TORONTO - It appears Mark DeRosa will finish his 16th major league season with the Toronto Blue Jays, the club valuing his experience and leadership so much it wouldnt lose him to a waiver claim. “Hes helped stabilize some things” said manager John Gibbons. “I know hes really helped Lawrie. Hes just that proven vet that everybody bounces things off of. Hes got the right things to say at the right time. Its been a frustrating year but, you know, hes helped stabilize some things.” According to numerous reports, DeRosa was claimed on revocable waivers on Wednesday. A routine paper move, had the player cleared the Blue Jays would have been free to trade DeRosa at any point in August or September. Once DeRosa was claimed, the Jays had a decision to make: deal or no deal with the selecting club. CBS Sports reported the team which took DeRosa was, like the Blue Jays, under .500, therefore not increasing the veterans likelihood of competing in the playoffs. DeRosa has a World Series ring as a member of the 2010 San Francisco Giants but, due to injury, he doesnt consider himself a contributor to the championship. The Blue Jays hold an option on DeRosa for 2014 for $750,000. The 38-year-old doesnt yet know whether hell play next season. “I go back and forth on it everyday,” said DeRosa. “I think my family will play a huge part in that. Thats something, in the offseason, well sit down and discuss as a family. Ive been gone for a long time and my wife always has the line, ‘Do you want to raise 24 men or do you want to raise your own son? A little bit below the belt for her to tell me those things but I understand wholeheartedly. Itll be a family decision but I still think I can compete.” DeRosa has proven to himself he can still play. Coming off three down seasons thanks to two surgeries to repair a torn tendon sheath in his wrist, the first of which was botched, DeRosa knew in spring training he had some pop back in his bat. He was driving the ball during batting practice, something he couldnt do during the worst days of his injury. This season, afforded more of an opportunity to play than he anticipated, hes hit seven home runs and posted an OPS of .769, which is above his career average. “Im appreciative of the way Gibby has used me,” said DeRosa. “I dont think coming out of spring training I was expecting or he was expecting to use me as much as he has. Im glad Ive changed that opinion. I know the team has had something to do with that and our struggles have given me more opportunity to play. Hes handled me really great. Hes kept me fresh. Hes kept me involved. The way hes handled me has been perfect.” More valuable than his numbers is DeRosas ability to connect with anyone in the clubhouse. Lawrie tops the list and the two have shared neighbouring locker stalls since the start of spring training. Theyve golfed together, can be seen arriving to visiting ballparks together, and have struck up a friendship despite a 15-year age difference. “Hes been tremendous,” said Lawrie, who at 23 is the mentee to DeRosas mentor. “What a good dude. I havent met anybody for that fact, in baseball, thats been around the game like him. His personality is exactly like mine. Hes just one of the guys. He has good energy. He comes to the clubhouse everyday with a smile, brings a good attitude. Hes just been around the game a long time. Hes been to 11 postseasons. Hes been in the game for 14, 15 years. There are not a lot of guys that have been around like he has and have gone to the extent, hes won a World Series and hes done all these things and he knows what it takes to win. He knows what it takes to be in the big leagues for a long, extended period of time and thats beneficial to me.” “Being more of a big brother for him,” said DeRosa of his responsibility toward Lawrie. “Letting him vent, letting him say what he needs to say and then picking and choosing what battles to fight with him. You dont just want to flood a guy with a million things to think about. I think with him its got to be in steps but he has to understand the importance of being accountable, being in the right place at the right time, being consistent.” Lawrie has touched nerves this season, perhaps no more so than when he stared down Adam Lind and third base coach Luis Rivera when Lind didnt score on a fly ball during a June 22 game against Baltimore. DeRosa said then, and repeats now, that Lawrie has a unique intensity which comes from a good place even if, on occasion, its appearance is ugly. As to the fundamentals of the game, DeRosas spoken to Lawrie about how the intensity, the constant movement, can be beneficial on defence but ineffective in the batters box. Hes been persistent in delivering the message, as well as others, and he believes its starting to sink in. When sharing his wisdom, hes quick to remind teammates hes passing along information from the greats with whom hes played; the likes of Albert Pujols, Chipper Jones and Gary Sheffield. DeRosa is someone players, and even the manager, can confide in. “I talk to him about different things, no question,” said Gibbons. “The thing about DeRo, hes a levelheaded guy. I mean, hes highly intelligent and hes been around, man. Hes been around winners his whole life, his whole career.” “He tells you straight up, hes not going to lie to you,” said Lawrie. “He tells you everything thats on his mind and says Im going to be honest with you. I say, go ahead and shoot me with it because thats how I am, I like to know the truth, I like to know whats on his mind and obviously everyone elses but for myself, a guy thats 38-years-old thats been around the game for this long and done everything hes done, its a lot of fun for myself.” DeRosa is a stand-up guy, good to his teammates, good to his coaches, good to those around the team. An Ivy Leaguer, he quarterbacked Penns football team for three seasons in the mid-1990s, DeRosa is also intelligent and approachable on all matters of the game. Hell play again in 2014 if he gets the blessing of his wife and two children and if he feels like going through the rigours of another offseason of training. Dont mistake the decision hell make, whatever it is, for his view of the Blue Jays. “I still believe in the talent in this room,” he said. “I know it hasnt jelled for whatever reason. There are a ton of reasons why it hasnt worked from an offensive standpoint and a pitching standpoint, a defensive standpoint. I still believe that this team is capable of great things with a couple of tweaks, a couple of adjustments.” Nike Air Max Zero Nz . Its the second of three meetings between these teams this season. Vancouver was a 2-1 winner on home ice December 22nd. Nike Air Max 98 Nz .ca. In Sundays Blackhawks-Penguins game, Pittsburgh defenceman Brooks Orpik laid a huge hit on Chicagos Jonathan Toews. Now in my view, Orpik can be clearly seen leaving his feet while delivering a moderately high hit. http://www.airmaxnzwholeale.com/cheap-air-max-97-nz.html . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. Nike Air Max NZ Womens . Canadas 5-1 loss to Finland in the semifinal ranks as the tournaments most-watched game with a record 2.7 million viewers, the largest ever for a World Juniors game played outside of North America, and winning Saturday as the most-watched program on Canadian television. Nike Air Max Plus Nz .com) - Minnesota Vikings fans would surely concede Teddy Bridgewater is not Peyton Manning.TORONTO -- Jose Bautista drove in four runs and starter Mark Buehrle worked seven innings as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Chicago Cubs 9-2 on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre. Bautista cleared the bases with a double in the seventh inning off Chicago reliever Neil Ramirez to help Toronto (75-69) win its third straight game. Kevin Pillar and Edwin Encarnacion had three hits apiece for the Blue Jays, who turned the game into a rout with a five-run eighth inning. Toronto outhit Chicago 14-11 and will go for the three-game sweep on Wednesday night. It was an uneven performance from Buehrle (12-9), who allowed two earned runs and 10 hits but managed to avoid giving up a big inning. Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Norris each worked an inning of relief. The Blue Jays entered play five games behind Seattle in the race for the final wild-card spot in the American League. Toronto has won eight of 10 to keep its faint playoff hopes alive. The Cubs, who have dropped five games in a row, left 11 runners on base. Buehrle fanned leadoff man Chris Coghlan on three pitches to kick off the game on a cool, comfortable summer evening. Javier Baez followed with a double, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jorge Soler. Chicago (64-81) loaded the bases in the second inning after Buehrle gave up three singles. The veteran left-hander got out of the jam when Coghlan grounded out. Buehrle kept putting runners on but the defence did a nice job bailing him out. Welington Castillo led off the fourth with a single before Mike Olt and Arismendy Alcantara hit back-to-back line drives that were speared by third baseman Danny Valencia. Chris Valaika moved Castillo to second base with another single but Matt Szczur popped up to Buehrle to end the threat. Encarnacion drove a ball off the top of the wall to open the Toronto half of the fourth but settled for a long single. Adam Lind drew a walk but Dioner Navarro couldnt advance the runners, swinging at a 3-0 pitch and popping up in the infield. Valencia nearly put the Jays on the board but his line drive was snagged by a fully stretched Valaika at first base. Valaika threw to second to easily double off Encarnacion. The Cubs put runners on again in the fifth and this time cashed in a run. Baez singled and cleanup hitter Luis Valbuena was hit by a pitch. Castillo drove in Baez with a two-out single before Olt struck out. The Blue Jays tried a more aggressive style against Chicago starter Jake Arrieta in the bottom half of the frame. Pillar led off with a single but was thrown out trying to steal. Ryan Goins then drove a ball into left-centtre field and hustled into second base just ahead of Coghlans throw.dddddddddddd Anthony Gose tried to bunt with two strikes but fouled a pitch for the second out. Goins moved to third base on a wild pitch and scored when Jose Reyes hit a flare that dropped in shallow centre field. Arrieta was wide with a pickoff attempt and the ball rolled into foul territory, allowing Reyes to scamper all the way to third. He was left stranded when Bautista flew out, with the Toronto slugger angrily slamming his bat to the turf as he left the batters box. The Cubs stranded two more runners in the sixth inning after Szczur and Coghlan reached on back-to-back two-out singles. Pitching coach Pete Walker came out to the mound and Buehrle responded by freezing Baez with a fastball for the strikeout. Pillar stroked a one-out single in the seventh to knock Arrieta out of the game. Ramirez (2-2) came on in relief and gave up a single to pinch-hitter Colby Rasmus and a walk to pinch-hitter Munenori Kawasaki. Ramirez fanned Reyes and worked a full count on Bautista before the Toronto slugger hit his 26th double of the season. The Blue Jays piled on in the eighth against right-hander Brian Schlitter. Lind led off with a triple and was replaced by pinch-runner Steve Tolleson, who scored on a Navarro single. Navarro moved to third on a Valencia double and Rasmus was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs. Kawasaki hit a two-run single to help put the game out of reach. Arrieta allowed seven hits, two earned runs and a walk while striking out five. Buehrle had three strikeouts and didnt walk a batter. Announced attendance was 17,903 and the game took three hours four minutes to play. Notes: The roof was open despite the occasional presence of dark swirling clouds overhead. ... Toronto Argonauts slotback Andre Durie threw the ceremonial first pitch. ... Encarnacion was originally pencilled in as the first baseman but was moved to designated hitter about an hour before the game. Lind moved from DH to first base. ... Right-hander Drew Hutchison (9-11, 4.47 ERA) will get the start in the series finale against Chicagos Kyle Hendricks (6-1, 2.02). ... This is the first series the Cubs have played on artificial turf since a six-game road trip to Toronto and Tampa Bay in 2008 -- a stretch of 1,040 games on natural grass fields. ... The Blue Jays are off Thursday and will wrap up the six-game homestand with a weekend series against the Rays. ... Toronto entered play with a 1.6 per cent chance of reaching the playoffs, according to Baseball Prospectus post-season probabilities listed on the Major League Baseball website. ' ' '