officials and Patriots personnel were among those

TORONTO – Shortly after 11 oclock on Saturday morning, Brett Lawrie wandered into manager John Gibbons office for a brief conversation. There were two topics: the status of Lawries injured right hamstring and where he would play when he returns to the lineup. Gibbons confirmed Lawrie will sometimes play second base. "Hes got no problem with it," said Gibbons. "He basically said, hey, whatever the boys need. I mean, hes here to win. Thats the name of the game and like I said, I think it makes us better." Lawrie was less enthused but reiterated what he has said before and what Gibbons offered on Saturday morning. "Just doing it for the team," said Lawrie. The differences between second base and third base are many. The footwork is different. The timing is different – third base is called the "hot corner" for a reason. Lawrie has history at second base, having played the position in Milwaukees minor league system. Part of his hesitation for making the switch is grounded in the pride he takes in how hard hes worked to become a gold glove calibre third baseman, doing so almost entirely at the major league level. "I worked my butt off to get where Im at," Lawrie told TSN.ca on Friday. "Im not saying its not going to help the team. Im here to do what it is to help the team but I worked my butt off to be that good at third base and continue to do what Im doing. I work every day over there. Still continuing to get my work in and second base, it is what it is, man, its not what Im here to do. I worked my butt off to do what I do out there." Lawrie has appeared in four games at second base this season. He started at second six times last year. His limited time there doesnt make him feel more comfortable. "Not necessarily," said Lawrie. "You got to have comfort to do it a bunch of times in a row and Ive only done it for a couple of games but you need a few games under your belt to make it comfortable." Out of action since leaving in the fourth inning of Monday nights game in Philadelphia, Lawrie is nearing a return. Its been a daily process, as each day Lawrie has been intensifying the demands on his hamstring. "He came out and ran and felt pretty good today," said Gibbons. "What were going to do is were going to make him do it one more day and if all is well hell be ready to go on Monday. So I would expect to see him on Monday." If Lawrie plays on Monday night in the series finale against the Angels, expect to see him at third. Los Angeles is scheduled to start left-hander C.J. Wilson. Juan Francisco is a left-handed batter. The realignment is aimed at keeping Francisco in the lineup against right-handers, against whom he has greater success. "Weve been watching him ever since he got here," said Gibbons. "Hes a pretty good player. Hes off to a great start. I dont think wed be doing our job if we just decided to sit him and not take advantage of what hes doing." Put together Reyes, Cabrera, Bautista, Encarnacion, Lind, Navarro, Francisco, Lawrie and Rasmus and its a potent, long lineup one through nine. If someone is struggling, the next guy can pick him up. If the Blue Jays can keep everyone healthy for a period of time, it would give Gibbons a bona fide American League East lineup. "A good whatever division lineup," said Gibbons. Zapatillas Vans Outlet España . Joel Embiid was nearly unstoppable in the paint in the second half, and Naadir Tharpe seemingly couldnt miss. Vans Baratas En España . -- The Grand Rapids Griffins scored three goals in 33 seconds of the second period en route to defeating the Hamilton Bulldogs 6-1 in American Hockey League action on Friday. http://www.baratasvans.es/ . Russia has spent about $51 billion to deliver the Sochi Olympics, which run Feb. 7-23, making them the most expensive games ever, even though as a winter event it hosts many fewer athletes than summer games do. Comprar Vans Baratas España . -- Michael Frazier II scored 21 points, Dorian Finney-Smith added 11 and No. Zapatillas Vans Baratas Online . "Weve given ourselves now a tougher task," said Carlyle after the Friday practice, the Toronto head coach notably chipper and upbeat throughout. "But the bottom line is we just have to win our share of games [and] not worry about what anybody else is doing.New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - The NFL issued a statement Friday regarding its investigation into allegations the New England Patriots used underinflated balls during the AFC Championship Game and said the early evidence supports the initial conclusion but that the process is ongoing. The Patriots rolled to a 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday in a rain-soaked game at Gillette Stadium and reports began to surface in the hours after the contest that balls were not correctly inflated, which would apparently allow for a better grip in inclement weather. Citing league sources, ESPN.com reported Tuesday night that 11 of the 12 balls used by the Patriots during the game were underinflated by two pounds of air pressure per square inch (PSI). NFL rules mandate game balls, which are inspected by the referee, be inflated to 12 1/2 to 13 1/2 PSI. The playing rules are intended to protect the fairness and integrity of our games, the league said in its statement Friday. We take seriously claims that those rules have been violated and will fully investigate this matter without compromise or delay. The investigation is ongoing, will be thorough and objective, and is being pursued expeditiously. In the coming days, we expect to conduct numerous additional interviews, examine video and other forensic evidence, as well as relevant physical evidence. While the evidence thus far supports the conclusion that footballs that were underinflated were used by the Patriots in the first half, the footballs were properly inflated for the second half and confirmed at the conclusion of the game to have remained properly inflated. The goals of the investigation will be to determine the explanation for why footballs used in the game were not in compliance with the playying rules and specifically whether any noncompliance was the result of deliberate action.dddddddddddd. We have not made any judgments on these points and will not do so until we have concluded our investigation and considered all of the relevant evidence. The league said Friday the investigation is being led jointly by NFL executive vice president Jeff Pash and Ted Wells of the law firm of Paul Weiss. Wells was the leagues investigator into last seasons bullying scandal involving the Miami Dolphins. According to the statement Friday, the league began its investigation Sunday night and has already conducted nearly 40 interviews. Game officials and Patriots personnel were among those included in those early discussions, although New England quarterback Tom Brady said Thursday he had not yet been contacted. On Thursday, both Brady and Patriots coach Bill Belichick addressed the situation and each denied any wrongdoing. Belichick was first to speak on Thursday morning and said he was completely and totally unaware of the issue, adding he was shocked to hear the reports on Monday morning. Brady on Thursday afternoon said he didnt alter the balls in any way and would never break the rules. The Patriots, who will play Seattle in the Super Bowl, have pledged their full support of the investigation and have made personnel, as well as other information, available to the league. If the NFL finds the Patriots deflated footballs intentionally, they could be subject to penalties similar to ones levied after the team was found to have videotaped defensive signals used by the New York Jets during a game in September 2007. Those penalties included a $500,000 fine for Belichick, a $250,000 fine for the team and the loss of a draft pick. ' ' '