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2B Daily News – Friday, March 30, 2012 Giants still working to re-sign Cain A's SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants are commit- ted to keeping All-Star right-hander Matt Cain in their talented rotation beyond 2012, and CEO and presi- dent Larry Baer said Thursday that serious conversations are ongoing with the pitcher's representatives. ''We're earnestly working with his agents,'' Baer said, speaking after a media open house at AT&T Park to unveil the ballpark's changes, promotions and new food items for this year. ''It wouldn't be good to forecast it. All I know is there are discussions, and the dis- cussions have been continuing.'' Cain said at the start of spring training last month he hoped to have the situation resolved one way or the other by opening day April 6 at Arizona. Baer said San Francisco is negotiating a deal that works for both sides — and that something still could be accomplished in Cain's ideal timeframe. ''Look, Matt's with us for the 2012 season, so anything's possi- ble. I think that we're kind of in lockstep in that let's see if we can get something done before the sea- son,'' Baer said. ''That's kind of been the lockstep approach. The two sides are in agreement, 'Let's see if we can.' I don't think any- body's thinking about if we don't. We're all thinking, 'Let's see what we can get done before opening day.' We're not at opening day yet.'' The 27-year-old Cain went 12- 11 last season with a 2.88 ERA, reaching 200 innings for the fifth straight season. He also didn't allow an earned run during the entire 2010 postseason, when the Giants pulled off an improbable World Series championship. Cain, represented by CAA Sports, is expected to seek a five- year contract worth more than $100 million, and Baer said he isn't against making a long-term offer. Cain hasn't named his price tag or the number of years he would like, other than to say he wants ''fair value,'' and several other top pitchers around the majors have (AP) — Carlos Rogers has no plans to be a one- and-done Pro Bowler. Or playoff participant for that matter. The cornerback said Thursday he re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers this month on a $31.3 million, four-year contract because he enjoyed a career year and he also appreciates the team's effort to keep the NFC West champi- ons' talented defense intact for another run at a Super Bowl in 2012. ''I didn't even put too much thought into other teams until we figured out what we were going to do here,'' Rogers said. He thrived in the deep San Francisco sec- ondary, finally proving himself as a reliable playmaker after he developed a reputation during six years in Washington as someone KINGS (Continued from page 1B) In his last four games — the ones he has actu- ally played in— Fredette has been on the floor for a combined 24 minutes. He has almost as many games not played (five) as starts (six), the last coming in a loss at Golden State on Jan. 31. Fredette is averaging 7.8 points and 1.2 assists in about 18 minutes per game while shooting 38 percent from the floor and 37 percent from 3- point range. In a little more than a month, he has morphed into a third-string backup on a Sacramento (17-33) team that is the second worst in the Western Conference. ''The one thing Jim- mer needs, is he needs minutes,'' Taft said. ''Jimmer has always been a point guard. And when a point guard doesn't have a chance to get into a flow, get the feel of his teammates and make his adjust- ments on the floor, it's very difficult.'' While Smart has lim- ited Fredette's time in favor of others outplay- ing the rookie, he also understands what the young point guard is going through, maybe more than anyone. He hears calls for Fredette to play every- where he goes, from behind the Kings bench to filling up his car at a gas station. He tells every fan — and Fre- dette — the same thing: be patient. Smart should know. The former Indiana guard hit ''The Shot'' that won the Hoosiers the 1987 NCAA title over Syracuse and head- who couldn't hold onto the ball. With the 49ers, he emerged and earned his first career Pro Bowl nod. ''If I'm in the position to make a play, I'm going to do my best to make it,'' the 30-year- old Rogers said of his approach going forward. ''I'm not going to put pressure on myself. I'm just going to play my role. I don't want to be one of those guys who makes the Pro Bowl just one time.'' Rogers, who shared the team lead with six interceptions, insists he knew in Week 4 or 5 last season that he wanted to return on a long-term deal — and now he hopes to use the momen- tum gained from his big season to carry him this year. With Rogers back, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has all 11 starters returning on a unit that ranked No. 1 in the NFL in stopping the ed to the NBA with almost impossible expectations. ''You're making a transition of trying to get everybody else involved while still playing your own game,'' Smart said. ''When you haven't done that, the NBA is a tough place to figure that out.'' Given Fredette's ris- ing stardom a year ago, his slip in Sacramento has been swift and stun- ning. BYU coach Dave Rose remembers the dozens of cameras and reporters who swarmed the Cougars when they landed late at night for a game last season against Vermont in Fredette's hometown of Glens Falls, N.Y., where hun- dreds of fans surrounded the plane on the tarmac in what became the unofficial start of ''Jim- mermania.'' Another time in San Diego, so many fans crowded a hotel lobby that the team had to sneak in through a back door. Hundreds also packed Fredette's arrival at the Sacramento airport last summer after the Kings acquired him in a draft- day trade with Milwau- kee as the 10th overall pick. A few thousand showed for a pep rally soon after and Mayor Kevin Johnson even released a statement lauding Fredette's selec- tion. ''I've never coached or played with a player that got as much atten- tion as he did,'' said Rose, who believes Fre- dette's waning fanfare outside Utah might be a major benefit. ''It's a lit- tle bit over the top. If you spend an afternoon with him or a day with him (in Provo), it's not signed similar five-year contracts — Phillies ace Cliff Lee ($120 mil- lion), the Angels' C.J. Wilson ($77.5 million) and Jered Weaver of the Angels ($85 million). And Weaver's deal was considered a hometown discount. While reports have indicated the parties were far off, that's not nec- essarily the case. For those who believe the Giants might be wary of a mega deal for a pitcher consider- ing the $126 million, seven-year deal they gave Barry Zito ahead of the 2007 season, Baer doesn't com- pare the two cases. Giants general manager Brian Sabean has said for years his prior- ity is to keep his pitching staff intact for the long haul — and that hasn't changed. Two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum reached a $40.5 million, two-year deal in late January. ''What I'm willing to say is that we're working very hard with them, we're listening and they're listen- ing,'' Baer said. ''That's where we are. We're just continuing the process.'' Carlos Rogers ready to build on strong 2011 SAN FRANCISCO run. ''It's really rare,'' Rogers said of having the entire starting defense back. ''I've never seen a team that has all 11 starters back. This is a first for me, and I'm sure it is for a lot of guys, to have all 11 starters back.'' Rogers said it was an easy decision returning to a team that has anoth- er chance to compete for a ring after the 49ers lost 20-17 in overtime to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants in the NFC title game Jan. 22. ''Do I really want to go into free agency?'' Rogers said Thursday of his thinking after the season. ''Maybe I get more money. I could be with a team that's sorry. And they could continue to be sorry for like two years. And then once they want to change some stuff around, OK, they're going to go after the people that are mak- normal. Everywhere he goes and everywhere he attempts to go, there's some interruption. The less interruption he has, the more he can focus on his game.'' About 25 NBA gener- al managers called Rose before last year's draft wondering about Fre- dette's athleticism, defense and whether he could go from a shoot- first point man to run- ning an NBA offense that gets everyone involved. All those questions remain. ''Jimmer and I have talked a lot about it. It's going to be hard for it to happen overnight and a quick situation, but he's determined and he has a great work ethic,'' Rose said. Setbacks are not exactly new for Fre- dette. He struggled early in his BYU career with the style and pace of play. MLS WESTERN CONFERENCE WL T Pts GF GA Vancouver 2 0 1 7 3 0 Seattle 2 0 0 6 5 1 Salt Lake 2 1 0 6 5 2 QUAKES 21 0 6 4 1 Colorado 2 1 0 6 5 5 Portland 1 1 1 4 4 3 FC Dallas 1 1 1 4 4 4 Galaxy 1 1 0 3 4 4 Chivas USA 1 2 0 3 1 2 EASTERN CONFERENCE WL T Pts GF GA Kansas City 3 0 0 9 6 1 Houston 2 1 0 6 2 2 Chicago 1 0 1 4 2 1 New York 1 2 0 3 5 5 Columbus 1 1 0 3 2 2 N. England 1 2 0 3 1 4 D.C. 0 2 1 1 1 4 Montreal 0 2 1 1 1 5 Philadelphia 0 3 0 0 2 6 Toronto FC 0 2 0 0 1 6 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie. —————————————————— Today's game FC Dallas at D.C. United, 4:30 p.m. Saturday's games San Jose at Seattle FC, 7 p.m. Columbus at Toronto FC, 11 a.m. Montreal at New York, 1 p.m. Vancouver at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. Real Salt Lake at Portland, 7 p.m. New England at Los Angeles, 8 p.m. Sunday's games Chicago at Colorado, 4 p.m. Kansas City at Chivas USA, 6 p.m. Sunday's game Cleveland at Philadelphia, 3:05 p.m. ing the highest salary. And then I get cut.'' It's already been quite a busy offseason for San Francisco general man- ager Trent Baalke with the draft fast approach- ing next month. The 49ers have much of their roster returning and have already made some key additions. They signed cornerback Perrish Cox, wideouts Randy Moss and Mario Manningham, and agreed to terms with vet- eran running back Bran- don Jacobs. Rogers is eager to be a part of another special season. ''That's unbelievable. It's a credit to our front office and coaches,'' Rogers said. ''I don't want to go down (in pro- duction). Coach Vic put me in the position to make a lot of plays. Once the ball was out there, I just caught them.'' Once his skills started to surface at the end of his freshman season, Rose tailored the offense around the guard, now 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, to allow him to create off the dribble. That's a luxury few NBA players earn, and Rose is the first to admit ''it's more on Jimmer'' to adjust now. Whether he can might ultimately determine his NBA future. ''Just go out and be yourself regardless,'' Fredette said. ''Don't try to go out and do any- thing differently. Just try to play the same exact way that got you into the NBA. I think that's what people expect from you. I think I can be a great point guard in this league if I continue to work, and that's all I can do right now.'' ARENA NATIONALCONFERENCE West Division Arizona 2 1 0 .667 197 164 Utah WL T Pct PF PA 2 1 0 .667 177 162 CATS 11 0 .500 130 130 Spokane 1 1 0 .500 126 129 Central Division WL T Pct PF PA Chicago 2 0 0 1.000121 97 San Antonio 2 1 0 .667 161 145 Iowa Kansas City 0 3 0 .000 95 157 AMERICAN CONFERENCE South Division WL T Pct PF PA Georgia 2 1 0 .667 157 130 Jacksonville 1 1 0 .500 93 97 Tampa Bay 1 1 0 .500 98 117 N. Orleans 0 2 0 .000 104 128 Orlando 0 3 0 .000 109 138 Eastern Division WL T Pct PF PA Philadelphia 2 0 0 1.000147 121 Milwaukee 2 1 0 .667 193 153 Cleveland 1 1 0 .500 88 80 Pittsburgh 1 2 0 .333 139 173 —————————————————— Thursday's results Arizona 56, Kansas City 28 Milwaukee 63, Pittsburgh 40 San Antonio 47, Orlando 34 Today's games San Jose at Spokane, 5 p.m. Jacksonville at Tampa Bay, 4:30 p.m. Saturday's games Chicago at Iowa, 5:05 p.m. New Orleans at Utah, 6 p.m. 1 1 0 .500 118 132 (Continued from page 1B) games that count on April 6, when the Mariners start a two- game series at the A's that is followed by a rare Sunday day off. Other big league teams start play April 4, when the renamed Miami Marlins open their new ballpark against the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. Cespedes, who hit .458 with two homers and five RBIs for Cuba at the 2009 World Baseball Classic, defected from Cuba last summer and agreed in February to a $36 million, four-year contract with the A's, who opted not to sign Hideki Matsui. He went 1 for 3 with a double against Felix Her- nandez and two strike- outs in his big league debut. A day later, Ces- pedes moved up one notch to sixth in the bat- ting order and was 1 for 3 with one whiff. ''They tried to throw me sliders every at-bat, so I had to adjust to hit the ball,'' Cespedes said. ''It was great to hit a home run here for the Japanese fans.'' Oakland manager Bob Melvin said Cespedes has been showing steady improvement. ''He's getting more and more comfortable every day,'' Melvin said. ''The challenges he faces on the field are probably the easiest for him. He's been dropped into a situ- ation that is difficult both on and off the field.'' Colon, the 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner, started 8-6 for the Yan- kees last year before slumping to an 0-4 record in his final 10 starts. The 38-year-old, Oakland's oldest starting pitcher since 41-year-old Tom Candiotti in 1999, struck out six and walked one. ''I mixed my pitches well,'' he said. ''I tried to go inside with my two- seamer and outside with my fastball. Vargas allowed one run and two hits in 6 1-3 innings, quite a turn- about from spring train- ing, where he had a 12.46 ERA in three starts. After NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division WL OT Pts GF GA Dallas 42 30 5 89 205 204 Kings 38 27 12 88 178 165 SHARKS 39 28 10 88 211 199 Phoenix 37 27 13 87 200 202 Ducks 33 33 11 77 194 213 Central Division WL OT Pts GF GA x-St. Louis 48 20 10 106 202 151 x-Detroit 46 26 5 97 239 191 x-Nashville 44 25 8 96 219 202 Chicago 43 26 9 95 235 225 Columbus 25 45 7 57 181 252 Northwest Division WL OT Pts GF GA y-Vancouver47 21 9 103 231 187 Colorado 40 33 6 86 201 208 Calgary 35 28 15 85 191 215 Minnesota 32 35 10 74 164 212 Edmonton 31 37 9 71 207 226 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division WL OT Pts GF GA x-Rangers 49 21 7 105 213 172 x-Pittsburgh 47 24 6 100 259 205 x-Philadelphia45 24 8 98 248 214 New Jersey 44 28 6 94 214 205 N.Y. Islanders33 33 11 77 190 230 Northeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Boston 45 28 4 94 251 189 Ottawa 39 28 10 88 236 227 Buffalo 38 29 10 86 202 210 Toronto 33 36 9 75 218 249 Montreal 29 34 14 72 199 214 Southeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Florida 37 24 16 90 191 211 Washington 39 31 8 86 209 221 Winnipeg 35 34 8 78 207 227 Tampa Bay 35 35 7 77 220 266 Carolina 31 31 15 77 205 228 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division —————————————————— Thursday's results San Jose at Phoenix, late Chicago 4, St. Louis 3, SO Minnesota 3, Florida 2, OT New Jersey 6, Tampa Bay 4 N.Y. Islanders 5, Pittsburgh 3 Philadelphia 7, Toronto 1 Washington 3, Boston 2, SO Today's games Florida at Columbus, 4 p.m. Winnipeg at Carolina, 4 p.m. Montreal at N.Y. Rangers, 4:30 p.m. Nashville at Detroit, 4:30 p.m. Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 4:30 p.m. Colorado at Calgary, 6 p.m. Los Angeles at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m. Dallas at Vancouver, 7 p.m. Saturday's games Dallas at San Jose, 7:30 p.m. Boston at N.Y. Islanders, 10 a.m. Ottawa at Philadelphia, 10 a.m. Buffalo at Toronto, 4 p.m. Montreal at Washington, 4 p.m. New Jersey at Carolina, 4 p.m. Winnipeg at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m. Chicago at Nashville, 5 p.m. Columbus at St. Louis, 5 p.m. Los Angeles at Minnesota, 5 p.m. Anaheim at Phoenix, 6 p.m. Calgary at Vancouver, 7 p.m. Assists G ASTAVG Nash, PHX 47 527 11.2 Rondo, BOS 40 433 10.8 Paul, LAC 45 394 8.8 Calderon, TOR 46 397 8.6 D. Williams, NJ 47 388 8.3 Rubio, MIN 41 336 8.2 Parker, SAN 46 369 8.0 Rose, CHI 34 271 8.0 Wall, WAS 49 386 7.9 Conley, MEM 46 336 7.3 Crisp's walk opening the seventh, Gomes flied out and Wedge removed Var- gas after 85 pitches. Kelley got Kurt Suzu- ki to bounce into a force- out for the second out. After Cespedes homered. Sherrill came in, and four pitches later Reddick connected for a 3-1 lead. ''We didn't execute pitches,'' Wedge said. ''We were one pitch away from being through that inning.'' MLB and the players' association used series to assist rebuilding in Japan following last year's earthquake and tsunami. A group of players and coaches traveled to the disaster zone on Tuesday to conduct a baseball clinic. ''The main reason we came here was because of the tsunami,'' Melvin said. ''I know MLB has been coming every four years, but the tsunami made this trip happen for sure.'' NOTES: Oakland had scored one run in 17 innings before Cespedes' homer. ... While the A's have lost eight straight openers, they've won six of their last eight Game 2s. ... Oakland also split its 2008 opening series in Japan against Boston. ... With 17 opening-day hits for the Mariners, Suzuki moved three ahead of Ken Griffey Jr. for the most in team history. NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division Lakers Clippers Phoenix WL Pct GB 31 19 .620 — 29 21 .580 2 25 26 .490 6.5 WARRIORS 20 29 .408 10.5 KINGS 17 33 .340 14 Southwest Division WL Pct GB San Antonio 35 14 .714 — Memphis Dallas Houston 27 21 .563 7.5 29 23 .558 7.5 27 24 .529 9 New Orleans 13 37 .260 22.5 Northwest Division WL Pct GB Oklahoma City 38 12 .760 — Utah Denver 27 24 .529 11.5 27 24 .529 11.5 Minnesota 25 27 .481 14 Portland 23 27 .460 15 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Philadelphia 28 22 .560 — Boston New York Toronto Miami WL Pct GB 28 22 .560 — 26 25 .510 2.5 17 34 .333 11.5 New Jersey 17 35 .327 12 Southeast Division WL Pct GB 36 13 .735 — 32 19 .627 5 30 22 .577 7.5 Orlando Atlanta Washington 11 39 .220 25.5 Charlotte Central Division x-Chicago 41 11 .788 — Indiana Milwaukee 23 27 .460 17 Detroit 7 41 .146 28.5 WL Pct GB 30 20 .600 10 18 32 .360 22 Cleveland 17 31 .354 22 x-clinched playoff spot —————————————————— Thursday's results Indiana 93, Washington 89 Miami 106, Dallas 85 New Orleans at Portland, late Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, late Today's games Sacramento at Utah, 6 p.m. New Jersey at Golden State, 7:30 p.m. Denver at Charlotte, 4 p.m. Miami at Toronto, 4 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington, 4 p.m. Milwaukee at Cleveland, 4:30 p.m. New York at Atlanta, 4:30 p.m. Boston at Minnesota, 5 p.m. Dallas at Orlando, 5 p.m. Detroit at Chicago, 5 p.m. Memphis at Houston, 5 p.m. Portland at L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m. Saturday's games New Jersey at Sacramento, 7 p.m. New Orleans at L.A. Lakers, 12:30 p.m. Atlanta at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m. Charlotte at Detroit, 4:30 p.m. Cleveland at New York, 4:30 p.m. Indiana at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m. Memphis at Milwaukee, 5:30 p.m. Utah at L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m. NBA Leaders Through March 28 Scoring GFG FT PTS AVG Bryant, LAL 50 501 340 1415 28.3 Durant, OKC 50 489 317 1391 27.8 James, MIA 47 464 289 1255 26.7 Love, MIN 48 424 335 1278 26.6 Westbrook, OK 50 458 245 1210 24.2 Wade, MIA 39 342 198 895 22.9 D. Williams, NJ 47 350 225 1032 22.0 Aldridge, POR 48 414 194 1023 21.3 Nowitzki, DAL 47 350 232 987 21.0 Griffin, LAC 50 423 200 1048 21.0 Howard, ORL 51 402 262 1066 20.9 Ellis, MIL 44 346 173 917 20.8 Lee, GOL 48 378 180 936 19.5 Paul, LAC 45 316 181 874 19.4 Parker, SAN 46 344 189 891 19.4 Jefferson, UTA 46 390 109 890 19.3 J. Johnson, ATL 46 326 125 873 19.0 Thornton,SAC 43 296 132 816 19.0 Pierce, BOS 47 292 233 891 19.0 Gay, MEM 47 352 142 886 18.9 Rebounds G OFFDEF TOT AVG Howard, ORL 51 187 553 740 14.5 Love, MIN 48 201 466 667 13.9 Bynum, LAL 46 147 412 559 12.2 Cousins, SAC 48 207 326 533 11.1 Humphries, NJ 49 185 351 536 10.9 Griffin, LAC 50 160 381 541 10.8 Gasol, LAL 50 144 384 528 10.6 Gortat, PHX 51 138 370 508 10.0 Smith, ATL 52 106 406 512 9.8 Noah, CHI 50 184 308 492 9.8