NEW YORK -- Jason Collins second stint with the Brooklyn Nets will last at least 10 more days.
Kirk Hinrich Jersey . The Nets signed Collins to a second 10-day contract Wednesday, and he will be in uniform when they host
the Memphis Grizzlies. Collins became the NBAs first openly gay player when he
signed his first deal Feb. 23. Teams can sign players to two 10-day contracts,
and then have to sign them for the rest of the season if they want to keep them.
Collins has appeared in all five games since his return, with three points and
five rebounds in 36 minutes. The 13-year veteran played for the Nets from
2001-08.
Kyle Korver Hawks Jersey . Whether its a sign of things to come remains to be seen, but that question will likely be answered
within the next week. Nash is the biggest name in the NHL rumour mill heading
toward the Feb.
Hawks Jersey . -- With the season on the line once more in Oakland, Justin Verlander pitched another Game 5 gem.CLEVELAND –
Ask a Blue Jays fan still hesitant to believe in the team whether a 5-4,
nine-game run through Baltimore, Minnesota and Cleveland would be satisfactory
early in the season, and the answer likely would be in the affirmative. Yet its
those defeats, snatched from the jaws of victory, which sting the most and
Toronto had two of them on the trip. The Jays led 4-2 in the sixth inning when
Aaron Loup walked the bases loaded and gave up a bases-clearing, three-RBI
double to the Indians David Murphy. Cleveland had a lead it wouldnt relinquish,
ultimately winning the game 6-4. The meltdown was relatively minor compared to
Thursday nights eighth inning debacle in Minnesota, which saw three relievers
give up six runs on just one hit and an unseemly eight walks in a 9-5 loss to
the Twins. Its jarring because the Blue Jays bullpen has been consistently
reliable. It raises two concerns about the pitching staff. First: the walks. Six
more on Sunday afternoon for a season total of 81, which pending the behaviour
of Arizona Diamondbacks pitchers in their game against the Dodgers later Sunday,
ranks second-most in baseball. "The walks have killed us so far," pitching coach
Pete Walker told TSN.ca before Sundays game. "I think its cost us a couple of
ballgames." Walks just cost them another one. Second: with the exception of
Mark Buehrle, the starting staffs inability to pitch deep into games. "Bottom
line, weve got to get some innings out of our starters or our bullpen will be
dead come May," said manager John Gibbons after Sundays defeat. Such was the
dichotomy of Brandon Morrows performance on Sunday. His six strikeouts over
five-plus innings belied the fact Indians hitters battled him throughout.
Michael Bourn led off the game with a nine-pitch at-bat. He struck out. In the
second, Michael Brantley put the Indians ahead 1-0 with a solo home run on the
ninth pitch. An inning later, in the third, Jason Kipnis worked a full-count,
10-pitch walk. Morrow was done at 95 pitches one hitter into the sixth. He threw
almost 30 per cent of his pitches (28 of 95) in those three plate appearances
alone, leaving Gibbons to wish for more efficiency. "I havent beeen able to do
it as much as I would like to," said Morrow of pitching into the sixth and
seventh innings.
Kirk Hinrich Hawks Jersey. "Today it was one long inning in the middle; without that I would have been in a better position
to finish that sixth." Walker is preaching contact early in counts. He doesnt
want pitchers worried about strikeout totals. He wants aggression and laments
that radar gun readings are posted on electronic scoreboards. "Its trusting your
stuff and really believing that your fastball is good enough that day," said
Walker. "I think a couple of our guys might be down in velocity and sometimes
that affects your approach. You dont see that 97 on the board and its 92, 93 and
all of a sudden you dont trust that fastball in as much as you did last year."
Its easy to fall in love with the radar gun and easy to forget that the Blue
Jays best pitcher to this point, Mark Buehrle, no longer tops 84 miles per hour
with his fastball. "I think it comes down to realizing its not the velocity, its
the location," said Walker. "Your fastball is your fastball that given day and
it needs to be located regardless. I think, for the most part, thats what we
need to get back to and thats something were focusing on is fastball command and
pitching inside a little more aggressively." Through 19 games Blue Jays starters
have pitched 103 2/3 innings, averaging less than 5 2/3 innings per start. A
team with playoff aspirations needs more. R.A. Dickey is presented with the next
opportunity to join Buehrle in bucking the troubling trend. He starts Tuesday
nights series opener at home with Baltimore. NAVARROS STRANGE ALLERGY If youve
been to a Blue Jays game and noticed that Dioner Navarro kicks away the catchers
box chalk outline before kneeling for first inning warm up pitches, theres a
good reason. Navarros allergic to chalk. The problem dates back years to
Navarros minor league days. He would come home after games with skin cracks on
his hands. His wife put two and two together since Navarro would always swipe at
the dirt to improve his grip, and she suggested he be tested for allergies. Now
its habit for Navarro to kick away the chalk before the game begins.
Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '
