Offtopic/fun » of each other in May.Harrell signe

Pokey Chatman has seen how good the Indiana Fever can be from the opposing sideline. Now shell get a chance to lead them.The Fever hired Chatman as their new coach Friday, bringing in a WNBA veteran in hopes of continuing their annual visits to the postseason.I can remember when I first went to Chicago, quite frankly, I was trying to build a team to beat Indiana. What they had built was incredible and to see it from the inside out now is great, Chatman said. They have people who have been here for 14 years in this organization. It speaks volumes to whats going on here.Chatman will take over a team that has a rich history in the WNBA, winning a title in 2012 and reaching the playoffs for the past 12 years. Indiana was 17-17 this past year, losing in the first round. Coach Stephanie White left the Fever after the season to take over at Vanderbilt.My goal was to identify and hire someone who has extensive head coaching experience in the pro womens game and we are fortunate to bring Pokey to Indiana, said Kelly Krauskopf, the teams president and general manager. Her years of coaching elite level players, both in the WNBA and in Europe, bring us great experience and leadership. Her up-tempo philosophy on offense combined with her affinity for toughness on the defensive end fits our organization. I have watched her teams and admired how her players continuously improve from year to year.The 47-year-old Chatman was not retained by the Chicago Sky after this past season when she guided the team to an 18-16 record and an appearance in the WNBA playoff semifinals. She won 106 games in Chicago and led the team to its first-ever playoff appearance in 2013 and a trip to the WNBA Finals in 2014. Chicago made the playoffs in each of her last four seasons.I understand professional sports, Chatman said. I have a lot of pride in what we were able to accomplish in Chicago in six years. I think the competitor in me is sad I didnt win a championship.Now she has a new job nearly three weeks later.Im elated and excited about it, Chatman said of the chance to lead Indiana. I didnt really think about the time frame and how quickly it was until I read it somewhere. Im excited about it.The Fever will have a different look not only on the sidelines, but also on the court as longtime star Tamika Catchings retired. Indiana still has a strong nucleus with Briann Janaury, Erlana Larkins, Tiffany Mitchell and Marissa Coleman.I dont have to reinvent the wheel here on either side of the basketball, Chatman said. There are areas we want to enhance, but if it aint broke were not going to try and fix it.Before taking over Chicago in 2011, Chatman spent 16 years at LSU, her alma mater. The Louisiana native was an assistant from 1992-2004 before becoming the head coach. She was 106-19 as the head of that program, including a 15-5 mark when she was the interim leader in 2004 when longtime coach Sue Gunter left the team because of a lung disease.Chatman will just be the coach in Indiana. She also was the general manager in Chicago. Having one job now is something that Chatman was happy about.I am looking forward to just being the coach, she said. I also am looking forward to learning from Kelly. I did have that role before. Its nice to have eyes and ears and a conversation with someone who had so much success from a learning standpoint. I welcome the opportunity to learn and just focus on the basketball half.---Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinbergFake Balenciaga From China . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. Fake Balenciaga Cheap . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. https://www.fakebalenciaga.com/ . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. Fake Balenciaga Shoes . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Cheap Balenciaga . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action.ARLINGTON, Texas -- The AL West-leading Texas Rangers have made their first move to get more pitching, acquiring right-handed starter Lucas Harrell and left-handed reliever Dario Alvarez from the Atlanta Braves for an infield prospect.Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Wednesday that Texas may not be done shopping for pitching with the non-waiver trading deadline five days away. He said there are still ongoing conversations with other teams but didnt get into details.Well see where they go. I cant really handicap it at this point, Daniels said. But yes, thats still our focus.Harrell is 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA in five starts for the Braves since they purchased his contract from Triple-A Gwinnett earlier this month. The 31-year-old sinkerballer pitched in Korea last year after appearing in 88 major league games (62 starts) the previous five seasons for the Chicago White Sox (2010-11) and Houston (2011-14), where he worked with current Rangers pitching coach Doug Brocail.The Rangers sent 2013 first-round pick Travis Demeritte to Atlanta. They needed a starter for Sundays series finale at home against Kansas City, and Daniels said the plan for now is to start Harrell then.In his last start for the Braves, Harrell threw six scoreless innings Tuesday night in a win at Minnesota.Alvarez was 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 16 relief appearances for the Braves, with 28 strikeouts in 15 innings. The left-hander set an Atlanta franchise record by striking out nine consecutive batters over three games earlier this month.Looking at both of the pitchers we got, we feel like they can help our club, Daniels said. They fill roles on the club, they add depth.The deal was announced before Wednesday nights game against Oakland, when right-hander Yu Darvish made only his third start for Texas since coming off the disabled list.dddddddddddd It was only Darvishs sixth start this season after missing all of last year following Tommy John surgery.Cole Hamels (11-2), who the Rangers acquired from Philadelphia before the deadline last July, starts Thursday in the series opener against Kansas City.Two other starters, right-hander Colby Lewis (right lat strain) and lefty Derek Holland (shoulder inflammation) are on the 60-day disabled list and could be back by late August.The Rangers had one open spot on their 40-man roster and designated Triple-A Round Rock infielder Matt Duffy for assignment to create another spot. They will have to make moves on their 25-man roster when Harrell and Alvarez join the team, which could be as early as Thursday.Atlanta, with the worst record in the majors, had added Harrell and Alvarez from other organizations within a week of each other in May.Harrell signed a minor league contract with Detroit on March 1 and was released May 16 before signing a minor league deal with the Braves on May 21. Alvarez began this year in the New York Mets organization before he was designated for assignment on May 23 and sent Atlanta on a waiver claim May 25.You look at two guys that werent even with our system in the middle of May, and now they did well enough that a contending team wants them, Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. That says a lot for what they accomplished here.The 21-year-old Demeritte was in the All-Star Futures Game in San Diego earlier this month. In 88 games with Class A High Desert, the second baseman batted .272 with 25 home runs, 59 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. ' ' '