Die Allianz T-D-P » Theres not really one area wher

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Indians fans who want to express their gratitude to Ryan Merritt for pitching the team to the World Series might have to say thanks with a cutting board, a pair of stainless steel kitchen shears or a Houdini Deluxe bottle opener. They dont have a lot of options left.Merritt, 24, etched his name in franchise lore last week when he threw 4 1/3 shutout innings in Clevelands 3-0 American League Championship Series-clinching victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Amid reports that Merritt is engaged to be married, grateful Cleveland fans scoped out his wedding registry online and rushed to buy gifts for him and Sarah Brushaber, his fiancée.Its been crazy, Merritt said Monday during World Series media availability. Everybody got to it quick. One person found it and sent it out there, and once it hits the media, everyone found out. Im thinking its a joke at first. But the next thing you know, (the items) are dropping like crazy.There might be one item left -- like bedsheets or something. I think its been pretty much cleared.The couples registry at Pottery Barn and Target has a few items still available, but Merritt is correct when he says the remaining pickings are slim. Even Merritts Cleveland coaches and teammates who want to contribute have been left with few choices.I was messing around with my parents the other night and we said, Lets go check it out, said Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway. I think there were a couple of pans you can buy, and that was it.Merritt, a former 16th round draft pick out of McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, is a finesse pitcher who relies on command and control while throwing a fastball in the upper-80s. Hes kept a relatively low profile throughout the minor leagues, but he held a powerful Toronto lineup to two singles before giving way to the bullpen in the pennant clincher at Rogers Centre. Merritt has since discovered how deeply his performance resonated with Indians fans.Before that game, I could walk down the streets of Cleveland and nobody was going to recognize me, he said. Its different now. Once in a while somebody will recognize me, and its neat. Its fun. Its the kind of thing you think about as a kid -- people knowing your name like that.Once the postseason ends, Merritt will be free to help with the wedding planning. His marriage to Brushaber, a Minnesota native, is scheduled for Jan. 27 in Rochester, Minnesot. Theyre fully aware that the weather conditions might not be optimal, but it was the best they could do given his schedule as a professional ballplayer.We figured it was the most reasonable date with whats going on in our offseason, Merritt said. Everybody is going to have to bring their winter coats. Its a good thing it will be inside. As for gifts, Callaway has a suggestion for Merritts friends who might be late to the party.Envelopes of cash, he said, laughing.Merritt, who earned the pro-rated portion of the MLB rookie minimum $507,500 salary during his brief time in Cleveland this season, acknowledged that some wedding-goers might have to opt for money as a present.Or Ill just wind up with like six Keurigs or something, he said. Nike Air Max Plus Rea . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. Vapormax Flyknit Sverige . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. http://www.airvapormaxsverige.com/ . Louis Blues. Shane Hnidy joins Brian Munz for the broadcast on TSN 1290 Radio at 7pm ct. Nike Zoom Sverige . Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. MacKinnons goal, also on the power play, came with just over a minute remaining. Nike Air Max Plus Tn Dam .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. STILLWATER, Okla. -- After a dominant outing by quarterback Mason Rudolph in Oklahoma States dramatic win over Pittsburgh, its clear his play will be key to the Cowboys success this season.Rudolph is coming off a game in which he threw for a school-record 540 yards, hitting on nine passes of 20-plus yards, in a 45-38 victory on Saturday.Now, as Oklahoma State (2-1) opens its Big 12 conference schedule next week at No. 16 Baylor (3-0) -- the site of Rudolphs first collegiate start in Nov. 2013 -- the junior will once again be the center of attention for the Cowboys offense.He had a great game for us last Saturday, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. Oklahoma State, traditionally, goes as their quarterback goes. He plays pretty good, we usually do pretty well, and if they play average, then were usually pretty average. So it really hasnt changed. Most teams are that way. But hes matured and understands. I thought he missed three, maybe four, throws last week, but overall, his reads and where he was at with the football, were pretty high percentage.Rudolphs ability to connect on the deep ball was crucial to the Cowboys victory over Pittsburgh, as he had five passes of 35 or more, with two additional long passes causing pass interference penalties. That includes the 91-yard touchdown pass to James Washington on the games first play from scrimmage and the 86-yard pass to Jhajuan Seales that set up the game-winning touchdown with 1:28 remaining.I think when youve got weapons like James and Seales and (Chris) Lacy and (Austin) Hays, its fun to go to work every day at practice and get those practice reps in and get comfortable with those certain routes, said the 6-5, 235-pound Rudolph, who now ranks seventh in the nation with 1,017 passing yards. Thats what we did all week and thats what weve done as long as Ive been here. Weve prided ourselves on being able to blow the top off of the offense and be accurate down the field.Just as Rudolph was quick to praise his receivers for being able to come down with the ball in those 1-on-1 situations, OSU offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich took it a step further, detailing all the factors that go into a successful llong pass.ddddddddddddYou cant throw deep balls against soft coverage, Yurcich pointed out. So you have to take what the defense is giving you. Secondly, you need good pass protection, third you need fast (receivers), and fourth, you need guys that can catch it. If you have all those things, then you have deep balls. Its everything.But it all starts with Rudolph being able to make the throw. He has demonstrated significant growth since the last time he stepped onto the field at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas, developing from a nervous freshman into a respected team leader. Since then, he is 14-4 as a starter.Masons growth has been pretty consistent, Yurcich said. Theres not really one area where he had to dramatically improve, he was a pretty well-rounded quarterback when he got here. Hes a mature guy, has a lot of confidence in himself. I think his poise and his demeanor set himself up to be a successful quarterback, because he doesnt get too high and he doesnt get too low. He stays somewhere in the middle, and I think thats where the key to his success has been.Specifically, Yurcich noted several subtle areas of improvement for Rudolph, pointing out how his summer camp stint with former Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson helped his fundamentals, among other things. Mostly, though, he noted Rudolphs overall desire to be better.Hes really done a great job improving himself from a physical standpoint, Yurcich said. He knows theres still room to improve, so hes never going to think hes arrived, theres always a way to get better. Hes better in the film room, hes better at recognizing defenses, so overall, hes gotten better from just about every angle.Hes done a hell of a job and deserves a lot of credit for that, because a lot of that stuff is outside of the time that we have him -- its in the summer, its in the offseason, its on his own. Any quarterback that wants to be great has that in him, and thats great to see. Hes a great example and a great leader for everybody else to follow.---Online: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '