Thursday, September 23, 2010

Latest Sports Buzz

Latest Sports Buzz

Boesch`s Single Ignites Tigers To 3-0 Lead Over Royals

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 04:42 PM PDT

John Raffel – AHN Sports Correspondent

Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – Brennan Boesch’s two-run double sparked the Detroit Tigers to a 3-0 lead over the Kansas City Royals after five innings at Comerica Park on Wednesday.

Boesch doubled home Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Raburn, who had singled earlier in the inning off Royals starter Kyle Davies. Boesch advanced on a wild pitch and scored the third run of the inning on Brandon Inge’s single.

Going into the fifth inning, Davies retired the first 12 Detroit batters. Cabrera singled to open the inning.

Detroit starter Max Scherzer, pursuing his 12th win of the season, has allowed only one hit, a first-inning double by Gregor Blanco. He has walked one batter and has struck out six.

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Roush Fenway`s Ragan Gets New Crew Chief

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 04:42 PM PDT

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Edward Lewis – AHN Sports Reporter

Concord, NC, United States (AHN) – Only one of his four cars didn’t make it into The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title so team owner Jack Roush is making a change with the one that didn’t.

Drew Blickensderfer is taking over as crew chief of David Ragan’s No. 6 Ford effective immediately, while Mike Beam will replace Blickensderfer as crew chief of Carl Edwards’ No. 60 Nationwide Team.

“It’s obviously a great opportunity and I’m eager to work with David Ragan, the No. 6 team and everyone at UPS,” said Blickensderfer, who won his first two races as a Sprint Cup crew chief in 2009.

“I actually started at Roush Fenway as a rear-tire changer and set-up mechanic on the No. 6 team, so it is kind of like coming full circle. There is a lot of tradition that goes with that team here at Roush Fenway and it is really an honor to get to head it up. I look forward to the challenge and can’t wait to get to Dover this weekend.”

Blickensderfer served as Matt Kenseth’s crew chief in 2009 in the Sprint Cup Series, leading the No. 17 Sprint Cup team to two victories, including the Daytona 500.

He also scored 12 wins in the Nationwide Series and in 2008 he guided Edwards to a Nationwide Series runner-up finish and Danny O’Quinn Jr. to the Nationwide Rookie title in 2006.

Beam, who previously was competition director of Roush Fenway’s Nationwide program, was a crew chief in the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series and has 30 years experience in NASCAR.

“I’m looking forward to getting back on the box and working with Carl and this No. 60 team,” said Beam, who boasts 14 total NASCAR wins as a crew chief.

“Obviously Carl is a tremendous talent and the No. 60 team is one of the best in the series, so it’s a really good situation to step into. Our goal will be to continue to run up front and take that No. 60 Ford to victory lane a few times.”

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Mets` Pitcher K-Rod Charged With Contempt For Texting Girlfriend

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 04:42 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Queens, NY, United States (AHN) – New York Mets embattled closer Francisco Rodriguez faces more charges – - seven counts of criminal contempt charges Wednesday for the text messages he sent his girlfriend in violation of a court order of protection.

The new charges were in addition to the existing assault and harassment charges against the 28-year-old native of Venezuela, who was accused of attacking the 53-year-old father of her girlfriend, Daian Pena, at Citi Field on Aug. 11.

Queens County Criminal Court Judge Ira Margulis ordered the Mets All-Star relief pitcher to be held on a $7,500 bail as a result of the numerous text messages he sent to his girlfriend, following the alleged incident with her father, the New York Daily News reported.

Rodriguez was ordered to leave Pena alone after he was charged with beating her father, but prosecutors claim the player still bombarded her with 56 text messages, mostly to ask for forgiveness.

In one of the text messages that were released by the Queens District Attorney’s office earlier this month, Rodriquez said: “I know this message could get me in trouble again, but I already lost you, my house and my children.”

Daian Pena is the mother of his twins.

Apart from the legal charges, “K-Rod” also faces a battle with the Mets, who reportedly placed him on the disqualified list and could be seeking to void his deal.

The four-time All-Star and three-time AL saves leader is out for the season after undergoing season-ending surgery on a torn ligament in his right thumb.

 

That injury in his throwing hand resulted from an altercation with Pena’s father.

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Second NASCAR Hall Of Fame Class To Be Announced Oct. 13

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 04:42 PM PDT

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Edward Lewis – AHN Sports Reporter

Daytona Beach, FL, United States (AHN) – NASCAR will announce its second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Oct. 13 at its facility in Charlotte, N.C.

The event will be broadcast by the SPEED television channel.

The live at 4 p.m. ET announcement will be open to the public who purchase a NASCAR Hall of Fame general admission ticket.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, consisting of members of the Nominating Committee, will meet in a closed session to deliberate and vote on the 25 candidates eligible for the second class.

The vote will be followed by a press conference announcing the five new inductees.

The inaugural class of 2010 was comprised of NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt, Junior Johnson and Richard Petty, as well as NASCAR pioneers Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr.

The 2011 class will be chosen from 53 votes cast by the panel and the nationwide fan vote – which ends Sept. 26 – conducted through NASCAR.COM. The second class will be enshrined in May 2011.

The nominees include: Bobby Allison, Buck Baker, Red Byron, Richard Childress, Jerry Cook, Richie Evans, Tim Flock, Rick Hendrick, Jack Ingram, Dale Inman, Ned Jarrett, Fred Lorenzen, Bud Moore, Raymond Parks, Benny Parsons, David Pearson, Lee Petty, Fireball Roberts, T. Wayne Robertson, Herb Thomas, Curtis Turner, Darrell Waltrip, Joe Weatherly, Glen Wood and Cale Yarborough.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame broke ground on Jan. 25, 2007 and opened on May 11 of this year.

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Boesch`s Bat, Scherzer`s Arm Lift Tigers Past Royals

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 04:42 PM PDT

John Raffel – AHN Sports Correspondent

Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – Outfielder Brennan Boesch connected on a key two-run double and right-hander Max Scherzer recorded his 12th win of the season as the Detroit Tigers topped the Kansas City Royals 4-2 Wednesday night at Comerica Park.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Boesch doubled home Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Raburn, who both singled earlier in the frame off Royal starter Kyle Davies.

Boesch advanced on a wild pitch and scored the third run of the inning on Brandon Inge’s single.

Going into the fifth inning, Davies retired the first 12 Detroit batters. Cabrera singled to open the inning.

Scherzer went 7.2 innings, allowing no runs on two hits, walking two and striking out eight. Ryan Perry and Phil Coke pitched in relief.

Johnny Damon added an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth for Detroit.

Kansas City’s Billy Butler belted a two-out two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, his 15th of the season, to account for the Royals runs.

Davies went eight innings for the Royals, allowing four runs on seven hits.

The Tigers improved to 77-75 while the Royals fell to 62-89.

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Reports: Gallacher Will Not Buy Stars; Gaglardi Still Interested

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 04:42 PM PDT

Corine Gatti – AHN Sports Contributor

Dallas, TX, United States (AHN) – Bill Gallacher will not purchase the Dallas Stars, it was reported Wednesday night.

ESPNDallas.com reported that the Calgary oil tycoon was close to closing a deal with owner Tom Hicks, but the deal fell apart in the last few months.

Gallacher has not officially told the NHL or Galatioto Sports Partners that he was bowing out of the running, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Hicks hired Galatioto Sports Partners in February to find new owners.

The lack of a new owner for Hicks will leave the team with little room in the budget to make player trades, with the upcoming season fast approaching.

Canadian businessman Tom Gaglardi is still interested in acquiring the team, and new investors were reportedly interested in joining the bid.

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UNC`s Burney, Williams Handed NCAA Suspensions, Blake Meets With Investigators

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 04:42 PM PDT

Corine Gatti – AHN Sports Contributor

Raleigh, NC, United States (AHN) – University of North Carolina defensive backs Kendric Burney and Deunta Williams were ordered to sit out six and four games respectively, plus repay benefits to become eligible to play again, the NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff said Wednesday.

Burney received $1,333 in benefits and will pay $575.19 to a charity of his choice, an UNC news release said.

Williams received $1,426 in benefits and has to pay $450.67 to a charity of his choosing as well.

North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour said he was going to appeal the NCAA ruling. Baddour can file an appeal to the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement.

However, players will remain ineligible until the final ruling of the appeal.

“While I respect the NCAA process,” Baddour said. “I believe the penalties to be unduly harsh given the individual circumstances in these cases.”

Burney’s benefits is what the NCAA defines as an agent, someone who promotes or markets an athlete. He will miss four games.

Williams was considered to have preferential treatment associated with visiting a former UNC football player, and he will also miss four games.

Burney’s benefits included trips to Las Vegas, California and Atlanta. Williams’ benefits were reported to be two trips to California.

Former associate head football coach, John Blake, met with investigators from the state Secretary of State’s office about extensive agent activities in the football program.

Blake resigned in the season-opener, citing that he did not want to be a distraction to the team.

He is under investigation for his long ties with sports agent Gary Wichard. Wichard represents NFL players like running back C.J. Spiller and quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

Many players Blake coached over the years signed with Wichard.

Blake made no comment following his meeting with investigators.

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Caps Sign Goalie Neuvirth; Crush `Jackets In Preseason

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 04:42 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Arlington, VA, United States (AHN) – The Washington Capitals signed goaltender Michal Neuvirth to a two-year contract extension, the club announced Wednesday.

Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed, but ESPN.com reported the deal extension that goes into effect in 2011-12 and will earn the 22-year-old Neuvirth $1.15 million annually.

Neuvirth, Washington’s second round pick (34th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

A two-time Calder Cup-winning goaltender, Neuvirth saw action in 17 contests as a rookie in the 2009-10 campaign, recording a 9-4 mark with a 2.75 GAA.

The 6’1″, 203-pound native of Usi Labem, Czech Republic, made his NHL debut in February 2009 with a win at Tampa Bay.

In 22 NHL career games, all with the Caps, Neuvirth went 11-5-0 with a 2.80 GAA and a .910 save percentage.

He saw playing time last season when starting goaltender Semyon Varlamov and Jose Theodore were injured.

Neuvirth, who led the Capitals’ AHL Hershey team to two consecutive Calder Cup titles, will contend for the starting goaltender job.

On Wednesday, Matt Hendricks found the back of the net thrice and Varlamov stopped all 20 shots he faced, as Washington pummeled the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 in the Capitals’ preseason opener at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Tomas Fleischmann added two goals and a helper, while Alexander Semin had three assists for the victors, who raced to a 3-0 lead before Rick Nash broke through in the second period.

Washington led 5-1 after two periods.

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Boesch`s Clutch Hit, Scherzer`s Pitching Propel Tigers Past Royals 4-2

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 04:42 PM PDT

John Raffel – AHN Sports Correspondent

Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – Any hit that Brennan Boesch has been able to collect has been rewarding for the Tigers rookie outfielder in recent weeks.

That’s why Boesch’s key base hit Wednesday was especially rewarding.

Boesch connected on a key two-run double and Max Scherzer recorded his 12th win of the season as the Detroit Tigers topped the Kansas City Royals 4-2 at Comerica Park.

At the All-Star break, Boesch was batting a hefty .342 with 12 home runs and 49 RBI. Almost immediately after the break, his numbers started declining dramatically.

He came into Wednesday’s home game against Kansas City batting just .265.

“I take it one day at a time, I don’t care what anyone writes or says,” he said. “I just stay confident no matter what.”

“He has some things to work on offensively at the end of the year,” Detroit manager Jim Leyland admitted.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Boesch doubled home Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Raburn, who had both singled earlier in the frame off Royal starter Kyle Davies. Boesch advanced on a wild pitch and scored the third run of the inning on Brandon Inge’s single.

Going into the fifth inning, Davies had retired the first 12 Detroit batters. Cabrera singled to open the inning.

Scherzer went 7.2 innings, allowing no runs on two hits, walking two and striking out eight. Ryan Perry and Phil Coke pitched in relief.

Johnny Damon added an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth for Detroit.

“Every run is big,” Damon said. “Davies’ change-up was really good. Anytime we can score a few more runs since our bullpen depth isn’t what it’s been, that’s good for us.”

Kansas City’s Billy Butler belted a two-out two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, his 15th of the season.

Davies went eight innings for the Royals, allowing four runs on seven hits.

“Their guy pitched a helluva ballgame,” Leyland said. “He deserved a better fate. But Scherzer pitched better. I’m glad he’s on our side. I think he’s been one of the better pitchers in the league the last two months.”

Gregor Blanco had the only two hits off of Scherzer.

“He’s a real aggressive pitcher,” Blanco said. “I told myself to just be ready.”

The Tigers improved to 77-75 while the Royals fell to 62-89.

“We’re giving it a good effort,” Leyland said. “We had 25,000 fans here tonight and we’re out of the race.”

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Wells Tosses Gem, Fukudome Homers As Cubs Rout Giants

Posted: 23 Sep 2010 04:42 PM PDT

Jojo Doria – AHN Sports Contributor

Chicago, IL, United States (AHN) – Randy Wells pitched 7 2-3 shutout innings and Kosuke Fukudome homered in the third inning, as the Chicago Cubs thumped the San Francisco Giants 2-0 Wednesday in the second installment of a three-game set at Wrigley Field.

Wells (8-15), who has not won at home since July 23 and is just 3-8 with a 4.40 ERA in 17 starts at Wrigley entering Wednesday, scattered six hits and struck out six with one walk in his second straight start for the Cubs.

Fukudome helped carry the Cubs with a solo blast in the third, his 13th home run, which gave Chicago a 1-0 lead.

Carlos Marmol struck out the side in the ninth to notch his 34th save for the Cubs, who have won seven of their last eight contests. The lone loss came Tuesday, 1-0, in the opener of the current set against San Francisco.

Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez (11-9) took the loss after giving both of the Cubs’ runs during his 5 2-3-inning stint. He also fanned six and issued two walks.

The loss, the fourth shutout in the last five defeats for San Francisco, dropped the Giants into a tie with San Diego atop the NL West standings.

The Padres, playing the Dodgers in a late Wednesday tilt, can take over first place in the NL West with a win.

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