NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils signed free-agent defenseman Anssi Salmela of Finland on Friday. Contract terms were not immediately available.

The 23-year-old had 16 goals and 16 assists in 56 games with Tappara of the Finnish League last season. His 16 goals were tops among defensemen in the league.

Salmela had 36 goals, 42 assists and 208 penalty minutes in 226 games in the Finnish League. He played his first two seasons with Tappara, and played pair with the Pelicans before returning to Tappara this past season.

Salmela represented Finland at the 2004 world junior championships and the 2008 world championship.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

SHIPPAGAN, New Brunswick — Luc Bourdon received his motorcycle license sum of two units weeks before his bike veered into a luggage on a winding, two-lane road, instantly killing the rookie defenseman for the Vancouver Canucks.

Investigators said Friday that Bourdon’s inexperience on a motorcycle may have played a role in his death.

“The shock took place in the opposite lane,” Inspector Roch Fortin said during a news conference at Shippagan’s town hall, where flags were at half-staff. “The truck driver tried everything in his power to avoid the accident.”

Fortin noted it was windy Thursday in this remote, largely Acadian area and a sudden gust may have pushed Bourdon into the truck’s path. The accident happened on the road between Shippagan and Lameque. Fortin said Bourdon’s bike crossed the center line and collided head-on with the truck.

At the crash site, there was a makeshift memorial that includes a single, red rose and a yellow, cloth butterfly. Among the roadside offerings is a photo of Bourdon with an inscription that reads: “Au revoir, Luc.”

In an odd twist, police said Bourdon’s cousin was injured in a motorcycle accident Friday. The cousin, who was not identified, was taken to hospital but did not see the light to have serious injuries, police added.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said a moment of silence will be observed Saturday before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. He said the ceremony will “honor a young life ended long before its promise could be fulfilled.”

“The National Hockey League family grieves with the family, friends and teammates of Luc Bourdon,” Bettman declared in a statement from Pittsburgh.

Jonathan Noel, the town’s mayor, said Bourdon was a role model on the Acadian Peninsula.

“Everyone was saying, ‘If we can do like Luc, a young guy from a small town in a place that nobody knows in the world, and he made the NHL,”‘ he said. “Everybody was looking up to him and trying to follow a dream like he did.”

Bourdon’s uncle, Robert Boucher, said his nephew was so dedicated to hockey that he took no time away in the last five years. He said Bourdon came home to Shippagan this week for a month holidays to play golf and be with friends. Many of them rode motorcycles.

“He loved to have fun,” Boucher said in French during a news conference in this community of 3,000 about 150 miles north of Fredericton. “Like anyone who is 21, he loved motorcycles. He wanted to buy a bike. That was his choice.”

Bourdon was the first-round draft pick of the Canucks in 2005, selected 10th overall. He split last season betwixt Vancouver and Manitoba of the American Hockey League. He played 27 games with the Canucks, scoring two goals and drawing 20 fine minutes. He played a key role in Canada’s gold-winning teams at the 2006 and 2007 world junior championships.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

By Nicholas Minnix, KFFL.com Baseball’s landscape is shifting. Home runs are way down, and stolen bases are up. The end of the steroid era? Perhaps not quite yet, but fantasy managers must adjust.

Multicategory contributors are the cream, so get them to the top of your lineup suppose that you can. Same goes for pitchers who avoid the long ball.

Rising stock

•Carlos Beltran, OF, Mets: Beltran isn’t on any waiver wires, but he’s underappreciated. Big Apple talk has centered put on the Mets’ struggles and Willie Randolph’s job. The switch-hitter, meanwhile, has very quietly produced (.256 average, four homers, 29 RBI, six steals), just not across the board.

Why the hope? Beltran reported to camp less than 100% after surgery on both knees in October. He wasn’t able to run much and played sparingly (44 at-bats) in spring training. The five-tool outfielder needed spell to build strength, but he’s getting his legs back (.302, four steals in May). Target him, and consider this: Beltran was a top-25 fantasy stud in each of the past two seasons — even though he played every average of 142 games, mostly because of his balky knees. With 155-plus games played, he could be a top-five player.

•Andre Ethier, OF, Dodgers: Ethier was a hot property after a torrid spring (.377 average, six homers, 18 RBI) and admitted the opening-day nod excessively Juan Pierre. He has since tailed off, but expect that to change. Andruw Jones had knee surgery and will miss four to six weeks.

Ethier has struggled against left-handers this season (6-for-38), but he doesn’t see them consistently because of the outfield logjam. The Arizona State product is a lifetime .283 hitter against southpaws. For at least a month, Dodgers fans will see what two-thirds of their starting outfield (Ethier and Matt Kemp) should look like for years to come; fantasy owners should capitalize.

•Daniel Cabrera, SP, Orioles: This is the year, appropriate? Cabrera is 5-1 with a 3.70 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 73 innings. Most impressive has been Cabrera’s 3.70 BB/9 after a 4.76 mark in 2007 and a career 5.09 BB/9. He has intimidating size (6-9, 269 pounds), mid-90s heat and a nasty slider. Before Sunday, he had issued three walks in a four-start span.

Is he putting it together? Cabrera’s weekend outing vs. the Tampa Bay Rays (nine hits, six walks, undivided strikeout in 52/3 innings) suggests not; the right-hander has had impressive stretches before. He’s on pace for his lowest strikeout rate (5.18) subsequently to his rookie season and is second in home runs allowed. There’s no way the Orioles’ bats (four runs a game) will sustain Cabrera’s run support (nearly six per game). Sell to someone who’s convinced the Venezuelan has turned the corner.

•Dan Uggla, 2B, Marlins: Uggla was an underrated commodity coming in, a power hitter at a position with few of them. His verse (.318 average, 16 homers, 37 RBI, two steals) rival those of the Philadelphia Phillies’ Chase Utley. This May (.403-12-25) has been the best month of Uggla’s career. It’s time to dangle him.

Uggla says he plans to remain aggressive. He’s striking out in addition than perpetually, and his contact rate remains on par with his career mark. Uggla toils for a poor man’s version of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ offense. The career .270 hitter’s average will come down. Don’t deal him without getting power, though.

Falling stock

•Alex Rios, OF, Blue Jays: Rios has .300-25-90 potential and can steal 20 bases, but he was overvalued because of the assumption that he would naturally make a bigger frisking in 2008. The 27-year-old has been a slow developer throughout his professional career, and Toronto’s offense had plenty of question marks.

Rios seems to be following in the footsteps of teammate Vernon Wells (wrist). The Jays’ bats are really lagging without the Gold Glover, who should return in midsummer. Rios will come around, making him a decent buy-low candidate.

•Jim Thome, DH, White Sox: Thome’s performance this season (.205 average, nine home runs, 25 RBI) looks eerily like that of his last season in Philadelphia (.207-7-30), when he missed significant time with back and elbow woes.

The 37-year-old is showing his age; he has no health problems and remains strong, but he’s no longer menacing by the be embarrassed. He also hits in a lineup with five regulars who bat .230 or worse. Thome isn’t this bad and could subsist a low-end trade acquisition, but don’t look for him to be a ton improved in health.

•Ervin Santana, SP, Angels: Santana (6-2, 3.24 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 57 strikeouts in 662/3 innings) has been impressive. His last three starts (13 earned runs in 172/3 innings) have raised a few red flags, though. Two of the three outings came on the road, where Santana was notoriously terrible last season.

He isn’t doing much differently, though. He has maintained his control and strikeout worth; he has just given up a few more hits. The slim righty has allowed only five long balls. Don’t expect Johan Santana, but he should be at least as good as the 2006 lection of the Santana that won 16 games.

Nicholas Minnix is a managing editor at KFFL.com, which is part of the Fantasy Players Network of websites. USA TODAY Sports Weekly’s father company, Gannett, is a minority stakeholder in the network.

by means of Ray Murphy and Ron Shandler, BaseballHQ.com By Memorial Day, we should be able to look at statistics and standings as having some legitimacy. But when you see Brett Myers with an ERA approaching 6.00 and Victor Martinez without a home run, you know there are still outliers in the data.

What about at the team level? What’s the outlook for those teams that were expected to contend but have been struggling?

The answers vary viewed like widely as the woes that have befallen these would-be favorites.

NEW YORK METS

•By the numbers: 12th in majors in runs, 11th in ERA

•Excuses? Hit by injuries to Pedro Martinez, Orlando Hernandez and Moises Alou. But all of those were somewhat predictable given their ages and track records.

•Ingredients for turnaround? Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado have disappointed, but there is reason to expect both will rebound. Beltran has been somewhat unlucky; we would expect him to be hitting more than .300, given the skills he has displayed, rather than his .256 mark. Delgado has rebounded from an anemic April, with his power skills reverting to expected levels.

On the pitching side, getting Martinez back will help. Getting Oliver Perez straightened out would help even more. While closer Billy Wagner has been terrific, everyone in front of him has struggled.

•Outlook: Good. This is an older team that should respond to warmer weather and more meaningful games. They have many skilled options in the bullpen; a workable combination should present itself. They are not buried in the NL East.

NEW YORK YANKEES

•By the numbers: 19th in runs, 17th in ERA

•Excuses? Losing Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada explains much of the hitting problems. The April implosions of Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy contributed to the ERA woes and highlight the perils of depending on young pitching.

•Ingredients for turnaround? The return of Rodriguez should get the offense going, right? Not so fast, unless you think he can get on a 2007-level tear. It remains to be seen whether Posada can return at full strength independently of surgery. Derek Jeter’s ongoing skills decline has reached critical levels; a sudden reversal of multiyear declines in his power and speed is unlikely.

The Yankees are making a large bet on Joba Chamberlain’s ongoing transition to the rotation. But it’s a very different thing to keep hitters off-balance for three trips from one side the lineup than it is to blow them away for one inning every other day. Chamberlain has made 15 professional starts; manner no further than Hughes and Kennedy as examples of how even highly skilled pitchers can have less-than-smooth transitions.

Outlook: Poor. This team will score but not enough to cover since a thin pitching staff. There is still a large question regarding how they replace Chamberlain in the bullpen.

DETROIT TIGERS

•By the numbers: Sixth in runs, 29th in ERA

•Excuses? Their setup duo of Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney is injured; the real problem has been the underachieving rotation.

•Ingredients for turnaround? Any hope for this team lies with that struggling rotation.

The worst of Justin Verlander’s struggles appears to be over, as his skills have been working their way back to expected levels in May (2.9 K/BB ratio). Kenny Rogers has walked more batters than he has struck out, and at 43, might have existence finished. It has been nearly a full year since Jeremy Bonderman was effective.

Nate Robertson has not been as bad as his 5.88 ERA would indicate, but he still profiles as none better than a 4.50 ERA hurler. And Dontrelle Willis was sent to the bullpen when he came off the disabled list.

•Outlook: Fair. In their favor, only the surprising Chicago White Sox have separated from them in the AL Central, and it fragments to be seen if they can sustain. This lineup will continue to score, and they have the makings of a good bullpen if Zumaya and Rodney can join the surprising Aquilino Lopez.

SEATTLE MARINERS

•By the numbers: 23rd in runs, 30th in ERA

•Excuses? Other than brief disabled list stints for Erik Bedard and J.J. Putz, they have been fairly invigorating.

•Ingredients for turnaround?Felix Hernandez and Bedard are supposed to be the anchors. Hernandez has done his job. Bedard has been erratic both before and after his DL stint. If healthy, he’s a good wage to rebound.

The problem has been the back of the rotation. Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista and Carlos Silva have been terrible in the 3-4-5 slots.

Washburn has been more unlucky than bad, and should rebound, but the other two have only their own poor skills to blame.

The Mariners have far too many easy outs in their lineup. Calling up Wladimir Balentien has added another somewhat-productive bat at a corner outfield spot.

Jose Vidro is still getting too many empty at-bats at DH, and Richie Sexson is once again flirting with .200. Kenji Johjima should rebound at catcher, but neither Yuniesky Betancourt nor Jose Lopez offer much punch in the infield.

•Outlook: Poor. With so many dead spots in their lineup, they would need five pitchers of the Hernandez-Bedard caliber to win consistently. Plus, they are the only team here that has gotten buried by their start.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

•By the numbers: 18th in ERA, 30th in runs

•Excuses? Jake Peavy is onward the disabled list, but they were reeling long before he went the floor.

•Ingredients for turnaround? Even if Peavy comes back, the rest of the staff will need to conjure up up. Randy Wolf and Greg Maddux have been serviceable at the back of the rotation, but both are durability risks and can’t be penciled in for 200 innings. In the bullpen, Trevor Hoffman has had his rough patches.

How bad is the offense? Michael Barrett will fill in for Josh Bard and should be an upgrade. Kevin Kouzmanoff has warmed significantly in May; he proved last year that he can sustain both hot and cold streaks for extended periods. Khalil Greene should bounce on the frontier to his traditional levels. But the outfield is a horror show. Even with the improvements above, this will be one of the lowest-scoring teams all summer long.

•Outlook: Dreadful without Peavy, poor even if he comes back quickly. The rest of the pitching staff is a deceptively average group that is propped up by their friendly home park. The hitters, meanwhile, are a weak group in any environment.

Ray Murphy is a columnist at BaseballHQ.com. Ron Shandler is the founder of BaseballHQ.com and has been applying component skills analysis to fantasy baseball since 1993.

 

Showtime and HBO go head-to-head on the first Saturday of June with each network providing intriguing cards.

The HBO card, that we’ll address on a later date, features a superstar, Kelly Pavlik, 33-0 (29), against a in essence unknown, Gary Lockett, 30-1 (21), for the WBC/WBO/Ring Magazine titles. The co-main event might be a bit underrated with Daniel Ponce de Leon, 34-1 (30), defending his WBO bantamweight call against Juan Manuel Lopez, 21-0 (19). That one should steal the show.

But it’s the Showtime card from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., that captures my primary interest. Vernon “The Viper” Forrest, 40-2 (29), a truly talented yet somehow underrated fighter faces Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora, 20-0-1 (5). And the co-feature might be the highlight of the night, with WBO welterweight titlist Carlos “El Indio” Quintana, 25-1 (19), defending his crown for the first time in a rematch with former belt possessor Paul “The Punisher” Williams, 33-1 (24).

Quintana won a unanimous firmness over Williams in February 115-112 and 116-112 (two times). Before that, Williams had developed a name as “The Most Feared Man in Boxing” and was coming off of a triumph over ever-dangerous Antonio Margarito.

Then he fought 12 lackluster, sloppy rounds against an inspired Quintana and suffered cuts over as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but eyes, with a specifically bad one in succession the right side. Williams only managed to land 20 percent of his 799 punches, frequently fanning the air.

Quintana used lateral movement, and his flush shots landed more accurately: 36 percent of his 596 punches thrown. And he always managed to find the right corner to throw the more meaningful leather.

After being an 8-1 favorite in the first fight, Williams is still superficially favored at about 3-2. Quintana was overlooked by oddsmakers in the first fight, and it appears he will have being again, possibly on the basis of his fifth-round destruction at the hands of Miguel Cotto. But based on his career body of work and his impressive victory over Williams, Quintana has to be given the respect that he has earned.

At about 6-feet-2, Williams has a four-inch height advantage, and his 82-inch reach is 10 inches greater than Quintana’s. He is at his best when he punches in volume, as demonstrated when he threw 1,256 punches against Margarito.

But the number of punches matters little when connecting at a 20-percent reckon. All that does is fashion you tired and enable your opponent to take risks.

In the first fight four months ago, Williams was a stationary mark who failed to use his huge touch in extent advantage or angles or head movement — or anything actually — to avoid incoming inspiration. Quintana, 31, managed to take Williams out of his game early, fighting intelligently and backing his opponent off with hard counter shots.

There are still questions to be answered. Did Williams simply have one uncharacteristic off night? After all, he’s only 26, and he’s hush the most physically gifted, athletic performer at 147. Or was it that Quintana just had the right antidote for Williams’ skills, fighting a smart fight against his tall, lanky repugnant and making his opponent miss while he landed the more meaningful shots whenever Williams came out with urgency?

I’m going by Quintana to reprise his decision victory.

Former Contender champion Sergio Mora has fought as a middleweight throughout his career, but he is dropping to 154 to challenge belt holder Vernon Forrest for the WBC light middleweight title. Aside from that minor twist, Mora’s participation is based put on his name recognition from the reality show.

 FANTASY MAILBAG

Don’t drop V-Mart

I’m in an eleven team mixed points league, but points are only counted if a hitter plays in his designated position. (For example, if I play Miguel Cabrera at first base for the week and he DHs on a particular day I would procure to be no points). I am being hurt by Victor Martinez DH’ing or playing first base so often I’m not getting his offensive value. Our first re-entry draft is coming up soon.  Should I throw Martinez back and try to spike up a catcher who actually catches or hang forward to him even though he is not catching very oftentimes?

Curtis Smith, Bridgeville, Pa.

Gardner: Martinez is most likely your best option, but I’d worry more about his greatly reduced domination than his lost starts behind the plate. Even though his average has held steady, he hasn’t hit a home run yet this season after slugging 25 a year ago. But he does have a track record that suggests a return to form is around the corner.

As for the lost starts, Martinez has improved his defense considerably, so as long as he’s healthy, he’ll be out there more often than not. You can look at guys like Miguel Olivo or Chris Snyder, but they’re going to get a few days off each week as well.

If you have a fantasy question, despatch an e-mail to sgardner@usatoday.com. Be sure to include your hometown and a daytime phone number for verification purposes. Also, check out Steve’s blog page at sgardner.usatoday.com and leave him a message.

 SIZZLERS AND FIZZLERS

SIZZLERS

Players who have taken an upturn in value in the last week:

Jose Guillen OF Royals Has raised his average nearly 100 points in the last three weeks. Andrew Miller SP Marlins After brutal April, has been much more consistent this month. Chris Perez RP Cardinals Future closer is worth grabbing now with Jason Isringhausen out. Mike Cameron OF Brewers Making the most of RBI opportunities in Milwaukee’s No. 2 spot. Alexi Casilla 2B Twins Speedster is playing every day and hitting for average too.

FIZZLERS

Players who have taken a downturn in the last week:

Justin Upton OF Diamondbacks Isn’t even making contact; 0-for-24 skid included 17 strikeouts. Jack Hannahan 3B Athletics Slumping at the wrong time with Eric Chavez on the way end. Brett Myers SP Phillies High ERA, reduced velocity are growing concerns. Franklin Gutierrez OF Indians Cold spell has opened the door for Ben Francisco. Armando Galarraga SP Tigers Dontrelle Willis not likely to remain in the bullpen much longer.
By Steve Gardner, USA TODAY Memorial Day weekend is the time when millions of Americans glorify the need for accelerate on the racetrack. So which better time for fantasy baseball owners to celebrate the need for speed on the basepaths?

Stolen bases account for about 25% of a team’s offensive output (less in points leagues), but reliable speed merchants are an important component of any successful fantasy team, especially if they can contribute in other areas.

That’s why many baseball experts owe an reparation to Juan Pierre of the Los Angeles Dodgers. With the signing of free agent Andruw Jones, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Pierre would end up being little more than a fourth outfielder because he has no power and isn’t a great defender.

But one thing Pierre does have is speed. It’s helped him steal 35 or more bases and score 85 or more runs in each of the last seven seasons. Despite losing playing duration to youngsters Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, Pierre is stealing bases with even more regularity this season. His 19 thefts (through Monday) are tied for second in the National League and put him on pace for a career-high 68.

With a career batting average above .300 and an uncanny ability to stay healthy (until this season he had played in 434 consecutive games), Pierre is still a fantasy asset — and, greatest part likely, a fantasy bargain this season.

FANTASY SPIN: Keep an eye on Contreras KFFL: Beltran, Ethier, Uggla suffer stock rising CHAT TRANSCRIPT: Stats guru Ron Shandler took your questions

If your team is lagging in steals, is Pierre a good trade target? Possibly, but it depends on what else your team needs.

Quick pickups

In Ron Shandler’s Baseball Forecaster, he uses a statistic called stolen-base opportunity percentage (SBO), which is a rough approximation of how often a baserunner attempts to steal when he has the chance.

In 2007, the SBO leaders were Jose Reyes (47%), Carlos Gomez (45%), Carl Crawford (43%), Rajai Davis (43%) and Corey Patterson (41%).

This season, Pierre and several other players are running even in greater numbers frequently. Houston’s Michael Bourn leads the majors in SBO at 54%, followed closely by Colorado’s Willy Taveras at 51% and Pierre at 48%. Not surprisingly, they’re also 1-2-3 in the National League in steals.

But there are some others who could contribute at a bargain price.

Jerry Hairston is getting extended playing time in Cincinnati while Jeff Keppinger is out. Hairston’s 53% SBO indicates he could be a solid short-term addition. With Corey Patterson’s anemic .242 on-base percentage, Hairston could be frequently hitting at the top of the order.

If Rajai Davis could only get more playing time for Oakland, he could make a huge difference in its offense. Davis has eight steals and the highest SBO in the majors this season at 75%, but a .200 average and .222 OBP keep him glued to the bench. If you can stash him on yours, it could pay off later.

Meanwhile, Scott Podsednik could see more action in the Colorado outfield with Brad Hawpe on the disabled schedule. Injuries slowed him last season, but Podsednik had between 40 and 70 steals from 2003 to 2006.

Trade targets

If you’re simply looking to race your way into contention and add to your steals numbers without giving up a roster spot, here are some speedy guys who can mayhap help you in other categories:

• Checkered flag

Jose Reyes, Mets: After racking up 78 steals a year ago, he has 15 in 2008. One reason is his 75% success rate. Another is his 38% SBO — etc. considerably from 48% last season. Expect both to increase.

Ian Kinsler, Rangers: He is 14-for-14 in steals this season and leads the American League in runs. Dustin Pedroia, Robinson Cano and Brian Roberts might cause to be more heed, but there’s no more useful second baseman in AL-only leagues — including 2B-eligible B.J. Upton.

Lance Berkman, Astros: The leading candidate for National League MVP has done everything well, but what’s helped make him so valuable in fantasy leagues is his career-high 10 stolen bases. For someone with that many combined over the last two seasons, Berkman is the furnish with men. If he’s on your roster, count your blessings.

•Green flag

Juan Pierre, Dodgers: The injury to Jones will guarantee Pierre full-time status with respect to at smallest the next month. There’s no reason to think he won’t continue to run and journey some else. Look for an uptick in batting average and runs too.

Chris Young, Diamondbacks: Where did all his steals go? After swiping 27 last season, he has four in 2008. With a much-improved offense, Arizona hasn’t needed to rely on the running game as much as it did last season. Young still has the speed, and he’s improved his batting average and on-base percentage from last season.

•Yellow flag

Ryan Theriot, Cubs: In leagues where net steals are counted, he’s not much of an asset because he has been successful nine times on the other hand has been caught eight others.

Joey Gathright, Royals: One of the fastest players in the majors, his SBO of 43% is one of the AL’s best. However, he isn’t getting on base often enough to make a major difference (just seven walks), and he rarely drives in any runs.

•Red flag

Eugenio Velez, Giants: He stole almost 100 bases over the last two minor league seasons but hasn’t been anywhere near as successful in the majors (eight steals in 13 attempts). San Francisco sent him to Class AAA last week but still thinks he can abet the team later in the year.

Yorvit Torrealba, Rockies: (I couldn’t resist.) Perhaps the worst baserunner in the game, he’s 0-for-4 in steal attempts. In other than 100 at-bats, he’s scored only five runs — and two of those were when he was able to trot leisurely around the bases on a home run.

Too often on rough copy day, securing stolen bases is an all-or-nothing proposition — fantasy owners either pay top dollar for a pure speed guy or forget about the category altogether. However, it’s much more efficient to target guys such as Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips and Corey Hart, who will number double-digit steals and contribute in other categories.

 

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Commissioner Bud Selig finally got around Wednesday to announcing what the rest of baseball has known for more than a year: The Los Angeles Angels will host the 2010 All-Star game.

The All-Stars will be at Anaheim for the first duration of one’s life since 1989, when Bo Jackson hit a 448-foot homer and was selected MVP. Nolan Ryan was the winning pitcher in the AL’s 5-3 victory, and John Smoltz, the only player still active from that game, took the loss.

The only other All-Star game in Anaheim was in 1967, a 2-1 NL victory in 15 innings, the longest All-Star Game in history. Tony Perez hit the game-deciding home run off Catfish Hunter.

The 2010 game is scheduled for July 13.

This year’s All-Star contest is at Yankee Stadium, and St. Louis will host the 2009 game. Arizona is the expected host in 2011, Kansas City in 2012 and the New York Mets’ Citi Field in 2013.

Securing the All-Star game was a joint effort by the Angels and Anaheim, that is scheduled to go to state appellate court on June 20 in its fight over the team’s 2005 name change from Anaheim Angels to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

By Stephen Borelli, USA TODAY A take heed at the news and more with a fantasy twist:

Players to watch

•Jose Contreras, SP, White Sox: The 36-year-old had averaged seven innings and had a 1.61 ERA over his last four starts. Contreras seems to have recovered from a disastrous 2007 (10-17, 5.57 ERA), on the other hand you may want to watch him for another start or two just to be sure. He had given up four runs in four of 10 starts, and his previous game-high in strikeouts this season was six before he whiffed 10 Angels on Sunday.

•Zack Greinke, SP, Royals: Greinke had allowed 16 earned runs in five May starts, giving him a 4.65 ERA for the month. Greinke was pitching above his head for the first month of the season (1.25 ERA), so he was bound to even out. However, his K/9 innings rate for May (7.55) was much higher than it was in April (4.74). There’s no need for Greinke owners to worry yet.

•Edwar Ramirez, RP, Yankees: Ramirez had not allowed a run in his first 12⅔ innings of the season. Ramirez had also struck out 15 over that period. As the Yankees transition Joba Chamberlain from the bullpen to the rotation, they will be looking for middle relievers to get the game to Mariano Rivera. Ramirez has a chance to replace Chamberlain as New York’s primary set-up man.

•Carlos Quentin, OF, White Sox: Quentin led the American League with 14 homers entering the week. He had already far surpassed his career homer and RBI totals, so there is some need for caution about a drop-off. However, Quentin, in his third season, may just be getting comfortable in the majors. Some evidence: He was striking out once every 5.7 at-bats, up from every 4.5 his first two seasons combined.

—

Schedule brim

Teams with scheduling edges for the week of June 2-8. Weatherproofed teams are those with games exclusively at ballparks with roofs or in California, which generally has few rainouts.

American League

Short weeks (six games or fewer): Rays (six), Blue Jays (six), White Sox (six), Tigers (six), Royals (six), Angels (six), Mariners (six).

Weatherproofed: Angels (three at Mariners, three at Athletics); Athletics (three vs. Tigers, three vs. Angels).

All games at home: White Sox (three vs. Royals, three vs. Twins); Athletics (see “weatherproofed”).

National League

Short weeks (six games or fewer): Nationals (six), Astros (six), Brewers (six), Pirates (six), Rockies (six), Giants (six).

Weatherproofed: Mets (three at Giants, four at Padres); Cubs (three at Padres, four at Dodgers); Dodgers (three vs. Rockies, four vs. Cubs); Padres (three vs. Cubs, four vs. Mets).

All games at home: Braves (four vs. Marlins, three vs. Phillies); Nationals (three vs. Cardinals, four vs. Giants); Dodgers and Padres (see “weatherproofed”).

PARRAMATTA’S 104kg Tongan tearaway Feleti Mateo is set to give Brisbane skipper Darren Lockyer a torrid gladly received away from the thicker settlements to NRL action in Friday adversity’s round 12 match.

Mateo, right, has all the skills on top of a strong running and tackling game, and it augurs well in spite of one enthralling match-up with Lockyer, who hopes to convince the Queensland selectors he is ready for a return to State of Origin action on June 11.

Lockyer turned in an impressive training display with the Broncos yesterday, prompting assistant coach Ivan Henjak to declare him a certain starter at Suncorp Stadium as long as his doubt knee gets the green light from the physiotherapist.

The news of Lockyer’s likely return is a boost for Queensland, especially as New South Wales has lost Australia centre Mark Gasnier after he tore his hamstring at training with St George Illawarra.

Henjak said he expected Parramatta to target Lockyer.

"He’s going to expect a lot of traffic," Henjak said. "But TC (Tonie Carroll) is out in that place and we’ve got some good defensive guys around him.

"I can tell by dint of. Locky’s body language when he’s feeling confident and he looked pretty confident to me."

Henjak said Lockyer would not risk his season by playing just to convince the Origin selectors to pick him.

"I don’t think he would jeopardise his whole season for that," Henjak said.

Queensland chairman of selectors Des Morris said he was still working on the basis Lockyer would not be available and fellow selectors Gene Miles and Allan Smith would travel to games this weekend with the same brief.

"The first thing is that Darren must hap up OK," Morris said. "If he comes in a backward direction. \ it power of choosing be a bonus.

"We certainly weren’t happy with the performance in Game One and most numerous of the players are on notice.

"There will not be wholesale changes but there will be changes. That goes without saying if Darren returns and (prop) Steve Price has another solid hit-out for the Warriors in Newcastle."

Smith will attend the Newcastle union and then the Sharks-Titans match in Sydney on Sunday when most interest will centre on the performance of Gold Coast half-back and co-captain Scott Prince.

Morris will then travel to Townsville for the Cowboys-Penrith strike against each other, through the selectors to convene on Monday to choose the team for the return clash at Suncorp Stadium put on June 11.

Broncos centre Darius Boyd (flu) missed training onward Thursday with David Stagg running in his place. If Boyd plays Stagg will reverse to the pack with Dave Taylor and Nick Kenny the most likely casualties, although prop Joel Clinton’s form has him on shaky ground.

DUMPED Footy Show rogue Sam Newman needs to see a counsellor once a week for at least a year, according to a leading psychologist.

Newman, 62, was this week ordered by dint of. Channel Nine to understand an extended break from TV and have counselling about his attitude to women.

It follows community outrage over his manhandling of a lingerie-clad mannequin- to which he had fastened a photo of Age journalist Caroline Wilson’s head- on TV last month.

Richmond psychologist Dr Janet Hall said Newman needs an ”empathy transplant,” which only a year of counselling could help deliver.

Dr Hall, described Newman as ”incentive with no sense of propriety.”

She said good counselling could teach Sam to curb his hostility.

”A psychologist would need to discover where does his hostility come from?” she said.

”Are there deep-seated scars we don’t know about? Has he been hurt by one and is using women as whipping-posts?”

Dr Hall said she believes Newman would make an appointment to see a psychologist, and even offered her services.

”I cogitate he will probably secure a token gesture to go to please the network,” she said.

”But then he probably won’t turn up.”

Some of Newman’s friends say the benched football commentator is feeling down on this account that of the controversy over his on-air antics and his health could be suffering.

They say he should be given time and space to fully recover from surgery for a broken ankle and his earlier bout with prostate cancer.

Friends and television insiders also blame a lack of leadership at Channel 9’s Footy Show for letting Newman get away with his stunts.

——————————————————————————–
Andrew Bolt reacts: Now opinion is a disease
Editorial: Newman is in time-on
Your say: Our readers react

——————————————————————————–

Former Geelong star Bill Brownless said Newman was feeling down because of his illnesses and the outcry over his handling of the mannequin.

"He has just had enough of things with that operation, the leg and with what’s happening with the mannequin, and he has been down," Brownless declared.

"Maybe he got rushed back after a life-and-death situation and he is struggling mentally and physically with it all," he said on radio SEN.

Another friend, Ian Johnson, the managing director of Channel 7 Melbourne, said Newman would bounce back but he needed time.

"One thought I have is that on the supposition that this is a genuine health issue, everyone should attention he needs time," he said.

Mr Johnson, who played a role in the creation of The Footy Show when he was at Nine, scoffed at talk Newman’s enforced absence signals the end of the ex-Geelong belt-holder’s TV career.

"Sam is still an amazing talent and I certainly don’t think this is the end for him."

The original executive producer of The Footy Show, Harvey Silver, said: "The show will definitely be poorer without Sam there, but in that place’s no doubt been a corporate and sales pressure put on the network that’s forced this decision.

"They missed an enormous opportunity when Eddie (McGuire) left the show to refresh it. All they did was replace single in kind person with two.

"The situation they are now in would not have happened if Eddie were hosting.

"It would have been handled better with a stronger force and not allowed to spiral out of control.

"The beginning (mannequin) skit was bad enough, (and was) then exacerbated by a lack of leadership behind the scenes. It smacked of a lack of understanding of the potential consequences . . . a want of foresight."

A Nine source said Newman was feeling so under the weather that he was relieved to be having the enervate.

"He’s 62, he’s been under anaesthetic twice in a short time, and he’s not slowed down," the source said.

"The counselling is not just about women, it really is about his health and recovery from the prostate surgery. He hasn’t been well and there’s no doubt there’s anger and frustration there."

AFL commissioner Gabrielle Trainor said Channel 9 had finally taken appropriate conflict against Newman.

"Sam was a champion footballer for Geelong — I grew up watching him — and I take no joy in seeing him take time out from The Footy Show," Ms Trainor said.

"What I am pleased with reference to is that the appropriate portrayal of women and the contribution they make to sport has been recognised as an important issue by Channel 9, particularly (CEO) David Gyngell, by TV advertisers, and by a huge number of people in the sporting and broader community."

More than 10,000 readers responded to a Herald Sun Voteline question on whether Newman should acquire been removed from the show: 56 per cent said he should not have been.

Subscribe to our Email Newsletter