Fun-Ecke » a single fighting major

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Bud Selig began his 8,173rd and final day in charge of baseball by waking up in a Manhattan hotel, having breakfast and working out. After nearly 22 1/2 years that began with unprecedented labour unrest, unfolded with rapid innovation and ended with unparalleled prosperity, he predicted a future filled with more transformation, perhaps with expansion to other countries.My dream is for this sport to really have an international flavour, he said Saturday during a half-hour interview with The Associated Press. Does it need teams in other countries? ... If one uses a lot of vision it could.Selig headed the group that forced Commissioner Fay Vincents resignation in September 1992. Owner of the Milwaukee Brewers since 1970, he was put in charge as chairman of the executive council and finally elected commissioner in July 1998 after years of saying he would never take the job.His reign saw expanded playoffs and wild-card teams, interleague play, video review to aid umpires, expansion to Arizona and Tampa Bay, the formation of baseballs Internet and broadcast companies and the start of drug testing — too late for some critics. The only person who headed baseball longer was Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the first commissioner from 1920-44.Bud will go down in history as the No. 1 commissioner that has served baseball, and without question, said Peter Ueberroth, baseballs commissioner from 1984-89. For Ueberroth, Seligs time heading baseball can be compared only with what Pete Rozelle has done in football and David Stern has done in basketball.Seligs final task was to accept a long and meritorious service award from the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America at a black-tie dinner Saturday night. Now 80, Selig becomes commissioner emeritus Sunday when Rob Manfred, his top deputy, takes over as the 10th commissioner.Its been quite a journey, and the journey I think has changed me in a lot of ways, Selig said. I wish I knew in 1992 what I knew today.Revenue has risen from about $1.7 billion in 92 to just under $9 billion last year. Attendance, which averaged 26,978 in 1992, has been above 30,000 in 10 straight seasons, peaking at 32,785 in 2007 before the Great Recession.With the start of revenue sharing and a luxury tax that has slowed spending by large-market teams, every club except Toronto has made playoffs this century.Selig emphasized consensus over confrontation.All these 30-0 votes that everybody is now talking about were important to me because I learned over the years that unity was so important, he said. We had no unity in the 70s and the 80s and early 90s. It was very fractured, and that was destructive.And that infighting led to stasis.The sport had been not active, really had spent two decades stuck in neutral, he said. It was harmful because other forms of entertainment and sports were gaining in great popularity.To many, he seemed like a rumpled uncle or grandfather. But owners listened to him because he was one of their own.I had a style that was I guess unique, to say the least, Selig acknowledged. I was always very cautious, always very thorough but maybe even became more so over the years. But it worked out well, because I understand my political constituency. A lot of people would be critical. They would say, well, after all, Why does it take him so long to do that?He calls cancelling the 1994 World Series his worst moment. Players struck for 232 days, fearful owners would implement a salary cap. Since then, the sport has had labour peace, and Manfred has two seasons before the current labour deal expires.The foundations of the stability that have been present in baseball and not in the other three sports since then come from the agreements that were made then, said Donald Fehr, then head of the baseball players union and now head of the NHL players.Seligs best nights were when Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrigs consecutive games streak in 1995 and when players and owners agreed to a labour deal in 2002, ending a streak of eight work stoppages dating to 1972.He lists Ripken, Derek Jeter and Edgar Martinez as his favourite players to dine with, although he quickly adds and others in fear of leaving someone out. He wont compare players of this era with the stars of his youth, because the game has changed so much, but his voice softened with nostalgia when he said: Henry Aaron, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Stan Musial — they dont get any better than those guys.Selig leaves Manfred with several unsolved issues.While 20 new ballparks opened during Seligs tenure, Tampa Bay and Oakland want new ones, and the Athletics want to build in San Jose, which is on the territory of the San Francisco Giants. Baltimore and Washington are in court over their regional sports network. There is the need to attract young fans and cut down on long game times. Selig never ruled on Pete Roses 1997 application to end his lifetime ban.I wish thats all I had in 1992, Selig said.Even though Selig helped force him out, Vincent concludes Selig has done an exemplary job.He is a masterful internal baseball politician and he was able to keep the owners from fragmenting, from looking for a salary cap, which some of the new guys used to scream about, Vincent said.Selig already has started teaching at the University of Wisconsin and Marquettes law school. Hes getting help from Doris Kearns Goodwin to organize preparations for his memoir — he doesnt plan to sit in front of a computer parsing prose.Ill be talking into something, a little microphone of some kind, he said.He plans on going to Wimbledon with wife Sue. And, as usual, hell be on the telephone with baseball buddies.Ive had a lot of calls today, he said, and they all said, Well, Ill talk to you tomorrow or on Monday. Kevin Mchale Jersey . There was little fanfare, though, when the Yankees captain was taken out of his final regular-season Subway Series game in the eighth inning. Jeter watched the last four outs from the bench, pulled off the field during a double switch Thursday night as the Yankees held off the Mets 1-0. Larry Bird Jersey .com) - Novak Djokovic captured a mens Open Era-record fifth Australian Open title on Sunday by defeating rival Andy Murray in the final in Melbourne. http://www.celticsofficialsstore.com/kids-bill-russell-celtics-jersey/ . - Chris Davis hit a two-run double, scoring Nelson Cruz in his Orioles debut in Baltimores 9-7 win over to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. Marcus Morris Jersey .J. Barea during a three-game shooting slump that was getting him booed off his home court with regularity. Robert Parish Jersey . As if he had been rehearsing it, Vasquez looked around with a grimacing stare as he clinched two fists and flexed his muscles. What do you think of DeMar DeRozans face after he hits a big shot, he was asked moments earlier.TORONTO - David Clarkson has had so many injuries in just over a year with the Toronto Maple Leafs that three-year-old daughter McKinnley is taking a keen interest in her fathers health on the ice.Before the game now instead of saying, Good luck, shell say, Dont get hurt, Clarkson said.Last year it was a foot injury followed by an elbow injury. Clarkson also suffered facial fractures last month in a fight with Buffalos Cody McCormick. The 30-year-old right winger couldnt help but think, Here we go again.Instead, Clarkson strapped on a cage mask and then a full shield — doctors orders so he could get back onto the ice. The result has been a strong start to his second season with the Leafs.Its a much different David Clarkson this year than what we had last year, coach Randy Carlyle said Thursday. We said its a reset situation and he felt that he needed that, and then the addition of the ice time and the fit with the line that he plays with and the minutes hes getting, hes getting a chance to make more of a contribution, but hes earning it.The biggest difference is Clarkson has had the opportunity to make a contribution at the start of this season. Last year he was suspended for the first 10 games after leaving the bench during a pre-season brawl with the Sabres.Clarkson made his debut in blue and white on Oct. 25, 2013 on the road against the Blue Jackets. On Friday night he and the Leafs return to Columbus, but this time the Toronto native is healthy and already in a groove.Its tough just to fire into a season 10 games in, Clarkson said. I think right now I feel pretty good. I feel back like myself again.Clarkson has two goals and an assist in a third-line role alongside Leo Komarov and Mike Santorelli and has seen some time on the second power-play unit. He had five goals and six assists in 60 games in 2013-14, a disappointing performance to say the least after signing a US$36.75-million, seven-year contract.But the weight of contract expectations paled in comparison to the way the suspension hampered Clarksons start.Youre coming from a different organization, youre trying to learn a new system, youre trying to learn new things and all of a sudden you get suspended and jump in, Clarkson said. I think I (injured) my foot right away and then my elbow. It was just one of those seasons that I chalk up as a nightmare and (I got) through it and got ready and trained hard this summer and spent time with my kids and got ready for this year.Carlyle praised Clarkson for putting time and effort into building up strength and getting a little thicker in the off-season. Even after a lower-body injury limited him at training camp and the facial fractures halted his progress, Clarkson managed to be in the lineup on opening night and got on track.Nine games in, Clarkson doesnt have a single fighting major after leading tthe team in the category last season.dddddddddddd Thats because his facial injuries prevent him from dropping the gloves.For now I couldnt fight, he said. I think if I got hit there Id be in trouble.Carlyle said it would be foolish for Clarkson not to be over-cautious about his face because those are the types of injuries that one little bump again can set him back.Still, Clarkson is hoping to get back to fighting sooner than later.In Thursdays practice, Clarkson ditched the full shield in favour of a regular visor and hopes he can convince doctors to let him begin the transition in a game, be it Friday at Columbus, Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks or next week against Phoenix or Colorado.I dont think Im allowed yet, Clarkson said. I had something done the other day and I still have some things going on. Im trying to find a way that I could wear maybe a bigger visor — a SWAT team shield — something that is off of my face a little bit because Im having a hard time with this one.Clarkson said the full shield was an improvement from the cage. Problems arise when it fogs up and forces him to look through tiny holes in the mask.Its just tough when the pucks down low in your feet or when youre going for things, Clarkson said. But it was either that option or I didnt play.After his problems last year, not playing wasnt an option for Clarkson, who couldnt help but worry about the lingering effect of another injury.When I found out what was wrong, its tough to swallow, he said. It kind of puts you in a place where you start to think. For me personally that wasnt fun, but I made a decision to come back and play and I feel pretty good. The bones healing, so Im just waiting for the doctors to clear me to get back to normal.Back to normal for Clarkson, in his mind, also includes a return to some fisticuffs. Without Colton Orr or Frazer McLaren, the Leafs dont have an enforcer, and according to HockeyFights.com, their two fighting majors are tied for the second-fewest in the NHL.Clarkson still feels a desire to take exception to hits on himself and teammates but in the back of his mind understands with a full shield he cant do everything. Once he sheds it for good, its his plan to continue his fighting ways.I dont plan on changing, Clarkson said. At the end of the day Im going to go back to fighting and doing the things Ive always done.Notes: Forward David Booth skated Thursday for the first time since fracturing his right foot while blocking a shot in a pre-season game. Carlyle said Booth is working hard but is still a long ways away from making his regular-season debut. ... The Leafs have recalled Stuart Percy from the AHLs Marlies. It wasnt immediately clear if an injury necessitated the call-up or if Percy was just going to be the seventh defenceman in Columbus.---Follow @SWhyno on Twitter. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '