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CHICAGO -- Manny being Manny has been a positive so far for the Chicago Cubs. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein praised Manny Ramirez on Friday for his work with the Cubs minor leaguers in Arizona, and said the former major league star could join Triple-A Iowa next week. Ramirez signed a minor league deal in May and reported to the teams facility in Mesa to get some at-bats in extended spring training. When Ramirez moves to Iowa, he will be a player-coach for Chicagos top farm club. "Ive gotten unsolicited emails and texts from a lot of the staff down there saying that hes been a breath of fresh air and the best thing that ever happened to the kids down in Mesa," Epstein said before the Cubs 6-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates. "So Im really pleased with the impact hes making on the organization. "Probably sometime next week that hes ready to go to Iowa, but were not in a rush because hes making an impact with the young kids down there who are getting their first taste of pro ball as well as guys like Jorge Soler, who are there rehabbing. Mannys been a really nice influence so far." The 42-year-old Ramirez is a .312 hitter with 555 home runs in 2,302 games covering 19 major league seasons. But the Cubs brought him in to serve as a mentor for some of their young players and insist he is not a candidate for a promotion to the major league club. The addition of Ramirez was a bit of a gamble for Epstein, who was the general manager in Boston when the enigmatic slugger helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2004 and 2007. Ramirez was suspended for 50 games in 2009 while with the Los Angeles Dodgers after testing positive for a banned drug. He retired in April 2011 instead of serving a 100-game ban for a second positive test while with Tampa Bay, but later agreed to a reduced 50-game suspension and played in the minors for Oakland in 2012. He also has been criticized in the past for lackadaisical play, but Epstein thinks he can be a valuable teacher for Chicagos rich minor league system. "Hes been meeting with the young kids there daily, pulling them aside, talking about hitting, talking about not making some of the same mistakes that he made off the field, really keeping them focused on working hard and having a passion for the game and doing things the right way," Epstein said. When Ramirez gets to Iowa, he will get a chance to work one of the majors best prospects in third baseman Kris Bryant. The No. 2 overall selection in last years draft hit .355 with 20 homers in 68 games with Double-A Tennessee, and then belted a two-run shot in his debut with Iowa on Thursday night. The promotion to Triple-A means Bryant is just one step away from joining the Cubs, but Epstein made it sound as if that would be next season at the earliest. "I dont forsee a scenario where hed be up this year," he said. "I dont think its the right thing to do for someone in his first full professional season, barring extraordinary circumstances both in respect to the player and whats going on at the big league club." Epstein also is pleased with what he has seen so far from this years first-round pick, Kyle Schwarber. The No. 4 overall selection from Indiana University was quickly promoted from Chicagos short-season Class A affiliate in Boise, Idaho, to Single-A Kane County. There is some question about whether Schwarber will play catcher or left field in the pros, but it looks as if that decision can wait for now. "We decided this year, his first exposure to pro ball, were going to have him see a lot of time in left field, let him catch about once a week, maybe twice a week, so he can stay fresh with his catching, DH some so that he can keep his bat in the lineup when he needs a day off," Epstein said. "Then were going to sit down at the end of the minor league season and see whether its an appropriate time to make a call." Andreas Johnsson Maple Leafs Jersey . According to a report from ESPN, sources said Manuels college coach Jimbo Fisher told teams he didnt think Manuel had the tools to be an NFL starter. Johnny Bower Jersey .com) - Pavel Datsyuk and Gustav Nyquist both scored in the shootout as the Detroit Red Wings denied the Minnesota Wilds comeback bid with a 5-4 win on Tuesday. http://www.mapleleafsteamstoreonline.com...e-leafs-jersey/. Wheeler scored two goals, including the winner, as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 6-4 on Friday in a game that featured a seven-goal first period. Bruce Boudreau Maple Leafs Jersey .Derrick Rose scored 23 points, and the Bulls pulled away from the Nets for a 105-80 victory on Wednesday night. Chicago held Brooklyn to 29 points on 26. Felix Potvin Jersey . Canada was placed in one of the easiest groups during Saturdays live televised draw in Montreal.New Orleans, LA (SportsNetwork.com) - Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson were both instrumental down the stretch to help the Denver Nuggets snap their seven-game losing streak. Afflalo had a team-high 20 points and Lawson distributed 13 assists in the Nuggets 93-85 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. Lawson had just five points on 2-of-12 shooting, but his basket late in the fourth along with a pair of assists to Afflalo aided to the win. I thought defensively that we were active, Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said. We didnt turn the ball over a great deal. Tyreke Evans scored 15 of his 25 points in the third quarter to pace the Pelicans, who had their four-game winning streak halted. Anthony Davis, who temporarily left the game in the third after suffering a leg injury, supplied 24 points and 12 rebounds in the setback. New Orleans trailed by six with under four minutes left in the fourth when Davis converted a runner through the lane before Eric Gordon, who went 4-of-15 shooting for 11 points, knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one. The Nuggets countered as Lawson found Afflalo for a trey, then Lawson made a layup after a nifty drive on forwards Dante Cunningham and Omer Asik, increasing the advantage to 91-85 with 1:34 remaining. We had a few defensive miscues. We gave up some timely (3-pointers). That one from Afflalo was a tough one to come back from, Pelicans coach Monty Williams said. Ryan Anderson was off the mark for the Pelicans and Denver gained an extended possession at the other end after a missed jumper from Lawson went off Davis out of bounds. Afflalo made it count, hitting a jumper on a feed from Lawson to make it an eight-point game, and the Nuggets got back in the win column.dddddddddddd Evans 3-pointer gave the Pelicans a 55-54 lead, then he capped an 18-5 surge to open the second half with a jumper the next trip down the floor. Lawson and Afflalo each connected on 3s, however, to move Denver back in front. Late in the third, New Orleans got a scare when Evans went up top to Davis for an alley-oop, but Kenneth Faried was there to intercept the pass and Davis landed awkwardly. Davis gingerly walked off the floor and was helped into the locker room by the Pelicans staff. After receiving medical attention, he came out of the locker room early in the fourth after what was diagnosed as a groin injury and was immediately inserted back into the game. Both teams went into the fourth tied at 70-70. The Nuggets made five straight shots during a 13-2 run in the first quarter, with Faried and Afflalo each alternating a pair of baskets to help the visitors grab a 24-13 lead. Denver preserved its 11-point margin after the first, then Danilo Gallinari dropped in a 3-pointer over four minutes into the second, extending the lead to 39-23. New Orleans responded with an 8-0 run that Davis capped with six straight points. Gallinari missed a 3 in the closing seconds of the half prior to Faried scrambling for an offensive rebound over Cunningham and making a mid- range jumper for a 49-39 Nuggets lead at the break. Game Notes Denver had dropped 10 of its last 12 on the road entering the game ... Jusuf Nurkic had 15 points and nine rebounds in the win ... New Orleans was successful on just three of its 15 3-pointers ... Denver scored 14 points off 10 Pelicans turnovers. ' ' '