ST.
Eddie Vanderdoes Youth Jersey . LOUIS --
Former World Series MVP David Freese was traded by his hometown St. Louis
Cardinals to the Los Angeles Angels in a four-player deal Friday that reunites
Albert Pujols with a pair of ex-teammates. In a conference call with media,
Freese said he got a welcoming text from Pujols and responded with a reference
to the 2011 World Series: "Remember what we did the last time we played
together? Lets go try to do that again." Freese didnt think his drop-off in
production last season had anything to do with the pressure of being the
"hometown kid." "Obviously, Im a little sad closing this chapter, but Im
extremely pumped about joining the Angels," Freese said. "If it was going to go
down, I wanted it to happen on a team like the Angels." St. Louis obtained a new
starting centre fielder in Peter Bourjos, plus outfield prospect Randal Grichuk.
The Cardinals also sent reliever Fernando Salas to the Angels. "Overall, we just
felt this was a very compelling deal to make," Cardinals general manager John
Mozeliak said. Freeses departure did not come as a surprise. "I definitely would
look myself in the mirror and say, Where am I going to be in March?" Freese
said. "I was ready to go anywhere. Im excited to get this going." The
30-year-old was the MVP of the 2011 NL championship series and the World Series,
setting a major league record with 21 post-season RBIs and hitting a
game-ending, 11th-inning home run in Game 6. Freese injured his back chasing a
foul ball into the stands during spring training this year and never hit stride.
He hit only .179 in this years post-season, going 3-for-19 (.158) with no RBIs
in the six-game loss to Boston in the World Series. "David, growing up in St.
Louis, this could not have been the easiest place to play," Mozeliak said. "I do
think he may be looking forward to a fresh start. This was not an easy year for
him." Freese batted .262 with nine homers and 60 RBIs, a letdown from career
bests of 20 homers, 79 RBIs and a .293 average the previous year. Freese made
$3.15 million and is eligible for salary arbitration. "He knows how to drive in
the important runs," Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said. "Thats something
that really fits in our lineup." The Angels were a match because they need a
third baseman and Freese didnt figure as the long-term solution at third for St.
Louis. The Cardinals will move second baseman Matt Carpenter to third, opening a
position for former top draft pick Kolten Wong. Wong batted just .153 in 32
games last fall and was picked off first base to end Game 4 of the World Series
against the Red Sox. Mozeliak said that was just a "snapshot" of Wong, who
batted .303 with 20 steals in 21 chances at Triple-A Memphis. "It gives Wong a
clear shot," Mozeliak said. "I think hes going to hit." Pujols also played on
the 2011 title team before signing a $240 million, 10-year deal with the Angels.
Bourjos said Pujols called him just before the start of a teleconference with
St. Louis media and Bourjos planned to call back later, adding, "Im going to
pick his brain a little bit more, but I cant wait." The trade adds about $4
million to the payroll of the Angels, who have yet to add starting pitching.
Jason Vargas left this week for a $32 million, four-year contract with Kansas
City. The Angels havent had an accomplished third baseman since Chone Figgins
left after the 2009 -- their last post-season appearance. Their outfield next
season is likely to be Josh Hamiliton in left, Trout in centre and Kole Calhoun
in right. Coming off their second World Series appearance in three years, the
Cardinals have shed more than $45 million in payroll with Chris Carpenter,
Carlos Beltran, Jake Westbrook, Rafael Furcal and Edward Mujica also off the
books. The 28-year-old Salas had 24 saves in 2011, but did not have a major role
in the bullpen the last two years and spent part of 2013 in the minors. He was
0-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 27 games last year. The 26-year-old Bourjos, who bumps
Jon Jay to the bench, was supposed to be the Angels everyday centre fielder last
year after Los Angeles allowed Torii Hunter to leave and traded Kendrys Morales.
Trout was moved to left to accommodate Bourjos, who is a better fielder. "We did
juggle some things around to make sure he got an opportunity, and it didnt play
out the way we hoped or the way he hoped," Dipoto said. Bourjos missed May with
a hamstring strain, then broke his right wrist when he was hit by a pitch in
Houston on June 29. He played just 55 games, said he was "getting real close" to
full strength. A career .251 hitter with speed, Bourjos stole 41 bases in 54
attempts and was among AL leaders with 11 triples, 17 bunt hits and 38 infield
hits in 2011. Allen Craig will move to right field next year, making room for
slugger Matt Adams at first base, with Matt Holliday in left field. Top prospect
Oscar Taveras is expected to make the team but without the pressure of starting
in centre field. The 22-year-old Grichuk was the 24th overall selection in the
2009 amateur draft, one ahead of Mike Trout, and starred at Double-A Arkansas
last season. Dipoto said Grichuk likely would have begun next season at the
Triple-A level. "Theres still some growing he needs to do at the plate, but
Randal has the upside to play at the major league level," Dipoto said. "I hope
he ends up a major league player." Grichuk had 57 extra-base hits, including a
team-leading 22 homers that ranked sixth in the Texas League. He batted leadoff
the majority of the time and made two errors in the outfield, playing centre and
right field. Grichuk has a .284 average with 61 homers and 259 RBIs in 433 minor
league games.
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Rodgers makes tough throws that can leave fans of the Green Bay Packers
speechless.
Eddie Vanderdoes Raiders Jersey . Adrian
Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Raptors have traded forward
Steve Novak along with a second-round pick to the Utah Jazz in exchange for
guard Diante Garrett - who will then be waived.The Premier League season is
closing in on the one-third mark and through the opening three months, we have
certainly witnessed some outstanding performances. Last week, I listed my top
ten disappointments of the season so far, so on the 11th day of the 11th month
after 11 rounds in the Premier League, here is my Premier League best 11 so far.
1. David De Gea (Man Utd) - The Spaniard has, without question, been the best
goalkeeper in the Premier League this season. Controversially named as the
leagues best goalkeeper last season, despite magnificent campaigns by the likes
of Simon Mignolet and Asmir Begovic on inferior teams, the United number one has
elevated himself to the leagues number one thanks to a number of vital
performances when his team needed him the most. It would not surprise anyone to
see United go on a run of dominant form in the next few weeks, where they will
rely little on De Gea, but when they struggled at the beginning of the season,
the 23-year-old was fantastic and his save at Sunderland on Emanuele
Giaccherini, while down 1-0, could well be the point many can look to as the
turning point for Uniteds season. 2. Bacary Sagna (Arsenal) - There was once a
time Bacary Sagna was the leagues best right back. It is no coincidence that
this was a time when Arsenal were a major force challenging for the title. The
departures of Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song and Robin van Persie saw a drop in form
for club and Sagna, once seen as a legitimate world class talent destined to
join the aforementioned group moving on to a team likely to win more trophies.
Sagnas dip in form the last two seasons halted his departure and Arsenal are now
benefiting. The Frenchman has been a terrific defender this season and, with
many technical in-form players ahead of him, he is noticeably more confident in
an attacking role down the right flank where he has produced some wonderful
crosses this season. 3. Leighton Baines (Everton) - New manager; same old
Baines. Roberto Martinezs move to Merseyside has been seemless for many of the
Everton players, left back Baines included. The Spaniards style requires his
defenders to be comfortable on the ball while joining the attack, something the
Englishman did last season under David Moyes. This year, he has reached a new
level, playing even higher up the pitch, and contributing with goals, including
two fantastic free kicks to win the game at West Ham. A lot of what Baines does
well on is down to a partnership he creates with the left midfielder and
although Steven Pienaar hasnt been at his best this season, the left back
certainly has. 4. Sylvain Distin (Everton) - One of the leagues most underrated
players continues to shine. Alongside Phil Jagielka, also a candidate for this
team, Distin hasnt lost a step inside a new look offence under Martinez,
treasuring the ball and welcoming a new role where he often starts attacks by
receiving the ball from goalkeeper Tim Howard. At the Tottenham match recently,
Distin fell awkwardly and looked badly injured. Goodison Park waited in silence
and thoughts of an Everton team without Distin were not ones they wanted to
entertain. Thankfully, the Frenchman recovered and has played every minute of
the season so far, as have the entire back five of Everton, helping the club
achieve six clean sheets from their 11 games so far. 5. Jan Vertonghen
(Tottenham) - Arguably the best defender in the Premier League has shown his
versatility this season. Despite standout performances at centre-back for the
first seven matches of the season, the tall Belgian has been moved to left back
in the last four games and has been even more effective for manager Andre
Villas-Boas. The former Ajax man loves the ball at his feet, in either position,
and has been a shining light in a troubled team attack so far. At centre back,
alongside Michael Dawson, the pair often take the ball past halfway before
switching play with an accurate cross-field ball, while at left-back, he is
capable of driving forward and, unlike most of his teammates, has so far been
able to connect well with star striker Roberto Soldado. 6. Morgan Schneiderlin
(Southampton) - Another candidate for one of the most underrated players in the
league, Schneiderlin is finally getting the attention he deserves, thanks to the
fantastic season his team have had so far. When watching the central midfielder,
it is difficult to imagine that three years ago, he was playing in League One,
the third tier of English football. Schneiderlin, who turned 24 this week, led
the Premier League last season in interceptions and tackles combined and is in
the top 10 in that category again this season. Alongside the slightly more
inconsistent Victor Wanyama centrally, Southamptons midfield has helped protect
the Saints back four brilliantly, helping the likes of Dejan Lovren and Jose
Fonte to immpressive seasons so far.
David Sharpe Raiders Jersey. 7. Aaron Ramsey
(Arsenal) - With Gareth Bale in Spain, there is a new Welsh Wizard in town.
Rambo has been the talk of the Premier League so far and is the early leader for
the Player of the Year award, handed out in April. Ramseys six goals in 11
league games have certainly put him amongst the headlines but it has been his
overall game in midfield that has been the most impressive. Already asked to
play in central midfield as a member of a two, or out wide in a fluid,
interchanging attacking three, the Welshman has excelled at either position,
showing great confidence in his passing on the ball, and tackling ability and
space awareness without the ball. Ramsey is far more than an individual, however
and his impressive form has helped his team overcome significant milestones as
they try to mature into a title contender. Ramseys goals have helped Arsenal win
games they havent played that well in, his football intelligence has helped
Mesut Ozil settle in London immediately and his form has crucially taken the
radar off Jack Wilshere, a player too many want to see too much from too soon.
8. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) - The Reds skipper gets the nod of other worthy
candidates, such as Yaya Toure and Oscar, for his ability to take his team over
hurdles they have struggled to overcome in the past. The England captain has
played a disciplined role alongside the excellent Lucas Leiva at the heart of
Liverpools midfield, allowing the sharp shooters in front of him to get the
glory. Gerrard, however, does not sit deeper all of the time, picking his
moments to penetrate into the final third where his passing ability,
particularly from set pieces, has created many scoring chances that the likes of
Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have feasted on. This has helped Liverpool
destroy inferior opposition at Anfield, something they struggled with under
previous managers Kenny Dalglish and Roy Hodgson. 9. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) -
The Arsenal striker gets the nod as my front man over the likes of Loic Remy and
the SAS Anfield strike partnership, thanks to his overall game. Giroud will
likely not score as many goals as Sturridge, and certainly not as many as
Suarez, but for all 11 league games this season, he has been at the top of his
game for the Gunners. Giroud is more than just a predator in the six-yard box,
he links up brilliantly with teammates, finds space well and makes some
outstanding runs off the ball to help finish off goal-scoring opportunities,
such as the pivotal goal he scored against Tottenham. Giroud has received 404
passes per game through 11 matches, including a remarkable 47 at Old Trafford on
Sunday. By comparison, Tottenhams starting striker in 11 games (Soldado 10,
Jermain Defoe 1) has received just 239 passes, despite playing three more
minutes. We should not be judging Giroud simply by the amount of goals he scores
but those he did score certainly played a massive part in building Arsenals
confidence after their opening day loss to Aston Villa. 10. Sergio Aguero (Man
City) - This is what City fans have been waiting for. There is no disputing
Agueros talent, he does, after all, belong on a list of the games top 10 best
players but the Argentine has struggled at City to find a long run of games
where he has performed at an elite level. Until now. Aguero is, for me, the
biggest threat to Ramseys early run at the Player of the Year award. Explosive
in attack, a brilliant finisher, who can play in a front two, or up top on his
own, like against Chelsea, the 25-year-old gives City something none of the
other top teams have. A true creator, who instantly makes others around him
better, but who can be placed amongst a list of Suarez, van Persie and others as
one of the true elite finishers in the game. In a crucial year heading into the
World Cup, look for Aguero to carry City through a hectic winter schedule and
help them climb to a spot where they believe they belong. 11. Mesut Ozil
(Arsenal) - Gunners fans must still be pinching themselves. Frustrated at the
lack of activity in the transfer market for years, they now finally have one of
the best players to ever arrive in England. His time as an Arsenal player began
at Sunderland in September. The game was not shown live on television in England
but those lucky enough to watch it in its entirety will have marvelled at Ozil,
who produced one of the finest debut performances the Premier League has seen.
He didnt score but he did everything else, including a breathtaking run into
space, a supreme touch of the ball to bring it down and a cross for Giroud for
the opening goal. It was so typical of Ozil, who finds space quicker than
anyone, using his brilliant pace and mind to outthink opponents. Move over David
Silva, you have company as the leagues true space invader.
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