JUPITER, Fla. Kevin Seitzer Jersey . -- After spending years trying to find a quality shortstop, the St. Louis Cardinals now appear to have an excess. The Cardinals introduced their newest acquisition, Cuban shortstop Aledmys Diaz, on Monday. Within the organization, some have compared him to a young Derek Jeter. "He walks like him you can see some of that there," St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said. Diaz liked to heard that. "He thinks Derek Jeter is definitely the model ballplayer that everyone should look up to, that he looked up to in the opportunities that he had in Cuba to watch baseball games," said translator Moise Rodriguez, a team employee. "Hes a world-renowned baseball player that comes across as somebody thats a leader and somebody that everybody should try to be like." The Cardinals signed Diaz to a four-year deal over the weekend only months after signing current shortstop Jhonny Peralta, a two-time All-Star, to a free agent contract of the same length. Having Peralta will allow the Cardinals to take their time with the 23-year-old Diaz, who will begin this season in the minor leagues and likely be given a chance to learn multiple infield positions. "We plan on being patient with him," Mozeliak said. "He hasnt played baseball in, really, over a year and a half competitively. Its not something where were looking to have him put his fingerprints on the major league team tomorrow. We can give him time to develop and let him, from a talent standpoint, take his time to get back to where he was." Diaz defected from Cuba to Mexico in 2012. The Cardinals scouted Diaz in Mexico and worked him out earlier this spring at the Roger Dean Stadium complex. "I thought he did a lot of things well," said St. Louis manager Mike Matheny, who attended the Jupiter workout. "You are just looking at tools at that point. You can see that hes had some repetitions out there. He knows what hes doing. Swinging the bat, the ball jumped off. Just a guy that you could tell hes been around the game a while." Diaz hit .315 with 12 home runs in 270 at-bats during the 2011-12 season in Cuba. Mozeliak expects Diaz to continue to hit for average with gap power as a major leaguer. "Were very confident that he can be an offensive middle infielder, specifically a shortstop," Mozeliak said. Diaz went through practice with his new team before Mondays game against Detroit, but it will be some time before he appears in a major league spring training exhibition. Later this week, he will return to Mexico to finalize his work visa. Until that issue is cleared, Diaz can work out with the big league club but can only play in games on the back fields. "Its always been his dream to try and compete at the highest level in the world," Rodriguez said. "Obviously this represents that. Yeah, there are some challenges and difficulties. But for him, being able to come here and try to compete with the best in the world in the industry is something that hes always looked forward to doing." Stitched Royals Jerseys . A question that was repeatedly posed last season, and the season before that and in the 2011 campaign before that. Kansas City Royals Store . With the results, North America claimed 2.5 of the three available points, opening up a 17.5-12.5 lead in the overall standings. A total of 60 points are available, meaning the first team to 30.5 points will win the Continental Cup.It is the one major trophy missing from his collection, but is Novak Djokovic further away from winning the French Open this year than he was in 2015? James Walker-Roberts looks at his preparation and rivals... Even before beating Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals in Paris last year, Djokovic was the favourite. After seeing off the Spaniard in straight sets, even his semi-final opponent Andy Murray conceded this was the Serbs best chance to win the tournament. Murray provided a stern test, taking Djokovic to five sets before he won his 28th match in a row.But then came the Stan Wawrinka whirlwind. In just over three hours, Wawrinka hit almost 60 winners to stun Djokovic and win his second Grand Slam title. Djokovic could barely hold back the tears in his post-match speech, but there would always be next year, wouldnt there? Certainly at the start of 2016, before the European clay season started, he was the overwhelming favourite for the French Open. But his preparations have not exactly gone according to plan. Watch highlights from the Rome Masters final as Murray beat Djokovic While he did win impressively in Madrid, that was after suffering a shock defeat to Jiri Vesely in his first match in Monaco. Then, most recently, came the Rome Masters.After being bageled in a three-set win over Thomaz Bellucci, the Serb beat Nadal in a high-quality contest before battling past Kei Nishikori in the semi-finals. During that match, Djokovic was warned by the umpire for hitting a ball close to a ball boy in frustration, and there were more signs of annoyance in the final.Djokovic complained to the umpire for not stopping play due to rain and also got a warning for bouncing his racket into the crowd during the surprisingly one-sided 6-3 6-3 defeat to Murray.The chair umpire was on fire today. He really wanted to show his authority to me. So congratulations to him, said the world No 1 afterwards. Djokovic was frustrated during his Rome Masters defeat to Murray Was the pressure of the upcoming French Open playing on Djokovics mind? While he did have a tough schedule in Rome - not finishing his semi-final on Satturday until after 11pm - there were signs that he was short on patience, even though he played it down after the final. Dennis Leonard Jersey. I dont feel that Im doubtful or Im shaken up by this loss, he said. Of course, you dont like to lose, but youve got to congratulate the better player that played well today, Andy, and he deserved to win. I move on to Paris knowing that Im going to approach it hopefully healthy and refreshed and then giving it my all, as always. A three-time beaten finalist in Paris (2012, 2014 and 2015), Djokovic will start as the strong favourite again despite his defeats in Monaco and Rome. But he is not without challengers. Murray won the Rome Masters after beating Djokovic in the final Murray in particular looks better placed than ever to compete for the title. Having reached the semi-finals in Monaco and final in Madrid, Murrays victory in Rome not only gave him a timely confidence boost but also saw him reclaim the world No 2 spot, meaning he could not meet Djokovic until the final in Paris.Im going to Roland Garros with a lot of confidence and really good preparation. I feel like Im on the right track. So hopefully I can have a good run there, he said after winning the Rome Masters.Murray has enjoyed success on clay in the past, and pushed Djokovic close in five sets in Paris last year, but says he has a new-found belief on the surface.I had always been told that clay should really be my best surface, but it took me a long time to gain a little bit of confidence, he said. But also I did make huge improvements in my movement on the surface, as well. Nadal has shown signs of improvement recently That has changed my mentality when I go on the court a lot. I dont feel like Im off-balance anymore and I feel like I can chase most balls down. Its an easy surface for me to move on now.One man who has never had any trouble moving on clay is Nadal. After a spell of battling to find his best form, the nine-time French Open champion has shown signs of improvement over the last month, winning in Monaco and then going toe-to-toe with Djokovic in Rome.Given he will be seeded fifth in Paris - and has lost the last 15 sets against Djokovic - he will be hoping to avoid the world No 1 until the final weekend.Whatever the draw, though, the pressure will be on Djokovic again. Is this his year? Or will the wait go on?Check our game-by-game updates of the French Open final on skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad and our Twitter account @skysportstennis.By purchasing a Sky Sports Day Pass for £6.99 or Sky Sports Week Pass for £10.99, you can enjoy access to all seven Sky Sports channels and watch on a TV with a NOW TV Box or on a range of devices. Also See: French Open classics Nadals La Decima Murrays French Open odds ' ' '
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9 déc. 2019
ST. Hoyt Wilhelm Jersey . JOHNS, N.L. -- Jason Jaffray scored 52 seconds into the game, and Eddie Pasquale made 36 saves to lead the St. Johns IceCaps over the Manchester Monarchs 4-1 in American Hockey League action on Friday. "We got off to a good start and scored that early goal," IceCaps forward Adam Lowry said. "Then we got back on our heels a bit in the third period. We did a good job keeping their shots to the outside in the third." Despite being outshot 18-7 in the third period, partially due to having to kill three penalties, Pasquale kept the IceCaps in the game. Head coach Keith McCambridge was happy with the teams penalty kill. "In the third period especially, our penalty kill was tested," McCambridge said. "The foundation for all penalty kills is making sure your goaltender is the best guy (out there). I thought Eddie (Pasquale) made some huge saves for us to be able to keep momentum." One player who is making the most of his penalty kill opportunities, according to McCambridge, is Adam Lowry. "Hes really good and hes been good all season," he said. "He possesses long range and takes up a lot of ice, and he is able to read well on the forecheck. Lowry is a player that has a lot of intelligence on where to be on the ice and hes been key for us." Lowry is happy to have an expanded role with the IceCaps, which allows him to be killing penalties and learning from veterans. "Its good any time your role is increased with the team, you want to make the most of it," Lowry said. "(Patrice) Cormier and Jaffray have helped me out a lot on the penalty kill and knowing where to be." Jerome Samson scored two goals, and John Albert had one for the IceCaps (20-15-3), who won their second in a row. Nick Deslauriers replied for the Monarchs (25-11-6). Jaffray opened the scoring when he tapped in a rebound off an Andrew Gordon slapshot. Albert made it 2-0 with a short-handed goal when he cut across the net and beat Jean-Francois Berube with a backhand shot at 7:56of the second period. Samson got his first goal of the game on the power play at 11:20 of the second, to make it 3-0. The Monarchs got on the board at 14:17 of the second period when Jordan Weal tipped a pass across the crease to Deslauriers, who scored into a practically empty net. Samson added an empty netter for the IceCaps with 14 seconds left. Berube made 27 saves for Manchester. St. Johns was 1 for 4 with the man advantage, and the Monarchs were 0 for 5. Frank Robinson Jersey . -- Jonathan Vilmas season is over and his future on the football field is in doubt. Tippy Martinez Jersey . -- The Washington Redskins coaching staff distanced itself from other coaches Thursday by siding with ownership -- and not the players -- in the NFLs labour dispute.OKLAHOMA CITY - Tony Parker is dinged up again, and his status is unclear heading into the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. The San Antonio Spurs All-Star point guard did not play in the second half or overtime of the Western Conference finals-clinching win over Oklahoma City on Saturday because of a sore left ankle. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich doesnt know what shape Parker will be in for Game 1 on Thursday in San Antonio. "I have no idea," Popovich said Saturday night. "I dont know what the deal is." Popovich said Parker sprained the ankle in Game 4 and aggravated it in Game 5. Popovich considered starting Manu Ginobili at point guard in Game 6 against the Thunder because Parker was having trouble during pregame. At halftime, Popovich made the decision to hold him out. "He came to me about eight minutes on the clock (before the second half) and said he couldnt go," Popovich said. "He couldnt cut. He was limping on it. He couldnt cut sideways or forward really." Popovich said he thought playing Parker in the second half would have hurt the team in the long term. "I didnt want him to be a hero because he was 50 per cent or less, we thought," Popovich said. "Thats probably bad for the team if you think about it. It was a tough decision to try to figure out whether to play him, and if you lose the game and it affects him for Monday night, then youre going to feel like you made an unwise choice." Parker has been plagued by injuries this year. He averaged 16.7 points and 5.7 assists while shooting 50 per cent from the field during the regular season, but he missed 22 games. He strained his left hamstring in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals aagainst Portland and did not return. Anthony Santander Jersey . The Spurs won that game easily to clinch the series. Once again, his teammates bought him some rest. Had the Spurs lost Game 6, they would have faced an elimination game at home Monday against the Thunder. "We didnt know how much Tony was hurt in his ankle," forward Boris Diaw said. "But we didnt want to go to Game 7, and we didnt know if he would be ready to play if we did or if he would be 100 per cent, so we tried to get it over with tonight." Still, the Spurs have proven all season they can win without key players, posting the NBAs best record despite a series of injuries. "We have to continue to play basketball regardless of who is on the floor and our reserves did a great job - Cory (Joseph), Patty (Mills) - they stepped in and continued to run the offence and push the pace and playing good defence on their guards as well," guard Danny Green said. Joseph started the second half of Game 6 against Oklahoma City and helped engineer a 37-point third quarter. "Cory was very good," Ginobili said. "I mean, its hard to play when you dont have many opportunities to play in close games and stuff. But he did very well in Game 3 and 4 here. He always brings the juice, aggressiveness, competitiveness. He attacks the rim well. I think he made a few key plays." The Spurs said they excel without their stars because they are about a system, rather than individuals. "We have been doing what we did the whole year, which is passing the ball to each other, getting some movement, getting pace and getting into a good rhythm," Diaw said. "Always trying to set up a good shot for a teammate." ' ' '