Times wires
Monday, August 13, 2012
Padres 4, Braves 1
ATLANTA — Eric Stults combined with two relievers on a five-hitter and Chase Headley homered and drove in two runs for San Diego. Stults pitched 72/3 strong innings, his longest start in three years. While with the Dodgers, Stults beat the Giants 8-0 on May 9, 2009, his last complete game. The Padres have won eight of 10 games for the first time this season.
Times wires
Monday, August 13, 2012
Phillies 4, Marlins 0
MIAMI — Cole Hamels pitched a second straight shutout for Philadelphia for the first time in his career. Hamels, coming off a five-hitter against the Braves on Aug. 7, pitched his sixth career shutout. The last Phillies starter to pitch consecutive shutouts was Cliff Lee, who had three straight in June 2011. Hamels entered 0-3 with a 5.21 ERA in three outings against Miami this season. In three August starts, he is 2-1 with a 0.72 ERA.
Times wires
Monday, August 13, 2012
Blue Jays 3, White Sox 2
11 innings
TORONTO — David Cooper singled in the winner in the 11th inning for Toronto. With one out, Kelly Johnson walked and Edwin Encarnacion singled to move him to third. Cooper followed with a liner that bounced just in front of a hard-charging Alex Rios in right. Chicago's Adam Dunn hit a tying homer in the ninth.
Times wires
Monday, August 13, 2012
Dodgers 5, Pirates 4
PITTSBURGH — Shane Victorino hit his first homer in a Dodgers uniform and drove in three runs. Matt Kemp added two hits for Los Angeles, which moved within 11/2 games of Pittsburgh for one of the two National League wild-card spots. Aaron Harang pitched six effective innings.
Times wires
Monday, August 13, 2012
NEW YORK — Derek Lowe was being given a tour of the Yankees' facilities and changing at a locker without a nameplate Monday afternoon. David Phelps had little more than a day to prepare for a spot start in place of ace CC Sabathia.
No matter. The unlikely duo combined to shut down the potent Rangers.
Phelps pitched a career-high five innings and picked off two runners, and Lowe completed New York's 8-2 victory on Monday night with four shutout innings in his Yankees debut.
"To have those two guys step up to do what they did today, to give those guys like D-Rob (David Robertson) and (Rafael) Soriano a full day off and not have to warm up and anything that's big," said Nick Swisher, who hit a grand slam off Ryan Dempster and drove in five runs.
In the opener of a four-game series between the teams with the AL's best records, the Yankees won their sixth straight over Texas in the Bronx.
Swisher's second slam this season was his 200th career homer, and Eric Chavez also homered. Ichiro Suzuki tripled and Derek Jeter followed with a long RBI double in the seventh to end Dempster's third start for Texas.
Dempster matched a season high by allowing eight runs. He also allowed eight in his first start for Texas on Aug. 2. Since coming from the Cubs in a deadline deal, Dempster has allowed 19 runs, 16 earned, in 171/3 innings.
"Too much is made of that," Dempster said of switching leagues. "I know how to make pitches. When you're facing lineups and you don't get that break at the bottom of the lineup where you have the pitcher hitting, and you always have a hitter, every pitch is really, really valuable and it just comes down to executing one pitch at a time. Simple plan. Nothing more and nothing less than that. And tonight, I paid for my mistakes."
Phelps, being held to a 75- to 80-pitch limit, needed 26 in the first without being hit hard. But thanks in part to a nifty pickoff move, he fulfilled his manager's wish to make it through five innings.
By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2012
VERO BEACH — USF's first fall scrimmage was a chance for backups to make a case for the first depth chart, and several jumped at the opportunity as the Bulls got solid passing from QBs Matt Floyd and Bobby Eveld and strong running from Marcus Shaw and Willie Davis.
"Standing back there, I thought both (quarterbacks) did some really good things. Both made really nice runs, made some really good decisions, didn't put the ball in danger," coach Skip Holtz said. "I think both of them are having great camps. It's a heck of a competition going on with the two of them."
Floyd connected on his first 11 passes and the scrimmage's first touchdown, a 14-yard pass to Ruben Gonzalez. Eveld started slow, with 9 yards on his first six attempts, then hit his stride, with gains of 35 yards to Sterling Griffin, 24 to Terrence Mitchell and 27 to Chris Dunkley. All three quarterbacks hit more than half their attempts and topped 100 yards; starter B.J. Daniels had a 22-yard touchdown pass to Dunkley.
Shaw, entering camp as the No. 3 running back behind seniors Demetris Murray and Lindsey Lamar, rushed 10 times for 96 yards, and Davis, a redshirt freshman, gained 62 yards on five rushes.
"We're going to have to have some very unselfish skill players with the talent that we have," Holtz said. "We only have one football. Everybody can't catch 10 balls every game, everybody can't carry the ball 20 times. Everybody can't throw it X number of times. But when you have the competition which we're starting to get, the difference between starting or being a backup is a fine line."
The defense was opportunistic, with three interceptions on deflected passes by CBs Kayvon Webster and Kenneth Durden and LB Hans Louis.
"I don't think we caught the ball very well (Monday) at the receiving group," Holtz said. "We had three dropped balls that all were dropped/batted/deflected and end up being interceptions."
Of the true freshmen battling to play this fall, Holtz was impressed by TE Sean Price and DE Eric Lee, and he wants to see more of weakside LB Tashon Whitehurst.
INJURY UPDATE: Backup RB Bradley Battles left the scrimmage with an ankle injury, and Holtz said he was concerned it could be a long-term injury. Others held out should miss only a few days: WR D'vario Montgomery (shoulder), DE Aaron Lynch (concussion) and DT Todd Chandler (foot). … Holtz said junior college RB Mike Pierre is behind the other backs a bit because he didn't join the team until mid summer, so redshirting is a possibility.
Times wires
Monday, August 13, 2012
CORTLAND, N.Y. — All the begging might finally be paying off for Antonio Cromartie.
The speedy cornerback has been lobbying coach Rex Ryan to let him play at wide receiver, and he might get that opportunity this season with the Jets.
Cromartie, who created a stir in training camp by saying he was the team's second-best receiver, participated in individual drills with receivers for the first time in Monday's practice.
"It felt good," Cromartie said. "I'm just learning the steps and trying to learn more about the position, running routes."
The Jets also started work on a wildcat package with former Florida star Tim Tebow but kept details under wraps.
POLICE: NO EVIDENCE ON SAINTS: Louisiana State Police investigators said they found no evidence that the Saints or general manager Mickey Loomis rigged Superdome wiring so opposing coaches' radio communications could be intercepted. State police investigators worked in conjunction with the FBI since the allegations surfaced in news reports in April.
LOCKER TO START VS. BUCS: Titans coach Mike Munchak said second-year quarterback Jake Locker will start ahead of Matt Hasselbeck at least for Friday's game against the Bucs at Raymond James Stadium.
CARDINALS: Receiver Larry Fitzgerald was named recipient of the Arthur K. Arkush Humanitarian Award from Pro Football Weekly, which honors the player who demonstrates outstanding contributions to the community and charitable organizations.
COLTS: Linebacker Pat Angerer, who led the team last season with 146 tackles, is out at least six weeks with a broken foot.
EAGLES: Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha was evaluated for a possible concussion after colliding with teammate and former USF standout Nate Allen during practice. Asomugha also had a cut lip and sore neck.
GIANTS: Receiver Hakeem Nicks passed his physical and can start limited practice today. Nicks missed two weeks with a broken right foot.
LIONS: Defensive tackle Nick Fairley's court hearing on charges including driving under the influence and trying to elude police in Alabama was pushed back to Sept. 26.
RAIDERS: Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor saw his first real action as a pro, completing 8-of-15 passes for 50 yards and an interception in a 3-0 loss to the Cowboys. He was sacked twice and was quick to scramble, running six times for 21 yards.
RAMS: The team dropped plans to play home games in London in 2013 and '14, citing a need to focus on negotiating its lease at Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis will still use a home date this season to play New England, Oct. 28 at Wembley Stadium.
Times wires
Monday, August 13, 2012
obituary
former heavyweight champ dokes, 54, dies of cancer
AKRON, Ohio — Michael Dokes, a former World Boxing Association heavyweight champion, died in hospice, reportedly from liver cancer. He was 54.
The Rhoden Memorial Home in Akron, Ohio, said Mr. Dokes died Saturday.
Mr. Dokes won the heavyweight title at 24 in December 1982, when referee Joey Curtis made a controversial decision to stop his fight against champion Mike Weaver. Mr. Dokes dominated the first round, prompting the decision.
An admitted problem with cocaine contributed to him losing the WBA title nine months later to Gerrie Coetzee, and Mr. Dokes never held the heavyweight crown again.
"Dynamite" Dokes, once regarded by many as one of the most promising young fighters, had his career cut short by cocaine and legal problems. His record was 53-6-2. In his last big chance, he was knocked out in the first round by Riddick Bowe in February 1993.
golf
Captain's picks up next for Ryder
Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III filled out his roster of assistants Monday by adding Scott Verplank and Jeff Sluman. In three weeks he picks four Americans who will be trying to win back the Cup Sept. 28-30 at Medinah, Ill.
The PGA Championship did nothing to change the standings in the final qualifying event. Tiger Woods was No. 1 on the list of eight automatic qualifiers, with Phil Mickelson in the final spot. Love announces his four captain's picks Sept. 4. He indicated the next three in the standings — Hunter Mahan, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk — were likely selections, calling them "high on the list."
et cetera
NBA: The Associated Press reported the Rockets agreed to a one-year deal with forward Carlos Delfino. A first-round pick by Detroit in 2003, Delfino played his past three seasons with Milwaukee. … The Lakers re-signed forward Devin Ebanks and added free agent guard Jodie Meeks.
Tennis: Petra Kvitova outlasted Li Na 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 in Montreal for the Rogers Cup title. Kvitova, 22, earned her first tournament win of the year. She took six titles last year, including Wimbledon.
Times wires
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2012
SEATTLE — What began as an "experiment" is looking more like it will be a standard assignment as Ben Zobrist started at shortstop Monday for the fourth time in five games.
As well as Zobrist has played, as much as he has enjoyed the move back to his original position and as improved as it makes the Rays' overall lineup, why wouldn't manager Joe Maddon keep putting him out there on at least a semi-regular basis?
"There's no reason to not," Maddon said.
Maddon's only concern seems to be if Zobrist can maintain his level of play over several days.
"Zo's done a nice job; he's made the plays for me," Maddon said. "I've got to watch him. To this point, he seems to really like it. That's what I'm getting out of it. He looks really comfortable. I'm almost thinking, he's back home, that's where he began.
"With Zo, if there's any balking to be done, you can tell just conversationally with him that he's not really into it (as when he was asked to try first base). I'm not hearing any of that. He's totally into it."
Having a switch-hitting shortstop in the middle of the lineup is rare, and Maddon likes thinking about the possibilities if and when Evan Longoria returns to third base and Luke Scott to DH.
"If he's able to do that and Longo gets well, we have some nice problems," Maddon said.
DH DUTY: After deciding to not have Longoria in the lineup Monday, Maddon had to decide on a DH. He wanted Sam Fuld to play so one of the other outfielders could get off his feet, so he decided to ask, starting with CF B.J. Upton, and he agreed.
MORE MOORE: Rookie LHP Matt Moore, who starts tonight, has pitched increasingly well, going 3-0 and allowing one earned run in his past three starts. "It's a semi-snowball effect," he said. "You start out with a good game and then you roll into another one. You expect to get into that same kind of rhythm because it's easier to fall into because you just did it the last start and the start before that."
REHAB REPORT: After getting 10 at-bats over two days at advanced Class A Charlotte, Scott was free of the soreness that had been an issue in his recovery from a mild oblique strain. But he doesn't feel comfortable with his timing and swing and will play again at least tonight for Charlotte (at Bradenton), pushing his return back to the weekend series in Anaheim at the earliest.
RHP Jeff Niemann is scheduled to throw about 60 pitches tonight for the Stone Crabs in the second of four scheduled rehab starts. Niemann, out since mid May with a broken right leg, is targeted for a late August return.
MISCELLANY: With two outs Sunday, LHP J.P. Howell extended his scoreless streak to 222/3 innings, breaking the team relief record set last week by RHP Fernando Rodney. … Maddon expressed his condolences over the passing of Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky: "What a gentleman. It's a sad day in baseball and especially in Red Sox nation."
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2012
SEATTLE — As much impact as Evan Longoria has had on the Rays lineup — tangible and intangible — since his return, there was going to be a time, and there will be more, when he will be off for preventive rest.
Monday was the first one, Longoria out of the lineup after playing six straight games at DH.
"We're going to have to have one every so often to kind of give everyone peace of mind," Longoria said.
So far, he has held up well in his first week back from the left hamstring injury after missing more than three months. "I felt pretty good," Longoria said. "I haven't had to push it too hard, which is a blessing in disguise. We've been able to win some games and I haven't had to put myself out there too much."
Though he hit only .261 with four RBIs in the six games, the Rays' overall production increased dramatically as they piled up 37 runs and hit .314. In the 10 previous games they scored 25 and hit .199.
"I'm pretty much the moral support around here," Longoria said. "I've been back in the lineup and kind of just pencil my name in, but since I've been back I really haven't done any of the huge damage. We've been hitting the ball really well as a team, so it takes a lot of pressure off me. Makes it easy. I just get to show up and play again."
The decision to rest Monday was a mutual one.
"There was going to have to be a day at some point where I give it a rest," Longoria said. "When I look at the schedule, I don't want to take a day off at any point. And it's always tough to look at it and say, this is the day to take off, because there's really no days that you can just concede a day. They're all important at this point."
One factor in choosing Monday to rest was the three-hour flight Sunday night from Minneapolis. Manager Joe Maddon said there was a concern because of dehydration and the pressure changes, and Longoria acknowledged that in the past his leg "has been a little bit more sore" after flying.
Times wires
Monday, August 13, 2012
Cubs 7, Astros 1
CHICAGO — Jeff Samardzija struck out a career high-tying 11 in seven innings for Chicago. Darwin Barney and Alfonso Soriano hit two-run homers and Anthony Rizzo had four hits for the Cubs. Chicago won for just the second time in 13 games. Houston has lost 25 of its past 27 road games. The crowd of 31,452 was the smallest of the season at Wrigley Field.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, August 13, 2012
Rays at Mariners
When/where: 10:10 tonight; Safeco Field, Seattle
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM
Probable pitchers
Rays: LH Matt Moore (9-7, 3.73)
M's: RH Kevin Millwood (4-10, 4.38)
On Moore: Rookie lefty seems to have things figured out, going 8-2, 2.93 in his past 12 starts after going 1-5, 4.76 in his first. Has not allowed a homer in his past 462/3 innings. Is 1-1, 2.08 in two starts vs. Mariners, both at the Trop.
On Millwood: 37-year-old veteran has been struggling, going 1-6, 4.91 over his 13 starts. Combined with five relievers on a no-hitter June 8. Lost to the Rays on May 3 at the Trop, overall is 3-4, 5.10 in nine starts.
Key matchups
Rays VS. MILLWOOD
Matt Joyce 1-for-12
Carlos Peña 4-for-21, HR
B.J. Upton 4-for-18
M'S VS. MOORE
Jesus Montero 5-for-6
M. Saunders 2-for-5, HR
Casper Wells 1-for-6
Odd stat of the day
35 Times the Rays have played the Mariners since David Price's big-league debut, and he has yet to pitch against them.
Quote of the day
"He's good."
Manager Joe Maddon, explaining the recent improvement by LHP Matt Moore, who starts tonight.
AL race for wild cards
Team W L Pct. GB
Tampa Bay 6352 .548—
Baltimore 62 53 .539—
Oakland 61 53 .535 .5
Detroit 61 55.5261.5
Los Angeles 60 56.5172.5
Rays 4, Mariners 1
Tampa Bay AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
De.Jennings lf 4 1 2 1 1 1 .249
B.Upton dh 5 1 1 2 0 3 .242
Joyce rf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .275
Zobrist ss-2b 4 0 3 1 0 0 .261
Keppinger 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .318
E.Johnson ss 0 0 0 0 0 0 .247
C.Pena 1b 3 0 1 0 1 1 .194
R.Roberts 2b-3b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .204
J.Molina c 3 0 1 0 1 1 .200
Fuld cf 4 1 1 0 0 1 .282
Totals 34 4 10 4 4 8
Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg.
Ackley 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .220
M.Saunders cf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .240
Seager 2b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .249
Jaso dh 3 0 0 0 1 1 .286
J.Montero c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .269
T.Robinson lf 4 1 1 0 0 2 .243
Thames rf 3 0 1 1 0 1 .237
Figgins 3b 2 0 0 0 1 1 .186
Ryan ss 3 0 1 0 0 1 .200
Totals 31 1 5 1 2 10
Tampa Bay 004 000 000— 4 10 1
Seattle 000 010 000— 1 5 0
E—Cobb (1). LOB—T.B. 7, Sea. 5. 2B—Zobrist (28). 3B—T.Robinson (1). HR—B.Upton (13), off Beavan. RBIs—De.Jennings (34), B.Upton 2 (48), Zobrist (44), Thames (14). SB—J.Molina (2), Fuld 2 (3). CS—De.Jennings (2), R.Roberts (3). RISP—T.B. 1 for 7; Sea. 1 for 5. GIDP—Keppinger. DP—Sea. 1 (Ryan, Ackley).
Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Cobb W, 7-8 7 4 1 1 2 5 91 4.08
Jo.Peralta H, 28 1 0 0 0 0 3 18 3.49
Rodney S, 37-38 1 1 0 0 0 2 14 0.82
Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA
Beavan L, 7-7 6 8 4 4 0 4 97 5.17
C.Capps 1 0 0 0 3 1 26 5.40
LuetgeM1 0 0 1 0 14 2.59
Kelley 1L1 0 0 0 3 25 3.41
T—3:03. A—16,205 (47,860).
Times wires
Monday, August 13, 2012
Twins 9, Tigers 3
MINNEAPOLIS — Darin Mastroianni and Ryan Doumit homered and drove in three runs each, and rookie Samuel Deduno pitched seven solid innings for Minnesota. Anibal Sanchez, acquired in a July trade with the Marlins, allowed a season-high 12 hits in 51/3 innings and lost for the third time in four starts with Detroit, which lost for the fifth time in six games.
Times staff
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
TODAY
Baseball
Rangers at Yankees, 7 p.m., MLB; 820-AM
Phillies at Marlins, 7 p.m., FSN
Rays at Mariners, 10 p.m., Sun Sports; 620-AM
Soccer
Mexican: Tijuana at Celaya, 8 p.m., ESPND
Softball
Little League World Series semifinal, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Little League World Series semifinal, 9:30 p.m., ESPN2
Tennis
ATP: Western & Southern Open, 11 a.m., Tennis
TV: FSN: Fox Sports Network
Times wires
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Rockies 9, Brewers 6
DENVER — DJ LeMahieu had a career-best four hits and Jeff Francis pitched effectively into the sixth inning for Colorado. Dexter Fowler, Eric Young Jr., Tyler Colvin and Chris Nelson each had two hits of the Rockies' 15 hits. Every position player had at least one hit for Colorado, which ended a four-game home losing streak.
By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
SEATTLE — Okay, so it hasn't been all Evan Longoria.
With Longoria out of the lineup to rest for the first time since his return from the disabled list last Tuesday, the Rays kept rolling anyway, beating the Mariners 4-1 Monday night to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games.
And the formula was similar. They grabbed an early lead, scoring all four in the fourth, including a loud two-run homer from B.J. Upton. They got another solid start, Alex Cobb allowing only four hits over seven solid innings. And they let the bullpen finish it off, Fernando Rodney logging his MLB-leading 37th save.
"It's a good run,'' Upton said. "We have to keep doing what we're doing.''
The win improved the Rays to 63-52, matching their season high of 11 games over .500 while maintaining their lead in the American League wild-card race and their five-game deficit in the East. The seven-game streak matched their longest in one season under Joe Maddon, and the second longest in one season in franchise history.
"We got on top and we held on to it,'' Maddon said.
As they did during the three games in Minnesota, the Rays struck first, rapping five consecutive hits in the fourth. By the end of the night they were in double-digits in hits for a fifth straight game, the first time they'd done that since 2008.
"They say hitting's contagious, and that's the way it seems to be right now,'' Upton said. "We're swinging the bats well right now. It's kind of something we've been waiting on all year, and hopefully we continue to do that the last couple months.''
Sam Fuld, starting because Longoria was not, got them going by singling to right and stealing second, and Desmond Jennings, continuing his hot August, promptly singled him in.
Then Upton, who took Maddon up on his offer of a DH day, continued his power trip with another loud and long homer, a 410-foot blast to left. That made for 1,268 feet of homers in three days, as he hit a pair on Saturday (425, 433 feet).
The Rays weren't quite done, as Matt Joyce singled, extending his career-high hitting streak to a Rays season-best 12 games, and Ben Zobrist, who looked good enough again at shortstop that Maddon referred to him afterward as "Cal Zobrist" in a nod to Cal Ripken - doubled him home as part of his three-hit night.
Maddon said he felt Cobb was the key to the game and "typical with him, he got better as the game was in progress.'' He was sharp early, throwing first-pitch strikes to the first 20 hitters, and joking he was jinxed by teammate David Price.
Cobb retired the first eight before allowing a two-out single in the third, but the Mariners eventually got to him as Trayvon Robinson opened the fifth with a drive to deep left-center for a triple then scored on Eric Thames' single.
But Cobb limited the damage and rolled through seven innings, mixing his fastball, curveball and changeup, to maintain the Rays' run of stellar starts.
"It's fun,'' Cobb said. "We're having a great time. Everyone is doing well so everyone is in high spirits. We're on a good roll right now.''
Cobb's spot in the rotation is somewhat tenuous with Jeff Niemann working his way back from a mid-May broken leg, but he is making an impressive bid, posting his third straight win to improve to 7-8, 4.08.
More impressively, it was his fourth consecutive start of working seven innings, having allowed 3-1-1-1 runs. Until this stretch, he had not had more than two straight seven-inning starts at any pro level.
"That's the biggest thing as a pitcher, no matter what the outcome of the game you want to eat up innings,'' he said. "So being able to go out there and set it up for (Joel) Peralta and Rodney to close the door, it's a good feeling walking off.''
For a week now, the Rays have all been feeling good.
Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@tampabay.com.
By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Rays infielder Ryan Roberts got his first tattoo when he was 18, figuring a cross on his arm would be fitting for his family's Christian beliefs.
"I was really not planning on getting anything else," he said.
But now Roberts, 31, can't even count how many tattoos he has. They cover him from neck to toe, earning him the nickname "Tatman."
"It's crazy," he said, smiling. "I'd say more than 30."
Roberts has joked that the hours he has spent sitting in front of a tattoo artist have likely turned into years, and — yes — it still hurts. "Every time," he quipped. Each mark has its inspiration, emblazoned on his skin to help him remember experiences from his long baseball journey to starting a family.
Most noticeable are the Japanese characters on his neck that mean "family," and a phrase, "God gave us a fairy tale," around his collar, referring to his 3-year-old daughter, Hudsyn.
"Everything means something special in a way," Roberts said. "Anything significant in my life is on my body."
What he never envisioned was how his tattoos, and popular nickname, could be significant in the lives of some special children in Arizona. Roberts trademarked his Tatman logo so he could sell shirts and give the money to a charity, and he picked Ryan House in Phoenix, which gives respite care to youths with life-threatening conditions. In four months of online-only sales, $2,000 has been raised for a place Roberts has visited several times.
"It's unbelievable," Roberts said. "Those kids will change your life."
• • •
It started with a sign.
With Roberts having a breakthrough season for the Diamondbacks last year, ripping 19 home runs — including several clutch ones in their playoff run — Fox Sports Arizona did an in-game contest to have fans pick a nickname via text message.
Roberts laughs as he remembers a few strange ones, "Boxcar" and "Railroad."
"I've been called worse," he joked.
The TV flashed to a kid in the stands with a "Tatman," sign, and it stuck.
"After that, it went so crazy," Roberts said. "It just took off."
A big reason was that Roberts had rejuvenated his career. One year earlier, in mid June 2010, Roberts was sent down to Triple-A Reno after struggling in his second full big-league season. It was a humbling experience for Roberts, a Fort Worth, Texas, native and former 18th-round pick, who at times considered walking away from the game.
"I think it's a thought in everybody's mind," Roberts said. "Minor leagues are hard, man, it's not cut out for everybody."
Reno manager Brett Butler, who played 17 big-league seasons, told Roberts to stop thinking about being a home-run hitter and focus on hitting line drives. The results would come.
"He bought in," Butler said.
It paid off for Roberts, who hit some of the Diamondbacks' most memorable homers last season, including an extra-inning grand slam in their season-defining victory over the Dodgers in late September. As Roberts rounded the bases, he did an impression of Arizona manager Kirk Gibson, pumping his arms like Gibson did after hitting his legendary homer off Dennis Eckersley in the 1988 World Series.
"It was great, man, you play this game for this moment," Roberts said. "You play the game to be 'the guy' and you strive on that."
• • •
Roberts' onfield success spurred momentum for sales of his Tatman T-shirts, which cost in the $25 range and are available through Los Angeles-based Youth Monument (youthmonument.com).
Ryan House can use all the help it can get. It houses up to eight children (six respite beds and two for end-of-life care), providing comfort and activities for them and their families. Roberts and his wife, Kim, have created memories for the youths, including playing the flute and piano for them in their music room the morning he was traded from Arizona to Tampa Bay on July 25. Roberts, having been designated for assignment, filled a need for the Rays at second and third base.
"We were very sad to see him go," Ryan House public relations director Nancy Flores said.
Roberts had joined the kids in mid June for an adaptive baseball game, using bases that are bigger and flatter to make them accessible to wheelchairs. He spent two hours there, hit the ball for them and wheeled them around the diamond.
"It was so funny, after the baseball game, some of our kids showed up with temporary tattoo sleeves," Flores said. "They knew he had a bunch of tattoos and wanted to show their support."
• • •
Roberts' tattoos are diverse, both in color and type.
There are sayings, such as "Only God Can Judge Me" (on his stomach) and "Only the Strong Survive" (on his left arm). There are some tribal markings, as well as a playing card with the Sacred Heart and dice (on his right arm).
"I'm not a card shark, but I just think it's cool," he said.
Olmy Rosenstock, based out of the Oakland area, does most of Roberts' work, often coming to his Arizona home and inking him there. Rosenstock's clients include several major leaguers, including Prince Fielder, and he even did Kim's tattoo sleeve.
Roberts said he could add to his collection, with a baby boy, Lyric, due in September, a potential inspiration. "There's always room," he said.
Roberts recently went as far as suggesting to manager Joe Maddon that, if the Rays make the World Series, Maddon would get his first tattoo.
Smiled Maddon: "I'm all for it."
Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@tampabay.com.
By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
GAINESVILLE — When fall practice began 12 days ago, Florida coach Will Muschamp knew his quarterback competition was going to be intense. As it turns out, the quarterbacks are not alone.
Another battle has ensued between sophomores Marcus Roberson and Loucheiz Purifoy and juniors Jaylen Watkins and Cody Riggs for the starting cornerback position. Through the first 1 ½ weeks of camp, the four have shared equal reps with the No. 1 defense.
"It's very intense," said Watkins, who started eight games last season. "We're all scrapping right now, trying to get the ball, make big plays, tackling. It's all down to every small centimeter. We're all trying to do everything right, which is making us all better. It definitely keeps you from being complacent."
After one full scrimmage Saturday, Muschamp said, like the quarterbacks, the cornerback position is too close to call.
"Those guys have all done a good job," he said. "Right now, Marcus, Loucheiz, Jaylen and Cody are all competing. Cody's playing some nickel safety for us. Pop (Saunders) is probably our third safety. Pop's playing all over the place. He's playing our third safety and really, he's probably our fifth corner. And he also can play inside. But those guys are all competing."
Competition is so fierce at the position, players who compete against them daily on offense have taken notice.
"It's a competitive battle, from period-to-period, play-to-play," senior receiver Frankie Hammond Jr., said.
"Nobody's job is safe. If somebody messes up, there's somebody else right behind them to go in. So it just keeps the guy that's in front to stay on his toes because if you slip up, somebody else is coming in for you."
Of the four, Roberson and Riggs are the most experienced. Riggs has played in 26 games, with 13 starts. Roberson was the Gators' top cornerback as a freshman last season, but after 10 starts, he suffered a neck injury against South Carolina and missed the rest of the season.
"Our medical staff was great, so we were able to get through it," Roberson said. "I ran into a couple of people in the spring, and I don't even feel like I was hurt."
The Gators were 10th of 12 in the SEC in total defense last season but were No. 3 in the league in pass defense, with eight interceptions. Roberson said he believes depth will help improve those numbers.
"We'll get more rest and we'll be fresh every time we get on the field," he said.
This time last year, nearly every conversation with Muschamp included some talk about "cross-training" and the need to have players learn multiple positions — just in case of injury. It was a clear sign of how little quality depth he had at some of the most critical positions.
Talk has changed this fall, and Muschamp believes the depth that has fostered this competition can only be good for the Gators.
"Competing is what's making our team better," he said. "It's been a good competition for them all.
"They've all had opportunities where they've all made plays and big plays for us. Brian Poole was one of the interceptions (in Saturday's scrimmage). Loucheiz and Marcus had the other two. So, again, I feel very comfortable with where we are at that position right now. It's where you should be at Florida at corner."
Antonya English can be reached at english@tampabay.com.
By Derek J. LaRiviere, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
SPRING HILL — When legally blind bowler Henry Svetina touts his two non-sanctioned perfect games, the average person would be skeptical.
This is a man, after all, who has trouble walking around because of his sight. And when he speaks to you, he seems to be looking right through you because, to him, you are just a bunch of cloudy colors.
The skepticism vanishes, however, when you see Svetina toss eight strikes in his first nine frames of a game, including seven in a row. That's exactly what the 50-year-old Svetina, of Spring Hill, did recently in the Professional Bowlers Association South Region Pro-Am at Spring Hill Lanes, rolling a 240 game in the process.
"I made a small change, and it all started to come together," he said. "This is how I know I can bowl."
Svetina's final series (487) was higher than bowlers around him that average 200 on a regular basis in league play. But it wasn't the scores that interested the man throwing the ball. He used the time in between shots to talk with the pro bowlers who accompanied him on the lane.
He spoke about his condition and how it happened. In 1991, Svetina, an Army veteran, was involved in an industrial accident at an airport in Long Island, N.Y. The mishap caused sulfuric acid to spray into his eyes, burning his retinas and causing him to go blind almost instantly. His sight has deteriorated even more since then, to the point where he no longer is able to see colors more than a of couple feet in front of him.
"It's very tough," he said. "When I woke up the morning after, I couldn't see at all. It was a hard thing to get over."
Fort Myers pro Lee Rucker was one of the bowlers who listened to Svetina's story. He seemed impressed and moved by the plight of not only Svetina, but all blind people who strive to overcome their handicap.
As he talked about organizing a local bowling fundraiser for Visually Impaired Persons of Southwest Florida, Svetina mentioned having some difficulty gaining support from pros to help with the cause. Immediately, Rucker pledged to be there, if asked.
"I have a couple guys in my league at home who can't see so well," Rucker said. "We are more than happy to tell them which pins are standing so they can adjust. None of us mind helping out."
Svetina needs the same assistance. On his first ball, he steps toward the middle of the lane to try for a strike. If pins are still standing, he needs a little help with the identification of the remaining pins.
He also needs assistance with getting his ball off the rack. With so many different balls, he can't identify his own without someone else's help. Past that, he has a pretty good grip on the game.
He bowled a lot more often in the mid to late 1990s in his native Long Island. After some time off and moving to Spring Hill in 2005, Svetina began to pick up the sport again. He now uses the PBA South Region events to compete and gain awareness for the blind.
"I know him a little bit from all the pro-am (events) he's competed in," South Region manager Sam Zurich said. "What he's doing has got to be difficult. It's really something to watch."
Svetina's story has been told by several media outlets as he attempts to draw more attention to the visually impaired. He has been featured on Fox News, ABC News and Bay News 9 since 2005, and CNN in 1996.
He focuses on pro-am tournaments and events involving Visually Impaired Persons, as well as Special Olympics.
The competitors at the recent pro-am event at Spring Hill Lanes seemed astonished by his abilities.
Thanks in large part to his final game of 240 and pro games of 258, 275 and 257, Svetina finished in the middle of the pack in the event, placing 34th. The six PBA bowlers who competed with him were David Shinn (22nd in the Spring Hill Open), Kyle Troup (fifth), Wayne Bolin (75th), Rucker (63rd), Guppy Troup (21st) and Kirk Hersey (58th).
By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
TAMPA — Less than eight months ago, former University of Florida sprinter/running back Jeff Demps made a life-changing declaration, giving up football to pursue his Olympic dreams.
Now, with a silver medal in hand, Demps is realizing he can have the best of both worlds.
The versatile runner and receiver on Tuesday retained NFL agent Daniel Rose and is drawing interest from several teams, including the Bucs.
"There's a lot of interest," Rose said. "We talked to some teams before the Olympics, but we wanted him to concentrate on the Olympics. Preparing for the Olympics is a very regimented process, and he needed to focus on that.
"At 22 years old, how could you tell a kid not to go to the Olympics?"
That was the driving force behind Demps' decision in January to give up football. He said then: "I can have the mind-set of a full-time track guy now."
His track coach at UF, Mike Holloway, summed up the decision: "What has made Jeff unique is that Jeff has always done very, very good things in track and field while lifting (weights) and other things that football players do. … If you can do the things he has done, training as a football/track guy, what happens when he is just a track guy?"
Demps provided the answer in London, helping the American men's 4x100 relay team place second.
But NFL teams have continually expressed interest, Rose said, making it clear Demps has options. He returned from London on Monday, immediately turning his thoughts to football.
As of Tuesday, there was no resolution, but the Bucs certainly are in the picture.
"I've spoken to the Bucs," Rose said, "but there are a lot of other teams interested. He's not committed to any team yet. He just got off the plane. But Tampa Bay would be a great fit. We're going to let it play out and he'll be somewhere soon."
The postponement of Demps' football career proved worthwhile. Demps ran the first leg of the 4x100 preliminary in London, helping the quartet finish in 37.38, an American record.
The team ultimately placed second and Demps was awarded a silver medal. But Demps nearly didn't make the cut in the first place; he was added to Team USA in late July as a replacement for injured Mike Rodgers.
Demps is considered undersized for the NFL at around 5 feet 8 and 190 pounds, but his speed sets him well apart. It's an asset whether Demps lines up in the backfield or as a receiver, both of which he often has done. He also averaged 25 yards on kickoff returns last season at UF.
It's unclear how the Bucs would use Demps, but most of his experience has come as a running back. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry at UF, rushing for 569 yards in 12 games as a senior.
Rose said he was mildly surprised Demps wasn't drafted in April, though that was probably attributable to the decision to pursue track.
Demps' camp hardly has any regrets, especially given his real NFL prospects.
"It wouldn't have been in anyone's best interest to tell him to skip the Olympics," Rose said. "That's something he'll have forever."
Times staff writer Antonya English contributed to this report. Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@tampabay.com.
