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By DREW DAVISON The three words no baseball player ever wants to hear are: torn rotator cuff. Just ask Texas Rangers pitcher Eric Hurley, who will miss the 2009 season after undergoing rotator cuff surgery last week.As Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister said: 'Whether they realize it or not, the most feared injury in baseball is the cuff. The rotator cuff is the lifeblood. It’s the engine of the throwing shoulder.'And, while most would think it’s a positive that Hurley, 23, underwent surgery at a younger age, and therefore has a bigger window to recover, Meister said: 'I would say having a significant rotator cuff injury, in general, at a younger age, the worse the prognosis.'Still, all hope is not lost for Hurley or any player with a shoulder injury, as players have recovered successfully in the past, such as Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood.Injuries, though, have always been a part of sports. And while no player wants to make a trip to the disabled list or injury repor

By JEFF WILSON ARLINGTON — Michael Young was part of a Texas Rangers 1-2 punch that got Fan Fest off to a fast start Saturday morning at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.The new third baseman had some help from center fielder Josh Hamilton, and some diehards and autograph seekers starting getting in line as early as 5 a.m. on a chilly day. An estimated 5,100 fans attended the annual event.Chilly might also be an apt word to describe Young’s relationship with general manager Jon Daniels, who asked the five-time All-Star to leave shortstop and move to the hot corner.Things, though, might be getting friendlier between them after they met Wednesday. It was their first conversation since December, when Daniels presented the position switch to Young.'Obviously, JD has his own responsibilities with the team, and I have my responsibilities with the team,' Young said. 'This isn’t something that we agreed on out of the chute. It’s not something that we agree on now, but at

By JAN HUBBARD BOSTON — Believe it or not, Dirk Nowitzki is aware that Kevin Garnett was traded from the Timberwolves to the Celtics in the summer of 2007.What Nowitzki does not quite get is what that has to do with him. In recent weeks he has had to answer questions connecting his future to Garnett’s past as if the two situations have something in common.'They don’t,' said Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey, who was Garnett’s head coach for a season and a half in Minnesota. 'They are two totally different situations.'The theoretical link between Nowitzki and Garnett, who will line up against each other when the Mavericks meet the Celtics at noon today on ABC (WFAA/Ch. 8), is that each had had a long career in one place without winning a title.The difference is the Mavericks have been far more successful at building a team around Nowitzki. Part of Garnett’s frustration was not that the T-wolves couldn’t win a title, but that they couldn’t even g

The Knicks really missed out when they didn't call on Cal Ramsey, their longtime director of special projects, to play a major part in the festivities at their annual Martin Luther King Day game. The former NYU star could have enlightened fans on just a few things.

THE hardest part for Sydney Roosters captain Braith Anasta over the years was never knowing where the next knife was going to come from.

Too busy for a FAT Friday? Actually yes. It's late already and typing up these weekly news updates takes a few hours usually. I'm starting now and will see where it ends. I've been tired all week. Part of it had to do with a weekend of BMX and good times in Tallinn. When you taxi to the airport leaves at 5am on Monday morning after

MONTREAL - Like most first time All-Stars, Jeff Carter is trying to take it all in.For the Flyers' leading scorer, it didn't matter where he fit into the NHL's plans for tonight's SuperSkills Competition at the Bell Centre.

Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz will not play in the World Baseball Classic for his native Panama, his agent Marc Kligman confirmed to the team's Web site.

The Yankees signed Reegie Corona out of Venezuela as part of the July 2nd Signing Day group back in 2003. A versatile infielder who has vastly improved his overall strength over the years, he raised his batting average at Double-A over 50 points from a year ago and he is inching his way closer to the Bronx.

SOMETIMES, change is easy. An unpopular coach gets whacked. A bumbling general manager gets pushed aside. Underachieving players get sent out of town for a rack of balls and a couple of nickels on the dollar. That's the easy part. Exiling Isiah...