Sports
Junction City’s Young headed to Worlds, 3b
The Daily Union, Tuesday, June 25, 2013
In brief NBA
Royals’ Brett still finding groove as a coach
Durant signs with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation agency
Kevin Durant has become the first NBA star to sign with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation agency. Durant posted a photo on social media Monday of himself and the rap mogul with the paperwork. Jay-Z became certified as a representative by the NBA players’ association last week. A quote attributed to Durant above the picture says he’s “grateful for this opportunity with Roc Nation Sports. It’s go time.” The Oklahoma City star and Olympic gold medalist — who had a field goal percentage over 50, a 3-point percentage over 40 and a free-throw percentage over 90 — leaves agent Rob Pelinka to sign with Roc Nation. “He has a 90.5 free throw shooting rate, the youngest player in NBA history to join the 50-40-90 club, a giving individual and a legend in the making. What more can I say?” reads the quote attributed to Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter.
Tennis
Nadal loses to 135thranked player at Wimbledon
In one of Wimbledon’s greatest upsets, an ailing Rafael Nadal was knocked out in straight sets Monday by a player ranked 135th — the Spaniard’s first loss in the opening round of a Grand Slam event. Steve Darcis of Belgium stunned the two-time champion 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), 6-4. He ended Nadal’s 22-match winning streak and eliminated one of the Big Four of men’s tennis on the very first day of the grass-court Grand Slam. Nadal was sidelined for seven months with a left knee injury after losing in the second round of Wimbledon last year. He seemed to be struggling physically. He was unable to turn on the speed or use his legs to spring into his groundstrokes, limping and failing to run for some shots.
Soccer
FIFA ’not ashamed’ of Brazil World Cup, no Plan B
FIFA has defended keeping the 2014 World Cup in Brazil despite civil unrest during the test event, and says no “official offers” have been received from countries to step in to host the tournament. More than a million Brazilians have taken to the streets during the Confederations Cup to protest about the lack of investment in public services compared with the billions of dollars being spent on the World Cup project. FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke says he is “not ashamed about what we are doing” in Brazil. Tear gas and rubber bullets have been fired at some demonstrators, leading to increased security around venues. Valcke insists “there is no Plan B and ... I have never received any official offer from any other countries” to stage the 2014 tournament.
Motorsports
IndyCar tweaks engine change penalty
The IndyCar Series says it will no longer penalize teams for certain engine changes. IndyCar said Monday it has added a rule that allows changes in cases of engine failure during on-track team, rookie, manufacturer and straight-line tests. The rule will not apply to engine failures during open tests at Pocono, Mid-Ohio or Sonoma.
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B y DAVE SKRETTA
Associated Press
Mark Duncan • The Associated Press
Kansas City Royals hitting coach George Brett, left, and manager Ned Yost watch form the dugout in the ninth inning of a 4-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians in a baseball game Tuesday, June 18 in Cleveland.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — George Brett likes to say that hitting was always easier for him to do than say. After all, he was one of the best of his generation — of any generation, really. His pursuit of the near-mythical .400 mark during his MVP season of 1980 came up just 10 points short, and to this day remains one of the most spirited cracks at it since Ted Williams reached it in 1941. But for Brett, stepping into the batter’s box, peering back at a pitcher and then putting the right swing on the ball came naturally. He worked his tail off, of course, but when someone would ask him to explain his sweet swing, he would usually just shrug.
It was easier to do than say. Well, now he’s getting paid to say rather than do. He’s three weeks into a monthlong experiment as the Kansas City Royals’ hitting coach, and just like Williams and scores of other greats who have tried to become coaches, Brett is finding results maddeningly slow to show. “I’ve seen results in batting practice. I want to see them in games,” Brett said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I’ve seen some guys alter their swings a bit, their stances a little bit, and they’ve had a little success, which is good. Some guys are working on it and it looks good in BP but it hasn’t carried over to a game yet. “When it carries over to a game,” he added, “we’ll be OK.” The question that will soon Please see Brett, 8B
Low-wattage effort level
Hawks lack energy, struggle in McPherson tournament E than P adway
sports.beat@thedailyunion.net MCPHERSON — Ultimately, the Junction City Post 45 Hawks participation in the McPherson American Legion baseball tournament will go down as a missed opportunity. Instead of taking advantage of playing a minimum of four games in a weekend, the Hawks just went through the motions. “We just weren’t ready to play, plain and simple,” Junction City coach Heath Gerstner said. The Hawks opened the tournament Friday night against Buhler. Junction managed a meager two hits the entire game while Buhler opened up the game with an eight-run effort in the bottom of the first. The only Hawk run to cross the plate came in the second when Josh Haynes grounded out to first to score Nate Funk. “We showed up against a team that we’re better than and we just got outplayed,” Gerstner said. “They had more energy, more excitement. We tried to but just weren’t ready to play and we gave up a big inning and before you know it you’re out of the game. That happened real fast.” Junction City returned to the field Saturday with renwed vigor and held a late 6-5 lead in the fifth inning against Newton. But Newton tied the game in the bottom half of the inning and then knocked a ball out of the park in the sixth to move in front of the Hawks. Post 45 still managed to move to the championship bracket Sunday after Wellington forfeited the Saturday afternoon game. “I wanted our team to play there to get some confidence going, but that was that,” Gerstner said. Despite being gifted a second chance Sunday, the Hawks regressed to their Friday level of energy. In a rematch with Newton, Junction City allowed seven runs in the first inning and never recovered. Ethan Padway • The Daily Union “It gave us a chance to play well and it was basically a In this file photo from June 18, Jonathan Feaster bats against the Cache, Okla. Bulldogs at Kansas repeat of Friday night,” Gerstner said of the squandered State’s Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan. Please see Effort
Level, 8B
US ties France 1-1 in U20s B y MICHAEL CASEY
Associated Press ISTANBUL — The United States improved its chances of reaching the knockout stage of the Under-20 World Cup, tying France 1-1 Monday on an 85th-minute goal by substitute Daniel Cuevas. “I feel like they were confused,” he said. “They couldn’t get the ball out and luckily it took a bounce my way and I got to push it in.” With France and Spain having won their openers, the U.S. needs a victory in its final match against Ghana to advance outright. But it could still advance as one of the four best third-place teams. “Our team is very united and we are always together and pushing forward,” Cuevas said. “If things don’t go our way, we keep trying and keep trying until they do. Luckily we got the tie.” Spain beat Ghana 1-0 in a lackluster match on Monday. In the other early game in Group B.
Police search again near home of Pats’ Hernandez B y ERIKA NIEDOWSKI
Associated Press
Gero Breloer • The Associated Press
France’s Dimitri Foulquier (left) and United States’ Mario Rodriguez (right) challenge for the ball during the Under-20 World Cup Group A soccer match between France and the U.S. in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday.
NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. — Police again searched the area near the home of New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, a week after his friend’s body was found about a mile away. Some police officers wore wetsuits Monday while searching woods near Hernandez’s home, not far from the industrial park where Odin Lloyd’s body was found. Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-pro football player for the Boston Bandits, was found slain June 17. His relatives said he was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee, that the two men were friends and that both men were out together on the last night of Lloyd’s life. An Attleboro District Court official said no new documents were available in connection with the case Monday morning. The Bristol County district attorney’s office also didn’t release any new information about the case, which their spokeswoman called “an active, ongoing investigation.” A court official said last week that three search warrants had been issued, but none of them had been returned, meaning they weren’t yet public. Hernandez hasn’t commented on the homicide investigation, but has been seen with his lawyer.