Culture

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=280630130 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- No punches, no angry words exchanged. With first place on the line in the AL East, the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox stuck to playing baseball Monday night. James Shields scattered five hits over 6 1/3 innings and B.J. Upton and Gabe Gross homered, helping the Rays remain unbeaten at home against the Red Sox with a 5-4 victory that hiked their lead to 1 1/2 games in the division. "This is an intense series," Boston's Mike Lowell said. "I know there's a little history, but I think both teams played good baseball." The Rays (50-32), surprising owners of the best record in baseball, have won six of seven and shrugged off a six-game losing streak to Boston, which is 6-0 against Tampa Bay at Fenway Park but 0-4 at Tropicana Field. espn 7/1/08

http://www.andthevalleyshook.com/2008/6/30/561439/skip-bertman-s-last-day-on One of the most successful careers in LSU athletics comes to a sort of close today, as Skip Bertman, overseer of 5 National Championships as the LSU baseball coach, and overseer of 2 National Championships and 3 SEC Championships in football, 4 Final Four appearances in women's basketball, one Final Four appearance in men's basketball, two College World Series appearances in baseball, and countless other accomplishments, steps down as Athletic Director today. He'll be gone, but he won't go far. He remains with the program in a fund-raising capacity. Officially, his title is "Athletic Director Emeritus." He leaves his post with LSU football, LSU baseball, LSU track, LSU women's basketball, and LSU gymnastics all appearing to have bright futures. He has overseen the hiring of a football coach, the hiring of a baseball coach, the hiring of two women's head basketball coaches, and the hiring of a men's basketball coach. His football hiree has been an unqualified success. The women's basketball coaches have both had success on the court. The latest baseball coach appears headed to great things. We'll have to wait and see on the basketball coach, but there are high hopes. andthevalleyshook 6/30/08