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| p A.J. Pollock, a 24-year-old who was hitti |
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| 1445 Beiträge - Hardcoreposter
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VANCOUVER -- Vancouver Whitecaps forward Darren Mattocks sounded off about his disappointing second season in Major League Soccer on Jamaican television this week, ripping the club and recently fired head coach Martin Rennie. The 23-year-old scored just three times in 20 appearances, including eight starts, in 2013 after a rookie campaign that saw him record seven goals in 21 games. Mattocks helped Vancouver make the post-season in 2012, but the Whitecaps missed the playoffs this season, leading to Rennies dismissal last week. Speaking on the program "Football GPS" on Tuesday, Mattocks criticized Rennies handling of both himself and the squad. "When (I was) leading the team, as a rookie, Vancouver made the playoffs," said Mattocks, who started 15 games in 2012 and scored in the Whitecaps playoff loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy. "My second season, coach put me on the bench (the) majority of the season. (He and I) couldnt agree." Mattocks also said that teams from England were interested in his services, but that the Whitecaps refused to entertain the idea of selling the forward. The Jamaican international added that the club also turned down a US$1.2-million offer for him from another team in MLS. "If (I) can do a successful first season and in my second you will try to jeopardize my career, Im not naive and Im not going to stay," said Mattocks, who denied he had anything to do with Rennies firing. "Every other team in MLS wants me." Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said on a conference call with reporters Wednesday that he held exit meetings with all of the player last week, including Mattocks, and was taken aback by the comments. "Its certainly not something that from a club perspective that we would want to have happening," said Lenarduzzi. "Thats the kind of criticism really that should take place between the coach and the player or between the club and the player. "We certainly didnt hear any of that (in the exit meeting), and are disappointed that hes chosen to go that route." Lenarduzzi said he has yet to speak with Mattocks since the comments, but that hes a player who has required extra attention from coaches and management throughout his young career. "I think Darren has been prone to ... make comments or sometimes look in games like hes disinterested. We know those are all things that come with Darren, but hes got a special ability so until we decide differently were going to try to work to bring out the best in him," said Lenarduzzi, before adding: "And at the same time have him appreciate that he cant be doing what hes just done." Lenarduzzi said the club discussed a potential training stint in England for Mattocks last season, but added that no club offered to buy the second overall draft pick in 2012. He also said that no MLS team offered $1.2 million for Mattocks, but agreed that he has fielded calls. "Theres interest for a lot of our players from other MLS clubs," said Lenarduzzi. "So I wouldnt suggest that hes alone in that regard." Mattocks, who made $212,000 this season, found himself way down the Whitecaps pecking order behind star striker and Golden Boot winner Camilo Sanvezzo, veteran Kenny Miller and 18-year-old phenom Kekuta Manneh because of injuries, inconsistency and international duty. "Any time you get him kind of in and around the team, he seems to be gone again," Rennie said of Mattocks in October. "Thats something that has hurt him a little bit this season." Notes: As a Generation Adidas player, Mattocks wages have not counted against Vancouvers salary cap during his first two seasons. That usually changes for a player entering his third year. Lenarduzzi said he expects to hear from MLS on Mattocks status for 2014 soon. ... Lenarduzzi said the Whitecaps are continuing their search for Rennies replacement, but declined to disclose how many candidates have been interviewed. C.J. Wilcox Jersey .com) - Alabama and Florida State were predictably the top two teams in the latest installment of the BCS standings. C.J. Wilcox Clippers Jersey . Louis Blues will try to remain undefeated against the defending Stanley Cup champions this season when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks for Wednesdays Central Division showdown at United Center. http://www.nbaclippersofficial.com/womens-matt-barnes-authen tic-jersey/ . The Korea Football Association announced Thursday that Park Joo-ho will join the 23-man squad to replace the 21-year-old Kim, a Japan-based left back who has played nine internationals since Hong Myung-bo took over as head coach last year. Blake Griffin Jersey . He was willing to play on a one-year deal, he was willing to work out a fair price and his only significant requirement was finding another star quarterback who could get him the ball. Spencer Hawes Clippers Jersey . Baumann misjudged a long ball from Milan Badelj and failed to clear after emerging outside the penalty area, allowing Maximilian Beister to open the scoring in the 37th minute.Early in the season, there are always players putting up numbers that boggle the mind. Josh Hamilton is tearing the cover off the ball, Matt Cain is untouchable and so on, but what about the lesser knowns who have been making some noise? Rest assured, no one is going to hit 70 home runs or drive in 170 this season, but its worth examining what these players might be able to contribute in 2012, so power hitters and soft-tossing pitchers alike, make your way to the front of the line for some statistical analysis. Nolan Reimold, LF, Baltimore (4 HR, 8 RBI, .341 AVG, 10 GP) - Reimold first came onto the scene for the Orioles in 2009, hitting .279 with 15 home runs and an .831 OPS in 104 games, but he spent the next two seasons splitting time between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk. Beginning the year as the Orioles starting fielder, Reimold has been more aggressive at the plate, facing an average of 3.43 pitches per plate appearance (his career average is 3.90) and hes hitting the ball harder (more line drives, fewer ground balls, according to http://www.fangraphs.com) with this grip-it-and-rip-it approach. Is his success sustainable? Certainly not to the degree that he has thus far, particularly when pitchers get wise to the fact that hes refusing to take a walk (one in 42 plate appearances) and start expanding his strike zone, but its not unreasonable to think that Reimold can hit 20-25 homers as a starting corner outfielder. Shelley Duncan, LF, Cleveland (2 HR, 6 RBI, .265 AVG, 11 GP) - A 32-year-old who hasnt ever had 230 at-bats in a major league season, Duncan is practically a default option in left field for the Tribe with Michael Brantley covering for injured Grady Sizemore in centre field. Whats been most impressive about Duncan so far this season is his patience at the plate (5.02 pitches per plate appearance, 11 walks in 11 games) and thats made him a very effective option. Duncan can be murder on lefties, and that may be his ultimate platoon role, particularly once Johnny Damon is in the fold and Sizemore eventually returns from injury. In the meantime, hes worth a try in deep leagues as long as hes getting regular playing time. Yoenis Cespedes, CF, Oakland (4 HR, 12 RBI, .222 AVG, 13 GP) - The highly sought-after 26-year-old Cuban defector has made an instant impact on the Athletics otherwise punchless lineup, but for all his physical gifts -- a rare blend of power and speed -- Cespedes approach at the plate could prove to be problematic if he doesnt refine his game. Sure, he could be a Dave Kingman-like all-or-nothing masher, but with 17 strikeouts in his first 53 plate appearances, Cespedes has the lowest contact rate (58.9%, http://www.fangraphs.com) in the majors, behind legendary turnstile Mark Reynolds. Without better plate discipline, Cespedes will get exposed by major league pitching and, considering he plays in a pitchers park, his numbers will be likely to get worse. Chris Davis, 1B, Baltimore (1 HR, 4 RBI, .341 AVG, 11 GP) - If theres another player whose power-hitting career has been threatened by no command of the strike zone, it could be Davis, who has struck out 31.3% of the time in his major league career. Despite his high average, Davis hasnt been any more patient at the plate this season, walking once in 42 plate appearances, but he has improved his ability to identify strikes when he swings the bat which has helped him make better contact. No matter how much better contact Davis is making hes not going to maintain a .448 batting average on balls in play. Even his career average, which is above the norm, sits at .340, so regression is coming. At the same time, Davis should be expected to provide more home runs since his home run/flyball ratio (10.0, http://www.fangraphs.com) remains below his career standard (16.1%). Ryan Sweeney, RF, Boston (0 HR, 5 RBI, .424 AVG, 10 GP) - Sweeney is a fascinating case: a 27-year-old outfielder who has worked his way up to a major league regular role despite lacking typical power or exceptional speed. He is a very good fielder and makes contact a lot (3.4% swinging strikes is seventh-fewest among outfielders with at least 30 plate appearances). Even though Sweeney is hitting more line drives and fewer ground balls thus far, there is no chance that he maintains his average. A .500 BABIP is unsustainable (and fourth-highest in baseball), so expect Sweeneys average to come down to earth. Unfortunately, there is nothing to suggest that hell have the power to offset that decline in batting average. Kyle Lohse, RHP, St. Louis (2-0, 0.89 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, 3 GP) - Its the second straight season that the 33-year-old has excelled in April (4-1, 1.64 ERA in first five 2011 starts), but while his command has been better than usual, Lohse has also been lucky, allowing a .172 BABIP and leaving 85.7% of runners on base and allowing zero homers in 20 1/3 innings, good enough to rankk in the top dozen in categories that are all indicators that regression is due.dddddddddddd Well, that and hes Kyle Lohse, but he did susprise by going 14-8 with a 3.39 ERA and 1.17 WHIP last season, so its not unreasonable to believe that he can remain an effective starter, but theres a difference between effective and his out-of-this-world early results. Barry Zito, LHP, San Francisco (1-0, 1.13 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 2 GP) - Theres no need to get excited about two good starts by 33-year-old Zito, but compared to what hes provided in recent years, there may be some reasonable hope that Zito can be a competent major league starter. While he still has no velocity to speak of, Zito has turned heavily to his slider, throwing it 37.0% of the time in 2012, way up from 8.5% of the time last season, and it has been an effective pitch for him. That noted, Zito is still getting very lucky (.189 BABIP, 0 HR in 16 IP) and hes thrown a first-pitch strike just 38.7% of the time. These come from a ridiculously small sample size, but unless the slider becomes a consistent weapon in his arsenal, Zito may not be much more than improving on last years low-bar season. Lance Lynn, RHP, St. Louis (2-0, 1.50 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 2 GP) - A 24-year-old who is getting a better opportunity due to Chris Carpenters injury, Lynn has fared well in his first couple of starts this season. He has some luck (.185 BABIP, 92.7% left on base) in there, but hes a power pitcher that is most successful when he throws the hard stuff, so he only drops a change-up into his repertoire every 20 pitches or so. Hes not a household name yet, though, so now is the time to take advantage and grab Lynn before he puts up another few quality starts and enhances his reputation. Tom Milone, LHP, Oakland (2-1, 2.84 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 3 GP) - The 25-year-old southpaw won a spot in the As rotation and the early results have been decent, but there is reason for concern. Milones low strikeout rate (3.79 per 9 IP) is a concern for any sustained success -- missing bats is a crucial part of the job function -- but if youre not going to overpower with stuff, it at least helps to play in a pitchers park. At the same time, while Milones early results havent yielded many strikeouts, he struck out 310 batters in 306 1/3 IP over the last two seasons in Double-A and Triple-A, so there may be some hope that even with a lack of velocity (86.8 MPH average fastball, http://www.fangraphs.com), he could still improve on his strikeout totals as he gets comfortable at the major league level. INJURIESJacoby Ellsbury, CF, Boston - As if the start of the season hasnt been going poorly enough for the Red Sox, Ellsburys shoulder injury leaves them without their most dynamic offensive threat. In his stead, the Red Sox have turned to Jason Repko and Cody Ross (while they also await the return of left fielder Carl Crawford). Repko is a 31-year-old journeyman with a .225 career batting average so, uh, yeah. Brett Gardner, LF, N.Y. Yanees - The Yankees speedster needs to nurse a sore elbow, and his absence from the lineup gives the Yankees DH brigade a chance to play some in the field. Raul Ibanez, Andruw Jones, dust off those gloves! Chris Young, CF, Arizona - Young to off to a great start this season, but hes on the shelf with a shoulder injury, so the Diamondbacks called up A.J. Pollock, a 24-year-old who was hitting .340 with four stolen bases in the first dozen Triple-A games. Doug Fister, RHP, Detroit - A costochondrial (torso) strain has Fister on the shelf and the Tigers have two rookies in the rotation. LHP Drew Smyly, a second-round pick out of Arkansas in 2010, has some pedigree (11-6, 2.07 ERA in 22 GP at Single-A and Double-A in 2011) and has fared well in his first couple big league starts. Hell get run support, so hes worth keeping on your radar. RHP Adam Wilk is the other rookie getting a chance, but hes been more hittable. Lorenzo Cain, CF, Kansas City - Part of the Zack Greinke trade, Cain was set to start the season as the Royals centre fielder, but lasted only five games before a groin injury sidelined him. Mitch Maier has seen more time as the replacement than speedster Jason Bourgeois. Scott Baker, RHP, Minnesota - Coming off a season in which he posted a career-best 3.14 ERA, Baker had Tommy John surgery, so hes done for the year. Luckily, the Twins have RHP Jason Marquis ready to fill that spot in the rotation. What? They do. Brian Wilson, RHP, San Francisco - Tommy John surgery will leave the Giants closer out of the lineup for the 2012 season, leaving Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla as the leading candidates for game-end work. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '
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| Beitrag vom 19.11.2014 - 05:02 |
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