|
SEATTLE -- Lloyd McClendon is bringing an entirely new coaching staff to Seattle, although a number of his additions have ties to the Mariners organization.Adidas ZX 700 Uomo . McClendon announced his coaching staff on Monday, with only two of his hires coming from outside of the club. Instead, McClendon is promoting a number of coaches from the minors and still holding out the possibility that one coach may return from the previous staff under Eric Wedge but in a different role. "Obviously, there is some advantage to having some guys from within the organization," McClendon said. "If you have the opportunity to promote from within, No. 1 its healthy for the organization, and No. 2 if those guys are qualified individuals it becomes an A-plus. ... All those guys fit that bill." Howard Johnson, the former New York Mets third baseman, will take over as Seattles hitting coach after serving in that role for the organization at Triple-A Tacoma last season. Hell replace Dave Hansen who was with the club for only one season but may return as Johnsons assistant. Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said Hansen has an offer to return as the clubs assistant hitting coach if he does not find another major league job. Rick Waits will move from minor league pitching co-ordinator to Seattles pitching coach, while John Stearns will be the third-base coach and Chris Woodward will be the infield coach. Stearns finished the 2013 season as Tacomas manager after Daren Brown was added to the major league staff, while Woodward was a roving minor-league infield co-ordinator. McClendon said he was impressed by Waits and his view of how a pitching staff should be handled. "He really blew me away from the interview process," McClendon said. "(He) represented everything I wanted in a pitching coach." McClendon is bringing in Andy Van Slyke (first-base coach) and Mike Rojas (bullpen coach) from outside the organization. Van Slyke has been out of coaching since 2009 when he left the staff in Detroit, where he worked with McClendon. He reached out to McClendon to express his interest in returning to coaching in Seattle. "He was excited for the opportunity to coach with me again," McClendon said. "Andy Is probably the most impressive practice coach I have ever been around." McClendon previously announced that Trent Jewett will serve as his bench coach. The team said that bullpen catcher Jason Phillips and Scott Budner (left-handed batting practice pitcher) would return, and Zduriencik said if Brown does not find another major league job he has already signed a contract for a minor league position in the Mariners organization. Nike Air Max 90 Prezzo . The Indians scored twice in the top of the ninth, getting the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by closer Matt Lindstrom. Axford (0-1) came in seeking his fifth save in as many chances. Nike Scarpe Air Max 90 Uomo Prezzi . The Oilers have the third selection in Friday nights first round, a year after taking Darnell Nurse seventh and two years removed from a streak of three consecutive No.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Top-seeded Serena Williams faced some early struggles before defeating Russias Ekaterina Makarova 7-6 (8), 6-0 in the second round of the Dubai Championships on Tuesday. Williams, playing in Dubai courtesy of a wild card, has been sidelined with a back injury since losing to Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round of the Australian Open last month. It took Williams the first set to adjust to the left-handed Makarovas ability to jam many of her shots into the top-ranked Americans body. "I felt a little rusty, but it was OK," Williams said. "Body is fine. I just had to get my feet moving, but it was OK." The 24th-ranked Makarova broke Williams serve in the first game of the match and was serving for the set at 5-4. Thats when the Russian played an error-riddled game to allow Williams to even the score to 5-5. Williams had one set point on Makarovas serve in the 12th game, but smacked a backhand return over the baseline. In the tiebreaker, Makarova had two set points at 6-4 and 6-5, but couldnt take advantage of the opportunities. Williams took the first set on her third set point in the tiebreaker when Makarova shipped a forehand long. "I was really telling myself to stay positive, because I was making a lot of errors that I normally dont make, and my serve just wasnt popping the way it normally is," Williams said. "It definitely got better in the second set." In the second set, the real Serena Williams showed up and raced to a 5-0 lead. However, she had trouble serving out the final game of the match -- facing three break points before winning on her second match point when Makarova made a forehand error. "She never gives up, and in that last game she started playing even better," Williams said. "I knew that I wanted to close it out there, because shed probably feel comfortablle with holding serve and it would have been a longer match. Adidas Zx Flux Prezzo. " Williams now plays Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic or fifth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia in the quarter-finals. Earlier, Ivanovic sent sixth-seeded Angelique Kerber packing 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6). The former top-ranked Ivanovic had three match points on Kerbers serve in the 12th game but couldnt close it out against the German who reached last weeks Doha final. Ivanovic even faced a battle in the tiebreaker. The Serbian led 5-1, but Kerber battled back to where she even had a match point at 6-5. "The first two sets a little bit too many errors on my side and a little bit from her side," Ivanovic said. "Shes such a tough competitor and retrieves lots of balls. "Im just so happy to be through." Seventh-seeded Simona Halep, who won last weeks Qatar Open in Doha, retired with a right Achilles injury while trailing Alize Cornet of France 6-1, 1-1, in the first match of the day. Halep complained of an inflamed Achilles during her run to the Doha title. "I wanted to try because I like to try to fight for my chance, but here I couldnt," Halep said. "After one set I realized that it is dangerous to continue." Eighth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki had to overcome a one-set deficit to outmanoeuvr Sabine Lisicki of Germany 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 and move into the second round. "I knew she was going to come out hot and just go for her shots, and I felt like I was just a step behind," said Wozniacki, who sports an 8-carat diamond engagement ring from fiance, golfer Rory McIloy everywhere she goes except on court. "It was nice to win this one, and, you know, onwards and upwards, as they say." Wozniacki will face German qualifier Annika Beck in the second round. Beck defeated Samantha Stosur of Australia 1-6, 6-1, 6-4. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
