Category: Sports

Jays ready for rumble in East
PHILADELPHIAñOne last day of make-believe baseball behind them, the Blue Jays headed to New York yesterday primed for their most serious challenge in the AL East since the glory days of the early ’90s.
Manager John Gibbons, who has the most to lose if this club does not contend, has been stark about his options this spring. His team must succeed.
“I don’t want to be a manager just to be a manager. I want to be on a winner,” Gibbons said yesterday. “I mean, this job’s fun, but it’s not that fun to get your brains kicked in.”
Battered by injury, the Jays managed an 83-79 record in 2007, nowhere near good enough to catch the Yankees and Red Sox. In the off-season, Toronto added bench depth through utility infielder Marco Scutaro and catcher Rod Barajas. They shored up the left side of the infield by adding Scott Rolen and David Eckstein from St. Louis. That longer bench is paying dividends already, as Scutaro will step in for the injured Rolen for most or all of April.
The infusion of talent means expectations are sky-high. Gibbons, GM J.P. Ricciardi and the players seemed anxious to begin fulfilling them.
“Everybody says spring training’s a week or two too long. Now we’re ready to go, anxious to get to New York and especially to get back to Toronto,” said second baseman Aaron Hill.
Hill has been the standout offensively this spring, going 21-for-47 through yesterday. Last year, he brought that same momentum into the first month of the season, hitting a scorching .313 with 20 RBIs in April.
“I got in the cage, stayed consistent with my workouts and the results have been great. I’ll take those any time,” Hill said.
On the opposite end of the spring spectrum stands slugger Frank Thomas, who’s batted .173 through March. Miserable springs are de rigueur for the future hall of famer. Thomas shrugged off any doubts yesterday.
“That switch turns on when you get those 50,000 people in the stands,” the 18-year veteran said off-handedly. “Same as always.”
After being called out on strikes in the fourth inning, Thomas brooded in the batter’s box for 10 long seconds. Then Hill stepped in and hit a two-run homer. That’s the Jays pre-season in a nutshell.
Gibbons singled out first baseman Lyle Overbay, who’s coming off an injury plagued season, and centre fielder Vernon Wells, who had shoulder surgery last fall, for praise yesterday.
Pitching? Not so much.
“We didn’t dominate during the spring,” Gibbons said. In particular, he has subtly called out young starters Dustin McGowan and Shaun Marcum in recent days. Both have battled with control while they try to refine their repertoires. The days of experimentation are over. Coming off breakout seasons, McGowan and Marcum will be counted on to shoulder a heavy load.
Yesterday, the visiting clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park had a regular-season feel. Thomas marched back and forth between his locker and the batting cages, basking in the “big-league atmosphere.” Roy Halladay panted through his daily three-hour workout.
“He prepares himself so differently than the rest of the guys,” Gibbons said of his ace.
Hill and new infield battery-mate Eckstein volunteered to go out before the game and work on turning the double play.
The bullpen committee sent out to pitch both these final exhibitions in Philadelphia threw with urgency, aware that someone has to go once B.J. Ryan returns.
Brandon League, in particular, showed flashes of brilliance.
Beginning tomorrow, they get to do it for real.

Rogers Centre to host ’09 Classic
The first-round venues are set for the second running of the World Baseball Classic, which will begin on March 5, 2009, in Japan.
In 2009, Rogers Centre and Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City will host games for the first time, joining 2006 venues Tokyo Dome and Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as first-round sites.
Rogers Centre is the home ballpark of the Blue Jays, and Major League Spring Training exhibition games have been played at the 27,940-seat facility in Mexico City.
“The 2009 World Baseball Classic will further demonstrate the remarkable global growth of our game,” Commissioner Bud Selig said. “There has been incredible demand to host the games of the second World Baseball Classic, and we are pleased to have four international destinations as our first-round venues. We are excited about the 2009 World Baseball Classic and look forward to next March.”
The 16-team field is the same as ’06, though an expansion of the field to 24 countries and territories with qualifying rounds as a preface to reach the main competition is under consideration for 2013.
Next year’s brackets are as follows:
Pool A — China, Chinese Taipei, Japan and Korea will begin play on March 5 in Tokyo Dome, where the A’s are opening the regular season against the Red Sox this week.
Pool B — Australia, Cuba, Mexico and South Africa, from March 8-12 in Mexico City.
Pool C — Canada, Italy, the U.S. and Venezuela, from March 8-12 in Toronto.
Pool D — Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Panama and Puerto Rico, from March 7-11 in Puerto Rico.
Venues for the second round, plus the combined semifinals and finals are still to be determined, although San Diego’s PETCO Park seems to be set for the second round and Dodger Stadium has the inside track for the semifinals and finals.
The semifinals and finals were sold out at San Diego’s 45,000-seat home of the Padres in 2006. Japan vanquished Cuba, 10-6, to win the tournament and Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who now toils for the Red Sox, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Attendance for the ’06 tournament at its seven venues was 737,112 tickets sold, a major coup considering that the Asian bracket didn’t reach the 80 percent capacity in Tokyo Dome that was originally projected.
It was the first time that all Major League players were allowed to represent their native lands in an international baseball tournament. The baseball competition in the Summer Olympics, which is slated for Beijing in August, includes non-25-man roster MLB players only.
In another new wrinkle for ’09, a rules change has been made in the qualifying portion of the tournament, which will now be a double-elimination format in the first two rounds.
In ’06, there was round-robin play as teams with the top two records in each bracket ascended to the second round and the semifinals with a complicated formula based on runs scored used as the first tie breaker.
The semifinals remain as single-elimination games.
Also, unlike ’06, there will be a crossover of brackets in the semifinals. In ’06, Cuba defeated the Dominican and Japan ousted Korea in the semifinals.
“The best baseball players in the world are looking forward with great anticipation to playing in the 2009 World Baseball Classic,” said Don Fehr, the executive director of the Players’ Association, who is a partner with Major League Baseball in the venture. “Implementation of double-elimination and crossover games to the World Baseball Classic next year will make the games even more intense and the tournament even more exciting for both players and fans. It will be an unforgettable experience.”

New York Yankees release Billy Crystal
TAMPA, Fla. – Billy Crystal’s “mahvelous” time with the New York Yankees is over.
The team released the actor on his 60th birthday, one day after he struck out in his only at-bat against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The announcement came at the bottom of the second page in Friday’s game notes. Under transactions, it said “March 14 Released INF Billy Crystal.”
The team gave Crystal, a longtime Yankees’ fan, the opportunity to be the designated hitter and lead off in the first inning Thursday because of his ambassador-like role for baseball.

Rock stars courted for curling reality show
Move over American Idol and make room for Rockstar Curling, a reality television show that may indeed have a rock-star connection.
NBC confirmed yesterday it has an exclusive option to air a 10-episode sports reality show that will give the winners a shot at competing in the U.S. championships and even going to the 2010 Olympics.
And one aspect that would make this a draw to the button for NBC is a plan to land closet curlers Bruce Springsteen or Jon Bon Jovi as part of the show, assuming the rockers aren’t worried what being connected to a sport with brooms might do to their images.
According to sources, the two rock stars are among a group of entertainment types who rent arena time on occasion to pick up brooms instead of guitars.
Organizers are trying to negotiate a deal to get one of them involved, possibly as a host.
The series is the brainchild of New York-based sports marketing agency mktpartners and Carr-Hughes Productions of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Mktgpartners has an office in Toronto and has an advertising commitment from the likes of Tourism Canada, sources say.
“This show is all about the opportunity to expose American viewers to curling,” said Colin Campbell, Canadian president of mktgpartners and one of the creators of the show. “We feel there might be some great athletes out there who might develop into good curlers given the chance.”
While a curling reality show wouldn’t be considered that unusual in Canada, where top events draw more than 1 million viewers, it’s hardly a mainstream sport south of the border.
Generally, the only time it gets mentioned on U.S. television is when comedians make fun of the sport.
The jokes usually revolve around the use of brooms and the belief curlers are the least athletic of all Olympians.
But curling was one of the surprise hits of the last two Olympics for NBC, enough so that NBC aired 24 matches live from Turin on one of its cable channels.
Although curling seldom gets more than 800,000 viewers on NBC, it once drew higher ratings than an NHL playoff game that aired at the same time the next day.
Needless to say, the U.S. Curling Association is thrilled with the prospect of 10 weeks of exposure on a national network.
“We feel that the Rockstar concept is innovative, creative and will help U.S. Curling develop new awareness, interest and participation in our sport across America,” said association chief operating office Rick Patzke.
The show would work a lot like the Idol series, though it would most likely air on weekend afternoons.
The show would involve U.S.-wide tryouts starting this year, open to anyone 18 or older. A panel of coaches will select two teams ñ five men and five women ñ to train for six months, all expenses paid, at Lake Placid, N.Y.
They would train eight hours a day under professional coaches before going to regional playdowns for the 2010 U.S. Olympic trials in February 2009.
If they win, they’re off to the Vancouver Olympics, unlikely as that may seem.
The tryouts, training and national competition will all be part of the series.
“If the winners get anywhere, it will be because they’ve earned it,” said Campbell.
Patzke said the television teams would be given no advantage.
“They would have to enter the U.S. Olympic team trials playdowns like any other U.S. Olympic-eligible team,” he said.
“There are no special concessions.”
Mktgpartners Canadian president Colin Campbell said in a statement that curling has a unique appeal to advertisers.
“The sport of curling is clutter-free compared to mainstream American sports sponsorship,” he said, “and Rockstar Curling is an excellent opportunity for brands to capture the attention of consumers, leading up to the Olympics.”

Tom Petty plays it cool at Super Bowl
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) ó Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ surprisingly subdued Super Bowl halftime show was as uncomplicated in person as it looked on television. There were no wardrobe ó or any other kind ó of malfunctions.
Moments before the performance, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers calmly waited on the Patriots’ side of the field. Once given the go signal, the musicians quickly took the stage, picked up their instruments and started performing. They made playing a concert for about 100 million people look almost effortless.
On the field, it was impossible to tell that the illuminated stage was heart shaped or that a large arrow was headed straight for it at the beginning of Petty’s by-the-book rendition of “American Girl.” The visual effect wasn’t broadcast on the jumbotron. There were other illusions at play, too.
That cross-sectioned crowd of moms, dads and teenagers didn’t descend from the stands to spontaneously rock out at Petty’s feet. No, they had been assembled just outside of the University of Phoenix Stadium, waiting for their moment on the field since the start of the game in a long line reminiscent of an “American Idol” audition.
However, the audience did actually sing-along when Petty launched into “I Won’t Back Down.” That wasn’t fake, although the screens featuring the words behind Petty seemed slightly unnecessary. Everyone sang like they already knew them.
When the stadium lights dimmed for “Free Fallin,'” those weren’t lighters the audience just happened to have in their pockets, ready to whip out in unison for some groovy ambiance. They were actually tiny flashlights that had been previously distributed among the crowd. Hey, free souvenir!
The most spontaneous moment during the halftime performance didn’t even make it on TV ó and it probably happens every year. After Petty closed the halftime show with “Runnin’ Down A Dream,” the mob assembled around the stage confusingly ran off in all directions as stagehands frantically disassembled the stage at the same time.
It was the craziest part of the whole evening ó except for the part when the Giants won.

Giants stun ‘perfect’ Pats in Super Bowl
GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Giants had the perfect answer for the suddenly imperfect Patriots: a big, bad defense and an improbable comeback led by their own Mr. Cool quarterback, Eli Manning.
In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, New York shattered New England’s unbeaten season 17-14 Sunday night as Manning hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left. It was the Giants’ 11th straight victory on the road and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year.
It was the most bitter of losses, too, because New England (18-1) was one play from winning and getting the ultimate revenge for being penalized for illegally taping opponents’ defensive signals in the season-opener against the New York Jets.
But its defense couldn’t stop a final, frantic 12-play, 83-yard drive that featured a spectacular leaping catch by David Tyree, who had scored New York’s first touchdown on the opening drive of the fourth quarter.
“It’s the greatest feeling in professional sports,” Burress said before bursting into tears.
The Patriots were done in not so much by the pressure of the first unbeaten season in 35 years as by the pressure of a smothering Giants pass rush. Tom Brady, the league’s Most Valuable Player and winner of his first three Super Bowl, was sacked five times, hurried a dozen more and at one point wound up on his knees, his hands on his hips following one of many poor throws.
Hardly a familiar position for the record-setting quarterback. And a totally strange outcome for a team that seemed destined for historic glory.
Oddly, it was a loss to the Patriots that sparked New York’s stunning run to its third Super Bowl and sixth NFL title. New England won 38-35 in Week 17 as the Patriots became the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to go spotless through the regular season. But by playing hard in a meaningless game for them, the Giants (14-6) gained something of a swagger and Manning cast off older brother Peyton’s shadow and found his footing.
Their growing confidence carried them through playoff victories at Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay, and then past the mightiest opponent of all.
Not that the Patriots were very mighty this day. They even conceded with 1 second on the clock as coach Bill Belichick ran across the field to shake the hand of jubilant Giants coach Tom Coughlin, then headed to the locker room, ignoring the final kneeldown.
That it was Manning taking that knee was stunning. Peyton’s kid brother not only matched his sibling’s achievement of last year with the Indianapolis Colts, but he showed the brilliant precision late in the game usually associated with, well, Brady.
Peyton Manning was seen in a luxury box jumping up and pumping both fists when Burress, who didn’t practice all week because of injuries, caught the winning score.
The upset also could be viewed as a source of revenge not only for the Giants, but for the other NFL teams over Spygate back in September. That cheating scandal made headlines again late in Super Bowl week, and could have placed an infinite cloud over New England’s perfection.
The Giants became the first NFC wild card team to win a Super Bowl; four AFC teams have done it. They also are the second team in three years to play nothing but away games and come away with the big prize; Pittsburgh did after the 2005 season.

Leafs fire Fergy, hire Fletcher
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to a face from their past to lead them into the future.
After weeks of speculation and rumours, the NHL club finally fired GM John Ferguson on Tuesday and hired Cliff Fletcher, whose years of front-office experience include a stint as GM of the Leafs in the 1990s.
“After full consideration of the Leafs’ situation, it has become clear that change and a new direction is needed,” Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, said during a news conference at the Air Canada Centre. “Regrettably, we did not win enough games to reach our goal, winning the Stanley Cup.
“Our team performance has fallen short of what is to be expected. Today, we need to forge the start of a new beginning for (the) Toronto Maple Leafs. And we begin with the man seated next to me, a man with Hall of Fame credentials, who is highly regarded by Leafs fans and by hockey people around the globe. We have reached out to Cliff Fletcher and his 50-plus years of hockey management experience to serve as general manager of the Leafs on an interim basis.”
Fletcher, 72, has been given a 19-month contract. He will initially work as interim GM until a full-time replacement is found. He will then serve as a consultant for the balance of the contract.
Fletcher first served as GM of the Maple Leafs from 1991 to 1997, twice leading the team to the Western Conference final.
But he has no interest in becoming the team’s full-time GM this time, saying it’s a job for a younger man.
Peddie says the length of Fletcher’s contract will give the team plenty of time to find the right man for the job.
“It gives us the luxury of conducting an absolutely thorough search,” said Peddie.
Peddie recently admitted that he may have made a mistake by hiring a GM as inexperienced as Ferguson to run a team in this hockey-mad market.
Ferguson, who was hired as Leafs’ GM in August 2003, was informed of the news by Peddie on Tuesday morning.
When reached by e-mail Tuesday, Ferguson declined to comment.
He was scheduled to meet with the media later in the day.
Fletcher takes over a Leafs team that has missed the playoffs the past two years and is in 14th place in the NHL’s Eastern Conference standings with a 19-22-5-3 record. But they have won three of their last four games.
“I know here in Toronto the expectations are high,” Fletcher said. “I look forward to the challenge and a few tough months ahead.
“The key here is to initially start the process to move the club ahead to the next level so that it can compete with all the top teams in the league, which will eventually lead to the playoff success.”
The MLSE board of directors met Monday and decided to make the change.
Fletcher said he couldn’t offer an assessment of the Leafs. Instead, he will immediately begin consulting with the club’s hockey operations officials and accumulating information on what path to take the struggling franchise.
“The first step will be to meet with all the people involved in the hockey department here,” Fletcher said. “I’m looking forward to their input on how they see the internal operation of the hockey team here and how they see the club moving forward.
“Out of that, a plan will developed on how we’re going to pursue the next few weeks. There are 35 days to the trade deadline and within two weeks we should be prepared to philosophically at least know what direction we’ve chosen to go.”
Leafs head coach Paul Maurice left the ice during practice Tuesday morning and was seen huddling with Peddie before returning to practice.
He was also scheduled to talk to the media Tuesday afternoon.
“Right now he’s our coach but Cliff and/or the new replacement will ultimately make that decision and Paul understands that,” Peddie said of Maurice’s status with the club.
Fletcher, though, said Maurice and his staff will remain with the club until season’s end.
“Paul Maurice is the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” he said. “He will be the coach for the balance of this year as will the assistant coaches that work with him.”
Leafs forward Jason Blake said the players have to take some responsibility for Ferguson’s firing.
“I’ve only been here for a few months and there are certain things you can’t control,” he said. “We weren’t getting the job done.
“There’s a change a made and I think it’s the players that have to be accountable to make sure we’re ready to play. We’re trying to turn this thing around and move in the right direction. I guess as players you can’t control it so you’ve got to make sure you’re ready to play.”
Speculation about Ferguson’s future with the club has been swirling recently as the club has struggled in January.
It’s been a tough year for the 40-year-old native of Montreal. Ferguson Jr. lost his father in July, when the former NHL player, coach and manager succumbed to cancer.
Ferguson and Maurice both stated during training camp in September that the Leafs would be a playoff team and contend for the Stanley Cup.
There were several questionable moves during the off-season. Critics turned thumbs down on the rationale of giving mistake-prone defenceman Bryan McCabe a long-term deal and making him the team’s highest-paid player at US$7 million this season. Signing free-agent Blake was a gamble that hasn’t reaped any dividends. Blake scored 40 goals for the New York Islanders last season but has only nine goals this year after signing a five-year, $20-million contract.
Blake divulged early in the season that he has a treatable form of leukemia.
Prior to becoming the 12th general manager in Leafs history, Ferguson Jr. had been vice-president and director of hockey operations for the St. Louis Blues since February 2001. There he earned a reputation of being one of the brightest young executives in the sport.
Ferguson’s first season at the controls in Toronto went well. With Pat Quinn behind the bench, the Leafs knocked off Ottawa in a seven-game first round before being ousted by Philadelphia in six in the second round.
The lost lockout season followed, and Quinn was let go when the Leafs failed to make the playoffs in the spring of 2006 despite finishing with a winning record and 90 points.
Ferguson hired Maurice to take over May 12, 2006, and the Leafs finished with a winning record again but their 91 points was one short of qualifying for the 2007 playoffs.
Ferguson was assistant GM of the Blues for five years before being promoted by the team. He was a member of the Ottawa Senators scouting staff from 1993 to 1996. He played in the AHL for four years, 1989 through 1993, in the Montreal and Ottawa organizations after playing U.S. college hockey at Providence.

Austin leaves Roughriders for Ole Miss
The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be defending their Grey Cup title without coach Kent Austin.
The 44-year-old announced Wednesday he is leaving to become offensive co-ordinator at Ole Miss, his alma mater.
“I struggled with this one pretty big time,” Austin said at the news conference. “Having won the Grey Cup didn’t make the decision any easier.
“I have a great love and affection for my university and it’s not just the university, it’s the people that I’ll be working with.”
From 1981 to 1985, he played quarterback at Ole Miss and grew up in nearby Nashville.
Austin is Ole Miss’s second all-time passer and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.
Austin replaces David Lee, his former quarterback coach, who left the school recently to join Bill Parcells with the National Football League’s Miami Dolphins.
Last week, Riders general manager Eric Tillman said he gave Ole Miss permission to talk to Austin, but he would do everything in his power to keep him in Saskatchewan.
“As I jokingly said a couple of days ago, this is certainly a circumstance in life where Kent wishes he was a twin,” Tillman said in a statement. Our loss is Ole Miss’ significant gain.
“For everyone who bleeds green and white, this is a painful day, personally and professionally. Not only is Kent an outstanding coach, he’s an equally good human being.”
Austin took over as Roughriders coach on Dec. 6, 2006, succeeding Danny Barrett after being fired as the Toronto Argonauts’ offensive co-ordinator.
He was hailed as a hero across Saskatchewan on Nov. 25 when the Riders defeated Winnipeg 23-19 in the 95th Grey Cup in Toronto for just their third title in the team’s 97-year history.
Austin guided the Roughriders to a 12-6 regular-season record ó the most victories by a rookie coach in franchise history ó and the team’s first home playoff game since 1987.
Tillman said Austin’s place in Riders history has been cemented with his role as quarterback in the 1989 Grey Cup victory over Hamilton and coach in 2007.
He leaves Regina with two years remaining on his contract.
“From Day 1, I felt honoured and priviliged to be here [coaching the Riders]. We accomplished what we came here to accomplish, and that is to be champions,” said Austin, adding he would have stayed if money was the deciding factor.
The Regina Leader-Post reported Wednesday that Austin and Tillman were close to agreeing on a contract extension that would have made the former one of the highest-paid coaches in the CFL.
Austin and Tillman reportedly had begun preliminary discussions about a contract extension before he was contacted by Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt about the offensive co-ordinator’s vacancy.
Tillman also told the Leader-Post a week ago that he had a plan should Austin choose to leave.
“If you’re not planning for the future before it gets here in this business, then you’re always reacting,” Tillman said. “I’m always running through what-if scenarios whether it be for quarterbacks, co-ordinators or coaches.”
Tillman added one would be naive to think Austin’s services wouldn’t be in demand, in Canada or in the United States.
“It’s a remarkable accomplishment what our coaches and players did in one year,” he said. “[But] if Kent should decide [going to Ole Miss] is what he wants to do, we’ll go to training camp with the same goals ó that’s to win a championship.”

Stottlemyre makes Hall ballot debut
Todd Stottlemyre delivered when the Blue Jays were in need of a lift. On Aug. 26, 1992, Stottlemyre took the mound in Chicago, trying to point Toronto back in the right direction after the club had piled up six losses in its past seven games.
The White Sox were helpless. Stottlemyre methodically sliced through Chicago’s lineup, holding the Sox without a hit until Dan Pasqua doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Toronto’s starter finished the job, completing a one-hit shutout victory that ignited a late-season surge for the Blue Jays.
Toronto racked up 25 wins over its final 36 games during that magical ’92 campaign, when the Jays cruised all the way to their first World Series title in franchise history. Stottlemyre played an important role in helping the Blue Jays reach that plateau, and now he’s being honored with a place on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.
Voting results for the Hall of Fame will be announced on Jan. 8, and candidates need to be named on five percent of the ballots to be considered again. Joining the hallowed halls in Cooperstown, N.Y., will be a tall task for Stottlemyre, but he enjoyed a memorable Major League career nonetheless.
Over 14 seasons in the big leagues, Stottlemyre compiled a 138-121 record, good enough for a .533 career winning percentage between stints with the Blue Jays, A’s, Cardinals, Rangers and Diamondbacks. The 6-foot-3 right-hander spent seven of those seasons in Toronto, where he won World Series titles in 1992 over the Braves and in ’93 against the Phillies.
Stottlemyre didn’t retire without accumulating some hardware, either. In 2000, he was honored with both the Branch Rickey Award and the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award — accolades that recognize character and efforts off the field. Stottlemyre was involved in community initiatives with the Caring for Kids organization.
On the field, Stottlemyre — the son of Mel Stottlemyre, who won 164 games with the Yankees from 1964-74 — finished his career with 1,587 strikeouts and had eight seasons with 10 or more wins. The Blue Jays selected Stottlemyre in the first round (third overall) during the secondary phase of the 1985 First-Year Player Draft, and he moved into Toronto’s rotation on a full-time basis four years later.
In his career with the Jays, Stottlemyre finished with a 69-70 record. The righty enjoyed his best season in 1991, when he went 15-8 with a 3.78 ERA and 116 strikeouts across 34 starts. Stottlemyre left Toronto via free agency in 1995, when he elected to sign with Oakland. In his first tour with the A’s, Stottlemyre went 14-7 with a 4.55 ERA and finished second in the American League with 205 strikeouts.
Beyond the two World Series runs with the Blue Jays, Stottlemyre also made playoff appearances for the Cardinals, Rangers and Diamondbacks. In 15 career postseason games over 10 series, Stottlemyre posted a 3-5 record with a 5.91 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 53 1/3 innings.
On June 16, 1995, Stottlemyre recorded a career-best 15 strikeouts in a 10-inning performance against the Royals. But the signature moment in Stottlemyre’s career might be during that late-August outing in 1992 at Comiskey Park, where he helped the Blue Jays to a much-needed win en route to the Fall Classic.
2008 Candidates
The 2008 ballot features 25 candidates, with 14 returnees and 11 newcomers.
ï Brady Anderson
ï Harold Baines
ï Rod Beck
ï Bert Blyleven
ï Dave Concepcion
ï Andre Dawson
ï Shawon Dunston
ï Chuck Finley
ï Travis Fryman
ï Rich Gossage
ï Tommy John
ï David Justice
ï Chuck Knoblauch
ï Don Mattingly
ï Mark McGwire
ï Jack Morris
ï Dale Murphy
ï Robb Nen
ï Dave Parker
ï Tim Raines
ï Jim Rice
ï Jose Rijo
ï Lee Smith
ï Todd Stottlemyre
ï Alan Trammell

Patriots game to make U.S. broadcasting history
New England’s quest at a historic 16-0 mark will be broadcast Saturday night on American networks CBS, NBC and the NFL Network, the league announced on Wednesday.
The road game for the Patriots against the New York Giants, was originally scheduled to be shown only on the NFL Network, which is available in fewer than 40 per cent of homes with televisions in the United States.
The league announced Wednesday that the NFL Network feed will be simulcast on NBC and CBS.
It’s a major concession by league officials, who repeatedly said they would not show the game anywhere but the NFL Network. The NFL had faced mounting pressure from lawmakers in recent weeks to make the game available to more viewers.
The game will be the first three-network simulcast in NFL history and the first simulcast of any kind of an NFL game since the first Super Bowl in 1967, when CBS and NBC both televised the first meeting of the champions of the newly merged National Football League and American Football League.
Local TV affiliates in the Boston, Manchester, N.H., and New York areas who were already set to simulcast the game under NFL policy will still air it.
The NFL has feuded with major cable companies, which have declined to carry the NFL Network as part of basic packages.
“We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans,” league commissioner Roger Goodell said. “What we have seen for the past year is a very strong consumer demand for NFL Network. We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever.”
No team has gone unbeaten since the league moved to a 16-game schedule. The 1972 Miami Dolphins went 14-0 and then won all three post-season games.