Freischaltung » Travel to Duke on Nov. 5.

HOUSTON -- Reid Ryan choked back tears as he was introduced as president of his beloved Astros, the team he grew up watching in the days when his Hall of Fame father, Nolan Ryan, starred as a pitcher for Houston. "My ties with the Astros go all the way back to 1980 when my dad came over," Reid Ryan said. "Today really is a dream come true because you grow up an Astros fan if youre in Houston. Everybodys got their hometown team, and the Astros were mine. This is just a very special day." Astros owner Jim Crane certainly appreciates having the Ryan name associated with his team again, but was quick to point out that Reid Ryan is much more than simply the son of a famous ball player. "Its great to have your kid in the business, but now he can prove himself as Reid Ryan," Crane said. "His dads is a famed player, a very, very famous guy, but Reids the kind of guy that stands on his own, and I think youll see him stand alone in this position and do a great job." Since 1998, Ryan, the eldest son of Nolan Ryan, has been the CEO of Ryan-Sanders Baseball, which owns the Triple-A Round Rock Express and Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks. The 41-year-old Reid Ryan helped create the Express, an affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the Hooks, an Astros affiliate. Don Sanders, who co-owns Ryan-Sanders Baseball with Nolan Ryan, raved about Reid Ryan. He pointed out the work he did in luring fans to see his teams, which have often been ranked at the top of the minor leagues in attendance. Reid Ryan also came up with the idea for the Rangers to play two exhibition games at the Alamodome in San Antonio in March that drew more than 75,000 fans. "If I were going to buy a baseball team and I could have anybody in the country to run it, hed be the guy," Sanders said. "Hes just awfully good. I dont know that in this arena that anybody is any better." Reid Ryan takes over a job where he will be tasked with helping increase attendance and win back disillusioned fans to a team that has finished with 100 losses in each of the last two seasons and has the worst record in the majors again this year. He acknowledged that Houstons problems are complex and that theres no way he could know how he will work to get things back on track on his first day. But he did share a couple of keys that he will focus on. "We have to put the fans first in everything we do and then weve got make sure were taking care of the players, because its all about the players," Reid Ryan said. "If you dont have the players, youre really not going to have anything." While the team has been baseballs worst for the last couple years, Reid Ryan has been impressed with how the infusion of quality prospects from Houstons many recent trades has improved the organizations farm system. "We had a stretch where we finished last five years in a row in Corpus Christi, and it was tough and we didnt have a lot of prospects," Reid Ryan said. "Then (general manager) Jeff (Luhnow) started making some of the hard decisions he made ... now theres a lot of talent, a lot more than Ive seen in my time with the Astros." His father played for the Astros from 1980-88 and spent four years beginning in 2004 as a special assistant to the general manager in Houston before joining the front office of the Texas Rangers. His famous dad and former Astros great Craig Biggio were on hand Friday for the announcement. Though Nolan Ryan now works for Houstons in-state rival about 200 miles up the road, he still has a keen interest in the team he once played for. "He grew up an Astros fan. Im still an Astros fan. I follow them on a day-to-day basis," Nolan Ryan said. "Im very connected to the team and very connected to what goes on here in Houston with the baseball climate. So thats a part of us and will always be a part of us." Nolan Ryan said he hasnt shared any advice with his son about his new job, but he is very excited to see his son working for his former team. "Youre very proud when you see one of your children get an opportunity of this nature," Nolan Ryan said. "Im very proud of the fact that our kids grew up in baseball and have a relationship with baseball and enjoy it and want to be associated with it. So that makes you feel good." The younger Ryan takes over the position that was left vacant when George Postolos resigned on Monday. Also on Friday, Crane announced that he had agreed to a letter of intent to buy the Hooks. The sale is pending MLB and Ryan-Sanders shareholders approval. The Astros plan to assume control of operations of the Hooks at the end of the 2013 season. Nike React Wholesale . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Nike React Sale . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad. http://www.nikereactwholesale.com/ . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. Nike React Cheap . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Cheap Nike React China . Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC failed to make the postseason while Montreal Impact fell at the first hurdle losing heavily to Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. PITTSBURGH -- One of the nations worst secondaries kept daring Virginia Tech quarterback Jerod Evans to throw. So he did. Over. And over. And over.The junior shook off a right ankle injury to throw for a career-high 406 yards and two touchdowns to lead the 25th-ranked Hokies to a 39-36 victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday night.Joey Slye tied the school and Atlantic Coach Conference records by making six field goals to help the Hokies (6-2, 4-1) beat the Panthers (5-3, 2-2) on the road for the first time in 17 years.Pitt came in with the nations 120th-ranked pass defense yet played bump-and-run for most of the game, hoping its defensive backs could win more than they lost.Didnt happen. Instead, three Tech wide receivers topped 100 yards in the same game for the first time in school history. Isaiah Fords 10 receptions included his school-record 23rd receiving touchdown. Bucky Hodges caught six passes for 145 yards and a score and Cam Phillips added 109 yards on a night the Hokies piled up 556 total yards.Its a great feeling when you can do what you love doing and thats throw the ball up and down the field against a pretty good defense, Evans said. One-on-one coverage. You cant ask for anything better than one-on-one coverage.Pitt coach Narduzzi built his reputation as defensive coordinator at Michigan State by requiring his secondary to play physical. Hes intent on doing the same at Pitt, even as the weeks pass and improvement only comes in sporadic bursts. Facing the Hokies, it was no different.We had guys in position to make plays, Narduzzi said. We didnt make them. . Theres not a whole lot of different ways to do it.Evans left briefly in the third quarter after getting his right leg rolled up on but returned to lead a fourth-quarter surge that included Slyes sixth field goal. Slye joked it got a little bit boring knocking in chip shot after chip shot, though hes hardly complaining after the Hokies won at Heinz Field for the first time in five tries and assured themselves of a bowl berth for a 24th straight year, the longest active streak in the nation.Its a notable streak, but bigger goals lie ahead. The Hokies will end the weekend no worse than tied in the loss column with North Carolina atop the Coastal. Virginia Tech owns the tiebreaker, having beaten the Tar Heels decisively this month.ddddddddddddTRICKERATIONJames Conner ran for 141 yards and three touchdowns for the Panthers but offensive coordinator Matt Canada continued to masterfully tinker with the Pitt playbook.Nate Peterman completed 13 of 22 passes for 267 yards with a touchdown and an interception while also catching the first pass of his. Pitt offensive tackle Brian ONeill scored his second touchdown of the season, this time on a pitch from Peterman that resulted in the 6-foot-6, 300-pound ONeill barreling over the goal line from 5 yards out. ONeill, a tight end in high school, scored on a throwback screen against Georgia Tech earlier this month.PINBALL WIZARDOne of the connections between Evans and Ford includes a wild 36-yard gain in which Ford and Pitt cornerback Phillipie Motley batted it back and forth to each other as they went to the ground. Officials ruled it a catch on the field after Ford ripped it away from Motley before it hit the ground. The call stood upon review.WILD MANNarduzzi became increasingly animated on the sideline as the game wore on, convinced Virginia Techs wide receivers were illegally giving themselves and advantage on all those alley-oop passes from Evans.They did a great job pushing off all night, Narduzzi said. Give them credit for that.THE TAKEAWAYVirginia Tech: The Hokies have the weapons to run the table. If Evans can avoid turning it over, the Hokies will be in the ACC title game.When you have three elite wide receivers, you cant ask for more, Evans said.Pitt: Midway through Narduzzis second season, the defense remains a chaotic work in progress. Even the debut of ballyhooed freshman safety Damar Hamlins long anticipated debut did little to help. If Pitts pass defense was even average, the Panthers would be a threat to reach the ACC title game. Its not, and the Panthers almost certainly wont be in Orlando in December.UP NEXTVirginia Tech: Travel to Duke on Nov. 5. The Hokies fell to the Blue Devils 45-43 in four overtimes last season.Pitt: Begin a tough two-game stretch at Miami on Nov. 5. Hurricanes have won two of three meetings since Pitt joined the ACC in 2013. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '