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DETROIT – Its the annual rite of the first week of June, baseballs amateur draft, where clubs take part in a three-day, 40-round marathon, selecting more than 1,000 players they hope will improve their fortunes in the years ahead. NHL Jerseys China . The Blue Jays had two picks in Thursday evenings first round – ninth and 11th overall – and used them to take a pitcher and a catcher. First, the club took right-hander Jeff Hoffman, a 21-year-old from Latham, New York, who attended East Carolina University. Two selections later, the Blue Jays selected Kennesaw State University product, 21-year-old catcher Max Pentecost from suburban Atlanta. Major League Baseball uses a slotting system – a recommended signing bonus value based on where a player is taken – and the Blue Jays, if they pay in full, will be on the hook for about $6 million for their two picks. Hoffman is an interesting case. He has a plus fastball, mid-90s miles per hour which can top out in the high 90s, a strong curveball and a developing changeup. But, just last month, Hoffman underwent Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery. The procedure, now so routine its rarely flawed, was hardly a concern to Torontos front office and top scouts. "We just felt like the talent was too big to walk away from," said Blue Jays director of amateur scouting, Brian Parker. "This guy was going to go top three, top four picks prior to his injury and we just felt like even with the Tommy John, we felt this was a good gamble for us." Pentecost was a seventh round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 2011. He was projected to go higher but suffered a stress fracture in his throwing elbow, which dropped his stock. He didnt sign with Texas, choosing to go to school instead. The first catcher the Blue Jays have taken in the first round since, take a breath, J.P. Arencibia in 2007, Pentecost is a versatile player who projects to be a good hitter, although more gap-to-gap than for power. A.J. Jimenez is the Jays top catching prospect, currently toiling at Double-A New Hampshire more than a year removed from Tommy John surgery of his own, and the Blue Jays have shipped out catchers like Arencibia, Travis dArnaud (to the New York Mets in the R.A. Dickey trade), Yan Gomes (to Cleveland for Esmil Rogers) and Carlos Perez (to Houston in the J.A. Happ deal) in recent years. "Taking Max had nothing to do with any of those trades or getting rid of any of those players," said Parker. "When you pick nine and 11, you just have to line up your board and take the best player and thats what we did. We like Max, we scouted him pretty hard from last summer in the (Cape Cod League) and throughout this spring. Hes an athletic, two-way position player and we like the bat. I think theres a lot of positives with him. Obviously, a guy at a premium position that can help out offensively and defensively is something that attracted him to us." In two of the last three drafts, the Jays have failed to sign their first round pick. In 2011, it was Tyler Beede, who instead chose to go to Vanderbilt University and was drafted by the San Francisco Giants 14th overall on Thursday night. Last year, the Jays failed to land right-hander Phil Bickford, who instead went to California State-Fullerton. The pick that landed Pentecost was compensation for missing out on Bickford. Going with two college kids, including one coming off an injury, increases the likelihood of the player being willing to sign. Neither has a full school ride to fall back on. Hoffman, who is pleased with the progress hes making early in his rehabilitation from elbow surgery, sounds eager to put pen to paper. Chris Kline, the Blue Jays area scout in the Carolinas, did most of the legwork on Hoffman. Mike Pidick, an area scout whose region includes Georgia, watched Pentecost. Wholesale NHL Jerseys 2020 .The Dallas Cowboys released Sam from the practice squad Tuesday, dropping the rush end as they prepare for several potential reinforcements to return to the defensive line. Fake NHL Jerseys 2020 . - Tiger Woods only made it through 10 holes Thursday — this time because of the weather, not his back. https://www.nhljerseys2020.com/ . -- A deflected pass that landed in DeSean Jacksons hands.LONDON - Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic extended his indoor winning streak with an impressive 6-1, 6-1 win over Marin Cilic Monday in his opening round-robin match at the ATP World Tour Finals, after Stan Wawrinka put his recent struggles behind him with an equally comfortable victory.Djokovic moved two wins away from sealing the year-end No. 1 spot, and improved his record against the U.S. Open champion to 11-0 with a dominant display that lasted only 56 minutes.The O2 Arena crowd was treated to several stunning rallies in the opening stages, with Djokovic coming out on top on every important point. The top-ranked Serb has now won his last 28 matches indoors, a streak going back more than two years.I give myself a lot of time to prepare for these events, for indoor tournaments. I enjoy them, Djokovic said. Considering how long the season is, everybody is mentally, physically, emotionally tired and exhausted. But this is where you have to find your last drop of strength and motivation to finish off the year in style.The top-ranked Serb will next take on Wawrinka, who made the most of Tomas Berdychs error-laced performance in a 6-1, 6-1 win earlier Monday.Djokovic read Cilics serve well and broke at love for a 4-1 lead after hitting two sumptuous forehand passing shots, then clinched the set after Cilic buried a backhand in the net.After dropping his serve immediately at the start of the second set, Cilic broke back to stay in the match but his resurgence was short-lived as Djokovic won the next four games.From my own side, its my first time being here, said Cilic, one of the three debutants in London. Also, I felt that Novak played really, really solid today. In some matches, the score just keeps running. You are thinking a lot. You are always trying to find something. But whatever you try, its not working.Djokovic, who is bidding to finish the season as No. 1 for the third time, will be guaranteed the top spot if he wins his remaining two round-robin matches against Wawrinka and Berdych. NHL Jerseys 2020 Store. Wawrinka was almost as impressive against Berdych, outclassing his Czech opponent with a range of backhand and volley winners. He was also aided by Berdychs abject display, as the sixth-seeded heavy hitter lost his opening match at the season-ending tournament for the fifth time in as many attempts.Unfortunately, it was my worst match of the whole season, and I kept it for the start here in the World Tour Finals, Berdych said. I did not feel anything good today.Wawrinka travelled to London with his form in question after winning only two matches since his quarterfinal exit at the U.S. Open, and struggling to play as freely as he did earlier this season.My recent losses really hurt me, said the Australian Open champion, who also won his first Masters title at Monte Carlo this year. But I kept working hard at training and I never panicked. I knew my game was there. It was more the mental side that I needed to improve.Wawrinka immediately put Berdych on the back foot, winning five consecutive games to take the first set after dropping only three points on his service games.Berdych, who had 20 unforced errors, fought harder at the start of the second set but dropped his serve after a tight third game and never recovered.When I feel good on the court, Im ready to beat anybody said Wawrinka, who had never lost just two games against a Top-10 opponent in 34 wins. But I did not expect to win so easily.After the round-robin stage, the top two finishers in each group will advance and Berdych has few illusions about his chances of progressing.Im in the worst possible situation that I can ever be, he said. Im going to face Marin or Novak first, in the end playing both of them, and the only chance to qualify is to beat them, its almost mission impossible.Wawrinkas strong display will also reassure the Swiss team ahead of the Davis Cup final against France from Nov. 21-23 in Lille, where he will be teaming up with Roger Federer. ' ' '