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Show DAILY D2 AmRIEFM Baseball Johnson mounts what he says will be his last comeback For the second year in a row, TUCSON, Ariz. Randy Johnson begins spring training recovering from back surgery. At 44, he said this almost certainly will be the last of such comebacks. "I don't care to go through another surgery again, and rehab," he said Saturday. "If this was to happen again, it's 99.9 percent" that he would retire. One of the game's greatest pitchers is $26 milheading into the final season of a lion contract he signed with the Diamondbacks after being traded back to Arizona from the New York Yankees. When his back held up for a time a year ago, he is 16 wins shy of 300 had six strong outings. And-hfor his career. Johnson will not say whether, if he makes it through this season, he will hang it up. But he said he wants to end his career "on my own terms." two-yea- r, "IVe played 25 professional years, and this might be my 20th or 21st major league spring training," Johnson said during a lengthy session with reporters. "Just a matter of playing that long is quite an accomplishment. ... I just want to be able to walk away from the game and say 'You know what? I finished up healthy.' " Johnson enters spring training this year in much ; better shape than a year ago. It's been six months since he underwent surgery in early August to correct a herniated disc. Last year, it had been just over three months, and he acknowledged he may have pushed himself too quickly. "It's a freak thing that happened, and there's no guarantee it won't happen again," he said, "but the one thing that is good is thfet I've taken plenty of time to let it heal up." with a 3.81 ERA in 10 starts Johnson wound up last year. In his final outing, on June 28 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he lasted three innings. He said Saturday he knew then his season was finished, and he was headed for the third back surgery of his career. Because of his age, retirement seemed a reasonable possibility. But Johnson quickly vowed to come back. He already had three bullpen sessions in Phoenix before Diamondbacks pitchers and catchers report-e- d on Friday. 4-- 3 I All eyes on Kobayashi as Indians open spring camp: At Winter Haven, Fla., the Cleveland Indians finally got to see what they spent their money on this offseason when Masahide Kobayashi took the mound Saturday. Kobayashi, who agreed to a $6.25 million, two-yea-r contract in November, went through his first workout at spring training with a group of Japanese journalists watching his every move. Until Saturday, Indians general manager Mark Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge had only seen the on tape. "I was very impressed with how he handled himself and I was very impressed with what I saw," pitching coach Carl Willis said. Willis said Kobayashi throws a fastball in the low right-hand- MONDAY TUESDAY NBA Wrestling Portland State at IN Golden St. UVSC 7 p.m. PBA, Pepsi Championship t Lo Duca speaks about Noon Mitchell Report At Viera, Fla., addressing his inclusion in the Mitchell Report for the first time, Nationals catcher Paul Lo Duca acknowledged what he called "a mistake" without coming right out and explaining exactly what he was apologizing for. Ail-Stwas among the more promThe four-timinent players cited in baseball investigator George Mitchell's report on drug use in the sport, which was released Dec. 13. That was two days after Washington announced it signed Lo Duca to a $5 million, FOX 10:30 a.m. ESPN 3 p.m. VRS one-ye- European, Indonesia Open Zealand PGA 5:30 p.m. 8:30 a.m. ; Sr., The Ace Group Classic 11a.m. PGA, Northern Trust Open 1 p.m. Men's College Basketball Ohio St. at Michigan Duke at Wake Forest UCLA at Southern Cal TGC TGC TGC CBS 1:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 8 p.m. , Game CBS FSN FSN '. 6:30 p.m. TNT 1:30 p.m. NBC NHL Detroit at Dallas pBR Rodeo' VRS Challenger Tour Chmpshp. 6 p.m. Women's College Basketball Oklahoma at Baylor 11:30 a.m. FSN FSN Tennessee at Vanderbilt 1:30 p.m. ESPN2 Texas Tech at Texas A&M 2 p.m. FSN 3:30 p.m. Maryland at Duke 90s with a slider and a split-- f ingerf astball. Kobayashi spent nine seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League, averaging more than 30 saves in each of the last seven seasons, with a career total of 227. He's one of three pitchers in the history of Japanese professional baseball to record over 200 saves. With Cleveland, he'll be used as a setup man for closer Joe Borowski, whose 45 saves last season led the league. He'll be a nice complement for righthander Rafael Betancourt, one of the league's top setup men last season. "We need multiple guys to help us get to the ninth inning," Wedge said. "We need as much depth there as possible." Wedge said if Borowski needs a day off the Kobayashi could be used to save a game. Kobayashi Displayed a deliberate and somewhat unusual pitching motioa He took the ball in his right hand at the beginning of his windup and brought it to the back of his head. He then raised his glove to hide the ball, followed with a high leg kick and delivered the pitch to the plate. The motion I use in games isn't as dramatic," he said through interpreter Toshi Nagahara, who will serve as an assistant athletic trainer with the Indians all season. '' Hockey Zednik released, returns 311-30- Or Audi and Juab was third at 171. Local champions were Justin Bradley (Manti) at 119, Lorenzo Jenson (Juab) at 160, Cody Kiesel (Juab) 189 and Jordan Bainter (Juab) at 215. In the 1A tournament, at Duchesne took the title with 206 points. Monticello was second at 150 and Wayne third at 141.5. y SERVICE () - , . 2007 - t--"- w .is . 7 VWJettaGLI $20,465 OVER AudiTA4 S369 Tol-ber- KN IN t, 2008 Delta's individual chamt, pions included Chasen who defeated Uintah's Candace Workman in the final, Justin Perm and Westly Anderson. Uintah finished third in the team standings with 264 points, and North Sanpete was fourth at 190. Millard won the 2A title, scoring 272.5 points. South Summit was second at 227 n SHIFT rmm fr- . to Florida r- f 189-pou- Florida Panthers forward BUFFALO, N.Y. Richard Zednik has left the hospital and returned to Florida less than a week after he was slashed in the throat by a teammate's skate. Zednik went home Friday after being released Thursday evening, officials at Buffalo General Hospital said. Zednik lost five pints of blood when he was accidentally sliced by the skate of teammate Olli Jokinen in a game against the Sabres. The forward said he barely felt the skate slice into his carotid artery, but with blood gushing from his neck he linew he was in trouble. "I was like, Whoa. I knew I had to get to the bench." He was quickly put in an ambulance, and Dr. Leslie Bisson put pressure on his neck to help slow the bleeding as the ambulance headed toward the hospital. "I remember everything," Zednik told The Buffalo News. "I remember the doctor holding my neck and telling him, 'Don't push so hard. I can't breathe.' I talked to my trainer (Dave Zenobi). I remember them saying, 'OK, go to surgery.' " WWAW HERALD The margin of victory was closer than normal, but the same team people have become accustomed to stood atop the standings in the 3A wrestling tournament. In a tournament that was close throughout, the Wasatch Wasps edged the to Delta Rabbits win the 3A state title. The Wasp victory was sealed chamin the between bout pionship Wasatch's Garrett Gleave and Delta's Kipp Holman. Needing a win to seal the team championship, Gleave did just that as he defeated Holman 10-Wasatch's Sean Sullivan added to the margin of victory by ending Saturday's action with a win of his own. Other Wasp state champions included former Lone Peak wrestler Blake Mangum, Trevor Sweat, Jake Sala-za- r, Ethan Smith and Cole Shafer. : SHIFT M THINKING r DAILY contract. ar "You do something wrong in your life and you get away with it, you still have something inside you that burns," Lo Duca said, his shoulders slumping and his fingers fidgeting with the folds of his orange "And, um, it's been a big relief for me to know that I've come to grips with it. That I made a mistake." e His name appears 37 times in the report, which said he received shipments of human growth hormone from and put other players in touch with admitted steroid distributor Kirk Radomski, a former New York Mets clubhouse employee. Radomski pleaded guilty in ApriL Lo Duca was completely silent on the matter for more than two months. But Saturday, he issued a statement through the team in the morning, saying: "In regards to Senator Mitchell's Report, I apologize ... for mistakes in judgment I made in the past." Then he held a news conference shortly after arriving at Washington's spring training facility in the af- ternooa Even then, Lo Duca was not very expansive. Asked whether the Mitchell Report was accurate about him, Lo Duca said: "I'm not going to comment on that." When another reporter asked what he was apologizing for, Lo Duca replied, "Come on, bro'. Next question." Ken Garff of Orem has a new way of thinking. Come test drive our service today. PORSCHE wrestling 409-pag- NBA MANAGEMENT in3A e Cycling Tour of California Golf New o Wasps edge Delta his pickoff move. Television 500 Utah Kobayashi also fielded grounders and worked on ON THE AIR Sprint Cup, Daytona Bowling at 7p.rfi.KJZZ DUPiTWim SHIFT Sunday, February 17, 2008 HERALD per mo plus tax $7,000 OFF Red, Sunroof, Premium Sound, Plus title, license, and dealer fees HOT!!! Stock 2W7004 . 0 Financing Available Lease 10k per year Plus title, license, and dealer fees $1 ,900 Cap Reduction LEV $19,280.25 Stock 2A8010 Financing as low as 2.9 2007 Porsche $48,525 Save Over $6,000 Plus Tax, Title, Lie, and Fee's Stk 2P7041 We , V Back Up Every Car We Sell! m imml i Thi, m Backing you up for 75 years. |