coaches, he would have been a hot commodity when his contract expired, wit

SAN DIEGO -- For Adam Duvall, Jay Bruce, Julio Teheran and Eduardo Nunez, the All-Star Game is as close to the spotlight as theyre likely to get this season.Their teams are far from contention, on track to lose 100 or more games.Obviously it means a lot. But it would be better if we were winning or playing better as a team, said Duvall, whose Cincinnati Reds are 32-57.But this is where we are in this stage of the process. We are rebuilding, and Cincinnati has been very vocal about that. I think we have a lot of the pieces of the puzzle. We have a very good foundation and we are doing the things necessary to be successful in the future, he said.Bruce is also on the Reds, who havent won a title since the 1990 Nasty Boys team and seem years from contending again.I will consider myself a Red until I am no longer in uniform, he said. Remember, I was traded last year and it didnt happen and here I am an All-Star with the Reds. If the Reds think it is in the best interest of the organization, that they can maybe get better, they will do it.Teherans Atlanta Braves are 31-58, the worst record in the majors, a team that stripped down in preparation for next years move to suburban SunTrust Park.Its kind of been a hard year. We have been an up-and-down team, the pitcher said. But its something you dont think about it. You only control what you can control. I know I dont have a lot of wins but Im going to keep doing what I do and that is to go out there and get people out. It doesnt matter if you have run support or not. You have to help your team win.Nunez plays for the Minnesota Twins, who are 32-56 and far from the power that won titles in 1987 and 1991.We are struggling, we know that. But we have to see the good side and Im here trying to represent my team and my fans in Minneapolis, he said. Yes this is the highlight. I was very excited. I didnt expect it. I went from looking for more playing time to making the All-Star team is amazing.The former Yankees infielder has 12 homers and 40 RBI.You cant control numbers. You work to get good numbers but you dont have any control. The opportunity was very big for me. It made a big difference, he said. Cesar Azpilicueta Jersey . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. Ross Barkley Chelsea Jersey . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. http://www.chelseafcproshop.com/Kids-Marcin-Bulka-Jersey/ . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Chelsea Jerseys . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. Callum Hudson-Odoi Chelsea Jersey . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers.GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Dave Tippett took a risk by forgoing plans to spend time with his wife at their off-season home in Minnesota to become coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, a franchise with a murky future after being cast into bankruptcy protection. Four years later, Tippett has taken another leap into uncertainty, agreeing on a long-term contract to continue coaching the Coyotes despite an ownership situation that still hasnt been resolved. "I just felt like this was the best fit because of the people you get to work with," Tippett said on Monday from Jobing.com Arena. "We all have a similar vision for how we would like to build this team. Theres some challenges ahead. We put a foundation in place, but its about taking it to the next level." Tippett took his initial gamble in the desert in 2009, joining the Coyotes during training camp after being fired by the Dallas Stars the previous season. The franchise was swirling in instability when Tippett took over, taken into bankruptcy protection three months earlier by former owner Jerry Moyes, who attempted to sell the team to a buyer who wanted to move the franchise to Hamilton, Ontario. Despite numerous suitors and near-misses, the franchise went into this past off-season still without an owner, still being run by the league. Finally, it appears an end to the saga could be near -- one way or another. Last month, the NHL agreed to sell the team to Renaissance Sports & Entertainment, a group headed by Canadian investors George Gosbee, Anthony LeBlanc and Daryl Jones. RSE still had to work out a lease agreement with the city of Glendale for Jobing.com Arena and the two sides have been negotiating the past few weeks. Glendales City Council is expected to vote on the lease deal on July 2, a decision that will either keep the team in Arizona or send it packing, possibly to Seattle. After waiting to see how the ownership situation would play out, Tippett decided last week to re-up with the Coyotes, giving the franchise another dose of stability after general manager Don Maloney, assistant GM Brad Treliving and two assistant coaches signed in recent weeks. "I always felt fairly certain that we could find a way to make a deal," Maloney said. "Obviously, it took a little longer than maybe you would have liked because of the uncertaiinty with the team, but the good thing is that this saga is ending fairly soon.ddddddddddddquot; Tippett has shaped the Coyotes into a winner despite the limitations that came with the ownership saga. He had an immediate impact on the franchise after moving behind the bench, leading the Coyotes to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 while earning the 2010 Jack Adams Award as the NHLs coach of the year. Phoenix made the playoffs again the next year despite the limitations of being run by the league and had the best season in franchise history under Tippett in 2011-12, winning its first NHL division title and reaching the Western Conference finals for the first time. The Coyotes missed the playoffs for the first time under Tippett last season, but it had more to do with injuries and the off-the-ice distractions finally catching up to the players than anything the coach did. "We all know the job Tipp has done the four years hes been here," Maloney said. "Between the patience hes shown and the respect he has in the locker room, hes a great fit for us and a key part of our future to continue to build a franchise here in Phoenix." Tippett likely would have gotten a bigger payday someplace else. One of the NHLs best tactical coaches, he would have been a hot commodity when his contract expired, with teams that had coaching vacancies and even some that didnt calling for his services. "His phone probably would have started ringing at 12:01 on July 1," Maloney said. But that wasnt what Tippett wanted. Loyal and someone who doesnt like to leave unfinished business, he said all along that he wanted to return to the Coyotes, even showing up at Maloneys news conference after the GM signed a contract extension. Tippett waited to see how the ownership situation played out, but once Treliving, associate head coach Jim Playfair and goalies coach Sean Burke joined Maloney in signing to stay in the desert, he decided to join them despite some uncertainty still in the air. "Once Don signed, once Brad signed, theres a distinct direction our management team was going and it made it a lot easier for me to justify staying with the group," Tippett said. Tippetts signing gives the Coyotes even more direction. Exactly where theyre headed is still up in the air. ' ' '