THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2008
SPORTS
3B
COMMENTARY
It's the Royals' turn for a turnaround
The Kansas City Royals want to build off its 69-93 record from last year and become one of the stories that have ever been so prominent in the vast array of teams in their division. One of the teams the Royals is trying to chase down is also a team it is trying to resemble.
With the power and depth of the American League Central on the rise, the Kansas City Royals may be a team to add to this force in 2008.
The Detroit Tigers finished the 2005 season with a record of 71-91. The following year, the youth they had been developing came through with key offseason additions as the Tigers went 95-67. This was a feel-good story that would soon be overshadowed.
The Cleveland Indians finished
Another reason is the Royals' increase in the payroll. The Royals are spending more money and acquiring bigger name players. One of the most notable for 2008 is outfielder Jose Guillen.
2006 with a record of 78-84. The following season the Indians went on a tear and finished 96-66. This was all following a World Series Championship victory by the Chicago White Sox in 2005, in which the White Sox posted a record of 99-63, bettering its record the year before at 83-79. Catch my optimism? While this may not be the formula that the Kansas City Royals will use to win an ALCS title in 2008, it is a reason for Royals fans to get excited and back their team.
The pieces are starting to fall into place and the road ahead is still a steep one. For Royals fans who are sick of the dismal outcomes of past seasons, it is OK to have excitement as the year approaches. In all indications, it's our turn, right?
The Royals' 2008 infield will feature some bright young stars and the possibility of a breakout season. Two of those players are third baseman Alex Gordon and designated hitter and first baseman Billy Butler. While Gordon struggled early in 2007, he showed toward the end of the year the reason the Royals drafted him so high.
Butler, meanwhile, carne up hitting the ball very well, but his fielding blunders limited his play. The Royals will look to use these two as cornerstones as it continues to develop young players on the rise, such as Tony Pena Jr., Joey Gathright, Luke Hochevar and Zach Greinake. These are some players that Royals fans should get familiar with, because these players will decide the Royals' future during and after the upcoming season.
Edited by Matt Hirschfeld
Andy Pettitte to discuss steroid use
MLB
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — A lawyer for Andy Pettitte's former personal trainer said Tuesday he believes the pitcher will tell Congress he discussed human growth hormone with Roger Clemens between the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
ASSOCIATED PR.
Andy Pettitt, New York Yankees pitcher, is involved in baseball's steroids scandal. Earl Ward, one of trainer Brian McNamee's lawyers, said Pettitt would probably testify before Congress about discussing human growth hormone with Roger Clemens between the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The lawyer, Earl Ward, said Pettit talked about HGH with trainer Brian McNamee following a conversation with Clemens, who has denied that he used HGH or steroids. McNamee worked with both Clemens and Pettit.
"We're hopeful based on Andy's reputation that he will corroborate Brian's statements with regard to Roger." Ward said in a telephone interview.
Pettitite's meeting with a congressional committee investigating drug use in baseball was postponed until Monday. He originally was slated to appear for a deposition or transcribed interview Wednesday but the date was changed Tuesday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
McNamee said in last month's Mitchell Report that he injected Clemens at least 16 times with steroids or HGH in 1998, 2000 and 2001. He said he injected Pettitte two to four times with HGH.
Pettitte admitted two days after the Mitchell Report was released that he tried HGH for two days in 2002 — before it was banned by players and owners.
Ward said the discussion he was referring to occurred at Clemens' house.
"Based on what we know, there was a situation where Andy was speaking to Roger in Brian's presence, then Andy came over to Brian and essentially said, 'Why didn't you tell me about this stuff?' He referred
to HGH," Ward said. "Brian discouraged him and then several months later, when he (Pettitte) got injured, he came back and asked Brian about it, and that's when Brian injected him. We believe that based on the
"Roger Clemens' remarkable success as a pitcher has everything to do with his extraordinary work ethic and his innate abilities, and nothing to do with HGH or steroids." Breuer said in a statement. "Let me be clear: Roger Clemens never took HGH and he never took steroids."
The delay of Pettitt's deposition or transcribed interview was
"There are a number of conversations where Pettite and Brian talked about Clemens' use. I think there is everything to believe Pettite is not a liar."
fact that Andy came to Brian and asked him about HGH, it was Roger who told Andy about HGH and that's why he asked Brian about it."
Jay Reisinger, Pettitte's lawyer, would not discuss what Pettitte would say.
Lanny Breuer, Clemens' new lawyer, said the seven-time Cy Young Award winner stood by his denials.
"Pettitte is certainly going to tell the truth and if he tells the truth everything will be fine."
"Pettitte is certainly going to tell the truth and if he tells the truth everything will be fine." Emery said.
Richard Emery, another lawyer for McNamee, said his client and Pettitt also discussed steroids use by Clemens.
RICHARD EMERY
Lawyer for trainer Brian McNamee
the latest switch in the schedule of meetings between witnesses and staff before the Feb. 13 hearing.
"Just a mutually agreeable postponement," said Keith Ausbrook, Republican general counsel for the committee
"Mr. Pettitte is cooperating voluntarily with the committee, and we look forward to his testimony on Monday," panel chairman Henry Waxman and ranking Republican Tom Davis said in a joint statement. "We appreciate Mr. Pettitte's willingness to assist the committee."
Also asked to appear at next month's hearing are Clemens, McNamee, former Yankees second baseman Chuck Knoblauch, and former New York Mets clubhouse employee Kirk Radomski.
"It give us a little more time to prepare and gives him a little more time to prepare."
Clemens is to follow Feb. 5, with McNamee down for Feb. 7, and Radomski on Feb. 12 - pending further changes to a repeatedly shuffled schedule.
McNamee told Mitchell he acquired HGH from Radomski for Knoblauch in 2001, and that he injected the player with it. Knoblauch's major league career ended in 2002.
Knoblauch now is scheduled for Friday and would be the first of the five Feb. 13 witnesses to provide a deposition or transcribed interview.
Letters sent by Waxman and Davis to Clemens, Pettitte and Knoblauch on Jan. 16, requesting their appearances both at the hearing and a prehearing meeting, said: "The committee asks that you provide testimony about allegations in Senator George Mitchell's report ... that you and other Major League Baseball players used performance enhancing drugs during your professional baseball career."
Clemens, Pettitte and Knoblauch were among more than 80 players named in the Mitchell Report.
He agreed to appear after a subpoena was issued.
Radomski pleaded guilty in April to federal felony charges of distributing steroids and laundering money, and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 8.
The 35-year-old Pettitte has a 201-113 major league record and won four World Series championships with the Yankees. He also helped his hometown Houston Astros reach their first World Series.
Pettite returned to the Yankees last season and went 15-9. This off-season, he put off retirement and agreed to a $16 million, one-year contract to play for the Yankees next season.
Boogaard ready for Sooners
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
BY TAYLOR BERN tbern@kansan.com
Krysten Booagard, freshman center, shoots in a game against Oklahoma State. Booagard said she was prepared to play the Sooners on tonight at Norman, OK, at 7.
Jon Goering/Kansan file photo
Not just Division I women's basketball, but all genders and all levels of collegiate basketball.
Courtney Paris is the most dominant player in college basketball.
On Sunday, Paris poured in 18 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in Oklahoma's 65-57 win over Georgia, for her 78th consecutive double-double.
Athletics runs in the family of both players, as Paris father was an All-Pro for the San Francisco 49ers and Boogaard's brother is a left wing for the Minnesota Wild.
While Boogaard's freshman campaign hasn't been nearly as successful as her counterparts' - Paris became the first player in NCAA history to collect 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a season - there has been a drastic improvement in her play from game one to the present.
She has defined the center position in the Big 12 for the past three years, but in another year Paris will graduate. That means the door will be open for the next dominant Big 12 post player, and tonight's matchup between Paris and Kansas freshman center Krysten Boogaard could be a case of present versus future with respect to that title.
At the beginning of the year, coach Bonnie Henrickson worked hard to rid Boogaard of her tendency to dribble in the post. Now she keeps the ball high and powers her way to the basket.
Other areas of Boogaard's game have expanded as well, and they were on display in Saturday's loss to Texas A&M.
In Kansas' first possession of the game, Boogaard caught a pass at the free throw line, put the ball on the floor and slipped past a defender for an easy bucket. On defense Boogaard recorded three blocks, one of them where she came in from halfway across the court.
ly well," Henrickson said. "And I was anxious to see that, because every night in this league it's something different inside."
Aggie coach Gary Blair decided to play behind Boogaard instead of fronting her, and after the game he admitted that she was too much to handle that way.
"She dominated," Blair said. "She dominated my All-Big 12 center and she dominated my back up. This is the best five player I've seen since (Crystal) Kemp got out of here. This kid has a great future."
"I thought she handled the speed, athleticism and strength really, real-
That future is taking shape with every game she plays, but tonight's is of extra significance because
Boogaard will see how she stacks up against the best center in the conference and in the country. It will actually be the second time the players square off, as both participated for their respective countries' junior national teams two years ago.
Now the only thing to find out is when the future becomes the present.
"It was really tough to play against her but I've improved since then and I feel that I can go up against her now," said Booqaard, the Regina, Saskatchewan native.
—Edited by Russell Davies