St. John’s IceCaps 4, Connecticut Whale 3

St. John’s, Newfoundland, November 13, 2011 – Eric O’Dell’s goal with 3:01 left in the third period gave the St. John’s IceCaps a 4-3 win over the Connecticut Whale Sunday afternoon at Mile One Centre, and a sweep of a two-game series between the two teams.

CT WhaleSt. John’s had knocked off the Whale by an 8-4 the night before on Mile On Centre Ice.

O’Dell buried a centering pass from former Hartford Wolf Pack Garth Murray on the winning goal, after Murray won a puck battle with Wade Redden in the corner of the Whale zone to goaltender Chad Johnson’s left.

Jason King also had two goals for the victorious IceCaps, and defenseman Kyle Bushee had a goal and an assist.  John Mitchell, Tommy Grant and Carl Hagelin scored the Whale’s goals, all in the first period, and Blake Parlett had three assists.

The Whale had leads of 2-0 and 3-1 in the first, but St. John’s would score the last three goals of the game.

“We played more of a full game today (than the previous night), I thought,” Parlett said.  “We had the lead again today, but we just kept giving it (goals) to them.  I thought we did a good job for most of today of playing in their zone, and we just had a couple of breakdowns in our zone that led to their goals.”

After the Whale and IceCaps combined for six goals in the first period of Saturday night’s game, the two sides put five on the board in the first on Sunday.

The Whale got the first two, starting at 7:14, when Mitchell increased his Whale team-leading goal total to seven with his third in the two games in Newfoundland.  With two seconds left on a Whale power play, Mitchell snapped a shot from the right side of the slot past IceCaps goaltender Peter Mannino, who was making his first appearance since returning from a recall stint with the Winnipeg Jets.

Grant made it a 2-0 lead for the Whale at 12:20, with his second goal of his rookie season.  After St. John’s’ Marco Rosa turned the puck over to Parlett in neutral ice, Grant took Parlett’s pass and fired a shot off right wing past Mannino on the stick side.

St. John’s got on the board on a power play 2:20 later, with Bushee scoring only four seconds before Stu Bickel was to step out of the penalty box after serving a hooking minor.  Johnson (23 saves) stopped a shot from the left side by Spencer Machacek, but the rebound came right to Bushee at the right side of the goalmouth, and Bushee had most of the net to shoot at for his first AHL goal of the year.

Connecticut answered that one only 38 seconds later at 15:18, with Hagelin’s sixth goal of the season and third in the last three games.  The Swedish-born rookie paid a price for the goal, as Parlett’s shot from the right-wing side hit Hagelin in the face before getting by Mannino.  Hagelin had to leave the game for repairs but would return for the second period.

Mannino would shut the door on the Whale for the rest of the game after Hagelin’s goal, making a total of 35 saves in the game, and King started St. John’s’ comeback during a four-on-four situation, with his first goal of the game 49.2 seconds before intermission.  King beat his check down the left side, and Rosa found him with a cross-slot feed for a shot past Johnson’s stick side.

“We had a pretty successful first period,” Parlett said.  “We had a power-play goal there, and then we just struggled a bit on the power play (finishing 1/7) for the rest of the game.  I still thought we did a good job moving the puck around, but we just didn’t have the right bounce today late in the game.”

King’s second goal tied the game at three at 3:19 of the second period, as King took a feed from Aaron Gagnon and put a shot past Johnson’s catching glove and into the top corner.  That tie lasted until O’Dell’s late goal in the third, and Mannino held the Whale off on a power play opportunity, resulting from a cross-checking penalty to Zach Redmond, shortly after the IceCaps took the lead.

The Whale are now 0-3-0-0 on the year against the IceCaps, who lead the AHL with 25 points (11-2-3-0) and have won six straight.  The Whale are now 7-4-1-2 on the year, and 1-3-1-0 in their last five games.

The Whale are now off until this Friday night, November 18, when they return to the XL Center for a GEICO Connecticut Cup game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at 7:00.  In celebration of Veterans Day, the Whale is proud to offer a buy-one-get-one-free discount on Lower Level tickets for that game to any military personnel who present a military/veteran ID at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

 

Connecticut Whale 3 at St. John’s IceCaps 4
Sunday, November 13, 2011 – Mile One Centre

Connecticut 3 0 0 – 3
St. John’s 2 1 1 – 4

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Mitchell 7 (Erixon, Parlett), 7:14 (PP). 2, Connecticut, Grant 2 (Parlett), 12:20. 3, St. John’s, Bushee 1 (Machacek, Redmond), 14:40 (PP). 4, Connecticut, Hagelin 6 (Parlett, Valentenko), 15:18. 5, St. John’s, King 6 (Rosa), 19:10. Penalties-Redden Ct (hooking), 2:03; Nightingale Ct (roughing), 2:40; King Stj (roughing), 2:40; Murray Stj (cross-checking), 5:16; Bickel Ct (tripping), 12:44; Bickel Ct (roughing), 17:40; Ramsey Stj (roughing), 17:40.

2nd Period-6, St. John’s, King 7 (Gagnon, Bushee), 3:19. Penalties-Ramsey Stj (tripping), 0:19; Murray Stj (hooking), 5:43; Newbury Ct (slashing), 7:13; Erixon Ct (high-sticking), 10:25; Bushee Stj (cross-checking), 15:04.

3rd Period-7, St. John’s, O’Dell 2 (Murray, Wiebe), 16:59. Penalties-Parlett Ct (interference), 0:48; Redmond Stj (slashing), 4:43; Audy-Marchessault Ct (tripping), 5:20; Bickel Ct (cross-checking), 7:26; Redmond Stj (cross-checking), 17:45; Mannino Stj (interference), 19:56.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 12-13-13-38. St. John’s 12-4-11-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 1 / 7; St. John’s 1 / 7.
Goalies-Connecticut, Johnson 3-3-2 (27 shots-23 saves). St. John’s, Mannino 3-2-0 (38 shots-35 saves).
A-6,287
Referees-Jean Hebert (43).
Linesmen-Joe Maynard (15), Todd Horwood (56).

It’s Time For Red Sox To Select A New Manager

According to Boston Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherrington the team has concluded its interviews for the open managers slot.  Cherrington Torey Lovullo #7 of the Toronto Blue Jays poses during photo day at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium on February 20, 2011 in Dunedin, Florida.and his staff talked with five people of various backgrounds and experience, some who have worked for the team in the past but none from the staff of deposed manager Terry Francona.

So let’s take a look at the candidates.  This is an unbiased look; it’s just the facts with no commentary.  They are listed in the order they were interviewed in and at the end I’ll tell you who I think that Cherrington and the ownership pick from and the guy I feel they will select.  I’ll also get into a bit on building a new coaching staff around the new manager of the Boston Red Sox.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Pete Mackanin, 60, is a native of Chicago IL and a former infielder who played with the Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins from 1973-81.

He has been a bench coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates (2003-05) and currently holds that position for the Philadelphia Phillies (2009-present).  Twice Mackanin has been called upon to be an interim manager having guided the Pirates in 2005 and the Cincinnati Reds in 2007.  He has not played or coached for a World Series winner.

Mackanin has also been a third base coach for the Expos, in addition to being a scout and a long time minor league manager.  He has managed the Peoria Chiefs (1985-86); Iowa Cubs (1988-89); Nashville Sounds (1990-92); Frederick Keys (1993); Bowie Baysox (1994); Ottawa Lynx (1995-96); Hickory Crawdads (2001); Lynchburg Hillcats (2002) and GCL Pirates (2006).

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Dale Sveum, 48, is a Richmond CA native and was an infielder with the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Oakland A’s, Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees from 1986-99.  His cousin is former Red Sox first baseman John Olerud.  He has played for (1998 New York Yankees) and coached (2004 Boston Red Sox) teams that have won a World Series title.

He has been a third base coach for the Boston Red Sox (2004-05) and the Milwaukee Brewers, as well as bench coach and currently is the hitting coach for the Brew Crew (2006-present).  He also was the Brewers interim manager in September 2008 getting them into the playoffs as the NL Wildcard where they lost in four games to the eventual World Series champion, Philadelphia Phillies.

Sveum, in addition to his major league coaching experience, has managed in the minors with the Altoona Curve in 2001-03 and was voted the Eastern League’s Top Managerial Prospect by Baseball America in 2003.

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Sandy Alomar, Jr., 45, is a native of Puerto Rico and former catcher for the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets from 1998-2007.  He is the son of former major leaguer Sandy Alomar and the brother of Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar.

Alomar, who was a 6-time All-Star, was also the 1990 AL Rookie of the Year and the 1997 All-Star Game MVP.  He has never played for or coached with a World Series winner.

He has been a coaching instructor for the Mets (2008-09) and first base coach for the Indians (2009-present) and is scheduled to be the teams bench coach in 2012.  In 2010 he was a finalist for the Toronto Blue Jays managerial job and in addition to the Red Sox he is also a candidate for manager of the Chicago Cubs.

He has no minor or major league managing experience.

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Torey Lovullo, 46, is a native of Santa Monica CA and is a former infielder for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, California Angels, Seattle Mariners, Oakland A’s, Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies from 1988-2000.  He also played in Japan for the Yakult Swallows.  His father was a television producer who worked on “Hee Haw”.

Lovullo has extensive minor league managing experience, nearly all of it in the Cleveland Indians organization and one season as the manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2010.  He is currently the first base coach on John Farrell’s staff with the Toronto Blue Jays.  He never played for or coached with a World Series winning team.

He has been a candidate in the past for managing jobs with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006), Pittsburgh Pirates (2007) and Cleveland Indians (2009).

In addition to Pawtucket since 2001 he has managed the Kinston Indians, Akron Aeros, Buffalo Bison and Columbus Clippers.

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Gene Lamont, 65, is a Rockford IL native and a former catcher for the Detroit Tigers from 1970-75.  He has never played for or coached with a World Series winner.

He has extensive managing and coaching experience at both the major and minor league levels having led the Chicago White Sox (1992-95) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1997-2000).  He was the 1993 AL Manager of the Year with the White Sox.

He has also managed in the minors with the Ft Myers Royals (1978-79), Jacksonville Suns (1980-83), Omaha Royals (1984-85) and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (2005).  He has been the Pirates third base coach (1986-91) and bench coach (1996), third base coach for the Boston Red Sox (2001) and Houston Astros (2002-04) and is currently the third base coach for the Detroit Tigers (2006-present).

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So there are the candidates.  The way I see it, I agree with the Boston media that Lamont was brought in to see if he wasn’t a manager if he’d be willing to the be the bench coach for a new manager.  Lamont certainly has a ton of experience and would be a great bench coach for a guy in his first major league managing job.

Alomar, who has a lot of potential, is just too green right now for the spot.  I hate to say it because Sandy was one of my favorite players and for the fact that someday he will manage at the MLB level.  I hope he and the team took something away from his interview and he wasn’t just a minority candidate.

Mackanin, I feel may be the guy Theo Epstein tabs in Chicago to lead the Cubs.  He’s a Chicago guy, he’s a National League guy, he is smart and he accepts the entire front office being involved together concept that baseball is going to these days.  I think he’d have been a good manger in Boston as well but my gut says he will be the Cubs manager in 2012.

That brings us to two, Blue Jays first base coach Torey Lovullo and Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum, both who have familiarity with the Boston organization.  Both are the type of manager that John Henry, Tom Werner, Larry Lucchino and Cherrington would want in the dug out.  Both are relatively young, they think with the modern progressive way of baseball and they are both highly respected through out baseball.

I think this is going to be a difficult choice for the front office.  Sveum earned rave reviews from Red Sox players when he was here as being very smart and in tune to the game, despite what fans thought of his aggressive coaching at third base.  While Lovullo has more hands on managing experience and was previously with an organization in Cleveland that is similar to Boston in how things are run.  He also comes with John Farrell’s stamp of approval.

While in my eyes the Red Sox can not go wrong with either candidate, I believe it is Torey Lovullo who will be the next manager of the Boston Red Sox.

Now to support Lovullo you need a good staff around him.  I think it’s best for the team if they keep hitting coach Dave Magadan and bullpen coach/catching instructor Gary Tuck and clear out the rest of the remaining staff from Francona’s reign.

The team needs a pitching coach seeing as the whole Curt Young thing didn’t work and he returned to Oakland.  I’d love to see them grab Dave Duncan away from St. Louis but with his wife’s current health issues that won’t happen.  So I have two candidates and both are currently not active in the game.  Ron Darling and Orel Hershisher.

Both Darling and Hershisher have earned rave reviews in their work as baseball analysts on a national level.  How did they do that?  Besides being able to communicate coherently they base their observations on what they know. Pitching. Pure and simple, listen to these guys talk about pitching and you’re sold.  Both also bring something to the table in that they’ve both played the game and both have had success.  I say get one and get that mess straightened out.

Some names you could hear as pitching coach candidates include Chicago White Sox bullpen coach Juan Nieves, Seattle Mariners bullpen coach Jaime Navarro and Texas Rangers bullpen coach Andy Hawkins.   Others may include Toronto Blue Jays bullpen coach Pat Hentgen, Colorado pitching coach Bob Apodaka, St. Louis Cardinals bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist and Miami Marlins pitching coach Randy St. Clair.  There are in house possibilities as well in Pawtucket pitching coach Rick Sauveur and Portland pitching coach Bob Kipper.

The bench coach is another important position for a manager these days. In my scenario of the Sox hiring Lovullo, who has nearly a decade as a minor league manager, that experience level isn’t so much as necessary and you can find a bench coach with managing experience at any league level.  You want a second set of eyes who views the game much along the same way you do but is also willing to offer a counter opinion.

If Lamont didn’t want the job due to loyalty to Detroit manager Jim Leyland there are others out there who would make a good bench coach.  Among them are former Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Trembley, Nick Leyva, who managed the Philadelphia Phillies, former Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals manager John McLaren and Baltimore Orioles third base coach and former Pittsburgh Pirates manager John Russell.

As for base coaches I think it’s a matter of getting the right guys no matter their experience.  A third base coach needs to know the players and park and always be aware of the game situation something that at times in the past in appeared Tim Bogar was not.  A first base coach generally is the base running coach too and he keeps the base runner’s attention on the pitcher and the any possible scenarios he could see.

I’d like to see the Sox hire Alex Cora and/or Gabe Kapler for at least one of the base coaching positions.  Cora would be the third base coach and infield instructor and would be a nice conduit to the Latin players.  He is smart and really understands the game and some day will be a major league manager.   Kapler would be the first base coach, outfield instructor and base running coach.  As former players recently retired they would relate well with the players and be the go between from the coaching staff to the clubhouse.  They would also add a little intensity when it was needed something that was lacking in 2011.

The biggest decision though is forth coming.  In the next two weeks or so the Red Sox will hire their new manager.  I think Lovullo is the right choice for the job and it’s time to start building him a staff and a team so we can erase the memory of a terrible end to what was supposed to be a great season.

Follow Steve on Twitter @djstevem

Photo credit: Getty Images

UConn Women Open Up Season With Win Over Holy Cross

Connecticut's Bria Hartley, left, and Tiffany Hayes, right, pressure Holy Cross' Alex Smith, center, in the first half of an NCAA women's college basketball game in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011.

New season, new faces, even an old one is back for the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team. And as most of the state of Connecticut expects them to do, it was another UConn win on Sunday afternoon at Gampel Pavilion.

Bria Hartley led the way for the Huskies (1-0) with 17 points as they easily took care of business in a 77-37 win over the Holy Cross Crusaders in front of a small crowd of 6,548 fans.

Hartley also added six assists but did have five turnovers. Tiffany Hayes added 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks while Stefanie Dolson chipped in with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Caroline Doty returned to action for the first time since the 2010 NCAA Championship game and had nine points and five rebounds. Heather Buck had a nice game off the bench with six points and six rebounds.

Amy Lepley, Brisje Malone and Alex Smith all had eight points to lead Holy Cross (0-2). Lepley led the Crusaders with five rebounds with four others adding four.

They were without their top freshman Emily Parker who scored 17 points in their season opening loss to Yale. Parker tore her ACL in March and was just cleared to play on Thursday before their opener. Holy Cross head coach Bill Gibbons didn’t want her to play two games in three days especially against the quickness of the Huskies.

As usually is the case for most teams who are playing against the UConn women, this one was pretty much over right at the start.

The Huskies started out the game with a 9-0 run and followed that up with a 23-6 run to open up a 26 point lead. Holy Cross would get it down to 21 points at halftime (38-17) but the Huskies made sure in the second half that there would be no come back for the Crusaders.

They weren’t perfect today but they’ll need to be sooner rather than later. After their game on Monday, they’ll have six days to prepare for the No. 5 Stanford Cardinal. They’ll need to work on limiting their mistakes within the offense and on defense.

I was impressed with the play of Buck off the bench. If Dolson ever gets in foul trouble, the Huskies aren’t as deep in the front court with Buck and freshman Moriah Jefferson. But Buck has the experience and can show at times she can play. She’ll just need to build off of this game and go foward as the season goes along.

It’s a quick turnaround for the Huskies as they’ll be back in action on Monday night when the Pacific Tigers come to Gampel. Tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast locally on CPTV in Connecticut.

To continue reading the Holy Cross Crusaders @ UConn Huskies recap, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Notes and musings:

Holy Cross Crusaders @ UConn Huskies 11.13.11 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and Holy Cross head coach Bill Gibbons.

The starters for the Huskies were Bria Hartley, Caroline Doty, Tiffany Hayes, Kelly Faris and Stefanie Dolson.

UConn shot 45.2% (28-62) from the floor. Holy Cross shot 23.2% (17-56).

The Huskies had 19 points on their 28 made baskets.

UConn was 9-of-24 (37.5%) from three point land while the Crusaders were just 3-of-15 (20%).

The Huskies were 12-of-17 (70.6%) from the free throw line.

UConn dominated the boards outrebounding Holy Cross 49-32.

Freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had a rough shooting debut as she was just 3-of-12 from the floor. She ended up with seven points and seven rebounds.

Ten of the 11 Huskies who played scored. Sophomore Michaela Johnson was the only Husky not to put the ball in the basket.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Photo credit: AP Photo

2011 BlogPoll Top 25 Ballot – Week 12

As many of you know, I am one of the voters in the BlogPoll Top 25. Each week, bloggers across the country representing the various FBS schools get together and put together their own top 25’s. Here at SOX & Dawgs, we are representing the UConn Huskies. The votes are then tabulated on Tuesday.

Each week we are asked to do an initial ballot. This allows you the reader to let us know in the comments whether you agree with my choices or not. The initial ballots will normally be done on Sunday.

After I check the comments for the initial ballot, I then resubmit my final ballot for the week. If there are comments, I’ll take them into consideration before submitting the final ballot by 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

You can check out the ballot I submitted earlier today by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the homepage.

SB Nation BlogPoll Top 25 College Football Rankings

SOX & Dawgs Ballot – Week 12

Rank Team Delta
1 LSU Tigers —
2 Oklahoma St. Cowboys Arrow_up 1
3 Alabama Crimson Tide Arrow_up 2
4 Oregon Ducks Arrow_up 2
5 Arkansas Razorbacks Arrow_up 2
6 Oklahoma Sooners Arrow_up 2
7 Clemson Tigers Arrow_up 3
8 Virginia Tech Hokies Arrow_up 1
9 Stanford Cardinal Arrow_down -5
10 Houston Cougars Arrow_up 1
11 Boise St. Broncos Arrow_down -9
12 Georgia Bulldogs Arrow_up 1
13 Michigan St. Spartans Arrow_up 1
14 South Carolina Gamecocks Arrow_up 1
15 Wisconsin Badgers Arrow_up 1
16 Nebraska Cornhuskers Arrow_up 1
17 Penn St. Nittany Lions Arrow_down -5
18 Southern Miss. Golden Eagles Arrow_up 1
19 Michigan Wolverines Arrow_up 1
20 Kansas St. Wildcats Arrow_up 1
21 USC Trojans Arrow_up 3
22 TCU Horned Frogs Arrow_up 3
23 Florida St. Seminoles —
24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish —
25 West Virginia Mountaineers —
Dropouts: Cincinnati Bearcats, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Texas Longhorns

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Top 25 Rankings »

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2011 NCAA Football Rankings – Week 12 (Nov. 13)

AP & USA Today Polls

The rankings are out this week for college football and there’s no doubt as to who the number one team in the country is.

The LSU Tigers are an unanimous pick pick as the No. 1 team in both polls as they earned all of the first place votes. They are followed by Oklahoma State, Alabama, Oregon and Oklahoma in both polls.

There are no Big East teams ranked in the AP Top 25. The West Virginia Mountaineers are No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll and are among the others receving votes in the AP Poll. The Cincinnati Bearcats, who fell out of both polls after losing to West Virginia, are among the others receiving votes in both polls.  The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are among the others receiving votes in the Coaches’ Poll as well.

For a full look at both polls, please click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

AP Top 25 USA Today Coaches’ Poll
RK TEAM REC PTS PVS RK TEAM REC PTS PVS
1 LSU (60) 10-0 1500 1 1 LSU (59) 10-0 1475 1
2 Oklahoma State 10-0 1432 2 2 Oklahoma State 10-0 1410 3
3 Alabama 9-1 1380 4 3 Alabama 9-1 1340 4
4 Oregon 9-1 1326 6 4 Oregon 9-1 1300 6
5 Oklahoma 8-1 1230 7 5 Oklahoma 8-1 1228 7
6 Arkansas 9-1 1217 8 6 Arkansas 9-1 1170 8
7 Clemson 9-1 1075 9 7 Virginia Tech 9-1 1045 9
8 Stanford 9-1 1071 3 8 Clemson 9-1 1042 10
9 Virginia Tech 9-1 1000 10 9 Stanford 9-1 1024 2
10 Boise State 8-1 880 5 10 Houston 10-0 927 11
11 Houston 10-0 867 11 11 Boise State 8-1 831 5
12 Michigan State 8-2 767 13 12 Michigan State 8-2 791 13
13 Georgia 8-2 756 14 13 Wisconsin 8-2 745 14
14 South Carolina 8-2 706 15 14 South Carolina 8-2 727 15
15 Wisconsin 8-2 676 16 15 Georgia 8-2 698 16
16 Kansas State 8-2 629 17 16 Nebraska 8-2 615 17
17 Nebraska 8-2 583 19 17 Kansas State 8-2 501 22
18 USC 8-2 564 18 18 Michigan 8-2 477 21
19 TCU 8-2 402 NR 19 TCU 8-2 392 24
20 Michigan 8-2 381 22 20 Southern Miss 9-1 386 23
21 Penn State 8-2 320 12 21 Penn State 8-2 361 12
22 Southern Miss 9-1 250 25 22 Florida State 7-3 189 NR
23 Florida State 7-3 107 NR 23 Georgia Tech 7-3 87 19
24 Notre Dame 7-3 93 NR 23 West Virginia 7-3 87 NR
25 Baylor 6-3 68 NR 25 Notre Dame 7-3 86 NR
Dropped from rankings: Dropped from rankings:
Georgia Tech 20, Texas 21, Cincinnati 23, Auburn 24 Cincinnati 18, Texas 20, Auburn 25
Others receiving votes: Others receiving votes:
Georgia Tech 66, West Virginia 47, Virginia 26, Cincinnati 24, Tulsa 22, Texas 11, Auburn 10, Arizona State 7, Washington 6, Georgia Southern 1 Cincinnati 84, Baylor 56, Texas 27, Virginia 24, Rutgers 15, Tulsa 10, Texas A&M 5, Missouri 5, Arkansas State 5, Brigham Young 4, Northern Illinois 2, Arizona State 2, Utah 2,

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Is Josh Beckett Responsible For Francona’s Departure From Red Sox?

Josh Beckett likes his fried chicken and beer

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett hasn’t been seen in good light so far during this offseason.

He was seen as one of the ringleaders of Fried Chicken and Beergate 2011. And now, it appears that he may be one of the reason why Terry Francona decided not to come back as the manager of the Red Sox.

Here’s what Jon Heyman of SI.com has learned:

People familiar with what went on in the Red Sox clubhouse say Francona tried to stem unrest among the players with a late team meeting but believe Francona may have erred by never confronting Josh Beckett one-on-one. Beckett was seen by other Red Sox players as among the more vocal detractors of Francona behind the scenes. Francona long was beloved in the clubhouse so this was a unusual situation for him.

Now some people may not like Heyman but he is one of the more trusted writers out there and he’s usually right. And given everything else we’ve heard coming out of the anonymous sources from the Red Sox and how they were right before, there’s a pretty good chance this is true.

Obviously if this is true, can you understand why Tito didn’t want to come back? I can.

Why would we want to be there when one of his best players is talking behind his back? If he’s lost Beckett and we’ve all seen the influence Beckett can have on others, what’s to say he wouldn’t lose more guys?

The great respect I had for Beckett before went out the door with the fried chicken and beer incident. I can honestly say there’s little chance it ever comes back, especially if this is true.

The best remedy to all of this would be to trade Beckett. Unfortunately, the Red Sox can’t do that.

Their starting pitching depth for 2012 is not deep at all. You have Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz. John Lackey is out for 2012 and the earliest we’ll probably see Daisuke Matsuzaka is June. So by trading Beckett you’re losing even more depth.

Given his close relationship on the team with his binky, I mean the Captain of the Red Sox, Jason Varitek, I would have expected him to do this. But that didn’t appear to happen.

Someone really needs to have a talk with Beckett and get things sorted out. If not, we can probably expect this to happen next year under the new manager, whomever that turns out to be.

Thanks to Krystle (@pinkberryoasis) who pointed out the link on @redsox1234‘s Twitter feed.

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Paw Prints – The Daily UConn Roundup – 11/13

Paw Prints The Daily Roundup

Paw Prints is our daily look at the happenings for the UConn Huskies football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams as well as some of the other sports. We will do our best to bring you the links from all of the media that covers the Huskies on a daily basis. As always, links can be found by clicking on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Thank you for stopping by and making SOX & Dawgs your home for UConn Huskies news.

It’s opening day for the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team as they’ll host Holy Cross at 2 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion. You can catch the game locally in Connecticut on CPTV.

To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Doty raring to go [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Rebecca Lobo a Naismith Hall of Fame candidate [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Holy Cross Won’t Play Top Scorer Sunday [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Life According To Caroline Doty [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

Women preview: Huskies open with Crusaders [Lee Lewis – The Republican-American]

Huskies Set To Begin Life After Maya [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

Doty, Mosqueda-Lewis Healthy and Ready For Opener [Rich Elliott – CT Post]

ND, UConn figure to be atop league [CT Post]

UConn begins season trying to answer questions after Maya’s departure [CT Post]

Doty, And Her Teammates, Can’t Wait For Her Return To The Court [Hartford Courant]

Caroline Doty ready to return [New Haven Register]

Are these Huskies just average? [The Day]

UConn Football links

UConn Vs. Louisville Football To Kickoff At Noon [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

VIDEO: Jim Calhoun On UConn’s Rebounding – Or Lack Thereof [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Niels Giffey Returns to Practice for Huskies [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Jim Calhoun: “Unfiltered” On SNY Special [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

Dom also answered a question in his mailbag [Dom Amore – Hartford Courant]

UConn’s Olander Works Hard For Playing Time [Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

Field Hockey. Jeute Leads No. 5 UConn Past Princeton In First Round, 3-2 [UConnHuskies.com]

Field Hockey. UConn-Princeton Quotes [UConnHuskies.com]

W. Ice Hockey. Women’s Ice Hockey Stumbles, 2-0, Against Providence [UConnHuskies.com]

M. Cross Country. Huskies Take 10th Place At The NCAA East Regional Championships [UConnHuskies.com]

W. Cross Country. Sara Leads Huskies To Seventh Place Finish At Regionals [UConnHuskies.com]

W. Volleyball. Volleyball Swept by Rutgers [UConnHuskies.com]

M. Ice Hockey. Huskies Rally To Earn 2-2 Tie at AIC On The Road [UConnHuskies.com]

M. Soccer. Lots of Televison Coverage For BIG EAST Final [UConnHuskies.com]

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Video: Junior dos Santos KO’s Cain Velazquez To Win Heavyweight Title at UFC on FOX 1

In the first event for the UFC on FOX, the UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velazquez and the challenger, Junior dos Santos, squared off in The Octagon at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on Saturday night.

And after just 1:04 of the first round, dos Santos became the new UFC Heavyweight Champion when he knocked out Velazquez.

Dos Santos now awaits the winner of the Brock Lesnar/Alistair Overeem match that will take place on December 30th in Las Vegas, NV.

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To see the post-fight interviews, click on the read more button below if you’re on the homepage.

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St. John’s IceCaps 8, Connecticut Whale 4

St. John’s, Newfoundland, November 12, 2011 – Jason Jaffray scored a hat trick, and Carl Klingberg added a goal and two assists, to lead the St. John’s IceCaps to an 8-4 victory over the Connecticut Whale Saturday night at Mile One Centre.

CT WhaleJason DeSantis and Marco Rosa also had a goal and an assist each for St. John’s, and Spencer Machacek had three assists.  John Mitchell scored a pair of goals for the Whale.

The Whale led the game 4-3 in the second period, before a collision between the IceCaps’ Patrice Cormier and the Whale’s Brendan Bell shattered a pane of plexiglass in the Connecticut zone with 4:41 left.  The teams were sent to their locker rooms at that point for the second intermission, and the last 4:41 of the period was played prior to the start of the third period.  That seemed to take away all of the Whale’s momentum, as the IceCaps scored twice before the end of the second and tacked on three more goals in the third period.

The eight goals-against were a season high for Connecticut.

“We didn’t have good coverage,” Whale head coach Ken Gernander said.  “We didn’t finish checks, so now (St. John’s) players are free to move their puck and jump back into the play and become part of the second flow.  Passes were being made in behind our forecheckers because we didn’t finish checks.

“When we had the one-goal lead, it was three quick turnovers, bang-bang-bang, in our defensive zone, that allows them offensive opportunities as well.”

The two teams combined for six goals and 32 shots (18 by St. John’s, 14 by Connecticut) in a wild first period.

The offensive flow started only 1:14 in, as Jaffray, the IceCaps’ captain, victimized Whale starting goaltender Cam Talbot with a high shot to the stick side.

St. John’s made it a 2-0 game at 9:19, with DeSantis getting his third goal of the season, on a bad-angle shot from near the right-wing boards that beat Talbot over his glove-side arm.

Mitchell brought the Whale back quickly, though, with a burst of two goals in 2:08 starting at 10:35, only 1:16 after DeSantis’ tally.

Mitchell’s first goal came on a rebound, after St. John’s netminder Ed Pasquale (26) made a fine save on Carl Hagelin.  Then on a Whale power play at 12:43, Mitchell pounced on Kris Newbury’s rebound and fired a shot between Pasquale’s legs that the goalie got a piece of but could not stop, tying the score at two.

The scoring continued at 16:20, as Zach Redmond gave the IceCaps back the lead, and chased Talbot from the game, with his first pro goal.  That came on a sharp-angle shot from the right side that squeaked through Talbot’s pads.

Chad Johnson relieved Talbot, who gave up three goals on 15 shots, and the Whale quickly tied the game again with their second power-play goal in two chances.  This time, it was Tim Erixon beating Pasquale on a shot from the right point, for Erixon’s first pro tally.

The Whale grabbed their only lead of the game 6:33 into the second frame, on a penalty-shot goal by Hagelin, who was hooked on his way past the St. John’s defense.  On his first career pro penalty shot, and the Whale’s first of the season, Hagelin put a backhand shot up under the crossbar behind Pasquale.

That lead lasted until the glass-breaking, but after the early break, the IceCaps got goals from Jaffray and Cormier 61 seconds apart to take the lead for good.

Jaffray notched his second of the game at 18:54, taking a pass from Rosa on the right-wing side and cutting in front to put a forehand shot past Johnson.  Then with only 5.1 seconds left in the period, Cormier put St. John’s up 5-4, after the Whale’s Tommy Grant tried to drop the puck around behind his own net to the Whale defense, only to have Shawn Weller intercept and find Cormier with a centering pass.

After the teams switched ends to start the third, it took Klingberg only 1:11 to widen the IceCaps’ lead to two goals, after Arturs Kulda’s point shot deflected to Klingberg’s stick in the slot and he buried it past Johnson.

Rosa made it 7-4 at 13:38, just one second after Grant stepped out of the penalty box after serving a hooking penalty, deflecting a shot from the right point by DeSantis past Johnson.  Jaffray then completed his hat trick at 19:34 on a power play, converting a centering feed from Klingberg, after Newbury had taken a slashing minor only six seconds earlier.

The loss dropped the Whale to 7-3-1-2 on the season, and St. John’s improved its record to an AHL-best 10-2-3-0 for 23 points.

It was the Whale’s first visit to Newfoundland in nearly nine years, since a 3-1 Hartford Wolf Pack victory over the St. John’s Maple Leafs at Mile One Centre December 1, 2002.  The IceCaps have now scored a total of 14 goals in two games this year against the Whale, as they took a 6-3 decision from Connecticut last Friday at the XL Center.

“They’re a good team, they’re a first-place team,” Gernander said of the IceCaps, “and they’re going to create their own offense, they’re going to get their own chances, they’re going to create their own energy.  But you can’t give them freebies, they’re going to have to work and earn it.  But when you have turnovers, like we had tonight, those are quick scoring opportunities.  And if you’re going to give opportunities, and not play your best game, against a first-place team, you’re going to pay the price.”

The Whale and IceCaps battle again Sunday afternoon at Mile One Centre, with faceoff at 2:30 Eastern Time.  All the CT Whale Rockin’ Hockey action can be heard live on “The Rock”, 106.9 FM, WCCC, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com.

The Whale return home to the XL Center this Friday night, November 18, for a GEICO Connecticut Cup game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at 7:00.  In celebration of Veterans Day, the Whale is proud to offer a buy-one-get-one-free discount on Lower Level tickets for that game to any military personnel who present a military/veteran ID at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center.

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Connecticut Whale 4 at St. John’s IceCaps 8
Saturday, November 12, 2011 – Mile One Centre

Connecticut 3 1 0 – 4
St. John’s 3 2 3 – 8

1st Period-1, St. John’s, Jaffray 5 (Machacek, Marto), 1:14. 2, St. John’s, DeSantis 3 (Gagnon), 9:19. 3, Connecticut, Mitchell 5 (Hagelin, Valentenko), 10:35. 4, Connecticut, Mitchell 6 (Newbury, Erixon), 12:43 (PP). 5, St. John’s, Redmond 1 (King, Klingberg), 16:20. 6, Connecticut, Erixon 1 (Bell), 17:57 (PP). Penalties-Mitchell Ct (high-sticking), 3:54; Owens Ct (roughing), 11:55; Chiarot Stj (roughing, roughing), 11:55; Kulda Stj (interference), 17:35.

2nd Period-7, Connecticut, Hagelin 5 6:33 (TXT_PS). 8, St. John’s, Jaffray 6 (Rosa, Machacek), 18:54. 9, St. John’s, Cormier 3 (Weller), 19:55. Penalties-Bouchard Ct (tripping), 10:16.

3rd Period-10, St. John’s, Klingberg 8 (Kulda), 1:11. 11, St. John’s, Rosa 4 (Weller, DeSantis), 13:38. 12, St. John’s, Jaffray 7 (Klingberg, Machacek), 19:34 (PP). Penalties-Grant Ct (hooking), 11:37; Newbury Ct (slashing), 19:29.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 14-7-9-30. St. John’s 18-14-9-41.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 2 / 2; St. John’s 1 / 4.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 4-2-0 (15 shots-12 saves); Johnson 3-2-2 (26 shots-21 saves). St. John’s, Pasquale 6-0-0 (30 shots-26 saves).
A-6,503
Referees-Jean Hebert (43).
Linesmen-Jim Vail (34), Todd Horwood (56).