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Roy Halladay and his former Philadelphia Phillies teammate Cole Hamels were both in the news this week; Halladay for signing a one-day contract with the Blue Jays, so he could officially retire where it all began for him and Hamels, along with fellow Phillies southpaw Cliff Lee, were both mentioned in possible trade talks, which were later refuted by the Phillies special advisor Pat Gillick on TSN Drive with Dave Naylor. wholesale jerseys . That led me to go back and look at the years Halladay and Hamels were drafted. Oddly enough, they were both chosen 17th overall in the June draft; Halladay in 1995 and Hamels in 2002. The player drafted immediately ahead of Halladay was pitcher Joe Fontenot by the San Francisco Giants. He was later one of three prospects traded to the Marlins for closer Robb Nen, who went on to save 206 games over the next five years before calling it a career with 314 total saves. Meanwhile, Fontenot debuted with the Marlins in 1998 with an 0-7 record and an ERA over 6. He blew out his arm and never pitched in the Majors again. So what made the Giants pick Fontenot ahead of Halladay? Darin Erstad went first overall in 1995 and had a solid career with the Angels. Jose Cruz Jr., who also had a decent career, went third to Seattle and was later traded to the Blue Jays. Kerry Wood was the fourth pick by the Chicago Cubs and had a good career that was cut short by injuries. The best player to come out of the first round in 1995 was Todd Helton, who was picked eighth by the Colorado Rockies and should get into the Hall of Fame someday. After Halladay, no other player in the first round had any kind of significant impact in the Majors. Cole Hamels was selected 17th overall in 2002. Righthander Bryan Bullington went first overall that year and was essentially a bust. He actually pitched four games with the Blue Jays in 2009 and another 13 with the Kansas City Royals the following year before disappearing from the Majors. In that same draft, Zack Greinke went sixth to the Royals and Prince Fielder seventh to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Blue Jays had the 14th pick and chose second baseman Russ Adams, who never really panned out. Hamels went three picks later at 17 but the really remarkable one is that Giants star righthander Matt Cain went 25th overall. Near Misses A couple of more near misses for the Jays cam in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, the St. Louis Cardinals chose righthander Shelby Miller, who had a breakout season for them last year. Right after that, the Blue Jays chose Chad Jenkins with the 20th pick. To be fair, Jenkins did a pretty good job in long relief last season, but hasnt progressed as far as Miller just yet. Then in 2010, the Blue Jays chose righthander Deck McGuire 11th overall. Two picks later, the Chicago White Sox grabbed lefty Chris Sale, who has already blossomed into a star. Just think, if the Blue Jays had Miller, Hamels and Sale, we wouldnt be sitting here today saying they still need to add two starting pitchers to their rotation. But Im sure a lot of other teams are saying the same thing. Thats what makes the draft, for the most part, such an unpredictable crapshoot.                          nfl jerseys china . Lin bruised a chest muscle in the first half of a 105-102 loss in Game 2 and didnt play in the second half. Coach Kevin McHale says, "he is up shooting and getting it loosened up, so hes going to give it a shot. cheap jerseys . Blatter said at a news conference on Friday "I have not even the right" to discuss claims published this week by the Daily Telegraph.VANCOUVER - Around this time last year, the Vancouver Whitecaps displayed considerable bravado as they aspired to place among the top teams in MLS. But in 2014, the Whitecaps will have a new coach, a new look and less attitude, starting with Saturdays season-opener against the powerhouse New York Red Bulls at B.C. Place Stadium. Watch the Whitecaps vs. Red Bulls live on TSN tonight at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. "Were all looking ahead with a cautious optimism," Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said before the team held its final pre-season practice Friday. The Whitecaps finished seventh in the Western Conference with a 13-12-9 record in 2013 after becoming the first Canadian team to make the playoffs the year before. New York, which features a star-studded lineup, finished first overall with a 17-9-8 mark. Carl Robinson, a former Whitecaps assistant coach, will try to excel in the top job after Martin Rennie was fired at the end of the last campaign. "Obviously, with a new coach coming in, theres going to be a transition, but hes had a full pre-season to work with a majority of the guys," said Lenarduzzi. "And then, getting the guys that weve added over the course of the pre-season, therell still be I would think a required time for players to gel and for the newer guys to get to know Carl and his coaching staff and their teammates." Robinson has brought in several new players from South America and Europe, including new designated player Pedro Morales, a Chilean midfielder who was signed earlier this week. "We dont want to put too many unrealistic expectations on him, but were hopeful that hes going to produce and well see results of that in goals and assists," said Lenarduzzi. "But ultimately what were looking for from him is to bring out the best in players around him." Other prominent newcomers include attacking Nicolas Mezquida and Sebastian Fernandez, who both hail from Uruguay, and Mattias Laba of Argentina, a designated player who was acquired from Toronto FC. Vancouvers acquisitions have paled in comparison to TFCs splashy off-season signings, but Lenarduzzi did not feel pressured to match them. "I dont think any team in the league feels the pressure to match $100 million spent on three players," he said. As a result of the changes, the Whitecaps lineup features players from 16 countries, who bring diverse skill levels, backgrounds and languages. "Football is a global sport," said Lenarduzzi. "The language barriers? I dont believe they are barriers. Obviously when you get on the field youd like to be able to communicate with your teammates. But really, if youre good players, your ability will do the talking for you." Lenarduzzi is hopeful that Robinson, 37, a former Welsh international player who toiled in England and in MLS with Toronto and New York, will be able to get his message across. Known as a strong communicator, Robinson developed close relationships with players in his assistants role and, according to Lenarduzzi, succeeded in getting them to accept what they sometimes did not like to hear about their play. "Now that hes the head coach, hes the guy where the buck stops," said Lenarduzzi. "So it wont be the same as it was the previous two years. cheap jerseys from china. Itll be different. But Im encouraged that up until now hes maintained his willingness to communicate with the guys." Lenarduzzi also likes the fact that Robinson stresses a possession-oriented, attacking style of play while still requiring the club to display a disciplined defensive structure, and "puts a premium" on young players. "We havent kicked the ball in anger yet, so were not getting carried away," said Lenarduzzi. "We think weve got a good squad of players. But if he applies all of those things then I think weve got an opportunity to make the playoffs this year, which is really our objective." The quest for a post-season berth became more difficult following the departure of striker Camilo Sanvezzo — who led MLS with 22 goals last season — to Queretaro of the Mexican League. Camilo angered the club by donning the Mexican teams jersey while he was still a Whitecap and a transfer was eventually negotiated. "The hope is that two players or, more than likely, three players will help pick up that (scoring) slack," said Lenarduzzi. One likely source of more offence is striker Darren Mattocks, who had a disappointing sophomore season marred by injuries, inconsistent play and international absences that limited him to just three goals. Lenarduzzi also hopes to get "10-plus" goals from striker-midfielder Kekuta Manneh, a gifted 19-year-old scorer who was used sparingly in his rookie season but still found the net six times in only 764 minutes of action over 20 games. "What I dont think we want to do is heighten the expectations of Kekuta," said Lenarduzzi. "Hes a very good player, and he proved that late last season." Former Scottish international striker Kenny Miller will be expected to produce early as he plays on an unusual six-month contract that could see him leave the team in mid-season. "Kenny will need to do what he did the first half of last season and if thats the case, then certainly thats going to encourage us to keep him around," said Lenarduzzi. Striker Omar Salgado, 20, the teams first-ever MLS draft choice who has missed most of the past two seasons with foot injuries, could also help make up for Camilos absence, depending on how much playing time he can earn after his long layoff. Ultimately, Vancouvers scoring prowess could hinge on Robinson, also a former Red Bulls assistant coach, who was not managements first choice to replace Rennie. "Im excited. I really am," Robinson told reporters this week. "But Im trying to keep a calm head on my shoulders in (the dressing room) and in front of the guys." Notes: The Whitecaps loaned five players, including seventh-overall 2014 draft pick Andre Lewis, to the second-tier Charleston Battery on Friday. Lenarduzzi said the Whitecaps made the move to ensure that Lewis, a 19-year-old midfielder from Spanish Town, Jamaica, gets plenty of playing time. Strikers Mamadou Diouf and Marlon Ramirez, midfielder Aminu Abdallah and defender Jackson Farmer were also sent to Charleston. … Vancouver beat New York in their lone meeting last season. The Whitecaps are unbeaten (1-0-2) against the Red Bulls in three all-time games. ' ' '