
##3001050 <p> At 63 , recently inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame , Jim Calhoun has produced two national championships at Connecticut and may shortly deliver a third . Yet he remains a popular and a polarizing figure , and another potential valedictory season has also become in the Connecticut news media a referendum on his character . <p> Even Calhoun 's critics will admit that he is a brilliant and loyal coach , and that he can be charming and gracious with his Boston accent and Irish wit , while his supporters will concede that he can be relentlessly consumed , sarcastic , temperamental and thin-skinned . <p> Such a complicated personality does not make him different from many successful coaches . But Calhoun is also perhaps the most highly visible -- and highest-paid ( $1.5 million annually ) -- public employee in a state whose only major professional sports team is a less visible franchise in the Women 's National Basketball Association . <p> As the primary athletic showcase , UConn basketball receives heightened scrutiny from the news media . Nine state newspapers regularly cover the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Huskies ( 21-1 ) are ranked No. 1 , perhaps more drama is unfolding off the court than on . <p> A fierce debate is being waged about whether UConn and Calhoun should be allowing point guard Marcus Williams to play the second half of the season after his involvement in the theft of four laptop computers from a university dorm last summer . And Calhoun finds himself embroiled in a vitriolic feud with Connecticut 's most influential sports columnist , who has called him a caustic bully in the state 's largest newspaper . <p> Tim Tolokan , an associate athletic director at UConn , said he did not believe readers were interested in the " boohoo " of personal friction between reporters and coaches . The vast majority of Huskies fans , Tolokan said , felt unconditional support for Calhoun , who has helped provide the university and the state with a sense of great athletic accomplishment and whose philanthropic work supports cardiology research at the University of Connecticut Health Center and a holiday food drive . <p> " I do n't have to defend myself , " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeated Syracuse . " I 've been here 20 years . I think the record speaks for itself , whether it be in the community or coaching basketball . " <p> The first of the season 's flashpoints occurred last August , when two UConn players , Williams and A. J. Price , were arrested and charged with attempting to sell four laptops , valued at $11,000 , at area pawnshops . Eventually , both were placed in a special probation program . Williams , a junior and a star point guard , was suspended for 11 games , while Price , a redshirt freshman who also had been charged with making a false statement to the police , received a year 's suspension from basketball . <p> Calhoun said that he had no involvement in the adjudication process and that the punishments were in line with penalties given to other UConn students for similar transgressions . <p> " I wo n't condone their acts , " Calhoun said of his players . " It was stupid and very selfish , but I 'm not going to abandon kids making mistakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Williams too lenient . Among the dissenters was Jeff Jacobs , the influential sports columnist for The Hartford Courant , Connecticut 's most widely circulated paper and one that has covered UConn aggressively in athletics and other areas . <p> Last Oct. 29 , Jacobs wrote that Williams should also have been suspended for a year . Noting that Williams would be allowed to play the entire Big East Conference schedule that began in January , he suggested UConn was more interested in winning another national championship than preserving its integrity . <p> " So where was someone in a position of power " to say that the shorter punishment given to Williams " morally does n't feel right ? " Jacobs wrote . <p> On Nov. 6 , Jacobs , 50 , who has been named Connecticut 's sportswriter of the year seven times and has recently recovered from a heart attack , wrote another column that irritated Calhoun . <p> After a guard named Doug Wiggins of East Hartford rescinded a commitment to St. John 's and chose UConn , Jacobs questioned the decorum of recruiting a player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recover from scandal . Wiggins had said he simply changed his mind . <p> " Sometimes it does n't take an illegal action to be hated , " Jacobs wrote . " Sometimes it 's that final breach in the gentleman 's code -- etiquette or sportsmanship , if you will -- that makes you a pariah in your own league . " <p> In a column Nov. 29 , Jacobs mentioned an autobiography of the retired coach Jerry Tarkanian . During a recruiting battle , Tarkanian wrote , UConn signed a player named Souleymane Wane in 1997 after reportedly convincing him that Tarkanian was dying of cancer at Fresno State . <p> " This malignant recruiting trick ca n't be true , can it ? " Jacobs wrote . <p> Calhoun , who has denied any chicanery in the recruiting of Wane , said he took the word " malignant " to be a reference to his bout with prostate cancer in 2003 . That was not his intention , Jacobs said . Still , in early December , Calhoun told a group of UConn beat reporters that if Jacobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he better come up with a couple of armed guards . " <p> He never meant to carry out such a threat , Calhoun said , dismissing his remarks as blustery banter . Even so , Jacobs said in an interview , he would no longer allow himself to be bullied or intimidated by Calhoun . <p> " I just do n't think you should be able to threaten somebody in public , " Jacobs said . <p> The feud kept escalating . On Jan. 19 , Jacobs appeared on New York 's WFAN radio station to discuss the Williams issue , and UConn complained that others who covered the team were more qualified to offer their opinions . <p> That appeared to be the tipping point . On Jan. 31 , Jacobs wrote a searing column about his differences with Calhoun , saying , " Being ranked No. 1 evidently is more important than something as niggling as human decency . Winning apparently entitles the man to treat others badly . " <p> That same day , Jacobs appeared again on WFAN and said it had been relayed to him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gay and racist . He took the gay remark as a joke , Jacobs said in an interview , but added that the racist accusations were more troubling and that Calhoun had once expressed this concern to him in person . Calhoun denied making any remarks about racism or sexual preference . <p> Reaction to Jacobs 's column has been widespread and mixed . Jacobs said he had received about 600 e-mail messages , the majority running in his favor , while letters to The Courant have been running 60 percent in Calhoun 's favor . <p> Angry and hurt by the column , Calhoun said he believed Jacobs was relying on second- and third-hand information to form his opinions . He said he barely knew Jacobs , calling him a phantom . UConn has questioned whether Jacobs could continue to fairly cover the team . <p> Jacobs , who estimated he covered half of UConn 's games each season , said the Jan. 31 column was written because he felt he had to be true to himself and to his readers . He also said he wanted to let peers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to entrenched , powerful figures like Calhoun . <p> Sports ought to be covered more often as the big business it has become , said Timothy Kenny , a journalism professor at UConn . " There 's nothing wrong with criticizing someone who is as public a figure as Calhoun , " Kenny said . " It 's part of the job of a sports columnist to kick things around a bit . " <p> Rick Hancock , the assistant dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University , said Jacobs 's column " sounded whiny . " While there were many legitimate issues to explore about Calhoun 's behavior , Hancock said , " I think Jeff crossed the line by putting himself into it . You 've got to stay out of the story . The story is not about you . " <p> And yet the story is not going away . On Thursday , Randy Smith , a prominent columnist and sports editor at The Journal Inquirer in Manchester , Conn. , chastised Calhoun for referring to him as " crazy , " " self-righteous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also criticized Calhoun for permitting Williams to play this season , calling it " the charade of helping a kid . " <p> No one relishes seeing 20 years of accomplishment impugned , Calhoun said Wednesday . Still , he said , he found joy in his team , and there was a wondrous season building . If others want to ignore it , fine , he said . He would not join them . <p> URL : http : //www.nytimes.com 
##3001051 <p> The plucky crusade to introduce baseball to Ireland ignited because of a bumper sticker . Mike Kindle , an American who moved to Ireland in 1990 , saw an Irish Softball Association sticker on a car and begged the driver to tell him where he could find the group . He prayed it was no joke . <p> Kindle found the co-ed softball players tossing high-arc pitches on a mushy field . Softball was obviously a recreational activity , like flipping a Frisbee . The discovery still motivated Kindle , who preferred the more serious style of hardball that he had left behind in San Diego . <p> So Kindle persistently pushed the sport of baseball on a country without a single baseball diamond at the time . Eventually , there were about 30 regulars , some taking awkward swings , some making tortured throws and most , they said , falling in love with baseball and the notion of possibly playing it for Ireland . <p> " We decided we should try and form an international team , " Kindle said . " We said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play . ' We were sitting in the boozer over a couple of pints . Over a couple of pints , it sounded good . " <p> The story of the recent birth of baseball in Ireland , its growth and its baby steps in international competition is told in " The Emerald Diamond , " a film by John J. Fitzgerald . The film will be shown in 20 cities and towns throughout the United States , starting Feb. 25 at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville , N.Y . <p> Fitzgerald 's movie is a charming look at how baseball captivated some dedicated Irishmen . Those young men , supplemented by American-born players who had a parent or grandparent born in Ireland , transformed themselves from bumbling weekend warriors into respected competitors . Think of Rudy , the Notre Dame walk-on , and multiply it by about a dozen . <p> " I found out about them and I said , ' This is amazing , ' " Fitzgerald said . " I had no idea Ireland had a national team . " <p> The Irish are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 16 federations competing in the inaugural World Baseball Classic next month . While Ireland won the bronze medal in the B Pool of the 2004 European Championships , the 10-year-old Irish team remains a baseball neophyte . <p> But Fitzgerald said some players dreamily speak about qualifying for the next classic or the one after that . The team has playfully wondered if the Yankees ' Derek Jeter , who has Irish roots on his mother 's side , could be coaxed into playing for Ireland . That dream of Jeter wearing green would be impossible , though , since Jeter 's grandmother was born in New Jersey . <p> Before Fitzgerald decided to do a documentary on the Irish , he wanted to be on the team . Fitzgerald played one year of college baseball and thought he was eligible because his grandmother is a dual citizen . After four months of workouts , Fitzgerald found out that he was ineligible because his grandmother was born in New York , not Ireland . <p> By then , Fitzgerald had communicated with the coaches of Baseball Ireland and heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snippets of success . If Fitzgerald , a 28-year old from Valhalla , N.Y. , could not play for Ireland , he wanted to follow the team with a camera and recount an intriguing , and mostly unknown , tale . <p> " Even now , when I talk to people from Ireland about the baseball team , they think I 'm talking about hurling or an Irish-American team from the U.S. , " Fitzgerald said . " Outside of Dublin , no one has ever heard of it . " <p> Cormac Eklof , a pitcher who has a tattoo of Nomar Garciaparra , added , " Nobody knows who we are . " <p> When Kindle , Eklof , Sean Mitchell , John Dillon , Darran O'Connor and some other originals initially played in Ireland , they trudged across rugby or soccer fields . There were no mounds , so the pitchers dug foot holes , and no backstops , so they hammered beams into the ground and attached netting . Rain was almost as predictable as the ball being white . They did have bases , which Eklof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film shows scenes of players with choppy swings and players fielding balls as if they were catching shot-puts . The Irish were learning on the fly . Dillon , a strong rugby player , was 25 when he made his baseball debut , an age when many Americans have stopped playing . He has now been the starting center fielder for a decade , combining grit with grace . <p> Ireland debuted in the 1996 European Championships and lost to the Czech Republic , 23-2 , but the proud players were content because they had succeeded in at least competing . Losses to Norway ( 19-1 ) , Poland ( 20-10 ) and Lithuania ( 15-5 ) followed , and exasperation bubbled . Could they be that terrible ? The answer was no . Ireland stopped Yugoslavia , 8-6 , in the final game , and the team was ecstatic and relieved . <p> Still , to continue growing , the Irish needed a real place to play . Peter O'Malley , the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers , helped make that a reality by donating$140,000 to build adult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dublin . Some locals who did not know a double from a double play had to be reminded not to tear up the infield while practicing golf shots . <p> The diamond gave Irish baseball a home and an identity . Ireland won two games in the 1998 European Championships and one in the 2000 tournament . By 2002 , the Irish , who had followed the practice of other European teams by adding a few American-born college players who possessed dual citizenship , thought they were threats to win the title . They finished fourth . <p> But , in 2004 , with the additions of Joe Kealty , who hit .337 at Boston College ; Chris Gannon , who was 11-4 for the same university ; and Brendan Bergerson , an intimidating left-hander from the University of West Virginia , Ireland had its best team ever . The Irish beat Serbia-Montenegro to win a bronze medal . <p> " It feels like we 've been on a good trip , " said Chris Foy , who is from Seaford , N.Y. , and moved to Dublin and joined the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guys who were playing softball to pick up baseballs and say , ' Let 's give this a try . ' " <p> One of the greatest challenges for Ireland has been developing pitchers because the popular Irish sports , like hurling , soccer , rugby and Gaelic football , do not involve throwing balls . When Ireland adds talent from America , the focus is on pitchers . <p> The Irish are also wary of keeping their team from becoming what Eklof called " a bunch of ringers " who could ruin team chemistry . So the roster is limited to one-third American-born players . <p> As important as the national team is to the future , the current players are also concerned about having successors . Rory Murphy , a sturdy catcher , hit .538 as a 16-year old in the 2004 championships and is considered the premier prospect in Ireland . In a country where 300 children play baseball , that Murphy favors the new sport over rugby is a coup . <p> " We need to keep the kids coming , " said Will Beglane , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the national team will end . " <p> Several players will be in New York to see " The Emerald Diamond " before returning to prepare for the 2006 European Championships in August . The two top teams from the B Pool advance to A , and keener competition in 2007 against the likes of Italy and the Netherlands . <p> If Ireland can indeed rumble into the A Pool after only a decade of international play , Kindle , the pioneer who spied the softball bumper sticker that helped inspire it all , thinks it would be time for Fitzgerald toplan a sequel . <p> " Even if I was n't involved , I 'd think it was a great story , " Kindle said . " You 've got a bunch of knuckleheads running around playing in the rain because they love baseball . It 's a writer 's dream . " <p> URL : http : //www.nytimes.com John Dillon plays for Ireland , which won the bronze in the 2004 European Championships B Pool . ( Photo by Lori Carey ) 
##3001053 <p> The protesters here certainly know what they do n't like : war , globalization , capitalism , drug laws , immigrant detention centers , a high-speed train line and , inexplicably , the Olympic torch . <p> " This is a discussion of war , " said Claudio Robba , 25 , one of maybe 150 protesters at a piazza , referring , in fact , to a well-designed stick with a little flame on top . <p> But clarity is not the point , and on Thursday , the eve of the Winter Games , the protesters managed to generate enough worry that Olympic organizers , for the third time in recent days , diverted the path of the torch relay to avoid them . <p> The protesters claimed victory , but the general feelings were anger and embarrassment that Italy , which had meticulously prepared for the event for a decade , was having trouble getting the torch cleanly to the Olympic Stadium , where on Friday night it is supposed to light the caldron and officially open the Games . <p> The problems with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event that is mosquito-bitten by logistical worries . These include concerns about log-jammed transportation on two-lane mountain roads and venues untested with large crowds , lagging ticket sales , already overtaxed phone lines , melting snow , increased fears about security and , as the protest showed , the potential for disruption . <p> Fortunately for the Games ' organizers , attention is beginning to shift to the events , the real test of all this planning , which begin Saturday with the Nordic combined . <p> For Americans , the interest may be especially high on the opening weekend . Daron Rahlves turned in the fastest time in the first training run Thursday for the men 's downhill . The race , the first marquee event , will take place Sunday in the Alpine resort town of Sestriere . <p> After beating his nearest competitor by more than a second , Rahlves immediately declared himself the favorite . " The race comes down to me , " he said , while his usually outspoken teammate Bode Miller turned in the 16th-fastest time and then refused to talk . <p> Down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here in huge numbers and the city is finally shaping up as an Olympic stage . <p> Workers have been rushing to put in place the finishing touches , hanging banners and installing figurines of the Olympic stick-figure mascots in the traffic circles , while construction continues on the ornate shell in the center of town where some medal ceremonies will be held . <p> " We have one more day to fine-tune everything to be ready for tomorrow night , " Andrea Varnier , the image and event director for the Turin Organizing Committee , said Thursday . " This is a unique opportunity to give the first image of the Games and our country . " <p> The city and the nation had seemed curiously resistant to Olympic fever , but excitement seems to be growing . Crowds lined the streets inside this industrial yet graceful city , among them throngs of schoolchildren with pennants , waiting for the torch to pass . For some , given that the torch was unexpectedly rerouted by the protest at Piazza Sabotino , just outside the center , the view came as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Claudia Franchino , 26 , who had just stepped out of a shop when the torch suddenly arrived on its new route . " What an event ! " <p> Despite predictions of a huge last-minute buying spree , an ongoing enthusiasm deficit seems reflected in poorer-than-expected ticket sales . As of Thursday , 740,000 tickets had been sold , just over 85 percent of those available . There were still 1,000 tickets unsold for the opening ceremony Friday . <p> Also Thursday , the Italian Interior Ministry , while expressing confidence in the " full efficiency " of its security plans , said nonetheless it was paying particular attention to two possible threats . First , a statement said , is a possibly increased worry about violence in the wake of protests among Muslims around the world against the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published in European papers . <p> Second , the ministry said , was the " growing aggressiveness of antagonistic movements and subversive Italian groups . " Earlier this week , the interior minister , Giuseppe Pisanu , said he was more concerned about these groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of issues , local and global -- than about Islamic terrorism . <p> In recent days , these groups forced the police to divert the torch twice : first on Sunday in the Susa Valley , west of Turin , the site of protests against a high-speed train line under construction there ; then on Wednesday in the town of Avigliana , west of Turin , where 1,500 protesters had gathered to try to block the torch . <p> On Thursday , a contingent of the protesters set itself up at Piazza Sabotino , armed with T-shirts against the " Dirty Games " ( as well as five-foot fake marijuana cigarettes that they carried about like the Olympic torch , in protest of harsh new drug laws in Italy ) . <p> The protesters had a long list of complaints against the Games . General Electric is a sponsor , and it makes engines that power American warplanes in Iraq . Turin has spent more than $1.4 billion on the Games , which the protesters say will do nothing to change unemployment and layoffs in a city hit hard by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " People say this is a chance for Turin to become a rich city , " said Laura , 25 , who like most of the protesters would not give her last name . " But this is a lot of talk about nothing . " <p> In nearly equal numbers to the protesters were riot police , with plastic shields and sticks -- not needed , it turned out , because Olympic organizers decided to reroute the torch a few streets away . However , there was trouble between the protesters and crowds of ordinary Turinese who showed up with pennants to watch the torch pass . <p> " It was n't democratic ; you are blocking the flame , " a woman who gave her name as Felicia , 45 , screamed at the protesters . " You are a disgrace . " <p> Giuseppe Galigiuti , 50 , a mechanic , spit out , " They are the embarrassment of Italy ; them , not Italy itself . " <p> The truth is that television viewers around the world are seeing not just the protesters , but a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still complicated version is that Italy is the midst of hotly contested national elections , and many of these protesters are aligned to the Refounded Communists , which is aligned to the center-left coalition challenging Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi . <p> The protests represent a small political windfall for Berlusconi and his allies , who are asking why the left , led by his opponent in the race , Romano Prodi , can not stop the protests and the embarrassment to Italy . <p> Giuseppe Tamburrano , a professor at the University of Catania in Sicily , said the protesters themselves are sending a message to the Communist leaders not to cozy up too much to the more moderate Prodi while they get free international television time . <p> " These young people understand perfectly well that the Olympic Games do n't have a relationship with globalism or capitalism , " he said . " They do it , above all , for the visibility . " <p> All of which meant nothing to the pupils at Cesare Battisti Primary School , who stood curbside with little pennants for an hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forbade her to give her last name to a stranger with a notebook , said she was sad not to see the torch . Like Turin itself , she only had one chance to be part of the Olympics . <p> " It will neverhappen again , " she said . <p> URL : http : //www.nytimes.com Protesters mingled with the crowd at the Piazza Sabotino yesterday awaiting the arrival of the Olympic torch . The route was altered because of the protesters . ( Photo by Joe Ward/The New York Times ) ( pg . D3 ) Map of Italy highlighting Turin and route of the Olympic torch . ( Map by Joe Ward/The New York Times ) 
##3001054 <p> A former National Hockey League player who now coaches alongside Wayne Gretzky faces charges of financing a multimillion-dollar sports gambling ring . The authorities said the ring had links to organized crime and clients that included at least a half-dozen current or ex-players . <p> The accusations were revealed Tuesday by New Jersey law enforcement officials . They said that Rick Tocchet , who played for 18 seasons in the N.H.L. , had organized the ring with the help of a New Jersey state trooper , James J. Harney , who investigators said accepted bets while on patrol . <p> Mr. Tocchet , 41 , is an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes , where he works for Mr. Gretzky , a longtime friend who is the team 's head coach and a part owner . Mr. Gretzky , the N.H.L. 's career scoring leader and an icon in the sport , was not linked to the ring . <p> But the authorities said that a " movie celebrity " had placed wagers with Mr. Tocchet 's operation . A lawyer for Mr. Harney , Craig R. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wife of Mr. Gretzky and an actress . Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that Ms. Jones was among those implicated . <p> Investigators did not name the hockey players who were suspected of involvement . They said that they were continuing to interview players and that they had collected no evidence so far that players had wagered on any hockey games or that the outcomes of games had been fixed . <p> The accusations resulted from a four-month investigation , Operation Slapshot , by the New Jersey State Police . The ring took in more than $1.7 million on 1,000 wagers during a recent 40-day period , said Col. Joseph R. Fuentes , the superintendent of the State Police . <p> He said that the operation had ties to organized crime figures in Philadelphia and South Jersey and that most of the betting was on football and basketball at the professional and college level . <p> The investigation comes at a crucial time for the N.H.L. , which has embarked on an aggressive public relations campaign after a bitter labor dispute that led to the cancellation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Daly , said in statement that even if players did not bet on league games , " it in no way justifies poor judgment or otherwise alleged inappropriate conduct . " He added , " We take this issue very seriously and will monitor the proceedings closely . " <p> Speaking to reporters after the Coyotes ' practice Tuesday morning in Arizona , Mr. Tocchet confirmed that he had received a criminal summons . <p> " It 's a football-related issue , not hockey-related , " he said , according to The East Valley Tribune . He declined to comment further . <p> Mr. Tocchet was served with a criminal complaint Monday and was expected to travel from his Arizona home to answer charges of promoting gambling , money laundering and conspiracy , Colonel Fuentes said . A criminal complaint informs an individual of the authorities ' intention to charge him and the need for him to arrange to travel to appear for formal charges or face arrest . <p> Officials said that they expected Mr. Tocchet to surrender in the next several days . He could face up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not behind the bench for the Coyotes ' home game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night . He was flying to New York to meet with N.H.L. Commissioner Gary Bettman , the Coyotes said . <p> Mr. Gretzky acknowledged that the charges were serious . " It 's a situation that , obviously , concerns the organization at this point , " he said . " Everyone in the world is innocent until proven guilty . " <p> After Tuesday night 's game in Glendale , Ariz. , Mr. Gretzky said he would not comment on his wife 's purported role . <p> " Listen , first of all , my wife is my best friend , so my love for her is deeper than anything , " he said . " The reality is , I 'm not involved . I was n't involved . I 'm not going to be involved . " <p> Colonel Fuentes said that players who had placed bets wagered almost exclusively on football and basketball . One investigator left open the possibility that players had bet on hockey , which would violate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ athletes in the National Hockey League , and of course there are other bettors , but you can understand I ca n't release their identities at this time , " Colonel Fuentes said , adding that more charges were possible . <p> He did not rule out the possibility that investigators might learn that the outcomes of games had been fixed . <p> " We have n't seen that in our investigation to date , " Colonel Fuentes said . " Whether that would come to light in any future investigation remains to be seen . We can simply connect them from the Philly mob to this book-making enterprise . " <p> The State Police opened its investigation in October after receiving a tip that the trooper , Mr. Harney , was suspected of involvement in a gambling operation . Mr. Harney , 40 , has been a trooper for eight years . He was arrested late Monday and charged with official misconduct , promoting gambling , money laundering and conspiracy . Officers who searched Mr. Harney 's home in Marlton , N.J. , said they found $27,000 in cash , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including two in a bathroom . <p> Mr. Harney , who has an annual salary of $89,000 , has been suspended without pay . He was released on $100,000 bail and could face 10 to 20 years in prison if convicted of money laundering and another 10 years if convicted of official misconduct . <p> Mr. Mitnick , the lawyer for Mr. Harney , said his client was " shell-shocked . " He added : " His record has been impeccable , as a human being and as a trooper . It 's too premature to say where this will go . " <p> Investigators said they had enlisted another state trooper to place a bet with Mr. Harney . Over the course of several months , they said , they pieced together what they believed to be a large gambling network headed by Mr. Tocchet and Mr. Harney . <p> " In his role in this gambling enterprise , Tocchet received illegal sports wagers from bettors and forwarded winnings and losses to Harney from Arizona to New Jersey , " Colonel Fuentes said . <p> Officials said that Mr. Tocchet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Tocchet played for the Philadelphia Flyers and Mr. Harney worked as a bartender . <p> Mr. Tocchet played in the N.H.L. with Philadelphia , Pittsburgh , Los Angeles , Boston , Washington , Phoenix . He returned to Philadelphia , where he spent his final three seasons before retiring in the 2001-2 season . <p> Mr. Tocchet and Mr. Gretzky were teammates with the Los Angeles Kings from 1994 to 1996 . It is widely believed that Mr. Tocchet is being groomed to be Mr. Gretzky 's coaching successor , when Mr. Gretzky decides to step down . When Mr. Gretzky briefly left the Coyotes in late December to be with his ailing mother , Phyllis , who died of cancer on Dec. 19 , Mr. Tocchet served as the Coyotes ' head coach . <p> Scott Gomez , a center for the Devils , praised Mr. Tocchet as an individual and professional . " He 's a great guy , " Mr. Gomez said . " He 's as good as they come for the game . He 's one of those old-school guys who makes things better for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arrest of James A. Ulmer , who is 40 and lives in Swedesboro , N.J. They accused Mr. Ulmer of being a low-level member of the operation . <p> Zulima V. Farber , the state 's attorney general , attended a news conference to announce the investigation Tuesday . <p> " We will not stand for official corruption , no matter where it 's found , " she said . " Even among our own . " <p> Gambling scandals have periodically intersected with professional sports , perhaps most notably when eight players on the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series against Cincinnati . The National Football League , the National Basketball Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association have all confronted the issue as well . <p> URL : http : //www.nytimes.com Col. Joseph Fuentes , superintendent of the New Jersey State Police , discussing a multimillion-dollar gambling ring that the authorities said had ties to organized crime . ( Photo by Mel Evans/Associated Press ) ( pg . D7 ) 
##3001057 <p> A year ago , after the big dark bay horse arrived at the European-styled training center here , the trainer Michael Matz and his assistant , Peter Brette , shared a transcendental thought about a colt by the ho-hum name of Barbaro . But they dared not say it aloud . <p> Barbaro was a superhorse , Mr. Brette believed , after he first took him onto the racetrack for a morning workout . Barbaro could sweep the Triple Crown , Mr. Matz said he kept thinking . It was the beginning of what would become a most unorthodox plan to chase after one of sport 's most elusive prizes . <p> " We were training for the Triple Crown , " Mr. Matz said , daring to tempt racing 's fates . " It has been so long since anyone has won it , why not try something different ? " <p> In the Kentucky Derby on May 6 , Barbaro validated Mr. Brette 's opinion with a stunningly effortless victory . On May 20 in Baltimore , Mr. Matz says , his undefeated colt will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from the field in the 131st running of the Preakness Stakes . <p> Mr. Matz says he thinks he can succeed where six horses in the last nine years , from Silver Charm to Smarty Jones , failed after coming so close to horse racing immortality . He has thrown out a regimen that has been regarded by trainers as commandments etched in stone , opting instead for a new schedule , forged by his own personal setback and inspired by a brilliant colt . <p> While most trainers organize training to maximize fitness and build race readiness , Mr. Matz has given Barbaro an unusual amount of rest between races in his budding career . Trainers usually prefer to have their horses experienced in having dirt kicked in their face , maneuvering through crowded fields and reacting to adversity before they run in the Triple Crown races , beyond being in shape . <p> Barbaro , though , ran only five times before winning the Derby , and started his career only when Mr. Matz decided he was ready , in October , relatively late for a horse with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came upon his fresh-horse theory at the lowest point of what turned out to be an illustrious career in show jumping . <p> In 1976 , he was on the cusp of making the United States Olympic team and was forced to push his horse in the trials . Mr. Matz became an Olympian , but at the Montreal Games , he and his tired horse staggered through the competition , suffering 28 faults and knocking down 7 poles . <p> " When I watched the replay , I felt agony , " he said . " No one , none of my teammates , wanted to get close to me . I decided then , I was never going to put a tired horse in a competition or race . " <p> Mr. Matz says that a horse needs every advantage to win the Triple Crown , the most exacting and enduring challenge in the sport . It was back in 1978 that Affirmed became the last horse to sweep the Derby , the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes . <p> In recent years , Mr. Matz has watched as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have fallen short . <p> As a group , those six horses competed in an average of 8.5 races before the Derby , and an average of 3.8 of those races were as 3-year-olds , usually in the 12 weeks before the first Saturday in May . Bob Baffert trained three of those horses , and two -- Silver Charm and Real Quiet -- fell three-quarters of a length and a nose short from completing the sweep in the grueling mile-and-a-half Belmont Stakes . Eking out those last few gallops from a tired horse in the Triple Crown 's third leg has vexed trainers in recent years . <p> " It 's a tricky balance to keep , and a lot of it depends on your horse and how he is progressing , " said Mr. Baffert , who raced Silver Charm six times before the Derby and ran Real Quiet 12 times . " You want him to be ready for anything in the Derby . I think most of us focus on winning the Derby . <p> " Then you try to hold them together for the Preakness and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he could think Triple Crown with , and he believed enough in his colt 's talent to try a different route . " <p> Barbaro pulled into Churchill Downs having raced only once in the 13 weeks before the Derby . Between his starts , he was rested for five to eight weeks . His racing career looks odder still because his first three victories were on the grass -- not on dirt , the surface of the Triple Crown -- at distances of a mile , a mile and a sixteenth , and a mile and an eighth . <p> Usually , Triple Crown hopefuls begin their careers on the dirt in races shorter than a mile involving one turn of the track before stretching to two-turn races in their third year . <p> Mr. Matz said he knew that Barbaro , as the son of Dynaformer -- an accomplished sire known for producing turf horses with stamina -- would relish those grass races . Actually , the trainer was listening to his horse . <p> " We took our time with him because he needed to grow up mentally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run him on dirt , but the grass race at Delaware Park was the only one that came up that fit our schedule . " <p> Following the trainer 's regimen of allowing plenty of time to recover between races , Barbaro did not compete on the dirt until Feb. 4 , in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park . When rain pelted South Florida and the racing surface became sloppy , Mr. Matz thought about pulling him from the race . But Mr. Brette , unworried about how Barbaro would handle a wet track , talked him out of it . <p> " We had to try the dirt , as well as stay on schedule , " Mr. Brette said . <p> Barbaro was impressive winning the Holy Bull , but traditionalists were puzzled by Mr. Matz 's decision to wait until the Florida Derby eight weeks later . By that time , Mr. Matz and Mr. Brette were well aware that they had a maturing colt with more gears than a bicycle in the Tour de France . <p> To keep his horses happy , Mr. Matz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Fair Hill Training Center , which is a sort of equine spa with Fifth Avenue amenities . <p> He owns two spacious barns , has access to an adjacent veterinary clinic and pays maintenance fees ( $5 a day for each of his 50 horses here ) to the center . <p> Its 350 acres are next to the 5,600-acre Fair Hill Preserve , once the fox-hunting estate of William du Pont Jr. , and is veined by riding trails , dotted with pastures and home to a dirt , turf and more forgiving wood-chip training track . It is an oasis where horses can be treated as horses . <p> On Wednesday morning , Barbaro grazed quietly after an effortless mile jog that once more had Mr. Brette feeling as if he had been atop a winged horse . " If he is feeling this good four days after running a mile and a quarter , I ca n't imagine what he will be like in 10 days , " he said , referring to the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course . <p> Mr. Matz and Mr. Brette say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Triple Crown when two legs remain . <p> But they also have been unable to suppress thoughts of sweeping the series , then taking Barbaro to Europe in the fall to run on grass again , perhaps in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe , the most famous race in Europe . <p> It is with this confidence that Matz has entered Barbaro to run against a compact field of perhaps six horses at Pimlico on May 20 . When he gives Edgar Prado a leg up on Barbaro before the Preakness , Mr. Matz said he would offer him the same succinct instructions that he did at the Derby : " Just ride him like he 's the best horse . " <p> URL : http : //www.nytimes.com Michael Matz , the trainer of Barbaro , said he learned to keep a horse fresh after doing poorly in the 1976 Olympics in show jumping . Barbaro ran only five times before winning the Kentucky Derby . He started his career in October , relatively late for a Triple Crown prospect . ( Photographs by Ryan Donnell for The New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 
##3001058 <p> WHILE the Yankees struggle with their aging , injured and flawed corps of starting pitchers , the Chicago White Sox flourish with theirs . And who can they thank for helping build their corps ? The Yankees . <p> The Yankees , impatient and dissatisfied with what they had seen , traded Jose Contreras , their underachieving Cuban defector , to the White Sox at the trading deadline in 2004 . They traded Javier Vazquez to Arizona before the 2005 season . The Diamondbacks then contributed to the pitching riches of the White Sox by trading Vazquez to them last December . <p> Contreras is on the disabled list with an aching back , but in his six starts before being injured , he compiled a 5-0 record with a nifty American League-low 1.41 earned run average . Vazquez entered last night 's scheduled start with a 4-1 record and a 2.88 E.R.A. , the league 's fourth lowest . <p> Contreras , a 34-year-old right-hander , has compiled an even more impressive record over a longer period . In 21 starts since last year 's All-Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ E.R.A. Those numbers do n't include a 3-1 record that helped the White Sox sail through the playoffs and win the World Series . <p> The Yankees were unable to get that kind of pitching from Contreras , whose signing prompted Larry Lucchino to refer to the Yankees as the Evil Empire . They decided to trade him after he struggled with a 5.64 E.R.A. in the first four months of the 2004 season . <p> So why has Contreras pitched so effectively for the White Sox ? Why has Vazquez pitched so effectively for the White Sox when he had a 4.91 E.R.A. for the Yankees ? Don Cooper , the unheralded White Sox pitching coach , is a large part of the answer . <p> " I do n't know what goes on in New York or any other team , " said the 50-year-old Cooper , a New Yorker . " I 've only been a coach with Chicago . I know what we do . I know my approach . " <p> Baseball people do n't mention Cooper when they talk about Leo Mazzone , the heralded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Cooper has earned his way into the conversation . Before Contreras and Vazquez , there was Esteban Loaiza . <p> In his first 10 major league seasons , Loaiza had a 69-73 record . With the White Sox in 2003 , he had a 21-9 record , then was 9-5 before they traded him to the Yankees in 2004 . Pitching for three different teams since the trade , Loaiza has had a 13-15 record . <p> Cooper , who began his playing career in the Yankees ' system , does n't take credit for the White Sox ' pitching success , but it 's obvious he has been instrumental in it . <p> " I look at guys , I look at films , " Cooper said . " We know what their key is in their mechanics . Right away I knew what my key for Vazquez was , for Loaiza . " <p> With Loaiza , Cooper said , " he was giving up hits earlier in the count , so we concentrated on being down in the zone . " <p> " He was throwing too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're ahead in the count and giving up hits , you 're making mistakes . We were able to cut down on a lot of hits with him . " <p> Contreras presented a more complex case for reasons on and off the field . <p> " His family 's with him , not in exile , " Cooper said , referring to their separation after Contreras left Cuba . " He has got to have peace of mind . Maybe the pressure of New York -- you 've got to do it yesterday -- was a factor . Maybe the hype . We had to do some things mechanically , more than you 'd like to do , but we created an atmosphere for him to thrive and succeed . " <p> From a purely pitching standpoint , Cooper said , Contreras has pitched successfully because of his ability to throw strikes . " He does it from a couple of different angles , " Cooper said . <p> Generally , Cooper changed Contreras 's weekly routine . <p> " He was throwing every day , " Cooper said . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long toss Tuesday , throw on the side Wednesday , do flat work Thursday . I said : ' You 're going to be pitching over 200 innings for us . I do n't want you throwing 200 innings in the bullpen . ' <p> " We got him to change from shooting himself in the foot . The other team was n't beating him , but he was beating himself . He deserves the credit . He 's an animal worker . I do n't know why the Yankees traded him , but I 'm glad we acquired this guy . " <p> The White Sox did n't get Vazquez from the Yankees , but they got him because the Yankees had given up on him . <p> " With Vazquez , " Cooper said , " he 's always throwing 200 innings . Walks have never been a problem . We 're focusing on the hit column and , more importantly , the home run column , because that 's what bit him in the butt . If he keeps the ball in the park , it 's almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cooper 's work with Vazquez has produced remarkable results . In eight previous seasons , Vazquez gave up 1,653 hits in 1,643 innings , allowing more hits than innings pitched , or nearly as many hits as innings pitched , in every season . This season he has permitted 30 hits in 40 2/3 innings . <p> His reduction in home runs allowed is even more impressive . He has gone from giving up one home run every seven innings in his career to allowing one this season . <p> Their pitchers took the White Sox all the way last season , and they 're threatening to do it again this season . <p> Reliving and Relieving <p> Don Cooper described his tenure with the Yankees ' 1985 pitching staff as brief , but he was around long enough to witness five of Ron Guidry 's 22 victories that season and three of the 16 victories that carried Phil Niekro to a career total of 300 . He saw the first of Ed Whitson 's 10 victories . <p> He was around long enough to be John Montefusco 's teammate but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to see Yogi Berra fired as manager and Billy Martin hired . <p> " Yogi got fired two days after my call-up , " Cooper said of Berra 's dismissal only 16 games into the season after George Steinbrenner had declared in spring training that Berra would be the manager the entire season no matter what . <p> Cooper , then 29 , relieved in seven games for the Yankees during the 37 days he spent with the team . He had a lot of time to recuperate between appearances . <p> " That was Billy , " Cooper said . " He 'd go with the starter until he dropped . I was like the 13th man on a 10-man staff . Billy needed only seven guys -- five starters and two relievers . " <p> Al Goldis , who is now a special assistant to the Mets ' general manager , has known Cooper since he was a high school pitcher in New York and has been responsible for Cooper 's career . <p> When Goldis coached the New York Tech baseball team , he recruited Cooper to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scouting and player development , he hired him to be a minor league pitching coach . <p> When he recruited Cooper for college , Goldis said : " My No. 1 and 2 qualities were , does this guy have a brain and does he have the makeup to compete ? He had them . Plus he had a loose arm . " <p> Goldis had not forgotten Cooper when Cooper 's playing career ended . Cooper spent 15 years as a pitching coach in the White Sox system before becoming the major league pitching coach in 2002 . <p> " He had the ability to communicate , " Goldis said . " He was able to get to all the players , no matter what their culture . " <p> Not All 1-0 Games Are Alike <p> Eight games have ended in 1-0 decisions this season , but that 's about as far as the similarity in the games went . Despite having only one run scored , the times of the games ranged from 2 hours 14 minutes ( Athletics-Angels ) to 2:43 ( Reds-Cardinals ) . <p> It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference in the length of the games , but not in this instance . The Reds and the Cardinals ( 272 ) combined for only seven more pitches than the Athletics and the Angels ( 265 ) . Nearly a half-hour longer for seven pitches . <p> The Mets and the Braves threw the most pitches ( 285 ) in their 1-0 game , and it lasted 2:39 , meaning they threw 20 more pitches in 25 minutes longer than the shortest game . The Phillies and the Rockies threw the fewest pitches ( 236 ) and took 10 minutes longer than the fastest game . <p> A Question for the Ages <p> When he was young , Felipe Alou said : " I used to worry about age and dying . Once I got old , all of those worries were behind me . " <p> Alou , who turned 71 Friday , is the oldest manager in the major leagues . His age prompts people to ask him how much longer he expects to manage . How often do they ask ? <p> " Almost daily , " said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That 's the one question that I really do n't like to hear because I do n't know . It 's up to me and my employer also . I signed a two-year contract to manage this team and I 'm in the fourth year now . " <p> Has anything changed from year to year ? " Not a thing , " Alou said , then added , " I 'm drinking a lot more green tea again like I used to do years back . " <p> What does green tea do for him ? " I do n't know , " he said . " They say it 's good for you . I do n't know , but I 'm drinking it . " <p> Investigation Continues <p> The George Mitchell commission , which is investigating steroid use in the major leagues , has contacted a New York lawyer , Martin Garbus , because it wants to talk to Kimberly Bell , the former girlfriend of Barry Bonds . Garbus , her lawyer , said it 's " not clear right now " if she would talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal grand jury and has said in interviews that she saw Bonds use steroids and that he gave her $80,000 from autograph shows to use as a down payment on a house in Arizona . She said Bonds instructed her not to write checks for $10,000 or more so banks would not have to report the sums to the Internal Revenue Service , as the law requires . <p> Bonds is being investigated for having possibly perjured himself in his grand jury testimony and may also face charges of money laundering , tax evasion and avoiding banking laws . <p> URL : http : //www.nytimes.com Freddy Garcia is 5-1 this season and has 25 strikeouts , second on the White Sox to Vazquez , who pitched last night . ( Photo by Tannen Maury/European Pressphoto Agency ) Contreras had a 5-0 record and an A.L.-best 1.41 E.R.A. before going on the disabled list with a back injury . ( Photo by Rebecca Cook/Reuters ) 
##3001062 <p> There was a kind of free pass given to Landon Donovan in his debut at the 2002 World Cup as a 20-year-old . While he lacked experience , he was also unchained of much responsibility and pressure during soccer 's global championship . <p> " There 's something to be said for youthfulness , not knowing what 's coming , because you play fearless , " Donovan said . <p> Now 24 , he will travel next month to a second World Cup , in Germany , where Donovan 's professional career stalled twice before it was revived domestically in Major League Soccer . This time , much of the responsibility for the American success rests on his shoulders . He appears to accept this as an opportunity , not as a burden . <p> Prominent and vital , Donovan is the playmaker for the United States national team and sometimes its captain , the player on whom the Americans might be most dependent for skill and leadership as they seek to advance beyond group play against the Czech Republic , Italy and Ghana . <p> At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players -- a group that includes goalkeeper Kasey Keller , midfielders Claudio Reyna and DaMarcus Beasley , and forward Brian McBride -- who must be in top form if the Americans hope to succeed against what many consider the most difficult group in the 32-team tournament . <p> " I expect more out of him , " Bruce Arena , the manager of the national team , said of Donovan . " I expect him to be a more complete player for 90 minutes every game . And to play a leadership role . This time around , Landon and DaMarcus have to take a much bigger role than they did last time , instead of being happy young players at the World Cup . This time , they 've got to be the guys in the tough games that are there for us . " <p> In the past , Arena has chided Donovan for his inconsistency and has implored him to exert his influence every game and not to flick his presence on and off like a light switch . Donovan now appears comfortable and confident with this responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ armband in Reyna 's absence . <p> " I 'm not like , ' I 'm the man and I have to do everything , ' " Donovan said , " but I have to be at my best . " <p> At the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan , Donovan scored twice , including the insurance goal in a 2-0 victory against Mexico in the second round , and received honorable-mention placement on the all-World Cup team . Only in the past two months , though , has he brought himself to watch highlights from the Americans ' quarterfinal match against Germany , a 1-0 defeat in which he had several chances , all struck imprecisely and parried by Oliver Kahn , the German goalkeeper . <p> The highlights confirmed for Donovan the widely held belief that the Americans were the better team that night every place but on the scoreboard . Similar scoring chances have presented themselves 25 to 40 times in the intervening years , Donovan said , and he said he believes he is now much more likely to finish them . <p> At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several positions -- forward , playmaking midfielder or wing -- and because of that , Arena may move him around like a chess piece . Donovan 's preference is to play in the midfield , where he can use his speed to run at defenders and work with the two forwards . In any case , his job is to create and produce goals , a historic American liability . <p> From Arena , Donovan said he has learned the importance of selfishness when a scoring chance presents itself . Sometimes a player needs to be more of an individual than a teammate in a game where goals are few and precious . <p> " Bruce yells at me all the time , ' If you 're close to the goal , be selfish , be someone to score , ' " Donovan said . " I forget sometimes . I 'm just like , ' Oh , let 's find the next pass . ' Growing up , I used to beat people all the time and run by them . That 's the attitude we need to have . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patience from a player like Reyna , who has a maestro 's feel for controlling the rhythm of a game . That patience was on brilliant display in M.L.S. last month when Donovan stole a pass in extra time , siphoned the defense toward him , then passed to his unmarked teammate , Cornell Glen , for the winning goal in a 2-1 victory by the Los Angeles Galaxy against Chivas USA . <p> " I notice a difference even from when he joined the Galaxy last year to this point this year , " said Chris Albright , a defender on the national team and a teammate of Donovan 's with the Galaxy . " It 's a World Cup year . He recognizes he 's got to take more of a leadership role . " <p> In recent months , Donovan said , he has learned to become a better professional , a lesson taught to him by Arena and Jeff Agoos , a former teammate with the national team and with San Jose of M.L.S. Much of this now appears self-evident to a veteran : eating better , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to bed earlier , doing the things professionals do . <p> It was Agoos , Donovan said , who once admonished him that a player 's personal habits translated into performance . " So you ca n't just say , ' I 'm going to go out Wednesday , go to the bar and get drunk , Thursday come in and have a bad training and be ready for Saturday , ' " Donovan said . " Some guys get away with it for a few years , but eventually it 's going to catch up to you . That 's not the road I want to take , nor should I take . " <p> When the United States arrives in Germany to prepare for its opener June 12 against the Czech Republic , Donovan will return to a country where he has twice experienced professional disappointment with the club team Bayer Leverkusen -- first as a teenager , then briefly in 2005 when his career seemed relegated to the bench . <p> In retrospect , Donovan said , he came of age in Germany , and the hardships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have been if he had come straight into M.L.S. as a teen prodigy . Fighting for playing time , he said , was frustrating , " but that makes you better . " <p> Had he remained in Leverkusen instead of joining the Galaxy last season , Donovan said , he might have spent the 2005-6 Bundesliga season " without playing any real games " over the past eight months . That might have jeopardized his chances to play for the national team . <p> " I would have been in a real bad place right now , " Donovan said . " I would n't say I would n't have made this team , but there could have been a chance if I had n't played in a long time . " <p> Content with beach life in Southern California and with the way M.L.S. has treated him , Donovan said he would have no desire to entertain European club offers that might arise after a stellar World Cup . <p> " Not now , " Donovan said . " That 's not fair . " <p> Instead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where only advancement beyond group play could be considered a success , Donovan said . It is time for the United States to start consistently defeating squads like the Czech Republic , the world 's second-ranked team , and Italy , a three-time World Cup champion , Donovan said . <p> " Too often we panic and we think we 're not good enough to get out of a certain situation , " Donovan said . " We resign ourselves to clearing the ball out instead of just trying to play . We 're better than that . <p> " I believe we can beat the Czechs , " he said . " I believe we can beat Italy . Not tie them or lose , 1-0 . Beat them . I really do . " <p> URL : http : //www.nytimes.com 
##3001063 <p> Floyd Patterson , a gentleman boxer who emerged from a troubled boyhood to become the world heavyweight champion , died yesterday at his home in New Paltz , N.Y . He was 71 . <p> The cause was prostate cancer and Alzheimer 's disease , said a grandson , Kevin McIlwaine . <p> In the 1952 Helsinki Olympics , Patterson won the middleweight gold medal with five knockouts in five bouts . Then , in a 20-year professional career , he won 55 bouts , lost 8 and fought 1 draw . His total purses reached $8 million , a record then . <p> He won the heavyweight title twice , knocking out Archie Moore and Ingemar Johansson . In the first instance he became the youngest heavyweight champion up until that time ; in the second , he became the first fighter to regain the title . He also lost the title twice , defended it successfully seven times and failed to regain it three times . He generally weighed little more than 180 pounds , light for a heavyweight , but he made the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was a good guy in the bad world of boxing . He was sweet-tempered and reclusive . He spoke softly and never lost his boyhood shyness . Cus D'Amato , who trained him throughout his professional career , called Patterson " a kind of a stranger . " Red Smith , the New York Times sports columnist , called him " the man of peace who loves to fight . " <p> Patterson acknowledged his sensitivity . <p> " You can hit me and I wo n't think much of it , " he once said , " but you can say something and hurt me very much . " <p> W. C. Heinz , the boxing columnist , found a fundamental difference between Patterson the fighter and Patterson the person . <p> " In expressing himself as a fighter , " Heinz wrote , " Patterson knows almost complete security . Outside the ring , he knows no such security . A shy , sensitive soul-searcher , he volunteers little . He might be called a conversational counterpuncher . When he does speak out , however , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd Patterson ( he had no middle name ) was born Jan. 4 , 1935 , in a cabin in Waco , N.C. , the third eldest of 11 children . His father , Thomas , was a laborer and his mother , Annabelle , was a domestic who later worked in a bottling plant until the family moved to the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn . <p> Above the youngster 's bed was a picture of him with two older brothers and an uncle , all boxers . Referring to himself , he often told his mother , " I do n't like that boy , " and once he scratched three large X 's over his face in the picture . <p> He became a frequent truant who fell behind in school . At 11 , he could not read or write . He would not talk , and when someone talked to him , he refused to look that person in the face . <p> His mother had him committed to Wiltwyck School , a facility in upstate New York for emotionally disturbed boys . His new teachers helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boxing there , which he did . <p> A year and a half later , Patterson returned home . He attended Public School 614 for maladjusted children and Alexander Hamilton Vocational High School before quitting after one term to help support his family . <p> At 14 , he started working out at the Gramercy Gym on the Lower East Side of Manhattan , a battered facility owned and run by the iconoclastic D'Amato . In 1950 , he also started boxing as an amateur . In 1951 , Patterson won the New York Golden Gloves open middleweight title . In 1952 , after his Olympic success , he turned professional . <p> His first pro bout earned him only $300 , but by 1956 he had become a leading heavyweight . When Rocky Marciano retired that year as the undefeated champion , Patterson was matched against Moore , the light-heavyweight champion , for the heavyweight title . <p> For the fight , on Nov. 30 in Chicago Stadium , Patterson rode to the event with Sam Taub , the veteran broadcaster and reporter . As Taub recalled , " He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to the movies . " <p> When they arrived , Patterson put on his trunks , socks , boxing shoes and robe , stretched out on a rubbing table and went to sleep . A few hours later , he stopped the 42-year-old Moore in five rounds and , at 21 , became the youngest heavyweight champion to that point . <p> Patterson defended the title willingly but uncomfortably . In 1957 , he knocked out Pete Rademacher in six rounds in Seattle , and in 1958 he stopped Roy Harris , who was known as Cut ' n Shoot , in 12 rounds in Los Angeles after both fighters had knocked him down . <p> On June 26 , 1959 , at Yankee Stadium , Patterson lost the title when Johansson knocked him down seven times before the referee stopped the bout in the third round . But he became the first heavyweight to regain the title when he knocked out Johansson in the fifth round at the Polo Grounds on June 20 , 1960 . " It was worth losing the title for this , " Patterson said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my life . I 'm champ again , a real champ this time . " <p> Patterson and Johansson met in a third title fight on March 13 , 1961 , in Miami Beach . After being knocked down twice , Patterson knocked out Johansson in the sixth round , although some ringsiders thought Johansson had climbed off the canvas by the count of 10 . <p> The boxing historian Bert Sugar said by telephone yesterday : " You try to tell people how kind Patterson was and how difficult it was to reconcile that with boxing . In their second fight , Patterson knocks him silly , then picks him up and drags him back to his corner . I 've never seen anything like that in the world of sports . " <p> The glory days ended with Patterson 's two title fights against Sonny Liston . On Sept. 25 , 1962 , in Chicago , Liston knocked out Patterson in the first round and became the champion . An embarrassed Patterson drove home wearing dark glasses and a fake mustache and beard . But he insisted on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped now , that would be running away . " <p> " I did that when I was a kid , " he added . " I 've grown out of that . " <p> The return bout came on July 22 , 1963 , in Las Vegas , and the result was the same -- Liston by a knockout in the first round . Patterson kept fighting after that , but never at his championship level . <p> In 1965 in Las Vegas , with Patterson hiding a back injury , Muhammad Ali all but tortured him before winning in 12 rounds . In 1970 in Madison Square Garden , Ali opened a seven-stitch cut over Patterson 's left eye and beat him in seven rounds . <p> After Patterson finally retired in 1972 , he became a respected frontman for his sport . In 1983 , he told a Congressional subcommittee : " I would not like to see boxing abolished . I come from a ghetto , and boxing is a way out . It would be pitiful to abolish boxing because you would be taking away the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he was a member and from 1995 to 1998 the chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission , which supervised boxing in the state . He led a successful campaign to have the state mandate thumbless gloves and thus reduce eye injuries . <p> In April 1998 , while giving a deposition , his short-term memory failed . He could not remember the names of his two fellow commission members or his secretary or office routines . He resigned the next day . <p> Patterson is survived by his wife , Janet , whom he married in 1965 ; their two daughters , Jennifer Patterson of Kingston , N.Y. , and Janine Patterson of New Paltz ; and an adopted son , Tracy Harris Patterson , of Highland , N.Y. , whom he guided to the World Boxing Council 's super-bantamweight title in 1992 . He is also survived by two sons and two daughters from a previous marriage , Floyd , Eric , Seneca and Trina ; three brothers , Sherman , Raymond and Alvin ; two sisters , Deanna and Carolyn ; and eight grandchildren . Further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patterson was voted into the United States Olympic Committee Hall of Fame in 1987 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991 . The public loved him . As Dave Anderson wrote in 1972 in The Times : <p> " He projects the incongruous image of a gentle gladiator , a martyr persecuted by the demons of his profession . But his mystique also contains a morbid curiosity . Any boxing fan worth his weight in The Ring record books wants to be there for Floyd 's last stand . Until then , Floyd Patterson keeps boxing , the windmills of his mind turned by his own breezes . " <p> URL : http : //www.nytimes.com Floyd Patterson in 1998 . ( Photo by Jim McKnight/Associated Press ) 
##3001064 <p> On one gruesome play in the first inning at Yankee Stadium last night , a streak ended and a problem intensified . <p> Hideki Matsui , the Yankees ' left fielder who had played in 1,768 consecutive games , fractured his left wrist while trying to catch a ball hit by Mark Loretta in the Yankees ' 5-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox . Matsui will have an operation this morning and could miss the rest of the season . <p> " It 's going to be a long time , " General Manager Brian Cashman said . " Whether we get him back before the season 's over , we wo n't know for a while . " <p> Compounding the problem is the injury to Gary Sheffield , which could be more serious than it first seemed . Sheffield , the right fielder , is scheduled for another magnetic resonance imaging exam next week on his injured left wrist and hand . There was some fear around the team that Sheffield may need the hamate bone in his wrist removed , but Cashman said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> " I think his is a short-term issue , I believe , from all indications , " Cashman said . " But how soon after the 15 days , I do n't know . If it 's 15 , if it 's 20 , if it 's 25 -- I know one thing , it 's not two months . " <p> Sheffield is on the 15-day disabled list and has played only twice since crashing into Toronto first baseman Shea Hillenbrand on April 29 . His injury is listed as a contusion and sprain of the left wrist and hand . <p> Matsui left Yankee Stadium for **29;116;TOOLONG University Medical Center , where he stayed overnight after being examined by the team doctor Stuart Hershon and another doctor , Melvin Rosenwasser . <p> The Yankees called up outfielder Kevin Reese , who played two games for them last season , to take Matsui 's place on the roster . Manager Joe Torre said a combination of Melky Cabrera , Bernie Williams and Bubba Crosby would take over for Matsui and Sheffield . Cashman said Reese would be a bench @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he does some things no one else can do , " Derek Jeter said . " You just need some guys to fill in for him when he 's gone , and hopefully he 'll be back sooner rather than later . " <p> Other Yankees were less optimistic . Johnny Damon , the center fielder , said the wrist was so vital to a player that he was worried Matsui could miss the rest of the season . <p> " It 's crushing , " Damon said . " You do n't wish this on any team , and it 's happened to us . We have to find a way . " <p> Everybody who saw Matsui seemed to know the injury was serious . Damon said the wrist swelled immediately . Jason Giambi , the designated hitter last night , was in the clubhouse to see Matsui 's anguish after coming off the field . <p> " The biggest thing is everyone feels sad , " Giambi said . " That 's a big streak for Hideki , and he 's a big part of this lineup . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrible . He was in a lot of pain , and for him to be in a lot of pain , you knew it was something bad . " <p> Williams took Matsui 's spot in the lineup last night , coming in to play right field with Crosby shifting to left from right . Williams overran a fly ball down the right-field line in the seventh inning , helping the Red Sox overcome a 3-2 deficit . <p> With one out and a runner on first , Williams raced for a fly ball to the corner by Alex Gonzalez . " I took my eye off it for a second to brace myself to climb the wall , " Williams said . " As soon as I did that , the ball was right behind me . " <p> It bounced in fair territory and landed in the stands . The play was initially ruled an error before being changed to a double . Kyle Farnsworth came in to relieve Ron Villone , and after an out , Loretta grounded a ball to the right of Jeter at short . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his knees , but the high throw pulled Miguel Cairo off the base . The ball came loose when Cairo tried to tag Loretta , and two runs scored . <p> Williams doubled to lead off the eighth against Keith Foulke , but he was stranded at third when Cairo struck out for the fourth time , this time off closer Jonathan Papelbon . Papelbon earned his major-league-leading 13th save in the ninth . <p> But the play that will obviously be remembered most was the injury to Matsui . Loretta , the second batter of the game , lofted a sinking liner to left field . Matsui raced in for it , sliding and extending his glove near the grass . <p> It was a horrific collision of ball , glove and ground , and Matsui 's wrist was the victim . The ball popped loose as Matsui 's wrist bent backward upon hitting the ground . With the glove off , his left hand dangled awkwardly in the air . He found the ball and flung it in , but grabbed his wrist in pain . <p> " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Damon said . " Sometimes your glove sticks in the ground , and your wrist is moving in one direction and your glove is moving in the other . It 's only preventable if you go out there and do n't try to make a play . Matsui 's not that type of player . " <p> As stomach-turning injuries go , Matsui 's could rank with the broken legs of Joe Theismann on " Monday Night Football " and Tim Krumrie in the Super Bowl . The twist was that it happened to the foremost ironman in baseball . <p> Matsui began his streak on Aug. 22 , 1993 , when he was a 19-year-old rookie for the Yomiuri Giants . He finished his Japanese career with 1,250 consecutive games , and the streak continued for 518 more with the Yankees , a major league record for consecutive games to start a career . <p> Last night 's appearance did not count as part of the streak . As stated in rule 10.24 of the rule book , a player must complete a half inning in the field or a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one out in the top of the first . <p> At 1,768 total games , Matsui 's streak would rank third , behind Cal Ripken ( 2,632 ) and Lou Gehrig ( 2,130 ) , had he played all his games in the majors . But for the Yankees , of course , the impact of his loss extends far beyond the record book . <p> Their offense was probably strong enough to sustain the loss of one slugger ; coming into last night 's game , the Yankees had scored 193 runs , second in the American League . But the combined loss of Matsui and Sheffield may be significant . <p> " Everybody 's going to have to do a little something extra , " said Torre . " We 're not going to be sitting around saying , ' What if ? ' That 's not what we do . We 're going to be relying on finding other ways to win games . " <p> As the summer goes on , the trade market for outfielders will grow . Veterans on teams that seem to be noncontenders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City 's Reggie Sanders and Washington 's Alfonso Soriano , the former Yankee second baseman . <p> For now , Cashman said , he is not interested in pursuing a trade . <p> " My hope right now is to make sure we assess what we have first , " Cashman said . " If you go out on the trade market , you 're going to have to sell from your system right now . Let 's see what we have first . <p> " I do n't think , in early May , there 's going to be too much that makes sense right now . What makes sense and what 's most likely is we 're going to fight through it with what we have until circumstances dictate otherwise . " <p> URL : http : //www.nytimes.com ( Photo by Justin Lane/European Pressphoto Agency ) Derek Jeter showed his frustration after his throw to first in the seventh was high , allowing two runs to score . ( Photo by Barton Silverman/The New York Times ) ( pg . D1 ) Bubba Crosby , left , pulled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third . Johnny Damon , in center , did the same to Doug Mirabelli in the fourth . ( Photos by left , Frank Franklin II/Associated Press Barton Silverman/The New York Times ) ( pg . D3 ) 