By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Monday, August 22, 2011

TAMPA — Paul Miller, the father of the USF football player at the center of the incident that led to coach Jim Leavitt's firing last year, was arrested last week on a felony charge of grand theft, accused of taking a woman's wallet from a cart in a New Tampa supermarket.

Miller, 59, a retired Tampa police officer, was arrested late Thursday night by Tampa police and later released on $2,000 bond. According to the arrest report, video cameras at the Publix on Cross Creek Boulevard showed him Wednesday picking up a Coach brand wallet left in a shopping cart and putting it in his pants pocket. The report said Miller admitted to putting the wallet in his pocket and not turning it in to store employees, but said he left the wallet in the cart before he left the store. The wallet was not recovered, and the arrest report says camera footage does not show a wallet in his cart at checkout.

Miller's son, Joel, was allegedly grabbed by the throat and slapped twice by Leavitt during halftime of a 2009 USF football game, and Paul Miller was quoted in the initial Fanhouse.com story that led to USF's investigation and the coach's subsequent dismissal. Leavitt filed a wrongful termination suit and USF eventually paid him $2.75 million in a January settlement. Joel Miller is a senior receiver on this year's Bulls team and caught a key pass in overtime that set up the winning score in USF's win at Miami in November.

The alleged victim, 24-year-old Alaina Winchell of Tampa, told police the wallet was valued at $85 and had $280 in cash inside, pushing the value of the theft above the $300 limit for a misdemeanor, making it a felony charge. Miller was identified after a Publix employee recognized him on security camera footage as a regular customer and remembered his vanity license plate, "BEEGOOD," according to the arrest report.

The report states that Miller initially "denied any knowledge of the offense" and "changed his story numerous times" and "at one point claimed he saw a small child (that) may have taken the wallet." Reached by phone Monday, Paul Miller said the incident was a "misunderstanding" and expressed disappointment that he was charged by the same law enforcement unit that he worked for until retiring in 2005.

"I don't know why they did what they did. There should have been a little professional courtesy," Miller said by phone. "You know, they're treating me like I was ... Gosh, come on now. I was a cop for 25 years. I was in the military. What are you doing to me here? Don't get me wrong. I don't want preferential treatment from cops. ... They did their job and did their job well. I'm not saying anything about the officers."

The police report quotes Miller as saying he would "pay the victim back for any losses," but Monday he said he hadn't done that. "How much could it be, like 15 bucks?" he said. "I never even looked at it, so I don't know." According to the arrest report, Miller has retained high-profile Tampa attorney Barry Cohen, who had also represented his son during the Leavitt case, though no legal action was taken by the Miller family.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Monday, August 22, 2011

TAMPA — Back in April, during the NFL Draft, the Bucs were surprised to see one of their primary targets, tight end Luke Stocker, still available at the start of the fourth round.

The Bucs wanted the former Tennessee Volunteer badly. Bad enough to trade up 12 spots to ensure that the 6-6, 253-pound prospect would wear a Tampa Bay uniform.

"This guy will be able to fit right into our offense and was a definite need that we had on our team," coach Raheem Morris said then.

But now, halfway through the preseason, the Bucs still haven't seen Stocker don pewter and red.

The NFL's lockout wiped out summer workouts. And when training camp finally did begin, Stocker was on crutches before the first day was complete.

"It was very frustrating," said Stocker, sidelined by a hip injury. "It was one of those things out of my control."

Now that he's back, participating in a padded practice for the first time on Sunday, Stocker is out to make up for precious lost time. And that's a very good thing, because huge sections of the Bucs' playbook depend on it.

With the Bucs planning to continue their frequent use of two tight end sets, the team has planned all along on Stocker joining starter Kellen Winslow in those personnel groupings. Coaches haven't seen enough from the team's other four tight ends to indicate any of them are capable of filling the role.

"I think they expect me to come in and be the big, in-line, traditional tight end and be a big blocker," Stocker said. "We have Kellen who's a guy they move around and do a lot of things with. I'm going to be more of the traditional guy who does the things tight ends normally do."

But, first, there's work to do. Stocker has attended all meetings and has been a keen observer during practice, but there's no substitute for what he'll get in his first full week of practice. Stocker, who is projected to see action against the Dolphins on Saturday, has significant ground to make up.

"I think the mental game, I'm definitely up to par there," he said. "I think the physical part, conditioning-wise, I'm catching up with the guys. Physically, I wasn't able to do anything for a couple of weeks.

"I just got to where I could run about a week ago. ... But you really can't get in football shape until you play football. There's nothing like the intensity. It's hard to match unless you're actually out there playing. I'm working toward that."

Elements like timing and techniques will have to be improved on the fly after missing more than two weeks of work. But Stocker thinks he has an advantage over most rookies when it comes to learning the playbook. Having played under three different coaching staffs at Tennessee, Stocker has experience in learning new schemes that will serve him well now.

Considering how extensively the Bucs intend to use him, that will be key. Look for Stocker to play an important role as a blocker in the running game, as a receiver and in picking up blitzes.

The latter area is one in which Stocker's learning capacity will be helpful, especially because coaches are expecting an increased number of blitzes this season to take advantage of offenses' limited preparation.

Already, the Bucs are seeing some impact from the rookie. The first impressions after he re-joined practice over the weekend were positive. And it seems Stocker's blocking prowess even motivated Winslow.

"I'm really fired up about Luke," Morris said. "... He certainly looked different in our running game. In our run period, he made Kellen look like a good blocker."

Winslow likely will be among the team's leading receivers for a third straight season, but don't dismiss Stocker's role in the passing game. His status as a dual threat (blocker and receiver) makes him a difficult assignment for defenses that might not always account for him. And Stocker's speed and athleticism are upgrades over that of free-agent departure John Gilmore, now with the Steelers.

Stocker was Tennessee's third-leading receiver last season, catching 39 passes for 417 yards.

"I consider myself a very well rounded tight end," Stocker said. "That's what I pride myself on. Everything I do, I want to do it very well. Obviously, the tight end is huge in the passing game. I don't want to overlook that when I talk about my blocking. When I get the opportunity to make a play, I expect to make it."

The Bucs have had that expectation since the draft. Soon, they hope, it will finally come to pass.

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@sptimes.com.

By Neil Taylor, Times Correspondent
Monday, August 22, 2011

What's hot: Large flounder have been the biggest development this past week. Several trips had 30 or more flounder caught, nearly half more than 16 inches. They have been in multiple locations, particularly near and under bridge structures.

Tackle: Medium or light outfits suffice, and these fish can be caught on artificial or natural baits. Killifish or whitebaits on a No. 2 mosquito hook, and just enough lead weight to get baits down to the bottom (depending on depth and current), will stop when flounder pounce on them. Three-inch paddle tail plastic lures on quarter-ounce jigheads were just as efficient, with the lures being eaten as they were bumped along the sandy bottom.

Techniques: Sharp hooks are critical. Flounder have rugged mouths with no soft areas for hooks to easily penetrate. For flounder trips, take along a landing net. Bridges with rocks going into the water, modest to heavy current and deep sand patches surrounded by seagrass are great flounder habitats. If there are no baitfish, anglers should move if they do not connect with flounder. Flounder must be a minimum of 12 inches and each angler may keep a maximum of 10 fish.

Neil Taylor charters kayak fishing trips in the Tampa Bay area and can be reached at (727) 692-6345 or strikethreekayakfishing.com.

Times wires
Monday, August 22, 2011

Brewers 8, Pirates 1

GAME 1

PITTSBURGH — Chris Narveson pitched shutout ball and knocked in two runs after coming off the disabled list, leading the streaking Brewers to their 19th win in 22 games. Milwaukee also won its 13th straight against the fading Pirates.

Times wires
Monday, August 22, 2011

GREENSBORO, N.C. — ACC commissioner John Swofford said Monday that college athletics need a major overhaul and that tweaking the status quo isn't going to get it done.

"Over the years what's happened is you try to put in a rule that keeps those that would cheat from cheating, and you end up trying to close every little loophole," Swofford told the Associated Press. "I think we need to be addressing the felons, if you will, as opposed to the jaywalkers and get ourselves out of this maze of rules that are unenforceable.

"Although well-intended, I'm not sure whether somebody got a text on a day they weren't supposed to get a text is a huge problem in reality."

A quarter of Swofford's ACC schools are mired in NCAA troubles.

The commissioner said league officials have talked with Miami, where a former booster says he provided cash, gifts and other improper benefits to more than 70 athletes, including current ones, over eight years. North Carolina has spent the past year under NCAA investigation for improper benefits and academic misconduct. Georgia Tech recently was forced to give back its 2009 ACC football championship trophy because of rules violations.

Swofford said he is confident people at ACC schools will "get at the truth and straighten it out when there's a problem."

He wouldn't discuss specifics of the Miami case, but he took dead aim at a system that in his eyes is clearly in need of repair.

Swofford said college sports needs to better understand possible violations connected to third parties, outside influences such as agents, agent runners and boosters. He also talked about improving the NCAA enforcement process by making it swifter, more consistent and stern but fair.

He also said he'd support increasing the value of an athlete's scholarship, though he wouldn't support a proposal to directly pay athletes.

Swofford also addressed reports that Clemson and Florida State were possible realignment targets of the SEC this month. He said leaders at every ACC school have told him they're "committed to the league, and we're a stable group." But he refused to say whether the league would consider expansion.

LSU: The attorney for quarterback Jordan Jefferson and three teammates said he was not aware of immediate plans for Baton Rouge police to interview the players about a bar fight in which they are accused of participating. The players were supposed to talk to police Monday about the early Friday fight, but attorney Nathan Fisher asked for a delay. Police Sgt. Don Stone said such delays are standard and the players do not have to talk at all. Coach Les Miles has said a "relatively large group" of players was involved in the fight. Police said they know of four alleged victims, all of whom were treated and released at a hospital.

Fiesta bowl: The 2012 game has been moved up three days, to Jan. 2, and will be played right after the Rose Bowl. Bowl officials hope the move boosts TV ratings and out-of-state visitors to the game.

USF men's soccer: USF unveils its new Corbett Soccer Stadium in an exhibition game against the University of Tampa at 7:30 tonight.

Times staff writer Greg Auman contributed to this report.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, August 22, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — In his past two starts, LHP David Price has slain the American League's top two teams in the Yankees and Red Sox.

He'll have a third straight difficult assignment tonight when he faces a Tigers team that leads the AL Central and ranks among the league's most offensive in average, runs, home runs and slugging and on-base percentages.

"I'm sure it's taxing," Price said, "but it's fun. It is. You have to show up to the yard that day with your good stuff in order to help your team try and win. Obviously it's not always the funnest thing to do, but whenever you go out there and pitch well against these teams, it feels good. So I'm riding some confidence right now, and I feel good."

Price rebounded from a rough stretch — in which he won just once in eight games and had a 4.74 ERA — to post two impressive eight-inning outings at New York and Boston, his first back-to-back wins since May.

"I felt good my past two starts," Price said. "I used all my stuff well. … And I was able to get to 0-2, 1-2 (counts) without using my fastball as much, and that makes it easier to put people away; they don't foul off as many pitches."

SPECIAL EFFECTS: What the Rays said was a direct lightning strike on Tropicana Field just before game time created two noticeable problems, though neither affected play.

Several banks of lights were knocked out, but restarted in time for the game, and the speakers on the first-base side were also knocked out, causing a loud droning sound during the first inning until workers reset them.

CLUB MADDON: Manager Joe Maddon said he is pleased so far with his no-batting practice pregame routine and hasn't asked the players what they think.

One big benefit, he said, is keeping players from arriving too early, which is why the clubhouse now doesn't open until 3 p.m.

"A lot of times guys show up at 1 o'clock or 1:30 and they're very proud about that and all they do is drink coffee and watch TV or maybe play on their iPads, so it's really a counter-productive exercise," Maddon said. "A lot of what you've heard in the past, I think, is eyewash as far as reporting time to the ballpark."

LINING UP: Matt Joyce was at the top of the lineup and Sam Fuld in the lineup because the Rays liked the matchup with Tigers ace RHP Justin Verlander. And that made for a convenient time to rest rookie OF Desmond Jennings against a premier right-hander.

"Desmond needed a day," Maddon said. "He didn't ask for it; I just want to really be aware of that with him on this turf — with all of our guys. I want to talk to B.J. (Upton), about if he needs a day or not also while we're during a longer homestand."

MINOR MATTERS: Double-A Montgomery RHP Chris Archer was named Southern League pitcher of the week after tossing seven one-hit shutout innings at Birmingham, improving to 4-0, 2.10 in his past five starts. … The four draft picks signed at the Aug. 15 deadline — RHP Taylor Guerrieri, OF Mikie Mahtook, INF Tyler Goeddel and LHP Grayson Garvin — have reported to Port Charlotte; Goeddel is the only one likely to play before the minor-league season ends. … Top prospect LHP Matt Moore, 3-0, 1.04 in six starts since his promotion, will pitch tonight for Triple-A Durham.

MISCELLANY: Johnny Damon tied Rickey Henderson for 46th on the all-time doubles list at 510. … Sunday's walkoff homer was the Rays' fifth, a team record for a season (four in 2000, '07, '08). … OF Justin Ruggiano (left knee bursitis) could start playing in rehab games for Durham as soon as tonight. … Sunday's game, according to Stats Inc., included the first time since MLB adopted replay that a grand slam was taken away. … Price said his dog, Astro, was "exhausted" after spending Sunday at the stadium for the dual promotional giveaway. "He had a long day, and I know he had a lot of fun," Price said.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, August 22, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — CF B.J. Upton is painfully familiar with shoulder injuries, including surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left after the 2008 season.

So though he was uncomfortable and frustrated to be forced from Monday's game and likely sidelined at least tonight due to a right shoulder strain, he seemed confident the injury was not significant. "This is a little bit different,'' he said. "I'm just glad it's not in the back of my shoulder. I don't think it will be anything too serious. It's more muscle.''

Upton was injured reaching for Delmon Young's eighth-inning drive, not when he collided with the wall a few steps later, then going down quickly and in obvious pain.

"I think I just kind of overextended my right arm, the muscle just kind of went numb, and it started to hurt a little bit," Upton said. After the game he said it had begun to tighten but — with no MRI exam scheduled — he planned to report today to see how he felt and then decide his availability.

Manager Joe Maddon was assuming Upton wouldn't be available tonight, planning to play rookie Desmond Jennings — who got Monday off until pinch-hitting — in center. Maddon said head athletic trainer Ron Porterfield's initial thought was Upton wouldn't be out long and was considered day-to-day: "We don't think it's anything serious.''

LOCKED AND LOADED: In his past two starts, LHP David Price has handled the American League's top two teams, the Yankees and Red Sox.

He'll have a third straight difficult assignment tonight when he faces a Tigers team that leads the AL Central and ranks among the league's most offensive in average, runs, home runs, and slugging and on-base percentages.

"I'm sure it's taxing," Price said, "but it's fun. It is. You have to show up to the yard that day with your good stuff in order to help your team try and win. Obviously it's not always the funnest thing to do, but whenever you go out there and pitch well against these teams, it feels good. So I'm riding some confidence right now, and I feel good."

SPECIAL EFFECTS: What the Rays said was a direct lightning strike on Tropicana Field just before game time created two problems, though neither affected play. Several banks of lights were knocked out, but they were restarted in time for the game, and the speakers on the first-base side were also knocked out, causing a loud droning sound during the first inning until workers reset them.

MINOR MATTERS: Double-A Montgomery RHP Chris Archer was named Southern League pitcher of the week after tossing seven one-hit shutout innings at Birmingham, improving to 4-0, 2.10 in his past five starts. … The four draft picks signed at the Aug. 15 deadline — RHP Taylor Guerrieri, OF Mikie Mahtook, INF Tyler Goeddel and LHP Grayson Garvin — have reported to Port Charlotte. Goeddel is the only one likely to play before the minor-league season ends. … Top prospect LHP Matt Moore, 3-0, 1.04 in six starts since his promotion, will pitch tonight for Triple-A Durham.

MISCELLANY: Johnny Damon tied Rickey Henderson for 46th on the all-time doubles list at 510. … 3B Evan Longoria homered for the 10th time in his past 30 games. … OF Matt Joyce is 5-for-8 with two homers in his two games hitting leadoff. … The Rays are 0-4 against the Tigers. … Sunday's walkoff homer was the Rays' fifth, a team season record (four in 2000, '07, '08). … OF Justin Ruggiano (left knee bursitis) could start playing in rehab games for Durham tonight. … Sunday's game, Stats Inc. said, was the first time since MLB adopted replay that a grand slam was taken away. … Price said his dog, Astro, was "exhausted" after spending Sunday at the stadium for a dual promotional giveaway: "He had a long day, and I know he had a lot of fun."

Times wires
Monday, August 22, 2011

Nationals 4, Diamondbacks 1

WASHINGTON — Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer and Ross Detwiler took a four-hitter into the seventh as the Nationals extended Arizona's losing streak to a season-high six games. The Diamondbacks have scored only seven runs in their past six games, and their lead over second-place San Francisco in the NL West fell to one game. Werth scored a second-inning run before his decisive blow in the fourth against Joe Saunders.

Times staff, wires
Monday, August 22, 2011

CORAL GABLES — Miami is looking into the eligibility of 15 athletes who might have accepted improper benefits from a former booster.

Miami president Donna Shalala did not name any of the players in a video statement Monday. The former booster, imprisoned Ponzi scheme architect Nevin Shapiro, told Yahoo Sports for a story published last week that 12 current football players and one men's basketball player got money, gifts and other items from him as part of a larger distribution of illicit benefits that included more than 70 UM athletes in all over eight years.

"We cannot let the actions of some define the many," Shalala said.

Shapiro named 12 football players in interviews with Yahoo Sports: QB Jacory Harris, Vaughn Telemaque, Ray Ray Armstrong, Travis Benjamin, Aldarius Johnson, Marcus Forston, Olivier Vernon, Marcus Robinson, Adewale Ojomo, Dyron Dye, JoJo Nicholas and Sean Spence. Shapiro also said he paid $10,000 to ensure that basketball player DeQuan Jones signed with the Hurricanes.

Citing the investigation, school officials would not say if any of those players have been cleared to play or who the additional players linked to the investigation are.

The university wants to decide the status of the football players by the end of this week.

The team held a closed scrimmage Monday, which coach Al Golden said would be the final audition of sorts for players trying to make the 60-person travel roster for the Sept. 5 season opener at Maryland.

Golden and other members of the football program will be unavailable for comment until Thursday, school officials said.

USF: Holtz speaks Irish

TAMPA — USF coach Skip Holtz returns to his alma mater when the Bulls open the season Sept. 3 at Notre Dame, and the second-year coach was asked on a teleconference how often he thinks about the possibility of eventually becoming the coach in South Bend.

"I think you have to control what you can control, and I don't have any control over whether that happens," Holtz said. "I've never applied, tried to apply, sent in a resume, made phone calls to try to get a foot in the door. … The best thing I can do right now is coach at South Florida. I enjoy it here. My family's very happy here."

Holtz's father, Lou, coached 11 seasons at Notre Dame, winning a national title in 1988.

THIS AND THAT: A turnout of 450 supporters at $125 a plate attended the program's first football kickoff dinner at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa, with both Holtzes entertaining the audience. … Senior C Chaz Hine will be part of the opening coin toss at Saturday night's Bucs exhibition against Miami at Raymond James Stadium.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

FSU: Smarts questioned

TALLAHASSEE — For a team to be successful, FSU coach Jimbo Fisher believes it first has to understand how to respond to failure. "I put them in failure positions a bunch. I do it on purpose," he said. "See how they deal with the adversity."

Apparently the Seminoles didn't adapt all that well in the practice he had just witnessed. They put forth solid effort but displayed lackluster execution, Fisher said.

"We ain't very smart right now," he said. "It's easy to make plays. It's how the plays apply to the situations; offensively, defensively, special teams-wise. We're not playing with any intelligence. … That's very disappointing."

The practice was dedicated to getting better in situational drills, Fisher said.

Quick hits: Offensive linemen Zebrie Sanders (groin) and David Spurlock (concussion) returned to contact drills. … It appears RB Chris Thompson's back injury is more serious than believed, Fisher said.

Orlando Sentinel

UCF: No poll concerns

ORLANDO — UCF senior TE Adam Nissley said the Knights aren't worried about preseason polls.

The team ended last season ranked No. 20 in the final USA Today coaches poll, No. 21 in the final Associated Press poll and No. 25 in the final BCS standings after going 11-3.

The Knights were not ranked in this year's preseason USA Today and Associated Press polls.

"We don't really look at that," Nissley said. "Our goal is to be ranked at the end of the season. If it takes us doing what we did last year to get ranked again, we're going to do it."

Orlando Sentinel

Times wires
Monday, August 22, 2011

Olympics

usoc reverses field on 2020 bid

The U.S. Olympic Committee pulled the plug Monday on a bid for the 2020 Summer Games before the International Olympic Committee could say no to the Americans. The two sides have been at odds over a revenue-sharing agreement for years.

At the heart of the disagreement is the USOC's long-standing 20 percent share of global sponsorship revenues and 12.75 percent cut of U.S. broadcast rights deals. The IOC wants more of that money.

The last games on U.S. soil were the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002.

LITTLE LEAGUE

Favored squad combines for no-hitter

Brandon Miller led off the bottom of the first with a homer and combined with starter Landon Breon on a no-hitter to lead the Little League World Series' hometown favorite from Clinton County, Pa., to a 10-0 rout of Lafayette, La., in South Williamsport, Pa.

Pennsylvania faces Georgia, which defeated La Grange, Ky., in an 8-5 victory.

Meanwhile, Langley, British Columbia, beat Kaoshiung, Taiwan, 5-3 and faces Hamamatsu City, Japan.

Golf

Holmes withdraws to focus on brain surgery

J.B. Holmes has withdrawn from the Barclays as he prepares to have brain surgery.

Holmes, a two-time PGA Tour winner who played in the 2008 Ryder Cup, has been diagnosed with structural defects in the cerebellum. He has been dealing with vertigo-like symptoms since May.

Holmes is to have the low-risk procedure Sept. 1 at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital. He says he should be able to return to competition in about three months.

et cetera

Basketball: Lakers forward Luke Walton, with two years and $11.5 million remaining on his contract, agreed to become an assistant coach with the Memphis Tigers until the NBA lockout ends. Walton, 31, has played sparingly the past two years because of recurring back problems and a logjam at small forward. He has played eight seasons for the Lakers and won two championships.

Times wires

Times wires
Monday, August 22, 2011

For as long as Al Davis has been the Raiders' owner and all-powerful personnel executive, he has coveted speed in his players, sometimes to the exclusion of other skills and occasionally in the absence of common sense.

That is why as soon as it was reported that former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor ran a 40-yard dash in around 4.4 seconds Saturday at a workout, it was assumed the Raiders would make a bid in the supplemental draft for Pryor, whose passes are not as accurate as his feet are fleet.

Monday, the Raiders lived up to their reputation, taking Pryor with the 18th selection in the third round of the supplemental draft. Pryor was the only one of six eligible players to be selected. The rest can become free agents.

"He can throw it, he can run with it," coach Hue Jackson said. "We'll add (him) to the mix that plays quarterback, and we'll work with him and get this guy to be a good player."

Oakland forfeits its third-round selection in the 2012 draft.

Pryor told the NFL Network he's thankful for the opportunity: "And when I get (an opportunity), I'm going to have success."

Pryor headed for Oakland immediately. He will be able to practice and play in exhibition games as soon as he signs a contract, which because of the rookie scale now in place is likely to be for four years and about $2.3 million.

The NFL said last week that Pryor must serve a five-game regular-season suspension for his role in OSU's memorabilia-for-tattoos scandal. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, had said the penalty, in effect when Pryor signs, wouldn't be appealed. But Pryor said in an interview during Monday Night Football's Giants-Bears game he will defer to Davis on whether an appeal should be filed.

Times wires
Monday, August 22, 2011

ST. LOUIS — Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan has taken a leave of absence to tend to his ailing wife.

The Cardinals said Jeanine Duncan had major surgery Sunday night and needs additional tests and rehabilitation. Duncan left the team Saturday in Chicago and son Shelley Duncan left the Indians to be with his mother.

"The time is as required," St. Louis manager and Tampa native Tony La Russa said before Monday night's game against the Dodgers. "It's clearly the priority. The players feel that way, the coaches feel that way, the front office, the organization."

La Russa met Monday with Duncan and general manager John Mozeliak. La Russa said he and Duncan have exchanged text messages for a few days.

Duncan is the longest-tenured coach in major-league history in his 32nd season, all with La Russa. Bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist has assumed some pitching coach duties.

WAIVER WIRE: Ken Rosenthal of Fox reported that Twins slugger Jim Thome and former Rays 1B Carlos Peña, in his first season with the Cubs, were among those placed on trade waivers. If a team claims them, their current teams have the option to pull them back. If nobody claims a player, he can be traded anywhere.

ANGELS: ESPN.com reported that the team and RHP Jered Weaver have agreed on a five-year contract extension worth $85 million. An announcement is expected today, the website said.

ASTROS: OF Jordan Schafer was activated and made his debut with the team after being out with a chipped bone in his left middle finger. He was acquired July 31 from Atlanta as part of a five-player trade; Schafer was hurt five days before the deal.

CUBS: SS Starlin Castro was held out of the starting lineup against Atlanta a night after television cameras caught him not paying attention in the field as a pitch was thrown. "It's a mental day off," manager Mike Quade said. "I was real disappointed. He understands that."

INDIANS: DH Travis Hafner (strained right foot) went on the 15-day disabled list.

ORIOLES: LHP Zach Britton, on the DL since Aug. 5 (left shoulder strain), will start Monday against the Twins.

PHILLIES: SS Jimmy Rollins (groin strain) went on the DL, and All-Star 3B Placido Polanco was activated.

PIRATES: RHP Kevin Correia (strained oblique) went on the DL, and RHP Chris Leroux was called up from a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis.

RED SOX: OF Jacoby Ellsbury, out for his third straight game after being hit in the back by a pitch, likely will return today, manager Terry Francona said. DH David Ortiz (right heel bursitis) could play this week. Also, Tim Wakefield's sixth shot at his 200th career win will come Friday against Oakland at Fenway Park, instead of Thursday's series finale at Texas. "You can't do it for sentimental reasons, but I'm glad," Francona said of Wakefield trying to hit the milestone at home.

TIGERS: Manager Jim Leyland reiterated that Rick Porcello did not throw at Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera on Sunday. Umpires warned both teams when Porcello threw behind Cabrera's back one pitch after the shortstop stood at home plate watching as his long drive hooked foul.

TWINS: RHP Nick Blackburn (strained right forearm) went on the DL, and RHP Lester Oliveros was recalled from Triple-A Rochester.

Times wires
Monday, August 22, 2011

Phillies 10, Mets 0

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies rocked Dillon Gee to earn their major-league-best 82nd win, and Cliff Lee allowed three hits and three walks in seven shutout innings. Yet Lee was unimpressed with himself. "I walked a few guys and hit a batter. Not happy about that," he said. "But they didn't cross the plate." The 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner is 4-0 with a 0.58 ERA this month. The Mets have lost four in a row and 16 of 21.

Times wires
Monday, August 22, 2011

The 49ers and Raiders won't meet in the preseason again because of fan violence at Saturday's game that resulted in two people being shot and one severely beaten, the San Jose Mercury News said Monday.

The NFL and local police are in favor of the move, the newspaper reported.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee attended the game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco with Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, and both saw the brawling.

"They were just constantly wailing at each other without regard to who was there," Lee said of the fans.

San Francisco General Hospital said two of the victims had been upgraded to fair condition. One was a 24-year-old man who was shot several times in the stomach. The other was a 26-year-old man who was beaten unconscious in a restroom. The other shooting victim was treated for superficial facial wounds after the game.

Police have not released the victims' names. No arrests have been made.

Giants' starting CB Thomas tears ACL

Giants starting cornerback Terrell Thomas tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in host New York's 41-13 preseason win over the Bears and most likely is out for the season.

Thomas was hurt with 22 seconds left in the first half in a collision with defensive end and former Bull Jason Pierre-Paul.

ACL injuries are usually season ending, and this one probably will cost the Giants their 2010 leading tackler.

Broncos: Coach John Fox named Kyle Orton his starting quarterback and said Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn have two more preseason games to win the No. 2 job.

Browns: The team reached agreement with Pro Bowl offensive tackle Joe Thomas on a seven-year extension that ESPN said is worth $84 million and includes $44 million in guaranteed money.

Eagles: Vince Young said his comment about the Eagles being a "Dream Team" was taken out of context. Then he spent five minutes essentially reiterating it. When asked by reporters what the context was, Young said in comments reported by CSNPhilly.com, "It's just what I mean. We do have some real talented guys, and if we continue to keep working and taking care of our responsibilities and finish like we want to finish as a team, I really feel like, that's how I called it."

Patriots: Defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth pleaded no contest in Washington to a charge of simple assault to resolve a case in which he was accused of touching a female waiter's breast while having drinks at a Washington hotel. If he stays out of trouble over the next 18 months, undergoes alcohol abuse and psychological assessments, and completes 160 hours of community service, prosecutors will drop the charge. Haynesworth originally faced a more serious sexual abuse charge. Prosecutors dropped that charge as part of the plea agreement.

titans: Receiver Kenny Britt meets today with commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss his two arrests during the lockout.

Vikings: Former Buc defensive end Stylez White signed to fill the roster spot of Scott Kooistra, who was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury sustained vs. Seattle on Saturday.

Bryan Burns, Times Staff Writer
Monday, August 22, 2011

Starting from Del Oro Park in Clearwater and traversing the scenic, shaded Ream Wilson Trail, the Ace of Diamonds 5K had more than 450 participants for Sunday's race.

County residents weren't able to capture the men's or women's overall championship, but a number of local runners were top performers.

Clearwater's Michael Farrell was the fastest Pinellas County resident overall. Farrell, 33, crossed the finish line in 18 minutes, 17 seconds to capture second place in the men's race. Farrell was just five seconds behind race champion Pedro Meraz of Wesley Chapel.

Dan Bergeson, 46 of Oldsmar, cracked the top three after running 18:34 and placing third.

In the women's race, Laurie Wisotsky of Largo was the top local runner among female participants. Wisotsky, 40, came in third after clocking in at 22:06.

Marlise Davidson-Fiedler, 25 of Port Richey, was the women's champion with a time of 21:22.

A number of Pinellas runners placed first in their age group. Division winners were: (F10-14) Kennady Jones, Seminole, 25:37; (M15-19) Austin Lewis, Oldsmar, 20:18; (F15-19) Kayla Hewel, Clearwater, 24:35; (M20-24) Andy Lopez, Palm Harbor, 22:53; (M30-34) Farrell; (F30-34) Tiffani Nielsen, Clearwater, 22:26; (M35-39) Duane Rollick, St. Petersburg, 19:35; (F35-39) Joette Gdovin-Bergeson, Oldsmar, 24:16; (M40-44) Thomas Bassano, Palm Harbor, 21:08; (F40-44) Wisotsky; (M45-49) Bergeson; (F45-49) Andrea Fortunato, Largo, 24:32; (M50-54) Craig Hutchison, St. Petersburg, 22:20; (F60-64) Stephanie Bessette, Dunedin, 29:22; (M65-69) Duncan Cameron, Palm Harbor, 21:51; (F65-69) Millie Hamilton, Redington Beach, 28:45; (M70-74) Chuck Keating, Clearwater, 23:26; (F racewalker 54 and under) Lynn Lewis, Largo, 34:37; (F racewalker 55 and over) Sue Rivelli, Palm Harbor, 43:24.

A few local residents just missed topping their age group. Finishing second in their division were: (F9 and under) Erika Meya, Clearwater, 31:08; (F10-14) Amanda Elsey, Clearwater, 26:07; (M15-19) Andrew Elsey, Clearwater, 20:23; (F25-29) Jennifer Senior, St. Petersburg, 24:52; (M30-34) Greg Schaeffer, Clearwater, 19:07; (F30-34) Caitlin Constantine, Clearwater, 23:31; (M35-39) Marielo Pinho, St. Petersburg, 20:56; (M40-44) Scott Hacking, Clearwater, 21:14; (F50-54) Teresa Howard, Largo, 25:36; (M55-59) Jim Hunt, Dunedin, 22:54; (F55-59) Mary Stewart-Wong, Safety Harbor, 26:06; (F60-64) Pam Dameron, Tarpon Springs, 38:46; (M65-69) Gar Flisek, Tarpon Springs, 22:55; (F racewalker 54 and under) Sharon Haley, Clearwater, 36:28.

The Ace of Diamonds 5K was the first race in the Aces are Wild running series, which features three more competitions in 2011.

The Ace of Clubs 10K and 5K will be held Sept. 11. The Ace of Hearts 15K and 5K is set for Oct. 6. The final race in the series, the Blue Moon half-marathon and 5K, is slated for Nov. 6.

SUMMER SUNRISE WATERMELON SERIES: Treasure Island's Hunter McCann broke into the top 10 at race No. 4 in the 16th annual Summer Sunrise Watermelon 5K Series on Saturday.

McCann, 14, was seventh overall after clocking in at 17 minutes and 14 seconds.

In the men's 11- to 14-year-old age division, which had 30 participants, McCann was first by 34 seconds after beating Tampa's Daniel Dean to the finish line. McCann scored a measure of revenge after losing a head-to-head battle three weeks ago at the Beat the Heat 5K in Thonotosassa. In that race, Dean edged McCann by a second to win the overall championship.

The heavily attended Lakeland race had 760 finishers.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Starting from Del Oro Park in Clearwater and traversing the scenic, shaded Ream Wilson Trail, the Ace of Diamonds 5K had more than 450 participants for Sunday's race.

County residents weren't able to capture the men's or women's overall championship, but a number of local runners were top performers.

Clearwater's Michael Farrell was the fastest Pinellas County resident overall. Farrell, 33, crossed the finish line in 18 minutes, 17 seconds to capture second place in the men's race. Farrell was just five seconds behind race champion Pedro Meraz of Wesley Chapel.

Dan Bergeson, 46 of Oldsmar, cracked the top three after running 18:34 and placing third.

In the women's race, Laurie Wisotsky of Largo was the top local runner among female participants. Wisotsky, 40, came in third after clocking in at 22:06.

Marlise Davidson-Fiedler, 25 of Port Richey, was the women's champion with a time of 21:22.

A number of Pinellas runners placed first in their age group. Division winners were: (F10-14) Kennady Jones, Seminole, 25:37; (M15-19) Austin Lewis, Oldsmar, 20:18; (F15-19) Kayla Hewel, Clearwater, 24:35; (M20-24) Andy Lopez, Palm Harbor, 22:53; (M30-34) Farrell; (F30-34) Tiffani Nielsen, Clearwater, 22:26; (M35-39) Duane Rollick, St. Petersburg, 19:35; (F35-39) Joette Gdovin-Bergeson, Oldsmar, 24:16; (M40-44) Thomas Bassano, Palm Harbor, 21:08; (F40-44) Wisotsky; (M45-49) Bergeson; (F45-49) Andrea Fortunato, Largo, 24:32; (M50-54) Craig Hutchison, St. Petersburg, 22:20; (F60-64) Stephanie Bessette, Dunedin, 29:22; (M65-69) Duncan Cameron, Palm Harbor, 21:51; (F65-69) Millie Hamilton, Redington Beach, 28:45; (M70-74) Chuck Keating, Clearwater, 23:26; (F racewalker 54 and under) Lynn Lewis, Largo, 34:37; (F racewalker 55 and over) Sue Rivelli, Palm Harbor, 43:24.

A few local residents just missed topping their age group. Finishing second in their division were: (F9 and under) Erika Meya, Clearwater, 31:08; (F10-14) Amanda Elsey, Clearwater, 26:07; (M15-19) Andrew Elsey, Clearwater, 20:23; (F25-29) Jennifer Senior, St. Petersburg, 24:52; (M30-34) Greg Schaeffer, Clearwater, 19:07; (F30-34) Caitlin Constantine, Clearwater, 23:31; (M35-39) Marielo Pinho, St. Petersburg, 20:56; (M40-44) Scott Hacking, Clearwater, 21:14; (F50-54) Teresa Howard, Largo, 25:36; (M55-59) Jim Hunt, Dunedin, 22:54; (F55-59) Mary Stewart-Wong, Safety Harbor, 26:06; (F60-64) Pam Dameron, Tarpon Springs, 38:46; (M65-69) Gar Flisek, Tarpon Springs, 22:55; (F racewalker 54 and under) Sharon Haley, Clearwater, 36:28.

The Ace of Diamonds 5K was the first race in the Aces are Wild running series, which features three more competitions in 2011.

The Ace of Clubs 10K and 5K will be held Sept. 11. The Ace of Hearts 15K and 5K is set for Oct. 6. The final race in the series, the Blue Moon half-marathon and 5K, is slated for Nov. 6.

SUMMER SUNRISE WATERMELON SERIES: Treasure Island's Hunter McCann broke into the top 10 at race No. 4 in the 16th annual Summer Sunrise Watermelon 5K Series on Saturday.

McCann, 14, was seventh overall after clocking in at 17 minutes and 14 seconds.

In the men's 11- to 14-year-old age division, which had 30 participants, McCann was first by 34 seconds after beating Tampa's Daniel Dean to the finish line. McCann scored a measure of revenge after losing a head-to-head battle three weeks ago at the Beat the Heat 5K in Thonotosassa. In that race, Dean edged McCann by a second to win the overall championship.

The heavily attended Lakeland race had 760 finishers.

Times wires
Monday, August 22, 2011

CLEVELAND — Franklin Gutierrez lifted a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the ninth inning and the Mariners scored the go-ahead run without getting a hit to beat the Indians 3-2 on Monday.

The Indians, swept by AL Central-leading Detroit over the weekend, lost their fourth in a row. Seattle stopped a five-game skid and won for only the fourth time in its past 24 road games.

Cleveland closer Chris Perez hit Miguel Olivo and Brendan Ryan with pitches to start the ninth, then dropped a sacrifice bunt by Trayvon Robinson to load the bases with no outs. Ichiro Suzuki, who led off the game with a home run, struck out. But Gutierrez, formerly of the Indians, hit a fly to medium centerfield, and Olivo barely beat Ezequiel Carrera's one-hop throw home.

Seattle's Brandon League got two quick outs before yielding two singles, then got Carrera to ground out for his 31st save in 35 chances.

Suzuki connected off Fausto Carmona for his 35th career leadoff home run. He tied Barry Bonds for sixth all time, two behind Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins.

Cleveland tied it with two unearned runs in the second off Jason Vargas.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, August 22, 2011

Rays vs. Tigers

When/where: 7:10 tonight, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg

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

Starting pitchers:

Rays

LH David Price (11-10, 3.59)

Tigers

RH Brad Penny (8-9, 4.97)

Watch for ...

Price check: Price is coming off back-to-back wins over the Yankees and Red Sox, allowing one run over 16 innings, and none in his past 12. He is 3-0, 2.11 in five appearances vs. Detroit.

Penny's stock: Penny has been roughed up recently, going 1-3, 6.99 in his past five starts and allowing 39 hits (including six homers). He is 2-4, 5.54 in seven games vs. the Rays, 0-3, 6.35 at the Trop.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Penny

Johnny Damon 0-for-6

Casey Kotchman 2-for-6

B.J. Upton 1-for-9

Tigers vs. Price

Victor Martinez 7-for-14 3 HRs

Jhonny Peralta 0-for-9

Delmon Young 2-for-9

On deck

Wednesday: vs. Tigers, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Wade Davis (8-7, 4.43); Tigers — Max Scherzer (13-7, 4.23)

Thurday: vs. Tigers, 1:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (11-8, 3.04); Tigers — Doug Fister (5-13, 3.49)

Friday: at Blue Jays, 7:07, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (11-10, 3.05); Jays — Henderson Alvarez (0-1, 4.32)

Saturday: at Jays, 1:07, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeff Niemann (8-5, 3.41); Jays — Luis Perez (3-2, 3.26)

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Feedback of the day

Manager Joe Maddon said he got good reviews for his Sunday stunt of wearing a Bucs helmet for his postgame media session, including thumbs-up text messages from Bucs coach Raheem Morris and QB Josh Freeman, and Angels manager Mike Scioscia.

Supermarket line of the day

3B Evan Longoria will be at the Sweetbay store at 3400 East Lake Road in Palm Harbor from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today as part of Pepsi's Field of Dreams campaign, and he'll have interesting offers: The first 50 fans in line get a meet-and-greet, the next 20 an autographed baseball. Also, 50 pairs of tickets to an upcoming game will be given away.

Johnny Drama chart of the day

DH Johnny Damon's seven walkoff homers rank among the most for active players:

12 Jim Thome

10 David Ortiz, Albert Pujols

9 Vladimir Guerrero, Alex Rodriguez

8 Adam Dunn, Ryan Zimmerman

7 Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi,

Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones

Source: David Vincent, SABR

By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
Monday, August 22, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Nothing wrong with the Detroit Tigers. Nice offense. A potential Cy Young Award winner. One of the finest managers of this generation.

In fact, if you want to measure them by wins and losses, the visiting Tigers are virtually identical with your hometown Rays this season. Except for this one caveat:

Because they play in the American League Central, the Tigers appear to be heading to the playoffs.

And because they play in the East, the Rays almost certainly are not.

Which is why you should probably have interest in what White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf told USA Today last week. Reinsdorf, one of baseball's most influential owners, is not a fan of expanded playoffs and doesn't think it will happen in 2012.

And that's not good news around here, particularly after commissioner Bud Selig made it sound as if expanded playoffs were almost a foregone conclusion for 2012.

So what has gone wrong?

It seems the addition of wild cards has been tied to realignment and schedule changes, and no one in baseball can agree on those issues.

Again, that's not good news around here. Because, let's face it, the addition of a second wild-card team in the American League would do more for the Rays in the long term than a .300-hitting shortstop ever could.

"From our perspective of the world," Rays manager Joe Maddon said, "I think additional teams in the playoffs is absolutely a wonderful idea."

The assumption, and the hope, is that an expanded postseason has hit a hurdle and not a wall. That eventually owners will figure out a way to get an equal number of teams in each division in each league and that a schedule can be developed that will appease the players association and the television networks.

Because the idea that Tampa Bay (as well as Baltimore and Toronto) is at a disadvantage in the AL East is not just a vague concept but a statistical reality.

They say these things go in cycles, but that's a difficult argument in the era of $200 million payrolls. Since the wild card was added in 1995, the Red Sox and Yankees have combined for 24 of a possible 32 postseason appearances.

That's not cyclical; it's tyrannical.

And it's no surprise that the AL East winner has averaged significantly more victories (98.2) than the AL Central winner (92.9) in the past 15 seasons. What's disturbing is that it has also been more difficult to win the AL wild card (94.9) than the Central.

Think about that for a second. What it basically means is Central teams can come into a season figuring a division title is in reach if they win around 93 games. For an East team, a 93-win season potentially means third place.

To be clear, Maddon isn't complaining about that. It doesn't seem to eat at him that, if he were in the Central division this morning, the Rays would be in first place.

"Everyone knows the rules going into a season, so there's no sour grapes when it comes to that. I have no issue with that at all," Maddon said. "But, moving forward, I think anything that promotes more involvement for more communities and more teams in September is a good thing for baseball.

"There may be some resistance in the beginning from people who say too many teams are making the playoffs. We went through that the first time around with the wild card when it wasn't readily accepted by the purists. But I think that will go away because, by adding one team per league, it's still very competitive to get to the postseason.

"How you make it all work is the rub."

At this point, the most popular alternative appears to be a play-in scenario between two wild-card teams. The idea is baseball can expand the playoff field and reward division winners at the same time.

The problem is you can't have the division winners sitting around waiting for the first round to be played. So do you make it a best-of-three in the wild-card round? Even that might require a layoff of four or five days.

So should it be a one-game playoff? That wouldn't seem fair in a season such as this, where Boston has a significant lead on Anaheim and Tampa Bay in the wild-card race.

If the solution were simple, I suppose it would already be in place.

The larger issue is the commissioner does seem determined to make it happen.

It won't help the Rays in 2011, and it might not help in 2012, but it could eventually be a critical lifeline for a needy franchise.

Times wires
Monday, August 22, 2011

Dodgers 2, Cardinals 1

ST. LOUIS — Aaron Miles' RBI triple keyed a two-run, ninth-inning Dodgers rally. Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter, who has never lost to Los Angeles, dominated the Dodgers for eight innings, shutting them out on five hits. Carpenter took a 1-0 lead into the ninth, then hit Juan Rivera to start the inning. Reliever Fernando Salas took the loss.