European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 23, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday March 23 2007 stars and stripes Page 31 cubs Wood prior May Start season on do Spring training the associated press the bad news keeps coming for the Chicago cubs once dynamic duo of Mark prior and Kerry Wood for the second straight year the of injured Veteran pitchers could Start the season on the disabled list the 29yearold Wood coming Back from a torn right rotator cuff threw 25 pitches off a Mound tues Day at the cubs Spring training Complex in Mesa Ariz he strained his right triceps on March 11 against Milwaukee and its unclear whether he will be ready for the Start of the season until we get him Back out there and get him on a schedule you just dont know pitching coach Larry Rothschild said hopefully he could but it has to work for the team and it has to be in his Best interests Wood went 12 with a 412 Era last year and has a 1200 Era in three Spring appearances if he makes the Active roster it most Likely will be As a Short reliever the 26yearold prior coming off a season in which he was plagued with Arm troubles and went 16 with a 721 Era in nine starts is 01 with an 1890 Era in two Spring outings allowing seven runs and eight hits in 3vs innings with five strikeouts and no walks the new York mete Jose Valentin dives safely into third base with a triple against the Baltimore orioles during tuesdays exhibition game in port St Lucie Fla the mete won the game 61 How Many innings has he pitched manager Lou Piniella asked monday you need 25 or so innings in fairness to the per son is he going to be ready in Tampa Fla the new York Yankees said Andy Pettitte will miss his scheduled Start on Fri Day because of Back spasms i dont anticipate it being a major problem manager Joe Torre said he just got a Little tightness it seems to be pretty straightforward Pettitte first experienced the Back problems while working out monday and his scheduled Bull pen session tuesday was can celeb Torre said that Pettitte should be ready for the Start of the sea son if he is Able to make a final Spring training Start next week it kind of stiffened up after i got done Pettitte said then last night my Back just locked on me i was still pretty locked up this morning i Loos ened up a lot in Vero Beach Fla manager Grady Littles 2008 option was exercised by the los Angeles Dodg ers who added a 2009 team option to his Deal Grady has shown invaluable leadership and proven that he understands what it takes to win dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said the 57yearold Little guided the dodgers to an 8874 record last season in his first year As their manager los Angeles won the no wild card then lost three straight to the new York mets in Surprise Ariz Texas closer Eric Gagne pitched in a game for the first time this year and Barry Bonds hit his fifth Home run Gagne pitched one inning giving up a Home run to Kevin Frand sen in the rangers 43 Victory Over the san Francisco giants the reliever who signed a million oneyear contract with Texas is trying to return from Elbow and Back operations after being limited to Isis innings for the los angles dodgers the last two years everything was Good today the fastball had life on it i had Good control even the curve Ball and change up were Good Gagne said in just trying to see where i am with my body there is scar tissue in there Bonds returned after a three Day break and went lfor3 with a 375foot drive in the sixth off Atnori Otsuka that put the giants ahead 21 Russ Ortiz bid Ding to become the giants no 5 starter gave up two runs and four hits in six innings with six strike outs and one walk Kings Artest charged with four misdemeanours the associated press Sacramento mento Kings Forward Ron Artest faces four Misdemeanour charges stemming from a Domestic Dis Pute at his Home earlier this month the charges were filed late tuesday Placer county Deputy District attorney Dan Quick said Artest will be arraigned thurs Day on charges of Battery and Cor poral injury to a spouse false imprisonment and dissuading a wit Ness from reporting a crime each carries a maximum sen tence of one year in prison Artest was arrested March 5 at his estate in Loomis 25 Miles Northeast of Sacramento and was released from custody after Post ing a Bond a Placer county sheriffs re port said Artest grabbed a woman and pushed her Down then slapped her face during an argument the report said Artest took a phone from the woman the first time she tried to Call 911 when she reached 911 the woman at first complained that Artest was taking a vehicle from the Home according to a record ing of the Call released by the sheriffs department the woman then told a dispatcher that her Fin Ger was Cut and leg scratched and that she broke the Windshield of the vehicle five Days after his arrest Art est said hed stumbled As a father sports briefs and husband and apologized to his wife and family As Well As to the Kings and his teammates he sat out two games but was not suspended and continued to receive his salary while the four misdemeanours each carry the possibility of jail time the crimes Are classified in such a Way that Artest could not be sentenced to prison for All four raptors Bagnani has appendectomy Toronto Toronto raptors Forward Andrea Bagnani had an appendectomy on wednesday and is expected to be released from a Hospital in the next few Days no timetable was set for the re turn to the court of Bagnani the no 1 pick in the draft who is aver aging 115 Points and 39 re Bounds off the Bench for Toronto Bagnani and Portland bran Don Roy Are considered the top candidates for Rookie of the year eagles sign it Reagor to 3year contract Philadelphia defensive tackle Montae Reagor signed a three year contract with the Phila Delphia eagles on wednesday Reagor spent the last four years with the Indianapolis Colts he started the first five games last season before suffering sea so ending facial injuries in a car Accident that occurred in route to the teams game against the Washington redskins on oct 22 he was released by the Colts earlier this month in the 2004 and 2005 season re Agor recorded a combined Lovi sacks fourth in the league among defensive tackles for that period drafted by Denver in the Sec Ond round in 1999 Reagor spent his first four seasons As a backup with the Broncos before signing with the Colts in 2003 Drakes Davis retires after 32 years of coaching lbs Moines Iowa Drake coach Tom Davis is retiring after 32 years As a division i head coach Drake officials said wednesday that Davis will remain a special assistant to the athletic director Davis 68 also made stops at Lafayette Boston College Stan Ford and Iowa and has 598 Victo Ries his son 35yearold Assis Tant Keno Davis will take Over at Drake in 13 seasons at Iowa Davis racked up a school record 269 wins and led the Hawk eyes to nine Mcaa tournament appear ances Iowa decided not to renew Davis contract following the 1999 season Davis got Back into coaching in 2003 when he took Over at Drake he led the bulldogs to a 1715 Mark last season their first win Ning season since 1987 raiders Rhodes pleads guilty to reckless driving Indianapolis Oakland raiders running Back Dominic Rhodes pleaded guilty to reckless driving wednesday after prosecutors dropped Drunken driving charges against him the 28yearold Rhodes who spent the past six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts was fined in Exchange for the guilty plea during a Brief appearance in Marion county criminal court he was stopped on feb 20 Rhodes also was sentenced to 180 Days in jail but 178 were sus Pended and he received credit for two Days Rhodes was originally charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level greater than 008 those counts were dropped due to evidence problems and Rhodes blood alcohol level being 009 said David Wyser chief trial Deputy for the Marion county prosecutors office the Legal limit to drive in Indiana is 008 source Schaub going to texans the Houston texans Are close to acquiring Matt Schaub from the Atlanta Falcons a Trade for the highly regarded backup quarterback was expected to be announced thursday according to a person with knowl Edge of the Deal who requested anonymity because the Deal haunt been completed the person did not disclose the details of the Trade the Houston chronicle and the nil network said the Falcons will get Sec Ond round picks in 2007 and 2008 and that the teams will Swap first round picks this year with Atlanta moving from 10th to eighth Schaub who has performed Well in preseason games has started two games in his three year career and is 84for161 passing for 1033 Yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions the acquisition of Schaub would make the possibility David Carr will remain with the team seem unlikely unhappy with Carrs performance Houston tried to sign both Jeff Garcia and Patrick Ramsey before the two signed with other teams the texans hoped that Carr the first pick in the 2002 draft would have a breakout year under the Tutelage of firs year coach Gary Kubiak instead his in consistency doomed the team to another losing season he had two touchdown passes in the last 10 games and finished with More interceptions 12 than ads 11 for the first time since 2003