Regeln und Neuigkeiten » amework on the new deal before the

OAKLAND, Calif. -- In three short years, Sean Doolittle transformed himself from a top first base prospect into a shut-down reliever. The Oakland Athletics are rewarding him for it, giving the left-hander a five-year contract Friday for making the improbable switch. The deal contains a pair of club options that could extend the agreement through the 2020 season. "It means everything that the organization thinks of you like that, that they want to keep you around and they think you can be part of teams here for years to come," said Doolittle, a regular in the second deck at As games as a boy with his brother. "If you factor in the road I took to get here and everything I went through to be able to put on this uniform, its really special to know Ill be part of this organization for a while." Oakland announced the contract ahead of a home weekend series against the Houston Astros. Doolittle took his physical Thursday and should sign the agreement as soon as Monday. His 2020 option becomes mutual if he has a combined 100 games finished between 2018 and 2019. The 27-year-old left-hander has been a reliable member of Oaklands talented bullpen since converting from first base late in the 2011 season. He appreciates his new job security -- and still thinks about the path he took to get to this point. "Its crazy," he said. "There are still plenty of times I cant believe I actually did that. The way things worked out, it just makes everything that much better. I dont take a single minute I have up here for granted." He is 7-6 with a 3.10 ERA and four saves in 122 relief appearances, allowing 100 hits with 129 strikeouts in 125 innings. He is 0-0 with a 3.12 ERA and one save in eight appearances over 8 2-3 innings so far this year, his third big league season. "Hes a guy weve gotten to know on a personal level and we have a ton of faith in the person he is on the field and off the field," said Farhan Zaidi, As assistant general manager and director of baseball operations. "Having to transition from being a position player to a pitcher, thats shown us a lot. Weve seen what everybody else has seen the last two years. Hes been one of the best relievers and setup men in baseball. I think every team would want to have that guy around for as long as possible. That was our motivation." His previous deal was a one-year contract paying $505,000 in the major leagues this season and $295,500 in the minors. The sides reached a basic framework on the new deal before the end of spring training, but still had some language to work out. If Doolittle becomes "Super 2" eligible after this season as expected -- meaning he is just shy of three years of service time -- there are escalators in his new deal based on games finished. Doolittle certainly hopes his role evolves into becoming the regular closer one day. The As brass are thrilled with Doolittles reinvention of himself, though he no longer surprises anybody. "The durability that he has shown, he takes good care of himself, all of the things you look for in the guys you want to get a long-term deal with, he does," manager Bob Melvin said. "With both sides happy about it, its a good deal for us, its a good deal for him. To have a guy like that around for a while is good news to everybody in our clubhouse." Alexis Sanchez Jersey . Englands only win in the four most recent trips north had been tight, and Scotland was expected after losing 28-6 to Ireland six days ago to show some venom against its archrival. Eric Bailly Jersey . -- Jay Haas and Peter Jacobsen took the second-round lead Saturday in the Champions Tours Legends of Golf, teaming for a 6-under 48 in windy conditions on the par-3 Top of the Rock course. http://www.jerseymanchesterunitedsoccer....-united-jersey/. Following the Ford Womens World Curling Championship gold medal match that attracted record-breaking audiences to TSN, the networks exclusive live coverage of the tournament begins Saturday at 7am et/4am pt with Canadas opening draw against Denmark. Phil Jones Jersey . Ortiz hit a pair of two-run homers, including his 400th shot in a Red Sox uniform, and drove in a career high-tying six runs to power Boston past the Houston Astros 10-7 on Saturday night. Timothy Fosu-Mensah Jersey . With the Canadiens leading by one to start the third period, Price turned away 16 shots by the Panthers in the final frame to give Montreal a 2-1 victory over Florida on Monday night. The Panthers (16-21-6) outshot Montreal 16-10 in the final frame, but were repeatedly frustrated by Price, who made 26 saves on the night.SAN DIEGO - Justin Upton isnt intimidated by hitting in Petco Park.Wil Myers knows nothing about Petco Park.Derek Norris knew nothing about the San Diego Padres, other than Tony Gwynn once played for them.Will Middlebrooks said he was excited to be going from the East Coast to the best coast.The Padres on Tuesday introduced four-fifths of their big haul from general manager A.J. Prellers busy December wheeling and dealing. The news conference came some three weeks after they introduced slugger Matt Kemp, whom Preller calls the starting point in his effort to transform the worst offence in the major leagues into a contender.We think, if you go position by position, we match up against teams in our division, we match up against other teams in the league, manager Bud Black said. Now its a matter of doing it between the lines. Anything can happen in the course of a year but we feel pretty good about it right now.The five stars were obtained in separate deals during mid-December.You want to give your coaching staff a chance, said Preller, who was hired in August. You want to give them guys that if they go out and perform we have a chance to win and have an offensive unit thats championship-calibre.The Padres will control Norris, Middlebrooks, Myers and Kemp for several seasons. Upton is entering the final year of his contract, at $14.5 million.The Padres, whove missed the playoffs eighth straight seasons, had a historically awful offence in the first half of 2014. Although they played better in the second half, they finished at the bottom of the majors with a .226 average, .292 on-base percentage and 535 runs. Their 109 homers were the second fewest in baseball.Black envisions Upton in left, Myers in centre and Kemp in right. All are right-handed hitters, and the hope is theyll wear out left field at Petco Park. Norris, a catcher, and Middlebrooks, a third baseman, also are right-handed hitters.Upton, who was obtained from Atlanta, has 10 homers and a .291 average in 46 career games at Peetco Park, where the spacious dimensions have gotten into some Padres hitters heads.ddddddddddddEverybody says its big. I dont think so, he said. It usually plays pretty fair. Its one of those places where if you hit a home run, its going to be a home run. Ive enjoyed a bit of success here and I enjoy playing here. I think the parks great. Its a great atmosphere. I mean, how can you beat playing in San Diego every day? The new guys are going to love it, the guys who havent played here.Upton had 29 homers and 102 RBIs last season for the Braves.Myers came over from Tampa Bay in an 11-player, three-team trade. He was the 2013 AL Rookie of the Year.Hes never played at Petco Park.Everybody talks about how its a huge park but some of the players Ive talked to said its normal. It plays fair. If you hit it, its going to go. If you dont, its not.Norris was an All-Star last year with Oakland.Asked about his reaction when he found out hed been traded, Norris said: I was trying to figure out what a Padre was. I didnt really know. Growing up watching guys like Tony Gwynn represent this organization, that was about the closest I got to knowing what the organization was. I was happy to be part of something like that.Norris trimmed the bushy beard he sported with the As.Youve got to tame the beast before you can let it go, he quipped. You dont want to show up with it out of control, you know?Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler said hes pleased with what Preller has done.When we brought A.J. in, we found someone who embraced the task, Fowler said. He wasnt afraid of the San Francisco Giants or the Dodgers. He just had this David-Goliath mentality that he wanted to do it. He had this sort of look and this swagger about him.We had confidence he would do what he said he would do and he had priorities set up. We thought wed get maybe 60 per cent of what we were looking at. He basically got everything he set out to do.___Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson Cheap Barcelona Jerseys Cheap Real Madrid Jerseys Authentic Cheap Bayern Munich Jerseys Cheap Dortmund Jerseys Cheap USA Jerseys Cheap USWNT Jerseys France Soccer Jerseys Soccer Mexico Jerseys Cheap Germany Jerseys Cheap Belgium Soccer Jerseys Brazil Jerseys From China Germany Jerseys From China Authentic Soccer Mexico Jerseys Cheap Portugal Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Spain Jerseys Cheap France Football Jerseys Cheap Germany Jerseys Authentic Cheap Mexico Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Colombia Jerseys Cheap Belgium Football Jerseys Wholesale Argentina Jerseys Cheap USA Soccer Jerseys China cheap uswnt jersey authentic Authentic AC Milan Jerseys Discount Arsenal Jerseys Wholesale A.S. Roma Jerseys Wholesale Atletico Madrid Jerseys Chelsea Jerseys From China Barcelona Jerseys From China Cheap Bayern Munich Jerseys Authentic Borussia Dortmund Jerseys Authentic Inter Milan Jerseys Authentic Juventus Jerseys Cheap Leicester City Jerseys Wholesale Liverpool Jerseys Authentic Manchester City Jerseys Authentic Manchester United Jerseys Cheap Paris Saint-Germain Jerseys Authentic Real Madrid Jerseys Sevilla Jerseys For Sale Tottenham Hotspur Jerseys Outlet ' ' '