Dein erstes Forum » Oct. 28 off waivers from the Mariners.

MELBOURNE, Australia - Eugenie Bouchard — the unwitting protagonist of an Australian Open saga that has been dubbed Twirlgate — would prefer if people just focused on her tennis.For the record, Bouchard said Friday she was not offended by the male interviewer who asked her to twirl for the crowd earlier in the week.I think it was just kind of funny, the Wimbledon runner-up said after advancing to the fourth round in Melbourne. Im fine with being asked to twirl if they ask the guys to flex their muscles.This is not the first time the Australian Open has offered up a headline-grabbing sideshow that has nothing to do with tennis.In previous years, two-time champion Victoria Azarenkas former boyfriend, the rap star Redfoo who was a regular front-row fixture, got as much press as she did. In 2011, former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki told a colorful tale about getting into a fight with a kangaroo and showed a scratch to prove it. She later retracted the story, saying she had bumped into a treadmill but wanted to spice up a dull news conference.This year, the seasons opening Grand Slam tournament has Twirlgate, a term being used by Australian media and as a hashtag on Twitter.It started Wednesday when Bouchard, one of the rising stars of womens tennis, was asked by a male interviewer to give us a twirl and show off her tennis dress after winning her second-round match. Noticeably embarrassed, Bouchard complied with a laugh and later said, it was very unexpected.Social media erupted with chatter. Some called it sexist, some questioned whether a male player would be asked to twirl after winning a match, and some dismissed the debate, saying they didnt feel sorry for a highly-paid athlete being asked to twirl.Billie Jean King added to the chorus of criticism.This is truly sexist, tweeted King, an 11-time Grand Slam winner and a longtime campaigner for equal rights in tennis. Lets focus on competition and accomplishments of both genders, and not our looks.The 20-year-old Bouchard, a 1.78-meter (5 foot-10) photogenic blonde, has become one of tennis newest cover girls. She won the Wimbledon juniors title in 2012 and has made rapid progress ever since. She reached the semifinals at last years Australian and French Opens followed by the Wimbledon final which ushered her into the No. 7-ranking — the highest ever for a Canadian player.Bouchard won her third-round match Friday, beating Caroline Garcia of France 7-5, 6-0. After a few questions on tennis, her post-match news conference turned to the twirl.I was waiting for this one, Bouchard said, smiling.Players typically say that during big tournaments they try to stay away from newspapers and limit their time on social media to keep their minds on the game. But Bouchard said she was aware that the incident had caused a stir.My friends are texting me, saying I dance and twirl well and stuff, as jokes, she said. Its just funny how its taken a life of its own. Im just going to try to focus on my tennis.She raised her eyebrows when asked if this was a deja vu of an embarrassing question she faced last year, when an on-court interviewer asked her which celebrity shed most like to date.You mean the Bieber question? she said. Her answer at the time had been fellow Canadian Justin Bieber. I dont know. They try to ask funny questions. Its entertaining, I guess. I dont mind it.But she added that it would be nice to move on.Im happy that Ive played three solid matches here, Bouchard said, and we could definitely be a little bit more focused on that. Mike Tauchman Yankees Jersey . Browns advice worked. Irving scored 20 points, including seven in the fourth quarter, and Cleveland defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 88-82 Saturday night. Irving made his first shot of the night on a layup a little over three minutes into the game. 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The complaint says Goodell is prohibited from punishing players for any aspect of the case occurring before the new collective bargaining agreement was signed last August.TORONTO - The Toronto Blue Jays acquired outfielder Michael Saunders from the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday in exchange for left-hander J.A. Happ in a deal that essentially closes the door on the possibility of free agent Melky Cabrera returning to the team. The deal was the latest move by Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos in what has been a busy off-season. He recently dealt longtime first baseman Adam Lind to the Milwaukee Brewers, acquired star third baseman Josh Donaldson in a trade with the Oakland Athletics and signed catcher Russell Martin to a lucrative long-term deal. Saunders, a 28-year-old Victoria native, is expected to be the everyday left-fielder for the Blue Jays. We like the fact that Saunders can play all three outfield spots if needed, we think hes going to play an above-average defensive left field, Anthopoulos said. (Hes) a left-handed bat, which is appealing as well (and) can steal a base - hes stolen 21 bases before. We think he has some power in going from that ballpark (Safeco Field) to ours. He can unlock some things in our lineup as well and the two years of (team) control is nice too. Saunders, who was selected by the Mariners in the 11th round of the 2004 draft, hit .273 with eight homers and 34 RBIs in 78 games last season. He spent parts of six seasons in Seattle but battled injuries this year, including joint inflammation in his right shoulder and a strained left oblique. Hes always been a productive player and a big part of that is he brings so much with his defence and his base-running that hes always going to provide value to the club, Anthopoulos said. From an offensive standpoint I think the expectations have always been high, because hes a five-tool player, he can do everything and sometimes that isnt fair. Were not placing those expectations on him to hit in the middle of our lineup, to carry the offensive load. ... The way we see it, hes a guy who played 139 games in 2012, 132 games in 2013, obviously missed time this year but he did hit 19 home runs in 2012 and still had a pretty solid OPS in 12 and 13 in that ballpark. ... If we got the Michael Saunders from 12 and 13 wed be very, very pleased. Happ was uneven overr parts of three seasons in Toronto, but had a solid second half to the 2014 campaign.dddddddddddd He was 11-11 on the year with a 4.22 earned-run average over 158 innings. His departure improves Aaron Sanchezs chances of making the starting rotation. Hes going to be stretched out in spring training, but it certainly has increased his odds, Anthopoulos said. But hes still going to have to earn a spot right now, depending on what else we might do. Sanchez, a 22-year-old right-hander, was brilliant out of the bullpen in his first season with the Blue Jays. He was 2-2 with a 1.09 ERA in 24 appearances, striking out 27 batters and issuing nine walks. Cabrera, meanwhile, declined the Blue Jays US$15.3-million qualifying offer last month to test the free-agent market. There was interest in a potential return but the two sides were too far apart on contract talks. Cabrera hit .301 in 139 games last season with 16 homers and 73 RBIs. He missed the last few weeks of the season due to a fractured finger. Anthopoulos still has plenty of work to do. The bullpen will now likely get his full attention and he could still use an upgrade at second base. Also Wednesday, the Blue Jays signed first baseman Justin Smoak to a US$1-million, one-year contract, a day after he was non-tendered by the team. Smoak was acquired Oct. 28 off waivers from the Mariners. Toronto also agreed to terms with centre-fielder Ezequiel Carrera on a minor-league deal with an invitation to major-league spring training. Notes: The Blue Jays have added an exhibition game against the Canadian national junior team to their pre-season schedule. A Toronto split-squad will face the juniors March 15 at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. ... The Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America unveiled its 2014 award winners Wednesday. Slugger Jose Bautista was a unanimous choice for player of the year. Right-hander Mark Buehrle was pitcher of the year, right-hander Marcus Stroman was rookie of the year and Cabrera was named most improved player. Right-hander Casey Janssen was the winner of the John Cerutti Award, given to the person who exemplifies goodwill, co-operation and character. ' ' '