GOLF: Online gaming company Bodogbrand.com doesn’t really care what Tiger Woods does off the course. Other sponsors may have run from the sex scandal following Woods since November, but Bodog wants the No. 1 golfer and is offering him a $100 million deal with a "no moral judgment" clause, according to a report in London’s Daily Mail. "Bodog Brand is not telling Tiger ‘all is forgiven.’ In BodogBrand’s eyes, there is nothing to forgive," says Bodog founder Calvin Ayre.
CFB: Press-Register columnist Paul Finebaum has a very impassioned and descriptive take on all the expansion talk in the Big Ten. Have a look: "Imagine for a moment you are Jim Delany. Once the baddest man in collegiate athletics, today you have been reduced to being Mike Slive’s personal piñata. … Delany’s Buckeyes were punked by Florida in the BCS title game, 41-14. A couple of months later, in 2007, the Gators beat the Buckeyes for the NCAA basketball title. A double shot of castor oil for Delany. It was also about this time that Delany lost his manhood to Slive and the SEC commissioner simply won’t give it back."
High School Basketball: Four former basketball players at Carmel High School in Carmel, Ind., are in big trouble. They face a total of 13 misdemeanor charges in connection with an apparent hazing incident. But no one’s telling exactly what they did.
NFL: Keneche Udeze, who had to retire from the NFL to fight leukemia, recently graduated from USC with a degree in sociology. And he has a message for students that’s relevant for the rest of us. "Life very seldom goes where you want it to go," Udeze told the USC graduates, according to the USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences website. "But what are you going to do? Are you going to stand there and strike out when you have balls thrown at you? Or are you going to hit the ball and keep going?"
GOLF: Online gaming company Bodogbrand.com doesn’t really care what Tiger Woods does off the course. Other sponsors may have run from the sex scandal following Woods since November, but Bodog wants the No. 1 golfer and is offering him a $100 million deal with a "no moral judgment" clause, according to a report in London’s Daily Mail. "Bodog Brand is not telling Tiger ‘all is forgiven.’ In BodogBrand’s eyes, there is nothing to forgive," says Bodog founder Calvin Ayre.
CFB: Press-Register columnist Paul Finebaum has a very impassioned and descriptive take on all the expansion talk in the Big Ten. Have a look: "Imagine for a moment you are Jim Delany. Once the baddest man in collegiate athletics, today you have been reduced to being Mike Slive’s personal piñata. … Delany’s Buckeyes were punked by Florida in the BCS title game, 41-14. A couple of months later, in 2007, the Gators beat the Buckeyes for the NCAA basketball title. A double shot of castor oil for Delany. It was also about this time that Delany lost his manhood to Slive and the SEC commissioner simply won’t give it back."
High School Basketball: Four former basketball players at Carmel High School in Carmel, Ind., are in big trouble. They face a total of 13 misdemeanor charges in connection with an apparent hazing incident. But no one’s telling exactly what they did.
NFL: Keneche Udeze, who had to retire from the NFL to fight leukemia, recently graduated from USC with a degree in sociology. And he has a message for students that’s relevant for the rest of us. "Life very seldom goes where you want it to go," Udeze told the USC graduates, according to the USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences website. "But what are you going to do? Are you going to stand there and strike out when you have balls thrown at you? Or are you going to hit the ball and keep going?"
Sporting News staff reports
White Sox general manager Ken Williams tried to assure manager Ozzie Guillen that he isn’t about to tear up the team’s roster.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Williams told Guillen in a text message Sunday that it’s too early to trade anyone. Guillen then relayed that message to the players.
The text was in response to reports out of Chicago that Williams was talking with the Texas Rangers about catcher A.J. Pierzynski. With the White Sox starting slowly this season, local and national media have been speculating about who might be made available if Williams decides to make wholesale changes.
The Sun-Times reports any initial moves might involve the coaching staff. Hitting coach Greg Walker is a likely target as the White Sox struggle to score runs.
One player who wouldn’t like to see a fire sale is right-hander Jake Peavy. He waived his no-trade clause last year to join the White Sox in the belief the team could contend for a championship.
"At this point in my career, I certainly don’t want to be a part of any rebuilding process. I hope that would be understandable," Peavy told MLB.com on Monday before the Sox’s game in Detroit was rained out. "But I by no means have mailed it in on the 2010 White Sox."
Still, Peavy clearly understands what could happen if the situation doesn’t improve.
"I do understand how competitive Kenny is, as well as the rest of the front office. Then again, you have to evaluate things from a realistic standpoint," Peavy told MLB.com. "Kenny will do that, making moves for the betterment of the organization."
Peavy added: "You gotta do what you gotta do. Obviously those moves are directly determined by how well the team we have together plays. We haven’t played the way we thought we should."
Guillen said better performance is the best way to deal with the talk.
"Even if the rumors aren’t good, if you think you’re going to be traded, then play better," Guillen told reporters. "It’s easier for the guy that’s going to trade you, and it’s easier for the people that make the trade. You have to play good whether you’re staying or leaving. That’s all you have to do — play good for somebody."
Sporting News staff reports
White Sox general manager Ken Williams tried to assure manager Ozzie Guillen that he isn’t about to tear up the team’s roster.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Williams told Guillen in a text message Sunday that it’s too early to trade anyone. Guillen then relayed that message to the players.
The text was in response to reports out of Chicago that Williams was talking with the Texas Rangers about catcher A.J. Pierzynski. With the White Sox starting slowly this season, local and national media have been speculating about who might be made available if Williams decides to make wholesale changes.
The Sun-Times reports any initial moves might involve the coaching staff. Hitting coach Greg Walker is a likely target as the White Sox struggle to score runs.
One player who wouldn’t like to see a fire sale is right-hander Jake Peavy. He waived his no-trade clause last year to join the White Sox in the belief the team could contend for a championship.
"At this point in my career, I certainly don’t want to be a part of any rebuilding process. I hope that would be understandable," Peavy told MLB.com on Monday before the Sox’s game in Detroit was rained out. "But I by no means have mailed it in on the 2010 White Sox."
Still, Peavy clearly understands what could happen if the situation doesn’t improve.
"I do understand how competitive Kenny is, as well as the rest of the front office. Then again, you have to evaluate things from a realistic standpoint," Peavy told MLB.com. "Kenny will do that, making moves for the betterment of the organization."
Peavy added: "You gotta do what you gotta do. Obviously those moves are directly determined by how well the team we have together plays. We haven’t played the way we thought we should."
Guillen said better performance is the best way to deal with the talk.
"Even if the rumors aren’t good, if you think you’re going to be traded, then play better," Guillen told reporters. "It’s easier for the guy that’s going to trade you, and it’s easier for the people that make the trade. You have to play good whether you’re staying or leaving. That’s all you have to do — play good for somebody."
A sluggish start to an NFL season can seriously damage any team’s playoff hopes. As spring practices continue this week, here is a look at five teams that look destined to start faster than they did in 2009:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2009: Started 0-7, finished 3-13.
Josh Freeman should be more comfortable in his second season with the Bucs.
Why they will start faster: Four of their first six are at home, including games against the Browns, Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger and Rams. With a year under his belt, quarterback Josh Freeman will be better. And the front office gave Freeman more help at wide receiver, drafting Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams, trading for Reggie Brown and signing Mark Bradley. At least one starter should emerge from that bunch, and maybe the competition will inspire Michael Clayton to play up to his capability.
On defense, the Buccaneers expect immediate impact from rookie defense tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price and free-agent safety Sean Jones should help the secondary.
Second-year coach Raheem Morris is better prepared to handle the job than last season, when he fired his offensive coordinator in preseason and then his defensive coordinator during the season. The defense improved after Morris took over as the coordinator, and he will maintain that role in ’10.
Are the Bucs a playoff team? No. But starting 0-7 is out of the question. If that happens, Morris soon would be out of a job.
Kansas City Chiefs
2009: Started 0-5, finished 4-12
Why they will start faster: Check their difficult early schedule, and you might want to argue. Four of their first five games are against teams that finished at least .500 last season. However, the Chiefs have upgraded their talent and the coaching staff also improved with the additions of Charlie Weis (offensive coordinator) and Romeo Crennel (defensive coordinator). During a recent telephone interview, quarterback Matt Cassel talked about the different feeling in the locker room during offseason workouts.
"Coming into Year 2 of coach (Todd) Haley’s tenure, I think people are a lot more comfortable and understand their roles," Cassel said. "When you look at the offensive side of the ball, with established guys like Thomas Jones (RB), Ryan Lilja (G) and Casey Wiegmann (C), we’ve added talent. And everyone in our locker room respects Charlie Weis."
The Chiefs have two backs coming off 1,000-yard seasons in Jamaal Charles and Jones. They drafted a safety, Eric Berry, with obvious star potential and a speed back with big-play ability, Dexter McCluster. Taking McCluster with the 36th pick means the Chiefs plan to incorporate him quickly.
The Chargers remain the class of the AFC West, but the Chiefs are headed in the right direction and will not start 0-5 again.
Miami Dolphins
2009: Started 0-3, finished 7-9.
Matt Moore will help the Panthers run their power offense more efficiently.
Why they will start faster: Trading for one of the league’s best wide receivers, Brandon Marshall, takes their offense to a different level. And nobody can accuse the Dolphins of sugar-coating last year’s defensive problems. They hired a proven defensive coordinator in Mike Nolan, signed star linebacker Karlos Dansby in free agency and said adios to aging veterans Joey Porter and Jason Taylor. And seven of their eight draft picks last month were defensive players, including defensive ends Jared Odrick and outside linebacker Koa Misi.
Battling the Jets and Patriots in the AFC East, the Dolphins cannot afford another slow start. They open the regular season on the road against the Bills and Vikings and then return home to face the Jets and Patriots. The Dolphins defeated both the Jets and Patriots in South Florida last season, and unlike last season expect the Dolphins to start no worse than 2-2.
Carolina Panthers
2009: Started 0-3, finished 8-8
Why they will start faster: Matt Moore figures to hold off Jimmy Clausen as the starting quarterback as long as the Panthers stay in the playoff hunt. With Moore taking care of the ball far better than predecessor Jake Delhomme, the Panthers again can be a ball-control, power-running team featuring DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.
The Panthers were 3-1 with Moore as their starter late last season and by season’s end were playing like one of the NFC’s better teams. Losing Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers will hurt the pass rush, but the Panthers play four of their first six games at home, making the kind of start they had last season unlikely.
Tennessee Titans
2009: Started 0-6, finished 8-8.
Why they will start faster: During a recent telephone interview, safety Michael Griffin said the Titans were determined not to relive another nightmare start.
"We learned the hard way," Griffin said. "We play in one of the toughest divisions, and we have to come out ready from Week 1. Yes, guys who’ve been here a long time are not here this offseason—guys like Kyle Vanden Bosch, Keith Bulluck and Kevin Mawae. But you can also see a lot of young guys stepping up, taking on bigger roles.
"We still have plenty of talent, just like two years ago, when we were 13-3."
All-Pro running back Chris Johnson is unhappy with his contract, but having a bad season will not help him get paid. When it matters, Johnson figures to play and play well. Ditto for quarterback Vince Young, who has reclaimed the starting job and rejuvenated his career.
Three of the Titans’ first four are at home—Week 1 vs. the Raiders, Week 2 vs. the Steelers minus Roethlisberger and Week 4 vs. the Broncos. Do you see the Titans losing all of those games? Me either.
Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.
A sluggish start to an NFL season can seriously damage any team’s playoff hopes. As spring practices continue this week, here is a look at five teams that look destined to start faster than they did in 2009:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2009: Started 0-7, finished 3-13.
Josh Freeman should be more comfortable in his second season with the Bucs.
Why they will start faster: Four of their first six are at home, including games against the Browns, Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger and Rams. With a year under his belt, quarterback Josh Freeman will be better. And the front office gave Freeman more help at wide receiver, drafting Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams, trading for Reggie Brown and signing Mark Bradley. At least one starter should emerge from that bunch, and maybe the competition will inspire Michael Clayton to play up to his capability.
On defense, the Buccaneers expect immediate impact from rookie defense tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price and free-agent safety Sean Jones should help the secondary.
Second-year coach Raheem Morris is better prepared to handle the job than last season, when he fired his offensive coordinator in preseason and then his defensive coordinator during the season. The defense improved after Morris took over as the coordinator, and he will maintain that role in ’10.
Are the Bucs a playoff team? No. But starting 0-7 is out of the question. If that happens, Morris soon would be out of a job.
Kansas City Chiefs
2009: Started 0-5, finished 4-12
Why they will start faster: Check their difficult early schedule, and you might want to argue. Four of their first five games are against teams that finished at least .500 last season. However, the Chiefs have upgraded their talent and the coaching staff also improved with the additions of Charlie Weis (offensive coordinator) and Romeo Crennel (defensive coordinator). During a recent telephone interview, quarterback Matt Cassel talked about the different feeling in the locker room during offseason workouts.
"Coming into Year 2 of coach (Todd) Haley’s tenure, I think people are a lot more comfortable and understand their roles," Cassel said. "When you look at the offensive side of the ball, with established guys like Thomas Jones (RB), Ryan Lilja (G) and Casey Wiegmann (C), we’ve added talent. And everyone in our locker room respects Charlie Weis."
The Chiefs have two backs coming off 1,000-yard seasons in Jamaal Charles and Jones. They drafted a safety, Eric Berry, with obvious star potential and a speed back with big-play ability, Dexter McCluster. Taking McCluster with the 36th pick means the Chiefs plan to incorporate him quickly.
The Chargers remain the class of the AFC West, but the Chiefs are headed in the right direction and will not start 0-5 again.
Miami Dolphins
2009: Started 0-3, finished 7-9.
Matt Moore will help the Panthers run their power offense more efficiently.
Why they will start faster: Trading for one of the league’s best wide receivers, Brandon Marshall, takes their offense to a different level. And nobody can accuse the Dolphins of sugar-coating last year’s defensive problems. They hired a proven defensive coordinator in Mike Nolan, signed star linebacker Karlos Dansby in free agency and said adios to aging veterans Joey Porter and Jason Taylor. And seven of their eight draft picks last month were defensive players, including defensive ends Jared Odrick and outside linebacker Koa Misi.
Battling the Jets and Patriots in the AFC East, the Dolphins cannot afford another slow start. They open the regular season on the road against the Bills and Vikings and then return home to face the Jets and Patriots. The Dolphins defeated both the Jets and Patriots in South Florida last season, and unlike last season expect the Dolphins to start no worse than 2-2.
Carolina Panthers
2009: Started 0-3, finished 8-8
Why they will start faster: Matt Moore figures to hold off Jimmy Clausen as the starting quarterback as long as the Panthers stay in the playoff hunt. With Moore taking care of the ball far better than predecessor Jake Delhomme, the Panthers again can be a ball-control, power-running team featuring DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.
The Panthers were 3-1 with Moore as their starter late last season and by season’s end were playing like one of the NFC’s better teams. Losing Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers will hurt the pass rush, but the Panthers play four of their first six games at home, making the kind of start they had last season unlikely.
Tennessee Titans
2009: Started 0-6, finished 8-8.
Why they will start faster: During a recent telephone interview, safety Michael Griffin said the Titans were determined not to relive another nightmare start.
"We learned the hard way," Griffin said. "We play in one of the toughest divisions, and we have to come out ready from Week 1. Yes, guys who’ve been here a long time are not here this offseason—guys like Kyle Vanden Bosch, Keith Bulluck and Kevin Mawae. But you can also see a lot of young guys stepping up, taking on bigger roles.
"We still have plenty of talent, just like two years ago, when we were 13-3."
All-Pro running back Chris Johnson is unhappy with his contract, but having a bad season will not help him get paid. When it matters, Johnson figures to play and play well. Ditto for quarterback Vince Young, who has reclaimed the starting job and rejuvenated his career.
Three of the Titans’ first four are at home—Week 1 vs. the Raiders, Week 2 vs. the Steelers minus Roethlisberger and Week 4 vs. the Broncos. Do you see the Titans losing all of those games? Me either.
Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.
Drew Storen was on the phone last fall, not long after he completed his dominating (2-0, 0.66 ERA, four saves) spin through the Arizona Fall League.
Drew Storen joins the Nats bullpen.
Storen, the 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft, talked about how he saw his Washington Nationals as a franchise on the rise, and he talked about building on his first professional season and the possibility of making his big-league debut at some point in 2010.
"Hoping to be an impact guy next year," he said. "That’s the one goal I do have. If I am able to pitch in the big leagues next year, that I’m going to be an impact guy and not just a guy who’s there for some coffee, just kind of hanging out. I want to be a guy that’s a factor."
Sponsored link: Nationals tickets available
He’s getting that wish.
Storen was called up from Triple-A Syracuse this weekend to join a Washington bullpen that has been very effective, but also heavily used. His powerful right arm—he’s expected to eventually take over as the team’s closer—will be a welcome boost for a Nationals team that is in the thick of the wild-card race after back-to-back 59-win seasons. Anyway, on to the poll (where the Nationals are 14th this week).
1. Rays (1). They enter the week 26-11—two full games better than any other team in baseball—despite the fact that four starters—catcher Dioner Navarro, first baseman Carlos Pena, shortstop Jason Bartlett and center fielder B.J. Upton—are batting .236 or worse. Pena, especially, is struggling. He has just three hits in his past 49 at-bats (.061)
2. Yankees (2). Nick Swisher is quietly putting up one of his most productive seasons. He has seven homers and 24 RBIs entering the week, and his .293 average, .537 slugging percentage and .915 OPS are all above his career bests.
3. Phillies (4). Philly’s finest are 11-3 in May. The Phillies are 9-1 against the NL Central so far this year, and the Pirates and Cubs are in town for series this week.
4. Twins (3). Despite ERAs that range from 2.63 to 4.93 and WHIPs that range from 1.101 to 1.564, all five Twins starters have four wins on the year. Yet another reason the big "W" is an overrated stat.
5. Blue Jays (8). Entering the week, Vernon Wells, Alex Gonzalez and Jose Bautista have identical home run and RBI totals (10 homers, 29 RBIs). Their averages—.298, .256, .241, respectively—aren’t too similar, though.
6. Padres (6). Odd week for the Padres. They went into San Francisco and swept the Giants—they’re now 6-0 against them this year—and then were swept at home by the surging Dodgers.
7. Reds (14). Seven wins in eight tries—including two of three against the Cardinals—vaulted the Reds to first place in the NL Central. The last time they were in first this late in the season was 2006, when they were tied for first place for one day after a win on Aug. 24.
8. Giants (7). Future star catcher Buster Posey is crushing the ball at Triple-A (.346 average, .985 OPS) but the Giants feel no need to rush him because starter Bengie Molina (.330) and backup Eli Whiteside (.324) are helping the parent club offensively.
9. Tigers (12). Bold moves by the front office this weekend, demoting starting pitcher Max Scherzer and second baseman Scott Sizemore to the minors to work out their struggles.
10. Dodgers (18). After his disastrous start against Milwaukee on May 4 (seven earned runs in 1 1/3 innings in an 11-6 loss), Clayton Kershaw has been dominant. In two starts since then, the young lefty has allowed just 10 baserunners and one earned run in 15 innings.
11. Marlins (19). The Marlins’ four-game series against the Mets started with a 2-1 pitchers’ duel and ended with a 10-8 slugfest, but all four games had the same outcome—a Marlins win. The sweep pushed Florida two games over .500 for the first time in three weeks.
Vlad Guerrero has been hitting like his old self.
12. Rangers (9). Hard to imagine where the Rangers would be without Vlad Guerrero and his .336 average and 31 RBIs this season.
13. Cardinals (5). Rough stretch for the Cardinals. They’ve lost nine times in their past 12 games; they’ve scored more than three runs just once in those nine losses.
14. Nationals (11). Since opening the season with a pair of bad outings, Scott Olsen is 2-0 with a 1.11 ERA in his past five starts. In his worst start of the stretch, he gave up two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.
15. Rockies (16). Was there a more important start on Sunday than the one turned in by left-hander Jeff Francis? In his first game since 2008, the former ace gave up just one run in seven innings. Adding a healthy Francis—he won 17 games with a 4.22 ERA in 2007—to the rotation would be huge for the Rockies.
16. Red Sox (15). Still not time to panic, Red Sox fans. Lots of baseball left to play. Ignore this disconcerting fact: 24 of the other 29 teams in baseball enter the week closer to first place in their own division than the Red Sox, who are 7 1/2 games behind the Rays in the AL East.
17. Braves (23). Eric Hinske has taken over as the starter in left field, and he’s rewarding that decision—he’s 9-for-17 (.529 average) with eight RBIs in his past five games.
18. Angels (22). Angels pitchers allowed just three runs in the three-game sweep of the A’s last weekend. Joe Saunders and Joel Pineiro both fired complete-game shutouts.
19. A’s (10). Getting swept in Anaheim was the end of a nasty road trip for the A’s, who also lost two of three to the Rangers.
20. Mets (13). Since reaching a high-water mark of five games over .500 on the last day of April, the Mets have gone 4-11 and enter the week in last place in the NL East.
Andrew McCutchen has been a bright spot for the Pirates.
21. Pirates (20). Please, somebody notice Andrew McCutchen. Kid’s hitting .340—that’s 76 points higher than anyone else on the team—with a .915 OPS, five homers and 12 stolen bases.
22. Indians (28). Great googlymoogly. Austin Kearns is batting .330 and tied for the team lead with 20 RBIs.
23. Cubs (21). Just like the division rival Cardinals, the Cubs are 3-9 in their past 12 games. Of course, the Cardinals were 18-8 at the start of the skid; the Cubs were 13-13.
24. White Sox (25). It’s been a rough season for the White Sox, but Alex Rios has been a bright spot. After struggling horribly last year for the Pale Hose, Rios enters the week with a .318 batting average, seven homers and 12 stolen bases.
25. Brewers (17). Sure, Casey McGehee had a breakthrough rookie season for the Brewers last year, but who could have imagined he’d be leading the Brew Crew—with Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder healthy—in homers and RBIs 37 games into the season?
26. Diamondbacks (24). Yes, many players who come from the AL to the NL post better numbers in the Senior Circuit. Not Edwin Jackson, though. He was an AL All-Star last year; he has a 7.43 ERA through eight starts for the D-backs this year.
27. Mariners (26). How bad is the Seattle offense? Despite ERAs of 1.72, 2.08, 2.93 and 3.88 from their four top starters, the Mariners are nine games under .500 entering the week. The M’s are dead last in the AL in runs scored.
28. Royals (29). Well, Trey Hillman is gone. Let’s see if that works.
29. Astros (30). You’ve probably seen this by now, but it’s worth repeating. Bud Norris is 4-0 with an 0.35 ERA against the Cardinals, and 4-7 with a 7.03 ERA against everyone else. Amazing stuff.
30. Orioles (27). Well, Nolan Reimold and Rhyne Hughes were demoted. Let’s see if that works.
Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.
Drew Storen was on the phone last fall, not long after he completed his dominating (2-0, 0.66 ERA, four saves) spin through the Arizona Fall League.
Drew Storen joins the Nats bullpen.
Storen, the 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft, talked about how he saw his Washington Nationals as a franchise on the rise, and he talked about building on his first professional season and the possibility of making his big-league debut at some point in 2010.
"Hoping to be an impact guy next year," he said. "That’s the one goal I do have. If I am able to pitch in the big leagues next year, that I’m going to be an impact guy and not just a guy who’s there for some coffee, just kind of hanging out. I want to be a guy that’s a factor."
Sponsored link: Nationals tickets available
He’s getting that wish.
Storen was called up from Triple-A Syracuse this weekend to join a Washington bullpen that has been very effective, but also heavily used. His powerful right arm—he’s expected to eventually take over as the team’s closer—will be a welcome boost for a Nationals team that is in the thick of the wild-card race after back-to-back 59-win seasons. Anyway, on to the poll (where the Nationals are 14th this week).
1. Rays (1). They enter the week 26-11—two full games better than any other team in baseball—despite the fact that four starters—catcher Dioner Navarro, first baseman Carlos Pena, shortstop Jason Bartlett and center fielder B.J. Upton—are batting .236 or worse. Pena, especially, is struggling. He has just three hits in his past 49 at-bats (.061)
2. Yankees (2). Nick Swisher is quietly putting up one of his most productive seasons. He has seven homers and 24 RBIs entering the week, and his .293 average, .537 slugging percentage and .915 OPS are all above his career bests.
3. Phillies (4). Philly’s finest are 11-3 in May. The Phillies are 9-1 against the NL Central so far this year, and the Pirates and Cubs are in town for series this week.
4. Twins (3). Despite ERAs that range from 2.63 to 4.93 and WHIPs that range from 1.101 to 1.564, all five Twins starters have four wins on the year. Yet another reason the big "W" is an overrated stat.
5. Blue Jays (8). Entering the week, Vernon Wells, Alex Gonzalez and Jose Bautista have identical home run and RBI totals (10 homers, 29 RBIs). Their averages—.298, .256, .241, respectively—aren’t too similar, though.
6. Padres (6). Odd week for the Padres. They went into San Francisco and swept the Giants—they’re now 6-0 against them this year—and then were swept at home by the surging Dodgers.
7. Reds (14). Seven wins in eight tries—including two of three against the Cardinals—vaulted the Reds to first place in the NL Central. The last time they were in first this late in the season was 2006, when they were tied for first place for one day after a win on Aug. 24.
8. Giants (7). Future star catcher Buster Posey is crushing the ball at Triple-A (.346 average, .985 OPS) but the Giants feel no need to rush him because starter Bengie Molina (.330) and backup Eli Whiteside (.324) are helping the parent club offensively.
9. Tigers (12). Bold moves by the front office this weekend, demoting starting pitcher Max Scherzer and second baseman Scott Sizemore to the minors to work out their struggles.
10. Dodgers (18). After his disastrous start against Milwaukee on May 4 (seven earned runs in 1 1/3 innings in an 11-6 loss), Clayton Kershaw has been dominant. In two starts since then, the young lefty has allowed just 10 baserunners and one earned run in 15 innings.
11. Marlins (19). The Marlins’ four-game series against the Mets started with a 2-1 pitchers’ duel and ended with a 10-8 slugfest, but all four games had the same outcome—a Marlins win. The sweep pushed Florida two games over .500 for the first time in three weeks.
Vlad Guerrero has been hitting like his old self.
12. Rangers (9). Hard to imagine where the Rangers would be without Vlad Guerrero and his .336 average and 31 RBIs this season.
13. Cardinals (5). Rough stretch for the Cardinals. They’ve lost nine times in their past 12 games; they’ve scored more than three runs just once in those nine losses.
14. Nationals (11). Since opening the season with a pair of bad outings, Scott Olsen is 2-0 with a 1.11 ERA in his past five starts. In his worst start of the stretch, he gave up two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.
15. Rockies (16). Was there a more important start on Sunday than the one turned in by left-hander Jeff Francis? In his first game since 2008, the former ace gave up just one run in seven innings. Adding a healthy Francis—he won 17 games with a 4.22 ERA in 2007—to the rotation would be huge for the Rockies.
16. Red Sox (15). Still not time to panic, Red Sox fans. Lots of baseball left to play. Ignore this disconcerting fact: 24 of the other 29 teams in baseball enter the week closer to first place in their own division than the Red Sox, who are 7 1/2 games behind the Rays in the AL East.
17. Braves (23). Eric Hinske has taken over as the starter in left field, and he’s rewarding that decision—he’s 9-for-17 (.529 average) with eight RBIs in his past five games.
18. Angels (22). Angels pitchers allowed just three runs in the three-game sweep of the A’s last weekend. Joe Saunders and Joel Pineiro both fired complete-game shutouts.
19. A’s (10). Getting swept in Anaheim was the end of a nasty road trip for the A’s, who also lost two of three to the Rangers.
20. Mets (13). Since reaching a high-water mark of five games over .500 on the last day of April, the Mets have gone 4-11 and enter the week in last place in the NL East.
Andrew McCutchen has been a bright spot for the Pirates.
21. Pirates (20). Please, somebody notice Andrew McCutchen. Kid’s hitting .340—that’s 76 points higher than anyone else on the team—with a .915 OPS, five homers and 12 stolen bases.
22. Indians (28). Great googlymoogly. Austin Kearns is batting .330 and tied for the team lead with 20 RBIs.
23. Cubs (21). Just like the division rival Cardinals, the Cubs are 3-9 in their past 12 games. Of course, the Cardinals were 18-8 at the start of the skid; the Cubs were 13-13.
24. White Sox (25). It’s been a rough season for the White Sox, but Alex Rios has been a bright spot. After struggling horribly last year for the Pale Hose, Rios enters the week with a .318 batting average, seven homers and 12 stolen bases.
25. Brewers (17). Sure, Casey McGehee had a breakthrough rookie season for the Brewers last year, but who could have imagined he’d be leading the Brew Crew—with Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder healthy—in homers and RBIs 37 games into the season?
26. Diamondbacks (24). Yes, many players who come from the AL to the NL post better numbers in the Senior Circuit. Not Edwin Jackson, though. He was an AL All-Star last year; he has a 7.43 ERA through eight starts for the D-backs this year.
27. Mariners (26). How bad is the Seattle offense? Despite ERAs of 1.72, 2.08, 2.93 and 3.88 from their four top starters, the Mariners are nine games under .500 entering the week. The M’s are dead last in the AL in runs scored.
28. Royals (29). Well, Trey Hillman is gone. Let’s see if that works.
29. Astros (30). You’ve probably seen this by now, but it’s worth repeating. Bud Norris is 4-0 with an 0.35 ERA against the Cardinals, and 4-7 with a 7.03 ERA against everyone else. Amazing stuff.
30. Orioles (27). Well, Nolan Reimold and Rhyne Hughes were demoted. Let’s see if that works.
Ryan Fagan is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at rfagan@sportingnews.com, and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ryan_fagan.
NFL: Advice to doctors: Don’t treat NFL players unless you’re ready to lose your shirt. "Everyone has known from the beginning that this job is idiotic from a medical and legal standpoint," said Dr. Robert Huizenga, the Raiders doctor for eight years who wrote the book You’re OK, It’s Just A Bruise. "You are dealing with a group of individuals who have unrealistic expectations and no one is going to insure you for what you’re doing." Much more lucrative: Being the team doc for "The Biggest Loser."
• Fly’s pals over at ProFootballTalk.com are always good for snarky comments on Brett Favre. PFT relates owner Woody Johnson’s praise for the one-year-Jet, "It was a privilege to have him in the building. What a great experience it was to have him here. I think he helped the franchise. What he gave to the locker room is still there." And follows it with the zinger: ("Maybe he left his pants on the ground.")
NBA: Fly understands you must be an optimist to be a Clippers fan. But holding a rally to try to convince LeBron James to join L.A.’s other NBA team proves these folks have rose-colored glasses. As Ben Maller writes, "It could be real ugly if 15 fans show up in Clippers gear. This was all started via a gorilla marketing campaign on Facebook." The rally is scheduled for May 27 at Staples Center, the same night the Lakers and Suns are scheduled for Game 5 of their series.
WNBA: On the redemption trail, Marion Jones plays her first 3 minutes in the WNBA, and USA Today scribe Vicki Michaelis has the story on life after a PED bust.
NASCAR: Scribe Greg Engle sticks a fork in Sam Hornish Jr.’s Cup career and suggests he go back to the open wheel side of the motorsports fence. The good news in Hornish’s 2010 campaign is that his car has been running at the end of 11 of 12 starts. The bad news: His best finish is 13th, he has five finishes in the 30s and he has only four finishes on the lead lap.
NFL: Advice to doctors: Don’t treat NFL players unless you’re ready to lose your shirt. "Everyone has known from the beginning that this job is idiotic from a medical and legal standpoint," said Dr. Robert Huizenga, the Raiders doctor for eight years who wrote the book You’re OK, It’s Just A Bruise. "You are dealing with a group of individuals who have unrealistic expectations and no one is going to insure you for what you’re doing." Much more lucrative: Being the team doc for "The Biggest Loser."
• Fly’s pals over at ProFootballTalk.com are always good for snarky comments on Brett Favre. PFT relates owner Woody Johnson’s praise for the one-year-Jet, "It was a privilege to have him in the building. What a great experience it was to have him here. I think he helped the franchise. What he gave to the locker room is still there." And follows it with the zinger: ("Maybe he left his pants on the ground.")
NBA: Fly understands you must be an optimist to be a Clippers fan. But holding a rally to try to convince LeBron James to join L.A.’s other NBA team proves these folks have rose-colored glasses. As Ben Maller writes, "It could be real ugly if 15 fans show up in Clippers gear. This was all started via a gorilla marketing campaign on Facebook." The rally is scheduled for May 27 at Staples Center, the same night the Lakers and Suns are scheduled for Game 5 of their series.
WNBA: On the redemption trail, Marion Jones plays her first 3 minutes in the WNBA, and USA Today scribe Vicki Michaelis has the story on life after a PED bust.
NASCAR: Scribe Greg Engle sticks a fork in Sam Hornish Jr.’s Cup career and suggests he go back to the open wheel side of the motorsports fence. The good news in Hornish’s 2010 campaign is that his car has been running at the end of 11 of 12 starts. The bad news: His best finish is 13th, he has five finishes in the 30s and he has only four finishes on the lead lap.
Sporting News staff reports
If the White Sox want to trade catcher A.J. Pierzynski before he can veto a deal, they reportedly have an interested suitor — the Rangers.
Texas has inquired about Pierzynski as it looks to shore up its catching situation, the Chicago Tribune’s Mark Gonzales reports. Gonzales adds that the White Sox are listening.
Pierzynski, 33, will gain no-trade rights next month when he reaches 10 years of major league service time. He has spent the past five-plus seasons with the Sox.
Gonzales says the Rangers’ ownership situation complicates a possible trade; the team is still in the process of being sold, so it’s unclear how much of Pierzynski’s remaining salary Texas is willing to take. Pierzynski is due to make at least $6.25 million this season. He also can become a free agent in the offseason.
Chicago has an internal replacement for Pierzynski in Triple-A catcher Tyler Flowers.
Sporting News staff reports
If the White Sox want to trade catcher A.J. Pierzynski before he can veto a deal, they reportedly have an interested suitor — the Rangers.
Texas has inquired about Pierzynski as it looks to shore up its catching situation, the Chicago Tribune’s Mark Gonzales reports. Gonzales adds that the White Sox are listening.
Pierzynski, 33, will gain no-trade rights next month when he reaches 10 years of major league service time. He has spent the past five-plus seasons with the Sox.
Gonzales says the Rangers’ ownership situation complicates a possible trade; the team is still in the process of being sold, so it’s unclear how much of Pierzynski’s remaining salary Texas is willing to take. Pierzynski is due to make at least $6.25 million this season. He also can become a free agent in the offseason.
Chicago has an internal replacement for Pierzynski in Triple-A catcher Tyler Flowers.
When the Steelers resume offseason practices Tuesday, the focus will be on the quarterback position. With Ben Roethlisberger suspended for the first six games of the season (it could be reduced to four games by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell), Byron Leftwich, Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon are battling it out to see who will start the season at quarterback. Coach Mike Tomlin talked to Sporting News‘ Dennis Dillon recently about how the situation will unfold.
Coach Mike Tomlin enters his fourth season as the Steelers head coach.
Q: How soon after Roethlisberger’s suspension was announced did you and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians start mapping out a survival plan?
Tomlin: We wouldn’t necessarily approach it from a survivalist mentality. We’re comfortable with the guys we have to work with. We’ve got experience with all of those guys. All those guys have played winning football for us here in the past. Basically, what we’re going to do is spend the remainder of the offseason working with these guys. All these guys are at different phases, if you will, in their careers. We like the group. We’re going to work with those guys. We’re going to make a decision at the end of the offseason about how we’re going to move forward, and then we’re going to do it.
Q: How will competition work during spring practices and training camp?
Tomlin: Setting up reps and giving each guy an opportunity to work with the ones (first-team offense) here in the OTA sessions. Prior to going to training camp, we’re going to make some hard and fast decisions. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a quarterback competition. I’ve never seen one of those three-headed quarterback competitions come out favorably. We’re going to make decisions and move forward and trust our instincts and go.
Q: How soon would you like to determine the starter?
Tomlin: We’ve mapped out a plan of how we’re going to approach this thing, determining a pecking order if you will of the guys by the end of the offseason. We’ll go into training camp with that plan in mind, put it into action and prepare ourselves to play football.
Q: So you’ll know who the starter is going into training camp?
Tomlin: There aren’t enough reps to go around to have a legitimate, three-headed quarterback competition. I’ve never seen one of those things work out well. We’re not going to delve into that. We’re going to work with these guys for the remainder of the offseason, make decisions from my gut instinct and move forward.
Q: Could you make cases why each of the three quarterbacks has a chance to be the starter?
Tomlin: Charlie Batch is a guy who has great experience, has great football intelligence. He requires a minimal number of snaps to be prepared to play. I think that’s a distinguishing characteristic when you talk about Charlie Batch. He doesn’t require a bunch of physical reps to be ready to play above-the-line football.
Byron Leftwich is a guy who knows what it’s about to be a franchise quarterback. He was that guy in Jacksonville; he was drafted very high (seventh overall in 2003) when he came out of school. He walks around the building with that kind of charismatic presence. Not arrogant in any way. He has charismatic leadership. He’s very comfortable in a franchise quarterback’s shoes, if you will.
Dennis Dixon is a talented young man with a tremendous upside. He’s not going to do anything but get better with (more) snaps. Of course, he came from a spread offense and operated quite a bit out of the shotgun. He’s grown by leaps and bounds in terms of playing underneath the center. Mechanically, the play-action game, reading the coverages — he’s just grown in just about every area you can name.
Q: The Steelers certainly are in a unique situation. Have you called any other coaches around the league, asking for advice on how to handle it?
Tomlin: I have not. Chances are other coaches around the league don’t care about my problems. Or they’re glad that I have them.
Q: If the Steelers are unbeaten when Roethlisberger’s suspension ends, would you be wary about disrupting that winning chemistry or would Roethlisberger get the job back immediately?
Tomlin: We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Dennis Dillon is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at ddillon@sportingnews.com.
When the Steelers resume offseason practices Tuesday, the focus will be on the quarterback position. With Ben Roethlisberger suspended for the first six games of the season (it could be reduced to four games by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell), Byron Leftwich, Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon are battling it out to see who will start the season at quarterback. Coach Mike Tomlin talked to Sporting News‘ Dennis Dillon recently about how the situation will unfold.
Coach Mike Tomlin enters his fourth season as the Steelers head coach.
Q: How soon after Roethlisberger’s suspension was announced did you and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians start mapping out a survival plan?
Tomlin: We wouldn’t necessarily approach it from a survivalist mentality. We’re comfortable with the guys we have to work with. We’ve got experience with all of those guys. All those guys have played winning football for us here in the past. Basically, what we’re going to do is spend the remainder of the offseason working with these guys. All these guys are at different phases, if you will, in their careers. We like the group. We’re going to work with those guys. We’re going to make a decision at the end of the offseason about how we’re going to move forward, and then we’re going to do it.
Q: How will competition work during spring practices and training camp?
Tomlin: Setting up reps and giving each guy an opportunity to work with the ones (first-team offense) here in the OTA sessions. Prior to going to training camp, we’re going to make some hard and fast decisions. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a quarterback competition. I’ve never seen one of those three-headed quarterback competitions come out favorably. We’re going to make decisions and move forward and trust our instincts and go.
Q: How soon would you like to determine the starter?
Tomlin: We’ve mapped out a plan of how we’re going to approach this thing, determining a pecking order if you will of the guys by the end of the offseason. We’ll go into training camp with that plan in mind, put it into action and prepare ourselves to play football.
Q: So you’ll know who the starter is going into training camp?
Tomlin: There aren’t enough reps to go around to have a legitimate, three-headed quarterback competition. I’ve never seen one of those things work out well. We’re not going to delve into that. We’re going to work with these guys for the remainder of the offseason, make decisions from my gut instinct and move forward.
Q: Could you make cases why each of the three quarterbacks has a chance to be the starter?
Tomlin: Charlie Batch is a guy who has great experience, has great football intelligence. He requires a minimal number of snaps to be prepared to play. I think that’s a distinguishing characteristic when you talk about Charlie Batch. He doesn’t require a bunch of physical reps to be ready to play above-the-line football.
Byron Leftwich is a guy who knows what it’s about to be a franchise quarterback. He was that guy in Jacksonville; he was drafted very high (seventh overall in 2003) when he came out of school. He walks around the building with that kind of charismatic presence. Not arrogant in any way. He has charismatic leadership. He’s very comfortable in a franchise quarterback’s shoes, if you will.
Dennis Dixon is a talented young man with a tremendous upside. He’s not going to do anything but get better with (more) snaps. Of course, he came from a spread offense and operated quite a bit out of the shotgun. He’s grown by leaps and bounds in terms of playing underneath the center. Mechanically, the play-action game, reading the coverages — he’s just grown in just about every area you can name.
Q: The Steelers certainly are in a unique situation. Have you called any other coaches around the league, asking for advice on how to handle it?
Tomlin: I have not. Chances are other coaches around the league don’t care about my problems. Or they’re glad that I have them.
Q: If the Steelers are unbeaten when Roethlisberger’s suspension ends, would you be wary about disrupting that winning chemistry or would Roethlisberger get the job back immediately?
Tomlin: We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Dennis Dillon is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at ddillon@sportingnews.com.
Sporting News staff reports
Chipper Jones tells The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he’s willing to trade spots in the Braves’ batting order with rookie phenom Jason Heyward.
Jones says he’d move from his customary third spot to second, with Heyward moving down a notch to the 3-hole.
"Ultimately I always describe that a No. 3 hitter is a guy who can do it all," Jones tells the newspaper’s Carroll Rogers. "A guy who can hit for average and power, draw walks, run, score runs, drive in runs. At least right now Jason is really the only guy that can do all of those things. With the way I’m swinging the bat, right now I’m more of a table-setter."
Jones is batting .229 with two home runs, eight RBIs and a .375 slugging percentage. He does have a .388 on-base percentage, thanks to 25 walks. Heyward is hitting .287/.411/.584 with eight homers and 28 RBIs. The latter totals are both team highs.
Jones has told Braves manager Bobby Cox he’s willing to make the switch, but he says he’ll hit wherever he’s slotted.
"Anything Bobby wants to do with the lineup, I’ve always made it known I’ll do whatever’s best for the team, and he knows that," Jones said. "I have no qualms hitting second, I have no qualms hitting fourth, fifth, sixth, whatever."
Cox says that, for now, he’ll keep his current top three intact: second baseman Martin Prado, Heyward and Jones.
"I just like it the way it is," Cox says. "Chipper – he just missed hitting a homer (Friday) night. What’s the difference, second or third, anyway, to be honest with you."
Cox notes that Heyward has had RBI opportunities from the 2-spot, and Jones’ high OBP leads to opportunities for hitters below him.
"Chipper’s got a high on-base percentage always. That’s pretty good for (Brian) McCann and (Troy) Glaus and (Eric) Hinske right now, too," Cox says.
Sporting News staff reports
Chipper Jones tells The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he’s willing to trade spots in the Braves’ batting order with rookie phenom Jason Heyward.
Jones says he’d move from his customary third spot to second, with Heyward moving down a notch to the 3-hole.
"Ultimately I always describe that a No. 3 hitter is a guy who can do it all," Jones tells the newspaper’s Carroll Rogers. "A guy who can hit for average and power, draw walks, run, score runs, drive in runs. At least right now Jason is really the only guy that can do all of those things. With the way I’m swinging the bat, right now I’m more of a table-setter."
Jones is batting .229 with two home runs, eight RBIs and a .375 slugging percentage. He does have a .388 on-base percentage, thanks to 25 walks. Heyward is hitting .287/.411/.584 with eight homers and 28 RBIs. The latter totals are both team highs.
Jones has told Braves manager Bobby Cox he’s willing to make the switch, but he says he’ll hit wherever he’s slotted.
"Anything Bobby wants to do with the lineup, I’ve always made it known I’ll do whatever’s best for the team, and he knows that," Jones said. "I have no qualms hitting second, I have no qualms hitting fourth, fifth, sixth, whatever."
Cox says that, for now, he’ll keep his current top three intact: second baseman Martin Prado, Heyward and Jones.
"I just like it the way it is," Cox says. "Chipper – he just missed hitting a homer (Friday) night. What’s the difference, second or third, anyway, to be honest with you."
Cox notes that Heyward has had RBI opportunities from the 2-spot, and Jones’ high OBP leads to opportunities for hitters below him.
"Chipper’s got a high on-base percentage always. That’s pretty good for (Brian) McCann and (Troy) Glaus and (Eric) Hinske right now, too," Cox says.
