ekansekans's blog: "df"

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels each sat a star in the hopes of keeping them healthy for rest of the season. Robert Griffin III Camo Jersey . Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols were not in the lineup because of injuries Sunday in the Angels-Tigers series finale, giving them two days off because both teams are off Monday. Cabrera played in Detroits first 126 games this season. The third baseman has a sore right ankle that limited him to being a designated hitter on Friday and Saturday. "Whats best for Miguel is best for the Tigers," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. Pujols hasnt played since Wednesday when he left a game against Boston in the fourth inning with tightness in his right calf. "Im feeling better," he said. "But they want to give me another day off -- whatever they want to do." The Tigers and Angels are both potentially vying for an AL wild card with 30-plus games left in the regular season. They need Cabrera and Pujols to avoid going from having day-to-day soreness to a long-term injury. Cabrera ranks among the ALs best with a .324 batting average, 32 homers and 106 RBIs. Pujols is hitting .283 and has 28 homers and 86 RBIs. "When Albert is ready to play, hes going to play," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. "Were not holding him out to get him ready for the stretch. If he was available and could play, he would be playing." Kirk Cousins Jersey . -- Andrew Ference turned up at the Boston Bruins annual charity golf tournament wearing his NHL Players Association cap. John Riggins Jersey . Organizers say the two Jamaicans will go head-to-head at the Bislett Games on June 7, less than two months before the London Olympics. Powell won the Diamond League title last year and his seasons best of 9. http://www.nflredskinsfansstore.com/nike-robert-griffin-iii-Redskins-jersey/ . -- Trevor Plouffe has struggled since returning from the disabled list and hitting into a triple play only served to highlight his recent problems. Robert Griffin III Game Jersey . John Mayberry Jr. and Erik Kratz hit back-to-back home runs and Hamels tied a season high with 10 strikeouts to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 Saturday night. Santana Moss Camo Jersey . Who is the biggest underachiever so far? The top rookie?  Who should the Bombers use at QB in Week 5?  You can have your say by answering the poll question and writing a response in the Your Call section at the bottom of the page.Its been a series of firsts for Amber Holland and her teammates since they won the Canadian womens curling championship a year ago. Holland, third Kim Schneider, second Tammy Schneider and lead Heather Kalenchuk won a silver medal in their first world championship. Theyve dealt with a rush of notoriety that comes in Saskatchewan, where it seems the whole province is on a first-name basis with you, if you win a national curling title. The Holland team also returns to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts wearing red and white as Team Canada for the first time in their lives. "Its been a bit of a whirlwind. Im not going to lie," said Holland from her executive directors office at the Saskatchewan Curling Association in Regina. "Its been life-changing for me and the team, based on a lot of things off the ice, not necessarily on the ice." When Holland and her team returned from their win in Charlottetown last year, they were taken aback at how large and emotionally invested their following was. They were the first Saskatchewan team to win the Scotties since the late Sandra Schmirler won the last of her three titles in 1997. Holland compares curling fever in Saskatchewan to Rider Pride. "Thats the big thing weve probably had to work through is the fact that people want to talk to you, spend time with you," Holland explained. "You walk down the street and people want to talk about last year and what happened and whats going on." Saskatchewan curling fans have double the interest in the 2012 Scotties starting Saturday in Red Deer, Alta. Because Hollands foursome from Kronau has an automatic entry as defending champion, Reginas Michelle Englot is also in the field as provincial champion. "Our very last round-robin draw is Team Canada versus Team Saskatchewan," Holland said. "You can ask the Canadian Curling Association if they did that on purpose, when everybody from Saskatchewan will be driving over. "It is going to feel different in that Im going to look across the sheets and see someone else wearing green and white and were wearing the red and white." Holland and former Canadian and world champions Kelly Scott of B.C., and Jennifer Jones of Manitoba are the pre-tournament favourites, given their track record of success in the tournament. Quebecs Marie-France Larouche gets the label of dark horse. Larouche lost to Colleen Jones in the 2004 final when the tournament was last held in Red Deer. Albertas Heather Nedohin, Ontarios Tracy Horgan, Nova Scotias Heather-Smith Dacey, New Brunswicks Andrea Kelly, Kim Dolan of Prince Edward Island, Heather Strong of Newfoundland and Labrador and Kerry Galusha of Yukon/Northwest Territories round out the field. The winners crowned Feb. 26 will represent Canada at the world womens curling championship March 17-25 in Lethbridge, Alta., and get a return trip to the 2013 Scotties in Kingston, Ont. But there is also cash on the line. The four teams with the best records at the conclusion of the round robin qualify for the Page playoff round starting Feb. 24. The tournament finalists each recceive $15,500 in prize money, third place earns $11,500 and fourth picks up $7,500. Leonard Hankerson Jersey. The national champions are eligible for $144,000 of Sport Canada funding over a two-year period, as well as $40,000 from the Canadian Curling Associations National Team Program to cover training and competition costs. The Canadian champion is paid another $10,000 to wear the crest of Scotties sponsor Kruger at the world championship. The victor also earns automatic entry into the $140,000 Canada Cup of Curling later this year in Moose Jaw, Sask., and the international Continental Cup of Curling in 2013. The Olympic curling trials are next year. A national championship counts valuable points towards the CCAs Canadian Team Ranking System, which qualifies teams for the 2013 Olympic trials and pre-trials tournaments. The Jones team is the only one so far with one of eight womens berths in the Olympic trials Dec. 1-8, 2013, in Winnipeg. Jones earned the first one by winning the 2011 Canada Cup in Cranbrook, B.C. Another berth will be awarded in April to the team at the top of the CTRS standings following the Players Championship. Holland, Nedohin and Calgarys Shannon Kleibrink each have one of 12 spots in the pre-trials event that determines the final two of the eight trials teams. Hollands team opens this years Scotties against Newfoundland and Labradors Heather Strong in the first draw Saturday afternoon (TSN, 3pm et/Noon pt). A question mark over the Holland team is how battle-ready they are. As defending champions, they didnt have to qualify through provincial playdowns in January. Instead of playing in a European tournament last month like many national champions do, they opted to stay closer to home and participate in the Ryder-Cup style Continental Cup of Curling in Langley, B.C. What the Holland team is also missing this season is World Curling Tour wins. In five tournaments, they didnt make the quarter-finals and totalled just $900 in winnings compared to top earner Sherry Middaughs $34,000. "We werent consistent when we played World Curling events and it showed in our performances," Holland said. "You look on the money list and you have to keep going down to the bottom. I cant take that back, but Ive played this game long enough to know that what happens before Christmas has absolutely nothing to do with what happens when the playdown season starts and our playdowns are starting Feb. 18 in Red Deer. "Im sure theres probably a team at the top of that money list that isnt playing Feb. 18 that would love to be and probably would trade some of that money to be there." The Holland team spent Feb. 4-5 at the national training centre in Edmonton fine-tuning their game, particularly sweeping. "The brushes, Im hoping everybody notices," Holland said. "Physically, our brushers are doing things better and are affecting the rock better. "As far as what I see on the ice and how were preparing, (Im) very comfortable that all the players are in a space where they know what they need to take into Red Deer to perform their best." ' ' '