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Santana was accused of sexual battery, but case dropped

Sporting News staff reports

Mets ace Johan Santana was accused of sexual battery last year, but prosecutors dropped the case due to lack of evidence, TMZ reports.

The website obtained a copy of a report filed by a woman with the Lee County, Fla., sheriff’s office on Oct. 28. In the report, the woman tells officials Santana sexually assaulted her when they were walking on a Fort Myers golf course the day before.

TMZ reports sheriff’s detectives met several times with the prosecutor from the State’s Attorney’s Office to review the case. Ultimately, "DNA evidence did prove there was intercourse, but, according to a Sheriff’s document, the prosecutor concluded, ‘There was not enough evidence to prove lack of consent, the alleged victim’s statement is not consistent with other witnesses.’ "

The case was closed out on Dec. 8.

"Johan denied the charges and was never charged with anything," a Santana representative tells the website. "As far as the law enforcement side of this goes, the case is closed."

Sporting News staff reports

Mets ace Johan Santana was accused of sexual battery last year, but prosecutors dropped the case due to lack of evidence, TMZ reports.

The case was closed out on Dec. 8.

"Johan denied the charges and was never charged with anything," a Santana representative tells the website. "As far as the law enforcement side of this goes, the case is closed."

Slumping Rays are down but definitely not out

In their first 12 seasons, the Rays owned the majors’ best record for just more than a month. Total. Those losing ways are history, of course. Tampa Bay has been one of the majors’ top teams for going on three seasons.

Wade Davis hasn’t won a game in June.

This season, in fact, the Rays had the majors’ best record for more than two months. Behind a strong rotation and the majors’ most athletic lineup, the Rays soared to 20 games over .500 on May 23 while building their lead to six games in baseball’s toughest division.

A month later, the Rays have been grounded. They have been caught not only by the Yankees but also by those other bullies in Boston. What’s going on? Glad you asked.

The pitching
The Rays own the AL’s best ERA but they won’t for much longer if the rotation continues to falter. Tampa Bay’s starters have posted a 5.76 ERA during the club’s 10-16 skid, after posting a major league-best 2.72 ERA through 44 games.

Rookie Wade Davis has led the struggles. Unable to locate his fastball, he walked five Padres and fell to 0-4 in four June starts in a 2-1 loss Tuesday night.

"Four and a third (innings) and 103 pitches," Rays manager Joe Maddon pointed out. "We have to do better than that. He’s got to reign in command of his fastball. We’ve talked about it all year."

Davis has had company. James Shields, the senior member of the rotation at 28, has lost five consecutive starts (he earned a win in relief Saturday), and Matt Garza has allowed 15 runs in his past three starts.

Only David Price and Jeff Niemann have managed to avoid a rough stretch.

The hitting
Theirs has been an erratic attack all season. Carlos Pena, the primary cleanup hitter, has a .198 batting average but 15 homers. B.J. Upton still is underachieving at .226/.316/.391. An All-Star last year, Jason Bartlett is at .232. The club hit .299 with runners in scoring position through their hot start but only .224 since. In the long season, such a disparity can be expected to eventually even out.

B.J. Upton has struggled at the plate.

"We need to regain the game of inches," Maddon said after a rally on Tuesday night was snuffed when a line drive hit baserunner John Jaso, preventing a first-and-third situation with the middle of the order coming up. "It’s one of those freaky moments that happen to everybody."

But with a lineup stocked with All-Stars, scoring hasn’t been much of a problem. The Rays still are tied for third in runs scored. Carl Crawford has been hot lately, Ben Zobrist has hit his stride and Evan Longoria has carried them all season.

The fans
OK, the Rays can’t blame their slump on a lack of support because they are used to playing inside of an echoing dome mostly full with empty seats. But the club has started to make its own noise about it.

Owner Stuart Sternberg held a news conference earlier this week to fire the first warning. As subtle as he was in saying that the club needs to explore potential stadium sites outside of St. Petersburg, his message was clear: If the situation doesn’t improve, there will be some kind of move long before the club’s lease at the Tropicana Field expires in 2027.

"The facts are too persuasive to ignore," Sternberg said at the news conference. "Baseball will not work long term in downtown St. Petersburg."

Though the club is winning and playing as entertaining a brand of ball as any team, about the only times it draws 20,000 fans are when the Yankees, Red Sox or Barenaked Ladies visit. As a result of the lack of support, the Rays likely won’t be linked to any of the big-name players who will be available before the nonwaiver trading deadline.

If a team is a contender and no one’s around to see it … ?

The division
As the Rays roared through the first six weeks, the Red Sox dealt with injury and pitching woes to the point that they were teetering on a lost season. The turnaround for both teams began when Boston swept three games in Tampa Bay in the last week of May.

Just like that it seems, the Red Sox are back in their accustomed spot of contending. No one in Tampa Bay is surprised. "You’re just waiting for them to get their stuff together and they have," Maddon says. "We’re almost at the All-Star break."

The Rays have plenty of chances to pay back the Red Sox. Beginning with a two-game set at Fenway Park next week, 11 of the Rays’ 18 dates with the Red Sox remain. Tampa Bay also has 13 games left with the Yankees on a schedule that continues to draw Maddon’s criticism.

"Playing four teams 80 times in a season is ridiculous," says the manager, in a slight exaggeration (they actually play each division rival 18 times, not 20). "I would prefer a more balanced schedule."

In such a deep division, Maddon knows the significance of a strong start. In 2008, the Rays vaulted into contention early and went all the way to the World Series. In ’09, they weren’t able to overcome their 9-14 April.

"When you don’t get off to a good start in this division, that’s when you can get buried," Maddon says. "We got the wonderful start but we’ve been scuffling a bit as of late. That’s going to happen. I really was pushing for a good start knowing something like this would eventually happen."

Indeed the Rays’ heads remain way above water. Getting them back to the top, however, will not be easy.

Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.

Sponsored link: Rays tickets available

Wade Davis hasn’t won a game in June.

A month later, the Rays have been grounded. They have been caught not only by the Yankees but also by those other bullies in Boston. What’s going on? Glad you asked.

Rookie Wade Davis has led the struggles. Unable to locate his fastball, he walked five Padres and fell to 0-4 in four June starts in a 2-1 loss Tuesday night.

"Four and a third (innings) and 103 pitches," Rays manager Joe Maddon pointed out. "We have to do better than that. He’s got to reign in command of his fastball. We’ve talked about it all year."

Only David Price and Jeff Niemann have managed to avoid a rough stretch.

B.J. Upton has struggled at the plate.

"The facts are too persuasive to ignore," Sternberg said at the news conference. "Baseball will not work long term in downtown St. Petersburg."

If a team is a contender and no one’s around to see it … ?

Indeed the Rays’ heads remain way above water. Getting them back to the top, however, will not be easy.

Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.

Sponsored link: Rays tickets available

Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe: ‘We just have to be more efficient … and not beat ourselves’

As the favorite red-zone target of Brett Favre, Visanthe Shiancoe scored the second-most touchdowns (11) among tight ends last season. At 6-4, 250, he’s easy to find and creates plenty of matchup problems for defensive backs. Shiancoe talked to Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer about his upcoming youth camp, his first season with Favre and how tough it is to play in the NFC North:

Visanthe Shiancoe’s 11 TD receptions last season equaled the number he had in his first six years in the NFL.

Q: Can you tell us more about the special event you have coming up for the offseason?
A: I am working with the Cardinals’ Darnell Dockett at a football camp for high school-age kids. It’s free, and we expect about 300 kids from the D.C. area in attendance. We’re having it June 28, in Maryland. We’ll be helping them a lot with the individual drills.

Q: What’s the mind-set of you and your Vikings’ teammates after just falling short of the Super Bowl last season?
A: You just have to rebound. You can’t think too much about last year, and just move forward to doing better the coming season. This offseason has become a learning process. Yeah, we made some mistakes in the game that—not to take anything away from the Saints—maybe cost us. We just have to work on not making them again.

Q: What’s been the offseason like for you, personally?
A: I’ve been doing the usual—working out, staying in shape, trying to come back a little faster, a little stronger.

Q: How fun was it playing in the Vikings’ offense last season?
A: It’s like we had all the pieces of the puzzles filled in for a finished product. The young guys came through. It’s a player-friendly West Coast style, where it’s easy to get to get everyone involved.

Q: And what was it like with Brett Favre running that show?
A: Brett was here to orchestrate it all. He makes great decisions and trusts his receiver corps. He works with your strengths and takes your game to the next level. With Brett’s experience from being around different personnel and dealing with some adversity, he has great people skills. He recognizes your strengths and weaknesses.

Q: Obviously, the offense caters well to tight ends. What stands out when it comes to your game?
A: It’s an especially tight end-friendly offense. It’s give and take. Take away the tight end, and the outside receivers are open. If you don’t hold the down the middle of the field, it opens the tight end for several catches. I know my position is a crucial part when it comes to the offense flourishing.

Q: You’ve said you’re hopeful Favre comes back, but how has Tarvaris Jackson improved in the past year?
A: Nothing will change in our offensive approach if it’s Tarvaris. He has done a lot of growing up over the past year, getting more comfortable while learning, watching. Having Favre ahead of him was a blessing in that sense. His development has been overshadowed because he’s now doing it behind the scenes. If it turns out he’ll need to "re-debut," he’ll be ready.

Q: It seems like everyone in the NFC North is reloading to gun for your title. How would you assess the division?
A: When most people talk about our division, it’s "Black and Blue," physical and run-oriented. As an offensive player, we experience a lot of box defenses, where at safety or linebacker, they’re man-on-man, trying to be as a physical as possible. Those are the key matchups for a tight end, trying to draw the attention away. The safeties in this division play smash-mouth, and then you have the disruptive linebackers, like in the 3-4 in Green Bay. In that sense, we play in the hardest division.

Q: What do you say to those who think the Vikings’ playoff window is closing?
A: Those are just opinions that don’t mean much. I don’t like to pay attention to "he say, she say." There were those who doubted what Favre could do last season. We can only control what we do on the field.

Q: The Vikings added more depth behind Adrian Peterson and it’s been well-documented they are helping him with his ball security. What can we expect from him this season?
A: I think he’s explosive as he’s ever been. He’s dedicated to work on his weaknesses. I see it every day, and I think he’ll be even better, more confident.

Q: What’s the key for the Vikings to get back to the NFC championship game this season?
A: We’re excited to be able to start off the season with a rematch of the NFC championship against the Saints. So we’ll know a lot about our team early. We know we have the great players on offense, defense and special teams to get back there. We just have to be more efficient, do all the little things and not beat ourselves.

Vinnie Iyer is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at viyer@sportingnews.com.

Visanthe Shiancoe’s 11 TD receptions last season equaled the number he had in his first six years in the NFL.

Q: What’s been the offseason like for you, personally?
A: I’ve been doing the usual—working out, staying in shape, trying to come back a little faster, a little stronger.

Vinnie Iyer is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at viyer@sportingnews.com.

Marlins fire manager Fredi Gonzalez

Associated Press

BALTIMORE — Fredi Gonzalez was fired as manager of the Florida Marlins on Wednesday, with the team owner saying "we can do better and be better."

The Marlins are 34-36 following a win over Baltimore on Tuesday night. Florida began the day in fourth place in the NL East, 7 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta.

Edwin Rodriguez, who has spent the past 1 1/2 seasons as manager of Triple-A New Orleans, takes over as manager on an interim basis.

Also fired were bench coach Carlos Tosca and hitting coach Jim Presley. They were replaced on an interim basis by Brandon Hyde and John Mallee.

"We owe it to our fans to put this team in the best possible position to win," owner Jeffrey Loria said in a statement. "Everyone knows how I feel about winning. That’s the reason we’re making this change."

Gonzalez did not immediately return a phone call or a text message seeking comment.

In three-plus seasons as the Marlins’ manager, Gonzalez was 276-279. Before the 2009 season, he received a contract extension through 2011.

Gonzalez is the third manager to lose his job this season. The others are Dave Trembley at Baltimore and Trey Hillman at Kansas City.

When last season ended, Gonzalez’s job was considered in jeopardy because Loria was upset that the Marlins failed to make the playoffs, although they finished 12 games above .500 with the smallest payroll in baseball. Several times this year Loria denied Gonzalez should be worried about his job security, most recently at the start of a trip May 7 in Washington.

But at the start of spring training, Loria had made it clear he had high hopes this season.

"I expect us to make the playoffs," he said. "We’ve got all the ammunition we need."

That comment ratcheted up expectations for a team that outscored opponents by six runs last season and made no major offseason additions. Payroll this season is about $45 million, the highest since 2005 but still third-lowest in the NL.

The firing could add to speculation that Gonzalez will be on the list of possible sucessors in Atlanta for Bobby Cox, who plans to retire after the season. Gonzalez was Atlanta’s third-base coach under Cox before getting hired by the Marlins, and remains very close with the longtime Braves’ skipper.

Gonzalez has kept his ties to Atlanta; his family still makes its year-round home in a suburb not far from the Braves’ ballpark.

Loria replaced Jeff Torborg with Jack McKeon in May 2003, when the Marlins began an improbable run to the World Series title. In 2006, Gonzalez was hired to replace Joe Girardi, fired after only one season shortly before he was chosen NL manager of the year.

Girardi brought a drill-sergeant approach to the job, while Gonzalez’s low-key personality made him more of a players’ manager. One possible replacement, Bobby Valentine, would be another drill sergeant.

In 2009, Valentine ended a six-year run as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Pacific League. He managed the Texas Rangers when Loria owned that organization’s Triple-A team in Oklahoma in 1989-92.

Valentine led the New York Mets to the World Series in 2000, where they lost to the Yankees. He reached the postseason twice in 15 years with the Rangers and Mets. His career record is 1,117-1,072. He’s currently working for ESPN.

Rodriguez is in his eighth season with the Marlins’ organization. Before his stay in New Orleans, he spent two years as manager of Single-A Greensboro and two seasons as manager of the GCL Marlins. He also was the hitting coach for the Double-A Carolina Mudcats.

While the Marlins seemed upbeat following their first two-game winning streak since June 10-11, second baseman Dan Uggla said the team is still coming together.

"We’re not necessarily concerned with the .500 mark because once we do get back to it we need to keep going," Uggla said after Tuesday night’s game. "Right now we’re all about winning and coming together as a team. We can’t waste any more time. We have to make a move."

The move came Wednesday, with Loria optimistic his Marlins, who missed the playoffs last year after finishing 12 games over .500 with the league’s smallest payroll, can make a run at the postseason.

"We still have a very long season in front of us, and plenty of time to turn things around," Loria said. "Everyone – our fans, our team, our organization, and myself – wants us to win. That continues to be, and will always be, the goal."