Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Notes on a cold, rainy night.

University of Kentucky senior SS Molly Johnson is among 31 athletes who have accepted invitations to the 2010 USA Softball Women’s Team Selection Camp, to be held Jan. 4-8 at Chula Vista, Calif.

Senior shortstop Molly Johnson has established herself as a UK great.

A 17-member team, plus alternates, will be selected from the camp to represent USA Softball in 2010.

Johnson, who came to UK from Tucson, Ariz., but now calls Lexington home, helped Team USA win the Japan Cup last summer. Johnson went 3-for-5 over four games and led the team in runs scored (6).

Johnson, a UK team captain, has started all 162 games of her career, has twice had 10-game hitting streaks and has totaled 74 extra-base hits.

She is all over the UK career leaders lists, including: batting (.395) and slugging (.648), first in each; doubles (45), second; home runs (22), third; runs scored (113) and total bases (320), fourth in each; RBI (110), stolen bases (46) and defensive assists (379), fifth in each; hits (195), sixth; and triples (7), seventh.

Other players scheduled to attend the selection camp: Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.); Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.); Brandice Balschmiter (Newark, N.Y.); Chelsea Bramlett (Cordova, Tenn.); Courtney Bures (Haymarket, Va.); Katie Burkhart (San Luis Obispo, Calif.); Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif.); Ashley Charters (Beaverton, Ore.); Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif.); Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.); Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.); Vicky Galindo (Union City, Calif.); Alissa Haber (Newark, Calif.); Ashley Hansen (Chandler, Ariz.); Ashley Holcombe (Fayetteville, Ga.); Megan Langenfeld (Bakersfield, Calif.); Lauren Lappin (Anaheim, Calif.); Brittany Lastrapes (Laguna Niguel, Calif); Jenae Leles (Fair Oaks, Calif.); Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.); Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif.); Stacey Nelson (Los Alamitos, Calif.); Cat Osterman (Houston); Amber Patton (Forsyth, Ill.); Brittany Rogers (Dacula, Ga.); Melissa Roth (Long Beach, Calif.); Taylor Schlopy (West Hills, Calif.); Angela Tincher (Eagle Rock, Mo.); Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.); and Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo.)

Legends, Reds, Astros and Wildcats — oh, my!

Individuals with ties to the Lexington Legends, Cincinnati Reds and University of Kentucky will play starring roles Jan. 21 at the 25th annual Houston Baseball Dinner, presented by the Houston Athletic Committee, Minute Maid, the Houston chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and the Houston Astros.

LHP Wandy Rodriguez, who went by the alias Eny Cabreja when he pitched for Lexington (2002), will be honored as the Astros Pitcher of the Year.

Washington Nationals 1B Adam Dunn, who began his big-league career with the Reds, is the Greater Houston Major League Player of the Year. A Houston native, Dunn resides in Montgomery, Texas.

Hall of Fame broadcaster Milo Hamilton will serve as master of ceremonies. Hamilton’s 59 years in broadcasting include a brief tenure with University of Kentucky basketball.

Others to be honored include CF Michael Bourn (Astros MVP), RHP Brian Moehler (Darryl Kile Award, reflecting decency and character), RHP Jeff Fulchino (Astros Rookie of the Year), 1B Lance Berkman (Allen Russell Distinguished Achievement Award) and long-time official scorer Ivy McLemore (Fred Hartman Award for Long and Meritorious Service to Baseball).

Charley Taylor

* Best wishes to Charley Taylor, the pitching coach in each of the Legends’ first eight seasons. A cancerous bladder caused him to miss last season and, soon after the season ended, another tumor was found. He has since undergone successful surgery in Houston and has been recovering at the home of Rod and Lynne Humphries — parents of former Legends slugger Justin Humphries. Taylor is now back at MD Anderson Hospital undergoing chemotherapy.

* Astros RHP Chris Sampson, also a former Legend, is co-owner of LoneStar Baseball Academy, which opened Nov. 16 in Baytown, Texas. Sampson’s co-owner is former Milwaukee Brewers prospect Kade Johnson. They hosted a clinic for 50 youths from the Baytown YMCA last weekend, assisted by Astros/former Legends catcher J.R. Towles, Washington Nationals pitcher Garrett Mock and others.

* Astros/Legends connections playing winter ball include: 3B Jhon Florentino, LHP Fernando Abad, RHP Sammy Gervacio, and LHP Polin Trinidad in the Dominican League; SS Wladimir Sutil, C Pedro Gonzales and LHP Doug Arguello in the Venezuelan League; and OF Brian Bogusevic, 2B Edwin Maysonet and 3B Chris Johnson in the Puerto Rican League. … In the Arizona Fall League: RHP Evan Englebrook finished with no decisions and a 7.71 ERA over 11 games and 12 2/3 innings, with 12 strikeouts and four walks; and RHP Daniel Meszaros wound up with one save over 12 games, working 11 2/3 innings. He struck out 15 and walked three.

* Former Legends now on the Astros 40-man roster: Abad, Bogusevic, Englebrook, Gervacio, Johnson, Maysonet, Rodriguez, Sampson, Sutil, Towles, Trinidad and SS Tommy Manzella, OF Hunter Pence and RHPs Bud Norris, Felipe Paulino and Henry Villar.

See Barenaked Ladies at the Winter Olympics

The lineup that will entertain during 12 nights of Victory Ceremonies at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games include Canadian acts Barenaked Ladies, Nelly Furtado, Loverboy and Hedley.

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) made the announcement Tuesday. The Victory Ceremonies, paying tribute to Games medalists each night, are scheduled Feb. 14-26 inside BC Place www.vancouver2010.com.

Grammy Award-winner Nelly Furtado will be first up, Feb. 14, when medals will be presented for speedskating and freestyle moguls.

The list of performers, host province and medal presentations follow.

Sunday, Feb. 14 — Nelly Furtado www.nellyfurtado.com, British Columbia Night. Medal presentations in short-track speedskating (men’s 1,500 meters), ladies’ freestyle moguls and speedskating (men’s 5,000 meters and ladies’ 3,000).

Monday, Feb. 15 — TBA, Quebec Night. Medals: Men’s freestyle skiing moguls.

Tuesday, Feb. 16 — Barenaked Ladies www.barenakedladies.com, Nova Scotia Night. Medals: Men’s and ladies’ snowboard cross, and men’s 500-meter speedskating.

Wednesday, Feb. 17 — Paul Brandt www.paulbrandt.com, Alberta Night. Medals: Ladies’ 500-meter speedskating.

Thursday, Feb. 18 — Hedley www.hedleyonline.com, Prince Edward Island Night. Medals: Ladies’ 500-meter short-track speedskating, men’s snowboard halfpipe, men’s and ladies’ 1,000-meter speedskating.

Friday, Feb. 19 — Theory of a Deadman www.theoryofadeadman.com, Northwest Territories’ Night. Medals: Ladies’ snowboard halfpipe.

Saturday, Feb. 20 — Stereophonics www.stereophonics.com, Yukon Night. No medal presentation.

Sunday, Feb. 21 — Trooper & Loverboy www.loverboyband.com, www.trooper.com, Nunavut Night. Medals: Ladies 1,500 meters and men’s 1,000 short-track speedskating, men’s 1,500 speedskating and men’s freestyle ski cross.

Tuesday, Feb. 23 — Billy Talent www.billytalent.com, Saskatchewan Night. Medals: Ladies’ freestyle ski cross and men’s 10,000-meter speedskating.

Wednesday, Feb. 24 — INXS www.inxs.com, Ontario Night. Medals: Ladies’ 5,000-meter speedskating.

Thursday, Feb. 25 — Burton Cummings www.officialburtoncummings.com, Manitoba Night. Medals: Short-track speedskating (ladies’ 3,000-meter relay) and ladies’ freestyle skiing aerials.

Friday, Feb. 26 — Great Big Sea www.greatbigsea.com, Newfoundland and Labrador Night. Medals: Men’s freestyle skiing aerials and ladies’ snowboarding parallel giant slalom.