Opening Day at the Parka Batters Up, but Mercury Isn’T As Season Starts Ben Walker the Los Angeles Angels
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www.pgcitizen.ca | Friday, April 1, 2011 11 sports Opening day at the parka Batters up, but mercury isn’t as season starts Ben Walker the Los Angeles Angels. The Associated Press Mark Allred, a retired electrician from Kansas City, Mo., sat on the first-base side With a hot beverage cup in both hands about 15 rows from the field. The forecast and a white parka pulled over her hooded called for highs around 10 C, with a 50 per sweat shirt, Marie Denissen was more than cent chance of rain and light winds. happy to be at Nationals Park. “It’s too bad we don’t have a nice day for Chilly weather? No worries. Heck, it was this. It’s always such an exciting time,” opening day. Allred said. “Fans like me have been looking “It’s still great,” said Denissen, from High- forward to baseball all the long winter and land, Md., during Thursday’s game between now it still feels like winter. But I don’t really the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals. care. Bring on the first pitch!” “You just have to have coffee instead of beer.” It was 5 C for the first pitch at Great Los Angeles Angels Jeff Mathis is out at the plate as he collides with Kansas City Royals Pretty much the sentiment all across the American Ball Park in Cincinnati – better catcher Matt Treanor as he tried to score on a hit by Peter Bourjos during the eighth inning majors. Get out your mitts – and mittens – than the previous day, when the Milwaukee of a game Thursday in Kansas City, Mo. The Angels beat the Royals 4 - 2. AP photo and let’s play ball. Brewers and Reds worked out in the snow. Chipper Jones was ready, even though it Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez warmed up A-Rod’s check almost as big as entire KC payroll was 5 C and damp in Washington. The ol’ wearing a red-hooded sweat shirt and play- pro got the first hit of the 2011 season with ers took batting practice in stocking caps. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are New York Yankees’ $201.7 million payroll. a double, and later scored the first run as Reds manager Dusty Baker said the trick barely making more than Alex Rodriguez He is baseball’s highest-paid player for the Atlanta won 2-0 before a non-sellout crowd. for players was to ignore the temperature as this year. 11th straight year. At Yankee Stadium, there was a box of much as possible. The salaries for Kansas City’s 27 players Overall, baseball salaries were nearly flat winter hats for players in the New York club- “It’s all mental,” Baker said. “Sometimes it on its opening-day roster and disabled list this year. The average of the 844 players on house. It was 5 C and misty for the first-ever really is cold. You’ve got to fool yourself.” total US$36.1 million, according to an opening-day rosters and disabled lists was March game in the Bronx. The Brewers didn’t seem to mind. Rickie analysis of major league contracts by The about $3.3 million, up just 0.2 per cent from Rapper Jay-Z bundled up with his version Weeks and Carlos Gomez led off Milwau- Associated Press. last year. The increase was the lowest since of a “ballparka” – hoodie and coat – and kee’s season with home runs, the first time a A-Rod alone makes $32 million atop the a 2.7 per cent drop in 2004. there were pockets of empty seats as the De- team had done that since 1969, when Pete troit Tigers took on the Yankees. Derek Jeter Rose and Bobby Tolan did it for the Reds. blew on his hands in the batter’s box, even There were six openers Thursday, includ- though he already had batting gloves. ing games at St. Louis and Los Angeles. The concession stand that seemed to be No surprise, Dodger Stadium made for the doing the best business at Kauffman Stadi- most picturesque setting. It was sunny, with um in Kansas City was Sheridan’s hot temperatures in the 20s as Tim Lincecum chocolate. Fans bundled against the chill, and the World Series champion San Francis- lined up five-deep, before the Royals hosted co Giants got ready to play their old rivals. Rundown of improbable Final Four teams John Marshall the current mid-major runs. The Patriots The Associated Press took down big boys Michigan State, North Carolina and No. 1 overall seed UConn to HOUSTON — Connecticut was supposed get to the Final Four. to be too young, Kentucky too immature, Butler, 2010. The Bulldogs set their own Butler too old news and Virginia Common- standard just last year, coming within a wealth too far off the radar. nearly-banked-in halfcourt shot by Gordon This is some kinda Final Four, huh? Hayward of becoming the ultimate Cin- After two weeks of games even the most as- derella against Duke. tute prognosticators couldn’t have predicted, Villanova, 1985. First year of the 64-team we’re finally at a Final Four unlike any other. field and the Wildcats made it a memorable After all those brackets around the country one, becoming the highest seed to win a na- hit the shredder, Kentucky and Connecticut tional championship as a No. 8. will play in the blue blood bracket, while Louisiana State, 1986. First No. 11 seed to Butler and VCU face off in the up-and-com- reach the Final Four. ers division. Winners get a chance at the re- ally big stage at really big Reliant Stadium. NUMBERS Whatever happens, it’s sure to go down as 33-5-11 – Age in years, months and days one of the more memorable NCAA tourna- of Butler’s Brad Stevens, making him the ments in history. Heck, it already has been. second-youngest coach to reach the Final So, to get you geared up, we’ve pulled to- Four since 1972 (Bob Knight, 32-4-29). gether a little something that’s part history 3 – Number of No. 11 seeds to reach the lesson, part rundown of this year’s teams Final Four: LSU in 1986, George Mason in and, hopefully, an entertaining look at this 2006, VCU this year. are-these-really-the-teams foursome. 5 – NCAA tournament games won by VCU, most ever to reach the Final Four. THE UNDERDOGS 14 – Final Four appearances by Kentucky, In honour of underdogs Butler and VCU eight more than the other three teams getting to the Final Four, we’d thought it’d combined. be interesting to look back at some of the 19 – Games decided by three points or all-time upset teams in NCAA tournament fewer in this year’s NCAA tournament, tied history: for second behind the 24 in 1990 for most North Carolina State, 1983. Lorenzo since the field expanded to 64 teams. Charles dunking, Jim Valvano running, 26 – Combined seeds of Connecticut ‘Pack beats Phi Slama Jama. Doesn’t get (three), Kentucky (four), Butler (eight) and much better than that. VCU (11), highest in Final Four history. The Indiana State, 1979. So what if Magic and previous high was 22 in 2000. Michigan State took down the Sycamores? 40 – Games played by VCU and Connecti- What Larry Bird and his batch of underlings cut (once they play Saturday), matching the did was incredible stuff. modern-day (since 1948) record, set seven George Mason, 2006. The trendsetter for previous times. Canada’s Raonic shrugs off newfound fame Lori Ewing come, it’s a good feeling because it means The Canadian Press you’re doing something right, and it means for me, I’ve been doing the right TORONTO — When he left Ontario just things on the court, I’ve been playing well. three months ago, Milos Raonic could not I hope to keep getting better and better have imagined how on his next trip home, and who knows what will come down he’d have a courtside seat at a Toronto Raptors the road.” game, and launching tennis balls up into a But Raonic shrugs off any suggestions of crowd of basketball fans screaming his name. fame, saying remaining humble has been a big Life has changed considerably for the fast- key to his success. He plans to stay that way. rising tennis star. “I’ve had all these experiences and it’s The 20-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., easy to get carried away with and easy to with the thunderous serve, has a meteoric get your ego too big. I just want to stay rise up the tennis ranks to thank for his humble about everything,” Raonic said. newfound celebrity, leap-frogging up 108 “I made the good results that I have be- spots to No. 34 on the ATP tour. cause I remained level-headed about every- “Getting that kind of experience like [the thing. I think that’s going to be a very im- basketball game] was amazing,” Raonic said. portant thing for myself in my career. “It’s memories you build, special memo- “I don’t think I’ll be getting too far if I start ries, and when all these kinds of things thinking too much of myself. Witness testifies that she watched Bonds receive injection SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Barry Bonds’ Bonds’ bedroom packing his clothes for the former personal shopper testified that she road trip when the seven-time NL MVP and witnessed the slugger’s private trainer in- trainer Greg Anderson came into the room.