SPORTS BRIEFS
Jagr, Rangers
bow to Ottawa
NEW YORK — Jaromir Jagr says
he plans to play Thursday against
the Islanders whether his mending
leg injury is ready or not.
"It's the biggest game, probably,
of the season," he said after missing
his second straight game Monday.
"If we lose, we'll be in big trouble.
We already are in a big hole.
"We have to win Thursday. There
is no other way."
Fact is, Jagr's cockeyed optimism
to the contrary, it hardly matters.
Having caved in yet again Monday
against a superior opponent in a 4
1 Madison Square Garden loss to
the Ottawa Senators, the Rangers al
ready are playing out the string.
And other than a loss of such hu
miliating proportions that it finally
will spur Jim Dolan to front-office
remodeling action or cause
GM/coach Glen Sather to begin a
roster purge, Thursday's game
against the Islanders will be no dif
ferent from the 22 that will remain.
Win, lose or draw, the Rangers will
emerge from it with no realistic
hope of breaking their six-season
playoff drought.
—John Deilapina
New York Daily News
Timberwolves limp
into second half
MINNEAPOLIS — The unofficial
start of the season's second half begins
Tuesday night for the Minnesota Tim
berwolves when the Phoenix Suns visit
the Target Center.
The Wolves were considered a sur
prise in the first half, because they sit
atop the powerful Midwest Division
despite losing Troy Hudson, Michael
Olowokandi and Wally Szczerbiak to
injury.
While most teams in contention are
working the phone lines to pull off a
deal before Thursday's trading dead
line, the Wolves are close to acquiring
three key players without giving up
anything in return. Coach Flip Saun
ders said Monday that all three will be a
game-time decision. Of the three, Hud
son (ankle) is the most likely to play
Tuesday night because Olowokandi
(knee) and Szczerbiak (foot) said after
practice they probably won't play until
Thursday against Sacramento.
"After 52 games, we have pretty
much established who we are and how
we are going to play," coach Flip Saun
ders said. "Now it's going to be a situa
tion where Szczerbiak, Olowokandi
and Hudson are going to have to adapt
their play a little bit as far as how we are
playing. I don't think that's going to be
a problem."
-Mike Wells
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Phillies ready to outdo Atlanta
to be NL East pennant winners
The addition of Billy
Wagner and Eric Milton
bolster an already
strong Philadelphia staff
By Todd Zolecki
Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT)
CLEARWATER Fla. — Philadelphia
Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins had
just strolled through the clubhouse
doors at the Carpenter Complex on
Monday when Larry Bowa, seated at a
locker around a comer, spotted him.
"What's up, dude?" Bowa said.
Bowa has been in Clearwater for
more than two weeks, and Rollins, like
several Phillies, has arrived early for
spring training. The two chatted for a
few minutes — Bowa teased Rollins
about his six-pack abs, which Rollins
kept hidden under his shirt — before
Bowa returned to talk about his team.
"I'm ready to get going" Bowa said.
"I like spring training. I've always liked
spring training."
Pitchers and catchers don't officially
report until Thursday. Infielders and
outfielders don't officially report until
next week. But Bowa is ready to roll.
And why not? He has a talented
team full of veterans, which means he
has a team with incredibly high expec
tations — certainly the highest since
he became the Phillies manager in
2001. Many people expert the Phillies
to finally snap Atlanta's stranglehold
on the National League East, and
many of those same people agree the
Phillies have as good a chance as any
body to reach the World Series.
That's why Bowa has been tabbed
as one of those big-league managers to
watch, one of those managers that
must win this year.
"I don't know where people get that
from," said Bowa, shaking his head.
"There's no pressure on me. Not at all.
I try to win every game I play. I don't
care if I'm playing Reading or Atlanta."
But Bowa clearly sees the difference
between the team he inherited three
springs ago and this one.
He needed to prod the 2001 team.
This group is much different. Guys
such as Jim Thome, Kevin Millwood,
Billy Wagner and Eric Milton have
been to the playoffs before So, Bowa
said, he can leave them alone.
"These guys are pretty self-motivat
ed, " Bowa said. 'These are people that
have been there."
That doesn't mean Bowa will kick
back and relax. Hardly. He has some
things he wants to see before the
Phillies break camp and head north to
play Cleveland in an exhibition game
on April 3 at Citizens Bank Park. He
wants the Phils to:
Put the ball in play. The Phillies were
fourth in the National League last year
with 1,155 strikeouts and led the
league with 1,220 runners left on base.
"We'll do more hit-and-running
with some guys that have struck out a
lot and get them to concentrate on hit
ting the ball in certain situations," he
said. "1 want to see a two-strike ap
proach with some guys."
Hold runners better. Opponents
had 82 percent success stealing bases,
making the Phils the worst team in the
league at preventing the steal. Runners
stole 45 bases in 49 attempts with
Kevin Millwood on the mound, also
the worst mark in the league.
Bunt better. The Phillies finished last
in the league in sacrifices with 46. Only
two other teams had fewer than 61.
Run the bases better.
"If you're going to take it to another
level, besides talent, you have to exe
cute," Bowa said.
(c) 2004, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune
Information Services.
HAGER
continued from page 7
what balance can do. Rice won the
national championship on the heels
of three great starters: Jeff Niemann,
Wade Townsend and Philip Hum
ber. But the Owls also had a bal
anced offense and great team de
fense that rounded out the club.
That, my friends, is the way base
ball teams should be built. And
that's exactly what's wrong with
shock value.
It serves as nothing more than an
attention grabber, which is exactly
what the Rodriguez deal is doing.
While he adds an incredible talent
and character player — so it's been
said — he's also a piece that's too big
for New York's puzzle.
Watch what happens when a piece
either doesn't fit because of poor play
on the field or it bends, much like an
injury. While Oregon football had a
successful 2003 season, imagine what
could have been had everyone been
healthy all season.
With Haloti Ngata, do the Ducks
lose to Minnesota in the Sun Bowl?
With a completely healthy offensive
line, does Utah keep the Oregon of
fense in check?
Now, what happens if Derek Jeter
goes down with injury? The Yankees
don't have a bona-fide third base
man after Drew Henson decided to
go the NFL. They'd have to move Ro
driguez to shortstop, opening up a
hole at the hot comer.
How about the golden-aged Gary
Sheffield? If he has a down year, get
ready for the New York media to
have a field day.
When the pundits talk about the
lack of parity in the game, a golden
example is the Yankees. Sure, they
make it to the postseason, but re
cently, it has all been for nothing.
That's the problem with shock value.
Still, when it comes to the Yan
kees, I'd take that any day of the
week and twice on Sunday.
Contact the sports editor
at hankhager@dailyemerald.com.
His opinions do not necessarily
represent those of the Emerald.
South Asia Speaker Scries - Public Lecture
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Globalization and the
Minority Question in India
Anjan Ghosh,
Senior Research Fellow,
Center for Studies in
Social Sciences,
Calcutta, India
Knight Library
Browsing Room
4:00 pm
This event is cosponsored by the Center for Asian & Pacific Studies and
o the Department of Anthropology. Support has been provided by the
§ Office of Academic Affairs. For more info., please call 346-1521.
PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER.
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Alex Rodriguez finds himself heading to New York after the Yankees completed a trade with Texas.
Michael Mulvey Dallas Morning News
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