Friday, September 4, 2009

“Jeter nears another Yankees record - Augusta Chronicle” plus 4 more

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“Jeter nears another Yankees record - Augusta Chronicle” plus 4 more

Jeter nears another Yankees record - Augusta Chronicle

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 11:21 PM PDT

NEW YORK --- Long before Derek Jeter ever dug into the batter's box at Yankee Stadium, raised his right hand and asked the ump for time to settle his spikes, he gave hints of what might come.

He was just a skinny teen, traveling around the mosquito pits of the South Atlantic League, when the rockets coming off his bat won over gruff, older players who were not eager to accept him. Though his 1993 Greensboro Hornets lost the championship in Game 7, his hitting made a mark.

"What everyone saw him doing against Curt Schilling in the World Series, he did a long time ago against Jeff Alkire in the Sally League," teammate Mike Buddie recalled.

Now the rookie who called his manager "Mr. Torre" is the longtime captain of the New York Yankees -- and poised to set a major record.

In the next week or so, Jeter should pass Lou Gehrig for the most hits in team history. Showing his mettle at 35, Jeter needs only nine to top the Iron Horse's total of 2,721.

"Couldn't happen to a better guy," praised Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, who served up some of Gehrig's home runs and calls Jeter a pal.

Along the way, Jeter has moved past the likes of Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra on the team charts. Next up, a record destined to last a long, long while.

"I was Yankee fan growing up, so I'm well aware of the history here. It's kind of hard to believe to be that close, you know what I mean?" Jeter said.

Indeed, he's set to overtake the great Gehrig, whose grace and courage and "luckiest man" speech still resonate throughout the game. Feller, in fact, pitched at Yankee Stadium on the day Gehrig was at the Mayo Clinic for tests, the ones that revealed the disease that would later bear his name.

Jeter understands the parallels -- steady leadership, putting the team first, simply playing -- but is reluctant to describe himself that way. As for the hit record, "I don't think that's anything you think of when you first start playing," Jeter said.

"One, you just want to stay around. Two, you want to have success. More importantly, I think, you just want to be consistent," he said.

Four World Series rings and MVP of the 2000 championship, 10 All-Star selections and three Gold Gloves. The backhanded flip to the plate, the catch and flying leap into the stands. A career .309 postseason average, including the Jeffrey Maier homer. Most hits by a shortstop.

The captain his teammates call "Jeet" is the center of a long-running fan debate, too, about whether he's the most overrated or underrated player in the majors. This much is certain: Late in his career, he's putting up one of his best offensive seasons.

"I don't know when 35 turned into being old," Jeter said. "I think it's all a mentality. If you tell yourself you're old, then you're going to feel old."

Hitting over .330, Jeter is focused at swinging at more strikes. He went 113 plate appearances without a walk earlier this year, the longest stretch of his career.

While Jeter's plan remains the same -- an inside-out swing to drive the ball the opposite way, a quick pass to pull -- his family encouraged him to change his approach toward his accomplishments.

"I've been told to really try to appreciate it," he said.

Some fans -- and not just those in Boston or in Queens -- say Jeter is lucky to play for a team that outspends everyone else.

Several studies ranked him among the worst defensive shortstops in the majors. Jeter's trademark jump throws from the hole have been on target, but grabbing grounders up the middle is hardly a strength.

Lyle Spatz is a longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research, and a Yankees fan.

"There's a split. Some go strictly by formulas. Is it true they show Jeter gets to fewer balls? Yes, it is," he said. "But if I had a game to win, I'd want Jeter out there. There's no way to measure that."



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Authorities kick off increased patrols for Labor Day weekend - Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 10:41 AM PDT

WESTON - The Florida Highway Patrol is reminding motorists that troopers are out in force this Labor Day weekend.

A four-day campaign of increased enforcement began today, and one of the major roadways officials are targeting is Alligator Alley. That portion of Interstate 75 lets drivers travel from Broward County to Collier County, on Florida's west coast.

"If you're out there speeding today, especially on Alligator Alley, you're probably going to get caught," FHP spokesman Sgt. Mark Wysocky said.

Officials conduct the patrols because they say the stakes are deadly serious: Last year, traffic accidents killed 36 people in the state during the holiday. Twelve of those deaths were caused by alcohol-related crashes.

This weekend's enforcement effort on Alligator Alley will be one of FHP's largest, Wysocky said. Although there have been increased patrols along the alley in the past, troopers are getting help this holiday from the Broward Sheriff's Office.

Troopers and deputies will be using marked and unmarked vehicles, an airplane and police dogs to help nab speeding, drunken, aggressive or careless drivers along the portion of the alley in Broward. Troopers in Collier County are similarly patrolling the western stretch of the alley.

Already today, passers-by could see troopers and deputies pulling over more than a dozen drivers who allegedly exceeded the alley's 70 mph speed limit, or who were accused of breaking another law.

Wysocky said FHP chose Alligator Alley this holiday for its large campaign, but the agency would pick other roadways other holidays.

The next time, it "may be held on I-95 or other portions of I-75," Wysocky said.

Statewide, all uniformed FHP employees, including those normally assigned to administrative duties, are patrolling interstates and other major state roads during the holiday weekend.

Troopers say drivers who spot aggressive motorists or need roadside help can dial *FHP (*347) from their cell phones to contact the Highway Patrol.

FHP also is reminding motorists that Florida's new primary safety belt law authorizes law enforcement officers to stop and cite motorists solely for failure to buckle up.

Juan Ortega can be reached at jcortega@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4701.



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Bay Bridge closes for four-day construction project - Inside Bay Area

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 10:41 AM PDT

The Bay Bridge closed on schedule at 8 p.m. for a four-day construction project that will make it harder to get around the region while crews replace a 300-foot section of the bridge towering over Yerba Buena Island.

Bay Area motorists appeared prepared for the temporary loss of the major artery, as freeway traffic volumes were lighter than normal during the Thursday morning and afternoon commutes, state officials reported.

"It looks like people got the message," said Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney.

At the highly publicized 8 p.m. closure time, California Highway Patrol officers blocked off freeway approaches leading to the bridge, shutting down Interstate 80 between Oakland and San Francisco until 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Meanwhile, highly specialized construction crews began slicing into the 3,300-ton bridge section that will be rolled out sometime Friday and then replaced by a new section to be slid in on giant rails.

Caltrans is installing the new bridge section needed to create a detour so contractors have space to build part of the new Bay Bridge East Span, a $6.2 billion, seismically stronger replacement for the existing East Span.

During the unusual four-day period with no traffic on the bridge, Caltrans will deploy painters, pavers, sign makers, tree pruners and other skilled workers to maintain and spruce up the structure, while San Francisco firefighters will do high angle-rescue drills.

The firefighters will use tall ladders to simulate the rescue of a maintenance

crew member in trouble while working high up.

Caltrans said special arrangements were made to allow people to reach their homes and businesses on Treasure Island, which connects to Yerba Buena Island.

"We have two weddings planned on the island," said John Goodwin of the Bay Area Toll Authority. "We were glad to work to accommodate them."

Reach Denis Cuff at 925-943-8267.

GETTING AROUND DURING BAY BRIDGE CLOSURE
The bridge is closed in both directions until 5 a.m. Tuesday.
Consider public transit for travel within the Bay Area, including BART and ferries.
BART will run trains around the clock through midnight Monday. During the overnight service, BART will keep 14 stations open:
Bay Fair, downtown Berkeley, Coliseum/Oakland Airport, Concord, Dublin/Pleasanton, El Cerrito Del Norte, MacArthur, Oakland City Center/12th Street, Walnut Creek, 24th Street/Mission, Daly City, Embarcadero, Powell Street, and San Francisco International Airport.
AC Transit will pick up and drop off passengers heading to San Francisco on BART at four train stations: Coliseum,
MacArthur, North Berkeley and West Oakland.
Vallejo, Golden Gate, and Baylink and Alameda/Oakland ferries will run extra service Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Extra ferries will be run on Friday from Alameda Harbor Bay.
For the latest traffic info, visit 511.org. For the latest bridge closure info, visit www.BayBridgeInfo.org.





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Bay Bridge construction project ahead of schedule so far, Caltrans ... - San Jose Mercury News

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 10:34 AM PDT

Construction work on the Bay Bridge went well and crews were nearly two hours ahead of schedule by sunrise this morning, Caltrans reported.

"Things were going real well all night long," Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney said this morning.

BART and ferry ridership were up and Bay Area freeways saw relatively smooth traffic on the first morning of the Bay Bridge closure.

On BART, considered to be the main option for cross-Bay travel for Labor Day weekend, riders were standing in cars as of 6 a.m., earlier than usual, said spokeswoman Luna Salaver. Actual ridership numbers will not be available until Tuesday.

"Anecdotally, we have more riders ... than a typical Friday," Salaver said.

The Alameda Harbor Bay Ferry is also experiencing increased ridership, according to anecdotal estimates.

On the highways, traffic was calm, but that has been attributed to commuters either taking an early weekend or working from home. California Highway Patrol officer Nicole Pacheco said the only trouble spot this morning was in Marin County, where commuters headed for the Golden Gate Bridge on Highway 101 are at a crawl.

"Other than that, things are OK," Pacheco said. "But if you're out on those roads (101 in Marin), expect to be out there for a while."

Crews have tested the powerful jacks that will edge the bridge section sideways after it is cut out. The whole process is expected to take five to eight hours.

Once

the old bridge section is out, crews can proceed to begin rolling in a replacement section that weighs 3,600 tons.

The project got off to a good start when the bridge closure Thursday night took just 21 minutes, faster than the previous bridge closure in 2007. That helped push the work ahead of schedule.

Before the project began, Caltrans estimated the multi-hour task of sliding out the 300-foot bridge section would begin at 1 or 2 p.m. this afternoon, but it appears that task will begin earlier.

Ney said work also had been helped because winds have been light, making it easier for the construction crews to work 150 feet up above Yerba Buena Island.

The bulk of the work replacing the bridge section will be done by about 50 contract employees. "It may seem like a small number, but they are highly skilled and specialized workers working with very powerful equipment," Ney said.

Caltrans contractors are replacing the bridge section as part of project to create a bridge detour that must be built to erect the new Bay Bridge East Span, which is scheduled to open in 2013. The old East Span was deemed not strong enough when the 1989 Loma Prieta collapsed a section of the upper deck onto the lower deck. The bridge was closed for a month, reopened and strengthened.






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Fire reflects government's lack of management ability - Spectrum

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 10:41 AM PDT

I have become deeply disturbed regarding the results of the fire near New Harmony. I have been traveling on Interstate 15 each weekend during the summer. Beginning early in July I noticed a small fire on Pine Valley Mountain. Each Friday night and each Saturday afternoon I observed the fire and was pleased that it did not appear to be progressing in a threatening manner.

This past weekend, however, with the drastic changes in wind direction, we have all become alarmed by the destruction the once-small fire could bring to the beautiful community of New Harmony and the impact it has on the air quality of our entire state. While driving home Sunday afternoon between Beaver and Parowan, it was nearly impossible to see mountains to the east or west. This continued all the way to the Black Ridge near St. George.

I began thinking about the waste of resources, both natural and economical, that this fire is having on our state. I realize the fire began from a lightning strike in late July and was located in a wilderness area on top of Pine Valley Mountain. I am also aware the fire could have been extinguished at any time prior to this past weekends explosion.

It has been reported that the intent was to allow the fire to burn in order to clear some of the undergrowth on the mountain. However, to believe for one moment the same weather conditions would continue indefinitely is just plain foolish. Weather conditions change frequently in this area, particularly in August. As a result, we are sometimes faced with these tragic results. It just seems ridiculous that those responsible for this disaster would imagine even for a moment that this could not and would not occur.

Then I began thinking about the bigger issue. Congress, in its lack of wisdom, passed the Wilderness Act and then delegated to the Department of Agriculture the responsibility of writing a web of regulations that it deemed appropriate to enforce the legislation. These rules have never been voted on by those representing us is in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, yet they become the template under which we are all governed. Then, we wonder why our government is full of bureaucratic mismanagement. It is simply that we have delegated that responsibility to them.



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