Times wires
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

MIAMI — Fresh off a divorce in Chicago, Ozzie Guillen has been reunited with the Marlins and owner Jeffrey Loria.

Guillen tends to speak his mind, while Loria leads the league in managerial changes, but both dismissed predictions about a rocky relationship as way off base.

"When we used to go to the winter meetings together, people went, 'That's a crazy combo,'  " Guillen said. "But we know each other."

So there's no reason to anticipate Guillen ruffling feathers?

"I couldn't care less about feathers," Loria said. "I don't have any feathers. And I don't care about him ruffling anybody. Ozzie has his opinions, and he's entitled to them. You know that going in. But Ozzie comes with a great pedigree."

And so the Ozzie era began in Miami. Hours before the Marlins' final game in the stadium they're leaving, they formally introduced Guillen as their manager Wednesday.

"It's a big, big step in my career, a new chapter," Guillen said. "Hopefully I can bring energy, flavor and enthusiasm, but the most important thing is a winning team."

Reyes pulled with batting lead

NEW YORK — Mets SS Jose Reyes bunted for a hit in the first inning to enhance his NL batting title chances then was lifted for a pinch-runner as fans booed after what could have been his final at-bat for the Mets during a 3-0 win over the Reds.

The hit elevated Reyes' average to .337057 and gave him a 21/2 point lead over Brewers OF Ryan Braun, who started the game against Pittsburgh 0-for-2, virtually eliminating him from the race.

Reyes said he asked manager Terry Collins said to take him out of the game.

In other Mets news, Irving Picard, the trustee recovering assets lost in Bernard Madoff's fraud, is delaying a planned Friday payout to those who lost money because of a judge's ruling that limits the amount Mets owners might have to return. Attorney David Sheehan said the ruling limiting the owners' exposure to $386 million will affect other money being recovered for investors.

SLUGGER ARRESTED: Free agent OF/DH Milton Bradley was arrested for the second time this year, this time on investigation of felony battery, the Los Angeles Times reported. Los Angeles police arrested Bradley at a San Fernando Valley home. Details were not immediately available.

2012 OPENER: The Mariners and Athletics will open next season in Tokyo with games on March 28-29. The A's will be the home team for both games at the Tokyo Dome.

CARDINALS: Pitching coach Dave Duncan rejoined the team after missing more than a month to tend to his wife, Jeanine, who had a brain tumor removed.

INDIANS: Bench coach Tim Tolman is stepping down because of health issues and will be replaced by first-base coach Sandy Alomar. Tolman, 55, will remain with the organization.

ROYALS: OF prospect Bubba Starling, the fifth overall pick in the June draft, was given a citation for underage drinking in Arizona. Starling, 19, was cited during a random alcohol check after Saturday's football game between Arizona State and USC in Tempe.

WHITE SOX: Hitting coach Greg Walker resigned after nine seasons.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Bucs vs. Colts 8:30 p.m. Monday; Raymond James Stadium; TV/radio: ESPN; 620-AM, 103.5-FM

TAMPA — Shortly after Bucs rookie defensive end Adrian Clayborn bull-rushed his way to his first NFL sack, a jarring hit that separated the football from Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan on Sunday, the happiest player on the field wasn't the one receiving high-fives.

"I got up and I said: 'Clay! Congratulations, brother. You got yours out of the way a whole lot earlier than I did,' " defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said.

McCoy knows something about pressure, the kind you can either feel or apply. The third overall pick in 2010, he registered his first NFL sack in the ninth game of his rookie season.

This season, McCoy is waiting on his first sack but has a club-best nine quarterback pressures, including six against the Falcons. One reason Ryan couldn't escape Clayborn is because McCoy had both arms around his legs.

Defensive tackle Brian Price, a second-round pick from UCLA who played only five games as a rookie, also notched his first pro sack Sunday. The confidence in the group of young, athletic, relentless defensive linemen has emboldened coach Raheem Morris to scrap the staid Tampa 2 for aggressive man-to-man coverage.

"You bring guys in the past two drafts, all defensive linemen, it's clear what you want and what you expect and how much you believe in those guys," McCoy said. "Coach Morris, on the sideline, he said: 'Look, I've got all the faith in you guys who were brought here to do what you do. So go out there and show me.' The next drive, we got pressure on the first play. The next play was the sack-fumble.

"It felt good. We came to the sideline and said, 'Hey look. You see how this feels? Let's keep feeling it and build off of it.' "

With the exception of the 27-20 loss to the Lions, who got the football out of the hand of quarterback Matthew Stafford using three-step drops, the Bucs have dialed up the pressure. They had two sacks and eight pressures on Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb. Last week, the Bucs sacked Ryan four times, hit him on four other occasions and pressured him 20 times.

Good pass coverage and a good pass rush go hand-in-hand. The Bucs are fortunate to have among the league's best tandem of cover corners, Aqib Talib and 36-year-old Ronde Barber, who each has an interception.

"We relish in it, because we know if we're in man coverage, we've got a chance," Bucs defensive line coach Keith Millard said. "So for us, it's like a green light. It's 'Here we come, no matter what. We're getting off the ball and we're getting to a spot.' "

Bucs defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake said he knew pressuring the quarterback wasn't going to be a problem this season.

"I told you guys a couple weeks ago the rush was coming," Lake said. "It showed up statistically, but we've seen it on tape where it was just near misses.

"You see Clayborn's sack? Aqib was all over Julio Jones and Matt Ryan is looking at him. He wants to throw the football, but he had to hold it and Gerald McCoy is coming up. He tried to step away from Gerald and bam! Here comes Clayborn."

The Bucs defensive front still has a long way to go before opponent's gains are measured in inches instead of yards, the way it was with the great Tampa Bay defenses. But they seem to be in a rush to get there.

"Gerald McCoy, Adrian Clayborn, Brian Price, Da'Quan Bowers — that's why you coveted these high picks for, to get after the quarterback and put people on the ground," Morris said.

"In this game and at those moments, they came through in a big way. That's what Buccaneers football has always been about. (Warren) Sapp and those guys wanted to get in the two-minute situations and make you throw the ball so they can get after you. I can't wait to watch these guys hunt."

Times wires
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

BATON ROUGE, La. — A grand jury Wednesday reduced a charge against LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson to a misdemeanor and did not indict linebacker Josh Johns for a bar fight.

As a result, LSU, which hosts Florida on Oct. 8, lifted its suspension of both.

"We certainly don't condone participation in the incident," Joe Alleva, vice chancellor and director of athletics, said. "But the legal system has determined that their actions did not rise to the level originally charged, and their punishment to date related to football has already been considerable."

LSU coach Les Miles was not available for comment on if either would play Saturday.

District Attorney Hiller Moore said he has not decided on his next step.

Jefferson and Johns were booked for second-degree battery for the Aug. 19 fight, after which four men sought treatment at hospitals. Jefferson now is charged with simple battery, punishable by six months in jail and a $500 fine. But his lawyer said there is no way Jefferson will be convicted at a trial.

"There's no evidence beyond a reasonable doubt," Lewis Unglesby said. "The grand jury's standard is much lower than a reasonable doubt. So I guess they thought they met that standard by virtue of an accusation."

Realignment

Big 12: Interim commissioner Chuck Neinas said he is confident Missouri will stay. The Kansas City Star previously reported Missouri has talked with the SEC. It also reported its board of curators will discuss the issue Tuesday but not likely decide. Last week, Oklahoma's president said the schools agreed to share TV revenues over the next six years. But Missouri's chancellor said only it would be pursued. Neinas said there is no timetable for the deal becoming official.

Big East: School presidents will meet Sunday, UConn's Susan Herbst said. She also told the school's board of trustees UConn is still working with the Big East and urged it to "ignore the gossip on the national scene." Previous media reports have said UConn wants to join the ACC.

C-USA-Mountain West: The leagues said they are still discussing an alliance that would create a title game with the winner earning a BCS berth.

BCS: SEC commissioner Mike Slive said the BCS is considering lifting its limit of two conference schools playing in the five games.

Minnesota: Coach Jerry Kill returned to practice three days after going to the Mayo Clinic for treatment of seizures and said he plans to coach Saturday. He has suffered several seizures in the past few weeks, including Sunday and at a game Sept. 10.

Times wires
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

NBA

Stern: season may Depend ON progress

NEW YORK — When NBA labor talks resume Friday, commissioner David Stern may threaten the players with the cancellation of the entire season if major progress isn't made by the end of the weekend, ESPN.com reported.

In comments Wednesday to reporters, Stern said almost as much: "I'm focused on let's get the two committees in and see whether they can either have a season or not have a season, and that's what's at risk this weekend."

Both sides have said there hasn't been enough progress to put them on the verge of a deal. Players association president Derek Fisher of the Lakers said "… if we can't find a way to get some common ground really, really soon, then the time of starting the regular season at its scheduled date is going to be in jeopardy big-time."

Italy for Bryant? Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who has an offer of $2.5 million for 10 games from Virtus Bologna, said it's "very possible" he will play in Italy during the lockout. The deal would allow him to return to the Lakers immediately if the lockout ends.

Sabonis stable: Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis, 46, is in stable condition after suffering a heart attack in his hometown of Kaunas, Lithuania. The former Soviet Union and Blazers center (1995-2003) went into cardiac arrest while playing basketball.

TEnnis

No. 1 Wozniacki out in Pan Pacific

Kaia Kanepi, ranked 43rd, upset top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

Kanepi rallied from three games in the third set and won the match when she broke the defending champ with a forehand winner.

Second-seeded Maria Sharapova won 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) win over 13th-seeded Julia Goerges.

Making up: Australia's Jelena Dokic says she has reconciled with her father and former coach, Damir, after an eight-year rift. Dokic, 28, split with her father after his series of public outbursts and she accused him of years of humiliation and abuse. Jelena Dokic said she visited Damir "to finally put an end to our disagreement."

AUtos

NASCAR moves season start back

NASCAR made no major changes to the 2012 Sprint Cup schedule aside from flipping a few race dates and moving the start of the season back one week.

The Daytona 500 opens the season Feb. 26, one week later than usual. Kansas Speedway had its race moved from June to April to accommodate a paving project. Talladega Superspeedway's race in April was moved to May, and its October date was pushed to earlier in the month.

More Autos: Pattie Petty, the 60-year-old wife of former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty, has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and will be treated with medication, the Kansas City Star reported.

et cetera

Soccer: UEFA president Michel Platini called on all European countries to make sports fraud a criminal offense, saying soccer authorities can't stop the spread of match-fixing on their own.

Greyhounds: Aerial Battle and Craigie I Am Jak won final qualifiers in the $50,000 Fall Sprint at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg. Other dogs to advance to Saturday's finale: Ahk Colormegone, Jw Titleist, Manicotti Manny, Sand Cloud, Storm Rush and Uss Gazillionair.

Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires

Times wires
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

STANDINGS

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

East W L T Pct PF PA

Buffalo 3 0 0 1.000 113 73

New England 2 1 0 .667 104 79

N.Y. Jets 2 1 0 .667 83 61

Miami 0 3 0 .00053 78

South W L T Pct PF PA

Houston 2 1 0 .667 90 60

Tennessee 2 1 0 .667 57 43

Jacksonville 1 2 0 .333 29 62

Indianapolis 0 3 0 .000 46 84

North W L T Pct PF PA

Baltimore 2 1 0 .667 85 40

Cleveland 2 1 0 .667 61 62

Pittsburgh 2 1 0 .667 54 55

Cincinnati 1 2 0 .333 57 54

West W L T Pct PF PA

Oakland 2 1 0 .667 92 82

San Diego 2 1 0 .667 65 69

Denver 1 2 0 .333 58 62

Kansas City 0 3 0 .000 27 109

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

East W L T Pct PF PA

Dallas 2 1 0 .667 69 67

Washington 2 1 0 .667 66 53

N.Y. Giants 2 1 0 .667 71 60

Philadelphia 1 2 0 .333 78 77

South W L T Pct PF PA

Tampa Bay 2 1 0 .667 60 60

New Orleans 2 1 0 .667 104 88

Carolina 1 2 0 .333 60 68

Atlanta1 2 0 .333 60 77

North W L T Pct PF PA

Detroit 3 0 0 1.000 101 46

Green Bay 3 0 0 1.000 99 74

Chicago1 2 0 .333 60 69

Minnesota 0 3 0 .0006074

West W L T Pct PF PA

San Francisco 2 1 0 .667 70 52

Seattle 1 2 0 .333 30 67

Arizona 1 2 0 .333 59 56

St. Louis 0 3 0 .000 36 96

Sunday

Detroit at Dallas, 1

Washington at St. Louis, 1

Minnesota at Kansas City, 1

Carolina at Chicago, 1

Pittsburgh at Houston, 1

New Orleans at Jacksonville, 1

San Francisco at Philadelphia, 1

Tennessee at Cleveland, 1

Buffalo at Cincinnati, 1

N.Y. Giants at Arizona, 4:05

Atlanta at Seattle, 4:05

Miami at San Diego, 4:15

New England at Oakland, 4:15

Denver at Green Bay, 4:15

N.Y. Jets at Baltimore, 8:20

Monday

Indianapolis at Tampa Bay, 8:30

PHILADELPHIA — Saying his injured hand was healed well enough that he took snaps from center in practice, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick told reporters Wednesday that there was a "100 percent" chance he would play against the 49ers.

Vick was initially diagnosed with a broken, nonthrowing right hand, but tests revealed just a bruise.

"I just want to be there for my teammates and hold myself accountable for my responsibilities and what I have to do as a quarterback," he said. "So regardless of what I have to go through, I just want to be there."

Vick said he did everything at practice despite a little soreness.

Book: Payton abused drugs, was suicidal

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — According to a new book, Bears great Walter Payton abused painkillers in retirement and became suicidal.

In Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton, author Jeff Pearlman says the Hall of Fame running back used a cocktail of Tylenol and Vicodin in retirement and kept tanks of nitrous oxide in his garage.

In a Sports Illustrated excerpt of the book, set to go on sale Tuesday, Payton's agent, Bud Holmes, is quoted as saying, "Walter would call me all the time saying he was about to kill himself, he was tired. He was angry. Nobody loved him. He wanted to be dead."

Payton spent all 13 seasons with the Bears and retired as the NFL's all-time leading rusher after the 1987 season. He died from a rare liver disease and bile duct cancer in 1999.

Colts lose two on defense: Linebacker Gary Brackett, Indianapolis' defensive signal-caller, and starting safety Melvin Bullitt are out for the rest of the season after going on injured reserve with shoulder injuries. The 0-3 Colts play the Bucs on Monday facing the prospect of their first four-game losing streak in 10 years.

Bengals: Running back Cedric Benson had his appeal hearing on his three-game suspension for an offseason arrest and is awaiting word from the league to find out if he can play Sunday against the Bills.

Browns: Rookie defensive tackle Phil Taylor was fined $7,500 by the league for a hit on Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne but he will appeal.

Chargers: Safety Bob Sanders went on injured reserve with a season-ending knee injury.

Giants: Defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who had arthroscopic knee surgery in August, practiced for the first time since the regular season began.

Jets: Center Nick Mangold (high ankle sprain) and corner­back Antonio Cromartie (bruised ribs) sat out practice and could be sidelined against the Ravens.

Ravens: Cornerback Domonique Foxworth, who has been struggling to come back from surgery on his right knee, was put on season-ending injured reserve.

Saints: Coach Sean Payton said receiver Marques Colston (broken collarbone) has been medically cleared to practice and will play against Jacksonville.

Titans: Defensive end Jason Jones said the league fined him $15,000 for his hit on Denver quarterback Kyle Orton, but he will appeal, hoping to reduce the penalty. … Receiver Kenny Britt (right knee) was put on injured reserve and Donnie Avery was signed to fill his roster spot.

Times wires
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Tigers 5, Indians 4

DETROIT — Miguel Cabrera singled and doubled to raise his average to .344 and all but wrap up the American League batting title, and Jhonny Peralta hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning for AL Central champion Detroit. Peralta homered off Vinnie Pestano after Ryan Perry allowed the Indians to tie it at 4.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Complaint of the day

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick's complaints that referees ignore illegal hits on him did not sit well with Mike Pereira, the former NFL vice president of officiating who now works as an analyst for Fox. It also didn't surprise Pereira. Speaking on SiriusXM Radio earlier this week, Pereira called Vick's comments "ridiculous'' and said the Eagles complain about officiating more than any team.

ESPN broke down numbers that showed the Eagles are seventh in the league in getting roughing-the-passer calls since Vick joined them in 2009.

"The damage is done,'' Pereira said. "I don't want to be the referee that goes in there … next and works with him. If he calls a roughing-the-passer penalty for a hit on Vick, everybody's going to say, 'Well, Vick taunted him into that.' If he doesn't (call it), there's going to be more criticism. So I think it was a bunch of bull. And it didn't sit well with me, and it still doesn't."

tom jones' two cents

The latest in the world of sports

Media tidbits

• ESPN sideline reporter Jenn Brown, a University of Florida grad, reportedly has become engaged to actor Wes Chatham.

• The NFL Network had 29.8 million viewers in September, a 10 percent increase over a year ago and the most ever in a month for the network.

• For those who enjoy the White Sox on WGN, the team has signed homer announcer Ken "Hawk'' Harrelson to an extension that will keep him in the booth through 2015. Put it on the board … yes!

3 things that popped into my head

1. The Tigers are in the playoffs. The Lions are 3-0. And the always-solid Red Wings are cranking it up. Not a bad time to be a sports fan in Detroit, eh?

2. If they win tonight, the Bulls are Big East contenders. A loss means they could be headed to another 9-4, 8-5 type of season. It really is that kind of litmus test.

3. ESPN analyst Barry Melrose will be blogging for NHL.com throughout the 2011-12 season. Maybe his first post can be about what he now thinks of Lightning center Steven Stamkos.

Props of the day

No matter how it turns out, the Rays' season has been the talk of baseball. Analysts from across the country have called it a smashing success and a testament to how to run a small-market team.

TBS analyst and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken called the Rays "amazing'' and added, "They are the most optimistic, positive, relaxed team, and a lot of that has to do with the leadership of (manager) Joe Maddon." Said TBS's Ron Darling: "What they (were) trying to pull off here, it gives you goose bumps. You just love watching it."

The ratings game

The Rays-Yankees games were TV ratings gold for Sun Sports this week. Tuesday night's game drew an average 9.1 rating, meaning 9.1 percent of Tampa Bay households with TVs were tuned in at any one time. That's a little more than 163,000 homes. At 10 p.m. Tuesday, more than 227,000 Tampa Bay homes were tuned in. Interestingly, about the same time, more than 59,000 homes flipped over to check out the Red Sox-Orioles game on MLB Network.

Monday night's numbers were almost as solid with an average of 135,000 homes tuned in. What makes all these numbers impressive is the Rays game was going up against traditionally strong Monday Night Football and first-run network programming such as Glee, Dancing With the Stars, NCIS and The Biggest Loser.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Complaint of the day

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick's complaints that referees ignore illegal hits on him did not sit well with Mike Pereira, the former NFL vice president of officiating who now works as an analyst for Fox. It also didn't surprise Pereira. Speaking on SiriusXM Radio earlier this week, Pereira called Vick's comments "ridiculous'' and said the Eagles complain about officiating more than any team.

ESPN broke down numbers that showed the Eagles are seventh in the league in getting roughing-the-passer calls since Vick joined them in 2009.

"The damage is done,'' Pereira said. "I don't want to be the referee that goes in there … next and works with him. If he calls a roughing-the-passer penalty for a hit on Vick, everybody's going to say, 'Well, Vick taunted him into that.' If he doesn't (call it), there's going to be more criticism. So I think it was a bunch of bull. And it didn't sit well with me, and it still doesn't."

tom jones' two cents

The latest in the world of sports

Media tidbits

• ESPN sideline reporter Jenn Brown, a University of Florida grad, reportedly has become engaged to actor Wes Chatham.

• The NFL Network had 29.8 million viewers in September, a 10 percent increase over a year ago and the most ever in a month for the network.

• For those who enjoy the White Sox on WGN, the team has signed homer announcer Ken "Hawk'' Harrelson to an extension that will keep him in the booth through 2015. Put it on the board … yes!

3 things that popped into my head

1. The Tigers are in the playoffs. The Lions are 3-0. And the always-solid Red Wings are cranking it up. Not a bad time to be a sports fan in Detroit, eh?

2. If they win tonight, the Bulls are Big East contenders. A loss means they could be headed to another 9-4, 8-5 type of season. It really is that kind of litmus test.

3. ESPN analyst Barry Melrose will be blogging for NHL.com throughout the 2011-12 season. Maybe his first post can be about what he now thinks of Lightning center Steven Stamkos.

Props of the day

No matter how it turns out, the Rays' season has been the talk of baseball. Analysts from across the country have called it a smashing success and a testament to how to run a small-market team.

TBS analyst and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken called the Rays "amazing'' and added, "They are the most optimistic, positive, relaxed team, and a lot of that has to do with the leadership of (manager) Joe Maddon." Said TBS's Ron Darling: "What they (were) trying to pull off here, it gives you goose bumps. You just love watching it."

The ratings game

The Rays-Yankees games were TV ratings gold for Sun Sports this week. Tuesday night's game drew an average 9.1 rating, meaning 9.1 percent of Tampa Bay households with TVs were tuned in at any one time. That's a little more than 163,000 homes. At 10 p.m. Tuesday, more than 227,000 Tampa Bay homes were tuned in. Interestingly, about the same time, more than 59,000 homes flipped over to check out the Red Sox-Orioles game on MLB Network.

Monday night's numbers were almost as solid with an average of 135,000 homes tuned in. What makes all these numbers impressive is the Rays game was going up against traditionally strong Monday Night Football and first-run network programming such as Glee, Dancing With the Stars, NCIS and The Biggest Loser.

Props of the day

No matter how it turns out, the Rays' season has been the talk of baseball. Analysts from across the country have called it a smashing success and a testament to how to run a small-market team.

TBS analyst and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken called the Rays "amazing'' and added, "They are the most optimistic, positive, relaxed team, and a lot of that has to do with the leadership of (manager) Joe Maddon." Said TBS's Ron Darling: "What they (were) trying to pull off here, it gives you goose bumps. You just love watching it."

The ratings game

The Rays-Yankees games were TV ratings gold for Sun Sports this week. Tuesday night's game drew an average 9.1 rating, meaning 9.1 percent of Tampa Bay households with TVs were tuned in at any one time. That's a little more than 163,000 homes. At 10 p.m. Tuesday, more than 227,000 Tampa Bay homes were tuned in. Interestingly, about the same time, more than 59,000 homes flipped over to check out the Red Sox-Orioles game on MLB Network.

Monday night's numbers were almost as solid with an average of 135,000 homes tuned in. What makes all these numbers impressive is the Rays game was going up against traditionally strong Monday Night Football and first-run network programming such as Glee, Dancing With the Stars, NCIS and The Biggest Loser.

Complaint of the day

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick's complaints that referees ignore illegal hits on him did not sit well with Mike Pereira, the former NFL vice president of officiating who now works as an analyst for Fox. It also didn't surprise Pereira. Speaking on SiriusXM Radio earlier this week, Pereira called Vick's comments "ridiculous'' and said the Eagles complain about officiating more than any team.

ESPN broke down numbers that showed the Eagles are seventh in the league in getting roughing-the-passer calls since Vick joined them in 2009.

"The damage is done,'' Pereira said. "I don't want to be the referee that goes in there … next and works with him. If he calls a roughing-the-passer penalty for a hit on Vick, everybody's going to say, 'Well, Vick taunted him into that.' If he doesn't (call it), there's going to be more criticism. So I think it was a bunch of bull. And it didn't sit well with me, and it still doesn't."

tom jones' two cents

Times wires
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Rangers 3, Angels 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mike Napoli broke a tie in the ninth inning with his fourth homer in two games, and Texas clinched homefield advantage in the AL division series. Napoli, the longtime Angels catcher, also homered in the second inning as the Rangers set a franchise record with their 96th victory, including six straight heading into the postseason.

Times wires
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

HOUSTON — Chris Carpenter and the Cardinals earned at least a tie for the NL wild card, beating the Astros 8-0 on Wednesday night.

St. Louis and Atlanta began the day even in the wild-card race. When the Cardinals finished, the Braves were tied with the Phillies in extra innings.

If the Cardinals and Braves wind up even, they would play a one-game tiebreaker in St. Louis tonight.

Carpenter struck out 11 and allowed two hits in his 15th career shutout as St. Louis kept up its improbable September charge. The Cardinals won for the 23rd time in 31 games, having trailed Atlanta by 10½ games on Aug. 25.

The Cardinals poured onto the field after Carpenter fielded J.D. Martinez's weak grounder for the final out. The celebration was brief and muted, as the team raced into the clubhouse to watch the end of the game in Atlanta.

The teams entered Wednesday's regular-season finales with 89-72 records.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — In many ways, Evan Longoria's season couldn't have started off much worse.

The three-time All-Star third baseman had his 1967 Chevrolet Camaro stolen in March, and his spring training home in Port Charlotte broken into a bit later. Longoria played just two games before suffering an oblique injury that forced him to miss a month and leave an offensively starved club without its best hitter.

But Longoria saved his best for last, coming through when the Rays needed him most. His two-out, three-run homer in the eighth inning Wednesday brought Tampa Bay to within one run during the Rays' seven-run comeback against the Yankees. Pinch-hitter Dan Johnson tied the score in the ninth, sending it into extra innings with a two-out, two-strike homer that just curled inside the rightfield foul pole.

But it was Longoria who got the Rays close. It was Longoria's 30th homer of the year, and 11th in his last 40 games, giving him a major-league-leading 79 RBIs since June 20. In doing so, Longoria became just the 14th player since 1900 to accumulate 100 homers and 400 RBIs in his first four seasons in the majors (six of which are Hall of Famers, such as Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams). Only one third baseman since 1900 has a higher RBI total in his first four seasons (Pinky Whitney had 409 RBIs from 1928-31).

It didn't look good for Longoria and the rest of the Rays offense, which mustered just two hits through the first six innings against a little-known crew of Yankees pitchers; starter Dellin Betances and George Kontos, for example, had combined for just 7 1/3 combined big-league innings before Wednesday.

That all changed during the eighth-inning rally. It started with a Johnny Damon single, Ben Zobrist double and Casey Kotchman getting hit by a pitch. Pinch-hitter Sam Fuld walked to force in a run. Sean Rodriguez got hit by a pitch, extending his club record to 18 for the season, to force in another.

Desmond Jennings struck out on a 3-and-2 pitch from reliever Luis Ayala. B.J. Upton hit a sacrifice fly to make it 7-3, with two outs and two on, setting the table for Longoria.

Longoria ripped Ayala's first pitch into the leftfield seats, pumping his fist as he trotted toward first.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Hitting coach Derek Shelton hugged third baseman Evan Longoria and poured champagne over his head in a raucous Rays clubhouse, saying, "I'm proud of you."

Longoria's season couldn't have started any worse. His 1967 Chevrolet Camaro was stolen in March, his spring training home was broken into weeks later, and he missed the first month of the season with an oblique injury.

But the best part of Longoria's season was saved for last. His two-out, three-run homer in the eighth inning Wednesday brought Tampa Bay to within one run of the Yankees at 7-6. And then, with one out in the 12th and the scored tied at 7 a few minutes after midnight, Longoria delivered the biggest hit of the season, a walkoff solo homer to lift the Rays to an 8-7 AL wild-card-clinching victory.

"I'm just thinking about, 'Wow, did this really happen?' " Longoria said. "When I saw it clear the fence, it didn't seem real."

Said catcher Kelly Shoppach: "Holy Longo. An unbelievable player to step up and get us here."

Longoria said he wasn't necessarily thinking home run in the 12th. But the Tropicana Field crowd likely was, given that a few pitches before Longoria's blast, fans — and Rays — had cheered as the final score of the Orioles-Red Sox game, 4-3 Baltimore, was put on the screen.

"I had to step out cause everybody was cheering," Longoria said. "I figured the Orioles had won."

Three pitches later, Longoria hit a curling line drive just over the short fence by the leftfield foul pole.

"God bless that little short wall in leftfield," Ben Zobrist said.

Pinch-hitter Dan Johnson had tied the score in the ninth, sending the game into extra innings with a two-out, two-strike homer that just curled inside the rightfield foul pole.

Longoria's first homer was his 30th of the year, and 11th in his past 40 games, giving him a major-league-leading 79 RBIs since June 20. Longoria became the 14th player since 1900 to accumulate 100 homers and 400 RBIs in his first four seasons in the majors (six of those players are Hall of Famers, including Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams). Only one third baseman since 1900 has a higher RBI total in his first four seasons (Pinky Whitney, 409 from 1928-31).

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

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text

Did you know?

The American League East has three teams with 90 wins (Yankees, Red Sox, Rays). Since 1990, only three other times has a division had three 90-win teams. And this is the first time the AL East has had three 90-win teams since 1987: Detroit (98), Toronto (96), Milwaukee (91).

With honors

Rays C Kelly Shoppach was surprised but excited to find out he was elected into the Baylor University Athletics Hall of Fame, an honor that was officially announced this week. Shoppach was the inaugural Johnny Bench Award winner as the nation's top collegiate catcher in 2001, and led the Bears to three NCAA Tournament appearances. "I just never thought with all the athletes, I never really saw myself (in the Hall of Fame)," he said. "I know I had some good years, one incredible year, man it's just unbelievable."

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, September 29, 2011

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ST. PETERSBURG — The only thing wilder than the ending Wednesday night was the celebration in the Rays clubhouse.

And the explanations for what they did.

The Rays extended their amazing season in stunning, staggering fashion, winning the American League wild card when Evan Longoria hit a walkoff homer in the 12th inning to complete a remarkable comeback with an 8-7 win moments after the Red Sox blew a ninth-inning lead in Baltimore.

"There is no human explanation for what happened here," Ben Zobrist said. "That just doesn't happen in baseball. This is what you would dream about happening."

"It's tough to do," Longoria said. "But we did it somehow."

If the Rays didn't believe it as the champagne and beer sprayed around their clubhouse early this morning, they will when they get to Texas this afternoon and open the best-of-five division series on Friday, a rematch of last season.

All it took was a stunning and stirring comeback from a seven-run seventh-inning deficit capped by Longoria's three-run homer, then a two-out two-strike homer in the bottom of the ninth by Dan Johnson to tie. Then — moments after the Boston loss flashed on the scoreboard — Longoria homered in the 12th and rounded the bases with a massive celebration breaking out, Born to be Wild blaring.

"I was just thinking, 'Wow, did this just really happen,' " Longoria said. "When I saw it clear the fence it didn't seem real."

"Wonderfully improbably" is the term principal owner Stuart Sternberg came up with a few weeks ago to describe the Rays surge back into contention, and there might not be more fitting words.

Just to get to extra innings took a remarkable comeback, their largest of this season and second biggest in Tampa Bay franchise history, and before a raucous Tropicana Field crowd of 29,518.

Down 7-0 through seven inning after a disappointing start by David Price, the Rays rallied for six runs in the eighth, capped by a three-run homer that was Longoria's 30th of the season.

And that paled in comparison to what happened in the ninth. Down to their last out, the Rays reached for their luckiest charm, sending up Dan Johnson — who hit THE homer in Boston in September 2008.

He didn't do anything to make himself any more welcome there. After getting down to his last strike, Johnson delivered again, lining Cory Wade's 2-and-2 pitch on a line drive just inside the rightfield foul pole to tie the score. Wade, the Yankees 10th pitcher, was in spring training with the Rays and spent much of the season with Triple-A Durham before asking for his release to sign with the Yankees.

And if that wasn't enough, they rallied in the 12th. After rookies Brandon Gomes and Jake McGee again pitched in, and after Longoria made another tremendous defensive play in the top of the 12th, they ended it in the bottom.

Longoria was at the plate with one out when the cheers erupted with the Red Sox loss, and he stepped out to focus. "Just tried to remember what we were playing for," he said. "Obviously we had an opportunity at that point to win and get into the playoffs."

The Rays had both champagne chilled for a potential clinching celebration and equipment bags loaded for the trip to Texas, and needed both.

Having battled so valiantly, so relentlessly and so improbably over the last month to pull even in the wild card race on Monday and go into Wednesday's season finale with a chance, the Rays couldn't have gotten off to a worse start. A defensive mistake by second baseman Ben Zobrist and a brutally bad pitching performance from Price, who performed nothing like the ace he is supposed to be, putting them in a 5-0 hole by the second inning.

And it got worse from there — 7-0 by the fifth — as Price continued to struggle and lasted only four innings, and the Rays showed a feeble lack of offense, even by their standards.

But the Rays finally rallied in the eighth. It started small after they loaded the bases when Johnny Damon singled, Zobrist doubled and Kotchman was hit by a pitch.

Sam Fuld, batting for the first time since his Sept. 14 right wrist injury, walked to force in the first run. Sean Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, extending his team-record for the season to 18, to bring in another. After Desmond Jennings struck out, B.J. Upton swung at the first pitch and lined out to left, but deep enough to score Kotchman and make it 7-3.

Then the comeback got loud in a hurry, as Longoria jumped on the first pitch and jolted it over the leftfield fence, cutting the lead to 7-6 and re-energizing the stadium.

The Rays became the first team to make the postseason after being nine games out in September.

"This team has something special inside of it,'' team president Matt Silverman said. "We can't wait to see where it's going to take us.''

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

Times wires
Thursday, September 29, 2011

ATLANTA — With the season on the line, the Braves couldn't get the final three outs.

Now, they'll have the whole winter to ponder an unprecedented collapse.

Braves closer Craig Kimbrel surrendered the tying run in the ninth, and Hunter Pence came through with a two-out RBI single in the 13th to give the Phillies a 4-3 victory that ended Atlanta's season Wednesday night.

"Things started moving too fast. My head started moving too fast,'' Kimbrel said.

The game ended more than an hour after St. Louis won. The Cardinals earned it outright when David Herndon earned his first career save by getting Freddie Freeman to hit into a season-ending double play.

The Braves were 10½ games ahead of St. Louis before play Aug. 26. They led by 8½ the morning of Sept. 6. Instead of popping champagne for a second straight trip to the playoffs, they became the first major-league team to blow a lead of at least eight games for a playoff spot in September.

Times wires
Thursday, September 29, 2011

BALTIMORE — The Red Sox completed their September collapse in horrific and historic fashion, falling out of the playoff chase by allowing two ninth-inning runs with two outs in a 4-3 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday night.

Boston held a nine-game lead in the AL wild-card race after Sept. 3, but a 7-19 swoon left them tied with the Rays entering the final day of the regular season.

Only minutes after this game ended, Tampa Bay completed its comeback from a 7-0 deficit with an 8-7 win over the Yankees in 12 innings.

Even if the Rays had lost, the Red Sox faced the prospect of a quick turnaround following a long night at Camden Yards that included a rain delay of 1 hour, 26 minutes in the middle of the seventh inning.

When the rain came, Tampa Bay trailed 7-0. By the time play resumed, the Rays and Yankees were tied at 7 heading into the 10th inning.

The Orioles won in the ninth against Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon, who struck out the first two batters before giving up a double to Chris Davis. Nolan Reimold followed with a double to score pinch-runner Kyle Hudson, and Robert Andino completed the comeback with a single to left that former Rays All-Star Carl Crawford lunged for and got his glove on but couldn't hold.

Boston became the first team to miss the postseason after leading by as many as nine games for a playoff spot entering September, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Dustin Pedroia homered for the Red Sox, who went through the entire month of September without winning consecutive games.

Pitching on three days' rest, Jon Lester limited the last-place Orioles to two runs and four hits over six gritty innings. But it wasn't enough to prevent the Red Sox from absorbing one final blow.

Boston had several chances to pad a 3-2 lead it took in the fifth inning but was never able to complete the task.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, September 29, 2011

By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
Thursday, September 29, 2011

Grab the kids now. Hold them as tight as you dare.

And then try to explain what they have just seen play out before unsuspecting eyes. They could live 100 years, and never see another month such as this. They could cheer athletes until the end of days, and never come across a team so relentless.

Twenty-five days remaining. Nine games behind. One epic revival.

And then, somehow, it got even better.

The Rays live still.

Unbelievably. Remarkably. Unmistakably.

Tampa Bay continued the greatest September comeback in baseball history early this morning with one of the greatest comebacks ever seen in a potential elimination game.

The Rays came back from a 7-0 deficit against the Yankees to win 8-7 on an Evan Longoria home run in the 12th inning just after midnight.

Minutes earlier, the crowd at Tropicana Field erupted when word arrived that Baltimore had scored two runs in the ninth to beat the Red Sox 4-3.

And now, today, the Rays head to Texas as the American League wild-card winner with Game 1 of the AL Division Series scheduled for Friday.

"How does that happen? You couldn't even write that. It's beyond earthly comprehension," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Seriously, two games turning around in the final innings, ending within minutes of each other. You know how I like to talk, and I have no words to describe what I just saw."

Baseball has rarely seen a night such as this. Forget hyperbole, this was drama at the highest level and with the greatest of endings.

Two games being played simultaneously 1,000 miles apart, and both ending on walkoffs as night turned to morning guaranteeing Tampa Bay a spot in the playoffs.

They write books about this kind of thing. They make documentaries out of stories such as this. Forty-seven years later, they still talk about the Phillies blowing a 6 ½-game lead in the season's final 14 days. More than a half-century later, the story of how the 1951 New York Giants overcame a 13-game deficit in 52 days is part of the game's lore.

And around Tampa Bay, they will forever talk of the night Dan Johnson brought a team back from the edge of never.

The Rays were down to what could have been their final strike of the 2011 season when Johnson turned on an inside fastball and drove it over the rightfield wall for a tying home run with two outs in the ninth inning against the Yankees.

It was a line drive hit to one of the shortest parts of the ballpark. Barely fair. Barely high enough. Barely long enough. And yet its impact stretched beyond the ballpark and around the country.

It reached living rooms in Texas, where the Rangers awaited word of their opponent in the AL Division Series. It reached the streets of Boston, where fans had spent hours in anticipation of a Rays loss. It reached the clubhouse at Camden Yards in Baltimore, where the Red Sox must have watched in disbelief during a rain delay.

As stories go, this one seems too ridiculous to be believed.

A team begins September nine games out of the wild-card race, a deficit never before bridged in the final month of a baseball season. Yet, with the help of a colossal Red Sox collapse, the Rays arrived at the final game of the season in a dead heat.

That should have been enough. Really, that should have filled the miracle quota.

But then the Rays fell behind the Yankees 7-0 on Wednesday night and looked absolutely dreadful in the process. Meanwhile, Boston was up 3-2 before a storm delayed the game in Baltimore.

It felt like a cruel joke. Like cosmic payback for all the hysteria of September. It seemed as if the entire world had conspired to poke Tampa Bay in the eye.

Yet we should have known better.

When you go into a season with your payroll cut nearly in half, when you begin April with six consecutive losses, when you fall so far out of the playoff picture that you can feel fourth place breathing on your neck, you tend to make a friend of desperation.

The Rays began the comeback with six runs in the eighth, prolonged it with Johnson's homer in the ninth, and then made history with Longoria's shot in the 12th.

Don't try to calculate the odds. Don't even consider the logic of the moment.

For if there is one thing we have learned about the Rays of 2011, it is that anything is possible. If a team with a $41 million payroll could challenge a heavyweight with $161 million worth of salaries, then what's a 7-0 deficit? If a team with rookies pitching practically every other inning in a pennant race can erase a nine-game lead, then how hard is it for a journeyman pinch hitter to become a hero in the bottom of the ninth?

"We have overcome a lot," DH Johnny Damon said before the game. "But just because we have overcome a lot doesn't mean we're satisfied with what we've done.

"What we set out to do was surprise everybody."

Stop trying to figure it out.

Just sit back and enjoy.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Thursday, September 29, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — There for a while, we thought we had seen the grandest of all comebacks. We watched as a low-budget team from Tampa Bay scrambled back into a tie from nine games back in September. We saw them chase down a summer's worth of deficits in three weeks.

Not bad. As comebacks go, you can give it a solid B. It wasn't exactly loaves and fishes, but it was memorable nonetheless.

Then came Wednesday, and darned if we didn't see an even more impressive comeback. Staring at elimination, we saw a light-hitting team get back into the game from seven runs down.

Pretty cool. If you are scoring at home, give it an A-minus. It wasn't quite like healing the sick, but a comeback to cap a comeback is impressive stuff.

On the other hand, give a little credit to the red-haired kid who will not go away. Dan Johnson came back from the dead.

Now, that's impressive.

"I can't explain it," he said. "It's the best feeling in the world."

Johnson stood in a corner of the clubhouse. He looked something like a fountain. Teammates kept coming behind him and pouring various liquids over his head. To tell the truth, Johnson didn't seem to mind.

There was a time when the Rays thought that maybe, just maybe, Johnson could replace Carlos Peña as their everyday first baseman, a notion that was dismissed as quickly as the Rays noticed his .108 average after 30 games. Johnson will tell you his wrist was aching at the time and altered his swing.

It was a shame, everyone agreed, because Johnson once hit a very important home run in a very important game for the Rays. It is a legendary story, how Johnson rushed to Fenway Park from the minor leagues, whereupon he unloaded against the Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon. There is no better story of the 2008 Rays and their first step toward success.

On the other hand, this moment was better.

You can talk about your unlikely seasons, and you can talk about your unlikely heroes, and you can talk about unlikely moments. This home run beat them all. Thanks to it, the Rays were able to come back to beat the Yankees 8-7 and (coupled with Boston's loss) win the AL wild card.

For crying out loud, no one was sure why the Rays brought Johnson back to begin with two weeks ago. Certainly, it wasn't to save the day. Johnson had six at-bats, and no hits, since his return. He wasn't even an important enough ingredient to start on Monday night when Casey Kotchman left the stadium with chest pains.

In other words, it was almost as big an upset that Johnson even got to the plate in such a big game as what he did once there.

Had there been a runner on base at the time, manager Joe Maddon said he would have batted Sam Fuld instead. But with the bases empty, he thought of Johnson's power.

The thing is, Johnson wasn't on the bench. He thought he might pinch hit, but later in the game. So he was in the batting cage when a security guard told him the coaches were looking for him.

Then one strike from a loss that might have ended the Rays' season, Johnson turned on a fastball that tucked just inside the rightfield foul pole. Johnson had done it again.

And who had him in the pool?

"I kept thinking, 'Stay fair. Stay fair,' " Johnson said. "When it did, I thought, 'I can't believe it happened again.' "

This was better, of course. When Johnson homered against the Red Sox, there were still three weeks to play.

"Dan Johnson, God bless him," said teammate Ben Zobrist. "I said a prayer for him when he was up there."

This is what a career's worth of hanging around will do for a guy. Johnson is 32 now, and after almost 1,000 minor-league games, there must be days when he wondered if he would ever get another shot at the bigs. Still, he would not turn in his uniform. He played in Canada and in Japan, in Modesto and in Midland. He spent enough time in Durham to run for public office. He spent parts of eight seasons in Triple A.

Minor-league baseball is filled with players like Johnson, players who yearn for one more chance, for one more at-bat, for one more moment. They are like gold miners who will not give up on a stream. Most of them never get rich.

This one was for those guys.

For Johnson, stardom is too much to ask at this point. The fat contract is not going to come. Security is out of the question. Who knows what next year's uniform will look like?

Moments? Johnson can do moments.

After all, he is Dan Johnson, a legend once again. All he does is save the day.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Thursday, September 29, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — There for a while, we thought we had seen the grandest of all comebacks. We watched as a low-budget team from Tampa Bay scrambled back into a tie from nine games back in September. We saw them chase down a summer's worth of deficits in three weeks.

Not bad. As comebacks go, you can give it a solid B. It wasn't exactly loaves and fishes, but it was memorable nonetheless.

Then came Wednesday, and darned if we didn't see an even more impressive comeback. Staring at elimination, we saw a light-hitting team get back into the game from seven runs down.

Pretty cool. If you are scoring at home, give it an A-minus. It wasn't quite like healing the sick, but a comeback to cap a comeback is impressive stuff.

On the other hand, give a little credit to the red-haired kid who will not go away. Dan Johnson came back from the dead.

Now, that's impressive.

"I can't explain it," he said. "It's the best feeling in the world."

Johnson stood in a corner of the clubhouse. He looked something like a fountain. Teammates kept coming behind him and pouring various liquids over his head. To tell the truth, Johnson didn't seem to mind.

There was a time when the Rays thought that maybe, just maybe, Johnson could replace Carlos Peña as their everyday first baseman, a notion that was dismissed as quickly as the Rays noticed his .108 average after 30 games. Johnson will tell you his wrist was aching at the time and altered his swing.

It was a shame, everyone agreed, because Johnson once hit a very important home run in a very important game for the Rays. It is a legendary story, how Johnson rushed to Fenway Park from the minor leagues, whereupon he unloaded against the Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon. There is no better story of the 2008 Rays and their first step toward success.

On the other hand, this moment was better.

You can talk about your unlikely seasons, and you can talk about your unlikely heroes, and you can talk about unlikely moments. This home run beat them all. Thanks to it, the Rays were able to come back to beat the Yankees 8-7 and (coupled with Boston's loss) win the AL wild card.

For crying out loud, no one was sure why the Rays brought Johnson back to begin with two weeks ago. Certainly, it wasn't to save the day. Johnson had six at-bats, and no hits, since his return. He wasn't even an important enough ingredient to start on Tuesday night when Casey Kotchman left the stadium with chest pains.

In other words, it was almost as big an upset that Johnson even got to the plate in such a big game as what he did once there.

Had there been a runner on base at the time, manager Joe Maddon said he would have batted Sam Fuld instead. But with the bases empty, he thought of Johnson's power.

The thing is, Johnson wasn't on the bench. He thought he might pinch hit, but later in the game. So he was in the batting cage when a security guard told him the coaches were looking for him.

Then one strike from a loss that might have ended the Rays' season, Johnson turned on a fastball that tucked just inside the rightfield foul pole. Johnson had done it again.

And who had him in the pool?

"I kept thinking, 'Stay fair. Stay fair,' " Johnson said. "When it did, I thought, 'I can't believe it happened again.' "

This was better, of course. When Johnson homered against the Red Sox, there were still three weeks to play.

"Dan Johnson, God bless him," said teammate Ben Zobrist. "I said a prayer for him when he was up there."

This is what a career's worth of hanging around will do for a guy. Johnson is 32 now, and after almost 1,000 minor-league games, there must be days when he wondered if he would ever get another shot at the bigs. Still, he would not turn in his uniform. He played in Canada and in Japan, in Modesto and in Midland. He spent enough time in Durham to run for public office. He spent parts of eight seasons in Triple A.

Minor-league baseball is filled with players like Johnson, players who yearn for one more chance, for one more at-bat, for one more moment. They are like gold miners who will not give up on a stream. Most of them never get rich.

This one was for those guys.

For Johnson, stardom is too much to ask at this point. The fat contract is not going to come. Security is out of the question. Who knows what next year's uniform will look like?

Moments? Johnson can do moments.

After all, he is Dan Johnson, a legend once again. All he does is save the day.