Just like the other veterans who returned from last year, Nebraska Danger wide receiver Kayne Farquharson is thrilled to have the opportunity to play once again in the Indoor Football League’s United Bowl.

His only regrets include that Saturday’s 7:05 p.m. championship game is being played in Sioux Falls, not Grand Island. Another one is that it is the Storm that is defending a championship from last season, not the Danger.

But for one scary stretch of Thursday’s Intense Conference championship game win over Colorado, returning to the United Bowl was the last thing on Farquharson’s mind.

The University of Miami product left the field on a stretcher after taking a hard hit into the dasher boards early in the third quarter.

“I bobbled the ball,” Farquharson said. “I should have caught the ball and the defender tackled me into the wall, and my neck got caught between the wall and the field. It was hurting at first.

“They took me to the hospital for precautionary reasons.”

It was a frightening moment for Farquharson.

“I was crying. I was scared,” he said. “It was one of those deals where I didn’t know what was going on. I saw the trainers whispering to each other. It terrified me.”

But after the initial scare, it quickly became apparent to Farquharson that he would be fine.

“I knew I was alright on the way to the hospital,” he said. “When I got to the van, they put IVs on me and I was moving my head. I knew I was cool.”

Farquharson was released from the hospital in time to join his teammates on the bus ride home, celebrating a 45-15 blowout win.

Now the focus is squarely on the Sioux Falls Storm, the team that edged the Danger 43-40 in last year’s United Bowl.

“That was the goal since February,” said Farquharson of winning the United Bowl. “When we saw 18 guys were coming back, we knew what time it was. It was championship or nothing.”

This year’s postseason has a different feel than last year’s breakthrough season for the Danger.

“Last year was kind of a surprise to everybody,” Farquharson said. “We didn’t know how far we were going to get. Now we know what we’ve got, so we’ll go in there with a confident mindset.”

Farquharson led Nebraska this season with 54 catches and 690 yards receiving. He was second on the team with 12 touchdowns catches.

Andre Piper-Jordan topped the Danger with 15 touchdowns among his 41 receptions for 594 yards. Troy Evans has added 38 catches for 341 yards and four scores.

Those receivers may provide the Danger with its best match-up advantage over the Storm, Nebraska coach Mike Davis said.

“I like our receivers and their secondary. I do,” he said. “I think we have a lot of guys that know their guys. They have three starters (in the secondary) that played for us in the last two years. So we know their pros and cons, what they’re good at.

“Granted, they know our defense inside and out, which is fine. You still need to execute and know where you’re going and what to do. We’ll have a good game plan offensively, and we’ll see if we can’t exploit some holes in (Sioux Falls’ defense).”

Farquharson is glad to get back on the field, this time to try and bring an IFL championship back to Grand Island.

“It would mean the world to me,” he said. “Grand Island is a great city. This is a great organization. It deserves the best.”


(theindependent.com)

DALLAS – If you're looking for a little Internet entertainment, do yourself a favor and search “Frank Gore Boxing” on YouTube.

Take a few minutes and watch clips of the San Francisco 49ers all-time rushing king being an active ring technician. You can see a sweaty 5-foot-9 athlete sparring with a trainer, bopping up and down with Floyd Mayweather-like movements.

Needless to say, Gore still has plenty of fight left in him.

The running back with 9,967 rushing yards and seven, 1,000-yard seasons in nine years with San Francisco, has been working out in a boxing ring for some time. Come to find out, the offseason training method has helped prolong a masterful NFL career that is now entering year 10 for the former third-round draft pick in 2005.

“It keeps me on my feet,” Gore told 49ers.com earlier this month at Michael Crabtree’s youth football camp. “You get less pounding and also, it’s great cardio.”

Gore attended San Francisco’s nine-week offseason program that concluded last week, but he was held out of team drills so that his younger teammates could maximize opportunities on the field.

The lack of on-field work was fine with Gore.

When he’s not supporting a deep 49ers running back group with tips and encouragement, Gore was mixing in his sparring sessions away from the facility.

“I’m doing three minutes with only 30 seconds of rest,” Gore said. “I think that’s tougher than football training. It’s a challenge.”

Gore’s running back understudies appear to be something different, as in being the deepest group of backs on a single 49ers roster since Gore was drafted.

“I love it,” Gore said of the running back stable that now includes Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, Marcus Lattimore and second-round draft pick Carlos Hyde nipping at his heels for carries.

“I just feel that it lets you know how much better our team is,” Gore continued. “Before I got here, it wasn’t like that. Now, each year there’s more competition so that lets you know how much better we are as a team.”

Hyde, who is the newest of the bunch and is looking to model his all-around game after Gore’s style of play, received praise from the elder statesman of the 49ers offense.

“We’re getting better each day,” Gore said. “Even the young running back we just drafted, Carlos, he’s doing a great job out there.”

It remains to be seen how much action Hyde will experience at training camp when it’s Gore’s turn to ready himself for another Super Bowl run.

“Training camp, I think that’s where it counts,” Gore said of San Francisco’s upcoming position battles.

“It should be fun.”


(49ers.com)

Texans center Chris Myers is one of the many athletes and celebrities who are trying to join the Blue Cure Foundation in raising awareness for prostate cancer.

One of the goals is to get 100,000 names on a petition at WhiteHouseBlue.org by Friday to light the White House blue for a day in September, which is prostate cancer awareness month.

“A lot of people have been tweeting it and trying to bring some attention to it,” Myers said about the petition that also can be found at the Blue Cure Foundation website. “The overall goal is to raise awareness, and the petition is the biggest thing right now.

“Obviously, we want to get the White House lit for that one day, but the overall goal is to raise awareness, not only just for prostate cancer, but for men’s – and women’s — health in general.”

For the last three years, Myers has supported the Houston-based Blue Cure Foundation and Gabe Canales, the founder and president, including hosting a fundraiser last month.

“Anything I can do to help out Gabe, I’ll do,” Myers said. “When I first met Gabe, he had just quit his day job to start this organization. It was an eye-opener for me. I always thought prostate cancer was something you dealt with later on in life, but that’s not the case.

“I’ve wanted to do as much as I can to help raise awareness. I’ve had a tremendous response from people I know and don’t know who’ve had to deal with prostate cancer. This does make a difference in the lives of a lot of people.”

Myers asked that you please help spread the word about the petition as well as awareness for prostate cancer.

1 in 6 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Early detection saves lives. Let's light the #WhiteHouseBlue http://t.co/WVjA77zEL5

— Chris Myers (@CMyers55) June 20, 2014

(chron.com)

Miami Dolphins RB Knowshon Moreno (knee) will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery this week, according to sources. Moreno is expected to miss four to five weeks.

Fantasy Tip: The Dolphins backfield was getting messy before this news, but now Lamar Miller will have every opportunity to seize the No. 1 running back role. Moreno's prognosis gives him ample time to recover and be ready for Week 1, but if there are setbacks, Daniel Thomas stands to be the beneficiary and receive more touches.


(kffl.com)

NEW YORK -- Impressive slugger Peter O'Brien and talented right-hander Luis Severino have been tabbed to represent the Yankees at this year's SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday.

O'Brien will play for the U.S. team and Severino will be in uniform for the World team in the July 13 contest at Target Field in Minnesota. The U.S. Team has won each of the last four Futures Games.

The 24-year-old O'Brien has been showcasing his raw power at Double-A Trenton, where he entered play on Tuesday with 15 home runs and 35 RBIs in 42 games, owning a .228 (37-for-162) batting average.

O'Brien has seen time at catcher, first base, right field and designated hitter this season, with the organization looking to find a place to keep his bat moving through the pipeline.

A second-round pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, O'Brien batted .321 (36-for-112) with 10 homers and 19 RBIs in 30 games with Class A Advanced Tampa before being promoted in early May.

The 20-year-old Severino was 3-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 14 starts for Class A Charleston this season, hurling 67 2/3 innings with 62 hits, 24 runs (21 earned), 15 walks and 70 strikeouts.

A product of the Dominican Republic who signed with the Yankees organization in 2012, Severino is currently with Tampa, where he has made one start. He is ranked as the Yankees' No. 9 prospect by MLB.com.

The 16th annual SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game will take place at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 13, at Target Field in Minneapolis, and it can be seen live on MLB.com and MLB Network, and followed live on MLB.com's Gameday. In addition, XM Radio will broadcast play-by-play coverage of the event live on MLB Network Radio XM 89 and Sirius channel 209. MLB.com will also provide complete coverage before, during and after the game.

Fans can stay updated by following @MLBFutures on Twitter and can send and receive tweets to and from the U.S. and World Team dugouts during the game by tagging tweets with the hashtags #USDugout and #WorldDugout.

Major League Baseball, in conjunction with the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau, MLB.com, Baseball America and the 30 Major League clubs, selected the 25-man rosters for each club. Each Major League organization is represented, and players from all full-season Minor Leagues were eligible to participate.


(mlb.com)

In college, Buffalo Bills tackle Seantrel Henderson earned a reputation as a screw up. But now in the NFL, he's finally starting to show signs of being the player who was once the top offensive lineman recruit in the nation.

Henderson was the Bills' last pick in their 2014 draft class. They took a shot on Henderson's talent despite plenty of off-field reasons why he nearly slid out of the draft. Henderson took reps with the first-team offensive line last week in Buffalo's minicamp and has settled in well with the group.

Henderson is trying to rebound from a precipitous fall from grace. He was supposed to be as close to a sure thing as there is coming out of high school. The massive left tackle out of St. Paul, Minn. was the No. 2 player in the nation in 2010 according to Rivals.com.

But there were no major awards for Henderson and not a single bit of buzz after he completed his four years at the University of Miami. There were three suspensions though. All of his suspensions were for marijuana use, he later admitted.

Henderson never really lived up to his billing after a solid freshmen year, and it's a burden he still carries.

“Even though that's in the past – No. 1 player in the nation and all those things like that don't mean too much – at the same time, I still came out like that and I feel I need to live up to that," Henderson said. "And at the same time, I feel I'm just working and building, building and moving on forward to camp." 

Getting a chance to work with Buffalo's starters, even in a minicamp, is a big step for Henderson considering how his draft stock was plummeting earlier this year.

He earned an NFL scouting combine invite this past spring, perhaps based off his name recognition and the immense coverage surrounding his recruitment four years earlier. The combine was supposed to be his chance to shine, instead it was clouded by a failed drug test – again for marijuana use.

Henderson was considered washed up. He was just 22 years old but his career appeared over before it started. Most NFL teams considered him an undrafted rookie free agent at best – if they even had him on their draft board at all. It wouldn't have been a surprise if he wasn't picked.
The Bills took a shot on him, however. 

The Bills took Henderson in the seventh round at No. 273 overall, with their final pick of the draft. He was told that their would be zero tolerance for him and that the mistakes of the past had to be just that – in the past. If he got in any trouble, he would be out the door. It was a low-risk, high-reward move for the Bills. If Henderson finally got his head on right, he was a first-round talent. If he flaked out, he would be another low draft pick cast aside.

So far, it is working out for the Bills – and Henderson.

Last week, Henderson stepped into the first team at left tackle with several injuries keeping regular starters out. There is talk that he impressed the coaching staff and could be in the mix for a roster spot and also for a starting job.

He admits that to stick in the league, he can't go back to the same old ways that got him suspended three times in college and fail a drug test at the combine.
“Just taking everything a day at time," Henderson said. "Just staying positive all times. Working throughout and doing everything. Keeping myself busy. That's all the past. As of right now, I'm not trying to look back at that.”

When he was selected by Buffalo, there were obvious question marks about him. The character concerns were a key issue as was his underwhelming game film.

“Can he be consistent enough and be disciplined enough and have the structure to be a pro?" Bills coach Doug Marrone wondered publicly about Henderson during a press conference in May. "That’s what being a pro is really.”

The NFL is filled with cautionary tales of stud athletes who flame out. There's more celebrity in the NFL along with more money and free time. There isn't the structure of college with classes and study halls and tutoring sessions. Once practice and the weight room and film study is over, an NFL player's time is his own.

And with a pocket full of cash, the temptations for Henderson are much bigger than in college, even if he has traded South Beach's sins for more quiet surroundings in Buffalo.

He credits the Bills for giving him a support staff to help him take things one step at a time.

“I can talk to them about anything I've got going on personally or in life period. I've got people here that I can talk to that can help me out throughout the day,” Henderson said.

He doesn't go out most nights but stays at the team hotel and spends a couple extra hours studying the playbook. At Miami, he never really took to the playbook but in the NFL, suddenly it is clicking.

And he is actually is enjoying the accountability of the locker room and – gasp – studying the playbook isn't a terrible chore.

“I think everything is coming together," Henderson said. "Just moving forward, getting to know everybody. Things are going good right now.

"As far as the workouts and learning the playbook – I never learned anything this fast. I actually got things down pat. I'm not saying I'm all the way there but I'm further ahead then I thought I would be at this point. That makes me feel real good and gives me a little more confidence in my game also."


(sports.yahoo.com)

Ricky Ray? Blue Bomber Bruce Johnson has heard of him. Never seen him play, though.

Except on film, that is.

On Thursday, Johnson will get up-close-and-personal with the future hall-of-fame quarterback when his Bombers host Ray and the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL season-opener for both teams.

Johnson will be part of a green-as-grass Winnipeg defensive backfield, one of three players filling in for injured starters.

“I hear they say he’s a good quarterback,” a casual-sounding Johnson said of Ray. “Has a good deep ball, can look you off and everything. But with film and everything, I think we’ll be fine with what we have out here.”

Johnson, 26, has reason not to be star-struck.

His brief NFL career included practising against Eli Manning and playing against Drew Brees, when he played 22 games for the New York Giants in 2009 and 2010.

Newcomer Maurice Leggett will in a similar boat against the Boatmen, starting his first CFL game, but having NFL experience to lean on.

“I’ve gone against Brett Favre, twice,” Leggett said. “Pre-season and regular season. He could thread a needle between me and you right now.”

And what has he heard about Ray, who leaves pass defences in shreds on a regular basis?

“I know he has a great deep ball,” Leggett said, predicting an “entertaining” game, Thursday.

“Entertaining means I’m getting a lot of action.”

Leggett and Johnson will fill in for the injured Korey Banks and Alex Suber, while Canadian backup Matt Bucknor will play instead of the limping Donovan Alexander.

“You let ’em go,” head coach Mike O’Shea said. “I’m not trying to scare them, by any means. They need to do what they’re doing, play within the system, play their techniques and they’ll be fine.”


(winnnipegsun.com)

The Patriots defense went through a big overhaul during the offseason, but a big story for the team is the return of lineman Vince Wilfork.

Albert Breer joined Sports Tonight to discuss the difference Wilfork will make on the Patriots' run defense.   

"I'd argue that outside of the quarterback, he might be as pivotal as they have," said Breer. "Because of the lack of depth they have at that position for the first time in a long time."

Does Breer believe Wilfork will return to form in the upcoming season?

"That injury, plus his size, how big he is, you have to think it's not going to be the Vince Wilfork of 2009, 2010 and 2011. But remember, he has those incentives in his contract. He's playing for money."


(csne.com)

Jimmy Graham sees himself as something other than a tight end. An NFL arbiter is expected to announce this week whether Graham is right.

There could be more at stake than Graham's desire to be paid as a wide receiver. Other teams and players are watching the New Orleans Saints' situation. And the Saints could be a risk of losing Graham's services.

Graham contends his role with the Saints is that of a wide receiver. As such, he believes he should be paid $12 million while carrying the team's franchise tag. As a tight end, his tagged salary is only $7 million.

Last week's two-day hearing in New Orleans allowed both sides to present arguments to by NFL arbitrator Stephen Burbank. It's not clear when he will announce his decision, only that it is expected in the coming days.

Graham's stand, supported by the NFL players' union, is based not on his position as decided by the team, but his use in the offense. He lined up as a wideout for two-thirds of the Saints' snaps in 2013.

There is a way to avoid aggravation between the Saints and Graham. A long-term contract would put the franchise tag question to rest. A similar situation was settled that way in 2009, when the Baltimore Ravens and Terrell Suggs reached accord.

Without that, Burbank could change the way teams decide positions in assigning franchise tags. 

If Burbank rules in favor of Graham, the Saints might be forced to part ways with a significant piece of their offense's puzzle.


(sportingnews.com)

NO. 12 - SAM SHIELDS, CORNERBACK
AGE / EXPERIENCE
26 / Fifth NFL season
WHY HE'S NO. 12

Head coach Mike McCarthy didn't attempt to sugarcoat what the new contract meant for Sam Shields. When the Green Bay Packers signed Shields to a four-year, $39 million deal this offseason, it made him one of the team's "core players," according to McCarthy, who added: "He'll step up and play accordingly."

Aaron Rodgers is currently a long-term core player for the Packers. So are Clay Matthews, Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang and Morgan Burnett, all of whom have signed big-money extensions with Green Bay in recent years. While very few people would question that the money has been worth it for players like Rodgers and Sitton (who are arguably the best at their respective positions in the NFL), Burnett has been widely criticized for not playing well in Year 1 of his five-year, $26 million contract.

While the amount given to Shields was more than most expected, it's difficult to argue that he didn't earn it. Shields quickly rose from an undrafted free agent to a starter in the Packers defense, and after four years in Green Bay, he's become one of the team's most important defensive players. In 2013, he tied his career-high with four interceptions and set a career-high with 61 tackles while starting 14 games.

Shields is No. 12 on this list because he can't take a step back now that he's a very wealthy man. The Packers need him to at least be as good as he's been in recent years, though the team would clearly love it if he continued improving. Green Bay has good depth at cornerback, but the importance of Shields locking down one of the outside corner spots will go a long way in how far the team gets this season.

EXPECTATIONS FOR 2014
McCarthy didn't sugarcoat it, so there's no reason that anyone else should: expectations for Shields are now very high. More money, more responsibility. Core players need to have an obvious positive effect in the win-loss column, which is what Shields must do in 2014.

Shields will often find himself matched up with opposing teams' best wide receivers, and he'll have to deliver. That means two games staring across from Detroit's Calvin Johnson and two games worrying about Chicago's dangerous duo, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. Shields isn't in the clear for the other 12 games of the season either, especially not with critical NFC opponents like Seattle, New Orleans, Carolina and Philadelphia on the schedule.
Cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt believes that Shields still has a lot of room to get better. A contract the size that Shields got this offseason suggests the Packers' front office very much agrees with Whitt on that. At only 26 years old, and given that Shields has only been playing cornerback for five years, his potential is as great as any players on Green Bay's defense.

WHAT WOULD THEY DO WITHOUT HIM?

Shields would be even higher on this list if it wasn't for the Packers' impressive depth at cornerback. He has veteran Tramon Williams opposite him, which helps in many ways. For one, if Shields struggles against Johnson, Marshall or any other top wide receiver, Green Bay knows Williams has the tools to get the job done. Williams has seen it all, and an in-game or mid-season change in plans wouldn't be too much to handle for him. Williams can also continue teaching Shields the finer points of the game, little things that a ninth-year player like himself can still show to a fifth-year player.

Casey Hayward will eventually be a starting outside cornerback for the Packers, likely in 2015 once Williams' contract expires. Hayward dominated competition in the slot as a rookie, but hamstring injuries took away his ability to follow it up last season. But just because he was primarily a slot player shouldn't overshadow that Hayward projects to be a very good outside cornerback. Whether it's on the opposite side of Shields or it's stepping in for Shields should an injury occur, Hayward seems ready for a big role sooner than later.

Davon House didn't have the Year 3 jump that some expected, but he's still a viable option at outside cornerback. Micah Hyde is not part of the equation at outside corner, nor is Jarrett Bush. However, rookie cornerback Demetri Goodson will get a shot to earn snaps outside, though a challenge from him is likely not going to matter much to Shields at the top of the depth chart.


(foxsports.com)

Denver Broncos offensive lineman Orlando Franklin has admitted that he was "mad at the world" for the criticism of his game which led to his change in position in the off-season.

Franklin put in a poor performance at right tackle in the Super Bowl which was widely maligned by the club's supporters and the media, and has resulted in the 27-year-old being moved to left guard for the 2014 season.

He told reporters: "Initially, you get down on yourself when you hear you're moving from your position. I'm not a 'me' guy, but it didn't seem like initially it was a good situation for me.

"It had nothing to do with the team. I got mad at the world. I read an article and saw what fans were saying, that I had a horrible game in that final game.
"I took it the wrong way. When people started getting on me about it, I didn't take it constructively. I didn't listen to what my coaches were saying about it. I was listening to all the outside noise."

Franklin was drafted in the second round of the 2011 Draft by the Broncos.


(sportsmole.co.uk)

Catcher Peter O'Brien, the Yankees' No. 20 prospect, hit two home runs Monday, but it wasn't enough to lead Double-A Trenton to victory. The Thunder lost, 9-3, at Bowie.

O'Brien finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs. He now has hit 25 home runs this season, the third most in the Minor Leagues. He trails only Rangers No. 4 prospect Joey Gallo (27) and Cubs No. 2 prospect Kris Bryant (26).

Entering Monday's game, O'Brien hadn't homered in seven consecutive games, his longest drought of the season. He ended that streak in his second at-bat of the night, hitting a two-run shot off Bowie starter Tyler Wilson in the fourth inning. He added a solo blast in the eighth against Chris Petrini.

O'Brien began the season with Class A Advanced Tampa and hit .321/.353/.688 with 10 home runs in 30 games before getting promoted to Trenton. With the Thunder, he is hitting .228/.277/.543 with 15 home runs in 42 games.

Though O'Brien caught Monday, he has shared those duties with Yankees No. 1 prospect Gary Sanchez. It was O'Brien's 13th game behind the plate with Trenton, and he also has seen time at first base, right field and designated hitter.

Sanchez served as the designated hitter Monday and went 1-for-3 with a run and a walk. He is hitting .260/.329/.420 with eight home runs in 60 games this season.


(mlb.com)

If there is music thumping and sometimes spraying Iggy Azalea’s latest in the Cardinals’ clubhouse, it’s Jon Jay’s speakers at work. He is the self-appointed and uncontested clubhouse DJ. He popularized the term “Memphis Mafia” for his generation of Cardinals and even had T-shirts made. The nascent tradition that is High Socks Sundays, where players tug their pant cuffs up their calves to show the ringtails of their stirrups — he started it and coined the hashtag, “#highsocksunday”. He had T-shirts made for that, too.

He bats second and sometimes seventh. He plays center and sometimes right. He is the Cardinals’ player rep to the union, their shoe fashionista, an unofficial ambassador for Miami, and Friday he teased his hair as he waited to stand in the background of a music video being shot at Busch Stadium by Yadier Molina’s record label. Jon Jay has many roles for the Cardinals and his career shows that midway through the season he annually claims one more.
Starter.

“It’s unfortunate that he’s had to prove himself every single year except for maybe last year (2013),” said infielder Daniel Descalso, a close friend and member of the “Mafia.” “It seems like people always want to write him off. He always shows up. He’s the same guy. He puts up the numbers, goes out there, and does a lot of the things that help us win. That’s despite what people may say or think.”

More than what they said or thought, it’s what the Cardinals did this past winter that put Jay, the team’s incumbent center fielder, in a familiar position — challenged. The Cardinals traded David Freese and Fernando Salas for outfielders Peter Bourjos and Randal Grichuk. Bourjos, a gifted defender, was a candidate for Jay’s position and Grichuk, a power prospect, was going to man center in Class AAA. With one trade, Jay lost a member of the “Mafia,” saw the true cost of a rising salary, and became bracketed by the potential present and future of his position.

How he has responded so far this season is familiar. For the third time in his career he’s emerged from a duel with a starter’s playing time. He took a .305 average into this weekend and had started 20 of the Cardinals’ previous 26 games.

“For me, it’s nothing personal,” Jay said, “It’s just a reason to work.”

“What we’ve seen around here is better than what he gets credit for,” manager Mike Matheny said. “As an organization we always want to figure out how we can get better and how we can complement what we have and the opportunity was there to bring in an exciting player like Peter. But I think everybody was running in the direction that we’ve turned the page (on Jay). I didn’t think that was fair.”

Jay, 29, started 21 of the team’s first 41 games before a surge that put him back, regularly, in the lineup. Entering Friday’s game against Philadelphia, Jay had hit .342 (25-for-73) over his previous 23 games. He turned production in those games into a recent run as the team’s No. 2 hitter, where Jay had a single and was hit by a pitch Friday.

He has wrested starts away from Bourjos and ascended to a primo spot in the order.

“The answer is yes it’s been beneficial — in two ways,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “One, for his own personal career, and he’s showing he’s a productive player. But, two, through this whole team concept we have is about getting opportunities. He is in the first third of the lineup and he’s been able to produce in a demanding time. He’s obviously had a good few weeks. I hope we continue to have production out of center field.”

The few good weeks hint at a contour that Jay has followed before. From 2010 to 2013, Jay started 54.0 percent of the Cardinals’ first-half games. During those same four seasons, he started 82.1 percent of the club’s second-half games. In 2010, his play made it possible to trade Ryan Ludwick for pitcher Jake Westbrook. In 2011, it was Jay who had pushed for playing time in center before the Cardinals sent Colby Rasmus to Toronto in the deal that defined a World Series championship team.

In 2012, Jay was a regular but won the open leadoff job in September and hit .310 with a .370 on-base percentage.

“I think that’s all coincidence,” Jay said.

A former teammate said “too often the media is quick to dismiss the importance of a player like Jay and what it means to be on winning teams.” Jay has been a constant for this current run of contending clubs. His 160 at-bats in the postseason are the fourth-most for the Cardinals since 2011’s run, and he’s one of two players remaining on the club who have played in all of the team’s playoff games since 2011. Molina is the other.

Yet, the Cardinals looked to replace Jay.

“This is probably the most frustrating spring of Jon’s career just from the fact that it looked like he was being painted into a corner,” Matheny said. “As much as we were trying to tell him differently, the opportunities were saying a different story.”

He entered last season as the unquestioned starter and struggled, reworking his swing on the job and slogging through the slump that caused. He revived at the plate in the second half with a .311 average and finished with 67 RBIs.

His defense lagged — a career-low minus-8 Runs Saved, per Baseball Info Solutions — and as the Cardinals sought an upgrade that play gave them an opening.

“I felt that last year was the year that is going to help me for the rest of my career,” Jay said. “Dealing with stuff. Learning a lot. I had to figure out a way to deal last year with not playing the way you’re capable of playing. That was frustrating.”

The shorter, simplified swing that emerged from that frustration is an asset. It’s something he can repeat, even with sporadic playing time in this season’s first month. He said this winter he had “a better plan” during his cage work. He would work smarter, not longer in the cage. The winter held another lesson for him as well. With the trade of Freese, Jay could see a friend leaving the clubhouse and, if he wanted to look for trends, his potential future.

A year ago, Freese sat in the Cardinals’ clubhouse and assessed his situation. Playing toward a second shot at arbitration and a raise, Freese said he could see Matt Carpenter inheriting his job, as Carpenter said, and “understood with our farm system there are a lot of options out there.” Jay is surrounded by them.
Bourjos. Grichuk.

Oscar Taveras has played center. James Ramsey is blossoming.

Jay received a one-year, $3.25-million contract for this season to avoid an arbitration hearing. He’ll be due another significant raise after this season and could price his way out of the Cardinals’ model, especially if, yet again, they seek a challenger for center. The same vice of progress pinched Skip Schumaker and Freese before him. Jay remains the player rep because the business of the game fascinates him, but it also gives him an understanding of its reality.
“It happens on every team,” Jay said. “Things come out of nowhere that you don’t expect. ... The lesson is you have to prove yourself everyday.”Right now, the clubhouse has given him control of the iPod and his production has him taking control of a role.

He does get a say in how long his music keeps playing.

“The bottom line is when you build a team it’s 25 guys and everybody is going to contribute and everybody is going to have to pitch in,” Jay said. “I’ve said this every year: In October, if we’re in the playoffs, it means I had a pretty good season. I contributed. I have the same goal this season. If when we look up in October and we’re in the postseason that means everybody in this clubhouse did their part, everybody on the roster did their part. We did what we’re supposed to do.”


(stltoday.com)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Vince Wilfork tore his Achilles tendon. Then he clashed with the New England Patriots about his contract.

His future with the team — and in football — was uncertain.

But there he was on a sunny field Thursday, smiling, joking and excited about the upcoming season.

"I think this year is going to be one of the most exciting times of my career," the defensive tackle said. "This year is going to be a little special just because of what I've been through and how far I came along."

And that contract dispute?

He has put that in the past, too, after restructuring his deal into a three-year, $22.5 million agreement in March, allowing the Patriots to lower his salary cap hit.

"That's a dead issue," Wilfork said Thursday after the final practice of a three-day minicamp. "I'm not upset. I'm not holding (any) type of grudge. Business is business."

In his first nine seasons after the Patriots drafted him in the first round out of Miami, Wilfork missed only six games. He became a team leader and a defensive mainstay who earned five Pro Bowl selections.

Then he ruptured his right Achilles tendon on the first defensive series of the fourth game, a 30-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons last year. It's a difficult injury to recover from, particularly for a player like Wilfork who plays at about 330 pounds.

"Everything you do in life, there's always something that says you can't do it or you shouldn't be able to do it," Wilfork said. "So, for me, I know my body. I know what it takes to be at the top of my level, top of my game. I know how hard it's going to be, but I've never shied away from competition or a challenge and this is a big challenge for me."

After all, he'll be two months shy of his 33rd birthday when the season starts.

"It's going to take time, but I'm very positive with where I'm at," Wilfork said. "Everything went well and healed up fine, so it's just knocking the rust off."

He said he has no physical limitations and never felt he couldn't get back to where he needed to be.

"That was never in my mind," Wilfork said. "From the time they told me I (tore the tendon), from the time that I had the surgery, I knew that I was going to be back, ready to rock and roll.

"I know how tough the injury is, but I tell myself over and over again, I'm not the average person. I just do things a little differently than most people that have this injury, and I'm going to stick with my guns until I prove myself wrong."

One week after Wilfork was hurt, Tommy Kelly, the other starting defensive tackle, suffered a season-ending knee injury. He thought he could make it back but went on injured reserve about a month after being hurt.

"When you both go down in back-to-back weeks, it was a blow," said Kelly, who spent his previous nine seasons with the Oakland Raiders. Wilfork "was a really good person to lean on, coming into a new scheme and system. When I got confused about stuff, I would just ask him. He just made it really easy for me."

Kelly also has been practicing but won't say whether he's fully recovered.

"All I know is I feel good," he said. "I have no problems."

Wilfork has yet to be tested in pads. That will come when training camp starts in late July.

"Before I get to training camp," he said. "I should be at the point where I'm very, very happy."

Wilfork has been a key member of the defense, making tackles or occupying several offensive linemen and allowing unblocked teammates to stop ball carriers. He doesn't plan to play any differently than he did before he was hurt.

"For what? If I approach it differently, I may as well walk away from it. I only know how to play this game one way, that's hard and fast and tough," he said. "That's it. That's how I expect to play. If I can't do that, it's time for me to retire. And I don't think it's time for me to retire right now.

"If I work hard," he said, "if that's not good enough, it's time for me to call it quits. Until that day happens, you're going to keep seeing my pretty face."


(fosters.com)

One reason offensive lineman Orlando Franklin was asked to play left guard: He has all of the necessary attributes.

He is 6-foot-7 large and 320 pounds strong. He has athletic flexibility and worldly adaptability, having lived in Jamaica, Toronto and Miami before settling in Denver.

He even has experience at the position going back to his college days at the University of Miami.

About all Franklin didn't have when he was first approached about shifting from right tackle to left guard was the proper attitude.

"Initially, you get down on yourself when you hear you're moving from your position," Franklin said last week after the Broncos had concluded their offseason workout program. "I'm not a 'me' guy, but it didn't seem like initially it was a good situation for me.

"It had nothing to do with the team. I got mad at the world. I read an article and saw what fans were saying, that I had a horrible game in that final game. I took it the wrong way. When people started getting on me about it, I didn't take it constructively. I didn't listen to what my coaches were saying about it. I was listening to all the outside noise."

For quarterback Peyton Manning, the 12 combined organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamp sessions were another attempt to perfect his precision passing.

New receiver Emmanuel Sanders had to learn a new playbook. Nate Irving had to prove he could start at middle linebacker. Running backs Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman had to earn Manning's trust as blitz protectors.

DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward got acclimated to a new team and a new town while renewing lofty expectations.

Von Miller, Chris Harris and Kevin Vickerson rehabbed injuries.

Only Franklin, among Broncos players, was asked to learn a new position.

"I'm definitely not a finished product, but I'm more comfortable today than what I was nine weeks ago at the position," Franklin said. "It's like learning all over again. Offensive tackle is a little different. They've got a lot more moves and there's a lot more space. Being inside, yeah, they're a lot bigger in there, but it's like fighting in a phone booth."

The Broncos won the AFC championship last season but got drilled in the Super Bowl. The purpose of their offseason practices was to prepare for taking that final step.


(denverpost.com)

With the Jimmy Graham grievance hearing completed and the outcome now in the hands of an arbitrator, some league insiders believe that the NFL wants to see the player and the team take a page from Terrell Suggs and the Ravens, circa 2008.

Six years ago, Ravens G.M. Ozzie Newsome and agent Gary Wichard (who died in 2011) resolved among themselves the question of whether Suggs is a linebacker or a defensive end for purposes of the franchise tag.  While the Saints have done a very effective job of creating the impression that they have nothing to do with the position that Graham’s position for franchise-tag purposes should be tight end not receiver, the reality is that the Saints have plenty to gain — and plenty to lose — based on the outcome.  With $5.3 million in cash and cap space hinging on the question of whether Graham is a tight end or a receiver for tag purposes, the Saints undoubtedly want the number to be lower.  Especially since the $12.3 million receiver tag would lay the foundation for a far pricier long-term deal.

With Suggs, the two sides worked out a one-year franchise tender and then struck a long-term deal in 2009.  With Graham, the best outcome for everyone would be a long-term deal forged during this period of uncertainty regarding the outcome of the grievance.

Of course, that would require the Saints to deviate from their apparent preference to work out a new deal on the latest possible date.  In this case, the deadline for a long-term deal arrives on July 15.

The Saints pushed it to the limit two years ago with Drew Brees, losing along the way a grievance that seemed far more winnable than the current one.  Brees argued that, if the Saints (who applied the franchise tag in 2012) were to tag him again in 2013, he’d be entitled not to a 20-percent raise but a whopping 44-percent raise, since it would be the third time in his career that Brees drew the franchise tag.  (The Chargers tagged him in 2005.)  The argument seemed weak and flimsy and unsupported by the plain language of the labor deal.  And yet Brees still won.

Maybe the Saints should consider that precedent now.  While the team has arguments about which it feels very strongly, losing the Graham grievance would be far less surprising than losing the Brees grievance.  If they do, it will cost $12.3 million to keep Graham for 2014, $14.76 million for 2015, and $21.25 million for 2016.

That’s $48.31 million over three years on a year-to-year approach, if Graham chooses to take the Walter Jones approach and assume the injury risk for as long as the Saints are willing to continue using the tag.

If the Saints don’t want to pay a guy they regard as a tight end $14.76 million in 2015 or $21.25 million in 2016, then he’ll hit the open market and go to the highest bidder.

For all those reasons and plenty of others (including the sending of a message to young players that they’ll be rewarded for their efforts without a protracted fight and/or protracted delays), the Saints would be wise to find a way to work this out.

If Graham wins his grievance, they’ll wish they had.


(profootballtalk.com)

NEWS UPDATE
Wayne has been running routes at the team's facility and his most recent checkup with doctors didn't show any fluid in his surgically-repaired knee, which Wayne says are signs he's ready to return from a torn ACL. "There's no reason why I shouldn’t be ready [for training camp] in July,” he told ESPN.

ROTOWIRE FANTASY ANALYSIS
Wayne was cleared for football activities in late April, but hasn't practice with the team this spring as he'll play it safe until training camp. We'll get a better read on his health in training camp and see how he'll fit into the mix with fellow wideouts Hakeem Nicks and T.Y. Hilton.


(rotowire.com)

Shane Larkin is hopeful that the Mavericks use more two point guard lineups next season.

"[The Spurs] had Patty Mills and Tony Parker out there at the same time," Larkin said. "They were out there causing havoc. Patty was picking up full court, being a little pest and getting under everybody’s skin, hitting big shots." If he wants to become anything close to Mills, Larkin will have to improve his 31.6 percent from downtown from his rookie season. He didn't get to play in summer league last year due to a broken ankle, but will try again this year.


(rotoworld.com)

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said that Ryan Braun suffered a minor ankle injury on Sunday and could be forced to miss Monday's game.

The ankle injury is the reason that Braun was pulled early from Sunday's contest against the Rockies. It doesn't look as though it's serious enough to necessitate a trip to the disabled list, so expect him to return to the lineup at some point early in the week.


(rotoworld.com)

One of the hottest names in minor league baseball this season is Peter O'Brien, as the New York Yankees top prospect continues to make the kinds of waves that could get him traded this summer.

O'Brien has become well known for his power with 23 long balls this season and each one is hit longer than the next. His original position was supposed to be catcher, but the Yanks have moved him around the field because he isn't thought of as good defensively behind the plate.

In 2014 alone, O'Brien has seen time at catcher, first base and right field, and he's even played third base after doing so in Single-A in 2013.

While being a catcher doesn't seem to be in the cards for O'Brien, there may be another reason for moving him around on the diamond.

John Harper of the New York Daily News believes the Yanks are showcasing O'Brien's abilities to play other positions because scouts around the league don't have faith that O'Brien will be an adequate catcher:

They also have something of a wild card in Double-A slugger Peter O’Brien, whose 23 home runs this season have created a buzz. However, while scouts have been wowed by his tape-measure power, they don’t think he’s agile enough to handle catching in the big leagues, so the Yankees have tried him at other positions, most recently first base, in part to showcase him.

Moving O'Brien around gives him some versatility and adds to his value in a deal. Teams that were otherwise jammed at the catcher position in their respective farm system may be more inclined to take a chance on O'Brien if he can play multiple positions.

The downside of O'Brien is that he doesn't hit for a very high average.

Sure, he's decimating minor league pitching with all of his homers, but the 23-year-old is only sporting a .266 combined average and a .224-mark after being promoted to Double-A Trenton. Before moving up, O'Brien slugged his way to a .321 average in Single-A.

O'Brien is an impressive young player, although he isn't impressive enough to land a big deal for the Yanks alone. O'Brien could be one of multiple prospects to be involved in a trade depending on how big the return is for the Yanks—like an impact starting pitcher.

While the Yanks need power in their lineup this season, O'Brien isn't someone who can help the team right now since, as Harper points out in his piece, scouts don't believe he's anywhere near ready for MLB pitching.

So, if you can't help the Yankees now, chances are you will be traded. As quickly as O'Brien's star rose in the Yanks' minor-league system, it could be gone just as fast.


(sportsmedia101.com)

SAN DIEGO - First baseman Yonder Alonso spoke to the media for the first time Friday after being placed on the disabled list with right hand tendinitis.

After playing in every game since April 30, he had missed the team's games against Seattle on Tuesday and Wednesday before the move was made official Thursday.

"It's something I've been dealing with for a while," Alonso said. "I really can't tell you [how much], but it's been affecting me and I kept playing with it."

On Friday, he was wearing a small protective cast on his hand, which he also injured last year. He estimated he likely wouldn't resume hitting in the cage for at least a week.

"Just for right now, just to calm down I want to rest it as much as possible so I can come back strong," Alonso said.

Alonso is hitting .210 with five home runs, 15 doubles and 22 RBIs in 229 at-bats this season. While he's out, newly called up Jake Goebbert and Tommy Medica are expected to split time at first base.

San Diego manager Bud Black said the lefty-hitting Goebbert will make his big league starting debut on Saturday or Sunday against the Dodgers.


(mlb.com)

NEWS UPDATE
Valencia (hand) was activated from the disabled list.

ROTOWIRE FANTASY ANALYSIS
After completing his rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha, Valencia will slot back into a platoon at third base with incumbent starter Mike Moustakas, with manager Ned Yost declaring Valencia would get most of the starts against left-handed pitching, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports. Though Moustakas offers the better power potential of the two players, he's been mired in a slump against pitchers of all kinds for much of the last two seasons and has shown little sign of a breakthrough. Should Moustakas' struggles continue to linger, it wouldn't be surprising if Valencia ultimately assumed full-time duties at the position.


(rotowire.com)

If there is music thumping and sometimes spraying Iggy Azalea’s latest in the Cardinals’ clubhouse, it’s Jon Jay’s speakers at work. He is the self-appointed and uncontested clubhouse DJ. He popularized the term “Memphis Mafia” for his generation of Cardinals and even had T-shirts made. The nascent tradition that is High Socks Sundays, where players tug their pant cuffs up their calves to show the ringtails of their stirrups — he started it and coined the hashtag, “#highsocksunday”. He had T-shirts made for that, too.

He bats second and sometimes seventh. He plays center and sometimes right. He is the Cardinals’ player rep to the union, their shoe fashionista, an unofficial ambassador for Miami, and Friday he teased his hair as he waited to stand in the background of a music video being shot at Busch Stadium by Yadier Molina’s record label. Jon Jay has many roles for the Cardinals and his career shows that midway through the season he annually claims one more.
Starter.

“It’s unfortunate that he’s had to prove himself every single year except for maybe last year (2013),” said infielder Daniel Descalso, a close friend and member of the “Mafia.” “It seems like people always want to write him off. He always shows up. He’s the same guy. He puts up the numbers, goes out there, and does a lot of the things that help us win. That’s despite what people may say or think.”

More than what they said or thought, it’s what the Cardinals did this past winter that put Jay, the team’s incumbent center fielder, in a familiar position — challenged. The Cardinals traded David Freese and Fernando Salas for outfielders Peter Bourjos and Randal Grichuk. Bourjos, a gifted defender, was a candidate for Jay’s position and Grichuk, a power prospect, was going to man center in Class AAA. With one trade, Jay lost a member of the “Mafia,” saw the true cost of a rising salary, and became bracketed by the potential present and future of his position.

How he has responded so far this season is familiar. For the third time in his career he’s emerged from a duel with a starter’s playing time. He took a .305 average into this weekend and had started 20 of the Cardinals’ previous 26 games.

“For me, it’s nothing personal,” Jay said, “It’s just a reason to work.”

“What we’ve seen around here is better than what he gets credit for,” manager Mike Matheny said. “As an organization we always want to figure out how we can get better and how we can complement what we have and the opportunity was there to bring in an exciting player like Peter. But I think everybody was running in the direction that we’ve turned the page (on Jay). I didn’t think that was fair.”

Jay, 29, started 21 of the team’s first 41 games before a surge that put him back, regularly, in the lineup. Entering Friday’s game against Philadelphia, Jay had hit .342 (25-for-73) over his previous 23 games. He turned production in those games into a recent run as the team’s No. 2 hitter, where Jay had a single and was hit by a pitch Friday.

He has wrested starts away from Bourjos and ascended to a primo spot in the order.

“The answer is yes it’s been beneficial — in two ways,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “One, for his own personal career, and he’s showing he’s a productive player. But, two, through this whole team concept we have is about getting opportunities. He is in the first third of the lineup and he’s been able to produce in a demanding time. He’s obviously had a good few weeks. I hope we continue to have production out of center field.”

The few good weeks hint at a contour that Jay has followed before. From 2010 to 2013, Jay started 54.0 percent of the Cardinals’ first-half games. During those same four seasons, he started 82.1 percent of the club’s second-half games. In 2010, his play made it possible to trade Ryan Ludwick for pitcher Jake Westbrook. In 2011, it was Jay who had pushed for playing time in center before the Cardinals sent Colby Rasmus to Toronto in the deal that defined a World Series championship team.

In 2012, Jay was a regular but won the open leadoff job in September and hit .310 with a .370 on-base percentage.

“I think that’s all coincidence,” Jay said.

A former teammate said “too often the media is quick to dismiss the importance of a player like Jay and what it means to be on winning teams.” Jay has been a constant for this current run of contending clubs. His 160 at-bats in the postseason are the fourth-most for the Cardinals since 2011’s run, and he’s one of two players remaining on the club who have played in all of the team’s playoff games since 2011. Molina is the other.

Yet, the Cardinals looked to replace Jay.

“This is probably the most frustrating spring of Jon’s career just from the fact that it looked like he was being painted into a corner,” Matheny said. “As much as we were trying to tell him differently, the opportunities were saying a different story.”

He entered last season as the unquestioned starter and struggled, reworking his swing on the job and slogging through the slump that caused. He revived at the plate in the second half with a .311 average and finished with 67 RBIs.

His defense lagged — a career-low minus-8 Runs Saved, per Baseball Info Solutions — and as the Cardinals sought an upgrade that play gave them an opening.

“I felt that last year was the year that is going to help me for the rest of my career,” Jay said. “Dealing with stuff. Learning a lot. I had to figure out a way to deal last year with not playing the way you’re capable of playing. That was frustrating.”

The shorter, simplified swing that emerged from that frustration is an asset. It’s something he can repeat, even with sporadic playing time in this season’s first month. He said this winter he had “a better plan” during his cage work. He would work smarter, not longer in the cage. The winter held another lesson for him as well. With the trade of Freese, Jay could see a friend leaving the clubhouse and, if he wanted to look for trends, his potential future.

A year ago, Freese sat in the Cardinals’ clubhouse and assessed his situation. Playing toward a second shot at arbitration and a raise, Freese said he could see Matt Carpenter inheriting his job, as Carpenter said, and “understood with our farm system there are a lot of options out there.” Jay is surrounded by them.
Bourjos. Grichuk.

Oscar Taveras has played center. James Ramsey is blossoming.

Jay received a one-year, $3.25-million contract for this season to avoid an arbitration hearing. He’ll be due another significant raise after this season and could price his way out of the Cardinals’ model, especially if, yet again, they seek a challenger for center. The same vice of progress pinched Skip Schumaker and Freese before him. Jay remains the player rep because the business of the game fascinates him, but it also gives him an understanding of its reality.

“It happens on every team,” Jay said. “Things come out of nowhere that you don’t expect. ... The lesson is you have to prove yourself everyday.”Right now, the clubhouse has given him control of the iPod and his production has him taking control of a role.

He does get a say in how long his music keeps playing.

“The bottom line is when you build a team it’s 25 guys and everybody is going to contribute and everybody is going to have to pitch in,” Jay said. “I’ve said this every year: In October, if we’re in the playoffs, it means I had a pretty good season. I contributed. I have the same goal this season. If when we look up in October and we’re in the postseason that means everybody in this clubhouse did their part, everybody on the roster did their part. We did what we’re supposed to do.”


(stltoday.com)