Freischaltung » Patrick Reed had to play one shot off a h

DENVER -- As a longtime shortstop, Ian Desmond knows all too well the value of a good first baseman.Hes vowing to be that reliable as the Colorado Rockies convert him to a position hes never played. He doesnt even have a first basemans glove of his own yet, borrowing one from a buddy until his arrives in the mail.Although the Rockies solution at first base seems out of left field -- Desmond did play 29 games in left for Texas last season -- its really not that farfetched. Or so the Rockies are banking on, finalizing a $70 million, five-year contract Tuesday with the two-time All-Star whos gone from shortstop to outfielder and now back to the infield.I have all the faith in the world that Ians going to be a good first baseman, Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said.The 31-year-old Desmond will take over for Mark Reynolds, whos now a free agent. And while Desmond cant recall ever playing the position, even as a kid, he did prove to be a fast learner last season when he moved from shortstop to the outfield for the Rangers.I know what it takes to be prepared every day and thats what Im going to do, said Desmond, who had his wife and young kids sitting in the front row for his introductory news conference.Desmond played at an All-Star level for the Rangers in 2016, hitting .285 with 22 homers and 86 RBI as he split time between left and center.Before that, he was a shortstop for the Washington Nationals.The Rockies gave him a lucrative deal to learn a new skill set at Coors Field, where hes a .379 career hitter in 23 games.Yes, the ball does fly here. Yes, it is a good place to hit, Desmond said. For me, personally, the reason I play well here is because I like coming here. I enjoy coming to Colorado. I enjoy the people in the city. Im from small town in Florida, where when you put the blinker on to change lanes, the people behind you wave. Thats very common here.To hone his fielding skills, he borrowed one of the gloves of Correlle Prime, who just so happens to be a first baseman in the Rockies system. Years ago, Desmond took Prime under his wing when Prime worked out at the same hitting facility in the Sarasota, Florida, area.Little did the friends realize one day they would be in the same organization -- playing the same position.Its bittersweet for me, Desmond said. Trying to get this young man prepared for the big leagues and hes a first baseman and Im proud of how far hes come and the progress hes made. Now, I come in and play first base. Were talking and its like, I would rather it be me than anybody else.Now I get to go to spring training with him. Now he gets to watch me work during the season. I get to see what he does firsthand and see if theres anything I can help him with. Just be there to support him.One things for sure: Desmond has a talented infield to work with in third baseman and perennial Gold Glover Nolan Arenado, shortstop Trevor Story and second baseman DJ LeMahieu.Desmond certainly wont force his way into a leadership dynamic, either. Not his style. Hes more of a quiet leader.You cant come here and expect to be the man, Desmond said. Im going to come in with a lot of respect for those guys, just get in where I fit in.Hes not sure where he might bat in a potent lineup that also features outfielders Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra. Hes on board with wherever first-year Colorado manager Bud Black pencils him in.Im going to work as hard as I can right now to be the best first baseman I can be, Desmond said. Ill keep the other tools fresh also, just to try to be as much of a help as I can.I think about the opportunity here and I think about how much of a sports town this is, how deserving these fans are. That is what brought me here. First base just happened to be the position I was able to fill. Its not about the ball flying (at Coors Field) -- this is about the opportunity to bring winning back here. Wholesale Jerseys For Sale . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Jerseys For Sale Outlet . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. https://www.jerseysforsalechina.com/ . Brazilian national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has confirmed that the veteran goalkeeper is set to join Toronto on loan, saying it will help him be ready for the World Cup. China Jerseys For Sale . According to a report from the Winnipeg Free Press, the Bombers will name Acting GM Kyle Walters to the post full time. Discount Jerseys For Sale . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. "Given the way the meeting transpired," Ray Halbritter, an Oneida representative and leader of the "Change the Mascot Campaign," said Wednesday, "it became somewhat evident they were defending the continued use of the name. INVERNESS, Scotland -- Scott Hend of Australia and Felipe Aguilar of Chile made it through blustery conditions and shot 3-under 69 to share the lead Thursday after the first round of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.Phil Mickelson wasnt so fortunate.The five-time major champion, a winner the last time the Scottish Open was held at Castle Stuart, struggled to make putts and took three bogeys on the par 5s on his way to a 76. His next task will be making the cut.The greens werent overly fast to where balls were rolling when you were putting, Mickelson said. They were very fair. I thought it was a fair test. A score around par would have been a good score. I felt like I gave three or four shots away on the greens that could have put me at a score around par.Only 20 players managed to break par at Castle Stuart.Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington were among those at 70, while Branden Grace of South Africa and Andy Sullivan were in the group at 71.Hend already is in the British Open next week at Royal Troon. He learned last week at the French Open that he was in the Open, exempt to the PGA Championship and that Jason Day had withdrawn from the Olympics, meaning Hend was a lock to take one of the two spots for Australia.His first task is going after his third victory of the year.Obviously, conditions were quite tough and I was a little bit scrappy with some putts not quite getting to the hole, he said. But overall, very happy.Four spots in the British Open are available this week to the leading players among the top 12 not already eligible. Onne of those players is Aguilar, though Sunday is too far away for him to think about Royal Troon.dddddddddddd.Thats in the back of my mind, he said. Im just worried about whats going to happen tomorrow. I just finished the first round and still have 75 percent of the rounds to go. If that comes along, it will be great. It will be awesome, but its not even on my mind yet.Mickelson wasnt the only American to struggle among those who came over to prepare for links golf. J.B. Holmes finally got his clubs, which did not make it over on his flight, but he had three double bogeys on his way to an 80. Patrick Reed had to play one shot off a hillside and slipped on the way down. He opened with a 75.Russell Knox made a solid start in what amounts to a home tournament for the Scot who now lives in Florida. Knox opened with a 72 and was only three shots behind after the opening round.The atmosphere was amazing, Knox said. A lot of old friends and people Ive known for a lot of years showed up, which was great.He opened with a pair of birdies, but the wind picked up in the afternoon, and it was a battle, especially at the end. The long 18th played straight into the wind, and Knox wasnt the only player who dropped a shot on the last.Its a terrible setup in my opinion -- 600 yards, straight into a 30 mph wind, he said. They could have easily moved us up a tee. I disagree with that hole today. But I hit three good shots and three bad putts. ' ' '