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

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

Diamondbacks split pair on Friday night; Schilling wins 19th; Prinz hurt in loss.
September 1, 2001... Byline: Ed PRICE SAN DIEGO _ Curt Schilling's third try for his 19th win nearly was not the charm. Schilling faltered slightly in the first game of Friday's doubleheader as the Arizona Diamondbacks tried to conserve their bullpen...

Wildcats take a page from Longhorns' book.
September 1, 2001... Byline: Bob Moran The arms race, better known as the massive buildup of facilities, in college sports has been well-documented. But there appears to be a verbosity race, too. It's a good (fun) idea these days to examine the growth...

Never trust results from preseason.
September 1, 2001... Byline: Scott BORDOW So, what do we know about the Arizona Cardinals after four games, three victories and, thankfully, no serious injuries? They're better than the Dallas Cowboys. Beyond that, don't ask me. Preseason games are like...

Bubble boys put charge in Cards' win.
September 1, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN Eventually, Arizona Cardinals games will be about Jake Plummer, Michael Pittman or David Boston. Friday night, though, it was about guys like Arnold Jackson. The Cardinals closed their preseason schedule with a...

Prinz has tired shoulder.
September 2, 2001... Byline: Ed PRICE SAN DIEGO _ The Arizona Diamondbacks survived a scare, as top set-up man Bret Prinz apparently has no more than a tired right shoulder. Prinz was removed from the second game of Friday's doubleheader when it became...

Krohn in command at ASU; QB more mature, confident entering 2nd season as starter.
September 2, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN The hard knocks of an up-and-down season not only knocked Jeff Krohn off the field briefly but knocked some of the playfulness out of him. On the eve of his second consecutive year as Arizona State's starting...

Fans don't know what to think of Koetter.
September 2, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN At this time next week, Arizona State fans will have an opinion on their 21st football coach. Which is more than they have now. The sense here on the eve of the start of the 2001 season is that there is a great...

Cards rushing attack still not in gear.
September 2, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN Counting on the Arizona Cardinals' gaudy 3-1 preseason record would be a mistake. Nothing much is learned when the games don't matter. The Cardinals can only hope the same goes for the running game. After...

Johnson strikes out 14 but Diamondbacks fall to Padres.
September 3, 2001... Byline: Ed PRICE SAN DIEGO _ Some holiday. Spending the long Labor Day weekend in San Diego is supposed to be a relaxing retreat for Arizonans, a chance to mark the end the summer. Not so for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Instead,...

Cardinals cut Brad Ottis.
September 3, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN The Arizona Cardinals and coach Dave McGinnis had already committed to being a young team. Sunday's final cuts assured they would get even younger. In the day's biggest surprise, the Cards released defensive end...

Ireland remains a must-play stop for global golfers.
September 3, 2001... Byline: Bill Huffman SHANNON, Ireland _ There are those on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean who insist that Irish golf is second in stature to the game that is played in Scotland. Don't believe them, as such thoughts border on blarney....

Tony Gwynn a hitter for the ages.
September 7, 2001... Byline: Scott BORDOW Tim Flannery has to think about it for a minute. Finally, it comes to him. The quintessential Tony Gwynn moment. "We were in Cincinnati two years ago," said Flannery, the San Diego Padres' third base coach, "and...

Reaching 60 home runs a lot easier than it used to be.
September 7, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow San Francisco Sixty used to be cool. It was the four-minute mile. A 59 in golf. There was almost a mythical feeling about it. Hit 60 homers and the immortals opened their front door. History was the threshold....

Brenly gives Counsell day off; Gonzalez has one hit in his last 13 at-bats.
September 10, 2001... Byline: Dan ZEIGER In a way, it's been a lifelong dream of Craig Counsell's to have a major league manager schedule a day off for him. For that would mean he's a reliable, frequent contributor to a team _ so much so that the skipper...

Diamondbacks honor Tony Gwynn with set of golf clubs.
September 10, 2001... Byline: Dan ZEIGER With Tony Gwynn making his farewell appearance at Bank One Ballpark, the Arizona Diamondbacks gave the future Hall of Famer what no major-leaguer can have enough of _ golf clubs. Former San Diego Padres teammates...

Diamondbacks win as a team; five Arizona players have at least two hits to down San Diego.
September 10, 2001... Byline: Dan ZEIGER If a team effort is needed to win the National League West, all the Arizona Diamondbacks need to do is keep repeating their performance against the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Bobby Witt pitched six solid innings...

Koetter unhappy with offense; Devils need improvement despite big win.
September 10, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN Dirk Koetter got all the critique he needed of Arizona State's win over San Diego State from his oldest daughter, Kaylee, Saturday night. "She said the defense did great, but the offense wasn't so hot," Koetter...

Arizona State tailback eases doubts in return.
September 10, 2001... Byline: Craig Morgan Delvon Flowers could talk about being healthy until he was blue in the face. One cutback was worth a thousand of those reassuring words Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium. Three plays into Arizona State's second drive,...

Despite rout, it's still too early to judge Koetter.
September 10, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow What is there to say about Dirk Koetter after his debut as Arizona State's football coach? He's 1-0. And he's going to wear the tread off quarterback Jeff Krohn's arm. Other than that, Koetter is still a...

Coyotes begin challenge of developing young team.
September 10, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown There will be many times this season when Phoenix Coyotes fans will long for the sight of Keith Tkachuk camped in the enemy crease, tipping pucks into the back of the net. For the sight of Jeremy Roenick cutting a...

Someday, sports will matter again.
September 11, 2001... Byline: Slim Smith MESA, Ariz. _ Yesterday, I was worried about the pennant race. Today, I'm worried about the human race. Normally, readers turn to this section to read reports on local and national sporting events. But in the wake...

Tighter security expected for Arizona sporting events.
September 13, 2001... Byline: Mike Tulumello By the time the Arizona Diamondbacks take the field again, after a postponement because of this week's terrorist attacks, tighter security measures figure to be in place at Bank One Ballpark. The precautions at...

Follow Roosevelt, sports can be a respite.
September 13, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow Play football when bodies are being pulled out of the rubble? It seems unimaginable. Insulting. How could the NFL even consider such a thing? The stench of Tuesday's terrorist attack is still fresh in our...

Diamondbacks set to work out.
September 13, 2001... Byline: Ed Price The Arizona Diamondbacks worked out Wednesday at Bank One Ballpark, unsure of when they would play again. There were indications all of baseball could resume on Friday. "I think there's a good chance the games will...

Cardinals hold meetings.
September 13, 2001... Byline: Dan Zeiger Even in the wake of tragedy, life must go on. And so it did for the Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday. "We've all seen on television how they went back to work at the Pentagon," coach Dave McGinnis said. "Our country...

Schilling, Johnson slated to start half to Diamondbacks' remaining games.
September 14, 2001... Byline: Ed PRICE Major League Baseball's decision to hold off play until Monday, and the expected rescheduling of the postponed games, will allow the Arizona Diamondbacks' two aces to start nine of the team's final 19 games. Manager...

Cardinals laud NFL decision.
September 14, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue did Thursday what the majority of NFL players and owners had wanted by deciding not to play this weekend. Fifteen games _ including the Arizona Cardinals' trip to Washington D.C. to...

Wayne Gretzky remembers how the late Ace Bailey tried to help him overcome his fear of flying.
September 14, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown The hockey world feared Wayne Gretzky's scoring magic as his legendary career began two decades ago in Edmonton. But at that time, and ever since, Gretzky has dealt with a gripping fear of his own. Flying. ...

American spirit proves indomitable.
September 16, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow This morning I will wake up and go to church. I will hug my two children and tell them I love them. I will tell my wife I love her. I will not complain if I hit every red light or if the line at the...

Diamondbacks' new rotation benefits Schilling, Johnson.
September 16, 2001... Byline: Ed Price Manager Bob Brenly has altered his pitching rotation for when the Arizona Diamondbacks resume play. The move gives Curt Schilling an extra shot at the Los Angeles Dodgers and Randy Johnson a better shot at the all-time...

Cardinals haven't played in a moth by next game.
September 16, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban The Arizona Cardinals' Tempe facility was quiet, but a handful of players showed up on an off day to get some exercise. So six defensive backs, including starters Pat Tillman, Corey Chavous and Kwamie Lassiter,...

Former foes working together to recharge Coyotes.
September 16, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown They are both 25 years old. Both born and raised in Alberta, where playing hockey every winter day and rooting Wayne Gretzky and his Edmonton Oilers on to another Stanley Cup on Saturday night were a way of life. ...

Coyotes' Berezin suffers knee injury.
September 16, 2001... Byline: Jerry Brown The tempo of Saturday's Phoenix Coyote Red-White scrimmage rose a few notches higher than earlier workouts _ in part because of the 1,000 fans in the stands, and in part after a reminder from coach Bob Francis that now...

Stanford's Fasani never lost confidence.
September 20, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN This is Stanford quarterback Randy Fasani's time to live up to the hype. Fasani, if you recall, was a national recruiting magazine cover boy as a high school senior, universally hailed as the nation's top college...

There is precedent for Ryder Cup cancellation.
September 20, 2001... Byline: Bill Huffman Do you remember the fervor tied to the last Ryder Cup? How an ex-U.S. president named Bush came to The Country Club at Brookline, Mass., on Sept. 26, 1999 and helped rally America's golf troops to a record comeback...

Cardinals need a good start.
September 21, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN The math is very simple. During the past five seasons, 60 teams have made the playoffs in the NFL. Only 19 of them lost their first game of the season. And losing the first game is what the Arizona Cardinals...

Claude Lemieux would be a natural leader, but there are problems.
September 21, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow Claude Lemieux wants to be a leader, someone the young Phoenix Coyotes can look up to and emulate. Who better, after all? Lemieux has four Stanley Cup rings. He's played in 221 postseason contests. His 80 goals and...

Bill Bidwill's odyssey in New York.
September 22, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban Bill Bidwill showered, ate breakfast and prepared for the day ahead of him after spending the night at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Manhattan. The Arizona Cardinals' 70-year-old owner never turned on his...

Questions abound regarding Thomas Jones.
September 22, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban It has been almost two months for Thomas Jones to prepare for his start at running back for the Arizona Cardinals. And still questions are numerous to what he can actually accomplish against Denver on Sunday night....

The Big Red Line: Cardinals' beefed-up unit prefers anonymity to spotlight.
September 23, 2001... Byline: Darren Urban On average, they stand 6 feet, 5 { inches tall and weigh 327 pounds. Yet they yearn not to be noticed. Years of playing as an offensive lineman will do that to a man, as it has done to those starting for the...

Diamondbacks enjoy schedule edge; play 6 games vs. Brewers down stretch.
September 24, 2001... Byline: Ed PRICE LOS ANGELES _ The Arizona Diamondbacks' biggest advantage over the final two weeks of the NL West race should be their schedule. Half the D-Backs' final 12 games are against the Milwaukee Brewers, who had lost seven...

Opponents' woes help smooth rocky road trip.
September 24, 2001... Byline: Jerry BROWN LOS ANGELES _ This Arizona Diamondbacks seven-game journey, visiting first an unforgiving ballpark in Colorado and then an all-but-unbreakable spirit here in Tinseltown, was a long and winding road. And as it...

Schilling deals 21; pitcher allows one run while striking out 13.
September 24, 2001... Byline: Ed PRICE LOS ANGELES _ Curt Schilling, Beast of Burden. "I call him `Hoss' for a reason," manager Bob Brenly said Sunday after Schilling pitched the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. "You just...

Sun Devils did not react well to adversity; Koetter: ASU should've had 40 by halftime.
September 24, 2001... Byline: Bob MORAN Dirk Koetter began working on restoring confidence in his Arizona State football team that was lost after the Sun Devils opened Pac-10 play losing 51-28 at Stanford. "That's the first time we've had adversity," said...

Out fast, down hard; Cards can't preserve first quarter lead.
September 24, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN The NFL lifted its television blackout of the Arizona Cardinals' regular-season opener Sunday night. It's too bad the league couldn't have reinstituted it after the first quarter. The Cards spent the first 15...

The real Cardinals surfaced in final three quarters.
September 24, 2001... Byline: Scott BORDOW So, that would be the Arizona Cardinals' 15 minutes of fame this season? A bit early, perhaps, but how glorious it was. The Cardinals led the Denver Broncos, 10-0. They had 152 total yards to Denver's 9. Brian...

Broncos recover from ambush; Denver maintains poise, rattles off 38 points in row.
September 24, 2001... Byline: Dan ZEIGER In the first quarter on Sunday night, the many Denver Broncos supporters at Sun Devil Stadium sat bewildered, wondering why their team looked more like the ITT Technical Institute's northern Colorado chapter. By the...

Don't criticize Michael Jordan until he falls down.
September 27, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow Michael Jordan is a junkie. Nothing he's done since leaving the game of basketball _ the gambling, the golf, life as the Washington Wizards' vice president of basketball operations _ matches the high he got soaring...

After injury and recovery, Mason Unck trying to find old self.
September 27, 2001... Byline: Bob Moran Mason Unck is feeling OK. And that's significant news for Arizona State's football team. Unck, a linebacker, is one of Arizona State's top defensive players. But the past three seasons, he has been troubled by a pair...

Cardinals just running in place.
September 27, 2001... Byline: Darren URBAN The Arizona Cardinals spent the entire offseason and preseason preaching the merits of their new rushing offense. They spent one game falling back into their old habits. The Cards didn't reach the 100-yard...

HEADLINE HERE.
September 29, 2001... Byline: Craig Morgan Fitz Hill's three children are named Faith, Destiny and Justice. Together, they could form the working title for Hill's autobiography. _Faith because the first-year San Jose State football coach is a devout...

Imagine that! Batista is a winner.
September 30, 2001... Byline: Scott Bordow PHOENIX _ A picture of Albert Einstein hangs inside Miguel Batista's locker. "I like what he says about imagination," Batista said. "It's as big as a man can dream. Talent has limit, knowledge has limit, but not...

Suns in shape, but expectations lower in tough Western Conference.
September 30, 2001... Byline: Mike Tulumello PHOENIX _ They're better shooters and scorers, they're in good health, and _ in news that close observers may find fairly shocking _ they seem like they actually might be in good enough shape for the NBA's 82-game...