Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Indians 6, Twins 2
CLEVELAND — Justin Masterson pitched seven strong innings and Shin-Soo Choo went 4-for-4 as Cleveland ended an 11-game losing streak. The Indians avoided tying the 1931 franchise record for consecutive losses. Cleveland was outscored 95-36 in the streak. "I'm sure there was relief in all of Cleveland and every Cleveland fan in the country," Masterson said. The right-hander let out a long sigh and said, "We can win."
Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Brewers 3, Reds 2
MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun snapped an 0-for-18 slump with an RBI double in the eighth inning, lifting Milwaukee to a three-game sweep. The Brewers rallied against Jonathan Broxton with two outs in the eighth. Carlos Gomez singled in Norichka Aoki and stole second before Braun hit a sharp liner into left.
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Remember me?
Bucs coach Greg Schiano has liked what he has seen out of second-year WR Greg Ellingson, a Robinson High product who was undrafted in 2011 and signed by the Bucs in May, but is not surprised. Schiano recalled how Ellingson, 23, was tough on his Rutgers teams while at Florida International. "He was a pain in the rear end," Schiano said. "He was catching balls all over the place. The thing I remember about him as a player is he loved football. You could just see the passion he has about the game, and he practices that way, whether he's scout team, playing on the unit, special teams. Guy goes a million miles per hour."
In a rush
Though LB Dekoda Watson technically started just two games last season, then-coach Raheem Morris considered him a starter because of all the blitz packages they used him in.
And Watson, heading into his third NFL season, is excited about how the new coaching staff plans to use him in rushing the passer.
"I'm very confident, there are a lot of things coming off the ball, coming up the middle just blitzing," Watson said. "That's my specialty. They're really using my speed as a weapon, and that's all I can ever ask for."
In 14 games last season, Watson had four sacks and 20 tackles, two for a loss, while forcing one fumble and recovering one that he returned for a touchdown. The former Florida State standout believes he will be put in similar situations this year, with the difference being his increased confidence level. "It's all coming together," he said.
Good deed of the day
The Bucs had their fourth annual Lace It Up for Kids shoe giveaway Wednesday, hosting 700 children at practice and giving them shoes provided by the team. The program has given more than 2,300 local youths sneakers for the school year and to encourage exercise.
Joe Smith, Times staff writer
Training camp
Where: One Buc Place, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, just east of Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Admission: Free
Et cetera: All practices are weather permitting and subject to change. For updates, go to buccaneers.com.
Schedules
Public practice
Tuesday: 8:45 to 11:30 a.m.
Preseason games
Friday: at Dolphins, 7:30, Ch. 10
Aug. 17: Titans, 7:30, Ch. 10 *
Aug. 24: Patriots, 7:30, Ch. 10 *
Aug. 29: at Redskins, 7:30, Ch. 10
* Subject to blackout
Regular season
Sept. 9: Panthers, 4:25, Ch. 13 *
Sept. 16: at Giants, 1, Ch. 13
Sept. 23: at Cowboys, 1, Ch. 13
Sept. 30: Redskins, 4:25, Ch. 13 *
Oct. 14: Chiefs, 1, Ch. 13 *
Oct. 21: Saints, 1, Ch. 13 *
Oct. 25: at Vikings, 8:20, NFL Network
Nov. 4: at Raiders, 4, Ch. 13
Nov. 11: Chargers, 1, Ch. 10 *
Nov. 18: at Panthers, 1, Ch. 13
Nov. 25: Falcons, 1, Ch. 13 *
Dec. 2: at Broncos, 4, Ch. 13
Dec. 9: Eagles, 1, Ch. 13 *
Dec. 16: at Saints, 1, Ch. 13
Dec. 23: Rams, 1, Ch. 13 *
Dec. 30: at Falcons, 1, Ch. 13
* Subject to blackout
By Jay Mastry, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
What's hot: Mangrove snapper will stack up along the rocky edges and ledges of the ships channel from Egmont Key to inside the Skyway Bridge for several miles. Others will gang up on the many artificial reefs in the bay or gather on the scattered rock in Southwest Pass. The channel leading into Port Manatee is another option.
Tips: I like mangrove snapper fishing in the bay when a 2-ounce egg sinker is all the weight necessary to get on the bottom. When fishing the edges of the channel near the new and full moon phases focus on the slower tides. Stronger-than-normal flow during mid tides make it difficult to effectively get and stay down in the zone.
Bait and tackle: Small pinfish, shrimp and cut baits will work. But there is no better bait than a 3-inch whitebait. A 20-pound test mainline, an 18-inch length of 20-pound test fluorocarbon leader and a hook to match the bait size works best. A few break-offs are inevitable with the lighter tackle, but heavier tackle noticeably decreases the bites.
Jay Mastry charters Jaybird out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 321-2142
Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
. fast facts
This week on tour
PGA: PGA Championship, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Kiawah Island, S.C. TV: Today-Friday, 1 p.m., TNT; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m., TNT, and 2 p.m., Ch. 10
LPGA: Jamie Farr Toledo Classic, Highland Meadows Golf Club, Sylvania, Ohio. TV: None
Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
CHARLESTON, W. Va. — Football coach Dana Holgorsen will earn $2.3 million this season under a new six-year contract at West Virginia, athletic director Oliver Luck said Wednesday.
The deal includes $250,000 in base pay and the remainder in supplemental pay from athletic department revenue or private sources. The second-year coach will receive annual raises of $200,000 in the second and third years, and $100,000 in the fourth and fifth years. The deal also includes performance incentives.
Holgorsen would have earned about $1.7 million this season under his original deal.
Texas coach Mack Brown and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops remain the highest-paid in the Big 12.
Missouri: Travis Ruth, a projected offensive line starter, tore his left triceps tendon, and redshirt freshman Taylor Chappell, a key backup at right tackle, tore the ACL in his left knee. Both will require surgery, but it's unclear when either will return.
Penn state: A group of former Nittany Lions, led by former quarterback Michael Robinson, notified the NCAA of plans to appeal sanctions against the football team resulting from the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. Also named in the letter were ex-assistant Bill Kenney and former players Anwar Phillips, Josh Gaines, Shamar Finney, Richard Gardner, Gerald Cadogan, Anthony Adams and Justin Kurpeikis.
South Carolina: Backup quarterback and redshirt freshman Tanner McEvoy, charged last month with speeding and driving after consuming alcohol while younger than 21, will transfer to an unknown school. Coach Steve Spurrier didn't seem worried: "We've got a lot of quarterbacks here."
Tennessee: Quarterback Tyler Bray, charged in a July 4 personal watercraft incident, agreed to promote boating safety in exchange for losing boat driving rights for one year and paying court costs.
UCONN: Sophomore quarterback Mike Nebrich will transfer. The touted recruit out of Burke, Va., had limited action as a freshman, and this preseason was listed with senior Johnny McEntee as second on the depth chart, behind Chandler Whitmer.
Basketball: The Minnesota Supreme Court overturned a $1 million award against Minnesota and men's coach Tubby Smith, ruling that though they treated prospective assistant coach Jimmy Williams unfairly, they couldn't be held financially responsible for backing out of a job offer that Smith lacked the authority to make. Williams quit as an assistant at Oklahoma State in 2007 because Smith offered him a position. That fell through when athletic director Joel Maturi learned Williams was cited for NCAA rules violations earlier in his career.
Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
KIAWAH, S.C. — Think all grasses are the same? Not for the world's best golfers at the PGA Championship. Many won't be sure what they're facing with the Ocean Course's paspalum surfaces.
The course was switched to seashore paspalum grass in 2003 because of upkeep problems caused by its next-door neighbor, the Atlantic Ocean.
"Paspalum is a grass that I'm not sure we've ever played a (PGA) Tour event on before," Luke Donald said this week.
The world's No. 1 player better adjust in a hurry. For all the talk of super-sized titanium drivers and long putters, the biggest factor in the year's final major might be who successfully figures out the seaside layout's paspalum fairways and greens.
Count Rory McIlroy, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, among those with an edge. Not only did he successfully spell paspalum during Wednesday's media session, he often plays on the surface at the Bear's Club in Jupiter on Florida's east coast. "So it's actually quite nice," he said.
Even better, McIlroy said, is paspalum has more grip and lets him freely fire at pins without worrying he'll roll too far past: "It just really grabs the ball, so you can be aggressive with your chip shots and definitely (be) aggressive with your wedge shots, too."
THINKING AHEAD: If golf decides to ban long putters, U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson will be ready.
Simpson said he ordered two Scotty Cameron putters that are conventional length and has been practicing with them at home in case the Royal & Ancient Golf Club and U.S. Golf Association decide that anchoring a club to the body will not be allowed.
Neither organization has said which way it is leaning.
"I don't want to be surprised by it," Simpson said. "I'm almost kind of telling myself to expect it, and we'll see what happens."
FEELING FINE: Phil Mickelson said his recent slump can be blamed on his swing, not an arthritic condition.
"My game has not been what I would like it to be the past two months," said Mickelson, 42, who suffers from psoriatic arthritis. "Fortunately, it's not health-related."
ON THE BUBBLE: European captain Jose Maria Olazabal said Padraig Harrington will have to show "extraordinary" play to avoid missing the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1995. Harrington is well outside the top 10 players who automatically qualify for Europe's team in three weeks. He would have to finish alone in second this week to have any chance of moving into the top 10.
CRANE OUT: Ben Crane withdrew from the PGA because of a back injury.
Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — Adam Scott's tee shot on the 12th hole at the Ocean Course sailed down the middle of the fairway, and he started walking toward his ball alongside his playing partner — Ernie Els.
So much for forgetting about that British Open.
Less than a month after gifting Els a major championship with a late collapse at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Scott practiced with him Wednesday, a day before the start of the PGA Championship. The 32-year-old Aussie is hoping for a better finish at Kiawah Island, but he isn't hiding from his British Open failure.
After giving away a four-shot lead with bogeys on the last four holes, helping Els win the tournament, Scott is confident in his ability to hold on this week if he ends up in a similar spot.
"If I was in that position again, I'd feel like I'm playing pretty good, so at that point, I'd be quite confident," Scott said. "I've generally been a good closer of golf tournaments in my career. If I was in that position, I'd like to turn it around this time and close the golf tournament out."
Els sounded almost guilty after benefiting from his friend's slide. He tried to be encouraging afterward; still is, actually.
"I've known Adam since he's come out here 10 years ago, and we have got a pretty good, close relationship," Els said. "He's a good friend of the family and of mine. If he needs any help to win a major, I'll definitely give it to him. If he needs any encouragement, I'll give it to him."
As for Scott, he feels bad that his troubles took some of the joy out of Els' victory.
"It was kind of a shame, because he should have been so happy and he felt a little sorry for me, and that's not the way you want to win," Scott said. "We have spoken a couple times since, but not really about anything specific. Just being the friend he is, he just was concerned about how I was doing. I assured him that I'm doing fine and ready to get on with it."
Scott's next tournament was at Firestone last weekend. He finished tied for 45th.
No matter. He says it was a bit therapeutic to be on the course playing again.
"I think probably it took last week, getting back out and playing, to kind of shake it off fully," Scott said. "I was ready to play last week and didn't play that well and lost my rhythm slightly throughout the round with my swing. But I think now, I've got one out of the system."
Still seeking his first major championship, Scott has been impressive this year, finishing tied for eighth at the Masters and tied for 15th at the U.S. Open.
His British Open looked like another step forward until his string of bogeys that culminated in a 7-foot putt he missed on No. 18 that could have forced a playoff.
"I played maybe the best golf of my career for the whole week, really," Scott said. "Unfortunately, I didn't get a win. But even with the last four holes, taking it as a whole, I played spectacular golf for such a long period of time in a major championship."
It just didn't last for all 72 holes.
. fast facts
PGA Championship
When/where: Today-Sunday, Kiawah Island, S.C.
Purse: $8 million
Defending champion: Keegan Bradley
TV: Today-Friday, 1 p.m., TNT; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m., TNT, and 2 p.m., Ch. 10
. fast facts
This week on Tour
PGA: PGA Championship, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Kiawah Island, S.C. TV: Today-Friday, 1 p.m., TNT; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m., TNT, 2 p.m., Ch. 10.
LPGA: Jamie Farr Toledo Classic, Highland Meadows Golf Club, Sylvania, Ohio. TV: None.
Web.com: Price Cutter Charity Championship, Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Mo. TV: None.
Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Padres 2, Cubs 0
SAN DIEGO — Clayton Richard pitched a five-hitter as San Diego completed a three-game sweep. Richard, coming off one of his best starts of the season, held Chicago to five singles and pitched out of trouble three times to hand the Cubs their eighth straight loss. Chicago had a total of four runs, all in Tuesday night's 7-4 loss, and 15 hits in the series. Will Venable had an RBI double in the second inning and Yonder Alonso an RBI single in the ninth for the Padres.
Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland used pitching to get into the wild-card race. The hitters are helping keep it there.
On a day when the Athletics' pitchers allowed five homers, they got production from just about everyone in their lineup and continued their second-half surge.
"It's chemistry, man," closer Ryan Cook said after securing a 9-8 win over the Angels on Wednesday. "The days when they're struggling offensively, we're going to do our part to keep it one less. The days they're raking, we're going to do our best to keep it at that.
"It's extremely selfless, this whole team, from top to bottom."
Since getting shut out in the series opener, Oakland has scored 19 on 23 hits.
"The more we go along, the more we win and the more we compete with teams that are considered the best teams, the more confidence we're going to have," manager Bob Melvin said.
By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
VERO BEACH — In truth, USF football's home for 11 days of training camp is about 2 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean, but for the players and coaches bunkered down in what used to be known as Dodgertown, this is an island.
"It's all ball, all day," says coach Skip Holtz, who loves the isolation of camp in Vero, taking away all the distractions and allowing his players to focus on each other and improving as a team. "Pretty much from 7 a.m. to 10 o'clock at night, it is practice, meetings, walkthroughs, lifting. It's all ball. They do a phenomenal job here. … We couldn't ask for a better practice setup."
Buses dropped the Bulls off Wednesday morning, then headed back to Tampa empty. They'll be back Aug. 18, but until then, USF's players and coaches won't leave the Vero Beach Sports Village — not for the beach, not for a meal, not for a moment. Instead of Sandals, the all-inclusive resort, call this Cleats.
"It's a nice experience to get away from everything. No worries, just football," sophomore WR Andre Davis said. "It's football, all day. Just working hard. You're dialed in at all times of the day."
It's the third time in Holtz's three seasons at USF he has brought his team here, and after two Augusts of practicing in outfields with infield dirt on one side and a warning track serving as a makeshift sideline at times, the Bulls have a beautiful regulation football field now at their disposal.
They timed their stay in Vero to coincide with upgrades being made back on campus to the locker rooms in the Selmon Athletic Center — the team had only one full practice in shorts before traveling across the state.
Holtz originally took the Bulls to Vero in 2010 to bring the team together after the dismissal of coach Jim Leavitt, but it has become an annual tradition he finds great value in. Training in Vero is not without its expenses. The contract with VBSV pays $152 a night for a travel party of 156, which for a 10-night stay works out to about $237,000, including all meals.
But school administrators have said just the cost of feeding the team alone over such a span would be about $100,000 on campus, not counting lodging.
THIS AND THAT: DE Julius Forte (Boca Ciega) remains out with a sprained ankle, though Holtz doesn't expect the injury to be anything long term. Junior college transfer Tevin Mims worked in Forte's spot with the No. 1 defense in Wednesday's drills. … Both sides of the ball made plays in drills late in practice, with CBs Kayvon Webster, Kenneth Durden and Josh Brown getting interceptions and the offense clicking on a deep touchdown to sophomore WR Chris Dunkley and a long catch by freshman WR Alex Mut. … The team will have two scrimmages in Vero, both open to the public, on Monday night and the afternoon of Aug. 18.
Times staff, wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
GAINESVILLE — Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel are battling hard for Florida's starting QB job, but new offensive coordinator Brent Pease said Wednesday that he hopes both will stick around regardless of who earns the starting job.
"I sure hope," Pease said when asked if the two are the kind to see this through. "If that's not the (type) kid, then whoever that is shouldn't be the starter anyway. You want guys who are unselfish because it's not just in a quarterback role, it's in the running back role, receiver role, lineman role. You want to find that depth that you can build, and then find a role for people."
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS: The resignation of receivers coach Aubrey Hill last week, one day before the start of practice, wasn't ideal, but the players are adjusting to interim Bush Hamdan, Pease said.
"I give a lot of credit to the kids," he said. "The kids here work hard, so whoever's going to coach them, they've been very coachable and they just go on and work. They are buying in to what we're teaching and understanding how we're detailing it. And I think they are compassionate about it, they understand that he's new and we're going to help him and work through this, too."
Onfield logo: Florida Field will have a slightly different look this season, with a Gator head logo painted at midfield. It will be 60 feet wide and 40 feet deep.
Antonya English, Times staff writer
FSU: Bracy hobbled
TALLAHASSEE — Kneeling and looking straight ahead, WR Marvin Bracy squinted through raindrops at his Seminoles teammates late Tuesday afternoon during 7-on-7 drills.
The freshman out of Orlando Boone had just tweaked a hamstring and had to stop competing.
"He twinged up there on a deep ball," coach Jimbo Fisher said. "We've got to get that right. I have to get him to remember this ain't track."
Fisher was being sarcastic with the track reference, knowing Bracy's track opportunities might have led to the injury.
He originally hurt the hamstring just before June's U.S. Olympic trials. The two-time 100-meter state champion saw his hopes of attending the London Games fade away.
There is no timetable for recovery. For now, he will ease through workouts and regain leg strength.
Early practices: The Seminoles practiced at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday to avoid afternoon rain showers and will practice at 5:30 again this morning.
Coley Harvey, Orlando Sentinel
UM: Armstrong options
CORAL GABLES — The attorney for former Hurricanes S Ray-Ray Armstrong said he is drafting a legal document that would seek an injunction to get Armstrong back on the team and also is exploring transfer options. Matt Morgan, Armstrong's Orlando-based attorney, said he and Armstrong will attempt to amicably resolve the matter before filing a court document. Armstrong, who would be a fourth-year senior, was dismissed from the team July 18 for undisclosed reasons.
Miami Herald
Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
NEW YORK — Heath Bell is close to getting his job back as the Marlins' closer.
Manager Ozzie Guillen said Bell has pitched well enough in a reduced role to merit another shot at the ninth inning. The three-time All-Star signed a $27 million, three-year contract with Miami in December but had struggled so badly that he was replaced as closer.
Bell has a 5.36 ERA and 19 saves in 25 opportunities. Pitching earlier in the game, however, he has yielded three hits over nine scoreless innings in his past 10 appearances.
"That's the reason we (thought) about it, to put him back where he belongs," Guillen said. "He should be there. And I don't make that decision for him. He makes that decision for himself. He should be there. Now I think he's back where he was, or what he is, and we're going to give him another opportunity."
RHP Steve Cishek has not allowed a run in his past 17 games and is 6-for-6 in save chances. But Guillen said pitching Cishek in the seventh and eighth innings gives him more versatility in the bullpen.
VALENTINE OPTIMISTIC: Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine believes his team will make the postseason, he said on a Boston sports radio show.
"I think we're a playoff team and I think we're going to be there before the season is over," Valentine said before the Red Sox lost 10-9 to Texas to fall to 55-57.
Reminded that the team would need to win about two-thirds of its remaining games to accomplish that, Valentine said that sounded doable.
"Yeah, of course," Valentine said. "Of course, we can do better than that. I don't think that's so optimistic, I think it's realistic if we stay healthy. Right now we have some concerns in the bullpen. If that stabilizes I think there's big runs ahead."
TOP PROSPECT ARRIVES: The Orioles purchased the contract of SS Manny Machado, the third overall pick in the 2010 draft, from Double-A Bowie. Machado, 20, is considered one of baseball's best prospects.
UMP HURT: Home plate umpire Bill Miller left the game between the Athletics and Angels five innings after being hit in the facemask by a pitch from Los Angeles RHP Zack Greinke. Miller had just signaled Oakland's Brandon Moss out on a called third strike in the sixth when he turned and left the field.
ASTROS: RH reliever Francisco Cordero, who went on the disabled list Friday, was diagnosed with a sprained ligament in a right toe and was put in a protective walking boot.
CARDINALS: OF Allen Craig sat out with chest discomfort. X-rays were negative.
CUBS: All-Star 1B/OF Bryan LaHair, a former St. Petersburg College standout, was told he's likely to be a bench player the rest of the season to make room for top prospect Brett Jackson to play every day in the outfield.
GIANTS: All-Star OF Melky Cabrera and the club will wait until after the season to discuss a new contract, CBS Sportsline reported. Cabrera, 27, is set to become a free agent.
PIRATES: Opening day LF Alex Presley, playing sparingly after the acquisition of Travis Snider and promotion of Starling Marte, was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
RANGERS: C Mike Napoli sat out for the fourth time in the past seven games with quad soreness. … C Yorvit Torrealba was placed on waivers and will become a free agent on Friday if not claimed.
RED SOX: RH reliever Vicente Padilla, who has been a key setup man, went on the 15-day disabled list with arm tightness. RHP Clayton Mortensen was promoted from Triple-A Pawtucket.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Rays vs. Blue Jays
When/where: 1:10 today; Tropicana Field
Radio: 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Tickets: $9-210, available at Tropicana Field box office, Ticketmaster, raysbaseball.com, team Tampa store; $3 surcharge within 5 hours of game time.
Probable pitchers
Rays: LH Matt Moore (8-7, 3.84)
Jays: RH Henderson Alvarez (7-8, 4.47)
On Moore: Comes in with a 172/3-inning scoreless streak and coming off two solid outings. Is 7-2, 3.06 in past 11 starts; was 1-5, 4.76 in first 10. Nearly let a 6-0 fifth-inning lead get away in lone start vs. Jays, May 22.
On Alvarez: 22-year-old puts a lot of runners of base — 184 in 131 innings — but often finds a way out of trouble. Lost twice to the Rays this season, allowing 16 hits in 13 innings. Overall 0-3, 5.68 vs. them.
Key matchups
Rays VS. ALVAREZ
Desmond Jennings 3-for-7, 2 HRs
Evan Longoria 4-for-6, 3 HRs
Ben Zobrist 4-for-9
Jays VS. MOORE
Edwin Encarnacion 0-for-2
Yunel Escobar 1-for-2
Kelly Johnson 0-for-2
On deck
Friday: at Twins, 8:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (6-7, 3.43); Twins — Cole De Vries (2-2, 3.81)
Saturday: at Twins, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (14-4, 2.49); Twins — Nick Blackburn (4-7, 7.42)
Sunday: at Twins, 2:10, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (10-7, 4.08); Twins — Scott Diamond (10-5, 2.91)
Rays disabled list
(with eligible-to-return date)
C Robinson Chirinos, concussion, 60-day, June 5
*OF Brandon Guyer, left shoulder surgery, 60-day, July 13
RHP Jeff Niemann, right leg fracture, 60-day, July 14
DH Luke Scott, oblique strain, 15-day, Aug. 5
* out for season
Marc Topkin, Times staff writer
Sam Fuld tweet of the day
"Really want to thank everyone for the nice ovation I got tonight for pinch-running … totally unexpected … great surprise."
On the crowd reaction Tuesday when he replaced that Evan Longoria guy at first base.
Sam Fuld sign of the day
Of the more than 300 autographs Fuld signed during a Wednesday appearance at the Sears Optical at Tyrone Square Mall, a few were unique items — a sunglass case, a couple casts and an insulin pump. "Nothing too crazy," said Fuld, a diabetic himself.
Sam Fuld contest of the day
Today is another edition of Fuld's Twitter contest (@SamFuld5) called guess the bs — his blood sugar — at noon. The winner gets a signed ball.
Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Orioles 9, Mariners 2
BALTIMORE — Steve Johnson struck out nine in six innings in his first big-league start, Matt Wieters tied a career high with five RBIs and Baltimore completed a three-game sweep. Nick Markakis and Mark Reynolds homered and Adam Jones had three hits for the Orioles, who have won five straight and eight of 10. It was Baltimore's 60th victory of the season, compared to 69 last season.
Times staff, wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
It can't be worse than the Kardashians
His mother talks openly about his sex life, he has admitted to urinating in the competition pool, the knee-jerk Internet gossip machine romantically linked him with his sister and he wears diamond-encrusted American flag grills on his teeth. Who wouldn't watch a reality show starring swimming stud Ryan Lochte? "I cannot tell you the exact shows, but two different reality show concepts have been offered and one additional is being discussed," Erika Wright, agent for the five-time London medalist and former Florida Gator, tells the Hollywood Reporter. Also, Lochte, 28, told reporters in London he could see himself competing on Dancing With the Stars and it would be especially cool if he could do it against buddy Michael Phelps.
Inside Sodom and Gomorrah
The athletes village — home of free McDonald's food and randy athlete behavior, if you believe the stories many of them tell — is off limits to the media. But Bloomberg News reporter Farah Nayeri got in as a "stealth guest" of an athlete and gave a glimpse of what it is like: In the 24-hour cafeteria, open crates of oranges, bananas and apples are everywhere, and counters are full of dried fruit and nuts, sliced pineapple and crudites. There is a fitness center with treadmills that have screens embedded in them for watching TV, emails or social media. Past a security checkpoint is an outer rim of a minisupermarket, a florist, a post office and a dry cleaner, all free. A Procter & Gamble (Olympic sponsor) beauty salon gives free facials, haircuts and makeovers. But Nayeri saw no signs of the much-talked-about sexcapades: "This is an extremely serious, focused bunch, and I've sensed no sexual tension in the air."
Nerve attack
Frank Viola won a World Series in which he pitched Game 7 and was named Series MVP. And he told the world Wednesday that was nothing compared with the prospect of watching his daughter Brittany compete in the Olympics. "On way to dive well. Thanks to everyone for their support. More butterflies now than before 87 Game 7!" he wrote on Twitter before the preliminaries of the platform competition. Brittany, 25, who attended Orlando Lake Highland Prep and the University of Miami, finished 14th and advanced to today's semifinal. Frank, 52, is a pitching coach for the New York Mets' Class A team in Savannah, Ga.; the Mets gave him six days off to go to London to watch Brittany. "I'm enjoying this as much as her," he said.
Readers ask us
What's the deal with the yellow athletic shoes that so many of the Olympians are wearing?
Those are from Nike, which outfits the U.S. track and field team. Nike also made the green sneakers the U.S. swimmers wore for their medal ceremonies. Nike provided the medal-ceremony outfits for the entire U.S. Olympic team.
What do the synchronized swimmers have over their hair? It looks like they are wrapped in plastic wrap.
Synchronized swimmers like to keep their hair in place with unflavored gelatin heated into liquid and painted on the hair with a paintbrush.
It wasn't covered in nail tech school
Flag manicures and pedicures are among the many services provided in the athletes village. One of the nail technicians says the hardest flags to paint on nails are Kiribati's and American Samoa's.
Compiled by Times staff writer Sharon Fink, from the Associated Press, Bloomberg News, the Hollywood Reporter.
By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
LONDON
There is such silliness surrounding them. Sometimes it can make the world forget what serious competitors they are.
In the middle of the circus, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings were champions again. Forget the sand dancers and the pop music and the fan dressed like Captain America. None of that mattered.
In the middle of the stadium at the Olympic's beach volleyball venue Wednesday, May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings were at work again, molding another pair of gold medals. The rest of it was just a party outside their room. This was the last night of the May-Treanor/Walsh Jennings dynasty, and they were not here to do the conga.
They are deadly, these two. It is easy to get fooled by the bikinis and the beach and the jokes about Frankie and Annette, and the large Ferris wheel (the London Eye) in the distance. It is easy to wonder if the sport itself is serious. Until you watch them. There is nothing frivolous about the way they perform. They are May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings, the Thelma and Louise of beach volleyball, and on the sand, they are vicious.
May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings won their third consecutive gold medal Wednesday night, running their all-time Olympic record to 21-0. They are no longer the cute kids from the early days. They are married, and Walsh Jennings has two children, and May-Treanor has recovered from an Achilles injury.
Together, however, they are still a force on the sand. No one is more powerful than Walsh Jennings at the net. No one scurries and digs the way May-Treanor does. No one seems to win more big points at more important times. They are Stockton and Malone, or Montana and Rice, or Batman and Robin. Take your pick.
"I want us to be remembered as the best team of all time," May-Treanor said afterward. "I want kids to look at the video and say 'That's how I want to play.' "
Who can deny them now? Beach volleyball gets knocked around as not serious enough, but no one with eyes denies how good these two are together. May-Treanor is 35 now, and Walsh Jennings is 34 next week, and they don't overpower teams the way they once did. Still, those medals around their necks look gold again.
"This time it's way more special," Walsh Jennings said. "Just the journey we've shared has changed my life. That sounds really dramatic and cheesy, but it has. We've come so far in these last two years.
"This time, we had a really terrible year up until about a month ago, and we turned a corner. It was all emotional, all very mental, and we were in a place we never were before."
Perhaps that explains the tears. Walsh Jennings wept as if she never had expected to win another medal. She wrapped a flag around herself, and she brought her sons, Sunny and Joey, down from the stands to be with her and their Aunt Turtle, as May-Treanor is called. It didn't look routine. It didn't seem to feel like just another award ceremony.
This was their going-out-of-business sale. May-Treanor says she is done, and Walsh Jennings seems resigned to taking on another partner. But first, there was a night to savor, a team to appreciate.
"My mind says it's time," May-Treanor said. "My body says it's time. It's the right time. I want to be a wife (to Matt Treanor, a catcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers). I want to be a mom."
Volleyball will miss her. May-Treanor plays volleyball like a shortstop, covering the court, diving and digging, then rising quickly enough to take a return pass from Walsh Jennings and deposit the ball to whatever part of the court is open.
"She's the best there ever was," Walsh Jennings said.
Perhaps, but this tournament was a little rougher road than usual for the duo. They lost their first set ever in the Olympics to the Austrians earlier in the tournament. They squeaked by China in the semifinals. They left the impression they could be had.
But not Wednesday, not with gold on the line, not by fellow Americans Jen Kessy and April Ross. Kessy and Ross had the better service game, and during the tournament they had the better offense. Still, they lost each set by five points, 21-16, 21-16.
"We always look for little holes to get in there," Ross said. "They just gave us zero openings."
That's the legacy of May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings. They spent more than a decade kicking sand into the faces of their opponents. They owned their sport.
"The bond we have for each other is so special," May-Treanor said. "The first two medals, I think it was more volleyball, and the friendship was there. But it was all volleyball, volleyball. This was so much more about the friendship, the togetherness, the journey, and volleyball was just a small part of it.
"Two years ago, when we got back together (after a break following their 2008 gold win), we had this painting that we envisioned. Throughout the whole tournament, we were painting it, but we weren't finished yet. We finally finished it."
Soon, the carnival will resume. No sport is more boisterous, and no sport is so over the top in its celebration. Let the dancers dance, and let the music play.
Sad, isn't it, that the party will go on without them.
Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Marlins 13, Mets 0
NEW YORK — Giancarlo Stanton hit two two-run homers, Jose Reyes also connected and Miami handed New York its ninth straight home loss. Reyes extended his hitting streak to a career-high 26 games.
Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Autos
Logano's two offers include Gibbs racing
Joey Logano is mulling offers for two full-time Sprint Cup rides next year, including one to remain at Joe Gibbs Racing, and expects to make a decision soon.
"I've got a couple of offers," he told ESPN.com. "I'm just trying to decipher what's the best for me. … I could be fairly close (to a decision). I could be a few weeks out. It all depends on the next couple of days, actually."
Logano, 22, is in the final year of his contract in the No. 20 Toyota at Gibbs Racing. ESPN.com reported that Matt Kenseth will replace Logano with the No. 20 team in 2013.
One of Logano's offers is to remain with Gibbs. JGR president J.D. Gibbs told ESPN.com last month that there have been talks about a fourth Cup team with the organization and giving Logano either a full-time Cup ride or a part-time Cup ride and full-time Nationwide team.
NBA
Bulls sign first-round pick
The Bulls signed first-round pick Marquis Teague, the 29th selection out of Kentucky. Teague, who averaged 10 points and 4.8 assists to help Kentucky win a national title in his lone season, is expected to fill a backup role at point guard.
Cavaliers: The team signed guard/forward C.J. Miles, 25, who averaged 9.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and last season for the Jazz.
Soccer
Real Madrid puts on show in N.Y.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored two second-half goals and Kaka set up three against his former and perhaps future team as Real Madrid beat AC Milan 5-1 in an exhibition before a soldout 49,407 at Yankee Stadium. Ronaldo finished crisp passes with quick bursts of speed in the 49th and 66th minutes, the latter off a pass from Kaka. Sergio Ramos made it 4-1 with a header in the 81st.
NHL
'Canes' Skinner signs extension
Forward Jeff Skinner, 20, signed a six-year contract extension worth more than $34 million that will keep him with the Hurricanes through the 2018-19 season, the team said. The winner of the Calder Trophy in 2011 as the league's rookie of the year will make $4.35 million in 2013-14 and $6 million in each of the following five seasons.
Flyers: The team re-signed defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon to a multiyear extension and agreed with center Scott Laughton on an entry-level contract.
Et cetera
Tennis: Olympic champion Andy Murray won his opening match in the Rogers Cup in Toronto, beating Flavio Cipolla 6-1, 6-3. Top seed Novak Djokovic also won. On the women's side, Maria Sharapova withdrew because of a stomach ailment.
Times wires
Times wires
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Braves 12, Phillies 6
PHILADELPHIA — Dan Uggla hit a tiebreaking three-run double in the seventh inning for wild card-leading Atlanta after Tim Hudson blew a five-run lead in the fifth.
