Vorstellungsforum » States Steve Kerr and San Antonios Gregg Popovich

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Mariners demoted former No. 2 overall pick Dustin Ackley on Monday in the hopes he can rediscover his swing in the minors. The Mariners optioned the 25-year-old second baseman to Triple-A Tacoma before opening a series against the San Diego Padres and selected prospect Nick Franklin from Tacoma to take his place. Ackley is the second young player the Mariners were counting on this season to get sent down, joining Jesus Montero. Seattle needed improvement from Ackley and Montero this season to get better offensively. Instead, theyre now both playing in the minors trying to solve problems at the plate. "It was just time," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. "Obviously, we fought for the guy for quite a period of time now and wanted to make it work up here and not have to do that. Ultimately, we couldnt take it any further." Montero was sent down late last week after the club determined his career as a fulltime catcher was essentially over. The Mariners sent him to the minors to focus on hitting and learning the fundamentals of first base so he could be an option there. The reasons for Ackleys demotion are similar -- his struggles at the plate -- but his play in the field remained strong despite his hitting problems. Ackley was bothered by an ankle injury for much of last season, which led to fundamental breakdowns in his swing. Ackley kept tinkering with his swing early in this season, and he had appeared to overcome a slow first few weeks when he raised his average to .255 on May 4. But his average plummeted from there, as Ackley collected just six hits in the next 16 games, hitting.111 during that stretch. He regularly fell behind in counts, and Wedge saw a progressive lack of aggressiveness in Ackleys swing. Ackley was hitting .205 after Sunday, with just five extra-base hits in 45 games. "Sometimes you get into a scenario as a big league hitter where you lose your feel, and I think that some of that was going on with him," Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said. "None of us have the exact answers. But we do know that if we remove him from the bright lights from the major leagues and let him go down to Triple-A and regain his stroke -- again the history of what this guy has done in his career just stares you right in the face. That hes got to be a big league hitter. The issue is he hasnt been producing up here and he just needs to go back." Franklins promotion completes a rapid rise through the Mariners farm system. He was taken in the first round in 2009 out of high school and quickly made his way to Triple-A by the middle of last season. He was hitting .324 with four homers and 20 RBIs in 30 games with Tacoma this season. Hell primarily play second base. "I want to take a look at him. Its a great opportunity to take a look at him," Wedge said. "Well let him get settled today and start him tomorrow." Seattle also optioned reliever Lucas Luetge and recalled pitcher Hector Noesi from Tacoma. Noesi was brought in as protection in case Seattle needed a long reliever out of the bullpen, with struggling starters Aaron Harang and Brandon Maurer going the next two games and the Mariners playing 13 innings the day before. The Mariners also designated for assignment minor league outfielder Francisco Martinez to clear a 40-man spot for Franklin, a move that makes Seattles trade with Detroit in 2011 look even worse. The Mariners sent Doug Fister to the Tigers for three players, the only one of whom to make the big leagues is reliever Charlie Furbush. Meanwhile, Fister has become an anchor in the Tigers rotation. Fake Air Max . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. Wholesale Fake Air Max 90 . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. http://www.fakeairmax90.com/ . Aduriz headed home Markel Susaetas cross in the sixth minute to open the scoring at San Mames Stadium. He bettered that with a long-range blast that went in off the goal frame in the 18th, and converted a penalty in the 72nd after Diego Mainz was sent off for fouling Aduriz with only the goalkeeper to beat. Fake Air Max 90 . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. Fake Air Max 90 2019 . -- Devin Hester is done returning kicks in Chicago. DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says the teams decision not to stay at Donald Trump-branded hotels in New York and Chicago was made before the presidential election.The billionaire technology entrepreneur declined Wednesday to elaborate on the decision, telling The Associated Press it was made months ago. Not recently.Cuban was a frequent critic of Trump during the campaign and supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who lost to the Republican president-elect.ESPN, citing anonymous sources, reported that Dallas, Memphis and Milwaukee were among the teams that moved away from Trump-branded hotels in New York and Chicago. The network reported that the decision was made in part to avoid any implied association with Trump.The Memphis Grizzlies are another team that isnt staying at Trump properties.It had nothing to do with the election. We made those decisions months ago, coach David Fizdale said Wednesday night before a game against the Clippers. We didnt stay in Trump hotels when I was in Miami either, so when I came here I wanted to stay in places I was familiar with. It had nothing to do with him.Several NBA coaches have been critical of Trump siince the election, including Golden States Steve Kerr and San Antonios Gregg Popovich.ddddddddddddMilwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd declined to comment as a team spokesman pointed to a statement earlier in the day that the team would not go on the record about its season travel plans.But star forward Jabari Parker said he supports the teams decision not to stay in Trump properties.It targets most of the guys on the team, the controversy that Donald Trump stands for, Parker told The Associated Press. Im damn near Mexican because my mom is from Hawaii. We have a Muslim on the team (Mirza Teletovic) and all our guys are black, so when you despise our culture, we cant support that.Parker added that hes proud of the Bucks decision.Yeah, because those are tensions that he stands for, and it targets guys on the team, Parker told The AP. They (Bucks front office) dont want to put them in uncomfortable situations just like in the 60s when they said, `Whites only. Thats basically how I look at it because were not welcome in Donald Trumps in-crowd. ' ' '