NEW YORK, N.
Daniel Cleary Liverpool Jersey UK .Y. - Rob Manfred kno
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ommissioner — his name is
printed in blue script on the sweet spot between the seams of every big league
ball.Probably good if I get hit hard, he said, smiling and laughing, during an
interview with The Associated Press. A little more offence. We dont have to deal
with that issue.Manfreds desk on the 31st floor of baseballs Park Avenue offices
was tidy on Monday morning, the first business day after he succeeded Bud Selig
and started a five-year term as commissioner. Having worked for MLB since 1998
as an executive vice-president and then as chief operating officer, he didnt
have to move into a new office.The issues are piled up, perhaps not physically,
but the to-do list is lengthy: Oakland and Tampa Bay want new ballparks;
negotiations are ongoing with players over pace of play and domestic violence;
Baltimore and Washington are fighting in court over broadcast revenue; there is
widespread agreement initiatives must be undertaken to develop young fans and
players.A pitch clock must be considered and decreased offence scrutinized along
with increased defensive shifts.Tighter balls? Shorter fences? A lower mound?
Banning defensive shifts?Perhaps they can be talked about in the future.I do
think its important for the game to continue to modernize, he said. That
modernization has to proceed at a pace that allows us to be very respectful of
the traditions of the game and keeps us from making a hasty error, as they
say.He opened his regime Sunday by releasing an open letter to fans, promising
development in urban areas and increased emphasis on partnering with high
school, college and amateur ball.He left his home early on a snowy Monday and
took the commuter train from Tarrytown to Grand Central Terminal, as he has most
days since he was hired by MLB after 11 years as an outside counsel with Morgan,
Lewis & Bockius.Born Sept. 28, 1958, Manfred grew up in Rome, New York, and
is thought to be the first commissioner to have played Little League Baseball.
He started when he was seven and quit when he was 12 or 13 because it conflicted
with tennis.It was a painful and not-particularly successful experience, he
said. I played some shortstop, some second base.He attended his first big league
game on Aug. 10, 1968, sitting in the lower deck between home plate and first
base at Yankee Stadium for New Yorks 3-2 loss to Minnesota. Mickey Mantle went
deep twice in his last multihomer game.It was a big trip for us as a family,
Manfred said.He wears conservative suits and has a gap-toothed smile and a
receding hairline, looking every bit the corporate lawyer he was. His Cornell
undergraduate and Harvard Law School diplomas are on the wall behind his desk,
to the side of his computer. A flat-screen television on another wall broadcasts
sports news.The contrast between the 56-year-old Manfred and the 80-year-old
Selig is clear. The longtime Brewers owner ruled baseball from Milwaukee with
grandfatherly charm. Selig claims to have never sent an email during his 22-plus
years in charge.Bud I and are actually very different, Manfred said. Buds not
much of a technology guy. I am the original plugged-in technology guy. Bud is an
expert at the politics of managing owners. He does it with an art of persuasion.
I think I can effectively manage the owners as well, but my style will be more
based on information, rational persuasion, argument, than just politics.Labor
strife remains the biggest danger. Following five strikes and three lockouts
from 1972-95, baseball negotiated three straight deals without a stoppage and is
ensured labour peace through the 2016 season.A labour disruption would be a real
setback for this game, Manfred said. I think that weve taught people to expect
that we can solve our problems or issues with the players in a constructive way
without disrupting the play of the game on the field, and I think a failure to
be able to do that would be a step backwards for us, obviously.The
ever-increasing speed of high-tech innovation is the No. 2 issue. Regional
sports networks and national broadcasting contracts have helped pushed baseballs
revenue to nearly $9 billion last year, a more than fivefold increase under
Seligs reign.Obviously, the cable model has served us well, Manfred explained.
We hope it lasts a very long time. But its something you have to be concerned
about.One change could be a 20-second pitch clock. While Selig ruled it out for
the big leagues this year, it will be experimented with at Double-A and
Triple-A.Manfred said MLB executive Joe Torre and Atlanta Braves president John
Schuerholz both approved after watching an experiment in the Arizona Fall
League.Im a fan of the pitch clock, he said. I think the best endorsement of it
is that some of the people involved in the game that you would regard to be on
the more traditional spectrum were converts.He also wants stricter
interpretation of the rule-book strike zone, a process that began with computer
evaluation of umpires ball-strike calls starting in 2001.A lack of strike zone
uniformity is kind of like dandelions, Manfred said. If you dont pay attention,
it comes back.The big league batting average dropped to .251 last year, its
lowest level since 1972. Manfred told ESPN in an interview released Sunday that
he was open to banning defensive shifts.I said somewhere down the road its
something Id be prepared to have a conversation about. Nothing more, he said
Monday,Still, MLB forwarded the players union a list of radical ideas, Fox
reported Monday, such as tinkering with the ball, mound, fences and strike zone,
and extending the DH to the NL. Manfred also says he doesnt see a DH change
happening, but the height of the mound could be open to debate. It was cut from
15 inches to 10 after the 1968 season.I dont see that as a revolutionary idea,
he said.He does want to push ahead with international play, saying Id like to
play on a more sustained basis outside the United States if thats possible. But
games in Asia and Europe are difficult because of travel.The Western Hemisphere
is probably more realistic in that regard, he said.And baseball is monitoring
the U.S. governments opening to Cuba.Its a great source of talent, and whenever
you have a talent source, our people are very interested, he said. Obviously the
president has announced an important policy change. What that means at the
nuts-and-bolts level that we operate, were just not sure yet.On his first day at
the office, New York prepared for a blizzard. Not exactly baseball
weather.Manfred beamed when discussing his plans. And when talking about the new
baseballs with his name on them.He sent the first one that arrived to his
father.It really is a very interesting and exciting, tangible evidence that you
are in fact the commissioner of baseball, Manfred said.Howard Smith, MLBs senior
vice-president of licensing, made him sign Robert D. Manfred Jr. over and over
and over with different pencils and pens. More than a million balls will be
manufactured this year.I actually can write if I take the time to do it, Manfred
said proudly. It turned out OK.
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which begins Friday in Toronto.
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because he acted "without significant negligence in failing to verify the safety
of the supplements he was taking. LONDON -- England captain Steven Gerrard
announced his retirement from international football on Monday to focus on
playing for Liverpool. The 34-year-old midfielder made 114 appearances for
England over 14 years. Gerrard said he "agonized" over his future after the
World Cup in Brazil, where England went out after the first round. He told the
Football Association that "this has been a very difficult decision, one of the
toughest Ive had to make in my career." Gerrards career with the Three Lions
began with a 2-0 win against Ukraine in 2000. He is third all-time in
appearances for England behind goalkeeper Peter Shilton (125) and David Beckham
(115). Gerrard was captain for 38 internationals and scored 21 goals, including
three in hiis 12 World Cup appearances.
Marouane Fellaini Jersey UK. "I have enjoyed every minute of representing my country and it is a sad day for me knowing that
I wont pull on the England shirt again," Gerrard said. "To ensure I can keep
playing to a high level and giving everything to Liverpool Football Club I
believe this is the right decision." England manager Roy Hodgson was
"disappointed" with the decision, but said he understood it. "I must respect his
wishes due to the discussions we have had and the amount of thought and
consideration he himself has given it," Hodgson said. "We shall miss his
leadership qualities as we look ahead to the (Euro 2016) qualification campaign
with a youthful group of players."
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