Kritik und Lob » 23 seasons, Rodriguez and Trout played

Orlando Cruz say he hopes to inspire all gay athletes by defeating Terry Flanagan to win the WBO lightweight title in Cardiff on Saturday.The 35-year-old Puerto Rican has fought nine times since coming out in 2012 and says he hopes his success will give others the courage to open up about their sexuality.Cruz will be fighting at the lightweight limit for the first time on Saturday and would become the first openly gay world champion if he succeeds. He lost a world featherweight title bid against Orlando Salido in Las Vegas in October 2013.Cruz said: I want to inspire the gay community by becoming a world champion on Saturday.Everyone has been very supportive since I came out. I have the support of my family, friends and fans.When I look at my story, it makes me hopeful that more people will be inspired to come out. I want that other [gay] athletes are not scared to walk into the society. Dont be scared. Be happy with your life, and happy with your decision. All people are the same.Right now my focus is fully on the big fight on Saturday and winning the WBO lightweight belt.Saturday will represent Cruzs first fight in Europe in his 30-fight professional career. Since coming out he has fought in both the U.S. and Puerto Rico.And no matter the outcome of the fight the challenger insists the respect between the two men is mutual.Terry is a great champion and a real peoples person, Cruz said of Flanagan, who had previously told ESPN of his admiration of the Puerto Rican.?More importantly, he respects my life and my choices. He sees the man boxing him and that is it.Cheap Air Max For Sale . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. Cheap Air Max From China . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. https://www.airmaxchina.us/ . Kuznetsov, who was selected by the Capitals in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, has been playing for his hometown team Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. Cheap Air Max .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Cheap Air Max Free Shipping . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner.On the same date -- July 8 -- 17 seasons apart, Alex Rodriguez and Mike Trout made their Major League debuts.In 1994, ?Rodriguez hit ninth and went 0-for-3 for the Mariners. In 2011, Trout also hit ninth and also came up empty in three at-bats. But while their performances on those days did not reflect what theyd do in the coming years, the similarities in their production persisted.Through their age-23 seasons, Rodriguez and Trout played in nearly the same amount of games (642 and 652, respectively), and little separates their stats. When it comes to raw hitting metrics, Rodriguez trumps Trout. The shortstop, who ranked as the No. 21 player of all time on #MLBRanks top 100 list, had more runs, hits, home runs, RBIs and steals than Trout through the age of 23. But when it comes to stats thaat measure players performances as rates, Trout, already ranked No.dddddddddddd 40 on #MLBRank, tops Rodriguez in nearly every category, save for batting average.Comparing Trout and Rodriguez through their age 23 seasonsTrouts value, as far as career wins above replacement is concerned, is the best ever for position players through their age 23 season. Thats better than not only Rodriguez (who ranks seventh), but also Ty Cobb, Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle, according to Baseball Reference. And if Trout continues on the same path as those legends, theres little doubt he will surpass Rodriguez and make his way into the conversation as one of the best of all time. ' ' '