stage is also for other players to make | Forum
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Sep 25 '17
JUPITER, Fla. Draymond Green Team USA 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." Kyle Lowry Team USA Jersey . Felix Pie had an RBI double earlier in the inning, as Baltimore rallied for three runs to overcome a 3-2 deficit. J.J. Hardy had two hits and Matt Wieters chipped in with an RBI double for the Orioles, who pushed their winning streak to three games. Patrick Ewing Team USA Jersey .Tzavelas opened the scoring in the 11th and Pereyra added another in the 51st. Emmanuel Kone pulled one back in the 80th and Levadiakos missed several chances to level in the last 10 minutes.TORONTO -- Roger Federer is enjoying the good life. At 33, he has 17 Grand Slam titles and a family of four children after his wife gave birth to twin boys in May. Now, as he plays in a U.S. Open warm up at the Rogers Cup, he considers himself "more laid back" than at any time in his career. "I see the positive side of things today," Federer said. "When I was younger I felt much more pressure. I felt like I had to do what people said, and I would listen to everything. Today I kind of go my pace, and I really enjoy it in the process." Federer got off to a fine start in Toronto on Tuesday night, advancing to the third round with a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Canadian wildcard Peter Polansky. The second-seeded Swiss star is going for his third title of the year. He still has "the determination to go out there and work hard and still have the motivation, which I think is something thats really, really important," said former star Stefan Edberg, now Federers coach. "Its been good to see him making some progress this year." Federer does not feel the obligation to play as many tournaments as he once did. He is ranked No. 3 and taking a simpler approach to the game. "I feel like I dont really have to prove anything to anybody, even though people are always going to disagree with that," Federer said. "For me its about how do I feel in practice, how is my motivation, how am I actually really playing, how do I feel it, rather than how is everybody else thinking they see and know it. I can analyze it much more clearer today than I ever have." Federer has seen plenty of changes in tennis since turning pro in 1998. Back thenn, he said, there was much more turnover between No. Jimmy Butler Team USA Jersey. 1 players. Since February 2004, the top spot has rotated among Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Federer hasnt been No. 1 since 2012, but he spent a record 302 weeks there. Change also has come in the way rackets are made and strung. "I think some tournament directors are probably sick and tired of just the big-serving matches where theres no rallies whatsoever, and it got very physical and athletic from the back of the court," he said. "And, in the process, we lost a lot of volley players. "Coaches everywhere, around the world, have made sure that their players are very good just forehand and backhand players and good servers, but neglected probably a little bit of volley play, even though I do believe there is a place for it. But it became harder and harder and everyone who had success was a baseline player. "Clearly then, you inspire the next generation by doing that. And I think now were again at a crossroads a little bit where things are speeding up." But, for him, things are slowing down. At his peak, he was counted on to do news conferences in English, German and French. Federer will still gladly do that or help build ticket sales for a tournament. But hes also prepared to step back. "I feel like less is more because people already know a lot about me," he said. "And I think the stage is also for other players to make a name for themselves." Still, theres an opponent across the net. That never changes. "Its also about improving at this stage of your career," Edberg said. "There is still room for improvements." 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 ' ' '
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