St. Peter Chanel boys basketball coach Bernie Tarr leaving to run Belize's national program

Bernie Tarr, pictured in 2010, is leaving St. Peter Chanel to head Belize's basketball program, from youth levels through the national team. - (Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer)

Tarr has resigned to become Belize's national basketball program development officer.

Source: http://highschoolsports.cleveland.com/news/article/-1254043100349026750

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Former Tampa Bay Ray Jonny Gomes returns to Trop with home run off catwalk

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Monday, June 27, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — Considering how colorful and combustible Reds OF Jonny Gomes was while with the Rays, it was only fitting he returned with a bang to Tropicana Field on Monday.

And considering how well-loved Gomes was by fans and teammates, it came as little surprise he was greeted with cheers.

Gomes, 30, who spent parts of six big-league seasons with the Rays (2003-08), ripped a solo homer in the fourth inning of his first game back. Gomes, who opened his pregame news conference by saying, "What a beautiful stadium," had to admire the fact that his 392-foot blast to leftfield hit the C-ring catwalk, one of the idiosyncrasies of a place he called home for so long. Had it not hit the catwalk, the homer might have landed close to a sign, written on a sheet, that read, "Welcome back Jonny!"

"It was a good opportunity to show the Reds the guidelines on the catwalk," Gomes said.

Gomes finished 1-for-3 and was hit by an Adam Russell pitch in the seventh. He said before the game that Rays fans "had always been good to me." And Reds manager Dusty Baker and Rays manager Joe Maddon appreciated the fact that the Trop crowd responded favorably to the ex-Ray.

"He deserves it," Maddon said. "He's a big part of the Devil Rays culture. When we have the Old Timers Game in about 15 years from now, I'm certain he's going to be participating. And if you hang a breaking ball, I'm sure he's going to hit it out."

Gomes got to visit pregame with some former Rays teammates, and Baker said he wanted to make sure to play him against Tampa Bay, putting him as DH.

"That was a big night for him," Baker said. "And hopefully he will have a couple more before we get out of here."

WELCOME BACK: Monday was also a homecoming for Reds RH reliever Nick Masset, a St. Petersburg native and former Pinellas Park High product who has enjoyed his place in the back end of the bullpen.

Masset said it has been great to "set up one of the best closers in the game" (RHP Francisco Cordero), a role he'd eventually love to fill. And he said there were at least 20 or so family and friends in attendance to watch him pitch a scoreless ninth.

"It's an honor; to be in the big leagues is one thing," Masset said. "But it makes it that much more of an honor to play in front of your hometown and all your family and coaches."

Quotable: 3B Evan Longoria, who had a rough game, going 0-for-3 while committing an error and baserunning mistake, said he plans to put it behind him.

"We didn't play with a whole lot of energy — I mean, I didn't," Longoria said. "Not by choice. I think a couple of the errors I made, or the baserunning mistake and the error, it's more mental than anything. You've just got to try to turn the page."

Fun effort: RHP Wade Davis said he enjoyed his adventurous trip around the bases Sunday in Houston. After delivering a pinch single in the ninth, Davis went to second on a wild pitch and third on a single before getting called out after sliding into and knocking over C Carlos Corporan. "It was probably the hardest I've had to run in a long time; it was fun, though," Davis said. "I wish I could do that for a living, but I can't."

Davis said third-base coach Tom Foley told him to run home on a ground ball and said going in with a hard slide was just his instinct. "I've always been pretty aggressive," he said. "I've never really backed off."

MISCELLANY: LHP J.P. Howell and Russell will be "striking out hunger" at Sweetbay Supermarket (7580 49th St. N, Pinellas Park) from noon to 1 p.m., signing autographs in exchange for a donation of a package of Hannaford brand fruit cups. … DH Johnny Damon will be at the Vinoy Renaissance Resort in St. Petersburg from 1 to 2:30 for "Uncork the Cause," announcing the release of his 2007 red wine. Proceeds from the sale will support families of the three fallen St. Petersburg police officers (www.uncorkforacause.com).

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/former-tampa-bay-ray-jonny-gomes-returns-to-trop-with-home-run-off-catwalk/1177641

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Splitting up hard to do for RIM's Balsillie, Lazaridis

Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis are both co-CEOs and co-chairmen at Waterloo-based RIM.

Source: http://www.thestar.com/business/companies/rim/article/1016356--splitting-up-hard-to-do-for-co-ceos-and-co-chairmen-of-rim

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Tampa Bay Rays' Johnny Damon thrilled to be approaching Ted Williams on all-time hits list

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — As DH Johnny Damon moves up the all-time hits list, he has been honored to pass his share of Hall of Famers.

Reggie Jackson. Ernie Banks. Joe Morgan.

But with one more hit, Damon will join a legend he feels especially sentimental toward: Ted Williams (2,654 hits).

Damon pulled within one with two big hits in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Reds, a solo homer in the fourth and a two-run double in the eighth. One more hit puts Damon in 71st place all time, an important place in the heart of the former Red Sox.

"That's probably going to be the most special one on the list," Damon said. "Obviously, every hit you get and whoever you tie or pass is special. But I think Ted Williams is tops for me."

Damon was playing for Boston when Williams died in 2002. He remembered that when the Red Sox honored the late Hall of Famer on the field, his son, Jackson, wore a Williams jersey. Williams was a six-time batting champion who hit 521 homers and was the last to hit better than .400 (.406 in 1941). Along with his 19-season career, he spent five years as a Navy pilot.

"He'll go down as the greatest hitter of all time," Damon said. "Obviously he probably could have got more hits if he didn't walk as much … and also serving our country like he did. … He's numero uno."

FINISH IT: Even though RHP James Shields is on a historic run with three consecutive complete games, it won't change his approach as he goes for No. 4 today against the Reds.

"I'm going to go out there, make my pitches," Shields said. "And if I'm there at the end, it'll be nice."

Shields, who has a club record and major league-high six complete games, knows the key to finishing games is how he starts at-bats. He is the most efficient starting pitcher in the AL, averaging 13.8 pitches per inning.

"I think the main thing about this year is I'm getting ahead in the count and not getting into too many three-ball counts," Shields said. "I'm staying really aggressive early in the count. When you have first-pitch strikes and getting guys out quick, especially throwing strikes with all four of my pitches, you tend to be successful that way."

If Shields throws another complete game, he'll join then-Blue Jays RHP Roy Halladay (2003) as the only pitchers in the past 13 years to have four in a row.

IN CLOSING: RHP Kyle Farns­worth blew just his second save of the season, allowing a tying homer to Reds RF Jay Bruce in the ninth. Farnsworth (16 saves in 18 chances) has allowed a run in five of his past eight outings (12 hits, 82/3 innings) after surrendering a run in four of his previous 28. But manager Joe Maddon is not concerned.

"Full count, I think the cutter didn't get where he wanted it to cut," Maddon said. "Obviously he left it over the plate more. …It's not going to be perfect every night."

STARRY NIGHT: Evan Longoria, an All-Star starter last season, ranks fourth among AL third basemen in the final balloting update. 2B Ben Zobrist and Damon are each fifth, and OF Matt Joyce 11th. With in-stadium balloting finished, fans can vote online at mlb.com until 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Results will be announced Sunday. The game is July 12 in Phoenix.

MISCELLANY: Tuesday was the Rays' first win against the Reds in eight tries. They now have beaten every major-league team. … SS Reid Brignac's error on a hard-hit ground ball by Reds DH Jonny Gomes in the fifth was changed to a hit two innings later. … The fourth annual Rays on the Runway event, benefiting the Children's Dream Fund, is tonight at the Tampa Museum of Art. It is sold out.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/tampa-bay-rays-johnny-damon-thrilled-to-be-approaching-ted-williams-on/1177819

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AngelicAngels created Professional nanny recruitment agency offering FREE registration and advice to families looking for home based childcare solutions

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Cancer survivor?s mom told she can?t walk in fundraiser unless she raises $2,000

An Alberta woman was told she could not participate Calgary's Weekend to End Women's Cancers walk until she raised enough money.

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1016293--cancer-survivor-s-mom-told-she-can-t-walk-in-fundraiser-unless-she-raises-2-000

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Bell Canada to pay $10M fine for misleading ads

The Competition Bureau says Bell Canada must pay a $10-million fine after it employed misleading advertising suggesting its prices were lower than what customers actually paid.

Source: http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1016273--bell-canada-to-pay-10m-fine-for-misleading-ads

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