Veranstaltungen » "No one person wins a hockey game, no one pe

DUNEDIN, Florida – Surely, after Drew Hutchisons latest Grapefruit League performance, only injury or a couple of calamitous outings will keep him out of the Blue Jays starting rotation when camp breaks in a little over two weeks. Manager John Gibbons wasnt taking the bait on Friday afternoon following his clubs 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Red Sox. "When we put the team together, well announce it at the end," said Gibbons. "Nice try, though." Pressed further, Gibbons was only slightly more willing to share what everyone believes hes thinking about his 23-year-old right-hander. "Hes doing everything he needs to do," said Gibbons. "When the time comes, everybody will know." Hutchison pitched five innings on Friday with his only blemish coming in the fifth, when a Corey Brown double cashed in Jonny Gomes. He struck out seven Red Sox, didnt walk a batter, scattered four hits and threw 51 of his 71 pitches for strikes. Once again, Hutchison commanded the strike zone. Continuing the trend he set from the start of camp, Hutchisons fastball routinely clocked at 95 miles per hour. Surely the young hurler knows hes pitching his way onto the team. Regardless, he insists hes not looking ahead, his post-start dance with the media as seasoned as his stuff on the mound. "Stay in the moment," said Hutchison. "It doesnt do me any benefit to think ahead or think behind. You just focus on each pitch and continue to execute and perform." The Blue Jays love Hutchisons will to compete. Coaches say hes not satisfied with being a big leaguer. He wants more; he expects to be a staff ace one day. Hutchison displayed that mentality in a full count showdown with Red Sox slugger Mike Napoli to lead off the second inning. He lamented a two-strike change-up earlier in the at-bat. Napoli fouled it off. Hutchison felt he could have better gotten on top of the pitch. He went back to the fastball and, on the eighth pitch of the showdown, froze Napoli with a heater on the outside corner. He addressed the approach to Napoli. "When you get in that deep of a count, youve got to win that," said Hutchison. "It drives your pitch count up, so youve got to make sure you get him." If the Blue Jays are to contend in the American League East, the club needs at least one pitcher to step up and pleasantly surprise. Hutchison fits the bill, although he isnt shocked in the least by his successful spring. "No, Im not surprised," he said. "As far as everybody else, Im not really concerned about it. I prepared myself coming into camp to have a good camp and have a good year." HAPP FEELS "GOOD" J.A. Happ threw three scoreless innings in a minor league game on Friday. It marked his first appearance in more than a week with what the Blue Jays and Happ say inflammation in his back. "I felt good," said Happ. "It was good. Exciting. I felt normal out there, which is really nice." He threw 43 pitches, giving up a hit and a walk, while striking out two. Happ was away from the Blue Jays for two days last Friday and Saturday. The Blue Jays say Happ was prescribed bed rest. Happ didnt want to miss any time. "I wasnt too far away," said Happ. "It was just something we need to take a step backward in order to go forward. We tried to take care of it with a few things and I think it definitely helped." What exactly was wrong? "Just some inflammation," said Happ. "We think there was something that was kind of pushing on the nerve that was sending some discomfort my way for a little while. We tried to ease that and I think weve taken a step in the right direction." The Blue Jays had a radar gun at Happs start. Happ said his fastball clocked 91-93 miles per hour. He hopes to build to 90 pitches by his final spring start. Happ didnt wish to address comments made last week by general manager Alex Anthopoulos that hes now competing for a spot in the starting rotation. "My comment is no comment," he said. "That was probably disappointing to hear but theres nothing I want to say about it." Manager John Gibbons has only one concern about Happ. "Weve got to make sure his back is healthy." DIAZ BACK "HOME" After one season with the Red Sox organization, infielder Jonathan Diaz is back where his career began. "It almost feels like I never left," he said. "It feels like home. I was here for so long and Im very familiar with a lot of the guys and the coaches, so it just feels like home." Diaz, 28, was a 12th-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2006. At 59" and 165 pounds, hes a smaller player known for his big glove. Often playing in the back end of Grapefruit League games, hes seemingly matched starter Jose Reyes big play for big play. It hast been an easy journey. Diaz was the final cut from Blue Jays camp in the spring of 2011. Playing at Triple-A Las Vegas, hed gotten off to the best offensive start of his career. In mid-May, he and his wife Kerry were in the backseat of a Vegas taxi. The driver ran a red light. The car was t-boned. Diaz suffered a concussion. Kerry had broken ribs, a separated shoulder and a lacerated spleen. Both were knocked unconscious and awoke in hospital. Diaz needed two months to recover from the symptoms. "It was hard focusing, disoriented and all that stuff," he said. "The funny thing was, when I started running, my eyes had a hard time adjusting and they would wobble." When he returned after the All-Star Break, Diaz was at Double-A New Hampshire. He would finish the season there. When Yunel Escobar went down in September, Diaz hoped for a call up and the chance to make his major league debut. It wasnt to be. Fast forward almost two years to June 29, 2013, the day Diaz first appeared in a big league game. It was Fenway Park. The Blue Jays were there, but he was wearing a Boston uniform. "It was just like, youre writing a story," said Diaz. "It kind of made me more comfortable because I knew a lot of guys on the other side. I knew what they did and I had a scouting report in my head already about all of the guys, so it made me more comfortable in my first game." Diaz appeared in only five games for the Red Sox, spending most of the season with Bostons top minor-league affiliate in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Still, hell be getting a World Series ring. "Its very special," he said. "I wish I would have played a little bit of a bigger part in the whole process, but its definitely something Im going to cherish for a long time." Just getting to the major leagues, when it appeared the taxi cab accident had taken away his chance, means more to Diaz now than he could ever have imagined. "I feel blessed enough to finally make it to the big leagues last year because sometimes the windows in this game are very small and it could have been my only window," he said. "Luckily, I got the opportunity last year with Boston. That took away a lot of the emotional stuff that I had from the accident that maybe Ill never make it again because of it." Jordan 5 China For Sale .com) - Ryan Johansens creative moves and hometown appeal highlighted Team Folignos successful night at the NHL All- Star Skills Competition. Cheap Air Jordan 5 China . According to bodog.ca, Cleveland moved up to grab the best odds to win the Larry OBrian trophy at 4-1 on Friday. By comparison, the Miami Heats odds plummeted from 3-1 favourites before LeBron left, to 50-1. http://www.airjordan5cheap.com/ . Off-Season Game Plan looks at the Capitals possible summer plans, with the understanding that its tough to plot a direction without a general manager or head coach around which to set those expectations. Cheap Jordan 5 Shoes Sale . -- Crystal Webster avoided elimination at the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Olympic pre-trial curling tournament with an 8-5 win over Amber Holland on Thursday. Air Jordan 5 China Wholesale .Y. - The New York Islanders are brimming with confidence these days, thanks to a standout goalie and a newfound winning attitude.VANCOUVER -- There is no easy fix for the problems faced by the Vancouver Canucks, says the man who took a foundering franchise and came close to winning a Stanley Cup. Pat Quinn, the former defenceman who moved behind the Canucks bench and into the general managers office, believes new team president Trevor Linden -- a player Quinn drafted and coached -- has the potential to return Vancouver to the NHL elite. "There is no magic luxor," Quinn said Sunday after being inducted into the Canucks ring of honour at Rogers Arena. "You have to fix it. You have to have luck, you have to have cap room. "A lot of things come into play." A promising season turned bad for the Canucks, who will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Watching the team this year Quinn noticed a slip in the talent level. "Its cyclical," Quinn said. "The hard part is when your good players skills start to diminish a little bit, then youve got to find replacements for that top level player." A 30-team NHL reduces that talent pool. "We dont have enough top players," Quinn said. Fans will need to be patient. "Thats where the first step comes in, the assessment that needs to be done," said Quinn. "I think thats the stage where Trev is. "Ive read he has a plan. When you have a plan you dont go around telling everybody." Linden was named president last week after Mike Gillis was fired as Vancouvers president and general manager. Quinn shrugged when asked if he will play a role in the Canucks rebuild. There has been speculation Linden may ask Quinn to return to the organization in some sort of advisory capacity. "Its a different day today," said the 71-year-old Hamilton native. "Whatever happens, happens. "Trevor is a terrific kid, there is no question. Im not really thinking about that sort of thing. He has lots on his plate." Quinn was joined by members of his family at centre ice prior to the game against the Calgary Flames for the induction ceremony. Other members of the ring of honour include Thomas Gradin, Kirk McLean and Harold Snepsts. The crowd gave Quinn a standing ovation.dddddddddddd "It was inexplicable," Quinn said. "You cant express the emotions you feel. "You are mindful of the people who touched you along the way, how important they were to me." Quinn was Vancouvers president and general manager from 1987 to 1997. He coached the team from 1991-94 and then again late in the 1995-96 season. There are some parallels between what Quinn, 71, faced back in 1987 and the task Linden now faces. Quinn took over a wheezing, money-losing franchise and helped turned it into a high-scoring team that came within one game of winning the 1994 Stanley Cup final. "When you are first starting you know one thing," said Quinn. "I always wanted to be a team player. "No one person wins a hockey game, no one person builds a franchise. I got pretty lucky in putting this team together." In 280 games as a coach, Quinn had a record of 141 wins, 111 loses and 28 ties. With him behind the bench the Canucks won two division titles, five playoff rounds and he was voted coach of the year in 1991-92. As a general manager Quinn helped build the Canucks by drafting players like Linden and Pavel Bure. Quinn also traded for players like McLean, Cliff Ronning, Dave Babych, Jyrki Lumme, Greg Adams, Geoff Courtnall and Markus Naslund. It was through Quinn people like Brian Burke, Dave Nonis, Steve Tambellini and George McPhee received their first NHL jobs. Quinn played his junior hockey with the Edmonton Oil Kings, winning a Memorial Cup in 1963. He spent nine years as a player, playing defence for Vancouver, Toronto and Atlanta. He coached the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers. On the international stage, Quinn coached Team Canada to gold medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics and 2009 world junior championships. Quinn said the Canucks may have struggled this year but he sees hope for the future. "When I came here in the 1970s it was hard to find a Canuck fan," he said. "Now we are all Canuck fans. "Thanks for how you treated me." ' ' '