d to be ready for the first week of the regular season. ... In addition to Floyd and FB Jerome Felton, whos out | Forum

After three days and 39 rounds, Chris Thibideau had given up hope that he would hear his name called in the 40-round Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Paul Molitor Jersey . He had been watching the draft on TV with some friends in a dormitory room Saturday at the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball. Resigned to the fact it didnt look good for him and a few teammates, Thibideau got up off the couch and planned to go get some dinner. Instead his buddies swarmed him in celebration. "As soon as I stood up my name got called and then the boys just jumped on me," Thibideau said Monday from Vauxhall, Alta. "I was like, No way. Because I didnt even hear my name. I just saw their reaction and everything." The San Diego Padres used their final pick of the 40-round draft to take the Canadian shortstop from Dartmouth, N.S. Thibideau was selected at No. 1,198 overall -- just 18 picks from the bottom. The Padres called about an hour after the selection was made to congratulate him and said theyd be back in touch soon. "I was just so overwhelmed as soon as my name was called," he said. "I guess the (phone) call just kind of ensured that I was drafted, that it wasnt an (error)." Thibideau is finishing off his school year while he continues training with teammates. He plans to return home for the summer and is taking a wait-and-see approach for the fall. The Padres have yet to make him an offer. "I got drafted really late so Im not expecting a lot," he said. Thibideau said he has committed to Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant, Mich., and Midland College in Midland, Tex. "Its either going to be college or hopefully pro ball if I get what I want." Standing five foot 11 and weighing 175 pounds, Thibideau broke Vauxhalls all-time record this year with a .485 batting average. The 18-year-old has played second base since joining the Canadian junior team last fall. He was picked up by the national side in November and has made trips to Florida and the Dominican Republic with the squad. Thibideau said he tries to model his game after New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. "Hes been my role model since I was a little kid," he said. Left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny of Edmonton was the first Canadian selected in this years draft. The Chicago Cubs picked him at No. 41 last Thursday. The Toronto Blue Jays picked a pair of Canadians: right-hander Sean Ratcliffe of Ajax, Ont., in the 18th round (No. 535) and catcher Mike Reeves of Peterborough, Ont., in the 21st round (No. 625). In all, 19 Canadians were picked before Thibideaus name was finally selected. An afternoon he came close to forgetting turned into one hell always remember. "By the 39th round, I was just getting tired of watching and everything," he said. "I was about to call it quits and the boys just stayed around." Hes glad they did. Dalton Pompey Authentic Jersey . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night. Drew Hutchison Jersey . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. http://www.teambluejaysprostore.com/Paul-Molitor-blue-jays-jersey/ . What general manager Dave Nonis called "short and productive" negotiations ended with Kessel signing a US$64-million, eight-year contract on Tuesday.EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Through their first two preseason games, the best performance from Minnesotas first-team offence has been by rookie punter Jeff Locke. The Vikings havent done much well in these exhibition games yet. Each incompletion by Christian Ponder or three-and-out series by the unit has only heightened concerns whether this team can be balanced enough to build off last years playoff appearance. Even when the wins and losses dont matter, decent showings will somewhat appease the fans, soften the skepticism of the analysts, and most importantly give the coaches and players confidence in a chemistry carry-over to the regular season. "Yeah, there would be some reason for concern if we dont do certain things that weve set out to get accomplished in this ballgame, or any ballgame," coach Leslie Frazier said on Wednesday. The Vikings are at San Francisco on Sunday, and most of the starters are expected to play into the third quarter. But before this becomes an anxiety-raising, must-thrive event, theres a critical fact to point out about the way the offence bumbled through the first two games. "I was coming off the sideline saying, Oh, my gosh, what are we doing?" wide receiver Greg Jennings said. "Like, we were struggling. And then I saw this guy on the sideline that had this 28 jersey on, and he wasnt dressed, and Im like Oh, yeah. I forgot. We dont have a big part of our offence out here that draws a lot of attention. So this week will be a lot better." Assessing a team without the leagues rushing leader and Most Valuable Player is hardly worth it, especially considering the way the Vikings revolve around their star running back Adrian Peterson. Josh Donaldson Jersey. This week against the 49ers, the plan is for Peterson to be on the field. "If youre an offensive player, we definitely want to take some steps forward," Peterson said. The Vikings have averaged only 14 first downs and 276 yards over the first two games, though that includes all of the time logged by backups and long shots trying to make the team. Ponder is 6 for 14 for 68 yards and one interception. His passer rating is 28.3. So this next exhibition will be a valuable opportunity for Ponder to continue trying to establish a rhythm with Jennings, rookie Cordarrelle Patterson and the rest of his receivers. Dont expect a polished product either, Jennings said. "Kinks will never completely be ironed out," he said. "There will always be a new wrinkle that we put in that were going to be trying to perfect. Just our relationship, our chemistry, were going to try to perfect that forever." NOTES: The finalists for the punt returner role are incumbent Marcus Sherels and fellow CB Bobby Felder, according to special teams co-ordinator Mike Priefer. The Vikings have been grooming Patterson for that job, too, but theyre trying to narrow his focus for now. ... DT Sharrif Floyds minor left knee operation went fine, Frazier said, and hes expected to be ready for the first week of the regular season. ... In addition to Floyd and FB Jerome Felton, whos out for the rest of August recovering from an appendectomy, the only other significant player held out of practice Wednesday was WR Jarius Wright (concussion symptoms). Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '