Times wires
Thursday, May 31, 2012

NFL

Revis won't say if he'll hold out during camp

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Jets star Darrelle Revis refused to rule out a training camp holdout Thursday.

"Whatever you want to write," the three-time All-Pro cornerback told reporters. "I just told you: I'm getting ready for this season."

Revis, who has 18 interceptions during his five-year career, missed camp in 2010 before signing a front-loaded four-year contract. He made a combined $32.5 million in 2010 and 2011 but is set to make less, a combined $13.5 million, in 2012 and 2013.

When asked if he has lingering issues with the Jets, Revis said, "If something's lingering, you will find out. Whatever happens in the future happens."

Coach Rex Ryan declined to answer questions about Revis' contract, saying only he expected Revis to report to camp on time.

Saints: Interim coach Joe Vitt said he did not expect star QB Drew Brees to be a training camp holdout. New Orleans made Brees its franchise player. But he hasn't signed the one-year tender, and he has skipped offseason workouts while seeking a long-term deal.

Bounties: Commissioner Roger Goodell said he is confident bounties no longer will be an issue in the league because of the severe penalties handed down for the Saints' program: "(Teams) recognize it's not part of the game. I don't think it's going to be an issue going forward."

Media: NBC hired ex-Steelers receiver Hines Ward for its NFL and college football coverage. He retired in March after 14 seasons.

Soccer

French star might miss Euro opener

French star midfielder Yann M'Vila sprained his right ankle during an exhibition against visiting Serbia, leaving his status for the June 11 European Championship opener in doubt. "We will let things run their course," said M'Vila, 21, who was taken down from behind and was using crutches after the game. "And hopefully I'll be ready."

England: Star midfielder Frank Lampard will miss the European Championship with a thigh injury sustained during practice Wednesday. Details weren't disclosed. Midfielder Gareth Barry was previously ruled out because of a stomach injury.

Et cetera

Horses: Alpha will not run in the June 9 Belmont Stakes because of a fever. Alpha finished second in the Wood Memorial and 12th at the Kentucky Derby.

Boxing: Floyd Mayweather Jr. was scheduled to turn himself in today to start a three-month jail sentence in Las Vegas. The undefeated light middleweight pleaded guilty Dec. 22 to domestic battery for a September 2010 incident involving the mother of three of his children. Mayweather was initially due to begin his sentence Jan. 6. But the judge let him fight Miguel Cotto on May 5.

Track: World record-holder Usain Bolt followed up a slow race by winning the 100 meters in 9.76 seconds at the Golden Gala in Rome. Bolt, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, finished in 10.04 last week in the Czech Republic, prompting some to wonder about his preparation for this summer's Games. This time he pulled away to beat Asafa Powell by 0.15 seconds. "Everyone has a bad race," Bolt said. "You just got to go back to the drawing board."

WNBA: Sancho Lyttle and Catherine Kraayeveld each scored 12 as host Atlanta beat Phoenix 81-65. Phoenix played without guard Diana Taurasi. The league's defending scoring champ is out indefinitely with a strained left hip flexor, the team said.

Times wires

Times wires
Thursday, May 31, 2012

ANAHEIM, Calif.— Yankees C Russell Martin said plate umpire Laz Diaz found a most bizarre way to punish him for arguing balls and strikes during Wednesday's game against the Angels.

Martin said Diaz refused to allow him to throw new baseballs back to his pitchers after foul balls. The umpire instead made the tosses.

"He said that it was a privilege that I had to earn, for me to throw the ball back," the three-time All-Star said. "That's never happened to me before. I even told him, because there's guys on base, I like to keep my arm loose. Nope. 'I'm not letting you throw the ball back.' That's pretty strange, to me."

Martin had words with Diaz early in the game, and Martin said Diaz "was punishing me."

Diaz was unavailable for comment because Martin spoke nearly an hour after the game.

Major League Baseball would look into Martin's story, a spokesman said.

Oriole says Jays too Knowing: After giving up four homers to the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Orioles RHP Jason Hammel took some blame but also told the Baltimore Sun: "When you're not locating your fastball, you're going to give up some home runs here, but the swings they were taking on the breaking stuff, it was pretty amazing to me. I don't think you can take swings like that not knowing they're coming." In the past, teams have alleged the Blue Jays were stealing catchers' signs and signaling from the outfield.

Orioles lose Markakis: Baltimore OF Nick Markakis has a broken bone in his right wrist and was scheduled to have surgery today. The injury, which happened on a slide into a base a week ago, was aggravated Tuesday. The typical recovery time is three to four weeks.

No June for Howard? Phillies GM Ruben Amaro told CSNPhilly.com that 1B Ryan Howard likely won't return from his torn Achilles tendon by the end of June, as the team originally had hoped. Asked if Howard, doing rehabilitation work in Clearwater, could be back by the All-Star break, Amaro said, "I don't know."

Hate toward Brewers' wife: C Jonathan Lucroy told a Milwaukee radio station his wife has received hateful messages on Facebook since he broke his right hand in a hotel room accident Sunday. Lucroy said he was reaching under the bed for a sock while his wife, Sarah, shifted a suitcase, which fell on the hand.

"It's been a battle for me personally because there's no one to blame, and my wife is getting killed by this," Lucroy said. "It's not like she's … not feeling guilty enough already."

Lucroy was put on the DL and was to have surgery Thursday.

Clemens trial: Roger Clemens lost something off his fastball in his 40s but he succeeded by pitching smarter, former manager Phil Garner testified in the pitcher's perjury trial in Washington. "He continued to have great success but for different reasons," said Garner, who managed Clemens with the Astros from 2004-06. "He didn't just overpower teams; he outsmarted teams." Clemens is on trial, accused of lying to Congress in 2008 when he denied using steroids or human growth hormone.

Blue Jays: 1B Adam Lind was outrighted to the minors after hitting .186 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 34 games.

Dodgers: CF Matt Kemp went on the 15-day DL for the second time in May because of a left hamstring strain. Two games into his return, he aggravated the injury scoring from first on a double late Wednesday.

Indians: DH Travis Hafner had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is expected to miss at least one month.

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia missed his third straight game, and the team may put him on the DL because of a torn muscle in his right thumb, ESPN.com reported.

Rockies: SS Troy Tulowitzki went on the DL because of a strained left groin injured when he left the box on a groundout.

Times wires
Thursday, May 31, 2012

At Paris

Singles, Men, Second Round — David Ferrer (6), Spain, d. Benoit Paire, France, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2. Milos Raonic (19), Canada, d. Jesse Levine, United States, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2. Juan Monaco (13), Argentina, d. Lukas Rosol, Czech Republic, 7-6 (4), 6-0, 7-6 (5). Santiago Giraldo, Colombia, d. Bernard Tomic (25), Australia, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3. David Goffin, Belgium, d. Arnaud Clement, France, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 0-6, 6-2, 6-1. Andy Murray (4), Britain, d. Jarkko Nieminen, Finland, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (5), France, d. Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, Germany, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Mikhail Youzhny (27), Russia, d. Robin Haase, Netherlands, 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-4. Rafael Nadal (2), Spain, d. Denis Istomin, Uzbekistan, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0. Nicolas Almagro (12), Spain, d. Marcos Baghdatis, Cyprus, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5. Fabio Fognini, Italy, d. Viktor Troicki (28), Serbia, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 8-6. Eduardo Schwank, Argentina, d. Florian Mayer (32), Germany, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4). Julien Benneteau (29), France, d. Dmitry Tursunov, Russia, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Leonardo Mayer, Argentina, d. Philipp Kohlschreiber (24), Germany, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), 7-5. Janko Tipsarevic (8), Serbia, d. Jeremy Chardy, France, 7-6 (4), 6-1. 7-5. Richard Gasquet (17), France, d. Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgaria, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3. Paul-Henri Mathieu, France, d. John Isner (10), United States, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 18-16. Tommy Haas, Germany, d. Sergiy Stakhovsky, Ukraine, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. Marcel Granollers (20), Spain, tied with Malek Jaziri, Tunisia, 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, suspended.

Singles, Women, Second Round — Petra Kvitova (4), Czech Republic, d. Urszula Radwanska, Poland, 6-1, 6-3. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (22), Russia, d. Melinda Czink, Hungary, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Klara Zakopalova, Czech Republic, d. Maria Kirilenko (16), Russia, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Angelique Kerber (10), Germany, d. Olga Govortsova, Belarus, 6-3, 6-2. Caroline Wozniacki (9), Denmark, d. Jarmila Gajdosova, Australia, 6-1, 6-4. Nina Bratchikova, Russia, d. Claire Feuerstein, France, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Francesca Schiavone (14), Italy, d. Tsvetana Pironkova, Bulgaria, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1. Li Na (7), China, d. Stephanie Foretz Gacon, France, 6-0, 6-2. Varvara Lepchenko, United States, d. Jelena Jankovic (19), Serbia, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-4. Carla Suarez Navarro, Spain, d. Sesil Karatantcheva, Kazakhstan, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Kaia Kanepi (23), Estonia, d. Irina-Camelia Begu, Romania, 6-4, 6-1. Christina McHale, United States, d. Lauren Davis, United States, 6-1, 6-3. Yaroslava Shvedova, Kazakhstan, d. Sofia Arvidsson, Sweden, 6-1, 6-0. Arantxa Rus, Netherlands, d. Virginie Razzano, France, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Peng Shuai (28), China, d. Lourdes Dominguez Lino, Spain, 6-4, 6-3. Julia Goerges (25), Germany, d. Heather Watson, Britain, 6-3, 6-4.

PARIS — This, then, is who John Isner is for now: The Marathon Man of Tennis, the guy who plays for hours on end, until the last set seems interminable.

At Wimbledon two years ago he won a match 70-68 in the fifth set, the longest set and match in history. At the French Open on Thursday, the 10th-seeded Tampa resident lost 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 18-16 to Paul-Henri Mathieu in the second round, a 5-hour, 41-minute test of stamina.

This one goes in the books as the second-longest match by time in tournament history.

"I just didn't get it done. I felt like I got caught in patterns that weren't ideal for me," said Isner, whose exit means no U.S. men are in the third round for the first time since 2007. "I wasn't going for my shots at certain points in the match, and that comes from a little bit of a lack of confidence."

After converting his seventh match point — Isner never had one — Mathieu thanked the home crowd for willing him to victory.

"I dug deep," said the Frenchman, 30, who hadn't played in a major tournament since the 2010 U.S. Open because of a left knee injury that forced him off the tour last year. "I was away from the courts for quite a while, and I came back to live moments like this."

The match ended after 9 p.m. local time, forcing organizers to postpone until today the match involving Maria Sharapova that was supposed to follow on Court Philippe Chatrier.

About 10 hours earlier, No. 4 Andy Murray's back was so painful he could barely move. For the better part of an hour, he considered quitting.

"Just kind of gritting my teeth," Murray said, "and (trying) to find a way of turning the match around."

Then, in large part due to massages from a trainer, Murray began to feel better. He came back to beat Jarkko Nieminen 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 and reach the third round for the fifth consecutive year.

Times wires
Thursday, May 31, 2012

DETROIT — Nick Lidstrom is so used to being great that the defenseman refused to settle for being just good.

Lidstrom retired Thursday after 20 spectacular seasons with the Red Wings, leaving a legacy of greatness on and off the ice.

The four-time Stanley Cup champion and seven-time Norris Trophy winner as the league's best defenseman fought back tears as he made the announcement. He said he knew it was time to end one of the best careers in NHL history when he started to work out recently.

"I didn't have the push I need, and I can't cheat myself," said Lidstrom, 42. "My drive and motivation are not where they to need to be to play at this level. … Retiring today allows me to walk away with pride, rather than have the game walk away from me."

The Swede — called by teammates "The Perfect Human," in part because he is as humble as he is successful — set an NHL record by playing 1,564 games with one team. Lidstrom has been with the Red Wings since they drafted him 53rd overall in 1989.

He became the first European captain to win a Stanley Cup in 2008, six years after becoming the first from Europe to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Lidstrom won his seventh Norris Trophy last season — he won his first in 2001 — matching Doug Harvey's total and trailing Bobby Orr's league record by one. He was a finalist for the 11th time in 13 seasons.

Devils and Swedish defenseman Henrik Tallinder said Lidstrom is an icon at home. "In my eyes, he's the best Swedish player we've had over here," Tallinder said. "No offense to (Peter) Forsberg and (Mats) Sundin. … But just watching him play … it's like a symphony."

Defenseman Brad Stuart, who was his teammate the past four-plus seasons, said he was amazed at Lidstrom's ability to make the right play on almost every shift. "I've played with great players who made mistakes, but I can't think of one game when I thought, 'Nick just didn't have it tonight,' " Stuart said during this year's postseason. (Detroit lost in the first round to the Predators.)

Other players offered their tributes with humor.

"Every right winger in the NHL is happy," Jets defenseman Zach Bogosian said on Twitter.

From Coyotes wing Paul Bissonnette on Twitter: "I'll never forget the time Nick Lidstrom told me @ center ice, in warm-ups, that he loved reading my tweets. Congrats on a legendary career."

Times wires
Thursday, May 31, 2012

NEWARK, N.J. — The Devils played one of their worst games of the postseason in dropping Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final to the Kings in overtime, and they know they can't afford another subpar effort.

Though they missed chances to win, they also made a slew of mistakes Wednesday, including bad dump-ins of pucks, being tentative, failing to shoot when a shot was there and leaving Kings open.

"The comforting thing for me is when I listen to the comments of our players (Wednesday) night, they were dead-on," coach Peter DeBoer said Thursday. "We weren't good enough. We have to be better."

Both teams had the day off. Game 2 is Saturday because of Radiohead concerts Thursday and tonight at the Prudential Center.

The Devils are in a familiar spot. They were down to the Flyers and Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals and final. They won four straight over Philadelphia after losing the opener in overtime and four of five against New York.

But the Kings are 9-0 on the road this postseason and 13-2 overall in one of the most dominating recent playoff runs. A key to their road success might be scoring first. They have trailed for only 58:08 total on the road.

"We have been focused in on starts, and our starts have been pretty good," said center Anze Kopitar, who scored the Game 1 winner. "It always helps when you are not playing catch-up hockey."

ratings: NBC had an average 2.9 million viewers for Game 1, down 33 percent from last year's Bruins-Canucks Game 1.

no coyotes penalties: Because their season is over, four Phoenix players won't be disciplined for their actions and comments after their season-ending loss to the Kings in Game 5 of the West final, NHL vice president Colin Campbell said. The league was not pleased with center Martin Hanzal skating aggressively toward a referee and making a gesture, goalie Mike Smith throwing his stick, and Shane Doan and Keith Yandle criticizing the officiating.

flames hire coach: Bob Hartley, who led the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup in 2001, was hired to succeed Brent Sutter, who left in April after three seasons. He agreed to a three-year deal; terms weren't announced.

Times wires
Thursday, May 31, 2012

DUBLIN, Ohio — Erik Compton considers the Memorial Tournament a special week, no matter how he plays, knowing his second heart transplant came from a donor in Ohio.

The opening round was even sweeter with three birdies on the back nine Thursday at Muirfield Village for 5-under 67, leaving him one shot out of the lead after a day that featured a timely rally by Rory McIlroy and a surprising departure by Phil Mickelson.

Scott Stallings was atop the leaderboard and few noticed.

Compton has been an amazing story. He had his first heart transplant at 12, played in the Walker Cup after a solid career at Georgia, nearly died from a heart attack on his way home from the golf course in 2007, had a second transplant in May 2008, and earned his PGA Tour card for the first time last year through the Nationwide Tour.

"It's a great place — for me, it's a special place," Compton said. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about my donor. To be able to play here, regardless of whether I play good or bad, it's just always a nice week."

Coming off back-to-back missed cuts that cost him his No. 1 ranking, McIlroy took a quadruple bogey on his third hole, carding a 7, and was 4 over. But he rallied for 71. "I was just like, 'Here we go again,' " McIlroy said. "But I hung in there well."

Tiger Woods finished with double bogey and shot 70.

Mickelson shot 79, his worst score at the Memorial, and withdrew, citing mental fatigue.

He said playing three straight weeks, followed by a trip to Europe for his wife's 40th birthday, took too much out of him and he needed extra rest with the U.S. Open two weeks away.

Playing partner Bubba Watson said constant cellphone pictures taken by fans "took Phil out of his game," but Mickelson danced around that issue.

"I feel like it's the responsibility of a player to see through your commitment and finish," Mickelson said. "And I'm kind of overruling that just a touch, because I'm trying to think big picture on what's the best way for me to get ready for the Open."

Tiger's niece shines: Tiger Woods' niece qualified for next month's U.S. Women's Open. Cheyenne Woods, 21, turned pro in May after graduating from Wake Forest and makes her debut next week at the LPGA Championship. But at the Open qualifier in Sanford, N.C., Woods was co-medalist after posting rounds of 74-72.

Times wires
Thursday, May 31, 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY — The chant of "OKC! OKC!" rose from the fans at Chesapeake Energy Arena midway through the fourth quarter, perhaps a reminder to the Spurs that the Western Conference final wasn't going to be a stroll into history.

Behind Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and a renewed defensive aggressiveness, the Thunder put an emphatic end Thursday night to one of the great winning streaks in NBA history, routing San Antonio 102-82.

The Thunder cut its series deficit to 2-1. After being ripped for 120 points in Game 2, Oklahoma City dug in on defense and allowed 40 percent shooting.

The Thunder led by as many as 22 in the third quarter and took a 78-60 lead into the fourth.

The Spurs had their winning streak stopped at 20 games, tying the 1971 Bucks for third-longest in league history.

San Antonio's Tim Duncan was only 4-of-12 for nine points, but he had four blocks in the first half to set the NBA career postseason record, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's mark of 476.

"We just talked about being a defensive team," said Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks. "We gave up 120 points. You have to defend in this league to be a team that is special."

SAN ANTONIO (82): Leonard 1-3 0-1 2, Duncan 5-15 1-2 11, Diaw 0-2 1-1 1, Parker 6-12 2-2 16, Green 1-3 0-0 3, Ginobili 1-5 5-5 8, S.Jackson 6-7 0-0 16, Bonner 0-4 0-0 0, Splitter 0-0 1-2 1, Neal 3-11 0-0 7, Anderson 1-2 1-2 4, Mills 1-5 0-0 3, Blair 5-7 0-0 10. Totals 30-76 11-15 82.

OKLAHOMA CITY (102): Durant 8-17 6-6 22, Ibaka 5-9 4-4 14, Perkins 2-4 0-0 4, Westbrook 5-15 0-0 10, Sefolosha 7-16 1-1 19, Harden 5-10 4-4 15, Collison 3-3 0-0 6, Fisher 2-7 0-0 5, Cook 1-2 0-0 2, Ivey 1-3 0-0 2, Aldrich 0-1 1-2 1, Hayward 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 40-88 16-17 102.

San Antonio 24 17 19 22— 82

Oklahoma City 22 32 24 24— 102

3-Point Goals—San Antonio 11-26 (S.Jackson 4-5, Parker 2-4, Ginobili 1-2, Anderson 1-2, Neal 1-3, Mills 1-3, Green 1-3, Leonard 0-1, Bonner 0-3), Oklahoma City 6-22 (Sefolosha 4-10, Harden 1-2, Fisher 1-3, Ivey 0-1, Westbrook 0-2, Durant 0-4). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—San Antonio 48 (Leonard, Ginobili, Blair 6), Oklahoma City 51 (Perkins 8). Assists—San Antonio 18 (Neal 5), Oklahoma City 23 (Westbrook 9). Total Fouls—San Antonio 19, Oklahoma City 16. Technicals—Durant. Flagrant Fouls—Sefolosha. A—18,203 (18,203).

lil wayne stir: The Thunder said rapper Lil Wayne is welcome to attend a playoff game in Oklahoma City but needs to buy a ticket like everyone else.

Lil Wayne created a stir Thursday night by posting on Twitter that he was "going to go to the Thunder game tonight but was denied by the team to be in their arena."

Thunder spokesman Dan Mahoney said Lil Wayne's representatives contacted the team requesting tickets but insisted that he sit in the front row, and none of those seats were available. Oklahoma City has sold out every home game during the regular season and playoffs.

Lil Wayne ended his tweet with "Go Spurs!"

Celtics steaming

MIAMI — While Celtics guard Rajon Rondo is being lauded for one of the most spectacular individual performances in playoff history, it was a non-foul call on his missed layup that drew the most attention in the aftermath of Miami's 115-111 victory Wednesday night.

Replays showed that Heat guard Dwyane Wade hit Rondo in the face on Rondo's missed reverse layup attempt with 1:35 left in overtime of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final. Rondo fell, and the Heat took advantage with a dunk by Udonis Haslem for a 107-105 lead.

Rondo had to be held back from the officials after the play, then he and coach Doc Rivers tried to stay quiet later to avoid fines for questioning the officials.

But guard Ray Allen didn't care.

"We all thought he got hit," Allen said. "I'll say it. He did, but what can you do about it?"

Rondo said his 44-point, 10-assist, eight-rebound outing was "irrelevant" in the loss, which put Boston down 2-0 in the series. He sat stone faced when asked about the non-call. "It was obvious," he said. "I can't comment on that particular play. It's part of the game. Things don't go your way. That was a big swing. A lot of controversy out there."

Rivers brought up the 47-29 disparity in free throws.

"Can you come up with another percentage for me?" Rivers asked a reporter who said the calls were 50-50. "LeBron James took 24 free throws, and our team took 29. I tell my guys it doesn't matter, we can't get distracted. We're not going to blame. We have to play better."

Celtics guard Paul Pierce also wasn't happy with the officials, saying he shouldn't have been called for his sixth foul when he went chest to chest with a driving Wade at the rim. "It was tough. You got Wade coming down the lane. I thought it was a good play by me, straight up, jumping up," he said.

Times wires
Thursday, May 31, 2012

Tigers 7, Red Sox 3

BOSTON — Max Scherzer pitched into the seventh, former Ray Delmon Young homered and the Tigers avoided a four-game series sweep. Scherzer retired nine in a row before departing after a leadoff walk in the seventh. "We had his pitch count up in the 80s after four innings, and we were having good at-bats," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. "Just kind of let it slip away."

Times wires
Thursday, May 31, 2012

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State baseball coach Mike Martin prefers to enter the NCAA tournament with a head of steam. But that won't happen.

Among the four teams playing in the Tallahassee region, which starts tonight, only the Seminoles failed to win their conference tournament. They were the No. 1 seed in the ACC but went 0-3 in pool play.

UAB, which FSU hosts tonight, won the Conference USA tournament as the No. 4 seed. Samford won the Southern Conference tournament behind Brandon Miller, whose 22 home runs lead the nation. And Mississippi State won the SEC tournament.

FSU is 3-7 over its past 10.

"We ain't the hottest club in the country right now," said Martin, who has won 1,716 games but no national titles despite 14 trips to the College World Series. "But we're a team that understands it's a new season."

FSU is in the tournament for the 50th time (33 straight under Martin) but has been unable to win the CWS in 20 appearances.

More baseball: FSU outfielder James Ramsey and infielder Jayce Boyd and Florida catcher Mike Zunino are among the 30 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the nation's top amateur player.

Football: Big 12 says it's happy at 10 teams

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One by one, the athletic directors in the Big 12 have professed their support for a 10-team league. The conference board of directors reaffirmed that stance Thursday.

Chairman and Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis said he was "flattered" that FSU and other schools expressed interest in joining the league. He did not clarify if FSU approached the league about leaving the ACC.

FSU previously said there have been no talks. And departing commissioner Chuck Neinas said it has not approached, "FSU (Clemson), Notre Dame or anyone. Expansion talk is tabled for the near future."

However, asked about Notre Dame, currently an independent, Hargis said, "That's something we would have to pursue."

Meanwhile, NCAA president Mark Emmert said he believes more conference realignment could be sparked by schools trying to position themselves for the proposed four-team playoff.

Conference officials currently are trying to work out the format for the playoff. The Big 12 and SEC believe the best four teams should qualify for a playoff even if they don't win a conference title. But the ACC, Big East, Big Ten and Pac-12 want conference champions to receive automatic berths.

former Gator to UConn: Linebacker Graham Stewart, who announced last month he was transferring from Florida, enrolled at Connecticut. The native of Middletown, Conn., cited "family issues" for leaving. Last season, he played sparingly as a freshman but returned a blocked punt for a score in the Gator Bowl.

Michigan: Senior defensive tackle Will Campbell pleaded not guilty to two counts of malicious destruction of property stemming from an April 7 incident in Ann Arbor. Police say Campbell was intoxicated when he tried to slide across the hood of a vehicle. An officer reported hearing the hood buckle under Campbell's weight, listed at 322 pounds.

Tennessee: Starting cornerback Izauea Lanier was declared ineligible for the upcoming season. No reason was disclosed.

Georgia-Ohio State: Games between the schools scheduled for 2020 and 2021 were canceled. No reason was given. But the Buckeyes recently canceled games against Tennessee for 2018 and 2019 citing the Big Ten expanding from eight conference games to nine and the upcoming series of games between the Big Ten and Pac-12.

Men's golf: Florida State faces Kent State in a sudden death playoff at 11 a.m. today at the NCAA championship in Pacific Palisades, Calif. All five members play the hole. The low four scores count. The winner faces top seed Alabama in match play later today. FSU shot 11-over 295 to finish at 23-over 875, tied for eighth. Tyler McCumber shot par 71 for Florida to finish tied for second, three behind Illinois' Thomas Pieters, and help UF finish tied for 12th with North Florida. St. Petersburg's MJ Maguire shot 74 and finished tied for 69th for North Florida.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, May 31, 2012

TAMPA — The video screens played the highlight of the Rays' dramatic comeback win over the Yankees in Game 162 of the 2011 season. There was the image of third baseman Evan Longoria, who was in attendance Thursday night at the Tampa Bay Sneaker Soiree, hitting the drive that cleared the leftfield fence to send the Rays to the playoffs. As he rounded third, it really hit home.

That was the moment of the year in Tampa Bay sports.

"We won the final game of the regular season for this award," Rays president Matt Silverman said. "We hope to be back next year after winning the final game of the postseason."

Longoria, who is on the disabled list recovering from a hamstring strain, also announced a partnership with Red Bull, which will donate $1,000 for every home run he hits and $500 for every RBI to benefit area Little League programs.

"I better start getting back on the field to earn some money for these kids," Longoria said.

The second Sneaker Soiree, hosted by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission at TPepin's Hospitality Centre, was a celebration of amateur and professional athletes and an examination of the communities' professional sports franchises.

It also was a chance to post­humously honor three Tampa Bay sports icons whose legacy of community service endures: Bucs Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon, University of Tampa quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion Freddie Solomon and former Tampa Tribune sports editor and columnist Tom McEwen.

The evening's highlight was a roundtable discussion with the pro franchise executives: Bucs general manager Mark Dominik, Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman and Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman.

The Rays, who are tied atop the American League East despite 10 players on the disabled list, utilize the collection of information to stay ahead of high-revenue teams such as the Yankees and Red Sox.

"Baseball is an information business, and for us, to collect that information, to synthesize that information and to utilize that information ahead of other teams is a competitive advantage," Friedman said. "We talk about it a lot. It's absolutely critical for us to stay in front of other teams in our division and so with the revenue disparity, we have to do things differently. We don't have a choice. If we operated like the Red Sox and Yankees, we would absolutely finish last."

Rays manager Joe Maddon was named the philanthropic player or coach of the year.

Dominik emphasized the qualities that made former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano the perfect fit for the young Bucs: organization, attention to detail and the passion to squeeze something out of the 1,440 minutes each day. "Coach Schiano has been everything we wanted him to be," Dominik said. "He's a genuine person and a great guy but also a great leader and mentor for our football team."

It was Schiano who decided to sign former Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand to a contract. LeGrand was paralyzed in a game against Army in 2010. LeGrand's signing by the Bucs was recognized as the acquisition of the year. "We think Eric epitomizes what a professional athlete is, what it is to really strive," Dominik said.

Yzerman credited owner Jeff Vinik for the Lightning's success. Their organization received awards for the year's best sports facility, foundation and fan experience. Lightning chief executive officer Tod Leiweke was named executive of the year.

Yzerman was asked about the Lightning's pursuit of a goaltender and said it would attempt to trade for one, but if unsuccessful, it would consider free agency. "I got here a half-hour early and started searching the room for a goalie," Yzerman said.

Times wires
Friday, June 1, 2012

Hall of Fame forward Jack Twyman, who ignored the ugly racial times of the 1950s and '60s to become the legal guardian and the best of friends to Maurice Stokes when his stricken black teammate needed him most, died Wednesday night (May 30, 2012) at a Cincinnati hospice. He was 78. The cause was an aggressive form of blood cancer.

A six-time All-Star with the Rochester (later Cincinnati) Royals, Mr. Twyman and Wilt Chamberlain were the first to average more than 30 points in a season, but his legacy is his bond with Stokes.

Stokes, whom Bob Cousy called "the first great, athletic power forward," was completely paralyzed in a fall during a game in 1958. With Stokes confined to a hospital bed — scared, alone, nearly destitute — Mr. Twyman took over as his legal guardian to help Stokes receive medical benefits. He organized an annual exhibition game to raise money and made sure his buddy was cared for until Stokes died of a heart attack in 1970 at 36.

Years after his accident, when Stokes had recovered enough finger flexibility to type, his first message was: "Dear Jack, How can I ever thank you?"

Explaining why he did what he did, Mr. Twyman said simply: "That's what friends are for."

Times wires
Friday, June 1, 2012

Rockies 11, Astros 5

DENVER — Carlos Gonzalez followed his three-homer game Wednesday with a homer in the first to become the first Rockie to go deep in four consecutive at-bats. Gonzalez is 13-for-20 with six homers and 10 RBIs in his past five games.

By Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent
Friday, June 1, 2012

TAMPA — That didn't take long.

In just their first year of existence, Tampa Bay United's U18 girls won the most prestigious club competition in Florida, the Florida Youth Association State Cup the weekend of May 20.

"It was a lot of hard work on the girls' part," coach Jim Cote said. "They set out this goal at the beginning of the season and accomplished it."

To do so, TBU had to defeat a pair of state heavyweights in the Final Four. Tampa Bay beat defending state champs St. John's Creeks Clash 1-0 in the semis before disposing of Coral Springs' Renegades 2-1 in the final.

"Both of those programs have been known around the state for their quality," coach Adrian Bush said. "It was a big test."

The common thread in TBU's run to the state title was defense. The newly formed team, a merger of HC United and RSL Florida, surrendered just one goal in seven state cup matches, and that was in the final against the Renegades.

"They were absolutely impeccable," Bush said. "To have six shutouts (during the State Cup) is almost unheard of."

In fact, TBU gave up just 23 goals in 39 matches throughout the season and outscored opponents 100-23 during that stretch. Emily Ball (Freedom) handled the majority of minutes between the woodwork during State Cup, along with Charlotte Rothschild (Robinson) throughout the season.

"The defense was just relentless," Cote said. "But that was our season in a nutshell really."

Bush also pointed out the backline play of defenders Rebecca Oser (Bloomingdale), Shannon Estes-Larkin (Mitchell), Hannah Foster (Gulf), Elena Madrazo (Chamberlain) and Sophie Sanchez (Plant).

"They came up huge," he said.

In the final, Oser's free kick set up a goal from Colby Maffei (Tampa Prep) in a crowd of players to put TBU up 1-0. The Renegades equalized before half, but Maffei was taken down in the box during the second half, resulting in a successful Caroline Bado (Plant) penalty kick. Bado struck again later in the second off a feed from Abby Meckley (Plant) for the 3-1 final.

Bush credited the team's work ethic for the title, an especially difficult task considering most of the team was dealing with the added stresses of senior year.

"You know these girls have prom and all the things that go along with their last year of high school," Bush said. "But we always had 19 or 20 girls at training and we were working out four or five times a week."

Next up for TBU is the Region 3 Southeast Regionals in Greenville, S.C., that begin June 14.

"These girls have shown they are the best in Florida in their age group," Bush said. "They've been on a mission and we're looking forward to (regionals)."

Brandon Wright can be reached at hillsnews@tampabay.com.

By Don Jensen, Times Correspondent
Friday, June 1, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — If the Floyd & Porter kennel entry for next week's $8,000 T.L. Weaver Memorial Classic runs like its daddy, Derby Lane might add another chapter to its history book.

Floyd & Porter can become the first operation to win back-to-back titles in the track's final 550-yard stakes race of the 2011-12 season.

Kennel co-owner Randy Floyd is expected to enter Danicas Go Daddy or defending champion M's Free Agent for the race that honors Derby Lane's late founder, the great-grandfather of track president and chairman of the board Vey Weaver, and vice president Richard Winning. The post draw is Monday with qualifying Wednesday night in Races 6 and 10. The first four finishers in each event advance to the finale June 9. All kennels are ensured of one entry.

Both Floyd & Porter greyhounds were sired by All-America team selections. Danicas Go Daddy, a winner of 27 races from 140 starts, is by 2005 All-America member Joe Hearns. Now a stud dog in Ocala, Joe Hearns had 51 victories with win streaks of 11 and 10. He won the Inaugural Stakes in 2005 and finished sixth in the inaugural Derby Lane Million in 2006.

M's Free Agent was sired by Extruding Dream, an All-America choice and Flashy Sir Award winner (best distance dog) in 2006. Extruding Dream won 57 races and five stakes, including the 2007 T.L. Weaver.

"You do the best you can and hope for the best," said Floyd, who owns the kennel with his wife, Pat, and Lamar Porter. "A lot depends on the (other) dogs entered and the post positions."

The only kennels with two titles in the T.L. Weaver, now in its 16th year, are Alderson (2009, 1999) and Greymeadow (2003, 1998).

Pat named Danicas Go Daddy in honor of race car driver Danica Patrick.

"Pat is a big NASCAR fan," Randy said. "Over the years, she's named a lot of dogs after drivers or race cars."

The Floyds owned and raced the parents of Danicas Go Daddy, who is out of the only litter whelped by Kiss The Bride.

"I'd like to see (Danicas Go Daddy) do good because it represents the bloodline, both male and female," Floyd said. "She has been a nice, usable Grade A dog."

Danicas Go Daddy, a 43-month-old female, clocked her career-best 550-yard time two starts ago at 30.60 seconds. She has made two stakes finals, finishing sixth both times in the Inaugural Jan. 7 and the Fall Juvenile in 2010.

M's Free Agent was an upset winner in the 2011 T.L. Weaver at 11-1 odds. The next victory for the 50-month-old male will be his 50th. He has cashed in 121 of 170 starts with top-four finishes, earning $34,767.

"He comes out of a nice litter (M's Mary Freeman is the dam)," Floyd said.

Floyd has been the trainer since December, when Cal Holland Jr. left to become kennel manager and trainer of Patriot, the track wins leader. First place pays $3,200.

By Rick Frazier, Times Correspondent
Friday, June 1, 2012

What's hot: Every once in a while, something new comes along that revolutionizes the tackle industry. A local lure manufacturer has come up with a color scheme on its hard-body baits that gives the artificial baiter the best of both worlds.

Typically, lure makers develop color patterns that more often than not catch more fishermen than fish. After all, fish sure can't say what colors they prefer. But I know studies have shown that fish do react more aggressively toward one color over another. And that is what makes this new color pattern so effective. Not only does it show all colors of the light spectrum — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet — it glows in the dark. What could be better for us fakers?

This idea was on the drawing board for a while, but the correct type of hard-body bait had to be developed. Once that was completed, it was just a matter of time to get the actual "rainbow" effect to appear or reflect in the light. Without going into trade secrets, let's just say they had to put the colors on the inside of a clear/fluorescent-bodied lure to get it to work.

The trade name is "Glow Ice," and it comes on surface-walker baits as well as suspending or sub-surface minnow style plugs. This new color has only been out since May, so it might be a little hard to find. My suggestion would be to call around to your favorite tackle shop. They'll know about it.

Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Friday, June 1, 2012

A.J. Pierzynski? You just made the list, buddy. We all have a list that isn't necessarily written down, but tucked away in our heads of people in sports who get underneath our skin. Maybe they're a braggart, maybe they're a punk, maybe they constantly have lapses in judgment. Whatever. The point is, they bug us. The list is ever-changing, but here is the current list of people who are under our skin.

A.J. Pierzynski

His former manager, Ozzie Guillen, once said, "If you play against A.J., you hate him. If you play with him, you hate him a little less." See, the White Sox catcher even rubs teammates the wrong way. Last week, his dangerous spikes-high slide on mild-mannered and all-around good guy Ben Zobrist was uncalled for and easily could've broken Zobrist's ankle. And this isn't the first time Pierzynski has been involved in some sort of shenanigan or another. In fact, it seems like he's always in the middle of controversy.

Chris Perez

The Indians closer is having a heck of a season, but he comes off like a knucklehead. Already this season, he ripped into the lack of support in Cleveland and then he was fined by Major League Baseball for an inappropriate tweet about the Royals. Seriously, the Royals? Who picks on the Royals? And, wait, does Perez realize he pitches for the Indians? Anyway, this week, Perez struck out Kansas City's Jarrod Dyson and then gave the old John Cena "You can't see me" hand wave in front of his face. Dyson had a pretty good line: "I guess he felt good striking me out. It's not like he struck out Albert Pujols." And Perez? It's not like you're Mariano Rivera.

Tiger Woods

Here's my beef these days with Tiger: Last month, he skipped a pretournament news conference and, instead, released a taped question-and-answer session with questions submitted by fans and personally selected by Woods. How arrogant. Let's face it, the questions were not exactly hard-hitting. He continues to swear on the course, throw clubs and generally act most of the time like he would rather be doing anything than being a pro golfer. Who's advising this guy?

Bobby Valentine

Now it feels like I'm piling on Bobby V because I called the Red Sox manager a "weasel" last week. Upon second thought, maybe that was too harsh. He's more like, uh … actually, I did have it right the first time. He's a weasel. Funny that when he was a broadcaster, he was sooooo boring. Now he pops off, including criticizing his own players (see: Youkilis, Kevin). I never thought I'd see a day when I was sticking up for Youkilis. Rays manager Joe Maddon had it right. Valentine calling for Tampa Bay's Luke Scott to be hit with a pitch could eventually get a Red Sox player hurt.

Peter Laviolette

Every time I see the Flyers coach, he looks like a guy who just bit into a bad apple. He didn't like it when Lightning coach Guy Boucher installed a system to beat his team, as if that's not Boucher's job. He had a dustup with Stars captain Steve Ott when he used the Stars hallway to the locker room. Then he exchanged words with Penguins coach Dan Bylsma. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt in the Byslma incident until I realized that Laviolette is always yelling, whining and griping about something. He appears to be the common denominator here.

Metta World Peace

Just when we were all ready to give World Peace a break and say, "You know, maybe he isn't a bad guy after all,'' he goes out and elbows Oklahoma City's James Harden in the head. He ended up getting a seven-game suspension and goes back onto the list of people who get under our skin.

Kevin Garnett

There are times recently when the 36-year-old Celtics power forward has turned back the clock and played his best basketball in years. But he talks a little too much smack and is a borderline dirty player. Classic example of a player you'd love on your team, but dislike on the other team.

Jim Harbaugh

The 49ers coach is a little too intense and a little too full of himself. Plus, it was kind of ridiculous that he is now scolding people, claiming the 49ers never "pursued'' Peyton Manning, but simply "evaluated'' the quarterback situation. Come on. What do you take us for?

Major League Baseball umpires

They have one of the hardest, most thankless jobs in sports and they take a lot of abuse from fans, players and managers. Many are top-notch. But doesn't it seem like too many are becoming more incompetent and more arrogant at the same time? That's not a good combination. The latest is Laz Diaz, who was such a baby about catching some grief from Yankees catcher Russell Martin over balls and strikes that, according to Martin, he refused to let Martin throw the ball back to the pitcher when a new ball was put in play. Martin used a derogatory expletive to describe Diaz. We can't use that word here, but we agree with Martin.

tom jones' two cents

A.J. Pierzynski? You just made the list, buddy. We all have a list that isn't necessarily written down but tucked away in our heads of people in sports who get underneath our skin. Maybe they're a braggart, maybe they're a punk, maybe they constantly have lapses in judgment. Whatever. The point is, they bug us. The list is ever-changing, but here is the current list of people who are under our skin:

A.J. Pierzynski

His former manager Ozzie Guillen once said: "If you play against A.J., you hate him. If you play with him, you hate him a little less.'' See, the White Sox catcher even rubs teammates the wrong way. Last week, his dangerous spikes-high slide on mild-mannered and all-around good guy Ben Zobrist was uncalled for and easily could've broken Zobrist's ankle. And this isn't the first time Pierzynski has been involved in some sort of shenanigans. In fact, it seems like he's always in the middle of controversy.

Chris Perez

The Indians closer is having a heck of a season, but he comes off like a knucklehead. Already this season, he ripped into the lack of support in Cleveland, then he was fined by Major League Baseball for an inappropriate tweet about the Royals. Seriously, the Royals? Who picks on the Royals? And, wait, does Perez realize he pitches for the Indians? Anyway, this week, Perez struck out Kansas City's Jarrod Dyson, then gave the old John Cena "You can't see me" hand wave in front of his face. Dyson had a pretty good line: "I guess he felt good striking me out. It's not like he struck out Albert Pujols." And Perez? It's not like you're Mariano Rivera.

Bobby Valentine

Now it feels like I'm piling on Bobby V because I called the Red Sox manager a "weasel" last week. Upon second thought, maybe that was too harsh. He's more like, uh … actually, I did have it right the first time. He's a weasel. Funny that when he was a broadcaster, he was soooo boring. Now he pops off, including criticizing his own players (see: Youkilis, Kevin). I never thought I'd see a day when I was sticking up for Youkilis. Rays manager Joe Maddon had it right: Valentine calling for Tampa Bay's Luke Scott to be hit with a pitch could eventually get a Red Sox player hurt.

Peter Laviolette

Every time I see the Flyers coach, he looks like a guy who just bit into a bad apple. He didn't like it when Lightning coach Guy Boucher installed a system to beat his team, as if that's not Boucher's job. He had a dustup with Stars captain Steve Ott when he dared to use the Stars' hallway to the locker room. Then he exchanged words with Penguins coach Dan Bylsma. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt in the Byslma incident until I realized that Laviolette is always yelling, whining and griping about something. He appears to be the common denominator here.

Tiger Woods

Here's my beef these days with Tiger: Last month he skipped a pretournament news conference and, instead, released a taped question-and-answer session with questions submitted by fans and personally selected by Woods. How arrogant. Let's face it, the questions were not exactly hard-hitting. He continues to swear on the course, throw clubs and generally act most of the time like he would rather be doing anything than being a pro golfer. Who's advising this guy?

Major League Baseball umpires

They have one of the hardest, most thankless jobs in sports, and they take a lot of abuse from fans, players and managers. Many are top-notch. But doesn't it seem like too many are becoming more incompetent and more arrogant at the same time? That's not a good combination. The latest is Laz Diaz, who was such a baby about catching grief from Yankees catcher Russell Martin over balls and strikes that, according to Martin, he refused to let Martin throw the ball back to the pitcher when a new ball was put in play. Martin used a derogatory expletive to describe Diaz. We can't use that word here, but we agree with Martin.

Metta World Peace

Just when we were all ready to give the Lakers forward a break and say, "You know, maybe he isn't a bad guy after all," he goes out and elbows Oklahoma City's James Harden in the head. He ends up getting a seven-game suspension and goes back onto the list of people who get under our skin.

Kevin Garnett

There have been times recently when the 36-year-old Celtics power forward has turned back the clock and played his best basketball in years. But he talks a little too much smack and is a borderline dirty player. Classic example of a player you'd love on your team but dislike on the other team.

Jim Harbaugh

The 49ers coach is a little too intense and a little too full of himself. Plus, it is kind of ridiculous that he is now scolding people, claiming the 49ers never "pursued" Peyton Manning but simply "evaluated" the quarterback situation. Come on. What do you take us for?

tom jones' two cents

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Friday, June 1, 2012

NORMAN, Okla. — Having thrown batting practice to all of USF's softball players Friday afternoon, assistant coach Monica Triner looked to the plate, eyed the next batter, smiled and knocked the protective screen in front of her to the ground as if she didn't need it.

At Oklahoma's Marita Hynes Field, the Bulls closed their final practice before today's College World Series game against LSU on a lighthearted note, allowing the mana­gers, trainers and staff to take swings.

Bulls coach Ken Eriksen finished the session with a home run to rightfield.

The message: When you've played long enough to be alive in June, keeping a positive attitude is as important as brushing up on fundamentals.

"This is a team that you trust will take that mantel of responsibility, even when you're not overcoaching them," said Eriksen, whose team faces the Tigers at noon today in an elimination game in Oklahoma City.

USF had Friday off after losing in its College World Series debut, 5-1 to Oklahoma on Thursday. The Bulls led 1-0 in the fourth before giving up a two-run homer to All-American Lauren Chamberlain.

LSU and USF are the only unseeded teams in the World Series. If the Bulls win, they face the loser of Friday's late game between Oklahoma and California in another elimination game at 7 tonight.

"We said in regionals that we're in it for the long haul. I don't think we're done yet," USF senior outfielder Gina Kafalas said. "We want to play our best softball and win, and we're really excited to play again. Not a lot of teams have the opportunity to be playing right now."

Sophomore and former Pinellas Park High standout Sara Nevins takes the mound today against an LSU lineup far less imposing than Oklahoma. The Tigers entered the CWS 267th among 283 Division I teams with a .221 batting average, 262nd with 13 home runs and 218th at 3.3 runs per game. The Sooners were eighth (.321), first (95) and ninth (6.6), respectively.

LSU is especially familiar for USF senior Jessica Mouse, who was a three-year starter for the Tigers before missing last season with a foot injury and transferring. She remains close friends with her former teammates but said it shouldn't distract her.

The Bulls are enjoying their first trip to Oklahoma City, knowing the experience resets the bar for what constitutes success. In one week, they go from a program that had never been here to one that wants to return every year.

"We've got mint chocolate chip ice cream on the tongue right now," Eriksen said. "Everybody likes mint chocolate chip ice cream. They don't like the other flavors as much. When you get that flavor, you aspire to have that every single time. They also know to get that flavor, it's a lot of hard work."

Greg Auman can be reached at auman@tampabay.com.

Times staff
Friday, June 1, 2012

Tough trio

Over a five-game span, the Bulls will have faced the pitchers ranked Nos. 1, 2, and 3 in the nation in ERA *. No. 4? USF's Sara Nevins at 1.03.

Pitcher School ERA Date Result

Olivia Galati Hofstra 0.95 May 25 2-1 L

Olivia Galati Hofstra 0.95 May 26 2-1 W

Olivia Galati Hofstra 0.95 May 26 2-1 W

Keilani Ricketts Oklahoma 0.99 Thursday 5-1 L

Rachele Fico LSU 0.92 Today—

* ERA entering College World Series

By Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent
Friday, June 1, 2012

TAMPA — It took a few months longer than expected, but quarterback Nick Hill will finally pull on a Storm uniform tonight.

Hill, considered one of the top unrestricted free agents coming into the season, signed with Tampa Bay in September. But four months later, he signed with the NFL's Packers.

Green Bay released Hill last week. And the Storm, tied for first with Georgia in the South Division, activated him for tonight's game at Jacksonville.

"He's a good player, a smart player," Storm coach Dave Ewart said. "That's why he was the No. 1 guy we recruited in here.

"He was staying in good shape up there in Green Bay. So it's just about making a few adjustments."

Stephen Wasil has started every game at quarterback for the Storm this season and has been steady. He has completed 60.5 percent for 2,753 yards, 55 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

In 2011, Hill led the league at 321.8 passing yards per game, throwing for 4,758 yards and rushing for 391, which were second in the league. Hill, who led Orlando to the playoffs, also threw 97 touchdowns and just 17 interceptions.

Ewart was noncommittal regarding who would start tonight — "I won't know until right up to game time" — but with Tampa Bay having a bye next week, it seems likely Wasil starts against the Sharks before giving way to Hill after the off week.

To make room on the roster, the Storm placed receiver and kick returner Michael Lindsey on injured reserve. Lindsey, whose injury was not disclosed, had appeared in eight games, catching 17 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown.

Royal Return: Former Wharton High and USF standout Terrence Royal signed this week, returning to the Storm for his fourth season. Royal, who splits most of his time between fullback and linebacker, is expected to see extensive playing time tonight.

"Terrence is a team guy," Ewart said. "Not only is he a great guy in the locker room, but he has a proven track record of production and is a hard-nosed football player."

Royal gives Ewart flexibility at several positions, having played five last season. Last season he had 32 carries for 67 yards and five touchdowns, caught two passes for 10 yards, made four tackles and forced a fumble.

"I love playing football, and I am excited to be back," Royal said. "I look forward to helping the team out in the second half of the season."

Grothe out: To make room for Royal and with Hill returning, former USF QB Matt Grothe was released. In five appearances in relief, Grothe completed 12 of 21 passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns.

"Telling him was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," Ewart said.

"He's a good kid who had minimal opportunities."

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Friday, June 1, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Rays RF Matt Joyce still makes his living with his bat, but Friday night he displayed impressive glove work.

With LHP David Price pitching a perfect game with two outs in the fourth, Joyce got a jump on a deep liner to right-center off the bat off Orioles SS J.J. Hardy that appeared to be a sure extra-base hit.

But as the ball began to sail over Joyce's head, he made a leaping catch, crashing to the turf and holding onto the baseball.

"Everybody is aware of what's happening when you get into that point in the fifth inning," Joyce said of Price's perfect start through 13 hitters. "I just cheated a little toward the gap. Hopefully, next time (Price) can take it a little bit further."

Price's no-hit bid ended when Orioles C Matt Wieters singled through the right side of the infield with one out in the fifth. But then Joyce made an over-the-shoulder grab near the rightfield foul line on a well-struck ball by 1B Mark Reynolds.

Joyce, who is batting .295 after going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, also takes pride in his defense.

"It's kind of what we're known for around here, pitching and defense," Joyce said. "Hitting comes and goes, but you can always play defense."

While Joyce tried to preserve the no-hitter, CF B.J. Upton did his part to save the shutout.

With the bases loaded and one out in the sixth, Hardy launched a deep ball to center for an apparent sacrifice fly. But Upton caught it, then fired to second base to nail a tagged-up Steve Tolleson for the final out before Bill Hall could cross the plate from third, negating the run.

“Adam Jones is on deck, it's not really cool," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "So to be able to get out of it like that is outstanding for us."

HOMERING HIDEKI: The Rays love their infusion of power from OF Hideki Matsui, who blasted a 407-foot home run on the first pitch he saw in the first inning. It was Matsui's second home run in three games since being promoted from Triple-A Durham.

Rich Thompson replaced Matsui in leftfield in the seventh.

"If we have a lead like that, I want to get him off his feet late, and I think it's going to prolong and benefit him toward the end of the season for him and us," Maddon said.

LONGORIA's return: 3B Evan Longoria is on pace to return to the lineup before the July All-Star break, Maddon said.

Longoria will accompany the team on its upcoming six-game road trip to New York against the Yankees and Miami for a weekend series against the Marlins.

"He's doing a lot of work right now," Maddon said. "The big thing when you go out for the rehab is that you can play nine innings and be able to stand out there and feel comfortable. You can cut the bases, and it doesn't hurt. I'm not worried about the bat, hitting or fielding ground balls. He's doing a lot of that stuff now. So the big thing would be, 'How does my leg feel by being out there for three hours standing around?' That part of the rehab shouldn't be that long."

Meanwhile, LF Desmond Jennings had a hit in his rehab stint with Class A Charlotte on Thursday. He went 1-for-4 Friday with Triple-A Durham. Jennings is expected to rejoin the Rays in New York on Tuesday.

Miscellany: Price has worked seven or more innings in his past six starts, the longest such streak of his career and the longest in the AL this season. … LHP Jake McGee has made nine straight scoreless appearances. He struck out both batters he faced in the eighth. … Upton leads all major-league centerfielders with six assists this season.