1. BUCKS COUNTY COURIER TIMES
WWW.PHILLYBURBS.COM/COURIERTIMES
Flyers prepare
for NHL Draft
6C FRIDAY
JUNE 20, 2008 C
BUZZER BEATERS
McLaren out as
Mariners manager
McNabb’s family roots still show
PHILADELPHIA — Donovan McNabb made Wilma are too closely involved in their son’s life
John McLaren was fired a public appearance Wednesday with his father, and career; that they sometimes speak for him;
Thursday as manager of the Sam, and his mother, Wilma, to promote aware- that he is not his own man and, therefore, is not
Seattle Mariners, who began the ness and treatment of hypertension. Sounds a quarterback or leader capable of leading the
season with playoff aspirations innocuous ... except that Donovan McNabb was Eagles to a Super Bowl victory .
and now have the worst record in in the same room as his father and mother. He It is, at almost every level, ludicrous. The
the major leagues. talked to them, even. He is the rare pro athlete McNabbs are no different now, with Donovan
Bench coach Jim Riggleman who could join his parents in performing a pub- approaching a career crossroads, from who they
will run the Mariners for the rest lic service and have it somehow be a bad thing. were during the 2004-05 season, when their son
of their lost season, beginning Mike “That’s an interesting way to put it,” Sam threw 31 touchdown passes and eight intercep-
Friday night in Atlanta. Sielski McNabb said inside the Center City offices of tions and the Eagles lost in Super Bowl XXXIX.
The Mariners made the E-mail Health Partners, the non-profit health-care “I would have to play in that range,” he said,
announcement before the team msielski@ organization that hosted the McNabbs. “Why do “for us to get where we want to go” this year,
left on its road trip and three days phillyBurbs.com you think that is?” and the condition of his reconstructed right
after general manager Bill Bavasi Because there’s a perception that many
was fired. McLaren was the sec- around here hold about Donovan McNabb’s
ond manager in the majors to be relationship with his parents: that Sam and See SIELSKI, 5C Donovan
fired this season — the New York McNabb
Mets dismissed Willie Randolph
this week.
Seattle is 25-47 and 17½ games
behind the Los Angeles Angels in
Ut-oh
the AL West.
NHL threatens to
take Rangers away
The NHL is threatening to kick
the owners of the New York
Rangers out of the league as pun-
ishment for accusing league offi-
cials of violating antitrust laws.
The NHL filed court papers
Wednesday that included a draft
letter from commissioner Gary
Bettman proposing discipline
against Madison Square Garden,
L.P., that could lead to suspension
or termination of its ownership of
the Rangers.
In its court filing, the NHL All-Star second baseman
asked a judge to agree Madison
Square Garden breached its Chase Utley is working hard
contract by challenging league
rules.
Madison Square Garden sued
to break out of an 0-for-20
the NHL in September, saying it
violated antitrust laws by
slump, the worst of his career
monopolizing control of By RANDY MILLER
team promotions. A judge ruled in STAFF WRITER
November that the league seemed HILADELPHIA — The Phillies’
P
within its rights to take control of loss to Boston on Wednesday
the team’s Web site. afternoon was more than an
hour old, and most players
already had eaten, showered,
dressed and long gone.
Not Chase Utley .
Before leaving Citizens Bank Park for
an off night that would lead into a
much-anticipated off day, the All-Star
second baseman did what he often does
after games.
Utley headed to a video room and
pulled up a chair to become a student of
the game. He watched his latest plate
appearances over and over, full speed
and slow motion. He studied his swing,
his stance, how the opponent pitched to
Big Brown to return him in certain counts … you name it.
at the Haskell Usually, Utley works after games to
maintain greatness, but of late, he’s
Big Brown is on his way back
been in the video room searching for
to the races, his next start set for
clues to end a frustrating slump that
the Haskell Invitational at
now has become the worst of his career.
Monmouth Park on Aug. 3.
In his last five games, Utley’s pretty
Less than two weeks after Big
left-handed stroke has produced no hits
Brown’s Triple Crown attempt
in 20 at-bats.
ended with an inexplicable last-
“That’s shocking,” said center fielder
place finish in the Belmont
Shane Victorino, who bats second for the
Stakes, co-owner Paul Pompa Jr.
Phils, one spot ahead of Utley “I’m not
.
said the Haskell on the Jersey
too worried about that guy .”
Shore will mark the colt’s return.
That attitude is common in the
“The race fits his style,” Pompa
Phillies’ clubhouse. After all, Utley is
said Thursday “We were disap-
.
known for combining his God-given
pointed after the Belmont, and we
ability to hit with tremendous
needed to regroup. We did and the
off-the-field work habits.
Haskell is the plan.”
“No matter what kind of hitting
Big Brown has been training
daily at Aqueduct Racetrack,
while his poor performance in the See UTLEY, 4C
Belmont remains a mystery to the
owners and trainer Rick Dutrow
Jr. The Kentucky Derby and Chase’s drought
Preakness winner never seemed Chase Utley is 0-for-20 in his last five games,
comfortable in the 1½-mile the worst slump of his career. Here is a
Belmont, and jockey Kent game-by-game breakdown:
Desormeaux eased up with
a quarter-mile remaining. Date Opponent AB R H RBI BB K
June 14 @STL 3 0 0 0 1 0
DAILY NUMBER June 15 @STL 4 1 0 0 1 1
Number of different location
4
June 16 Boston 5 1 0 0 0 1
names that the Angels
franchise has used over the June 17 Boston 4 0 0 0 0 1
years. They have been the Los June 18 Boston 4 0 0 0 0 0
Angeles, California, Anaheim
and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
TRIVIA QUESTION SOFTBALL
Who is the only Angels player to
hit for the cycle twice? (Hint:
This player has a Philadelphia
connection.) (Answer 2C) Still in the swing of things
They might be getting on in years, but members of the Bucks County
THE LAST WORD Senior Softball League haven’t lost their competitive fire.
“I’ll probably faint if they By JENNIFER WIELGUS It’s the ageless sound of serious athletes
call my name. I’ll need a COURIER TIMES competing.
paramedic close by .” FAIRLESS HILLS — Survey the field at “The fire out here is just unbelievable,”
MEMPHIS GUARD AND CHICAGO Von Hoffman Park on any Monday or says Bill Hawley, a resident of Fairless Hills
NATIVE DERRICK ROSE Wednesday night, and you’ll see plenty of and a 10-year member of the Bucks County
ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF gray hair and even more wrinkles. Senior Softball League. “That never
THE BULLS SELECTED HIM WITH You’ll see joints braced, appendages changes. Most guys still hit the ball well. We
THE TOP PICK IN THE NBA DRAFT. wrapped. don’t run as well. We don’t throw as well. We
You’ll see men with limited mobility, who might not be able to play with a 40-year-old
don’t dive or slide or even stop at the bases. team. But we do all right.
Editor: Jeff Beideman, 215-345-3076 But you’ll also hear loud yelping and hol- Newtown’s Joe Accardi and other serious softball players in
jbeideman@phillyBurbs.com “And we want to win. We always think we
lering and cheering and cursing. You’ll hear their 60s and 70s have a place to play, thanks to the Bucks
Call in results: 215-949-4215 energy, excitement, laughter, and yes, some- County Senior Softball League. Accardi plays for Bristol Tank,
after 6 p.m. or fax 215-949-4177 times anger. See SENIORS, 3C the league’s premier team. BILL FRASER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER