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Tampa Bay Rays: B.J. Upton's clothes ready to travel; James Shields has bad memory of last start in Oakland

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Rays vs. A's

When/where: 10:07 tonight; O.co Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.

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

Starting pitchers

RAYS: RH James Shields (9-8, 2.53)

A'S: RH Trevor Cahill (8-9, 3.77)

Watch for …

Shields up: Shields, coming off a solid start against the Yankees, has worked at least seven innings in 17 starts, most in the AL, and in 13 of them has allowed 2 or fewer runs. He is 4-2, 3.54 in 10 starts vs. the A's.

Downhill Cahill: After a 6-0, 1.72 start, Cahill is struggling mightily, going 2-9, 5.06 over his past 14 starts, 0-4, 6.35 in his past five. He is 1-1, 8.44 in two starts vs. Rays.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Cahill

Johnny Damon 0-for-3

Matt Joyce 0-for-3

Evan Longoria 3-for-6, HR

A's vs. Shields

Coco Crisp 5-for-18

H. Matsui 9-for-22, 3 HRs

Ryan Sweeney 6-for-17

On deck

Thursday: at A's, 3:37, Sun Sports. Rays — Wade Davis (7-7, 4.46); A's — Rich Harden (2-1, 4.63)

Good decision of the day

B.J. Upton is trying to not concern himself with the possibility of being traded. But, in the middle of a 10-day road trip, he is making one practical concession, not sending out any clothes to be cleaned. "Nope," he said. "I'm keeping everything with me."

Flashback of the day

James Shields' start tonight is his first in Oakland since May 9, 2010, when he was on the wrong end of history, as A's LHP Dallas Braden threw a perfect game at the Rays. Does he remember that? "Vaguely," Shields joked. "You never want to be on the other side of a perfect game. It's not very fun. But as a pitcher, you have to respect what he did, too.

Number of the day

5 Pitchers called up by the Rays since the All-Star break: LHP Jake McGee, RHP Alex Cobb, LHP Alex Torres, RHP Dane De La Rosa, RHP Jay Buente.


Cardinals 3, Astros 1

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Times wires
Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Cardinals 3, Astros 1

ST. LOUIS — Albert Pujols hit a two-run first-inning homer and starter Jake Westbrook made it hold up with six innings of one-run ball for St. Louis. Pujols hit the first pitch he saw from Houston starter Brett Myers on a line to left-centerfield. The ball appeared to hit the top of the wall but was ruled a home run by third-base umpire Mike DiMuro and upheld on video review.

Brewers 3, Cubs 2

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Times wires
Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Brewers 3, Cubs 2

MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun doubled in a run, former Cubs prospect Casey McGehee added a two-run triple and the Milwaukee bullpen pitched four scoreless innings. Chicago's season-best three-game winning streak was snapped. The Brewers, a half-game out of first in the NL Central, play their next nine at home during a stretch of 18 against division opponents.

Tampa Bay Rays send down Cesar Ramos, call up Jay Buente in bullpen shuffle

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 26, 2011

OAKLAND, Calif. — Struggling left-hander Cesar Ramos was sent to Triple A on Tuesday as the Rays continue scrambling to get by with a six-man bullpen.

Right-hander Jay Buente, a 27-year-old claimed on waivers from Florida three days after a rough May outing against the Rays, was called up and joined the Rays during Tuesday's game.

Buente (BEN-tay) has a 1-3, 6.67 record at Triple-A Durham but has been effective since moving to the bullpen July 2, posting a 1.93 ERA over eight appearances. Buente, chosen over right-hander Andy Sonnanstine among others, will be used initially as a quasi-long man, in early or extra-inning situations, manager Joe Maddon said.

"We had to get another guy up here," Maddon said. "We're kinda short right now."

The Rays have been operating with one less reliever than usual since the All-Star break as they switched to a six-man rotation to limit the innings of certain starters. With several of the relievers they have either struggling or tired, they have been shuffling the mix.

The bullpen cost them in Monday's game, when they took a 5-2 lead in the sixth and let it get away, losing to the A's 7-5. Joel Peralta and J.P. Howell were the primary culprits.

Brandon Gomes relieved starter Jeremy Hellickson — who failed the Rays as well by not being able to go deeper into the game — and allowed David DeJesus to come around from second to cut the lead to 5-3.

The seventh was worse, Howell and Peralta teaming to allow three runs. Howell gave up a one-out single to Hideki Matsui, a walk to Josh Willingham and an RBI single to DeJesus. Then Peralta came in and allowed a two-run double to Conor Jackson.

Ramos started the eighth with a walk, then gave up an RBI double to Coco Crisp.

In their past nine games through Monday, Rays relievers are 0-4 with a 5.16 ERA and have walked 28 in 292/3 innings.

Ramos has decent overall numbers, 0-1, 4.22 in 46 games, but has been bad of late, allowing runs in six of his past 13 games (after doing so in only three of his previous 21) and walking six in his past four outings (after six in his previous 23).

The primary problem has been strike one: When he throws it, hitters have only a .089 average (4-for-45, and a .249 OPS). When he starts 1-and-0, they hit .296 (16-for-54) with a .951 OPS.

Ramos said he was "a little bit" surprised, but also understanding. "I kind of did it myself by struggling," he said. "I hadn't been consistent coming out of the bullpen in some clutch situations, and it's kind of been hurting the rest of the guys. So hopefully just go down there, get back on track and be back."

Buente has not had much success in the majors, posting a 6.55 ERA in eight 2010 relief appearances, allowing 16 hits and 11 walks in 11 innings, then lasting three innings vs. the Rays on May 25, allowing four runs (three earned) and lasting only three innings.

He has a fastball usually in the low 90s and decent off-speed stuff and can be effective against both right- and left-handers, Maddon said.

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

Tampa Bay Rays lose 6-1 to Oakland Athletics, fall to 1-4 on road trip

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 26, 2011

OAKLAND, Calif. — The footnotes to the night were historical, the Rays equaling the 1913-17 Washington Senators mark of 704 consecutive games started by pitchers under 30 and Johnny Damon matching Babe Ruth for 47th place on the all-time doubles list at 506.

They might as well celebrate the past, because their future doesn't look very good.

The Rays fell again, 6-1 to the A's on Tuesday, dropping 10½ games from the first-place Red Sox in the AL East and 8½ behind the wild card-leading Yankees and hardly looking like they're going to do anything about it.

They've lost 10 of their past 14 games, including four of five thus far to the Royals and A's on a road trip that was supposed to reverse their slide, and are 53-49 with 60 games left.

"It's no fun,'' manager Joe Maddon said.

"We just need to play better,'' said starter David Price.

"It's been very frustrating,'' Damon said. "Because we feel like we have a very good team here, and a bunch of the games we've been losing lately have been close, they've been hard losses, and if we could score another run or two in a bunch of the losses we've had recently we'd definitely be in much better shape.''

The offense was obviously the primary problem again, as only Ben Zobrist's one-out homer in the eighth — giving him a major league-leading 51 extra-base hits — kept them from being shut out for the 10th time in their past 48 games, and 11th overall.

"The lack of offense popped up and beat us again,'' Maddon said. "(A's starter Brandon McCarthy) pitched well. We didn't really have a whole lot going on tonight.''

The Rays had only seven hits, and none when it mattered most. The 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position made then 1-for-20 in Oakland and 9-for-60 (.150) on the road trip. "That's been one of our biggest drawbacks all season,'' Maddon said.

Price didn't pitch badly, allowing four runs on seven hits and four walks, but as has been one of their more recent problems, he didn't pitch enough, lasting only six innings as he rang up 105 pitches.

"The whole thing was frustrating,'' said Price, who fell to 9-9, 3.76 overall and is 1-3, 5.04 in five July starts. "I felt all right. I don't know. It's just not there right now. I've got to get back to form. It's getting old.'

That forced the Rays to further tax their weary and short-handed bullpen, with newcomer Jay Buente, who arrived in the dugout in the fifth after flying from Durham, N.C., to Miami to San Francisco, taking over in the seventh and allowing two more.

Price gave up single runs in the third-sixth innings, the first two on sac flies that scored runners who walked, the third on a double by Hideki Matsui, the fourth on a two-out double by Cliff Pennington.

Price went into the game hopeful to get the Rays turned around.

"We need to start winning," he said Monday. "We need to put some games together, some series together, and hopefully mix in some sweeps. In order for us to get back in this thing we have to start winning some more ballgames. I feel like everybody in here knows that, and I feel everybody in here knows we can all step it up a little bit. We need to win."

With Price's first pitch, the Rays equaled the mark of the Walter "Big Train" Johnson-led Senators and are set to break it tonight with 29-year-old James Shields on the mound. The accomplishment is somewhat novel, but the Rays are proud of it, primarily because they have been successful during the stretch, a 377-327 record (.536) that is fifth best in the majors in that span.

The streak is the product of several factors — the pitchers' performance, the front office's philosophies, and the scouting and player development departments. "I think it's pretty awesome actually," Maddon said.

But Maddon said the biggest key may be the training staff, headed by Ron Porterfield, as they used only 14 starters during the span that dates to May 25, 2007 — and two of those, Casey Fossum and Mitch Talbot, for only one game each.

Damon has been moving up the alltime lists for both hits and doubles. His biggest accomplishment thus far had been matching Ted Williams' 2,654 hits, but pulling even with the Babe was also a big deal to him. They already shared one bond, having won World Series for the Yankees and Red Sox.

"It's definitely a big deal,'' Damon said. "But Babe hit almost 500 more home runs than I did, so his balls were leaving the ballpark.''

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

Red Sox 13, Royals 9

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Times wires
Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Red Sox 13, Royals 9

BOSTON — David Ortiz had four hits and five RBIs and Dustin Pedroia had four of Boston's 16 hits to lead the Red Sox to their 18th win in 22 games, hours after Kansas City won 3-1 in 14 innings in a game that ended at 1:59 a.m.

Tampa Bay Rays' B.J. Upton finding it impossible to avoid trade rumors

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 26, 2011

OAKLAND, Calif. — The last thing CF B.J. Upton wanted to think about when he woke up Tuesday was the swirl of trade rumors surrounding him.

So he turned on the TV in his San Francisco hotel room hoping to hear the latest on the NFL situation with training camps set to open.

"And the first thing I see is me," Upton said. "ESPN was doing something on where I might go."

With the Rays maintaining their usual silence in advance of Sunday's 4 p.m. deadline for non-waiver deals, speculation is raging, with the Giants and Nationals getting considerable media attention. Washington media reported the Rays were scouting the Nationals' Class A and Triple-A teams on Monday. The Braves, Indians, Pirates and Royals have also been suggested.

"It's comedy," Upton said. "Every day is somewhere new. It's just like, whatever. … I just want it to be over with. If it's going to happen, then happen."

RHP James Shields is also uncertain about his status, not quite believing the media reports that say he is "off the market" and hoping tonight is not his final start for the Rays.

"There's nothing I can do about it," Shields said. "I'm not really too worried about it. It's not going to affect me in any way. What it's going to do is it's gonna make me pitch harder and keep pitching the way I am. …

"My gut feeling would be that I'm not going to get traded, I'm going to stay here. That's my gut feeling. But we'll see."

Manager Joe Maddon was delayed more than 10 minutes for his daily pregame media session to talk on the phone with executive VP Andrew Friedman but said they talked about the bullpen and not trades.

GUYER DOWN: OF prospect Brandon Guyer could be sidelined for close to a month after straining his oblique during Monday's game for Triple-A Durham. Guyer was hitting .305 with 11 homers, 49 RBIs and an .875 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) for the Bulls, and had two brief stints with the Rays. If they were to trade Upton and not get back an outfielder, he would have been in line for another callup.

M-V-T: The Rays' accomplishment of matching the 1913-17 Senators with 704 consecutive starts by pitchers under 30 is the credit of several factors — the pitchers, the team's front office, and the scouting and player development departments.

"I think it's pretty awesome actually," Maddon said.

But Maddon said the biggest key may be the training staff, headed by Ron Porterfield, as they used only 14 starters during the span that dates to May 25, 2007 — and two of those, Casey Fossum and Mitch Talbot, for only one game each.

"Maybe as much as anything it speaks to a great medical staff and a training staff more specifically," Maddon said. "Our training staff does a great job of keeping our guys on the field. Within those number of games that we pitched to break that record, count the number of pitchers that have done it. It's a small number. That makes it more impressive. … I give a lot of credit to Ron Porterfield and his staff. I really do."

The Rays tied the record when LHP David Price threw his first pitch Tuesday and will break it tonight with Shields — who turns 30 in December — on the mound.

The streak started when RHP Jae Seo started on his 30th birthday, May 24, 2007. Had he pitched a day sooner or been born a day later, the Rays' streak would be at 836 games, dating to LHP Mark Hendrickson's start June 25, 2006 at Atlanta.

QUITE A LOAD: Among their offensive woes, the Rays have been the AL's least productive team with the bases loaded, hitting .203 in those situations before Tuesday. They were hitless in their previous 15 opportunities, scoring on a walk, a hit batter, a sac fly and an error.

MISCELLANY: Top prospect LHP Matt Moore tonight makes his second start for Durham. … Demoted SS Reid Brignac reported to the Bulls but didn't play Tuesday.

Tampa Bay Rays send down Cesar Ramos, call up Jay Buente in bullpen shuffle

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 26, 2011

OAKLAND, Calif. — Struggling LHP Cesar Ramos was sent to Triple-A Durham on Tuesday as the Rays continue scrambling to get by with a six-man bullpen.

RHP Jay Buente, a 27-year-old claimed on waivers from Florida three days after a rough May outing against the Rays, was called up and joined the Rays during Tuesday's game, working a perfect seventh inning then allowing two runs in the in the eighth.

Buente arrived at the O.co Coliseum about an hour into the game, got dressed and into the dugout by the fifth inning, warmed up in the sixth and was on the mound in the seventh, meeting his new teammates and boss as he went.

"When he came in after the first inning I shook his hand and said, "Nice going, I'm Joe.' '' Maddon said.

Said Buente: "That's when I met a lot of the guys actually.''

Buente (BEN-tay) has a 1-3, 6.67 record at Durham but has been effective since moving to the bullpen July 2, posting a 1.93 ERA over eight appearances. Buente, chosen over RHP Andy Sonnanstine among others, will be used initially as a quasi-long man, in early or extra-inning situations, Maddon said.

"We had to get another guy up here," Maddon said. "We're kinda short right now."

The Rays have been operating with one less reliever than usual since the All-Star break as they switched to a six-man rotation to limit the innings of certain starters. With several of the relievers they have either struggling or tired, they have been shuffling the mix.

Ramos has decent overall numbers, 0-1, 4.22 in 46 games, but has been bad of late, allowing runs in six of his past 13 games (after doing so in only three of his previous 21) and walking six in his past four outings (after six in his previous 23).

The primary problem has been strike one: When he throws it, hitters have only a .089 average (4-for-45, and a .249 OPS). When he starts 1-and-0, they hit .296 (16-for-54) with a .951 OPS.

Ramos said he was "a little bit" surprised, but also understanding. "I kind of did it myself by struggling," he said. "I hadn't been consistent coming out of the bullpen in some clutch situations, and it's kind of been hurting the rest of the guys. So hopefully just go down there, get back on track and be back."

Buente has not had much success in the majors, posting a 6.55 ERA in eight 2010 relief appearances, allowing 16 hits and 11 walks in 11 innings, then lasting three innings vs. the Rays on May 25, allowing four runs (three earned).

His relatively successful outing capped a crazy day. He was at his apartment in Durham, N.C., when he got a noon call with word of his promotion, raced to the airport for a 1:15 flight to Miami and then another to San Francisco, and the Rays had a car waiting for him to drive him to Oakland.

"That was my day pretty much,'' he said. TRADE WINDS: The last thing CF B.J. Upton wanted to think about when he woke up Tuesday was the swirl of trade rumors surrounding him. So he turned on the TV in his San Francisco hotel room hoping to hear the latest on the NFL situation.

"And the first thing I see is me," Upton said. "ESPN was doing something on where I might go."

With the Rays maintaining their usual silence in advance of Sunday's 4 p.m. deadline for non-waiver deals, speculation is raging, with the Giants and Nationals getting considerable media attention. Washington media reported the Rays were scouting the Nationals' Class A and Triple-A teams on Monday. The Braves, Indians, Pirates and Royals have also been suggested.

"It's comedy," Upton said. "Every day is somewhere new. It's just like, whatever. … I just want it to be over with. If it's going to happen, then happen."

The rumors seem to be affecting him, as he's hitting .079 (3-for-38) his past 9 games.

RHP James Shields is also uncertain about his status, not quite believing the media reports that say he is "off the market" and hoping tonight is not his final start for the Rays.

"There's nothing I can do about it," Shields said. "I'm not really too worried about it. It's not going to affect me in any way. What it's going to do is it's gonna make me pitch harder and keep pitching the way I am. …

"My gut feeling would be that I'm not going to get traded, I'm going to stay here," he said. "That's my gut feeling, But we'll see."

Maddon said he talked with executive VP Andrew Friedman on the phone Tuesday, but only about the bullpen situation, not trades.

GUYER DOWN: OF prospect Brandon Guyer could be sidelined for close to a month after straining his oblique during Monday's game for Durham. Guyer was hitting .305 with 11 homers, 49 RBIs and an .875 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) for the Bulls and had two brief stints with the Rays.

MISCELLANY: RF Matt Joyce had his first multi-steal game. ... Top prospect LHP Matt Moore tonight makes his second start for Durham. … Demoted SS Reid Brignac reported to the Bulls but didn't play Tuesday.


Tigers 5, White Sox 4

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Times wires
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Tigers 5, White Sox 4

CHICAGO — Justin Verlander got his 14th win and Wilson Betemit had a two-out, go-ahead single in the eighth inning as Detroit increased its AL Central lead. Verlander, beaten by the White Sox 11 days ago in Detroit, allowed two-run homers to Adam Dunn in the first and Paul Konerko in the sixth. Verlander, who threw 125 pitches, came back to strike out Konerko and Dunn with a runner on in the eighth.

Twins 9, Rangers 8

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Times wires
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Twins 9, Rangers 8

ARLINGTON, Texas — Joe Mauer drove in the go-ahead run with a pinch-hit double off closer Neftali Feliz in a two-run ninth, and Minnesota rallied. The Twins, who went into the ninth down 8-7, bounced back from Monday's 20-6 rout.

Diamondbacks 6, Padres 1

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Times wires
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

D'backs 6, Padres 1

SAN DIEGO — Joe Saunders came within one out of a shutout, and Justin Upton and Kelly Johnson drove in two runs each for Arizona. Saunders overcame his season-long first-inning struggles and had two outs in the ninth when he gave up a homer to Jesus Guzman. He got Chris Denorfia to fly out to end it. The right-hander went in having allowed 16 earned runs in the first inning of his 20 starts this season for an ERA of 7.20.

Dodgers 3, Rockies 1

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Times wires
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Dodgers 3, Rockies 1

LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw outpitched Jhoulys Chacin with 62/3 gritty innings to win his fourth straight start, Matt Kemp drove in two runs and Los Angeles won its fourth straight game. Kershaw threw a career-high 125 pitches in his 105th start. The left-hander, 23, who appeared in his first All-Star game two weeks earlier, is 7-0 with a 1.65 ERA in his past 10 starts at Dodger Stadium since losing to St. Louis on April 16.

First-round pick Adrian Clayborn agrees to four-year deal with Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Defensive end Adrian Clayborn signed a four-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers early Wednesday, becoming the first, 1st-round pick to sign under the new rookie salary pay scale.

Clayborn, the former Iowa star, will receive an option in the fifth year, as mandated by the collective bargaining agreement. Agent Blake Baratz of The Institute for Athletes first disclised the deal to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The signing of Clayborn wrapped up a busy first day and early Wednesday morning for Bucs general manager Mark Dominik, who has now signed three of the Bucs' draft choices. Third-round pick Mason Foster, a linebacker from Washington, and seventh-round pick Daniel Hardy, a tight end from Iowa.

The Bucs have invested heavily in their defensive line in an attempt to improve an anemic pass rush that produced only 26 sacks in 2010.

Tampa Bay used the 20th overall pick in the draft to select Clayborn, who is known more for his ability to play the run. Clayborn had 11 sacks in 2009 but only four in 2010.

The Bucs also are working to sign their second-round pick, Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, who led the nation in sacks with 16. That four-year deal could be completed later today.

A year ago, the Bucs doubled down at defensive tackle, selecting Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy with the third overall pick and UCLA's Brian Price in the second round. McCoy started 13 games and finished with three sacks. Price played in only five games before being placed on injured reserve with a pelvic injury.

"We're going to try and continue to push signing our draft picks quickly because I'd like to have every one of them out there the first day of training camp,'' Dominik said Tuesday. "And every day I can get them back here with our coaches and give them an opportunity to try to catch up as much as they can is really important to me.''

Bowers fell to the second round after undergoing knee surgery. He will undergo a physical with the rest of the team on Thursday.

"Everything we've gotten back from Clemson in terms of what he did after the draft was over until one day ago, he followed a very good plan that we had in place and he stuck to it,'' Dominik said. "The trainers there at Clemson have worked really hard with him and now we're fired up to have Todd Toriscelli and our group continue to work with him. But I see Da'Quan being ready to go day one.''

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' No. 1 pick Adrian Clayborn agrees to four-year deal

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Defensive end Adrian Clayborn signed a four-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers early Wednesday, becoming the first, 1st-round pick to sign under the new rookie salary pay scale.

Clayborn, the former Iowa star, will receive an option in the fifth year, as mandated by the collective bargaining agreement. Agent Blake Baratz of The Institute for Athletes first disclised the deal to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The signing of Clayborn wrapped up a busy first day and early Wednesday morning for Bucs general manager Mark Dominik, who has now signed three of the Bucs' draft choices. Third-round pick Mason Foster, a linebacker from Washington, and seventh-round pick Daniel Hardy, a tight end from Iowa.

The Bucs have invested heavily in their defensive line in an attempt to improve an anemic pass rush that produced only 26 sacks in 2010.

Tampa Bay used the 20th overall pick in the draft to select Clayborn, who is known more for his ability to play the run. Clayborn had 11 sacks in 2009 but only four in 2010.

The Bucs also are working to sign their second-round pick, Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, who led the nation in sacks with 16. That four-year deal could be completed later today.

A year ago, the Bucs doubled down at defensive tackle, selecting Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy with the third overall pick and UCLA's Brian Price in the second round. McCoy started 13 games and finished with three sacks. Price played in only five games before being placed on injured reserve with a pelvic injury.

"We're going to try and continue to push signing our draft picks quickly because I'd like to have every one of them out there the first day of training camp,'' Dominik said Tuesday. "And every day I can get them back here with our coaches and give them an opportunity to try to catch up as much as they can is really important to me.''

Bowers fell to the second round after undergoing knee surgery. He will undergo a physical with the rest of the team on Thursday.

"Everything we've gotten back from Clemson in terms of what he did after the draft was over until one day ago, he followed a very good plan that we had in place and he stuck to it,'' Dominik said. "The trainers there at Clemson have worked really hard with him and now we're fired up to have Todd Toriscelli and our group continue to work with him. But I see Da'Quan being ready to go day one.''

Tampa Bay Buccaneers lock up key players with rapid-fire deals

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By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

TAMPA — If you simply monitor the comings and goings of the NFL's marquee free agents, you might conclude that things have been rather dull at One Buc Place this week.

To the contrary, Bucs general manager Mark Dominik has been busier than ever, scrambling to churn out key deals one after another. With the NFL open for business for barely 36 hours, Dominik by Wednesday night had negotiated contracts for the team's top three draft picks— first-rounder Adrian Clayborn, second-rounder Da'Quan Bowers and third-rounder Mason Foster — and came to terms on a $29 million agreement with Bucs unrestricted free agent linebacker Quincy Black.

Then, after hours, things really began heating up for Dominik and his staff. Team officials were headed to dinner in South Tampa on Wednesday evening with prized free agent guard Davin Joseph and close buddy Jeremy Trueblood, also a Bucs free agent offensive lineman.

Joseph cracked about the rendezvous via his Twitter account hours after lamenting the fact that he was still awaiting an offer from the team. Both players have consistently said they wish to remain in Tampa Bay.

"My agent, Ben Dogra, is having talks with other teams, but I don't know about any offers yet. I'm just waiting like everyone else," Joseph wrote.

The Bucs, who report for training camp today, haven't fulfilled the expectations of those who predicted they would be big players on the free agent market, pursuing players from other teams with their considerable salary cap space. They've instead continued to look inward, as promised.

Along those lines, the Clayborn deal was completed in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, before any other first-round pick had agreed to terms. Clayborn's four-year deal is reportedly worth $8.2 million and is fully guaranteed, according to ESPN. Bowers signed his deal in the afternoon and, according to Dominik, is in good physical shape after a January knee surgery that caused him to plummet in the draft.

The Bucs now have four of their eight drafts picks under contract and are optimistic about having the entire class in-house before Friday's first training camp practice.

Signing Black, 27, was high on the team's wish list. Dominik called Black's agent almost immediately after agent contact was available Tuesday, making his intentions clear. Tampa Bay is almost certainly moving forward without middle linebacker Barrett Ruud, but retaining Black, the strong-side linebacker, gives it a measure of continuity in the unit. Black wanted badly to stay with the team, too, and it rewarded him with a five-year deal that includes $11.5 million in guarantees.

"He's a kid who kind of grew up without family and had a rough time," agent Harold Lewis said. "Now, he's got a family with the Bucs."

Lewis said other unnamed teams expressed interest in Black, and it's unclear what he would have fetched on the open market. But Black told Lewis from the outset he would accept a reasonable offer from the Bucs even without talking with other clubs.

"Usually players say (to agents), 'Send me anywhere you want, wherever the money is,' " Lewis said. "Quincy didn't say that."

Expect the team to continue to focus on its free agents and perhaps augment the roster with second-tier free agents.

Dominik stressed that his philosophy of building through the draft and using free agency in small doses will not change despite roughly $50 million in salary cap space.

"There's a blueprint that's already sitting in front of you," he said this week.

Today is the last day before free agents can officially sign contracts as well as take visits to other teams on Friday. That makes it a key moment for Dominik as talks with Joseph and some of the team's remaining free agents continue. The Bucs are expected to have dialogue with Trueblood, defensive end Tim Crowder and, possibly, running back Cadillac Williams. Each is an unrestricted free agent.


Former USF linebacker Stephen Nicholas gets $17.5 million to stay with Atlanta Falcons

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Former USF Bulls linebacker Stephen Nicholas has signed one of the largest contracts ever for a USF alum, agreeing to a five-year, $17.5-million deal to stay with the Atlanta Falcons.

Nicholas, 28, has played four seasons in Atlanta, starting 25 games over the past two years.

Eight players from last year's USF team have signed as rookies and will report to preseason camps this week -— draft picks Terrell McClain (Panthers), Jacquian Williams (Giants) and Mistral Raymond (Vikings), as well as free agents Dontavia Bogan (49ers), Kevin Gidrey (Redskins), Sampson Genus (Packers), Craig Marshall (Giants) and David Bedford (Colts).

NFL teams can have 90 players on roster right now, with cuts coming quickly over the next five weeks before the season starts the second weekend in September.

2 Plant City little league teams playing in regional tournaments

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Times staff
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Two all-star teams from the Plant City Little League program will continue play in regional invitational tournaments Saturday after winning state titles last weekend.

The Plant City 9-10 All-Stars travel to Ceredo-Kedova, W.Va., to face Bridgewater Community, Va., in a first-round pool play game in a "tournament of state champions" for its division.

Eight state champions from the southeast will each play three games of pool play in West Virginia. At the conclusion of the pool play round on Monday, the top four teams, plus any other team with a winning record (2-1 or better), will advance to the single-elimination bracket round. The championship game will be Wednesday at Ceredo-Kedova's Mitch Stadium.

Plant City's 9-10 team earned a berth to the tournament by winning the state title with five victories in Pinellas Park, including a 7-2 win over Coral Springs on July 24.

The 10-11 Plant City All-Stars captured their own state championship in similar fashion with a 3-1 win over North Springs at Bonita Springs on July 24.

The 10-11 squad now makes it way to Greenville, N.C., to face off against Goodlettsville, Tenn., in a first-round pool play game Saturday. The 10-11 tournament has the same format as the 9-10 tournament, and its championship game will be held Wednesday at Greenville's Elm Street Park.

Times staff

How important are caddies?

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By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

By RODNEY PAGE

Times Staff Writer

One of the biggest stories in golf this year involves a caddie. Tiger Woods fired Steve Williams, his caddie of 12 years, last week. Williams was with Woods for 13 major titles and 62 PGA Tour wins. They were even in each other's weddings.

Williams was just about as recognizable as Woods. He was Woods' friend, confidant and enforcer. After a less than amicable split, he is none of those things now. But the Williams/Woods story put a spotlight on caddies. How important are they? What do they do? And how do they get that job in the first place?

Not bad work if you can get it

Caddies have been around since the 1600s in Scotland. When the game gained in popularity in America in the late 1800s, caddies were used to carry the clubs. Famous players like Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan all started as caddies. Now, with only ultra-exclusive clubs and five-star resorts like Pebble Beach, Augusta National and even Old Memorial in Tampa using caddies, the loopers usually come from college golf, select caddie schools or through friendships with the players.

Caddies are independent contractors and have to work out deals with their pros. Standard payment is between $1,000-$1,500 weekly base salary. Then caddies generally get five percent of the player's tournament purse, seven percent for a top ten and 10 percent for a win. That can vary slightly from pro to pro, but that's the general agreement. Caddies usually have to pay their own expenses, which includes travel and lodging. That cost can reach $1,000 per week, so if a caddie's player isn't making cuts, they aren't making much money.

But the caddie of a top player is living comfortably. According to Forbes Magazine, Williams made about $1.27 million in 2006. That was Woods' phenomenal year when he won eight times and made nearly $10 million. Williams is said to have earned close to $9 million in his 12 years with Tiger.

Caddies of consistent top 25 players like Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood are making in the mid-six figures yearly. In past generations, caddying was a thankless job with little pay. It has evolved into a valued profession for those who can get it. Jim Mackay, caddie for Mickelson, has called it "The best job in the world.'' Players rely on caddies to not only give them yardage and clubs, but honest opinions and assessments as well.

Who's your caddie?

Caddies, or loopers, are kind of like umpires; if they are doing a good job they usually don't get noticed. But some caddies have gained a certain amount of fame within the golf world, mostly by being on the bag of a Hall of Fame golfer. Aside from Williams, here are some other caddies who are just about as well known as the players they work for.

1. Angelo Argea: He was the caddie for Jack Nicklaus from 1963-82. Best known for his shocking white head of hair, Argea was on the bag for nearly 40 of Nicklaus' wins.

2. Bruce Edwards: One of the most well liked figures on the PGA Tour, Edwards caddied for Tom Watson from 1973-89 and again from 1992-2003. Edwards worked with Watson for many of his major championships. He died in 2004 of Lou Gehrig's disease.

3. Mike "Fluff'' Cowan: He was the first caddie Tiger Woods had when he turned professional in 1996. During Woods' historic Masters championship in 1997, Cowan was the caddie. Like Williams, Cowan was unceremoniously fired by Woods. He is now with Jim Furyk.

4. Jim "Bones" Mackay: Phil Mickelson has had one caddie his entire career, Bones Mackay (pronounced Mc-Eye). He's been on the bag for all four majors and 37 PGA Tour wins. If you've ever seen Mickelson play, you've seen Bones Mackay.

5. Fanny Sunesson: One of the few female caddies on the PGA Tour, Sunesson was most famously the caddie for Nick Faldo from 1990-99. She also had a short stint with Sergio Garcia before finding her current employer, fellow Swede Henrik Stenson.

6. Eddie Lowery: Ever heard of him? He was 10 years old when he caddied for 18-year-old Francis Ouimet at the 1913 U.S. Open. Ouimet won the tournament, and a picture of the two together made it onto a U.S. stamp.

7. Terry McNamara: He had the fortune of caddying for Annika Sorenstam. Of course, you don't get that fortune without being good.

8. Herman Mitchell: He caddied for Lee Trevino for much of the 1970s and 80s. Not only did he help Trevino entertain crowds, but he was also a near scratch golfer himself.

9. Jon Gruden: It didn't last long, but Gruden did caddie for John Daly for part of one round at the Transitions Championship in 2008. Some players don't take their caddies too seriously.

10. Danny Noonan: Worked in the caddyshack at Bushwood Country Club. Toted the bag for Judge Elihu Smails in the Club championship, but was forced into action when Al Cervik's drive on the 10th hole caromed off a ballwasher and hit him in the arm ("Ooo, my arm. It's broken.'') Noonan and Ty Webb ended up taking home the championship.

Who replaces Steve Williams?

When Woods returns it will be big news. The second biggest news will be who he names as his caddie. Woods has had only two since turning pro in 1996 (Mike Cowan and Williams). It is the kind of job caddies would line up for. Only Woods knows, but here are some names being thrown around as legitimate possibilities:

1. Tony Navarro: He is Adam Scott's former caddie, which ironically is who Williams is now caddying for. Navarro, 51, has 33 years experience and would be a logical choice.

2. Fanny Sunesson: She is currently with Henrik Stenson, and she is a close friend of Williams. Not sure if she would take on Woods after all this. Plus, would Woods want to deal with another Swedish woman?

3. Paul Tesori: He used to caddie for Vijay Singh, and if you can caddie for Singh you can caddie for anyone. He also worked for Sean O'Hair before losing that gig in 2010.

4. Byron Bell: A childhood friend who actually filled in as Tiger's caddie here and there. Woods may need a friend when he finally returns, and Bell could fill in for a while.

5. Notay Begay: Okay, certainly a longshot. They played college golf together at Stanford. Begay is still playing some competitive golf. But he hasn't made any money at it this year, so taking a caddie job with his buddy isn't out of the question.

6. Brett Waldman: He used to caddie for Camilo Villegas, but quit to become a pro himself. He's struggling on the Nationwide Tour and is rumored to be interested in joining Woods.

Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center to run Seminole Lake Tennis Center

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By Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

BRANDON

Allen Liberato has spent the past two years transforming the Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center into one of the premier tennis centers in the county. Now the BSAC tennis director is branching out across the bay.

Liberato and BSAC recently announced they would be overseeing all tennis operations at the Seminole Lake Tennis Center in Seminole.

"It's something that we are very proud to be a part of," said Liberato, who played at Villanova and coached at Academy of the Holy Names. "To be at this point from where we were a few years ago, it's very exciting."

• • •

In addition to its adult programs, BSAC has recently become a hot bed for area youth talent. Seven players on the Times All County Tennis first or second teams train at BSAC, as well as two-time Pasco County Player of the Year Colin Roller.

"I had been gone for a while playing in college and the pros, and when I came back I was looking for the place with the best players," Ryler DeHeart said. "And I saw BSAC had really taken over. No one can compete with the number of talented kids they have there."

And that can be traced to the success of the QuickStart, Future Stars and HI Performance camps that are designed for players of any ability from ages 5 to 18. Liberato credits junior player development directors Alex and Andrew Golub, who played No. 1 singles at Florida State and Miami, respectively, for making the youth program so successful.

"When they came in three years ago, things just started taking off," Liberato said.

In addition to juniors Justin Hall, Garrett Watson and Kylie Moulin — who all won local tournaments while playing up in age groups this summer — BSAC's Jessica Ho took first place (16 singles) at the Florida Open this month while Jon Ho and Jack Murphy were first in the 18 doubles division.

"The kids push each other," Liberato said. "And we have some great pros teaching them."

• • •

Liberato is counting on DeHeart to carry the torch at the new location. DeHeart was once ranked No. 1 nationally in juniors, won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's indoor singles championship as a junior at the University of Illinois and played professionally for six years.

"I had a herniated disk in my back and decided to hang up the racket, in terms of playing, for a while," DeHeart said. "I saw what they were doing and that they had a ton of kids at BSAC. When the opportunity came up, I knew I wanted to do something big like that (at Seminole Lake)."

If the juniors need any proof of DeHeart's credentials, they can just check YouTube. DeHeart, 27, faced then top-ranked Rafael Nadal at the 2008 U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

"It was pretty amazing to have played the No. 1 player in the world under the lights (at the U.S. Open) and have all the American fans there behind you," said DeHeart, who lost 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. "It was one of the best moments of my life and something not too many people can say they've done."

Brandon Wright can be reached at hillsnews@sptimes.com.

Girls softball team wins Florida championship, heads to regionals

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By Philip Morgan, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 27, 2011

TAMPA

The South Tampa Junior League All Stars took the state championship Monday, beating Naples 4-0 in Windermere, near Orlando.

The softball team of mostly 13- and 14-year-old girls — star players from West Tampa and Palma Ceia teams — may be on the way to even greater glory. Three players went to the World Series last year, including pitcher Nikki Lopez, who allowed five hits with six strikeouts and no walks in the shutout this week.

"We played real good defense,'' said Delton Lynch, a spokesman for the team.

Offensive standout Kylie Brown smacked two doubles, batted in two runs and scored a run.

The Tampa girls will compete in Fort Myers during the Southeast Regional Tournament, from Saturday to Wednesday, against teams from other states. If they win there, they go to Kirkland, Wash., for the World Series.

Lopez, catcher Sydney Coleman and outfielder Stacey Dominguez played last year on the West Tampa Little League Junior Girls team, which lost to Puerto Rico, 3-2, in a controversial world championship game. The Tampa team charged that one of Puerto Rico's players never batted, contrary to the rules. But officials declared Puerto Rico the winner.

Philip Morgan, Times staff writer

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