Orioles reliever Uehara faces ‘dilemma’ as baseball’s trade deadline nears

 

By Associated Press, Published: July 28
 

 

BALTIMORE — Koji Uehara is thankful for the faith, patience and money bestowed upon him by the Baltimore Orioles.

He’s also sick of losing.

So as Sunday’s non-waiver trade deadline draws near, the highly effective reliever has mixed feelings about his chances of being dealt from a last-place team to a contender.

“I love it here, obviously,” Uehara said through an interpreter. “I love the Baltimore Orioles, but it’s not going to be any fun if we don’t win. That’s the dilemma.”

After a successful 10-year run with the Yomiuri Giants, Uehara signed a $10 million, two-year contract with Baltimore in January 2009 and became the Orioles’ first Japanese player. He was initially employed as a starter, but pitched in only 12 games during his rookie season because of hamstring and elbow injuries.

The right-hander returned as a reliever last year and registered 13 saves and a 2.86 ERA despite spending two months on the disabled list.

After signing an incentive-laden $3 million contract during the offseason, the 36-year-old Uehara has become Baltimore’s most dependable pitcher.

Used primarily in the eighth inning, Uehara had a 1.08 ERA in his last 30 games through Tuesday, including 11 straight scoreless appearances. He leads AL relievers with a 7.38 walk-to-strikeout ratio, and his career ratio of 6.48 is the best in baseball history since 1890 for those who have thrown at least 150 innings.

His effectiveness can be attributed in part to careful planning by Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who went through great lengths to keep the fragile pitcher healthy. Showalter limited Uehara’s work in spring training, avoided using him in successive games early in the season and won’t get Uehara up in the bullpen unless there’s a good chance he will be used in the game.

“So far, so good,” Showalter said. “We’ve been very careful almost to fault with him and gotten a good return for the way he’s been used. He’s certainly valuable to us, and we’re sure there’s some people that covet him, too. I can see why there are rumors that somebody might be interested in him because there are not many relievers having a better year statistically than Koji.”

Uehara has made 41 appearances this season, 14 short of the number that would launch a $4 million vesting option for the 2012 season.

He certainly intends to pitch next season, but there’s a part of him that wishes it would be elsewhere. After all, the Orioles are in the midst of what almost certainly will be their 14th consecutive losing season, and there’s no reason to believe there will be a quick turnaround anytime soon.

“My performance, obviously, is satisfying, but it doesn’t translate into team wins, so that’s kind of frustrating,” Uehara said. “To be mentioned and to hear my name in the rumors, I look at it as a good thing.”

Although he and his family have made Baltimore their home, Uehara doesn’t see that as an obstacle.

“They love it here,” he said. “But if I have to go somewhere, I can leave my family and they can stay here.”

Uehara has been a gem buried in the rubble of another miserable season for the Orioles. He’s proud of the way he’s pitched, but mostly he’s delighted to have avoided a dreaded trip to the DL.

“The fact that I’m playing healthy, that’s satisfying,” he said. “I’m really excited about that.”

His focus in the days ahead will be to help the Orioles, even though he knows he could be packing his bags within the week.

“I’m not really thinking about that,” he insisted. “They are just rumors, right?”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

Wednesday’s Sports in Brief

By Associated Press, Published: July 28  

Butch Davis had seemingly survived the most dangerous days of the NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct within his North Carolina program.

He kept his job all last season even as embarrassing allegations kept surfacing, from the conduct of his associate head coach to the behavior of players and their tutor. He won supporters by leading a team decimated by suspensions to top players to eight wins and a bowl victory, earning the praise of his bosses along with the assurance that he’d be back for a fifth season.

 

Wednesday’s Sports in Brief - The Washington Post

 

Yet on Wednesday, the school reversed itself and fired Davis, saying the past year of turmoil amid the NCAA probe was doing too much damage to the university’s reputation. Now the Tar Heels are heading into next week’s training camp with no long-term coach and an entirely new set of distractions hanging over their heads.

NEW YORK — NBA owners and players will resume talks toward a new collective bargaining agreement Monday, a month after the lockout started, people with knowledge of the plans said Wednesday.

Though representatives from the sides have been talking and met on multiple occasions since July 1, this will be the first meeting to include Commissioner David Stern, union executive director Billy Hunter and president Derek Fisher of the Lakers, and owners, the people told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are supposed to be confidential.

The sides were still far apart on numerous economic issues when owners voted to lock out the players when the old collective bargaining agreement expired at the end of the day June 30.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. — ESPN analyst and former NBA player Jalen Rose was sentenced Wednesday to 20 days in jail for a drunken-driving crash along a snowy suburban Detroit road.

Rose, a college star at Michigan, was sentenced to 92 days in custody, but District Court Judge Kimberly Small suspended all but 20. He was also given a year of probation.

Rose pleaded guilty in May. At that time, he said he veered off a West Bloomfield Township road in March after drinking six martinis. His blood-alcohol content was 0.12 percent, above Michigan’s legal driving limit of 0.08. No one was injured.

LUBBOCK, Texas — A former star athlete who posed as a teenager to play high school basketball in West Texas was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison after reaching a plea deal, a prosecutor said.

Guerdwich Montimere, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and three counts of tampering with government records, said Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland.

Officials say the naturalized U.S. citizen from Haiti had graduated from high school in Florida, where he also played basketball, years before he moved to Odessa and presented himself as a ninth-grader named Jerry Joseph. Montimere was 21 and 22 when he played one season at Odessa Permian High.

PITTSBURGH — Major League Baseball acknowledged Wednesday umpire Jerry Meals made the wrong call in Atlanta’s 4-3, 19th-inning win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

 

Hints From Heloise: Charting medications

By Heloise, Published: July 28  

Dear Readers:

Here are some Heloise Hints to help remember when taking medications:

 

* For a new medication or a change in one, make a chart that includes the name of the drug, the times to be taken (a.m. and/or p.m.) and for how many days it was prescribed. Tape the chart so it is visible, and you will see it every day. Attach a marker or highlighting pen to mark as pills are taken.

* Because some medications are very expensive, a reader suggested asking the pharmacist for just a few pills (with the doctor’s permission) to try first to make sure you don’t have any reactions. If you are unable to take the meds, you won’t be stuck with unusable, expensive pills.

* Use permanent marker to write the first letter of the medication on the bottle and lid. If you get a refill, use the lid with the letter so you don’t have to write out a new one. Also, write the medication name in large print on the bottle itself. Paint around the rim of a medicine bottle to tell your meds from your spouse’s. Use nail polish to put a colored dot on the lid and the bottom of container so they match up.

* Open pills over a soft surface so if they are dropped, you won’t be on your hands and knees searching.

* Write on top of a medication bottle whether it should be taken in the a.m. or p.m. to avoid any confusion.

* Once meds have been taken for the day, turn the bottle over.

* Set a reminder on your cellphone for the time you need to take your medicine.

* If you have a hard time opening the childproof lids, ask the pharmacist for regular lids.

* Keep medicines together so that a family member can find them easily in case of an emergency, along with one of your doctor’s business cards.

* When going to the doctor, put peel-off medication labels on a sheet of paper so the doctor has all of your medicine history.

* Compile a list of your medications on your computer, and print one off every time you go to the doctor.

Here’s to your good health! -- Heloise

INSIDE OUT

Dear Heloise: I read somewhere that when you’re hanging something in the closet that can be worn again before laundering, to put the hanger on backward as a reminder.

My reminder is to hang the garment inside out. Now it is easy to spot, and I know immediately that I can wear it again. -- Kerrie Ann in Oregon

TOOL STORAGE

Dear Heloise: Every time I would look for my hammer, screwdriver and pliers, they would be missing. I would eventually find them in the garage, courtesy of my son or husband. So, I got tricky. I bought a larger box and stenciled on it “Scrapbooking.” Guess what? My tools are always available now, and no one has caught on! -- Virginia, via e-mail

Cute, and we love it in Heloise Central. -- Heloise

 

Ask Amy: Husband wants to leave wife, but also date her

By Amy Dickinson, Published: July 28  

Dear Amy:

My dear husband of 30 years stated out of nowhere that our marriage was over. I asked why he was leaving, and he said he wanted a life like his single male friend has!

 

Ask Amy: Husband wants to leave wife, but also date her - The Washington Post

 

We were both very fortunate to have made good investments, so he was able to retire in his early 50s with very little to keep him busy. He frequents social clubs in our town on a daily basis. I am involved with all sorts of outside activities.

He is an only child and likes his time to himself, and I have given him that over the years. He says he wants to move out and try life on his own. He feels there must be more to life than what we have together. I have come up with loads of ideas to try and nothing interests him. He says there is no one else, and I trust there isn’t.

Instead of renting an apartment and trying a trial separation for six months, he’s already purchased a condo and will not be taking anything from our home except his personal things so as not to upset things here.

He said he would like to “date” me.

I have pleaded with him to try to work on our marriage. He says he feels this will probably be a big mistake but that he needs to do it “as an experiment.” He says I have done nothing wrong.

Do you think it’s a midlife crisis or another woman — and should I contact an attorney? I am very sad and confused. For the first time in my life, I do not know where to turn.

Money but no Happiness

Regardless of your husband’s motivations for leaving you, you should contact an attorney.

Because he has left and purchased property (possibly using shared marital assets), you should have an official separation agreement.

I realize that this isn’t really about money for you, but your husband can’t or won’t disclose his plans, and you have a duty to make sure your current household (including children, if any) can keep going without him.

If your husband wants to date you, then great! Let him court you, initiate dates, get to know you better, and wonder whether he’ll get lucky.

And make sure he uses a condom.

That’s if you want to date him, of course. You might decide that, despite your very long, shared history, you’re not eager to spend time with someone who could treat his marriage as an afterthought. You might not find this very attractive.

Dear Amy:

This is in response to “Tag Along,” whose friend enjoys bringing other people to her appointments.

I am a medical professional who works in a hospital. The only reason to bring someone to an appointment is if that person is unable to care for themselves. Other reasons: If the patient needs a ride to the appointment, help getting undressed for a test or is not mentally competent to give a good medical history, etc.

Doctor’s offices and hospitals have germs. People are there because they are sick. One good reason to stay home is concern for your own health.

Health-Care Professional

Great point.

Dear Amy:

“Dog Tired” was wary of his girlfriend’s joint-custody, dog-sharing arrangement with her ex. You suggested that if he wanted to be with her, he should embrace the dogs. That’s terrible advice. He said he doesn’t like dogs.

Disappointed

The girlfriend’s relationship with these dogs preceded her relationship with him. Because most dog owners consider their dogs to be family members, they should be seen as part of the package.

Write to Amy Dickinson at askamy@tribune.com or Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611.

2011 by the Chicago Tribune

 

Review of ‘Clybourne Park’ at Woolly Mammoth

In Act 1, for instance, it never occurs to well-meaning Bev that her housekeeper, Ursula’s Francine, would have no use for the ornate chafing dish she’s trying to get rid of. (Or is it that a mostly white audience laughs, merely because it assumes the maid can’t make use of it?) Watching Ursula’s face, as Francine resists Bev’s patronizing entreaties — or trades meaningful looks with her husband, Russell’s Albert — is a play all unto itself. The couple is just as effective in Act 2, when Ursula is Lena and Russell is Kevin, well-to-do neighbors of the incoming yuppie couple, and who oppose the blueprints for the gut-renovation.

One of the pure joys of this “Clybourne” is that you could diagram every one of the performances this way. Since my first seating more than a year ago, the eight original actors — all of whom return — have further polished their portrayals and find with even more precision their laugh lines’ strike zones.

Nickell, poignantly trailed by Gilbert’s sheepish Betsy in Act 1 and goaded by her antagonistic Lindsey in Act 2, is the evening’s heavy. He appealingly sidesteps the buffoonish caricature that a man of varying degrees of racial insensitivity or ignorance might easily become.

Mendenhall and Hebert, in the play’s opening scene, create a breathtaking synergy, as homeowners with far more on their minds than financial gain or convenience as a rationale for selling. And when Hebert’s broken and heartbroken Russ finally erupts, an audience does not care whether his fury is aimed at his neighbors’ pressure tactics or the unfairness of the universe. It’s all one. Letting go of the place, for him and for Bev, is a sort of downsizing of the heart.

The assignments of Michael Glenn and Chris Dinolfo are not as showy, but they each contribute to the optimal emotional resonance of this venture. Helen Huang’s apt workaday costumes seem intended to evoke time rather than personality: “Clybourne” is absorbed more in the sociological fashion of the day. And the lighting by Colin K. Bills brings into finer focus the house’s design and transformation.

If you didn’t get to see “Clybourne” in its first sold-out run, you’ve been given a terrific second chance. And if you did go before, you’ll be surprised at how many moments will newly provoke and tickle you. In fact, you might even emerge from the experience thinking more of the play than you had before.

 

Review of ‘Clybourne Park’ at Woolly Mammoth

In Act 1, for instance, it never occurs to well-meaning Bev that her housekeeper, Ursula’s Francine, would have no use for the ornate chafing dish she’s trying to get rid of. (Or is it that a mostly white audience laughs, merely because it assumes the maid can’t make use of it?) Watching Ursula’s face, as Francine resists Bev’s patronizing entreaties — or trades meaningful looks with her husband, Russell’s Albert — is a play all unto itself. The couple is just as effective in Act 2, when Ursula is Lena and Russell is Kevin, well-to-do neighbors of the incoming yuppie couple, and who oppose the blueprints for the gut-renovation.

One of the pure joys of this “Clybourne” is that you could diagram every one of the performances this way. Since my first seating more than a year ago, the eight original actors — all of whom return — have further polished their portrayals and find with even more precision their laugh lines’ strike zones.

 

Review of ‘Clybourne Park’ at Woolly Mammoth - The Washington Post

 

Nickell, poignantly trailed by Gilbert’s sheepish Betsy in Act 1 and goaded by her antagonistic Lindsey in Act 2, is the evening’s heavy. He appealingly sidesteps the buffoonish caricature that a man of varying degrees of racial insensitivity or ignorance might easily become.

Mendenhall and Hebert, in the play’s opening scene, create a breathtaking synergy, as homeowners with far more on their minds than financial gain or convenience as a rationale for selling. And when Hebert’s broken and heartbroken Russ finally erupts, an audience does not care whether his fury is aimed at his neighbors’ pressure tactics or the unfairness of the universe. It’s all one. Letting go of the place, for him and for Bev, is a sort of downsizing of the heart.

The assignments of Michael Glenn and Chris Dinolfo are not as showy, but they each contribute to the optimal emotional resonance of this venture. Helen Huang’s apt workaday costumes seem intended to evoke time rather than personality: “Clybourne” is absorbed more in the sociological fashion of the day. And the lighting by Colin K. Bills brings into finer focus the house’s design and transformation.

If you didn’t get to see “Clybourne” in its first sold-out run, you’ve been given a terrific second chance. And if you did go before, you’ll be surprised at how many moments will newly provoke and tickle you. In fact, you might even emerge from the experience thinking more of the play than you had before.

 

Review of ‘Clybourne Park’ at Woolly Mammoth

By Peter Marks, Published: July 28
 

 

Tickets are selling quickly to the marvelous Woolly Mammoth Theatre reprise of “Clybourne Park,” the 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner for drama and the best work I’ve seen at Woolly in nine years of faithful patronage.

How “Clybourne” fares between now and Aug. 14 — the last chance you’ll have to catch director Howard Shalwitz’s scintillating cast — is inordinately significant, not only because of the topical social concerns playwright Bruce Norris hilariously raises, but also as another test of Washington’s will to be a frontline city of dramatic art.

 

It should be a matter of civic pride that Woolly was there at the birth of this ingenious comedy of racial anxiety, inspired by Lorraine Hansberry’s tide-turning 1959 drama, “A Raisin in the Sun.” Set in two eras in the same house in a fading and then, half a century later, gentrifying Chicago neighborhood, the play rummages, if you will, in the eternally unfinished basement of American race relations. It is a play about people thinking they don’t sound exactly the way they do.

“Clybourne” immerses itself in a lot of other intriguing notions, many revolving around that class-and-culture-uniting American obsession: property values. Under Shalwitz’s inspired guidance, the actors stake out memorable identities in each of the two divergent acts, as allies and adversaries in a struggle over claims to turf, to security, to history, as well as the future of the country. You’ll intuit, in the unease and tension stirred in an enclave where the sense of who belongs keeps changing, that “Clybourne Park” might just as well have been titled “H Street Corridor” or “U Street NW.”

The conceit is that the house — in scale and detail, an achievement in theatrical delight by set designer James Kronzer — is the one that has been sold to the Youngers, the fictional black family of “Raisin” that, in Hansberry’s telling, encounters a wall of hostility as it tries to move into a white neighborhood. Norris’s Act 1 takes place in 1959, as sellers Russ (Mitchell Hebert) and Bev (Jennifer Mendenhall), amid packing boxes, are confronted by their white neighbors — most aggressively by Cody Nickells’s starchy local Rotarian, Karl — to pressure them to stop the sale. It’s a case of, according to the offensive Karl, letting one ethnically different family in and the whole neighborhood going to seed.

The second act propels us to 2009 in the same house and an entirely new set of demographic parameters. Now, a white yuppie couple from the suburbs, pregnant Lindsey (Kimberly Gilbert) and outwardly enlightened Steve (Nickell, again) have bought and are seeking to demolish the house, a property that has historical and emotional value to an enclave in the city that is now predominantly black.

What unfolds across time are two discussions, each reflecting on elements of the other, and which taken as a whole demonstrate how feebly have developed our skills at talking to one another across racial lines. In each act, a black couple — played superbly both times by Dawn Ursula and Jefferson A. Russell — is drawn into the argument, and it is the alternately delicate and blunt-force nature of how the white characters treat them that provokes some of the evening’s biggest — and bitterest — laughs.