Dein erstes Forum » once again received 20 and 10 first-place votes

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Marlon Byrd cashed in on his comeback season. Byrd and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed Tuesday to a $16 million, two-year contract, a deal that came less than a year after he was playing in Mexicos winter league. The 36-year-old outfielder hit a career-high 24 homers last season for the New York Mets and Pittsburgh, which acquired him on Aug. 27. He batted .364 with one homer and five RBIs in six playoff games after hitting .291 during the season with 88 RBIs, one short of his career best. "Marlon adds a significant upgrade both offensively and defensively to our outfield," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement. "He has been particularly productive against left-handed pitching, which was a serious challenge for us this past season." Byrd was drafted by the Phillies and began his big league career in Philadelphia. His agreement calls for $8 million in each of the next two seasons and includes an $8 million team option for 2016, The option would become guaranteed if he has 1,100 at-bats in the next two seasons, including at least 550 in 2015, or 600 at-bats in 2015. "If you dont want to give up your first-round pick, Marlon Byrd is arguably the best available outfield bat," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. "We feared he was out of our price range immediately. We stayed engaged in the process, and Marlon and his agents talked about wanting to come back to Pittsburgh. He loved his time there. The environment and playing for a winner and playing in front of that fan base was something that really intrigued him." A career .280 hitter with 106 homers and 533 RBIs, Byrd was released by Boston in June 2012, then given a 50-game suspension 11 days later following a positive test for Tamoxifen, which can reduce side effects of steroid use and increase testosterone. At the time, Byrd said he mistakenly used the medication for a recurrence of a condition that earlier required surgery. He says he did not use it for performance enhancement. He played winter ball for the Tomateros de Culiacan (Culiacan Tomato Growers) and signed a minor league contract with the Mets on Feb. 1. He wound up on their big league roster for a base salary of $700,000 and earned another $100,000 in performance bonuses based on plate appearances. Both the dollars and the years offered by the Phillies were at a level the Pirates were unprepared to match in talks with agents Sam and Seth Levinson. "The timing really bit us, and Ruben did a great job of going out and getting his guy early -- what we did with Russ Martin a year ago," Huntington said. "We werent in a position to be able to move this quickly." Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said the deal was an indication of inflation in free-agent prices. "Had you asked me the question three or four months ago, I might have been surprised, but not in the light of whats happened since the end of the season," he said. "There havent been that many signings, but this one is consistent with the others." Philadelphia had sought a right-handed hitting outfielder with power since Jayson Werth left for Washington following the 2010 season. Ben Francisco, John Mayberry Jr. and Delmon Young werent solutions; Hunter Pence was acquired in July 2011 and traded a year later. Darin Ruf hit 14 homers in 251 at-bats last season while starting 27 games in right field, 15 in left and 28 at first base. But Ruf, a converted first baseman, is hardly the defensive player Byrd is and is viewed as a role player. Philadelphias outfielders hit .259 with 57 homers and a .407 slugging percentage this year. Byrd could be a major upgrade. "He is an experienced middle-of-the-order hitter who creates some balance to our lineup," Amaro said. "With his talent and clubhouse presence, we believe Marlon will be a solid addition to our club as we address our needs and plan to contend in 2014 and beyond." Byrd was once a prized prospect in the Phillies minor league system. He finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2003 after hitting .303, but struggled the next two seasons and was traded to Washington. Byrd has also played for Texas, the Chicago Cubs and Boston in a 12-year career with seven teams. He was an NL All-Star with the Cubs in 2010 and his best season before last year came with the Rangers in 2009 when he batted .283 with 20 homers and 89 RBIs. Max Scharping Jersey . Granato was an assistant for the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last five seasons, and he was also part of Team USAs staff at the 2014 Olympics. Arian Foster Jersey . The All Blacks played their best rugby of recent years when they beat South Africa 38-27 in Johannesburg two weeks ago, clinching the Rugby Championships in a match which has been hailed as one of the best ever played. http://www.cheaptexansjerseysauthentic.com/ . Western and the second-ranked Laval Rouge et Or (7-0) once again received 20 and 10 first-place votes from the Football Reporters of Canada panel, respectively. Rounding out the Top 10 are the Calgary Dinos (7-0), Queens Gaels (7-1), Guelph Gryphons (7-1), Montreal Carabins (5-2), Bishops Gaiters (5-2), McMaster Marauders (5-3), Manitoba Bisons (4-3) and the Saskatchewan Huskies (4-3) Western crushed York 50-10 last Saturday in its league finale to secure first place in the OUA standings and a bye in the first round of the conference playoffs. Andre Johnson Jersey . -- The Seattle Seahawks and wide receiver Sidney Rice have agreed to terms on a deal. Wholesale Texans Jerseys . His recovery time is expected to be six to eight months. Seidenberg was injured in the third period of Fridays 5-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators, when he got his leg tangled with forward Cory Conacher.SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Bracken Kearns didnt question his good luck. Skating from the bench, the 32-year-old centre saw the puck just sitting on the ice, and his eyes lit up. Kearns scored his first NHL goal, Logan Couture netted his 100th, and the San Jose Sharks broke Anaheims 10-game winning streak by beating the Ducks 3-1 on Sunday night. Brent Burns added a goal for the Sharks, who won their fourth straight. Antti Niemi stopped 30 shots in his 21st win of the season. "Thats a great story, isnt it?" Sharks coach Todd McLellan asked. "Theres also a lesson in it about believing in yourself and persevering." Kearns, a veteran of nearly 600 minor league games, played in just his seventh NHL contest. "It was just a loose puck," Kearns said. "This organization gave me an opportunity, and I just had to keep working at it and setting my goals high." Patrick Maroon scored for the Ducks, who lost for the first time in December and missed a chance for a club-record, seven-game winning streak on the road. Frederik Anderson made 20 saves but lost for the second time in 11 games this season. "Thats on us," Anderson said. "We know they come out strong, and you have to be ready from the start." Anaheim, which entered the game as the NHLs top team, also had a 13-game point streak stopped. "This was a big game for us," Ducks defenceman Cam Fowler said. "Now weve lost one in a row. You cant be satisfied with that." The teams will meet again at Anaheim on Tuesday night. "These are a huge two games and a huge four points," Sharks captain Joe Thornton said. "Theyve been kind of running away from the division, and we sort of grabbed them and pulled them back a little.dddddddddddd The next one is going to be another huge game." Burns opened the scoring 1:17 into the game. Joe Pavelski followed his blocked shot with a wraparound try that bounced straight to Burns, who found a crack between Anderson and a Ducks defender for the goal. Burns has eight points in his last seven games against the Ducks. The Sharks scored in the first 90 seconds of a game for the ninth time this season. Jason Demers recovered a loose puck to help set up Coutures goal midway through the first period. Couture beat one defender and then beat Anderson. "Its special because its a big number," Couture said. "I was stuck on 99 for a while." Midway through the second period, Kearns picked up the rebound from Andrew Desjardins shot and easily beat Anderson. "We should have known and played better in the first period," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We didnt meet their push early." Maroon scored his fifth goal in four games midway through the third period, with an assist from Corey Perry. NOTES: The Sharks have taken a 2-0 lead in the first period 14 times this season. . Sharks C Tommy Wingels left after slamming his head into the boards during the first period. . The Ducks havent scored on their past 21 power plays. . Thornton recorded an assist to move into a 25th-place tie with Alex Delvecchio (825) on the NHL career list. ... Maroon scored for the first time since Oct. 25. . The Sharks had 30 blocked shots, tying the franchise record for the most in a game. . The Ducks are the only team without a regulation loss at home. 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