At 80, Don Cherry still hasnt run out of stories, as his new book Straight Up & Personal shows. Cheap NFL Jerseys China Team . But he doesnt get to share them with Ron MacLean as much these days.The two are spending less time together, with MacLean busy with his Hometown Hockey duties.In his book, subtitled The World According to Grapes, Cherry fondly reminisces about their road trips and bucket of beer, six apiece, on ice after Hockey Night in Canada sessions.When things went wrong on the set of Hockey Night in Canada, and it happens a lot, when I would be in a tantrum, Ron would hold up six fingers, meaning six cold ones waiting in the (hotel) room, and I would say, Youre right and calm down, Cherry writes.Popcorn for MacLean, peanuts for Cherry, a game on the TV and a chin wag. Sometimes heated, mostly fun times.Such social time is at a premium now.We do Coachs Corner and then hes gone, Cherry said in a recent interview. So it has changed, I must admit.Before we used to sit together and watch every game ... every Saturday wed sit together for three hours. Sometimes now we dont sit together for two minutes, he added.Traditionally the two have shared Saturday nights and the playoffs together.We dont know what were going to do in the playoffs this year, Cherry said. But in the playoffs, were together from April 8 until June 19 every other day. You do get close, you cant help but get close.Otherwise, Cherry says not much has changed under the new Rogers broadcast regime although he doesnt see the other fellow hockey analysts because they are on a separate set.Its not quite the same because we were all together there before. But I have to admit theyve never told me what to do. I dont think they quite understand me quite the same but theyre never come and said You cant do this, you cant do that.I had a problem with them at the start about the time, as you saw ... They were a little upset over that.Its Cherrys fourth book, but first that he has written alone. Grapes: A Vintage View of Hockey, was written with Stan Fischler while he collaborated with Al Strachan on Don Cherrys Hockey Stories and Stuff and Don Cherrys Hockey Stories, Part II.Cherry wrote this one longhand, often in the middle of the night, starting last fall. An irregular sleeper, he would find himself up at 3:30 in the morning and start writing.I had a grand time doing it, he said.Straight Up & Personal covers a lot of ground, including a painful gout-ridden expedition to Afghanistan (he credits comedian Jimmy Mac for getting him through it) and his stint in Sochi, which left him praising the Russians.It opens with a near-death experience two years ago in the St. Lawrence River when Cherry had to be rescued after his canoe tipped over.I often wake up at night thinking of that water pouring into the canoe, said Cherry, who says he will never go on the water again without a life jacket.It also lays out Cherrys peripatetic minor-league career with special attention on his time under Eddie Shore in the American Hockey Leagues Springfield — the Alcatraz of Hockey.Years later, Brian Kilrea told Cherrys daughter Cindy what Shore had said when he was asked about the animosity.Cherry never said a word back, but that look of insolence on his face said it all, said Kilrea, quoting Shore.Cherry paid dearly for that expression. He says he was singled out and harassed on and off the ice, calling his time in Springfield torture.I went from Lord Fauntleroy and left, I think, as Attila the Hun, he said. I really toughed up in those three years. I found out the world is very cruel.And I had an attitude for almost the rest of my life after that — youre not going to get me. I walked in there as a babe in the woods. It taught me what life is really about. Youve got to be tough.Viewers may not know that Cherry spent time in camp with the Leafs. As a minor leaguer, we were treated terrible in Toronto, he recalled. Really bad.Cherry also relates how he got his start in coaching. Retired from playing, he worked construction for two years until he was laid off. A friend, Bob Clarke, asked him to coach a high school team in Rochester.He didnt want to do it, but accepted after realizing he had nothing else to do.Thats where I learned to change lines, he said. That eventually led to a coaching job with the Rochester Americans, where Clarke was a co-owner, and Cherry was on his way.Cherry remains a Canadian icon, with a 1993 Ford F-150 pickup and a 1983 Lincoln in his modest garage. Today he cannot walk through an airport without being stopped for pictures and autographs.But he remembers when times were tough. Once asked what his greatest fear was, he replied unemployment.The feeling when youre unemployed, you think everybodys against you. You start thinking that youre less than a man because everybody else is working ... Dark clouds come into your mind when you cant get a job, I tell you.I often wonder, boy, how lucky I was. Cherry says he had fun writing this book but it will be his last.I like to leave it having a lot of fun. Thats the big thing. Its like Coachs Corner. As soon as Coachs Corner is not a lot of fun, then I wont do it.So far so good, on that score.They leave me alone and thats why its fun, he said. As soon as people start telling me what to do and stuff like that, then it wont be fun.— Straight Up & Personal, by Don Cherry, Doubleday Canada, 195 pages, $29.95---Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter Steven Baker . -- Wes Welker is unlikely to suit up for Denvers game Thursday against San Diego after leaving Sundays win over Tennessee with his second concussion in four games. Scott Evans . And I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my experiences gained through International competition and the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Seven NHL referees and six linesmen will be assigned upcoming games in Sochi by the IIHF as part of their 28-man officiating roster comprised of 14 refs and 14 linesmen. https://www.cheapnfljerseyschina.co/jamie-thompson-jersey-for-sale/ . With the results, North America claimed 2.5 of the three available points, opening up a 17.5-12.5 lead in the overall standings. A total of 60 points are available, meaning the first team to 30.5 points will win the Continental Cup.TORONTO – The debate over chemistry, whether it exists in baseball and, if so, to what degree it matters, will likely never be completely settled. The question gets asked often these days, whether these Blue Jays get along better this year than they did in 2013. The assumption seems to be that they do because theyre winning more than theyre losing. J.A. Happ, who along with Mark Buehrle are the only two current Jays to take part in an on-field world championship celebration, summed it up. “You just feed off each other,” he said. “The musics better. The jokes are better. Everythings better when youre winning. Thats kind of the way it goes. People start getting louder. You feed off that. You feed off peoples personalities.” Its a chicken and egg deal. Winning is the egg, which begets the chicken that is chemistry. More to the point, manager John Gibbons has settled into a number of roster combinations that are producing results. Helping him in this endeavour is a cadre of players who began the season at Triple-A Buffalo. “Weve got a handful of them,” said manager John Gibbons. “We brought [Steve] Tolleson up to be the second baseman against left-handers. Hes doing a great job with that. Of course Gose and Pillar, filling in for Colby, have been a pretty good combo there. Kratzys been up and down a couple of times, but hes fit in. Theyre all contributing.” Juan Francisco, signed off the scrap heap when the Milwaukee Brewers decided late in spring they didnt want to pay him despite an 18-home run season last year, is hitting .280/.370/.602 (.973 OPS) with eight home runs. Anthony Gose entered Mondays action with a slash line of .296/.457/.407. Three of his eight hits are doubles. Hes walked seven times against eight strikeouts, a small sample size, but a great ratio nonetheless. Gose has two stolen bases, but anyone whos watched him play knows hes created runs with his speed and prevented runs with his defence. After a slow start, Kevin Pillar looks up and sees a .304 batting average. Erik Kratz has three home runs in just 45 at-bats. Tolleson, in a small sample size, is hitting better than .300 and has posted a .946 OPS. Gibbons has also established batteries for all three of his catchers. Kratz has become J.A. Happs personal catcher. Josh Thole serves the same role for R.A. Dickey. Dioner Navarro is behind the plate for every Mark Buehrle start. “Hes able to give Navarro a little bit of a breather,” said Gibbons of Kratz. “Against left-handed pitchinng you can DH (Navarro). Brett Brackett. Thats where we feel were strongest.” Against right-handed starting pitching, Francisco plays third base and Lawrie second base. Lawrie heads over to third base, where hes most comfortable, when the opposition starts a left-hander. Tolleson plays second. The Jays have a fearsome late-game bench when the opponent starts a lefty. Adam Lind and Francisco are lingering, waiting for their names to be called. “As the game goes on, the only place youre vulnerable, you get to a certain point of the game theyre always going to have that lefty ready,” said Gibbons. “Teams that have enough lefties (in the bullpen), youre waiting on Lind or Francisco. But I think it makes us stronger.” The bullpen has settled down since the return of Casey Janssen, whos converted all seven save opportunities since his return from a strained oblique muscle. Gibbons is most pleased with the progress hes seeing from the rotation. “It all revolves around starting pitching, you know,” said Gibbons. “If starting pitchings good, youve got a chance. If its not, its tough. I dont care what kind of offence youve got, what kind of defence youve got - thats the key to any team in baseball. Check the May ERA of the four rotation mainstays to see the improvement. Drew Hutchison (including Monday night): 5 starts, 3.94Mark Buehrle: 2.16R.A. Dickey: 2.73J.A. Happ: 3.20 RASMUS PROGRESSING On the disabled list since May 13 with tightness in his right hamstring, Colby Rasmus is sprinting his way toward a rehab assignment. “He was out there running and shagging during early BP,” said Gibbons. “Well see in the next few days what happens.” Rasmus sprinted the infield cutout on Saturday and the warning track on Sunday. While hes eligible to return from the disabled list on Wednesday, Rasmus will be sent out on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment before rejoining the Blue Jays. SANTOS PLAYING CATCH Sergio Santos played catch for the third-straight day on Monday afternoon. Hes recovering from a strained right forearm. “He feels pretty good,” said Gibbons. “No soreness at all. So like Colby, we dont know how long its going to be for him. Hes got to build up a little bit, of course.” Santos can be activated off the disabled list at any time - hes been out since May 10 - but hell throw at least two bullpen sessions before heading out on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment. Theres no timetable for Santoss return to the Blue Jays. ' ' '