1. With the Blue Jays playing out the string this season, should the team just focus on next year or are arbitrary things like finishing with 70 wins actual goals worth accomplishing? And to that point, how much sway does (or should) the GM have on line-up decisions when teams hit this point? Lets be clear, the Jays are not winning the division or wild card. They are not finishing .500 and they are not finishing anywhere but last place in the AL East. Winning is important. It is always important. Its critical for the players to grow in confidence in themselves and their teammates. Winning helps everyone believe in the plan and direction of the organization. It can be contagious. The fans need to taste victory to grow in hope and excitement. That being said: the Jays cant focus on winning right now. I mean it would be nice to win, but Toronto needs to find some answers right now. They need to figure out who is part of the problem and who is part of the solution. John Gibbons and his staff in conjunction and cooperation with Alex Anthopoulos need to play players with whom they have questions that need answering. Can Brett Lawrie hit enough to be an everyday third baseman? Can Anthony Gose hit enough to be a starter? Is Kevin Pillar overmatched by big league pitching? Can Esmil Rogers develop his secondary pitches enough to get through the lineup a second and third time in a game? Is JP Arencibia a good enough defensive catcher? Alex Anthopoulos and John Gibbons will work closely together for the rest of the year. This is where their relationship and trust for each other will be evident. Anthopoulos will generally share his need for answers and Gibbons will manage accordingly. Gibbons is ultimately judged on wins and losses but he may have to sacrifice building his resume for the good of the organization. Gibbons will manage these games like a minor league manager where there are times that the development of the individual is more important than the ultimate result of the game. He may leave a pitcher in a bit longer to see if he can handle a tough situation. He may not pinch hit when there is an obvious better option on the bench to see if a player can handle a pressure situation. Unfortunately for Jays fans this season is over. But you may find out about how next year will look over final month of this season. 2. Last Sunday night, Ryan Dempster took four pitches to intentionally hit Alex Rodriguez. If you were his GM, how would you react to Dempsters effort to apparently plunk A-Rod for non-strategic purposes? Like or dis-like? Make no doubt about it. I believe Alex Rodriguez used PEDs throughout his career. I believe he is closely tied to Biogenesis. I believe that MLB has evidence that he recruited other players to Biogenesis. I believe he offered thousands of dollars to buy evidence and testimony to cover his tracks. I think it is awful that A-Rod likely leaked evidence to a media source to point attention to Ryan Braun and his teammate Francisco Cervelli. I can completely understand how fans are outraged by this era of baseball. I understand their anger and energy toward A-Rod as one of the poster boys for the steroid use in baseball. In fact I can understand how current and former players can be angry as well. Former players are jealous of the money that todays players make. Plus, they feel they built the game up into Americas pastime and feel the current generation has killed the reputation and credibility of the game by cheating. Current players feel like the cheaters are taking money out of their pockets. Ryan Dempster was mad at A-Rod possibly because of his cheating or maybe because A-Rod ratted out other players. It has been reported that Dempster may have hit Rodriguez because A-Rod blew him off at a function last year. Whatever the reason, Ryan Dempster went into the Red Sox/Yankees game last Sunday with vengeance on his mind. It was premeditated and clear. He was going to throw at Alex Rodriguez. In the fallout, Dempster was suspended for five games which ultimately is of little harm to the Sox. With an off-day yesterday and again on Tuesday the Sox can cover Dempsters start on Saturday without missing a beat. Even though I share some of the same anger that Ryan Dempster does for A-Rod, even though I can understand how if you feel that someone took money from you that you might want to throw a ball at him, I cant condone what Dempster did. If I were the Red Sox GM I would be livid. I would pull Ryan Dempster in to my office and tell him he was selfish. He put his personal feelings ahead of what is best for the team. Dempster put himself and his teammates at risk. A fight could have broken out if A-Rod charged the mound. The Yankees could have retaliated and injured a Red Sox player as well. David Ortiz has spoken out about how wrong Dempster was to hit A-Rod. He pointed out that you shouldnt wake the sleeping giant. If the Yankees make the playoffs they may vote Dempster a playoff share of their money because he has inspired tremendous energy from them. New York now stands just 3.5 games out of a wild card spot. After airing out Dempster I would tell him not to make it so obvious the next time. 3. Ichiro became only the third player in baseball history to reach 4000 career hits this week. Since over 1200 of those hits came when he played in Japan, how do you view the milestone and where does he rank on your list of great hitters of this generation? Ichiro is an amazing baseball story There are only 6 players who have had 4,000 hits in the majors and minors combined: Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Stan Musial and Jigger Statz (a little-known player who had almost all of his hits in the minors) and now Ichiro. There are only two players who reached the 4,000-hit threshold in major league history: Pete Rose and Ty Cobb. Whether we count Japan as a major league or a minor league - or something in between - determines whether or not Ichiro joins Cobb and Rose. Japanese professional baseball is of very high quality. From my experience it is better than AAA baseball but below major league baseball caliber. Therefore, I only look at Ichiro as having 2722 major league hits. In his first year in the Sates Ichiro had 242 hits and won Rookie of the Year and MVP. He was 27. He could have thrived in the U.S. well before he finally got here. It is too bad he didnt have that opportunity. I believe that if he had played in the U.S. his entire career we would still have celebrated the 4,000 hit threshold with Ichiro. In fact, we might have been celebrating it a year or two ago. The Japanese season is about 20-30 games shorter than the U.S. schedule. Playing in Japan cost Ichiro almost a full seasons worth of at bats he would have otherwise gotten in the major leagues over the seven years he spent in Japan. I love Pete Rose. He was one of my favorite players as a kid. He is the Hit King but only because Ichiro didnt have the same opportunities to log major league at bats. So, to me, Ichiro is the second best hitter ever and that is pretty darn good too. Fair or Foul Ryan Braun finally issued his long-awaited apology and admission for using performance enhancing drugs on Thursday. It fell far short of what I expected; Far short of what was necessary. It opened up so many more questions. Who advises these guys? I mean really does anyone proof read this stuff before they send it out? Can they not anticipate how it will be received and interpreted? Ryan Braun admitted he took PEDs in 2011 to deal with a nagging injury. “During the latter part of the 2011 season, I was dealing with a nagging injury and I turned to products for a short period of time that I shouldnt have used. The products were a cream and a lozenge which I was told could help expedite my rehabilitation.” Ok so who told you what the drugs could do for you? Did you get them from Biogenesis? Define “short period of time”? Did you use PEDs at any other time? Braun said he had a revelation that it was time to come clean. “After my interview with MLB in late June of this year, I came to the realization that it was time to come to grips with the truth. I was never presented with baseballs evidence against me, but I didnt need to be, because I knew what I had done. I realized the magnitude of my poor decisions and finally focused on dealing with the realities of-and the punishment for-my actions.” What is the evidence that MLB had against you? Would you ever have been tormented enough to just tell the truth or did it take getting caught again? Why did you accept 65 games? What is the significance of it? In anticipation of having to answer questions about additional claims made by a former friend who has filed a lawsuit against Braun because he didnt pay him for his helping in his appeal against MLB in 2011 he said: “There has been plenty of rumor and speculation about my situation, and I am aware that my admission may result in additional attacks and accusations from others.” Which of the allegations made by your former friend are true? Have you used PEDs since college? Did you lie to Aaron Rodgers and the owner of your restaurants? Did you lie to Mark Attanasio the owner of the Brewers when negotiating your $100 million contract? Did you engage in academic misconduct in high school and college as your friend alleged? Braun apologized to a specific group of people but left some out: “I have privately expressed my apologies to Commissioner Selig and Rob Manfred of MLB and to Michael Weiner and his staff at the Players Association. Im very grateful for the support Ive received from them. I sincerely apologize to everybody involved in the arbitration process, including the collector, Dino Laurenzi, Jr. I feel terrible that I put my teammates in a position where they were asked some very difficult and uncomfortable questions.” Do you understand that you can face a defamation of character lawsuit from Dino Laurenzi Jr. because you are admitting that you knowingly made up claims about him to cause harm and help yourself? Why did you call Dino Laurenzi an anti-semite? Why did you use your religion as a weapon in this fight? Dont you need to apologize to other players for cheating against them? The arbitrator that ruled in your favor in the appeal lost his job because MLB didnt like his ruling. Do you understand that if you didnt lie then that arbitrator would still have his job? Braun talked about his values and character and the work he has ahead of him to change the perception people have of him: “What I did goes against everything I have always valued -- achieving through hard work and dedication, and being honest both on and off the field. I also understand that I will now have to work very, very hard to begin to earn back peoples trust and support. I am dedicated to making amends and to earning back the trust of my teammates, the fans, the entire Brewers organization, my sponsors, advisors and from MLB.” Why should we believe you havent cheated in the past, prior to 2011? What does making amends mean to you? Are you going to do public service announcements about steroids? What else could come out that will further compromise how we look at you? Why did you throw others under the bus? Do you understand your responsibility as a role model? I am dumbfounded that Brauns advisors thought a statement of apology like this was appropriate. He took to the microphone with anger and defiance when he lied in 2011. He was incredulous. If you lie to someones face you should have the courage to apologize to his or her face as well. Braun did not give any insight to the depth of his relationship with Biogenesis. He did not comment on how often he has used PEDs. If Ryan Braun thinks that this statement suffices he is crazy. He cant show up in Spring Training and “no comment” us to death. He needs to speak and answer questions. Then and only then will he be able to start to heal his image and reputation. Puke out the truth; the whole truth; nothing but the truth. He hasnt even come close to doing that so far. [url=http://www.kcchiefsfansclub.com/Black-Marcus-Peters-Chiefs-Jersey.html?cat=866]Marcus Peters Chiefs Jersey[/url] . 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But now that hes in the NHL, the Calgary Flames centre showed big improvement in that department by scoring the winner in the eighth round of a 5-4 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. [url=http://www.kcchiefsfansclub.com/Black-Alex-Smith-Chiefs-Jersey.html?cat=868]Alex Smith Chiefs Jersey[/url] . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope.BUFFALO – Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis has a pretty good understanding of all that Mason Raymond can offer. But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. “Its not really me,” Nonis said, minutes before the Leafs and Sabres squared off at First Niagara Center on Saturday. “Im comfortable with Mason. I know what hes like as a person and I think everyone is comfortable with him as a player. Its where Randy sees him. Where does he fit in the lineup?” Nonis and his management team will certainly have their input in the series of roster decisions still looming for the Leafs, but according to Nonis, Carlyle will have the final say. “I cant tell him to put someone into the lineup that he doesnt want in the lineup,” Nonis opined of the decision-making process. “He has full control over who makes this team and who doesnt. But we all spend a lot of time discussing the benefits of certain people and their strengths and weaknesses. I think its a pretty healthy relationship and open dialogue both ways to make sure that were all on the same page and were all pushing toward the same goal with the same pieces.” Signed to a professional tryout on the eve of training camp and a second round selection of Nonis in Vancouver, Raymond is among the more intriguing pieces vying for a place on the Toronto roster. With loads of speed and a fair amount of skill, the now 27-year-old offers Carlyle the prospect of depth and versatility in the forward ranks. Scoring twice in his first two exhibition matches, he has made an immediate impression. Surely a more complex case for the head coach is 19-year-old Morgan Rielly, whom the Leafs can either keep in the NHL or return to the junior circuit in Moose Jaw. “Hes making it as hard as I thought hed make it,” Nonis said of Rielly, who suited up for the first three exhibition games, sitting out in Buffalo. Carlyle suggested at the outset of camp that the determination process with Rielly would lie in whether he could capably contribute 12-15 minutes a night or was better off dominating with the Warriors, conceding the value of both options. “Randy knows what hes looking for,” Nonis continued. “He had a different player but a pretty good example of that in Cam Fowler. I think he was always looking for [Fowler] to falter and he never did and Randy used him more and more. And if he wouldve faltered Im sure Randy wouldve pulled him out. Thats the same kind of scenario here with Morgan. If hes ready then hell go in.” Though Nonis stated explicitly that Carlyle has final say on roster decisions, the coach, for one, seems to value the opinions of those around him, taking stock of a range of voices across the organization before settling on a decision. “We converse daily, sometimes two or three times a day,” Carlyle said of his conversations with management after a lengthy 3-2 shootout victory. “If its not [Dave Nonis], its [Dave Poulin], its Claude Loiselle, Cliff Fletcher, Bobby Carpenters here, Steve Kaspers around; theres an armada of management that we make sure that we all have a voice and an opinion. We as a coaching staff talk behind closed doors quite a bit ourselves about what our feelings are and we want to make sure were consistent with what we see and we voice our opinion to the management staff. “When youre in the situation were in I think that you try to take everybodys opinion.” “Well have long discussions about it,” Nonis concluded. “Its probably the same way that I use Randy when were trying to make a trade, I seek his opinion. And at the end of the day we do what we need to do as a staff. I think its the same way from his standpoint; hell seek our opinion, but hes picking the team.” Five Points 1. Rangers shootout attempt The shootout lasted 15 rounds and exactly 30 shooters on Saturday, capped by Jay McClements eventual winner. But the highlight of the exhibition proceeding had to have been Paul Ranger, who offered a truly creative attempt against the Sabres goaltender. “Its a kick-shot,” Ranger said afterward of his failed effort on Jhonas Enroth. “I dont know how else to describe. I learned it when I was probably 10 or 11 years old.” With the shootout dragging with no end apparently in sight, shot after shot turned aside, Ranger decided that when his name was eventually called he would attempt the unusual and unpredictablle.dddddddddddd “Thats the cool part of it is that I have no idea where its going and the goalie doesnt either ‘cause I sure dont,” he grinned. 2. Reimers second effort James Reimer made his first full outing of the exhibition season, stopping 38 of the 40 shots he saw from the Sabres before adding 15 more in the shootout. “I felt a lot better today compared to London,” Reimer said, referring to his first start a week earlier, which lasted about half the game. “Im feeling better every day on the ice, really seeing the puck better, reading situations and plays better. In the game I felt a lot more comfortable today than I did in London. But having said theres still some situations where you werent as sharp as youd like to be.” Though just an exhibition game, Reimer was pleased with his perfect performance in the shootout, a source of some struggle last season and throughout his career. “Weve been working on some stuff,” he said. “Not going to give away my secrets or anything, but it is something obviously I worked on a bit this summer and tried to really improve on.” Reimer is 0-5 career in the shootout with a .625 save percentage. 3. Lupul nearing exhibition debut The exhibition debut is drawing near for Joffrey Lupul. Returning to practice earlier this week following a bout with back spasms, Lupul remained out against the Sabres on Saturday, but projects to play when the two teams meet again in Toronto on Sunday. “Whats 24 more hours?” Leafs coach Randy Carlyle asked rhetorically before the game. “Well, 24 more hours is a practice underneath [him], an opportunity to stretch, an opportunity for more rest and for his body to tell him that hes 110 per cent, ready to go.” Lupul began experiencing trouble with his back in the days leading up to training camp, remaining off the ice for the first week of camp. Troubled by injuries over the course of his career, including last season when he played in just 16 games, Lupul appeared to have put his most recent back difficulties behind him with four consecutive days of practice. “Wed love to see him in our lineup on a regular basis,” Carlyle said of Lupul. “Weve tried to maintain that he has to change some of the things that he does from a standpoint of maybe being less reckless. I commented on it last week, I thought it was more not being so much reckless, but I think he was just dying to make a contribution.” Lupul fractured his right forearm in the third game of 2013, the victim of a flailing Dion Phaneuf point shot. He returned to the lineup 25 games later, offering two weeks of mesmerizing hockey before suffering a concussion, crunched by Jay Rosehill and Adam Hall. 4. More Rielly Watch Questioned further on the junior option for Rielly, Nonis said the coaching staff in Moose Jaw certainly factored into the Leafs equation. “If he does go back he has a good coach there,” Nonis said of Warriors head coach Mike Stothers. “I think thats one area you look at and say is he being coached by a quality staff and the answer is yes. Would he have a major impact on the World Junior team? I think the answer there is yes. Theres some things that could happen to him that would be good for him. That doesnt mean that he should go back. If he really is ready to play here and he can play a significant role then theres nothing wrong with keeping him at 19.” 5. Smiths dream Vying for a job with the Leafs in a depth capacity, Trevor Smith was born in Ottawa, spent a few years of his youth in Thornhill, Ontario, before finally settling in Vancouver. And he grew up a Leafs fan. “A lot of my buddies were giving me some cr**,” he said of signing with the organization this summer, “but for me personally this is a huge opportunity and something Ive dreamed of as a kid. Im really excited to be here.” Smith spent last season in the Pittsburgh organization – he dressed for one game with the Penguins – a member of the Lightning organization the year prior to that. The 28-year-old has played in 24 career NHL games, his AHL resume chalk full of gaudy offensive stats. Smith has the ability to play both centre and the wing, realizing that his versatility is perhaps the best asset to finding a job with the Leafs at this point. “I think if Im going to play in this league I need to be able to kill penalties and be really good at it,” he explained, “be able to block shots and be versatile, not only five-on-five defensively but on the PK as well.” [url=http://www.jerseysandchinacheap.com/]Cheap NFL Jerseys[/url] ' ' '