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New boss
[Times photo: Michael Rondou]
New Rays manager Hal McRae watches his team face off against the Red Sox in the first inning. |
Gary Shelton
LaMar's gut check: firing Rothschild
ST. PETERSBURG -- Late in the evening, alone in his office, he watched the ugliness rise again. It was then Chuck LaMar felt something deep in his gut.
Devil Rays
Rays turn to McRae
Foundering club replaces Larry Rothschild with ex-Royals manager.
Debut spoiled by 9-run eighth
Rays fall 9-1 in Hal McRae's first game as manager.
McRae an open-door manager
Ex-players say he's a fine communicator despite volatile image.
Players are sorry, but not surprised
Larry Rothschild's lack of playing experience is cited as a factor in firing.
LaMar challenges Castilla
The GM rips some of the veteran third baseman's comments upon his benching while announcing he has his starting job back.
What they're saying
Well, the Devil Rays solved their problems by firing Larry. That's going to do about as much good as the Bucs firing Mike Shula.
Struggling Harper is sent to Durham
ST. PETERSBURG -- The beginning of the Hal McRae era signaled the end of the Travis Harper era, at least for the time being.
Meet Hal McRae
BORN: July 10, 1945, in Avon Park.
Bucs
Capel says Bucs need his returns
Ex-Gator brings speed, many question marks into the draft.
NHL
Maple Leafs are first to advance in playoffs
A 3-1 win completes sweep of Sens. The Hurricanes stun Devils in OT, force Game 5.
Shorts
NFL briefs
Co-defendant guilty in scam
Baseball briefs
Malone reportedly forced out as Dodgers GM
NL briefs
Two Cubs win third in sweep
AL briefs
Jays keep Yanks reeling
Sports briefs
Kuerten advances at Monte Carlo
NHL briefs
Maple Leafs sweep Sens
Baseball
From unlikely start, Bonds becomes HR giant
SAN FRANCISCO -- Though Barry Bonds was regarded as a can't-miss prospect when he reached the majors in 1986, few could have predicted 500 home runs.
Motorsports
Talladega making drivers uneasy
Through a series of aerodynamic rules changes, NASCAR accomplished its goal of making racing more exciting in October at Talladega Superspeedway.
NBA
Heat tops Magic in finale
ORLANDO -- A.C. Green had 19 points and 14 rebounds in leading the Heat to a 103-91 regular-season ending victory against the Magic on Wednesday night.
Colleges
ACC Springfest
WHAT: Men's and women's league championships in tennis, golf, track and field, and lacrosse.
Preps
Cowboys hire ex-Storm owner
Gaither brings on Bob Gries despite his limited coaching experience.
Leopards exact revenge with victory over Bears
BROOKSVILLE -- Try as he might, Ernie Chatman hasn't had much luck downplaying the Hernando-Central rivalry to his players.
Districts have two major stories
Will Rolf Steier begin his trek for more state titles? Will Wharton finally break through?
Today's district track meets
CLASS 2A, DISTRICT 10 (Boys) at St. Petersburg Catholic
Regionals could mean revenge
Some of Friday's matchups feature teams that are very familiar with each other.
Dunedin puts PHU away early
DUNEDIN -- Dunedin's Brian Dopirak took two swings in the first inning Wednesday.
Outdoors
Captain's corner
Fishing in Old Tampa Bay has improved in the past few weeks. Snook and redfish have been feeding in the shallows adjacent to the mangrove shorelines.
Golf
Promoting a lifelong love of the game
Mike Cooper and First Tee of Tampa Bay help make golf affordable and accessible to youngsters. The challenge is keeping their interest.
Lopez: Kudos for Sorenstam well-deserved
Nancy Lopez knows it is a losing battle. An LPGA Hall of Famer who almost single-handedly turned the focus to women's golf a generation ago, Lopez believes it is unfair that the exploits of Annika Sorenstam -- or any LPGA superstar -- will be compared with Tiger Woods.
