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P-Bruins blank Admirals, 7-0

NORFOLK, Va. — Tuukka Rask posted his first pro shutout by stopping 27 shots and Providence became the first AHL team to reach 100 points this season as the P-Bruins routed the Norfolk Admirals, 7-0, last night at the Scope.

The P-Bruins got one goal apiece from Byron Bitz, Jeff Hoggan, Nate Thompson, Jeff LoVecchio and Matt Hendricks and two from Chris Collins.

Posted by Corey Bourassa  at 10:25 PM to P-Bruins | Permalink | Comments 0

Classical's Watkins named Gatorade boys basketball player of the year

The Gatorade Company, in partnership with RISE Magazine, today announced Ashton Watkins of Classical High School as its 2007-08 Rhode Island Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

The 6-foot-4 junior center averaged 18.2 points and 18.4 rebounds per game this season, leading the Purple (23-1) to the Division 2 state championship, a 71-62 victory against West Warwick. Also the Division II North Player of the Year and an All-Division II selection, Watkins added five blocks and 2.5 steals per contest this winter while shooting 61 percent from the floor. He recorded 27 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks in a 61-54 state semifinal victory against Rogers.

“He was definitely the dominant big man in our league,” said Mike Lunney, head coach at rival Portsmouth High. “He created a matchup problem because of his length. You had to start with him. You had to have a plan for him.”

Watkins will begin his senior year of high school this fall and remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

Posted by Corey Bourassa  at 5:15 PM to High School | Permalink | Comments 0

Chamberlain to start season in Yankees 'pen

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Joba Chamberlain, considered a candidate for the New York Yankees starting rotation, will begin the season in the bullpen.

"We think it's where he fits best right now," manager Joe Girardi said Wednesday.

When asked if Chamberlain would go back to the setup role he thrived in as a rookie, Girardi refused to be specific but said Chamberlain would pitch late in games.

"He's a back-end guy. That's how I'll classify him now," Girardi said.

The 22-year-old had prepared as a starter this spring, but was not surprised by the decision.
"I had another idea if everybody stayed healthy this would happen," he said. "It's best for the team right now."

The Yankees' projected rotation includes Chien Ming-Wang, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy.

The team still expects Chamberlain to be a future starter, but Girardi wouldn't commit to saying it would happen this season.

Chamberlain started Saturday against Detroit in a split-squad game and allowed three runs and four hits in three innings. He has a 6.14 ERA in 7 1-3 innings this spring.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

CCRI advances in tournament

The Community College of Rhode Island defeated Garrett College, of McHenry, Md., 67-66, today in the first round of the NJCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament. The 16th-ranked Knights now advance to play 1st-ranked Kirkwood Community College, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Lauren Harrington, from Exeter/West Greenwich High School, led Knights scorers with 19 points, while Rachel Murray had 14 points and 20 rebounds. Denise Scott added 16 points and 5 rebounds.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 3:26 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

PC junior Cody Wild to skip senior season, turn pro

Providence College junior defenseman Cody Wild of North Providence has signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Springfield Falcons of the AHL, forgoing his senior year in college. Wild, who finished his college season on Saturday night against Boston College, collected four goals and 18 assists for 22 points and 28 penalty minutes in 32 games this year. A former All-Stater at La Salle, Wild, 20, was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers, Springfield’s parent club, in the fifth round in 2006. Springfield’s next visit to the Dunkin Donuts Center is Friday, March 18.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Red Sox will go to Japan

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A resolution has been reached between the Red Sox players, Major League Baseball and MLBPA in regards to the compensation for the coaching staff. As a result the team will travel to Japan. Red Sox player rep Kevin Youkilis will address the situation later this afternoon and we'll have more as it becomes available.

-- JOE McDONALD

Posted by Art Martone  at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Red Sox will play today, after all

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- An agreement has apparently been reached between the Red Sox and Major League Baseball; today's spring training game against the Blue Jays will be played about an hour late at 1:10 p.m..

-- JOE McDONALD and SEAN McADAM

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:53 PM to Red Sox | Permalink | Comments 0

Red Sox game is on

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox have announced that they will play today's game with the Blue Jays, indicating their was a resolution to their dispute with Major League Baseball.

Follow the issue on projo.com's Sox Blog.

Posted by Art Martone  at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Start of game delayed

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Red Sox have not taken the field for the start of today's exhibition game against the Blue Jays, meaning the -- at the very least -- the first pitch will be delayed.

-- JOE McDONALD and SEAN McADAM

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:03 PM to Red Sox | Permalink | Comments 0

Minute-by-minute updates from Fort Myers

Check the Sox Blog continually as Joe McDonald and Sean McAdam provide up-to-the-second updates on whether or not the Red Sox will boycott today's exhibition game with the Blue Jays over the issue of whether or not the team's coaches will be compensated by Major League Baseball, as managers and players are, for the team's trip to Japan.

Posted by Art Martone  at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Multimedia: Sean McAdam talks about the controversy over coaches pay

Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded today from Fort Myers.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:00 AM to Red Sox | Permalink | Comments 0

Red Sox threaten to boycott today's game unless coaches' pay addressed

By JOE McDONALD
and SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Red Sox players today voted unanimously in a closed-door meeting that they will not take the field today against the Toronto Blue Jays unless major league baseball agrees to compensate coaches for the coming trip to Japan. The game, the last before the team leaves on its season-opening trip to the Far East, is scheduled to be televised at noon on ESPN.

The controversy arose Tuesday morning when manager Terry Francona found out that the coaching staffs from both Boston and Oakland would not be paid the extra $40,000 that the players and managers will get for traveling to Japan.

There has been a lot of confusion between Major League Baseball and MLBPA in the last 24 hours, and Francona is still waiting for answers.

“I was promised some answers yesterday and I didn’t receive them,” said the manager. “We’re trying to get ready to play a game and I spent the morning apologizing to the coaches and being humiliated. The players are pretty adamant that something be done.

“This is a touchy situation for me,” added Francona. “It’s a big deal. I don’t appreciate that coaches are [viewed as] second-class citizens. That has never sat well with me. We’re over there representing Major League Baseball, and we’ve talked about doing it with class, but this is disheartening. This is hard to understand. We were told [they would be paid] and the players believed it to. I double-checked on this this winter. This isn’t something I take for granted.”

Blue Jays shortstop David Eckstein said his teammates would understand if the Red Sox did not take the field.

"They have to do what they have to do. They are one [united] team," Eckstein said.

Francona said he is embarrassed by the entire situation.

The Red Sox players are, too.

“I’ve seen a lot of stuff in this game, but this is unbelievable,” said Red Sox player rep Kevin Youkilis prior to the team meeting this morning. “It was brought to my attention (Tuesday) and it was something I thought would never even be a problem. To have this as a problem is embarrassing. For what these coaches do for baseball, I mean, the players play but in order to have order and run these teams, they put all the hardest work in. They deserve as much as much as the players. . . For them not to be getting paid for this trip is a disgrace. It’s a disgrace to the game.”

No matter if the issue is resolved before the team leaves this afternoon, Youkilis said the coaches will be taken care of internally by the players.

“But for Major League Baseball not to step up . . . this is unbelievable,” added Youkilis. “It’s wrong. We all get a per diem and all that, but I thought we were all under the same thing.”

Youkilis is also under the impression that when the Yankees and Rays made a similar trip to Japan to start the 2004 season, players voted on who would be compensated and he believes everyone was, including the coaching staffs.

“This time around it’s not like that,” he said. “We didn’t know that, so for us it’s very tough. We had meetings about going over there, and obviously [MLB] is not living up to their word. I don’t know who exactly is not living up to their words, but the players’ association can’t intervene in matters like this.”

The MLBPA does not represent coaches other than pensions and postseason compensation.
“This is a time where we wish we could help,” said Youkilis. “Tito is going to fight and battle and that’s his personality. And, he’s doing the right thing by fighting for his coaches. It’s ridiculous because these guys are the ones who make it happen and they need to reap the benefits. There is a lot of money to be made on this trip, in a lot of different aspects, so everyone who is involved should be handled in the proper way. Hopefully we can get this resolved.”

Youkilis talked to the players this morning. If MLB doesn’t settle the situation, then the players would take care of it in house.

“This isn’t a good thing,” he said. “We’re going to Japan and we don’t want to deal with all of this. We’ll make it work because we have great players.”

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 9:30 AM to Red Sox | Permalink | Comments 0

Download today's sports cover

On today's sports cover, Joe McDonald and Sean McAdam write about the controversy surrounding extra compensation given to Red Sox players -- but not coaches -- for traveling to Japan. Paul Kenyon has the story of the final disappointment in URI's season of lost promise; Jarrod Ulrey reports on Brown's exit from the College Basketball Invitational tournament; Shalise Manza Young tells you how East Providence's Jamie Silva looked at BC's Pro Day; and we have the story on the Celtics' streak-smashing defeat of the Houston Rockets.

Click here to download the file in pdf format.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 8:18 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

A nightmare finish for URI

OMAHA _ It was as if the URI basketball team was forced to relive a nightmare.

Even worse, it was like Groundhog Day. It was as if it was happening over and over again. And the ending always was the same. URI would lead for most of a game, but then get beaten at the end.

Because it put an capper to the season, the one that took place last night might have been the most painful of all. Cavel Witter, who had been 0-for-7 from the floor for the game, hit a 3-point shot from the left wing with three seconds left, giving Creighton a 74-73 thriller over Rhode Island in an NIT opening round game at the Qwest Center.

The shot gave the Bluejays their second lead of the night. The other one had been at 3-0. Rhode Island controlled play much of the way, led by as many as 17 and was still up by 12 (70-58) with 3:08 left.

But, as happened against Charlotte in the Atlantic 10 tournament, as happened in an overtime loss at Temple, as seemed to happen way too often, it all ended bitterly for the Rams.

``That game looked like our season,’’ said Rhody guard Parfait Bitee. ``We started pretty well. The second half we didn’t have a clue. At least that’s what it looked like.’’

Bitee, like many of his teammates, was still in uniform more than a half hour after it ended, still sitting in front of his locker. It was a bitter pill under any circumstances, all the more so because it was the repeat of what has happened so often as the team lost nine of its last 11 to finish 21-12.

``When you are up 20 (actually 17), you should seal the deal,’’ said fellow co-captain Will Dainels. ``We couldn’t defend the three. We didn’t defend the three well all season. (Charlotte’s Leemire) Goldwire did it to us. They did it to us tonight.’’

The loss was the 10th in single digits for URI.

In some, the team did not play well down the stretch. But in the last two, the 75-73 loss to Charlotte in the A-10 tournament, and last night, URI played well, more than well enough to win. They simply could not close it out.

``The kids gave their heart. They put everything into it. It was just a tremendous effort,’’ said URI coach Jim Baron. ``It was a great game.’’

URI carried play most of the way. It scored 12 straight after Creighton had taken a 3-0 lead. The Rams led 35-19, 45-30 at the half and 50-33. Creighton made a run and got within 54-50. But URI, playing shorthanded after Keith Cothran injured an ankle with 8:08 left in the first half, got contributions from numerous sources.

Will Daniels finished with 16 points, Jimmy Baron 13 and Lamont Ulmer 12 off the bench. Jason Francis, Delroy James and Marquis Jones, getting extended minutes because of Cothran’s injury, all made big plays as the Rams fought off the Creighton rally. The Ram lead grew to 61-50 after a Francis putback and Baron 3-pointer. A 17-footer by James and then a layup by Jones off a backdoor cut and feed from James made it 70-58 with 3:09 left.

But that’s when all the bad memories started coming back.

P’Allen Stinnett had a 3-pointer and Booker Woodfox two as the Jays rallied. The Jays pulled within one in the final minute. Jones was fouled and made one of two foul shots to make it 73-71 Rhode Island. Creighton called a time out with 11 seconds left to set up a play. URI decided to come out in a zone.

``We thought if we came out in man they would take it to the bucket and we might have to go to overtime,’’ Baron said. He was right. That’s the play Creighton coach Dana Altman called.
``We were running an inside penetration for P’Allen,’’ Altman said. ``They double teamed him. He made a really good decision.’’

Stinnett almost lost the ball as two defenders came at him at the top of the key. He had it down around his knees with two guys on him when he saw Witter on the left.

``I told P’Allen before the play they’d probably double team him. I told him, `You’ve been killing them (Stinnett had 22 points),’’ Witter said. ``I told him, `If you don’t have it. I’ll be ready.’ He trusted me and I trusted myself.’’

``He made a really good decision. That’s really tough to do as a freshman,’’ Altman said.

Witter drilled home to the winner to the delight of the crowd of 7,948, one of the smallest in Creighton’s Qwest Center history.

It was the12th 3-pointer for the Bluejays. They shot better from the 3-point line on the night (40 percent) than they did overall (36.7 percent). The made their last four 3-point attempts. Just as in the Charlotte game, a miss on any of them probably would have meant losing the game.

``It’s got to be heartbreaking for Rhode Island,’’ Altman said. ``They popped us for 30 minutes. We basically won the last three or four and won the game.’’

It is a story that turned into a nightmare for the Rams, one they had to live through way too often.

``It’s bad that our season has to be summed up like this,’’ Daniels said.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 1:41 AM to URI Basketball | Permalink | Comments 0