Rays DH Cliff Floyd (15-day DL, knee surgery) was the only Tampa Bay player in the cage on the field today as the rest of the team was allowed to hit inside if they wished. Floyd said before he hit that he is ready now to come back, which led to some pregame speculation that he might be activated and put into the lineup tonight against the Angels.
But Manager Joe Maddon said no, and it’s not likely Floyd will return tomorrow with a lefty, Joe Saunders, going for the Angels. That makes Sunday the likely return date for Floyd, who has missed a month and was eager to get back.
“I’m in a rush,” he said. “I don’t know if they’re in a rush. I want to get back. It’s been four weeks today. I’m just anxious to get back with my boys and sit on the bench and be part of the team. I want to feel like I’m contributing in some way, whether it’s good or bad. I just want to contribute. I want to be a big part of this.”
It will be interesting to see which way the Rays go when it’s time to activate Floyd. At first glance, it looks like OF Nathan Haynes might be the odd man out, with Gabe Gross basically being slotted into the playing time Haynes currently occupies and Eric Hinske holding down the job in RF more often than not whe Floyd comes back to DH against RHPs. That leaves Jonny Gomes to DH against LHPs.
Here are the lineups:
Angels:
Matthews, RF
Aybar, SS
Guerrero, DH
Anderson, LF
Hunter, CF
Kotchman, 1B
Napoli, C
Wood, 3B
Rodriguez, 2B
Garland, P
Rays:
Iwamura, 2B
Crawford, LF
Upton, CF
Pena, 1B
Longoria, 3B
Hinske, DH
Navarro, C
Gross, RF
Bartlett, SS
Shields, P
Also, Maddon said the only reliever not available today is LHP J.P. Howell, who pitched three innings to get the win Thursday in Toronto.
PLANT CITY – Pembroke Pines Charter (30-0), ranked No. 1 in the USA Today national poll, is one win away from a perfect season after the Jaguars beat Glen St. Mary Baker County 12-1 in five innings in a Class 4A state semifinal Friday at Plant City Stadium.
Jaguars junior Lauren Sewell (15-0) pitched a three-hitter and struck out 13.
University of South Florida men’s basketball assistant Dan Hipsher interviewed with Florida Atlantic officials today about the Owls’ head coaching position.
“First of all I’m honored to be a finalist for the position,” Hipsher said in a statement. “I met with university officials for about five hours today, including the director of athletics and president. I also toured the facilities and the campus and am looking forward to the next step in the process.”
Hipsher, who came to USF from Arkansas with Coach Stan Heath, appears to be among five finalists.
The Owls also previously interviewed UCF assistant Mike Jaskulski, Florida assistant Lewis Preston and FAU assistant Mike Balado, the Palm Beach Post reported.
The Post also reported former St. John’s coach Mike Jarvis would interview today. Former Wisconsin and Saint Louis coach Brad Soderberg also interviewed for the job, Rivals.com reported.
Earlier this year, Hipsher interviewed for the head job at Jacksonville (Ala.) State, before withdrawing his name from contention.
PLANT CITY – Miami Palmetto scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally past Jacksonville Mandarin 5-4 in a Class 6A state semifinal Friday at Plant City Stadium.
The Panthers (25-3), who extended their winning streak to 14 games, advanced to Saturday’s championship where they will be going for their third state title (2000, 2003).
In chatting with Peter Tom Willis on Thursday for a story in today’s Tampa Tribune, you couldn’t help but notice how disappointed he remains in the way his exit from FSU’s radio booth was handled.
Willis was unexpectedly fired last month as FSU’s radio color analyst. The former FSU quarterback, who now calls Valrico home, didn’t see it coming. While the school provided no specific reason, FSU coach Bobby Bowden has said publicly he believed Willis was too critical at times.
“The main thing is that it didn’t have to be handled the way it was handled,’’ Willis said. “Believe me, in the big scheme of things, me not doing the radio anymore is not that big of a deal. I think the world of that university. Having played there, and been a part of that place, it’s just very disappointed how I’ve been treated.
“I do think they got a good guy in William Floyd. I think he will do an excellent job.’’
Willis scoffs at the notion he was too critical of the program.
“What people have to understand is, I love Florida State, and I don’t want to be critical, but at the same time, I can’t sit up there and say things are going great when they aren’t going great,’’ he said. “When we do stuff well, I probably get overly excited. Our fans aren’t crazy. They’re not going to watch what has been happening over the last seven years, and say that’s great offense. It’s not. I’m not going to be the one to sit up there and say it is. If people want to get mad at me for that, they can.’’
Willis has not spoken to Bowden since he was fired, and whether he will in the future remains uncertain. When asked if it was important to him to smooth out whatever differences Bowden may have with him, Willis replied:
“I used to think that way, but I’m not so sure anymore.’’
Here are a couple of extra leftovers:
Q: Will you still come to games at Florida State?
A: “I don’t know if I’ll come up this year, but I’ll definitely come back up. I’m not going to let one or two people run me off from there. I love the place. I love everything about it.’’
Q: Do you have any regrets about the way you did the job?
A: “I’m comfortable with the way I’ve conducted myself over the last 10 years. I’ve apologized for a couple of situations where I have probably used the wrong wording, but other than that, I feel I have nothing to apologize for.’’
Tis the season to be hiring. As the school year winds down, coaches in Hillsborough County are resigning, some for personal reasons and others to focus on full-time careers. So here is a look at schools trying to fill coaching vacancies:
Alonso: girls basketball, girls track, girls swimming
Blake: volleyball, girls basketball, baseball
Chamberlain: girls basketball, boys swimming
Durant: girls swimming
Freedom: wrestling, boys and girls swimming
Gaither: girls basketball, girls soccer
King: Wrestling
Lennard: girls swimming
Leto: volleyball, girls basketball, girls track
Newsome: boys soccer
Plant City: boys and girls swimming, girls soccer
Plant: boys swimming
Seffner Christian: volleyball, softball, cross country, baseball
Sickles: softball
Spoto: Football
Tampa Bay Tech: Softball, wrestling
As Florida State slowly moves out from under the dark cloud of the academic cheating scandal that involved more than 20 football players – nearly half of those players are no longer on the team – the Noles got a boost when the NCAA released its annual Academic Progress Rate (APR) this week.
All of FSU’s athletic teams scored above the cut-point of 925 based on data over the last four years (2003-04 through 2006-07). As a result, no team faces any penalties.
“We are proud to announce that all Florida State varsity teams have met the NCAA APR benchmark,” FSU athletic director Randy Spetman said in a statement.
What is the APR? In simple terms, a formula measures a team’s academic success each semester by tracking each student-athlete on the team. The data includes eligibility, retention, and graduation in the calculation.
An APR score of 925 projects to an NCAA Graduation Success Rate of approximately 60 percent. High-performing teams receiving awards posted APR scores ranging from 965 to a perfect 1,000 and were in the top 10 percent of their respective sport.
“When gauged against other similar institutions across the country, Florida State ranks above the national average in several sports,’’ FSU director of academic support Bill Shults said. “This is a positive reflection of the commitment to academic success by our student-athletes, coaches and administration.”
The FSU teams scoring above the national average include men’s basketball (958), football (954), men’s swimming (969), men’s tennis (992) and men’s golf, which earned a Public Recognition Award for maintaining a perfect rate of 1000.
On the women’s side, basketball (963), golf (986) and volleyball (980) were also recognized while softball (992) also earned a Public Recognition Award for earning a score in the top 10 percent of its sport.
Here is FSU’s sport-by-sport breakdown of the multi-year APRs. In parentheses, you’ll find the Football Bowl Subdivision national average:
Men’s Teams
Baseball 934 (942)
Basketball 958 (925)
Cross Country 961 (964)
Football 954 (936)
Golf 1000 (965)
Swimming 969 (964)
Tennis 992 (963)
Track/indoor 939 (949)
Track/outdoor 947 (949)
Women’s Teams
Basketball 963 (960)
Cross Country 962 (971)
Golf 986 (980)
Soccer 967 (972)
Softball 992 (969)
Swimming 968 (979)
Tennis 961 (973)
Track/indoor 941 (963)
Track/outdoor 945 (964)
Volleyball 980 (972)
T.K. Wetherell didn’t become president of Florida State University and a well-seasoned politician by not knowing how the game works.
In fact, Wetherell is a master negotiator in many ways, and that’s why Jimbo Fisher doesn’t need to worry about making a hefty withdrawal from the bank any time soon.
“I’m just human,’’ Fisher said in late December after flirting with the idea of returning home to West Virginia to coach the Mountaineers just two weeks after Wetherell orchestrated the deal to make him Bobby Bowden’s replacement. “If I’m wrong for [considering West Virginia], I apologize if people didn’t understand it, and for the ones who do, I appreciate it.’’
Wetherell understood, and that’s why he hasn’t, and won’t, seek the $2.5 million payment from Fisher for talking directly to West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong during the search for Rich Rodriguez’s replacement.
Based on the language in Fisher’s coach-in-waiting agreement with FSU, he owes FSU $2.5 million for even talking to another school about a job. Wetherell couldn’t be reached Thursday, but in an interview with The Tribune in February, he said there was never any consideration to penalize Fisher financially for talking to the Mountaineers.
Wetherell wants Fisher to be the person to replace Bowden, and forcing Fisher to fork over all that cash probably would put a damper in the relationship.
According to FSU officials, Wetherell’s commitment to Fisher hasn’t changed following the release of a transcript of Pastilong’s deposition in the lawsuit between WVU and Rodriguez. In the deposition, Pastilong said “following Rich’s official resignation, I had telephone conversations with Jimbo Fisher.’’
Of course he did. The West Virginia job was Fisher’s if he wanted it, and Pastilong was the man making the hire.
Now, if Fisher ever talks to Jeremy Foley about a job, guess here is Jimbo better head to the bank as soon as he hangs up the phone.
By MIKE ANDERSON
It has been a great week of fishing on Tampa Bay. Almost everything that swims seems to be eating. The mackerel — Spanish and king — are fast and steady. Captain Mark Thomas reports the kingfish are reliable all along the Egmont Channel out toward the Gulf, either slow trolling or anchored up and chumming baits back with the tide.
The Spanish mackerel bite is about as dependable as anything in the Bay right now. Anchor up near almost any of the range markers along the south shore and put out a bag of Profish Chum — it didn’t seem to matter if the baits were free-lined or put under a cork. We had several Spanish this week in the 20- to 30-inch range and they are a great fight. Remember to grab some long shank hooks before going out. You’ll need them.
The redfish bite was also very good along the south shore as well as in the Fort DeSoto area as there were plenty of slot-sized fish to be had. Be sure to work very close to the mangroves on the higher tides as they seemed to be pushing back into the shade.
The snook bite was steady, with our biggest fish coming on dead bait soaked on the bottom. As we all know, this is tarpon time, and they did not disappoint. Nobles reports having great action in Boca Grande pass and we lit them up all week at the Skyway bridge and at Egmont Key using big threadfins.
Catch captains Billy Nobles and Mike Anderson on the “Reel Animals Fishing Show” on Saturdays from 6:30-7 a.m. on WFLA, Channel 8, and Sundays from 8-10 a.m. on WHBO, 1470 AM. To book a charter, call 1-866-GAMEFISH or visit
reelanimalsfishingshow.com.
PLANT CITY - Jacksonville Bartram Trail scored four runs in the bottom half of the first, then relied on the pitching of senior Molly Manning as the Bears ended Venice’s undefeated season and won the 5A softball title, 4-2.
Manning, a Villanova recruit, struck out 15 in a complete-game effort, allowing only one earned run on four hits. She started the game by hitting the Indians leadoff batter Nicole Clark, but looked dominant thereafter, striking out the next eight Venice batters. Manning ended the game by striking out the side in the top of the seventh.
There had been some rumors floating around since former Gibbs football coach Al Davis was hired at King that former Bucs quarterback Shaun King, who played for Davis in high school, was going to join Davis’ staff and help coach the Lions’ quarterbacks.
King, currently working as a professional football analyst for ESPN, was in town Monday to serve as the color analyst for the Tampa Bay Storm’s nationally-televised game against the Chicago Rush, and said that the rumors are not true and that he won’t be joining Davis’ staff.
In fact, King already serves as the quarterbacks coach at one local program – that would be his high school alma mater, Gibbs.
However, King said the time constraints of his job with ESPN, which he signed a three-year deal with in February, may prevent him from coaching this season. King said he juggled the duties last year, but his schedule – he’s required to be in the studio in Bristol from Sunday through Tuesday and doesn’t return to Florida until Wednesday – might make it tough to repeat that next season.
“From a time standpoint, I just can’t be there enough and I don’t think it’s fair to the kids,” King said. “I also don’t think it’s fair to Jacquez Green, the offensive coordinator, or Coach [Yusuf] Shakir, the head coach, to have someone on the staff who comes in and out one, two days a week.”
Leave it to the veteran to set the record straight.
With the Storm mired in a slump of six losses in their last seven games, it would be easy to think the team is ready to hit the panic button. It also would be easy to think Tampa Bay would declare Friday’s home game with New Orleans a must-win.
Not so, says Lawrence Samuels.
“The guys are still laid back,” Samuels said following Thursday’s workout, “but we know we have to come out and play well. The mood [in the locker room] is a sense of urgency right now. We have to do what we have to do to get a victory.”
The things the Storm need to do, according to Samuels, is find a way to make those one or two plays that always seem to go against them go in their favor. Of course, those plays usually center around turnovers, which has become the team’s Achilles’ heel this season.
During the team’s five-game losing streak, the Storm failed to force a turnover. In Monday’s loss to Chicago, it was the lack of execution after forcing a turnover that ultimately doomed the team.
Samuels made a tremendous interception in the Storm’s end zone early in the fourth quarter to keep Tampa Bay within seven points. However, Tampa Bay couldn’t answer with a touchdown and instead settled for a Seth Marler field goal. The Storm never made up the deficit.
Nevertheless, even with the team three games below .500 (3-6) nine games into the season, Samuels said he doesn’t feel that the season is slipping away.
“Not really, because you look at it, we were 0-5 last year and these guys still kept the faith. We didn’t point any fingers, and we’re not pointing any fingers now. We’re just going to keep the faith and just come out at a high pace and come out and try to get a victory,” Samuels said. “Right now it’s not [time to panic]. You don’t want to push the panic button too early. I think if we push the panic button this week, guys will be playing on edge and feel like that.
“We’ve been playing well. We’ve done some things well. We’ve just been coming up short. That’s why we’ve got to execute; that’s the biggest thing. We’ve got to execute, don’t turn the ball over and do the little things. If we do that, then we’ll come out victorious.”
When the Storm hosted Chicago on Monday night, former Bucs quarterback Shaun King, who is now working with ESPN, was in the booth to serve as the color analyst for the nationally-televised game.
I caught up with King before the game and one of the questions I asked was whether or not he thought the Storm could turn things around this season after a tough first half. Now, King’s comments came prior to the game - one the Storm lost to fall to 3-6 - but I figured I’d share them anyways. Heck, maybe they’ll bring some smiles to Tampa Bay fans who haven’t had much to smile about recently.
“Well, I think if you look at what they were able to accomplish last year, last year kind of started the same way for them. They didn’t get off to a great start and then they acquired [quarterback Brett] Dietz from Kansas City’s practice squad and he came and helped them turn things around and get into the playoffs. This year they started off OK but then they just kind of got in a rut. Defensively they couldn’t force any turnovers and offensively they’ve had some injuries and have had a hard time protecting Dietz. But they beat a good Orlando team last week, so maybe that’s the spark that will get them back on a winning streak. One thing that you do know is they still have the most accomplished coach in arena [football] in [Tim] Marcum, so if there’s any guy who can get it turned around I’m sure he can.”
PLANT CITY – Wewahitchka won its second consecutive Class 2A state title after defeating Jacksonville Providence 4-1 Thursday in the championship at Plant City Stadium.
The Gators (27-2) did most of their damage in the bottom of the fifth inning, using four hits and two Providence errors to score three runs.
Samantha Rich limited the Stallions (26-4) to five hits while striking out 13.
TORONTO—Some weary Rays down in the clubhouse, ready to get out of here following tonight’s game and get on home.
Some changes in the lineup on getaway night, with Evan Longoria getting his first day off since being called up and someone besides Carl Crawford starting in left field for the first time this season.
Joe Maddon wanted to get Longoria, who is hitting .138 (4-for-29) on the road trip, a bit of a mental break, and the young third baseman didn’t argue.
“I don’t want a day off, I wouldn’t go in and ask him for a day off – obviously, I want to play every day,” said Longoria. “But it’s something that probably is needed right now.”
Crawford also welcomed the bit of rest that will come from serving as the DH, though he still considers it a full workday.
On the rehab front, Cliff Floyd went 3-for-4 in an extended spring game and managed to get himself caught in a rundown, which the Rays considered a good test for his knee. He’ll take BP at the Trop tomorrow (though the rest of the team will not, opting for individual hitting in the cage) and be evaluated from there. Maddon said Floyd definitely will not be activated tomorrow, but didn’t rule out him coming off the DL at any point after that.
Ah, one other pregame nugget I just noticed: the Pirates acquired Tampa Jesuit’s Jason Michaels from the Indians for a player to be named.
Here are the lineups:
Rays
Iwamura 2B
Crawford DH
Upton CF
Pena 1B
Hinske 3B
Navarro C
Gross RF
Haynes LF
Bartlett SS
Jackson P
Jays
Rios RF
Stewart LF
Rolen 3B
Stairs DH
Wells CF
Overbay 1B
Hill 2B
Zaun C
Scutaro SS
Litsch P
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