12 I WEDNESDAY; AUG. 25, 2010
Lions to
By Andrew Robinson
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Andres Casais considers all of
his teammates his brothers, a
group that plays for each other
and wins as a team.
But the senior centre back has
an evencloser bond with his
brotherhoord on the back line of
defense.
"We have brilliant players back
there on the back line," Casais
said. "It's a brotherhood within a
brotherhood, the defense. We
want to get a record of shutouts,
we want to win every tackle, it's
that mentality that everybody
has."
Aside from Casais, a 2009 First
Team All-Big Ten selection, the
Penn State men's soccer team has
a deep core of defenders that have
been pushing for time on the field
Damon
By The Associated Press
DETROIT -- Johnny Damon is
staying in Detroit.
The 36-year-old outfielder
decided to pass
up a chance to
return to the
Boston Red Sox,
rejecting their waiver claim and
choosing to remain with the
Tigers.
- These guys really like me
here," Damon said Tuesday,
adding he spoke to each of his
teammates individually to be sure
he was wanted in the Tigers' club
house.
Damon was popular in Boston
when he helped the Red Sox win
the 2004 World Series to end an 86-
year drought.
With his long hair and beard, he
was part of the group of Red Sox
players who called themselves the
"Idiots."
He fell out of favor, however,
with many Boston fans when he
later became a free agent and
joined the rival New York Yankees.
"Considering the buzz that
Johnny created for many years
here, one of the original Idiots' of
the World Series champions here,
I thought it would be a great idea.
But sometimes the ideas of others
are not the same as the person
who actually has to be in the situa
tion," Red Sox outfielder Mike
Cameron.
Damon's contract gives him
veto power over trades to all but
Pirates drop Cardinals
By Alan Robinson
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
PITTSBURGH -- Pirates rookie Neil
Walker drove in three runs and last-place
Pittsburgh prevented Adam Wainwright
from becoming the majors' first 18-game
winner, holding off a ninth-inning rally to
beat St. Louis 4-3 on Tuesday night.
The Cardinals, down 4-2 when the ninth
started, loaded the bases with one out and
a run in on Jon Jay's single, but Evan
Meek got Matt Holliday and Felipe Lopez
to pop up in succession. Meek converted
only his second save in eight opportunities.
Spikes
From Page 10.
including two each from three different
players. However, State College was held
hitless with runners in scoring position,
tallying an 0-for-11 mark. None of the
Spikes four hits came in the same inning.
State College right fielder Cole White,
who went 1-for-4, said the Spikes hit some
balls hard but the Scrappers were able to
make some plays.
"I think everybody's a little frustrated
because we know we have the talent to
score," White said. "We have that amount
of talent. We have that capability. Right
now it just seems like it's so hard to get a
run, just one or two runs across the board.
It's something we're going to have to over
come these last 12 games. -
Aside from the first inning. which turned
out be crucial, the Spikes pitching staff
held the Scrappers at bay. State College
starting pitcher Zack Dodson allowed six of
the Scrappers seven hits in his 4.2 innings
on the mound before right-handed reliev
ers Trent Stevenson and Mitch Fienemann
College Ave. • 23
take advantage of defensive depth
during the preseason. The
defense should provide a formida
ble wall in front of redshirt sopho
more goalkeeper Warren Gross
this year after posting five
shutouts in the team's five spring
games last year.
Saturday night in an exhibition
against Hartwick College, Casais
started alongside junior Mark
Fetrow in the middle, flanked by
sophomore John Gallagher and
junior Matt Smallwood on the out
side with junior Justin Lee in a
holding midfield role. Junior Pat
Krispin and redshirt senior Andy
Parr came on as reserves while
sophomore Brian Forgue, redshirt
junior Marco Ciarla and freshman
Sepp Dasbach are also fighting to
contribute.
."We have essentially just two
full lines of defense," Krispin said.
"It's good to have that sense of
rejects claim, stays with Detroit
eight teams.
Because the Rea Sox weren't
one of those clubs, he was able to
block the move.
Damon said he was leaning
toward staying put from the begin
ning.
He texted former Red Sox
teammate Jason Varitek and
talked to David Ortiz, and both
tried to convince him to return to
Boston.
"They told me they wanted a
spark, - Damon said.
Said Varitek: "I reached out to
him, as a friend, as a teammate,
and ultimately, he's obviously had
some decisions to make.-
can only speak for what
Johnny has meant here and what
he has done as a player and what
he is at a teammate. He would
have been a big addition to our
team with what he can do," he
said.
The banged-up Red Sox began
the day 5' 2 games behind New
York and Tampa Bay in the AL
East. Detroit started 10 games
behind Minnesota in the AL
Central and far out of wild-card
contention.
- This game's tough enough and
when you're in a position and
you're in a city and you're in a
place where you want to be, a
place where you're happy, there's
no real reason of doing that,"
Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon
said.
"I've always admired Johnny
since I came here in 'O5 and he
Wainwright (17-8) took a 2-0 lead into the
sixth but couldn't hold it while failing for
the second straight start to win his 18th.
He lost 3-2 to Milwaukee on Aug. 18.
St. Louis had won three in a row since
dropping five straight, but couldn't pick up
any ground on NL Central leader
Cincinnati
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh won for only the third time in
16 games.
Wainwright gave up four runs and seven
hits in seven innings, or as many runs as
the right-hander had surrendered over 30
innings in his previous four starts.
held their opponent to one base knock in
the final 4.1 frames.
"Our pitching staff has been absolutely
tremendous this entire year and we're
going to keep battling for them," White
said.
Dodson's record dropped to 2-4 with the
loss, while Mahoning Valley reliever
Gregorio Rosario earned his first win and
evened his record at 1-1. Scrappers reliev
er James Ehlert notched his eighth save
with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
The Spikes and Scrappers will play the
second game of their three-game series at
7:05 tonight.
The Spikes collectively hope to finally
get back on track from the batter's box. In
the last four games, all against Mahoning
Valley, State College is averaging only 4.5
hits per game.
- The biggest thing is just forget about
it," White said. "What happened, hap
pened.
"It's over. Just come out tomorrow with
energy. We've only got 12 more games right
now and we just need to have fun with it."
Are you questioning your
use of Alcohole
There is now an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on campus
This meeting is designated as a"dosed meeting:
Kdosed meeting means that it is open tq anyone who has a
desire to stop drinking.
If you think you might have a problem with drinking
you are welcome to attend.
Friday nights from s:lspm to 6:oopm in room 105 (Library Room)
of the Pasquerilla Center.
The First Meeting. Friday August 27, 2010
t
RIS
security and a sense of competi
tion in practices. There's a bunch
of people going for your spot so
you have to keep it up."
Krispin and Forgue were both
starters last spring when the
Nittany Lions used a five-man
defense with three backs and two
wide players that served as
wingers and outside backs. With
the arrival of first-year Lions
coach Bob Warming, the team
switched formations but the ros
ter is the same.
Casais said the competition in
practice has been very intense
among the defenders. The senior
co-captain added that every
defender is talented and could
easily be a starter.
"The guys that aren't playing as
much are as much a part of the
team as the guys who are play
ing,- Casais said. "They're the
was one of the players that took
me under his wing and showed me
the big leagues. I wish him noth
ing but the best."
"I'm not surprised because he's
in a situation where he's happy
and if he's happy, why not stay? If
he's not happy. obviously he would
have left."
Damon is hitting .272 with seven
home runs and 41 RBIs in 111
games. This is his first season in
Detroit.
feel like we're not out of it
yet," he said. - At least we can
make some kind of run."
Damon said he'd like to play in
Detroit next year, too, but "there's
no guarantee. -
Tigers star Miguel Cabrera wel
comed Damon's decision.
"It's good for us."
"He stays here and we can play
more together and see what hap
pens. We can do a lot of things,"
Cabrera said.
•`We can win more games, we
can get more support in the line
up. If he stays here for some rea
son, it's because he likes it here,
he believes in us. That's good."
Said Damon: "I've said Miguel
Cabrera was the best hitter I've
ever seen and I wanted to see it for
a whole year."
One of Damon's concerns about
remaining with the Tigers was his
playing time. He was concerned
the team might want to look 'at
younger players.
"Yes, he's going to play,"
Leyland said.
wild-card
To e-mail reporter: jyksl42@psu.edu
leader
Grab the opportunity to share
1/1000th of a second of your
The Daily Collegian Photography Department is
looking for a few photographers to join its award
winning staff. Collegian photographers cover
everything Penn State related, from Nittany Lion
sports to concerts at the Bryce Jordan Center, and
we want you to apply to our staff this semester.
(If you have a portfolio or prints, please bring them at this time)
(A handful of candidates will be selected and you must be available on 4Vednesdau evenings)
e'eg'al
Collegian
If you are interested in applying for the Collegian's other staffs, watch for upcoming advertisements
ones making everybody who's
starting a better player, and every
body on this team has an equal
shot and everybody's doing the
best they can."
Not only does the depth give the
Lions options, it provides an insur
ance policy. In the past few sea
sons, injuries have struck the back
line and put Penn State in tough
spots.
Krispin said despite the on-field
competition, the players on the
defense are still close off the field.
The junior said he and Gallagher
are close friends and hang out all
the time, but when they cross the
line onto the field, "it's all busi
ness." "It's fine, it's something
that as soccer players you have to
deal with," Krispin said. "Going
from pretty much being a starter
in the spring and a couple games
last year to starting on the bench
Detroit Tigers' Johnny Damon flips his bat
this season. Damon rejected a waiver claim
college career.
Photo Department
Come meet us at 7:00
James Buildin! 123 South Burrowes Street
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
is fine because that means that
Gallagher has been doing really
well in practices. And it gives me
more motivation to work harder
and get back on the line."
The team rallied from a one-goal
deficit Saturday, with the defense
leading the charge. Behind con
stant pressure, starting in the back
line, the team rallied and Gross
was pleased with the way his team
mates rebounded.
"We've been working very hard
this whole preseason about get
ting after the ball, no matter the
situation, and putting pressure on
the other team," Gross said. "We
know that if we put a ton of pres
sure, starting with a strong defen
sive pressure, that we're going to
get the ball back and our offense
can kick into gear-
To e-mail reporter: adrso79@psu.edu
striking out in a game
Boston yesterday.
Core, 'do Photo , Mike Ghourdjian
m. on Wed. Se 1 t.l
Any Questions?
Call Photo Editor Steph Witt
or Photo Adviser Pat Little