Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork. Kyrie Irving Celtics Jersey .com) - So, what did you do this week? I guarantee it wasnt as much as what San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller did, as he completely transformed the identity, look, and overall perception of his team. San Diego drastically upgraded its lineup, as it acquired outfielders, Matt Kemp, Wil Myers and Justin Upton, along with catcher Derek Norris and third baseman Will Middlebrooks, while re-signing righty Josh Johnson and adding flamethrower Brandon Morrow. Did you get all that? You better believe San Francisco Giants general manager Brian Sabean, new Dodgers baseball czar Andrew Friedman and a lot of other National League GMs did. Have these moves made San Diego the team to beat now in the NL? Absolutely not. Truth be told they are still probably the third best team in the NL West. But they have closed the gap on both the Dodgers and Giants and at the very least they are a legitimate wild card contender. And people are certainly now talking about the Padres. When was the last time you could have said that? The additions will certainly improve a lineup that ranked at the bottom of the majors with a .226 average, .292 on-base percentage and 535 runs scored. Their 109 homers were also the second-fewest in the bigs. San Diegos offense was historically bad in the first half of last season, as it was hitting just .210 through 83 games, including an abysmal .171 for the entire month of June. Just how bad is that? Well, Baseball-reference tracks team splits back to 1914. No other team in that time frame had hit below .175 in a calendar month. So, yes that lineup needed a complete facelift. And they probably arent done. If the Upton, Myers and Kemp triumvirate is now your starting outfield, that leaves no place for players like Cameron Maybin, Seth Smith, Wil Venable or Carlos Quentin. There are still some deals to be made. We will get to that in a bit. San Diegos strength last season was its starting pitching. Only the Washington Nationals had a better team ERA in the NL. And no team had a lower bullpen ERA in the NL than the Padres 2.59. Righty Tyson Ross emerged as an All-Star, Ian Kennedy and Andrew Cashner are solid, while Cuban project Odrisamer Despaigne showed flashes of brilliance. Of course, highly-regarded 24-year-old Jessie Hahn was dealt to Oakland in the Norris deal, but Morrow figures to step in and who knows what the oft-injured Johnson will give them. If the Padres go into the season with what they have, they are probably a wild card contender. Like 10 other teams in the league. But, why make all these moves if you, maybe, could contend. Yes its nice to create a little bit of buzz, but if you are going to go for it, go for it. And that means San Diego native Cole Hamels. Its no secret the Philadelphia Phillies are looking to move him. And even with all these moves this past week, the Padres still have the pieces to go and get him. San Diego can give the Phillies a major league ready outfielder. Plus they still have most of their top prospects in tact. Outfielder Hunter Renfroe, catcher Austin Hedges and righty Matt Wisler are all still in play. The Padres have a rotation good enough to compete. But, just imagine how much better that group is with someone like Hamels at the top of it. Plus you keep him away from the Dodgers, another team rumored to be in the mix for him. It makes too much sense now not to happen. Like we said. If you are going to go for it. Go for it. Custom Boston Celtics Jerseys .com) - Fair Grounds commences its road to the Kentucky Derby Saturday with the 71st running of the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes. Red Auerbach Celtics Jersey . The 10-year deal the league and players agreed to that ended the 2011 lockout gave either side the right to opt out after six years. With the league projecting financial growth, there has been speculation that players will take that option in three years, especially since a new national TV contract will be in place by then. http://www.authenticcelticsteamproshop.com/Cheap-Robert-Parish-Celtics-Jersey/ .com) - Novak Djokovic easily took care of Andy Murray to reach the final at the $2.Foxborough, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - The Columbus Crew and New England Revolution will renew their rivalry for a crucial Eastern Conference clash at Gillette Stadium on Saturday. The contest should have sizable playoff implications as New England, on 45 points, occupies second place, while Columbus, on 43 points, follows closely in fourth place. The Crew are coming off of an important 2-0 home victory over the Montreal Impact, a result that looms large as the club embarks on a three-game road swing. It was incredibly important, said midfielder Ethan Finlay. We did not want to get too far ahead of this game, but we know we have a tough task ahead of us in October, and I think we are excited for it. We had a good road record at the start of the year, and we want to finish strong on the road. The next three games are going to be challenging, but I think we are up for it. New England also enters the contest in fine form, winning six of its last seven in league play. The lone defeat came at the hands of the Crew on Sept. 20, but the Revs managed to bounce back and collect an inspiring 3-2 win at Sporting Kansas City last time out after going two goals down. It was definitely an exciting game, said New England head coach Jay Heaps. For me it was the tale of two halves. I thought our first half was really good. We stuck to our game plan. But after halftime, 10 minutes in you really saww Kansas City put on the full court press and score two goals that we gave them a little bit, and they took it. Gordon Hayward Celtics Jersey. You have to give them credit there for taking advantage. I was really proud of how after those goals, we were able to bend and not break. We had the legs at the end and I thought Jermaine (Jones) scored a really great goal. Jermaine had to gut it out. He doesnt fully have the fitness, but I thought his performance was spot on and his goal was much deserved. The Crew went unbeaten in league play during the month of September, claiming 10 points from a possible 12. But three of those games came at home, and the Crew won each of them. I think teams have a difficult time beating us here, especially as of late, Crew head coach Gregg Berhalter said after the defeat of Montreal. We take pride in that, the fans have been great, theyve been behind us and we look to really impose our game on the opponent. You come into a club and you have the ideas that were going to make the home field a fortress and you say all of that but it just doesnt happen by words. You need to make it happen and I think if you look over the second half of the season weve made that happen. Weve been very strong at home these last seven games. Road form has been a different animal for Columbus, but the club can take confidence from its 2-1 win at Gillette Stadium earlier this season. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '