By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Greg Schiano regime has claimed its first casualty.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have cut safety Tanard Jackson for a failed physical, general manager Mark Dominik announced this morning.

Dominik said the Bucs weren't happy with Jackson's growth on and off the field.

"What's important to us as an organization is the growth of our football players and how they handle (things) on and off the field to become the best Buccaneer possible,'' Dominik said while meeting with reporters this morning at One Buc Place. "And that's what we're looking for.''

Jackson, 26, was shocked by his release but said he has no hard feelings toward the organization that stood by him through a series of suspensions.

"I was a little shocked, but the person I am, I accept how it comes,'' Jackson told the Times. "I realize it's a business. It's hard to be too upset with the decision because of what I've been through, and I have no hard feelings toward the organization and wish them the best.''

Reporters were summoned by Dominik to attend a 10:30 a.m. meeting and were not told of the transaction until arriving.

"As an organization, we've decided to terminate, failed physical, Tanard Jackson,'' Dominik said. "It's a decision we decided to make for the football team and just for our organization. We obviously talked to Tanard today and wished him the best on his future endeavors and with his next organization. But it's something we felt we wanted to do as an organization and needed to do.''

Dominik said he was unaware of any positive test for a banned substance or impending penalties from the league office.

"It's all about becoming the best Buccaneer possible,'' Dominik said. "That's what growth is. And we want this football team to accelerate. That's what it's about.''

Dominik said Jackson had shoulder surgery in the off-season and is expected to be ready to return to action by June. But Jackson had not handled his rehabilitation to the Buccaneers satisfaction.

Jackson said he has been playing with a bad shoulder since his 2009 and last season continued to perform despite having a torn rotator cuff and two hamstring strains. He had surgery in January and is expected to be cleared to resume playing football June 1.

"Man, my shoulder's been injured since '09 and it's something that I put off and I played through a series of injuries,'' Jackson said. "Not to make excuses for the way I played, but I had a lot of injuries last year, two bad hamstrings and a torn rotator cuff. My body feels good right now. Obviously, there's more work to do, but I'll be ready to play football.''

Jackson said he was unaware that the Bucs were unhappy with his decision not to rehab in Tampa Bay or that it ultimately led to his release Tuesday.

"I really don't know, maybe it was because I wasn't doing rehab here in Tampa after surgery but doing it in New Orleans with trainers up there,'' Jackson said. "They just said they were going in a different direction. That's the way it was given to me.''

Jackson was suspended for the first four games of 2009 for a second violation of the league's substance abuse policy. After playing two games in 2010, he was suspended indefinitely by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Upon being reinstated last October, the Bucs welcomed Jackson back and he started the next game at safety against the Saints, recording an interception and five solo tackles.

Jackson strained a hamstring returning an interception 43 yards in a 24-18 loss to the Bears the next week and had to leave the game. He finished the season with 35 tackles and two interceptions.

Jackson was a fourth-round pick out of Syracuse in 2007.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

TAMPA — After missing 56 weeks serving his second suspension from the NFL, safety Tanard Jackson carried the Buccaneers flag out of the tunnel during introductions as a starter against the Saints in October, just days after being re-signed.

He recorded two interceptions in as many games and got a two-year contract extension.

But Tuesday, it became apparent that Jackson isn't the kind of player that new coach Greg Schiano wants as a symbol of his regime.

The Bucs released Jackson Tuesday morning, claiming a failed physical as the official reason for terminating his contract.

Jackson, who played the 2011 season with a torn rotator cuff and strains in both hamstrings, had shoulder surgery three months ago and should be cleared to play June 1.

But general manager Mark Dominik said the Bucs weren't happy with Jackson's growth on and off the field.

Jackson missed the first week of the voluntary offseason program and said he had been rehabbing his injured shoulder in Maryland and New Orleans.

"What's important to us as an organization is the growth of our football players and how they handle (things) on and off the field to become the best Buccaneer possible," Dominik said Tuesday. "And that's what we're looking for."

Jackson, 26, was shocked by his release but said he has no hard feelings toward the organization that stood by him through a series of suspensions.

"I was a little shocked, but the person I am, I accept how it comes," he told the Tampa Bay Times. "I realize it's a business. It's hard to be too upset with the decision because of what I've been through, and I have no hard feelings toward the organization and wish them the best."

Jackson was suspended for the first four games of 2009 for a second violation of the league's substance abuse policy. After playing two games in 2010, he was suspended indefinitely by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Upon being reinstated last October, the Bucs welcomed Jackson back and he started the next game at safety against the Saints, recording an interception and five solo tackles.

Jackson strained a hamstring returning an interception in a loss to the Bears the next week and left the game. He finished the season with 35 tackles and two interceptions.

Dominik said he was unaware of any positive test for a banned substance or impending penalties from the league office.

"It's all about becoming the best Buccaneer possible," Dominik said. "That's what growth is. And we want this football team to accelerate."

Jackson said he has been playing with a bad shoulder since 2009, and last season continued to perform through other injuries.

"Man, my shoulder's been injured since '09 and it's something that I put off and I played through a series of injuries," Jackson said. "Not to make excuses for the way I played, but I had a lot of injuries last year. My body feels good right now. Obviously, there's more work to do, but I'll be ready to play football."

Jackson said he was unaware that the Bucs were unhappy with his decision not to rehab in Tampa Bay.

"I really don't know," Jackson said. "They just said they were going in a different direction."

Now, the only safeties are Cody Grimm, Ahmad Black, Devin Holland and Larry Asante. Only Grimm has started a regular-season NFL game.

The highest-rated safety in a draft shallow at the position is likely Alabama's Mark Barron, projected as a late first-rounder.

Schiano came to the Bucs embracing his reputation as a disciplinarian but saying every player would have a clean slate. But Jackson's fresh start will have to come with another team.

"We obviously talked to Tanard and wished him the best on his future endeavors and with his next organization," Dominik said. "But it's something we felt we wanted to do as an organization and needed to do."

Reports: Parcells says no to Saints job

NEW ORLEANS — Bill Parcells told the Saints that he will not replace Sean Payton as interim coach, according to multiple reports.

Parcells prefers to remain retired and not replace his protege and friend, Sean Payton, who will serve a season-long suspension for his role in a bounty system, the reports said.

Saints spokesman Greg Bensel declined Tuesday to confirm Parcells has been ruled out, saying the team "has nothing to report" concerning the search for an interim coach.

Parcells' agent, Jimmy Sexton, also declined comment.

If the Saints select a replacement from their existing staff, the leading candidates are: assistant head coach Joe Vitt, who will serve a six-game suspension; offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr.; offensive line coach Aaron Kromer; new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Parcells turns 71 in August. His last coaching job was in 2006 with the Cowboys.

smith stays with panthers: Five-time Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith agreed to a three-year extension that will keep him with Carolina through the 2015 season. The deal is worth a reported $18 million in guaranteed money. Smith, who turns 33 next month, said the opportunity to retire as a Panther was "extremely special.''

romo a father: Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo became a father for the first time when his wife, Candice Crawford Romo, delivered 8-pound, 8-ounce Hawkins Crawford Romo on Monday.

steelers: Tight end Leonard Pope, 28, signed a one-year deal and will compete to back up Heath Miller.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Rays minor-league pitcher Matt Bush got in a hit-and-run accident three hours before police arrested him in North Port in March on charges of a second DUI hit-and-run crash involving a motorcycle, according to Venice Police records.

Bush, 26, is in Charlotte County jail facing seven charges stemming from his North Port crash, which occurred around 5 p.m. and resulted in serious injuries to 72-year-old motorcyclist Tony Tufano. When arrested, Bush told police he also hit a pole earlier that day in Sarasota, but he didn't mention another crash in Venice that happened first.

According to a Venice police department report, at around 2:20 p.m., Bush attempted to make an illegal U-turn, and he sideswiped a vehicle owned by Nelson Chaffee, a 70-year-old from Massachusetts who had stopped at a red light on SR 45A northbound.

The report states Bush fled the scene on a U.S. 41 bypass. The Venice Police department issued an "attempt to locate" order on Bush's vehicle, based on information given by the victims, which described the driver as a "dark-skinned male in his 20s wearing a hat and driving a black SUV" and included several numbers off the Maryland license tag.

Bush was driving the Dodge Durango of a Rays teammate, minor-leaguer Brandon Guyer.

Chaffee was driving his Jeep Cherokee with his wife, Judy, in the passenger seat, he told the Tampa Bay Times, when he was going north on U.S. 41 and saw Bush's SUV — which he estimated was going 70 mph (in the 35 mph speed zone) — "nearly hit a car in the right lane" before pulling into a left turn lane at the intersection at Venice Avenue. Chaffee said he pulled up next to Bush, looked at him then looked straight ahead and waited for the light to change.

When Bush's light changed, Chaffee said, Bush backed up and angled his car directly at his, hitting the rear door before making the illegal U-turn and going southbound on U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail).

Chaffee, who spends the winters in Florida, said neither he nor his wife was hurt and that they just had to replace the rear door.

"I must have angered him," Chaffee said.

Just more than an hour later, around 3:30 p.m., the Sarasota County Sheriff's office advised Venice police that the State College of Florida just had a hit-and-run that involved the Durango, which fled the scene southbound after hitting a light pole at 8000 Tamiami Trail. The Sheriff's office filed a non-arrest complaint for leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, saying the "light pole had been struck on the campus near the roadway, the light pole was cut in half and there was still multiple black pieces of a vehicle lying on the ground from the impact."

At 5 p.m. Bush was driving the Durango when he hit Tufano's motorcycle and fled the scene, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. With the help of deputies and a helicopter, Bush was located shortly after the accident and arrested. According to FHP, Bush had a blood alcohol percentage of .180, more than twice the level at which Florida presumes that a driver is impaired.

Bush, who has since been put on the restricted list by the Rays, is in Charlotte County jail on $1.015 million bond. The Tufano family has filed a civil lawsuit against Bush and Guyer for $5 million each for damages and pain and suffering resulting in the crash.

Tufano has been moved out of the intensive care unit at Lee Memorial Hospital and is improving, with the possibility he would get released Tuesday night, according to daughter in law Shannon Moore.

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

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

DETROIT — No matter how Rays manager Joe Maddon looked at it, the choices weren't particularly good.

Tied at 2 into the eighth inning Tuesday, with starter Matt Moore out of the game and Detroit's dynamic duo of Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, harmless to that point, coming up for a fourth time, Maddon had to pick a weapon from his bullpen.

Rather than go traditional with a right-hander against the righty-swinging Cabrera, Maddon opted to stick with hard-throwing lefty Jake McGee, who had finished the seventh after Moore allowed a tying homer.

For the first five pitches (strike-strike-ball-ball-foul) it looked, like most other things Maddon touches, as if it might just work.

But then Cabrera doubled off the right-centerfield wall. Fielder singled him in. And the Tigers quickly tacked on two more runs, ending the Rays' season-opening run at three games, with a 5-2 victory on a cold, snowy afternoon at half-filled Comerica Park.

"There's really no pitcher you like against Cabrera. He doesn't know right- from left-handed pitchers; he hits everybody," Maddon said. "I liked Jake's velocity, actually, against him a lot. It was kind of working out to the point he hit the ball off the wall. That's just who he is. I did like the left-handed velocity; he just foiled the plan.

"To me, you pick your poison. It's a bad example of Sophie's choice. I mean, what do you do right there? I thought it might have been the best weapon; that might have been the best chance to get him to mis-hit or swing and miss right there. Because you don't fool him easily."

McGee said he wasn't surprised to get the opportunity (ahead of Joel Peralta or Fernando Rodney) and liked the matchup, he just failed to execute the final pitch to Cabrera, throwing it hard enough (96 mph) but not far enough off the plate.

"I was trying to go a little more up and a little more away with it," McGee said. "I knew he was behind on my fastball quite a bit. It almost seemed like he didn't take a full swing, just went with the ball and hit it in the gap."

After a ball in, McGee was similarly trying to work the lefty-swinging Fielder away, banking on a ground ball out that at most would move Cabrera to third (which was why Maddon didn't walk him, and bring up Delmon Young). But Fielder was strong enough to hit it hard just to the right of second, the Rays, who were shifting extensively much of the game, playing him relatively straight up based on the count.

"Everybody talks about home runs, but those guys are good hitters," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "(Cabrera) didn't try to do too much, he almost hit it out to the opposite field. Prince didn't try to do too much against a tough lefty throwing 97, just put a nice stroke on the ball. Base hits are golden."

The Rays (3-1) were only in that position to start the eighth because Moore, the 22-year-old rookie, couldn't finish the seventh. At least that way, Maddon said, McGee would have opened the eighth against lefty Brennan Boesch and, under Maddon's theory, faced Cabrera with one out and had more freedom against Fielder.

But once Moore gave up the two-out tying homer to Austin Jackson on his 106th and final pitch, Maddon's decision became more difficult.

"It was all set up," Maddon said. "The part that foiled the plan was Jackson's homer."

Well, that, and McGee's pitches.

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

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos had a "clean" MRI on his injured left shoulder, the team said, but still will skip this year's world championships.

Stamkos on Monday acknowledged what had been suspected: that he had been dealing with some sort of injury. He even said the shoulder "bugged" him enough that he almost missed the March 10 game with the Hurricanes. Stamkos, 22 has not missed an NHL game because of injury in his four-year NHL career.

Despite the injury with which Stamkos played for almost a month, he became part of NHL history when he became just the 20th player to reach 60 goals in a season and only the second to do it in the past 15 seasons. His 97 points also are a career high.

Stamkos said he takes "a lot of pride" in the fact he has not missed a game due to injury.

"That's why you work hard in the summer and take care of your body the best you can during the season," he said. "It's playing through stuff, sometimes, as well."

This will be Stamkos' first long summer in a while. He played for Canada in the world championship in 2009 and 2010, and last season the Lightning's long playoff run went until late May.

"You get kind of behind working out a little bit," he said. "Sometimes you need a rest."

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

TAMPA — USF softball coach Ken Eriksen is an old-school baseball guy at heart, so in describing sophomore lefty ace Sara Nevins, he points to 1970s standouts Tom Seaver and Ron Guidry, then on a more personal level, Bill "Spaceman" Lee.

There is the utter dominance and confidence, the cool presence in any pitching situation, and in Lee's case, a wonderful goofiness off the field.

"Sara's a happy-go-lucky lefty," Eriksen said. "There are things she does like every 20-year-old kid. Remember, this is a game that kids play. Spaceman comes to mind. She's not way out there, but she has a great sense of humor, gets along with everybody. She's one to laugh along with everyone."

In compiling a 22-2 record and a Division I-leading 0.60 ERA while helping USF to a 36-5 mark, the 6-foot Nevins has nonchalantly rendered batters irrelevant, which is fitting given that her pitching mind-set doesn't really include them in her thoughts.

"I guess I don't really think about anything. Emotionless, I guess? Carefree? Whatever the words are," the Pinellas Park graduate said Monday before a practice. "I don't really pay attention to the batters. I don't look the batters in the face or do anything like that."

Ask Nevins her favorite outing this season — there's the six-inning no-hitter against Central Connecticut State, the 14-strikeout perfect game against Toledo the next day, wins against Florida and Florida State, a 16-strikeout no-hitter against Pittsburgh — and she can think of one, but it's really just a collection of pitches against an anonymous opponent.

"I forgot the name of the team. I don't remember. It was here," she says from the home dugout of the Bulls' new softball stadium, where she is expected to pitch today when USF plays a doubleheader against Providence. "There wasn't that many hits. I'm not sure, actually. … There was also a game that I was really proud we won. It was like a big team."

That's not a show of disrespect from Nevins so much as an indication of what's important to her: her teammates and their success, regardless of who they're playing. She was the Tampa Bay Times' Pinellas County pitcher of the year in 2010 after amassing 1,160 career strikeouts, having committed to USF as a high school sophomore, two years after she saw her first Bulls game with her father, Joseph, who doesn't miss a game.

"I just fell in love with the school, I guess," said Nevins, who has been Big East pitcher of the week five weeks in a row. "Especially that we have the stadium now, everything has worked out. It's amazing here."

She holds opponents to a .163 batting average, and when she is a jam, you won't notice a drop of sweat on her brow or even the tiniest change in her demeanor as she gets a signal from catcher Laura Fountain.

"She's unflappable," Eriksen said. "Tough situations, runners in scoring position, winning runs and tying runs on, and it's an everyday stroll at the park for her. It's uncanny."

Fountain will go the pitching circle before an inning, remind Nevins that the top of the order is due up — "be smart, be smart," she'll say — then remember that the sophomore knows, and isn't fazed by that.

"She's very carefree, but she's very together when she's in there," Fountain said. "It's incredible. That's what makes her great. You can be in the most pressure situation you could be faced with, and for her, it's just another pitch. When you're able to do that and not worry about the pressure situations, you can thrive."

With a top-20 national ranking and a 9-0 start in Big East play, the Bulls are poised to play in an NCAA regional and host postseason games, with a shot at the College World Series in Oklahoma City. It's something else that Nevins is aware of but not making a big deal out of just yet.

"We want to go really far, but Coach always says to work it one game at a time, even each practice at a time, to not think ahead. As long as we keep doing that, I'm pretty sure everything will work out in our favor."

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

GAINESVILLE — In all honesty, Florida tennis players Joanna Mather and Allie Will had no idea about "the streak" when the season began. Neither did most of their teammates.

But when the Gators defeated Vanderbilt 6-1 on March 9, it marked a milestone 100th consecutive home victory. The celebration? A team photo behind a batch of tennis balls that formed No. 100, and then plans to get ready for the next opponent.

"Honestly we really don't talk about it, said Mather, the team's only senior. "We didn't even know that we had a chance to get a 100-match streak until the day before or something like that. But I think we all do a great job of focusing on what we can control on the court. And we all have such pride in our tennis, we're more worried about the things we can do on the court rather than the outcome of the match."

What they have done on the court is win.

The No. 2 Gators are 17-1 and extended the homecourt win streak to 105, the longest active home win streak in Division I by a women's team in any sport. The last home loss was May 2004 in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Miami, 4-3. Not counting the postseason, UF's regular-season home win streak is 112, dating to a 4-3 loss to Georgia in April 2002.

Which is precisely why nobody is talking.

"We can't talk about it; I think that would be the kiss of death," said coach Roland Thornqvist, who is in his 11th season with the Gators. "We try to play good tennis every time we play. Looking at the number, maybe that would really get in our way, so we try not to talk about it. It's much better for us to spend time and energy on things we can control. How we compete, what we do in practice, and then trying to apply that."

In their quest to repeat as national champions, the Gators have already dominated in the SEC. Florida is 10-0 in conference play (178-1 all time at home in SEC play) and has clinched a share of the SEC regular-season title. A win Saturday against South Carolina would give Florida the title outright, and a third consecutive undefeated conference season.

"This team is really competitive, and every time we go out we're trying to get better," said Will, the top Division I No. 1 singles player. "We're not really thinking about records or anything; we're always focusing on May because we want to be playing our best tennis in May."

Last year, it was the Gators' stunning upset of Stanford that won them the national title. This season, it was a bitter 5-2 loss to Stanford in February that shook the Gators up, then set them on the current path toward another title shot.

"In the beginning of the spring, we played too much thinking of last year," Thornqvist said. "It was to defend; it was to up last year. And our heads were not where they needed to be, frankly. And going into Stanford, we were beating teams but nobody was happy because last year we won that match 6-3, 6-3 and this year we won 6-4, 6-4, so nobody was happy. I think the loss to Stanford sobered us up. We figured out real quick that you have to be tough, you have to be resilient, you have to be fit, you have to play together. And that success this year really has nothing to do with last year. We have to build that entire pyramid from the foundation up just like we did last year. And after Stanford we started to put the right pieces together. And right now our heads are right where they need to be."

Antonya English can be reached at english@tampabay.com.

Capt. Tim Whitfield, Special to the Times
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Looking good: The east side of Tampa Bay has been pretty good, with numerous species roaming the waters in search of a meal. That said, have a plan A, B, C and D because you just never know when a sure thing will wind up a dud.

Make a plan: On a recent trip the plan was to bend the rods, and I have been on a really good and fast-paced mackerel bite, with my crew consisting of three elementary school kids on spring break, and I had the perfect plan.

Well, you know what they say. The mackerel were on fire for all of 45 minutes, then done. We drifted some flats looking for trout to no avail. Drifting and working the mullet schools wasn't panning out, so we made our way over to an area I had done really well at earlier in the week on snook and redfish. First bait in the water — and wham — redfish.

Follow the mullet: This continued for the next two hours. Redfish, snook, massive trout, the bite would die off and we would move in farther as the mullet followed the incoming tide, then it would start over again.

Mackerel: The kids impressed me with their patience, and willingness to stalk the fish. I had no intentions of fishing for snook and reds, but the plans changed when the mackerel refused to cooperate any longer. I know mackerel are not the "designer" fish like snook and redfish, but they are great for novice anglers, or those who just want to catch a lot of fish, and as the spring turns to summer, they will be an excellent adversary.

By Dave Walker, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

What's hot: With the exception of a few days, we've had mellow breezes vs. the usually relentless winds of April. Most species have been cooperative lately, especially large schools of sizable Spanish mackerel. Fish in the 5-pound range are being caught in Tampa Bay from the Sunshine Skyway bridge to the Gandy Bridge. These toothy fish are quite easy to catch, making them ideal for dinner and a fun time for kids.

Technique: Mackerel have sharp teeth, so use a hook with a long shank to help prevent a "bite off." Some anglers use a single-strand wire leader to keep the fish from biting through, but because of their keen eyesight, a mono leader with a longer hook will trigger more strikes.

Tip: Small, shiny silver spoons will catch Spanish mackerel if artificial lures are used, but they love live baits, such as scaled sardines, greenbacks or shrimp. If chummed up with chunks of fish, they will hit cut bait.

Best fresh: Some say mackerel are oily or "fishy." But if they are iced thoroughly and cooked the same day, they are splendid on a broiling pan or in the smokehouse.

Dave Walker charters out of Tampa and can be reached at (813) 310-6531 or snookfish.com.

Times wires
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Dodgers 2, Pirates 1

LOS ANGELES — Andre Ethier hit a tiebreaking homer with two outs in the eighth inning, lifting Los Angeles in its home opener. Exactly 50 years after Dodger Stadium opened, Ethier hit a solo shot on his 30th birthday, a drive into the rightfield stands off Jason Grilli. Ethier emerged from the dugout after his second homer of the season for a curtain call from the robust crowd of 56,000. The Dodgers are 4-1 in their first season since resolving Frank McCourt's messy ownership tenure.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Rays at Tigers

When/where: 1:05 p.m. today; Comerica Park, Detroit.

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

Probable pitchers

RAYS:

RHP James Shields (0-0, 10.80)

TIGERS:

RHP Justin Verlander (0-0, 0.00)

Watch for …

Bounce back: Shields said he feels better after slight mechanical adjustments following his rough opening day performance. He is 4-0, 3.74 in seven starts vs. the Tigers, the only team he hasn't lost to.

Encore performance: Verlander, who won the AL Cy Young and MVP awards, started strong, with eight shutout innings vs. the Red Sox. He is 6-10, 3.60 in 10 starts vs. the Rays, allowing a .240 average.

Key matchups

Rays vs. Verlander

Matt Joyce 6-for-11, 2 HRs

Evan Longoria 6-for-21, HR

Carlos Peña 5-for-16, HR

Tigers vs. Shields

M. Cabrera 8-for-19, HR

J. Peralta8-for-16, 3 HRs

R. Santiago 5-for-12

On deck

Thursday: at Tigers, 1:05 p.m., Sun Sports. Rays — Jeff Niemann (11-7, 4.06 in 2011); Tigers — Drew Smyly (ML debut)

Friday: at Red Sox, 2:05, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (1-0, 2.84); Red Sox — Josh Beckett (0-1, 13.50)

Marc Topkin. Times staff writer

Thrill ride of the day

3B Evan Longoria was indeed as uncomfortable as he looked — "Every ounce of it" — in a video released Tuesday by Red Bull of a stunt-filled plane ride over Tampa Bay during spring training. "You could kind of tell on my face at the end, I was ready to get on the ground," he said. "I was pretty nervous." On the video — available at tampabay.com/blogs/rays — Longoria says he blacked out at one point, as the plane did a series of rolls, spins and tail-over-nose cartwheels, and was relieved he didn't throw up. Also, "I thought we were going down." He said he had team permission to do the flight and video.

Number of the day

42 Degrees at first pitch

MVP of the day

The most popular man in the Rays clubhouse before the game was equipment manager Chris Westmoreland, who had an assortment of four cold-weather hats for the players and coaches to pick from: light- and heavyweight toques (ski caps), a ski mask, and the "Elmer Fudd" — a Rays cap with ear flaps.

Meet the Rays at tampabay.com

, Scan with your mobile device to access interviews.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

DETROIT — Rays rookie LHP Matt Moore's bottom line didn't look too bad after Tuesday's season debut, holding the mighty Tigers to two runs on four hits while pitching into the seventh on a cold afternoon.

But Moore, 22, had reason to be disappointed, specifically in the lack of fastball command, as he couldn't work deeper into the game because he threw 106 pitches (47 for balls) while walking five. He allowed a run on a wild pitch, bouncing a changeup.

"I didn't throw a lot of quality strikes, especially early in counts," said Moore, pitching in short sleeves despite temperatures in the 40s. "For me, that just makes my day harder having to execute pitches when you're behind in the count. … Command, especially of my fastball, wasn't quite where it needed to be. But it will be there soon enough."

Moore hit 96 mph twice in the first inning, according to mlb.com data, but was in the low 90s with his fastball most of the afternoon, which manager Joe Maddon also noted.

"His velocity wasn't as normally high as it can be," he said. "I love the fact that he kept going after them, kept pounding the strike zone when he could. The five walks, that part put his pitch count in jeopardy."

Moore worked around the dangerous duo of Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder (0-for-3, three walks) but had trouble with leadoff man Austin Jackson, whom he had never faced.

In the third and fifth, Moore got two quick outs then walked Jackson, leading to a run and expanding his pitch count. The same happened in the seventh, except Jackson made it worse with a homer on the 24th pitch he saw from Moore on the day.

"Jackson put him behind the eight-ball; he sucked up a lot of pitches on him," Maddon said. "That was probably the turning point in the game, his overall approach to Jackson."

SHIELDS UP: There is a marquee quality to today's matchup of AL Cy Young Award (and MVP) winner Justin Verlander against third-place finisher James Shields. But after a rough outing Friday, Shields said he is more focused on an improved performance, his confidence boosted by a few adjustments.

"I'm looking forward to getting back out there," he said. "Obviously my last outing wasn't the way I wanted it to go; we won the game, that's all that really matters. I had a really good bullpen session with (pitching coach Jim) Hickey. We worked out a few kinks that were going on in the game and now we're ready to go. I'm more concerned about their hitters than what Verlander is doing to our hitters. It's going to be a tough battle."

Shields is pitching today so he stays on a five-day schedule (and faces Boston on Monday) and to give an extra day for RHP Jeff Niemann's blister to heal.

SCOTT DOWN: DH Luke Scott remains sidelined with what he called a mild strain of his left hamstring, and it seems unlikely he would return before the Rays get to Boston this weekend.

"Hopefully in three or four days we might be able to have him back, but I'm not 100 percent sure of that," Maddon said.

Scott said was relieved an MRI exam didn't show anything worse and initially felt better after receiving a cortisone shot Monday, but he woke up stiff Tuesday and wants to be sure it is fully healed. "It all depends how it feels and how I react," he said.

With Scott out, Maddon opted for his best defense, with Reid Brignac at shortstop and Sean Rodriguez at second and Jeff Keppinger (rather than lefty-swinging Stephen Vogt) at DH.

MISCELLANY: Maddon is two wins from becoming the fifth active manager with 500 with his current team, joining Ron Gardenhire (Twins), Jim Leyland (Tigers), Charlie Manuel (Phillies) and Mike Scioscia (Angels). … CF B.J. Upton (lower back soreness) felt good after his first rehab appearance for Class A Charlotte on Monday (going 0-for-2) and is scheduled to play five innings again tonight. … The Rays are 4-11 in road openers, 2-5 under Maddon.

Times wires
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

CINCINNATI — With every big deal, the low-revenue Reds show that they're serious about winning.

Cincinnati made another significant financial commitment Tuesday, giving All-Star 2B Brandon Phillips a six-year, $72.5 million contract. That came five days after former NL MVP Joey Votto got 10 years and $225 million added to his deal.

"I think this puts us in a pretty good position to build around two premier players on the everyday side, and with some of the pitchers we have to be a contending club for years to come, hopefully," GM Walt Jocketty said. "It's not easy. A lot of things have to go right for you.

"But we're getting deeper and deeper in talent. That's what it's going to take in a small market."

Phillips was so thrilled that he had to keep himself from crying at a news conference to announce the deal. He said he had implored his agents to find a way to keep him in Cincinnati.

"I cried about this. This is where I wanted to be," Phillips said. "I'm still … you know … loss of words right now, for me to play in the city I really love. The fans have embraced me and they love me and I love them back."

The Reds gave RF Jay Bruce a $51 million, six-year deal after the 2010 season. Since then, they've given LHP Aroldis Chapman a $20.25 million, six-year contract, RHP Johnny Cueto a $27 million, four-year deal and LH reliever Sean Marshall a $16.5 million, three-year agreement.

HITCH IN SALE: Major League Baseball and Fox Sports have raised minor concerns but do not plan to try to block the $2.15 billion deal that will transfer ownership from Frank McCourt to Guggenheim Baseball Management, a group that includes Magic Johnson. Fox asked for explicit written assurances that rival Time Warner Cable is not part of the Guggenheim group. The Los Angeles Times reported that TWC is not involved.

PADRES ON MARKET: Padres owner John Moores said he has retained a pair of investment bankers to seek a new owner for the franchise. Moores' proposed sale of the team to former agent Jeff Moorad collapsed last month after fellow owners refused to approve to proposed transfer of controlling owner. In other Padres news, RHP Dustin Moseley's shoulder has "extensive damage," manager Bud Black said. Moseley went on the disabled list April 8 with a strained right shoulder.

TROUBLE FOR GUERRERO: Former major-league star Vladimir Guerrero said he has surrendered to police after authorities contend he attacked a police officer in a Dominican disco. Guerrero denied being part of an attack. Police said no charges have been filed against Guerrero after the mayhem in Nizao, about 40 miles from Santo Domingo.

ANGELS: RH reliever Michael Kohn, on the disabled list with a strained flexor tendon, had a setback while playing catch and is scheduled to visit noted orthopedic surgeon James Andrews.

A'S: RH reliever Joey Devine will miss the season after having reconstructive surgery on his right elbow for the second time in three years.

BLUE JAYS: Closer Sergio Santos will be away from the team at least through Saturday to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.

D'BACKS: RF Justin Upton was scratched with a jammed left thumb.

INDIANS: C Carlos Santana signed a five-year, $21 million contract, locking up a 26-year-old "cornerstone" player the team believes is only beginning to tap into his potential.

MARINERS: SS Brendan Ryan was benched for an "accountability issue," manager Eric Wedge said. No details were given.

METS: 3B David Wright has a broken right pinky and was removed from the starting lineup. The team said surgery is not required, and doctors cleared Wright to return to baseball activities as soon as he can tolerate them.

NATIONALS: 1B Mike Morse, on the disabled list with a strained lat, was pulled from a rehab start with soreness and is not expected to be ready to play in the home opener Thursday.

RANGERS: 2B Ian Kinsler agreed on a new $75 million, five-year contract. The deal would start next season and replace a $10 million team option for 2013.

TIGERS: INF Brandon Inge, on the disabled list with a strained left groin, began a rehab assignment tonight at Triple-A Toledo and might return to the majors this weekend.

Times wires
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

TORONTO — The Edmonton Oilers won the NHL's draft lottery and own the No. 1 selection for the third straight year.

Edmonton had an 18.8 percent chance of winning the first overall pick in the lottery held Tuesday night.

"I feel really excited," general manager Steve Tambellini said. "The fact that now another young talent hopefully at the level of what the past few picks have been … to add another player like that is pretty exciting for our organization."

After choosing center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins last year and fellow forward Taylor Hall No. 1 in 2010, the Oilers will now be in line to take Sarnia Sting forward Nail Yakupov, unless they trade the pick. They'll become the second team in NHL history to pick first overall three consecutive drafts, joining the 1989-91 Quebec Nordiques.

The Columbus Blue Jackets, who had the best chance to win the lottery after a league-worst 29-46-7 mark, will choose second, followed by the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs on June 22 in Pittsburgh.

The lottery loss was a blow for Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson, who made some high-profile offseason additions but watched as his team put up a league-worst 65 points.

"We're disappointed," Howson said. "But I know we're going to get a really good player at No. 2."

LEAFS SORRY: The Maple Leafs are apologizing after yet another lost season. A letter posted on the team's website asks fans for forgiveness after a seventh straight season in which Toronto failed to make the playoffs. The letter was signed by Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment chairman Larry Tanenbaum. He said "the way this year ended was unacceptable."

PLAYOFF NEWS: Daniel Sedin, out with a concussion since March 21, was a no-show at the Canucks' morning workout then skated with teammates after practice. … Blues goaltender Brian Elliott left midway through a 90-minute practice with what coach Ken Hitchcock called an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. … Kings center Brad Richardson is out indefinitely after an appendectomy.

Times wires
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Tennis

Men's stars eye record

MADRID — Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will play an exhibition at Real Madrid's football stadium, hoping for a crowd of 80,000 to watch tennis' top two players.

Top-ranked Djokovic and local favorite Nadal will meet July 14 at the Santiago Bernabeu, with proceeds going to charity. There was no word on what surface the match will be played on between the stars who have won a combined 10 majors.

The current attendance record for a tennis match was set July 8, 2010, when 35,681 fans watched an exhibition between Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.

More Tennis

Defending champ rolls at claycourts

Defending champion Ryan Sweeting of the United States beat qualifier Ricardo Mello 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) in a first-round match at the U.S. men's claycourt championships in Houston.

Late Monday, sixth-seeded Carlos Berlocq overcame an injury to his left calf and beat James Blake 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.

e-Boks Open: Two-time defending champion Caroline Wozniacki beat Urszula Radwanska 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 to reach the second round in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Grand Prix Hassan II: Lamine Ouahab, ranked 752nd and winless in tour-level matches for four years, upset sixth-seeded Robin Haase 6-3, 6-2 in the first round in Casablanca, Morocco.

Fed Cup: Belgium will play Japan in World Group playoffs without Kim Clijsters (torn hip muscle) and Yanina Wickmayer (focusing on WTA play).

ET CETERA

Figure skating: Pairs skaters Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig, five-time U.S. medalists and 2010 Olympians, ended their 10-year partnership, with Evora retiring from competitive skating.

Golf: CBS Sports said its overnight rating from the final round of the Masters, won by Bubba Watson in a playoff over Louis Oosthuizen, drew an 8.1. That was down from the 10.4 the previous year when eight players had a share of the lead at some point and Charl Schwartzel won it with four birdies at the end.

Soccer: Former FIFA president Joao Havelange, 95, was improving after heart and breathing problems sent him back to the intensive care at a Brazilian hospital. Cardiac and respiratory problems earlier in the day had left him in serious condition at a Rio de Janeiro hospital, where he has been for more than three weeks because of an infection on his ankle.

Times wires

Times wires
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Cardinals 3, Reds 1

CINCINNATI — Carlos Beltran and David Freese homered again, and Kyle Lohse had his second stingy performance of the season for St. Louis. The defending World Series champions are 5-1 for the first time since 2008. Beltran, counted on to help make up for the loss of Albert Pujols, hit his third homer off Mike Leake. Freese, the World Series MVP, added a two-run shot off Leake, also his third.

Times wires
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

MIAMI — In an effort to revitalize their franchise and attract the Latino fans of South Florida, the Marlins built a $634 million stadium, revamped their uniforms, signed one of the biggest Hispanic stars in the game and hired a brash manager from Venezuela who guided the White Sox to a World Series title. The team even made sure its electronic concessions menus alternated between English and Spanish.

Then the manager, Ozzie Guillen, said the one thing that could repel the Cuban-American community the team had earmarked as its fan base. He said he admired and respected longtime Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

With Guillen and the Marlins under intensifying pressure from Cuban-American organizations and Miami-area politicians, the team suspended its manager for five games Tuesday. Guillen left his team in Philadelphia to hold a news conference at the Marlins' stadium, where he apologized for what he called embarrassing remarks made in Time magazine.

"This is the biggest mistake I've made in my life so far," he said. "I was very stupid, very naive about the comment."

The incident exposed just how enduring and volatile the issue of Castro's reign remains among the nation's largest population of Cuban immigrants, many of whom consider baseball the national pastime here and in their homeland.

For the Marlins and Major League Baseball, Guillen's predicament represented a marketing nightmare. The team opened its season last week in a retractable-roofed monument mostly paid for with public money and built in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, home to many Cuban immigrants.

The team made several pricey offseason acquisitions, including shortstop Jose Reyes from the Dominican Republic, and was clearly intent on at last tapping into the city and state's enormous number of Latino residents.

About 200 protestors gathered outside the ballpark, denouncing Guillen and the team.

"It's in the heart of the Cuban community," Miami City Commission chairman Francis Suarez, said. "It's quite possibly the worst thing you can say in this community. Every ethnicity in the world has experienced discrimination or oppression or dictatorial regimes. I would ask the people to put themselves in those shoes and to think: What if these statements were made about the group near and dear my heart?"

As Guillen offered his apology, many of the protesters remained angry. Some held signs calling for Guillen to be fired. Others called for a boycott of the team.

The Time article began with Guillen saying, "I love Fidel Castro." It also quotes him saying: "I respect Fidel Castro. You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years," but Castro is still here.

Guillen said that during the interview, he was trying to say that he could not believe that someone who had hurt so many people was still in power.

"The interpretation didn't come out as I wanted it," Guillen said. "It was an error, a mistake."

Times wires
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Nationals 6, Mets 2

NEW YORK — Ross Detwiler, a surprise addition to the back of the Nationals rotation, pitched five scoreless innings as Washington handed New York its first loss. Ian Desmond homered off Dillon Gee leading off the game, and Jayson Werth had four of the Nationals' 13 hits and drove in a run.

Times wires
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 3

TORONTO — Kyle Drabek won for the first time since June, Edwin Encarnacion homered and Toronto roughed up Boston's Daniel Bard in his first career start. Drabek faced the Red Sox twice last season, allowing 12 runs and 15 hits and taking the loss in a 14-1 home defeat June 12, his last start before being demoted to Triple A. The right-hander was much sharper this time, setting down nine straight in one stretch.

Times wires
Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Rangers 1, Mariners 0

ARLINGTON, Texas — Neftali Feliz pitched seven crisp innings in his first major-league start for Texas. Feliz allowed four hits and struck out four in his first game since the former closer failed to hold a two-run lead in Game 6 of the Rangers' seven-game World Series loss to the Cardinals. Feliz was a shade better than Blake Beavan, who was pitching for the first time in the ballpark where he grew up watching the Rangers. David Murphy had three hits and drove in the only run with an infield single in the second.