Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 187, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 25, 2009 Page: 7 of 10
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Sweetwater Reporter
AP Photc.Tetf Kirk
Jared Mitchell's three-run home run got things started for I.SIJ in its 11-4 win over
Texas in Lame 3 of the College World Series finals.
Green counts blessings after accident
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Pew athletes can
appreciate or embrace the role as starting
pitcher for the College World Series cham-
pionship game like Cole Green of Texas.
That’s what happens once you have stared
death in the face.
Green, the Longhorns’ sophomore right-
hander, was nearly killed in an accident
six years ago when he was 14.
"1 think it happened at almost too young
of an age for me,” the Coppell, Texas,
native said. “But at the same time, 1 use it
for inspiration every day."
Green was helping father Mitch and
grandfather Max pick up petroleum pipes
the summer of 2003 when he fell off the
bumper of a slow-moving pickup, which
had a trailer attached. The trailer rolled on
Green’s leg and then up to his shoulder.
“It was mj fault," Green said. “1 shouldn't
have been sitting there. Everybody thinks
they’re invincible at that age.”
Green’s grandfather saw what was hap-
pening and yelled for Mitch Green to stop
and reverse the pickup. The teenager was
driven to a hospital 40 miles away before
being airlifted to a Fort Worth hospital.
I le suffered a punctured lung, a lacerat-
ed liver, ruptured vertebrae and fractured
ribs. That put an end to his hopes of play-
ing football, but eventually it made him a
better baseball player.
“It made me see the world a little bit
differently,” Green said. “I knew for a fact
I was going to live once I got to the hospi-
tal. But up until that point 1 was definitely
kind of worried about it.”
Green made his third start in
Wednesday’s championship game. He
lasted two innings in the 11-4 loss to LSU.
Green wouldn’t have had the chance to
pitch in the CWS finale had the Longhorns
not rebounded from Monday’s 7-6 loss in
II innings to beat the Tigers 5-1 Tuesday.
“Coach (Augie Garrido) just told us a
great example was Fresno State last year,
how they lost the first game and came back
and won the second two,” Green said.
Rockets say Yao’s foot injury hasn’t healed
Thursday, June 25, 2009 ■ Page 7
LSU beats Texas to
claim 6th CWS title
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — It’s almost too
much for Jared Mitchell to wrap his mind
around.
Already a national champion in foot-
ball and a first-round draft pick in base-
ball, Mitchell ended his college career
Wednesday night with an NCAA title in
baseball and the College World Series Most
Outstanding Player Award.
Quite a way to go out.
“If there’s a better way, write the story for
me,” Mitchell said after LSU defeated Texas
11-4 in the winner-take-all Game 3 of the
CWS finals.
Mitchell hit a three-run homer in the first
inning to get the Tigers started. He batted
.348 with two home runs, three doubles
and seven RBIs in six games in Omaha.
The Tigers’ big first inning came after
Texas freshman Taylor Jungmann had lim-
ited them to five hits in a 5-1 loss in Game
2 on Tuesday.
“We were talking about getting an early
lead,” LSU first baseman Sean Ochinko
said. “Jared’s home run got the wheels spin-
ning. That’s what we needed at that point.”
Mitchell, a receiver on the LSU team that
won the BUS championship after the 2007
season, said he hoped to ignite the Tigers
after their sluggish offensive performance
the night before.
“In football, converting third downs
wins championships,” he said. “In base-
ball, clutch hits win championships. Who’s
going to get the big hit when we need it?”
Texas rallied to tie, but LSU put the game
away with a five-run sixth inning.
Now a program that two years ago wasn’t
good enough to qualify for its conference
tournament is the best team in college
baseball again.
The Tigers (56-17) won their sixth nation-
al title — tied with Texas for second-most
all-time behind USC’s 12 — and first since
2000.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be put in
the position where you’re remembered for-
ever in Baton Rouge now,” said Mitchell, a
first-round pick of the Chicago White Sox.
“To be in that company with the players
who won championships, to put LSU base-
ball on top where it belongs, to be a part of
that is special.
“It’s everybody pulling together, a sense
of urgency we had, and we began to play
our best ball at the end of the year.”
It was the first national title for 51-year-
old coach Paul Mainieri, who played his
freshman year at LSU in 1976 and returned
to the school after coaching stops at St.
Thomas (Fla.), Air Force and Notre Dame.
“I’ve had wonderful kids everywhere I’ve
been," Mainieri said. “They’re all feeling
a part of this. I’m so happy for these kids.
They’ve done everything I’ve asked. They
played great. They played great defense.
Our pitching has been solid all year. When
we got to the end of the season everyone was
determined they would get it done. It’s been
a coach’s dream to have a group like this.”
The Tigers came into the CWS ranked No.
1 in the major polls, and that’s where they’ll
finish after keeping Texas from becoming
the first No. 1 seed to win the NCAA tourna-
ment since Miami in 1999.
“They are the best team we’ve played by
far,” Texas coach Augie Garrido said. “We
didn’t lose it. They won it. It was a well-
deserved championship.”
Louis Coleman struck out Kevin Keyes for
the second out in the ninth inning, bring-
ing most of the 19,986 fans at Rosenblatt
Stadium to their feet. Coleman struck out
Connor Rowe for the final out, threw his
glove high in the air and then sank to the
bottom of the pile in front of the mound.
LSU won national titles in 1991, ‘93, ‘96,
'97 and 2000 under Skip Bertman. Though
the Tigers made it back to the CWS two
times under Smoke Laval — he went 0-4
here — the program fell off before Mainieri
arrived three years ago.
His 2007 team, which included four regu-
lars on the 2009 title team, failed to qualify
for the Southeastern Conference postsea-
son tournament. His 2008 squad struggled
until midseason, then rolled off an SEC-
record 23 straight wins on its way to the
College World Series. This year, the Tigers
won the SEC regular-season and postsea-
son titles and swept through regionals and
super regionals on their way to Omaha.
HOUSTON (AP) - Yao
Ming’s broken foot is not
healed and the Houston
Rockets sav the All-Star
center is out indefinitely.
Yao suffered a hairline
fracture in his left foot in
the Rockets’ second-round
playoff loss to the Lakers on
May 8. The team initially
said Yao would miss eight
to 12 weeks, but team doc-
tor Tom (janton examined
Yao’s foot in Houston on
Wednesday and said the
injury has not responded to
the treatment program.
A bone scan conducted
Wednesday night revealed
the fracture had not healed.
The team now says no time-
line is set for Yao’s return to
basketball activities, though
Clanton said Yao is experi-
encing no pain in his foot.
The team said the origi-
nal treatment plan called
for Yao to cease all physical
training and to use a walk-
ing boot to immobilize the
foot and promote healing.
Team spokesman Nelson
Luis said late Wednesday
night that Yao and the Roc-
kets will consult with doc-
tors before proceeding with
a new course of treatment.
Earlier Wednesday, Roc-
kets general manager Daryl
Morey called Yao the "cor-
nerstone of the team and
aid he had no intention
of trading him, no matter
what another team might
offer. The Rockets have no
picks in today s NBA draft
and Morey said he’s trying
to acquire one.
Yao’s contract expires
after next season, with a
player option for the 2010-
11 season.
Jefferson glad to be
with Spurs
SAN ANTONIO (AP)
When Tim Duncan found
out Richard Jefferson didn’t
return a phone call from
Gregg Popovich after the
Spurs coach traded for the
Bucks star, he fired a text
message to his new team-
mate.
“Don't get traded twice in
one day.”
Popovich, gruff? Not after
this sweet of a deal tor San
Antonio.
The Spurs introduced
Jefferson on Wednesday
after getting the scoring
swingman from Milwaukee
in exchange for parting with
three aging bench players -
an easy swap for the NBA’s
oldest team, which needed
younger legs and offense
and got both in one deal.
“I'm thrilled to get that
caliber of a player now,”
Popovich said.
Jefferson, 29, is just as
happy to be back on a win-
ning team. He arrived in
Milwaukee last year upset
that New Jersey traded him
after seven seasons and two
trips to the NBA Finals.
He then had to carry the
rebuilding Bucks after inju-
ries to Michael Redd and
Andrew Bogut.
Jefferson averaged 19-6
points and learned to like
Milwaukee. But in San Anto-
nio, Jefferson is reunited with
bis 2004 Olympic teammate
in Duncan and is back with a
contending team.
Sources: Cavaliers close to
aequiring Shaq from Suns
Cl EVELAND (AP) - The Cleveland Cavaliers are close
to acquiring center Shaquille O’Neal in a trade that would
„air him with MVP LeBron James, multiple people with
knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press early
11 i'iu' Cavs and Phoenix Suns have reached an agreement
in principle on the deal, which gives Cleveland two of the
league’s biggest superstars.
O'Neal will join Cleveland in exchange for center Ben
Wallace guard Sasha Pavlovic, a second-round draft pick
(No 16 overall in Thursday’s draft) and cash, said the two
people who spoke on condition of anonymity because the
league still must approve the deal.
Yahoo! Sports first reported the deal.
The trade, which the sides had been discussing tor
months gives the Suns financial flexibility in the future.
O'Neal has just one season left on a $20 million contract
•uid Wallace is in the final vear of a $14 million deal.
The Suns save $10 million on the deal, half of it by low-
ering then payroll below the luxury tax limit. They plan to
|,oy out Pavlovic, who has $1.5 million of his $4.95 million
contract guaranteed. .
Phoenix, which also gets $500,000 in cash I mm the
Cavs might save even more if Wallace decides to accept a
buyout. The big center reportedly is considering retirement
after battling injuries the last few seasons.
The Spurs gave up Bruce
Bowen, Kurt Thomas and
Fabricio Oberto to get the
6-foot-7 forward from the
Bucks, who were eager to
unload the $29.2 million
owed to Jefferson over the
next two seasons. Milwaukee
wanted financial freedom
and to avoid the NBA's lax-
tin tax. The Spurs, on the
other hand, will be hit with
the luxury tax for getting
Jefferson. But it’s a price San
Antonio was willing to pay
with its window for a fifth
championship in the Duncan
era shrinking.
Duncan will be 34 and
Mann Ginobili will be 32
by the time the playoffs roll
around next spring. Neither
could stay healthy last sea-
son, and Ginobili missed the
playoffs entirely while the
Dallas Mavericks needed just
five games to roll past the
Spurs in the first round.
Astros lose to KC; Rangers beat D’backs
HOUSTON (AP) - Miguel Olivo hom-
ered on the first pitch from Jeff Fulchino in
the 1 ith inning Wednesday night to give the
Kansas City Royals a 4-3 victory over the
I louston Astros.
Olivo’s shot off Fulchino (2-3) ricocheted
off the railing in center field and bounced
back onto the field. It was his nth homer
and gave the Royals their second straight win
after they broke a five-game losing streak
with Tuesday’s win in the series opener.
Joakim Soria (2-0) blew a save chance
but got the win. John Bale pitched a perfect
1 ith for his first save.
An error by Houston first baseman Lance
Berktnan and a call the Astros disputed
the umpires had it right helped the
Royals get the tying run in the ninth.
Brayan Pena homered in the 10th inning
to [nit the Royals ahead 3-2. Houston tied
it in the bottom half when Ivan Rodriguez
just beat the throw home on single by
pinch-hitter Matt Kata.
Rangers 2. Diamondbacks 1
PHOENIX(AP) — After losing five straight
games, Texas was in danger of dropping out
of first place in the AL West for the first time
since May 5. Thanks to Vicente Padilla and
some timely hits, the Rangers still own a
share of the division lead.
Padilla pitched seven sharp innings,
Taylor Teagarden and David Murphy drove
in a run each and the Rangers defeated the
Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 on Wednesday
night to snap their skid
The Rangers remain tied for first in the
West with the Los Angeles Angels.
For the Diamondbacks, it was another
wasted start by Dan Haren (6-5), who has
yearned for run support for much of this
season. Arizona, last in the NL West, had
been looking to win consecutive games for
only the third time since May 23.
Haren allowed two runs in seven innings
but lost for the first time since May 12, a
span of seven starts. He entered with a
league-leading 2.23 ERA, and was riding a
personal three-game win streak
The Diamondbacks flailed away with
little success against Padilla (6-3), who
allowed one run and six hits, walked two
and struck out three.
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Rodriguez, Tatiana. Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 111, No. 187, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 25, 2009, newspaper, June 25, 2009; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth561369/m1/7/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.