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PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A.J. Burnett believes his right arm has one — and only one — season left in it. The pitcher has no intentions of letting it go to waste.Spurning a chance to remain with floundering Philadelphia, Burnett agree to an $8.5 million, one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.This is where I belong, Burnett said. There are certain feelings you get, certain gut things and this was a no-brainer for me.Burnett went 26-21 for the Pirates in 2012-13, helping the franchise return to the post-season in 2013 following a 21-year drought. Hell receive $4.25 million less from the Pirates than he would have gotten from the Phillies under the player option he declined.I didnt want to make it about money, Burnett said. I wanted to make it an opportunity if I can come back and make the team better.Pittsburgh attempted to re-sign Burnett last winter but he opted for a more lucrative deal with the Phillies.It didnt quite work out.Dealing with a hernia all season, Burnett went 8-18 with a 4.59 ERA in 34 starts. His 18 losses led the majors. He underwent surgery on Oct. 3 to repair the hernia and said hell be ready when the Pirates report for spring training in February.Im feeling good, Burnett said. I had relief the day I got out of that operation.Good enough to return for a 17th season. Hell do it in Pittsburgh instead of Philadelphia after he and the Phillies declined a $15 million mutual option, and the pitcher then turned down his player option. Shortly after the World Series ended, Burnett reached out to Pirates general manager Neal Huntington to see if there was any interest.I told him Ill pitch for you, I want to be in a place where I was really, really happy, Burnett said.Burnett provided the Pirates with a jolt of legitimacy when he arrived in a trade from the New York Yankees before the 2012 season, though his final moments with the club were not his best. The Pirates started rookie Gerrit Cole over Burnett in Game 5 of the 2013 NL Division Series against St. Louis after the Cardinals roughed Burnett up in Game 1 of the series, and Burnett fumed.He spoke with manager Clint Hurdle for more than 30 minutes before he signed to clear the air and insisted any lingering animosity is gone.If I had to do it all over again, I would handle it a little bit differently with (Hurdle), Burnett said.Pittsburgh is searching for insurance in the starting rotation with Francisco Liriano and Edinson Volquez while also trying to bring back catcher Russell Martin. Huntington insists Burnetts return wont keep the Pirates from being as aggressive as they can be in the market.We still have interest in adding to our club, Huntington said. A.J. gives us another quality starter. That doesnt stop us from continuing to look to add other guys.Burnett served as a mentor to several members of Pittsburghs young pitching staff, including Cole and left-hander Jeff Locke, who became an unlikely All-Star in 2013 thanks in large part to Burnetts guidance.Welcome back Batman, Locke tweeted shortly after the deal was announced.Despite Burnetts mediocre numbers last season, Huntington is confident Burnett can regain the form she showed during his previous stint in Pittsburgh, where he worked with pitching coach Ray Searage to revitalize his career.We do feel the hernia hindered him some, Huntington said. We do believe there were other factors, some indicators that we still think theres a good pitcher here.One intent to help Pittsburgh, which fell to eventual World Series champion San Francisco in the wild card last month, get back to the World Series for the first time since 1979.This is where I want to finish my career, Burnett said. I want to win a ring and I want to win a ring in Pittsburgh. 76ers Jerseys China . With just under five seconds remaining - the Raptors having clawed back from a 19-point deficit and pulled within one - DeRozan took the handoff from Chuck Hayes. 76ers Jerseys 2019 . Louis against the Blues. The Canucks picked up their second straight victory in the swings opener on Tuesday in Calgary before getting routed in Minnesota last night, 5-1. https://www.cheap76ers.com/.ca. The NHL Play of the Year showdown kicks off with some slick moves going head-to-head with a combination of soft hands and endless patience. Philadelphia 76ers Pro Shop . -- David Price didnt think he would be in Port Charlotte this spring. Philadelphia 76ers Shirts . - Roger Federer squandered a big lead and lost to No.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Major League Soccer is prepared to start its season this weekend even if there isnt a labour deal with its referees and other on-field officials. The Professional Soccer Referee Association was certified by the National Labor Relations Board last May to represent referees, assistant referees and fourth officials working MLS games. It has not reached an agreement with the Professional Referee Organization, which was created by the U.S. Soccer Federation and MLS in 2012 to manage game officials in U.S. and Canadian professional leagues. The PSRA has filed a pair of unfair labour practice charges with the NLRBs New York office, accusing the PRO of bad-faith bargaining and making threats against PSRA members. PSRA members voted 64-1 last month to authorize an unfair labour practice strike. "We will be opening up this weekend with referees, and we are absolutely in a position to have a contingency plan in the event that those discussions dont end positively," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Tuesday. "We have so many things that were gearing up for with our 2014 season. Nothing is going to stop us from having a strong opening and to continue to grow this league." PSRA chairman Steve Taylor said there are economic and non-economic issues. "They have not made significant movement," he said of the PRO. Answering questions from reporters and fans during a season kickoff session, Garber said increasing the leagues television ratings is a priority. Viewers for national television broadcasts during the regular season dropped from an average of 180,000 viewers in 2012 to 170,000 last year, according to Nielsen Media Research. MLS has been negotiating with ESPN and Fox to replace deals with ESPN and NBC that expire at the end of this season. Garber said while quality of play, attendance, soccer-specific stadiums have increased, "our national television ratings have not grown at the same level." "So we need to figure out why thats happening. OObviously, theres a lot more competition than there ever was.dddddddddddd. Viewers have more alternatives. We need not to fight that but accept it and address it," he said. "Our games have been scheduled all over the week. Its been difficult even if you work in the league office to know what time and what day a game is taking place. So our new agreements will be very, very, very focused in terms of a specific date and time." Garber said progress has slowed on obtaining a new stadium for New York City FC, which joins the league along with Orlando, Fla., in 2015 as MLS expands to 21 teams. "Its tough to get stadium projects done in New York City, perhaps even a little more difficult now than it was maybe six months or a year ago," he said. MLS said in July it plans to reach 24 teams by 2020, and a Miami team has been awarded to former Los Angeles Galaxy star David Beckham, with no year identified for it to start play. Garber briefly discussed the expansion possibilities of several cities: Atlanta: "Were getting close. There are ongoing discussions. Theres not a rush to finalize something there. ... That time is probably sooner as opposed to later." Austin, Texas, and San Antonio: "Its premature for both markets. ... Expanding in Texas is something thats likely going to happen. Where that happens, when that happens is still to be seen." Cleveland: "There havent been any discussions of late. What I would say to folks that are living in Cincinnati, the folks that are living in Dayton, folks that are living Cleveland, support the Crew," a reference to the Columbus team. Detroit: "There havent been any discussions. Not sure its on the short list, but you never know." Minneapolis: "On the short list. Lots of interest there." North Carolina: "It is a hotbed for soccer. ... Well monitor it. ... Im not sure Carolina is coming any time soon." He also mentioned Sacramento as an expansion possibility. ' ' '