By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Friday, April 8, 2011

TAMPA — The puck was on Vinny Lecavalier's stick, and the goalie was pulled. All the Lightning captain had to do for a hat trick was dink in a close-in shot.

But Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov raced to get a stick in the way, and the puck never got to the net.

"I thought I was alone," Lecavalier said. "I should have taken a peek and protected it."

It was the only misstep for Lecavalier, who scored twice, including on a penalty shot, to lead Tampa Bay's 4-2 victory over the Panthers in front of an announced sellout of 20,444 at the St. Pete Times Forum on Friday.

Tampa Bay (45-25-11) won the sixth of its past seven games and finished its regular-season home schedule tying the team's record of 25 wins set in 2005-06.

With 101 points, it passed 100 for the second time in franchise history. The 2003-04 team, which won the Stanley Cup, had 106.

Tampa Bay plays its regular-season finale tonight at Carolina, but it might not know until Sunday whether it plays the Flyers or Penguins in the first round of the playoffs.

It is certain, though, the series will start on the road as Pittsburgh's shootout win Friday over the Islanders locked the Lightning into fifth in the East.

"It definitely means a lot," Lecavalier said of the milestones.

"Think of where we came from the last two years."

Think of where Lecavalier was, too.

But with eight goals and 15 points in his past 13 games, the captain is, as coach Guy Boucher put it, "a complete menace out there."

Ryan Malone had a goal and two points. Pavel Kubina scored his fourth goal of the season and first in 28 games, and the power play, which was on a 1-for-19 streak, scored twice.

But that Lecavalier is heating up for the playoffs is quite a chip for the Lightning.

"He's always battling around the net," Malone said. "He's throwing his weight around, creating a lot of space for guys. He really wants it."

"It's all about how you feel and confidence," said Lecavalier, who has 24 goals. "Right now, I'm more calm.

He showed it on his penalty shot, avoiding the poke check of goalie Scott Clemmensen, deking Clemmensen to the ice and roofing a forehand for a 3-1 lead 1:27 into the second period.

"He's a force out there," Boucher said. "He's built up his game in terms of intensity and drive."

He slipped a bit with the empty net after what he called the "selfless play" from Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos, who waited for Lecavalier to catch up.

St. Louis' pass was perfect. Lecavalier just couldn't avoid Kulikov.

"I got a little excited there," Lecavalier said.

What was that he said about being calm?

First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Lecavalier 23 (St. Louis, Stamkos), 4:08 (pp). 2, Florida, Garrison 5 (Santorelli, Dadonov), 11:59. 3, Tampa Bay, Malone 14, 16:08. Penalties—Repik, Fla (boarding), 4:01; Ohlund, TB (interference), 6:52; Moore, TB (high-sticking), 16:32.

Second Period—4, Tampa Bay, Lecavalier 24 (penalty shot), 1:27. 5, Tampa Bay, Kubina 4 (Malone, Downie), 15:06 (pp). Penalties—Bergeron, TB (hooking), 8:48; Wilson, Fla (holding), 13:37; Callahan, Fla (tripping), 15:47.

Third Period—6, Florida, Santorelli 20 (Callahan, Dadonov), 5:11. Penalties—Thomas, Fla (high-sticking), 2:32; Gagne, TB (high-sticking), 7:22; Kubina, TB (tripping), 12:10. Shots on Goal—Florida 9-9-7—25. Tampa Bay 12-14-7—33. Power-play opportunities—Florida 0 of 5; Tampa Bay 2 of 4. Goalies—Florida, Clemmensen 8-11-7 (33 shots-29 saves). Tampa Bay, Roloson 24-25-5 (25-23). A—20,444 (19,758).

Lightning will play Flyers or Penguins

The Lightning is guaranteed to be the No. 5 seed in the playoffs and plays the No. 4 seed, which is guaranteed to be the second-place team from the Atlantic Division. The Flyers clinch the Atlantic by beating the Islanders tonight. If they lose (in regulation or shootout), the Penguins clinch it by beating the Thrashers on Sunday. The Flyers win any tiebreaker.

Steve Lee, Times Correspondent
Friday, April 8, 2011

SEFFNER — With the tying run at second base in the top of the seventh inning of a 1-0 game Friday, Durant's John Coglianese singled to rightfield and Armwood's Paul John Roundtree came up throwing as Jacob Burgess raced for home.

Tanner Emmons braced for impact as Burgess bore down on the Armwood catcher, who held onto a high throw from Roundtree as Burgess came in high with what looked more like a football block than a play at the plate.

Emmons was pushed back a few steps but held onto the ball, and Burgess was promptly ejected. One out later, the host Hawks had a 1-0 win.

"It was a great throw," Emmons said. "I knew it was going to be close. I just stayed in there and took it.

"As a catcher you've got to be tough. You're going to take some hits."

Armwood coach Mike Wrenn lauded his catcher and rightfielder for a clutch defensive play that allowed his team to hang onto its slim lead.

"That was a strong throw there," Wrenn said. "(Roundtree) got rid of it quickly. He's got a gun."

Armwood starter Josh Spano improved to 2-1 with a complete-game effort. The senior right-hander scattered seven hits for his first shutout of the season.

"The main thing tonight was keeping the ball down," Spano said. "I was going to let them hit it and let my fielders make the plays."

Armwood (11-7) scored the game's lone run in the bottom of the third. Jordan Famaree followed Roundtree's two-out single with a run-scoring double. Those were two of the four hits allowed by Durant starter Trey Oest (0-1).

Durant's late rally began when Burgess was hit by a pitch and stole second base.

After the close play at the plate, Spano induced Luke Heyer to pop out to first baseman Sean Cramer.

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

CHICAGO — The Rays figured it was going to take something odd or unusual to change their luck and their string of six losses to start the season.

And they certainly got it Friday, starting the day with stunning news that Manny Ramirez had retired after a failed drug test and ending it in celebration after a five-run ninth-inning explosion, capped by Dan Johnson's three-run homer, that gave them a 9-7 win over the White Sox.

"When you play it hard and you play it right, good things can happen, and that's what happened tonight," manager Joe Maddon said. "You had an entire team participating in a victory."

The Rays still were technically the last team without a win, but that ended shortly after 11 p.m. as they gathered near the mound to shake hands for the first time this season.

"There's no feeling like it," Johnson said, "It makes everything better."

Victory seemed unlikely the way the game unfolded on another cold and damp Chicago evening (first-pitch temperature 44 degrees), as the Rays trailed 3-0 by the third, 4-1 after the fourth and 7-4 in the ninth.

James Shields, the Rays' No. 2 starter who looked so sharp in his season-opening turn, looked more like the 2010 edition, allowing three solo homers. And catcher Kelly Shoppach left the game with a sore right knee, though he is said to be okay.

But what looked early like just a few signs of hope — their first bloop hit of the season, by Johnson to end his 0-for-24 skid, a Sean Rodriguez squeeze bunt that hugged the line and stayed fair — became signs of things to come.

Two errors by the White Sox set the ninth inning in motion, one run scoring on shortstop Alexei Ramirez's errant throw, another after leftfielder Juan Pierre botched a fly ball. Then Johnson stepped up, against lefty Matt Thornton, and delivered. "It was just like a release," Johnson said. "Like, whoa, thank you.'

Of the 10 homers Johnson has hit for the Rays, starting with the dramatic 2008 blast in Boston, six have produced the tying or go-ahead runs.

"That's what he does," Maddon said. "He has the propensity to hit the home run when you really need it, and he did it again tonight."

The Rays not only snapped their losing streak, but their run as the team going deepest into a season without holding a lead. The only team, since 1900, to get through six games was the 1992 Tigers, who took their first lead in the seventh inning of their seventh game.

The nine runs were a season-high (one more than in their first six games total) as were the 10 hits as they also snapped the streak, longest in the majors since at least 1919, of consecutive games to start a season without getting more than six hits.

"It was a different attitude today," Johnson said. "One of those things where we were really loose in the clubhouse before the game and we took it into the dugout, and I thought we played really well out there, we stayed positive and we kept battling."

Times wires
Friday, April 8, 2011

What they're saying about Manny Ramirez

"It's crazy, man. That was the last thing I was expecting. … It's sad to see a player with that much talent and an unbelievable career, to get him out of the game with negativity." David Ortiz, Red Sox DH and former teammate in Boston

"You do it, you get caught, you're an idiot. If you do it again, you're a dumb---. I mean, it's sad to see." Bobby Jenks, Red Sox reliever and former teammate with White Sox

"He should have been a slam-dunk, first-ballot (Hall of Fame) player. Instead, if you think (Rafael) Palmeiro got a no-go from the (voting) writers, what do you think they'll do to Manny? How dumb can he be to get nabbed again?" Buster Olney, ESPN analyst

"It shows people that Major League Baseball is … not playing around. … They say they'll be checking and monitoring those guys, and they're showing how much they want to make this game clean and clear." Ozzie Guillen, White Sox manager

"Might have been running out of bullets. Father Time was catching up to him." Charlie Manuel, Phillies manager, who worked with Ramirez in Cleveland

"You hate to see greatness all of a sudden just fade." Ron Washington, Rangers manager

"I'm shocked. He always kind of portrayed that he was out there, but he knew how to hit, man." Jason Giambi, Rockies 1B, who has acknowledged steroid use during his career

"After he came back from the last (drug) suspension in 2009, he hit .269 the rest of the year, his on-base percentage dropped more than 100 points, his slugging percentage dropped 150 points. He just wasn't the same player before and after, so it's pretty obvious, right?" Jayson Stark, ESPN analyst

"I promise you, he does not want to retire. … For me, it's sad." Rafael Furcal, Dodgers SS and former teammate

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

The dish

Rays at White Sox

When/where: 4:10 today; U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago

TV/radio: FSN; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Probable pitchers

Rays: RH Wade Davis (0-1, 5.68)

White Sox: RH Phil Humber (0-0, 27.00)

Watch for …

Wading in: Davis is 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA vs. the White Sox.

Get your Phil: Humber is making his third career big-league start, and has never faced the Rays.

Key matchups:

Rays vs. Humber

Felipe Lopez 2-for-4

Johnny Damon 0-for-2

Sox vs. Davis

Carlos Quentin 2-for-6, HR

Alexei Ramierz 2-for-4, HR

Alex Rios 0-for-5

On deck

Sunday: at White Sox, 2:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeff Niemann (0-1, 7.50); White Sox — Gavin Floyd (0-0, 5.14)

Historical footnote of the day

The Rays became the first team at least since 1919 to go six games into a season without getting more than six hits in any of those games. Eleven teams had gone five games into a season, most recently the 2003 Tigers.

Quote of the day

"I still expect to win the American League East. I haven't backed off on that at all."

Joe Maddon, Rays manager, talking about the retirement of Manny Ramirez

Celebration of the day

RHP Jeremy Hellickson, the youngest player on the roster, turned 24 Friday.

Patti McDonald, Times Correspondent
Friday, April 8, 2011

RIVERVIEW — Riverview played host to a hot Newsome team that has won eight of its past nine. And the race in Class 5A-8 got even tighter as the Sharks beat the Wolves 12-4 Friday night in a key district matchup — leaving Riverview, Newsome, Durant and Armwood tied with Plant City still holding onto the first-place spot.

"We all have beat each other once so all of the teams are pretty much split down the middle," Riverview coach Bill Leiby said. "It's going to come down to the wire and to who is playing well on the day of the district game."

Leiby said his team has been anxiously waiting to play the Wolves again after Riverview fell to Newsome 3-2 earlier in the season.

Senior Josh Botts' RBI double opened up the scoring and from there Riverview's bats came alive as the Sharks (12-7, 6-5) scored six runs in the first inning.

"We knew we had to come out and put pressure on them early," Leiby said. "We worked on it all week, and we have been swinging bats very well as of late."

Botts had another RBI double, this time in the fourth inning. After the Wolves' Alex Parker (3-5) gave up a few hits, senior Nick Branca came on in relief. But Branca's inside fastball to Sharks junior Justin Rose turned into a grand slam, making the score 11-0.

"I was in a slump for a few games, but I am finally coming out of it," Rose said. "The one-on-one encouragement I have had from my coaches has helped me see the ball better."

Newsome avoided being blanked as Alex Kerr and Keller Powers added RBI singles in the fifth inning. The Wolves (13-7, 7-5) also scored on a Riverview error and junior Tyler Packanik added an RBI double as the Wolves made it 11-4.

The Sharks' Dylan Drawdy (3-2) got the win after he pitched five innings and had seven strikeouts.

Times wires
Saturday, April 9, 2011

Cubs 7, Brewers 4

MILWAUKEE — Jeff Baker had four hits and drove in four runs, including his first homer this season and Carlos Zambrano continued his recent string of winning performances vs. the Brewers at Miller Park. Baker and Geovany Soto went deep in a five-run fourth for the Cubs. Carlos Marmol put the first two batters on in the ninth, but he retired the side for his third save.

Times wires


Saturday, April 9, 2011

Blue Jays 3, Angels 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jayson Nix's two-out homer in the eighth lifted the Blue Jays. That came after Adam Lind hit a tying two-run double in the sixth and Toronto's first 13 batters were retired by Ervin Santana. Vernon Wells, traded by the Jays to the Angels during the offseason, had a forgettable home debut. He stranded five runners while going 0-for-4 with four inning-ending outs as the Angels lost their home opener for just the second time in eight years.

Times wires
Saturday, April 9, 2011

Diamondbacks 13, Reds 2

PHOENIX — Ian Kennedy struck out nine in eight innings and Arizona hit three homers late to turn the Diamondbacks' home opener into a rout. Justin Upton homered and drove in two runs in Arizona's highest-scoring home opener since the franchise was born in 1998. Kelly Johnson and Chris Young had homers off Matt Maloney.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 9, 2011

Has the Lightning overcome enough adversity this season to make a long playoff run? Craig MacTavish, an analyst for Canada's TSN network and a former Oilers coach, isn't so sure.

"I think when you analyze their season, they're probably the team that has had the least adversity in their position," MacTavish said. "They started strongly. They maintained. They've never been in danger of falling out of a playoff spot.

"I think that's a positive, but it's also a little bit of a negative, because you have to be stretched a little bit to grow as a team. I don't know if they've had that opportunity yet."

It is an interesting theory that teams have to go through the bad times in order to be good. But MacTavish said the intensity of competition in the playoffs requires a certain amount of resiliency that is best learned in the regular season.

"There are critical points in the NHL playoffs that you are faced with a challenge that you'd better collectively overcome or you're eliminated," said MacTavish, who led Edmonton to the 2006 Stanley Cup final.

"Those type of challenges can help a team tighten up its system of play when you've faced a bunch of adversity, which I don't think (the Lightning was) faced with much this year. I can't remember thinking, 'Holy (cow), this is a critical game for that team.' "

The Lightning, of course, would disagree.

The team has endured major injuries to Vinny Lecavalier, Simon Gagne, Steve Downie and Ryan Malone. It played the first three months of the season with pretty much the worst goaltending in the league, it has overcome Steven Stamkos' monumental scoring drought and recently broke a 2-6-4 streak with five straight victories.

Besides, right wing Adam Hall said, who needs adversity? "We have a really tight group in here. Every player in here wants to battle for each other, wants to go to battle for the coaches. It's really become close like a family."

Times staff
Saturday, April 9, 2011

The poll

How will the Rays do in Evan Longoria's absence? 417 votes

38 percent

Well below .500

23 percent

Slightly below .500

20 percent

Play .500

13 percent

Slightly above .500

6 percent

Well above .500

Another poll

How far will the Lightning advance in the playoffs?

38 percent: Reach conference semifinals

27 percent: Lose in first round

19 percent: Reach final or win Stanley Cup

16 percent: Reach conference final

Total: 501 votes

This week's question

What is the biggest reason for the Rays' slow start?

Vote at rays.tampabay.com.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 9, 2011

Outside the Lines: 9 a.m. on ESPN. A look at the dangers of youth hockey, which allows full contact in the United States starting at age 11.

60 Minutes: 7 p.m. on Ch. 10. A profile of Cardinals star first baseman Albert Pujols, including the charitable work he does in his native Dominican Republic.

Babe Ruth: The Man, the Myth and the Legend: 8 p.m. on ESPN Classic. A look at one of this country's all-time great sports figures. The show repeats at 10.

By Steve Papen, Times Correspondent
Saturday, April 9, 2011

What's hot: King mackerel are always the hot topic this time of year. Their annual migration is a mystery to some, a science to others.

Patterns: Some believe schools migrate from South Florida to the north. Past trips have shown some truth to this theory. Others believe schools migrate from the west to the bait-rich shallows near the coast. There are many catches in offshore waters during the summer to support this theory.

Keys: No matter the theory, one factor is water temperature. Kings usually arrive when it reaches 68-70. A second is bait. If it's scarce, kingfish will be. On the beach, look for schools of threadfin herring on the surface or schools of Spanish mackerel feeding on smaller fry baits. Offshore, sardines and cigar minnows will lure kings. Remember some fish have migrated before and have become smarter. So lighter wire and smaller tackle might trick them.

Steve Papen charters out of Indian Shores and can be reached at (727) 642-3411 or www.fintasticinc.com.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 9, 2011

TAMPA — USF football wrapped up spring practice with a final scrimmage at the Bulls' soccer stadium, and the offense was much more productive than in last week's scrimmage at Raymond James Stadium.

Running backs Darrell Scott and Demetris Murray rushed for 61 and 75 yards, respectively, with a touchdown each, and quarterback B.J. Daniels rushed for a touchdown. USF coach Skip Holtz was pleased with his team's progress, though he remains disappointed by the play of his receivers.

"I don't think we competed very well at receiver," he said. "We had two or three interceptions with opportunities to compete for it at receiver. On the positive side, our quarterbacks actually gave them a chance to catch it, where a week ago we threw it 20 yards over everybody's heads."

Cornerback Kayvon Webster returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown.

FSU: Up and down day

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said he was pleased with the effort and toughness his team displayed in its second spring scrimmage. But in execution and consistency, the Seminoles still have, "a long way to go," he said.

"There's still a lot of things that we've got to get ironed out next week and through the summer," Fisher said. "It's going to be a work in progress all the way up unto two-a-days."

After FSU's last scrimmage ahead of next Saturday's spring game, Fisher was bothered by dropped passes, missed routes and poor tackling techniques. Immediately afterward, an animated Fisher addressed the team in a midfield huddle.

Alabama: The university is looking into reports that five-star linebacker Brent Calloway received improper benefits, including cash, before signing with the school in February, the Tuscaloosa News reported.

NOTRE DAME: Suspended receiver Michael Floyd cleared the first hurdle in his bid to return to the team when a disciplinary panel let him stay at the school. Coach Brian Kelly suspended Floyd on March 21, the day after Floyd was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. He has a May 2 court date.

Basketball

HONORS: Jimmer Fredette of BYU and Maya Moore of UConn won the John R. Wooden Award as men's and women's players of the year. Fredette received 3,761 votes in the poll of nearly 1,000 national media. Moore received 678 votes for her second Wooden honor.

USF: Coach Stan Heath picked up a second point guard commitment for next season from Blake Nash, a 6-foot, 185-pounder from Williston State College in North Dakota.

CONNECTICUT: Jim Calhoun said he hasn't decided whether to come back for a 26th season. "I can guarantee you I haven't made my mind up in any way," he said from Fenway Park, where the Boston native threw out the first pitch before the Red Sox-Yankees game.

SAINT LOUIS: Center Willie Reed, suspended last season after a campus incident, has withdrawn from school.

VIRGINIA: Joanne Boyle will be introduced as the new women's coach on Monday, the Associated Press reported.

Other sports

HOCKEY: Minnesota-Duluth (26-10-6) won its first Division I national championship at the Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn., defeating Michigan 3-2 on Kyle Schmidt's goal 3:22 into overtime. Michigan (29-11-4) holds the D-I record with nine national championships.

SOFTBALL: USF swept Georgetown 1-0, 4-0 as the Bulls (26-15, 6-0 Big East) increased their winning streak to nine. For the second time in less than a week, Freshman Sara Nevins lost a no-hit bid with one out in the seventh, settling for a one-hitter in Game 2.

Information from the Orlando Sentinel and Times wires was used in this report.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 9, 2011

5 questions | LW Simon Gagne

What kind of dog do you have? A Burmese mountain dog.

How big is he? He's 135 pounds. He's a bear. If I put his front paws on my shoulder, he's about 5-10.

Is he good with people? He's really affectionate. He'll come over and sit on your feet and force you to pet him.

How does he like the warm weather? At first it was a little hot for him. He was looking to stay inside a lot.

And now? We cut his hair. He looks really good.

Fussin' and fightin'

When C Vinny Lecavalier and D Pavel Kubina were roommates during the 1999-2000 season, their daily activities included a combination wrestling and pillow fight before turning in at night.

"Oh, God, don't write about that," Lecavalier said, laughing.

But Kubina was quite forthcoming.

"We were teenagers pretty much," he said. "Wrestling fight every night."

But not always a fair fight.

"Always it was like (Lecavalier) would say, 'Not tonight,' and I would say, 'Okay,' and the other guy would jump him," Kubina said. "The next night it would be, 'Not tonight, let's go to sleep,' and the other guy would jump him."

Eye to eye

It is interesting that Lightning W Ryan Malone, above, so opposes wearing a visor, a subject that came up last week when teammate Vinny Lecavalier was hit in the eye with a stick blade.

Malone said his grandfather on his father's side, "Wild" Bill Malone, lost an eye playing hockey as a minor-leaguer in New Brunswick. Malone's father, Greg, Tampa Bay's head pro scout, never wore a visor, either, when he played in the NHL from 1976 to 1987, mostly with the Penguins.

Wild Bill had a glass eye from the puck accident.

"We always used to play cards," Malone said, "and we always knew which one was his glass eye."

Quote to note

"We don't need him to score a goal to win. We proved it when we won five in a row with him not scoring. So he doesn't have the pressure to carry the team."

Coach Guy Boucher on C Steven Stamkos

Number of the day

52 Home points for Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos, most in the NHL entering Saturday.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 9, 2011

GAINESVILLE — It wasn't a work of art by any means, but honestly, what spring game is?

The portion of Saturday's Orange and Blue game that elicited the most excitement was the arrival of former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and the countdown to the halftime unveiling of the Heisman Trophy statues of Tebow, Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel outside the stadium.

But when it was all over, new Florida coach Will Muschamp said he was pleased with what he saw and that the Gators have had a very productive spring.

Combined, the Orange and Blue squads had 340 yards of total offense: 181 passing, 159 rushing. The Blue team (led by the first-team offense) defeated the Orange 13-10.

But having installed a new offense and defense in 15 practices, Muschamp said the real work begins now.

"I just told our team this is a critical time for us," he said. " …By NCAA rules, we're very limited on how much time we can spend with the football team, and our leadership needs to take over. I challenged some guys in the locker room. It's time for them to step up. We're only going to be as good next year as the work ethic takes us."

STILL NO. 1: Senior QB John Brantley will enter the fall as the starter. He began the game 0-for-5 in the first two series and finished 4-of-14 for 45 yards.

"The offense is going to look different," Brantley said. "We're going to be more comfortable with it, everyone will be healthy. We can only get better from here on out. I think all around we made a lot of progress in the spring. We're going to be okay."

Muschamp said he is pleased with how Brantley performed all spring, and that his experience and consistency earned him the starting role. But the coach reiterated that it's not set in stone.

"The quarterback position is no different than any other position," Muschamp said. "We'll have great competition in the fall for that job. Right now, Johnny Brantley is the starter."

LEGENDS RETURN: Tebow (2007) and Wuerffel (1996) were the toast of halftime as they stood at midfield while statues of them and Spurrier (1966) were unveiled commemorating their Heisman Trophy accomplishments.

Spurrier, 65, the coach at South Carolina, didn't attend because the Gamecocks also held their spring game Saturday. But he spoke via a taped message. His daughter, Amy Moody, spoke in person on his behalf.

"When do you ever think growing up that you'll have a statue somewhere where people will look at it and have great memories?" Wuerffel, 36, said. "It's even more special being next to two guys that I love and admire in my coach Steve Spurrier and my friend Tim Tebow. That even makes it more special for me."

Tebow, 23, is the only one of the three captured in a running pose.

"That's fine," he said. "You have to change it up. We can't all be throwing."

VYING FOR TIME: Redshirt freshman QB Tyler Murphy showed potential as the Orange team's starter, and freshman Jeff Driskel gave fans something to get excited about. In limited action, Driskel was 2-of-6 for 13 yards and had a 19-yard run. "Right now he should be going to the prom," Muschamp said of Driskel. "Tyler was very good in the pocket, creating plays, and he was accurate with the ball. Jeff's got all the tools. He's going to be a really good football player for the Gators. It's just going to take some time."

SAMS' BIG MOMENT: Walk-on sophomore FB Ben Sams, a St. Petersburg High alum, scored on a 10-yard pass from Murphy with 9:49 remaining.

Sams said the many injuries Florida endured in the spring allowed him more of an opportunity to play, which he tried to use to his advantage.

"I can die a happy man now," Sams said. "I really can't explain the feeling."

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 9, 2011

April is the best month of the year for sports fans. There's baseball, basketball, hockey, golf and even one of the most significant days of the football season. So if you love sports, be sure to squeeze out as much as you can over the next three weeks of the best month in sports. You can rest come December. Today, we rank the months in sports from best to worst starting with good old April.

Times wires
Saturday, April 9, 2011

Phillies 10, Braves 2

ATLANTA — Carlos Ruiz's pinch-hit grand slam highlighted a five-run seventh. He also doubled in the eighth for a career-high five RBIs. Brian Schneider, who started for Ruiz, put Philadelphia up 3-2 in the fourth with a two-run homer. Roy Oswalt cruised against Atlanta, the only NL team he had not beaten.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 9, 2011

CHICAGO — In theory, the big loser in the Manny Ramirez mess should be Manny Ramirez.

His legacy is forever tainted, his shot at 600 home runs gone, his chances for election to the Hall of Fame reduced to all but nil.

But you certainly didn't get that sense from how he responded to the positive drug test, walking away rather than fighting or taking his punishment, and definitely not by how he reacted to the news, telling ESPNdesportes.com he was "at ease," that "God knows what's best" and that he was heading off to vacation in Spain.

The actual "losers" are the ones left to clean up behind him while he frolics.

For example, the Rays.

Faced with a depleted roster and slashed payroll in a pricey free agent market, executive vice president Andrew Friedman took what seemed like a reasonable risk in waiting out the winter to sign Ramirez for $2 million and Johnny Damon for $5.25 million in an unofficial package deal.

It seemed well-played at the time, with the potential — potential — for a huge payoff, especially if Ramirez took to the challenge of re-establishing himself. But what Friedman didn't know, of course, was Ramirez was not coming in good faith, but as a fraud; and one foolish enough to get caught cheating — again.

So not only do the Rays not get the Manny they planned on, they didn't get the other DHs they considered and could have had, a list topped by Vladimir Guerrero (who ended up getting $8 million from the Orioles) and included Jim Thome (who got $3 million to go back to the Twins), though they really wanted a right-hander.

For example, the fans.

How many spent their hard-earned money to buy Ramirez T-shirts or jerseys, even those silly wigs of his dreadlocked hair? Or bought tickets with the intent of seeing him play? And that's in addition to how many made an emotional investment, embracing a player they for so long didn't like.

For example, those guys at mannyray.com.

A group of locals who hatched the idea for a cool Manny/Rays T-shirt spend their own money on a website and product, trying as much to generate interest and goodwill more than profit, agreeing to donate $4 from each sale to the families of St. Petersburg's slain police officers. Now they're stuck with about 500 shirts and, according to founder Jacob Reuter, "looking at a huge loss."

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, April 9, 2011

TAMPA — Josh Johnson says he grew up a fan of the 49ers and still spends offseasons near his home in the San Francisco Bay area.

So ever since the 49ers hired Jim Harbaugh, Johnson says he can't go anywhere without somebody mentioning the possibility of him being reunited with his former University of San Diego coach.

The 49ers have an unsettled quarterback situation, and it's not a stretch to think Harbaugh might want to trade for the Bucs backup.

After all, Johnson will become a free agent next season, and the longer the NFL lockout endures, the more Harbaugh could use a quarterback with a working knowledge of his offense.

"I hear it all the time," Johnson said. "But a lot more goes into this than what you think. I understand that. It's why I try to stay in the middle. If I can't control the situation, I don't make any predictions on it.

"If something happens, I'm all for it. But at the same time, I enjoy playing for Raheem (Morris) and the Bucs. It's hard for any competitor to not be able to get out there, especially for me because I've gotten a taste of being a starter."

Johnson, 24, is entrenched behind Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman, who established himself by going 10-6 last season, passing for 25 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Two years ago, general manager Mark Dominik said he hoped to develop a situation in Tampa Bay at the QB position similar to what the Packers experienced many years ago with Brett Favre, developing young backups that other teams value as starters, such as Mark Brunell, Matt Hassel­beck and Kurt Warner.

Johnson was a fifth-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2008. The Bucs believe he will be a starter one day, and it seems unlikely they would stand in the way of that opportunity if they received the right compensation, most likely a middle-round pick.

The problem for Johnson — and Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb or the Redskins' Donovan McNabb — is there can be no transactions during the lockout.

Johnson has learned to be patient. He starred at Oakland Tech High but wasn't heavily recruited. He turned down a college scholarship at St. Mary's after meeting Harbaugh, who had just taken over San Diego, a Division I-AA school that offered only financial aid. He passed for 9,312 yards and 108 touchdowns for the Toreros. A mixed performance at the NFL combine may have forced him to go lower in the draft than expected. Two years ago, he was the No. 4 QB in camp but was called on to start four games before Freeman took control.

"Him and I started our journey together," Johnson said of Harbaugh. "It was his first coaching job; it was my first opportunity. … I can talk football until both of my eyes are red and I'm passing out. He can, too. Whether I play for him again, we'll always have a relationship."

During the lockout, Johnson has been working with his longtime personal quarterback coach, Roger Theder, and has done more charitable work in Oakland.

Meanwhile, Harbaugh can only speculate about how 49ers quarterbacks Alex Smith or Troy Smith might fit his offense. Coincidentally, several years ago in a profile on Johnson by the San Diego Union-Tribune, Harbaugh was asked about eventual Heisman winner Troy Smith of Ohio State.

"I've seen Troy Smith play," Harbaugh said. "Our guy's better."

Maybe one day Johnson will get a chance to prove that.

"Even though Coach Harbaugh was my coach in college, it's the same thing with any team, there's still a business side to this whole thing, and I understand that," Johnson said.

"If I've got to go back to being the backup, that's my role with the team. We had two opportunities to make the playoffs in my three years there and we missed out in the last week. That's still burning up inside me. And as a competitor, I'm 0-4 as a starter, and that's on my track record and it burns me up to this day. I feel like the next opportunity I get, it's going to be a lot better. But that's easier said than done."