HOUSTON – Any time Marcus Stroman is approached to discuss the successful start to his big league career, hes quick to credit two veteran teammates with helping
his transition into the Blue Jays clubhouse.
JuJu
Smith-Schuster Womens Jersey . Hes talked about how Jose Bautista will
approach him, even during his outings, to discuss how best to attack hitters.
Stroman feeds off the advice, learning how big leaguers quickly make
adjustments. Stroman also credits Mark Buehrle. The two talk pitching,
naturally, but Buehrle has taken Stroman under his wing in other areas too. Most
importantly is how to be a good rookie. "I think hes been doing the dumbest
stuff and Ive had to call him out," said Buehrle. "I think the majority of
stuff, pitching wise, Im not going to sit there and take credit for anything.
Weve talked a few times about little things but I think the biggest thing that
Ive tried to direct him and I tell every young guy that comes up, I say listen,
I was a rookie, got picked on, I didnt like it. Youre going to get picked on,
youre going to have to get your stuff done to you but if you have a question
about where you need to be, what you need to wear, what you need to do, any of
those questions come ask me and Im going to lead you in the right direction."
Buehrle is glad to help because he experienced the other side of it. As a rookie
with the White Sox in 2000, he asked veteran pitcher James Baldwin a
rights-of-passage question and was intentionally misled, which resulted in
Buehrle becoming the brunt of more jokes. "Ive always felt embarrassed and shy,
I didnt enjoy it as much my first couple of years because I had no clue what to
do and I asked the wrong guy and Im told to do the wrong stuff just to get
picked on even more," said Buehrle. Last month in Anaheim as a bus was waiting
to transport players to Angel Stadium, Stroman arrived in the lobby of the hotel
wearing a pair of shorts. Josh Thole stopped him, Buehrle clarified the
situation with the young pitcher, and Stroman went back to change into a pair of
pants. Buehrle knows Stroman wasnt coming from a bad place. "He didnt even
think, I cant wear shorts to the field. At home you can but on the road its one
of those rules, I guess it started when I was told no tennis shoes, no shorts,
no hats," said Buehrle. "Im just trying to pass on to the young guys and the
guys on the pitching staff that hey, these are the rules when I came up, I feel
theyre pretty good rules and they should continue. I dont think were asking too
much." Buehrle got roughed up in his July 25 outing at Yankee Stadium, his
shortest start in more than four years. His night was over and as he sat in the
dugout, he caught Stroman in the middle of another baseball no-no. "I got my ass
handed to me in the third inning, sitting there and I got taken out," said
Buehrle. "I look over and I see him with a drink and a bag of chips in his hand,
sitting there eating it. I wasnt really in the mood to tell him what to do, what
not to do but I went over, Hey dude, you cant be having a bag of chips here on
the bench." When a ballclub is on the road, there are two buses which take
players from the hotel to the stadium. The veterans get the second bus unless
they need to arrive at the ballpark early. Rookies are told to be first to work;
to take the first bus. Stroman is diligent worker, always on time. "The pitching
stuff, him working out, him doing whatever, I think he does a pretty good job at
that, he doesnt really need to get talked to," said Buehrle. "Obviously hes got
the talent and the stuff there but the other stuff, the rookie mistake stuff, Im
there to direct him in the right direction." In spring training, Buehrle and
Stroman were in the same practice group. One morning, the group went to the
wrong diamond to begin the day. The result: a missed drill. The veterans teased
Stroman, blaming him for the mishap. It wasnt his fault, just good-natured
ribbing, but Buehrle told Stroman it was up to the youngster to know the
schedule and lead the older guys to the right spots. "He came up to me, Hey,
weve got to be on Field Two, then we go to Field Three so he kind of told me
where we need to be," said Buehrle. Stromans got his own style. Follow him on
Twitter and youll often see photos of his latest suit, bowtie, a pair of shoes
hes just purchased. "Weve worn him out," said Buehrle. "In New York he wore
those bright shoes and (we told him) Hey, make sure youre not focusing on those
shoes, make sure youre focusing on pitching." Stroman, according to Buehrle,
hasnt worn the shoes since. "He likes flashy stuff. Im not going to talk him out
of it. I think its too much because Im not that way but some guys need that to
succeed," said Buehrle. About the suits: Stroman was over the moon in New York
after Buehrle took him, Todd Redmond, Rob Rasmussen, Aaron Sanchez and
Ryan Goins to an exclusive shop for a suit fitting. Call it tradition, Buehrle
passing on to others what Ken Griffey Jr. once did for him in Chicago. He
clearly would have preferred the suit story not be made public. Buehrle never
seeks additional attention. "It was a sign that hey, Im asking you to do some
rookie stuff and youre doing it and youre being a sport about it and youre going
about it the right way then this is kind of a thank you for being a good sport
about it," said Buehrle. He sees a bright future for the Blue Jays on the mound.
Buehrle is a believer in each of Stroman, Aaron Sanchez and Drew Hutchison. "Id
give my left arm to take some of their talents and what theyre throwing now,"
said Buehrle. "Thats what Ive said with this whole trade deadline thing brought
up, I dont know what teams were asking for but if its one of those guys its
tough to get rid of because thats going to be the face of your franchise."
Stromans confident. Hes got swagger. Maybe therell come a time when it rubs an
opposing hitter or team the wrong way. But the last word about Stroman goes to
Buehrle, a pretty good judge of character. "Hes a good kid."
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James Conner
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as a hockey player, then as an NHL general manager and now as a scout.
http://www.steelerspronfl.com/Youth-Cameron-Sutton-Elite-Jersey/ . Or maybe he already did. Clark hit his first homer, Wily Peralta pitched into
the seventh inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 4-1
Wednesday night. Growing up in the Toronto neighbourhood of Mimico, Brendan and
Reilly Smith never played organized hockey together. Just everything else. "We
were always playing mini sticks or road hockey or shinny on the ice out on the
rink, stuff like that," Brendan Smith said. "We were always playing with or
against each other." Inevitably, one-on-one games in the basement would get
heated. If it was last goal wins, Reilly said Brendan would often make sure they
kept playing until he scored it. It wont be that easy this time as Brendans
Detroit Red Wings meet Reillys Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley
Cup playoffs. Theyve met in the regular season, but this was a matchup the
brothers and their parents were hoping to avoid. "We dont like when theyre
against each other," mother Deidre said on HBOs "24/7" program. "We like it when
theyre against other people." When the Red Wings were making their wild-card run
last month, Reilly told Brendan to keep racking up the points to get the first
spot and a matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins instead of his Bruins. "He told
me he doesnt want to see that," Brendan recalled. "He doesnt want to see that in
the first round because he thinks we play really well against them. I think we
match up decently well against Boston. I think we match up better against them
than Pittsburgh." Reilly didnt get his wish, as the Bruins and Red Wings are
meeting in the playoffs for the first time since 1957. Game 1 is Friday night in
Boston. That was 30 years before Lester and Deidre Smith started having kids,
and now they have to witness their sons playing against each other. "Theyll
probably be wearing a jersey sewed down the middle with Boston and Detroit,"
Reilly told reporters in Wilmington, Mass., as quoted by the Boston Globe.
"Maybe my mom wont wear it, its definitely a fashion statement. But I dont think
my dad will worry too much." The Red Wings won three of four meetings with the
Bruins this season, including April 2 in Detroit to snap Bostons streak of 16
games without a regulation loss. Reilly had an assist in each of those games,
while Brendan went without a point the three times he played against Boston.
"When Boston plays Detroit, we root for both of them to play well," father
Lester said on "24/7" in December. "But its fun." Its much more fun for the
brothers to watch and help each other now that theyve reached the NHL. Brendan
said he and Reilly talk every day during the season, sometimes for
confidence-boosting purposes. "I talk to him about things, things that are going
wrong with him, if hes on a cold streak. We can both help each other," Brendan
said. "Were always talking. I think its good for me and I think its good for
both of us is that we understand. Were both in the same profession and we know
what its like on a day-in, day-out basis, so we can help each other and maybe if
things areent going well crack a smile on each other.
T. J. Watt
Womens Jersey. Its a good relationship." Brendan, at 25 the middle of
three brothers with professional lacrosse player Rory the oldest, is Reillys
biggest supporter. He didnt quite agree that Reilly turned out to be the best
return from Bruins trade that sent Tyler Seguin to the Dallas Stars -- because
Loui Eriksson is really good -- but he expected the 23-year-old forward to
thrive. "I think hes been the most shock-and-awe factor in that trade that
nobody saw that (was going) to happen," Brendan said. "We did as a family, and a
lot of people that have seen Reilly in previous years in college and St. Mikes,
they knew who Reilly was." All Reilly needed, according to his brother, was an
opportunity to play with better linemates. Getting that chance, eventually on a
line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, Reilly broke out with 20 goals and
31 assists for a career-high 51 points. "He never really got that great of a
chance with Dallas on the fourth line (where) its hard to produce when youre a
skill player," Brendan said. "Once he got into a system where hes starting to
play with high-production players, obviously he jumped off the page." Reillys
stats at the start to his Bruins tenure certainly jumped off the page. After
just three goals and six assists in 37 games with the Stars last season, he had
30 points in his first 38 games for Boston. "Its kind of interesting to watch it
and for me to follow it. Reilly came out flying, he was really hot and then it
became Marchand and now its Bergeron," Brendan said. "Its like theyre all taking
their turn to get that limelight. ... Its a good line and its impressive to see
that Reillys done so well." Even though Reilly went cold late in the season, he
still finished sixth on the Presidents Trophy-winning Bruins in scoring. He
credited captain Zdeno Chara and others for the fact he was able to integrate so
well into an established group. "I think it comes down to the leadership on this
team," Reilly said. "From management down, it seems like, for me at least being
a new player joining this system, the structure was there. They just kind of
throw you into it. It doesnt really matter who it is, someones always trying to
help you out and make your game easier and help you be more successful. " That a
couple of hockey players from Mimico found success isnt surprising, considering
Brendan Shanahan, David Clarkson, Dave Bolland and others came out of there. Two
from the same family, Brendan said, is a testament to their parents. "The drive
and all theyve done for us and how theyve brought us up from young guys, I think
thats the main reason why weve been successful," he said. "We always wanted to
be professional and play in the NHL and we were fortunate to do that. And I
think thats something our parents instilled in us was that drive."
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