Sometimes, its just easier to fire the hitting coach than dump players or the manager. "The hitting coach position is the most volatile position in Major League Baseb | Forum

BOISE, Idaho -- Brett Rypien threw for 442 yards and three touchdowns as No. Malcolm Miller Raptors Jersey . 14 Boise State overcame five turnovers to hold off BYU 28-27 Thursday night.The Broncos (7-0), who won their 23rd straight non-conference home game, needed a stout defensive performance and a blocked field goal to secure the win.Boise State seemed to be battling itself as well as BYU with all the miscues on offense.I think it shows the will of this team, Boise State linebacker Tanner Vallejo said. We scratched and clawed and were able to get the win. This is a confidence booster for this team.BYU (4-4) attempted a 45-yard game-winning field goal with 16 seconds remaining, but Rhett Almonds kick was blocked. However, the ball didnt cross the line of scrimmage and Mitch Juergens recovered for BYU, giving the Cougars the ball at the Boise State 42 with 8 seconds left.The Cougars, who beat Boise State on a last-minute Hail Mary play last season, couldnt duplicate the magic on the final play of the game as the ball was knocked down in the end zone.It was another narrow defeat for BYU, which has lost all four games by a combined eight points.We had five turnovers and we were able to take care of the football, which is what kept us in the game, BYU coach Salani Sitake said. When youre ahead 5-0 in the turnover battle, you shouldnt even be in the game. That says a lot about how good this Boise State team is.BYU, which was without leading rusher Jamaal Williams due to an ankle injury suffered in practice this week, mustered just 322 yards of offense, well below its 405 yards per game average.However, it was still almost enough for the upset-minded Cougars.BYU took a 27-21 lead with 13:33 remaining on a 37-yard field goal by Almond.Then Boise States offense came to life for the first time in the second half.Rypien engineered a 10-play, 90-yard drive that ended in a 4-yard touchdown run by Jeremy McNichols with 10:37 remaining. Tyler Rausas extra point gave the Broncos a 28-27 lead that withstood BYUs last-minute rally.McNichols rushed for 140 yards and had 109 yards receiving along with a pair of touchdowns. Thomas Sperbeck also had 109 yards receiving on nine catches, his 11th career game with more than 100 yards receiving.TAKEAWAYSBYU: The Cougars have a chance to finish the season strong against a softer schedule that doesnt include any Power 5 schools.Boise State: The Broncos remain in position to secure a New Years Six bowl berth if it continues winning and Houston stumbles.UP NEXTBYU: The Cougars take a week off before returning to the road for a game at Cincinnati on Nov. 5.Boise State: The Broncos will take advantage of the extra couple days to prepare for a road tilt with divisional foe Wyoming next Saturday. Vince Carter Raptors Jersey . Pierce was ejected in the third quarter of Indianas 103-86 win Monday. George Hill stole a bad pass and was going in for a layup, and Pierce hustled back and appeared to be trying to wrap him up. Serge Ibaka Jersey . Ancelotti says Ronaldo has recovered from a hamstring injury but "but he doesnt feel comfortable yet so we wont risk him." Madrid is third in the Spanish league, six points behind leader Barcelona, going into Saturdays game against Valladolid. https://www.raptorsrookiesshop.com/Marc-Gasol-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game.WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals fired hitting coach Rick Eckstein on Monday, a move manager Davey Johnson called "a shocker" in spite of the teams offensive woes this season. Washington entered Monday nights game against the Pittsburgh Pirates stuck in a three-game losing streak and with a disappointing 48-50 record. The team is tied for 28th overall in runs and ranks 27th in batting average. But Johnson was obviously upset with the decision by general manager Mike Rizzo. "Ive experienced a lot of things in my career -- Ive been traded, Ive been released, Ive been sold, Ive been fired. But today is arguably the toughest day Ive had in baseball," said Johnson, his voice cracking with emotion. "I respect Rick Eckstein. I think hes a great coach, one of the best hitting instructors in baseball. And hes just a great gentleman. So it hurts." Eckstein was hired as the Nationals batting coach before the 2009 season. He was the longest-tenured hitting coach in the NL East. And now hes out of a job. "Davey and I have a great respect for each other. This was a general managers decision," Rizzo said. "I respect Davey to the point where I run everything that we do by him. There are certain things that we may not agree on and this was one of them. I thought we needed a change, and so I made the change." Eckstein was replaced by Rick Schu, who for the past four years has been the teams minor league hitting co-ordinator. Schu was not expected to arrive in Washington until Tuesday. Schu will be asked to turn around an offence that produced only five runs over the weekend while being swept at home by the Los Angeles Dodgers. "Theres no one solution," third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "Everyone just needs to play like theyre capable of playing. No coach is going to come in here and turn someone into a .300 hitter whos not a .300 hitter. You are what you are. If we play like were supposed to play, then well score runs." Rizzo knows this. But he felt the move was necessary anyway. "Rick Eckstein is a fine hitting coach. A lot of this falls on the players," he said. "The players are paid to perform and they havent. The voice of that and the guy whos in charge of that, I thought we needed a diffferent perspective. Kyle Lowry Jersey. A different way of doing things." Johnson told Eckstein of the switch on Monday afternoon. "I felt like I had to be the one to tell him. I owed him that much," the manager said. Hours later, Johnson still hadnt fully absorbed the move. "I tell you, it was a shocker," said Johnson, who tried his best to convince Rizzo to change his mind. "In my discussions about firing Rick, I said theres other options," Johnson said. "You can do it with me if you want to change the scenery or change the philosophy." Rizzo wouldnt dream of it. "Were not going to fire Davey Johnson, one of the best managers to have ever managed," Rizzo said. "Daveys a pro, has been through a lot of this stuff before, and you know, were not worried about our manager. Hes one of the best in baseball and I trust him." Johnson was the only one in the clubhouse disappointed over the move. Catcher Wilson Ramos said, "He helped me a lot with my swing, you know, so thats bad news for me. ... I saw everybody right now walking around the clubhouse with a face, you know, not happy. I tell you, we dont feel good right now." Schu has 16 years of coaching experience. Before coming to the Nationals, Schu spent parts of four seasons as Arizonas hitting coach. During that time, he worked with current Washington infielder Chad Tracy. "I had Rick years ago in Arizona, and Ive always felt very highly of him," Tracy said. "Great personality, brings a lot of life and energy to the clubhouse. Hes going to bring the same kind of hard-working attitude he had in Arizona. Hopefully, a new face around here will spark something new in us. I think thats what management is looking for." Sometimes, its just easier to fire the hitting coach than dump players or the manager. "The hitting coach position is the most volatile position in Major League Baseball right now," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "And if you dont believe me, just go look it up and check the industry out for the changes that have been made in the last five years. Right before I left Colorado, I had to fire a hitting coach and then hire a new one, so yeah, I think its the most challenged position." ' ' '