Ramblers cruise to win | Morning Sentinel; Waterville, Me. Kosuke Fukudome Jersey | Find Articles at BNET
STAFF REPORT

   & ;nbsp;     & nbsp;     WINTHROP -- Winthrop evened its record at .500 with a 10-0, five-inning win over Booth-bay in Mountain Valley Conference baseball action Ryne Sandberg Jersey Tuesday.
  The Authentic Carlos Zambrano Jersey Ramblers had four hits, three of them doubles, but also Authentic Matt Garza Jersey took advantage of Cubs Carlos Zambrano Jersey six Seahawks errors. Eric Duplissis and Connor Doyle each had two-run doubles for Carlos Zambrano Jersey the Ramblers while teammate Josh Lapointe doubled home a run in the fifth inning to invoke the 10-run mercy rule.
   Travis Luce Cubs Carlos Pena Jersey fanned four in gaining the pitching victory. Winthrop is 4-4, Boothbay is 0-8.
  Nokomis 3, Oak Hill 2: Matt Garza Jersey The Warriors scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the lead for good in a KVAC B game in Newport.

   &a mp;nbsp;   Nokomis (4-6) took the lead on a Justin Kasprzak single in the fifth. Jared Seamans picked up the win, striking out eight Authentic Kosuke Fukudome Jersey and walking four while allowing five hits.
  Brady Dion doubled for Oak Hill.
  Richmond 9, Buckfield 3: Ben Carver pitched a four-hitter, striking out 10, Authentic Carlos Pena Jersey to lead the host Bobcats to the East-West Conference win.
  Authentic Ryne Sandberg Jersey Peter Lorbeski Cubs Kosuke Fukudome Jersey had three singles and an RBI Cubs Alfonso Soriano Jersey for Richmond (4-5) while Brian Snedeker added a double. Buckfield falls to 2-2.
  Softball
  Richmond 10, Buckfield 3: Lindsy Hoopingarner had two singles and five RBIs to lead the host Bobcats to Cubs Matt Garza Jersey the East-West Conference win. Tara Hurley added a triple and a single for Richmond (9-0) while Danica Hurley chipped Carlos Pena Jersey in with two singles. Alyssa Patrie doubled for Buckfield (2-2).
  Winthrop 22, Boothbay 4: The Ramblers scored 15 runs in the Authentic Alfonso Soriano Jersey first inning en route to the MVC win. Cat Ouellette homer4ed for Winthrop while Abby Helm and Randi Dennett each doubled and Danielle Pease singled twice. Amy Belanger and Krissy Doughty combined for the pitching win and  seven strikeouts. Alfonso Soriano Jersey Winthrop is 3-5, Boothbay is 0-9.
   Madison 8, Mt. Abram 2: Cortney Taylor had three singles and two RBIs to lead the host Bulldogs to the Mountain Valley Conference win. Sierra LeBlanc added two singles and an RBI for Madison (6-4).
  Girls lacrosse
  Messalonskee 21, Edward Little 6: Mikayla Turner scored four goals to help Messalonskee take the KVAC win in Oakland.
  Maddie Kadnar, Sara Grenier, and Ceci Thomas each had three goals for Messalonskee (8-2), while Amy Jose had two goals and two assists. Izzy Skinner made eight saves for the Eagles. Gabby Laperierre scored three goals for the Red Eddies.

France to host '18 Ryder Cup; FAU wins | Palm Beach Post | Freddy Sanchez Jersey Find Articles at BNET
France will host its first Ryder Cup after being awarded the Matt Cain Jersey 2018 tournament, beating out sentimental favorite Spain as the popular choice following Giants Matt Cain Jersey the death of Seve Ballesteros.

  &nbs p;       ;         The European Ryder Cup committee Giants Tim Lincecum Jersey voted unanimously in favor of Cubs Starlin Castro Jersey the French bid, which centers on the Le Golf National course near Paris -- the headquarters of the French federation and venue for all but two French Opens Authentic Starlin Castro Jersey in the past 20 years.
    Spain, Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands also entered bids.
    College baseball: Jake Meiers gave up one run in 6r innings pitched to lead Florida Atlantic to a 7-3 win over Miami in Coral Gables. The Owls (30-20) won the season series from the No. 15- ranked Hurricanes (32-18) 2-1. Nick Delguidice and Raymond Church each hit a solo home run for FAU

   &nb sp;     NFL: Cleveland fired Jerry Butler, the team's director of player development for the past 10 years. The Browns were 5-11 last season.
    Tennis: Andy Roddick withdrew from the Open de Nice and is in doubt for Pablo Sandoval Jersey the French Open, which begins Sunday, because of a right shoulder injury. Tim Lincecum Jersey "I still have a couple of days to hope for something to get better," he said.
    * Former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, Cubs Ryne Sandberg Jersey the winner at Delray Beach this year, says he has recovered from a hip injury and will play at the French Open.
    Horse racing: Concealed Identity Starlin Castro Jersey continues to inch closer to the Preakness Stakes (6:05 p.m. post time Saturday, NBC). Co-owner Linda Gaudet said Cody Ross Jersey Monday the winner of Pimlico's Tesio Stakes was "80-20" for the Pimlico race. By Tuesday, he was all but in. "He's doing great; he's Giants Freddy Sanchez Jersey feeling good; so, Giants Pablo Sandoval Jersey as of right now, we're pretty confident we're going to go ahead and enter him," Gaudet said.
    Auto racing: Rain limited Indianapolis 500 practice to two participants. Marco Andretti and Mike Conway were the Authentic Freddy Sanchez Jersey only drivers to take to the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before track officials called off the session. The 100th running of the race is May 29.
    European soccer: Manchester City is on the Authentic Matt Cain Jersey verge of qualifying automatically for Authentic Tim Lincecum Jersey the Authentic Pablo Sandoval Jersey Champions League after beating Stoke 3-0, three days after defeating the same opponent in the FA Cup final to end a 35-year title drought.

False start | New Pittsburgh Courier; City Edition | Find Articles at BNET
Inside Conditions

          & amp;nbsp;     &a mp;nbsp; A little while back, Andrew McCutchen was given a brief respite on the Pirates bench. This official "sitting down" was a result of Andrew not having "ants in his pants" and dancing toward first base after striking out when the catcher had simultaneously lost control of the baseball. He was of course called out. Manager Clint Hurdle then called McCutchen "out" again by removing him from the starting line-up the next day because of a lack of hustle.
  Looks as if the rain bailed Mr. Hurdle Authentic Buster Posey Jersey out because if he was really trying to stress and promote discipline, McCutchen's penalty would have been implemented or resumed on a sunny nine inning baseball day. Michael Young Jersey The Pirates were trailing in the "sit out McCutchen contest" 1-0, when Rangers Lan Kinsler Jersey the game Lan Kinsler Jersey was rained out after two innings, go figure.

   &am p;nbsp;   The only message I got from the Buc's skipper's inaction was that Hurdle was holding a sidebar with WPXI chief meteorologist Julie Bologna, Chief Mucka Mucka, chief of the Giants Buster Posey Jersey rainmakers and Louisiana Voodoo King, "Dr. Buzzard." I'm sure that confluence made certain that Hurdle's decision would turn out positive for all concerned parties.
  As far as his Giants Cody Ross Jersey decision, Hurdle had this to say, "I know our players clearly understand what's important to me. I Brian Wilson Jersey think there are certain things that are non-negotiable. If you lose them over this, you never had them in the first place. We are focused on winning, but we are focused on building something greater and better as we go forward." In this instance, Hurdle did the right thing. Whether the circumstances were ideal, well that's another story.
  McCutcheon did and said all the right things because no matter how talented a player may be, the Pirates' minor league affiliate is only a short bus ride from the Steel City.
     & ;nbsp;   "You live and you learn, that's the game of baseball," McCutchen said. "It needs to be played the right way. It was brought to my attention that that's not the way I play. And I know that. It's a lesson learned. That's not the type of person I am. I just kind of let my amotions get the best of me. I was just frusrated at the time Authentic Michael Young Jersey and not focused on the game, not Rangers Nelson Cruz Jersey focused on the bail in the dirt."
  I am disturbed by the actions of McCutcheon but I am also bothered by the continuation of a decades' long stereotype that Black athletes in general just don't hustle. If you look at NFL wide receivers Terrell Owens and Randy Moss it seems to be their mantra that their "motor" may not be running on high on every down. If they are "going all out'' on certain plays that may not include them, should they risk their careers just to satisfy the critics?
  If McCutchen had strained or torn a hamstring or experienced an Achilles or Authentic Lan Kinsler Jersey some other type of foot or leg injury Giants Brian Wilson Jersey running out a third strike to first base, Hurdle and all of his advocates Authentic Nelson Cruz Jersey would have been, dumb, dumb and dumb.....er.
  There have been many instances that receivers have failed to catch high and errant thrown balls and my colleagues in the press box Authentic Cody Ross Jersey have hemmed and hawed about the missed connection. They say things like; "that ball was not perfect but it was 'catchable.'" And, "if the receiver would have just kept going or would have 'laid out' that would have probably been a completed pass." See folks, the word "hustle" will almost always be subjective and so will all of the opinions and actions that are attached to it. There are many athletes in all sports that are slower and less talented than their peers but the perception of them being "hustlers" turned them into superstars.
  The great Pete Rose, who spent the majority if his career with the Cincinnati Reds, was such a man. He ran out every ground ball as if it were his last and performed with a ferocity and grit seldom exhibited by any athlete in any sport. But hold on, the reality was he wasn't going to hit many balls out of the yard so he had to get as much out of the game with what he had, plus his hair flying in the wind and a chest full of dirt and dust flying everywhere as he slid Buster Posey Jersey face first into first base was a great photo op.
  Now get this. Andrew McCutchen running a third strike out, thighs and arms pumping as he motored down to first base could have turned out negative or positive. I agree with Clint Hurdle that some measure of discipline should have been implemented. A hefty fine along Rangers Michael Young Jersey with extra running drills before or after a game might have been just as effective. What if the Pirates would have lost the game in which McCutchen was benched? That would have not only hurt the entire team but would also have affected the Authentic Brian Wilson Jersey fans who paid their hard earned dollars coming to PNC Park in anticipation Nelson Cruz Jersey of a possible Pirates victory.
  It is okay to watch and cheer for your favorite player, hustling and giving 1000 percent to the game that you love. Just make sure that you are not being hustled by power driven, poisonous egos and false values as a part of the process.

Killebrew left us 'Killer' memories | Chattanooga Times Free Press | Find Articles at BNET
Veteran baseball fans around the world were saddened Tuesday by the news that slugger Harmon Killebrew has succumbed to esophageal cancer at the age of 74.

   &nb sp;     &nbs p;     Father Time continues to overcome my boyhood heroes, and the news of Killebrew's death touched me profoundly.
  Killebrew, elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 after a stellar major league career, was one of the most popular players ever to don Authentic Buster Posey Jersey a Chattanooga Lookouts uniform. On many sultry summer nights during my teenage years I watched him use those powerful arms to pound prodigious home runs over the towering left-field wall at Engel Stadium.

   &a mp;nbsp;   "Killer," as his teammates called Lan Kinsler Jersey him, was only 21 when he led the Southern Association in home runs in 1957. After two outstanding years in Chattanooga, Killebrew was prepared for major Giants Brian Wilson Jersey league Authentic Michael Young Jersey stardom. The next year in Washington he led the American League in home runs with 42, and he finished his career with 573, which places Authentic Brian Wilson Jersey him No. 11 on the all-time list.
  He was voted to the AL All-Star team 11 times. He was the Most Valuable Player in 1969 and led the league in home runs six times.
  Killebrew did some television work as an analyst for several teams Michael Young Jersey after his retirement as a player in 1975. He later moved to Scottsdale, Ariz., where he died in Hospice care Rangers Lan Kinsler Jersey with his wife and family at his side.
  As I was reminiscing about the times I watched him play as a Lookout, it dawned on me that a blissful reunion has already taken place in the Great Hereafter. That thought has lifted my spirits and even made me chuckle.
  Killebrew and Cal Ermer are being reunited amid much happiness and Authentic Lan Kinsler Jersey rejoicing.
     & ;nbsp;   I'm sure they gave Rangers Michael Young Jersey each other a big bear hug and slapped each other Giants Cody Ross Jersey on the back with Buster Posey Jersey great gusto, and then Ermer began re-telling all those stories Killebrew heard so many times before.
  Ermer, who died two summers ago at the age of 85, managed Killebrew in Chattanooga in 1957 and again in Minnesota in 1967 and 1968. Killebrew always looked upon Ermer as a mentor, and the skipper always referred to Killebrew as "my boy."
  Ermer managed many great players both in the majors and the minors. But I always sensed that Killebrew was his favorite, not only because of his ability as a player but Authentic Nelson Cruz Jersey also because he was known throughout the baseball world as one of the kindest and most humble men to play the game.
  "I have never heard anyone say an unkind word about Harmon Killebrew," Ermer would often say.
  Killebrew gives Ermer credit for being instrumental in his early development as a hitter and told him so many times.
  I was watching a Twins-Yankees playoff game with Ermer in my home in 2004 when the Giants Buster Posey Jersey camera spotted Killebrew in the stands.
  "There's my boy," Ermer exclaimed. "He told me right after the induction to the Hall of Fame how much he Brian Wilson Jersey appreciated my help early in his career.
  "When I first had him in 1957, Killer didn't know the strike zone. I sent him to the bullpen every night for two weeks while the starting pitcher warmed up. He was to take his stance and call every pitch a ball or a strike. The catcher would let him know if he was right.
  "That's how he learned Rangers Nelson Cruz Jersey the strike zone. He didn't swing at as many bad pitches, and his career took off after that."
  The two old friends will probably talk about the good times and the bad. I'm sure they will mention Nelson Cruz Jersey that painful injury Killebrew suffered in the 1968 All-Star game. Ermer could only watch in horror as his first baseman slipped on the artificial turf at the Astrodome and split his legs flat while stretching for a throw, tearing his hamstring.
  "I was the third base coach for the American League that year," Authentic Cody Ross Jersey Ermer would say later. "All I could think about from the dugout was his pain and the fact that our season just went down the drain."
  Killebrew was out for most of that season, and Ermer's Twins finished in seventh place.
  I can still hear the crack of the ball off Killebrew's bat as it echoes across the decades. I can see the ball disappear over the massive scoreboard in left field. I can recall the smile on Killer's face as he rounds the bases much to Ermer's delight.

 Injuries put Sox David Ortiz Jersey pitching staff in flux | Patriot Ledger, The; Quincy, Mass. Authentic Carlton Fisk Jersey Newspaper | Find Articles at BNET
BASEBALL

  & nbsp;     &n bsp;     &nb sp;  BOSTON
    Well, isn't this a strange turn of events? Where once the Red Sox seemed to be all set with five strong Red Sox David Ortiz Jersey starting pitchers, in the course of one day two-fifths of their rotation has been wiped out. First, John Lackey was unilaterally Red Sox Josh Beckett Jersey placed on the disabled Josh Beckett Jersey list with a strained right elbow. Then, after another Daisuke Matsuzaka horror show Monday Carl Yastrzemski Jersey night, he underwent an MRI and was Red Sox Kevin Youkilis Jersey found to have come up with the same malady.
    The beauty of the losses is, well, these two haven't exactly distinguished themselves with any great regularity this season. They were the poor stepsisters of Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, but the losses do create some havoc in manager Terry Francona's office.

   &am p;nbsp;     "I don't know if any team wants to go seven or eight deep, especially in a two-day period you're losing two-fifths of your rotation," Francona said before his team's Tuesday night game with the Baltimore Orioles was rained out. "Wake's done it ever since I've been a little kid. I think we're OK there. Actually, Aceves, we've sort of maybe wanted to see what he can do as a starter. That's why we signed him. Every time Dustin Pedroia Jersey we keep sending him down we tell him to get stretched out because we might need a starter. We like the reasons why but we'll be OK."
    Tim Wakefield, Authentic Josh Beckett Jersey who'd been tabbed to replace Lackey against Kevin Youkilis Jersey the Orioles, will now be pushed back to Sunday against the Chicago Cubs. One night earlier, Alfredo Aceves, who'd compiled a 14-1 record as a reliever for the Yankees (he went 1-0 in five starts), will throw his first game as a Red Sox starter. Because he'd been serving a strong purpose in replacing the injured Dan Wheeler as an effective long relief man, and because Wheeler isn't quite ready, the Sox called up Michael Bowden from Triple-A Pawtucket to replace Matsuzaka. The move will be made official Wednesday.
    The Lackey injury threw the Sox for a loop, but it was obvious something wasn't right.
    "We need to let that thing settle down a little bit," said the manager, who isn't sure when or how Lackey was hurt. "There's a lot of gray area there. If you talk to a starting pitcher, if they make 35 starts, I betcha they tell you they feel good physically about six or seven. We know he's been having a rough time but we also know he's a pretty good professional pitcher and we also know he's gonna turn it around.
     & ;nbsp;     "Now all of a sudden you start talking about someone being tender or sore or hurt, that makes it a Josh Hamilton Jersey little bit tougher. Then you got a guy who wants to pitch through it Authentic David Ortiz Jersey and we respect that, so we put our heads together and talked to the medical people and talked to Lack and took it out of his hands.
    "That would be terrific if this little shutdown really helps him and he feels good and he starts throwing and we can get him right back when it's time to come up. I don't know if that's the case. I hope it is."
    As for Matsuzaka, who was sporting a baseball-size welt on his midsection after being hit by a Brian Roberts liner on the opening pitch of Monday's game, this might be even trickier, because - stop us if you've heard this before - there's always a communication problem. But the MRI seemed to confirm that he needed to be shut down.
    Moreover, Matsuzaka just wasn't throwing the ball with abandon, which set off alarms for Francona that there Authentic Kevin Youkilis Jersey was an injury issue.
    "Well, it's hard to imagine it's not. But those are some of the same questions we try to ask because we certainly want to find out and learn. But we just really don't know. I don't think Daisuke really knows. I think he was guarded because he felt like he might have pain. So we just knew that we better check, and I'm glad we did.
    "When we talked to him, it kind of came together. That's always something to think about when guys aren't commanding."
    So Francona had to do something and do it quick. Buchholz and Beckett will stay on track Authentic Dustin Pedroia Jersey for their starts against the Tigers, beginning tonight, and Lester opens up against the Cubs Friday. "It doesn't change anything in our Authentic Josh Hamilton Jersey view," Rangers Josh Hamilton Jersey he said of the injuries. "We're going to get Lack healthy and get him back out there as quick as Red Sox Dustin Pedroia Jersey we can. We're going to the same thing with Daisuke. Til we do, we're going to try to win with somebody else. That's the way we always feel."
   

Former SBHS star remembers teammate Killebrew | El Chicano Weekly; San Bernadino, Calif. | Find Articles at BNET
What a perfect name for a baseball player - Harmon Killebrew. Greats seem to have great names, often not needing a last name. Mickey, Babe, Duke, Satchel and Carl Crawford Jersey Willie. Mere mention of Harmon Killebrew brings thoughts of long home runs. AU the tributes to him after he died of esophageal cancer last week were authentic. Friends Roy Halladay Jersey said his celebrity did not impair his judgement.

          & amp;nbsp;     Killebrew earned $9,000 when Cliff Lee Jersey he won the 1959 home run championship. He was a 13 -time all star, American League MVP and 1984 inductee into Baseball Hall Of Fame. His 573_home runs are No. Authentic Ryan Howard Jersey 1 1 on the all-time list. Killebrew had two teammates on the Minnesota Twins who made the giant leap into Major League Baseball from nearby high schools. Tom Hall was a pitcher at Ramona High when the Twins were playing the Dodgers in the 1965 World Series. Hall became a teammate of Red Sox Adrian Gonzalez Jersey Killebrew in the early 1970's. Former San Bernardino High star Mel Nelson was on the 1965 American League Championship Minnesota Twins witfi Killebrew.

        "I was at a Twins reunion a few years ago and was very fortunate to see Harmon," said Nelson. "He always made time for people no matter who you were. He represented nothing but the best. He was a fun guy on the club." Nelson said he did not remember Killebrew smoking. "We'd go out to dinner together and I don't remember him ever grabbing for a cigarette. 1 never paid any attention."
  Nelson Ryan Howard Jersey said he was up and down between the Twins and the minor leagues during the mid-1960's. Nelson did earn his 1965 AL Championship ring and was called up to Minnesota again in 1967. "It was just before Rod Carew but Tony Oliva was there. We had Bob Allison in center field. He was a mountain of a man. He was another great guy."
     & ;nbsp;   Nelson was a teammate of other Hall Of Famers like Stan Musial, Lou Brock and Bob Gibson as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. Nelson was on the Cards with Roger Maris, when that famous slugger Authentic Carl Crawford Jersey was at the end of his career. "There is no doubt that Harmon ranks up there with the best. He didn't hit for an average like Ted Williams, yet as a person he was near the top. He was strong and had arms like big irons. He could catch the ball," said Phillies Ryan Howard Jersey Nelson. He told that Killebrew started as Red Sox Carl Crawford Jersey a second baseman and played third, first, and left field for the Twins. Killebrew was the only player to make the all-stars at three positions.
  Killebrew was bom in Idaho near the Oregon border in 1936 and was the quarterback for his high school team. He was good enough to be offered a Cole Hamels Jersey scholarship to the Phillies Roy Halladay Jersey University of Oregon to play football or baseball. He nearly accepted the offer before the Washington Senators sent a scout to see him play a city recreation league game. The game was almost canceled due to Authentic Cole Hamels Jersey rain and the scout was set to Authentic Adrian Gonzalez Jersey leave. "The rain stopped, the scout stayed and the grounds crew dried the field by burning gasoline," Killebrew Authentic Roy Halladay Jersey told the New York Times. He signed a professional baseball contract after the game. He was 17.
  "It was fun to have Harmon as a teammate. It wasn't fun to pitch against him. When he hit the ball it would go. You could watch it go far into the night," said Nelson. "It took him a while to get his career going. Once he got going, he was consistent."
  Killebrew Red Sox Carlton Fisk Jersey hit 40 home runs per year in the meat and potato era. Not in the human growth hormone era, although Pete Rose admitted that he used amphetamines. Rose said other players during the 196070's used speed as well. Rose refused to reveal names in a Philadelphia Superior Court hearing.
  Riverside Ramona High's Tom Hall was a teammate of Rose in Cincinnati from 1972 to 1975. He missed Nelson at Minnesota by a year but was Phillies Cole Hamels Jersey there with Killebrew and Rod Carew from 1968 to 1971.
  "When I think of home runs, I think of Hank Aaron and Harmon Killebrew. I don't think of Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire," said Nelson.
  "We're losing quite a few guys. When you read the newspaper it's not very pleasant," said Nelson. "I'm going to miss Harmon Killebrew. We're all getting Adrian Gonzalez Jersey to the age when it can happen to any of us."

Bears to negotiate Roger Maris Jersey only with county | Columbian; Vancouver, Wash. Authentic Phil Rizzuto Jersey | Find Articles at BNET
Clark County commissioners on Tuesday are expected to sign an exclusivity contract with the owners of the Yakima Bears.

   & ;nbsp;     & nbsp;     &n bsp; County Administrator Bill Barron said the contract states that the team will negotiate only with the county as it seeks to build a stadium and bring the Class A baseball team to Vancouver.
    On May 13, owners announced plans to move from Yakima, where the team has the lowest attendance among teams in the short-season Northwest League.
    The contract will be signed during the commissioners meeting, 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St.
    Yankees Robinson Cano Jersey While there will not be a public hearing, people can always express their opinion  on Yankees Nick Swisher Jersey baseball or any other subject  during the public comment period.

   &am p;nbsp;     The contract does not guarantee the Bears will move to Vancouver, but only prevents the owners from negotiating with any other jurisdictions.
    In Yakima, there has been a halfhearted attempt Phillies Chase Utley Jersey to get the team to stay.
    Under the terms of the contract, if the county catches the team negotiating with another jurisdiction, the owners would have Robinson Cano Jersey to pay the county $250,000, Barron said.
    K.L. Wombacher, general manager and co-owner of the Bears, said hes committed to bringing the team to Vancouver and signing a 20- year minimum lease with a no-relocation clause.
    Wombacher will give a presentation June 1 to members of the Vancouver Rotary Club.
     & ;nbsp;     The deal will hinge on whether commissioners approve a 5 percent entertainment ticket Authentic Cliff Lee Jersey tax and agree to issue approximately $16 million in bonds to finance 70 percent of capital costs.
    Commissioners have yet to receive a formal proposal from Wombacher, who co-owns the team with Mike and Laura McMurray.
    In the six months leading up to the May 13 announcement, baseball backers met individually with local elected officials, Clark College officials and business owners to gauge support before seeking permission from minor and major league officials to relocate.
    Commissioner Steve Authentic Roger Maris Jersey Stuart has said hes supportive of bringing baseball to Vancouver but stresses there will be a public process.
    Commissioner Tom Mielke said Monday the county doesnt have the best track record with projects that go beyond providing basic governmental services, citing the Sleep Country Amphitheater and Tri- Mountain Golf Course as examples. And, he said, he doesnt like the idea of a new tax.
    Commissioner Marc Boldt said Wednesday he likes the idea of bringing baseball to Vancouver but wants more information.
    And Boldt doesnt like that an admissions tax would raise the cost of Clark County Fair tickets.
    Mike Thiessen of The Madison Group in Chicago, a business that connects sports teams and communities, said Yankees Roger Maris Jersey Tuesday a Authentic Nick Swisher Jersey formal proposal will be submitted to commissioners soon after they sign the exclusivity contract.
    The next step would be Nick Swisher Jersey scheduling a Phil Rizzuto Jersey work session with county commissioners. If commissioners do agree to approve the admissions tax, they Authentic Chase Utley Jersey would need to hold a public hearing.
    Owners have discussed a 70-30 public-private split to finance a $23 million, 3,500-seat stadium on the site of Clark Colleges baseball field.
    The Bears, who are affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks, would play 38 home games during the summer.
    The stadium would be a multiuse facility with all-weather turf and would be used by Clark College teams. It would be available for Little League, other youth sports teams and other community uses, Thiessen Chase Utley Jersey said.
    In addition to putting up 30 percent of the construction costs, the owners would pay for ongoing maintenance and operations, Thiessen said.
    While Wombacher has talked about getting a stadium built so the team could play next summer in Vancouver, and Thiessen has started working with architects and engineers, that tight time frame doesnt allow for any kind of delay.
    The city of Vancouver does have an expedited permit process, but anyone could appeal the proposal, throwing the Bears off schedule.
    Thiessen said Tuesday that while the Bears would ideally play in Vancouver in 2012, their lease in Yakima runs through 2015.
    Among the many issues yet to be decided or even publicly discussed include who would own the stadium and how the bonds would be structured.
    Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said Wednesday that Phillies Cliff Lee Jersey the county does have strong enough credit to issue the bonds, which would be handled by the treasurers office if authorized by commissioners.
    A county budget analyst and financial analyst estimated that an admissions tax would bring in $965,000 a year, which would be used to repay the bonds.
    More than half of those revenues would come from moviegoers; the cost of a $10 ticket would increase to $10.50.
    Five counties in the state (Franklin, Grant, King, Kitsap and Snohomish) have admission taxes; 51 cities, ranging in size from Seattle to Omak, have enacted the tax.
    With the Yankees Phil Rizzuto Jersey departure of the Portland Beavers, the metro area became a magnet for teams such as Yakima.
    The team, which has been in Yakima since 1990, draws about 1,900 people a game.
    In Vancouver, the team would hope Authentic Robinson Cano Jersey to draw crowds of approximately 2,800 people per game.
    Other teams in the short-season Class A Northwest League are Boise, Idaho; Eugene, Ore.; Salem-Keizer, Ore.; Tri-Cities, Spokane, Everett and Vancouver, B.C.
    A Facebook page, Bring Pro Baseball to Vancouver,

Eagles hand Rams 2nd loss Joe Mauer Jersey | Kennebec Journal | Find Articles at BNET
STAFF REPORT

   & ;nbsp;     & nbsp;     BANGOR -- Travis St. Pierre hit an RBI single in the top of the seventh inning and the Messalonskee High School baseball team stunned Bangor 5-4 in an Eastern A game Wednesday.
  Freshman Devin Warren had three singles and scored three runs for Messalonskee (4-10), which allowed a run in the bottom Mets Carlos Beltran Jersey of the seventh before Jose Reyes Jersey closing out the game.
   Anthony Capunde had two singles to lead Bangor (12-2).
   Also for Denard Span Jersey Messalonskee, Josh Landry had an RBI double and Justin Meader had two singles and an RBI.
  Erskine 3, Edward Little 0: Shyler Scates fired a four-hit shutout as the Eagles picked Twins Denard Span Jersey up a much-needed win over the Authentic Jose Reyes Jersey Red Eddies in Auburn.

   &am p;nbsp;   Scates walked one and struck out five, Johan Santana Jersey and also had Mets Ike Davis Jersey two singles for Erskine (7-6). The Eagles scored all three of their runs in the sixth inning on an RBI double by Ryan Pulver, an RBI single by Scates and a Mets Johan Santana Jersey run-scoring single by Jory Humphrey.
  Luc Farago allowed six hits in six innings for Edward Little (7-5).
  Mt. Blue 10, Skowhegan 3: Jimmy Neal's two-run double in the top of the seventh broke open the game and helped the Cougars take a KVAC A win in Skowhegan.
  Andrew Pratt and Dylan Vining also hit doubles for Mt. Blue (10-3). Seb Dumont drove in the Skowhegan (2-11) run in the first inning.
  Brewer 4, Lawrence 0: Kyle McLain Mets David Wright Jersey and Dylan Oxley combined on a one-hitter, leading Brewer to the shutout win at Fairfield.
  McLain had three hits and drove in a pair of runs for the Witches (7-7). Oxley had two hits for Brewer. Three of Brewer's four runs were unearned.
     & ;nbsp;   Shawn Russell had the lone Lawrence (5-8) hit, a single in the fourth inning.
  Forest Hills 11-7, Vinalhaven 8-1: Dylan McNally struck out 15 and had two doubles in the opener before hitting a home run in the second game to help the Tigers sweep the Vikings in a Class D doubleheader.
  Ethan Levesque had a three-run Authentic David Wright Jersey triple in the first game while Matt Turner had a pair of singles and home run for Forest Hills (6-5).
   In the second game, Evan Worster struck out nine and allowed just five hits to earn the victory. Spencer Conrad had an RBI triple to go along with McNally's solo homer in the sixth.
  Vinalhaven dropped to 2-8.
  Jay 4, Madison 3: The Tigers capitalized on two Madison errors and scored Authentic Ike Davis Jersey the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to win a Mountain Valley Conference game in Jay.
  Jake Lord struck out eight and walked two for Jay (3-8). Garrett Emery had a pair of hits, including a double, for Madison (5-8).
  Nokomis 10, MCI 4: The Warriors scored seven runs in the final two inning on their way to the KVAC Ike Davis Jersey B win in Pittsfield. Jeff Ludden had a pair of doubles for Nokomis while teammate John Adams singeld and hit a two-run triple in the seventh. Matt Lessard and Dylan Watrous singled  twice each for MCI (0-14). Justin Authentic Denard Span Jersey Amoroso fanne four and walked one in picking up the pitching win for Nokomis (7-7).
  Rangeley 13, Valley 10: Jordan Richard, Alex Morton and Zeke Hall each drove in a Authentic Johan Santana Jersey run as the Lakers scored five times in the sixth inning on their way to a East-West Conference win in Mets Jose Reyes Jersey Rangeley.
  David Wright Jersey Hall finished with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs, while Morton had two singles, a double and two RBIs for Rangeley (5-4). Richard added a single, a double and an RBI, Eric White had a single, two doubles and an RBI, and Darren Jannace had two singles and an RBI for the Lakers.

Janesville Parker graduate a fixture in Warhawks' outfield | Janesville Gazette, The | Find Articles at BNET
Matt Beyer wasn't sure if he would play much when he joined Jorge Posada Jersey the UW-Whitewater baseball team out of Janesville Parker High School three years ago.

   &n bsp;     &nb sp;     Now, he's proven that he can.
  Beyer will be in left field when the Warhawks open NCAA Division III World Series play Friday afternoon at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute.
  The 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior has played 130 games in three seasons with the Warhawks. Beyer started 37 games in the outfield as a Yankees Jorge Posada Jersey freshman, which was a pleasant surprise. He was a first-team All-Big Authentic Derek Jeter Jersey Eight Conference his senior year at Parker, but coming to the strong Warhawk program was a bit daunting.
  For one thing, there's the "freshman thing."

  & ;nbsp;    "When you first get here, all the other guys Authentic Mickey Mantle Jersey are all older than you," Beyer said Tuesday.
  Plus, the Warhawks were coming off a third-place finish in the NCAA Division III World Series.
  Beyer didn't let the intimidation factors affect him for long. Yankees Mariano Rivera Jersey He batted .300 as a freshman, with eight Carlos Beltran Jersey homers and 26 RBIs. He had a .523 slugging percentage.
  Yankees Alex Rodriguez Jersey His success carried Yankees Derek Jeter Jersey over to his sophomore season. He hit .308 with six doubles, four triples, seven homers and 42 RBIs. He had a .552 slugging percentage and started 41 of Authentic Alex Rodriguez Jersey the 47 games he played.
  Beyer's statistics hit a bump this season. A recent surge has lifted his season Authentic Jorge Posada Jersey average to Yankees Mickey Mantle Jersey .293. He has started 36 of the 44 games in Mickey Mantle Jersey which he has played for the 36-11 Warhawks.
  He has 39 hits and has scored 37 runs. He has nine doubles, a triple, three homers and 26 RBIs.
  Beyer said his struggles began right from the start of the season. He was hitting below .240 with no homers as late as April 20, but has been a tear since then.
  In the NCAA Division III regional at James Miller Stadium last week, Beyer earned a spot on the all-tournament team. In the Warhawks' opening Derek Jeter Jersey win, Beyer's sacrifice fly in the sixth inning proved to be the winning run in a 3-2 victory over St. Thomas.
  In Whitewater's second game, Beyer went 4-for-5 and scored the winning run after tripling in the 10th inning of a 7-6 victory over Hamline.
  In the third game, Beyer singled in the winning in the sixth inning in a 2-1 victory over UW-Stevens Point. He Authentic Carlos Beltran Jersey finished the tournament with a .426 average, and a Alex Rodriguez Jersey brighter outlook on his future.
  "I think it's just confidence," Beyer said.
  Beyer's strength is his speed. He has stolen 11 bases in 12 Authentic Mariano Rivera Jersey attempts, which hikes his career stolen-base total to 25.
  Playing with Mariano Rivera Jersey center fielder Dylan Friend and right fielder Dan Putnam, the Warhawks boast of an outfield can run down just about any fly ball that stays in the park.
  Beyer, the son of Scott and Tasha, enjoys playing just 20 minutes from his hometown. A group of family members plans to attend the Warhawks' World Series games.
  "Plus a lot of my high school coaches get to follow me," he said.
  Along with hometown fans who will watch the Warhawks' World Series games with an added interest.

Greinke homers, Ks 10 in Brewers win | Janesville Gazette, The | Find Articles at BNET
One of the reasons Zack Greinke accepted a trade to Milwaukee was because he wanted to be able to hit on a regular basis. He loves discussing hitting with everyone.

   & amp;nbsp;     &a mp;nbsp;     Turns out, he can back up all that chatter, too.
  Greinke hit the go-ahead homer and struck out 10 over seven innings, leading the Brewers to a 6-4 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday for their season-best sixth straight victory.
  "I talk about it all the time," said Greinke, who rarely got chances to hit when he was in the AL in Kansas City. "It's more fun playing (this) way, I like it, it feels like you're doing more in the game."

  & nbsp;    Prince Fielder drove in four runs Mickey Mantle Jersey for the Brewers, who are the hottest team in baseball over the last two weeks with 13 wins in 16 games.
  They've also been dominant at Miller Park with nine consecutive victories at home -- one short of their franchise-best mark set in 1979 -- after completing sweeps of Pittsburgh, Colorado and Washington.
  "I felt Mariano Rivera Jersey all along our team would go on a roll somewhere," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "I didn't know where it would be or when it would be."
  Michael Morse hit his third homer in three days for the Nationals, who limped home on a season-worst five-game skid.
  "It was a terrible road trip. We were Authentic Carlos Beltran Jersey 1-7. That's a bad road trip," Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said.
  Greinke (3-1) struck out at least one batter each inning.
     & ;nbsp;   The 2009 AL Yankees Alex Rodriguez Jersey Cy Young winner mixed a mid-90s fastball with two breaking balls, including a curve that dipped as low as 62 mph when Jerry Hairston awkwardly waved at it to end the fourth.
  His only hiccup came earlier in the inning.
  Jayson Werth Authentic Mariano Rivera Jersey singled, Laynce Nix doubled and Morse hit a three-run shot to left-center field that tied it 3-all. Then, just as quickly as Washington scored, Greinke retired the next three batters and 12 of his final 13. He ended his outing by striking out pinch hitter Rick Ankiel for his 10th career game of at least 10 strikeouts.
  "This is Zack. When I've seen Zack good, this is Carlos Beltran Jersey what he does," Roenicke said. "He can elevate to a level where I don't care what offense we're facing, he can shut them down."
  Reliever LaTroy Hawkins gave up a sacrifice fly to Nix in the eighth that cut it to 5-4 Alex Rodriguez Jersey before leaving for Kameron Loe, who struck Derek Jeter Jersey out Morse to end the inning.
  Yuniesky Betancourt gave Milwaukee a 6-4 lead with a two-out, run-scoring double in the eighth and Loe pitched the ninth Yankees Jorge Posada Jersey for his first save after closer John Axford had thrown four of the previous five days.
  Greinke swung at the Yankees Derek Jeter Jersey first pitch he saw from Jason Marquis Authentic Derek Jeter Jersey (5-2) in the fifth, hitting a towering fly ball down the left-field line to give Milwaukee a 4-3 lead.
  "I thought it was foul at first, but it didn't end up curving," Greinke said.
  Greinke is now 6 of 32 for his Yankees Mariano Rivera Jersey career at the plate with two RBIs.
  "He's always talking about doing that. He did it. It was pretty cool," Fielder said. "I think he's got some bragging rights now."
  Fielder doubled in two runs in the first and then followed with a sacrifice fly in the Authentic Mickey Mantle Jersey third to give Milwaukee a 3-0 lead as Marquis struggled with command for a second straight outing.
  Fielder added an RBI single in the seventh off Sean Burnett that gave the Brewers a 5-3 lead. Fielder leads the NL with 41 RBIs.
  "It's good. Guys are getting on base, which is good," Fielder said. "There's going to be a lot of opportunities. I think that's the start of it. If there's nobody on base, you can't drive anybody in."
  Morse has hit five homers and driven in 12 runs in six career games at Miller Park after also hitting a solo shot on Monday and his first career grand slam on Tuesday, but the Nationals are seven games under .500 now.
  "I have some ideas, obviously, and Authentic Alex Rodriguez Jersey some thoughts that I don't really want to share with the world right now," Werth said of what needs to change. "I think it's pretty obvious what's going on around here. I'm not going to get into it right now. It is what it is. It's unfortunate. We're a way better ball club."
  Greinke's only other home run came on June 10, 2005, when he also gave up a career-high 11 runs in a loss to Arizona.
  "My first two years of interleague, we only got about six at-bats a year, and all Jorge Posada Jersey I could think about was hitting and maybe that messed up my pitching," Greinke said. "I think I avoid that now."
  Milwaukee is an NL-best 19-6 at home, but the Giants should be a Yankees Mickey Mantle Jersey tougher challenge when they come to town beginning Friday. Two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum pitches the series opener against Shaun Marcum, who has been Milwaukee's best starter so far this year.
  "It's going to be a big challenge," Fielder said. "They're a great team, but we've been playing good. Hopefully we can come out on top."
  NOTES: The Brewers claimed INF Josh Wilson off waivers from Arizona and transferred RHP Takashi Saito to the 60-day DL. ... Brewers OF Nyjer Morgan (broken finger) is expected to be activated Friday from the 15-day disabled list. ... Brewers INF/OF Erick Almonte (concussion) will head to extended spring training in Arizona on Saturday. He's previously been cleared to return to all activities, but has acknowledged being frustrated at the time it's taking him to get back.
  Credit: COLIN FLY

Authentic Jorge Posada Jersey

Nativity Upsets Pius | Republican & Herald; Pottsville, Pa. | Find Articles at BNET
EASTON - Cinderella is dancing in the District 11 Class A baseball playoffs.

   & amp;nbsp;     &a mp;nbsp;     &am p;nbsp; And she's wearing green and gold.
    Nativity got big Michael Cuddyer Jersey hits from Bryar White and James Coyne and a strong pitching effort from Connor Matz and Evan Kuperavage to upset top-seeded Pius White Sox Adam Dunn Jersey X 3-1 Alex Rios Jersey in Thursday's Class A Authentic Michael Cuddyer Jersey semifinal at Easton High School.
    The victory advances Nativity to the District 11 Class A championship for the first time in school history. The Authentic Justin Morneau Jersey fifth-seeded Hilltoppers will face the winner of today's Marian-Tri-Valley semifinal next week at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown.
    "At the beginning of the season we thought we could do real well," Nativity coach Ed Baker said. "Then (William) Klinger went down (with a broken foot) and our hopes were a little dashed. He was our ace.

   &n bsp;     "These other guys stepped Twins Joe Mauer Jersey up. Connor Matz threw a wonderful game. I couldn't ask for anything more. Kuperavage came in, threw strikes and our defense did the rest.
    "We hit the ball and made the plays. Authentic Bo Jackson Jersey Everything went Adam Dunn Jersey our way."
    With the Twins Justin Morneau Jersey game tied at 1 in the sixth inning, Alex Mansell singled and moved to second on Kyle Kaledas' sacrifice bunt. White then delivered a triple to score Mansell, and scored on Coyne's single to put Nativity up 3-1.
    Matz pitched 5.1 innings, holding Pius X to only five hits. Kuperavage Authentic Joe Mauer Jersey entered after Matz cramped up in the sixth, striking out the final two batters of the inning.
    In the seventh, Kuperavage induced a fly out and struck out another two batters to cap off the big victory and earn the save.
    Prior to this game, the Royals outscored their Twins Michael Cuddyer Jersey opponents 207-54.
    District 3 Baseball Class AA Quarterfinal Kutztown 6 Upper Dauphin 2
    FREDERICKSBURG - Alex Faust cracked Authentic Adam Dunn Jersey two doubles and drove in four runs as the Cougars eliminated the Trojans from the District Justin Morneau Jersey 3 Class AA playoffs with a quarterfinal victory White Sox Alex Rios Jersey at Wenger Field.
    Ethan Calnon hit White Sox Bo Jackson Jersey a solo homer in the second Bo Jackson Jersey inning to get the Trojans started, and Upper Dauphin took a 2-0 lead after three innings.
    Kutztown answered with a four-run fourth and two more in the fifth to Authentic Alex Rios Jersey take control.

Throwbacks lift Yanks | Buffalo News Newspaper | Find Articles at BNET
The New York Yankees turned back the clock two seasons the previous  night with a ninth-inning comeback reminiscent of those during  their last World Series title.

   & ;nbsp;     & nbsp;     &n bsp; Wednesday afternoon's 7-3 victory over the Blue Jays represented  yet another Justin Morneau Jersey rewind, only this time significantly further in  history, as if the baseball Authentic Joe Mauer Jersey calendar were flipped back a decade.
     Freddy Garcia was as good-as-it-gets dominant at times, firing a  gem befitting the two-time White Sox Bo Jackson Jersey All-Star he once was. Andruw Alex Rios Jersey Jones  crushed a pair of tape-measure home runs, wowing the Yankee Stadium  crowd of 43,201.
     And Mariano Rivera buzzed through the ninth inning without fail,  becoming the first pitcher in major-league history to appear Authentic Adam Dunn Jersey in  1,000 games with the same team.

   & nbsp;      This is 2011 and not 2001, believe it or White Sox Alex Rios Jersey not, but Garcia, Jones and  Rivera -- a veteran trio with an average age Authentic Michael Cuddyer Jersey of 36 -- combined to  star in the perfect getaway triumph for the Yankees as they Michael Cuddyer Jersey hit the  road for a three-city, 12-day Adam Dunn Jersey trip to the West Coast believing they  finally have begun to play to Authentic Bo Jackson Jersey their potential.
     "Just a great day for Andruw and it's a big lift for us, to be able  to win two out Bo Jackson Jersey of three [games] in two series after Twins Michael Cuddyer Jersey we lost the  first game, to be able to do that and go on the road, that's  important," manager Joe Girardi said. "You get a great White Sox Adam Dunn Jersey day out of  Freddy  [he] set the tone."
     In doing so, Garcia and the Yankees (27-21) extended Toronto  starter Jo-Jo Reyes' winless streak to 28 starts, which matches the  longest slide in major-league history.
     The 34-year-old Garcia (3-4, Twins Justin Morneau Jersey 3.26) pitched into the seventh Twins Joe Mauer Jersey inning  and allowed three runs on eight hits, striking out four and walking  none.
     With the Yankees ahead by four runs, Rivera entered in a non- save  situation for his milestone nearly 16 years to the day he made his  first appearance: May 23, 1995, in Anaheim.
     "I faced Authentic Alex Rios Jersey him in 1996 and he's the same guy," Jones said of Rivera,  who threw 12 pitches in the scoreless ninth, 10 of which were  strikes. "He throws the same pitches and he's still getting it Authentic Justin Morneau Jersey done."

 You read it here first: When the game takes a hiatus next week and everyone takes a seat for a spell, the Pirates will be sitting pretty.The Bucs, after a lost generation, leading their division at Major League Baseball's annual pit stop?It could happen: The Pirates -- a half-game out of second and a game-and-a-half behind division-leading St. Louis -- entertain the Authentic Josh Beckett Jersey Astros and the Cubs, the teams with the two worst records in the National League, this week while the NL Central's three other contenders mix it up with Carl Yastrzemski Jersey each other.Hysterics in Pittsburgh, and history in New York? Derek Jeter's crowning awaits, his date with 3,000 hits a mere six knocks away.So welcome to the stretch drive to Show Kevin Youkilis Jersey cred. It may only be the middle of the season, but this also is the last week before the game takes an All-Star break, before everyone takes a Red Sox Dustin Pedroia Jersey good look around.Time to put away the sparklers and the barbecue tongs and get your game-face on.The daily Dustin Pedroia Jersey schedule spins relentlessly, blurring any chance for perspective or lasting impressions. The one midsummer time that juggernaut stops, you want to be in a good spot Josh Beckett Jersey for inspection.Now here's a last Red Sox Kevin Youkilis Jersey chance to score points before marching in front of the midseason reviewing stand.Sure, everyone loves a parade. But you won't find one in any of the six divisions. Tight? Each could have a new leader by the end of play on Sunday -- while it's unrealistic to actually expect that to happen, its mathematical possibility at this point of the season is enticing.Going forth from the Fourth, the Phillies own the biggest division lead, at four games over the Braves -- against whom they will draw the first-half curtain next weekend.This is also the start of the phase of the schedule that will separate the men from the boys. Yes, no more Interleague Play.The American League again got the better of it, but the standings in both leagues were shaken up by this most lopsided aspect of the unbalanced schedule.Only two of the six division leaders entering the June 17 start of an exclusive stretch of Interleague Play came out of it still on top: The Phillies in the NL East and the Giants in the NL West.In the NL Central, the Brewers slipped from a one-game lead into a tie with Red Sox Josh Beckett Jersey the Cardinals. The AL realignment had the Yankees overtake Boston in the East, the Indians leap back ahead of the Tigers in the Central, and the Angels charge from three games behind into a tie Authentic Carlton Fisk Jersey with Texas.Not coincidentally, the Yankees Josh Hamilton Jersey and Angels shared the best record (11-4) in the interim.From now on, to each its own.That should sound good to the Pirates, who made their move by being the only NL Central team to avoid a losing record during the Interleague stretch (their 8-8 mark Red Sox David Ortiz Jersey did include a four-game series split with the Nationals).The Reds get a more hands-on opportunity in the division: They will Authentic Dustin Pedroia Jersey spend the week playing the two frontrunners, following their ongoing series in St. Louis with a four-game set in Milwaukee.The Cardinals will go outside of the division for the final weekend of the first half -- but won't be out of danger: They'll host the Diamondbacks, those legitimate West Division threats who just knocked David Ortiz Jersey the Brewers out of the Central lead with their comeback win on Monday.With Authentic David Ortiz Jersey Jeter as the main sidebar, the Yankees will have their hands full in attempting to maintain their slim division Authentic Josh Hamilton Jersey lead into the break. They are starting off the week by visiting the Indians, protecting their own fractional lead in the AL Central, and will end it with four home games against the persistent Rays.That could open a door of opportunity for the Red Sox, simultaneously engaged with the lower half of the division, Toronto and Baltimore.Some individual bragging points can also be made, and taken into the All-Star clubhouses at Chase Field. Toronto slugger Jose Bautista can still become one of the few players to ever check in for an All-Star Game with Rangers Josh Hamilton Jersey 30 homers. He's sitting on 27 with six games remaining (a year ago, when he would wind up with 54 clouts, Bautista arrived for the July 13 game in Anaheim with a mere 24).And Kevin Correia, the bellwether of those resurgent Authentic Kevin Youkilis Jersey Bucs, has one start remaining to become the first Pirates starter with 12 wins before the All-Star break since 1971, when Dock Ellis had a 14-3 record.Correia already is the first Pittsburgh starter with 11 first-half wins since Steve Blass went 11-4 in 1972 (Jim Bibby also had 11 wins in 1980, but picked up one of those in relief).Those teams, of course, belong to Pirates lore: World Series champs in 1971, another division title in 1972. Nice precedent to follow.

ARLINGTON -- Rangers manager Ron Washington said on Wednesday there are no internal discussion about moving Derek Authentic Brian Wilson Jersey Holland out of the starting rotation. Washington said that no matter what Thursday's start against the Athletics holds, Holland will stay in the rotation. "No, not that we've discussed," Washington said. "That's not a conversation we've had." Holland, who struggled in his last start, has been inconsistent all season. He pitched a Giants Brian Wilson Jersey shutout on June 4 against Cleveland, but has not turned in Lan Kinsler Jersey a quality start since then. Holland Brian Wilson Jersey is known for having some of the best pitches of any Rangers starter, but he struggles with location."When he's good, he's good," Washington said. "I don't know when exactly Authentic Lan Kinsler Jersey he'll start being consistent. But when he's good, he's good. We're not going to give up on him." Holland has been a Major Leaguer for parts of the last three seasons, since he was a ripe 22-year-old. While he is a familiar face to Rangers fans, it is possible that he is not done learning how to harness his electric stuff. "You've got to understand that in this game there are what you call late bloomers," Washington said. "He has a ton of talent, and you don't give up on talent. He's only 25. He's still got a lot of time to get it together. He came up here at a very young age, maybe when he shouldn't have been here, and he's Authentic Cody Ross Jersey still learning." Washington says that Holland clearly has the pitching repertoire to play in the Major Leagues, but at this point lacks the confidence. "What I'm doing as the manager is trying to show confidence," Washington said. "Hopefully, he gains confidence by me showing confidence in him. When that no longer happens, then an authority way above me makes that decision." Rangers ink Dominican prospect MazaraARLINGTON -- Dominican 16-year-old Nomar Mazara took batting practice before the Rangers faced the Orioles on Wednesday. He officially signed after passing a physical.While the Rangers did not discuss terms of the contract, sources say Mazara agreed to sign on July 2 for over $5 million. One of the main reasons he signed with the Rangers has been Texas' aggressiveness in sending Dominican players to the Majors. "I see that they develop all the young players," Mazara said through a translator. "They make them into Major League players, Buster Posey Jersey and they come soon. They come quick, and [the Rangers] stay with their own players." This is a trend that has become quite prevalent after the Rangers' success with Elvis Andrus and Neftali Feliz, along with others, such as Jurickson Profar in the farm system. "Starting two years ago, one of the things we set out to do was become a force on the international scene," Rangers senior director of Rangers Michael Young Jersey player development A.J. Preller said. "I see it when I'm out there, I see it when I'm talking to parents and families and people."They know that the farm system has been considered one of the better ones in the game, and you see kids want to be a part of it." It reaped big benefits as Mazara and Ronald Guzman were arguably the most sought-after international Nelson Cruz Jersey prospects this year, and both of them signed with the Rangers. General manager Jon Daniels said that Mazara would be heading back to the Dominican Republic to compete in a Rangers program that has already been set up in that country. Mazara put on a show for Rangers brass during his session, routinely getting the ball to the Rangers Ballpark warning track, despite Authentic Buster Posey Jersey being just 16 years old. "You could see him growing," Rangers manager Ron Washington, who was in attendance, said. "He might end up being a left-handed Juan Gonzalez. That wouldn't be bad. You can see that he's going to pick it up in the [triceps], the [biceps], the legs. He's going to pick it up and grow into a Giants Cody Ross Jersey man. Just got to make sure he doesn't grow into a fat man."Cruz getting it done at the plateARLINGTON -- Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz has been heating up on this homestand, hitting 9-for-21 in the last five games. "More than anything else, I like him keeping the ball in the big part of the field," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "I've seen him shorten his stroke a little bit. The good thing about it is, in some situations recently, all we needed was a base hit, and he's gotten them." Cruz has tremendous Authentic Nelson Cruz Jersey power, and what is encouraging to Authentic Michael Young Jersey Washington is that Cruz has been hitting singles, but without losing that power. During the five games, he has two home runs and three extra-base hits. "I just Michael Young Jersey hope that his mindset stays there, because without trying, Nelson is going to walk into home runs," Washington said. "Sometimes he gets out there and, maybe not consciously, but his swing gets real big. Lately, its been Rangers Lan Kinsler Jersey shortened a little bit." With his recent hitting, he has now brought his batting average back closer to Rangers Nelson Cruz Jersey where it has historically sat for his Giants Buster Posey Jersey career. He comes into Wednesday's game batting .252 on the season, comparable to the .270 mark he holds for his career.

WASHINGTON -- For the second time this year, one of baseball's biggest superstars of the last quarter-century will be at a defendant's table in a federal courtroom, accused of lying about using performance-enhancing drugs.Starting with jury selection that will commence Wednesday at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the federal case against Roger Clemens will put a 300-game winner and 11-time All-Star on trial, charged with perjury, giving false statements and obstruction of Congress.Clemens' trial Pablo Sandoval Jersey begins less than three months after Barry Bonds, the Majors' all-time leader in home runs for Starlin Castro Jersey a single season and a career, was convicted on one charge of obstruction of justice in a federal courthouse in San Francisco, while three charges of making false declarations ended in mistrial. An August hearing is still scheduled in that case, with defense arguing to vacate the conviction and the government considering retrying the hung verdicts.The Clemens case, which has been subject of contentious legal wrangling over the last several years, is only now beginning in earnest.There are two main differences between the trials of the two superstars who Cubs Ryne Sandberg Jersey 10 years ago this week were preparing to start in the 2001 All-Star Game, Clemens as the American League's starting pitcher Authentic Freddy Sanchez Jersey and Bonds as the No. 3 hitter in the middle of the National League lineup.The differences: The venue for the alleged lying, and the trainer involved in the case.Clemens, who won a record seven Cy Young Awards in his 23-year career with the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees and Astros, is accused of lying to the U.S. Congress on Feb. 13, 2008, stating flatly that he had never used performance enhancers, as had been alleged in the Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball."Let me be clear -- I have never taken steroids or HGH," Clemens said in a nationally televised Cody Ross Jersey hearing before the House Committee on Government Reform. Meanwhile, Bonds' Giants Tim Lincecum Jersey statements denying use of PEDs were made in grand jury proceedings that Authentic Matt Cain Jersey were supposed to be secret before they were illegally leaked.The key government witness in the Clemens case -- officially named United States of America vs. William R. Clemens -- is trainer Brian McNamee, who also testified before Congress in 2008. There, McNamee told a different story of Clemens, one that included longtime use of performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds' trainer, Greg Anderson, on the other hand, served three months in prison and three more of house arrest for distributing steroids, and then served more than a year on contempt charges for refusing to testify in any of the Bonds proceedings.What has become a much more contentious trainer-athlete relationship will be pivotal to the Clemens case. Before Congress, McNamee asserted that he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone -- keeping medical Cubs Starlin Castro Jersey waste that will be used as evidence in Authentic Tim Lincecum Jersey the trial. Giants Matt Cain Jersey McNamee also claimed and Clemens denied that the pitcher Freddy Sanchez Jersey discussed steroids at a party with then-Toronto Blue Jays teammate and noted steroids Matt Cain Jersey user Jose Canseco.U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton will preside over the Clemens trial, which is being held in the nation's capital because that's where the alleged crimes took place. The trial is estimated Tim Lincecum Jersey to last four to six weeks, with jury selection expected to take up the abbreviated first week and opening arguments to follow, possibly Monday, depending on the length of the jury selection process.Clemens' attorneys argued last week to expand their questioning of McNamee to include an allegation of sexual assault against him in 2001, while he was working with the Yankees. But Walton indicated in a motions hearing Tuesday that he would not allow that line of questioning to come into the trial.Still, it's clear the defense will go after McNamee with vigor. Defense attorney Rusty Hardin said in a recent hearing, "If Mr. McNamee's mouth Giants Pablo Sandoval Jersey is moving, he's making an inconsistent statement."Prosecutors planned to call as witnesses several former Major Leaguers, most notably former Yankees and Astros left-hander Andy Pettitte. Chuck Knoblauch, Mike Stanton and Pettitte were expected to admit to receiving PEDs from McNamee, but Giants Freddy Sanchez Jersey Judge Reggie Walton indicated Tuesday that he would not allow the former players to testify about their own Authentic Starlin Castro Jersey dealings with McNamee. However, Pettitte remains the only witness besides McNamee who says he spoke with Clemens about his drug use; Clemens has said Pettitte must have misheard him.Clemens is charged with six felony counts regarding 15 statements he made during his testimony before Congress and in a deposition beforehand. The maximum penalty if found guilty on all the charges would be 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine, although such penalties would be unlikely given that Clemens has no criminal record. Previous federal cases involving Authentic Pablo Sandoval Jersey athletes lying about their involvement with performance-enhancing drugs have brought penalties of house arrest.

When he opened his door to uniformed men, Thad Forester knew the news would be grim.His brother, Mark, had been Authentic Kosuke Fukudome Jersey serving in the United States Air Force as a combat controller in Afghanistan when he Carlos Zambrano Jersey was killed in action Sept. 29, 2010, at age 29. He was shot at close range in the arm and chest.The impact sprayed bullet fragments across Ryne Sandberg Jersey the American flag he wrapped around his chest Kosuke Fukudome Jersey plate during combat. His death came while trying to recover the body of a fellow Authentic Carlos Zambrano Jersey soldier who had been killed in combat."That began our Authentic Carlos Pena Jersey whirlwind ever since," Thad said. "It was really unreal. I felt I was like on a different planet. My parents are having a hard time with it right now."That area he went is considered one of the most dangerous in the world. You're guaranteed to confront the enemy on a daily basis. On Skype, you could see Authentic Alfonso Soriano Jersey he was worn out. He was exhausted."As they work through their grief, the Foresters have started the Mark A. Forester Foundation to raise scholarship money for high school seniors in his hometown of Haleyville, Ala. Donations to the foundation can be made at http:// www.markaforester.com.And that is where right-hander Trey McNutt, who is playing for Double-A Tennessee, comes in. McNutt, ranked by MLB.com's Cubs Alfonso Soriano Jersey Jonathan Mayo as the Cubs' No. 2 prospect, hails from Haleyville and has been moved to do what he can to help by collecting autographed memorabilia to auction off. He works alongside radio announcer Mick Gillispie, a friend of Thad's. The two will present a check July 21 at Smokies Park."He was a hero, even before he passed away in Afghanistan," McNutt said. "Everything's going well [with raising money]. We've done a pretty good job, Cubs Matt Garza Jersey got almost $1,000 raised."McNutt has a 3.86 ERA over 39 2/3 innings despite blister trouble and a rib-cage injury. He has reached Class AA after being drafted in the 32nd round of the 2009 Alfonso Soriano Jersey First-Year Player Draft and showed a high-end curveball and a fastball that has touched Authentic Matt Garza Jersey 97 mph."I'm just trying to pick up where I left off last year," he said. "I'm just trying to work hard and get to Chicago sometime this year. If that doesn't happen, there's always next year."Forester never asked McNutt or Gillispie for their help."They took it upon themselves to do it," he said. "We've very grateful. Trey has the ability to Matt Garza Jersey influence a large Authentic Ryne Sandberg Jersey group Cubs Carlos Zambrano Jersey of people. There's good stuff going on. We plan on doing it forever."The foundation selects its winner after input from Mark's old teachers and reading essays the candidates write on patriotism. If the Cubs Carlos Pena Jersey student chooses Mark's alma mater of the University of Alabama, he or she receives an extra $500.Forester also raises money with a 5K and 10K race around his brother's birthday of May 15, and he also does a 30-mile walk. He said his brother decided to join the military after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.Mark graduated from college in December 2006 but enlisted rather than going to officer training school. He wanted to join the most difficult branch of the military he could."Being a Carlos Pena Jersey combat controller isn't easy," Forester said. Cubs Kosuke Fukudome Jersey "They're [tough]. When he got chosen to go there, he was excited. He'd get to work immediately."

SAN FRANCISCO -- While Andres Torres vented some frustration about Padres reliever Chad Qualls spiking the ball and screaming after a Gordon Beckham Jersey play at the plate Tuesday night, the Giants were ready to move on Wednesday.Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Harold Baines Jersey he understood why Torres was upset with Qualls' reaction, but the showy moves have become a part of all modern sports -- and he didn't want his team to retaliate in a similar manner Wednesday night."Hopefully we go out and play hard. That's how we answer something we don't like," Bochy said. "I don't think it's something we can get caught up in because, like I said, we have some players who show emotion, too. Now, there's big plays whether it's the opposing team or us, and guys get a little bit more excited. That's the way the game is played now."It was kind of the unwritten-rule deal about sports. They used the adage, 'Act like you've been there before.' Now, it's all about celebrating your victory and showing emotion. That's what players do today."Qualls said after the Authentic Michael Jordan Jersey game he was just caught up in the moment, and he reiterated Wednesday afternoon that the move was not meant to offend Torres, who said he felt disrespected after Tuesday's 5-3 loss."I'm not making too big a deal out of it," Qualls said. "I meant no disrespect to anyone. It's a big series and I've got a lot of passion. I play this game with a lot of passion. It's just the way I play the game. ... I'm completely over it. Today is another day."Bochy added White Sox Gordon Beckham Jersey that there were some "old-school" players who take offense to unnecessary and drawn-out celebrations. Despite some of his own team's quirks -- Brian Wilson's usual post-save routine, Sergio Romo's clapping and so on -- Bochy didn't think the Giants should be viewed as showboats."You can't say that, I don't think, because this is a team that won the World Series. It's not a team that tries to show up the other team," he said. "Sure, we have characters, but that's a little different than showboating or trying to show up the other club."It's something that I wouldn't tolerate, if I thought my guys were showing up the other team. There's a way to do things. But like Authentic Harold Baines Jersey I said, we have some characters, and we have to deal with it when other teams do it, too."Fontenot's return will force tough roster moveSAN FRANCISCO -- With Mike Fontenot on track to return to the Giants as soon as Friday, Bruce Bochy will gain some depth and versatility in the infield, but it will also require a difficult roster move for Bochy and general manager Brian Sabean.Fontenot has looked good in his recent rehab starts with Triple-A Fresno, hitting a home run Monday night and picking up two hits Tuesday, and Bochy said there is a "good chance" he will be activated in time for San Francisco's weekend Authentic Carlton Fisk Jersey series against the Mets. The utility man will play for Fresno on Wednesday Jake Peavy Jersey and Thursday before being re-evaluated.At that point, the Giants will have to make a White Sox Carlton Fisk Jersey roster move -- one that Bochy said will not be easy."They're, White Sox Harold Baines Jersey at this part of the season, always tough," Bochy said. "We talked about it [Wednesday] a little bit, Brian and myself. We know we have that coming up."The most likely candidate to be cut appears to be Bill Hall. A free-agent pickup following Freddy Sanchez's injury, Hall has played sparingly. And it wasn't a particularly good sign for the veteran second baseman when Bochy opted to start Miguel Tejada, who had never played the position, at second two straight days with Emmanuel Burriss injured.There will be another difficult decision awaiting Bochy and Sabean when Brandon Belt completes his rehab and regains his swing. Belt, also with Fresno but farther away from returning than Fontenot, has played first base and right field and will continue to see time at both positions, Bochy said."He's doing well, so it won't be long before we'll have to make a move with him," he added.Left-hander Jonathan Sanchez (left bicep tendinitis) is also making strides in his recovery. Bochy said Sanchez felt "great" after throwing a bullpen session off the mound Wednesday afternoon. Bochy has said before there is no guarantee Sanchez will be reinserted into the rotation right after the All-Star break.Affeldt draws chuckles with calf injurySAN FRANCISCO -- An injury is usually no laughing matter, but even Bruce Bochy couldn't help but find some humor in the way Jeremy Affeldt tweaked his calf Tuesday night.Affeldt's injury is nothing serious -- though Bochy would like to avoid using the lefty Wednesday night against the Padres -- and neither was the way he hurt himself during the final out of the top White Sox Mark Buehrle Jersey of the ninth Tuesday night, Authentic Gordon Beckham Jersey according to Bochy."I hate to say it, it's one of the funniest things I've seen when you look at it on video. It was a line drive to third and he jumps up to celebrate, then he grabs it. We all had to laugh. There's a picture of Authentic Jake Peavy Jersey it in the clubhouse."There was a photo of the injury in Affeldt's locker Wednesday afternoon, and Bochy even called in Affeldt to watch the game video, telling the 32-year-old left-hander, "You have to see why I've been laughing for the last 15 minutes."These guys have got to calm down their celebrations, especially the Carlton Fisk Jersey older ones," he added.Bochy didn't completely rule out Affeldt from seeing time in Wednesday's game, as he is just Michael Jordan Jersey a little tender, but listed him as day to day.In other day-to-day White Sox Jake Peavy Jersey injury news, outfielder Cody Ross took batting practice after "taking it easy" Tuesday. He said his mild left hamstring strain was getting better, though he didn't want to run and risk aggravating the injury. Bochy said Ross was available to pinch-hit Wednesday, just as he Authentic Mark Buehrle Jersey was Tuesday. Ross is hoping to be back by the Giants' weekend series against the Mets.Emmanuel Burriss, nursing some soreness in his knee after being hit by a pitch Monday afternoon, was also available Wednesday, though he was not back in the starting lineup.Worth noting Entering Wednesday night's game against the Padres, the Giants' usually dominant starting rotation had yielded eight earned runs in 12 innings. On the previous seven-game road trip, the five starters allowed only nine earned runs. After Tuesday night's game, San Francisco's No. 2 hitters have posted a .267 average this season, sixth-highest in the National League. However, that can mostly be attributed to the injured Freddy Sanchez's .289 average. Since Sanchez was placed on the 15-day disabled list June 11, the Giants' two-hole hitters are Mark Buehrle Jersey batting .209. Giants catchers have recorded nine passed balls this season, including one Monday and another Tuesday. In 2010, with Bengie Molina and Buster Posey doing most of the work behind the plate, the club only had six passed balls all season.