THE ELEVATOR

Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2006 | 7:47 a.m.

Who's headed toward the penthouse on the local sports scene - and who's getting the shaft.

GOING UP

Greg Maddux

The former Valley High star is The Elevator's Cal Ripken Jr. We've decided to reserve this space for him in the lineup. The pitching Methuselah's line against the Giants on Sunday was a little more of what you'd expect from a 40-year-old on his way to Cooperstown: Six innings, six hits, four earned runs allowed, zero walks, six strikeouts. But when your guys score 14 times, that's more than adequate.

51s sluggers

First baseman James Loney (15th), third baseman Andy LaRoche (26th) and outfielder Joel Guzman (35th) were named to the Minor League News' Fab50 Baseball 2006 rankings announced this week. The Fab50 is one of the most prestigious honors for minor league baseball prospects. It also may become a potential nickname for the two remaining Beatles if Paul McCartney keeps getting married.

GOING DOWN

UNLV QB 'controversy'

To anybody who thought the competition between USC transfer Rocky Hinds and his caddie, Shane Steichen, for the Rebels' starting quarterback position was anything but a psychological ploy by coach Mike Sanford, please forfeit one gift.

Gladiators' hire

To anybody who thinks hiring 72-year-old Sam Jankovich to play golf - er, oversee the day-to-day operations of our arena football team in a league that is way more P. Diddy than B. Crosby - was the right move, please return what Jay has in the box.

Aaron Rowand

To anybody who thinks the Green Valley resident's decision to bore a hole into Phillies second baseman Chase Utley by calling him off a pop fly in Chicago on Monday - just a few months removed from trying to bore a hole in the center field wall with his face - was aggressive rather than reckless baseball, the password is "disabled list."

CSTV

Perhaps it's a good thing that we can't get the alleged all sports college network in Las Vegas. While the Rebels' football team couldn't get arrested on CSTV, the network put out a press release Tuesday to say that it will be airing a special dedicated to The Princeton Review's Best 361 Colleges, 2007 Edition rankings. Among the topics to be covered: Top party schools, schools most nostalgic for President Bill Clinton and schools most nostalgic for President Ronald Reagan. I guess like the Rebels' football faithful, fans of William Howard Taft are just out of luck.

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