Welcome to Friday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
FRIDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Bucks at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. (CSNNE)
NBA: Thunder at Grizzlies, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
NBA: Trail Blazers at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
MLB exhibition: Twins at Red Sox, 7:05 p.m. (NESN; WEEI-FM)
MLB exhibition: Rays at Tigers, 1 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB exhibition: Braves at Orioles, 6 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB exhibition: Cubs at Diamondbacks, 10 p.m. (MLB Network)
AROUND THE WEB:
Masahiro Tanaka
— Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka said he was “honored” that Pedro Martinez would talk about him, but he dismissed the Red Sox legend’s assertion that he will not make it through the 2015 season healthy.
Martinez said Wednesday that he thinks Tanaka has been holding back this spring and expressed doubt that the Japanese ace would last the year.
“I feel kind of honored because a pitcher of that stature is talking about me; I was a little bit surprised by that,” Tanaka said Thursday through his translator (via the New York Daily News). “I understand that everybody has their opinion about certain things, about the way I pitch. But for me, I know where I’m at, and I feel good, so I think that’s most important.”
Tanaka pitched 4 1/3 innings in Tuesday’s spring training game against the Twins, allowing three runs on seven hits. He said he was trying to have his body “relax a little bit more when I’m throwing,” which might explain why it appeared to Martinez that he wasn’t going all out.
“I think Pedro was looking at specifically the last game that I was pitching, and obviously my stuff wasn’t the sharpest that day,” Tanaka said. “The games prior to that, I felt my breaking balls were there. In the bullpen, I’ve been throwing them pretty well, so I’m not really worried about that either.”
Tanaka, signed to a seven-year, $155 million contract last offseason, started 2014 on fire, winning 12 games before the All-Star break. But he was diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in early July and did not return until late September. The Yankees are cautiously optimistic that the 26-year-old right-hander will regain his form.
“Whatever’s going to be is going to be, but right now he feels great, he feels healthy and he’s had a productive spring,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “All I know is, I’m thankful that every day he checks in and says he feels good.
“We obviously want him to stay healthy and hope he stays healthy, as does he, but I can’t predict the future.”
— NCAA president Mark Emmert took a stand against discrimination but voiced frustration with the timing of the Indiana religious freedom law controversy during his annual state of the NCAA address Thursday in Indianapolis, site of the Final Four.
Emmert spoke while Indiana lawmakers worked to revise their controversial bill to clarify that it will not permit discrimination against gays and lesbians. Lawmakers passes the alteration to the bill shortly after Emmert’s press conference.
“Are we happy that this debate is occurring during the middle of Final Four week? Of course not,” Emmert said. “It would have been a lot easier to have the debate some other day.”
Emmert had said the NCAA would need to look at its relationship with Indiana — the organization’s offices have been in Indianapolis since 1999 — and he delicately addressed the question of which political issues would push him to take a stand.
“I think it’s something that we will once again have to talk about among the membership when our boards get together to discuss these issues and decide at what level should we become involved in civil debates inside these communities,” Emmert said.
Added Emmert: “If I believed we couldn’t conduct our affairs in any place in a fashion that didn’t prohibit discrimination against people for any number of reasons, then I would surely recommend that we move. I hope that we don’t find ourselves in that place.”
— The woman who accused Alabama football player Jonathan Taylor of assault but later recanted claims she was upset because she thought Taylor was cheating on her.
According to court documents, the 24-year-old woman, Gina Marie Nawab, said the bruises police saw on her neck were self-inflicted, and the damage to a door in her apartment was not new. Nawab was arrested and charged with false reporting to law enforcement.
Despite the woman’s reversal, Alabama said Taylor — who was dismissed from the team Sunday — no longer is a student and is not eligible for re-admission.
Taylor still faces charges of aggravated assault, battery and simple battery from an incident with his then-girlfriend last year that led to his dismissal from Georgia. His lawyer said he will plead not guilty in that case.
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On April 3, 1996, which Bruins goaltender recorded his 200th career NHL victory with a 4-1 win over the Canadiens in Montreal?
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I was just trying to shoot it on his pad and get a rebound and it went in. I was ecstatic. It was surreal. I didn’t believe it at first.” — Zach Trotman, on scoring his first NHL goal with 2:08 remaining in Thursday’s game to give the Bruins a 3-2 victory over the Red Wings
STAT OF THE DAY: 473 — Career goals for Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin, who scored twice in Thursday’s 5-4 shootout victory over the Canadiens, making him the team’s all-time leader (passing Peter Bondra)
‘NET RESULTS (mobile users, check the website to see the videos): Harrison Barnes drives through traffic and scores with less than a second remaining to give the Warriors a win over the Suns.
Former Celtic Leandro Barbosa scores a nifty basket while being fouled in the Warriors’ win.
Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson skies to finish an alley-oop against the Heat.
Blues forward Jaden Schwartz flips a backhander past Flames goalie Jonas Hiller while jumping over Calgary defenseman Deryk Engelland.
Defenseman Patrick Wiercioch fires a slap shot past Lightning goalie Ben Bishop in overtime to give the Senators a much-needed extra point.
Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig collides with second baseman Howie Kendrick after missing a fly ball.
Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson snares a line drive, tumbles over, loses the ball, then catches it again for the out.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski throws out the first pitch to Angels star Mike Trout before Thursday’s game in Anaheim.
TRIVIA ANSWER: Bill Ranford
SOOTHING SOUNDS: Legendary songwriter (and sometimes performer) Jeff Barry was born on this day in 1938.
