BEIJING -- Former basketball star Dennis Rodman apologized on Monday for not
being able to help an American missionary detained in North Korea while he
played there to celebrate the birthday of his friend and leader Kim Jong Un.
Matt Bosher Jersey . "Im sorry, Im sorry I
couldnt do anything," Rodman told media on his arrival at Beijing airport from a
weeklong trip. "Its not my fault. Im sorry. I just want to do some good stuff,
thats all I want to do." He said he would return to North Korea next month, but
gave no details. Rodman and the squad of retired NBA players he took to North
Korea for an exhibition game marking Kims birthday have met with criticism in
the U.S. because of North Koreas human rights record and its development of
nuclear weapons. Acknowledging the controversy surrounding the trip, one of the
players, Charles D. Smith, said Rodman "opened the door and he did some missteps
along the way." In an interview in Beijing, Smith said Rodmans singing of "Happy
Birthday" to Kim before the exhibition game at a Pyongyang stadium was something
that he alone had decided to do. "I think that it might not have been the right
thing to do, but he did it ... if it was done in private it would be different,
but when its done in the open like that, people are going to have opinions."
During the trip, Rodman was also slammed for not using his influence with Kim to
help free Kenneth Bae, the missionary in poor health who has been detained for
more than a year for "anti-state crimes." Rodman apologized last week for
comments he made in a CNN interview implying Bae was at fault, saying he had
been drinking and was upset because some of his teammates were under pressure to
leave. Smith said the controversy surrounding Bae was a "bad situation" that
"overshadowed some of the things that we were doing." "Dennis is not a member of
the State Department, he is not a member of the UN," Smith said. "For them to
put the flag in his hands and say go and negotiate and talk about it, he
probably would have made it worse, you know." He said North Korean officials had
invited the team back "at any given time." On Monday, Rodman reiterated that his
trip was one of goodwill. "This is not a bad deal," he said. "I want to show
people that no matter whats going on in the world, for one day, just one day, no
politics, not all that stuff. "Im sorry for all the people and whats going on,
Im sorry," he continued. "Im not the president, Im not an ambassador, Im just an
individual that wants to show the world the fact that we can actually get along
and be happy for one day." Rodman and Kim struck up a friendship when the
basketball-player-turned-celebrity first travelled to the secretive state last
year.
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is a matter for debate.
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. Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early
May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson
tallied 5:15 later for Nashville.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- No champagne. No curtain
call in front of joyous fans. No celebrating at all, really. The Cincinnati Reds
clinched a playoff spot with hardly any notice. If anything, they were a little
bummed out. Shin-Soo Choo drove in the winning run with a single off the wall in
the 10th inning, and the Reds secured their third playoff spot in four years
shortly after beating the New York Mets 3-2 on Monday night. They want a whole
lot more than the wild card thats already in hand. "Were excited, obviously,"
shortstop Zack Cozart said, looking over a clubhouse where the only visible
celebration was the image of Pittsburgh Pirates spraying each other on
television. "Thats not our goal. Were in the division hunt. Were not happy with
a wild card." The Reds clinched theirs after Choos drive smacked high off the
wall in left-centre field. Eight minutes later, the St. Louis Cardinals beat the
Washington Nationals 4-3, clinching an NL wild card for Pittsburgh. Bummer. The
Reds were pulling for first-place St. Louis to lose. Instead, the Cardinals
retained their two-game lead over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in the NL Central.
"I was pulling for the Nationals to win, get a step closer to the Cardinals,"
manager Dusty Baker said. "Weve still got five games to go. A lot of baseball."
The Reds kept pace with St. Louis despite squandering plenty of chances to end
it early. They wasted a chance in the ninth, when David Aardsma pitched out of a
bases-loaded threat by retiring Todd Frazier on a fly out. Greg Burke (0-3) gave
up a one-out single to Devin Mesoraco in the 10th, and Derrick Robinson singled
him to third. Choo followed with his third hit of the game, off left-hander
Sean Henn, a drive high off the wall in left-centre. Choo headed for the dugout
after crossing first base. Manny Parra (2-3) allowed one hit in the 10th. It was
a notable win for the Reds -- their 90th of the season, the third time in the
last four years that they have reached the mark under Baker. They havent had so
many 90-win seasons since the Big Red Machine of the 1970s. Johnny Cueto made a
second solid start since coming off the disabled list, an encouraging sign for
Cincinnatis post-season plans. The right-hander has been sidelined three times
by soreness near his shoulder. He gave up two runs -- one earned -- on
Lucas&nbssp;Dudas sacrifice fly and solo homer, which snapped an 0-for-17
slump.
LaRoy Reynolds Jersey. . In two starts, Cueto
has allowed eight hits and one earned run in 12 innings. Cuetos 99-pitch outing
was the most encouraging part of the night for the Reds, who could have their
ace back for the playoffs. "He was excellent," Baker said. "Hes getting ready.
Each time he goes out, he gets his endurance up." The Reds got two runs in six
innings off Aaron Harang, who made his third start for the Mets. Choo singled
home a run in the second and Joey Votto got one of his career-high five walks
with the bases loaded. Harang is 3-0 in four career starts against the Reds,
including a 4-2 victory with Seattle on July 5 at Great American Ball Park. The
Mariners later released him with a 5-11 record. The Reds sustained their hopes
of another division title by winning another long game -- they are 13-9 in extra
innings. Last September, Baker was in a Chicago hospital getting treated for an
irregular heartbeat and a mini-stroke when the Reds clinched the NL Central
title. They made a video of their spray-away celebration and wished for another
when he returned. It didnt happy. Cueto had to leave the opening game of the
playoffs at San Francisco after only eight pitches because of a strained muscle
in his right side. With their rotation in flux, the Reds lost the five-game
series. This season, the Reds have stayed in contention despite losing Cueto,
setup relievers Sean Marshall and Jonathan Broxton, and cleanup hitter
Ryan Ludwick for most of the season. Ludwick tore cartilage in his right
shoulder while sliding into a base on opening day and was out for more than
three months. They were six games out on Aug. 9, in danger of falling out of the
divisions three-team race. They regrouped and have taken the race down to the
final week by winning 12 of their last 17. NOTES: New Yorks David Wright had his
hitting streak ended at eight games. ... Billy Hamilton got in as a pinch-runner
in the eighth and stole second, leaving him 13 for 13 in attempts. The Mets
called for a pitchout but Frank Francisco threw it over the plate. ... Votto has
walked 132 times this season, tying Joe Morgans club record from 1975. The five
walks also tied a club record. ... RHP Mike Leake (14-6) starts for the Reds on
Tuesday against LHP Jonathon Niese (7-8).
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