TheState.com: Sports

For the love of the game

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:51 EDT

NEWBERRY — Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame first baseman Willie Stargell once said, “When they start the game, they don’t yell, ‘Work ball.’ They say, ‘Play ball.’”

When 40-year-old Chuck Edwards pulls on his Newberry Pirates jersey to catch nine innings on a 96-degree summer day, he doesn’t consider it work either.

“I just love playing the game,” Edwards said.

And while these Pirates — playing their games in the predominantly African-American Community All-Star Baseball League on a roadside field off U.S. 176 a few miles outside of Newberry — are as far as you can get from the major leagues, that does not matter to men such as Edwards.

Despite playing against men 20 years younger, Edwards does not let a sweltering day stop him from putting on the catcher’s gear for more than three hours.

Kawakami adjusting to life in Atlanta

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:51 EDT

ATLANTA — Five months into his new life in Major League Baseball, Kenshin Kawakami could be a pretty lonely guy by now.

Since February, he has been away from family and friends back in Japan. He has no one here that he is particularly close to and who speaks his language, unless you count Daichi Takasue, his 22-year-old interpreter and, by default, his closest companion.

But that is not how Kawakami sees it.

And he does not need Takasue to answer this question for him: Are you happy?

“Yes,” Kawakami said.

Nationals rally for 5-3 win over Braves

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:51 EDT

WASHINGTON — A mammoth milestone home run by Adam Dunn was upstaged by his simple single that helped Washington rally to beat Atlanta.

Atlanta’s Tommy Hanson extended his scoreless innings streak to 26 before Dunn’s 300th career homer and the Washington Nationals rallied for four eighth-inning runs and a 5-3 victory over the Braves on Saturday.

“That 300th home run would have been hard to talk about. It would have been a useless home run if we hadn’t won the game,” said Dunn, whose RBI single off Eric O’Flaherty snapped a 3-all tie.

Hanson departed with a 3-1 lead after seven innings and was in line for his fifth straight victory before the Braves bullpen blew up, halting Atlanta’s winning streak at a season-high five.

“It was remarkable,” said Nationals manager Manny Acta.

Swiss rider steals spotlight

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:51 EDT

MONACO — After four years away from the Tour de France, a race that made him a cycling legend, Lance Armstrong looked around Saturday and did not recognize the place.

“It's almost like a foreign environment,” said Armstrong, who raced his first Tour miles since 2005 here, in the first stage of this year's Tour.

Armstrong, 37, won the Tour seven times before retiring in 2005, but said he felt slightly off Sunday during the opening 9.6-mile individual time trial that snaked through the roads of this principality.

He said that his position on the bike felt uncomfortable and his skin suit felt uncomfortable. He finished 10th, with a time of 20 minutes 12 seconds, 40 seconds behind the Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara, who finished in 19:32 to crush the field by 18 seconds.

Armstrong's teammate and team leader, Alberto Contador, finished second, keeping him in the Astana team leader's jersey for another day.

Federer on the verge of breaking Sampras’ Slam mark

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:51 EDT

WIMBLEDON, England — A year ago, plenty of people were feeling sorry for Roger Federer.

They were sending him letters with good wishes or — believe it or not — tennis tips. They were offering advice about how to deal with a perceived drop in performance and ideas for how to beat Rafael Nadal.

“If you achieved a lot, like I did, for so many years, and then you don’t win some tournaments, people say, ‘Oh, you’re already on the decline,’ very quickly,” Federer said Saturday. “I hope it just opens some eyes, these last few months.”

Yes, indeed. Look at Federer now.

When he steps onto Centre Court to face No. 6-seeded Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon final today, Federer will be trying to collect his 15th Grand Slam singles championship, breaking a tie with Pete Sampras for the most in history.

One-and-done controversy still lingers

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:26 EDT

Damien Leonard might be the best basketball prospect from South Carolina in some time, which means the rising junior from J.L. Mann High would have a big decision to make in two years.

Would he be the next in a line of “one-and-done” players, spending one year in college before leaving for the NBA? Or would he stay longer?

Leonard, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard ranked No. 15 in the Class of 2011 by Rivals.com, said he wants to play multiple seasons in college.

But among his peers, he sees a different outlook.

“They just want to take the easy way, spend one year and just go,” Leonard said. “Whatever the rule is, they go.”

Serena takes back title

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:51 EDT

WIMBLEDON, England — The Wimbledon women’s final had ended on Saturday, and Tony Adamson, the announcer at the All England Club, intoned: “Ladies and Gentlemen. The runner-up. Venus Williams!”

Even for those who had watched the match closely, those words still had an odd ring to them. Wimbledon has long been the Williams sisters’ territory, but it was Venus, not Serena, who had the biggest stake in the place.

Instead, it was her younger sister Serena’s turn to keep the inscribers busy. Serena broke open this often edgy final midway through the second set and then secured her third Wimbledon singles title by breaking Venus’ serve in a tight final game to win, 7-6 (3), 6-2.

“There’s no easy to losing, especially when you’re so close to the crown,” Venus said.

Afterward, Serena was handed the Venus Rosewater Dish, the elegant gold-plated trophy that has long looked (and sounded) just right in Venus’ hands.

Outdoor calendar

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:51 EDT

Trout Unlimited. 6:30 p.m. second Monday of every month, Green Quad learning center on USC campus. Visit www.saludatu.org or call (803) 781-9568 or (803) 606-7871.

Midlands Bassmasters. Last Thursday of each month. Call Jim Cushman at (803) 532-1965 or Bill Lee at (803) 957-4887.

Lexington County Bass Club. Call Joe Abdalla at (803) 356-0152, David Lindsay at (803) 951-2192 or John Sturkie at (803) 568-2969.

Fundraiser set. The Midlands Branch of the Quality Deer Management Association banquet and auction will be July 30 at 5:30 p.m. at Jamil Temple. For more information and tickets, call Alan Brock at (803) 808-3633, William Berry at (803) 345-1930 or Larry Bachman at (803) 791-5397.

Submissions should be sent by 5 p.m. Friday by e-mailing statesports@thestate.com or faxing (803) 771-8613. Please include area codes for all phone numbers.

Renewed Roddick savors return to championship match

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:51 EDT

WIMBLEDON, England — On his knees on the grass and covering his face with his hands after one of the most significant victories of his career, Andy Roddick was soon on his knees again after leaving Centre Court.

Walking up the stairs inside the clubhouse at the All England Club, he felt the need to stop for a moment.

“It was just kind of me taking a second to kind of try to make myself believe that I was actually going to the locker room having done that,” Roddick said.

Surprising Andy Murray and Murray's nation in the semifinals at Wimbledon was that powerful a breakthrough for Roddick, who will try to keep Roger Federer from winning a record 15th Grand Slam singles title in today’s championship match.

Roddick reached the Wimbledon final in 2004 and 2005, losing on both occasions to Federer. Now, at 26, he has a rematch and a chance to play in his first Grand Slam final since the 2006 U.S. Open final. He lost there to Federer, as well.

Winthrop to open in Preseason WNIT

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:11 EDT

Winthrop’s women’s basketball team will open the season in the Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament. The Lady Eagles will travel to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech on Nov. 13. Winthrop fell to the Yellow Jackets last season, 65-27, at the Bahamas Sunsplash Shootout.

— The Associated Press