Ben Maller’s Sports Rumors & Notes

Rumors Archive for May 02, 2007

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NBA Rumors & Notes

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Magic guard Grant Hill will be spending the next several weeks debating his future, wondering whether the time is right to say goodbye to the NBA, where he found fame, fortune and misfortune over the past 13 years. Should he go? Or should he stay? Hill, 34, lost much of six seasons to injuries and surgeries -- prime athletic years -- but he finally finished healthy this season, the first time since he signed that seven-year, $92 million contract.

Center Brendan Haywood, whose playing time dwindled to almost nothing despite the absence of the Washington Wizards' top players, said yesterday he will not demand a trade and will instead "let the chips fall where they may." ... Haywood's actions suggest that he wants out of Washington, and according to two sources close to Haywood, he has said he would consider demanding a trade if Eddie Jordan returns to coach next season. However, Haywood declined to directly address the issue yesterday.

YES analyst Mark Jackson, whose name is rumored to be contacted with the Indiana coaching vacancy, said he has not been contacted by the Pacers

Knicks coach/president Isiah Thomas will spend his summer preparing for the NBA draft, free agency - and trial. A trial date of Sept. 10, in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, has been set for former Knicks marketing chief Anucha Browne-Sanders' sexual-harassment suit versus Thomas. Legal sources predict the trial to last two weeks, allowing Thomas to be ready for Knicks' training camp Oct. 1 in Charleston, S.C. Sources deny settlement talks took place recently. "There's going to be a trial," one legal source said.

Grant Hill ... Piston again? Why not? The more you think about it, the more you realize that a reunion makes perfect sense for both sides. At this point in his career, after making more than $100 million in salary and endorsements, Hill is unlikely to auction himself off to the highest bidder. And as he showed this season, he still has the scoring touch, smarts and all-around game to help a contender.

When asked whether he was perturbed in the wake of Game 4, the Lakers coach spoke of the post players' failure to play a more physical brand of ball and the guards' inability to cover the Suns' three-point threats on a more consistent basis. "I did tell them that they have the brain power of slugs or earthworms," Phil Jackson said. "That was just in the moment of irritation. That part is disappointing."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson's representatives and LA general manager Mitch Kupchak agreed to continue contract extension talks after the season. Jackson has one year left after this season on a three-year, $30 million deal that pays him $10 million per season. Jackson has said his health is fine, so he has to decide if he wants to keep coaching a team that has been mediocre the past two seasons and may continue to be that way if the Lakers don't make substantial upgrades.

Bobcats GM Bernie Bickerstaff wouldn’t say when the franchise expected to interview any more head coaching candidates, though most feel he’s certain to talk with free agent head coach Sam Mitchell once his Toronto Raptors are out of the playoffs. League sources also say the Bobcats have an interest in waiting for Dallas Mavericks assistant Sam Vincent.

The Lakers also may be looking for assistant coaches. Assistants Kurt Rambis, Brian Shaw and Jim Cleamons all have been mentioned as candidates for other job openings around the NBA. All three have come up as possible candidates for the opening with the Sacramento Kings.

Wolves owner Glen Taylor said Tuesday that the Wolves would seek to improve by building around Kevin Garnett with Randy Foye, Rashad McCants and Craig Smith. Other players could be traded. "But it's a little hard right now (during the playoffs) to talk to other teams," Taylor said. "We're looking at scenarios and options."

In order to help breathe new life into his team, which is down 3-1 in the first-round series against San Antonio going into tonight's Game 5, Nuggets coach George Karl pledged not to play the volatile J.R. Smith. "He's a good-bad player," Karl said Tuesday morning after practice in Denver. "You evaluate his good, you evaluate his bad. He had good plays in Game 3 and he had good plays in Game 4. But you've just got to be mentally more secure and tougher than he showed in Game 4." Smith was not available for comment during the media session Tuesday afternoon. Neither he nor his father, Earl, returned phone calls Tuesday night.

Heat coach Pat Riley, in his dual role as team president, had established a clear-cut offseason priority. "Right now, we probably, more than anything, need point-guard help," he said. The options in free agency, especially in a Heat price range that effectively rules out the likes of Chauncey Billups, are limited to second-tier types such as Chucky Atkins, Steve Blake and Smush Parker. The trade market could present Earl Watson, Luke Ridnour, Sebastian Telfair, Brevin Knight or possibly Dooling, who has the right to opt out of the final year on his Magic contract. ... The other option would be converting Jason Williams' $8.9 million expiring deal into a veteran point guard with a lengthier contract such as Atlanta's Speedy Claxton, Indiana's Jamaal Tinsley, New York's Stephon Marbury, Philadelphia's Andre Miller, Phoenix's Marcus Banks, Sacramento's Mike Bibby or Minnesota's Mike James or Marko Jaric. Beyond Miller or Bibby, none of those other options appears particularly palatable.

DeShawn Stevenson, who averaged 11.2 points and shot a career-best 46.1 percent from the field, will opt out of his contract but hopes to return to Washington. "This is a great situation here, playing with Caron, Gilbert and Antawn," Stevenson said. "I think we could have won at least 50 games if everyone stayed healthy. But I'll have to do what's best for me. This is a great situation here."

Five Lakers will become free agents at season's end. Luke Walton wants to come back and probably will be asked to return. He'll look to get a contract that pays about $5 million per season. Chris Mihm missed the entire season after having two surgeries on his right ankle. Mihm said he wants to return but knows he won't get the $4.2 million he is earning this season. Smush Parker probably won't be asked back. Shammond Williams has shown some promise, but he may go back to Europe and Aaron McKie probably will retire.

The Magic ought to be begging Brian Hill to come back next season and coach this mediocre team back into the playoffs. Please, Coach Hill, come back and we promise we'll get you a shooting guard who's had less than five surgeries on his ankle. We promise we'll get you a point guard who is taller than Danny DeVito. We promise we'll draft a player who actually wants to play on this continent. Don't get me wrong, I'm not convinced Brian Hill is a great NBA coach. I can question his substitution policy with the best of them, but this talk about firing him after only two years is pure insanity.

Heat 0wner Micky Arison, aware his team will be just $4 million under the projected $68 million luxury-tax threshold, said, ''If we can get us significantly better, we may be willing to go over the tax.'' The problem, he said, is ''we've got one of the worst arena deals in the NBA'' which ``makes virtually impossible to make money.'' Arison is ''disappointed'' in the first-round loss, but ''I don't buy'' the theory that the team ``is too old or too slow.

Kevin McHale continues to oversee the basketball operation of the Timberwolves, but not alone. "I am changing the way we operate a little bit," Wolves owner Glen Taylor said Tuesday. McHale still will have significant input, but so will Taylor, who is frustrated watching the NBA playoffs on TV for the third consecutive season. Taylor is watching closely to see what other teams do that his team does not.

Washington has eight free agents, including starting shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson, veteran guard-forward Jarvis Hayes and promising second-year forward Andray Blatche, who is a restricted free agent (the Wizards can match any offer made to him by another team).

Bulls center Ben Wallace facing his former team is a popular story. But a better one might be how the teams he left and joined didn't exactly follow form. Many predicted the Pistons would drop off defensively. And while their opponents' scoring average rose from 90.2 in 2005-06 to 91.8, their opponents' field-goal percentage dropped from .452 to .445. Similarly, some predicted the Bulls to become even more offensively challenged. But Wallace's ability to pass and let some offense run through him played some part in the Bulls increasing their scoring average from 97.8 points in 2005-06 to 98.8 this season. Their shooting percentage improved from .446 to .457. The Pistons won 64 games in Wallace's final season in Detroit and 53 this season. With 49 victories, the Bulls won eight more games this season than last.

After a long season, Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison has had enough. Jamison, a member of the U.S. national team, said he will take the summer off to rest and spend time with his family, including a son born earlier this season. "I'm not pulling out all together; I think there is an agreement on both parties," Jamison said. "I'm tired. They sent me the itinerary, and I'm thinking another month and a half of my summer. "The good thing is it gives the younger guys an opportunity to experience it," said Jamison, who plans to return home to Charlotte, N.C., to begin the summer.

Andres Nocioni finally confirmed what Bulls coach Scott Skiles has been telling people for days. "I feel pain in the foot right now after the games, but not during the game," Nocioni said after he worked out individually but skipped most of Tuesday's Bulls practice.

Defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who also hosts a radio show, said perhaps this will be a lesson to Tony Stewart that his words travel far and wide. "Tony is Tony and he's always been himself," Johnson said. "It's hard when you have a radio show. You're not sure who's listening and you want to speak your mind -- and it looks like he certainly did."

How About That? According to Elias Sports Bureau, Game 5 marked the first time since 1996 — when Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson did it for Phoenix, against San Antonio — that teammates each produced same-game playoff double-doubles of 20 and 15. Houston star Tracy McGrady had 26 points and 16 assists, while Rockets center Yao Ming had 21 points and 15 boards.

George Karl said he thought a key to the series was the fatigue factor of his team. He said it looked like Denver players are being worn down. Not so, Camby said. "They're not wearing us down," he said of the Spurs. "They are just making the key plays when they need to."

The Charlotte Bobcats added another name to their head coaching search Tuesday when they interviewed former NBA player and coach Mario Elie. “We talked to him and it was a good conversation,” said former Bobcats head coach Bernie Bickerstaff, who will remain with the organization in an as of yet undetermined capacity. Elie’s interview came one day after the Bobcats interviewed another former NBA player and coach, Paul Silas.

Ben Wallace chuckled as he offered why Richard Hamilton's shot is so effective. "I'm the one who made 'Rip' the best mid-range jumper shooter in the league," Wallace said. "Because when I was with Detroit and he was with Washington, his first six layup attempts, I threw them."

Free agents who could make sense for the Wizards include: F Gerald Wallace (Charlotte), C DeSagana Diop (Dallas), F Ruben Patterson (Milwaukee), G-F James Posey (Miami) and C Mikki Moore (New Jersey).

Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said he plans on retaining his coaching staff. However, assistants Mike O'Koren, Tom Young and Phil Hubbard, who have been with Jordan since he arrived before the 2003-04 season, did not receive contract extensions when Jordan signed his three-year extension last summer. Jordan said he expects his assistants to receive extensions before summer league play begins in early July.

The NBA announced the launch of NBA Headquarters, a new virtual destination featuring a variety of innovative and interactive NBA elements in Second Life, the popular 3D online world with nearly six million residents. The announcement was made by NBA Commissioner David Stern during a recent media event conducted in the NBA Headquarters.

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MLB Rumors & Notes

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

While the Mets were taking batting practice and the Marlins were stretching, Mets General Manager Omar Minaya engaged third baseman Miguel Cabrera in about a 10-minute conversation. Per Major League Baseball directive, it was tampering. Was Minaya recruiting Cabrera, a free agent after the 2009 season? Of course not, but the subject matter is irrelevant. MLB prohibits fraternizing among players when they are in uniform. It happens anyway, but rarely do you see front office personnel conversing with opposing players save for cursory greetings.

If Joe Torre is fired, it could help the Cubs' cause in 2008. Yankees shortstop Alex Rodriguez has an opt-out clause in his contract after 2007, and always has been tight with Lou Piniella, his former manager in Seattle.

Rich Harden saw Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles on Monday for a second opinion on his right shoulder, and Yocum concurred with the initial diagnosis, that there is some irritation in the shoulder but nothing more. Yocum advised several days of rest to get rid of the discomfort, so Harden will remain in the Bay Area and will not throw for as much as 10 days. That means he's unlikely to start for Oakland until the middle of the month at the earliest. He last pitched on April 15 against New York. As he was over the winter, Harden has been the object of increasing trade speculation in the past week, but the A's are not having any discussions about the starter, according to a team source.

Sources close to the crash investigation told the Post-Dispatch on Tuesday that a small amount of marijuana, in a small tin, was recovered from Josh Hancock's demolished vehicle. A Cardinals source said the club was made aware of the finding Monday night. Hancock's death comes on the heels of a drunken-driving arrest of Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. Jocketty said he doesn't believe La Russa's March 22 arrest has compromised his abilconfront players over alcohol abuse. Dr. Michael Graham, the St. Louis medical examiner, said Tuesday he would not release any autopsy findings until after Hancock's memorial service in Mississippi on Thursday.

What to do with Jeff Weaver? That's the biggest question surrounding the Mariners right now. Manager Mike Hargrove said the decision has been made, but he refused to discuss it Tuesday. "I'm not going to talk about Jeff Weaver's situation yet," Hargrove said. "If I announce it, I've got to talk about it, and I don't want to talk about it." "It" would appear to be an impending change in the status of the right-hander, who's had an alarmingly poor start -- a 0-4 record, 18.26 ERA and .492 batting average against. Those numbers make it tough to send him to the mound for his next turn in the rotation, but his $8.325 million salary makes it tough to cut him loose. That would appear to leave two options: sending him to the bullpen, or sending him to Triple-A Tacoma, a move the veteran player would have to approve.

Royals star OF prospect Billy Butler will be the club’s regular left fielder, which effectively turns veterans Reggie Sanders and Emil Brown into pinch hitters. A trade or other roster move involving one or both now seems a matter of time. “We’ve got a lot of bodies there,” GM Dayton Moore acknowledged. “Ultimately, that rests on my shoulders as to how to figure it out and make it work.” .... The moves came as the Royals entered May with baseball’s worst record at 8-18 despite significant improvement from a rotation long viewed as an open wound. “It’s not a panic move,” Moore insisted. “We’re 8-18, and we need to get some offense in here. … We believe Billy can add a spark and give us some punch in the lineup right now.”

With the calendar turned to May, the Roger Clemens watch will be hotter than ever. Brian Cashman may be in Arlington with the Yankees, but the GM said he has no plans to travel to Houston, where Clemens and his agents are located. "I've had every conversation I could have," Cashman said. "They know where we stand."

Pitcher Brian Lawrence became a free agent Monday when the Rockies were unable to find a trade partner. Lawrence has attracted varying degrees of interest from the Orioles, Tigers and Padres. Lawrence told The Denver Post recently he would be willing to go to Triple-A to prove he belongs in a big-league rotation. In his opinion, he's fully recovered from shoulder surgery that forced him to miss all of last season.

Finding a Dodgers roster spot for Yhency Brazoban could be a challenge. Little is leaning toward expanding the pitching staff from 11 to 12 — especially in the wake of the 17-inning game. "It started entering my mind in the 13th inning, and stayed there the next day too," he said. Trimming a position player would be a challenge. The two most expendable players, third baseman Wilson Betemit and utility player Wilson Valdez, would have to clear waivers before being sent to triple-A. The Dodgers believe Valdez could clear waivers but that Betemit would have no chance.

Former NY Yankees Pitching Coach Mel Stottlemyre, appearing as a guest with Andrew Siciliano on GameTime Live on Fox Sports Radio, asked if Yanks manager Joe Torre is taking to much heat: "Yeah, I think it's very unfair. ... He's not any less smart today than he was five or six years ago, when they were winning the World Series. If I was to point out any one thing as a glaring weakness, it's their pitching staff. It's not as strong as what it has been. They've had some injuries. Mussina is not as reliable as he once was. It's very unfair to point it at Joe. He's the best handler of people in the city of New York, I've ever seen."

Orioles vice president Jim Duquette confirmed yesterday that Hayden Penn, one of the organization's top pitching prospects, will have surgery today to repair a bone chip in his right elbow. The surgery, which will be performed in Baltimore by team orthopedist Dr. Andrew Cosgarea, will keep Penn off the mound from 10 to 12 weeks. "It's something that he's been dealing with for the last couple of years," Duquette said. "It's been manageable, but [the chip] has gotten larger and progressively worse. The doctors felt that it was best to have it removed now." Duquette said the organization hopes Penn will be able to pitch in August or September and then pitch in a fall league.

Chris Carpenter looked like Carpenter on Tuesday. The righthander, moving deliberately toward leaving the Cards disabled list, threw a three-inning simulated game hours before the real game at Miller Park. He faced four teammates, several times each, and threw between 50 and 60 pitches. "I felt good, felt strong," said Carpenter, who has been out since opening night with a bone spur in his right elbow. "I was just being competitive and wanted to go out in a competitive setting and face some hitters." Manager Tony La Russa called the performance impressive. As with his other sessions, Carpenter will not know whether he can advance until he checks his elbow for stiffness and swelling this morning. The next time the Cardinals need a fifth starter is Tuesday against Colorado.

A pitcher who could be a fit for the Rockies' injury-ravaged bullpen either in Triple-A or the big leagues is Nate Field. He pitched well for the Rockies last September and made the Triple-A all-star team. He signed with the Marlins this year but was designated for assignment after making just one appearance for Florida this season

Astros righthander Jason Jennings, who is on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right elbow, will throw a bullpen session Wednesday for the fourth time since he went on the disabled list retroactive to April 9. "I feel pretty strong going into it," he said. "Hopefully, I'll feel good coming out of it." At this point, it appears the Astros would like Jennings to go on a rehab assignment before he returns. Jennings has said he would prefer not to "waste any bullets" in the minors.

Kevin Millar met with Orioles Manager Sam Perlozzo before Tuesday night's game to discuss Millar's role. Perlozzo stressed patience to Millar, who wants to be an everyday player but has platooned. On Tuesday, he started for only the fourth time in nine days. Finding at-bats for veterans has been one of Perlozzo's challenges this season, especially after Jay Payton returned in left field. Jay Gibbons and Millar have split at-bats at designated hitter for the most part, but Perlozzo played Gibbons in left Tuesday night because Payton tweaked his quadriceps Monday night. Perlozzo wants to wait before he decides how to divide playing time.

What team should be yearning for the services of Roger Clemens? Not the Red Sox, according to Julian Tavarez. “I don’t think we need him,” said Tavarez before the Red Sox’ game against Oakland last night at Fenway Park [map]. “Anybody could use (Clemens), but I don’t think we need him.”

Willie Randolph said he would decide in the next two days whether Chan Ho Park would make his next scheduled start, Saturday in Arizona. If Park does not, the Mets’ options include the minor league pitchers Jorge Sosa, Jason Vargas and, less likely, Philip Humber. Park allowed seven runs in four innings Monday.

Lou Piniella said Wade Miller is working out in the weight room and getting treatment and will start throwing soon. He's eligible to come off the disabled list May 8, but the Cubs will send him on a rehab stint to the minors and it's unlikely he will return to the Cubs' rotation.

Agent Scott Boras said he is open to more conversations with the D-Backs regarding 2006 No. 1 draftee Max Scherzer, who recently signed with the independent Fort Worth Cats and could go back in the draft if the D-Backs do not sign him by May 31. “I’ll talk to them any time they want to talk. It’s not a matter of not wanting to get together,” Boras said.

John Patterson sat in front of a computer screen yesterday afternoon, pitching coach Randy St. Claire at his side, and immersed himself in a meticulous study of his mechanics. Analyzing each frame of video taken from his outing Monday night, the Washington Nationals right-hander found much to like about himself, enough to leave him feeling as confident as he has in some time. "I'm getting there. I'm getting close, I really am," Patterson said. "That doesn't mean there might not be a step back at some point. But I'm really feeling pretty confident and getting closer to where I need to be."

3B Garrett Atkins has committed four of the Rockies' 11 errors and looked shaky on several other plays. His .931 fielding percentage was tied with Houston's Morgan Ensberg for last in the National League among qualifying third basemen. Atkins is off to a relatively slow start at the plate, too, batting just .260 and prompting manager Clint Hurdle to move him from third to fifth in the order for Tuesday night's game against the Giants. While no one doubts Atkins will regain his stroke, his infield play has raised warning flags.

Mets manager Willie Randolph would never consider demoting a star like David Wright, so he tried something different. In an attempt to get the slumping Wright better pitches to hit, Randolph bumped Paul Lo Duca to seventh and put Wright at the No. 2 slot, between José Reyes and Carlos Beltrán, two of the team’s hottest hitters. Wright entered the game batting .244 and with four hits in his previous 35 at-bats since his 26-game hitting streak ended April 20. “It’s the best spot in the lineup, and I’m trying to get David going a little bit,” said Randolph, who added that he did not want Wright to be concerned with taking pitches or moving runners over.

Braves catcher Brian McCann wouldn't say it out loud, but his left ring finger appears to be bothering him at the plate. McCann bruised his left ring finger on April 22 against the Mets. On that day he was hitting .339 (21-for-62) in 16 games with eight doubles, two homers and 11 RBIs. In the eight games he has played since, McCann has hit .182 (4-for-22) with one extra base hit and three RBI. "It's baseball," McCann said before the game. "You get nicks every day. You've got to play through them."

Terry Francona acknowledged it was difficult last night to sit red-hot Alex Cora, who clubbed the game-deciding home run Sunday and has constantly come up with huge hits when given the opportunity to play. The Red Sox manager said he needed to show slumping rookie Dustin Pedroia, who went 0-for-3 last night to fall to .104 (5-for-48) in his last 17 games, he wasn’t going to give up on him. Francona said he had a chat with Cora to explain that Pedroia is the starter but he still will play often.

If what Kirk Radomski says is true, then the jig is up and the lie that major-league baseball has been living would be further exposed. The 37-year-old personal trainer pleaded guilty last week to supplying steroids to players and—very bad news for his customers—has been helping the government in its steroids investigation for the last 16 months. That could mean names, dates, quantities and surveillance evidence. When federal investigators raided Radomski's home in December 2005, they found not only large amounts of steroids but contact lists. Uh-oh. This is how he described his business in his plea bargain, which requires him to testify in upcoming federal trials: "During my past employment with Major League Baseball, I developed contacts with Major League Baseball players throughout the country to whom I subsequently distributed anabolic steroids and athletic performance-enhancing drugs. "I distributed anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, including human growth hormone and Clenbuterol, as well as amphetamines. I deposited the payments for those anabolic steroids into my personal bank account, and then I used the proceeds to finance my residence, which was the base of the operation, warehouse and communications center for my anabolic steroid-dealing business."

As many as 37 percent (242) of the 643 responses to the latest Business Pulse survey said the Devil Rays should keep their name and colors the same. The survey is the newspaper's weekly nonscientific online snapshot of what readers are thinking. The team has just a few weeks before it must decide on the issue and inform Major League Baseball of its decision to change its name, logo or colors. The second most popular choice, or 28 percent, said drop the "Devil," keep the "Rays" but keep the colors the same. Just 16 percent, or 108 readers, said the drop the "Devil," keep the "Rays," but go ahead and change the colors.

Yanks CF Johnny Damon, who had four chiropractic treatments for his sore back at home in Orlando, Fla., before Tuesday’s game, will return to the lineup on Wednesday. General Manager Brian Cashman said the team would now have a chiropractor visit Yankee Stadium at least once each homestand.

Gilbert Arenas has ruled out playing for the U.S. national team this summer because of his injury. However, Arenas was not happy with the way things went last summer and might not have gone to Las Vegas even if he was healthy.

Braves manager Bobby Cox said that in Bob Wickman's absence he plans to split closer duties between setup men Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez. "I've got confidence in both of them," said Cox, who will decide based on the situation and who is rested. "Both of them can do it easily."

The Pirates' sales of season tickets, a process that is pretty much complete after the opening month, is at 8,900 full-season equivalents and will finish at "approximately 9,000," according to Brian Chiera, senior director of marketing and sales. The previous year, that number was 11,320, spelling a 20 percent loss. ... The drop is the most dramatic since 2002, the year after PNC Park opened -- the total was 17,062 in the record-setting inaugural season -- and the new number will be the lowest since 2004, when it was 7,752.

Roger Clemens would, of course, be tops on their wish list, but his agent has made it clear that Clemens won't be ready to play until May 31, if at all. Cashman has been in constant communication with Clemens' agent, Randy Hendricks, but said he isn't planning a trip down to Clemens' home in Houston while he's in Texas and admitted that Clemens is probably not an immediate solution. "I've had every conversation I can have," Cashman said. "They know where we stand...but at the end of the day you have give him the space to make a decision that's right for him and his family."

Various publications have been credited with jinxing players over the years and early returns indicate the Rangers might be cursed by an unlikely source -- their own game program. Thus far this season, three players have been on the cover -- Michael Young, who has slumped for much of the season; Brandon McCarthy, who has not pitched well; and Frank Catalanotto, who went on the disabled list Tuesday. The only stat that prevents it from being a certified jinx is that in the opening homestand, Young hit .240, which is better than his season average. On the other hand, it is considerably lower than his career average of .300, so perhaps the Rangers Program Cover Jinx was responsible for the poor start.

Who Knew? Reds OF Adam Dunn stole another base Tuesday night - giving him six on the year. He's 6-for-6. In fact, he's been successful in his last 14 attempts. The last time he was thrown out was May 20, 2005.

Reds manager Jerry Narron will miss Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies in Cincinnati to attend his daughter Caitlin's graduation from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. It's the second straight year he will miss a game for a daughter's graduation. Last year, he went home to Goldsboro, N.C., in June when his daughter , Clare , graduated from Rosewood High School.

The Mets do have some able arms in the minors, which is why GM Omar Minaya and manager Willie Randolph aren't shy about plucking an available starter from the minors. Jorge Sosa appears to be the candidate du jour, especially given that the 29-year-old right-hander has major-league experience, a live arm and a sparkling 4-0 record and 1.13 ERA at the team's Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans. Another possibility includes left-hander Jason Vargas (2-2, 4.55). Right now, it doesn't look like the Mets plan to call up rookie right-hander Philip Humber (2-2, 4.15), who was the team's No. 1 pick in 2004. Minaya also said the Mets may be looking to add another arm via a trade, saying that the team is "always looking."

How About That? Manny Ramirez’ eighth-inning single off Alan Embree was his 1,000th with the Red Sox, making him the 14th player to reach that milestone with two different teams. Ramirez had 1,086 hits for the Cleveland Indians from 1993-2000. The last player to accomplish the feat was Rafael Palmeiro with the Orioles in 2005. The tainted slugger also crossed the 1,000 threshold with the Rangers. Ramirez joined Tris Speaker, Joe Cronin, Jimmie Foxx and Carlton Fisk as the only players to do so with the Sox

With a league-best nine saves in April, Francisco Rodriguez is ahead of the Angels pace he set last year when he topped the majors with a franchise-record 47. "I'm looking to have a better year," Rodriguez said. "I know that it's not going to be easy. But I know if I get enough opportunities, I'll have a great year."

One day after Chan Ho Park bombed, allowing seven earned runs in four innings, Willie Randolph indicated the righty will get another turn in the rotation. However, the Met manager wouldn't guarantee it. "We're gonna kind of mull it over the next day or two," Randolph said. "Right now, he's taking his turn. But as always, things are subject to change."

Cards manager Tony La Russa is awaiting trial on misdemeanor charges stemming from his March arrest. He has declined questions about his arrest since making a brief statement to media hours after being released. "I don't know what more we could have done at the time of Tony's situation. It is what it is. He got put in jail for the night for it and charged," Jocketty said. "It's not like he's an alcoholic and needs to go in rehab. He worked his tail off. He had a long day after a night game. If anything, he shouldn't have been out there that late. But he was seeing a bunch of different people before they left town."

When Tigers manager Jim Leyland says he wants no part of beanball, brushback or any other kind of incident involving a pitcher and hitter, believe him -- because anyone who has Don Zimmer as a close friend knows the damage that can be done. "We've talked about it several times," Leyland said of how Zimmer's career was affected by the two times -- one life-threatening -- he was hit in the head. The first time was 1953 when Zimmer played for St. Paul of the American Association. In an era when players didn't wear protective helmets, Zimmer was hit in the head, lost consciousness for two weeks, couldn't speak for six, lost 44 pounds and had four metal discs inserted in his head. Zimmer eventually recovered and made it to the majors with the Dodgers, only to get hit again, and have his cheekbone broken, in 1956 in a game against the Reds.

Did You Know? The Brewers' starting pitchers are 10-1 with a 3.20 earned run average over their last 14 games, including eight quality starts (at least six innings, no more than three earned runs).

A side from improving a miserable offense and perhaps crawling back to respectability, the Royals have another issue to deal with these days: Finding a fun-filled promotion to replace the Panera baker’s dozen promo, which was going to replace the incredibly popular Krispy Kreme promotion. Panera bailed out on its promo after it was hit one time on April 20.

White Sox GM Ken Williams firmly believes that popular 23-year-old Brandon McCarthy will rebound from his rough start with the Rangers. "In any particular deal, you do what's right and what you think will be successful for both sides," Williams said in a phone interview. "Aside from public opinion, I still think it's a fair deal for both sides. "I think Brandon will be just fine. He's out of sorts now, but he will be fine." ... McCarthy hasn't pitched more than three innings in any of his last three starts, and opponents are batting .356 against him in six games. "As long as he keeps his confidence, he'll be fine," Williams said. "I hope he gets it turned around. I want win-win deals. I still think Texas will do well with Brandon. We've seen what he's capable of."

Cards manager Tony La Russa described Tuesday's relocation of his everyday leadoff hitter to No. 8 in the order as Phase 3 of a process to jolt David Eckstein out of his offensive doldrums. For the first time since becoming a Cardinal, Eckstein started a game and was not the first Cardinal to bat. Although the manager had been pondering the move for several days, La Russa approached Eckstein hours before the game Tuesday to assure him the move was temporary.

Who Knew? Mets SS Jose Reyes’s 17 stolen bases last month tie him for the fourth most in the month of April since 1957. Only Rickey Henderson, who had 22 in 1982 and 20 in 1988, and Deion Sanders, who had 19 in 1997, stole more bases in April, according to Stats LLC.

Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said Tuesday the club had little knowledge about pitcher Josh Hancock's off-field activities and that the responsibility for policing players' activities lies with the players. Answering questions for the first time since Hancock died in a Sunday morning traffic accident, Jocketty said he was aware that Hancock was a social drinker but nothing more. "There's a lot of guys who like to have a cocktail now and then, and maybe some more than others," Jocketty said. "But unless you go out and socialize with the guys, which I don't, how are you going to know? … It's not like we police these guys away from the ballpark," Jocketty said. "It's up to them to police themselves."

Pirates OF Xavier Nady, still without a timetable because of his strained left hamstring, was back on the basepaths yesterday after a day off. He ran the bases at half-speed and turned corners before the game under the supervision of the athletic trainers. "He still has good strength in the hamstring," manager Jim Tracy said. "But he has weakness in the latter part of in the workout, and we want him to be 100 percent before we send him out there." Tracy said the team has no plan to place Nady, who has yet to have an MRI on the hamstring, on the disabled list.

Braves starter Mark Redman's ERA was 10.13 coming in and he actually made it rise to 10.62. "You just have to keep your spirits up," said Redman, now 0-4. "As easy as things can snowball they can also turn around. Unfortunately, [it's been] a rough start." Oscar Villarreal kept the Braves in the game by striking out Wes Helms to strand Redman's last three runners. He might have made a case to be starting ahead of Redman.

Brewers manager Ned Yost and owner Mark Attanasio revealed more details of the December dinner at Attanasio's house in which they courted right-hander Jeff Suppan before signing him to a free-agent deal. Beyond the food, wine and conversation, the Brewers' contingent, including general manager Doug Melvin, gave a video presentation on the club in Attanasio's home theatre. The video concluded with Suppan's face on a scoreboard video screen with a Brewers hat superimposed on his head and the announcement, "Now pitching for the Brewers, Jeff Suppan." "I didn't get a sense that he thought that was cool," Yost said, "but I thought it was cool to see him with a Brewers hat on." Attanasio said the Brewers also showed Suppan video of his days as a high school pitcher in Los Angeles. "Doug dug them up from the old scouting combines," Attanasio said. "Jeff really got a kick out of that."

The Dodgers are on pace to draw 3.92 million in attendance for the year, having already reached 629,413 customers, the highest total in baseball. They are averaging 48,416 fans per game, the second-highest total in the Majors behind the Yankees, who are slightly ahead with a 48,841 average.

It was a heartening opening month for the Pirates. The team that had been 42 games under .500 in April since 1995, finished with as many wins as losses. In most places 12-12 isn't reason for excitement. In Pittsburgh with the Pirates it is.

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NFL Rumors & Notes

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Keyshawn Johnson might have to put his television career on hold. Word is there might be a pretty good market for him. The Eagles, Chargers, Giants and Titans are rumored to be among the teams that are at least thinking about pursuing Johnson.

One year after being pursued by the Giants, Keyshawn Johnson is available again. And though a return engagement in New York isn't likely, Tom Coughlin refused to rule it out. "Well, let's put it this way," Coughlin said yesterday on Sirius NFL Radio. "We study every player that's available and we'll do that again in light of the fact that Keyshawn is available. We weren't necessarily thinking that he would be. Of course we made a move in the draft to help solidify that position as well, so we'll take a look at that like we do everything else." Johnson, a 11-year veteran who turns 35 in July, was cut yesterday by the Panthers. The Jets, meanwhile, have ruled out pursuing the player they drafted first overall in 1996. A person familiar with their thinking said the Jets have no interest in Johnson.

The Chiefs are bracing for a training-camp holdout by running back Larry Johnson. Johnson, who has rushed for 3,539 yards and 37 touchdowns the last two seasons, has 3 years left on the deal he signed as a rookie in 2003. He is scheduled to make $1.85 million this year and $967,000 next year. The Chiefs have been talking to Johnson's agent about a new deal, but the two sides still are far apart. A club source put the odds of Johnson holding out this summer at 50-50. Johnson, who owns a home in New York with rapper Jay-Z, showed up in Kansas City Sunday for the first time since the team began its voluntary workouts last month and has worked out with his teammates the last 2 days.

Dolphins GM Randy Mueller wouldn't discuss negotiations with the Chiefs regarding quarterback Trent Green, but a source said that "it's still going to happen; we just don't know when." The source also said that the recent report on Fox Sports that said Green's equipment has been sent to Miami was false. The Chiefs are basically out of options and will eventually have to release Green, 36, who has refused to restructure his $7.2 million contract with any other team except the Dolphins.

If the Patriots and Asante Samuel are to come to a long-term agreement, they have 2 1/2 months to do it. As a franchise player, he has until July 14 at 4 p.m. to sign an extension. If the sides can't reach an agreement by that point, Samuel can only sign the one-year, $7.79 million tender offer, unless he holds out. Samuel delivered some verbal haymakers to the Patriots in early April, stating his displeasure with the progress of talks, yet it's worth noting that the sides have communicated as recently as last week.

Lions president Matt Millen says there weren't many significant trade offers for Calvin Johnson, the Lions' No. 2 pick in Saturday's draft. He said he never spoke with Tampa Bay general manager Bruce Allen, but he did speak with Atlanta GM Rich McKay. The Falcons had the No. 8 pick and were looking to move up. "I spoke with McKay prior to the draft, maybe an hour before," Millen told WDFN-AM (1130) on Tuesday. "And he said ... 'You're going to want both twos and a three, and we won't be able to do that.' " Millen said he made a counteroffer to Atlanta that asked for at least three Atlanta picks, including a second-rounder in 2008. Millen said McKay told him, " 'That's a little rich but, OK, we'll call you back.' "And I never heard from him."

Donovan McNabb still isn’t comfortable enough to publicly talk about football right now, much less his feelings about the draft according to an Eagles spokesman. McNabb intends to maintain the public code of silence to remain totally focused on his rehab, an affirmation the franchise quarterback made before the draft according a club spokesman. If the plan goes according to schedule, the next time McNabb goes public will be after he takes the field to practice. That won’t happen at the May 12-14 minicamp although he will be with his teammates.

During his appearance on the Dale & Holley show on WEEI yesterday, Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli attempted to shoot down the notion that the acquisition of Randy Moss was out of character for the club. “I don’t think it’s out of character. We’ve been pretty consistent with what we’ve done over the seven years we’ve been here, going into the eighth year,” he said. “What we’ve been pretty consistent about, and feel that this is as well, is doing things we feel can improve our football team and help our football team win games, and doing it with players we feel can and will fit in our environment with players we already have here. Based on what we did, the research we did, we’re comfortable with Randy, and who he is at this point in his career.” During the interview, Pioli indicated there were at least “four or five clubs” willing to move up to the Pats’ 28th spot, and all made solid offers for the pick. The Pats went with San Francisco, which surrendered a fourth-round pick (used to obtain Moss) and a first-rounder next year.

The Seahawks will have Mr. Clutch for at least another year and likely longer, with kicker Josh Brown signing his one-year franchise tender Tuesday. Brown, who enters his fifth NFL season, is expected to report to the team's mandatory minicamp this weekend. He will make $2.078 million in base salary in 2007, almost three times what his salary was last season.

Keyshawn Johnson even joked that he would consider returning to the Bucs. "Me and Jon Gruden together again. You never know,'' he said laughing. "Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner did it.''

Chargers GM A.J. Smith declined to say whether the team might have interest in WR Keyshawn Johnson, who was cut by the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday. Johnson's college coach at USC was John Robinson, a longtime mentor of Chargers coach Norv Turner.

Peter King, NFL insider for NBC and Sports Ilustrated, appearing as a guest with Andrew Siciliano on GameTime Live on Fox Sports Radio, asked where WR Keyshawn Johnson may end up: "Before this weekend, I would have said New England. Keyshawn badly wants to play with Belichick before he retires, he loves him. I wouldn't be surprised if he went back to the Cowboys because Jerry Jones loves the guy and he likes Dallas. And I wouldn't be surprised if he went to the Chargers. I think he wants to stay on the west coast. If I had to guess right now, he'd make any deal he could to play in San Diego, and if he can't, he'll be working on TV next year."

Atlanta DE John Abraham could be the only lineman who started last season's opener at Carolina to start Game 1. Jamaal Anderson is stepping in for Patrick Kerney and is expected to be b