#1

tays to provide a cornerstone for a team out of contention but worth watching. ”We have young play

in Events im JuZ Idstein 11.10.2018 11:34
von elaine95 • 481 Beiträge

The Oakland Raiders released pass rusher Aldon Smith on Monday after his latest run-in with the law.

The Raiders retained Smith’s contractual rights even as he spent the past two seasons on the NFL’s suspended list. But the team decided finally to cut ties one day after San Francisco police said authorities were searching for Smith in connection with a domestic violence allegation.

San Francisco police said Monday an arrest warrant has been obtained for Smith stemming from allegations that Smith assaulted a woman on Saturday night. Smith left before police arrived to respond to the 911 call and authorities are working with Smith’s attorney to arrange a time for him to surrender.

Smith is facing misdemeanor charges of willful infliction of corporal injury Authentic JK Scott Jersey , assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, false imprisonment and vandalism, according to Sgt. Michael Andraychak.

Smith has been on the suspended list since November 2015 for violating the NFL’s policy on substance abuse. The Raiders had signed Smith to a two-year contract before the 2016 season, but he never was cleared by the league to return from suspension.

Smith was one of the league’s top pass rushers before off-field problems derailed his career. He set an NFL record with 33 sacks his first two seasons after being drafted in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers in 2011.

He helped the Niners make it to the NFC title game as a rookie and the Super Bowl the following year. But the off-field issues started mounting the following season when he missed five games to undergo treatment at an inpatient facility following a DUI arrest.

Smith was then suspended the first nine games in 2014 while serving an NFL suspension for violations of the league’s substance abuse and personal conduct policies. San Francisco then released him in August 2015 after another drunken driving charge – his fifth arrest in three years.

He signed with Oakland just before the start of the 2015 season and had 3 sacks in nine games before being suspended again for at least one year.

Smith applied for reinstatement to the NFL in 2016, but that decision was initially deferred until the offseason and he never was granted reinstatement.

Smith has played 59 games over five seasons in the NFL with 47 sacks and one first-team All-Pro honor in 2012.



By one reading of the Derek Jeter meter, not much has changed with the Miami Marlins since he took over.

They have by far the worst run differential in the National League. Their record has been the NL’s worst for much of the season. They’re a distant last in the majors in attendance.

But within the franchise, optimism is the highest it has been since unpopular owner Jeffrey Loria put the Marlins up for sale in early 2017. Evidence suggests the new ownership group, including CEO Jeter, has the organization headed in the right direction.

Just look at the standings: Thanks to a recent surge, the young Marlins (41-57) are not even last in the NL East. And opponents rave.

”They’re better than their record shows,” Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw said. ”Their lineup is not bad. They’ve got a couple of guys who can throw a little bit. Their bullpen guys are pretty good – guys who will probably get traded here in the next couple of weeks. They’re not just a rollover team.”

OK, so maybe that’s not a rave. But the Marlins started the season 20-39, so not being a rollover represents progress. By beginning to win, they’re beginning to win over skeptics who doubted new ownership’s pledge to turn things around.

”Jeter addressed it in a speech in spring training,” veteran third baseman Martin Prado says. ”Nobody believed it.”

After the Marlins traded Giancarlo Stanton Adidas Vladimir Tarasenko Jersey , Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna and Dee Gordon last offseason, there were predictions the team might be historically bad.

Instead, despite a patchwork rotation and lineup, the Marlins have gone 21-18 since June 5. They won their final two series before the All-Star break against first-place teams Milwaukee and Philadelphia. Lately, they’ve showed a knack for comebacks and fared well in close games.

Attendance remains awful, but Saturday’s crowd of 14,793 was the largest at Marlins Park since April 14. Perhaps word is spreading the Marlins are surprisingly entertaining.

”We’ve created an identity as to who we are, how we play, what kind of games we’re in,” manager Don Mattingly said. ”I like our spirit. Our guys play hard every day, and when we’re in tight games we seem to be getting better and better. The only thing not to like is our record.”

And the record is largely beside the point. For Miami, this season is about finding and developing young players to build around.

”We’re getting better and better every single day, I feel like,” right-hander Dan Straily said. ”You start to see guys relaxing and kind of become themselves as players. Younger guys start to realize Niles Paul Jersey , `Man, I really can play here. I really do belong here.’ And that’s when you start to see more wins.”

The offseason trades allowed Jeter to replenish a woeful farm system. The Marlins are now awash in prospects, with predictably mixed results.

Young pitchers Trevor Richards, Pablo Lopez, Jarlin Garcia, Tayron Guerrero and Sandy Alcantara have showed flashes of promise, but rotation turnover has been such that no active starter has more than three wins. While Brian Anderson blossoms in his first full big league season, ranking sixth in the NL with 109 hits, highly touted Lewis Brinson is batting .186 with 94 strikeouts.

Young relievers Kyle Barraclough, Drew Steckenrider and Adam Conley have transformed the bullpen into a strength. But all will draw the attention of contenders as the trade deadline approaches – thus Shaw’s prediction about departing relievers.

All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto is also the subject of trade speculation, and if he departs the 2018 Marlins might yet lose 110 games. Or maybe Realmuto stays to provide a cornerstone for a team out of contention but worth watching.

”We have young players who have never had 500 or 600 at-bats in a season,” Prado said. ”It’s going to be exciting to see the second half from this young core.”

nach oben springen


Besucher
0 Mitglieder und 19 Gäste sind Online

Forum Statistiken
Das Forum hat 19455 Themen und 77011 Beiträge.

Xobor Forum Software von Xobor | Forum, Fotos, Chat und mehr mit Xobor