Pirate Galaxy » been penalized. In two high-profile incid

NEW YORK -- Baseballs regular season is a novel, one that was full of melodramatic twists and turns this season for the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. When the Mets host the Giants in the National League wild card game Wednesday night at Citi Field, the novel becomes a Choose Your Own Adventure, with the season hanging on every turn of the page.Tomorrows different -- I have not been in a one-game win-all scenario before, said Mets manager Terry Collins, who began his managerial career in 1981. Well have 25 guys out there, and if we need to, well use all 25 to win that game.The wild card game is familiar to the Giants, whose lineup Wednesday will likely feature six players -- including starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner -- who started the 2014 NL wild card game. Bumgarner threw a four-hit shutout in an 8-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates that jump-started San Franciscos run to a third World Series title in five years.Youre just jumping right into it -- this huge, emotional, intense, all-in, all-or-nothing game, Giants outfielder Hunter Pence said. Its definitely a wild ride. Thats why they call it the wild card.Bumgarner will oppose New Yorks ace, right-hander Noah Syndergaard, as the Giants and Mets battle for the opportunity to face the top-seeded Chicago Cubs in the NL Division Series.Both the Mets and Giants finished 87-75 -- the Mets earned home-field advantage by winning the season series 4-3 -- but they reached the finish line in decidedly different fashions.With most of their rotation and nearly all of their Opening Day lineup ravaged by injury, the reigning NL champion Mets were 5 1/2 games behind in the race for the NLs second wild card on Aug. 19 and 61-62 after beating the Giants in San Francisco the next day. It was the latest a wild card team has been under .500 since the 2005 Astros were also 61-62 after 123 games.But the Mets had the best record in baseball (26-13) the rest of the way to reach the playoffs for a second straight season for only the second time in franchise history.Rookie pitchers Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo went 9-2 with a 2.44 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) during the Mets season-ending run, which happened with six Opening Day starters either already sidelined for the season or playing part-time roles due to injury or ineffectiveness.Collins spoke throughout the season about how important it was for his team not to ride the daily rollercoaster. But did the season ever feel as chaotic from the inside as it looked from outside?In the managers room it did, Collins said with a grin. We tried not to let it spread to the clubhouse too bad. But theres so much maneuvering that we had to do.We know that certainly the planes from (the Mets Triple-A affiliate) Vegas to here were (used) a lot. Theres a lot of red-eyes that were used. But it all comes with the territory.The Giants, meanwhile, led the NL West by as many as eight games on June 26 and reached the All-Star Break with the best record in baseball at 57-33. But they went just 30-42 the rest of the way -- the worst post-All-Star Break record for a playoff team since the wild card was implemented in 1995 -- and fell out of first place for good with a 2-0 loss to the Mets on Aug. 21.As good as we were in the first half, we had our hiccups the second half, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.The bullpen, long a strength for the Giants, blew nine ninth-inning leads, including five in September. San Francisco finally steadied itself over the final week, when it went 5-1 to stave off the St. Louis Cardinals by a game.To be honest, I think we all were trying to figure out whats going on here, Bochy said. But thats what you have to deal with during the baseball season.Now the Giants hope to enjoy some familiar success with a pitcher who deals with the postseason better than anyone in Bumgarner, who is 7-3 with a 2.14 ERA in 14 playoff games (12 starts). He posted a 1.03 ERA in seven games (six starts) in the 2014 postseason, which ended with Bumgarner throwing five shutout innings to earn the save in Game 7 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals.In addition, Bumgarner is 4-0 with a 0.62 ERA in four career starts at Citi Field.Hes got this special -- this it factor and this incredible competitiveness thats just so beautiful to watch and to be a part of and to play behind, Pence said.The Mets will counter with Syndergaard, who proved ready for the big stage last fall by coming out of the bullpen to pitch a scoreless seventh inning in the decisive Game 5 of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers before winning Game 2 of the NLCS against the Cubs and Game 3 of the World Series against the Royals.While Bumgarner dominates at Citi Field. Syndergaard -- who made his final regular season start last Tuesday -- has thrived when pitching on extra rest: He has a 2.51 ERA in 16 career starts made on more than five days rest.These two guys going (Wednesday), I would think, sitting here today, theyre going to get pretty deep into a game -- theyre both pretty good, Collins said. Certainly, deep in the game, well make whatever move we think is essential. Jordan 6 Retro For Sale . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. Jordan Retro 14 Cheap . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. http://www.jordanshoescheapsale.com/ . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at . Cheap Jordan Shoes For Sale . PAUL, Minn. Wholesale Authentic Jordan Shoes . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. In 2014, after Ray Rice was caught on camera punching his then-fiancée in an elevator, the NFL implemented a new personal conduct policy; violations that involved domestic violence would be addressed with a baseline six-game suspension. The league also hired Todd Jones as chief disciplinary officer in March 2015. The NFLs soul-searching had been replaced by action and new policy.A lot has changed since then, and the NFLs hard line on consequences isnt quite as clear as it once seemed. Just take a look at how the policy has evolved.Last week, Giants kicker Josh Brown received a one-game suspension because of a May 2015 incident in which police were called to his residence in Washington state and he was arrested. The charge, assault fourth degree/domestic violence, was later dropped.Since the six-game suspension language was added to the personal conduct policy, there have been nine NFL suspensions potentially related to domestic violence. In all but two of those cases, the league has upheld suspensions that have been fewer than six games, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Thats despite the fact NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in 2014 that our standards, and the consequences of falling short, must be clear, consistent and current, and that consequences must be implemented through procedures that are fair and transparent.Earlier this month, free-agent tight end Andrew Quarless received a two-game suspension?for a July 2015 incident that involved firing a gun into the air after an argument with a woman. Quarless was fined and sentenced to probation.Before that, Washington linebacker Junior Galette got two games for a domestic violence-related case in which?charges were dropped. There was another incident where a man who appeared to be Galette threatened people on a beach by whipping a belt.And last year, the NFL suspended Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy for 10 games after an independent investigation found that he had used physical force against his former girlfriend in at least four instances. The suspension was later reduced to four games on appeal.Jonathan Dwyer was suspended for three games after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge in an incident where he allegedly head-butted his wife and broke her nose. (The incident took place in 2014 before the new policy was in place, although the suspension came after.) Two players, Jermaine Cunningham and Rodney Austin, received six-game suspensions in September 2015. Later in the season, Quincy Enunwa?and Joseph Randle got four games apiece.The NFL is finding that navigating the murky waters of domestic violence is complicated and not as clear-cut as a six-game baseline implies. Factors such as guns and a history of violence havent been increasing the length of suspensions as spelled out in the updated conduct policy. And other considerations, such as victim cooperation (or lack thereof), seem to be working in favor of the players.Jones said the expectation that every player who violates that element of the policy gets a six-game minimum suspension isnt helpful, because each case is different.You asked me, Is there something we should have more consideration of? Jones said, and thats not setting false expectations given 18 months of history.Implementing the domestic violence policy has been a challenge, Jones said. The NFLs conduct policy states that consideration would be given to any aggravating or mitigating factors in incidents of violations that involve domestic violence. But after the NFL Players Association challenged parts of the new code, the league has given more weight to a players expectation of due process and fairness in implementing it.The NFL cant suubpoena players, and the NFLPA disputed both the grounds for and the application of the new blanket standards.dddddddddddd Jones also noted that some of the incidents listed above took place before the new policy was in place (Dwyer), and others might be violence, but not necessarily domestic violence (Galette).[People] see six games for DV without an understanding of -- and I dont think we need to set all these definitions out, but we need to talk about it -- is this domestic violence or isnt it? Just because it involves gender dynamics doesnt mean it automatically kicks in an incident of domestic violence, Jones said.Browns one-game suspension was mitigated by a lack of clarity about what happened and a lack of cooperation from law enforcement and witnesses, Jones said. (Since Browns suspension was announced, an additional incident has been uncovered.)Its really hard, and often, victims arent forthcoming, said Anna Isaacson, NFL vice president of social responsibility.Getting to the truth of what happened during an incident can be complicated when a victim doesnt cooperate, something domestic violence experts and the legal system have recognized for years. After the league consulted with many domestic violence experts, the new policy was meant to take into account the reluctance that a man or woman might have in coming forward, perhaps fearing retaliation or economic consequences. Legal charges or consequences are expressly not a prerequisite for a violation to be identified.Not being able to talk to people isnt a mitigating factor. Thats an investigation issue, said Kim Gandy, president of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. If the intention of the NFL was to abide by what law enforcement or the judicial system did or didnt do, then that should have been the statement from the beginning.But the league may have unintentionally incentivized players to try to keep witnesses and victims from coming forward. If the players version is the only one the NFL can get, then that version might stand.Dan Werly, a sports lawyer and Charleston School of Law professor, says the commissioner has the ability to hear the appeal of domestic violence suspensions, and the courts have granted the league wide discretion in setting a policy as long as it is consistent in applying it.Its bizarre because we see Roger Goodell going the other way and getting tougher on non-domestic violence cases, Werly said.Jones said NFL investigations into its players are workplace investigations, which means they have to abide by processes laid out by the National Labor Relations Act.And some players havent been penalized. In two high-profile incidents, Johnny Manziel and Ray McDonald were investigated and no violations were found. Both men went on to have additional incidents. McDonald was arrested again?and subsequently charged with domestic violence. Manziel faces a charge in Dallas County after allegedly rupturing his then-girlfriends eardrum. Neither player is currently in the league.But with the legal record now in Manziels case, Jones emphasizes the NFLs commitment to consequences.Manziels got a six-game suspension thats hanging, Jones said. If a club ever rolls the dice and brings him on board, hes got a six-game suspension thats hanging right now.The NFL has done a lot to strengthen the education of players and, by extension, fans, about the effects of violence and assault. The league has put people in place to evaluate cases and recommend discipline. And still, the NFL isnt finding that task to be any easier than it was to begin with. ' ' '