Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Latest Sports Buzz

Latest Sports Buzz

Tyreke Evans, NBA Rookie of Year, quoted for irresponsible Driving

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 12:14 PM PDT

Tyreke Evans

Tyreke Evans

Sacramento, CA, United States (AHN) – Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans was clocked at driving more than one hundred miles per hour & pulled over by cops with guns drawn Monday night.

Evans, the NBA Rookie of the Year, was cited for reckless driving after being stopped on a California highway where the posted speed limit was 65 mph.

Officers drew their guns and ordered Evans and a passenger out of his 2010 black Mercedes-Benz S550 because the windows were so darkly tinted the police couldn’t see inside.

California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Lizz Dutton told media outlets Evans, 20, and his passenger were briefly detained and released. Evans was not suspected of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, police said.

Kings president Geoff Petrie was quoted as saying he would discuss the incident with Evans, who faces an August court appearance.



AHN At The Ballpark: A`s Quick Start Frustrates Ace Verlander, Tigers

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 10:56 AM PDT

John Raffel – AHN Sports Correspondent

Comerica Park, Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – Oakland left Comerica Park on Monday with its third win in four road games over the Detroit Tigers and A’s manager Bob Geren couldn’t have been happier.

“I’m pretty satisfied,” Geren said after Monday’s 4-1 victory. “That’s a good team we played.”

Oakland batters collected three straight hits to open the ballgame against Detroit ace righthander Justin Verlander and took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Rajal Davis opened the inning with a single and was doubled home by Daric Barton. Ryan Sweeney’s single put runners at the corners and Sweeney later scored on Kurt Suzuki’s double-play bounceout.

Trevor Cahill (4-2) went 6 1-3 innings, allowing one run on five hits and took the win.

He was helped out with two defensive double plays.

“You don’t like to see him have to work that hard to get outs,” said Geren. “Knowing that you can get a double play and get out of an inning quick at any time is a confidence builder.”

Detroit’s Brennan Boesch tried to score in the bottom of the fourth inning from second base on Brandon Inge’s two-out single but was tagged out on a play at the plate by Oakland catcher Suzuki.

“When they have a good staff and you don’t get any breaks, it’s going to be tough,” Boesch said. “We need to do a better job of grinding our at-bats out.”

Oakland went up 3-0 in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by Kevin Kouzmanoff.

“The game was kind of close. To get another insurance run feels good,” Kouzmanoff said. “I haven’t had a hit in awhile. You just have to keep at it.”

Verlander (5-4) went seven innings and took the loss despite seven strikeouts.

He and manager Jim Leyland exchanged angry words with home plate umpire Laz Diaz after Verlander failed to get a third strike call on Kouzamanoff, who moments later delivered the key RBI single.

“I was hoping for the call and didn’t get it,” Verlander said. “Who knows, if I execute that pitch a little better, maybe I get the call and it’s a different game.”

In the bottom of the seventh, Cahill was pulled and his reliever, Jerry Blevins, gave up a pinch-hit single to Detroit’s Austin Jackson to make it 3-1.

Oakland got a run back in the top of the eighth on Ryan Sweeney’s RBI bounceout.

Oakland pitchers retired Detroit’s No 2-4 batters Johnny Damon, Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera four times each.

“Those guys are the key to their lineup,” Geren said. ‘”They can put runs on the board in a hurry.”

The game started more than 2 1-2 hours than originally scheduled to wait for an anticipated thundershower to end.

Verlander declined to lay any blame on the delay.

“I’ve never had to do it before and it’s kind of tough for me,” he said. “That had no bearing on the game. I had my preparation time. I was able to get out there and get warmed up and do everything I normally do.”

Oakland is 28-24 while the Tigers fell to 26-24.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Celts` Rondo, Rasheed Wallace Practice With Caution Due To Ailments

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 10:56 AM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Waltham, MA, United States (AHN) – Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo and center Rasheed Wallace both saw limited action in Boston’s practice Monday.

Rondo hurt his back during the series-clinching Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, while Wallace has been dealing with back spasms in the past two games.

Rondo, 24, one of the sparks for the Celtics in the playoffs, sustained muscle spasms during the physical conference final clash against the Orlando Magic, and then crashed hard on his back in Game 6 Friday.

In the series clincher, Rondo exploded with eight points in the first three minutes and finished the opening quarter with 12 points.

His last two points coming on pair of free throws following a contact with Dwight Howard that sent him down on the floor.

Rondo, selected to the NBA All-Star team and All-Defensive First Team, recovered after a few minutes from the fall and made the free throws before returning to the bench for treatment.

He added two more points after returning to the court before halftime.

Rondo, who established himself as the Celtics starting point guard during Boston’s NBA championship run two years ago, was on the court and active during 5-on-5 drills Monday.

He was held back in preparation for Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Boston will renew its long-time rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, as the teams contend for the Lawrence O’Brien Trophy for a record 12th time.

Wallace, on the other hand, developed back spasms during Game 5 against the Magic, and saw limited action in Game 6 due to the injury.

The four-time All Star participated without contact Monday in the team’s first practice since toppling Orlando.

Meanwhile, Marquis Daniels, another Celtic casualty in their playoff encounter with the Magic, remains out due to a concussion.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

‘Hawks Hold On, Lead Flyers 2-0 In Stanley Cup Finals

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 10:56 AM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Chicago, IL, United States (AHN) – Marian Hossa and Ben Eager scored 28 seconds apart late in the second frame, and ‘keeper Antti Niemi made it hold up Monday for a Chicago Blackhawks’ 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals at United Center.

After a scoreless opening period, Chicago drew first blood at 17:09 in the second period following Hossa’s shot from the right side.

Eager then blasted a wrister that went past the glove of Flyers netminder Michael Leighton, hiking the advantage to 2-0.

It proved to be the eventual winner for the Blackhawks, who now control the best-of-seven final series, 2-0.

Niemi, who struggled in the series opener, yielding five goals on 32 shots, was steady between the pipes Monday as he thwarted 18 shots over the first two periods, including 15 in the second.

Niemi finished the game with 32 saves for the Hawks, who have won their seventh straight playoff contest.

Simon Gagne accounted for the Flyers’ lone goal, while Leighton ended with a 24 saves.

The Flyers, who aim to get back into the series, will host the next two games of this series, including Game 3 on Wednesday.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Pats Wideout Moss Says He Won`t Retire After 2010, Seeks New Agent

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 10:56 AM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Boston, MA, United States (AHN) – One day after severing ties with long-time agent, New England Patriots Pro Bowler wide receiver Randy Moss reportedly indicated that he is far from done playing football.

The 33-year-old Moss, a four-time All Pro selection indicated Monday in a Boston Herald.com report that he is “not retiring soon.”

Moss, whose three-year, $27 million contract expires after the 2010 season, said as reported by the Herald, “What I did with firing an agent was, I thought time had run out, some things that couldn’t be done that needed to be done.”

Moss, who last season had 83 catches for 1,264 yards and 13 TDs for the Patriots, told the newspaper that he plans on hiring a new agent.

His former agent, Tim DiPiero, a West Virginia attorney, had been with Moss since the wideout was a first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings out of Marshall in 1998.

Moss, who does not think he’s in the Patriots’ long-term plans, said according to the Herald, “But if the New England Patriots don’t want me in their future, I understand.”

After spending the first seven years of his career with the Vikings, Moss was shipped to the Oakland Raiders in a 2005 trade. He landed in New England in April of 2007 in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.

Moss, recognized seven times with a Pro Bowl selection, holds the NFL single season touchdown reception record (23, set in 2007).

He is also the current holder of the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie with 17 set in 1998.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

AHN At The Ballpark: Tigers` Damon Promises His Hitting Will Improve

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 10:56 AM PDT

John Raffel – AHN Sports Correspondent

Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – Johnny Damon’s offensive statistics aren’t quite where he’d like them to be.

After Monday’s 4-1 loss to Oakland, in which the Tiger designated hitter-outfielder was hitless in four at bats, Damon vowed he would get hot again.

“I’m trying to help get this team to the next level,” Damon said. “May was a tough month. I promise you June will be better

Damon left Monday’s game with a 277 batting average with only three home rus and 18 RBI this season.

“I’m not happy with that,” he said. “I”m definitely a much better hitter.”

A major highlight this season for Damon was a walk-off home run on May 1 against the Los Angeles Angels for his fourth career walk-off homer. He scored the 1,500th run of his career on April 30, only the 68th player in Major League history to accomplish the feat.

He has scored 35 runs to lead the team.

“The runs scored is OK,” Damon said. “I feel I need to get better in driving runners in. We know the name of the game is to score runs and drive runs in. That’s what wins ballgames. I need to keep competing. I do have a track record. The pitchers know that. They know that they will do whatever they can to keep me honest and keep me off-balanced. They’ve been doing a good job of that so far.”

Temperatures were in the high 80s to start off Saturday’s game in Detroit. On Monday, thanks to a pregame rain shower, the temperature was in the low 70s.

“Ideal temperature is probably 70 degrees,” Damon said. “This time of year, you definitely take this over the 45 and 50 degrees. It’s definitely better for hitters. The ball carries a little bit more. You can actually build a sweat more. In the cooler weather sometimes, when you can’t get your body going. The worst weather has got to be the freezing cold.”

Damon isn’t concerned about his team, 26-24 and losers of three out of four against Oakland in a home weekend series. Detroit won 10-2 Sunday but suffered 6-0 and 4-1 losses on Saturday and Monday.

“The last two games, we were in the ballgame,” he said prior to Detroit’s loss Saturday night. “(Friday night) we had a bad eighth inning. We just need to keep playing. Obviously, you’d like to get more hits with runners in scoring position. That pitcher is out there trying to make a living also and is trying to get the job done. We’re just trying to get better all around.”

Damon has been in awe of teammate Miguel Cabrera, who belted three home runs in Friday’s game against Oakland.

“That guy’s amazing. We probably would have won the game had he hit four home runs,” Damon laughed. “The lineup gets deeper especially when you added Carlo Guillen to the lineup. It pushes everyone back. All in all, we have professional hitters here. We have veteran guys. During the course of the season, we’re going to count on everyone. We know we’re all in this together.”

Damon has nothing but compliments for the fans at Comerica Park in Detroit.

“I love it,” he said. “I think the fans are incredible. They don’t get as much credit as they should. Jim Leyland told me before I signed here that these were some of the best baseball fans around. I can definitely see it.”

Damon agreed to a one-year contract with the Tigers in Feb. 23, 2010. He completed his fourth year with the Yankees during the 2009 season and tied for fourth in the American League in runs scored with 107.

A two-time American League all-star selection with the Boston Red Sox in 2002 and 2005, Damon had a .327 batting average with 10 runs scored, two home runs, three doubles and nine RBI in 12 games during the American League Championship series and the World Series for the Yankees.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

Lakers Star Gasol Won`t Play For Spain In World Championships

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 10:56 AM PDT

Tom Spousta – AHN Sports Reporter

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol announced he will not play for Spain in basketball’s World Championships later this year, opting to rest after the NBA Finals and joining several other NBA stars in skipping the tournament.

“This year I have suffered two major muscle injuries, the first in my career, and I firmly believe it is time to rest,” he said in a statement posted on his official website.

“I think the best is to choose an appropriate time to rest first rather than your body decides for you at the most inopportune time,” Gasol, 29, added. “I regret this decision, but in the last four years I’m probably one of the players who have played more games in the world, having reached the finals of all the disputed contests with the Lakers and Spain. Now my body is calling for a temporary relief.”

Gasol’s absence is a major blow to Spain, the defending world champs. Gasol and the Lakers face the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals Thursday in Los Angeles.

Two San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker of France and Manu Ginobili of Argentina, said injuries will prevent them from playing for their countries at the World Championships.

France also will be without the Golden State Warriors’ Ronny Turiaf, who also cited injury.

Australia’s Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks is hurt and won’t play in the World Championships, held Aug. 29-Sept. 12 in Turkey.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

AHN At The Ballpark: Tigers’ Damon Promises His Hitting Will Improve

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 07:29 AM PDT

Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – Johnny Damon’s offensive statistics aren’t quite where he’d like them to be.

After Monday’s 4-1 loss to Oakland, in which the Tiger designated hitter-outfielder was hitless in four at bats, Damon vowed he would get hot again.

"I’m trying to help get this team to the next level," Damon said. "May was a tough month. I promise you June will be better

Damon left Monday’s game with a 277 batting average with only three home rus and 18 RBI this season.

"I’m not happy with that," he said. "I"m definitely a much better hitter."

A major highlight this season for Damon was a walk-off home run on May 1 against the Los Angeles Angels for his fourth career walk-off homer. He scored the 1,500th run of his career on April 30, only the 68th player in Major League history to accomplish the feat.

He has scored 35 runs to lead the team.

"The runs scored is OK," Damon said. "I feel I need to get better in driving runners in. We know the name of the game is to score runs and drive runs in. That’s what wins ballgames. I need to keep competing. I do have a track record. The pitchers know that. They know that they will do whatever they can to keep me honest and keep me off-balanced. They’ve been doing a good job of that so far."

Temperatures were in the high 80s to start off Saturday’s game in Detroit. On Monday, thanks to a pregame rain shower, the temperature was in the low 70s.

"Ideal temperature is probably 70 degrees," Damon said. "This time of year, you definitely take this over the 45 and 50 degrees. It’s definitely better for hitters. The ball carries a little bit more. You can actually build a sweat more. In the cooler weather sometimes, when you can’t get your body going. The worst weather has got to be the freezing cold."

Damon isn’t concerned about his team, 26-24 and losers of three out of four against Oakland in a home weekend series. Detroit won 10-2 Sunday but suffered 6-0 and 4-1 losses on Saturday and Monday.

"The last two games, we were in the ballgame," he said prior to Detroit’s loss Saturday night. "(Friday night) we had a bad eighth inning. We just need to keep playing. Obviously, you’d like to get more hits with runners in scoring position. That pitcher is out there trying to make a living also and is trying to get the job done. We’re just trying to get better all around."

Damon has been in awe of teammate Miguel Cabrera, who belted three home runs in Friday’s game against Oakland.

"That guy’s amazing. We probably would have won the game had he hit four home runs," Damon laughed. "The lineup gets deeper especially when you added Carlo Guillen to the lineup. It pushes everyone back. All in all, we have professional hitters here. We have veteran guys. During the course of the season, we’re going to count on everyone. We know we’re all in this together."

Damon has nothing but compliments for the fans at Comerica Park in Detroit.

"I love it," he said. "I think the fans are incredible. They don’t get as much credit as they should. Jim Leyland told me before I signed here that these were some of the best baseball fans around. I can definitely see it."

Damon agreed to a one-year contract with the Tigers in Feb. 23, 2010. He completed his fourth year with the Yankees during the 2009 season and tied for fourth in the American League in runs scored with 107.

A two-time American League all-star selection with the Boston Red Sox in 2002 and 2005, Damon had a .327 batting average with 10 runs scored, two home runs, three doubles and nine RBI in 12 games during the American League Championship series and the World Series for the Yankees.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Pats Wideout Moss Says He Won’t Retire After 2010, Seeks New Agent

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 05:40 AM PDT

Boston, MA, United States (AHN) – One day after severing ties with long-time agent, New England Patriots Pro Bowler wide receiver Randy Moss reportedly indicated that he is far from done playing football.

The 33-year-old Moss, a four-time All Pro selection indicated Monday in a Boston Herald.com report that he is "not retiring soon.”

Moss, whose three-year, $27 million contract expires after the 2010 season, said as reported by the Herald, “What I did with firing an agent was, I thought time had run out, some things that couldn't be done that needed to be done."

Moss, who last season had 83 catches for 1,264 yards and 13 TDs for the Patriots, told the newspaper that he plans on hiring a new agent.

His former agent, Tim DiPiero, a West Virginia attorney, had been with Moss since the wideout was a first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings out of Marshall in 1998.

Moss, who does not think he's in the Patriots' long-term plans, said according to the Herald, “But if the New England Patriots don't want me in their future, I understand."

After spending the first seven years of his career with the Vikings, Moss was shipped to the Oakland Raiders in a 2005 trade. He landed in New England in April of 2007 in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.

Moss, recognized seven times with a Pro Bowl selection, holds the NFL single season touchdown reception record (23, set in 2007).

He is also the current holder of the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie with 17 set in 1998.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Pitcher Strasburg To Debut For Nationals June 8 Vs. Pirates

Posted: 01 Jun 2010 05:39 AM PDT

Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – The Washington Nationals believe Stephen Strasburg is ready.

The rookie pitching phenom, whose minor league numbers remain strong, will make his much-anticipated major league debut against Pittsburgh on June 8 at National Park, the team reported Monday.

Barring a rainout or injury, the 21-year-old right-hander, who is 6-2 with a 1.43 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 50 1-3 innings, will begin his major league career, general manager Mike Rizzo indicated to MLB.com.

But before joining the Nationals, Strasburg will make one more minor league start at Class AAA Buffalo for Syracuse.

According to Rizzo, Strasburg is expected to throw six innings or 95 pitches.

The two-time All-American from San Diego State star was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

He signed a record $15.1 million, four-year contract with the Nationals.

Washington, currently .500, is tied with Florida at last place in the competitive NL East with a 26-26 record.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.
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