By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist
Thursday, April 7, 2011

AUGUSTA, Ga.

The punks showed up after dark. Witnesses say there were three.

They were young, of course. Obviously not from around here. Word is, their night started at a local mall, and then they gravitated to the middle of a residential street.

And that's where the confrontation began. Just as they were getting the hang of throwing a football, a lady from across the street demanded to know if these three Irish lads were staying in one of the houses in this neighborhood.

"I said, 'We're staying in this one,' " Rory McIlroy recalled. "I just said, 'Sorry, we'll go inside now.' "

Welcome to the next generation at the Masters.

A transition unlike any other.

Less than 12 hours after his first attempt at throwing a mall-bought football with a couple of friends from Northern Ireland, the 21-year-old McIlroy was teeing off at Augusta National on his way to a first-round 65 and a share of the Masters lead with Spain's Alvaro Quiros.

"I think he's very normal, don't you? He is what he is," said McIlroy's agent, Chubby Chandler. "I mean, he got called off the street last night for playing football. There won't be many guys that will happen to at the Masters. And there probably wasn't a lot of thought he might throw his shoulder out (with the football), because at 21, you don't think like that, do you?

"They were flinging it there and back. Little old lady comes out, and it was off you go."

This is not the first time McIlroy has shown up at one of golf's majors making a lot of noise, and it won't be the last. For this precocious prodigy has a certain twinkle in his eye and an absolutely wicked game in his bag.

You may recall he smoked the field at the first round of the British Open last year with a 63. And he won his first PGA event last year with a closing-round 62 at Quail Hollow. Since then he has made headlines for comments about Tiger Woods that were not exactly groundbreaking but were a little too honest for your typical pro athlete.

There is little doubt McIlroy is the ringleader of the next wave of golf superstars, along with Japan's Ryo Ishikawa and the United States' Rickie Fowler.

Like Woods before him, McIlroy tolerates the mundane and lives for the main stage. He has eight majors on his resume and has finished in the top 10 in half of them.

In his past five appearances in majors, he has three third-place finishes. For comparison's sake, Woods was 23 before he got that many top-five finishes. Phil Mickelson was 25.

To get a better idea of just how young McIlroy is, this is the first time he's played in a major without one of his parents staying nearby.

"He's 21 and learning fast," said Chandler. "He's probably got, what, another 80 majors to play?"

And somewhere in those next 20 years, McIlroy will have to prove he can close the deal. He is far from being a player suspected of weekend nerves, but McIlroy did fail to capitalize on two major opportunities in 2010.

He followed up his historic 63 at St. Andrews last year with a petulant-looking 80. And in the 2010 PGA Championship, he missed a birdie putt at No. 18 that would have put him in a three-way playoff.

Even before the Masters began, there was talk that McIlroy did not yet have the maturity to match Woods' modern standard of winning the tournament at age 21. Former Woods coach, and current Mickelson coach, Butch Harmon said McIlroy lacked the short game to win this week.

"I always feel I have the game to win. It's just the extra 2 percent here and extra 2 percent there that makes the difference," McIlroy said. "Those are the sort of things I've been working on this year — course strategy, game management, all of that stuff.

"I feel as if I've shot good-enough rounds in majors, and I've played well enough, to believe I can win a major."

It would not be a surprise if some of the old guard was a little put off by McIlroy's quick ascension into the top 10 of the world rankings (he's ninth).

He already turned heads this year when he wrote in a journal for Sports Illustrated that he wasn't sure if Woods would ever be able to dominate the tour the way he once did. McIlroy wrote that Woods wasn't playing badly but that he was now an ordinary golfer compared to his previous standards.

Those thoughts were not radical, but they were considered by some to be bad form for a golfer with one PGA victory on his resume.

But maybe that's just part of the changing of the guard. Speaking honestly. Speaking openly. Speaking without fear.

Sort of like a golfer throwing a football around with some friends from home the night before the biggest tournament of the year.

Which, by the way, someone asked, you weren't running patterns in the street, were you, Rory?

"No," McIlroy said, before pausing.

"I don't even know what that means."

John Romano can be reached at romano@sptimes.com.

Times wires
Thursday, April 7, 2011

CHICAGO — Derrick Rose had 30 points, eight assists and five rebounds as the Bulls closed in on the top seed in the East by beating the Celtics 97-81 on Thursday.

Chicago's fifth consecutive win and 17th in 19 games put it four games up on Boston and Miami. Each has four games left.

The Heat can't earn the top seed because it is 0-3 against the Bulls.

"At training camp and in the beginning of the year, I thought my team was ready to fight," Rose said. "I just saw what we were going through in training camp. Guys were keyed in and focused, making sure that they came in very, very hungry, wanting to win."

Luol Deng scored 18 of his 23 in the second half for the Bulls.

However, Joakim Noah repeatedly needed his sprained right ankle taped, and he didn't play in the fourth. The status of the ex-Gator hasn't been determined.

Boston had just one player, Paul Pierce with 15, who scored more than 10.

"We've got to be better than this," center Kevin Garnett said.

"No way we can come out and put an effort like this in a game this big."

magic's Howard, teammate suspended: Magic center Dwight Howard was suspended for one game and guard Quentin Richardson for two. The league upheld Howard's technical foul from Wednesday, when he was called for taking too much time to shoot a free throw then threw the ball away. It was his 18th technical of the season. Howard received a one-game suspension for his 16th, and league rules call for another for every two afterward. Richardson shoved the Bobcats' Gerald Henderson in the face during an altercation Wednesday.

Around the league: Heat guard Dwyane Wade will be a game-time decision tonight. He sat out Thursday with a bruised right thigh sustained Sunday. … Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal missed his second game with a strained right calf. Coach Doc Rivers said he believes O'Neal will be ready for the playoffs.

Bulls 97, Celtics 81

BOSTON (81): Pierce 6-13 2-2 15, Garnett 3-9 4-4 10, J.O'Neal 2-5 1-2 5, Rondo 3-10 1-3 7, Allen 3-11 1-1 7, Davis 1-8 6-6 8, Green 4-7 2-2 10, Krstic 1-2 4-4 6, West 4-7 0-0 9, Pavlovic 1-1 0-0 2, Murphy 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 28-73 23-26 81.

CHICAGO (97): Deng 9-18 2-2 23, Boozer 6-16 2-3 14, Noah 1-3 0-0 2, Rose 9-16 10-10 30, Bogans 2-3 0-0 6, Brewer 2-4 0-0 4, Gibson 3-5 0-0 6, Thomas 1-2 0-0 2, Korver 2-7 0-0 5, Watson 1-3 0-0 2, Butler 1-1 0-0 3, Asik 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-78 14-15 97.

Boston 18 25 17 21— 81

Chicago 26 22 23 26— 97

3-Point Goals—Boston 2-10 (West 1-2, Pierce 1-5, Allen 0-3), Chicago 9-22 (Deng 3-6, Bogans 2-3, Rose 2-5, Butler 1-1, Korver 1-5, Watson 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Boston 43 (Garnett 10), Chicago 47 (Boozer 12). Assists—Boston 14 (Rondo 6), Chicago 21 (Rose 8). Total Fouls—Boston 12, Chicago 21. Technicals—Davis, Pierce, Thomas. A—23,067 (20,917).

Times wires
Thursday, April 7, 2011

A new position for Quiros

Co-leader Alvaro Quiros has a little less experience in marquee tournaments than Rory McIlroy, who has finished third three times in majors. The 28-year-old Spaniard has won five times on the European Tour but has struggled in majors. Known as one of the longest hitters in the world, Quiros missed six cuts in his first eight major appearances. That includes both previous appearances in Augusta, where he had never shot better than 75. Asked whether he glanced at the leaderboard during his first round, Quiros replied, "That would be stupid." He finished his round by sticking his approach shot on 18 to within 3 feet and quickly finished off a birdie for his 65. "I was talking with my caddie about it, walking the 18th hole," Quiros said. "Because normally, I'm watching this situation through the TV sitting on my sofa."

Extra practice for Mickelson

Immediately after his round of 2-under 70, defending champion Phil Mickelson headed for the driving range.

Mickelson was erratic off the tee, hitting shots into the Georgia pines and spraying one so far into the azaleas left of the 13th fairway that he looked like he was on an Easter egg hunt as he searched for his ball. He hit only four fairways, last in the field of 99 players.

As always, his superb chipping kept him from dropping shots on three straight holes around the turn.

"I didn't shoot myself out of it, but I didn't make up ground on the field like I wanted," Mickelson said.

Tiger satisfied, all things considered

Tiger Woods wasn't near the lead, but at least he wasn't out of contention. Mired in the longest winless streak of his career, he made a long putt at No. 14, lipped out several others and finished with 1-under 71. He considered it a promising start.

"I'd rather be where Rory (McIlroy) is," Woods said, glancing at the scoreboard from behind the 18th green. "But, hey, there's a long way to go. We've got a long grind ahead of us. … I'm very pleased. I'm right there in the ball game. I'm only six back."

America's hopes

Matt Kuchar's name isn't a likely response to the question of who is America's best golfer at the moment. The former Georgia Tech All-American, however, just might be playing better than any of his countrymen. Kuchar, above, backed up 16 months of stellar play with 4-under 68 and was tied for fifth with Ricky Barnes, both former U.S. Amateur champions, as the top-scoring Americans in the field. "I felt solid out there," said Kuchar. "I didn't feel like I was doing a whole lot of grinding. It felt like a lot of good opportunities."

First: Arnie, Jack

Thousands gathered around the first tee and lined both sides of the fairway to watch Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer hit the traditional first drives. Palmer has four green jackets; Nicklaus six. "I wasn't nervous, I just couldn't see it," Nicklaus, 71, said of his opening drive that went about 40 yards past Palmer's 170-yarder. Nicklaus said as they warmed up on the practice range, Palmer, 81, noted that he first hit shots at Augusta in 1955; Nicklaus arrived in 1959 as an amateur. "That's 56 and 52 years. That's a long time," Nicklaus said of the 108 appearances. "I guess it's still kind of fun to lop it off the first tee and be part of a great event." Asked if he still got a bit nervous on the first tee, Palmer smiled and said, "I sure do. When I stop getting nervous, I won't be here."

It's easy being green

The answer is yes. Rickie Fowler was wearing head-to-toe Masters green during his round of 2-under 70. Well, Puma's version of Masters green. "That's what we're trying to do," he said. "I told Puma we wanted to do it; get as close as we can. And they were all for it."

And? Fowler grabbed the real green jacket sleeve of Masters member Rob Johnston and compared. "A little lighter," he said. Today's color for the always colorfully dressed 22-year-old American is blue — with a stripe of wild colors — followed by a lighter green Saturday and his traditional Sunday outfit of Oklahoma State orange.

That orange wouldn't look too good with a green jacket would it?

"Everything looks good with a green jacket," Fowler said, grinning.

One thing he won't be doing is wearing his hat backward. He tried that in the interview room before the tournament, only to be told by a Masters official to turn it around before he answered questions.

Even a Masters rookie knows to listen when the other people in green speak. "Around here, it's forwards," Fowler said.

David Rice, Times Correspondent
Thursday, April 7, 2011

TAMPA — Berkeley Prep jumped out to a nine-run lead over Brooks-DeBartolo (7-11) in the first inning and never looked back Thursday as the Buccaneers delivered one of their most complete performances of the season in a 13-1 victory.

Sophomore Bubba Olivera got the start for Berkeley Prep (11-10), throwing six innings and racking up six strikeouts. After the first, the Buccaneers struggled at the plate but were able to finish the game off in the bottom of the sixth when junior Kenny Barrett hit a grand slam.

"Getting run support like that is a pitcher's dream," Berkeley coach Justin Houston said. "Bubba came out and threw strikes. He was getting leadoff hitters out and setting a tone for the game."

The game was marred by the lack of control that Brooks-DeBartolo pitcher Javier Reynoso showed in his five innings. Four times a Buccaneers batter was struck by pitches, including Olivera twice, once in the head. By the time the game came to a conclusion, Houston was fuming at the opposing coaching staff and umpires for what he felt were intentional shots.

"It's easy for (Reynoso) to recover from that first inning and get in a groove when our guys have to be afraid that someone is aiming for them," Houston said. "We got a guy getting hit in the head and another in the ribs. That's not high school baseball and it shouldn't be the way the game is played at any level."

Houston was pleased with the composure his players showed.

"I love the way our guys handled themselves," Houston said. "Hopefully this is a game for us where we look at the way we played and are able to repeat it."

Chris Girandola, Times Correspondent
Friday, April 8, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — It's not too often a track and field coaching staff will direct runners to run as slowly as they can yet still win the race, but that's what Northside Christian coaches Jeff Goodwin and Barry Greenleaf did Thursday at the Bay Conference Championships.

The meet was rescheduled from last month, and it occurred a day before the Distance Carnival at the University of Tampa and TFA Invitational at Orlando's First Academy — two key events in which Mustangs runners will compete.

Despite the cautious overtones, the meet still turned into a Northside Christian invitational of sorts, as the Mustangs cruised to easy victories. The boys tallied 207 points for first place over Keswick Christian's 100 points and Shorecrest's 100 points, while the girls compiled 210, plenty to beat Keswick Christian (78.33) and Shorecrest (57.33).

The Mustangs set three school records, in the boys 4x400 relay (Lucio Ojeda, Matt Montanari, Glen Dorsey II, Jimmy Van Deilen), the boys 4x100 (Ojeda, Van Deilen, Jeffrey Golden, Evan Howard) and the girls pole vault, in which Jess Artille cleared 10 feet, 1 inch. The Mustangs have combined to set nine school records this season.

Mario Ojeda, the No. 3-ranked runner in the 800 in the Florida Runners Class A poll, took first in the event with teammates Joe Chapman and Garet Marr finishing second and third, respectively. Ojeda teamed with Chapman, Marr and Montanari (fourth in the state in the 800) to capture the 4x800. Today the team takes on Trinity Prep, the state's top-ranked team.

Katelyn Greenleaf, ranked fourth in the state and 58th in the nation in the 1600, paced herself to a 5:42.60 time for a first-place finish in the event in preparation for today.

"I want to see how well I do in the event and try to improve on it so I know where I stand," said Greenleaf, who finished fourth in the 3200 at the state finals last year.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Two teams from the McMullen Tennis Center in Clearwater have qualified for the USTA Nationals. McMullen's 8.0 and 9.0 men's teams won the state tournament at the USTA Florida Super Senior sectionals at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach. The Super Senior category is for players 60 years and older.

The teams will represent Florida at the national tournament in April 2012. In the past the nationals have been held in Surprise, Ariz., but bids have not yet been taken for 2012.

The McMullen 8.0 team is captained by Rick Whissel. Other players are Darrel Stewart, Joe Persak, Mauro Rodriguez, John Beda, Terry Tetzlaff, Eric Watson, Ron Massey and Wendall Walker.

Whissel said he has played with some of the players on the 8.0 team for more than 30 years.

"Darrel (Stewart) and Mauro (Rodriguez) and I have played together since 1978,'' Whissel said. "It's been a long time. It's a great group of guys.''

The 9.0 team is Terry Payton, Tony Ruggiero, Mark Rosenfeld, Rich Bruer, Peter Bonfa, Marc Mazo, Alex Deeb, Terry Addison, Bill Christensen, Massey and Jared Florian.

That team overcame some adversity to win the championship. Bruer went to Daytona Beach but was sidelined with a stomach virus. Massey battled hamstring and calf problems, but played every match. He also played on the 8.0 team.

"We went up there with eight healthy guys but then we got some injuries,'' Payton said. "I didn't know what to expect. Marc Mazo and Jared Florian won all four of their matches. That really helped us. They were the stars of the show.''

The teams will continue to play together in the year leading up to nationals. They also must find a hard-court surface to play on since nationals will likely be played on a hard surface. Payton said they play on clay at McMullen.

"The hard court is faster and it's hard on your knees,'' Payton said. "We all have bad knees.''

More tennis

The St. Petersburg/Clearwater Women's Senior league recently ended its season. The McMullen 3.5 team won its division with a 9-0 record. It has qualified for the state sectionals in Daytona Beach on May 13-15. The team captain is Julie Anderson. Other members are Nancy Rucker, Esther Klein, June Williams, Marilyn Green, Norene Marlow, Marilyn Renner, Peggi Defreitas, Jean Abele, Carrie Mahony and Debbie Ramker.

Golf

The County Golf Association held a better ball tournament April 4 at Countryside Country Club. The regular division gross winners were John VanVleck and Mike Sanderson, who shot 68. The senior division gross winners were Shane Hayward and Jim McKnight and John King and Willie Green, who shot 69s. The overall net winners were Gerry Zebley and Al Wingrove, who shot 60. The ladies net winner is Lori Gill and Melody Ulen, who shot 68.

• The West Coast Women's Golf Association held a tournament at Southern Hills. The AA Flight winner was Barb Wellard of Innisbrook, who shot a low net score of 73. In the B Flight, Karen Cramm of Innisbrook took second with 82. And in the D Flight, Joann DellaPenna of Cypress Run won with 90.

Bowling

On March 19-20, Seminole Lanes hosted the 2011 Florida State Finals International Family Tournament. In the Parent/Youth division, Zachary Leitz and his father, Ray, bowled a 1441 and came in second to earn a $500 scholarship. In the Parent/Teen division, Alexandra Matthews and her father, Wayde, bowled a 1458 for fifth place and won $130 scholarship. Bryson Evans and his father, Mike, bowled a 1430 and came in ninth to win a $90 scholarship. In the Adult/Teen division, Ronnie Liles and Mike Bongiorno won with a 1471. Liles earned a $1000 scholarship. Also at Seminole Lanes on April 3, the Southwest Florida Youth Classic was held. Jeff Campbell came in first in his division after bowling a 287 and won a $200 scholarship.

Horseshoes

The Clearwater Horseshoe club held a tournament April 2. The Class A winner was Jessie Hough, the Class B winner was Mark Seibold, the Class C winner was Buddy Short, the Class D winner was Harry Hare and the Class K winner was Larry Sullivan.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Friday, April 8, 2011

GAINESVILLE — Florida senior quarterback John Brantley has spent a month trying to learn a new offensive system, hold onto his starting job and keep a team-first mentality as he helps mentor young quarterbacks Jeff Driskel and Tyler Murphy.

It's not the situation he envisioned when he took over the starting role last season but one Brantley has embraced.

"It is weird a little bit, but with helping each other out, I think you learn even more," Brantley said. "So if someone needs help, teaching them also helps you out and helps them out. We're working as a team, we're a team. We're fighting for a position, but we're all good buddies, and we're trying to help each other out and help the team be successful."

The Gators and their new staff have spent 14 days over the past month working extensively on installing new offensive and defensive systems, figuring out who does what best and how each player will be most effective.

Because Florida's spring practices were closed to the public, today is the first time anyone outside the athletic program will see what Florida might look like in the post-Urban Meyer era.

But don't expect a big preview of what you'll see in August. This remains a work in progress.

"More than anything, what we want to do is go out and have a very functional scrimmage," coach Will Muschamp said. "We want to execute on both sides of the ball. We need to see guys play in front of people. I think that's important to see how they respond in front of a good crowd, and obviously the Gator Nation will follow us well. So I think it's important for us to go out and play fast, play physical and play with toughness. And those are the things we'll be looking for, not looking to scheme anybody. … It's not going to be real flashy."

Throughout spring drills, Muschamp has sought one thing most: consistency. He insists the staff has seen plenty of talent. They've seen glimpses of future leaders and potential stars.

"We've done some really nice things at all positions at times, but the consistency of it is not what it needs to be," he said. "We've made a lot of improvements, but we have tremendous strides to make. Obviously because of the depth issues on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and some other positions, it can look poor at times."

With injuries, UF is down to seven healthy offensive linemen, and senior Chris Rainey is the lone healthy running back. Rainey said the new system is similar to what he ran in high school, making the transition easier.

"For me it's easy because I've been like that since high school," he said. "It's basically like the NFL. I love it. I'm comfortable in that system. All the other years, it's just been quarterback runs and stuff like that, so it'll give a different (look) for everybody."

For Brantley, who has been the focus of so much attention — positive and negative — since he took over last year from Tim Tebow, today will be like every other practice since March. It's a chance to prove he's up to leading this team — one more time. He's looking forward to it.

"From the scrimmage aspect, that's more gamelike reps, everything moves a little faster, and that definitely helps you out," he said. "Within this offense the only way you get better is through more reps, and that helps. Once you get into it and get in the playbook and study it, it gets easier and easier every day."

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com. Follow her coverage at gators.tampabay.com.

Eduardo A. Encina, Times Staff Writer
Friday, April 8, 2011

TAMPA — FC Tampa Bay is in preliminary discussions to host English Premier club Everton for an international friendly match this summer.

Everton, a nine-time first-division champion, has had discussions with several American clubs to play here in July during the EPL's preseason training. The club is already slated to play MLS' D.C. United on July 23.

A possible game against FC Tampa Bay would likely be held in the second or third week of July at the team's current home, Al Lang Field, but Raymond James Stadium is also a possible site.

The Liverpool-based club has one of the strongest fan bases in the EPL and would be a significant draw in the United States. Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard is Team USA's starting keeper.

Everton is England's longest tenured first-division club, having played in the top tier for a record 108 seasons, including every year since 1954. Everton was also a founding member of the EPL in 1992.

Eduardo A. Encina, Times staff writer

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Friday, April 8, 2011

CHICAGO — The Rays knew there were risks when they signed Manny Ramirez, given the controversial reputation that preceded him. But they were stunned and disappointed at the extent of the damage Friday as Ramirez retired rather than face or fight a 100-game suspension after failing a spring urine test for a performance-enhancing drug.

"We're obviously surprised … and hurt by what's transpired here," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said. "But as a group we have to collect ourselves and move forward."

Ramirez, 38, leaves the game as one of the most accomplished hitters and entertaining players in history, but also the latest to do so with his accomplishments tainted by drug use, having previously been suspended in 2009.

"I'm at ease," Ramirez told ESPNdeportes.com from his South Florida home. "God knows what's best (for me). I'm now an officially retired baseball player. I'll be going away on a trip to Spain with my old man."

Neither Rays officials nor players would address how the latest incident taints Ramirez's legacy or his chances, with 555 career home runs, to make the Hall of Fame, which now seems unlikely.

"I'm not going to get into that," said Rays leftfielder Johnny Damon, a former Red Sox teammate as well. "It's unfortunate. I don't know everything that's been brought up. All I know is he was a great teammate and a great player, and I think the other part is just an unfortunate thing. It's going to be sad not seeing Manny Ramirez around a baseball field."

Ramirez's departure also leaves a massive hole in the cleanup spot of the lineup, the Rays already off to an abysmal start and without injured Evan Longoria. Despite Ramirez's 1-for-17 start that drew boos at Tropicana Field last week, the Rays still expected big things from him.

"Of course we're disappointed; I'd love to have him," manager Joe Maddon said. "I thought he looked really good in spring training. I thought we were forging a pretty good relationship also, so that part is disappointing. But at the end of the day, he's got to make up his own mind. That's a choice that he has to make."

The Rays' immediate reaction was to summon Casey Kotchman, a former Seminole High star, from Triple-A Durham, with plans to use him primarily at first base and move Dan Johnson to Ramirez's designated hitter role.

They also took action to keep the remaining players focused on their primary goal, with Maddon addressing them before Friday's game, which turned out to be their first victory of the season as Johnson hit a three-run homer in the ninth.

"I have a lot of faith in these guys,'' Maddon said. "I told them that before the game. I told them nothing has changed. You lose a couple games, you don't point fingers, you don't start doubting what you've been doing. …

"When you're in position like we were when you lose several games in a row, it normally takes something very difficult, awkward sometimes, to get you righted. It began today by Manny retiring and then it culminates in a three-run home run by Dan Johnson against one of the better left-handed relievers in baseball.''

Said Friedman: "For all of us as an organization, it can be a galvanizing moment, and I think that's what's important for us."

The Rays didn't know anything of the development until around midday Friday, a few hours before a Major League Baseball news release saying Ramirez was "recently notified" of "an issue" under the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and that "rather than continue" with the process he had informed MLB he was retiring.

Ramirez had missed Thursday's game in Chicago, as well as the March 30 exhibition finale, for what the Rays said he told them were personal and family related reasons. Maddon said again Friday that they had no reason to think otherwise. In fact, Maddon was plotting lineups with Ramirez in the No. 4 spot when he got the news.

But under MLB protocol, Ramirez would have been notified several days ago, possibly up to a week, of the positive test. And while Maddon didn't notice any difference in him during the first week of the season, Damon said he could tell something was wrong.

"I had a feeling something was bothering him," Damon said, "but I didn't think it was this; I thought it was something else. But once again, I'll use the word 'unfortunate.' He had a great career and now he gets to enjoy the rest of his life."

What made the news even worse for the Rays was how promising Ramirez looked throughout spring training, impressive with his early arrivals, hard work and positive attitude.

"He was great for us," Friedman said. "In spring training it was very, very refreshing in terms of how he went about his business, the way he prepared. I think it rubbed off on a lot of our players, and we were very bullish on what he would be able to do this year based on how he was moving around in spring training and the way he was swinging the bat."

Several Rays said they were shocked and disappointed at the development, but more that Ramirez wouldn't be with them than for the reason why.

"Disappointing to hear, man," centerfielder B.J. Upton said. "He's a good dude, a good teammate. I definitely enjoyed the little bit of time I got to spend with him. … Guys in here are definitely not thrilled about it. We all loved having him around and just watching him."

Because Ramirez retired, the Rays paid only $87,912 of his $2 million salary. If he were to seek reinstatement, he would face the suspension, and would be the first major-leaguer suspended twice under the current drug program. Ramirez was suspended 50 games in 2009 after testing positive for a banned female fertility drug that is used to help mask steroid use.

By Seth Leto, Times Correspondent
Friday, April 8, 2011

What's hot: One often overlooked species of fish to target is the triple tail. These fish can be found just below the surface, close to floating objects such as crab trap buoys and debris. Stone crab season is open for about another month, which means there are thousands of floating buoys that might hold one of these unusual-looking but tasty fish. These prehistoric-looking fish are covered with tough skin and scales, which makes them fairly difficult to clean. Most of the fish in the Pinellas area are in the 5- to 10-pound class, but occasionally bigger ones are caught.

Tactics: Fishing for triple tail is, for the most part, done by sight-fishing. As you pass by a floating object, look for the triple tail to be suspended just below it. Once a fish is located, either get on the trolling motor or set up a drift to pass within casting distance of the object. Small crustaceans are the triple tail's primary food source, so a shrimp suspended under a float is my top choice for bait. Triple tail also feed on small baitfish, so a small pinfish or scaled sardine will work, too.

Tackle: Triple tail have small mouths, so I like a No. 1 or 1/O circle hook tied to a small piece of 15- to 20-pound leader. This rig suspended under a float should get the job done.

Seth Leto charters out of Tarpon Springs and can be reached at capt.seth@yahoo.com or (727) 385-0382.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Friday, April 8, 2011

Yankees at Red Sox: 1 p.m. on Ch. 13. Fox's Game of the Week is at Fenway Park with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver calling the action. This game is going out to 84 percent of the country.

Spring football: 4 p.m. on ESPN. Once again proving that ESPN has too much time to fill, it will air the LSU spring football game.

Harlem Globetrotters: 5 p.m. on ESPN2. The Globetrotters' routine has barely changed over the years, but it never gets old.

By Eduardo A. Encina, Times Staff Writer
Friday, April 8, 2011

TAMPA — On the eve of his first regular-season game as FC Tampa Bay coach, Ricky Hill preached to his team about the value of staying calm under pressure.

Hill knows that importance firsthand.

When Hill began his pro career in England in the mid 1970s, he could count the number of black players playing professionally on one hand. From the time of his first pro road game as a 17-year-old rookie, he was the target of racist chants and harassment.

Fans would fling bananas onto the field. Later in his career, when he represented his country as part of the England national team, he sometimes had to pull his jersey over his head while running through the tunnel to avoid being spit on. During one game at Manchester City, a fan ran onto the pitch, tapped him on the shoulder and punched him in the face.

"I never thought all the people in the stands were racists," Hill said. "It's just how it was. My demeanor never changed. Life is going to throw you curveballs. You have to take the good with the bad. But I never wallowed in self-pity. It fueled me, because I wanted to score the goal to quiet them up."

And many times over his playing career, Hill did. The mild-mannered 52-year-old of Jamaican-born parents never lost his charm or ability to smile through it all.

"He went through some tough, tough times," said Hill's 23-year-old son, Shane, a player for FC Tampa Bay. "He always told me when I was growing up not to give people the satisfaction by retaliating. It was a way of life in England back then."

Hill believes he has been lucky to stay in the sport for nearly his entire life — as a player, coach and later an agent. He's still heralded in the British town of Luton, where he spent 15 years playing and was one of Luton Town's top players.

To continue in coaching, he has pursued opportunities far and near. He coached in Trinidad and Tobago, and this is his third coaching stint in the United States; his first was as a player/coach for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 1992.

As FC Tampa Bay opens its second season tonight against the Montreal Impact at Al Lang Field, the club is confident that Hill's player-friendly style, along with several veteran offseason signings, will be the key to creating a title contender.

And, personally, Hill feels he has the opportunity to prove something. He believes there is a stigma in England that black coaches can't be successful. He pitched implementing the NFL's Rooney Rule, which advocates interviewing at least one minority candidate for every coaching vacancy, to soccer teams in the United Kingdom. He said it received little support.

"Hopefully through my efforts and how I conduct myself over the span of my professional career, others will have the opportunity coming through; I can only try," Hill said. "I'm here for a reason. I feel happy being that flag bearer. We always want more."

FC Tampa Bay owner/president Andrew Nestor was immediately impressed with Hill. Much like he was as a player, Hill valued being technically sound, but he also relished the freedom of being creative. Nestor said he noticed Hill's ability to command respect without being overbearing.

"He has an authority about him without having to come down on players," Nestor said. "That kind of character allows him to be a steady leader for the team in what is a very long and hard season. That's really important because you're always going to have ups and downs. You can never hit the panic button, and you can never think things are going great and take your foot off the pedal."

And while the moments before any season opener usually contain the most optimism, there is a different feel to this season's club.

"I've never had a coach like him before," forward Aaron King said. "He's a players' coach. We can ask him questions, and we know where we stand. It might not be the answer you want to hear, but it's the truth.

"Coming where he came from, I'm sure he had to deal with all kinds of adversity. It reflects in his personality."

English visitors?

FC Tampa Bay is in preliminary discussions to host English Premier League club Everton for a match this summer.

Everton, a nine-time first-division champion, has had discussions with several American clubs to play in July, during the EPL's preseason training. The club is slated to play Major League Soccer's D.C. United on July 23.

A possible game against FC Tampa Bay would likely be held in the second or third week of July at Al Lang Field, but Raymond James Stadium is also a possible site.

The Liverpool club has one of the strongest fan bases in the EPL and would be a significant draw in the United States.

Eduardo A. Encina can be reached at eencina@sptimes.com.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Friday, April 8, 2011

That's it?

Manny quit?

Already?

You knew it would end badly, because with Manny Ramirez, it always does. You knew there would be controversy, because with Manny, there always is. You knew there were going to be headlines and headaches and histrionics, because with Manny, there is never another choice.

But five games?

One hit?

And he's out of here?

Say this for the Rays. They went through Manny in a week. It took Cleveland eight years to get fed up with him. It took nearly eight before Boston had enough. It took the Dodgers three. Heck, even the White Sox lasted 24 games.

The Rays? They managed to squeeze the Manny Ramirez story into five chapters.

In a handful of games, they got Manny showing up, Manny getting booed, Manny ducking out early, Manny's mysterious absence. In the end, they got Manny juicing and Manny quitting.

It was like the Reader's Digest version of Manny's career. Minus all of the big hits, of course.

And, hey, Manny, thanks for stopping by.

For goodness' sake, how bad would Ramirez have looked if he hadn't been juicing? As it was, he was a waste of good maple. He was 1-for-17. He hit .059. He didn't get close to an extra-base hit. And as ugly as those numbers are, they don't define the disappointment that was the final chapter of Manny being Manny.

He cheated, and he retreated. How else are we to interpret Ramirez's farewell? Faced with a positive drug test, and with a suspension of up to 100 games, Manny was out the door so fast you would swear he was trying to get a head start on the posse. No excuses, no protests, no feigned surprise at the notion of another beaker turned blue.

That's not Manny being Manny. That's Manny about to be thrown out on his Fanny.

In some ways, that's disappointing, too. In the end, Manny couldn't even be bothered to concoct a good excuse like all of the other drug cheats. Manny retired, which is another way of surrendering and saying, "Okay … you got me."

In other words, the final notions of Ramirez as a great player died in Tampa Bay. He cannot go into the Hall of Fame now. Not if you are still against the idea of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro and Roger Clemens and all of the rest belonging to the Hall.

We will never know how many of his 555 home runs were clean. We will never know how many of his 1,831 RBIs should have counted. Instead, Ramirez is destined to be remembered as part curiosity, part cartoon character. But until statisticians can decide how much of greatness comes in a needle, you cannot say Ramirez was a great player.

Certainly, he was not one in Tampa Bay. He was Juan Guzman, passing through. He was John Rocker, stopping by. He was Doc Gooden, hanging on. And while it didn't cost the Rays a lot of money, it did cost them opportunity. If they had not agreed to endure Manny's turbulence, they might have signed a different hitter. It doesn't matter who. They would probably have more than one hit by now.

Yes, there is sadness here, too. In his final days, we can only wonder how much desperation there was when Ramirez turned to drugs once again. It didn't take long for his power to fade once Ramirez was caught the first time, and it's easy to believe that this was Ramirez trying for one run at the big moments and the big money that comes along with them.

You wonder: In 20 years, will Manny's fans gather and talk of that glorious ground ball between the shortstop and third baseman on April 3? That was it, you know. That was Man-Ray's highlight. That was as good as it got.

In the end, the Rays are left to draw the same conclusion as every other place where there are Manny footprints in the clubhouse. The guy wasn't worth it. Not for a week, not for a game, not for an at-bat. That has always been Manny's legacy — a general manager sighing and saying, "What on earth was I thinking?"

I know, I know. Throughout his career, Manny has been like a bright light that it is impossible not to stare into. His power made him tempting, and his problems made him affordable. And let's face it: When the Rays brought him aboard, a lot of us — and I was as guilty as anyone — thought it could be interesting. Even at age 38, he could add a bit of pop to a weak-hitting lineup. Foolish me, I thought he was worth the risk.

On the other hand, I also thought Ramirez would last until Tax Day.

That's the shocker. He was gone so fast. Remember John Fogerty's concert after a Rays game last year? Heck, he played longer than Manny. Players have driven past the Trop and had more impact.

Already, and at last, he is gone.

One hit.

One week.

One giant disappointment. Quick, too.

Times staff
Friday, April 8, 2011

Times wires
Friday, April 8, 2011

Experiment in progress

IndyCar began having two-wide restarts on road courses last month in St. Petersburg, with temper-inducing results. The debate within the series is still ongoing … and going. Series president of competition Brian Barnhart said he spent three hours Thursday with the three-man drivers' advisory panel discussing the issue, then all 26 drivers talked about options in a 20-minute meeting Friday before practice for Sunday's Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Driver Scott Dixon had a pretty simple take: "When the green flag goes, we all get a bit stupid."

Number of the week

11 Sprint Cup races at night this season, starting with tonight at Texas and including the exhibition All-Star race. Tonight's race is the first Cup race in Fort Worth to be run under the lights.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Friday, April 8, 2011

Times wires
Friday, April 8, 2011

Edwards escapes, then enjoys win

FORT WORTH, Texas — Carl Edwards escaped a crash that wiped out primary challenger Kyle Busch Friday night and won his second consecutive Nationwide race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Edwards and Busch were 1-2 on Lap 88 when Tim Schendel, nine laps down and last among the 35 cars still running, blew a right front tire coming out of Turn 1 in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 300.

Schendel shot up the track and barely scraped the back of Edwards' car. But he was right in front of Busch, who had nowhere to go and hit him full force.

"I was very close," Edwards said. "Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw that car turn. … I'm glad that I caught it. A split second later, it would have been over."

Edwards, the pole-sitter, never fell below third place and led 169 of 200 laps at the 1½-mile, high-banked track. He beat fellow Sprint Cup regular Brad Keselowski by 0.482 seconds.

Ragan earns first Sprint Cup pole

David Ragan ran a lap of 189.820 mph Friday at Texas Motor Speedway to earn the Sprint Cup pole, his first, for Sunday's race by more than 1 mph. He took the top spot from Roush teammate Carl Edwards (188.521 mph). "Qualifying is just part of the weekend, like practice is. Pit stops are part of the weekend, being competitive on restarts is a part. We've got to put all those parts together," Ragan said.

Raikkonen takes first NASCAR steps

Kimi Raikkonen is testing well in NASCAR — already matching lap times with Kyle Busch, the owner of the truck the Finn will race. Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula One world champion, did more testing Thursday in Rockingham, N.C., after two days this week at Gresham Motorsports Park in Georgia attended by Busch. Raikkonen is slated to make his NASCAR truck debut with Kyle Busch Motorsports in May at Charlotte. "The test went really well at Gresham. Kimi is a race car driver, so he does know how to drive race cars and drive them well," Busch said. "… (We) ran identical lap times. So he's right there, he knows what he's doing."

IndyCar seats still getting warmer

Even with the season under way, IndyCar is seeing several driver moves. Simon Pagenaud of France is set to make his series debut this weekend in Birmingham, Ala. The former Champ Car driver is at Dreyer & Reinbold, filling in for Ana Beatriz, who had surgery after fracturing her wrist in St. Petersburg. Canadian rookie James Hinchcliffe will do the North American races for Newman/Haas starting this weekend. And for the Indianapolis 500 in May, Bertrand Baguette (with Rahal Letterman Lanigan) and Bruno Junqueira (with A.J. Foyt Racing) have secured rides.

Elsewhere

Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber had the fastest time in practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur, edging McLaren's Jenson Button. Qualifying was held overnight. … Antonio Garcia claimed the pole for today's Porsche 250 Grand-Am race in Birmingham with a lap of 101.369 mph (1:21.682) around the 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park road course.

Times wires

Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Friday, April 8, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Osceola has done some impressive things the past two seasons, winning consecutive district titles and advancing to the region semifinals once.

But the Warriors have not beaten St. Petersburg.

Losses to the Green Devils the past two years cost Osceola a berth in the Pinellas County Athletic Conference championship game — twice.

Both times the Warriors did not pitch ace Taylor Layner in hopes of getting by and saving him for the conference championship game.

Friday, the Warriors didn't leave anything for chance.

Pitching against St. Petersburg for the first time in his career, Layner threw a one-hit shutout and struck out eight to lead Osceola to a 3-0 victory.

The only hit came on a bunt in the fourth inning.

"We were really focused on this game," Layner said. "Everyone got each other motivated. Coach (Stefan Futch) even wore Green Devil stuff to practice to get us all mad."

Futch, who used to coach at St. Petersburg, beat his old team thanks to strong pitching and timely hitting. Jordan Ramsey went 2-for-3 and had an RBI and scored a run.

"We just went up there ready to hit," Ramsey said. "We all wanted to win the South Division of the PCAC, and we all felt comfortable having Taylor out there on the mound."

But the win does not guarantee the Warriors a spot in the conference championship game — yet. Osceola was upset by Northeast on Monday and will need to beat Pinellas Park next week to force a three-way tie with St. Petersburg and Northeast for the South Division spot. All three teams will be 6-1 in conference play if Osceola wins. The Warriors (17-3) will most likely win on tiebreakers because of a better nonconference record.

"It was a big win for us," Layner said. "Our pitching has always been there. But our hitting is starting to come around, too. And it's coming at the right time."

Times wires
Friday, April 8, 2011

A year ago, Denny Hamlin arrived at Texas Motor Speedway suffering physical pains caused by a surgically repaired knee. A victory in the Samsung Mobile 500 helped take away some of the sting. This weekend, Hamlin arrives suffering a different kind of pain — emotional anguish caused by a precariously slow start to the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The hope is another dose of victory tonight at TMS will be a step toward a cure. "I've obviously got some great memories at this track, especially last year," Hamlin said. "So (I'm) jacked up about that and excited to be back here." Hamlin, who thrashed his way back from his knee problem last spring to make a strong bid at the series championship, is now 19th in points. He has just one top-10 finish on the year, seventh at Las Vegas. Two of his finishes have been 30th or worse.

The pain from all that produced a volcanic reaction after Martinsville, where he had won three straight until fading to 12th on Sunday.

When asked what he and his team needed to do to climb into contention, the emotional Hamlin cut loose.

"There's lots of things," he said.

• Things like better pit stops: "You've got chemistry and stuff … but at this point you either work with what you've got or try to find someone that maybe can do a better job."

• Things like faster cars: "We had a good car (at Martinsville). We didn't have a great car."

• And things like fuel mileage: "Our mileage just (stunk) real bad. It (stunk) at Phoenix, and it (stunk) here."

Hamlin summed winter and early spring of 2011 by saying, "All of the things we need to do to be a championship team — we don't have all those parts together right now."

But Texas is traditionally a place where Hamlin and his Joe Gibbs Racing team have been at their best.

Hamlin not only won last year's spring race at the 1.5-mile quad-oval, but in November he added a second set of six-shooters and Charlie 1 Horse hat that go to winners at Texas.

In 11 starts, Hamlin has eight top-10 finishes at TMS.

His average finish of 8.8 is best among current drivers.

He said the track suits his style.

"The transitions from the straightaway to the corner are smooth," he said. " … That's what just gives me a better feel of what I need."

And the track played a big part in a 2010 season in which Hamlin came within a race of winning a Cup title.

"Texas was very instrumental in two different ways," Hamlin said. "One, it was the turning-around point of our season the first time around. It was the point in which we … had just come off knee surgery, we were terrible in points, and then all of a sudden we won. Then all of a sudden it was a snowball effect and (we) started winning a bunch of races at different tracks.

"Then at the end of the year it was the point where we got back on top and got the points lead so … there's a lot of good memories here, and every time I come here I always seem to have some good memories."

Hamlin could use something good in his 2011 season right now.

By Don Jensen, Times Correspondent
Friday, April 8, 2011

OLDSMAR — Former riding champion Derek Bell has filed a civil lawsuit claiming Tampa Bay Downs, track vice president and general manager Peter Berube and others have interfered with his ability to make a living.

Bell is one of seven jockeys who were banned from Tampa Bay Downs in 2006 during a race-fixing investigation. He is the only one who has filed suit.

The 21-page suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Tampa. Other defendants are the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau, the industry's investigative agency; agency president Franklin Fabian; and an unnamed bureau agent.

"Tampa Bay Downs' actions have prevented Mr. Bell from making a living as a jockey at some of the most prestigious tracks around the country," said Joe Tucker, a St. Petersburg native who is representing Bell for the Louisville, Ky., law firm Dinsmore & Shohl.

Bell seeks a permanent injunction lifting the ban and authorizing him to ride again at the Downs; compensatory damages; punitive damages; and a jury trial on all issues that can be tried. A jury trial in September 2012 is on the docket.

The Downs and the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau declined to comment.

Bell, the Downs' leading rider in 2000-01, was banned on Dec. 19, 2006, by Berube, whose father, Paul, is a retired bureau president. The other jockeys banned were Jorge Bracho, Luis Castillo, Jose Delgado, Terry (T.D.) Houghton, Joseph Judice and Ricardo A. Valdes.

The suit says Berube publicly announced that Bell would not be permitted at the Downs because of an "ongoing investigation" being conducted by the racing bureau and that Bell would be refused access to the facility "for an indefinite period of time based on its rights as a property owner."

The suit also says Fabian and a bureau agent questioned Bell that day about a Downs race earlier that year. Ultimately, Fabian told Bell he would no longer be permitted to ride at the Downs.

Also mentioned is that Fabian made statements indicating Bell was involved in a criminal scheme to fix races; Bell was not a target of a criminal investigation.

"The most important fact from our perspective is that there is a statutory requirement that Mr. Bell be given notice and a hearing when he's been accused of prearranging the outcome of a race," Tucker said. "He was never given the right to defend himself. He was never shown what evidence they had against him. And that's just a fundamental American right that we believe Mr. Bell was denied."

In an effort to clear his name, the suit says, Bell arranged to appear before a grand jury that convened in Detroit to investigate race fixing at the Downs. But an August 2008 letter signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morris stated that Bell was not a target. That case, in which Valdes was indicted, was investigated by special agents of the FBI, with assistance from the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau. The Downs was made aware of the letter, the suit says.

"Despite that information, Tampa Bay Downs refused to let (Bell) ride," Tucker said.

Bell, who rides primarily at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., has an occupational license to ride in Florida. The suit says a "red flag" was placed on his computer records at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation's Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering.

"The licensing system is connected to other state agencies around the country," Tucker said. "Many of these other states and other tracks would not let Mr. Bell ride as a result of Tampa Bay Downs' actions."

MORE RACING: The Downs has six $75,000 stakes on today's Florida Cup Day card. … The $80,000 Distance Classic, Derby Lane's richest stakes for greyhounds, is tonight's Race 10 (10:11 p.m.) at St. Petersburg.