Times wires
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Royals 7, Angels 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler homered and drove in three runs each, and Kansas City took two of three in the season-opening series. Jonathan Sanchez survived through five innings to win his first start with the Royals, who dampened the revamped Angels' home debut with two wins after getting shut out on opening day.
Times wires
Sunday, April 8, 2012
DETROIT — Alex Avila's drive sailed to deep rightfield, barely clearing an outfielder and a wall. Finally, the Detroit catcher could look forward to some rest before a home series against the Rays.
"I'm too tired right now," Avila said. "I'm glad we have an off day (today). This weekend has been crazy."
Avila's two-run homer with two outs in the 11th gave the Tigers a 13-12 victory over Boston on Sunday, leaving the Red Sox 0-3 under new manager Bobby Valentine. Detroit scored 26 in the series and twice won in its final at-bat.
The Tigers trailed 10-7 when Miguel Cabrera hit a three-run shot off Alfredo Aceves in the ninth. Boston scored twice in the 11th, but Mark Melancon — another candidate to close with Andrew Bailey on the disabled list — couldn't hold it.
"This is a work in progress," Valentine said. "We're three days in after losing our closer, and we're still trying to figure it out."
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 8, 2012
ST. PETERSBURG — The back pages of the New York tabloids may be ablaze today, painting a dire picture of the Yankees' first 0-3 start since 1998.
After all, the Yankees have lost four or more to start the season only twice in their storied history.
But despite getting swept by the Rays, the Yankees aren't pressing the panic button, saying the frustrating series is just magnified more since it's the first one. And don't forget, New York did go on to win the World Series in 1998.
"We're disappointed," starter Phil Hughes said. "But, at the same time, we're not going to act like it's the end of the world."
That being said, the Yankees left impressed with the Rays, who have beaten them seven consecutive times dating to last season.
"They put it on us," outfielder Nick Swisher said. "So we'll remember that."
The Yankees didn't feel as if they were overmatched, saying that they swung the bats well — often hitting right into well-positioned Rays players — and got an encouraging, yet short, outing by Hughes on Sunday.
"They were just a little better, all weekend," first baseman Mark Teixeira said.
Said outfielder Curtis Granderson: "It's one of those things where there's a lot of bounces and we didn't seem to get a lot of them. They got a lot of them, plus the things that they did well on top of that. But baseball is baseball and things are going to turn real quick. Nobody is hanging their heads over here."
What did make the Yankees scratch their heads was how often the Rays used defensive shifts, moving their infielders around for most of New York's lineup, robbing them of at least 3-4 hits on Saturday alone, Swisher said.
"That's a kind of defense I've never seen before," he said. "I don't think anyone has ever seen that, especially to everybody, not just any certain individuals."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said they knew the Rays would be improved, with free agent acquisitions Carlos Peña (two homers, seven RBIs) and Luke Scott providing some pop to support an already stout pitching staff.
"Anyone who thinks this is going to be easy is kidding themselves," Teixeira said. "And it showed this weekend."
Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Misplay of the day
OF Matt Joyce knocked in the game's first run on a triple, with his soft liner to rightfield bouncing just in front — then past — a sliding Raul Ibanez, left, and rolling to the wall. Ibanez said he misread the ball's topspin. "I tried to make a play instead of laying up," Ibanez said. "It didn't work out. I screwed up."
Quote of the day
"They're a good club, we knew that. It's not like my impression of them has changed any. We knew they were a good club and we thought they were an improved club from last year."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi on the Rays
Quote of the day 2
"I asked (crew chief) Joe West if he would bet his Easter eggs on that. He said, 'Yes I would bet my Easter eggs on that.' That was pretty severe. I took that as validation that it was the right call."
Manager Joe Maddon on the fan interference call in the fifth inning, which turned an apparent homer by 1B Carlos Peña into a ground-rule double.
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Peña power
Rays 1B Carlos Peña hit his 24th career homer against the Yankees, with his 23 homers against them the past six seasons eight more than any other player (Boston's David Ortiz is second with 15). During that span (2007-12), Peña's 42 homers against New York and Boston (19) are 13 more than any other player.
Going streaking
The Rays, which swept the Yankees for just the third time in club history, extended their club-record winning streak against the Yankees to seven games. It's tied for the second-longest streak against the Yankees since 1998 (Boston won seven in a row from April 10-June 9, 2011 and nine in a row from Sept. 28, 2008, to June 11, 2009).
Number of the day
27 Pitches Rays hitters saw in the first inning of all three games, vs. CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Phil Hughes
Crowd control
Sunday's crowd of 30,413 pushed the three-game total to 98,569, the third largest home-opening series in franchise history. Larger was the 1998 inaugural series (before the Trop was downsized), 103,739 for the Tigers; and 99,117 for the Yankees in 2009.
Today: off
Tuesday: at Tigers, 1:05, Comerica Park. Rays — Matt Moore (1-0, 2.89); Tigers — Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.75)
Wednesday: at Tigers, 1:05, Comerica Park. Rays —James Shields (0-0, 10.80); Tigers — Justin Verlander (0-0, 0.00)
Thursday: at Tigers, 1:05, Comerica Park. Rays — Jeff Niemann (11-7, 4.06 in 2011); Tigers — Drew Smyly (MLB debut)
Joe Smith, Times staff writer
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 8, 2012
ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays don't expect DH Luke Scott to be out long after leaving Sunday's game with tightness in his left hamstring.
"I don't think it's awful by any means," manager Joe Maddon said.
Scott said he suffered a similar injury in each of the past two seasons — both coming in an early series at Tropicana Field — and it put him out 3-4 games.
"If I had to guess, that's what it'd be," Scott said.
Scott, a former Oriole who signed a one-year, $6 million deal in the offseason, had looked and felt good at the plate, including going 3-for-4 Saturday with three RBIs. But he said he first felt the tightness Sunday while rounding first after leading off the second inning with a pop out.
"It just turned into a guitar string," Scott said. "Just tight, tight, tight."
Scott said he hopes that with today's off day, the leg will loosen up, and he's already encouraged that he had a good range of motion Sunday. He said the good news is that his right shoulder, surgically repaired in July, is getting stronger with better resistance and more power. "I've just got to get the legs used to everything," he said.
ANOTHER LOOK: 1B Carlos Peña thought he had his second homer of the game in Sunday's fifth inning, but umpires stopped his home run trot and sent him back to second after ruling fan interference.
"I still have my doubts, to be honest," Peña said.
On the play, a fan reached out by the rightfield fence and caught the ball. Yankees RF Raul Ibanez, who was at the warning track, said he couldn't have caught it and the ball would probably have gone off the top of the fence.
Peña wondered why umpires didn't use instant replay, like they did in a similar situation Saturday when 3B Evan Longoria's apparent homer was caught by a fan and resulted in a double. Maddon, who came out to argue, said crew chief Joe West was "adamant" it didn't need a review.
"I'm not going to make a huge deal about it, but at the same time, I wish they would have gone to the cameras," Peña said.
GOOD IMPRESSION: RHP Fernando Rodney couldn't have asked for a better start with the Rays, picking up a win and two saves in his first three outings. He has saves on consecutive days for the first time since Aug. 30 and Sept. 1, 2010, with the Angels.
"It's a good sign," Rodney said, smiling.
Rodney, who signed a one-year, $2 million deal this offseason, was expected to have a key late-inning role in the bullpen. And with closer Kyle Farnsworth (elbow) on the disabled list, it was Rodney who recorded the last out in each Rays victory. But Maddon isn't ready to call Rodney their official closer: "It just happened to be his moment based on matchups."
MEDICAL MATTERS: CF B.J. Upton (back soreness) will begin a rehab assignment today with Class A Charlotte, which will be playing in St. Lucie (Mets). Maddon has said the assignment is expected to last around 10 days, with Upton potentially returning for an April 20-22 series.
MINOR MATTERS: Triple-A C Chris Gimenez was placed on the seven-day disabled list with a groin strain. C Craig Albernaz was called up from Double-A Montgomery to take his place.
Times wires
Sunday, April 8, 2012
D'backs 7, Giants 6
PHOENIX — Ryan Roberts and Lyle Overbay hit consecutive two-out homers off Matt Cain, and Arizona tied a franchise record by rallying from six runs down to sweep the series. "That one will make you smile, it really does," manager Kirk Gibson said.
By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 8, 2012
The Lightning put on a good show at home, tying a franchise mark with 25 wins at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. ¶ Had the team showed the same spunk on the road, it might be in the playoffs. Its 13-22-6 road record that yielded 32 points, fewest in the Eastern Conference, will be the legacy of the 2011-12 team. ¶ More than the debilitating 308 man-games lost to injury that forced it at one point to use a lineup with seven players who this season spent time in the AHL; more than the emotional upheaval caused when general manager Steve Yzerman on three straight game days traded Dominic Moore, Pavel Kubina and Steve Downie; and more than the season-ending March 6 groin injury to goalie Mathieu Garon, after which the team, in the thick of the playoff race, went 1-5-1 to become an also-ran. ¶ Want more best and worst? Here is the season in review:
MVP C Steven Stamkos
Devils coach Peter DeBoer called Stamkos "maybe the best scorer to come along in the last 20-25 years." Stamkos is just the 20th NHL player to score 60 goals, and his 97 points are a career high. At this point, there is not much more to be said about the 22-year-old superstar, so we'll let the numbers (with league ranking) do the talking:
Goals: 60 (1st)
Points: 97 (2nd)
Winning goals: 12 (tied 1st)
Even-strength goals: 48 (1st)
Home goals: 36 (1st)
Average ice time: 22:07 (1st among centers)
Overtime goals: 5 (NHL record)
Goals since 2009-10: 155 (1st)
Most rewarding stat
9 Victories when trailing entering the third period; that led the league and brought to mind John Belushi's line from the movie Animal House: "Nothing is over until we decide it is."
Most ridiculous stats
2, 12 Shorthanded goals, tied with the Red Wings for fewest in the league, and shorthanded goals allowed, one fewer than the league-worst Devils.
Not-so-special stats
15.2, 79.2
The Lightning tied for 25th in the league with a 15.2 percent power play and was 26th with a 79.2 percent penalty kill. Last season, the power play was sixth (20.5 percent), the penalty kill eighth (83.8 percent) and the team went to the East final.
Losing control
A 48.6 winning percentage, 23rd in the league, "was one of the reasons we didn't win some games," said Steven Stamkos, whose 45.5 winning percentage (42.9 in his last 14 games) wasn't good, either.
Game to remember
Lightning 3, Rangers 2 (shootout): Dec. 8 at Madison Square Garden began with center Dominic Moore's errant morning-skate backhander hitting Marty St. Louis in the left eye. Orbital bone damage and vision problems sidelined St. Louis, who had played in 499 straight games. Moore, left, redeemed himself with the tying goal with 1:03 left in the third — a backhander from the same spot he hit St. Louis — and the winning shootout goal.
Game to forget
Canadiens 5, Lightning 2: The April 4 contest at the Bell Centre was a microcosm of all that went wrong on the road. A slow start, sloppy passing, missed defensive coverages and 10 shots on goal in the last two periods combined.
Stat pack
Defenseman Brett Clark was second in the league with 199 blocked shots. … Right wing Teddy Purcell had a career-best 24 goals, and his 65 points are the most by a player from Newfoundland. … Right wing Adam Hall did not have enough faceoffs to qualify as a league leader, but his 59.5 winning percentage was better than No. 1 Jonathan Toews (59.4) of Chicago. … Defenseman Victor Hedman had a career-best five goals. … Defenseman Eric Brewer led the team with 23:16 average ice time. … Rookie right wing Brett Connolly had four goals but went his final 50 games without one. … Center Vinny Lecavalier's 22 goals were his fewest since 2001-02.
Follow the money
Unrestricted free agents: Forwards — Adam Hall, Ryan Shannon, Tim Wallace. Defensemen — Brett Clark, Mike Commodore, Bruno Gervais. Goaltenders — Sebastien Caron, Dwayne Roloson.
Restricted free agents: Forward — J.T. Wyman. Defensemen — Keith Aullie, Brian Lee, Brendan Mikkelson.
Signed for next season: Forwards — J.T. Brown, Brett Connolly, Vinny Lecavalier, Ryan Malone, Teddy Purcell, Tom Pyatt, Marty St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Nate Thompson, Dana Tyrell. Defensemen — Marc-Andre Bergeron, Eric Brewer, Victor Hedman, Mattias Ohlund. Goaltender — Mathieu Garon. Buyout — Vinny Prospal.
Salary committed for 2012-13: $48.095 million
Nicest surprise C Tom Pyatt
Pyatt's 12 goals were 10 more than his previous high. He was tireless on defense, his 2:12 average shorthanded ice time third among Lightning forwards.
Shooting star award RW Teddy Purcell
He either shined brightly or disappeared. Purcell had three goals in 29 games from Nov. 9-Jan. 13; 12 goals and 31 points in 24 games from Jan. 15-March 8; and, before his season-ending hat trick, one goal in 15 games. "He's got to trust his shot," coach Guy Boucher said.
Energizer award RW Marty St. Louis
With 25 goals, St. Louis, who turns 37 in June, scored at least 20 for the ninth straight season. And his 22:52 average ice time was second in the league among forwards. He celebrated his 900th NHL game with a hat trick in a 6-3 win over the Panthers on Feb. 4.
Biggest disappointment G Dwayne Roloson
Roloson, 42, the league's oldest player, posted a 3.66 goals-against average and .886 save percentage, both last in the league among goalies with at least 20 games. He was 14-16-2 in 40 games but had a miniresurgence at the end, going 5-2-1 with a 3.27 goals-against average and .909 save percentage. The surge, he said, was because he broke from some drills favored by goaltenders coach Frantz Jean. But there were too many holes to be blamed solely on "static" versus "momentum" drills.
Times wires
Sunday, April 8, 2012
SUNRISE — A day after wrapping up its first Southeast Division title — and after the hundreds of plastic rats were swept off the BankAtlantic Center ice — the Panthers' Pete DeBoer gave his players Sunday off.
However, the rookie coach had to wrestle with the biggest decision of the season.
Who should start in net in Friday's Game 1 of the Eastern quarterfinals against the Devils: Scott Clemmensen in the midst of a hot streak, or playoff veteran Jose Theodore, who's coming off his worst back-to-back performances of the season?
Clemmensen, 34, a former Devils backup, went 14-6-6 with a 2.57 goals-against average. When Theodore was in and out of the lineup with a knee injury from Jan. 5 to Feb. 11, he went 7-3-3. And Clemmensen got the call on Saturday, when Florida, needing a point against Carolina to clinch the division, won 4-1.
"I don't care (who starts)," said Clemmensen, who is 3-0-1 with a .962 save percentage over his past four starts.
"Whether it's Jose in there, I'm rooting for him because I want everyone on this team to win. So regardless if it's him or me, I'm going to be ready to play and be on my best game."
The Panthers would not have made the playoffs without Theodore, 35, who proved he can be a starting goalie after spending most of 2010-11 as the Wild's backup. He went 22-16-11 with a 2.46 GAA, including allowing nine goals in his last two starts, against the Jets and Capitals.
But Theodore has appeared in 51 playoff games compared with Clemmensen's one.
"Clem made a real statement with his game (Saturday) as well as in the last month," Dineen said. "Those two have made it a very tough decision to see who's going to get the start in Game 1."
Bruins: General manager Peter Chiarelli said he is not optimistic that wing Nathan Horton will return this season despite skating on his own recently. Horton sustained a concussion during the 2011 Stanley Cup final then played in 46 games this season (with 17 goals and 15 assists) before sustaining another.
Blackhawks: Goalie Ray Emery, 29, re-signed for one year and $1.15 million. Signed after being given a tryout in September, he went 15-9-4 with a 2.81 goals-against average and .900 save percentage.
Information from Times wires was used in this report.
Times wires
Sunday, April 8, 2012
HOUSTON — A no-decision never felt better to Juan Nicasio.
Making his first start since a terrifying neck injury in August, the right-hander allowed one run on five hits in seven innings in the Rockies' 3-2 loss to the Astros on Sunday.
"I wasn't nervous, I was feeling good," Nicasio said. "Thank you God, because I wanted to have the opportunity to get to the mound, I want to go to compete. Just get it out of the way. It's time."
Nicasio, 4-4 with a 4.14 ERA in 13 starts as a rookie last season, was hurt Aug. 5 when a line drive by Washington's Ian Desmond hit him. He had surgery to have two pins inserted into his cracked C-1 vertebra and also had a small metal plate attached to the back of his neck.
Despite the loss, SS Troy Tulowitzki said Nicasio's return gave everyone in the Colorado clubhouse a boost.
"To see him pitch, after what he's gone through," Tulowitzki said, "that's a big accomplishment."
In other Rockies news, 1B Jason Giambi drew three walks to give him 1,317 for his career, tying Mark McGwire for 38th in major-league history.
STILL APOLOGIZING: Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said he approached the Spanish language radio broadcast team of Felo Ramirez and Yiki Quintana and offered a personal apology for his remarks praising Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Both Quintana and Ramirez, a Hall of Fame broadcaster, are Cuban-born.
BLUE JAYS: RHP Joel Carreno was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas after he lost his first major-league start. Manager John Farrell said LHP Aaron Laffey will be called up from Las Vegas and used in relief.
BRAVES: 3B Chipper Jones is expected to work out in Houston before tonight's game at the Astros. He is eligible to come off the disabled list Tuesday after surgery March 26 to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
CUBS: 2B Blake DeWitt was scratched from the lineup because of back spasms.
GIANTS: C Buster Posey hit his first home run in nearly a year. He was out for the season after a home-plate collision May 25.
INDIANS: 1B Casey Kotchman, the former Seminole High standout who started for the Rays last season, snapped an 0-for-13 start with a fourth-inning single.
NATIONALS: RHP Chien-Ming Wang felt good a day after throwing off a mound for the first time since suffering a severe left hamstring strain on March 15. Wang is still at least a week away from beginning a rehab assignment.
PADRES: RHP Dustin Moseley went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder, three days after RHP Tim Stauffer went on the DL with a strained right elbow. Manager Bud Black said RHP Anthony Bass will start either Thursday, which would have been Moseley's next start, or Saturday.
PHILLIES: Jim Thome made his first start at first base since 2007. He was perfect in the field and turned a 3-6-3 double play in the fourth.
REDS: 2B Brandon Phillips got his 1,000th career hit with the team with a single in the second inning.
RED SOX: A bullpen meltdown overshadowed a terrible start by RHP Clay Buchholz, who allowed seven runs and eight hits in four innings against the Tigers in his first start since June because of a stress fracture in his back. Buchholz had gone 42 straight starts since the start of 2010 without allowing more than five earned runs.
YANKEES: Manager Joe Girardi said Alex Rodriguez will be the DH tonight at Baltimore and might DH twice during the three-game series. … LHP Andy Pettitte will pitch for Class A Tampa tonight in a 7 p.m. game at Clearwater in his second outing following a one-year retirement.
By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Best pregame
Fox has never had a decent baseball pregame show. In past years, it looked slick with spiffy graphics and sound effects. But there was really no meat on the bone. It was all style and little substance.
That's why it was such a pleasant surprise to see the latest Fox baseball pregame show on Saturday, which was actually very good. Cool highlights, insightful analysis, pertinent interviews and good inside baseball talk highlighted the 30-minute show. What made it work was that Fox smartly brought in the MLB Network guys — host Matt Vasgersian and analysts Harold Reynolds and Kevin Millar. That gave the show plenty of substance to go along with the style.
tom jones' two cents
Tampa Bay Times staff writer Tom Jones looks back at the best and worst from a weekend of televised sports.
Best answer
This column often jumps on Tiger Woods for his boorish behavior in interviews after a bad round. So it's only fair that Woods gets credit for showing a little humor. After shooting 72 on Saturday to fall 12 shots behind the leader, Woods was asked by CBS's Bill Macatee what he needed to do to get his game back in order on Sunday.
"Uh," Woods said, "hit every fairway and every green."
Then he smiled. That's the Tiger most of us would like to see.
Meantime, for those who wonder why Phil Mickelson is often seen as the good guy on the PGA Tour, it's because of this:
I'm not the only one to have noticed this, but during Thursday's ceremonial tee shots at the Masters by Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, who was standing in the background wearing his green jacket some seven hours before his tee time? Mickelson. Know who wasn't there? Tiger.
Three things that popped into my head
1. Here's how the Magic should fix its problems: Fire coach Stan Van Gundy and trade Dwight Howard, right. Fire general manager Otis Smith, too. In other words, blow it all up and start over with players, coaches and executives whom fans can be proud of. Plus, it's not like the current group is close to a championship anyway.
2. Adding this name to my list of all-time favorite sports figures: Boston College hockey coach Jerry York, who showed nothing but class, grace and humility while winning his fifth national championship on Saturday night at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
3. Speaking of the Frozen Four, the NCAA would be nuts to not bring that event back to Tampa Bay in the near future. The Forum and Lightning folks, once again, showed how to run a big event.
Worst ending
The worst thing about the Lightning season ending, other than the team not making the playoffs? We'll have to wait nearly six months to hear announcers Rick Peckham, right, and Bobby "The Chief" Taylor again, as well as intermission and pregame broadcasters Paul Kennedy, Chris Dingman and Dave Andreychuk.
The entire crew hit its stride this season and gave us enjoyable broadcasts even though the Lightning season fell far short of last year's accomplishments.
Best opening weekend
The Rays season was only three innings old Friday and I already had received several emails complaining about television announcers Dewayne Staats and Brian Anderson. Too boring, too offbeat, too this, too that.
Everyone has their own personal tastes and favorites. Put 100 people in a room and give them the name of a broadcaster and you might have 50 people who love that announcer and 50 who can't stand him. No one is right or wrong. It's all personal preference. But I find it hard to understand why anyone has issues with Staats and Anderson.
They inform. They entertain. They explain.
They can be serious yet silly, analytical yet irreverent, emotional and yet objective. Are they perfect? No, but few team broadcasters outside of the Dodgers' Vin Scully are.
The MLB season is a long one, and there will be nights that even I will become tired of hearing Staats and Anderson. That's just the nature of hearing the same two voices night after night for six months. But more nights than not — in fact, I would say almost every night — I'm glad those two are calling Rays games.
Biggest hypocrite
Rangers coach John Tortorella was fined $20,000 by the NHL after he made disparaging comments about the Penguins and stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. He called the Penguins "arrogant" and called Crosby and Malkin "whining stars." Tortorella was fired up after Pens defenseman Brooks Orpik injured the Rangers' Derek Stepan with what Tortorella thought was a dirty hit.
Two things here. I don't think Tortorella should have been fined. It's one thing to criticize the league or officials, but it's another to criticize another team or opposing players. He wasn't threatening them. The league had no business getting involved, and it overreacted by fining Tortorella.
But while Tortorella shouldn't be fined, his comments were disrespectful. The man who once told then-Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock to "shut his yap" needed to take his own advice here. His problem with Hitchcock in 2004 was that Hitchcock was mouthing off to Lightning players even though he wasn't lacing up the skates and facing the players he was verbally attacking. Tortorella was sort of doing the same thing.
In the end, Tortorella accused the Pens of being arrogant and whiners, and he did in such a way that he came off as, well, arrogant and a bit of whiner.
Biggest hypocrite
Rangers coach John Tortorella was fined $20,000 by the NHL after he made disparaging comments about the Penguins and stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. He called the Penguins "arrogant" and called Crosby and Malkin "whining stars." Tortorella was fired up after Pens defenseman Brooks Orpik injured the Rangers Derek Stepan with what Tortorella thought was a dirty hit.
Two things here. I don't think Tortorella should have been fined. It's one thing to criticize the league or officials, but it's another to criticize another team or opposing players. He wasn't threatening them. The league had no business getting involved and it overreacted by fining Tortorella.
But while Tortorella shouldn't be fined, his comments were disrespectful. The man who once told then-Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock to "shut his yap" needed to take his own advice here. His problem with Hitchcock in 2004 was that Hitchcock was mouthing off to Lightning players even though he wasn't lacing up the skates and facing the players he was verbally attacking face to face. Tortorella was sort of doing the same thing.
In the end, Tortorella accused the Pens of being arrogant and whiners, and he did in such a way that he came off as, well, arrogant and a bit of whiner.
Best analyst
I prefer NBC's golf coverage over CBS, but CBS's Nick Faldo is right up there with NBC's Johnny Miller as the best golf analyst in the business. And, Faldo is one of the few golf announcers who isn't afraid to speak his mind when it comes to Tiger Woods.
When asked by CBS Masters' host Jim Nantz, bottom, on Saturday to talk about Woods' game, Faldo, top, quickly said: "He has no game. … We have an old Tiger, and now we have a new Tiger."
Faldo also didn't avoid what is so obvious, yet constantly ignored during golf broadcasts: Woods' personal life crumbled on Thanksgiving 2009, and that has carried over to the golf course. Faldo put it bluntly, "He crashed and burned in his personal life."
As far as CBS's coverage of the Masters, it was solid, but it annoyed me as it does every year. CBS acts as if the Masters is some sort of religious experience. I just want to watch golf, and CBS is constantly trying to act like I'm watching a life-altering event. After a while, all that sappy piano music, hushed tones and relentless, almost Stepford-wife-like praise of the course and the surroundings makes me wish that a loud crash near my house would make me temporarily deaf.
Times wires
Sunday, April 8, 2012
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Bubba Watson started the day by watching the rarest shot in golf. He ended another thrill-a-minute Sunday at Augusta National with a signature shot of his own to win the Masters.
It was a page out of what he calls "Bubba golf." And the mantra of Bubba golf: "If I've got a swing, I've got a shot."
So deep in the trees right off the 10th fairway that he couldn't see the green, Watson hooked a gap wedge off the pine needles from 155 yards to about 10 feet from the hole.
"Hooked it about 40 yards, hit about 15 feet off the ground until it got under the tree and then started rising," Watson said. "Pretty easy."
That led to a par on the par-4 hole, good enough to beat Louis Oosthuizen on the second playoff hole for his first major championship.
"I never got this far in my dreams," said Watson, 33, who lost the 2010 PGA Championship in a three-hole playoff to Martin Kaymer. In his dreams, he was putting for the win. "I just never made the putt."
Oosthuizen (WUHST'-hy-zen) set the tone for a wild day with a double eagle — the fourth in Masters history — on the par-5 second hole when his 4-iron from 253 yards landed on the front of the green and rolled some 90 feet into the hole for a 2.
Oosthuizen, who started the day two shots behind leader Peter Hanson, grabbed the lead with that albatross, but it wasn't enough to hold off Watson, who began the day three back. The Bagdad native birdied four consecutive holes on the back nine for 4-under 68 and a tie with Oosthuizen (69) at 10-under 278 to force a playoff, the 15th in Masters history and the ninth decided by sudden death.
On the first extra hole, No. 18, both had good looks at birdie and missed. On the next hole, Watson hooked his first shot into the trees, and it appeared he would have no shot at reaching the green. Oosthuizen followed, clanged off a Georgia pine and was left with 231 yards to the green. His approach came up short.
That's when Watson, who rarely hits a shot on a straight line, came up with the most magical shot of his life.
"I was there earlier today, during regulation," he said. "So I was used to it. I knew what I was facing there. I had a good lie, had a gap where I had to hook it 40 yards or something. I'm pretty good at hooking it."
Oosthuizen was in the fairway. All he could see was a corridor of fans leading into the woods.
"I had no idea where (Watson) was," said Oosthuizen, 29, the 2010 British Open champion. "Where I stood from, when the ball came out, it looked like a curveball. Unbelievable shot. That shot he hit definitely won him the tournament."
The hard part for Gerry "Bubba" Watson Jr. was holding back tears when it was over.
He was blubbering hard on the 10th green, shoulders heaving and face contorted, for many reasons. Two weeks ago he and his wife, Angie, adopted a 1-month-old boy, Caleb. They were at their Orlando home. The first person to hug him on the green after his caddie was his mother, Mollie; his father died from throat cancer right after the Ryder Cup in 2010.
Friends and colleagues Rickie Fowler, Ben Crane and Aaron Baddeley were among those who followed in the hug line. Watson, his lip trembling and fighting back tears, took time to wave his visor in salute to the crowd.
"I don't play the sport for fame. I don't try to win tournaments for fame," he said. "It's just me. I'm just Bubba. I goof around. I joke around. I just want to be me and play golf."
Watson and Oosthuizen finished two ahead of four players who made their own dramas.
Hanson had two quick bogeys and didn't get a birdie until 15. He closed with 73 for 8-under 280. "It was a pretty tough day," he said.
Phil Mickelson, who began one behind Hanson, recovered from a triple bogey on the par-3 fourth hole but had only two-putt birdies on the two par 5s on the back and shot 72.
Lee Westwood had an 8-foot eagle putt to tie for the lead on the 15th and missed it. His 68 gave him his seventh top-3 major finish since the 2008 U.S. Open. That is the most top-3s by anyone without a win since 1934.
Matt Kuchar tied for the lead with a short eagle putt on the 15th, then bogeyed the 16th and finished with 69.
Tiger Woods, who never got near the top of the leaderboard and finished 5 over, was an interested observer to the end. He used to play practice rounds with Watson at the majors. Woods congratulated him on Twitter: "Fantastic creativity. Now how creative will the champions dinner be next year?"
Times wires
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Rangers 5, White Sox 0
ARLINGTON, Texas — Matt Harrison pitched six scoreless innings and Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre and David Murphy homered for Texas. Hamilton's first homer of the season was a 441-foot blast that landed in the second deck of seats high above the Rangers bullpen in right-centerfield. That led off the sixth inning against Gavin Floyd and put Texas up 4-0 after Harrison had worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the top half.
Times wires
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Mickelson works hard, falls short
Phil Mickelson started the day one shot out of the lead, hoping to finish with a fourth Masters title. But his hopes were effectively dashed by a triple bogey on the par-3 fourth hole.
His tee shot hit a railing near the grandstands and shot into the woods left of the hole. He could have gone back to the tee and played his third shot. "I took the risk of trying to hit it a few times," he said. The left-hander tried to hit two right-handed shots out of the woods before hitting a pitch into a bunker. He hit a great sand shot and had a short putt for 6.
Mickelson still had a shot to win. He birdied the 13th and 15th to get to 8 under. But he finished with three straight pars to finish at par 72 and 8-under 280, two shots behind Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen. Still, Mickelson got his 10th top-5 Masters finish to join Jack Nicklaus (15) and Tiger Woods (10) as the only players with 10 or more.
Garcia gets more pessimistic
After the second round, when he was one shot off the lead, Sergio Garcia, winless in majors, said he didn't know if he was ready to win the Masters. The next day he shot 3-over 75, effectively taking himself out of contention, and the golfer once touted as a rising star capable of winning many majors told Spanish media he didn't think he was good enough to win any major. He didn't back down from that comment Sunday after his 1-under 71 to finish 2 under. "Do you think I lie when I talk?," Garcia said. "Everything I say, I say it because I feel it. If I didn't mean it, I couldn't stand here and lie like a lot of the guys do. If I felt like I could win, I would do it. Unfortunately at the moment, unless I get really lucky in one of the weeks, I can't really play much better than I played this week, and I'm going to finish 13th or 15th." Asked what his game is missing, Garcia, 0-for-54 in majors, said, "Everything."
A few shots at history
For a while, it seemed Louis Oosthuizen had grabbed control of the final round Sunday with a stunning double eagle on the par-5 No. 2. Using a 4-iron on the 575-yard hole, he hit his shot onto the green from 253 yards. He watched the ball take a couple of hops and roll into the back right hole location, a trip that took 15 seconds. Oosthuizen (WUHST'-hy-zen) became the first person to double eagle the hole and the fourth in history to get one in the Masters. With that shot, Oosthuizen went from 7 under to 10 under and into the lead, where he stayed for a little more than three hours. "When something like that happens early in your round, you think that this is it," he said. "That was my first double‑eagle ever. … It was tough the next five holes to just get my head around it and just play the course. "But I felt like I found my rhythm going down 11, and you know, played well in from there." The 2010 British Open champion made one clutch putt after another on the back nine to stay in contention, none more important than a 4-footer on the 18th for 69 to force the playoff with Bubba Watson. Oosthuizen had good look at birdie at No. 18 on the first extra hole. He stroked a 20-foot putt that looked dead center. "I thought it was in," he said. Yet it stayed a hair right, a result that left him crouching with his heads on his hat in regret. On the next hole, No. 10, Oosthuizen drove to the right and left his approach short of the green. He couldn't get up and down and bogeyed, a result he punctuated with a repeat of his reaction at the previous hole. That set up Watson for the win. "I played well," Oosthuizen said. "This is not one I felt like I played badly."
The bidding war that could have been
After Louis Oosthuizen dug out the ball with which he got his double eagle on No. 2, he tossed it into the crowd. It was caught by Wayne Mitchell, 59, of New Tripoli, Pa., who was attending his fifth Masters.
"Actually, the biggest fear I had was that I was going to drop it," said Mitchell, who kept the ball in a zippered pocket of his cargo shorts before returning it to Augusta National officials.
Club officials declined to say what they would do with it.
Double eagles at the Masters
Player Year Round Hole Yardage Club
Gene Sarazen 1935 Fourth 15th 235 yards 4-wood
Bruce Devlin 1967 First 8th 248 yards 4-wood
Jeff Maggert 1994 Fourth 13th 222 yards 3-iron
Louis Oosthuizen 2012 Fourth 2nd 253 yards 4-iron
No green jacket, just green game
Tiger Woods arrived at Augusta National as a favorite to win his fifth green jacket. Instead, his tournament was more like amateur hour.
With 74 in the final round, Woods finished 5-over 293, which matched his worst four-round Masters score. The other one was in 1995, when he was an amateur debuting at Augusta National.
Woods never broke par this time. He failed to post at least one round in the 60s for the first time since 2007. His 75 Friday was his highest score as a professional in the second round. Worse, he was 1 under for the tournament on the par 5s, where he normally collects birdies by the handful.
"It was an off week at the wrong time," he said.
"I didn't hit the ball very good this week. What's frustrating is I know what to do, and I just don't do it. … I just need more reps."
Asked if he thought he was past that point after his win last month in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando, Woods said no.
"With all the different changes I've made in my game over the years, you're never past it."
Also-rans hole of the day
Two aces were recorded at the par-3 16th, by Bo Van Pelt and Adam Scott. That brought the total to 15 aces at that hole in Masters history.
Compiled from Times wires, ESPN.com, PGATour.com and CBSSports.com.
Bo goes low
Bo Van Pelt, who failed to break par in the first three rounds, tied for the lowest final round in Masters history with his 8-under 64.
"We'd all like to pick and choose when we have a good round, but we don't get to do that," said Van Pelt, who finished 1-under 287. "So you've just got to keep trying to do the same things week in and week out, trying to get better, and then some days you shoot 64 on the first day and you don't end up winning the golf tournament."
Van Pelt's round included birdies at the 5th, 8th, 14th and 18th holes, an eagle at the par-5 13th, and an ace at the 16th using a 6-iron.
Lowest final Masters rounds
Score Player Year Finish
64 Maurice Bembridge 1974 Tied for 9th
64 Hale Irwin 1975 Tied for 4th
64 Gary Player 1978 Winner
64 Greg Norman 1988 Tied for 5th
64 David Toms 1998 Tied for 5th
64 Bo Van Pelt 2012 Tied for 17th
By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 9, 2012
TAMPA — For the second year in a row, USF's defense will enter the season with three starter-quality safeties vying for playing time, and St. Petersburg's JaQuez Jenkins is making a strong case this spring for a larger role in the fall.
"I've really been impressed with Jenkins," coach Skip Holtz said after Friday's first spring scrimmage. "He gives us that free safety we haven't had here, tall, lanky, athletic, can cover a lot of ground at the safety position. (He) had a great interception early in the scrimmage, coming across, made a great, athletic play in the middle. We've played a lot of three-deep, but we have not had a free safety in the middle of the field like JaQuez Jenkins. He's opening a lot of people's eyes."
Jenkins, who was best known at Lakewood as a quarterback, made a splash as a redshirt sophomore last fall despite being limited by a hamstring injury. He had four tackles and an interception in his first career start against Cincinnati, then added an interception he returned for a touchdown in USF's final game against West Virginia. Both big plays came in games the Bulls lost in the final minute, a scenario he hopes USF can avoid this fall with a stronger defense.
"Coming into the spring, we wanted to set the tone from Day 1," the 6-foot-2, 189-pound junior said of the mind set this spring. "I felt like a lot of the games we may have lost in the fourth quarter were put on the defense. We didn't want any of those losses to happen again, and definitely didn't want it to be on the defensive side of the ball."
Jenkins, who totaled 13 tackles last season, intercepted a Bobby Eveld pass across the middle on the No. 1 defense's first play in Friday's scrimmage, then just missed a pair of easy touchdowns, jumping quick routes to get a hand on the ball as he did for his touchdown against the Mountaineers.
"That's the reason I think I dropped it," Jenkins said of the missed opportunity. "I was thinking about West Virginia all over again. … It's just reading the quarterback's eyes."
The Bulls return a two-year starter in strong safety Jon Lejiste, but he's missed most of spring with a wrist injury, putting Jenkins on the first team with another likely first-year starter in junior Mark Joyce. A year ago, Jenkins was shifted away from his natural position to provide depth at cornerback, but he's back at safety now, knowing he'll at least be playing often in a three-player rotation there. He's also a good fit for USF's nickel defense, where a fifth defensive back replaces a linebacker in likely passing downs.
"(He's) playing with a lot of confidence, playing with an attitude right now, really doing some good things," Holtz said.
USF will be replacing two multi-year starters in corner Quenton Washington and safety Jerrell Young, but the Bulls hope for improved play in the secondary, with key players like Jenkins stepping up this fall.
"We're trying to make a statement as a defense as a whole," Jenkins said. "We're all fighting for positions, but we're fighting to be the No. 1 defense in the nation. We came out with that mind set that we want to be nothing short of great."
By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 9, 2012
Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos said Monday he has been dealing with a left shoulder injury that might be serious enough that it keeps him out of next month's World Championships.
The injury will not require surgery, both Stamkos and general manager Steve Yzerman said. Even so, Stamkos will undergo an MRI exam Monday as a precaution.
Stamkos has never missed an NHL game because of injury in his four-year career, though he admitted the shoulder almost kept him out of the March 10 home game against the Hurricanes.
By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 9, 2012
Linebacker Ronald Powell limped off the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in the second quarter of Saturday's Orange and Blue scrimmage game and never returned.
Afterwards, Florida Gators coach Will Muschamp said his understanding was that the injury was just a knee sprain.
Turns out, it was much, much worse.
An MRI revealed Powell has a torn ACL in his left knee and will miss 4-6 months.
"Ronald is in good spirits and is very eager to do whatever is necessary to have a healthy, speedy recovery," Muschamp said Monday. "He has already started with prehab and once the swelling goes down and he regains his range of motion, he will have the surgery."
Powell started 12 games last season, and had 32 tackles and a team-leading six sacks and nine tackles-for-loss.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 9, 2012
DETROIT — Rookie left-hander Matt Moore is going to pitch very good games this season for the Rays. There will be times when he dominates from the start, blows away hitters with his easy-looking fastball, looks every bit like the whiz kid who came up at the end of last season, tearing through the Red Sox, the Yankees and, in the playoff opener, the Rangers.
It might even happen this afternoon, when he makes his 2012 debut against the hot-swinging Tigers at chilly Comerica Park.
But there also will be games when Moore doesn't dazzle, when he may look very much like a 22-year-old in his first extended big-league action, when he can't throw strikes, when he gets hit early and often. And facing Miguel Cabrera and Price Fielder back-to-back a few times today may not be the best place to start.
"I know it's not going to be easy," Moore said. "Last year, the small time that I had obviously went well. And I know it's not going to be like that. I'm expecting to have to make adjustments this season for sure."
And it's how he handles those struggles that will determine how successful he really is.
"It's going to happen for him at some point, and he has to learn how to get back on track. I feel like that's the toughest part," said starter David Price, who preceded Moore on the phenom track.
"Once you start rolling down that hill, you've got to find a way to stop it. And it's not easy. Every team you face is tough. They know when you're not throwing well. They've seen your past couple starts. The toughest part is when you start to lose it a little bit to get back on top, to find out what you're doing wrong and correct it."
The Rays are confident Moore will be able to adjust, not just because of his talent but because they believe he has the poise, the maturity and the intelligence. Manager Joe Maddon said a player in this position has to be physically, emotionally and mentally ready, and they feel Moore stands apart in all three areas.
"He's an anomaly guy," Maddon said.
"Very mature, well beyond his years," said staff ace James Shields. "There's going to be some times during the season when we're going to have some talks about adversity and some of the things that go on. But he's very receptive. He's very coachable. And he's a good pitcher on top of it. He has all the qualities to be successful."
Moore hasn't always had it easy, which should make it easier to traverse the inevitable ups and downs during his anticipated 33 starts this season.
He was a repeater at rookie-level Princeton (W. Va) in his second pro season after debuting there as an eighth-round pick in 2007. He began the 2010 season at advanced Class A Charlotte, going 0-7 with a 6.63 ERA through his first 11 starts, but then went 6-4, 1.39 and says now that's when he learned, working with pitching coach Neil Allen, what weapons he had and how to make the requisite adjustments to win.
"If you ask any pitcher, when they've got their good stuff and they're controlling it, they can get a lot of guys out in a row," Moore said. "It's a matter of can you get the ball in and out? How's your stuff? If it's not sharp, what are you going to do with it? Those are the adjustments, when you don't have the best stuff you want, that's what I'm talking about."
Just to be opening this season in the big leagues is something of an accomplishment.
"That's pretty incredible," Maddon said. "That just speaks to him. You can talk about development all you want — that's about a player. That's about a unique talent more than anything."
After an offseason and spring of grand expectations, fame and fortune (a long-term deal guaranteeing him $14 million over five years and up to $40 million over eight), Moore is eager to get started. His parents and a half-dozen other relatives will be in the stands today when he walks up the mound.
His manager is confident he is up to the challenge, that "his stuff pitches against the best" and "they're pretty good but I don't think that's going to bother him."
Said Moore: "I'm excited."
Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@tampabay.com.
By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 9, 2012
After one season as an assistant coach with the Florida Gators' Billy Donovan, Norm Roberts has left the staff for a position at Kansas.
Roberts will replace former Kansas assistant Danny Manning, who left the staff after the Jayhawks' loss to Kentucky in the national title game to become head coach at Tulsa.
Roberts, 45, is very familiar with Kansas head coach Bill Self. He previously worked as Self's assistant at Oral Roberts, Tulsa, Illinois and Kansas in 2003-04, where he was associate head coach. He left the program to take over as head coach at St. John's. Roberts was fired at the end of the 2009-10 season after going 81-101 in six seasons at St. John's. Donovan hired him last April.
"Norm Roberts did a great job on our staff the past year here at Florida," Donovan said. "I have a lot of respect for the Kansas program and Bill Self, and I know this is a great opportunity for Norm and his family to all be together."
Roberts' son, Niko, just completed his sophomore season as a preferred walk-on with the Jayhawks.
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 9, 2012
As the Rays begin a nine-game, three-city road trip today, they'll also have to make sure their alarms are set earlier to prepare for a stretch of seven consecutive day games.
"Get your rest boys," manager Joe Maddon quipped.
It's a unique situation, with Tampa Bay not playing under the lights until April 17 in Toronto. Part of the reason is that the Rays will be visitors for both the Red Sox home opener on Friday and the 11:05 a.m. Boston marathon day, or Patriot's Day, on Monday.
"I think it's good," RHP Jeff Niemann said. "Just coming out of spring training, everyone is still getting up early. I'd rather have them now than in the middle of the season. As long as it's not cold, you can deal with the day games."
The Rays have won their first two day games of the season, including Friday's opener, and were 14-12 in matinees last year.
1B Carlos Peña, who played his share of day games with the Cubs last season, said that though it's never easy to go from night to day game, the fact that there are so many early games in a row is helpful.
"At least we have a string of games that are day games where you could kind of try to find a nice rhythm and get nice little rest patterns going, at least for the first week and a half," Peña said. "And that's a challenge."
TOUGH TASK: The Rays will get their first look today at the Tigers' new one-two punch of slugging 1B Prince Fielder and 3B Miguel Cabrera in the heart of the order. Fielder, who signed a nine-year, $214 million deal this offseason, presents an enormous challenge, according to RHP Jeff Niemann.
"At any point in the game, he's a guy that can put the ball into the seats and do some damage," said Niemann, who starts Thursday. "That's what makes him so good, he's a threat at all times."
Fielder, a left-handed hitter who racked up at least 32 homers in each of the past five seasons, is also disciplined and "knows what you're trying to do," Niemann said.
"For a guy who is a real power guy, he doesn't have as much of a hole in his swing," said RHP Burke Badenhop, who has held Fielder to 1-for-7 in his career. "And he can drive the ball to left-center just as well as he can pull the ball out of the park."
WELCOME BACK: RHP Fernando Rodney will return to a place he knows very well, having spent his first 12 professional seasons with the Tigers organization that drafted him, saving 37 games for the club in 2009.
"I have good memories with the Tigers," Rodney said. "That's my first team, they gave me the opportunity, and I'm happy with that."
Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.
By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, April 9, 2012
TAMPA — What kind of a summer does Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman face?
"It's huge," coach Guy Boucher said. "Everybody knows it's huge."
For pretty much one reason: Yzerman must find a No. 1 goaltender.
Asked where that is on his to-do-list, Yzerman chuckled.
"We'll look at ways to improve our team," he said Monday at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. "We'll take a couple of weeks to consider our options and make some plans at that time."
One thing is sure, the Lightning cannot go another season with the league's worst goals-against average (3.34) and save percentage (.889).
Also assume this: Yzerman would love to acquire Vancouver's Cory Schneider.
It is a big if as the Canucks likely are more inclined to trade Roberto Luongo, though given his 12-year, $64 million contract that is a non-starter.
Schneider also is a potential restricted free agent, so acquiring him would mean a trade. And he will be high in demand, so the price will be high.
Good thing Yzerman has two first-round choices in the June draft and up to four second rounders to help construct a deal.
Because the organization lacks depth at the NHL level, Yzerman, speaking generally, acknowledged any big trade likely will include high-end prospects.
"You have to pay something that's going to be significant," he said.
Players will be watching, particularly Marty St. Louis who turns 37 in June.
"As you get older you want a whack at the playoffs and games in late May and early June and I think Steve knows that," St. Louis said. "If I didn't believe we could be playing those games next year, maybe I'd think about playing somewhere else.
"But I fully believe we can be in the battle next June because I know what Steve can bring. So, I'm optimistic … and we'll see where the summer goes."
Why is Schneider the first choice? Because he fits the criteria Yzerman wants for his No. 1.
He is young (26 in March), so he can grow with Tampa Bay's young stars. Though a backup, he has been in the NHL two full seasons so he understands what it takes to be in the league. And he is successful: 38-17-4 in 68 games with a 2.24 GAA and .928 save percentage.
Plan B might be Los Angeles' Jonathan Bernier or Nashville's Anders Lindback. Given what is available in free agency, do not expect Yzerman to go that route.
Mathieu Garon has one more year on his contract, but his best role is as a backup.
"We'll definitely be watching," captain Vinny Lecavalier said. "(Yzerman) knows what he's doing. I'm not worried where this organization is going."
"We don't have a plan as of yet," Yzerman said. "Once the playoffs are over, we'll see what's out there and who's looking for what. At the end of the day, if there's not deal that makes sense, we have two (first-round draft choices) and possibly four seconds."
Not quite the same as a No. 1 goalie.
Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@tampabay.com.
