NEW YORK (AP) — The baseball players’ association made the second high-profile addition to its staff in a less than a month http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-manuel-margot-jersey , hiring Gary Sheffield business lawyer Xavier James as deputy chief operating officer.James will report to Kevin McGuiness, the union’s chief operating officer since January 2014. James has worked as a special adviser to the union and received $215,168 from it in 2017, according to the union’s financial disclosure statement.Last week, the union announced Bruce Meyer as its new senior director of collective bargaining and legal. Meyer will report directly to union head Tony Clark, who appears to be reforming his senior management ahead of bargaining for a labor contract to replace the deal that expires after the 2021 season. Some players have criticized the free-agent markets under the current five-year agreement.James, who turns 51 on Sept. 23, is a former attorney at Weil, Gotshal & Manges Hunter Renfroe Jersey , where Meyer also worked. James has undergraduate, law and business degrees from NYU, and also has worked with boxers and other athletes.A resident of suburban White Plains, James said Wednesday he was introduced to Sheffield more than a decade ago after he wrote a letter for DeLeon, the outfielder’s wife, in a matter with a swimming pool contractor. He had known DeLeon Sheffield through a mutual friend.“Players are not necessarily getting their equitable piece of the pie in terms of all the business revenue that’s out there,” James said. “On the operations side, the organization is so small that it behooves everyone to kind of pitch in to make sure from a business perspective players are treated fairly.”James anticipates negotiating deals alongside McGuiness and Tim Slavin, the union’s chief of business affairs and licensing senior counsel.“I think there’s a lot of revenue that’s out there that could be leveraged on behalf of the players Freddy Galvis Jersey , a lot of opportunity that could be originated by players that will generate revenue,” James said, referring to sponsors and licensees.Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred criticized Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout, a two-time AL MVP, in July for failing to do enough to market himself.“Mike’s a great, great player and a really nice person, but he’s made certain decisions about what he wants to do and what he doesn’t want to do, and how he wants to spend his free time and how he doesn’t want to spend his free time,” Manfred said before the All-Star Game.Trout responded with a statement “everything is cool between the commissioner and myself.”“I think it behooves everyone to pitch in to market players. The onus shouldn’t be on players necessarily. I think it’s a collective effort Austin Hedges Jersey ,” James said. “I think the macro issue is a real issue, which is how best can we market players, and I think that issue is right to be raised. I don’t think there should be any criticism or a focus on any particular player. I think we should put our heads together to see how we can resolve quote-unquote the problem and ameliorate the marketing of players.” TORONTO (AP) — Francisco Lindor had two solo homers and four RBIs, rookie Shane Bieber pitched into the seventh inning to remain unbeaten in nine road starts and the Cleveland Indians beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-4 on Thursday night for their third straight win.Cleveland trimmed its magic number to seven for clinching a third consecutive AL Central championship.Lindor connected on Sam Gaviglio’s third pitch for his 10th career leadoff homer and seventh this season. He went deep to right off Gaviglio again in the third for his eighth career multihomer game. Lindor has 33 home runs, matching his total from last year. He added a two-run single in the fifth and singled again in the ninth.Toronto’s Rowdy Tellez doubled in the second and fourth after getting a pinch-hit double in his debut Wednesday, making him the first player in major league history with extra-base hits in each of his first three plate appearances.Jason Kipnis hit a three-run homer off Blue Jays reliever Mark Leiter Jr. in the ninth.Bieber (9-3) allowed four runs, three earned, and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. He improved to 5-0 away from home.Gaviglio (3-8) gave up five runs in 4 1/3 innings to lose for the fourth time in five starts.BRAVES 7, DIAMONDBACKS 6 http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-carlos-asuaje-jersey , 10 INNINGSPHOENIX (AP) — Dansby Swanson scored the go-ahead run on Yoshihisa Hirano’s wild pitch in the 10th inning, and Atlanta regrouped to beat Arizona after blowing a two-run lead in the ninth.Coming off a three-game sweep by Boston, the NL East-leading Braves jumped on Zack Greinke with homers by Kurt Suzuki and Johan Camargo to lead 6-4 heading into the ninth. But then A.J. Pollock hit a sacrifice fly and Paul Goldschmidt tied it with a homer off winner Jesse Biddle (5-1).The Braves loaded the bases against Brad Boxberger (2-6) in the 10th before Hirano uncorked a wild pitch that scored Swanson.Brad Bach worked around a walk for his first save with Atlanta.Nick Markakis had four hits and a run-scoring single in the ninth for the Braves, who increased their division lead to 3½ games over Philadelphia.Arizona has lost five of six to fall 2½ games behind first-place Colorado in the NL West.Nick Ahmed hit a three-run double for the Diamondbacks.CUBS 6, NATIONALS 4, 10 INNINGSWASHINGTON (AP) — Pinch-hitter David Bote had an RBI double and scored in the 10th inning as Chicago came back to beat Washington in the opener of a four-game series.Bote, who hit a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to give the Cubs a 4-3 win over the Nationals on Aug. 12 in Chicago, knocked a 100 mph fastball from Jimmy Cordero (1-2) into right field to score Albert Almora Jr. Bote came home on a single by pinch-hitter Taylor Davis.Daniel Murphy went 1 for 5 with a strikeout in his first return to Washington since the Nationals traded him to the Cubs on Aug 21.Chicago leads the NL Central by 4½ games over Milwaukee. Washington has lost three straight to fall to 69-72.Pedro Strop (5-1) pitched a scoreless ninth, and Jesse Chavez earned his third save.Mark Reynolds hit a two-run homer for the Nationals. Stephen Strasburg gave up three runs Christian Villanueva Jersey , two earned, in 5 2/3 innings.PADRES 6, REDS 2CINCINNATI (AP) — Francisco Mejia hit a solo homer and a three-run shot during his first start as the Padres‘ up-and-coming catcher, leading San Diego over Cincinnati.Mejia connected on his first two swings against Luis Castillo (8-12) for his first homers in the majors. The 22-year-old was called up Tuesday as the Padres get him ready for a bigger role next season.San Diego got Cleveland’s top catching prospect in a July trade for relievers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber. Mejia hit seven homers at Triple-A after the deal, prompting his September call-up.Hunter Renfroe also hit a solo homer off Castillo , who gave up three for the first time in his career.Jose Castillo (2-2) retired the three batters he faced. Scott Schebler and Mason Williams homered off Trey Wingenter in the seventh.