Tips & Tricks » now try and give the crowds what they want tomorrow

The Oakland Athletics have designated Jim Johnson for assignment. The 31-year-old has struggled in his first season in Oakland, posting a 4-2 record with two saves and a 6.92 earned-run average in 38 appearances. Johnson was signed by the As this past off-season to a one-year, $10 million contract after he led the American League in saves each of the past two seasons. He notched 50 saves in 2013 and 51 in 2012 while with the Baltimore Orioles. In nine seasons with the As and Orioles (398 appearances), Johnson has posted a 22-28 record with a 3.45 earned-run average and 124 saves. He was selected to the 2012 MLB All-Star Game and finished seventh in Cy Young Award voting that same season. As coach Bob Melvin commented on Johnsons time in Oakland. "It started out bad for him and he just couldnt get into a spot where he could find himself and not have to think about some of the failures or whatever that were going on. "I feel awful about it, too, because its my job to get him in a position to succeed and it just didnt happen here." Current Athletics closer Sean Doolittle thought Johnson would be able to snap out of the slump. "I kept feeling like it was only a matter of time before he was going to right the ship. You wouldnt have known that he was struggling based on the way he was going about his business every day." "Everybody in this clubhouse knows how good he can be," Doolittle said. "He saved 101 games in two seasons in the toughest division in baseball. I hope for his sake a change of scenery does him good and he can latch on somewhere else and land on his feet." Cheap NBA Jerseys From China . - Maynor Figueroa headed in a late goal to give Honduras a 1-1 draw with the United States in an international friendly Tuesday. Wholesale NBA Jerseys Authentic . Johns, N.L., to Thunder Bay, Ont., after a deal was announced to build a new $106-million "event centre" in the Lake Superior community. http://www.cheapnbajerseysusa.com/ . Minutes before the final whistle of Sporting Kansas Citys 3-0 victory over a shorthanded Montreal Impact squad on Saturday afternoon, Saputo tweeted: "Our fans deserve better. Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys . A 23-year-old rookie, Stroman is 4-2 with a 3.44 earned run average in 12 games this season, the past seven of those being starts. He logged the first scoreless outing of his career on Friday versus Oakland in a no-decision. Wholesale Basketball Jerseys .ca has you covered for whos in, whos out and what to expect from all 30 teams. CORK, Ireland -- Mikko Ilonen of Finland birdied the last hole to stay on top of the Irish Open leaderboard after the third round on Saturday. Ilonen, who has led from the outset, carded a 2-under-par 69 to move to a 12-under total at Fota Island. The leader by two shots overnight, Ilonen will take a one-shot lead into the final round over Danny Willett of England, who eclipsed Ilonens own course record by a shot with an 8-under 63 that also included a hole-in-one at the seventh. One shot further back on 10 under was crowd favourite Graeme McDowell, who birdied two of his closing three holes in a score of 69. The Northern Irishman was not only targeting a first victory this year but also a maiden Irish Open victory. "Its been fun to come here this week after the pressures of last weeks U.S. Open and just let off some steam and relax, and enjoy my golf again, and also enjoy the odd pint of Guinness in the evenings," McDowell said. "I will now try and give the crowds what they want tomorrow, and thats an Irish winner, but then there is a lot of names up on the leaderboard who will have issues with that. "Winning the Irish Open is well up my leaderrboard as far as wish lists of golf tournaments I would like to win, and to win would do many things like kick start my season and boost my Ryder Cup chances.dddddddddddd" He noted an Irish winner would also cap a good week for Irish golf, with Royal Portrush added to the British Open rotation, and Rory McIlroy committing to representing Ireland at the 2016 Olympics. Ilonen confessed he wore an emerald-colored shirt to try and win over the large Irish crowds. The Finn could have easily finished two clear when his attempted eagle chip shot at 18 lipped out, leaving a three-footer for his birdie. "I decided to wear a green shirt today, and the fans were really pleased, but then I knew my course record wouldnt last long and I called that," Ilonen said. "But I feel really comfortable out there, and really pleased to birdie 18, and get back the lead." Willett recorded his second hole-in-one of the year, after one at the China Open. "It was a perfect number, wind out of the left with an 8-iron, kind of saying go in and not really quite sure, but it slam-dunked in the hole," Willett said after his second 63 of the year. ' ' '