LOCAL
L AWRENCE J OURNAL -W ORLD
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Ex-Jayhawk Bakare starts fitness site
Santana notches 100th win KANSAS CITY, MO. (AP) — Ervin Santana plans to give the ball from his 100th career win to his mother. It’s a gift that has been a long time coming. Santana pitched seven snappy innings in his seventh attempt to reach the milestone, and the Royals finally gave him enough support in a 7-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night that also gave Kansas City its fourth consecutive win. “It’s a dream come true. I’m just very excited for it,” Santana said of the win. “It’s a long process, a lot of bad outings and a lot of good outings. It feels good to get there.” Santana (4-5) entered the game with the worst run support among qualifying pitchers in the American League, a big reason why he already had six fruitless tries to win his 100th game. He finally made thanks to a seemingly endless series of singles and doubles off the Astros’ Erik Bedard (1-3), who failed to make it through the fifth inning. “Santana pitched good. He was throwing strikes, getting people off balance and getting outs,” Bedard said. “On the contrary, when I pitched they got hits and scored runs.” Santana allowed five hits in seven innings, striking out six without a walk. The only damage he allowed came on an RBI single by Jose Altuve and a solo homer by Chris Carter. “He was commanding his fastball extremely well, good slider he kept down and on the outside of the plate. Good speed on his breaking ball. But command more than anything else,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He just looked dominant at times.” Kansas City had been averaging 2.68 runs per nine innings in games Santana started, and it hadn’t scored more than four runs for him before Saturday night. But the offense has been coming alive in the nine games since Hall of Famer George Brett took over as interim hitting coach. The Royals have put up at least four runs in each of their four wins, and that’s no negligible feat: They improved to 20-5 when scoring at least four times. The result of the Royals’ recently improved production has been just their third four-game winning streak of the year and their first since April 30-May 5. Santana had no trouble against the light-hitting Astros, who only had one hit over the first five innings and didn’t push a run across until there were two out in the sixth.
BOX SCORE Houston AB R H BI BB SO Avg. B.Barnes cf 3 1 1 0 0 1 .292 Paredes rf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .205 Altuve 2b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .297 J.Castro c 4 0 1 0 0 1 .271 J.Martinez lf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .263 C.Pena dh 3 0 0 0 0 0 .234 Carter 1b 3 1 1 1 0 2 .223 Crowe rf-cf 3 0 0 0 0 0 .224 Dominguez 3b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .241 Ma.Gonzalez ss 3 0 0 0 0 0 .240 Totals 31 2 6 2 0 6 Kansas City AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Lough lf 5 1 2 0 0 0 .293 A.Escobar ss 5 0 0 0 0 0 .239 S.Perez c 4 2 1 1 0 1 .310 B.Butler dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .276 Hosmer 1b 2 2 2 1 2 0 .277 L.Cain cf 3 1 1 2 1 0 .286 M.Tejada 3b 4 1 2 1 0 0 .306 Francoeur rf 4 0 1 1 0 0 .213 E.Johnson 2b 3 0 0 0 1 2 .233 Totals 34 7 10 6 4 4 Houston 000 001 100—2 6 3 Kansas City 200 310 10x—7 10 0 E-Bedard (1), B.Barnes (1), Dominguez (6). LOBHouston 3, Kansas City 8. 2B-B.Barnes (7), Hosmer (10), L.Cain (14), Francoeur (8). HR-Carter (13), off E.Santana. RBIs-Altuve (23), Carter (33), S.Perez (20), Hosmer (19), L.Cain 2 (27), M.Tejada (8), Francoeur (12). Runners left in scoring position-Houston 1 (J.Martinez); Kansas City 5 (Lough, A.Escobar, M.Tejada, E.Johnson 2). RISP-Houston 1 for 2; Kansas City 3 for 14. GIDP-C.Pena, Lough. DP-Houston 1 (Altuve, Ma.Gonzalez, Carter); Kansas City 1 (Hosmer, A.Escobar). Houston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Bedard L, 1-3 42⁄3 8 6 6 3 2 91 5.34 Peacock 31⁄3 2 1 1 1 2 58 8.07 Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA E.Santana W, 4-5 7 5 2 2 0 6 96 2.99 J.Gutierrez 2 1 0 0 0 0 16 3.86 Inherited runners-scored-Peacock 1-0. HBP-by Peacock (S.Perez), by E.Santana (C.Pena). Umpires-Home, Manny Gonzalez; First, Tony Randazzo; Second, Larry Vanover; Third, Brian Gorman. T-2:51. A-28,055 (37,903).
| 3B
By Matt Tait mtait@ljworld.com
John Young/Journal-World Photos
KANSAS COACH BILL SELF, LEFT, AND HIS WIFE, CINDY, second from right, head into Abe and Jake’s Landing on their way to the annual disco-themed Bill Self Basketball Boogie on Saturday.
Wiggins on his way By Gary Bedore gbedore@ljworld.com
One unexpected piece of news at Bill’s Basketball Boogie raised the party atmosphere to a fever pitch on Saturday night at Abe & Jake’s Landing. During introductions of his players, Kansas University coach Bill Self reported that Canadian freshman sensation Andrew Wiggins likely would be on campus for summer school Monday or Tuesday. Wiggins, 6-foot-7 from Toronto and the United States’ No. 1-rated high school player, has decided to not play for his country in international competition this summer, thus will be heading to Lawrence soon. That decision was first revealed at the Basketball Canada website on Saturday night. Rowan Barrett, executive vice-president and assistant general manager of Canada Basketball’s Senior Men’s program, commented on the website that, “at 18 years old, Andrew has a long basketball career ahead of him. Andrew’s decision to prepare himself this summer for the upcoming season is a decision we acknowledge. Our team will miss Andrew this summer, but we remain focused on Andrew’s longterm development and our organizational goals for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and beyond.” Wiggins, who is skipping the Under 19 championships with Canada’s junior national team, conceivably still could play for the senior team later this summer. O
Tight race: College basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb, who this year was co-host of the Boogie with Self, envisions a two-team race for the 2013-14 Big 12 basketball title. The contenders? The nine-time defending champion Kansas Jayhawks and Gottlieb and Self’s alma mater, Okla-
homa State, which will be led by sophomore standout Marcus Smart. “It feels like back in the mid-’90s, where you have Oklahoma State and Kansas — two really talented clubs kind of lining up for two, maybe three match-ups to decide who is the Big 12 c h a m p i - Gottlieb on,” Gottlieb said Saturday at Abe & Jake’s. Gottlieb says the big challenge for OSU is “handling expectations. It’s a lot harder to do when everybody expects you to be great.” And OSU instantly became a top-10 pick nationally when freshman sensation Smart elected to return for his sophomore season. “I was in Stillwater a month ago. Marcus Smart ... what you see on the floor is only part of what makes him special,” Gottlieb said. “He is an incredible leader off the floor in getting those guys focused and working toward the higher goal. He is not afraid of competition. A blind man can see Kansas probably has a greater depth of talent especially inside talent. They (Cowboys) bring back their top seven scorers. It’s going to be fun.” KU has vaulted into everybody’s top ten since the signing of Wiggins. “There isn’t any question in terms of talent they’ll have more talent than they had on the bench this year. I still think it comes down to a couple factors,” Gottlieb said. “Will they be a ‘team,’ because they were a really good team the past couple years? That’s what allowed them to win nine consecutive titles. Will they be a team and who is going to be the point guard and whoever the point guard is, can they get them into what they need to get
them into and get everybody lined up talentwise? I think KU basketball is back at a (talent) level we haven’t seen since maybe three years ago. “You are talking about Andrew Wiggins having more God-given ability at this point in his career ... we’re talking potentially how good he can be at a higher level than anyone they’ve had here maybe since Paul Pierce and maybe a higher ceiling than Paul Pierce.” O
Sir, yes, sir: On the reason he co-hosted the Boogie, Gottlieb said: “Bill called. Bill calls ... you go, ‘Yes, sir.’ Between my appreciation for the program and of course what he does with the foundation ... also our Oklahoma State ties. “I feel like they are going to present me with some ‘shorts on backwards’ or something or there will be a chant coming tonight,” Gottlieb joked of the party. Gottieb wore his shorts backward during a KUOkahoma State game in February of 1999 in Allen Fieldhouse during Gottlieb’s days as point guard for the Cowboys. KU fans needled him by chanting, “Shorts on Backwards,” during one game in Allen. O
No transfer to UNLV: Former KU guard Anrio Adams told the JournalWorld in a text message Saturday he is not transferring to UNLV. He said he “is open to seek all options and is waiting for the best situation and the UNLV rumor is not true.” Several recruiting sites reported Adams was likely headed to UNLV in Tweets late Friday night. Also, the J-W quoted a Facebook message from Adams indicating he’d chosen UNLV. On Saturday, he said that Facebook message was fake. “I’ve seen a fake page of me before,” Adams told the J-W in a text message. He told the J-W it is “likely” he’ll attend a junior college.
Although his trainingcamp invitation from the Chicago Bears did not lead to a contract, former Kansas University linebacker Tunde Bakare remains on the Bears’ potential-callups list and hopes to get another chance at professional football. With his immediate future up in the air and the chances of a phone call slight, Bakare Bakare has found …I a way to c o m b i n e figured staying in why not shape with moving on do what I t h r o u g h love to do, the cre- stay ready ation of and help his own business, people at Bodies by the same Bakare. time.” T h e business, made up —Former KU of little linebacker more than Tunde Bakare an email address, a Facebook page and a lot of hard work, was founded as a vehicle to help high school and junior-college athletes reach their goals of becoming Div. I athletes. Bakare, a 2013 graduate from Woodbridge, Va., is developing the business with a couple of his buddies back home. “I’m trying to help kids in Lawrence, too,” said Bakare, who still lives in Lawrence. “But most of my clients right now are in the Woodbridge area, where I grew up. In fact, we’ve already got one kid who we helped get a D-I scholarship.” Bakare said that athlete, a football player, secured a scholarship to Old Dominion University, and the two-year KU starter hopes that’s just the beginning. Bakare came to KU the hard way, going first through two years at Highland Community College and, even then, getting the word out about his ability to college coaches on his own. He believes having been in the shoes of many of the young people he’s attempting to help will give Bodies by Bakare a better chance of sticking around. “I’ve walked the walk,” Bakare said. “I went to Highland, where there was nothing, and I worked my tail off for two years
“
Jayhawks popular in MLB draft J-W Staff Reports
Five current and former Kansas University baseball players and one future Jayhawk were selected during the third day of the 2013 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft on Saturday. Kansas seniors Alex DeLeon (23rd round, St. Louis Cardinals), Thomas Taylor (26th, Los Angeles Dodgers), Kevin Kuntz (28th, Kansas City Royals) and Tanner Poppe (31st, Milwaukee Brewers) were drafted, along with junior Frank Duncan (39th, Cleveland Indians) and incoming freshman Denton Keys (11th, Philadelphia Phillies), who signed a letter of intent to play for the Jayhawks last fall. Duncan and Keys will have to decide whether to play for KU or sign before the July 12 signing deadline.
Ex-Lion Minnis goes in 25th round J-W Staff Reports
The Houston Astros used the first pick of the 25th round of the Major League Baseball free-agent draft to select Wichita State junior lefthanded pitcher Albert Minnis, who led Lawrence High to the Class 6A state title his junior season. Minnis said he hopes contact negotiations will progress swiftly so that he
can start his professional baseball career. “I think I’m ready to play,” Minnis said. “I think it’s time to go play now.” Minnis said that he is three Minnis semesters shy of having enough credits
to graduate from Wichita State. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to get something done (in terms of Astros guaranteeing to cover the expenses for remaining credits) about my school,” Minnis said. “That was definitely a main priority.” The Atlanta Braves selected Minnis in the 33rd round after his senior year in high school, but he opted to go to Wichita State.
and wound up getting a lot of scholarship offers and making it to Kansas. I was the one sending out emails and calling coaches, and I figured if I could do that for myself, why not try to help out other guys who are struggling like I was?” Bakare’s business focuses mostly on getting the word out about potential recruits along with the personal-training aspect of preparing their bodies for the Division I level. Bakare believes his one year of working with and learning from KU strength coach Scott Holsopple prepared him better to communicate to his clients what they need to do to be ready for the big time. “He really taught me a lot,” Bakare said of Holsopple. “I thought I was one of the most mentally tough guys out there, and then he came in with his whole workout approach, and it was really hard. But I loved the challenge of it, and I know it made me better.” Asked if Bakare had unleashed any of Holsopple’s workouts on his clients, the former KU linebacker laughed. “We’re letting ’em ease in,” he said. “Can’t attack ’em too fast.” Throughout the past five years, Bakare’s goal always was to earn a spot on an NFL roster, in part so he could live out his own dream but also as a tribute to his late brother. He said he appreciated the opportunity the Bears gave him, met a ton of great people during camp and would love to get another shot. But now that Bodies by Bakare is up and running and the former Jayhawk has found a different way to turn his passion into a paycheck, he’s content with whatever lies ahead. “You never know what’s gonna happen,” Bakare said. “So I don’t really want to go get a job and get stuck in a situation if the NFL wants me back or whatever. So I figured why not do what I love to do, stay ready and help people at the same time. It’s an amazing transition job. NFL or not, I’m working out every day, and I’m helping people go after their dreams every day. Shoot, that’s the dream. I couldn’t ask for something better.” Anyone interested in learning more about what Bodies by Bakare can offer can contact Bakare via telephone at (703) 5654360 or email at bodiesbybakare@gmail.com or visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BodiesByBakare
Raiders win 2 in tourney J-W Staff Reports
ST. JOSEPH, MO. — The Lawrence Raiders took two games at the William Jewell baseball showcase at Missouri Western on Saturday. The Raiders (2-3) beat the K.C. Bombers, 6-4, then run-ruled K.C. Slam, 13-5, in five innings, scoring seven runs in the first inning. The Raiders will host the Midwest Bruins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Lawrence High. Raiders 6, K.C. Bombers 4
The five Jayhawks selected is the largest haul for Kansas since a schoolrecord seven players were picked in the 2010 draft. “I’m thrilled for the seniors in our program that have worked so hard
to make their dreams a reality,” Kansas coach Ritch Price said. “I want to thank them for the contributions they’ve made to our program, and we’ll all be excited to follow their careers. To
Lawrence Raiders 200 202 0 — 6 9 1 K.C. Bombers 001 300 0 — 4 3 3 W — C.J. Stuever (1-0). Raiders highlights — Kieran Severa 2-for-4, 2 RBIs; Lee McMahon 2-for-4, 2B, RBI; Anthony Miele 1-for-4, RBI; Drew Green 2-for-4.
have that many guys selected obviously speaks volumes about the type of talent we had on the Raiders 13, K.C. Slam 5 team. We had a really KC Slam 230 00 — 5 7 1 702 22 — 13 8 1 good year, disappointed Lawrence W — Briggs Fish (1-0). we were left out of the Raiders highlights — Anthony Miele 3-for-3, RBIs, 2 runs; Shane Willoughby 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 NCAA field.” runs; C.J. Stuever 1-for-4, 2B, 2 runs.