Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/5768
Sports 1B Wednesday January 6, 2010 Wednesday Wrestling — Red Bluff at Shasta, 6 p.m. Wrestling — Lassen at Corning, 6 p.m. Soccer — Los Molinos at L. Christian, ppd from Tues. NBA — Warriors at Timberwolves, 5 p.m., CSNBA NBA — Lakers at Clippers, 7:30 p.m., ESPN GMAC Bowl — Cent. Michigan vs. Troy, 4 p.m., ESPN Red Bluff drops EAL opener NFL AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Cushing, LB, Houston BOWLS Tuesday's bowl result Orange Bowl Iowa 24, Georgia Tech 14 Today's bowl game GMAC Bowl At Mobile, Ala. Central Michigan (11-2) vs. Troy (9-3), 4 p.m. (ESPN) NBA Tuesday's results Denver 123, Golden State 122 Phoenix at Sacramento, late Charlotte 113, Chicago 108 Dallas 98, Detroit 93 Indiana 97, Orlando 90 Milwaukee 98, New Jersey 76 Washington 104, Philadelphia 97 Memphis at Portland, late Houston at L.A. Lakers, late Today's games Golden State at Minnesota, 5 p.m., CSNBA New Jersey at Atlanta, 4 p.m. Toronto at Orlando, 4 p.m. Washington at Cleveland, 4 p.m. Boston at Miami, 4:30 p.m. Detroit at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m. New Orleans at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m. Houston at Phoenix, 6 p.m. Memphis at Utah, 6 p.m. L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m., ESPN Monday's late result L.A. Clippers 105, Portland 95 NCAA Tuesday's Top 25 results No. 2 Texas 96, Arkansas 85 No. 4 Purdue 79, Minnesota 60 No. 14 Mississippi 84, UCF 56 No. 15 N. Mexico at San Diego St., late Georgia 73, No. 20 Georgia Tech 66 Today's Top 25 games No. 1 Kansas vs. Cornell, 5 p.m. No. 5 Duke vs. Iowa State, 6 p.m., ESPN2 No. 6 Villanova vs. DePaul, 5 p.m. No. 7 Syracuse vs. Memphis, 4 p.m., ESPN2 No. 8 West Virginia vs. Rutgers, 4 p.m. No. 10 Mich. St. vs. No. 17 Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m. No. 12 Georgetown at Marquette, 5 p.m. No. 13 Connecticut vs. Seton Hall, 6 p.m. No. 16 Tennessee vs. Charlotte, 4 p.m. No. 21 Temple vs. Saint Joseph's, 4 p.m. No. 25 BYU vs. UNLV, 7 p.m. Today's other televised games UCLA at California, 7:30 p.m., FSN NHL Tuesday's results Boston 4, Ottawa 1 Calgary 3, Nashville 1 Chicago 4, Minnesota 1 New Jersey 4, Dallas 0 Phoenix 5, Edmonton 4, OT Pittsburgh 5, Atlanta 2 Toronto 3, Florida 2 Washington 4, Montreal 2 Columbus at Vancouver, late Detroit at Anaheim, late Wednesday's games St. Louis at San Jose, 7:30 p.m., CSNBA Dallas at N.Y. Rangers, 4 p.m. Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 4 p.m. Toronto at Philadelphia, 4 p.m. Calgary at Minnesota, 5 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Colorado, 6 p.m. Monday's late result Los Angeles 6, San Jose 2 Scoreboard Scoreboard SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Randy Johnson looked so awkward on the mound early in his career, that shaggy hair dangling down his neck as he fired a blazing fastball in every direction but the strike zone. Now, after 22 major league seasons, The Big Unit is walking away from base- ball as one of the game's greatest pitchers. The 6-foot-10 Johnson announced his retirement on a conference call Tuesday, a decision that had been expected from the overpowering left-hander who reached 300 wins last June. ''I really wanted to go out on my terms,'' Johnson said. ''I just feel like there's not a lot more for me to do in this game. I just think it's a natural progression when you play this long. Eventually you have to say it's time.'' A five-time Cy Young Award winner, the 46-year-old Johnson accomplished just about everything in his remark- able career that a player hopes for in baseball. He owns a World Series ring and co-MVP honors, and was a 10-time All-Star. He threw two no-hitters, including a perfect game, and ranks second on the career strikeout list. Johnson finishes with a record of 303-166 and 4,875 strikeouts in 4,135 1-3 innings for Montreal, Seattle, Hous- ton, Arizona, the New York Yankees and San Francisco. His strikeouts are the most by a left-hander and second to Nolan Ryan's 5,714. ''It's all been a bit of a whirlwind. I never really got caught up in what I did,'' Johnson said. ''I never really dwelled on my achievements. They're nice. Maybe now I'll be able to reflect on them.'' Johnson overcame several injuries to keep pitching effec- tively into his mid-40s. He said before last season ended that he looked forward to going home to Arizona and spending time with his family before making a decision about his future. ''It's taken this long into January because I definitely wanted to just kind of relax from the season being over and make sure I had a clear head when I made this decision, and that I would be making it wholeheartedly and would be sticking to it,'' he said. Johnson went 8-6 with a 4.88 ERA in 17 starts and five relief appearances for San Francisco last season despite missing more than two months with a strained left shoulder that also had a tear in the rotator cuff. He returned in late Sep- tember as a reliever, a role he couldn't see himself embrac- ing in order to keep pitching. Johnson signed with his hometown Giants before last season to try to help them reach the playoffs, only about 40 miles west of where he grew up in Livermore. Johnson had the best stretch of his career with Arizona, where he won the Cy Young in each of his first four seasons with the club. ''This isn't a tall man's sport — basketball is,'' Johnson said. But by the time he was done, he had a Hall of Fame resume. Big Unit retires after 22 seasons Randy Johnson SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — With Juan Uribe back, the San Francisco Giants have a deep infield and options in the outfield, too. Yet general manager Brian Sabean would like to add a left-handed bat to the mix before spring training, and he didn't rule out trying to sign free agent Johnny Damon. Adding Damon also would fill a void in left field. ''Infield, outfield, catching, left- handed, right-handed, it's nothing where there's a deal imminent,'' Sabean said on a conference call Tues- day. ''We're going to be strategic. We're going to be opportunistic. We're not engaged with anybody where something's going to happen over night.'' The Giants and Uribe finalized a $3.25 million, one-year contract after he passed a physical, keeping the utili- ty infielder with the club for a second season. Uribe was a non-roster invitee to spring training last year but emerged as one of the team's most steady players down the stretch. The 30-year-old Uribe began the 2009 campaign as a backup but wound up playing in 122 games at third, shortstop and second for San Francisco. He batted .289 with 16 homers and 55 RBIs. Uribe was a big reason the Giants stayed in the NL wild-card chase well into September. They missed the post- season for the sixth straight year. ''We're happy to sign him. We do appreciate his versatility and attitude. That's infectious,'' Sabean said. ''He deserved a shot to come back here and play as much if not more and con- tribute.'' Sabean said Uribe could become the starter at third base, with slugger Pablo Sandoval at first and newly signed utilityman Mark DeRosa in left if the team isn't able to sign a left-hand- ed hitter who played that position. Eugenio Velez and Andres Torres both can play left field as well but Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy aren't convinced platooning those two will give the Giants' lineup enough production to be the playoff team they are counting on being in 2010. The 36-year-old Damon batted .282 with 24 home runs and 82 RBIs in 143 games last season, his fourth with the New York Yankees. He knows the Bay Area after spending the 2001 season with the Oakland Athletics. Uribe gives the Giants some impor- tant depth. Shortstop Edgar Renteria is coming off right elbow surgery and second baseman Freddy Sanchez underwent left knee surgery. While Uribe stepped in nicely for the injured Renteria last season, Bochy isn't ready to name Uribe the starter at shortstop. The skipper is eager to see what a healthy Renteria can do. ''We signed Edgar to be our short- stop,'' Bochy said. ''I understand the great job that Juan did. He gives us a lot of value in that he can play second, third and short.'' As of now, Sabean and Bochy have discussed the idea of going into spring with Buster Posey and Eli Whiteside as the catchers. Last month, Sabean said the team's brass had discussed Posey and decided their 2008 first-round draft pick wasn't ready to be a full-time catcher in the majors. It sounded then as if he would begin 2010 with Triple-A Fresno to gain more experience, but the team hasn't been able to sign a catcher to replace Bengie Molina. In addition, Sabean said 20-year-old Madison Bumgarner — another top young prospect — would likely go into spring as the fifth starter. Giants bring back Juan Uribe MCT file photo Juan Uribe signed a one-year deal Tuesday with the Giants. Daily News photo by Rich Greene The Chico Panthers knocked off the Red Bluff Spartans 50-46, Tuesday, during the opening night of Eastern Athletic League play. Grant Blaser and Devin Shoop (above) led the Spartans with 13 points each. John John Velasco chipped in with 10 points. Baseball sign-ups Spring already? Not quite, but it is time to sign up for Red Bluff Lit- tle League with practices set to start Feb. 14. Returning players may register online at redblufflit- tleleague.com and pay fees with a credit card. For new players and those who don't want to utilize the Web sign-ups will be held 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 9, 16 and 23 at the Red Bluff High School gymnasium. The program is for boys and girls between the ages of five and 15 years old. For more information call Scott Smith at 736-5822. DENVER (AP) — J.R. Smith hit two free throws with 0.4 seconds remain- ing, lifting the Denver Nuggets to a 123-122 vic- tory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. Smith, one of four Nuggets to finish with at least 20 points, was fouled by Monta Ellis while throwing up a desperation 3-pointer after taking an inbounds pass with just 3 seconds remaining. Ellis, who had 32 points for the Warriors, had given Golden State a 122-121 lead when he made a 10- foot turnaround jumper with 15.2 seconds to play. Kenyon Martin had 27 points and 13 rebounds to lead the short-handed Nuggets. Corey Maggette scored a season-high 35 points to lead Golden State, which lost its eighth straight on the road. Stephen Curry added 26 points for the Warriors. Smith's last-second free throws lift Nuggets over Golden State