NY Sports News

FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY – Say what you want about the Garden, but it does know how to throw a party. And when the top brass at the New York Liberty wanted to jazz up an otherwise drab mid-summer Saturday game, they did it in top form. By relocating their conference matchup with the Indiana Fever to Arthur Ashe Stadium, the Libs made an otherwise a forgetful game a must see event, complete with stars, a fireworks show, and a fan fest during the pre-game. And neither the humid weather nor a flat Liberty effort could sadden the impressive crowd of 19,393.

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FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY - The fancy commemorative logo at center court called the game a classic. But the Liberty couldn’t translate its recent success from the indoor arena to the great outdoors, ending a week’s worth of hype for the Outdoor Classic with a 71-55 loss to the Indiana Fever at Arthur Ashe Stadium. A near sell-out crowd of 19,393 witnessed the first outdoor regular season game in North American professional basketball history.

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The Thrill of Ashe Excites Christon

FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY — Shameka Christon battled the glare from the beating sun before laying up a practice shot. The Liberty forward also took inventory of the wind before releasing the ball. Natural elements are not usually pertinent for a professional basketball player. But for Christon and the rest of the Liberty and Indiana Fever players, last night’s contest was anything but usual. For two weeks every year, Arthur Ashe Stadium commands the international spotlight as home for the U.S. Open, tennis’ final Grand Slam event of the year. Yet on a humid July night, the venue hosted a sport that racks up more points and deuces than a tennis match and doesn’t request silence during the action.

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Melky's Walkoff Beats Brooklyn

STATEN ISLAND, NY- One of the characteristics Staten Island Yankee manager Pat McMahon likes most about his team is their never say die attitude.Once again, that was on display in a thrilling come from behind 5-4 walkoff win over the Verrazano rival Cyclones before a third consecutive sellout (7,171) at a loud Richmond County Bank Ball Park by the Ferry Terminal Saturday night. It was the second straight win in their final at bat bolstering Staten Island’s (20-11) McNamara Division lead to seven games over the last place Cyclones (13-18), who looked poised to take their third of four in the season series.A night earlier, it was Jack Rye who delivered a walkoff bases loaded hit defeating Batavia. This time, the heroics were provided by left fielder Melky Mesa, who drilled a one out three-run home run to left giving his team an exciting victory.

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Bumstead Soars, Bears Roll

NEWARK - Thirteen days ago, the Newark Bears played their final game of the first half of the Atlantic League season with the division on the line. Newark’s ace Pat Stanley was on the mound and the offense had been rolling. Stanley gave up all the runs in a 6-1 loss and ever since that day, the Bears have been in a tailspin. Fast forward to Saturday night and it was quite a different story. Mike Bumstead took the mound as the last Newark Bears pitcher to record a win and played the role of the stopper once again. Bumstead went the distance in the Bears 12-3 win over the Camden Riversharks. The game did not begin well for Bumstead or the Bears. Nick Jackson led off the game with a solo home run for Camden and Sheldon Fulse added another one in the top of the third to give the Riversharks a 2-0 lead.

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Garth Hopes Isles Will be No Snow Job

SYOSSET, NY — Garth Snow descended the steps down to the ground level at the Iceworks practice facility. One-on-one open ice drills between forwards and defenseman indicated the first session of Wednesday’s prospect camp was coming to an end. From his upstairs perch, Snow witnessed the grouping led by Ken Morrow, director of pro scouting. The split roster includes the Isles top prospect and best hope for a breakout performer, as Kyle Okposo is looking to parlay his brief nine-game call-up at the end of last season into a spot on one of the top three scoring lines.

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Paper Trail a Smoking Gun for Roger Clemens

According to a report in the New York Daily News, Roger Clemens’ worst nightmare may have come true. All through his public denials of what everyone else believes to be true, it has mostly been word against word. Lacking documentation, it came down to whom you believed. Kirk Radomski, a major steroid supplier who eventually cooperated with investigators, recently discovered shipping receipts from 2002 or 2003 for two kits of human growth hormone that he sent to Clemens at his Houston home. While this is no great revelation to anyone other than Clemens himself, it does put another nail in the former pitcher’s coffin.

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Rye’s Walkoff Hit gives Bombers Win before Another Sellout

STATEN ISLAND, NY- Runs were at a premium but Pat McMahon’s pesky bunch still had enough thanks to Jack Rye’s walkoff basehit with the bases loaded in the home ninth allowing the Staten Island Yankees to pull out a 3-2 win over Batavia before a second consecutive sellout of 7,171 at Richmond County Bank Ball Park to take the series.It was the eighth sellout of the season with a couple of more expected against the last place Cyclones over the next three days.“Guys came up in big situations,” right fielder Dan Brewer noted after contributing in the field with a couple of nice running catches. “Pitchers threw well. [Brian] Baisley had a great game today. He’s swinging it well. A two-run homer. Back to battling. Some guys just had big at bats. In tough situations, they came through.”

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Former Met Coach Frey Remembers All-Star Game Fondly

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Standing in an air-conditioned luxury suite at Commerce Bank Ballpark, Jim Frey looked relaxed about an hour and a half before the Atlantic League’s All-Star game would commence at the Somerset Patriots stadium. Frey, who compiled a 323-287 career record as a big league manager, acted as the honorary manager for Sparky Lyle’s Freedom Division. Don Zimmer served in the same capacity for Dave LaPoint’s Liberty Division. The tranquil environment stood in stark contrast to Frey’s other involvement with All-Star games. As the Royals manager in 1980, Frey led Kansas City to the World Series following a sweep of the Yankees in the ALCS. Kansas City lost the World Series but provided Frey the opportunity to skipper the AL squad in the 1981 All-Star contest at Cleveland Stadium.

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Zimmer's Hopes Shine on the Rays

BRIDGEWATER, NJ – Don Zimmer has seen it all in baseball. In his 60th year affiliated with the game, he has served as a player, coach, manager and now an advisor. But nothing compares to his first championship he won in Brooklyn during that faithful 1955 season. And Zimmer takes full responsibility for his role. “I remember the first time the Dodgers beat the Yankees in 1955,” recalled the 77 year-old Zimmer, who was in town to be an honorary manager in the Atlantic League All-Star game. “Johnny Podres got a lot of credit for that, but I think I should have a lot of credit myself. I started the game at second base, which means Junior Gilliam would be in left field. We were leading 1-0 in the sixth inning with a man on third and one out and Casey Stengel took out the left hander and sent up a right hander to pitch against me. Walter Alston took me out and sent up George Shuba to pinch hit for me.

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