A's in pursuit of Manny!

A's still pursuing slugger Manny Ramirez

PHOENIX (AP) The Oakland Athletics still have strong interest in signing slugger Manny Ramirez, who presents a low-risk investment for the rebuilding franchise.

If things come together, the 39-year-old would sign a deal for slightly more than the league minimum of $480,000.

He first must serve a 50-game suspension without pay for violating baseball's drug policy for the second time. With no rainouts, the first game Ramirez would be eligible to play is June 2 at Kansas City.

The sides could reach agreement as soon as the next few days or sometime next week, and Ramirez then likely would travel from Florida to Arizona to undergo a physical before joining Oakland's spring training camp for full-squad workouts starting Feb. 25. Pitchers and catchers report to camp Saturday.

Oakland recently sent representatives to Florida to observe workouts by Ramirez, who retired from the Tampa Bay Rays last season rather than serve a 100-game suspension. For Ramirez, this could become a chance to help repair his reputation and serve as a positive clubhouse influence on a young team - that's sure what the Oakland brass hope, anyway.....

Former Red Sox OF Mike Cameron To Retire « CBS Boston

Former Red Sox OF Mike Cameron To Retire « CBS Boston

NH Snowmobile Trail Report 2-17-2012

February 17, 2012 Update Great riding has been reported. Use caution in other areas of the state as there is water and ice. Recommended to Stay off Lakes and Ponds where ice depth is unknown. Gorham Sled Fest Feb 17th thru 20th for more info go to www.presidentialrangeriders.org Waumbek Annual Steak Feed and Poker Run is on Sunday Feb 19th. Poker Run is from 9am-2pm Steak Feed from 11am-2pm. For more info go to www.waumbekmethna.com Pittsburg- 1" new snow on a 6-8" base in higher elevations and 2-3" in lower. Grooming is ongoing, and conditions range from marginal to great. South of town and there could still be some problem areas and some areas are still closed and are posted as such. Please pay attention to all signage! There are still logging operations going on. Perry Stream Rd is closed to snowmobile traffic and stay on the side of Magalloway Rd; some shared roads and are posted 10 mph. Lakes are still considered to be unsafe! For more details go towww.pittsburgridgerunners.org. Colebrook- Trails are groomed, range from marginal to fair with some bare spots, water bars and icy in lower elevations and good to great in higher elevations, watch for water bars, ice on hill sides and corners. Please ride with caution. If you ride east to Dixville Notch, the depth increases quite a lot, and there is even more snow further east toward Errol. For more info go to www.colebrookski-bees.com Stratford- 4-6" base. Trails are groomed and riding is moderate to good. Stratford Bog area riding is moderate. Potato Hill trail is closed due to logging. Use caution logging at jct of Corr 3 and 7. Watch for water bars. Groveton/Nash Stream- 2-6" base. Trails are groomed and riding is good. 5 South Temporarily Closed. Caution some icy conditions. Diamond Pond/Coleman State Park- 1" new snow on a 6-8" base. Trails are groomed and riding is great. Several logging operations going on. Lake ice is marginal. Warming hut open Saturday and Sunday. Gas pumps open 24/7. For more details go towww.swiftdiamondriders.com Errol- 1” new snow on a 1-4" base. Trails are groomed and riding is good to great. Use Caution some trails are getting icy. Cambridge- 1” new snow 2-4" base trails are groomed and riding is good. Milan- 2-4" base. Trails are groomed and riding is good. Twin Mtn- 2-6" Trails are groomed and riding is moderate to good. Grooming is being done in the Base Rd/Jefferson Notch area. Dalton- 1-4" base Trails are marginal to moderate. Berlin- 2-6" base.  Trails are groomed and riding is good to great. For more details, go towww.whitemtridgerunners.com Berlin/Success- 1-4" base. Trails are groomed and riding is moderate to good. Gorham- 2-4" base. Trails are groomed and riding is good.  Use caution some open water bars. And use caution around logging jobs. Gorham Sled Fest Feb 17th thru 20th for more info go to www.presidentialrangeriders.org Jefferson- 2-4" base. Trails are groomed and riding is marginal to good. Caution- Watch for water bars and logging operations. Waumbeks Annual Steak Feed and Poker Run are on Sunday Feb 19th. Poker Run is from 9am-2pm Steak Feed from 11am-2pm. For more details go to  www.waumbekmethna.com  Franconia Notch- 1-3" base. Trails are groomed and riding is moderate to good. Corr 11 North of Notch is not groomed and riding is marginal. Campton/Thornton- 1-4" base. Trails are groomed and riding is marginal to good. Corr 11 Rail line not groomed use caution. Some bare spots and ice. Bear Notch- 4-8" base. Trails are groomed. Riding is good. Caution watch for some icy areas and in corners.  RR Tracks starting to show in some places. Use Caution and watch for mushers and skiers. Conway/ Chatham- 1-3 base. Fields showing bare spots stay off. Corridor 19 and loops are icy and some open water bars .To warm to groom. .Riding is fair to good. Logging job is done but road is dirt. Ossipee- 3" base. RR Tracks exposed. Castle Trails Closed. From white lake out to Wonolancet loops is only riding and is fair with some rocks and water bars showing. Pisgah State Park-  Riding Not available Pillsbury State Park- Riding Not available Sullivan- Riding Not available Rail Lines: Northern: No riding at this time. Ashuelot: No riding at this time Fort Hill:  No riding at this time Sugar River: No riding at this time Concord to Lincoln:  No riding at this time Additional Resources and Information Please be safe and ride with caution. Respect our landowners. Watch speeds and stay to the right. For more information contact brenda.drouin@dred.state.nh.us.  2012 NH Snowmobile Corridor Map   (For a printed map contact NHSA or the Bureau of Trails) Snowmobile Trail Conditions Reports Snowmobile Club Information Snowmobile User Information Snow Depth Map NH Weather Radar

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ICY CONDITIONS LEAD TO HIKER RESCUE IN BEAR BROOK STATE PARK

CONCORD, N.H. -- Two young Manchester women were rescued this afternoon (Friday, February 17, 2012) after icy trail conditions caused them to become stranded in a ravine near Catamount Brook in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, N.H. 


Manchester residents Melanie Beaudoin and Krystie Gugger, both age 22, had been hiking on trails in the park when they encountered icy conditions that caused them to slide off the trail. Luckily, they had cell phone reception and were able to call for emergency assistance at about 2 p.m. 


Officials were able to lock in the coordinates of the hikers' location after they were instructed to call 911. New Hampshire and Fish Game Department Conservation Officers riding All-Terrain Vehicles, along with Allenstown Fire and Police personnel, were able to reach the young women by 3:40 p.m. They were transported out of the woods, safe and sound, by 4:00 p.m. The hikers were wearing ice-creepers. 


"This rescue went smoothly, and we're glad no one was hurt," said Fish and Game Lt. James Juneau. "With the long holiday weekend ahead of us, this incident serves as a poignant reminder that all hikers need to be prepared for varying conditions. In spite of this year's lack of snow, icy conditions are present on many trails statewide."


No further information is available at this time.


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For information on safe hiking, visit http://www.hikesafe.com.


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Tim Wakefield's Numbers Earn Him Spot in Red Sox History, But He'll Be Remembered Most for Off-Field Heroics - Boston Red Sox - NESN.com

Tim Wakefield's Numbers Earn Him Spot in Red Sox History, But He'll Be Remembered Most for Off-Field Heroics - Boston Red Sox - NESN.com

Baseball, at least in terms of history, is based almost solely on numbers.

The stats are what define the legacies of the game's all-time greats, with the numbers -- 755, 56, .406, etc. -- almost as famous as the players who posted them.

Longtime Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield will retire on Friday night, and while his numbers won't earn him a spot in Cooperstown, he will walk away with his name at or near the top of a lot of Red Sox pitching records.

He'll leave the Red Sox third all time in wins behind a couple of guys named Cy Young and Roger Clemens. He'll head out ranked second in club history in strikeouts. Five times Wakefield won at least 14 games. He threw 33 complete games.

Of course, longevity helps breed those numbers. The same reason Wakefield is at the top of those lists is the same reason that no one has ever allowed more home runs, walks hits or has suffered a loss more in a Red Sox uniform than Wakefield. Something must be said, both good and bad, for walking away as the franchise leader in all-time innings while racking up the second-most appearences.

The numbers are there, sure. They'll ensure that Wakefield will long be remembered as one of the most decorated pitchers in Red Sox history. The thing about Wakefield, however, is that he'll be remembered much longer for so much more than numbers.

Wakefield's greatest contribution to the Red Sox organization and the New England community will be for what he did away from the field, as opposed to what he did on a pitching mound.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a better teammate in any sport over the course of his career than Wakefield. Those that have played with Wakefield go out of their ways to attest to that. And why not? The examples are there over and over again.

In a sport where so many are criticized for being raised and groomed as the next big thing, Wakefield throughout his career showed multiple examples of selflessness that endeared him to a passionate fan base and a humble city. Whatever Wakefield was called on to do, he did it, and he often did it well.

He was there to step in during the 1999 season when the Sox needed a closer. The idea of a knuckleballer as a closer is one that many thought absurd, but Wakefield stepped in and did the job. He picked up 15 saves that season.

If you're going to talk about Wakefield's selflessness, there's no better example than the 2004 American League Championship Series. He was supposed to start Game 4 of the series against the Yankees, in what would have been a chance to avenge the horrific ending to the ALCS a year earlier when Aaron Boone tattooed a Wakefield knuckleball to give the Yankees the pennant. As it often happens in baseball, things didn't go according to script.

Bronson Arroyo was shellacked to start Game 3. The Yankees came out and knocked the right-hander all over the park. Ramiro Mendoza and Curtis Leskanic fared no better. Ever the consummate professional, Wakefield volunteered to work out of the bullpen -- foregoing his Game 4 start -- to help save the pen an..... CONT