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Perkins closes out All-Star game, right at home

By WTOP Staff

DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The bullpen door swung open, and Glen Perkins ran out on his way to the mound he’s made his ninth-inning home at Target Field.

Minnesota’s closer worked a routine three-up, three-down appearance, for the most memorable save of his life. He finished the American League’s 5-3 victory over the National League on Tuesday night, with Twins fans cheering him the whole time.

Not a bad way to finish an All-Star game in the place he grew up.

“Hearing how loud the fans were, it makes me want to get to the playoffs because I think it felt like a playoff atmosphere out there tonight,” Perkins said, adding: “Loss of words. I am not usually at a loss of words, but I am now.”

Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki came in to catch his teammate. Perkins, who grew up in Stillwater, a suburb east of Minneapolis, pitched for the University of Minnesota before being drafted by the Twins in the first round in 2004.

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HOMECOMING, PART TWO: St. Louis reliever Pat Neshek, who started his career with the Twins and also grew up in a Minneapolis suburb, Brooklyn Park, had a big grin on his face as he tipped his cap to the crowd during pre-game introductions. He was even announced as a former member of the Park Center Pirates, a nod to his high school less than 10 miles north of the downtown ballpark.

Neshek took the loss, giving up two fifth-inning runs. But he wasn’t going to let that ruin his experience.

“It’s baseball. The balls don’t bounce your way. It’s a tough one, but I think everybody had a lot of fun,” Neshek said.

Not that Neshek was blaming the field for any bad bounces — his brother works on the ballpark’s grounds crew.

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DARVISH DEBUT: Texas ace Yu Darvish finally got to pitch in the All-Star game after being selected for the last two but was left in the bullpen. The highlight of his scoreless innings was a 56 mph pitch to Troy Tulowitzki.

“That’s really my strength. I wanted to pitch at least one in this game,” Darvish said through an interpreter.

Quite the contrast from the 100 mph heater Aroldis Chapman threw later.

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THE A-LIST: Oakland had a major league-high six players selected for the All-Star game, plus a seventh in recently acquired right-hander Jeff Samardzija, who would have been included on the NL side had he remained with the Chicago Cubs.

After consecutive AL West titles with a roster largely unknown to mainstream fans around the country, these Athletics have finally received their due.

“It’s definitely an honor for all of us to be here,” said third baseman Josh Donaldson, the lone starter in the group. “I feel like this is the results of playing well the last two years, and obviously playing well this year, too. We feel that we definitely have the team to beat, just because the last couple years we’ve won the division and our guys are real focused on that.”

With outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, first baseman Brandon Moss and catcher Derek Norris joining Donaldson, the A’s have position players represented for the first time since catcher Ramon Hernandez in 2003.

That’s a long gap, but it’s a good guess that they won’t have to wait so long for the next recognition.

“It’s really cool to have that many guys here and get to share it with them,” Moss said. “These are the same guys that have been there for two years, except for Kaz. But we have a lot of guys that can do a lot of special things.”

Pitchers Sean Doolittle and Scott Kazmir were the other A’s on the AL squad.

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STILL WELCOME: Jeff Samardzija was declared ineligible by Major League Baseball to participate since the trade that sent him from the Cubs to the A’s was finalized the day before the All-Star rosters were revealed. Still, the lanky long-haired Samardzija was at Target Field for the festivities this week.

He stood last in line with the NL reserves, wearing a generic red-and-blue workout day jersey for the NL. His hat, which could’ve been picked up at one of the souvenir shops in the concourse, read “MLB All-Star Game” with this year’s logo in the middle.

“These last couple weeks have been pretty tumultuous. It’s going to be nice to get back to normal and just play together,” Samardzija said.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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