Neues » e, Ill take the latter. Welcome to the NF

DENVER -- The Chicago Cubs future looks bright even if their present is a little disappointing. Wholesale Padres Jerseys . Rookie Javier Baez hit two more homers and drove in four runs, leading Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs to a 6-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday. The 21-year-old Baez also had an RBI single in his third major league game. The touted prospect homered in his debut Tuesday, hitting a game-deciding shot in the 12th inning on the day he was promoted from the minors. "It didnt surprise me too much," said Hendricks, who had the best outing of his short career. "Ive seen it for a couple of years and he always thrives on the big stage. Whenever we play in a big game he does well." The Cubs (49-64) closed out a six-game trip by taking two of three in the series between last-place teams. Baez led off the sixth inning with a shot down the left-field line against Yohan Flande (0-4). He hit a two-run shot off Juan Nicasio into the Colorado bullpen in right in the eighth. "I was letting the fastball get deep and he threw me a slider," Baez said of his second drive. "I hit it really good." Castro followed Baezs shot in the sixth with his 12th home run. It was the fourth time this season Chicago has hit back-to-back homers. Hendricks (3-1) pitched a career-high eight innings after the start of the game was delayed 39 minutes because of rain. The rookie right-hander has pitched into the seventh inning in four of his five career starts. "Hes a very poised young man and hes the type of kid when he prepares for the test he knows hes going to do well," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "I hope hes making believers out of a lot of people." The 24-year-old Hendricks was sharp against the Rockies, allowing just two runs and six hits. He didnt allow a runner until Charlie Blackmons leadoff single in the fourth. After Baez and Castro gave Hendricks a three-run cushion in the sixth, the Rockies scored on Corey Dickersons RBI single in the bottom half. Hendricks retired the last seven batters he faced. "I felt really good," he said. "Usually as the game goes on I get stronger and stronger." Justin Morneau and Wilin Rosario had two hits each for the Rockies (45-69), who have lost six of seven. The Cubs took a 2-0 lead against Flande with RBI singles by Arsmendy Alcantara in the second and Baez in the third. Colorado cut the lead in half on Morneaus RBI single in the fourth. Flande is still looking for his first career win despite two solid starts against Chicago. He struck out a career-high eight in a 4-1 loss to the Cubs on July 28 and lasted six innings Thursday. "I pitched was well as I could. Something always happens to me in the late innings," Flande said. "Im disappointed." ALMOST COMPLETE Hendricks was thinking after seven innings he had a chance for his first complete game. Two batters into the eighth he knew it wasnt going to happen. "I went into the eighth at around 91 (pitches) and after I went full count on the first two hitters that kind of went out the window," he said. "I was trying to get quick outs but I was almost aiming it in there so I could go out for the ninth." TRAINERS ROOM Cubs: First baseman Anthony Rizzo was given a rare day off with the left-hander Flande on the mound. It was just the second day off for Rizzo, who is second in the NL with 25 home runs. Rockies: Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (left hip flexor strain) has begun baseball activities and will travel to Arizona and San Diego with the team. Tulowitzki is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list but hasnt been running at full speed. Manager Walt Weiss said that will be the final hurdle for the major league batting leader. ON DECK Cubs: Left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada (1-1, 3.32 ERA), like Hendricks on Thursday, is making his fifth career big league start when he faces Tampa Bay on Friday. He has held opponents to a .259 average in his first four starts. Rockies: Lefty Tyler Matzek (2-6, 5.31 ERA) will try to rebound from a rough outing in Detroit last weekend when he faces Arizona on Friday. Matzek is one of four Colorado starters to make his major league debut this year, and he has been impressive at times. His outing against the Tigers was the only start in which he failed to go at least five innings. San Diego Padres Shirts . -- What Anthony Jennings lacked in experience, LSU more than compensated for with a talented supporting cast in the Outback Bowl. Stitched Padres Jerseys .com) - Ames, IA (SportsNetwork. https://www.cheappadresjerseys.us/ . -- The San Francisco 49ers have re-signed cornerback Perrish Cox to a one-year contract.It is amazing what the NFL Draft has become and what it has evolved into over time. For those who remember many years ago, the National Football League draft was more of a gathering of decision-makers with very few evaluating the very many and in many ways, hoping the decisions they make are correct. Now it is an investment that demands a performance dividend and if the dividend does not max out consistently on the football field, people lose jobs and revenue is lost. And these are well paying jobs and high revenue amounts. It is true that finding football players is 50 per cent science and 50 per cent art bordering on pure luck. Maybe that is why it is so entertaining because there really is no common denominator for draft success. Even the best in the business have missed big time on players and groups of players among the various years of evaluating. Some people in football are better than others but if you follow it close enough, not by much. No one really dominates in finding talent year after year. For Seattle in recent years, Richard Sherman as a fifth round pick and Russell Wilson as a third round pick made the team special. But last year was completely different with fifth round pick and Canadian Luke Willson as well as Michael Bowie in the seventh round really being major contributors. It was a great move to trade #1 for Percy Harvin but you cant say last years draft was as good as previous drafts. So what is everyone looking for? With all the scouts in all blocks of the country, the coaches who should always have an influence and the managers who have extreme job security if they draft well and no security if they dont, that is a great question. I think there are tangibles and intangibles. The tangible is how the player plays based on film analysis and competition. Truth is, to make good football decisions, all you need is enough good video and a good one-on-one interview. Everything else from the combine and individual workouts is icing on the cake. But sometimes that icing is so good it clouds decisions that could have been made without the "extra look", without pads and looking at movement more than actual on-field football ability. Many people in football become seduced by the visual in-person vs. the true reality of what happens on the field. The tangible "stuff" is easy to assess. It is the intangibles when the art takes over the science and sometimes is merely common sense. I think there are two words that make thee difference in all drafting in football: maturity and passion. Fake Padres Jerseys. Maturity is really hard to recognize. Some players in the interview process pass with extreme confidence but when they make money and have to be completely self-motivated are anything but. In other situations, a player may have a criminal record or been involved in "stupid college stuff", then when they achieve wealth and independence, they change for the good. They grow up when you had to wonder if they would ever grow up. Some people are born with maturity on and off the field. Others create it at a certain moment for certain reasons and others yet never find it and it takes a possible great career and changes it to an experience. Having maturity is critical in every way and is difficult to assess correctly. The second intangible is passion. How much does the particular player actually like, even love, football? Now you would think all players love, or at least like, football. Not so. There is so much money in the sport now that playing for money is an easy motivation. By the time you reach your second contract, you could be set for life. Lets say you are 26 years-old, house and car paid off, money in the bank, happily married, success on the field with maybe even a Super Bowl or two. Why play any more football when you know what it does to your body and in some cases your mind? Only after the money is made does the football desire increase or diminish. Until that happens, you just dont know. Every football player will tell every team they LOVE football. But do they love football or do they love what football will get you and what you can purchase? Again just like maturity, you really dont know until time moves on. Come May 8-10, many of the very best will have their life changed in one phone call. For some, it will be a life changing moment that they will capitalize on in a remarkable way. For others, the sport at the pro level will be too much, whether it is due to competition or intensity. Which player will experience which life is an unknown. It may be due to height, weight, speed and everything you can see feel and touch. Or it may be because of how much you want it and how well you can adjust and handle it; a certain mental ability and a certain emotional ability that you can tap into. Between the best athlete with really good video and the lesser athlete, whos maybe not as dominant on the field but has his act together and loves the game, Ill take the latter. Welcome to the NFL draft starting May 8th, a gamble of research and a gamble of hope. ' ' '