Prime
us
Rudd
exhort caution by
Beijing on Tibet
Press Release
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) _ President
Bush and Australia's new prime
minister, Kevin Rudd, urged China's
leaders Friday to meet with the Dalai
Lama over violent unrest in Tibet.
"It is absolutely clear that there
are human rights abuses in Tibet,"
Rudd told reporters after his meeting
with Bush at the White House. "It's
clear-cut; we need to be upfront and
absolutely straight about what's
going on."
Bush said he told Chinese
President Hu Jintao this week that
"it's in his country's interest" that top
Chinese leaders meet with
representatives of the
Dalai Lama, Tibet's
exiled spiritual
leader
"We urge
restraint," Bush
said.
Rudd, a China
expert who wants
stronger economic
ties with Beijing,
was making his
first official visit
to the White
House as China
faces continuing
1-sP:zahNii:).;ns 2,00 z
criticism over
its handling
this month of
violent unrest
by Tibetans
protesting Chinese
rule.
He said he would raise the
issue during his visit to China next
month
Earlier, House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi, a longtime critic of China's
human rights policies, said it would
be wrong to boycott the Beijing
Olympics.
She said in a statement that while
LPGA tour update
Press Release
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN,
Ariz. (AP) Angela Stanford shot a
career-best 10-under 62 on Thursday
to break the Prospector Course record
and take a three-stroke lead over
defending champion Lorena Ochoa
in the Safeway International.
Stanford, the 2003 Shopßite LPGA
Tour Classic winner, had a bogey
free round at Superstition Mountain
Golf and Country Club. She had six
birdies in a front-nine 30 and birdied
the final two holes for a back-nine
32.
"It all happened so slowly," Stanford
said. "I'm still in a fog. It's just one
of those days you can't even get in
your own way."
The 30-year-old Texan broke the
course record of 63 set by Cristie
Kerr in 2004, and topped her previous
career best of 64 in the first round of
the 2006 Canadian Open.
O choa, the Mexican star who won
the tournament last year for the first
of her eight 2007 titles, had nine
birdies and two bogeys. She won the
HSBC Champions on March 2 in
Singapore for her 18th LPGA Tour
title.
"I'm going to try to be aggressive
(Friday) and try to catch her. Maybe
I can beat that," Ochoa said after
congratulating Stanford on her
round.
Sherri Steinhauer was third after a
66, Karen Stupples, Jee Young Lee
and Yani Tseng and Heather Young
shot 675, and Michele Redman,
Sophie Gustafson and Na Yeon Choi
followed at 68. Three-time winner
Annika Sorenstam birdied the final
two holes to match Paula Creamer
inister
issue
the Chinese government has failed
to live up to its commitments to
improve human rights conditions in
China and Tibet, "I believe a boycott
of the Beijing Olympics would
unfairly harm our athletes who have
worked so hard to prepare for the
competition."
The California Democrat, who
has long contended that expanded
trade and political ties to China
should be tied to improvements
in Beijing's human rights record,
said she believed the International
Olympic Committee made a mistake
in awarding the 2008 summer games
to China and sponsored a resolution
at the time expressing that view.
She said the Olympics should
provide an opportunity for free
expression and that she
supported the rights
of individuals and
groups to make their
views on China
known when the
Olympic torch
passes through
San Francisco
next month.
Pelosi drew fire
from the Chinese
for her visit with
the Dalai Lama
in India last week
for discussions
disturbances
"As I said in India last week where
I met with His Holiness the Dalai
Lama, if freedom-loving people
throughout the world do not speak out
against China's oppression in Tibet,
we have lost our moral authority to
speak out on behalf of human rights
anywhere in the world," she said.
with a 69
"I finished strong and got a little
momentum," said Sorenstam,
who shot the first 59 in women's
tournament history in her 2001
victory at Moon Valley. The 70-time
LPGA Tour winner also won in 2004
and 2005 at Superstition Mountain.
Stanford wasn't pleased with her 3-
wood approach on the par-5 18th, but
put it on the green from 236 yards to
set up a two-putt birdie.
"I
-look. Chunk. Duck. It was just
bad," she said. "But I had enough
topspin to make it to the green."
Stanford said she sensed a special
round coming when she got up
and-down for par from a greenside
bunker on No. I.
Stanford's lone victory came 114
starts ago and her best finishes since
came in 2006, when she was second
"I'm not even going to think about
it (winning)," Stanford said. "I want
to, but I'm just not going to."
Ochoa shot a 5-under 31 on the
front nine, but three-putted the par
-3 12th for a bogey and also dropped
a stroke on the par-4 15th when she
hit a wedge over the green and into
a bunker.
"Two silly mistakes," she said. "I'm
OK. It's a great way to start."
The 45-year-old Steinhauer had
eight birdies and two bogeys.
"Yeah, that's all right," Steinhauer
said. "It's fun to come out ahead
of the young ones at times.... I've
been terming myself Dr. Jeykll and
Mr. Hyde. Today was Mr. Hyde, but
tomorrow it could be Dr. Jeykll."
Patricia Meunier-Lebouc aced the
167-yard 17th hole with a 7-iron.
She finished with a 72.
The end of baseball spring
The Cleveland Indians lost their
final spring game in Florida while
the New York Yankees dropped one
on their renamed Grapefruit League
field. Boston didn't play and Atlanta
lost but both teams got encouraging
news about key starting pitchers.
Carlos Pena hit one of Tampa Bay's
three home runs and the Rays beat
Cleveland 9-7 in 10 innings
Thursday in the Indians'
final spring game in Winter
Haven, Fla
Minor league infielder
Andy Gonzalez hit a grand
slam for the Indians, who
extended their 16-year stay
at Chain of Lakes Park by
30 minutes with a ninth
inning rally to tie it at 5.
"It's always bittersweet
to leave a place, but times
change," Indians manager
Eric Wedge said. "There's a
lot of memories here."
The Indians are moving
to a new $76 million
spring training complex in
Goodyear, Ariz., in 2009.
This was no ordinary
getaway day. Moving vans
replaced Cadillacs in the
players' parking lot. Fans
pleaded with players to
sign one last autograph in
the Florida sunshine.
One fan held up a sign that
read "Go ahead and call
security. I don't want to leave."
In Tampa, Fla., Derek Jeter
homered but the Yankees lost 5-2
to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first
game at George M. Steinbrenner
Field.
on the
The Yankees' spring training
home, formerly Legends Field, was
renamed in honor of the owner in a
suppression
of anti-Chinese
pregame ceremony.
The Tampa City Council and the
Hillsborough County Commission
recently approved resolutions
calling for the name change.
"Well deserved," Jeter said. "They
could have named it for him when
Youth ultimate fighting OK in Missouri
CARTHAGE, Mo. (AP) Ultimate
fighting was once the sole domain
of burly men who beat each other
bloody in anything-goes brawls on
pay-per-view TV.
But the sport often derided as
"human cockfighting" is branching
out.
The bare-knuckle fights are now
attracting competitors as young as
6 whose parents treat the sport as
casually as wrestling, Little League
or soccer.
The changes were evident on
a recent evening in southwest
Missouri, where a team of several
young boys and one girl grappled on
gym mats in a converted garage.
Two members of the group called
the "Garage Boys Fight Crew"
touched their thin martial-arts gloves
in a flash of sportsmanship before
beginning a relentless exchange of
sucker punches, body blows and
swift kicks.
No blood was shed. And both
competitors wore protective gear.
But the bout reflected the decidedly
younger face of ultimate fighting.
The trend alarms medical experts
and sports officials who worry that
young bodies can't withstand the
pounding.
Tommy Bloomer, father of two
of the "Garage Boys," doesn't
understand the fuss.
"We're not training them for dog
fighting," said Bloomer, a 34-year
old construction contractor. "As
a parent, I'd much rather have my
kids here learning how to defend
themselves and getting positive
reinforcement than out on the
Press Release
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By MARCUS KABEL
Associated Press Writer
they opened the field. What he's
meant, not only to the Yankees
organization, but what he's done for
the community of Tampa. A special
day. I'm very happy for him."
Steinbrenner helped pull the cover
off a new sign above the scoreboard
in left field.
His wife, Joan, threw out the
ceremonial first pitch.
"It was great," George Steinbrenner
said. "It was a great ceremony."
Atlanta's John Smoltz and Boston
Atlanta Braves' John Smoltz felt good after his lat pre-season out
ing, stating "his best day of the spring. He is anxious to begin the
season with his teammates and looks forward to his April 6 start.
right-hander Josh Beckett also felt
good after encouraging outings.
Smoltz threw in the bullpen for
about 20 minutes and called the
session his "best day" of the spring.
Smoltz said he is on track to make
his first regular-season start on April
6 and said he. tad no recurrence of
the shoulderlfiffnesi he suffered on
Friday, forcing him to be held out of
a scheduled start.
"I just needed some time for it to
settle down. It has settled down,"
Smoltz said in Kissimmee, Fla.
"Now I'll approach it like anything
else. I'll take two days off, come
streets."
Bloomer said the sport has evolved
since the no-holds-barred days by
adding weight classes to better
match opponents and banning
moves such as strikes to the back
of the neck and head, groin kicking
and head butting.
Missouri appears to be the only
state in the nation that explicitly
allows the youth fights. In many
states, it is a misdemeanor for
children to participate. A few states
have no regulations.
Supporters of the sport acknowledge
that allowing fights between kids
sounds brutal at first. But they insist
the competitions
have plenty of
safety rules
"It looks violent
until you realize thi
teaches disciplin
One of the first rules ti
learn is that this is
for aggressive beh
outside (the ring),"
Larry Swinehart, a
police officer and fatl
two boys and the loth
in the garage group.
The sport, which is also known as
mixed martial arts or cage fighting,
has already spread far beyond cable
television. Last month, CBS became
the first of the Big Four television
networks to announce a deal to
broadcast primetime fights. The
fights have attracted such a wide
audience, they are threatening to
surpass boxing as the nation's most
popular pugilistic sport.
Hand-to-hand combat is also
popping up on the big screen.
The film "Never Back Down,"
described as "The Karate Kid" for
the You Tube generation, has taken
in almost $l7 million in two weeks
at the box office. Another current
mixed martial arts movie, "Flash
down here and throw and just
have my eyes on my next start on
Sunday."
Smoltz is expected to start the
season on the disabled list. He
hasn't appeared in a major league
game since March 15 so his time on
the DL can be backdated.
Beckett, who missed Boston's trip
to Japan because of back spasms,
pitched four shutout innings in a
minor league game in Florida.
He threw 47 pitches, allowed one
hit, didn't walk a
batter and struck
pitch again
in Florida on Tuesday, then is
scheduled to join the team for the
April 4-6 weekend series in Toronto.
Francona said he may pitch there,
but "that's not etched in stone."
In spring training games
Brewers 10, Cubs 10
At Mesa, Arkz.., Alfo,ilso Soriano
hit s 'a three-run horner for Chicago
and Mike Cameron homered for
Milwaukee.
Mariners 10 (ss), Padres 10
At Peoria, Ariz., Seattle's Felix
Hernandez gave up three runs and
nine hits in five innings, including
home runs by Scott Hairston and
Point," an import from Hong Kong,
is in limited release.
Bloomer said the fights are no
more dangerous or violent than
youth wrestling. He watched as his
sons, 11-year-old Skyler and 8-year
old Gage, locked arms and legs and
wrestled to the ground with other
kids in the garage in Carthage, about
135 miles south of Kansas City.
The 11 boys and one girl on the team
range from 6 to 14 years old and are
trained by Rudy Lindsey, a youth
wrestling coach and a professional
mixed martial arts heavyweight.
"The kids learn respect and how
to defend themselves. It's no more
dangerous than any other
ably less
" Lindsey
protection
arts gloves.
They fight quick, two-minute
bouts. Rules also prohibit any elbow
blows and blows to the head when
an opponent is on the ground.
"If they get in trouble or get bad
grades, I'll hear about it and they
can't come to training," he added.
In most states, mixed martial arts is
overseen by boxing commissions.
In Missouri, the Office of
Athletics regulates the professional
fights but not the amateur events,
which include the youth bouts. For
amateurs, the regulation is done
by sanctioning bodies that have to
register with the athletics office.
The rules are different in Oklahoma,
training
Khalil Greene
Diamondbacks 8, White Sox 4
At Tucson, Ariz., Arizona's Dan
Haren allowed two runs and three
hits in seven innings. Chicago third
baseman Joe Crede left the game
after fouling a ball off his left foot.
Mets 9, Braves 4
At Kissimmee, Fla., Mets lefty
Oliver Perez gave up three runs and
seven hits in 6 1-3 innings, striking
out four and walking one as New
York and Atlanta each relied heavily
on backups.
Blue Jays 8, Astros 3
At Dunedin, Fla., Toronto third
baseman Scott Rolen said his broken
right middle finger could sideline
him six weeks. Blue Jays starter
Dustin McGowan allowed three
runs and four hits in seven innings.
Rangers 8, Royals 5
At Surprise, Ariz., Hank Blalock
and Milton Bradley hit back-to
back homers for Texas and Rangers
starter Jason Jennings gave up two
runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings.
Tigers 14, Phillies 5
out six
Boston manager
Terry Francona,
in California for
three exhibition
games against
the Dodgers,
said he spoke
with Beckett
afterward and
was told he felt
fine.
"It's good
because he's
healthy. He's
just trying to
get ramped up
for the season,"
At Lakeland, Fla., Detroit's
Brandon Inge went 3-for-3 with
three RBIs and Placido Polanco
and Clete Thomas homered for the
Tigers.
Rockies 6, Angels (ss) 2
At Tempe, Ariz., Troy Tulowitzki,
Garrett Atkins and Chris lannetta
hit home runs for Colorado and Los
Angeles catcher Jeff Mathis upped
his spring average to .343 with two
of the Angels' six hits.
Reds 5, Twins 1
At Sarasota, Fla., Bronson Arroyo
pitched seven shutout innings for
Cincinnati, throwing 65 strikes out
of 89 pitches.
Francona said.
"Everything's
gone great there,
so that's why
there's not a lot
of anxiety from
that standpoint."
Beckett will
Nationals 2, Orioles 1
At Viera, Fla., Dmitri Young went
1-for-2 for Washington in his quest
to win the starting first base job over
Nick Johnson. Manager Manny Acta
said he's made a decision, but won't
announce it yet.
Cardinals 2, Marlins 0
At Jupiter, Fla., Rick VandenHurk
walked five and needed 100 pitches
to get through 4 2-3 innings in his
first outing after Florida made him
its No. 2 starter.
where unauthorized fights are
generally a misdemeanor offense.
The penalty is a maximum 30 days
in jail and a fine up to $l,OOO.
Joe Miller, administrator of the
Oklahoma Professional Boxing
Commission, said youth fights are
banned in his state, and he wants it
to stay that way.
"There's too much potential for
damage to growing joints," he said.
Miller said mixed martial arts uses
a lot of arm and leg twisting to force
opponents into submission.
Those moves, he said, pressure
joints in a way not found in
sanctioned sports like youth boxing
or wrestling.
But Nathan Orand, a martial arts
trainer from Tulsa, Okla., said kids
are capable of avoiding injuries,
especially with watchful referees
in the rings. He thinks the sport is
bound to grow.
"I can see their point because when
you say 'cage fighting,' that right
there just sounds like kids shouldn't
be doing it," Orand said.
"But you still have all the respect
that regular martial arts teach you.
And it's really the only true way
for youth to be able to defend
themselves."
idsey said
children
protective
adgear,
h i n
guards,
groin
martial-
Back in the Carthage garage,
Bloomer said parents shouldn't
worry about kids becoming
aggressive from learning mixed
martial arts. He said his older son
was picked on by bullies at school
repeatedly last year but never fought
them, instead reporting the problem
to his teachers.
And fighters including his 8-year
old son get along once a bout is
over, Bloomer said.
"When they get out of the cage,
they go back and play video games
together. It doesn't matter who won
and who lost. They're still little
buddies."