Ben Maller’s Sports Rumors & Notes

Rumors Archive for June 19, 2007

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NBA Rumors & Notes

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge acknowledged yesterday that he has talked with the Minnesota Timberwolves about a potential trade for Kevin Garnett. However, Ainge refused to comment about a published report that had the Celts shipping Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and the fifth pick in next week’s NBA draft for the All-Star forward. A league source confirmed the teams have talked but are not close to a deal.

According to several NBA officials I’ve spoken to in the last week, Yi Jianlian and his posse — i.e. agent Dan Fegan and the Chinese government — would love nothing more than to see Yi wind up a major market, preferably one with a significant Chinese population. The scuttlebutt is the Yi group has targeted four teams: Atlanta, Boston, Golden State and Chicago. That is probably why Fegan and Yi haven’t exactly been receptive to the idea of Yi playing, for instance, in Memphis, which has the fourth overall pick, or Milwaukee, which has the sixth overall selection. Bucks officials have said for a couple of weeks now they intend to fly to Los Angeles to work out Yi. Yet, as of Monday, no definite date had been set. On the flip side, Yi was reportedly going to work out for Golden State on Monday — even though the Warriors currently have the 18th overall pick in the June 28th draft. One of the rumors making the rounds is the Warriors would be willing to give the Bucks a couple of players and their top pick. One of the players would allegedly be shooting guard/small forward Jason Richardson.

Peter Vecsey in the NY Post... If my information is accurate, Rashard Lewis may not have met the requirement to become one of the NBA's most desirable free agents. If accurate, the Sonics' 28-year-old (on Aug. 8) All-Star (2005) has two guaranteed years ($10,129,870 and $10,909,091) remaining on an agreement signed five years ago when he was represented by Kevin Poston. If accurate, new agent Tony Dutt mishandled critical paperwork regarding his client's escape option. According to a lawyer privy to the language in Lewis' contract, in order to void his obligation to the Sonics in 2007-08 and 2008-09, he had to do it in writing and deliver it personally or by registered mail either on the date of his team's last game (regular season or playoffs) or on June 1, 2007 . . . whichever was later. Fastened to that stipulation is a five-day grace period; hence, June 5 was the cut-off date. Late May reports (AP/ESPN) out of Houston, where Lewis lives in the offseason, quoted Dutt saying he'd officially alerted the Sonics in writing on Friday, May 25 (or maybe Saturday, May 26) his client had opted out. Both days, bordering Memorial Day weekend, were cited by Dutt. He was unsure. But it sure wasn't April 18, when the Sonics' season ended in a rout by Dallas. And it sure wasn't within the predetermined June 1 to June 5 time limit. If this argument is accurate, Lewis has forfeited colossal leverage.

While recovering from hip surgery at home, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson weighed in Monday on the latest movement in the Kobe Bryant ordeal, sounding a positive note for Bryant's future with the team. Jackson, who had hip-replacement surgery last Tuesday, has spoken with Bryant numerous times since the nine-time All-Star demanded a trade May 30, an action Bryant reiterated last Friday in a meeting with team owner Jerry Buss. "He's made a decision that he feels justified to hold — one that I've questioned — that he has reasons to leave the Lakers," Jackson wrote Monday in a brief e-mail to The Times. "However, it's my unshakeable feeling that Kobe will be a Laker next October … when training camp opens."

Greg Oden remains the consensus pick of the litter in the NBA Draft, but aren't the Blazers overloaded at center? Don't they exhibit a glaring cavity at small forward? So, why not take Durant? Because probably they can acquire someone like Antawn Jamison (one year left at $17.4M) for Zach Randolph ($13.3M/$14.6M/$16M/$17.3M). Should Oden be the pull, surely Portland will go out of its way to unload Joel Przybilla's four-year, $26M obligation. Word has it the Wizards and Suns are discussing a Jamison-Shawn Marion swap as well.

Contrary to Internet rumors, there have been no discussions between the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers about a possible trade involving Gilbert Arenas and Kobe Bryant, according to two league sources with knowledge of the situation. In the days since Arenas announced he was going to opt out of the final year of his contract next summer, his name has been thrown out as one of the superstars who might be involved in a deal to acquire Bryant, who can veto any trade. Boston's Paul Pierce also has had his name connected with a possible Bryant trade, among others. "It's ridiculous," a source said. "There have been no talks between the Wizards and the Lakers concerning Gilbert and Kobe. It's amazing. A guy gets on the elevator, hears the elevator operator talking about a trade and the next thing it's all over the Internet." Both sources said the Wizards are committed to re-signing Arenas to a long-term deal after he opts out next summer. One source said "the Wizards are committed" to keeping Arenas.

Ron Artest has two years remaining on his contract, but can opt out after this season.
He has backed off his music career, treating it more like a hobby than an offseason profession. He has turned down endorsement opportunities and is granting fewer media interviews. As he goes around the city, most people greet him favorably. Some ask when he's coming back to play for the Pacers. He doesn't have an answer, but doesn't rule out the possibility if the franchise wanted him. "My first choice is Sacramento," he said. "But I wouldn't have a problem coming back to Indiana."

A source in Los Angeles contends Rob Pelinka, Kobe Bryant's rancid rep, contacted the Magic to gauge interest in his client.

George Karl said he would like to see free-agent point guard Steve Blake return to the Nuggets next season. However, with the team not equipped to offer a competitive contract, the odds of Blake's return to Denver are remote.

Wiping Carlos Delfino's $1.8 million remaining off the books also looks good, considering the specter of Grant Hill being available as a free agent in a little more than two weeks. Hill is undecided about what he wants to do but seems very open to talking about a return to the Pistons.

It's clear Isiah Thomas doesn't want to jeopardize his standing with Jerry Buss. The Knicks won't contact the Lakers until it's acknowledged Kobe Bryant is up for grabs, like the Timberwolves supposedly have with Kevin Garnett. "I'm not allowed to comment on players with another team," Thomas said. "I have great respect for Dr. Buss and Mitch Kupchak, particularly Dr. Buss. When I first got in the league, he's one of the guys who took me under his wing and opened up the organization to me when I was playing with the Pistons, so we can see how the Lakers did things. "We're always trying to make our teams better. When a team is having problems with their players, you keep your eye on that around the league, but not necessarily trying to instigate a fire or cause a fire."

Reggie Theus, says someone always in the know, has emerged as the favorite (over Brian Shaw and Scott Brooks) to become the Kings' head coach.

Although little information will leak from the Presti-Bennett cabal, it’s presumed that the frontrunner for the Sonics job is San Antonio assistant P.J. Carlesimo. The connection to Carlesimo is obvious: Presti was a former Spurs assistant general manager, and Bennett used to own a piece of the Spurs and is awed by their success. ... Former Sonics assistant Dwane Casey, who was fired by Minnesota after going 53-69 in a season and a half, would have the most fan appeal. He was a Sonics assistant for 11 seasons. ... As for Rick Carlisle ... he’s supposedly close to Presti. But the varied responses to his candidacy by those who watch these things for a living range from Carlisle being too expensive, or not interested, or being a bad fit for the Sonics personnel.

Celts GM Danny Ainge added that based on conversations and calls from other teams, he has not heard a proposal that would make him part with the No. 5 pick. “A lot of people attempt to make trades for that pick that are one-sided,” he said. “So there’s nothing going on for the pick yet.

Four members of the Sixers' front office will be in Los Angeles today for a private workout by Yi Jianlian, a highly touted 6-11 power forward from China. The Sixers have three first-round picks in the June 28 draft. Yi is represented by Dan Fegan, who has set up workouts for NBA teams in Los Angeles. Billy King, the Sixers' president and general manager, will attend the workout with team vice presidents Tony DiLeo and Larry Brown, along with director of player personnel Courtney Witte.

Nuggets guard J.R. Smith is expected to be in Denver today to meet with team officials. On Smith's agenda is being examined by team physicians to determine how he needs to go about treating what has been reported to be a sprained left shoulder. It is the first time Smith will be in town since his car accident June 9 in New Jersey, which resulted in the death of his friend, Andre Bell. Smith, who was driving, has received two traffic citations to this point, but more serious charges could be on the way after an investigation.

So it would take a special talent for them to veer away from their need for size in the NBA Draft and grab a point guard with their No. 17 pick in the first round. Javaris Crittenton of Georgia Tech might be such a talent. "I would say with his talent level, if he got down to 17 he would definitely be in our mix . . . [but] he's probably a lottery talent," said Nets GM Ed Stefanski after another joint draft workout session with the Knicks yesterday in East Rutherford, where Crittenton, Virginia Tech guard Jamon Gordon and Serbian big men Vladimir Golubovic and Marko Lekic auditioned for the two teams. Crittenton, 6-5, is the latest in a long line of talented Georgia Tech point guards, following the likes of Mark Price, Travis Best, Kenny Anderson and Stephon Marbury. Crittenton has received advice and counsel from Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard, a close friend and former high school teammate.

Despite rumors, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said there are no plans to trade Kevin Garnett and that he'll remain with the team next season.

It's like Ron Artest never left the Indiana Pacers. He's living in his Zionsville home with his wife, children and extended family, with plans to buy more surrounding homes and land and make it his permanent base. His kids are enrolled in various camps and will attend school here in the fall. He's working out at Conseco Fieldhouse and other area facilities and getting together with the Indiana Pacers' former conditioning coach. He's taking his family to Indiana Fever games. He's speaking at local youth organizations, such as he did on Monday at the Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center on the city's near Westside. "Hopefully I'll retire here," he said, sitting at the head of the glass dining room table in his home. "We like it here." Artest isn't a Pacer, however. And while he is clear in expressing his respect for the Sacramento Kings' organization and his desire to remain with their team, he can't help but agonize a bit over his display of frustration. "I reacted a little too fast," he said of his trade request in December 2005. "If I hadn't done that, I'd still be a Pacer now."

The Kobe video’s owners claim that a Lakers fan offered to buy the video to keep it private but that they declined. Instead, they intend to charge $1.99 through their Web site. “I personally think we’re going to make more money this way,” the spokesman said. “I think people want to see it.” The Lakers are aware of the video but are declining to comment, said John Black, the team’s vice president for public relations.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and coach Avery Johnson are working with Paul Westphal on an assistant coaching contract, probably for multiple seasons. Westphal met with Johnson last week.

During Monday's first workout session, the Grizzlies got to see point guard Acie Law and guard/forwards Corey Brewer and Nick Young go at it. Forward Brandan Wright worked out on his own in the second session, saying he believed he could show more of his shooting and ballhandling skills during an individual workout. The Grizzlies have the No. 4 pick in the June 28 draft. Wright is the only one of the four thought to be a top five pick. Brewer should be a top 10 pick, while Young and Law are thought to be late lottery picks (top 14), at best.

New Memphis general manager Chris Wallace was pointed in his assessment of the Grizzlies. He predicted a quick turnaround. His stated goal is to build a championship during his tenure. "I want to see a parade down Beale Street," said Wallace, the Boston Celtics' general manager of the past 10 years. "I want to win a championship. That's the ultimate recognition of your skills. And this city deserves a championship." The Griz also interviewed former Denver GM Kiki Vandeweghe, former Portland boss John Nash and former NBA guard-turned-television-analyst Mark Jackson for the job.

Former Florida guard Lee Humphrey was among a group of six who worked out Monday for the Nuggets. The Nuggets need shooting. Humphrey wouldn't mind being the guy to give Denver the perimeter shooting it seeks. He isn't holding out much hope he will be drafted, pointing more toward signing with a team as a free agent and playing in the summer league at the beginning of July. "I haven't been hearing my name in the draft," Humphrey said, adding, "You never know, have a good summer league, and then somebody will pick you up."

Former Indiana Pacer Ron Artest spent about an hour speaking to and answering questions for about 75 children at a near Westside center Monday afternoon. "It's fun when you're talking to the kids," Artest said after walking around slapping hands with the summer campers at Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center. "I wanted to get out and do something else this summer. I really enjoy doing it because it's something I want to do after my career is over."

The Nuggets will not check out the coach's son, Coby Karl, on the workout circuit of late. But Coach Karl said with a wry smile, "I haven't seen Denver on the list."

Grizzlies director of player personnel Tony Barone Sr. said as of now, the team has no plans to go to Los Angeles where Chinese sensation Yi Jianlian has been holding his workouts.

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MLB Rumors & Notes

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

The Yankees are expected to troll for a first baseman during the next six weeks. Todd Helton's remaining salary could drop him on their wish list, but he's enjoying a strong rebound season, batting .322 with six home runs and 37 RBIs. A week ago, he talked about the near-trade to Boston. He figures to get a few questions this week about a hypothetical transaction. It has been reported Helton would not approve a deal to the Yankees if it came up. "I have never said publicly that I wouldn't go to any team," Helton said. So what about the Yankees? "They'd have to want me first," he said.

The Angels have spoken to Cincinnati about Adam Dunn and to Baltimore about Miguel Tejada. If Texas fields offers for Mark Teixeira, the Angels would probably pursue the slugger, but the price would be steep.

With the White Sox struggling, trade rumors are floating around baseball, many of them involving free-agents-to-be Mark Buehrle and Jermaine Dye. So does Buehrle, the longest-tenured Sox pitcher who has the staff's lowest earned-run average and a no-hitter already this season, see himself gone? "Yes and no," he said. "I can see why I would be, the way we are playing and the baseball side of it. But then again, I want to spend my whole career here and hopefully I won't [get traded]." The latest rumor has Dye and Buehrle going to the Mets for prospects, which doesn't seem likely at this time. "It's exactly what it is," Buehrle said. "It's rumors."

Joe Girardi, a former Yankee who is broadcasting for the YES Network, is a leading candidate to replace Sam Perlozzo in Baltimore. If Girardi succeeds Perlozzo, it could have some ramifications for the Yankees. Once Joe Torre is done managing the Yankees, which could be after this season, Girardi and Don Mattingly, the bench coach, were considered the top candidates to succeed him. Mattingly would appear to be the favorite, since he is Torre’s bench coach, but the Yankees have never told him that he will succeed Torre. Girardi made a strong impression on the Yankees’ hierarchy during his one season as a bench coach in 2005. Girardi, who did not respond to a telephone message, spoke yesterday about managing on his paid segment on the “Michael Kay Show” on ESPN Radio. When Kay asked Girardi if he would forgo accepting a managing job to wait for the Yankees’ job, Girardi said: “Will I wait? I don’t know. It all depends on the situation that’s presented to me, if it is presented to me.” Brian Cashman would not discuss Torre’s successor, stressing that the Yankees have a manager they are happy with and are focused on winning this season.

Jason Giambi doesn't want to fight Bud Selig over a possible suspension, and the MLB Players Association won't force him to, baseball sources said yesterday. The union has said Selig has no right to force Giambi to speak to the Mitchell investigation on doping in baseball, and no right to punish him. But sources familiar with talks between MLB, the union and Giambi say the player wants to "put the whole thing behind him" and will agree to talk to Mitchell's investigators. Sources said yesterday that Giambi is close to a deal with Major League Baseball that would limit Mitchell's questions to Giambi's personal use and his grand jury testimony in the BALCO case from 2003, heading off a potential labor battle.

White Sox general manager Ken Williams, manager Ozzie Guillen and captain Paul Konerko sat behind closed doors for two hours Monday, talking about ways to improve baseball's most disappointing and underachieving team. And what did they decide? Trade away aging stars for young prospects? Trade stars for stars? "We spent two hours talking and came out empty," Guillen said. "It's a lot of ifs—if we do this, if we do that, if we do that. I said, 'Listen, we're not going to do anything. Right now, we'll try to stay positive.' " The key apparently was Konerko's endorsement of his teammates and the continuing belief the Sox will still play up to their capabilities. Or supposed capabilities.

Sam Perlozzo's firing may have long-term ramification for Leo Mazzone, the highly regarded pitching coach and childhood friend of Perlozzo's who joined the Orioles shortly after Perlozzo was given the permanent job. According to Flanagan, Mazzone and all the Orioles coaches have vowed to stay. "He feels we can turn this around," Flanagan said of Mazzone. "He's disappointed for his friend, but on a professional level he's very excited about the staff."

Major league scouts who have seen Twins ace Johan Santana recently say his stuff remains exceptional but his command is slightly off. Although Santana remains among the American League leaders in strikeouts, and his 3.19 earned run average nearly equals his career mark coming into the season (3.20), his record is only 6-6, and he has given up 14 home runs in 14 starts. “Everybody is so used to him dominating,” Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire said. “The expectation when he takes the mound is, he’s going to shut everybody out. For whatever reason, hitters are making it a lot harder for him to get them out.” In one sense, this is a typical early season for Santana, whose career record is masterful after the All-Star Game break (45-10, 2.55 E.R.A.) but not so much before it (39-27, 3.68).

The New York Yankees have expressed interest in Angels first baseman-DH Shea Hillenbrand, but with Anderson on the DL and first baseman Casey Kotchman expected to sit out several more games because of a concussion, trade talks have been put on hold

The All-Star home run derby wouldn't be complete without National League long-ball leader Prince Fielder. And Fielder doesn't think it would be complete without Barry Bonds. "Without him, I don't think it'll be a good show," said the Milwaukee Brewers' slugging first baseman, who hit his league-leading 26th home run Monday night. "Especially because that's his town. He's got to be in it." Fielder is a near-lock to make the NL All-Star squad for the July 10 game at AT&T Park and be invited to compete in the derby. The Brewers are making travel plans for bench coach Dale Sveum, his favorite batting practice pitcher. The bookmakers might favor Fielder, but he said he considers Bonds the heavyweight champ. "He'd be the top choice to win it," Fielder said. "Anybody who has that many home runs deserves to be in it every year. He's done so much for the game. Why not let him play in the game? Especially the home run derby. He's taken over that. He's going to have the most ever."

The Dodgers did not immediately announce who would replace Jason Schmidt in the rotation, though reliever Chad Billingsley appears to be the leading candidate. Other options include long relievers Mark Hendrickson and Brett Tomko or minor league starter D.J. Houlton, who is 5-2 with a 3.73 earned-run average for Las Vegas.

Davey Johnson, who was at the Orioles' helm in their last winning season, and former Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants manager Dusty Baker could also be granted interviews, the two sources said.

This week’s schedule of interleague road games appears well-timed for the Royals because veteran designated hitter Mike Sweeney continues to nurse a sore right knee. “You’ve seen me run,” Sweeney said. “It’s been hurting for several weeks now, but I’m available to pinch-hit.” Serving solely as a pinch hitter might be good enough through Sunday, when the Royals conclude a stretch of six straight games played under National League rules without the DH. Manager Buddy Bell confirmed Monday that Sweeney won’t play first base against the Cardinals because of “a little bit of an issue” with his knee. Bell further indicated utilityman Fernando Cortez might get time at first base if the need arises to rest Ryan Shealy. The club could also opt to give Sweeney a longer rest by placing him on the disabled list. He could then, in effect, get two weeks of rest by missing only one week’s worth of games. Class AAA Omaha offers two possible replacements: Billy Butler and Craig Brazell.

Tony La Russa said it would be "fun" to promote outfielder Rick Ankiel and give him a two-week whirl in the majors while center fielder Jim Edmonds is on the disabled list. But fun isn't always practical. Ankiel had two hits, including a double, to raise his average to .286 in Memphis' loss Monday, and he has 19 home runs for the Class AAA affiliate. If Ankiel were on the roster with options available, he'd be up, La Russa said. But once the Cardinals promote him, Ankiel, who quit pitching in 2005, would have to pass through waivers to return to the minors. "We talk about Rick a lot," La Russa said. "Every day he gets four at-bats (in Class AAA) he's closer to getting to the majors and staying here."

As far as the White Sox having a change of heart and trying to work out an extension with Mark Buehrle before he becomes a free agent? Not likely. ''We're not going to go down the road to talk about this because we established early on in spring training [that] we were done talking about that,'' Williams said. ''We made our best overtures, and we'll just have to revisit that at the end of the season.''

Should Baltimore show interest in the Mets’ bench coach, Jerry Manuel, for their managing vacancy, expect Willie Randolph to give him a glowing recommendation. The Orioles fired Manager Sam Perlozzo yesterday. “Jerry deserves to manage in the major leagues,” Randolph said. “He’s an excellent bench coach. I think it would be a smart move on Baltimore’s part to interview him and find out what he’s all about. I’d hate to lose him, but he’s a solid baseball man.”

The significance of the Andy MacPhail move, which has yet to be confirmed by Orioles officials, could be felt immediately with the new managerial hire. Among the potential candidates with ties to MacPhail -- who ran the Cubs from 1994 to 2006, after spending 10 season as general manager of the Minnesota Twins -- are Joe Girardi, a popular catcher for parts of six seasons in Chicago before managing the Florida Marlins in 2006, and former Cubs manager Dusty Baker.

Boston Herald... Former Red Sox slugger Wade Boggs hanging out in the lobby of the Boston Park Plaza hotel...

Mets manager Willie Randolph continued to play down the seriousness of Carlos Beltrán’s injured left quadriceps before last night’s game, questioning why it seems to have developed into a major story. “He’s been sore, like a lot of guys have been during the course of the season,” he said. “ I’ve never at any time recently, or in the last month and a half, been concerned or asked him about his leg. Everyone looked at me Sunday like I was hiding something. It’s not an issue for me because it’s not an issue for Carlos.”

As expected, with the return to Turner Field and National League rules, Chipper Jones was back at third base for the start of the Red Sox series. That meant rookie sensation Yunel Escobar took a seat on the bench, after starting the previous five games at third in Minnesota and Cleveland while Jones was the designated hitter. Escobar had the game-winning hit Friday night in Cleveland. "Honestly, the kid deserves to play," Jones said. "He's made an impression. I'm sure Bobby's going to do what he can to get him in there." Yes, Cox acknowledged, but it won't be easy with Escobar's best positions manned by Edgar Renteria and Chipper Jones. There's not much he can do, outside of what he said Monday, which is to give Escobar a start when one of those two needs a day off. When asked what he would do with Escobar, Cox said, "Keep him as long as I can." He meant that he wanted to have him in Atlanta as a bat off the bench, though it might eventually make more sense to get Escobar back in the minors and playing every day.

Jason Giambi must decide by Thursday if he plans to cooperate with baseball’s investigation into steroid use. Lawyers for Major League Baseball and the players union continued to negotiate the parameters yesterday for a possible meeting with the former Senator George J. Mitchell. Commissioner Bud Selig asked that Giambi cooperate with Mitchell after Giambi tacitly admitted to using steroids. Indications were that Giambi was leaning toward meeting with Mitchell. The commissioner’s office first said that Giambi’s deadline for responding was tomorrow. But, since Selig’s statement was released late in the afternoon June 6, M.L.B. officials told Arn Tellem, Giambi’s agent, that they could have until Thursday to respond. Giambi is expected to wait until Thursday.

Red Sox pitcher Matt Clement, who is in the third and final season of a three-year, $25.5 million contract, underwent major surgery on his right shoulder last September and has been adhering to an extensive rehabilitation program at the extended spring training camp in Fort Myers. Francona said the 32-year-old right-hander has only encountered “minimal setbacks” while recently progressing to throwing off a mound. If he continues to do well, Clement will head to Boston when the Sox return from the current road trip to map out a rough game plan for the final three months of the season. “He’s still got a ways to go,” Francona said. “It’s too quick to be expecting him to be back with us, winning games. That’s unfair to him. We’ll have to see where he is, (but) in September, he’s probably going to be close, if the time frame holds, to getting in a (big league) game. It would probably be hard for him to be ready to go much before that.”

Perhaps it has finally dawned on Peter Angelos that 2 million empty seats a year can't be wrong. That's the difference between the team's record attendance in 1997 (3.7 million) and the 1.7 million or so the Orioles figure to draw this year.

Roger Maris' 61 homers remain the standard in the American League — at least for a few more months. That's because Alex Rodriguez is making a serious push to make that mark his own, crushing 27 home runs in the Yankees' first 67 games. A-Rod enters tonight's game in Colorado on pace to hit 65 homers, which would put him in the exclusive company of Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, the only players to ever reach that mark.

Monday night, Braves CF Andruw Jones was back hitting sixth for the first time since May 27. He was coming off a road trip in which he went 2-for-24 (.083). Going 0-for-4 Monday dropped his batting average to .205. By now, such a lineup move didn't come as a big surprise. Jones hasn't made a case to stay higher in the order, going 15-for-81 (.185) with 18 strikeouts in 20 games since the last time he batted sixth. On top of the usual pressure, Jones is having his struggles in a contract year. "Everybody is going to struggle in their life, but it's not a big deal," he said. "I'm not thinking about it. I'm too strong a person to let that stuff bother me. Just go out and play the game and try to help the team win any way I can."

The easy explanation is that the Padres are pitching well. They lead the majors in overall ERA (2.92) and bullpen ERA (2.11). Their starters (3.36) lead the NL in ERA.

Who Knew? Derrek Lee, Michael Barrett, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Michael Wuertz are the only players on the active roster who were with the Cubs when Sammy Sosa walked out on the final day of the 2004 season.

Alfonso Soriano disputed Lou Piniella's theory that the Cubs were "worn out" by their stretch of 17 games in 17 days. "I love to play every day, so it doesn't matter to me how many days in a row we play," Soriano said. "It's a long season, and I'm here for six months. After that, I have plenty of time off. Everybody has to put in their mind that it's a long season and we have to be ready to play every day.

Who Knew? The Dodgers have lost 20 of their last 21 interleague games on the road while being outscored, 123-42.

The good news is that Kenny Rogers will indeed start Friday night for the Tigers in Atlanta. The bad news -- but it's never very bad when it's simply a matter of a pitcher wanting to pitch -- is that he'd been hoping for Wednesday night instead. "I kind of screwed that up," manager Jim Leyland said. "I thought originally he might pitch Wednesday and told him that." But to pitch him Wednesday would have meant changing Jeremy Bonderman's schedule, which Leyland didn't want to do.

OF Cameron Maybin will almost certainly be promoted next season to Double-A Erie. From there, it is an hour plane trip to Detroit, an invitation that can be extended at any moment when a player has shown he can cut it at Double A. "He's not a perfect player by any means," Ezell said of Maybin, adding his kicker. "But he's trying to be."

Willy Taveras has a well-earned reputation as a great bunter. But the Rockies' coaches have been working with him to get better. Taveras is bunting some down the first-base line. If Taveras gets the ball past the pitcher, there's almost no chance of throwing him out.

If it's a true athlete the Milwaukee Bucks are looking for, they need look no further. Ohio State freshman Mike Conley Jr. showed Monday why he is considered the top point guard in the June 28 National Basketball Association draft. The 19-year-old handled everything thrown at him in a fast-paced one-hour workout, and he even showed a better outside shooting touch than expected. Bucks director of player personnel Dave Babcock wasn't fooled by any slips in the shuttle run, and he liked what he saw during Conley's individual workout. The Bucks' brass also took Conley out to dinner on Sunday night. "Athletically, he's as good as it gets," Babcock said. "A pass-first (point guard) would be a tremendous addition to our team, because we do have a lot of scorers.

During his daily pregame media session, Ned Yost wondered aloud how any fans could be disappointed with the performance of Brewers reliever Derrick Turnbow. With the exception of a couple of rough outings that inflated his earned run average to 3.73, the former closer has done yeoman duty, holding opponents to a .191 batting average in 34 outings, with 13 walks and 40 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings. "He has been capital-A awesome," Yost said.

Who Knew? Without Jason Giambi, the Yankees are 13-3 and have scored 6.9 runs a game. With Giambi, the Yankees were 22-29 and averaged 5.3 runs. Since Giambi went on the disabled list, the Yankees’ designated hitters have batted .299, with 3 home runs and 11 runs batted in. While Damon has started 12 of 16 games as the designated hitter, Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez and Josh Phelps have also started at D.H. Giambi hit .177 with three homers in May.

The Brewers are closing in on a deal with first-round draft pick Matt LaPorta, a first baseman out of the University of Florida who will move to left field. Negotiations between the club and agent Scott Boras have reached the "language" stage, with the money already agreed upon. LaPorta is expected to sign at or near the $2.07 million bonus recommended by MLB for the seventh pick overall. "Financially we're on the same page," Boras said. "We've been talking for a few days. I think we're close." As is their custom, the Brewers will bring LaPorta to Milwaukee to work out and meet reporters before assigning him to rookie ball.

The Mets are begging for Paul Lo Duca to be voted onto the National League All-Star team, embarrassing their catcher and themselves by bombarding Shea Stadium fans with high-decibel, in-house promos better left for small-town outposts such as Milwaukee and Cincinnati.

Did You Know? Luis Castillo went 0-for-4, ending his 32-game hitting streak at Shea Stadium. The Twins second baseman spent 10 seasons with the Florida Marlins before joining the Twins in 2006. The streak began on Sept. 2, 2001

Lastings Milledge, who has been sidelined with a sprained ligament in his foot, has begun working out in Florida and will soon start a rehabilitation assignment with Port St. Lucie, Mets General Manager Omar Minaya said yesterday. “He is running and swinging the bat and doing those kind of things,“ he said.

If Jason Giambi does not cooperate, there is a chance that Congress could step in. Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-IL), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, sent a letter to Mitchell on Friday indicating that he was closely following Giambi's situation. "In particular," Rush wrote, "I am following your progress with New York Yankees first baseman/designated hitter, Jason Giambi, and his apparent reluctance (or refusal) to meet with you. "It is not apparent to me why he would be reticent to cooperate in your investigation. Should you continue to encounter this type of resistance from Mr. Giambi and/or other Major League Baseball players, I want to reiterate my pledge to intervene and take the necessary steps to aid your investigation and ultimately rid the sport of illegal performance enhancing drugs."

Milwaukee first baseman Prince Fielder, who leads the NL with 25 home runs, surpassed Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols in the recent tabulation of fan voting, released Monday. Fielder, 25 and aiming for his first All-Star invitation, surged to 899,997 votes, just ahead of Pujols' 876,849.

Did You Know? In two outings against San Diego, Rich Hill has allowed seven home runs, including four to Mike Cameron in successive at-bats. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last player to hit four consecutive homers off the same pitcher was St. Louis' Albert Pujols against Pittsburgh's Ian Snell in August and September 2006.

The Mets had a full-blown campaign going last night, urging fans to vote for Paul Lo Duca for the All-Star team. “It was hard not to notice it,” Lo Duca said. “I had a couple of Twins batters come to the plate, and they said they voted for me. It was pretty funny.”

Not that it has been awhile since the Yankees were the Yankees, but the last time they won a World Series, Bill Clinton was in the White House, Enron was 90 bucks a share and gas had just reached two bucks a gallon.

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NFL Rumors & Notes

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Troy Brown will play football in 2007. It’s just a matter of where. In all likelihood, he’ll return to the Patriots, his home since 1993. Coach Bill Belichick already proclaimed as much. And yet, as each day passes without Brown re-signing, it’s fair to ask what’s holding up his return. Brown turns 36 in July and is coming off surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his knee. He still has a locker at Gillette Stadium and rehabbed with the team, though he didn’t partake in minicamp and is not yet ready to take the field. He attended the club’s charitable golf tournament in the driving rain at the start of June. A private person, Brown has kept largely tight-lipped this offseason. Sources close to the receiver yesterday reiterated his desire to play next year, preferably with the Patriots, who seem to be taking a wait and see attitude towards his health. ... Should Brown re-enter the fold, there’s no guarantee he’ll make the team. The Patriots are loaded for bear at wide receiver, with recent additions Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth and Kelley Washington joining holdovers Reche Caldwell, Jabar Gaffney and the injured Chad Jackson.

Chad Pennington barked out the signals, took the snap and faded back to pass. As he looked for an open receiver, Shaun Ellis rushed hard from left end and was blocked by tackle Anthony Clement and guard Brandon Moore. Pennington threw to Laveranues Coles over the middle. It seemed like a routine play Friday during minicamp as the Jets went through final preparations before the opening of training camp next month. But it may have been a violation of the NFL's collective-bargaining agreement, which strictly prohibits contact of any kind during the offseason. According to the CBA, "Contact work [e.g., 'live' blocking, tackling, pass rushing, bump-and-run] is expressly prohibited in all offseason workouts." Appendix L adds: "No live contact; no live contact drills between offensive and defensive linemen." These rules apply to all offseason workouts, whether or not the day has been designated as an OTA (organized team activity) by the club. They also apply to mandatory and voluntary minicamps. As a result of those drills, the Jets face the possibility of being sanctioned by the NFL Players Association.

A league source tells Pro Football Talk that there is already talk in league circles that former Steelers coach Bill Cowher is planning his potential return to the NFL. Per the source, Cowher already has spoken with multiple teams about filling a potential vacancy in 2008. The source also says that one of Cowher's demands will be full control over the football operations. The teams, the source says, are believed to be the Browns, Redskins, and Panthers. Another league source confirms that Cowher has had at least one private discussion with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder about the possibility of replacing Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, if Gibbs calls it quits after the 2007 season.

Whether defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson retires after a 14-season NFL career, his Dolphins career officially ended Monday when the team released him. Wilkinson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft, didn't report to Denver for his physical after the Dolphins traded him for a sixth-round draft pick this spring, nor did he show at any of the Dolphins' minicamps. Although he hasn't announced his retirement, Wilkinson reportedly signed a deal in May with AAMCO Transmissions to open seven car repair shops in his home state of Ohio.

A little more than a year after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges for his role in the Vikings' infamous boat party in October 2005, Fred Smoot told a Washington newspaper "nothing happened on that boat." Smoot, who was released by the Vikings in March following two disappointing seasons, discussed the incident in an interview that appeared Monday in the Washington Times. The veteran cornerback has re-signed with the Redskins, the team he left to join the Vikings. Smoot attempted to downplay his role in the incident that occurred during the Vikings' bye week that season and resulted in an investigation when employees on Lake Minnetonka charter boats reported guests received lap dances and sex acts were performed in the open. "I wasn't the organizer," said Smoot, who pled guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct and was ordered to perform 48 hours of community service and pay $2,000 in fines. "I was the new guy. I was along for the ride. The media took the four guys with the biggest contracts -- me, Daunte Culpepper, Bryant McKinnie and Moe Williams -- and blew the story out of proportion." Smoot was a bit off in his calculations, considering Williams, a backup running back, had a base salary of $665,000 that season.

Tommie Harris insists he was just kidding around when he told television reporters in Philadelphia last weekend that the Bears would have a better chance to win the Super Bowl with Donovan McNabb as their quarterback. The joke went over like an intercepted pass returned for a touchdown when Bears quarterback Rex Grossman heard about it. As expected, Harris found himself apologizing to Grossman and the rest of his teammates for striking a nerve that was already frayed following Grossman's enigmatic 2006 season. Fending off critical media and fans is hard enough for Grossman. Now one of his own teammates? "I will be careful the next time I joke around," Harris said Monday in Lake Forest. "Donovan was behind the camera laughing. We were joking around and it escalated to more than what it was. I apologized to the rest of my team. I was very embarrassed with how much it blew up with the media. My team forgave me, so that's all that matters." Grossman, who at first did not want to comment, tried to downplay the incident. "I know Tommie and we have a great relationship," Grossman said. "It was not that big a deal. He's my guy." Harris, a few feet away, responded by saying, "He's my guy."

Some would call those moves a hint and a half for quarterback Cleo Lemon that any dream of being an NFL starter would be colored something other than aqua. So why did Lemon re-sign with the Dolphins? ''I was told the competition is open,'' said Lemon, who signed a one-year deal in late May. ``I can only go off what I've been told, work accordingly and hope I get an opportunity.'' Besides being a restricted free agent, there's the reality of what's out there beyond the Dolphins and what's here. Also, NFL Draft weekend and the succeeding few weeks are settle-up time when it comes to NFL teams and their quarterback situations. The Dolphins were one of the few teams that left that period with any uncertainty about who would be under center for the first live snap in September. ''With Cam coming in and being familiar with the system, I just had to take the opportunity,'' Lemon said. Lemon worked with the first-team offense up through the second day of the June 8-10 minicamp, when Green began getting the majority of the snaps with the first team. Now the question is whether Cameron will make Lemon or Beck the backup in September.

LaVar Arrington's attorney, Rosalyn Pugh, said Arrington was expected to in the hospital overnight and his condition would be re-evaluated in the morning. Arrington's mother, father and wife were at his bedside, she said. "I've spoken with his wife and she says he's in good spirits," Pugh said. Arrington had a valid driver's license but was not licensed to ride a motorcycle, Newell said. Troopers issued Arrington two citations: one for failing to have the proper license and the other for the accident. The penalties total $650 in fines and six points on his license.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett might have picked the worst time to find himself in trouble. The fourth-year veteran was arrested Sunday morning in Appleton on battery charges and posted $500 bond. He was not at practice on Monday or available for comment. The Packers are not only upset about the incident, they are concerned about the consequences. On the day that Barnett signed his six-year, $34.85 million contract extension with the Packers on April 10, National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell disclosed his new, tougher conduct policy. So now Barnett will have to wait for his case to go through the Outagamie County court and see whether he faces additional punishment from the NFL for conduct detrimental to the league's image.

The National Football League’s TV rights holders, who pay a combined $3 billion annually to air its games, are angry with the league for not doing more to get its official sponsors to advertise in the Super Bowl. Venting feelings that have been festering for a number of years now, the networks say the NFL has made it clear that the increased difficulty in selling ads in the Super Bowl is their problem. The networks grumble that official sponsors of the other professional sports leagues are more active in advertising in big, post-season events like Major League Baseball’s World Series and the National Basketball Association Finals than NFL sponsors are in the Super Bowl. During the most recent Super Bowl telecast on CBS, only six of the NFL’s 21 official sponsors ran ads. (Official sponsor Coors cannot run in the Super Bowl because Anheuser-Busch has exclusive rights in the beer category.) Network executives, none of whom would speak for attribution, conceded that while large NFL sponsors like Burger King, Canon, Subway, Tropicana, IBM and Procter & Gamble do advertise during the regular season and playoff games, they are not regular Super Bowl advertisers. Considering the amount of money they pony up for rights fees, the networks argue that it is incumbent on the NFL to do more to get each of its official sponsors to buy at least one in-game Super Bowl spot.

Troubled NFL star Adam "Pacman" Jones is wanted for questioning in a shooting early Monday that left one man with minor injuries and allegedly involved Jones' security detail. "He is not a suspect in the shooting, his vehicle wasn't seen, but we do feel he could give us some guidance on who the suspects are," said DeKalb Deputy Chief Michael Burrows. An attorney for the Clayton County native and suspended Tennessee Titan had spoken with police by late Monday afternoon. According to a police report, men in Jones' security detail opened fire on a vehicle about 4:15 a.m. after Jones was involved in an argument at Club Blaze, a Southside strip club. Darian T. Haygood, 34, of Decatur told police he went to the Moreland Avenue club to pick up his nephew and while inside asked a woman for a dance. Jones allegedly confronted Haygood about the request, saying "Y'all don't know me. I'll kill all y'all in here," the police report said. Haygood then told an off-duty Clayton County deputy of the run-in with Jones, the report said. The officer, according to the report, told police he heard Jones say, "I'm going to the car to get my gun," which prompted the officer to ask Jones and his security detail to leave. Jones drove off in a black Cadillac Escalade. Another man known as "Slugga" drove away in a black Pontiac Grand Prix and a third man took off in a green Dodge Charger, the report said. Haygood left in his Toyota Sequoya and was waiting at a red light on northbound Moreland Avenue preparing to get on eastbound I-285 when shots rang out. He ducked and returned fire with his Glock 23.40-caliber handgun, the report said. The Toyota was struck seven times with one minor injury to a passenger. Another nearby vehicle also was struck by bullets, causing damage to its windshield. Haygood returned to the club, notified the off-duty officer, then called 911, the report said.

LenDale White’s offseason issue with his weight and a hamstring problem perhaps hastened the need for a veteran running back to compete in the Titans’ backfield.

Did You Know? This marks the 11th time Pacman Jones has been mentioned in a police investigation since joining the Titans. He has been arrested five times, but has no convictions, though there are still two other open cases pending against him.

With the NFL poised to hold a forum today on concussions to be attended by members of each team's medical staff, the league has formulated new guidelines on how concussions will be handled. ... At the NFL's spring meetings in Nashville last month, the league implemented new standards for dealing with chronic head injuries, based on "extensive medical research and discussion by the NFL's independent committee on mild-traumatic brain injury."

Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy is going to try something different in training camp, in hopes that he can get fresher legs and thus more production out of his players. On Monday, McCarthy released the Packers' training camp schedule and this time, Wednesdays will be an off day for the month of August. "Well, you look at the middle of the week, specifically with the two-a-day format, that's really a hump day. So we've adjusted some of our practices," McCarthy said. Wednesday is a meeting day and a walk-through day so McCarthy wanted to use it to keep his players fresh. So for the first time, he will give them the three Wednesdays off.

A replacement for Mellon Arena is expected to be ready for the start of the 2009-10 NHL season, and that might prompt another new addition for Pittsburgh: an Arena Football League team. On the heels of the Arena Football League's 20th anniversary, Chris McCloskey, the league's executive vice president of communications, recently confirmed in a statement to the Post-Gazette that there have been preliminary talks about bringing an expansion team to Pittsburgh in the near future. "We have had discussions with multiple potential ownership groups in recent years and months about Pittsburgh," McCloskey said. "The league remains bullish about the market for obvious reasons." McCloskey declined to reveal the names of the potential ownership groups but said the candidates are "recognizable."

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Odd Notes & Stuff

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

The July issue of Country Weekly hits stands today, and the cover story looks at the relationship between Carrie Underwood and Dallas Cowboy, Tony Romo. The two appeared at the May 15 ACM Awards. "I heard he was interested in me, so I text-messaged him," Carrie said. Tony responded and the two met during a Christmas Day football game in Dallas. "She's got a really great personality, so she's really easy to talk to," Tony has said about Carrie. Carrie doesn't elaborate on their relationship saying only, "We're friends and we hang out a lot."