n a game for the Red Sox) at Seattle where he allowed two runs on four hits, walked six (one intentional) and struck out six.He will be working for the first time since an ESPN report suggested he might have been damaged goods when acquired, the report also saying the Red Sox will not seek compensatio

When then 32-year-old Brooks Laich was traded to the young, captain-less Toronto Maple Leafs at last seasons trade deadline, some wondered if Laich, known as a well-spoken leader, was destined to be the 19th captain in franchise history. Laich would go on to admit that he dreamed of donning the C for the Maple Leafs as a child.Instead, the cold business side of the NHL caught up with Laich last week when he was placed on waivers and then assigned to the AHLs Toronto Marlies. The Maple Leafs are still without a captain.And the Leafs arent alone: The Carolina Hurricanes have not christened anyone with the C this season, and the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers only just recently named their captains.Unlike in other professional sports, where captains are often ceremonial, the role of an NHL team captain has traditionally come with official duties -- theyre even spelled out in the rulebook. Rule 6.1 states: One Captain shall be appointed by each team, and he alone shall have the privilege of discussing with the Referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game. Off the ice, a captain can also act as conduit between the teams head coach and players.But in reality, the role has begun to change for many teams -- so much so that many believe having a guy with a letter on his sweater isnt the requirement it used to be.Todays game is led by core groups of players. Its not done by one individual, said Laich after a Maple Leafs training camp practice before he was sent down.Frequent coaching changes and player movement mean that dressing rooms evolve more quickly than they used to, and given the more diverse geographical representation of players, its often not up to just one player to dictate the environment in a room.Just because you have a letter doesnt mean youre the leader, and just because you dont have a letter doesnt mean you cant be a leader, Laich continued. The room figures itself out. People follow actions more than they follow words. That kind of stuff will take care of itself.Laichs leadership approach seems to be echoed around the league. Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said his teams captaincy is still to be determined. With a leadership core that includes Justin Faulk, Ron Hainsey, Jordan Staal and Jay McClement, Peters doesnt believe the Hurricanes need a captain immediately.If we name one, itll be because we have the guy whos the slam-dunk choice, Peters said. If we dont, its because we dont want to make a mistake. What we dont want to do is rush into things and then down the road say, Geez, we made a mistake. Id rather be patient and possibly go with three As and then when it is time to give out the C, its something we dont take lightly.Some believe the captaincy is simply an encumbrance, as it adds responsibility in an age when players already have plenty of off-the-ice responsibilities.The San Jose Sharks, for one, have had a tumultuous recent history with their captaincy. In 2008-09, the Sharks won the Presidents Trophy for finishing with the NHLs best regular-season record but then were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks. Many questioned then-San Jose captain?Patrick Marleaus leadership, and Marleau, who had worn the C since 2004, was stripped of the captaincy that summer. But the forward bounced back the next season with 83 points (he had scored 71 and 48 points the previous two seasons, respectively). The Sharks eventually named?Joe Thornton?as his successor, but San Jose stumbled in the first round of the playoffs again in 2014 and Jumbo Joe was ousted from the role too. The following season, the Sharks went without a captain -- and missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.Sometimes guys get that letter and its a burden for them, Peters said. We dont want it to be burdensome for anybody. If its going to hurt any player, we dont want to do it.And then theres Connor McDavid, recently named Oilers captain and now the youngest in the NHL. Few doubt McDavids game-changing ability, but being named captain before he even had a full season of NHL experience under his belt speaks more to McDavid becoming the face of the franchise and less to him relying on his professional experience to guide the team.How McDavid will handle the captaincy in addition to being the savior of the franchise remains to be seen. McDavid has served as a team captain before, both for the OHLs Erie Otters and for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey.If theres anyone who understands the pressure of the role, its Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan, the current longest-serving captain in the NHL, who has worn the C for the Coyotes since before the 2003-04 season and has become synonymous with the franchise.As a sport we put so much onus on the captain, Doan said. And I dont think they want to put that on certain people and put people in a position where its going to be a little more difficult for them to be successful. People are more conscientious about giving the C out.The youth movement is well underway in the desert, as the Coyotes opened their season with five rookies on their roster. So has Doans role as a captain taken on greater heft with the need to guide these young players? Not necessarily. In todays NHL, as Peters noted, the responsibility of taking care of young players falls less on one player.Coaches, for the most part, are considerably more player-friendly than they used to be 20, 30 years ago, Doan said. I think everyone has a little more say. Coaches are much more conscientious about the mental side of the game. And I think thats probably why there are teams without captains: because theyre trying to make sure they put everybody in a position to be successful. And they dont want to put undue pressure on guys. They see a guy coming up and theyre like, Well, this is a guy we want to be captain but we dont want to have to end up taking it away or changing anything in the future.Furthermore, teams seem much more focused on finding a captain who is likely to stay with them long-term, as moving one?can be risky business.And Peters would rather not rush into a decision on one of the leagues youngest and most improving franchises. We need to have a guy thats 100 percent on board with what were building here in Carolina, [who] believes in the direction were going, he said.Tradition has long been important in hockey. But the NHL has seen significant changes to its rules, collective bargaining agreement, All-Star Game and playoff formats in recent years, so the role of the captain could simply be the next thing to change. Some of the games most progressive minds, including Peters, could herald a change in how teams are led.When asked if having a captain is completely imperative in todays NHL, Peters didnt hesitate. Its not totally necessary, he said. If youre giving it out just for the sake of handing out the letter, youre doing the wrong thing.Air Max 270 Wholesale Australia . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home. Air Max 270 Cheap Wholesale . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. http://www.airmax270cheapaustralia.com/ . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said. Air Max 270 Online Shopping . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. Air Max 270 Cheap Australia .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons.BOSTON -- Alex Rodriguez is likely to start only in the third and final game of the New York Yankees three-game series against the Red Sox on Thursday night.New York manager Joe Girardi, asked before Tuesday nights opener of Rodriguezs final Yankee series on the road, said the controversial slugger would not start Tuesday and likely not start Wednesday against left-hander Drew Pomeranz.That would leave Thursday night, when knuckleballer Steven Wright goes for the Red Sox.Rodriguez will then play one more home game, Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, before being released. He is slated to sign a contract as an advisor to team managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner while collecting the rest of his player salary, but there is the chance he could sign with another team, either for the stretch run or next season.Rodriguez, who met the media in the visitors dugout before the game, said he was disappointed not to be starting the two games. Girardi, whose team is still somewhat alive in the wild card chase, said, Were trying to win games.Clearly, Rodriguez is no longer helping them win games.Rodriguez, hitting just .204 with nine homers and 29 RBI heading into his final four games with the team, was batting only .219 with three homers and 11 RBI in 73 at-bats against lefties. He was at .196 with six homers and 18 RBI against righties and was 3-for-22 lifetime against right-hander Rick Porcello, who started for Boston on Tuesday.He is 1-for-5 against Wright but did have success against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. He hass never faced Pomeranz, who takes his fifth shot at his first win in a Red Sox uniform when he faces Nathan Eovaldi in the second game of the series.ddddddddddddPomeranz, who went from the National League All-Star team to the Red Sox, is 0-2 with a 6.20 ERA since arriving in Boston. He is coming off a six-inning outing (the most innings he has thrown in a game for the Red Sox) at Seattle where he allowed two runs on four hits, walked six (one intentional) and struck out six.He will be working for the first time since an ESPN report suggested he might have been damaged goods when acquired, the report also saying the Red Sox will not seek compensation.To my knowledge, hes gone through his work between starts, hes taken the ball as we anticipated, said manager John Farrell.Pomeranz pitched against the Yankees with San Diego on July 2, yielding a run on five hits and striking out seven in seven innings. He then threw seven innings of two-hit/shutout ball against the Dodgers in Los Angeles and that was it for his career with the Padres.Eovaldi, who throws as hard or harder than any starter in the major leagues, has lost his last two starts to fall to 9-8 and is 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA in four starts since returning to the rotation after a demotion to the bullpen. His nine wins lead the Yankees and he is 3-0 with a 4.60 ERA lifetime against the Red Sox -- 2-0 with a 5.94 in three starts at Fenway Park. ' ' '