Clan-Members » have played OK; we havent seen Andy S

CHICAGO -- The Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a minor league contract with Cuban free agent shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez.The Reds announced the agreement after Mondays loss to the Chicago Cubs. He will start playing in the Dominican Summer League.The 22-year-old Rodriguez is the third free agent from Cuba to sign with the Reds since 2010, joining former closer Aroldis Chapman and pitcher Raisel Iglesias.Rodriguez was the 2014-15 Rookie of the Year and won the equivalent of a gold glove in Cubas Serie Nacional. He batted .265 with 12 stolen bases in 16 attempts in 84 games for La Isla De La Juventud.Our whole group that scouted Aroldis and Raisel also saw Alfredo, senior director of amateur scouting Chris Buckley said.We all think hes an everyday shortstop with a chance to play plus defense. Hes a very smooth defensive infielder, a good line-drive bat and a plus runner. We were impressed with his all-around defensive actions. Its very hard to find an everyday shortstop who we liked everything about.Rangers Jerseys China . -- Team after team passed on Andre Ellington in the draft. Custom Texas Rangers Jerseys . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. https://www.cheaprangersbaseball.com/ . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. Texas Rangers Gear . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Texas Rangers Pro Shop . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged.CHASKA, Minn. -- Mark James played in the Ryder Cup seven times and captained the European side at Brookline in 1999. Here, the honorary life member of the European Tour gives his views on the 41st edition of the contest in Minnesota. Thomas Pieters can make a bit of history on Sunday and has been so incredible here that it would be more than deserved.Just hitting his initial tee shot in the singles against J.B. Holmes will make him the first European rookie to play in all five sessions since 1999, and if he wins his match, he will set a benchmark for the number of wins at four.I hope he gets a European victory to go with all that, of course, but there is success on the horizon for the Belgian regardless.Pieters has played so well that you have to think there are major wins in him. At Hazeltine, he has just taken to Ryder Cup golf like a duck to water.In all of his matches, he has looked cool, calm, composed, but with just the right amount of adrenaline. It has been incredible to watch; I dont think Ive seen anything like it in a rookie.The 24-year-olds demeanour never changed a great deal. He got pumped up at exactly the right times and looked pretty close to perfect, like he was made for this competition.Pieters is a huge talent, certainly. Hes a good driver, hits the ball a long way, hits with his irons well, chips OK and putts well.He doesnt really have a weakness in any department. Even Tiger Woods at his best had weaknesses.Pieters reminds me of Nick Faldo, the Englishman who didnt have any holes in his game. He is a modern version of Faldo -- bigger hitting, higher flying, more aggressive.But more important than his good all-round game is that he hhas the temperament to perform at the highest level, and that might set him apart.ddddddddddddWhen Pieters looked to the crowd and held his fingers to the lips on the first hole on Saturday that showed his self-confidence.Pieters is clearly not scared to put himself about, and that says a lot about his personality. Hes not someone who will back down; if he is like that off the course, he can, and will, play the same way because he has the talent to do so.Facing Holmes wont be easy but there is a reason Darren Clarke chose to play him third, behind only Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson: he has been one of Europes best players here.I would have fancied Pieters chances against anyone in the singles, and everyone knows how good he is now.Im not quite so confident about the other European rookies: Rafa Cabrera Bello has done pretty well;?Chris Wood and Danny Willett have played OK; we havent seen Andy Sullivan since the first day; and Matt Fitzpatrick had a bit of a tough time with Henrik Stenson on Saturday morning.Europe should get some points out of the rookies beyond Pieters, but the best, early players need to win or their team will go down. They just cant rely on the rookies to pull them through after going into the singles three points behind.Clarkes team cant let the Americans get on a roll and get more momentum, either, or the home side and their fans will get pumped up and the hopes of a comeback will be history. They need to keep the crowd quiet and get our guys flying to have a chance.Mark James was talking to Leo Spall. ' ' '