Author: Beaver County Radio

Home run king Barry Bonds has his No. 25 retired by Giants

Home run king Barry Bonds has his No. 25 retired by Giants
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Baseball Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Likely for the last time and almost 11 years after playing his final game, Barry Bonds ran out to his old spot in his No. 25 Giants jersey.
“I wanted to be in left field one more time,” Bonds said Saturday night. “And I thought it was appropriate. That’s what I wanted to do.”
“I was going to put the whole uniform on, but just didn’t have time because it ran a little bit longer. I wanted to throw on everything and stand in left field one more time. That’s where everyone saw me and that’s where I thought they should see me last,” he said.
Bonds had his number retired by the Giants during a long ceremony before San Francisco played his other team, the Pittsburgh Pirates — also 11 years to the month from when he broke Hank Aaron’s home run record in his 22nd and final major league season.
Still beloved and cheered in the Bay Area he cherishes as home, Bonds finished his career under the cloud of steroids allegations that made him a villain most everywhere else.
“I am overwhelmed with emotions as the reality of this day sets in,” Bonds said. “This may come as a surprise to a lot of people but as a child I didn’t even want to play baseball. I wanted to play all sports — basketball, football, ride my bike, all the things that kids do. But once my mom signed me up … I got my first taste of what would be my lifelong passion.”
Now called AT&T Park, Bonds knows what he meant to this place.
“I think the park thing is more to me than the number thing, because I built this park. That’s all,” Bonds said. “When I walk in this ballpark, I know whose house it is.”
Surrounded by former teammates and managers, Hall of Famers and his family, Bonds had no words as he mentally prepared for his number retirement ceremony.
“Shhhh,” the slugger said smiling, then a few minutes later repeated three times, “I have to focus.”
Bonds became the 10th Giants player in franchise history to have his number retired. He finished with 762 career home runs.
“I knew it was coming at one point. No one’s wearing it,” he said. “… What they did is fantastic and how they did it was first class.”
In July 2015, Bonds said he had a huge “weight lifted” when federal prosecutors dropped what was left of their criminal case against him after a nearly decade-long steroids prosecution. Bonds needs to be on 75 percent of Hall of Fame ballots to be enshrined in Cooperstown. He was on 56.4 percent of Hall ballots this year, up from 53.8 percent last year. He had just 36.2 percent in his initial appearance.
“Sure, it would mean a lot to anybody, for all the years I’ve worked and what I’ve done, sure,” Bonds said.
The seven-time NL MVP was greeted with a rousing ovation as fans chanted his name. The 54-year-old Bonds waved, clapped his hands and raised both arms to acknowledge the cheers as he made his big entrance from center field.
“Thank you San Francisco, thank you for making all my dreams come true,” Bonds said while remembering his late father, Bobby.
Giants great Willie Mays, Bonds’ godfather, called for the slugger to reach the Hall of Fame.
“When people talk about, ‘Oh, who’s the best ballplayer in the world?’ I don’t care,” Mays said. “I played my 20 years, 22 years, whatever it might be. Give somebody honor that deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is a type of fraternity that, when you get there, you’ll say, ‘Man, how did I get here?’ And I want him to have that honor be something that happens to him.”
“Vote this guy in!” Mays added.
Other Giants Hall of Famers Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey and Gaylord Perry also took part in the festivities.
Former managers Jim Leyland and Dusty Baker and current Giants skipper Bruce Bochy were on hand. So were Bonds’ mother, Pat, and his three children.
“Without question he is the best player I ever managed in my 22 years as a major league skipper,” Leyland said. “Let all of us be thankful that we had the opportunity to see one of the greatest players that’s ever lived for so many years.”
The Pirates stood in their dugout and clapped during a ceremony that lasted more than an hour. First pitch was 16 minutes late. R&B singer Johnny Gill performed the national anthem in another surprise to Bonds.
Baker managed Bonds from 1993-2002. He recalled watching Bobby Bonds in Riverside, California.
“I thought Bobby Bonds was the greatest prep school athlete I had ever seen in my life until one day Bobby Bonds told me that ‘my son is going to be greater than me,'” Baker said. “I couldn’t see that at the time because I hadn’t seen Barry play much before he went to ASU. But he told me, my son — and I told Barry this — is more dedicated and works harder than he did, and Bobby was right.”
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Pirates spoil Bonds’ special night beat Giants 4-0

Williams helps Pirates blank Giants 4-0
By MICHAEL WAGAMAN, Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates lead the major leagues with 13 shutouts. Trevor Williams was the starting pitcher in seven of them.
Manager Clint Hurdle doesn’t think it’s a coincidence, either.
Williams and two relievers combined on a six-hitter, and the Pirates blanked the San Francisco Giants 4-0 on Saturday night.
“He sets the tone for things,” Hurdle said. “When that fastball has the finish like it had tonight, that’s when you’re seeing the outings that you see him string together. He keeps everybody engaged.”
Williams (10-8) allowed five hits and walked one in seven innings. The right-hander has allowed two runs over his last 29 innings — a 0.62 ERA.
“It’s the work in between starts,” Williams said. “(Pitching coach Ray Searage) and I highlighted stuff that we needed to work on and made it more process-driven. We recognized right away that it was my four-seam and sinker tonight were going to play.”
Williams had been scheduled to pitch a day earlier, but Hurdle went with Clay Holmes to give the rest of the rotation extra rest.
It worked just fine.
“He’s pitching down in the zone and getting a lot of early contact,” Pirates first baseman Josh Bell said. “He keeps us off our feet and keeps us in the dugout.”
Keone Kela and Felipe Vazquez each retired three batters to complete the shutout.
Bell homered for the second time in three days. Elias Diaz added two hits for the Pirates after coming in as an injury replacement for Francisco Cervelli.
The start of the game was delayed for a ceremony honoring home run king Barry Bonds, who became the 10th player in Giants history to have his jersey retired. Several of his former teammates and managers, including Dusty Baker and Jim Leyland, were on hand.
Williams was warming up in right field when Bonds jogged out to greet the fans in the left field stands.
“I felt like such a jerk out there,” Williams said. “It was weird timing. I felt like all the eyeballs were burning a hole through me.”
Buster Posey and Evan Longoria had two hits apiece for San Francisco. The Giants have lost nine of their last 11 home games.
“You could feel the crowd, the energy. We just couldn’t get it going offensively,” San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. “The three-run homer, that’s a pretty good punch there.”
Bell continued his strong series since coming off the disabled list earlier in the week. He stopped a 0-for-13 slide with a homer on Thursday, and then had three hits on Friday.
After grounding into a double play in his first at-bat Saturday, Bell hit his eighth homer off Ty Blach (6-7) in the fourth. Bell’s three-run drive came after Gregory Polanco bunted for a leadoff hit and David Freese reached on an infield single.
Blach allowed four runs over four innings in his first start since May 27.
DANDY DEBUT
In his first major league appearance since 2016 with Atlanta, Casey Kelly made quite a Giants debut a day after being called up from Triple-A Sacramento.
The right-hander pitched five scoreless innings in relief. He could be a candidate to start Friday at Cincinnati when the Giants need a fifth starter again.
“What a great job he did,” Bochy said. “Really pitched well. He’s been throwing the ball well. That’s why he’s up here.”
WORTH NOTING
The Pirates called up left-hander Buddy Boshers and right-hander Michael Feliz from Triple-A Indianapolis. Right-handers Clay Holmes and Casey Sadley were sent down.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Cervelli left in the fourth as a precaution getting hit in the facemask by a foul tip in the first. Cervelli has had concussion issues in the past.
Giants: 1B Brandon Belt (hyperextended knee) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento.
UP NEXT
Right-hander Dereck Rodriguez (5-1, 2.34 ERA) pitches the series finale for San Francisco. Rodriguez leads NL rookies in ERA and is tied for second in wins. Right-hander Joe Musgrove (4-6, 3.41 ERA) goes for the Pirates.
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NASA launches spacecraft to explore the sun

NASA spacecraft rockets toward sun for closest look yet
By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft zoomed toward the sun Sunday on an unprecedented quest to get closer to our star than anything ever sent before.
As soon as this fall, the Parker Solar Probe will fly straight through the wispy edges of the sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, that was visible during last August’s total solar eclipse. It eventually will get within 3.8 million (6 million kilometers) of the surface in the years ahead, staying comfortably cool despite the extreme heat and radiation, and allowing scientists to vicariously explore the sun in a way never before possible.
No wonder scientists consider it the coolest, hottest mission under the sun, and what better day to launch to the sun than Sunday as NASA noted.
“All I can say is, ‘Wow, here we go.’ We’re in for some learning over the next several years,” said Eugene Parker, the 91-year-old astrophysicist for whom the spacecraft is named.
Protected by a revolutionary new carbon heat shield and other high-tech wonders, the spacecraft will zip past Venus in October. That will set up the first solar encounter in November.
Altogether, the Parker probe will make 24 close approaches to the sun on the seven-year, $1.5 billion undertaking.
For the second straight day, thousands of spectators jammed the launch site in the middle of the night as well as surrounding towns, including Parker and his family. He proposed the existence of solar wind — a steady, supersonic stream of particles blasting off the sun — 60 years ago.
It was the first time NASA named a spacecraft after someone still alive, and Parker wasn’t about to let it take off without him. Saturday morning’s launch attempt was foiled by last-minute technical trouble. But Sunday gave way to complete success.
The Delta IV Heavy rocket thundered into the pre-dawn darkness, thrilling onlookers for miles around as it climbed through a clear, star-studded sky. NASA needed the mighty 23-story rocket, plus a third stage, to get the diminutive Parker probe — the size of a small car and well under a ton — racing toward the sun.
From Earth, it is 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) to the sun, and the Parker probe will be within 4 percent of that distance at its closest. That will be seven times closer than previous spacecraft.
“Go, baby, go!” project scientist Nicola Fox of Johns Hopkins University shouted at liftoff.
It was the first rocket launch ever witnessed by Parker, professor emeritus at the University of Chicago. He came away impressed, saying it was like looking at the Taj Mahal for years in photos and then beholding “the real thing” in India.
“I really have to turn from biting my nails in getting it launched, to thinking about all the interesting things which I don’t know yet and which will be made clear, I assume, over the next five or six or seven years,” Parker said on NASA TV.
NASA’s science mission chief, Thomas Zurbuchen, was thrilled not only with the launch, but Parker’s presence.
“I’m in awe,” Zurbuchen said. “What a milestone. Also what’s so cool is hanging out with Parker during all this and seeing his emotion, too.”
Parker, the probe, will start shattering records this fall. On its very first brush with the sun, it will come within 15.5 million miles (25 million kilometers), easily beating the current record of 27 million miles (43 million kilometers) set by NASA’s Helios 2 spacecraft in 1976. Zurbuchen expects the data from even this early stage to yield top science papers.
By the time Parker gets to its 22nd, 23rd and 24th orbits of the sun in 2024 and 2025, it will be even deeper into the corona and traveling at a record-breaking 430,000 mph (690,000 kilometers per hour).
Nothing from Planet Earth has ever hit that kind of speed.
Even Fox has difficulty comprehending the mission’s derring-do.
“To me, it’s still mind-blowing,” she said. “Even I still go, really? We’re doing that?”
Zurbuchen considers the sun the most important star in our universe — it’s ours, after all — and so this is one of NASA’s big-time strategic missions. By better understanding the sun’s life-giving and sometimes violent nature, Earthlings can better protect satellites and astronauts in orbit, and power grids on the ground, he noted. In today’s tech-dependent society, everyone stands to benefit.
With this first-of-its-kind stellar mission, scientists hope to unlock the many mysteries of the sun, a commonplace yellow dwarf star around 4.5 billion years old. Among the puzzlers: Why is the corona hundreds of times hotter than the surface of the sun and why is the sun’s atmosphere continually expanding and accelerating, as Parker accurately predicted in 1958?
“The only way we can do that is to finally go up and touch the sun,” Fox said. “We’ve looked at it. We’ve studied it from missions that are close in, even as close as the planet Mercury. But we have to go there.”
The spacecraft’s heat shield will serve as an umbrella, shading the science instruments during the close, critical solar junctures. Sensors on the spacecraft will make certain the heat shield faces the sun at the right times. If there’s any tilting, the spacecraft will correct itself so nothing gets fried. With a communication lag time of 16 minutes, the spacecraft must fend for itself at the sun. The Johns Hopkins flight controllers in Laurel, Maryland, will be too far away to help.
A mission to get close up and personal with our star has been on NASA’s books since 1958. The trick was making the spacecraft small, compact and light enough to travel at incredible speeds, while surviving the sun’s punishing environment and the extreme change in temperature when the spacecraft is out near Venus.
“We’ve had to wait so long for our technology to catch up with our dreams,” Fox said. “It’s incredible to be standing here today.”
More than 1 million names are aboard the spacecraft, submitted last spring by space enthusiasts, as well as photos of Parker, the man, and a copy of his 1958 landmark paper on solar wind.
“I’ll bet you 10 bucks it works,” Parker said.
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The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Bucs late rally falls short. Giants 13 Bucs 10

Posey, McCutchen lead Giants past Pirates 13-10
By GIDEON RUBIN, Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants finally got their offense going, and they needed it to survive another shaky performance from their bullpen.
Buster Posey got four hits, Andrew McCutchen homered against his former team and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 13-10 on Friday night.
“They just started swinging with I think more authority,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
The Giants had lost three in a row and Pittsburgh had won three straight.
Posey broke out of a 0-for-13 stretch with his second four-hit game in less than two weeks. All four hits came in the first four innings as the Giants built a 10-2 lead.
He’s the first Giants player with four hits through the first four innings of a game since the team moved to San Francisco in 1958.
Posey and Alen Hanson each drove in three runs. McCutchen hit a leadoff homer and later drew four walks for a San Francisco team that batted .212 and averaged 2.7 runs over its previous six games.
“They were letting it go tonight,” Bochy said. “It was good to see them have some success, I mean we’ve been shut down, we’ve been due for a game like this where we break it open, even though they came back and made it a game. ”
Francisco Cervelli drove in five runs with three hits for the Pirates. His 11th home run of the season and fourth career grand slam, off reliever Pierce Johnson, closed Pittsburgh within 11-7 in the seventh inning.
Adeiny Hechavarria, playing his second game since being traded from Tampa Bay to Pittsburgh, went 2 for 2 with a home run.
Giants starter Derek Holland (6-8) gave up five runs in 6 1/3 innings.
A big night from the offense allowed him to be more aggressive.
“It’s huge,” Holland said. “The offense is putting in the work, and I’m little bit upset with myself. They put the runs up, I’ve got to keep the momentum on our side.”
Clay Holmes (1-2) was tagged for seven runs in 2 2/3 innings in his third career start.
“Our command was pretty inconsistent throughout the evening,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “Clayton was so good the last time out. His fastball command was off and that complicates things.”
HIGH HEAT
Giants third baseman Evan Longoria was hit in the back by a 97 mph fastball by Pirates reliever Kyle Crick in the bottom of the seventh. Longoria initially stayed in the game but was pulled in the top of the eighth. Longoria said he felt fine after the game, but wasn’t certain about his playing status for Saturday’s game.
“I don’t think he had intent,” Longoria said. “He threw a couple more to the backstop and almost hit (Joe Panik), he just obviously didn’t have a very good feel for where the ball was going tonight.”
OFF DAYS
Pirates OF Gregory Polanco struck out as a pinch-hitter. Manager Clint Hurdle said Polanco will get another rest day in Sunday’s series finale.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: 1B Brandon Belt (hyperextended right knee) will start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday, manager Bruce Bochy said. If all goes well, Belt could join the team for next week’s series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, which starts Monday. … RHP Johnny Cueto, who underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month, was moved to the 60-day DL. RHP Casey Kelly was selected to the Giants’ Major League roster in a corresponding move before Friday’s game. … RHP Derek Law was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.
UP NEXT
RHP Trevor Williams (9-8, 3.88 ERA) will pitch Saturday for the Pirates. He has a 2.25 ERA without a decision in two career starts against the Giants. LHP Ty Blach (6-6, 4.28) will pitch for the Giants.
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Man Steals Money Raised To Re-Open Beaver Falls Tigerland Wave Pool

A man is in custody after stealing a donation can from the Tigerland Wave pool from a Beaver Falls gas station. Kenneth Terlecki ran with the can from the A-Plus gas station on Eighth Avenue Monday. The can had about 60-dollars inside to support an effort to reopen the long-closed wave pool. Terlecki’s preliminary hearing is set for September.

Rochester Borough Couple Accused Of Assault Of A Child

A Rochester Borough couple is accused of child endangerment and assault of a child in their care. Ashley Irvin and Gregory Herskovitz are accused of abusing the three-year-old by frequently spanking him to the point of bruising, hitting him with a hairbrush, and grabbing him by the ears. The two are in Beaver County Jail on 25-thousand-dollars bond each.

Scattered Thunderstorms To Dominate The Weekend

WEATHER FORECAST FOR FRIDAY, AUGUST 10TH, 2018

 

TODAY – SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
HIGH – 81.

TONIGHT – SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
LOW – 66.

SATURDAY – VARIABLE CLOUDS WITH SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH – 81.

SUNDAY – SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MORNING
BECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD IN THE
AFTERNOON. HIGH AGAIN OF 81.

Steelers defeat Eagles 31-14 in Pre-Season action

  • Jones, Dobbs lead Steelers over Eagles 31-14
    By ROB MAADDI, AP Pro Football Writer
    PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Malcolm Jenkins went back to raising his fist during the national anthem and Chris Long again put his arm around him as the teammates continue trying to raise awareness about racial inequality, social injustices and systematic oppression.
    Landry Jones and Josh Dobbs each tossed touchdown passes and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 31-14 Thursday night in the preseason opener.
    But Jenkins’ decision to resume his demonstration after stopping last December drew most of the attention as the defending Super Bowl champions returned to the field.
    “Everybody is waiting for what the league is going to do,” Jenkins said. “We won’t let it stop what we stand for. I was very encouraged last year with the direction and that obviously took a different turn.
    “I think it’s important to utilize the platform as we can because for whatever reason, we have framed this demonstration in a negative light and often players have to defend why we feel the need to fight for everyday Americans and in actuality we’re doing the right thing.”
    The league and the players’ union have yet to announce a policy for this season regarding demonstrations during the anthem after the league initially ordered everyone to stand on the sideline when “The Star-Spangled Banner” is played, or remain in the locker room.
    Cornerback De’Vante Bausby also raised his fist during the anthem, and defensive end Michael Bennett walked out of the tunnel and walked toward the bench while it played. It appeared all the Steelers stood.
    “Malcolm is always a guy who is doing the work in the community, backing up whatever he’s doing,” Long said.
    The Eagles rested several starters, including quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Nick Foles. Nate Sudfeld threw a pair of touchdown passes and two interceptions.
    Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown sat for the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell still hasn’t signed his franchise tender.
    Jones completed all four of his passes for 83 yards, including a 71-yard TD pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster in the first quarter. Smith-Schuster made a leaping catch over Rasul Douglas at the 33 and ran untouched to the end zone.
    Fitzgerald Toussaint had a 3-yard TD run and a 2-point conversion to give Pittsburgh a 15-8 lead. Dobbs threw a 29-yard TD pass to Damoun Patterson late in the second quarter.
    “We moved the ball successfully,” Dobbs said. “It felt good to be out there.”
    Sudfeld threw a perfect strike for a 63-yard TD to Shelton Gibson and fired a 15-yard TD pass to rookie Dallas Goedert. He finished 10 of 14 for 140 yards.
    “I just ran my route and when I looked back, Nate stepped up and scrambled to my side and was able to hit me,” Goedert said. “A great play by him.”
    Wentz still hasn’t been cleared for contact after having surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee last December. Foles, the Super Bowl MVP, has missed a few practices with muscle spasms in his neck and shoulder.
    Mason Rudolph, a third-round pick competing with Jones and Dobbs for the backup job to Roethlisberger, was 7 of 12 for 101 yards.
    “He did a solid job in all areas,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
    ROOKIE REPORT
    Steelers: Safety Terrell Edmunds, a first-round pick, had three tackles. Wide receiver James Washington, second-rounder, caught two passes for 44 yards.
    Eagles: Goedert, a second-round pick and the team’s first selection, had four catches for 66 yards and one TD. He’ll get plenty of opportunities as the second tight end.
    INJURIES
    Ryan Shazier joined the defense in Pittsburgh’s pregame huddle, just 11 months after spinal stabilization surgery. Shazier is out for the season.
    WELCOME TO FOOTBALL
    Eagles rookie Jordan Mailata, an Australian rugby player drafted in the seventh round, got beat for a strip sack on his first series in the NFL. Mailata began the second half at left tackle.
    HONORING FORMER EAGLES
    Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie announced at halftime that two-time All-Pro defensive end Clyde Simmons and three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Seth Joyner will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame on Sept. 23.
    NEXT UP
    Steelers: Visit the Green Bay Packers next Thursday.
    Eagles: Visit the New England Patriots next Thursday.
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