p17 2.e$S_Layout 1 3/4/15 9:37 PM Page 1 THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015 SPORTS Baseball tries to speed game GOODYEAR: With large, glowing red num- deal. I really don’t,” Francona said. “It’s going bers, the timer on the center-field wall at to be that day and it’s hot and everyone’s a lit- Goodyear Ballpark ticked down Tuesday, tle on edge, that’s when you’re going to see counting off seconds and ushering in change. something. But that’s what you see during Baseball, the timeless game of endless sum- the games anyway.” mers, went on the clock. Two clocks were installed at all ballparks Major League Baseball introduced its new throughout the Cactus and Grapefruit pace of play initiatives during five exhibition Leagues, and for the most part the time games in Arizona and Florida. As expected, pieces went unnoticed. Players hustled on there were a few minor glitches as players, and off the field between innings, most of managers, umpires and fans adjusted to the them seemingly unaware that they were “rules” designed to make games shorter, more being timed. “I tried not to pay attention to it,” appealing to TV viewers and perhaps lure the said San Francisco ace Madison Bumgarner, next generation of fans to a sport fighting for last year’s World Series MVP. “It’s going to be attention. that way during the season. I didn’t pay atten- On this opening day, baseball had a slight- tion. I can usually be ready.” ly different look. “I’ve never worked a game in In a few instances, hitters caught them- the history of baseball that has a countdown selves about to drift outside the dirt near clock,” said umpire Dan Iassogna, who kept an home plate and made sure they kept at least eye on second base as the Pittsburgh Pirates a cleat on the edge of the box. “I reminded a and Toronto Blue Jays played in Dunedin, lot of guys today, ‘Oh, you can’t do that. You Florida. “That was a little different.” do that and we’re going to write you up for Under the pace of play provisions, hitters that. You can’t do that’,” said umpire James are required to keep one foot in the batter’s Hoye, who called balls and strikes for the box after taking a pitch. Not everyone Pirates and Blue Jays. “They’d laugh and say, seemed to get the memo. New York Yankees ‘Oh, sorry.’” By the way, it took 3 hours, 17 leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury took the first minutes for Pittsburgh to beat Toronto 8-7. pitch of the game - and this spring, in fact - The average MLB gametime in the regular from Philadelphia’s David Buchanan and season last year was 3:02. Ellsbury was given immediately stepped outside the white- the benefit of the doubt for his misstep. He chalked line, maintaining his routine. won’t be as lucky in the months ahead. On CLEVELAND: Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Love (left) shoots against Boston Celtics’ Avery Bradley in the second half of an NBA basketball These days, that’s a no-no - not a no-hitter. Day One, crew chief Tom Hallion and his col- game. —AP But Vic Carapazza, the plate umpire for the leagues weren’t enforcing anything. exhibition in Clearwater, Florida, gave no sig- “He’s already got enough on his mind, the nal to Ellsbury that he was guilty of breaking first pitch of spring training, and now he’s got one of the new rules. to remember to stay in the box,” said Hallion, Cavs cruise to victory MLB is using the spring training schedule who was at first for the opener. “It’s a work in and regular-season games in April to break progress. It’s the first game and we’ll go from everyone in. But starting May 1, offenders will here. It’s going to take some work. It’s a CLEVELAND: LeBron James scored 27 points to Minnesota, had his third double-double with third straight win. face discipline - most likely fines. Along with change for everybody. It’s not going to get move into 21st place on the NBA’s career list, and the Hornets. He knocked down a big 3-pointer Rodney Hood finished with 13 points for keeping batters close to the plate, pitchers fixed on the first day.” Fans, too, had to adjust. the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a 110-79 vic- with a minute to play to push the lead to six Utah, shot 45 percent. Courtney Lee led are required to have their warmup tosses As he took his seat a few rows behind tory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. and added five free throws in the final 18 sec- Memphis with 18 points, while Marc Gasol fin- completed before the clock - set at 2:25 for Cleveland’s dugout, Glen Pawlak of Concord, James, who has 24,508 career points, moved onds to seal the win. Gerald Henderson added ished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Rookie regionally televised games and 2:45 for Ohio, immediately noticed the clock situated past Ray Allen with a layup in the third quarter. 21 points, including several key baskets late in Jordan Adams added 13 points on 6-for 8 shoot- national broadcasts - is down to 30 seconds in center field, just to the right of one of the He was pulled with 4:41 remaining in the period the fourth quarter. Cody Zeller had 10 points ing, while Mike Conley scored 11, but was 4 of 11 and the batter must be ready by the time the giant palm trees standing guard in Goodyear and didn’t return, playing 26 minutes. and 11 rebounds as all five Charlotte starters from the field. clock reaches 5 seconds. After Cincinnati at the spring home shared by the Reds and Kyrie Irving scored 18 points in his return finished in double figures. Jeremy Lin led the The Grizzlies, who have lost three of four, drubbed Cleveland 10-0 in a fairly tidy 2 Indians. Pawlak, happy to be away from the after missing two games with a shoulder injury, Lakers with 23 points off the bench, while were short-handed with starting forward Zach hours, 50 minutes, Indians manager Terry Ohio winter and visiting Arizona with his wife, and Kevin Love - who played despite missing the Jordan Clarkson had 19. Randolph and reserve guard Beno Udrih out Francona said he believes the changes will be Jan, and son, Brenden, was eager to see how morning shoot-around due to illness - added 12 with illness, and defensive stalwart Tony Allen smooth and players and umpires will work baseball might change. “It’s interesting,” he points. Brandon Bass scored 15 points to lead KINGS 124, KNICKS 86 suspended for the game due to a violation of together to tweak any problems. There will be said. “It’s a new adaptation to the game. TV Boston, which lost by its largest margin of the Rudy Gay scored 25 points, DeMarcus team policy. issues and controversy, but that’s baseball. viewers these days have a very short atten- season. Cousins had 22 and Ben McLemore finished with “I don’t think it’s going to be that big of a tion span.—AP 20 as Sacramento handed New York its worst BULLS 97, WIZARDS 92 HAWKS 104, ROCKETS 96 loss of the season. Mikola Mirotic scored 23 points to lead short- Jeff Teague scored 25 points, Al Horford The Kings scored the first four points and handed Chicago past Washington. The Bulls added 18 and NBA-leading Atlanta rallied from never trailed. They built the lead to 16 after the were without former MVP Derrick Rose (right A’s beat Giants in 18 points down to win its fifth straight. first quarter and to as many as 30 in the second. knee), All-Star Jimmy Butler (left elbow), and James Harden, the league’s leading scorer, Alexey Shved led the Knicks with 15 points. trusted reserve Taj Gibson (left ankle), but still was serving a one-game suspension and did not Jason Smith and Shane Larkin had 13 each. After managed to improve to 4-2 on their season-high spring training play for Houston, but the Rockets led for the shooting only 35 percent (7-for-20) from the seven-game homestand. Aaron Brooks scored most of the game until Teague’s 3-pointer with field in the first quarter, the Knicks were even 22 points while Pau Gasol had 20 points and 10 MESA: World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner it, especially after that first inning,” he said. “I 4:24 remaining put Atlanta up 91-90. worse in the second, going 6 for 24 (25 percent). rebounds for the Bulls, who had five players in was roughed up in his exhibition debut, and wanted to go right the ship.” ... Giants manag- Houston forced a couple of ties in the clos- Their previous worst loss was by 28 points to double figures. Marcus Semien hit a pair of home runs as the er Bruce Bochy said a younger Bumgarner ing minutes, but never regained the lead. Charlotte, 110-82, on Jan. 10. Chicago’s starting lineup of Brooks, Tony Oakland Athletics opened their new spring would have been upset. “He’s matured in that Jason Terry finished with 21 points in a reserve Snell, Mike Dunleavy, Gasol and Joakim Noah training home by beating the champion San respect,” Bochy said.