Morning Jolt: April 15, 2011
Friday, April 15
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Fielder looking for $180 million?
Fans can hope Prince Fielder might want to stay in Milwaukee. These fans posit that postseason success and a tight-knit clubhouse could convince Fielder to forego the lucrative contract offers and remain loyal to his team. Some are even going as far as to argue that Albert Pujols' impending free agency also makes Fielder a less desirable asset -- which is a faulty argument, in my estimation. Prince Fielder is going to look at Mark Teixeira's 8-year, $180M contract and view that as a starting point. After all, Teixeria never hit 50 home runs. Teixeira never walked 100 times in a season. Heck, Teixeira has only hit 40 home runs once in his career, much less 50. Do you really expect Fielder to be comfortable accepting less money than someone he is arguably better than? (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)Comment
Chris Johnson is a fan of Cam Newton, and he's said the the Auburn quarterback would make for a great pick for the Titans. But more than anything, the running back said he would like for the Titans to hold on to the player Newton reminds so many of -- Vince Young. "It is not etched in stone that Vince is going to be gone, so I am not sure what they are going to do at quarterback," Johnson said on Thursday. "A lot of things have changed in the last few months, so maybe Vince will be back? At first it was set in stone when Coach (Jeff) Fisher was here because he didn't want Vince back. It was an either-or situation then. Now that Coach Fisher is gone, everything is up in the air. We'll just see what happens." (The Tennessean)Comment
The Big Shamrock can hope his luck turns on Friday. Shaquille O'Neal will have two light training sessions and one full practice to prepare for the Celtics' playoff opener against the Knicks Sunday. O'Neal's status -- he has not played since sustaining a calf injury April 3 -- will not be determined until after [Friday's] workout. Asked if he thought O'Neal would play, coach Doc Rivers replied, "I do. But I can't guarantee that. Tomorrow and the following day are the big days for Shaq. He's going to try to get through practice and see what he can do." The Celtics had a film session followed by a walkthrough yesterday, the day after they ended the regular season with a 112-102 win over the Knicks, giving them a 56-26 final record. (The Boston Globe)Comment
Must-See Photo
Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta (36) celebrates after scoring a goal in the third period of Game 1 against the Flyers. Buffalo won 1-0. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Must-See Video
Carmelo Anthony appears on Late Show with David Letterman.
Game To Watch
Rangers at Capitals, 7:30 p.m. ET
- New York Rangers
- Washington Capitals
SI Vault: More Jackie Robinson
This Day in Sports
- 1947 -- Jackie Robinson played his first major league baseball game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Previously he had only appeared in exhibition games.
- 1989 -- In Sheffield, England, 96 people died at Hillsborough stadium during a semifinal soccer match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Most of the victims were crushed when a barrier collapsed on an overcrowded pen behind one of the goals.
- 2000 -- Baltimore's Cal Ripken Jr. became the 24th major league player to reach 3,000 hits.
