that beat the defending-champion Spurs in seven games from corse178's blog
CHICAGO -- Playing left in Wrigley Field isnt easy under normal circumstances. Erik Karlsson Jersey .Carlos Santana is about to find out what its like -- in Game 3 of the World Series with the wind blowing out to Waveland Avenue, millions watching on TV and well-oiled Cubs fans breathing down his neck.Go get `em, kid.Unable to use Santana as his designated hitter with the World Series switching to the fabled National League ballpark for the next three games, Indians manager Terry Francona is planning to move his DH into left field on Friday night.Its risky, but Francona feels its the right choice for his club. Santana has only played four innings in left during his career, and that was in 2012 during a 14-1 loss.I have anxiety about it, Francona said as he sat on the brick wall near Clevelands dugout Thursday night. I dont know how else to say it, and if he messes a ball up, Ill take responsibility because I dont think its fair to put it on him. But you try to figure out, `OK, whats our best way to win? If we dont play him out there, thats the best way to have nobody second guessing me.Santana took some fly balls during Clevelands workout with bench coach Brad Mills standing nearby and offering him tips on tracking balls into the gap and chasing grounders into the corner, where hell have to deal with the iconic ivy thats fading fast with winter approaching.Francona said there was only one thing that would stop him from making the switch.If he just cant do it. If he looks at me and says, `I dont want to do this or something like that, he said.The Indians could play Coco Crisp or Brandon Guyer in left, but they dont hit like Santana. He hit 34 homers and drove in 87 runs during the regular season, and although hes hitless in six at-bats in the Series and batting just .179 in the postseason, Francona is confident the switch-hitter will warm up.Hes a really good hitter, Francona said, adding he has spoken to Game 3 starter Josh Tomlin about playing Santana in left. You cant run away from your guys at this time of year. If guys go oh-for the first two games, and you sit them, theyll never do well.A former catcher, Santana has also played first and third and the Indians are certain he has the athleticism to handle left. But theres no way of knowing how hell do until they put him out there.Hes quick enough, Mills said. And he can move enough. Weve talked to him about seeing balls off the bat. We might have to play him maybe a little deeper or something along those lines, just to have him come in so reading the ball, he has more time to read the ball that way. Those things. When you havent been out there, keeping that focus on there a lot of times is tough, but at least hes got the wall behind him.Wearing a stocking cap as he sat in the warmth of the Indians dugout on a chilly evening, Santana said hes ready for his new assignment.Ill be fine, he said. Tito, he told me dont put on any pressure, play your game, play hard, stay focused and concentrate, and thats it.The Indians dont have many other options, and first baseman Mike Napoli quickly removed himself from consideration despite playing 11 games in the outfield for Texas.It was a circus last year with me out there, he said, so I wouldnt go out there in this situation. Chris Neil Jersey . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. Craig Anderson Jersey .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. http://www.hockeysenatorsonline.us/dion-phaneuf-hockey-jersey/ . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12. LOS ANGELES -- Blake Griffin is apologizing to?Los Angeles Clippers?fans for punching the teams assistant equipment manager last season, an incident he says was 100 percent my fault.He was suspended four games and docked nearly $860,000 in pay for the altercation in January at a Toronto restaurant. Griffin broke his right hand and Matias Testis face was severely swollen. Testi no longer works for team, having left in late July with no reason given by the Clippers, who open training camp Tuesday in Irvine.Griffin says not a day goes by that he doesnt think about the incident and says he feels like he let down longtime Clippers fans. The 27-year-old forward expressed his thoughts in a letter posted Friday on The Players Tribune website, where he is listed as a senior editor.I dont want to dwell on it, but I think I owe it to Clippers fans to say it once again before the season begins: Im sorry, he wrote.Griffin was limited to 35 games last season because of a left quadriceps injury. He averaged 21.4 points and 8.4 rebounds. The Clippers lost to Portland in six games in the first round of the playoffs.We all know the narrative going into this season, he wrote. Everyones like, `Oh, they lose in the playoffs every year. Same old Cllippers. Chris Kelly Jersey. All I have to say to that is this: Were the same core group that beat the defending-champion Spurs in seven games just 17 months ago. I know 17 months seems like forever, especially in NBA time, but we know how small the margins are between winning and losing, and how quickly the narratives around teams can change.Griffin said missing most of last season was a wake-up call for me.When I was hurt and basically sitting around going stir-crazy, it made me realize that basketball was like therapy for me, he wrote. No matter what was going on in the real world, if I could just get to the gym, everything else disappeared.Griffin said a few days after the altercation he received a call from his older brother Taylor, who said, Man, what are you doing? This is not you. What are you doing this for?I was crushed, Griffin said. To hear that from him, somebody Ive looked up to my whole life, who always tells me what I need to hear, thats when I had a pretty big realization about who I am, and who I want to be. I dont want to say what that realization was. I just want to go out and show you. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
The Wall