Carl Crawford Racks Up 6 Stolen Bases...

In the Rays 5-3 win over the Red Sox, Carl Crawford tied the modern-day MLB record for most stolen bases in a game. And he made it looks so easy. A couple times Jason Varitek didn't even bother throwing. Crawford was 4-4, with an RBI and and 2 runs scored. Crawford's batting .317 on the season, and leads  the MLB in stolen bases with 17. Carl Crawford is that deal...

Via: ESPN

Fresh Kicks...

Jackie Robinson x Ken Griffey...

Jackie Robinson x Nike Air Max Griffey Swingman Remix...

The Air Max Griffey Swingman Remix, which is an altered version of the Griffey Max II, has been re-designed with a Jackie Robinson theme, incorporating a royal blue/grey/white color scheme to capture the Brooklyn Dodgers feel, as well as a few other personal touches. Robinson’s number 42 appears in red on the back of both heels and the date “4-15-47″ is featured on the insole to commemorate the day Jackie first made history.

WOW. Two MLB greats + Nike...how dope can you get???

Release date: TBD

Via: sneakernews

SHEFF HITS 500!!!!!!

Gary Sheffield became the 25th player to hit 500 home runs on Friday, in the Mets' 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. BIG UPS TO SHEFF!!!!

Via: ESPN

For Black MLB Players, Life At Wrigley Can Be Rough...

Milton Bradley says he's aware of Wrigley Field's reputation for fans who not only boo their own players, but also have a history of getting racial.

He also says he's ready for it.

''I can be like that guy that you watch all the time for whatever reason,'' he said, referring to his track record of angry outbursts and run-ins. ''But I really think I've outgrown it, a lot of the stuff that I did when I was younger.''

Still, this seems at first glance a curious marriage between the Cubs and their newest big-money free agent, who's expected to return from a groin injury during this weekend's home series against the St. Louis Cardinals. And it might prove to be the biggest test of the new man Bradley says he is at this point in his life and career.

Wrigley seems like the last place an African-American player with such a well-traveled reputation for confrontations would choose to sign a multiyear contract. In the last five seasons alone, Cubs outfielder Jacque Jones and pitcher LaTroy Hawkins said they were the targets of racist taunts and fan mail. Jones also said in 2006 that he became the victim of racial slurs and threats on his cell phone when the number got out.

Former Cubs manager Dusty Baker said that same season that he received enough threatening, racist mail in Chicago that his wife and young son no longer would attend games.

Visiting ballplayers are even easier targets for the more vicious slurs.

''I've heard a few things [from the bleachers],'' Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Mike Cameron said. ''But I don't really get into it with them unless a situation calls for it. I try to stay out of those situations.''

Generally considered by players among the roughest crowds in baseball for their habit of booing players on the home team, crowds at Wrigley and Boston's Fenway Park also are considered among the worst by African-American players for a racist element comprising at least vocal minorities.

Besides Jones' experiences, another black former Cubs outfielder who declined to be identified said in a private conversation during a recent spring training that the Wrigley crowd might have been the worst he'd experienced for racist taunts.

''I've heard that from a lot of the players who played there,'' Cameron said.

Los Angeles Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said that was one of the reasons he had the Cubs on his no-trade list for years while in Minnesota.

So what's the potential for a flash-point incident at the intersection of a beer-swilling, slur-spilling lout and a player with a well-earned reputation for not backing down from a perceived wrong?

''You never know what may throw somebody off,'' said Cameron, who was a teammate of Bradley's in San Diego. ''Those are the things you really have to think about. You'd hope people don't get personal, but sometimes it does. And it can be hard on players.

''But Milton has so much ability that I don't think that will come into play because the guy's so good. He's going to be fighting tooth and nail on every single pitch until the last out is made.''

Full story here.

Via: The Chicago Sun-Times

Sports News

The 2009 NIT Schedule:

First Round

Tuesday, March 17
Davidson (26-7) at South Carolina (21-9), 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Rhode Island (22-10) at Niagara (26-8), 7 p.m.
George Mason (22-10) at Penn State (22-11), 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
UAB (22-11) at Notre Dame (18-14), 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
UNLV (21-10) at Kentucky (20-12), 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Weber State (21-9) at San Diego State (23-9), 10 p.m.
Nebraska (18-12) at New Mexico (21-11), 10 p.m. (ESPNU)
Washington State (17-15) at St. Mary's, Calif. (25-6), 11 p.m. (ESPN2)

Wednesday, March 18
Duquesne (21-12) at Virginia Tech (18-14), 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
Miami (18-12) at Providence (19-13), 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Illinois State (24-9) at Kansas State (21-11), 8 p.m.
Bowling Green (19-13) at Creighton (26-7), 8 p.m.
Tennessee-Martin (22-9) at Auburn (22-11), 8 p.m.
Jacksonville (18-13) at Florida (23-10), 8 p.m.
Northwestern (17-13) at Tulsa (24-10), 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
Georgetown (16-14) at Baylor (20-14), 9 p.m. (ESPN2)

Second Round

March 19-23
Weber State-San Diego State winner vs. Illinois State-Kansas State winner, TBA
Davidson-South Carolina winner vs. Washington State-St. Mary's, Calif. winner, TBA
Tennessee-Martin-Auburn winner vs. Northwestern-Tulsa winner, TBA
Georgetown-Baylor winner vs. Duquesne-Virginia Tech winner, TBA
Bowling Green-Creighton winner vs. UNLV-Kentucky winner, TBA
Nebraska-New Mexico winner vs. UAB-Notre Dame winner, TBA
Jacksonville-Florida winner vs. Miami-Providence winner, TBA
Rhode Island-Niagara winner vs. George Mason-Penn State winner, TBA

Quarterfinals

March 24-25
At host sites

Semifinals

March 30 (at Madison Square Garden)
Semifinal, 7 p.m. Semifinal, 9:30 p.m.

Championship

April 2 (at Madison Square Garden)
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

Tony Dungy Asked To Be Liaison For Players...

Newly elected NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith has asked former Colts head coach Tony Dungy to serve as a liaison between the Association's players and the NFL office for player issues both on and off the field, a source told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

The 45-year-old Smith was elected Sunday on the first ballot by the 32 representatives -- one for each NFL team -- and was introduced to a standing ovation.

Dungy retired from coaching after the 2008 season.

Dungy talked constantly to his players about being targets, once describing to a visitor the specifics of how he counsels them to avoid the wrong people, the wrong places and the perils of driving in the early morning after a few beers. He also has firsthand knowledge of troubled young people -- three years ago, his son, James, committed suicide at age 18. That winter, he began to think about retirement, which finally came at 53, an age when many get their first job as a head coach.

"I think I've got a responsibility to be home a little bit more, be available to my family a little bit more and do some things to help make our country better," Dungy said when he announced this offseason that he was stepping down.

"I don't know what that is right now, but we'll see."

This would be a great look for the league, especially with all of the dumbass things some of these guys do. Everybody respects him, so his impact could be huge.

Pudge To The Astros...

Catcher Ivan Rodriguez has agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Houston Astros, a source told ESPN's Steve Phillips on Monday.

Rodriguez can make an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses.

At the World Baseball Classic, Rodriguez, a 14-time major league All-Star, is hitting .600 (9-for-15) in four games for Puerto Rico.

Rodriguez hit .276 with seven homers and 35 RBIs in 115 games with the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees last year. He is the only player in baseball history with at least 13 Gold Gloves and a career .300 average or better.

He has three more Gold Gloves, earning one as recently as 2007, than Hall of Famer Johnny Bench and almost double the total of Bob Boone, who is third on the list. Among position players, only Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson has more Gold Glove awards.

Rodriguez has caught 2,173 games, trailing only Carlton Fisk (2,226) and Boone (2,225) in terms of longevity behind the plate.

This is a nice move for both sides. Even though Pudge is getting old, and his offensive numbers were down last year, his defense is still impeccable.

Via: ESPN

Manny Being Manny....

Check Out How Manny Rolled Into Spring Training Today...

LMAO. I love it.

Via: ESPN

Manny Being Manny....

Manny and The Dodgers Agree To Deal...

After months of back-and-forth negotiations, a meeting Wednesday between Manny Ramirez, his agents and Los Angeles Dodgers management has culminated in a deal for the slugger.

Ramirez and the Dodgers have agreed in principle on a two-year, $45 million contract, pending a physical.

According to MLB.com, $25 million of the contract is deferred over five years and Ramirez has the right to opt out of the deal after one year. According to The Associated Press, Ramirez has full no-trade protection.

The outfielder, his agents Scott Boras and Mike Fiore, Dodgers manager Joe Torre, and owner Frank McCourt and general manager Ned Colletti met in the Los Angeles area Wednesday morning. Torre and Colletti arrived from spring training in Arizona.

Los Angeles announced last week that Ramirez declined its latest offer, a $25 million, one-year contract with a $20 million player option for 2010. That deal would have included deferred payments of $10 million each in 2011 and 2012 and $5 million in 2013.

Full story here.

I don't care what the Dodgers said, you knew they had to sign him. There is absolutely no way that anyone on the roster could replace his production.

Via: ESPN

Sporting News...Two Bulls' Legends Pass Away

R.I.P. Norman Van Lier & Johnny "Red" Kerr

Norm Van Lier, one of the most popular players in Chicago Bulls history and one of the NBA's top defensive players in the 1970s, was found dead in his home just blocks away from the team's arena Thursday. He was 61.

The cause of death was not immediately known, authorities said.

Van Lier's death was discovered on the same day that former Bulls coach Johnny "Red" Kerr died.

Kerr, 76, coached the Bulls to the playoffs in their inaugural 1966-67 season and spent more than 30 years calling their games on local broadcast outlets.

Van Lier, who most recently worked for Comcast SportsNet Chicago, had been scheduled as a pre- and post-game analyst for Wednesday night's Bulls game with the New Jersey Nets.

Comcast officials became concerned when Van Lier did not show up for work and could not be reached Thursday. An employee was sent to his apartment near the United Center on the city's near West Side, said Jim Corno, president of Comcast SportsNet Chicago. The employee tried unsuccessfully to get inside.

Authorities responded to a subsequent well-being check and found Van Lier unresponsive shortly before 1 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Quention Curtis said.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's office confirmed Van Lier's death but said a cause was not immediately known.

"Norm Van Lier was one of the all-time greats ever to put on a Chicago Bulls uniform," team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. "Along with Jerry Sloan, he set a standard for Bulls defense and toughness which we will never forget and which we will always strive to replicate."

Full story here.

Johnny "Red" Kerr, the former Chicago Bulls coach who spent more than three decades as a broadcaster for the team, died Thursday. He was 76.

Kerr died at his home after a battle with prostate cancer, Bulls spokesman Tim Hallam said.

"His name was synonymous with basketball, both here in Chicago, and throughout the entire NBA," Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said. "Those that were fortunate enough to have known Johnny were touched by both his tremendous compassion for people, and his lifelong passion for the game of basketball. We will miss him greatly."

Full story here.

NBA Bailout Plan???

The NBA has lined up $200 million to distribute to teams interested in additional cash, which the league considers a sign it remains strong in a slumping economy.

Between $13 million and $20 million will be available to each of 12 teams that have expressed interest in the funds, commissioner David Stern said Thursday. The money can be used for any purpose, including helping teams deal with operating losses incurred because of the economy.

It should not, Stern said, be construed as a bailout. At a time when credit markets have been frozen, investors saw the NBA as a safe bet.

"It's exactly the opposite" of a bailout, Stern told The Associated Press "This was a show of strength in the creditworthiness of the NBA's teams."

The NBA declined to name the teams interested in the money.

The league has an existing $1.7 billion credit facility, essentially a line of credit established by lenders from which teams can borrow. The league had been interested in growing the facility when the credit markets seized up last fall.

"They told us there's no chance of any additional funds being raised for any sports league, and indeed, the credit facilities that had come up for other leagues were being termed out rather than renewed," Stern said.

JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America recently approached the league to say $150 million might be available, a figure that eventually grew to $200 million.

"It's a great sign of confidence in us and that's wonderful that the market is opening up, so we'll take it," Stern said. "And we turned to our teams and said, 'OK, we've got this much more to distribute under the facility for those of you who want it now.'"

Full story here. 

Just Manny Being Manny....

Manny Ramirez has rejected yet another offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers announced Thursday night the star outfielder's agent Scott Boras had declined a $25 million, one-year contract with a $20 million player option for 2010. It was the club's fourth offer to Ramirez this offseason.

"We want Manny back, but we feel we are negotiating against ourselves," Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said in a statement. "When his agent finds those 'serious offers' from other clubs, we'll be happy to restart the negotiations."

Full story here.

Mike Vick Update...

 

Imprisoned NFL star Michael Vick will be allowed to serve the last two months of his sentence under home confinement because there is no room at a halfway house for him, a government official told The Associated Press Thursday.

Vick is serving a 23-month sentence at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., after pleading guilty to bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in eastern Virginia's Surry County. He also admitted to participating in the killing of several underperforming dogs.

Vick's lawyers have said they expected him to be moved any day into a halfway house in Newport News. But because of a lack of space, Vick will be released instead to his home in nearby Hampton at some point on or after May 21, said the official, who has knowledge of the case but requested anonymity because the individual was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Full story here.

Yankees Address A-Rod Issue...

Alex Rodriguez was told by the New York Yankees to keep his cousin away from the team.

The message was given to the star third baseman on Thursday, said a person familiar with the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team did not make an announcement. The message applied both to spring training and the regular season, the person said.

Rodriguez was also told the cousin should not be anywhere the team congregates, which presumably includes the team's hotel when it travels and the ballpark.

Speaking at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., general manager Brian Cashman said only that the matter of Rodriguez being picked up from his spring training opener Wednesday by his cousin "has been handled."

Rodriguez took a similar tone following New York's 5-1 victory on Thursday over the Tampa Bay Rays.

"It's been addressed," he said. "And, no further comment."

A day earlier in Dunedin, Rodriguez homered and walked twice before getting into a SUV driven by Yuri Sucart. He's been identified as the cousin who provided Rodriguez with performance-enhancing drugs obtained in the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez admitted using them while playing for the Texas Rangers from 2001-03.

Rodriguez acknowledged to the Yankees that having the cousin meet him at the ballpark in Dunedin was a mistake, the person who told The Associated Press about the situation said.

Full story here.

Via: ESPN