TAMPA, Fla.
David
Silva Jersey . -- New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is set to
play Tuesday night in his first minor league game on a rehabilitation
assignment. And this time, all sides agree hes ready to go. Rodriguez said he
felt fine and was eager to get on the field for Class A Charleston. "Awesome,"
he said Monday at the Yankees spring training complex. "Im really excited."
Rodriguez said he didnt have a timetable for rejoining the Yankees, a team in
desperate need of hitters. He was on a conference call with team officials
earlier in the day. "I have no idea," he said. Last week, Rodriguez posted on
Twitter that his hip surgeon had cleared him to play in rehab games. That upset
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who said Rodriguez hadnt been OKed by
team doctors. Cashman lashed out at Rodriguez with a profanity, then said the
next day that he regretted his word choice. Rodriguez later spoke with owner Hal
Steinbrenner, with the executive reiterating that injury news should be
announced by the team, not players. Now, no problems. "Its all been very
positive. Were all looking in the same direction: ... Get back to New York as
soon as possible, and tomorrow is the first big step," Rodriguez said. "Weve
talked to all our doctors. Everyone has approved it." The Yankees rank near the
bottom of the American League in runs and home runs. Minus Rodriguez, the
Yankees have especially struggled at third base. Rookie David Adams is hitting
under .200 and Kevin Youkilis, signed in the off-season to hold the job until
A-Rod returned, was batting only .218 before he went on the disabled list with
back problems. Rodriguez and Youkilis are among several injured players on the
Yankees, who began the day in fourth place in the AL East. Derek Jeter,
Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira are also sidelined, as are others. Manager
Joe Girardi called the rehab assignment "a step in the right direction." "I
expect him to be a productive player," Girardi said before the Yankees opened a
series at Minnesota. "The last time he got his hip fixed, he came productive.
Hopefully this will solve some of the things he was dealing with last year and I
expect him to be productive. "I cant tell you exactly what hes going to do, but
I think hes going to be a good player," he said. The Yankees said Rodriguez was
scheduled to start for Single-A Charleston in the South Atlantic League.
Rodriguez was supposed to play at least three innings against Rome during the
game in South Carolina. "It will be the first game that I play in, in maybe over
eight months. Its been a long time. Its going to be great to suit up again. It
gets me one step closer to helping my team win in New York," he said. Rodriguez
has been working out in Florida this year while recovering from surgery on his
left hip on Jan. 16. The three-time AL MVP turns 38 later this month. Many
rehabbing Yankees play for the minor league team in Tampa, but lately the
weather has been rainy. The inclement forecast prompted the Yankees to have
Rodriguez start with Charleston. "Two things -- were working with the
scheduling, where all these teams are at. Theres rain all over the East Coast.
So, were just going to try and run away, try to find some good sunshine." "It
has to do more with the weather. In an ideal world, we would always play at home
because we can do more work, but if the weather is bad, we may have to jump over
at X, Y or Z, depending where the sunshine is," he said. Rodriguez walked out of
the camp carrying an equipment bag while a clubhouse assistant brought a box of
bats. They put them in Rodriguezs car, and he signed several autographs before
driving off. Rodriguez has 647 career home runs. The Yankees have struggled this
season while Rodriguez and several other stars have been on the disabled list.
Rodriguez has 20 days on this assignment to get ready to play. Once he is ready,
Girardi said he still envisions Rodriguez as an everyday third baseman with no
plans to make him a primary designated hitter. "Weve had trouble scoring runs,"
Girardi said. "Thats no secret. So itd be nice to get some big bats back."
NOTES: SS Derek Jeter (ankle) ran the bases for the first time during his recent
recovery. ... OF Curtis Granderson (broken finger) put on a glove and caught
easy flyballs.
Rony
Lopes Manchester City Jersey . - Jerome Verrier scored the winner 8:24
into overtime and Louis-Phillip Guindon stopped 46 shots as the Drummondville
Voltigeurs edged the host Val-dOr Foreurs 4-3 on Friday in Quebec Major Junior
Hockey League playoff action.
Blank
Manchester City Jersey . -- Dee Ford prefers to keep things simple: Play
hard and fast, and let others worry about his NFL draft stock.
http://www.authenticmanchestercityshop.com/ . Alen, 28, hit .315 with five home runs, 59 RBI and a career-high nine stolen
bases for the Goldeyes last season. He is the longest serving catcher in
Goldeyes history, having already spent five seasons with the organization.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Markel Browns streak of eight straight games scoring in
double figures for Oklahoma State was in jeopardy -- until he hit his final
shot. Brown made a 3-pointer with 12 seconds to lift the 11th-ranked Cowboys to
a 73-72 win over West Virginia on Saturday. Oklahoma State (14-2, 2-1 Big 12)
trailed for most of the game, but got solid efforts from its top two scorers in
the final minutes. "Proud of our team for just hanging in there," Oklahoma State
coach Travis Ford said. "There was moments where it could have got away from us,
but we just kept hanging in there and then we made a few big plays. And
obviously Markel hit a really big shot." The game featured four of the top six
scorers in the Big 12. Marcus Smart and Brown again came out on top over the
Mountaineers duo of Eron Harris and Juwan Staten after a Cowboys season sweep a
year ago. Despite some foul trouble, Smart had 22 points and 13 rebounds to give
him two straight double-doubles. He had none before a win over Texas on
Wednesday. Brown finished with 12 points. Staten finished with 20 points, but
missed a pair of layups in the final 30 seconds. Harris, the leagues second-best
scorer, was held to 11 points, more than seven below his average. Harris made
just 3 of 11 shots. "He didnt play very well," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins
said. "Im telling him every day, you have to work." West Virginias Terry
Henderson scored a season-high 21 points, including a 3-pointer that put the
Mountaineers ahead 72-70 with 1:14 remaining. Freshman Nathan Adrian, whos been
mired in a shooting slump, sent the home crowd into a frenzy with a block of
LeBryan Nashs shot attempt with 1:04 to go and West Virginia got the ball back
on the tie-up. But Staten missed a layup with 27 seconds left, Brown got the
rebound and Oklahoma State called timeout. Once play resumed, Smart found Brown
at the top left side of the circle. "We were actually trying to feel out a shot,
but when Marcus came off, everybody crashed on him, and like once before in the
game he kicked it to me," Brown said. "I was open, I got a defender off hiis
feet and I made the shot.
Fernandinho
Jersey. " Ford recalled that Brown had failed to take a wide-open
3-pointer on another possession about 30 seconds earlier. "Right when he did, I
told him dont pass up another shot," Ford said. "And it just so happened he got
another look." Staten missed another layup in traffic in the closing seconds.
But Huggins was quick to come to his defence. "Juwans trying to win games,"
Huggins said. "I wish everyone else would follow suit sometimes. He has worked
his tail off, he studies (and) he doesnt take practices off. I wish everyone
else would do the same thing. He set a great example." Nash finished with 18
points. Devin Williams had 12 points and 13 rebounds for West Virginia, (10-6,
2-1), which saw its three-game winning streak snapped. Oklahoma State gave up a
season high for points in the first half for the third straight game, but took
advantage of a pair of West Virginia turnovers and went on an 8-2 run to open
the second half for its first lead 47-43 with 16:22 left. Smart went to the
bench with his third foul with 12:04 left, and the Cowboys did just fine without
him. Oklahoma State went on a 7-0 run, with Brown stealing a pass from Brandon
Watkins and dunking the ball uncontested for a 57-52 lead with 10:24 left. Smart
returned from the sideline after three minutes and kept the Cowboys momentum
going with a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer. West Virginia attempted just
two free throws during its first-half run, but started getting free throws
midway through the second half. The Mountaineers needed them because they made
just one field goal over a 10-minute stretch after halftime. Henderson broke the
drought with a 3-pointer and Staten made a layup 32 seconds later to tie the
score at 67-67 with 4:21 left. Each team made two field goals the rest of the
game in a physical finish. West Virginia set the tempo from the onset, leading
by as many as eight in the first half before Oklahoma State got its act together
with a 15-4 run to tie it. Williams turnaround jumper with 2 seconds left put
West Virginia ahead 41-39 at halftime.
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