St. Louis manager says fans took insults too far

MILWAUKEE | St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said some fans took the personal heckling too far late Tuesday night.

La Russa appeared to briefly engage in some banter after Tuesday’s 8-7, 11-inning win, then called the fans “idiots” in comments after a game in which both teams saw star players beaned, and the Cardinals’ Yadier Molina was ejected for arguing balls and strikes.

“It’s going way too far when they start cursing your family and the funniest one, the guy’s yelling, ‘I hope you get shingles again,’ ” La Russa said Wednesday. “That’s just stupid.”

La Russa said that Brewers officials removed several fans near St. Louis’ dugout during the game. The 66-year-old La Russa struggled with shingles for nearly two months earlier this season, missing six games because of the condition.

The game turned tense in the seventh.

Albert Pujols was hit in the seventh inning on the left hand near the wrist he broke earlier this season. X-rays after the game were negative. Brewers star Ryan Braun was then plunked by Jason Motte in the bottom of the inning.

“You don’t want to get into a bean ball war,” Braun said. “That’s never fun.”

La Russa had not heard from Major League Baseball about potential discipline for Yadier Molina, who appeared to make contact with plate umpire Rob Drake after arguing a called third strike in the 10th inning.

Drake had to wipe his face after it appeared he was hit by spittle while Molina was yelling. Molina maintained he did not spit on Drake, saying he was sweaty and any contact he made with Drake was incidental.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/03/3055706/st-louis-manager-says-fans-took.html#ixzz1U3vZnfJG

Schutt Sports Becomes Official Helmet for Lone Star Conference Softball

Schutt Sports, the leading domestic manufacturer of batters helmets in the United States, has been named the Official Helmet of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference for softball.

The multi-year agreement calls for the conference teams to wear Schutt batters helmets and catchers gear; it also requires Schutt to provide custom softball collectibles to the schools as fund-raising tools.

“The Lone Star Conference schools are right in the middle of softball country,” said Dianne Baker, national promotions manager for Schutt Sports. “This deal gives us great exposure in some key markets and puts our best equipment on some of the best players in the country.”

The agreement will give Schutt the chance to showcase its all-new AiR Maxx T Batter’s helmet for softball players – a helmet that utilizes the TPU Cushioning technology the company features in its football helmets.

In addition, Schutt Sports will present an annual Coach of the Year Award for softball and will also sponsor the All-Conference Team.

“We’ve been looking for this type of opportunity for our member schools,” said Stan Wagnon, commissioner of the Lone Star Conference. “The fact that these helmets are top-of-the line, as well as made here in the United States means quite a bit to us and our schools. The fund-raising part of this program also makes this a win-win for both the Lone Star Conference and Schutt.”

About Schutt Sports:
Schutt Sports is the leading domestic manufacturer of batters helmets in the United States and a household name in the sporting goods industry. The Official Base Supplier to Major League Baseball®, Schutt Sports is also the world’s leading maker of football helmets and faceguards.

About the Lone Star Conference:
The LSC, founded in 1931, has developed from a five-team conference of Texas-based schools to an 11-member league that spans three states (Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico). The league's mission is to foster student participation and success among member institutions in Division II intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of each institution's total educational program. The LSC strives for academic excellence, stresses involvement within the community, and prides itself in upholding traditions while continually seeking new opportunities to provide student-athletes with a unique and superior experience.

Martz pleased with Chicago Bears line's progress

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – It typically takes some time for an offensive line to gel. But Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz is pleased with the progress the No. 1 unit has made early in training camp.

Players presently working with the first team are J’Marcus Webb at left tackle, Chris Williams at left guard, Roberto Garza at center, Lance Louis at right guard and rookie Gabe Carimi at right tackle.

Roberto Garza is expected to anchor the offensive line this season whether he plays guard or center.

“There’s a couple of things with the line that are very, very encouraging,” Martz said Tuesday in Bourbonnais. “First of all, Garza last year had a terrific year. He played exceptionally well. Moving J’Marcus back over to the left side, he’s probably a little more comfortable over there.

“The progress that that group—Chris, Garza, all those guys—made together the second half of season, [they] continued to get better every week and we’ve kind of picked up with that a little bit.

“Now Carimi, he’s going to learn what’s going on. But he’s not intimidated by anything. He’s got that great work ethic. He’s athletic. He’s what we were looking for to help us at the tackle position, so we think we’ve resolved some of those issues.

“Obviously we miss Olin. [His exit was] unexpected and it hurts all of us. We were very attached to Olin. But at this point, the five that we have in here, we’re very comfortable with. We’re happy with the progress that they’re making and I’m very encouraged by it, and obviously Mike [Tice] is the guy you want coaching those guys.”


Click here to read the entire article from Chicagobears.com.

MLB Trade Deadline: Power Ranking All 30 Teams Post 2011 Deadline

Written by Adrian Fedkiw
on August 1, 2011

The non-waiver trading deadline has come and gone, but teams still have another month to add talent due to the waiver deadline.

The waiver process goes like this. Each team, in reverse order of the overall standings this season, gets a chance to claim a player. If a claim is made, the original team has three options:

1. Let the player go without compensation

2. Take the player off waivers to make him untradeable

3. Work out a trade with the claiming team

It’s a second opportunity for a team like the Yankees, who didn’t make a non-waiver deadline deal for the first time since 1999.

Houston’s Wandy Rodriguez and his $39 million contract will still be available, as Houston wants to cut its payroll to $60 million. If a ballclub still needs a bat, Josh Willingham could land somewhere.

It also gives teams who fall out of contention, like the Twins or Rays, a chance to dispose players whose contracts end at the conclusion of the regular season.

We’ve seen several significant deals made after the non-waiver deadline over the years.

In 2001, with the Cardinals five games back of the wild card, they obtained starting pitcher Woody Williams for outfielder Ray Lankford. St. Louis got hot and won the wild card by three games.

The Cards landed Larry Walker from the Rockies in 2004 to add depth to their lineup. They won the pennant but fell to the Red Sox in four games in the World Series.

The Phillies got pinch-hit specialist Matt Stairs in 2008. He hit the big go-ahead home run in Game 4 of the NLCS to beat the Dodgers.

Lastly, the Giants acquired Cody Ross last year. He won the 2010 NLCS MVP en route to a World Series crown for San Francisco.

You’ll notice that I’ve used midseason and preseason prospect rankings in this piece.

Click here to read the rest of the article by Adrian Fedkiw.

Diamond Demo: Aybar's bunt

MLB Tonight takes a look at whether or not Erick Aybar's bunt against Justin Verlander was ill-timed.

Rawlings Signs Steven Jackson To Endorse Football Helmet Line

Rawlings today announced the signing of professional football running back Steven Jackson to an endorsement contract for Rawlings NRG Quantum football helmets.  Jackson will serve as the primary helmet endorser, joining professional running backs Ronnie Brown and Frank Gore on Rawlings’ Football Advisory Staff.  

"I really like the fit and feel of the helmet, and I feel protected and secure when I wear it,” Jackson said. “I'm looking forward to being the face of Rawlings and their Quantum football helmet and increasing their presence in the NFL."

“We’re excited to add Steven to our Football Advisory Staff as we continue our commitment to develop helmets that meet the protective needs of today’s athletes at all levels,” said Mike Thompson, Senior Vice President of Marketing for St. Louis-based Rawlings. “Watching Steven locally, we appreciate his hard-hitting, physical playing style and are excited to see him lead the evolution of the Rawlings Football brand.  We recognize the factors of style, comfort and technology that Steven looks for in a helmet and the NRG Quantum meets his high-level demands.”

Jackson will wear the Rawlings NRG Quantum helmet on-field this season and appear in the company’s print, digital and video marketing materials and promotions, including dynamic content on facebook.com/rawlingsfootball.

The Rawlings NRG Quantum helmet for adult and youth football players employs three proven technologies that when assembled create revolutionary impact absorption focused on reducing impact and better protecting players.

• Rawlings AIA™ – Active Impact Absorption™ has dual air bags with a scientifically-designed spacer material allowing for instant and long-lasting protection, unlike standard conventional foams.  
• Rawlings C3™ – Custom Comfort Cushion™ allows players to customize their helmets’ fit.  The proprietary rate-dependent passive impact absorption cushioning provides maximum protection without sacrificing comfort.  
• The Rawlings Heat Exchange™ has strategically placed vents and padding systems that create optimized air flow and temperature control. 

Please use our quote form for additional information regarding the Rawlings NRG football helmets.

Visit The Sportstation to download the new Schutt 2012 Baseball/Softball catalog.