PANAMA CITY (AP) — Blas Perez and Edwin Aguilar scored in the final three minutes of regulation time as Panama rallied to 3-1 victory over Venezuela in an international friendly Wednesday. Oswaldo Vizcarrondo opened the scoring for Venezuela in the 70th minute before Luis Tejada equalized five minutes later. Perez found the net in the 87th minute to put Panama ahead and Aguilar scored three minutes later. Panama was handled by interim coach Jorge Dely. The Panama federation has named former Argentina national coach Alfio Basile as a possible full-time coach.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - It's not going to happen in the 2010 Major League Baseball season, but it very well could happen next year. Trevor Hoffman has been removed from the closer's role for the Milwaukee Brewers and is now working from the bullpen as a middle reliever. He has a total of 596 career saves - the #1 all time record holder. But, he's apparently stuck there. He picked up only five saves this year and then blew several games, prompting the Brewers to bench him. When a closer blows a save that means the team loses a game. It's just too important and the Brewers couldn't afford to stick with the struggling Hoffman. Mariano Rivera, on the other hand, has racked up 20 saves so far this year and he's marching on like the Ever Ready Bunny...

Copyright 2010 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

Lionel Messi, after his silence, when he arrived in Panama for a friendly charity, gave a press conference where he gave his opinion about Maradona’s decision in following as coach of Argentina team. “For me Diego has to continues as a coach, but he is who has to decide it. We must begin in the next steps, friendly matches, Copa America. We must move forward, growing and getting things.” “It makes me a bad feeling the World Cup, I expect to get away. We can not do anything. Neither me or the selection left us things we wanted.” Messi was accompanied at the press conference by former Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi, former champion of the Italian team, Marco Materazzi, and the captain of Brazil, Lucio. It was the first public Messi’s appearance after Argentina’s elimination. The benefit match is called “Messi and his friends against the rest of the world”, and involves 28 foreign players and four Panamanians and is held at the Rommel Fernandez Stadium. (momento24,com)   

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com - It made too much sense for Joe Girardi not to ask, even though there is legitimate concern about getting spoiled by too much of a good thing. So he looked into Mariano Rivera's eyes on Sunday at Dodger Stadium and begged him for the truth. The Yankees had tied the game in the top of the ninth inning by beating up Rivera's Dodgers counterpart, Jonathan Broxton, for four runs in a 48-pitch frame that might have made Joe Torre wonder if he could trade dugouts. In order to keep Los Angeles from walking off in the home half, Girardi pushed the button to go to Rivera for three breezy outs, and when Robinson Cano's homer gave the Yankees the lead in the 10th inning, the only proper move to make was putting the ball back in Rivera's right hand.

"I don't want to get into a habit with this," Girardi said later, after Rivera locked down the Bombers' 8-6 win to send them into Monday's off-day. "Because the first inning was so easy for him, I went and talked to him. I said, 'Be honest with me and tell me how you really feel.'" Rivera grinned later when asked about the exchange, calling his former batterymate and current manager "tremendous." Obviously, the answer was that Rivera -- at age 40 -- felt more than up to pitching two innings twice on this West Coast road trip; not that it would stop him from giving Girardi a little bit of playful grief about it. "He asked me and he said, 'If you're ready to go back, don't lie. Be truthful,'" Rivera said. "Two of them? I told him, 'Don't get used to it.' But it's good. We won, and that was a big win for us."

Maybe the biggest victory for the Yankees is that Mo is still Mo. He has done everything to erase those questions of doubt that crept in when his right shoulder was cranky more days than not, leading to surgery in 2008 to shave down an arthritic AC joint. Some might have wondered if that was the beginning of the end, if the Yankees should finally begin having those internal discussions about who will be handed the unenviable role of being the closer -- go ahead, make your picks -- for the After Mo era. Luckily, Rivera said in the emotional celebration of the World Series that he wanted to pitch five more seasons. He backed off that statement somewhat this spring, but as a free agent after this year and the way his first few months have gone, why would anyone bet against him?

The two scoreless innings Rivera dropped on Torre's Dodgers lowered his ERA to 0.92 and continued a string in which he has not allowed a run in his last 14 appearances since May 25, holding opponents to just four hits -- enjoy that one, James Loney, they are indeed rare -- and three walks (one intentional) in 16 innings. "I'm done talking about Mo," Alex Rodriguez said after Sunday's game, essentially throwing up a white flag in mock exasperation. "You can't say anything else. He's the greatest. He never seems to disappoint." Rivera carried a streak of retiring 24 straight batters into last week, a string that began on June 3 in Baltimore after Ty Wigginton was hit by a pitch and ended with Stephen Drew's 10th inning single on June 23. But when asked about it, Rivera might as well have yawned.

"I don't think like that. I could care less about those things," Rivera said. "I'm a team player, and that's what I do. I try to help my team. Anything that has to do with myself, that's something that I will not discuss." And what is there to say? Rivera is so sharp right now, he breaks bats even when hitters don't make contact. Take the example of Russell Martin, who looked at a 92-mph cutter in the 10th inning on Sunday and was rung up for strike three. Martin flung his bat into the ground, sending shards flying and giving Chris Guccione the easiest ejection decision of his umpiring career.

Sunday's performance might have been seen by a national television audience, but his high-wire act against the D-backs was even more impressive. Clinging to a one-run lead at Chase Field on Wednesday, Rivera allowed Drew's single and a Justin Upton double to open the 10th inning, with an intentional walk giving him bases full of Arizona uniforms. At third base, Rodriguez started thinking about re-taking the lead in the top of the next inning, when the D-backs inevitably brought in the tying run. But it never got that far -- Rivera got the next three batters on a foulout, an infield pop and a strikeout.

"Definitely, you have to be confident that you can make your pitches," Rivera said. "Those are the moments that you have to show your character and be patient and make your pitches." Rivera said that night that he just tried to keep his composure, his confidence in his pitches and asked "for a little help from the Lord." It is a masterful formula to watch in action, and that is why Andy Pettitte said on Sunday that it still makes no sense to compare Rivera to anyone else. "He's the greatest there is," Pettitte said. "You can't even say enough about Mariano. Mariano is in a league of his own and no one compares to him, mentally and the command that he goes out there with almost every single night." All these years later, Rivera remains an irresistible weapon, one that improbably seems to be just as effective as ever.

"I've said all along," Girardi said, "this organization has been very fortunate to have a guy like Mo."

Editor's Comment: Mariano Rivera is currently tied for 11th place in saves in Major League Baseball this season with 18 thus far. There are three players with 22, three players with 21, four with 19, and five, including Rivera, with 18. Trevor Hoffman has only five saves this year, he's been stuck at 596 career saves compared to 544 for Rivera - a difference of only 52. Trevor Hoffman sits alone on top of the "All Time Career Saves" record however recent news on Hoffman from the Milwaukee Brewers says - "RHP Trevor Hoffman made his 1,011th appearance, moving past Roberto Hernandez and into 10th place on the all-time list. But Hoffman continues to be used in non-save situations since his early-season skid, and has been stuck on 596 saves since early May." Since 2003 Mariano Rivera has been averaging about 40 saves per season. Therefore, if Hoffman doesn't get his closer position back then he might very well end his career after this season at 596 saves. Rivera could tack on another 20 or more saves this year, putting him within striking distance to assume the #1 spot as the All Time Career Saves record holder during the 2011 MLB season. There are no other active pitchers who are even close to Rivera and Hoffman, so if Rivera takes the spot he will likely hold it for a long time. And just how important is the Panamanian born Mariano Rivera to the New York Yankees? Every "save" he adds to his career is also a "win" for the Yankees. I hope he pitches well into his 80's.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The group stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup - South Africa is drawing to a close. Most of the group qualifiers have been decided with just four more matches remaining tomorrow to determine the fates of the teams in groups G and H. Of the thirty two teams that started the tournament, sixteen now advance to the next round. There are only sixteen games left, and from here on out the winner advances and the loser goes home until the champion is crowned. Eight teams from the Americas qualified for the tournament (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, United States, and Uruguay) and of those, it looks like all advanced to the next round except for Honduras. Uruguay won Group A with Mexico in second place. Argentina won group B. The United States (surprisingly) won Group C. Paraguay won Group F, and it looks like Brazil will win Group G and Chile will win Group H, depending on the results of the matches to be played tomorrow.

Biggest Disappointments: There are millions of soccer fans around the world who are wondering just exactly what the hell happened to their national teams in this tournament. Some of those who are now scratching their heads include;

• Italy - Ranked #4 in the world, defending champions, won the World Cup in 2006, four time world cup winners - eliminated with two draws, one loss, four goals scored and five against, two points total, dead last in Group F.

• France - Ranked #9 in the world, World Cup winner in 1998, runner up in 2006 - eliminated with one draw, two losses, only one point scored, only one goal scored. Placed dead last in Group A (Vissez le français...)

• Spain - The favorite of many going into the tournament, now fighting for their lives. Ranked #2 in the world, they are currently in second place in Group H with the defining game tomorrow against group leader Chile. There are lots of ways the group could be defined tomorrow, many of them not good for Spain. For example if Spain and Chile tie and Switzerland beats Honduras, then Spain is eliminated. If Spain beats Chile and Switzerland beats Honduras, then there will be three teams with six points and it will come down to goals for and against to break the tie.

Next USA Game: On Saturday, 26 June, the United States plays their next game against Ghana, who finished in second place in Group D. If the USA wins, we advance to the Quarter Finals to face either Uruguay or South Korea. And obviously if we lose, that's it. It would be great to see the team make it at least to the Quarter Finals. In 2006 the USA was eliminated in the first round, 25th out of 32 teams. In 2002 we did make it to the quarter finals, and ended up in 8th place out of 32 teams, our best result in recent history. In 1998, for example, we ended up dead last, eliminated in the first round, 32nd out of 32 teams (but hey, at least we qualified, right?) From 1938 to 1986 the USA only qualified once, in 1950, and was eliminated in the first round with only sixteen teams participating. No matter what happens on Saturday we already have at least 16th place locked up, and if we can win one more game that jumps to 8th so I'm hoping for that. Any chance that the USA might go all the way? You can put your money where your mouth is at the Superbook VIP Sports Club if you're feeling lucky.

Copyright 2010 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Tomorrow morning at 9:00 am, Panama will come to a standstill because everyone will be watching South Africa play Mexico in the opening game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. The Superbook VIP Sports Club will be opening at 6:00 am tomorrow morning. They've put together a special breakfast menu, and according to Bill they will feature "real hash browns, Southern style," as well as other specials. They're expecting a huge turnout Saturday afternoon at 1:30 pm, when the United States plays their first game against England. These teams are in Group C, which also includes Slovenia and Algeria. England is ranked 8th in the world, the USA is ranked 14th, Slovenia 25th, and Algeria 30th. Conventional wisdom would say England and the USA advances, but anything can happen. For the opening game tomorrow, South Africa is ranked 83rd while Mexico is ranked 17th. Mexico should win, but South Africa will have the sentimental home field advantage, and chances are good there will be more South Africans in the stands than Mexicans. Anyway, the grand party is about to begin and you should stop by Superbook to catch the action. See you there.

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - "Futbol" fans around the world are gearing up for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and Panama is no different. The tournament will consist of a total of 64 soccer games played between 11 June - 11 July 2010 in several different cities and stadiums in South Africa. I'm writing this primarily for those recent arrivals from the United States, gringos who have a tendency to pretty much ignore world soccer. Be advised - Panamanians go nuts for "futbol" and the World Cup is the mother of all soccer tournaments. Played just once every four years, a whole lot of anticipation and preparation will culminate in the next few days with the start of the World Cup, and national pride from the best and strongest countries from around the world will be played out on the field. The regular favorites like Brazil - the top ranked team in the world - appear every time and Brazilians almost expect their team to dominate and play well. However the real national pride and passion comes from the smaller and weaker countries who almost never get to go. Interestingly enough, in 2010 South Africa there are no "world cup virgins" - all of the first 32 teams have appeared at least once before. This is only the second appearance for several teams, such as the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Greece, Honduras, North Korea, New Zealand, and Slovenia. There are no real notable absences. The United States best finish was 3rd in 1930, and in recent times 8th in 2002. Canada has only qualified once, in 1986. England almost always goes, and they usually make it to the Quarter Finals (9th in 1998, 6th in 2002, 7th in 2006).

A Solid Month Of Great Futbol: This year most of the games will be on television during working hours, so you can expect attendance and productivity to drop dramatically. The entire tournament takes about a month. For the uninitiated, there are eight groups of teams, A through H. Each group has four teams, so a total of 32 teams start in the tournament.

The Group Stage: The first round is called the "Group Stage" - six games are played in each group, with each team in that group playing one game against each of the other teams in their group. So, six games for eight groups means there will be 48 games played in the Group Stage. Teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a tie. The most any team can come away with in the Group Stage is nine points, if they win all three games. Two wins and one tie would be seven points. One win and two ties would be five points, etc. A total of sixteen teams advance to Stage 2, the top two teams from each group.

Stage 2 - Single Elimination: The first game of Stage 2 will be played on 26 June. From this point on the winner advances and the loser is eliminated. All of the sixteen teams that made it through the first round are placed on a grid according to how they did. For example the winner of Group A is designated 1A, and whoever that is will play the second place team from Group B, or 2B. After the first round of games sixteen becomes eight (quarter finals), eight becomes four (semi finals), and then four becomes two, the last two teams standing that will play in the final game.on 11 July 2010. There is one other game played the day before, to determine the third and fourth place finishers. The entire tournament consists of 64 games. That's a whole lot of "futbol".

Who Roots For What Team: Obviously, Panama didn't qualify for the World Cup. In fact, the Panamanian team has never qualified. Therefore, Panamanians are accustomed to picking their favorite team and rooting for them. Once that team is eliminated, they quickly shift their alliances to their favorite team from those who are left standing. Today President Martinelli said he's supporting five teams, for example. Brazil is the top ranked team in the world right now, followed by #2 Spain, #3 Portugal, #4 Netherlands, #5 Italy, #6 Germany, #7 Argentina, #8 England, #9 France, and #10 Croatia. For the record the USA is #14, Mexico is #17, and Honduras is #38. From the CONCACAF (where Panama plays) the three teams that qualified are the USA, Mexico, and Honduras. Costa Rica had a shot but was eliminated by Uruguay in a playoff for the last remaining spot shared by the CONCACAF and South America's CONMEBOL. Anyway, pick a team and root for them until your lungs wear out.

Making A Buck On The Games: There are street vendors all over the place selling flags and shirts for the various teams. The first game will be played on Friday morning, 11 June 2010, starting at 9:00 am local Panama time, with the host South Africa against Mexico for the first game of Group A. All of the bars and restaurants are gearing up to cater to their clients for the games, and since the time difference from Panama to South Africa means many games will be played in the morning, they are putting breakfast items on their menus.

Have A Great Time: The World Cup brings an atmosphere of a kind of "national party" to the entire country, and the whole world. It's a great time to party with the global citizens who call Panama home - hit the "Rincon Aleman" when Germany is playing, for example, and join the party. The Superbook VIP Sports Bar will have all of the games on dozens of huge screen TV's, as well as drink and food specials, and for the most of the next month I'll be in there, updating Panama Guide on my laptop between "Goooooooooaaaaaaaallllllllssssss....." See you there.

Copyright 2010 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DAVE CAMPBELL (AP) MINNEAPOLIS — Nick Swisher homered in the top of the ninth inning, allowing Mariano Rivera to record his second save in less than four hours for the New York Yankees in 1-0 and 3-2 victories over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. Swisher hit his solo shot off Twins closer Jon Rauch (1-1), the third two-out run scored by the Yankees in the second game. Derek Jeter homered and made a highlight-reel play at shortstop in the sixth inning of the first game, which was completed after being halted by rain the night before. Rivera pitched the ninth inning for the save in the first game, making up for his only blown chance of the season 10 days ago at Yankee Stadium against the Twins. Andy Pettitte (6-1) went eight innings in the second game.

Editor's Comment: Mariano Rivera now has ten saves this season, bringing his career total to 536. He's chasing Trevor Hoffman, who is still stuck at five saves this season, and 596 in his career. Right now Rivera is 60 saves behind Hoffman, who is about two years older. The Brewers sat Hoffman after he blew half of his save opportunities and his ERA skyrocketed to 13.15. Mariano on the other hand has been flawless, with only one Blown Save and an ERA of 1.76    

The nation’s premier sporting event is coming to its greatest metropolitan area – and the Giants’ extraordinary new home. NFL owners today voted to deliver Super Bowl XLVIII to the New Meadowlands Stadium, the glittering 82,500-seat stadium where the Giants and Jets will begin playing their home games this season. The game, which will be played in February 2014, will be the first Super Bowl played in a cold-weather, outdoor venue. The Giants and Jets co-sponsored the bid – officially entitled “Make Some History”- to bring the Super Bowl to the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area for the first time. The region was selected over competing bids from South Florida and Tampa to host the 2014 Super Bowl.

   

By Brian Smith - Reading Eagle - Entering this weekend's series with Milwaukee, Philadelphia catcher Carlos Ruiz was hitting .345 while leading the National League in on-base percentage at .472. Not bad for a guy who entered the season with a lifetime batting average of .246. He's the only guy in the Philadelphia Phillies' everyday lineup who never has been an All-Star. He's the only one not to have hit as many as 10 home runs in a season or to have knocked in at least 60 runs. He has the lowest lifetime batting average among the starting eight. But there's no downplaying how valuable Carlos Ruiz is to the Philadelphia Phillies. The 31-year-old catcher has become a rock behind the plate and a more than capable performer at it. His defense and game-calling have earned the praise and confidence of the pitching staff. He allows pitchers such as Brad Lidge to throw sliders in the dirt without fear that the ball will get away. He continues to improve as a hitter. He went into the weekend series at Milwaukee hitting .345 and leading the National League in on-base percentage at .472. Not bad for a guy who normally bats eighth.

What makes Chooch's emergence all the more surprising is the path he took. He was no high draft pick given multiple chances to succeed. He's had to work and fight the doubters the whole way. He's a classic late-bloomer. Ruiz was a second baseman when Phillies scout Allan Lewis first spotted him in his native Panama. Ruiz ended up converting to catcher and signing for $8,000 in December 1998. He then began his slow climb up the organizational ladder, spending the next seven full seasons in the minors. He battled injuries early in his pro career and when he came to Double-AA Reading in 2004, he opened the season as the backup to Russ Jacobson, a third-round pick in 1999. Jacobson floundered and Ruiz, given the chance to start, blasted a career-high 17 homers that season to open some eyes. He basically has continued to surprise ever since.

Still, the Phillies, nor anyone else for that matter, knew quite what they had in Ruiz. In the 2004 draft, the Phils used a second-round pick on catcher Jason Jaramillo and a fourth-rounder on Lou Marson. Both eventually earned spots on the organization's top 10 prospects list, as compiled by Baseball America. Ruiz? He never cracked the top 10. No matter, he made his big league debut in 2006 and spent his first full season in the bigs in 2007. He began that season sharing time with offseason acquisition Rod Barajas. Barajas struggled, while Ruiz performed well - he finished that season at .259. That May then-general manager Pat Gillick told the Reading Eagle, "He's got a chance to be regular catcher." Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but Gillick was right - and then some.

Ruiz has become a vital part of the Phillies' core - not coincidentally, Jaramillo and Marson have been traded away - the regular catcher on one of the best teams in the game. He's caught every game over the last three postseasons - he's a lifetime .303 hitter in the postseason; he entered this season with a .246 liftetime in the majors. He has made himself indispensable. If he were to miss significant time due to injury the Phillies would be in trouble. Thankfully for the Phils, the knee sprain Ruiz suffered last week wasn't deemed serious. What is serious, however, is the fact that Ruiz is among the top catchers in the National League. If he isn't careful, he'll lose one of the things that makes him distinctive in the Phillies' lineup. He'll become an All-Star.

On-base machine - Speaking of Carlos Ruiz, STATS, Inc. reports that he went into Friday leading all NL regulars in pitches per plate appearance at 4.55. They also had a few other interesting Chooch stats. He's 6-for-8 when he's ahead 2-0 in the count with 15 walks, a .913 on-base percentage. He's been retired just twice in 23 plate appearances when ahead 2-0. He's reached all nine times when the count has been 3-1 (3-for-3 with six walks). When the count is full, he's 4-for-12 with eight walks in 20 plate appearances, a .600 on-base percentage.

Injuries, part two - Here's an addition to last week's list of fluky Phillies injuries, as pointed out by a reader. Left-handed starter Curt Simmons was mowing grass on an embankment at his home on June 4, 1953, when he slipped. Well let The Associated Press pick up the report: "the whirling blades bit deep into the flesh of his foot, going to the bone in his big toe and severely lacerating the other toes." Simmons was 7-4 with a 2.90 ERA in 11 games before suffering the injury to his left foot. He returned July 4 and was 10-11 with a 3.41 ERA in 21 games the rest of the way. It's been said that Simmons never was the same pitcher after the injury, that his fastball lost some of its zip. I don't know about that, but he did go 14-15 with a 2.81 ERA in 1954 in a career-high 253 innings. Simmons, who resuscitated his career with the Cardinals in the 1960s, retired following the 1967 season with a 193-183 record and 3.54ERA.

Road trip? - Next month's series with the Blue Jays, which was moved last week from Toronto to Philadelphia because of the G20 Summit, is not the first instance of a series being shifted from Canada to Philadelphia. In 1991, Montreal had to move its final 13 home games, including two with the Phillies, out of Olympic Stadium after a 55-ton concrete slab fell on an interior walkway. The Phillies won those games in front of sparse crowds at Veterans Stadium. On Wednesday, Sept.18, they defeated the Expos 1-0 behind a two-hitter from Terry Mulholland in front of 5,963. The next night, they won 5-4 in 10 before 5,297. A couple of things will be different this time. For one thing, the Phillies were the home team in '91. Next month, they will will be the road team and wear their road grays at Citizens Bank Park. The DH also will be used. For another, don't expect the crowds to be sparse this time. Tickets for the three-game series go on sale to the public Friday at 9 a.m.   

Surfersvillage Global Surf News - The venue for the planet’s greatest event in Masters Surfing, the ISA World Masters Surfing Championship (WMSC) has been named. The perfect waves of Santa Catalina, on the north Pacific coast of Panama will see the best over 35 year-old surfers from all over the world from August 29 to September 5. After having an inaugural WMSC in Rincón, Puerto Rico in 2007 and a successful second edition in the powerful waves of Punta Rocas, Peru, in 2008, the Masters family will gather together again, this time in the wave rich nation of Panama to compete for the world title in the following divisions:

• -Masters (Over 35)
• -Women Masters (Over 35)
• -Grand Masters (Over 40)
• -Kahunas (Over 45)
• -Grand Kahunas (Over 50)

Regarding the confirmation of this year's Masters event, Fernando Aguerre, President of the International Surfing Association said: "The ISA congratulates Panama on securing the rights to host the ISA World Masters Surfing Championship for the first time. We are looking forward to a world class event in the great waves of Santa Catalina." South Africa has dominated the overall team standings for the past events, and it will be interesting to see who is able to bring the strongest Masters team to Panama for 2010. The ISA is eager to see the best Masters surfers compete and win at this year's event. Who’s going to take home the medals for 2010? We will know on September 5th.

About the International Surfing Association (ISA): The International Surfing Association (ISA) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the World Governing Authority for Surfing. It was originally founded as the International Surfing Federation in 1964 and has been running world championships since 1964 and the Junior World Championships since 1980. ISA membership includes the surfing National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of over 60 countries on six continents. Its headquarters are located in La Jolla, California. It is presided by Fernando Aguerre, first elected in 1994 in Rio, and re-elected six times since. The ISA's four Vice Presidents are Alan Atkins (Australia), Robin de Kock (South Africa), Mike Gerard (USA) and Karín Sierralta (Peru).   

HOUSTON -- Left fielder Carlos Lee, who's in the fourth year of a six-year, $100-million deal, said Thursday he will strongly consider retiring when his contract expires. Lee has a limited no-trade clause after this season, but considering he's owed $18.5 million in each of the final three years, trading him would be difficult. "That was one of the reasons I signed here, was to come here and kind of establish myself with a long-team deal and finish up here," he said. "I don't know if I'm going to play after this contract is up. I'm ready to go home." Lee, who lives in his native Panama in the offseason, has two sons and two daughters that he wants to spend more time with.

"We spend so much time away from our family," he said. "I can't spend any other time with my kids. I get home at 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock and they're sleeping, and they get up at 6:30 in the morning to go to school and I see them 10, 15 minutes. I want to be able to spend time with my kids where they're still young and healthy. I want to enjoy them." Lee still has more than 2 1/2 years remaining on his current deal, but he admits retirement is on his mind. "I don't know, maybe in my last year I'll still have a love for the game and still feel I can play," he said. "As of right now, me and my family have plans to finish up in Houston."   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Well, Mariano Rivera got one that he really wanted tonight. By adding two more strikeouts during tonight's appearance against the Chicago White Sox, he first tied and then passed Roger Clements in the 10th position of all time Yankees strikeout leaders. Everyone thinks of Mariano Rivera and the way he saves games. Mariano Rivera likes the strikeouts. We all like it when his powerful cutter inside breaks bats and results in weak dribblers to the infield and easy plays at first. Mariano likes to put 'em down swinging. For the record books and to add yet another chapter to this Panamanian's Hall of Fame insta-pick numbers, as of this evening Mariano Rivera now has 1015 career strikeouts - all for the New York Yankees. If you're interested you can hit this link to see the complete list of the top ten. Of course, that page will now have to be updated. Mariano finished out April 2010 with seven saves already this season, bringing his career total to 533. He now has 51 straight saves at home (incredible). Meanwhile over at the geezer dome Trevor Hoffman continues to show signs that he's pretty much done. In April he picked up three saves, but also logged four blown saves and he has an ERA of 13.00 in only nine innings pitched. Hoffman is still the #1 all time career saves leader with 594, or 61 more than Mariano. I suspect the Brewers will give him an opportunity to hit 600 but they can't let him continue to lose games for them.

Copyright 2010 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

By Abac Cordero, The Philippine Star - MANILA, Philippines - Drian Francisco of the Philippines on Saturday night demolished a Panamanian who only looked good on paper, winning their WBA superflyweight eliminator at the Ynares Sports Center and lining himself up for a shot at the world title. The 27-year-old Francisco, now undefeated in 20 fights, with one no-contest, sent Ricardo Nuñez to the floor twice midway in the opening round, and on the second knockdown he celebrated like the fight was already over. Francisco stepped on the ropes of a neutral corner as referee Bruce McTavish made the count. But Nuñez, who didn’t looked like the fighter ranked No. 1 by the WBC and No. 2 by the WBA, managed to get up on his feet. The fight lasted longer than was expected after the two knockdowns, but it was clear that Francisco was to run away with the victory. Nuñez, 118-2 as an amateur and now 18-2 as a pro, looked like a bum pretending to be a boxer.

The end came in the 2:52 mark of the fifth round, with Nuñez down on the floor like he was never going to get up. Now, Francisco will have to wait for the winner of the May 8 fight between WBA superflyweight champion Nonuo Nashira and Hugo Cazares in Osaka. Whoever wins that fight will have to defend the title against Francisco. “I wanted to finish the fight soon because the opportunity was there. It was my opportunity,” said Francisco.   

Olympic champion long jumper Irving Saladino of Panama won the Gold Medal and set a new record in the long jump competition of the IX Central American Sports Games, held last night at the Rommel Fernandez Stadium. Saladino won with a jump of 8.19 meters, breaking the Central American record of 7.77 meters which has stood since 1973. Panamanian Jamal Bowen won the silver medal and the bronze was taken by the Honduran Kessell Campbell. (La Prensa)   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The New York Yankees won their home opener against the Los Angeles Angels yesterday, 7-5. This win moved the Yankees up to 5-2 on the season - they already played and won road trip series against division rivals Boston and Tampa Bay. But last night's game was the first played this season in Yankee Stadium, and the place was packed. There was a ceremony to hand out the World Series Championship rings for last years season, and the "cour four" each got their fifth ring or "one for the thumb." Appropriately, these same players each stepped up and contributed significantly to the win over the Angels in the way fans have come to expect. Team captain and shortstop Derek Jeter hit a home run. Veteran backstop Jorge Posada had three hits. Star starting pitcher Andy Pettitte threw 100 pitches in six innings and held the Angels down. And then as usual, Mariano Rivera, Mister Automatic, came out in the ninth to secure the win for the Yankees. Mariano Rivera now has 529 career saves, and he remains in second place all time behind Trevor Hoffman who has 593 (difference = 64).

Copyright 2010 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By Agnes Winarti, The Jakarta Post - Promising Indonesian boxer Daud Yordan fell to his first defeat after being dominated by Panama’s more experienced Celestino Caballero in a featherweight duel at the Bank Atlantic Center, in Sunrise, Florida, on Sunday. Daud entered the bout with 25 victories, 19 by way of knockout. Caballero, who ranks third in the world in the featherweight division, below Indonesia’s Chris John and Puerto Rico’s Juan Manuel Lopez, won by unanimous decision 119-108, 120-107, and 118-108. “His lack of experience was clear as Daud failed to launch what should have been varying punches. Caballero toyed with him,” Hengky Silatang, the head of the Indonesian Amateur Boxing Association’s (PERTINA) technical division, said of the fight. Rated 34th in the world in the featherweight division, Daud was floored twice by Caballero’s right uppercut at the end of both of the first two rounds. Daud, with a height of 170 centimeters and a 165 centimeter reach, landed some rare shots, but Caballero piled up points through the 12-round duel, taking advantage of his 180-centimeter height and 185-centimeter reach, which enabled Caballero to stay outside Daud’s reach. The 34th win marked Caballero’s first foray in the featherweight class (57.2 kilograms). He was the former world champion in the super-bantamweight class (55.3 kilograms) with 32 wins and two losses. In July, Caballero will next face World Boxing Association (WBA) champion Yuriorkis Gamboa. The Cuban boxer ranks fourth in the world.

Hengky said Daud, who is based in Ketapang, West Kalimatan, ideally should have spent more time preparing in Florida, saying that jet lag may have been a factor as he only departed from Indonesia on Monday. Daud had been touted as the most promising boxer, following in the footsteps of Chris John, currently the world’s top featherweight boxer. Daud, who shot to fame when he knocked out Reman Salim of the Philippines to win the World Boxing Organization Asia-Pacific Youth featherweight title in 2007, recorded his best performance so far as the interim WBO Oriental featherweight titlist after knocking out Philippino Robert Allanic in just two rounds last year.   

César Barría was one of five Panamanian athletes who carried the torch with the flame to light the cauldron, which will burn for the eleven days of the IX Central American Sporting Games, which were launched last night at the refurbished Rommel Fernandez Stadium before a large audience, in the midst of a spectacle of lights, music and fireworks. The Games will gather in Panama to 1,739 athletes from six countries in the region, who starting from today to compete in 19 disciplines and venues in the capital Panama City and Colon. (La Prensa)   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Ah yes, baseball season has started. Last night Mariano Rivera shut down the Boston Red Sox in the 9th to secure the 6-4 victory for the New York Yankees. This was his first appearance and save of the fledgling 2010 MLB season. This was only the second game of the season for the Yankees, they lost the season opener to Boston 7-9 on Sunday at Fenway Park. Mariano Rivera now has 527 lifetime saves and remains as the #2 all-time closer, behind Trevor Hoffman who has 592. Hoffman is still playing for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Wheezing Geezer: If you look closely you can see how Hoffman is fighting for it, and Rivera is still at the top of his game. In Hoffman''s first appearance he gave up a triple and then a ground-out allowed the runner to score. He gave up another single before the inning was over, two hits and a run in that appearance, but he did get the save. Mariano, however, gave up one hit (like he usually does) but then it was two pop-outs and a strikeout to end the inning with no runs scored. Mariano Rivera remains 65 saves behind Hoffman on the all-time list. Sooner or later Hoffman will have to hang it up, and Mariano Rivera will then eventually catch and pass him. Sooner or later...   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Received via email this morning: "Heres a new one - went to the classic baseball game in Las Tablas with Los Santos playing Herrera with about 5000 packed fans. A big brawl broke out and the game was stalled for about 30min. During the brawl #25 from Herrera was pushing police officers, my friend was yelling at him saying in Canada he would be arrested, this guy then charged up into the stands and punched my friend in the nose. Cut him bad enough where he had to go to see the Red Cross. We talked to the police and they didnt want to help at all. I spoke to 20 different police officers and none of them wanted to help. How can a professional player get away with this?" Followed up by "Eight players were suspended including the player #25 Ramon Ramierez for the fight in the game. I just cant believe a professional baseball player hit a fan, not to mention a tourist, and it goes unnoticed, simply amazing, doesn't matter what country I'm in, its not right." Of course it's not right. When there's a fight on the field of play there's a tendency to let the umpires and team managers control the players. As soon as a player goes into the stands and attacks a fan (foreigner or not) the National Police should have stepped in an arrested him, on the spot. Any chance the attack was recorded on video tape? I still say your friend can file complaint against the guy for assault and battery. I saw the fight on the news today - if it was the pitcher, he fights like a girl - weak left roundhouse, thrown from 80 feet away with no power - all emotion, no affect. Then, the benches cleared and it turned into a brawl. Anyway, I hope your friend is alright. It doesn't look like the attack against him was on tape - which I find to be amazing in itself.

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — Cristian Riveros' header in the 69th minute earned Mexico's Cruz Azul a 1-0 victory over Arabe Unido of Panama in the first-leg quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League on Thursday. After a slow first half, the Panama team attacked more in the second but it was the Mexican club which took advantage of the few scant chances in the match. The return leg is Wednesday in Mexico City. Cruz Azul played without some of its top players, including Gerardo Torrado and Argentines Emanuel Villa and Maximiliano Biancucchi, who were rested for league play this weekend. In the three other first-leg quarterfinals earlier in the week, Mexico's Toluca and Columbus Crew drew 2-2 in Ohio, Marathon defeated Mexico's Pumas 2-0 in Honduras, and Comunicaciones of Guatemala had a 1-1 draw at home to Mexico's Pachuca. In the semifinals, the Columbus-Toluca winner faces the winner between Comunicaciones-Pachuca. Marathon or Pumas will face Arabe Unido or Cruz Azul. It is possible for all four Mexican teams to reach the semifinals.   

Mets GM Omar Minaya suggested Thursday that 20-year-old Ruben Tejada could open the 2010 season as the Mets' starting shortstop. The Panama native hit .289 with five homers and 46 RBI in 488 at-bats with Double-A Binghamton last season and told the New York Daily News that he won't be overwhelmed by the bright lights of the big leagues. "It's baseball," Tejada said. "Everywhere I play the game normal. I'm ready for everything." Alex Cora is another option to fill in for injured starter Jose Reyes, but Mets manager Jerry Manuel seems keen on giving the rookie a shot. Source: New York Daily News   

(AP) FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — U.S. sprinter Wallace Spearmon Jr. was injured Saturday in a 200-meter race at the Tyson Invitational at the University of Arkansas. The Fayetteville native pulled up in the final strides of the race with an apparent hamstring injury. Spearmon finished with a time of 21.17 seconds, second in his heat behind Baylor senior Trey Harts (21.00). Spearmon declined comment afterward. Spearmon was originally scheduled to run the 400-meter race and the 60-meter preliminaries on Friday, but he was scratched in both races. Running on his home track, Spearmon was leading the race and looked to be challenging the world's fastest time of 20.69 in the 200 this year before the injury. Spearmon finished third in the 200 in the World Championships in Berlin last summer. He finished 12th in the event Saturday, second among professionals. Panama's Alonso Edward, the silver medalist in that event, ran the fastest time in the 200 on Saturday of 20.70 seconds. "The race was all right," Edward said. "This was my second race of the season. Everything is going well and I'm just working on my time." Edward's time was also 0.01 seconds off his personal best in the 200. "This is really great to be my track meet of the season," Edward said. In the women's 200, Bahamian sprinter Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie ran the women's fastest 200 this year with a time of 23.04 seconds. USA sprinter Shalonda Solomon finished second in the event in 23.15 seconds.   

Former world boxing champion Roberto "Mano de Piedra" Duran was admitted Monday to the San Fernando Hospital to undergo surgery on his nose. His wife Felicidad de Duran told RPC Radio the operation is to correct a deviated septum and a nasal contusion. She added the operation was planned because Roberto has had this problem since age 14 and it has gotten worse over time. "Because his weight has increased he has been having trouble breathing. He will star a diet upon leaving the hospital," she said. After the operation Duran will spend two days in the hospital for observation and subsequently will be sent home. The operation will last approximately two hours. (Source: Panama America)

Editor's Comment: Roberto "Hands of Stone" Duran is a Panamanian national treasure.

• "Roberto Durán (born June 16, 1951) is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all-time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" (or "Hands of Stone") during his career. In 2002, he was chosen by The Ring Magazine to be the 5th greatest fighter of the last 80 years. Bert Sugar rates him as the 8th greatest fighter of all-time and many consider him the greatest lightweight of all time. He held world titles at four different weights - lightweight (1972-79), welterweight (1980), junior middleweight (1983-84) and middleweight (1989). He was the second boxer to have fought in five different decades. He finally retired in January 2002 at age 50 (having previously retired in 1998) following a bad car crash in October 2001, with a professional record of 119 fights, 103 wins with 70 KOs."   

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (CP) – PHILADELPHIA — A source requesting anonymity says Panamanian catcher Carlos Ruiz and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to an US$8.85-million, three-year contract that avoids salary arbitration. The source spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the team had not yet announced the deal. The contract includes a $5-million club option for 2013 with a $500,000 buyout. Ruiz batted .255 with 43 RBIs and a career-high nine homers last season. He has a .303 post-season average after starting every Phillies playoff game the last two years for a team that reached the World Series twice, winning in 2008. Ruiz was the last Philadelphia player in arbitration. His deal was first reported by MLB.com.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The Bleacher Report recently published a list of "The 20 Hottest Women to Watch on Sports TV." Coming in at #17 on their list was Panamanian born Sage Steele. Sage Steele was born in Panama in 1972. She was born to an American Army family serving in the Canal Zone. Her father would be stationed all over the world during Sage's childhood. She attended high school in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Carmel, Ind. Sage joined ESPN in 2007, and can be seen anchoring Sports Center rather frequently. She came to ESPN after working at Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic in Bethesda, Maryland, where she was an anchor and reporter for the network's nightly local sports news program, SportsNite.

   

By Ken Bradley, Sporting News - On a team full of superstars, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera went about his usual way in 2009, dominating opponents and helping New York claim its 27th World Series. Because of his performance—44 saves, 1.76 ERA and five more postseason saves — Rivera is Sporting News' Pro Athlete of the Year. In 15 seasons with the Yankees, Rivera has been an integral part of five World Series titles. He told Sporting News that the nine years since the previous championship was tough to handle. "It felt long—especially the year 2008 when we didn't even make the playoffs. That was horrible," Rivera told Sporting News' Steve Greenberg in a one-on-one interview at his Rye, N.Y., home. Among the other things Rivera told SN: On being able to peak at the most important time of year, even at his age: In the playoffs, you're talking about something that not many players have the opportunity to be in -- and I'm talking about great players, not just average players. And I've been blessed to be able to be in the playoffs for many years and do the job in all those years. I think that says it alone -- it's the playoffs. You don't want to miss that; you want to be in the middle of it. And when you realize that's your makeup, your ability, your mind, your mentality, you just want to keep going and going and going and never stop. (more)    Click Here To Read The Full Article (313 words)

Since the Fifa World cup draw 2010, searches for the current team rankings are soaring sky high, here they are: Team 1 Spain 2 Brazil 3 Netherlands 4 Italy 5 Portugal 6 Germany 7 France 8 Argentina 9 England 10 Croatia 11 Cameroon 12 Greece 13 Russia 14 USA 15 Mexico 16 Côte d’Ivoire 17 Chile 18 Switzerland 19 Uruguay 20 Serbia 21 Australia 22 Nigeria 23 Czech Republic 24 Ukraine 25 Israel 26 Denmark 27 Bulgaria 28 Algeria 29 Egypt 30 Paraguay 30 Norway 32 Romania 33 Slovenia 34 Slovakia 35 Ecuador 36 Republic of Ireland 37 Ghana 38 Honduras 39 Northern Ireland 40 Colombia 41 Turkey 42 Sweden 43 Japan 44 Costa Rica 45 Latvia 46 Scotland 47 Mali 48 Gabon 49 Burkina Faso 50 Venezuela. 51 Bosnia-Herzegovina 52 Korea Republic 53 Tunisia 54 Finland 55 Hungary 56 Poland 57 Bolivia 58 Canada 59 Benin 60 Lithuania 61 Bahrain 62 Austria 63 Iran 64 Belgium 65 Saudi Arabia 66 FYR Macedonia 67 Morocco 68 Cyprus 69 Panama 70 Peru 71 Togo 72 Mozambique 73 Montenegro 74 Jamaica 75 Guinea 76 Uzbekistan 77 New Zealand 78 Uganda 79 Wales 80 Belarus 81 Trinidad and Tobago 82 El Salvador 83 Oman 84 Korea DPR 85 Haiti 86 South Africa 87 Qatar 88 Iraq 89 Senegal 90 Zambia 91 Syria 92 Iceland 93 Moldova 94 Angola 94 Malawi 96 Cuba 97 China PR 98 Albania 99 Armenia 100 Congo. 101 Cape Verde Islands 102 Estonia 103 Kuwait 103 Grenada 105 Kenya 106 Tanzania 107 Thailand 108 Zimbabwe 109 Congo DR 110 Rwanda 111 United Arab Emirates 111 Singapore 111 Sudan 114 Namibia 115 Barbados 116 Azerbaijan 117 Guyana 118 Libya 119 Kazakhstan 120 Faroe Islands 121 Botswana 123 Gambia 123 Antigua and Barbuda 124 Burundi 125 Georgia 126 Guatemala 127 Indonesia 128 Jordan 128 Luxembourg 130 Vietnam 131 Ethiopia 132 Yemen 133 Fiji 134 Nicaragua 135 Myanmar 135 India 135 Equatorial Guinea 138 Swaziland 139 New Caledonia 140 Turkmenistan 141 Hong Kong 142 Sierra Leone 143 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 144 Suriname 144 Bermuda 146 Maldives 147 Lebanon 147 Chad 149 Malta 150 Lesotho. 151 Eritrea 152 Malaysia 152 Liechtenstein 154 Sri Lanka 155 Madagascar 156 Kyrgyzstan 156 Vanuatu 158 Liberia 159 St. Kitts and Nevis 160 Chinese Taipei 161 Pakistan 162 Puerto Rico 162 Tajikistan 164 Niger 165 Philippines 165 Bangladesh 167 Somalia 168 Netherlands Antilles 169 Mauritania 170 Mongolia 171 Solomon Islands 172 Cambodia 173 Belize 173 Laos 175 Palestine 176 Nepal 177 Bahamas 178 Comoros 179 Turks and Caicos Islands 180 Seychelles 181 Dominican Republic 182 Mauritius 183 Samoa 184 Cayman Islands 185 Guam 185 Djibouti 185 Cook Islands 188 St. Lucia 189 Macau 190 Guinea-Bissau 191 Tonga 192 Brunei Darussalam 192 Afghanistan 192 British Virgin Islands 195 Tahiti 196 Bhutan 197 Dominica 198 Aruba 199 US Virgin Islands 200 Timor-Leste 200 Central African Republic 202 Andorra 203 San Marino 203 Anguilla 203 Montserrat 203 American Samoa 203 Papua New Guinea.   

Bad Left Hook.com - Interim WBA featherweight titlist Luis Concepcion was on his home turf at Arena Roberto Duran in Panama City, and it showed as he dominated Mexican veteran Roberto Leyva over the first three rounds, and then knocked him out hard in the fourth to retain his belt. Concepcion (19-1, 14 KO) looked very sharp the entire fight, and 24-year old showed he's going to be a fighter to be reckoned with at 112 pounds. Leyva (26-10-1, 21 KO) is certainly not a world class fighter, but he wasn't even in the fight. To be fair to Leyva, part of that could be explained by the fact that he hasn't made 112 pounds in years now. The last time he fought that low, he was actually at 108 to challenge Edgar Sosa for a title in 2007. In the three fights since then, he's fought at 115 against Benjamin Garcia, 118 against Z Gorres, and all the way up at featherweight (126) in September against Omar Soriano. That fight with Soriano was also Leyva's first win since 2007. Overall, Leyva has lost 10 of his last 15 fights. The knockout blow in this one came with Concepcion's back to the ropes. The Panamanian threw a left hand, and then a short, perfectly-timed right came in immediately after, knocking Leyva to the canvas and ending the fight.

On the undercard, 108-pound prospect Luis Rios improved to 11-0 (6 KO) with a decision win over Carlos Melo (19-10, 2 KO). Melo challenged Edgar Sosa for a title earlier this year and was stopped in four. In this fight, it appeared as though Rios, just 19 years of age, had trouble coping with a fighter as experienced as Melo. Melo isn't a star or anything, but he's been around the rings. Melo appeared unfazed by anything Rios threw at him until the last three rounds or so of the fight, when the smaller Melo (who gave up at least three inches of height) seemed to tire and lose whatever zip he ever had on his punches. Bad Left Hook scored the fight a 95-95 draw after ten, but it was Rios who closed the fight strong.

21-year old Panamanian junior bantamweight prospect Ricardo Nunez (17-1, 15 KO) put a licking on veteran Juan Francisco Centeno (16-14, 8 KO). Nunez dominated the first round, then decked Centeno three times in the second. After two more knockdowns in the third, the referee mercifully called an end to the shellacking.

We'll be back with two more cards of live coverage tomorrow, including what appears to be the final boxing show that will air on ITV in England for the foreseeable future. In that main event, Darren Barker meets late substitute Danny Butler. Then tomorrow night, it'll be the HBO double-header headlined by the Lucian Bute-Librado Andrade rematch, as well as the intriguing fight between Joan Guzman and Ali Funeka.   

BY SEAN BRENNAN - DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER - Derek Jeter was fielding some last questions before disappearing into the night to celebrate his fifth World Series championship when he was asked if the outcome of Game 6 was a lock when he heard "Enter Sandman" begin to play as Mariano Rivera jogged to the mound. "Yup," Jeter answered quickly. "Game is over. When he comes in, that's when the game is over. It's over in everybody's mind. He's human. He's going to give up some runs here and there, but a four-run lead? We could have gone and played another nine innings." So when Rivera declared to the crowd of 50,315 delirious Yankees fans soaking in the post-game celebration that he wanted to pitch "another five years," it brought one of the loudest roars on a night full of them. "I'm serious," said Rivera, who closed out the postseason with five saves, including two in the Fall Classic, and a 0.56 ERA. "I hope the organization does whatever it takes to bring me back. I know I have another year on my contract and whatever happens, happens. I feel good. When you win - especially the way that we won, with a lot of adversity - to win it like that for the city of New York, it's special." Rivera, 40 in three weeks, was the only one of the eight closers in the postseason not to falter on October's big stage. Not a surprise, given his Hall of Fame credentials. But when he dropped a bombshell on ESPN in the wee hours of Thursday morning, saying he had pitched with an injury - "My side was killing me. I don't know how I finished. I have some ribs (problems) going on, some injury there" - it just added to Rivera's legend. "He's the best at what he does," Jorge Posada said. "I think he's the best to ever do it." (more)    Click Here To Read The Full Article (164 words)