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42 The Virgin Islands Daily News

Daily News Photo by TIM CHAPMAN
Ivanna Eudora Kean High School volleyball player Chantell Grant goes up for a kill in the Lady Rays' 3-1 home win over the Ss. Peter & Paul Lady Jaguars on Thursday.

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the ball over her own head and just inside the out-of-bounds antenna.
The ball dropped untouched in the center of the Ss. Peter and Paul half.
The Lady Jags struggled to forget about such points and assistant coach Ronald Blyden noted that emotion is the team's biggest issue. Blyden was filling in for head coach Gigi Quetel, who was unable to attend the game.
"They have their issues and their problems — I understand that — but they feed off of each other negatively, unfortunately," Blyden said. "But they are gifted, that's for sure. That's one of the reasons I'm sticking with them and I don't want to leave."
Kean (7-3) will try to transfer its energy over to St. Croix today and Saturday at the Educational Complex Invitational. Coach Jennifer Matthias hopes to see more consistency out of her team, especially Grant.
"She brings a lot of energy, but sometimes her energy is in her mouth, cheering. But I need more of her energy to go into playing more on the court," Matthias said.
"They love to cheer and make that kind of noise, but I wish they had that energy also when they're playing the ball. They're a good group of girls, but sometimes they get sidetracked."
— Contact reporter Tim Chapman at 714-9102 or tchapman@dailynews.vi.

SPORTS

Friday, November 9, 2012

Boras: Dodgers 'bought store,' Mets 'in freezer'

By RONALD BLUM
The Associated Press

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — With baseball awash in record revenue as the signing season starts, Scott Boras compares the habits of teams to families sifting through supermarket shelves.
At the winter meetings in Dallas last year, the agent had this to say of the financially troubled Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets: "Normally, they're in the steaks section, and I found them in the fruits-and-nuts category a lot."
Since then, the Dodgers have been sold for $2 billion. The Mets owners have agreed to pay up to $162 million — and likely much less — in a deal with the trustee for Bernard Madoff's fraud victims.
So on Wednesday at the general managers' meeting, Boras said his view of the Dodgers had changed.
"I think they bought the store," he said.
And as for the Mets?
"The best you can say is that they might be in the freezer section," he explained. "But there's a lot of good, longstanding products that they can acquire there."
Slugger Josh Hamilton and pitcher Zack Greinke are among the top players in a relatively weak free-agent class that also includes outfielders B.J. Upton, Michael Bourn, Torii Hunter and Nick Swisher; first baseman Adam LaRoche; and pitchers Kyle Lohse and Rafael Soriano.
Baseball estimates revenue this year at $2.5 billion — an increase of about $500 million. National television contracts with Fox and Turner that run from 2014-21 will double the average yearly money baseball receives to about $800 million.
And perhaps the biggest evidence of baseball's wealth is franchise values — the Dodgers sold for $2 billion this year in a bankruptcy court auction and the lowly San Diego Padres were bought for $800 million.
Since the Dodgers were bought last spring by a group headed by Mark Walter, Stan Kasten and Magic Johnson, they increased their payroll by about $35 million, adding infielder Hanley Ramirez, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, closer Brandon League, pitcher Josh Beckett and outfielder Carl Crawford.
The Dodgers' payroll next year might approach or surpass that of the New York Yankees, who have topped spending every year since Los Angeles edged them by $1 million in 2001.
New York is vowing to cut its payroll by 2014 because of changes in the collective bargaining agreement that will cut the team's revenue-sharing bill if it doesn't wind up paying a luxury tax.
Infielder Maicer Izturis became the first major league free agent to switch teams this offseason, agreeing to a $10 million, three-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. The 32-year-old hit .256 with 17 steals in 19 tries, two homers and 20 RBIs this year for the Angels.

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against Charlotte Amalie High School in mid-October, but rebounded with a 46-0 win over Central High on St. Croix before last week's bye.
"We have a lot of senior leadership," Neely said, "so really these guys govern themselves — guys like Nathan Braithwaite, our quarterback."
Braithwaite, a senior, has found Cilliers and senior receivers Omar Henderson and Lucas Berry on touchdown passes.
Kean High sophomore quarterback Shunnel Greenaway must exhibit more poise to give his team a chance.
Greenaway looked sharp in the first half of last week's 36-10 loss to CAHS, but the offense sputtered down the stretch.
"I'm trying to keep him to maintain focus and be patient," Donovan said. "When he was patient in the first half of the game, we were moving the ball. Everything doesn't have to be deep. Every pass doesn't have to be a touchdown right away. He's only 16 years old, so sometimes he gets too excited and gets away from the pace of the game."
Greenaway's protection will not come easy. Cilliers had two sacks and recovered a fumble to lead the Arawaks defense in the first meeting.
If the Arawaks win tonight and defeat CAHS (4-0) next week, both teams will have one loss. CAHS is idle the following week, and the Arawaks finish against struggling St. Croix Educational Complex.
In the case of a tie in the final regular season standings, point differential will determine which team qualifies for the territory championship on Dec. 8.

Local Briefs

Basketball clinics
ST. CROIX — The Sports, Parks and Recreation Department will conduct after-school basketball clinics at Rudy Krigger Ballpark in Sion Farm every Wednesday through Dec. 19.
The clinics are geared toward teaching youths the fundamentals of basketball and are for children ages 7 through 12. Free registration is from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Krigger Ballpark. For more information, call Carita Stevens at 773-0160.

St. Thomas Yacht Club race, fundraiser
ST. THOMAS — The St. Thomas Yacht Club is hosting a race and pig roast on Dec. 15 to benefit the club's youth sailing program.
The $40 entrance fee includes two tickets per boat for the pig roast following the race. Sailors of all ages are welcome, and the race is open to IC-24s, Racers, Cruising boats and any boat 24 feet or longer.
Trophies and gift certificates will be presented to the top three boats. The race will start 8:55 a.m., but skippers will meet at 8 a.m. The event is sponsored by Scotiabank and Budget Marine.
For more information, contact the club at 775-6320.

Basketball clinic
ST. CROIX — The USVI Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation, the Department of Tourism and the Paradise Jam Organization will host a basketball clinic from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Monday at Central High School's Ronald Charles Gymnasium.
The clinic will be conducted by Nels Hawkinson, the president and executive director of Basketball Travelers Inc., and is for boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 18. BTI organizes the Paradise Jam and other college and high school tournaments around the world. Hawkinson will be joined by colleague Craig Jonas.
Participants will receive Paradise Jam posters and T-shirts and have a chance to win complimentary tickets to the tournament, which begins Nov. 16.

Rugby practice
ST. THOMAS — The USVI Rugby Football Union practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week from 6-8 p.m. at Charlotte Amalie High School. Veterans, novices and first-time players are all welcome to participate.
The group is training for upcoming scrimmages with the BVI and other down-island teams. For details, email Dan Perez at usvirugby@gmail.com, visit their web site at www.usvirugby.org or call 941-565-0031.

After-school junior tennis program
ST. CROIX — Tennis pros Don de Wilde and Kristopher Elien is running an after-school junior tennis program through Christmas at the Buccaneer Hotel for players between the ages of 5 to 18. For more information, or to ask about times, costs or registration, call 718-3036.

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