Times wires
Friday, June 22, 2012
Twins 5, Reds 4
CINCINNATI — Ryan Doumit and Ben Revere each had four hits as the Twins gave the Reds their season-high fourth straight loss. Doumit hit a solo shot off Homer Bailey, who angrily left the field after failing to get through the sixth inning. Revere broke an 0-for-15 slump with four singles.
Times wires
Friday, June 22, 2012
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Troy Dumais became the second U.S. male diver to qualify for four Olympic Games when he won the men's 3-meter synchro event with partner Kristian Ipsen at the trials Friday.
Greg Louganis was the first U.S. man to make four Olympics: 1976, '80, '84, '88. Dumais also competed in 2000, '04 and '08.
Ipsen made his first Olympic team.
Second were Brandon's Chris Colwill and Drew Livingston. Only the winners make the team. Colwill has another chance to make the team in Sunday's individual 3-meter final.
Thursday, Nick McCrory and David Boudia, took their places on the U.S. team after winning the 10-meter platform synchro title. The duo carried a 114.84-point lead into the final.
In the women's 3-meter springboard synchro final, Abby Johnston and Kelci Bryant had to fight to hold their lead before narrowly qualifying.
McCrory and Boudia completed a wire-to-wire victory after having led the semifinal and preliminary rounds. McCrory and Boudia did the two toughest dives of the final.
"We've got really high hopes for London," said McCrory, who will go head to head with Boudia in today's individual platform final.
Toby Stanley and Steele Johnson, who finished second, knew they couldn't challenge the more experienced McCrory and Boudia, who dove together at last year's world championships in Shanghai.
"Our name is out there now," Stanley said. "They'll be looking for us in 2016."
In the women's final, Johnston secured her first trip to the Olympics and Bryant got her second.
Johnston and Bryant totaled 956.40 points in the final, with scores having carried over from the semifinal and preliminary rounds. Kassidy Cook and 2008 Olympian Christina Loukas finished second despite outscoring the winners in every round of the final.
Syrian Olympic chief denied visa: Britain has refused to grant a visa to Syrian Olympic Committee chief Gen. Mowaffak Joumaa to attend the Games, the Associated Press reported Friday. Joumaa has been barred over his links to Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.
About 10 athletes are due to compete at the Olympics from Syria, where a 15-month-old uprising and government crackdown have killed thousands.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged that athletes won't be punished "for the sins of the regime."
Times wires
Friday, June 22, 2012
Pirates 4, Tigers 1
PITTSBURGH — A.J. Burnett pitched six shutout innings to win his career-high-tying seventh consecutive start and the Pirates won for the fifth time in six games. Burnett extended his streak of starts that resulted in victories to the longest for a Pirate in 38 years. Dock Ellis won eight in a row in 1974. Detroit had just three baserunners against Burnett over the first five innings.
Times wires
Friday, June 22, 2012
Brewers 1, White Sox 0
10 innings
CHICAGO — Zack Greinke pitched three-hit ball over nine innings and Rickie Weeks drove in the lone run with a single in the 10th for the Brewers. The Brewers finally pulled out a close win after dropping five of their previous nine by one run. Aramis Ramirez led off the 10th with a double against Jesse Crain. Nyjer Morgan ran for him and advanced on a wild pitch before Weeks drove a single past Orlando Hudson at third.
Times wires
Friday, June 22, 2012
Washington AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Lombardozzi lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .268
Harper cf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .280
Zimmerman 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .222
LaRoche 1b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .250
Morse dh 4 0 1 0 0 2 .211
Desmond ss 3 1 2 0 1 1 .269
Espinosa 2b 4 0 1 0 0 1 .232
Bernadina rf 3 0 0 0 0 2 .233
Flores c 3 0 0 0 0 0 .231
Totals 33 1 5 0 1 10
Baltimore AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
B.Roberts 2b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .270
Hardy ss 4 0 1 1 0 0 .247
C.Davis rf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .278
Flaherty rf 0 0 0 0 0 0 .178
Ad.Jones cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .301
Wieters c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .254
Betemit 3b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .243
Mar.Reynolds 1b 3 1 1 1 0 1 .229
N.Johnson dh 1 1 0 0 1 0 .212
Pearce lf 2 0 1 0 0 0 .279
Totals 29 2 8 2 1 2
Washington 000 010 000— 1 5 0
Baltimore 010 010 00x— 2 8 2
E—Mar.Reynolds 2 (9). LOB—Was. 6, Bal. 6. 2B—Morse (5), Hardy (14), Pearce (4). HR—Mar.Reynolds (6), off Zimmermann. RBIs—Hardy (29), Mar.Reynolds (22). S—Pearce. RISP—Was. 0 for 4; Bal. 1 for 7. GIDP—Wieters, Betemit. DP—Was. 2.
Washington IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Zmrmnn L, 3-6 7 8 2 2 1 2 101 2.89
Mattheus 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 1.99
Baltimore IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Hammel W, 8-2 8 5 1 0 0 10 96 2.61
Johnsn S, 21-22 1 0 0 0 1 0 10 1.14
HBP—by Zimmermann (N.Johnson). T—2:20. A—45,891 (45,971).
Orioles 2, Nationals 1
BALTIMORE — Jason Hammel pitched eight innings of five-hit ball and had a career-high-tying 10 strikeouts for the Orioles. Coming off a one-hit shutout against Atlanta, Hammel allowed an unearned run and improved to 5-0 lifetime against Washington. He has gone 19 straight innings without giving up an earned run, a streak that began June 10. Hammel came within one inning of becoming the first Oriole to throw two straight complete games since Sidney Ponson in May 2004.
By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Friday, June 22, 2012
PITTSBURGH — The Lightning did exactly what was expected Friday night in the first round of the draft: It selected a defenseman.
It just wasn't a defenseman anyone expected. Tampa Bay, with the No. 10 overall pick, took Slater Koekkoek from Peterborough of the Ontario junior league.
"It was very quick," Al Murray, the Lightning's director of amateur scouting, said of the decision. "As soon as he was still there, it was easy to put his name down."
It might have been easy for Tampa Bay, but it was a shock to many at the Consol Energy Center. Koekkoek, 18, had not surfaced in any speculation about the Lightning's picks, played just 26 games last season because of a torn labrum in his left shoulder and was ranked by NHL Central Scouting as the 23rd-best North American skater.
More eyebrows were raised because of who was still on the draft board.
Though seven top-ranked defensemen had been taken, Cody Ceci and Olli Maatta were available, as were forwards Filip Forsberg and Teuvo Teravainen (the top-ranked European skaters) and hot-shot scorer Mikhail Grigorenko.
Considering Murray and general manager Steve Yzerman preached for weeks they would take the best available player, it seemed the pick would come from that group.
But as Murray said of Koekkoek — pronounced "cuckoo," (yes, that's right) — "He was absolutely the best player on our list. He's a terrific skater. He's going to be a point producer as well as a real solid defensive player. … The only reason he might have fallen on some lists is because of his injury."
"A huge thrill," Koekkoek said of his selection in front of 35 family and friends. "My heart was racing up in the stands I was so excited."
The Lightning with the 19th overall pick took Andrei Vasilevski, the No. 1-ranked European goaltender.
Normally that would have been a big deal. Vasilevski, 17, the first goalie picked in the draft, led Russia to silver at this year's world junior championship with a 2.01 goals-against average and .953 save percentage.
The 6-foot-3, 204-pounder said he is even considering getting out of two remaining years of his contract with Ufa so he can play juniors in North America.
"The only thing I can tell you for sure is that I want to play in the NHL," he said through an interpreter. As for what he knows about the Lightning, Vasilevski said, "It's the team where (Steven) Stamkos is."
The Lightning knows plenty about Koekkoek, 6-2, 184 pounds. He attended Notre Dame Academy in 2009-10 in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, just south of Regina, where Murray lives.
"So I got a chance to see him play quite a bit," Murray said.
What he saw was Koekkoek help lead Notre Dame, the same program that produced Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier, to the Canadian midget championship at which Murray said Koekkoek was most valuable player.
Murray said Koekkoek, at 16, was the youngest player for Canada's bronze-medal team at the 2011 under-18 world championship.
At the prospects combine, Yzerman said, Lightning medical director Ira Guttentag gave Koekkoek's shoulder a clean bill of health.
Add it all up, Yzerman said, and there were no worries while many players presumed to be on the Lightning's draft list were picked.
"We do our own list and rank all these guys, and we had Slater very high on our list," Yzerman said. "Regardless of how that order went, he was a guy we were looking to take with that pick. I'm very confident in Al and our entire staff. They're out there watching these guys."
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, June 22, 2012
Rays at Phillies
When/where: 4:05 today, Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Probable pitchers
Rays: RH James Shields (7-4, 3.72)
Phillies: RH Kyle Kendrick (2-7, 5.29)
On Shields: After going 0-3 with a 5.92 ERA during a four-game stretch, Shields has allowed one earned run over his last two starts. A bigger problem is the MLB-high 12 unearned runs he has allowed. He beat the Phillies in 2006 and in the 2008 World Series.
On Kendrick: It has been a rough season for Kendrick, who has lost three straight and given up five or more runs in each outing. Overall, he has allowed 102 baserunners in 63 innings.
Rays vs. Kendrick
Jeff Keppinger 1-for-6
Carlos Peña 0-for-1
Phillies vs. Shields
Placido Polanco 8-for-17, 2 HR
Jim Thome 8-for-27, HR
Ty Wigginton 5-for-12, 2 HR
On deck
Sunday: at Phillies, 1:05 and 6:35, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (9-4. 3.08) and Alex Cobb (3-3, 3.82); Phillies — Cliff Lee (0-3, 3.48) and Cole Hamels (10-3. 3.25)
Monday: at Royals, 8:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Chris Archer (0-1, 1.50); Royals — Luke Hochevar (4-7, 5.65)
Tuesday: at Royals, 8:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Matt Moore (4-5, 4.13); Royals — Bruce Chen (6-6, 4.81)
Wednesday: at Royals, 2:10, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (7-4, 3.72); Royals — TBA
Rays disabled list
(with eligible-to-return date)
• C Robinson Chirinos, concussion, 60-day, June 5
• RHP Kyle Farnsworth, right elbow strain, 60-day, June 5
• OF Sam Fuld, right wrist surgery, 60-day, June 5
• *OF Brandon Guyer, left shoulder surgery, 60-day, May 28
• RHP Jeremy Hellickson, right shoulder fatigue, 15-day, June 30
• OF Matt Joyce, left oblique strain, 15-day, July 5
• 3B Evan Longoria, left hamstring tear, 15-day, May 16
• RHP Jeff Niemann, right leg fracture, 60-day, July 14
• DH Luke Scott, back stiffness, 15-day, June 24
* out for season
Marc Topkin. Times staff writer
Moving day
The Rays made roster moves involving seven players Friday, which made it their busiest such day in more than nine years. On May 9, 2003, they made moves involving 10 players, adding LHPs John Rocker and Jim Parque, INFs Felix Escalona and Antonio Perez, and OF Jason Tyner while subtracting RHPs Steve Parris and Victor Zambrano, INFs Rey Ordonez and Chris Truby, and OF George Lombard.
Stat of the day
14
Rays players who have been on the DL this season. Only the Red Sox (18), Nationals (16) and Padres (15) have had more
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Hazleton relocated
Citizens Bank Park will have a Hazleton, Pa., flavor today. Nearly 100 fans from manager Joe Maddon's hometown will attend the game, traveling to it in two buses. Proceeds from the trip, organized by Maddon's sister, Carmine, will benefit his Hazleton Integration Project. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro provided the tickets. Maddon's mom, Beanie, is also coming.
Times wires
Saturday, June 23, 2012
ARLINGTON, Texas — Making his first major-league start in more than eight months, Roy Oswalt looked right at home in his Rangers debut.
He pitched effectively into the seventh and the Rangers won their seventh straight game, beating the Rockies 4-1 on Friday.
Oswalt, who pitched more than 10 years in the NL with Houston and Philadelphia, made four minor-league starts after signing May 29.
Oswalt, 34, won his 160th career game and his first since Sept. 27.
"I won't tell you I wasn't nervous," said Oswalt, who threw 81 of his 110 pitches for strikes. "If you don't have butterflies, you might as well get out of the game."
The Rockies probably felt the time off hadn't hurt Oswalt. He improved to 9-2 lifetime against Colorado with a 1.89 ERA.
Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli homered for Texas, which improved to a major-league-best 13-3 in interleague play.
"These guys have been rolling," Oswalt said. "I was just trying to keep it going."
Times wires
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Mets 6, Yankees 4
NEW YORK — Ike Davis hit a three-run homer that was nudged over by outfielder Nick Swisher, and Frank Francisco closed out the Mets victory after calling their crosstown rivals "chickens." The Mets scored five runs in the first with two outs.
Times wires
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Times wires
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Braves 4, Red Sox 1
BOSTON — Demoted in April, Jair Jurrjens made an impressive return to the majors by allowing one run on three hits and shut down the Red Sox. Jurrjens, an All-Star last year, left in the eighth after allowing an RBI double by Daniel Nava that drove in Will Middlebrooks, who led off with a double. Boston's only other hit was a single by Adrian Gonzalez in the first. Jurrjens had retired eight in a row before Middlebrooks' double.
Times wires
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Cardinals 11, Royals 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Carlos Beltran hit two two-run doubles in his return to Kauffman Stadium, and the Cardinals pounded Vin Mazzaro. David Freese and Tyler Greene added two RBIs each, and every Cardinal in the starting lineup had a hit before the fourth inning ended. Mazzaro recorded just four outs.
Times wires
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Diamondbacks 6, Cubs 1
PHOENIX — Jason Kubel hit a two-run homer and five relievers filled in for scratched starter Joe Saunders to lift the Diamondbacks. Saunders had trouble getting loose in the bullpen, so Arizona turned to one-time starter Josh Collmenter.
Times wires
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Padres 9, Mariners 5
SAN DIEGO — Starting pitcher Clayton Richard settled down after a rough start and drove in three runs for the Padres. Richard gave up four runs — including two homers — over the first three innings. His two-run double keyed San Diego's five-run fourth.
By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 23, 2012
PITTSBURGH — It's tough to tell right now, but Benoit Pouliot isn't ruling out that Saturday "could be the best day that ever happened to me."
The left wing believes he is ready to compete for a spot as a top-six forward, and the Lightning seems ready to give him that chance.
"He's got the skill, the ability to play with our top guys," general manager Steve Yzerman said. "We're going to give him the opportunity."
Tampa Bay traded for Pouliot midway through the second day of the draft at Consol Energy Center, sending minor-leaguer Michel Ouellet and this year's fifth-round pick to the Bruins.
So, on a day when the Lightning built for the future with six draft picks, giving it eight in the two-day event, it also gave a huge boost to the present by adding a player who, at 6 feet 3, 199 pounds, "has the shot and the hands to play on the power play," Yzerman said.
Pouliot, 25, had 16 goals and 32 points in 74 games last season and was plus-18 while averaging just 12:12 of ice time.
His end-to-end rush against the Panthers in which he deked a defender and pulled the puck back from between his legs and scored with a backhand while falling to his knees was a league highlight.
"It's size, speed and skill," Lightning coach Guy Boucher said. "Sounds pretty good to me."
As it does to Yzerman, who said Pouliot fills the major need at forward he wanted to address this summer.
"With the uncertainty of what we can get on July 1," he said of when free agency begins, "we like this option."
Why did the Bruins let him go? Indications are it was financial.
Boston has only about $3.5 million in salary cap space for next season, and Pouliot, drafted fourth overall by the Wild in 2005, is a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights who likely will get a raise from this season's $1.1 million salary.
Pouliot — whose agent, Kent Hughes, also represents Tampa Bay captain Vinny Lecavalier — said he doesn't believe getting a deal done will be a problem. He also is eager to play for Boucher, who in 2009-10 coached Pouliot for three games at Hamilton, the Canadiens' AHL affiliate.
Pouliot still is raw in a lot of ways, Boucher said, but he believes the player's commitment to a two-way game has improved and he is ready to take the step the Lightning will offer.
"He's one of those guys who's got high-end talent who are just figuring out what they need to do in the NHL and where they fit, so I think we have him at the perfect time," Boucher said. "He goes to the front of the net. He's not afraid to go along the boards, so right now it's to continue building what he started and make him consistent. It's a great project for us and a great addition to our team."
"It's a big opportunity for me to get a chance to play with Tampa," said Pouliot, who averaged 15 goals and 30 points the past three seasons with the Wild, Canadiens and Bruins. "You never know what can happen. It could be the best day that ever happened to me. I'm real excited to get started."
By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Saturday's draft picks
Dylan Blujus
Round: 2 (40th overall)
Position: Defenseman
Team: Brampton (OHL)
Age: 18
HT/WT: 6-3, 191
Need to know: Had seven goals, , 34 points in 66 games last season. … "Really good reach, really good stick-on-puck and defensive positioning," Lightning director of amateur scouting, Al Murray, said. "Needs to get stronger and mature physically." … Blujus said the brother of his brother-in-law is Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Brian Hart
Round: 2 (53rd)
Position: Left wing
Team: Exeter High School (N.H.)
Age: 18
HT/WT: 6-2, 203
Need to know: Had 32 goals, 68 points in 29 games this season. … Scored a season-record 35 goals for the school soccer team. … "He's there to score goals," Murray said. … Is committed to play for Harvard.
Tanner Richard
Round: 3 (71st)
Position: C
Team: Guelph (OHL)
Age: 19
HT/WT: 6-1, 198
Need to know: Had 13 goals, 48 points in 43 games this season. … Played for Switzerland in the world junior championship. … "Is a two-way center-iceman," Murray said. "Has hockey sense and some skill but plays a real solid defensive game and has some grit to his game as well." … Speaks English, French, German and understands Italian.
Cedric Paquette
Round: 4 (101st)
Position: Center
Team: Blainville (QMJHL)
Age: 18
HT/WT: 6-1, 198
Need to know: Not ranked by NHL Central Scouting, he had 31 goals, 48 points and 88 penalty minutes in 63 games this season. … "We're pretty excited about the grit and competitiveness he brings along with some skill," Murray said. … Must get quicker.
Jake Dotchin
Round: 6 (161st)
Position: D
Team: Owen Sound (OHL)
Age: 18
HT/WT: 6-2, 207
Need to know: Had three goals, 19 points, 77 penalty minutes in 64 games this season. … Was Owen Sound's shutdown defenseman. … "Jake's a big, hard-nosed defenseman who's a good skater," Murray said. "He's going to go out against the best players on the other team and he's going to make their life miserable. He doesn't hesitate to get real physical."
Nikita Gusev
Round: 7 (202nd)
Position: Left wing
Team: CSKA Jr. (Russia)
Age: 19
HT/WT: 5-9, 163
Need to know: Had 30 goals, 76 points in 34 games this season. … Played for Russia at the 2012 world junior championship. … "A terrifically skilled and competitive right-shot left wing," Murray said. "A lot of talent. At that spot in the seventh round, he was the most talented player left on our list."
Friday's picks
Slater Koekkoek
Round: 1 (10th)
Position: Defenseman
Team: Peterborough (OHL)
Age: 18
HT/WT: 6-2, 184
Need to know: Recognized in October 2011 by the Ontario junior league as the East Division academic player of the month.
Andrei Vasilevski
Round: 1 (19th)
Position: Goalie
Team: Ufa Jr. (Russia)
Age: 17
HT/WT: 6-3, 204
Need to know: Plans to get out of remaining two years of contract with Ufa and play North American juniors next season.
By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 23, 2012
That miserable annual spring-summer lull for football fans, when even NFL training camps seem impossibly far off, is something Jaime Cuadra knows well. Actually, he's making a considerable investment in it.
"I'm not a huge basketball fan," the San Diego businessman said. "So there's always such a void after the Super Bowl, and it would be great to have some football in the spring. And the USFL has a romantic kind of past, and people have a nostalgic feel for that league. It has such great brand awareness, even to this day. It would be so much better to start with a leg up and a league name people recognize."
So 30 years after the USFL made its short-lived challenge to the NFL's football supremacy, a new league will carry the same name next spring. Cuadra, 53, bought the rights to the USFL brand — he says it cost less than $1 million, but more than $500,000 — but this league will take the opposite strategy of its namesake, avoiding any competition and hoping to work in conjunction with the NFL.
Cuadra knows well the carnage of failed pro leagues that have come and gone since the original USFL's three-year run ended in 1985. He said there are three lessons: don't play in the fall, don't pay exorbitant salaries, and play traditional, 100-yard football without gimmicks.
The new USFL has yet to name its first franchise, but the San Diego-based operation has laid out its basic model — an eight-team league initially, playing a 14-game schedule on Saturday nights from March to June with a four-team playoff.
Players are expected to earn about $3,000 per game, and with a 50-man roster, that creates an operating annual payroll of about $2.5 million per team, including coaches. Franchises will be owned and operated locally, and should be named by September — Cuadra is hoping for a first-year average attendance of 17,000 fans per game, with ticket prices no more than $35.
"We want to make this as fan-friendly as we possibly can," Cuadra said. "We would be ecstatic if we hit 20 (thousand fans), 25, 30, but our business model has us at about 17,000 in Year 1."
The original USFL went for the brass ring, placing teams in major NFL markets and landing top college standouts such as Herschel Walker, Jim Kelly and Steve Young. Its three-year run went from 1983-85, officially ending when its antitrust lawsuit against the NFL came back in 1987 with a judgment of just $3 in damages for the USFL.
Its new incarnation seeks to work with the NFL, providing development much like baseball's Triple-A minor leagues or the NBA's Developmental League, with players free to go directly from the USFL season to NFL preseason camps. Franchises will target markets without an NFL or MLB presence, with speculation on strong college areas such as Austin, Texas; Baton Rouge, La.; Birmingham, Ala. and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
The original USFL had a strong Florida presence, with the Tampa Bay Bandits as one of its most successful and well-attended franchises, later joined by the Jacksonville Bulls and the Orlando Renegades. Cuadra said his league has talked with potential ownership groups in Tallahassee, Orlando and Daytona Beach.
"We would love for (there to be) a Florida market," he said. "We think it's important to have football in Florida. With the colleges and universities there, there's a (wealth) of talent that doesn't make it to the NFL, not because they're not talented but because it's a numbers game. We'd love to have something going on in Florida and we're constantly talking to groups there."
Many fans in the state will already recognize some names involved with the league — FSU legend Fred Biletnikoff is on the board of advisers, as is former Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia, who played in the CFL before his NFL days, as well as one season with the UFL's Omaha Nighthawks in 2010. He said the development of young players in the USFL and the experience of pro football under NFL rules will help their progress.
"There aren't enough jobs out there," Garcia told the North County (Calif.) Times last week. "I'm finding this now from the representative side of the business. It's tough to get a player a crack at the next level. It's a really tough business. It's the elite of the elite … players who come into the NFL who are third-string QBs and never see the field, they don't ever get a chance to develop. That's where the USFL can really prepare players and give them that sort of opportunity."
Greg Auman can be reached at auman@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3346.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Some people have had issues with Joe Maddon's aggressive, blame-deflecting, somewhat over-the-top response to the Joel Peralta pine tar incident, considering it curious, controversial and even fallacious.
But to his target audience — the players inside the Rays clubhouse — it was a massive hit. And that, be assured, is what Maddon cares most about.
"If he would have sat back and just let that brush over, I'm sure there would have been a lot of guys in this clubhouse saying it doesn't matter. And it does. It matters a great deal to us," left-hander David Price said.
"I felt like Joe definitely had Peralta's back, and he said whatever he felt he needed to say. For him to have our backs, and to show he has our backs that way, I feel it makes us fight for him that much more."
After seeing what Maddon said in his defense, Peralta went into his office late Wednesday night to thank him.
"I'm always going to be thankful to Joe because he not only defends me, he defends every player he's got here," Peralta said. "That's why these guys play so hard for him. It's one thing I didn't know before I got here, why the guys with the Tampa Bay Rays play so hard for their manager.
"I kind of knew Joe before, but not as a manager. So now I know."
And not only did Maddon's players notice, so did his boss.
"I think the players in our clubhouse really appreciate and respect how much Joe has their back," Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman said. "The thing that Joe cared about most (Tuesday) night is that everyone understands who Joel Peralta is, and I think that speaks volumes. And not just to the guys in our clubhouse but to everyone in baseball on how important that was to Joe."
The message was quite clear.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Given last week's sticky situation with pine tar found inside RHP Joel Peralta's glove, the Rays, in their 15 seasons, have now been a part of three of the game's more infamous incidents of on-field "cheating."
May 1999
Detroit pitcher Brian Moehler is caught with a small piece of sandpaper attached to his left thumb after the Devil Rays note unusual movement on his pitches and manager Larry Rothschild asked the umpires to check him.
Suspension: 10 days
Key comment: Detroit manager Larry Parrish calls the Tampa Bay complaints "bootleg" and says: "There's not a pitching staff in baseball that doesn't have a guy who defaces the ball. … If the umpires want to check things like that, I think half to three-quarters of the league would be suspended, including some Tampa Bay Devil Rays."
June 2003
Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa's bat splits vertically after a groundout against Devil Rays pitcher Jeremi Gonzalez, and the umpires notice — after Devil Rays catcher Toby Hall casually points it out — a half-dollar-sized piece of cork notched into the bat.
Suspension: 8 games (reduced on appeal to 7)
Key comment: Sosa said the bat in question was one he used to "put on a show for the fans" during batting practice and wasn't intended for game use. "I just picked the wrong bat," he said. "It's something that I take the blame for. It's a mistake. I know that. I feel sorry. I just apologize to everybody that is embarrassed."
June 2012
Peralta is found to have "a substantial amount" of pine tar inside his glove after Nationals manager Davey Johnson, admittedly acting on inside information, asks the umpires to check.
Punishment: 8-game suspension
Key comment: Rays manager Joe Maddon tried valiantly to flip the script and blame the Nats for "underhanded" tactics and said it's "common practice" for pitchers to use pine tar. "Go ask their players what they think about all this," he said. "Go ask every team … what they think about this and how it came down and what they believe would be the right way to go about that."
Rays rumblings
The Trop was third on Jim Caple's ESPN.com list of the 10 worst all-time big-league ballparks, behind Montreal's Olympic Stadium and Seattle's Kingdome, and seeded 30th for an online voting battle of current parks. … Of all that was said in Washington last week, the oddest exchange was hearing 69-year-old Davey Johnson call Joe Maddon "a weird wuss." … Ex-Ray Carl Crawford is on track to make his season debut for Boston on July 13 at the Trop. … Four of the players acquired from the Cubs in the Jan. 2011 Matt Garza trade have now made it to the majors: OFs Sam Fuld and Brandon Guyer, C Robinson Chirinos and RHP Chris Archer, with SS Hak-Ju Lee still to come. … Former Rays All-Star LHP Scott Kazmir, with only one big-league appearance since Sept. 2010, has been reduced to trying a comeback with the Sugar Land (Texas) Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League, but he's still only 28. … About 15 Japanese journalists (newspaper, wire service, TV) are traveling with the Rays covering Hideki Matsui.
Got a minute? Sean Rodriguez
Something you're scared of? Alligators.
Favorite TV show of all time? The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
If you had to, go-to karaoke song? It would depend on the crowd. I would definitely lean toward something hip-hop, maybe off The Chronic, by (Dr.) Dre.
Late-night snack? Ritz crackers, sometimes with Nutella.
Celebrity crush? Jessica Biel — she's about to get married though.
Suspended animation
RHP Joel Peralta's eight-game suspension is the longest for an onfield issue in Rays history. Here, per MLB records, is the full list:
8 games
• RHP Joel Peralta, June '12, foreign substance on glove
7 games
• LHP Joe Kennedy, June '02, throwing at hitter
6 games
• RHP James Shields, June ’08, fighting, escalating incident
5 games
• RHP Dewon Brazelton, April '05, aggressive actions
• RHP Lance Carter, April '05, throwing at hitter
• OF Jonny Gomes, June '08, fighting, escalating incident
• RHP Edwin Jackson, June '08, fighting, escalating incident
• OF Carl Crawford, June '08, fighting
• INF Akinori Iwamura, June '08, fighting
• Mgr. Lou Piniella, April '05, inappropriate actions
3 games
• LHP Nick Bierbrodt, April '03, throwing at hitter
• INF Marlon Anderson, June '03, fighting, inciting incident
• OF Carl Crawford, June '03, fighting
• Coach John McLaren, Aug. '05, inappropriate actions
• Coach Mike Butcher, Sept. '06, inappropriate actions
2 games
• OF Carl Crawford, Sept. ’07, inappropriate actions
• OF Jonny Gomes, March '08, violent actions, escalating incident
• C Dioner Navarro, April '10, inappropriate actions
• OF B.J. Upton, May '11, onfield incident
1 game
• Mgr. Lou Piniella, April '03, actions of pitcher
• Coach John McLaren, Aug. ’03, yelling at umpire
By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, June 23, 2012
TAMPA
The 2011 Buccaneers kept finding creative ways to lose.
Sometimes, their inability to stop opponents' running games led to losses. Other times, repeated red zone failures did them in.
But one consistently disappointing aspect of last season's club was its poor execution of fundamentals. Like tackling. And not fumbling.
So, is it any wonder that large segments of the team's practices this offseason were set aside for working on improving these crucial areas?
It shouldn't be. Consider:
The Bucs' minus-16 turnover margin last season was the NFL's worst. Tampa Bay lost 30 fumbles, tied for 30th.
Another area of constant breakdowns was tackling. The website FootballOutsiders.com, which does statistical analysis, determined that the Bucs led the NFL in missed tackles last season. Based on a review of games, the site's analysts found that nine percent of the Bucs' attempted tackles were broken by offensive players.
Though the Bucs made some key personnel upgrades this year, that won't matter much if they're undermined by these same self-inflicted issues.
"You have to have that fundamental base to go with the talent that you have," CB Eric Wright said. "You have to put it together."
Of course, every team talks about brushing up on these things. But these days in Tampa Bay, it's more than lip service.
"It's something that's necessary and we do it every day," Wright said. "(Other teams) do it but not on a consistent basis. We do it daily here and I think it's a good thing."
Last season's subpar fundamentals grew worse as the losses mounted and players lost focus and began to press.
RB LeGarrette Blount has not been shy about taking responsibility for fumbles. He fumbled nine times in his two seasons, losing six. That's a cardinal sin under any coach, but Greg Schiano has been adamant that it won't be tolerated.
With new emphasis on ball security, Blount thinks he can live up to Schiano's expectations. He appreciates the attention to small details.
"It's overlooked," Blount said. "With all the talent, you come in here from college and a lot of these guys were the best players on their team. So, they didn't really have to worry about fundamentals. But (Schiano) brought it back."
Accordingly, Blount and his fellow backs have been asked to adjust their methods of carrying the football. Blount used to carry the ball tucked at his side, but the new mantra is "high and tight." The new technique calls for the ball to be tucked closer to the armpit. The running backs have worked at it so much it's now muscle memory.
"It's become a habit," Blount said. "I don't even notice. Holding the ball down is kind of uncomfortable now. You do it long enough and you don't even notice it. You can't help but make it a habit."
The tackling is being addressed in similar fashion. The Bucs have devoted a segment of practices to tackling techniques, something one might not expect to see in pro football.
"We have a tackling circuit before every practice," DT Gerald McCoy said. "I've never done anything like that. So, it's teaching me how to tackle. I was just playing football (before). But (Schiano) putting us through the tackling circuit is really helping."
How much of a difference can this stuff make? Less fumbles could mean more first downs and better tackling should prevent a fair number of big plays.
And if you watched the Bucs in 2011, you know those are two things they really could have used.
Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@tampabay.com. Follow him on Twitter at @HolderStephen.
