MONTREAL -- The hand injury suffered by light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson in his latest title defence was a bruise and he should be able to
resume training in a month, promoter Yvon Michel said Wednesday.
Andrew MacDonald Flyers Jersey . X-rays showed there was no fracture. The injury was centred at the base of the index
finger and the thumb of his left hand. The southpaw will begin treatments on
Monday at the Evolution clinic in Terrebonne, Que. Stevenson (24-1), of Laval,
Que., said he felt pain in the hand in the second round of his unanimous
decision over Andrzej Fonfara on Saturday night in Montreal but was able to
continue fighting. It was his third defence of the World Boxing Council title he
won in June, 2013. The 36-year-old is one of two Canadians with a world title,
along with WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne of Montreal.
Jaromir Jagr Flyers Jersey . John Albert Elway, 24, was booked into jail early Saturday morning after an incident near a
college campus in downtown Denver, according to jail records.
Bill Barber Flyers Jersey .ca NHL Power Rankings, ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks.
Moving up, from 10 to seven this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins have won seven
straight despite a depleted lineup.TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips answers
several questions each week. This week, topics cover Brandon Morrows future, the
Miami Marlins, Mariano Riveras choice in second basemen and the Houston Astros.
1) The Toronto Blue Jays placed Brandon Morrow on the 60-day-DL last week, and
if he needs surgery on his finger, Morrow will be finished for the year. Should
the club pick up his $10 Million option for next season and would the injury
prone Morrow be perhaps better off as a relief pitcher regardless of where he
plays next season? So far so good with Brandon Morrow as it seems he will not
need surgery at this time. However, he is once again on the DL and wont be back
until after the All-Star break. Pitchers come back from torn sheaths of the
index finger, so it isnt a matter of whether he will make it back, he will be
back. The question is: what is Morrow as a pitcher? He and the Jays need to
decide what he is as a pitcher. Is he a starter or a reliever? This is a
decision that has to be made not only because of his physical ability but also
his capability. The health question is obvious but so too is the legitimate
question about just how good Morrow really is. Physically being a starter is a
different challenge than being a reliever. Starters have to log innings to have
a significant impact. They need to be able to take the ball every fifth day and
consistently give their team a chance to win. That means that their bodies need
to be able to recover completely with four days off in order to be able to pitch
effectively. Relievers pitch in much shorter spurts but have to be able to
bounce back from one day to the next and maintain the quality of their stuff.
Otherwise a reliever restricts his managers decision making if he is frequently
unavailable. Morrow has clearly shown an inability to remain healthy as a
starter. He has made only 30 starts once in his career. This means that the
Jays have had to challenge the organizations depth because he has been unable to
pitch. Almost always the replacement has not been as good as Morrow could be.
Predictability is important for a team both physically and mentally. When a
team is concerned about whether a pitcher can make his next start it impacts the
plans and decisions a manager has to make. Does he have to hold back a reliever
in case he needs a spot start? Should the manager save his bullpen just in case
the risky starter needs to come out of the game early? The manager and team are
always in limbo. Morrow cannot physically be a starter in my mind. But that
doesnt necessarily mean that he can be a reliever. It is fair to question
whether he can assume the rigors of being a regular 7th inning, 8th inning or
closer option for the Jays or any other team. I believe that it is Morrows
best shot of sustaining his career. His body cant seem to handle a lot of work
in a little bit of time as a starter. He should find it easier to pitch an
inning at a time. The main reason he should be a reliever is that it will
better suit his mindset too. Morrow needs to be much more aggressive as a
pitcher. He has lost some trust in his fastball and often nibbles the corner of
he plate rather than challenging the hitters with his best stuff. His 17 walks
in 27 innings pitched show that. In his last start against the Pirates, Morrows
fastball ranged from 90-93 MPH when he faced position players. When he threw
his fastball to the opposing pitcher. Garret Cole, he threw it 95-97. He had no
fear of the pitcher and just reared back and said. "I dare you to hit it." He
didnt think about pacing himself or missing the bat when he threw to the
pitcher. He was aggressive and confident. As a reliever Morrow could be more
aggressive with his fastball and simplify his secondary pitches, which sometimes
get him in trouble. A move to the bullpen is exactly what Morrow needs from a
physical and philosophical perspective. As far as the contract goes, there is no
way I would ever exercise the $10M option. The Jays jut cant afford the risk.
So at the end of the year the Jays should offer Morrow a middle relievers salary
with bonuses based upon games finished if he becomes the closer and games
started if he is a starter. He is at the point that he would have to earn any
amount of money beyond what a middle reliever could make. I think Morrow has a
couple of good years left but I just dont know it for a fact. Time for
pay-for-play. 2) The Miami Marlins are tied for first in the NL East, largely
due to their 17-5 record at home. What makes them so good at home, and can they
stay in the race given the struggles of the rest of the division? The Marlins
have been one of the great stories of the 2014 baseball season. They are ranked
29th in payroll ($47,565,400), yet are leading the NL East, whose payrolls range
from $90M (Mets) to $180M (Phillies). The 17 home wins by the Marlins are by
far the best in the game. That is the good news. The bad news is that the same
team with the same players is 3-10 on the road. The division is grouped
together with only four games separating the Marlins at the top and Phillies at
the bottom (15-18). Coming into the season the Braves and Nationals were
thought to be the class of the division. The Marlins were thought to have some
interesting young players but not to be a legitimate contender. So far at home
the Marlins are averaging almost six runs per game offensively while their
pitchers ERA is 2.61 ERA at Marlins Park. While on the road they have a 4.29
ERA and are only averaging 2.69 runs per game on offense. These differentials
explain why the home and road records are so vastly different but they dont tell
us why there is such a stark difference in performance. As is almost always the
case, there is a correlation between payroll and average age on the roster. The
younger the roster, the less experience and therefore the lower the payroll.
The Marlins are the second youngest team in the game with an average age of 27.
Only the Astros are younger (26.8). My experience has taught me that young
players are vulnerable to changes in routine and process. For teams like the
Astros and Marlins much of what they experience in the major leagues is new to
them. At home they have a set routine. They live in their own house with their
wives and kids. They drive their own car to the ballpark and take the same
route most days. They tend to wake up at the same time in their own bed and eat
their meals at just about the same time everyday. When the team goes on the
road their routines are completely blown up. They leave theiir families behind.
Brayden Schenn Flyers Jersey. . Fly at odd hours and sleep in hotels. They live out of their suitcases. Often times
players sleep in later in hotels. They may not eat breakfast. They eat hotel
food instead of home cooked meals. They take a bus to the ballpark. They may
not know how to even get to the clubhouse if they havent been to the park
before. Batting practice and conditioning work are done at different times.
They are out of their comfort zone. Baseball is such a mental game. The way
you think and feel affects the way you play. It takes years of experience for
even the best players to separate daily life from the ballpark life. It is not
uncommon for young teams to struggle on the road for that reason. If this young
Marlins team is truly going to compete they are going to have to play better on
the road, since, I dont think they will be able to sustain this level of play at
home. In the end it really doesnt matter if I believe in the Marlins or if you
do. If they believe in themselves and can push through the inevitable struggles
that bring voices of doubt they will stay close through the end of July. They
will most likely run out of gas over the last two months of the season because
that is typically what teams this young do. Maybe just maybe they are
different. Either way they are very interesting and fun to watch. 3) Future
Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera made some waves earlier in the week, when an
excerpt from his new book was released stating that he would rather have
Dustin Pedroia in a must win game than former teammate Robinson Cano. Is Rivera
correct in this opinion, and does this in anyway tarnish Riveras reputation?
Writing a book upon retirement sounds like a good idea but it almost always
leads to trouble. Drama and conflict sell. Editors want to stir it up so fans
have interest in reading the book. Even the great kind gentleman,
Mariano Rivera, got caught in the trap. Rivera is one of the most respected
competitors ever, not only for his ability but also for his class and dignity.
He was the pros pro; the ultimate professional. He always said and did the
right thing in his career. Until now. I completely agree with Riveras
evaluation of Robinson Cano. "This guy has so much talent I dont know where to
start... There is no doubt that he is a Hall-of-Fame caliber (player). Its just
a question of whether he finds the drive you need to get there. I dont think
Robby burns to be the best... You dont see that red-hot passion in him that you
see in most elite players." Cano is an extraordinary talent for whom much comes
easy. He often looks lethargic though and we are left to wonder about his
desire and need to win. I also agree with Rivera about his evaluation of
Dustin Pedroia. "Nobody plays harder, gives more, wants to win more. He comes at
you hard for twenty-seven outs. Its a special thing to see. If I have to win
one game, Id have a hard time taking anybody over Dustin Pedroia as my second
baseman." Rivera could not have been more right on both players. But it doesnt
mean that it was right. It is so counter to who Rivera is to ever criticize a
teammate. Yes, he was honest and truthful in his evaluations. But being honest
doesnt mean that you have to say all of the truth. All of that being said this
doesnt change for one second, the way I feel about Mariano Rivera. It actually
reinforces my view on Cano. They have both earned that response from me. 4)
Houston we have a problem! Can someone please tell me what the Houston Astros
are doing? I understand that franchises need to rebuild but this is crazy.
They have lost 106, 107 and 111 games from 2011-13. This season they are on pace
to lose 111 games once again. They have the youngest team in the majors and the
lowest overall payroll of $44.5M. They had the lowest payroll in 2012 with the
second youngest average age of players on the roster. By most accounts the
Astros have a top-five farm system loaded with potential major league players.
Player development and scouting are critical for every organization. They are
certainly important for rebuilding teams and especially important for small
market teams who just cant afford high-priced free agents. Smaller market teams
have to develop their own power: power arms and power bats. Power is the most
expensive commodity in the free agent market so if small market teams are going
to compete they need their own kids to deliver. Young talent alone though does
not always win. There needs to be chemistry and character for every winning
team. Young players need to learn how to win at the major league level. It
doesnt just happen. Kids need to learn to cope with failure and adversity.
Certainly, minor league experience helps players develop but for every player
there is more learning to do at the major league level. The best way to learn
how to win at the major league level is to actually win some games. A roster
full of young players no matter how talented will be subject to a bunch of
losing. Every game one kid may play well. But that will be countered, by
another young player who plays poorly. Young kids look great one day and
horrible the next. It is the nature of being young. The talent is there but
the consistency is not. The Astros have some kids that can play but they will
get diminishing returns if they continue to let them get their heads beat in
every year. The Astros need to add some veteran experience to their roster.
Certainly coaches help players make adjustments and improve but it is my
contention that players learn as much or more from sharing their experience with
one another. Veteran players can help with the mental aspect of the game better
than the coaches. Becoming a consistent player is a way of thinking more than a
way of doing. The Astros have some exciting young kids in their organization
but they need a few boring veterans to help stabilize the environment or they
will find themselves in a continuous state of rebuilding. Guys like Justin
Mourneau, Marlon Byrd, James Loney, Casey McGhee, Juan Uribe, Ryan Ludwick,
Jason Kubel, Scott Kazmir, Dan Haren, Kyle Lohse and Bronson Arroyo are the
types of players I am talking about. They are all mid-level players who wont
break the bank but would have given the Astros a shot at finishing with
respectability over the past few years and would be extremely beneficial to have
help develop their young studs into winning players. Houston we have a
solution!
Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
