Ben Maller’s Sports Rumors & Notes

Rumors Archive for April 09, 2007

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NBA Rumors & Notes

Monday, April 9, 2007

Doc Rivers will have an opportunity to coach the Celtics next year and beyond. According to league sources, the club is prepared to offer Rivers a contract extension following this season. Rivers’ original four-year deal ends after next season, and he has stated he didn’t want to be in a lame duck position, though he did stop short of saying he would leave if the team didn’t extend his contract. Now it appears that issue will be moot. While the salary figures and length of the new contract have yet to be discussed, both sides seem willing and eager to get something done.

Rashard Lewis hasn't begun negotiations with the Sonics, his first choice, who could be set for a postseason run next year with a healthy roster. Teams with loads of money to throw Lewis, such as Orlando and Charlotte, will probably take longer to produce quality winning seasons. Then again, both the Bobcats and Magic play in the weaker Eastern Conference, meaning Lewis could make an immediate impact and advance to the playoffs, where his face and game would get maximum exposure.

Although Smush Parker will be a free agent at season's end, the Lakers' top priority will be re-signing Luke Walton — and it's clear that Walton hopes to maintain his Southern California roots.

Jerry Reinsdorf said he'd be disappointed if the Bulls didn't win a playoff series but credited general manager John Paxson for positioning the team for a lengthy run of success. Reinsdorf, who rarely talks about the Bulls publicly, also defended Paxson's decision not to trade for Pau Gasol and his signing of Ben Wallace. "No question we could use somebody who could score in the post, but John didn't want to pay the price for the only post man who was available this year, and I think it was the correct decision," Reinsdorf told King. "Ben has brought a lot to this team. He affects the game without scoring points. He also enables us to bring Tyrus Thomas along. By the time Ben plays out his contract, Tyrus can be a force in this league."

The Knicks' attendance soared as the season went on, selling out 17 of their final 20 home games. In their first 21 games, they sold out five times. Rising attendance was a factor in owner James Dolan's decision to give Isiah Thomas a new contract, a source close to Dolan said.

This really is getting ridiculous. Maybe NBA teams themselves are at fault for an unprecedented number of players being injured, which is changing the fates of numerous clubs. Some say it's the length of the season and players being asked to compete in the summer or doing so on their own. "The body can only take so much," said Minnesota's Kevin Garnett. "To play exhibition games, an 82-game season plus playoffs and then play summer basketball with USA Basketball, it's a very difficult thing to do." Some owners would like to cut the schedule to 60 games, but with a corresponding decrease in pay. That's not about to happen.

Josh Smith's profanity-laced outburst at the end of regulation of the Hawks' 109-104 overtime loss to Philadelphia on Sunday night could result in the third-year forward being suspended, Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. Smith went back and forth with Woodson on the bench over two plays in the final 40 seconds of regulation that resulted in Woodson telling Smith to hit the showers before the overtime session began

Since they probably won't make the playoffs, the Hornets' last game in Oklahoma City before returning to New Orleans next season is Thursday. The conventional thinking is that Oklahoma City will eventually get the SuperSonics or the Hornets, assuming New Orleans is unable to support the team.

Over the last two weeks, LeBron James has been altering his routine to get to road games early to take extra shooting. The idea is to be inspiring to his teammates in the stretch run, but it's also because James' outside shot has been weak. Over the last six weeks, James is shooting just 28 percent on 3-pointers. This season he's shooting just 32 percent, which is the lowest since his rookie season. During the weekend, James went just 12-of-39 shooting, 1-of-7 on 3s, and most of them were jumpers. On Sunday, James was just 5-of-16 in the loss to the Detroit Pistons. It is the Pistons' strategy, as it is many other teams', to attempt to tilt their defense to James when he's got the ball in an effort to deny drives and encourage him to take jumpers. His taking them, make or miss, is exactly what opponents are trying to force him into. ``I've got to continue to keep working at it,'' said James, who admitted he's in a bit of a slump. ``The thing about my game is that I don't need to just rely on the outside shot, I can get to the hole and get to the line.''

It appears there's some unease on the Suns. Amare Stoudemire had a closed-door meeting with coach Mike D'Antoni after contributing just 15 points and two rebounds in Thursday night's loss to the Spurs. "We've got work to do, getting that spirit back," Steve Nash said. "The chemistry's not great. We're not playing for each other as much as we need to right now. We're a little bit 'woe is me.' We've just got to be unselfish and work together for the team and not worry about ourselves. "Our chemistry has to be one of our strongest characteristics, as it has been the past two years. This year it's fading. The ball sticks too often because guys are worried they're not going to get it back. One guy gets a little selfish, and then the next guy is like, 'Well, if he's not passing it, I may never see it.' And then the next one is a little more reluctant." Some read that as aimed at Stoudemire and Shawn Marion.

Word is the Timberwolves and interim coach Randy Wittman are working on a new three-year head coaching deal.

The Hornets are promoting Tyson Chandler as a Most Improved Player candidate, and his numbers make a case. He has 34 double-doubles, including 31 in his past 43 games. Last season, he had nine. Every statistical average is up, notably his 62.4 percent field-goal shooting, which is tops in the NBA, and his 12.4 rebounds per game, second in the NBA. It is unlikely Chandler will eclipse Minnesota's Kevin Garnett, who is averaging 12.9 rebounds, though it's notable that no NBA player has led the league in field-goal shooting and rebounding since Wilt Chamberlain in 1973. Even so, Chandler has joined impressive company this season. Only five players have shot 60 percent or better and averaged 10 or more rebounds -- Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Artis Gilmore and Shaquille O'Neal.

Three NBA scouts said if Lakers center Andrew Bynum had gone to UConn he would have been the third pick in this year's draft behind Ohio State's Greg Oden and Texas' Kevin Durant, assuming they all came out together. That means NBA scouts love Bynum much more than heralded center prospects such as Georgetown's Roy Hibbert, Florida's Joakim Noah and Washington's Spencer Hawes.

Overall, the Nuggets' stats still show the team is one of the NBA's worst at the defensive end. They yield 45.9 percent from the field, 35 percent from 3-point range, and have allowed 49 opponents to score 100 or more points, which is fourth-most in the league. But there appears to have been steady improvement, and last week the Nuggets had the look of a team that can diversify in terms of how it wins. In five wins in seven days, Denver went 3-0 when it scored more than 100 points, 3-0 when its opponent scored more than 100 points and 2-0 when it scored fewer than 100 points.

The Los Angeles Clippers are No. 8 in the Western Conference and the odds are growing longer by the day that either Denver or the Los Angeles Lakers will fall far enough to allow the Clippers to move up. On the bottom end, only Golden State has a realistic chance to catch the Clippers. So go ahead with the conspiracy theory about how letting the Clippers win tonight would help the Mavericks because it would make it that much tougher for the Warriors – and any spell Don Nelson might own over the Mavs – to reach the playoffs. Del Harris has a few words for you. The basketball gods frown on that sort of thing, the assistant coach said recently. "It can come back to bite you," he said. Not that any self-respecting NBA team would try to manipulate fate, especially one that can wrap up the No. 1 seed in the playoffs with a win tonight.

Before Sebastian Telfair is written off as a preps-to-pros flop, it must be remembered he's still only 21. There is room for growth and maturity. Telfair showed he's made progress on both counts. When asked if his role changed because the Celtics were without a lot of scoring threats, he said there is room for everybody to help pick up the scoring load. "We got some key guys out offensively -- D-West, Paul [Pierce], Tony Allen, Al [Jefferson] -- we've got to share the ball right now," said Telfair. "But there are definitely going to be a lot of field goal attempts going up from guys who you don't expect to be shooting the ball too much." That probably will include him. There's no way of telling if Telfair ever will evolve into a true pass-first point guard, but he does understand he can't be strictly a shoot-first one if he wants to stay on the court.

Sonics coach Bob Hill proclaimed guard Luke Ridnour out for the season, but a team spokesman said the Sonics would know more after an examination today.

Who Knew? Knicks center Eddy Curry scored 43 points on Saturday night. Among recent Knicks, that is a rather exclusive club. Since 1988, only five others have scored at least 40: Jamal Crawford, Stephon Marbury, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell and Patrick Ewing. Curry’s total was the most by a Knicks center since Ewing scored 41 at Seattle on Jan. 19, 1996. Curry will be the first center to lead the Knicks in scoring for a season since Ewing (17.3) in 1999.

Lakers star Kobe Bryant actually had kind words for one of his biggest adversaries. A year ago, after a regular-season loss to Phoenix, Bryant said he had "bigger fish to fry" than Phoenix guard Raja Bell. But Bryant was more polite Sunday when asked whether Bell was one of the league's best defenders. "I'll put him up there," he said. "He has a willingness to play defense. A lot of guys put their tails between their legs and run." Not all of Bryant's words were kind, however. "He likes to flop. I like to play physical," Bryant said. "That's the nature of the beast."

If Rasheed Wallace was upset about being benched at the start of the game Sunday, you would never know it. "Nah, man, I'm cool as a fan," he said. Antonio McDyess started in Wallace's place because -- according to coach Flip Saunders -- Wallace had not participated in practice the two previous days. "I didn't miss no practice," he said. "I don't know what (the benching) was for. Y'all will have to ask Flip." Wallace spent the two practice days mostly taking treatment on his hyperextended left index finger. He did not practice with the team, thus, he was benched.

The Pacers, who need Jermaine O'Neal's offensive production down the stretch, aren't going to shy away from giving him the ball. Rick Carlisle gave an animated response when asked how the Pacers expect O'Neal to get his rhythm back if he doesn't practice. "Throw him the . . . ball," the Pacers coach said, using an expletive. "He has to touch it to get out of it. He's right there on a lot of his shots. . . . He has to hang in there and hope he can make it through the next stretch of games. We have a couple more back-to-backs, which are going to be tough. He's our guy." Shooting isn't the only problem O'Neal has had recently. He has turned over the ball 20 times, with a number of traveling violations, in the past four games he has played.

Wolves coach Randy Wittman sees a great future for Rashad McCants, who seems healthy after sitting out the first part of the season following knee surgery. "He can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket and not settle for jump shots all the time. And we don't have that guy that, right now, has the potential [to go] from the three-point line [and] put it on the floor and get all the way to the rim other than Randy [Foye]," Wittman said. "So I'd like to see him be one of those types of guys." ... Troy Hudson went a long time barely getting off the Wolves bench, and since starting six games at point guard in March, he hasn't played 12 games in a row.

Philadelphia's Kyle Korver, who has played a reserve role for all but one of his 73 games, has enjoyed the best season of his four-year NBA career. He is averaging 14.4 points, second on the Sixers behind Andre Iguodala. He is shooting 44.1 percent from the field, 42.5 percent from three-point territory and an NBA-best 91.3 percent on free throws. All these totals are career highs.

The jury is still out on Hawks forward Marvin Williams, and rightfully so after two solid but hardly spectacular seasons — he's averaging 12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists after missing the first 17 games of the season with a fractured finger on his non-shooting hand. But his coaches and teammates caution anyone foolish enough to pass final judgment on a player still in the formative stages of his career.

As Raptors coach Sam Mitchell noted: ``If you are going to start taking cheap shots at Dwyane (Wade), then maybe you have to deal with the fact that Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning may take one at you. I can't see it happening.''

Since March 2, Knicks guard Stephon Marbury has averaged 23.5 points and scored at least 30 points in seven of those 15 games, reaching 40 twice. "He's playing the way he did in Phoenix and in Jersey," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said last week, "He can just take over the game now."

Kris Humphries, who comes to Target Center on Monday with the Toronto Raptors to play the Timberwolves, has averaged 8.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in his past six games. Humphries, 22, who is paid $1.7 million this season and guaranteed $2.5 million next season, would have been a senior for the Gophers this year had he not opted for the NBA.

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MLB Rumors & Notes

Monday, April 9, 2007

There is speculation that the San Francisco Giants will listen to offers for Barry Bonds if he breaks the all-time home-run record during this season. What American League pennant contender wouldn't want to add Bonds to the lineup at designated hitter? It also would greatly improve his chances of playing for a winning team in a World Series.

The Reds and their fans are happier with their 27-year-old slugger. The spring was responsible for that. Adam Dunn's newfound diligence was pleasantly evident, to the extent that a lot of us - this hand is raised - are in the process of changing our minds about the wisdom of trading him (and his $10.5-million contract) for a starting pitcher. The fact is, that if Dunn is able to put the ball in play with a more developed sense of professionalism, there is absolutely no telling what he's capable of.

The best thing you can say for the Yankee starters at this point is there are still 157 games to go. That might be the worst thing, as well. "The bottom line is the first week was not good; guilty as charged," GM Brian Cashman said. "I am not happy with it, but I believe it will get better." Here is how that might happen: Chien-Ming Wang gets healthy to join the rotation in late April, Phil Hughes gets promoted in late May, and Roger Clemens signs and is ready to pitch in late June.

Cubs catcher Michael Barrett believes Wrigley Field can survive into 2057, but he suggested a major renovation that could jar traditionalists. "Ideally, especially for this time of year, you'd like to see a dome put on the outside of it," Barrett said. "Don't change anything about Wrigley Field. Just reinforce it and have a dome covering it. "It's been nice to play these games here [in Milwaukee]. I'd hate to lose that tradition of going to Wrigley, the ivy on the wall and all that. I'd hate for something to happen to Wrigley Field." Of course, the Cubs would have to move out for a year or two, much as the New York Yankees moved to Shea Stadium during renovations to Yankee Stadium in the 1970s. But would Cubs fans tolerate going down to U.S. Cellular Field, even for a couple of years? "No, we'd play here," Barrett said, referring to Miller Park, also known as Wrigley North.

The Angels are supposed to fly to Cleveland today, but the weather there is so miserable that the Indians might fly to Southern California instead. After the Indians lost an entire series to foul weather over the weekend, major league officials are considering whether to move this week's Angels-Indians series from Cleveland to Anaheim. The move would be a logistical nightmare for the Angels, who would have 24 hours to sell tickets and line up ushers, concession workers and ticket takers, most of whom have other jobs. Also, the collective bargaining agreement requires an off day when teams fly from the West Coast to the East Coast, and the Angels would have to play Thursday in Anaheim and Friday in Boston. But the Indians have not played since Wednesday, and the prospect of more poor weather could force baseball officials to move the series.

Eric Gagne is not ready to be the Rangers' closer. He hasn't earned it. Not yet. When he does, the job is his, no questions asked. For now, Akinori Otsuka needs to pitch the ninth inning. Jon Daniels and Ron Washington agree.

The Red Sox have said for weeks that Mike Timlin will be activated from the disabled list prior to tomorrow’s home opener at Fenway Park against the Seattle Mariners. Manager Terry Francona said that it is not a lock. Timlin, who strained his left oblique muscle early in spring training camp, has made a pair of one-inning rehab appearances for Triple-A Pawtucket and apparently come through with no problems, but the team will hold off on making a final call on his activation. The 41-year-old right-hander spent Easter with his family in Florida and was expected to fly to Boston today. “We’ll definitely want to get him examined first, that only makes sense,” Francona said yesterday. After not appearing in any Grapefruit League games, it’s possible that the Sox may recommend Timlin make another rehab appearance before being activated.

The Braves were counting on Mike Hampton to be a big part of their starting rotation. Now they just hope he'll pitch at some point this season. Pain in his surgically repaired elbow forced the left-hander to abort a bullpen session Sunday, and the Braves scheduled an appointment for him today in New York with the doctor who did his ligament-transplant surgery 18 1/2 months ago. Dr. David Altcheck will examine Hampton to determine if he has more structural damage. Atlanta thought Hampton would be back in May, until this setback. He will make $29.5 million during the 2007-08 seasons, the last of an eight-year, $121 million contract he signed with Colorado. The Braves had a $48.5 million commitment to him over six years through 2008. He's 32-20 in 72 starts for the team between eight trips to the disabled list.

The Twins and right fielder Michael Cuddyer, who can become a free agent after the 2009 season, never came close to agreeing on a multi-year contract last winter.

Ken Griffey is still dealing with the lingering effects of the broken left hand he suffered this offseason. The frigid weather the Reds played the past five games in didn't help matters either. "I've just had some mechanical issues from adjusting to the hand," Griffey said. "I'm trying to work through it. "It's cold and doesn't want to get loose, but that's something you've just got to go through. I'm going to have some pain here and there. I've just got to work through it."

All three Yankees starters in the outfield (including right fielder Bobby Abreu, who strained his oblique in spring training) have gone down with some sort of injury so far. Bernie Williams, who played for the Yankees for 16 years, opted not to accept the team’s invitation to spring training because he wanted a guaranteed contract. If Williams had decided to attend spring training, it is much more likely that he would be on the roster.
Nevertheless, Brian Cashman has made it clear that Williams is not an option to join the team and chose to go with the team’s farm system to fill Matsui’s spot in the outfield.

Phils GM Pat Gillick did not accompany the team to New York last night. He's scheduled to testify tomorrow in Key West, Fla., at the trial of agent Gustavo "Gus" Dominguez, who faces up to 45 years in prison after being charged with 53 counts of trying to illegally smuggle Cuban baseball players into the United States

Don't be surprised to see shortstop Troy Tulowitzki get some time off in the near future and be replaced by utilityman Jamey Carroll. Although the Rockies love Tulowitzki's infield play and his potential at the plate, they don't want him buried by bad early-season numbers or ultra-high expectations. After going 0-for-3 with a strikeout Sunday, Tulowitzki is hitting .208 with a team-high nine strikeouts in 24 at-bats.

The Rays continue to ease Rocco Baldelli back in, giving him plenty of time to recover as Elijah Dukes takes his spot in center. Baldelli said he would like to be playing CF every day right now, but he understands why he isn't. "I have no problem with a day like today coming in and DH-ing," he said.

The Phillies optioned rookie righthanders Zack Segovia and Joe Bisenius to triple-A Ottawa after yesterday's game to make room for righthanders Jon Lieber and Francisco Rosario.
Lieber, who had been on the disabled list with a strained right abdominal muscle, and Rosario, acquired Thursday in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, will be in uniform for today's series opener against the Mets in New York.

Word from Kevin Towers that the Padres will spend close to a franchise-record $10 million on the amateur draft this year means the farm system should be on the rise. Counting the seven compensation picks for the upcoming June draft, the Padres will have 11 extra draft picks from 2005-07. In the Dominican Republic, where the Padres have hugely underachieved, the club is building an $8 million facility. Towers is encouraged by the last two drafts, crediting Scouting Director Bill “Chief” Gayton and Grady Fuson, who had a strong run as Oakland A's scouting director and joined the Padres in February 2005.

The harshest portrayal was of Dodgers pitcher Jason Schmidt as a hypochondriac, a player who exaggerated minor aches and had to be prodded to take the mound. That's a strange charge when the record shows he made 29 to 32 starts in each of the last five seasons. But it's a charge to which Schmidt confessed — and explained — for the first time to The Times. "For two to three years I was fearful," he said. "Every time I'd get sick, I thought I had cancer. I never looked at it from a realistic point of view. I could have stubbed my toe and thought I had cancer." The worries had a rational basis. His mother, Vicki, died of brain cancer at 53 about six months after she watched her son pitch against the Angels in the 2002 World Series. Several other of Schmidt's relatives have had the disease.

How About That? In Reds history, only Frank Robinson hit more home runs than Adam Dunn in his first six seasons (202-198), and that was only because Dunn was in Louisville until late July of his rookie year. In major league history, only four have done it, the other three being Ralph Kiner, Albert Pujols and Eddie Mathews. You might notice that the list doesn't include Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Mark McGwire, Junior Griffey or Johnny Bench.

A's DH Mike Piazza continued to get boos at Angel Stadium, but he said it's nothing like what he typically gets at Yankee Stadium. Of the Angels' fans reaction, Piazza said, "I don't know what it is, maybe an anti-Dodger thing from my L.A. days. But it's cool. It's flattering.'' Geren said the Piazza boos didn't surprise him, but he said, "I don't know why (they boo). He was great here in Southern California.''

Who Knew? Barry Bonds' single in the first inning left him with 5,792 career total bases, one shy of Babe Ruth, who is fifth all-time. The top four: Hank Aaron (6,856), Stan Musial (6,134), Willie Mays (6,066) and Ty Cobb (5,854).

Mets pitchers Jorge Sosa and Chan Ho Park, earning a combined $1.85 million at Triple-A New Orleans, each tossed six scoreless innings, limiting Nashville to two hits apiece, in a doubleheader sweep.

Barry Zito hasn't pitched quite the way he's capable of doing. Zito took his second loss in two starts, giving up nine of the Dodgers' fifteen hits and eight of their 10 runs in six-plus innings. Zito, of course, spent his first six-plus big-league seasons with the A's, who seemingly have patented overcoming struggles in April and May with brilliant second halves of the season. "I've seen this for years in Oakland, these slow starts," Zito said. "I think the key is just to not panic. ... We can't feel sorry for ourselves."

Dodgers SS Rafael Furcal is eligible to come off the disabled list and will do so when he can swing left-handed and make turns on the bases without feeling pain in his left ankle. "I'd guess two or three more days," Little said. "But that's a guess."

Kevin Thompson, an outfielder, will be called up to replace Hideki Matsui, Yanks GM Brian Cashman said. Miguel Cairo started in place of Matsui yesterday and Melky Cabrera started instead of Johnny Damon, who strained his right calf in the opener. Damon entered the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning yesterday and said he expected to start the series opener tonight in Minnesota.

Andres Galarraga, 45, lives in West Palm Beach, Fla., but still returns home to Venezuela during parts of the year. His attention has turned to golf, and he boasts of his paintings of some favorite golf courses in Florida and Venezuela. He still is called the "Cat," a nickname given him by his first manager, Bob Bailey, in Montreal's minor- league system. He misses baseball, but sees only a game or two a year. The Marlins, the Braves and the New York Mets have sought his services as a hitting instructor. So far he has said no. Maybe he is waiting for a call from the Rockies and a chance to return to where he had his best days in baseball.

Did You Know? From July 1 last season, the Rays were 3-33 on the road. They led in 20 of those losses, and eight losses were decided by one run. Six were by two runs, and six were by three.

Who Knew? Houston's Craig Biggio has 282 home runs and has been hit by a pitch 282 times in his career.

MLB will allow more than one person per team to wear No. 42 during Sunday's tribute to Jackie Robinson, but the Mets plan to limit the honor to Randolph. African-American players Damion Easley and Lastings Milledge both expressed interest in wearing the number to salute the pioneer. Milledge, actually, may not be in the majors. He's the likely candidate to be demoted when the Mets activate Mike Pelfrey for Friday's start.

The Angels sent outfielder Curtis Pride, 38, to double-A Arkansas this season. Pride last played at the double-A level in 1993. The Angels have shuttled Pride between the major and minor leagues for the last three years and could do so again this year. Tony Reagins, the Angels' minor league director, says the club wants Pride to play every day so he can be ready if one of the major league outfielders is injured, but also wants Nick Gorneault, Terry Evans and Nathan Haynes to play everyday in the outfield at triple-A Salt Lake.

Daisuke Matsuzaka on pitching in Boston: "I always wanted to be on the mound at Fenway Park so, naturally, when I stand there, special emotions may come to me," Matsuzaka told Japanese reporters. "I think that [Fenway] is a sacred place for any pitcher because great pitchers such as Cy Young, Pedro Martínez, and Roger Clemens, to name a few, pitched there. The game at Fenway means a lot more to me [than the game in Kansas City]."

The jeers are disguised cheers to Jeff Kent's ears. He long ago reconciled the reaction of Giants fans and doesn't consider it malicious. "It's a testament to all the good things I did here," he said. "I really do appreciate it. I actually am grateful." Sarcasm? Kent is certainly capable of it. But this sentiment seemed genuine. "If you could be in my shoes, you'd feel it," he said. "They see me outside and hug me and slap me on the back. Then the game starts and they boo because it's their job. They are good people."

The Mariners and the Indians both have June 11 off, and Major League Baseball could press to have a doubleheader played that day, when Seattle will be en route from New York to Detroit. At least one game could be played Oct. 1, the day after the season is over, if needed. If Seattle and Cleveland get both games in Monday -- it looks like a longshot -- then one doubleheader in Seattle the last week of the season could make up one game and an Oct. 1 game could make up the other.

The good news is catcher Vance Wilson rejoined the Tigers on Sunday. The bad news is he didn't accompany them to Baltimore. The bad also is that he's going to miss more games, his future absence to be measured by weeks more than days. However, the good is it looks like he won't require surgery to correct the elbow problem for which he's on the disabled list. "I'm driving home (to Arkansas), then flying out tomorrow to see him on Tuesday," Wilson said, referring to his upcoming visit with Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. The Tigers thought they had diagnosed the problem to be nerve-related, and Wilson said he initially felt better when he started taking medication based on that finding. But when his elbow was swollen again on Thursday after he played light catch the day before, there obviously was a need for more tests.

The latest Marlins casualties were shortstop Hanley Ramirez and outfielder Josh Willingham. Willingham strained his lower back while taking a swing in the batting cage before Sunday's game and was a late scratch, and Ramirez pulled up limping in the first inning after running out a ground ball. Willingham is listed as day-to-day, and manager Fredi Gonzalez said he would give Ramirez the night off tonight no matter what, despite protests from the shortstop that he would be able to play.

Royals manager Buddy Bell is not quite sure what his lineup will be for the Toronto series, but he’s anticipating sitting both Mark Grudzielanek and Mike Sweeney for two of the three games because of the Rogers Centre’s artificial turf. Grudzielanek is coming off knee surgery, and Sweeney has had back problems. Bell wants to limit their time on turf as much as possible.

Royals GM Dayton Moore said he expects demoted shortstop Angel Berroa to get some time at third base and at second base at Omaha. “We just want to get some looks at some different spots and see what we’ve got with him,” Moore said. Perhaps surprisingly, Moore isn’t all that worried about Berroa’s attitude. “When he got sent down to the minor-league camp, he responded well,” Moore said. “I really don’t think his attitude will be a problem. He’ll work hard,” Moore said.

Several Rays hitters took batting practice against a "Hack Attack" pitching machine, which is capable of delivering smaller-size baseballs. The drill helps improve vision and bat control. "The first week of the season has been kind of counterproductive to having extra work on a consistent basis," Maddon said. "Today just seemed to be a good day to run it back out there. And we're going to bring it on the road, also."

Rehabilitation on his torn labrum is going so well that White Sox backup catcher Toby Hall is accompanying his teammates on the trip to Oakland. "I'll start throwing [Monday] and each day going a little further and further," Hall said. "It looks good so far. Obviously it burns, and there's some fatigue. But we'll see how it goes when I grab that ball." No timetable has been set, but Hall could be back before the end of the month. That's much better than the original forecast, which was possibly missing the whole season.

Yanks manager Joe Torre said Chien-Ming Wang will need at least two minor-league starts as he comes back from his strained right hamstring. Wang threw a side session Saturday.

The Baltimore Orioles finally conceded that catcher Ramon Hernandez won't be ready to play anytime soon by putting him on the disabled list retroactive to March 31, meaning he won't be eligible to play again until April 15. To replace him on the roster, Baltimore called up left-handed pitcher Kurt Birkins from Class AAA Norfolk.

Did You Know? Nationals' starting pitchers are 0-6 with a 7.15 ERA.

Through his first two turns in the rotation, there's no question Shawn Hill has been the Washington Nationals' best starting pitcher. He has a 3.09 ERA. He has allowed fewer hits (11) than innings pitched (11 2/3 ). And he has no wins to show for it. "Outstanding," Manager Manny Acta said. "We're pretty confident that this kid is going to give us a chance every five days on a consistent basis."

How cold was it in Cincinnati? "I think it's kind of iffy when you're trying to go out and throw a bullpen [session] and they say, 'Stay off the grass because it's still frozen,' " Pirates pitcher Tom Gorzelanny said. "I think that's a good sign that it might be a little cold."

Mets reliever Scott Schoeneweis said he won't need to leave any tickets today. "The novelty has worn off," said the eight-year veteran. "Plus, I'm only in the game for five seconds."

The often-injured Braves starter Mike Hampton felt soreness in his reconstructed left elbow while throwing a bullpen session Sunday morning and will be evaluated in New York on Monday by the Mets’ medical director, Dr. David Altchek, who performed Tommy John surgery on Hampton in September 2005. Hampton did not pitch a game during spring training after straining his left oblique muscle.

Former pitcher Blue Moon Odom, one of the stalwarts of the A's three-time championship teams in the early '70s, was on the field and in the A's dugout before Sunday's game.

It took only 18 days in the spring of 1947 for the Phillies to create a notorious reputation that even now, with African American stars such as Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins, they are still struggling to shed. Some of the ugly details about what transpired 60 years ago, when the Phils first encountered Jackie Robinson, have been forgotten or clouded by time. But there's no obscuring the story's unsavory substance: In two early-season series at Ebbets Field and Shibe Park, the Phillies, goaded by racist manager Ben Chapman, cursed, taunted and threatened the Brooklyn rookie who so recently had integrated baseball. In Philadelphia, the team's general manager allegedly urged the Dodgers not to bring Robinson here. The downtown hotel where the Dodgers stayed would not have him as a guest. In Brooklyn, less than three weeks earlier, Chapman and his players had ceaselessly spewed what one Dodgers official termed "racial venom."

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NFL Rumors & Notes

Monday, April 9, 2007

The Broncos are looking for a veteran defensive tackle. A name Denver likely will consider is Carolina's Kris Jenkins. The Charlotte Observer has reported he is being shopped. Denver liked Jenkins when he came out in the 2001 draft. He weighs about 340 pounds, which Bates likes in his tackles. Jenkins could cost a midround draft pick. The Broncos have two third-round picks.

The New York Jets are scheduled to host Patriots cornerback Randall Gay on a free agent visit that starts tonight and extends through tomorrow. Gay, who has played three NFL seasons and is a restricted free agent, has been participating in the Patriots' offseason program. He was tendered a one-year, $1.3 million contract this offseason but has yet to sign the tender, making him free to visit other teams. If a team signs Gay to an offer sheet, the Patriots would be compensated with a second-round draft choice if they don't match. If New England matched the offer sheet, it would retain Gay and assume that contract.

Free-agent guard Cooper Carlisle is expected to visit Oakland as soon as this week. He has visited Seattle and Tampa Bay.

Quite simply, the Patriots are in the driver’s seat, and deep down, Asante Samuel must know it. Samuel stands to quadruple the roughly $2 million he has earned in his career if he plays for the one-year franchise tender of $7.79 million. When push comes to shove, it’s hard to believe a player who has spoken so ceaselessly of doing right by his family would leave that money on the table. If a long-term deal cannot be struck, Samuel basically has two options - hold out or play for the one-year tender. If he goes the former route, he could sit until Week 10 so as not to lose a year of free agency, but at the cost of $14,000 a day in fines. By the time he took the field he’d be roughly $1.5 million poorer. That’s almost as much as he has made since entering the league. And even then, he’d need to have one whale of a final six games to convince a rival club to pay him the Nate Clements (eight years, $80 million) or Dre Bly (five years, $33 million) money he seeks, with roughly $20 million in guarantees.

Dolphins coach Cam Cameron and General Manager Randy Mueller are hitting the road to personally scout the top two quarterbacks in this year's NFL Draft. A source said Cameron and Mueller will visit today with Louisiana State's JaMarcus Russell before heading to meet Tuesday with Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. "I think they are great talents," Mueller said of Russell and Quinn while evaluating both at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. "I'm anxious to see a lot of [top prospects] go through the spring, how they handle it, how they work out." Mueller recently said the Dolphins would like to select a quarterback in this year's draft. Michigan State's Drew Stanton, who could become the third quarterback selected according to some draft analysts, and East Carolina's James Pinkney (Olympic Heights) were among the college prospects who participated last week in a workout at team headquarters.

Joe Thomas is said to be falling in part because the teams at the top of the draft (Oakland and Detroit) have a greater need for players at other positions. He also has been said to have had some unimpressive workouts. Whether any of that is true doesn't really matter, and whether Thomas is truly falling is hard to determine. What you can say with certainty is that it would benefit the Bucs greatly if Thomas were to fall. Though he's not flashy, Thomas is said to be the most complete left tackle prospect to come out of the college ranks in years. He's a player ready to step in and play, and the Bucs could certainly use the upgrade.

Defensive tackle Michael Myers is searching for a new agent after deciding to part ways with Eugene Parker. Myers, who has yet to hear from the Broncos, started alongside Gerard Warren the past two seasons.

Although the expectation is for the Broncos to move up from their No. 21 overall draft pick, they might not have the ammunition to go too far up. Based on the NFL draft value chart that is heavily weighted in favor of the top four overall picks, simple math shows the Broncos would have to trade their pick in the first round (800 points), second round (340) and the second of their third- round picks (160 points) merely to qualify for the No. 10 overall pick (1,300 points) held by the Houston Texans. Considering the Broncos don't have picks in the fourth and fifth round, they essentially would have to surrender the bulk of their draft just to get a top-10 pick.

Stanford senior quarterback Trent Edwards had a private workout on-campus last Thursday and Friday with members of the Miami Dolphins, including GM Randy Mueller and head coach Cam Cameron. He watched film and then throw passes to a handful of players on hand; Stanford DB David Lofton and San Jose State wide receiver James Jones. Edwards has also had similar workouts with NY Jets, Tampa Bay and Oakland, while having private visits setup with Baltimore and New Orleans over the next week. He also had six other QB coaches at his Pro Day, as well as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

Maybe NFL teams should start working on guessing heads or tails. From 1973 to 1994, the overtime coin toss had little impact on a game's outcome. The team that won the toss only won the game half the time. But that started to change when the kickoff was moved back to the 30-yard line in 1994. Last year, the winner of the coin toss won 7 of 11 games, an average of 63.6 percent. From 2002 to 2006, the team that won the toss won 51 of 85 overtime games, with one tie. The logical solution to this issue seemed to be moving the overtime kickoff back to the 35-yard line. Surprisingly enough, the owners voted down that idea at the recent league meetings. One problem is that a small group of owners is holding out for each team having a possession, so the league will continue to monitor the kickoff trend this year.

Ravens cornerback David Pittman might have been tempted to spread around the blame for a rookie season in which he was deactivated for all 16 of the team's regular-season games and one playoff game. There was the strained hamstring that sidelined him for most of training camp and the adjustment that many first-year players have to make when leaping to the NFL from college. But that's not Pittman's style. In fact, the 23-year-old, who has been working out at the team's training complex in Owings Mills, said the only guilty party is himself. "I would say that I guess I didn't build enough trust in the coaches' eyes for them to think that I was ready to play yet," he said. "I didn't come in and do exactly what they wanted me to do."

Pssst: Barring unforeseen deals, safety LaRon Landry of Louisiana State remains atop the Vikings' wish list with their No. 7 pick in the April 29 draft.

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Odd Notes & Stuff

Monday, April 9, 2007

A friend of Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony allegedly punched out a 19-year-old autograph seeker who became belligerent when the basketball player refused to sign at a convenience store, Denver police say. The alleged assault happened early March 18 at a 7-Eleven store in southwest Denver, according to a police report obtained by 9News. The alleged victim, Brandon Herrera, told police the assault happened about 2:30 a.m. at 1850 S. Sheridan Blvd. Herrera asked Anthony for an autograph and, when the basketball superstar refused, Herrera called him a "punk" and started an argument, said the police report, based on a witness statement. A person with Anthony, described in the report as the athlete's friend, then "punched, pushed and slammed" Herrera to the floor, the report said. Police spokesman Sonny Jackson identified the suspect as Rahchine Craig, 30, of New York. Craig then fled the convenience store with Anthony in a black Mercedes-Benz car, the report said. Herrera, the report said, had "visible bruises and scratches" but refused medical attention.

Few know about the first basketball players to slam-dunk their way to the NBA from historically black colleges. Filmmaker Dan Klores spotlights Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, Dick Barnett, Pee Wee Kirkland, Avery Johnson and other pioneers in his upcoming documentary "Black Magic." "When Earl Monroe got to the NBA, there was a quota system," Klores told us. "You couldn't have more than six black players on a team in 1967." Despite the urgings of Hall of Famer Earl Lloyd, the Detroit Pistons refused to draft Monroe, who went on to bring the Knicks a 1973 championship with Reed, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley and Dave DeBusschere. It had been worse in the '40s and '50s, when, Klores adds, "it was against the law for whites to play against blacks." But in 1944, Klores shows in his film, a secret game was held in Durham, N.C., with no fans allowed in. Players from Duke University and the North Carolina College for Negroes first met at a church. "Many had never even touched a person of another race," Klores notes. North Carolina College won, 88-44. While excelling on the court was a statement in itself, Cleo Hill, the first black college player drafted in a first round by an NBA team, was later banned after taking part in a civil rights demonstration.

Veronica Varekova and Elsa Benitez shared more than just a 2006 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover - the models have both shared a bed with Italian movie producer Valerio Morabito. Spies said Benitez (ex-wife of retired Miami Heat player Rony Seikaly) and Morabito are "getting hot and heavy all over Miami," where the Mexican beauty threw her new man a 33rd-birthday party at Casa Tua. Varekova, 29, who used to date Morabito, was recently spotted getting cozy with shipping heir Stavros Niarchos, 21, at Downtown Cipriani.

WNST-AM 1570, a 5,000-watt sports-talk radio station in Baltimore -- and a 15-year staple in the Baltimore sports media -- is being denied season press credentials for the upcoming 2007 Orioles campaign by the team's ownership and media relations department. Station owner "Nasty" Nestor Aparicio has repeatedly made attempts to procure press credentials from the team and has continued to be rebuffed. Aparicio and his staff have covered Baltimore Orioles' baseball since Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened in 1992. "It's just amazing that every single year, when you think it can't get any worse, it does," Aparicio said in a blog. "Are they honestly trying to say that we're not a legitimate media entity, after we've covered every major sporting event in this country for 15 years? Is it a personal attack? Is it an attempt to punish us for being honest in our assessment of the Orioles franchise? Are they trying to suppress free speech? I really don't know."

Viewers seemed to enjoy watching Tiger Woods and Co. struggling with Augusta National. CBS reported a major market Nielsen rating Saturday of 6.1 with a 13 share, up 20 percent from 5.1/11 last year and the best third-round overnight since 6.2/14 in 2003.

Who is the “Big Horse,” the 3-year-old who will take the nation’s breath away in the Kentucky Derby and, for at least two weeks, conjure thoughts of a Triple Crown? Twenty-seven days from America’s most famous horse race, the conversation focuses on two colts: Nobiz Like Shobiz and Street Sense.

Tiger Woods made some personal history yesterday at the Masters. He blinked. For the first time in his professional life, Woods held the lead on the final day at a major championship and did not win. Twelve times before this, he had led on Sunday an