score with either hand in the lane and is fluid with his

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PITTSBURGH – Sergio Santos arrived at PNC Park on Saturday afternoon and met with manager John Gibbons, who delivered the news everyone was expecting he would. "Were moving Sergio out of that role," said Gibbons of the closers spot, less than 24 hours after Santos blew his second save of the road trip and third of the season. Until Casey Janssen returns, Gibbons will go with closer-by-committee. "It could be Loup," said Gibbons. "It could be Cecil. Over the next few days it could be any of those guys." The change is necessary and while fans arent about to take pity on a multi-million dollar athlete, Santos struggles are a reminder of the human element of sports. There he was on Friday night, having blown a two-run, ninth inning lead, hunched over at his locker, his head in his hands for what seemed like an eternity. Santos then stood up and addressed the media. Later, once the ballpark lights had dimmed and he was back in his hotel room, Santos sifted through the litany of text messages he gets after each appearance, good or bad. His wife had written him and so had his parents. One of Santos brothers, Gabe, chimed in. He got messages of support from aunts and uncles, too. Like the goal crease in hockey, the pitching mound can be a lonely island when things arent going well. Out on the road, its easy to get lost in your thoughts. "You go to the hotel and that night, the night of the game, its usually the hardest, you know what I mean, that whole night," said Santos. "I mean, you close your eyes and you cant help but think about it. You think about a million different scenarios, what you could have done different." The sun, as they say, always comes up the next day. "The second you wake up the very next day youre presented with, basically, a choice," said Santos. "You could either feel sorry for yourself and say poor me or you could use the next day as an opportunity to know that what happened last night is not who I am." Santos turned to an old teammate and friend for advice. He often plays the online game Words with Friends with Darren Oliver and on Friday night, Santos sent Oliver a message. He wanted to talk. Oliver invited Santos to call on Saturday morning. "He said, Ive been through this a million times. I was in the game for so long. You go through stretches where theyre rough and theyre ugly," said Santos. "He says, its up to you to put a stop to it. They can go on for the whole season or you can nip it in the bud, get that confidence back and go out and pitch." Santos need only look at his numbers for a stark reminder of how bad things have been. Hes taken two losses, has blown three saves and has posted an ERA of 10.61 with a WHIP of 2.250. He insists he wont dwell. "For me, my edge has always been my confidence," said Santos. "Even in the midst of the biggest adversity, confidence, I think, is the one thing thats such a useful ........................................... So to even lose that, and dont get me wrong doubt creeps into your mind all the time, you get there, youre going, "Crap, is it going to happen all over again today? Whats going to happen? But its so important to just push those thoughts out of your mind." Santos is powerless over his role in the bullpen. He cant disagree with Gibbons decision and he wont. All he can do is wait until Gibbons calls his name again. "My whole thing is to help this team win in any way I can," said Santos. "Whether right now thats me throwing in the seventh, eighth, okay so be it because I know when Im going good I can help this team win. More importantly, for this team to win, Ive got to get right." FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS 1. TORONTO RAPTORS: They lose on the road by five to Miami and by seven at Indiana. It just has a different feel to it. Even though they lost, Im impressed with their improvement and the way theyre playing right now. Good role definition and team play are evident. Have they arrived? No, far from it, but they are headed in the proper direction. Its a lot more difficult to play when folks have expectations for you and how you handle them on a daily basis. If they can become consistent in their production then theyll be fine. Greivis Vasquez has to start playing a lot better and with consistency off the bench for them. Hes the guy that can make a difference for them with the second unit if he can pick it up a few notches. 2. ROY HIBBERT (Pacers): We talk so much about his defence, shot blocking and rebounding that at times we lose sight of how much hes improved. Hes always been a nifty passer back to his days at Georgetown but the thing thats really impressed me has been his steady growth as a post player. His footwork is exceptional and he can score with either hand in the lane and is fluid with his skills. He gets great position in the lane and his confidence as an offensive player is at an all-time high. 3. LUOL DENG TRADE: I like this trade for the Bulls. Theyre not going anywhere with the loss of Derrick Rose and had to move on from this group. Deng was a terrific player for them yet was going to cost too much for them in the free-agent sweepstakes. They save close to $20 million with this transaction andd it was time to move on and begin the process of a new look in Chicago.dddddddddddd This is the business side of sports that isnt pleasant when you see a wonderful guy who was a very good player get moved for economics yet in this cold-hearted business, it was the right thing to do long term for them. 4. KEVIN DURANT (Thunder): I know his team lost on Tuesday night to the Jazz and that isnt a pleasant thing but how can you not be impressed with the fact that he drops 48 points in the game? Its been challenging for him and his team without Russell Westbrook yet we get to see just how special Durant is when he has to do even more. Hes truly the second-best player in the game today and his offensive skill set is off the charts. Truly a joy to watch. Great competitor and a winner. 5. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Theyre on a roll with 10 wins in a row and Im thrilled for their loyal/rabid fan base. If I could put a finger on it the one guy who makes such a huge difference on their team is Andre Iguodala. He gives them a perimeter defensive stopper, hes an unselfish player who gladly gives the ball up to teammates and has wonderful versatility in his game. He plays the game the right way and has really allowed the other aspects of this roster to settle into their roles. Coach Mark Jackson has a guy that he can trust to do all the little things that win games for you and do it at a high level. I guess the word Glue Guy comes to mind when I watch their team. Any way you want to say it - hes made a huge difference in their team. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '