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Monday, May 2, 2011

Manchester United is going to kick Ryan Giggs after this Champions League Season

Manchester ( Routers) Manu officials is going to kick Ryan Giggs this year after Champions league.Team officials confirmed this news.They said that Giggs has not enough stamina like previous.He is now became Shoaib Akhtar of Pakistan cricket team who was involved in injuries in his carrier.We want young blood for the future of our team.We have to come harder against Real Madrid who always bought our key players by paying them huge money.We always make players not buy players.

Ryan Giggs is not happy with his team's decision.He said Sir Alex is mad.He doesn't  care what manchester united will do without senior player.All major clubs respects their seniors but Manchester United didn't care about Seniors.I will make my club after leaving  Manchester United.

West Indies beat Pakistan in fourth ODI of Digicel series - PTV NEWS

Bridgetown, Barbados (Routers) West Indies beat Pakistan by 1 run in 4th ODI of Digicel series by D/L method.Afridi seemed not happy with this rule, he criticizes D/L RULE.He said in presentation ''When Hafeez and Shafiq played well, I thought we could get 275. The newcomers did not get a proper chance, I am happy with the efforts of my team-mates. When we bat first, we need to focus on that, I felt that 248 was a very defendable and good score Lendl Simmons continued his good form with his career best knock of 76.''

Darren Sammy said It was satisfying to finally register a win against a quality opposition. I thought we did well to come back later in the innings during the bowling. Lendl Simmons has been very consistent throughout, I hope he will continue. The six by Dwayne Bravo was very pleasing, Sarwan and young Bishoo were good as well, we will take the positives into the next match.

Mohammad Hafeez is the MoM for his fine knock of 121 
 Hafeez: It is a bit disappointing to lose after scoring a century. It was tough for me when I was dropped, I along with my coach worked hard on my batting technique and that is paying off.
Pakistan lead the 5 match series 3-1 with one to play

England all-rounder and Sussex captain Mike Yardy makes low-key return after treatment for depression

Mike Yardy made his return to competitive cricket on Monday but it could be some time before the England all-rounder is playing on a regular basis again.
Nearly six weeks after he withdrew from England’s World Cup squad in India to receive treatment for depression and two months since his last game against South Africa in Chennai, the 30 year-old made a low-key return as he led Sussex to a five-wicket victory in a Clydesdale Bank 40 game against Holland at Hove.
Yardy took one for 36 and made an attractive 39 from 52 balls, but Sussex coach Mark Robinson said he would not be involved in the County Championship match against Hampshire which starts at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday.
Robinson said: “It has been a gradual process for Michael. It’s the same when a player has an injury and you bring him back too early. We don’t want him to suffer a relapse.
“A fortnight ago when we were up at Durham he was on the phone to me two or three times a day to find out what was going on.
"A week ago he targeted one of the two one-dayers we had over the Bank Holiday and has been increasing his workload since then. He was around the squad for the Championship game last week and before we set off for Derby on Saturday he gave a terrific team talk about the importance of one-day cricket this season. But we can’t push him.”
Sussex wanted Yardy’s return to attract as little publicity as possible and he declined the opportunity to talk to the media afterwards. His presence in the team was confirmed only 40 minutes before the start and he was generously applauded on his way back to the pavilion after the toss.
If Yardy felt comfortable in his surroundings there was a reassuring familiarity about his performance too. He brought himself on in the 10th over and was soon into a rhythm with his left-arm spin, despite having to contend with a strong cross-wind.
In his fifth over a crowd of around 2,500 were on their feet when he had Tom Cooper caught down the leg side. His first six overs cost just 23 runs although his figures were spoiled when opener Eric Szwarczynski greeted his return to the attack for a one-over spell by lofting him for a straight six on his way to a maiden one-day century.
Yardy came in at No 5 with Sussex in some trouble at 47 for three chasing a target of 226, but he got off the mark by dispatching his third ball, a leg-stump half-volley, to the boundary and added three more fours before he played on to Berend Westdijk, trying to force off the back foot.
Vice-captain Murray Goodwin, who helped him put on 80 in 15 overs for the fourth wicket on his way to an unbeaten 109, said the squad had done nothing different since Yardy returned to the dressing-room environment.
“It is nice to have a quality player back and I thought he bowled and batted really well today. To be honest, you wouldn’t have known there is anything wrong with him over the last few weeks since he has been around the guys again. He loves the club and is desperate to do well for Sussex but he is also wise enough to know when he is ready to return on a regular basis.”

SONY MAX:Mumbai, Kochi register impressive wins in IPL

Mumbai Indians beat Kings XI Punjab by 23 runs to return to the top of the IPL table on Monday, and Kochi Tuskers thrashed Delhi Daredevils by seven wickets.
Mumbai captain Sachin Tendulkar and Ambati Rayudu each scored 51 and put on a 95-run stand that helped the team total 159-5 after being asked to bat first on a docile Wankhede Stadium pitch. A combined bowling effort then helped restrict Punjab to 136-8.
The win took Mumbai to 12 points from eight games, ahead of the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals with 11 points from nine matches. Punjab remained on six from seven.
At New Delhi, Delhi Daredevils' 140-6 was overhauled with ease by Kochi, which made 141-3 in only 15 overs.
Kochi reached eight points from nine games while Delhi remained on six from nine.
Tendulkar excelled with some clever shots on the on side, smashing a six and three fours off 45 balls. Rayudu relished playing straight down the ground, getting one six and eight fours off 37 deliveries.
West Indian Kieron Pollard smashed two hefty sixes in his 20 off 11 deliveries while Rohit Sharma got 18 off 11.
However, Mumbai was stopped from notching a bigger total by Australian pace bowler Ryan Harris and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, who bagged two wickets each.
"I thought we got a good total in the end," Tendulkar said. "We were short by 10-15 runs but made up with some fine fielding."
In reply, King's XI Punjab lost captain Adam Gilchrist early on, trapped lbw by offspinner Harbhajan Singh without scoring.
Australian batsman Shaun Marsh top-scored with 61 while Paul Valthaty made 33, but the team could not develop any real momentum.
Marsh faced 47 deliveries and hit eight fours in his 10th IPL half-century before trying to force the pace and becoming Sri Lankan pace bowler Lasith Malinga's second victim.
Harbhajan and Munaf Patel also finished with two wickets each.
In the night game, Delhi struggled after losing openers Virender Sehwag (15) and David Warner (13).
Venugopal Rao's 40 and a quick 27 off 15 from Travis Birt lent some respectibility, but Kochi did not have much problem avenging its 38-run loss on Saturday.
"We kept losing wickets and it was always going to be difficult defending 140," Sehwag said. "We now have to win five games in a row to qualify but we'll hopefully do that."
New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum ensured a blistering start for Kochi with 37 off 19 balls, while Parthiv Patel hit 37 not out and Australian batsman Brad Hodge finished with an unbeaten 24.
In the only match scheduled for Tuesday, Deccan Chargers play Kolkata Knight Riders at Hyderabad.

Dave Duerson And The NFL’s Most Serious ProblemWith the NFL draft over, attention in the football world has returned to the league’s ongoing battle between its owners and players. But the lockout may someday seem minor compared to the NFL’s bigger underlying problem: the health and safety of its players. Dr. Ann McKee, a researcher at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University’s School of Medicine, today announced her diagnosis of the brain of former NFL player, Dave Duerson. The news is not good for the NFL. McKee reported that Duerson had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a type of brain disease caused by repeated trauma to the head. Duerson was a defensive back for 11 seasons in the NFL, playing for the Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. After his football career, he became a successful businessman, starting his own food company. But eventually, his company went bankrupt. On February 17, at age 50, Duerson committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest. He left a note with family members that asked that his brain be donated to the NFL’s Brain Bank. Duerson joins a sad list of former NFL players, like Andre Waters, Terry Long and Jason Grimsley, who committed suicide and were later discovered to have CTE. But retired players are just the tip of the iceberg for the NFL’s health concerns. Another problem, of course, is the current players. By almost all accounts, the game has gotten bigger and faster and more dangerous since Duerson and his contemporaries retired. This year the NFL took a few baby steps in addressing its head-injury problems, outlawing helmet-to-helmet hits. Still concussions happen. This past season’s Super Bowl featured two quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger, who have troubling concussion history. But perhaps the most troubling thing for the NFL is the future of the sport. Earlier this year, the New York Times interviewed Chris Collinsworth, a former player who is now perhaps the best and most thoughtful football announcer on TV. Collinsworth has been outspoken about the issue of helmet-to-helmet hits in the NFL. His two sons play football (one at Notre Dame and one in high school), and he expressed his concerns about their well-being. This is a league that we’ve always celebrated the biggest hits and the bone-jarring blows, but you can’t hide from the evidence anymore,” Collinsworth, in a telephone interview, said regarding the short- and long-term effects of football head trauma. “We’re talking about the very essence of the game. I’d be less than honest if I said I didn’t have my doubts as to whether my children should be playing football. He followed that statement up with this one: You try to teach toughness and to hit hard, and also say to be safe and don’t hurt anybody — there’s a contradiction there,” Collinsworth said. “The very fundamental question for the long road is, Do you want your kids playing football? That’s the scary question, especially for the N.F.L. I think we’re talking about the survival of the game to some extent. Collinsworth raises the central question in all of this: given what we now know, will parents be willing to let their sons play football? Perhaps we’re already seeing our answer. One troubling trend for the future of football is the decline in participation. According to the latest figures from the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association, over the last nine years, participation in tackle football (for those 6 years of age and older) has declined by 17.4%. (During that same time period, the American population has increased by 8.6%.) Some of that decline has to be attributable to concerns over health. Someday, the battle between NFL owners and players about how to split the $9 billion in revenue that the most popular sport in the U.S. generates every year will end. There will be NFL football again. But then the league will have to turn its attention to what is becoming its most serious problem: what to do about its players’ brains.

With the NFL draft over, attention in the football world has returned to the league’s ongoing battle between its owners and players. But the lockout may someday seem minor compared to the NFL’s bigger underlying problem: the health and safety of its players.
Dr. Ann McKee, a researcher at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University’s School of Medicine, today announced her diagnosis of the brain of former NFL player, Dave Duerson. The news is not good for the NFL. McKee reported that Duerson had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a type of brain disease caused by repeated trauma to the head.
Duerson was a defensive back for 11 seasons in the NFL, playing for the Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. After his football career, he became a successful businessman, starting his own food company. But eventually, his company went bankrupt. On February 17, at age 50, Duerson committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest. He left a note with family members that asked that his brain be donated to the NFL’s Brain Bank.
Duerson joins a sad list of former NFL players, like Andre Waters, Terry Long and Jason Grimsley, who committed suicide and were later discovered to have CTE.
But retired players are just the tip of the iceberg for the NFL’s health concerns. Another problem, of course, is the current players. By almost all accounts, the game has gotten bigger and faster and more dangerous since Duerson and his contemporaries retired. This year the NFL took a few baby steps in addressing its head-injury problems, outlawing helmet-to-helmet hits. Still concussions happen. This past season’s Super Bowl featured two quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger, who have troubling concussion history.
But perhaps the most troubling thing for the NFL is the future of the sport. Earlier this year, the New York Times interviewed Chris Collinsworth, a former player who is now perhaps the best and most thoughtful football announcer on TV. Collinsworth has been outspoken about the issue of helmet-to-helmet hits in the NFL. His two sons play football (one at Notre Dame and one in high school), and he expressed his concerns about their well-being.
This is a league that we’ve always celebrated the biggest hits and the bone-jarring blows, but you can’t hide from the evidence anymore,” Collinsworth, in a telephone interview, said regarding the short- and long-term effects of football head trauma. “We’re talking about the very essence of the game. I’d be less than honest if I said I didn’t have my doubts as to whether my children should be playing football.
He followed that statement up with this one:
You try to teach toughness and to hit hard, and also say to be safe and don’t hurt anybody — there’s a contradiction there,” Collinsworth said. “The very fundamental question for the long road is, Do you want your kids playing football? That’s the scary question, especially for the N.F.L. I think we’re talking about the survival of the game to some extent.
Collinsworth raises the central question in all of this: given what we now know, will parents be willing to let their sons play football?
Perhaps we’re already seeing our answer. One troubling trend for the future of football is the decline in participation. According to the latest figures from the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association, over the last nine years, participation in tackle football (for those 6 years of age and older) has declined by 17.4%. (During that same time period, the American population has increased by 8.6%.) Some of that decline has to be attributable to concerns over health.
Someday, the battle between NFL owners and players about how to split the $9 billion in revenue that the most popular sport in the U.S. generates every year will end. There will be NFL football again. But then the league will have to turn its attention to what is becoming its most serious problem: what to do about its players’ brains.

The Death of Dave Duerson: More Evidence of Concussion Dangers in Football -ESPN NEWS

On Monday, Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy announced that Dave Duerson, the former star NFL defensive back who committed suicide on February 17, was suffering from a moderately advanced case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative disease linked to repeated head trauma. Duerson, indeed, did not die in vain.
Before Duerson took his own life, he took steps to help others avoid the pain that enveloped him. Through a note and text messages, Duerson asked his survivors to donate his brain to research, specifically to the Boston University center, which has specialized in studying the long-term brain damage suffered by former football players. Duerson shot himself in the chest, presumably to preserve his brain: currently, CTE can only be diagnosed post-mortem.

On Monday, doctors from Boston University released their findings. Images from Duerson's brain showed that significant levels of the abnormal tau protein, which characterizes CTE, had developed in the regions associated with impulse control and memory. Over the last few years of his life, Duerson, who had started a successful food supply business after his playing career ended in 1993, complained about memory loss and started behaving more erratically. Ann McKee, the neuropathologist who conducted the analysis of Duerson's brain, said that Duerson had the "classic appearance" of CTE. The Boston University Center has now studied the brains of 15 deceased NFL players. All but one had CTE.
These findings should continue to concern parents whose children play, or express an interest in playing, football. The BU doctors emphasize that both concussive hits — Duerson suffered 10 known concussions throughout his NFL careers — and repeated "sub-concussive" hits  can cause CTE. Coaches can certainly reduce the incidence of head-to-head contact in practices. "We need coaches to be smarter about the drills that they do," says Chris Nowinski, a president of the Sports Legacy Institute, a group dedicated to the prevention of brain trauma in athletics. "It's amazing to me that we have pitch counts in baseball to protect the elbow ligaments of children, but we don't keep count about how often children are hit in the head."

Michigan State basketball's Draymond Green gets a few reps during football scrimmage

EAST LANSING -- The alley-oop didn't work so well on the football field.
Michigan State junior Draymond Green traded basketball shoes for cleats on Saturday. He played wide receiver/tight end for a couple of plays for the White squad in the third quarter of Michigan State's spring football game at Spartan Stadium.
Green was whistled for a false start on his first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, putting the White in a first-and-15 situation at the White 36.
Andrew Maxwell overthrew the 6-foot-7 Green on the next play but got the benefit of a 10-yard holding penalty called against cornerback Johnny Adams, who was covering Green.
Green wasn't available to reporters afterward, but he sent out a tweet @Money23Green: "Lol that was classic I'm going to stick to Basketball but it was definitely fun thanks to Coach D and his staff for the opportunity"
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio joked that Green's future as a football player was "limited."
Dantonio said Green came to him and asked to play, and he agreed if Green would come to a practice to prepare, which he did last week.
"He just didn't show up and put the pads on," Dantonio said. "He got fitted. We had to get him cleared.
"He came out and went through the whole practice Thursday (in) shorts. Caught some balls. ... It was great to see him out there, and then we got him in a couple plays. He just asked that he not be tackled."

Far from plain -BASKETBALL WOMEN

 By: OSAMA BIN LADIN

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The NCAA spring Evaluation weekend may have come and gone but there is no shortage of action in gyms across the country as the club-basketball season hits full stride. The Great Plains Qualifier was operated by U.S. Junior Nationals this past weekend. Northwestern University served as the tournament's headquarters and provided three of the 16 courts of action. Six different states were represented by 96 teams competing in the two-day event and competitive games as well as eye-catching individual play were abundant throughout.

Jewell Loyd (Lincolnwood, Ill.), Midwest Elite: One of the things that sets elite level prospects apart from the crowd is their ability to improve and advance their game no matter what level they've reached. Loyd has USA Basketball on her resume and a recent verbal commitment to national runner-up Notre Dame on the books and she continues to play as if she's got something to prove every time she steps on the floor. The 5-foot-9 guard is an impact player in virtually every aspect of the game and now plays with a maturity and confidence that allows her to relax and make the most of both her basketball and athletic skills. With the ball in her hands not many of her perimeter peers have either the acceleration or elevation to play her straight up. Those who look for a defensive cushion pay with a great view of her jumper. Her crossover and stepback both create open looks and penetration almost at will. It would be a mistake to underestimate her on the defensive end of the floor as that same footspeed makes her an aggressive on-ball defender who can contain the penetration of even the quickest opposing ballhandlers. More than anything, what catches your attention with Loyd is her approach to every possession as if the game is on the line. Mckenzie Piper (Iowa City, Iowa), All Iowa Attack: One of the greater compliments offered to prospects by college recruiters is the observation that she simply "makes plays." This versatile guard has the size and skills to make play after play and does so in many ways. The ability is there to put the ball on the floor and get into the paint to create shots or looks for her teammates. Her pullup is more and more reliable and the confidence with which she uses it is appropriate and warranted. The stroke and range are there as well to take advantage of the deeper perimeter jumpers that come her way. On the break she sees the floor and makes good decisions whether to kick it ahead or even to pull it out and look for a better option. At 5-11 she has good size and a solid physical build that necessitates a bigger guard or wing defensive matchup. Piper is one of those players opponents hate to face as they'll have to be ready to compete for every ball on the boards or on the floor.

Lyon
Mark Lewis for ESPN.com Lefty shooter Maggie Lyon is adding more to her game to complement her sweet stroke.
Maggie Lyon (Wilmette, Ill.), Midwest Elite: Opponents facing the Midwest Elite will be making a major error if they focus their defensive efforts on standout guard Jewell Loyd. The growth and diversity in the skills of this 6-1 wing is impressive and the threat she poses will have to be respected both in transition and the halfcourt. The left-hander always has shown the ability to shoot the ball. She's now much more adept at creating her own looks and is effective with the pullup or taking it all the way to the rim. Lyon has a great combination of size, ballhandling and an attacking mentality that makes her a challenge to match up with defensively. She got by her defender time and again and demonstrated an improved ability to read defensive rotations off the drive. With her increased scoring threat she'll need to set up opportunities for her teammates more often and distribute the ball to keep defenders honest. Physically she's strong and shows no hesitation in mixing it up at either end of the floor.
2013 Checklist
Joanna Hedstrom (Shorewood, Minn.), North Tartan: There may not be a deeper club-team roster than you'll find with the North Tartan 17's, which finished the weekend undefeated. As difficult as it might be to stand out among that kind of crowd, this 5-9 combo guard offered up some consistent and productive play. More than anything her awareness of the floor was evident and helped her facilitate the offensive output from her many talented teammates. Playing primarily at the point she handled the ball effectively on the break and utilized good vision in kicking it ahead to teammates out in the lanes. In the halfcourt she was able to penetrate and force defensive rotations leading to both shots and simple interior passes. Her own scoring was more an exercise of taking advantage of what defenses surrendered rather than creating her own but the possibilities are there in her individual attack. She's got good size with a lean build and the potential to add some growth.
Cvitkovic
Mark Lewis for ESPN.com Andrijana Cvitkovic, at 6 feet 2, can play either forward position and create offense.
Andrijana Cvitkovic (Culver, Ind.), Spiece Indy Lady Gym Rats: The Gym Rats may have cornered the market on the size and skills commodity this summer with both Taya Reimer and this 6-2 Euro-skilled forward. Combining sharp ballhandling with impressive size and a solid build, Cvitkovic has the potential to be a threat at both the forward spot and on the wing. There's no hesitancy to create off the dribble and she has the ability to get to the rim and finish in traffic. At the same time she can post up and has the frame and wingspan to seal defenders of almost any size. That size comes with agility and speed as well making her a threat in transition and giving her the potential to defend on the perimeter. Notice the word "potential" as there still is refinement to be done. On the glass she demonstrated a willingness to go get the ball and was quick with the outlet or to clear it with the dribble. The possibilities and what she can ultimately do with them are limitless and entirely up to her. Jessica January (Richfield, Minn,), Minnesota Suns: This 5-9 guard catches your attention with an explosiveness that is rare on any level. Of course, winning two state titles in her freshman track season last spring might provide some evidence that she's going to be difficult to stay in front of defensively. January adds to the mix some sharp, low and quick ballhandling, including a lethal crossover to penetrate anytime she desires. Occasionally she gets herself stuck in traffic and might have been better served attacking another way; her choices are evolving and she picks her spots efficiently on the whole. The pullup looks good and can be a real asset for an attacking style like hers. She can take the outlet and push the ball in transition or get out in the lanes if she's not the handling it herself. On the defensive end those same tools give her the potential to be a top tier defender and she exhibited some quick hands that may well rival her flying feet. With all her physical assets and a sound base to her fundamental game, it's up to her the price she wants to pay and how far she wants to go.

Sentencing In Bud Mackey Case Delayed

Formal sentencing for former Scott County basketball star Bud Mackey in a drug and theft case was delayed Monday afternoon.
Mackey faces more than 15 years behind bars. The former basketball stand-out recently entered a guilty plea in court for trafficking in a controlled substance as well as escaping from the Scott County Sheriff's Office while being arrested on a robbery charge.
Mackey's robbery charge was amended to felony theft.
Sentencing has been re-scheduled for June 6 in the case.

Whitworth to Introduce Matt Logie as Men's Basketball Coach

Courtesy Whitworth Athletics
Whitworth University will introduce Matt Logie as its next men's basketball coach at a press conference on Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m.
Logie just completed his second year as the Associate Head Coach at Lehigh University of the Patriot League, his alma mater.
He is originally from Mercer Island, Washington, where he played basketball for his grandfather, Ed Pepple. He was a First Team All-State selection after leading Mercer Island to the 1999 state championship.
Logie will take over a team that finished 28-2 in 2010-11, reached #1 in the D3hoops.com poll and advanced to the NCAA Division III sectional final (elite eight).

UF baseball team remains at No. 5 - USA YESTERDAY

 Reporter: Osama bin Ladin

The Florida baseball team remained at No. 5 in the latest Baseball America poll released Monday.
And, again, no movement in the top five: Virginia (42-5), South Carolina (35-8), Oregon State (32-9), Vanderbilt (38-5) and Florida (34-10).
There is a new No. 1 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, with South Carolina moving up from No. 2, swapping places with Virginia. UF is also No. 5 in that poll.
The Gators will complete their seven-game homestand by hosting Bethune-Cookman (29-19/15-0 MEAC) at 7 p.m. Tuesday. UF defeated the Wildcats in the 2010 NCAA Gainesville Regional, 7-3.
UF travels to Arkansas (29-13/10-11 SEC) for a three-game series that will begin Thursday night.
Catcher Mike Zunino, a key player in UF’s run this season, was chosen as the SEC Player of the Week for the first time in his career Monday.
Zunino batted a sizzling .583 (7-for-12) during the three wins over the Rebels that enabled Florida (34-10/17-4 SEC) to remain tied on top of the league and Eastern Division standings with Vanderbilt (38-5) and South Carolina (35-8). He paced the Gators on the weekend sweep of Ole Miss with eight RBI, four doubles, four runs and a slugging percentage of 1.167.
In Sunday’s finale, Zunino went a career-high 4-for-4, drove in four runs and had three doubles to become the first Gator player with a trio of two-baggers in a game since April 11, 2010. He went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, a pair of runs and a double in Saturday’s series-clincher. The sophomore opened the series Friday by going 1-for-4 with a key two-run single that turned a 3-2 lead into a 5-2 advantage.

Baseball closes series with 7-1 win over Stanford - USA TODAY

 By OSAMA BIN LADIN

Thanks to a magnificent start by Jake Barrett and a power display by Joey DeMichele, the Sun Devils beat the Stanford Cardinal 7-1 on Sunday afternoon to take the weekend series two games to one. Barrett (6-3) was brilliant for eight innings, allowing only a first inning run to earn the win and help ASU improve to 31-10 on the year, 13-5 in Pac-10 play.
Barrett, who threw a complete game shutout last weekend at Cal, was electric all afternoon. He struck out ten and scattered seven hits over eight innings before giving way to Mitchell Lambson. Lambson struck out two in his perfect inning of work to secure the victory.
The Cardinal would draw first blood in the first inning after a wild pitch by Barrett allowed Tyler Gaffney to score from third. After two ASU errors, Stanford had runners at second and third and only one out and looked poised to add to the early 1-0 lead. But Barrett struck out the next hitter and then induced a fly out to work out of the jam.
The Devils would take the lead in the bottom of the second after Joey DeMichele drove a two-run home run to right field driving in Riccio Torrez on the play and putting ASU up 2-1. In the bottom of the second with Matt Newman on third, Austin Barnes hit a sharp single through the right side, driving in Newman increasing the lead to 3-1.

ASU would keep the scoring up in the bottom of the fourth when Johnny Ruettiger singled to left center allowing Barnes to score. In the bottom of the fifth, DeMichele again powered a ball over the right field fence for his second round-tripper of the game. But he was not done just yet as he brought the crowd of 3,226 to its feet in the seventh when he blasted a ball onto Rural Road in right field for his third homer of the game, a two-run shot. DeMichele is the first Sun Devil to hit three home runs in a single game since Jeff Larish accomplished the same feat in the 2005 College World Series against Nebraska. He finished the day 3-3 with five RBI.
Matt Newman, Riccio Torrez and Austin Barnes all collected two hits of their own in the win. The Sun Devils will continue this home stand with a two-game midweek series against the BYU Cougars beginning Monday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. from Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark.

Los Angeles Dodgers seek turnaround in attendance - FOX SPORTS

For decades, the Los Angeles Dodgers were the closest thing Major League Baseball had to a monarchy — a family-run team that preached patience and continuity and carried itself in regal fashion. From 1954 through 1995, the Dodgers had two managers, and under Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda, they won six World Series and 11 National League pennants while reaching the playoffs 14 times and suffering through just eight losing seasons.
Now, the Dodgers are a sporting synonym for chaos, with almost as many managers since 1996 (seven) as playoff wins (nine). The disarray in the dugout is nothing compared to the tumult in the owner's box, where the divorce saga of Frank McCourt — who rescued the Dodgers from Fox ownership in 2004 — dominated the front pages of Los Angeles newspapers last season.his season began with a pair of Dodgers fans nearly beating a San Francisco Giants fan to death in the Dodger Stadium parking lot on Opening Day Thursday, March 31. McCourt, who fired the Dodgers' head of security over the winter, told reporters afterward that even the presence of "…2,000 policemen there…[was] not going to change that random act of violence."
After McCourt reportedly needed a $30 million loan from Fox — which still televises Dodgers games — to make payroll, Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced Wednesday, April 20 he would appoint someone to take over all operations of the Dodgers. He put former Texas Rangers executive Tom Schieffer in charge Monday, April 25, after which McCourt held a press conference in Manhattan and declared he would "protect his rights" as he tried to get back control of the team.
The turmoil — coupled with the Dodgers' slow start — is beginning to make a negative impact at the box office. The Dodgers rank third in the National League in attendance at 37,562 per game at 57,099-seat Dodger Stadium, but their average is down a resounding 6,390 per game — most in the NL and second-most in baseball ahead of only the Seattle Mariners, who lost 100 games last year for the second time in three seasons.
At their current rate, the Dodgers would not only finish lower than second in the NL in attendance for the first time since 2002 but would be in danger of drawing fewer than 3 million fans for the first time since 2000 (they are on pace to draw slightly more than 3.04 million people).
But if the first homestand following MLB's takeover is any indication, the Dodgers may have trouble maintaining even the middling pace they set through the season's first month. The Dodgers dropped two of three games against the San Diego Padres from Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1, during which the average crowd was 37,064 — down more than 600 fans from the 37,687 the Dodgers averaged in their first 12 home dates.
Still, Gary Lee, the director of marketing at Los Angeles-based VIP Tickets, believes the news may not be all bad for the Dodgers in the long-term. With the McCourt-caused headlines still fresh in the minds of fans — as well as the NBA's Lakers dominating attention and the ticket market in Los Angeles — Lee is hopeful the Dodgers will begin making a comeback at the gate over the summer, especially if the team begins playing better.
"This town right now is [all about] Lakers playoffs — those tickets are extremely hot, and in this economic time people are trying to save money with gas prices so high," Lee told TicketNews. "And luxuries like this, they want to make sure they spend their money wisely. So they might want to spend more of the money on Lakers tickets, if that's the only ticket they can buy now."
The Dodgers also have a handful of young stars who could help the franchise turn things around, on and off the field. Outfielder Andre Ethier has a 27-game hitting streak, the longest by a Dodger since the team moved to Los Angeles, while fellow outfielder Matt Kemp is hitting .373. Starting pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley, meanwhile, both have ace potential.
The Dodgers fell to 14-15 with their loss to the Padres Sunday, May 1 and are in second place in the NL West, 4.5 games behind the Colorado Rockies in the NL West. That's tied for the biggest deficit faced by a second-place team, but only four teams in the NL have a winning record through Sunday, so it may not take much of a hot streak for the Dodgers to get into the playoff race.
"They're not great, they're not bad, but the thing is I think a lot of the fans believe the Dodgers are on the brink of being really good again," Lee said. "I think the fans believe that there are pieces on this team to make this team really good.
"It's not an ideal situation for the Dodgers [but] they're making the most out of it. They really are making efforts to show the fans that it's safe to come back to the park and [are trying to] put a good product out there. I think when the stories go away, people are going to come back to the park."

Who is Mr. Baseball in Philadelphia?

Today, Roy Halladay(notes), Cliff Lee(notes), Ryan Howard(notes) and Chase Utley(notes) could accurately be referred to as 'Mr. Baseball.' The Philadelphia Phillies are the toast of the town at the moment. Back in the day, Connie Mack owned the city. He and his Philadelphia Athletics were quite a story.
Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy
Connie Mack managed until he was 87 years old.
Sean O'Brien
'The Tall Tactician' also known by another nickname, Connie Mack, began his professional baseball playing career with the Washington Senators in 1886. He spent four years with them before shuffling off to Buffalo. After playing for the Buffalo Bisons in 1890, he went to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he would spend the last six years of his professional playing career.
Mack had versatile fielding skills. Though he mostly caught, he did spend time at every infield position except third base and also played in the outfield. He finished his career with a .930 fielding percentage and a .245 batting average.
Something happened while he was playing in Pittsburgh that changed his career and the history of baseball. Mack also took on the role of managing the team during the 1894 season. He went 12-10 at the end of that year and then managed two more seasons with the Pirates.
Driving from Pittsburgh to Philly
Mack retired as a player and as a manager in 1896. Five years came and went until he drove across the state of Pennsylvania and became the first manager of the newly formed Philadelphia Athletics in baseball's American League. He was in charge of that Philadelphia team for an astounding 50 years, leading the Athletics to 9 Pennants and 5 World Series Championships. He managed 7,755 total games through the 1950 season, winning 3,731 of them.
The ever dapper Mr. McGillicuddy always wore a suit while in the dugout and also held another interesting distinction. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame by Baseball's Centennial Committee in 1937. So, 'Mr. Baseball' managed for over a decade while being a member of one of sports most distinguished fraternities.
Most people don't have a stadium named, or a statue erected, in their honor. But, most people weren't like Connie Mack and never could have been.
Growing up in the Philadelphia region during the late 1970s and early 1980s naturally enabled everyone to become Philadelphia Phillies fans. My friends and I learned the game on little league fields, through trading cards, and by playing APBA. That era became an important part of our young lives.
Supportive family members and friends, as well as relentless persistence, created an opportunity for me to work in the front office for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in the early 1990s. Today, a new golden era has sparked a resurgence of baseball passion in everyone who never surrendered that feeling of their old school days.

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