Monthly Archives: August 2017

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

JaCoby Jones is back in Detroit, and eager to prove he belongs.(Photo: Robin Buckson / Detroit News)

Detroit This wasnt the script he envisioned. Especially not after he stole the starting center-field job out of spring training and then hit a home run in Chicago in his first at-bat of the season.

But, this is exactly the script the Tigers envisioned for JaCoby Jones.

This was the whole discussion in spring training, manager Brad Ausmus said. We thought he was our best center fielder and obviously you want to win at the Major League level. But whats best for JJ? Is it better for him to go down and get at-bats?

I guess it was a blend of those two trying to do whats best for the team and whats best for him. Not exactly how you plan it out, but we will see how it works in the long run.

Ausmus rips umps for protesting Kinsler's 'leniency'

Jones is back. After spending the better part of the last three months at Triple-A Toledo, he was in the starting lineup, in center field, Saturday. At the time he was recalled, it was just to fill the roster spot of pitcher Anibal Sanchez, who is on the disabled list.

Right now he is up in lieu of a starting pitcher, Ausmus said. We dont need one until Saturday. But we will see what the move is when we get there.

Which means Jones has a chance to earn an extended stay before rosters are expanded in September.

When I was up here earlier, I was struggling, scuffling a little bit, said Jones, who was 1-for-2 with a strikeout in Saturday's 3-0 loss. Strikeouts were coming in bunches. I wasnt helping the team offensively. My defense was there, but my offense it was a struggle.

They wanted me to go down there and work on my game, and thats what Ive been doing.

Jones struck out 19 times in 45 plate appearances in April, before getting hit in the jaw with a fastball against the Twins on April 22. When he came back nearly a month later, the strikeouts persisted seven in 12 plate appearances.

Ive just tried to be more disciplined at the plate, he said. The discipline is the biggest thing for me. Im always antsy, always trying to do everything, always wanting to hit every pitch, he said. Im still learning to be disciplined, to swing at pitches I can hit.

By rule, Tigers Upton could've had HR nullified

It took him a while to get going at Toledo, as well. He struck out 103 times in 388 plate appearances. But he also had nine home runs, 43 RBIs and stole 12 bases in 16 attempts.

I know my numbers down there arent those of a superstar player or anything like that, Jones said. But Ive felt good in the box.

In the last week, four games, he hit .375 (6-for-16) with 1.007 OPS, striking out four times in 19 plate appearances.

Everything happens for a reason and I think it was a good thing for me to go down there and get more at-bats and play every single day, Jones said. Up here, if I was struggling, I wouldve only played against left-handed pitching, probably only play once every three or four days. Playing every day down there, trying to find that groove was good for me.

If Jones figures it out offensively, Saturday could be a preview of the outfield alignment in 2018 Jones in center and Mikie Mahtook in right field. Or, if Justin Upton elects to opt out of the final three years of his contract with the Tigers, Mahtook could be the starting left fielder next season and perhaps Nick Castellanos would be the right fielder.

Time will tell.

Jones is probably our best defensive center fielder right now, Ausmus said. Mikie is a good center fielder, but I think he has a chance to be a really good corner outfielder.

cmccosky@detroitnews.com

twitter.com/cmccosky

Read the rest here:

JaCoby Jones anxious to reclaim Tigers' CF role - The Detroit News

Canyons carbon Inflite CF SLX cyclocross bike balances high-speed stability with nimble handling for technical 'cross courses. Photo: Canyon

ZONHOVEN, Belgium (VN) Canyons carbon Inflite CF SLX cyclocross bike balances high-speed stability with nimble handling for a well-balanced ride on technical race courses. Its light (16.7 pounds size medium) and quick, and cross-specific details are sprinkled throughout, such asmud-shedding tube shapes and geometry that makes shouldering the bike easier and more secure.

About those aesthetics: Canyon departs from its hallmark straight lines and minimalistic design with an unusual dip at the top tube/seat tube junction. Its no doubt a jarring design cue. Canyon says the dipor is it a kink?was introduced to offer more compliance without sacrificing shouldering capabilities. The top tube is horizontal toward the front of the bike to keep the front triangle open and for easy shouldering. According to Canyon, thetop tube dips down at the seat tube junction to increase compliance. The lower junction provides more exposed seat post, which can flex and absorb bumps over choppy terrain. Canyon claims the bikes kinked top tubeadds up to 15% more compliance over a straight top tube design.

The kink also provides a secure nook for shouldering the bike, keeping it from jostling around when charging up steep run-ups or staircases. Its a comfortable position for carrying the bike but unfortunately doesnt do much to prevent that annoying carbon-on-shoulder blade discomfort that is endemic to cyclocross.

Canyon took a cue from mountain bike trends during the design phase of the Inflite CF SLX by pairing a long reach with a short stem. The size medium has a 562-millimeter top tube (393-millimeter reach) and comes with a 100-millimeter stem, which is 10-millimeters shorter than what comes with medium Canyon road bikes. This results in quick steering and makes easy work of tossing the bike in and out of tight cross corners.

The bikes zippy handling and 72.5-degree head tube angle pair nicely with a long 1018-millimeter wheelbase and 425-millimeter chainstays for a stable ride on fast and loose sections. Canyon designed a new cross-specific H31 Ergocockpit handlebar and stem combo that flares three degrees at the drops. This provides even more stability and leverage for technical riding, although it leaves you slightly more exposed to catching your bars on course tape.

Its the small details that make theInflite a success. It has ample mud clearance for sloppy races, and the frame itself was designed to prevent mud build-up: Canyon used fewer shelves and contours in areas of the frame known for collecting mud.

The Inflites water bottle bosses sit low on the front triangle, making it easier to shoulder the bike even with a bottle cage installed. All cables are routed internally and all cable entry and exit ports are sealedto keep out dirt and muck.

Canyon offers a wide range of sizes from XXXS up to XXL. The two smallest sizes run 650B wheels, a carryover from Canyons womens line. The smaller wheels promise a better fit for small riders while also improving handling. Traditionally, small bikes have slack head tube angles and compromised geometries to accommodate the big wheels on a small frame. This leads to sluggish handling and ill-performing bikes, according to Canyon. With the XXXS and XXS Inflite cross bikes, small riders will get the same ride experience as larger riders. The catch, however, is the 650B wheel platform has a limited number of wheel and tire options for racing.

Theres no doubt Canyons made an exceptional bike with the Inflite. The spec sheet leaves us wanting a bit more.Canyon offers three builds including a SRAM Rival 1, SRAM Force CX1, and Shimano Ultegra 2x drivetrain. We would love to see an electronic shifting option.Where mechanical drivetrains gum up and miss shifts with sand and dirt, electronic drivetrains maintain crisp shifting long into sloppy races. Canyon acknowledges this hole in the build options and says an Ultegra Di2 version is coming. There are whispers of a newUltegra Di2 group launching soon, so Canyonsimply decided to wait for the new, rather than launch a model with the old.

Of course the cornerstone to Canyons global success has been in its competitive pricing, and the Inflites threespec options aredefinitely priced to be competitive within an ever-crowded marketplace. The Rival model is $2,999, with the Ultegra and Force models coming in at $3,299 and $3,999 respectively.Thats a whole lot of bike for a reasonable price. Canyon saystop professionals will racethe Inflite CF SLX later this fall and early in 2018.

My first taste ofthe Inflite CF SLX came atthe iconic Zonhoven Superprestige cyclocross course in Belgium. The notoriously tricky course features a steep and sandy plunge down De Kuil (The Ditch) along with bumpy terrain, more sand, and steep run-ups.

De Kuil is a legitimately scary obstacle. The descent is a25-percent gradient wall of deep sand that swallows your front wheel if youre not completely off the back of your saddle. My first run at the sandy hill went surprisingly smoothly. The Inflitefelt stable, and it didnt dart around in the choppy sand. Ilet the brakes go, sat back, and the bike surfed its way down the descent without much guidance from the cockpit.

The bikes stability was noticeable on another downhill section on the other side of the course as well. The Inflite deftly maneuvered through a smooth left-hand corner at the bottom of a steep descent, holding its line for an easy transition into the next section of trail. The Inflite maintained a snappiness up small kickers and ripped through corners without excessive rider input.

Zonhovens Superprestige cyclocross course lies within a large park that is crisscrossed bysingle-track mountain bike trails and gravel roads. Taking the Inflite on some of these twisty trails showcased the bikes nimble steering. It was especially adept at quick line changes at high speeds.

Despite Belgiums rainy weather, we didnt get the chance to test the Inflites mud clearance capabilities. From its looks, there seems to be plenty of room between the frame and tire for shedding mud unless you hit some peanut butter mud, and in that case, no extra room, frame design, or special paint matters. Only a spare bike and mechanic with a power washer will make a difference.

After a few days on the course, I came away impressed with the quick handling and sturdy platform, and it was a smooth ride over aggressive chatter. The aesthetic of that kinked top tube still looks odd to me,though. The brain says yes the superb ride and engineering behind it makes sense but my eyes still bulge at the sight of that unorthodox design. But hey, any bike looks good underneath the first rider to cross the finish line. With the Inflite, the proof will be in the results.

Go here to see the original:

First Ride Canyon Inflite CF SLX cross bike - VeloNews

Ath. Bilbao vs Getafe CF live streaming free Prediction of the match Athletic Getafe

August 20 at 19:15 in Bilbao at the stadium San Mames Athletic will take Getafe in the opening match Examples of the season 2017/18. Ath. Bilbao vs Getafe CF preview Athletic with 63 points and goal difference 53-43 took 7th place in La Liga last season. In the transfer policy of the Basques themselves do not change in their composition are only Spanish players, so there is no need to talk about transfers, the names of the players will not tell a little about the connoisseurs of Spanish football. The season of Athletic started before everyone in Spain, playing in the qualification of the League of Europe. Basques have already passed Dinamo Bucharest 1: 1, 3: 0, and on Thursday won at the exit of Panathinaikos 3-2, and losing in the course of the match 0-2. The unbeaten series of Athletics in its field with the account of last season is 5 matches.

Ath. Bilbao vs Getafe CF prediction Getafe last season played in Segunda, and finished third in the championship with 68 points and goal difference 55-43. After that, in the round of the playoffs, Huescu defeated 2: 2, 3: 0 and Tenerife 0: 1, 3: 1 and rose in the class. Under the outlet to the elite Getafe made several signings spending more than 10 million euros, that for a modest club more money. The most costly were Jedhu and Dakoman 3 and 2.5 million, plus a few sensible players came to rent.

Athletic won from Getafe 6 last full-time matches with a total score of 12-2. Basques play at home, where they are always dangerous, plus they have long started the season, their composition is stronger and more playful than the guests, and hence the victory from the hosts in the upcoming match will not go anywhere. Bet: victory of Athletic P1.

More:

Ath. Bilbao vs Getafe CF live streaming free: preview, prediction - The Sherbrooke Times

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) currently has an Average Broker Rating of 2.6.The ABR rank within the industry stands at 244. This number is based on the 10 sell-side firms polled by Zacks.

Successfully tackling the equity markets may involve owning a wide range of stocks. Some investors may prefer growth stocks while others may opt for value stocks. Having a good mix of both types may help build of solid foundation for the portfolio. Investors may choose stocks in a specific industry that is gaining strength. If the industry is on the rise, the portfolio may be more likely to succeed. Finding companies that are considered leaders in their field may also be on the investor checklist. A company that has a large presence may help ease investor worry, especially in a down market climate. Finding the perfect stocks to add to the portfolio may not always be easy, and in fact it may be quite difficult. Investors may have to lay out goals to help keep things on track for both the short-term and the long haul.

Each brokerage research report carries with it some form of recommendation. The brokerage firms may use different lingo for their rating systems (like saying Outperform instead of Buy), but they can all be properly sorted into our 5 level classification system that is now the industry standard. Each of the 5 classifications has a value associated with it to help compute the ABR.

As the name implies the ABR will show you the Average of Brokerage Recommendations on a given stock. The benefit is that you quickly get a snapshot of where Wall Street stands on a stock without having to read a mountain of research reports.

Broker recommendations are made by brokerage firms (for example, JP Morgan) and are not an outright recommendation to buy or sell a share, but instead give an indication of how the broker thinks the company will perform relative to its sector. Their recommendations are issued over a particular period of time. The recommendations provided in the Research Centre are shown on a 75 day rolling basis. Each brokerage firm has its own way of rating that may make it difficult to compare broker recommendations between the brokerage houses.

For example, at one brokerage buy may be the strongest recommendation, while at another buy could be second to a strong buy rating. The second-highest ratings also have a number of different other names: accumulate, outperform, moderate buy or overweight.

Analysts on a consensus basis are expecting that the stock will reach $28.44 within the year.

Most recently CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) posted quarterly earnings of $0.1 which compared to the sell-side estimates of -0.08. The stocks 12-month trailing earnings per share stands at $-0.11. Shares have moved $-6.33 over the past month and more recently, $-5.2 over the past week heading into the earnings announcement. There are 6 analyst projections that were taken into consideration from respected brokerage firms.

Active investors are typically interested in the factors that drive stock price movements. Buying an individual stock means that you own a piece of the company. The hope is that the company does very well and becomes highly profitable. A profitable company may decide to do various things with the profits. They may reinvest profits back into the business, or they may choose to pay shareholders dividends from those earnings. Sometimes stocks may eventually become undervalued or overvalued. Spotting these trends may lead to further examination or the underlying fundamentals of the company. A company that continues to disappoint on the earnings front may have some issues that need to be addressed. It is highly important to make sure all the research is done on a stock, especially if the investor is heavily weighted on the name. Sometimes earnings reports may be good, but the stock price does not reflect that. Having a good understanding of the entire picture may help investors better travel the winding stock market road.

Research analysts are predicting that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) will report earnings of $-0.53 per share when the firm issues their next quarterly report. This is the consensus earnings per share number according to data from Zacks Research.

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) closed the last session at $29.16 and sees an average of 5124668 shares trade hands in each session. The 52-week low of the stock stands at $22.28 while the current level stands at 47.22% of the 52-week High-Low range. Looking further out we can see that the stock has moved 3.81% over the past 12 weeks and -7.37% year to date.

3 analysts rate CF Industries Holdings, Inc. a Buy or Strong Buy, which is 30% of all the analyst ratings.

View original post here:

Are Analysts Pounding the Table on CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF)? - Stock Talker

Thomas Critelli went to Costa Rica to help change other peoples lives, but his was changed as well.

One of 13 people who went on a recent Carolina Forest Community Church [CFCC] mission trip, the 22-year-old said the blind faith and sheer joy of the Costa Rican people made him want that for himself.

They have so little, but they have so much joy, and they worship like crazy, and I realized I want more of that in my own life.

Faith Weaver, a rising sophomore at Carolina Forest High School, said her perspective was also changed on the trip.

Weavers father Scott accompanied the 15-year-old on this trip, which she said wont be her last.

The people are in need, but theyre so happy all the time, she said. That helped me see that in the U.S., we are so focused on things, and we are always thinking about what we need or what we want. We cant just let ourselves be happy.

In partnership with Praying Pelicans Missions, the local church has committed to making Inglesia Biblica in La Cruz its sister church, and helping it create a sports-oriented ministry similar to the one Carolina Forest Community Church already has.

Carolina Forest Community Church is at 1381 Carolina Forest Blvd. The website is http://www.carolina forest.org and services are at 9:15 and 11 a.m. Sunday mornings.

The Costa Rican church has been established for about 40 years, but when its current minister, Pastor Gerado Cerdas Rojas, came on about five years ago, attendance was down to about 10 people.

They were struggling, and we want to help them minister in their own community, said Charles Fox, family pastor at CFCC.

That churchs dream is to have a sports ministry, most likely through soccer, and thats where Carolina Forest Community Church differs from other churches. We have that here.

My dream is to see the two churches come together and utilize the same kind of ministry, he said.

Their focus is reaching children through sports, and we have that on our campus now.

Although the local church has sent missionaries to places such as Africa and Romania and closer to home in Kentucky, outreach pastor Brody Hillman said CFCC has narrowed its focus to Costa Rica because its a good fit for us.

Hillman said the church was looking for an affordable location for local church members to go where their ministry was needed, and the Costa Rican trip was $1,800 per person.

The folks who went on the mission trip raised their own money, and about $200 - $300 of it went towards a construction project in La Cruz.

The original plan was to build sidewalks, Fox said, but because of severe flooding issues, the plan changed.

The Carolina Forest group dug a trench and put in concrete piping to keep the water away from the church building.

That was, Fox said, a bigger need.

One of the most impressive events of the week-long trip for Weaver was the buying and distribution of about $1,000 worth of food to the locals in the Costa Rican village.

Weaver said they took 10 bags per day for three days to locals homes, praying with them, talking with them, and inviting them to a huge Wednesday evening meal at the church.

It was an epic feeding night with worship music and fellowship, and it was awesome, she said.

Fox said Inglesia Biblicas pastor knew none of the 100 or so people who showed up.

They were all people wed met and invited during those three days, Fox said.

Hillman will lead another trip to La Cruz Nov. 4-10, and Critelli and Weaver both plan to be part of it.

Or, text the words COSTA RICA followed by the amount you want to give to 843-353-1558.

Sometimes we think were going on a mission trip to help those people, but it was them working in and through us that helped us see their sweet passion, Critelli said.

Go here to read the rest:

CF Community Church mission trip changes lives | Carolina Forest ... - Myhorrynews

Thomas Critelli went to Costa Rica to help change other peoples lives, but his was changed as well.

One of 13 people who went on a recent Carolina Forest Community Church [CFCC] mission trip, the 22-year-old said the blind faith and sheer joy of the Costa Rican people made him want that for himself.

They have so little, but they have so much joy, and they worship like crazy, and I realized I want more of that in my own life.

Faith Weaver, a rising sophomore at Carolina Forest High School, said her perspective was also changed on the trip.

Weavers father Scott accompanied the 15-year-old on this trip, which she said wont be her last.

The people are in need, but theyre so happy all the time, she said. That helped me see that in the U.S., we are so focused on things, and we are always thinking about what we need or what we want. We cant just let ourselves be happy.

In partnership with Praying Pelicans Missions, the local church has committed to making Inglesia Biblica in La Cruz its sister church, and helping it create a sports-oriented ministry similar to the one Carolina Forest Community Church already has.

Carolina Forest Community Church is at 1381 Carolina Forest Blvd. The website is http://www.carolina forest.org and services are at 9:15 and 11 a.m. Sunday mornings.

The Costa Rican church has been established for about 40 years, but when its current minister, Pastor Gerado Cerdas Rojas, came on about five years ago, attendance was down to about 10 people.

They were struggling, and we want to help them minister in their own community, said Charles Fox, family pastor at CFCC.

That churchs dream is to have a sports ministry, most likely through soccer, and thats where Carolina Forest Community Church differs from other churches. We have that here.

My dream is to see the two churches come together and utilize the same kind of ministry, he said.

Their focus is reaching children through sports, and we have that on our campus now.

Although the local church has sent missionaries to places such as Africa and Romania and closer to home in Kentucky, outreach pastor Brody Hillman said CFCC has narrowed its focus to Costa Rica because its a good fit for us.

Hillman said the church was looking for an affordable location for local church members to go where their ministry was needed, and the Costa Rican trip was $1,800 per person.

The folks who went on the mission trip raised their own money, and about $200 - $300 of it went towards a construction project in La Cruz.

The original plan was to build sidewalks, Fox said, but because of severe flooding issues, the plan changed.

The Carolina Forest group dug a trench and put in concrete piping to keep the water away from the church building.

That was, Fox said, a bigger need.

One of the most impressive events of the week-long trip for Weaver was the buying and distribution of about $1,000 worth of food to the locals in the Costa Rican village.

Weaver said they took 10 bags per day for three days to locals homes, praying with them, talking with them, and inviting them to a huge Wednesday evening meal at the church.

It was an epic feeding night with worship music and fellowship, and it was awesome, she said.

Fox said Inglesia Biblicas pastor knew none of the 100 or so people who showed up.

They were all people wed met and invited during those three days, Fox said.

Hillman will lead another trip to La Cruz Nov. 4-10, and Critelli and Weaver both plan to be part of it.

Or, text the words COSTA RICA followed by the amount you want to give to 843-353-1558.

Sometimes we think were going on a mission trip to help those people, but it was them working in and through us that helped us see their sweet passion, Critelli said.

Go here to read the rest:

CF Community Church mission trip changes lives - Myhorrynews