beschreibung des Clans » The Eagles battled valiantly but when you are wi

SECAUCUS, N.J. -- This time, the Houston Astros couldnt resist drafting Mark Appel with the No. 1 pick. Houston selected the hard-throwing Stanford pitcher with the top choice in the Major League Baseball draft Thursday night, a year after passing on the hometown kid and instead choosing 17-year-old shortstop Carlos Correa from Puerto Rico. "I talked to him and told him: Welcome home," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "Its a kids dream to go first in the country, first in the draft and to be taken by your hometown team. It just doesnt get any better than that. Its also really a great opportunity for us." Appel, who grew up in Houston before moving to California when he was 12, slid to Pittsburgh at No. 8 last year but turned down a $3.8 million offer and returned to Stanford for his senior season. The move paid off. After going 10-4 with a 2.12 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 106 1-3 innings this season for the Cardinal, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Appel is expected to fetch about double the amount he passed up from the Pirates. "I dont think I necessarily had an end goal in mind when I turned down the Pirates offer," said Appel, who complements his mid-90s (mph) fastball with a nasty slider and improving changeup. "My goals were to finish my degree and become a better baseball player and better person and better teammate. As far as that goes, I think I accomplished those things. "No matter what happened in the draft, I knew I had done everything that was in my control to put myself in the best situation possible." The deadline for teams to sign draft picks is July 12, but that doesnt apply to Appel because he is a college senior. "Im very confident that Mark Appel is going to put on an Astros uniform," Luhnow said. "Hes from here. He wants to play here. Hes been selected first in the draft. All the indicators are pointing in the same direction, so I assume it will be a fairly straightforward discussion and that hell sign sometime this summer." The draft, which is held over three days and 40 rounds, started Thursday night with the first two rounds at MLB Network Studios. Nine prospects attended and sat in a makeshift dugout as they waited for their names to be called by Commissioner Bud Selig in an event that has grown dramatically over the last few years. "It really is terrific," Selig said. "This is what we had in mind. I love this night. ... This is the way you build a baseball team. It was true when Branch Rickey said it many, many years ago ... and its just as true today." It was the second straight season that the first pick was uncertain going into the draft, with Oklahoma right-hander Jonathan Gray and a pair of college third basemen -- North Carolinas Colin Moran and San Diegos Kris Bryant -- thought to be in the mix for Houston. It was the fourth time the Astros had the No. 1 pick, and they joined Tampa Bay (2007-08) and Washington (2009-10) as teams to have the top selection in consecutive years. The draft order is determined by reverse finish -- worst to best -- in the overall standings from last season. With the No. 2 pick, the Chicago Cubs selected Bryant, who led Division I college players with 31 home runs this season. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound junior is a Golden Spikes finalist and Collegiate Baseball magazines national player of year. Grey went third overall to the Colorado Rockies. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound flamethrower helped pitched the Sooners into the super regionals of the NCAA tournament, going 10-2 with a 1.59 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 119 innings. Colorado apparently was not scared off by published reports that cited unidentified sources who said Gray tested positive for the medication Adderall during baseballs predraft drug testing program. "Im not going to talk about that right now," Gray said. "There will be a time for that. Right now, Im just happy to be selected by the Rockies." The first high school player picked was pitcher Kohl Stewart, who went to the Minnesota Twins at No. 4. A right-hander from Tomball, Texas, Stewart has signed to play baseball and football at Texas A&M -- where he would likely be a backup to Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel at quarterback. The Cleveland Indians followed by grabbing Clint Frazier, a high school outfielder from Georgia who was in the studio to hear his name called by Selig. "Ive had a lot of people tell me Im going to be a fan favourite because of my red hair," Frazier said. "People put me on a pedestal, like no one else has red hair." Of the draft prospects in attendance, Frazier was the first to be selected. The second came when the New York Mets chose sweet-swinging California high school first baseman Dominic Smith at No. 11. Five picks later, Philadelphia took Smiths close buddy, California high school shortstop J.P. Crawford -- cousin of Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford -- who was also at MLB Network Studios. The two hugged, with Smith in a Mets jersey and Crawford wearing a rival Phillies jersey in a neat scene that also might have made some New York and Philadelphia fans squirm. Crawford acknowledged that he could be the future replacement for All-Star shortstop Jimmy Rollins. "Hopefully I can learn something from him," Crawford said, "and someday take his place." North Carolina third baseman Colin Moran, the nephew of former big league All-Star B.J. Surhoff -- the No. 1 overall pick in 1985 by Milwaukee -- went sixth overall to the Miami Marlins. Moran was the ACC player of the year and led the offence for the NCAA tournaments No. 1 overall seed. "Its exciting to take the next step in my career," Moran said, "but obviously there is business to take care of this weekend." Boston, picking as high as seventh for the first time since drafting Trot Nixon in the same spot in 1993, took Indiana high school lefty Trey Ball. Stephen F. Austin slugging shortstop Hunter Dozier was the No. 8 overall pick by the Kansas City Royals, who surprised some by taking a player expected to go much later in the opening or second round. "We followed him all throughout the year," Royals scouting director Lonnie Goldberg said. "As we got in the room and put things together, he became our favourite player." Pittsburgh, with the No. 9 pick it got as compensation for not signing Appel last year, selected Georgia high school outfielder Austin Meadows. He grew up playing travel ball with Frazier, but the two went to different high schools a few miles apart in the same town of Loganville. "Hes one of my best friends and weve been through this process together since we were like 9 years old," Frazier said. "Im going to call him, and wherever he goes, Im going to support him." Rounding out the top 10 picks, Toronto chose hard-throwing California high school right-hander Phil Bickford. Edmonton left-hander Rob Zastryzny was the first Canadian selected, taken in the second round, 41st overall, by the Chicago Cubs. A few familiar names went in the opening round: University of Nevada right-hander Braden Shipley, cousin of Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jordan Shipley, went 15th to Arizona; and North Carolina high school righty Hunter Harvey, son of former big league closer Bryan Harvey, was selected 22nd by Baltimore. The New York Yankees had the most first-round picks with three and selected Notre Dame third baseman Eric Jagielo at No. 26, 6-foot-7 Fresno State outfielder Aaron Judge at No. 32 and California high school left-hander Ian Clarkin to wrap up the round at No. 33. Arizona Diamondbacks Pro Shop . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Bo Takahashi Jersey . 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TOYOTA PARK, Chicago -- The Maori All Blacks eased to an eight-try 54-7 victory over a depleted U.S. Eagles side but in front of a near sold out Toyota Park, it marked the perfect start to the double-header in Chicago.It was like a rugby reunion with 18,700 lovers of the other oval-ball game flocking to this corner of the Windy City to watch an Eagles side, without a number of their top players, face a Maori team focused on pride and a group keen to prove their potential All Black credentials.Akira Ioane was a constant menace with deft offloads causing all sorts of bamboozlement in the Eagles ranks. He finished with two tries while winger James Lowe also grabbed a brace with Ash Dixon, Kane Hames, Brad Weber and Joe Royal also scoring. But the biggest cheer of the evening was reserved for Todd Clevers 49th-minute score for the hosts, one met with an outpouring of celebration in this momentous of weeks in Chicago.The Eagles battled valiantly but when you are without the likes of Samu Manoa, Chris Wyles, AJ MacGinty and Blaine Scully then that missing spine of experience means calm heads were at times lacking, particularly in their exit plays which usually resulted in wayward kicking.MacGinty was the absence felt hardest in the Eagles ranks as they badly needed a controlling presence at fly-half to give them essential field position and in the first-half in particular, any chance to counter or slow the game down inevitably ended with the Maoris storming back.It was noticeable that their moost assured players, bar the hugely experienced Clever, were their Sevens contingent with Matei Lueta and Folau Niua influential in attack while Danny Barrett also impressed.ddddddddddddBut despite some valiant performances, the result was never to be in doubt. The Maoris most influential player was No.8 Ioane but captain Dixon was also a force in the set-piece and at the breakdown.Two of the Maoris eight tries were wonderful efforts. Lowes second in the first-half came off the back of a neat nudge through from Ihaia West which saw Matt Proctor offload to the waiting winger for a wonderfully crafted score. Then Hames belied his loose-head role to canter in for a second-half score after more effective attacking from Ioane.Damian McKenzie was also assured as ever as he impressed in front of the watching British & Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland with the Maori lying in wait for them next summer on their tour of New Zealand.The true impact of this match will be felt in the future. This was an inexperienced Eagles side - one with four amateurs in the starting 15 - but it will prove to be a valuable exercise for their coach John Mitchell with Romania lying in wait next.The Maori will now sit in the stands to watch the All Blacks face Ireland in Saturdays main course at Soldier Field. But as starters go, this wasnt a bad way to get this rugby double-header underway. ' ' '