Sports Hot News

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Yanks put Colon on DL with strained hamstring

5:55 PM

Happy new year 2012

Updated: June 13, 2011, 1:36 AM ETBy Mike Mazzeo
Special to ESPNNewYork.com
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NEW YORK -- New York Yankees right-hander Bartolo Colon was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday with a strained left hamstring.

Outfielder Chris Dickerson has been called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Colon's spot on the team's 25-man roster.

Colon underwent an MRI at New York Presbyterian Hospital on Saturday night, but did not know the grade of the sprain. Manager Joe Girardi said the results of the MRI were "pretty good," but Colon will still need to be shut down for at least two weeks.

"I feel good, I just have a little bit of pain," Colon said through a translator. "I'm on the DL now, but I hope to be back after 15 days. ... After the 15 days, I should be back."

Want to get the scoop on everything in pinstripes? ESPNNewYork.com has you covered. Blog

Colon will continue to work on other parts of his body, but doesn't know when he'll be able to start rehabbing his legs.

"I feel bad because the team needs help and I got hurt," Colon said. "But there's nothing I can do about it."

The 38-year-old suffered the injury while trying to cover first base and left Saturday afternoon's game with two outs in the seventh inning.

Colon (5-3, 3.10 ERA) ended up winning for the third straight start on Saturday afternoon, going 6 2/3 scoreless innings as the Yankees shut out the Cleveland Indians, 4-0, at Yankee Stadium. In his last 21 innings, Colon has surrendered just three earned runs.

Hector Noesi, who was summoned from Triple-A to replace Amauri Sanit (disabled list, elbow), could make Colon's next scheduled start on Thursday afternoon against the Texas Rangers, according to Girardi. The right-handed Noesi threw six innings of two-run ball out of the bullpen on Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox before being sent down to the minors.

In four Triple-A starts, Noesi went 1-1 with a 3.92 ERA, allowing nine earned runs and 25 hits over 20 2/3 innings.

"I was a starter (in the minors) and it's normal for me to throw six, seven or eight innings," said Noesi, who was unaware that he might have to step into the rotation. "It's just (easier)."

Although he wouldn't commit to Noesi, Girardi said he's thrown 75 pitches and could conceivably give the Yankees 80-85 if need be. Other internal minor league options to take Colon's turn could be Adam Warren (4-2, 3.53), D.J. Mitchell (4-5, 3.04) or David Phelps (4-4, 2.95).

Colon was en route to snag first baseman Mark Teixeira's flip to retire right fielder Shin-Soo Choo on a grounder, but he came up lame and walked gingerly off the field.

Colon lost out of the fifth spot in the Yankees' rotation coming out of spring training and began the season in the bullpen, but emerged out of nowhere with ace-like dominance after right-hander Phil Hughes was placed on the DL in mid-April with right shoulder inflammation.

Third baseman Alex Rodriguez called general manager Brian Cashman's free agent signing of Colon in February "the signing of the century."

"He's been consistently great all year. 1-A stuff," Rodriguez said Saturday.

Colon's loss couldn't come at a worse time for the Yankees, who are already dealing with a depleted bullpen due to the losses of Joba Chamberlain, Rafael Soriano, Pedro Feliciano and Damaso Marte due to various injuries.

Hughes is slated to make his first minor league rehab start on Tuesday for the Gulf Coast Yankees, but the Yankees don't know when he'll be back.

Colon's weight -- 265 pounds -- could be an issue as he begins rehab, but Girardi said "he's pretty quick for how big he is."

"I think you worry (more) about if a guy's favoring something that he could be hurting his arm," Girardi said.

Colon's success with the Yankees this season comes on the heels of an unorthodox offseason shoulder surgery that involved stem cells being injected into his painful shoulder and elbow.

The doctor who performed the surgery has given HGH to other patients, though he claims that he did not give it to Colon. The surgery is being investigated by Major League Baseball.

Mike Mazzeo is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com. ESPNNewYork.com's Matt Ehalt contributed to this report.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Thomas: Focus on ice, not Luongo comments

11:05 PM

Happy new year 2012

Updated: June 12, 2011, 11:05 PM

BOSTON -- Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas has a message for Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo and it's not in the form of flattery.

Luongo has taken a few digs at his counterpart, and fellow Vezina Trophy finalist, the last couple of days, and when asked to respond after the Bruins' practice Sunday at TD Garden, Thomas took a different route.

"I did hear about what he said, but I don't really want to go into that," Thomas said. "My focus is on what I can do to help my team win going into Game 6. It's obviously a must-win game and I think it's important for our whole team to focus on that game and what we can do on the ice."

The Canucks lead the best-of-seven Stanley Cup final 3-2 with Game 6 Monday night.

"I know we're in the Stanley Cup final and everything is under the microscope and going to get blown out of proportion, obviously my whole comment I don't think was a negative comment, if you take the whole comment," Luongo said Sunday. "But at the end of the day you know what? I'm one win away from winning the Stanley Cup and that's all I really care about right now. All the other stuff is noise to me."

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault backed up his goalie in French.

"If you look at the comment as a whole, what he said was flattering toward Thomas. But you guys (media) took only the part that made it a headline," Vigneault said.

Prior to the Canucks flying to Boston on Saturday, Luongo suggested that he hasn't been getting enough respect from Thomas in this series.

"I have been pumping his tires ever since the series started," Luongo said. "I haven't heard one nice thing he had to say about me. That's the way it is."

After Vancouver's 1-0 victory in Game 5 on Friday, Luongo made it a point to criticize and critique Thomas on the game-winning goal.

"It's not hard if you're playing in the paint," Luongo said. "It's an easy save for me, but if you're wandering out and aggressive like he does, that's going to happen. He might make some saves that I won't, but in a case like that, we want to take advantage of a bounce like that and make sure we're in good position to bury those."

The Canucks' Max Lapierre capitalized on Thomas being out of position early in the third period in Game 5 and snuck in the game-winning goal.

Bruins coach Claude Julien defended his goalie on Saturday.

"I don't think Timmy is going to make much of that comment (by Luongo). I think you guys (reporters) are making more out of it than Timmy will. Either way, his stats, you know, are proof itself. He's given up six goals in five games.

"The guy that made the comment, I'm not quite sure how many he let in. I think you guys have a good idea, so I don't think he (Thomas) is going to lose sleep over that."

Thomas isn't about to get into a war of words at this point of the season.

"I guess I didn't realize it was my job to pump his tires," Thomas said Sunday with a laugh. "I guess I have to apologize for that.

"Nobody on our team talks specifically about guys on the other team in that way. We've done a good job of focusing on the important things, which is what you can do on the ice and I think that's what helped us to get this far.

"There is obviously going to be talk in the media and they're going to talk about a whole bunch of different topics and that's fine. When I watched playoffs in the past, sometimes it's fun to listen to what is said, but when you're playing, I think the best course is to remain focused on what you can control and that's on the ice."

Patrice Bergeron said the trash talk was something he's seen before.

"We've seen it before, even in previous series, sometimes guys are trying to play the head games and you just can't worry about that and it's part of the sport," he said. "You just have to worry about what you can control."

Joe McDonald covers the Bruins for ESPNBoston.com.

Gordon rockets to fifth career victory at Pocono

5:33 AM

Happy new year 2012

LONG POND, Pa. -- Jeff Gordon is pushing 40, far removed from the cocky kid who shot to superstardom and helped put NASCAR on the mainstream map.

At any age, Gordon still knows how to win.

Don't put the rocking chair on the front porch quite yet. Not when Gordon still burns out near the finish line, stamps his name alongside the sport's greats in the record book, and believes a fifth Cup championship is a realistic goal.

There was a Wonder Boy sighting at Pocono on Sunday. Jeff Gordon raced like the Jeff Gordon of old -- you know, like a four-time Cup champ -- to remind us all that he can still wheel a race car, writes David Newton. Story

Gordon moved into a tie for third on NASCAR's Sprint Cup career victories list, winning for the 84th time when he took the checkered flag Sunday at Pocono Raceway. His 84 wins tie him with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for most in Cup history, and he tied Bill Elliott with five wins on the 2?-mile triangle track.

"There's no doubt, I'm blown away with what I've accomplished," Gordon said.

It's a career for the ages -- and the aged.

Gordon won in February at Phoenix International Raceway and has multiple victories in a season for the first time since 2007. Gordon's victory at Phoenix ended his drought at 66 races without a win. This 11-race winless stretch was just a blip compared to that miserable skid.

Gordon used to not drive more than a month without a win. He reached double-digit victories in three straight seasons (1996-98) and seemed a lock to hit 100 victories by 35 and put himself behind only Richard Petty on the all-time list.

Petty leads with 200 wins and David Pearson is second with 105.

Gordon's won races with a mustache and a mullet, and his hair tinged with a touch of gray. He won them as the most feared driver on the planet in the '90s, then sporadically in recent years. He celebrated as a "Rainbow Warrior" and a family man.

[+] Enlarge

John Harrelson/Getty ImagesJeff Gordon celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway. It was Gordon's fifth career victory at the Pennsylvania track.

This victory was a bit more special for Gordon, who turns 40 in August. His first order of business once he hopped out of the car was a kiss from his daughter, Ella.

Gordon's wife and two children are his greatest gift.

But the pairing he needed most was with Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Alan Gustafson. Team owner Rick Hendrick's offseason decision to shake up his organization has proved an overall success for the organization -- he also placed Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the top-six at Pocono. Gordon and Gustafson have the No. 24 Chevrolet in fantastic shape for a spot in the Chase for the championship.

Gordon is known in the sport as "Four-Time" because of the Cup titles he won in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001. Wins have been harder to get for Gordon as his career stretches into its 20th season. He posted winless seasons in 2008 and 2010 and, even in the years he qualified for the Chase, was never a true threat to bring home the title.

"We were living at the peak of the mountain there for a number of years," Gordon said. "It was awesome. When you're there, you know you're going to get knocked off eventually. You can't always stay on top."

Johnson, once his protege and late-night running buddy, surpassed Gordon and has won the last five championships.

The race on the mountaintop belonged to Gordon.

Gordon entered the race having led a record 918 laps at Pocono Raceway. He added 39 to the total Sunday.

"When you see what he's done in his career, not just this decade, not just in the 2000's, but all the way back to the '90s, he's a true legend in this sport," Kurt Busch said.

Busch, the polesitter, was second and Kyle Busch third.

Kyle's Busch fun was short-lived. NASCAR announced his No. 18 Toytota failed postrace inspection because the left-front end was too low. His car will be taken to NASCAR's research and development center.

Jeff Gordon led most of the final 40 laps to win his fifth career race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.

Complete results

Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five. Earnhardt continued his rebirth with a sixth-place finish. It capped a great day for Hendrick Motorsports -- first, fourth and sixth.

Gordon first won at Pocono in 1996. He won again in 1997 and 1998, then a rain-shortened race in 2007.

He was helped Sunday once some of the early contenders fell off. Denny Hamlin, who led early and has four wins here, ran into tire woes and dropped back to 19th. Carl Edwards lost his grip on the points lead -- his 40-point lead was sliced to six -- when a bad engine knocked him out early. He finished 37th.

Once those two were out of contention, the 500-mile race belonged to Gordon. The Busch brothers tried to catch him, but just didn't have enough in the end.

"I'm giving it all I've got and I just can't close the gap," Kurt Busch said.

Gordon hit a rough patch after his Phoenix victory -- including a 36th at Las Vegas and a 39th at Richmond -- but a change in the Chase format this year put an added emphasis on wins. That stamps Gordon as a contender for that fifth title.

He's in great shape thanks to regular workouts after a creaky back a few years ago made him consider retirement. Gordon still has the fire to compete and poked fun at all the questions that made it seem like the end was near.

When all the pieces are in place, Gordon feels, "I'm as good as I've ever been."

"The things that we've talked about and believe in are starting to come true," Gordon said.

Gordon was behind the wheel this week for the 2-hour drive from his New York City apartment to the Poconos.

He said he loves it any time he can get himself to the track.

No doubt, he loves it even more when he can park in Victory Lane.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Contador to race in Tour despite doping hearing

11:19 AM

Happy new year 2012

BARCELONA, Spain -- Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will compete in this year's cycling showcase despite an upcoming hearing that could result in a doping ban.

Contador spokesman Jacinto Vidarte on Sunday confirmed to The Associated Press reports that the Spaniard will be at the start when the race begins July 2.

[+] Enlarge

Luk Benies/AFP/Getty ImagesAlberto Contador, riding last month in the Giro d'Italia, could become the first rider to win the Giro-Tour double since 1998.

"Yes, I will go to the Tour de France," Contador told Spanish newspaper Deia. "It is the best race, where the best riders are."

Contador is scheduled to appear before the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Aug. 1, a week after the Tour ends. The International Cycling Union and World Anti-Doping Agency are challenging the Spanish cycling federation's decision to clear Contador of doping after he tested positive for the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol in last year's Tour, accepting his explanation that he consumed the drug in contaminated beef.

The CAS originally had planned to hear the case June 6-8, aiming to issue a verdict by the end of the month. That would have either exonerated Contador or barred him from starting the Tour, but the dates were pushed back to Aug. 1-3 give both sides more time to prepare.

Despite the uncertainty in his career, Contador has won a series of stage races this season, including the three-week Giro d'Italia last month.

He could become the first rider to win the Tour-Giro double since Marco Pantani in 1998.

"From now until the beginning of the race I am going to base everything on rest," Contador said. "I prefer to even lose my form if it means I arrive rested."

Contador won the Tour in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Villanueva: New coach must communicate well

6:12 PM

Happy new year 2012

ROYAL OAK, Mich. -- Charlie Villanueva and Ben Wallace agree on the most important task for the next coach of the Detroit Pistons.

"Communication," Villanueva said. "Have somebody who can communicate with their players."

Villanueva

Villanueva teamed up with Detroit Lions wide receiver Derrick Williams to host a celebrity softball game Saturday, with the proceeds benefiting foundations the two have worked with. It's been about a week since the Pistons fired John Kuester, and as the team searches for a replacement, both Villanueva and Wallace took brief breaks from softball to offer thoughts on the next coach.

"Just somebody who can relate and communicate with the guys -- can make his point and stick to it," Wallace said.

The 36-year-old Wallace, who has been considering retirement, said he might in fact keep playing.

"I'm leaning more towards coming back," Wallace said. "It's just a matter of getting myself healthy and getting ready to play."

Aside from the possibility of an NBA lockout, the Pistons face more uncertainty than most teams. New owner Tom Gores officially took over less than two weeks ago and left team president Joe Dumars in place to head the rebuilding effort. Detroit went 30-52 last season amid feuding between coaches and players.

Villanueva was asked about a few potential candidates to replace Kuester, such as Milwaukee Bucks assistant Kelvin Sampson, former Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Woodson, Boston Celtics assistant Lawrence Frank and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Bill Laimbeer, the former Detroit player.

"Those are all good guys, good candidates," Villanueva said. "I think Joe and Gores are going to make a good decision. We leave it up to them."

The low point last season was probably Feb. 25 in Philadelphia. Seven players missed at least part of a team shootaround, and Kuester played only the remaining six that night in a blowout loss to the 76ers. Villanueva -- one of the six who played that night -- said Saturday there was plenty of blame to go around last season.

"It's all of our faults. A lot of things went wrong," Villanueva said. "It's over now. That's behind us. I want to wish Kuester well, and now we're looking forward."

Sampson has been an assistant to Bucks coach Scott Skiles since May 2008. Sampson joined Skiles' staff after his tenure as the head coach at Indiana University ended in scandal. Sampson resigned as the Hoosiers' coach in February 2008 after an NCAA report accused him of major rules violations.

Woodson was an assistant for Larry Brown when the Pistons won the 2004 NBA title -- on a staff that also included Kuester. Wallace played for that team.

"I think Mike would do a great job. I think he did a great job with Atlanta," Wallace said. "I think he took those guys as far as they were ready to go. I think he'd be a great fit for us."

Frank has also been a head coach in the NBA before, with the New Jersey Nets. Laimbeer, who won NBA titles as a player in 1989 and 1990 with the Pistons, coached the WNBA's Detroit Shock to three championships before joining the Timberwolves.

Former Piston Rick Mahorn, who played with Laimbeer and was an assistant for him with the Shock, was at the softball game. He didn't want to discuss the Pistons' search specifically, but he had nothing but good things to say about his former teammate.

"I think Bill is an excellent coach. I had the pleasure of working with him," Mahorn said. "He's one of those guys that will prepare you and get the best out of the players."

Saturday, September 3, 2011

MLB talks switching NL team to AL, sources say

11:00 PM

Happy new year 2012

A simple form of realignment being seriously considered has been raised in the labor talks between Major League Baseball and the players' association, according to four sources: two leagues of 15 teams, rather than the current structure of 16 teams in the National League and 14 in the American League.

Bowden ESPN.com's Jim Bowden has a radical plan to make baseball make sense geographically and expand the postseason pool. Blog

Olney As the realignment discussion goes forward, it's the union that is viewed as the driving force behind the idea of two 15-team leagues, writes ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney. Blog

According to a highly ranked executive, one consideration that has been raised in ownership committee meetings is eliminating the divisions altogether, so that 15 AL and 15 NL teams would vie for five playoff spots within each league. Currently, Major League Baseball has six divisions.

A source who has been briefed on the specifics of the labor discussions says that the players' union has indicated that it is open to the idea of two 15-team leagues, but that the whole plan still hasn't been talked through or presented to the owners.

Sources say the talks are serious, and while one executive believes the odds of change are less than 50-50, another says this is the type of discussion that can gather momentum and become a reality.

A sticking point involves interleague play. Because of the odd number of teams in each league, it is possible that a team in contention late in the season will have to be playing its final games in interleague play.

One of the biggest issues that would have to be resolved in any realignment resulting in two 15-team leagues is which of the National League teams would switch to the American League.

Two highly ranked executives believe the Houston Astros would be a possibility, because a switch to the AL for Houston would foster a rivalry between the Astros and the Texas Rangers.

The Marlins could be another candidate, a source suggested.

"There are still a lot of details that would have to be discussed," one source said.

Buster Olney is a senior MLB writer for ESPN The Magazine.

Mavs beat Heat to claim first NBA championship

3:14 AM

Happy new year 2012

LeBron James struggled during "crunch time" - the last five minutes of the fourth quarter/overtime with the score within five points - during the NBA Finals. In crunch time during the 2011 NBA Finals, James did not score. Dirk Nowitzki had no trouble scoring.

The Heat made just four of their final 25 field goal attempts from 10+ feet during the fourth quarter of the 2011 NBA Finals. The Big 3 was a combined 4-17 over this stretch.

Miami scored eight transition points in Game 6 against the Mavericks, including four transition points off turnovers. The Heat's inability to create transition points off turnovers was a major factor in their demise. --On the other hand in Game 6, the Mavericks scored 20 points off 12 turnovers committed by Miami's Big 3, including 11 of their 15 transition points.

In eight minutes with LeBron James on the bench in Game 6, the Heat scored 21 points and outscored the Mavericks by 14 points. When James was on the court Miami was outscored by 24 points. It was James' worst plus/minus in a postseason game since April 24, 2008 against the Wizards when he was also minus 24.

Nowitzki was able to excel in one-on-one situations in the fourth quarter during the 2011 NBA Finals, making half of his field goal attempts on isolation and post-up plays in the final period.

Jason Terry entered Game 5 shooting under 40 percent from 15+ feet in the 2011 NBA Finals. In Games 5 and 6, Terry found his stroke, making more field goals from 15+ feet than in the previous four games combined. Terry made a series-high seven such field goals in Game 6 to close out the Heat, the most by any player in one game in the 2011 Finals.

Before Cuban bought the team in January of 2000, the Mavs had only 6 playoff appearances in 19 seasons, only four series wins and had never been to the NBA Finals. My, how much has changed: in addition to the two Finals appearances, the Mavs have now made the playoffs for 11 straight seasons - only the Spurs have a longer active streak. And now, of course, they've got their first title in franchise history.

The Mavs bench came up huge in Game 6, scoring 43 points. In fact this season, Dallas was 36-9 in games in which its bench scored at least 40 or more points. So for Dallas... the more its bench scores, the more it wins.

LeBron James averaged 26.7 points per game in the regular season. He averaged just 17.8 points per game in the 2011 NBA Finals. That discrepency between regular season scoring average and Finals scoring average was the largest in NBA history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Heat missed 13 free throws and lost by 10 points. The 13 missed free throws are the most misses from the charity stripe by a team eliminated in the NBA Finals over the last 15 seasons.

The Mavericks finished 4-0 this postseason in potential series-clinching games and have now won seven straight overall. that is one shy of the Lakers for the longest active streak.

Rick Carlisle is now 11-3 all-time in potential series-clinching games. Among coaches with at least 10 such games, his .786 win pct ranks 1st in NBA history, ahead of Tom Heinsohn, Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson.

When you are out-numbered 3-1 in All-Stars, its imperative your supporting cast shows up... Lucky for Dirk, that's exactly what happened. In the four wins, Nowitzki's supporting cast combined to score over 75 points while shooting over 52 percent from the field. They were dangerous from downtown as well, including a 10-19 effort in Game 6

Since Mark Cuban purchased the Mavericks on January 4, 2000, the only team with a higher win percentage than his team is the Spurs (including playoffs).

From Elias: Dirk Nowitzki had 22,792 career points in the regular season entering the 2011 postseason. It's the 4th-most points by a player at the time of his 1st NBA title in NBA history, behind only Oscar Robertson (23,578), Wilt Chamberlain (23,442) and Jerry West (22,988).

Terry It was five years ago that Jason Terry had a woeful Game 6 against the Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals, scoring 16 points on 7-of-25 shooting. But Terry helped fuel the Mavs offense this time around, hitting 19 of his 27 points in the first half.

Heat Mavericks

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James combined to score 62 points in the fourth quarter of the 2011 NBA Finals. By comparison, Dirk Nowitzki scored 62 points all by himself in the fourth quarter during the Finals.

When you are outnumbered 3-1 in All-Stars, its crucial your supporting cast shows up. Luckily for Dirk Nowitzki, that's exactly what happened. In the Mavericks' four wins, Dirk's supporting cast combined to score over 75 points, shooting over 52 percent from the field.

The Heat scored 22 transition points on Sunday marking the first time in the 2011 playoffs the Heat scored at least 20 transition points in a game. The Heat are 21-2 this season (including playoffs) when they score 20+ transition points.

MIAMI -- For Dirk Nowitzki, the resume is complete. He's an NBA champion.

For LeBron James, the agonizing wait continues for at least one more year.

A season that began with Miami celebrating the signings of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh -- along with the promise of championships -- ended on the very same floor, with the Dallas Mavericks hoisting the title trophy for the first time in their franchise history after beating the Heat 105-95 on Sunday night. The Mavericks won four of the series' last five games, a turnabout that could not have been sweeter.

"I really still can't believe it," said Nowitzki, who had 21 points and took home Finals MVP honors.

He and Jason Terry, who led the Mavs with 27 points, were the two remaining players from the Dallas team that lost to Miami in the 2006 Finals.

"Tonight," Terry said, "we got vindication."

James did not. Not even close, and a year unlike any other ended they way they all have so far -- with him still waiting for an NBA title.

He scored 21 points for Miami, shook a few hands afterward, and departed before most of the Mavs tugged on their championship hats and T-shirts. Bosh had 19, Mario Chalmers 18 and Wade 17 for the Heat.

"We worked so hard and so long for it," Nowitzki said. "The team has had an unbelievable ride."

So did the Heat. Unlike Dallas, theirs wasn't a joyride.

"It goes without saying," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "You're never really prepared for a moment like this. ... Neither team deserved this championship more than the other, but Dallas earned it."

Nowitzki

Make no mistake: Miami lost the Finals, but the blame will be directed at James. Even he knew that after the way he left Cleveland with "The Decision" and all the animus that generated not just in Ohio but around the entire league, the only way he could silence some critics was with a title.

"It doesn't weigh on me," James said. "At all."

Still, he got even more criticism -- and a thinly veiled jab from his former owner with the Cavaliers, Dan Gilbert, who reveled in the moment on Twitter.

"Mavs NEVER stopped & now entire franchise gets rings," Gilbert wrote. "Old Lesson for all: There are NO SHORTCUTS. NONE."

And the winning owner, Mark Cuban, took what may be perceived as a jab as well: "I could care less about the Heat," he said.

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle joined a highly elite group, those with NBA titles as both a player and a head coach. Only 10 other men are on that list, including the presumably retired-for-good Phil Jackson, one of Carlisle's mentors in K.C. Jones, and Heat President Pat Riley -- who led Miami past Dallas in 2006, and was the mastermind of what the Heat did last summer by getting James, Wade and Bosh on the same team with an eye on becoming a dynasty.

It might still happen, of course.

But even after 72 wins this season, including playoffs, the Heat lost the last game. And that means this year was a disappointment -- except to just about everyone else in the NBA, or so it would seem.

Terry

It was five years ago that Jason Terry had a woeful Game 6 against the Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals, scoring 16 points on 7-of-25 shooting. But Terry helped fuel the Mavs offense this time around, hitting 19 of his 27 points in the first half.

*Heat the opponent in both gamespowered by

"This is a true team," Carlisle said. "This is an old bunch. We don't run fast or jump high. These guys had each other's backs. We played the right way. We trusted the pass. This is a phenomenal thing for the city of Dallas."

Hating the Heat became the NBA's craze this season, and the team knew it had no shortage of critics, everyone from Cleveland (where "Cavs for Mavs" shirts were popular during these Finals) to Chicago (the city James and Wade both flirted with last summer) and just about every place in between lining up to take shots at Miami.

"We could feel it," Carlisle said, noting he was repeatedly told during the Finals that "billions" of people wanted to see Dallas topple Miami.

Given their newfound popularity, meet the new America's Team.

Sorry, Cowboys -- your long-held moniker might have to be ceded to your city's NBA club. When it was over, Cuban ran onto the court to hug Carlisle, then punched the air and whooped.

"I'm so happy for him. I'm so happy for Dirk," Carlisle said.

Carlisle said Riley came down to congratulate the Mavericks after the game, showing "unbelievable class." Nowitzki and Wade exchanged texts at night's end, after Wade couldn't find him during the on-court celebration to shake his hand.

"Their time will come," Carlisle said. "But now, it's our time."

When the Mavericks took a 2-0 lead in Dallas during the '06 Finals, plans for their victory parade were announced. The Mavs didn't win another game in that series.

Now, that parade will finally happen. And when it's over, then the league's uncertainty will truly begin. Labor strife likely awaits, and although more talks geared toward movement on a new deal are scheduled for this week, both owners and players are bracing for a lockout to begin once the current collective bargaining agreement expires June 30.

Late Sunday night, the CBA was the last thing on the mind of the new champions of the NBA, whom Carlisle called "the most special team I've ever been around."

Jason Kidd, at 38 years old, got his first championship. Nowitzki got his at 32, Terry at 33. They were featured on the video screen in their building in Dallas during this series on what seemed like a constant loop, each posing with the NBA trophy and looking longingly at it, standing mere inches from it, as if to say "so close, yet so far away."

No more.

Heat Mavericks

It's theirs. And for the second time, James went to the Finals, only to see the other team celebrate. San Antonio won in Cleveland in 2007, and four years later, he saw the Mavs party on his new floor.

"It was a failure in '07 when we lost to the Spurs when I was in Cleveland," James said. "It's a failure now."

Nowitzki sealed it with 2:27 left, hitting a jumper near the Miami bench to put Dallas up 99-89, and some fans actually began leaving. Nowitzki walked to the Mavs' side slowly, right fist clenched and aloft.

He knew it. Everyone did.

"We feel it," Wade said. "We'll feel it even more tomorrow."

Spoelstra implored his team to foul in the final minute, and even then, they couldn't catch the Mavericks.

"All I remember is telling those guys that they deserved it," Bosh said. "Hands down, they were the better team in this series. ... All we can do is just admit it and move forward."

What happens with the next deal may affect the Heat more than anyone. Some owners will insist on a hard cap, rolled-back salaries and, potentially, trying to bust some current deals -- which could break up the Big 3 before get another chance to win a title together.

A gloomy end to the season may bring an even gloomier offseason for Miami.

"Every situation has felt like it was an our-back-against-the-wall situation," James said Sunday morning, hours before Game 6 began. "We've been able to figure it out and find our way through and scratch our way through. This is the last test. This is the last pop quiz for us that we need to pass in order to make it all worth it."

They didn't pass.

So therefore, it wasn't all worth it.

"We give credit to the Dallas Mavericks," Wade said. "They're a helluva team. ... We ran into a team that at this time is obviously better than us."

Miami had chances to take command and wasted them all. The Heat missed 13 of their 33 free throws, let the Mavericks score 27 points off turnovers and simply could not get a rebound in the final minutes.

Nowitzki finished 9 for 27, and the Mavs still won. He was 1 for 12 in the first half, and they were still ahead, 53-51, thanks largely to Terry's 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

"Was he unbelievable tonight or what?" marveled Nowitzki.

Down the stretch, Terry made another contribution. He grabbed Nowitzki during a time-out, telling him, "Remember '06." The final minutes belonged to Dirk and the Mavs, and a few German flags waved in Miami's arena during the postgame celebration.

"This feeling, to be on the best team in the world, it's just undescribable," Nowitzki said.

After James got off to such a fast start, he had two points in the final 19-plus minutes of the half.

James didn't score in the second half until a layup with 1:49 remained in the third -- his first field-goal attempt since 1:05 remained in the half. Kidd made a 3-pointer late in the period, pushing the Dallas lead to 79-71, and it seemed like the only people standing in the arena were the players, referees, Cuban and a few guys around the Dallas bench.

Dallas took control in the second half after some wild back-and-forths in the opening two quarters. Miami took its last lead of the game -- the season -- just 64 seconds into the second half, lost it 16 seconds later and chased the Mavericks the rest of the way.

They never caught them.

"I can't believe the journey," said Kidd, who lost two previous Finals trips with the New Jersey Nets. "The journey, the character of my teammates telling me they wanted to get me a championship. Tonight they came out and played well. I came here twice, this being my third time so third time was the lucky charm."

It was 81-72 entering the fourth, after Ian Mahinmi made a foul-line jumper as time expired in the third, just his third basket of the entire series.

None were bigger. The Mavs could taste a title.

"We had no champions on this team," Mavs center Tyson Chandler said. "And we walked away with a team full of champions."

Of the principal characters from the 2006 series, only Cuban, Nowitzki and Terry remain from the Mavericks' side, and for them, the beginning of this championship celebration seemed sweeter than even they could have imagined. Terry won't have to get his tattoo -- the one of the NBA championship trophy -- removed, which he vowed to have done if Miami won this series. Nowitzki will never be in the conversation of 'Best player without a title' again.

James is clearly the one with that most-unwanted label now.

As the night wore on, the smell of champagne permeated from the Dallas locker room, while Miami's was cleaned and vacuumed quickly, towels picked up, shower shoes stacked neatly before each player's locker. Nearby, in the team's usual postgame interview room, the Mavericks posed with the championship trophy, whooping in joy as Miami players filed out in stunned disbelief.

The offseason started earlier than the Heat ever imagined.

"The Greater Man upstairs know when it's my time," James tweeted. "Right now isn't the time."

Game notes
Carlisle improved to 11-3 as a coach with a chance to close out an opponent. ... James got a 21-minute rest in the second quarter in real time, thanks to a midcourt dustup and the referees taking several minutes to look at replays before doling out the technicals. ... Marc Anthony sang the national anthem, then took a courtside seat near the Heat bench.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Five HRs push Florida by Miss. St. and into CWS

10:10 AM

Happy new year 2012

Florida earns back-to-back College World Series appearances for the first time in school history, ESPN.com's Edward Aschoff writes. Story

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Dodgers' De La Rosa exits with forearm cramp

3:45 PM

Happy new year 2012

Updated: June 12, 2011, 11:51 PM ETBy Tony Jackson
ESPNLosAngeles.com
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DENVER -- Rubby De La Rosa, the Los Angeles Dodgers' highly touted rookie right-hander, left Sunday's game with the Colorado Rockies because of what later was diagnosed as a cramp in his right forearm after throwing one pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning.

For more news, notes and analysis of the Dodgers, check out Dodger Thoughts from Jon Weisman. Blog

"It was right in here," De La Rosa said, pointing at an area on the underside of his right arm, just above his wrist. De La Rosa went on to say, with Kenji Nimura interpreting, that his right index finger curled up against his palm and he was unable to straighten it.

De La Rosa said he was told by the team's medical staff that the condition resulted from dehydration and that he should drink more water when he pitches. He is expected to make his next scheduled start on Saturday night against the Houston Astros.

De La Rosa had thrown 83 pitches to that point in his second major league start, and all three of the runs he had allowed had come on a home run by Rockies right fielder Seth Smith with two outs in the first inning. Since then, De La Rosa had given up just one hit and struck out six batters.

Tony Jackson covers the Dodgers for ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Follow Tony Jackson on Twitter: @dodgerscribe

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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A's send LHP Anderson for closer look at injury

11:56 PM

Happy new year 2012

CHICAGO -- Oakland A's starter Brett Anderson will meet with noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews on Monday.

Anderson was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday and an MRI exam performed by team orthopedist Dr. Jon Dickinson couldn't identify the injury, so the team wanted a second opinion.

The 23-year-old southpaw had allowed 14 earned runs in 10 1/3 innings over his last two starts, both losses. He is 3-6 with a 4.00 ERA on the season.

Anderson missed all but three starts in May, June and July of last year because of elbow inflammation.

U.S. loses in Gold Cup group stage for first time

8:01 AM

Happy new year 2012

TAMPA, Fla. -- A slow start doomed the United States against Panama, slowing the Americans' usual march to the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup.

Instead, the surprising Panamanians guaranteed themselves a spot in the next round of the tournament with a 2-1 victory over the favored U.S. on Saturday night.

"Sometimes you just come out flat for whatever reason. At this level, and against a good team, you can't do that," U.S. star Landon Donovan said, reflecting on the Americans falling behind by two goals in the opening half. "Some nights you come out flat and you don't get punished, but other nights you do. We learned a valuable lesson."

After losing 4-0 to Spain last week and being deservedly beat 2-1 by Panama, it's difficult to imagine how much lower the U.S. can sink, writes Jeff Carlisle. Report card

Luis Tejada scored in the 19th minute and Gabriel Gomez converted a penalty kick later in the first half for Panama, which won for the first time in nine meetings with the Americans, who had never lost a match in the group stage of any Gold Cup.

"First of all, give Panama a lot of credit. They started the game well. They put us on our heels at times," Donovan said. "It took us a while to get into the game. Our second half was very good, but when you dig yourself a hole that huge, sometimes you can't get out."

Despite the loss, the U.S. can clinch a spot in the quarterfinals of the tournament that determines the champion for North and Central America and the Caribbean by beating Guadaloupe in its final Group C stage match Tuesday night in Kansas City.

Tejada finished a sequence that began with Nelson Barahona's free kick, tapping in a rebound after U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard lunged to get on a hand on Armando Cooper's header from left of the net. American Tim Ream's foul set up Gomez's penalty kick, which the Panamanian lifted over the diving Howard for a 2-0 lead in the 36th minute.

Clarence Goodson gave the U.S. hope for a dramatic comeback, scoring in the 68th minute. The Americans had a couple of opportunities pull even, but Chris Wondolowski missed a wide-open net in the 80th minute and Jaime Penedo made two of his six saves in injury time to help Panama hang on before a crowd of 27,731.

"In the first half as the game was developing, we had the ball a lot but we weren't able to take advantage of some situations," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said.

[+] Enlarge

Douglas Jones/US PresswirePanama frustrated U.S. forward Jozy Altidore and handed the Americans their first loss in the Gold Cup group stage.

"What you don't want to do in that situation is go down a goal. You just want to keep doing a good job controlling the ball, controlling the game with the idea that opportunities will come. You put yourself behind, you make it much more difficult."

The loss was just the second for the Americans in their past 21 Gold Cup games. They had been 6-0-2 against Panama, with all the meetings coming in Gold Cup or World Cup qualifying.

Despite defeating Panama in the past three Gold Cups, the Americans stressed they could not overlook the Panamanians because each of those games had been close.

The teams played to a scoreless draw in the 2005 final, with the U.S. winning a penalty shootout to take the championship. They met in the quarterfinals in 2007 and 2009, with Panama losing 2-1 each time.

Panama coach Julio Dely Valdes said through a translator that the victory was especially gratifying because of the effort that went into finally getting over the hump against the Americans.

"We worked very hard for it," the coach said. "I'm absolutely happy because we made history."

The U.S. began the tourney with a 2-0 win over Canada, but wasn't near as sharp in falling behind the aggressive Panamanians, who used their quickness and athletic ability to create numerous opportunities.

Panama opened with a 3-2 victory over Guadeloupe and beating the Americans gave it consecutive Gold Cup wins for the first time.

Donovan said it was just a matter of time before a team as talented as Panama had some success against the U.S.

"CONCACAF teams are getting better and better. It's a pretty good team we played against," Donovan said. "It's disappointing, but the reality is it's over now. ... We've got to win Tuesday, see what else happens and see where we end up. We're still fine."

Game notes
There were 35 fouls -- 18 on the U.S., 17 on Panama. ... The U.S. is 24-1-2 all-time in Gold Cup group play. ... Panama improved to 1-3-1 against the Americans in Gold Cup. ... Freddy Adu was among five players who were not active for the U.S. The midfielder also was inactive for the tournament opener against Canada. ... Canada won the first game of the doubleheader at Raymond James Stadium, defeating Guadeloupe 1-0. The Canadians face Panama in Kansas City on Tuesday.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Kiffin appears at NCAA hearing over Tennessee

12:17 PM

Happy new year 2012

INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Tennessee coaches Bruce Pearl and Lane Kiffin finally got to explain themselves in front of the NCAA.

All they can do now is wait to see if it did any good.

Kiffin spent more than four hours answering questions in front of the infractions committee Saturday, then was followed by Pearl, who spent nearly five hours in front of the committee. School officials are hoping the daylong closed-door hearing marks the beginning of the end of a 22-month investigation that rocked the Volunteers' football and men's basketball programs and tarnished Tennessee's reputation.

"The hardest part is just being here," Pearl said. "This was not something I was looking forward to."

The committee is expected to make a ruling within eight to 12 weeks. That's when the Volunteers' will learn their punishment.

Tennessee faces a dozen major rules violations in the two high-profile sports including accusations that both coaches committed recruiting infractions and that both also failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within those programs.

Pearl, the former Volunteers men's basketball coach, also was charged with unethical conduct after misleading NCAA investigators during an interview last June when he was asked about hosting high school juniors at a cookout at his house on Sept. 20, 2008 and phoning John Craft, father of recruit Aaron Craft, in an effort to influence Craft's statement to investigators about the cookout.

Craft just completed his freshman season at Ohio State, whose football program is also under NCAA investigation.

On Sept. 10, in a tearful news conference, Pearl acknowledged he had provided false information to the investigators.

That part was not contested Saturday, but there was plenty of discussion on other issues -- and lots of people trying to help Tennessee plead for leniency.

Those attending included, Kiffin, now the Southern California football coach; Pearl, who was fired after last season by Tennessee; Mike Hamilton, the outgoing athletic director; SEC commissioner Mike Slive; Derek Dooley, Tennessee's new football coach; and Cuonzo Martin, the Vols new men's basketball coach. Martin and Dooley are not implicated in the charges.

The school's contingent was so large it forced the NCAA to move its hearing into a bigger conference room, and the hearing was held about five blocks from the home stadium of one of Tennessee's most famous alums -- four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning.

"We are glad we had the opportunity to present our case," university chancellor Jimmy Cheek said in a statement. "We feel it was a fair hearing and we look forward to the resolution of this matter."

Kiffin was accompanied at the hearing by USC athletic director Pat Haden, who made his second appearance in front of an NCAA committee in Indy this year. He also attended January's appeals hearing for USC, which this week was stripped of its 2004 national title by the Bowl Championship Series for NCAA violations.

Tennessee has already taken some steps in hopes of avoiding a punishment that would be that drastic.

It reduced Pearl's salary by $1.5 million last season and banned him from off-campus recruiting for one year. The SEC also suspended Pearl for eight conference games. In March, Pearl was fired.

The school also lowered the salary for each of Pearl's three assistants, who were accused of not providing "complete" information about the cookout.

Pearl and two of his assistants, Tony Jones and Steve Forbes also are accused of making 96 impermissible phone calls to 12 recruits or relatives between Aug. 1, 2007, and July 29, 2009, and the school has been charged with failure to monitor the coaching staff's contacts.

Kiffin and his assistants were accused of making improper calls to recruits, too, after Tennessee officials warned them against it. He made those calls just days before taking the Southern California job in January 2010.

In addition, Kiffin and recruiting intern Steve Rubio are accused of visiting a Florida high school on Oct. 12, 2009, even though Rubio was not permitted to make on-campus visits.

Kiffin's failure to monitor charge stems from trips taken by members of the school's athletics hostess program to visit recruits.

Both coaches attended the first 40 minutes of the closed-door hearing, which were set aside for opening statements.

Kiffin then remained in the room, while Pearl and his former assistants left en masse. Pearl wandered down to the hotel lobby, waiting there until Kiffin finished more than four hours later. It took so long the lunch break was delayed twice.

Kiffin would not discuss the specifics of what took place inside the room.

Pearl was the first person back when the hearing resumed after a one-hour break. He spent most of the next five hours back inside the room.

When things finally wrapped up, more than 10½ hours after they started, the emotions were mixed.

"It's a very thorough process and I'm glad it's over," Kiffin said before leaving the downtown Indianapolis hotel for a football camp at Southern Cal. "It was a lot shorter than the last one I sat through, three days of USC's, and I'm happy it's over."

The fallout from the scandal may not be, though.

Hamilton announced this week he would resign at the end of the month. Tennessee women's athletics director Joan Cronan, also in Indy, will serve as interim vice chancellor and director of athletics until Hamilton's replacement is picked.

Sometime in August or September, the Volunteers should learn their fate.

"It's not over because we've got to wait 45 or 60 days," Pearl said.

And for Pearl, who wore an orange and white tie and orange suspenders to the hearing, there was no sense of relief.

"Not really because we paid a very heavy price, all of us here have -- my staff and the University of Tennessee," he said. "So there's not much relief."

Monday, August 29, 2011

Two-hit day puts Jeter within 7 hits of 3K mark

5:47 PM

Happy new year 2012

Updated: June 12, 2011, 11:51 PM

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was still stuck on 2,991 hits. But with another one of his classic Jeterian swings, Jeter moved closer to baseball immortality. The 36-year-old Captain, who will turn 37 exactly two weeks from now (June 26), inside-outed a 2-1 fastball from Cleveland Indians starter Josh Tomlin into right field in the bottom of the fifth inning, driving in Brett Gardner from second and giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead. He later delivered a seeing-eye RBI single up the middle past a drawn-in infield off reliever Chad Durbin in the eighth to make it 7-1, and now stands just seven hits away from becoming the 28th player in baseball history to reach the illustrious 3,000-hit club. "It's impossible for it not be in your head, because I get asked that question all the time," said Jeter, who recorded his 2,992nd and 2,993rd hits in the Yankees' 9-1 rout of the Indians on Sunday afternoon in front of 46,791 onlookers at Yankee Stadium. "I'd love to do it here (at home), but all I can control is having good at-bats and trying to hit the ball hard and find some holes. We have a few more games left, so we'll see what happens."Jeter, who is batting just .259 and in the midst of the worst offensive season of his 16-year career, has four games left on the Yankees' homestand to make it happen, and according to baseball-reference.com, he's only had as many as seven hits over a four-game stretch eight times this season. But based on how impeccable his timing has been throughout his future Hall of Fame career, it wouldn't surprise anyone if "Captain Clutch" is able to pull it off. "Derek's meant championships to this organization and he's meant professionalism," manager Joe Girardi said before Sunday's game. "He plays the game the right way. He's meant a lot to this franchise. ... Derek's got a lot of heart and plays the game to win. I think it comes down to his heart, the way he plays the game. Derek's got a lot of heart and he plays the game to win."Jeter has five championship rings and a World Series MVP award to show for it. But he's just as well-known for his intangibles, the little things he does that don't show up in the box score. And his afternoon at the plate on Sunday was just the latest example of that. Choosing the 50 Greatest Yankees was a daunting task. ESPNNewYork.com rose to the challenge. Top 50 Rank 'Em After driving a ball to deep center that Michael Brantley caught just in front of the warning track to lead off the game, Jeter advanced Gardner to third with a line drive to right in his second at-bat. Gardner later scored. The Yankees were leading just 1-0 when Jeter stepped in against Tomlin in the fifth with Gardner at second. Jeter's goal in his third at-bat was just to hit the ball to the right side and get Gardner over -- another productive out. Instead, he managed to dunk the ball in front of right fielder Shin-Soo Choo to plate Gardner and give his team a two-run edge. "My second and third at-bats my job was to move the guy over, so I was just trying to get a pitch that I could hit the other way," said Jeter, who has a chance to become one of the fastest to ever reach the 3,000-hit club. Ty Cobb was the youngest (34 years, 244 days), while Hank Aaron (36 years, 101 days) and Robin Yount (36 years, 359 days) also reached the milestone before their 37th birthdays. "We're still trying to win games here, that's first and foremost." Still, his teammates want to see him accomplish the feat -- and become just the 11th player in history to get all 3,000 of his career hits with the same team -- at home. "I hope he gets on a roll and gets it at home. I really want him to do it here," said designated hitter Jorge Posada, who has been Jeter's Yankee teammate since 1995 when they came up from the minors together. Added first baseman Mark Teixeira: "We'd love to have him get it done here, and I know the fans would love it as well. But Derek's not going to put too much pressure on himself. He knows exactly what he's doing."Jeter is already the franchise's all-time hits leader. He broke Lou Gehrig's record of 2,771 hits when he drilled his 2,772 career hit on Sept. 11, 2009. But this -- becoming the first Yankee to ever reach 3,000 -- is a different animal. "Everyone's talking about it when I'm on deck," Jeter, who went 2-for-5 on Sunday afternoon with two RBIs and a run scored, said. "So I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't thinking about it."Mike Mazzeo is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.View the original article here

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Cubs RHP Wood (blister) may be bound for DL

11:19 PM

Happy new year 2012

Updated: June 12, 2011, 6:48 PM ETBy Bruce Levine
ESPNChicago.com
Archive

PHILADELPHIA -- For right-hander Kerry Wood and the Cubs, it's now more about adding injury to insult after the team concluded a 2-8 road trip on Sunday.

The Cubs' right-handed setup man may have to go on the DL with a blister on his right index finger.

"Woody's got a blister on his finger and can't go," manager Mike Quade said. "Hopefully it's not anything major, but we will see."

Wood has had to deal with blister problems before in his career. On Sunday, he tried to warm up in the bullpen but had to stop pitching due to the blister. The Cubs' veteran pitcher said he's been dealing with the problem off and on for about a month.

"It's not the first time we've dealt with it," Wood said. "But we had been dealing with it fairly well. I thought we turned the corner. I just think the humidity the past couple weeks has made it worse."

Wood said there was no timetable for how the blister would heal and when he can return, but a trip to the DL is possible.

"Yeah, it's absolutely a possibility," Wood said. "I'm at least a couple of days away so we're not going to mess with it. So it's a possibility."

Although there are no quick remedies for blisters, Wood is confident he can deal with this problem.

"I've had them for the last three or four years," Wood said. "I have a pretty good idea how to handle it. When the humidity [goes up], it seems to get a little worse."

Wood's injury is the latest in a season full of them for the Cubs. The team is hoping to get back Reed Johnson (back spasms), Jeff Baker (left groin strain) and Alfonso Soriano (right quad) this week off the DL. Outfielder Marlon Byrd (broken cheek bone) still is more than a month away from returning.

Wood has a 1-3 record and 3.25 ERA in 24 games this season.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs for ESPNChicago.com.

NFLPA's Smith yet to talk to NFL Alumni leader

9:57 AM

Happy new year 2012

Updated: June 12, 2011, 9:12 PM

SECAUCUS, N.J. -- George Martin spent the weekend catching up with his former New York Giants teammates from the 1986 Super Bowl team.

But he also had his current job on his mind as well, as he checked on how many of his old teammates are feeling these days. Martin is the president of the NFL Alumni and he is frustrated that he has not been able to sit down with DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the decertified NFL Players Association, to talk about issues and concerns relating to retired players.

Giants Looking for more information on Big Blue? ESPNNewYork.com has you covered. Blog

"There's strength in unity," Martin told reporters at the 25th anniversary celebration of the 1986 Giants Super Bowl team at the Meadowlands Expo Center on Sunday. "Apparently Mr. DeMaurice Smith feels that there isn't. I think it's an absolute shame when you have a person with my accomplishments and my commitment to not only active players but retired players, the fact that we can't sit down and at least discuss not only our similarities but our differences if there are any. I think that's a travesty."

Martin says he has reached out to Smith "on countless occasions to sit down."

"It's been either no response or no," Martin said. "That's really unacceptable. He has a very difficult challenge, I understand. But there should not be any prohibitions why we shouldn't sit down and talk about some of the things we have in common."

Martin was asked what degree of confidence he has concerning Smith having the best interests of NFL retired players in mind.

"I would have to say it is questionable at this point," Martin said. "When you do not have a conversation at this point with the recognized leader of NFL Alumni, how can you say you have the best interest of retired players at heart when you won't even sit down and talk to their leadership. That to me flies in the face of rationale."

Martin and teammate Harry Carson both said that some of their teammates are suffering from injuries suffered during their careers. Some retired players are feeling the lingering effects of concussions suffered during their playing days with loss of memory or, in some cases, depression.

"I thought the health of guys on the surface was pretty good," Carson said of the '86 Giants. "I do know, personally, that there are a couple of guys that have some issues. There are a couple of guys who have reached out to me in the past with these issues. There are some issues there and there are some issues with guys that probably don't know there are issues."

Martin praised NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for being proactive about addressing the concussion situation and helping retired players deal with any issues they may have.

"It seems as if though in the past we have been treated like second-class citizens," Martin said. "We refuse to have that label placed upon us now. Thank goodness that we have had some welcome embrace by Roger Goodell and the current owners. We like the fact that that we are part of the overall discussion and I'm very optimistic we will obtain some significant quality of life issues relative to retired players -- most significant is the pension.

"I think eventually the vast majority of retired ball players will be pleasantly surprised by what will come out of this (new) CBA."

Ohm Youngmisuk covers the Giants for ESPNNewYork.com.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Canucks' Rome unhappy with ban for Horton hit

1:40 AM

Happy new year 2012

BOSTON -- Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome wouldn't change much about the hit on Boston's Nathan Horton that got him suspended for the rest of the Stanley Cup finals.

Rome spoke Sunday for the first time about his finals-record four-game suspension after skating with the Canucks in practice heading into Game 6 on Monday.

"I've got to play on the edge, and I guess that was a little bit over the edge," Rome said.

While Rome has sympathy for Horton, who's out for the series with a concussion, he doesn't feel he did anything extraordinarily dangerous in their fast, hard-hitting sport when he flattened Horton early in Game 3 last week. Rome said he sent a text message to Horton, but hasn't heard back.

“
If I could go back, obviously you don't want anybody to get hurt, but I don't think I'd change the decision.
” -- Aaron Rome

"It's a split-second decision," Rome said. "There's no intent to hurt anybody. If I could go back, obviously you don't want anybody to get hurt, but I don't think I'd change the decision."

Rome delivered his hit after Horton made a pass near the blue line, leaving the Boston forward unconscious on the ice. Horton left the building on a stretcher, and the Bruins rode a wave of emotion to consecutive victories at home.

While Rome was vilified in Boston, his teammates jumped to his defense, claiming a four-game ban was excessive and unprecedented. Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault thought the hit was late, but remained supportive of Rome.

Although Rome's ban is four times longer than any suspension handed out in finals history, he hasn't appealed it, hinting that he feels such a move would be pointless. Rome said the NHL's suspension criteria are "arbitrary," and he doesn't understand why the league ended his chance to skate for the Stanley Cup after a hit he believes was barely illegal.

"I've got to step up. I've got to be physical," Rome said. "That's just part of my game. ... If I had been a half-second, a quarter-second earlier, I probably wouldn't be in this position."

Rome understands why Horton might not be returning his texts, noting he felt similar emotions after San Jose's Jamie McGinn boarded him from behind during the Western Conference finals, giving Rome an apparent concussion that forced him to sit out two games.

Rome had no significant history as a dirty player before this hit. The journeyman defenseman has played in 131 NHL games with three clubs over the past five seasons, bouncing up and down from the AHL before earning a full-time job in Vancouver this year.

Yet his hit inspired the Bruins, who acknowledged rallying in Horton's honor. Before Game 4, Hall of Famer Bobby Orr waved a flag with Horton's name and No. 18 on it during a stirring pregame tribute.

Horton's injury was the most serious development in an uncommonly bad-tempered finals, which began with Vancouver forward Alex Burrows' apparent bite of Patrice Bergeron's finger, followed by related taunts from both teams. Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo also made headlines after Game 5 with comments deemed to be disrespectful of Boston goalie Tim Thomas.

Vancouver leads the series 3-2 going into Monday's game.

Rome's absence has forced the Canucks to use every bit of their deep defensive corps. After veteran Keith Ballard replaced Rome in Game 4, Vancouver rookie Chris Tanev played splendidly in Game 5 as the Canucks pushed Boston to the brink of elimination.

Rome will be a spectator for the rest of June, but he's still working up a sweat in the Canucks' practices.

"You want to be a part of it," Rome said. "Just because I'm not playing, I'm not going to hide in a cave and mope. It's a way to relieve some stress. ... This is nothing that you want to go through, but it makes you stronger and makes you look on the bright side of things."

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Guillen: Konerko will make Hall the 'right way'

4:14 PM

Happy new year 2012

Updated: June 12, 2011, 5:39 PM ETBy Sahadev Sharma
ESPNChicago.com
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CHICAGO -- White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko has never won an MVP, home run or RBI crown or led the league in batting average, but that didn't stop his manager from stumping for his place among the greatest to ever play the game.

"He will be in the Hall of Fame," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said Sunday. "And by the way, PK did it clean, there's no doubt he did it the right way."

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Konerko is coming off a 2010 campaign that was the best of his career. At age 34, he posted career highs in on-base percentage (.393), slugging percentage (.584), and total bases (320). So far this season, Konerko is backing up his amazing 2010 -- he had 20 home runs, 51 RBIs, a .320 average and a .953 OPS entering Sunday. He is a strong candidate to make his fifth All-Star Game.

The Hall of Fame will have to change the way it evaluates players, Guillen said, since the previously accepted standards of excellence may not be reached as often.

"The Hall of Fame can be too picky, there's not that many good players out there anymore," Guillen said. "You're not going to see the 3,000 hits, the 500 home runs and 300 wins."

With a few more years, Konerko could get well over 400 home runs and possibly make a push for 500. Konerko, who is signed through the 2013 season, currently sits at 381 home runs, good for 60th all-time.

For his part, Konerko doesn't concern himself with Hall of Fame talk or the fact that he's rarely mentioned in the same breath as other great American League first basemen such as the Red Sox's Adrian Gonzalez and the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera.

"If it's outside the lines, it's meaningless to me," Konerko said.

Guillen said that Konerko is a rare breed in today's game.

"This man represents the game in different ways, the right way," Guillen said. "With the media, with his teammates, with the organization, on the field and with the community; that's a lot."

On the topic of future Hall of Famers, Guillen had a few thoughts on a sure-fire entrant -- New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

"You're talking about God now, you're not talking about a baseball player, you're talking about God," Guillen said. "Besides Jim Thome, he represents this game better than anybody. That guy is a baseball icon, great player, a winner, never been in trouble, and dates beautiful women."

Jeter moved within seven hits of 3,000 with a multihit game Sunday. Guillen said he hoped Jeter would accomplish the rare feat at Wrigley Field because it would be great to have such a historic moment at a historic park. Jeter would be the 28th player to join the 3,000 hit club. The Yankees play a three-game set with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley starting Friday.

Sahadev Sharma covers the White Sox and Cubs for ESPNChicago.com.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Dodgers get rehab updates on Kuo, two others

9:30 PM

Happy new year 2012

Updated: June 12, 2011, 2:58 PM ETBy Tony Jackson
ESPNLosAngeles.com
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DENVER -- At the end of the weekend in which the unreliability of the Los Angeles Dodgers' injury-depleted bullpen has been underscored repeatedly, there was good news before Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, as relievers Hong-Chih Kuo, Jonathan Broxton and Kenley Jansen all took major steps in their efforts to return from the disabled list.

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First, setup man Kuo appeared to take a major step forward on Saturday night in his effort to come back from his latest bout with the yips, pitching a perfect eighth inning for advanced Class A Rancho Cucamonga against Visalia. Kuo had hoped to test himself by coming into the middle of an inning with runners on base, but that didn't work out because highly touted pitching prospect Ethan Martin had pitched a perfect seventh.

Still, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said the reports he got on Kuo's performance were that the once-dominating left-hander looked much more like himself.

"His velocity was up, which was kind of a good sign,'' Mattingly said. "He touched 96 (mph), where before he was at 92. Last night, he was (between) 92-96, so that tells you maybe he was letting it go a little bit more and feeling free about letting it go.''

Mattingly said it will be Kuo's decision what to do next, which has been the case since Kuo abruptly left the team on May 11 feeling that he could no longer command the ball.

Broxton, the Dodgers' erstwhile All-Star closer who has been on the 15-day DL since May 6 with a bone bruise in his right elbow and wasn't especially effective before that, is now tentatively slated to begin a minor league rehabilitation early next week. Broxton will throw off a mound for the third time on Tuesday and then a simulated game on Friday, a plan Mattingly conceded tentatively sets Broxton up to begin rehab assignment next week.

Meanwhile, although Jansen pitched two perfect innings in his second rehab appearance for Double-A Chattanooga on Saturday night, retired all nine batters he has faced in those two appearances and becomes eligible to be activated on Monday, Mattingly said the club might wait until later in the week to bring him back so that Jansen can make another two-inning appearance for the Lookouts.

"We want to get him stretched out and be able to go two (innings),'' Mattingly said. "He went two innings last night, but is one time enough for that? Just talking theoretically, if he could take today and (Monday) off, then go again on Tuesday.''

Mattingly said with the Dodgers having an off-day on Thursday, that could put Jansen on target to return on Friday night against the Houston Astros. However, Mattingly said that could change if the Dodgers have to use several relievers on Sunday against the Rockies, which might necessitate bringing Jansen back on Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

Tony Jackson covers the Dodgers for ESPNLosAngeles.com.

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Liriano flirts with perfection as Twins stay hot

3:05 AM

Happy new year 2012

Liriano Francisco Liriano got off to a rough start, but since throwing a no-hitter on May 3, he's turned his season around and been lights out.

* - Began with no-hitter May 3 vs. White Soxpowered by

Friday, August 19, 2011

Thunder's Robinson cited for public urination

11:12 AM

Happy new year 2012

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nate Robinson is apologizing to fans after police caught him urinating in public in a New York City suburb.

Robinson

White Plains police say an officer spotted Robinson urinating on a sidewalk outside a bookstore just before 2 a.m. ET Friday.

Authorities told reporters that Robinson was taken to police headquarters, issued a summons and ordered to show up in court June 22. The offense normally carries a $50 fine.

Robinson posted a message on Twitter on Friday saying he made a "silly mistake." He promised it wouldn't happen again.

Robinson had played for the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics before going to the Thunder in 2010.

Thunder spokesman Brian Facchini says the team is aware of what happened but would have no comment.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Yanks put Colon on DL with strained hamstring

4:43 PM

Happy new year 2012