Spring Training: White Sox, Wade, Demotions

The Dodgers fell to the Chicago White Sox 5-1.  James Loney hit his first home run of the spring.  Russ Ortiz gave up two runs over four innings on six hits and two walks.  Carlos Monasterios had three shutout innings, allowing only one walk while striking out two.  Justin Miller had a perfect inning.  Ramon Troncoso surrendered three runs in only one inning.

Corey Wade underwent exploratory shoulder surgery that will sideline him for three months.  Wade had a terrific rookie season in 2008, but he struggled last year with injuries and inconsistency, both of which landed him in Triple-A for the majority of the season.

Juan Perez, Prentice Redman, and Russell Mitchell were all sent to minor league camp.

Chad Billingsley will start Thursday against the Cubs.  Jeff Weaver and Charlie Haeger will follow.

Breaking News: Seantrel Henderson to Sign With The Trojans

It is now being reported that Seantrel Henderson will indeed sign with the Trojans after initially saying he would wait until the NCAA rules on possible violations of the USC football program.

According to ESPN, Henderson’s father has said that his son will sign without waiting for the ruling.

Seantrel Henderson, who is a top ten prep prospect for most, if not all, prep recruiting services, is also the highest rated offensive lineman in the nation.

On Feb. 3, the day when prep players could sign their letters of intent, Henderson gave a verbal commitment to the Trojans but said he wanted to be sure that USC’s football program wouldn’t suffer too much at the hands of the NCAA infractions committee.

Apparently, he is now satisfied that the Trojans will survive the ruling.

Does Seantrel Henderson know something we don’t?

Only time will tell but suffice to say, the Trojans are very happy to have Henderson in the fold regardless of what the future brings.

Spring Training: D-Backs, Taiwan Finale, Kuo

The Dodgers fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-3.  Chad Billingsley had three scoreless innings of work, giving up three hits and a walk while striking out four.  Scott Elbert did not fare as well, surrendering three runs on two hits and four walks in less than two innings.  Justin Miller gave up a home run, and Eric Gagne allowed three runs to score and was pulled after recording only two outs.  Blake DeWitt had a three-run homer that accounted for the Dodgers’ offense.

The Dodgers’ middle game in Taiwan was canceled due to rain.  In the finale, Los Angeles won 11-1 against the CPBL.  Manny Ramirez went 3-for-3 with an RBI, double, and three runs scored.  Trayvon Robinson homered, reached base three times, scored three times, and drove in three runs.  James Loney had three hits, including a triple, and Xavier Paul had two RBI’s.  Josh Towers gave up a run in three innings, and Josh Lindblom allowed only two baserunners in three frames while striking out three.  Jon Link had a scoreless inning.

Hong-Chih Kuo was scratched from starting the finale in Taiwan after he complained of elbow soreness.  Joe Torre has said the injury is not serious, and it will not last too long.  An injury to Kuo would have serious consequences for the bullpen, which is already missing Ronald Belisario, who is stuck in Venezuela due to visa problems.

Laying the Foundation: USC Football Recruiting 2011 (Part 5)

When I first started this “Laying the Foundation” series outlining the recruiting efforts of head coach Lane Kiffin, recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron and company on behalf of the USC Trojans, I anticipated only profiling the five- and four-star (as rated by Scout.com) prep recruits.

Then it occurred to me that perhaps the Trojans would offer three-star recruits as well, and if so, who am I not to profile those erstwhile athletes?

After all, if they are good enough for the Trojans to offer a quarter of a million dollars worth of scholarships, then they are certainly good enough to warrant my meager efforts to profile them.

To that end, this article will profile those three-star recruits that the Trojans have offered, all the while acknowledging that these prep athletes probably will achieve a four-star and perhaps even a five-star rating when all is said and done.

But before we move on to these athletes who are the focus of this piece, there is breaking news coming out of Oaks Christian High School and a 2012 wide receiver who will wind up as one of the most coveted players in the country two years from now.

Jordan Payton, a 6′2″, 190-pound speedster who caught 45 passes for 1,018 yards and 18 touchdowns as a sophomore, committed to USC today to play for the Trojans in 2012.

Payton, who hails from the same school that produced Jimmy Clausen and many other big time college players, holds the all time record in most receiving categories for Oaks Christian for a sophomore.

Oaks Christian is a perennial power here in the Southland, and when I tell you that Jordan Payton is a HUGE get for USC, please believe me. This kid is for real.

Okay, Trojan fans, while you bask in the glory of a Jordan Payton verbal, let’s get busy with those three-star athletes:

A.J. Johnson

This 6′3″, 227-pound middle linebacker from Gainesville, Ga., is coveted by most of the major programs, including defending national champion Alabama. Though Johnson doesn’t possess eye-popping speed (4.7 in the 40), he is a ball hawk who is relentless in pursuit.

A.J. Johnson lists his interest in the Trojans, like all of his other offers, as “medium.”

Devon Blackmon

Yet another wide receiver who definitely passes the “eyeball test.” Blackmon, who goes 6′1″, 180 pounds, brings blazing speed (4.41 in the 40) to the table along with his soft hands.

Devon Blackmon, who calls Fontana, Calif., his home, holds many offers already, including those from Alabama and Florida. However, only USC and UCLA are listed as “high” on his list of potential suitors.

Darryl Collins

In my last article, I posed the question, “Is it me or is there an abundance of quality wide receivers?” Now I am sure. There is indeed an abundance of quality wide receivers and you can count Darryl Collins among them.

Collins, who stands 6′0″ and weighs 180 pounds, saw only limited action in 2008 but has impressed in various camps since then.

Darryl Collins, who is nicknamed “Pookie,” now holds several offers in addition to that of the Trojans, including one from Alabama. Collins lists the Trojans, as he does all others, as “medium” on his list.

Bradley Sylve

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Bradley Sylve, a 5′10″, 175-pound rocket (4.4 in the 40) is yet another…you guessed it…wide receiver. Sylve, who reminds some of Percy Harvin, will be rated much higher before his senior season is over.

Fast with soft hands, Sylve holds offers, in addition to the one from USC, from major programs such as Alabama.

He lists them all as of medium interest.

As might be expected, this is a short list of three-star athletes that the Trojans have offered.

However, as the season progresses, I expect many of these three stars, and others who are rated the same, to progress to four- and even five-star status.

When they do, I will make every effort to bring you all the news that is associated with their progress.

In the meantime, the Trojans will have to be pleased with today’s news and the comforting thought that Jordan Payton will don the cardinal and gold for the 2012 season.

UCLA Basketball 2009-2010 Review: Bruins Season Mercifully Ends (or it will after this weekend)

I know, I know, technically their season is not over just yet, as they face Arizona in the Pac-10 Tournament at Staples Center today, but…

After all the futility that the UCLA Bruins have gone through in basketball this season, the most positive thing that I can say about this hoops squad can be summed up in three words:

It is over.

Bruin fans will no longer have to suffer through games such as the 20-point blowouts at the hands of Portland (of all people!), Washington, and USC.

They will no longer have to sit through humiliating losses such as Mississippi State and two local mid-major teams that are supposed to be glorified scrimmages and guaranteed wins every year: Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State.

And they will no longer have to endure such madness as players air balling free throws and put backs, opponents creating highlight reel-level dunks, and putting up enough bricks on jump shots to solve L.A.’s homeless problem; that has all happened with Ben Howland’s Bad News Bruins this year.

Not to mention a key post guy who was actually playing well, Drew Gordon, quitting the team and transferring to New Mexico amid much acrimony; would you believe he ended up fourth on the team in minutes and points (11.2) per game?

And he only played six games!

Quite a sad comment on the Bruins’ fortunes.

Having assured themselves of only their third losing season in 55 years, it would be easy to point fingers, assign blame, and single out scapegoats. It would be easy to make excuses, such as the fact that UCLA was rocked by the early departures of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, and especially Jrue Holiday.

However, even though Jerime Anderson and Malcolm Lee were failures at point guard, and Nikola Dragovic was absolutely pathetic at times, shooting just 38 percent for the year (I’m SO glad that senior’s gone!), I won’t put the blame of the Bruins’ Charlie Brown-like woes solely on them.

Or anyone else for that matter.

I must be honest: I felt that for all intents and purposes, the season ended on January 16th at Pauley Pavilion, when crosstown enemy USC scored their biggest win in their history over UCLA in  that building, 67-46, in a game where the Bruins seemingly didn’t even try and let the Trojans run all over them and push them around on their home floor.

From that point on, I knew that the players just didn’t have it; I began to look toward next year then.

Shockingly enough, there were some Bruin bright spots on the hardwood.

reeves Nelson and Tyler Honeycutt played well and were effective on the boards, especially Nelson, who was a beast. They will undoubtedly be impact players next season, particularly if Nelson’s corneas hold up; he needs to wear goggles from now on.

And though you can’t mistake him for Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, and he certainly wasn’t the type of go-to guy that can win games for you, Michael Roll had a very good senior campaign at forward, leading the Bruins in field goals, assists (if you can believe that), and three-point percentage (46 percent), and was UCLA’s top scorer at 13.5 points a game.

On top of all of that, he was named to the All-Pac 10 Conference’s first team for his efforts; to that I say “Well done.”

I’m sure that many folks are wondering about the Bruins’ prospects for 2010-2011.

They have to be better, because they can’t get much worse.

One could say that some of UCLA’s best players are not in Westwood yet; Lazeric Jones, a well-regarded junior college transfer from Chicago, will take over at the point. Tyler Lamb, a guard from Santa Ana Mater Dei High School, and Josh Smith, a 6′9″ giant weighing over 300 ponds, will get an excellent chance to earn playing time.

If I were them, I would be most excited about stepping into a situation like UCLA’s where I can contribute right away and help turn things around quickly; that’s the position these new players will be in.

Will those newcomers, along with Nelson, Honeycutt, Anderson, and Lee, be able to lead the Bruins back to respectability?

Though I am confident that they will win more than the 14 games they won this year, it remains to be seen whether or not this disaster of a season is a mere one-year bump in the road, or the starting point to long rebuilding process.

I certainly hope that it will be more one than the other.

Laying the Foundation: USC Football Recruiting, 2011 (Part Four)

As is to be expected, while I was away doing other things, Lane Kiffin, Ed Orgeron and company were busy extending offers to prep athletes who could don the cardinal and gold for the 2011 season.

Following the criteria established in the first three articles of this series, I will play “catch up” and highlight those four-star athletes, as rated by Scout.com, that the Trojans have offered.

Included in these profiles will be any four-star athletes who the Trojans haven’t yet offered but who have listed a “high” interest in playing for USC.

Also, Trojan fans can now cross off a “five star” linebacker off the list of prospective athletes that the Trojans have offered.

Lawrence Thomas, the big middle linebacker from Detroit, has given his verbal pledge to his hometown Michigan State Spartans.

Although not unexpected, Thomas nonetheless sure would have looked good as a Trojan. Still, his signing with USC was a longshot at best.

Okay, before USC offers anyone else, lets take a look at the balance of four-star athletes offered by the Trojans as rated by Scout.com:

Travis Hughes

USC needs linebackers, and Travis Hughes is one of the best in the country. A 6′1″, 220 lb. (4.55 40) heat seeking missile from Virginia Beach, VA, Hughes had a productive junior season and will be looked upon from his high school program to be even better as a senior.

Hughes has slotted the Trojans, as he does with all the programs that have offered him, as “medium” on his interest list.

Mike Bellamy

The only thing keeping this 5′10″, 175 lb. running back from being a five star is his size. Possessing everything else in a prototype running back, including elusiveness and breakaway speed, Bellamy’s lack of power should be remedied as he finds his way into the weight room with regularity.

Having said that, look for Bellamy to choose between Florida and Georgia.

Matt Hegarty

Another area of need for the Trojans’ is the offensive line, and Matt Hegarty is one of the best prep o-linemen in the country. Possessing good size (260 lbs.) and a frame to add much more (6′6″), Hegarty has intriguing potential.

Hegarty has more than a dozen offers already and will secure many more before his senior season is complete. USC, like all others, is listed as “medium” on his interest list.

Kevin McReynolds

USC is reaching into the junior college’s for this undersized but extremely athletic defensive tackle. McReynold’s, who runs a sub 4.8 40, will need to add weight to his 6′3″, 255 lb. frame. He should be able to do so at a major college program.

Including USC, McReynold’s holds more than a dozen offers, all of which he lists as “medium” in terms of his interest.

Jeoffrey Pagan

Another athletic defensive end, Jeoffrey Pagan is coveted by most of the major programs in the country. Among his strengths are his ability to quickly come off the edge to wreak havoc in his opponents backfield. Pagan, who hails from Asheville, NC, only needs to work on his technique to become a dominant player at the next level.

Jordan Prestwood

Another light (260 lb.) offensive lineman with the frame (6′6″) to add much more weight, Jordan Prestwood, who resides in Plant City, FL, has offers from most of the major programs in the country. He lists USC, like all others, as “medium.”

Ian Seau

Yes Trojan fans, there is another “Seau” on the horizon for USC. Although the Trojans have yet to offer the nephew of former Trojan great Junior Seau, expect that to change soon.

Ian Seau, who will play defensive end in college, has very good speed and athleticism and only needs to add weight to his 6′4″ frame, which should be easy to do at the next level. Seau lists the Trojans, as should be expected, as “high” on his list of prospective programs to sign with.

Tevin Williams

Trinity High School in Euliss, TX has produced a lot of fine running backs in the past, and Tevin Williams is the next in line. Although he doesn’t hold a lot offers right now, he is starting to get a lot of interest from many programs, including the Trojans. Williams, who is 5′11″, 175 lbs., needs to improve his size and break away speed. But with another year under his belt, he should be able to do both.

This represents the balance of the four-star prep athletes that the Trojans have offered.

However, with this being so early in the recruiting season, there will be many changes in the future, and I will do my best to stay on top of them.

Not only will the Trojans add more athletes to their list of who they have offered. but also the three-star athletes who graduate to four star will also represent the fluid status of USC’s recruiting efforts.

So stay tuned and see what the 2010 prep football season has to offer in terms of those athletes that the Trojans would like to see don the cardinal and gold for the 2011 football season.

Spring Training: Giants Beat Dodgers

The Giants topped the Dodgers 3-2 in 10 innings, with Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw both giving up one run in two innings on three hits.  Matt Kemp hit the first spring home run for LA, and Blake DeWitt went 2-for-2 with a double and two walks.  Josh Towers and Carlos Monasterios, long-shots for the fifth rotation slot, both threw two scoreless innings.

Casey Blake had to leave the game in the bottom of the second after straining his rib cage.  The injury is believed to be minor.  Corey Wade was shut down after he developed tenderness in his shoulder.  He will be out of commission for two weeks.

The Dodgers will take on the Colorado Rockies tomorrow, with Hiroki Kuroda making his spring debut.  Also appearing for the first time will be the bullpen committee: Hong-Chih Kuo, George Sherrill, and Jonathan Broxton.

Spring Training: Dodgers Fall, Martin Gets MRI

The Dodgers fell to the Chicago White Sox 8-4, their first loss of the spring.  Eric Stults threw two scoreless innings, allowing only one baserunner on a walk.  Russ Ortiz allowed only one hit in two innings of work.  Jeff Weaver, Eric Gagne, and James McDonald each struggled, combining for all eight runs and twelve of Chicago’s 14 hits in just four innings.  Matt Kemp had an RBI-double and scored a run, Manny Ramirez had a single, double, RBI, and run scored, and Blake DeWitt reached base twice.  Tomorrow the Dodgers will face the Cubs in Mesa, with Clayton Kershaw and Carlos Monasterios expected to pitch.  Due to possible rain, none of the seven projected Opening Day starters will make the trip.

Russell Martin injured his hip or groin, and was forced to miss the morning workout and the game in order to undergo an MRI.  Brad Ausmus started in his place.

USC Football: The Twists and Turns of the Special Teams in 2010

As the end of the 2009 recruiting season drew near, the USC Trojans thought they had the nation’s premier prep punter/field goal kicker all but signed and delivered.

Matt Darr, Scout.com’s No. 1 high school kicker, from Frontier High School in Bakersfield, CA, had given Pete Carroll his verbal commitment early on and eagerly awaited the signing day, expecting fully to become a Trojan.

Then Pete Carroll left the Trojans for the Seattle Seahawks, and everything changed.

Just before the signing date, rumors swirled that Darr was no longer considering the Trojans because when Carroll left, so did the Trojans special teams coach, Brian Schneider.

The rumors were true.

On the day when high school players could sign with their new colleges, Darr penned his name on the bottom line with Fresno State.

USC was left with who they had, which wasn’t bad because Jordan Congdon did a pretty good job in 2009.

Now let’s fast forward to Mar. 3, 2010.

RIP.com, the official USC web site, reports that Lane Kiffin has hired John Baxter, the longtime Fresno State special teams coach away from the Fresno State Bulldogs.

Yep, the very same Fresno State that Matt Darr had jilted the Trojans for when he left because USC’s special teams coach departed when Pete Carroll did.

Ironic, eh?

Wait, the road still turns.

Today, it was reported that USC’s kicker, Jordan Congdon, a devoutly religious young man, will leave USC to attend Princeton’s Theological Seminary.

Now, USC is looking for a new kicker and Fresno State is looking for a new special teams coach.

Funny how things work out…

Funny, that is, until a missed kick costs either program a game they should have won.

How this turns out is still a story ending that remains to be written.

Spring Training Update: Manny to Taiwan, B Game News, Koufax in Camp

Manny Ramirez will travel with Joe Torre, James Loney, Hong-Chih Kuo and others to Taiwan to play an exhibition series against the Chinese All Star team.  Manny was vague about his interest in making the trek, but confirmed he will join the group traveling across the Pacific.  Don Mattingly will stay behind to manage the rest of the team in Arizona.

The Dodgers played a “B-game” against the White Sox, winning 4-2.  Eric Stults threw a scoreless inning, striking out two.  Charlie Haeger didn’t have such luck, giving up a home run to the first batter he faced.  Carlos Monasterios, a long-shot candidate for the fifth starter slot, threw a perfect frame.

Sandy Koufax is in Glendale, acting as a coach for the pitching staff.  Koufax appeared at the Nokia Theater on Saturday with Torre to benefit the skipper’s Safe at Home Foundation.