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.
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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)
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.
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)
By Reid Cherner & Tom Weir for USA Today - Good morning. For those who had to get up early today, you could have gone to sleep after the seventh inning of Game 2 in the World Series. That is when Yankee manager Joe Girardi phoned the bullpen and asked if Mariano was home. Just like Joe Torre before him, Girardi saves some special love for Mariano Rivera. Two innings later the Yankees, who got a tremendous game from starter A.J. Burnett, had tied the World Series 1-1 and Rivera continued to make history. Since 1996, there have been 23 postseason saves of at least two innings. Rivera has 14 of them. He has 38 post season saves, 10 of them in the World Series. He has an earned run average of 0.48 at Yankee Stadium(s). "He's special. Nobody does what he does," Derek Jeter said. "He wants to win, and he'll do whatever it takes. If someone wanted him to start, he'd go out there and start. He's unique, once-in-a-lifetime." There have been great performers in World Series history by both pitchers and hitters. Christy Mathewson pitched 10 complete games and four shutouts. Mickey Mantle had 18 home runs and 40 RBI; Whitey Ford won 10 times and Bob Gibson won seven consecutive games while Reggie Jackson had a .755 slugging percentage and Lefty Gomez never lost a game (6-0). Comparing players from different eras and at different positions is a silly exercise. So of course we start the morning off in a silly mood. Is Mariano Rivera the Most Valuable Player in World Series history?
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By KEN DAVIDOFF for Newsday - ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Major League Baseball’s Department of Operations has investigated the available video and still photographs surrounding the “Mariano Rivera spitball” controversy, and has found no evidence that the Yankees’ closer actually spit on a baseball, an MLB spokesman said Tuesday. The controversy, sparked by the Angels blog “Halos Heaven,” concerned Rivera’s entry to Monday’s American League Championship Series Game 3. Fox video showed Rivera, after completing his warmup pitches, turning away from home plate and spitting toward the ball. However, the video didn’t make clear where the spit landed. The commissioner’s office felt compelled to investigate, given the fury surrounding the accusation, yet the lack of a smoking gun essentially ended the query in a few hours -- short of new evidence surfacing.
PHILADELPHIA -- As legendary broadcaster Harry Kalas proclaimed "The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 world champions of baseball," Brad Lidge fell to his knees and seconds later found himself engulfed by the embrace of Carlos Ruiz, whose playoff success has led fans in Philadelphia to begin referring to the calendar year's 10th month as Chooch-tober. Nicknamed Chooch by his Phillies teammates, Ruiz has successfully filled the role of unsuspecting hero during the two most recent Octobers. While playing in the cinematic home of Rocky Balboa, the Phillies catcher has established himself as the underdog that fans cheer and a favorite teammate who has matured into one of the quiet leaders of a Philadelphia clubhouse filled with superstars. "Chooch, he's loose," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "He likes for you to kid and play with him some and things like that. But at the same time, he's very serious. And he's grown into gaining [the] respect of our pitchers and our team." At the meager cost of just $8,000 in 1998, the Phillies signed the 18-year-old second baseman from Panama. Over the course of the next 11 years, they saw their youngster persevere through the Minors and develop into a legitimate Major League catcher, who has drawn the respect of Joe Torre, who was an All-Star catcher long before he became a Hall of Fame-caliber manager. "He's that guy that seems to be that pain in the neck, or some other part of your body," said Torre, whose Dodgers have seen Ruiz hit .385 and produce a .500 on-base percentage against them during each of the past two National League Championship Series. (more)
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By BEN WALKER - NEW YORK (AP)—Even before Mariano Rivera fielded the final ball, the party started for the New York Yankees. Catcher Jose Molina leaped up from behind the plate the moment Jacoby Ellsbury tapped softly back to the mound, then the celebration really got going. Absent from the playoffs last year, the Yankees let loose Sunday after clinching the AL East title and home-field advantage throughout the postseason with a 4-2 win over Boston. “Everything is clicking right now,” winning pitcher Andy Pettitte said. “When you miss out, it makes you a little more hungry to get back there.” Soaked to the skin with champagne, Mark Teixeira stood on the giant “NY” logo emblazoned on the soggy clubhouse carpet and shouted like crazy. “Tastes good!” he hollered. Favored to win the World Series since opening day, Derek Jeter, Rivera and a roomful of All-Star multimillionaires acted like playoff rookies after posting their major league-leading 100th victory. They chanted, jumped around and absolutely drenched their high-tech clubhouse—plastic sheets covered the computer screens in every locker and flat-screen TVs overhead. Teixeira and many others wore swimming goggles to stave off the sting—of victory, that is. “I think the way last year ended left a bad taste in all our mouths,” manager Joe Girardi said. “There’s a lot of excitement. This has been a fun group, and they enjoy it.” Hideki Matsui’s go-ahead single in the sixth inning energized the fans and put them on notice that a party was coming. The first real bash at the new Yankee Stadium began with a real familiar scene—Rivera on the mound, closing out another clincher. Nick Swisher wasted no time putting on an AL East Champions hat. The crowd gave a standing ovation as the Yankees began walking off the field, with Jeter at the front and several teammates pulling on gray championship T-shirts. “Winning a championship is what I came here for,” pitcher CC Sabathia said. “It definitely feels good—first one in pinstripes, first one in the new stadium, first celebration.” The three-game sweep extended the Yankees’ winning streak to five. They finished 9-9 against Boston this year—startling since New York lost the first eight matchups. “We’re going to see them again down the road, we have a feeling,” slugger Alex Rodriguez said. Despite the defeat, the Red Sox remain in firm control of the wild-card race. Their magic number is two to beat out Texas for the final playoff spot. Boston manager Terry Francona was hardly surprised the Yankees bounced back after last year’s playoff miss. “I think I actually made the comment that they’d get aggravated and spend a billion dollars. I was half-right. They have a good team and that’s an unbelievable regular season,” he said.
By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com NEW YORK -- In the hours before Mariano Rivera caught a ceremonial first pitch from Panama President Ricardo Martinelli on Friday, it was brought to Rivera's attention that Martinelli might be just as starstruck by one of Panama's biggest celebrities as Rivera was by the president. "I hope so," said a bashful Rivera. Not long after, two of Panama's most famous citizens finally met -- Martinelli tossing out a first pitch to Rivera, who greeted his country's newly elected leader halfway to the Yankee Stadium mound. "It's special," Rivera said of the meeting with Martinelli, who wore a No. 42 Yankees jersey to the game. "It's good to have a chance to meet my president and have a little conversation with him." Martinelli, a Panamanian supermarket mogul and former chairman of the Panama Canal Authority board, was sworn in as president in July. The meeting was Rivera's second with a president this season. At the All-Star Game in St. Louis in July, Rivera and the rest of the game's participants had an opportunity to meet United States President Barack Obama, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Busch Stadium. Friday's event was part of Hispanic Heritage Month at Yankee Stadium, which will continue on Saturday, when U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor also throws out a ceremonial first pitch. The celebration will conclude Monday, when the Yankees present their annual Hispanic Heritage Month Community Achievement Awards prior to their game against the Royals.
NEW YORK — Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is coming off the bench — and heading to the mound at Yankee Stadium. Sotomayor, a Yankees fan from the Bronx, is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch Saturday before New York's game against Boston. As a U.S. District Judge in 1995, Sotomayor issued an injunction that led baseball players to end their strike after 7 1/2 months. Sotomayor will throw out the pitch as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Panama President Ricardo Martinelli is to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Friday's series opener.
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By Aurelio Ortiz G. for Mi Diario - Saturday night another mother cried for her son in Multi Number 2 in the area of Cabo Verde in Curundú. Fortunately, this time the tears shed were not of sorrow but of joy. On that night Mrs. Cecilia received the call she had been awaiting for so long - her son Luis Durango told her over the phone that he had been promoted from the Minor Leagues to play for the San Diego Padres for the rest of the 2009 Major League Baseball season. "When I told my mom the news, she began to cry, and I cried too," said Luis to Mi Diario yesterday from the city of San Antonio, from where he traveled yesterday afternoon to join his team in San Diego. Born and raised in one of the "red zones" of Panama City, Durango proved there are no barriers that can keep a man from achieving his dreams. Of small stature (5'10''feet) and without the athletic prototype of a regular player, but with impressive speed in his legs and great skill to hit, Durango today could become the 50th player born in Panama to play in the best baseball league in the world. "People said I could not reach the majors because of my size, but they can not imagine what a player wants," said the fielder who never learned to use a firearm, as did many other children who grew up with him in Curundú, and who have since paid the consequences of those misdeeds. About the signing - Luis recalled that during his youth he tested with several organizations, but they always refused to sign him for one reason - his short stature. "They saw me and they told me I was little and skinny, they said I was not going anywhere, until Robert Rowley and Richie Montenegro gave me the opportunity, they supported me and were always with me," said the athlete who signed for just $12,500. As usual, major league organizations require their players to dress a certain way and this has brought an extra expense to Durango. "What happened is that since I thought they were not going to bring me up, I had already sent two suitcases with all of my clothes to Panama, and all I had left was two shirts, but no matter because tomorrow I'll go buy some shirts and a couple of suits," said Durango, who added that fortunately he has already learned how to use credit cards.
BY MATT GAGNE - DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER - Taking the mound for the first time in nearly a week, Mariano Rivera raised a few eyebrows by issuing a leadoff walk in the ninth inning of Monday's day game, but the Yankees' closer ultimately erased any doubt about his left groin, which caused him to miss four games on the Yankees' most recent road trip. After walking Pat Burrell on five pitches, Rivera struck out Evan Longoria with a 91-mph fastball, then broke Gabe Gross' bat with an 89-mph cutter, inducing a weak popup to third. Showing no hitches or hesitation in his delivery, Rivera wrapped up the Bombers' 4-1 victory with three straight cutters to Akinori Iwamura, who swung and missed on the final two offerings. "I was kind of tentative with the first batter, trying to see how it was. But after that, it was nothing," Rivera said of the injury. "It was more mental, just feeling how I was, but it responded real well. I'm not going to worry about it. I threw enough pitches to test it, so it was fine." Making his 907th career appearance, which moved him past Cy Young for 20th place on baseball's all-time list, Rivera recorded his 39th save in 40 opportunities this season. The time off didn't affect his momentum, as Rivera set a career high by converting his 35th consecutive save opportunity. (more)
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Mexicali, Mexico (Sports Network) - Panama's Celestino Caballero kept his WBA Super World super bantamweight and IBF super bantamweight titles after challenger Francisco Leal retired in the eighth round. Leal (14-5-2) retired 10 seconds into the eighth round as Caballero (33-2) kept his titles.
By Pirjo Raits - Sooke News Mirror - Leah Oke: One of Canada’s best surfers. The powerful waves at Sombrio Beach cradled Leah Oke in their swells, nurturing the young surfer and pushing her until she became one of Canada’s top female surfers. Leah is one of several surfing children of the Oke clan. She spent her young life at Sombrio Beach with the beckoning waves at the doorstep of her home. For 16 years, the Oke family held court on one of the most beautiful surfing beaches in Canada. In 1997 the province forced the legal and non-legal squatters off the property and turned it into Juan de Fuca Provincial Park. “It was definitely a cool spot to grow up, but I’m glad we got out when we did, it was life in a fishbowl,” said Oke of her years at Sombrio. Now 24-years-old, Oke is ranked as one of the top three female surfers in Canada, travelling far and wide to catch the waves. She said she started surfing at about six-years-of-age and has been surfing ever since. “Being on the water and in the ocean calms me, rejuvenates me,” said Oke. Being a professional surfer is hard work, especially in Canada which is not really known as an international surfing capital like Hawaii or Australia. The biggest and best waves are in the winter, a time when only the most passionate head for Sombrio, Jordan River or Tofino. “We have good waves here,” she said. “They are the same waves as Hawaii, although they are sheltered in the strait.” In the summer local surfers head for the tropics. (more)
BERLIN -- Usain Bolt has set a world record of 19.19 seconds in the 200 meters at the world championships, adding to the gold he won in the 100. Exactly one year after taking gold at the Beijing Games with a record of 19.30, Bolt had an even greater run Thursday. He shaved 0.11 seconds off his previous mark, as he did in setting the record in the 100 on Sunday. Alonso Edward of Panama was second, a distant 0.62 seconds behind. Wallace Spearmon of the United States took the bronze. Defending champion Tyson Gay was out with an injury. (Editor's Comment: - This was a "stop the presses" moment for Panama. Alonso Edward winning the Silver Medal was huge. Irving Saladino qualified today for the finals tomorrow.)
By Karolos Grohmann BERLIN (Reuters) - Triple Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt breezed into the world championship 200 meters final on Wednesday, needing only an opening 30-meter burst to establish his dominance in the semi-final. The Jamaican was in no mood for pre-race showboating, quickly carving out a lead before easing off in the straight and trotting over the finish line with the best overall time of 20.08 seconds. He was quickly back to his usual self after the race, throwing his vest into a group of cheering girls. American Shawn Crawford, who won silver at the Beijing Olympics behind Bolt, had to work hard to come in third following Panama's Alonso Edward who clocked 20.22. The 19-year-old Edward has run the fourth best time this season of 20 seconds flat and, with American world champion Tyson Gay injured, could be in medal contention come Thursday's final. American Wallace Spearmon, who lost his Beijing Games bronze medal after stepping out of his lane, was untroubled, comfortably winning his heat with 20.14, joined by Jamaican Steve Mullings. Mullings, banned for doping for two years before resuming his sprinting career in 2006, was impressive in the first 100 before easing off to finish just ahead of American Charles Clark and Ramil Guliyev from Azerbaijan who both also went through. (Editing by Alison Wildey)
By Graham Houston for Fightnews.com - Nonito Donaire has emerged as one of the stars in the lighter weight divisions, a classy boxer-puncher who went to a new level in his last fight when demolishing the previously unbeaten Raul Martinez in four rounds to retain his IBF flyweight title. Donaire moves up in weight on Saturday when he meets Panama’s Rafael Concepcion for the vacant WBA interim 115-pound championship on Top Rank’s “Pinoy Power” PPV show in Las Vegas, and after the way he blazed through Martinez it is difficult to see any result other than a convincing win for the Filipino who lives in San Leandro, CA. Concepcion is tough and game, though, and he pulled off an upset in the Philippines last year when he outlasted and overwhelmed A.J. Banal in 10 rounds. This fight is essentially a showcase for Donaire, but the hope is that Concepcion can be competitive and bring out the best in the “Filipino Flash”. One thing we know about Concepcion is that he comes to fight. He was very game in defeat against Jorge Arce in Mexico last September, wobbling the popular “Travieso” with a left hook in the fourth but getting worn down to the point where his corner retired him after the ninth round. (more)
By Elizabeth Garrido A. for La Prensa - Rogelio Espiño, the manager of Panamanian boxer José Maco Arboleda, today deplored his death and said "I hope this (his death) will help to open the eyes of the authorities so that Panamanians do not continue to die useless deaths thanks to these people who consider themselves to be above the law." Espiño was present this morning at the Santo Tomas Hospital where Arboleda died at 4:00 am, according to the doctors who were attending him after he suffered an abdominal trauma affecting his liver that landed him in the intensive care unit. Arboleda is the third person to have died as a result of the fatal bus accident that occurred yesterday morning, when a bus from the Kuna Nega - Villa Cárdenas route overturned near Cerro Patacón on the road that leads towards the Centennial Bridge. Espiño said the boxer's death caused him "much anger and made him feel impotent" because he "was killed in a very unfortunate manner." Speaking to TVN Noticias on Channel 2 this morning, Espiño said that during the day today they would be making arrangements for Arboleda's funeral.
By Manuel Vega Loo for La Prensa - Euclides Arboleda, the father of Panamanian boxer José Maco Arboleda, said his son has been transferred to the Intensive Care unit, but he is in very serious condition with a reserved prognosis. "The doctor told me that he was going to be taken to the Intensive Care unit with a very large amount of bleeding in the liver, where they left some gauze to see if the bleeding could be stopped," said the father to the members of the media outside of the Santo Tomas hospital. He added that the doctor told them if they were unable to stop the bleeding then "we should expect the worst." Arboleda is one of the victims of the bus accident this morning, on the bus that was on the route from Kuna Nega to Villa Cárdenas. It was reported there are three others who were seriously wounded, and the passengers with minor injuries were treated and released. There is one child hospitalized in the Hospital del Niño. Relatives of victims have asked for the donation of several pints of blood. (See Comments)
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CityPaper.net - The U.S. men's national team shook up the soccer world a bit at the Confederations Cup last month by beating formerly top-ranked Spain in the semifinals prior to nearly knocking off current No. 1 Brazil in America's first-ever major FIFA competition final. This means the team's 2010 World Cup chances look brighter than ever, as the U.S. demonstrated a stout defense and a (finally) potent attack, proving they could thrive against top competition. While the Gold Cup, a regional tourney featuring the best of North and Central Americas and the Caribbean, is not the sexiest of events, it gives the national team a chance to acquire much-needed depth for next year, as the squad's lower-tier players get valuable minutes. Tonight, they'll take the pitch at Lincoln Financial Field at 8 p.m. against Panama, preceded by another quarterfinal match between Canada and Honduras. Many of the Gold Cup teams are not top-flight, but expect a vibrant, 700-Level-rivaling display of passion in the stands from fans while their national teams battle for respect. Panama should prove tough, as they came close against the U.S. in the 2007 Gold Cup Quarterfinals as well as in the 2005 Final. The double billing serves as a primer for what MLS is calling a "Summer of Soccer," a massive number of games at club and international levels, featuring worldwide stars, meant to cultivate the stateside fan base for the game. So get down to the Linc and get patriotic.
