By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 24, 2012

TAMPA — If all goes to plan, captain Vinny Lecavalier will play on the Lightning's three-game road trip that starts Monday in Philadelphia.

The center, wearing a red no-contact jersey, skated Saturday for the first time with teammates since fracturing his right hand Feb. 18 against the Capitals. "It felt a little better," Lecavalier said. "But the strength in the hand is not there yet."

Even so, "when I'm ready to play, I want to play," he said. "That's why I'm joining the team (on the road trip). I don't want to set any dates, but I want to start practicing with the team and get the feel of the game. I want to play as soon as possible."

Lecavalier, 31, has missed 15 games since taking a puck off the back of his hand, breaking the bone next to one that had to be surgically repaired last season.

Lecavalier has 21 goals and 46 points in 58 games and an average 19:04 of ice time, so his absence left a huge hole in the lineup, forcing players such as Steven Stamkos, Marty St. Louis, Teddy Purcell and Ryan Malone to play extra minutes.

That only eight games are left raises the question of whether to just shut Lecavalier down, a notion the player and coach Guy Boucher shot down. "Our mentality," Boucher said, "is every game we want to put our best team on the ice."

"The guys have been working so hard, so as soon as I'm ready, I want to play, even if there's seven, five, three games," Lecavalier said.

WHAT'S IN A LOGO? The NCAA banned North Dakota from using its Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian-head logo during NCAA-sanctioned events, including the national playoffs that conclude with the Frozen Four at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. "It's disappointing on a personal level," said D Mike Commodore, who played for UND from 1997-2000. "I was proud to play for the Fighting Sioux."

But D Brian Lee, a Fighting Sioux from 2005-07, said because the nickname and logo prevent in some cases North Dakota teams from playing opponents who believe the monikers are demeaning to American Indians, it's time to "move on."

"For the sake of the other sports, you have to make a choice," Lee said.

20 STRAIGHT: Alex Picard's goal with 6:55 left in the third period was the winner as AHL Norfolk extended its league-record winning streak to 20 games, 4-3 over Albany.

ODDS AND ENDS: Tampa Bay blocked 25 shots against the Islanders. … G Dwayne Roloson played his 600th NHL game. … There was a big ovation for the USF men's basketball team in attendance. … Commodore, forwards Nate Thompson (upper body), Ryan Shannon (shoulder) and Adam Hall (upper body), and G Mathieu Garon (groin) were the scratches.

Times wires
Saturday, March 24, 2012

BOSTON — Ohio State coach Thad Matta sized up his team in the middle of the season and had it figured for an early loss when the NCAA Tournament came around.

The final weekend of March Madness is next, and the Buckeyes will be there.

Jared Sullinger recovered from first-half foul trouble to score 19 and grab seven rebounds, helping second-seeded Ohio State beat top-seeded Syracuse 77-70 on Saturday to advance to the Final Four in New Orleans.

"We're not going down to New Orleans for a vacation. It's a business trip," said Sullinger, who picked up his second foul six minutes into the game and did not return the rest of the half. "These guys have played without me before, so they know what they have to do."

Deshaun Thomas had 14 points and nine rebounds for Ohio State (31-7), which led by eight with 59 seconds left and held on after the Orange cut it to three. The Buckeyes made 13 of 14 free throws in the final 68 seconds and 31 of 42 in all.

Ohio State is making its first trip to the Final Four since 2007, when it lost in the national championship game to Florida.

Brandon Triche scored 15 and Baye Keita had 10 rebounds for Syracuse (34-3). The Orange was hoping for a return trip to New Orleans, where it won its only national championship in 2003.

In a tightly officiated game, it came down to free throws. Syracuse was called for 29 fouls, its most in more than three years, despite playing its usual 2-3 zone.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim picked up a technical for objecting to a foul in the first half, and he escaped another in the second despite shouting his profane complaint across the court.

Afterward, Boeheim gave a terse "No comment" when asked if the officials hurt the flow of the game.

Derek J. LaRiviere, Times Correspondent
Saturday, March 24, 2012

BROOKSVILLE — Although it didn't result in a championship, Hernando made a significant statement during this weekend's Leopard Slam Tournament.

Fort Lauderdale University won the eight-team event by beating the Leopards in the championship 4-0 on Saturday.

Hernando (10-6) and the Suns (14-2) were locked in a scoreless tie for the first four innings with the two pitching aces in a duel. University's Ashley Rey had eight strikeouts through four and finished the game with 15. She surrendered five hits and walked three.

"We faced an A-plus pitcher out there (Saturday)," Hernando coach Kevin Bittinger said. "We went toe to toe with them, and I am extremely happy with how we played.

"That's a state contender we lost to."

Leopards starter Courtney Riddle had tossed nine innings in the tournament coming into the final. During that span, she hadn't given up a run and allowed only one infield single.

Riddle kept that wave of momentum going against one of the best teams she has ever faced by shutting it out early. But in the fifth, the tide turned. Some rain began to fall, and the Suns' bats woke up.

Abbie Johnson led off the inning with a single. After a flyout, singles by Linette Flores and Gabi Martinez loaded the bases. Maddie Gott's two-run double was enough to put University up for good.

Sunlake (11-5) won the consolation final, 12-2 in five innings over Crystal River (10-5).

In the semifinal games earlier Saturday, Hernando knocked off Sunlake 7-1 while University narrowly defeated Crystal River 4-2.

"Hopefully, we start to get some of the respect I feel this team deserves," Bittinger said. "We play in a tough district, and we hang tough with everyone."

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 24, 2012

TAMPA — Steven Stamkos insisted he has not been pressing and said his only disappointment lately in regard to his game was letting so many scoring chances slip away.

"Frustrating," he said of his four-game stretch without a goal. "I wasn't proud of not getting on the score sheet, either."

It was business as usual Saturday night, though, as the Lightning center scored twice in a 4-3 victory over the Islanders at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

With 52 goals, Stamkos is seven ahead of Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin in the goals race, and he tied Vinny Lecavalier's season club record set in 2006-07.

"It's nice," Stamkos said. "I don't think it means too much right now with where we are in the standings. I'd like to be doing it in the playoff mix, but it was still nice to get a couple and contribute offensively."

It also was a nice win for the Lightning (34-33-7), which blew a 2-0 second-period lead and needed goals from Tom Pyatt and Tim Wallace in the third to overcome a 3-2 deficit.

Stamkos was in on the winner, too, capping his three-point night with an assist on Wallace's goal with 7:50 left as Tampa Bay ended a seven-game homestand 3-4-0.

"I thought he was terrific (Saturday)," coach Guy Boucher said. "He's proven he's a character guy."

This was an important game for the Lightning. The win, coupled with Carolina's loss and Toronto's shootout loss, pushed it to fourth in the Southeast Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference.

Hey, when you're not going to the playoffs, you take what you can get.

The Lightning gladly took another strong game from goaltender Dwayne Roloson, who made 34 saves as New York had a 37-26 shot advantage, including 15-6 in the second period, when it scored twice to tie the score 2-2.

Pyatt's 11th goal of the season, and third in two games, 9:08 into the third tied the score 3-3 and took away the momentum the Islanders had gained on Matt Moulson's goal at 43 seconds for a 3-2 lead.

But Stamkos — who passed up a chance at a hat trick to feed Wallace for the winner, a zippy wrist shot from the slot — was the center of attention. "It was nice to get a couple and contribute offensively," he said.

Said Roloson: "Everyone in this locker room is excited for him and wishes him all the best to get the maximum number (of goals) he can possibly get. He's a great person and a great athlete."

First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 51 (Purcell, St. Louis), 15:49. Penalties—Reasoner, NYI (high-sticking), 6:36; Brewer, TB (holding), 16:48.

Second Period—2, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 52 (St. Louis, Purcell), 1:46. 3, NYI, Nielsen 15 (Moulson, Tavares), 8:15 (pp). 4, NYI, Okposo 16 (Bailey, Nielsen), 19:24. Penalties—Parenteau, NYI (tripping), 4:02; Segal, TB (tripping), 8:01; Brewer, TB (slashing), 10:34.

Third Period—5, NYI, Moulson 33 (Streit, MacDonald), :43. 6, Tampa Bay, Pyatt 11 (Malone, Connolly), 9:08. 7, Tampa Bay, Wallace 3 (Stamkos, Labrie), 12:10. Penalties—Okposo, NYI (tripping), 13:33. Shots on Goal—NYI 14-15-8—37. Tampa Bay 9-6-11—26. Power-play opportunities—NYI 1 of 3; Tampa Bay 0 of 3. Goalies—NYI, Montoya 7-7-5 (26 shots-22 saves). Tampa Bay, Roloson 10-14-2 (37-34). A—19,204 (19,204). T—2:19.Referees—Mike Hasenfratz, Dean Morton. Linesmen—Pierre Racicot, Lonnie Cameron.

By Jim Tomlin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — After overnight rain, the sun came out in the morning for Sunday's Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the downtown streets.

The IndyCar series cars took the track for their morning warmup at 8:35 a.m. on grooved rain tires. There was some standing water on the airport runway portion of the course and some moisture in most other places. But by the end of the 30-minute warmup, the sun had dried the track a bit and several competitors ended the session on slick, grooveless tires.

As of 10 a.m. the weather.com forecast for St. Petersburg called for a high of 79 and partly cloudy skies, but with only a 10-15 percent chance of rain during the race, which begins at 12:30 p.m.

By Jim Tomlin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG

IndyCar finally got a chance to move on Sunday after the 2011 season ended in the worst way imaginable.

Helio Castroneves put his best move on to get his worst season behind him, too.

Castroneves led the final 26 laps to win the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, taking his record third victory on the downtown streets to break an 18-race winless streak.

"This was just what we needed," Castroneves said.

He also could have been talking about the series.

Sunday's race was the season opener and the first IndyCar event since St. Petersburg resident Dan Wheldon died in a crash Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sunday also was the first race with the Dallara DW12, the new chassis named in honor of Wheldon, the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner who was crucial in developing it.

Wheldon's sister, Holly, dropped the green flag at the start and presented the winner's trophy to Castroneves at the end.

The 36-year-old Brazilian, coming off his first winless season since 1999 in CART, passed Scott Dixon for the race's key move. Shortly after both came out of the pits, Dixon passed Castroneves. But the Penske Racing driver struck back by outbraking Dixon and overtaking him on the outside of Turn 1 of Lap 73 of 100 for second place.

"I wasn't actually pushing to the limit," Castroneves said. "I was pushing but in a conservative way."

Penske drivers have won five of the eight St. Petersburg races. Castroneves, the three-time Indianapolis 500 champion, also won in 2006 and '07. All three times he has won here, Chip Ganassi Racing's Dixon has finished second.

"Helio was a man on a mission," said Dixon, who led the most laps, 37, around the 1.8-mile course. "I was probably a little too cautious on Turn 1 when he did go around the outside."

Both ended the race on used soft-compound tires, called reds for their sidewall color. But Dixon said the ones he took in his final pit stop were too worn.

"I abused them way too much in qualifying," he said. "It wasn't horrible, but I think if we had actually run blacks (harder compound tires), it would have been a better option."

After passing Dixon, Castroneves built breathing room and took the lead by getting past JR Hildebrand, who led briefly as the contenders pitted. That move, also in Turn 1 but to the inside, left Dixon behind, and he lost a few seconds. He finished 5.5292 seconds behind.

Ryan Hunter-Reay took third for Andretti Autosport followed by teammate James Hinchcliffe and Penske's Ryan Briscoe.

The race ran under sunny skies and a track that dried after overnight rains.

"We'll put the rubber down pretty quick at a place like this," Hunter-Reay said of the weather's effects. "The only difference is that we didn't get a warmup to try some things in the morning that we really wanted to try."

Pole-sitter Will Power of Penske led the first 11 laps but pitted early and fell back in the field, running 15th halfway through. The 2010 St. Petersburg champion was not a factor after that and finished seventh.

"We were going for a three-stop (strategy)," he said. "(After that), it was traffic; could not pass."

Castroneves gave Chevrolet a victory in its first IndyCar race after a six-year hiatus.

Sunday also was a clean, relief-filled return to racing for IndyCar after a five-month period of absorbing the tragedy that befell the series with Wheldon's death.

"I had the butterflies going on in my stomach (before the race), which is a good sign," Castroneves said. "But they were flying in formation. They weren't like crazy butterflies.

"Everything was under control."

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2012

PORT CHARLOTTE — The Rays are still optimistic, but with less than two weeks until opening day, they are starting to make contingency plans in case CF B.J. Upton (back) is not ready.

Complicating matters, OF Sam Fuld (right wrist) could also land on the disabled list.

In that case, manager Joe Maddon said they'd likely move OF Desmond Jennings to center. Ben Zobrist could then play right, with Matt Joyce in left, like they were for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

Upton has had three minor-league at-bats since an on-field collision with Jennings March 14. His back is sore and he's unsure when he'll play, saying he'd likely need just five or six games to be good to go. But Maddon acknowledged it's getting "pretty close to the point where we may not be able to get him ready for the beginning of the season."

Fuld, who left Friday's game with pain in his wrist, will be examined today in St. Petersburg by hand specialist Dr. Douglas Carlin.

"We keep talking about getting off to a good start; if you have guys that aren't really game ready to play, are you hurting the entire team by not having the guy ready?" Maddon said. "I don't know that yet."

Jennings said he's willing to play center, but he has a physical issue: He hasn't thrown since Tuesday, when his shoulder became sore. He played the field and ran the bases in a minor-league game Sunday, and he'll likely play catch today or Tuesday. Maddon said Jennings is "relatively close," and they'll get him more game action in center, with other games at DH.

IN SHORT: SS Reid Brignac (right foot) was happy with how he felt after playing a few innings in a minor-league intrasquad game, his first game action in a week. Brignac, suffering from a plantar fasciitis issue, went 0-for-2 and turned a double play, saying the pain is "tolerable." He hopes to get into a Grapefruit League game in next few days.

ROSTER MOVES: The Rays reassigned five players to minor-league camp: RHPs Jhonny Nunez and Romulo Sanchez, C Craig Albernaz, OF Brad Coon and INF Matt Mangini.

GAME DETAILS: The Rays (6-14-1) lost 5-1 to the Marlins and have been held to two runs or fewer 11 times in 23 games. "When we're not hitting, everything else is magnified," Maddon said. "We make a mistake on offense or defense, we can't sweep it under the rug." Maddon praised LHP J.P. Howell, who threw 11/3 scoreless innings.

PEN NOTES: Though RHP Brandon Gomes said the results Saturday were "frustrating," allowing two runs in two-thirds of an inning, he was encouraged his velocity got up to 90-91 mph. "It's still there," he said. Gomes, who is trying to regain arm strength after offseason back surgery, is confident he'll be ready for opening day.

MISCELLANY: MLB Network will show today's game on tape delay at 1 a.m.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2012

Tampa Bay Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman, in speaking about pitcher Matt Bush's DUI hit-and-run for the first time, said Sunday the team is "very surprised and saddened" by the situation, and acknowledged that "it's safe to say he's not going to play for us."

Friedman said with the ongoing criminal investigation into Bush, and different procedural dynamics in play, it was hard to make any definitive roster moves at this time. "It's difficult to know exactly what we're going to be able to do," he said.

Bush is in Charlotte County jail, with a bond set for $1.015 million, having getting arrested Thursday after fleeing the scene when an SUV he was driving hit the motorcycle of 72-year-old Tony Tufano. Tufano is in critical conditition in a Fort Myers hospital.

"Our concerns, thoughts and prayers are with the Tufano family," Friedman said.

Friedman said they had talked about potentially setting Bush up in a rehab program, but that was only if he was out on bond, not as an altnernative to that. He said he found out about the Bush accident on Thursday while he was in his office, and hasn't spoken to the 26-year-old.

By Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2012

Everyone makes it through the day's first turn smoothly, avoiding a repeat of the multicar crash that commenced the 2011 race. "I think everybody was pretty kind to each other," early leader Scott Dixon said, "which was a big shock." Pole sitter Will Power builds a 2.8-second lead on Ryan Briscoe after 10 laps but surrenders it two laps later to take on four black tires. Contact is essentially absent until Dixon's driver's side twitches Ryan Hunter-Reay at the outset of Lap 18. Two laps later, James Jakes takes a poor angle on Turn 10 and goes into the wall. During the ensuing caution, Tony Kanaan's battery dies, ending an endurance streak of sorts. In his seven previous starts at St. Petersburg, Kanaan had completed every lap. Similarly, the race's two female entrants, Katherine Legge and Simona de Silvestro, endure early mechanical issues. Legge completes 59 laps, de Silvestro 22.

Dixon and Hunter-Reay are a second apart on Lap 30 before Hunter-Reay pits for tires and fuel on Lap 34. Dixon and Helio Castroneves, running 1-2, make pit stops on Lap 37. That propels Takuma Sato, who started 14th, to the front. At one point, his lead grows to four seconds over Mike Conway, who started 11th. A caution flag comes out when Ed Carpenter, appearing to enter the pit area, is hit from behind by Castroneves on Lap 45. A brief officials review yields no penalty for Castroneves. "Nobody said he was going to pit. Nobody gave me any signal," Castroneves said. "If he was pitting, I don't know … something happened because he slowed down in the area where we actually accelerate." When Sato and the other leaders pit on Lap 46, Dixon — who doesn't — takes the lead.

Dixon and Castroneves, running first and second, respectively, make their final pit stops on Laps 69 and 70. Sato takes the lead but pits at Lap 72, making JR Hildebrand the day's sixth leader. With a pit stop looming for Hildebrand (on Lap 75), Castroneves and Dixon find themselves in prime position. On Lap 73, Castroneves gets far outside, breaks as deeply as he can and passes Dixon on Turn 1 for second. "It was awesome because the car (stuck), and I was like, 'Yesss!' " said Castroneves, who soon after passes Hildebrand.

By Lap 80, Castroneves' lead on Dixon grows to more than five seconds. Hunter-Reay, in third, falls seven seconds behind Castroneves as his crew implores him to conserve fuel. E.J. Viso, on the brink of dehydration following an overnight bout of food poisoning, is fifth — seven places ahead of his starting spot — 93 laps into the race before a final pit stop ultimately drops him to eighth. His lead edging closer to insurmountable, Castroneves drives conservatively on the last dozen or so laps and wins by 5.5292 seconds.

By Matt Baker, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — The new cars and new engine manufacturers led to early exits in Sunday's IndyCar season opener at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Seven cars failed to finish the race because of mechanical problems, ranging from stalled Lotus engines to Chevrolet's battery issues and missing gears in Mike Conway's Honda.

The battery of Tony Kanaan's Chevy failed on Lap 22, sticking him with a 25th-place finish in the 26-car field. Other Chevy drivers said they had to monitor the engine's voltage carefully to avoid similar problems under cautions.

"It's a new car, new engine," said Kanaan, the 2004 series champ. "Unfortunately it happened to us."

Three of five Lotus machines bowed out, and only Alex Tag­liani finished among the top 15. The Lotus-powered cars of Simona de Silvestro and rookie Katherine Legge died on the track. St. Petersburg resident Sebastien Bourdais rose from starting 26th to third by Lap 68, but he dropped out after 73 laps.

Car problems also ended the day for JR Hildebrand's Chevy and Takuma Sato's Honda. Sato had a lead, for 11 laps, for the fifth race of his career before finishing 22nd.

Dario down: Dario Franchitti's quest for his fourth consecutive series championship started poorly.

His No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing car ran out of gas on the last turn.

"As I said to Chip on the radio, 'That just sums up our day,' " the defending race winner said. "We have a bit of work to do, obviously."

The four-time series champ finished 13th, his second-worst finish here and only his fifth outside the top 12 in the series since 2009.

Passing problems: The new car and fuel strategy appeared to limit passing.

"It's hard to overtake," said Justin Wilson, who finished 10th.

Runnerup Scott Dixon said he saw plenty of position changes on the track.

Wilson said the car's wider wings increased the grip but made passing more difficult. Pit stop strategy also played a role as some drivers tried to conserve fuel instead of race each other aggressively.

"It's definitely tough," James Hinchcliffe said of overtaking competitors in the new Dallara DW12.

"You don't want it too easy, right? You want guys to have to work for it. I think that's where we're at."

Hinchcliffe's debut: Hinchcliffe poked fun of his role as Danica Patrick's replacement in the GoDaddy.com car by wearing a woman's wig during driver introductions.

He followed that up by placing fourth, tying the best finish of his IndyCar career.

The GoDaddy.com car hadn't finished in the top four since Patrick's runnerup finish at Homestead in the 2010 season finale.

"We can just start building on this now," Hinchcliffe said.

Remembering Wheldon: Dan Wheldon's sister, Holly, waved the green flag to start the race in his adopted hometown. Some drivers had decals on their helmets to honor Wheldon, and race officials and fans wore orange ribbons. The track showed a short video honoring the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner who died in a wreck during last season's finale in Las Vegas.

Miscellany: Simon Pagenaud was the top rookie. He was docked 10 starting positions, to 16th, for switching engines before qualifying but finished sixth. He joined Dixon as the only Hondas among the top eight. … Late-night TV host David Letterman attended as the co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. … In his anticipated IndyCar debut, former Formula One star Rubens Barrichello finished 17th, two laps down.

Matt Baker can be reached at mbaker@tampabay.com.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Sunday, March 25, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG

Spider-Man was climbing again, up toward the heavens, filled with victory and memories and the sweetness of a spur-of-the-moment celebration.

Ah, Dan. You should have seen it.

Helio Castroneves had a handful of chicken wire, and his feet were on the restraining wall, and only the racing helmet on his head hid his tears. On a postcard-perfect afternoon in your hometown, in the moments after a victory in your sport, your old buddy might as well have been on top of the world.

Then, in a perfect moment that will forever be the way this Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is remembered, he started to pound his right hand against a brand new street sign. It read Dan Wheldon Way.

Ah, Dan, you should have been here.

It was Helio's day, and it was Dan's. It was St. Pete's day, and it was IndyCar's day. It was their day, and it was ours.

All of them won Sunday, the drivers and the departed racer. Over the past few months, since Wheldon died in a car race in Las Vegas, there have been a lot of touching moments and a lot of heartfelt memories offered. Before Sunday, however, it always seemed too soon to smile.

This was the first IndyCar race since that day, however, the first time Wheldon's peers returned to competition in the sport he loved deeply. The words are still solemn when other drivers talk about Wheldon, but the subject seems to have changed from the way he died to the way he lived. Closure isn't the right way to describe it, because no one wants to forget Wheldon. Perspective? Acceptance? Maybe those are better words.

Helio up a wall to share this with his old friend? That's a better image, too.

Castroneves didn't plan to visit the street sign, he said. In his two previous victories here, he had celebrated on Turn 1, and he wanted to do something different. So he parked in the corner of Turn 10, and he climbed the fence toward the fans. Then he glanced, and on the other side of the street he saw the Wheldon sign. And then he was climbing again.

"It seemed to be the perfect fit for this race," said Castroneves, who admitted he cried at the top of the climb and prayed when he was back on the ground. "You can never question God's mystery.

"I'm an emotional person. I felt very touched seeing his name there. It still hurts, but we have to keep moving on. That's life."

Wheldon would have loved this day. The Brit's adopted hometown had one of those chamber-of-commerce days. Between the bay and the sky, no one would have questioned why he had embraced St. Petersburg as his new hometown. His sport was back in business. And his buddies were on the victory stand. Helio. Scott Dixon. Ryan Hunter-Reay. Of course, if Wheldon had been up there, too, he really would have loved this day.

His presence was everywhere, on ribbons, on stickers. You could feel him as clearly as you could hear engines roar. Castroneves even suggested that if Wheldon had been in the sport's new car, the DW12, at Las Vegas, "he would be with us today."

Mostly, he was with the drivers.

"The wounds are still fresh," said Hunter-Reay. "This is Dan's hometown. His adopted hometown. His U.S. hometown. He's a great champion of his sport. I know every driver on this circuit wants to be like him in many ways. He was with us today in every way. I wish we could have him back. He was great for our sport. But that's just life. Not fair."

You wonder. What would Wheldon have said to Dixon? A former teammate, Dixon and his family were close with Wheldon's. The couples were married a month apart, and both had young children. When Wheldon died, it was Dixon who moved with his wife, Emma, and two children to St. Petersburg for two months to help out however he could.

"It's almost fitting the first race (of the season) was in St. Pete," Dixon said. "If you could turn back time and change things, you certainly would. For me, I just miss the guy. It s---- not being able to turn around and see him coming through a door with those bright white teeth sort of smiling at you. It just s----. It just plain s----."

For the men who face the same dangers, the kinship with Wheldon is obvious. Remember, these are men who barnstorm together from town to town. It is a competitive life, but everyone faces the same risk. That's why the memories of Wheldon will continue.

Said Hunter-Reay: "He's the defending Indy 500 champ. I don't think it's going to go away. He's going to be on every ticket at Indy this year, and rightfully so. We don't want to forget about him."

How can they? He was one of them. One of us, too.

Ah, Dan. You should have been here with everyone.

Special to the Times
Sunday, March 25, 2012

Final in a series of guest columns filed by IndyCar driver Graham Rahal during the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg:

We had pretty high expectations heading into the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, but they didn't pan out. We ended up with a 12th-place finish, which isn't horrible, but it's also not what we wanted, either.

Honestly, we felt like the No. 38 Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Honda would be solid during the race, especially after the disappointment of Saturday's qualifying. Honda worked overnight to give us some really good engines, and everything was looking upbeat and positive for the race.

We went into it thinking we could move forward, and we did in the early stages of the race. At one point, we were as high as sixth. We were in the hunt. Unfortunately we started to lose track position and just couldn't get it back in the end.

Still, we had the third-fastest lap of the race, and we all know this car is fast and capable of big things this season. The end results of Sunday's race don't show how good a job the Service Central team did. Hopefully we'll move on to next week's Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park and get the result we want.

I'm staying positive about our first race with the new engine/chassis combination. We all know the Honda engine has potential to win races this year, so we're moving forward anticipating good things. We're fast enough to compete, and our teammates performed well, too — including Scott Dixon's runner-up finish — so there's no reason to be negative.

I still like our chances. We're working as hard as ever and holding our heads up. It's a quick turnaround to Barber, so we'll be ready to get back at it right away.

I appreciate all the support from everyone in St. Pete. We had a great crowd and enthusiastic reception and a touching tribute to Dan Wheldon. We wanted to put on a great show, and I think we did. We made a lot of passes, had plenty of lead changes, and moved into the new era of the IZOD IndyCar Series with a solid effort and a good product.

The end result wasn't what we wanted as a team or what I wanted as a driver, but it had some positive elements. I'm going to use those as motivation as we carry on from here.

Graham Rahal, 23, won the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in 2008. He finished 12th in the No. 38 Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing Honda/Dallara in Sunday's race. The son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal, he resides in New Albany, Ohio.

By Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — During Saturday's Star Mazda season opener, Jack Hawksworth was more of a lingerer, staying close to the leader before trying to make his move at the right time.

It didn't result in a victory. (He took second). But his late burst did give him the fastest lap and an advantage for Sunday's race in the developmental series: the pole position.

Starting from the front, Hawks­worth did not relinquish the lead winning by 1.954 seconds over Juan Piedrahita.

Connor De Phillippi, who won Saturday's race, had a difficult time maneuvering his way to the front because of several major yellows that broke up the race and finished fifth.

Hawksworth, an Englishman who finished fourth in the Formula Renault UK Championship last year, won for the first time on a street course.

"I had a pretty easy time of it since all the carnage was behind me," Hawksworth said. "Though having a race broken up with that many major full-course yellows does make it harder to concentrate. And you have to be very careful about keeping the tires up to operating temperature for the restarts."

Petri Suvanto finished third.

Larry Pegram won the Expert Class, his second victory of the weekend.

World Challenge: Having already established himself as the driver to beat this season, Lawson Aschenbach won by 4.591 seconds over Johnny O'Connell.

This time, Aschenback did it without drawing the attention of racing officials.

Aschenbach's victory on Saturday was taken away because he passed multiple cars and took the lead during a local yellow flag between Turns 3 and 4 on the final lap. He got a 60-second penalty, dropping him to 11th in GT class and 26th in the standings and allowing O'Connell to win.

Two drivers, Brad Adams and Patrick Seguin, were docked 20 championship points and fined $1,000 for avoidable contact during Saturday's race.

Starting from the pole on Sunday, Aschenbach quickly put aside any frustrations and stayed in front the whole way.

Justin Bell won the GTS Class, and Michael Cooper won the Touring Car Class.

USF2000: Another race, another dominating performance for St. Petersburg-based Cape Motor­sports with Wayne Taylor Racing, which had the top two drivers in both races this weekend.

Sunday, Spencer Pigot won for the second time, beating teammate Matt Brabham. Brabham had the pole, but Pigot took the lead by going outside on Turn 1 of the opening lap.

Pigot had to battle to stay in front after a full-course caution. During the final five laps, Brabham tried to overtake Pigot by going inside on Turn 1. Brabham briefly held the lead once but slid wide, allowing Pigot to move ahead. Brabham lost part of his front wing but held on for second.

"It was another really close race between (Brabham) and I on the first lap of the race," Pigot said. "I was able to get by him at the start, which was really important because it is so difficult to pass here. We had a brief battle at the restart, but I was able to hold him off. And it was pretty smooth sailing from then on."

New Port Richey's RC Enerson, who also races for Cape Motor­sports, won the National Class for the second time this weekend.

Times wires
Sunday, March 25, 2012

ATLANTA — Kentucky could have cut the nets down at halftime.

Actually, the Wildcats probably would have been good with skipping the ceremony altogether. A South Region title is fine, but what matters to this bunch is breaking out the scissors in the Big Easy.

Top-seeded Kentucky advanced to the Final Four for the second year in a row with an 82-70 blitzing of Baylor on Sunday, setting up a Bluegrass showdown with rival Louisville in the national semifinals Saturday at New Orleans.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 19, Anthony Davis added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Terrence Jones dazzled in all the overlooked areas to lead the Wildcats (36-2). For all the hoopla sure to surround the next game, Kentucky won't consider the season a success unless it wins two more games, culminating in a national title.

"I'm not satisfied yet," Kidd-Gilchrist said.

The Bears (30-8) appeared to be no match for coach John Calipari's latest group of blue-chip freshmen. Kentucky took control with an early 16-0 run and led by 20 at halftime.

"This team is better than I thought," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "This is the best team we faced all year … probably in a couple of years."

The Wildcats beat Louisville 69-62 on New Year's Eve, but now they'll meet with the highest stakes ever. Kidd-Gilchrist shrugged when someone asked about playing the Cardinals.

"I'm just worried about us," he said. "That's it. I don't worry about anybody else."

It will be the fourth meeting in the Final Four of teams from the same state, the first since Ohio State-Cincinnati in 1962.

Calipari, in his third season at Kentucky, keeps recruiting the best high school players, molds them into a top team then sends most of them to the NBA.

Then he starts the whole process over again.

"There are some opinions that will never change," Calipari said.

"All I'm trying to do is coach these young people. I'm trying to do the best job for these kids and their families."

Two years ago, John Wall led Kentucky to the region final. Last season, Brandon Knight helped guide the Wildcats to the Final Four. Now, with those two in the NBA, Kidd-Gilchrist and Davis have a shot at doing what they failed to do: bringing Kentucky its first national title since 1998.

But Calipari's getting plenty of contributions from those who hung around. Jones, a sophomore forward who passed up the draft, scored one in the opening half, but his fingerprints were all over Kentucky's performance: nine rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals, most in the first 10 minutes.

"I was just trying to be aggressive early," Jones said. "That allowed me to get in great position for rebounds and to lead the fast break."

By Matt Santiago, Times Correspondent
Sunday, March 25, 2012

What's hot: With the water temperatures holding above 70 degrees and on the rise, pelagics such as cobia, kingfish and tarpon are moving into Tampa Bay to feed on the influx of bait. Cobia are one of my favorite fish to catch and eat. Our cobia have begun to move into the bay from offshore and are showing up with a serious appetite.

Tactics: The mouth of the bay is split by Egmont Key, which makes two funnel-like passes that concentrate pods of bait to feed cobia. There are a few basic ways to fish for cobia in this area; arguably the most effective method is to sight cast surface-cruising fish. These brown bombers can be found cruising behind rays, turtles and manatees, or ambushing baits on fixed structures. Your eyes are your best and most important tool when pursuing cobia in this manner, and this is where having a tower on your boat comes in handy. Focus your efforts on open-water structures such as range markers and bell buoys. Be sure to look not only around the structure but down at pilings, ropes or chains that might be attached to the bottom. Cobia are often found suspended on these structures.

Matt Santiago can be reached at (813) 205-2327 or CaptainMattSantiago@gmail.com or online at FishingGuideTampa.com.

Times wires
Sunday, March 25, 2012

CLEARWATER — Phillies 2B Chase Utley admitted he will miss the entire exhibition schedule for a second straight year and will not be in opening-day lineup because of his injured knees.

The five-time All-Star, limited to 103 games last year when he didn't play his first game until May 23, said Sunday he will not have season-ending surgery and does not have plans to retire. He said he feels better than he did at this point last year and fully intends to play this season.

"I'm not hitting right now," Utley said in his first public comments about his health in more than a month. "I'm doing things in the trainer's room to build strength, to get more flexible in all areas. And once I feel comfortable enough to hit, I'll hit."

Though Utley expressed optimism about his long-term future, he admitted he was "disappointed, upset and not happy" about the unexpected problems in his left knee.

"My right knee last year was the one that bothered me and my left knee felt pretty good," he said of the injury that landed him on the disabled list for two months. "This year, it's the complete opposite."

THOME AT FIRST: Jim Thome played five innings at first base and hit a two-run double for a Phillies split squad in a 3-3, 10-inning tie against the Orioles in Clearwater.

The 41-year-old, who has not played the field in the regular season since June 13, 2007, did not have any grounders hit to him. He had three putouts.

"It felt fun to be out there. The adrenaline was pretty awesome," said a smiling Thome, likely to get some time at first while Ryan Howard recovers from ankle surgery. "I haven't had adrenaline like that in quite a while."

Yanks: Joba better

TAMPA — Yankees RH reliever Joba Chamberlain was released from a hospital three days after dislocating his right ankle bouncing on a trampoline.

General manager Brian Cashman said Chamberlain's recovery is going as well as can be expected.

Chamberlain was hurt while playing with his son Thursday at a recreation spot. He needed surgery for the injury, in which a bone broke through the skin.

Cashman said Chamberlain, 26, will be in a cast for six weeks.

PINEDA STRONG: RHP Michael Pineda allowed one run and five hits over five innings in New York's 1-1, 10-inning tie with a Tigers split squad.

Jays: Pitcher hurt

DUNEDIN — RHP Dustin McGowan, expected to be a member of the Blue Jays' starting rotation, pulled himself out of a minor-league game with what was diagnosed as plantar fasciitis, painful inflammation of tissue along the bottom of his right foot. He is listed as day to day.

Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos said he didn't think the injury was serious. "This is just a blip, if anything," he said.

McGowan, who turned 30 Saturday, missed the 2009 and 2010 seasons and most of 2011 after multiple shoulder operations.

DEMOTIONS: Toronto optioned INF David Cooper and OF Travis Snider to Triple-A Las Vegas and returned C Yan Gomes and INFs Chris Woodward and Jonathan Diaz to their minor-league camp.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2012

PORT CHARLOTTE — The decision is coming, in the next day or so, and despite all the talking, analyzing and projecting, it really may not be all that difficult.

The Rays are set to finalize their rotation, with the extra man heading to the bullpen, and Wade Davis' rough spring — which continued Sunday — seems to have made it easier for them:

Keep Jeff Niemann in the rotation (and add rookie Matt Moore), put Davis in the bullpen and roll from there.

Officially, manager Joe Maddon said, "it's not really a clear-cut thing."

But watching how they've pitched, listening to what Maddon says they're looking for, it might be.

The primary criterion, Maddon said, is the most obvious: "Who do we think is going to help us win more games earlier in the season."

Next is who could better handle the relief role, with the resiliency to pitch more frequently and get ready quickly. Of note, but with not much weight, is how they match up with early season opponents.

The case can be best made to keep Niemann, who starts today against the Twins in what should be the final act of the audition, in the rotation.

Niemann, 29, is clearly considered the more polished starter. Maddon talks, almost reverently, about his ability to put together streaks of strong games, and when he does that he can be their most effective starter. In three seasons in the rotation, Niemann is 36-21, with a .632 winning percentage that is eighth best in the majors, and a 4.13 ERA.

Though he has worked out of the bullpen a couple of times, his large (6-foot-9, 285-pound) frame makes him seem less likely to transition well and get ready quickly. So does a history of health issues.

Though Davis, 26, has spent the past two seasons in the Rays rotation — going 23-20, 4.27 — Maddon speaks of him as an unfinished product, specifically in becoming more consistent in his approach to maintain his velocity, an issue again in Sunday's 42/3-inning, 91-pitch, seven-hit, three-walk outing.

"For us, and for him as a successful major-league pitcher, whatever it is that permits him to arrive at that 92-95 slot more consistently is what he's looking for, what we're looking for," Maddon said. "That's where we're trying to get to with a Wade Davis — to think in a matter that's going to permit him to do that more consistently. And when he arrives at that point, my goodness, he's going to really take off."

In his previous start, Davis started slowly then ramped up the velocity as the game went on. Sunday, he started well then tailed off, saying his arm felt tired.

In the bullpen, theoretically, Davis would have a different mind-set, knowing he could go all out since he had to work only an inning, or a few innings.

The decision is significant, though not likely permanent as the Rays, via injury or strategy, expect the odd man out to be back in the rotation at some point this season. "It's not a life sentence," Maddon said.

Maddon is adamant they won't make it based on spring stats, that they're "not as superficial as that."

Still, Davis is 1-2, 4.91 over 181/3 innings, having allowed 30 baserunners (22 hits, seven walks, one hit batter). Niemann is 0-2, 4.32 in 81/3 innings, allowing 10 hits. (Plus he worked five innings in a minor-league game, allowing four hits and a walk.)

"I would have loved to have done a lot better," Davis said. "But it's one of those things that's tough to analyze it like that. The past couple spring trainings, I've had some rough springs. … I'm definitely on a better track of being ready for the season than I have been in the past physically."

And if he does end up in the pen? "I'll go down there and kick (butt), too," he said. "It don't matter to me."

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

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2012

PHILADELPHIA — If you want a sense of how Sebastien Caron, the Lightning's newest goaltender, does his job, go to YouTube and search "best goalie saves."

Scroll to a video from Canada's TSN sports TV network that showcases what it believes are the top 10 saves of all time in the NHL. Caron is the only goalie featured twice, at No. 7 and No. 1.

"People talk about it," Caron said. "It's nice to get recognized for that, but, well, it's just fun."

But not unusual, said Lightning left wing Ryan Malone, who played with Caron from 2003-06 with the Penguins.

"I can probably think of about a dozen he stopped when it seemed like the other team had an empty net," Malone said. "Probably once a game he would make an unbelievable paddle save. I don't know if he's still got that in his bag or not."

We will find out.

With Tampa Bay playing back-to-back games tonight against the Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center and Tuesday in Boston, Caron likely starts one.

For the Amqui, Quebec, native, it is a happy return to the NHL after five seasons in Switzerland, Russia and Germany.

Signed March 19 to a one-year prorated contract after the season-ending groin injury to Mathieu Garon and the Lightning's failed experiment with AHL Norfolk's Dustin Tokarski, Caron, 31, is along for a ride he hopes leads to a permanent gig somewhere in the NHL.

"It's kind of like a tryout," he said. "We'll see what happens. It could go one way, or it could go wrong, but I'll do my best. I'm going to have a blast."

That was difficult from 2002-06, when he played 90 of his 92 NHL games for a struggling Penguins franchise. And Caron was in net in November 2003 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum for a 9-0 Lightning rout in which he allowed eight goals.

He is athletic, though.

"He's a springy kind of guy who can stretch to make those saves when he's down and out," Tampa Bay goaltenders coach Frantz Jean said. "That's a big asset at this level."

And that brings us back to TSN's top 10. No. 7 was against the Canadiens in December 2003, when Caron dove to the front of the net to make a paddle save on Mike Ribeiro.

That's memorable, but it's nothing compared to the No. 1 save, from October 2005 against the Flyers.

Caron was beaten to the right by a shot that hit the post and ricocheted underneath him to Philadelphia's Brian Savage, who shot at an open net. Caron twisted to the left, reached back and gloved the puck just before it crossed the goal line.

"I remember thinking that was a for-sure goal," Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby recalled last week. "Just his hand coming out of nowhere, somehow he got his glove on it."

"You can see my reaction," Savage told TSN. "I couldn't believe he reached back that way."

But that's Caron, Crosby said: "He relies on reflexes, and he's not going to give up on a play."

Or on an NHL career, now that he has another chance.

"I told myself if I was ever going to give it another shot, I would be more ready for it, and I think I am," said Caron, who was 25-23-0 this season for Iserlohn in Germany with a 2.57 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.

"Now I'm more laid back. I go with the flow. I'm just going to enjoy my time here and do my best and try to do a show."

. Tonight

Lightning at Flyers

When/where: 7:30; Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

TV/radio: NBC Sports Network; 970-AM

Key stats: The Lightning's 27 road points (11-19-5) are fewest in the Eastern Conference and second fewest in the league. … Flyers G Ilya Bryzgalov is on a 10-1-1 streak with a 1.22 goals-against average and .957 save percentage. … Tampa Bay's one short-handed goal is a league low. … Flyers RW Claude Giroux leads the league with 36 power play points, and LW Scott Hartnell is tied for the league lead with 15 power play goals. … Philadelphia has killed 36 of its past 39 penalties. … Since his February trade, former Lightning D Pavel Kubina has two assists and is plus-1 in 10 games for the Flyers while averaging 18:10 of ice time.

Times wires
Sunday, March 25, 2012

TOKYO — Ichiro Suzuki was the main attraction in the Mariners' 5-1 loss to the Hanshin Tigers in an exhibition game at the Tokyo Dome on Sunday.

Ichiro, who went 1-for-4, drew huge cheers from the crowd of 42,139 when he hit a single down the leftfield line in the top of the first inning.

"I felt a lot of tension, so that was quite a moment," Ichiro, 38, said of his hit in the first inning. "It didn't feel like an exhibition game, and there was a different atmosphere."

Ichiro grounded out in his next three at-bats, but the near-capacity crowd on hand didn't seem to mind.

"Ichiro has been on a different level for all these years and when you saw those flashbulbs going off when he came up to bat in the first inning, that says it all," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said.

The Mariners are in Japan to open the season against the Athletics on Wednesday and Thursday.

Hanshin scored three in the second against Seattle starter Hector Noesi, who took the loss.

In the other exhibition game, Oakland beat the Yomiuri Giants 5-0 on Kurt Suzuki's two-run homer in the seventh and Tommy Milone's five shutout innings.

BOSOX RELIEVER SORRY: Red Sox right-hander Bobby Jenks apologized for "distractions" caused by his arrest in Fort Myers on charges of driving under the influence. In a statement, Jenks said he was embarrassed and apologized to his teammates and the organization. He said he will not comment further.

Jenks, 31, posted a 6.32 ERA in 19 games in his first season with Boston after signing a two-year, $12 million free agent deal. He was expected to miss much of this season after a second offseason back surgery.

In other Red Sox news, right-hander Daniel Bard continued to struggle in his bid for the starting rotation, allowing five runs and six hits in six innings in a 6-5 loss to the Blue Jays.

BREWERS: Right-hander Shaun Marcum pitched three scoreless innings in his spring debut, a 7-1 win over the Dodgers. Marcum had been slowed by a sore pitching shoulder.

CARDINALS: Utility infielder Alex Cora, who agreed Feb. 6 to a minor-league contract, was released.

METS: Third baseman David Wright, out all spring with a small abdominal muscle tear, described himself as "50-50" to play today against the Cardinals after taking live batting practice against two minor-leaguers.

RANGERS: Right-hander Neftali Feliz, who has been sidelined by tightness in his pitching shoulder, reported no problems after a 40-pitch bullpen session and was cleared to return to live action Tuesday. … Japanese rookie right-hander Yu Darvish gave up four runs and six hits in five innings in an intrasquad game. Darvish struck out 11.

ROYALS: Second baseman Johnny Giavotella, who held the starting job for the last two months of the 2011 season, was demoted to Triple-A Omaha. Chris Getz and Yuniesky Betancourt appear likely to platoon at second base. The club also traded outfielder Greg Golson to the White Sox for cash.

TIGERS: Right-hander Justin Verlander overcame a rocky first and pitched six solid innings in a 6-3 win over the Phillies. The 2011 AL Cy Young winner and MVP allowed four hits and two runs to the first five Phillies then retired 15 of the next 18.

TWINS: Manager Ron Gardenhire said Josh Willingham would be the regular leftfielder this season. Willingham, signed over the winter, had been projected as a rightfielder.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 25, 2012

'Mudders' of the day

Maddon said the best part of Sunday was the B Street Band, a Bruce Springsteen tribute band, playing pre-game after playing in Tampa on Friday night. "Day game after a night game," Maddon said. "In the rain, they're good mudders."

Gift of the day

LHP David Price had a Braves jersey of his favorite player, David Justice, hanging in a locker next to his. Price, top right, said a woman sent it to him through pitching coach Jim Hickey at a game in Clearwater, and that the jersey was her late son's. Price didn't know the woman but planned to reach out to her. Justice, bottom right, "was (her son's) favorite player as well, so it's pretty cool," Price said.

Number of the day

.222 Batting average for the Rays this spring, the lowest in the majors.

Rays at Twins

When/where: 1:05 today; Hammond Stadium, 14100 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Fort Myers

Tickets: $10-$40, available at box office, through twinsbaseball.com or call toll-free 1-800-338-9467.

Rays information: Toll-free 1-888-326-7297

Pitchers: Rays — Jeff Niemann; Twins— Scott Baker

Heads-up

Niemann, a candidate for the fifth starter spot, will make his final start before the decision is announced.

On deck

Tuesday: at Red Sox, 1:05. Rays — James Shields; Red Sox — TBD

Upcoming schedule

All games 1:05 unless noted

March

28: Pirates (7:05)

29: at Phillies

30: at Pirates

31: Red Sox

April

1: at Orioles

2: Twins*

3: at Twins

4: vs. Future Rays, 1:40, at Trop

* Value game, $2 off

Who is this Ray?

He's a free-spirited left-handed reliever who returned from shoulder surgery last year. His wife, Heather, is an author, writer and broadcast journalist.

Who is this answer: LHP J.P. Howell

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

Future coach of the day

Among those reassigned was C Craig Albernaz, the former Eckerd College player who has spent six years in the minor-league system filling in at different levels and who participated in major-league camp the past four. "This guy's got coach written all over him," manager Joe Maddon said. "That would be a great tattoo."