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JUPITER, Fla. Tavon Wilson Kids Jersey . -- Chris Carpenter noticed a crowd was steadily building behind the chain-link fence. Seems word had spread that the St. Louis Cardinals ace was doing some throwing. These days, even playing a few minutes of catch is a big deal. "Amazing, isnt it? Did I do OK?" Carpenter asked afterward. The reigning World Series champions certainly hope Carpenter did, since their rotation to open the season may depend on how he feels over the next few days. Carpenters few minutes of catch with teammate Jake Westbrook on Wednesday may be considered a positive sign for the Cardinals, who have dealt with a flurry of injuries so far in camp -- the status of the guy who won Game 7 of last years World Series most prominent among them. Carpenter took a spot in left field, alternating throws from between roughly 60 and 90 feet with Westbrook off the flat grass. No one, including Carpenter, can say for certain what the next step in his recovery from a sore neck caused by a bulging disc will be, and the April 4 season-opener at the Miami Marlins is looming fast. "Youre always frustrated if you cant play," Carpenter said after the throws. "I want to play, and I havent been able to yet this spring. Thats not what youre looking for, coming to spring training and not being able to get ready for the season. So theres always frustration. But you deal with it and move on and get ready to go." Carpenter dealt with neck soreness last week, and was scratched from his first scheduled start of the spring on Monday because of the issue. The sense entering spring training was that the Cardinals would begin the 2012 season the same way they ended 2011, with Carpenter as the starting pitcher on the lineup card. He turns 37 next month and threw 273 1-3 innings during last years regular season and playoffs, the most in baseball since Curt Schilling pitched 305 and Randy Johnson pitched 291 as the teammates who led the Arizona Diamondbacks to the 2001 World Series title. Carpenter was 11-9 in the regular season, then 4-0 in the playoffs, winning deciding games against Philadelphia in the division series and Texas in the World Series. So it was little surprise that the Cardinals took a cautious approach with Carpenter entering spring. "Thats just kind of how this game operates," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "Especially when youve got players who have been around a while. ... This team played 30 days longer than a lot of other teams (last season) and to discount that I thinks a mistake. Trying to push these guys through something right now still doesnt make sense to me. Theyre going to be ready when the bell rings." Mathenys words dont just apply to Carpenter, either. He said first baseman Lance Berkman tried to talk his way into Wednesdays lineup against the Houston Astros, but Matheny felt resting an achy left knee until Friday is the smarter call. Outfielder Carlos Beltran also got a day of rest Wednesday after making his in-the-field debut Tuesday against the Mets -- "he felt great," Matheny said -- and is expected to travel across the state with the Cardinals to Fort Myers for a game Thursday against Boston. Shortstop Rafael Furcal has been dealing with neck soreness in recent days as well, though was in Wednesdays lineup. "Weve had quite a few of these guys wanting to push through something and that just shows their character," Matheny said. "And Ill take the bullet for them and say, Hey, it just makes more sense to sit right now. It was another example today. Lance really wanted to play. To give him another day isnt going to hurt him." Carpenter clearly is getting antsy to start getting ready. He says hes been able to stay in shape through running and weightlifting, though his workouts have been a bit tempered of late because of the neck issue. Carpenter said he felt good Tuesday and that the plan was hatched for him to play catch if he showed up for work Wednesday without any setbacks. Carpenter spent about an hour at his locker before the workout, chatting with Westbrook and Kyle Lohse. His only complaint was about the slow download speed on his phone, and the Cardinals would gladly take that problem over anything else. "Im going to continue to go in the right direction," Carpenter said. "Well move forward and see what happens." Stevan Ridley Kids Jersey . They did take one chance on a free agent-to-be however, and it didnt pay off. Rory Kohlert, selected by the Redblacks in the expansion draft from Winnipeg, has signed as a free agent with the Blue Bombers. Stephen Gostkowski Red Jersey . - The Abbotsford Heat hope a last-minute goal keeps their season alive for more than one extra game.LOS ANGELES -- With the potentially record-breaking $2 billion sale of the Los Angeles Clippers hanging in the balance, a trial beginning Monday will focus on whether Donald Sterlings estranged wife had the authority under terms of a family trust to unilaterally negotiate the deal. Shelly Sterling struck a deal to sell the Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer after Donald Sterlings racist remarks to a girlfriend were publicized and the NBA moved to oust him as team owner. In order to do so, she had two doctors examine her 80-year-old husband and they declared him mentally incapacitated and unable to act as an administrator of The Sterling Family Trust, which owns the Clippers. The terms of the trust say incapacitation can be determined by two licensed doctors without ties to the family who are specialists in their field. A trustee must co-operate with such exams. The judge must find that Shelly Sterling acted in accordance with the trust and that the deal still applies -- even though the trust has since been revoked by Donald Sterling -- for the sale to proceed. Donald Sterlings attorneys say that his wife "blindsided" him and he submitted to examinations under false pretenses. They allege there was undue influence in the doctors findings, and that the exams and letters regarding his mental capacity were defective and incomplete. They say that if he had been properly informed, he would have participated at a more convenient time instead of being pulled out of legal meetings. "He would have also eaten properly and have been well rested for the examinations and focused on taking the exam with the full and complete understanding what it was for and the serious nature of the exam," they wrote in filings. But Shelly Sterlings attorney, Pierce ODonnell, said that Donald Sterling voluntarily went to take scans of his brain and there was no requirement to remind Donald Sterling, who is an attorney, or his legal team of the trusts conditions. The trial will also focus on the question of whhat happens to a deal that hasnt been closed once a trust is revoked. Sealver Siliga Patriots Jersey. . Donald Sterling revoked the trust on June 9 -- weeks after Shelly Sterling negotiated the deal with Ballmer. Shelly Sterlings attorneys also contend that finishing the deal is part of "winding down" the trusts affairs and that she has an obligation to close or Ballmer will sue. Donald Sterlings attorneys argue that the probate court now lacks jurisdiction and that winding down affairs refers to passive actions, not a sale that markedly changes the assets in the trust and its value. Donald Sterlings attorneys made a late move last week to shift the case to federal court so their allegations of medical privacy violations in the probate case can be heard. Attorneys for both Shelly Sterling and Ballmer called the filing a "desperate" tactic that they would seek to block. On Sunday night, lawyers for Shelly Sterling and Balmer filed an emergency brief in federal court opposing Donald Sterlings motion to remove the trial to federal jurisdiction. They argued that no federal issue has been raised by him and he waived his right to move the case when he participated in the probate case with numerous motions. They argued that Levanas should order the trial to go forward in probate court. It was not immediately clear when a federal judge would rule on the filing or how it would affect the probate proceedings, but the trial remained on schedule to start Monday morning. Whatever happens, timing is tight. NBA owners must approve what would be a record-breaking deal and are scheduled to meet July 15 to vote. The brief filed Sunday said any delay will deny Shelly Sterling the chance to close the deal with Balmer "without ever having had an opportunity for a hearing on the matter." Thats the same day Ballmers offer is set to expire -- and there is no deal without the judges approval of the sale. If the sale isnt completed by Sept. 15, the league said it could seize the team and put it up for auction. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' ' |
