Tyler Wilson carries shutout into eighth inning as Virginia cruises

OMAHA, Neb. -- Virginia's Tyler Wilson didn't have any problem with the pressure of pitching in a big game.
The unbeaten senior allowed five hits and carried a shutout into the eighth inning in the No. 1-seeded Cavaliers' 8-1 victory over California in a College World Series elimination game Thursday night."All year long, whenever we've needed a great outing, maybe after a difficult loss, he's responded every time for his team," Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said. "He was the right guy to give the ball to tonight. He went out there and charged the mound and gave us everything that he had."Virginia (56-11) will face defending national champion South Carolina in the Bracket 2 final. The Cavaliers, who lost 7-1 to the Gamecocks on Tuesday, would need to beat them on Friday and again Saturday to reach next week's best-of-three championship round.The loss ended an improbable postseason run for California (38-23), which started the year with its program scheduled to be dropped in 2012 for budgetary reasons. The players found out in April that a $9 million fundraising effort had saved the program.
"It's been a year that has really taught them, as well as myself, a whole lot about human spirit," Cal coach David Esquer said.Wilson (10-0) held the Bears to two hits through five innings and retired 11 in a row from the second to sixth. He matched his career high of 7 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking none."It's the College World Series. How can you not pitch with adrenaline every time you step out there on that mound?" Wilson said. "The atmosphere is incomparable to anything else that you'll ever play at this level. I was ecstatic just to be out there to give our team a chance to build some momentum going into the rest of the tournament."Cal starter Dixon Anderson (4-4) took the loss, failing to get past the third inning for the third time in five starts.Virginia broke open the game with a four-run sixth that started when Kenny Swab singled into center field and kept running until he got home after the ball got past center fielder Darrel Matthews.Matthews misplayed the bounce on Swab's hard drive and the ball rolled to the wall, bringing the overflow crowd of 25,833 to its feet. It was Matthews' first error in 50 games this season."I saw him kind of trying to make a short-hop catch on it, and it went by, so I just started running as hard as I could," Swab said.Keith Werman and John Barr followed with RBI singles and Chris Taylor with a run-scoring double.Anderson, a ninth-round pick of the Washington Nationals, had a rough night in his first outing since June 5.He hit Taylor with the first pitch of the game. His wild pitch in the third let Jared King score the first run. Anderson's throw to first on Werman's sacrifice bunt pulled Devon Rodriguez off the bag, and Werman scored on a sacrifice fly.Cal had rallied from a 7-1 sixth-inning deficit to beat Baylor in the regional finals. There would be no comeback against Wilson, the Baltimore Orliores' 10th-round draft pick.Wilson left in the eighth after Cal put two runners on base. Cody Winiarski relieved, and Tony Renda ended the shutout with an RBI single. That was it for the Bears."One of the first things I thought was, 'Is it really over?' I couldn't really believe it," Pac-10 player of the year Tony Renda said. "The second thought was, 'Let's win it next year.'"Wilson, who also pitched on Virginia's 2009 CWS team, won his third decision in his fifth appearance in Omaha."It's great to be able to play behind him," said Werman, the Cavs' second baseman. "Knowing he's going to throw strikes, if those guys put the ball in play you're going to do everything you can for him. He just does it every day, and you couldn't ask for anything better."
By ESPN.com

58 events on the 2011 WSOP schedule

On Jan. 24, the World Series of Poker announced the biggest WSOP schedule since its inception with 58 events to take place from May 31 until July 19, 2011. The chance to win one of the coveted 58 bracelets up for grabs will bring players from around the world to Las Vegas and the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino for the largest poker festival of the year.
"Something for everyone is the best way to describe the 2011 World Series of Poker schedule," said WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel. "It's staggering to think that last year alone the WSOP hosted nine of the 17 largest tournaments in poker history. We had 44 events produce more than a $1 million prize pool, so we can't wait to get at it again and offer players at all levels the best poker action on the planet."
The 42nd annual WSOP will kick off with its customary $500 Casino Employees event at noon on May 31, but all eyes will be focused on the second event of the day, the newly created $25,000 heads-up event. With a capacity of 256 players, this will be the most expensive heads-up event in WSOP history and will feature the elite of the game. Also new to the schedule this year is Event 29, the $2,500 10-game mix, six-handed event and the $5,000 pot-limit Omaha six-handed event. The most notable removal from the 2011 schedule is the $25,000 six-handed event, which was well-received with a solid turnout of 191 players in 2010.
The $50,000 Poker Players' Championship will continue to be the most expensive and most prestigious event on the schedule and will take place just days before the main event.
One of the primary objectives of the WSOP staff throughout the planning process was to address the comfort of players, and to alleviate some of those concerns, the WSOP staff has implemented a 10-level rule which dictates that during bracelet events (except the main event), no more than 10 levels will be played. For the events starting at noon, play will conclude at approximately 12:45 a.m. the next day and for the 5 p.m. starts, play will end at 2 a.m. Players who successfully advance to the next day of play will return at 2:30 p.m. for the noon events and 3 p.m. for the 5 p.m. events. By creating these hard stop times, it will ensure that players are able to get enough rest prior to the next day of competition.
With the success of the $1,000 events the past two years, the WSOP has continued that trend with a little twist. Last year the WSOP offered its $1,000 events with two starting days on Saturday and Sunday. This year, with the WSOP's theme of "Weekend Warriors," there will be a $1,500 event each Saturday in June and a $1,000 event every Sunday. The only exceptions will be on June 4-5 and July 2-3, when two starting days will be offered for the $1,000 events.
The biggest live poker tournament of the year, the $10,000 main event, will take place beginning on July 7. There will be four starting days for this event. After Days 2A and 2B there will be a day off and then players will play six more days until the final table, the November Nine, is reached on Tuesday, July 19. The final nine players will return to Las Vegas and compete for the bracelet on Nov. 5-7. The final table will be broadcast on ESPN on Nov. 8.
Pre-registration is now open for all events at WSOP.com.
Below is the complete schedule for the 2011 WSOP. Televised events will be announced shortly and will be broadcast on ESPN starting in late July 2011.

Epiphanny Prince helps Sky outlast Sun in double overtime

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Epiphanny Prince scored 10 of her 25 points in the second overtime, and Sylvia Fowles added 24 points and 12 rebounds to help the Chicago Sky beat the Connecticut Sun 107-101 on Thursday night.
Prince hit a 3-pointer and made seven of eight free throws in the final overtime.Tamera Young had 20 points, Michelle Snow finished with 17 rebounds and 12 points, and Courtney Vandersloot had 14 points and 10 assists for Chicago. The Sky snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 4-3.Renee Montgomery led Connecticut (4-2) with 33 points, matching her career high, and had six assists. Tina Charles added 22 points and 13 rebounds. The loss snapped the Sun's winning streak at three.There were six ties and nine lead changes in the fourth quarter. Chicago took an 84-81 lead on Fowles' putback with 9 seconds left, but Montgomery hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to force overtime.Montgomery made another 3-pointer to make it 91-90 in the first overtime. After Kara Lawson's free throw made it 92-90 with 6.9 seconds left, Fowles hit a turnaround jumper off an inbound feed to tie it.The Sky were without veteran guard Dominique Canty. She had arthroscopic surgery on her left knee Thursday and is expected to be out three weeks.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

Dennis Marshall killed in car crash

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- The Red Cross says Costa Rica defender Dennis Marshall was killed Thursday when the car he was driving collided head-on with a truck in a mountainous area near San Jose.
A woman traveling with him also was killed.
Marshall recently returned to Costa Rica following the Gold Cup in the United States. He scored Saturday in a loss on penalties to Honduras. Marshall scored to make it 1-1 in regulation time with Costa Rica losing 4-2 on penalties.
Marshall played for the Danish club Aalborg.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
By ESPN.com

Joe Gibbs Racing crew chiefs fined

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR fined Joe Gibbs Racing's three crew chiefs $50,000 each Tuesday for bringing unapproved oil pans to Michigan last week.
Mike Ford, Dave Rogers and Greg Zipadelli also were placed on probation through the end of the year, as was JGR competition director Jimmy Makar and car chiefs Chris Gillin (No. 11), Wesley Sherrill (No. 18) and Jason Shapiro (No. 20).
Joe Gibbs Racing said in a statement Tuesday that it would not appeal NASCAR's ruling.
NASCAR discovered the unapproved oil pans in the cars of Kyle Busch, Denny Humlen and Joey Logano during a pre-practice inspection Friday at Michigan International Speedway.
NASCAR never said if the oil pans were illegal, but confiscated them because they had not been submitted for approval before arriving at the track.
Team president J.D. Gibbs said the organization mistakenly believed the oil pans would be approved at the track.
"It was our responsibility, and we messed it up," Gibbs said Sunday at Michigan. "It wasn't an illegal part you're trying to sneak through. It's a new part, and we should have done it differently."
Hamlin won Sunday's race, while Busch finished third.
Gibbs said the team planned to submit the oil pan for approval.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
By ESPN.com

Kevin Broadus back at Georgetown

WASHINGTON -- Kevin Broadus is returning to the Georgetown basketball staff, landing a job as a "special assistant" after his tempestuous departure from Binghamton.
Hoyas coach John Thompson III says Broadus will serve as an aide but will not be on the road recruiting.
Broadus has his contract bought out by Binghamton for $1.2 million in October, a year after he was suspended by the school.
Broadus led the Bearcats to their first NCAA tournament berth in 2009, but one of his players was arrested on drug charges and five other players were dismissed for violations. An outside review found Broadus circumvented standards to get a player enrolled and lobbied for a player's grade to be changed.
Broadus was previously an assistant at Georgetown from 2004-07.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
By ESPN.com

Ohio St. trustee addresses scandal

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State University trustees will spend up to six weeks reviewing the athletic program after the scandal that led to the suspension of five players and the forced resignation of football coach Jim Tressel.
"We want to assure ourselves that there are no new issues in any existing athletics matters that have not been dealt with," Robert Schottenstein said Thursday during the trustees' audit committee meeting. "And I will say today that we believe that is the case."
In the first public comments from a member of the board of decision-makers that oversees the university, Schottenstein added that the school reported every alleged football team violation it was aware of to the NCAA.
"The process and decision-making to date by the university has in our judgment been fundamentally sound," said Schottenstein, chairman of the audit committee. "For the most part, we believe our compliance protocols in athletics are good."
Schottenstein, who did not directly address Tressel's resignation, promised additional comment from trustees when the full board meets Friday.
Tressel's 10-year Ohio State coaching career ended in disgrace when he stepped down after failing to tell alert his superiors that players were getting improper benefits under NCAA rules.
The coach knew players received cash and tattoos for autographs, championship rings and equipment and did not tell anyone at Ohio State or the NCAA for more than nine months. NCAA rules -- and Tressel's contract -- specify that he must disclose any and all information about possible violations.
"When our university discovered anything that appeared to be an NCAA violation, it was timely reviewed and timely reported to the NCAA," Schottenstein said. "There has never been any attempt to act with concealment or with indifference towards the NCAA."
In addition to the Tressel situation, the NCAA also is looking into player car deals and other possible violations.
Five players were suspended for the first five games of the upcoming season, including quarterback Terrelle Paylor, who announced this month he was leaving the university. He hopes to make himself available for the NFL's supplemental draft.
In a brief meeting with reporters after the audit committee meeting, Schottenstein said trustees have determined that the university's own investigation of the memorabilia scandal "was complete, sound and very thorough."
Schottenstein also repeated that the university is not aware of any other athletic department problems.
"Not that we know of at this point," he said. "But we're not done."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

Flyers trade Jeff Carter to Blue Jackets

The Philadelphia Flyers traded star center eff Carter Thursday to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Flyers will receive forward Jakub Vorasek, the eighth overall draft pick Friday night and a third-round draft pick from the Blue Jackets.
Later Thursday, the Flyers sent captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for prized prospect Brayden Scheynn, winger Wayne Simmonds and an undisclosed draft pick. They also signed goalie Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine-year deal worth $51 million, a source told ESPN.com.
"Well, I think probably what got the ball rolling for a lot of talk over the last 10 or 12 days was the acquisition of the negotiating rights for Ilya Bryzgalov," Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said on a conference call of the trades. "That set the wheels in motion. Most teams probably viewed us as trying to sign Ilya -- we did come to an agreement today -- and I think that got the ball rolling. I know over the last few days, I spent a lot of time talking particularly with both Los Angeles and Columbus, and that culminated in what happened today."
Carter, a first-round draft pick of Philadelphia in 2003, had 66 points (36 goals, 30 assists) in 80 regular-season games last season. The 26-year-old center has 181 goals and 162 assists in 461 career games.
His presence finally gives the Blue Jackets a top-line center to pair with their best player, Rick Nash.
"The Columbus Blue Jackets are very pleased and excited to acquire Jeff Carter," GM Scott Howson said in a statement. "Jeff is a proven No. 1 center in the National Hockey League and we look forward to him having many productive seasons as a Blue Jacket."
Carter's 11-year, $58 million contract extension, which he signed in November, kicks in next season. He's signed through the 2021-22 season at a $5.27 million yearly cap hit.
Voracek, a first-round pick in the 2007 draft, had 14 goals and 32 assists a year ago.
The deal was a big hit in Columbus, which needed a headline-grabber to sell tickets. Fan websites and the team site lit up with enthusiastic responses after word of the trade came out.
Scottie Upshall, a current Blue Jacket and a former teammate of Carter's with the Flyers, issued a warning on his Twitter account: "Blue Jackets just picked up a World Class player & teammate in Carter. With 61 (Nash) on his wing, look out!"
Carter's agent, Rick Curran, told The Associated Press he was stunned by the news after being told last week that the Flyers were not discussing trading Carter to the Blue Jackets.
Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
By ESPN.com

The NFL Owners "FINALY" Meet

Round 4 of the "secret" negotiations is over. Round 5 is coming soon -- perhaps to a suburban locale near you.
NFL owners and players met for the second straight day in Hull, Mass., 18 miles south of Boston, as they attempt to close in on a collective bargaining agreement.
"The players and owners were here over the last two days," commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday as he stood next to players association chief DeMaurice Smith. "De and I were here for the entire meetings also. And it's complicated and it's complex, but we're working hard and we understand the fans' frustration. But I think both of us feel strongly that we're going to continue to work hard at it."
A league statement said the sides will have more meetings. Those talks are expected next week; in the last four weeks, the owners and players have met outside of Chicago, New York and on the Maryland shore before heading to the beachside in New England.
Among those at the meetings were owners John Mara of the New York Giants, Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers, Clark Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs, Robert Kraft of the New England Petriots and Dean Spanos of the San Diego Chargers.
Smith was there along with several players, including Jeff Saturday of the Indianapolis Colts, Tony Richardson of the New York Jets, and Domonique Foxworth of the Baltimore Ravens.
"Someone asked me whether I was optimistic," Smith said. "I think we're both optimistic when we have the right people in the room. We know we're talking about the right issues and that we're working hard to get it done."
The latest talks took place at the Nantasket Beach Resort, which released a statement Thursday saying "they had a great stay with us and hopefully had a productive series of meetings at the resort."
The two sides have exchanged proposals on a variety of issues. The main topic has been how to divide revenues -- $9.3 billion last year -- and league owners were briefed this week on a plan that would give the players just under 50 percent of total income. An off-the-top expense credit of about $1 billion that went to the owners would be eliminated.
Players believe they can justify a 48 percent take because of the projected revenue growth, as well as built-in mechanisms that require teams to spend close to 100 percent of the salary cap, a source told ESPN.com's John Clayton. The mandatory minimum spending increase is an element that concerns lower-revenue clubs, sources say.
For example, if the 2011 salary cap is determined to be $120 million, a team would have to have a cash payroll of close to that amount. In the previous collective bargaining agreement, the team payroll floor was less than 90 percent of the salary cap and was only in cap figures, not cash.
Among the topics that have not been on the front burner but are now being discussed are a rookie wage scale and a more specific breakdown of benefits for retired players.
Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay has become the point person for the NFL in discussions with the NFLPA on how the two sides should structure rookie salaries.
Also being discussed are a rookie wage scale and a more specific breakdown of benefits for retired players.
A lengthy new CBA -- between six and eight years, for example -- would enable the league to turn to its broadcast partners and negotiate more lucrative contracts.
"It is extremely complicated, it requires a lot of hard work by a lot of people, but we're committed to getting something done and we're going to keep working at it," Smith added.
One item that has the players' support is a salary floor keeping teams within 90 percent of the cap. Recently, particularly in 2010 when there was no cap, several teams whose revenue streams don't match up with the richer clubs did not spend anywhere near what those teams did.
The proposal would require the full salary cap spending to be in cash.
"Through our player reps, things sound really good," Rams wide receiver Mark Clayton said. "From the players' perspective, we're kind of set with what we want.
"We pretty much agreed to what our (players association) was fighting for on our behalf. It sounds like a lot of what we asked for, apart from the finances, they've been able to agree upon. At that point, we're just kind of waiting to get the final say-so and just roll it out ..."
As the negotiating teams for owners and players continue to work on a long-term economic model, a number of ancillary issues are being discussed, including a short-term idea that would allow teams to exercise three right-of-first-refusals on their own free agents for this year only, according to sources.
A right-of-first-refusal option would allow teams to match any offer that its free agent player signs with another club; in essence, operating under the "transaction" tag model in the previous collective bargaining agreement. It would seem to be an unlikely provision the players would agree to, inasmuch many of the fourth-and-fifth year free agents were unable to enjoy unrestricted free agency in 2010 under the rules of an uncapped year.
There even has been some disapproval from a handful of clubs that have aggressive plans to pursue some of the estimated 500 unrestricted free agents. Clubs often have resisted signing players that give the original club an opportunity to match the contract.
Some teams believe that the short football calendar caused by the lockout needs such a concept -- according to one team executive, NFL teams average 15.5 free agents and have had no opportunity to negotiate with their own players because of lockout rules and the pre-lockout uncertainty of 2011 salary cap figures.
One solution that has been discussed would allow teams to have an exclusive three-to-five day negotiation window with its own unsigned players before free agency commences.
A new agreement will return to free agency norms prior to 2010 -- players without contracts who have four minimum years in the league will become unrestricted agents.
In Wednesday's negotiations, Goodell and his negotiating team were able to share some of the feedback from Tuesday's Chicago owners' meetings with Smith and his team -- specifically the owners' response to the framework of a new deal presented by Goodell.
Smith scheduled a noon ET conference call with team player representatives to update them on where the talks stand, one of the player reps told ESPN. It is not known yet what message Smith delivered to the players.
If and when an agreement is reached, all players whose contracts have expired and have four or more years of experience are expected to be unrestricted free agents, sources familiar with the talks told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Certain tags will be retained, but that still is being discussed.
Thursday is Day 100 of the lockout, which is the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987 and the longest in league history.
Information from ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and The Associated Press was used in this report.
By ESPN.com

Hot Corner:Reggleman Resigns

WASHINGTON -- Jim Riggleman felt he deserved better. He had essentially become a permanent interim manager for the Washington Nationals, a franchise that has spent much of its time trying to become relevant. Once the club was ready to be a contender, he sensed he would be shunted aside for the next best thing to come along.
So he took a stand Thursday morning, telling the team it was time to act. He wanted his contract option picked up for next season, or he would quit.
A few hours later, he did just that, abruptly leaving one of the hottest teams in baseball in a move so unexpected that the front office initially wasn't prepared to say would manage the next game in some 24 hours. The news turned the clubhouse mood from festive to stunned just minutes after the final out of a sweep of the Seattle Mariners, and players boarded the buses in the bowels of Nationals Park for a six-game road trip without the leader who had them playing so well.
"It's been brewing for a while," Riggleman said. "I know I'm not Casey Stengel, but I do feel like I know what I'm doing. It's not a situation where I felt like I should continue on such a short lease."
Bench coach John McLaren will manage the Nationals on a short-term basis, starting with Friday's opening game of an interleague series against the Chicago White Sox, according to a club official who informed The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday night because a formal announcement had yet to be made.
But first there was the obligatory two-sides-of-the-story from GM and manager, and not all the words were charitable. General manager Mike Rizzo even released a pointed statement saying he "was always taught that one of the cardinal rules of baseball was that no individual can put his interests before those of the team."
"Jim told me pregame today that if we wouldn't pick up his option, then he wouldn't get on the team bus today," Rizzo said. "I felt that the time wasn't right for me to pick up the option, and certainly today's conversation put to me in the way it was put to me, you certainly can't make that decision in a knee-jerk reaction. It's too big of a decision."
Riggleman's version of events was slightly different. He said he requested that he and Rizzo have "a conversation" about his contract when the team arrived in Chicago. Regardless, Riggleman said he would have resigned had that conversation not resulted in some sort of contract security.
"I just felt if there's not going to be some type of commitment, then there obviously never will be," Riggleman said. "I'm just not the guy that they thought they could move forward with."
Riggleman has been working on one-year deals since taking over for Manny Acta in July 2009. He was being paid $600,000 this year and the Nationals held a team option for 2012 at $600,000.
"I tell ya, I've been in this 10 years," Riggleman said. "Maybe I'll never get another opportunity, but I promise you I'll never do it on a one-year deal again. ... You don't bring people in on a one-year deal. I'm sure they will never do it here. When they get the guy they want, it won't be on a one-year deal."
Riggleman is the second manager in the majors to resign this week. Florida Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez quit Sunday, but his team was struggling and in last place in the NL East.
Rizzo said he and Riggleman had discussed the contract situation several time this season, but Rizzo said he felt it was too early in the season to commit to Riggleman for next year, even though the Nationals have won 11 of 12 and are above .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2005. Players began proudly speaking of how the club's reputation was starting to grow around the league after years of last-place finishes before tepid crowds.
"We should be celebrating going to Chicago," Rizzo said. "I'm disappointed that this is a distraction, that this is not thinking of the team first, that it is thinking of personal goals, thinking of personal things first. That's probably what disappoints me the most."
Riggleman didn't care for Rizzo's thoughts about waiting for the right time.
"Timing? Come on," Riggleman said. "That's like I'm not going to get married until I have a steady job. You'll never get married. You make the decision you feel is right and Mike felt the decision was to not move forward with me."
The players had no idea this was coming. They found out when Rizzo informed them in the clubhouse after the 1-0 win over the Mariners. All expressed varying degrees of surprise and disappointment, although Jayson Werth tried to make it sound as if it didn't matter.
"It's not going to change anything in here," Werth said. "We're the ones that have been making the pitches and hitting the balls and winning the ballgames, so we're going to keep going."
The rest of baseball was just as shocked.
"He was going to be one of my coaches for the All-Star game. I guess I have to pick another one," San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "I feel awful for Jimmy. I knew how hard he worked over there."
The 58-year-old Riggleman previously managed San Diego, the Chicago Clubs and Seattle, spending parts of 12 seasons in the dugout overall. He has a career 662-824 record, including 140-172 with the Nationals. Riggleman guided the Cubs to the 1998 NL wild-card spot and was let go after the next year.
He later was the bench coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle, then took over as the Mariners' manager midway through the 2008 season but was not retained when the season ended.
Riggleman was hired as the Nationals' bench coach in 2009. Still harboring hope of managing again, he even considered going to Japan if a job opened there. Instead, he got a spot in the majors with Washington when he replaced Acta.
Born and raised in Rockville, Md., a short drive from Nationals Park, he maintained his local roots. Unable to attend his high school reunion because Washington was playing, he instead invited his classmates to meet him the same weekend at a home game.
Riggleman was a minor league infielder and later a manager in the St. Louis system. He became a manager for the first time in the big leagues with the Padres late in the 1992 season and was considered part of the modern-breed of skippers, putting an emphasis on communicating with his players and increased use of statistics.
He said Thursday he was fully aware that he was leaving one of the precious 30 managerial jobs in the majors, but for him it was a matter of principle.
"It's about me," Riggleman said. "It's about looking in the mirror and feeling like I've got to answer to myself. In today's world in major sports, it's not a good environment to work when the manager or head coach in football or whatever is on a short leash. Too many negatives can come out of it. You're walking on egg shells too often. You can't think out of the box as much. I thought after 10 years I'd earned the right to have a little bit longer leash."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
By ESPN.com

Cavs takes Irving No.1 and Wolves takes Williams

NEWARK, N.J. -- Kyrie Irving headed to Cleveland as the No. 1 pick minutes after the NBA draft started. Jimmer Fredette had to wait hours to officially become a member of the Sacramento .
Kings.Plenty of other players, from veterans to picks, were on the move Thursday night in a draft that was considered a dud talent-wise but certainly wasn't dull.
There was no chance the Cavs would deal Irving, confident his foot is healthy enough to lead the rebuilding effort that follows LeBron James' departure.
Loudly cheered by family and friends not far from where he starred at St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, the Duke point guard showed no signs of the toe injury on his right foot that limited him to 11 games last season as he walked up the stairs to shake hands with commissioner David Stern.
"I didn't have any doubts about going to No. 1. I was looking to the organization to pick who they felt was the right choice," Irving said. "But now to this moment, from being a fan of the NBA draft and now being drafted, it's a special feeling in my heart and knowing that my friends and family were together, it's a memory I'm going to remember for the rest of my life."
A three-team trade that included Charlotte, Milwaukee and Sacramento that had been agreed to earlier in the day wasn't approved until midway through the second round, forcing Fredette to wait about 2½ hours for his NBA destination to be determined after he was taken with the No. 10 pick by the Bucks.
"Took a little while waiting back there, but it's a great moment for me and for my family, and for the Sacramento Kings organization," the player of the year from BYU said. "Hopefully their fan base is excited because I'm really excited to get out there and start the season with them and have a great year."
A draft that included a record four international players who didn't play at a U.S. college selected in the lottery soon became dominated by deals, which the NBA was still hustling to approve and announce as the second round wound down.

Stephen ackson, Corey Magette and John Salmons were part of the three-way deal, and fellow vets such as Andre Miller, Rudy Fernandez, Raymond Felton and George Hill lived in other trades.
The deals spiced up what was thought to be a lackluster draft, which was missing its usual buzz with the NBA perhaps a week away from a work stoppage.
Three of the first six players taken were from Europe, capitalizing on the absence of some American college players who might have gone in their spots and made this a stronger draft.
Even Irving has international ties. He was born in Australia while his father, Drederick, played professionally there and said he might be interested in playing for the Australian national team.
After grabbing him with their first No. 1 pick since taking James in 2003, the Cavs used the No. 4 selection on Texas forward Tristan Thompson. They were the first team since the 1983 Houston Rockets with two top-four picks.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, fresh off bringing guard Ricky Rubio of Spain into the fold, took Arizona forward Derrick Williams with the No. 2 pick. The Utah jazz then took Turkish big man Enes Kanter third with their first of two lottery selections.
The Timberwolves tried all week to trade the second pick in hopes of landing a veteran center or shooting guard to help the youngest team in the league. In the end, they couldn't find an offer they liked enough to pass up on the explosive, 6-foot-8 forward in Williams.
"We're not trading Derrick Williams," Timberwolves president David Kahn told the team's draft party in an interview from the team's war room. "He will be in a Timberwolves uniform next year."
The league's uncertain labor situation hung over the draft, and likely weakened it. Potential top-10 picks such as Jared Sullinger  of Ohio State and Harrison Barnes were among those who decided to stay in school, without knowing when their rookie seasons would have started.
Stern, who could lock out his players next week if a deal for a new collective bargaining agreement is not reached, was booed when he came onto the stage at the Prudential Center, which is hosting the draft while its usual home, Madison Square Garden, is undergoing summer work.
New Yorkers made the trip across the river to join the sellout crowd of 8,417, cheering loudly when Kemba Walker and Fredette were taken in the top 10 and booing when the Knicks made Georgia Tech guard Iman Shampert  the No. 17 selection.
The draft was filled with little-known European players. Kanter hasn't played competitively in a year, forced to sit out last season at Kentucky after being ruled ineligible for being paid to play in Turkey. Lithuania's Jonny Valanciunas went fifth to Toronto and Jan Vesely of the Czech Republic was taken sixth by Washington.
"Basketball in my country is not so popular, but after this night, I think -- I hope -- that the basketball will be more Bismck Biyombo of Congo went seventh as one of six international players who went in the first round, three short of the record set in 2003. The 18-year-old forward moved to Charlotte as part of a three-way deal.
Biyombo, who has an uncertain contract situation from his professional club in Spain, is an athletic shot-blocker and rebounder with limited offensive skills. He also looked much shorter than his listed 6-9 when he worked out for the Bobcats.
"I was with Michael Jordan (Wednesday) and I had a great practice," Biyombo said. "It was so exciting to have him watch me practice. I'm so excited to meet him again."
Kentucky's Brandon Knight went eighth to Detroit as casual fans finally heard a name they recognized again. He was followed by Walker of national champion Connecticut, who wiped away tears on the draft stage after he was taken by Charlotte, and Fredette.
"It's been like a movie. This whole year has been magical, honestly," Walker, a 6-foot-1 point guard, said. "So many different, crazy things have been happening to me, and you know, I just feel lucky.
"Now that I'm with Charlotte I'm going to try to bring a winning attitude," Walker said. "I'm going to work extremely hard to get better. I'm not 6-3, 6-4, but I have a big heart."
Irving became the third point guard taken first in the last four years, following Derrick Wall in 2008 and John Wall last year. Rose was the NBA's MVP this season, ending James' two-year reign.
Irving insists he's not trying to replace James -- whose highlights were booed when showed on the overhead screen -- in a different manner now.
"I'm looking forward to getting to Cleveland," Irving said. "It's a big sports town and I cannot wait to embrace all of the fans there and the fan support. I can't wait."
Kansas twins Markieff and Marcus Morris went with back-to-back picks to round out the lottery. Phoenix took Markieff at No. 13 and Marcus followed to the Rockets.
Houston international scouting director Arturis Karnisovas said the Rockets liked Marcus Morris' defensive versatility and toughness. He also said Morris will contribute offensively, after shooting 57 percent from the field and topping 20 points in 12 games last season. Morris worked out with the Rockets and impressed with his finishing ability and basketball smarts.
"High basketball IQ," Karnisovas said. "We were looking for a versatile guy who can do many things, and that's what he does."
Indiana took San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard at No. 15 and traded his rights to San Antonio for former IUPUI star George Hill. That started a number of trades at the bottom of the first round, including Boston and New Jersey swapping the Nos. 25 and 27 picks and a Minnesota-Houston deal that sent Jonny Flynn to the Rockets.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
By ESPN.com

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