Dein erstes Forum » ullback Mark Bloom flew back

MINNEAPOLIS - For more than two decades, Paul Molitor scratched and clawed his way to the Hall of Fame by turning every at-bat into a battle of wills.His competitiveness and instincts were rare traits that helped him speed through the minor leagues in just one year, pile up more than 3,300 hits and remain productive well after his 40th birthday.Now that he has taken over as manager of his hometown Minnesota Twins, one of Molitors big challenges will be finding a way to convey the characteristics that made him one of the games greatest hitters on to a new generation of players, the majority of whom will never approach his accomplished career.Thats something that we hear about, managers who were so-called successful players, that they dont have the patience to put up with players that cant seem to get it, Molitor said on Tuesday during his introductory press conference. They cant do what I did or they cant do it this way. After (16) years, Ive got a much better perspective and feel for that. I know, still, that the games hard.Molitor has been retired since 1998 and has spent the time since grinding away as a roving instructor in the Twins minor league system, one year as a hitting coach with the Seattle Mariners and last year as an assistant on Ron Gardenhires staff with the Twins.He is the 63rd Hall of Fame player to become a manager, according to STATS. Thirty-four of those finished their managing careers with losing records, including Ed Walsh and Honus Wagner, who managed a combined eight games.The decision to fill a managerial position with a Hall of Fame player is becoming increasingly rare. Molitor is just the fourth Hall of Famer in the last 25 years to get a managing job, joining Tony Perez (.468 career winning percentage), Frank Robinson (.475) and Ryne Sandberg (.456).I will never forget that the game is very, very difficult, Molitor said. And I dont expect players to do things exactly the way I did. Our coaches wont do the same. Were going to try to get these guys to improve. For me, frustration because guys dont get it? Tell them again. Help them again. Support them again. Encourage them again. Stay after it.He takes over for Gardenhire, a beloved figure in Twins lore who was fired after the fourth straight season of at least 92 losses.I watched him all year on the top step of the dugout, Twins owner Jim Pohlad said. I saw Paul the whole year and really just actively involved and just tense to the game, so that was really a positive to me. When we decided to make a change, Pauls name was definitely on the list and arguably at the forefront of the list.All-Star closer Glen Perkins has known Molitor for years and sees a difference in him compared to other Hall of Famers.He never was the biggest, the fastest, the strongest, any of those things, Perkins said. He got by and did a lot of little things. Those are things that make a good manager.Thats what you hear: utility players, catchers, those are the guys that make good managers because they had to do a lot of the little things just to stay there. Well he did all those little things to be a Hall of Famer.Molitor was up for consideration for this job the last time the Twins were hiring, but he pulled his name from consideration in 2001 in part because Major League Baseball was contemplating contracting two franchises. Those efforts failed and Gardenhire led the team to six division titles in his first nine seasons of a 13-year career.Now the Twins are looking for a similar revival, and Molitor made it clear that he doesnt plan on being a part of a long-term rebuilding project.Im coming here to win, Molitor said. I think that its very important to lay that out there right from the start. Things can change very dramatically at this level very quickly.Molitor has never been a manager at any level, and he goes into this job knowing that the instincts and knowledge that made him such a great player will only take him — and the Twins — so far.I know what I know, and I think a lot of it is really good things, Molitor said. But you have to know where you need help. I think assembling a staff is going to be important thats able to fill some of those gaps for me, at least in the interim as we go forward, will be very, very critical. Its something that we plan to get started on.___Follow Jon Krawczynski on Twitter: http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski Michy Batshuayi Jersey . The 30-year-old Texas native was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 2001 amateur draft. Duke spent six years in Pittsburgh and also had stints with Arizona, Washington and Cincinnati. Custom Belgium Jerseys . He still wanted out. "It just seemed like the direction they were going didnt fit what I thought my career was going to be," Kesler said. "At the end of the day I want to win a championship and I want to win it now, and four years is a little too long for me. http://www.soccerbelgiumfansshop.com/Nacer-Chadli-UEFA-European-Belgium-Jersey/ . An offseason trade acquisition from Kansas City, Greinkes National League debut was delayed by a non-baseball injury in the spring, and he was 0-1 after dropping an 8-0 decision at Atlanta in his initial appearance with the Brewers on May 4. Mousa Dembele Belgium Jersey . -- Kansas City Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar will have Tommy John surgery that will sideline the pitcher for the season. Thomas Meunier Belgium Jersey . Toronto dropped a 7-2 decision to the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon, with only a pair of late runs preventing a second straight shutout loss. Josh Willingham belted a two-run homer in the first inning and Kendrys Morales hit a bases-clearing double in the seventh as the Twins took the rubber game of the three-game series. TORONTO -- Signs of a rift between Toronto FC manager Ryan Nelsen and GM Tim Bezbatchenko emerged Saturday, further complicating the landscape for an MLS team that is already losing its champion with the planned departure of MLSE CEO Tim Leiweke. In a moment of rare theatre at the post-game news conference, Nelsen tore a strip off Bezbatchenko in the wake of a lopsided 3-0 loss to the New England Revolution. The dressing down came when Nelsen was asked if Bezbatchenkos public challenge to his team on the eve of the game "to take it up a notch" had helped matters. "Not at all," said Nelsen. "Absolutely not." Nelsen then went on to accuse Bezbatchenko of effectively sabotaging his own team by unnecessarily raising the stakes before a match that was not crucial, given there were 10 more remaining after it. "Ive won this league, played in it for four years, been in the (English) Premier League for 10 years, played in a World Cup, Olympics. Ive played in some pretty hot pressure games," said Nelsen, a former New Zealand international defender. "One thing that I do know is this was not one of them." "It affected the guys," he said of Bezbatchenkos words. "What we do at Toronto FC is we keep it in-house -- everything we do, we keep inside the four walls. And the players, coaching staff, everything, stays within the four walls." Bezbatchenko, a 32-year-old rookie GM hired out of the league office by Leiweke last September, summoned local beat reporters Friday with a clear message. The revamped MLS team has had time to gel, he said. Now it has to fire on all cylinders. "I think everyone would agree -- the coaches, the players -- that over the last 12 or so games, it hasnt been good enough, at least for making a run in MLS," Bezbatchenko said. He also said his message to the fans and the club was: "The time is now ... Its we mean business now." Nelsen, who was unaware of Bezbatchenkos planned comments, said they had left his players "very very lets just say aggravated." Toronto (9-9-6) gave up a goal within two minutes and was serenaded by boos from the crowd of 22,591 en route to the dressing room down 2-0 at halftime. "I think we kind of felt a wee bit sorry for ourselves. Players mentally werent right from the start," said Nelsen, in another apparent shot at his GM. "And in a way I cant blame them," he added. The 36-year-old Nelsen, in his second year at the Toronto FC helm, said pressure is a constant for all Toronto teams. So why add to it? "Players are affected. Thats why we want to keep everything in-house," he said in another broadside at Bezbatchenko. Nelsen also pointed the finger at himself, saying his team has to be better than it was on the day and that any criticism should be levelled at him. But he clearly saw Bezbatchenkos comments Friday as meddlesome and needlessly ratcheting up the pressure "Were used to getting it from the outside," he added. "Thats why it should never come from inside. Never." Bezbatchenkos pre-game message did not spark much reaction from a largely empty and hushed Toronto dressing room. Midfielder Michael Bradley, serving a captain in Caldwells absence, essentially said it was not up to players to get involved. Next up is an away-and-home series with the Philadelphia Union, another Eastern Conference team chasing the playoffs. Going into Saturdays game, Toronto was 3-4-4 since the start of July, meaning it has dropped 20 of a possible 33 points over that stretch. But the team was also 2-1-1 in August, standing third in the Eastern Conference and had been dealing with a rash of injuries -- especially on the backline. And a win Saturday would have matched Toronttos franchise high for season wins (10) with 10 games to go.dddddddddddd Nelsen said players and coaches are "more than confident in what were going to do. Weve got 10 more games ... Its in our hands. "Well stick with the players. Weve always got their backs." He made no mention of the front office. Toronto was without star striker Jermain Defoe (groin), midfielder-defender Warren Creavalle (hamstring) and defenders Steven Caldwell (quad) and Justin Morrow (hamstring). Fullback Mark Bloom flew back to town Friday after attending the birth of his daughter. New England Revolution punished that makeshift defence Saturday, snapping a five-game losing streak on the road with a lopsided 3-0 win. Lee Nguyen and Kelyn Rowe scored in the first half for New England, both profiting from sloppy Toronto turnovers. Teal Bunbury, son of former Canadian international Alex Bunbury, added to the home supporters pain in the second. Newly signed designated player Jermaine Jones came off the bench in the 65th minute for New England. The U.S. international slotted into central midfield, easing himself into MLS with his team comfortably ahead. "Jermaine has been really good all week and for us it is all about fitness," said New England coach Jay Heaps. "Jermaine has been excellent with our group and we wanted to get him in there and fit him in like a training session." The home side did all but mark a path with orange cones to keeper Joe Bendik on both first-half goals, giving the ball away and putting up minimal resistance. Injuries to key players did not help the Toronto cause but still it was one of TFCs worst showings of the season. In contrast to Toronto, which was booed off the field after the final whistle, New England looked composed and well-organized. The Revolution had not won away from home since a May 17 victory in Philadelphia. But Toronto has been good to them of late. They are unbeaten in their last five visits (2-0-3) to BMO Field. Toronto, meanwhile, has not won at home since July 12 -- an 0-2-2 stretch. The result allowed New England (10-12-3) to pull into a tie with Toronto albeit with a better goal differential. New England, which defeated Chivas USA 1-0 last time out, has gone 3-1-1 since snapping an eight-game losing streak. The patchwork backline of Bloom, Bradley Orr, Doneil Henry and Nick Hagglund was breached less than 90 seconds in as Nguyen pounced on a bad pass from Bloom that Michael Bradley was unable to corral in midfield. Nguyen drove unimpeded towards the Toronto goal before beating Bendik with a low shot to the corner from some five yards outside the penalty box. It was the 10th goal of the season for the Revs midfielder, who tallied nine in total over the previous two seasons. New Englands quickest goal of the 2014 campaign also came one year to the day that the Revs scored in the second minute of a 2013 visit to BMO Field. "Lee has been excellent for us all year," said Heaps. "The harder he works and the more plays he breaks up, it gives him the freedom to attack. When he (Nguyen) is at his best he is receiving the ball off of turnovers in between their defence and midfield." For a Toronto team that gave up a goal in stoppage time to the visiting Chicago Fire last time out (a 2-2 tie), the goal was the worst possible start. And things went from bad to worse. Rowe made it 2-0 in the 21st minute after vacuuming up an errant pass by Orr and easily sidestepping an attempted Bradley tackle. The goal was virtually a replay of the first, albeit from further out, with Rowe hammering a shot into the corner past Bendik. Bunbury upped the lead to 3-0 in the 58th minute as Revolution players queued up for a tap-in on the right side as the defence folded once again. Stitched College Jerseys Cheap UCLA Jerseys NCAA Louisville Cardinals Jerseys North Carolina Jerseys Stitched Kentucky Wildcats Jerseys Stitched Alabama Crimson Tide Jerseys Cheap Basketball Wisconsin Badgers Jerseys Authentic NCAA Jerseys Store Wholesale Basketball NCAA Jerseys Cheap Duke Gear Stitched Alabama Jerseys Stitched Georgia Jerseys Cheap Clemson Jerseys Authentic Authentic Texas Jerseys Wholesale USC Jerseys Stitched Oklahoma Jerseys Stitched Ohio State Jerseys Cheap Notre Dame Gear UCLA Jerseys From China Cheap Louisville Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap North Carolina Jerseys Authentic Cheap Kentucky Jerseys Authentic Wisconsin Jerseys From China Cheap Michigan Gear Cheap Florida Gear Wholesale Arizona State Jerseys Cheap LSU Gear Cheap Auburn Gear Cheap California Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Miami Jerseys Authentic Cheap Michigan State Gear Cheap Tennessee Jerseys Authentic Texas A&M Jerseys From China Authentic Wake Forest Jerseys West Virginia Jerseys From China ' ' '