players had six cautions. Defoe leads TFC in yellows, despite only

TORONTO - Toronto FC manager Ryan Nelsen says hes concerned about the rough treatment being meted out to star striker Jermain Defoe. The five-foot-seven English forward will have to sit out Saturdays game against visiting Sporting Kansas City after receiving a caution last weekend in Houston, when he was essentially hurled to the ground by six-foot-four Dynamo defender David Horst during an altercation. Only Defoe saw yellow, his fifth of the season which triggered a one-game ban. Nelsens beef is that officials seem to be swayed by simulation and the extras that can follow a foul rather the actual incident. "Hes such a honest player," Nelsen said of Defoe. "Especially in England, you dont dive, you dont fall down, you dont complain. You get that sort of treatment and you have to deal with it. "But over here, a lot of players fall and dive and roll. And the referees react on that. Where(as) our guys are sometimes a wee bit too honest and they take the punishment. The league talks about stamping out all that play, but just because our guys dont dive, it doesnt mean its not happening. "Thats the thing that frustrates me the most is that the referees, they react on what happened if its a dive or its a roll or something like that, then they react. And not the actual impact itself, which they should be doing." No stranger to having a target on his back, the 145-pound Defoe has not complained and has shown he can take care of himself, not backing down from anyone. But the 31-year-old has surprised even himself with the five cautions so far in his first season in MLS. "Which is unusual for me," he said after the midweek friendly with Tottenham. "I dont normally get involved, I dont really get yellow cards and that." Defoe understands, however, that opposing teams are looking to get him off his game. "Well thats their job at the end of the day," he said after the recent 1-1 tie with Vancouver."Youve got to do whatever it takes to win the game. "Obviously Im not in their changing room, I dont know what the manager says or what they do, but at the end of the day, for me, Ive just go to get into the areas where Im going to score goals. And obviously theyre going to try and do stuff, I suppose, to put me off my game. But its not a problem. Its important just to keep focused and as a forward make sure when we get the chances, that we put them away." Going into this weekends round of play, Defoe was one of 13 players with five cautions. D.C. United midfielder Perry Kitchen led the league with seven yellow cards while six players had six cautions. Defoe leads TFC in yellows, despite only having played 14 of 17 league games. Portlands Darlington Nagbe led the league with 61 fouls suffered in 20 games. Defoe was not in the top 10. But as Torontos leading scorer, with 11 of the clubs 26 goals, he is a key to the attack. Defoe ranks fourth in league scoring. Lou Williams Jersey . This weeks Raptors Report puts a bow on Gays brief, 10-month tenure in Toronto and ponders how his absence will affect the teams offence. Are they a better team without him? In addition to acquiring some valuable cap flexibility, what impact will the four incoming players have this season and beyond? Click here for the Dec. Amir Coffey Jersey . The 24-year-old Raley was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA for Chicago in his first two career starts after being called up from Iowa on Aug. 7. He was optioned to Iowa on Monday after losing 3-0 to Cincinnati in Chicago on Sunday. http://www.cheapclippersjerseys.com/?tag...harkless-jersey. This week, they discuss the NCAAs revenue sharing, Don Zimmer, soccer language and Super Bowl 50. Landry Shamet Jersey . It all would have been for naught, however, had it not been for some clutch shooting in the fourth quarter by Kobe Bryant and a couple of equally critical hustle plays by Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol in the final minutes. Wholesale Clippers Jerseys . - A late-game interception by defensive back Malcolm Butler saved the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots.If you look at the list of the Blue Jays potential free agents for this off season, including the likes of Colby Rasmus and Casey Janssen, the one they can least afford to lose is left fielder Melky Cabrera. Even with missing 23 games to injury, the 29-year-old left fielder bounced back in a huge way from his injury plagued debut season with the Jays where he looked like an old man before his time. He ultimately underwent surgery to have a tumour removed from his spine and looked like a new man in 2014. He hit .301 in the key number two slot in John Gibbons line-up with 16 home runs and 73 runs batted in and played great defence. Melkys numbers almost equaled those of his break-out year in 2011 with the Royals where he batted .305 with 18 dingers and 87 RBIs. He was even better in 2012 with the Giants qualifying for the National League batting title, but then waving his rights to it after testing positive for PEDs and then getting suspended. But this past season with the Blue Jays healthy and we assume clean he was a valuable contributor to an (83-79) Blue Jays outfit. Melky reportedly loves Toronto, is a great friend of Jose Bautistas and wants to return to the Blue Jays. But money and length of contract will ultimately talk, especially in a free agent market that is short of quality outfielders. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported on Thursday the Jays had begun contract talks with Cabrera and would be willing to offer him a three-year deal. At the very least, they would make him a one-year qualifying offer of about $15.3 million. If, and thats a big if, Melky would take a three-year pact, it would probably take $48-51 million dollars to get a deal done. If he wants five years and somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 million, the Jays could conceivably back off and take the draft pick compensation. Right now the Blue Jays highest two paid position players are Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Jose who just turned 34 and has showed no signs of slowing down will make $14 million next season, and then the club has an option for 2016 worth another 14 million. Edwin soon to be 32 is due to make 10 million next season with the club holding a 10 million dollar option with a 2 million dollar buyout for 2016. It’s hard to see the Jays committing to all three long term at this point and they likely dont want to pay Melky more money than the other two get unless they are convinced they can be World Series contenders within the next two seasons. The bottom line is, I believe Melky will move on, unless he returns at the Blue Jays price and term (three years). That however brings us to what in my mind if the Jays biggest need. They have to do what they should have done last winter and that is to acquire a veteran middle infielder with some versatility. The one I have in mind is Asdrubal Cabrera. The longtime Cleveland shortstop was dealt to Washington at the deadline and made the shift to 2B with the Nationals since they allready had Ian Desmond.dddddddddddd Asdrubal, isnt quite the defensive shortstop he used to be, and his overall offensive numbers have dipped the past couple of years. But he is a switch hitter, and is more than willing to play second as he showed in Washington. He also smacked 14 homers last season and knocked in 64, while scoring another 74. The Blue Jays second basemen, on the other hand, only hit seven homers with 48 runs batted in while scoring 52 runs. Other than when Ryan Goins was at second, or Brett Lawrie in that brief stint, when he was healthy, the Jays defence at second was inconsistent to sub-par at best. Asdrubal Cabrera is only 28 and would be a solid upgrade at second and could even slide over to short if Jose Reyes continues to slide with his glovework. Signing a player with the versatility of Cabrera would also allow the Jays to keep Brett Lawrie at his best position third base. Ryan Goins may one day learn to hit, and John Berti whos been playing in the Arizona Fall League may be an option down the road, but right now, the Jays need a veteran like Asdrubal Cabrera. He has been quoted as saying he wants to stay in Washington and all he cares about now is winning a World Series. That could knock the Blue Jays out of the picture, but it’s going to be an awfully disappointing off-season, if the Blue Jays dont land at least one Cabrera. *** It’s been quite the week for hitting coaches. The Mets hired Kevin Long who had just been let go by the Yankees. Boston landed Chili Davis, who had been with the Oakland As and San Diego after hitting a paltry .226 this season parted company with their batting coach Phil Plantier. The Padres have actually gone through six batting coaches since moving to Petco Field. I wonder at what point you start looking at the talent and not the men coaching them. *** The Jays Mark Buehrle is one of the pitching finalists for a Gold Glove Award this season for fielding excellence. I was a little bit surprised to see looking back, the Jays have had only one pitcher win a Gold Glove over their 38 year history and that was R,A Dickey a year ago. *** Ive always pictured second base as ranging from about 510 to about 61. They broke the mold with Colorados D.J. LeMahieu. Hes 6-4 an inch taller than his shortstop partner Troy Tulowitzki. LeMahieu helped turn 99 double plays this season, the most in the National League. *** From a purely personal standpoint, Im really torn on this World Series, Im pulling for Jason Frasor. The Blue Jays all-time appearance leader, whos now p