The Original Game » econd win in nine Premier League trips to Stok

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Bill Russell Jersey . -- Tim Tebows statistics are modest. But the former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner believes he is making progress with a week remaining in his Arizona Fall League stint.Tebow enters Wednesdays game with the Scottsdale Scorpions hitting .156 (7-for-45) with one double, two RBIs, four walks and 13 strikeouts in 13 AFL games. His batting average ranks 70th of 73 qualifiers in the league.I feel like every day I get a little more comfortable in the field, at the plate, just going through the routine of baseball, said the 29-year-old Tebow, who launched a professional baseball bid in September with the New York Mets after not playing the sport since his junior year of high school. I think my body is getting more comfortable with that -- the everyday routine of it, the little soreness of it, the recoveries. All of those little things.Tebow has been slowed by a cranky right knee, which he originally injured on Oct. 31 on an awkward slide into second base. He returned to the lineup three days later as the designated hitter, then departed for his weekend gig as a college-football commentator. Tebow resumed playing left field on Monday.Its getting better every day, Tebow said. Im feeling better, getting faster.One benefit of Tebow playing in the AFL is that Mets hitting coach Kevin Long lives in the Phoenix area and can provide regular tutelage. Tebow makes daily visits to Long in the mornings before reporting for AFL duty. The ex-quarterback confessed the extra workload has taken a toll on his hands.Lets put it this way: Theres been a lot of bandages on my hands for the last couple of months, Tebow said. Thats for sure.Tebow also has spent this week working at Scottsdale Stadium with Reggie Jackson, a Yankees instructor. They mostly have discussed hitting approach. Mets and Yankees prospects both play for the Scorpions.Hes got a month named after him, Tebow said about Jackson, also known as Mr. October. So its pretty cool.It has been an eventful AFL season for Tebow aside from his on-field play. The opening week, a man suffered a seizure in the stands after a game while seeking an autograph. Tebow stayed with the man -- a Georgia football fan -- until paramedics arrived. Tebow has stayed in touch with the man.Hes doing well, Tebow said. There might have been a little trash talk with the Florida-Georgia thing. But hes doing good.There have been light moments, too. On Halloween, Scottsdale teammate Aaron Brown -- a Phillies prospect -- dressed as Tebow, including wearing?Denver Broncos?garb.I thought it was really funny, Tebow said. Hes a trip. There were some good costumes. I liked his -- except when he came out and was throwing some different routes to [fellow Phillies prospect Mitch] Walding. There were too many incompletions out there.Mets general manager Sandy Alderson acknowledged Tebows assignment to the AFL is aggressive, given he just resumed playing the sport two months ago. But Alderson noted that the Mets wanted to have Tebow continue to develop by playing games after participating in the instructional league.Assigning Tebow to the AFL, which has a development mission, made more sense for Tebow than a Latin American winter league, where the priority is winning, according to Alderson. Tebow also needed a location that allowed for easy travel to his college-football broadcasting duties with ESPN each weekend. Having Long in the area and Mets coach Tom Goodwin managing Scottsdale made it sensible, too.Look, there was a downside in the fact that everything gets graded in the Fall League, Alderson said. The upside is he needs game competition in order to develop those kind of baseball instincts and peripheral skills that are so important. We actually thought he could hold his own in the batters box. And I think hes largely done that. His strikeout rate is not horrendous. Hes making decent contact and hes getting better.If you go to the Dominican Republic or Venezuela, those arent exactly development leagues. Those are competition leagues. So, all in all, this was the best spot for him.Goodwin said Tebows bat speed has been his biggest improvement through 13 games played in the AFL. His fielding instincts have improved, too, since he face-planted into the outfield wall during the opening week.The bat is coming through the zone, Goodwin said. I think hes recognizing pitches now better than he was then. Hes been facing some tough lefties, too. ... Hes done well. In the outfield hes moving around a lot better on his own. Hes kind of reading swings out there, which is going to have to happen. Once we get his knee right I think well see the speed out there. Red Auerbach Jersey . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. Greg Monroe Jersey . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. http://www.shopceltics.com/customized/ . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. STOKE, England -- Sergio Aguero rediscovered his accuracy from the penalty spot in scoring one of his two goals for Manchester City in a 4-1 win at Stoke in the Premier League on Saturday.The Argentina striker failed to score from two penalties in a Champions League playoff match on Tuesday, but converted a 27th-minute effort to set City on its way to a second straight league victory to open the season.Aguero then headed in a whipped free kick by Kevin De Bruyne in the 36th for 2-0, making it six goals already this season for Citys star striker.Bojan Krkic pulled a goal back for Stoke from the penalty spot in the 49th, and City fought to preserve its lead in the second half while playing against the wind before substitute Nolito scored two late tap-ins.Both of the penalties in the match -- given at corner-kick situations -- might not have been so readily awarded in previous years, but referees appear to be clamping down at the start of this season under new directives.City got the first penalty when Stoke center back Ryan Shawcross was punished for pulling back Nicolas Otamendi, who had stolen a yard at a corner. Stokes penalty was perhaps softer, with winger Raheem Sterling adjudged to have impeded Shawcross as he attempted to mark the much taller defender without even looking at the ball.As usual this time of the year, theres a directive out there and certain teams might get penalized for that, Stoke manager Mark Hughes said. Thats fine, as long as its consistent right from now and the end of the season. Usually it isnt, so well have to wait and see. That penalty award shook us, really.City manager Pep Guardiola said teams will have to adjusst, because the refs are so curious about what happens in the box. Robert Parish Jersey. City has won its first three matches under Guardiola -- two in the league and the 5-0 victory over Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League playoffs -- and Aguero, in particular, looks to be thriving under the Spanish coach.He scored in last weekends 2-1 win over Sunderland that kicked off the Guardiola era, then a hat trick against Steaua -- despite missing twice from the spot.Aguero retained penalty-taking duties and made no mistake to put City ahead against Stoke, sending former City goalkeeper Shay Given the wrong way. Agueros goal against Sunderland was also a penalty.After Bojan reduced the deficit, Stokes players took a more direct route to put pressure on Citys defense with the wind behind them. Guardiola said Friday that playing at Stoke was the toughest away game in the Premier League, but City held firm.Nolito, one of Citys eight offseason signings, came on for Jesus Navas in the 69th and clinched only Citys second win in nine Premier League trips to Stoke.The Spain forward finished off from inside the six-yard box in the 86th after fellow substitute Kelechi Iheanacho broke through and rounded Given. Then, five minutes into stoppage time, Iheanacho dummied a long ball through and Sterling ran through, before passing sideways to Nolito who stroked the ball into an empty net.Its not easy because we played in midweek, City captain Pablo Zabaleta said, but we produced a great performance and great team spirit from the first minute. ' ' '