Konsolen Treiber » given the opportunity

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval is thin and happy. He showed up at the Giants spring camp a few days ago after a winter of rejuvenation in his native Venezuela. He refined his nutritional intake, got in shape and played a little ball in the Venezuelan Winter League. The result is a noticeable weight loss. How much is up for debate -- he would not divulge how much he has dropped when he met with the media. He has been listed at 240. He said reports that the weight loss reached 40 pounds were incorrect. As for what is behind the transformation --he had a similar one between 2010 and 2011 - Sandoval said it doesnt necessarily have anything do to with the fact that his three-year, $17.15 million deal expires after the season. Sandoval said he would be open to discussing an extension before the season begins. General Manager Brian Sabean indicated recently the Giants also might be willing to make something happen. "Im not going to say no. If it happens, it happens," Sandoval said. At 27, he is entering his prime. "Im happy with myself and want to come out and show my talents," he said after hitting .278 with 14 home runs and 79 RBIs in 2013, a year in which he spent some time on the disabled list. "People say I can do a lot better. I just want to show that I have grown up and that I take my job seriously. But I really dont care what other people say." Unless those other people happen to be teammates. Sandoval said he talked to a handful of teammates toward the end of last season about his approach. They included starting pitcher Matt Cain, catcher Buster Posey and outfielder Hunter Pence. "I feel blessed to hear from those guys. When a former MVP (Posey) says something, you listen," Sandoval said. Pence said he did not speak his mind in a critical tone. "I dont think I got on him. I just encouraged him. Hes the one who did all the work," Pence said. "Were just thrilled to see him come in at the weight he has." Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he also talked to Sandoval at the end of the season. "Sometimes its like being a parent," Bochy said. "You tell one of your kids something, and it goes in one ear and out the other. Sometimes it means more coming from a peer. "He knows that he can do many things on the baseball field. He has to be consistent, have discipline every day. It is easier when you were 21-22-23 years old and now you have to put more work into it." NOTES: A portion of the pitchers did some conditioning and threw bullpen sessions on Saturday. Most of the others, including starters Tim Hudson and Tim Lincecum and closer Sergio Romo, will take their turns on Sunday. "No radar guns, just working on stuff," Bochy said . . . Posey and the catchers also were able to take a few hacks in the batting cage . . . Pence said most of the players are coming to camp with an edge. "We dont believe what happened last year is who we are," he said . . . the team has announced that beginning this (regular) season, all fans entering AT&T Park will be screened with metal detectors. This complies with Major League Baseballs mandate that all teams begin using metal detectors by the start of the 2015 season. Air Max Pas Cher En Ligne . According to TSN Edmonton reporter Ryan Rishaug, agent Rick Valette met with Oilers senior VP of hockey operations Scott Howson and general manager Craig MacTavish on Monday to kick off the talks. Site Air Max Pas Cher . Smiths former Atlanta teammates were glad to hang on for an ugly win. http://www.airmaxpascherfrance.fr/ . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. Air Max Pas Cher France . However, after review it became clear Kadri kicked the puck in. Achat Air Max Pas Cher . Rookie Marek Mazanec made 39 saves for his first NHL victory and the Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-2 Saturday night.In our NBA Draft Wrap Edition of The Three Man Weave, Duane Watson and Will Strickland from TSN 1050s "1 On 1 With Will & Duane" select with the first pick in the Weave To Achieve Draft Montreal-based writer and co-host of HoopsLounge.com Marc Griffin. Well decide upside, potential, "bouncebackability", projects and projections after a wild night in the borough of Brooklyn. What grade does Raptors President & GM Masai Ujiri get for his first draft in Toronto? Griffin: Incomplete. Watching Ujiri talk about Bruno Caboclo, he seems like a GM "once bitten, twice shy" after not stealing The Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo in the draft last year. Im really befuddled by this. I spoke to my man Mota Elb (@MotaElb) who played in the same Brazilian League as Bruno. Mota said hes a good talent, but not a great talent compared to who hes facing down there. Its a very odd pick at #20 with guys like Shabazz Napier still on the board. ...But in the end, "In Masai We Trust". International scouting is something Ujiri is exceptional at, so we have to wait and see with this one. Strickland: Is "Work In Progress" a real grade? I have to issue an incomplete. Pretty sure anytime you hear that your first round draft pick is "two years away from being two years away", it doesnt instill fan confidence in the quality of the selection. The Brazilian Kevin Durant, Bruno Caboclo, will have the opportunity to prove all the naysayers wrong as Ujiri wont stash him away in Europe, bringing him to Toronto to begin the process now. Watson: Incomplete. While the selection of Bruno Caboclo left everyone scratching their heads, it remains to be seen if he will be the next Kevin Durant or the next Rafael Araujo. Ujiris track record at the helm of the Raptors has earned him the benefit of the doubt. How DeAndre Daniels and Caboclo pan out in the short term will define Ujiris grade. With a Canadian going #1 in the NBA Draft for the second year in a row, what does this say for the future of basketball in Canada? Griffin: I love the moment when ESPN put up banners of Wiggins, Stauskas, and Ennis, while Bill Simmons & Jalen Rose called out Americas youth to pick up their game or start playing hockey. It was a backhanded compliment to how much basketball has grown in Canada. This is not a flash in the pan; this is not a fluke. People talk about these guys as the leaders of a "Golden Generation", but I believe its something bigger than that. Canadian kids are putting down hockey sticks and picking up Naismiths game. The stats dont lie. Scouts like Tariq Sbiet are saying that our youth programs are just chalk full of excellent, high level players. Were looking at the start of movement towards Canada becoming a dominant basketball country. And the basketball globe finally has our attention. Strickland: If having the #1 pick in two straight NBA Drafts coming from above the 49th Parallel doesnt convince the rest of the hoops world that there is major talent in Canada, nothing will. With this great wealth of talent comes a greater responsibility, however. As Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph and other young Canadian NBAers find success in the league, the pressure on them to grow national pride for the sport will come only as a result of competing and possibly winning a medal on the global stage by or before the 2020 Olympics. Watson: It says that Canadians have the ability to go #1 just as other nations athletes can, the talent is there. The Canadian Basketball program has to develop its team to get the players to commit and play together, developing international experience in order to become a contending basketball power. After three Canadians c18 picks, why were no more selected? Griffin: International trade law. Nah, Im really not sure. There were 8 Canadians Draft eligible (which is amazing in its own right) and most of them will receive summer league and camp invites. Khem Birch could have possibly stayed in school another year, but hindsight is 20/20. Yet, I cant harp on this enough: Melvin Ejim will have a solid NBA career if given the opportunity in the right system. He just needs a little faith from a GM who doesnt measure talent by height alone. Overall, I expect to see the undrafted guys busting their butts this summer to land that roster spot. Now with so many Canadians in the leaggue, there is that motivation and beacon of hope here to actually live that hoop dream.dddddddddddd Strickland: If weve learned anything, it should be that this talent assessment and drafting thing is far from an exact science. Canadian hoops fans should respect the fact that there was top heavy Canadian content in this draft, with 3 of the 4 selected overall out of 8 eligible going in first 18 picks. Perspective matters. Even still, its hard to fathom that the player of the year from one of the top conferences in the country in Melvin Ejim wasnt selected at all. Watson: While only three Canadians were taken in the first 18 picks, Dwight Powells second round selection made four for a record amount of Canadians taken in the draft. It is another landmark moment for Canadian basketball, slowly showing that Canada is becoming a hotbed for hoops talent. Which team came out best in the Draft? Griffin: Orlando. I elicited the help of draft wunderkind Phil Boileau (@SportingPhil) on this one. The Magic picked up two starters who fill immediate roster needs. No one else did that. Aaron Gordon is a monster talent with athleticism, versatility, and an NBA frame. Hell figure out the league quick. Likewise, Elfrid Payton looks like a steal at #10. Small school, great hair, big heart. And hes really driven. ...Phoenix made my sneaky favorite pick of the draft taking Tyler Ennis at #18. Hes a perfect fit for their system. And for Ennis to learn from Goran Dragic who learned from Steve Nash, thats pretty damn fitting. Strickland: With obvious, easy bake nods to Cleveland and Milwaukee, as well as a dark horse pick in Phoenix, the Orlando Magic got a bigger, stronger, faster more athletic Shawn Marion in Aaron Gordon at #4 and a serious sleeper in Elfrid Payton to help Victor Olidipo harass NBA backcourts. Whether Duane Watsons buddy Jacque Vaughn is the man to lead them to great heights may be in question. But there are some serious pieces in the Magic Kingdom again, including the monster double-double machine Nikola Vuvevic. Orlando could make a 2013-2014 Washington Wizards-leap toward respectability next season. Watson: Bostons youth movement took another solid step with the addition of Marcus Smart who couldve been a lottery pick in last years draft and James Young, who stood out for the Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA Championship game. Two players who can step in right away and help turn around the Celtics. Danny Ainge wins again. Which team fared the worst in the Draft? Griffin: Philadelphia. Go ahead and send me hate mail. Joel Embiids medical dossier scares the living tar out of me. Hes extremely talented, yes, but two stress fractures and a broken foot is red flags, loud sirens, and Sam Bowie flashbacks for me. Plus his small frame and the plopping motion of his feet as he runs, I dont like the equation at all. Listen, I think hes an all-world talent in a league that lacks dominant BIGS, but this is too huge of a risk at the #3 spot in a very deep draft. I wish him well and hate all the memes already. But talk to Anthony Bennett, Embiid has a tall mountain to climb after all these setbacks. ...On the positive side, I absolutely love Phillys new Ben Franklin logo. Yup. Thats the silver lining here. Strickland: Ok, Ok, Ok!!! Who gets to play the bad guy and say the Raptors? That said, it wont be me! Sam Hinkie doesnt care whats said about his picks for the Philadelphia 76ers. If your asset management strategy is a Fran Fraschilla quote (see: Caboclo, Bruno), may the long-suffering Sixer fan base get Tylenol and Pepto instead of pizza or burgers every time a team scores 100+ on them... and may Mr. Hinkies domicile, email address and cell phone numbers be unlisted. Watson: Oklahoma City Thunder. For a team that proved in the NBA Playoffs it needed support for their dynamic duo of Durant and Westbrook, they missed the boat. The collective response to Steven Adams being drafted last year was collective disbelief. But the Kiwi panned out to be an All-NBA Rookie Second Team selection. However, at #21 this year, Mitch McGary is a duplicate of last years pick. The Thunder has built themselves on draft picks, but Sam Presti and company whiffed on this one. The Three-Man Weave contributors are co-hosts of TSN Radio 1050s 1-on-1 with Will and Duane, Will Strickland (@WallStrizzle1) and Duane Watson (@byDuaneWatson) and guest first-round draft pick Marc Griffin (montrealmarc). 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