SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Theo Epstein is rising to a new reality.For the last few years Ive had a semi-recurring dream, maybe five or six times, where Ive woken up, wow, we just won the World Series with the Cubs. Thats unbelievable, he recalled Monday night.And then about 10 seconds later I realize it was just a dream, and then the rest of the day stinks, right? Its a pretty great feeling and then back to reality. The last five days or whatever its been, Ive been waking up with the same realization and then it takes a couple seconds. Wow! It really happened!Days after the team he designed ended a long championship drought, Epstein was voted The Sporting News Major League Baseball Executive of the Year for revitalizing the Chicago Cubs.Balloting by 56 big league executives took place before the postseason. The Cubs led the majors with 103 wins during the regular season, then beat Cleveland in a seven-game World Series last week for their first title since 1908.During the parade I kept telling my wife we need to go home to change some diapers and do some laundry, because this is not real life, he said. Weve got to get our feet back on the ground.Epstein was presented with the award at the start of the annual general managers meeting. He received 13 votes, followed by Clevelands Chris Antonetti (nine), the New York Yankees Brian Cashman (eight), Texas Jon Daniels (seven), Clevelands Mike Chernoff and Washingtons Mike Rizzo (three each), and Baltimores Dan Duquette and the Cubs Jed Hoyer (two apiece).Now 42, Epstein was the youngest general manager in major league history when Boston hired him at age 28 in November 2002. He helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series, their first title since 1918, and a second championship in 2007.Winning at 42 vs. 30, I have a greater appreciation for how hard it is and how many people have to contribute and how lucky you have to get along the way, too, he said.Epstein left Boston after the 2011 season to become president of baseball operations with the Cubs, who lost 91 games that year. As he rebuilt the team, the Cubs dropped 101 games in 2012, 96 the following year and 89 in 2014. They won 97 games last year to gain a wild card, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2008 only to get swept by the New York Mets in the NL Championship Series.This year, Chicago defeated San Francisco in the Division Series, overcame a 2-1 deficit against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series and then became the first team to rally from a 3-1 World Series deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Royals.Chicagos 10th-inning rally in Game 7 was sparked by Albert Almora Jr., the first player drafted under Epsteins regime, taken sixth overall in 2012. Third baseman Kris Bryant was drafted in 2013 and outfielder Kyle Schwarber in 2014, and the Cubs traded for pitcher Jake Arrieta (from Baltimore), first baseman Anthony Rizzo (San Diego) and shortstop Addison Russell (Oakland).Jon Lester was signed as a free agent after the 2014 season and fellow pitcher John Lackey, all-purpose player Ben Zobrist and outfielders Dexter Fowler and Jason Heyward were signed last offseason.Chicago gave Epstein a new five-year contract in September. Now the challenge is to win two in a row and match the 1907-08 Cubs.It does make you hungry just to validate it. When you can win two, I think it means even more, he said. Wed love to be the type of organization that national baseball fans think of when you think of October baseball.Aroldis Chapman, Fowler, Jason Hammel and Travis Wood have become free agents. Epstein already has been thinking about roster alterations.The mix has to change a little bit, he said. If you look to just bring back every single component and try to recreate the past, its going to change by definition. Group dynamics change. Human beings change. And so maybe its better to change it in some small ways on your terms and some intent behind it rather than just let it come back exactly the same and be stale. ... Well make some smaller changes, but I do have a feeling this nucleus is going to stay intact a lot longer than what we did in Boston.Founded in 1886, TSN ended its print edition in 2012 but remains available online.China Shoes Cheap . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. Those players were Dallas Stars 2012 first-rounder Radek Faksa, Winnipeg Jets 2013 fourth-rounder Jan Kostalek and Phoenix Coyotes 2012 seventh-rounder Marek Langhamer. China Shoes Nike .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. https://www.chinashoesshop.com/ . It is a cliché dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around which teams are better than others. China Shoes Jordans . It just didnt show when he hit the ice. Berra made 42 saves and Kris Russell scored at 1:32 of overtime, lifting the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. Fake China Shoes . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected.Suspended Morehead State?coach Sean Woods has been charged with misdemeanor battery stemming from an incident that occurred during the teams game at Evansville last month, Sgt. Patrick McDonald told ESPN on Tuesday night.Citing court documents, Kentucky television station WTVQ reported earlier Tuesday that two Morehead State players, Malik Maitland and Soufiyane Diakite, have alleged that Woods hit them during and after a nonconference matchup against the Purple Aces.According to the court documents obtained by WTVQ, Maitland alleges that Woods backhanded him in the chest at halftime of the game in Indiana, and Diakite says the coach shoved him during a timeout as well as in the teams locker room.The school suspended Woods with pay three days after the game, citing complaints received. It did not provide additional details.When asked for a response to Tuesdays charges, Morehead State spokesman Nick EEvans referred to the statement the school distributed after it suspended Woods last month.ddddddddddddResulting from complaints received, the institution has begun an investigation involving the head basketball coach, athletic director Brian Hutchinson said in the statement. While we continue through the formal process, we believe it is prudent to suspend the coach until the investigation is finished.Woods, who played with The Unforgettables Kentucky squad that reached the Elite Eight in 1992, was suspended for shoving former player Devon Atkinson in 2012, his first season with the program.McDonald said misdemeanor battery in Indiana is defined as any alleged assault that results in a complaint of pain from an alleged victim. It does not mean anyone was injured, he said. ' ' '
