OAKLAND, Calif. Marcus Gilchrist Jersey . -- Coco Crisp makes the Oakland Athletics go from the top of the order, and figures to be doing so again in 2014. The As exercised their $7.5 million club option for the centre fielder Friday, though general manager Billy Beane announced it as soon as the season ended with a five-game division series loss to the Detroit Tigers for the second straight year. A switch-hitter and speedy leadoff man, Crisp hit a career-high 22 home runs in the leadoff spot for his most homers since he hit 16 with Cleveland in 2005. Even Crisp himself was surprised by the power surge. "Luck of the draw for me. I have, I guess, enough power to do since Ive done it," Crisp said late in the year. "But thats not my game. Its part of it, a little bit but 20 home runs, 20-plus home runs has kind of caught me off guard. I think it caught a lot of people off guard, especially having more home runs than stolen bases. "Ill take it. Next year it might go back to normal where I hit 10 to 15 and steal more bases. I hope thats what it is. Its just one of those years Im grateful for." Oakland also exercised its $8 million option on left-hander Brett Anderson as planned and declined an $8.5 million option on catcher Kurt Suzuki and an $11 million option outfielder Chris Young. Young gets a $1.5 million buyout and Suzuki $650,000. Beane envisions Anderson back in the rotation in 2014 after a late-season stint as a reliever following an injury-shortened season. Anderson has a $12 million option for 2015. The As still must decide whether to re-sign 18-game winner Bartolo Colon, though the club seemed hopeful last month. Colon and closer Grant Balfour became free agents Thursday. Crisp, who turned 34 Friday, just concluded his fourth season with the As and a $14 million, two-year contract and helped Oakland win back-to-back AL West titles. He hasnt played more than 136 games in a season since arriving in the Bay Area, limited to 75 in 2010 and 120 last year. He batted .261 with the 22 homers, 66 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 131 games this year. Former Tigers manager Jim Leyland considered containing Crisp the biggest key for Detroit to beat the As in the division series for the second straight season. Crisp is a career .278 hitter in 30 post-season games for Boston and Oakland. "I think everybody feeds off of Coco here, not necessarily just experience, just how good he is," manager Bob Melvin said before the playoffs. "Ive said often when were playing well, hes playing well. He sets the tone for us, and youve seen hes taken his game to a whole new level this year as far as the power dynamic goes, but still has the ability to steal bases. Hes got quite the awareness in game when he needs to run and when he doesnt, and since weve been swinging the bat better, hes been a little less apt to run because he doesnt want to run into an out. He knows that weve been better offensively." Gareon Conley Jersey . The two-time former Formula One champion downplayed his third-place finish three weeks ago in China and said progress is going slow for Ferrari as it tries to make up ground on Mercedes. Kolton Miller Raiders Jersey . But the young forward is more than willing to shed a little blood if thats what it takes to make the team this season. "It caught me pretty good, dazed me for that shift, but I didnt want to be off the ice for too long," he said after practice, his lip still bleeding a little despite the plastic stitches holding it together.Its been over two weeks since the Toronto Maple Leafs last picked up a point, dropping the club from contender in the Atlantic Division to the outside of the current wild card race. With their chances at a second straight playoff berth quickly disappearing, the Leafs look to snap a six-game losing streak on Friday night when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers. You can listen to the game live tonight on TSN Radio 1050 starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. The Maple Leafs held a three-point edge for second place in their division following a victory over the Los Angeles Kings on March 13, but have failed to notch a victory since. The clubs current 0-6-0 drought has knocked it out of the playoff picture as Toronto is one of four clubs tied for the two wild card spots with 80 points. However, Toronto has the fewest games remaining on its schedule with just eight, while the Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings have nine games remaining. Detroit is the current occupier of one of the playoff spots, along with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have 10 games left to play and host the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. The Caps and Red Wings are idle. Toronto, of course, snapped a franchise-worst seven-year playoff drought last season. The first five games of the Maple Leafs losing streak came without No. 1 goaltender Jonathan Bernier, sidelined with a groin injury. He returned to action on Tuesday against the NHL-leading St. Louis Blues and made 44 saves, but the Leafs lost a 5-3 decision. Carl Gunnarsson and James van Riemsdyk scored third-period goals to pull Toronto to within one before St. Louis iced the game with an empty-net goal. Joffrey Lupul also scored. "The whole year weve thought we were a playoff team, and we still believe that now," said Lupul. "Realistically were still right there with these other teams." The Maple Leafs nnow try to avoid losing seven in a row for the first time since an 0-6-2 slide from Oct. Doug Martin Jersey. 28-Nov. 13, 2010 and have a chance to sweep their season set from the Flyers. Toronto notched a 3-1 victory in Philly on Oct. 2 before recording a 4-3 overtime victory at home on March 8. The Leafs have won four of their last five versus the Flyers overall and two in a row in Philly, where they have still lost eight of their past 12. Bernier is 2-1-0 with a 3.86 goals against average in three meetings with the Flyers, who try to avoid a third straight loss overall tonight. Philadelphia won five straight to grab hold of second place in the Metropolitan Division, but has since lost games to the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers to fall into third. A 3-1 setback to New York on Wednesday moved the Flyers three points behind the Rangers for second place, but Philadelphia does have two games in hand and New York is visiting the Calgary Flames tonight. The Flyers also are three points ahead of the Blue Jackets and Capitals for the third and final automatic playoff berth out of the Metropolitan Division. Philadelphia failed to solve New York netminder Henrik Lundqvist on Wednesday until Jakub Voracek scored with 1:53 to play. It was Voraceks 100th career goal as he tallied for a third straight game. Steve Mason made 26 saves as the Flyers dropped their eighth straight game at Madison Square Garden. "I think we didnt play our game. Its like we didnt have any energy," said Flyers forward Claude Giroux, who is tied for fourth in the NHL with 75 points after notching an assist. The Flyers practiced today with veteran forward Vincent Lecavalier skating on their fourth line. Lecavalier has just six points through 12 games in the month of march. Mason is 2-3-1 with a 3.96 GAA in six career meetings with the Leafs. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '
OAKLAND, Calif. Marcus Gilchrist Jersey . -- Coco Crisp makes the Oakland Athletics go from the top of the order, and figures to be doing so again in 2014. The As exercised their $7.5 million club option for the centre fielder Friday, though general manager Billy Beane announced it as soon as the season ended with a five-game division series loss to the Detroit Tigers for the second straight year. A switch-hitter and speedy leadoff man, Crisp hit a career-high 22 home runs in the leadoff spot for his most homers since he hit 16 with Cleveland in 2005. Even Crisp himself was surprised by the power surge. "Luck of the draw for me. I have, I guess, enough power to do since Ive done it," Crisp said late in the year. "But thats not my game. Its part of it, a little bit but 20 home runs, 20-plus home runs has kind of caught me off guard. I think it caught a lot of people off guard, especially having more home runs than stolen bases. "Ill take it. Next year it might go back to normal where I hit 10 to 15 and steal more bases. I hope thats what it is. Its just one of those years Im grateful for." Oakland also exercised its $8 million option on left-hander Brett Anderson as planned and declined an $8.5 million option on catcher Kurt Suzuki and an $11 million option outfielder Chris Young. Young gets a $1.5 million buyout and Suzuki $650,000. Beane envisions Anderson back in the rotation in 2014 after a late-season stint as a reliever following an injury-shortened season. Anderson has a $12 million option for 2015. The As still must decide whether to re-sign 18-game winner Bartolo Colon, though the club seemed hopeful last month. Colon and closer Grant Balfour became free agents Thursday. Crisp, who turned 34 Friday, just concluded his fourth season with the As and a $14 million, two-year contract and helped Oakland win back-to-back AL West titles. He hasnt played more than 136 games in a season since arriving in the Bay Area, limited to 75 in 2010 and 120 last year. He batted .261 with the 22 homers, 66 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 131 games this year. Former Tigers manager Jim Leyland considered containing Crisp the biggest key for Detroit to beat the As in the division series for the second straight season. Crisp is a career .278 hitter in 30 post-season games for Boston and Oakland. "I think everybody feeds off of Coco here, not necessarily just experience, just how good he is," manager Bob Melvin said before the playoffs. "Ive said often when were playing well, hes playing well. He sets the tone for us, and youve seen hes taken his game to a whole new level this year as far as the power dynamic goes, but still has the ability to steal bases. Hes got quite the awareness in game when he needs to run and when he doesnt, and since weve been swinging the bat better, hes been a little less apt to run because he doesnt want to run into an out. He knows that weve been better offensively." Gareon Conley Jersey . The two-time former Formula One champion downplayed his third-place finish three weeks ago in China and said progress is going slow for Ferrari as it tries to make up ground on Mercedes. Kolton Miller Raiders Jersey . But the young forward is more than willing to shed a little blood if thats what it takes to make the team this season. "It caught me pretty good, dazed me for that shift, but I didnt want to be off the ice for too long," he said after practice, his lip still bleeding a little despite the plastic stitches holding it together.Its been over two weeks since the Toronto Maple Leafs last picked up a point, dropping the club from contender in the Atlantic Division to the outside of the current wild card race. With their chances at a second straight playoff berth quickly disappearing, the Leafs look to snap a six-game losing streak on Friday night when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers. You can listen to the game live tonight on TSN Radio 1050 starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. The Maple Leafs held a three-point edge for second place in their division following a victory over the Los Angeles Kings on March 13, but have failed to notch a victory since. The clubs current 0-6-0 drought has knocked it out of the playoff picture as Toronto is one of four clubs tied for the two wild card spots with 80 points. However, Toronto has the fewest games remaining on its schedule with just eight, while the Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings have nine games remaining. Detroit is the current occupier of one of the playoff spots, along with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have 10 games left to play and host the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. The Caps and Red Wings are idle. Toronto, of course, snapped a franchise-worst seven-year playoff drought last season. The first five games of the Maple Leafs losing streak came without No. 1 goaltender Jonathan Bernier, sidelined with a groin injury. He returned to action on Tuesday against the NHL-leading St. Louis Blues and made 44 saves, but the Leafs lost a 5-3 decision. Carl Gunnarsson and James van Riemsdyk scored third-period goals to pull Toronto to within one before St. Louis iced the game with an empty-net goal. Joffrey Lupul also scored. "The whole year weve thought we were a playoff team, and we still believe that now," said Lupul. "Realistically were still right there with these other teams." The Maple Leafs nnow try to avoid losing seven in a row for the first time since an 0-6-2 slide from Oct. Doug Martin Jersey. 28-Nov. 13, 2010 and have a chance to sweep their season set from the Flyers. Toronto notched a 3-1 victory in Philly on Oct. 2 before recording a 4-3 overtime victory at home on March 8. The Leafs have won four of their last five versus the Flyers overall and two in a row in Philly, where they have still lost eight of their past 12. Bernier is 2-1-0 with a 3.86 goals against average in three meetings with the Flyers, who try to avoid a third straight loss overall tonight. Philadelphia won five straight to grab hold of second place in the Metropolitan Division, but has since lost games to the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers to fall into third. A 3-1 setback to New York on Wednesday moved the Flyers three points behind the Rangers for second place, but Philadelphia does have two games in hand and New York is visiting the Calgary Flames tonight. The Flyers also are three points ahead of the Blue Jackets and Capitals for the third and final automatic playoff berth out of the Metropolitan Division. Philadelphia failed to solve New York netminder Henrik Lundqvist on Wednesday until Jakub Voracek scored with 1:53 to play. It was Voraceks 100th career goal as he tallied for a third straight game. Steve Mason made 26 saves as the Flyers dropped their eighth straight game at Madison Square Garden. "I think we didnt play our game. Its like we didnt have any energy," said Flyers forward Claude Giroux, who is tied for fourth in the NHL with 75 points after notching an assist. The Flyers practiced today with veteran forward Vincent Lecavalier skating on their fourth line. Lecavalier has just six points through 12 games in the month of march. Mason is 2-3-1 with a 3.96 GAA in six career meetings with the Leafs. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '
