ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff will get a second opinion before having a herniated disk in his lower back surgically repaired. Authentic Tyler Johnson Jersey . While giving several injury updates Tuesday, Texas assistant general manager Thad Levine also said second baseman Jurickson Profar had an MRI and can start swinging a bat. Profar tore a muscle in his right shoulder during spring training. Opening day starter Tanner Scheppers, out since April 18 with right elbow inflammation, is set to resume throwing Thursday, a day after left-hander Derek Hollands scheduled bullpen. Holland is coming back from off-season left knee surgery. Joe Saunders is scheduled to throw three innings in extended spring training in Arizona on Friday. Saunders was hit by a line drive on his left ankle in his only start April 4. Discount Heat Jerseys . Wrights first stint with Milwaukee was on a 10-day contract from March 14-23. He played in two games, averaging six points and two rebounds in 16. Authentic Wayne Ellington Jersey . DArnaud hit one of three doubles for the Mets as they took a 4-0 lead in the first. Then the catchers seventh home run of the season broke the game open in the fifth. The 41-year-old Colon (10-8) retired the first 20 batters in his last outing Wednesday against Seattle, eventually allowing two runs on three hits in 7 1-3 innings in a 3-2 win.Melbourne, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) - Four-time champion Novak Djokovic, reigning titlist Stan Wawrinka and Japanese star Kei Nishikori highlighted Mondays fourth-round winners at the Australian Open. The world No. 1 Djokovic got past Luxembourg left-hander Gilles Muller 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 in Mondays nightcap at Laver Arena to reach his 23rd consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal. The seven-time Grand Slam champion and reigning Wimbledon titlist is seeking his fourth Aussie championship in five years, having captured three straight of his four Melbourne crowns from 2011-13. Up next for the great Djokovic, who has yet to drop a set through four matches here, will be eighth-seeded big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic, who is 0-4 lifetime against the Serb. Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded Swiss slugger Wawrinka pulled out a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10-8) victory over Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Garcia-Lopez won the first five points of the fourth-set tiebreak and had five chances to force a fifth set at Melbourne Park, but Wawrinka saved all five before moving on. Garcia-Lopez stunned Wawrinka in the first round at last years French Open. Wawrinkas quarterfinal opponent on Wednesday will be the fifth-seeded U.S. Open runner-up Nishikori, who handled ninth-seeded former French Open finalist David Ferrer of Spain 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 on Day 8 of the fortnight. Looking ahead to his clash with Wawrinka, Nishikori said, Its going to be a really tough match because I have seen him play on TV a couple of matches. Even today he was playing really good. He can hit balls forehand, backhand -- great backhand actually. He can hit from anywhere at the back. Its going to be a tough match. But obviously Im in the quarterfinals, so no easy matches coming up. Hopefully I can play anotheer good match. Authentic Goran Dragic Jersey. For sure it gives me confidence that I beat him in the U.S. Open. Its not like I cant beat him. Its going to be a fun match for sure. Nishikori made history as he became the first Asian man to contest a Grand Slam final last year when he defeated three Top-10 players, including Wawrinka in five sets in the quarters, to reach the U.S. Open final. The aforementioned Raonic had to outlast 12th-seeded Spanish lefty Feliciano Lopez, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3, to reach the round of eight. Lopez saved seven match points before succumbing to the big Canadian. Raonic became the first Canadian man in the Open Era to reach the Aussie Open quarters and is also the second Canadian man in history to reach three major quarterfinals, following in the footsteps of Robert Powell at Wimbledon in 1908, 10 and 12. Its great to be doing what Im doing and that it is making a difference, said Raonic. It is, I guess, part of some history, if you look really deep. But at the end of the day, at the same time, Im always pushing myself for what I want to achieve. Im always sort of looking in the mirror and saying, Thats who I have to compare myself to: to myself. The quarterfinals will commence Tuesday, as third-seeded former world No. 1 Rafael Nadal will take on seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych and sixth-seeded Andy Murray will battle heavy Aussie crowd favorite Nick Kyrgios. Nadal beat Berdych in the 2010 Wimbledon final and is 18-3 lifetime against the big Czech. The reigning French Open king Nadal is a 14-time Grand Slam champ, including an Aussie title in 2009. Hes also a two-time runner-up in Melbourne, including last year when he was stunned by Wawrinka in the final. Murray is a two-time major titlist whos lost in three Aussie Open finals. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseyscheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia -- Alexander Legkov led a Russian sweep of the mens 50-kilometre cross-country race Sunday, giving the host nation its first gold medal in the sport at the Sochi Olympics. Braves Anibal Sanchez Jersey . Legkov won a four-way sprint to the finish at the end of the freestyle mass-start race, pulling away from teammates Maxim Vylegzhanin and Ilia Chernousov on the final straight. On a perfect final day for the hosts, Vylegzhanin was second after beating Chernousov in a photo finish, 0.7 seconds behind Legkov. Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway was fourth, one second behind the winner. Alex Harvey of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., was the top Canadian, finishing in 19th place in one hour 47 minutes 40.9 seconds. Ivan Babikov of Canmore, Alta., was directly behind him, completing the race in 1:47:41.8. Graeme Killick of Fort McMurray, Alta., was 28th in 1:48:22.4, while Jesse Cockney, also from Canmore, was 56th in 1:59:16.6. Braves Shane Carle Jersey . Thornton emerged as one of the leagues best defensive ends against the run in 2013. The former undrafted free agent from Division II Southern Arkansas led Philadelphias linemen with 78 tackles and had one sack. Braves Sam Freeman Jersey . So far, so good: Gonzalez has allowed one run through 12 innings this season. His second start came Tuesday night, when he gave up only three singles over six innings to lead the Nationals to a 5-0 victory over the Miami Marlins.MADRID, Spain -- Athletic Bilbao secured its return to the Champions League next season by winning 3-0 at Rayo Vallecano on Friday to lock up a fourth-place finish in the Spanish league. With Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona destined to take the top three spots, Bilbao fended off Sevillas late surge to seal its return to Europes top-tier competition for the first time since the 1998-99 season. The Basque side qualified for the playoff round to reach the group phase. "When I think back on how difficult this year has been, on how much we have won and lost, and to see this now, we have to enjoy it," Bilbao defender Mikel San Jose said while his teammates celebrated with a large group of their travelling fans. Bilbaos quest of reaching the Champions League was led by coach Ernesto Valverde, a former player who returned to coach the club a second time this summer after the exit of Marcelo Bielsa. Bilbao kept Rayos attack in check while taking advantage of a number of well-executed set pieces.. Braves Adam Duvall Jersey. After Mikel Rico and Aritz Aduriz both went close with shots resulting from corner kicks, San Jose acrobatically tapped in a ball from Markel Susaeta in the 20th minute to open the scoring. Forward Oscar de Marcos added a second goal 10 minutes later when he fired in a loose ball from a fourth corner kick, and Ander Herrera curled his free kick around the defensive wall and in off the post in the 74th to cap the win. The match in Madrid was twice delayed due to incidents involving both groups of supporters. The kickoff was 15 minutes late to let the Vallecas Stadium grounds crew clean up a large amount of paper bits Rayos home fans threw onto the pitch while festively celebrating before the game. The game was briefly stopped a second time after a barrier collapse in front of a section of Bilbao supporters following their teams second goal. TV images showed one man with what appeared to be a cut on his head. Another man needed to be carried off the pitch while he held his foot. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseyscheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '

CASABLANCA, Morocco -- Fifth-seeded Joao Sousa of Portugal beat Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-4 on Monday to reach the second round of the Grand Prix Hassan II tournament. Authentic Mathieu Joseph Jersey . Sousa broke Sijsling twice in each set and won 81 per cent of his first-serve points and next plays against either David Goffin of Begium or Spains Roberto Carballes Baena. Carlos Berlocq of Argentina also advanced with a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 win against Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia. Berlocq broke Gabashvilis serve four times. The Russian player struggled throughout on his serve, making eight double-faults and getting only 37 per cent of his first serves in. Berlocq next faces either eighth-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain or Mikhail Kukushkin, who played for Kazakhstan in its 3-2 loss to Switzerland in their Davis Cup quarterfinal last weekend. Tampa Bay Lightning Shop Free Shipping . Bookies were offering odds of 13/1 before kickoff that the home team Houston Dynamo would prevail by three goals to nil. Authentic Danick Martel Jersey . Simon (10-3) allowed three runs on five hits and three walks in 6 1-3 innings to break a tie with the Dodgers Zack Greinke and Cardinals Adam Wainwright for the NL lead in victories. Simon went to spring training as a relief pitcher and moved into the starting rotation when Mat Latos was recovering from elbow and knee surgeries.Sam Merson speaks to Sky Sports News HQ about St Albans Citys FA Cup first-round tie with Carlisle and following his father Pauls footsteps in the competition. Its a cold Thursday November evening in North London and a community artificial pitch, with dim lighting, is split into three.One third hosts some kind of boot camp fitness session, the middle section is a kids kick-about and then, in the third, is St Albans City, preparing for an FA Cup first-round match. The players are watched by manager Ian Allinson, part of the Luton team that reached the 1988 FA Cup semi-finals, but not before he battled with kids parents at pick-up time for a spot in the tight car park.Among those warming up is a striker with a familiar surname and a familiar squad number - the hero of the last round, a man who scored the winner to set up this weekends tie with League Twos Carlisle United.As he wheeled away to celebrate his first-half strike at Egham Town last month, all eyes were on Merson 10. Sam Merson, Paul Mersons son, is hoping to steal the FA Cup headlines on Sunday when St Albans plays Carlisle United Sam Mersons father, Paul, is no stranger to FA Cup success, having won the competition with Arsenal. He also played for Aston Villa in a narrow defeat against Chelsea in 2000.I wasnt born in 93 but I remember going to a few finals at Wembley, Sam told Sky Sports News HQ. Merse v Merse predictions Paul Merson and Sam Merson go head-to-head this week I ring him every Saturday before he goes on Sky and he gives me pointers. Ill always talk to him about football but theres never any pressure from him.Paul, the Arsenal legend, will put his allegiances to the Gunners to one side this weekend as he travels to St Albans for his sons game, meaning he will miss the North London derby.And the Magic Man, usually prevented from attending games due to his Soccer Saturday commitments, is relishing the opportunity to observe Sams ability in the air. Paul Merson was on tthe losing side as Chelsea beat Aston Villa in the 2000 FA Cup final I havent seen him yet this season because he always plays on a Saturday, he said. Authentic Louis Domingue Jersey. . With his jump, Id back him against anyone.Im not going to put him in the Cristiano Ronaldo category, but it would be interesting to see who could leap the highest.Sam takes the praise in stride.One game I went up for a header and it stuck with me, he said. Ive never worked on it. Paul Merson said Sams athleticism reminds him of Cristiano Ronaldo Sam, like many, has been inspired by the Jamie Vardy story. From non-league to the Ballon dOr shortlist via Premier League triumph, Vardy has given lower-league players hope.Theres a lot of talent at this level, Sam continued. Some of the players you play against and wonder why they arent playing at a higher level.Hopefully, more can progress through the ranks and go on and play for England.Its a view echoed by Paul Merson. Jamie Vardys rise should give non-league players hopes, according to Paul Merson After what happened with Vardy, youd think people would be down watching those leagues a lot, he said.Theres a lad at Maidenhead [David Tarpey] who has 20 goals in 15-odd games. Youd like to think people would be watching him.Carlisle, Sundays opponents, are unbeaten in English footballs fourth tier and currently sit second in the division. Paul is well aware that cup shocks can happen. I played in the lower leagues and what Carlisle have done so far this season in going unbeaten and scoring in every game is some going at that level, Paul said. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ?￡6.99. No contract. It will be a tough game for St Albans but Ive played in some cup shocks. I was manager at Walsall when we got beaten at Slough and I played at Arsenal when we lost against Wrexham.Anything can happen on Cup days. I think the last 20 minutes will be the most important of part this match.Theres no pressure on us, Sam said. We just need to go out and give it our best shot.Can Sam call on any of his dads attributes as a player? Wrexham knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup third round in 1992 No, Sam said. He was more of a creator and I like scoring the goals.Another winning FA Cup goal on Sunday will continue to help Sam Merson make a name for himself.  Also See: FA Cup news Fixtures Score Centre Get Sky Sports cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseyscheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '

SACRAMENTO, Calif. Cheap Mariners Jerseys Gear . -- Having played six seasons with the Kings, Kevin Martin is very comfortable at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. He showed it again Saturday night, scoring 26 points to help the Minnesota Timberwolves reach .500 with a 108-97 win over the Kings. Returning after missing Minnesotas last seven games with a broken left thumb, Martin fell into a groove from the start, making his first four shots and scoring 19 first-half points. "I feel like basketball is the easy part," said Martin, who is 5-0 in games at Sacramento since being traded to Houston in the 2009-10 season. "I remember getting hurt before and coming right back with good games, so this didnt surprise me." Martin was a late first-round draft pick who blossomed with the Kings. His first head coach was Rick Adelman, now Minnesotas coach. The time spent in Sacramento is something Martin savors. "I take pride in coming back here and trying to play well. Sacramento is like my second home," he said. "The fans here saw me grow from a guy who played 10 minutes a game as a rookie and is now a 10-year veteran." It was the second straight win and fifth in six games for the Timberwolves (29-29). Trailing by three points at the half, Minnesota outscored the Kings 31-17 in the third quarter, opening the frame with nine straight points and never relinquishing the lead. Kevin Love added 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for Minnesota, and Nikola Pekovic had 20 points and nine rebounds. Corey Brewer scored 13. DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Kings in his return from a one-game suspension. Rudy Gay had 22 of his 24 points in the opening half and Isaiah Thomas had 22 points and eight assists in Sacramentos third straight loss. The Kings committed 19 turnovers, including six in the third quarter that led to numerous fast-break opportunities for the Timberwolves. "For whatever reason we just continue to beat ourselves," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "Nineteen turnovers and 27 points? Good teams dont beat themselves. So its very hard in the same game to beat your opponents and yourself and we did that tonight." It was a rare off night for Love, who averaged 34 points and 14 rebounds in seven February games. He shot 4 of 12, but converted 12 of 14 free throws. But Love received plenty of help from Martin and Pekovic, who sat out the last 13 with a right foot he injured Jan. 27 at Chicago. "It was way more than I expected," Pekovic said of his 28 minutes. "I was trying to be productive and had to push myself. Im told the (ankle) pain will be there all the time." Cousins was suspended one game for punching Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley on Tuesday and fined $20,000 as part of the incident in which he verbally abused official Courtney Kirkland and failed to leave the court in a timely manner. Cousins leads the NBA with 15 technicals this season. One more and he will be suspended for one game under NBA rules. The Kings are winless in the 10 games Cousins has missed this season. "My biggest disappointment is the first quarter and the third quarter," Cousins said. "We let them get a hot start in the first quarter and the same thing with the third. Coming out of that third we had to dig ourselves out of ditch." Thomas made consecutive baskets to get the Kings within 97-95 with 2:09 remaining. But Pekovic converted two free throws and Rubio hit a 3 to give the Timberwolves some breathing room at 102-95 with 53.4 seconds left and Minnesota closed it out from the free throw line. NOTES: Kings reserve forward Carl Landry missed his second straight game with a sore right knee. ... Sacramento shot 70 per cent in the first quarter and led 31-30. ... Adelman was head coach for eight seasons with the Kings and his teams made the playoffs every year. Sacramento hasnt made the playoffs since Adelman was fired following the 2005-06 season. ... The Timberwolves are 3-1 on their road trip, which concludes Monday in Denver. Wholesale Mariners Jerseys .J. -- Tom Coughlin doesnt have many options at halfback for the winless New York Giants. Mariners Ryan Cook 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.PHOENIX - Andy Marte had not been in the major leagues since 2010, nearly a four-year span that included one year out of the game and time in the independent leagues. The 30-year-old was called up from Triple-A Reno on Thursday to help fill the roster spots vacated by the trades of Gerardo Parra and Martin Prado and broke a tie with a two-run, pinch-hit homer in the sixth inning to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-4. Aaron Hill added a solo shot one out later, and Nick Ahmed hit the Diamondbacks third home run, an eighth-inning blast that was the first of his major-league career. Marte became the eighth player in Diamondbacks history to homer in his first at-bat with the club. His last home run came in September of 2010. "It feels great to be back," Marte said. "I worked really hard to try to prove that I could still play here." Reliever Oliver Perez (2-1) earned the win by getting the last two outs in the sixth. The Pirates took the lead in the second inning when Russell Martin drove in two with a double off the left field wall, but Arizona starter Josh Collmenter was able to escape further damage. Collmenter played a part in allowing the Diamondbacks to tie the score after Jeff Locke (2-3) no-hit them for the first three innings of the game. With the bases loaded and two out, Collmenter hit a bouncer to third baseman Pedro Alvarez, who charged the ball, scooped it and pumped once before throwing to first base. The throw was low, but first baseman Ike Davis mishandled the catch for an error that allowed Mark Trumbo and Jordan Pacheco to score and tie the game at 2. ""He has played a lot of first base," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Davis. "He has caught that one before. Nobody felt worse about it than he did." Neil Walker hit his 16th homer for the Pirates. After home runs from Marte and Hill, Andrew McCutchen drove in Gregory Polanco with a single in the seventh, but the Pirates couldnt rally against Arizona relievers Brad Ziegler and Addison Reed. Reed earned his 27th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning. GIBBYS BIG DAY Gibson walked into the media interview rooom for his postgame comments soaked from a beer shower with silly string hanging off the back of his jersey. Mariners Zach Duke Jersey. His players celebrated the 338th managerial win of Gibsons career, which put him No. 1 among all Diamondbacks managers in career wins. Thursdays win vaulted Gibson past Bob Melvin to the top of the list. "It means weve got a long way to go, and wed like to do those types of celebrations with a world championship," Gibson said. "It was an interesting day today. Tough day for us all, and to kind of cap it off that way, its certainly a day Ill remember." "COLL" YOUR JETS Collmenter slammed his cap on the dugout bench upon being removed from the game after 5 1/3 innings and Walkers home run. "I didnt make some pitches early on, struggled," he said. "I kind of had a feeling he was looking for first pitch curveball anyway, but stuck with it and should have thrown something different." SAYING GOODBYE Former third baseman Eric Chavez spoke for the last time as a player after he officially announced his retirement on Wednesday. "Just loved the opportunity to win, and we were able to do that for most of my time in Oakland and New York," the 17-year veteran and six-time Gold Glove winner said. "I dont want to say it was a tough decision. I dont plan on leaving the game forever. Im going to take a little break and jump back into it the first opportunity I have." ON DECK: Diamondbacks: Left-hander Vidal Nuno (0-2) starts the second game of the four-game series Friday. Nuno will be making his fifth start of the season and has a 3.47 earned-run average. It will be his second career start against Pittsburgh. Pirates: Right-hander Edinson Volquez (8-7) makes his 21st start of the season. He is 3-0 in his last four road starts with a 2.05 ERA and has won four of his last five decisions. TRAINERS ROOM Diamondbacks: Shortstop Chris Owings is getting close to swinging a bat and is taking ground balls. Manager Kirk Gibson said. Owings has been on the disabled list since June 29 with a left shoulder strain. Pirates: OF Starling Marte was eligible to come off the seven-day concussion disabled list on Wednesday but has not been activated. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseyscheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '

NEW YORK -- Matt Harvey may not throw a single pitch this season, but hes already earned $60,000 in bonuses. Authentic Boone Jenner Jersey . The 2014 contract of the injured New York Mets star contains unusual provisions that reward him for 2013 accomplishments. Harvey has earned a $10,000 bonus for making last years All-Star team and $50,000 for finishing tied for fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting under the deal. Represented by agent Scott Boras, Harvey becomes eligible for arbitration after the 2015 season. "Its always nice. I just found about it when they were doing all that stuff," Harvey said Wednesday at spring training in Port St. Lucie, Fla. "I let Scott take care of all that stuff. I just play." Harvey gets a salary of $546,625 while on the major league roster this year under the one-year deal announced Monday, and he is paid at an annual rate of $299,250 if on option to the minors. Recovering from elbow ligament-replacement surgery on Oct. 22, Harvey gets paid at the big league rate while on the disabled list or during a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment. He may not return to the mound for the Mets until 2015. Harvey was 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA in 26 starts last year with 191 strikeouts in 178 1-3 innings, and he had a salary of $498,750 in the major leagues. Harvey, who turns 25 on March 27, started the All-Star game at Citi Field last July and became the youngest All-Star starting pitcher since the Mets Dwight Gooden in 1988. He was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament following his start against Detroit on Aug. 24. Authentic Dean Kukan Jersey . -- John Fox will coach the Denver Broncos from the sideline and not the booth upon his return Sunday five weeks after heart surgery. Authentic Zach Werenski Jersey .com) - Colorado forward P.TORONTO - Twenty playoff-free seasons and counting may lead one to conclude the Blue Jays are stuck, spinning their wheels, in a culture of defeat. Just dont expect general manager Alex Anthopoulos to wade into this particular fray. "I guess it depends what you define it as," said Anthopoulos during Tuesdays media gathering. "When youre losing, youre losing but I dont define it that way. To me, it comes down to none of those players in there dont not want to perform and not want to do well and not want to win games. You guys are in there when we dont win. I dont think anyones happy about it. No one likes coming to the ballpark. Wed prefer to win. I think that goes without saying." With 60 wins in 134 games, the Blue Jays are on pace for 72 or 73 victories. That 73 number is key in two areas: first, it would mean 89 defeats and the avoidance of the clubs first 90-loss season since 2004 and only the sixth in franchise history (the first four happened in the post-expansion years from 1977-1980). Anthopoulos routinely consults with manager John Gibbons, Gibbons says hes offered repeated input on the teams shortcomings over the course of the season, and feels he has a handle on some of the intangible issues plaguing the club. The problem is different people have different opinions on something like leadership and whether the clubhouse lacks a true spokesman. How should leadership be defined? Does leadership matter in a sport like baseball? "Weve talked about that," said Anthopoulos. "We just dont know how far to take it. There have been some subjective things. "Ive been here in years past where players get a label of this or that and then they go somewhere else and they do well," he continued. "I just think its a dangerous, slippery slope and you have to be careful. I think a lot of it comes down to production. When a players production slips now the other aspects of his game come out. Its amazing how much our opinions of players change when the production changes." Anthopoulos, for as long as its his choice, appears prepared to stand behind his manager. It will be up to the general manager, more than anyone else, to ensure 2014 isnt a repeat of this lost season. "I still believe we have the makings of a good team that needs work, that needs changes and that needs health," said Anthopoulos. "We didnt play the way we expected to. I think that goes without saying. Id say not oonly the way that we as an organization did, I think almost everybody across the game, in baseball, expected us to be a good team. Authentic Seth Jones Jersey. " JANSSEN ON RIVERA From one closer to another, Casey Janssen marvels at the continued success and the career put together by Yankees legend Mariano Rivera. "Just how professional hes been on and off the field," said Janssen. "How hes carried himself in arguably the biggest baseball city in baseball. Not only that, hes come through more times than not in his career. To have the saves lead is great for him and just an honour to watch him and a pleasure to be able to play on the same field as him." Rivera spent an hour with 20 Blue Jays employees before Tuesdays game. Hes conducted similar audiences in each road city over the course of this, his final season in baseball. Janssen, like almost every pitcher in the history of baseball, has more than one pitch in his repertoire. How does he feel about Riveras ability, since 1995, to get hitters out with his one pitch, the cut fastball? "Its amazing," said Janssen. "I wish I could learn that pitch I guess. I dont know what he does. Id love to stand in the box one time. Its not going to happen, but just to see what makes it so different. Hes got a gift. Its effortless. He seems to pitch in every situation that hes called upon to pitch. Hes the best." INJURY UPDATES - Colby Rasmus (strained left oblique) didnt begin baseball activities on Monday, as scheduled, after suffering a setback. The Blue Jays cant set a timetable for Rasmus return until his injury heals. At the moment, the club believes Rasmus will play again this season. - Steve Delabar threw a scoreless inning for the Gulf Coast Blue Jays on Wednesday morning. It was Delabars first game action since August 2 in Anaheim. He was placed on the disabled list the next day with right shoulder inflammation. - Dustin McGowan was scheduled to throw a side session in Dunedin on Wednesday as he rehabs a strained oblique. - Josh Johnson visited with famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who confirmed the previous diagnosis of a strained right forearm. Andrews has ordered Johnson two weeks of rest, effectively ending any chance the right-hander will return to the Blue Jays this season. - Brett Cecil, who missed the Yankees series with a tired left shoulder, says hell be ready to pitch when the Jays open a series with Kansas City on Friday. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseyscheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '