ny hope of him playing in the playoffs at all. It looks as though utilityman Skip Schuma | Forum

SOCHI, Russia -- An activist who has been monitoring environmental fallout from the Sochi Olympics has been jailed for five days for resisting police, apparently part of a continuing harassment campaign against local activists. http://www.adidas-zapatillas.es/adidas-nmd.html . Igor Kharchenko was grabbed on the street in the regional capital of Krasnodar late Tuesday afternoon as he left his house and found his car smashed, an associate, Olga Soldatova, said Wednesday. Police charged him with resisting police orders. Soldatova, who was with him at the police station, said Kharchenko was given a blank sheet of paper instead of a protocol sanctioning his detention. Kharchenko was put on trial behind closed doors Wednesday and sentenced to five days in jail for disobeying police orders. "They were leading Kharchenko out, and he told us he got 5 days, without a proper trial, lawyer or witnesses," said Soldatova, who was at the courthouse. Like Yevgeny Vitishko, who was jailed Monday for swearing in public, Kharchenko is a member of the Environmental Watch on the North Caucasus, a group that has been monitoring the environmental effects of Olympic construction. Activists have been raising concerns for months about an apparent campaign of intimidation and harassment of activists and journalists in the Sochi area. Human Rights Watch said the harassment campaign against the local activists does not deal with the problems that the activists have uncovered but only dampens Russias image abroad. "Vitishkos imprisonment on trumped-up charges, and his colleagues arbitrary detentions and vicious harassment, are more damaging to Russias Olympic host reputation than any criticism they could have voiced," the groups Russian co-ordinator, Tanya Lokshina, said in a statement Tuesday. Activists and opposition leaders in Moscow also have experienced harassment in recent years but authorities in the capital seem to be employing more sophisticated methods to silence them. Some have faced elaborate criminal investigations; others have been kicked out of their jobs. Tactics in Russian regions, including the Krasnodar region where Sochi is situated, seem to be more primitive and reminiscent of the harassment of Soviet dissidents. Vitishko, who is serving a suspended sentence for spray-painting the fence of what activists say is the illegal property of the local governor, was detained on the doorstep of a prison office on Monday after he applied for permission to travel to Sochi for the Games. In a trial that barely lasted 10 minutes, Vitishko was found guilty of swearing in public, a rarely enforced misdemeanour punishable by a fine of up to 15 days in jail. Other activists in the region have been cited on similar charges. Natalya Kalinovskaya, an activist in the village of Psou, which is adjacent to the Olympic park, had protested the destruction of the sandy beach in her village. She received a court order in February 2013 that barred her from going to the beach, which is public property. Svetlana Kravchenko, an investigative reporter in Sochi for the Caucasian Knot publication, was found guilty in 2012 of beating up a security guard, even though a medical examination documented only a 0.3 millimeter scratch on the guards ear. Adidas Superstar 2 Mujer Baratas . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Adidas Superstar 2 Blancas . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. http:///...ms-x-supercolor.html .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again.As much as we love baseballs post-season, thoughts are already starting to drift to the off-season, the trades and the free agent signings and seing how teams will revamp or reload or rebuilt for a run next season. With rightfielder Hunter Pence resigning with the Giants for five years and $90 million, one can only imagine what someone like Yankees star second baseman Robby Cano could get on the free agent market. It was floated by someone in Canos camp that he wants $305 million over 10 years. It seems like an outrageous amount for a soon-to-be 31-year-old middle infielder. Still, Canos timing couldnt be better with Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte retiring, Derek Jeter in injury limbo, and Alex Rodriguez possibly to be suspended for all of next season. Personally, I believe the Yankees will find a way to sign Cano and keep him a career Yankee but its not hard to see a few other well-heeled teams getting in on the bidding. The Dodgers, whove been spending money hand over fist, could sign Cano and give themselves the best offensive double play combination in the Majors along with their shortstop Hanley Ramirez. It would also solidify their hold on the L.A.-Anaheim market. The Giants have already shown they will spend money with the Pence contract. On top of that, they could use some more star power in their line-up after dropping from 94 wins a year ago and their second World Series title in three years to just 76 wins this year and a fourth place finish in the NL West. In the American League, another potential suitor is the Rangers. Theyre still looking for that elusive first World Series title after losing in agonizing style in 2010 and 2011. Signing Cano would keep their "window of opportunity" which appeared to be closing, open for a few more seasons. The most intriguing possibility would be if Cano simply moved from the Bronx to Queens and signed with the Mets. That move could turn New York into a Mets town for at least a couple of seasons until the Yankees retool. That last option isnt likely to happen, even though Mets GM Sandy Alderson has said his club is hoping to make a big splash on the free agent market in the off-season. Its almost as though there is a geentlemans agreement between the two franchises not to steal each others players, especially the stars. http://www.adidas-zapatillas.es/adidas-zx/zx-850.html. The most famous Yankee to leave the pinstripes to play for the Mets is a bit of a trick question. Yogi Berra did indeed play four games with the Mets at the tail end of his career, but then became their manager. Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden and David Cone all started with the Mets and went on to play with the Yankees. However, all three took circuitous routes and played with other organizations first. If Cano somehow choses to leave the Yankees, my bet is he lands with Texas. He would stay in a familiar league and would be in a weaker division with a greater chance of adding to his World Series victory total. One caution flag for would-be Cano suitors. In 11 career post-season series, hes just a .222 hitter with eight homers and 33 runs batted in. Crunching The Numbers The Blue Jays finished this season with just 74 victories, albeit one more than a year ago. To just reach the level of Tampa Bay and Texas, the two teams involved in the play-in game, the Blue Jays would have needed 17 more victories to reach the total of 91. Then consider this, from last season to this, only two teams in the Majors upped their victory total by that amount or more. Boston rose from 69 wins a year ago to 97 this year, a gain of 28 wins while Cleveland climbed from 68 to 92, or plus 24. In the National League, Pittsburgh was the only team with a double digit increase in victories from 2012 to 2013 at 15. Im not saying the Blue Jays cant turn it around next season, only that it will not be easy. The Dodgers National League pennant hopes have taken a bit of a hit at the worst possible time. Matt Kemp is done for the year with a swollen ankle and their other top option in centre field, Andre Ethier is out indefinitely as well with an ankle injury of his own. Ethier likely wont know until next week if there is any hope of him playing in the playoffs at all. It looks as though utilityman Skip Schumaker will be force-fed into centre for Don Mattinglys crew. My picks are Texas and Pittsburgh to emerge from the play-in and Wild Cards frays over the next couple of days. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys ' ' '