TORONTO - It appears Mark DeRosa will finish his 16th major league season with the Toronto Blue Jays, the club valuing his experience and leadership so much it wouldnt lose him to a waiver claim. Sam Bradford Cardinals Jersey . “Hes helped stabilize some things” said manager John Gibbons. “I know hes really helped Lawrie. Hes just that proven vet that everybody bounces things off of. Hes got the right things to say at the right time. Its been a frustrating year but, you know, hes helped stabilize some things.” According to numerous reports, DeRosa was claimed on revocable waivers on Wednesday. A routine paper move, had the player cleared the Blue Jays would have been free to trade DeRosa at any point in August or September. Once DeRosa was claimed, the Jays had a decision to make: deal or no deal with the selecting club. CBS Sports reported the team which took DeRosa was, like the Blue Jays, under .500, therefore not increasing the veterans likelihood of competing in the playoffs. DeRosa has a World Series ring as a member of the 2010 San Francisco Giants but, due to injury, he doesnt consider himself a contributor to the championship. The Blue Jays hold an option on DeRosa for 2014 for $750,000. The 38-year-old doesnt yet know whether hell play next season. “I go back and forth on it everyday,” said DeRosa. “I think my family will play a huge part in that. Thats something, in the offseason, well sit down and discuss as a family. Ive been gone for a long time and my wife always has the line, ‘Do you want to raise 24 men or do you want to raise your own son? A little bit below the belt for her to tell me those things but I understand wholeheartedly. Itll be a family decision but I still think I can compete.” DeRosa has proven to himself he can still play. Coming off three down seasons thanks to two surgeries to repair a torn tendon sheath in his wrist, the first of which was botched, DeRosa knew in spring training he had some pop back in his bat. He was driving the ball during batting practice, something he couldnt do during the worst days of his injury. This season, afforded more of an opportunity to play than he anticipated, hes hit seven home runs and posted an OPS of .769, which is above his career average. “Im appreciative of the way Gibby has used me,” said DeRosa. “I dont think coming out of spring training I was expecting or he was expecting to use me as much as he has. Im glad Ive changed that opinion. I know the team has had something to do with that and our struggles have given me more opportunity to play. Hes handled me really great. Hes kept me fresh. Hes kept me involved. The way hes handled me has been perfect.” More valuable than his numbers is DeRosas ability to connect with anyone in the clubhouse. Lawrie tops the list and the two have shared neighbouring locker stalls since the start of spring training. Theyve golfed together, can be seen arriving to visiting ballparks together, and have struck up a friendship despite a 15-year age difference. “Hes been tremendous,” said Lawrie, who at 23 is the mentee to DeRosas mentor. “What a good dude. I havent met anybody for that fact, in baseball, thats been around the game like him. His personality is exactly like mine. Hes just one of the guys. He has good energy. He comes to the clubhouse everyday with a smile, brings a good attitude. Hes just been around the game a long time. Hes been to 11 postseasons. Hes been in the game for 14, 15 years. There are not a lot of guys that have been around like he has and have gone to the extent, hes won a World Series and hes done all these things and he knows what it takes to win. He knows what it takes to be in the big leagues for a long, extended period of time and thats beneficial to me.” “Being more of a big brother for him,” said DeRosa of his responsibility toward Lawrie. “Letting him vent, letting him say what he needs to say and then picking and choosing what battles to fight with him. You dont just want to flood a guy with a million things to think about. I think with him its got to be in steps but he has to understand the importance of being accountable, being in the right place at the right time, being consistent.” Lawrie has touched nerves this season, perhaps no more so than when he stared down Adam Lind and third base coach Luis Rivera when Lind didnt score on a fly ball during a June 22 game against Baltimore. DeRosa said then, and repeats now, that Lawrie has a unique intensity which comes from a good place even if, on occasion, its appearance is ugly. As to the fundamentals of the game, DeRosas spoken to Lawrie about how the intensity, the constant movement, can be beneficial on defence but ineffective in the batters box. Hes been persistent in delivering the message, as well as others, and he believes its starting to sink in. When sharing his wisdom, hes quick to remind teammates hes passing along information from the greats with whom hes played; the likes of Albert Pujols, Chipper Jones and Gary Sheffield. DeRosa is someone players, and even the manager, can confide in. “I talk to him about different things, no question,” said Gibbons. “The thing about DeRo, hes a levelheaded guy. I mean, hes highly intelligent and hes been around, man. Hes been around winners his whole life, his whole career.” “He tells you straight up, hes not going to lie to you,” said Lawrie. “He tells you everything thats on his mind and says Im going to be honest with you. I say, go ahead and shoot me with it because thats how I am, I like to know the truth, I like to know whats on his mind and obviously everyone elses but for myself, a guy thats 38-years-old thats been around the game for this long and done everything hes done, its a lot of fun for myself.” DeRosa is a stand-up guy, good to his teammates, good to his coaches, good to those around the team. An Ivy Leaguer, he quarterbacked Penns football team for three seasons in the mid-1990s, DeRosa is also intelligent and approachable on all matters of the game. Hell play again in 2014 if he gets the blessing of his wife and two children and if he feels like going through the rigours of another offseason of training. Dont mistake the decision hell make, whatever it is, for his view of the Blue Jays. “I still believe in the talent in this room,” he said. “I know it hasnt jelled for whatever reason. There are a ton of reasons why it hasnt worked from an offensive standpoint and a pitching standpoint, a defensive standpoint. I still believe that this team is capable of great things with a couple of tweaks, a couple of adjustments.” Andre Smith Jersey . Iwakuma pitched seven strong innings to stay unbeaten in road games since last July, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 5-2 win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night. Brice Butler Jersey . His absence against the Celtics comes a day after he scored 43 points in the Heats 100-96 win at Cleveland. http://www.azcardinalsfanspro.com/Black-Justin-Pugh-Cardinals-Jersey.html?cat=935 . Wall made the comment in a speech to a Regina business crowd that included Lesnar. The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say.In the wake of the news that he will be stepping down as president and CEO of MLSE at or before June 30, 2015, Tim Leiweke said the decision to move on was one that the organizations ownership was well aware of. “For the board, they knew this was coming, this was not new information,” Leiweke said Wednesday on TSN 1050. “They knew and I knew that that kind of style is not the kind of style that lasts for 10 years. My job is to turn a franchise around or in this case, turn an organization around. I knew that was my place here and they knew and I knew that it wouldnt be a long term.” Lewieke admitted he decided to acknowledge the reports of his departure were indeed true after initially denying them in order to eliminate the distractions that they were causing to MLSEs sports teams. “Im glad we got it out there and Im glad its gone so now we can get focused on things were working on and all the things we need to do.” Addressing the rumours that his decision to move on was based on a conflict with ownership, Leiweke said the organizations ownership has been nothing but supportive, but also acknowledged his management style was one that didnt always mesh with his bosses. “We may have had a few moments where there some was tension, but the board appreciates we have been very aggressive at not only identifying our problems, but solving our problems…Theyve given me everything Ive ever asked for.” Leiweke also acknowledged it was never his goal to lead MLSE for the long run, insisting he was looking to create meaningful change within a short period in order to get what were three struggling franchises pointed in the right direction. “My intention was to do the best I could, change the culture, hire a great management teams for all three of these franchises, then I was gonna go and create my own company.” Looking back at his short stay with MLSE which began on April 23, 2013, Leiweke said he is encouraged by what he has accomplished with each of Toronto FC, the Maple Leafs and the Raptors. “We needed to do some soul searching here. We needed to be critical of some decisions we made in the past. Josh Bynes Cardinals Jersey. We needed to acknowledge where we were and the accomplishments that we had made were not good enough for this marketplace.” In terms of his most recent hire, Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, Leiweke said hes been very encouraged by the initial moves made by the NHLs former head of discipline, admitting the organization may have gotten complacent after they broke a nearly decade long playoff drought in 2013. “Im very proud of the job Brendan Shanahan has done to date. Hes not afraid about making decisions; that weve made clear now. “Weve made some tough decisions here. Should we have done it a year ago? Coming off that Boston playoff series maybe we were a little more secure than we should have been." Referencing a commitment to bringing in leaders who “think a different way” and establishing an “analytical division that wasnt even here a year ago or for that matter two months ago,” Leiweke said Shanahans changes, which have also included the jettisoning of two assistant GMs and three assistant coaches have set a real tone within the organization. The ongoing transition is only the start of the process, however, as Leiweke says the organization will continue to analyze themselves and the past mistakes that were made, in order to learn from them and move forward. “We arent gonna have long term success here unless we look deep inside ourselves and begin to understand why we havent had it. Theres a reason we havent won here, its not by chance and we know what it is now. “ Leiweke noted that the moves Shanahan has made are similar to what Los Angeles Kings president and general manager Dean Lombardi initiated when he took over Leiwekes former organization, making accountability at all levels a priority. “I promise you one thing as we begin training camps here in two weeks. The Leafs are going to be accountable to each other and to the organization now, thats for sure. “I can tell you flat out that I feel better about the Leafs today than any time Ive been here in the last 16 months.” Leiweke on MLSE ownership, direction of Leafs Cheap Jerseys Store Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap NFL Black Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys Camo China NFL Jerseys ' ' '