- I absolutely love this guy, in case no one knows this already. Add him to the list of Mike Modano, Dirk, Eric Crouch, and Troy Aikman. I usually say you have to have sustained excellence and win championships in order to join the pantheon of Kent McCawley Man Crushes. But Gagne has been officially elected in. He's big, nasty, wears cool glasses, and mows people down in the 9th inning. Every day that passes I'm hoping they don't trade him.
- Rangers take 2 of 3 in Boston after doing the same thing in Detroit.
BOSTON – In the last week, Eric Gagne has repeatedly demonstrated that he can do the things the Eric Gagne of old used to be able to do regularly.
Pitch on back-to-back days? Check. Be available for more than two consecutive days? No problem. Go more than an inning? On Sunday, he did that, too, getting the final four outs of the Rangers' 2-1 win over Boston.
And in another time and another place this might mean good things for the Rangers' playoff hopes as they enter the second half of the season. The reality, though, is that a return to the Gagne of old probably just means the Rangers can get a better return on him in a deadline deal. But not if Gagne has a significant say in the matter.
"I hope my value is to this team," said Gagne, who signed a one-year deal worth a base of $6 million and as much as $5 million in games-finished incentives with the Rangers in December. "I signed here thinking of this as a long-term commitment and I said that when I signed. I want to be part of helping this team win. And winning doesn't happen overnight. It's a learning process and I think that's what we're doing now."
The reality is that not even the Rangers' nice stretch of 11 wins in 15 games can rescue this team's 2007 playoff chances. The Rangers on Sunday reached the season's mathematical midpoint with a 34-47 record. They are 16½ games out of first in the AL West and trail in the wild-card race by 13.
Teams have started to scout Gagne and reliever Akinori Otsuka hard. Otsuka left Sunday's game prematurely with some forearm tenderness, which is the reason Gagne was asked to get four outs for the first time since Sept. 26, 2004.
The Rangers have received a lot of interest in both pitchers. Boston, Detroit, Atlanta, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland have all talked with general manager Jon Daniels about one or the other or both. Gagne has a limited no-trade clause that forces the Rangers to get his permission if they construct a deal with all but 12 teams.
Among the teams that do not require the Rangers' permission is the Dodgers, who have scouted the Rangers especially hard and for whom Gagne pitched his first eight seasons in the majors. Boston has also expressed interest, though a trade with Boston would require Gagne's approval.
"It's not hard not to think about [value]; I'm not," Daniels said. "I'm just happy that the team is playing well. We signed Eric in part because of what he's accomplished in this game and what our young guys can learn from him. That's what I'm thinking about."
For other teams that are thinking about acquiring him, this is what Gagne did after Kameron Loe gave the Rangers his fourth consecutive quality start:
• Getting up cold, he entered a one-run game with two on and two out in the eighth after Otsuka left. Gagne slyly frustrated umpires and fans as he started to get ready in the Rangers bullpen. He later said he didn't know that in an injury situation, he didn't need to do all of his warm-up on the mound.
• He got Alex Cora to ground out on the third pitch of his at-bat.
• Then, after allowing a one-out walk in the ninth, he got the disciplined Kevin Youkilis to pop up after falling behind 3-1. Then for the second consecutive day, he retired David Ortiz in the ninth of a one-run game.
"I thought of Gagne as a power closer when we got him," manager Ron Washington said. "But he's showed me that he knows how to pitch. He recognizes what batters are wanting to do and he does the opposite. He's very smart."
And very valuable. Right now, it's just not so clear to whom he's most valuable.
- I'm beginning to love this team. You've got blue collar guys getting clutch hits (Marlon Byrd, Brad Wilkerson, Catalonotto), a farmhand consistently pitching good games (Kam Loe), another farmhand playing great defense at 3rd and proving he belongs up here (Metcalf), and the bullpen continuing to pitch lights out.
- With this recent surge of good play by the Rangers, I have shifted my plan.
1) Trade Aki and Teixeira to the Dodgers for a kick ass package that includes Chad Billingsley (was the top pitching prospect in the organization 3 years ago and has been a major league contributor for the past 2 years, pitched a shutout last night against SD), James Loney (power hitting 1B who was top positional prospect in the LA minor league system a year ago and who is now the starting 1st baseman and is hitting/fielding great), and Clayton Kershaw (the top pitching prospect in the deepest minor league system in the majors, and is a left hander and a hometown boy from Highland Park).
2) Re-sign Marlon Byrd to a 3 year deal. Don't let him get away like GMJ.
3) Hope Padilla and Millwood return to form. Pair them with McCarthy, Billingsley, and Loe and your rotation is set. And you can let Tejeda and Eric Hurley find their legs in the minors.
4) Trade Lofton and Sosa to a contender for prospects. Finally give Jason Botts 300 AB's for a full season.
5) Sign Torii Hunter in off-season to replace Lofton, and use that signing as your one big free agent splurge of the year.
6) Let Travis Metcalf get another year of minor league seasoning while the team figures out if Blalock can stay healthy and be the long term answer at 3rd base.
7) And here's your lineup for 2008.....
1b. Loney
2b. Kinsler
3b. Blalock
SS. Young
LF. Catalonotto
CF. Hunter
RF. Byrd
DH. Botts
C. Laird
#1. Millwood
#2. Padilla
#3. Billingsley
#4. McCarthy
#5. Loe
Set Up - CJ Wilson, Frankie Francisco, Ron Mahay (left handed specialist)
Closer - Eric Gagne
You're telling me this wouldn't be a fun team to watch?
- Marc Stein says this about Dallas' free agency plans.
The Mavericks' No. 1 target in free agency? Folks in Dallas might have been expecting Mavs killer Matt Barnes, but I'm told it's actually Charlotte's Gerald Wallace. ...
Surely you haven't forgotten the drill: Teams and free agents can reach verbal agreements at any time in the next 10 days, but new contracts can't actually be signed before July 11 while the league finishes determining the salary-cap figure for next season.
- Some quiet rumors re the Mavs
The Mavs are pursuing PJ Brown and Wallace in free agency hard.
The Mavs are in discussions with the T-Wolves for Garnett, and are reported to be discussing Terry, Diop, and maybe Howard (though the Mavs are working to keep him out of the deal, and may be offering Buckner instead) and a couple of expiring contracts with Van Horn and Croshere.
- Please sign this guy, please
The Mavericks were among the first half-dozen teams to inquire about free-agent swingman Gerald Wallace, but it will be a long, difficult journey to acquire him.
It's also possible that other free-agent targets will be more obtainable.
Still, Wallace is near or at the top of the Mavs' wish list, even though acquiring him will take much more than the mid-level exception, expected to be between $5.8 million and $6 million.
Wallace, who averaged 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds for Charlotte last season, is considered one of the top three free agents left on the board, along with Seattle's Rashard Lewis and Detroit's Chauncey Billups. He will command as much as $10 million annually, which means the Mavericks would have to work a sign-and-trade deal with the Bobcats.
"We're working the phones," president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said Sunday. "We were on it until 2:30 in the morning doing our jobs and knowing what's out there. We got a lot of lines out, and we don't know which one is going to hit.
"We're just going to take our time. It could be a day or it could be a month."
It will be difficult to get anything done with Wallace. Most insiders believe he will stay with Charlotte even though the Bobcats last week traded for Jason Richardson, who plays the same position as Wallace.
The Mavericks would have to ship contracts that match within 25 percent of the starting salary Wallace gets. And the Bobcats would no doubt want hefty value on the players coming their way.
Wallace's agent, Rob Pelinka, did not immediately return phone calls.
The Mavericks are also interested in power forward P.J. Brown, whose agent, Mark Bartelstein, also represents James Posey and Mikki Moore. Brown is contemplating retirement, but the Mavericks may be able to acquire him for their biannual exception, which is worth $1.8 million.
Other names on the Mavs' board are Matt Barnes and Mickael Pietrus from Golden State.
The Mavericks also hope to hammer out an agreement with Jerry Stackhouse by midweek. Stackhouse's agent, Jeff Schwartz, and Nelson indicated Sunday that there were no snags and that both sides are hopeful to reach an agreement this week.
- A few laughs courtesy of Bill Simmons re the NBA Draft. A few excerpts from his draft diary.......
4:36: Stephen A. Smith on Portland taking Oden: "They better pick him -- THAT'S THE SENSIBLE THING TO DO." We're nearing the phase of his career when Smith might need to change his gimmick, kind of like when Puffy changed to P. Diddy. I think "Stevie A." or "The Notorious S.A.S." could buy him another two years. That's the sensible thing to do.
4:39: "You can't teach 7 feet!" The Notorious S.A.S. screams.
(See, it works. I told you.)
4:46: Meanwhile, the Hawks finally do the right thing in an NBA draft: They took the third-best guy (Al Horford) at No. 3. Billy Knight, it's like we don't even know you anymore! Even more shocking, it looks like Joakim Noah abandoned his ponytail, slapped on a bow tie and hired Carrot Top's hair stylist. Let's hope he doesn't drop into the second round because of this.
I love his dad
4:52: Memphis grabs Mike Conley Jr. at No. 4. Really good pick. I'd tell you more, but I'm busy trying to find the right adjective for my father on the phone right now. Beaten down? Distraught? Perplexed? Horrified? Apoplectic? All of them fit. He's absolutely appalled by the Allen trade.
"Shooting guards always lose their legs when they hit 32 or 33!" Dad yelps. "It happens to all of them. They can't avoid it. Make sure you put in your column that we traded the fifth and seventh picks in consecutive years for a point guard who was too short and a shooting guard who was too old. Put that in your column. Put it in. I hate this trade."
(Ummm … sure thing, Pops.)
4:56: Dad calls again: "And by the way, I liked Delonte West. Put that in, too. Terrible. This is just terrible."
5:00: Hey, did somebody commission an "Extreme Makeover" of the draft and nobody told us? All the suits look classy; all the moms look like they hired personal trainers … what the hell is going on here?
5:04: Uh-oh. Milwaukee just took Yi Jianlian at No. 6 even though they weren't on his list of acceptable cities because of its lack of a Chinese population … or for that matter, any population other than good-natured, heavyset Caucasians who enjoy dark beer and fried food. This is gonna end badly. You'll see Brett Favre booed at Lambeau before you see Yi putting on a Bucks uniform.
5:26: Chicago takes Carrot Top Noah at No. 9, opening the door to use Ben Wallace's salary in a trade four months from now after Kobe kidnaps Mitch Kupchak's family and holds them hostage in an undisclosed location. Plus, we got some extended shots of Noah's happy mother. A win-win all the way around. Hey, did you know she was Miss Sweden during the same year that Jerome Bettis was growing up in Detroit?
5:37: The Notorious S.A.S. spends 60 seconds questioning Chicago's Noah pick, wonders why the Bulls didn't address low-post scoring without mentioning a single alternative (either in the draft or through trade), then adds at the end, "Again, [John] Paxson knows what he's doing, he's a phenomenal executive." I'd like that minute of my life back. No, really.
5:44: S.A.S. spends a minute telling us how much the Sixers need to go big at 12 and how nothing else is acceptable. Everyone else agrees with him, then -- right as Mike Tirico is about to throw it to the commish -- S.A.S. says, "Thaddeus Young with this pick, I suspect they'll take him." And they do. Um … what???? Fortunately, Bilas saves the day by praising Young's upside.
6:14: Good God, Isiah finally made a good trade! It happened! Somehow, he just landed Zach Randolph for Channing Frye and Stevie Francis! I'm shocked! What's happening to this league? Even Isiah is doing the right thing! I can't stop using exclamation points! How was that the best Portland could do for Randolph?!? He's good for a 25-10 in the East! And if it doesn't work out, who cares? They gave up a bad contract and a half-decent forward to take a $50 million flier on a dominant low-post player. Great move. I stand by these thoughts even if Zach starts an international incident at Scores within the next nine months.
(Follow-up note: I think Portland GM Kevin Pritchard spent an hour thinking about it and decided, "You know what? Just to be safe, maybe it's best that Oden and Randolph never, ever, ever meet. Call Isiah and tell him we say yes to the crappy Francis-Frye offer. We can't mess around.")
6:28: Dickie V. and S.A.S. scream at each other in a split-screen for a while, followed by them making a dinner bet about whether the 2007 draft will prove deeper than the 2003 draft. Imagine being the waiter at that table? Guys, seriously, don't bother tipping me; I slit both of my wrists 10 minutes ago and I'm bleeding to death as we speak. Thanks, though.
6:42: Bilas on Stephen A. Smith: "He needs to become more coachable and learn how to play with other people." Whoops, he said that about Daequan Cook. Sorry about that.
- ESPN's Chris Sheridan details the 2007 NBA Free Agent season that's now upon us. I would love to see Desmond Mason, Gerald Wallace, or Steve Blake in here. An athletic 2 guard or a true point guard would go great on this team.
1. Rashard Lewis, SuperSonics
He switched agents during the season, going from Kevin Poston to Tony Dutt in an effort to maximize his earnings. Lewis has already filed the paperwork to opt out of his contract, foregoing salaries of $10.1 million in '07-08 and $10.9 million in '08-09.
He can get big money from Orlando if the Magic renounce Darko Milicic (which is unlikely), and Charlotte can enter the picture if they decide not to re-sign Gerald Wallace. Otherwise his best hope for a contract with a major starting salary -- a max deal would start above $18 million -- would be through a sign-and-trade.
This will be a major skills test for both Dutt and 30-year-old Sonics general manager Sam Presti, who were expected to speak early July 1 to ascertain how much Seattle is willing to pay to keep Lewis -- an amount that will be impacted by the drafting of Kevin Durant, who plays the same position as Lewis.
Presti says he wants to keep Lewis, but if the money is better elsewhere, sign-and-trade offers could come from New York, Cleveland, Miami, Orlando and Portland.
2. Chauncey Billups, Pistons
It was only a few months ago that the Detroit media was reporting that Billups would get a max contract from the Pistons for all of his years of faithful service. But Billups' value took a hit when he struggled in the Eastern Conference finals against Cleveland, and his only hope of leveraging a new deal starting somewhere north of $12 million per year would be through a sign-and-trade.
Agent Andy Miller will try to find such a deal, but the consensus around the league is that Billups staying in Detroit is a virtual lock. One team that could have given Billups some leverage, the Memphis Grizzlies, addressed its point guard needs by drafting Mike Conley.
3. Gerald Wallace, Bobcats
If you want to see graphic evidence of a guy establishing his value, go back and look at the tapes of the Bobcats' final 45 games, when Wallace averaged 21.6 points with 14 double-doubles. Wallace opted out of a contract that would have paid him $6.05 million next season, and he'd command double that if there were a more open market this summer.
Michael Jordan says he wants to keep him in Charlotte, but we'll have to wait and see how open owner Bob Johnson's wallet is going to be now that he's taken on the contract of Jason Richardson. Don't forget, the Bobcats also have to offer an extension to Emeka Okafor.
4. Vince Carter, Nets
He's opting out of his final season, forsaking $16.36 million, but he'll likely get a new deal from New Jersey for at least three years, with a starting salary lower than $16 million for next season.
That would give the Nets a little more flexibility under the luxury tax this summer, and it would take care of Carter long-term.
5. Mo Williams, Bucks
If, as everyone believes, Billups is going to return to the Pistons, then Williams will be the best free agent point guard out there during a summer when several teams, including Miami and the Los Angeles Lakers, will be looking to address playmaker needs.
If Williams gets an offer that is more than the Bucks are willing to pay, it'll free up money for Milwaukee to spend elsewhere. But like Billups, Williams lost some leverage when the Grizzlies drafted Conley and the Atlanta Hawks drafted Acie Law.
6. Anderson Varejao, Cavaliers
Yes, he's a restricted free agent, but with the Cavs right up against the luxury tax, it'll cost them double to keep him. In other words, if the Bucks, for instance, were to sign him to an offer sheet with a starting salary of $10 million, it would cost Cleveland $20 million in real dollars to match -- $10 million in salary, and $10 million in luxury tax.
7. Darko Milicic, Magic
His cap hold as of July 1 is $15.6 million, which eats up all of Orlando's space. If they sign the 7-footer at a starting salary of $9 million, they'll still have enough space left to offer an additional free agent more than midlevel money.
If the Magic want to go hard after Lewis, they could work out a sign-and-trade with Seattle, or simply renounce Darko -- the latter option would squeeze the 22-year-old financially.
8. Grant Hill, Magic
All indications still point to him returning to Detroit if Joe Dumars is able to clear Lindsey Hunter, Ronald Dupree and Flip Murray off his cap. If that doesn't happen, expect Toronto, Phoenix and possibly San Antonio to make a push.
9. Steve Blake, Nuggets
If you don't think a half-season of steady play will lead to millions in free-agent riches, look back on the case of Marcus Banks.
Blake had nine games with double-figure assists after being dealt from the Bucks to the Nuggets at midseason. He would seem a perfect fit for the Lakers if they keep Kobe Bryant and are outbid for Theo Papaloukas. The Blazers are also interested, and Blake might want to return to Portland.
10. Andray Blatche, Wizards
If we're judging on youth and upside alone, he's probably in the top tier. He may merit a full midlevel offer sheet, and then it would be a question of whether the Wizards would match (I believe they would in an eyeblink) and how that would impact their decisions on DeShawn Stevenson and Jarvis Hayes.
11. Andres Nocioni, Bulls
His best opportunity to get more than the midlevel would be through a sign-and-trade, though his value was hurt by his poor playoff performance against Detroit. If he signs for the MLE elsewhere, count on the Bulls matching.
12. Jason Kapono, Heat
Miami is desperately trying to swing deals, and this is one of the most tradable assets they have. (Jason Williams is borderline untradable, and Antoine Walker is completely untradable.) Look for something of the sign-and-trade variety here.
13. Chris Webber, Pistons
Webber's midseason arrival boosted the Pistons to the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but his struggles in the playoffs contributed to Detroit's downfall. Meanwhile, his 34-year-old knees aren't getting any younger. All of which means his future is uncertain -- whether in Detroit, another city or retirement.
14. Jerry Stackhouse, Mavericks
He made $9.3 million last season, and he wants to stay in Dallas. The Mavericks want him back, too, but they're bidding against themselves, which will impact if and how much of a pay cut Stack will take.
15. Luke Walton, Lakers
Some of the trade options the Lakers are exploring to placate Kobe Bryant include sign-and-trade deals involving Walton. When we know more about Kobe's future and whether he stays in L.A., we'll know better how the Lakers can best use Walton -- keeping him or sign-and-trading him -- in the immediate future. As a Southern California kid, he would like to stay in L.A.
16. Theo Papaloukas, CSKA Moscow
The 6-foot-7 guard has drawn interest from several NBA teams, including the Heat, Lakers, Grizzlies and Clippers, and says he wants to give the NBA a shot, but it would take a full midlevel offer to trump what he's making tax-free in Russia. He has a 400,000 euro buyout with CSKA that must be executed by July 15.
17. Mikki Moore, Nets
He said before the playoffs that he'd give New Jersey a hometown discount, but then increased his value substantially in the playoffs, possibly pricing himself out of the Nets' plans. In a market short on unrestricted free-agent centers, Moore could be able to snag a two- or three-year deal for a portion of a team's midlevel exception.
18. Sasha Pavlovic, Cavaliers
He's in a similar situation to Varejao, in that the Cavs would have to pay double if they match any offer he receives. Pavlovic raised his stock substantially with his defensive effort in the playoffs against Vince Carter, Richard Hamilton and Manu Ginobili.
19. Mickael Pietrus, Warriors
A Raptors source told me there was very little chance of Toronto making a move for the French forward, despite reports to the contrary last week. Pietrus recently switched agents, leaving Lon Babby for William McCandless.
20. Desmond Mason, Hornets
It's way down here on the list where we find the best candidates for getting squeezed financially. Mason is one player who should expect a hefty pay cut after making $8.3 million last season.
21. Earl Boykins, Bucks
Opted out of a guaranteed $3 million to go after one last big contract. Enough teams are looking for point guards for him to do better financially than Milwaukee teammate Ruben Patterson, who made $6.8 million last year and will be hard-pressed to find anywhere near that much elsewhere.
22. Matt Barnes, Warriors
He wants to stay in Golden State, which influenced his recent decision to hire agent Dan Fegan, who also represents Jason Richardson (just traded from the Warriors) and teammate Stephen Jackson.
23. DeShawn Stevenson, Wizards
Still trying to make up for his $9 million mistake last summer when he turned that much down from Orlando and then signed for the minimum in Washington.
24. Fabricio Oberto, Spurs
He declined his third-year option late Sunday night, no doubt thinking he'll be able to get some long-term security -- and perhaps a boost from the $2.5 million he was due to make from San Antonio.
He gets the coveted final international player slot, way down here at No. 24.
25. Matt Carroll, Bobcats
After a vagabond career that included a stop in the D-League, Carroll is seeking some long-term security. No, he cannot defend, but he is a tough competitor and an above-average shooter.
In the long run, he's worth more than the guys he edged out for No. 25, Morris Peterson, Corliss Williamson, James Posey and Jamaal Magloire.
- Would have liked to see this guy on the Mav's roster next year. They need a sharpshooter and he would have fit the bill. Kapono signs with Toronto....
Free agent sharpshooter Jason Kapono has quickly reached an agreement Sunday to leave the Miami Heat and sign a four-year deal believed to be worth $24 million with the Toronto Raptors.a
The NBA's free agent period commenced at 12:01 Sunday morning, with free agents unable to formally sign contracts before July 11.
"Jason is excited about this opportunity and intends to sign with the Raptors when the moratorium period ends," said Kapono's agent, Bob Myers.
Kapono, a second-round draft pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, led the NBA in 3-point percentage, and posted career-highs in points (10.9) and rebounds (2.7) this season.
- If there's one player in the NBA that I wouldn't want to count on for taking my team to the championship, it's this guy. Talk about a guy in it for nothing but money. I can't explain it, but for some reason, Vince Carter seems like a guy who doesn't care one bit that he'll never sniff a title in his whole career. Looks like he got his money...........
TRENTON, N.J. -- Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets have the framework in place for a four-year contract that guarantees the All-Star more than $60 million, sources told The Associated Press and The (Newark) Star-Ledger.
The deal will not be official until July 11 when free-agent deals can be signed.
A day earlier the Nets announced Carter had opted out of the final year of a contract that would've paid him $16.3 million next season. Team officials, though, had said they were optimistic the 30-year-old swingman, who will be entering his 10th season, would return to New Jersey.
Since the playoffs ended, Carter has been practicing at the team's facility in East Rutherford, and he also had invited teammate Nenad Krstic to visit his Orlando, Fla., home this week to practice together. And Bruce Ratner, the team's owner, has been a strong supporter of Carter and has said he wanted him re-signed.
Carter and the Nets had been talking about a contract for the past month.
Gary Sussman, a team spokesman, did not immediately return a message left Sunday night seeking details of the agreement. However, The Star-Ledger reported on its Web site Sunday that the deal guarantees Carter $61.8 million over four seasons, with the team holding an option for a fifth year.
Kurt Schoeppler, Carter's agent, has not returned telephone calls to his Cleveland office since the negotiations started, and he did not return a message left Sunday.
Carter averaged team-highs of 25.2 points in the regular season and 22.3 for the postseason. However, he shot less than 40 percent from the field during the playoffs and made several big mistakes.
Carter turned the ball over in the closing seconds of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal against Cleveland with the Nets down two points and 2-1 in the series. He also was somewhat of a no-show for the deciding Game 6, scoring 11 points while having more turnovers (five) than baskets (four).
The other potential free agent the Nets would like to re-sign is center Mikki Moore, who took over the starting job after Krstic was lost in December with a knee injury.
Moore averaged career-bests of 9.8 points and 5.1 rebounds while leading the league in field goal percentage at .609.
- Who isn't ready for some college football? 10 freshman to watch in 2007.
ESPN:
Arrelious Benn should make an immediate impact at Illinois, but will Jimmy Clausen live up to the hype at Notre Dame? Will Noel Devine and Joe McKnight deliver at West Virginia and USC, respectively? Check out the freshmen you should be watching this fall.
1. Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois
Benn, who enrolled at Illinois in January, should have a tremendous impact this fall because, frankly, he's better than the rest of the Illini's returning skill players. He was a major recruiting coup for Coach Ron Zook, after choosing Illinois over Florida State, Maryland, Miami and Notre Dame. Look for the 6-foot-1, 210-pound native of Washington, D.C., to become quarterback Juice Williams' favorite target.
2. Eric Berry, CB, Tennessee
Berry, one of the country's most highly regarded defensive back prospects, will have an opportunity to start in the Volunteers' revamped secondary. Free safety Jonathan Hefney is the only returning starter. If Berry can hold off a pair of junior-college transfers, he might be starting at cornerback by the Sept. 1 opener at California.
3. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
The California high school legend is in a three-man battle to replace departed Fighting Irish starter Brady Quinn. Clausen had surgery recently to repair damage in the elbow of his right (throwing) arm, which might prevent him from beating out Evan Sharpley or Demetrius Jones for the starting job before the Sept. 1 opener against Georgia Tech. Barring complications with the elbow, expect Clausen to be starting by midseason, though.
4. Graig Cooper, RB, Miami
Cooper might be the key to the Hurricanes turning around their fortunes during Coach Randy Shannon's first season. After enrolling in January, Cooper outplayed returning tailback Javarris James during spring practice. So much so that Edgerrin James, the incumbent's cousin, told Shannon that Cooper was a better runner during spring drills. The Memphis native attended prep school in New York last year, so he's more physically ready to go.
5. Torrey Davis, DT, Florida
The 300-pounder from Seffner, Fla., will be given every opportunity to produce on the defending national champions' rebuilt defensive line. Coach Urban Meyer expects as many as six freshmen to play on the defensive line this season, and Davis is the best of the bunch.
6. Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia
Mountaineers fans might have burned couches in celebration the day Devine revealed he had qualified academically to play this coming season. While the 5-foot-8 speedster from Fort Myers, Fla., isn't going to unseat Heisman Trophy candidate Steve Slaton in the backfield, he gives coach Rich Rodriguez yet another fast option in the spread offense.
7. Ronald Johnson, WR, Southern Cal
Johnson is so athletically gifted that Trojans coach Pete Carroll can't seem to decide whether to play him on offense or defense. The 6-foot, 177-pound native of Muskegon, Mich., runs the 40-yard dash in about 4.4 seconds and was coveted by Michigan, Ohio State and Florida, among other schools. The Trojans have a glaring hole at receiver with Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett departing, and Johnson might end up being better than each of them.
8. Willy Korn, QB, Clemson
After watching Will Proctor struggle throughout the 2006 season, Clemson fans couldn't wait for Korn to arrive this winter. Korn couldn't beat out Cullen Harper for the starting job during the spring, but he'll undoubtedly play this coming fall. Clemson coach Tommy Bowden won't be able to keep Korn on the bench -- and might not keep his own job if Korn doesn't perform well.
9. Joe McKnight, TB, Southern Cal
The New Orleans native was drawing comparisons to the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush -- and receiving phone calls from the current New Orleans Saints star -- before he ever stepped on the USC campus. McKnight joins a very crowded Trojans backfield this fall, with seven first- or second-year players battling for the starting job. But figure McKnight to make some kind of impact this season. Asking McKnight to beat out the likes of Chauncey Washington, Emmanuel Moody, C.J. Gable and Allen Bradford might be too much to ask, though.
10. Keith Nichol, QB, Oklahoma
Can the two-time Michigan high school player of the year make enough progress this spring to make a serious challenge at the starting job? Nichol had a trimmed-down playbook during the spring after enrolling early. But he still stayed in the hunt with redshirt freshman Sam Bradford and junior Joey Halzle as the Sooners search for Paul Thompson's replacement.
- Wow, isn't amazing what you can do with a huge TV contract and an endless supply of cash? The NY Rangers continue to be, like the Yankees, the best team money can buy. The Rangers pluck 2 of the biggest free agents on the market on the first day of NHL free agent season. Gomez and Drury have won Cups and are still young, both were probably out of the Star's reach, but it looks like they didn't even have a chance to get in the bidding.
NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers solved their problems at center in a big way Sunday, signing Scott Gomez and Chris Drury away from Eastern Conference rivals on the first day of free agency.
Just hours after the summer shopping season opened, the Rangers landed the two biggest available centers -- plucking Gomez from Atlantic Division-foe New Jersey and Drury from the Buffalo Sabres, the team that knocked New York out in the second round of this year's playoffs.
Gomez signed a seven-year deal with the Rangers worth $51.5 million -- including $10 million next season. Drury inked a five-year contract for $35.25 million. He will earn $7.1 million each of the next two seasons.
"It's pretty exciting," Rangers general manager Glen Sather said. "We ranked them both as number ones, and we never expected to get both of them."
The Rangers had been looking for a second-line center to play with forward Brendan Shanahan, and now can plug Gomez into that spot. Drury's signing means that New York will let unrestricted free agent Michael Nylander leave, creating a spot on the top line for Drury to play alongside Jaromir Jagr.
Sather approached both players Sunday and felt during the day that he merely had to convince the pair to come to New York. He knew other teams were interested but didn't get the impression from Drury and Gomez that he was bidding against other clubs.
New York already had some room under the salary cap, and then got more space when next season's number was set at $50.3 million, an increase of $6.3 million from last season.
Shanahan hasn't signed a new deal yet, but said after the season he wanted to return to New York. The Rangers also need to get restricted free agent goalie Henrik Lundqvist and forward Sean Avery under contract.
"We still have other people we have to sign so we have to be careful but we think we have things calculated out and we're in a good position," Sather said. "We think we can keep everyone we have right now."
Although coach Tom Renney said he always has line combinations running through his head, he hasn't mapped out exactly where everyone will line up on opening night.
"A couple of additions made it quite appealing," Renney said.
Drury's deal also includes a full no-move clause, meaning he can't be traded without his consent or sent to the minor leagues. Agreeing to such terms is a shift in previous Rangers policy.
"I'd say it was not as intact as it was yesterday," Sather said with a laugh. "When you make a deal, there are certain things you try to stick to and certain things you make compromises on."
There was no immediate word whether Gomez received the same consideration. The 27-year Alaskan native, a two-time Stanley Cup champion in his seven NHL seasons -- all with the Devils -- had 13 goals and 47 assists in 72 games last season.
Drury, from nearby Trumbull, Conn., joined fellow Sabres co-captain Daniel Briere in leaving Buffalo on Sunday. Briere signed an eight-year, $52 million contract with Philadelphia -- another division rival of the Rangers.
"I have some kind of mixed feeling," Sather said of the Sabres. "I am happy we got an opportunity to get involved with these players. From Buffalo's perspective, I'm sure they're not happy these two guys left but that's the nature of the beast.
"I know it was a difficult day for Darcy [Sabres GM Darcy Regier]. You just have to face the facts that sometimes you can't keep everyone, and at some point it's probably going to happen to us. This organization has come a long way and this is our opportunity."
Drury, 30, scored a career-high 69 points -- including 37 goals -- for the Sabres. Buffalo had an NHL-best 113 points this season, but the balance of power in the East clearly shifted toward the Atlantic Division on Sunday.
"He's been a winner everywhere he's been," Sather said. "He brings that spunk we need. He fits many roles for us."
The Rangers lost a tight, six-game series to Buffalo in the second round. New York was poised to take a 3-2 series lead in Game 5 when Drury scored the tying goal with 7.7 seconds left in regulation. The Sabres then won 2-1 in overtime to take control back in the series.
New York made the playoffs each of the past two years after missing for seven straight seasons.
"The expectations can't be any greater than they are internally," Renney said. "This is a work in progress and always will be. We just want to get to the highest level possible and work hard to sustain it."
Sather said both players indicated a desire to play in New York, and signs throughout the course of Sunday emerged that made him believe he could get them both under contract.
"I don't think either one of them knew we were negotiating with the other guy," he said. "We called them both at the same time and neither one knew about it until the very end."
- This guy has quietly become the most important player on the Stars. What a great move by Bob Gainey back in the 90's to get him here. He captains the power play, can pass the puck with the best of them, and is one of the best scoring defensemen in the game. This guy is to the Stars like Steve Nash is to the Suns, he makes this team go. Glad to see him locked up for at least another year....
The Stars on Sunday signed Sergei Zubov to a one-year contract extension for $5.35 million.
Zubov has one year remaining on his current contract at $4 million. The extension will be for the 2008-09 season. Sunday was the first day the Stars could negotiate with Zubov on an extension per NHL rules.
- Never thought this guy was that bad when he was with the Rangers, just a victim of bad circumstances in my opinion. Thought he was a decent coach, but he did get fired yesterday.
CINCINNATI -- Manager Jerry Narron was fired Sunday night by the Cincinnati Reds, who raised their payroll and their expectations in the offseason only to find themselves with the worst record in the major leagues.
The Reds became the second team to change managers Sunday. Earlier in the day, Seattle's Mike Hargrove resigned.
Narron was the second big league manager to be fired this season. Baltimore's Sam Perlozzo lost his job on June 18 after the last-place Orioles couldn't shake another losing streak.
The Reds have been far worse, setting a pace for their first 100-loss season since 1982. With no improvement in sight and attendance starting to lag, the club decided to dump its low-key manager.
The move came a few hours after an 11-7 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals that left the Reds at 31-51, the worst record in the majors. Advance scout Pete Mackanin was chosen interim manager.
Mackanin, 55, managed the Reds' Triple-A team in Nashville from 1990-92. He was the Pirates' interim manager for the final 26 games of the 2005 season after Lloyd McClendon was fired.
Owner Bob Castellini and general manager Wayne Krivsky declined comment until a news conference on Monday, a day off before the start of a home series against the San Francisco Giants.
The 51-year-old Narron tried to set a take-charge tone early in the season, when he moved Ken Griffey Jr. to right field and dropped him out of his accustomed spot at No. 3 in the batting order. Griffey didn't like it, but Narron went ahead with the moves.
He also benched third baseman Edwin Encarnacion during an April game for failing to run out a pop up.
The tone may have changed, but Narron couldn't overcome a bullpen that led the NL in losses and repeatedly failed to hold leads in the late innings.
With the franchise headed for its seventh straight losing season -- its deepest slump in a half-century -- Castellini decided to make yet another managerial change. Since winning the World Series in 1990, the Reds have had seven managers and made only one playoff appearance -- in 1995 under Davey Johnson.
The Reds expected a return to prominence when they moved into Great American Ball Park in 2003, but it didn't happen. They fired general manager Jim Bowden and manager Bob Boone midway through the season.
Dave Miley got the next chance, but was fired midway through the 2005 season. Narron, his bench coach, took over on an interim basis and kept the job after leading the team to a 46-46 finish the rest of that season.
The Reds went 80-82 last year, the team's first under Castellini. It was their best result since 2000 and earned Narron a two-year extension through 2008.
Castellini allowed the payroll to rise $10 million to $69 million this year, hoping to contend in the weak NL Central. He also allowed Krivsky to give $71 million in contract extensions to starting pitchers Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo, the franchise's biggest spending splurge since it brought Griffey home in 2000.
It all fell apart fast.
The rotation started strong but failed. Arroyo has yet to win a game since May 6, left-hander Eric Milton has had reconstructive elbow surgery, and highly acclaimed rookie Homer Bailey has been roughed up in his last two starts.
Bailey failed to make it through the fourth inning of an 11-7 loss to St. Louis on Sunday that highlighted the Reds' shortcomings. They made three more errors and their bullpen turned a close game into another drubbing.
The Reds decided to fire Narron before a home series against Barry Bonds and the Giants. Bonds is only five homers shy of Hank Aaron's career record, but none of the three games was close to a sellout -- underscoring fans' indifference.
- Where's Sammy?????
STARTERS
POS PLAYER TEAM ALL-STAR GAME
C Ivan Rodriguez Detroit Tigers 14th
1B David Ortiz Boston Red Sox 4th
2B Placido Polanco Detroit Tigers 1st
3B Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees 11th
SS Derek Jeter New York Yankees 8th
OF Vladimir Guerrero Los Angeles Angels 8th
OF Magglio Ordonez Detroit Tigers 6th
OF Ichiro Suzuki Seattle Mariners 7th
PITCHERS
POS PLAYER TEAM ALL-STAR GAME
RHP Josh Beckett Boston Red Sox 1st
RHP John Lackey Los Angeles Angels 1st
LHP Johan Santana Minnesota Twins 3rd
RHP Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers 1st
LHP C.C. Sabathia Cleveland Indians 3rd
RHP Dan Haren Oakland Athletics 1st
RHP Gil Meche Kansas City Royals 1st
RHP Jonathan Papelbon Boston Red Sox 2nd
RHP Francisco Rodriguez Los Angeles Angels 2nd
RHP J.J. Putz Seattle Mariners 1st
RHP Bobby Jenks Chicago White Sox 2nd
RESERVES
POS PLAYER TEAM ALL-STAR GAME
C Victor Martinez Cleveland Indians 2nd
C Jorge Posada New York Yankees 5th
1B Justin Morneau Minnesota Twins 1st
2B Brian Roberts Baltimore Orioles 2nd
3B Mike Lowell Boston Red Sox 4th
SS Carlos Guillen Detroit Tigers 2nd
SS Michael Young Texas Rangers 4th
OF Carl Crawford Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2nd
OF Torii Hunter Minnesota Twins 2nd
OF Manny Ramirez Boston Red Sox 11th
OF Alex Rios Toronto Blue Jays 2nd
OF Grady Sizemore Cleveland Indians 2nd
- I can't even explain the level of relief/jubililation I was feeling as a 13 year old that January. Imagine the 1 team you love consistently getting to the peak of the mountain only to get turned away in the most humiliating/heartbreaking of ways. When they finally figured it out, they put together a 5 year stretch of domnination they may never be topped. 1993-1997 were my golden years of college football.......
- One of the finest songs ever written.
- Picks O' the day
Weekend record - 9-10
YTD - 35-32
As always, take the home dogs, as well as:
OAK -150 - OAK at home
BALT +110 - Bedard is very good, I take him every time
LAD -120 - Lowe pitching, at home
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