Zac Taylor a quarterback who reminds him of the one he just left.Cincinnati traded up to get Ryan Finley from N.C. State as Andy Dalton’s backup — for now http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-michael-jordan-jersey , anyway. Dalton has two years left on his deal, and Finley will get time to learn Taylor’s system as a reserve and see what develops.“I do want to make something very clear before we start: Andy Dalton is our starting quarterback,” offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “That has not changed. That will not change. We think very highly of Andy and what he’s going to do in our offense.“We do think competition is good. It’ll be good for our position. It’ll be good for the backup job for sure.”Dalton missed the last five games last season with a thumb injury that has healed. Backup Jeff Driskel started the last five, completed 59 percent of his passes, averaged 153 yards and had a 79.6 passer rating working with an injury-depleted unit.Finley has been compared to Jared Goff , whom Taylor helped develop as the Rams quarterbacks coach before coming to Cincinnati as head coach after their Super Bowl loss to New England. Cincinnati, Detroit and Washington brought him in for visits, so he knew the Bengals had a keen interest.Quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt said Finley was the only quarterback the Bengals brought to town for a visit with a thought of drafting him. They also met with a quarterback from a small college whom they considered signing as a free agent.Finley went to a steakhouse with Cincinnati’s coaching staff after his arrival in town and spent a half-hour the next day with Taylor Greedy Williams Jersey , hitting it off. Finley impressed the Bengals with his ability to remember and analyze blocking schemes. He also knew he was the top quarterback on their draft list.“I was really excited to have that visit, and it was a really good visit,” Finley said.The Bengals hadn’t taken a quarterback so high in the draft since they got Dalton in the second round in 2011. They took AJ McCarron in the fifth round in 2014 as Dalton’s backup.“Ryan is a kid that makes really, really good decisions,” Callahan said. “He’s accurate and throws on time. He displayed all three of those at a high level at N.C. State.“We had him targeted all along as a quarterback we thought would fit for us at the right place. We felt he was there for the taking and instead of waiting to see if he fell, we were going to take him.”The Bengals spent four of their first six picks in the draft on offense, adding a left tackle , a tight end http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-sione-takitaki-jersey , a lineman and Finley. They also traded up for another fourth-round pick Saturday and took Ohio State center Michael Jordan, who will compete for a guard position. The offense finished 26th last season, a year after being last in the league in yards gained. National Football League history would be different as we know it if some deals that were in the works had actually gone through involving some of the biggest names in the league.Regardless of how great some players were, their respective teams always considered wheeling and dealing when needing to make a change. In some cases, major trades were just about completed before one side got cold feet and pulled out.In other cases, teams were thought to be close or even a lock to sign a player in free agency, however things didn't work out for whatever reason, changing the course of league history.For some teams Sheldrick Redwine Jersey , it's the moves they make that put them over the top. For others, the deals they don't make can cripple the franchise for years to come. Hindsight is always 20/20, but some of the teams on this list just made horrible decisions when given a chance to land an all-time great player.It's astounding to see the level of quarterbacks that were once up for grabs. In this day and age, it's unthinkable for a team to trade a top quarterback. Back in the day, it almost happened more than most people realize.Just imagine if Dan Marino had been traded to the Oakland Raiders or John Elway to the Washington Redskins. Both of those deals almost happened and who knows what it would have meant for each player's career.Let's take a look at some of the biggest deals - whether in free agency or through trades - that almost happened but never did.

Battling the flu Greg Little Jersey , pop star Pink powered through a pre-Super Bowl concert, still hitting high notes, flying in the air and dancing onstage days before she will sing the national anthem at the big game.

relying on her backup singers Friday at Nomadic Live at the Armory in Minneapolis. But she was still energetic and spirited, ending the set with her signature high-flying athleticism while singing the pounding hit, ”So What.”

The mother of two told the audience she had the flu and that her children ”cough into my mouth and I can’t stop them `cause they’re so cute.”

”I’m not going to sound like (crap) all night because you guys are going to help me,” she said. ”We’re going to rock the (expletive) out and have a good time.”

As she began to sing ”Beautiful Trauma” – from her recent album of the same name – she quickly stopped her band and told the crowd, ”I can’t do it.”

”I hate this,” she said. ”I can’t do that song. I’m sorry.”

Pink will sing ”The Star-Spangled Banner” on Sunday at the U.S. Bank Stadium before the New England Patriots take on the Philadelphia Eagles. The 38-year-old singer grew up about 30 miles from Philadelphia and gave a shout-out to the City of Brotherly Love during the show.

She wore a loose white top, loose white pants and red heels as she ran up and down the stage, kicking off the show with the jam ”Get the Party Started.” She later sang well-known hits like ”U Ur Hand,” ”Who Knew Will Grier Jersey ,” ”What About Us” and ”Raise Your Glass.”

Despite feeling under the weather, she was exceptional when she covered 4 Non Blondes’ ”What’s Up,” a crowd favorite.

”We’re gonna wake up the entire neighborhood,” she said before singing the song.

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BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Two seasons after shutting down its football program, UAB closed out the year on an electrifying note.Tyler Johnston III threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns, three of them to Xavier Ubosi, and UAB beat Northern Illinois 37-13 in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday night.Ubosi had seven catches for 227 yards for the Conference USA champion Blazers (11-3), who got their first-ever bowl victory in three appearances. UAB played in its second consecutive bowl since the program was reinstated after the self-imposed hiatus.“I guess in our wildest dreams we dreamed of winning a conference championship and then cap it off with a bowl win, so it’s really that sweet,” UAB coach Bill Clark said. “I don’t think it could have gone any better for us, so I’m very proud.”Northern Illinois (8-6) Christian Miller Jersey , the Mid-American Conference champion, has lost six consecutive bowl games since beating Arkansas in the 2012 GoDaddy.com Bowl.“It really comes down to three things. We gave up three touchdowns on three deep balls,” NIU coach Rod Carey said. “Old-fashioned go routes. Give those guys credit. They ran by us. They threw it, caught it. That’s the difference. If not, it’s 16-13. In the fourth quarter, I like our chances.“We have to own it as coaches. We have to own it as players. We didn’t coach good enough. We didn’t play good enough. Thirteen points isn’t winning football. Bummer.”Johnston, who took over the starting job for the injured A.J. Erdely at midseason, set career highs in passing yards and touchdown passes, and Ubosi’s 227 yards were the third-most receiving in a game in school history. Ubosi came into the game ranked second in the country at 21.8 yards per catch, and his TD receptions covered 70, 46 and 66 yards.“I’m surprised but at the same time you work for it,” Ubosi said. “Just practice hard and whatever you do in practice you’ll do in the game.”All-American Spencer Brown Jordan Scarlett Jersey , who entered with 1,167 rushing yards and a school-record 16 touchdowns, caught a 3-yard shovel pass for a score and had 78 yards on the ground.UAB’s 10th-ranked defense harassed Huskes quarterback Marcus Childers, sacking him five times and forcing two fumbles (one lost). He finished 22 of 29 for 179 yards and had 35 yards rushing on 18 carries. NIU led the nation with 50 sacks, but never got to Johnston.Johnston hit Ubosi in stride for a 70-yard TD just 18 seconds after the opening kickoff.“It made it easier for me,” Johnston said. “Everyone wants to score on the first play of the game. I trusted (Ubosi). He said, ‘Just put it in front of me and I’ll go get it.'”After a penalty on a punt gave the Blazers a fourth-and-1 opportunity that they converted, the duo connected again with 5:11 remaining in the first half for a 24-10 lead.The Huskies cut it to 27-13 early in the third, but a little over two minutes later, Johnston found Ubosi down the sideline for his third score.Nick Vogel kicked three field goals for UAB.“We talk a lot about making history,” Clark said. “We talked about it with Tyler and Xavier and we knew we were going to make history. We wanted to finish.”Carey said the loss shouldn’t blemish the careers of his senior class.“It’s a reward for a championship team,” Carey said. “We want to win. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not going to let the narrative be about me. You want to write I’m 0-6 in bowl games David Montgomery Jersey , I could take that. I’m a big boy. But that’s not what it’s about.”UP NEXTNorthern Illinois will be losing 6-foot-6, 320-pound left tackle Max Scharping, an NFL prospect who has started 53 consecutive games. Scharping is finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, given annually to the best scholar-athlete in college football.UAB will be losing 35 seniors, including 15 starters. Ubosi has played his final game for the Blazers, along with four of five starting offensive linemen, both starting safeties, their middle linebacker and nose tackle. But Johnston and Brown have just begun their collegiate careers.

Colin Kaepernick should be in the NFL Dexter Williams Jersey , and if he is in the NFL which teams would he be a fit for. There are a few factors that can go into whether or not this controversial sports figure would be a fit for a team, and those factors are location, depth at the position Max Scharping Jersey , and Kaepernick’s willingness to be a backup. Teams with terrible quarterbacks should be first in line to ask about acquiring him. Locations with a more liberal population and who a majority of the fans support his actions are also good landing spots, but there are also some teams that don’t need him because he could be somewhat of a distraction.Teams with a franchise quarterback might not want Kaepernick, and he might not want to join those teams due to them not being able to accommodate his desire to start on a long term basis. It is obvious that this late into training camp Kaepernick won’t find a starting job. Kaepernick will have to start off as a backup http://www.texansauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kahale-warring-jersey , and he needs to be willing to accept that role. If he finds the right team he may get an opportunity someday to become a long term starter again if he improves his skill set.Here are 8 teams that should sign Colin Kaepernick and 7 that shouldn’t: The more than $115,000 in back taxes owed on the Massachusetts home that once belonged to former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez have been paid.

The tax collector in North Attleborough tells The Sun Chronicle that Hernandez’s estate paid $60,000 toward the lien in December while the new owners of the home paid the remaining $55 Cullen Gillaspia Jersey ,000 last month.

Hernandez bought the home for $1.3 million in 2012. It was sold in November for $1 million.

Court records also show $500,000 from the sale was placed into escrow while a judge determines if it should go to Hernandez’s daughter.

Hernandez was serving a life sentence for the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd when he hanged himself in prison in April days after his acquittal in a double slaying.

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Information from: The (Attleboro, Mass.) Sun Chronicle Tytus Howard Jersey ,

In no time at all Elgton Jenkins Jersey , a champion will be crowned. Not only that, but one player will walk away knowing he had the biggest impact in his team’s championship victory by becoming the 51st Super Bowl MVP.Among the athletes to shout, “I’m going to Disneyland,” a tradition started in 1987 by MVP Phil Simms http://www.packersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jace-sternberger-jersey , there has been a combination of slam-dunk and questionable choices alike. 23 Super Bowl MVP awards have been bestowed upon Hall of Famers. That’s not counting times current players or recent retirees have won, such as Tom Brady (three times), Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis.This article therefore splits the fifteen players using two criteria. This list has ten slots that are occupied by the “worst” players to win a Super Bowl MVP. These individuals rose to the occasion of the big stage despite the absence of a Hall of Fame resume during their overall career. The final five players either have a bust in Canton or will join the Hall someday soon, but they won the award due to their position Dexter Williams Jersey , legacy or bravado instead of Super Bowl performance. Rangers reliever Tony Barnette won’t throw for at least four weeks after an MRI revealed a strained lat muscle.

Barnette had the MRI exam Wednesday, a day after leaving a game in the middle of a batter. The team had initially said the right-hander had a shoulder strain after he came out of Tuesday night’s game.

The Rangers said after their 5-4 loss in 10 innings on Wednesday night that Barnette will be re-evaluated in four weeks. The reliever will not throw during that time.

Working the eighth inning in a 5-3 loss to the Houston Astros on Tuesday night, his second inning of the game, Barnette felt something different in his shoulder on his first pitch to Marwin Gonzalez. Barnette (2-0) threw two more pitches before exiting the game.

Texas recalled right-hander Chris Martin from Triple-A Round Rock. Martin was optioned to the minors on Tuesday Max Scharping Jersey , but was able to come back before 10 days by replacing a player on the DL.

Martin (1-2) worked the 10th inning against the Astros, and fell down after one of his pitches. The Rangers said after the game that he had a left groin issue that would be re-evaluated.

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The Lions hired Hank Fraley on Friday to be their assistant offensive line coach and Evan Rothstein to assist with research and analysis.

Fraley was UCLA’s offensive line coach last season after three years with the Minnesota Vikings as their assistant offensive line coach.

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Rothstein has been with the Lions since 2012 Sheldrick Redwine Jersey , working as a research and analysis assistant the previous three years.

The Lions hired Patricia earlier this month to replace Jim Caldwell, who they fired last month. Patricia was on the New England Patriots‘ staff for 14 seasons, the last six as defensive coordinator.

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Cardinals right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha returned to St. Louis on Thursday for an MRI.

The Cardinals placed Wacha on the 10-day disabled list with a left oblique strain before Thursday night’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. They recalled right-hander John Gant from Triple-A Memphis.

”Everyone has injuries Austin Seibert Jersey ,” Cardinals general manager Michael Girsch said. ”We’ve just got to deal with it.”

Wacha accompanied the team as it flew to Milwaukee from Philadelphia, but then he continued on to St. Louis for the medical scan.

”We have not gotten an MRI yet,” Girsch said. ”Hope to have it tonight.”

Wacha Trysten Hill Jersey , who leads the team in wins (8-2) and strikeouts (71) in 15 starts with a 3.20 ERA, left Wednesday’s start against the Philadelphia Phillies with the injury. He surrendered a two-run homer to Cesar Hernandez in the fourth inning and pitched to one more batter before he was replaced by Mike Mayers. The Cardinals lost 4-3.

It’s the third time this season that Gant has been recalled. He is 1-2 with a 4.74 ERA in seven appearances, including three starts for the Cardinals this year.

Gant could be a candidate for a start on Monday.

”Gant will be available in the bullpen the next few days Connor McGovern Jersey ,” Girsch said. ”We still feel we have good options in the rotation. They’re all capable of going the rest of the way. Obviously, we’d like to get guys back and have more depth.”

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It's the one position that is a necessity to make an offense run at optimum performance Noah Fant Jersey , and with that comes the most responsibility out of any one position. We've seen some quarterbacks who have been able to handle that responsibility at the NFL level, and others that couldn't. It's so difficult to successfully draft a quarterback, and we've seen some of the best and worst in league history since the 2010 draft. Always notable however http://www.cowboyscheapauthenticstore.com/trysten-hill-jersey-cheap , is the subject of quarterbacks who were flat-out busts since their selection on draft day.While we have indeed seen plenty of these in recent history, some of them have been able to salvage some kind of a continuous NFL career, while others have dropped out of the game altogether. Each of them have their own unique situation after they achieved the bust-status Drew Lock Jersey , but these quarterbacks had to re-arrange their plans after it was clear that they weren't going to be the franchise player for the team that originally drafted them. Let's take a look at the most striking examples.Ranked below are the top-15 biggest quarterback busts since 2010, and what they're doing now. The Panthers say two-time All-Pro center Ryan Kalil plans to retire after the 2018 season when his contract expires.

Panthers spokesman Steven Drummond confirmed the news on Tuesday.

Kalil becomes the second long-time Panthers player to announce he is retiring after next season. Outside linebacker Thomas Davis told NFL.com earlier this month the 2018 season will be his last.

Kalil, who turns 33 in March http://www.broncoscheapauthenticstore.com/dre_mont-jones-jersey-cheap , was plagued by neck and shoulder injuries the last two seasons that limited him to 14 games. He had hoped to play more after the Panthers signed his younger brother Matt Kalil to play left tackle last offseason.

Kalil has started 129 games during his 11 seasons with the Panthers and been to five Pro Bowls. He was named All-Pro in 2013 and 2015.

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They are the franchise that most people in the world think of when they think of the NFL. This is a fact that causes so many NFL fans to become upset. “My team is better than the Cowboys Nick Bosa Jersey ,” they say. “Nobody I know cares about or likes the Dallas Cowboys.” That may be true, but those fans forget that it doesn’t matter how well the Cowboys are doing or if you like them. Everyone knows their name and most NFL fans have a passionate opinion about the team one way or the other. They are a $4 billion sports franchise that is the envy of team owners everywhere. Sometimes, they’re also a pretty decent team.Regardless of how the Cowboys are doing Dwayne Haskins Jersey , it’s always been considered an honor among many football players to play for the Dallas Cowboys at some point. There are many who finally get that star on their helmet and have some of the best years of their careers. They choose to stay a Cowboy and retire a Cowboy. However, that’s not the case for everyone. There are some players who enjoy a great career on the Cowboys but choose to leave the team for more money, better opportunities http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/marquise-brown-jersey-cheap , or because they just weren’t able to work it out during negotiations. However, there are just as many players who wish that they never played on America’s team in the first place. These are the 10 NFL Players Who Regretted Playing For The Cowboys (And 10 Who Regretted Leaving). For NFL fans the sport has become a storyline for 365 days of the year. There is just so much to talk about with the league that even when the season ends, they have a monopoly over a few more months in the year because of things like free agency and the draft. Of course Jaylon Ferguson Jersey , people know how important the draft is, but it becomes vital for teams to get the free agent pickups right. That doesn’t mean that each valuable player taken off the market is a superstar. Sometimes that means going after certain veterans who can help a team make the push to the next level.Last year the Eagles completed their team with big pickups going from Alshon Jeffery, to Chris Long to LeGarrette Blount heading over to the team at different points. The Patriots always manage to flip around a good portion of their roster and still maintain a level of excellence when the time comes down the stretch. And in the past Quinnen Williams Jersey , teams like the Broncos and Seahawks made big season-altering acquisitions as well. The biggest one that comes to mind in recent years is the pickup of DeMarcus Ware and Peyton Manning to the Broncos in the span of three years to complete their travel as Super Bowl Champions.This year there was a good amount of big-time free agents going to certain teams but there were a lot of overlooked moves too. Signing just the right player to fix a flaw for a season or two could be the difference in 8-8 or an 11-5 team in the playoffs. Without further ado, here is the list of the best free agent signing for every team in the 2018 offseason.

Gennett injured his right leg while fielding a grounder against Milwaukee and was helped off the field.Gennett ranged to his left for a ball off the bat of Yasmani Grandal leading off the second inning Friday. Gennett slid to make the stop and threw to pitcher Robert Stephenson covering first for the out. Gennett went to his knees and was helped off by Reds head athletic trainer Steve Baumann and manager David Bell.“I don’t know exactly if it was when he fell or when he made the throw http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-max-muncy-jersey ,” Bell said. “He felt something in his groin.Cincinnati says Gennett was to have an MRI.The 28-year-old Gennett reached the majors with the Brewers in 2013 and was claimed off waivers by his hometown Reds near the end of spring training two years ago. He made his first All-Star team last season, hitting .310 with 23 homers and 92 RBIs.Top prospect Nick Senzel could be a candidate to replace Gennett. Senzel was reassigned to minor league camp earlier Friday.Zach Davies pitched 5 1/3 innings for Milwaukee in a 6-4 win over the Reds. Davies found out Thursday he had a spot in the Brewers’ rotation.FROM AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUES:RAYS 3, PIRATES 2Avisail Garcia had three hits and two RBIs, Brandon Lowe had two hits and Casey Sadler struck out three in three scoreless relief innings for Tampa Bay. Sadler was re-assigned to minor league camp after the Rays‘ final game in Port Charlotte this spring.Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang started at shortstop in what manager Clint Hurdle dubbed an “experiment.” Kang was a shortstop before injuring his knee in September of 2015. He missed most of the past two seasons due to legal troubles surrounding three DUI arrests in his native South Korea and a wrist injury last season. Kang had two hits, including a double.CARDINALS 15, METS (ss) 5Paul Goldschmidt homered and had three hits, Marcell Ozuna also went deep and Yadier Molina had two hits and three RBIs for St. Louis. John Gant allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings a day after learning he’d lost the battle to be the team’s fifth starter to Dakota Hudson. Gant will open the season in the bullpen.Hector Santiago, a candidate for a bullpen job with the Mets, started and pitched three innings, allowing five runs, seven hits and three walks. Jeff McNeil hit his third homer of the spring. Pete Alonso had two hits and an RBI but also committed a throwing error at first base.CUBS (SS) 7, RANGERS 3Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist each hit their first home run of the spring for Chicago. Baez hit a three-run shot and raised his average to .317. Jose Quintana pitched six strong innings, allowing a run and four hits and striking out six.Logan Forsythe homered and had two hits for Texas.DIAMONDBACKS 10, DODGERS 4Matt Koch made what might be his final appearance with Arizona, logging five innings of two-run ball. Koch is out of minor league options and would have to be placed on waivers before being sent down, but may not have a spot on the opening day roster. Adam Jones hit his first homer in his third spring training game and drove in four.Justin Turner homered for the second straight day, his third of the spring with Los Angeles. Jeren Kendall, the Dodgers‘ first-round pick in 2017, also homered. Dennis Santana struck out five in three innings, allowing three runs, three hits and two walks.ANGELS (ss) 5, WHITE SOX 4Mike Trout hit a three-run home run, and Kole Calhoun and Jonathan Lucroy each doubled for the Angels. Trevor Cahill walked three over 4 1/3 innings but allowed just one run and four hits while striking out four.Carlos Rodon, the White Sox opening day starter, allowed two runs in two innings, walking two and striking out three. Leury Garcia hit a solo home run, and Yonder Alonso doubled.BRAVES 4, TIGERS 3Opening day starter Julio Teheran allowed two runs in five innings, striking out five for Atlanta. Ozzie Albies had a double and two RBIs, Dansby Swanson had two hits and Wes Parsons dominated in relief, striking out five over 2 1/3 scoreless innings.Niko Goodrum had three hits for Detroit and is batting .354 this spring. Tyson Ross allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings.RED SOX 10, TWINS 6Jackie Bradley Jr., Andrew Benintendi, Gorkys Hernandez and Christian Vazquez each homered for Boston. Bradley had two hits and three RBIs, and Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez each had two hits as well. Jenrry Mejia, allowed back into baseball after a lifetime ban caused by three positive drug tests, allowed two runs in an inning. Mejia is in the running for a spot in Boston’s bullpen.Nelson Cruz had two hits and Max Kepler had two RBIs for Minnesota. Kyle Gibson was charged with five runs and eight hits in 2 2/3 innings.ASTROS 7, METS (ss) 3Alex Bregman celebrated his new $100 million, six-year contract with a solo homer, his third shot of the spring. Yuli Gurriel also went deep, and Brad Peacock allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings. Astros manager AJ Hinch announced after the game that Peacock would be Houston’s No. 5 starter.Dominic Smith had two hits for New York and is batting .362 while competing with Pete Alonso for the starting first base job. Jason Vargas allowed four runs in 5 2/3 innings.BLUE JAYS 4, ORIOLES 0Aaron Sanchez dominated, pitching one-hit ball over six innings with two walks and three strikeouts. The righty has a 1.53 ERA this spring. Justin Smoak and Brandon Drury each homered, with Smoak getting three hits and Drury driving in two.Chris Davis was 0 for 2 for Baltimore and is batting .138 this spring as he tries to bounce back from a historically bad 2018. Mike Wright allowed two runs in four innings.YANKEES 6, PHILLIES 3Giancarlo Stanton hit two homers, doubling his spring total and driving in three for New York. DJ LeMahieu also had two hits. Jonathan Loaisiga struck out seven in four innings but allowed solo homers to Odubel Herrera and Scott Kingery.Jared Eickhoff allowed a run in four innings, striking out six and walking three for Philadelphia.NATIONALS 5, MARLINS 5Max Scherzer struck out 12 in seven innings for Washington but allowed three runs and 10 hits. Adam Eaton had two doubles, three hits and two RBIs, and Victor Robles had a hit and a stolen base.Neil Walker hit his third homer of the spring for Miami, and Starlin Castro had three hits.ROYALS 15, GIANTS (ss) 3Madison Bumgarner allowed seven runs and ten hits in two innings for San Francisco, a lousy outing that wasn’t helped when the Giants mustered just six hits.Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi each had two hits, and Chris Owings, Hunter Dozier, Khalil Lee and Frank Schwindel each homered for Kansas City. Martin Maldonado added three hits, and Homer Bailey struck out seven over six innings of two-run ball.INDIANS 8 Kenley Jansen Jersey , CUBS (ss) 3Hanley Ramirez homered twice and Carlos Santana also went deep for Cleveland. Ramirez had three hits and three RBIs and Santana had two hits and drove in two. Corey Kluber struck out seven and allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Brayan Rocchio, an 18-year-old shortstop prospect, had two hits in his first ever major league spring training game.Addison Russell had two hits to lead Chicago. Ian Happ struck out twice and went 0 for 3, and Duane Underwood Jr. allowed four runs in one inning.ROCKIES (ss) 6, PADRES 5Garrett Hampson hit a three-run homer and Ian Desmond had two hits for Colorado. Harrison Musgrave struck out five in 2 2/3 innings of one-run ball.Eric Lauer pitched four scoreless innings for San Diego and hasn’t given up a run over 10 innings this spring. He struck out four, walked one and allowed two hits. Ian Kinsler homered and had two hits.MARINERS 8, ANGELS (ss) 7Tyler Danish pitched four innings of one-run ball for Seattle, striking out six and allowing four hits. Ariel Sandoval homered and Luis Liberato had two hits for a Mariners roster loaded with minor leaguers while the big league club recovers following its trip to Japan.Zack Cozart homered for the Angels, and Jared Walsh went deep twice. Dillon Peters allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings.GIANTS (ss) 6, ROCKIES (ss) 4Yangervis Solarte homered, Gerardo Parra had three hits and new signing Matt Joyce got his first hit with San Francisco. Rule 5 draft pick Connor Joe was 0 for 3 a day after being acquired from Cincinnati.Nolan Arenado homered and had two hits for Colorado. Jeff Hoffman allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings. It was Ryan Cordell’s night, and we were just living in it"WhiteFanposts FanpostsFanshotsSections AnalysisGame RecapsGamethreadsMinorsOffbeatFull ArchiveExclusives South Side Sox Hall of FameCard of the MonthDeep DiveDigitsFlashbackFranchise FactsKnow Your EnemyMost Essential White SoxRace to the BottomSix Pack of StatsSouth Side SnapSouth Side StumperSSS Literary SupplementSuper Stats PackThe Game I’ll Never ForgetTwitterpatingUnder the RadarView From the Other SideWhite Sox on SB Nation HomeStoriesScheduleRosterStatsWhite Sox on Yahoo! HomeDepth ChartTransactionsMasthead MastheadMeet the Players!Links White Sox Web LinksSouth Side Sox standardsCommunity GuidelinesOdds Shop StubHub 鉁昗hite Sox MinorsCharlotte KnightsBirmingham BaronsWhite Sox Minor League Update: April 10, 2019New,41commentsIt was Ryan Cordell’s night, and we were just living in itCDTShareTweetShareShareWhite Sox Minor League Update: April 10, 2019Homesick for Chicago: Ryan Cordell was apparently very motivated by his demotion, proceeding to hit for the cycle in his first game back in Charlotte.Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY SportsWell, well, well, who’s coming up tomorrow?Charlotte Knights 10, Norfolk Tides 9Donny Roach: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 KIan Hamilton: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB,2 KJuan Minaya: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 KDanny Mendick: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 2 KNicky Delmonico: 1-for-4, 1 BB, 1 KZack Collins: 0-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 KRyan Cordell: 5-for-5, 1 HR, 4 R, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K (hit for the cycle) **MVP**Seby Zavala: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 KThis was a back-and-forth game from the beginning. Donn Roach allowed three runs in the first two innings before calming down, but that put the Knights in a pickle early. Thankfully, Alcides Escobar broke through with an RBI double in the second inning, and Ryan Cordell continued to show his power. Cordell hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the third to give Charlotte a 4-3 lead in what was really Cordell’s night. If you are keeping track, the homer was Cordell’s second hit already in the game: In the second inning, he recorded a double. So, a homer and a double so far.Meanwhile, Roach allowed another home run, tying the game 4-4 http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-max-muncy-jersey , before being lifted in the fifth inning. But Seby Zavala, who is having a good start to the season both at and behind the plate, hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning that scored Cordell. Cordell was on third because ... he tripled earlier that inning, leaving him only in need of a single for the cycle. On a good note for the pitching, Ian Hamilton threw a perfect inning in the sixth, with two strikeouts, his best outing of the young season.Unfortunately, Hamilton’s replacement, Colton Turner, allowed four runs, giving the Tides an 8-6 lead. As the Knights fell behind, Cordell slapped a single to complete his cycle in the seventh inning, which perhaps gave Charlotte the mojo it needed to come back in the game: Charlie Tilson and Danny Mendick both drove in a runs that tied the game, 8-8. The bad thing, though, was that Norfolk took back the lead in the next half-inning, setting up a one-run game going to the bottom of the ninth. The Knights were able to load the bases with one out, a run that included a Cordell single, his fifth hit of the game. It was up to Brandon Guyer and Tilson to win the game, and they came through in the clutch. Both hit singles to complete the comeback without pesky extra innings. The Knights improved to 6-1 on the season.Tennessee Smokies 7, Birmingham Barons 3Tanner Banks: 6 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 KMatt Foster: 2鈦? IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 KLuis Gonzalez: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 1 KMicker Adolfo: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 2 KBlake Rutherford: 1-for-4, 0 BB, 2 KYermin Mercedes: 2-for-4, 1 HR, 0 BB, 0 K **MVP**Gavin Sheets: 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 KLaz Rivera: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 0 KIt was another offensive dud for the Barons tonight: The offense went six full innings without even so much as a base runner, much less a run. By that point, Birmingham was already in a4-0 hole. Tanner Banks was doing well through three innings, but found trouble in the fourth, already down 1-0. He allowed the first two runners of the inning to get on base, and on the third, Banks surrendered a three-run homer. However, Banks was able to get back into a groove for nine more outs, keeping the game at 4-0.By the time the seventh rolled around, the Barons decided to strike. First, Yermin Mercedes homered to center to get the Barons on the board. After Trey Michalczewski and Gavin Sheets singled, Mitch Roman hit a two-RBI triple to cut Tennessee’s lead to one. Unfortunately, Roman was stranded at third base. The Barons would allow three more runs in the top of the ninth in what ended up being a 7-3 loss.Wilmington Blue Rocks 4, Winston-Salem Dash 1Zach Lewis: 2 1鈦? IP, 2 H, 4 ER Enrique Hernandez Jersey , 6 BB, 1 KJos茅 Nin: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K **MVP**Tate Blackman: 0-for-3, 1 BB, 2 KCraig Dedelow: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 1 KYeyson Yrizarri: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 1 KIt was not a good start to the game for Zach Lewis and the Dash. After Lincoln Henzman went down in his last start, Lewis pitched brilliantly the rest of the way. Today was a different story; Lewis allowed two runs in the first inning, including one forced in by a walk. The Dash were able to get one run back, also forced in by a walk to Zach Remillard, but that was the only offense Winston-Salem was able to muster.Lewis had a much more difficult third inning: The walks continued, and he allowed a double to score the third run of the game. After he was pulled after recording only one out in the third, reliever Jake Elliott threw a wild pitch that scored Wilmington’s fourth run. Aside from his wild pitch, Elliott pitched a terrific 3 2鈦? innings, keeping the Blue Rocks off the scoreboard. Jos茅 Nin did the same when he was in the game, lowering his ERA from 13.50 to 8.44 with two shutout innings.Delmarva Shorebirds 2, Kannapolis Intimidators 1Jonathan Stiever: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 KBennett Sousa: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 KLenyn Sosa: 0-for-4, 0 BB, 1 KLuis Curbelo: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 KSteele Walker: 1-for-3, 1 BB, 2 KBryce Bush: 0-for-3, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 1 KEvan Skoug: 3-for-3, 1 BB, 0 K **MVP**A little bit of a dud here for the I’s, especially on the offensive side. Delmarva opened up the game by scoring in the top of the first, but Kannapolis was able to tie it in the bottom of the inning. Luis Curbelo doubles and was advanced to third, and Bryce Bush drove him in with a sac fly. So from the start, it looked like it was going to be a long day for the pitchers. Not so.There was only one more run scored in the game, and unfortunately, it was by the Shorebirds. Jonathan Stiever allowed both runs, in his second start of the year. His command was a bit off this time around, going from no walks allowed to three, but his overall results were better. Bennett Sousa also dropped his ERA down to a more Sousa-like number, with two perfect innings chiseling it to 2.08. Kannapolis’ offense was, well, bad. The I’s were able to reach base 12 times in the game but only mustered one run. Evan Skoug reached base four of those 12 times, and he now has a 1.222 OPS.

Showalter and Dan Duquette for years. Now that they’re both gone and don’t have to play nice publicly Kenta Maeda Jersey , we’re starting to see how bad it was."A lot of things had to go wrong for the Orioles to finish with a 47-115 record in the 2018 season. There is no magic wand that anyone with the team could have waved to solve one problem that would suddenly turn the team from what they were into a real postseason contender. Last week, the O’s made it official that neither Dan Duquette nor Buck Showalter, presumably the two biggest architects of the failed team, would be returning next season.As the Orioles ownership tries to move on to find a new person to fill the general manager position, or whatever they want to call it, there is some predictable finger-pointing showing up in the media now that the two men no longer have to play nice. In one swoop, years of vague stories about unspecific things that caused dysfunction within the Orioles front office were validated and blown out into the open.The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal explored that rift in a Thursday article in which he observed that Manny Machado’s performance on defense with the Dodgers appeared to improve significantly based on the small samples of defensive metrics for this season. Is this one more sign that a chowderheaded Orioles baseball operations team was unable to both collect significant data analytics and synthesize it to present to players in a meaningful way? The new general manager is going to have to figure out what in the world was going wrong before he or she can try to figure out how to put it right.The article is for subscribers only, but if you’re not in that group, people have helpfully quoted portions of the article on Twitter, like this:This is a dark picture of the team and it’s been painted by the guy who was supposed to have been in charge. If agents were really calling up Duquette to plead on behalf of their clients for a better analytical approach from the team, then everyone who was responsible for things reaching that point should have been fired long ago. If the front office actually had a good approach to analytics and the field staff was ignoring it, the firings should have wiped out the entire coaching staff immediately. This is the first that we have heard of a specific charge like this that I know of, but as mentioned before, this is the first time the people involved don’t have to be nice to one another publicly.That pitchers who have been here with the Orioles have then gone on to succeed elsewhere is not in doubt. The question left to be resolved is whether there was something that the Orioles were doing, or not doing, that led to the pitchers Duquette named not performing as well here as they had done elsewhere.Wade Miley presents the most extreme and absurd example. You can’t fail much harder than Miley did in Baltimore and still have a big league job. In 43 starts across his two seasons here Matt Kemp Jersey , Miley posted a 5.75 ERA, averaging fewer than five innings per game started. That included a 2017 season where he led all MLB starting pitchers in WHIP. At the most basic thing a pitcher is supposed to do - keep runners off base - Miley was the number one worst pitcher in the game.That same Miley started 16 games for the Brewers this season and although his strikeout rate sank to a career low, he ended the season with a 2.57 ERA. There’s a natural tendency for fans of AL teams (or at least, for me) to be snobby about National League pitchers since they don’t have to face as many real batters, but you don’t shave three runs of ERA just from getting to face pitchers and bad pinch hitters. The Orioles were either screwing something up here or failing to fix something obvious to a more aware team.One challenge that has been besetting all Orioles pitchers for at least a couple of years now is their defense. If you spent any unfortunate amount of time watching these losers, you know this already. That can be quantified in part in this stat from this season: The Orioles pitching staff had the worst BABIP allowed in all of MLB. That is, no team was worse at converting balls in play into outs than the Orioles.When your outfield corner defense is Trey Mancini and Mark Trumbo and your center field defense for most of the season is Adam Jones, measured as the slowest MLB center fielder by Statcast, that’s going to happen. If your players just don’t have the capability to do what you ask them to do, it doesn’t matter how many analytics you throw at them. Of course, part of building a good team is understanding, through scouting and analytics, what your players are able to do and what they’re not able to do. Perhaps Duquette’s pitchers all should have been better and former manager Buck Showalter and his staff were ignoring good information that would have improved them. But Duquette doesn’t get to skate entirely on assembling the roster that failed thoroughly even when it still had its best players.It was defense that led Rosenthal’s article - specifically, Machado’s defense. One of Rosenthal’s colleagues at The Athletic, Eno Sarris, illustrated what changed between Baltimore and Los Angeles for Machado:Is that enough http://www.dodgersfanproshop.com/authentic-max-muncy-jersey , in and of itself, to explain how Machado was rated at -18 runs in Defensive Runs Saved as a shortstop for the O’s in 2018 but +6 runs in his time with the Dodgers? He moved three or four steps to the left against lefties and suddenly he looked like a better fielder again? We can be sure that a lot of data went into the Dodgers positioning of Machado. That’s how front offices operate now, or at least how the smart ones do. The question for the Orioles is whether they have been drawing good and correct conclusions that have been ignored, or whether they have been drawing bad or incomplete conclusions that have led to bad results.This is not the only instance of hearing about a former Oriole changing something small and enjoying greater success elsewhere. Kevin Gausman shifted his position on the rubber after being traded to Atlanta and he pitched better there, at least until the postseason. It seems so small to have made such a huge difference, which doesn’t mean it can’t have made the difference.It’s going to be up to the next person in charge of baseball operations to figure out just what the problems were and how to fix those problems. There are surely a number of people in the baseball world who would be up to that task. O’s fans can only hope that the team hires one of them and lets that person get to work without any more meddling. SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Coming off a pair of difficult seasons, Cole Hamels decided to make some major changes to his winter workouts.“It takes a couple of years for us to realize what we can and cannot do,” the 35-year-old Chicago Cubs left-hander said after his spring debut Wednesday against his former team, the Texas Rangers.Among the changes Hamels made was hiring a trainer for the first time, a “posture specialist” to help make his exercises more efficient.“I stuck to that 5-6 days a week,” he said. “I also changed my strength program, it allowed me to utilize and identify my mechanics a little better, getting back to when I felt at my best. Over a period of time your body doesn’t allow you to do that. You get stronger, but you’re not utilizing everything that you have.”The posture specialist, Hamels said http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey , implemented a 45-minute routine before the workout. “So that when you work out, you’re in the proper form. And then after you’re done, you go back and do some stretching.”Throwing almost exclusively fastballs against Texas on Wednesday, Hamels pitched two innings, allowing two hits. He threw 26 pitches, 17 of them strikes.“It was good just to be able to get out there against guys that are actually swinging the bat against you,” Hamels said. “Just trying to establish the fastball, in the first couple games I’m just trying to get that as the key to my game plan.”Entering his 14th major league season, the four-time All-Star was an asset down the stretch to the Cubs, going 4-3 with a 2.36 ERA in 12 starts after Chicago acquired him from the Rangers. He had been 5-9 with a 4.72 ERA in 20 starts for Texas.“The instant you’re thrown into a playoff race, you focus a little bit more,” Hamels said. “Sometimes with a fresh start you’re not really carrying any extra baggage from a bad start or two.”While Hamels pitched well, it was a disappointing season for the Cubs, two years removed from their World Series title.They were overtaken by Milwaukee in the NL Central late in the season, and then lost the wild-card game to Colorado at Wrigley Field, making it the first time in four seasons that Chicago fell short of the NLCS.“This is a really talented young team that has a lot of experience Chris Young Jersey , and you don’t really see that,” Hamels said. “There’s a lot of expectations, and I think to not fall into that and go out and be positive and get the best out of each other. When we’re able to do that, that’s a fun team to be a part of.”But his time in Texas was sidetracked by an oblique injury early in the 2017 season, which prompted the changes to his preparation this offseason.The Cubs open the regular season at Texas and Hamels — who still makes his home in the Dallas area — figures to pitch in that series.“It would be the first time I’ve ever pitched against a team I played for,” Hamels said. “I haven’t had the opportunity to pitch against the Phillies.”“They know what I know, they know what’s coming. So it’s going to be a game, but it will be really fun and it’s a tremendous place to play,” he said.Even with his accomplishments — a career 3.40 ERA, 156 wins and a 2008 World Series MVP with Philadelphia — Hamels hopes to pitch for another decade and has set that as his goal.“I played with Jamie Moyer,” Hamels said of his one-time staff mate with the Phillies who pitched until age 49. “I’d rather play towards 45. That’s my intention. I don’t ever want to stop short.”

"We’ve known for a bit how the Red Sox were planning on sorting out their catching situation Aaron Nola Jersey , which had been one of the biggest questions facing this team since they finished celebrating their 2018 world championship. Though they were able to shuffle three on the roster through all of last season, it wasn’t going to be realistic in 2019. Dave Dombrowski and Alex Cora both acknowledged that to be the case early in the offseason. The assumption from most, myself included, was that whoever was deemed the odd man out would be in another organization for 2019. That will not be the case, at least not to start 2019.Earlier in the week we learned that Sandy Le贸n had been placed on waivers, which came on the heels of his name being brought up in trade rumors. After he cleared waivers, the Red Sox offered an assignment to Pawtucket. Because he was just short of five years of major-league service time, Le贸n didn’t have the option of refusing the assignment while still getting his salary. So Juan Samuel Jersey , he was left with a choice of making $2.475 million for 2019 or going to free agency. In free agency, he may have had an easier path to the majors but he also would have been paid at least $1.5 million less. In the end, he has accepted the assignment, keeping the money while staying in a familiar organization.This is definitely good news for the Red Sox. Now, the $2.475 million does still factor into luxury tax calculations as the loophole that prevents Rusney Castillo’s salary from counting has been closed. Even with that modest money on the books, Le贸n gives the Red Sox two things. Most importantly, he gives them some depth that they know in case one of Christian V谩zquez and Blake Swihart underperforms or gets hurt. Either of those scenarios is very possible. Additionally, we all know how well Le贸n works with pitchers http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-pat-neshek-jersey , and now the young arms in Triple-A will have him to help them out. That certainly can’t hurt. It should be mentioned, because I’ve been asked a few times, that Le贸n would have to go through waivers again if he gets back to the majors. He still can’t be sent freely between Triple-A and the majors. NEW YORK (AP) — Catcher Yasmani Grandal and the Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to an $18.25 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the agreement, first reported by The Athletic, was subject to a successful physical.Grandal turned down a $17.9 million qualifying offer from the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers in November. He would be eligible for free agency again after this year’s World SeriesNow 30, Grandal was an All-Star in his first season with the Dodgers in 2015. He hit .241 this year with 24 homers and 68 RBIs as Los Angeles won its second straight NL pennant. He made $7.9 million.Grandal has a .240 big league career average with 113 home runs in seven seasons. He would supplant Manny Pina and Erik Katz Robin Roberts Jersey , who combined to get the most games behind the plate for Milwaukee last season.He is the second player to reach agreement among the six who turned down qualifying offers. Pitcher Patrick Corbin agreed to a $140 million, six-year contract with Washington.Outfielders Bryce Harper and A.J. Pollock remain on the market along with left-hander Dallas Keuchel and closer Craig Kimbrel.Born in Cuba, Grandal moved with his family to Florida, played for the University of Miami and was taken by Cincinnati with the 12th overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft.He was traded to San Diego in December 2011 as part of the deal that brought pitcher Mat Latos to the Padres, then made his big league debut the following June.Grandal was suspended for the first 50 games of the 2013 season because of excessive testosterone. He was dealt to the Dodgers in December 2014 as part of the trade that sent outfielder Matt Kemp to San Diego.Milwaukee made a surprising run to the NL Central title last year and reached Game 7 of the NL Championship Series, losing to the Dodgers in Game 7. Grandal was just 2 for 11 with no RBIs in the series, then went 1 for 5 with no RBIs in the World Series loss to Boston. Grandal also struggled defensively in the postseason with a number of untimely passed balls, though he had been considered a strong defender and pitch framer.Because Grandal turned down a qualifying offer Tug McGraw Jersey , the Brewers would forfeit their third-highest draft pick this year, which would be about No. 105. Los Angeles would get a compensation pick after competitive balance round B, about No. 79.