- Gone to south Texas for the weekend. I'll leave you with some picks for Thursday and some killer videos that are sure-fire time killers over the weekend......
- Picks O'the day
Toronto +110 - Halladay on mound TB +125 - I know TB sucks, but Pettite's old and Shields is pretty good Oakland +105
- The greatness that is Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
- The following are back when the Simpsons were actually good
- One of the many genius characters of the Simpsons
- Yet another genius character, the scamming attorney
- AL dominates again, which isn't surprising considering the high amount of free agent movement in the past few off seasons, with many NL players relocating to the AL. Not to mention the big boys NY and BOS snatching up every high priced big-time talented player it seems.
Is there anything cooler to watch than someone fly around the bases for a triple, or in Ichiro's case, an inside the park HR? Those guys just glide around those bases.
AL survives late rally by NL, wins 5-4 to take 10 straight.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Ichiro Suzuki sped around the bases as the ball bounced away from Ken Griffey Jr. for the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star game history. On a night of tricky hops, Suzuki and the American League rebounded to win -- as usual.
Instead of a Barry Bonds splash shot, the defining hit at Tuesday's All-Star game was Suzuki's drive off the right-field wall at quirky AT&T Park.
In a decade of dominance, the AL has won 10 straight games played to a decision, with the notorious 2002 tie at Milwaukee interrupting the run. The only longer streak was when the NL took 11 in a row from 1972-82.
- I was wondering the same thing. You have the AL closers struggling, you have 1 guy left on your bench who hasn't been in yet, the bases are jacked, 1 hit and the game's over. That 1 guy just happens to be Albert Pujols, the best hitter in the game. Not to mention, he's LaRussa's own player. Instead you send up Aaron Rowand (and this is a reason why the AL is so dominant-since when is Aaron Rowand an all-star?????) and he promptly flies out to end the game. Michael Young also doesn't get into the game. Pujols not happy..........
SAN FRANCISCO -- Albert Pujols was angry about being left on the All-Star bench and the St. Louis slugger took aim at the National League manager -- who just happened to be Tony La Russa of his own Cardinals.
"It's the All-Star Game. He can do what he wants," Pujols said Tuesday night. "He does whatever he wants. If I wasn't expecting to play, I wouldn't have come up here."
Pujols, the NL MVP in 2005 and key to the Cardinals' win in the World Series last year, said La Russa didn't talk to him the entire game.
Pujols and Texas shortstop Michael Young -- last year's All-Star Game MVP -- were the only position players who didn't get into the game. Ever since the 2002 event ended in an extra-innings tie, managers have tended to hold a hitter back just in case.
- Give him a lifetime suspension from the league and send him to jail for a long time. This guy hasn't learned a thing from his past and I don't think he ever will. Always keeping it real...............
Pacman cited after police stop his orange Lamborghini
Suspended NFL player Adam "Pacman" Jones received several driving citations in a traffic stop last month in Williamson County, Tenn., where he has a home.
Jones was pulled over June 10 at 8:30 a.m. in his orange Lamborghini sports car because the tags did not match the car, WKRN-TV in Nashville reported.
Sheriff's deputies said he had switched the plate from another vehicle he owns. He was cited with a registration violation, as well as a residency violation for having a Georgia license and failure to show proof of insurance.
Jones was scheduled for an Aug. 10 court appearance on the citations. The Tennessee Titans cornerback is currently suspended from the NFL for a year over several legal scrapes since being drafted in 2005. He faces felony coercion charges in connection with a Feb. 19 fight and triple-shooting at a Las Vegas strip club.
Jones also faces a felony charge of obstruction stemming from a physical altercation in February 2006 with an officer on patrol in Fayetteville, Ga., but no trial date has been set.
Last week a judge delayed a decision on whether to revive charges from an incident last August at a nightclub in Murfreesboro, just south of Nashville. Police said Jones got into an argument with a woman, refused to leave the club and shouted profanities at officers.
- NBA news/notes
- At this point, I would expect the Mav's big time off-season activity to be over with. I expect them to quietly fill out all their free agent exceptions and be ready to roll with what they have, which is not a bad thing IMO.
Mavs shopping for good bargains.
Team will be patient, but there are exceptions to consider
02:00 AM CDT on Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Everybody in the NBA is bracing for basketball's version of a discount shopping spree that officially opens today. It's a buyer's market, or at least it will be when everything shakes out.
While top free agents such as Rashard Lewis (leaving Seattle for Orlando) and Vince Carter (returning to New Jersey) have already agreed to lucrative deals, which can be signed today, the Mavericks and other teams are biding their time, patiently waiting for agents and players to begin taking the best available contract that is presented to them.
Many that are seeking the full mid-level exception – which was set at $5.36 million Tuesday – will be disappointed.
It's not a particularly attractive crop of free agents, but the Mavericks are hoping that a couple of immediate helpers will filter through to them. If not, they are at peace heading into next season with what they have, which is a perennial playoff team with virtually all of the key pieces in their prime.
In short, they are bargain hunters, having yet to commit any of their available money under salary-cap exceptions.
"This is the cry-wolf day," Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. "But I think once it comes and goes, there will be a settling-out period and then people will come to a more realistic approach."
Today will likely pass without the Mavericks opening the checkbook, Nelson said, other than to re-sign Jerry Stackhouse and Devean George, their two key free agents. Both players will be signed under provisions of what is known as "Larry Bird" exceptions. Each team can re-sign its own free agents with at least three years of service with the team to any amount up to the NBA maximum, which was Stackhouse's case. In George's case, an "Early Bird" provision allowed him to re-sign.
Now, the Mavericks will patiently wait to see which bargains slip through the cracks around the league. A short list of possibilities:
• A swingman who is athletic and defensive-minded. Qualifiers for this role would include Golden State's Matt Barnes, Miami's James Posey, Toronto's Morris Peterson, Golden State's Mickael Pietrus and Cleveland's Sasha Pavlovic, among others. They are all looking for the full mid-level exception. They won't all get it.
A full exception, extended out for five seasons, will mean about a $35 million investment for a team. It's more likely that the Mavericks try to find a bargain for about half of the exception.
• A veteran center. P.J. Brown is considered the best of the bunch and probably could be had for the $1.8 million bi-annual exception. Another possibility is Chris Webber, whom the Mavericks coveted when he was released by Philadelphia last season and signed with Detroit to be near his hometown. Darko Milicic, released by Orlando to make room for Lewis, is not believed to be a candidate.
• A sign-and-trade for Gerald Wallace. He's the last of the marquee free agents who is unaccounted for, although it still seems likely that he will remain with the Bobcats.
Wise guys like Mavs: The NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is rolling on, but bigger news in Sin City, at least for the Mavericks, is how popular they are as picks to win the 2008 NBA title. They are in a virtual three-way dead heat with San Antonio and Phoenix.
The Mavericks are listed as 5-2 favorites at the Las Vegas Hilton to win the title, followed closely by Phoenix (7-2) and the Spurs (5-1). Cleveland is the co-favorite in the East with Detroit at 10-1.
At Caesars Palace, the Spurs are 5-2 favorites, with the Suns at 3-1 and the Mavericks at 7-2. At the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, the Suns are the choice at 3-1, followed by the Mavs (4-1) and Spurs (5-1).
Mavs stay unbeaten: The Mavericks improved to 3-0 in the NBA Summer League, beating the Denver Nuggets, 87-83, on Tuesday. Jose Juan Barea led the Mavericks with 18 points, and Brandon Bass had 15 points and eight rebounds.
- A Wang Zhi-Zhi sighting? Another failed Nellie experiment.......
Wang Zhizhi, China's 7-foot center, drilled a three and then put his fists to his forehead, which made Quentin Richardson crack up. Q-Rich was sitting the crowd with Malik Rose and Dorell Wright from the Miami Heat. Wang and Q played together with the Clippers.
- Stars President Jim Lites is the latest in the organization to try to calm down the fan base and media re another year of lack of urgency in improving the team. Well, when you continually fail in the playoffs, and then all you do in the off-season is bring back the existing players and sign free agents with talent similar to what you already have, I'd say the complaining is warranted.
Lites to Stars faithful: Patience, please
Team president says waiting is prudent path to improving roster
02:14 AM CDT on Wednesday, July 11, 2007
For Stars fans concerned by the team's inability to land a scoring forward in the early days of NHL free agency, the message from team president Jim Lites is clear:
"We're not dumb, we're not cheap and we've not fallen asleep," he said this week.
The Stars planned to spend $4 million to land an impact scorer when free agency began last week. Their goal remains the same, even if the timetable and method might have changed. Now, any major acquisition will come from a trade and is likely to happen months from now.
"Are we likely to make a trade? Yes, but not in the next week," Lites said, emphasizing the Stars intend to be patient. "Are we preparing to do something? Absolutely. But we're not going to do anything stupid."
Admittedly stung by fan and media criticism after the Stars failed to land any of the forwards considered in the top six among free agents, Lites provided insight into the team's plan, what went wrong and what lies ahead.
With the NHL's salary cap rising to $50.3 million for next season, the Stars estimated they could add a $4 million player without having to do major surgery to the core of their roster. Afraid of long-term deals that could hinder financial flexibility, the team decided against offering any deal longer than three years.
They targeted three unrestricted free-agent wingers: Paul Kariya, Jason Blake and Slava Kozlov. Then they were stunned by a spending spree that conjured up memories of the pre-cap, pre-lockout NHL.
Kariya, coming off a 24-goal, 76-point season, received $18 million over three years from St. Louis.
"I'm sorry; in our opinion, he got offered crazy money," Lites said.
Blake, 33, received a five-year contract from Toronto averaging $4 million per season. Kozlov cited family reasons for deciding to stay in Atlanta, though the Stars offered more money on a three-year deal.
The perceived inaction angered fans used to high-profile signings and upset by three consecutive first-round playoff exits. In response, Lites pointed to the Stars' long-term record. Only Detroit has more regular-season NHL victories since the start of the 1996-97 season. And the team posted 51 wins last season.
The plan now is to wait to spend the $4 million. Brendan Shanahan, one free agent who might have intrigued the Stars, re-signed with the New York Rangers on Tuesday.
Whether it's September or December or March, the Stars expect to use nearly every bit of the extra $4 million.
"We're certainly going to have a cushion to play with," general manager Doug Armstrong said. "You have to have flexibility. That being said, we're still going to look to improve our team via trade or any other fashion."
The Stars feel they still have a team, as is, that can be competitive early in the season.
"A lot of money got spent, and a lot of people moved around," Lites said, "but not a whole lot of teams got better."
In management's scenario, the team can bide its time, waiting for teams that might stumble early and look to shed players. And the Stars might be one of the few teams with both the cap room and the willingness to spend it.
"That's the time to make a move," Lites said. "We think there will be salary dumps."
The same money that wasn't spent in July could be used then.
Briefly: The NHL schedule will be released today, with the Stars opening the season in Colorado. ... The Stars' developmental camp for top prospects will be July 23-28 in Frisco.
- I'm gonna take a backhoe and uproot that tree......
Thieves smash store with backhoe 05:39 AM CDT on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 From WFAA-TV Staff Reports
3400 Irving Boulevard Thieves used a stolen backhoe to smash a big hole in the side of a convenience store early Wednesday.
The incident was reported shortly after 3 a.m. in the 3400 block of Irving Boulevard in Dallas, not far from Love Field.
Investigators at the scene were attempting to determine what was stolen from the store, which cashes checks as well as selling food.
Police said the thieves fled, leaving the backhoe at the store.
- I can't deny that he helped resurrect the worst 1990's pro sport franchise in America, I know he gambled huge and won with signing Steve Nash and drafting Dirk, I know I should hold the guy in high regard, but the more that comes out about him, the more I despise him.
And I'm not at all defending Mark Cuban either, I criticize him as well. But I side with Cuban more than I do Nelson most of the time.
Tell me if you've heard this story before........Nellie goes into a season constantly lowering the bar with projected expectations, plays the underdog role to a T, exceeds those low expectations, gets a city excited, and then claims exhaustion and fatigue and questions whether he has the "stomach" for another fight the following season. So the franchise, struggling for a consistent winner, concedes to him, gives him more money and power and all of a sudden, he has a rebirth and he's back in action, running around like a spring chicken. See: Dallas and now Golden State.
The guy is becoming an NBA Roger Clemens, if there's a dollar involved, or in this case millions, and there's a dope out there to fall into the trap, he's there.
Let me count the reasons for my disgust with him: 1) The way he came out of retirement just recently and the cirumstances that led to that 2) The way he sells his soul for money 3) The way he handled his final days as coach of the Mavs, basically quitting on the team while knowing he'd still get paid 5) How he disappeared every off season to Maui, not to be seen again until training camp 4) The way he's pining for every cent from the Mavs nowadays while at the same time demanding more money from his current team 5) How he drafted/traded for/signed every white and foreign stiff in the world during his time with the Mavs (Raef, Antsey, Bradley, Eschmeyer, Wang, Bruno Sundov, etc) and how he never built his teams on athleticism and fast black men, but then goes to Golden St. and immediately trades his 2 white stiffs for thugs and superior athletes and builds his teams around sharp shooters and guys who can jump out of the gym. He basically tries to acquire every player that would have been absolute, 100% perfect complements to the Nash/Dirk/Finley triumverate. 6) His competitive philosophies of always wanting low expectations and relishing the loser role.
He's become a very unlikable person for me. And like I said, I'm not siding with Cuban on this either. I think in the case of the lawsuit and rift between them, they're both proving to be equally as idiotic. But in Cuban's case and as a future season ticket holder, I can appreciate and like Cuban better because of how he treats us, the fans.
Anyway, here's the story....
Nelson reportedly seeking significant raise ESPN.com news services
Updated: July 9, 2007, 2:06 PM ET
The health concerns Don Nelson said he had heading into this offseason no longer appear to be an issue. The coach of the Warriors recently said he's lost about 20 pounds since the end of Golden State's season and feels great.
Before he fully commits to returning to the Warriors, however, Nelson has one more self-induced obstacle to overcome: his contract.
Citing league sources, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday that Nelson, who turned 67 in May, is seeking a significant pay raise from his current three-year deal. Warriors president Robert Rowell and John O'Connor, Nelson's representative, met last week to discuss the matter.
"All I will say is that Don is very conflicted," O'Connor told the Chronicle. "He is extremely excited about this team, but at the same time, he exhausted himself this last season like he has never done before."
Nelson has two years and $6.2 million left on his contract and wants the deal's playoff-related bonuses to be guaranteed, which would bring his annual salary to about $6 million. Nelson's $3.1 million base salary ranks among the bottom half of the league, the Chronicle said.
Warriors top executive Chris Mullin said last week he has no reason to believe Nelson won't be back next season.
"I got Nellie to come back. I'm going to keep Nellie here," Mullin said. "Whatever those issues might be, they'll be resolved."
Former Warriors coach Mike Montgomery, who was fired two years into his four-year contract, is still owed $2.5 million, the Chronicle reported.
- What a boring, uneventful home run derby. We get hardly any bombs, and of course we get the ass whipping that is Chris Berman. Just fire the guy and do us all a favor.
SAN FRANCISCO -- With Barry Bonds sitting out, this derby was dry -- and Vladimir Guerrero was San Francisco's home run king for a day.
The Los Angeles Angels slugger won the Home Run Derby on Monday night, hitting 17 homers and beating Toronto's Alex Rios 3-2 in the final round of the All-Star competition.
None of the eight sluggers managed a true "splash hit" over the right-field fence and into the waterfront park's iconic McCovey Cove. Dozens of eager fans wearing wetsuits and carrying nets amid the flotilla of kayaks and rafts ended up scrambling for just a handful of foul balls and ricochets during nearly six hours of batting practice and derby slugging.
But the four semifinalists sent balls into every other corner of a park that's usually a nightmare for any hitter not named Bonds.
Guerrero, who managed just two homers in his only previous derby appearance back in 2000, also produced the contest's most fearsome shot: a 503-footer to left that fell just short of the oversized baseball mitt looming over the outfield bleachers -- a target that still hasn't been hit during a game in the park's 8-year history.
"The first time I came in 2000, I swung at every pitch, so this time I came back with a different philosophy," Guerrero said through an interpreter. "I was going to take a pitch to rest in between. ... There was nothing in the ballpark that I was aiming for."
Guerrero indulged in various shenanigans with his friends and AL teammates during the first two rounds, re-taping his fingers and getting a towel-down in the middle of competition -- and when Guerrero failed to homer on his first three swings in the first round, David Ortiz made a special delivery.
The Boston star charged to home plate, dramatically tossed away Guerrero's bat and called for a friend to carry a large wooden case to them. After removing a new bat from the case, Ortiz kissed the lumber and presented it to Guerrero, who used it to hit five homers on his next nine swings.
"It was my bat, and we had it planned if I wasn't doing well at the beginning, he was going to bring it out to me," said Guerrero, who slept late Monday to rest up after finishing a nine-game road trip with the Angels in New York.
He was all business in the final, homering on his first pitch before finishing it with three swings to spare. Guerrero casually discarded his bat and didn't even watch as his final shot settled in the left-field stands, celebrating with his cousin from the Dominican Republic.
Rios, added to the derby field on Sunday, had a remarkable 12-homer binge in the second round, but lost his swing in the final, managing just two more to finish with 19.
"It was the pitcher just throwing me the ball where I wanted," Rios said. "I was a little surprised at how far they carried. ... I guess I just didn't warm up enough [before the final]."
Bonds, who's just four homers shy of tying Hank Aaron's career homer record of 755, turned down the chance to participate in the homer contest, though he took part in early batting practice and stuck around to watch the sluggers.
Bonds claimed the toll from an afternoon's swings would be too exhausting and disruptive before Tuesday's game, when he'll start in left field and bat second for the NL squad. He hit a handful of homers during batting practice for the thousands of fans who showed up two hours early for the derby.
The sluggers started slowly: Three batters held the first-round lead with five homers apiece, the lowest leading total in the first round since the derby went to a three-round format in 1995.
Defending champion Ryan Howard, who managed just three homers, hit a 410-foot shot that died in the 421-foot corner of right-center, prompting him to rip off his hat in mock frustration.
"It's a tough thing to do," Howard said of the dearth of splash hits. "I don't think any guys were trying to yank it down there. Guys are just trying to stay with their natural swing."
All three left-handed hitters in the competition paid for their inability to reach the water consistently: They were all eliminated in a park that caters to Bonds' swing. Three of the four right-handed sluggers who advanced to the second round were added to the competition in the previous 24 hours.
Minnesota's Justin Morneau, Milwaukee's Prince Fielder, Detroit's Magglio Ordonez and Howard were eliminated in the first round.
Rios hit five consecutive homers on his last swing in the second round to finish with 17 over the first two rounds, pushing him past Colorado's Matt Holliday. Guerrero followed with nine second-round homers to eliminate Holliday -- including that 503-foot shot to a previously unexplored area.
Albert Pujols, who hasn't homered for the Cardinals since June 14 during the longest drought of his career, finished one homer shy of the finalists.
Hours before the late-afternoon events, dozens of personal watercraft crammed into McCovey Cove. The amphibious spectators took advantage of gorgeous weather to pack the water passage that has become perhaps the most beautiful place in baseball to deposit a home run.
The Giants fired off their three water cannons on the arcade atop the right-field wall for each homer, lightly misting the fans packed into the small space. The club also reset the digital counter on the outfield wall that keeps track of splash hits, as the waterbound homers are known during the regular season.
- Wow, look at this, some more bargain signings for the Stars. Big time shocker here. I'm glad the Ranger's owner doesn't employ this strategy.....
Todd Fedoruk brings a well-deserved reputation for toughness to the Stars, as shown by 99 career NHL fights and the titanium plates in his face.
The signing of the unrestricted free-agent left wing on Monday could also be a sign of more moves to come. With Fedoruk and newly acquired Brad Winchester, the Stars have 10 forwards on one-way contracts, along with four restricted free agents and top prospect Loui Eriksson.
"There's an abundance of forwards right now and the competition for jobs in Dallas is going to be a premium in September," general manager Doug Armstrong said, referencing training camp. "If you just add the numbers up ... barring any injury, one of these guys won't make our team."
Or the Stars could move one or more of their forwards before the season, which seems likely.
"There are lots of teams looking for players right now," Armstrong said.
Fedoruk, 28, signed a one-year deal worth $875,000 after sales pitches from Armstrong, coach Dave Tippett and captain Brenden Morrow, a friend from junior hockey.
At 6-2 and 241 pounds, Fedoruk plans to bring a different dimension to the Stars.
The Stars added some size and physicality to their forward depth Friday, signing Brad Winchester to a one-way contract for the league minimum of $475,000.
Winchester, 26, has played in 78 career NHL games with four goals and six assists. The contract for the 6-5, 215-pound winger means he will make the same amount of money whether he plays in the NHL or the minors.
The Stars also signed center Toby Peterson and defenseman Trevor Byrne to two-way contracts. They are expected to play with the Iowa Stars. Peterson has played in Iowa previously.
- If Bill Guerin scores another 35+ goals for another team post-Stars, go ahead and fire Dave Tippett immediately. He's already under the gun as it stands now, but I'm sick of talented goal-scorers not producing for the Stars, but they can produce before they come to the Stars and after they get released/traded due to lack of production. Guerin named captain of the Islanders.
Guerin selected as 11th captain in Islanders' history Associated Press
WESTBURY, N.Y. -- Bill Guerin's young daughter yelled with delight when a picture of her goal-scoring father appeared on a big television screen.
The 36-year-old right winger had nearly the same reaction moments later when he saw the "C" on his brand-new Islanders jersey. Guerin had no idea he had already been chosen by general manager Garth Snow and coach Ted Nolan to be the 11th captain in team history.
- This douche symbolizes everything ESPN is, thinks he's bigger than the event he covers and an absolute prick by all accounts. Was good early in his career, but that ego took over once he realized he had something good going. Hopefully nothing but failure is in his future. Leaves ESPN after 18 years.......
BRISTOL, Conn. -- Dan Patrick is leaving ESPN.
Patrick, who has been with the network for 18 years, announced on his radio show Monday that he will appear on air for the last time Aug. 17. Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president for production, made a simultaneous announcement.
A news release said that the mutual agreement will allow Patrick to pursue new interests outside of ESPN.
The final week of Patrick's radio show, which started in 1999, will include a look back at memorable moments, interviews and guests.
"If there was animosity, I wouldn't be doing any radio shows after today," Patrick said on his show, adding, "I hope to be doing radio somewhere, somehow, down the road."
In a news release, Patrick said: "I feel privileged to have had this opportunity and I have extremely mixed emotions about leaving. With that said, I told ESPN that I believe it's time for me to try something different, something that will also be challenging and rewarding. While I'm not sure what that will be, I am grateful to ESPN for its willingness to allow me to pursue new endeavors."
Said Williamson: "Dan has accomplished so much over the past two decades at ESPN, and fans and newsmakers have turned to him for his steady and trusted approach. We wish him the very best."
Patrick was a "SportsCenter" anchor from 1989 to 2006, winning the National Sportscaster of the Year award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association in 2000. He also received a Sports Emmy Award in the Studio Host category in 1998.
Patrick has also written the column "Outtakes" for ESPN The Magazine.
- Tough as nails. Watch how Call turns away just Gus is about to whip some arse, he knows what's about to happen.
- Shawn refuses to watch this movie
- Classic loser scene, a little background: He can't get over his ex-girl friend and he just meets this new girl at the bar that night and this ensues.....
- Coming later this week, a review/rant of more Tom Hicks quotes and typical BS from him. But until then.............
- Isn't it amazing what decent starting pitching can do for a team? Their starters basically pitched them out of it the first 2 months of the season. And now they're pitching great and Texas has gone 6-0-1 in its last 3 series and has won 15 of 22.
Make the Teixeira trade NOW. Keep bolstering the rotation, this recent stretch of success should be all the info Jon Daniels needs to ship Teixeira out to LA. Add another top of the rotation guy who's 23 and already has 3 years of MLB experience. Do it NOW.
Rangers take another series, use the resurgent Kevin Millwood's 6 strong innings of 1-run ball to win 2-1. And Gagne comes back strong after blowing a save Friday.
ARLINGTON – Kenny Lofton hit a tiebreaking homer, Kevin Millwood won for the fourth time in five starts and the Rangers went into All-Star break with a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday to claim another series.
The Rangers took two of three games from Baltimore and are unbeaten in seven consecutive series for the first time since 2001, when they also went 6-0-1 during one stretch. But they are still in last place in the AL West and 15 games behind the Los Angeles Angels. Millwood allowed one run and five hits over six innings. He struck out four and walked three, two of those coming in the sixth when he got out of a bases-loaded jam by inducing a groundball by Jay Payton.
Eric Gagne worked a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances. His first blown save came Friday night against the Orioles, a game the Rangers won in 10 innings.
- And you still need another reason to ship Teixeira out to LA? Robinson Tejeda got shipped down to AAA. Even more reason to get another starter (top of the rotation guy at that) in here so Tejeda can stay down there and learn how to throw strikes. Throwing 96 mph means nothing if you can't locate. This also allows you take time with Eric Hurley. I'd love a Millwood, Billingsley, McCarthy, Loe, Hurley rotation in 08. Or maybe Padilla in there somewhere if he ever figures things out or gets healthy.
July 7, 2007 Tejeda down; Littleton up The Rangers sent RHP Robinson Tejeda down to Triple-A Oklahoma. Evan Grant reports Tejeda will stay on the Oklahoma roster for 10 days but won't pitch for the Redhawks. He'll get some extra bullpen work with pitching coach Mark Connor.
The Rangers brought up RHP Wes Littleton to add some help for the bullpen. Littleton is 0-1 with a 3.71 ERA in 18 relief appearances with Oklahoma. He's 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in nine outings for the Rangers.
- Mavs re-sign Devean George. Hopefully he comes back with motivation looking for that semi-big contract in 2008-2009 and can play a full season at 100% health. I thought he was playing great and deserving of a starting spot until he banged his knee up last year in Milwaukee. He seems to be motivated and if he stays heatlhy, I can see him starting a fair amount of games this year. You need guys like him to go big at the 2 guard and do all the little glue guy type things on the court.
LAS VEGAS – The Mavericks have wrapped up the second of their free agents, coming to terms with Devean George on a one-year contract.
A 6-8 swingman, George had opted out of the second season of his two-year contract last month to become an unrestricted free agent. He agreed to a deal worth $2.5 million for next season.
"Devean's good to go and thrilled to be staying with the Mavericks," said Mark Bartelstein, George's agent. "We agreed on a one-year deal because it will give him a chance to get his value back where it should be."
Bartelstein added that George is much healthier now than he was much of last season, which should give him an opportunity for a big season. By doing a one-year deal, it means the Mavericks could re-sign him next summer at any amount up to the NBA maximum.
George, who turns 30 on Aug. 29, suffered through a knee injury during the second half of last season that cost him 14 games. For the year, he played 60 games, averaging 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds. He shot 39.5 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from 3-point range.
The Mavericks, as per NBA rules, are not allowed to comment on potential free-agent signings, which can become official Wednesday, when the moratorium on signings is lifted.
By retaining George, it means the Mavericks will continue to have a potentially strong group of reserves.
Jerry Stackhouse agreed to a three-year contract last week and is expected to continue in his sixth-man role. Though George started 17 games last season and is viewed as an option at shooting guard in the lineup, he appears to be better suited to coming off the bench.
George's situation should bode well for the Mavericks. When George opted to terminate his original Mavs' contract after one season, it gave him the chance to gauge his market value. With no desirable multi-year contracts to be had, George now has the opportunity to play for his next contract. One good year could translate into longer-term security.
Next up for the Mavericks is to see how the market plays out for other free agents around the league. They have their eye on Charlotte's Gerald Wallace and are waiting to see how his negotiations go with the Bobcats.
The Mavericks have their full mid-level exception, believed to be about $6 million, to work with and can use it on one player or break it up for several players.
- Still remember Nebraska recruiting this guy. He was going to be next in line of great option qb's at Nebraska. Not like he didn't make a good decision, he's doing very well in baseball, but would have loved to see him take a few snaps at Nebraska.
Crawford still wonders how he'd fare as Husker BY DIRK CHATELAIN WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Carl Crawford is flipping through a Fantasy Football magazine in the visiting clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium - anything to pass the time before first pitch. A reporter approaches and asks about Nebraska.
"I would've thought people had forgotten about me by now," Crawford says.
Eight years have passed since Crawford told Turner Gill sorry, but every once in a while the Tampa Bay Devil Rays outfielder still dreams of running the option.
"I used to see Crouch break for like 70 yards," Crawford said Friday. "I knew how fast I was. Man, I just wish I had a chance to do it one time."
It's mere trivia now, but in February 1999, Crawford signed a letter of intent to play quarterback at Nebraska. He was going to battle Eric Crouch for the starting job. If that didn't work out, he was going to be the next Bobby Newcombe.
Four months later, the Devil Rays selected him in the major league baseball draft's second round and offered Crawford $1.5 million to sign.
Where Crawford's from in Houston, you don't turn down $1.5 million.
"It'll always be in my head," Crawford said. "What could've been."
He's just 25, but three times he's led the American League in stolen bases and triples. He is an All-Star and, last year, nearly became the third player ever to hit 20 home runs, bat .300 and steal 60 bases in one season.
Only Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby has matched Crawford's achievement of increasing his batting average and home run total in five straight seasons.
Crawford can stretch singles into doubles and chase down line drives in the gap. Football, though, still feels more natural to him. It's more instinctive, more reliant on athleticism.
His senior year of high school, the 6-foot-2 lefty rushed for 1,200 yards. He also averaged 25 points on the basketball court, drawing interest from UCLA.
"He just had speed and athleticism," said Gill, the former Nebraska quarterbacks coach, in 2000. "Those two qualities right there, they jumped off the tape."
Nebraska's tradition and coaching staff jumped out at Crawford. Head coach Frank Solich came to Houston during recruiting and ate with his family.
"None of the other coaches had done that," Crawford said.
More important, Crawford saw himself as a dynamic option quarterback. Gill once explained to him the Husker offense: This guy blocks this defender. This guy blocks that defender. The goal, Gill said, was getting the quarterback one-on-one with the free safety.
"I was like, 'I only have to make one guy miss?'" Crawford said. "Man, this is going to be easy."
Correll Buckhalter hosted Crawford during his recruiting trip - Jammal Lord was in Lincoln visiting the same weekend. It was the first time Crawford ever saw snow.
He would've joined the football team in 1999 and the baseball team in 2000. Dave Van Horn, whose team made the College World Series in 2001 and 2002, had big plans for Crawford.
Football hooked Crawford to Nebraska, though. In 2001, what would've been Crawford's third season, the Huskers played for a national title in the Rose Bowl. The old quarterback was watching on TV.
"The attention and the glory (of baseball), it would've never been close to that," Crawford said. "They went to the national championship. That would've been my chance to be on the national stage."
By then, he was in the big leagues. Tampa Bay snagged Crawford in the second round of the 1999 draft and offered him enough to get his mom a new house.
"They paid me that so I wouldn't go to Nebraska," said Crawford, who made his major league debut in 2000. "I really felt bad about disappointing the coaching staff like that."
Gill, now the University of Buffalo head coach, had no hard feelings. He wrote Crawford a letter a few years later and requested tickets to a game in Kansas City.
Friends back home still ponder what Crawford could've done in Lincoln. Houston's football country, you know. Crawford used to follow the Huskers more closely. He's lost interest since they changed coaching staffs and offenses. But he's got a 3-year-old son who looks and moves just like him.
"Maybe he can play football someday. We can see what happens."
