SAN DIEGO (AP) — Reggie Bush apparently has reached an out-of-court settlement with a fledgling sports marketer who is trying to recoup nearly $300,000 in cash and gifts the star running back and his family allegedly accepted while he was playing at the University of Southern California.
Depositions involving the two former marketers who wooed Bush while he was at USC have been called off, attorney Brian Watkins told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Asked if Bush was still scheduled to be deposed on Friday, Watkins said: "I have no comment."
Settlement documents could be filed in court within days.
A settlement could stymie the NCAA and Pacific-10 Conference investigators, who are trying to determine whether Bush and his parents took improper benefits. Bush has not met with NCAA and Pac-10 investigators, and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
If Bush is found retroactively ineligible, he could lose his 2005 Heisman Trophy.
If the NCAA determines that USC violated rules, the football program could have to forfeit victories from those seasons — when the Trojans won a national championship and lost in the BCS title game against Texas — and face additional penalties.
Watkins represents Lloyd Lake in his lawsuit against Bush.
Lake’s scheduled deposition Monday did not occur, said Watkins, who declined to provide a reason.
Lake’s former partner, Michael Michaels, was scheduled to be deposed Wednesday.
"It will not go through," Watkins said.
A call to Bush’s attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, was not immediately returned.
Lake and Michaels were trying to attract Bush as a client for their marketing firm, New Era. Bush did not sign with New Era.
Michaels owned a San Diego-area house where Bush’s parents allegedly lived rent-free. Michaels reached an out-of-court settlement with Bush’s family in April 2007 that included a confidentiality agreement.
In late December, Bush lost his bid to go to confidential arbitration to settle Lake’s lawsuit.
Referring to Michaels’ settlement with Bush, Watkins told the AP last week: "Basically Reggie Bush bought his silence for $300,000, so he was unable to speak to the media, and, of course, cooperate with the NCAA."
Watkins tried to take Bush’s deposition in February 2008, but said the running back didn’t show up.
A few weeks earlier, Watkins and Lake walked out of a deposition, saying that a bodyguard for Bush’s attorney at the time, David Cornwell, opened his jacket to expose a pistol.
Yahoo! Sports first reported news of a settlement in the Lake case.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Reggie Bush apparently has reached an out-of-court settlement with a fledgling sports marketer who is trying to recoup nearly $300,000 in cash and gifts the star running back and his family allegedly accepted while he was playing at the University of Southern California.
Depositions involving the two former marketers who wooed Bush while he was at USC have been called off, attorney Brian Watkins told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Asked if Bush was still scheduled to be deposed on Friday, Watkins said: "I have no comment."
Settlement documents could be filed in court within days.
A settlement could stymie the NCAA and Pacific-10 Conference investigators, who are trying to determine whether Bush and his parents took improper benefits. Bush has not met with NCAA and Pac-10 investigators, and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
If Bush is found retroactively ineligible, he could lose his 2005 Heisman Trophy.
If the NCAA determines that USC violated rules, the football program could have to forfeit victories from those seasons — when the Trojans won a national championship and lost in the BCS title game against Texas — and face additional penalties.
Watkins represents Lloyd Lake in his lawsuit against Bush.
Lake’s scheduled deposition Monday did not occur, said Watkins, who declined to provide a reason.
Lake’s former partner, Michael Michaels, was scheduled to be deposed Wednesday.
"It will not go through," Watkins said.
A call to Bush’s attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, was not immediately returned.
Lake and Michaels were trying to attract Bush as a client for their marketing firm, New Era. Bush did not sign with New Era.
Michaels owned a San Diego-area house where Bush’s parents allegedly lived rent-free. Michaels reached an out-of-court settlement with Bush’s family in April 2007 that included a confidentiality agreement.
In late December, Bush lost his bid to go to confidential arbitration to settle Lake’s lawsuit.
Referring to Michaels’ settlement with Bush, Watkins told the AP last week: "Basically Reggie Bush bought his silence for $300,000, so he was unable to speak to the media, and, of course, cooperate with the NCAA."
Watkins tried to take Bush’s deposition in February 2008, but said the running back didn’t show up.
A few weeks earlier, Watkins and Lake walked out of a deposition, saying that a bodyguard for Bush’s attorney at the time, David Cornwell, opened his jacket to expose a pistol.
Yahoo! Sports first reported news of a settlement in the Lake case.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio weighs in on the 2010 NFL schedule:
1. So much for secrecy. For weeks, the NFL kept a tight lid on the 256-game slate, releasing only scant details, such as the fact that the Jets would host both a Monday night game in Week 1 and the third game on the Thanksgiving slate.
Apparently, the commissioner’s decision to go rogue during an NFL.com live chat on Tuesday afternoon opened the floodgates. Over the next few hours after he announced that the season would begin on September 9 with the Saints hosting the Vikings, the entire schedules of the Steelers, Saints, Giants, and Lions were leaked.
The league can’t be happy about the development. Though schedule leads are not uncommon, the league seemed to be intent on holding back as much as possible until the official announcement of the schedule.
So how does it get out? In the afternoon, the league office begins to tell the teams their individual schedules. If the league ever wants to achieve full secrecy, the better approach could be to tell no one.
The Steelers could have early trouble if Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t play.
2. Steelers could face a tough start without Big Ben. Assuming that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger receives a four-game suspension (UPDATE: Roethlisberger will receive a six-game suspension that can be reduced to four), the schedule-maker didn’t do the Rooneys any favors.
The Steelers open at home against the Falcons, who didn’t make the playoffs but who have finished above .500 for consecutive years for the first time in team history, before heading to Tennessee and Tampa. Then, the first quarter of the season ends with a visit from the Ravens. It could lead to a 2-2 or 1-3 start.
That said, the Steelers’ schedule doesn’t have a ton of gimme games. Sure, they play the Browns twice, but they lost to them once in 2009. The woeful Raiders come to town, a year after the woeful Raiders won there.
Meanwhile, the Steelers play five prime-time games, but none before Week 8. Surely, the schedule was tweaked a bit in light of the looming suspension of Roethlisberger.
3. Favre hears the siren song of the schedule maker. As Vikings quarterback Brett Favre tries to decide whether to return for a second year in Minnesota and a 20th overall, he now knows that he’d get an immediate shot at redemption for one of the most deflating games of his career.
Vikings at Saints. September 9. Prime time.
Four weeks later, Favre would get a chance to return to his one-year home, New York, for a game against the Jets.
Throw in two games against the Packers, a game against the Cowboys, a rematch with the Cardinals (who drubbed the Vikings in 2009), a trip to face the Patriots, and games against the Giants, Eagles, and Redskins, and 2010 presents plenty of intriguing challenges for Favre.
Indeed, there are almost enough challenges to persuade him to stay in Mississippi.
4. Ravens benefit from Steelers’ troubles. When the Steelers traded receiver Santonio Holmes to the Jets, the Ravens were thrilled. No longer would they have to be torched two (and maybe three) times a year by Holmes.
The Ravens dodged another bullet by getting the Jets in Week 1, when Holmes will be suspended.
And if Roethlisberger gets at least a four-game suspension, the Ravens will go to Pittsburgh on a day in early October when Ben isn’t there.
5. Christmas in the desert. In past years, the NFL tried to avoid playing games on Christmas. Now, they embrace it.
Though the league has yet to schedule a full slate for Dec. 25, the NFL no longer avoids it.
This year, the Cowboys will travel to Arizona for a Christmas night get-together on NFL Network.
Cue the language not suitable for Christmas from Dallas fans throughout the country who don’t have access to the league-owned network.
6. Another reason to be thankful. Over the past few years, the league has taken full advantage of the reality that football fans will pretty much watch whatever games we get on Thanksgiving.
This year, the captive audience has a reason to stay awake.
Though broadcasting rotation guaranteed that the Lions would host the Jets or the Patriots to start the day, conventional wisdom indicated that the second game would feature the Cowboys hosting the Bears.
Conventional wisdom was never so glad to be wrong.
The league instead has diverted what otherwise would have been an excellent Sunday night or Monday night game to the fourth Thursday in November.
The evening ends with the Jets hosting the Bengals, not a great game but good enough to give us all a reason to spend the evening hours in the household of a family member with NFL Network.
7. Sunday night schedule looks rock solid. When NBC re-entered the NFL broadcasting derby for the 2006 season, it emerged with the coveted ability to flex late-season games into prime-time. This year, the slate of games is so good that NBC likely won’t want to move many of them.
The only contest that looks to be destined to be bumped out of the evening slot comes on Dec. 26, when the Bengals meet the Chargers.
Then again, that game would be worth televising, if only to see San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman physically dismantle Cincinnati receiver Chad Ochocinco.
8. More equity needed for short weeks. This year, every team that plays on a Thursday plays four days beforehand, on a Sunday. And for the short weeks, every road team plays on the prior Sunday at home, requiring only one road trip for the road teams from the end of the Sunday game until the start of the Thursday game.
But with both teams in Thursday games getting only three days to prepare, fairness suggest that each of the teams — road and home — should see their preparation time diminished by travel time.
For the nine Thursday games in 2010, seven of the teams that host the games play at home on the preceding Sunday. It means that these seven teams will have to engage in no travel, maximizing the amount of time they’ll have to get ready to play on Thursday.
The better approach would be to have the Thursday home teams play the prior Sunday on the road and the Thursday road teams play the prior Sunday at home, imposing on every short-week team an obligation to pack up the franchise and move from one place to another.
9. League loves Niners, not the Raiders. To no surprise, the Oakland Raiders will play no prime-time games in 2010. Their neighbors on the other side of the Bay, however, will enjoy four contests under the Klieg lights — two on ESPN, one on NBC, and one on NFL Network.
It appears, then, that the powers-that-be believe the Niners will make a serious run at taking over the top of the NFC West, given the retirement of Kurt Warner.
Given the current state of the Seahawks and the St. Louis Rams, it’s hard to argue with the logic.
And given the perpetual funk that inhabits the Raiders, it makes sense to keep them off of the biggest stage.
10. ESPN still not getting its money’s worth. The folks in Bristol pay more than $1 billion per year to televise 17 prime-time games. And they continue to get something less than a billion-dollar slate of games.
That said, some of the games will be good ones. Ravens-Jets, Pats-Dolphins, Vikings-Jets, Giants-Cowboys, Eagles-Redskins, and Jets-Patriots could be excellent. Saints-Falcons could be a classic in Week 16, unless one of the two teams has run away with the NFC South crown.
But there’s little genuine sizzle. Though division games (ESPN has 13 in all) can generate high interest among the fan bases of the two teams involved, a schedule befitting the price tag would feature more eyebrow-raisers like Ravens-Jets and Vikings-Jets.
Then again, with four games featuring the mammoth New York market, ESPN will do a nice job of making back much of its billion bucks.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio weighs in on the 2010 NFL schedule:
1. So much for secrecy. For weeks, the NFL kept a tight lid on the 256-game slate, releasing only scant details, such as the fact that the Jets would host both a Monday night game in Week 1 and the third game on the Thanksgiving slate.
Apparently, the commissioner’s decision to go rogue during an NFL.com live chat on Tuesday afternoon opened the floodgates. Over the next few hours after he announced that the season would begin on September 9 with the Saints hosting the Vikings, the entire schedules of the Steelers, Saints, Giants, and Lions were leaked.
The league can’t be happy about the development. Though schedule leads are not uncommon, the league seemed to be intent on holding back as much as possible until the official announcement of the schedule.
So how does it get out? In the afternoon, the league office begins to tell the teams their individual schedules. If the league ever wants to achieve full secrecy, the better approach could be to tell no one.
The Steelers could have early trouble if Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t play.
2. Steelers could face a tough start without Big Ben. Assuming that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger receives a four-game suspension (UPDATE: Roethlisberger will receive a six-game suspension that can be reduced to four), the schedule-maker didn’t do the Rooneys any favors.
The Steelers open at home against the Falcons, who didn’t make the playoffs but who have finished above .500 for consecutive years for the first time in team history, before heading to Tennessee and Tampa. Then, the first quarter of the season ends with a visit from the Ravens. It could lead to a 2-2 or 1-3 start.
That said, the Steelers’ schedule doesn’t have a ton of gimme games. Sure, they play the Browns twice, but they lost to them once in 2009. The woeful Raiders come to town, a year after the woeful Raiders won there.
Meanwhile, the Steelers play five prime-time games, but none before Week 8. Surely, the schedule was tweaked a bit in light of the looming suspension of Roethlisberger.
3. Favre hears the siren song of the schedule maker. As Vikings quarterback Brett Favre tries to decide whether to return for a second year in Minnesota and a 20th overall, he now knows that he’d get an immediate shot at redemption for one of the most deflating games of his career.
Vikings at Saints. September 9. Prime time.
Four weeks later, Favre would get a chance to return to his one-year home, New York, for a game against the Jets.
Throw in two games against the Packers, a game against the Cowboys, a rematch with the Cardinals (who drubbed the Vikings in 2009), a trip to face the Patriots, and games against the Giants, Eagles, and Redskins, and 2010 presents plenty of intriguing challenges for Favre.
Indeed, there are almost enough challenges to persuade him to stay in Mississippi.
4. Ravens benefit from Steelers’ troubles. When the Steelers traded receiver Santonio Holmes to the Jets, the Ravens were thrilled. No longer would they have to be torched two (and maybe three) times a year by Holmes.
The Ravens dodged another bullet by getting the Jets in Week 1, when Holmes will be suspended.
And if Roethlisberger gets at least a four-game suspension, the Ravens will go to Pittsburgh on a day in early October when Ben isn’t there.
5. Christmas in the desert. In past years, the NFL tried to avoid playing games on Christmas. Now, they embrace it.
Though the league has yet to schedule a full slate for Dec. 25, the NFL no longer avoids it.
This year, the Cowboys will travel to Arizona for a Christmas night get-together on NFL Network.
Cue the language not suitable for Christmas from Dallas fans throughout the country who don’t have access to the league-owned network.
6. Another reason to be thankful. Over the past few years, the league has taken full advantage of the reality that football fans will pretty much watch whatever games we get on Thanksgiving.
This year, the captive audience has a reason to stay awake.
Though broadcasting rotation guaranteed that the Lions would host the Jets or the Patriots to start the day, conventional wisdom indicated that the second game would feature the Cowboys hosting the Bears.
Conventional wisdom was never so glad to be wrong.
The league instead has diverted what otherwise would have been an excellent Sunday night or Monday night game to the fourth Thursday in November.
The evening ends with the Jets hosting the Bengals, not a great game but good enough to give us all a reason to spend the evening hours in the household of a family member with NFL Network.
7. Sunday night schedule looks rock solid. When NBC re-entered the NFL broadcasting derby for the 2006 season, it emerged with the coveted ability to flex late-season games into prime-time. This year, the slate of games is so good that NBC likely won’t want to move many of them.
The only contest that looks to be destined to be bumped out of the evening slot comes on Dec. 26, when the Bengals meet the Chargers.
Then again, that game would be worth televising, if only to see San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman physically dismantle Cincinnati receiver Chad Ochocinco.
8. More equity needed for short weeks. This year, every team that plays on a Thursday plays four days beforehand, on a Sunday. And for the short weeks, every road team plays on the prior Sunday at home, requiring only one road trip for the road teams from the end of the Sunday game until the start of the Thursday game.
But with both teams in Thursday games getting only three days to prepare, fairness suggest that each of the teams — road and home — should see their preparation time diminished by travel time.
For the nine Thursday games in 2010, seven of the teams that host the games play at home on the preceding Sunday. It means that these seven teams will have to engage in no travel, maximizing the amount of time they’ll have to get ready to play on Thursday.
The better approach would be to have the Thursday home teams play the prior Sunday on the road and the Thursday road teams play the prior Sunday at home, imposing on every short-week team an obligation to pack up the franchise and move from one place to another.
9. League loves Niners, not the Raiders. To no surprise, the Oakland Raiders will play no prime-time games in 2010. Their neighbors on the other side of the Bay, however, will enjoy four contests under the Klieg lights — two on ESPN, one on NBC, and one on NFL Network.
It appears, then, that the powers-that-be believe the Niners will make a serious run at taking over the top of the NFC West, given the retirement of Kurt Warner.
Given the current state of the Seahawks and the St. Louis Rams, it’s hard to argue with the logic.
And given the perpetual funk that inhabits the Raiders, it makes sense to keep them off of the biggest stage.
10. ESPN still not getting its money’s worth. The folks in Bristol pay more than $1 billion per year to televise 17 prime-time games. And they continue to get something less than a billion-dollar slate of games.
That said, some of the games will be good ones. Ravens-Jets, Pats-Dolphins, Vikings-Jets, Giants-Cowboys, Eagles-Redskins, and Jets-Patriots could be excellent. Saints-Falcons could be a classic in Week 16, unless one of the two teams has run away with the NFC South crown.
But there’s little genuine sizzle. Though division games (ESPN has 13 in all) can generate high interest among the fan bases of the two teams involved, a schedule befitting the price tag would feature more eyebrow-raisers like Ravens-Jets and Vikings-Jets.
Then again, with four games featuring the mammoth New York market, ESPN will do a nice job of making back much of its billion bucks.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
CINCINNATI — Former All-Star pitcher Edinson Volquez was suspended 50 games Tuesday following a positive test for a banned fertility substance, a punishment that will cost him money but won’t hurt the Cincinnati Reds’ rotation.
The 26-year-old right-hander is recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery and isn’t expected to rejoin the Reds until late July at the earliest. He can serve the suspension from Major League Baseball while continuing his rehabilitation at the team’s spring training complex in Goodyear, Ariz.
"That’s the only good thing," Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo said. "I’m actually surprised they’re letting him do that."
Volquez became the first player suspended under the major league drug program since Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers was penalized 50 games last May.
Volquez said in a statement he received a prescription in the Dominican Republic as part of his treatment to start a family with his wife. He said the drug was banned by MLB – four types of fertility substances are illegal under baseball rules.
"As a result, I tested positive when I reported to spring training," he said. "Although I understand that I must accept responsibility for this mistake and have chosen not to challenge my suspension, I want to assure everyone that this was an isolated incident involving my genuine effort to treat a common medical issue."
Volquez’s suspension starts Wednesday. He could be eligible to play starting June 15. Volquez was to make $445,000 this season, so barring rainouts the suspension will cost him $133,743.
"When he’s ready to pitch, he’ll be able to pitch," general manager Walt Jocketty said.
An All-Star in 2008 when he went 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA for the Reds, Volquez was 4-2 with a 4.35 ERA last season before feeling pain in his arm in June. He twice went on the disabled list, the first time with back spasms and then with the elbow injury that finished his season.
"The Reds fully support Major League Baseball’s drug policy and its penalties. The organization does not condone in any way the use of drugs not sanctioned by MLB’s medical staff," the team said in a statement before Tuesday night’s game against the Dodgers.
MLB’s labor contract does not allow it to release which drug caused the positive test. A list of drugs that trigger positives is released after each season, without identifying which player used it.
MLB and the players’ union repeatedly warn players not to use any substance without guidance from doctors or trainers who are aware of the banned list.
"I was not trying in any way to gain an advantage in my baseball career," Volquez said in his statement. "I am embarrassed by this whole situation and apologize to my family, friends, fans, teammates, and the entire Reds organization for being a distraction and for causing them any difficulty."
"I simply want to accept the consequences, learn from the mistake, and continue to strive to be the best person and baseball player I can be," he said.
Ramirez was suspended after turning over to MLB a prescription for a banned female fertility drug.
Volquez was the first player suspended for a positive test under the big league program since San Francisco pitcher Kelvin Pichardo on March 23, 2009.
The only other players suspended under the major league program last year were Yankees pitcher Sergio Mitre and Philadelphia pitcher J.C. Romero, both in January 2009.
There have been 16 suspensions this year under the minor league drug program.
Bob DuPuy, baseball’s chief operating officer, said that Volquez’s suspension is more evidence that baseball’s crackdown on drugs is working.
"It’s sad when any player feels that he needs to take a performance-enhancing substance to gain an edge," DuPuy told The Associated Press in Los Angeles. "It’s disappointing, but at the same time it underscores the fact that the program is in fact working. And if players are cheating, they’re going to get caught."
Volquez made his major league debut with Texas in 2005 and went 0-4 with a 14.21 ERA. He went a combined 3-7 over the next two years and was traded in December 2007 to the Reds for outfielder Josh Hamilton. Both players were at the 2008 All-Star game at Yankee Stadium.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CINCINNATI — Former All-Star pitcher Edinson Volquez was suspended 50 games Tuesday following a positive test for a banned fertility substance, a punishment that will cost him money but won’t hurt the Cincinnati Reds’ rotation.
The 26-year-old right-hander is recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery and isn’t expected to rejoin the Reds until late July at the earliest. He can serve the suspension from Major League Baseball while continuing his rehabilitation at the team’s spring training complex in Goodyear, Ariz.
"That’s the only good thing," Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo said. "I’m actually surprised they’re letting him do that."
Volquez became the first player suspended under the major league drug program since Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers was penalized 50 games last May.
Volquez said in a statement he received a prescription in the Dominican Republic as part of his treatment to start a family with his wife. He said the drug was banned by MLB – four types of fertility substances are illegal under baseball rules.
"As a result, I tested positive when I reported to spring training," he said. "Although I understand that I must accept responsibility for this mistake and have chosen not to challenge my suspension, I want to assure everyone that this was an isolated incident involving my genuine effort to treat a common medical issue."
Volquez’s suspension starts Wednesday. He could be eligible to play starting June 15. Volquez was to make $445,000 this season, so barring rainouts the suspension will cost him $133,743.
"When he’s ready to pitch, he’ll be able to pitch," general manager Walt Jocketty said.
An All-Star in 2008 when he went 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA for the Reds, Volquez was 4-2 with a 4.35 ERA last season before feeling pain in his arm in June. He twice went on the disabled list, the first time with back spasms and then with the elbow injury that finished his season.
"The Reds fully support Major League Baseball’s drug policy and its penalties. The organization does not condone in any way the use of drugs not sanctioned by MLB’s medical staff," the team said in a statement before Tuesday night’s game against the Dodgers.
MLB’s labor contract does not allow it to release which drug caused the positive test. A list of drugs that trigger positives is released after each season, without identifying which player used it.
MLB and the players’ union repeatedly warn players not to use any substance without guidance from doctors or trainers who are aware of the banned list.
"I was not trying in any way to gain an advantage in my baseball career," Volquez said in his statement. "I am embarrassed by this whole situation and apologize to my family, friends, fans, teammates, and the entire Reds organization for being a distraction and for causing them any difficulty."
"I simply want to accept the consequences, learn from the mistake, and continue to strive to be the best person and baseball player I can be," he said.
Ramirez was suspended after turning over to MLB a prescription for a banned female fertility drug.
Volquez was the first player suspended for a positive test under the big league program since San Francisco pitcher Kelvin Pichardo on March 23, 2009.
The only other players suspended under the major league program last year were Yankees pitcher Sergio Mitre and Philadelphia pitcher J.C. Romero, both in January 2009.
There have been 16 suspensions this year under the minor league drug program.
Bob DuPuy, baseball’s chief operating officer, said that Volquez’s suspension is more evidence that baseball’s crackdown on drugs is working.
"It’s sad when any player feels that he needs to take a performance-enhancing substance to gain an edge," DuPuy told The Associated Press in Los Angeles. "It’s disappointing, but at the same time it underscores the fact that the program is in fact working. And if players are cheating, they’re going to get caught."
Volquez made his major league debut with Texas in 2005 and went 0-4 with a 14.21 ERA. He went a combined 3-7 over the next two years and was traded in December 2007 to the Reds for outfielder Josh Hamilton. Both players were at the 2008 All-Star game at Yankee Stadium.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
You know it’s early when you look at struggling teams and neither the Pirates nor Nationals are on the list.
But there is no shortage of clubs to assume their spots:
Red Sox
David Ortiz and the Red Sox offense have struggled, but that’s only part of the problem.
The problem: The offense has struggled with runners in scoring position, but that stat is bound to improve. More concerning is the lackluster defense. The Red Sox allowed nine unearned runs in their first 13 games, third-most in the majors. Four (in one inning) were the result of an error by center fielder Mike Cameron, who hasn’t displayed the defense expected of him. The Red Sox lost that game to the Rays, 6-5, en route to being swept in the four-game series. "I’ve made that catch a thousand times, but that time I didn’t," said Cameron, who had a tough week. He passed a kidney stone Friday, returned to the lineup Saturday, sat out Monday because of similar symptoms and was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with an abdominal strain.
Panic level: 6 (out of 10). The Red Sox have too much talent and resources to not win. Their real problem is the Rays, who have an even better team than the one that went to the World Series two years ago.
Cubs
The problem: A veteran scout likes to tell me, "The team that figures out its bullpen first is the team that wins." The Cubs have much figuring to do, specifically in the seventh and eighth innings. They already have lost six games in which they led or were tied going into the seventh inning. John Grabow was supposed to be Carlos Marmol’s setup man, but the lefthander already has lost two games with eighth-inning failures. Jeff Samardzija continues to disappoint and lost a game to the Brewers when he unwisely tried to throw a fastball past Ryan Braun. Bringing in Marmol in the eighth hasn’t worked, either. His only blown save came when he allowed an inherited runner to score in the eighth.
Panic level: 7. The pitching should get a lift later this week when Ted Lilly returns to the rotation (and Carlos Silva or Tom Gorzelanny is sent to the bullpen). Offensively, Aramis Ramirez is hitting .157 with 17 strikeouts in 51 at-bats, and Ryan Theriot, who has a .271 on-base percentage, was dropped from the leadoff spot Monday night in favor of Marlon Byrd. Byrd is only Cubs with a double-digit RBI total.
White Sox
The problem: They aren’t reaching base, which is important considering their desire to play small ball. With new leadoff hitter Juan Pierre yet to warm up, the White Sox rank near the bottom of the majors in batting average and OBP. Pierre isn’t the only straggler. The White Sox didn’t have a regular hitting .300 after their first 13 games. "A bad road trip," manager Ozzie Guillen told reporters after Chicago totaled eight runs and was swept in a three-game series at Cleveland. "We continue to struggle at the plate."
Panic level: 5. They aren’t striking out much, which means the hits could start falling. The pitching has been solid, the relievers outstanding. The bullpen leads the AL in ERA with rookie Sergio Santos and Tony Pena both off to strong starts.
Brett Myers and the Astros have reason to be concerned.
Mets
The problem: Jason Bay is off to a lousy start, Jose Reyes hasn’t returned to form and Jerry Manuel isn’t quite on his game. One example: Manuel admitted that he had Francisco Rodriguez warm up so often in Saturday’s 20-inning game that the righthander almost was unable to pitch. One estimate had Rodriguez making 100 warmup pitches. "If we had lost that game, you guys would have had plenty to question," Manuel admitted.
But those woes pale compared to what has happened at first base. Going into Tuesday’s action, Mets first basemen were hitting .192 with two runs and four RBIs, and that was after a successful debut by 23-year-old Ike Davis. Such a lack of production shouldn’t be surprising after the club neglected the position in the offseason.
Daniel Murphy was supposed to be the guy, though he did not take to the position last season. When Murphy injured his knee this spring, the Mets turned to journeymen Fernando Tatis and Mike Jacobs and started Davis, who hit .480 in spring training, at Class AAA. The Mets quickly gave up on Jacobs and promoted Davis on Monday, but not until he had warmed up and dressed for an afternoon game in Buffalo. Maybe they finally got it right; Davis had two hits and an RBI in his major league debut.
Panic level: 8 (for the minority who thought the Mets had a chance to contend). Finishing ahead of the Nationals figures to be challenging enough.
Astros
The problem: They hit three homers and averaged 2.3 runs in their first 12 games. Cleanup hitter Carlos Lee had yet to drive in a run.
Panic level: 7. Lance Berkman’s return will help, but not much.
Orioles
The problem: How about everything? Baltimore was outscored 74-44 in its first 14 games as the offense scuffled, the bullpen blew more than its share of leads and the defense was responsible for 12 unearned runs.
Panic level: 8. This was supposed to be the season the Orioles escaped last place, but they already are 10 games under .500.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Sponsored link: White Sox tickets available
You know it’s early when you look at struggling teams and neither the Pirates nor Nationals are on the list.
But there is no shortage of clubs to assume their spots:
Red Sox
David Ortiz and the Red Sox offense have struggled, but that’s only part of the problem.
The problem: The offense has struggled with runners in scoring position, but that stat is bound to improve. More concerning is the lackluster defense. The Red Sox allowed nine unearned runs in their first 13 games, third-most in the majors. Four (in one inning) were the result of an error by center fielder Mike Cameron, who hasn’t displayed the defense expected of him. The Red Sox lost that game to the Rays, 6-5, en route to being swept in the four-game series. "I’ve made that catch a thousand times, but that time I didn’t," said Cameron, who had a tough week. He passed a kidney stone Friday, returned to the lineup Saturday, sat out Monday because of similar symptoms and was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with an abdominal strain.
Panic level: 6 (out of 10). The Red Sox have too much talent and resources to not win. Their real problem is the Rays, who have an even better team than the one that went to the World Series two years ago.
Cubs
The problem: A veteran scout likes to tell me, "The team that figures out its bullpen first is the team that wins." The Cubs have much figuring to do, specifically in the seventh and eighth innings. They already have lost six games in which they led or were tied going into the seventh inning. John Grabow was supposed to be Carlos Marmol’s setup man, but the lefthander already has lost two games with eighth-inning failures. Jeff Samardzija continues to disappoint and lost a game to the Brewers when he unwisely tried to throw a fastball past Ryan Braun. Bringing in Marmol in the eighth hasn’t worked, either. His only blown save came when he allowed an inherited runner to score in the eighth.
Panic level: 7. The pitching should get a lift later this week when Ted Lilly returns to the rotation (and Carlos Silva or Tom Gorzelanny is sent to the bullpen). Offensively, Aramis Ramirez is hitting .157 with 17 strikeouts in 51 at-bats, and Ryan Theriot, who has a .271 on-base percentage, was dropped from the leadoff spot Monday night in favor of Marlon Byrd. Byrd is only Cubs with a double-digit RBI total.
White Sox
The problem: They aren’t reaching base, which is important considering their desire to play small ball. With new leadoff hitter Juan Pierre yet to warm up, the White Sox rank near the bottom of the majors in batting average and OBP. Pierre isn’t the only straggler. The White Sox didn’t have a regular hitting .300 after their first 13 games. "A bad road trip," manager Ozzie Guillen told reporters after Chicago totaled eight runs and was swept in a three-game series at Cleveland. "We continue to struggle at the plate."
Panic level: 5. They aren’t striking out much, which means the hits could start falling. The pitching has been solid, the relievers outstanding. The bullpen leads the AL in ERA with rookie Sergio Santos and Tony Pena both off to strong starts.
Brett Myers and the Astros have reason to be concerned.
Mets
The problem: Jason Bay is off to a lousy start, Jose Reyes hasn’t returned to form and Jerry Manuel isn’t quite on his game. One example: Manuel admitted that he had Francisco Rodriguez warm up so often in Saturday’s 20-inning game that the righthander almost was unable to pitch. One estimate had Rodriguez making 100 warmup pitches. "If we had lost that game, you guys would have had plenty to question," Manuel admitted.
But those woes pale compared to what has happened at first base. Going into Tuesday’s action, Mets first basemen were hitting .192 with two runs and four RBIs, and that was after a successful debut by 23-year-old Ike Davis. Such a lack of production shouldn’t be surprising after the club neglected the position in the offseason.
Daniel Murphy was supposed to be the guy, though he did not take to the position last season. When Murphy injured his knee this spring, the Mets turned to journeymen Fernando Tatis and Mike Jacobs and started Davis, who hit .480 in spring training, at Class AAA. The Mets quickly gave up on Jacobs and promoted Davis on Monday, but not until he had warmed up and dressed for an afternoon game in Buffalo. Maybe they finally got it right; Davis had two hits and an RBI in his major league debut.
Panic level: 8 (for the minority who thought the Mets had a chance to contend). Finishing ahead of the Nationals figures to be challenging enough.
Astros
The problem: They hit three homers and averaged 2.3 runs in their first 12 games. Cleanup hitter Carlos Lee had yet to drive in a run.
Panic level: 7. Lance Berkman’s return will help, but not much.
Orioles
The problem: How about everything? Baltimore was outscored 74-44 in its first 14 games as the offense scuffled, the bullpen blew more than its share of leads and the defense was responsible for 12 unearned runs.
Panic level: 8. This was supposed to be the season the Orioles escaped last place, but they already are 10 games under .500.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Sponsored link: White Sox tickets available
The Jets have brought in big names like LaDainian Tomlinson, but will they help?
Last year, the Jets dramatically exceeded expectations with a three-game winning streak to start the season. Then, they lost three in a row. They hovered around .500 for a bit, eventually falling to 4-6 before another three-game winning streak pushed them to 7-6. Coach Rex Ryan declared failure (prematurely) after an ugly 10-7 home loss to the Falcons. A Christmas gift from the Colts, back-to-back wins over the overrated Bengals and an upset of the Chargers in the divisional round delivered an unlikely berth in the AFC title game.
Even without a single addition to the roster over the offseason, last year’s success would have created expectations of a return to the postseason, at a minimum. With a string of new, big-name players — Antonio Cromartie, LaDanian Tomlinson and Santonio Holmes — joining the team and Jason Taylor possibly being next to sign on the dotted line, the Jets will have supplemented their squad with a 2007 All-Pro cornerback, the 2006 NFL MVP, the Super Bowl 43 MVP and the 2006 NFL defensive player of the year.
So, basically, it will be Super Bowl or bust for the Jets in 2010.
It’s a reality that has been overlooked or deliberately ignored: The Jets have, by all appearances, taken a page from the Daniel Snyder fantasy football playbook. However, as the regular season approaches — and as the team prepares to assume an even higher profile with an appearance on this year’s edition of HBO’s Hard Knocks — the pressure will be mounting. On the first Monday night of the season, in the inaugural primetime game at the new Meadowlands Stadium, the Jets will be expected to win handily.
If they fail, collars will tighten a bit. And then, six days later, the pressure will be even greater to avoid falling to 0-2.
That said, it’s quite possible the Jets will get off to a great start, that quarterback Mark Sanchez will show solid development in his second season, that Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson will replace the yardage gained in 2009 by Thomas Jones, whose absence will impact the locker room. Instead of fading from 3-0 to 4-6, they could streak to, say, an 8-2 start and, unlike 2008, not fade down the stretch.
Still, the stakes will be high. Failure will invite intense scrutiny from fans and media. And if the team fails to make the postseason, people will be held accountable.
So who would take the fall? It’s possible no one would lose his job, and that seats simply would be hot in 2011. It depends on how badly the team finishes; an all-out meltdown, albeit unlikely, could prompt owner Woody Johnson to take dramatic action.
And it’s not coach Rex Ryan who’d face the chopping block. Ultimately, a disastrous season could finally claim the position of the man who built the team: GM Mike Tannenbaum.
Though he deserves much credit for putting together the roster that became last year’s AFC finalist, some league insiders already are expressing doubts about an offseason splurge that could result in the addition of two guys with character concerns (Cromartie and Holmes) and two guys who have found a way to cram a capital "I" into "team" (Tomlinson and Taylor). The broader question is whether Tannenbaum has a plan or a philosophy, or whether he’s simply adding recognizable names in the hope of selling tickets, generating buzz and possibly getting people to forget about the misguided decision to draft linebacker Vernon Gholston.
Regardless of how it all turns out, the Jets will be one of the biggest stories of the 2010 season. For a team that has languished behind the Patriots in its division and the Giants in its own stadium, any attention will be considered good attention this year — unless and until the Jets fail to live up to the lofty expectations their quest for publicity has created.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
Sponsored link: Jets tickets available
The Jets have brought in big names like LaDainian Tomlinson, but will they help?
Last year, the Jets dramatically exceeded expectations with a three-game winning streak to start the season. Then, they lost three in a row. They hovered around .500 for a bit, eventually falling to 4-6 before another three-game winning streak pushed them to 7-6. Coach Rex Ryan declared failure (prematurely) after an ugly 10-7 home loss to the Falcons. A Christmas gift from the Colts, back-to-back wins over the overrated Bengals and an upset of the Chargers in the divisional round delivered an unlikely berth in the AFC title game.
Even without a single addition to the roster over the offseason, last year’s success would have created expectations of a return to the postseason, at a minimum. With a string of new, big-name players — Antonio Cromartie, LaDanian Tomlinson and Santonio Holmes — joining the team and Jason Taylor possibly being next to sign on the dotted line, the Jets will have supplemented their squad with a 2007 All-Pro cornerback, the 2006 NFL MVP, the Super Bowl 43 MVP and the 2006 NFL defensive player of the year.
So, basically, it will be Super Bowl or bust for the Jets in 2010.
It’s a reality that has been overlooked or deliberately ignored: The Jets have, by all appearances, taken a page from the Daniel Snyder fantasy football playbook. However, as the regular season approaches — and as the team prepares to assume an even higher profile with an appearance on this year’s edition of HBO’s Hard Knocks — the pressure will be mounting. On the first Monday night of the season, in the inaugural primetime game at the new Meadowlands Stadium, the Jets will be expected to win handily.
If they fail, collars will tighten a bit. And then, six days later, the pressure will be even greater to avoid falling to 0-2.
That said, it’s quite possible the Jets will get off to a great start, that quarterback Mark Sanchez will show solid development in his second season, that Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson will replace the yardage gained in 2009 by Thomas Jones, whose absence will impact the locker room. Instead of fading from 3-0 to 4-6, they could streak to, say, an 8-2 start and, unlike 2008, not fade down the stretch.
Still, the stakes will be high. Failure will invite intense scrutiny from fans and media. And if the team fails to make the postseason, people will be held accountable.
So who would take the fall? It’s possible no one would lose his job, and that seats simply would be hot in 2011. It depends on how badly the team finishes; an all-out meltdown, albeit unlikely, could prompt owner Woody Johnson to take dramatic action.
And it’s not coach Rex Ryan who’d face the chopping block. Ultimately, a disastrous season could finally claim the position of the man who built the team: GM Mike Tannenbaum.
Though he deserves much credit for putting together the roster that became last year’s AFC finalist, some league insiders already are expressing doubts about an offseason splurge that could result in the addition of two guys with character concerns (Cromartie and Holmes) and two guys who have found a way to cram a capital "I" into "team" (Tomlinson and Taylor). The broader question is whether Tannenbaum has a plan or a philosophy, or whether he’s simply adding recognizable names in the hope of selling tickets, generating buzz and possibly getting people to forget about the misguided decision to draft linebacker Vernon Gholston.
Regardless of how it all turns out, the Jets will be one of the biggest stories of the 2010 season. For a team that has languished behind the Patriots in its division and the Giants in its own stadium, any attention will be considered good attention this year — unless and until the Jets fail to live up to the lofty expectations their quest for publicity has created.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
Sponsored link: Jets tickets available
Cal Ripken Jr. said Monday that Orioles principal owner Peter Angelos did not stand in the way of him joining the team, MLB.com reported.
FoxSports.com reported last week that Ripken was blocked from joining the Orioles by Angelos.
"I have met with Andy (MacPhail, president of baseball operations) and Peter on a number of occasions to discuss many subjects," Ripken told MLB.com. "Ultimately, our discussions have turned to baseball, the Orioles and me. I have enjoyed those talks very much, and, yes, the subject has been broached about me potentially joining the organization. I look forward to those talks continuing."
FoxSports.com previously reported that Ripken was looking for a position with the team where he would work with some of the organization’s young players. According to MLB.com, the Fox report said that Angelos stopped that from happening "because he didn’t want Ripken to get most of the credit if the organization returns to prominence."
Added Ripken, in his comments to MLB.com, "I have been consistent in my statements about a return to baseball since my retirement in 2001. With my son, Ryan, approaching the end of high school in a couple of years, I have been thinking more seriously about a return to the big league game. I am more excited now to explore all opportunities and find the right situation that could lead me to the next phase of my life."
Cal Ripken Jr. said Monday that Orioles principal owner Peter Angelos did not stand in the way of him joining the team, MLB.com reported.
FoxSports.com reported last week that Ripken was blocked from joining the Orioles by Angelos.
"I have met with Andy (MacPhail, president of baseball operations) and Peter on a number of occasions to discuss many subjects," Ripken told MLB.com. "Ultimately, our discussions have turned to baseball, the Orioles and me. I have enjoyed those talks very much, and, yes, the subject has been broached about me potentially joining the organization. I look forward to those talks continuing."
FoxSports.com previously reported that Ripken was looking for a position with the team where he would work with some of the organization’s young players. According to MLB.com, the Fox report said that Angelos stopped that from happening "because he didn’t want Ripken to get most of the credit if the organization returns to prominence."
Added Ripken, in his comments to MLB.com, "I have been consistent in my statements about a return to baseball since my retirement in 2001. With my son, Ryan, approaching the end of high school in a couple of years, I have been thinking more seriously about a return to the big league game. I am more excited now to explore all opportunities and find the right situation that could lead me to the next phase of my life."
