Worcester Sports Roundup

Opening Ceremony has somber start with tribute to Kumaritashvili

2010-02-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

Yahoo Sports

At the Vancouver Olympics Opening Ceremony, the Olympic movement took a moment to honor the memory of Nodar Kumaritashvili, the Georgian luger who was tragically killed while training Friday.

At the beginning of the Ceremony, an ovation was given to Kumaritashvili, and an announcement was made that the Opening Ceremony was dedicated to Kumaritashvili. Several countries also wore armbands as a tribute.

Kumaritashvili's Georgian teammates wore black armbands and black scarves, and a black ribbon was put on the Georgian flag. Their somber delegation was greeted by a loud cheer and a standing ovation at BC Place.

"Georgia is announced. The crowd begins to clap, and then cheer. Then the lower bowl comes to its feet, as did much of press row. Solid, lingering ovation as they came around the track. Spontaneous too," said Fourth-Place Medal's Greg Wyshinski, who was on-hand at the Ceremony.

The small Georgian delegation appeared to be overwhelmed by the show of support. Some of the eight members cried, while most just kept stone faces.

Olympic luger killed in crash

2010-02-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

WHISTLER, British Columbia (AP) - It took only three seconds.

Sliding faster than ever in his life, 21-year-old Nodar Kumaritashvili had one turn left in his final Olympic training run. Flirting with 90 mph on a $100 million track pushing speed to the outer limits, the luger from the republic of Georgia tilted his head slightly forward as his sled climbed the high-banked wall.

His last move.

Kumaritashvili lost control, crashing into the wall entering the final straightaway. His body went airborne, arms and legs flailing over the opposite side of the track, his upper body smashing into an unpadded steel pole as his sled continued skidding down the track. It all took just 48.9 seconds, start to crash.

Paramedics began working on Kumaritashvili within seconds, quickly starting chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, all to no avail.

The IOC said Kumaritashvili was pronounced dead at a trauma center in Whistler.

Less than an hour after the accident, a representative from each team was told the grim news.
With that, tears began flowing across the close-knit sliding world and throughout the Olympic family.

"I have no words," a teary International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said, "to say what we feel."

Within an hour of the accident, an investigation was opened. Security officials closed access to the crash area and the remainder of the track for the rest of the day, and all further training runs scheduled for Friday were canceled.

Women's luge Olympians are scheduled to train at the track Saturday morning, nine hours before the men's two-day competition is set to begin.

"It is a nervous situation," Latvian luge federation president Atis Strenga said. "It's a big tragedy for all (of) luge. I hope, we all hope, it's the first accident and the last accident in this race."

The danger of the Whistler track has been talked about for months - particularly after several countries, including the U.S., were upset with restrictions over access to the facility by nations other than Canada, some noting it could lead to a safety issue. Some sliders, especially those from small luge federations, saw the world's fastest track this week for the first time.

"When you are going that fast it just takes one slip and you can have that big mistake," U.S. doubles luger Christian Niccum said Thursday, when asked about track safety. "All of us are very calm going down, but it you start jerking at 90 mph or making quick reactions, that sled will steer. That's the difference between luge and bobsled and skeleton, we're riding on a very sharp edge and that sled will go exactly where we tell it to so you better be telling it the right things on the way down."

There was speculation that having the men's sliders start from the women's ramp - which would shorten the course and possibly keep speed a bit more in check - was among the options being considered.

Officials in Vancouver and Whistler both stressed that no decisions regarding what happens next would be made before the initial investigation is complete.

Rogge said he was in contact with both Kumaritashvili's family and officials from the Georgian government. The remaining seven members of the Georgian Olympic delegation said they would stay in the games and dedicated their performances to their fallen teammate.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the Georgian Olympic team," U.S. bobsled pilot Steven Holcomb said on Twitter. "The sliding community suffered a tragic and devastating loss to our family today."

Kumaritashvili is the fourth competitor to die at the Winter Games, all in training, and the first since 1992.

Crashes happen often in luge - at least 12 sliders have wrecked just this week on the daunting Whistler surface. Still, some who have been around tracks their entire lives couldn't remember someone actually being thrown over the wall.

"It's a very rare situation," three-time Olympic champion and German coach Georg Hackl said, clearly shaken after seeing Kumaritashvili tended to furiously by medical workers.

Shortly before the accident, Hackl said he didn't believe the Whistler track was unsafe.

"People have the opinion it is dangerous but the track crew does the best it can and they are working hard to make sure the track is in good shape and everyone is safe," he said. "My opinion is that it's not any more dangerous than anywhere else."

VANOC officials said the investigation was taking place to "ensure a safe field of play."
"As athletes, we know that the international federation, the IOC and VANOC have no higher priority than ensuring our safety, on and off the field of play," said British luger A.J. Rosen, who dislocated his hip in a crash at the Whistler track last fall. "I know they are looking into this and, should it be deemed necessary for them to introduce additional measures, they will do so."

This was Kumaritashvili's second crash during training for the games, the first coming Wednesday in the opening session. He also failed to finish his second of six practice runs.

His last recorded speed Friday was 89.4 mph, measured near the last curve. He was on a higher path - line, they call it in luge - down the final turns of the track than most sliders prefer, and the combination of speed and gravitational pull was too much for his 176-pound body to control.

Sliding diagonally, Kumaritashvili smashed into a corner entering the final straightaway feet-first. He was knocked off his sled and sailed in the other direction, coming to rest on a metal walkway after his upper body smashed into the post. The first rescue worker just happened to be nearby and was at his side within three seconds.

"His competitive spirit and dedication to sports excellence will be remembered and honored during the games," Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper said.

This would have been Kumaritashvili's first Olympics. He competed competed in five World Cup races this season, finishing 44th in the world standings.

Earlier in the day, gold-medal favorite Armin Zoeggeler of Italy crashed, losing control of his sled on Curve 11. Zoeggeler came off his sled and held it with his left arm to keep it from smashing atop his body. He slid on his back down several curves before coming to a stop and walking away.

Training days in Whistler have been crash-filled. A Romanian woman was knocked unconscious and at least four Americans - Chris Mazdzer on Wednesday, Megan Sweeney on Thursday and both Tony Benshoof and Bengt Walden on Friday in the same training session where Zoeggeler wrecked - have had serious trouble just getting down the track.

"RIP Nodar Kumaritashvili," American skeleton athlete Kyle Tress, who did not qualify for the Olympic team, wrote on his Twitter feed. "Let's never forget how dangerous these sports can be."

RIP

2009-09-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

Cross-posted on www.devshirme.com

Fred Cusick, the greatest sports announcer I have ever listened to, passed away recently at the age of 90. More here.

Remy returns to NESN broadcast booth

2009-08-22T05:09:00.000-07:00

Color commentator excited to be back covering Red Sox
By Ian Browne / MLB.com

BOSTON -- As familiar a sight at Fenway Park the last two decades as the Green Monster, popular color commentator Jerry Remy resumed his perch in the NESN broadcast booth for Friday night's Red Sox-Yankees game.

Remy took a leave of absence on May 6 to fully recover from the effects of lung cancer surgery. Last week, he confirmed that a bout with depression had prolonged his return.

After easing his way back in by sitting in the booth for a half-inning for the Aug. 12 game -- during which he received a boisterous ovation from the Fenway faithful -- Remy was convinced that he was ready to come back.

"That helped tremendously, because for the longest period of time, I didn't want any part of the ballpark," Remy said. "I just didn't want to come in here, because it brought me down, more than anything else. The last week, I felt better. I felt like I wanted to get in here. It was kind of a trial run, just to see some people and get back here. It did help a lot, it really did. I made up my mind after that day that this would be the day I was going to try to do it."

It's just that Remy never envisioned the type of butterflies he would have running through him as he drove back to work on Friday. It was probably something he hadn't felt since his days as a player.

"I was nervous this morning," Remy said. "I had the kind of feeling this morning, as [if] I was coming in like a player to play on Opening Day. It was very strange. It wasn't a comfortable day for me. But I feel more comfortable since I've been here."

The Red Sox were happy to see Remy back to work. He has always been a presence in the clubhouse and has traveled with the team throughout his 21 years in the booth.

"We're obviously very excited," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "Hopefully nobody more than me. I missed him."

"It will definitely be good to hear his voice sitting in the clubhouse before I go out there [to the bullpen]," said Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon. "He's been great. He's been one of the great guys for our Red Sox team. Hopefully he'll bring a little more luck when he comes back to us."
Remy, at least for now, will work on a part-time basis.

"We're going to kind of roll with it," said Remy. "I intend on doing all the home games and I think the road is a question. There's only two road trips left and I don't know if that would be the right thing for me to do at this stage. But you know, we'll see what happens. I could come in and do this week and feel entirely different and be ready to go on the road. I don't know. But the plan right now is to do the home games."

Vick And Remorse

2009-08-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

Cross-posted on www.devshirme.com

Howard Bryant's recent article on Michael Vick's return to the NFL (and perhaps respectability) is about as good as I have seen on this topic. A few of my thoughts:
-Most articles on Vick's return mention how exciting he will be playing in the Wildcat formation or somesuch thing. They also mention how Philly is a winning team that has superstars, so Vick will not be the big man in the locker room. But the genius of the Eagles (or the Pats or a handful of other teams) signing Vick is that if it doesn't work out and they cut him it is really no big deal. None of these teams would be dependent on him to win.
-Is Vick truly remorseful? Who knows? Byrant makes the very good point that Vick didn't regret stuff until he got caught. It will take years to know, if ever. I will not speculate further on this point, because then you get into philosophical points about if he wasn't remorseful but if the ads helped people understand cruelty to animals, does that make it ok, etc.
-I hope things work out for all parties involved. One of things that has come out of all this is how repulsive animal cruelty is.
-I say all of this, but I cannot but keep from flashing back to such repulsive words as hanging, drowning, and electrocuting - all things which happened to the fighting dogs under Vick's aegis. There is just something utterly reprehensible to all of this that makes it hard for me to see Vick and his situation objectively.
Check out Bryant's article here.

Ryan, Ventura,...Winfield?

2009-08-07T20:02:00.001-07:00

Cross-posted on www.devshirme.com

Phil Mushnick has an article today on the 16th anniversary of Robin Ventura charging the mound against Nolan Ryan (and getting pummeled). I remember watching this while on summer vacation from college. I think Mushnick leaves out the real context of the brawl - Ventura was the first guy since Dave Winfield in 1980 (!) to dare charge the mound against Ryan, who was an institution by the time Ventura did his thing. Interestingly, Mushnick, who truly is the voice of the average fan in showing how leagues and teams take advantage of fans, schedule games at times making it impossible for kids to watch, etc., mentions Winfield in another context later in the article. The long time between people charging Ryan was the main theme of Sportscenter that night, as I remember. I wrote the author an email on the subject - I am interested to see if he remembers this angle and/or thinks it was as significant as I remember.

First Place Tornadoes Drown Defenders

2009-08-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

WORCESTER, MA--- Worcester’s fifth consecutive win 10-6, coupled with a Thursday night come from behind Brockton win over New Jersey, puts the Tornadoes in first place by one half game in front of the Jackals.

Ryan Lobban (8-3) notched his league leading eighth win, fourth in a row, on this night with six quality innings of three run baseball. Lobban coughed up three two out runs in the first before settling into a four-strikeout outing.

The Tornadoes scored in four of the first five innings en route to a ten run, thirteen hit ballgame. Chris Colabello knocked out his sixth long ball of the season with two outs in the fourth was one of four extra base hits, the others a triple from Vinny Pennell and a pair of doubles from Omar Pena.

New Hampshire staged a mini-come back in the seventh with two outs against Nick Conway with three straight hits from Angel Molina, Chris Kelly, and Jabe Bergeron, but it was too little too late for the camo clad Defenders. Eddie Pena got the last out of the seventh and tossed in three outs a piece for the eighth and ninth as well to close out the visitors.

Worcester will get a chance to lengthen their lead on New Jersey tomorrow night when the Jackals breeze into the HIP for a three game set. Guiseppe Granitto (0-3) will throw for NJ in his fourth start against the Tornadoes. Worcester counters with rookie Ryan Quinn (0-0) making his second professional start.

Patriots Camp Notes ~ Thursday

2009-08-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

By Paul Perillo, Patriots Football Weekly

The Patriots opened training camp with a rain and lightning-shortened practice at Gillette Stadium with Vince Wilfork present but Randy Moss, Shawn Springs, Joey Galloway and Jarvis Green were not.

He didn’t exactly guarantee it, but back in the spring during OTAs Vince Wilfork strongly suggested that he would be with his teammates on the field for the start of training camp. Consider him a man of his word.

Wilfork was indeed one of the 70 Patriots in uniform for the official start of training camp. He’s still without the contract extension he desires, and it doesn’t appear the sides are any closer to a resolution, but he said he wouldn’t let those distractions affect him in any way.

The news on the attendance front wasn’t all good, however. Randy Moss, Joey Galloway and Jarvis Green all were missing from practice. They joined Shawn Crable, Ty Warren, Darryl Richard, Rich Ohrnberger, Mark LeVoir, Shawn Springs and Brandon Tate on the sidelines. Tate and Springs opened camp on the active/non-football injury list while the other five all reside on the active/physically unable to perform list.

Bill Belichick wouldn’t specify the reason for any individual player’s absence, instead speaking about the group as a whole.

“We have a number of players not out there and they’re in different stages,” he said. “I’d expect them all to be back out there at some point but each case is taken on an individual basis.”

On Thursday, Wilfork took his spot up front in various alignments. He manned his normal nose tackle spot between Richard Seymour and Mike Wright, and he also lined up in four-man looks with rookie Ron Brace next to him. Some of the four-man fronts appeared to be part of scout team looks.

Unfortunately the heavy rains and lightning interrupted the morning practice and prevented normal media access and Wilfork wasn’t one of the handful of players the team made available for comment. Regardless, it doesn’t appear as if there’s a holdout in the big man’s immediate future.

Who likes Mike?

Former Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick's road back to the NFL is obviously a lot shorter now that Commissioner Roger Goodell has granted him a conditional return. Several national reports have listed the Patriots as a potential landing spot for Vick, and Belichick was asked about the possibility of the former Falcon being back in the NFL.

“Michael’s an outstanding player who hasn’t played in a couple of years,” Belichick said. “Right now my focus is on our team, our players, and trying to get the New England Patriots ready. He’s a tremendous athlete, where exactly he is right now, I don’t know.”

Who’s hot: Adalius Thomas – The Patriots may not have opened camp with loads of proven commodities at outside linebacker, but Thomas certainly is one. He was virtually unblockable Thursday morning, coming clean off the edge several times and delivering a big shoulder to Sammy Morris during a 9-on-7 running drill.

Who’s not: Shawn Crable – Crable is one of many of the unproven candidates to fill Mike Vrabel’s void on the outside and starting camp on the physically unable to perform list can’t be a good sign. While it’s unclear why Crable is on PUP, the reps he’s missing on the field will be tough to replace.

Play of the morning – As the deluge of rain swept through the practice fields, ball security became an issue. But one interception stood out and that was Jonathan Wilhite’s diving grab of a Kevin O’Connell pass intended for Ray Ventrone. The ball was slightly underthrown, but Wilhite’s diving catch was special.

Quote of the day: “I’m a lot friendlier.” – a smiling Belichick, when asked how he’d changed during his 10 years coaching the Patriots.

Paying respects

Belichick commented on the recent passing of Eagles defensive coordinator Jimmy Johnson, who died earlier this week after a battle with cancer.

“Jim’s probably as good a defensive coordinator as I’ve seen in the league,” Belichick said. “I respect his philosophy, his schemes and his ability to attack offenses. He’s got a real good football mind.

I’ve always had great respect for him. He’s a good friend and a real good football coach. Certainly on behalf of our team and football organization, our condolences go out to his family and the Eagles.”

Snapped up

Long snapper Jake Ingram signed a four-year deal and hit the practice field with the rest of his teammates for the first official day of training camp. The sixth-round pick did miss four days of work with his fellow rookies, who have been practicing since July 26, but his signing means the Patriots successfully inked deals with 11 of their 12 draft picks. The lone exception is linebacker Tyrone McKenzie, the third-round pick who tore his ACL during rookie mini-camp and is likely lost for the season. Obviously there’s no urgency to get his deal done. To make room for Ingram on the roster the team released defensive back Jamar Love.

Notes

Terrence Wheatley made a nice pass breakup on a Tom Brady pass intended for Terrence Nunn. Brady’s pass was underthrown and Nunn was forced to slow down, but Wheatley closed well and got enough of the ball to prevent the completion. … Ray Ventrone, who is usually busy enough filling his duties as a wide receiver, defensive back and special teams maven, worked out with the running backs during the morning session. … Five players worked returning kicks with Wes Welker, Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney, Greg Lewis and Terrence Nunn rotating through. ... Robert and Jonathan Kraft braved the weather and took in part of the morning session from field level. … The team will return to the field for the afternoon practice at 3:45 p.m.

Mick The Quick

2009-07-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

Thurman Munson is generally considered the heart and soul of the Yankees teams of the late 70s, but there is something to be said for Mickey Rivers. I thought of him today when I read this interview. His numbers are here. If you spool down you can see his transaction history - I can't believe he was traded for Hoyt Wilhelm! I don't know why the Yanks ever got rid of him but they did get Oscar Gamble in the trade, and he was a good (and entertaining) player as well.

Hockey At Fenway

2009-07-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

This is going to be incredible.

Rude People Make Me Wanna Puke

2009-07-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

Cross Posted from www.wesomorning.com

Tonight I am writing this from the Press Box at the Worcester Tornadoes game at Fitton Field in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Tornadoes belong to the Canadian American Independent League of baseball and a great team in this great city.

At the start of the game, as they do at most sporting events, they play the National Anthem. The announcer asks everyone to stand, and remove their caps for the playing of the National Anthem. Whilst the Anthem was playing I was scanning the crowd and low and behold, right in front of the Box was this (I wish I could use the word I ant to use) let's just call him a dope standing there with his hat on, beer in hand, and the other hand in his pocket. I had all I could do to refrain from screaming at this fine American! The kicker of the thing is his son was standing beside him with his hat off and over his heart and actually singing!

This really gets my goat. I cannot explain what this does to me to see disrespect like this. Earlier today I wrote a blog post about Shifty Powers of Band of Brothers fame and how he died in June and no one knew or or for that matter cared about it. Then I come to America's Game and see this PUTZ (I hope I spelled that right) disrespecting everything that we fought for. Well I guess he fought for the right for this dope to stand there with his hands in his pocket.

The utter disrespect we now see in this country is amazing. Just the fact that the announcer had to tell people to stand up and remove their caps should be enough... I don't know what to do about but rest assured I will make this my mission in life!

Several Firsts

2009-06-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

I was reading something the other day about the old Celts/Lakers rivalry in the 80s. Mychal Thompson's name came up in the course of the article, and my mind went back to those great series, several of which I watched with my dad in the basement to mitigate the crushing June heat and humidity. I remember thinking it was strange that Thompson spelled his name that way. Now, of course, I am aware of many sports figures who spell conventional names differently than the norm, but even then I noticed, so for me Mychal Thompson was the first athlete I can remember who had a creative spelling. After reading the Wikipedia article, I realized he is also the answer to a great sports trivia question - who was the first foreigner drafted no. 1 in the NBA draft? I never knew he was Bahamian. What a great defender, and what great series those were.

WORCESTER TAKES SUSSEX SERIES

2009-06-04T03:06:00.000-07:00

AUGUSTA, NJ--- It took a little while for the Worcester bats to wake up this morning, but when they did it was all she wrote for Sussex. Ryan Lobban (0-1) got the ball for Worcester in the 10:05 start and gave up two runs early before settling down. He went five for Worcester striking out three but didn’t factor in the decision.

Down 2-0, the Tornadoes knotted things up in the fourth with RBI’s from Nick Salotti and Heath Keel. The offense went off again in the top of the eighth after Garrett Olson tripled, Chris Colabello walked and Alex Trezza singled off reliever Carter Clements (0-1) all with none out. Salotti’s sacrifice fly ended the scoring.

Right handed Santiago Ramirez (1-0) came on in the seventh and worked out of trouble to pick up the win. Josef Frias (0-0) tossed a perfect bottom of the eighth to set up another save for Anthony Sullivan. Both pitchers struck out two.

SkyHawk catcher Ray Serrano was ejected by home plate umpire Jon DeRosa in the bottom of the eighth for arguing balls and strikes, forcing a musical chairs of substitutions from manager Hal Lanier. Sussex starter Roger Lincoln (1-0) threw seven innings striking out six Tornadoes allowing one earned run.

Today’s game will be broadcast on tape delay on WTAG AM580, FM94.9, www.wtag.com at the normal time of 7:05pm. Alex Pena (1-0) is the scheduled starter for Worcester in the home opener against the American Defenders of New Hampshire June 4th at 7:05pm. Every fan in attendance will receive a magnetic schedule courtesy of Charter Communications.

Olson Powers Tornadoes Comeback

2009-06-03T03:06:00.000-07:00

AUGUSTA, NJ- Garrett Olson was all the offense that Worcester needed tonight. He knocked in all three runs for the Tornadoes, the final two coming in the top of the ninth on a one out double of Sussex closer Mike Petrusek (0-1). Petrusek earned the save last night and led the league in saves least season with twenty-four.

Matt Weagle (0-1) did not have his best stuff tonight but still battled through five innings and kept his team in the game. He allowed two earned runs over five innings of work, striking out two, and received a no decision. Nick Conway (1-0) came on in relief and allowed just one hit, retiring the last six men he faced to get the win.

Rich Gedman had his closer warming up to begin the top of the eighth and it was a good thing. Anthony Sullivan (2 SV) converted his second save in as many appearances striking out the side in the ninth.

Both SkyHawk runs were scored on sacrifice flies, one off the bat of Ryan Crespi in the first, and another off of David Adamchick in the second. The Houston Astros purchased regular first baseman and clean-up hitter Matt Weston’s contract this morning. Weston was assigned to the single A Lancaster JetHawks.

Tomorrow at a special 10:05am start for School’s Day in Sussex, Ryan Lobban (0-1) will start for Worcester. Opposing him will be Roger Lincoln (1-0) for Sussex

Worcester Loses Opener to ’08 Champs

2009-06-02T02:41:00.000-07:00

AUGUSTA, NJ--- Worcester drops to 2-3 on the season after losing the opener against the defending CanAm champion SkyHawks 4-3. Tornado starter Ryan Mitchell (0-0) was ‘nickel and dimed’ with ten hits, all of them singles, in five and two thirds innings of work while striking out four. He left down 3-2 and was on the hook for the loss until Vinny Pennell’s two out double in the seventh scored Jeff LaHair with two outs to tie the game at three.

PJ Thomas (0-1) began the bottom half of the seventh by walking lead off man Ron Perodin; a mistake that would prove costly. Perodin moved up to second on an errant pick off throw from Thomas, then swiped third. He would score the eventual winning run on a Matt Weston single, his fourth of the night.

SkyHawk starter Mike Schellinger (0-0) surrendered two first inning runs to Worcester then settled down. He did not factor in the decision, but reliever Jamie Douglas (1-0) after pitching the top of the seventh. Sandy Nin (0-0) and Matt Petrusek (SV 1) also threw perfect frames for Sussex.

Game two of the series begins at 7:05 tomorrow night, ace Matt Weagle (0-0) will be in search of his first victory of 2009.

Remy recovering

2009-05-07T02:52:00.000-07:00

NESN announced yesterday Red Sox color commentator Jerry Remy is taking an indefinite leave of absence to recover fully from the effects of cancer surgery, which he underwent late last year.

“I want to focus on completing my recovery so that I can return to work without distractions or interruptions,” Remy said in a report on NESN.com.

Remy is a former smoker who underwent surgery for lung cancer. He expected a more immediate return, the report said, but suffered a setback due to an infection and subsequent case of pneumonia.The Red Sox expressed their concern for Remy last night.

“We’re certainly thinking about him,” manager Terry Francona said. “He’s a good friend to everybody.”

“It’s something you don’t want to hear,” David Ortiz said. “I’m keeping him in my prayers, and I hope he gets better.”

Remy joined NESN in 1988 and has teamed with play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo since 2001.

Dennis Eckersley will be in the booth with Orsillo for the remainder of this five-game homestand. Dave Roberts will provide color commentary during next week’s West Coast trip that ends May 17. No decision has been made about who will sit in for Remy beyond that.

From the Worcester Telegram

Jacoby Steals Home

2009-04-27T20:23:00.001-07:00

The rare steal of home in baseball has to be the most exciting and also most humiliating play (for the other team) in the game. Jacoby Ellsbury stole home for the Sox the other night against the Yanks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P1b0RN2sB4

Exciting Masters

2009-04-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

This story has to be the most exciting golf story of its kind since, well, Mark O'Meara at least. We will see if Kenny Perry can pull it off. I remember when Jack won the Masters at age 46 and how it was seen as such a triumph for an oldster (in the sports sense). Nowadays golfers no doubt mirror in their own way the habits of other athletes - strength training, diet, etc. - look at how jacked Tiger is these days - and the story this time round is remarkable more because Perry has never won a major than his age, which was the main point of interest when the Golden Bear won in '86.

Thompson Day 1

2009-04-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

Today saw the resumption of racing at the Thompson International Speedway. I have begun to write a column for the Long Island Motorsports News covering Thompson and maybe Stafford when the season gets going full speed (pun intended).

Rather than posting my column here I will just link to it. So click here for As Thompson Turns.

Thompson Ready for Ice Breaker

2009-04-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

Thompson, CT--- Anticipation and excitement are in the air at the Thompson International Speedway. Race fans and competitors alike are excited about the season-opening ICEBREAKER event this weekend at the historic Thompson oval. With a near perfect weather forecast being predicted, winter weary fans are ready to kick off a brand new racing season in sunny and warm conditions.

Race teams have spent the entire off-season preparing for the start of the 2009 campaign. Many have tested their cars during recent open practice sessions at Thompson and are now ready for the opening of the racing season.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (WMT) will begin its 25th anniversary year at the ICEBREAKER. This year’s event will mark the 107th time that the WMT has raced at Thompson since the formation of the Tour in 1985. An outstanding field of WMT competitors will attempt to qualify this Saturday afternoon for a starting spot in the 150-lap main event which will be run on Sunday. The WMT will be joined by Thompson’s “Super 6” NASCAR Whelen All American Series divisions in this two-day racing spectacle that has ushered in the beginning of the auto racing season in New England for well over 40 years.

The track will open for practice Saturday morning at 9 AM with grandstand gates opening at 9:30 AM. Qualifying will begin at 1:30 PM. Thompson’s “Super 6” divisions will qualify in heat races while the WMT will use time trials to determine starting positions. The Sunoco Modifieds and Late Models will then compete in the first of two feature event races for those divisions.

Sunday’s schedule has gates to the speedway opening at 9:30 AM with pre-race ceremonies beginning shortly after 11:30 AM. The WMT drivers will participate in a thirty minute autograph session at 12 Noon and the first feature event of the day is also slated for a 12 Noon start. The estimated start time for the 150-lap WMT main event is 3:15 PM.

Race fans are urged to arrive early so that they can avoid the long lines at the ticket booths and take advantage of the displays on the midway. The Tri-State Kart Club will be on hand to offer information on go-kart racing at their track in Pomfret, CT. King Cadillac-GMC of Putnam and Putnam Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep will have displays of vehicles from their dealerships, the Soldier’s Angels and AMVETS will also be in attendance. Ken Bouchard’s Race to Victory Lane and the Racing School will also be on hand to explain to fans just how they can have the opportunity to drive a real race car at Thompson.

ICEBREAKER weekend is the most anticipated racing program in New England each and every year. Fans come from far and wide to be part of the beginning of a brand new year of exciting, high-speed competition. Thompson Speedway rolls out the red carpet in an effort to be a welcoming host to the racing community with its additional offerings of free self-contained camping, a professional golf course, driving range, restaurant, lounge and a full weekend of racing activity.

The entire ICEBREAKER weekend schedule along with WMT entries and driver’s rosters may be found on the track’s web page at www.thompsonspeedway.com.

Of Tweets And Hoops

2009-03-17T20:03:00.000-07:00

This may be the first incident of a player using Twitter to send out a Tweet during a pro game (admittedly during halftime but still...). And probably not the last.

Men's Lacrosse Downs Becker, 21-5, in Season Opener

2009-03-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College men’s lacrosse team opened the season with a 21-5 victory over Becker College at Vendetti Field. The Bison were led by four goals from Ryan Pacific (Danbury, Conn.) and Peter Cramer (Hanover, Mass.), and saw seven players record multiple-point games.

Nichols went up, 8-0, before Becker got on the board with 37 seconds left in the opening quarter. Nichols then added six second-quarter goals to carry a 14-1 advantage into halftime. The Bison tacked on three more in the opening three minutes of the third quarter before Becker notched a pair less than two minutes apart to make the score 17-3.

Nichols rallied back with three goals in the final three minutes of the third quarter and the teams traded goals in the final quarter, including two in the final 30 seconds.

The Bison claimed 21 of 27 faceoffs, led by 14 of 17 wins from Jeff Powers (Easton, Mass.) and six of eight wins by Timothy Dooley (Tewksbury, Mass.).

Nichols also held a 58-31 advantage in groundballs and claimed a 64-27 lead in shots, including a 26-shot performance in the opening quarter.

Austin Healy (Westford, Mass.) stopped two shots and allowed a goal in the opening half, while Scott Gray (Severn, Md.) made 11 saves and allowed four goals in the final two quarters, Becker goalkeeper Peter Fellows made 25 saves in the loss.

Nichols is back in action at home Thursday night in a 7 p.m. game against Anna Maria.

Men's Hockey Travels to Hobart for NCAA First Round Game Wednesday

2009-03-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.--The NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Committee announced today the field of 11 teams for the 2009 NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship. Nichols College, which won the ECAC Northeast Hockey League championship title and the conference’s automatic bid to the tournament, will travel to Hobart on Wednesday, March 11, for a first round game.

Nichols (25-3) makes its first appearance in the NCAA Championship after posting a program-best 25 wins on the season. The Bison, currently ranked 13th in the latest USCHO.com DIII men’s poll, will face fourth-ranked Hobart for the first time since 1982. The Statesmen earned an at-large bid to the tournament after being edged in the ECAC West title game, 3-2, by Neumann on Saturday.

Tickets will cost $5 for general admission, and $3 for students with a valid ID. Advance sale tickets will be available in Bristol Gym Room 205 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Tues., March 10, and 10 a.m.-noon on Wed., March 11. Credit card orders can be made by calling (315) 781-3077 during sale hours. Only 900 tickets will be sold.

Fans unable to make it to Geneva Wednesday can follow the game live on the internet with live stats and live audio. Six conferences have been awarded automatic qualification. The remaining five teams were selected at-large by the committee.The championship playoff format involves three first-round games and four quarterfinal games that are played on the campuses of the participating institutions. All games in the championship are single elimination. The four quarterfinal winners advance to Lake Placid, New York, at Herb Brooks Arena at the Olympic Center for the semifinals and championship game, which will be conducted March 20-21.

Plattsburgh State University and the Olympic Regional Development Authority will host the championship. Tickets may be purchased by calling 518/523-3330.Conferences receiving automatic qualification are:ECAC DIII Men’s East Hockey League – Babson (13-13-1)ECAC DIII Northeast Hockey League – Nichols (25-3-0)Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Gustavus Adolphus (17-10-0)New England Small College Athletic Conference – Amherst (21-4-1)

Northern Collegiate Hockey Association – Wisconsin-Stout (22-5-2)State University of New York Athletic Conference – Plattsburgh State (24-1-2) Elmira, Hobart, Neumann, St. Scholastica and Wisconsin-Superior enter the field as the five at-large selections. The championship game will be televised live on CBS College Sports Network Saturday, March 21, at 5 p.m. Eastern.

In 2008, St. Norbert College claimed its first national championship title with a 2-0 win over Plattsburgh State at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York.For more information about the Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship, log on to

REDS ACQUIRE COCHRAN FROM WORCESTER TORNADOES

2009-03-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

Worcester, MA – The Worcester Tornadoes announced today that the Cincinnati Reds have bought the contract of LHP Tom Cochran.Cochran, 26, was signed by the Tornadoes on January 17, 2008. The Wilmington , DE resident went a perfect 11-0 in his first 11 starts of the year, and set a new Tornadoes franchise record for most wins (13) in a single season. His 13 victories tied for 1st in the league in 2008 and his 2.79 ERA placed 5th. Cochran's '08 season accolades include a Can-Am League Pitcher-of-the-Month honor for the month of June (5-0, 1.42 in 5 starts) and a complete game, five-hit shutout of Quebec on June 27th. Cochran's brilliant season earned him the nod as the Lefthanded Pitcher selection to the Can-Am League Postseason All-Star Team.

Not Sure What To Say...

2009-03-04T19:20:00.000-08:00

Sad irony...longtime NHLer Pit Martin recently died when his snowmobile plunged through the ice in a frozen lake in Quebec. The wikipedia article failed to mention that Martin was one of the first hockey players in the NHL to wear a helmet...

Cassel!!!!

2009-03-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

I received a flurry of phone calls and texts mid-afternoon on Saturday. What was happening? They were all on the same subject - the Pats traded Matt Cassel to the Chiefs! Huge, huge news. There are articles all over the internet about the trade, so I won't bother linking to any. The first thing that sprang to my mind was not "we won't have Cassel next year" but rather "Brady must be 100% now - not 'he will be 100% come the fall". We shall see - the Pats usually know their stuff when it comes to these issues, so...
One of the buzzwords around this trade is "franchise" - they "slapped the franchise tag on him", stuff like that. The Wikipedia article has a decent explanation of the concept. When I was little the first thing I did every day was open the sports page to the transaction section to see if anyone had been traded. Nowadays you almost need an advanced engineering degree to decode the various trade rules in some sports.

Oil Can To Return?

2009-02-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

Interesting article here about a potential comeback from Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd. Remember Oil Can? He was a solid pitcher for the Sox in the mid-eighties but would do some frustrating things that always kept us from fully embracing him - I remember him refusing to play or at least freaking out and getting suspended because he was mad at not being selected to the All-Star Game during that period. He was also interesting because he always had a connection to the old Negro Leagues and indeed formed a barnstorming team in the old school tradition after he retired. It seems he may emulate his hero, the great Satchel Paige, in making a spirited, beyond the usual age return to the game. Best of luck, Oil Can - what a great story it would be.

Bilqis?

2009-02-19T14:35:00.001-08:00

I posted recently on my blog about something that I classified as a language post but it is really more of a sports post appropriate to this blog. We all wish Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir the best as she matriculates at Memphis in the fall, and she does have a local connection - Springfield. Here is the rest of my write-up:

Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir recently broke Rebecca Lobo's (Mass.) state scoring record and has been in the news as much for her attire as for her play. She is headed to Memphis in the fall and no doubt will be successful in any endeavor to which she applies herself. She seems a wonderful young lady. What really got my attention, though, was her first name. The Americanized version of her name is Bil-KEES, much as the Semitic MAL-ik becomes Ma-LEEK, but the Semitic pronunciation of Bilqis is BIL-qis, with Q pronounced as a uvular plosive stop. And what is the origin of the name Bilqis? Why, she was the Queen Of Sheba. Neither the Biblical nor Qur'anic accounts mention the queen by her first name but together the two texts provide the foundation of her story.

Comparing Eras/Welcome Luke

2009-02-16T21:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome Luke to the Worcester Sports Roundup! Luke's post about steroids and records in baseball is challenging on many levels. I think that baseball more than any other sport suffers from a lack of clear-cut eras. There is a general understanding that the pre-1920 Dead Ball Era and the following modern era are separate, but that is about it. Some dispensation is given for war-time pitching and expansion years, but even the most dedicated of SABR/Moneyball devotees tend to compare players across eras (albeit with adjusted statistics). Regardless of the distaste we fans have for illegal steroid (or PEDs, as they are now called, so that HGH is included, I guess) use, we must admit that every decade has seen development and change that affected that game. The sixties saw revisions in the height of the mound, divisional play, and the advent of the use of "greenies" (speed) by some (many?) ballplayers. The seventies saw a different style of play, with lawlessness on the basepaths and the introduction of the DH as well as some more nefarious psychotropic drugs. The eighties furthered this trend but also saw an expansion of the pool from which players were taken, with an influx of Latin American players. And so on. Players today lift weights, do eye exercises, practice martial arts, have personal chefs (whereas players for decades had to hold offseason jobs just to get by) etc. Can we truly compare the Babe, Hank Aaron, Bonds, A-Rod, Griffey Jr., and others? I too am disgusted by the use of illegal PEDs, but I think the question may go beyond just that.

New Blogger

2009-02-14T16:24:00.000-08:00

Hello All.

Looking forward to adding my two cents to our Worcester Sports Blog. I can be very opinionated so bear with me sometimes.

Here's a question I would like to hear your thoughts on:

Hank Aaron (the true all-time home run king in my opinion) recently stated in an interview that the record belongs to Barry Bonds now and that the time frame for steroid use was too vague for them to strip him of the record.

My question is, if you were Hank Aaron, would you be as modest, and what do you think baseball should do about these record breaking roid-heads like Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, A-roid, etc.? Is it fair to leave their records out of the hall even though they used steroids at a time when baseball had no real policy to enforce it?

Nichols Women's Hoops Wins 19th-Straight, 68-52 Over Wentworth

2009-02-14T05:03:00.000-08:00

DUDLEY, Mass.—The Nichols College women’s basketball team extended its program-record win streak to 19 games, defeating Wentworth Institute of Technology, 68-52, in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference matchup Tuesday night. The Bison were led by 15 points from senior point guard MaryLynn Skarzenski (Woodbridge, Conn.), who in her 107th career start, set a program record for games started as well as matched the program mark for games played. Skarzenski, who has never missed a game nor a start, added nine assists and three steals.

The Bison (20-2, 10-0 TCCC) opened up the game early, going on a 23-4 run that lasted the first 10 minutes, capped off by a jumper from junior guard Alena Jasinski (Canton, Conn.).

Wentworth (5-17, 3-7 TCCC) fought its way back, though, and outscored Nichols 24-17 the rest of the half, ending the first period down by 12, 40-28.

Nichols pulled away in second half, increasing its lead to 21 off a jumper from Skarzenski midway through the period. The Bison kept the game out of reach throughout; the closest Wentworth would get after that was 16 on a layup from Meaghan Gardner (Shrewsbury, Mass.) at the final buzzer.

Junior forward Margaret Lilly (Ashfield, Mass.) added 12 points, three blocks, and four steals for the Bison, who also received a 13 point, nine rebound performance from sophomore forward Jessica Nelson (North Providence, R.I.).

The Leopards were led by 14 points and seven rebounds from sophomore Kirsten Vallone (Avon, N.Y.), and a double-double from junior guard Michelle Moffo (Southington, Conn.), who scored 10 points and grabbed 10 boards.

The Bison, who are one game away from tying the program record for wins in a season, will travel to Eastern Nazarene for a 1 p.m. game Saturday while Wentworth travels to Curry College on Saturday for a 1 p.m. game.

Nichols Gervais Named Joe Concannon Award Semifinalist

2009-02-14T05:02:00.000-08:00

BOSTON, Mass. -- Nichols College senior forward Ryan Gervais (Chicago, Ill.) has been named one of 16 semifinalists for the ninth Joe Concannon Award, presented annually by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston to the best American-born college hockey player in New England playing at the D-II/III level. The list, announced Thursday by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston president Tim Whelan, is comprised of 11 forwards, three defensemen and two goalies, including two nominees from the D-II ranks.

Gervais is one of the Bison’s top scoring threats, posting 25 points on 10 goals and 15 assists in 21 games this season. The forward has registered a team-high 20 points in ECAC Northeast games with nine goals and 11 assists, posting three power-play goals and two game-winners, including his 100th career point – a power-play, game-winning tally against Salve Regina on November 24th. Gervais stands with 117 career points in 102 games with 58 goals and 59 assists.

A key member of the Bison’s successful power play unit, Gervais has scored four power-play goals this season, helping Nichols to a 36% power play (27-75) in conference games, where the Bison have built an impressive 13-0-0 mark.

“This season more than any other has showcased great competition and individual talents throughout the leagues across New England. It seems that each and every season gets a bit tighter and the level of play continues to improve. That makes it ever more challenging to single out worthy nominees for the Concannon Award,” said Gridiron Club Hockey Awards Committee chairman Tim Costello. “Our committee believes this is a strong group of nominees, it’s going to take both remainder of the regular season and conference tournaments before we’ll be able to single out the most worthy nominee.”

The Gridiron Club plans to announce the finalists and winner of the 9th Joe Concannon Award in March, prior to the start of NCAA Frozen Four Tournament play and present the award during the New England Hockey Writers dinner in mid-April.

No. 13 Nichols (19-2-0, 13-0-0 ECACNE), which is one game away from tying the program record for wins in a season, travels to Suffolk for a 3:15 p.m. game Saturday before hosting Assumption in an 8:30 p.m. game Sunday at June Rockwell Levy Rink in Harrisville, R.I.

The Joe Concannon Award

The Gridiron Club established the Joe Concannon Award in 2001 to honor Joe, a lifelong devotee of college hockey, former member of the Walter Brown Award Selection Committee and, as a journalist, a staunch advocate for the amateur athletes he knew and covered. A native of Litchfield, Connecticut, Joe graduated from Boston University in 1961. He served as sports information director (SID) at Holy Cross before joining the Boston Globe in the late 1960’s to cover college sports. Joe declined frequent invitations by his editors to write about Boston’s major professional sports teams, preferring to concentrate on the colleges, distance running and golf. He wrote the book Marathoning with Bill Rodgers and established the highly successful Litchfield Road Race in his hometown. Joe was a world traveler and was especially proud of his Irish heritage, frequently sojourning to the Emerald Isle. He passed away in 2000.

Nichols Women's Hockey Falls to Southern Maine, 4-1

2009-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

PORTLAND, Maine -- Led by two goals from Katie Paradis, the University of Southern Maine women's hockey team defeated Nichols College, 4-1, in ECAC East action Friday evening.

The Huskies improve to 12-6-4 overall and 11-3-2 in conference play, while the Bison slip to 2-19-1 overall and 1-15-1 in ECAC East games.The Huskies took a quick 2-0 lead after scoring a pair of tallies just over a minute apart in the first period, with Nani Jacobs lighting the lamp at 6:19 before Paradis potted her first of the night 1:08 later.

First-year defender Brittany Nardone (Billerica, Mass.) brought the Bison within one with her third goal of the season, picking up a power-play score on Nichols' first attempt, with assists coming from Ashley Parker (West Jordan, Utah) and Courney Carey (Belmont, Mass.) at 16:41.

Danielle Ward struck quickly for the Huskies in the second frame, putting the home team up, 3-1, just 1:39 into the middle stanza, but Nichols netminder Melissa Mansfield (Medford, N.Y.) stood tall the rest of the period, making 11 saves.

In the penalty-filled third, Mansfield kept the Huskies at bay, but Paradis struck on one of Southern Maine's 14 shots in the period, picking up her second score of the night for the 4-1 lead at 6:13.

Mansfield finished with 37 saves, while Kristen Gresko earned the win turning aside nine Bison shots. Nichols held Southern Maine scoreless in four power-play opportunities while scoring once in four power-play chances.

The Bison are back in action in a 2 p.m. game at Plymouth State Saturday.

Bike Weather/Bike Race

2009-02-12T18:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the thermometer hit 61 degrees (this is mid-February in Worcester, mind you) and I went for a bike ride. Of course right now, again, this being New England, the mercury (well, digital number) is approaching freezing. It was great to be on the bike cruising around, especially knowing that the next opportunity to do so may well be in two months, but I got to thinking about something I blogged about on my other site: the George Street Challenge For Major Taylor. This is a crushing 500 foot sprint up George Street, which has an average grade of 18 pct. During my ride I was thinking about training techniques. I discussed this with my friend Phil, who is mentioned in the blog post, and we both came to the same conclusion - the best training for the race is...to sprint up George Street! Of course, nutrition, weights, conditioning and other things play a part, but I guess that is what I will have to do. Phil also is considering entering the race (it will be in July) and is probably going to ride a fixie. My own mountain bike is not really geared (chuckle, chuckle) for this sort of thing but I am mostly interested in honorably competing rather than breaking records or winning my age group. More on this when (if?) the weather warms up...

Washington Post Shame!

2009-02-10T05:23:00.001-08:00

What kind of dopes do we have working at the Washington Post? I always thought they had the best reporters and editors in the business. In the midst of a Presidential Press Conference last night Washington Post reporter Michael Fletcher asked the President what he thought about the A Rod scandal. If I was the President I would have had The Secret Service remove him from the room for being stupid.

We are in the midst of the worst economic crisis in many generations and this dope asks the President what he think of an over paid child. Shame on this reporter, Shame on the Washington post if the don't throw this bum out on his, well bum, and shame on the President of the United States for dignifying this question with an answer.

A Rod time for you and the rest of your drug addict pals to leave the field in shame!

Terriers are best in show

2009-02-10T04:54:00.000-08:00

It has been referred to as the "Jack Pot" and the "Jack Parker Invitational" because of the number of times the veteran bench boss has led Boston University to the Beanpot championship. Heading into last night's 57th quest for Boston bragging rights against Northeastern, the No. 1-ranked Terriers had 28 Beanpot crowns to their credit.

Well, say hello to No. 29. The third-ranked Huskies, who have been atop the Hockey East standings for the bulk of the season, gave it their best shot - thinking this was the year they would take it away from their league rivals for their first crown since 1988 - but they fell well short as BU scored three shorthanded goals on the way to a 5-2 win at TD Banknorth Garden.

In the third period, which started with BU holding a one-goal lead, the Terriers (22-5-1) scored back-to-back shorthanded tallies to put the game out of reach and secure their 12th title in the last 15 years.

Parker, who is in his 36th season, said he was flummoxed by the number of goals scored with his team a man down.

"The game is won on three shorthanded goals, who would've thunk?" he said. "I've never seen that in my life in a Beanpot.

The Rest of the Story

A-Rod admits steroid use

2009-02-10T04:52:00.000-08:00

Baseball's hall of shame gained a new superstar yesterday as Alex Rodriguez outed himself as a drug cheat, admitting he muscled up with illegal steroids from 2001 to 2003, when he unleashed the greatest three-year power surge of his career.

Backed into a corner by a blockbuster report Saturday that he tested positive in 2003 for anabolic steroids, the three-time American League MVP acknowledged plying himself with illicit performance-enhancing substances after signing a 10-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers in 2001, then the richest deal in baseball history.

While juiced on steroids, Rodriguez hit .305 while averaging 52 home runs and nearly 132 RBIs over the three years, all with the Rangers. He led the league in home runs all three years and was the MVP in '03.

"I was young, I was stupid, I was naive," he told ESPN's Peter Gammons. "I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time. I did take a banned substance, and for that I'm very sorry."

Rodriguez waited less than 48 hours after Sports Illustrated's damaging report before he confessed his wrongdoing and began rehabilitating his image. In doing so, he borrowed a page from Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte, who regained much of their popularity after admitting they used banned substances.

The Rest of the Story

Sports At The Worcester Art Museum

2009-02-07T17:09:00.000-08:00

My family made our annual visit to the Flora In Winter exhibit at the Worcester Art Museum today. As we roamed through the place looking at the floral exhibits I tried to make note of any works of art having to do with sports. Now, I know it is an art museum rather than a Hall of Fame or memorabilia place - I wasn't expecting to find Rich Gedman's jersey - but I figured there must be some paintings and scultptures having to do with sports themes. And there were - here are a few:
Model Of A Ball Game: This is a Mayan display of a sport that involved, among other things, human sacrifice. Remember this next time you read about soccer hooligans or rowdy football crowds - things have been worse.
Bahram Gur Hunting The Wild Ass: There were more than a few works in the museum dealing with hunting and fishing.
The Jockey: An equestrian work by Toulouse-Lautrec
Boy Playing Marbles: I realize calling marbles a sport is pushing it but nevertheless...
There are others, including skating scenes to name one more that I recall seeing. Surf the museum's site or better yet, if you live in the area, head on over and check things out in person.

A-Rod tests Positive

2009-02-07T08:34:00.000-08:00

Taken from foxnews.com

Report: Baseball Star Alex Rodriguez Tested Positive for Steroids in 2003
Saturday, February 07, 2009
AP
NEW YORK — Sports Illustrated has reported that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003.
The magazine says in a story posted on its Web site Saturday that the New York Yankees star tested positive for two anabolic steroids. SI cited four unidentified sources.
SI reports that Rodriguez's name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancers in a 2003 baseball survey.
Rodriguez declined to discuss the tests when approached by SI on Thursday at a Miami gym. He told a reporter to speak to the players' union. Calls from SI to union head Donald Fehr were not returned.
Rodriguez played for the Texas Rangers in 2003, when he won the AL home run title and MVP award. He was traded to the Yankees in 2004.
Click here for more on this story from SI.com.

This just confirms my thoughts about "A-Fraud." This should be a real shock to baseball since many had him beating Bonds home run record and doing it cleanly. Just goes to show how the old adage as long as you don't get caught its not cheating. Money will make anybody do anything. Let the debate begin.

Pats franchise Cassel

2009-02-07T07:12:00.000-08:00

Taken from Patriots.com

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced Thursday that they have utilized their 2009 franchise designation on quarterback Matt Cassel. He becomes the first offensive player and just the fourth Patriot to be franchised by the team, joining Adam Vinatieri (2002 and 2005), Tebucky Jones (2003) and Asante Samuel (2007).

"Matt has been a pleasure to coach his entire career and last season in particular, when his years of hard work and commitment resulted in a most impressive performance," said Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. "We look forward to working with Matt again in 2009."

Now let the debate begin. Do they trade him,(what do you get in return?) keep him as Brady's backup,or trade Brady. Let us know your opinion.

Truck Day

2009-02-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Taken from Redsox.com By Ian Browne / MLB.com
BOSTON -- Johnny Pesky, who was a star hitter for the Red Sox generations ago and is now the team's most enthusiastic ambassador, played an entirely different role on Friday afternoon.
For a man who has done everything with the club -- from player to manager to broadcaster to coach to front-office executive to instructor -- he had never hit the proverbial ignition button on a season.
That is what Pesky did on a frigid day outside of Fenway Park. The 89-year-old Pesky climbed into a moving truck filled with equipment that is headed to Spring Training and turned on the engine in ceremonious fashion at roughly 2:15 p.m. ET. That truck will arrive in Fort Myers, Fla., by Sunday afternoon, plenty of time to unpack before pitchers and catchers report to camp on Thursday.
Who better than Pesky to serve as grand marshal for what the Red Sox described as a Spring Training equipment truck departure parade?
"It's always exciting to go to Spring Training -- to see the new kids and all that stuff," said Pesky. "I'm kind of anxious to see the new draftees and stuff like that. Our organization has been so good about bringing so many good kids here."
His days of hitting endless fungoes likely over, Pesky will still be in uniform for the Red Sox for yet another Spring Training.
"I'm getting a little too old for some of those fungoes," Pesky said. "I might retire after this year."
Of course, Pesky -- whose No. 6 was retired to Fenway Park's right-field facade last September -- has said similar things before, only to come back again and again. That is how much he loves the game. And the dawn of a new season harkened back memories for Pesky of when it all began for him with the Red Sox.
"I was in Sarasota, [Fla.,] for my first Spring Training," said Pesky. "That was in 1942. I'm an old guy. I was there with Ted [Williams] and Bobby [Doerr] and Dom [DiMaggio] and Jimmie [Foxx]. When I got here, I was very well received."
And Pesky still is.

Pesky was just one of many who gathered outside of Fenway to watch boxes get loaded on to a truck. Dozens of fans came out to witness the symbolic coming of spring, some holding signs, others posing next to the truck.
"It's the start of everything," said Kelly O'Connor, a die-hard Red Sox fan from Arlington, Mass. "You've gone through the offseason. You've just had your insides flayed out dealing with whether we were going to sign [Jason] Varitek or not. Finally, this is the beginning. This is the point from, beyond which, it can't be stopped. It's ongoing. The truck will get down there, everything will happen from here. There will be equipment, there will be players, there will be training, there will be warmups, there will be exhibition games, and then the next thing you know, it will be Opening Day."
As the banner hanging from the truck proclaimed, Opening Day is in 59 days.
But before that, there will be the laid-back period of Spring Training.
"It's always exciting," Pesky said. "You show up down there and the fans are so good. It's a nice atmosphere. They get there early enough to try to get autographs. I'm always available, because I'm not a player."
However, Pesky remains the ultimate representative of the organization he's been associated with for the better part of his life.
"I'm very fortunate to have been with the Red Sox for all these years," said Pesky. "I'm glad my mother picked the Red Sox. When I was a kid, I was in demand. The Cardinals wanted to sign me, the Yankees wanted to sign me, the Tigers wanted to sign me. I thought I was hot stuff."

A Major Breakthrough

2009-02-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

One of the many Worcester connections to sports history is the famous photo of Ted Williams in his first at bat as a Sox player in an exhibition game at Fitton Field. Williams has many connections to baseball history, of course, but none more so than his status as being the last player to end the season batting over .400. A favorite discussion topic among baseball fans is "Which baseball record will never be broken?". There are many contenders. Some say the .400 mark. I talked to my dad about this tonight and he immediately came up with Joe D's 56-game hitting streak. Cy Young had 511 wins and 316 losses - hard to imagine any threat to both of those records. The game has changed over the years, and I can't believe any complete game record will ever be threatened. But you never know.
I think, though, that I have found the unbreakable record. Joe Nuxhall was all of 15 years old when he was called up to pitch for the wartime-depleted Cincinnati Reds. His appearance was disastrous but he later carved out a good career as a pitcher and a legendary one as a broadcaster. I cannot imagine a circumstance where anyone so young would ever play in a major league game. Is Nuxhall's record baseball's truly unbreakable one?

USA Swimming suspends Phelps for 3 months

2009-02-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Michael Phelps has been suspended from competition for three months by USA Swimming, the latest fallout from a photo that showed the Olympic great inhaling from a marijuana pipe. The sport's national governing body also cut off its financial support to Phelps for the same three-month period, effective Thursday.

"This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero," the federation said in a statement.

"Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust."

Phelps won eight gold medals in Beijing.

The Forgotten Race

2009-02-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

New England sports radio talk programs used to have a pretty predictable bent when discussing the Red Sox, at least until the recent World Series wins. Most every talk about the latest Sox game would somehow end up being steered to the 1986, 1975, 1978 or 1967 Sox teams. Three of those teams made it to the Series only to lose, while the '78 squad is arguably as famous for the epic huge lead/blowing of said lead/huge comeback/one-game playoff loss. But you never hear anything about the fierce battle for the 1972 AL East title. The Sox ended up finishing a half game back to what was basically the last gasp of the 1968 World Series-winning Tigers. I was reminded of this by a passing remark in the Baseball Crank's excellent post about catchers and the HOF.
Major league baseball had for decades played a long season where one team in each league finished in first and the pennant winners played each other for the World Series title. In 1969, a scant three years before the '72 season, the leagues switched to a two division format where a playoff was held to determine who would go on to the Series. So all this was still fairly new to players and fans alike. A glance at the roster for the '72 Sox teams shows it was a mix of remaining players from the '67 team, new guys who would populate the '75 club, and a few people - Danny Cater, John Curtis, etc. - who would know no other Sox glory than this forgotten pennant race.

Tornadoes Sign Nick Conway

2009-02-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

The Worcester Tornadoes announced today that they signed Massachusetts native Nick Conway on January, 26th. Conway formerly of UMass-Boston holds the Beacons record for innings pitched (245), strikeouts (234), and earned run average (3.49). During his four years at UMass-Boston he compiled a record of 14 wins and 20 losses. In 2006, he played with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball league and saw action with Lowell All-Americans of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Position: P Date of Birth: 8/6/86 Height: 6' 2" Weight: 205 lbs College Experience: University of Massachusetts (Boston) Bats: R Throws: R Resides: Methuen, MA

Englebright, Rinn Earn ECAC Northeast Weekly Awards

2009-02-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

DUDLEY, Mass. – Nichols College men’s hockey players Jacob Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) and Brett Englebright (Pekin, Ill.) have been named the ECAC Northeast Goalie and Rookie of the Week, for play ending Sunday, February 1, 2009. The tandem helped the Bison remain perfect in conference play with a 3-2 win over then-number 15 Curry, and to Nichols’ first-ever national ranking in the USCHO.com Division III Poll, where the Bison are currently 14th.

Rinn, a first-year goaltender, made 25 saves against the Colonels, improving to 4-0-0 in four collegiate starts with a 2.00 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. He made nine third-period saves to keep Curry off the board in the final frame, a feat not achieved by any other league netminder against the Colonels since the opening game of the season.

Englebright scored the game-winning goal against Curry, netting his fourth power-play tally of the season with 21.4 seconds left in regulation to snap the Colonels’ seven-game unbeaten streak. The forward stands with seven points on four goals – all power-play – and three assists in 20 games.

Nichols (18-2-0, 12-0-0) continues ECAC Northeast play with an 8:30 p.m. home game against Framingham State Saturday at June Rockwell Levy Rink. The Bison then play two of their final four regular season games at home, ending with a 3:30 p.m. game against Western New England College on Saturday, February 22.

Reports: Manny gets 2d Dodger offer

2009-02-03T04:41:00.000-08:00

I do not know why I keep posting about Manny but he is good ink so here goes:

Manny Ramírez has received a one-year contract offer worth $25 million from the Dodgers, ESPN.com and the Los Angeles Times reported yesterday. A two-year, $45 million offer to Ramírez from the Dodgers in November expired without a response from Ramírez's camp. General Manager Ned Colletti said he presented Ramírez's agent, Scott Boras, with the club's second offer Sunday night, the Times reported. Colletti didn't confirm details of the offer . . . Oliver Perez and the New York Mets reached a preliminary agreement on a $36 million, three-year contract. The deal is subject to the pitcher passing a physical, people familiar with the talks said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement wasn't final . . . First baseman Casey Kotchman avoided salary arbitration with Atlanta, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $2,885,000 . . . The Cubs traded one-time playoff starter Rich Hill to the Orioles for a player to be named and sent reliever Michael Wuertz to the Athletics for a pair of minor leaguers.

NEC Edges Nichols Women's Hockey, 5-3

2009-02-02T13:20:00.001-08:00

HARRISVILLE, R.I. – The New England College women’s hockey team defeated Nichols, 5-3, in ECAC East action Saturday evening at June Rockwell Levy Rink. Freshman forward Chelsea Torrico led the Pilgrims with two goals and an assist.

Nichols falls to 1-16-1 overall and 0-13-1 in league action, while NEC improves to 9-8-2 overall and 7-5-2 in conference play.

The Bison, who finished 2-for-3 on the power play, were paced by a goal and an assist each from first-year forward Mandy Manopla (Wellington, Fla.) and classmate Hannah Tardif (Laconia, N.H.).

Also recording multiple points for the Pilgrims were senior defenseman Emily Tanguay, who recorded three assists, and freshman forward Allison Roy and senior forward Sarah Tracey, who each picked up a goal and an assist.

New England College jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, lighting the lamp on the second shot of the game as Torrico tapped in a rebound from Tracey just 30 seconds into the game. A minute and a half later, Roy carried in a pass from Tanguay to the right circle before pulling up and firing past Nichols netminder Melissa Mansfield (Medford, N.Y.).

Haylie Carter (Forney, Texas) got one back for the Bison, netting a power-play score at 14:32, deflecting in a shot from the blueline by Manopla past NEC goaltender Teraysa White’s glove.
The Pilgrims attacked early again in the second period, striking twice in the first three minutes for a 4-1 lead. Tracey opened the scoring just 48 seconds into the frame off assists from Alicia Michonski (Southwick, Mass.) and Roy before Courtney Kerslake fed Torrico for a breakaway goal at 3:00.

Manopla cut the Pilgrims’ lead to two with a power-play goal at 6:19, picking the right corner from the high slot, with assists from Tardif and first-year defenseman Kayla Robidoux (Cumberland, R.I.) before Tardif brought the Bison within one at 15:08 with her first goal of the season.

Kerslake added a power-play goal in the third period, deflecting a shot by Tanguay into Mansfield. The Nichols goalie made the save, but the puck came loose and dribbled over the goal line at 6:46.

Mansfield finished with 42 saves, while White made 26 in the win.

Nichols continues its homestand with a 5:30 p.m. game against Norwich on Friday, February 6. New England College travels to Plymouth State for a 6 p.m. game Friday.

Men's Hockey Ranked 14th in Nation, Makes Program's First Appearance in USCHO.com Poll

2009-02-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College men’s hockey team made its first-ever appearance in the USCHO.com Division III Men’s College Hockey Poll, as announced Monday, February 2, 2009. The Bison, ranked 14th in the national poll with 47 votes, stand with an 18-2-0 record and atop the ECAC Northeast standings at 7-0 after a 3-2 victory over Curry on Saturday.

The Bison had received votes for four-straight weeks before jumping into the national rankings, first receiving four votes in the January 5th poll.

Nichols has won 11 of its last 12 games, including its last four-straight and is closing in on the program record for wins, set last season when the team finished the season with a 20-7-1 record after making its first-ever appearance in the ECAC Northeast Championship game.

Sophomore forward Will Munson (Corona, Calif.) and senior defenseman Cole Ruwe (Pekin, Ill.) lead the Bison with 24 points each. Munson, last week’s ECAC Northeast Player of the Week, has recorded 11 goals and 13 assists on the season. With 20 assists to go with four goals, Ruwe ranks sixth nationally and leads the league among defensemen averaging 1.20 points per game.

First-year netminder and last week’s ECAC Northeast Goaltender of the Week Jacob Rinn (Warwick, R.I.) has earned the last four wins for the Bison, posting a 2.00 goals against average to go with a .925 save percentage.

Nichols returns to action at June Rockwell Levy Rink in Harrisville, R.I., on Saturday, February 7, in an 8:30 p.m. game against Framingham State.

The USCHO.com Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 20 voters, including 15 coaches of Division III programs and five men's hockey writers. USCHO.com provides in-depth coverage of college sports, including hockey, lacrosse, soccer and others.

Nichols Out Shoots Curry

2009-02-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

HARRISVILLE, R.I. – With 21.4 seconds remaining in game Freshman Forward Brett Englenright scored a power play goal to put Nichols on top of Curry 3-2 in and clinched the ECAC Northeast Title. Taking on 15th ranked Curry at the Levy Arena on Saturday night. The Bison remain undefeated in the ECAC Northeast with a record of 12-0-0.

The Curry Colonels moved out to a two goal lead in the second period with a shot by Ross Enmark assisted by Michael Guzzo and Jonthan Miller. Curry’s Second Goal came at 14:17 when Freshman Forward John Williams took a breakaway shot. Nichols scored 18 seconds latter with Matthew Sayer’s unassisted goal.

Bison Freshman Forward JoJo Bojanowski put a shot at the right post past the Curry net minder for Nichols second goal. Bojanowski was assisted by Senior Defenseman Cole Ruwe.

Jeff Bieber picked the upper right corner of an assist from Freshman Forward Zach Hendrickson and Senior Andrew Ella with only 1:20 left in the third period to score the winning goal for Nichols and clinching the first place birth.

Nichols net minder Jacob Rinn ECAC Player of the Week made 25 saves for 4-0-0 record on the season while Curry net minder Steven Jakiel who made 23 saves drops 8-2-2 on the year.

Its in the Cards

2009-02-01T09:59:00.001-08:00

Back from Church and now to get ready for the Super Bowl this evening. Many will be picking the Steelers to win tonight, since by all accounts they should win big, my wife being one of them. I for one am rooting for the underdog Cardinals. After all being from New England we have seen hell freeze over twice in the last few years, most recently 2007, not counting this winter.

So at 6:18 PM Laura and I will sit down with our Chinese food, beer and assorted snacks to root on our team to Super Bowl XLIII glory. Go Cardinals.

Nichols Extends Streak to 16, Defeats Curry, 55-39

2009-01-31T19:00:00.000-08:00

DUDLEY, MASS—The Nichols College women’s basketball team extended its program record winning streak to 16 games with a 55-39 victory over visiting Curry College in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference matchup Saturday afternoon. Jessica Nelson (North Providence, R.I.) led the way for the Bison with 11 points and six rebounds, helping the team stay undefeated in conference play with a 7-0 mark.

The first eight minutes of the game were close, with Curry only trailing by four, until Nichols went on a 26-8 run, capped off by a layup from first-year forward Chelsea Shaughnessy (Halifax, Mass.). That stretch put the Bison ahead by 22, leading 38-16 at the half.

Curry (6-13, 2-5 TCCC) fought back early in the second half, opening the period with a 12-4 run of their own to cut the deficit to 14 with 13 minutes to play. That was as close as Curry would get though, as Nichols regrouped and held the Colonels to only 11 points for the rest of the game, winning it, 55-39.

Sophomore guard Ashley Robidoux (Milford, Mass.), added nine points for the Bison Sophomore Danyel Cousins (Brunswick, Maine) was the high scorer for Curry with nine points and seven boards.

The Bison host Anna Maria on Wednesday, February 4 in an 8 p.m. conference matchup. Curry travels to New England College on Wednesday for a 5 p.m. game.

Atkins Leads Nichols Past Curry, 75-67

2009-01-31T18:58:00.000-08:00

DUDLEY, Mass. – Led by 20 points and six rebounds from first-year forward Pete Atkins (Gainesville, Fla.) the Nichols College men’s basketball team rallied from a two-point halftime deficit to defeat Curry, 75-67, in a The Commonwealth Coast Conference game Saturday afternoon. The Bison rallied from a two-point halftime deficit to win their third-straight game and improve to 10-9 overall and 5-2 in TCCC action. Curry, led by 22 points from senior guard Quashed Simmons (Paterson, N.J.), dips to 5-13 overall and 2-5 in league play.

Also figuring in double-digits for the Bison were junior guard Chris Paquin (Barre, Mass.), who had 10 points and five rebounds, while senior captain Jeff Lindgren (Sturbridge, Mass.) pitched in 11 points and senior forward John Costello (Tolland, Conn.) added 10, both off the bench. Junior forward Ryan Wilcox (West Granby, Conn.) picked up a game-high 11 rebounds, including 10 on the defensive end.

Colonels’ leading scorer Mark Mastrullo (Billerica, Mass.) recorded 16 points to go with seven boards, while sophomore center Chris Bonadies (Medfield, Mass.) added 10 points and six rebounds.

The first half featured eight lead changes, with Nichols taking a 24-14 lead midway through the frame after a 12-0 run. Curry rallied with a 12-2 run to tie it on an and-one play by Simmons with 5:29 left in the half before the senior hit nine of Curry’s next 11 points to give the Colonels a 37-35 advantage heading into intermission.

The teams traded leads early in the second half, with the Bison chipping away at a six-point Colonels advantage early on before Atkins knotted the game at 44-44 with an under-the-rim layup at 14:37. Curry held the game in check until an 11-3 Nichols run capped by a Wilcox layup at 4:11 put the Bison up by 10, 70-60.

Nichols shot 49.1% (26-53) on the night, while holding Curry to 32.9% shooting (23-70), including a 19.2% effort from three-point range (5-26). Nichols hit six of 17 attempts (35.3%) from beyond the arc.

The Bison held a slim advantage off the glass at 40-38, but Curry took advantage of 20 Nichols turnovers, converting them into 20 points. The Bison found nine points of 15 Colonels miscues.

Nichols continues its homestand on Wednesday, February 4 in an 8 p.m. game against Anna Maria before celebrating Senior Day on Saturday, February 7 in a 3 p.m. game against Gordon. Curry travels to New England College for a 7:30 p.m. game Wednesday.

Tuukka Was Up to the Task

2009-01-31T18:52:00.000-08:00

Rask has his first NHL shutout in his first NHL game of 2008-09
Angela Stefano BostonBruins.com
Jan 31, 2009, 4:31 PM EST

Boston, MA – The Providence Bruins starting netminder, Tuukka Rask, continues to tease the Hub of Hockey with his fine play for the Boston Bruins. It seems whenever the tall, skinny kid from Finland gets a chance to shine, he takes advantage of the moment.

"I mean last year, his first game he played against Toronto, I was watching from up top, and he was sick,” said Shawn Thornton. “I don't want to say he single-handedly won us that game, but he was a big factor that's for sure.”

This afternoon was no different, with a 1-0, 35-save shutout against the New York Rangers, and Thornton did not sound surprised.

"We've all seen what Tuukka can bring," said Thornton. "He brought it in training camp. He brought it last year, and when he is up, he's a very gifted goalie, so we had a lot of confidence going into the game with him.”

Marc Savard, who scored the one-and-only goal in the game wasn’t surprised, either. Like Thornton, Savard noted Boston’s goaltending depth as a consistent, positive factor this season.

"We're confident with whoever's in there, and tonight it was Tuukka,” said Savard of Rask's first NHL shutout. “Give the kid credit; he's been waiting for this opportunity, and he took advantage of it tonight.

“He's an NHL goaltender, and we all know that. He's going to get his time, but right now, he came in and did the job for us.”

Aaron Ward has played in front of a lot of goalies, and even he, as a veteran NHL defenseman, sounded very confident about the 21-year old goaltending phenom.

"We saw him last year, and we know he's capable,” said Ward. “Obviously, it's a new environment for him – it's a few different faces – so he stepped up and really, now we've got three great goalies.

“That's a good feeling to have.”

From afar, Ward gave the youngster some advice for his next start.

"He didn't come out and play soccer today,” said the defenseman. “He's got to relax and come out and play soccer before the game; it's usually his routine. There's no reason for him to be nervous.

“He's skilled, he's…very calm out there, he doesn't seem to get too high, too low. He's a guy that knows the game and plays it well.”

Bruins head coach Claude Julien knows what he has in Rask.

“I thought he was very good,” he said. “I thought our team did a pretty good job in front of him, and sometimes that’s a normal situation; you want to give him the best chance possible, but when he had to make the big saves, he made them.

“Obviously he’s played some games for us, so we know that he’s capable of playing, coming in and giving us some good games here.”

Nichols vs Curry

2009-01-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

The 17-2 Bisons of Nichols College Men's Hockey team takes on the 13-3 Colonels of Curry College tonight 5:30 at June R. Levy Rink425 East Ave., Harrisville, R.I. You can listen to the play by play on Nichols College Radio WNCR.

I will post a game wrap up after the game.

Manny Contract Update

2009-01-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

January 30th, The Worcester Tornadoes would like to extend special thanks for all of the fans, and members of the media who have taken interest in the Manny Ramirez contract offer.

Though no word has yet been received from Manny Ramirez or his agent regarding the contract offer, the Tornadoes are confident that the former Red Sox slugger is seriously considering the offer. As many media outlets have expressed, the Tornadoes offer remains the only offer Manny Ramirez currently has from any professional baseball organization.

Tornadoes Director of Interactive Media Mike Tetler commented, "While we have received a great deal of press suggesting that we [The Tornadoes] have offered Manny a contract simply as a publicity stunt, we are quite serious about our offer, and $24,000 is waiting for Manny should he accept the contract. While we would like to offer him more, however, the CANAM league has a strict salary cap and we simply cannot exceed the current offer."

So far the story has been covered by FOX 25, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today Online, Fox Sports Online, The Wall Street Journal Online, The Providence Journal, and many fan blogs (Including this blog and my radio program Father Peter Live.)

The Tornadoes are eagerly awaiting a response from the Ramirez camp as Major League Baseball's spring training approaches and teams firm up their rosters. The Tornadoes enter their Fifth Anniversary Season in 2009. More information is available through www.worcestertornadoes.com or by calling the Tornadoes at (508)-792-2288.

Tornadoes Professional Baseball. Only In Worcester!

Sharks Take a Bite Out of the Falcons 3-1

2009-01-30T19:39:00.001-08:00

WORCESTER, MA - The Worcester Sharks began the second half of their 2008-09 season with an easy win over the Springfield Falcons at the DCU Center Friday night.

Both teams skated strong in this fast paced game. Sharks Steven Zalewski scored his 9th goal of the season at 3:25 in the first period with Cory Larose and Lukas Kaspar assisting. The 54th fight of the Sharks season broke our shortly after when Brad Staubitz took on Springfield's Mathieu Roy. After this the gloves were off for the balance of the game. The Sharks outshot Springfield 14-4 in the first period and ended with a score of 1-0.

As the second period began the tempers carried over from the first and the Sharks Matt Jones was called for a fighting major penalty along with Spiringfield's Gilbert Brule. Both the Sharks and Springfield were unable to score when each had the 5-3 advantage over the other and the period ended 1-0 Sharks.

The Sharks Lukas Kaspar began the third period with his 11th goal of the season and the Sharks extended their lead 2-0. The gloves were off again as Riley Armstrong and Viacheslav Trukhno took each other on in front of the Springfield Bench. Soon after Springfield's Guillaume Lefebvre scored with an assist from Tyler Spurgeon and Jake Taylor. The Sharks victory was sealed with Riley Armstrong's open net goal just before the 3rd period ended.

The win brings the Sharks' record to (25-10-02) with 52 points, while the Falcons dropped to (16-23-6-1) with 39 points. The Sharks are now just one point behind the first place Providence Bruins.

Saint Anselm Skates Past Nichols 7-2

2009-01-30T19:35:00.000-08:00

HARRISVILLE, R.I. – The Saint Anselm College women’s ice hockey team scored three goals in the second period en route to a 7-2 ECAC East victory over Nichols College at June Rockwell Levy Rink Friday evening. The Hawks were led by a pair of goals from freshman forward Aly Zappen (Huntington Beach, Calif.).

Nichols (1-15-1, 0-12-1 ECAC East) took a 1-0 lead at the 6:07 mark when junior forward Candice Ellis (Gloucester, Mass.) found a loose puck among a scrum of players at the right post and snuck a backhander into the upper corner.

The Hawks (12-5-1, 10-4-0 ECAC East) responded with a pair of goals to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Zappen evened the score at 9:42 when she tapped in a loose puck past Nichols netminder Christine Rigosi (Ridgewood, N.Y.), who was sprawled out to cover the puck. Kelsey Johnson (Byfield, Mass.) pushed Saint Anselm ahead with her seventh goal of the season at 15:29, flipping in a pass across the crease from Cierra Romaldo (Chuluota, Fla.) into the left side of the net.

Bridget Sylvester (Randolph, N.J.) started the Hawks’ three-goal second period just 1:03 in the frame with assists from Marissa Serafino (Rutland, Vt.) and Kathleen Twomey (Londonderry, N.H.). Romaldo added a power-play tally 2:08 later when she one-timed a centering pass from behind the net by Johnson from the doorstep. Molly Corl (Danvers, Mass.) fired a short-handed wrister from the high slot past Rigosi at 7:39.

The Hawks added a pair in the third courtesy of Zappen and Michelle Lacombe (Delafield, Wisc.) before the Bison’s Cheryl Winter ( Cupertino, Calif.) recorded her first goal of the season with just over four minutes to play when she tucked a backhander into the upper right corner from the right netfront. Allison Peters (Westford, Mass.) and Mandy Manopla (Wellington, Fla.) earned assists on the play.

Rigosi made 34 saves in just under 47 minutes before giving way to junior goaltender Melissa Mansfield (Medford, N.Y.), who allowed one goal and made six saves in the remaining 13 minutes. The Hawks’ netminder Carley Berry (Danvers, Mass.) stopped 25 shots.

Nichols is back in action against New England College Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

Welcome Back Tek

2009-01-30T15:48:00.000-08:00

Well the Sox have their catcher and captain back. It is about time that this issue is put to rest, now we can get ready for pitchers and catchers reporting date of 2/15/09.

I am sure we will be hearing and reading more on how the Red Sox took advantage of Jason Varitek by giving him such a low contract. Let us not forget he hired the biggest agent whore out there in Scott Boras to represent him. Four years ago, Boras had the Red Sox convinced he had multiple suitors for his client when all he had was the Red Sox bidding against themselves. This works once but as the saying goes fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me, this time the Sox would not be fooled. Good for the Sox holding the line with Boras and his client.

Breaking News: Varitek, Red Sox have a deal

2009-01-30T12:50:00.000-08:00

BOSTON -- The captain is staying put. The Red Sox and free-agent catcher Jason Varitek agreed on a contract, two sources confirmed to MLB.com on Friday.

The deal is for one year, at $5 million, with an option for 2010 that Boston could activate at $5 million or Varitek could at $3 million.

Varitek could make another $2 million in 2010 via incentive clauses, the Boston Globe reported, meaning the total value of the contract will be as low as $8 million or as high as $12 million.

The Rest of the Story

Varitek

2009-01-30T07:28:00.000-08:00

I often wonder what is going through the minds of these guys. I will be the first to admit that I have no clue about how all of the arbitration and contracts work with these guys but Varitek was offered 10 million for this year during arbitration. So he turns that down and now they are offering less and given him until tomorrow to make up his mind. He is 37 years old and had a lack luster season last year. What does this guy want? He is not right out of the gate and by baseball standards he is an old man.

So Tek could be watching the season from home this year. Pitchers and catchers report in 13 days and he has no contract. There is speculation that he will sit the season out and wait and see if someone somewhere gets hurt and they give him a call. I am not sure I would be willing to gamble like that with my career. So he will roll dice and see what happens. One thing is for sure he only has two years left if that.

Revolution open March 21 at S.J.

2009-01-29T04:36:00.000-08:00

The Revolution will open the 2009 season at San Jose March 21 at 10:30 p.m. (EST), kicking off their 30-game schedule in MLS.

The Revolution's first home game will be against FC Dallas April 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Gillette Stadium.

The Revolution have defeated FC Dallas in each of their last seven meetings.

Other matchups include a game against the 2008 MLS Cup runner-up New York Red Bulls March 28 and a match against last season's Cup champion Columbus Crew Oct. 10.

Six Revolution games will be nationally televised on ESPN2 or Fox Soccer Channel, including a home game against the Los Angeles Galaxy Aug. 8.

The Revolution will take a break from MLS play June 14-July 3 for SuperLiga action. The Revolution won the tournament last year, which features MLS and international teams. The list of teams and dates will be released later.

Preseason training for the Revolution begins Saturday, with players reporting for physicals. Conditioning workouts begin Monday.

The MLS Cup playoffs will begin Oct. 29, with the MLS Cup final scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 21-22 at a site to be determined.

Revolution season-ticket packages are on sale. For more information, call 1-877-GET-REVS or visit www.revolutionsoccer.net.

Manny Ramirez in talks with several teams, agent says

2009-01-29T04:32:00.000-08:00

Scott Boras announced yesterday that his client, free-agent slugger Manny Ramirez, is in talks with several teams. Several reports suggest the New York Mets are not involved.

The Rest of the Story

SoxBeat: Maybe Tek knows what he's doing

2009-01-29T04:29:00.000-08:00

Maybe Jason Varitek isn't really that dumb.

The veteran catcher, in many ways the face of the Red Sox for the better part of a decade, certainly misjudged his worth on the open market. He failed to foresee the unwillingness of other teams to forfeit a first-round draft pick for his services. He found himself blasted by fans and media alike for overplaying his hand in his quest for a multi-year deal with which he could extend his career.

Look where things stand, though: The Red Sox this week presented Varitek with an offer -- an offer that includes a team option as well as a player option for the 2010 season. Should he sign on the dotted line, the catcher would virtually ensure himself professional employment until close to his 39th birthday.

This was never about money. This was about job security. This was about the opportunity to play big-league baseball for another two seasons instead of one.

The Rest of the Story

Worcester offers contract to Manny Ramirez

2009-01-28T19:20:00.000-08:00

This is the best sports story of the season. The Worcester Tornadoes Baseball Team has offered a contract to Marry Ramirez.

According to the website, the team has offered Manny a contract for $24,000 for the teams 94 game season. That comes down to about $3,000 per month. So a wee bit of a salary cut but it might be the only deal that Manny gets this season.

“I feel Manny would really enjoy playing in Worcester and hitting in our ballpark. Although I would be concerned about the cars traveling on I-290 during his at bats, it’s a risk worth taking,” said General Manager, Jorg Bassiacos. Director of Player Personnel Brad Michals added, "Manny certainly has the stats to be amongst the leaders of the league next season. Although issues regarding health have surrounded him in the past, I think he will find that the shorter schedule will boost his performance to a new level and serve as the ultimate showcase for his natural skill."

The contract was sent to Ramirez around 2:00 EST on Tuesday, January 27, 2009.

Stay tuned for more news!