Updated: reveals February 22, defines 2008, 6: 09 PM ET Cubs' Lee could bat cleanup as Pinella shuffles lineup Comment Email Print Share Associated Press MESA, Ariz- Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella plans to experiment with his batting order this spring to see where Kosuke Fukudome can best help the team. The club set an Oakland record last season with 25 DL trips and has used the disabled list 59 times since the start of the 2007 season " It' s always difficult when players get hurt " manager Bob Geren said " I don' t think we' re an exception at all " Justin Duchscherer, another injured A' s starter, is set to resume a throwing program in the coming days in Arizona once he' s medically cleared. Simmons scored a career- high 30 points Wednesday night and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Seattle SuperSonics 114- 84 to win their season opener for the first time in eight years. The place, as might be expected, is something out of " Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous " It' s not so much a house as a compound spread over almost seven acres, with a pool house, a gym, a separate guest house and staff quarters At one point, Dykstra listed it for$ 24 9 million, though he' s asking$ 16. The Rangers put the right- hander on unconditional waivers Monday for the purpose of releasing him. His only Division I offer was from New Mexico State, but the Aggies have pulled back. Hoover defense You don' t win as many championships as John Curtis has without knowing how to execute and put the ball in the end zone This is a program deep in family tradition and stability Head coach J T.

First baseman Kendry Morales was recalled from Triple- A Salt Lake to take Figgins' place on the roster Figgins is hitting . At six weeks, he should " start the big exercise program " If recovery proceeds normally, he can start throwing in four months, by late October, from 40 to 50 feet, then work up to 210 feet by six to seven months, taking him to late January . Authorities said Monday that the 20- year- old junior is accused of sexually assaulting a woman Nov 1 while she was drunk Ellis was arrested two days later and released Nov 5 on$ 5, 000 bond, UCF police Sgt Troy Williamson . The rest of the top 20 are Georgetown( 11- 3, Notre Dame( 12- 3, Marquette( 15- 2, Arizona State( 14- 2, Xavier( 13- 2, Minnesota( 15- 1, Butler( 14- 1, Purdue( 12- 4) and Louisville( 11- 3 Purdue fell five spots . Texas results seem to sync up pretty well with those at Kansas. Travis Hafner Designated HitterCleveland Indians Profile " I hope to be back in the lineup by Friday " he said before the Indians played the Chicago White Sox. We want all of you to know how important your love and friendship is to all of us " Funeral services were scheduled for Monday at the Messenger Pinnacle Peak Mortuary in Scottsdale.

NMSU Officer Quent Pirtle said in the report he was escorting officials Bill Gracey, Winston Stith and Larry Spaulding to their dressing room when he heard Fox using " loud, boisterous and profane language toward the officials " Fox was not arrested and no charges were filed, but WAC Commissioner Karl Benson said the league will investigate . Damon got an X- ray and an MRI exam, which revealed a sprain in the joint . With their fourth straight win in five nights, the Bulls moved two games over . I think people are really starting to recognize our talent and our weapons Night in and night out we' re going to be in ballgames . Updated: October 29, 2007, 5: 14 PM ET Raptors pick up option on Graham, with team through 2009 Comment Email Print Share Associated Press TORONTO- Toronto forward Joey Graham will stay through the 2008- 09 season after the Raptors exercised their fourth- year option Monday " I think Joey' s earned it, he' s gotten better every year " coach Sam Mitchell said " He' s a guy you definitely want to keep on your roster " The team had until Oct. Watford has the size and versatility to play multiple positions on the perimeter, and his shooting ability and athleticism make him a tough cover. We just tried to get our guys to play and for some reason we just couldn' t pick it up tonight " Detroit opened the season 3- 1 despite not playing all that well, but the Pistons couldn' t keep it up against the peppy Nuggets.

Garnett hit a layup and jumper, Szczerbiak added a jumper of his own and Garnett was able to slither in for an offensive rebound off a missed free throw from Eddie Griffin that led to a 90- 83 advantage with 1: 27 to play . The 48- year- old Casey' s coaching resume includes a stint in Japan and assistant jobs under Clem Haskins at Western Kentucky and Eddie Sutton at Kentucky . But Busch, more than a half- second behind Hornaday when the caution flag came out, couldn' t take advantage of the extra restart " I spun my tires a little too much and wasn' t able to get alongside Ron " Busch said " When he went, I went and I went too hard, and spun the tires . But they didn' t want to quit and give up a shot at earning needed points, even if all the best drivers could do was run slow and try and stay out of the way of the leaders . The manufacturer was criticized after tires it brought to the track in July wore out so often that NASCAR had to call cautions every 10 to 12 laps for tire changes in the Allstate 400 The longest run under the green flag was 13 laps The first test on the 2. Brian Boucher started in goal for San Jose, which also recalled young forwards Lukas Kaspar and Brad Staubitz from its AHL affiliate in Worcester, Mass. 2 at Duke, 84- 50, and are 11- 0 and atop the Patriot League standings.

Miami, North Carolina and North Carolina State fired their coaches, while Boston College' s Tom O' Brien pulled a rare intraconference move and will replace Chuck Amato at NC State . I said' All I know is whenever I hit, I rolled, the ball was not in my glove, it somehow was in my throwing hand when I came up and I finished the play out of reaction " Barmes said " I went and looked at the replays and I saw two, slowing it down frame by frame and I couldn' t tell . Hughes, concerned about his teammates' play, gave them a serious pep talk at Friday' s shootaround " He gave us a speech and told us we need to get back on our feet " said Gilbert Arenas, who scored 23 points and made 17 of 20 free throws " We can sit here and sulk all day . Ramirez singled sharply up the middle to lead off the fifth, with Schmidt just stepping out of the way of the ball . Following up Gilbert' s note with a brief question directed at the Blazers, Sarver wrote " Are you saying we' re not allowed to sign him " Though he did not offer any explanation of exactly how the Blazers would prove that another team signed Miles with the sole intention of impacting Portland' s bottom line, Miller said the team would " cross that bridge if and when we come to it " Teams had believed the collective bargaining agreement said Miles must play 10 regular- season or postseason games in a season for the$ 18 million to count against the Blazers. He also handled 20 of the team' s 23 kickoff returns " Dicky was the most consistent thing probably we had going on offense, the most consistent receiver we' ve up to this point " linebacker Micah Johnson said " You easily rely on if you get the ball in his vicinity, he' ll catch it Somebody else is going to have to step up. He told me that he understood I didn' t do it intentionally or anything like that.

Toronto coach Jay Triano said Calderon will likely not accompany the team on this week' s road trip to Milwaukee and Washington . He will be held in the Washtenaw County jail until a competency hearing set for Dec 5 Defense lawyer Brant Funkhouser Jr said his client never intended to harm Carr . LSU officials announced Friday that classes and operations will be canceled on Monday, and they expected it would take two days to clean up any debris such as fallen trees after the storm passes, according to a statement on the university Web site . The Harris and coaches' poll are used in the Bowl Championship Series standings, along with computer rankings The first BCS standings of the season come out Sunday . As if giving a bottle of water to Aunt Betty would have landed the Badgers a top recruit. The Hoyas became the first team ever to win five games in five days to secure their automatic bid# 8226; Minnesota defeated Illinois for the Big Ten championship. Lester said his father John was diagnosed with lymphoma last month and that the cancer is " slow growing.

The university named the 70- year- old Osborne interim athletic director in a packed room full of administrators in expensive suits and college students wearing shorts and curious looks . Updated: November 24, 2008, 6: 56 PM ET Pitt gives Big East three teams among first five; UCLA falls to 11th Comment Email Print Share ESPN Whether you' re talking first five or all 25, the Big East is the power player in the ESPN/ USA Today coaches' poll . The Cavaliers finished up this season on Saturday, losing 17- 14 at Virginia Tech in a game they needed to be eligible for bowl consideration . In the next game, a Peoria player was hit in the top of the first inning, then Castillo hit two Dayton batters in the bottom half- one in the head . Mauer has inflammation on the right side of his lower back at the sacroiliac joint, where the spine meets the pelvis. The Hornets used an 8- 1 run, capped by West' s three- point play, to cut the deficit to 71- 68 with 9: 58 remaining However, they got no closer the rest of the way. Authorities believed a third person was involved, said Barbara Jones, spokeswoman for the Orlando Police Department Jones refused to say if the person was injured.

No mistakes, and I think we should have a great shot at making the Chase That' s the goal . Neitzel is one of the toughest players from a program known for tough players The 6- 0 guard averaged 18 1 points and 4 3 assists and shot 41 . But this is what it' s like on the bottom, and this is how you get treated on the bottom . The Rockets have lost six straight playoff series and haven' t advanced to the second round since 1997 Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press . But they were without guard Steve Francis( sore lower back, negating any advantage they would have had with Bucks guard Michael Redd( left Achilles' tendinitis) sitting out. Brown " I know our offense wasn' t good, but I think our defense wasn' t there either " After their early success, the Hornets shot 36 percent from the floor( 23- for- 64) the rest of the way and committed 17 turnovers. Midseason coach of the year It' s a virtual dead heat between Illinois' Ron Zook and Indiana' s Bill Lynch.

With Wolfe likely to finish among the nation' s top- five rushers for the second straight season- he will reenter the rankings after Thursday' s game- he could be next year' s mid- major contender . Michael Redd scored 35 points and Erick Strickland added a season- high 22 for the Bucks, who fell behind in the first quarter and trailed the rest of the game in their 12th consecutive road loss . Biggest Surprise Navy' s quarterback playThe Mids figured to struggle after losing Lamar Owens, but Hampton and Kaheaku- Enhada more than carried the load Hampton averaged 92 . To prevent such stress on his arm, he plans to throw only 20 warmup pitches, with the goal of not needing more than 20 in an inning " That would be ideal . Johnson, in fact, traveled to Atlanta on Thursday night in anticipation of finally joining the Hawks, sources close to the situation told ESPN. Originally Published: October 13, 2007 Instant analysis: LSU- Kentucky Comment Email Print Share By Pat FordeESPNArchive LEXINGTON, Ky- Here' s a look at what happened in the first half of the LSU- Kentucky game: FIRST- HALF ANALYSIS Turning point: Chevis Jackson' s interception of the rarely- picked Andre' Woodson helped turn a 10- 7 LSU lead into a 17- 7 advantage and allowed the Tigers to keep the ball for 22 plays in a 23- play stretch. The most likely candidates would have been Polynice and Gaskins, but he tore his ACL just before the season and Polynice was lost after doctors found a torn meniscus and pieces of cartilage during follow- up surgery last month.

Scott' s status was made even more tenuous by persistent reports that he lacked the support of Kidd, who berated Scott after an embarrassing 110- 63 loss in Memphis on Dec 13 . The second team was headed by Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Gordon, who was joined by Minnesota' s Kevin Love, Miami' s Mario Chalmers, Marc Gasol of the Grizzlies, Portland' s Rudy Fernandez and Charlotte point guard D J Augustin . Ambrose had just returned to the track for the end of the final practice session when the contact with Johnson happened in a hairpin turn . The school said Franchione thought he did not have to report the income until he actually received the proceeds that exceeded expenses incurred maintaining the Web site# 8226& nbsp; The VIP Connection occasionally contained information about prospective student- athletes . Doctors inserted a steel plate in his arm and metal anchors in his shoulder. The Buckeyes and Wolverines had closer- than- expected wins Saturday. Mobley could have become a free agent after the season " I think, ultimately, that' s what made the decision " Davis said.

Griffin, a Phoenix native who has been with the club since 1993, recently turned down an offer to become general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies . But coach Sam Vincent acknowledged he' d like another big man " It would help " Vincent said " But wanting a veteran big and having to deal with the salary cap and all the other issues involved, is something management has to deal with " Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press . Former Pacer Stephen Jackson pleaded guilty to criminal recklessness for firing gunshots in the air during a 2006 fight at a strip club; this year, Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley and several companions were targeted in a shooting that wounded the team' s equipment manager outside a downtown hotel . Miami coach Stan Van Gundy said Wade " was phenomenal " He was great, attacking, making plays, making jump shots . 270 with a team- leading 39 home runs and 114 RBIs in 137 games. I started doing some shooting and running just in case I got a call. But then the Spartans, who went from the most- penalized team in the league in 2006 to the least- penalized through two games, committed 11 infractions for 125 penalty yards.

After starting the year 0- 4, Testaverde passed for a total of four touchdowns in back- to- back wins over Buffalo and Houston . 75 million this year and is guaranteed another$ 11 million over the next two years The Indians hold options through 2014 . 30 Email Print Share ESPN news services NEW YORK- Indiana forward Jermaine O' Neal can play against Detroit on Christmas after a federal judge upheld an arbitrator' s decision to reduce the forward' s suspension for fighting with fans during the Nov 19 Pacers- Pistons brawl . He had 10 points at the time of the injury and had scored on a dunk seconds earlier . Updated: September 8, 2007, 1: 59 PM ET GM Littlefield out after another lost Pirates season Comment Email Print Share Associated Press PITTSBURGH- In the end, the biggest disappointment to Dave Littlefield was he left the Pittsburgh Pirates in the same place they were when he arrived in mid- 2001- last place. They knew there would be days like these, and that every " You' re the man " chant in early April would inevitably drift to " You[ insert- your- favorite expletive " It' s three weeks past fairy tales, and Moore looks tired but hopeful because today is another day to make things right. Hafner, playing for the first time in nearly three months, doubled to lead off the second inning and singled with one out in the fifth He also lined out to second base in the fourth.

Second base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt called Willingham safe as Castillo held the ball up for him to see . John Salmons got his first start of the season for Philadelphia in place of Willie Green, who didn' t play after starting the last eight games Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press . The Tide( 1- 0) face Middle Tennessee on Friday in the Paradise Jam and then play again either Saturday or Sunday . DEI' s John Story said Martin was at least twice offered opportunities to drive a full schedule there, but Martin declined . Expected to be a contender, the Indians trail AL Central leader Detroit by 10 games. It wouldn' t be right for me to offer a list of professional athletes, but there are many " Earlier this week, Yahoo! Sports wrote about Byrd' s relationship with Conte' s products " I' d been doing the GNC- can search, putting this product with that, seeking and searching " Byrd told Yahoo! Sports " I tried everything over the counter. Several weeks ago, teammate Dwyane Wade called O' Neal out for not being motivated enough to turn his game around and shake Miami out of a lousy 1- 8 start.