Hilfestellungen » start but threw 32 pitches in two innin

One game with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL. Thats all it took for Angelo Esposito to decide he was done.It was a fun game too, in which the Komets scored four third-period goals to force overtime against the Indy Fuel before winning in a nine-round shootout. Not a bad way to kick off the 2014-15 season. That is, unless you had been tabbed for greatness as a teenager but found yourself still toiling in the minor leagues seven years later.Esposito let his coach know the next day that he was going back home to Montreal. With that, one of the top prospects in the 2007 NHL draft was ready to call it a career after a nomadic, injury-plagued pro run that never included a regular-season NHL game.I went to the East Coast, and [during] that first game I didnt feel comfortable anymore playing. I thought to myself, Maybe its time I moved on, said Esposito, now 27. Honestly, the first month [off], I did absolutely nothing. I didnt step on the ice until December, and then I started playing with my buddies in their beer league just for fun.He ultimately decided to come back, and his return to pro hockey last year helped him gain a new perspective on hockey and life.It has been 10 years since NHL central scouting ranked Esposito first among North American skaters heading into the 2007 draft. Back then, the story wrote itself.He was a lanky, agile scoring center from Montreal -- but no relation to Hall of Famers Phil and Tony, although he does have two uncles with the same names (and, coincidentally, his uncle Tony was a goalie in his youth).In his first season on a dominant Quebec Remparts club coached by NHL legend Patrick Roy, Angelo Esposito starred. He was named the Quebec Major Junior Hockey Leagues top offensive rookie and helped the Remparts win the Memorial Cup. Even when he slipped to 20th in the draft, Esposito landed with a Pittsburgh Penguins team that featured talented young players?Sidney Crosby,?Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Staal.We were happy to get him. He did enough as a young man to show he deserved to go in the first round, said longtime Penguins scout Chuck Grillo. Patrick Roy, I talked extensively with him. He was a big fan of his. You could tell he was sincere when he talked about him.That fall, Esposito played in his first NHL preseason game in his hometown against the?Canadiens.All my family and all my friends came to the game, Esposito said. It was a great feeling.After being traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in the deadline deal that sent Marian Hossa to Pittsburgh, Esposito scored the winning goal for Canada in the gold-medal game against Sweden at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships. It was a fitting end to a decorated junior career. Esposito could finally embark on what would no doubt be an eventful pro career.Five years later, he was back home ready to quit.The last few years had just been a lot of downs and disappointments, so it was good just to get a little break, said Esposito. Obviously, I was a first-round draft pick and not playing in the NHL. Its not something youre proud of, but at the same time, its part of a career.Esposito refuses to use them as an excuse, but injuries did come in waves after his golden goal. Shortly after World Juniors, he tore his ACL. The following season, his first as a pro, he tore it again. After a year spent rehabbing his knee, he tore his hip labrum.Without an NHL contract entering the 2012 lockout, Esposito played in Finland, where he tore the MCL in his other knee. By the time he came back from that injury, his door to the NHL had effectively closed.He played sparingly in Italy and Austria before his one-game stint with Fort Wayne. After that, his time was spent mostly playing beer-league hockey, hanging out with his girlfriend and managing Montreal properties he had invested in.There was a lot of baggage that had to be sorted out. He was pretty down, said Scott Livingston, an athletic therapist who had worked with the Canadiens, New York Rangers and New York Islanders before Esposito hired him to get him in shape and back into pro hockey.He had gone through a lot of things, as far as expectations, early on in his career. Things didnt work out and [he had] the injuries. He was in a fairly dark place when I started with him.Almost immediately, Livingston sent Esposito to a sports psychologist. As Esposito was helped to hone his mind and body, it became clear how far the player had to go once Livingston got him back on the ice.He didnt look like someone who had ever played pro hockey before, said Livingston. I didnt say that to him at the time, but it was the truth. He had a lot of work to do. But he did the work.Esposito landed with Cortina in the Italian league last season. It was not the NHL, but with 38 points in 31 games, he arguably enjoyed his finest pro season. He started this season with Ceske Budejovice, a Czech league team almost two hours by car south of Prague. The arena seats 6,000 intense local fans and serves Budweiser. It turns out the Bud in the Czech Republic doesnt taste quite like the North American version, Esposito said, but its close enough.But the stop in the Czech league wouldnt last long. After scoring a single goal in nine games with the club, Esposito was released on Oct. 24. A statement from general manager Stanislav Bednarik hinted that the decision to terminate the contract was mutual between player and team.He suffered several injuries during his tryout and his position in our team therefore wasnt as everybody (including him) expected, a team spokesman said of Esposito in a statement to ESPN.com.With that, Esposito was back looking for another shot.As for why Esposito never made his NHL debut, its difficult to pinpoint any one thing that kept the former top prospect from his dream.Theres lots of reasons for first-round picks not playing in the NHL. There are usually 15 out of the 30 that dont, said Grillo. He can constructively critique himself and assess where things went wrong. It had nothing to with skating or scoring. It may have had something to do with setting him up to succeed. I dont know. Ive seen this kid carry teams on his back at the junior level.With every new season in a new country, that elusive first NHL game becomes less likely. It took some time, but Esposito is at peace with that. And as much as hed love to play in the NHL, its not a milestone he looks at the same way he did as an 18-year-old star poised to take on the world.Am I disappointed that I havent played a game in the NHL? Of course I am. Who wouldnt be? But you have to accept it and you have to move on, said Esposito in an interview before being released by the Czech league team. If Im going to sit here and think back about why I didnt do this, Im going to be miserable for the rest of my life.Right now, Im enjoying my life playing hockey, and Im going to enjoy it as long as I can, he continued. Once thats over, then Im going to find something else to be successful in. Maybe I didnt play in the NHL, but Ill find something else to be successful in.Willie Mays Hayes Indians Jersey ., for the next three years with the signings on Monday of Daryl Townsend and Michael Carter. Eddie Robinson Indians Jersey . 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Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. Carlos Baerga Jersey . Bryzgalov stopped 25 shots on Saturday in the Oklahoma City Barons 4-1 victory over the Abbotsford Heat. The Oilers signed Bryzgalov to a one-year $2 million contract last Friday after shedding payroll by dealing defenceman Ladislav Smid to the Flames.KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Danny Duffy has gone from starting the season in the Kansas City Royals bullpen to leading the American League with a 2.82 ERA.Duffy pitched his first complete game to win his eighth straight decision, Cheslor Cuthbert had two hits and drove in a run and the Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Thursday night.Duffy (9-1) limited the White Sox to seven singles, struck out six and walked none. The left-hander has not lost since June 6 and has a 1.73 ERA in his past five starts. Duffy threw 98 pitches, 71 for strikes.Im stoked, Duffy said on getting his first complete game. Ive gotten pretty close a couple of times this year. When I went eight (innings) the first time (teammate Kris) Medlen told me, `You should expect that every night.This is a cool milestone. Im just worried about getting outs and keeping my team in the game.Duffy moved into the rotation on May 15 and has thrown eight or more innings in four starts.For him to get through nine innings under 100 pitches is just a phenomenal effort, Royals manager Ned Yost said.White Sox slugger Todd Frazier, who went 0 for 4 and struck out twice, said deception is what makes Duffy good.Deception on his off-speed pitches, Frazier said. It looks like fastballs and then, the last second, you see it and its already by you. He had me all day, just one of those games where he had me, not necessarily guessing but hes throwing one pitch somewhere I wasnt looking for, get the strike and the way it goes.Cuthbert, whose triple scored Jarrod Dyson in the sixth, is second among AL rookies with 93 hits, 24 multihit games and a .303 batting average. Dyson was initially called out trying to steal second, but the Royals appealed and the call was overturned.Cuthbert scored the go-ahead run on Eric Hosmers single off Carson Fulmer (0-2). Fulmer has an 8.47 ERA in eight relief appearances.Chicagos Jason Coats, recalled Tuesday from Triple-A Charlotte, singled home Tim Anderson with two outs in the second for his first major league RBI.White Sox right-hander Miguel Gonzalez leftt after 21 pitches with a right groin strain.dddddddddddd After Salvador Perez fouled off a full-count pitch leading off the second, White Sox manager Robin Ventura and trainer Herm Schneider came to the mound and led Gonzalez off.Gonzalez may have to go on the disabled list.I had it last year, same thing, Gonazlez said. They put me on the DL for 15 days. I came back, I was fine. I was pitching good. Nothing different. It felt about the same as it did last year. So, Im not worried about it.MORALES DROPS APPEALRoyals DH Kendrys Morales served his one-game suspension after dropping his appeal. Morales was punished by Major League Baseball for returning to the field Aug. 2 in Tampa Bay in the ninth inning after being ejected.TO BE DETERMINEDThe Royals have not decided who will start Saturday against the Twins. RHP Dillon Gee was scheduled for that start but threw 32 pitches in two innings Wednesday in a 14-inning victory over the White Sox. While Yost said Gee is still in the mix to start, that it is more murky after having to use him for more than an inning Wednesday.VOTE OF CONFIDENCEVentura said he is sticking with David Robertson as his closer, although he blew saves in the first two games of this series and six this season. At some point its going to turn for me and hopefully Ill get on a roll, Robertson said. Right now Ive definitely been doing a poor job out there and I need to pick it up.TRAINERS ROOMRoyals: RHP Wade Davis (flexor strain) threw 75 feet off a flat surface. Hes getting close, probably in the next day or so, Yost said of throwing off the mound.UP NEXTWhite Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon (2-8, 4.49) seeks his first road victory since April 13 at Miami. The Marlins will counter with RHP Andrew Cashner (4-8, 4.96).Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura (7-9, 4.64), who beat Toronto on Sunday for his first win since June 17, will start Friday at Minnesota. The Twins will start RHP Kyle Gibson (4-6, 4.86). ' ' '