ekansekans's blog: "df"

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Mariano Riveras career may have ended Thursday night, not while basking in the glow of adoring fans at Yankee Stadium, but in agonizing pain on the outfield grass before a few thousand fans in Kansas City. Baseballs greatest closer tore a ligament in his right knee while shagging balls during batting practice before a game against the Royals, a devastating injury that will likely sideline the Yankees 12-time All-Star for the remainder of the season. "This is bad," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Theres no question about it." The 42-year-old right-handers leg caught on the field where the grass meets dirt, causing his knee to buckle. He fell into the outfield wall and down to the ground, where Rivera grimaced in pain as teammates and training staff ran out to see him. Rivera was carted from the field and taken for an MRI exam. Royals physician Dr. Vincent Key diagnosed a torn ACL after examining the scans of the knee. "I thought it wasnt that bad, but its torn," Rivera said after the Yankees lost 4-3, pausing several times in the Yankees clubhouse to compose himself. "Have to fix it." Rivera has said that he will decide after the season whether to retire, and while Girardi said he hoped that baseballs career saves leader with 608 would make a comeback, Rivera was noncommittal. "At this point, I dont know," he said. "At this point, I dont know. Going to have to face this first. It all depends on how the rehab is going to happen, and from there, well see." The injury cast a pall over the Yankees, who put the tying run on third base in the ninth before Mike Moustakas made a stellar play on a chopper by Alex Rodriguez, throwing him out at first to preserve the Royals victory. Afterward, the only thing on A-Rods mind was Rivera. "I saw it all go down," said Rodriguez, who uttered "Oh, my God," from behind the batting cage when Rivera went down. "Obviously its a huge blow. Mo means so much to this team. "Its hard to even talk about it tonight," Rodriguez said. "Mo means so much to us on a personal level, and on the field." Bullpen coach Mike Harkey was near Rivera when he went down, and was the first to whistle for help. Girardi was watching batting practice near Rodriguez behind home plate and ran down the third base line before cutting across the outfield to get to his closer. Harkey and Girardi helped carry Rivera to the cart, gently setting him into the back with his knee propped up. The cart rounded the warning track before disappearing up a tunnel. The initial diagnosis was a twisted knee, but Girardi had a feeling the injury was much worse when he didnt receive word as the game pressed on. "My thought was he must have torn the ligament, the way he went down," Girardi said. Girardi was quick to defend Riveras decision to shag balls in the outfield, pointing out that he may never have become a five-time World Series champion without putting in such work. He called it a fluke injury, not unlike somebody falling off the curb or down the stairs. "Youve all seen Mo run around here for what, 40 years?" Girardi said. Derek Jeter said that Rivera has shagged balls for the "20-something" years that hes known him, and never once did the notion that he could be hurt cross his mind. "Its bad. Theres no other way to put it," Jeter said. "Its just a freak thing." Rookie starter David Phelps (0-1) said he thought for a moment that Rivera was just joking, but once training staff gathered around the closer, he knew something bad had happened. "Theres nothing I can do but stand there and watch. Its a miserable feeling to see it," Phelps said. "I didnt think it was that bad. I was just hoping he caught it funny or sprained it or something, and then we came in here after the game and found out the news." The outcome of the game was almost secondary for the Yankees, though that was hardly the case for Kansas City, which snapped a 10-game home losing streak. Danny Duffy (2-2) went six strong innings before turning it over to the bullpen, and three relievers maintained a one-run lead until Jonathan Broxton came on to close the ninth. He allowed a leadoff single to Jeter, his fourth hit of the night, and then walked Curtis Granderson. Mark Teixeira followed with a liner to second base, but Chris Getz snagged it in the dirt and fired to Alcides Escobar covering second to start a double play. Jeter advanced to third for Rodriguez, who hit a chopper to Moustakas at third base. He made a barehanded grab and threw out A-Rod by a step to preserve the victory. "Its a load off," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We dont have to talk about not winning games at home anymore. Thats a good thing. Hearing the fans in the ninth inning was like music to my ears because, I havent heard that all year long and this was the 11th game." Moustakas homered in the second and added a two-run single in the fifth. "Moose is just on fire with the bat right now, three RBIs, the home run to give us the first lead and the big two-run single there was a big boost for us," Yost said. The Royals were the third team in major league history to lose their first 10 home games when they dropped every one during their first homestand. They started to turn things around on a rain-shortened 4-3 road trip, and kept the momentum going against the struggling Yankees. Even in the Royals clubhouse, though, Rivera was on everyones mind. "Thats horrible news," Broxton said. "As many saves as hes been out there and as good an athlete as he is, I just hate for bad news. All I can do is wish him the best." Notes: Jeter is batting .404 this season. ... The Royals placed Yuniesky Betancourt (right ankle sprain) on the DL purchased the contract of INF Irving Falu from Triple-A Omaha. ... Yankees 3B Eric Chavez was released from the hospital after having concussion-like symptoms Wednesday night. He was put on the seven-day concussion DL and Jayson Nix signed to a major league contract. ... LHP CC Sabathia will pitch Friday night for New York. LHP Bruce Chen goes for Kansas City. Wholesale Jerseys From China . Dawkins scored all 21 of his points on seven first-half treys, helping No. 4 Duke pile up a big lead and roll past Wake Forest, 91-73, at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Dawkins made his trip around the perimeter look easy, burying long distance shots from seemingly every spot on the floor, smiling all of the way back to the defensive end after his seventh triple. Wholesale Jerseys China . As Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau perform, the Minnesota Twins will follow. http://bloodcopy.org/wholesale.html . Mike McCoy never knows how much hell need, or for how long hell be gone. The life of a utility player doesnt allow for much certainty. He understands his role and knows the Toronto Blue Jays will use him as they see fit.NEWARK, N.J. -- Lou Lamoriello did not speak with anger in his voice. He was not short with his answers. And he even declined an offer to wrap up the interview after 20 minutes, fearing that the media may have some more questions for him. Indeed, the New Jersey Devils general manager has been through this before -- losing a marquee player to free agency -- and his team has survived. Thats how the Devils, after all, have been to five Stanley Cup finals -- winning three of them -- in Lamoriellos tenure. They move on. They counter. So, after former captain Zach Parise left for Minnesota on Wednesday, ending days of free-agent drama, Lamoriello, though disappointed, clearly took it in stride. "Theres no question were disappointed. Its a very unfortunate thing when you have a player of his stature thats come right through the ranks and then, at this given time, a decision is made to go elsewhere," Lamoriello said on a conference call. "You just go forward." And so the time has come for this franchise to do so yet again. Though it is an organization in a financial bind, with debt hovering over it, there are positives to cling to as they look beyond Parises 194 goals and 410 points. First of all, the Devils are less than two months removed from winning the Eastern Conference. After missing the playoffs for the first time since 1996, New Jersey orchestrated a surprising run through the Panthers, Flyers and Rangers before ultimately falling to Los Angeles in the Cup finals. Second of all, while Parise is a huge loss, Lamoriello did secure several of his other free agents, and shored up not only the goaltending situation, but the defence as well. But there is an offensive gap now that must be filled, clearly. Though forward Ilya Kovalchuk, who could be named the new captain, certainly came into his own as a Devil last season, posting 37 goals and 83 points, the 29-year-old had a chemistry with Parise and the two fed off each other, especially in the post-season. "We have some outstanding young players here, some who have tremendous potential," Lamoriello said. "Well do whatever we can to go to Plan B." He always has. In 2005, after another former captain -- defenceman Scott Niedermayer -- left via free agency for Anaheim, Lamoriello struck quickly, signing three backliners on thee same day: Brian Rafalski, Vladimir Malakhov and Dan McGillis.dddddddddddd The results were spotty, at best, as the Devils could not get past Round 2 without Niedermayer until this season, while Niedermayer led the Ducks to the Cup in 2007. But the point is, Lamoriello answered. In 2007, two days after losing forward Scott Gomez, who signed with the rival Rangers, Lamoriello signed forward Dainius Zubrus, who is still on the team and was a key cog in this last run to the finals. So, whether its a free agent, or a trade, or a call-up, expect him to do the same again. "What that is, well have no discussions with that," Lamoriello said. "Well do whatever we can to get ourselves better." The Devils were well on their way to that this week ... before Parises decision. New Jersey, a No. 6 seed that went 14-10 in that surprising post-season run, re-signed goaltenders Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg, as well as defencemen Bryce Salvador and Peter Harrold. Lamoriello also locked up the entire fourth line, a makeshift group put together at seasons end that found spring success and featured Ryan Carter, Steve Bernier and Stephen Gionta. There are forwards available that can help. Washingtons Alex Semin (21 goals, 54 points last season) is a free agent. And Anaheims Bobby Ryan (31 goals, 57 points in 2011-12), a New Jersey native, has been made available in trade talks. The price tag may be too rich for the Devils, in their current state, on both of those players. But expect at least one new, unnamed forward on the roster soon enough. And then, theres a matter of the captaincy. Parise, who was given the label from coach Peter DeBoer, had it for just one season. "I dont want to pin it on anyone," Parise said. "Youve got (forward) Travis (Zajac), (Salvador), (Kovalchuk) is going to be there a long time, (defenceman) Andy Greene. Any guy in there would do a great job of it." Lamoriello, for one, isnt worried about it in July. "That isnt a thought in my mind right now," he said. "Thats nothing that needs to be done today, tomorrow, or weeks from now." Adding some new scoring punch to an Eastern Conference-champion roster? Well, thats a different story. That is a thought in his mind right now. ' ' '