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Video Of Day: New GNR “Better” | Hitting Back :: A New York Sports Blog

2010-07-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

Video Of Day: New GNR “Better” Hitting Back :: A New York Sports Blog

Kobe wins MVP

2008-05-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Laker superstar Kobe Bryant took home his first ever NBA MVP trophy earlier today at a cool press conference at Staples Center.

The 29 year-old shooting guard averaged better than 28 points along with over six boards and topped five assists in leading the Purple and Gold to a West best 57 wins.

He was very unselfish getting other teammates involved and for that is very deserving of this honor.

Congats to Kobe!

JPG responsible?

2008-05-04T00:23:00.000-07:00

A mascot stunt between the end of the first quarter and second during the Hornets' Game One win over the Spurs had an interesting conclusion when the extinguishers they used to put out a ring of fire delayed the game 19 minutes.

But the question is was it because of our fearless stat mastah? You be the judge.

Kobe Bryant

2008-04-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

Chris Paul

2008-04-23T01:26:00.000-07:00

Pedro Martinez hurt

2008-04-02T13:15:00.001-07:00

BC Girls

2008-03-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

Champion goalies

2008-02-02T22:10:00.000-08:00

Tigers blast past Bombers in 11

2007-08-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY- The Tigers turned on the power switch late to blast past the Baby Bombers 4-2 in 11 innings before 2,302 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark Wednesday night. The game took three hours and 39-minutes.

It prevented Staten Island (23-18) from getting a sweep against one of the two teams they're battling with for the wildcard, falling half a game behind Oneonta (24-18) and dropping a full game behind Lowell who defeated Cyclones last night.

"For some reason, we can't get a sweep in. It would be nice to get one but it was just one of those games. Just baseball," said middle reliever Phil Bartleski.

All tied at two in extras, the Tigers' bats swung into action against losing Staten Island reliever Jeff Livek (1-2) who was predictably a little rusty after having not worked in 14 days.

"It's tough to do in that situation. A lot of this bullpen is starters. That's tough to do. I haven't been in that situation a lot," Bartleski noted.

Casper Wells greeted him rudely by driving a pitch a few feet over the left field wall to put Oneonta in front to stay. Kody Kaiser then stepped up to the plate and made it back-to-back dingers when he lined one out to right which doubled their lead.

"I don't know if that was the plan to go up there and take big swings. I think we were just trying to put good swings on the ball and get some runners on base. But sometimes good swings turn into home runs," a pleased Kaiser noted afterwards in the winning dugout.

"Mine wasn't as impressive as Casper's. Casper's got a little pressure on him in a tie game going to extra innings. So his home run took a little pressure off of me. But my drive right there I felt was something in play and just kind of ran into one."

The biggest reason though which allowed the Tigers to comeback and tie the game on a two out seventh inning RBI single from Ron Bourquin was splendid relief work from the combination of Jacob Ramos, Rudy Darrow, Erik Crichton and closer Noah Krohl who worked the final five-plus without allowing another run.

"Our pitchers have done a great job all week and we didn't really pick them up the first two games. But we did tonight and it's important that they know that we got the ability to really help them out in a jam and vice versa. But yeah. we complemented each other well this game," Kaiser added after his team was able to salvage the final game of the series.

After Staten Island reliever Kyle Hollander worked a 1-2-3 eighth, they had a possible opportunity to go ahead when centerfielder Taylor Holiday lined a sharp single down the right field line. But he was nailed at second by a perfect throw by Kaiser to shortstop Jorge Patino which ended the inning.

Neither team was able to threaten in the ninth which pushed it to extras.

"Losing that in the bottom of the ninth inning is pretty tough," third baseman Brian Chavez pointed out after failing to score with a chance to win it. "We just got to bounce back tomorrow and keep playing."

"They had a little momentum going in there after the ninth. You just got to tip your hats off to them and we'll be back tomorrow."

Kind of overlooked in the tough defeat was some stellar infield defense turned in by the Bombers which included a few sparkling double plays to get out of trouble including a nice 5-4-3 twin killing in the fifth by Ryan Wehrle and Damon Sublett who later left with an injury.

"Defensively, we're really solid right now but tonight like I said wasn't our night. So we're back tomorrow."

Notes: Unable to get anything against Oneonta starter Alfredo Figaro who worked the first five scoreless while striking out five, the Bombers rallied for two runs in the home sixth off reliever Jose Fracaso. Catcher Jose Gil went yard to left to leadoff the frame and tie it for his fourth homer of the season (third at home). Austin Krum followed with a triple and then came into score from third when Fracaso balked him in. ... Though he didn't have his best stuff, SP Zach McAllister allowed just a run in four innings of work despite giving up five hits while walking one and fanning four.

Leadoff man Justin Snyder finally cooled off going hitless in five at bats to drop his average to .367. ... Before leaving the game with an injury, Sublett continued to stay hot with two more hits making it nine out of 10 with at least one hit. The versatile Snyder who started the game at short replaced him at second while Ryan Wehrle moved from third to short and Chavez took over at the hot corner. ... Corner infielder Braedyn Pruitt remained sizzling with another multi-hit night. ... Baby Bombers host Lowell in the start of a three-game set tonight with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 PM.

Bombers to honor Robinson Cano Saturday Night: Staten Island will honor current Yankee second baseman Robinson Cano this Saturday night on the final game of the homestand during Robby Cano Night where they will retire his number.

Bombers take second straight from Tigers

2007-07-31T20:20:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY- Make it two for two.

The Staten Island Yankees made it two straight over the Oneonta Tigers by posting a 4-2 victory before 2,343 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark Tuesday night. The win was their fourth in five, putting them a season high six games over .500 (23-17) and into a tie with Lowell for the wildcard.

It also vaulted them half a game ahead of Oneonta (23-18) in what should be an exciting race for the final playoff berth in the Penn League.

"A good win for us. I think that kind of puts us back in the chase a little bit," said second baseman Damon Sublett after continuing to swing a hot bat with an RBI double in the seventh which scored Taylor Holiday for a key insurance run. "Hopefully we get on a roll from that from playing hard. Hopefully we'll keep winning."

The Baby Bombers got a solid pitching effort from the tandem of starter Chris Farley and middle reliever Craig Heyer, who each split the first eight innings allowing just one unearned run before handing the baton over to Jonathan Ortiz. After permitting a 400-plus foot leadoff home run to Oneonta's Chris Carlson to dead center off the black, the closer settled down to retire the final three batters for his sixth save.

Carlson was also involved in the Tigers' only other run which got them the lead in the fourth. The first baseman ledoff the frame with a single before advancing to second with one out on a passed ball. He then came around to score on Jorge Patino's RBI single to right to give his ballclub their only lead of the night.

Farley finished his final inning strong by getting the last two swinging. His teammates picked him up in the bottom half to tie it thanks to a clutch two out runscoring single from right fielder Matt Morris which scored backstop Jose Gil after he started things off with a single of his own before D.J. Hollingsworth sacrificed him over.

"[Morris] hadn't played last couple of games. And for him to come through like that in a big situation, that's a big deal. It's good to get contributions throughout the lineup," Sublett pointed out.

Staten Island threatened to go ahead when centerfielder Justin Snyder's infield hit put runners on the corners. However, Holiday fanned to end it.

The game wouldn't stay knotted for long though as third baseman Braedyn Pruitt connected for a two-run dinger to right off losing Oneonta starter Guillermo Moscoso (4-1) in the fifth to put the Bombers ahead for good.

"He's just been hitting all year. If he keeps doing what he's doing, he's going to make a name for himself," added Sublett whose RBI double two innings later made it eight of his last nine games with a hit.

"I'm just trying to be consistent and put some better swings on some balls and good things happen."

Notes: Despite banging out 10 hits, Staten Island stranded 16 runners while their opponents weren't much better leaving 12 on base. ... With another multi-hit game, Pruitt is now hitting .458 (27-for-59) this summer. The corner infielder hit in eight of his last nine, finishing the month of July a sizzling 15-for-33 (.455). Since returning from the DL, he's hit in eight of 10 and only was hitless once in nine starts. ... Snyder continued his hot hitting with a three hit night to lift his average to .381 (51-for-134) which places him second just four points behind Penn League leading hitter Mahoning Valley's Todd Martin. ... Heyer worked four scoreless in relief to pickup his second win. ... Bombers go for the sweep tonight before Lowell comes in for three starting tomorrow.

Bombers rally for two in the eighth to push past Tigers

2007-07-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY- A two-run eighth inning rally was enough to get their six-game homestand started on the right foot.

Jose Gil's two out RBI single to right center scored Braedyn Pruitt for the winning run in a 3-2 comeback victory over Oneonta before 2,749 on an overcast night at Richmond County Bank Ballpark Monday night.

The win was Staten Island's third in four and improved the club to 22-17, allowing them to remain five behind first place Brooklyn. More importantly, they gained a game on Oneonta in the wildcard race to pull within half a game of the Tigers and a game behind Vermont and Lowell who are tied for first in the Stedler Division.

"That was huge. That's a big game. We needed that. These guys are one game ahead of us for the wildcard. So it's a good win," centerfielder Taylor Holiday pointed out after leading off the eighth with a bunt single down the third base line before coming around to score the tying run on a one out Pruitt RBI single to right.

"I looked horrible on the pitch earlier in that at bat. He gave me a curveball. Just stayed with it. Luckily, I managed to get one hand on it and get it out there," Pruitt said after digging out of an 0-2 hole to deliver the tying hit off losing Oneonta reliever Jacob Ramos (1-1).

As it turned out, the first baseman's only hit of the night proved to be a big one. Ramos was replaced by Erik Crichton. The reliever just got David Williams on a comebacker which he knocked down before rifling a strike to first which put Pruitt in scoring position setting the stage for Gil. The catcher went with a pitch to right serving it to the opposite field to plate Pruitt for the winning run.

The two run rally helped pickup comebacking reliever Jason Stephens and closer Jonathan Ortiz after they gave up two runs in the top half of the frame on a hit batsman (Jorge Patino) and a four pitch walk to Kody Kaiser.

"Both of those guys have been doing great for us. They're coming in and really really closing the door," added Pruitt.

For much of the game, pitching dominated the night. Bomber starter Ryan Pope turned in his best outing in his third start by working the first four scoreless on just one hit while walking two and striking out six.

The 22 year-old Savannah Georgia native was staked to a one-run lead thanks to a D.J. Hollingsworth fly ball bloop which just dropped in front of Oneonta centerfielder Mike Sullivan to score Williams for the game's first run.

Jason Kiley and Stephens tossed three consecutive scoreless innings in relief of Pope before Oneonta rallied for two to go ahead in the eighth with two outs. Fortunately, the S.I. bats awakened in time to pull out the victory.

After walking in the lead run, Ortiz settled down to strike out three (all swinging) of the last four he faced including Cory Middleton to end it, picking up his first win in the process.

Notes: Former Baby Bomber shortstop Luis Nunez was promoted to Single-A Charleston Monday night to take the place of one-time S.I. Yankee Eduardo Nunez who got moved up to Tampa. Utility man Justin Snyder played short in his place and finished 1-for-4. ... With a hit in three plate appearances, second baseman Damon Sublett has hit in eight of his last nine games. ... Despite a walk and run scored, Williams had an eight-game hitting streak snapped. ... Even though it was a lowscoring game, it still took three hours and 13 minutes to complete. ... SP Chris Farley takes the hill in the second game of the series later tonight with first pitch scheduled for 7:10.

Bomber bats silenced by Spikes

2007-07-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY- The Baby Bomber bats were cooled off by State College as three pitchers held them to just one run on four hits as Staten Island (17-14) dropped the second game of the series 7-1 before 4,917 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark Saturday night.

The loss dropped the Bombers back to five and a half behind first place Brooklyn, who snapped a two-game skid with an 11-2 win over Tri-City to pickup a game in the standings.

Despite a solid effort from losing starter Zach McAllister (2-2), the Bombers couldn't provide enough support to take the righty off the hook. He got off to a rough start by allowing the first four Spikes to reach base. After loading them up on a walk, he gave up an RBI single to Andrew Walker for the game's first run.

But facing serious trouble, McAllister pitched his way out of it by striking out the next two batters and then got Erik Huber to bounce out to second baseman Damon Sublett.

Staten Island would threaten in the bottom half by putting runners on the corners with one out but Duke Welker (1-1) induced a tailor made 4-6-3 double play from S.I. third baseman Braedyn Pruitt to get out of it. It summed up the night as the Bombers left 10 runners on.

Consecutive two out hits by Smelin Perez (double) and Keanon Simon (RBI single) in the fifth increased State College's lead to 2-0.

The Bombers responded quickly in the bottom of the frame to slice it back to one. After shortstop Luis Nunez singled and stole second, designated hitter Chris Raber drove him in with a runscoring single to left. But that was all they could muster as Austin Krum bounced into a fielder's choice and Dave Williams followed by striking out swinging.

Staten Island had one chance to tie it up in the seventh off State College reliever Michael Felix. After Felix fanned the first two batters, he issued back-to-back walks to Nunez and pinch hitter Isaiah Howes to get the crowd's hope up. But pinch hitter Matt Morris harmlessly popped out to short which ended the inning.

The Spikes finally put the contest away by batting around for a five-run eighth. S.I. reliever Jason Kiley was done in partially by the defense. After allowing a run to come in on a Justin Ryler RBI double to left center, he gave up a single to Andrew Walker which put runners on the corners with nobody out. That's when it got ugly.

First, catcher's interference by Jose Gil allowed Daniel Rios to reach base safely which loaded the bases. Trailing by two with the infield in, Kiley got Matt Cavagnaro to ground to short but Nunez' throw was dropped by Gil going all the way to the backstop allowing two runs to score which suddenly made it 5-1.

Kyle Hollander replaced Kiley and permitted two more runs on a 4-6-3 twin killing and an RBI single by Austin McClune to make the deficit six. It could've been worse two batters later when Simon laced the third straight hit off the reliever but centerfielder Justin Snyder threw out McClune at home to mercifully end the inning.

State College reliever Brandon Williams worked around a two out ninth inning walk by getting Howes to line out to right which ended it.

Notes: Despite taking the loss, McAllister went the first six giving up two earned runs on four hits while walking two and fanning five. ... In three innings of work, relievers Kiley and Hollander allowed five runs (2 ER) on seven hits. ... Simon finished with a game high four hits in five plate appearances for State College while driving in and scoring a run. ... Welker tossed six strong for the Spikes allowing just a run on three hits while walking one and striking out five to notch the win. ... The game was live webcast on the official Staten Island Yankee site siyanks.com by their team official scorer. ... SP Ryan Zink will go for the Bombers in the rubber game Sunday afternoon at 2 PM.

Cyclones Shutdown Bombers To Take Series

2007-07-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY- The Cyclones used two big innings along with solid pitching to shutdown the Bombers en route to a 9-3 win before a near capacity crowd of 7,171 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Friday Fireworks Night.

Their second straight win allowed them to comeback and take the series after dropping the opener on Independence Day. It raised first place Brooklyn's record to 13-5 and pushed their lead over Staten Island to four games. It was the Baby Bombers' second consecutive loss dropping them back to .500 (9-9).

"You're going to have tough games. The good teams are the ones that take the tough games and they figure out what they can do better and they come out and they bounce back the next day," Staten Island outfielder Isiah Howes explained after coming in as a defensive replacement and singling in his only at bat to leadoff the home ninth.

"It was a good win. It's good to take the series after that first loss in the first game. We just kind of swung the bats. A lot of close games lately. So it was good to win by a big shot," Brooklyn shortstop Jake Eigsti pointed out after finishing with a double and run scored in a three-run fourth which knocked out losing Bomber starter Ryan Zink, who fell to 2-1 after allowing five earned runs on eight hits in just three-plus.

Staked to a one-run lead after his teammates picked him up with three in the first off Brooklyn starter Dylan Owen, Zink tossed two consecutive scoreless but ran out of gas in the fourth. The first four Cyclones reached base on hits including a tying single by catcher Jordan Abruzzo followed by a Joaquin Rodriguez go-ahead single to left which plated Eigsti and knocked out Zink, who was replaced by reliever Phil Bartleski.

They tacked on a run when Micah Schilling grounded into a twin killing to put them up 5-3.

"Big innings are always nice and the pitching did a good job. Besides that first inning, it was great and it's been great. Hopefully, we can keep it up," added Eigsti.

Meanwhile, Owen settled down after a shaky first in which he permitted all three runs on a Damon Sublett RBI double, Jose Gil sac fly and a Taylor Holiday runscoring single.

"It kind of got away from us after that first inning. We did a good job bouncing back in the first but we just couldn't get anything going after that. It wasn't our night I guess," Holiday said after finishing two-for-four with an RBI in a losing effort.

Instead, Owen was in control the next four frames keeping Staten Island hitters off balance with a nasty slider which froze some batters as he piled up nine strikeouts in five to boost his record to 3-0. In fact, after permitting a single to Holiday to start the fourth, he struckout the final six hitters he faced.

"[Owen] definitely made an adjustment after that first inning and he dealt. He was getting that curveball over and did a great job," noted Eigsti.

"I didn't face him but it looked like he had some pretty good offspeed stuff," Howes viewed. "He was throwing a decent fastball in there. He was a quality starter. No doubt. We did well to get three runs in the first inning and I guess he just got it together. You got to hand it to him."

The Cyclones put the game out of reach with a four-run sixth against Bartleski, who lost the plate by beaning two batters to get into trouble with an out. He paid the price as Brooklyn tagged him. A Rodriguez single to left scored Will Vogl which made it 6-3. Micah Schilling then followed with a two-run double and came into score on J.R. Voyles' basehit to right giving them a six-run cushion.

They would never look back.

Steve Cheney came on to toss three and two thirds scoreless before giving way to lefty Grady Hinchman, who pitched around a two out walk to Austin Krum by getting shortstop Chris Carrara to pop out to first in foul territory which ended it.

Notes: Staten Island immediately boarded a bus for Batavia with a three-game series starting later tonight.

"We don't know anything about them or about their field. We're just going to go there and we're going to play our game and look to bring back at least two out of three," Howes said of the upcoming series.

"Now we got to go on the road for three at Batavia and hopefully right the ship a little bit and get back in the winning column," Holiday added.

"I sure hope so," skipper Mike Gillespie remarked. "It's interesting that with 75 percent of the season to go that we find ourselves having to make the realization to win every game is critical. We're four games behind in the loss column or whatever it is. They call this a short season for a reason."

After the three-game series on the road, the Baby Bombers get a rare off day on Tuesday before returning home the following night when they'll play host to Auburn.

Betances Shows Poise and Promise

2007-07-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY - It's one thing to not allow a run when you have your best stuff but quite another when you're working your way through batters without it.

That's what Dellin Betances was able to do well enough in his fourth Penn League start against the Cyclones last night before a near packed house of 6,011 who celebrated part of their Independence Day by taking in an exciting 4-3 eleven inning Baby Bomber victory over the Cyclones at St. George.

Despite creating a couple of jams with a loss of control (six walks), Betances was able to pitch his way out of trouble by showing tremendous poise. One particular instance in the third inning saw the young 19 year-old hurler load the bases on three walks with two outs. He then went to a full count on Brooklyn first baseman Jason Jacobs before freezing him with an unhittable pitch which painted the outside corner to get out of it.

“I was glad to get that pitch cause I was kind of [upset] that I walked the bases loaded. So I was glad I got that last strike to strike [Jacobs] out,” Betances said after getting a no decision.

That kind of ability is what excites first-year skipper Mike Gillespie about his 19 year-old pupil who starred for Grand Street High School before being selected by the Yankees in last year's draft in the eighth round. Blessed with a fastball which can reach the mid-90's, he also possesses a wicked knuckle curve and changeup in his arsenal, giving Bronx Bomber fans plenty to get excited about. In 18 innings thus far, he had a 1-1 record with a 3.00 ERA and has whiffed 22.

“I liked the way he kept his poise and sort of pushed his way through it. I think he is a mature kid. I personally have been very impressed with his maturity beyond his years. I haven’t seen him be rattled," the manager noted as his team prepared for the second game of a three-game set scheduled for Thursday night at Keyspan Park.

Betances was pleased that he was able to get through four and two thirds without allowing a run despite unusual conditions on the Fourth of July.

"It was pretty hard just being that the rain and stuff but I managed through it and we actually got a win. So that was good," he pointed out.

If the weather wasn't ideal, then the plate umpire who passed on a couple of borderline strikes which led to walks probably didn't help in that regard either. However, Betances didn't seem to mind how it was called.

"It's alright. You just can't think about it too much cause you got more pitches to worry about. He was alright. The rain probably had an affect."

The lanky righty who's listed at 6-9 230 in the Staten Island Yankee program never buckled despite some gritty at bats by the Cyclones. He also got Jacob Eigsti to line out to short for a 6-5 inning ending double play in the fourth stranding two more runners at the corners.

Most encouraging for Betances was that he finished strong by getting Micah Schilling looking and Ender Chavez swinging before departing to a nice ovation after reaching his pitch count (89 pitches). He finished the night striking out six Cyclones.

"I was glad after that I was able to bounce back and get those two guys out but I reached my pitch count. So I had to come out. There was no way I could've thrown to that last guy."

"He can finish a hitter if he's at 85 and that's what happened with the previous hitter. But he couldn't start another new hitter," informed Gillespie who also lamented having to take his starter out.

"I dreaded that trip to the mound with one out to go and he did not want to come out. He wasn't thrilled. There was no issue over it but he wanted to stay in the game."

For the New York resident, he was excited to be able to pitch for the home club in such a great environment against their Verrazano rival.

"It's a great feeling. We had a lot of fans today. I was glad we got the win. So it's a great feeling just being here in front of the home fans. And there's nothing better than Yankee fans. I loved it."

He also talked about the importance of getting that first game against the Cyclones. Staten Island sliced Brooklyn's lead to two games.

"It's always good to get the first one. So get that out of the way. If we could win [Thursday] that would be great."

Despite pitching in the Gulf Coast League last Fall, he has noticed a difference in his first year in the Penn League and also knew he could improve on last night's outing.

"I did pitch Gulf Coast. It's different because there's more college hitters. Patient. Very good hitters. So you just got to throw strikes.I didn't really do that today but hopefully next time I come back.

Baby Bombers celebrate The Fourth in style with wild win , Walk off over archrival Cyclones

2007-07-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY - Sometimes, baseball can be a funny game. That was the case in the Baby Bombers' exciting 4-3 comeback victory in 11 innings against their Verrazano rival before an energized 6,011 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark who were treated to special Fourth of July fireworks immediately following the unpredictable game which lasted three hours and 39 minutes in spite a start an hour earlier.

The win improved second place Staten Island to 9-7, pulling them within two games of first place Brooklyn (11-5) in the McNamara Division.

"Our offense found a way to get it done," pumped up third baseman Justin Snyder said after leading the 11th off with a walk before coming around to score the tying run when Brooklyn first baseman Jason Jacobs was unable to get his glove on second baseman Damon Sublett's sharp grounder.

"To score the winning run and getting the win and seeing the fireworks is pretty awesome. That's what it's all about," as he and teammates then gathered around edge of the dugout to watch the beautiful display which seemed symbolic on such a special day.

Trailing by a run thanks to a titanic 400-plus foot blast off the bat of Jake Eigsti to left center, Staten Island rallied in their final at bat. After Snyder worked a walk off Brooklyn reliever Stephen Clyne (1-1), center fielder Matt Morris dragged a perfect sac bunt which Clyne had trouble fielding to put the first two on. Sublett then followed with a hard hit grounder which went underneath Jacobs' glove for the second error of the inning, allowing Snyder to score from second to tie it.

With runners on the corners and nobody out, slugging catcher Jose Gil who earlier accounted for the club's prior two runs with a two-run home run in the fourth couldn't drive home the winner. Instead, he flew out to short right.

Just when it looked like the Cyclones might somehow escape, they messed up a chance to get the second out. With Morris running on contact from third, left fielder Austin Krum grounded to second baseman Micah Schilling who was playing in at the edge of the grass and immediately came home. Morris was a dead duck. So he backpedaled and got himself in a rundown. But third baseman J.R. Voyles was unable to apply the tag instead dropping the ball which allowed everyone to be safe loading the bases with an out.

It got even wackier when Clyne predictably uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Morris to cross the plate with the winning run to give his ballclub an unlikely win before a raucous atmosphere as fireworks went off.

"It was exciting. It's always against top rivals like Brooklyn. So it was a pretty big win for us," reliever Phil Bartleski pointed out after failing to pickup the save when he permitted a one out opposite field double to Ender Chavez which forced extras.

"Everybody played till the last out. That's all we can ask for out of everybody. We got two more games. Take these next two or at least one going into the All Star break. These are big games right here," eluding to the big three-game set with Game 2 later tonight at Keyspan Park before they return to the Ferry terminal tomorrow.

"It was good to comeback and get that win in front of the home fans. Especially against Brooklyn and take a game back when we're trying to catch them," explained reliever Craig Heyer after tossing three innings of one-run ball in relief of starter Dellin Betances and Jason Kiley.

"It just came down to the end and we were able to squeeze it out right there. There were some weird plays but we got the win. So that's all that matters."

The night started off with Betances working in and out of trouble. Despite not having his best stuff and walking the same amount of batters (six) he fanned, the 19 year-old Brooklyn native who was drafted by the Yankees last year showed plenty of resolve in tossing 89 pitches over four and two thirds scoreless.

"I liked the way he kept his poise and sort of pushed his way through it," praised skipper Mike Gillespie about the former Grand Street High School star. "I think he is a mature kid. I personally have been very impressed with his maturity beyond his years. I haven't seen him be rattled."

Most impressive was that when the young hurler needed to dial up a big pitch to squeeze out of a bases loaded jam he created, Betances painted the outside corner on a full count to catch Jacobs looking which ended the third.

"It was pretty hard," the 6-9 righthander explained of rainy conditions which made the mound slippery. "I was glad to get that pitch cause I was kind of [upset] that I walked the bases loaded. So I was glad I got that last strike to strike [Jacobs] out."

He finished strong by striking out the last two batters reaching his pitch count before giving way to the bullpen. Given a two-run lead on Gil's blast to left for his second dinger in two days, they pitched well but couldn't hold it which setup the crazy finish.

Gillespie knew how important it was to get this first one:

"We haven't talked to our players about the fact that it is a big series but I certainly think all the coaches think it's a big series. Even though it's early, it's getting to be less early. ... To have them get out there with too big a gap is not a little thing. I certainly don't like the idea of falling further and further behind.

They've been hot and I think they're good.

Notes: Despite allowing a homer to Eigsti in the eleventh, Staten Island reliever Kyle Hollander cameback to retire the side and pickup his first win. He also came on for Bartleski in the 10th with runners in scoring position with just an out and got out of a tight situation when Will Vogl's suicide squeeze backfired. Gil quickly grabbed the ball before just getting back to the plate in time to tag out Matt Bouchard. Hollander would then get Jordan Abruzzo on a comebacker to end the threat.

"I'm sure glad it came out like it did because I think the surprising thing would be that at some point I didn't ask for a pitchout," an unsurprised Gillespie said. "Julio Mascara, our third base coach pointed out the squeeze as a possibility and I was just guessing for a count. ... They have shown in the few games that we've played that there's a lot in their bag."

Summing up the game, 31 different players were used including 17 Baby Bombers. That included three pinch hitters and nine total pitchers (Bkln- 4 S.I.- 5). ... Since a 1-4 start, the S.I. Yanks have won seven of 10.

Baby Bombers rally past Renegades

2007-07-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY- Sometimes, a comeback win can build character. For Mike Gillespie's ballclub, maybe this is the start of something big.

"I think so," the skipper said. "We have played better. We have these new players which has helped. I think we have just about everybody we're going to have. I understand that the Yankees have signed the Pope guy. The pitcher taken in the third round. ... These guys that have come have made a difference."

Trailing 4-0, the Baby Bombers scored seven straight in the fifth and sixth to rally past the Renegades 7-5 before an energized 4,307 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark Sunday. It was their second win in a row and sixth in their last eight to push them over .500 (7-6), remaining just two behind first place Brooklyn who also won.

"Baseball's a funny game. You never know what's going to happen. A hit here. A hit there. A little momentum is all we needed," explained DH Isaiah Howes after coming around to score one of his team's runs. "In this organization, we don't accept losing. We're out there to win. It's fun when you win. That's what we try to do."

It didn't start well. Starter Angel Reyes didn't make it through two innings to put Staten Island in an early 3-0 hole. Hudson Valley struck for two in the first on back-to-back one out hits from Cody Cipriano (double) and Stephen Vogt. The southpaw got into more trouble in the second. After getting the first out, he allowed three consecutive hits including a Maiko Loyola run-scoring single which made it a three-run deficit.

After walking his third batter in one and a third to load the bases, he was pulled in favor of reliever Phillip Bartleski. The righty was able to limit the damage by getting Vogt to bounce into a 4-6-3 double play.

"I knew I had to throw strikes and I got a great defense behind me," the cool middle reliever pointed out after tossing two and two thirds scoreless to keep his team afloat. "I just had to hit some spots and let the defense do the work."

Before the comeback got started in the home fifth, reliever Ryan Zink allowed a Henry Wrigley RBI double which made it four zip. But Zink later settled down to toss five solid innings allowing two runs (1 ER) while whiffing four to improve to 2-0.

"We got some good arms on the staff and really, pitching can carry a ballclub and today, from the fifth inning on, they were lights out," noted Howes. "We got the momentum in the fourth or fifth inning and we built on that throughout the game. And our pitching shut them down."

After failing to capitalize early on against knuckleballer Diego Echeverria (0-3) with even one inning ending on a bizarre 1-5-2-6-6-2 twin killing, the Bombers finally got it going by pushing across three in the fifth. Left fielder D.J. Hollingsworth was hit by a pitch and came around to score when catcher James LaSala's single to right was booted by Epifanio De Leon allowing the speedy runner to score all the way from first.

The big blow came off the bat of second baseman Damon Sublett, who drilled his second home run of the week for a two-run blast to right with two outs which sliced the deficit to one.

"I was just looking for a ball up. My other at bats, [Echeverria] threw me a couple of pitches that were up and out and I was just looking for one in and he gave me one," Sublett pointed out.

The game seemed to turnaround after that.

"We definitely started having better at bats after that. Early in the game, we kind of were up there swinging at first pitches. Not having good at bats. But after that, we locked in and did some things."

After Zink got the Renegades in order, the Bombers nearly batted around for four more in the sixth. They loaded the bases with one out before Claudio Rodriguez replaced Echeverria. In a recent home win, Sublett tagged him with a long dinger. This time, a walk to pinch hitter Austin Krum knotted it before center fielder Taylor Holliday delivered a tiebreaking two-run single to center for S.I.'s first lead. Shortstop Luis Nunez followed with a sac fly which scored Krum to put them ahead 7-4.

"In the beginning, we'd get down and kind of give in. But we had a pretty good game. Some good at bats. If our pitching's on, I don't think we're beatable," third baseman Justin Snyder said after being on base twice and scoring a run. "It seems like everyone's getting knocks."

It was enough to hold up. After giving one run back on an eighth inning Greg Sexton single, Zink got the final three outs on a 6-6-4 DP and a groundout to Nunez.

Notes: Staten Island used all three backstops with LaSala finishing 1-for-2 before Frank Lonigro replaced him after Krum pinch hit. Jose Gil then came on in the final inning to catch Zink. ... Baby Bombers travel to Hudson Valley for Game 2 of the series before concluding it tomorrow night back at St. George.

Bomber bats spring to life during win streak

2007-06-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY- The offense is here. It had to happen eventually.

After a slow start in which they produced only four total runs in three straight losses to fall to 1-4, the Baby Bombers have finally got it going during a current three-game win streak in which they've outscored opponents 24-13.

That included an 8-5 victory at home last night over Hudson Valley to get back to .500. In the win, Staten Island produced its first two home runs of the season with second baseman Damon Sublett smacking a two-run line drive to right in the fifth and first baseman Chase Odenreider two innings later going deep to left with his own two-run shot which gave the ballclub some much needed insurance.

Especially when the Renegades' Henry Wrigley cameback with a two-run shot of his own an inning later which proved to be the final margin.

“It’s always big to keep adding runs. It gets them down and then if you look back, the kid hits a two-run homer, it’s a different game,” right fielder David Williams pointed out.

“I finally connected with one but I got to give it to our defense played well and our pitchers threw really well also," Odenreider added.

The offensive production was a welcome sight.

“We’re starting to come around a little bit. It’s a lot more fun winning and looking forward to the next few games,” the first baseman also said as his team got ready to leave for Hudson Valley. They'll attempt to complete a sweep later tonight before playing three at Aberdeen starting Thursday.

One of the things most agreed on was that getting adjusted at this level would take a little time because you had a lot of college players who used metal bats as compared to wood.

"I think with all the college kids coming from the aluminum bats over to the wood, it takes a little time adjusting," left fielder D.J. Hollingsworth eluded to. "They're really good players. So I think it's starting to click for them."

"Yeah. I think everybody is getting pretty comfortable now and we're getting lofty a little bit. This is going to be a good team. So hopefully, we can keep swinging it," Sublett noted after his first professional homer.

"I think it's just time to come around," Williams added after a two hit night. "A lot of us are coming out of college. We're using metal bats. Obviously, pitching is a step up and using the metal bat, there's always an adjustment. So I think probably a week, two weeks in, we're starting to get the hang of it. We're getting good pitches to hit."

The recent turnaround couldn't have come at a better time for first-year skipper Mike Gillespie.

“It’s giant. Giant," he explained. "I think guys are getting to know each other a little more. Getting a feel for what this level is all about. I’m very encouraged by what we’ve seen. Not just the wins. But by the way they’ve looked and the way they’ve handled themselves.”

One aspect the former USC manager has been encouraged by is that it's not just a couple of guys.

"It's the best nights we've had with the bats. And down through the lineup. Several guys. Guys that don't get to play all the time who haven't done a whole lot when they have played. The homerun by Odenreider was giant. Hollingsworth had a good night. Did a couple of things real well. Sublett has done a lot of good things for us. [Austin] Krum has come to life a little bit."

He also singled out one of his key role players who could be vital this summer to the team's success.

"[Justin] Snyder's a good player. He's a versatile player. He's a real valuable player. This summer, I wouldn't be surprised if he'll play six different positions," about the leadoff man who manned the hot corner Tuesday night and was on-base four different times (2 hits, 2 walks) with a run scored.

"He's got a good chance to be a real good professional utility player."

With three more players coming who Gillespie hinted should all see playing time, things are looking up for the Bombers.

Baby Bombers use long ball to power past Renegades

2007-06-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Baby Bombers use long ball to power past Renegades

Posted by Derek Felix under Staten Island Yanks (edit this)
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STATEN ISLAND, NY- The long ball helped the Baby Bombers win their third consecutive game. Behind two-run home runs by second baseman Damon Sublett and first baseman Chase Odenreider, the Staten Island Yankees got back to .500 (4-4) by posting an 8-5 win before 5,094 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark Tuesday night.

The homers were the team’s first of the season in the eighth game.

“It was big. We’ve kind of been up and down with how we’ve been playing and stuff like that. We’ve been trying to put it together. So these first two victories in this series have been pretty good for us,” expressed left fielder D.J. Hollingsworth after a productive two-for-four night which included an RBI single in the third to give his ballclub an early two-run lead.

Leading by two, the Bombers knocked knuckleballer Diego Echeverria (0-2) out of the game in the fifth. With third baseman Justin Snyder having led off the inning with a walk and a swipe of second, it set the stage for Sublett who came up against reliever Claudio Rodriguez after Echeverria got Luis Nunez to line out to left.

Rodriguez fell behind Sublett 3-1 and paid the price when the second baseman lined his first professional homer over the right field fence to double the Bombers’ lead.

“I got some pitches to hit today and I was actually able to do something with it instead of fouling it off like I’ve been doing the last week,” he said after two hits, two walks and a couple of runs scored to go with his first dinger. “[Rodriguez] threw the same pitch earlier in the at bat and so he came back with the same one and this time, I didn’t miss it this time.”

Of the long ball, he remarked, “Hopefully there will be a whole bunch more of those to come.”

Before the inning was out, they would add a run on a two out single by DH Chris Raber. In the sixth, a Nunez sacrifice fly scored Hollingsworth to put them up six after the speedy outfielder ledoff with a bunt single.

Trailing 6-0, the Renegades made things interesting against reliever Angel Reyes by batting around for three runs in the seventh.

Angel Fermin’s double to left was just out of a diving Hollingsworth’s reach to score a couple and break up the shutout. After Reyes got the second out, he didn’t retire another batter. The southpaw loaded the bases on a walk and single. He walked in the third run when he lost Shawn O’Malley to suddenly make it 6-3. But Jason Kiley came in to put out the fire by getting Greg Sexton swinging.

With their lead sliced in half, they responded thanks to Odenreider, who drove a Noah Booth pitch over the left field wall to score center fielder Austin Krum after he ledoff the seventh with a ground rule double. It put them back up five.

“We needed this boost. Our pitching is doing great,” a pleased Odenreider explained. “I finally connected with one but I got to give it to our defense played well and our pitchers threw really well also.”

“Definitely a big home run,” pointed out right fielder David Williams who was right in the middle of things with two hits of his own plus an RBI and run scored.

“It’s always big to keep adding runs. It gets them down and then if you look back, the kid hits a two-run homer, it’s a different game.”

Hudson Valley didn’t go away. The very next inning, Henry Wrigley went yard off Kiley to cut it to 8-5. But that was as close as they got.

Closer Nick Peterson worked around a one out double, fanning Sexton to end it for his second save.

“We’re starting to come around a little bit. It’s a lot more fun winning and looking forward to the next few games,” added Odenreider as his team gets ready for one more at Hudson Valley before a three-game trip to Aberdeen.

Notes: Somewhat lost in the shuffle of all the offense was a solid performance from victorious starter Ryan Zink, who permitted just one hit while walking two and striking out one over the first five to notch his first win.

“He’s awesome. Just like all our pitchers who are throwing strikes, getting people out and we’re starting to put runs up on the board. So they get wins,” Williams added. “They deserve it.”

“Tremendous,” skipper Mike Gillespie said. “I don’t know if we were all in the room the other day but we were talking about the program of number of innings and or number of pitches. I think after four, he threw 41 pitches. So he could’ve gone more. That’s the deal. We know it.”

The former USC manager was equally as impressed with how his players have responded to a tough start by stringing together the last three to get out of the basement in the McNamara Division:

“It’s giant. Giant. I think guys are getting to know each other a little more. Getting a feel for what this level is all about. I’m very encouraged by what we’ve seen. Not just the wins. But by the way they’ve looked and the way they’ve handled themselves.”

According to him, the club will be getting another catcher later today when Brian Baisley returns from Charleston. It’s expected that Brandon Ketron will move up. Baisley was on last year’s championship team and should provide some much needed experience.

Four S.I. Yanks had multi-hit games including Sublett, Hollingsworth, Williams and Snyder (2-for-3, 1 run).

The Baby Bombers don’t return home until Sunday for a matinee against Hudson Valley in another three-game set.

Powerless in Atlanta

2007-03-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

If there was a charger, it would be on empty. That's how dreadful the Ranger power play continued to be in another crushing defeat to Atlanta, 2-1 in overtime at Philips Arena Friday night.

Once again, the Blueshirts failed miserably on six power plays- making it 0 for their last four games (0-for-19). The trouble is time much like their too predictable man-advantage is running out on them. Instead of getting two points, they settled for one in a game they controlled a vast majority of outshooting the Thrashers 39-20 in regulation (28-10 final two frames).

"We have to stay the course," coach Tom Renney said. "One thing we do not want to do is get frustrated. Bottom line is we have to keep working here and start getting two points instead of one."

With a golden opportunity to gain ground on the idle Islanders and Hurricanes where a win would've put them in a three-way tie for seventh, the Rangers just wouldn't alter the strategy. One in which Renney continued to send out his all-Euro unit of Michael Nylander, Jaromir Jagr, Petr Prucha, Michal Rozsival and Martin Straka. Content to just skate on the perimeter and pass the puck around instead of registering shots, they helped Atlanta kill off valuable time. The dilemma for the coaching staff was that their more aggressive second unit which gets shots through hardly saw the ice.

Unable to take advantage, the Rangers let a point slip when ex-Islander Alexei Zhitnik one-timed a point shot past Henrik Lundqvist at 2:18 of OT. Cashing in on an undisciplined Matt Cullen hook in the offensive zone, Zhitnik took a feed from Slava Kozlov and bombed his sixth in for the winner. It ended another frustrating game in which the Blueshirts only managed to beat backup goalie Johan Hedberg once. Moose finished with 38 saves earning First Star honors.

"That's a game we should win," Lundqvist pointed out after failing to pickup his 30th win. "Still a good point. We had our chance to get two...I have to stay sharp and not allow any mistakes. Hopefully our power play can step up and get some goals."

The lost point was particularly damaging because instead of guaranteeing themselves of at least a share for seventh with 11 games remaining, New York made the task even more difficult. And while the Leafs were somehow losing in Washington 5-1 making one wonder if there was a Lunar Eclipse, so too were the Canadiens, who fell at Pittsburgh 6-3. Gone was a chance to pull ahead of the Leafs and move two points ahead of the Habs.

Instead, when the Rangers take on Boston tonight on St. Patty's Day, they'll find themselves tied with the Leafs for ninth with each having 77 points and the same 11 left with one pivotal Garden match-up on April Fool's Day. Maybe by that time, Renney's club will fool a lot of people and actually shoot the puck on the power play.

Without Karel Rachunek on the blueline, the Rangers recalled rookie David Liffiton from Hartford. He saw the ice only sparingly though getting 7:26 of ice-time with two shots while taking a questionable holding penalty. What that meant for the rest of the D were major minutes for Rozsival and (30:47), Marek Malik (24:08). Renney doubleshifted both a lot splitting them most of the night with Rozsival working with Thomas Pock (16:25) and Malik teaming with Daniel Girardi (17:53). Paul Mara, who struggled in his end taking two minors also received 19:51.

Despite the heavy workload, they would get the game's first goal late in the first when Sean Avery took a Michael Nylander feed in the slot and wristed one past Hedberg with 53 seconds left. During a change, Jagr fed the puck to Mara down low, who got it to Nylander behind the net. He then found a wide open Avery for his 13th (3rd as a Ranger).

It gave them momentum after a wide open first where each team registered 10 shots. In particular, Lundqvist was sharp in stoning a couple of Thrashers from in close, including a tough pad stop on Marian Hossa.

But the Thrashers would draw even early in the second thanks to some sloppy play by the Rangers. After getting nothing accomplished during a four-on-four, Nylander returned from the box as did Ilya Kovalchuk 13 seconds later to put the clubs at even strength. But with Atlanta pressing on the forecheck, they forced Nylander into a bad turnover. After intercepting his mistimed feed through the middle of the ice, Kozlov fed Kovalchuk, who fired a shot which was redirected home by Hossa for his Thrasher-leading 41st which tied it at 2:51.

Afterwards, the Rangers would dominate play by generating plenty of chances off an aggressive attack. Rookie recall Ryan Callahan nearly had his first but Hedberg got a piece of his backhand from in close. The Hartford leading scorer played very well, getting four shots on goal in 15:06. The Rochester native replaced flu-ridden Ryan Hollweg and made a strong case to stay, also finishing with a team high three hits.

Unfortunately, his inspired play wasn't enough to get the Rangers that second goal. Nor was it enough to merit power play time. There's always that reliable top Euro unit.

Notes: Rookie center Brandon Dubinsky had a solid showing. Despite only receiving 7:40 of ice-time, he was very effective on the forecheck and registered three shots, nearly converting on one. ... Club enforcer Colton Orr (4:14) got into a first period scrap with Eric Boulton, dropping a decision. ... Making his 33rd start in the last 34, Lundqvist finished with 20 saves. ... Despite scoring only 12 goals in their last seven, the Rangers somehow are 4-1-2- managing to get 10 of a possible 14 points. They have scored two-or-less in seven straight.

Roger King Of Court Down Under Again, Sweeps Past Gonzalez Into History

2007-01-28T19:37:00.000-08:00

After Andy Roddick was eliminated in embarrassing fashion by Roger Federer, he was asked to assess remaining semifinalists Fernando Gonzalez or Tommy Haas' chances of getting the better of the Swiss world No.1 in the final. He answered in one word: "Slim."

Ultimately, the American was proven right. Even a solid performance by red hot No.10 seeded Chilean Gonzalez couldn't threaten Federer in Sunday night's epic final in which the incomparable top seed swept past his worthy opponent in a competitive straight sets, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4 before a capacity audience at Rod Laver Arena to repeat as champion, claiming his third Australian Open in four years.

Not surprisingly, the 25 year-old Federer made history by becoming the first Grand Slam champion on the men's side to not drop a set since the legendary Bjorn Borg accomplished the feat back in 1980 when he won the French Open. He became only the fourth player in the Open Era to pull it off and just the second to ever win down under without losing a set since legend Ken Rosewall in 1971. Fittingly, he was in attendance and was acknowledged by a jovial Federer during the trophy presentation.

"Equalling records, doing something that hasn't been done for a long time, it's really nice, there's no doubt," the very pleased winner said afterwards to the AP. "It wasn't ever a goal for me up to win a Slam without dropping a set."

"All I care in the end is to hopefully hold that trophy, even though it might be 20-18 in the fifth set. I don't mind, as long as I win. Of course, now that it's all over, it's great to think, 'Wow', you know, not having dropped a set. It's quite amazing."

Amazing is just one of the many adjectives which can be used to describe Federer's dominant play over the past few years which has now seen him win 10 career slams since claiming his first one back in 2003 at Wimbledon. By doing so, he joined exclusive company which includes Bill Tilden (10), Rod Laver and Borg (11), Roy Emerson (12) and Pete Sampras (14).

"All these Grand Slams since 2003, that's what, for me, is really scary, how many I've won," the very modest champ admitted. "I was thinking about it this morning actually when I woke up."

"Like if somebody would have told me I'd win 10 Grand Slams from mid '03 till today, I never would have thought there was any chance of doing something like that. I would have signed up for just one, you know."

Entering his record-tying seventh consecutive final, the Swiss maestro was the overwhelming favorite against a hot player who had dismissed Lleyton Hewitt, James Blake, Rafael Nadal and Haas en route to his first career slam final. Certainly, in playing his best tennis of his career, the 26 year-old Gonzalez was no slouch. It was in the first set that the very talented Chilean gave Federer all he could handle.

With both players looking to take control of points early in rallies with their lethal groundstrokes and use of every part of the court, each committed more unforced errors than usual. Taking big swings at the ball in an attempt to attack each other's serves, they produced a topsy turvy set which took almost as long for either to get through their semis. The one hour 10-minute set could've easily gone to Gonzalez. It was his resilient play during the eighth game which kept it on serve. Digging out of a hole, he fought off break points to hold and square the match at four all. Continuing to play aggressively, he cameback from 30-0 down to break Federer thanks to drawing a few wild misses. It gave him a golden opportunity to serve out the set. One point from it, he blew the chance as Federer saved two set points before bouncing right back to break. If only he had nailed that open forehand down the line on the second set point instead of hitting the net. But it wasn't to be.

After Federer held for 6-5, he applied heavy pressure on Gonzalez in the 11th game. But to Gonzalez' credit, he saved four set points before ripping a clean backhand winner up the line to force a tiebreaker. So many instances during his brilliant career, Federer has raised his level in these breaking the will of opponents. He did it to recently retired American icon Andre Agassi two years ago during the U.S. Open final. Once again, Federer saved his best for the breaker by getting into a zone taking the first five points before closing out the set on his serve thanks to a crosscourt forehand winner.

"It's just a different game, especially the first set. I was missing a few of them to give him the upper hand. He should have won the first, but I came back and won. That might have been crucial," he said.

"The match may have been different if I had won the first set," Gonzalez admitted after falling to 0-10 against Federer. "Every time I have played Roger, I've never won the first set, so that really may be the key."

But if Federer thought it would be easy, his opponent had other ideas. After having his right shoulder treated by a trainer during a break, Gonzalez never went away holding serve the first three times thanks to some outstanding shotmaking which produced 31 winners. The problem was that his opponent was having an even easier time holding. In fact, Federer only dropped two points on his serve the entire set. When he finally broke Gonzalez in the seventh game for a 4-3 lead, the writing was on the wall. After each exchanged holds, he easily served out the set finishing it off with a sliced ace down the middle to pull within one set of his ultimate destiny.

The third set proved to be eerily similar as Gonzalez did everything he could to stay with Federer. But the world No.1's uncanny ability to find ridiculous angles like a short crosscourt forehand which setup a couple of break points in a pivotal seventh game during the competitive 43-minute set proved to be too much. Along with some impressive net play which saw Federer convert 34-of-43 (79 percent) and not allowing Gonzalez another look at his serve, the repeat winner held twice more closing it out in style by striking a backhand winner down the line on the full run. After the crowd pleasing shot which produced his 45th winner, he dropped his racket and fell to the court rolling around in celebration before getting a warm reception at the net from Gonzalez.

"I have to congratulate again Roger," Gonzalez told the crowd after being presented with the runner's up crown. "He's on the way to be maybe the best player ever. He is a great champion who played a really good match today, all week-- almost all his life. So I can take a lot out of this tournament."

" He makes tennis very simple, and when he gets a chance he takes it."

Federer has often been referred to as a genius.

"I mean, look, I guess I'm the best tennis player in the world," he said.

"You can call me a genius because I'm outplaying many of my opponents, kind of maybe playing a bit different, you know, winning when I'm not playing my best. All of that maybe means a little bit of that. So it's nice."

Nice would be one way to describe his tennis along with how well he handles himself off the court. After winning his third straight major and sixth in the last seven with the exception of last year's French falling to repeat winner Rafael Nadal, is a Grand Slam on the horizon this year? First he'll attempt to complete the career Grand Slam this May.

Stay tuned.

Unseeded Serena Simply The Best, Pummels Sharapova For Third Australian Open Title

2007-01-26T20:27:00.000-08:00

Just call her the Queen down under. When it comes to winning big matches in Australia, Serena Williams is much like rock star Tina Turner's hit: Simply The Best.

Doubted by many entering the tournament as an unseeded 81st ranked player in the world, Williams finished off her improbable run by taking apart top seeded Russian Maria Sharapova in a lopsided final, 6-1, 6-2 in front of a capacity Rod Laver Arena Saturday in Melbourne Park. Needing only an hour and three minutes, she became only the second unseeded woman to ever win the title joining Chris O'Neill, who accomplished it back in 1978 as a No.111.

It was the 25 year-old American's third Australian Open and eighth career slam. Her last one came two years ago in the same setting when she fought off match points against Sharapova in an epic semifinal before saving championship points against Lindsay Davenport before coming back to take the trophy.

This time, it came much easier for Williams as she played arguably her best match of a storied career. With the spotlight on, she came out extremely focused with an intense look in her eyes staring across at her accomplished 19 year-old opponent who the last time they met for a Grand Slam beat her soundly to win Wimbledon three years ago. Maybe that was on her mind as she then went out and executed a gameplan to perfection.

Dictating rallies from the very first toss of the ball, Williams was in a zone. Keeping Sharapova way behind the baseline and stepping in to take full advantage of a weak second serve, the popular American champion struck winners from both sides, finishing with 16 more (28-12) in dealing her opponent the worst slam defeat of the Russian's career.

After holding easily in the opening game, Williams battled back from 40-15 down to break the No.1 seed. Following another routine service hold, she broke Sharapova for a second straight time at love in impressive fashion. Having taken 10 straight points to get within two of another break, Serena emphatically won those points via a sizzling backhand winner down the line and then a forehand return winner to go ahead 4-0. She saved a break point in the fifth game before holding.

After Sharapova had a rare easy service game to get on the board for 1-5, Williams closed out the set without a problem. When she drew a long Sharapova backhand, the American yelled, "Come on!"

Not even a new set could revitalize the resilient Sharapova. Broken for the third time in the match in the opening game, it was an uphill battle just to get into the match. With Serena serving to consolidate the break, the Russian was given a big chance to get back on serve thanks to two consecutive double faults which produced only her second break opportunity. But it was quickly erased by an ace before Sharapova committed two unforced errors to give Williams a 2-0 lead.

It would become a double break cushion for Serena thanks to a Sharapova double and netted forehand. On cruise control, Williams easily held for 4-0. At that point, she had a shot to produce the most lopsided women's final in Aussie Open history.

But to Sharapova's credit, she had her two strongest holds and forced Williams to serve for the title. After winning the longest point of the match on a Sharapova forehand error, she nailed two aces to setup three championship points. When a big serve up the tee produced a short reply from her overmatched foe, Serena put the exclamation point on the huge victory with a backhand winner down the line before falling to the court in jubilation.

Congratulated at the net by Sharapova, an excited Williams then walked over to her corner to slap hands with her Mom Oracene Price and other supporters. It was a special moment for a player written off by skeptics after only playing in four tournaments last year due to a knee injury. But as her runner-up pointed out during the trophy ceremony, she shouldn't have been overlooked.

"You can never underestimate her as a performer...I know what she's capable of and she showed that today," a gracious Sharapova admitted to the audience. "She has showed it many, many times."

For the three-time Australian Open winner who seems to like odd years as evidenced by her victories in '03, '05 and now '07, it was clearly very emotional.

"I'm really enjoying this!" she boasted after lifting her ranking to No. 14 in the world.

"I'd like to thank my mom. I was a bad student this fortnight," she joked to the crowd's amusement. "I yelled at her, said some things under my breath. But she just kept coming. I really appreciate it."

As she thanked her family, coach and trainer, Serena made it a point to remember her late half-sister Yetunde Price, who died tragically of gunshot wounds in 2003.

"Most of all I would like to dedicate this win to my sister, who's not here. Her name is Yetunde. I just love her so much," she said getting emotional. "I'll try not to get teary-eyed but I said a couple of days ago, if I win this it's going to be for her. So thanks Tunde."

If that's what inspired her, it was truly a memorable tribute which won't soon be forgotten.

Gonzalez Routs Haas To Reach First Grand Slam Final, Faces Federer: The easy part is over for Fernando Gonzalez. That's if you consider the No.10 seeded Chilean's impressive wins over No. 19 Lleyton Hewitt, No. 5 James Blake, No.2 Rafael Nadal and No.12 Tommy Haas easy. All would probably conclude the same thing about the rejuvenated Gonzalez. That the 26 year-old is playing the best tennis of his career.

With a new coach, he's playing terrific and continued his run Friday night by dominating Haas in straight sets 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 to reach his first career Grand Slam final. So dominant was Gonzalez that he took the first 11 points of the match to set the tone. Moving freely from the baseline and using an effective slice backhand to setup a monster forehand which produced a ridiculous 18 of his 44 winners, he controlled the match from start to finish never allowing Haas to get untracked.

Serving flawlessly and attacking the German's serve, Gonzalez was never threatened in a match which took only an hour and 31 minutes to complete. Remarkably, the Chilean made only three unforced errors with them all coming in the second set. The only one which was marginally close. Striking an array of winners which featured backhands up the line and crosscourt, forehands every which way including one on the dead run which spun in, Gonzalez kept his opponent off balance even mixing in some deft touch on drop shots. He even finished it off with a running backhand crosscourt winner.

So overwhelming was his performance that invoked memories of defending champion Roger Federer's destruction of Andy Roddick the previous night. In that match, Federer allowed just six games and struck an eerily similar 45 winners as Roddick searched for answers. So can the man known as "Speedy" keep up this wonderful display against the best player in the world?

"He's the No. 1 player in the world by far...I lost many times with him," he admitted afterwards. "But now I'm playing much better than the last time we played. And it's only one match. I'm going to give everything that I have to try to win my first Slam."

For his career, he's never beaten Federer losing all nine times they've played. But he's also never played this well. In past years Gonzalez would go for broke too much and usually compile a large amount of errors to go with his winners making for a risky proposition when it came to just advancing. Now he's cleaned that up and will enter with a lot of confidence as he attempts to stop Federer from claiming his 10th career slam.

"I'm going to try to do the same thing that I've been doing: playing good tennis, don't do it too much, because my forehand side I feel I can do whatever I want. Is going to be a tough, but I'm playing a great level."

If he can maintain his high level, it could make for a compelling final. The action will take place live on ESPN2 Sunday morning at 3:30 Eastern time, 7:30 PM Australian time. If you can't catch it live, it will be replayed Sunday at noon. The way Gonzalez has played, there could be a surprise in store. We'll soon find out late tomorrow night.

Federer Shows Roddick Who's In Charge

2007-01-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

Just cue up the theme from Charles 'N Charge and change the theme song to "Roger In Charge."

Throughout the 2007 Australian Open, there was plenty of build up for a semifinal clash between top seeded Roger Federer and sixth seeded Andy Roddick. After how well the 24 year-old American finished up last year under the guidance of tennis legend Jimmy Connors, it was clear that more was expected of the former 2003 U.S. Open champion. Especially after falling in four hard fought sets to Federer for the U.S. Open and then even having match points at the Masters Cup before the Swiss sensation rallied to defeat him.

A couple of weeks ago at the warm-up exhibition, he beat the world No.1 in three sets at the AAMI Classic to give him even more confidence that the gap was finally closing. Though the match didn't count on the ATP Tour, it had to be considered a huge step.

Clearly, Roddick came into this year's first slam believing he could finally exorcise the demons against Federer and finally snap the eight match losing streak if they met in the Final Four and reach his first Aussie Open final. After posting impressive well earned victories over '05 winner Marat Safin and ninth seeded Croatian Mario Ancic, he blitzed former high school pal Mardy Fish in straight sets to setup the much talked about rematch with the defending champion down under.

Maybe it was because of all the talk from Roddick and even some media who really believed the affable American had a real chance to finally reverse his luck against Federer. Or maybe it was just the nine-time slam winner's immense talent which was on full display in a 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 dismantling of his biggest threat at Rod Laver Arena Thursday night in Melbourne. Or maybe it was Roddick's nerves getting the best of him knowing what was at stake.

Whatever the reason, the out of this world Swiss maestro was in a different stratosphere than his opponent to improve his career head-to-head record to 13-1 against Roddick, advancing to his seventh consecutive final at a major which matched a record established by Jack Crawford in 1934.

Hitting 45 winners from every conceivable angle, the 25 year-old took apart Roddick in the first men's semifinal, which lasted only an hour and 23 minutes. So stunning was the performance that it even left his part-time coach Tony Roche and 68 year-old Aussie legend Rod Laver who made the trip from California in shock. One point in particular early in the second set told the story. Taking it to Federer, Roddick moved him from corner to corner and was in a winning position at the net but somehow, the two-time Australian Open champ ran down a deep approach and then in one motion knifed a backhand crosscourt winner off the frame which drew quite a reaction from the audience even leaving Roche to smile.

Amazingly, a match which had started so competitively turned into a tennis clinic by maybe arguably the best to ever play the sport. Though Federer broke Roddick in the opening game to start, the fiery American fought back to get on serve with a break of his own in the fourth game, taking advantage of a rare gift game from the Swede in which he commited four unforced errors. Defying logic, he made only eight the rest of the match.

After each held serve twice more for four apiece in the first set, Federer took control by breaking Roddick a second time. He would then serve out the set, finishing it off in style with an ace. As fate would have it, that would be the end of the match. From the point he trailed 3-4 in the opening set, Federer ran off the next 11 games en route to what amounted to a routine victory. Something that even left him at a loss for words.

"I had one of these days when everything worked," he admitted to the AP. "I was unbeatable. I was playing out of my mind. I am shocked myself."

So dominant was Federer on one of the biggest servers that he converted all seven break points. An unlikely scenario which probably won't be repeated.

Not surprisingly, the extraordinary level of his play was something he wasn't used to in Melbourne even though he was accustomed to it at the other three slams.

"I've played good matches here, but never really almost destroyed somebody. I've done it at the US Open, Wimbledon, French Open. Maybe not so much here because I didn't get so many chances yet," he noted.

"Here at the Australian Open I've won good matches, but never outright dominated another top player in the big stage in the semis or the final. For me, that's a highlight of my career to do it right here tonight, so I'm very, very happy about it."

Federer awaits Friday night's winner in the second semifinal between 10th seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez and 12th seeded German Tommy Haas. Neither has ever reached a slam final. Whoever prevails will try to do what Roddick couldn't. Make Federer sweat.

For Roddick, though he tried to stick to Connors' strategy of being more aggressive coming into net and applying pressure to Federer, he had little success only winning nine of 31 points there as too often he watched winner after winner sail out of reach. Never before had he been so outplayed at a major.

"It was frustrating. You know, it was miserable. It sucked. It was terrible. Besides that, it was fine," Roddick sarcastically remarked during an entertaining postmatch conference.

"I was playing well coming in. There's no reason to think...if you would have told me this beforehand, I probably didn't foresee it."

For the down to earth American who was clearly frustrated last night, it's back to work.

"You do your best not to get discouraged. I caught an absolute beating tonight, no two ways about it. You deal with it and you go back to the drawing board."

"I thought it was a good tournament. But I've proven to myself that I can get to the semifinals of Grand Slams," he added. "I'd love more than anything to get past that, to get over that hurdle for sure."

In order for that to happen, he'll still have to find a way to climb the ladder against the best the game has to offer and forget about this one. It just wasn't his night. There should be plenty of opportunities to gain revenge the rest of the year. Hopefully for tennis, he'll finally breakthrough.

Comebacking Serena To Take On Sharapova For Title: Before Roddick was dismissed by Federer, the women took center stage in the semis.

Serena Williams continued her successful comeback down under by posting a straight sets 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over 10th seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova. Ranked No.81 entering the tournament due to injuries, the two-time Australian Open champion once again was tougher during the most crucial points in her hard fought win to go from longshot to making the final. It's her first final in two years since winning down under over Lindsay Davenport.

In a seesaw first set, the 25 year-old seven-time slam winner traded breaks with Vaidisova before fighting off a set point to force a tiebreaker. In it, she built a 5-1 lead but couldn't hang on as her 17 year-old opponent valiantly fought back to square it at five all. But then as she usually does in the biggest moments, Williams stepped up by smacking a backhand winner to get a minibreak before closing out the set by drawing an error.

It looked like she would cruise to victory in the second set as she jumped out to a 5-1 double break lead. But one game away from the final, Williams couldn't put away her fiesty opponent. After Vaidisova held, she got one break back with a backhand winner to cut the lead to 5-3. Then the match got even more intense as Vaidisova fought off four match points before holding for 4-5. With Williams serving for the match, she even saved a fifth match point. But when Serena emphatically slammed an overhead, she had finally secured a spot in the final leaving the intense American thrilled with the result.

"I can't believe it," she expressed. "That's awesome. If I play well, which I don't think I've even reached yet at all in this tournament...it's really hard for anyone on the women's tour to beat me."

That kind of confidence will be huge against her opponent, Maria Sharapova. The top seeded 19 year-old Russian advanced into her first Aussie Open final by posting a straight sets 6-4, 6-2 win over fourth seeded Belgian Kim Clijsters.

It was last year that the same two met in the quarterfinals and Clijsters proved to have too much in three grueling sets over Sharapova. But a year older with a U.S. Open fresh in her repertoire, the two-time slam champion outslugged her opponent from the baseline, finishing with 16 more winners- 27-11.

Though she got off to a slow start, Sharapova fought back twice from a break down in the opening set before going on to claim the up and down frame. After Clijsters broke her to go ahead 4-3, she raised her level to break consecutive times, taking the final three games of the set.

When she broke Clijsters for 2-0 in the second set, the Russian was in control. But the triumph wouldn't come without a challenge. In the fifth game, she overcame four double faults and fought off three break points to hold for 4-1. After each held serve, Sharapova broke for the fifth time in eight chances ripping a clean forehand winner down the line to clinch the match and end the retiring Clijsters' Australian Open career.

The 23 year-old former 2005 U.S. Open champ is planning to retire at the end of the season and start a family with fiancee Brian Lynch. It was an emotional sendoff for the popular player who once dated Australia's own Lleyton Hewitt.

"There are a lot of people I want to talk to face to face, people that work here and people I want to keep in touch with," she pointed out. "I have so many great memories from my times in Australia, not just tennis wise but also all the friends I have made."

The good news for Aussie fans is she hinted that she still planned to comeback as a spectator in future years and enjoy the event.

For Sharapova, she'll try to avenge her crushing three set semifinal defeat two years ago against Williams. It was an epic battle in which eventual champion Serena fought off match points before coming out on top. It won't be easy.

"I think she has nothing to lose," said Sharapova, who already has secured the No.1 spot in the world no matter the result Saturday. "Those are always dangerous opponents."

Islanders Blowing Golden Opportunity

2007-01-15T18:31:00.000-08:00

They lost a tough one to the Lightning on home ice 4-3 before a near capacity crowd in a rare noon start on Martin Luther King Day. For Ted Nolan's Islanders, it was a missed opportunity against a club they've had little success against recently. The latest defeat dropped them to 0-2-1 this season with a final meeting set for March 20 in St. Petersburg.

Their last win against John Tortorella's club came almost three years ago via a 3-0 shutout at Nassau Coliseum back on March 21, 2004. A month later that same year, they were eliminated during the first round in five games by the eventual Stanley Cup winners.

"It was a tough loss," losing netminder Rick DiPietro told the AP after finishing with 20 saves to drop his club four points behind eighth in the East Tampa Bay and the seventh ranked Rangers. "That was a big two points we let get away."

Had they gotten them, they would've tied the Bolts in the standings and had a couple of games at hand in what continues to be a tight playoff race in the Eastern Conference. Seven total points separate the seventh seeded Rangers from 14th ranked Florida. So there isn't much margin for error in what should be an exciting race the final three months.

Truth be told, there isn't much difference between these clubs which is why when a potential four point swing game takes place, you must take advantage. But against a team they're battling, DiPietro's club wasn't disciplined enough in dropping their fourth straight at home. Ironically, their last victory there came against the archrival Rangers three weeks ago, a 2-0 blanking by the former 2000 first overall pick. If only they could play the Blueshirts more. They've dominated the series so far taking the first four with four crucial contests left.

"You have to expect a team like that to do well on the power play," the frustrated goalie pointed out after his team gave up two power play goals in five chances against. "We've got to stay out of the (penalty) box."

Instead, they once again allowed Islander killer Martin St. Louis to strike for his league-leading 29th goal. The former 2004 Hart recipient has made a living of destroying the Isles. His dominance began during that first round three years ago in which he torched them for four goals including the series clincher against DiPietro in overtime from a sharp angle. Since then, he's made life miserable for the Islanders by finding the back of the net six times in the last seven Lightning wins totaling nine points (6-3-9) including a goal and assist Monday.

The 31 year-old Vermont product helped put his club up 3-1 after two periods. After Viktor Kozlov cut it to one with a power play goal 1:10 into the final stanza, the Bolts' waterbug notched a helper on Vincent Lecavalier's eventual winner just over six minutes later to increase his point total to 62. It tied him with Caps' sniper Alexander Ovechkin for second, trailing just Sidney Crosby (21-45-66) for the Art Ross.

To their credit, the Isles didn't quit. Trailing by two, Trent Hunter scored his ninth of the season to cut it to one with 9:20 left. But in a period they controlled outshooting Tampa 16-5, they couldn't come up with the equalizer to at least get a point. With DiPietro pulled in the final minute-plus, Miroslav Satan came close but Johan Holmqvist held the post. The one-time Ranger stopped 33 Islander shots en route to his third consecutive victory over them. Maybe it's the logo.

Even though they probably deserved a better fate, the Isles were left with nothing and fell to just 2-7-1 in their last 10. Clearly not good enough if Nolan's team wants to make the postseason and silence many critics. Something they're capable of accomplishing. Most nights, the effort has been there. But it's all about getting more W's.

Right now, they're a mediocre 21-20-4 with 46 points, which puts them in a three-way tie for ninth in the East with Boston and Toronto. Both Pittsburgh and Washington are one point behind while Florida trails by three. There's plenty of time for the Islanders to separate themselves from the pack and challenge both the Rangers and Lightning for the final two spots.

They have 37 games remaining and will need to get back to the formula which worked over a month ago and had them challenging for the Atlantic lead. Now 12 points behind the red hot first place Devils, they've got a lot of work to do. The good news is that struggling team captain Alexei Yashin finally scored breaking a 12-game drought. Maybe it will get him going. Since returning from a knee sprain last month, he's only had points in seven of 15 games. That must change.

They'll also need lone All Star representative Jason Blake to start finishing again. The gritty 33 year-old Minnesota native is without a goal in his last six. He leads the club with 23 for the season including a team best 11 on the man-advantage. If Blake can rediscover his scoring touch, it should provide a lift.

In the mean time, Nolan's bunch will look to bounceback Tuesday night against one of those teams they're competing with in Pittsburgh before traveling to Philadelphia Thursday for the final game before the All Star break. The Pennsylvania trip is a chance to reestablish momentum in what's been a nice season.

It's time for their best players to step up.

Calling Out Mr. Lupica

2007-01-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

It's way past time someone called out this little hypocritical weasel who writes for the Daily News. I can only be referring to the overly biased Mike Lupica. This is only one of the most accomplished writers out there. But I have had enough of this clown!

This guy is a first rate nerd who shows off his disgusting biases at every turn in his columns. According to Lupica, the Mets have never overpaid for an aging pitcher or two while the BIG BAD Yankees have done it repeatedly breaking some sort of unwritten rule.

Oh really? Didn't Mets GM Omar Minaya give two years to 50 year-old El Duque? We kid. Nobody really knows the real age of the Cuban pitcher who's done quite well for himself in the majors, helping the Yankees three-peat from '98-00 and of course playing a pivotal role in the White Sox World title a couple of years ago. But let's be honest. Why would any GM give him two years? At any minute he could breakdown. How come Lupica never mentioned how the same pitcher injured himself in warmups and was done for last postseason? Because that would've required this Mets phony to take his own team to task. He would never do it because he has no backbone.

Only an angry Lupica would make his column today solely on bashing the Yankees when they finally came to their collective senses and unloaded the Old Unit back to Arizona for reliever Luis Vizcaino and three prospects. And only this idiot would make some off the wall comment like if Randy Johnson had performed better in October and led the Bronx Bombers to that elusive 27th World championship, then they would've treated him differently. Duh!

Are the Yanks going to go after the biggest money grabber in baseball Roger Clemens? They could. But should it take away from what Yankee GM Brian Cashman was able to get for a 43 year-old washed up pitcher coming off back surgery? Of course not. But in Lupica's warped world, he would never recognize the fact that for the third time this offseason, Cashman has gotten rid of dead weight for younger players cutting payroll in the process and pissing off Mets fans. He has done so much more than Minaya to improve his club this winter. Though Doug Mientkiewicz doesn't count.

Lupica contended in his column that because Johnson pitched in the AL, he had as good a season as returning 34 year-old Yankee Andy Pettite. Johnson won 17 games and had a 5.00 ERA while Pettite won 14 games with a 4.20 ERA in the Senior Circuit. Considering that the AL has much better lineups, it looks like he has a point. But Lupica didn't do his homework. While Johnson continued to be up and down all season, Pettite turned it up finishing 7-4 with a 2.80 ERA after the All Star Break. Even more impressive was his 86 strikeouts in 93.1 innings. The best news for Yankee fans was that the southpaw got stronger down the stretch posting a 5-2 record with a 2.40 ERA the final two months to almost vault the Astros over the Cardinals for the NL Central. More than you can say for Johnson, who limped to the finish line with a 5.47 ERA in September before another disappointing October outing in the Yanks' first round loss to Detroit.

Here's a question to New York baseball fans. Who would you rather have? Thirty-eight year-old Mike Mussina or 41 year-old Tom Glavine? Who's more durable? Pettite or El Duque? You decide which staff is older and has more question marks. Oh btw...26 year-old real Yankee ace Chien-Ming Wang won 19 games with a 3.63 ERA in his second year and finished second to Johan Santana for the Cy Young. Is that young enough for Lupica?

Was it my imagination that while Lupica's Amazins added another 40+ year-old outfielder in Moises Alou who won't play more than 100 games, the Yanks got rid of 38 year-old knucklehead Gary Sheffield and somehow managed to get three prospects including highly rated pitcher Humberto Sanchez?

So who's had the more productive offseason? You decide.

League's Hypocrisy Unbelievable

2007-01-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

A month ago, Caps' sophomore star forward Alexander Ovechkin caught Buffalo's Daniel Briere with a blatant cheapshot during a line change. The 2005-06 Calder winner's check from behind knocked the Sabres' offensive leader into the boards. For all parties involved during that December 2 incident at Verizon Center in the nation's capital, they were fortunate that the Buffalo captain wasn't seriously injured. Especially on a dangerous blindside hit which could've resulted in a concussion.

If you give Ovechkin the benefit of the doubt, maybe he didn't realize his strength. The fiery 21 year-old Russian plays the game like a bull giving everything he has every shift. It's resulted so far in another great season with the former 2004 first overall pick tied for the league lead with Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis in goalscoring with 25 goals. With an assist in Monday afternoon's 3-2 loss to Phoenix, the Washington sniper moved into fifth in scoring with 51 points.

There's little doubt that he is a special player who gets the most of his talent. And that is a good thing for not only his team but for the NHL. He is a superstar who the league should promote at every turn. However, they shouldn't turn the other cheek when he makes a mistake and nearly injures another player. Unfortunately, that's essentially what happened. Instead of facing suspension, the affable Russian got a slap on the wrist, instead being fined $1,000.

Fast forward to the rematch between the teams last week in Buffalo. The Sabres made a statement by scoring the game's first six goals in a dominant first before cruising to a 6-3 win at HSBC Arena on December 26. In the same game, Briere took a cheapshot of his own spearing Ovechkin to the ice while officials were screened out by Buffalo teammate Brian Campbell, causing it to be undetected. To Ovechkin's credit, he got up and challenged Briere to a fight. But Briere's teammates prevented it.

According to the rulebook, a deliberate spear attempt is cause for a five minute major, automatic game misconduct and a league review. A few days ago, this incident was reviewed by the league before the Sabres took on Carolina. Predictably, nothing happened allowing Briere to dress and notch an assist in a 4-1 win over the Hurricanes on December 28.

So, in two instances where a star player was involved in a cheap play, they didn't miss a game and only one was fined.

Now let's examine what took place this past Saturday night at the Garden during the Rangers' 4-1 victory over the Caps. Throughout the relatively chippy contest, Washington goon and NHL bad boy Donald Brashear ran several Rangers including star captain Jaromir Jagr. This wasn't any surprise as playing the moody Czech physical has seemed to get him off his game. However, during a faceoff in the third period, the ex-Flyer enforcer elbowed Jagr. On the same shift, No.68 retaliated by taking down the big man drawing an interference penalty. When Brashear returned to the bench, he was called out by Ranger star Brendan Shanahan. During their next shift, Shanahan challenged Brashear to a fight, sticking up for Jagr and gaining a ton of respect from teammates and the home crowd who ate it up chanting, "Shanny, Shanny, Shanny."

It was quite a statement made by the 37 year-old leading goalscorer for the Blueshirts. Never one to back away from a challenge he issues, the 600 goal member took his lumps and did relatively well even landing a couple of uppercuts. When the scrap concluded, Brashear's theatrics weren't over. Apparently Ranger defenseman Aaron Ward uttered something to him which he didn't like. He reacted by suckerpunching Ward in the face, drawing a match penalty and automatic ejection ending his night.

Not to be outdone was Ranger enforcer Colton Orr, who late in the second stuck up for Ryan Hollweg and took on Brashear. With under five minutes remaining in the contest, the 24 year-old Manitoban cheapshotted Ovechkin with a high hit to the head knocking down the star and drawing a charging minor before accepting Washington defenseman Shaone Morrisonn's challenge.

There's little doubt that Orr's move was dangerous and could've resulted in serious injury to Ovechkin. So when NHL Senior Executive VP of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell ruled on it yesterday, it was no surprise that the former Bruin faced serious suspension. As a first time offender, he was given five games and lost $13,235.29.

Now consider that 34 year-old Brashear has been in the league much longer and was a repeat offender who had already been suspended three games this season. Somehow, he only got one game for his suckerpunch.

Here was Mr. Campbell's statement on why Orr received four extra games:

"The Rangers player’s actions with his stick were reckless and dangerous. Although no injury resulted, the action is unacceptable."

This seems like a fair assessment. For the record, I don't have a problem with why Orr got five games. However, how does Brashear get only a game? Was that not dangerous? He could've fractured Ward's cheekbone. Was it as bad as what Orr did? Probably not. But it should have been worth at least three games.

Punches like that can do damage. Just ask former Ranger Jeff Beukeboom, who suffered a career ending concussion after a Matt Johnson cheapshot to the back of the head.

But what's the sense trying to make sense of a league which has gone soft? This is the new corporate NHL. Where they protect superstars even when those stars are in the wrong committing violent acts like the ones Ovechkin and Briere got away with on each other. Do you think for one second if it was a little known fourth liner, they wouldn't have been severely punished?

And that is what's wrong with this newer softer product which is full of hypocrisy. Why should one set of players be held to a higher standard? Shouldn't there be some consistency? Not anymore.

All commish Gary Bettman's game is doing is turning off diehard supporters. If you don't believe me, just look at the responses this got on TSN:

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=190421&hubname=nhl

The real hockey fans know the deal with what they're seeing. But they no longer matter in Bettman's NHL. An NHL which has turned its back on the diehards.

Is it worth it? But hey. As long as they have enough corporate sponsors telling them what to do, it's not going to change anytime soon. That's who they're selling the game to.

Rangers Drop Tough One In Carolina

2006-11-15T19:00:00.000-08:00

A night removed from an emotional comeback home win over the Devils, the Rangers played on fairly even terms with the defending Cup champion Hurricanes in Raleigh. But one mistake was all it took to decide a tightly contested game which Carolina pulled out 2-1 thanks to a Rod Brind'Amour goal with just 6:05 left at RBC Center Wednesday night.

With the teams knotted at one, an icing proved costly. Forced to keep the same players out while Carolina changed, the Blueshirts paid the price. Even though ex-Cane Matt Cullen beat Brind'Amour in the faceoff circle, an Aaron Ward reverse got intercepted by Justin Williams, who quickly setup a vacated Brind'Amour in the slot for a quick shot which beat Kevin Weekes inside the crossbar for the Hurricane captain's eighth.

Though the Rangers pressed late for the equalizer, they couldn't beat Cam Ward. The second-year Conn Smythe winner turned aside 23 of 24 shots to pickup the win, including a couple of big stops on Cullen and Fedor Tyutin.

Making his first start in five to give Henrik Lundqvist a night off, Weekes was solid in making 22 saves. But the ex-Carolina netminder got out to a tough start when Ranger killer Craig Adams tipped home an Anton Babchuk feed only 2:51 in. Chad LaRose also notched an assist.

After looking a couple of steps behind, the Rangers found their game and nearly tied it a couple of minutes later when Michael Nylander found Jaromir Jagr all alone for a breakaway. But the Ranger captain's forehand deke was denied by a sprawling Ward.

Weekes made some big stops in a busy second (14 saves) to keep his team down one. With the backup providing solid netminding, Jagr wouldn't miss the next time when Brendan Shanahan set him up in the slot for a one-timer which beat Ward five-hole on a power play at 16:02 to tie it. It was Jagr's third in two games and 599th of his NHL career. With his next goal, he'll become the 16th player to reach 600. Martin Straka also picked up a helper.

After killing off a Canes' man-advantage late in the second, they had a great opportunity to surge ahead early in the third when Eric Staal was assessed a double minor for high sticking Cullen. But New York failed to capitalize and it was cut short by a Jagr tripping penalty.

The Canes' Erik Cole came close to beating Weekes when his shot rang off the right post with less than 13:00 to go. It was the third post they hit to that point. Unfortunately for Weekes and his teammates, they wouldn't be as fortunate late.

Notes: After seeing over 3:00 of ice-time the first period, Colton Orr (4:31) rarely saw the ice and was replaced by Jagr in the third, who took a doubleshift with the fourth line a night after it worked so well against the Devils. The formula nearly paid dividends again when Jagr almost banked one past Ward. ... This was Cullen and Ward's first return to Carolina since helping them win the Cup last June. ... Canes won 29 of 51 draws including 20-11 from Brind'Amour. ... Rangers (10-8-1) are idle the next two days before visiting Pittsburgh Saturday and then returning home to MSG Sunday against Tampa Bay.

The King Of Shootouts Gets Blueshirts Victory

2006-11-08T18:14:00.000-08:00

The King was back in net for the Rangers. And that was definitely a good thing as Henrik Lundqvist continued his shootout dominance by stopping all three shooters in a 4-3 shootout victory over the Panthers at Bank Atlantic Center Wednesday night. It was the Blueshirts' third win in four and improved them to 3-0-1 during that stretch with just a home OT loss to Buffalo.

After sitting out the last three in favor of backup Kevin Weekes, Lundqvist was sharp enough to spark his team to a much needed win in the first of a three-game four-day Southeast trip with stops in Atlanta Friday and Washington Saturday.

In a game he made 37 saves just to get his team to its third shootout of the season, the 24 year-old Swedish gold medallist was the difference once again in improving the club to a perfect 3-0 under such instances. Forcing an Olli Jokinen miss while stoning Nathan Horton and Joe Nieuwendyk, Lundqvist made Michael Nylander's backhand deke stand up. In the three shootout victories, the King hasn't allowed a goal in 19 tries, including that memorable 13 round triumph over the Flyers back on October 7.

"I always feel pretty confident going into a shootout, but at the same time I know they (Panthers) have some good shooters," Lundqvist told the AP. "So I knew it would be a challenge."

"We really don't mind going into a shootout," added Rangers coach Tom Renney. "We feel like we have an advantage with our shooters."

It was all Rangers early as they took advantage of some undisciplined penalties by Florida to connect twice on the power play thanks to Martin Straka. With Martin Gelinas off for hooking, it took Straka just 10 seconds to blast a shot from the left point past Ed Belfour to give them the lead 3:13 into the contest. Brendan Shanahan and Nylander picked up assists.

Though they failed to capitalize on three more power plays during a onesided first which saw them control play and outshoot Florida 11-6, another penalty would lead to Straka's second of the night only 2:07 into the second. Off a faceoff win from Nylander with help from Shanahan, the left wing stepped into another point shot and beat Belfour inside the post to put New York comfortably in front by two.

"I was in good position to get off decent shots (on both goals) and it just worked out tonight," Straka said. "It's nice to get that early lead, but we have to maintain it throughout the game."

Continuing to dictate play, they drew two more penalties including a double minor on Chris Gratton. But instead of seizing complete control, a Straka hooking penalty led to a four-on-four goal by Ruslan Salei at 11:13 which cut it to one. With the Panthers back in it, they drew even 6:05 later when Horton rebounded home a Gary Roberts deflection on the power play. Suddenly, the Panthers came at the Rangers in waves outshooting them 12-1 over the final few minutes. Despite being outshot 18-7 for the period, New York escaped further damage thanks to Lundqvist (16 saves).

Even on the scoreboard, the Blueshirts once again got an early goal in the third thanks to a brilliant individual effort from Blair Betts. The checking pivot took the puck from his own blueline and then went around Florida defenseman Mike Van Ryn flipping a backhand on net and putting home his own rebound for his third unassisted at 1:34. It was the second highlight reel goal he scored in the last three. Betts also pulled off a similar play at Anaheim when he went coast to coast undressing Scott Niedermayer before beating Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

But Florida responded by tying it when defenseman Jay Bouwmeester put home his third with 11:07 remaining to force OT. In it, both teams played an unconventional three-on-three before the Rangers killed off a brief Panthers man-advantage to force the shootout leading to Lundqvist's theatrics.

Notes: Straka has three goals and four points in his last three. After starting the season with three goals in his first eight, he's got six in his last seven. ... Belfour finished with 27 saves. ... In an oddity, the Rangers' 4-3 shootout win was almost a year to the date of last year's identical margin last November 9th in the same building. "Yeah, I was thinking about that during the shootout, you know, maybe it's in the stars again," Renney pointed out. "We were able to prevail and win, so, yeah, history does repeat itself."

Oduya Growing In Confidence

2006-11-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -Before training camp, Johnny Oduya was just another player who was trying to make an impression with the Devils. After a solid camp and preseason, the Swedish 25 year-old defenseman suddenly found himself not only on the roster but in the lineup for their opening night 4-0 win at Carolina October 6.

So far, he's suited up in every game and is a respectable plus-one for the season. After playing the last few years overseas back home, the former Capitals 2001 seventh round pick understands how much tougher it is now that he's finally in the NHL.

"The game is a bit different for sure," Oduya pointed out after falling to the Islanders 5-2 Thursday night. "It's faster and there's not as much time with the puck. Unlike Europe, there's skilled players on every team. But you got to be aware when you're on the ice so much more. Like if you make a mistake here, they score right away."

As the season has gone on, Devils coach Claude Julien has given the rookie more ice-time and responsibility, which has helped boost his confidence.

"It's always, especially for a defenseman to play more. It helps you get in the game faster and makes you more confident," he pointed out after logging 18:49 including 2:09 of power play time last night. "Even if you make a mistake, you got time to get it back. I'm happy for every minute I can get on the ice. Just try to play the game they want me to play. Pretty smart defensively and try to skate as much as I can."

With Brad Lukowich missing some time due to a bruised left foot, Oduya has even gotten a chance to play with Brian Rafalski. So far, it's gone well.

"Rafy is an All Star player and he's got a lot of experience and helps me out a lot," he remarked. "He knows when to make the plays and not to. It's great for me to learn from. I think it's pretty good now."

On a veteran-laiden team, it's helped Oduya feel more comfortable. He's especially eager to improve and help the club have success on the ice.

"For sure. Like the guys have been around. They know what it takes. That's the thing you want to learn as a newcomer. How to win. We had a tough one today and had a couple of tough ones before. I think this is the place to be and learn from it."

Though he never got a chance to debut with Washington, Oduya is very pleased to finally be here and hopes to continue to impress with his new club.

"Anytime you get the chance to play in the NHL, I think that's a big thing for any player when you break in."

"It didn't workout in Washington for me but I was happy I came here. I'm happy I'm playing here and I'll try to do my best and we'll see what happens."

Isles Continue Domination Over Devils

2006-11-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -Sometimes in sports, a particular opponent has a team's number. Apparently, that's still the case with the Islanders, who continued their recent mastery over the Devils with a dominant 5-2 victory before a sparse 8,269 at the Continental Airlines Arena Thursday night.

"It's tough to say but as long as it is we'll take it," chuckled Islander captain Alexei Yashin after setting up three goals while Jason Blake added a goal and two assists in the Isles' seventh win in the last nine against New Jersey.

"What it is is that we don't play our game against these guys," explained frustrated Devils' captain Patrik Elias. "We played into their hands and they were good."

The Isles' fifth win in six improved them to 6-4-2 and into a first place tie with Pittsburgh in the Atlantic.

"It's very nice to see," said a pleased Yashin. "It was nice to see the team respond like that. I think it's important like we really recognize the situation and importance of the game. What I want to say is, 'Game over today. There's a next game on Saturday.' We have to continue. Atlanta has been playing great hockey. So we have to be ready for that."

After owning the season series last year by taking six of eight meetings, the Islanders outworked and outplayed the Devils (6-5-1) by a wide margin, even limiting them to just 16 shots (10 first two periods).

Not even Martin Brodeur aiming for his third consecutive shutout could prevent them from finding the back of the net. It took Trent Hunter 8:00 to solve the Devils' netminder with a quick wrister which snapped Brodeur's shutout streak at 136:28 and gave the Islanders an early lead. It also broke a seven-game goal drought for Hunter.

After New York pressed for a two-goal lead, the Devils would respond by tying it thanks to rookie Travis Zajac, who finished off an impressive shift by one-timing a Jamie Langenbrunner backhand off an Isles' defenseman past Rick DiPietro at 15:30. But any momentum was shortlived as the Isles got it right back just 32 seconds later when Miroslav Satan rebounded home a Hunter shot. Mike York made the play possible by stealing the puck from Scott Gomez and setting up the goal.

Alexei Zhitnik padded the lead halfway through the second when his wrister from the point through traffic beat Brodeur. Taking a Yashin feed, his one-timer looked to change direction with Blake in front.

Briefly after, the Devils had a huge opportunity to get back in the game when two Isles were sent to the box five seconds apart giving them a two-man advantage for 1:55. But instead of capitalizing, they failed to force DiPietro to make any big stops and frequently missed the net, drawing boos instead.

"That could've brought us closer to make the game more interesting obviously and getting shots. We just haven't been able to hit the net on those and we were missing chances," Elias lamented.

Feeding off the huge kill, the Isles went up three thanks to some more nifty playmaking from Yashin. Taking a Blake drop pass at the blueline on a three-on-two, the Russian center drew two Devils and then made a perfect pass across to a wide open Viktor Kozlov in the slot for an easy one-timer goal for the ex-Devil's fourth of the season.

The Devils cut it to two 3:32 later thanks to another great shift from the Zajac line. Off a steal by Zajac which setup an odd-man rush, Langenbrunner chipped a pass to Zach Parise, who deflected it home for his sixth to give New Jersey some life heading to the third.

"We had one line going and that was about it," Elias pointed out. "We got to have obviously four lines with everybody on the same page and once again, we haven't done it."

Instead of making another comeback, New Jersey repeatedly took uncharacteristic bad penalties. After killing off one, an undisciplined Colin White slash would prove costly. Once again, a great play by Yashin resulted in a goal. Victimizing the shorthanded Devils on another three-on-two, he worked a give-and-go with Mike Sillinger and then slid the puck through a sliding Alex Brooks to setup a wide open Blake at the doorstep for a PPG at 4:46 to regain a three-goal lead.

"To beat great goalies, you have to move them from side-to-side...It's the only way to beat great goalies like Marty," Yashin concluded.

The formula worked to perfection.

Notes: York finished with two assists while Hunter matched his season output with a goal and assist. ... Isles' Arron Asham and Devils' Cam Janssen squared off and battled to a draw 2:47 in. ... Yashin has five points (2-3-5) in his last three games and has only been held without a point twice this season while leading the Islanders with 16 points. ... DiPietro turned aside 14 of 16 shots for his fourth win while Brodeur finished with 22 saves. ... Back after missing the Columbus game, Gomez played the first two periods (14:05) before reaggravating a groin injury. ... Making his return in a Devils uniform for the first time in a decade after helping them win their first Stanley Cup, Brick native Jim Dowd took 12 shifts (10:12) while playing on the fourth line with Janssen and Erik Rasmussen. ... As part of their 25th Anniversary celebration, the Devils honored their 1983-84 team before the game with a brief tribute.

Parise Looking To Carry On Solid Play

2006-10-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -So far, so good for Devils' forward Zach Parise in year number two. After a solid finish to his first season, the 22 year-old Minnesota native came into 2006-07 expecting bigger things from himself.

"I really thought things were kind of coming together at the end of last year and I was just trying to carry it over from when Gomez, Gionta and I were playing together," Parise expressed after notching a power play goal in the Devils' 3-2 victory over Philadelphia Saturday night. It was his third in four games to go with an assist but the second-year North Dakota product was keeping it in perspective.

"I just want to kind of carry that on and so far it's early. Three, four games. But it's been going pretty good so far," he pointed out.

The key for Parise is to be consistent and continue excelling while playing with two dynamic talented players in Gomez and Gionta on the Devils' top line. After starting slowly his rookie season, he finished well with his American linemates, concluding with 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points in 81 games while tallying a goal and two helpers in his first postseason. The former 2003 first round pick knows that that experience should make him feel more comfortable this season.

"No question. Especially cause you just kind of see what it's all about. The more experience, the better. Especially here. I feel a lot better now at this time this year than I did last year."

Since being teamed with Gomez and Gionta, he's formed excellent chemistry with them adding even more speed and making the trio more dangerous on rushes. But he also realizes his good fortune to play with such talent.

"I'm pretty fortunate to play with those guys," he noted. "They make it pretty easy for me and they're helpful. That's the most important thing. I think we just kind of click pretty well so far together."

Parise also understands who he replaced on that line when then Coach/GM Lou Lamoriello moved him up while shifting present team captain Patrik Elias to the second line to give the Devils more balance and spark them to their sixth Atlantic title.

"It was tough because Patty was on that line. So it's kind of hard. Kind of big shoes to fill but I think it's gone pretty good so far."

While it's been a smooth transition thus far for Parise, he's also excited to have another North Dakota product alongside him in former 2004 Devils' first round pick Travis Zajac.

"North Dakota is a good place to go play and we chat a little bit about it but got to turn the page. He's doing real well for us this year. I think he's going to be a really good player in the league."

One thing Parise is happy about is that his older brother Jordan, who also starred as a goalie at North Dakota, was signed as a free agent by the Devils and is playing for AHL affiliate Lowell. With him closeby, they speak frequently.

"I talk to him all the time. He's down at Lowell right now and hopefully, he'll get a chance to play down there and who knows what will happen down the road. But he's enjoying himself so far."

Who knows? Maybe one day the two brothers could lead the Devils to victory.

Gionta The Difference In Devils' Win Over Flyers

2006-10-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -Brian Gionta remained hot. Coming off his first career hat trick which rallied his team from three down to help pull out a wild 7-6 shootout victory over Toronto in their home opener, the Devils' sniper once again delivered.

Gionta's team-leading fourth goal snapped a 2-2 tie and ultimately proved the difference in New Jersey's 3-2 comeback victory over the rival Flyers before an energized 14,177 at Continental Airlines Arena Saturday night.

"It's big for us," forward Zach Parise pointed out. "Philly's in our division obviously. It's a division game obviously and we battled back- another come from behind win. We played well when we stayed out of the box."

With the game knotted early in the third period, the Devils' little big man perfectly redirected a Brian Rafalski point shot by Flyers' netminder Antero Niittymaki at 3:33 to give his team its second straight win and improve to 3-1-0 on the season.

"It's just one of those things," he said after helping the Devils to their fifth consecutive triumph at home over their Turnpike neighbors. "I just try to get to the net when it counts. We have to create traffic and try to get some tips and rebounds."

"[Gionta] has been a clutch performer for us for the last couple of years," right wing Jamie Langenbrunner noted. "The last game, he scored the last three there to put us into extra time and then tonight, the game winner. He seems to find a way and it's good to have a guy like that on your team."

Martin Brodeur made Gionta's clutch tally stand up with 25 saves to notch his 449th career victory. He trails just the Panthers' Ed Belfour (457) and Patrick Roy (551) on the NHL all-time list.

"To win the games, you need the goaltender to be sharp and give the team a chance to win and [Brodeur] did a great job tonight," team captain Patrik Elias said. "We played pretty good game tonight. Especially the third period. It was very good for us. First couple of periods, too many penalties and we didn't get a chance to get in a good rhythm. We played a smart third period and gave ourselves a chance to win."

With both teams unable to stay out of the box in the first, each spent plenty of time on the man-advantage. After they killed off back-to-back minors, the Devils cashed in on their second consecutive opportunity to go in front. Parise opened the scoring when he took a Scott Gomez pass and beat Niittymaki with a wrister from the right circle for his third at 9:08. But the lead would be shortlived when the Flyers' Mike Knuble struck right back with a PPG of his own 2:06 later to tie it. With Elias off for a high sticking double minor, Knuble took a Peter Forsberg pass and beat Brodeur in front.

It didn't take long in the second for Knuble to put the Flyers ahead. Off a three-on-two rush, he got his stick on a Geoff Sanderson centering feed and deflected it in at 1:23. A video review confirmed that he had tallied his second of the night and third of the season.

The Flyers threatened to go up by two but a strong stop by Brodeur on a Simon Gagne backhand from in close during a delayed call on Colin White kept them down one. That proved pivotal late in the period when Langenbrunner deflected a Rafalski shot past Niittymaki to tie it on another PP with 1:41 remaining.

Rafalski picked up his third assist on Gionta's deciding goal which gave them another comeback win.

"Any time you're playing against your division, you're going to see them eight times a year. You want to get off on the right foot and it's a little easier. Make it a four point swing...That's huge. It's a good start. We got a big stretch of a couple of more division games coming up," Langenbrunner added.

"Any time you fall behind a team like that early, that's no good," defenseman Paul Martin said. "But the guys showed character and patience and kept plugging away and we were able to get the win."

Notes: After the teams combined for 13 penalties the first two periods, only one minor was called in the third on Knuble as the Devils stayed out of the box while outscoring their opponents 1-0 and outshooting them 11-7. ... Devils finished 2-for-6 on the PP while Philadelphia was just 1-of-8. ... Gomez had two assists and Elias also added a helper. ... Niittymaki turned aside 29 in a losing effort. ... Devils start a two-game road trip by visiting the Garden Monday against the Rangers before concluding at Pittsburgh Wednesday.

Wake Up Call Comes Early For Rangers

2006-10-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

Four games. That's all it took to see that there's something seriously lacking with this year's Rangers. The same team which came off their first postseason in nine years and was even picked by some experts to win the Stanley Cup. Hold that thought.

In their second straight home defeat- a crushing 6-5 loss to the Pens in which 19 year-old wunderkid Sidney Crosby banked in the winner off Ranger defenseman Aaron Ward's skate with 3.3 seconds left as Ranger captain Jaromir Jagr helplessly watched from the penalty box- time and time again, the 2006-07 Blueshirts paid for their lack of discipline.

Every mistake wound up in the back of the net. Paging Henrik Lundqvist. You are allowed to make a big save once in a while. Yes. The same Swedish netminder who was deemed King of Manhattan in an outstanding rookie season but has somehow allowed 10 goals in the last two losses. Oh. And if you discount the stellar 13 save effort in their shootout win at Philadelphia Saturday, he's given up 14 goals on the last 85 shots his way. For those doing the math, that's an .835 save percentage.

Not that it's all his fault. There's plenty of blame to go around of a team that's made so many glaring mistakes early on, that it's looked eerily similar to their colossal nine-game losing streak which ended last season on such a sour note.

Aside from Lundqvist's early struggles in the dreaded sophomore season which has given plenty of netminders recurring nightmares, the lack of cohesiveness has to be a sore point for Rangers coach Tom Renney. Too many instances last night and especially the previous two, his team didn't seem on the same page. Particularly alarming is the lack of backchecks which have led to odd-man rushes resulting in goals such as the one Pittsburgh's Ryan Whitney connected on just 53 seconds after Michael Nylander's power play tally tied it to give the Pens a 5-4 lead with 12:58 remaining in a seesaw contest.

"We held the majority of the play," a disappointed Brendan Shanahan expressed to the AP after tallying his team-leading fourth goal via the man-advantage to knot the game up again at 11:12 before Crosby's cruel ending resulted in the Blueshirts getting no points. "We've got some work to do as a five-man unit and we've got some work to do on the special teams."

Ah. Special teams. If ever there was an area Renney's troops need to spend time on, it's on a penalty kill which allowed chance after chance to the opportunistic Pens, who cashed in on four of nine. Imagine that the Rangers outshot their opponent 42-22 but wound up on the losing side due to an abysmal effort which allowed the star of the night Crosby to also rack up three assists along with his crushing winner which sent fans to the exits cursing under their breath.

Since going a perfect eight-for-eight against Washington in their season opener triumph, they've now given up seven PPG in the last three games. Translation. Darius Kasparaitis and Jed Ortmeyer can't get back healthy soon enough. Summing up how little confidence the current PK unit has, Adam Hall's failure to attack Mark Recchi at the right point with five seconds to go proved costly when Recchi fed Crosby, who one-timed a pass for Michel Ouellet which went off Ward and in.

"I could have picked a better position to not line up and block the pass in front of the goalie," Ward later said. "I should have stepped out to the side. As a defenseman, you don't want to be the catalyst to their goal."

While the 3-time Cup winner took responsibility for the gutwrenching loss, had Hall been more aggressive, the puck never gets to Crosby and the Rangers come out with at worst a point on an otherwise poorly executed night which saw them shoot themselves in the foot literally.

Outside of that play, Hall, who was acquired for current Pen Dominic Moore in a three-team deal with Nashville has been one of the few Rangers who's played well. It was the ex-Predator who one-timed a Martin Straka pass to help his struggling team finally break a power play drought in the second period. So it wasn't all bad for the 26 year-old Kalamazoo Michigan native who tallied 10 of his 14 goals on the PP last season.

Before that PPG, the lack of execution on the Rangers' power play was disturbing. With predictable collective groans coming from an MSG crowd at the ridiculous amount of passes made before even a shot was attempted, their worst fears were realized when 18 year-old Pens' second overall pick Jordan Staal forced Michal Rozsival into a turnover on an illtimed Jagr pass and took full advantage by beating Lundqvist for his first NHL goal shorthanded. One could only wonder if the younger brother of 2005 Rangers' first rounder Marc would've been able to make the same play and convert on a breakaway if that Staal was on the ice. We'll have to wait another year at the very least before that happens.

The good news for New York was that after Hall's PPG, they did score twice more in the nine chances they got. So maybe they can get hot in time for what promises to be a difficult road game at Buffalo Saturday night before returning home to host the rival Devils, who finished off a three-goal comeback in another wild game Thursday to pull out a 7-6 shootout win over Toronto in their home opener.

So it won't get any easier for a team that's clearly not clicking on all cylinders and has turned over the puck at an alarming rate. Not a great recipe against two of the East's quicker transition teams.

Aside from all their issues, the team's best player Jagr is clearly not close to 100 percent. Though the Rangers' leader converted his second on a patented wrister in transition, he has been hesitant to shoot the puck due to the recovering shoulder he injured against the Devils last Spring. Especially on the man-advantage where he set a franchise record last season with 24. It's not like Nylander or Straka are going to pull the trigger. Outside of Shanahan, Hall and Petr Prucha (12:18 TOI), nobody is really going to finish plays. Until Renney adjusts and puts acquisition Matt Cullen on the right point where he can get his top heavy shot through, teams will continue to overplay Jagr and not pay much attention to the point.

Everyone knows they don't have a PP quarterback. And no. A 38 year-old Brian Leetch is not the answer unless they're willing to play him as an extra defenseman. He doesn't have the mobility anymore and is far too much of an injury risk. No. 2 belongs up in the Garden rafters next to Mark Messier's 11.

The good news. Renney's staff still have plenty of time to get this and other things fixed before it gets late early. That would include playing his second leading goalscorer Prucha (30 last year) more than he saw last night. It also should include getting fourth liners Jason Ward (6:59) and Ryan Hollweg (4:48) out more even if his team takes the ridiculous amount of penalties it did. Both provided energy and finished on the plus-side of the ledger helping setup a Cullen goal and almost another tally on their next shift.

Last season, Renney tried to establish all four lines. He needs to get back to that. It also wouldn't hurt to give backup goalie Kevin Weekes the start at HSBC Arena. Maybe the likeable vet will make a save or two which provide a spark which has been missing.

Either way, we're going to find out something about Renney's club the next few days. With expectations way up, the pressure is on.

Cap Behind Them, Devils Set To Challenge For Cup

2006-10-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

You just knew in your heart of hearts, the Devils would find a way out of this cap mess and get all their key players signed in time to kickoff what could be another banner season.

Now that Team President and GM Lou Lamoriello miraculously rid himself of the $7.1 million owed to Vlad Malakhov (dealt to Sharks) and Alexander Mogilny (Long Term Injury Exception) in a three day span, he was able to re-sign RFA's Brian Gionta, Paul Martin, David Hale, Erik Rasmussen and Scott Clemmensen.

The team's leading goalscorer Gionta from last season inked a three-year deal worth an average of $4 million-per-season. Meanwhile, third-year defenseman Martin will make $2 million. Rasmussen and Clemmensen each signed for $450,000 while Hale got $550,000.

All in a frantic attempt to finally meet the $44 million cap a day before the season officially begins. And with the madness of the past couple of days finally behind them, what Lamoriello has assembled is a roster which could deliver the club's fourth Stanley Cup in 12 years.

Let's take a closer look at why:

FORWARDS: With 48 goal man Gionta signed, the Devils could reunite their dynamic top unit of Patrik Elias, Scott Gomez and Gionta (EGG Line). With Elias fully healthy this time around and probably the new team captain, that should provide an immediate boost. If new coach Claude Julien opts to keep that line intact, he could roll the dice on rookie pivot Travis Zajac. The 2004 first round selection out of North Dakota impressed during preseason and made the team. A second line comprising of second-year forward Zach Parise, Zajac and right wing Jamie Langenbrunner could be possible. If that's the case, Parise will be looked upon for an increase in production. Playing primarily with Gomez and Gionta down the stretch last year, he improved significantly. Used more on the wing, the center was more effective in all facets. The checking line of Jay Pandolfo and John Madden will be getting a new linemate. Gone is vet Grant Marshall. In his place could be interchangeable forward Sergei Brylin. Only Brylin and Martin Brodeur are left from all three Cup wins. Brylin tends to fly under the radar but can be used in any facet. With Jason Wiemer out possibly for the season, Rasmussen will be back to center a grind line which includes bruising forward Cam Janssen and 2003 Game 7 hero Mike Rupp. Julien also might opt to use recently signed Dan LaCouture. Aside from dropping the gloves, LaCouture can skate better than Janssen. It could depend on the opponent how much that line is utilized.

DEFENSE: Anchored by veteran Brian Rafalski, this unit should once again be effective. Especially in Julien's familiar system which he used with Montreal. Rafalski should begin the season teamed with Brad Lukowich. Towards the end of last season, they worked well together after Lukowich replaced the injured Richard Matvichuk. Matvichuk will start the season on the injured list due to a bad back and his return is uncertain. Meanwhile, the Devils will send out a second pair of Colin White and Paul Martin to match-up against opposing top lines. The duo had solid chemistry in their first year together and will look to build on it. While White will provide physicality, the mobile Martin can jump into the play and contribute offensively. If he can improve on his 37 points (20 power play) from last season, it would be a tremdendous boost for New Jersey's blueline. Rounding out the D should be Hale and ex-Shark Jim Fahey. Fahey was part of the Malakhov deal and should be serviceable. In a bit of a surprise, Tomas Harant also made the roster over Johnny Oduya, who was optioned back to Lowell. Harant will bid for playing time.

GOALIE: The Devils might have decided to take three netminders to start the season with due to Frank Doyle's impressive preseason but only one is capable of making them an instant contender and backstopping them to another championship. That's the impact the game's best goalie Martin Brodeur has on his team. Always their most important player, the two-time Vezina and three-time Cup winner will once again be relied on heavily. In better shape than last year, look for the 34 year-old veteran to get his usual workload of 70-75 starts. Maybe Julien will even give him the odd day off and get both Doyle and Clemmensen into more than five combined games. But make no mistake about it. Any run at another Cup depends on the durable Brodeur. If he goes down, all bets are off.

COACH: A year removed from a crazy scenario which saw Lamoriello step behind the bench to rally his troops to its sixth Atlantic Division crown, the do-everything executive moved back upstairs and went back to a formula that's had success before. Bringing in a former Montreal coach. Like Jacques Lemaire, Larry Robinson and Pat Burns, Julien was the Habs' coach before being axed last season. And like his predecessors who all delivered Cups in East Rutherford, he believes in defensively responsible teams who will sacrifice to win at all costs. He's with the right organization and shouldn't have any problem getting his players to buy in. They're all about winning.

Prediction: One can look at this team two ways. They didn't really improve due to Lamoriello's hands being tied. However, a full season of Elias and a more mature Parise should pay dividends. The real key could be Zajac. If he proves ready, that could give the Devils two scoring lines and the usual reliable checking line which Madden's unit provides. Due to where they are pertaining to the cap, Lamoriello won't have much maneuverability to improve the team at the trade deadline. So, it will largely depend on the core already in place. The time is now to win another Cup. Expect another Atlantic championship and a deep postseason run.

Atlantic Division Champions
Predicted Record: 48-25-9, 105 points, 2nd overall East

NHL '06-07 Preview: Sabres and Predators To Star In Epic Slug Battle

2006-10-02T15:52:00.000-07:00

It's only been a year since the new cap era kicked off. However, if it's anything like last season which resulted in the surprising Hurricanes winning their first ever Cup in seven over Edmonton, expect the unexpected.

Once again this past summer, big names moved around as teams scrambled to address their rosters in hopes they too could go from playoff outcast to bonafide contender. None of the NHL's final four which also included Anaheim and Buffalo even qualified for the postseason under the previous CBA. Such are now the endless possibilities in this new era which rewards well thought out personnel strategy instead of just the old mighty buck.

If the games are anything like last season, the best teams will have enough speed to continue taking advantage of the new rules which put more of emphasis on special teams and allow for precision passing leading to quicker transition and odd-man rushes.

So, who will emerge?

Eastern Conference

1.Buffalo Sabres- Only injuries prevented them from beating the Hurricanes and probably winning their first championship. Can an ugly slug logo keep them from competing this year? Though Jay McKee, J.P. Dumont and Mike Grier are gone, they still should be extremely formidable. Daniel Briere and Chris Drury lead perhaps the deepest forward corps. The defense will still be solid with the addition of Jaroslav Spacek to a blueline which already has Teppo Numminen, Henrik Tallinder, Toni Lydman, Brian Campbell and Dmitri Kalinin. With Ryan Miller in net and Martin Biron backing up, Buffalo is primed for another deep run. If Tim Connolly returns from a concussion, watch out.

2.New Jersey Devils- After GM Lou Lamoriello performed more miracles to get under the cap and out of the league's wrath, he's provided new coach Claude Julien with a roster which should challenge for the top of the conference. A healthy Patrik Elias should team with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta to form a deadly scoring line. Youngsters Zach Parise and Travis Zajac could provide depth. Brian Rafalski, Colin White and Paul Martin lead a steady blueline. They also boast the game's best goalie in Martin Brodeur. Not only will they be stingy but should be able to score more goals. The growing question in light of how all his unsigned players patiently awaited him to get out of that cap mess, just how much spiked Kool Aid did Lamoriello serve them? That's what opponents will be saying in hardly the same fashion.

3.Carolina Hurricanes- The defending champs took it on the chin this offseason with the losses of Matt Cullen, Aaron Ward, Doug Weight, Mark Recchi and Martin Gerber. They'll also start the season without Frantisek Kaberle, Bret Hedican and Cory Stillman. Kaberle and Stillman could miss the entire first half. With pressure to repeat, GM Jim Rutherford rolled the dice by dealing top prospect Jack Johnson and dumping Oleg Tverdovsky to Los Angeles in exchange for Eric Belanger and Tim Gleason. If they perform well, nobody will care. The Canes replaced Gerber with John Grahame, who will serve as the team's backup to Conn Smythe winner Cam Ward. With superstar Eric Staal leading the way up front along with team captain Rod Brind'Amour, Erik Cole and Justin Williams, the Canes should still be good enough to win the Southeast. If there's a weakness, it could be the blueline until they get healthy.

4.Ottawa Senators- So how did everyone's favorite perennial playoff choker respond to another bitter disappointment? By letting towering D Zdeno Chara walk to a division rival and not bringing back Dominik Hasek. They also shipped talented forward Martin Havlat to the NHL's version of Siberia in Chicago. He should have plenty of fun with Bryan Smolinski while cashing a $6 million-a-year salary with a team that loses 45-50 games. Despite losing Chara, GM John Muckler might have made his blueline even deeper with Tom Preissing coming over from San Jose along with signing Joe Corvo and re-signing Wade Redden. Gerber will replace Hasek in net and split time with Ray Emery. The growing question is did the Sens lose too much offense? They could rely more on Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson. But gritty players such as Mike Fisher, Peter Schaefer and Patrick Eaves are overlooked. Is it enough to finally deliver when it counts? Don't bet on it.

5.New York Rangers- After finally making the postseason for the first time in nine years, they were unceremoniously swept out by nemesis New Jersey. Remarkably, they collapsed by dropping their final nine to blow the Atlantic and end a promising season. With superstar Jaromir Jagr needing offensive support, GM Glen Sather went out and added proven finisher Brendan Shanahan along with Cullen and Ward from the Cup champion Hurricanes. They're hoping the 38 year-old Shanahan can continue to light the lamp regularly on a second line with the underrated Cullen and second-year sniper Petr Prucha. If they can provide more offense, the top unit of Jagr, Martin Straka and Michael Nylander shouldn't feel as much pressure. Ward should provide more physicality to a blueline which broke down. Ranger fans will soon discover that Tom Poti's replacement Karel Rachunek will resemble a traffic cone. Hopefully, Henrik Lundqvist isn't taking more pucks out of his net as a result.

6.Philadelphia Flyers- It's the same old story on Broad Street. Solid regular season but goaltending and D let down in postseason. They were embarrassed by Buffalo. With Peter Forsberg back for the season to give the top line of Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble a boost, they should be set up front. Especially with promising sophomores Jeff Carter, Michael Richards and R.J. Umberger. GM Bobby Clarke also took a risk by swapping two-way pivot Michal Handzus for Kyle Calder. Calder is talented but will he fit in? The biggest questions as usual are in net and on the blueline. With Antero Niittymaki not 100 percent due to a torn labrum, Robert Esche should get the nod to start the season. Both netminders are capable of big saves and softies. Ah. Can't you hear a Flyer fan already? They should be more troubled by their D. Outside of Freddy Meyer and Joni Pitkanen (injured), it won't be a treat watching Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje chase forwards. This team should score plenty and be fun to follow as usual. Any team that has the human IR machine in Forsberg and Jekyll & Hyde goalies along with a schizo GM is as entertaining as the circus. They'll be good again but just not good enough.

7.Boston Bruins- Let's see: Added impact defenseman in Chara. Check. Added bonafide playmaking center in Marc Savard to help offense. Check. Added budding offensive defenseman in Paul Mara to run the power play. Check. And signed number one draft pick Phil Kessel, who made the club and will do quite well. Check. These things all add up to what should be a return to the playoffs for the new look Bruins. To top it all off, new GM Peter Chiarelli also hired new coach Dave Lewis. Lot of new perssonel here added to the dangerous top line of Marco Sturm, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Boyes. Did we mention that we'll take Bergeron in a big spot over Joe Thornton anyday? The only question could be chemistry. If they click under Lewis' system, all systems should be go. Of course, how will second-year netminder Hannu Toivonen respond to such pressure? Or will it fall on veteran backup Tim Thomas' shoulders? Either it could fall apart here or Boston's hired guns just might be able to inject some life into a dead Original Six franchise. Just don't make me look at Lewis' Adolph Hitler-esque mustache.

8.Florida Panthers- Okay, okay. Ex-GM Mike Keenan (now he's losing his job before a season starts) dealt franchise goalie Roberto Luongo to Vancouver in a five player trade which landed troubled power forward Todd Bertuzzi, Alex Auld and Bryan Allen. And this makes them better? No question Luongo was an elite netminder. But the lingering questions surrounding whether he'd re-sign during this season would've been a huge distraction. Auld isn't a bad goalie by any stretch. We're just not sure it's a good thing that now Coach/GM Jacques Martin brought in ageless Ed Belfour as well. How long before his back gives out? That aside, the Panthers boast some talent up front in star captain Olli Jokinen and rising youngsters Nathan Horton and Rotislav Olesz. If supporting cast players such as Chris Gratton, Joe Nieuwendyk, Jozef Stumpel and Martin Gelinas perform well, there should be a nice mix. A healthy Stephen Weiss also could do wonders. Rising D Jay Bouwmeester anchors the blueline with Mike Van Ryn. They added Ruslan Salei for grit. If Branislav Mezei returns to form, along with Allen and Steve Montador, Florida should be alright. It really depends on how Martin manages the goalies. A motivated Bertuzzi would help too.

9.Montreal Canadiens- They didn't really do much this offseason. Sergei Samsonov is a nice player and might mesh well with countryman Alexei Kovalev but the Canadiens are entering this season with team leader Saku Koivu questionable. They traded Mike Ribeiro for soft defenseman Janne Niinimaa. There just isn't much here that screams excitement. Chris Higgins and Michael Ryder are nice players. Guillame Latendresse is a nice story but is he ready for primetime? Defenseman Sheldon Souray just doesn't seem to instill fear in opponents anymore with this new NHL. I still have visions of Spezza going around him for that highlight reel OT winner. Unless former first rounder Mike Komisarek suddenly develops, the Habs' D will make life very difficult on Cristobal Huet and David Aebischer. Unless they perform miracles once again, it's hard to envision this team making the cut.

10.Atlanta Thrashers- They have superstars in Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa. A potential stud in net with Kari Lehtonen. They also boast the underrated Slava Kozlov. But any team with Bobby Holik and Steve Rucchin as their top centers isn't going anywhere. GM Don Waddell must've lost his mind when he let Savard leave and decided those two along with a trade of Patrik Stefan for Niko Kapanen was enough to transform this team into a playoff one for the first time. Their D is not scaring anyone with Greg de vries and Niclas Havelid. Andy Sutton and Vitaly Vishnevski will keeps opponents honest but there's something missing. Will Waddell be making anymore idiotic guarantees?

11.Tampa Bay Lightning- So they'll be able to score goals with Brad Richards, Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Vinny Prospal, Ruslan Fedotenko and even Ryan Craig. But will they be able to score enough to see the postseason with a D which includes Luke Richardson and now has Cory Sarich playing major minutes due to Pavel Kubina's departure? While GM Jay Feaster added puckmoving D Filip Kuba, there just isn't much to keep pucks out of their zone. Dan Boyle is probably their best defenseman. Acquired for Fredrik Modin, new netminder Marc Denis will have his work cut out for him on a team which will resemble his former Blue Jackets. It says here that Tampa will play a lot of shootouts but just won't win enough.

12.Toronto Maple Leafs- GM John Ferguson finally smartened up and let go of Belfour and vets Jason Allison and Eric Lindros. Popular enforcer Tie Domi called it a career. He also hired ex-Canes boss Paul Maurice to run the bench in place of Pat Quinn. Will it work? After committing a lot of years to Bryan McCabe, he went out and overpaid Kubina and Hal Gill to solidify the blueline. Problem is those big men just might not be good enough to keep up. How many times will each wind up in the box? Ferguson also is banking on ex-Bruin Andrew Raycroft to rediscover the form that saw him win the Calder in '03-04. If not, it won't be pretty in Leafs Nation. Outside of aging star Mats Sundin and superpest Darcy Tucker, the Leafs do have some talented forwards in Alex Steen, Kyle Wellwood and Matt Stajan. It's just that they're still relying on too many vets such as Michael Peca and Jeff O'Neill. Over the grind of an 82-game season, that's not going to work. Expect mixed results.

13.Pittsburgh Penguins- How can you not love the Pens? They boast the game's next superstar in Sidney Crosby and a month from now, Evgeni Malkin will provide a solid 1-2 punch which people will be talking about for years. Even more encouraging is that second overall pick Jordan Staal made the roster and will get valuable experience before probably being sent back to juniors after nine games. There are some other talented forwards in Colby Armstrong, Michel Ouellet and Ryan Malone. They also added ex-Ranger pivot Dominic Moore in a three-team deal with Nashville. Moore will provide solid checking and energy. Vet Mark Recchi is also back along with John LeClair. Jarrko Ruutu is there for toughness. Questions remain on D and in goal. Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney comprise the top pair and Brooks Orpik is still learning. Mark Eaton was added from Nashville. There's just not enough here to help out Marc-Andre Fleury or Dany Sabourin. This team will be exciting and compete hard. Expect Crosby to put up 130 points. Wait another year or two.

14.New York Islanders- So owner Charles Wang hired and then fired GM Neil Smith in just 40 days and replaced him with backup goalie Garth Snow? And for an encore, two months later he gave netminder Rick DiPietro an NHL record 15-year contract worth $67.5 million??? The same cocky former number one overall pick who hasn't proven he can take the next step. Makes plenty of sense from an owner who once handed out a 10-year $90 million contract to classic underachiever Alexei Yashin. So what does this team have going exactly other than a future job getting Wang's coffee? Well, bringing back exiled Coach Ted Nolan is a start. He'll get them to play hard and make everyone accountable. They'll have more physicality on the blueline with Brendan Witt and Sean Hill but both are heading downhill. They'll try to get more out of ex-Ranger Tom Poti and ex-Devil Viktor Kozlov. Chris Simon will provide some beef. There just isn't much here to get excited about. Players like Mike York, Jason Blake and Shawn Bates will do well. But unless Yashin performs, it will be a long year in Long Island.

15.Washington Capitals- We love rating Calder winner Alexander Ovechkin. He's got personality, grit and immense skills. If only he had a supporting cast. Bringing back Alexander Semin is a start. If they team up, that could be a lot of fun to watch. GM George McPhee did trade for Richard Zednik but he's coming off a dismal season with Montreal. Dainius Zubrus has always had ability but is the classic tease. So what is there to get excited about outside AO? Donald Brashear will keep opponents honest. The Caps did add Bryan Pothier to the blueline but he'll soon discover he's not employed by Ottawa. Steve Eminger is a guy we like on that D who should get better. Shaone Morrisonn is still young. If there's one other guy we like up front, it's Brian Sutherby. He plays extremely tough and makes things happen. Got to feel sorry for Olaf Kolzig. The likeable netminder deserves better. If he was on a good team, we're betting he'd still be one of the better goalies in the league. Oh well.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1.Anaheim Ducks- Teaming Chris Pronger with Scott Niedermayer on the blueline is a stroke of genius by GM Brian Burke. Two franchise defensemen who have won Norris' trophies and can dictate a game in their own unique way. Oh my. They're going to be extremely difficult to beat. Francois Beauchemin is also solid and can contribute offensively. So, what could go wrong? Outside of Teemu Selanne, they're relying on a lot of young forwards and gave up Joffrey Lupul to Edmonton as part of the deal. Still, with a crop that consists of Andy McDonald, Chris Kunitz, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Dustin Penner, they'll be formidable. Vets Rob Niedermayer, Todd Marchant and Samuel Pahlsson provide depth. Former prospect Stanislav Chistov is also back and should find the quicker game better. The biggest question seems to be who will be the number one goalie. Ilya Bryzgalov or former 2003 Conn Smythe winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere? It's a good problem to have. These Ducks are poised for another deep run and maybe even their first ever Cup.

2.Nashville Predators- This team continues to improve all the time. Had number one goalie Tomas Vokoun been healthy this past Spring, they win their first ever playoff round. Like Anaheim, they're going with a lot of young talent. Ryan Sutter and Shea Weber come to mind on the blueline as does budding third-year star Dan Hamhuis. Overlooked due to talented vets Kimmo Timonen and Marek Zidlicky, he's poised to improve on his 38 points last season. There's an awful lot to like about their D. Just as promising is the crop of forwards which features stars Paul Kariya and Steve Sullivan. With center Jason Arnott signed from Dallas, that should be a lethal top line. This will allow David Legwand to move into a secondary scoring role with the underrated Martin Erat and possibly Scott Hartnell. They also added ex-Sabre J.P. Dumont, who should provide more punch. Josef Vasicek was also acquired from Carolina for Scott Walker. This should give Nashville more depth at center. One prospect to keep an eye on is Alexander Radulov. Though he had a good preseason, he was sent down to Milwaukee but could be back soon. Of course, how far the Predators go depends on Vokoun. If healthy, he's a top five goalie. It's time for this franchise to take that next step.

3.Calgary Flames- GM Darryl Sutter might no longer be behind the bench but new coach Jim Playfair will continue Sutter's model of playing a disciplined brand of hockey. How that benefits former Av Alex Tanguay remains to be seen. The talented playmaking left wing was acquired for Jordan Leopold to bolster the Flames' offense alongside Jarome Iginla. They'll team up with Daymond Langkow to comprise a solid top unit. The question is can Jeff Friesen really be relied on for offense? His best years came under Sutter playing back in San Jose. He hasn't been the same player since even if he did score a few big goals helping New Jersey to a Cup in 2003. The Flames will need solid contributions from Chuck Kobasew and Kristian Huselius. A healthy Matt Lombardi should help. They shouldn't expect too much from Tony Amonte. If former Western Canada product Jamie Lundmark could harness his talent, that would help. If anything, the Flames should take solace knowing their stingy D led by Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr should be rock solid. Rhett Warrener and Andrew Ference are no picnic either. Neither is Vezina winner Miikka Kiprusoff to get the puck by. The more things change...The only question is do they have enough offense to take them far?

4.San Jose Sharks- After acquiring Joe Thornton from Boston last year, the Sharks were one of the best teams in the league which allowed him to take home the Hart Trophy. Thornton is an immense talent and got the most out of sniper Jonathan Cheechoo, who led the league with 56 goals. This offseason, GM Doug Wilson went out and added ex-Hawk Mark Bell via a three-team deal with Ottawa. Bell should complete the league's best line. Hopefully, he'll stay out of further trouble off the ice. The dilemma for opponents is that the Sharks can comeback with Patrick Marleau, Milan Michalek and Steve Bernier. They also added grit in ex-Sabre Mike Grier to a mix that includes Ville Nieminen, Curtis Brown and Marcel Goc. Despite parting with Tom Preissing in the Bell deal, the D should still be good with Matt Carle supplying the offense while Scott Hannan and Kyle McLaren supply the beef. Christian Ehrhoff gives them a solid top four. In net, Vesa Toskala will most likely be the number one with vet Evgeni Nabokov backing up. Nolan Schaefer also is there as insurance. This is a very skilled team with lots of speed. But it's up to either Toskala or Nabokov to shine in the postseason.

5.Detroit Red Wings- For the first time since 1982-83, the Winged Wheel will be without emotional leader Steve Yzerman. But with new team captain Nicklas Lidstrom and 44 year-old vet Chris Chelios anchoring the blueline, the transition should be smooth. While they're old on D also with Mathieu Schneider, Niklas Kronwall should continue to improve. Vets Danny Markov and Andreas Lilja round it out. Up front, Henrik Zetterberg is an emerging superstar and Pavel Datsyuk isn't too far behind. Robert Lang can center the second line and Tomas Holmstrom will provide the usual grit in front. If there was a surprise last season, it was the play of Mikael Samuelsson and Jason Williams. They'll be looked to again for offense. Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby once again team up as one of the league's best checking units. If there is a question, it might be how long veteran netminder Dominik Hasek stays healthy for? If he goes down, Chris Osgood backs up. Question nobody wants to hear in Hockeytown: Is this the year some of those vets finally show their age?

6.Minnesota Wild- It took GM Doug Risebrough a few years to finally open the vault and spend. With criticism coming down even from superstar Marian Gaborik who he wisely re-signed long term, Risebrough packaged prospect Patrick O'Sullivan to the Kings for Slovak Pavol Demitra. He also inked sniper Mark Parrish and added defenseman Kim Johnsson as well. Parrish should provide grit and work well with Brian Rolson and possibly Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Johnsson will be looked to for offense and stability on the blueline after they lost Filip Kuba to Tampa and Andrei Zyuzin to Calgary. Johnsson is returning from a concussion. So it was a risk. Kurtis Foster can provide offense while Keith Carney and Brent Burns can supply some physicality. Is this the year Mikko Koivu plays a more prominent role up front? Meanwhile, Manny Fernandez comes in as the clearcut number one goalie and should be ready to backstop the Wild back to the postseason. Looks like they might have fun at the Excel Center.

7.Dallas Stars- Gone is Arnott but still around are key cogs Mike Modano, new team captain Brenden Morrow, Jere Lehtinen, Sergei Zubov, Phillipe Boucher and Marty Turco. During the offseason, GM Doug Armstrong replaced Arnott with Eric Lindros and Jeff Halpern. He also swapped Niko Kapanen for Patrik Stefan and recently added even more depth at the pivot by sending Janne Niinimaa to Montreal for Mike Ribeiro. Throw in emerging Finns Jussi Jokinen and Antti Miettinen and they look pretty balanced. Matt Barnaby and Steve Ott provide energy. On the blueline, 1999 Cup hero Darryl Sydor returns. Jaroslav Modry and Stephane Robidas provide depth. Everything looks good. So what could go wrong? Modano and Zubov show age and Lindros suffers yet another injury. It really is sad what's happened to the Big E. Then there's Turco in net. Can he really get it done when it counts? He's flopped badly so far in his playoff career. That assumes they get there which isn't a given. They should but it will be close.

8.Vancouver Canucks- If big acquisition Robert Luongo doesn't get them here, then he really is an overrated goalie. Sorry. That's just how it should be. Yes. The Canucks lost Ed Jovanovski to Phoenix but considering that he's an accident waiting to happen, that's addition by subtraction. GM Mike Nonis went out and signed Willie Mitchell, who is younger and should provide physicality and actually play more than half the schedule. Mattias Ohlund will anchor the D. Sami Salo is a sound number three. After that, it gets thin. They really need Lukas Krajicek or rookie Luc Bourdon to step up. If either does, they'll be fine. Offensively, it falls on the shoulders of captain Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison to rebound from down seasons. They're probably better off without Todd Bertuzzi. The Sedin twins have emerged as solid NHLers. Matt Cooke is underrated and Jan Bulis supplies depth at center. After Nonis whined like a baby after matching Bobby Clarke's offersheet to Ryan Kesler, Kesler needs to prove his worth. It would help if Taylor Pyatt emerges. He never really played much in Buffalo. If Luongo answers the questions in goal, the Canucks should be able to squeak back in the playoffs.

9.Edmonton Oilers- This is tough but when you look at GM Kevin Lowe's new look D after Pronger and Jaroslav Spacek left, it's hard to see them making the cut. Captain Jason Smith is still there along with Marc-Andre Bergeron. So is Steve Staios but they never did well with him as a number three. Why will it be any different now? Daniel Tjarnqvist is nothing special and Matt Greene really needs to show a lot more than he did this past June. They'll need Ladislav Smid to be a reliable top four D. That's what the former Duck prospect was projected as before the Pronger deal. We'll see. Up front, we love Lupul and Ales Hemsky to have big seasons. Ryan Smyth, Shawn Horcoff and Jared Stoll should enjoy playing with them. Vet Petr Sykora should be able to finish enough. The pressure will be on Fernando Pisani to duplicate his postseason. Ethan Moreau is underrated. Up front, they're solid. The question marks on the blueline could make life difficult for Dwayne Roloson. If he's under siege routinely, will the vet turned miracle worker crack?

10.Colorado Avalanche- Is this the year the Avs finally miss the postseason? With the losses of Rob Blake and Tanguay, they'll be hardpressed to get in again. Of course, ageless wonder Joe Sakic will once again be there to try to silence the doubters. So too will Milan Hejduk, who needs about the same bounceback season ex-Av Teemu Selanne had with Anaheim. Second-year sniper Marek Svatos returns from shoulder surgery and must be healthy. The Avs are pinning their hopes on free agent pickup Tyler Arnason to provide scoring. He has talent but is a headcase. Rookie Wojtek Wolski has lots of promise and could become the latest Av to emerge up front. Also keep an eye on former 2005 second rounder Paul Stastny. Can gritty center Ian Laperriere repeat his career season? Meanwhile, John-Michael Liles leads the charge from the blueline along with underrated defenders Karlis Skrastins and Ossi Vaananen. Patrice Brisebois can provide offense but is offensive in every sense in his own end. And Ken Klee was awful with New Jersey. Better hope Leopold gets back soon. There are many questions and that continues in net with former Hart and Vezina winner Jose Theodore. Is he an elite netminder or severely overrated? Don't rule out second-year goalie Peter Budaj unseating him. They'll be interesting but the playoff streak has to end some time. As Al Pacino once said to Keanu Reeves at the end of Devil's Advocate, "You can't win'em all."

11.Los Angeles Kings- With the recent acquisition of prospect Jack Johnson along with salary dump Oleg Tverdovsky in a deal which sent Eric Belanger and Tim Gleason to Carolina, it appears new GM Dean Lombardi plans to rebuild. Why else would he dump Demitra on the Wild for O'Sullivan? That's why it's hard to make sense of the Dan Cloutier signing. Maybe it was ex-Canucks' coach Marc Crawford's influence but come on. What are they doing? Rebuilding or trying to win now? Or is it both? Could that also be why they brought back Blake for their blueline to team him up with Lubomir Visnovsky? They also added vet Brent Sopel to a D which includes captain Mattias Norstrom and Aaron Miller. Plus team ornament Tverdovsky. Outside of Visnovsky, they're old. It's a different story up front where Alexander Frolov, Michael Cammalleri, Dustin Brown, superpest Sean Avery, O'Sullivan along with former first rounder Anze Kopitar comprise a youth movement. There's also vets Craig Conroy, Derek Armstrong and Scott Thornton. So what can be expected from them? Is Cloutier that much better than Mathieu Garon? That remains to be seen. This team either could surprise or finish where we're picking them.

12.Columbus Blue Jackets- You would think by now the Blue Jackets would finally be on their way up but it doesn't look that way. Now that GM Doug MacLean has re-signed Nikolai Zherdev, offensively, they should be good with the young Russian talent teaming up with power forward Rick Nash and the underappreciated David Vyborny. Adding Fredrik Modin and Anson Carter should give them two solid lines. But without veteran Sergei Fedorov to start the season, they're lacking in the middle. Unless Alexander Svitov or Dan Fritsche step up, the offense could stagnate. Manny Malhotra is a solid third liner. If someone emerges, it could be former first round pick Gilbert Brule. He is solid overall and has the skills to go with it. They'll also look to Jaroslav Balastik for offense. Even with Adam Foote and Bryan Berard, the D is weak. Ron Hainsey can contribute and David Westcott is decent. But who outside the aging Foote will keep opponents honest? If you say reject Anders Eriksson, you lose. And this is what new number one Pascal Leclaire has in front of him? Like a classic Weezer song, "Say It Ain't So."

13.Phoenix Coyotes- If you look at this roster, it's not awful. However, it seems like a classic tease for Coach Wayne Gretzky to try to bring respectability back to. Shane Doan is a solid power forward and Ladislav Nagy is a gifted finisher. After that, it gets thin quick. Can Mike Comrie really be relied on as a top pivot? Aren't Jeremy Roenick and Owen Nolan washed up? Outside of Steve Reinprecht, there's nothing to get excited about. Heck. Team enforcer Georges Laraque looks good. No wonder they gave him a no-trade clause. We wish we were kidding but it's no joke. It would help when Fredrik Sjostrom returns to the lineup. So, this is what Jovanovski chose? Now, the blueline he joins isn't putrid. Keith Ballard and Zbynek Michalek (try saying that name 10 times fast and get back to us) are solid and can contribute offensively. Nick Boynton who was acquired for Paul Mara is a steady stay-at-home defender. Derek Morris is okay but not as good as he once was hyped to be. Last season, veteran Curtis Joseph played out of his mind in the first half but predictably broke down. He's one year from 40 and well traveled backup Mike Morrison is on his third team in less than a year. What was Gretzky pal GM Mike Barnett thinking? This team was so much better in Winnipeg. Even if there wasn't much success, at least there was an identity.

14.St. Louis Blues- First former MSG boss Dave Checketts took over as team owner. Then he brought in pal and expert NHL analyst John Davidson to run the show as Team President. No question JD knows his stuff but can anyone explain why he added so many veterans? Doug Weight. Bill Guerin. Martin Rucinsky. Dan Hinote. Radek Dvorak. Jay McKee. Manny Legace. The new Blues roster should come with an NHL map. Look. No question they hit rock bottom last season after being in the postseason every year spanning almost three decades. A remarkable accomplishment. How much mileage does a Weight or Guerin have left? They'll most likely team up with Keith Tkachuk to form a vintage Team USA line from 1996. That's 10 years too late. Davidson overpaid for McKee but needed some stability on the blueline. If Barret Jackman ever stayed healthy, they'd be much tougher. Eric Brewer will look to rebound from a nightmarish first season in St. Louis. If you look past all the experience, Petr Cajanek, Lee Stempniak, Christian Backman and Doug Wideman provide hope for the future. Backing up Legace will be the tandem of Curtis Sanford and Jason Bacashihua. So, can this team be competitive? They'll be better than last year but not by much.

15.Chicago Blackhawks- Same old song and dance for Bill Wirtz' Original Six franchise. Do they even count anymore? When is the last time the Hawks were relevant? And we're not talking about that playoff cameo a few years ago where they got swept out by St. Louis. I remember a time when they had a young Eagle, JR, Steve Larmer, Christian Ruutu and even a young Chelios and Gary Suter all on NHL '94. That was Blackhawk hockey! Now, they just suck. What makes anyone think the additions of Martin Havlat and Bryan Smolinski from Ottawa are going to change that? Yes, Havlat is a dynamic talent who should still produce. And the deal of Kyle Calder for Michal Handzus might work as long as Zeus returns to form after offseason surgery. But these are the Hawks. Where overpaying free agents such as Nikolai Khabibulin and Adrian Aucoin turns them into mere mortals. Is there some talent on this roster? Sure. Defensemen Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith both have ability. Former number one Cam Barker will eventually return from injury and get his chance. Center Tuomu Ruutu is an enormous talent but once again will start the season on IR. And left wing Rene Bourque is decent. But when you look at this mix, it seems like they just flipped a coin. If you're pathetic, shouldn't you tear the whole thing up? Can the Bulin Wall rebound? If not, Brian Boucher is the backup. How did Michael Leighton not make the roster? But instead, they have Patrick Lalime as their third stringer. Hawks hockey at its finest.

2007 PLAYOFF CRYSTAL BALL

East

Conference Quarters

Sabres over Panthers in 5
Devils over Bruins in 6
Hurricanes over Flyers in 7
Senators over Rangers in 7

Semis

Sabres over Senators in 6
Devils over Hurricanes in 6

Finals

Sabres over Devils in 7

West

Conference Quarters

Ducks over Canucks in 6
Predators over Stars in 5
Wild over Flames in 6
Sharks over Wings in 6

Semis

Ducks over Wild in 5
Predators over Sharks in 6

Finals

Predators over Ducks in 6

STANLEY CUP FINAL

Sabres over Predators in 7

Devils Drop Home Preseason Opener To Rangers

2006-09-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -The Hudson rivalry was renewed once again. If you could call it that with only a handful of familiar faces taking part in the first of a home-and-home. The rematch was set for Wednesday night across the Lincoln Tunnel at Madison Square Garden with different lineups expected.

Five months removed from a sweep of the archrival Rangers, the Devils took to the ice at Continental Airlines Arena under much different circumstances- dropping the home preseason opener 3-1 Tuesday night before 11,241.

With the Rangers opting to dress only a few vets as opposed to mostly rookies and second-year players, it looked every bit like a meaningless exhibition.

Though the Devils played Martin Brodeur for the first half of the action, the two-time Vezina winner wasn't sharp early on, letting in the game's first three goals just 8:17 in. In fact, the Rangers' three came in a 4:16 span. Blair Betts got it started when he took an Adam Hall feed and beat Brodeur with a backhand.

After Hall tallied unassisted at 7:50, rookie Brandon Dubinsky connected with a wrister from about 50 feet out only 27 seconds later to give New York a three-goal lead.

With not much happening for the Devils down three, there was a scrap less than a minute later between the Rangers' Francis Lessard and New Jersey's Nathan Perrot. Perrot is a former 1995 second round pick who is attempting a comeback from injury this preseason in hopes of making the final roster.

His fight seemed to awaken his teammates as only a couple of minutes later, Tuomas Pihlman took rookie defenseman Matt Corrente's pass and beat Al Montoya at 11:31 to cut the deficit to two. Former New Jersey 2001 first rounder Adrian Foster also picked up a helper.

It was the only chance they beat the Rangers' former 2004 first round selection on. The second-year pro was sharp in his half of action stopping 11 of 12 shots before giving way to veteran backup Stephen Valiquette.

Though the Devils weren't able to beat Valiquette (13 saves), after being outshot 11-8 in the first, they carried more of the play the final two periods outshooting their opponents 13-11 including only six Frank Doyle's way after he replaced Brodeur.

Outside of a scrap between Rangers enforcer Ryan Hollweg and Grant Marshall midway thru the game, it didn't resemble a real game. But more a contest of who could be sent to the penalty box more and not take advantage. The two teams combined to go 0-for-14 on the power play- Rangers (0-8) Devils (0-6).

It was more a reinforcement of the hooking, interference and delay of game calls which the league emphasized last season in an attempt to improve scoring.

Zajac Impresses: Though they didn't inch closer on the scoreboard, one new Devil coach Claude Julien had to be pleased with was Travis Zajac. The former 2004 first rounder who signed out of North Dakota this past Spring distinguished himself. Used primarily in a third line center role, Zajac was strong on the puck in 15:05 and registered three shots. The only drawback was his lack of success in the faceoff circle (2-8). Outside of that, he had a solid showing and could be one Devil newcomer to watch as this abbreviated preseason unfolds.

Notes: Along with Brodeur and Marshall, Devils' lineup also featured Scott Gomez, Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, Sergei Brylin, David Hale, Brad Lukowich, Dan McGillis along with unsigned center Erik Rasmussen due to the team's cap situation. Also taking part were second-year pros Pihlman, Barry Tallackson along with rookies Corrente, John Oduya and Tomas Harrant. Foster and career minor leaguer Justin Papineau rounded out the roster. ... After a three assist effort in a win at Boston in Lowell Sunday, 2006 first round pick Corrente continued to impress with another assist. ... John Madden sat out his second straight with a sore groin. ... Among regulars Rangers dressed Betts, Hall, Hollweg, Marcel Hossa, Jason Ward, Fedor Tyutin, Darius Kasparaitis, Aaron Ward and Karel Rachunek. Rookies who took part included Nigel Dawes, who assisted on Dubinsky's goal and former first rounders Lauri Korpikoski and Hugh Jessiman saw significant action up front while 2005 first rounder Marc Staal teamed with Ward on the blueline and finished +2 in 19:39. Ivan Baranka, Dwight Helminen and Lee Falardeau also took part as did vet Martin Richter and Lessard.

Baby Bombers Champions Again, Repeat As New York Penn League's Best

2006-09-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -Just call them champions again. Even with an extra day off along with a one hour 24-minute rain delay couldn't stop the inevitable when the Staten Island Yankees repeated as NY-Penn League champs by shutting out the Tri-City Valley Cats 2-0 in a winner take-all Game 3 before an enthusiastic 878 at Richmond County Bank Ball Park Friday night. It's the first time in 25 years a team has went on to win back-to-back NY-Penn League titles.

As has been their identity all season en route to the league's best record, the Baby Bombers won a lowscoring game with pitching, defense and timely hitting to claim their fourth title in the past seven years.

"They don't get any better than this," emotional skipper Gaylen Pitts told his club after being doused with champagne during a wild celebration inside the locker room. "I'll ride with you guys anywhere."

Led by starter George Kontos' brilliant six scoreless innings which included a season high 11 strikeouts, the Baby Bombers used the common formula along with two big RBI's from veteran DH Kyle Larsen to take home the hardware and celebrate in style before a raucous crowd.

"It feels great. It's the best feeling in the world," a jubilant Kontos said outside the dugout while fans chanted his name. "We came in here from Day 1 and we said we were going to do this, got it done and we feel great about it."

"It's been a fun ride with all these guys," leadoff hitter Seth Fortenberry added inside an emotionally charged room. "What more can you say? The guy went out and threw his heart out and pitched a great game. Shut it down for us."

Coming off a tough 9-2 Game 2 loss the other night, Staten Island jumped out of the gate much quicker and did something they couldn't Wednesday. Get an early lead and let solid pitching and D take over.

After Kontos worked around a first inning walk, the Bombers got to Tri-City starter Chris Salamida. The southpaw entered as the league's best pitcher during the regular season finishing 10-1 with a miniscule 1.06 ERA. He also picked up a postseason win against Auburn in the first round by tossing six scoreless. None of that mattered last night when Staten Island used a two out rally to give Kontos an early lead.

With the first two retired, third baseman Mitch Hilligoss' opposite field double kept the inning alive for Larsen. Behind in the count 0-2, he delivered a clutch RBI single into right to put the Bombers on top. After Colin Curtis followed with the third consecutive hit to put two on, Salamida limited the damage by getting second baseman Wilmer Pino to pop out to short.

"It's an amazing feeling," a pleased Larsen said after knocking in both runs on the night. "I can't even describe it. It's something I will never forget. Coming to this place especially with the front office and all the people here and the fans, it's been amazing. They deserve it...To get that run in the first was huge."

"The day off might have helped us more than people thought," Hilligoss noted. "That maybe we'd dwell on the loss but I think it was good for us to use it and relax. The guys did a great job."

Given a lead, Kontos got stronger and began a stretch of fanning at least two Valley Cats from the second through the fifth. After whiffing two in the second, he K'd two more in the third to keep his team ahead before they got a key insurance run. Shortstop Chris Kunda ledoff the home third with a double to left. His teammates used some little ball to get him in. A Hilligoss ground out to second got Kunda over to third and then Larsen followed with a sac fly to left which scored Kunda to make it 2-0.

"Winning the College World Series is a similar feeling," Kunda expressed after the shortstop got the team off to a good start in the field with a sparkling defensive gem for the game's first out. "Being able to make a play like that to begin things kind of give momentum on our side right away...The hit- I was trying to get something started when we had the guys coming up behind me. Kyle already had an RBI the first inning. I was just trying to create another opportunity."

Ahead two, Kontos served notice by striking out the side in the fourth in impressive fashion- getting Jordan Parraz and Max Sapp to chase fastballs before painting the outside corner to freeze James Van Ostrand. He would retire the next six Tri-City batters via K and seven of eight at one point.

"I felt good...Everything was working. I wasn't overthrowing. My fastball was good. It was moving. My slider was real tight and my curveball was breaking well. That's all I can ask for," Kontos pointed out. "Today was obviously a big game. [Salamida] has done great for them all year...It was kind of projection that everyone saw coming. My teammates picked me up big time and I just helped them stay ahead."

"Amazing. We knew. There was no one else in my mind that I want the ball in his hands," praised Larsen. "He's a warrior. He's a guy who fought for us all year and to come out and pitch the way he did is awesome. I'm so happy for him."

Though he also fanned the side in the fifth, Kontos worked around two hits by getting Tim Torres on a nasty breaking ball that caught the outside corner to strand both runners.

His final frame proved the most challenging. With one down in the sixth, Parraz singled to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch. When Kontos cameback to freeze Sapp for the second out and his final strike out of the night, it looked like he would get out of it without a problem. But he lost Van Ostrand and then allowed an infield hit to Justin Tellam which suddenly loaded the bases. When he fell behind Chris Johnson 3-0, danger loomed.

After getting a fastball across the plate for 3-1, Kontos almost balked in a run. However, plate umpire Tripp Gibson mistakenly awarded Parraz home. Before Kontos stopped his delivery, Johnson asked for time. When the four umpires convened, they properly reversed the call reloading the bases. Still behind in the count, Kontos dug deep by throwing consecutive strikes and got Johnson to harmlessly pop out to Pino.

"I fell behind 3-0," the championship winning starter noted. "I was opening up and dragging my arm. That's why everything was up. I sat back, took a deep breath and got on top of the ball. So I took a little bit off of it. [Johnson] got a little on top of it and no runs scored."

With Kontos finally done, Pitts turned it over to the bullpen. Reliever Nick Peterson worked a 1-2-3 seventh and got the first two in the eighth to pull the Bombers within four outs of another title. But Tri-City wouldn't go down easily. After Sapp beat out an infield single to second, Van Ostrand walked to put the tying runs on forcing Pitts to call on closer Mark Melanchon to get a four out save. He got Tellam to ground out to Pino to end the threat.

After S.I. went quietly in the eighth, Melanchon got Johnson swinging and Aaron Bulkey to line out to Pino to pull within an out of their ultimate destiny. After a tough battle with Greg Buchanan, he finally got him to chase a high fastball, touching off a wild celebration on the field which invoked memories of last year's championship team.

Keeping with the theme in which they doused 2005 manager Andy Stankiwiecz, repeat winner Larsen helped Gatorade Pitts before everyone celebrated with the trophy on the field.

"There's nothing better than winning a championship. Especially with the Yankees," Peterson excitedly remarked. "I've never been a part of something like this."

"The enjoyment that we're having. Just the whole year what you look forward to. And then at the end of the year, just the kind of fulfillment that you have. It's unbelievable," center fielder Colin Curtis added. "After a little bit, I knew that we had it in us. I knew that we were going to make a good run at it."

Hilligoss summed up the special season perfectly:

"We're a close knit group all year. That's what it's all about. The chemistry of this team."

Valley Cats Spoil Baby Bomber Party, Force Deciding Game For Championship

2006-09-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -They were ready to throw a party but the Valley Cats crashed it with a 9-2 rout of the Baby Bombers in Game 2 before 1,266 at Richmond County Ball Park Wednesday night to force a winner take all third game for all the marbles.

It's scheduled to take place Thursday night at St. George if it doesn't rain. As has been a recent trend, inclement weather could push the deciding game for the NY-Penn League Championship back to Friday or Saturday. Either way, they'll get it in eventually.

Aiming for a repeat after coming back to take Game 1 4-2 in Tri-City, not much went right for the Staten Island Yankees on this night. Right away, the Valley Cats got to losing starter Angel Reyes (0-1) by pushing across three to knock him out. When the southpaw missed badly on four straight pitches to walk leadoff hitter Greg Buchanan, trouble immediately arose. A couple batters later with two men on, Reyes lost the strike zone and consecutively walked Jordan Parraz and Jhon Florentino to give the Cats the lead.

It only got worse as Reyes' next delivery resulted in a wild pitch which allowed another run to score. When James Van Ostrand followed with an RBI single to right which scored Parraz to make it 3-0, Reyes' night was done. Edgar Soto limited the damage by retiring the final two batters on a strike out and a ground out.

With Soto keeping Tri-City scoreless the next three innings, it gave Staten Island a chance to get back into the game. They sliced the lead in half in the fourth to make things a little interesting.

With one man out, the Bombers strung together three consecutive hits which cut it to 4-1. After Colin Curtis and Francisco Cervelli singled, first baseman Kevin Smith drove in the first run with a single to center. With runners on the corners Tri-City starter Casey Hudspeth uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Cervelli to score and make it 4-2, moving Smith to second.

But a crucial play would be the turning point. Shortstop Chris Kunda lined out to Buchanan at second, who quickly doubled off Smith to turn it into an inning ending 4-6 twin killing.

Still trailing by two, right fielder Wilkins De La Rosa began the fifth with a single to end Hudspeth's night. Unfortunately for the Baby Bombers, it would pretty much end their chances of coming back. Tri-City reliever Douglas Arguello tossed the final five innings allowing just one hit, a walk while fanning four to pickup the win (1-0).

In fact, he retired the first six including K-ing those four before his teammates broke the close game open with a five-run seventh. Aaron Bulkley ledoff with a solo home run to left off Soto which increased Tri-City's lead to three. After Soto put three of the next four batters on including an intentional pass to Parraz, S.I. skipper Gaylen Pitts went to reliever Luke Trubee to get out of the jam. But after he got Florentino swinging, Van Ostrand delivered the big blow with a grand slam to erase any doubt.

Notes: The game lasted two hours and 33 minutes. ... In relief, Soto went six inning allowing five earned on four hits while walking four and striking out two. ... Staten Island's top four hitters Seth Fortenberry, Wilmer Pino, Mitch Hilligoss and Kyle Larsen were held to just one hit in 12 at bats while K-ing seven times. In sharp contrast, the final five batters Colin Curtis, Cervelli, Smith, Kunda and De La Rosa finished with six of the team's seven hits. ... The do-or-die game is set to take place Thursday night at 7 PM. George Kontos could get the start for the Baby Bombers.

Baby Bombers Sweep Rival Cyclones, Go For Repeat

2006-09-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY - The brooms were out in full force as the Staten Island Yankees used a six-run third and a brilliant pitching performance from Tim Norton to convincingly take Game Two 9-0- sweeping the rival Brooklyn Cyclones in the first round of the NY-Penn League playoffs before 1,614 energized fans at Richmond County Ball Park Sunday evening.

"We've played a lot of close games. It's nice to have a game like that," skipper Gaylen Pitts pointed out. "I thought it would be a good series. That game last night- the first game in a short series is one you want to win...We were able to do that and I think that set the tone."

"Rivalries are good in baseball. I don't think we have enough of them. And since I've been here, I've seen what this means to the fans, the players. It's a good clean rivalry."

"It is exciting," added reliever Nick Peterson. "We came out and played great ball tonight. Whatever it takes...The guys have been hitting the ball, fielding the ball, pitching well. When you put it all together, you're going to win ballgames. We've been able to do it all successfully and that's why we're winning."

Their reward is a place in the league championship series against either Tri-City or Auburn starting either Tuesday or Wednesday night on the road depending on who advances. Tri-City led the series 1-0 entering Sunday night. By clinching a berth, the Baby Bombers will have a chance to repeat as league champs and go for their fourth NY-Penn League title in seven years.

"It feels great," third baseman Mitch Hilligoss said after finishing with two hits including a clutch two-run single in the third which helped break the game open and key a big inning. "Especially against our rivals like the Cyclones. The crowd was great. A lot of energy on both sides. To jump on them early was nice."

Despite taking both games and outscoring Brooklyn 14-2 to move on, Hilligoss kept things in perspective.

"It wasn't easy. You look at last night's game 5-2 but we were scratching for runs. They helped us out and we probably helped them out a little. Today, we kind of put it together and got a couple of key hits and bunched them together instead of just getting one here there. We kind of played a little bigger ball today."

Retired in order the first two innings, they got to losing Brooklyn starter Todd Privett (0-1) by doing exactly what Hilligoss said to put together a huge third which decided the outcome.

After Francisco Cervelli and Chris Kunda singled to start it, Wilkins De La Rosa sacrificed them into scoring position. Left fielder Seth Fortenberry's sharp single to center plated Cervelli for the game's first run. Privett then plunked Wilmer Pino to load the bases for Hilligoss, who singled to left which scored two more. Brooklyn left fielder Dustin Martin's throwing error also allowed Pino to score clearing the bases. That's when Staten Island DH Kyle Larsen delivered the big blow. Already up four runs, he drove the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for a two-run home run to finally conclude the offensive outburst.

"I'm just starting to finally feel good again," Larsen mentioned after hitting a homer for the second consecutive game to derail the Cyclones. "My swing is relaxed. Definitely feeling good. So hopefully keep it going here for the second series."

"[Larsen] was telling me last night how he likes to play in the playoffs. Well, he's turned it up a notch," Pitts observed.

Making that six-run cushion stand up was Norton (1-0), who had Brooklyn batters off balance all night. The rating NY-Penn League pitcher of the week was so dominant that he took a no-hitter into the seventh. After getting the first two batters, he finally allowed a Dan Murphy single to right which broke it up and then got a deserved loud ovation from the crowd before coming back to strike out Elvis Cruz- ending his day with seven scoreless allowing just the one hit to go with three walks and four K's.

"It went well. I had a couple too many walks- three or four but my defense played well and I made pitches when I needed to," the winning starter remarked.

"I knew my pitches were getting up," he said in reference to the no-hit bid. "So I knew I'd be coming out soon and there's two out, no one on, 2-2 count and I kept coming with a fastball and [Murphy] hit it. So I tip my cap. It was good."

Staten Island tacked on insurance runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth to easily cruise to the 9-0 victory. Reliever Luke Trubee tossed the final two frames and concluded it fittingly by getting Martin looking on a belt high fastball which painted the outside corner to touch off a brief celebration on the field. However, they know the job isn't done.

"It feels real good," Norton added of getting the chance to play for the championship. "Now we get a day off and we're playing well. So we're excited about the next round and whoever we play."

Notes: The Baby Bombers outscored the Cyclones 9-0 and outhit them 12-2. They also were better in the field committing no errors while their opponents booted two. ... Hilligoss, Larsen and Kunda each finished with multihit games combining to go 7-for-12 with a dinger, four RBI's and six runs scored. ... The top five S.I. hitters each knocked in a run finishing with seven RBI's. ... Eight of nine batters finished with a hit. ... The game took only two hours and 20 minutes to complete.

Repeat Division Champion Bombers Look Forward To Playoffs

2006-09-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -It's been another very successful season for the Baby Bombers. A year after winning their third New York-Penn League Championship, the Staten Island Yankees repeated as McNamara Division winners and took a 44-29 record into their final regular season game against Tri-City Thursday night with home field advantage throughout the playoffs on the line.

Regardless whether they won that final game, they're happy with what they've accomplished thus far and looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead in attempting to defend last year's championship.

"It feels good," first baseman Kevin Smith said regarding winning the division. "We've put a lot of effort in all year day in and day out. The team pulled together. Winning the division I think is great."

"Very excited about the playoffs and to see what that's like. And if we play like we have all year, we should have a good opportunity."

Setup man Jonathan Hovis was very excited regardless who they play in the first round starting Saturday.

"It feels great. It will be a lot of fun," he pointed out. "We get to travel that first game. Either Auburn, Aberdeen or Brooklyn. So it's going to be fun but we treat it just like any other game."

Second-year first baseman/DH Kyle Larsen who was an integral part of last year's championship knows what to expect.

"A lot of us have kind of been in postseason action in college and stuff," Larsen explained. "There's nothing really that you can say. You kind of got to experience it. And I think we have a lot of experience. So we should be good."

He'll also have a shot along with outfielder Jon Poterson at repeating. Something he'd love to be a part of.

"It would be sweet and definitely an honor to win this league twice. So hopefully we can do it."

For scheduled Sunday starter Tim Norton, it's a special time.

"I'm excited to give my team a chance to win. So I'm pretty pumped about it come Sunday," he said. "We've been playing pretty good ball and we're in a good spot and we got a good chance to take a run at this thing."

Third baseman Mitch Hilligoss was pleased with the position his team is in but also knew that not playing Friday could definitely help after a recent busy schedule which has seen the Bombers play two doubleheaders in a four-day span.

"We're real excited. We get a day off tomorrow which helps everybody kind of get caught up on rest and stuff," he said. "And then hopefully two games that first series and then a day off and two more games. That would be nice."

Regardless how they accomplish it, Hilligoss has his eye on the ultimate goal.

"Just got to go out and play and see what happens. Whatever it takes to get to the championship."

Three-run Eighth Gives Bombers Home Field: For the second straight year, Staten Island will have homefield throughout the entire postseason.

The Baby Bombers rallied from two runs down with a three-run eighth to get past Tri-City (43-31) and finish with a New York-Penn League best 45-29 record.

After stranding the tying runs on second and third with nobody out the previous inning, the Staten Island Yanks greeted Tri-City reliever Cory Lapinski (2-1) with three consecutive hits to tie the score. With Colin Curtis and Smith in scoring position, catcher Francisco Cervelli delivered a two-run single to left which suddenly made it 2-2.

After Jon Poterson sacrificed Cervelli into scoring position, Chris Kunda lined out to center for the second out setting the stage for leadoff man Seth Fortenberry to get the winning run in. With Cervelli replaced by pinch runner Wilkins De La Rosa, Fortenberry beat out an infield hit to short. Tim Torres' errant throw allowed De La Rosa to come around and score the go-ahead run- making a winner of reliever Nick Peterson (5-3).

Mark Melanchon notched his second save in two nights by retiring the Valley Cats in order, finishing it off fittingly with a strikeout of Nicholas Moresi to give the Bombers homefield.

Baby Bombers Hold On To Edge Tigers

2006-09-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -The Staten Island Yankees took a step closer to wrapping up the McNamara Division by holding on for a 3-2 win over Oneonta (37-34) on Labor Day before 2,044 at Richmond County Ball Park.

With three games remaining, they improved to 43-28 and lead red hot Aberdeen (40-31) by three. They need either one win against Tri-City or one Aberdeen loss to officially clinch the division.

The Baby Bombers used a three-run second to overshadow 10 strikeouts in five innings by losing Tiger starter Brendan Wise (3-6).

Trailing by a run due to a Santo De Leon second inning RBI single, Staten Island immediately responded with three of their own. After the first two batters reached base, second baseman Wilmer Pino tied the game with an RBI single which scored Kyle Larsen and moved Colin Curtis to third.

After Wise fanned Kevin Smith, he opted to intentionally walk Jose Gil to load the bases and get to shortstop Chris Kunda. But the strategy backfired when Kunda delivered a two-run bloop single to right which ended up being the difference in the game.

Angel Reyes tossed six solid frames allowing just a run on four hits while striking out five to pickup his first win of the season.

After setup man Jonathan Hovis went two scoreless while K-ing two, manager Gaylen Pitts allowed lefty Mark Melanchon to close out it out. Giving closer Nick Peterson a night off, Melanchon gave up one run but retired the final three, notching his first save by striking out James Skelton swinging to end it.

Notes: In a game in which the Baby Bombers struck out 13 times, Wise fanned 10. By contrast, Staten Island pitchers combined to K eight Tigers- totaling 21 strikeouts between the two teams. Seven of the nine S.I. batters K'd with the exception of Larsen and Gil. ... Baby Bombers host Tri-City for the final three games of the regular season starting Tuesday night.

Godzilla Invades Staten Island, Participates In BP Session

2006-09-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -Godzilla invaded Staten Island. Well not literally. But rehabbing Yankee left fielder Hideki Matsui took part in a full batting practice session with the Baby Bombers at Richmond County Ball Park on Labor Day.

Due to his early arrival, gates opened at a special time of 3 PM for any fan who purchased a ticket to take in Matsui's hacks along with the rest of the McNamara Division-leading Staten Island Yankees, who later went on to edge Oneonta 3-2 to improve to 43-28.

The two-time All Star has been out since May 11 with a broken left wrist, which was suffered on an attempted diving catch against Boston. Before the injury, the 32 year-old Japanese star hadn't missed a game with the Yankees in three-plus years and had produced three consecutive 100 RBI seasons- becoming a reliable offense source.

Attempting to comeback from a serious injury, Matsui swung the bat well in the cage and took his first big step back.

"I felt fine. I hit pretty well," Matsui said at a conference call before about 20 reporters including a vast majority from back home who follow him all year long.

In particular, he was impressed with the ballpark's surroundings along with the spectators who came out to check out the slugger's BP.

"I'm very happy. It's a nice ballpark. Great view. And fans also came early to watch me. It was nice."

As for where he felt he was after his first session, Matsui definitely felt optimistic about getting close to finally returning in Pinstripes after a three and a half layoff.

"I wouldn't say it's perfect but I think I'm getting there little by little working my way up there."

Matsui is scheduled to take part in another BP session Tuesday in St. George before joining Double A Trenton Wednesday for a playoff game.

If all continues to go well, he should be back in the Bronx soon.

Agassi Takes Final Bow In Emotional Third Round Loss To Becker

2006-09-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

It had to end some time. Andre Agassi's brilliant 20-year tennis career came to an end Sunday when a kid by the name of Becker from Germany did what Marcos Baghdatis couldn't four days earlier in a memorable second round match. He became the answer to a trivia question and beat the New York crowd favorite in front of over 20,000 screaming fans in four hard fought sets, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5 in front of an emotional Ashe Stadium Sunday.

While it wasn't the same Becker who won several slams over a similar storied career, the 112th ranked qualifier Benjamin was good and tough enough to finish off the 36 year-old tennis legend who won two U.S. Opens five years apart ('94, 99) and took home eight slams including the 1999 French Open to become only the fifth man to ever complete the Career Grand Slam.

But all that didn't matter when a back which has given him way too much pain and discomfort the past year along with Becker were too much to overcome during what turned out to be his final tennis match.

Despite a noticeable limp after three anti-inflammatory injections, Agassi didn't go out with a wimper. Instead, even when he wasn't close to 100 percent, the former rebel made his 11-year younger opponent earn the win in four competitive sets. Though he fell short, he could take solace knowing that Becker needed every one of his 27 aces and 82 winners to pull it off and advance to a Round of 16 match-up against Andy Roddick Monday.

When Becker had completed the victory, that's when the real emotions came out for Agassi, his adoring legions of supporters and even his conqueror himself.

"The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what it is I've found," a teary Agassi informed the ultrasupportive crowd during a moving postmatch interview with CBS' Mary Joe Fernandez. "Over the last 21 years, I've found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I have found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed sometimes even in my lowest moments."

"It was a tough moment, an emotional moment for me, too," Becker told the AP. "I was happy, obviously. At the same time, I was sad."

It concluded 21 consecutive years at The Open of what once was a teenager with long bleached blonde hair and denim shorts who was every bit the rebel he portrayed in those Minolta Image Is Everything promos. But something unique happened to that person. He grew up before our eyes and developed into a clean shaven baldheaded man who personified everything good about the sport- erasing his image of not being the hardest worker by morphing into the ultimate professional who never took a point off or ever gave up. Most importantly, he's donated tons to charity and opened up his own Academy for troubled kids back home. That kind of generosity along with being so media and fan friendly is what's made him mean so much to not just tennis but life.

After making a special run to the final here last year before falling to Roger Federer in four sets, Agassi had nothing more to prove. But despite a back which continued to get worse, forcing him to miss the Australian and French Open and only take part in seven tournaments including Wimbledon where he fell to Rafael Nadal the same round, the Las Vegas native wanted this to be his final tournament before calling it a career and finally settling down with Grand Slam women's champion and wife Steffi Graf along with their kids.

All for the four minute emotional standing tribute from everyone at Ashe in the biggest city. Worth its weight in gold.

"It felt amazing. Nothing I've ever experienced before. I was overwhelmed with how they embraced me at the end," Agassi later expressed of the "Thank You Andre" chants he received and thunderous cheers from so many when he walked off the court for the final time. "They saw me through my career. They've seen me through this, as well."

Does that sound like a man who was in so much pain that he could barely stand? Instead, he leaves the game with no regrets despite the extreme lengths he went just to be out there for three matches when most normal players would've just given up. But not Agassi.

"If I wanted to quit, I would have done that a long time ago," he explained. "I didn't come here to quit...I just credit the doctors that I was able to get out there today. It's been such a day-by-day battle. Sure enough, it was real early where I wasn't feeling so good. That all doesn't matter anymore."

Maybe not. But nobody will soon forget what he brought to tennis. The eight slams. The 60 career titles. 870 wins. The inside out textbook groundstrokes which changed the way the game was played. The best return of serve arguably ever. And of course, the showman-like traditional four bows which became Agassi's trademark. All that along with the unforgettable rivalry against Pete Sampras to the memorable epic quarterfinal against James Blake last year. To his final two wins just to reach the third round.

"I'm going to wake up tomorrow and start with not caring how I feel. That's going to feel great."

Perhaps Roddick put it best.

"Every person in the draw, with the exception of if you're 33 years old, probably idolized Andre at some point," he said. "It's got to be similar to what the NBA rookies were like playing (Michael) Jordan in his last year. I mean, he's just revolutionized the sport...He's irreplaceable."

Roddick Prevails In Five: While Sunday turned out to be his idol's final match, Roddick needed five sets to advance to a fourth round meeting against Becker on Labor Day. The ninth seeded 24 year-old American eliminated fiesty Spaniard Fernando Verdasco (22) 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2.

Also easily moving into the Round of 16 was top seed and two-time defending champ Roger Federer, who posted a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 victory over American Vince Spadea at Louis Armstrong Stadium. He'll next face Frenchman Marc Gicquel after he knocked out 21st seed Argentine Gaston Gaudio 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3).

Andy Murray and Nikolay Davydenko also setup a fourth round encounter. Murray (17) cameback to beat 10th seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 while seventh seeded Davydenko handled Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 6-1, 6-1.

Former 2001 winner Lleyton Hewitt (15) moved into the Round of 16 with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Novak Djokovic (20). He'll next face Frenchman Richard Gasquet. The 25th seed defeated Marco Chiudinelli 7-6 (2), 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2).

Second seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal cruised into the fourth round with a 6-4, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) win over Wesley Moodie. He'll next face Czech Jiri Novak, who eliminated Xavier Malisse in four sets 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Also into the Round of 16 were Tommy Robredo (6), Tomas Berdych (12) and Mikhail Youzhny, who upset David Ferrer (11) in four sets 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.

Meanwhile, fifth seeded American James Blake needed four sets to eliminate Spaniard Carlos Moya 6-4, 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3. He'll next face Berdych.

In men's second round action, former 2000 champ Marat Safin upset fourth seeded Argentine David Nalbandian 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 7-6 (6). He'll next face Olivier Rochus after the 26th seeded Belgian went five before beating American Ryan Sweeting 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Serena Sets Up Round of 16 Clash With Mauresmo: Highlighting the women's action was unseeded two-time champion Serena Williams ousting 16th seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 6-4 to setup an intriguing Round of 16 match against top seed Amelie Mauresmo. Mauresmo also advanced but needed three sets to eliminate Italian Mara Santangelo 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

Also into the fourth round was third seeded Russian Maria Sharapova after a routine 6-3, 6-2 victory over countrywoman Elena Likhovtseva (32). She'll next face China's Li Na after the 24th seed cameback to beat 2005 runner-up Mary Pierce (13) 4-6, 6-0, 6-0.

Former 1998 champ American Lindsay Davenport (10) advanced in three close sets over Katarina Srebotnik (22) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5). She'll next meet seventh seeded Swiss Patty Schnyder, who eliminated Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli (26) 0-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Meanwhile, Frenchwoman Tatiana Golovin (27) knocked off fifth seeded Russian Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-3. She'll play Russian Anna Chakvetadze (23), who defeated Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-3.

Also reaching a fourth round meeting were Dinara Safina and Virginie Razzano. Safina (12) ousted Jarmila Gajdosova 6-3, 6-0 while Razzano, who upset Martina Hingis a round earlier continued her run by besting Kaja Kanepi 7-5, 6-2.

Baby Bombers Shutout Oneonta In Second Game, Split Doubleheader

2006-09-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -The timing couldn't have been better. After dropping the first game of a doubleheader 4-2 to lose their fourth in five to give red hot second place Aberdeen life, the Baby Bombers bounced back to take the second game 5-0 over Oneonta (37-33) before 2,879 at Richmond County Ball Park Sunday night.

Tim Norton along with ace relievers Jonathan Hovis and Nick Peterson combined on a seven inning three-hit shutout to get Staten Island (42-28) back on track. The victory kept them 2.5 ahead of Aberdeen, who won their fifth straight over Vermont Lake to improve to 40-31 and make this final week interesting. A week prior, a crucial game between the Bombers and IronBirds was rained out. Now, it could mean something if Staten Island doesn't take care of business, which is why getting the second game meant so much.

"Big time," said skipper Gaylen Pitts. "Aberdeen's playing like they're not going to lose the rest of the year...If we take care of business, we're alright. If we don't, we're going to be struggling but that was a big time performance by Norton after we lose the first one. Step up and set the tone that second game."

"It was good to bounceback in the second game of the doubleheader. We were a little sluggish the first game. Everybody looked kind of tired. It seems like we played better in the second game," first baseman Kevin Smith said after smashing a two-run home run to deep right in the eighth for the final margin and erase any doubts.

With the game scoreless in the fifth, the Bombers mounted a two out rally and pushed across two. After Wilkins De La Rosa walked, he advanced to third on a Seth Fortenberry single to right and came around to score on Brennan Boesch's throwing error. Mitch Hilligoss followed with a sharp single to left to plate the second run.

Sailing along through the first five, Norton (3-3) ran into trouble in the sixth by walking two of the first three batters before departing. Hovis came in and got the next two hitters to ground out to Hilligoss to end the threat.

"The job there is to come in and get a double play ball. Get ground balls and limit the damage in the inning," Hovis said. "I threw a couple of sinkers and got them to roll over it and we got out of there without giving up a run."

Staten Island tacked on three in the sixth. Again benefiting slightly from an error, they made the Tigers pay. After Wilmer Pino singled and stole second with one out, Tim O'Brien's routine grounder was booted by shortstop Scott Sizemore which allowed Pino to score. After new Oneonta reliever Chris Krawczyk fanned Jose Gil, the first pitch he delivered to Smith was tattooed into the water to make it 5-0.

"It's good cause I haven't had that all year," Smith pointed out about his first dinger at St. George. The other came on the road earlier this season. "It's good to finally start hitting some home runs. Everybody's been putting the effort in all year and been doing a good job."

"[Krawcyk] gave me a change up and one of the guys who played with him told me and said he likes to throw the change up a lot. So I went up there and I got a change up. It was just lucky I guess."

"They're all big now," Pitts added. "I told the team from Day One if we're good enough to still be standing at the end, then we'll go onto the next level. If we're not good enough, we'll go home."

"If we take care of business, we're going to be fine."

Notes: In the first game, a Deik Scram RBI single scored Louis Ott to break a 2-2 tie in the fifth and spark the Tigers to a 4-2 win- making a winner of reliever Randor Bierd (4-0). In a losing effort, George Kontos went six allowing three earned runs while striking out five to fall to 7-3 and suffer the hardluck defeat. ... With yesterday's rainout being made up, both games were played over seven instead of the full nine. The first game took two hours and 12 minutes while the second needed just two hours to complete. ... Rehabbing Yankee left fielder Hideki Matsui will be participating in batting practice the next two days with gates opening at a special time of 3 PM on Labor Day. ... Baby Bombers conclude three-game set with Tigers Tuesday night before finishing with three against Tri-City at St. George.

Federer Pulls Off New Trick, Straight Sets Henman

2006-09-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

They don't call him The Maestro for nothing. Roger Federer continued to dominate in Friday's day session at the U.S. Open by defeating Tim Henman in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 to move into the third round. The 25 year-old Swiss world number one is attempting to become the first man to three-peat in Flushing since Ivan Lendl (1985-87).

Though it was business as usual for the eight-time slam winner, he went to his new bag of tricks to unveil a shot that even had his opponent laughing and the capacity Ashe Stadium crowd stirring. During the middle of a point in the second set, Federer hit a ball between his legs surprising Henman, who volleyed it before the Open favorite ripped a backhand winner up the line to take the point. Both players managed to have a chuckle over it.

But ultimately, it was another win for Federer in the end.

"Rarely do you try this type of shot in a match," he explained to the AP. "In practice, it happens all the time. But to come and pull it off on center court, you have to make sure you're not doing something totally stupid or you don't look like an idiot."

"There's not a lot you can say at that stage, apart from laugh," a defeated Henman said.

And who could disagree at this point?

While Federer was doing his part to make the third round, fifth seeded American James Blake unveiled a surprise of his own by taking the court in an old Andre Agassi outfit from 1990 which included a bright pink shirt along with a white bandana. The atire didn't affect the affable Yonkers native's play one bit as he cruised to a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over Teimuraz Gabashvili.

"I just wanted to do it once," Blake said paying homage to his hero who got the best of him in an epic five set quarterfinal here last year. "I know Andre, how he probably doesn't want a ton of fanfare. Andre knows we all do care about him, we all appreciate everything he's done. I think the statement was made. Now it's back to business at hand."

"I wanted to do something just to show kind of how much he's meant to the sport. I'm happy it came on a day after that unbelievable night match last night when everyone has him, for sure, at the front of their minds," Blake pointed out.

"We're looking at his section of the draw, see when he plays next. That's the match we want to stay home for and maybe miss dinner for."

The bigger question at this point is how much the retiring 36 year-old two-time Open champion will have left in the tank when he takes the court for his third round match against German qualifier Benjamin Becker.

A day after another grinding win which had plenty of players and fans talking, Agassi didn't practice today and was given an anti-inflammatory injection for his stiff back in hopes that he could recover in time for what's scheduled to be a night match Saturday. However, with rain washing away tonight's night session which included Lindsay Davenport and a match between David Nalbandian and former Open winner Marat Safin, it's uncertain when Agassi could take the court. It's expected to rain most of Saturday which could cancel the entire Day Six session.

An extra day of rest could be what the doctor ordered for Agassi but also, if he were to advance to the Round of 16 where he could meet Andy Roddick, it would mean possibly having to go back-to-back days.

Also advancing to Round 3 was 2005 semifinalist Robby Ginepri. The 18th seeded American easily defeated Paul Goldstein 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 to setup an intriguing third round match against 14th seeded German Tommy Haas. Haas was a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 winner over Raemon Sluiter.

Setting up another interesting third round clash was Fernando Gonzalez and Andy Murray. The 10th seeded Gonzalez eliminated Jan Hajek 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 while the 17th seeded Murray easily dispatched of Alessio Di Mauro 6-0, 6-1, 6-1.

Also advancing was seventh seeded Nikolay Davydenko 6-0 over Nicolas Mahut before he retired. Tomas Berdych (12) was a four set winner over Florian Mayer 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

There were two upsets. American Vince Spadea took out veteran Jonas Bjorkman (29) 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-2 and Frenchman Marc Gicquel ousted Juan Carlos Ferrero (16) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

Other men who made it to Round 3 included Gaston Gaudio (21), Dmitry Tursunov (23), Carlos Moya and Lukasz Kubot.

Henin-Hardenne Comes Back To Win In Three: Justine Henin-Hardenne had a bit of a scare but woke up in time unlike Martina Hingis to comeback and beat Ai Sugiyama (28) in three sets 4-6, 6-1, 6-0.

The second seeded Belgian who is one of the favorites jumped out to a doublebreak 4-1 lead in the opening set but then had trouble with her fiesty opponent and the windy conditions and suddenly dropped the final five games to lose the set before digging deep to take 12 of the final 13 games and move into a Round of 16 match-up against Israel's Shahar Peer.

"I didn't have the feeling that I was moving well at the time, and I lost a little bit my intensity," Henin-Hardenne admitted to reporters afterwards. "The conditions were pretty difficult. When I lost the first set, I understood I had no more choice than winning the next two, and so to be very focused on every point. Then I played very, very solid tennis at that time."

Meanwhile, Peer (21) ousted 14th seeded Francesca Schiavone in three tough sets 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3).

Also moving into the Round of 16 was 2004 runner-up Elena Dementieva. The 24 year-old fourth seeded Russian posted a 7-5, 6-3 victory over countrywoman Vera Zvonareva (33) to setup a fourth round match against Aravane Rezai. The Frenchwoman upset Russian Maria Kirilenko (20) 6-3, 6-1.

Two other women who advanced to a fourth round showdown were 2004 winner Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Jankovic. The sixth seeded Kuznetsova easily took care of countrywoman Anastassia Rodionova 6-3, 6-0. She'll next face 19th seeded Serbian Jankovic, who cameback from a set down to upset 17 year-old ninth seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

Third round women's action continues Saturday weather permitting and features unseeded American Serena Williams taking on Ana Ivanovic (16). Davenport (10) also has to play Katarina Srebotnik (22) and Patty Schnyder (7) and Marion Bartoli (26) will also try to get their postponed match in.

Agassi Outlasts Baghdatis In Five Set Classic, Career Survives One More Night

2006-08-31T16:44:00.000-07:00

We've seen this movie script before. Maybe that's how Andre Agassi likes it. After coming back to beat Andrei Pavel in a four set three and a half hour epic Monday, the two-time 36 year-old U.S. Open champion upset eighth seeded Marcos Baghdatis in an even better five set encore 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5 before over 23,000 screaming fans at Ashe Stadium Thursday night. The retiring Agassi lived for another night.

In an unpredictable match which also lasted three hours and forty eight minutes, Agassi prevailed over the 21 year-old Baghdatis, who was a runner-up at the Australian Open and a semifinalist at Wimbledon earlier this year.

A couple of days after receiving a cortisone shot just so he could walk out onto the court without limping, Agassi continued to defy logic by playing the electric brand of tennis that's made him such a fan favorite.

Slugging it out from the baseline with his opponent who was 15 years younger, the eight-time slam winner got the better of the points early on. After each player held serve for three all in the first set, it was Agassi that got the first break of the match in the seventh game. He was able to hold twice more and took the set when Baghdatis netted a shot leaving the 21-year Open veteran to pump his fist.

The second set was virtually identical. Both players once again held for three apiece but when Baghdatis served for 4-3, a funny thing happened as Agassi once again pounced to break the Cypriot. After each player held for 5-4, he served out the set to own the first two.

But Baghdatis wasn't ready to go home early. Instead, he fought back hard in the third set to reclaim the momentum. When an Agassi backhand missed just wide, he finally had broken. Serving for it at 5-3 would prove to be tougher than it looked. After he setup three set points, Agassi saved each to force a Deuce before Baghdatis served one of his 23 aces to reach his fourth set point. When another Agassi groundstroke narrowly missed, the Cypriot emphatically shouted and pumped his fist to his corner. He finally had life.

But if he thought he had the momentum, Agassi quickly erased it with consecutive breaks to jump out to a two break 4-0 lead. Ironically, in his first round win over Pavel, Agassi fought back from the same deficit to comeback and take a crucial third set tiebreak. This time, Baghdatis turned the tables on his older foe and mounted one of the best comebacks by breaking him three times in four service games to miraculously fight back and square the match at two sets apiece.

Playing more aggressively and mixing an array of drop shots with depth groundstrokes, the Cypriot took four straight games before Agassi held for 5-4. After leveling it at five, he connected with a backhand winner smack on the line to suddenly surge ahead 6-5. When he served out the set, the fiery Baghdatis pointed to his heart and looked at his corner.

At the beginning of the final set, the Ashe Stadium crowd which earlier did the wave in the second set during a Baghdatis service game which drew a smile this time went into a "Let's Go Andre" chant.

But when their hero dropped serve in the opening game of the fifth set and slowly walked to his chair, it looked like it very well could be the final chapter of his storybook career.

"Would I have been disappointed if I had lost? Sure," Agassi admitted later to the AP. "But at the same time, how can you be disappointed when it's all sort of surreal?"

However, in a set which had more twists and turns in it than a rollercoaster, Baghdatis who earlier had injured his wrist began to cramp and needed to be treated by a trainer before the second game. A few minutes after they returned on court, Agassi immediately broke his cramping opponent to get back on serve. When Baghdatis lunged for a half volley and netted it, it was one all and the popular American pumped his fist and looked at his box.

Even with both players looking weary, each courageously held serve until a wild ninth game which featured eight deuces, four break points and an even more hurting Baghdatis. With the match even two sets and four all, the tiring Cypriot suddenly pulled up during a point. Already treated for a cramp earlier in the set, he couldn't be seen until the remarkable game concluded.

Continuing to stretch it out before returning serve, he showed tremendous heart by setting up a couple of break points with clean return winners. But everytime it looked like the injured player would somehow break to get within a game of serving it out, Agassi did just enough to save all four break chances and finally escaped the lengthy game when Baghdatis committed one of his 86 unforced errors. By comparison, Agassi made just 47 for the entire match. While he made a ton more errors, Baghdatis also finished with 49 more winners than Agassi- 83-34.

Still in pain, somehow with his back to the wall, Baghdatis managed to hold for five all and stay alive. When he hit a clean forehand winner during an extended point on the full run, he screamed in delight much to the pro-Agassi crowd's dismay as some even booed the player who wouldn't give up.

"I just wanted to fight," Baghdatis told USA Network's John McEnroe in a postmatch interview afterwards. "I wanted to stay on the court. I'll do anything to win."

After Agassi held in more conventional fashion for 6-5, he finally reached match point on Baghdatis' serve. When Baghdatis sent a backhand five feet long, the hard fought victory was finally his in what had become another memorable match they won't soon forget at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Just as Agassi and James Blake had done after a similar five set epic last year, the two competitors warmly embraced at the net before a thunderous ovation.

But just as he had done last year, it was the elder Agassi who had won the battle of attrition and took in another fitting tribute from over 23,000 still standing and cheering at almost 1 AM.

"Tonight has been another example of moments you're not guaranteed," he appropriately admitted to McEnroe after Baghdatis had earlier wished him luck the rest of the way.

How right he was. For one more day, he had survived once more. Now he'll next "face a B. Becker from Germany," McEnroe jokingly remarked in the third round with a possible Round of 16 showdown with just turned 24 year-old American Andy Roddick awaiting. No. Not that Becker. It's qualifier Benjamin Becker who yesterday advanced by knocking out Sebastien Grosjean (30) in straight sets 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-2.

For one more day at least, Agassi has another match Saturday night. Will it continue to produce a similar result? Just wait and see.

While the latest Agassi triumph highlighted Day Four on the men's side, second seeded Rafael Nadal also advanced in four sets over Luis Horna 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Other seeded winners included Tommy Robredo (6), David Ferrer (11), Lleyton Hewitt (15), Novak Djokovic (20), Fernando Verdasco (22) and Richard Gasquet (25).

Meanwhile, 27th seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils fell in four sets to Wesley Moodie 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4).

Hingis Upset: On the women's side, former 1997 Open champ Martin Hingis' return to New York wasn't pleasant.

Making her first appearance in four years and a day removed from a tough three set opening round win over Peng Shuai, Hingis struggled to find the range in a straight sets loss to Virginie Razzano 6-2, 6-4 to sustain her quickest Open exit ever.

Unable to hold serve and outslugged from the baseline, Hingis never was able to recover from a tough first set which saw her hold serve just once. When Razzano jumped out to a doublebreak 4-0 second set lead, the writing was on the wall. Though Hingis fought back to pull within 4-5, Razzano served it out the second time to eliminate the popular former Swiss world No. 1.

"I think after yesterday I didn't have much more to give," Hingis admitted. "Yesterday, I was able to dig in deep, and today, you know, [Razzano] had a better answer.

"I mean, we have to say definitely she played a great match. She was very solid from both sides. There wasn't much I could do sometimes."

While it wasn't a good day for Hingis, 2005 runner-up Mary Pierce (13) moved into Round 3 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Eva Birnerova.

Also advancing to a third round showdown with unseeded American Serena Williams was 16th seeded Ana Ivanovic. Ironically, the Serbian fought back similarly to how Williams did against Daniela Hantuchova and posted an identical 7-5, 6-3 comeback victory over Aiko Nakamura. Like Williams, Ivanovic crawled out of a break hole in which her opponent served for the first set before taking control. It should setup an intriguing third round match in two days.

Unseeded Serena Advances Into Third Round

2006-08-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

She might be unseeded but Serena Williams served notice in an impressive second round win over 17th seeded Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 6-3 at Ashe Stadium Thursday.

Having entered just her fourth tournament of the season due to a barrage of injuries, the two-time former U.S. Open champion looked in solid form avenging an Australian Open straight set loss in the same round to Hantuchova back in January.

But early on, Hantuchova jumped up an early break with some splendid hitting from the baseline to go ahead 3-0. Serving well and taking control of points early, it looked like she would take the first set from Williams. But trailing 2-5, the 24 year-old American raised her level and took five unanswered games to comeback and claim the set.

"Was I down 5-2? I didn't even know it," she told USA Network's Michael Barkann during a postmatch interview. "I just started focusing. She was doing everything right."

After holding for 3-5 to stay alive, she took advantage of a loose ninth game by her opponent. In it, Hantuchova made four unforced errors, including two missed drop shots and two costly double faults which put the set back on serve.

Given new life, Williams quickly held for five apiece. Starting to play more aggressively, she setup two break points in the 11th game. After Hantuchova saved one with a forehand winner, the 23 year-old Slovak served another untimely double to give Serena her second consecutive break for 6-5.

With another steady hold, the seven-time slam winner finished off the set in style with a forehand winner down the line.

Continuing to play well, Williams went up an early break in the second before cruising to the straight set triumph with her fourth break of the match when a Hantuchova shot sailed long.

The road probably won't get any easier as she'll most likely play 16th seeded Ana Ivanovic next. Ivanovic was a set up on Japan's Aiko Nakamura in the second round.

In other second round women's action, third seeded Russian Maria Sharapova advanced easily with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Emelie Loit. She'll next take on countrywoman Elena Likhovtseva (32), who moved into Round 3 with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Nicole Pratt.

Meanwhile, 10th seeded American Lindsay Davenport cruised over Jelena Kostanic 6-0, 6-0.

"Some days, everything just seems to be working," she expressed to the AP afterwards. "These days don't happen that often, so you have to be happy when they come your way."

The former 1998 Open champ will next face 22nd seeded Katarina Srebotnik after she eliminated Ekaterina Bychkova in three sets 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

Also moving into the third round was former 2003 winner Justine Henin-Hardenne. The second seeded Belgian ousted American teenager Vania King 6-1, 6-2 to setup a match against Japan's Ai Sugiyama (28), who was a three set victor over Tathiana Garbin 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-2.

Former 2004 runner-up Elena Dementieva setup an all Russian third round with Vera Zvonareva. The fourth seed eliminated Emma Laine 6-4, 6-0 while Zvonareva (33) defeated American Jill Craybas 6-3, 7-5.

Top seeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo also was victorious over American Meghann Shaughnessy 6-4, 6-3. The match was much closer than the score would indicate. A highly entertaining affair, both players traded heavy groundstrokes from the baseline during some extended rallies. The difference was that rating Australian and Wimbledon champion Mauresmo saved 11 of 12 break points.

It was enough to carry her into a third round match-up against Mara Santangelo, who earlier got the better of Sybille Bammer 6-3, 6-1.

Other Round 2 seeded women's winners included Nadia Petrova (5), Svetlana Kuznetsova (6), Patty Schnyder (7), Nicole Vaidisova (9), Dinara Safina (12), Francesca Schiavone (14), Jelena Jankovic (19), Maria Kirilenko (20), Shahar Peer (21), Anna Chakvetadze (23), Li Na (24), Marion Bartoli (26) and Tatiana Golovin (27).

Agassi Extends Career With Comeback Win Over Pavel

2006-08-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Andre Agassi wasn't ready to call it a career. In his final grand slam event, the two-time U.S. Open champion showed nerves of steel in a hard fought four set comeback victory over Andrei Pavel 6-7 (4), 7-6 (8), 7-6 (6), 6-2 before an electric capacity Ashe Stadium crowd Monday night.

In fact, the 23,736 who attended became the largest audience to ever attend an Open night session which also featured a special ceremony honoring tennis legend Billie Jean King in the renaming of the National Tennis Center for her. The prematch ceremony featured guest speakers John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert.

In a well played first round match which saw each player exchange heavy groundstrokes from the baseline during long rallies, it took three and a half hours just for the 36 year-old Agassi to move into an even tougher second round match with eighth seeded Marcos Baghdatis. The Australian Open runner-up was a 7-6 (1), 7-6 (7), 6-3 winner over German Alexander Waske.

"You want it to be everything you hope it is," Agassi told the AP. "It was perfect."

After he dropped the opening set tiebreak and was deep into another seesaw breaker in the second, it looked like it would be anything but. But the eight-time slam winner fought through to post a 10-8 tiebreak, squaring the match to the crowd's delight after Pavel pushed a backhand long. A giddy Agassi pumped his fist and then hopped and skipped back to the court for an unpredictable third set.

Just as quickly as he regained the momentum, suddenly the veteran who was appearing in his 21st successive Open had lost it and fell behind two breaks to a rejuvenated Pavel. With the set seeming over after Pavel held for 4-0, Agassi changed rackets before getting a crucial service hold to get on the board.

Shortly after, a cramping Pavel was visited by a trainer. Suddenly with not as much zip on his serve and not moving as fluidly, he let Agassi back in the set. In a role reversal, the Las Vegas native broke twice and held to reel off five consecutive games and pull within one of going up a set. But his fiesty opponent wouldn't fold. Instead, the 32 year-old who hadn't played a hard court match since March held twice to stay alive and force a third straight tiebreak which proved pivotal.

In it, Agassi seemed in control up a minibreak. When he reached 6-3 to setup three set points, it looked like he would roll. But instead, Pavel held his serve twice and then struck a perfect backhand return winner down the line on an Agassi second serve to fight off all three and level it at six.

But Agassi took his next service point to setup a fourth set point. Similar to how he closed out James Blake in that epic five set quarterfinal last year, the gutsy American went for broke on a Pavel second serve, ripping a perfect inside out forehand winner crosscourt out of his opponent's reach to capture the set.

"It was a really tough match," Pavel admitted. "In the end, I was tired. I run left and right, and he did the same. He's still one of the fittest guy on tour. He's amazing."

That seemed to take the fight out of his winded opponent. The fourth set would prove to be easier for Agassi, who cruised to a doublebreak victory and then took his traditional four bows to an excited crowd which gave him the kind of overwhelming support which was expected.

"He's the man right now," Pavel said. "I wish him well. I hope he can go all the way. He deserves it."

"I want to be here real bad, for the whole two weeks," Agassi told USA's John McEnroe during a postmatch interview to a thunderous ovation. "I really want to leave my best stuff on the court...I'm very proud of this day, and I'm glad it gets to happen again."

While Agassi was victorious, earlier on Day One, ninth seeded American Andy Roddick continued to impress under the tutelage of Connors with an easy straight sets win over Florent Serra 6-2, 6-1, 6-3. The former 2003 Open winner mixed in some different serves and even served and volleyed effectively en route to erasing the memories of last year's first round disappointment against Gilles Muller.

"I'm really, really confident right now," Roddick said. "It felt clean."

Other seeded men's winners included Tommy Robredo (6), David Ferrer (11), Novak Djokovic (20), Richard Gasquet (25),

In one big upset, third seeded Croat Ivan Ljubicic fell in straight sets to Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 3-6, 3-6, 3-6.

Also eliminated on Day One were Jarkko Nieminen (13), Dominik Hrbaty (19), Jose Acasuso (24) and Juan Ignacio Chela (31).

On the women's side, seeded winners who moved into Round 2 included American Lindsay Davenport. The 10th seed posted a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Czech Klara Zakopalova.

Also into the second round were Justin Henin-Hardenne (2), Elena Dementieva (4), Svetlana Kuznetsova (6), Patty Schnyder (7), Nicole Vaidisova (9), Francesca Schiavone (14), Jelena Jankovic (19), Maria Kirilenko (20), Shahar Peer (21), Katarina Srebotnik (22), Marion Bartoli (26), Ai Sugiyama (28), Jie Zheng (29) and Vera Zvonareva (33).

Anna-Lena Groenefeld (15) fell to Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai in three sets 2-6, 6-0, 6-4.

Baby Bombers Edge Cyclones, Close In On Division

2006-08-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -A couple of hits were enough for Staten Island (40-24) to move a step closer to clinching the McNamara Division. That's precisely what happened in their 1-0 shutout of Brooklyn (34-30) before an energized crowd of 4,641 at Richmond County Ball Park Monday night.

The victory pulled them six clear of the Cyclones, who slipped to third place a half game behind Aberdeen. It also reduced their magic number for clinching the division to six.

"About as tight as it gets. Quick game," skipper Gaylen Pitts remarked of the well pitched game which lasted only two hours and 18 minutes. "We don't get too many of those...A good game to watch. A good game for TV."

In a classic pitcher's duel, the Baby Bombers got the only two hits they needed in the home seventh to make a hardluck loser out of Nelson Portillo (3-4). Portillo no-hit them for the first 6.2 innings but the Cyclones couldn't get him a lead thanks in large part to Staten Island's George Kontos. The righthander matched zeroes with Portillo, tossing 6.2 innings of scoreless ball while allowing five hits and fanning six to get a no decision.

"You know, it's real tough," Kontos said. "Everyone's putting up zeroes. I'm throwing well. He's throwing well. The whole year, I've been lucky enough to have them give me some run support. They've picked me up all year. So I tried to battle and keep us in the game."

"Definitely this was a big game after last game where things got a little rowdy and things kind of got out of hand. This was a definitely a good game to set the tone. This is not a joke anymore."

Having had no success at all against Portillo, S.I. finally broke through when first baseman Kyle Larsen singled to left with two outs to knock out the Brooklyn starter. With Portillo gone, Josh De La Torre came on to try to get the last out of the inning. Instead, the Bombers caught a little break when Colin Curtis' double was misplayed by Brooklyn right fielder Jesus Gamero which scored Larsen all the way from first for the game's only run.

"That was a tough one," Larsen said. "[Portillo] pitched a great game. My hat's off to that guy. Six and two thirds without giving up a hit. That's tremendous. To come up with the win is exciting."

"Whenever George pitches, it seems like we're always in the game," he added. "He's done a tremendous job this year. Definitely when we're not hitting, it motivates you. You know you have a shot to win."

The one run held up thanks to splendid relief work from the combo of Justin Keadle (1.1 scoreless) and Nick Peterson, who worked around a two out walk in the ninth to close it out for his 14th save.

Notes: Baby Bombers finish up the regular season series with the Cyclones later tonight at Key Span Park as part of a four-game road trip with a three-game stop at Lowell. They've won the last four against Brooklyn and lead the series 9-4. ... Staten Island improved to a league best 21-10 at home. They return to St. George Saturday to host Oneonta as part of a six-game homestand which concludes the regular season.

U.S. Open Set To Kick Off Monday, Federer Aims For Three-Peat While Sharapova Goes For First

2006-08-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

In a year where Andre Agassi will finally call it a career, the storylines for the 2006 U.S. Open couldn't be more different for the two fields.

While Agassi will try to give New Yorkers one last thrill, men's world number one Roger Federer is aiming for a three-peat. The recently turned 25 year-old Swiss Maestro has continued to be the most dominant player in the game- having captured two more slams (Australian, Wimbledon) and fallen to Rafael Nadal at the French Open final.

That's now eight for his career which is starting to rival career slam holder Pete Sampras. If Federer can capture his third U.S. Open in a row, he'll be only five short of Sampras' record 14. The last man to win three straight in New York was Ivan Lendl (1985-87).

Standing in his path could be a familiar rival in Andy Roddick. After struggling for much of the season, the ninth seeded American has hit his stride by making one final this summer and winning in Cincinnati recently to capture his first title of the year. Coached by his brother John, Roddick has also been working with former U.S. Open favorite Jimmy Connors. There has been a marked improvement in his game.

"They've only been working together this summer, but I've already seen huge strides in Andy's game," CBS analyst Patrick McEnroe recently said.

"His first tournament in Indianapolis he made the final there, lost in a great match to James Blake, and then Andy was injured for a couple of weeks and came back in Cincinnati and after a first round scare he played as well as I've seen him play in a while. He seems to be playing more aggressively. He's stepping into the court a lot more, trying to return a little bigger off second serves, come into net a lot more. His mindset is very positive, and I think Jimmy has had a huge impact there, sort of positive reinforcement."

If Roddick could go on and win here, it would be similar to his run three years ago which resulted in his only slam with a straight set conquest over Juan Carlos Ferrero.

While familiar names are expected to compete for the men's title, the women's field will be without defending champion Kim Clijsters. The second ranked Belgian suffered a wrist injury at a tournament in Montreal which forced her to withdraw.

With her absent from the field, it leaves a wide open draw with a potential new winner about to emerge. The question becomes who will step up? Maria Sharapova certainly could add a second major if she plays to form. Her draw isn't too tough and it could be a perfect opportunity for the 19 year-old Russian to capture her first slam since a surprising 2004 Wimbledon at the age of 17.

"Sharapova, on form," CBS analyst Mary Joe Fernandez pointed out. "Has played really, really well. Looking at her draw, she's on the top half. I expect her to get through that."

Maybe Czech riser Nicole Vaidisova comes to forefront and makes a push for her first slam. Former finalist Elena Dementieva is always a threat on the hard court but it all depends on if her serve holds up.

Can Australian Open and Wimbledon winner Amelie Mauresmo continue her breakthrough year by adding a third slam as the top seed? If so, she could face comebacking Serena Williams in the Round of 16.

"Serena has played nine matches in her comeback, been in two semis," Fernandez noted. "I like the way she was playing. I think she was still a little rusty, a little match-shy, but I think she was playing, serving well, and she's gonna be a threat."

"She actually looked a lot fitter than the last time I saw her which was in Australia. She was running a lot of balls down. She was actually pretty patient, which was a good sign for me...She's playing a lot better than when we saw her in Australia."

Former winner Lindsay Davenport will also be attempting a comeback but might not come in 100 percent. So it's unclear how far the 10th seed can go.

Or does a former champion from the past a la Svetlana Kuznetsova, Justine Henin-Hardenne or Martina Hingis rise up to add another slam?

That remains to be seen.

Let's pick the final four for each field and see who we like to capture the trophies:

Women's Final Four

(1) Amelie Mauresmo vs (3) Maria Sharapova
(9) Nicole Vaidisova vs (2) Justine Henin-Hardenne

Final: Sharapova vs Henin-Hardenne

2006 Winner: Sharapova

Men's Final Four

(1) Roger Federer vs (17) Andy Murray
(9) Andy Roddick vs (2) Rafael Nadal

Final: Federer vs Roddick

2006 Winner: Federer

Forever A Rebel, Agassi To Finish Storybook Career At Ashe

2006-08-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

It's been much anticipated. Since he announced prior to Wimbledon that the U.S. Open would be his final Grand Slam tournament, Andre Agassi has hardly been able to stay on the court in what amounts to his final summer on the ATP Tour before finally calling it a career here in New York.

It's why despite the aching back which has made the last year of the 36 year-old American's brilliant career tough, the two-time Open champion will get overwhelming support from an emotional crowd when the two week tournament of this year's final slam gets underway Monday.

Always a fan favorite, the charasmatic Agassi has never missed an Open in the 21 years he's entered- making it the only slam he's never pulled out of. From the American Rebel Image is Everything days with the long blonde hair, beard and baggy pants to the clean cut and shaven player who has tranformed over the years into a workman-like player who never gives away a point, New Yorkers have been blessed to watch this tennis great reinvent himself and capture two titles and finish runner-up four times including last year to repeat champion Roger Federer.

In 1994, he became the first unseeded player in 28 years to win the championship over Michael Stich- marking an incredible comeback from wrist surgery and a run which eventually got him to No. 1 in the world and took his rivalry with Pete Sampras to new heights.

"Andre announcing his retirement is truly the end of an era," Sampras said recently. "He was one of the best players I competed against and in turn made me a better player. His longevity and desire to compete at the highest level have been remarkable. He has brought a huge amount to our sport and will be missed."

Five years later, he would capture his second Open when he bested American Todd Martin in five sets. It also was the year he went on to win the French and became only the fifth man to ever win a career Grand Slam. That same year, he also reached the Wimbledon final but fell to archrival Sampras. He would finish the season ranked Number 1.

While he's been a great player on the court who could produce go for broke winners and thrill capacity crowds with his hustle, part of what's made him special is how he's been able to connect with those who come out to see him. Who could forget at the beginning of his special run to last year's final when he admitted to the audience afterwards he was nervous because they took time out of their busy schedules to see him? That kind of understanding has made the Las Vegas native showman very popular. That's why this final tour of duty is going to be something to behold no matter how long it lasts.

"I don't think there's anyone that's meant more in the last 20 years from how [Agassi] grew up as sort of a kid that didn't really- you know, obviously had the great talent in the game, but didn't really have an understanding of the history of the sport and the traditions and what it means," CBS tennis studio analyst Patrick McEnroe said during last week's conference call.

"To then basically be, you know, every time he says something, we all hang on the edge of our seats to hear what he has to say. He's really become the ultimate spokesperson for the game. The players respect him like nobody else. I think everyone in the game does."

That kind of recognition is what's personified Agassi's career. It's why analysts who cover the sport as well as his opponents have the ultimate respect for what he's accomplished.

"We're losing a legend," James Blake admitted of the player who's won 60 career titles and delivered over 800 wins including a memorable quarterfinal comeback last year from two sets down against the current fifth seed.

"Andre transcended tennis. We all owe him a great debt of gratitude for what he's done for the sport. He's left his mark on tennis, but he's also done so much through his foundation and starting a school in Las Vegas that's very inspirational."

For Agassi, it will be tough to duplicate last year's success. If he gets through first round opponent Andrei Pavel, the husband of Steffi Graf will have to deal with fiery Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. The eighth seeded Baghdatis was a surprise Australian Open runner-up and also made the Wimbledon semifinals. With powerful groundstrokes similar to Agassi and plenty of speed, he could prove to be a difficult foe for the American legend if it comes to fruition.

"Baghdatis plays a very similar style to Andre, and that's why I think it's a difficult matchup," McEnroe concluded. "He's very good off both sides. He can take the ball early and go up the line pretty easily. I think Andre likes to play someone at this stage that can't make him move that quickly, and Baghdatis has the ability to take the ball early and make Andre change direction quickly. So I think if Baghdatis is on and healthy and fit, I think that's a very tough match for Andre to win right now."

No matter what, he's impacted so many.

"[Agassi] revolutionized the game," CBS analyst Mary Joe Fernandez noted. "He has brought so much exposure. I just think he's a great person...He's given so much to the sport. For someone that good to be away from the sport, to have the injuries, to start from the bottom, I mean, he started the challenger level to work his way back and really dedicate himself all over again, is so impressive. He's a great role model for everyone of every age."

"You know, watching the video, you get the goosebumps. I can't imagine anyone who's not going to watch every single point of his matches at the US Open. I cannot wait to watch him."

Neither can anyone else.

IronBirds Trip Up Baby Bombers, Halt Home Streak At Six

2006-08-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -It had to end sometime. The Ironbirds came into St. George and halted the Baby Bombers' six-game home winning streak- defeating them by a score of 7-2 before 2,203 at Richmond County Ball Park Saturday night.

It was the Bombers' first home defeat since a 9-6 loss against Lowell back on August 6. Despite the defeat, Staten Island (39-34) still leads second place Brooklyn by five games in the McNamara Division. The Cyclones fell at home to the Renegades 3-1. Combined with the Birds' victory, the Cyclones lead Aberdeen (34-30) by just half a game.

Unable to put together a big inning against Ironbird starter Fernando De Nabal (2-3), the Bombers' best chance came in the fourth when they loaded the bases with one out for Jon Poterson but the DH grounded into a 4-6-3 twin killing to end the threat. De Nabal tossed five scoreless innings before giving way to the pen.

With the game still scoreless, Aberdeen struck first with two runs in the fifth off Staten Island starter Grant Duff (0-1). In his first start since coming over from Charleston, the southpaw who kept the Birds off the scoreboard the first four frames ran out of gas. After putting the first two runners on via a walk and double, he left the game after fanning Danny Figueroa.

Interim manager Carlos Chantres opted to bring in Edgar Omana. But on a full count to Pedro Florimon Jr., the lefty reliever uncorked a wild pitch which scored the first run. A batter later, a Miguel Abreu sac fly put the Birds in front by two.

A two out seventh inning rally by the Birds allowed them to double their lead. After retiring the first two batters, reliever Michael Dunn walked the bases loaded before allowing a two-run single to Kieron Pope.

Lately, the Baby Bombers have made a habit of coming back late. They tried to again with two of their own in the home seventh. With runners on second and third, Seth Fortenberry reached on Pope's error allowing both Jose Gil and Poterson to cross home suddenly cutting it to 4-2. But Mitch Hilligoss grounded out to end it.

After giving up two unearned runs, the Birds responded by taking advantage of three S.I. miscues to push across three unearned of their own and go up by five runs. With two runners on thanks to a Wilmer Pino error and a walk, Florimon Jr. singled in one. After a Fortenberry throwing error moved Florimon to third, he scored on an Abreu RBI fielder's choice to make it 6-2. A Chris Vinyard sac fly concluded the ugly inning.

The margin held up to give Aberdeen the first of the two-game series which concludes Sunday afternoon at St. George.

Notes: The game lasted three hours and 15 minutes. Each team combined for five errors and five unearned runs. ... Duff went 4.1 innings giving up two earned on two hits with four walks and three K's. ... Of the Bombers' six hits, only shortstop Chris Kunda finished with more than one hit going 2-for-4 in a losing effort. ... After concluding the series with Aberdeen, Staten Island will host Brooklyn Monday for the first of a home-and-home. It's the final two times they will meet during the regular season. Bombers' Magic Number to clinch the division is eight.

Baby Bombers Come From Behind To Beat Renegades

2006-08-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY - Last year, the Staten Island Yankees made a habit of coming back late to win games en route to their third NY-Penn League championship. Lately, that's become the trend for this year's squad which sits atop the McNamara Division after another late rally to post a 5-4 victory over the Renegades (25-37) before 2,967 at Richmond County Ball Park Friday night.

"Another close one. Yesterday the same thing," Jon Poterson said after finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI ground rule double in the second which tied the score. "We know when we're down, we know we got a shot no matter what."

A night removed from another late comeback win at Hudson Valley, the Baby Bombers (39-23) pulled another magic rabit out of their hat. After the Renegades pushed three across in the top of the seventh to untie the game, the Bombers immediately responded with a two out rally to tie it.

After the first two batters struck out, left fielder Brian Aragon reached on Hudson Valley shortstop Jairo de la Rosa's error. After Chris Kunda singled, Ben Rulon came in for Jeremy Hellickson and walked Wilkins De La Rosa to load the bases to set the stage for NY-Penn League leading hitter Wilmer Pino. The second baseman delivered with a bases clearing double to tie it. Rulon finally K'd Mitch Hilligoss looking to end the inning.

With the game knotted, pitching coach Carlos Chantres opted to bring in closer Nick Peterson to pitch the eighth. He worked in and out of trouble stranding three before his teammates scratched out the go-ahead run on a Aragon sac fly which scored Colin Curtis.

"In that situation, you just want to put the ball in play," Aragon said. "It was a great win. We had a good crowd and a tie ballgame late in the game, it was good enough to wrap it up."

"The boys battled out there all night long," Chantres said. "We never give up. You got to keep going and swing the bat. [Pino] came up with a clutch hit. That was big for us right there. Tied the game up."

"We never give up. That's what we teach these guys. We play till the last out."

Given a one-run lead, Peterson (4-3) made it stand up by impressively striking out the side to give Staten Island its sixth consecutive home win.

Notes: Chantres managed the team in place of Gaylen Pitts, who was serving a suspension stemming from a recent incident at Brooklyn in which the already ejected skipper cameback out to argue over a third S.I. Yankee batter being plunked in their blowout win. ... In his first start for Staten Island, Angel Reyes went 4.2 innings on one run (unearned), three hits while fanning six. ... The game took three hours and 11 minutes to play. After it was completed, Fireworks were on display and then a special concert was performed as part of Merenge Night. ... Baby Bombers host Aberdeen later tonight.

Hilligoss Enjoying Life In New York, Rivalry With Cyclones

2006-08-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -Mitch Hilligoss continued to impress. The third baseman delivered a walkoff hit with the bases loaded to give the Baby Bombers a 2-1 extra inning victory over their Verrazano rivals the Cyclones Sunday at St. George.

His clutch hit staked the Bombers to a perfect four-game homestand and increased their McNamara Division lead to three games over Brooklyn.

"The rivalry is great," an excited Hilligoss expressed after his second walkoff hit against the Cyclones in 12 days. "The fans love it. It's a big league atmosphere when we play them. It's what I expected. New York Yankees and Mets games or Yankees and Red Sox games- you know the same calibre playing minor league baseball."

One of six Staten Island players to represent them at last Tuesday's All Star Game in Aberdeen, the former University of Purdue star has been one of the ballclub's best players this season. Selected in the sixth round of this past June's MLB Draft, the 21 year-old Windsor Illinois native has made a smooth transition from college to the pros.

After starting the year at shortstop, he's adjusted well to playing at the hot corner. While the versatile Hilligoss has played steady D all season, he's also swung a good bat for the Baby Bombers. Entering tonight's game at Brooklyn, he was hitting .318 with a home run and 31 RBI's. A solid line drive lefty hitter who can drive the ball into the gaps, he takes advantage of what pitchers give him.

Also very disciplined, he's drawn 22 walks to hike his on-base percentage to a team high .390. Also possessing good speed, he's a threat to run and has stolen eight bases while only being caught once.

That kind of overall game is what's helped him have success this summer. He's also enjoyed his first season under first-year skipper Gaylen Pitts.

"[Pitts] is a great guy," the offensive star of the AL's 4-1 recent win over the NL in the NY-Penn League All Star Game said. "He just tells us to go out and have fun and play baseball hard. The way it should be and we've responded and I think we've played well for him."

While he's enjoyed his time on the field, Hilligoss has also had fun off it when he and teammates have gotten a chance to check out New York.

"Actually, we go to Manhattan on our off days," he said. "Sometimes like tonight, we may go when we have time. It's a great place to visit. I don't know how much you want to live here with the people and stuff cause I'm from a small town but I love Manhattan. It's a great place."

While some of his teammates prefer another area, one spot in particular stands out for the first-year player.

"I really like Times Square," he noted. "A lot of the guys like Canal Street because you can get some cheap stuff there but I'm a big fan of Times Square."

If he continues to progress well at the minor league level, maybe one day Hilligoss will get to see a lot more of it in the future.

Hilligoss Walks Off Against Cyclones In 10

2006-08-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -Mitch Hilligoss finally made the Cyclones pay. In his first game back after missing the prior two due to a sore lower back from being plunked, the Staten Island third baseman delivered a walkoff hit with the bases loaded in the 10th to lift the first place Baby Bombers (35-22) over Brooklyn (32-25) 2-1 before 4,641 at Richmond County Ball Park Sunday afternoon.

Their fourth consecutive win allowed them to finish perfect on the homestand and pull three games up in the McNamara Division on the suddenly slumping Cyclones, who dropped its fifth in a row.

With the game tied at one, Bomber first baseman Kevin Smith ledoff the 10th with an opposite field single and was sacrificed to second by Chris Kunda. Brooklyn reliever Josh De La Torre (0-1) opted to intentionally walk Wilkins De La Rosa for the second time in three innings. This time, he didn't get a chance to get out of the jam.

Instead, German Marte came in and threw a wild pitch to move both runners into scoring position. They then intentionally walked Seth Fortenberry to load the bases for Hilligoss. In a similar situation, he grounded out to short to end the eighth. Hitless in his first four at bats, he came through with a sharp single past shortstop Luis Rivera to give Staten Island it's latest thrilling walkoff victory.

"That situation with two outs is a little different situation. You intentionally walk, eventually it's going to have to kill you," the latest hero pointed out.

"Unbelievable pitching. Soto, Trubee and Hovis were lights out for us and have been. And these are good games because they're in our division. Now we're three games up on these guys and there's a couple of weeks left."

Hilligoss was referring to the tandem of starter Edgar Soto and relievers Luke Trubee and Jonathan Hovis, who combined to allow just one run on three hits while fanning six in the game.

Soto went the first six giving up only one run in the second on a Jeremy Hambrice RBI ground out which scored Jesus Gamero to put the Cyclones up a run.

After Trubee tossed a scoreless seventh, the Baby Bombers took advantage of left fielder Dustin Martin's two-base error which allowed Hilligoss to reach. After a Kyle Larsen ground out to the right side moved him over, Hilligoss scored the tying run on a Colin Curtis sac fly.

The game stayed that way till the 10th.

Notes: Baby Bombers head to PNC Park against Brooklyn for the second game of a home-and-home later tonight to start a four-day road trip with stops in Aberdeen and Hudson Valley before returning home at St. George to host the Renegades this Friday.

Fortenberry Adjusting Well To Pro Ball

2006-08-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -One player who has made a positive impact on the first place Baby Bombers this season is left fielder Seth Fortenberry.

One of six Bombers to represent the club at this past Tuesday's All Star Game in Aberdeen, the 22 year-old left fielder has become a steady presence near the top of the order. With plenty of speed which has produced five triples and 10 stolen bases, Fortenberry has mixed in the occasional drag bunt to reach base along with his respectable .287 average, four home runs and 24 RBI's.

Lately, Staten Island skipper Gaylen Pitts has utilized him in either the leadoff or number two role. Something the former Baylor star was accustomed to entering his first season of pro ball.

"In college, I hit two-hole. So I'm really comfortable with two-hole," Fortenberry noted prior to Saturday's game. "I like setting up the game. Kind of like hitting at the top of the order. Get a lot of at bats."

In the Bombers' 4-2 win over Mahoning Valley Saturday night, the Waco Texas native had two hits including an RBI single and a perfect bunt single past the pitcher's mound. Bunting for hits has become a weapon the first-year pro has added to his game.

"I started working on it this past college season," he explained. "I think I had 11, 12 in college and just something I had to add to my repertoire. It's a threat that I can bring. Open up some holes down the line and it's been working well."

In particular, Fortenberry spoke highly of his Baylor experience which helped get him ready for the next level.

"That was great. We're in the Big 12 Conference and that helped a lot preparing us for great competition and great preparation for what it had in store for me. That experience seeing the pitchers in the Big 12 Conference is a lot like seeing what we see not only every starter out there but every pitcher that comes on the mound out there."

The Staten Island starting left fielder credits that kind of experience for his quick adjustment to the NY-Penn League. In particular, he hasn't been fazed by the switch from aluminum bats to wood but did point out one other difference as well.

"A lot of people think the wood bat makes a lot of adjusting," he said. "I used the wood bat this summer and kind of got in a groove with that and gotten used to it. It wasn't quite as big of an adjustment for me. But there's a lot of adjusting as far as pitch selections. That's a big thing at this level."

While he's made a smooth transition, his team finds itself in a tight battle for first in the McNamara Division with archrival Brooklyn. With a win last night, the Bombers moved two games up on them with a key home-and-home coming up starting later today in St. George.

"We've been battling them for most of the year," Fortenberry pointed out. "They got a great club over there. We're just trying to keep pushing forward. [Pitts] always talks about pushing forward, pushing on. Hopefully, we can put a streak together here and hopefully get a few games up. We got them tomorrow and Monday. We got to try to take care of business and add a few games to that lead."

While it's been a solid first year for him, just being drafted by the Yankees in the 11th round of this past June's MLB Draft was something he'll remember.

"It was exciting. Kind of up in the air when the day comes and it's an exciting day when it comes around," he remarked.

"It's exciting and what can you say- it's the Yankees. I was very pumped about that. Great organization. The best. It was a very exciting time."

Baby Bomber Pitchers Make Four Run Second Stand Up, Sweep Scrappers

2006-08-19T20:02:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -A four run second was good enough for the Baby Bombers to post their third straight victory over the Scrappers (30-27) 4-2 to sweep the series before 2,185 at Richmond County Ball Park Saturday night.

In a game which needed only two hours and 17 minutes to complete on an overcast night, Staten Island (34-22) moved two games up on Brooklyn (rained out) for the division lead entering a key home-and-home starting later today when the Bombers host their Verrazano rivals.

"It was good to get the sweep," center fielder Colin Curtis said after making a diving catch to rob Andrew Lytle of a leadoff hit in the ninth and help closer Nick Peterson get the Scrappers in order for his 12th save.

"Get a couple of games up on Brooklyn. We're gaining some games on them before we face them this weekend which is good for our team."

The offense was supplied in odd fashion during the second. After the first two batters were retired, Staten Island catcher Francisco Cervelli reached on Mahoning Valley shortstop Joshua Rodriguez' errant throw. It opened the door for them to get to losing starter William Delage (1-6).

After Jose Gil singled to put runners on the corners, Chris Kunda walked to load the bases for Wilkins De La Rosa. De La Rosa legged out an infield single to short but wound up with two RBI's because on the throw to first, Gil headed home and was able to sneak his hand around catcher Brent Lacy's tag with a nifty hook slide.

"I was going to avoid the tag no matter what. When I saw that [Lacy] came out for the ball, I went the other way and got my hand in," the DH pointed out after finishing with two hits. In the first S.I. win over Mahoning Valley Friday, Gil also was the hitting star with three hits including a three-run homer.

"I thank God for what's going on with my hitting. I work hard to get to this point."

With runners on the corners still, Seth Fortenberry knocked in the third run with a clean single to right. That's when De La Rosa took advantage of the Scrappers' second mistake. While he was going to third, right fielder Cirillo Cumberbatch overthrew the base which allowed De La Rosa to score Staten Island's fourth unearned run of the frame.

"It's a good feeling to get a sweep. Going in with a little momentum going into the Brooklyn series," Fortenberry said after his big base knock. "It's going to be a big day tomorrow. We got to come out ready to play and try to take the first one from Brooklyn and get ready to go play at their place."

Staked to a four-run lead, S.I. starter Tim Norton pitched six strong innings allowing just an unearned run in the fifth on a wild pitch while fanning eight to pickup his second victory.

"We're playing pretty well," manager Gaylen Pitts noted. "Our starting pitching is what's setting the tone. Our starters like Norton tonight, Conroy the night before and Kontos are giving us innings. Quality innings and if you score a few runs, it helps you win. It makes a difference."

"[Norton] is turning it on. He's had three real good quality starts here the last three starts. He's been more aggressive in the zone and going after guys. He's starting to throw a little slider. Tonight he had a pretty good forkball. He's getting ahead of hitters and being aggressive."

Also supplying solid relief work was Justin Keadle, who gave up just one unearned run in the eighth put went two solid innings striking out two before turning it over to Peterson.

"Keadle did an outstanding job. Came in threw strikes and kept the ball down," Pitts added. "I can't say enough about our bullpen. Our bullpen's been outstanding all year."

Notes: All six runs were unearned due to a combined five errors. Mahoning Valley finished with two while Staten Island had three. ... Third baseman Mitch Hilligoss sat out his second consecutive game with a sore lower back due to being hit there in Friday's win. Tim O'Brien manned the hot corner for the second game in a row and batted third, finishing hitless with a walk. ... Baby Bombers host Cyclones today at 4 PM to conclude the four-game homestand at St. George before heading to Brooklyn for one, Aberdeen for two and Hudson Valley next Thursday.

Staten Island All Stars Enjoy Time In Aberdeen

2006-08-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -It was a particularly pleasant NY-Penn League All Star showing for the Baby Bombers this past Tuesday in Aberdeen.

Six players represented them well in helping the American League defeat the National League 4-1. Francisco Cervelli, Seth Fortenberry, Mitch Hilligoss, Nick Larsen, Nick Peterson and Wilmer Pino took part in the game.

In fact, a few played a pivotal role in the AL's triumph. Hilligoss finished 2-for-2 with an RBI to take home Player of the Game.

"It's a great honor anytime you get that," the delighted Staten Island third baseman said. "Probably a couple of more guys deserved it."

Meanwhile, Peterson worked in and out of trouble for one inning to fan all three. It was good enough to be tabbed Most Outstanding Pitcher.

"It was neat winning that along with the game playing in that kind of atmosphere," noted the prominent S.I. closer. "Guys you play with. Guys you play against. It was special."

Peterson also spoke of what the game symbolized.

"It's for the fans. "It's about going out there having a good time...It's more relaxed. You don't really worry about winning the game. Just go out there and have a good time...That's why you have Home Run Derby."

While they were honored, teammate Pino also chipped in with an RBI ground out. The Baby Bomber second baseman has been red hot of late and continued to swing the bat well with a hit in Friday's 1-0 win over Mahoning Valley to put his average at .348.

"He's been an outstanding player all around," Peterson pointed out. "Really pretty much most of the season. He's turned it on lately and has been hitting the ball well. Outstanding in the field. Just all around super player."

Fortenberry came away very impressed with the All Star experience.

"This was my first All Star Game," the Bomber left fielder said. "It was everything I expected it to be. They did a great job by hosting there."

In particular, he was very excited to meet baseball legend and future Hall of Famer Cal Ripken.

"It's very exciting to meet Cal Ripken and hanging out with him for a little bit. He's a great guy and it was a lot of fun getting to be with him. That's something I'll cherish."

Another aspect which was a lot of fun for Fortenberry was to have so many teammates there sharing the experience.

"It was exciting. Hats off to all those guys. They played great. Larsen did good in the Home Run Derby. Hilligoss got player of the game and Peterson walked away with pitcher of the Game."

"It's great," added Hilligoss. "Obviously cause you know your team's having a great year. We all got to enjoy it. I wish everyone had the experience."

For Larsen who also represented Staten Island last year, he was impressed with the job they did which included actual jerseys of the big league clubs that drafted them which each player got to keep.

"It was great," the first baseman remarked. "Everything was done top notch like the big leagues. To be able to keep those jerseys is something you'll take with you. Definitely a motivator for the future."

For S.I. catcher Cervelli, the feeling was extra special and one which hit home.

"They're proud," he said of his family back home in Venezuela. "I play baseball just for them. I play everyday for them."

Of being a part of the festivities, he came away as impressed as everyone else:

"In my short career, it's the best experience. Everything was perfect and like the big leagues...Very good experience. The best experience."

Curtis Walkoff Hit Gives Baby Bombers 1-0 Victory In 10

2006-08-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -For nine innings, they couldn't get much done offensively. None of that mattered when center fielder Colin Curtis delivered a walkoff 10th inning double to lift the Baby Bombers (33-22) to a 1-0 victory over Mahoning Valley (30-26) before 3,250 at Richmond County Ball Park Friday night.

"That's exciting," Curtis said. "We hadn't really had anything going all game. We got something going that inning and came out with the win in front. A lot of excitement for the fans who stuck around."

After only mustering two hits the first nine innings against the Scrappers, Staten Island left fielder Seth Fortenberry got the 10th started with a drag bunt single. After Tim O'Brien sacrificed him into scoring position, Mahoning Valley reliever Matthew Meyer (2-2) opted to intentionally walk Kyle Larsen to get to Curtis.

Hitless in his first seven at bats in the series, he made them pay by working the count full and serving an opposite field double which easily scored Fortenberry for the game's only run to make a winner out of reliever Nick Peterson (3-3) after the closer tossed two scoreless frames.

"I kind of came up in that situation- went deep in the count and fouled off some pitches and [Meyer] threw me a pitch that he had thrown earlier in the at bat...I think getting deep into the count and seeing a bunch of pitches helped me bring in that last run."

Both starters were in control. S.I.'s Jim Conroy matched zeroes with Erik Stiller for the first six before giving way to the pens. It was in the Scrappers' seventh that they had the best chance to go ahead.

After Conroy put the first two runners on, manager Gaylen Pitts called on Jonathan Hovis to get out of trouble. After striking out the first two batters, he got a little defensive help from Larsen on an infield hit. The first baseman noticed that Jared Goedert came off third too much and started a 3-5-2 putout to nail him at the plate to end the threat. The alert play allowed Hovis to get out of it.

"I got in there with a guy on first and second, nobody out," he said after also working a scoreless eighth before giving way to Peterson.

"I knew I had to get a ground ball. So I went with fastballs, sinkers and got lucky. Got a couple of strikeouts and then got a groundball. Do what you can in that situation to limit the damage and was able to get out of it without giving up a run."

"It was a good game on both sides," Pitts pointed out. "Their pitching allowed one hit in seven innings...When you're home, you get to have the last at bat. It makes it a little easier."

On Fireworks Night, that proved true.

Notes: Conroy went six allowing four hits, walking one and fanning five while counterpart Stiller allowed just one hit and K'd four. ... S.I. second baseman Wilmer Pino continued his hot hitting by going 1-for-3. The All Star is now hitting .348. ... Third baseman Mitch Hilligoss was given the night off to after being plunked in the lower back in Thursday's win. ... Baby Bombers go for the sweep tonight before hosting the second place Cyclones Sunday afternoon to complete the homestand.

Gil's Big Night Helps Baby Bombers Blast Scrappers

2006-08-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -Jose Gil's big night helped the Baby Bombers blast the Scrappers (30-25) 9-2 before 2,601 at Richmond County Ball Park Thursday night.

In their return to the field after the All Star break, Gil got the start behind the plate in place of All Star Francisco Cervelli and made the most of it by going 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI's and two runs scored. The outburst was good enough to move Staten Island (32-22) a half game ahead of the Cyclones for first in the McNamara Division due to Brooklyn's 2-1 loss to Auburn.

"Offensively, yes," Gil remarked about his breakout game. "It was the first time I did that this year. That's my best game here ever."

"I did well in batting practice and I did well in the game."

In their first game back home in nine days, the Bombers got to Mahoning Valley starter David Huff (0-1) right away by pushing across three in the first. After Mitch Hilligoss singled, Seth Fortenberry came around to score the first run when center fielder Steven Douglas booted the ball, allowing Hilligoss to also take second. Consecutive two out runscoring hits by Colin Curtis and Wilmer Pino increased the lead to three.

"I don't know what it was but we were patient and squared up well," Curtis noted after also coming up with a splendid diving catch in center to rob Cirillo Cumberbatch of an extra base hit. "Maybe the couple of days off helped us but you never know. We just kind of came out, had a nice day and did a good job."

They tacked on another run in the second thanks to a Wilkins De La Rosa single up the middle which scored Gil, who ledoff with a base hit. The big blow came in the next frame. With one out and two men on base, the switch hitting Gil crushed relief pitcher Michael Eisenberg's offering over the right field fence to make it 7-0.

"I was just trying to hit the ball," he said after his second dinger of the season came from the left side. "I wasn't looking for that to happen. I just hit it and it went."

"I was glad to see it," skipper Gaylen Pitts pointed out. "That's what competition does. He sees the other guy doing well and he wants to get in the act too. He turned on that one ball. He hit the ball hard tonight and had a good game...That's what winning and competition does for you."

The seven runs were plenty for S.I. starter George Kontos, who improved to 7-2 by tossing five and two-thirds scoreless while fanning eight.

"We put some runs up on the board early. [Kontos] didn't have his best game but he pitched out of trouble," Pitts said. "That's the way you got to pitch when you have a lead."

A Pino sixth inning RBI double plated Kyle Larsen to make it 8-0. Scrappers' left fielder Kelly Edmundson broke up the shutout with a solo homer to left off reliever Luke Trubee in the seventh. Mahoning Valley also got their other run later in the frame before Pino closed out the scoring by delivering his fourth hit of the night- an RBI single to left.

Notes: Gil and Pino combined to go 7-for-9 with three runs scored, a HR and six RBI's (three each). ... Coming off an MVP performance in the All Star game Tuesday in Aberdeen, Hilligoss finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored. The third baseman was plunked in his final at bat in the back and was bandaged up afterwards. ... Every Bomber in the lineup reached base. ... The four-game homestand continues later tonight when Staten Island hosts Mahoning Valley in the second game of a three-game set which concludes Saturday. They then conclude the stand Sunday with a crucial home-and-home against Brooklyn.

Former Red Sox Fan Norton Is A Yankee At Heart For Baby Bombers

2006-08-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -At one time, Tim Norton grew up in Northern Connecticut rooting for the Red Sox along with family and friends. A couple of months removed from being selected by the rival Yankees in the seventh round of the MLB Draft, much has changed for the first-year Staten Island Yankee.

"All my life I lived in Rhode Island and now I live in Mass," he explained after pitching five solid innings allowing just an unearned run along with five strikeouts in a no decision during the Baby Bombers' 2-1 victory over archrival Brooklyn.

"So I've been a Red Sox fan- my family, my boys and the day I was drafted by the Yanks, it all went out the window. I'm totally bought in with the Yanks' organization and it is what it is now. That's the past. Whoever I pitch for, I'm rooting for."

The same can now be said for his family which have converted to Boston's nemesis in support of their favorite pitcher.

"They're all Yankee fans," the 23 year-old said. "They jumped right on and that was that. So family first."

Norton spoke highly of his time spent starring at the University of Connecticut where the former two-team captain led his team to a Big East Championship during his college career along with finishing second all-time on the Huskies K list with 226. He was also All-Big East First team and All-New England First Team this past year.

"I had a great time there," he noted. "A lot of what I know now- not just baseball- is from that program...It was a great time there."

That kind of experience helped him prepare for pro ball not just on the field but off it as well.

"All four years, I was surrounded with great people, great teammates, great coaches and it really helped me settle into myself junior year and senior year. It just worked out. It helped me manage my time. Not just baseball but it helped me grow up a little bit and helped me work on my mechanics and get the right guidance and I had the right people around me."

Despite all those positives which helped him mature as a player, the rookie Bomber starter has noticed a big difference facing hitters at this level.

"I think they have better patience cause they're much more patient," Norton noted.

"One team we played. I think it was Pittsburgh affiliate and they had a kid who hit sixth or seventh and he was hitting three or four in college cause I faced him. They just have hitters that you're used to seeing at the top of the lineup who are now at the bottom of the lineup. So it's more even throughout the whole lineup. You don't get to slack with 7, 8 or 9 any longer that you had in college. They're all good hitters and patient."

So far, Norton's done alright adjusting to the changes with Staten Island. In 10 starts, he's 1-2 with a 3.74 ERA, allowing 43 hits in 43.1 innings while K-ing 48.

The results from outing to outing might not always be there but that's not what he's most concerned with.

"I try not to worry about that too much. If I just do my game and do what I need to do and I should get outs. So if I just execute well, do what I need to do and what I want to do."

One thing Norton's particularly encouraged with is his team's position. After they posted an 8-1 victory at Tri-City to kick off a six-game trip Wednesday, Staten Island improved to 29-20 and tied Brooklyn for first in the McNamara Division.

"We've got some great characters and great guys and I think we're a very promising ballclub. Keep playing ball and hopefully we're in the position at the end of the year to make a run and win."

Peterson Happy With Role In First Season With Staten Island

2006-08-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -It doesn't happen too often that a baseball team you like winds up drafting you, helping fulfill a dream. But that's exactly what became reality when the Yankees selected pitcher Nick Peterson in the 12th round at this year's MLB Draft two months ago.

"It was real exciting," the current Staten Island Yankee closer said after tossing two scoreless innings to pickup the win in the Baby Bombers' 10 inning 2-1 victory over the Cyclones Tuesday night.

"I've been looking forward to it for a long time and especially to get drafted by the New York Yankees- probably my favorite team. So it was real exciting. So I was looking forward to just getting in gear and getting up here. Having a blast so far."

The 21 year-old Tampa native got to star back home for the University of Tampa where no matter his role, he enjoyed the experience.

"I did some starting and relieving actually and I enjoyed both," the righthander pointed out. "I did a lot of relieving I think as they wanted to get me geared towards pro ball and they thought that's what I'd do here. So it was a lot of fun pitching right there at home."

In 2006, he started 10 of 15 games he appeared in- going 3-1 with a 2.38 ERA along with two saves while fanning an impressive 81 batters in 56.2 innings.

Peterson has continued to impress in his first pro season with the Baby Bombers. Serving as the team's closer, he's already gotten into 20 games converting 11 of 12 saves to go with a 2-2 record, 1.93 ERA while fanning 33 in just 23.1 innings. Most of his strikeouts have come on a fastball which usually tops out between 93-94 MPH. Combined with it, he'll also mix in a curve to keep hitters off balance, which helps explain why opponents are only batting .190 off him.

"It doesn't really matter to me," he explained of his current role. "Whatever I can do to help the team the most and there's where they need me right now. So that's what I'll do."

Peterson doesn't seem to mind entering close ballgames late with the ball in his hands.

"I love closing. Coming into the game. So there's a lot of pressure and I thrive off that."

It was especially satisfying for the S.I. reliever to come in and shut the door on the Cyclones a couple of weeks after they scored a couple of runs off him in the ninth and tenth to squeak out a win.

"It feels good to get them back and win the ballgame. I knew it was eventually going to come. It was going to happen to me but no big deal," he mentioned of that failed opportunity. "We got them back tonight and it feels good."

One thing he's appreciated is how quickly he and his Baby Bomber teammates have come together this season.

"You know, I don't think I've ever played on a team that jells any better than we do. On and off the field, these guys are great guys. They're a lot of fun and they know when to get serious and work hard and it's a lot of fun playing with them."

Hilligoss Walk Off Hit Propels Baby Bombers Over Cyclones In 10 Innings

2006-08-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -It had been a rough night for Mitch Hilligoss but that all changed with one swing of the bat.

After going hitless in four previous plate appearances, the Staten Island third baseman delivered a game winning RBI single off Brooklyn reliever Grady Hinchman which scored Wilkins De La Rosa to propel the Baby Bombers to a 2-1 10th inning victory over first place Brooklyn before 5,231 at Richmond County Ball Park Tuesday night.

"That's great," Hilligoss said. "We haven't been playing the best baseball. We didn't play a flawless game tonight but we made pitches when we had to. We made plays when we had to and we got a few timely hits."

It helped snap a two-game losing streak and allowed Staten Island (28-20) to gain a split of the home-and-home series against the Cyclones (29-19) and pull within a game of first place in the McNamara Division.

"That was a big win for us obviously but the way we battled- if you don't win it, it's going to be a letdown," skipper Gaylen Pitts pointed out. "I thought it was big time that we comeback and win...Keep pace with them and had a good crowd here. There's a lot of excitement. We pitched well and we executed well."

With the game tied an inning earlier, three consecutive two out hits by the Bombers nearly ended it but when Francisco Cervelli rounded third on Chris Kunda's sharp single to left, he was nailed at home on a perfect relay throw from Brooklyn's Dustin Martin to catcher Daniel Cummins (7-2 putout) to force extras.

After reliever Nick Peterson (2-2) tossed a second scoreless inning by working around two walks to strand runners at second and third, the Bombers got another chance to end it and cashed in.

"It feels good to get them back and win the ballgame," Peterson pointed out after he and his teammates turned the tables on the Cyclones, who a couple of weeks prior had victimized the closer in a similar spot. "We got them back tonight. It feels good."

De La Rosa ledoff the 10th by working a walk on a full count. Seth Fortenberry's successful sac bunt which moved him into scoring position nearly turned into an infield hit but Rip Warren's throw to Jeremy Hambrice just nipped him.

Warren (1-2) was pulled in favor of Hinchman to face Hilligoss. Having cooled off recently, this time he waited perfectly on a curveball and lined it into right to win the game in dramatic fashion and touch off the Bombers' second celebration in four nights. Their last win Saturday over Lowell was also of the walkoff variety off the bat of Fortenberry.

"It was great," Tuesday's latest hero added. "I just kept saying, 'Stick with it.' And that's what I kept trying to stay back. I didn't do a very good job of it but sometimes you get the breaks."

"It's big. Mitch came through big- hit the ball real well. We're fortunate to have him," noted Peterson.

The Bombers got a solid outing from starter Tim Norton, who went the first five allowing just an unearned run along with three hits and fanning five. Brooklyn's only run came in the fifth. With two out, Luis Rivera was safe when Kunda dropped the ball while applying the tag which would've ended the inning. He came around to score on a Joe Holden RBI single.

"I would've liked to go a couple of more innings and give the pen a little rest but my pitch count was up," Norton said. "I felt pretty good. My fastball was there. Walked a couple of people but overall I thought I pitched pretty well."

Down one, the Bombers responded by manufacturing a run before Brooklyn starter Todd Privett recorded an out. After Wilmer Pino doubled to left, he advanced to third and scored the tying run on two wild pitches.

With the game knotted, a key defensive play by Kunda prevented the Cyclones from going back ahead. With Brooklyn threatening with a runner on second and two gone against reliever Jonathan Hovis, Tim Grogan lined a single up the middle which the hustling shortstop got his glove on to prevent it from going to the outfield and then in one turn nailed Mark Wright at home 6-2 to end the threat.

"That was a huge play. You can't blame them for trying to score there, making something happen with the way the pitching was going and the long throw, [Kunda] came up and made it look easy," Hilligoss said.

"They had the go-ahead run on second base and I was just trying to keep the ball on the infield with two outs," Kunda said. "Luckily, [Wright] around third kept going, put his head down and tried to score and I was able to make a good enough throw at the plate and [Cervelli] did a good job snuffing out the run."

"It was a big win. Especially against Brooklyn who was a couple of games up on us right now in the division standings. Huge win to get back at them after getting beat at their place (Monday) night and now we go on the road for six games and we got to do a good job of trying to win as many games as we can. They're not going to give any games away. They're going to be right there till the end and we got to stick with them."

Notes: The Staten Island bullpen tossed five scoreless innings in the win. Luke Trubee, Hovis and Peterson combined to shutdown the Brooklyn bats. "The bullpen has been outstanding all year," Pitts said. "Sometimes, they've been a little bit overworked cause our starters have pitch counts and don't always give us enough innings. It takes its toll but for the most part they've done an outstanding job." ... Of the upcoming six-game road trip which starts with three at Tri-City later tonight and concludes in Jamestown this weekend before the All Star break, Pitts added: "Every game's important and we got a team that we're playing tomorrow that I heard through the grape vine is pretty good. They lead their division. We'll see what happens." ... The Baby Bombers don't return home to St. George until next Thursday when they host Mahoning.

Baby Bombers Rally Falls Short, Drop Debut Series To Massachusetts Rivals

2006-08-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -The Baby Bombers late rally came up short in a 9-6 loss to Lowell (22-23) before 2,466 at Richmond County Ball Park Sunday to drop the rubber match of a three-game set in the debut series against their Massachusetts rivals.

Trailing 9-1 entering their half of the seventh, Staten Island pushed across two to cut it to six. They got even closer with two more to cut it to 9-5 in the eighth when right fielder Wilkins De La Rosa reached on Lowell second baseman Michael Chambers' error which allowed Colin Curtis and Kevin Smith to come around and score. But with two runners on and two out, Lowell's Terry Large got Wilmer Pino to pop out to end the inning.

After reliever Edgar Omana tossed his second consecutive scoreless inning, things got even more interesting in the Bombers' final at bat.

Seth Fortenberry ledoff with a single and advanced to second on right fielder Jeff Vincent's error. Ironically, Vincent was spectacular earlier in the game robbing Curtis and Kyle Larsen of sure hits four innings apart. But now, Staten Island had something cooking and when Fortenberry came into score on a Large wild pitch with one out, suddenly it was a three-run game.

When Larsen singled to center, the Bombers were one man short of the tying run. ut none of that mattered when Large induced Curtis into a game ending 4-6-3 double play to finally salt away the Spinners' second victory in three.

"It was a good win. Anytime you come to Staten Island and play the Yankees- being a Red Sock it's a big win. I mean it's bigger than beating any other team," Vincent said after finishing with three hits, a run scored, an RBI and two defensive gems which took away sure hits. Both were similar with the right fielder covering a lot of territory to make two running catches on the warning track facing the fence. The second was even more spectacular as he dove to rob Larsen of an extra base hit to end the sixth.

"Alan Moss has been working with us on going back on the ball and I just turned around my head, ran as fast as I could and looked up and made the ball and I stuck my glove out and caught it."

After threatening in the first, Lowell stranded runners on second and third with nobody out allowing S.I. starter Francisco Castillo to escape a jam.

But in the second, they jumped in front quickly when first baseman Manny Arambarris turned on Castillo's first offering and deposited it over the left field wall for his first home run of the season. Castillo then lost control of the plate by hitting a batter and walking two more to load the bases with no one out. Despite that, the Spinners managed just one more run on a Paul Smyth RBI fielder's choice. Castillo stranded two more runners by fanning Zach Daeges.

For all Castillo's troubles, he allowed just the two runs in 3.2 innings while striking out six but took the loss to fall to 3-2.

Staten Island cut it to 2-1 in the fourth when third baseman Mitch Hilligoss reached on a Chambers miscue allowing Pino to score from third. Hilligoss was credited with an RBI because Pino would've scored anyway due to Lowell playing the infield back.

Up a run, the Spinners broke the game open with a five-run sixth. After the first three batters reached base, Vincent's RBI single made it 3-1 to knock out reliever Tyler Addison. After Paul Patterson fanned Paul Smyth, Daeges laced a two-run single and Jonathan Still followed with an RBI double to make it 7-1.

"We've been struggling a little bit. We went through a little phase where we weren't couldn't score any runs. So it's nice to get the offense going," Daeges said after driving in two on the day.

"It was a lot closer than it should've been. They only had five hits but we gave up six runs. We made a few mistakes and walked a few guys but we got the win. So that's the most important thing."

In the Spinners' seventh, Chambers crushed a two-run homer to increase the lead to eight, which would prove big before Staten Island rallied to make it much closer.

Notes: Lowell starter Brian Steinocher tossed 4.2 innings without allowing a hit before giving way to Felix Ventura, who recorded a strikeout against the only batter he faced to improve to 3-3. ... Fortenberry's bunt single off Dustin Richardson with one out in the sixth was the Baby Bombers' first hit of the game. ... Before the game, former Red Sox slugger Jim Rice was on hand signing autographs for fans as part of Jim Rice Autograph Day. He also tossed out the third ceremonial pitch to cheers. ... Combined with Brooklyn's win over Tri-City, Staten Island (27-19) fell a game out of first entering a pivotal home-and-home series against the Cyclones the next two nights with it concluding at St. George Tuesday.

Fortenberry's Walkoff Hit Lifts Baby Bombers Over Spinners

2006-08-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -Seth Fortenberry's walkoff hit in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Baby Bombers to a 3-2 win over Lowell (21-23) before 3,614 at Richmond County Ball Park Saturday night. Combined with Brooklyn's 1-0 loss to Tri-City which snapped their 12-game win streak, Staten Island (27-18) moved into a first place tie in the McNamara Division.

With the game tied at two and the first two batters retired in order, it looked destined for extra innings. But Wilkins De La Rosa walked and Colin Curtis singled to put runners on the corners. With the winning run 90 feet away and the crowd urging him on, Fortenberry worked the count full against losing pitcher Yulkin German (3-1) before delivering a single in the hole to right which scored De La Rosa to touch off a celebration.

"It was two teams going at it- 2-2 tie ballgame. It came down to the wire...[German] had a great changeup and I was just lucky enough to get a good pitch and poke it through the hole," a pleased Fortenberry said a few minutes after being mobbed by his teammates on the field.

A couple of innings earlier, the Staten Island left fielder came up against German with a chance to put his team ahead with Christopher Kunda on third. But after the Lowell southpaw came in and fanned Curtis swinging, Fortenberry also went down swinging on a nasty changeup to end the threat.

"He had struck me out before that on changeups," Fortenberry pointed out. "He got to 3-2 and I figured he was going to go fastball but he ended up going changeup first pitch but I was able to foul it off and then he cameback with a fastball and I was able to poke it through the hole."

His last inning heroics made a winner out of Jonathan Hovis, who came in and tossed two scoreless frames to improve to 3-1.

The win came less than 24 hours after an ugly 9-7 loss which resulted in a team meeting.

"It was kind of back and forth last night. We gave up some runs that we probably shouldn't have but we bounced back- good to get a good win like this under your belt."

"It was a great win," shortstop Mitch Hilligoss said after finishing 2-for-4 including an RBI ground out in the third which tied the score at one.

"After last night's debacle, tonight was a good win. Fortenberry came up huge. I thought he got one earlier in the game and he missed it. But a ground ball through the hole was just as good."

The Spinners jumped in front early on thanks to a Jonathan Still sac fly in the first which scored Paul Smyth. It was the only run they managed off starter George Kontos, who went the first five allowing a run on five hits and striking out six to get the no decision.

After tying it in the third, Staten Island went ahead on back-to-back one out hits in the sixth. Hilligoss hit an opposite field triple to left and Kyle Larsen drove him in by singling to center past a drawn in infield. It could've been more but Larsen was thrown out trying to score from second on a Wilmer Pino single to left. The 6-5 235 pound first baseman knocked over catcher Luis Castillo but his attempt to jar the ball loose failed.

Lowell would tie the game up in the seventh on a Jeff Vincent sac fly, setting the stage for Fortenberry's walkoff which sent everyone home happy.

Notes: With two hits, Hilligoss raised his average to .350. ... Out of Staten Island's 12 hits, 11 came from five different players who finished with multi-hit nights. Curtis, Fortenberry, Hilligoss, Pino and Kunda combined to go 11-for-22 with two runs and two RBI's. ... Saturday also was Babe Ruth Night. Some fans dressed up and tried to resemble The Babe. The organization also honored the memory of former New York firefighter (NYFD) Jerry Barbara with a video tribute after the game. Fireworks were also on display following the proceedings. ... The three-game series wraps up later today at 4 PM. Former Red Sox slugger Jim Rice will be on hand signing autographs.

Hilligoss Progressing Well On Staten Island

2006-08-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -One player who has stood out for the Baby Bombers this season is infielder Mitch Hilligoss.

With two more hits in three plate appearances in Friday night's 9-7 loss to Lowell, the former University of Purdue product moved into a second place tie for the NY-Penn League in hitting with a .346 average. Aside from that, the Staten Island shortstop/third baseman also ranks second with 53 hits. He also was tied for second on the club with Wilmer Pino with seven stolen bases and placed second in walks (17) and on-base percentage (.409) entering Friday.

Selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of this year's MLB Draft, the 21 year-old from Windsor Illinois has gotten acclimated quickly to professional baseball.

"I'm going out there everyday getting in a groove," Hilligoss said after also scoring two runs and notching his 27th RBI of the season.

"When you're hitting well, you don't think about it much. When you're hitting bad, sometimes you're really tested and you got to work a little harder maybe that next day."

One of the things the two-time first team Big Ten shortstop appreciated the most was that he was able to star close to home, which made it easier for the home folks to see him.

"It was great," he expressed. "My family got to go about everywhere we went. Made about every road trip. That helps a lot. Any transition that helps with your parents being close by and family members."

Though he has done really well adjusting from college to his rookie season in A Ball, the former Boilermaker star has noticed a difference.

"Pitching's been good. Up and down for the most part. A lot more movement on fastballs you see. Some decent breaking balls but it's just getting into a groove," as he previously pointed out.

It would help explain his continued success from college. In his junior year at Purdue, Hilligoss paced the Boilermakers with a .386 average and scored a program record 62 runs along with leading them with a .579 slugging percentage and .453 on-base percentage.

That kind of production was good enough for the Yankees to take him 194th overall this past June- making him the 42nd Boilermaker taken in the draft's history and the first to ever be scooped up by the Bronx Bombers.

"It's amazing," he said. "A lot of build up. A lot of nerves. Tension. Everything. You don't know what's going to happen. Nobody really knows. That day, it was a great feeling."

After starting the season at short, Hilligoss has made a smooth transition to third without missing a beat. The interesting thing is he also played second and started college in left field, which makes him a very versatile asset.

"I personally think I might be a better outfielder than anything but third base has been good to me so far."

Aside from exuding confidence in his ability to play well at different positions, the first year infielder also spoke at length about the makeup of his new team.

"We got a good mix of guys. We're playing well together. Obviously, the pitching picked us up early. As of late, the hitting's been a little better. We just got to find a little consistency. Hopefully, we'll do both towards the stretch run even better than we have been."

Hilligoss also has one expectation.

"Our goal is to win our division and then see what happens with the NY-Penn League Championship."

Baby Bombers Spun Out By Lowell, Fall Out of First

2006-08-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -It was a tough night all around for the Baby Bombers. In the debut game which marked a new rivalry against Red Sox Class A affiliate Lowell, they were spun around in an ugly 9-7 loss on Johnny Damon Haircut Night before 3,741 at Richmond County Ball Park Friday.

The loss dropped Staten Island (26-18) out of first place in the McNamara Division a game behind the red hot Cyclones who won their 12th straight over Tri-City 9-5.

The game took over three hours to play and for good reason. The teams combined for 16 runs on 21 hits with five errors, 11 walks (seven by SI pitchers), three hit batsmen, two wild pitches and a balk.

There also was one ejection when Staten Island manager Gaylen Pitts was tossed in the first inning for arguing with home plate umpire Jeremy Crowe over whether Paul Smyth touched home after tagging up from third on a Luis Esposito sac fly for the game's first run. After he scored, catcher Francisco Cervelli protested and tagged home plate but didn't get the call. After he and starter Edgar Soto further debated it, Soto stepped off the mound and tossed to Cervelli but their appeal was denied which sent Pitts out of the dugout to take up the discussion with Crowe. After a brief chat, the skipper headed back but then abruptly turned around and got into a heated argument with the crew chief before being given an early exit.

"It happened. I should never get kicked out of a game that early," Pitts lamented. "I didn't think I said enough to get kicked out but he thought different. I was just wanting him to make a call. He told [Cervelli] he's got to go back and tag [Smyth] but he's already in the dugout. Then he kind of changed it and said he didn't have to make a call."

The skipper must have known it would be a tough night because his ballclub wasn't sharp a day after a five hour bus trip home from Vermont. After the teams exchanged first inning runs, the Baby Bombers put up three in the second to go ahead 4-1. Shortstop Christopher Kunda tripled in Cervelli and right fielder Wilkins De La Rosa followed with an RBI single. He came around to score the third run on Lowell shortstop Luis Segovia's throwing error to first.

However, the lead evaporated in an ugly fifth which saw the Spinners plate three to tie it without a ball leaving the infield. After Soto walked the first two, he was replaced by Tyler Addison. After fanning Jonathan Still, the reliever ran into further trouble by walking Luis Esposito to load the bases. It got even tougher when he wasn't able to field a Reid Engel baltimore chopper cleanly and tossed late to home for an infield single which made it 4-2. With the bases still packed, he lost control by forcing in the next two runs on hit batsmen. Addison finally got out of it by getting Segovia to ground into a 3-2-3 double play.

A Cervelli RBI single and Kevin Smith sac fly in the bottom half put Staten Island back in front 6-4 but the wheels fell off in an even worse sixth which saw Lowell bat around for five runs off losing reliever Edgar Omana (0-1). A Smyth RBI triple and a Still runscoring single tied it. Two batters later, Engel singled to give the Spinners the lead. Omana then balked the runners over to second and third. Still scored on a Manuel Arambarris sac fly and Engel came around to score Lowell's fifth run on an errant Pino toss to first. Ironically, it took Cervelli throwing out Jorge Jiminez at second to end the lengthy frame. The damage was done.

"We didn't rise to the occasion," a disappointed Pitts added. "We had a lead and then go out and walk people and hit people. That's not pro baseball. That's not the way we play the game. We played pretty good for a month, month and a half. Had a decent trip, then stink out the joint."

Trailing 9-6 in their final at bat, Staten Island made it interesting when the first two batters reached on back-to-back singles by Mitch Hilligoss and Kyle Larsen. After Seth Fortenberry struckout swinging, Lowell closer Terry Large uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Hilligoss to score cutting it to two. But with the tying run at the plate, Cervelli flew out to left and Smith grounded out to end it, allowing Large to escape with a two inning save and snap Lowell's (21-22) five-game losing skid.

"It didn't look like we were ready to get after it tonight," Pitts pointed out and took responsibility. "Didn't pitch good enough. Didn't play good enough. Give the other team credit...They should be ready to play when they go out there. Tonight I didn't think we were."

Notes: The loss snapped a two-game win streak. ... On Johnny Damon Haircut Night, some fans got their hair trimmed similar to the Yankee centerfielder as part of a free promotion. At least they didn't cough up any dough. ... Lowell reliever Jean Guillen tossed a scoreless two thirds to improve to 4-1. ... With two more hits, S.I. SS Hilligoss raised his average to .346. He entered Friday third in hitting behind Lowell's Aaron Bates and Zachary Daeges. NY-Penn League leader Bates (.360) had the night off while Daeges was hitless in two at bats to drop into a second place tie with Hilligoss. ... The three-game series continues tonight at St. George with a 7 PM start.

Baby Bombers Blown Out By Renegades, Suffer Third Consecutive Loss

2006-07-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY- It was not a good day for the Baby Bombers (23-16), dropping their third straight in a 13-2 blow out loss to Hudson Valley (16-22) before 2,584 at Richmond County Ball Park Sunday.

"It was nice to come out on top like that," said DH Matt Spring. "We scored a lot of runs and gave our pitchers a little bit of run support."

Losing Staten Island starter Edgar Soto (1-3) was torched by the Renegades for seven runs in just 3.2 innings pitched. The 21 year-old Venezuelan southpaw was greeted rudely by the Renegades when they put up three runs in each of the first two frames. Maiko Loyola's RBI double got the scoring started right away. Leftfielder Matt Fields followed two batters later with a runscoring double and Eric Durante singled in the third run.

Leading by three entering the second, the Renegades continued to pound Soto by getting key two out hits from William Stewart and Fields to knock in three more. After Jairo De La Rosa and John Matulia started the inning with a double and drag bunt single to put runners on the corners, Soto nearly got out of it by fanning Joseph Callender and getting Loyola to ground out to first baseman Kyle Larsen. But Stewart came through by doubling off the left field wall to score two.

"I hit it well. I thought it was gone but the wind held it up," Stewart said of his big two out hit after finishing 2-for-2 with those two RBI's and two runs scored. "Luckily, I was able to get the two runs in and we just kept going."

Fields followed with a runscoring single to drive in his second run in two innings.

"Today I was just trying to be focused in every at bat and get the job done," the first baseman said after a three-hit day knocking in two. "Just try to put the ball in play when there's runners in scoring position. We have to try to get them in."

After tacking on a run in the fourth courtesy of a Callender RBI single, the Renegades continued the onslaught with two more the next inning off S.I. reliever Tyler Addison with two outs. They strung together three straight hits including a De La Rosa double which plated Thomas Lagreid and a Matulia base hit to center which scored De La Rosa to increase the margin to eight.

"It's been a while since we scored like that and we can do that every night," added Fields.

While they were in control on the scoreboard, Hudson Valley starter Ryan Reid dominated for the first five frames without allowing a hit to pickup his first win this season.

"I felt good today," Reid said after improving to 1-5 and striking out three. "I kept everything a lot more...slow. Before, I'd been jumping at the plate and the ball was going high and people were just hitting it. Now I'm keeping it glove side down like we've been working on."

Though the 21 year-old righthander had a no-hitter through five, he was pulled due to pitch count.

"Right now, we're on 60 to 70 and that's the plan. No matter what happens, whether a no-hitter is up there or not. They made some plays out there for me today that easily could've been a two hit outing but that's what baseball's about."

With Reid out of the game in the sixth, Seth Fortenberry's one out single to center off reliever Brian Baker was Staten Island's first hit of the day. He later came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 9-1.

The Renegades weren't done scoring four more times in the seventh to lead by 12, including a two-run Loyola double. The right fielder was 2-for-6 with three RBI's.

Staten Island's Kevin Smith rounded out the scoring in the eighth with a bloop double down the left field line which plated Wilmer Pino.

Notes: DH Francisco Cervelli was hit on the right elbow by Baker but stayed in the game, finishing 0-for-3. ... One bright spot was Pino, who had two of Staten Island's six hits to lift his average to .310. ... SS/3B Mitch Hilligoss sat out for the third straight game. ... The Renegades had 19 hits, which included six players with at least two hits. Seven of the 19 went for doubles. ... Baby Bombers go for a split at Hudson Valley Monday night and then travel to Vermont Lake for three before returning home to St. George Friday when they host Boston affiliate Lowell for a three-game set. It will mark the debut series in what promises to be a new and exciting rivalry.

Cyclones Get Better Of Baby Bombers In Sloppily Played Game

2006-07-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -It wasn't pretty but the Cyclones will take it. In a sloppily played error-filled game, Brooklyn (19-17) cameback to defeat the Baby Bombers (23-14) 10-6 before a near capacity crowd of 6,505 at Richmond County Ball Park Friday night- snapping Staten Island's four-game win streak.

In it, the Verrazano rivals combined for seven errors, four wild pitches and three hit batsmen. Ultimately, the difference might have been that the Cyclones made less mistakes to take the first of a home-and-home series which concludes later tonight at Keyspan Park.

"I thought both teams were swinging the bats well. It was just a matter of who was going to line into more outs...The pitchers got the ball up a little bit and it showed," said skipper George Greer.

Brooklyn got to starter Rolando Japa right away, touching him up for two runs in the first. After centerfielder Joe Holden ledoff with a double, the first sloppy play took place when second baseman Wilmer Pino booted a Jon Schemmel grounder in the hole- allowing Holden to come around from third for the game's first run. A Japa wild pitch moved Schemmel to second. He eventually came around to score on a Jason Jacobs RBI ground out.

Staten Island got a run back in the third on a two out solo homer to right by right fielder Seth Fortenberry. It was his fourth of the season.

The Cyclones came right back with two more in the fourth. With Mark Wright on second via an opposite field double, shortstop Luis Rivera came through with a two out double inside the third base line to score Wright. That's when Rivera took advantage of some awful D to come around and score. With him going for second, left fielder Brian Aragon's throw went into right. Fortenberry's attempted peg at third air mailed into the dugout, giving Rivera home for Brooklyn's fourth run.

But up 4-1, starter Jake Ruckle was unable to hold it. He allowed a two-run single to Aragon which cut it to one. After retiring the final three batters with two on, his defense let him down in the fifth. With Pino on after being plunked, Kevin Smith's routine grounder was booted by Schemmel to put the first two on. They advanced to scoring position on a Kyle Larsen ground out. Ruckle then intentionally walked Colin Curtis to load the bases for Tim O'Brien.

It looked like the strategy would work when he got a comebacker but instead of taking his time, the Brooklyn starter threw wildly allowing Pino to tie the game and knock him out of the game. With the bases still juiced, Greer opted for lefty Rip Warren. Brought into a tough situation, the reliever fanned Aragon on three straight breaking pitches. Before he struckout Brian Baisley to end the threat, Warren uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Smith to put the Baby Bombers in front 5-4.

Trailing for the first time, the Cyclones immediately responded by greeting S.I. reliever Justin Keadle (0-2) with four consecutive hits. With the bases loaded, a Rivera infield single tied the game. Keadle's bad luck continued when he opted to go home on a slow Holden roller, which never had a chance permitting Wright to put Brooklyn back on top. It was his final batter.

Reliever Luke Trubee induced Schemmel to ground into a 4-6-3 double play, scoring Tim Grogan to make it 7-5. The Cyclones weren't done though thanks to Dustin Martin's runscoring single to center, giving them a three-run lead.

"It was a great win. Definitely a confidence booster," third baseman Ivan Naccaratta said after going 2-for-4. "We always got to come out and be ready to play. Get the job done...We were swinging the bats pretty well. The good thing is we had guys on base. The bottom line is we got them in and that's what counts."

Up three, Warren tossed two scoreless frames to shutdown the Bomber attack- working 2.2 innings without allowing a run and punching out three to notch his first win of the season.

"[Warren] came in and did a yeoman's job. He got all the hitters he's supposed to get out," praised Greer. "Unfortunately he had that one wild pitch but he was trying to make sure that the ball was down and he didn't get the ball up. Unfortunately it got by [Jacobs] but it worked out for the best."

Brooklyn tacked on two more in the eighth thanks to a botched double play by Pino for his second error and Staten Island's fourth of the night.

Even though they led by five, the Cyclones weren't satisfied until Joe Smith recorded the final out. After the Bombers cut it to 10-6 on a Rivera throwing error, Smith got Aragon on a grounder to second, finally ending a game which lasted two hours 55-minutes.

Notes: Cyclones DH Wright was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and Rivera finished a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI's and three runs scored. ... In a losing effort, S.I. RF Fortenberry was 3-for-5 with a homer and DH Larsen was two-for-four with two runs scored. ... When the game concluded, fireworks were set off for 10 minutes as part of the Baby Bombers' Friday night promotion. ... After facing Brooklyn Saturday, Staten Island returns home to St. George Sunday against Hudson Valley (4 PM).

Wang Honored In Return To Staten Island

2006-07-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY- It was a special night for Chien-Ming Wang and the Baby Bombers. The second-year Yankee starter was honored by the Staten Island Yankees in his first return to Richmond County Ball Park since pitching the Class A farm club to its second NY-Penn League Championship in three years in 2002.

Before the game, the current 11-game winner was honored by the farm club in a 10-minute ceremony which included the retirement of his #41 jersey- becoming just the second player to have that distinction. Ex-Yankee Jason Anderson is the other.

Introduced to an energized crowd which included many Wang supporters who carried signs including "We Love Wang," the starter smiled in response. After being presented with a #17 Staten Island jersey which he put on, Wang threw out the first pitch to more cheers. Possibly a bit overwhelmed by the big moment, he one-hopped the throw to S.I. catcher Francisco Cervelli.

Hopefully for the big club, it's not a sign of things to come when goes for win number 12 later tonight in the Bronx against Tampa Bay.

"I'm really happy to comeback here," he said at an in-game press conference attended by about 30 media members. "It brings back a lot of pleasant memories...I express my gratitude towards the fans who came out and showed up."

To commemorate his special night, each fan received a Chien-Ming Wang Bobblehead. "I think it's really cute but on the Yankees, they don't allow players to have hair that long," he sarcastically remarked.

The 26 year-old from Taiwan got his minor league start with the Baby Bombers back in 2000 after being signed as a free agent. In his debut season, he finished with 75 strikeouts in 87 innings- an impressive total which places him ninth all-time among Staten Island pitchers. That year, he helped lead the franchise to its first ever title.

He returned in 2002 and once again was a key contributor, going 6-1 with a 1.72 ERA, allowing 63 hits in 78.1 innings and striking out 64. To top it all off, the 6-3 righthander dominated Oneonta by permitting just three hits in eight innings and fanning five in a shutout of the Tigers to seal the team's second championship.

Wang had some good advice for the current crop of Baby Bombers who want to make it to the big leagues: "Work hard. Listen to your coach. Get as much out of it as you can."

It didn't take long for him to respond when asked what he'll remember most about his two years in Staten Island:

"Winning the championship down here and spraying the champagne around the locker room."

Larsen Goes Deep Twice In Rain Shortened Baby Bomber Win

2006-07-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY- On Chien-Ming Wang Bobblehead Night, it was the Kyle Larsen show. The designated hitter went deep twice in the Baby Bombers' 6-2 rain shortened victory over the Muckdogs Thursday before 3,737 at Richmond County Ball Park to complete a three-game sweep.

After a 10-minute pregame ceremony honoring Wang for his accomplishments in helping lead Staten Island to its first two Penn-League championships in 2000 and 2002, Larsen got the scoring started by leading off the second with a deep drive off Batvia starter Alexander Concepcion (2-4) which just cleared the right field fence for his first home run of the game.

It was the beginning of a four-run inning in which Staten Island sent eight batters to the plate. After Colin Curtis tripled and Kevin Smith walked to put runners on the corners, third baseman Tim O'Brien doubled in Curtis to make it 2-0. Catcher Brian Baisley's one out single plated Smith and Seth Fortenberry's sac fly to left gave the Baby Bombers a four-run lead.

In the third, Larsen continued to swing a hot bat by putting a charge in another Concepcion offering by lining his second homer to right in two consecutive innings which increased Staten Island's margin to five. It was his sixth long ball of the season.

The slugger added a single in the fifth to make it 3-for-3 and later came around to score on a runscoring Curtis base hit for a 6-0 lead.

While Larsen and teammates supplied the offense, starter Francisco Castillo (3-1) cruised through the first five without allowing a hit. In fact, he faced the minimum 15 thanks to two double plays. After walking a batter in the sixth, he cameback to fan two Muckdogs and got Quintin Berry to line out to left fielder Brian Aragon.

With the no-no still intact, he came out for the seventh but finally allowed a hit to Zach Penprase, whose bloop single to right broke it up. Jason McDonald followed by doubling Penprase in to cut it to 6-1. After Castillo struckout Jacob Dempsey, he gave up an RBI single to Charlie Yarbrough which made it 6-2. It was the last batter he would face before reliever Luke Trubee replaced him.

Trubee gave up a double to Gus Milner which put runners on second and third before whiffing Douglas Morales. With two on, two out and the count 2-2 on Cody Montgomery, the sky opened up. A severe thunderstorm struck delaying the game for an hour and 25 minutes before the umpires called it to give S.I. it's fourth consecutive win. The McNamara Division leaders improved to a season high ten games over .500 (23-13).

Notes: Larsen's two RBI's moved him into the league lead (32). ... Castillo went 6.1 innings allowing two earned runs on three hits, walking three and striking out seven. ... CF Curtis finished 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. ... The Baby Bombers host the Cyclones Friday night at St. George in a home-and-home two-game series which concludes at Keyspan Park Saturday.

Gomez Rewarded Five Million, Wins Arbitration

2006-07-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

It took a while but Scott Gomez won his case against the Devils. After almost two extra days, it was finally decided when an arbitrator ruled in favor of him- rewarding the 26 year-old center $5 million late Tuesday.

Coming off a career season in which he established new highs in goals (33) and points (84) in 82 regular season games, the former 1998 first round selection reportedly asked for $7 million after earning $2.2 in '05-06. Devils GM Lou Lamoriello countered with $4 million. So it wasn't a total loss for the GM despite the outcome.

"He's been an integral part of our success, no question," Lamoriello said Tuesday night after finally finding out the results. "He's an excellent hockey player, but we have a lot of excellent hockey players. So we'll do the best that we can."

The team executive is now on the clock. He'll have 48 hours to decide whether to accept the decision or allow Gomez to walk as a UFA.

Over his first six seasons, Gomez has been an integral part of two Devils' Cups in 2000 and 2003. For his career, he's tallied 103 goals, 287 assists for 390 points in 476 regular season games. In the postseason, he's registered 51 points (17-34-51) in 86 playoff contests. This past year, the number one pivot had five goals and four assists for nine points in nine games.

Despite what the Alaskan native brings to the table, it won't be easy for Lamoriello due to where his team's current payroll is. At present, the Devils are almost at the cap limit of $44 million (43.9 committed to 18 players). If Gomez' salary is accepted, it would put them way over with Group II FA's Brian Gionta, David Hale and Paul Martin still unsigned.

Under the current CBA agreement, a team is permitted to go 10 percent over the cap during the summer but must return to it by the beginning of the season. The '06-07 season gets underway October 4.

There's no question that if the Devils retain Gomez, they'll have to make some cost cutting deals to meet cap requirements. Part of that process could include finding takers for 2005 free agent failures Vlad Malakhov, Dan McGillis and Alexander Mogilny. The trio are set to make a combined $9.3 million.

While New Jersey could send down McGillis without being charged the cost ($2.2 million) due to his age (34), the same can't be said for Malakhov and Mogilny. The pair of 37 year-old Russians' entire contracts would count towards the cap because each signed multiyear deals when they were 35 or older. Even if both were released or sent to the minors, the Devils would still be on the hook for $7.1 million.

The one issue which Lamoriello might contend is whether or not Malakhov officially retired last December 19. If that was the case, New Jersey would get his $3.6 million salary off their cap. Don't count on it.

In the mean time, the Devils President and GM promises one thing.

"When the first day of the season comes, we will be where we need to be," he said.

The question becomes who will be on the roster. Stay tuned.

The AP contributed to this article.

Soto's Strong Seven Boost Baby Bombers Over Muckdogs 4-1

2006-07-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -The Baby Bombers got an outstanding pitching performance from Edgar Soto in a 4-1 win over the Muckdogs before 2,203 at Richmond County Ball Park Tuesday night.

The 21 year-old Venezuelan entered the ballgame 0-2 with a 5.00 ERA but against Batavia (15-16), the righthander was brilliant in going seven strong innings allowing an unearned run on only one hit and striking out five to pickup his first win for Staten Island.

"I moved the ball low so they couldn't get on top of the fastball. Got ahead in the count. Throw some curveballs here and there. Changeups," said Soto.

Staked to a two-run lead in the fourth on an RBI Colin Curtis double plus a Brian Aragon sac fly, Soto pitched so well that he retired the first 14 batters before Zach Penprase singled to break up his perfect game. Recognizing that it was broken up, the fans immediately gave Soto a nice ovation.

"I just missed the same pitch and when [Penprase] get a hit, I missed the spot," he pointed out.

After Penprase swiped second, he came around to score when S.I. shortstop Chris Kunda mistimed a Cody Montgomery line drive for an error to cut the Baby Bombers' lead to 2-1. The tying run, Montgomery was quickly erased when he was caught stealing by catcher Jose Gil, who made a perfect throw to second baseman Wilmer Pino (2-4) which ended the threat.

Ironically Pino would also be involved in another exciting play which put Staten Island back on top by two. With one out in the fifth, he laced a sinking line drive single to right. But as luck had it, Batavia right fielder Gus Milner dove too late, letting the ball go all the way to the wall. Pino cruised into third before Milner committed his second error when his throw sailed towards the mound, allowing an alert Pino to score.

"The whole time when I saw the ball go past [Milner], I was thinking 'I'm going home,'" Pino said. "But when I turned on third, the coach gave me the stop sign. I had to stop. Then I decided to keep going because I saw them bobble the ball. It was a good time to try it."

Back ahead by two, Soto cruised through the sixth and seventh by retiring the final six Muckdogs he faced all on groundouts including two comebackers.

"When you get starting pitching like that, it makes it a little easier," manager Gaylen Pitts said. "[Soto] took control, dictated the game and we scored enough runs and the two guys came out of the pen and only had to cover two innings after he went seven...That was the best pitched game by our starters all year."

Staten Island got a little insurance in the seventh thanks to a one out runscoring single by third baseman Mitch Hilligoss, which scored Seth Fortenberry who previously doubled.

Reliever Jonathan Hovis worked a perfect eighth before closer Nick Peterson worked around a two out single to fan the side for his ninth save.

"We're getting good pitching," Pitts added. "When you get good pitching, you got a chance and our defense has been pretty good."

Notes: Swinging the big bat for the Baby Bombers was Curtis. In his first week after being signed late, the centerfielder entered Tuesday with just four hits in 19 plate appearances. Against Batavia, the Seattle Washington native was perfect on the night, going 4-for-4 with two singles, two doubles, a run scored and an RBI.

"It felt good getting out there, getting the win," he said. "I've only been here for like six (seven) games and from what I see, we have a good team. Hopefully we can make another run at it like they did last year.

Staten Island (21-13) continues a four-game homestand against Batavia Wednesday night at St. George.

Hard Hits: The Case of Alex Rodriguez

2006-07-21T22:12:00.000-07:00

Nobody questions Alex Rodriguez' talent or effort. However, lately plenty of questions have arisen about whether or not the Yankee third baseman is mentally strong enough to perform up to his tremendous capabilities.

This topic has been beaten to death more times than Paris Hilton has been linked to yet another celebrity.

If you look at A-Rod's third season as a Bronx Bomber, it's not bad by any stretch. The 21 home runs and 71 RBI's are respectable. The 2005 AL MVP reached two milestones in the Yanks' 7-3 loss at Toronto Friday night. His three-run dinger off A.J. Burnett was his 2,000th career hit. It was fitting that such a laser which landed in the second deck was also Rodriguez' 450th career homer- making him the youngest player at 30 to ever reach it. Quite an accomplishment for such a gifted superstar.

But in the same game which he got his ballclub right back in by cutting the deficit to 4-3, the two-time MVP committed his second error in two nights. After failing to catch a Vernon Wells foul pop, his errant throw pulled first baseman Andy Phillips off the bag. The Jays took advantage a couple of batters later to go up 6-3.

Lately, this has become an Achilles' heel for Rodriguez. The night before, another miscue helped setup a four run inning for Toronto. With his team ahead 3-0 in the sixth, for some reason A-Rod decided to throw home instead of taking the second out at first. It proved costly as starter Mike Mussina promptly allowed three straight hits to suddenly put the Bronx Bombers a run behind.

They eventually lost in extra innings 5-4 on a Wells walkoff homer off Mariano Rivera. Afterwards, Mussina was surprised that Rodriguez didn't concede the run and take the out. Maybe the whole inning could've been different and New York wins the ballgame. We'll never know.

That's how it's gone for Rodriguez. His recent struggles in the field have placed even more burden on his broad shoulders. This bad stretch of futility began with three errors in a win over Seattle Monday. In that game, he fouled a ball off his foot which messed up his timing, leading to two throwing errors and being pulled from the game in favor of Nick Green.

He was only given one day off before Joe Torre reinserted him. Maybe it was a mistake. The error total is up to five heading into the weekend. The third baseman insists that he must stop sidearming the ball. What if the foot is really the problem? Shouldn't Torre give him a game at DH. Especially on turf.

That remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the ex-Ranger now leads all third basemen with 18 errors. In his MVP season last year, he made just 12 and played well enough to merit Gold Glove consideration. So what's changed? Is it mechanics? Or is it in his head? Maybe it's the pressure.

Whatever the reason, the highest paid superstar has been underwhelming this season. As pointed out earlier, the numbers aren't bad. But when you compare them to other stars, they're not quite where they should be.

Take for example the guy A-Rod beat out up in Boston for last year's MVP. David Ortiz is having another monster year- leading the AL in homers (32) and RBI's (90). He's certainly holding up his end of the bargain.

We're not going to talk about Albert Pujols because nobody is in his class.

The player who he's linked most to is Mets' third baseman David Wright. In only year three, he's become a star. Many critics believe the 23 year-old is having a better season than his New York counterpart. It's hard to argue.

The NL MVP candidate entered Friday hitting over .300 (.317) with the same amount of home runs (21) and had eight more RBI's (79). While it's true his numbers aren't vastly superior to Rodriguez, he has been clutch all season. Wright is hitting .355 with nine homers and 67 RBI's with runners on. It gets even better when they're in scoring position. He hits .379 with five dingers and 57 RBI's. Even with RISP and two out, he is a sizzling .373 with three long balls and 26 base knocks.

That's as clutch as it gets. A-Rod's stats in the same situations are respectable but pale in comparison to the Amazin's wonderkid. The Yankee third baseman entered Friday at .294, 13 HR, 61 RBI's with runners on. With RISP, he's a solid .302 with eight homers along with 50 RBI's. With RISP w/ two out, it increases to .311, 3 HR and 17 RBI's.

Certainly, those stats can't be severely criticized by anyone. More often than not, he has come through. The dilemma is that he has set the bar so high, that when he fails, it leaves a mark. When you're making $25 million a year, it's going to be almost impossible to fulfill expectations.

Coming off an MVP season in which he dominated, hitting .321 with 48 home runs and 130 RBI's, Rodriguez was expected to continue that kind of success. Most figured he finally became more comfortable in his second season in New York.

When Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield went down, people expected the former Mariner 1993 first overall pick to pickup the slack. That's what great players do. Outside of a stretch in May where he took AL Player of the Month, A-Rod has been unable to carry the Yankees. He's been overshadowed by Derek Jeter and Jason Giambi. Even rookie Melky Cabrera has received more accolades than the future Hall of Famer.

Maybe Rodriguez misses Matsui and Sheffield. He hits cleanup and doesn't have the same batting protection he would if both 100 RBI outfielders were healthy. That has left less margin for error. It should be noted that Matsui would probably bat fifth behind A-Rod. He's finally able to take practice swings and could possibly be back the first week of August. It definitely couldn't hurt.

As we see it, here's the other problem:

"It's cool that it came this week because in a week of so much criticism it's good to get a little reminder that you do some special things in this game."

That was A-Rod after reaching his two milestones. Remarks like that are what draw the ire of fans. Let's face it. The man tries way too hard. If he has a flaw, it's that he's way too sensitive to media and fan reaction. He has a very human quality in that he wants to please everyone.

Part of playing under the bright lights in the city that never sleeps is dealing with the elements. Booing is part of baseball here. The expectations are through the roof.

Fans are coming out in historic bunches to support their team. They're also paying astronomical prices. Unfortunately, New Yorkers have a Win Now mentality.

It's not just happening in the Bronx where fans have become spoiled from making the postseason 11 years running. But it's also taking place in Queens where even with the Mets comfortably leading the NL East, WFAN is still fielding plenty of calls from concerned fans about not having enough starting pitching for October. That same team hasn't seen a postseason in six years and had a recent history of bitter disappointments.

But when you go out and acquire players such as Carlos Delgado, Paul LoDuca and Billy Wagner, you're not trying to rebuild. It's about winning championships.

Rodriguez has to understand that his job here is not to communicate with the press or fans. Nobody likes excuses. He's here for one reason. To deliver a 27th World Championship to the Yankees.

My advice: Stop worrying about us. Screw it and play the damn game the way you're capable of.

If he can do that the last three months, that will silence everyone including me. If he can't, maybe it's time for the Yanks to unload him.

Rehabbing Dotel Taking It One Day At A Time

2006-07-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY- Not lost in Staten Island's 2-1 victory over Williamsport Thursday was a one inning stint from Yankee reliever Octavio Dotel.

A couple of days after an outing at Trenton, the former Met made his third rehab appearance for the Baby Bombers.

Topping out at 93 MPH, the righthander worked out of trouble in the seventh. After allowing two straight hits to open the frame which put runners on second and third, the 32 year-old veteran buckled down by whiffing James Barkdale and then got a bit of fortune when he gloved a Gonzalez liner to start a 1-5 double play to end the threat.

"I was excited that I got it," Dotel said. I'm usually not able to get those."

"To be honest, I like those kind of situations because it makes me say, 'Hey. You got to get your stuff going on...I got to do my job here.'"

The ex-Athletic who was signed by the Yankees in the Spring is trying to comeback from elbow ligament replacement surgery which was performed last summer.

He was encouraged by his performance but also is taking it a day at a time.

"I feel good," he added. "I think I'm going to go one more outing. I don't know where and then see how I feel after and also see how I feel tomorrow."

"My next inning is going to be Saturday. But let's see first how I feel."

If all goes well, the Santo Domingo Dominican native hinted that he could be back with the big club by next week. But he wasn't in any hurry and didn't ponder what his possible role in the Bronx could be.

"I just want to get healthy first and then I'm going to think about what I'm going to do."

"I just want to feel good. I just want to get my whole way to get to the majors. I just want to see how things go."

The question remains as to when Dotel will be able to take the mound for the Yanks. It was reported a few hours later that he felt soreness.

Kontos Fans Eight, Staten Island Edges Williamsport 2-1

2006-07-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -George Kontos pitched six innings of one-run ball, fanning eight to help Staten Island (18-12) edge Williamsport 2-1 in front of 4,560 at Richmond County Ball Park Thursday afternoon to take the rubber game of the series.

In a game which took only two hours and sixteen minutes to play, the Northwestern product was in control against the Crosscutters.

"I came out early game trying to stay focused," Kontos said. "Get focused early and stay focused. It worked out well...For the most part I threw the ball well."

Given a two-run lead in the third thanks to a Russell Raley RBI single and a throwing error by Williamsport shortstop Angel R. Gonzalez which scored Raley, Kontos' only hiccup came in the fourth when he allowed the first three batters to reach base, including a Miles Durham runscoring single which cut the lead in half.

"I think that was just a lack of focus," Kontos explained. "I was leaving the ball up and wasn't throwing the ball down getting ahead of hitters. When you do that, it comes around to hurt you."

But Kontos was able to get out of further trouble by retiring the final three Crosscutters. He finished strong by getting the last nine- striking out four en route to improving to 3-2.

The rehabbing Octavio Dotel, Luke Trubee and Nick Peterson tossed three scoreless frames to help give the Baby Bombers their 12th win in 14 games.

Notes: After allowing a leadoff single to Greg Picart in the ninth, Peterson got some defensive help when first baseman Kevin Smith started a 1-6-3 double play. He then got Barkdale to ground out to Hilligoss- notching his eighth save of the season. ... With a hit in four at bats, Hilligoss increased his batting average to .321. ... Baby Bombers hit the road for a three-game set against Auburn. They swept the Doubledays last Fall to capture their third NY-Penn League championship. ... Staten Island returns home to St. George next Tuesday against Batavia.

Baisley's Big Night Sparks Baby Bombers Over Crosscutters, Move Into First

2006-07-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

STATEN ISLAND, NY -The Baby Bombers were sparked to their 11th win in 12 by an unlikely source. Catcher Brian Baisley fell one hit short of the cycle in Staten Island's 5-4 win over Williamsport before 2,871 at Richmond County Ball Park Tuesday night.

Combined with the Ironbirds' 4-1 loss at Batavia, the red hot Baby Bombers moved into first place in the McNamara Division- improving to 17-11 on the year.

The victory wouldn't have been possible without the big bat of Baisley, who was the hitting star on a muggy night.

"I don't play that often," Baisley said after finishing 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBI's. He entered having only appeared in five games with four hits in 16 at bats.

"I'll take what I can get."

The weather would help play a role in the backstop's first at bat. Trailing by two runs in the second, left fielder Jon Poterson worked a two out walk. With Poterson on first, Baisley drove what looked like a routine fly ball to center but the wind pushed it about 15 feet off the right field fence for an RBI triple to cut the deficit in half.

After a Daniel Rios RBI ground out increased Williamsport's lead back to two, Staten Island came right back with a three run outburst in the third.

Rightfielder Seth Fortenberry ledoff the frame with a solo homer to right to make it 3-2. The Baby Bombers would also take advantage of Williamsport starter Patrick Bresnehan's (0-4) error which allowed Wilmer Pino to reach. After Mitch Hilligoss executed a perfect hit and run single to put runners on the corners, Kyle Larsen followed with an RBI single to tie the score. It was Larsen's NY-Penn League leading 27th baseknock. First baseman Kevin Smith grounded into a 6-4-3 double play which allowed Hilligoss to score, giving Staten Island its first lead.

Baisley would add some insurance in the fourth with a one out solo shot to left which increased the margin to 5-3.

After some splendid relief work by Paul Patterson (2-0) and Jonathan Hovis, Baisley came up again in the seventh and continued his perfect night by ripping a single to left. With a triple, homer and single, the backstop needed just a double to hit for the cycle.

But the final at bat never came thanks to another scoreless inning from Hovis before turning things over to Nick Peterson. The closer scattered a run before saving his seventh game by getting Jared Keel to line out to third baseman Tim O'Brien to strand the tying run at third.

"My teammates told me about it," the pleased Baisley pointed out.

"It was fun."

Notes: Tim Norton started but struggled by giving up three runs, hitting two batters and throwing three wild pitches. Despite that, he went the first four and struckout seven, finishing strong by fanning two in his final inning of work. ... Before hosting Williamsport in Game 2 tonight at St. George, the Staten Island Yankees will honor the late Roberto Clemente by handing out a drawing of Clemente to the first 2,500 spectators.

Islanders Swamp Devils Again

2006-03-15T00:21:00.000-08:00

Like a broken record, the Devils once again fell to the Islanders- making it three straight losses to their Long Island rivals. But unlike the last two which needed shootouts, this time the Islanders thoroughly dominated them in a 6-1 blowout loss at the Continental Airlines Arena Tuesday night. It was the second consecutive defeat in which they allowed six goals and also marked the first time since '96-97 (December 31, 1996, and Jan 2, 1997) that Martin Brodeur was pulled in back-to-back starts.

Thankfully, it's the last time the Devils see them in the regular season with 17 games remaining. Only two points up on slumping Tampa Bay, three ahead of Montreal and suddenly just six ahead of ninth place Atlanta, the sixth in the East Devils find themselves in a tight playoff race.

Alexei Yashin and Sean Bergenheim each had three points and Rick DiPietro made 16 saves to spark the suddenly sizzling Isles to their fourth win in a row and pull within five points of Montreal for the final playoff spot.

"I thought we had a good shot all along," DiPietro told the AP. "As far back as we were, we realized we weren't playing our best hockey. Guys have been waiting patiently to turn things around. It's starting to happen now and it's an exciting time for us."

For DiPietro, it was his seventh straight win spanning the Olympic Break. In his last four games, he's allowed just four goals.

Though he didn't make many big stops, none proved bigger than a flat out robbery of a point blank Jamie Langenbrunner chance with the game still scoreless. Alone in the slot, Langenbrunner was setup perfectly by Jay Pandolfo and ripped a shot labeled for the top corner but a sprawling DiPietro made a huge glove save to thwart him. He also denied a Langenbrunner wraparound.

Shortly after, the Isles took the lead when one of their deadline acquisitions struck. Jeff Tambellini scored his first NHL goal when he put home a Shawn Bates rebound past a sprawling Brodeur at 7:23.

A fluky bounce would give them a two-goal margin 7:32 later. Off a rush, Bergenheim took a shot which caromed back to him. He quickly fired the rebound from a sharp angle and the puck hoppped off Brodeur's glove inside the post for his first of the season. Yashin and Alexei Zhitnik notched assists.

After being outplayed severely in the first period (outshot 11-4), the Devils came out with more physical play which led to a couple of early chances. But a sharp DiPietro kept them from getting back in it.

With the Devil offense stymied, the Isles took control when Yashin tallied twice 7:09 apart. Both goals were setup by Bergenheim on the rush. Taking advantage of some poor defensive coverage, Bergenheim and Yashin combined to put the contest out of reach. The first goal came when a Bergenheim centering pass trickled right to a cutting Yashin, who quickly fired it by Brodeur at 11:09.

The second tally came on a Bergenheim wraparound attempt which caromed to Yashin for his 21st to give the Islanders a commanding four-goal cushion with 1:42 left.

When Bates and John Erskine beat Brodeur from inside the blueline 5:01 into the third, his night was over early. For the second game in a row, backup Scott Clemmensen replaced him. Brodeur finished with 18 saves.

"I played 25 minutes and 35 minutes in two games," Brodeur said. "I shouldn't be tired. I'm tired of getting scored on, that's it."

Erskine's first goal as an Islander put the exclamation point on their sixth victory in eight meetings (6-1-1) against New Jersey this season.

Only a Paul Martin goal off a fortunate bounce with 9:01 left prevented the shutout.

Notes: Islander defenseman Alexei Zhitnik left the game in the second period with an ankle injury and didn't return. ... Devil defenseman Richard Matvichuk (back) missed his sixth consecutive game. ... Jason Wiemer did not play for the Devils due to immigration issues but could make his Devil debut Thursday night against the Penguins. ... Brodeur has allowed 12 goals on 39 shots in the last two starts. His next win will tie him with Jacques Plante (435) for fourth place all-time. ... New Jersey (33-24-8, 74 pts) hosts Pittsburgh (16-37-12, 44 pts) Thursday night.

Canes Storm Rangers, Skid At Six

2006-03-14T20:04:00.000-08:00

The losing streak is now at six with no end in sight. But somehow, the Rangers still lead the Atlantic Division by two points. They could be tied with the Flyers when they return home Thursday to begin a crucial four-game homestand against Washington when they try to get out of this funk.

"It's not a good situation that we are in," Jaromir Jagr told the AP afterwards. "Everybody knows how important these next four games are at home. It might be our season. That's the way I look at it. I thought we started playing better in the last two games. It's just that the results are not there."

They fell to the Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes 5-3 at the RBC Center Tuesday night. Doug Weight had two goals and an assist and Martin Gerber made 41 saves to lift Carolina past the Rangers- snapping their own three-game losing streak.

Once again without their most valuable defenseman Marek Malik due to a sprained shoulder sustained in a 2-1 loss at New Jersey March 4 when this winless streak began, the Rangers continued to have problems in their own end leading directly to goals against.

The first such problem arose when Matt Cullen redirected an Aaron Ward feed past ex-Cane Kevin Weekes at 8:57. After a strong shift by the top unit of Martin Rucinsky, Michael Nylander and Jagr, Carolina caught them in transition leading to Cullen's tally where he used Tom Poti as a screen.

Making his first start in five games, Weekes was sharp (24 saves) despite seeing less pucks. Facing an eye opening amount of odd-man rushes and quality chances, he kept his team in the game. When Nylander converted a Fedor Tyutin pass which banked off a skate right to him in the slot, the game was tied just 5:35 later. Jagr notched his 50th assist of the season.

Carolina retook the lead 3:07 into the second when Weight tallied his first of the night. Taking advantage of a sloppy turnover by Jason Ward who failed to clear the puck out, Andrew Ladd worked the puck around to Glen Wesley before he fed a vacated Weight at the left point. Weight's wrist shot deflected off Blair Betts past Weekes.

It would get worse for the Blueshirts thanks to an undisciplined Nylander high sticking double minor. Off a three-on-two rush, Weight one-timed a Ray Whitney feed past Weekes' blocker to make it 3-1 8:01 later.

Just a few minutes later, Martin Straka was hooked down from behind and awarded a penalty shot. But as he tried to deke Gerber to the backhand, the Carolina netminder swatted it away to keep his team ahead by two.

New York drew within one though with just 17 seconds remaining in the period when Nylander registered his second of the night on the power play. During a mad scramble in which Gerber thought he had covered the puck, Sandis Ozolinsh worked it out to Nylander who buried it inside the crossbar for his 17th of the season. Petr Prucha got the secondary assist for his second point in two games since returning from an MCL sprain.

But Carolina defenseman Mike Commodore restored the two-goal lead 5:47 into the third for his second in two games against the Rangers. He also scored in Carolina's 2-1 win at MSG March 6. It was another goal where nobody picked up the pinching Commodore, who one-timed Justin Williams' feed past a helpless Weekes.

In a period in which the Rangers outshot the Canes 18-8, they continued to press and finally were rewarded with less than two minutes to go when Petr Sykora's one-timer from the slot snuck through Gerber to pull them within one.

But it was too little too late when recent acquisition Ozolinsh turned over the puck to Cory Stillman at his own blueline with Weekes pulled. Amazingly, Ozolinsh moved his legs out of the way of Stillman's empty netter which sealed the Rangers' fate.

It summed up this team perfectly since the Olympic Break with only four points (1-4-2) in its first seven games. Barring a total collapse, they should make their first postseason since 1997. 17 games remaining. The question is will they be able to regain the momentum they have lost.

Notes: One game after tweaking his left knee and leaving early against Atlanta Sunday, left wing Martin Rucinsky suited up but reinjured it in the first and didn't return. ... Nylander's goals broke a six-game drought without a point. ... With their victory, Carolina established new franchise marks in wins (44), home wins (27) and points (94) for a season- breaking records set by the '86-87 Whalers. ... Carolina defensemen Bret Hedican (illness) and Niclas Wallin (injury) did not play. ... Rangers (36-19-10, 82 pts) host Washington (22-35-7, 51 pts) Thursday night.

Isles Ship Kvasha To Phoenix

2006-03-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

The selling off of players continued for the Islanders at today's deadline. Having already moved Mark Parrish and Brent Sopel to the Kings a day earlier in exchange for prospects Denis Grebeshkov and Jeff Tambellini plus a conditional third round pick, existing GM Mike Milbury pulled off two more deals for the future.

Coupled with Montreal's 3-0 shutout of Boston later Thursday night, the Isles trail the eighth place Canadiens by nine points with 21 games remaining while Montreal has 20 left.

After dealing away Brad Lukowich to the Devils for a 2006 third round pick, Milbury finally found a taker for Oleg Kvasha- shipping the 27-year-old center to Phoenix for an '06 third round pick.

Originally acquired by Milbury along with Parrish in a Draft Day blockbuster trade back on June 24, 2000 for Olli Jokinen and Roberto Luongo, Kvasha was a classic underachiever as an Islander.

Possessing all the skills to become a top line talent, the enigmatic Kvasha never fulfilled expectations. Returning from the lockout off an '03-04 in which he posted career highs in goals (15), assists (36), points (51) and games (81), he struggled mightily with a disappointing 21 points (9-12-21) in 49 contests this season.

In 332 career games with the Islanders, Kvasha finished with 60 goals, 96 assists for 156 points.

Devils Upgrade Blueline, Acquire Isles' Lukowich

2006-03-09T17:43:00.000-08:00

With the trade deadline finally here, the Devils made two more deals to upgrade their their blueline. A day after acquiring defenseman Ken Klee from Toronto for prospect Aleksander Suglobov, GM Lou Lamoriello went across town for some help this time- sending a 2006 third round pick to the Islanders for Brad Lukowich.

The 29-year-old Lukowich is an experienced stay-at-home physical defenseman. He's also a proven winner, having won a Stanley Cup with the '04 Lightning.

"Brad Lukowich provides additional depth and experience to our defense," Lamoriello told the AP.

Signed by the Islanders to a multiyear deal worth $2 million last summer, he is under contract for next season. In his first season with the Isles, the Cranbrook British Columbia native had a goal and 12 assists for 13 points along with 32 penalty minutes and a minus-three rating in 57 games.

Ironically, Lukowich also was part of the '99 Cup champion Stars but only got into eight postseason games to fall short of having his name on the Cup. He played with current Devils Jamie Langenbrunner, Grant Marshall and Richard Matvichuk. Reunited in New Jersey, the ex-Dallas quartet will be looking for a similar result.

In order to make room for Lukowich, defenseman Sean Brown was dealt to Vancouver in exchange for a 2006 fourth round pick.

Re-signed by the Devils before the season, the former Boston '95 first round selection had 12 points along with a minus-14 rating in 35 contests.

Devils Add Wiemer To Fold: Adding some grit up front, New Jersey sent a fourth round pick to Calgary for forward Jason Wiemer. Wiemer, 29, is a capable fourth liner who can take the body and drop the gloves.

In 33 games with the Flames, Wiemer had a goal with two assists to go with 65 PIM. His grinding style should make him a welcome asset.

Jagr's Illegal Sticks Cost Rangers Point

2006-03-08T18:54:00.000-08:00

Maybe now Jaromir Jagr will have legal sticks at the bench. Twice, he was victimized for illegal sticks in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Thrashers at Philips Arena. It was the third consecutive one-goal defeat for the Rangers.

Already victimized in overtime, Jagr was found to have another bad stick by referees Don Koharski and Mike Hasenfratz before the shootout. As part of the new rules since the Olympic Break, officials must measure the first shooter's sticks to make sure they are within league rules. Jagr was disqualified. Baffled by the explanation, an animated Jagr mildly protested at the bench.

On the strength of two successive dekes by Michael Nylander and Petr Sykora sandwiched around a Marc Savard tally, the Blueshirts were one shot away from a win. But after Martin Rucinsky ran out of real estate, Slava Kozlov deked Henrik Lundqvist putting the puck just inside the crossbar to force a fourth round. When Kari Lehtonen swatted aside Martin Straka's try and Marian Hossa beat Lundqvist to the glove side, Atlanta (30-27-6) pulled within one point of eighth seed Montreal for the final playoff spot.

With the trade deadline approaching at 3 PM later today, it might indicate that the team needs to make a move. Before the game, the Rangers announced that they had traded left wing Ville Nieminen to San Jose in exchange for a 2006 third round pick.

Despite Coach Tom Renney's insistence on wanting to see his team get off to a quicker start, it didn't happen. Just 1:13 into the game, Ilya Kovalchuk's centering feed deflected off Michal Rozsival past Lundqvist to put the Rangers behind for the third straight game. In an alarming trend, they haven't led at any point since a 6-1 triumph at Philadelphia last Thursday. That's the last 185:00 without a lead.

The Blueshirts drew even when Jagr connected on a five-on-three for his league-leading 43rd at 6:24. Taking advantage of two Atlanta penalties 24 seconds apart, Jagr worked a give-and-go with Martin Rucinsky to perfection with his one-timer eluding Lehtonen's glove.

On an Atlanta power play with under five minutes left in the first, Jason Ward was hooked down from behind while breaking in shorthanded. Though, he got off a shot which Lehtonen stopped, he was awarded a penalty shot. But on it, as he attempted to deke the Atlanta rookie netminder, the puck slid off his stick wide to keep the game knotted.

With both goalies sharp throughout, Atlanta took the play to the Rangers in the second period outshooting them 15-9. In as sloppy a period as the Rangers have played this season, they somehow managed to kill off all six Thrasher power plays including two five-on-three's. Thanks in large part to some big saves from Lundqvist, the game was still tied. But shortly after they killed off a Blair Betts interference minor, the Rangers D got caught napping resulting in Atlanta regaining the lead on a Serge Aubin tally with 1:23 left. Left alone in the slot, Aubin one-timed a Brad Larsen feed through Lundqvist.

Fortunately for them, rookie defenseman Thomas Pock struck back 1:16 later to tie it with seven seconds left. Off a Rucinsky pass, Pock's slapshot sailed through a maze of players past Lehtonen. His first goal of the season came at a huge moment and allowed his team to gain a valuable point in the standings. Coupled with the Flyers 3-2 shootout win over Carolina, they're only a point ahead for the Atlantic Division with 20 games remaining. With an extra game at hand plus the one point Pock got them, it could prove to be the difference.

That's if the Rangers rediscover the winning formula by the weekend.

Notes: Defenseman Marek Malik (chest) sat out his second consecutive game. ... Atlanta defenseman Garnet Exelby left the game in the third period due to a Ryan Hollweg hit along the boards. ... Rangers are now 5-2 in shootouts while Atlanta won their fourth in a row to improve to 4-4. ... The win was the Thrashers' third straight despite finishing 0-for-9 on the PP. ... In the battle of rookie netminders, Lundqvist finished with 33 saves while counterpart Lehtonen stopped 32 before the SO. ... Rangers (36-17-9, 81 pts) travel to Montreal (29-23-9, 67 pts) Saturday night before returning home Sunday to play Atlanta again.