Pac-10 Media Day is unfolding today in Los Angeles, and to no one’s surprise, Southern California was picked by the conference media to win the conference. The Trojans of head coach Pete Carroll received 38 of 39 first place votes. Cal was the only other team to receive a first place vote, although they were tabbed to finish 4th.

Arizona State, coming off a 10-3 season, and an appearance in the Holiday Bowl, finished second in the polling. It is the highest predicted finish for the Sun Devils since they were picked to finish 2nd in 2003. Incidentally, they finished 5-7 overall and 2-6 in the conference, tied for 8th place with Stanford that season. Oregon, Cal and UCLA round out the top 5, followed by Oregon State, Arizona, Washington, Stanford and Washington State.

In case you’re wondering, the Pac-10 media has correctly predicted the conference champion the last 8 seasons.

Full Pac-10 Press Release here.

Reed Johnson’s grand slam home run off of reliever Leo Rosales highlighted a 6-run 8th inning, and helped the Chicago Cubs salvage the final game of a 3-game series, 10-6 over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Owings entered the game in the 8th in relief of starter Doug Davis, with the Diamondbacks trailing 4-3. Owings walked the leadoff hitter Ryan Theriot, who was later knocked in on a base hit by catcher Geovanny Soto to make it 5-3 Chicago. Owings later walked Mark DeRosa, forcing in a run. Rosales then came in, and was victimized by Johnson, the first batter he faced, to make it 10-3. The Diamondbacks got closer in the bottom of the inning on a 3-run blast by Chris Snyder.

Ted Lilly got the win for Chicago, pushing his record to 10-5, while Davis fell to 3-5 with the loss.

Cubs Player of the Game: OF Reed Johnson - 3 for 4 with two runs scored and a grand slam.

Diamondbacks Player of the Game: OF Conor Jackson - reached base 5 times with 3 hits and 2 walks.

MLB.com : Recap | Boxscore

Here’s what others are saying about the Cubs 10-6 win at Chase Field…

Reed Johnson grand slam the difference as Cubs top Diamondbacks [ChicagoSports.com]

The Diamondbacks end their homestand at 3-3, and failed to pick up a game on the second place Dodgers, who lost in Colorado earlier in the day. The D-Backs haven’t won 3 games in a row since May 13-15, when they swept a 3-game series from the Rockies at Chase Field….Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano returned to the lineup after missing 34 games with a hand injury. He went 1 for 5 with an rbi.

The Diamondbacks have Thursday off, and then begin a 10-game road trip which begins in San Francisco on Friday. The trip will also take them to San Diego and Los Angeles.

]]> http://azsportshub.com/2008/07/23/bullpen-implodes-in-8th-cubs-win-finale-10-6/feed/ http://azsportshub.com/2008/07/23/is-emmitt-tarnishing-his-legend/ http://azsportshub.com/2008/07/23/is-emmitt-tarnishing-his-legend/#comments Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:48:36 +0000 Vince Marotta http://azsportshub.com/2008/07/23/is-emmitt-tarnishing-his-legend/

Many football purists shuttered when Emmitt Smith, the career Dallas Cowboy, and the NFL’s all-time leading rusher opted to sign with the Arizona Cardinals to finish his career. Smith played two years for the Cardinals, and in his final season, 2004, he actually performed admirably, running for 937 yards and 9 touchdowns. Yet, still most football historians will rate his time in the desert as embarrassing, and put Emmitt’s name right up there with Willie Mays, Joe Montana, Joe Namath and Babe Ruth as sports legends who ended their careers with teams they never should have played for.

If that weren’t enough, when his playing days were over, Smith appeared on, and eventually won Dancing With the Stars. Again, football lovers cringed.

Those two episodes were nothing compared to what’s going on now with old number 22. I think you’ll agree with me that this, by far, is the most embarrassing chapter of the Emmitt Smith story, and it has tarnished his legendary career more than anything…

Keith Hernandez and Clyde Frazier aren’t off the hook, either. Just a bad idea all the way around. This commercial should be enough to keep Emmitt out of the Hall of Fame. Ok, maybe not, but you get the idea. I want to throw things at the tv whenever this comes on.

]]> http://azsportshub.com/2008/07/23/is-emmitt-tarnishing-his-legend/feed/ http://azsportshub.com/2008/07/23/mike-nixon-linebackerjournalist/ http://azsportshub.com/2008/07/23/mike-nixon-linebackerjournalist/#comments Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:30:41 +0000 Vince Marotta http://azsportshub.com/2008/07/23/mike-nixon-linebackerjournalist/

Arizona State linebacker Mike Nixon has had an interesting sports career to say the least. He’s been a multi-sport high school star, a minor league baseball player, and a key contributor to a major college football program. That’s versatility. His next show of versatility though, might take the cake. This season Mike Nixon will become….a sportswriter?

With the launch of Sporting News Today, a digital form of the long-running magazine, Nixon has become one of 22 college football players from around the country who will be contributing articles on a semi-regular basis this season. Players will be describing the rigors of balancing an academic workload with the demands of major college football, in addition to other subjects. Other players who will be wearing their writing hat this year are Clemson QB Cullen Harper, Purdue QB Curtis Painter, Chase Daniel, quarterback at Missouri, Colorado Defensive Lineman George Hypolite, QB Pat White of West Virginia and Texas signal caller Colt McCoy.

]]> http://azsportshub.com/2008/07/23/mike-nixon-linebackerjournalist/feed/ http://azsportshub.com/2008/07/22/diamondbacks-punish-cubs-9-2/ http://azsportshub.com/2008/07/22/diamondbacks-punish-cubs-9-2/#comments Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:33:30 +0000 Vince Marotta http://azsportshub.com/2008/07/22/diamondbacks-punish-cubs-9-2/

Monday night, hits and runs were hard to come by for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tuesday they were a lot easier to come by. Conor Jackson, for the second time in this home stand, hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning to get the offensive wheels turning, and the D-Backs cruised past the Cubs 9-2 at Chase Field.

Jackson also added a 2-run double in the 8th inning, and ended the night going 3 for 5 with 3 runs batted in.

Yusmeiro Petit, taking Micah Owings’ turn in the starting rotation, was solid again for manager Bob Melvin. Petit scattered 3 hits and allowed just 1 run over 5 innings in gaining his first victory of the season. The bullpen picked up where Petit left off, allowing 1 run in 4 innings while striking out 6 Cubs’ batters. Newly acquired right-hander Jon Rauch made his Diamondbacks debut, pitching a scoreless 9th inning, while fanning 2.

The win may have been costly for Arizona, though. Second baseman Orlando Hudson, who homered in the ballgame, was hit in the right ankle by a pitch by Chicago reliever Kevin Hart in the 8th inning. Hudson stayed down for a few moments, and was helped off the field by the Diamondbacks’ training staff. He was unable to put any weight on the ankle. Augie Ojeda finished Hudson’s at-bat, and drove in a run with a groundout.

Second straight win for the D-Backs over the Cubs, and paired with a Dodgers’ loss in Colorado, the Diamondbacks are once again all alone atop the National League West by a full game.

MLB.com: Recap | Boxscore

Here’s what others are saying about the D-Backs domination of the Cubs…

The Diamondbacks will go for the 3-game sweep over the Cubbies Wednesday night at Chase. Bob Melvin will send lefty Doug Davis to the mound to face Cubs’ southpaw Ted Lilly. First pitch is at 6:40 PM.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired right-handed reliever Jon Rauch from the Washington Nationals in exchange for second baseman Emilio Bonifacio.

Rauch was the Nats’ closer, and had a 4-2 record with 17 saves in 22 opportunities and a 2.98 ERA. Rauch, a 6-year veteran, is 29 years old, and is the tallest pitcher in Major League History at 6 foot 11.

Bonifacio was considered one of the brighter prospects in the Diamondbacks’ system. He was 2 for 12 with 2 runs batted in this season with the Diamondbacks. In Triple-A Tucson, he hit .302 with 1 home run, 29 rbi, and 17 stolen bases.

Rauch gives the Diamondbacks’ ailing bullpen some options (although they still don’t have any lefties). He is a capable closer, and gives Bob Melvin the flexibility to move the struggling Brandon Lyon to a setup role in the absence of Juan Cruz. And if the trade doesn’t work out, it at least gives the Diamondbacks’ off-season hoops team an imposing front line, with Rauch and 6′10″ Randy Johnson starting up front.

Just one day before heading up the hill to Flagstaff for training camp ‘08, the Arizona Cardinals signed 2nd-round draft pick Calais Campbell, a 6 foot 8 defensive end from the University of Miami. Campbell registered 50 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 6 sacks for the Hurricanes. He signed a 4-year contract on Monday.

To make room for Campbell on the roster, the Cardinals waived defensive end Bo Schobel, who played in 2 games and had one tackle for the Cardinals last season.

Only first round pick Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a cornerback out of Tennessee State, remains unsigned. The Cardinals will report for a team meeting Wednesday night in Flagstaff, and will begin workouts on Friday, with a morning practice at 9:05 and an afternoon session at 3:05. Their preseason opener is August 7th at University of Phoenix Stadium against the New Orleans Saints.

Randy Johnson came into Monday’s game against the Chicago Cubs with a career record of 12-0 vs. the Northsiders. Factoring in that the 44-year old Johnson has been shaky at times over the last couple of months, and that the Cubs are the National League’s best offense, one might expect a ‘1′ to appear in the loss column for the Big Unit. Johnson thought otherwise, shutting down the Cubs for 7 innings on the way to a 2-0 series-opening victory at Chase Field.

Johnson and Rich Harden, making his 2nd start for the Cubs since being acquired from Oakland, were both brilliant. Harden’s only blemish on the night was a 6th inning solo homer off the bat of Alex Romero, his first major league round-tripper. That was the only hit Harden allowed on the evening. The Diamondbacks pushed across an insurance run when Stephen Drew tripled in Chris Snyder in the 8th.

The Arizona bullpen, which has been spotty lately, sported a new game-closing combo, but got the job done. Micah Owings, who was Tuesday’s scheduled starter, worked the 8th and closed out the inning by inducing Darryle Ward into a beautiful 3-6-1 double play. Chad Qualls worked the 9th, and pitched out of a mini-jam when Derrek Lee grounded into a double play. Qualls then got Aramis Ramirez to ground out to second for the final out, giving him his 2nd save of the year.

Johnson earned his 291st career victory as he evened his record at 7-7 on the season. It was also Johnson’s 3rd straight win, after dropping 6 consecutive decisions previously.

The win, coupled with the Dodgers pasting of Colorado, keeps both teams even atop the NL West at 49-50.

MLB.com : Recap | Boxscore

Here’s what others are saying about the Diamondbacks’ shutout win over the Cubs…

The series continues tomorrow with Jason Marquis of the Cubs facing Arizona’s Yusmeiro Petit. First pitch is at 6:40 from Chase Field.

I’m not quite sure what city I live in. Last time I checked it’s 110 degrees outside without any humidity so it must not be Chicago.

I wish I could tell that by going to Chase Field this week, listening to the radio or reading the local newspapers.

The Diamondbacks three game series versus the Cubs today, Tuesday and Wednesday, as usual, will be a prime example of what is wrong with Arizona sports.

This is a touchy subject for me because I’m marrying a Chicago native and a fan of the lovable losers. She is one of the many Valley transplants that remain loyal to their home town team when they come to Phoenix, but are Diamondbacks fans when the Cubs are back at the friendly confines.

That, right there, is the biggest problem in Arizona sports. There is a core group of diehards that love the teams, and then a contingent of fans that will root for the home team as long as it doesn’t violate a previously established bond.

I was asked by a fellow writer whether I would change my team allegiance if I were to move to a different city. My answer is no. No matter where I am, I will be a fan of the teams I grew up with. That is why I don’t expect the Cubs fans to change their allegiance, even when the Cubs aren’t playing in Phoenix.

If you are a Cubs fan, stay a Cubs fan. Don’t bother going out to Chase or claiming you are an Arizona fan when you aren’t. That goes for Boston, New York and any other city a person may come from. Either be 100% Arizona sports fan or don’t bother at all.

If Arizona ever hopes to have a sports culture like some of the cities listed above, kids are going to have to grow up loving the local teams. The fan base can’t be divided in their allegiance.

As for the current Arizona fans, it’s time to stand up and defend your home fields. There is no excuse for everyone of the home teams venues to be infiltrated every season by the likes of Lakers fans, Cubs fans, Cowboys fans and Red Wings fans. It’s gotten so bad that the Cardinals have had to create a ticket purchasing gimmick to deter Cowboys fans from filling the University of Phoenix Stadium this season.

If the true Arizona sports fan wants to be taken seriously it needs to show it exists. The true fan needs to stand up and be heard. The true fan needs to drown out the opposition and it needs to do so during the regular season rather than just the post season.

Then, and only then, will things change and the focus move away from the opposing fan and clubs and be placed on the local teams.

Last season we saw that Alando Tucker could excel in the D-League. Now we’ve seen him light it up in the NBA Summer League. Tucker, who’s going into his second season out of Wisconsin, averaged a team-high 21.6 points per game in the Suns’ 5 games. He ranked 4th in the league in scoring, behind only Portland’s Jerryd Bayless, Houston rookie Donte Green, and Quincy Douby of Sacramento.

What might be more impressive about Tucker’s stat line, was his shooting percentages. Tucker connected on 36 of 63 shots from the field (.571), hit 4 of 9 threes (.444) and 32 of 40 free throws (.800). Sure its only the summer league, where Tucker was playing with and against a lot of players who will never sniff the NBA, but it’s a start. Tucker will be called on to contribute much more than he did a year ago, and now at 2 different levels of pro ball, he’s proven he can put the ball in the hole.

Fellow second-year guard D.J. Strawberry averaged 18 points and 3 assists per game, but struggled with his shot, hitting only 38% from the field. Rookie Robin Lopez enjoyed a successful summer session, contributing 14 points and nearly 8 rebounds per game. Lopez was also chosen for the USA Basketball Select squad, which will train against the Olympic team in preparation for the Olympics.

The Matt Barnes signing was a pleasant surprise in what has been a dull start to free agency for the Suns. Too bad that’s about all it was.

Barnes is a nice addition for the Suns and will be able to be Shawn Marion lite for the 2008-2009 squad. The real issue is that in no way does this signing address the key concerns of the team.

At 6′ 7″ and 226 lbs, Barnes won’t play the role of back up big man and he most certainly isn’t going to give Steve Nash a breather, unless the plan is to move Grant Hill to the point when Nash leaves the court (and if that’s Kerr and Porter’s big plan it’s time to hit the panic button).

I applaud Kerr and Porter for finding a way to convince a guy with Barnes’ skill set to settle for the veteran minimum but where was that panache when it came to convincing Tyronn Lue that Phoenix is a better place to play than Milwaukee (honestly all it would have taken was going to weather.com and showing him the difference between Milwaukee and Phoenix in January or showing him Phoenix women compared to Milwaukee ladies)?

Sure it is tough to judge the Suns before the entire off-season has unfolded but there isn’t much left the Suns can do in free agency. The addition of Barnes could be the first domino to fall in a much larger plan to make the Suns a legitimate contender. If it’s the only domino to fall though it is like putting lipstick on a pig. Sure it makes it a little prettier but it still doesn’t change the fact that it’s a pig.

It’s nice to know that the Suns won’t be completely shut out this off season and at least one new face will don a Phoenix uniform this season. The problem is that this is the last stand for the Suns and their fans. Forty years of frustration are manifesting themselves as anger and impatience and unfortunately for Steve Kerr and Robert Sarver, it’s all heading their direction.

That’s why they should start asking themselves… Matt Barnes is in the fold but who’s next?

When the Chicago Cubs make their annual trek to Chase Field, it inevitably cranks up the energy level at the airplane hangar-ish looking ballpark in the desert. That’s what is on tap for the next three nights in downtown Phoenix…high energy, two first-place teams competing, and a whole lot of Cubs’ fans taking up seats at Chase.

To “preview” the series the Arizona Republic and their website, Azcentral allowed Cubs fans in the Valley to recount their favorite Cubs memories. Wow, what a great way to endear yourselves to the locals. What other city in America would something like this happen? Answer: nowhere.

Nobody likes to get pushed around, especially in their own house, so expect D-Back fans to be a little defensive for the next three days. There’s a good chance that if you attend one of the games wearing Sedona red, you’ll be the target a Cub fans’ venom. They’ll make fun of the fact that your team has only been around for a decade. They’ll say you’re not good fans, that you’re quiet, and know nothing about the tradition of baseball. They’ll make fun of the stadium itself, saying that baseball belongs to be played outdoors. They’ll compare Chicago to Arizona, and the Cubs to the Diamondbacks. Count on it.

Comparisons are inevitable, but comparing the two teams’ histories is unfair. The Diamondbacks have a history, although a short one, of winning. Four division titles and a World Series trophy in their first ten years of existence. The Cubs have had 4 division titles in well…63 years, and we don’t have to talk about when their last World Series win happened. Hint - it was the same year that William Howard Taft was elected President. And, oh yeah, the Diamondbacks manhandled the Cubs and swept them out of last year’s National League Divisional Series.

The bottom line is this is a huge series for the Diamondbacks, who squandered an opportunity to build a two game lead over the Dodgers in a 6-5 loss yesterday. This will be an opportunity to gauge whether or not they can compete with the best of the National League. If they can, it creates hope for the rest of the season. If not, those Cubs fans are going to be extra ruthless at Chase Field. Better bring an extra thick skin Diamondbacks fans, or at least some earplugs.

According to various sources, including the official Suns.com, the Suns have reached an agreement with free agent forward Matt Barnes. Barnes will sign a one-year veteran’s minimum deal to play for the Suns next season.

Barnes, a five-year veteran, played the last two season with the Golden State Warriors and last year averaged 6.7 PPG and 4.9 RPG. He was one of the surprise players in the great Warriors playoffs run in 2006/07.

The signing seems like an excellent move as the Suns are adding a solid pro who can share playing time at small forward with Grant Hill while leaving some money under the cap to complete the roster.

The Suns have now only two spots left on their roster and will try to sign a back up point guard as the top priority since Dragic will stay in Spain next year and the recent Summer League proved that D.J. Strawberry, while playing with great energy and being a solid contributor, is not going to be an NBA point guard anytime soon.

Yours truly, Streve Fan

It was business as usual for 8 innings for Brandon Webb and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Webb held the Los Angeles Dodgers in check for those 8 innings, allowing just 1 run, and exiting with a 4-1 lead after throwing 109 pitches. He was only 3 outs away from earning his 14th win of the season.

It wasn’t to be, as the Dodgers lit up closer Brandon Lyon, the Diamondbacks’ defense extended the top of the 9th, and a nearly sure victory turned into a 6-5 loss to Los Angeles.

Nomar Garciaparra led off the 9th with a double. James Loney followed with a single. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and nobody out, Andruw Jones followed, and hit a tailor-made double play ball to Stephen Drew at short. Drew bobbled it, and had to settle for getting only the out at first. Garciaparra scored to make it 4-2. Then with 2 outs, Andy LaRoche singled in Loney, and Matt Kemp doubled in the tying run. No save for Lyon, no win for Webb. But Lyon failed to keep the Diamondbacks even, giving up an rbi triple to Andre Ethier that scored Kemp and give the Dodgers the lead. Leo Rosales replaced Lyon, and gave up an rbi single to Russell Martin to make it 6-4. Jeff Kent finally ended the inning by flying out to right, but the damage had been done. The Dodgers had racked up 5 runs on 6 hits in the 9th, after only managing 6 hits over the first 8 innings of the ballgame.

In his last two appearances, Lyon has given up 7 runs on 8 hits, in an inning and two-thirds.

Stephen Drew made it a bit closer in the bottom half of the inning, singling off of Dodger closer Jonathan Broxton and scoring pinch-runner Emilio Bonifacio to make it 6-5. Conor Jackson then hit a chopper up the middle, which forced Drew at second, ending the ballgame.

Instead of taking 2 of 3 from the Dodgers, and stretching their lead to 2 games in the National League West, the Diamondbacks lost 2 of three and are once again tied with Los Angeles with the best team in the National League, the Chicago Cubs headed to Chase Field for a three-game series.

MLB.com : Recap | Boxscore

Here’s what others are saying about the Dodgers come-from-behind win over the D-Backs…

Dan Haren is really good. That about says it all. Conor Jackson jump started the Diamondbacks offense with a solo homer in the first, followed by an rbi ground rule double by Chad Tracy, and Haren pretty much did the rest over the next 7 innings. Haren pitched shutout ball, allowing just 4 hits while striking out 7 for his 9th win of the year, 3-2 over the Dodgers.

The game wasn’t without its intrigue however. Brandon Lyon came on in the 9th, and allowed two runs, including a solo homer to Jeff Kent, but got Matt Kemp to fly out and end the game, stranding the tying run at third base. The save was Lyon’s 20th of the season, extending his career-high in that category.

The win upped the Diamondbacks record to 48-49, and again pushed them one game ahead of the Dodgers in the National League West.

MLB.com : Recap | Boxscore

Here’s what others are saying about the Diamondbacks’ 3-2 squeaker over the Dodgers…

The series concludes tomorrow, with 13-game winner Brandon Webb on the mound for the Diamondbacks, against L.A. righty Derek Lowe. First pitch is at 1:10 Arizona time.

On this week’s 1060 AM Roundtable, we talk about the re-acquisition of Tony Clark, Brandon Webb having to pitch in the All-Star game and Tyronn Lue opting for the Milwaukee Bucks instead of the Suns. Catch us each week and every week at 10:20 AM only on Calling All Sports Saturday on 1060 AM The Fan:

1. What does the D’backs acquisition of Tony Clark mean for this team? Do they still need to make other moves?
2. Brandon Webb pitched a scoreless inning in the all-star game this week, but Webb should not have even pitched. As a D’backs fan, were you upset that Webb and Clint Hurdle were forced into this position?
3. Tyronn Lue opts for the Milwaukee Bucks this past week over the Suns? Do you see any hope in the Suns offseason?

That’s the battle cry of the Arizona Cardinals… when it comes to ticket sales.

The team has devised the “Protect the Nest Plan” in an attempt to keep the University of Phoenix Stadium filled with red when the Cowboys come to town on October 12.

The “Plan” forces anyone wanting to attend the Cowboys Cardinals game, including Cardinals fans, to purchase not only tickets to that game but also the August 7th preseason match up with the New Orleans Saints.

I’m all for punishing the Cowboys fans for wanting to infiltrate the Cardinals’ home but there needs to be some way for true non season ticket holding Cardinals fans to get in.

I propose the “Keep the Cowgirls fans out Plan”.

In my plan Cardinals fans could answer some key questions to prove that they have suffered for the better part of 20 years and gain access to regularly priced tickets. Questions such as “Which quarterback scored a 76 yard touch down on a naked bootleg against the Cardinals?”, “Who was the team the Cardinals beat in 1998 to make the playoffs?” and “Who did the Cardinals open up the 1988 season against, their first in Arizona?” among others.

If you get two out of three right you prove your Cardinals fanhood and the fact that you have suffered for way too long.

That or you have to prove that you own a jersey from two out of the three of the Bugel/Ryan era, the Tobin/McGinnis and or the Green/Whisenhunt era. By doing this you also prove you are a masochist and deserve your tickets at regular price (don’t worry I have jerseys from all of those eras in my closet).

Included in the “Keep the Cowgirls fans out Plan” ushers will check every seat to see which season ticket holders have sold their tickets to the fans from Dallas. If you are caught it is punishable by death or having to watch the Cardinals vs. the Saints in the preseason, whatever your preference is.

These are just suggestions, the Cardinals front office can take them or leave them. But I agree the Cardinals fans must protect their nest… or at least scalp the tickets for major profit.

In an interview with a Spanish Newspaper Suns second round pick, and heir apparent to Steve Nash, Goran Dragic says he will remain in Spain for the upcoming season.

“It is true the Suns wanted me on board, but I think the best for me is to go to Spain and try to find my niche with Baskonia.”

That’s right Suns fans another option to back-up Steve Nash is off the table. The worst part is this time they are being turned down by a player they own the rights to.

The $1.5 million buyout, of which the Suns could only pay $500k, was probably a major deterrent for Dragic. Although I’m pretty sure Steve Nash would have thrown in the extra $1 million just to ensure he doesn’t have to play all 48 minutes at this point.

With Dragic off the list that means the Suns are officially down to Jason Williams, Sam Cassell, a trade or the guy who sells hot dogs.

The trade route is the most intriguing for me, although I’ve heard the hot dog guy has a mean jumper. If the Suns could find a way to land a player like a Travis Diener from Indiana they might be able to solve their problem. Diener is still a younger player who has shown the ability to pass the ball in his brief playing career. He averaged over 6 points and 3 assists in 20 minutes of play last season for the Pacers and would be a guy who could run the point without hurting the team.

An outside the box option that I’ve heard suggested is letting Boris Diaw run the point. While I applaud people’s creativity it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to move Diaw around once he finds his comfort zone, just ask Atlanta about Diaw as a point guard.

One outside the box option however might be Grant Hill. He is one of the best ball handlers on the team. If Diaw is seeing a lot of time at the small forward spot it could free up Hill to fill back up need.

None of these are ideal options for this season but for the Suns sake let’s hope Dragic decides to join the Suns next season and doesn’t turn into the next Milos Vujanic (if you don’t get the reference neither does anyone else because he never played in the NBA).

After one of the better All-Star Games in recent memory, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the rest of the Majors are back at it tonight. The D-Backs, owners of a scant 1-game lead in the National League West, host the team they lead by that 1 game, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Diamondbacks started shuffling their deck yesterday, looking for an offensive spark. They acquired slugger Tony Clark from the San Diego Padres for minor league reliever Evan Scribner. Clark wasn’t getting much playing time in San Diego with All-Star Adrian Gonzalez entrenched there, so his numbers aren’t memorable by any stretch. But he still has some pop left in his bat, and can serve as a late-inning defensive replacement at first base. This pretty much means we’ll be seeing a lot of Conor Jackson in left, with Clark backing up the red-hot Chad Tracy at first. Scribner, a right-handed reliever, was 2-4 with a 1.64 ERA and 9 saves in 28 games in South Bend and Visalia this season.

Los Angeles Dodgers(46-49, 2nd place in NL West, 1 game behind Arizona)

Manager: Joe Torre (1st year with Dodgers, 46-49)


Offensive Leaders:
AVG: Russell Martin, .294
Runs: Russell Martin, 49
Hits: James Loney, 102
HR: Andre Ethier, 11
RBI: Matt Kemp, 51
SB: Juan Pierre, 35

Pitching Leaders:
INN: Derek Lowe, 124
Wins: Chad Billingsley, 9
ERA: Chad Billingsley, 3.25
Strikeouts: Chad Billingsley, 128
Saves: Takashi Saito, 17

Bottom Line: The Dodgers are much like the Diamondbacks offensively, relying on young, developing players like Andre Ethier (the former Sun Devil), James Loney and Matt Kemp. And while they’ve all been decent this season, none of them has put up huge offensive numbers. Injuries have played a huge part in the Dodgers’ struggles as well. Shortstop Rafael Furcal was outstanding before getting hurt, with a .366 batting average and a .448 on-base percentage. He had surgery on his lower back, but should return before the end of the season. If the Dodgers can stay in the hunt, Furcal’s return could be a huge factor in whether or not L.A. makes the playoffs. Andruw Jones has been a mystery. Jones, who struggled last year with Atlanta, still got a 2 year deal worth over $36 million from the Dodgers in the offseason, and let’s just say it hasn’t worked out. Jones, who came into the season overweight, is hitting far lower than his weight–.164 with only 2 homers and 10 rbis in 165 at-bats. He has struck out 59 times, including 5 times in a loss to the Marlins last Saturday, while only registering 27 hits. Many publications and websites named Jones the first half’s Least Valuable Player, and it’s hard to argue.

Injuries have affected the pitching staff as well. Ace Brad Penny is on the DL, as is closer Takashi Saito, who is out for at least 6 weeks. Jonathan Broxton will take over as the Dodgers’ closer. Jason Schmidt, who signed a huge 3-year, $47 million free agent deal with the Dodgers 2 years ago, hasn’t pitched this season, and has been on the mound for only 25 innings in Dodger blue. Chad Billingsley has been outstanding for the Dodgers this year, and Japanese righty Hiroki Kuroda pitched a 1-hit complete game shutout vs. the Braves earlier this month. Despite the injuries, the Dodgers lead the National League with a team ERA of 3.64.

Los Angeles’ Pitchers vs. Arizona
Tonight: Hiroki Kuroda (2008: 5-6, 3.43 ERA; career vs. Diamondbacks: 0-1, 3.18 ERA)
Saturday: Chad Billingsley (2008: 9-8, 3.25 ERA; career vs. Diamondbacks: 4-3, 3.80 ERA)
Sunday: Derek Lowe (2008: 7-8, 3.85 ERA; career vs. Diamondbacks: 4-6, 4.26 ERA)

Arizona Diamondbacks (47-48, 1st place in NL West, 1 game ahead of Los Angeles)

Manager: Bob Melvin (4th year with Diamondbacks, 290-290)

Offensive Leaders:
AVG: Orlando Hudson, .302
Runs: Mark Reynolds, 60
Hits: Orlando Hudson, 99
HR: Mark Reynolds, 19
RBI: Mark Reynolds, 58
SB: Conor Jackson, 6

Pitching Leaders:
INN: Brandon Webb, 131
Wins: Brandon Webb, 13
ERA: Dan Haren, 2.72
Strikeouts: Dan Haren & Brandon Webb, 112
Saves: Brandon Lyon 19

Bottom Line: Things get a little more log-jammed at the corner infield positions with the acquistion of Tony Clark, so Bob Melvin will have to juggle three players to squeeze the most out of them. Chad Tracy has been on fire as of late, hitting .476 with a homer and 7 rbis in his last 4 games. It will be hard to keep him out of the lineup at either first base or third base. Justin Upton could return this weekend from a rib cage strain that kept him out the last 5 games before the break.

Diamondbacks’ fans will be interested in seeing how Brandon Webb looks after being forced into action during Tuesday’s All-Star Game. Granted, Webb only threw 13 pitches in the 14th inning, but he wasn’t planning on pitching, and we know how pitchers are creatures of habit.
The Diamondbacks are 4-1 against the Dodgers this year, sweeping them in a 3-game series in early April and splitting a mini two game set in Los Angeles in late April.

Arizona’s pitchers vs. Los Angeles:
Tonight: Doug Davis (2008: 3-4, 3.80 ERA; career vs. Dodgers: 4-2, 1.33 ERA)
Saturday: Dan Haren (2008: 8-5, 2.72 ERA; career vs. Dodgers: 1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Sunday: Brandon Webb (2008: 13-4, 3.23 ERA; career vs. Dodgers: 7-6, 2.83 ERA)

In recent seasons the Suns have tried to sign John Salmons, Joe Johnson, Chris Duhon, Anthony Johnson and Tyronn Lue. A grand total of zero of them have wound up on their roster.

Instead they choose to head to basketball meccas such as Sacramento, Atlanta, New York, Orlando, and Milwaukee.

I never thought I’d see a day when NBA free agents turned their backs on Phoenix in order to sign with teams that had significantly less success. Nor did I think that Milwaukee, Atlanta and Sacramento and Orlando would become more desirable places to call home (obviously New York is more desirable for athletes).

There was a time where taking a pay cut to play in Phoenix was not uncommon. Guys like Danny Manning would sign for less than market value in order for a chance to win, be part of a great organization and live in a city that has beautiful weather (at least during the NBA season).

Has the city and organization changed or have athletes and their priorities changed?

Phoenix has done nothing but become more of a major city and the night life certainly hasn’t gotten any worse in the last ten years so the problem must be a combination of the other two.

The Suns organization is definitely different than the days of Colangelo. Money wasn’t always the biggest issue with Jerry. His word and the organizations culture, being player friendly, seemed to be the main focus. Under his leadership Suns players knew they always would have a home in the organization.

This hasn’t proven to be true with Sarver who seems to view decisions for their financial ramifications. There is nothing wrong with his style of business it is just in contrast with that of Colangelo and may have caused issues.

Not only is the change in front office a possible reason but former Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni’s style of play and lack of depth in his rotation played a role in scaring off potential free agents.

From the players stand point the money seems to be the driving force behind where they choose to lace up the sneakers. The difference in the dollars and years have made places like Milwaukee and Sacramento a destination rather than Phoenix. This shouldn’t be a huge surprise but in the past the extra million wouldn’t have easily swayed a top free agent from coming to the Suns.

With all those factors, only a minimum contract available this off season and targets such as Lue, Johnson and Duhon off the market who can the Suns possibly land?

They are currently turning their attention to former Heat point guard Jason Williams, former Clipper Shaun Livingston, and Sam Cassell and Damon Stoudamire both of whom already turned down the Suns in previous pursuits.

It’s hard to believe that the factors that have prevented players from joining the Suns won’t come into play with these free agents. Jason Williams and Sam Cassell have already won rings so that won’t be a selling point to accepting less money (and not necessarily even a realistic posibility in Phoenix anymore). Damon Stoudamire made it clear last season that the Suns weren’t right for him and Shaun Livingston is probably at least 6 months away from contributing on an NBA level due to continuing knee problems.

I don’t even think Charles Barkley would take those odds which means the Suns may very easily be left without an answer to their backup point guard conundrum.

If that doesn’t excite you enough as a Suns fan the other free agents the team is considering are last years bench big man Brian Skinner and Allan Houston, yes the Allan Houston you remember from the mid 90’s.

If those are the most likely free agent signings it certainly looks like the Suns will be left holding the bag…lucky for Robert Sarver it’s one filled with unspent money.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA — Phoenix Coyotes President and Chief Operating Officer Douglas Moss announced today the Coyotes’ schedule for the 2008-09 National Hockey League season. The Coyotes will play a total of 82 regular season games (41 home, 41 away) as well as eight preseason games (3 home, 5 away) in 2008-09.

The Coyotes will open the regular season by hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, Oct. 11 at Jobing.com Arena and conclude against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, Apr. 11. The month of October features visits from Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Thursday, Oct. 23 and Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, Oct. 30.

Columbus Blue Jackets’ Rick Nash controls the puck behind the net against the St. Louis Blues during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, April 6, 2008, in Columbus, Ohio.
“We’re awaiting the start of the 2008-09 NHL season with great anticipation as there is a lot to be excited about,” said Moss. “Veterans Shane Doan, Ed Jovanovski, Derek Morris and Ilya Bryzgalov are all coming off great seasons, we’ve added a proven goal-scorer to the lineup in Olli Jokinen, and young players like Peter Mueller, Martin Hanzal and Dan Carcillo will continue to improve and play major roles for us.

“When you combine that with exciting match ups, more games against Eastern Conference opponents and the opportunity for hockey fans in the Valley to see superstars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin live and in person, it should make for a tremendously entertaining season.”

This season, the game time for the majority of Coyotes home games will be 7:00 p.m. Other home game times include a 6:00 p.m. faceoff against San Jose on Sunday, Nov. 9 and a 2:00 p.m. puck drop versus the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, Nov. 28 – the day after Thanksgiving. The Avalanche will also be the Coyotes’ opponent when the teams square off on New Year’s Eve at 6:00 p.m. The Coyotes will play host to the Calgary Flames for an 8:00 p.m. start on Valentine’s Day and will faceoff against the Edmonton Oilers at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, February 16. They team will close the regular season by hosting the Anaheim Ducks for “Fan Appreciation Night” on Saturday, April 11 at 5:00 p.m.

SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN

Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby (87) defends against Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin. Under the NHL’s new schedule format, the Coyotes will play six games (three home, three away) against each of their four Pacific Division rivals (Anaheim, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Jose) for a total of 24 games. They will face the 10 remaining Western Conference teams four times each (two home, two away) for a total of 40 contests. In addition, they will face each of the 15 Eastern Conference clubs at least once, with the three remaining “at large” games to be played against teams from the East. The three Eastern Conference clubs the Coyotes will play twice in “home-and-home” series are the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders.

The Coyotes will play four separate four-game homes stands (Oct. 23-Nov. 1; Nov. 28-Dec. 4; Feb. 12-19; Mar. 14-21), their longest of the season. The team’s longest road stretch of the season is five games (Mar. 5-12), a trip that will take them through Boston, Buffalo, the New York Islanders, Detroit and New Jersey.

Of the Coyotes’ 41 home games this season, 17 contests will be played on Saturdays and 11 games will be played on Thursdays. They will also host seven Tuesday games, two Friday games, two Monday games, one Wednesday game and one Sunday game.

Sean Avery, left, interferes with New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur during third period NHL hockey in East Rutherford, N.J. The Dallas Stars signed noted pest Sean Avery to a four-year, $15.5 million deal Wednesday July 2, 2008 .(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File) The Coyotes’ eight-game preseason schedule includes back-to-back games against the Calgary Flames as the clubs will meet in Winnipeg on Sept. 24 and in Calgary on Sept. 25. The Coyotes will host Anaheim, San Jose and Los Angeles at Jobing.com Arena during the preseason.

COYOTES FULL SEASON TICKETS START AS LOW AS $396!
To guarantee the best seats for the exciting Coyotes hockey season, fans are encouraged to get their season tickets now. Phoenix Coyotes full season ticket packages for the 2008-2009 season are available starting at only $396 per seat and feature key benefits such as preferred parking, exclusive invitations to “Meet the Team” events and flexible payment options. The Coyotes are also introducing a brand new 20-game ticket package for the upcoming year called the “20 Game Pick ‘em Plan” which provides fans the opportunity to choose the games that they want to see. With the 20 Game Pick’em Plan, fans will receive a significant discount off of game day prices, preferred seat locations and flexible payment options. Call 480-563-PUCK

HOME DATES TO REMEMBER
October 11 – Regular season and home opener at Jobing.com Arena versus the Columbus Blue Jackets.
October 23 – Reigning Hart Trophy winner (NHL MVP) Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals visit the Coyotes.
October 30 – Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Stanley Cup finalist Pittsburgh Penguins come to Jobing.com Arena.
November 15 – Sean Avery returns to the Pacific Division as the newest member of the Dallas Stars in the first of three visits to the Valley by the Stars.
November 18 – Last season’s NHL Rookie of the Year Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks make their first trip of the season to Jobing.com Arena.
November 28 – The Colorado Avalanche come to Glendale for a 2:00 p.m. matinee on “Black Friday.”
December 4 – The Toronto Maple Leafs, an “Original Six” franchise, visit the Coyotes for a second consecutive season.
December 13 – The defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings make their first appearance of the season in Glendale.
December 31 – For the second straight year, the Coyotes celebrate New Year’s Eve by hosting the Colorado Avalanche.
January 8 – Barry Melrose makes his first appearance in the desert as a head coach when he leads this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning into Jobing.com Arena.
January 20 – The Detroit Red Wings make their second and final visit of the year.
February 14 – The Calgary Flames visit Glendale on Valentine’s Day.
April 11 – The Anaheim Ducks come to town for the regular season finale and Fan Appreciation Night.

Courtesy of Phoenix Coyotes Media Relations.

According to ESPN.com the Arizona Diamondbacks have re-acquired first baseman Tony Clark from the San Diego Padres.

The Diamondbacks have sent pitching prospect Evan Scribner to San Diego for Clark.

I’ve been all for the Diamondbacks making a move but I’m not quite sure that this is the one that will make the difference. Clark isn’t a better option at first than Chad Tracy has been since his return.

Clark in 88 at bats is hitting .239 with 1 home run and 11 RBI. Tracy through 123 at bats this season is batting .309 with 5 homers and 22 RBI.

The snakes need to make a bigger splash before the trade deadline. It doesn’t seem advantageous for them to trade for a backup first baseman when the more glaring hole for the team is in the outfield.

The lack of production both defensively and offensively in left field has been the biggest detriment during the first half of the season. If the rumors that they are interested in Jason Bay are in fact true they need to act.

Although the price tag might be steep it’s worth the risk. Outside of giving up Max Scherzer the entire farm system should be on the table. Bay is the difference maker that this club has been missing in the last few years and will directly fill the Diamondbacks needs in the outfield this year and in seasons to come.

Plus if you trade for Bay, or any other solid power hitting left fielder, you will automatically give yourself a back up at first base in Conor Jackson who could move back to his “natural” position.

The next few weeks will determine if Josh Byrnes and the D-Backs front office is committed to winning this season or if they are happy to stand pat and hope that the Dodgers and the rest of the division can’t muster up enough to catch them.

One thing is for sure, Tony Clark isn’t going to make the difference. Let’s just hope he brings back the “Anybody, Anytime” attitude to replace the “anybody, whenever we feel like showing up” attitude that has been prevalent thus far in 2008.

Backup point guard Tyronn Lue, who earlier this off-season, seemed like a lock to be donning the purple and orange as Steve Nash’s backup next season, today signed a 2-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.

In the grand scheme of things, it’s not really a big deal. Lue is a journeyman, an insurance policy. The Suns, hopefully, will be able to find another backup point guard somewhere in free agency, although its looking a little more bleak as another player the Suns were interested in, Anthony Johnson, inked a deal with Orlando yesterday.

The problem is this…Tyronn Lue has now said ‘no’ to the Suns organization not once, but twice! That’s like being rejected by a homely girl in a club when you ask her to dance…twice! Lue also shunned Phoenix late last season, after he was waived by Atlanta. The Suns showed interest, but Lue went on to sign with Dallas, and played a whopping 10 minutes a game in 17 contests.

Lue stated last season he was concerned with then head coach Mike D’Antoni’s short player rotation. Well Tyronn, if its playing time you’re looking for, just know that Mo Williams, the Bucks’ point guard played more than Steve Nash last season–36.5 minutes per game to 34.3 minutes per game. And Lue had narrowed his choices to Miami, Phoenix and Boston. He missed his scheduled physical with the Heat earlier this week, and decided to sign elsewhere. Elsewhere, of course is Luespeak for Milwaukee.

Other candidates out there as free agent point guards include: Sam Cassell, Eddie House, Earl Boykins, Lindsey Hunter, Sebastian Telfair, Darrell Armstrong and Damon Stoudemire.

I think its time the Suns’ brass finds another chick to ask to dance. And preferably a better-looking one.

It’s official. The one-time 2008 recruiting jewel of the Arizona Wildcats, Brandon Jennings, has put his John Hancock on a contract with Vitrus Roma Pallacanestro of the Italian League.

Some are painting Jennings as a trail blazer, a player who found a way to circumvent the already laughable rule that mandates a player spend a year out of high school before being eligible for the NBA Draft. Others paint him as a greedy, “me-first” type of player, that is using his year to line his pockets before basically winning the lottery in the NBA.

I actually agree with the premise of Arizona coach Lute Olson’s statement from last week. Olson said that the University of Arizona is done with players who are only planning to spend one year in Tucson on their way to the glitz and glamour of the NBA. I’d love to see a school be able to do that, and actually recruit players who are interested in being in college, and playing the great sport of college basketball. In a perfect world all kids who enroll in school would stay for four years and graduate, and remain injury free, but the current marriage between the NBA and college hoops is anything but perfect. But, how do you, as a coach say ‘no’ to a talented player who wants to come to your school for a season? We’ve seen the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Greg Oden elevating their respective schools, by their mere presence, to championship levels. And in Anthony’s case, win the whole darn thing.

Jim Boeheim, Anthony’s head coach at Syracuse, when asked last week if he would follow Olson’s example of not recruiting one and done players responded “are you crazy?”

The bigger problem is the rule in place. I, for one, happen to think that the situation was better when high schoolers could jump directly to the NBA. There was no charade attached with being on campus for a year. In most cases, players were there to become better players, and improve their chances of making it to the Association, not killing 365 days before they could be drafted. Yes, there were players who bolted to the pros after one year in college, but it was usually only after they enjoyed a spectacular freshman year.

The rules in place in college basketball are completely bendable. Brandon Jennings shattered them with his one-year Eurotrip. I paint Brandon Jennings in a number of ways. Obviously, he’s an incredibly talented basketball player, who would have made Arizona a much better team in the ‘08-’09 season. I also think he does possess a certain amount of greed as well. If he didn’t, he would have been more intent on passing his SAT to become eligible to play college ball, or even playing a year in the D-League for less money against other hungry NBA prospects. He picked the option that benefits him the most financially, and could stunt his growth the most. I imagine heading to Europe to work just months after completing high school would be daunting for anyone.

Jennings won’t be alone as the only American on his new Italian team. Allan Ray, who played at Villanova and with the Celtics two seasons ago is there, as are former Temple guard David Hawkins, former 2-time Ivy League Player of the year Ibrahim Jaaber out of Pennsylvania.

By now you have undoubtedly heard about the injury Diamondbacks catcher Chris Snyder suffered. If you are a man you probably even suffered a little bit with him.

Well no need to worry anymore because Snyder has a “new buddy” that will take care of everything.

When he makes his return to the lineup following the all-star break he will be sporting a Nutty Buddy. The product, developed by former Major Leaguer Mark Littell, is a typical cup on steroids (oops poor choice of wording. I’m sure it’s use doesn’t come along with a suspension). Its design is anatomically correct and gives protection to both Snyder’s “boys”.

The product is so good that Littell stood in front of a pitching machine and let his bat go head-to-head with a 90 mph fastball. Don’t believe me? Here’s the video.

If I were Snyder though I’d test it out. Maybe ask one of the young guys to wear one and stand up to a Randy Johnson fastball?. I wonder Miguel Montero is available.