1. BUCKS COUNTY COURIER TIMES
WWW.PHILLYBURBS.COM/COURIERTIMES
Dominik
Hasek
retires 6C TUESDAY
JUNE 10, 2008 C
‘Still a rival’
BUZZER BEATERS
Griffey hits No. 600
Frequent Eagles nemesis Michael Strahan decides to retire
after capping a Hall of Fame-caliber career with a Super Bowl victory.
Runyan, Strahan
defined rivalry
in trenches
PHILADELPHIA
— They played a full
NFL season against
each other, 16 games
Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 600th over their respective
home run on Monday night, careers. Sixteen
completing his long ascent and times they danced a
becoming the sixth player in brutal dance of
history to reach that milestone. bull-rushes and
The Cincinnati Reds outfielder Mike body-slams, mutual
homered off Florida lefty Mark Sielski respect and
Hendrickson in the first inning. E-mail friendship springing
Griffey joined Barry Bonds, Hank msielski@ from their violent
Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays phillyBurbs.com duels over all those
and Sammy Sosa. Sundays.
The 38-year-old homered with So even when Jon
Jerry Hairston on third and one Runyan, the Eagles’ right tackle,
out. The left-handed swinger learned that Michael Strahan, the
launched a 3-1 pitch 413 feet into Giants’ left defensive end, had
the right-field seats. announced his retirement from
“I don’t think I touched any of the NFL on Monday, he was not
the bases. I sort of floated ready to let down his guard and
around,” Griffey said. admit his friend and rival
Griffey received a standing ova- might be gone from the game
tion from the relatively sparse for good. He’d seen enough
crowd and responded by coming inside moves from Strahan
out of the Reds dugout and tip- over the years to know bet-
ping his helmet to the fans. ter.
Controversy ensued in the stands “As of now, he’s done,”
following the home run. Justin Runyan said after the
Kimball, a 25-year-old from Eagles’ minicamp session.
Miami, said he caught the home “But anything can change.
run ball, put it in a wool cap and People get hurt. Money per-
then had the cap ripped from his suades people. We’ll see.”
hands. Kimball said someone ran Oh, no, there was no way
off with the ball. Runyan was giving Strahan
the satisfaction of a clean exit,
T.O. misses Runyan’s skepticism just another
forum for him to fend off Strahan,
random drug test to never allow him an edge.
Terrell Owens acknowledged Fifteen years with the Giants,
Monday having missed a random 141½ sacks in his career, induc-
drug test several tion into the Pro Football Hall of
weeks ago, Fame surely in his future. And for
blaming it on a Strahan, Runyan was “probably
“communication the one guy [who] I’ve played who
problem involving probably stokes my fire just about
cell phone more than anyone else,” he told
numbers.” ESPN.com in 2005.
He also said he Their matchup was always the
was in New York most gripping game-within-the-
last week talking game whenever the Giants and
Terrell Owens
about his absence Eagles met over the last eight
with league
officials the day he agreed to a $34 See SIELSKI, 6C
million new contract with the RICH KENNEDY / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Dallas Cowboys. Owens was not
suspended or fined, although he
could’ve been, according to
ESPN.com, which first reported
the story, citing NFL, team and
player sources. The report also
Strahan leaves Giant footprints
BY TOM CANAVAN you’ve done more for us than we can ever do for
said Owens now could face up to ASSOCIATED PRESS
24 tests per year as part of the you.’ ”
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Michael Strahan never told his coaches or his team-
league’s “reasonable cause” test- Strahan had what he wanted — a Super Bowl
ing program for performance- mates of his decision. They learned of it from
championship to add to a resume featuring reporters at practice.
enhancing drugs. seven Pro Bowls and two sack records. Now it
“I’m not really worried about “I’m just finding out about it; let me get
was time to leave football and leave the New organized,” coach Tom Coughlin said after a
anything,” Owens said Monday York Giants after 15 years in the NFL.
afternoon in an interview with team workout.
Four months after a stunning Super Bowl vic- Strahan, who has long said he wants a job in
The Associated Press. “It’s not a tory over the previously unbeaten New England
big deal. Anything I do is going to television, plans to hold a news conference
Patriots, the 36-year-old Strahan informed today at Giants Stadium.
grab headlines. I have nothing to Giants co-owner John Mara he was done. He will
hide. I’ve made a statement and Tony Agnone, Strahan’s agent, said the
be walking away from a $4 million contract for Giants offered Strahan more money in an effort
that’s it. It’s basically a dead the 2008 season.
issue.” to get him to play another year.
“I told him he’s been a great Giant,” Mara
said Monday “He thanked me for everything the
.
organization has done for him. I said, ‘I think See STRAHAN, 6C
DAILY NUMBER
Kobe Bryant’s
field-goal
percentage in
four games against
the Celtics this
.368 Hot Phillies making rest of division sweat
regular season and postseason.
“We just went from 3 1/2 to 6 1/2 fear of some unspoken jinx. But the
TRIVIA QUESTION Kevin Cooney [games down] and we’re headed IT’S BEEN A truth of the matter on June 10 in
back out on the road, where we the National League East is this:
Which Los Angeles Laker holds
the NBA Finals record for best
215-949-4209 haven’t exactly lit it up,” Jones told VERY GOOD YEAR the Phillies appear ready to put a
field-goal percentage in a the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on The National League East standings stranglehold on the division.
E-mail Sunday afternoon. “I don’t know since June 10, 2007 When they begin a three-game
seven-game series? kcooney@
(Answer 2C) about anybody else, I’m worried. I set tonight in Miami, the Phils will
phillyBurbs.com Team W L Pct GB
don’t want to come back from this stand four games ahead of the sec-
road trip and be out of the race.” PHILLIES 96 69 .586 — ond-place Marlins in the NL East.
THE LAST WORD The words are so familiar. After
A continent away, after watching
his Mets blow a fourth straight
Braves 82 81 .503 13 A sweep in Miami wouldn’t win
the division. But it sure will give
“We’ve come too far to really all, they have become a staple of game to an offensively-anemic Mets 82 82 .500 13 1/2 them a lot of margin of error with
sweat being down 2-0. We’re going Phillies baseball over the last five Padres squad, David Wright sound- Marlins 74 88 .456 20 1/2 94 games to play It would also likely
.
to go home and handle our seasons or so. It’s the annual plea to ed a similar note of concern. deflate almost all momentum that
rise up before a season gets washed “The Phillies, obviously, are a Nationals 72 92 .439 23 1/2 Florida carried through the first
business.”
KOBE BRYANT away in the early summer sun. great team,” Wright told the New two months of the season.
AS THE LAKERS PREPARED So that’s what made Chipper York Daily News. “I wouldn’t have The cushion over the two main
FOR GAME 3 IN THE NBA FINALS Jones’ comments so striking on planned it or drew it up this way to we need to make a stand. We’re competitors in most minds during
Monday morning. The fact that he be this far behind. We better figure already too far behind the Phillies the pre-season — the Braves and the
was talking about the Braves’ chances something out quickly because as far as where we’d like to be. I Mets — stands at 6 1/2 and 7 1/2
Editor: Jeff Beideman, 215-345-3076 in the division in the same manner we’re too good of a team to contin- don’t think we’re nearly games, respectively (Both are six
.
jbeideman@phillyBurbs.com that used to come out of 11th and ue to play as poorly as we are and playing the kind of baseball we’re
Call in results: 215-949-4215 Pattison on a yearly basis in June was expect to be in this race come the capable of.”
after 6 p.m. or fax 215-949-4177 — at the very least — jolting. end of the year. … This is where You may not want to admit it for See COONEY, 5C