Deutsch Rap4live » wimmers, Allison Schmitt and Amanda Weir earned silve

ATLANTA -- R.A. Dickey was won over by an Atlanta Braves sales team that included two Hall of Famers, including a fellow knuckleballer.Dickey said he knew the Braves would be a good fit after meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, with a group that included manager Brian Snitker, general manager John Coppolella and two Hall of Famers -- former manager Bobby Cox and knuckleballer Phil Niekro.I had a great feeling then there was great hope I would be able to join the organization, Dickey said Thursday after agreeing to a one-year contract with an $8 million guarantee.He considers Niekro to be part of the Jedi council of knuckleballers who influenced his career.Phil and I have a good relationship, Dickey said. I consider him a friend. We filmed a documentary together.He gets a $7.5 million salary next year, and the Braves have an $8 million option for 2018 with a $500,000 buyout. The deal for the 42-year-old right-hander, the first of the 158 free agents to switch teams this offseason, is subject to a successful physical, tentatively planned for late next week.Dickey said he had the Braves near the top of a short list of prospective teams. He noted the short travel distance -- 3 hours, 15 minutes from doorstep to doorstep -- from his home to Atlanta was a big factor.Ive grown up a Braves fan and have always admired the organization, Dickey said.Dickey said having four children ages 14 and younger kept retirement an option if he did not find interest from the right team.Dickey had a career-high 20 wins and won the NL Cy Young in 2012, his final season with the New York Mets. The right-hander spent the last four years with the Toronto Blue Jays, going 10-15 with a 4.46 ERA this year.Dickey said the velocities on his knuckleball were as high as theyve ever been and he expects to pitch 200 innings in 2017.No one had double-figure wins for Atlanta this year, prompting Coppolella to say he will pursue at least two established starters on the free-agent market. Julio Teheran heads a rotation projected to include Josh Collmenter.Dickey is 110-108 with a 4.01 ERA in his career. He logged at least 200 innings five straight seasons from 2011 to 2015. Since 2010, his 1,441 innings rank ninth in the majors.He said it was a challenge to pitch in the AL Easts small parks and said the rebuilding Braves potential in their new SunTrust Park in suburban Atlanta was a selling point.Cheap Nike Shirts .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Cheap Shirts From China . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. http://www.cheapshirtschina.com/ . On Mar. 16, coming off a "fight of the year" performance at UFC 154 the previous November, St-Pierre faced Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in what would be his eighth defence of the welterweight title. Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks. Wholesale Shirts Free Shipping . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. Cheap Nike Shirts China . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil --- Georgias Chase Kalisz, who redshirted the 2015-16 season to train for the Olympics, claimed the silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley in the Rio Games on Saturday.As prelims relay swimmers, Allison Schmitt and Amanda Weir earned silver medals as the United States 4x100-meter freestyle relay came in second in the finals. Rising senior Chantal Van Landeghem picked up a bronze medal as Canada touched third.Kalisz, who will be a senior during 2016-17, posted a personal-best time of 4:06.75 to place second to Japans Kosuke Hagino (4:06.05). The bronze medal went to Japans Daiya Seto, who stopped the clock in 4:09.71.Im happy with my results, Kalisz said. That was all I could do, all I could hope for. I gave all I have. I dont think I couldve gone any faster. Im finee with silver knowing that I gave my best effort.ddddddddddddGeorgias Jay Litherland, a rising junior, placed fifth with a time of 4:11.68.With Weir leading off and Schmitt swimming third, the Americans qualified second in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay prelims with a time of 3:33.59. In the finals, Australia set the world and Olympics records with a time of 3:30.65 and the United States was second in an American record time of 3:31.89.Van Landeghem, who joined Kalisz in a redshirt year last season, swam the second leg of the relay as Canada placed third in 3:32.89.Also on Saturday, representing Finland, Matias Koski came in 42nd in the 400-meter freestyle in 3:55.57. ' ' '