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DUNEDIN, Florida - Melky Cabrera envisioned the worst-case scenario when he was diagnosed with having a benign tumour in his back. "I thought he was going to pass away, I was going to die, I was going to leave his kids behind and his family," said Cabrera through third base coach Luis Rivera, translating Spanish to English. "I know one day hes going to die but I wasnt ready to do that yet." It was a harsh dose of reality for Cabrera not long after turning 29 last August 11. It was a strange time. Finally, Cabrera had a proper diagnosis for the knee tendinitis and quadriceps inflammation that had sent him to the disabled list earlier in the season. But to that point, Cabrera couldnt understand why hed been rendered relatively immobile on the field. The tumour, which if left untreated would have continued to grow and could have ended up wrapping itself around Cabreras spinal cord causing paralysis, even death, was about the size of a walnut at the time it was surgically removed. The scar on Cabreras back is about five inches long and runs straight down the spinal column. "I was worried because of the way I was playing and the pain I was feeling in my legs and his back," Cabrera said through Rivera. "I didnt know what was wrong with me until I they decided to check. I found out, my family and myself, it was a tumour. They didnt know if it was benign or cancer and we were real worried." Once the stiches came out ten days after the surgery, Cabrera immediately began working out. He started slowly, capped at curls with 15 and 20-pound dumbbells. By December, Cabrera had moved his offseason home to Tampa. Teammate Jose Bautista lives in the area and the two began two-a-day workouts immediately, including cardio and weight training in the mornings and baseball related activities, namely hitting, in the afternoon. Cabrera is plenty motivated to have a bounce back season. Limited to 88 games last year, he posted a .279/.322/.360 slash line. He was coming off a 50-game suspension in 2012 for performance enhancing drug use. Now in the final year of the $16 million, two-year contract, Cabrera is playing for his next deal while trying to shake a shady past. In solid physical shape and moving better than he has in more than a year, Cabrera is reunited with his hitting coach from three seasons ago in Kansas City, Kevin Seitzer. "Im real happy that hes here," said Cabrera through Rivera. "Hes a real good hitting coach. He knows what kind of swing I have and he can work with me better." NAVARRO CATCHES BUEHRLE Asked before Fridays game if he could remember catching a pitcher who works as quickly as Mark Buehrle, Dioner Navarro didnt waste any time responding. "Nobody," he said. Navarro wouldnt offer a prediction of how things would go, which necessitated a follow up when he left the game after six innings. "On the positive side I dont have to do conditioning now," joked Navarro. "It was fun. I think hes still trying to build in as spring training goes along. I dont think he was throwing as hard as he can. His mechanics looked fine. The ball was coming out fine. He likes to work fast, thats for sure." Buehrle threw two innings, allowing a run on two hits. He struck out one and walked one. "First thing I told him when we met, I said, Listen, I dont shake off, so I like the sign down and hope youve got a game plan back there, because I dont really go over one, I dont follow one, so I just kind of go off [the catchers signs]," said Buehrle. "Thats big for them to know the hitters and know what I like to throw in certain situations. So far, were just working on some stuff right now and getting his feedback on certain pitches that Im throwing, so its good." Buehrle sat in on a handful of advanced scouting meetings two years ago in Miami, at the request of then-Marlins pitching coach Randy St. Claire, but felt he wasnt benefitting from the information. Hed prefer if Navarro and pitching coach Pete Walker worked out the plan. Hell just throw the pitches, joking that if things go wrong it leaves the blame on the catcher. "We take the blame," said Navarro. "Hey, its been like that for 100 years. When somebody does good, good job. When something goes bad its the catchers fault. Ive got no shame on that. I take the blame. Its okay with me." IZTURIS ACCEPTING OF BACK UP ROLE As long as the regulars stay healthy, Maicer Izturis will find himself back in the role he had with the Angels. Hell play some second base, some shortstop and some third base and be a late-game option off the bench for manager John Gibbons. "Ive been in that situation before in Anaheim with Aybar and Howie Kendrick," said Izturis. "For me, Im coming in ready to help the team win. I just want to make the playoffs and win that thing. I think weve got everything here. We need to just compete." A 10-year veteran, Izturis also is serving as a mentor to Ryan Goins, who ended last season as the Jays second baseman and is expected to have the starting job when camp breaks. "Just be consistent, play good defense," said Izturis of his advice to Goins. "Hes got the same game that I do. Just play defense, move the runner, take some pitches, play for the team. Weve got a lot of players with power and speed. Thats what I try to tell him to help him understand his game." Izturis is fully healed following a season-ending ankle sprain late last August. He began running the bases and taking ground balls in November. LINDS BEARD GETTING ATTENTION Adam Linds goatee is being compared to the beard worn by former professional wrestler Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Shown a photo of Neidhart, Lind laughed and said, "Hes got a better tan." KRATZ DOES COMMERCIALS Check out these three commercials featuring new Blue Jays catcher Erik Kratz, done last year in Philadelphia for Godshalls Quality Meats. Some funny stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGOjaXfwdfg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bltl70SVyuU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oQi1uuq2xI Spencer Long Jersey . -- All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham and the New Orleans Saints met Tuesday for arbitration on his contract. Chris Herndon Jets Jersey . Expensive. The NFL fined Tomlin $100,000 on Wednesday for interfering with Baltimores Jacoby Jones on a kickoff return in the third quarter of a 22-20 loss to the Ravens on Thanksgiving night. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Avery-Williamson-Jersey/ . Cain departed in the fourth inning of a 10-5 loss to the Pirates on Thursday. X-rays on Cains bruised forearm were negative. He was hit when Sanchez led off the fourth with a groundout. Isaiah Crowell Jersey . As if he had been rehearsing it, Vasquez looked around with a grimacing stare as he clinched two fists and flexed his muscles. What do you think of DeMar DeRozans face after he hits a big shot, he was asked moments earlier. Terrelle Pryor Sr. Jets Jersey . Spencer Abbott and Trevor Smith scored third-period goals erasing a 2-1 deficit giving Toronto a late 3-2 lead.ST. LOUIS -- By Sunday morning, most everyone had become an expert on the obstruction rule. "How can u make a call like that in the World Series," rapper Lil Wayne tweeted. "Worst ending to a World Series game ever!" PGA golfer Hunter Mahan posted. "Obstruction of justice," Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely wrote. No matter that the Official Baseball Rules have a slightly different take on what happened when St. Louis runner Allen Craig tripped over Boston third baseman Will Middlebrooks in Game 3 late Saturday night. But anytime someone scores the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning without even touching home plate -- called safe on an extremely rare ruling by an umpire -- its bound to cause a little ruckus. "Umps made the right call last night. I still put my fist thru the wall. And Im in a hotel so it was expensive," comedian and Massachusetts native Denis Leary tweeted. All sides seemed to agree on this point: Allen Craig tripping over Boston third baseman Will Middlebrooks likely made for the most crazy, chaotic October finish of all-time. And it gave St. Louis a 5-4 win at Busch Stadium and a 2-1 edge. "As a baseball fan, you hate to see a game end like that," pitcher Adam Wainwright said Sunday before Game 4. "Obviously Im on the Cardinals, so Im fortunate the rule is the way it is. And you hate to say it, but he impeded the process of running home." "But I totally understand why Red Sox players would be upset about that. That is just a horrible way to lose a baseball game, no question about it," he said. Said Red Sox manager John Farrell: "It wasnt a normal night of sleep, I know that." For more than a century, the World Series has delivered dramatic endings -- Kirk Gibsons homer, Carlton Fisks shot, David Freeses drive on this very same field in 2011. There have been plenty of kooky plays -- Reggie Jackson turning his hip to get hit by a throw, Roger Clemens throwing part of a broken bat toward Mike Piazza, an out in the 1970 Series when the catcher missed the runner and the runner missed the plate. But no one had seen anything quite like this. "Never," umpire crew chief John Hirschbeck said. "Never," third base umpire Jim Joyce said after making the call. Said Craig: "I didnt know if I was out or safe or not." Craig was awarded home after getting tangled with Middlebrooks. A wild throw set off the sequence, and Middlebrooks was sprawleed in the baseline and kicked up his legs as Craig tripped over him.dddddddddddd Running on a banged-up foot, Craig headed home and the throw by left fielder Daniel Nava beat him. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia made the tag in plenty of time and Craig never reached the plate. But umpire Dana DeMuth signalled safe, having seen Joyces call at third base. Both teams immediately rushed to the plate. Middlebrooks threw down his glove and joined the Boston argument. The Cardinals came out to celebrate. The fans took awhile to react, unsure of what theyd just witnessed. "I think maybe 75 per cent of the guys didnt know what happened," Cardinals star Carlos Beltran said. "I wasnt sure why he was called safe," Middlebrooks said. Middlebrooks said any contact was accidental. Doesnt matter, though. The play is covered by Rule 2.00 and Rule 7.06, and makes it clear that obstruction is called anytime a runner is impeded. "It does not have to be intent. There does not have to be intent. OK?" Hirschbeck said. Not OK, Boston pitcher Jake Peavy said. "Its a joke," Peavy groused. Farrell was more forgiving. "You know what, the call was made correctly. The umpires -- Jim Joyce, Dana DeMuth -- that call was made as it should have been," he said Sunday. How rare was it? The last time a big league game ended on an obstruction call was 2004, when umpire Paul Emmel said Seattle shortstop Jose Lopez blocked Carl Crawfords sightline. Emmel was the first base umpire Saturday night. Longtime Red Sox fans remember a noncall that went against them in the 1975 World Series. In Game 3, Cincinnatis Ed Armbrister bunted in the 10th inning and bumped into catcher Carlton Fisk. There was no interference called, Fisk made a wild throw and Joe Morgan hit a winning single. Watching from the dugout Saturday night, St. Louis manager Mike Matheny wasnt sure what to think. Matheny had seen umpires reverse a call in Game 1 that cost the Cardinals. Hed seen Craig trip and was ready to argue. And he also saw Craig down in the dirt after re-injuring his foot. "We were wanting to celebrate, but we see a guy laying there and its all confusing," Matheny said Sunday. "And we see the umpires come together, and that didnt work out real good for us last time." "We got inside the clubhouse, and it was still kind of that sombre mood," he said. "And Chris Carpenter yelled out real loud, Hey, boys, we just won a World Series game!" Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '