Magicgames II » his burgeoning partnership with Sturridg

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Michael Brantley was smoothly sidestepping a question about whether he should have won the Gold Glove for going an entire season in the outfield without an error. His boss interrupted him in midsentence. "He should have won the Gold Glove," Cleveland Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said. Brantleys response matched his "Dr. Smooth" nickname. He kept right on going, talking about everyone except himself. "Its about winning baseball games," Brantley said. His devotion to that answer helped him get a $25 million, four-year contract on Thursday as the Indians opened spring training. A player who was the last piece in the deal for pitcher CC Sabathia in 2008 is now recognized as one of the Indians core players. Brantley batted a team-leading .284 last season, when Cleveland ended a five-year playoff drought. The Indians lost to Tampa Bay 4-0 in the wild-card game. The challenge is to keep getting better. The Indians decided that the 26-year-old can be instrumental that way. He avoided arbitration by agreeing to the deal, which he signed after passing a physical. Brantley gets a $3.5 million signing bonus and salaries of $1.5 million this year, $5 million in 2015, $6.5 million in 2016 and $7.5 million in 2017. Cleveland has an $11.5 million option for 2018 with a $1 million buyout. His 2017 salary would increase by $1 million if hes among the top five in MVP voting in any year from 2014-16 and would go up by $500,000 if he finishes sixth to 10th. The option price would be boosted by $1 million if hes among the top five from 2014-17 and by $500,000 if he finishes sixth to 10th. "He is a complete player," Antonetti said. "He is a tireless worker, a great teammate, a complete professional in every sense of the word. When youre making investments of this magnitude, those are the things you look for. He embodies everything we look for in our players. "His entire focus is on the team. A lot of guys talk about that and will give the surface, Hey, Im a team player. Michael lives that every day." He proved it last season. Brantley was slotted as the leadoff hitter and centre fielder until the Indians signed Michael Bourn. He agreed to move to left field and floated around in the batting order, hitting everywhere from first through eighth as manager Terry Francona rested regulars. Brantley set career highs with 26 doubles, 10 homers, 73 RBIs and 66 runs. He also stole 17 bases in 21 attempts. And he went the entire season without making an error in his new outfield spot. "Those are the players that you value because regardless of what their personal goals are or their aspirations, theyre able to put the team goals ahead of it," Francona said. "And thats a good example. We all know he wanted to play centre field, and he moved to left. And he probably preferred to stay in one spot in the order, but he moved around. "And he did it willingly." Brantley was part of a four-player package that the Indians got from Milwaukee on July 7, 2008. Originally, it was three players and one to be announced after the season. Brantley heard that he would be the final piece in the deal, which was completed on Oct. 3. Little did the Indians know he would end up being the biggest prize in the package, which included first baseman Matt LaPorta. "In bringing Michael over, we had some sense of those things," Antonetti said. "But Im not sure we could fully appreciate how great of a worker he was, how great of a teammate he was, how driven he was to be successful." Notes: Francona isnt sure where Brantley will bat this season, but said its possible he could move around in the order again. ... The Indians were prepared for an arbitration hearing Friday with RHP Josh Tomlin, who is asking for $975,000. The team has offered $800,000. RHP Justin Masterson also has an arbitration hearing pending. He is seeking $11.8 million, while the club offered $8.05 million. AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report. Devin Booker Jersey . -- Theres nothing like winning to bring hope for a struggling team. Dragan Bender Jersey . Johansen scored twice and Derek MacKenzie, Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson also had goals to lead the Blue Jackets to a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, ending a three-game losing skid. http://www.cheapsunsjerseys.com/?tag=che...or-ariza-jersey. First reported by FOX Sports Ken Rosenthal, its unknown if the impetus for the deferral proposal came from players or management, but it never left the preliminary stages. Cheap NBA Jerseys .com) - The Los Angeles Dodgers made it official Tuesday and signed pitcher Brandon McCarthy to a four-year contract. Dan Majerle Jersey . Colorado came up big against Chicago last spring, and repeated that performance Tuesday night. Varlamov stopped 36 shots and Paul Stastny had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche in a 5-1 victory over the Blackhawks.MANCHESTER, England -- Luis Suarez returned to the Premier League in explosive fashion on Sunday, teaming up with strike partner Daniel Sturridge to propel Liverpool to a 3-1 win at Sunderland that inflicted more misery on the divisions managerless bottom team. Liverpool climbed to second place in the standings, two points behind Arsenal, after Suarez added to Sturridges contentious opening goal that came off his arm by scoring twice at the Stadium of Light. After serving a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a league match in April, Suarez made his comeback in a frustrating League Cup loss to Manchester United on Wednesday. He found the cutting edge against Sunderland, though, to help Liverpool earn a fourth win in six games and provide another demonstration of his burgeoning partnership with Sturridge that was cut short by Suarezs act of folly five months ago. "Hes getting the reward for his hard work over the period that he was off," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said of Suarez. "Him and Daniel up front are a real, real handful. They combined very well." Norwich beat Stoke 1-0 in Sundays other match, with Jonny Howson scoring the winner from long range in the 34th minute to secure his teams second victory of the season. Suarez couldnt have asked for more compliant opposition in his comeback match in the Premier League, with Sunderland having now lost five of its six games and being stranded at the foot of the table on just one point. Interim manager Kevin Ball, who is in chargge following the firing of Paolo Di Canio last weekend, was unable to shore up the leagues leakiest defence in the face of one of the leading strike partnerships in English football.dddddddddddd Sturridge climbed to the top of the scoring charts with his fifth goal of the campaign, inadvertently bundling the ball in with his upper arm after misjudging the flight of Steven Gerrards corner in the 28th minute. Sturridge then turned provider, cutting in from the right and crossing for Suarez to poke in at the far post in the 36th. After Emanuele Giaccherini had halved the deficit in the 52nd, the same combination struck for Liverpool again to seal victory in the 89th, Sturridge making inroads down the left flank this time and crossing for Suarez to hook home a left-footed finish. "Its great to have him back in, he gives us options and hes one of the best forwards in the league," Sturridge said of Suarez. "We form a good partnership." Liverpool went above third-place Tottenham on goals scored and is now six points above arch-rival Man United, which sits in 12th place after losing 2-1 to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. United is level on seven points with Stoke and Norwich, who served up poor fare at Britannia Stadium except for Howsons brilliant effort that separated the sides. "It was a disappointing performance and we were poor," said Stoke manager Mark Hughes, whose team outplayed Man City in its last home game. "We never got any pace or power into our game, which is unlike us." 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