News sport : Drew Brees tweets photo of son wearing Jimmy Graham jersey

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Saints quarterback Drew Brees said he was “shocked” to learn that All Pro tight end Jimmy Graham was traded to Seattle. Based on this tweet from Brees, his young son is going to miss Graham being in New Orleans, too.



Ever since he was drafted by the Saints in 2010, Graham has been a favorite target for Brees in the Saints’ high-powered offense. Graham averaged close to 90 receptions per season over the last four years and has 59 career touchdown catches, so his presence will be sorely missed on offense.


Graham, who changed his Twitter bio to read simply “Traded,” thanked his fans and teammates in a tweet Wednesday morning.



In exchange for Graham, New Orleans received the No. 31 overall pick from Seattle, along with Pro Bowl center Max Unger.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Kyle Lowry frustrated by Raptors' slow starts: 'We don’t need no kick in the ass'

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In the midst of yet another lackluster start that saw the San Antonio Spurs race out to an 11-point lead after one quarter and hold a 20-point advantage with 4 1/2 minutes left in the first half, Toronto Raptors leader and All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry lit into his teammates during a second-quarter timeout:


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The mid-frame freakout didn't pay immediate dividend as the Spurs continued to push the listing Raptors around, running their lead as high as 26 points on a Kawhi Leonard alley-oop dunk off a Tim Duncan feed with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter.


Toronto did mount a comeback, though, going small to spark a pair of third-quarter runs that chopped down the deficit and making it a two-possession game in the final four minutes of the fourth behind the attacking and shot-making of Lowry and Lou Williams. But the empire struck back, with Leonard and Danny Green giving San Antonio enough of an offensive boost down the stretch to seal a 117-107 victory that extended the Spurs' winning streak to six games and handed the Raptors their ninth loss in 10 games.


Since Feb. 1, the Raps have the NBA's seventh-worst record and sixth-worst defensive efficiency mark, a dismal run of form that has caused the team that once led the East to tumble down the standings to fourth place in the conference. While they're all but assured a top-four seed for winning the Atlantic Division — even with their struggles, the Raptors are still 11 games up on the Boston Celtics with 18 games left — they would not be guaranteed home-court advantage in their opening-round matchup if their opponent had a better record; the fifth-seeded Washington Wizards are just two games back in the standings entering Wednesday's action.


After the loss, Lowry — who finished with a game-high 32 points, with 24 coming after halftime and 17 in the fourth quarter — declined to share the specifics of his in-the-huddle comments ("It's not TV-friendly, so I'm not going to repeat it," he said with a laugh). But he did emphasize the importance of the Raptors getting off to better starts than they have been:



From Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun:


Lowry had cooled down marginally by the time the Raptors room opened to reporters but got hot again when asked if a first half like that might just be the kick in the behind his team needs to get to the level they had been playing at earlier in the year.

“It’s nine out of 10 (losses),” Lowry said dropping one more unprintable word before catching himself.

“We need to play. We don’t need no kick in the ass. We’ve literally been getting our ass kicked. So we shouldn’t need that type of first half. We should be able to go out and do it.”

The numbers bear out Lowry's assessment of Toronto's early-game struggles. Over the course of the full season, the Raptors have outscored their opposition in every quarter except the first, in which they've been outscored by 39 total points:



A look at the Raptors' statistical profile by quarter. (Via NBA Media Central)

The first-quarter slippage has come on both ends. The Raptors' offense — the unit that's carried the club this season, racking up buckets to the tune of 107.8 points per 100 possessions, the third-best mark in the NBA — has taken some time to get cranked up, and their defense — a calling card last year (ninth-best in the NBA) and a sympathy card this year (22nd among 30 teams at 104.6 points-per-100 allowed) — has taken some time to even get to mediocre:



A look at the Raps' efficiency by quarter. (Via NBA Media Central)

And, as luck would have it, the trend toward first-quarter pre-collapses has dovetailed entirely with the Raptors' post-January swoon. Toronto played opponents even-up in the first quarter through their first 48 games; they've rolled up that -39 mark solely in the last 16 games.


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Toronto has shot less accurately, turned the ball over more frequently, and allowed more second-chance and fast-break points in the first quarter than any other frame during its slide. The biggest drop-off has been on the offensive side of the ball, where the Raptors are generating buckets at a rate (93.7 points-per-100) that would top only the dead-last, league-worst Philadelphia 76ers (92 points-per-100) over the course of the full season.


Digging into that a bit, it seems like the biggest issue is a steady diet of early midrange jumpers. One-third of Toronto's first-quarter shots over the last 16 games have come between the paint and the 3-point arc, with stars Lowry (44.2 percent of his first-quarter looks from midrange) and DeMar DeRozan (a whopping 56.7 percent of his opening-frame shots) standing as the largest culprits. The backcourt leaders have combined for just about half of Toronto's first-quarter field-goal attempts (10.1 of 20.4) during this stretch, and both are shooting less than 37 percent in opening frames since the start of February as the Raptors have flagged.


Sluggishness, settling, low-value contested shots ... it's all a recipe for slow starts, putting the Raptors behind the eight-ball more often than not over the last five weeks. Coach Dwane Casey, for one, is sick of it, according to Josh Rubin of the Toronto Star:


“We shouldn’t have to wait to get kicked in the teeth and hit in the head before we start playing. It’s like I told the players, it doesn’t matter what seven or eight guys are out there doing it, as long as we are playing hard, playing with some intellect, playing together as a unit, it doesn’t matter who it is,” said Casey. [...]

“First half, that first quarter in particular, it was terrible. We played like we hadn’t seen each other before. They pushed us around, got to all the rebounds. I think they had 10 offensive rebounds in the first quarter. That set the tone for the rest of the game,” said Casey.

If there was one thing Casey took away as a positive, it was the performance of Lowry. Not just the 32 points he poured in, but the fire he showed in taking over the second quarter huddle.

“I was glad to see somebody had a give-a-crap level. That’s what it has to be about and it shouldn’t be just one guy. I should have two, three or four guys upset and teed off that we are playing that way. I shouldn’t be the only one jumping up and down and going crazy and cursing guys out or getting on guys,” said Casey.

It's true that Lowry's fire matters and is, generally, a positive for the Raptors. If Toronto's going to stem its slide and begin to climb back to the top of the conference, though, the answer might be a little less fire and a little more commitment to generating the sorts of looks on the interior and from beyond the arc that have made them one of the league's best offenses over the course of the past two seasons. A few more pushes and a few fewer pull-ups could help Toronto pull itself out of this tailspin before it's too late.


More NBA coverage:



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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






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News sport : Jets reportedly acquire QB Ryan Fitzpatrick from Texans

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The New York Jets have reportedly added a piece to their depth chart at quarterback.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jets have acquired veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick from the Houston Texans in exchange for a late-round conditional pick. The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the pick involved is a 2016 seventh-rounder that can become a sixth-round pick if Fitzpatrick meets a certain amount of playing time.


Fitzpatrick started 12 games for the Texans last season, but was the odd man out after Houston reportedly brought in Brian Hoyer from Cleveland and re-signed Ryan Mallett. Now the Jets hope that Fitzpatrick can provide a needed veteran presence to pair with 2013 second-round pick Geno Smith, who has had an up-and-down career thus far.


Fitzpatrick – a 10-year veteran who went 6-6 as a starter last year – threw for 2,483 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 63.1 percent of his passes in his only season with the Texans. By joining the Jets, Fitzpatrick is set to reunite with Chan Gailey, the Jets’ new offensive coordinator who coached Fitzpatrick in Buffalo from 2010-2012.


Fitzpatrick made 45 starts under Gailey, throwing for 10,232 yards and 71 touchdowns, but he won just 16 of those starts and turned the ball over a whopping 67 times (54 interceptions, 13 fumbles lost).


No, he isn’t the much-needed upgrade at quarterback that Jets have been clamoring for for years, but Fitzpatrick had a decent year for Houston and is an affordable and fairly reliable backup for new head coach Todd Bowles.


The 32-year-old Fitzpatrick has a year remaining on his contract at $3.25 million.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Kurt Busch reinstated by NASCAR and is eligible for Chase

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Kurt Busch was reinstated by NASCAR on Wednesday and is eligible for the Chase.


“As we stated last week, the elimination of the possibility of criminal charges removed a significant impediment to Kurt Busch’s return to full status as a NASCAR member,” Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president said in a statement. “We therefore have decided to move him to indefinite probation and waive the Chase requirement. He has fully complied with our reinstatement program during his suspension and the health care expert who conducted his evaluation recommended his immediate return.


“We have made it very clear to Kurt Busch our expectations for him moving forward, which includes participation in a treatment program and full compliance with all judicial requirements as a result of his off-track behavior.”


Busch was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR on Friday, Feb. 20 after the release of a decision following the grant of a protection order against his ex-girlfriend. In the decision, a Delaware county commissioner wrote it was more likely than not that Busch committed an act of abuse against Patricia Driscoll on Friday, Sept. 26.


However, the Delaware attorney general announced last week that Busch wouldn't face criminal charges saying there was insufficient evidence.


With his reinstatement, Busch's suspension will have covered three races: Daytona, Atlanta and Las Vegas.


"We appreciate the steps Kurt Busch has made while following NASCAR's process for reinstatement," SHR executive vice president Joe Custer said in a statement. "He has taken this path seriously, which allowed him to return to our race team. With his reinstatement and the conclusion by the Delaware Attorney General to not file charges, our focus is on the future."


Drivers are required to attempt to qualify for each NASCAR race to be eligible for the Chase. However, NASCAR holds the right to grant a waiver for drivers to be eligible for the Chase and has previously done so with Brian Vickers and Tony Stewart. This is the first time NASCAR has used the waiver with a suspension and possibly creates a curious precedent of allowing drivers to violate NASCAR's rules enough for a suspension while still granting them postseason eligibility.


Chase eligibility for Busch doesn't seem like that much of a stretch either, provided he wins a race. To make the Chase, a driver must win a race and be in the top 30 in points or have enough points to fill the remaining Chase positions assuming there aren't 16 drivers with wins.


While Busch won't likely be able to accomplish the latter requirement, a win would do a lot to get him in the Chase. Last year's 30th place driver, David Gilliland averaged less than 16 points per race. On that standard, Busch would need to average a 25th place finish to get in to the top 30 of the points standings by Richmond in September.


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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Random Recap: The 1991 Pyroil 500

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Welcome to Random Recaps, our new weekly feature at From The Marbles. In this space, we'll recap a race from the past at the track the where Sprint Cup Series is racing next.


This week's race is the 1991 Pyroil 500. Need to know how Random Recap works? Click here.


Davey Allison closed the points gap on Dale Earnhardt in the 1991 Pyroil 500, though with Earnhardt's top 10, the Intimidator still has a strong grip on the title.


Allison led 162 of the race's 312 laps on the way to his fifth victory of the season. The five wins are the most 30-year-old Allison has ever won in a season. He now has 13 career victories.


He entered the race needing a great finish and some trouble for Earnhardt to have a shot for the championship at next week's race at Atlanta. He got the first part, but Earnhardt, who didn't lead a lap, finished ninth, a lap off the pace. Just six cars finished on the lead lap.


Earnhardt's finish means that Allison only gained 47 points and is now 156 points back. Had Earnhardt finished in front of Allison at Phoenix (or just behind him), he would have clinched the 1991 Winston Cup championship.


After qualifying 13th, Allison didn't storm to the front of the field. He took the lead for the first time on lap 140 under caution for the crash of Bill Schmitt. He took the lead again on lap 147 after the restart and led the next 111 laps. His final pit stop was under green and after the field cycled through, Allison led the final 50 laps to beat Darrell Waltrip to the line by more than 11 seconds. Sterling Marlin, Alan Kulwicki and Rusty Wallace rounded out the top five.


Ricky Rudd finished 11th in his Rick Hendrick Tide Chevy and is third in the points standings, nine behind Allison.


(Epilogue: Allison ended up finishing 17th at Atlanta the next week while Earnhardt finished fifth to clinch his fifth title. Allison was passed by Rudd in the standings and finished third in the points. In 1992, he again won five races and again finished third in the points. Then, in 1993, he was gone.)


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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Chip Kelly stays busy, signs CB Walter Thurmond; Ryan Mathews next?

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Chip Kelly is staying busy.

After making headlines by swapping Nick Foles for Sam Bradford on Tuesday, the Eagles officially announced two more signings Wednesday morning, while another could be on the way.


First, Philly added another former Seahawk to its secondary by agreeing to a one-year deal with cornerback Walter Thurmond III. Thurmond, who played with fellow recent Eagles signee Byron Maxwell for three seasons in Seattle, is coming off a one-year stint with the Giants.


After excelling as a nickel corner during his time in Seattle, Thurmond missed most of his lone year in New York due to a torn pectoral muscle he suffered in Week 2.


Adding to the intrigue, Thurmond is the 10th former Oregon Duck to join the Eagles roster under Kelly, who coached Oregon from 2009-12. Thurmond played under Kelly in 2009.


Thurmond could potentially start opposite Maxwell on the outside, but the Eagles also have Brandon Boykin and Nolan Carroll under contract as well on a defense that quickly looks pretty solid. In addition to signing Maxwell and Thurmond, the Eagles added Kiko Alonso and re-signed Brandon Graham at linebacker.


On the offensive side of the ball, the Eagles re-signed quarterback Mark Sanchez to a two-year contract that’s reportedly worth “as much as $16 million.”


After Foles broke his collarbone against the Houston Texans in Week 9, Sanchez assumed the starting role for the Eagles and threw for 2,418 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 64.1 percent of his passes.


Of more interest to Eagles fans is the reported signing of running back Ryan Mathews, formerly of the San Diego Chargers. Mathews struggled with injuries last year, but has been very productive when healthy. He played in only six games in 2014, but played in all 16 games and had a career-high 1,255 yards for the Chargers in 2013.


The reported signing of Mathews, a first round pick in the 2010 draft, comes after Frank Gore reportedly had a change of heart on an agreement to head to Philly. Instead, Gore had second thoughts and signed with Indianapolis on Tuesday.


If the signing comes to fruition, Mathews replaces Pro Bowler LeSean McCoy, who the Eagles sent to Buffalo for Alonso in a trade that became official on Tuesday.


Since assuming general manager duties earlier in the offseason, Kelly has wasted no time in reshaping the Eagles’ roster – especially on offense. Foles, McCoy and wideout Jeremy Maclin are all out the door, leaving many wondering what exactly Kelly has up his sleeve.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Report: Iowa QB Jake Rudock to transfer

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Iowa QB Jake Rudock won't be returning in 2015.


Per Fox Sports, Rudock has decided to transfer and could possibly visit Michigan. He's a graduate transfer upon graduation in May and would be eligible to play immediately at his next school.



When Iowa released its depth chart in January, a week after its TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Tennessee, C.J. Beathard was listed as the starter over Rudock, who got the majority of playing time in 2014.


Rudock, a junior in 2014, was 213-345 passing for 2,436 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. Those are numbers that many teams wouldn't comlain about. Beathard, a sophomore, was 52-92 passing for 645 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.


Both quarterbacks saw time in the 45-28 loss to the Volunteers, but Beathard played considerably more. He was 13-23 passing for 145 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while Rudock was 2-8 passing for 32 yards. Rudock started the final game of the regular season against Nebraska (a 37-34 loss) and was 19-38 passing for two touchdowns and an interception. It was his first game not above a 50 percent completion percentage since a win over Pitt in September.


According to HawkeyeReport.com, Rudock's transfer situation has been brewing for some time. The site posted in February that Rudock hadn't been working out with the team and was instead working out with the seniors whose eligiblity was up after the 2014 season. Plus, the team had been notified that Rudock wasn't returning.


Michigan has an opening for another experienced quarterback in 2015. Shane Morris is a junior, but the quarterbacks behind him are young. Former Houston QB John O'Korn announced he was transferring to Michigan in February, but O'Korn will have to sit out the 2015 season.


For more Iowa news, visit HawkeyeReport.com.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Addington fined, Wolfe on probation for Vegas infractions

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NASCAR announced Tuesday evening that two crew chiefs were disciplined after Sunday's race at Las Vegas.


Steve Addington, the crew chief for Justin Allgaier, was fined $25,000. Allgaier's car was too light in post-race inspection. Weight to make the car hit minimum weight came off during the race and was found on the track. Addington's fine is because of both incidents.



20.3.5: Added ballast containers:

a. Any and all ballast added to the vehicle must be bolted inside an added ballast container, inside the main frame rails, and/or inside the front sway bar.

b. Added ballast must be secured in a manner that will prevent movement of the ballast during an event. 20.17.2.2: Overall vehicle weight after competition:

b. After a vehicle has raced, only water in the radiator, oil in the engine reservoir tank, and fuel in the fuel cell may be added. Wheels and tires may not be changed, unless otherwise authorized by NASCAR Officials.

c. After a vehicle has raced, the minimum overall vehicle weight of all vehicles must be within 0.5% of the minimum overall vehicle weight required at the start of the race.



According to NASCAR's new penalty system, it's a P3 penalty.


Paul Wolfe, the crew chief for Brad Keselowski's car, was put on probation until the end of the year. Before qualifying on Friday, the No. 2 car had to go through inspection after it was on the grid. NASCAR said it found both the right and left rear wheel openings were modified after qualifying inspection



20.4.b: Body – All approved OEM-manufactured body components must be used as supplied except as required to stiffen, or to attach to other vehicle components. Tolerances from CAD surfaces and template tolerances are provided to allow for manufacturing, fabrication, and installation variability;

20.4.2: Surface Conformance – Coordinate measuring machines, scanning equipment, and templates, among other tools, will be used to inspect body surfaces for conformance to the approved OEM and NASCAR CAD files.



Wolfe's probation is a P2 level penalty. Both crew chiefs were also penalized for the always-applicable actions detrimental to stock car racing.


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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Fantasy Baseball Position Primer: Middle Infield

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Not so long ago, back when middle infielders were supposed to look like this dude or this dude, we expected the best of them to hit 30-plus home runs. Today, in a much different run-scoring environment, our projections for second basemen and shortstops are relatively modest.


[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball: Sign up and join a league today!]


Only six middle infielders reached the 20-homer plateau last season, and none topped Ian Desmond's 24. Only four middles finished the year with more than 80 RBIs, and none reached 100. Banking on significant production in the power categories from these spots, is ... well, it's probably a terrible plan.


Generally speaking, the pool of second basemen and shortstops is rich with players who can produce useful-if-not-spectacular power/speed totals — guys like Alexei, Jimmy, Howie and Kolten. The middle also offers a small number of players with zero power, but top-tier speed — burners like Dee, Elvis and Alcides. If you pass on the early-round options at second and short, you can at least find a one-cat specialist later in your draft.


But really, all you're guaranteed to find at these positions — up and down your draft board — are pressing questions. For example...


Can Troy Tulowitzki possibly stay healthy after averaging only 88 games-played over his last three seasons? (Sure, you can do well with 90 games from Tulo, plus 70 from a scrap-heap shortstop. But he's a high-maintenance managerial experience, a dice-roll as a top-20 pick. Much easier to own in mixed than only.)


Will Dee Gordon ever again be the guy we saw last spring, when he slashed .344/.375/.478 in March and April, then ran with impunity in May (21 SB)?


Can Javier Baez somehow not strike out 250 times, if he plays a full season?


Is there a bounce-back coming for Dustin Pedroia? Or Jason Kipnis? Or Jean Segura? Where does Jose Altuve's average go, a year after posting that .360 BABIP? When does Addison Russell join the party, and what would that mean for Starlin Castro? Why are we still drafting Elvis Andrus, like, 90 picks ahead of Alcides Escobar? And is owning Brett Lawrie a bad idea, or a really, really bad idea?


We're dealing with a lot of issues here, and that list above is just a sampler. These spots present uncommon risk, but there's no shortage of talent in the upper tiers. Let's review...


---


Position averages for the top-20 second basemen, last three years


2014 — 76.8 R, 12.3 HR, 62.2 RBIs, 13.2 SB, .281 AVG

2013 — 73.2 R, 13.8 HR, 68.0 RBIs, 11.1 SB, .281 AVG

2012 — 79.1 R, 16.1 HR, 70.4 RBIs, 13.7 SB, .275 AVG


---


SECOND BASE TIERS

TIER ONE


Robinson Cano

Anthony Rendon

Jose Altuve


TIER TWO


Ian Kinsler

Dee Gordon

Brian Dozier

Dustin Pedroia

Jason Kipnis


TIER THREE


Kolten Wong

Mookie Betts

Daniel Murphy

Howie Kiendrick

Neil Walker

Josh Harrison

Ben Zobrist

Chase Utley


TIER FOUR


Brett Lawrie

Jedd Gyorko

Javier Baez

Martin Prado

Asdrubal Cabrera

Brandon Phillips

Aaron Hill

Arismendy Alcantra

Scooter Gennett

Rougned Odor

Marcus Semien

Bradley Miller


TIER FIVE


Chris Owings

DJ LeMahieu

Didi Gregorius

Wilmer Flores

Emilio Bonifacio

Jose Peraza

Omar Infante

Joe Panik

Luis Valbuena

Jonathan Schoop

Josh Rutledge

Stephen Drew

Alexander Guerrero

Jose Ramirez

Yangervis Solarte

Micah Johnson


[Want to join a league and live draft right now? Go to the Yahoo Draft Lobby ]



Javier Baez, spring training beast (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

Position averages for the top-20 shortstops, last three years


2014 — 70.3 R, 11.3 HR, 56.9 RBIs, 16.6 SB, .271 AVG

2013 — 67.5 R, 12.5 HR, 58.8 RBIs, 14.2 SB, .274 AVG

2012 — 74.9 R, 14.2 HR, 63.3 RBIs, 18.9 SB, .271 AVG


---


SHORTSTOP TIERS

TIER ONE


Hanley Ramirez

Ian Desmond

Troy Tulowitzki


TIER TWO


Jose Reyes

Alexei Ramirez

Elvis Andrus


TIER THREE


Jimmy Rollins

Starlin Castro

Ben Zobrist


TIER FOUR


Xander Bogaerts

Erick Aybar

Jhonny Peralta

Alcides Escobar

Danny Santana

Jean Segura

Javier Baez

JJ Hardy

Asdrubal Cabrera

Jed Lowrie

Bradley Miller

Andrelton Simmons


TIER FIVE


Chris Owings

Jung-Ho Kang

Jordy Mercer

Didi Gregorius

Jose Peraza

Brandon Crawford

Everth Cabrera

Josh Rutledge

Wilmer Flores

Yunel Escobar

Jose Iglesias

Francisco Lindor

Jose Ramirez

Stephen Drew

Mike Aviles

Addison Russell

Adainy Hechavarria

Eric Sogard

Jonathan Villar

Chris Taylor






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Dube Birds in free fall

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Darkness has descended over Moroka Swallows and the man carrying the matches has dropped it in the tunnel.


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Darkness has descended over Moroka Swallows and the man carrying the matches has dropped it in the tunnel.


In their current state and under the present management, the once Beautiful Dube Birds are fast flapping their way into oblivion. And unlike in previous seasons, there seems no escaping this one.


With due respect to Leon Prins who has been at the club’s helm for a while now, there is just no direction at Swallows. And frankly, what they need is a complete overhaul, a new management with a completely different outlook and understanding of the game.


That though, is unlikely to happen soon with Swallows generally being deemed a bad investment by many. A few influential people have previously expressed interest in buying the club only to be apparently turned off by Swallows’ supposed big tax debt. And now as the club stares relegation in the face following the weekend’s defeat by Platinum Stars who pushed Fani Madida and his boys down to the precarious play-off spot in 15th position, no sound businessman will be casting his eye the club’s way.


Over the years when Swallows flirted with demotion there was a generally cry in the soccer fraternity with people complaining that such an institution of the local game cannot be allowed to go down.


But there is none now, most disappointed at Swallows’ seeming failure to heed lessons from their close shaves with the chop. And then there’s the mysterious club ownership that has taken on even much more mystery following the death of previously purported German owner Dieter Bok.


Prins has not been forthcoming as to what is the club’s actual ownership position since Bok ‘choked on a piece of steak’ and the CEO’s battles with the club’s minority shareholders have served to alienate even the club’s sympathisers.


And as they try in vain to avoid relegation, there are many who are beginning to feel that perhaps demotion to the lower league would serve as a wake-up call to the club.


For a side that nearly won the championship no less than four seasons ago and bagged a knockout trophy immediately thereafter, Swallows’ failure to attract quality players is disappointing.


That they continue to play the role of ‘retirement village’ for a number of washed up former stars deemed surplus to requirements by other clubs while importing pretty ordinary players from eastern Europe, tells the story of a club lacking in ambition.


Murmurs of a discontented dressing-room just do not want to die away as Madida struggles to get the team going and their showings on the pitch often serve to confirm all is not well.


Maybe what Swallows need is a relegation wake-up call! - The Star






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Reserve team humiliation for Falcao

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Radamel Falcao’s miserable stint at Manchester United hit a new low last night when he was dumped into the reserves by manager Louis van Gaal.


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Radamel Falcao’s miserable stint at Manchester United hit a new low last night when he was dumped into the reserves by manager Louis van Gaal.


Falcao has not played a minute for United’s first team since being dragged off in the home win over Sunderland last month and was left on the bench as Van Gaal’s team were knocked out of the FA Cup by Arsenal on Monday night.


Now the £250,000-a-week loan signing from Monaco has suffered the indignity of being made to play in the Under 21s against Tottenham. He didn’t score and was taken off as it ended 1-1.


The Colombia striker’s demotion underlines Van Gaal’s concern over his fitness. The United manager usually asks senior players to play at this level only if they are on their way back from injury.


Falcao has been injury-free since recovering from a thigh strain in November and is unlikely to be pleased at being asked to drop down a level when he is desperate to prove he is worth a permanent deal.


Having scored only four times in six months,Falcao’s chances of being retained in the summer are almost nil. But he feels he has not always been given a fair crack of the whip by Van Gaal.


Sportsmail reported earlier this year that the 29-year-old feels he has to work twice as hard to impress Van Gaal than other players. – Daily Mail






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Chelsea racism victim declines invite

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The black man blocked from boarding a Paris Metro by Chelsea fans chanting racist slogans said he would not accept an invitation to attend the Chelsea-Paris Saint-Germain match.


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Paris - The black man blocked from boarding a Paris Metro by Chelsea fans chanting racist slogans said he was still traumatised and would not accept an invitation from the soccer club to attend the Chelsea-Paris Saint-Germain match in London.


Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had invited the French man named only as Souleymane to Wednesday's second-leg match at Stamford Bridge.


“I won't go. They can't buy me with a little piece of paper. I'm not a child,” Souleymane told RTL radio. “I don't want to sit in that stadium next to those people who pushed me.”


Last month, a group of Chelsea fans chanting “We're racist and that's the way we like it” pushed Souleymane back as he tried to board a metro train before the 1-1 Champions League draw against PSG.


Mourinho said he was disgusted by the behaviour of the fans, five of whom were suspended from attending matches after being identified through amateur video footage.


Souleymane said he was no longer sleeping at night.


“I still hear the voices of those people who pushed me because of the colour of my skin,” he said. “I can't go to work anymore. I live with racism but it's the first time I've had to go to a doctor to ask for pills to calm myself down.”


Following the incident, London and Paris police launched investigations and Chelsea has said the club could issue banning orders for life.


“I want these people to be prosecuted and justice to be done,” Souleymane said. “Racism must stop.” – Reuters






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Real playing very badly - Ancelotti

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Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti did not mince his words after the Champions League holders managed to get past Schalke 04 into the quarter-finals by the skin of their teeth.


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Madrid - Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti did not mince his words after the Champions League holders managed to get past Schalke 04 into the quarter-finals by the skin of their teeth and were whistled off the pitch.


Real slumped to a stunning 4-3 home reverse to the battling Bundesliga side, who came within a goal of pulling off a remarkable upset after losing last month's first leg in Gelsenkirchen 2-0.


“There are problems across the board,” the Italian told a news conference. “In attack, in defence, in a lack of fight, motivation and concentration,” he added.


“It is not good for our image and that of the club. The whistles were totally justified.


“We have to work harder and focus more. We have to have more of everything.”


It was the latest poor performance from Ancelotti's expensively-assembled team, who surrendered top spot in La Liga to Barcelona when they were beaten 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao at the weekend, and their first home defeat in Europe's elite club competition since April 2011.


In recent weeks, Real have been a shadow of the side that romped to a Spanish record 22 straight wins at the end of last year and Ancelotti said Tuesday's showing confirmed the team were playing “very badly”.


Real have little time to set things right with a trip to Barca for the La Liga 'Clasico' looming on March 22.


Barca's front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez have been in prolific form since the turn of the year, while Real's forwards Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale have gone off the boil.


Ronaldo did score twice on Tuesday, taking his tally in European competition to a record 78 goals, but it did not mask what was a generally disappointing showing from the team.


One bright spot was the return from a long-term injury of Luka Modric, who came on as a second-half substitute.


Real have missed the control he gives them in central midfield and he was given a huge ovation when he replaced the ineffective Sami Khedira.


“He will give us more control of the ball, so we are more effective,” Ancelotti said.


“We can't demand too much of him, we have to take things slowly. He played well for 30 minutes and he will help us.” - Reuters






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News sport : Jason Worilds, coveted free agent linebacker, retires at 27

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It's hard to criticize NFL players for retiring while they're still in their athletic prime, with whatever health they have left and money they've accumulated. It's not an easy profession.


Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jason Worilds became the third player to retire from the NFL in recent days, despite what was likely to be a big contract in free agency. He is just 27. He joins quarterback Jake Locker and linebacker Patrick Willis in early retirement. Locker and Willis walked away at 26 and 30 years old this week, respectively.


Worilds' agent Jason Bernstein sent out a four-part message on Twitter from Worilds on his decision.



"I appreciate all of the interest from the organizations that have reached out to us the past few days," Worilds said, via Bernstein's Twitter posts. "With that being said, after much thought and consideration I have chosen to step away from football as I have opted to pursue other interests. I am especially grateful of the opportunity to play before some of the greatest fans in football today. Despite any concern and speculation that may ensue, I appreciate those that are respectful of my decision."



There's no question Worilds would have landed with some team and made a good salary for the next few years, as one of the top pass rushers on the free-agent market. The Steelers put the transition tag on him last year, which paid him $9.75 million. He had a good year too, with seven-and-a-half sacks. Since becoming a regular starter in 2013 Worilds had 15.5 sacks in 31 games.


But again, the NFL is not always an easy life, no matter how much they get paid. Willis said he walked away because of injuries to his feet, aware of other players who had suffered physically after retirement. Locker had dealt with injuries too and said he didn't have the desire necessary to play professionally anymore.


Most people can't imagine walking away from the glamourous side of the NFL, especially with the chance to make a small fortune for a few more years. But Worilds, like Willis and Locker, just didn't want to play anymore, no matter the paycheck. It's understandable.


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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Ticket punched: Valparaiso wins defensive battle to capture Horizon title

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Valparaiso went more than 6 minutes without scoring in the first half of its Horizon League championship game battle with Green Bay on Tuesday night, but the Phoenix endured an even uglier stretch in the second half and Valparaiso took full advantage in its 54-44 win.


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The Crusaders went on a 15-0 run over an 8-minute span to take charge and pull away capturing the league championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years.


It was a defensive struggle on both ends. Green Bay's long scoreless stretch was a product of poor shooting. The Phoenix made only 30 percent of its shots and 13 percent from behing the 3-point line.


Valparaiso made only 37 percent of its field goal attempts and 28 percent from behind the arc in a battle of the two worst free throw shooting teams in the Horizon League. Only three players scored in double figures for both teams combined. Green Bay got 14 points from guard Keifer Sykes.


E. Victor Nickerson scored six of his 11 points for Valparaiso in the final 6 minutes, including a drive to the basket in the final minute that gave the Crusaders the breathing room they needed. David Skara came off the bench to lead the Crusaders with 12 points. He made two of his four 3-point attempts.


Valparaiso won its 28th game of the season and could be seeded as high as No. 12 when the selection committee completes its work on Sunday.


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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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