http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/ en Copyright 2008 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:16:47 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Gary Matthews Jr. limped out of the clubhouse this morning, an air cast on his sprained right ankle, to have an MRI taken and there is a good chance he will open the year on the disabled list. “I’m disappointed but it’s done,” said Matthews, who caught his spike running to third base during Monday’s game. “Just move on and hopefully it will only be a couple of weeks. It’d be nice if it was just one week.” Even if it’s only one week that would still put Monday’s opening day in jeopardy. However, Matthews said the sprain wasn’t as bad as when he suffered a second degree sprain last September in Baltimore that left him on crutches and in a walking boot. Without Matthews in the lineup, the team would likely have Maicer Izturis bat second, although Howie Kendrick could be an option there. Manager Mike Scioscia also said Casey Kotchman could hit second if need be. http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/matthews_another_angel_likely.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/matthews_another_angel_likely.html Angels MLB Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:16:47 -0800 Lamar Odom stood before the media with both his knees wrapped in ice. He had just played 53 minutes in the Lakers' overtime win over the Golden State Warriors Monday night in Oakland. Odom needed the rest, something he refused to take during the game. ``Phil wanted to take me out a couple of times,'' Odom said, referring to Lakers coach Phil Jackson. ``I just told him to just to leave me out there.'' Odom was getting it done and the Lakers didn't have enough bodies to replace him. So he played on and on and on. ``I just wanted to stay out there,'' Odom said. ``I'm paying for it now. I just want to go home after I talk to you guys (in the media). Maybe eat a Quiznos sandwich. Sobe Life Water and take nap.'' Odom laughed and walked away. http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/lakers_odom_happy_to_get_rest.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/lakers_odom_happy_to_get_rest.html Lakers NBA Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:18:21 -0800 Kelvim Escobar has discontinued his throwing program, Manager Mike Scioscia said, pushing back the right-hander's expected return of mid-May. Escobar has been out with a sore shoulder and only began playing light catch from 45 feet a week ago. However inflammation and pain caused him to shut it down. "It's nothing unusual in a rehab scenario to have to take a step back," Scioscia said. "That’s where he is right now. We’ll evaluate to see when he’ll start throwing again." Escobar first felt pain in his shoulder doing his offseason throwing program and was expected to miss about the first six weeks of the season. Now, it's more likely he'll miss the first two months. http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/angels_shut_down_escobar.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/angels_shut_down_escobar.html Angels MLB Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:46:37 -0800 Now it is closer Takashi Saito who might not be ready for opening day. He is pitching in a simulated game today, but Joe Torre conceded that if he doesn't get enough work in before the start of the season and his fastball up to speed, he might not be ready. Saito was limited due to a right calf strain and as of Sunday, some tightness in his left buttocks. Saito last season dealt with a hamstring strain in the same leg that kept him out of few games. http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/dodgers_saito_to_the_dl.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/dodgers_saito_to_the_dl.html Dodgers Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:21:38 -0800 Here's the third and final segment of the Raymond Moore-Charlie Pasarell media session, in which they discuss betting, bringing additional tennis events to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the seeding policy, and whether Venus and Serena Williams can ever be persuaded to end their boycott of the event. Don't bet on it. (Pun intended.) http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/tennis_state_of_the_pacific_li_2.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/tennis_state_of_the_pacific_li_2.html Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:29:08 -0800 More from Sunday's Raymond Moore-Charlie Pasarell media session, focusing on TV coverage, parking, TV coverage, celebrities and TV coverage. (You get the impression the switch from ESPN to FSN disoriented some people?) http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/tennis_state_of_the_pacific_li_1.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/tennis_state_of_the_pacific_li_1.html Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:23:20 -0800 Here are some highlights from Sunday’s media session with Raymond Moore and Charlie Pasarell, who run the Pacific Life Open tennis tournament and its venue, the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Since it's a very long transcript, I'll break it into three parts. Part I discusses attendance (a positive subject, since they smashed their year-old record by drawing 331,269 for the tournament), prize money, sponsorships and TV ratings http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/tennis_state_of_the_pacific_li.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/tennis_state_of_the_pacific_li.html Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:17:07 -0800 The Lakers don't have any of their big guys, so Lamar Odom has taken it upon himself to do the hard work, to do the rebounding. Odom grabbed 21 rebounds Monday night. This was after he collected a career-high 22 rebounds Sunday night. It has been 13 years since any Laker has grabbed 20-plus rebounds in back-to-back game. The last Laker to collect 20-plus rebounds in back-to-back games was Vlade Divic, who did it in Feb. of 1995, when he had 24 rebounds and then 20 rebounds. Odom had three rebounds in the overtime, one offensive. He also blocked a shot in the overtime. His driving layup with 9.1 seconds left gave the Lakers a 121-119 lead they never lost. But it was Odom's rebound that told his story. ``I just try to focus on rebounding because teams kill you when you can't get defensive rebounds,'' Odom said. ``They keep you in foul trouble. It's been something that I've been trying to focus on.'' http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/lakers_odom_rebounds_like_mad.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/lakers_odom_rebounds_like_mad.html Lakers NBA Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:16:36 -0800 Juan Pierre was seen in the clubhouse staring into space looking glum. He declined comment when this reporter approached. The lineup was eventually posted and Pierre wasn't in it. During batting practice, Joe Torre stood side-by-side with Pierre in left field, chatting for nearly 15 minutes. "He's fine," Torre said. "He wants to play." http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/dodgers_pierre_unhappy.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/dodgers_pierre_unhappy.html Dodgers Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:21:37 -0800 UPDATE: Matthews was taken to a local doctor to have preliminary X-rays taken. At the end of the first inning, Gary Matthews Jr. twisted his right ankle touching third base and immediately fell to the ground in pain. Manager Mike Scioscia and head athletic trainer Ned Bergert went out to assist Matthews and helped him off the field. It was announced that Matthews has a sprained right ankle, the same injury that cost him 10 games in mid-September after he hurt himself stealing a base in Baltimore. There is a chance he may start the season on the DL just to be safe and get everything working properly. http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/angels_matthews_goes_down.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/angels_matthews_goes_down.html Angels MLB Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:38:53 -0800 Over the next week, this is how the Angels' rotation lines up: Today, Ervin Santana will pitch and tomorrow Nick Adenhart will start. Jered Weaver goes Wednesday and Jon Garland will face the Dodgers on Thursday at Angel Stadium. On Friday, Joe Saunders will pitch at San Diego while Dustin Moseley will pitch in a camp game here in Arizona and Santana would go again Saturday vs. the Padres. Again, that lines up to have Weaver be the team's opening day starter, although Manager Mike Scioscia said that no decision - and thus, no announcement - will be made. "We’ve got some ways to go," he said. Yeah, sure. Like he would start Garland on three days rest, or anyone else the way that lines up. http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/weaver_for_angels_opener.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/weaver_for_angels_opener.html Angels MLB Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:14:06 -0800 Lakers coach Phil Jackson tried to be nice to his team, but it didn't work out. ``It was Easter Sunday and I didn't have a shootaround this morning,'' Jackson said. ``Sometimes you just have to honor the day. This was one of the things where they just weren't focused when they came.'' Wonder if he'll give the team Easter Sunday off again. Jackson couldn't have liked the way his team got down by 26 points in the third quarter or how they gave up 72 points in the first half, the most they have given up in a half all season. The Lakers only gave up 43 in the second half, but their defense let them down late in the fourth quarter, just like it did in the first half. ``We had a large gap to make up in that third quarter,'' Jackson said. ``Probably took a lot of energy out of us to get there. But we just couldn't make a stop down the stretch.'' http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/lakers_dont_have_right_focus.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/lakers_dont_have_right_focus.html Lakers NBA Sun, 23 Mar 2008 22:21:56 -0800 The Lakers didn't take care of the basketball in the first half and that put them in a big hole. They had 14 in the first half and the Golden State Warriors turned those miscues into 25 points, mostly on break-outs or three-pointers. The Lakers had just four turnovers in the second half and that allowed them to get back in the game. The Lakers usually take better care of the basketball, but this time they did not and it cost them for long strerches. They play the Warriors again Monday night. One emphasis will be taking better care of the basketball from start to finish. . http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/lakers_turn_ball_over_too_much.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/lakers_turn_ball_over_too_much.html Lakers NBA Sun, 23 Mar 2008 22:16:06 -0800 While wrapping up the Pacific Life Open tennis tournament Sunday, tournament executives Charlie Pasarell and Raymond Moore also discussed the Phoenix Suns-Denver Nuggets outdoor game scheduled Oct. 11 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The exhibition was set up because one of the Suns' minority owners lives in the desert. If it goes over well, there will likely be more. "They're giving us one game this year," Moore said. "I asked for two. They said that if it's successful, we could get two next year." The NBA inspected the site and not only gave its approval, but decided to promote it as a major event, maybe influenced by the way the NHL's outdoor game in Buffalo on New Year's Day became a singular event. TNT is on board to televise the event. "It's great," Pasarell said. "That's going to lend a lot of credibility to this venue for all kinds of sporting events." Is Lakers' owner Jerry Buss, who has roots in the desert, a little envious? "He may be envious, I don't know," Moore said. "The Phoenix Suns came in and said to us, 'We're not going to tell you who we're going to bring in, but we're going to tell you who we're not. We're not bringing in the Lakers.' " The Indian Wells facility, which has hosted concerts with acts as varied as Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Tom Petty and Dwight Yoakam, is further expanding its footprint with a 3-on-3 basketball tournament later this year. Moore said there's a possibility of boxing cards as well, since the Indian Wells city council once opposed it but has since had a change of heart. "This is an underutilized facility," Moore said. "But we have some handicaps. In August it's 120 degrees. It's hard to do anything here in the stadium except maybe water polo." -- Jim Alexander jalexander@PE.com http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/indian_wells_exhibition_alread.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/indian_wells_exhibition_alread.html NBA Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:08:20 -0800 The Lakers faced Seattle's man-to-man defense and tore it apart. The Lakers faced Seattle's zone defense and tore it apart. The Lakers simply shot the basketball very well. They made 60.7 percent of their shots from the field. They made 52.2 percent of their three-pointers, going 12-for-23 from three-point range. Jordan Farmar had his stroke going, dropping in 4 of 7 three-pointers. Sasha Vujacic had his groove working, making 3 of 4 three-pointers. Derek Fisher had it working, going 2-for-3 from three-point range. ``We're convinced that we have good shooters,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. ``You're not going to always shoot great every night. But we believe in our shooting ability.'' http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/lakers_make_shots_from_all_ove.html http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/prosports/2008/03/lakers_make_shots_from_all_ove.html Lakers NBA Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:40:17 -0800