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== Knuckleballer who stifled Mariners got career boost from ret ==

<html>Red Sox rookie Steven Wright blanked the Mariners on three hits over 5 2/3 innings yesterday. Photo by Getty Images
Former Everett Herald sportswriter Kirby Arnold with ex-Mariner Chris Snelling, who represented Australia in the WBC.
Standing around outside the Mariners clubhouse on Wednesday, I had a welcome opportunity to catch up with an old friend, Kirby Arnold, who covered the Mariners, excellently, . Kirby is now retired and living most of the year in Arizona, but he spends part of his time out here and was working on a freelance article.
In the course of the conversation, Kirby casually mentioned that he was friends with Steven Wright not the, but rather the Red Sox pitcher who, by good fortune, had been recalled from the minor leagues by Boston that very day. Kirby had just over come from the Red Sox side, where he had gone over to say hello to Wright. The Red Sox were having bullpen issues, and they were hoping the 28-year-old Wright,[http://www.jerseys-ns.net/Sabres-30-miller-blue-3rd-Jerseys-7557/ Sabres 30 miller blue 3rd Jerseys], who had been pitching effectively as a starter in Pawtucket,[http://wikiar.artecnologia.inf.br/wiki/Usu%C3%A1rio:Mondinoo48#Choo.27s_single_in_11th_lifts_Reds_over_Giants_3 Choo's single in 11th lifts Reds over Giants 3], could help them in long relief.
Kirby then told an amazing story about how he befriended Wright through a chance meeting at a golf course,[http://www.txjyjt.com/Review.asp?NewsID=198 Parker a future track star at Bellbrook], and how he had wound up impacting his career, indirectly, in a positive way.
In the winter prior to the 2012 season, Kirby was playing golf at the Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Ariz.,[http://www.jerseys-ns.net/Dodgers-27-Kemp-pink-women-Jerseys-1832/ Dodgers 27 Kemp pink women Jerseys], which isn t unusual. Kirby s a golf nut, and in fact now runs a website called golferswest.com with a couple of other retired Seattle sportswriters, Bob Sherwin and Jim Street. Kirby was solo that day, and so was, it turned out, Wright, whose wife, Shannon, happens to work at the golf course. They struck up a conversation, which led to a round of golf together and the beginning of a friendship.
It didn t take long for baseball to come up, and for Wright to reveal he was a pitcher in the Cleveland Indians organization, at the time. A former second-round pick of the Indians out of the University of Hawaii in 2006, Wright was stymied in the minor leagues and had in fact been demoted from Triple-A to Double-A that year. At Double-A Akron,? he had begun dabbling with the knuckleball, impressively enough that his pitching coach, Greg Hibbard yeah, the ex-Mariner urged him to stick with it. But now Wright was eager to learn more about the nuances of the pitch.
Arnold told him that he just happened to be acquainted with R.A. Dickey, whose success story is an inspiration to all aspiring knuckleballers. Dickey and Arnold had hit it off during Dickey s stint with the Mariners, and they had remained in contact over the years as Dickey eventually blossomed into the Cy Young Award winner. Kirby told Wright that he could get him together with Dickey, who is always happy to play it forward after Phil Niekro and Charlie Hough helped him immensely in his own career. Wright took him up on the offer, the connection was made, and Dickey wound up talking extensively to Wright about the technical and psychological aspects of throwing the knuckleball.
And then last year, Wright s career began to take off. He went a combined 10-6 with a 2.44 ERA in the minor leagues with Cleveland and Boston, which acquired him in an unheralded July 31 trade with the Indians for first baseman Lars Anderson.
This season, Wright started the year in Triple-A Pawtucket,[http://www.cinetelabrasil.com.br/wiki/index.php?title=Usu%C3%A1rio:Connvkov39#Mariner_momentum_is_slipping_away Mariner momentum is slipping away], got called up by the Red Sox to make one appearance on April 23 in a rain-shortened game? in Oakland, allowing five runs in 3 2/3 innings in his major-league debut. Back Wright went to Triple-A, where he was on a run of 17 2/3 scoreless consecutive innings when the Red Sox called him back up to the majors on Wednesday.
Flash forward to yesterday, when Red Sox starter Ryan Dempster was knocked out in the fourth inning. With two on and one out, in came Wright, who promptly gave up an RBI single to Kyle Seager. But Wright got out of the jam and went on to blank the Mariners who had been blasting the ball all over Safeco Field so far in the game over the next five innings. The result was his first major-league win and presentation of the game ball after the Red Sox rallied for a run in the 10th to win it, 8-7.
A couple of Mariners commented that Wright s knuckleball reminded them of Dickey s a little bit harder than the traditional floater. Considering the tutelage he had received from Dickey, courtesy of a helpful sportswriter from Everett, that s not a surprise.</html>

== Dutch Lions continue win streak ==

<html><head><title>html模版</title></head><body>Dutch Lions continue win streak</br>7/4/2013 7:04:00 PMDutch Lions continue win streak

BEAVERCREEK Despite the rain, the flag waved proudly July 4 as Dayton (6-2-5), exploded on to their home field and immediately went to work against Rochester (3-7-6).The early energy push the Dutch Lions to a 3-1 victory.

A quick ball sent up from the back in the 1st minute to Dayton s Gibson Bardsley resulted in a shot on goal that just missed wide of the far post. Rochester began to find their feet in the 26th minute with a shot from Gabe Latigue that just curved left of the goal.

But,[http://www.jerseys-ns.net/Bengals-85-Ocho-Cinco-Camo-Jerseys-3543/ Bengals 85 Ocho Cinco Camo Jerseys], in the 38th minute, the Rhinos didn t miss and a light cross to the head of Blake Brettschneider put the Rhinos on the board first.

The equalizer came in the 44th minute for the Lions with Eli Garner receiving a pass from Bardsley and making a run, Garner wasted no time and put it in the back of the net. The half ended in a tie 1-1.

The second half started with the Lions coming out strong again. In the 45th minute a ball up from Matt Weit to the head of Tjeerd Westdijke, who flicked the ball over the Rochester defender and gave Garner a great opportunity,[http://www.jerseys-ns.net/Cavaliers-33-Shaquille-O-Neal-Blue-Jerseys-2731/ Cavaliers 33 Shaquille O Neal Blue Jerseys], but the shot went directly to Rhinos keeper Kristian Nicht.

The Rhinos answered back with Brettschneider getting open again near the Lions goal and he wasted no time sending one across the goal.

However, Dayton s defense stepped up to prevent any balls from finding the back of the net. In the 64 minute a drive by Shane Smith lead to a beautiful series for Dayton with a pass to Garner on the left, a cross back to Bardsley on the right and then back center for a goal by Westdijk and a 2-1 Dayton lead.

In the 80th minute,[http://info.wienwelt.at/index.php?title=Benutzer:Langeland87#State_office_can_investigate_suspiciously_high_tow_fees_Hawa State office can investigate suspiciously high tow fees Hawa], Dayton gets the extra cushion they need when Joey Madigan makes a run and crosses to Bardsley for an easy goal and a 3-1 advantage.

A direct kick on the 25 yard line in the 90th minute gave Rochester their best chance of the half, when the ball flew left of the wall. Keeper Matt Williams made a diving save to push the ball out behind the end line.

Coach Patrick Bal relished the the victory.

 Thanks to this win, we have moved up to fourth place in the standings,[http://www.andreaszade.de/kunstfoerderung.de/wiki/index.php/Benutzer:Shimmelne85#Woolf_is_parade_grand_marshal_for_third_Community_Festival Woolf is parade grand marshal for third Community Festival], which is a first in our team s history. We now have a ten game undefeated streak, he said. It wasn t our best game,[http://auzolana.gipuzkoa2.net/index.php/Lankide:Rosenbe55#Raul_Ibanez_having_fun_watching_younger_hitters_transform_Ma Raul Ibanez having fun watching younger hitters transform Ma], but we played hard and I am happy with the result. 

Dayton faces the Richmond Kickers (7-0-5) at home at Miami Valley Hospital Stadium on Saturday, July 6 at 7:30 p.m. They then travel to Columbus to meet the Crew Reserve team (2-4-1) at the Crew Stadium on Wednesday, July 10.</body></html>