Chicago
Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica
Sports Quote of the Day:
"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?" ~ John
Wooden, UCLA Basketball Coach
How 'bout
them Chicago Blackhawks? Emery, Kane lead
Blackhawks to 5-2 win over Avs; Avs nemesis injures Hossa.
By
This one is still going, too.
And this one the Colorado Avalanche couldn't stop, either.
Ray Emery had 17 saves to remain unbeaten this season, helping Chicago knock off Colorado 5-2 on Monday night in the first meeting since the Avalanche halted the Blackhawks' record points streak.
Emery, the backup to Corey Crawford, wasn't tested all that often by the Avs but he came up big when needed to improve to 11-0-0 this season.
''I just want to play well. Each and every game is a new team, a new challenge and I just treat it as I want to win one game at a time,'' Emery said. ''I thought we played really well.''
Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews provided the offense with a goal and two assists apiece for the Blackhawks, who've embarked on yet another streak: They've won three straight to move to 3-2-0 after their NHL-record 21-0-3 start to the season was ended in the Mile High City on March 8.
In that game, Emery replaced Crawford in the third period. This time, Emery had everything under control.
''They're a good team, a quick team,'' Emery said. ''We had the lead early on and I thought we played really well.''
That's because the Blackhawks were a highly motivated bunch.
''Them ending our streak, we wanted to get a little bit of redemption and know that we can beat a team like this,'' Kane said. ''It's nice to kind of beat them like that.''
The Avalanche are on a streak, too, only going the wrong way. They've dropped a season-worst four in a row.
''It's been a tough week no doubt. But we're the guys that dug ourselves this hole,'' said captain Gabriel Landeskog, who scored the first short-handed goal of his career in the opening period. ''We've got to dig ourselves out of it. We win together and we lose together. That's the way it is.''
Chicago had another big offensive night highlighted by Kane, the team's leading scorer. He nearly had another goal on a breakaway early in the third period, only to be turned away by the left pad of Semyon Varlamov.
Jimmy Hayes and Andrew Shaw scored 57 seconds apart in the first period to get things going and Brent Seabrook later contributed another. Toews then added a late insurance goal to wrap up the win.
''We did a heck of a job rolling four lines and no one got caught out there,'' said Toews, whose team scored a season-best eight goals in a win at Dallas on Saturday.
''Sometimes, with elevation, you get caught on a long shift and that can get to you, but we were smart about our changes and those little details and it showed in our team game.''
The victory may have been pricey, though, as Marian Hossa left the game after taking a hit in the first period. He's day-to-day with an upper-body injury, coach Joel Quenneville said.
It's the second player the Blackhawks have lost against the Avalanche. Patrick Sharp appeared to hurt his shoulder after being checked along the boards by Colorado's Ryan O'Byrne on March 6 in Chicago. There's no timetable yet for Sharp's return.
So, do the Blackhawks pay attention to those types of hits?
''You're aware of what's going on,'' Quenneville said. ''You do what you've got to do.''
With Hossa sidelined, that meant Kane had to turn in some double shifts.
''I asked him a couple of times (how he was doing), when he looked like he might've been out of breath,'' Quenneville said. ''A couple of times, he even laughed at me. He likes to go. He had the puck a lot tonight. He was dangerous.''
That he was. But really, what's new?
Chicago began with a flurry of goals, starting with Hayes backhanding a shot past Varlamov for his first of the season. Hayes was just recently called up from Rockford of the AHL.
Moments later, Shaw beat Varlamov with a wrist shot.
Emery came up big in the opening period, with a little help from Niklas Hjalmarsson. On a play where Emery was sprawled out on the ice, the defenseman slid over and prevented a potential goal by blocking a wrist shot with his left leg.
The Avalanche got on the board with 33.4 seconds remaining in the first period when Landeskog scored a short-handed goal. The young captain took a pass from Matt Duchene and simply flew by Seabrook on his way to the goal.
Seabrook took a seat on the bench for a good portion of the second period, only to return and score his fifth goal of the season on a slap shot.
As to why the Avalanche seem to give Chicago so much trouble of late, Kane had a simple explanation: Colorado is one of the few teams that can actually match the Blackhawks' swift speed.
''It's like when we came into the league - we were young and youthful and trying to prove something,'' Kane said. ''I'm sure that's the same way with the Avalanche.''
Notes: Chicago won the season series against Colorado, 2-1-0. ... Avs G Semyon Varlamov earned his first assist on a pass that set up a goal from F Milan Hejduk in the second period. ... Avs F Cody McLeod took a puck to the face in the third period and was helped off the ice.
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Chicago Cubs finally gain some leverage with Rosemont ballpark proposal, will
they capitalize?
By Kevin Kaduk
The Chicago Cubs have long been pushing for Wrigley Field's
much-needed renovations, only to be met with a lot of pushback from mayor Rahm
Emanuel and his administration.
It's easy to see why, of course. The Ricketts family has possessed little leverage with everyone operating under the assumption that there's no way the Cubs could ever play anywhere except the corner of Clark and Addison.
That changed on Monday, however, when David Kaplan of Comcast Sportsnet Chicago reported that Rosemont mayor Brad Stephens was willing to give the team 25 acres of property in his northwest suburb to build the team's next new home. Not only would a move to the area near O'Hare airport free the Cubs from the city of Chicago's 12 percent amusement tax, it'd open up the advertising signage possibilities that Emanuel has yet to grant on the North Side plus give plenty of room to build things like luxury boxes, restaurants and bars. Rosemont is one of the most pro-business suburbs in the entire country and the Stephens family has a getting things done, so it's not likely that we've heard the last of this deal.
Emanuel's office laughed off the possibility of the Cubs' uprooting themselves from the city, but the Ricketts finally have something they didn't before: An alternative option that's more than just an idea. If they can go out and solicit more sites from revenue-seeking suburbs — Schaumburg! Hoffman Estates! Addison! — they'll finally have some ammo to push back against Emanuel and force some kind of decision in their favor.
At some point, however, Emanuel is going to call the team's bluff and say the Cubs will never leave the beautiful park that made them a national phenomenon despite more than 100 years of title-free seasons. All of which raises the question: Do the Ricketts really have what it takes to play hardball and make it look like they'll head west on the Kennedy Expressway unless their demands for Wrigley are met?
It's looking like we're about to find out.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell settles lawsuit with NFL Films, retired players.
Taken from Yahoo Internet sports article, 03/19/2013
Taken from Yahoo Internet sports article, 03/19/2013
With Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown and 16 other retired players at his side, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the settlement of a class-action lawsuit, filed in 2009 by retired players who wanted to be compensated for the use of their names and images in NFL Films footage.According to the settlement, reached Monday morning and announced at the owners' meetings, the league will contribute $42 million over an eight-year period to a newly established Common Good Fund that will be administered by seven of those players.
The fund will be used to support organizations that provide benefits to retired players, including medical, housing, career transition and other forms of assistance.
The settlement also establishes the first independent licensing agency, which will ensure the players are compensated for their images in the future. The agency will be overseen by a board of retired players approved by the court and will operate separately from the NFL and NFL Players Association.
"For the first time in history, retired players will be represented at the table,'' Brown said. "I'm very happy to represent the players that you see here and all the players in the National Football League and all the retirees who have been overlooked for so many years.
"We're looking out for our brothers who are definitely in need," Brown added.
Brown said the fund "will allow us to reach out and to help a lot of our players who really need help. And not only that, but to help their spouses, who are similarly suffering. Today is like coming back together, because we can publicly say we'll be doing something together, a landmark happening for people who truly need it.''
Among the 16 retired players were Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson and Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy, a former Washington Redskins safety. Richardson acknowledged the league has been remiss in providing for the retired players.
"It's a new day," Richardson said, "and fortunately, it's better late than never."
Hall of Famer Elvin Bethea and five other retired players filed the lawsuit in Minneapolis four years ago, accusing the NFL of exploiting retired players' identities in films, highlight reels and memorabilia to market the league's "glory days" without compensating the players.
"It's the first time ever that we've been able to establish an independent licensing agency dedicated solely to retired players,'' Goodell said. "We see this as a very positive step that will help promote our retired players, our game and be ultimately be very beneficial to our players long term.''
The fund will be used to support organizations that provide benefits to retired players, including medical, housing, career transition and other forms of assistance.
The settlement also establishes the first independent licensing agency, which will ensure the players are compensated for their images in the future. The agency will be overseen by a board of retired players approved by the court and will operate separately from the NFL and NFL Players Association.
"For the first time in history, retired players will be represented at the table,'' Brown said. "I'm very happy to represent the players that you see here and all the players in the National Football League and all the retirees who have been overlooked for so many years.
"We're looking out for our brothers who are definitely in need," Brown added.
Brown said the fund "will allow us to reach out and to help a lot of our players who really need help. And not only that, but to help their spouses, who are similarly suffering. Today is like coming back together, because we can publicly say we'll be doing something together, a landmark happening for people who truly need it.''
Among the 16 retired players were Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson and Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy, a former Washington Redskins safety. Richardson acknowledged the league has been remiss in providing for the retired players.
"It's a new day," Richardson said, "and fortunately, it's better late than never."
Hall of Famer Elvin Bethea and five other retired players filed the lawsuit in Minneapolis four years ago, accusing the NFL of exploiting retired players' identities in films, highlight reels and memorabilia to market the league's "glory days" without compensating the players.
"It's the first time ever that we've been able to establish an independent licensing agency dedicated solely to retired players,'' Goodell said. "We see this as a very positive step that will help promote our retired players, our game and be ultimately be very beneficial to our players long term.''
Arnold Palmer Invitational odds have Tiger Woods the clear favorite to defend
his title.
By Shane Bacon
There are plenty of things pointing towards a Tiger Woods victory this week at
the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
For one, the guy has won at Bay Hill seven times including his breakout win a
season ago. And 2013 has been pretty good to Tiger with wins at Torrey Pines and
the Blue Monster, making him the only guy on tour with multiple wins thus far
this year.
Las Vegas is also on board with Woods being the favorite, pegging him at 11-to-4 to win his third event of the season. Right behind Tiger is a familiar face in Phil Mickelson, at 15-to-1, as is Brandt Snedeker and Justin Rose. Sergio Garcia rounds out the five guys that landed at 20-to-1 or better odds, with the rest of the names after the jump.
ODDS TO WIN:
TIGER WOODS 11/4
PHIL MICKELSON 15/1
BRANDT SNEDEKER 15/1
JUSTIN ROSE 15/1
SERGIO GARCIA 20/1
KEEGAN BRADLEY 25/1
BUBBA WATSON 25/1
GRAEME McDOWELL 25/1
LEE WESTWOOD 30/1
WEBB SIMPSON 30/1
JASON DUFNER 30/1
IAN POULTER 30/1
JIM FURYK 40/1
HUNTER MAHAN 40/1
RICKIE FOWLER 40/1
JASON DAY 50/1
NICK WATNEY 50/1
PETER HANSON 50/1
CHARLES HOWELL III 50/1
BILL HAAS 50/1
BO VAN PELT 60/1
ERNIE ELS 60/1
JIMMY WALKER 60/1
SCOTT PIERCY 60/1
ROBERT GARRIGUS 60/1
GEOFF OGILVY 80/1
GEORGE COETZEE 80/1
K.J. CHOI 80/1
RYAN MOORE 80/1
LUKE GUTHRIE 80/1
RUSSELL HENLEY 80/1
LUCAS GLOVER 80/1
GREG CHALMERS 80/1
GRAHAM DeLAET 80/1
BOO WEEKLEY 80/1
KEVIN STREELMAN 80/1
THORBJORN OLESEN 80/1
FRANCESCO MOLINARI 80/1
HARRIS ENGLISH 80/1
ZACH JOHNSON 100/1
CHRIS KIRK 100/1
JOHN SENDEN 100/1
BRENDON DE JONGE 100/1
HENRIK STENSON 100/1
BRANDEN GRACE 125/1
AARON BADDELEY 125/1
CARL PETTERSSON 125/1
RETIEF GOOSEN 125/1
TIM CLARK 125/1
FIELD (all others) 5/1
Las Vegas is also on board with Woods being the favorite, pegging him at 11-to-4 to win his third event of the season. Right behind Tiger is a familiar face in Phil Mickelson, at 15-to-1, as is Brandt Snedeker and Justin Rose. Sergio Garcia rounds out the five guys that landed at 20-to-1 or better odds, with the rest of the names after the jump.
ODDS TO WIN:
TIGER WOODS 11/4
PHIL MICKELSON 15/1
BRANDT SNEDEKER 15/1
JUSTIN ROSE 15/1
SERGIO GARCIA 20/1
KEEGAN BRADLEY 25/1
BUBBA WATSON 25/1
GRAEME McDOWELL 25/1
LEE WESTWOOD 30/1
WEBB SIMPSON 30/1
JASON DUFNER 30/1
IAN POULTER 30/1
JIM FURYK 40/1
HUNTER MAHAN 40/1
RICKIE FOWLER 40/1
JASON DAY 50/1
NICK WATNEY 50/1
PETER HANSON 50/1
CHARLES HOWELL III 50/1
BILL HAAS 50/1
BO VAN PELT 60/1
ERNIE ELS 60/1
JIMMY WALKER 60/1
SCOTT PIERCY 60/1
ROBERT GARRIGUS 60/1
GEOFF OGILVY 80/1
GEORGE COETZEE 80/1
K.J. CHOI 80/1
RYAN MOORE 80/1
LUKE GUTHRIE 80/1
RUSSELL HENLEY 80/1
LUCAS GLOVER 80/1
GREG CHALMERS 80/1
GRAHAM DeLAET 80/1
BOO WEEKLEY 80/1
KEVIN STREELMAN 80/1
THORBJORN OLESEN 80/1
FRANCESCO MOLINARI 80/1
HARRIS ENGLISH 80/1
ZACH JOHNSON 100/1
CHRIS KIRK 100/1
JOHN SENDEN 100/1
BRENDON DE JONGE 100/1
HENRIK STENSON 100/1
BRANDEN GRACE 125/1
AARON BADDELEY 125/1
CARL PETTERSSON 125/1
RETIEF GOOSEN 125/1
TIM CLARK 125/1
FIELD (all others) 5/1
Heat
beat Celtics for 23rd win in a row.
By
The longest winning streak in NBA history is still 10 victories away for the Miami Heat. So it will be a while before Dwyane
Wade really focuses on matching the 33-game run of the Los
Angeles Lakers.
''Not 'til we get to 32,'' he said with a smile after one of the greatest
challenges to Miami's run of success.
LeBron
James hit the go-ahead jumper with 10.5 seconds remaining to cap a
37-point performance and the Heat escaped with a 105-103 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday night for their 23rd
straight win, breaking a tie for second with the 2007-08 Houston Rockets.
Just as Wade isn't looking too far ahead, coach Erik Spoelstra didn't have
time to consider that the Heat would lose the game - even when the Celtics led
by 17 early in the second quarter and by 13 with 8:27 to play.
''I didn't think like that,'' he said. ''We have to stay in the moment.''
There was no panic on a team that was playing its third game in four days and
had lost its previous 10 regular-season games in Boston. Not even against a
Celtics team that had won 11 consecutive home games, starting with a 100-98,
double-overtime victory over the Heat on Jan. 27. Miami split its next two
games, losing on Feb. 1 at Indiana. Two days later, the winning streak began in
Toronto.
Miami's next four opponents - Cleveland, Detroit, Charlotte and Orlando -
have the four worst records in the East. The Heat need 11 more wins to surpass
the mark the Lakers set in 1971-72, and eight of their next 11 games are against
teams with losing records. The biggest threat is San Antonio, which could be the
30th straight victim.
Spoelstra appreciated what the streak means.
''It's a special opportunity that we have with this group and you don't want
to take it for granted,'' he said. ''You want to treat every day as a special
opportunity to be with this group, to share these moments together, but more
importantly to take a step closer to going after our goal and every day that we
improve puts us in a better position in a quest where nothing is guaranteed for
anybody.''
Nothing was guaranteed for the Celtics on Monday night, despite a career-high
43 points by Jeff Green. He got more offensive opportunities because Kevin
Garnett missed the game with the flu and a left thigh strain.
But after James converted an offensive rebound to tie the game at 103, Green
missed a layup with 1:07 left. Then, after James made the decisive basket, Shane
Battier blocked Green's layup with 7.2 seconds to go.
The ball went out of bounds but Paul Pierce, who had 17 points, eight
rebounds and eight assists, missed a 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds remaining. Wade,
who had 16 points, got the rebound and called timeout with 1.9 seconds left.
Courtney Lee committed a non-shooting foul on James with 1.1 seconds to play.
Battier then threw the inbounds pass off a Celtic and time expired.
''We had to earn that one, no question about it,'' Spoelstra said. ''They
really got into us defensively and made it tough for us to get into our offense.
They were just coming at us so fast.''
But five years to the day after the Celtics snapped Houston's 22-game streak,
the Heat extended theirs to 23.
''It means a lot,'' James said. ''I know the history of the game. To be
sitting in second place right now ... for us to be there and doing it the way we
want to do it, it means a lot.''
James added 12 assists and Mario Chalmers scored 21 for Miami.
''I believed we were going to win the game before the game. I thought we were
going to win the game during the game. And I thought we should have won the
game,'' Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. ''I give them credit. They made some
spectacular plays.''
The Heat had not won in Boston since the New Big Three was formed - including
that double-overtime loss on Jan. 27, when former Celtic Ray Allen returned with
his new team.
That was the day Rajon Rondo was diagnosed with an ACL tear that ended his
season. This time, it was Garnett who sat out, though Rivers said he would have
played if the thigh injury had not been compounded by the flu.
''It was the best team in the league and we took them to the breaking
point,'' Green said. ''We've just got to, when Kevin comes back, continue to
play like we did today.''
Green had 14 points in the first quarter, when the Celtics scored the last 17
to open a 31-19 lead. Boston led by as many as 17 in the second, but Miami went
on a 15-6 run just before the half to make it a six-point game and then scored
the first eight points in the third quarter to take the lead.
Green had 12 in the second quarter and 12 in the third.
But the Heat still pushed their winning streak to 23.
''No moral victories,'' Pierce said, ''even though it was a close game.''
Notes: Miami's win and Atlanta's loss on Monday night clinched the Southeast
Division for the Heat. ... Pierce committed seven of the Celtics' 20 turnovers.
... James was called for a technical foul for taunting when he stood over Jason
Terry after a dunk. It was James' sixth technical of the season and 39th of his
career.
Unbeaten Dominicans win World Baseball Classic 3-0.
By
(Getty Images)
''We appreciate that from the president,'' Jose Reyes said. ''This win is all about the Dominican Republic. They were hungry waiting for this moment, and we did it.''
The Dominican Republic has its World Baseball Classic crown, at last.
Cheers of ''Dominicana! Dominicana!'' rang out through the rain at AT&T Park all the way to the lively streets of Santo Domingo.
Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run double in the first inning that held up, and the Dominicans capped a dominant, unbeaten run through the WBC with a 3-0 win against Puerto Rico for the championship Tuesday night.
''Tomorrow will be a national holiday,'' said Moises Alou, the proud Dominican general manager. ''It was a tremendous win.''
Cano earned MVP honors, Erick Aybar added an RBI double to back winner Samuel Deduno, and the demonstrative Dominican righty threw his arms into the air in delight after watching a run-saving defensive gem by center fielder Alejandro De Aza in a tough fifth.
The Dominican fans - fanaticos, indeed - didn't let the Bay Area's wet weather keep them from dancing in the stands, waving flags and tooting horns. Flags became makeshift ponchos.
It was fitting, too, perhaps, considering the World Series champion Giants clinched the NL pennant against the Cardinals in a downpour on this very field last fall.
Some 50,000 more supporters gathered to watch on televisions inside and outside of Estadio Quisqueya in the Dominican capital city.
''We want to enjoy every single moment, because we don't know if this group will be together again. I doubt it,'' Dominican manager Tony Pena said.
Now, the Dominicans get their long-awaited fiesta. A party they figured to have in 2009, when the Netherlands spoiled the plan by beating them twice for a stunning first-round exit.
After Fernando Rodney struck out Luis Figueroa to end it, the Dominicans rushed the mound - each player waving his own flag. Well, Rodney held up his lucky plantain that served him well for the second straight day. He won't eat this platano, which he said ''is going to be my second trophy.''
''This is my gold medal,'' he said. ''It will be my black diamond, because it's changing color. I kept telling everybody to relax and not to worry about (the pressure).''
The Dominicans (8-0) won it in the city where countrymen Felipe, Jesus and the late Matty Alou made history in 1963 when they appeared in the same Giants outfield for several games. Moises Alou is the son of former San Francisco skipper, Felipe.
No matter their team, Caribbeans had so much to cheer in the championship of a tournament missing the star-studded American team yet again. The U.S. failed to reach the final for the third time in as many WBCs.
And Puerto Rico eliminated two-time reigning Classic champion Japan with a 3-1 victory Sunday night to make in all-Caribbean final.
This game gave new meaning to the idea of a Caribbean championship.
Deduno followed up a fine outing in a win against the Americans last Thursday with another strong performance that will send him back to the Minnesota Twins with some nice momentum.
Deduno struck out five in five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and walking three to finish with a 0.69 ERA for the tournament. And Rodney struck out two and finished for his seventh save as the bullpen closed out this special run with 25 2-3 scoreless innings. The relievers didn't allow a run after the fourth inning of their first-round victory against Puerto Rico on March 10 in San Juan.
In the top of the fifth, the grounds crew scurried out to rake the mound after it became slippery in the rain and Deduno walked Alex Rios on five pitches to lead off the inning.
After Carlos Rivera flied out, De Aza ran down Andy Gonzalez's long fly to the gap in left-center and made a reaching snag at the warning track with his back to the infield.
Deduno then walked Jesus Feliciano. Pena paid the pitcher a mound visit but stuck with him, and Deduno struck out Angel Pagan swinging after falling behind 2-0. Deduno pumped his fists again as he charged off the mound and was surrounded by celebratory teammates.
In the bottom half, De Aza did it with his bat. He snapped an 0-for-12 stretch when he laid down a perfect bunt single toward third.
The Dominicans became the first unbeaten WBC champion, beating Team Puerto Rico for the third time in this Classic.
And now they earn the distinction of world champion, too - the first time in WBC history.
Cano had a big hand in it.
The New York Yankees star finished his sensational Classic batting .469 (15 for 32) with two home runs, six RBIs, six runs scored and two doubles. The 15 hits are a WBC record. He also earned MVP honors in each of the first two rounds. Encarnacion finished with six WBC RBIs.
After drawing a pair of intentional walks a night earlier, Cano had another in the first inning against loser Giancarlo Alvarado.
The Puerto Rican right-hander surrendered Encarnacion's double two pitches later, and was done after one shaky inning featuring 22 pitches and only 10 strikes.
Hiram Burgos relieved and struck out five in 4 2-3 innings.
''We didn't have a lot of big names,'' Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said. ''The people who were here wanted to be here. They had a mission, and that was to give everything. I think that's an example of what can be accomplished when you have interest and you really put your passion toward a cause.''
After Miguel Tejada started at third base and Hanley Ramirez played designated hitter a night earlier in a 4-1 semifinal win against the Netherlands, Ramirez returned to third and Aybar was back in the lineup at DH. Tejada replaced the Dodgers' Ramirez at third in the sixth and made a diving catch in the bullpen area in which he landed hard on his left side and came up grimacing.
Ramirez was lifted because he jammed his thumb lunging for a groundball. Mosies Alou said Ramirez would be examined further.
Pena's move paid off as Aybar doubled and singled and Ramirez added a base hit in the winning effort.
''I'll tell you one thing: Tonight we're going to celebrate, tomorrow we're going to celebrate, and Thursday we're going to worry about spring training,'' Cano said.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig was among those to attend the game - available on television to 440 million households worldwide in 200 countries and territories, and in 15 languages - that drew 35,703 fans on a cool, drizzly March night at AT&T Park.
NOTES: The Puerto Ricans were 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position. ... DR reliever Santiago Casilla walked major league teammate Pagan on five pitches to start the eighth. ... Reyes tripled in the seventh. ... Attendance for the three games in the Giants' ballpark was 96,913 for a tournament total of 885,212. That surpassed the previous record of 801,410 in 2009. ... ... Japan's loss to Puerto Rico on Sunday was watched by 51 percent of potential viewers in Japan, MLB said. It was the largest share for any of Japan's WBC games this year. The game also was the most-watched sporting event in the past year in Puerto Rico, with the final moments getting a 74 share. ... MLB executive Tim Brosnan called the WBC an ''unqualified, over-the-top success.''
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''We appreciate that from the president,'' Jose Reyes said. ''This win is all about the Dominican Republic. They were hungry waiting for this moment, and we did it.''
The Dominican Republic has its World Baseball Classic crown, at last.
Cheers of ''Dominicana! Dominicana!'' rang out through the rain at AT&T Park all the way to the lively streets of Santo Domingo.
Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run double in the first inning that held up, and the Dominicans capped a dominant, unbeaten run through the WBC with a 3-0 win against Puerto Rico for the championship Tuesday night.
''Tomorrow will be a national holiday,'' said Moises Alou, the proud Dominican general manager. ''It was a tremendous win.''
Cano earned MVP honors, Erick Aybar added an RBI double to back winner Samuel Deduno, and the demonstrative Dominican righty threw his arms into the air in delight after watching a run-saving defensive gem by center fielder Alejandro De Aza in a tough fifth.
The Dominican fans - fanaticos, indeed - didn't let the Bay Area's wet weather keep them from dancing in the stands, waving flags and tooting horns. Flags became makeshift ponchos.
It was fitting, too, perhaps, considering the World Series champion Giants clinched the NL pennant against the Cardinals in a downpour on this very field last fall.
Some 50,000 more supporters gathered to watch on televisions inside and outside of Estadio Quisqueya in the Dominican capital city.
''We want to enjoy every single moment, because we don't know if this group will be together again. I doubt it,'' Dominican manager Tony Pena said.
Now, the Dominicans get their long-awaited fiesta. A party they figured to have in 2009, when the Netherlands spoiled the plan by beating them twice for a stunning first-round exit.
After Fernando Rodney struck out Luis Figueroa to end it, the Dominicans rushed the mound - each player waving his own flag. Well, Rodney held up his lucky plantain that served him well for the second straight day. He won't eat this platano, which he said ''is going to be my second trophy.''
''This is my gold medal,'' he said. ''It will be my black diamond, because it's changing color. I kept telling everybody to relax and not to worry about (the pressure).''
The Dominicans (8-0) won it in the city where countrymen Felipe, Jesus and the late Matty Alou made history in 1963 when they appeared in the same Giants outfield for several games. Moises Alou is the son of former San Francisco skipper, Felipe.
No matter their team, Caribbeans had so much to cheer in the championship of a tournament missing the star-studded American team yet again. The U.S. failed to reach the final for the third time in as many WBCs.
And Puerto Rico eliminated two-time reigning Classic champion Japan with a 3-1 victory Sunday night to make in all-Caribbean final.
This game gave new meaning to the idea of a Caribbean championship.
Deduno followed up a fine outing in a win against the Americans last Thursday with another strong performance that will send him back to the Minnesota Twins with some nice momentum.
Deduno struck out five in five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and walking three to finish with a 0.69 ERA for the tournament. And Rodney struck out two and finished for his seventh save as the bullpen closed out this special run with 25 2-3 scoreless innings. The relievers didn't allow a run after the fourth inning of their first-round victory against Puerto Rico on March 10 in San Juan.
In the top of the fifth, the grounds crew scurried out to rake the mound after it became slippery in the rain and Deduno walked Alex Rios on five pitches to lead off the inning.
After Carlos Rivera flied out, De Aza ran down Andy Gonzalez's long fly to the gap in left-center and made a reaching snag at the warning track with his back to the infield.
Deduno then walked Jesus Feliciano. Pena paid the pitcher a mound visit but stuck with him, and Deduno struck out Angel Pagan swinging after falling behind 2-0. Deduno pumped his fists again as he charged off the mound and was surrounded by celebratory teammates.
In the bottom half, De Aza did it with his bat. He snapped an 0-for-12 stretch when he laid down a perfect bunt single toward third.
The Dominicans became the first unbeaten WBC champion, beating Team Puerto Rico for the third time in this Classic.
And now they earn the distinction of world champion, too - the first time in WBC history.
Cano had a big hand in it.
The New York Yankees star finished his sensational Classic batting .469 (15 for 32) with two home runs, six RBIs, six runs scored and two doubles. The 15 hits are a WBC record. He also earned MVP honors in each of the first two rounds. Encarnacion finished with six WBC RBIs.
After drawing a pair of intentional walks a night earlier, Cano had another in the first inning against loser Giancarlo Alvarado.
The Puerto Rican right-hander surrendered Encarnacion's double two pitches later, and was done after one shaky inning featuring 22 pitches and only 10 strikes.
Hiram Burgos relieved and struck out five in 4 2-3 innings.
''We didn't have a lot of big names,'' Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said. ''The people who were here wanted to be here. They had a mission, and that was to give everything. I think that's an example of what can be accomplished when you have interest and you really put your passion toward a cause.''
After Miguel Tejada started at third base and Hanley Ramirez played designated hitter a night earlier in a 4-1 semifinal win against the Netherlands, Ramirez returned to third and Aybar was back in the lineup at DH. Tejada replaced the Dodgers' Ramirez at third in the sixth and made a diving catch in the bullpen area in which he landed hard on his left side and came up grimacing.
Ramirez was lifted because he jammed his thumb lunging for a groundball. Mosies Alou said Ramirez would be examined further.
Pena's move paid off as Aybar doubled and singled and Ramirez added a base hit in the winning effort.
''I'll tell you one thing: Tonight we're going to celebrate, tomorrow we're going to celebrate, and Thursday we're going to worry about spring training,'' Cano said.
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig was among those to attend the game - available on television to 440 million households worldwide in 200 countries and territories, and in 15 languages - that drew 35,703 fans on a cool, drizzly March night at AT&T Park.
NOTES: The Puerto Ricans were 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position. ... DR reliever Santiago Casilla walked major league teammate Pagan on five pitches to start the eighth. ... Reyes tripled in the seventh. ... Attendance for the three games in the Giants' ballpark was 96,913 for a tournament total of 885,212. That surpassed the previous record of 801,410 in 2009. ... ... Japan's loss to Puerto Rico on Sunday was watched by 51 percent of potential viewers in Japan, MLB said. It was the largest share for any of Japan's WBC games this year. The game also was the most-watched sporting event in the past year in Puerto Rico, with the final moments getting a 74 share. ... MLB executive Tim Brosnan called the WBC an ''unqualified, over-the-top success.''
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