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1B Sports Tehama Tracker Monday's results Tuesday August 13, 2013 MLB Athletics 5 Toronto 1 Straily: 7 IP, ER, 5 K Callaspo: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI Today's games MLB Giants Washington CSNB 4:05 p.m. SF — Bumgarner, 11-7 WAS — Gonzalez, 7-5 Houston Athletics CSNC 7:05 p.m. HOU — Lyles, 4-6 OAK — Colon, 14-4 On the tube LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL • 4 p.m., ESPN2 — World Series, semifinal, teams TBD, at Portland, Ore. • 6:30 p.m., ESPN2 — World Series, semifinal, teams TBD, at Portland, Ore. MLB • 4 p.m., CSNB — San Francisco at Washington • 5 p.m., MLB — Regional coverage, Pittsburgh at St. Louis or Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs • 7 p.m., CSNC — Houston at Oakland Little League to introduce drug education program S O U T H WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Little League Baseball plans to introduce an educational program for coaches and volunteers intended to raise awareness about the use and dangers of performanceenhancing drugs among young players. Working with the Taylor Hooton Foundation, Little League hopes to have an online program ready for the 2014 season. The youth sports organization had been in discussions with the foundation for more than a year about such a program, well before Major League Baseball announced suspensions recently for more than a dozen players following a lengthy investigation into a Florida antiaging clinic accused of distributing PEDs. The most recent batch of suspensions handed down Aug. 5 came less than two weeks before the start of the Little League World Series, which is scheduled to begin Thursday. Thousands of coaches, along with young players and their families are expected to visit South Williamsport during the 11-day tournament, and foundation president Don Hooton plans to attend, too, to spread his awareness message in person. ''This is a teachable moment. Ever parent, every coach should take the opportunity of all these suspensions to sit down and talk to your kids about why they shouldn't be involved in performanceenhancing drugs,'' Hooton said in a recent phone interview. His 17-year-old son Taylor — a cousin of former big league pitcher Burt Hooton — committed suicide in July 2003. Doctors attributed Taylor's behavior to depression that occurred when he stopped using performanceenhancing drugs. More than 2.4 million boys and girls play Little League baseball and softball, according to the organization that also has roughly 1 million volunteers. The Hooton Foundation works with Major League Baseball, as well as local athletic leagues. A program with Little League would give the foundation an even broader audience. ''We are extraordinarily See DRUG, page 2B Football practice starts across section By RICH GREENE DN Staff Writer A year ago in his first season as head coach Corey Hein guided the Red Bluff Spartans football team to a 6-4 record, a Tehama County Shootout win, an upset of then No. 1 ranked Paradise and the school's first postseason appearance since 2004. So what does he do for an encore? The answer to that question is still four months away, but if one thing was certain Monday on the first official day of football practice in the Northern Section it's that the 2013 Spartans will look a lot different than the 2012 team did. Hein said last year's approach was in trying to change the mindset of the program by getting the players to believe in themselves. It worked, but in large part Hein said it did so because he couldn't have asked for a better group of kids than he had in last year's senior class. The 2012 Spartans were filled with leaders such as Garrett Sandow, Brandon Ragone, Tucker Gulliford, Wyatt Houghtby and Mitch Fox as much as they were filled with talent. Gulliford, Nick Reinhardt, Connor Ross, John Abdulla and Ragone each received All-League honors. Those players have since graduated, taking their leadership and statistics with them. Spartan receives caught 97 balls a year ago. Just six of those catches were made by someone back on the roster this year — Jared Poore had five receptions and Michael Stone one. Stone is also the leading returning rusher, having pieced together 160 yards last season on 21 carries. Stone now goes from a few carries a game and fourth on the depth chart to likely the team's workhorse in the backfield. He has some huge shoes to fill as Gulliford racked up 1,359 rushing Daily News photo by Rich Greene The Red Bluff Spartans run drills Monday on the first day of official Northern Section football practice. yards and 18 touchdowns for the Spartans a year ago. Poore, who averaged 25.6 yards per catch, becomes one of the top receiving options for quarterback Greg Dufour. Dufour not only takes over the demanding position of quarterback full time, but he'll be counted on as a team leader as well. Hein said during the offseason Dufour, Cody Clinger and Andrew Clawson asserted themselves as team leaders. Dufour saw snaps as Sandow's backup last year. He completed 5of-8 pass attempts and threw for touchdowns in games against Oroville and Chico. Hein, Poore and Stone are like many of the seniors on this year's team. Hein said while as juniors they didn't get the stats and their names weren't as recognized, many of them saw plenty of playing time. But it won't be just the names being called from the press box that are different this year, the Spartans will look different when they line up for plays as well. Hein said he believed the Spartans were too easy to predict offensively a year ago. This year the offense will take the majority of its snaps out of a shotgun formation — in an attempt to keep defenses from being able to predict run or pass form the I-form looks they primarily ran Gulliford out of last year. The defensive system is being entirely overhauled as well as the Spartans will return to a more traditional four down lineman set. Hein said the defensive philosophy this season is to simply schemes so the players can just play off of instinct rather than think. One area where the inexperience is likely to show is offensive line, although Hein has liked what he has seen out of Mitch Drury and Justin Nunez. Denver Gulliford will likely anchor the line. As for the Spartans strength, Hein points to the other sport he coaches at the high school — track. This team has speed. Three of the four Spartans on their championship relay teams are on the roster — Stone, Dylan Schaible and Austin Torres. Schaible was in on 19 tackles a year ago. Torres didn't play football last season. The Spartans schedule should offer them an opportunity at a favorable start and some confidence building. Red Bluff opens on the road Sept. 6 at Oroville, then comes home in Week 2 to host the Anderson Cubs. The Tehama County Shootout is Week 3 at Corning. Rich Greene can be reached at 527-2151, ext. 109 or rgreene@redbluffdailynews.com. Callaspo double helps A's beat Blue Jays TORONTO (AP) — Alberto Callaspo is quickly turning into quite the deadline acquisition for the Oakland Athletics. Callaspo hit a tiebreaking two-run double in Oakland's fourrun ninth inning, leading the Athletics to a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. Callaspo, who was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels on July 30, also had a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning of Sunday's 6-4 win at Toronto. The clutch hit in the series finale came against closer Casey Janssen (4-1) with one out and the bases loaded. ''It gets you closer to your team,'' Oakland manager Bob Melvin said of Callaspo's pair of big swings. ''It's very difficult to come into a club late in the year and feel comfortable. The more you do that in those type of situations, the more comfortable you feel, the more part of it you feel, and rightly so.'' Callaspo is batting .292 with four RBIs in 10 games with Oakland. Teammate Josh Donaldson said he's happy to have Callaspo on his side. ''It shows that the trade paid off,'' Donaldson said. ''He's a solid player, he's scrappy. Against us it seemed like he would get that big RBI to either put them back in the game or give them the lead. So far, he's been doing the same thing over here.'' Monday's decisive hit came after Callaspo made an error in the eighth that allowed the Blue Jays to score the tying run. ''He definitely made AP photo Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Dan Straily pitches Monday in Toronto. up for it,'' Melvin said. The Athletics had lost six of seven before arriving in Toronto, but took three of four from the last-place Blue Jays. Oakland began the day one game back of AL West-leading Texas. ''I feel like it definitely got us back on the right track,'' Athletics starter Dan Straily said. Oakland outfielder Josh Reddick, who hit five home runs in the first two games of the series, failed to go deep for the second straight game. Reddick walked in the second, flied out in his next two at-bats and was intentionally walked in the ninth. Donaldson singled off Janssen to begin the ninth and, one out later, pinch hitter Brandon Moss doubled him to third. Reddick was walked to bring up Callaspo, who sent a 1-0 pitch into the right-field corner. ''I was glad to get that chance and then contribute for the team,'' Callaspo said. ''I feel happy right now.'' Stephen Vogt followed with an RBI single through the drawn-in infield and Eric Sogard added a sacrifice fly. ''I gave up that leadoff single and it just kind of snowballed on me,'' Janssen said. Pitching for the third straight day, Ryan Cook (5-2) got two outs for the win and Sean Doolittle closed it out. Oakland got a big boost from Straily, who had lost four consecutive starts. The rookie allowed one run and six hits in a career-high 7 13 innings. ''He was dominant out there,'' Donaldson said. ''We needed to get this series victory and he showed up today and was able to get the job done.'' Making his second start since a skull fracture May 7 against Tampa Bay, Toronto's J.A. Happ fell behind immediately when Chris Young ended a 10-pitch at bat with a seconddeck home run, his 10th. Frustrated by Straily through the first seven innings, the Blue Jays tied it in the eighth. Jose Reyes hit a one-out single and was running when Maicer Izturis followed with a ground-ball single that got through because shortstop Jed Lowrie had broken to cover second, allowing Reyes to reach third. Cook replaced Straily and Reyes came home when third baseman Callaspo couldn't handle Jose Bautista's sharp grounder. Edwin Encarnacion followed with a liner right at second baseman Sogard, who doubled off Izturis to end the rally. Happ allowed three hits in a season-high seven innings. He set down 14 straight batters between the third and seventh innings. Pitching just days after the death of his grandfather, Happ struggled to contain his emotions as he spoke with reporters in the clubhouse. ''I definitely had a heavy heart,'' he said. ''I tried to use it.'' The left-hander was moved up a day to replace Josh Johnson, who was pushed back to Wednesday with a sore forearm. The Blue Jays intend to recall righthander Todd Redmond from Triple-A Buffalo to start against Boston on Tuesday. Happ was placed on the three-day bereavement list to open a roster spot for Redmond. NOTES: Oakland OF Coco Crisp (left wrist) and C Derek Norris (back) were held out of the starting lineup. ... Toronto OF Colby Rasmus (abdominal strain) was not available. ... The Blue Jays have lost nine of 13 at home. ... After playing four straight games on artificial turf, Oakland OF Yoenis Cespedes is expected to DH when the Athletics return home Tuesday to host Houston. ... Oakland INF Adam Rosales, who was designated for assignment Saturday, has been claimed on waivers by Texas. ... With a day off in Toronto before their three-game series with the Blue Jays begins Tuesday, Red Sox players Jonny Gomes, Dustin Pedroia and Jarrod Saltalamacchia attended the game.