Times wires
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Nationals 3, Cubs 1
CHICAGO — Chien-Ming Wang pitched six one-hit innings and former Ray Jonny Gomes hit a two-run homer for Washington. In his third start and first on the road after missing more than two years following shoulder surgery, Wang won for the first time since June 28, 2009, against the Mets for the Yankees. Michael Morse homered and Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 17 games.
By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
TAMPA — By fielding the NFL's least-experienced roster in 2010 while squeezing out 10 wins, the Bucs gained a reputation for their youth movement.
But there's young, and then there's the Bucs' receiving corps. The nine receivers in this training camp have a combined nine NFL seasons.
They can be a loose group. Preston Parker has a knack for cracking on teammates' appearances. Sammie Stroughter rarely stops giggling. Yet, when appropriate, this group takes on a serious demeanor.
"We're not giving you anything around here," said Mike Williams, the unit's rookie sensation in 2010 with 65 receptions for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns. "We're pushing each other. We're pushing every single day in practice. You have to earn it around here."
The youthful exuberance can fuel hours-long video game marathons, but it also is a chief reason these guys are consistently competitive. It's a trait they say is a reason many of them have had impressive showings not only in camp but also in games. They spend their practices attempting to one-up each other. When that results in performances coaches deem worthy of playing time, the newbies have taken advantage.
At different junctures last season, the Bucs played four rookie receivers and five with two years of experience or less.
Dezmon Briscoe spent the 2010 preseason with the Bengals, who had veterans Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens as receivers. The roles of such players are obvious from the start.
"I was drafted by Cincinnati," said Briscoe, in his second season, "and the older guys up there, they usually didn't take every snap as hard because they've been in the league awhile. Then I come here (after being released in September) and there's a bunch of young guys right out of college trying to earn a spot. That really motivates you to push yourself harder."
Said Micheal Spurlock, who at 28 joins 25-year-old Stroughter as the only Bucs receivers older than 24, "With a young group like this, every day you have to come out and be your best. A lot of times, (teams) keep four or five receivers. … Usually, about four guys are already locks."
Tampa Bay's is a different scenario. Williams figures to see plenty of balls again. Behind him, returning starter Arrelious Benn, also in his second season, has been limited by December knee surgery but is considered the No. 1 flanker. After that, there's nothing but opportunity.
There's the emerging Briscoe, who showed a taste of his abilities in the 2010 season finale (he had a 54-yard touchdown catch in a 23-13 win over the Saints). There's Stroughter, who isn't particularly fast, big or athletic but finds soft spots in zones. There's the potentially electrifying Parker, a onetime Seminole in his second season.
Not to be forgotten is Spurlock, who no longer can be described merely as a return man. Even Raymond Webber and Ed Gant, two undrafted free agents, are making things interesting.
Position coach Eric Yarber said different combinations of receivers might play from week to week. There may not be clearly defined roles, leaving those to be determined by what transpires in practices.
Briscoe is a good example. He spent five games on the active roster last season after being on the practice squad. Still, he has bypassed Parker (16 games on the active roster last season) on the depth chart and has been pushing for playing time with his camp performance.
"Young guys come here and know we're not scared to play them," Yarber said. "They know that if they put in the work, they'll get a chance. … They've worked their tails off."
If only the spirited atmosphere could affect others the way it did Williams last year.
"If it wasn't for that," he said, "there's no way I could have had the success that I had last year."
Times wires
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
NEW YORK — Bobby Abreu hit his second homer of the game, a two-out, two-run shot off Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning, and the Angels pulled a trick to trap Curtis Granderson for the final out and beat the Yankees 6-4 Tuesday night.
The Yankees ran themselves out of their last chance. With runners at the corners, two outs and Mark Teixeira up, reliever Jordan Walden faked a pickoff throw to third base. Granderson broke from first and was caught in no-man's land, and Walden's throw got him in a rundown.
The Angels, the only American League team with a winning record against the Yankees over the past decade, saddled New York with its first three-game losing streak since early June.
Abreu's drive deep into the rightfield seats was the second homer allowed this season by Rivera. The Yankees closer faltered for the second straight appearance, after blowing a ninth-inning lead Sunday night in Boston.
Abreu had his first multihomer game this season.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
ST. PETERSBURG — James Shields had plenty to be pleased with in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Royals.
He threw his major league-leading eighth complete game and fourth shutout, picked up his 11th win, and with the game lasting 1 hour and 53 minutes — shortest for nine innings in team history — he had a chance to get home to Clearwater in time to tuck his two daughters into bed.
But there was the one thing that left him shaking his head: the fourth-inning stolen base by rookie Eric Hosmer that was the first against him all season.
"I was kicking myself in the butt there," he said.
Everybody else — figuratively, anyway — was slapping Shields on the butt in congratulations for another outstanding effort before a Trop gathering of 10,124, third smallest of the season.
The Rays, winning for the eighth time in 12 games, improved to 61-54 and moved to within 8½ games of the wild card-leading Yankees, making this weekend's series in New York potentially more interesting.
Shields, scattering six hits and striking out eight (while walking three), didn't quite do it all, as the Rays played dazzling defense all over the field, including three double plays of increasing difficulty and an impressive unveiling of rookie leftfielder Desmond Jennings' arm as he nailed Jeff Francoeur at second. "Do not overlook the defense," manager Joe Maddon said.
Then there was third baseman Evan Longoria, sporting a nearly shaved head in his third hairstyle in three days, providing all the offense. Longoria, taking early extended batting practice in an attempt to end his extended skid, delivered a two-run single in the hurry-up first — hit batter, bunt hit, double steal — and a two-run homer in the sixth.
"To see the actual work finally pay off and be able to contribute in a big way, it's a pretty big weight off my shoulders for a day,'' Longoria said.
The game moved along so quickly — ending at 9:03 p.m. — some of the Rays wondered if there was a malfunction with the stadium clocks. "We'll take it and get an extra hour to sleep," 37-year-old DH Johnny Damon said. "Or party, whatever these young kids want to do."
Shields is as awed by the eight complete games as much as anyone given that he hadn't had one since 2008. "I didn't think I was going to get one (this year),'' he said. "Fortunately for me it's been a lot.''
Since the 2000 season, only two other pitchers have had eight by this date, the Phillies' Roy Halladay last year and Oakland's Mark Mulder in 2003. And only two AL pitchers in the past 10 years have had four shutouts in a season: Texas' Derek Holland this year; Halladay, for Toronto, in 2009.
"Shields is an ace,'' Francoeur said.
He did Tuesday's work with a repeatedly well-located low fastball and his usual tremendous changeup, though Royals manager Ned Yost said he considered it "maybe a notch below" that of rookie Jeremy Hellickson.
Shields takes as much pride in controlling the running game as anything else (evidenced by his MLB-best 10 pickoffs, and only four previous steal attempts), so that made Hosmer's steal — when Shields mistakenly used a high leg kick instead of slide step — that much more annoying.
"I kind of messed up there," he said.
Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com.
Times wires
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Rangers 7, Mariners 6
ARLINGTON, Texas — Josh Hamilton's single drove in Ian Kinsler from second with the winner in the ninth inning, and AL West-leading Texas rallied from a three-run deficit. Kinsler and Endy Chavez homered for the Rangers, whose division lead over the second-place Angels remained at 1½ games.
Times wires
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Red Sox 4, Twins 3
MINNEAPOLIS — Darnell McDonald hit a two-run homer into the upper deck in leftfield for Boston. David Ortiz gave the Red Sox the lead for good on an infield single with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. Erik Bedard pitched a solid five innings in his second start since coming to Boston in a trade with Seattle. The Twins lost their sixth straight game.
By Joe Smith and Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writers
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
TAMPA — LeGarrette Blount isn't shy about wanting to be an every-down running back.
"Man, I really don't want to come off the field," Blount said this week.
To make that happen, the Bucs' second-year starter has to convince coaches he's capable of doing the many things required of third-down backs. Chief among them are blocking and catching, things Blount was not asked to do in college at Oregon.
In training camp, he's getting the chance to prove he can do them.
"I've been getting a lot of third-down reps," Blount said. "In the offseason I was working on catching the ball and things like that, so I've been getting a lot more involved."
Because Blount has the benefit of a Bucs camp this season — last year he was in camp with the Titans — he has a chance to concentrate on things that were never addressed last season after he was claimed off waivers in early September.
At 247 pounds and with a physical demeanor, Blount is more than willing. It's now a matter of coaches growing confident in his ability as well as his know-how.
"I've made a lot of progress since last season. A whole bunch of progress," he said.
PENN PUMPED: Though LT Donald Penn appreciated his opportunity to be in the Pro Bowl last season, he said partly what will motivate him this year is to get there on the first vote. He was an alternate in 2010 and was put on the NFC squad to replace the Packers' Chad Clifton.
"To be real with you guys, it was kind of still disappointing that I had to get in the way I had to get in, because I feel like I'm a lot better than I get credit for," Penn said. "But I use that as a chip on my shoulder, and maybe this year I get on the first ballot instead of having to sneak my way in.
"I'm looking for bigger stuff, need to be in the top 100, need to be an All-Pro. If that happens, we're winning. As long as I keep doing that, it's going to make our team successful."
MOTHER NATURE: With heavy thunderstorms in the Tampa Bay area, the start of Tuesday's afternoon padded practice was delayed a couple of hours and condensed. Coach Raheem Morris said the practice was "a little sloppy," but conditions were slippery and he was happy they got some work in, especially with the limited amount of padded practices available in camp.
TEST RUN: Today's afternoon practice is at Raymond James Stadium, and it serves as a game-like test-run for the preseason opener Friday in Kansas City. Coaches in the box upstairs will communicate via headsets to coaches on the field.
DEPTH CHART: Morris explained why rookie third-round draft pick Mason Foster is ahead of the likes of Tyrone McKenzie on the depth chart at middle linebacker:
"(Foster) is having a better camp up until this point. We've got to go see these guys hit different colors, we've got to see these guys moving around on the field, under the lights. … But I wouldn't count anybody out. (Derrell Smith) is coming on fast, and (McKenzie) is not going to just lay down."
MEDICAL MATTERS: WR Raymond Webber (hamstring) is week to week, and DT Gerald McCoy (rotator cuff strain) is day to day.
Times wires
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Braves 4, Marlins 3
11 innings
MIAMI — Dan Uggla extended his hitting streak to 30 games and Martin Prado delivered a go-ahead single in the 11th inning for Atlanta. Prado also homered and tied a career high with four hits.
Times wires
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Brewers 5, Cardinals 3
10 innings
ST. LOUIS — Casey McGehee's double snapped a 10th-inning tie and Milwaukee won for the 12th time in 13 games. The Brewers' 3-4-5 hitters had been 0-for-12 before extra innings when Prince Fielder singled to put runners at the corners ahead of McGehee's double off Octavio Dotel.
Times wires
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Diamondbacks 11, Astros 9
PHOENIX — Justin Upton had three hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs, and Arizona rallied from a six-run deficit. Gerardo Parra had his fourth career four-hit game, and Miguel Montero doubled and had three RBIs.
Times wires
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Giants 6, Pirates 0
SAN FRANCISCO — Chris Stewart hit his first major-league home run, and Aubrey Huff had another solo shot for the Giants. Madison Bumgarner struck out 10 and walked one in seven innings. The lefty was one strikeout short of his career high, which came against Cleveland on June 26. Huff also had an RBI double.
Times wires
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Phillies 2, Dodgers 1
LOS ANGELES — Cliff Lee pitched eight scoreless innings, struck out 10 and hit his second career home run for Philadelphia. Jimmy Rollins had an RBI single as the Phillies won for the 11th time in 12 games and went 36 games over .500 (76-40) for the first time since 1977, when they were 101-61 and lost to the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. Lee allowed four singles and only two runners past first. Ryan Madson got his 21st save.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The Tampa Bay Rays placed seldom-used OF Justin Ruggiano on the DL today with left knee bursitis and recalled SS Reid Brignac from Triple-A Durham.
Ruggiano has played sparingly since the July 23 promotion of Desmond Jennings, though, interestingly, manager Joe Maddon said he was a candidate to start Tuesday's game. Instead he will be on the DL for 15 days.
Brignac was demoted when Jennings was promoted, having hit .193 and lost his job as the every day replacement for traded Jason Bartlett. In 11 games at Durham, Brignac hit .231, though he did have more walks, 7, than strikeouts, 6.
By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Florida Gators freshman TE A.C. Leonard suffered a torn meniscus on Saturday and will likely miss about 6-8 weeks, Florida coach Will Muschamp said today.
"Disappointing news. A.C. Leonard tore his meniscus Saturday, and had surgery this morning,'' Muschamp said. "We think everything's going to be fine. It was a non-contact injury. He planted on it wrong, nobody was near him or around him. We're very disappointed. That's going to be a 6-8 week process and we'll make a decision on his playing this year at that time.''
Leonard was among Florida's early enrollees in January. Rivals.com ranked him the No. 5 tight end in the nation out of Jacksonville University Christian.
By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Rookie Mason Foster will be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' starter at middle linebacker, but he won't always be on the field.
Coach Raheem Morris says strong side linebacker Quincy Black will replace Foster on nickel passing situations, which typically occurs on third down when teams use three receivers.
Morris indicated that the rotation is more about Black's versatility than Foster's limitations.
"Fortunately, the way things are going (Foster) is the base (middle linebacker),'' Morris said. "And you're able to put Quincy in that nickel (middle linebacker position). And (Foster) really gets a chance to really focus and lock on his base responsibilities. If he grows into ... just staying out there on third down or whatever the case may be, that's great. But you've got to find a way to play young guys. If you don't play young guys, it's just me making excuses.
"It's less of a concern, it's more, hey, let's give him the base stuff, pick it up, be great at it. We've got Quincy Black who we've got a lot of confidence in. He's got a serious demeanor. We liked him at (middle linebacker). I don't know if it's a concern about Mason, I think it's more of the best two linebackers on the field right now. When you get into nickel, you want to get Quincy and your proven Geno Hayes out there.''
By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking toward Friday night's preseason opener at Kansas City, and we're getting a better feel for who will and won't play.
Coach Raheem Morris said this afternoon that rookie defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, who is coming off a January knee surgery, will be on a veteran-like plan Friday night, playing between 12 and 15 snaps. Bowers has been held back by coaches and trainers, sitting out a couple of practices and participating in a limited amount of contact.
"He's coming along really well," Morris said. "He's really come on when we put the pads on. We knew that was going to be his game anyway. He's a giant 280-pound end. Those guys are huge. You can see the power rush is kind of his game. . . And we're starting to see it more and more now that the pads are on.
"Maybe we've been a little too cautious, but that's because of the lack of experience and time we've had with him. I think it's smart on the part of our training staff and coaching staff not to try and put too much on his plate right away."
Meanwhile, receiver Arrelious Benn, who also is coming off knee surgery, said he's likely to dress for the game but does not expect to play. With the wet fields of the past couple of days, Benn hasn't joined the padded portions of practice as the team had originally planned. Look for him to, perhaps, get back into contact next week.
The status of defensive tackles Gerald McCoy (strained rotator cuff) and Brian Price (pelvis) is less certain. Morris wasn't definitive on whether either would play.
"If they're out there with their groups and units, they'll play whatever everybody else plays," he said.
Price, however, could play less as he attempts to work himself back into shape after his offseason weight gain.
By Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
For the Brandon Cowboys, like most other youth sports organizations in the county, player safety is paramount.
But the Cowboys aren't just playing it safe — they're playing it SMART.
With area youth football set to start this weekend, the Cowboys and USF's Sports Medicine and Athletic Related Trauma, or SMART, are again partnering to educate players, coaches and fans on injury prevention. This is the third season SMART has been involved with the Cowboys.
"Our coaches and parents have had access to top-quality information," Cowboys athletic director Jason Johnson said. "We've learned something new each year."
The SMART program offers experts who provide information to improve sports safety and reduce needless deaths on the playing and practice field. The institute, backed financially by the state Legislature, was conceived in 2004 and took shape in 2006.
Dr. Barbara Morris, who oversees the SMART Outreach Program, said partnering with the Cowboys has helped give those involved with the program a broader wealth of knowledge.
"God bless these parents who come out and volunteer their time," she said. "But most have had no formal training, and we can provide them with those tools."
Morris has spearheaded seminars with the Cowboys on some of youth football's biggest safety concerns: heat illness, concussions and infectious bacteria.
"She opened a lot of eyes," Johnson said. "Every time she has come here, the coaches have left shaking their heads saying, 'I hadn't thought of it that way.' "
With temperatures spiking throughout the summer, Morris said heat illness education is critical at this time of year.
"Children don't always make the best decisions when it comes to hydration, so it's up to the coaches to be able to identify the signs," she said. "The No. 1 thing we want to get across is that death from heat illness is preventable if treated immediately."
Morris also has consulted with coaches to better help them spot concussion symptoms, and she provided handy laminated cards to help.
"We want the coaches to be observant," she said. "But also to have the kids be aware of signs as well. Kids on their own team can be important in spotting these symptoms in their teammates."
Another problem is MRSA, an infectious bacteria that is spread through skin-to-skin contact and thrives wherever sweat and athletics collide. Johnson had all of the program's uniforms and equipment disinfected last season after a potential outbreak.
"And we were able to pinpoint that from Dr. Morris' class," he said. "Once we saw the second kid with the same rash, we had everything cleaned with hospital-grade sanitizers."
But the SMART Institute isn't limited to physical ailments. It also deals with sportsmanship.
"If you think about it, a number of things can happen through the lack of sportsmanship by players and parents," Morris said. "Things like flagrant fouls and chop blocks in football usually stem from a lack of sportsmanship, so that's something we focus on as well."
Johnson said he noticed an immediate improvement around the complex after meeting with the SMART Institute.
"A lot of people weren't even aware that the type of comments they were making could be taking so negatively by opposing players and parents," he said. "And we want to create the best possible environment for everyone out here."
Morris said she initiated visible signals for others regarding sportsmanship. For those who take the class, a green-and-gold bracelet is given out. The idea is that if a person wearing one of those bracelets is acting up, someone who has taken the class can pull them aside.
"And they'll let them know they are being inappropriate," Morris said.
In addition to its work with the Cowboys, SMART has staged a number of other clinics and community outreach efforts over the years, including for the Brandon Youth Bulls Hockey, Florida Revolution Soccer and Synergy Volleyball.
All this is done to keep kids who are playing sports as safe as possible.
"It's all worth it," Morris said, "if what we're doing can have an effect and save one life."
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
With Reid Brignac returning to the majors today, the Tampa Bay Rays promoted the two top shortstop prospects in their system as well.
Tim Beckham is moving from Double-A Montgomery to Triple-A Durham, and Hak-Ju Lee from Class A Charlotte to Montgomery.
By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
VERO BEACH — As much as USF sophomore Julius Forte seems poised to break out this season as a powerful outside pass rusher, the Boca Ciega graduate insists it's the entire Bulls defensive line as a unit that has taken a major step forward.
"I don't think it's anything I'm doing special. We're all working hard and getting better," Forte said after practice this week at the Vero Beach Sports Village, where USF is training for 12 days. "The whole d-line, we got a lot better over the summer. Bigger, stronger, faster."
That's good news for a USF defense that has three defensive linemen from last season now in NFL training camps, including ends Craig Marshall and David Bedford. The year before, the Bulls saw both their starting ends — George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul — taken in the NFL draft. So after two seasons training behind a quartet of NFL talents, Forte is poised to show that younger players like himself and fellow sophomore Ryne Giddins can keep the position at a high level and crack the starting lineup.
"The people in front of me are making it very hard — they're working hard every day, and I'm trying to put a fire under their butt," said Forte, listed as a top backup to Giddins and senior Patrick Hampton.
Forte — known as "Ju-Ju" around the team — has been able to add bulk to his frame without sacrificing quickness to get around opposing tackles. When he signed with USF in 2009, he weighed 235 pounds, and he played sparingly last season at 250-255 pounds. Now he's a thick 265 and physically imposing, thanks to working with new strength coach Mike Golden, who has a long history guiding the weight rooms for Skip Holtz's teams.
"With the thing Coach Golden put together over the summer, I don't feel like anybody lost a step," said Forte, who earned USF's Strength and Conditioning Overachiever Award his first year on campus, earning a reputation before he ever got on the field.
Forte had just 10 total tackles and one sack as a redshirt freshman, but he'll likely surpass those numbers in the first month of the season, as the Bulls gear up for the Big East opener Sept. 29 against Pittsburgh, the team he got his first career sack against.
"I've been very pleased with Julius — that's the maturation process you want to happen," defensive coordinator Mark Snyder said. "He's going to be in the rotation, and just the way he's carrying himself. His confidence is up, he's being more vocal."
His position coach, Vernon Hargreaves, said he thinks of Forte as a starter, so that he doesn't expect any dropoff when Giddins or Hampton come off the field during games.
"I've told those guys that I feel like we have three starters," Hargreaves said. "(Forte) has improved since the spring, had a great summer. His confidence level is so much higher, and that's allowing him to play to his potential athletically. He's always had the athletic ability. Now he has confidence in what he's supposed to do, where he's supposed to be, all those types of things. He understands it a little bit, so he's playing faster."
Greg Auman can be reached at auman@sptimes.com and at (813) 226-3346. Check out his blog at tampabay.com/blogs/bulls and follow him at Twitter.com/gregauman.
By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
VERO BEACH — As much as USF sophomore Julius Forte seems poised to break out this season as a powerful outside pass rusher, the Boca Ciega High graduate insists it's the defensive line as a unit that has taken a major step forward.
"I don't think it's anything I'm doing special. We're all working hard and getting better," Forte said after a practice this week at the Vero Beach Sports Village, where USF is training for 12 days. "The whole D line, we got a lot better over the summer; bigger, stronger, faster."
That's good news for a defense that has three linemen from last season in NFL training camps, including ends Craig Marshall and David Bedford. The year before, the Bulls' starting ends, George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul, were drafted.
So after two seasons training behind a quartet of NFL talents, Forte is poised to show younger players such as himself and fellow sophomore Ryne Giddins can start and keep the position at a high level.
"The people in front of me are making it very hard. They're working hard every day, and I'm trying to put a fire under their butt," said Forte, listed as the top backup to Giddins and senior Patrick Hampton.
Forte — known as "Ju-Ju" around the team — has added bulk to his frame without sacrificing quickness. When he signed in 2009, he weighed 235 pounds, and he played sparingly last season at 250-255. Now he's a thick 265 and physically imposing thanks to working with new strength coach Mike Golden.
"With the thing Coach Golden put together over the summer, I don't feel like anybody lost a step," said Forte, who earned USF's Strength and Conditioning Overachiever Award in his first year on campus, earning a reputation before he got on the field.
Forte had 10 tackles and one sack as a redshirt freshman. He'll likely surpass those numbers in the first month of the season as the Bulls gear up for the Big East opener Sept. 29 against Pittsburgh, the team against which he got the sack.
"I've been very pleased with Julius. That's the maturation process you want to happen," defensive coordinator Mark Snyder said. "He's going to be in the rotation; and just the way he's carrying himself. His confidence is up. He's being more vocal."
Forte's position coach, Vernon Hargreaves, said he thinks of Forte as a starter, so he doesn't expect any drop-off when Giddins or Hampton come off the field.
"I've told those guys that I feel like we have three starters," Hargreaves said. "(Forte) has improved since the spring, had a great summer. His confidence level is so much higher, and that's allowing him to play to his potential athletically.
"He's always had the athletic ability. Now he has confidence in what he's supposed to do, where he's supposed to be, all those types of things. He understands it a little bit, so he's playing faster."
Greg Auman can be reached at auman@sptimes.com and at (813) 226-3346. Check out his blog at tampabay.com/blogs/bulls and follow him at Twitter.com/gregauman.
