The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page C3

i st TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2013 C3 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR INDYSTAR.COM Cards demote Rzepczynski NBA player declares he is gay Pacers, others around league support center Jason Collins Star news services Making a move to shore up a shaky bullpen, the St. Louis Cardinals demoted struggling left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski to the minor leagues. The decision Monday means for now that the Cardinals are keeping Mitchell Boggs on the active big league roster despite a 12.66 ERA. St. Louis selected the contract of right-hander Seth Maness from Triple-A Memphis, and he was expected to join the team in time for Monday's game against the Reds.

Maness, 24, 2-2 with a 4.32 ERA in five starts in the minors, was the franchise's minor league pitcher of the year last season and will be making his major-league debut. Rzepczynski allowed seven runs in eight innings over nine appearances for a 7.88 ERA and gave up a two-run homer to Russell Martin in the ninth inning of Sunday's 9-0 loss to the Pirates. Boggs was charged with the other three runs in that inning. Etc. Dodgers OF prospect Yasiel Puig faces charges of reckless driv- St.

Louis sent reliever Marc Rzepczynski to the minors on Monday and promoted Seth Maness. usa today ing, speeding and driving without proof of insurance in Tennessee after police say he went 97 mph in a 50-mph zone early Sunday. Mets 3B David Wright was out of the lineup for Monday night's game at Miami because of a stiff neck. Yankees RHP Mariano Rivera is writing an autobiography. No word on whether he'll open with the final chapter.

Little, Brown and Co. said Monday it will publish "The Closer" next spring in English, Spanish and audio editions. A children's edition will follow that autumn. thing to do. I'm happy for him.

Obviously it's something he wanted to get out in public." Vogel and power forward David West said they would accept a gay player on their team. "I would imagine I would be (OK with it)," West said. "That's a personal issue. If a guy wants to be that way, that's up to him." Collins' coach with the Celtics, Doc Rivers, drew a comparison between Monday's announcement and Jackie Robinson's role when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 as the first black player in Major League Baseball. "I am extremely happy and proud of Jason Collins.

He's a pro's pro. He is the consummate professional and he is one of my favorite 'team' players I have ever coached," Rivers said. "If you have learned anything from Jackie Robinson, it is that teammates are always the first to accept. It will be society who has to learn tolerance." Collins said he quietly made a statement for gay rights even while keeping his sexual orientation a secret. He wore No.

98 with the Celtics and Wizards 1998 was the year Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming, was killed, and the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization, was founded. Living in the nation's capital as a member of the Wizards last month while the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about same-sex marriage had an effect on Collins. "Less than three miles from my apartment, nine jurists argued about my happiness and my future. Here was my chance to be heard, and I couldn't say a thing," he writes.

"I didn't want to answer questions and draw attention to myself." After being a first-round draft pick in 2001, Collins has averaged 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds for the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Celtics and Wizards. "Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are Star news services With the simplest of sentences, NBA veteran Jason Collins set aside years of worry and silence to become the first active player in one of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues to come out as gay. In a first-person article posted Monday on Sports Illustrated's website, Collins begins: "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black.

And I'm gay." Collins has played for six teams in 12 seasons, most recently as a reserve with the Washington Wizards after a midseason trade from the Boston Celtics. He is now a free agent and wants to keep playing in the NBA. "I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm Collins writes.

"If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand." Saying he had "endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie," Collins immediately drew support for his announcement from the White House, former President Bill Clinton, the NBA, current and former teammates, and athletes in other sports. Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant tweeted that he was proud of Collins, writing: "Don't suffocate who because of the ignorance of others," followed by the words "courage" and "support." Two Indiana Pacers players and coach Frank Vogel said they had no issues with Collins coming out. "I have no problem with openly gay men," Pacers center Roy Hib-bert said. "More power to them.

We live in a day and age where people are more accepting as opposed to years ago. Him and his family may have some adversity in the coming days and weeks, but I have no problem with it." Said Vogel: "I think it's a brave Jason Collins has played In the NBA for a dozen years. He recently has worn No. 98, which has significance in the gay-rights community, usa TODAY proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue," NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement. Several male athletes have previously come out after they retired, including the NBA's John Amae-chi, the NFL's Esera Tuaolo and Major League Baseball's Billy Bean.

Rick Welts, president and chief operating officer of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, is openly gay. But Collins is the first to do so while planning to keep playing. "I hope fans will respect me for raising my hand," he said. "And I hope teammates will remember that I've never been an in-your-face kind of guy. All you need to know is that I'm single.

I see no need to delve into specifics." Etc. The NBA said its relocation committee voted unanimously to recommend that owners deny the Sacramento Kings' application to relocate to Seattle. The Board of Governors will convene during the week of May 13 to vote on the matter. The Bulls played without Kirk Hinrich on Monday night against Brooklyn because of a bruised left calf. Sunday's game SPURS 103, LAKERS 82 Tony Parker scored 23 points, and visiting San Antonio completed a first-round sweep of Los Angeles.

In his final game before unrestricted free agency, the Lakers' Dwight Howard scored seven points before getting ejected early in the third quarter for arguing. Cabrera swings away anytime he wants said. "That doesn't mean you're going to swing 3-0. You've got to make sure you get a good pitch to hit." Atlanta's Mike Minor (3-2) allowed a three-run homer to Jackson in the third, and although the Braves came back to tie it, Cabrera doubled and scored in the sixth to make it 4-3. Infante hit a solo shot in the seventh, and Cabrera added an opposite-field homer on a 3-0 fastball by reliever Cory Gearrin.

"He's the best I've ever seen, opposite-field power," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. Cabrera extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Associated Press DETROIT Miguel Cabrera is one hitter who can certainly be trusted to swing at a 3-0 pitch. Cabrera hit a three-run homer on that count Sunday night, and it broke the game open in the seventh inning, helping the Detroit Tigers finish off a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves with an 8-3 victory. Austin Jackson and Omar Infante also homered for the Tigers, and Doug Fister struck out eight in seven innings on a rainy night at Comerica Park.

"You've got to make sure 'Skip' gives you the sign to swing. That's when you decide to swing or not swing," Cabrera FOOTBALL CHANGES Football, which goes from five classes to six for the first time this fall, was the sport most affected with the sectional rearrangement unveiled by the Indiana High School Athletic Association on Monday for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years. Here is a look at the new 6A local sectional groupings: Sectional 4: Carmel, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Noblesville. Sectional 5: Avon, Ben Davis, Brownsburg, Pike. Sectional 6: Lawrence Central, Lawrence North, North Central, Warren Central.

Sectional 7: Franklin Central, Tech, Perry Meridian, South port. Sectional 8: Center Grove, Columbus North, Jefferson-ville, New Albany. proposal that will allow home-schooled students to compete on athletic teams as long as certain criteria are met: The student provides proof to the IHSAA that eligibility rules will not be compromised. The student must have been home schooled for three consecutive years. The student completes all state-wide examinations as authorized by the Department of Education.

The student's family submits grade information to the school. The student must be enrolled at the host school for a minimum of one class per day. IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox said the stipulations in place will assure that there "is no gerrymandering" with the Sectionals Continued from C1 derson, Decatur Central, Richmond and Zionsville. Traditional powers Bishop Chatard and Roncalli are together in 4A Sectional 22. Locally in basketball, Mt.

Vernon will move up to 4A and into Sectional 9 with Anderson, Conners-ville, Greenfield-Central, New Castle, Pendleton Heights and Richmond. Another major change has Brownsburg and Avon moving out of Sectional 11 and into Sectional 12 with Martinsville, Mooresville, Plainfield, Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South. Park Tudor and Broad Ripple remain together in 2A Sectional 42. The IHSAA board of directors also approved a Senior Weekdays includes golf cars (60 years and over) $26 Regular Weekday with golf cars $40 Weekday Twilite with golf cars after 3 p.m $30 Weekends with golf cars $45 Weekends after Noon with golf cars $36 Weekend Twilite with golf cars after 3 p.m $30 9 Holes with golf cars after 4 p.m. EVERYDAY $19 2555 North Hurricane Road, Franklin, IN 46131 317-736-8186 THELEGENDSGOLFCLUB.COM ALL PLAYERS MUST HAVE OWN COURON- CLIP AND happy and sign them up somewhere else as a home-schooled student.

That's not the intent of the rule." Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. definition of a home-schooled student. "This will allow the true home-schooled student an opportunity," Cox said. "With the three-year provision, a parent can't just pull their student out of school if they are un Fazio Designed 27 Championship Holes All New 2013 Lincoln MKZ PER MONTH 36 MONTHS 399 24 to Choose from LINCOLN AFS RED CARPET LEASE DOWN PAYMENT 100A PACKAGE VIN 3LN6L2G97DR809885 FIRST MONTH'S PAYMENT Plus $1000 Lincoln conquest bonus cash for qualified customers Security deposit waived, taxes, title and license fees extra Plus a mile complimentary maintenance plan DUE AT SIGNING EXPIRES 43013 TOM ROUSH LINCOLN CORNER OF US 31 NORTH AND 169TH STREET WESTFIELD, IN 46074 WWW.TOMROUSH.COM ffl LINCOLN.