East Valley Tribune (Mesa, AZ) articles from June 2001

East Valley Tribune (Mesa, AZ) archives from June 2001

Money crunch at Arizona State.
June 2, 2001... Byline: Bob Moran Kevin White's last fiscal budget as athletic director at Arizona State included $45,000 in salary for a water polo coach. His successor, Gene Smith, however, didn't hire a coach this season. In reviewing ASU's...

Matt Williams disabled a little while longer.
June 2, 2001... Byline: Dan Zeiger Running the bases at Bank One Ballpark on Friday was painful for Matt Williams, so the Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman will not come off the disabled list before Monday. "It didn't go too good," said Williams, who...

Schilling, Diamondbacks win on Friday night.
June 2, 2001... Byline: Dan Zeiger Before Friday night's game, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly spoke highly of his pitching staff, which posted a major-league best 2.75 team ERA in May. "I don't think you could ask any more of our pitchers,"...

When Andre Wadsworth turned into Eric Swann.
June 2, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow Simeon Rice, Mark Smith, Eric Swann and now, Andre Wadsworth. Going, going . . . thank goodness they're gone. What a waste. More than 1,000 pounds of beef afflicted with foot-in-mouth disease. The Arizona...

Cardinals retract offer to Wadsworth.
June 2, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban Coming off major knee surgery and scarcely seen around the Arizona Cardinals' offseason workouts, defensive end Andre Wadsworth had his three-year tenure with the team finally fizzle out Friday when the team pulled...

Suns-Celtics triple-OT game in Finals still rates greatest NBA game.
June 3, 2001... Byline: Mike Tulumello MESA, Ariz. _ The greatest sports event in Arizona history took place 25 years ago Monday, nearly 3,000 miles away, before a boozed-up crowd of Boston sports fans. For Arizona sports fans, the 1976 NBA Finals...

Tempers flare between Diamondbacks, Padres.
June 4, 2001... Byline: Ed Price PHOENIX _If tempers were simmering after Ben Davis' bunt single May 26, they boiled over Sunday for the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres. Two hit batters _ Padres starting pitcher Kevin Jarvis and D-Backs...

Arizona wins 9th straight.
June 4, 2001... Byline: Ed Price PHOENIX _ Randy Johnson was due for room to work with, and so were the Arizona Diamondbacks. An 8-4 victory Sunday over the San Diego Padres at Bank One Ballpark was the D-Backs' ninth straight, tying the team record...

Suppan happy with trade that sent him to Royals.
June 10, 2001... Byline: Ed PRICE KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Most Arizona Diamondbacks fans probably consider Jeff Suppan a footnote to team history. And his brief stint with the D-Backs isn't a big part of his life either. But Suppan is alive and well in...

Baseball's Unwritten Rules subject to interpretation.
June 10, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow PHOENIX _ The ambiguity of baseball's Unwritten Rules confronted Mark Grace on a spring afternoon in 1999. Grace was in the on-deck circle when Chicago Cubs teammate Sammy Sosa hit two home runs off Arizona's Todd...

Stein stymies Diamondbacks.
June 10, 2001... Byline: Ed PRICE KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ As with Glenn Close's character in "Fatal Attraction," one should never assume the Arizona Diamondbacks' hitting woes are dead. For seven innings Saturday, Blake Stein _ yes, that Blake Stein _...

Cooper awaits encounter with old Comets teammates.
June 10, 2001... Byline: Jeff Simon Van Chancellor always held out hope that he would be coaching Cynthia Cooper. But when his most valuable player in every WNBA Finals said she was going to retire, he had to believe her. "Since the day I met...

Diamondbacks defeat Cubs.
June 15, 2001... Byline: Ed Price PHOENIX _ Thursday's matinee had violence, drama, history and suspense. A real action thriller _ with a white-knuckle finish and a thumbs-up ending for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Randy Johnson earned his eighth victory...

Before Shaq and Wilt and Kareem, there was George.
June 15, 2001... Byline: Mike Tulumello PHOENIX _ There's a Laker fan in north Scottsdale, a retiree from Minnesota, pulling for the team in royal purple and gold uniforms these days. He takes more than a casual interest in basketball because he...

George Mikan almost didn't find basketball.
June 15, 2001... Byline: Mike Tulumello When George Mikan's family members looked in their crystal ball, back when young George was growing up in Joliet, Ill., in the 1930s, they saw a priest. Basketball wasn't in the cards. Not in 10 decks of them....

Rogers returning to Suns.
June 16, 2001... Byline: Mike Tulumello Rodney Rogers will return to the Phoenix Suns next season. And he'll do so at a price that is most agreeable to club officials. Rogers on Friday exercised the option on his contract to return for a third season...

Cardinals checking out Tomich.
June 16, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban Jared Tomich didn't have much of a chance last year in New Orleans, his fourth season in the league. New coach Jim Haslett moved Tomich from his normal defensive end position to defensive tackle. And then Tomich got...

Coyotes send Juneau on his way.
June 16, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown |Officially, the Phoenix Coyotes traded the rights to Joe Juneau to the Montreal Canadiens Friday for future considerations. In reality, they just did both Juneau and the Canadiens a favor. Coyotes general...

Womack slams Tigers, helps Schilling win 11th.
June 18, 2001... Byline: Ed Price PHOENIX, Ariz. _ Tony Womack did not want to go to sleep Saturday night, knowing the next day he would wake up to his first Father's Day without his father. Womack eventually shed tears Sunday. His emotions spilled out...

Diamondbacks defeat Dodgers.
June 20, 2001... Byline: Ed PRICE LOS ANGELES _ Randy Johnson has to convince only one man, Bobby Valentine, that he's a worthy All-Star Game starter. Luis Gonzalez has to sway thousands of people, although he can't make much more of a case. Gonzalez,...

Anderson easing toward return to Diamondbacks.
June 23, 2001... Byline: Ed Price DENVER _ With three simulated innings Friday, Brian Anderson continued to progress toward a return to the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 1. The choice on who comes out of the rotation has not been made. And the team has...

Diamondbacks edge Rockies.
June 23, 2001... Byline: Ed Price DENVER _ Putting together the second-best record in baseball requires some resourcefulness at times. And the Arizona Diamondbacks had that Friday at Coors Field. Despite not getting an extra-base hit until Tony...

Crandall returns Arizona State with tougher hide, better perspective.
June 23, 2001... Byline: Bob Moran The rabid student section at McArthur Court won't get under Kenny Crandall's skin. Neither will the taunting crowds at California or Stanford. After serving two years on mission for the Mormon Church in Oregon, where...

Oregon finds some money.
June 23, 2001... Byline: Bob Moran The money for athletics in Oregon seems to be growing like the tall timber in the state. After mouths around the Pac-10 dropped when it was made public that donors had coughed up $250,000 for a 10-story high mural of...

Coyotes acquire Berezin.
June 23, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown After a slew of recent trades brought young players and defensemen to Arizona while stars Keith Tkachuk and Jeremy Roenick were being shown the door, a quick glance at the updated Phoenix Coyotes roster begged one...

Coyotes need some punch.
June 23, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown The Phoenix Coyotes need scoring punch. They need a drawing card. And with Jeremy Roenick saying he's headed elsewhere, they need a scorer and a lightning rod that can be had for the $5-6 million they seem willing to...

Fans should pick All-Stars.
June 24, 2001... Byline: Scott BORDOW Let's consider for a moment the indignities Major League Baseball has inflicted on fans the past 30 years. Eight work stoppages, three of which have resulted in games being lost. Soaring ticket prices. A...

NBA players association says greed is behind age limit proposal.
June 24, 2001... Byline: Craig MORGAN College coaches are on the campaign trail with NBA commissioner David Stern in tow. The platform? An age requirement for the NBA draft that will stem the tide of players who either skip college or leave early for NBA...

More and more young players are bypassing school for lure of NBA.
June 24, 2001... Byline: Craig Morgan Once upon a time, the college experience was a rite of passage for basketball players _ the first stop toward a promising NBA future. To today's young stars, college often isn't worth the four-year commitment. Why?...

Arizona State's Koetter says preseason forecasts mean little in inexperienced Pac-10.
June 24, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN Ariz.) The preseason football magazines are starting to hit the newsstands and the forecasts for Arizona State under first-year coach Dirk Koetter aren't so bright. The Sun Devils are seen as a second-division...

Lumme dealt to Stars for Bouck in draft-day deal.
June 24, 2001... Byline: Jerry BROWN Attention, Phoenix Coyotes fans. If you wake up this morning and your favorite player is still on the totally revamped team roster, it might be OK to exhale. At least for a few weeks or so. After pulling three...

Rockies slips past Johnson, Diamondbacks to avoid sweep.
June 25, 2001... Byline: Ed Price DENVER _ The Colorado Rockies on Sunday prevented the Arizona Diamondbacks' first-ever four-game series sweep. Or, more accurately, the D-Backs cost themselves a sweep, beating themselves in a 7-6 loss at Coors Field....

Pittman puts McGinnis to the test.
June 25, 2001... Byline: Slim Smith Answer: A movie about car theft and Michael Pittman. Question: What are things things that are Gone In 60 Seconds? It seemed as predictable as sun-up. There is Dave McGinnis, who has preached accountability,...

Coyotes can't corral Peca.
June 25, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown PHOENIX _ The Phoenix Coyotes picked five more rookies Sunday, but they couldn't pick-a-Peca. Or more accurately, Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Reiger didn't pick the Coyotes' offer for the rights to his...

Diamondbacks suffer rare shutout loss on Monday night.
June 26, 2001... Byline: Ed Price It took nearly three weeks, but the Arizona Diamondbacks have a losing streak. Wade Miller and two Houston Astros relievers handed the D-Backs just their second shutout of the season Monday, a 6-0 defeat at Bank One...

Diamondbacks fall to Astros.
June 27, 2001... Byline: Dan Zeiger Arizona Diamondbacks fans, you can keep ripping off Wrigley Field's Bleacher Bums and throw opposing home-run balls back _ but it still won't discourage visiting teams from going deep. The Houston Astros certainly...

Jason Kidd leaves Phoenix with bittersweet memories.
June 30, 2001... Byline: Mike Tulumello Jason Kidd, bidding farewell to the Valley of the Sun, says he has "no hard feelings" toward anybody on the Phoenix Suns, including club leaders Jerry and Bryan Colangelo. Even so, and even though he didn't throw...

Stephon Marbury comes to Phoenix with a different tune.
June 30, 2001... Byline: Craig Morgan Stephon Marbury's newest buzzword is maturity. The Phoenix Suns are praying he can walk that walk because the trio that represented the Suns' locker room leadership last season _ Jason Kidd, Clifford Robinson and...

Suns' dominoes keep falling with departures.
June 30, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown Phoenix Suns players Jason Kidd, Rex Chapman and George McCloud sat in an idling limo, sheltered from the falling snow, outside Denver's McNichols Arena on a January night in 1999. The Colorado Avalanche were...

Michael Pittman not prosecuted.
June 30, 2001... Byline: Bryon Wells The Maricopa County Attorney's Office will not prosecute Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Pittman based on his arrest last week, and has instead referred the case to Tempe city courts. Pittman was arrested June...

Coyotes to start preseason in Quebec.
June 30, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown The Phoenix Coyotes released their 2001-02 preseason schedule Friday and, as expected, will handle their training camp in a different manner this season. For the first time, the team will hold its rookie camp...

Jeremy Roenick is Philly bound.
June 30, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown Jeremy Roenick didn't figure to stay a free agent very long. As it turns out, he never even made it to the July 1 deadline. With his main suitors given an early head-start by the payroll slashing Phoenix Coyotes,...