Sports – Page 541 – North Platte Post Archive

Rockies Activate C Wilin Rosario

Posted on May 18, 2014

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies activated catcher Wilin Rosario from the disabled list Sunday and he was in the starting lineup against the San Diego Padres.

To make room on the roster for Rosario, the team optioned catcher Mike McKenry to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Rosario dropped around 10 pounds as he dealt with a viral infection. Rosario said he’s not sure if he will beef back up to his weight of 228 pounds or stay around 219.

He said “if I hit the ball like this, I’m going to say here. If I need a little bit more weight, I’m going to go get it.”

He’s hitting .239 with three homers and 15 RBIs this season.

Caldwell Says He Anticipates Suh Will be at OTAs

Posted on May 18, 2014

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell says he anticipates that star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will be at organized team activities, which start this coming week.

Suh skipped the team’s voluntary minicamp last month. He has stayed away from voluntary workouts before during his career, and the two-time All-Pro has always gotten himself physically ready to play.

When asked Sunday if Suh would be with the team at OTAs, Caldwell replied: “Do I know that he’ll be here? I would anticipate that he would be here.”

Caldwell says Suh has great leadership ability, and to have him back with the group will be helpful.

Suh is entering the last year of his contract.

Babe Ruth’s Watch Fetches More Than $650,000

Posted on May 18, 2014

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A gold pocket watch owned by Babe Ruth has sold for $650,108 at an auction in Southern California.

SCP Auctions said Sunday that the watch was from the 25th anniversary celebration in 1948 of the opening of Yankee Stadium. The stadium came to be dubbed “The House That Ruth Built” because of the number of fans the baseball legend drew to the venue.

SCP says other top sales include a 1965 Sandy Koufax-autographed L.A. Dodgers home jersey worn in a game that fetched $268,664. The auction house says Satchel Paige’s 1971 National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ring set a world record for a baseball-related ring, selling for $259,642.

More than 1,000 sports memorabilia items were sold Sunday for a total of $4.5 million.

Nasal Strip Could Threaten Chrome’s Triple Bid

Posted on May 18, 2014

BALTIMORE (AP) — Trainer Art Sherman says California Chrome might not pursue a Triple Crown bid in the Belmont Stakes if New York officials won’t allow the colt to wear a nasal strip.

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner has worn one during his current six-race winning streak after co-owner Perry Martin suggested it. Sherman said Sunday he will talk to New York racing officials and the horse’s owners.

Some horses, like humans, wear nasal strips to assist breathing.

Two years ago, I’ll Have Another won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness while wearing nasal strips. New York officials told his team the colt couldn’t wear one in the Belmont. The issue became moot when I’ll Have Another was scratched the day before the race because of a leg injury.

Smith, Quentin Homer in Padres’ 8-5 Win over the Rockies

Posted on May 18, 2014

DENVER (AP) — Seth Smith homered against his former team early, Carlos Quentin added a two-run, pinch-hit home run, and the San Diego Padres hung on to beat the Colorado Rockies 8-5 Saturday night.

San Diego staked Robbie Erlin (3-4) to a 6-1 lead by roughing up previously unbeaten Jordan Lyles (5-1), who walked a career-high six batters in a season-low 3 1-3 inning outing.

The Rockies got an early home run from Troy Tulowitzki and chipped away at the Padres’ lead, pulling to within a run on Carlos Gonzalez’s two-run double in the sixth inning.

Quentin rebuilt the cushion in the seventh, following Yasmani Grandal’s two-out single with a drive off reliever Chris Martin that sailed into the left field bleachers for his first home run of the season.

Huston Street, also a former Rockie, got three outs for his 13th save in as many opportunities.

Duffy Tosses Gem as Royals Blank Orioles 1-0

Posted on May 18, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Danny Duffy carried a perfect game into the seventh inning, Billy Butler drove in the only run and the Kansas City Royals held on to beat the Baltimore Orioles 1-0 Saturday night.

The 25-year-old Duffy (2-3) retired the first 20 batters he faced, rarely running the count to three balls and flirting with the first perfect game in franchise history. Adam Jones finally ended it with a weak groundball up the middle with two outs in the seventh.

Duffy bounced back to get Chris Davis on a fly out to end the inning, then gave up a single to Nelson Cruz to start the eighth. Wade Davis retired the next three batters, and All-Star closer Greg Holland survived a bases-loaded jam in the ninth for his 11th save.

Holland allowed a hit and two walks before striking out Nelson Cruz to end the game.

Bud Norris (2-4) was the hard-luck loser, allowing four hits and a walk in 7 1-3 innings.

Saints Sign 2nd-Round Pick Jean-Baptiste

Posted on May 18, 2014

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints signed second-round draft pick Stanley Jean-Baptiste to a four-year contract Saturday.

The 6-foot-3, 218-pound former Nebraska cornerback was selected 58th overall last week.

Jean-Baptiste was a second-team All-Big Ten selection as a senior last season, when he tied for a team-high four interceptions, one of which he returned 43 yards for a touchdown. He also was credited with 12 pass breakups and 41 total tackles, including four tackles for losses.

The 24-year-old Jean-Baptiste spent five years in college, starting at junior college in 2009 for academic reasons. However, he took a redshirt in his only year at Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College, where he was discovered by a Nebraska coach who had visited the school to see someone else. He transferred to Nebraska in 2010, where he was a receiver until a few games into the 2011 season, when he switched to defensive back.

Jean-Baptiste was among top performers in both the vertical jump and broad jump at the NFL scouting combine. His vertical jump of 41½ inches ranked first among cornerbacks, while his broad jump of 10-8 tied for third.

Conference Announces 2014 Big Ten Baseball Tournament Bracket, Huskers Earn the No. 2 Seed

Posted on May 18, 2014May 18, 2014

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The conference office announced the 2014 Big Ten Baseball Tournament bracket on Saturday, with Indiana securing the top seed after winning the Big Ten Championship. This year’s tournament will feature an eight-team field for the first time and will be held May 21-25 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., home of the College World Series.

The Hoosiers, making their 11th all-time appearance in the Big Ten Tournament, claimed the No. 1 seed for the second straight season after going 21-3 in Big Ten play, making their .875 conference winning percentage the highest since Ohio State’s .893 winning percentage (25-3) in 1999. Indiana opens play against No. 8 Iowa at 5 p.m. CT on Wednesday. The Hawkeyes ended the year with a 10-14 conference mark and earn their ninth Big Ten Tournament berth in program history.

Nebraska is the No. 2 seed after finishing the season with an 18-6 mark in conference play. The Huskers have appeared in each of the last three Big Ten Tournaments. Nebraska will face No. 7 Ohio State at 1 p.m. CT on Wednesday. The Buckeyes finished the year with a 10-14 mark in conference play and rank second all-time with 27 Big Ten Tournament appearances. By virtue of its series win over Iowa, Ohio State earned the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Illinois claims the tournament’s No. 3 seed after posting a 17-7 record in the Big Ten. The Illini make their 20th all-time appearance in the conference tournament. Illinois will face No. 6 Michigan State in the first game of the Big Ten Tournament at 9 a.m. CT on Wednesday. The Spartans ended the year with an 11-13 mark in conference action and return to the postseason tournament for the 11th time in program history.

Fourth-seeded Minnesota will take on fifth-seeded Michigan in the final game of the day on Wednesday, with first pitch scheduled for 9 p.m. CT. The Gophers and Wolverines finished the year with matching 13-11 marks in conference play, but Minnesota won twice in the teams’ three-game series to earn the tiebreaker. Minnesota makes its conference-record 29th all-time appearance in the tournament, while Michigan earns its 23rd Big Ten Tournament berth.

Minnesota leads all conference teams with nine Big Ten Tournament titles, while Michigan and Ohio State each have eight tournament crowns. Illinois has claimed four postseason championships, Indiana owns three Big Ten Tournament titles and Purdue has won the tournament once. The Hoosiers are looking to become the first Big Ten program to win back-to-back tournament titles since Ohio State in 2002 and 2003.

The tournament’s double-elimination format will culminate with a single championship game on Sunday, with the winner earning the tournament title and the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Championship. All eight teams will begin play in one of two brackets, with Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota appearing in one bracket and Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska and Ohio State appearing in the other bracket.

Four contests are scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday, with two games slated for Friday. Saturday will feature the winners of each bracket facing the remaining one-loss team from the opposite bracket in the semifinals. As many as four games are scheduled for Saturday, with the opportunity for two if necessary games to be played to determine Sunday’s championship game participants.

BTN will provide live coverage during the Big Ten Tournament. The network will carry Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday, Games 6, 7 and 8 on Thursday, and each game on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The bracket can be seen by clicking on the link below.

Big Ten Baseball Tournament Bracket 2014

California Chrome Wins Preakness

Posted on May 18, 2014

BALTIMORE (AP) — California Chrome has won the Preakness to keep alive his bid to capture horse racing’s Triple Crown.

As a follow-up to his victory in the Kentucky Derby, trainer Art Sherman’s horse justified his stature as the overwhelming favorite by outrunning Ride On Curlin to the finish Saturday.

He covered the 1 3-16th mile course in 1:54.84.

Ride On Curlin finished second and Social Inclusion took third.

It was the first Preakness victory for the 77-year-old trainer. California Chrome has won six straight races.

The chestnut colt is the first California-bred horse to win the Preakness since Snow Chief in 1986.

With a victory in the Belmont on June 7, California Chrome will become the 12th Triple Crown winner in horse racing history and the first since Affirmed in 1978.

Broncos Cautious with Second-Round Pick

Posted on May 17, 2014

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — With NFL teams poring over his college film, Cody Latimer went out for a run one cold day in January and felt a pop in his left foot.

An X-ray revealed a broken fifth metatarsal, which required surgery.

That meant he couldn’t do anything but the bench press at the NFL scouting combine in February.

But it didn’t keep him from running a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at Indiana’s pro day in March. Nor did it prevent the Denver Broncos from selecting him in the second round of the NFL draft earlier this month.

It is, however, keeping the Broncos from turning the wide receiver loose on the football field at their rookie minicamp this weekend.