get to 200."

With Busch one of the most polarizing drivers in the sport, even the milestone caused a stir, with old-school fans feeling his total shouldn't be lumped in with that of Petty and Pearson.

Busch understood those feelings. But 100 wins is 100 wins.

"Certainly, mine's a little bit different," he said. "But it feels good."

Trucks: Matt Crafton held off a charging Austin Dillon to win the Coca-Cola 200 at Iowa Speedway in Newton. Dillon fell behind after a late pit stop and couldn't rally as Crafton earned his second career win.


Howard highlights Hall class

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Desmond Howard shook his head and smiled. It has been 20 years since he won the Heisman Trophy at Michigan as a receiver and kick returner.

To him, it just doesn't seem possible it happened so long ago.

"Time just flies. Doesn't it?" Howard said Saturday, when he and 15 other players and four coaches were enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Asked what has changed most since his days at Ann Arbor, Howard cited the spread offense.

"If I did that, can you imagine the numbers?" he said with a laugh. "I won the Heisman within the rhythm of our offense. We had guys who could tote the pill, and we toted it. We just didn't throw the ball to (me)."

Another prominent inductee was Charles Haley, a defensive end for James Madison who went on to win five Super Bowls.

"I was fortunate enough to have coaches to be visionaries and build a foundation and give me a skill set," he said.

In addition, there was Pat Tillman, a linebacker at Arizona State from 1994-97. He played three seasons as a safety for the NFL's Cardinals then enlisted in the Army after the Sept. 11 attacks. He was killed in Afghanistan in April 2004.

Also inducted were:

• Barry Alvarez, coach at Wisconsin from 1990-2005

• Dennis Byrd, N.C. State defensive tackle from 1965-67

• Ronnie Caveness, Arkansas linebacker from 1962-64

• Ray Childress, Texas A&M defensive lineman from 1981-84

• Dexter Coakley, Appalachian State linebacker from 1993-96

• Randy Cross, UCLA guard from 1973-75

• Sam Cunningham, Southern Cal running back from 1970-72

• Michael Favor, North Dakota State center from 1985-88

• Mark Herrmann, Purdue quarterback from 1977-80

• Clarkston Hines, Duke receiver from 1986-89

• Mike Kelly, coach at Dayton from 1981-2007

• Mickey Kobrosky, Trinity running back from 1933-36

• Bill Manlove, coach at Widener from 1969-91, Delaware Valley from 1992-95 and La Salle from 1997-2001

• Chet Moeller, Navy defensive back from 1973-75

• Gene Stallings, coach at Texas A&M from 1965-71 and Alabama from 1990-96.

• Jerry Stovall, LSU halfback from 1960-62

• Alfred Williams, Colorado linebacker from 1987-90

Former Georgia coach tied to Ponzi scheme

Former Georgia coach Jim Donnan, 66, reportedly made $14.5 million from a Ponzi scheme. Documents filed last week in a bankruptcy court in Ohio contend Donnan, who went 40-19 from 1996-2000, and his wife made money attracting investors in GLC Ltd., which filed for bankruptcy in February. His lawyer has denied allegations of wrongdoing.

Men's basketball: North Carolina junior Leslie McDonald has a torn right ACL and might miss the season. The guard, second on the team with 51 3-pointers last season, was hurt during a summer league game.

Sports in Brief

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

NBA

Nets GUARD SAYS Turkish DEAL HAS BEEN SIGNED

Nets star PG Deron Williams made it official, saying he will play in Turkey if the NBA lockout continues into the season.

Williams tweeted the signature on his one-year contract with Besiktas late Friday night: "Just made it official, headed to Turkey ... signed with Besiktas."

Williams' deal will be worth $5 million, ESPN.com reported. Hawks C Zaza Pachulia also signed with the club that employed Allen Iverson last season.

ESPN.com also reported Williams, 27, who averaged 20.1 points and 10.3 assists for the Nets and Jazz last season, is not required to report to the club until the end of August or early September and can opt out of the deal as soon as the NBA's lockout ends.

Soccer

Uruguay upsets Argentina at Copa

Fernando Muslera made the only save of the shootout as Uruguay upset host Argentina in the quarterfinals of Copa America. Uruguay lost Diego Perez, who scored in the sixth minute, in the 39th for his second yellow card. The game was 1-1 after regulation and overtime. On Tuesday, Uruguay faces Peru, which got goals from Carlos Augusto Lobaton and Juan Manuel Vargas in extra time to beat Colombia 2-0. Colombia star Radamel Falcao sent a penalty kick wide in the 65th minute. Today, it's Brazil-Paraguay and Chile-Venezuela.

MLS: Vancouver's home game against Real Salt Lake was postponed because of poor field conditions. Temporary grass was laid over the artificial turf for Monday's exhibition against England's Manchester City. But rain and a poor drainage system left the surface unplayable. Monday's game is still planned.

Tennis

Soderling reaches final in Sweden

Robin Soderling, ranked No. 5 in the world, beat No. 8 Tomas Berdych 6-1, 6-0, to advance to the Swedish Open final in Bastad. He faces No. 6 David Ferrer, who beat No. 14 Nicolas Almagro 6-1, 6-3.

Palermo Open: Polona Hercog reached her second straight final, beating top-seeded Flavia Pennetta 6-2, 6-2 in Italy. Hercog, 20, ranked No. 37 after winning in Sweden last week, faces No. 39 Anabel Medina Garrigues, who beat Petra Cetkovska 7-5, 6-3.

Et cetera

Boxing: Atlantic City police say junior middleweight Gabriel Rosado was arrested after he and five others brawled with police and security a few hours after he won a bout. According to the arrest report, the incident began about 3:15 a.m. Saturday when the men became disorderly and were asked to leave a casino. Moments later, Rosado, 17-5 after beating Ayi Bruce with a fifth-round TKO, allegedly punched an officer in the face. Rosado, 25, was charged with aggravated assault on police and making terroristic threats, and his bail was set at $200,000.

Olympics: Tokyo said it will bid for the 2020 Summer Games. Other bidders are Rome, Madrid and Istanbul, Turkey. It will be awarded in September 2013.

Diving: China's Wu Minxia and He Zi won the first event of the world championships, the women's 3-meter synchronized springboard, in Shanghai, China. Americans Christina Loukas and Kassidy Cook finished seventh.

TV: About 1.984 million viewed Wednesday's ESPY Awards on ESPN, according to Sportsmediawatch.com. That's down 24 percent from last year and the least-viewed edition of the event since ratings were measured starting in 1996.

Times wires

Orioles 6, Indians 5

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

Orioles 6, Indians 5

BALTIMORE — Alfredo Simon, normally a long reliever, gave up just three hits over seven innings as the Orioles ended a nine-game skid. Simon was just the second Baltimore starter over the past 29 games to go seven innings. Up 6-2 in the ninth, closer Kevin Gregg walked the bases loaded then allowed Orlando Cabrera's bases-clearing double. But Mike Gonzalez got Grady Sizemore on a groundout.

PGA rookie Kirk grabs lead at Viking Classic

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Times wires
Saturday, July 16, 2011

MADISON, Miss. — As the birdies mounted during Saturday's third round of the Viking Classic, it looked as if Chris Kirk could do just about anything he wanted at Annandale Golf Club.

And the PGA Tour rookie made it look easy.

"I would never call it easy," said Kirk, 26. "But the conditions — there hasn't been a whole lot of wind, and the greens are just absolutely perfect."

Kirk shot 8-under 64 and closed at 18-under 198 for a one-stroke lead over Sunghoon Kang (64), D.J. Trahan (66), George McNeill (67) and Peter Lonard (69).

More than 41/2 inches of rain has fallen this past week, making the course susceptible to low scores for a third straight day.

Southern Amateur: Harris English broke out of a five-way jam for the lead to win by three strokes at Innisbrook's Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor. The Georgia All-American shot 6-under 65, a tournament low, and finished at 9-under 275. Tarquin MacManus (72), Richy Werenski (71) and Bobby Wyatt (66) tied for second at 6 under.

Celebrities in Tahoe: Actor Jack Wagner made four birdies to extend his lead with 52 points in the modified Stableford scoring system at the Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is second with 46.

It is time for Tampa Bay Rays to be bold once more at trade deadline

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By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
Saturday, July 16, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG

Ask yourself a question:

Why have the Rays been able to stay competitive in the AL East the past four seasons while possessing a tiny fraction of the resources of the cartels to the north?

The No. 1 reason, naturally, is they have been remarkably shrewd. As much as anyone in baseball, they have exploited undervalued assets to their great benefit.

But that's only part of the story.

Intellect is of little value if you're too scared to put it to use. And that's where the Rays have shined again and again.

They weren't afraid to trade Delmon Young the season after he drove in 93 runs as a 21-year-old. They weren't afraid to trade Edwin Jackson the season after he tied for the team lead in victories. And they weren't afraid to trade Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza, too.

They have been aggressive. They have been brazen. They have been daring.

And now, it is time for the Rays to be bold once more.

Against all odds, the Rays have remained in contention this season after trimming the roster of their seven highest-paid players from 2010. They have survived April's horrible start, Evan Longoria's season­long slump and Manny Ramirez's CVS account.

They have gotten to the second half of the season still within sniffing distance of the American League wild card.

And that is why they should be more aggressive than ever before when it comes to the nonwaiver trade deadline in two weeks.

The end of July has passed the previous three seasons without the Rays making much of a splash in the trade market. And with two division banners hanging from the catwalks at Tropicana Field, it's hard to argue with the results.

But there is an opportunity this season that is not guaranteed for 2012, no matter how fertile and deep the farm system is today.

Quite simply, the Rays are good enough to catch the Yankees. It doesn't mean they will. It doesn't even mean they should. But the potential is there, and that shouldn't be taken lightly.

Tampa Bay has the starting pitching capable of staying in contention, and New York's roster has just enough creaking and groaning to make you wonder if it is vulnerable.

So what does all of that mean in practical terms?

Well, it certainly does not mean they should give up Jeremy Hellickson or Matt Moore if that is the cost for a high-profile rental such as Carlos Beltran or a season-and-a-half's worth of Hunter Pence.

And it doesn't mean they make a trade simply to appease voices such as mine, if the chances of moving the needle seem remote.

But somewhere in the middle is the possibility of increasing 2011's odds without doing irreparable harm to the future.

So where do the Rays begin?

Forget about catcher. It has been a black hole offensively this season, but the Rays are not going to get a frontline guy in July. Ditto for shortstop because Jose Reyes is not worth the prospects he will cost.

That leaves leftfield and the bullpen. And there are possibilities in either spot.

Beltran and Pence are at the high end in the outfield, and Jeff Francoeur and Laynce Nix are closer to the bottom. In the middle is a Josh Willingham or a Michael Cuddyer.

Willingham would be a downgrade defensively, and Cuddyer might not be available if the Twins decide they are contenders, but either of those guys would provide the right-handed power missing in the lineup.

In the bullpen, Toronto has a handful of relievers (Jason Frasor, Jon Rauch and Octavio Dotel) capable of pitching in the eighth inning and with palatable contract options in 2012. Bringing back Grant Balfour might be another possibility.

Obviously, much of this depends on what other teams are seeking in return. Even with another arm in the bullpen or another bat in the lineup, the Rays are not guaranteed of running down the Yankees. So that has to be weighed when making a choice.

But the Rays are close enough to contention to be willing to take a risk. A calculated risk. An educated risk. A measured risk. But a risk, nonetheless.

For the fear is the Rays become a newer version of the A's, a small-revenue team that was forever in contention but never quite good enough to grab the brass ring.

That's why, when you are close enough to the post­season to smell it, you have to be willing to sacrifice to get there. And the people in uniform in the Rays clubhouse believe the opportunity is there in 2011.

So it's time for the Rays to do what they do best. Be sharp. Be savvy.

Above all else, be bold.

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