Big winners: The Pacific League-leading Fukuoka Softbank Hawks celebrate winning their third interleague title. KYODOAnother interleague season is in the books and, as has been the case in each of the previous seven years, a Pacific League team is raising the interleague pennant.Pa. League teams rolled over their Central League counterparts, combining to finish with an above .500 mark for the sixth time in seven seasons.While the PL romped again, this interleague campaign may be remembered more for the way the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks dominated all-comers.The Hawks scored more runs that any team — by a wide margin — during cross-league action while also allowing the fewest.They were unbeaten through their first 13 games against CL teams, ending a wildly successful period with an 18-4-2 mark."This is the result of cherishing each and every game," manager Koji Akiyama told reporters. "From me to the players, everybody concentrated on their job."The Hawks won the interleague title for the third time, adding to the back-to-back titles they claimed in 2008 and 2009.At the other end of the spectrum are the Hiroshima Carp, who wasted a solid start to the season by going 6-16-2 against the Pacific League.The Chunichi Dragons finshed fourth overall, representing the year's top finish by a CL team.Interleague play wrapped up on Sunday. Teams return to regular competition on June 24.Put on the brakes: Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters pitcher Yu Darvish's brush with history came to an end on Wednesday in a 2-1 loss, only his second of the year, to the Hanshin Tigers.Darvish threw a wild pitch in the third inning of that contest, allowing Matt Murton to score and ending his streak of consecutive scoreless innings at 46? frames.That was good for second longest streak in Pacific League history.The league record belongs to former Nankai Hawks star Tadashi Sugiura, who threw 54? straight shutout innings in 1959.The overall NPB mark is one that may never be broken, a jaw-dropping 64? consecutive scoreless frames by Hall of Famer Masaichi Kaneda in 1958.Vultures circling: Hanshin Tigers manager Akinobu Mayumi came under fire this week after Hanshin stockholders used a recent meeting to take shots at the suddenly embattled skipper.Reportedly among the topics leaked out to the press, was dissatisfaction with Mayumi's management of the team and his insistence on playing the aging Tomoaki Kanemoto.The Tigers' slow start is surely not helping matters, so Mayumi may want to start winning a few more games before the heat really gets turned up.Flying high: Fukuoka Softbank Hawks lefty Toshiya Sugiuchi hit a milestone last week, notching his 1,500th career strikeout.Sugiuchi is the third-fastest in NPB history to the mark, needing just 1423? innings.Only Kazuhisa Ishii (1,432) and Yutaka Enatsu (1413) achieved the feat in fewer innings.Bright spot: Yomiuri Giants hurler Tetsuya Utsumi threw a complete game against the Seibu Lions on Friday to become the first NPB hurler to reach nine wins this season.Utsumi has been among the few bright spots, along with hitters Hisayoshi Chono and Alex Ramirez, in what has been an otherwise bleak season for the Kyojin. The lefty is 9-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 10 starts.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Hawks, Pa. League stage another dominant interleague campaign
Big winners: The Pacific League-leading Fukuoka Softbank Hawks celebrate winning their third interleague title. KYODOAnother interleague season is in the books and, as has been the case in each of the previous seven years, a Pacific League team is raising the interleague pennant.Pa. League teams rolled over their Central League counterparts, combining to finish with an above .500 mark for the sixth time in seven seasons.While the PL romped again, this interleague campaign may be remembered more for the way the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks dominated all-comers.The Hawks scored more runs that any team — by a wide margin — during cross-league action while also allowing the fewest.They were unbeaten through their first 13 games against CL teams, ending a wildly successful period with an 18-4-2 mark."This is the result of cherishing each and every game," manager Koji Akiyama told reporters. "From me to the players, everybody concentrated on their job."The Hawks won the interleague title for the third time, adding to the back-to-back titles they claimed in 2008 and 2009.At the other end of the spectrum are the Hiroshima Carp, who wasted a solid start to the season by going 6-16-2 against the Pacific League.The Chunichi Dragons finshed fourth overall, representing the year's top finish by a CL team.Interleague play wrapped up on Sunday. Teams return to regular competition on June 24.Put on the brakes: Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters pitcher Yu Darvish's brush with history came to an end on Wednesday in a 2-1 loss, only his second of the year, to the Hanshin Tigers.Darvish threw a wild pitch in the third inning of that contest, allowing Matt Murton to score and ending his streak of consecutive scoreless innings at 46? frames.That was good for second longest streak in Pacific League history.The league record belongs to former Nankai Hawks star Tadashi Sugiura, who threw 54? straight shutout innings in 1959.The overall NPB mark is one that may never be broken, a jaw-dropping 64? consecutive scoreless frames by Hall of Famer Masaichi Kaneda in 1958.Vultures circling: Hanshin Tigers manager Akinobu Mayumi came under fire this week after Hanshin stockholders used a recent meeting to take shots at the suddenly embattled skipper.Reportedly among the topics leaked out to the press, was dissatisfaction with Mayumi's management of the team and his insistence on playing the aging Tomoaki Kanemoto.The Tigers' slow start is surely not helping matters, so Mayumi may want to start winning a few more games before the heat really gets turned up.Flying high: Fukuoka Softbank Hawks lefty Toshiya Sugiuchi hit a milestone last week, notching his 1,500th career strikeout.Sugiuchi is the third-fastest in NPB history to the mark, needing just 1423? innings.Only Kazuhisa Ishii (1,432) and Yutaka Enatsu (1413) achieved the feat in fewer innings.Bright spot: Yomiuri Giants hurler Tetsuya Utsumi threw a complete game against the Seibu Lions on Friday to become the first NPB hurler to reach nine wins this season.Utsumi has been among the few bright spots, along with hitters Hisayoshi Chono and Alex Ramirez, in what has been an otherwise bleak season for the Kyojin. The lefty is 9-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 10 starts.
All eyes on Williams sisters as Wimbledon looms
WIMBLEDON, England — Two simple words at the end of a June 7 tweet said it all: "Serena's back!"
Guess who's back: Serena Williams enters Wimbledon in search of her fifth title at the All England Club. APAnd Venus is, too.Yes, as Serena Williams announced to the world less than two weeks ago, the most successful tennis-playing siblings in history are returning from lengthy layoffs right on time for Wimbledon, where they just so happen to have won nine of the past 11 singles championships.For Serena, it will be her first Grand Slam tournament — and only second event — since she took home a second consecutive title from the All England Club in July 2010. Her nearly yearlong absence resulted from a series of health issues, including two foot operations and blood clots in her lungs, that she said left her depressed and "on my deathbed." Venus, meanwhile, was sidelined by a hip injury from January until June."I feel like we've been on a similar road together. Her road hasn't been as arduous or as long as mine, but I know what she's been through coming back," Serena said when she made her 2011 debut at a tuneup tournament this week in Eastbourne, England. "We've been really enjoying our time just getting back together and practicing next to her and looking over and seeing her play so well. I'm like, 'OK, I've got to do better.' "There are, to be sure, other plot lines worth tracking.Among them: Can Roger Federer make a real run at a seventh Wimbledon title? Can Rafael Nadal extend his recent excellence to five titles in a span of six Grand Slam tournaments? Can Novak Djokovic recover from the end of his 43-match winning streak to win a major title other than the Australian Open? Can Andy Murray finally — and mercifully — put an end to the locals' 75-year wait for a British male champion at the All England Club? Might No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki win her first Grand Slam title? Could China's Li Na win her second in a row? Will Maria Sharapova end her 3?-year major drought?But the biggest curiosity, at least at the outset, is: How will the Williams sisters do?"It will be interesting to see how they come back. I think it's interesting for the tour. It's a good story," Federer said Saturday. "It's been an up-and-down, bumpy road for the women's tour as of late. But we'll see now how it goes here with the sisters back in the game."Part of the interest stems from wondering how much longer they'll be around. Venus turned 31 on Friday; Serena will be 30 in September."Whenever they enter a Grand Slam tournament, it's double the excitement and double the intrigue, I think, that they bring to the sport. They just bring a different level of tennis also, as far as the power and the emotional content," said ESPN2 analyst Chris Evert, who won 18 Grand Slam titles."It would be monumental in my mind if Serena pulled off a win," Evert added. "I personally don't know how it's humanly possible for someone to take a year off like that and have gone through what she's been through physically with her ailments and . . . it would almost shock me if she did. But knowing Serena and the way she's come back before, you can never count her out."Evert — who said she never was away from the tour longer than four months — is one of only five women in tennis history who have won more major championships than Serena's 13. The others are Margaret Court (24), Steffi Graf (22), Helen Wills Moody (19) and Martina Navratilova (18). Among active players, of course, Serena ranks No. 1, followed by Venus with seven.No one else in this year's Wimbledon women's field has more than three Grand Slam titles (Kim Clijsters has four, but she pulled out with a foot injury).Indeed, it's remarkable to examine the measurable ways in which Serena and Venus have dominated women's tennis, in general — and the All England Club, in particular — across the years. That's why Serena is seeded No. 7 at Wimbledon, despite being ranked 26th; Venus is seeded 23rd, despite being ranked 33rd."You know," Sharapova said, "they're obviously the ones to beat on grass."
Guess who's back: Serena Williams enters Wimbledon in search of her fifth title at the All England Club. APAnd Venus is, too.Yes, as Serena Williams announced to the world less than two weeks ago, the most successful tennis-playing siblings in history are returning from lengthy layoffs right on time for Wimbledon, where they just so happen to have won nine of the past 11 singles championships.For Serena, it will be her first Grand Slam tournament — and only second event — since she took home a second consecutive title from the All England Club in July 2010. Her nearly yearlong absence resulted from a series of health issues, including two foot operations and blood clots in her lungs, that she said left her depressed and "on my deathbed." Venus, meanwhile, was sidelined by a hip injury from January until June."I feel like we've been on a similar road together. Her road hasn't been as arduous or as long as mine, but I know what she's been through coming back," Serena said when she made her 2011 debut at a tuneup tournament this week in Eastbourne, England. "We've been really enjoying our time just getting back together and practicing next to her and looking over and seeing her play so well. I'm like, 'OK, I've got to do better.' "There are, to be sure, other plot lines worth tracking.Among them: Can Roger Federer make a real run at a seventh Wimbledon title? Can Rafael Nadal extend his recent excellence to five titles in a span of six Grand Slam tournaments? Can Novak Djokovic recover from the end of his 43-match winning streak to win a major title other than the Australian Open? Can Andy Murray finally — and mercifully — put an end to the locals' 75-year wait for a British male champion at the All England Club? Might No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki win her first Grand Slam title? Could China's Li Na win her second in a row? Will Maria Sharapova end her 3?-year major drought?But the biggest curiosity, at least at the outset, is: How will the Williams sisters do?"It will be interesting to see how they come back. I think it's interesting for the tour. It's a good story," Federer said Saturday. "It's been an up-and-down, bumpy road for the women's tour as of late. But we'll see now how it goes here with the sisters back in the game."Part of the interest stems from wondering how much longer they'll be around. Venus turned 31 on Friday; Serena will be 30 in September."Whenever they enter a Grand Slam tournament, it's double the excitement and double the intrigue, I think, that they bring to the sport. They just bring a different level of tennis also, as far as the power and the emotional content," said ESPN2 analyst Chris Evert, who won 18 Grand Slam titles."It would be monumental in my mind if Serena pulled off a win," Evert added. "I personally don't know how it's humanly possible for someone to take a year off like that and have gone through what she's been through physically with her ailments and . . . it would almost shock me if she did. But knowing Serena and the way she's come back before, you can never count her out."Evert — who said she never was away from the tour longer than four months — is one of only five women in tennis history who have won more major championships than Serena's 13. The others are Margaret Court (24), Steffi Graf (22), Helen Wills Moody (19) and Martina Navratilova (18). Among active players, of course, Serena ranks No. 1, followed by Venus with seven.No one else in this year's Wimbledon women's field has more than three Grand Slam titles (Kim Clijsters has four, but she pulled out with a foot injury).Indeed, it's remarkable to examine the measurable ways in which Serena and Venus have dominated women's tennis, in general — and the All England Club, in particular — across the years. That's why Serena is seeded No. 7 at Wimbledon, despite being ranked 26th; Venus is seeded 23rd, despite being ranked 33rd."You know," Sharapova said, "they're obviously the ones to beat on grass."Kuwaiti goal takes shine off Japan's winning Olympic start
London calling: Striker Yuya Osako (right) takes the plaudits after scoring in Japan's Olympic qualifying 3-1 win over Kuwait at Toyota Stadium on Sunday night. KYODOTOYOTA, Aichi Pref. — Japan launched its 2012 Olympic qualifying campaign with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Kuwait but was left to rue an unnecessarily conceded goal to the Gulf visitors on Sunday night.Hiroshi Kiyotake and Mizuki Hamada scored in the opening half for the under-22 national side at Toyota Stadium, and Yuya Osako added the third on the other side of halftime.But substitute Jaber Jazea chiseled at Japan's lead shortly past the hour with what could turn out to be a crucial away goal for Maher Alshemmari's side.The second leg in the home-and-away contest is on Thursday."That was disappointing," Japan coach Takashi Sekizuka said, referring to the Kuwaiti goal. "We held on to the ball for a lot longer than we should have, and they got us."The two teams went into the interval with Japan leading by two, but the hosts should have been up by more given the way they dominated throughout the first half.With the Kuwait defenders giving them plenty of room to operate, Japan could have — and should have — been ahead by twice as many had it exercised a little more accuracy in front of the goal.Striker Kensuke Nagai started the game on the bench with a sprained left ankle yet Sekizuka never needed to call on the top scorer of last year's Asian Games.Forward Yousef Nasser, a Kuwaiti player with full international experience, was about the only consistent threat the Japanese defense had to deal with all evening.Kiyotake pushed the young Blue Samurai in front in the 18th minute with his maiden goal for the Olympic team, a diving header into the bottom corner from a Yusuke Higa cross.Hamada doubled Japan's advantage after 37 minutes with a header of his own, nodding in a right-wing Kiyotake corner from the heart of the penalty area.The second half was more of the same with Japan in control, and Osako made it 3-0 one minute past the hour off a Kuwaiti mistake, slotting home a through-ball from Ryohei Yamazaki.But just when Japan looked like it was going to cruise, Kuwait pulled one back in the 68th minute through substitute Jazea, who pounced on a failed clearance with authority to close the gap.The Japanese woke up after conceding and reasserted their dominance, but failed to stretch out their lead as they continued to waste opportunities.Gosford, Australia — Striker Jason Hoffman scored twice as Australia beat Yemen 3-0 in the first match of a two-leg Olympic soccer qualifying tie on Sunday.Mitch Nichols also scored to give Australia a buffer to take into the second leg of the series at Newcastle on Thursday.Isaka Cernak and Nichols directed play from midfield and Hoffman provided a constant aerial threat for the strong Australia lineup that restricted Yemen to sporadic counterattacks.Australia had several off-target shots before Hoffman headed home Sebastian Ryall's cross in the 14th minute. Nichols added the second from close range in the 67th minute and Hoffman netted the third in stoppage time.In Seoul, South Korea defeated Jordan 3-1.Midfielder Yoon Bit Garam scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 75th minute and Kim Dong Sub added a header 10 minutes later.Lee leaves Saiki behind for victory
Chiba — South Korea's Lee Ji Hee pulled away from joint overnight leader Miki Saiki to capture her first title of the season at the Nichirei Ladies on Sunday.Saiki made a costly bogey on the 16th at Sodegaura Country and Lee capitalized with birdies on her final two holes to claim a two shot victory, a week after finishing tied for second at the Suntory Ladies Open.Victory was the 14th of Lee's career on the Japan LPGA Tour and earned her ?14.4 million from the ?80 million purse.Lee, who set a course record with a flawless 64 to lead at the midway point at last week's tournament, made seven birdies in all against a pair of bogeys to close on 12-under 204."I really, really wanted to win the title and was really tense from the morning. I have never cried so much," said Lee, whose last win came at the NEC Karuizawa 72 last August."I want to get four or five wins this year and aim for the money title," she said.
Lotte's Karakawa stymies Swallows
Yuki Karakawa threw one-run ball over eight innings and Tadahito Iguchi hit a two-run blast as the Chiba Lotte Marines came from behind to defeat the CL-leading Tokyo Yakult Swallows 7-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Communication breakdown: Daisuke Kusano (left) and Kazuo Matsui collide while chasing a fly ball during Tohoku Rakuten's 7-0 defeat to the Tigers on Sunday. KYODOShoitsu Omatsu and Toshiaki Imae hit consecutive run-scoring singles against Masanori Ishikawa (4-4) to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead and Kazuya Fukuura tacked on a two-run single for good measure in a four-run sixth at Jingu Stadium.The Marines strung together five singles in the big inning, which featured Omatsu's bounder over the head of first baseman Josh Whitesell with runners at the corners."I was thinking that I wanted to put runners back on first and third, since it makes it easier for Imae to hit," Omatsu said after Lotte pulled out of last place.Karakawa (6-2) allowed six hits, walked four and struck out three and matched a career high in wins. Iguchi, who went 2-for-5, went deep to the stands in left in a three-run ninth."I felt that I could probably get a hit in that situation," Imae said of his go-ahead single to right.Karakawa said at the least he hopes to notch double-digit wins this season. "I have nothing really to say about that (six wins). The team has higher expectations of me. I was able to get strikes today with my breaking ball and recovered after a shaky start. I was very relaxed," he said.Carp 2, Fighters 1At Mazda Stadium, Takahiro Iwamoto hit a tiebreaking single in the sixth inning and rookie Yuya Fukui (3-3) earned his first win since May 3, yielding one run in seven innings as Hiroshima edged Hokkaido Nippon Ham.Kenta Kurihara opened the scoring with a RBI single off Brian Wolfe (7-2) in the first inning before Atsunori Inaba's sac fly tied the game a 1-all in the top of sixth. Dennis Sarfate worked the ninth for his 13th save.Giants 10, Lions 1At Tokyo Dome, rookie Hirokazu Sawamura went seven scoreless innings and won his first decision this season on home turf as Yomiuri pounded Seibu.Sawamura (3-5) allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked two and escaped a one-out bases-loaded jam with consecutive strikeouts in the fourth. Kazuhisa Makita (2-4) took the loss.Shinnosuke Abe and Hayato Sakamoto hit two-run drives in the sixth and eighth, respectively.Hawks 9, BayStars 2At Yokohama Stadium, Nobuhiro Matsuda went 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs in Softbank's rout of Yokohama, which became the first team to lose 30 games in Japanese baseball this season.Matsuda had a two-run shot to open the scoring in the second and Seiichi Uchikawa and Hiroki Kokubo hit back-to-back homers in a four-run fifth against Kota Suda (1-5). Tadashi Settsu (6-3) limited the damage to two runs in seven innings.Dragons 2, Buffaloes 1 (10)At Nagoya Dome, Masaaki Koike delivered a pinch-hit game-ending homer off Mamoru Kishida (1-3) in the 10th inning to lift Chunichi over Orix.Tigers 7, Eagles 0At Koshien Stadium, Jason Standridge (4-2) made effective use of his breaking ball to throw his first shutout of the season and Takashi Toritani went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs as Hanshin romped over Tohoku Rakuten, which fell back into last place in the PL.
Communication breakdown: Daisuke Kusano (left) and Kazuo Matsui collide while chasing a fly ball during Tohoku Rakuten's 7-0 defeat to the Tigers on Sunday. KYODOShoitsu Omatsu and Toshiaki Imae hit consecutive run-scoring singles against Masanori Ishikawa (4-4) to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead and Kazuya Fukuura tacked on a two-run single for good measure in a four-run sixth at Jingu Stadium.The Marines strung together five singles in the big inning, which featured Omatsu's bounder over the head of first baseman Josh Whitesell with runners at the corners."I was thinking that I wanted to put runners back on first and third, since it makes it easier for Imae to hit," Omatsu said after Lotte pulled out of last place.Karakawa (6-2) allowed six hits, walked four and struck out three and matched a career high in wins. Iguchi, who went 2-for-5, went deep to the stands in left in a three-run ninth."I felt that I could probably get a hit in that situation," Imae said of his go-ahead single to right.Karakawa said at the least he hopes to notch double-digit wins this season. "I have nothing really to say about that (six wins). The team has higher expectations of me. I was able to get strikes today with my breaking ball and recovered after a shaky start. I was very relaxed," he said.Carp 2, Fighters 1At Mazda Stadium, Takahiro Iwamoto hit a tiebreaking single in the sixth inning and rookie Yuya Fukui (3-3) earned his first win since May 3, yielding one run in seven innings as Hiroshima edged Hokkaido Nippon Ham.Kenta Kurihara opened the scoring with a RBI single off Brian Wolfe (7-2) in the first inning before Atsunori Inaba's sac fly tied the game a 1-all in the top of sixth. Dennis Sarfate worked the ninth for his 13th save.Giants 10, Lions 1At Tokyo Dome, rookie Hirokazu Sawamura went seven scoreless innings and won his first decision this season on home turf as Yomiuri pounded Seibu.Sawamura (3-5) allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked two and escaped a one-out bases-loaded jam with consecutive strikeouts in the fourth. Kazuhisa Makita (2-4) took the loss.Shinnosuke Abe and Hayato Sakamoto hit two-run drives in the sixth and eighth, respectively.Hawks 9, BayStars 2At Yokohama Stadium, Nobuhiro Matsuda went 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs in Softbank's rout of Yokohama, which became the first team to lose 30 games in Japanese baseball this season.Matsuda had a two-run shot to open the scoring in the second and Seiichi Uchikawa and Hiroki Kokubo hit back-to-back homers in a four-run fifth against Kota Suda (1-5). Tadashi Settsu (6-3) limited the damage to two runs in seven innings.Dragons 2, Buffaloes 1 (10)At Nagoya Dome, Masaaki Koike delivered a pinch-hit game-ending homer off Mamoru Kishida (1-3) in the 10th inning to lift Chunichi over Orix.Tigers 7, Eagles 0At Koshien Stadium, Jason Standridge (4-2) made effective use of his breaking ball to throw his first shutout of the season and Takashi Toritani went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs as Hanshin romped over Tohoku Rakuten, which fell back into last place in the PL.14K White Gold Round Diamond Solitaire Pendant 1/2ct (J/K I2 18" chain)
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Asami leads four judo winners in Rio
Rio de Janeiro — World champion Haruna Asami won the women's 48-kg division and Japanese judoka ended up taking four of Saturday's seven events at the Grand Slam meet in Rio de Janeiro.Asami defeated home favorite Sarah Menezes in the final.The other Japanese winners on the opening day of the two-day meet were Kana Abe in the women's 63 kg, Hirofumi Yamamoto in the men's 60 kg and Riki Nakaya in the men's 73 kg.Hiroyuki Akimoto, another world champion, was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the event won by Nakaya.Hiroaki Hiraoka and Masashi Ebinuma were knocked out in the semifinals of the men's 60 kg and 66 kg categories, respectively.This year's world championships will be held in Paris in August.
Bell presses England's advantage
Southampton, England — Ian Bell pressed home England's advantage over struggling Sri Lanka on day four of the third and final test at the Rose Bowl, moving to 78 not out to give the hosts a commanding 107-run lead at lunch on Sunday.Bell swept past the half-century mark for the fifth consecutive test and closed in on his 14th test century as England, 1-0 up in the series, added 96 runs to its overnight total of 195-4 to go in on 291-5.Eoin Morgan (26) was also in the middle by the end of the session, with nightwatchman James Anderson the only wicket to fall when he edged Chanaka Welegedara to wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene for a brisk 27 off 33 balls.Up against a lifeless bowling attack under light cloud cover, England was in cruise control as the tourists faced up to a series defeat in breezy Southampton.
Phelps turns hand to backstroke
Santa Clara, California — Michael Phelps has found a new event to dominate, easily winning the 200-meter backstroke Saturday night at the Santa Clara International Grand Prix after rival Ryan Lochte was a healthy scratch.The 14-time Olympic gold medalist led the entire way and touched the wall more than 3 seconds ahead of the competition at 1 minute, 57.05 seconds. Mitchell Larkin was second and Matthew Swanston third.The event wasn't part of Phelps' record haul of eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It's one of the changes Phelps is considering to his schedule ahead of next year's London Games.Lochte was a late scratch for the final because he was competing in the 400 individual medley just before. He was second behind Brazil's Thiago Pereira in that event.
Li gunning for third straight Grand Slam final
Let's do it again: Li Na has reached back-to-back Grand Slam finals heading into Wimbledon. APWIMBLEDON, England — After teaching the world a Chinese tennis lesson in Paris by winning the French Open, Li Na may have to educate her own mother on just what a big deal that was.Li became the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam title two weeks ago at Roland Garros. About 116 million people reportedly watched the match in China, but Li said her mother only sent her a text message following the victory over Francesca Schiavone to ask when she would be back home."I said, 'After Wimbledon.' And then she never sent me back again, so . . .," Li said. "I think she knows I won the tournament. I don't know if even she knows how big (the) tournament is. I didn't ask her."Ask anyone on the women's tour, though, and they'll be able to answer just fine."What she's done for her country, China, all the pride that they have to have, a Grand Slam champion from that country, is incredible," said Maria Sharapova, who won her first major title at Wimbledon in 2004.Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki, who is still searching for her first major title, said Li's victory was good for tennis."I'm sure that a lot of young girls and boys in China now also want to play tennis because they want to play like Li Na," Wozniacki said. "It's great for tennis that we can have it even bigger as a sport than it is now."Li also reached the final at the Australian Open, losing to Kim Clijsters. But while two straight Grand Slam finals has Li among the favorites at Wimbledon along with Sharapova, Wozniacki and the Williams sisters, she doesn't quite agree."You win the French Open (on clay), doesn't mean . . . you can do well in Wimbledon," said Li, who chatted briefly with Schiavone on Saturday as rain interrupted her practice schedule. "Change of surface. Totally different."So what I say before: French is over."Li has twice made the quarterfinals at the All England Club, including in 2010. In the first round, she will face Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia."I always like to do better than last year," said Li, who could face 2008 Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie of China in the third round.Saturday, June 18, 2011
Nishikori reaches Eastbourne semis
Eastbourne England — Kei Nishikori advanced to the semifinals of the AEGON International, a final grass-court tuneup for Wimbledon, with a morale-boosting 6-2, 6-3 victory Thursday over Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.Against the player who routed top-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the previous round, Nishikori converted five of 10 break points while saving nine of 11 break points on his serve."I feel good about my tennis this week," Nishikori said. "I played two good matches today. On grass, I was making a lot of unforced errors from the baseline until last year. But I've been hitting the ball patiently and winning points this year."The 21-year-old, ranked 59th in the world, will next play third-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia.Earlier Thursday, Nishikori beat Germany's Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in his second-round match that had been suspended by rain Wednesday.The Wimbledon Championships are scheduled for June 20-July 3.Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event in which Nishikori has not won a match.
Fukudome's big day powers Cubs
CHICAGO — Kosuke Fukudome's monster shot to right field Thursday helped propel the Chicago Cubs to a 12-7 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.The leadoff hitter smacked his third home run of the season and finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs, a double short of the cycle.The Cubs held a narrow one-run lead in the sixth inning, but Fukudome's three-run blast off reliever Daniel Ray Herrera broke the game wide open to put the Cubs up 9-5."It was the first time in a while that I made solid contact," said Fukudome. "I had a really good first at-bat, and it helped me in my other plate appearances."Fukudome also singled in the first inning against Brewers ace and former Cy Young winner Zach Greinke, then tripled in the second to score Geovany Soto."Too bad (about missing the cycle). I was hoping to get it," said the right fielder, who also threw out Rickie Weeks twice when the Milwaukee leadoff man tried to stretch singles into doubles in the fourth and seventh, respectively.Phillies 3, Marilins 0In Philadelphia, Cliff Lee tossed a two-hitter and had two hits and an RBI.Diamondbacks 3, Giants 2 (10)In Phoenix, Justin Upton homered on the first pitch he saw in the 10th inning and Arizona avoided a sweep.Pirates 5, Astros 4In Houston, Garrett Jones hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Pittsburgh added two runs in the sixth. Nationals 7, Cardinals 4 (10)In Washington, Danny Espinosa's three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th gave the Nationals their sixth straight win. Braves 9, Mets 8, (10)D.J. Carrasco's balk in the 10th inning gave Atlanta the win. AMERICAN LEAGUE Twins 1, White Sox 0In Minneapolis, Nick Blackburn pitched eight shutout innings and Michael Cuddyer's home run was enough to beat Mark Buehrle.Tsuyoshi Nishioka was 1-for-4 in his anticipated return to the Twins lineup after more than two months on the disabled list with a broken leg."It was my first game at home and I was very happy to see the fans cheering me on," said Nishioka. "I won't forget this day." Yankees 3, Rangers 2 (12)In New York, journeyman Brian Gordon kept the Yankees close in a most unlikely start, then Brett Gardner hit a winning single in the 12th. Tigers 6, Indians 2In Detroit, Jhonny Peralta and Ryan Raburn hit back-to-back, solo homers in the fourth. Athletics 8, Royals 4In Oakland, Jemile Weeks had two hits and drove in three runs, and Hideki Matsui homered to lead Oakland.Matsui's solo blast gives him a combined 499 homers in Japan and the U.S. Orioles 4, Blue Jays 3In Toronto, Jeremy Guthrie pitched five shutout innings before a strained back forced him to leave the game. Red Sox 4, Rays 2In St. Petersburg, Adrian Gonzalez homered and David Ortiz, Darnell McDonald and Dustin Pedroia drove in runs for the AL East leaders.
Reysol, Vegalta continue to impress in season of unpredictability
An impressive start from the less-fancied teams while the big guns struggled gave the early J. League table something of an upside-down appearance. Few expected it to last, but with almost a third of the season played, the underdogs continue to bark the loudest.Kashiwa Reysol lead Vegalta Sendai by two points at the top of the table going into Saturday's games, with Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Yokohama F. Marinos snapping at their heels.Kashiwa's 3-0 humbling at home to Jubilo Iwata on Wednesday could be read as evidence that the bubble has finally burst for last season's second-division champions, but the impressive nature of its campaign so far suggests it may have been simply the exception rather than the rule.Sendai also continues to confound the critics, maintaining the league's last unbeaten record despite the disruptions caused by the March 11 disaster, and also the fact that the club finished last season just three points clear of relegation.But although Reysol and Vegalta have led the way for most of the season, quality has been evident throughout the division. Jubilo's demolition of Kashiwa on Wednesday night illustrated the depth of competition in what is already one of the world's most even leagues, and this year's championship is shaping up to be as unpredictable as ever."Our opponents did to us what we wanted to do to them," said Kashiwa's Hidekazu Otani after the Jubilo defeat, and that could be a familiar refrain around the league as teams continue to take points off each other and prevent a leader from breaking clear of the pack.There are signs that the heavyweights are beginning to rouse themselves from their slumber, but for now, at least, the underdogs are having their day.* * *Kawasaki Frontale beat Omiya Ardija 5-0 to post the biggest win of the midweek fixtures, but then scoring has hardly been Frontale's problem in recent weeks.Ten goals in the four games leading up to Wednesday's match were offset by a failure to keep a clean sheet since May 3, and manager Naoki Soma was as satisfied to be leaving Nack5 Stadium without conceding as he was with the goal rush at the other end."The players never eased up for 90 minutes and never lost their concentration, and because of that we got this result," the former national team defender said. "But when you have a run of games it can be difficult after a big win like this. To play like this again would be difficult, but we'll at least try to win the next one."* * *Kashima Antlers returned to Kashima Stadium for the first time since it was damaged in the March 11 earthquake, but Ventforet Kofu's 1-0 win courtesy of a Mike Havenaar injury-time goal ensured the former champions were hardly in the mood to celebrate.For Ventforet forward Atsushi Katagiri, however, the occasion was a memorable one."Ten years ago, when I was playing for Nagoya, I came to Kashima Stadium twice," Katagiri said. "At that time we were only allowed 16 players in the matchday squad and I was No. 17, so I had only ever watched games at Kashima Stadium from the VIP room. This was the first time I have ever stood on the pitch at Kashima Stadium, and it felt great."* * *Nagoya Grampus' season has been hampered by an injury list that has bordered on comical at times, but Wednesday's 4-0 hiding of Albirex Niigata suggests Dragan Stokjovic's fit-again side is returning to its fearsome best.A run of three straight wins has seen the champions jump from 12th to seventh in the table — and triple their goal tally from five to 15 in the process -with Keiji Tamada moving into second in the goalscorer's chart on seven behind Gamba Osaka's Adriano."We're playing well in attack and defense, and everyone is pulling their weight," said Tamada, who has scored in each of those three wins. "I think we're moving in the right direction. We're not paying any attention to what the other teams are doing, we're just focusing on what we're doing ourselves."* * *"We weren't able to win today, but to get our first point means we have taken half a step forward." — After losing the first nine games of the season, Avispa Fukuoka manager Yoshiyuki Shinoda savors Wednesday's 0-0 draw with Vissel Kobe.
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Nagai hurts ankle prior to qualifier
Toyota, Aichi Pref. — Star striker Kensuke Nagai gave Japan Under-22 coach Takashi Sekizuka an injury scare Friday when he pulled out of training two days ahead of a crunch opening London Olympic qualifier against Kuwait.Nagoya forward Nagai, who struck twice in a recent 3-1 friendly win over Australia's U-22s, had Sekizuka sweating when he tweaked his left ankle, although the injury is not thought to be serious."That gave everyone a bit of a fright," said Sekizuka. "We are having him take it easy."Sekizuka said he was unsure whether it would affect the 2010 Asian Games top scorer's chances of playing in the first leg of the second-round qualifier against Kuwait at Toyota Stadium.But midfielder Kazuya Yamamura sought to calm fears, saying, "He was walking normally so I think he will be alright."Japan travels to the Middle East for the away tie next Thursday. The winner over two legs advances to the final round of qualifiers starting in September."We need to win and not allow our opponents to get an away goal. That's basically what you need to get in the first leg," said Sekizuka.
Dykstra pleads not guilty on charges
San Fernando California — Former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra has pleaded not guilty to grand theft auto and drug possession charges.The 48-year-old entered his plea Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court and remains in jail on $500,000 bail. He is scheduled to return to court July 11.Dykstra was charged with 25 counts and faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
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Bruins force decisive Game 7
Another one in the net: Boston's Michael Ryder scores past Vancovuer's Cory Schneider in the first period of Game 6 on Monday night. The Bruins beat the Canucks 5-2 to even the series 3-3. APBOSTON — When Brad Marchand whistled a shot over Roberto Luongo's shoulder early in Game 6, Vancouver's enigmatic goalie looked a bit surprised, a little shaky.When Milan Lucic trickled another goal through Luongo's legs 35 seconds later, the Boston Bruins could tell Luongo was off — and they were on.The tension of an elimination game eroded right along with Luongo's poise. With another goal by Andrew Ference moments later, Luongo was history and the Bruins were headed back to Vancouver for the Stanley Cup finals' grand finale.The Canucks could have raised the Stanley Cup on Monday night, but the Bruins refused to allow a Garden party for the visitors. They even chased Luongo off their home ice in the first period, knotting the series with a 5-2 victory."We wanted to make sure if we went down, we went down fighting," Marchand said.Only Luongo went down. The Bruins put the Canucks' goalie and the Stanley Cup back on the shelf — and back on a plane to the West Coast for Game 7 on Wednesday night."I'm proud of the guys," said Mark Recchi, who had three assists. "We had our backs to the wall, we've been resilient all year, and we came out and had a great first period and did what we had to do tonight, and it comes down to Game 7. It's one game now."For the sixth time in the last 10 seasons, the finals have been stretched to their limit. The home team hasn't lost in this series, with Vancouver winning three one-goal games and Boston posting three blowout victories, but the Bruins are riding a wave of momentum toward their first title since 1972 with three wins in the last four games.Tim Thomas made 36 saves for the Bruins, giving up two third-period goals while burnishing his credentials for the Conn Smythe Trophy."Not too many people counted on us being at this point right now," said Thomas, who has allowed just eight goals in six finals games. "It's a great feeling. We battled hard tonight. We came to play, and it's coming down to one game. This is what we dream of, when you're little kids playing street hockey, you know, you're in Game 7."NHL MVP Henrik Sedin scored his first point of the finals with a late power-play goal for the Canucks, who flopped in their first attempt to win the franchise's first championship. Maxim Lapierre also scored in the third period for the Canucks, who will get one last try at a Rogers Arena filled with worried Vancouverites hoping Luongo and their maddening team can come through.Thomas has turned in a virtuoso performance in the finals — but the spotlight in Game 6 was trained squarely on the other net.After Luongo led Vancouver to the brink of a title with a stellar performance in a 1-0 victory Friday, the Canucks hoped to celebrate in Boston. The Bruins canceled the festivities with yet another stunning barrage of goals against Luongo, who was ventilated for 15 goals in just over 4? periods in Boston."You can't hang your head and feel sorry for yourself," Luongo said. "That's the worst thing I could do. . . . I had a good feeling all day. Before the series started, I said I enjoyed playing in this building. Just got to move on right now. Got to believe in myself, right?"Boston even set a finals record with four goals in 4:14 while chasing Luongo and welcoming his backup, Cory Schneider, with a quick goal from Michael Ryder.Jeter's drive for 3,000 hits may be slowed by leg injury
NEW YORK — Derek Jeter limped off the field with a sore right calf four innings after getting his 2,994th hit, and Carlos Carrasco escaped early trouble to pitch the Cleveland Indians past the New York Yankees 1-0 Monday night.
Six to go: New York's Derek Jeter runs to first base while flying out to right field in the fifth inning against Cleveland on Monday night. Jeter hurt his right calf on the play and left the game. The Indians beat the Yankees 1-0. APJeter went to the hospital for an MRI exam. There was no immediate word on the severity of his injury."I'm worried about him," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Just keep our fingers crossed and hopefully it's not too serious."Jeter was noticeably hurt as he jogged toward first base on a flyout in the fifth and left the game, stalling his pursuit to become the 28th big leaguer to reach 3,000 career hits."He just walked off the field and you could tell he was done," Girardi said.Girardi said he expected to get the MRI results within an hour or so. No matter, he said he didn't think Jeter would be able to play Tuesday night against Texas.Teammates, fans and even Jeter himself had said it would be nice to achieve the milestone at Yankee Stadium. New York has three games left against Texas on this homestand, then goes on a six-game road trip to Wrigley Field in Chicago, and Cincinnati.Jeter hit a leadoff single in the first and the Yankees quickly loaded the bases with no outs against Carrasco (6-3). But Jeter hesitated on Alex Rodriguez's medium-depth fly and stayed at third base — center fielder Michael Brantley appeared ready to concede the run — and Carrasco got out of the jam without allowing a run.Cleveland manager Manny Acta shuffled his batting order, putting Carlos Santana, Brantley and Asdrubal Cabrera into lineup spots where they'd never hit before. The Indians had totaled only 21 runs while losing nine of 10, and managed to scratch out just enough to win. Angels 6, Mariners 3In Seattle, Vernon Wells hit Los Angeles' first homer in a week with a solo shot in the third inning, then hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh.The slumping Angels, having dropped seven of eight, started their longest road trip of the season with a comeback victory capped by a power surge.The Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki was 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and a run scored. Tigers 2, Rays 1 (10)In Detroit, Ramon Santiago's RBI triple in the bottom of the 10th kept the Tigers in a virtual tie for first place on the eve of their big series against Cleveland. NATIONAL LEAGUEReds 6, Dodgers 4In Los Angeles, Bronson Arroyo outpitched Hiroki Kuroda for the second time in 11 days and singled home the go-ahead run to lead Cincinnati over the Dodgers.Joey Votto hit a three-run homer and Chris Heisey also connected for the Reds.Arroyo (5-6) allowed four runs and seven hits over 7? innings with no walks in a rematch of his June 3 duel with Kuroda, which Cincinnati won 2-1. The Reds' right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.60 ERA in his last four starts against the Dodgers, after going 1-4 with a 4.67 ERA in his other nine starts against them.Kuroda (5-8) was charged with four runs — two earned — and seven hits over 6? innings. The right-hander is 0-5 with a 4.39 ERA in his last five starts, but his teammates have totaled just nine runs during that stretch. Pirates 3, Mets 1In Pittsburgh, Paul Maholm pitched seven shutout innings, Brandon Wood homered and the Pirates beat New York to split their four-game series. Diamondbacks 12, Marlins 9In Miami, Miguel Montero hit three doubles and drove in four runs, and pitcher Zach Duke hit a two-run homer for Arizona.Juan Miranda had three RBIs and Justin Upton knocked in a pair for the Diamondbacks, who have won four of five. Astros 8, Braves 3In Houston, Hunter Pence homered and drove in four runs, pushing his hitting streak to 23 games after a day off due to back trouble, and the Astros beat Atlanta to snap a four-game skid. Cubs 1, Brewers 0In Chicago, Darwin Barney scored on a fielder's choice in the eighth inning for the only run as the Cubs beat Milwaukee.Aramis Ramirez grounded to Brewers shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt with one out, but the throw to catcher Jonathan Lucroy wasn't in time to tag Barney, who dived over home plate. Padres 3, Rockies 1In Denver, Anthony Bass pitched five efficient innings to win his major league debut, Ryan Ludwick drove in two runs and San Diego snapped a three-game skid with a victory over Colorado in a game delayed 83 minutes by a thunderstorm.
Six to go: New York's Derek Jeter runs to first base while flying out to right field in the fifth inning against Cleveland on Monday night. Jeter hurt his right calf on the play and left the game. The Indians beat the Yankees 1-0. APJeter went to the hospital for an MRI exam. There was no immediate word on the severity of his injury."I'm worried about him," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Just keep our fingers crossed and hopefully it's not too serious."Jeter was noticeably hurt as he jogged toward first base on a flyout in the fifth and left the game, stalling his pursuit to become the 28th big leaguer to reach 3,000 career hits."He just walked off the field and you could tell he was done," Girardi said.Girardi said he expected to get the MRI results within an hour or so. No matter, he said he didn't think Jeter would be able to play Tuesday night against Texas.Teammates, fans and even Jeter himself had said it would be nice to achieve the milestone at Yankee Stadium. New York has three games left against Texas on this homestand, then goes on a six-game road trip to Wrigley Field in Chicago, and Cincinnati.Jeter hit a leadoff single in the first and the Yankees quickly loaded the bases with no outs against Carrasco (6-3). But Jeter hesitated on Alex Rodriguez's medium-depth fly and stayed at third base — center fielder Michael Brantley appeared ready to concede the run — and Carrasco got out of the jam without allowing a run.Cleveland manager Manny Acta shuffled his batting order, putting Carlos Santana, Brantley and Asdrubal Cabrera into lineup spots where they'd never hit before. The Indians had totaled only 21 runs while losing nine of 10, and managed to scratch out just enough to win. Angels 6, Mariners 3In Seattle, Vernon Wells hit Los Angeles' first homer in a week with a solo shot in the third inning, then hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh.The slumping Angels, having dropped seven of eight, started their longest road trip of the season with a comeback victory capped by a power surge.The Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki was 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and a run scored. Tigers 2, Rays 1 (10)In Detroit, Ramon Santiago's RBI triple in the bottom of the 10th kept the Tigers in a virtual tie for first place on the eve of their big series against Cleveland. NATIONAL LEAGUEReds 6, Dodgers 4In Los Angeles, Bronson Arroyo outpitched Hiroki Kuroda for the second time in 11 days and singled home the go-ahead run to lead Cincinnati over the Dodgers.Joey Votto hit a three-run homer and Chris Heisey also connected for the Reds.Arroyo (5-6) allowed four runs and seven hits over 7? innings with no walks in a rematch of his June 3 duel with Kuroda, which Cincinnati won 2-1. The Reds' right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.60 ERA in his last four starts against the Dodgers, after going 1-4 with a 4.67 ERA in his other nine starts against them.Kuroda (5-8) was charged with four runs — two earned — and seven hits over 6? innings. The right-hander is 0-5 with a 4.39 ERA in his last five starts, but his teammates have totaled just nine runs during that stretch. Pirates 3, Mets 1In Pittsburgh, Paul Maholm pitched seven shutout innings, Brandon Wood homered and the Pirates beat New York to split their four-game series. Diamondbacks 12, Marlins 9In Miami, Miguel Montero hit three doubles and drove in four runs, and pitcher Zach Duke hit a two-run homer for Arizona.Juan Miranda had three RBIs and Justin Upton knocked in a pair for the Diamondbacks, who have won four of five. Astros 8, Braves 3In Houston, Hunter Pence homered and drove in four runs, pushing his hitting streak to 23 games after a day off due to back trouble, and the Astros beat Atlanta to snap a four-game skid. Cubs 1, Brewers 0In Chicago, Darwin Barney scored on a fielder's choice in the eighth inning for the only run as the Cubs beat Milwaukee.Aramis Ramirez grounded to Brewers shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt with one out, but the throw to catcher Jonathan Lucroy wasn't in time to tag Barney, who dived over home plate. Padres 3, Rockies 1In Denver, Anthony Bass pitched five efficient innings to win his major league debut, Ryan Ludwick drove in two runs and San Diego snapped a three-game skid with a victory over Colorado in a game delayed 83 minutes by a thunderstorm.Wrestler Yamamoto plans comeback
Former women's world champion Miyu Yamamoto is coming out of retirement for her third time to try to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics, her management firm announced Tuesday.The 36-year-old wrestler is scheduled to hold a news conference on Wednesday.Yamamoto won her third world title in 1995, when she quit for the first time. She came back three years later only to walk away again, and returned to the mat to try to make the 2004 Olympic team.Yamamoto comes from a family of wrestlers. Her father, Ikuei, competed at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, and her younger brother, Norifumi, who goes by the name "Kid," is one of Japan's most popular mixed martial artists.
Mavs arrive back in Big D
Triumphant return: Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki raises his NBA Finals MVP trophy after he exits the team plane at Love Field on Monday. Dallas beat the Miami Heat 105-95 on Sunday to win its first NBA title. APDALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks returned home in triumph on Monday, cheered by hundreds of fans celebrating the franchise's first NBA title and the first professional championship of any kind in the area in more than a decade.Owner Mark Cuban walked off the plane at Love Field carrying the championship trophy he was handed after Sunday's Game 6 win over the Miami Heat.Next came forward Dirk Nowitzki with hardware of his own: The NBA Finals MVP trophy that was awarded after he overcame a finger injury, illness and smothering defense from the Heat to power fourth-quarter comeback wins.Cuban, the Dallas billionaire who bought the team in 2000, had the championship trophy in a seat next to him on the plane and he apparently kept it close throughout the Sunday night celebration."This will sound weird," he wrote on Twitter. "I'm laying in bed. With the trophy next (to) me."Cuban will keep the party going at least through Thursday morning, the date set for the team's victory parade through the streets of downtown Dallas.Team spokeswoman Sarah Melton confirmed the date Monday, but said the precise route and other details would be announced Tuesday. Cuban has said that he will pick up the tab for the city's parade costs.The championship, the first in the 31-year history of the Mavericks, represents a breakthrough. The franchise was once one of the worst in the NBA and, even after Cuban's infusion of cash and energy, had a reputation of failing to win big games — including a loss to Miami in the 2006 Finals after leading the series 2-0.The title is the city's first since the Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999 and it comes four months after the Super Bowl in suburban Arlington included not the Cowboys but Green Bay and Pittsburgh along with a spate of bad weather. The Texas Rangers advanced to the last World Series, but lost to San Francisco.As the Mavericks wore down the Heat, fans crowded into downtown Dallas on Sunday night to celebrate. Police reported 14 arrests, including six for public intoxication, four for disorderly conduct and four people taken into custody on outstanding warrants.By Monday, attention had turned to the homecoming.The team charter passed under a water cannon salute after it landed. Cuban, a cigar in his mouth, walked off first, followed by Nowitzki, both holding the trophies high. They then went across the runway to a security fence, touching off a celebration that lasted about 30 minutes and allowing fans who spent hours waiting in 30 C heat to get a taste of the title.Cuban eventually handed off the championship trophy to members of the team, who walked along the fence as fans held cell phones high to take photos. As Nowitzki was driven away, he held the MVP trophy aloft through the sun roof of his sport utility vehicle.New York — The Dallas Mavericks' clinching victory in the NBA Finals earned the highest preliminary television rating for a Game 6 in 11 years.The Mavericks' 105-95 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday on ABC drew a 15.0 overnight rating. That's the best for a Game 6 since 2000, when the Lakers clinched a title over the Pacers. There have been five series since that went at least six games.The rating was up 35 percent from Game 6 of the '06 Finals between the same teams, when the Heat clinched the championship.NSK gets a glimpse of a (potentially) bright future
In May the English soccer team Manchester United won their 19th English league championship to date — and the world watched on TV, the Internet and via a wealth of other media sources.A little over a week later, half way around the globe Yokozuna Hakuho went 13-2 between May 8 and the 22nd to secure his own 19th title in Japan's national sport — and no one noticed. Or so the folks at NHK would have us believe.As part of the after-effects of the match-rigging scandal so well documented in recent months, the Sumo Association (NSK) was informed that the national broadcaster (NHK) would not be broadcasting the most recent basho live even if they did let highlight bouts appear on their evening news shows.But in making such a decision, a typical self-appreciating gesture to seem at one with perceived public opinion condemning yaocho and all those admitting having thrown bouts, NHK have now relegated themselves in the eyes of most fans to "also-rans" in the quest to broadcast the sport.Hakuho's #19 will count in official records. The win/loss records of all those who participated will be recorded on each man's individual score cards.* Special prizes, although not actually awarded on the final day of action, will be counted come the end of the careers of all those weathering the current sumo storm, and regardless of the name of the event being changed from Natsu Basho to the May Technical Examination Tournament, the only real losers in the long-term will be shown to be NHK.Fans around the world were this time treated to a full day of sumo. From the earliest bouts in the morning right up until the final bout of the day featuring the top-ranked rikishi. Everything happening on the dohyo was out there on the Internet for fans and casual viewers to enjoy. Such expansive coverage is something NHK has never managed to achieve, despite the power they wield over sumo. Add to this the fact that the NHK BS shows have now even cut the old viewing options from around 1 p.m. each day in Japan, and the chance to see anything but the upper divisions is anything but rosy.Publicity of far greater numbers than has ever been realized before has opened the door to new demographics. Leading the charge was the online broadcaster Nico Nico, which required pre-registration but who then received incredible online praise on sumo fan forums for their sterling efforts at improved quality and sound in addition to extended coverage online. Even the NSK itself upped its own game with its own "captioned" in-house coverage which, until now, was regularly the recipient of criticism for the poor quality of its (stream) feed and limited opportunities to see any bouts below the second division.As such every man in the sport will now realize that the Nihon Sumo Kyokai should at the very least consider the ball and chain-like agreement it has with NHK. They should contemplate bringing in a few decent promoters and then see the world open up as their proverbial oyster.Scandals happen in many sports around the world. The difference is that the rest of the world moves on while the Japanese never seem to forgive or forget. The bout-fixing scandal happened, the participants are human, bad apples and all that, but life moves on. Or at least it should. In the sumo world the apologies have been made, and those admitting to throwing matches booted out. The courts can handle those claiming unfair dismissal, but the sport needs to look to the future and bring in outside promoters who can take sumo to as many screens as possible — via dedicated websites, online streams, social media, etc. The year is 2011, and as old and archaic as some of the traditions in sumo are, the need to look the modern world square in the face is there.NSK should consider the Manchester United of just 20 years ago. Popular, yes, but they were wallowing in mid-table for many years in the English (old) First Division. A few moments of glory came their way thanks to domestic cup wins but nothing major — and then they got rid of an unpopular owner at the end of the 1980s. Coupled to a switch in the day-to-day team management a couple of years earlier, going public and a massive PR campaign, this led to more trophies over the next decade and a half than most can even remember. Today they are arguably the biggest soccer team on the planet (even if they did lose in the May 29th Champions League Final). The team now claims millions of fans worldwide, and there is never an empty seat in their home ground of 76,000 or so. This is the kind of fame that could be realized once again in sumo, if the men in charge of the NSK and the 11,000 seater Ryogoku Kokugikan start thinking tomorrow, five years down the line, 10 years . . . if, but only if!Here's praying they do so without NHK by their side!* Each rikishi, from the lowest ranked to the yokozuna has a paper, hand maintained record showing wins and losses, as well as opponents on any given day from the first bouts in their career to their final appearance on the dohyo.
Robinson exits hospital after treatment
Baltimore — Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson has been released from the hospital after receiving follow-up treatment for a fever and infection.Robinson left the hospital Monday and is "home and doing well," according to his assistant, Diane Hock.Robinson was hospitalized at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center in April before undergoing what was supposed to be routine surgery. He stayed two weeks.
Lions blow 5-0 lead, lose in 11th
Hiroyasu Tanaka hit a game-ending sacrifice fly in the 11th inning as the Tokyo Yakult Swallows rallied to beat the Seibu Lions 6-5 on Tuesday night.Seibu reliever Alex Graman (1-1) loaded the bases on an error and two singles before Tanaka smacked a line drive to left to push across the winning run at Jingu Stadium."I was trying to stay positive in each at-bat and the results followed for me tonight," said Tanaka. "My timing had been off somewhat but I was able to stay patient at the plate. I haven't been performing well for the team, so I wanted to do something."The wheels fell off for Seibu in the bottom of the ninth after having built an early 5-0 cushion in the first three frames.Reliever Atsushi Okamoto allowed a two-out infield single to pinch hitter Ryuji Miyade and after Norichika Aoki was hit by a pitch, the right-hander threw a wild pitch, placing runners at second and third. Tanaka then singled to left to tie the ballgame at 5-5.Josh Whitesell was then tossed by plate umpire Tomoya Ishiyama for arguing a called strike for a 2-1 count, and pinch hitter Masakazu Fukukawa grounded out to end the threat.In the first inning, Hiroyuki Nakajima had a sacrifice fly to center to give Seibu a 1-0 lead.The Lions struck again in the second with a leadoff double to right by Jose Fernandez, who scored one out later on Masato Kumashiro's single down the left-field line.Nakajima added a one-out RBI double in the third — a liner that bounced over the outstretched glove of left fielder Kazuhiro Hatakeyama — and Fernandez clobbered a 1-1 fastball off right-hander Minoru Yamagishi to the stands in left-center for a 5-0 lead.Yakult pulled one back in the fourth after consecutive singles by Tanaka and Whitesell put runners at the corners. Tanaka, who went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, scored when Hatakeyama hit into a 1-4-3 double play.Pinch hitter Yuichi Matsumoto tacked on an RBI double to right in the next inning for Yakult. Catcher Ginjiro Sumitani thought he had tagged out Atsushi Fujimoto, who scored all the way from first on the play, but Ishiyama called him safe.Wladimir Balentien, who had flied out in his first two at-bats, came alive with a two-run shot to left in the sixth, pulling his team within one. It was his Japanese-baseball leading 16th homer of the year.Seibu starter Takayuki Kishi gave up four runs on five hits, striking out five with two walks in six innings.Yamagishi, who was making his first start of the season in place of Yoshinori Sato who was scratched before the game with inflammation in his left side, got the hook after allowing five runs in three innings.Buffaloes 9, BayStars 0At Yokohama Stadium, Hayato Terahara (6-4) pitched eight shutout innings as Orix sent Yokohama to its third loss in a row.Tomotaka Sakaguchi went 5-for-6 with four RBIs for the Buffaloes. BayStars starter Shogo Yamamoto (2-8) took the loss.Tigers 1, Fighters 0At Koshien Stadium, Kentaro Sekimoto delivered a walk-off single off Hirotoshi Masui (0-2) in the ninth inning as Hanshin snapped Hokkaido Nippon Ham's winning streak at six games.Minoru Iwata (3-5) pitched his first shutout of the season in an 11-strikeout effort.
Kawachi meets group seeking to buy Apache
Toshimitsu Kawachi, the bj-league commissioner, met with the Tokyo Apache's potential new owners on Monday.
Tough predicament: Fans of the Tokyo Apache are hoping the team finds a way to take the court for the 2011-12 regular season. YOSHIAKI MIURAThe group, which includes current team marketing executive Sean Kameoka and Japan-based American businessmen Dan Weiss and Todd Wiley, held talks for about an hour.In a followup phone interview on Monday evening, Weiss said the meeting was productive and pleasant for both parties, though it's unclear when a decision will be made by the team's parent company, Evolution Capital Management, and the league office regarding a potential sale and/or if the Apache's 2011-12 season can somehow still happen.The latter decision is the more complex matter on the table, as the league has already said the Apache will suspend operations for 2011-12, but Weiss said his group wants to find a way to still stage games in the fall rather than waiting an entire year to return to action.Evolution stated last week in a news release that a lack of sponsors sparked its decision to pull the plug on the 2011-12 season. The team's possible sale could change the direction of the organization.Meanwhile, another group, which includes former league executive Daijiro Kusakabe, is also in the mix to possibly take over the Apache.With the annual draft slated for Thursday, Apache players (all free agents now) and staff are "in limbo," Weiss said, so there's a sense of urgency to get things done quickly. He added that he expects the league to finalize its decision within two weeks regarding the team's immediate future.Weiss, a former JBL player and NBA Japan director of business development and business operations, said he thinks the odds are stacked against the team re-entering the league for 2011-12, noting that the league already issued its proclamation last week that the Apache are out of the picture until 2012-13."To flip-flop would be difficult," Weiss said, but acknowledged that his group wants to see the team play in the fall, if it secures ownership. The group, he said, "will do all they can to accomplish that, but it's up in the air right now."Unlike the Oita HeatDevils and Takamatsu Five Arrows, who were on life support in past seasons but avoided suspending operations, the Apache are not the only team in town, Weiss said, which makes finding the right mix of sponsors and business partners a formidable challenge.(A fan group, though, has formed to publicize its support of the Apache. Its website is keep-tokyoprobasket.com/pr/ And the group held its first meeting over the weekend.)What remains unknown is if Evolution is more interested in selling the team or retaining ownership and then getting the team back in place for 2012-13.This will be EVO's decision "up to a point," Weiss said, noting Evolution's team title deed, its possible expiration and the legal contract it has with the league office are not things he knows about, i.e., the technical details of it all. "If they step down (meaning push the sale through), then it creates an opportunity."The plan is not for a "hostile takeover," Weiss said.Evolution's asking price for a potential sale is not known. The global investment firm purchased the Apache last June, becoming the team's fourth owner in as many years.Monday's talks did not produce any concrete evidence of a breakthrough for the Apache, who were 20-14 under ex-NBA bench boss Bob Hill last season, which Evolution opted to end early after the March 11 earthquake, during this crisis time. But Weiss left the meeting feeling that it was productive to a certain point, saying Kawachi was "very polite" and "very appreciative" that there's potential interest in buying the team.
Tough predicament: Fans of the Tokyo Apache are hoping the team finds a way to take the court for the 2011-12 regular season. YOSHIAKI MIURAThe group, which includes current team marketing executive Sean Kameoka and Japan-based American businessmen Dan Weiss and Todd Wiley, held talks for about an hour.In a followup phone interview on Monday evening, Weiss said the meeting was productive and pleasant for both parties, though it's unclear when a decision will be made by the team's parent company, Evolution Capital Management, and the league office regarding a potential sale and/or if the Apache's 2011-12 season can somehow still happen.The latter decision is the more complex matter on the table, as the league has already said the Apache will suspend operations for 2011-12, but Weiss said his group wants to find a way to still stage games in the fall rather than waiting an entire year to return to action.Evolution stated last week in a news release that a lack of sponsors sparked its decision to pull the plug on the 2011-12 season. The team's possible sale could change the direction of the organization.Meanwhile, another group, which includes former league executive Daijiro Kusakabe, is also in the mix to possibly take over the Apache.With the annual draft slated for Thursday, Apache players (all free agents now) and staff are "in limbo," Weiss said, so there's a sense of urgency to get things done quickly. He added that he expects the league to finalize its decision within two weeks regarding the team's immediate future.Weiss, a former JBL player and NBA Japan director of business development and business operations, said he thinks the odds are stacked against the team re-entering the league for 2011-12, noting that the league already issued its proclamation last week that the Apache are out of the picture until 2012-13."To flip-flop would be difficult," Weiss said, but acknowledged that his group wants to see the team play in the fall, if it secures ownership. The group, he said, "will do all they can to accomplish that, but it's up in the air right now."Unlike the Oita HeatDevils and Takamatsu Five Arrows, who were on life support in past seasons but avoided suspending operations, the Apache are not the only team in town, Weiss said, which makes finding the right mix of sponsors and business partners a formidable challenge.(A fan group, though, has formed to publicize its support of the Apache. Its website is keep-tokyoprobasket.com/pr/ And the group held its first meeting over the weekend.)What remains unknown is if Evolution is more interested in selling the team or retaining ownership and then getting the team back in place for 2012-13.This will be EVO's decision "up to a point," Weiss said, noting Evolution's team title deed, its possible expiration and the legal contract it has with the league office are not things he knows about, i.e., the technical details of it all. "If they step down (meaning push the sale through), then it creates an opportunity."The plan is not for a "hostile takeover," Weiss said.Evolution's asking price for a potential sale is not known. The global investment firm purchased the Apache last June, becoming the team's fourth owner in as many years.Monday's talks did not produce any concrete evidence of a breakthrough for the Apache, who were 20-14 under ex-NBA bench boss Bob Hill last season, which Evolution opted to end early after the March 11 earthquake, during this crisis time. But Weiss left the meeting feeling that it was productive to a certain point, saying Kawachi was "very polite" and "very appreciative" that there's potential interest in buying the team.Armstrong, Hamilton in eatery row
New York — A lawyer representing Tyler Hamilton told the ESPN.com on Monday he felt compelled to notify federal authorities about an incident involving his client and fellow cyclist Lance Armstrong.Hamilton, who has accused the seven-time Tour de France winner of doping, and Armstrong had a conversation in an Aspen, Colorado, restaurant Saturday. Attorney Chris Manderson said Hamilton told him Armstrong made derisive comments, while the restaurant co-owner and friend of Armstrong told ESPN.com: "It was not a big confrontation."Federal officials are now in their second year of investigating doping in cycling. A Los Angeles-based grand jury is hearing evidence that could lead to charges of fraud, conspiracy and drug trafficking against Armstrong and his team."Lance Armstrong is a possible defendant in an investigation that's been widely reported, and Tyler is a probable witness," Manderson told the website. Armstrong told Outside Magazine the incident was "certainly awkward for both of us" and "truly uneventful."
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Gardow named first coach of Chiba Jets
The Chiba Jets, a bj-league expansion team set to begin play in the fall, have hired veteran American mentor Eric Gardow as their first coach.
The Jets made the announcement on Monday evening, becoming the second of four 2011-12 expansion teams to name a sideline supervisor after the Iwate Big Bulls handed the coaching reins to Greek Vlasios Vlaikidis. The Shinshu Brave Warriors and Yokohama B-Corsairs are expected to name their new coaches in the coming days."Today is a great day for me and my family and the basketball fans in Chiba Prefecture," Gardow said in a statement. "I am really excited about moving to Chiba, Japan, and leading the Chiba Jets in (their) first year in the bj-league."He described this as a "wonderful opportunity," adding that "we are excited to get to work, prepare the team, and compete at the highest level against all of the great talent in Japan.""I will give it my best and I hope the fans will come cheer for the team," he added.Gardow, 42, hails from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Since 2007, he has coached in the Qatar League, first leading the Al Rayyan Sports Club before moving on to the Qatar Sports Club in 2008. He also served as the Qatar men's national team head coach from 2007 to 2008.
The Jets made the announcement on Monday evening, becoming the second of four 2011-12 expansion teams to name a sideline supervisor after the Iwate Big Bulls handed the coaching reins to Greek Vlasios Vlaikidis. The Shinshu Brave Warriors and Yokohama B-Corsairs are expected to name their new coaches in the coming days."Today is a great day for me and my family and the basketball fans in Chiba Prefecture," Gardow said in a statement. "I am really excited about moving to Chiba, Japan, and leading the Chiba Jets in (their) first year in the bj-league."He described this as a "wonderful opportunity," adding that "we are excited to get to work, prepare the team, and compete at the highest level against all of the great talent in Japan.""I will give it my best and I hope the fans will come cheer for the team," he added.Gardow, 42, hails from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Since 2007, he has coached in the Qatar League, first leading the Al Rayyan Sports Club before moving on to the Qatar Sports Club in 2008. He also served as the Qatar men's national team head coach from 2007 to 2008.Monday, June 6, 2011
Sports Logos - Qualities Of A Sports Logo Design
Logo is an element, symbol or a trademark for a company. In short we can say it is an identifier of a product or any organization. Logo reflects an organization's style, personality and goals to the outer world.
Sports Logo Design
It is obvious that logo designs for a sports company are very different from that of any business company or food chain. Colors, font, size and style play an important role in giving us an outstanding sports logo design. It speaks volumes about the determination and winning spirit of a particular team. Any sports logo design should be vibrant and sportive with symbols used for that particular sport.
Importance of Sports Logo
A professional sport's logo design is a sign of allegiance and it signifies a person's love for his/her team. A strong sport logo creates a relationship between the sports fans and their sport's team. Fans have started buying an endless stream of sport-related collectibles, using the sports logo to trumpet their contact with a particular sport. The uniqueness of a sports logo design binds the sport and its lovers.
Things to be considered for a Strong Sports Logo Design
A few things to consider are for a sports logo design are:
(1) What does that particular sport represent?
(2) Who is our targeted audience?
(3) What the sports logo should symbolize about any team?
Characteristics of the Sport Logos
Sports represent energy, determination, focus and a willingness to compete. At logo labs it is seen that a sports logo must emulate those qualities. Other characteristics' that helps to enhance a sports logo are:
1) Choice of colors for a Sports Logo: A graphic designer tries to integrate with our choice of colors according to the sport logo theme. Generally sports logos include flag colors of the team so that its triumph is signified as their nation's success. For a sports logo the colors are generally vibrant and eye-catching so they are easy to recognize and remember.
2) The Type used: The mode of the sports logo being designed for any team should be technically proper.
3) Sports Logo should be different from a Corporate Logo: It should be seen that sports logo should have different outlook than that of a business logo and should focus targeted people.
4) Using different symbols in a Sports Logo: Different symbols are used while designing a sports logo. For instance, it has been noticed that animals like hawks and eagles are commonly used for basketball teams to highlight their will power and energy level.
Your sports logo design conveys the message of your team and establishes a unique identity that reflects the success of the logo design. A sports logo design plays a great role in the success of a team and its position in the sports world.
More info about Sports Logos
Copyrights Premade Logo Designs
Li masters clay for first major title
Long time coming: French Open champion Li Na poses with the winner's trophy on Saturday. APPARIS — As China's Li Na tossed the ball while serving at match point in the French Open final, a cry from a fan in the stands pierced the silence at Court Philippe Chatrier.
French revolution: Li Na celebrates winning a point against Francesca Schiavone during the French Open final on Saturday in Paris. Li won 6-4, 7-6 (7-0) to become the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam tournament. APDistracted, Li stopped and let the ball drop. The words of support were in Mandarin: "Jia you!" — which loosely translates to "Let's go!" After so many years of "Come on" and "Allez" and "Vamos," there's a new language on the tennis landscape.Li became the first Chinese player, man or woman, to win a Grand Slam singles title by beating defending champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-4, 7-6 (7-0) at Roland Garros on Saturday. The sixth-seeded Li used powerful groundstrokes to compile a 31-12 edge in winners, and won the last nine points of the match, a run that began when the fifth-seeded Schiavone was flustered by a line call she was sure was wrong."China tennis — we're getting bigger and bigger," said Li, who is projected to rise to a career-best No. 4 in Monday's new WTA rankings.She already was the first woman from that nation of more than 1 billion people to win a WTA singles title, the first to enter the top 10 in the rankings, and the first to make it to a Grand Slam final — she lost to Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open in January.Thinking back to that defeat, Li said: "I had no experience. I was very nervous. For my second time in a final, I had the experience. I knew how to do it. And I had more self-confidence."Tennis is considered an elite sport in China, and while participation is rapidly increasing, it still trails basketball, soccer and table tennis, among others. But Li's victory was big news back home, where the match finished shortly after 11 p.m. local time on a holiday weekend.State broadcaster CCTV posted the banner, "We love you Li Na," on their gushing coverage, and announcer Tong Kexin pronounced: "This has left a really deep impression on the world." People at the Green Bank Tennis Club on Beijing's northern edge gathered to eat barbecued food, drink beer and watch the events from Paris on a big-screen TV set up on a court. Some waved Chinese flags during the postmatch trophy ceremony.Li broke away from the Chinese government's sports system in late 2008 under an experimental reform policy for tennis players dubbed "Fly Alone." Li was given the freedom to choose her own coach and schedule and to keep much more of her earnings: Previously, she turned over 65 percent to the authorities; now it's 12 percent. That comes to about $205,000 of the $1.7 million winner's check."We took a lot of risks with this reform. When we let them fly, we didn't know if they would succeed. That they have now succeeded, means our reform was correct," said Sun Jinfang, an official with the Chinese Tennis Association. "This reform will serve as a good example for reforms in other sports."At her news conference, Li wore a new T-shirt with Chinese characters that mean "sport changes everything," and offered thanks to Sun."Without her reform, then possibly we wouldn't have achieved this success," Li said.When a reporter mentioned the June 1989 crackdown on prodemocracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square and asked whether her victory could spark a sports revolution, Li said she's "just" a tennis player and added, "I don't need to answer . . . this question."Her tennis game, filled with flat forehands and backhands, looks better-built for hard courts, rather than the slow, red clay of Paris. Indeed, Li never had won a clay-court tournament until Saturday.Li repeatedly set up points with her backhand, then closed them with her forehand, and she finished with 21 winners from the baseline, 15 more than Schiavone. Only after Li controlled the first set and the early part of the second did Schiavone begin working her way into the match.She broke to 4-all in the second, and held to lead 6-5. The 12th game was pivotal.Serving at deuce, Li smacked a backhand that landed near a sideline but initially was called out by a line judge, which would have given Schiavone a set point. But Li began walking up to take a closer look at the mark left in the clay by the shot, and chair umpire Louise Engzell climbed down to examine it, too. She told Schiavone the ball touched the line. Schiavone pointed at the spot in question, discussing the ruling with Engzell, who stood by her call.Schiavone wouldn't win another point."That ball was out," she said later. "Sure, you get angry. . . . So what do you do? You're playing tennis, you have to go back to playing tennis and think about what you need to do. Obviously, I think it was a big mistake. But it's up to the tournament and others to watch that match again and evaluate the call."Posey warns against Cousins threats
San Francisco — Buster Posey says he doesn't support any of the threats made toward Scott Cousins, the Florida Marlins player who severely injured the San Francisco Giants catcher in a collision at home plate May 25.Posey released a statement Saturday saying he appreciated the backing of Giants fans as he recovers from season-ending surgery, but that "in no way do I condone threats of any kind against Scott Cousins or his family."Posey's statement comes after the general manager Brian Sabean criticized Cousins on his weekly radio show on KNBR this week, calling the play malicious and unnecessary.Those comments got the attention of Major League Baseball, and executive vice president of baseball operations Joe Torre spoke with Sabean on Friday. The Giants also issued a statement saying Sabean's comments were made out of frustration, and the GM was trying to reach Cousins.
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Holder Jubilo makes successful start
Japan Under-22 striker Ryohei Yamazaki and Yuki Kobayashi were on target as Jubilo Iwata began its defense of the revamped Nabisco Cup with a 2-0 win over struggling Avispa Fukuoka in the first leg of Sunday's first round.Yamazaki opened the scoring after 13 minutes and Kobayashi sealed victory midway through the second half but last year's beaten finalist Sanfrecce Hiroshima was held 2-2 at home to Kawasaki Frontale.Hiroshima came from a goal down to lead 2-1 through David Mujiri but Takanobu Komiya snatched an equalizer for the visitors two minutes from time.In other games, Genki Haraguchi sealed Urawa Reds' 2-0 win at home to Montedio Yamagata, Yuki Nakashima's stoppage time goal earned Vegalta Sendai a 1-0 win at J. League leader Kashiwa Reysol, while Mike Havenaar gave Ventforet Kofu a 1-0 win at home to Shimizu S-Pulse.Yokohama F. Marinos were held 1-1 at home to Vissel Kobe, Rogerinho leveling for Vissel in the third minute of second-half injury time.
Fukudome's hits not enough for Cubs
ST. LOUIS — Jeff Samardzija is in good company. When Albert Pujols is locked in, hitting your spot is no guarantee.
Calm down: Red Sox manager Terry Francona, left, attempts to restrain closer Jonathan Papelbon during an argument with an umpire on Saturday in Boston. APPujols said the slider that he hammered for the game-winning home run in the 12th inning of the St. Louis Cardinals' 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday was not a bad pitch by any means. No consolation for the right-hander who served it up."Sometimes you look back on things and think, 'Would I do something different?'" Samardzija said. "I thought I made a pretty good pitch."He put the barrel on it and it went," he said. "That's Albert Pujols."Cubs manager Mike Quade said he told Samardzija to be careful, and added that next time he might walk Pujols even with the bases empty and two outs. The Cubs could have walked both Pujols and cleanup hitter Lance Berkman to get to reliever Eduardo Sanchez (2-1), batting fifth after double-switches."You look at the pitch, it wasn't a bad pitch," Pujols said. "I don't try to be a hero. I just want to start something."Samardzija (3-2) said it was all his fault that Pujols ended it."I'm the one pitching, I was the one that gave it up," Samardzija said. "He came out, we talked about it. We weren't going to live out in the middle of the plate on Pujols. Then again, when a guy like that is hitting, whatever you think is good, probably has to be a little better."Pujols had his ninth game-ending homer of his career and first since Aug. 16, 2009, against the Padres as the Cardinals prevailed in 95-degree heat."They had the pitcher's spot coming up, that was our salvation," Quade said. "But you figure you can keep him in the ballpark, you take your chances, and we couldn't."Dodgers 11, Reds 2 (11)In Cincinnati, Matt Kemp hit a tying grand slam in the eighth inning for his second homer of the game and Jamey Carroll singled in the go-ahead run in the 11th.Rockies 2, Giants 1In San Francisco, Troy Tulowitzki had three hits and drove in a run, Jhoulys Chacin pitched six effective innings and Colorado beat the Giants.Mets 5, Braves 0In New York, Dillon Gee outpitched Jair Jurrjens to remain unbeaten this season and Jose Reyes hit a bases-loaded triple.Brewers 3, Marlins 2In Miami, Prince Fielder hit his 13th homer and Yuniesky Betancourt hit a tiebreaking RBI double in Milwaukee's two-run seventh inning, helping the Brewers beat Florida.Pirates 6, Phillies 3In Pittsburgh, Charlie Morton pitched seven solid innings and the Pirates sent Philadelphia to its fourth consecutive loss.D-Backs 2, Nationals 0In Phoenix, Joe Saunders escaped two early jams to go seven innings in a combined four-hitter, helping Arizona shut out Washington for the second straight game.Padres 6, Astros 3In San Diego, Aaron Harang pitched into the seventh inning, Brad Hawpe had a two-run double and the Padres beat Houston to win consecutive home games for the first time this season.AMERICAN LEAGUERed Sox 9, Athletics 8 (14)In Boston, J.D. Drew singled in Carl Crawford with two out in the 14th inning, lifting the Red Sox to a win after closer Jonathan Papelbon blew a four-run lead in the ninth.Hideki Matsui finished 1-for-7 for the A's.Rangers 4, Indians 0In Cleveland, Derek Holland tossed a five-hitter for his second career shutout and Texas won for the seventh time in eight games.Tigers 4, White Sox 2In Chicago, Miguel Cabrera hit a tiebreaking two-run homer with two out in the ninth inning, sending Justin Verlander and the Tigers to the victory.Rays 3, Mariners 2In Seattle, Jeremy Hellickson picked up where he left off in May, pitching neatly into the eighth inning.Ichiro Suzuki was hitless in four at-bats for the Mariners.Orioles 5, Blue Jays 3In Baltimore, Mark Reynolds hit a grand slam and Jake Arrieta pitched six effective innings for the Orioles.Twins 7, Royals 2In Kansas City, Alexi Casilla matched a career high with four hits and drove in two runs, helping the Twins to their third straight win, equaling a season high for the struggling club.Yankees 3, Angels 2In Anaheim, pitcher CC Sabathia came within one out of his second complete game in three starts, Alex Rodriguez came through with a two-run homer and Robinson Cano also went deep for New York.
Calm down: Red Sox manager Terry Francona, left, attempts to restrain closer Jonathan Papelbon during an argument with an umpire on Saturday in Boston. APPujols said the slider that he hammered for the game-winning home run in the 12th inning of the St. Louis Cardinals' 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday was not a bad pitch by any means. No consolation for the right-hander who served it up."Sometimes you look back on things and think, 'Would I do something different?'" Samardzija said. "I thought I made a pretty good pitch."He put the barrel on it and it went," he said. "That's Albert Pujols."Cubs manager Mike Quade said he told Samardzija to be careful, and added that next time he might walk Pujols even with the bases empty and two outs. The Cubs could have walked both Pujols and cleanup hitter Lance Berkman to get to reliever Eduardo Sanchez (2-1), batting fifth after double-switches."You look at the pitch, it wasn't a bad pitch," Pujols said. "I don't try to be a hero. I just want to start something."Samardzija (3-2) said it was all his fault that Pujols ended it."I'm the one pitching, I was the one that gave it up," Samardzija said. "He came out, we talked about it. We weren't going to live out in the middle of the plate on Pujols. Then again, when a guy like that is hitting, whatever you think is good, probably has to be a little better."Pujols had his ninth game-ending homer of his career and first since Aug. 16, 2009, against the Padres as the Cardinals prevailed in 95-degree heat."They had the pitcher's spot coming up, that was our salvation," Quade said. "But you figure you can keep him in the ballpark, you take your chances, and we couldn't."Dodgers 11, Reds 2 (11)In Cincinnati, Matt Kemp hit a tying grand slam in the eighth inning for his second homer of the game and Jamey Carroll singled in the go-ahead run in the 11th.Rockies 2, Giants 1In San Francisco, Troy Tulowitzki had three hits and drove in a run, Jhoulys Chacin pitched six effective innings and Colorado beat the Giants.Mets 5, Braves 0In New York, Dillon Gee outpitched Jair Jurrjens to remain unbeaten this season and Jose Reyes hit a bases-loaded triple.Brewers 3, Marlins 2In Miami, Prince Fielder hit his 13th homer and Yuniesky Betancourt hit a tiebreaking RBI double in Milwaukee's two-run seventh inning, helping the Brewers beat Florida.Pirates 6, Phillies 3In Pittsburgh, Charlie Morton pitched seven solid innings and the Pirates sent Philadelphia to its fourth consecutive loss.D-Backs 2, Nationals 0In Phoenix, Joe Saunders escaped two early jams to go seven innings in a combined four-hitter, helping Arizona shut out Washington for the second straight game.Padres 6, Astros 3In San Diego, Aaron Harang pitched into the seventh inning, Brad Hawpe had a two-run double and the Padres beat Houston to win consecutive home games for the first time this season.AMERICAN LEAGUERed Sox 9, Athletics 8 (14)In Boston, J.D. Drew singled in Carl Crawford with two out in the 14th inning, lifting the Red Sox to a win after closer Jonathan Papelbon blew a four-run lead in the ninth.Hideki Matsui finished 1-for-7 for the A's.Rangers 4, Indians 0In Cleveland, Derek Holland tossed a five-hitter for his second career shutout and Texas won for the seventh time in eight games.Tigers 4, White Sox 2In Chicago, Miguel Cabrera hit a tiebreaking two-run homer with two out in the ninth inning, sending Justin Verlander and the Tigers to the victory.Rays 3, Mariners 2In Seattle, Jeremy Hellickson picked up where he left off in May, pitching neatly into the eighth inning.Ichiro Suzuki was hitless in four at-bats for the Mariners.Orioles 5, Blue Jays 3In Baltimore, Mark Reynolds hit a grand slam and Jake Arrieta pitched six effective innings for the Orioles.Twins 7, Royals 2In Kansas City, Alexi Casilla matched a career high with four hits and drove in two runs, helping the Twins to their third straight win, equaling a season high for the struggling club.Yankees 3, Angels 2In Anaheim, pitcher CC Sabathia came within one out of his second complete game in three starts, Alex Rodriguez came through with a two-run homer and Robinson Cano also went deep for New York.Balding Rooney has hair transplant
London — England striker Wayne Rooney has had a hair transplant.Rooney confirmed the news via Twitter: "I was going bald at 25, why not. I'm delighted with the result."The 25-year-old Manchester United star said his head was "still a bit bruised and swollen."The Sun newspaper said he was seen visiting London's famous Harley Street during the week and leaving with his hair covered, adding that Rooney was going for a "hi-tech baldy cure."Rooney was suspended from playing in Saturday's European Championship qualifier between England and Switzerland.
Track stars gather for Prefontaine Classic
EUGENE, Oregon — Defending champion Allyson Felix finished third in the Prefontaine Classic 400 meters and world champion Caster Semenya placed second in the 800 in her American debut on Saturday.Amantle Montsho of Botswana won the 400 in 50.59 seconds, while Felix crossed in 51.41 to trail fellow American Debbie Dunn by 0.04. Felix is a three-time world champion and a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 200.Semenya timed 1 minute, 58.88 seconds to finish 0.59 behind Kenia Sinclair of Jamaica. The South African won the event at the 2009 world championships but was unable to compete for much of last year because of controversial gender testing."The time is good. There is nothing bad I can say about the race," the 20-year-old Semenya said. "It doesn't matter about the position, it only matters about the time and it's good to run in the 1:58s."While trying to regain her form, Semenya has fought injury. But she has made strides in recent months, and was coming off a victory in the 800 at the IAAF World Challenge Dakar Grand Prix before visiting Eugene. Her Pre time was her best this season."It was very good," she said. "It was good to be back. Fans, I miss that a lot."The Pre, as it's known, is the fourth stop on the Diamond League circuit.Jamaican Steve Mullings won the 100 in a meet record 9.80, the third best time on American soil. Justin Gatlin, who last year came off a four-year suspension for doping, finished sixth in 9.97, his first result under 10 seconds since his return.Gatlin denies he knowingly used performance-enhancing substances, claiming a massage therapist, Eugene resident Chris Whetstine, used a testosterone-like cream on his legs in the spring of 2006. Whetstine has denied Gatlin's allegations.Gatlin, who won the 100 at the Pre in 2005 and 2006, was reinstated last year and has recently been competing in minor meets in Europe. He is still excluded from major European events, and Rajne Soderberg, the director of the Stockholm Diamond League event, said in an e-mail on Friday that the ban still holds."It felt good," Gatlin said of his race Saturday. "I've had a quad injury the last week and a half, so been working on that since I've been here. But just putting the technique together like my coach said, just come out here and put a good race together."
Nakata puts in solid shift as Fighters beat Giants
Masaru Takeda stymied batters over six shutout innings, Sho Nakata went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the cleanup spot and the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters blanked the Yomiuri Giants 5-0 on Sunday afternoon.
That's all folks: Ryosuke Hirata hits a walk-off homer to give the Dragons a 1-0 win over the Marines on Sunday. KYODOAtsunori Inaba got his team on the scoreboard with a leadoff homer in the second inning and Nakata tacked on a RBI double in the sixth before adding another run-scoring double in the eighth, which also featured an RBI double by Yang Dai-kang."I was just focused on making a solid impact and moving runners along today. I am very happy with my performance," said Nakata. "It's important that I was able to do my job in the cleanup spot, but more than anything, I am just happy we won. I wasn't trying to swing wildly, just stay compact," he said.Pinch hitter Kazuya Murata extended the lead with an RBI infield single in the ninth.Takeda (4-5) yielded just three hits — all singles — struck out six and walked none before handing the game over to the bullpen to close out. Seth Greisinger (1-2) took the loss.Hawks 1, Carp 0At Mazda Stadium, Tadashi Settsu threw his first career shutout, striking out eight as Softbank sent struggling Hiroshima to a nine-game losing streak for the first time in 12 years.Settsu (5-2) allowed just four hits and retired the last 12 batters he faced after yielding a sixth-inning, leadoff single to Akihiro Higashide. Seiichi Uchikawa's RBI grounder off Giancarlo Alvarado (0-1) in the first was the sole run.Buffaloes 14, Tigers 3At Koshien Stadium, Takahiro Okada hit a three-run homer in a 3-for-6 outing and Orix broke out the bats in a 17-hit onslaught in a romp over Hanshin to win its fifth in a row.Swallows 13, Eagles 5At Jingu Stadium, Josh Whitesell, Wladimir Balentien and Ryohei Kawamoto each homered and Tokyo Yakult punched its opponent's lights out in a 10-run fourth inning in a rout of Tohoku Rakuten, which lost its third in a row to drop a season-worst 13 games below .500.Dragons 1, Marines 0At Nagoya Dome, Ryosuke Hirata hit a walk-off homer for the second day in a row, giving Chunichi a win over Chiba Lotte.Hirata, who hit a game-ending shot in Saturday's win over Seibu, connected to the stands in right off closer Yasuhiko Yabuta (0-2) with two outs in the final frame. Reliever Koji Mise (1-0) got the win.BayStars 5, Lions 4At Yokohama Stadium, Terrmel Sledge hit a three-run homer and Brett Harper had a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning as the BayStars pulled out of last place with a win over Seibu.
That's all folks: Ryosuke Hirata hits a walk-off homer to give the Dragons a 1-0 win over the Marines on Sunday. KYODOAtsunori Inaba got his team on the scoreboard with a leadoff homer in the second inning and Nakata tacked on a RBI double in the sixth before adding another run-scoring double in the eighth, which also featured an RBI double by Yang Dai-kang."I was just focused on making a solid impact and moving runners along today. I am very happy with my performance," said Nakata. "It's important that I was able to do my job in the cleanup spot, but more than anything, I am just happy we won. I wasn't trying to swing wildly, just stay compact," he said.Pinch hitter Kazuya Murata extended the lead with an RBI infield single in the ninth.Takeda (4-5) yielded just three hits — all singles — struck out six and walked none before handing the game over to the bullpen to close out. Seth Greisinger (1-2) took the loss.Hawks 1, Carp 0At Mazda Stadium, Tadashi Settsu threw his first career shutout, striking out eight as Softbank sent struggling Hiroshima to a nine-game losing streak for the first time in 12 years.Settsu (5-2) allowed just four hits and retired the last 12 batters he faced after yielding a sixth-inning, leadoff single to Akihiro Higashide. Seiichi Uchikawa's RBI grounder off Giancarlo Alvarado (0-1) in the first was the sole run.Buffaloes 14, Tigers 3At Koshien Stadium, Takahiro Okada hit a three-run homer in a 3-for-6 outing and Orix broke out the bats in a 17-hit onslaught in a romp over Hanshin to win its fifth in a row.Swallows 13, Eagles 5At Jingu Stadium, Josh Whitesell, Wladimir Balentien and Ryohei Kawamoto each homered and Tokyo Yakult punched its opponent's lights out in a 10-run fourth inning in a rout of Tohoku Rakuten, which lost its third in a row to drop a season-worst 13 games below .500.Dragons 1, Marines 0At Nagoya Dome, Ryosuke Hirata hit a walk-off homer for the second day in a row, giving Chunichi a win over Chiba Lotte.Hirata, who hit a game-ending shot in Saturday's win over Seibu, connected to the stands in right off closer Yasuhiko Yabuta (0-2) with two outs in the final frame. Reliever Koji Mise (1-0) got the win.BayStars 5, Lions 4At Yokohama Stadium, Terrmel Sledge hit a three-run homer and Brett Harper had a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning as the BayStars pulled out of last place with a win over Seibu.Stricker clings to lead at Memorial
Hanging on: Steve Stricker hits from the sand to the first green during the third round of the Memorial at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio on Saturday. APDUBLIN, Ohio — Steve Stricker went from doing everything right to having just about everything go wrong as his lead was cut in half over the final five holes at the Memorial on Saturday.The good news for Stricker is that he had a six-shot lead at one point, and his 3-under 69 at Muirfield Village still kept him three shots clear of Jonathan Byrd going into the final round. He was at 12-under 204 as he goes for his 10th career victory.Stricker holed out for eagle from 113 yards on the second hole, made another eagle with a 3-iron into 6 feet on the par-5 fifth and looked as though he might run away from the field when he rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth.But he missed three putts inside 7 feet — one of them for par — over the final five holes, and his tee shot on the 18th landed in the middle of a sand-filled divot, sending his approach beyond the green in thick rough. Stricker chipped out to 3 feet to escape with par and leave himself some decent vibes going into Sunday."All of a sudden, things seemed pretty hard, when at the start of the day, things were really going my way," he said. "But I understand that, and I understand that's the nature of this game. So you add them up at the end, and it was a 69. And it was a good score."Byrd made birdie on the 18th hole for a 69 that will put him in the final group on Sunday with a chance to win for the second time this year. Thanks to the late fade by Stricker, several others have a chance that at one time didn't look possible."I'm doing everything pretty well," Byrd said.Matt Kuchar, who made six birdies in his opening nine holes, had a 68 despite two bogeys in his last four holes. He was four shots behind, along with Brandt Jobe, who shot a 69.Rory McIlroy couldn't get the clean round he wanted. Making a rare U.S. PGA Tour appearance, McIlroy chopped up the par-3 fourth hole for a double bogey, hit into the water on the par-5 11th for a bogey and was falling back until he rallied with an eagle putt on the 15th. He wound up with a 71 and was five shots behind, along with Mark Wilson (66) and former U.S. PGA champion Shaun Micheel (67)."Even though I didn't play my best stuff today, I'm still in a decent position going into tomorrow," McIlroy said. "And that's all you can ask for."Luke Donald, in his debut as the No. 1 player in the world, was trying to make a charge on the back nine until he made two careless bogeys and had to settled for a 73. Donald was at 4-under 212, eight shots out of the lead. About the only thing Donald can likely achieve on Sunday is to go for his 10th straight finish in the top 10. Donald was tied for 17th.An amazing start gave Stricker strokes to burn toward the end of his round.After an 8-footer to save par from a bunker on the opening hole, Stricker had 113 yards on No. 2. He reached into his pocket for a tee to clean out a chunk of dirt in his 53-degree wedge, set up over the ball and hit a perfect shot that spun into the cup for an eagle. Three holes later, he hit 3-iron over the water with just enough draw to catch the ridge and settled 6 feet away for another eagle.Going back to the second round, it was his third eagle in seven holes. And he became only the 13th player on the U.S. PGA Tour since 1983 to make an eagle on a par 3, par 4 and par 5 in the same tournament.He had it going so well that his lone bogey on the front nine came on a shot that was about a yard away from being an easy birdie, his wedge just hopping into a buried lie beyond the green instead of rolling down the ridge. But he answered with an 8-foot birdie on the seventh, and a 25-foot birdie on the eighth to go out in 31.Kawashima ready to lock horns with master Cech
YOKOHAMA — Eiji Kawashima is relishing the prospect of going up against Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech when Japan meets the Czech Republic in the final game of the Kirin Cup in Yokohama on Tuesday.
Czech mate: Eiji Kawashima is looking forward to facing Petr Cech and the Czech Republic on Tuesday. KYODOKawashima was chiefly responsible for preserving Alberto Zaccheroni's unbeaten record as Japan coach with a string of fine stops in Wednesday's 0-0 draw with Peru in the opening game of the three-team tournament in Niigata.Cech was also on form against Peru in Nagano Prefecture on Saturday, keeping a clean sheet as that game also finished goalless, setting up a winner-take-all climax against the Blue Samurai at Nissan Stadium.Belgium-based Kawashima modestly played down his performance against the South Americans, but admitted the chance to play against one of the world's best goalkeepers in Cech has fired him up to deliver another top-drawer performance."As a goalkeeper it is a real pleasure to be playing against great goalkeepers and I am really looking forward to playing against him. It lifts my motivation," Kawashima said after training Sunday."I was just doing my job against Peru. That is what I am there for," said the 28-year-old, who admitted his teammates had struggled to adjust to an unfamiliar 3-4-3 shape that Zaccheroni looks set to stick with against the Czechs."The system is not easy so we have to try to make it better game by game."Kawashima has been linked with a move to English Premier League club West Bromwich Albion from Lierse, whom he joined after a series of eye-catching performances at the World Cup in South Africa last summer.The former Nagoya Grampus and Kawasaki Frontale keeper is also reportedly being targeted by VVV Venlo, which already has two Japanese players in Maya Yoshida and Bobby Cullen on its books, but Kawashima said nothing was decided yet for next season."Talks are still going on (with West Brom) and we are waiting for people to start moving. I am talking with my agent but I am not in a rush. I will wait until the middle of June or something," Kawashima said. "I am talking with a few clubs but I have to look at the conditions, whether I can play or not and what the club are thinking. Then I will take my direction for next season."Cech has advised Kawashima to study up hard on the unique style of soccer he says is played in England if he ends up joining the Baggies or another Premier League team."I think it takes the understanding of the game over here (in England) because it is completely different to other countries," Cech said."It is more physical and I think that a goalkeeper needs to learn a lot about the game. Observation of the games and to understand the mentality and language, which helps; This is the main advice because you need to learn fast that this game is different."By watching the games and learning about the way the opponents play, this is the best way to get ready for the games even though you have never played against the teams before."When I came to England I was watching closely all of our opponents all week. I needed to know what kind of style they play to help me to get ready for the games. I had a very good season in my first season and followed that since but I think the key was the preparation for each game," said Chelsea's player of the year.Cech, by his own admission, knows little about the current Japanese team, but said he is expecting a tough test on Tuesday."I haven't had much chance of watching how everybody is doing at the moment," Cech said."In my experience when I was in the youth team in the Under-20 World Cup (in 2001 in Argentina) we played Japan and lost 3-0 and we played the (senior) national team in our preparation in 2004 for the European Championship and lost 1-0 at home and they had lots of chances."Japan are a very good team and I think it will be a great test for us."
Czech mate: Eiji Kawashima is looking forward to facing Petr Cech and the Czech Republic on Tuesday. KYODOKawashima was chiefly responsible for preserving Alberto Zaccheroni's unbeaten record as Japan coach with a string of fine stops in Wednesday's 0-0 draw with Peru in the opening game of the three-team tournament in Niigata.Cech was also on form against Peru in Nagano Prefecture on Saturday, keeping a clean sheet as that game also finished goalless, setting up a winner-take-all climax against the Blue Samurai at Nissan Stadium.Belgium-based Kawashima modestly played down his performance against the South Americans, but admitted the chance to play against one of the world's best goalkeepers in Cech has fired him up to deliver another top-drawer performance."As a goalkeeper it is a real pleasure to be playing against great goalkeepers and I am really looking forward to playing against him. It lifts my motivation," Kawashima said after training Sunday."I was just doing my job against Peru. That is what I am there for," said the 28-year-old, who admitted his teammates had struggled to adjust to an unfamiliar 3-4-3 shape that Zaccheroni looks set to stick with against the Czechs."The system is not easy so we have to try to make it better game by game."Kawashima has been linked with a move to English Premier League club West Bromwich Albion from Lierse, whom he joined after a series of eye-catching performances at the World Cup in South Africa last summer.The former Nagoya Grampus and Kawasaki Frontale keeper is also reportedly being targeted by VVV Venlo, which already has two Japanese players in Maya Yoshida and Bobby Cullen on its books, but Kawashima said nothing was decided yet for next season."Talks are still going on (with West Brom) and we are waiting for people to start moving. I am talking with my agent but I am not in a rush. I will wait until the middle of June or something," Kawashima said. "I am talking with a few clubs but I have to look at the conditions, whether I can play or not and what the club are thinking. Then I will take my direction for next season."Cech has advised Kawashima to study up hard on the unique style of soccer he says is played in England if he ends up joining the Baggies or another Premier League team."I think it takes the understanding of the game over here (in England) because it is completely different to other countries," Cech said."It is more physical and I think that a goalkeeper needs to learn a lot about the game. Observation of the games and to understand the mentality and language, which helps; This is the main advice because you need to learn fast that this game is different."By watching the games and learning about the way the opponents play, this is the best way to get ready for the games even though you have never played against the teams before."When I came to England I was watching closely all of our opponents all week. I needed to know what kind of style they play to help me to get ready for the games. I had a very good season in my first season and followed that since but I think the key was the preparation for each game," said Chelsea's player of the year.Cech, by his own admission, knows little about the current Japanese team, but said he is expecting a tough test on Tuesday."I haven't had much chance of watching how everybody is doing at the moment," Cech said."In my experience when I was in the youth team in the Under-20 World Cup (in 2001 in Argentina) we played Japan and lost 3-0 and we played the (senior) national team in our preparation in 2004 for the European Championship and lost 1-0 at home and they had lots of chances."Japan are a very good team and I think it will be a great test for us."Analysts hope NBA able to avoid lockout
DALLAS — So far in the NBA Finals, television numbers have been skyrocketing, as was the case around the league for much of the season. ABC and ESPN had record viewership numbers all season for NBA telecasts.
Trouble ahead: The NBA could be heading for a lockout despite drawing increased ratings during this season's NBA Finals. APSome would suggest interest in the league has never been higher.Which begs the question: Would those eyeballs come back if next season is interrupted by labor strife?It's one that ABC and ESPN analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy hope they don't see answered.Both expressed concern Saturday over the direction the league's labor rift may be heading. More talks between the NBA and its players are scheduled to take place in Dallas over the coming days, though both parties — even while indicating some progress may have been made at a negotiating session in Miami after Game 1 of the finals — still appear to be bracing for a lockout to commence when the current collective bargaining agreement expires on June 30."Very concerned," Jackson said. "It's been an all-time great season from top to bottom. You can't go anywhere where people are not talking about the great stories that have occurred throughout the course of the year. It's important ownership, management, players, union get together and try to keep this momentum going. I think there's more than enough money available to make a deal where everybody will be happy. It's going to be interesting."The NBA wants a hard salary cap, which players absolutely do not want to see. The current salary cap system allows for certain exceptions that permit teams to exceed it, such as to re-sign their own free agents. They wouldn't have that luxury under a hard cap system, potentially forcing teams to make some difficult decisions to stay below the threshold.Despite all the pressing labor matters, fans are watching in droves.ABC's broadcasts of the first two games of the NBA Finals drew an average of 15,347,000 viewers, up 28 percent over the last Miami-Dallas finals series in 2006 and even up 3 percent over what two traditional powerhouse franchises — the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics — lured last year. And around the league, viewership on regional sports networks was up 13 percent this season, the NBA said."If this does go to a lockout, it's different than the NFL," Van Gundy said Saturday. "There are real economic hardships that some teams are facing in the NBA losing money. The NFL, it's just, 'How much more do you want to make?' "Months of NFL labor talks broke down on March 11 and plenty of discussion sessions since have not ended that dispute, placing the 2011 season in jeopardy. The NBA played a 50-game schedule instead of the customary 82 in the 1998-99 season because of a lockout."If you have a well-managed team, where whoever is making the business and basketball decisions, you should be guaranteed two things," Van Gundy said. "One, that you can earn a profit and two, that you have a chance to compete for a championship, no matter what city you're in. And I think right now, you can't say that that's possible under this system. But the first qualifier is being managed properly, and there's a lot of teams you could go say that the players (should not) have to buy you out of your mistakes."Van Gundy is not cringing at the thought of a lockout this summer, though the former coach does not want to see next season interrupted, either.He sees some potential benefits if everyone is forced into a break this summer, most notably rest from the demands of a long season, especially for young players — many of whom started training camp in September, play all fall and winter and then get asked to participate in summer leagues and other offseason workouts."God bless the lockout," Van Gundy said, "until September 1."
Trouble ahead: The NBA could be heading for a lockout despite drawing increased ratings during this season's NBA Finals. APSome would suggest interest in the league has never been higher.Which begs the question: Would those eyeballs come back if next season is interrupted by labor strife?It's one that ABC and ESPN analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy hope they don't see answered.Both expressed concern Saturday over the direction the league's labor rift may be heading. More talks between the NBA and its players are scheduled to take place in Dallas over the coming days, though both parties — even while indicating some progress may have been made at a negotiating session in Miami after Game 1 of the finals — still appear to be bracing for a lockout to commence when the current collective bargaining agreement expires on June 30."Very concerned," Jackson said. "It's been an all-time great season from top to bottom. You can't go anywhere where people are not talking about the great stories that have occurred throughout the course of the year. It's important ownership, management, players, union get together and try to keep this momentum going. I think there's more than enough money available to make a deal where everybody will be happy. It's going to be interesting."The NBA wants a hard salary cap, which players absolutely do not want to see. The current salary cap system allows for certain exceptions that permit teams to exceed it, such as to re-sign their own free agents. They wouldn't have that luxury under a hard cap system, potentially forcing teams to make some difficult decisions to stay below the threshold.Despite all the pressing labor matters, fans are watching in droves.ABC's broadcasts of the first two games of the NBA Finals drew an average of 15,347,000 viewers, up 28 percent over the last Miami-Dallas finals series in 2006 and even up 3 percent over what two traditional powerhouse franchises — the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics — lured last year. And around the league, viewership on regional sports networks was up 13 percent this season, the NBA said."If this does go to a lockout, it's different than the NFL," Van Gundy said Saturday. "There are real economic hardships that some teams are facing in the NBA losing money. The NFL, it's just, 'How much more do you want to make?' "Months of NFL labor talks broke down on March 11 and plenty of discussion sessions since have not ended that dispute, placing the 2011 season in jeopardy. The NBA played a 50-game schedule instead of the customary 82 in the 1998-99 season because of a lockout."If you have a well-managed team, where whoever is making the business and basketball decisions, you should be guaranteed two things," Van Gundy said. "One, that you can earn a profit and two, that you have a chance to compete for a championship, no matter what city you're in. And I think right now, you can't say that that's possible under this system. But the first qualifier is being managed properly, and there's a lot of teams you could go say that the players (should not) have to buy you out of your mistakes."Van Gundy is not cringing at the thought of a lockout this summer, though the former coach does not want to see next season interrupted, either.He sees some potential benefits if everyone is forced into a break this summer, most notably rest from the demands of a long season, especially for young players — many of whom started training camp in September, play all fall and winter and then get asked to participate in summer leagues and other offseason workouts."God bless the lockout," Van Gundy said, "until September 1."
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