DS Talk » hard hat and pads on, Hood was at his bes

DENVER -- The St. Louis Cardinals will send rookie Luke Weaver to the mound as they try to sweep their three-game series Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies.Weaver, 23, is 1/3 with a 3.21 ERA in seven starts, the last on Friday at San Francisco, where he gave up five hits and six unearned runs in 2 2/3 innings and lost 8-2.Weaver, who made his major league debut Aug. 13, will be pitching for the first time at Coors Field. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny emphatically said he would not talk to Weaver about the mile-high altitude, the spacious outfield or anything that might be lurking at hitter-friendly Coors Field.Im not going to fill his mind, and Im going to discourage anybody else from doing the same thing, Matheny said. Just go do your thing, and well make adjustments as we need to and well try to keep an eye (out for) when something doesnt look right. But to kind of pre-set in his mind that hes going to have to do something different, I think, is a bad strategy.The Cardinals have won four straight games and are tied with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants in the race for the two National League wild-card spots. The Cardinals spurt has made the scoreboard watching more riveting and, at Coors Field, more unavoidable.From where my angle is (in the dugout) and where the pitchers head is, right behind it is the scoreboard, Matheny said, referring to the out-of-town scoreboard in right field. I mean directly behind it, so you cant help but watch and to see whats going on with the other teams.That said, after Tuesday nights 10-5 win over the Rockies, Matheny repeated the Cardinals mantra when it comes to scoreboard watching.Its not something we run from. Its just not something we put too much focus on, Matheny said. Control what we can control. Same boring stuff, but it keeps it very simple what our job description is.Like the Cardinals, the Rockies are also starting a rookie in German Marquez, 21. He made his major league debut Sept. 8 and will be making his first major league start after three relief appearances. Hes 0-3 with a 5.06 ERA in those three games, the last two scoreless for a combined three innings.Im very excited Im going to be a starter. Thats unbelievable, Marquez said. I want to help my team, too. Thats why Im here. Im going to do it.The Rockies acquired Marquez from Tampa Bay along with reliever Jake McGee in the Jan. 28 trade that sent outfielder Corey Dickerson and minor league third baseman Kevin Padlo to the Rays. Marquez said he was surprised to be traded, since the Rays had placed him on their 40-man roster for the first time two months before the deal.Marquez was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year after going 9-6 with a 2.85 ERA, 33 walks and 126 strikeouts in 135 2/3 innings for Double-A Hartford. He then went 2-0 with a 4.35 ERA in five starts for Triple-A Albuquerque before being recalled by the Rockies.Marquezs repertoire includes a fastball, curveball and changeup. The first two pitches are above average and the third will be. Marquezs changeup was a point of emphasis this season, specifically to not slow his arm speed and keep it the same as his fastball while throwing his changeup.The thing that jumps out at you is its easy velocity -- upper 90s, Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. Theres not a lot of effort. Hes got great finish (on the fastball). Hes got a good breaking ball. The changeup is a work in progress right now, but its coming. But for a 21-year-old kid -- very, very impressive.In addition to his stuff, Marquez has impressed the Rockies with his mound presence.We saw that right away in spring training, unaffected by the major league atmosphere, Weiss said. Always looked like he belonged. It says something for a kid his age, (coming to) a new organization, too. Thats not easy.The few outings hes had here the last few weeks, same thing. Very composed. Very poised. Air Max 90 Nere Scontate . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. Air Max 90 Off White Saldi . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. http://www.outletscarpesaldi.it/scontate-yeezy-boost-350.html . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. Air Max 270 React Italia . On June 12, just as the sun sets on the magnificent historical city of Sao Paulo the inventors, innovators and purveyors of “joga bonitowill” open their campaign. The opponent, Croatia and all its football might and will. As opposites do attract we are set for a corker of an opener. Air Max 720 Italia .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. ASHBURN, Va. -- Ziggy Hood didnt let a foot injury slow him down. He put some in-soles in his cleats and worked his way back into the NFL.A year after tearing the plantar fascia in his left foot, the 29-year-old defensive lineman showed the Washington Redskins he could still rush the passer as well as he did earlier in his career. And Hood didnt just earn a roster spot -- hell start Monday night against the team that drafted him, the Pittsburgh Steelers.Every day he brought his lunch pail, defensive end Chris Baker said Wednesday. Hes one of those guys that if a young guy wants to know how you can stay in the league, you want to watch a guy like Ziggy because he goes 100 percent all day. He knew what was at stake this year, and he went out there and worked his butt off and made this team.Washingtons coaching staff didnt know what to expect from Hood after signing him to a futures contract over the winter, especially after the injury. But the 2009 first-round pick made his presence felt all training camp and in preseason games to earn the starting defensive end job opposite Baker.Once we got the pads on him was really when he stood out, coach Jay Gruden said. The 1-on-1 drills, the team drills, he was in the backfield being very disruptive. It was a consistent thing. It wasnt like one day he did well and the next day he didnt do anything. He was consistently a nuisance and a problem for our offense.Being consistently a nuisance was part of Hoods career revitalization plan. Since his time in Pittsburgh ended following the 2013 season, Hood felt himself succeeding in flashes and disappearing for stretches.That wasnt going to work. He went back to the style and mentality that made him a starter with the Steelers.A private coach told him not every sack is going to be pretty, so Hood ditched the finesse and went back to a power rushing game.One of my most favorite things to do is to weightlift, so I have to move that from there and put it on the field, Hood said. WWhy not use my power and leverage that I got and use it on the field? Thats what I was able to do this training camp.ddddddddddddIt was never going to be a matter of Hood not working hard enough. He insists hes not old -- or at least doesnt feel old -- but he had to show he still had something in the tank.By the time the fourth preseason game rolled around, Hood didnt even have to travel or play. He was already a lock to be on the 53-man roster.Ziggy was always a hard-working professional, so its no surprise to me that hes still sustaining himself and being helpful to a football team, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said on a conference call Wednesday. Hes always had a good natural get-off. Hes always working at his craft. He realizes that as a professional, detail is an element of it, and when he was with us that was always his approach to getting better.Thats the lesson Hood taught current Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward, who still considers the veteran a friend.Ziggy was always a great teammate, unselfish, Heyward said. He came to work every day with his hard hat on.With hard hat and pads on, Hood was at his best at Redskins camp. The Missouri product learned to play the edge and inside and took advantage of a defense that allowed him more freedom to get to the quarterback.The more you know, the better opportunity you (give) yourself to get out on the field, Hood said. I was fortunate enough and blessed to make the roster here predicated from hard work and determination and was able to go out there and do something.Note: Shawn Lauvao won the starting left guard job over banged-up Spencer Long. Lauvao showed he was healthy after five surgeries to repair damage to his left ankle and right foot.---AP Sports freelancer Dan Scifo in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '