“Aaron passes Ruth!”

“Nixon resigns!”

Those headlines helped me sell a lot of newspapers in 1974, when my journey with the Tucson Citizen began as an 11-year-old hawker. Wearing my “Citizen Charlie” smock, I pitched the paper – which cost 15 cents back then – in front of my father’s East Side liquor store.

In between begging for tips, I pored over the sports section. I studied box scores and Citizen writers such as Regis McAuley, Corky Simpson, Jack Rickard and Bruce Johnston.

The newspaper bug had bitten me.

I took journalism at Catalina High School under J.G. Carlton, and began calling in prep box scores to the Citizen for $3 a game. By the time I landed a correspondent’s job in 1980, I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

Except for a five-year stint at USA TODAY, I worked many different jobs and many crazy hours at the Citizen until Gannett announced our closure.

Some of my favorite memories:

• High school: Sahuaro quarterback Rodney Peete threw for a then-state record 424 yards and five touchdowns in 1983 against Amphi. It ended in a 34-34 tie but was the greatest game I ever reported. Amphi countered with 361 yards on the ground in a contest that saw three TDs and one field goal scored in the final 3 minutes and 42 seconds.

• College: After covering Sean Elliott for three years at Cholla High, I watched him break Lew Alcindor’s Pac-10 career scoring record in 1989. Elliott needed 34 points and scored 35 – with six 3-pointers. It’s the loudest I’ve ever heard McKale Center, and we had a special section printed after UA routed UCLA.

• Pro: Curt Schilling sprayed champagne on me and other reporters in the locker room after the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees to win the 2001 World Series. When Luis Gonzalez singled in the winning run, strangers began hugging in the aisles at Bank One Ballpark.

• Embarrassing: On a hot night, I fainted in the elevator at Arizona Stadium during UA’s 1986 football home opener vs. Houston. When I came to, then-sports information director Butch Henry stood over me, asking in his Arkansas drawl, “Is he dead?”

• Initiation: Two Cleveland Indians players, who shall remain nameless, tried to stuff me in a locker when I was 19. To the locker-room attendant who saved me, thank you.

• Sadness: When I was an assistant city editor, I had to wake up Lute Olson to tell him that former UA basketball assistant Ricky Byrdsong had been gunned down in Evanston, Ill. After Olson’s wife, Bobbi, yelled, “No, God,” Lute gave me an eloquent quote.

• Proudest: Watching our sports staff pull together some of the biggest stories of the decade: UA football coach John Mackovic’s firing; the death of UA women’s basketball star Shawntinice Polk; Olson’s retirement and Sean Miller’s hiring as basketball coach.

I’m biased, but I considered my sports staff to be one of the hardest-working and professional in the nation.

The Associated Press Sports Editors agreed. It named us a top 10 daily sports section in the nation seven of the last nine years for our circulation category.

Credit goes to my second “family”: Steve Rivera, John Moredich, Anthony Gimino, Bryan Lee, Ken Brazzle, Geoff Grammer, Raymond Suarez and Michael Schmelzle. Correspondents Ash Friederich, Rodney Haas and Christopher Veck deserve high-fives, along with past staffers Dave Petruska, Paul Schwalbach, Michael Caccamise, Shelly Lewellen, David Pittman, Stephen Sharpton, Jessie Vanderson, Charles Durrenberger and Christopher Walsh.

More thanks go out to all the page designers I annoyed with my suggestions, Simpson for his inspiration and guidance, and Peter Madrid, who I succeeded as sports editor in 1999.

Finally, I’d like to pay tribute to all the coaches, players, parents and readers who helped suggest stories and make my job easier.

I’ll miss this place.

Former Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama is apparently exploring opportunities in the Canadian and Arena 2 football leagues after failing to land a free-agency shot in the NFL.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have claimed Tuitama’s negotiation rights, the Stockton (Calif.) Record reported Thursday.

The newspaper also said the Stockton Lightning, an Arena 2 minor league team for the Arena Football League, has offered Tuitama a roster spot. His mother, Nancy, is the Lightning’s travel agent, the Record said, and Tuitama is a Stockton native.

Jeff Sperbeck, an agent for Tuitama, told the Record that he has been in contact with CFL teams but was unaware of the Arena offer.

“We’re talking to some teams in Canada and trying to find an opportunity,” Sperbeck said. “Willie wants to show that he can still play.”

The CFL season begins in June, and Tuitama could negotiate with other teams if he chose not to sign with Saskatchewan, the Record said.

Sperbeck told the paper there’s still a chance Tuitama could be invited to an NFL training camp. Tucson police arrested Tuitama on March 7 on suspicion of extreme driving under the influence, which may have hurt his NFL prospects.

Meanwhile, former UA basketball player Fendi Onobun is still trying to land an NFL free-agency shot after working out for scouts for several teams, including Buffalo.

Holladay Intermediate Magnet and Booth-Fickett Magnet schools earned bragging rights in local track and field for another year.

For the third time in seven years, Holladay captured the Tucson Unified School District elementary school city title April 25 at Drachman Stadium with 250.7 points, followed by Fruchthendler (212.7), Marshall (181.5), Henry (165.5) and Sewell (125).

Holladay fourth-fifth grade winners were Simon Mahaffey Bentley (high jump, Class B); Malual Amor Arob (high jump, Class D); Anita Eichenour (500-meter run, Class B); and Aria Paxton (500, Class C).

The school’s 400-meter relay team of Yelitza Partida, Ana Herrera, Melvy Garate and Ayla Condo also won the Class D title.

Holladay is coached by Walter Legan and Michael Carpio.

In the TUSD middle school meet April 25 at Catalina High, Booth-Fickett (448.5) won the city title over Utterback (244.3), Townsend (227.4), Magee (221.5) and Secrist (151).

Multiple boys winners for Booth-Fickett were eighth-graders Jordan Hughes (100, 200), Sunthi Danh (100, 200, long jump, 400 relay) and Danny Robles (100, 400 relay); seventh-grader Jude Ruiz (800, 1,600); and sixth-grader Jarrett Corkill (100, 400).

Eighth-grader Brianna Schneider (400 relay, 800) and seventh-grader Katie Jenkins (1,600, 800) were multiple girls winners for Booth-Fickett, coached by Jason Karn and Andrea Lopez.

Arizona’s basketball connection in New York City is faring well in postseason all-star action.

UA signee Kevin Parrom and UA prospect Lance Stephenson helped the Panthers AAU team advance to the semifinals of the Nike Spring High School Classic in New York over the weekend.

Parrom, a 6-foot-6 small forward, scored 11 of his 13 points in the third quarter to lead the Panthers to a 91-81 second-round win Saturday over N.Y.A.B.C.

Stephenson, a 6-6 guard-forward, pumped in a game-high 38 points Sunday as the Panthers ousted N.Y. Elite 84-76 in the quarterfinals.

The Panthers will meet New Heights in the semifinals Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Tucson time in the prestigious tournament.

Arizona and Memphis are reportedly interested in signing Stephenson, a McDonald’s All-American who set the New York schoolboy record for career points. He averaged 31.9 points and 12.8 rebounds during his senior season at Lincoln High in New York.

Parrom told Five Boro Sports that Stephenson said he would visit Arizona shortly. The final day of the early signing period is May 20.

Play opens May 21

Concern about the swine flu has caused a Golden Baseball League team from Mexico to cancel its season, forcing the new Tucson Toros to try to fill six home dates and six road games.

The Tijuana Potros, also an expansion team in the independent league, were scheduled to visit Hi Corbett Field on June 23-25 and July 7-9. The Toros were set to visit Tijuana on May 26-28 and June 5-7.

Toros owner Jay Zucker said he would look for other opportunities to fill the lost dates, such as exhibitions or fantasy camps.

Mexican soccer teams have banned fans from attending recent games because of the flu epidemic, which has killed 44 people in the country and two in the United States.

As a result, the Tijuana team couldn’t risk launching its season with uncertainty about sponsors, ticket sales and stadium availability.

“We weren’t worried about our players being infected,” Zucker said. “The league just felt it couldn’t wait any longer” for the concerns to subside with the season only two weeks away.

The Toros, who now have 38 home games set, begin their season May 21 against the Chico Outlaws at Hi Corbett.

With Tijuana out, the league is down to nine teams.

Tucson will be in the South Division with Yuma, St. George (Utah) and Orange County (Calif.).

The North Division will feature Edmonton, Calgary and Victoria from Canada and Chico and Long Beach from California.

Tijuana plans to return to the league next season, team president Jose Manuel Peña said in a statement.

“We know this will pass and the Potros will be ready for next year,” he said, “but realize the timing of this natural disaster has left us with no other choice.”

Ex-Sun Devil suing NCAA

Former Arizona State and Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller is suing the NCAA and its video-game partner, EA Sports, claiming they’ve gone too far in using the likenesses of college players who are prohibited from sharing in the games’ profits.

The class-action suit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in California, claims the games make illegal use of football and basketball players’ names – through the download of team rosters – and unidentified but scarcely hidden likenesses and that the NCAA condones the practice in violation of its own rules.

EA Sports, the NCAA and Collegiate Licensing Co., the Georgia-based marketing firm that represents the NCAA, “deliberately and systematically misappropriate players’ likenesses to increase revenues and royalties at the expense of student athletes,” says the suit, filed on behalf of every football and basketball player on an opening-game roster whose jersey number appeared in an EA game.

It asks for a jury trial. No damages are specified.

BoSox titles tainted?

BOSTON – Manny Ramirez hit cleanup on the Red Sox’s two championship teams this decade. Some of his teammates on those clubs say his suspension for using a banned substance won’t tarnish those titles.

“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but I don’t feel like our ’07 season was tainted,” Mike Lowell said Thursday night. “This is still a 25-man team.”

Ramirez was MVP of Boston’s World Series sweep of St. Louis that gave the Red Sox their first championship in 86 years in 2004. He also had one of his best seasons that year, hitting .308 with 43 homers and 130 RBIs.

“It’s not like we wouldn’t be the world champions if, whatever this is that’s going on,” 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia said. “I don’t think it tarnishes any of that stuff.”

Thursday, Ramirez was suspended for 50 games for violating baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

Several Red Sox players said they didn’t know if he used such substances when he played for Boston from 2001 until he was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trading deadline last July.

“I have no idea,” said Lowell, the MVP of the 2007 World Series against Colorado.

“He’s a phenomenal hitter and I never saw anything, so I defer to asking Manny that question.”

The Associated Press

Dophins renaming stadium

MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins are renaming their home Landshark Stadium as part of a partnership with singer Jimmy Buffett.

The name change from Dolphin Stadium is the fifth since the stadium opened in 1987. Buffett’s Margaritaville enterprise includes Landshark Lager, brewed by Anheuser-Busch.

Buffett and new Dolphins owner Stephen Ross are friends. They plan to unveil a new logo for the stadium at a private event Friday, where Buffett will perform a song inspired by the Dolphins.

The Associated Press

Bike race coming to Colo.?

DENVER – Lance Armstrong wants to bring bicycle racing back to Colorado, Gov. Bill Ritter said Thursday.

Ritter said Armstrong, who has a home in Aspen and has trained in the area, called him to discuss the proposal.

“He has this idea and he’s working on it from his end. There is some possibility we could bring it back,” Ritter said.

Armstrong is in Italy for the Giro d’Italia race.

A posting on his Twitter page on Wednesday said, “Had a great conversation with Governor Ritter from Colorado. Working on something. Stay tuned . . .”

Colorado had a stage race in the 1970s and ’80s known first as the Red Zinger Classic and later the Coors Classic, which grew to include two weeks of racing in California, Nevada and Colorado – with stages some years in Hawaii and Wyoming – and was considered one of the biggest stage races in the world.

It last ran in 1988.

The Associated Press

NUMBER OF THE DAY

105

Runs scored by the Diamondbacks, the No. 31 mark of 32 teams this year. How Arizona ranks in other offensive categories.

Batting average .222 (32)

Hits .207 (32)

RBIs 97 (31)

Doubles 54 (11)

Home runs 30 (12)

On base percentage .297 (32)

Slugging percentage .385 (27)

———

TOROS OPENER

> Chico (Calif.) at Tucson, 7 p.m. May 21, Hi Corbett Field

> Tickets: 325-1010

———

ON THIS DATE

1968: Jim “Catfish” Hunter of the Oakland A’s pitches a perfect game, beating the Minnesota Twins 4-0. It is the first perfect game in the American League regular season in 46 seasons.

1970: Walt Frazier scores 36 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 113-99 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA championship in seven games.

1984: On the day the Olympic torch relay begins, the Soviet Union announces it will not take part in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

The Associated Press

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Ramirez couldn’t dodge drug test

Re: Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez suspended

• Major League Baseball was once a great sport. In recent years it has become a sad shadow of the past. OCOTILLOSUNSET

• Whatever happened to sports for the sake of the game? This is why people are not into sports anymore. The players are spoiled doper brats that play for the paycheck and not for the fans and just the pureness of having fun playing a game. JETMECH

• It’s high time, these “pretty boys” and pseudo “hip-hoppers” step up and really pay attention to any substance they take or are given, and play the game as it is a true sport of ability and ethics. Cheating sucks and those who engage in it are suckers! POPS

• As a Dodger fan this is not good, but . . . Manny is not the smartest person out there but he should have checked it out with a team doctor. DJQ32

By USA Today, Mike Chesnick

Concern about the swine flu has caused a Golden Baseball League team from Mexico to cancel its season, forcing the new Tucson Toros to try to fill six home dates and six road games.

The Tijuana Potros, also an expansion team in the independent league, were scheduled to visit Hi Corbett Field on June 23-25 and July 7-9. The Toros were set to visit Tijuana on May 26-28 and June 5-7.

Toros owner Jay Zucker said he would look for other opportunities to fill the lost dates, such as exhibitions or fantasy camps.

Mexican soccer teams have banned fans from attending recent games because of the deadly flu outbreak. As a result, the Tijuana team couldn’t risk launching its season with uncertainty about sponsors, ticket sales and stadium availability.

“We weren’t worried about our players being infected,” Zucker said. “The league just felt it couldn’t wait any longer” for the concerns to subside with the season only two weeks away.

The Toros, who now have 38 scheduled home games, begin their season May 21 against the Chico Outlaws at 7 p.m. at Hi Corbett.

With Tijuana out, the league is down to nine teams.

Tucson will be in the South Division with Yuma, St. George (Utah) and Orange County (Calif.). The North Division will feature Edmonton, Calgary and Victoria from Canada and Chico and Long Beach from California.

It’s been a tough few days for two former University of Arizona football players.

Dallas Cowboys kicker Nick Folk is recovering from surgery Tuesday to repair a torn cartilage in his hip.

And the Washington Redskins have cut rookie free-agent linebacker Ronnie Palmer after signing him five days before.

The Cowboys would like to see Folk, a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie in 2007, resume light kicking in about eight weeks. They hope he can handle full kicking work in 12 weeks when training camp starts.

For insurance, the Cowboys drafted USC kicker David Buehler in the fifth round last month.

Folk had surgery in Colorado to repair a right hip labral tear, a condition that can be caused by repetitive motions such as kicking.

If Folk doesn’t make a speedy recovery, it could be a big blow to Dallas. He’s never missed a game and has the best field goal accuracy rate among active kickers, making 46 of 53 field goals (86.8 percent) in his two-year career.

Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller’s first recruiting class is already getting raves. Adding McDonald’s All-American Lance Stephenson would make the class one of the best in the nation.

It’s unclear how interested Arizona is in getting Stephenson, a shooting guard/small forward who is rated the No. 8 player overall for the 2009-10 class by Scout.com.

Fox Sports, citing unnamed sources, says Arizona likely won’t “make a move on the talented, yet enigmatic wing player” from Coney Island, N.Y. UA is concerned with the player’s off-the-court issues, Fox said.

But the New York Daily News, also citing an unnamed source, says Arizona is making “a big-time push” for the 6-foot-5 Stephenson, who passed NBA player Sebastian Telfair as the leading scorer in New York schoolboy history.

One thing working in UA’s favor: new assistant coach Emanual “Book” Richardson has strong New York City ties and has coached Stephenson before.

Fox Sports and the Daily News report that new Memphis head coach Josh Pastner, a former UA assistant, is pursuing Stephenson.

Kansas also was in the running, but the Jayhawks opted to take Xavier Henry instead. St. John’s and Maryland also wanted Stephenson.

Stephenson also could go the route of former UA recruit Brandon Jennings and head to Europe for a year before entering the 2010 NBA draft.

Three top-100 players already are headed to Arizona: forward Solomon Hill, center Kyryl Natyazhko and wing Kevin Parrom.

As for Stephenson, he already has his own online reality documentary site, BornReadyTV.

Despite the current inflation rates for coaching salaries, University of Arizona officials don’t appear to be breaking the bank with their proposed contract extension for Mike Stoops.

The football coach would receive $1 million for the 2009 season and a $100,000 raise the following four years. Regents could approve the contract during their meeting next weekend, or as early as April 30. Stoops, who helped give UA fans their first bowl win in 10 years last season, made just under $700,000 a year in his old contract.

UA, conversely, is scheduled to pay new basketball coach Sean Miller $2 million a year as part of a five-year deal worth $11 million.

Of course, $1 million a year is still a lot of money, and Stoops would stand to make even more under incentives of up to $655,000:

• Athletic: Participation in a preseason game, $50,000; Pac-10 champion, $125,000; non-BCS bowl game, $75,000; BCS bowl other than national title game, $100,000; BCS national title game, $150,000

• BCS national rankings: 1-10, $50,000; 11-15, $40,000; 16-25; $30,000.

• Win-loss record for 12-game season (excludes preseason or bowls): 7-5, $40,000; 8-4, $50,000; 9-3, $60,000; 10-2, $70,000; 11-1, $80,000; 12-0, $90,000.

• Average home paid attendance: 48,001-50,000, $45,000; 50,000-plus, $60,0000

• Total season tickets sold: 35,000-40,000, $60,000; 40,000-45,000, $70,000; 45,001-plus, $80,000

• Coach of the year honors: Pac-10, $30,000; national, $50,000

If UA fires Stoops for cause, it is liable for salary due at the date of termination. If UA fires Stoops without cause, it must pay him one-half of the remaining value of the guaranteed compensation.

If Stoops leaves before 2013, he must pay UA $250,000 in liquidated damages at school president Robert Shelton’s discretion.

Arizona’s and interim coach Russ Pennell’s unlikely journey to the Sweet 16 caught the nation’s attention.

On Monday, Pennell was the subject of a USA TODAY cover story and was interviewed on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” by Washington Post columnists Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon.

Kornheiser asked how being a “co-coach” with assistant Mike Dunlap, who calls a lot of the Wildcats’ plays, has worked out.

“The best part is that I get paid more than him,” Pennell quipped. “Mike is an unbelievable basketball mind. It would be very foolish for me not to draw upon his wisdom.”

Pennell said he and Dunlap are like Kornheiser and Wilbon: “Just like you guys, we take turns playing good cop and bad cop.”

Kornheiser put Pennell on the spot with his final question: How sweet would it feel to beat Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who has been rumored as a candidate for the Arizona job? “The reason I want to beat Rick is to go to the Elite Eight,” said Pennell, giving the politically correct answer.

Whatever happens, Pennell should be able to use the national exposure to help land a decent head coaching job next season.

1. Tiger Woods (USA)

Born: Cypress, Calif. Age: 33 Pro wins: 89 (PGA 65, Majors 14) Match Play: 31-6 Notable: Beat Stewart Cink to win 2008 Match Play. Won U.S. Open in June before knee surgery. Did you know? Top-paid athlete of 2007 with $122 million, including endorsements.

2. Sergio Garcia (Spain)

Born: Castellon, Spain Age: 29 Pro wins: 19 (PGA 8) Match Play: 8-7 Notable: Garcia surged to No. 2 after winning the HSBC Champions tournament in November. Did you know? Mar Garcia, his sister, was a UA golfer.

3. Padraig Harrington (Ireland)

Born: Dublin, Ireland Age: 37 Pro wins: 24 (PGA 14, Majors 3) Match play: 9-9 Notable: In 2008, won PGA Championship and second straight British Open. Did you know? His late father, “Paddy,” was a police officer.

4. Vijay Singh (Fiji)

Born: Lautoka, Fiji Age: 45 Pro wins: 57 (PGA 34, Majors 3) Match Play: 11-9 Notable: Won the 2008 FedEx Cup title; 14th in all-time PGA wins. Did you know? As a kid, Singh used coconuts for golf balls.

5. Phil Mickelson (USA)

Born: San Diego Age: 38 Pro wins: 41 (PGA 34, Majors 3) Match Play: 13-9 Notable: Led after first two rounds at Riviera this week; 500-plus weeks in Top 10. Did you know? ASU grad is righty but plays golf lefty.

6. Henrik Stenson (Sweden)

Born: Gothenburg, Sweden Age: 32 Pro wins: 11 Match Play: 11-2 Notable: Won 2007 Match Play title, defeating Geoff Ogilvy 2 and 1. Did you know? Reached No. 5 in rankings in 2007, highest for a Swedish player.

7. Robert Karlsson (Sweden)

Born: Katrineholm, Sweden Age: 39 Pro wins: 10 Match Play: 0-3 Notable: Won 2008 European Order of Merit title. Did you know? One of the tallest golfers on the European Tour at 6 feet 5 inches.

8. Geoff Ogilvy (Australia)

Born: Adelaide, Australia Age: 31 Pro wins: 5 (PGA 4, Majors 1) Match Play: 11-2 Notable: 2007 Match Play champ won this year’s PGA opener (Mercedes-Benz). Did you know? Owns MOJO (Australian) Pies in Scottsdale.

9. Camilo Villegas (Columbia)

Born: Medellin, Colombia Age: 26 Pro wins: 7 (PGA 2). Match Play: 0-1 Notable: Won his first PGA Tour title in September (BMW Championship). Did you know? One of Tour’s top drivers, averaging 302.1 yards last year.

10. Kenny Perry (USA)

Born: Elizabethtown, Ky. Age: 48 Pro wins: 13 (PGA 12) Match Play: 3-5 Notable: Jumped into top 10 with a win Feb. 1 at FBR in Scottsdale. Did you know? Helped the U.S. retake the Ryder Cup title for first time since 1999.

11. Anthony Kim (USA)

Born: Los Angeles Age: 23 Pro wins: 2 (PGA 2) Match Play: 0-1 Notable: Won his first two PGA events in 2008 and was key in U.S. Ryder Cup victory. Did you know? Wears trademark belt buckles with initials “AK.”

12. Lee Westwood (England)

Born: Worksop, England Age: 35 Pro wins: 29 (PGA 1) Match Play: 4-8 Notable: Finished third at 2008 U.S. Open. Did you know? Payed rugby, cricket and football before taking up golf and becoming a junior champion.

13. Ernie Els (South Africa)

Born: Johannesburg, South Africa Age: 39 Pro wins: 60 (PGA 16, Majors 3). Match Play: 6-9 Notable: Won 1994, 1997 U.S. Open and 2002 British Open. Did you know? Won 1984 Junior World title over Phil Mickelson.

14. Jim Furyk (USA)

Born: West Chester, Pa. Age: 38 Pro wins: 22 (PGA 13, Majors 1) Match Play: 7-8 Notable: Ex-UA star won first major at 2002 U.S. Open. Did you know? His trademark looping golf swing begins with ball at heel of club.

15. Justin Rose (England)

Born: Johannesburg, South Africa Age: 28 Pro wins: 7 Match Play: 4-4 Notable: Burst onto scene at age 17 at 1998 British Open, finishing tied for fourth. Did you know? Married Kate Phillips, an ex-British gymnast.

16. Rory McIlroy (N. Ireland)

Born: Holywood, Northern Ireland Age: 19 Pro wins: 1 Match Play: 0-0. Notable: His first professional win came Feb. 1 at Dubai Desert Classic. Did you know? Became youngest golfer to crack Top 50 last November.

17. Mike Weir (Canada)

Born: Sarnia, Ontario Age: 38 Pro wins: 13 (PGA 8, Majors 1) Match Play: 6-8 Notable: First Canadian to win a major (2003 Masters) and second left-hander, along with Phil Mickelson. Did you know? Graduate of BYU.

18. Adam Scott (Australia)

Born: Adelaide, Australia Age: 28 Pro wins: 14 (PGA 6) Match Play: 13-7 Notable: Took off after winning Tour Championship in 2006. Did you know? Compared to Greg Norman, whose former caddie joined Scott in 2004.

19. Martin Kaymer (Germany)

Born: Dusseldorf, West Germany Age: 23 Pro wins: 10 Match Play: 0-1 Notable: Finished 2008 Dubai Desert Classic birdie-birdie-eagle but fell to Tiger Woods by 1 stroke. Did you know? Shot a 61 at 2007 Portugal Masters.

20. Steve Stricker (USA)

Born: Edgerton, Wis. Age: 41 Pro wins: 11 (PGA 4) Match Play: 9-5 Notable: Won the Match Play title in San Diego in 2001, defeating Pierre Fulke 2 and 1. Did you know? Voted Comeback Player of the Year in 2006.

21. Stewart Cink (USA)

Born: Huntsville, Ala. Age: 35 Pro wins: 12 (PGA 5) Match Play: 13-9 Notable: Fell to Tiger Woods 8 and 7 in the 36-hole final at last year’s Match Play event. Did you know? Reached as high as No. 6 in 2008.

22. K.J. Choi (Korea)

Born: Wando, South Korea Age: 38 Pro wins: 15 (PGA 7) Match Play: 6-6 Notable: First Korean to earn a PGA Tour card. Did you know? Was competitive power lifter, nicknamed “Tank,” before taking up golf.

23. Paul Casey (England)

Born: Cheltenham, England Age: 31 Pro wins: 8 Match Play: 5-6 Notable: Lost 2006 European Tour Order of Merit to Harrington in final event. Did you know? First to win three straight Pac-10 titles (1998-2000).

24. Miguel Angel Jiminez (Spain)

Born: Malaga, Spain Age: 45 Pro wins: 18 Match Play: 5-7 Notable: Had two wins in 2008, placing him on Europe’s Ryder Cup team. Did you know? Known as “The Mechanic” for his hobby of repairing high-end cars.

25. Trevor Immelman (South Africa)

Born: Cape Town, South Africa Age: 28 Pro wins: 10 (PGA 2, Majors 1) Match Play: 7-5 Notable: Won 2008 Masters despite double bogey on No. 16. Did you know? Missed start of 2008 with benign tumor near his rib cage.

26. Alvaro Quiros (Spain)

Born: La Linea de la Concepcion, Spain Age: 26 Pro wins: 5 Notable: Won 2009 Qatar Masters to break into Top 50. Did you know? Was longest driver on European Tour from 2006-08, averaging 310 yards.

27. Justin Leonard (USA)

Born: Dallas Age: 36 Pro wins: 12 (PGA 12, Majors 1) Match Play: 8-9 Notable: Biggest win came at 2007 British Open. Did you know? His 45-foot birdie putt in 1999 capped remarkable U.S. comeback win in Ryder Cup.

28. Zach Johnson (USA)

Born: Iowa City, Iowa Age: 32 Pro wins: 16 (PGA 4, Majors 1) Match Play: 5-4. Notable: Won 2007 Masters by 2 strokes over Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen, and Rory Sabbatini. Did you know? Played collegiately at Drake.

29. Ben Curtis (USA)

Born: Columbus, Ohio Age: 31 Pro wins: 3 (PGA 3, Majors 1) Match Play: 1-1 Notable: Won 2003 British Open, his first pro victory. Did you know? Tied for second at 2008 PGA Championship, earning U.S. Ryder Cup spot.

30. Robert Allenby (Australia)

Born: Melbourne, Australia Age: 37 Pro wins: 20 (PGA 4) Match Play: 8-8 Notable: Seventh at 2008 British Open, 2004 U.S. Open. Did you know? First to win Australian “triple crown” (Masters, PGA, Open), 2005.

31. Ian Poulter (England)

Born: Hitchin, England Age: 33 Pro wins: 9 Match Play: 10-6 Notable: Led 2008 Masters after first round, aided by ace on No. 16 at Augusta. Did you know? Radical dresser, known for flashy trousers and sunglasses.

32. Tim Clark (South Africa)

Born: Durban, South Africa Age: 33 Pro wins: 9 Match Play: 1-5 Notable: Best Major finishes: 2nd Masters, 2006; T3 U.S. Open, 2005; 3rd PGA Championship, 2003. Did you know? Played at North Carolina State.

33. Retief Goosen (South Africa)

Born: Petersburg, South Africa Age: 49 Pro wins: 29 (PGA 6, Majors 2) Match Play: 12-9 Notable: Ranked in top 10 from 2001-07 after winning 2002, 2004 U.S. Opens. Did you know? Survived lightning strike on course as boy.

34. Jeev Milkha Singh (India)

Born: Chandigarh, India Age: 37 Pro wins: 7 Match Play: 0-1 Notable: First Indian player on European Tour in 1998. Did you know? Son of famous Indian Olympic athlete Milkha Singh; played collegiately at Abilene Christian.

35. Ross Fisher (England)

Born: Ascot, England Age: 28 Pro wins: 2 Match Play: 0-0 Notable: Won European Open in 2008 with wind-assisted 413-yard drive on No. 9. Did you know? Won a Jaguar in nearest-to-the-pin contest in 2006.

36. Luke Donald (England)

Born: Hemel Hempstead, Herffordshire, England Age: 31 Pro wins: 5 (2 PGA) Match Play: 6-4. Notable: Moved to No. 7 in rankings in early 2007. Did you know? Won NCAA title in 1999 while at Northwestern.

37. Graeme McDowell (N. Ireland)

Born: Portrush, Northern Ireland Age: 29 Pro wins: 4 Match Play: 1-2 Notable: Earned 2.5 points for Europe in 2008 Ryder Cup; finished fifth in Order of Merit. Did you know? Named top collegiate golfer, 2002, at UAB.

38. Andres Romero (Argentina)

Born: Tucuman, Argentina Age: 27 Pro wins: 8 (1 PGA) Match Play: 5-4 Notable: Made 10 birdies in final round of 2007 British Open to finish third. Did you know? Won first PGA event at 2008 Zurich Classic; nicknamed “Pigu.”

39. Stephen Ames (Canada)

Born: San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago Age: 44 Pro wins: 10 (PGA 3) Match Play: 3-4 Notable: Claimed first PGA win at 2004 Western Open. Did you know? Has dual citizenship in Canada and Trinidad and Tobago.

40. Shingo Katayama (Japan)

Born: Chikusei, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan Age: 36 Pro wins: 26 Match Play: 2-7 Notable: All 26 wins came on Japan Tour; fourth at 2001 PGA Championship. Did you know? Called “Cowboy Shingo” for cowboy-style hat.

41. Rory Sabbatini (South Africa)

Born: Durban, South Africa Age: 32 Pro wins: 4 (all PGA) Match Play: 3-5 Notable: 12th on 2008 money list; tied for second at 2007 Masters. Did you know? One of two ex-UA Wildcats in Match Play (with Jim Furyk).

42. Aaron Baddeley (Australia)

Born: Lebanon, N.H. Age: 27 Pro wins: 6 (PGA 2) Match Play: 4-2 Notable: Battled Tiger Woods in last year’s Match Play quarterfinals, losing on second playoff hole. Did you know? Has U.S. and Australian citizenship.

43. Oliver Wilson (England)

Born: Mansfield, England Age: 28 Pro wins: 0 Match Play: 0-0 Notable: Finished 11th in European Tour Order of Merit in 2008. Did you know? Became Europe’s first Ryder Cup player without having won a pro tourney.

44. Richard Sterne (S. Africa)

Born: Pretoria, South Africa Age: 27 Pro wins: 8 Match Play: 0-1 Notable: In 2008, fell to Hunter Mahan in first round of Match Play, won Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. Did you know? Is friends with icon Gary Player.

45. Dustin Johnson (USA)

Born: Columbia, S.C. Age: 24 Pro wins: 2 (PGA) Match Play: 0-0 Notable: Qualified by winning Pebble Beach last week. Did you know? Picked up second PGA Tour win in 36 career starts – quicker than Anthony Kim.

46. Stuart Appleby (Australia)

Born: Cohuna, Australia Age: 37 Pro wins: 13 (PGA 8) Match Play: 6-10 Notable: Won the Mercedes Championship three times. Did you know? Lost in a four-man playoff in 2002 British Open, his best major finish.

47. Sean O’Hair (USA)

Born: Lubbock, Texas Age: 26 Pro wins: 2 (both PGA). Match Play: 1-2 Notable: Won PGA rookie of year honors in 2005, earning $2.5 million. Did you know? Turned pro after junior year in high school under direction of dad.

48. Hunter Mahan (USA)

Born: Orange, Calif. Age: 26 Pro wins: 2 (PGA 1) Match Play: 1-1 Notable: His first PGA win, at 2007 Travelers, put him in top 100 of rankings. Did you know? Transferred from USC after one year to Oklahoma State.

49. Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa)

Born: Mossel Bay, South Africa Age: 26 Pro wins: 5 Notable: All five of his wins came on the Sunshine Tour. Did you know? Turned pro at age 19; member of South Africa’s World Amateur champion team in 2000.

50. Boo Weekley (USA)

Born: Milton, Fla. Age: 35 Pro wins: 2 (all PGA) Match Play: 2-1 Notable: Fan favorite reached Match Play quarterfinals last year and helped U.S. win Ryder Cup. Did you know? Boo comes from cartoon’s Boo Boo Bear.

51. Anders Hansen (Denmark)

Born: Sonderborg, Denmark Age: 38 Pro wins: 4 Match Play: 0-1 Notable: Had six top-10 finishes in 2006, including third in Dubai. Did you know? Qualified for 2007 PGA Tour but couldn’t keep playing status.

52. Soren Hansen (Denmark)

Born: Copenhagen, Denmark Age: 34 Pro wins: 3 Match Play: 0-1 Notable: Member of European Tour since 1999, with two wins. Did you know? Represented Europe in the 2008 Ryder Cup, but did not win a match.

53. Prayad Marksaeng (Thailand)

Born: Hua Hin, Thailand Age: 42 Pro wins: 7 Match Play: 0-0 Notable: Won 2007 Volvo Masters of Asia. Did you know? Dedicated last season to Thai golfer Suppha-phorn Maphungphong, who died two weeks prior to start.

54. Lin Wen-Tang (Taiwan)

Born: Taiwan Age: 34 Pro wins: 6 Match Play: 0-0 Notable: Moved up in rankings after wins at Asian Tour International and UBS Hong Kong Open in 2008. Did you know? His two brothers play with him on Asian Tour.

55. Mathew Goggin (Australia)

Born: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Age: 34 PGA wins: 0 Match Play: 0-0 Notable: Had five top-10 PGA finishes in 2008, including a second at Memorial. Did you know? Mother, Lindy, is three-time Australian Amateur champ.

56. Rod Pampling (Australia)

Born: Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia Age: 39 Pro wins: 5 (PGA 2) Match Play: 3-4 Notable: Second PGA win at 2006 Bay Hill Invitational lifted him to top 50 of rankings. Did you know? Tied for fifth at 2005 Masters.

57. Kevin Sutherland (USA)

Born: Sacramento, Calif. Age: 44 Pro wins: 1 Match Play: 8-2 Notable: Won 2002 Match Play title over Scott McCarron 1-up. Did you know? In 26 starts in 2008, he had two top-5 and six top-10 finishes.

58. Peter Hanson (Sweden)

Born: Svedala, Sweden Age: 31 Pro wins: 7 Match Play: 0-1 Notable: Finished in top 20 of European Tour Order of Merit in 2007 and 2008. Did you know? Finished 10th in last month’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

59. Davis Love III (USA)

Born: Charlotte, N.C. Age: 44 Pro wins: 34 (PGA 20, Majors 1) Notable: Won 1997 PGA Championship. Did you know? His 20th career PGA win at 2008 Children’s Miracle Network Classic gave him lifetime tour exemption.

60. Angel Cabrera (Argentina)

Born: Cordoba, Argentina Age: 39 Pro wins: 20 (PGA 1, Majors 1) Match Play: 6-7 Notable: Won 2007 U.S. Open, beating Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by one stroke. Did you know? Nickname is “El Pato,” or The Duck.

61. Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark)

Born: Arhos, Denmark Age: 33 Pro wins: 3 Match Play: 0-0 Notable: Won European Tour’s 2005 season-ending event, the Volvo Masters, by two shots. Did you know? Biggest win was Diageo Championship in 2003.

62. Pat Perez (USA)

Born: Phoenix Age: 32 Pro wins: 3 (PGA 1) Match Play: 0-0 Notable: Won first PGA event at Bob Hope Classic last month by 3, capped with eagle on final hole. Did you know? Played collegiately at Arizona State.

63. Charl Schwartzel (South Africa)

Born: Johannesburg, South Africa Age: 24. Pro wins: 4 Match Play: 0-0 Notable: Won Madrid Masters in 2008, his third European title. Did you know? Won third straight Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in 2007.

64. Brendan Jones (Australia)

Born: West Wyalong, New South Wales, Australia Age: 33 Pro wins: 10 Match Play: 0-0 Notable: Spent time on Japan Tour, where he won eight titles. Did you know? Has unenviable task of facing Tiger Woods in first round.

FIRST ALTERNATE

65. Richard Green (Australia)

Born: Williamstown, Australia Age: 37 Pro wins: 5 Match Play: 0-4 Notable: Lefty tied record at Carnoustie with 64 in 2007 British Open.

By Bryan Lee, Mike Chesnick

Corky Simpson, the Tucson Citizen’s former sports columnist, wishes he could get his Hall of Fame baseball picks back after leaving all-time steals leader Ricky Henderson off his ballot.

“I screwed up on the Henderson nonvote,” said Simpson, who detailed his choices in a Dec. 10 column for the Green Valley News. “You get to vote on 10 and I only picked eight. I probably did it too quickly.”

No player has ever been a unanimous selection to the Hall of Fame, and the omission caused an Internet uproar when ESPN.com detailed Simpson’s eight picks, including Tim Raines and Matt Williams. Some bloggers compared Simpson’s vote to 1992, when he was the only voter to pick Alabama No. 1 all season in the college football poll. Simpson said this time he just made a mistake. A few more writers could leave Henderson off their ballots when the voting tallies are released Monday. But for now, Simpson must endure the mean-spirited criticism.

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ON THE WEB

Corky’s column: www.gvnews.comESPN’s Rob Neyer responds: sports.espn.go.com

When I learned that Cleveland Indians pitching and broadcasting great Herb Score died Tuesday, I recalled how affable and helpful he was when I was a young writer in the early 1980s.

Players liked to intimidate me in spring training – one offered to stick me in a Hi Corbett Field locker – but I could always count on other media people like Score, 75, to lighten the mood.

His career took a tragic turn on May 7, 1957, when Gil McDougald of the New York Yankees lined a ball off Score’s right eye, breaking his nose and a number of bones in his face.

Not many could pitch after that, but Score did. In 1971, he told then-Citizen Sports Editor Regis McAuley that he wasn’t gun-shy after the injury. “That’s all part of the game,” he says.

What a brave soul. Sports needs more heroes like Score.

A national search has begun to replace Lute Olson, who retired Thursday as Arizona basketball coach after a 25-year run that included an NCAA title in 1997.

In the meantime, fans are left with several questions:

• Will UA associate head coach Mike Dunlap, a former Denver Nuggets assistant, be the interim coach for the season?

“We have to move quickly,” UA Athletics Director Jim Livengood said. “I intend to recruit a coach who is worthy to inherit Lute’s astounding legacy.”

Citizen Web site readers offered suggested successors, including Gonzaga coach Mark Few.

• Did the health of Olson, 74, affect his decision to retire? He missed last season because of personal and medical-related concerns.

“At this stage in my life, I want to devote my time to my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, family and friends,” Olson said in a statement.

• When will fans see Olson next?

UA plans to hold a “celebratory event” in the near future involving former players and fans, said Livengood. He said he plans to hold a news conference with Olson and UA President Robert Shelton.

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LUTE OLSON ARCHIVE

Read more Citizen coverage of the Olson years at tucsoncitizen.com/ss/lute

For nearly 25 years, Henry Ortega taught many Tucson kids the game of baseball. It seems only fitting that former players and parents will hold a pickup game Tuesday at Freedom Park to honor the Little League coach who died last month of cancer.

Mr. Ortega, 51, coached 9- to 12-year-olds in the Major division – first for Sunnyside Little League, then Old Pueblo and finally Freedom. He also usually helped manage each league’s All-Star teams.

In his final year of coaching, his grandson was able to play for him.

“Henry was only sick the last six months, and came out to coach whenever he was up to it,” said Freedom president Cindy Snow. “He would even come if all he could do was sit and watch.”

That type of dedication endeared him to many – and Snow’s league will have a pickup game at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Field No. 2 at Freedom Park, on East 29th Street (west of South Craycroft Road).

The league will sell Diamondbacks T-shirts and donate the proceeds to Ortega’s family. The snack bar will be open.

Mr. Ortega died Sept. 15. He is survived by his wife, Vickie; daughter, Celina Ortega and step-daughter, Tiffany Lawson; sisters Maria (Ernesto) Banuelos, Erminia (Guillermo) Jayme, Erlinda (Oscar) Rodriguez and Stella Ortega; brothers Greg (Artemisa), John (Frances), Joe (Nadine) and Ruben (Corie); and three grandchildren.