TexSport Publications

TEXSPORT PUBLICATIONS

Continental Baseball League’s Championship Week Begins In Texarkana August 18-20
CBL Trophy Named After Hall of Famer and ex-Texas Ranger Fergie Jenkins
Texarkana, Texas, August 18, 2008 – In a season which found all four teams in the Continental Baseball League spending time in first place during the regular season, it now comes down to the one-week playoff session to determine which team will win the coveted Ferguson Jenkins CBL Championship trophy.
The first round of the playoffs begins Monday night in Texarkana, a best 2-out-of-3 series between the host Gunslingers and the Corpus Christi Beach Dawgs, the league’s first half champion. The winner of this series advances to the league title series in Texas City to face the Bay Area Toros, which clinched a first round bye by virtue of having the best overall season record. The title series, also a best 2-out-of-3 set, will be played at Robinson Stadium in Texas City beginning on Friday night, August 22, and continuing Saturday evening and Sunday evening, if necessary.
Last season’s inaugural winner, the McKinney Blue Thunder, won’t be involved in the playoffs this time around. The team which relocated from Tarrant County to McKinney finished in fourth place during the regular 72-game season despite spending time in first place during the opening weeks of the campaign. Texarkana, which got off to starts of 0-6 and 2-9, rebounded well after Chris McKnight took over for manager Steve Trout in early June. The Gunslingers rode the offense of CBL batting leader Anthony Edwards during June, July and August. Edwards also led the CBL in RBI, runs, hits, triples and total bases.
At one point in late July, the Gunslingers had the best overall record in the league until a late season burst by the Bay Area Toros, winners of 12 of 13 games during one stretch during the past two weeks, allowed the Toros to clinch the best mark overall and a first round bye.
Despite finishing in third place after winning the first half title, Corpus Christi played well against the Gunslingers, finishing with a 14-8 mark in head-to-head competition, including a 7-5 record at George Dobson Field in Texarkana. The Gunslingers, however, did fare well overall at home, posting a 23-14 mark heading into Sunday night’s final regular season game. Texarkana also led the league in home attendance and is expected to have a good turnout for the first round playoff competition.
“This has been an exciting season in the CBL and the league was very well-balanced in that all four of our teams were in first place at some point during the summer,” said CBL league operations director Bob Ibach, who along with CBL commissioner Ron Baron started the independent league in 2007. “Last year we had a team like Bay Area which had a horrible start, yet finished strong and made it into the championship game against the Blue Thunder before they lost.
“Manager Jim Bolt and general manager Mike Pede of the Toros are to be commended for taking that franchise to another level this season, and for an exciting and strong stretch run in late July and August to finish on top and earn a bye into the championship series which they’ll host.”
The CBL is looking to add two, and perhaps four, new franchises for the 2009 season. Baron was extremely pleased by the progress made by Bay Area in its second season, and the warm enthusiasm displayed in Texarkana under the ownership of Frank Snyder. Texarkana had been without professional baseball since 1954 until the Gunslingers began playing in that city in May.
“Frank has done a first class job in promoting baseball in Texarkana, and we’re very encouraged by the response from fans in that city. After a bumpy start on the field, the Gunslingers have turned it around,” noted Baron. “It’s gonna be a fun series to watch this week with the Beach Dawgs because those two teams have gone at it pretty hard all season.”
Hall of Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins, who starred several years with the Texas Rangers and was inducted into Cooperstown in 1991 after a 284-win career, lent his name to the CBL Trophy and the league is honored by that association.
“We’re proud to have Fergie associated with our league trophy and with our independent league,” said Ibach, a former front office member of the Chicago Cubs who was with that franchise at the close of Jenkins’ career. “Fergie has always been a first class act, and he has spent a lot of his time during the past 25 years helping out youngsters through the Fergie Jenkins Foundation that he has established.
“I know he’s probably thrilled to see how our league this season has evolved into a pitcher’s league, quite a reversal from our inaugural year in 2007 when the hitters seemed to rule.”
Jenkins, born in Canada, was recognized by his native country in 2007 with the Order of Canada Award. Jenkins played for the Texas Rangers in 1974-75 and again from 1978-1981. He began his career with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1965-66, and then played for the Chicago Cubs from 1966-1973 and again in his final two seasons in the big leagues from 1982-83. He also pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 1976-77.“Having Fergie Jenkins’ name associated with our league trophy really adds prestige and stature to our championship series,” said Baron.
“Whatever team wins the title, that team will forever linked to one of the greatest pitchers in major league baseball history.”
For more information on the Continental Baseball League, visit the league’s website at www.CBLproball.com

Ferguson Jenkins Continental Baseball League
2008 Championship Series
Schedule of Games
First Round (best 2 of 3) at George Dobson Field, Texarkana
Monday, August 18:           7:05 p.m. Corpus Christi at Texarkana
Tuesday, August 19:           7:05 p.m. Corpus Christi at Texarkana
Wednesday, August 20:      7:05 p.m. Corpus Christi at Texarkana (if necessary)
Championship Series (best 2 of 3) at Robinson Stadium, Texas City
Friday, August 22:               6:35 p.m. winner of first round at Bay Area Toros
Saturday, August 23:           6:35 p.m. winner of first round at Bay Area Toros
Sunday, August 24:              6:35 p.m. winner of first round at Bay Area Toros
                                             (if necessary)
Previous CBL Champions:
2007: Tarrant County Blue Thunder (manager, Curtis Wilkerson)
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"The Eyes of Texas 2008" Hits the Newstand
By Robert H. Kelly
DALLAS, TEXAS (August 8, 2008) A new publication is on the newsstands and I am sure it will provide a different perspective to all the die-hard Texas Longhorn football fans out there.
Maple Street Press, has published a very nice, comprehensive pre-season football annual on the Texas Longhorns. It's called “The Eyes of Texas 2008.”
I think readers will find some very nice features and stories inside the 112-page magazine. It also contains a discussion on each 2008 opponent, a section about Mack Brown's 10 years at Texas, a look at the 20 incoming freshmen on the Longhorns roster, notes on former Texas players and where they are at today and a special story on the history of football at the university.
It is presently on sale at local bookstores, news stands and via http://www.maplestreetpress.com/.
Check it out. I know readers will find it very interesting.
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HOUSTON ROUTS ATLANTE 4-0 IN SUPERLIGA ACTION
By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2008 TexSport Publications
HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 12, 2008) Scoring twice in the first half, Stuart Holden lead the Hosuton Dynamo to a 4-0 rout of Atlante in the first game for both teams in SuperLiga 2008 at Robertson Stadium in Houston.
Dwayne De Rosario scored first for the Dynamo in the 20th minute when he received a pass from Brad Davis off a free kick from 35 meters out on the right sideline and headed the ball into the net.
In the first of Holden’s two scores De Rosario fed the ball to Geoff Cameron on the lower post, who passed it to Holden in front of an open net, allowing Holden to boot it in for the goal in the 20th minute.
Holden netted his second goal in the 29th minute off a pass from Wade Barrett; passing the ball to Holden as he kicked it past goalkeeper Federico Vilar to put Houston up 3-0 at the half.
Houston extended its lead in the 54th minute on a goal by Brian Mullan. Cameron crossed a pass to Mullan and he came sliding in to fire a shot into the left side of the net.
With minutes left in the first half, tempers got the best of De Rosario and Atlante's Javier Munoz Mustafa. De Rosarion reacted to a hard foul by Mustafa and retaliated by pushing Mustafa, who punched the Houston player in the face.
De Rosario and Mustafa were given red cards in the 44th minute over the incident, and will both miss their enxt scheduled game.
Houston faces Chivas Guadalajara Tuesday in Houston, while Atlante will play D.C. United in Washington DC.

Henning, McCullough earn first ever medals in World Junior hammer

Bydgoszcz, Poland BYDGOSZCZ, POLAND (July 12, 2008) - Walter Henning extended his American Junior record to 76.92m/252-4 in the process of winning gold and leading a U.S. 1-2 finish in the hammer at the 12^th IAAF World Junior Championships. Teammate Conor McCullough claimed silver with a personal best and high school record of 75.88m/248-11.

Three more gold medals were attained by Team USA with Teona Rodgers supplying one in the 100 hurdles while both 4 x 100 relays produced winning marks.

A total of five medals were added to the Americans total on Saturday, the fifth day of the World Juniors, of which four were gold.

With one day remaining in the 12^th edition of these championships, the United States currently has a total of 14 medals with nine of them gold, three silver and two bronze.

Cuba, Germany and Kenya have 8 total medals apiece while Ethiopia has attained seven and Russia has six.

LSU's Henning led the competition from his first round toss of 76.14m/249-10 and ended it with a sixth round toss of 76.92m/252-4. It's the first time any Americans have medaled at the World Juniors in this event.

Through the first three rounds, with the field being trimmed from 12 to 8, the U.S. throwers led the hammer with the top two marks of the day. Following Henning's opening round effort, McCullough (Canoga Park, California) hit a personal best of 75.88m/248-11 in the third round to move from 10^th to second for a position in the final three rounds.

Aleh Dubitski of Belarus challenged the two Americans with a 75.42m/247-5 that garnered bronze. Meanwhile the home crowd favorite, Poland's Pawel Fajdek was in the medal hunt with a 75.31m/247-1. The PA system belted out 'Eye of the Tiger' each time Fajdek threw in the final three rounds.

Running into a headwind of 2.4mps didn't hamper the goal Florida State's Rodgers set out for herself. With nothing less than a gold medal on her mind, she sped to a winning time of 13.40 in the 100 hurdles and finished with shouts of delight as she crossed the line ahead of the field.

Jamaica's Shermaine Williams pursued Rodgers the whole way, taking silver in 13.48 as Cuba's Belkis Milanes earned bronze with a 13.49.

In winning the World Junior title, Rodgers becomes just the third American to do so in the 100 hurdles, joining 1996 winner Joyce Bates and 2004 champion Ronnetta Alexander.

The U.S. junior team displayed its speed in the 4 x 100 relay with a pair of gold medal performances.

The women won in 43.66 seconds with the same crew they ran in the prelims - Jeneba Tarmoh (San Jose, California), Shayla Mahan (South Carolina), Gabrielle Glenn (South Carolina) and Tiffany Townsend (Baylor). It marked the third consecutive victory for the Americans and sixth overall. Other wins were attained in 1986 (43.78), 1996 (43.79), 1998 (43.52), 2004 (43.49) and 2006 (43.49).

Jamaica finished second to the United States with a time of 43.98 while Brazil placed third in 44.61 to edge out Bahamas, who posted the same time.

The American men defeated Jamaica with a time of 38.98 as it marked the fourth consecutive time the two countries finished 1-2 in these championships. Jamaica, winners in 2006 after being runner-up in 2002 and 2004, posted a time of 39.25.

South Africa turned in a solid performance of 39.70 for third place ahead of a pair of 39.89s from Japan and Great Britain.

Remaining with the same squad that ran in the prelims, the U.S. crew consisted of Dante Sales (Lakeland, Florida), Antonio Sales (South Carolina), Marquise Goodwin (Rowlett, Texas) and Terrell Wilks (Florida). In running the third-fastest winning time at this meet the 2008 relay joined five previous American champions from 1988 (39.27), 1990 (39.13), 1996 (39.36), 2002 (38.92) and 2004 (38.66).

After a lead group of five pulled away from the field in the 3,000 meters, Laurynne Chetelat (Davis, California) led the chase group and finished sixth with a time of 9:15.11. The first five finishers included a pair of Kenyans, two Ethiopians and a Russian. Mercy Cherono of Kenya won the race in 8:58.07.

In the heptathlon, Ryann Krais (Eagleville, Pennsylvania) moved from 13^th to ninth with the 800 meters. Her time of 2:19.15 led to a total score of 5,457 points. Germany's Carolin Schafer won the seven-event contest with a score of 5,833. Erin Sampley of Kentucky did not contest the multi on day two.

Pole vault competition resulted in a seventh place tie for Tennessee's Joe Berry while Maston Wallace of Texas placed 10^th. Berry cleared 5.10m/16-8.75 on his second attempt, but wasn't able to get over 5.20m/17-0.75. Wallace opened at 5.00m/16-4.75, passed 5.10m/16-8.75 and then went out at 5.20m/17-0.75.

Qualifying in the 110 hurdles was a mixed bag for the U.S. as Booker Nunley (Garner, North Carolina) won the third heat in 13.55 for the second fastest time of the semifinal round. But in the second heat Ronald Brookins of Sacramento State placed fourth in 13.80 and was unable to make the final as a time qualifier.

In 4 x 400 relay qualifying, the Americans raced to comfortable wins and impressive times as both took over the world junior leading marks for the 2008 season.

The women posted a leading time of 3:29.54 in the first heat. Australia ran 3:35.22 as the runner-up team in the same heat while Ukraine took heat two in 3:37.12 while Jamaica finished fifth in 3:38.00 and didn't advance.

Running on the U.S. squad were Lanie Whittaker (53.1 - Miami, Florida), Jessica Beard (51.1 - Texas A&M), Erica Alexander (52.4 - Friendswood, Texas), and Porche Byrd (53.0 - South Carolina).

In the men's 4 x 400 the Americans ran in the third heat and answered the Jamaican's 3:09.17 from heat one as well as the 3:06.85 posted by the British in heat two with a 3:05.25. Germany finished as runner-up to the U.S. with a 3:07.35.

The men's crew consisted of Marcus Boyd (46.3 - Baylor), Bryan Miller (46.7 - Texas A&M), Ryan Bailey (46.1 - Albany, Oregon) and Christian Taylor (46.2 - Atlanta, Georgia).

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