Die Plauderecke » Lavergne (Montreal); Eric Noivo (C

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 Cheap Redskins Jerseys Authentic . According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, Brodeurs agent Pat Brisson has spoken to six teams so far regarding the veteran goaltender. Darrell Green Jersey . It was the most lopsided loss in Lakers history. 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"Yes, Id like to get them in," Detroits rookie manager said. "Mother Natures going to have a say in that." Sure enough, the Tigers had their game against the Kansas City Royals postponed because of rain on Thursday.With the 2014 CFL Draft set to take place Tuesday in Toronto, CFL on TSN analyst Duane Forde breaks down the top prospects. Today, he looks at running backs and linebackers. RUNNING BACKS 1) Anthony Coombs (RB, Manitoba) You Should Know: His coming out party was a 14-carry, 147-yard game against the United States Under-19 National Team as a member of the World Team in the 2012 International Bowl.The Good: He has averaged at least seven yards per carry in each of his four CIS seasons and that average improved every year, leaving him with a career average of 7.5 yards/carry.The Bad: Durability may be a concern, as he has missed time with minor injuries each of the last three seasons. 2) Pascal Lochard (RB, Laval) The Good: This versatile 60”, 215 lbs. back rushed for 184 yards – three yards shy of his career high – en route to earning MVP honours in the 2013 Vanier Cup. The Bad: Its not a knock on his ability or potential but, with the very crowded Laval backfield, he has rarely played more than half of the offensive snaps in a game. 3) Alexandre Dupuis (FB, Montreal) The Good: He battled back from surgeries on both knees in 2012 to become an RSEQ All-Star last season.The Bad: No one will question his toughness or work ethic but he might be a little limited athletically. 4) Robert Farquharson (RB, Guelph) The Good: Over the last two CIS seasons, his average of 112.9 rushing yards per game ranks first among Class of 2014 running backs, just ahead of Coombs (112.7).The Bad: A hamstring injury suffered during training camp limited him to only four regular season games in 2013. 5) Aaron Milton (RB, Toronto) The Good: He “plays faster” than he tests, and, considering that his 63”, 215 lbs. frame has room to carry more weight, he could eventually contribute as a fullback.The Bad: Hes coming off a shoulder injury that has left him a little behind in terms of upper body strength. Other Contenders: Guillaume Bourassa (Laval) – career high 66 carries, 402 rushing yards in 2013; 4.71 40-yard dash at CFL Combine was 2nd fastest among RBs behind Coombs Jordan Botel (Mount Allsion) – 2013 AUS nominee for Hec Crighton Trophy; has averaged 102.3 rushing yards/game over the last two seasons; played FB for CJFLs Vancouver Island Raiders in 2008-09, blocking for current B.C. Lion Andrew Harris Mackenzie Sarro (Calgary) – 64”, 245 lbs.; tied fellow FB Dupuis with 23 bench press reps at CFL Combine; had only one carry, seven receptions in two years with the Dinos Also On The Radar (alphabetically): Connor Anderson (York), Jeremy Andrew (Saskatchewan), Jean-Christophe Beaulieu (Sherbrooke); Errol Brooks (York); Zack Clarke (Acadia), Zack Davis (York), Sean Murphy (McGill), Raul Thompson (Concordia); Kurt Tonowski (Saint Marys); C.J. Zsoldos (Waterloo / London Beefeaters) LINEBACKERS 1) Casey Chin (Simon Fraser) You Should Know: He was a four-year starter and three-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Star during his career with the Clan.The Good: He increased his tackle totals significantly each season, capping his career with an average of nearly 12 per game as a senior.The Bad: Listed at 510”, hes not physically imposing. 2) Max Caron (Concordia) The Good: He won the Presidents Trophy as the Top Defensive Player in CIS football as a sophomore and possesses a very high football IQ.The Bad: His physical upside may be limited, as hell turn 25 this summer. 3) Jesse Briggs (McGill) The Good: Ranked among the top LBs in all testing categories at the CFL Combine, with his 4.57 40 being the key to boosting his stock.The Bad: Hes not seen as a particularly physical player, and his on-field productivity hasnt necessarily matched his athletic ability. 4) Beau Landry (Westtern) The Good: He offers versatility, having been named a First Team All-Canadian as a defensive halfback in 2011 and again as a linebacker in 2013.ddddddddddddThe Bad: At the next level, he may find himself as a “tweener”, not possessing the speed of top defensive backs or the size of most linebackers. 5) Travis Bent (Concordia) The Good: Physical and aggressive, he had his best season in 2012, leading the Stingers with 61.5 tackles.The Bad: As highly touted as his teammate Caron when they entered the Stingers program in 2010, he hasnt yet reached that potential. Other Contenders: Christopher Johnson (Toronto) – 510”, 220 lbs.; compares well physically and athletically to drafts top LBs Sam Sabourin – was among the drafts elite prospects until he chose to retire due to concussion concerns; three-time All-Canadian could still be a late selection Thomas Miles (Manitoba) – second on Bisons with 39 tackles in 2013; also long snaps Also On The Radar (alphabetically): Aram Eisho (McMaster); Cody Kezama (Regina); Matt Lalande (Saint Marys); Pier-Yves Lavergne (Montreal); Eric Noivo (Concordia); Stephen Osman (McGill); Omar Smith-Jackson (Bishops); Richard Zacharias (Saskatchewan) Analysis: Ill discuss these two position groups together, as there are a number of similarities in terms of how theyre evaluated for the draft. While Jon Cornish, Andrew Harris, Shea Emry, and Henoc Muamba are household names for CFL fans, the reality is that the vast majority of the leagues non-import running backs and linebackers are depth guys, who will play far more snaps on special teams every week than they will on offence or defence. Since its difficult for teams to justify using first round picks for players who arent projected to play regularly on offence or defence, you generally dont see a lot of RBs and LBs selected in Round 1. In fact, in the last ten years, there has only been one draft in which the first round included more than one player from either of these two groups (Keep in mind that while Mike Edem, Shomari Williams, and Justin Phillips may have been listed as LBs, they were all drafted to play another position). In 2005, Akron LB Cam Yeow went second overall, McMaster RB Jesse Lumsden was chosen sixth, and Kentucky fullback Alexis Bwenge was the eighth overall selection. A significant factor leading to that anomaly was that the Class of 2005 was strong at neither offensive line nor receiver, the usual “marquee Canadian positions”. Coincidentally, a similar dynamic exists in this years draft class, which should open the door for the top running back and linebacker prospects to be among the first nine picks.At running back, the obvious choice is Coombs. In his eight Canada West games last season, the Winnipeg native rushed for 100+ yards four times and had 100+ receiving yards three times. The CFL Combine revealed both his willingness to pass block and his ability to compete as a receiver. All things considered, he is the best non-lineman in this draft class. On my board, Chin also ranks among the top three non-linemen available and projects as a potential future starter. Last season, the Simon Fraser product racked up 119 tackles in 10 games (11.9/game) to lead the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Four years ago, another 510” linebacker finished second in the GNAC with 96 tackles in 11 games (8.7/game). That player was current B.C. Lions star Adam Bighill, whose 196 tackles over the last two CFL seasons equals Montreals Chip Cox for the most in the league during that span. Granted, the number of tackles made can be a misleading statistic but, given his range and productivity, Chin should be given every opportunity to contribute on defence as well as special teams. 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