The Athenaeum Forum

Winnipeg Goldeyes manager Rick Forney announced on Wednesday the signing of veteran infielder Jacob Blackwood to a contract for the 2014 season. Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. In 126 games with San Antonio last season, the product of Kansas City, Missouri hit .259 with seven home runs and 61 RBI. He was named the starting third baseman for the South Division in the Texas League All-Star Game. "Jake is a big addition to our ball club," Forney said. "Hes the type of infielder that provides a big impact bat to our lineup. Hes been an impactful player in our league before and were hopeful he can be an impact guy for the Goldeyes in 2014." Prior to being signed by the Padres, Blackwood had a monster year for the Kansas City T-Bones in 2010. He hit .331 with 31 home runs and 86 RBI in 99 games. His home run and RBI totals led the Northern League, while his batting average was third in the league behind Kevin West and Juan Diaz of the Goldeyes. Blackwood also led the NL with 82 runs scored, 271 total bases, a .636 slugging percentage and a 1.014 OPS. Blackwood, who has experience at all four infield positions and the two corner outfield positions, was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 16th round of the 2006 MLB amateur draft. He played four-and-a-half seasons in their system before being released and signing with the T-Bones. The Goldeyes now have 12 players signed for the 2014 season, including six pitchers and six position players. Carlos Gomez Astros Jersey . Thornton emerged as one of the leagues best defensive ends against the run in 2013. The former undrafted free agent from Division II Southern Arkansas led Philadelphias linemen with 78 tackles and had one sack. Custom Houston Astros Jersey . Goergl, the 2011 world champion, started 28th after the other top contenders had already gone down but had the fastest time at each interval. Goergl finished the demanding 3-kilometre Kaelberloch course in 1 minute, 47. http://www.baseballastrosproshop.com/ca ... os-jersey/. Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch the game on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt and listen on TSN 690. The Canadiens have won three in a row and four of their last five games and recently put the finishing touches on a 3-1-0 road trip. Dallas Keuchel Astros Jersey .Y. -- Kristen Gillman rallied to win the U. Houston Astros Norichika Aoki Jersey . Bayern winger Franck Ribery marked his league return after recovering from a cracked rib by scoring two goals and setting up two more as the league leaders inflicted the heaviest home defeat on Bremen in the Bundesliga.TORONTO - Toronto FC manager Ryan Nelsen says hes concerned about the rough treatment being meted out to star striker Jermain Defoe. The five-foot-seven English forward will have to sit out Saturdays game against visiting Sporting Kansas City after receiving a caution last weekend in Houston, when he was essentially hurled to the ground by six-foot-four Dynamo defender David Horst during an altercation. Only Defoe saw yellow, his fifth of the season which triggered a one-game ban. Nelsens beef is that officials seem to be swayed by simulation and the extras that can follow a foul rather the actual incident. "Hes such a honest player," Nelsen said of Defoe. "Especially in England, you dont dive, you dont fall down, you dont complain. You get that sort of treatment and you have to deal with it. "But over here, a lot of players fall and dive and roll. And the referees react on that. Where(as) our guys are sometimes a wee bit too honest and they take the punishment. The league talks about stamping out all that play, but just because our guys dont dive, it doesnt mean its not happening. "Thats the thing that frustrates me the most is that the referees, they react on what happened if its a dive or its a roll or something like that, then they react. And not the actual impact itself, which they should be doing." No stranger to having a target on his back, the 145-pound Defoe has not complained and has shown he can take care of himself, not backing down from anyone.dddddddddddd But the 31-year-old has surprised even himself with the five cautions so far in his first season in MLS. "Which is unusual for me," he said after the midweek friendly with Tottenham. "I dont normally get involved, I dont really get yellow cards and that." Defoe understands, however, that opposing teams are looking to get him off his game. "Well thats their job at the end of the day," he said after the recent 1-1 tie with Vancouver."Youve got to do whatever it takes to win the game. "Obviously Im not in their changing room, I dont know what the manager says or what they do, but at the end of the day, for me, Ive just go to get into the areas where Im going to score goals. And obviously theyre going to try and do stuff, I suppose, to put me off my game. But its not a problem. Its important just to keep focused and as a forward make sure when we get the chances, that we put them away." Going into this weekends round of play, Defoe was one of 13 players with five cautions. D.C. United midfielder Perry Kitchen led the league with seven yellow cards while six players had six cautions. Defoe leads TFC in yellows, despite only having played 14 of 17 league games. Portlands Darlington Nagbe led the league with 61 fouls suffered in 20 games. Defoe was not in the top 10. But as Torontos leading scorer, with 11 of the clubs 26 goals, he is a key to the attack. Defoe ranks fourth in league scoring. 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