January 2014.Wallerstein said the college mad

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Addison Russell plays his first game against the team that traded him 25 months ago, the Oakland Athletics, when the Chicago Cubs visit the Bay Area for a three-game series beginning Friday night.The opener of the interleague series also features left-hander Jon Lester, who the As acquired in a deal 26 days after their July 5, 2014 blockbuster with the Cubs that cost them their top minor-league prospect.Billy Beane, the As general manager at the time, went all-in for a shot at a championship in the days leading up to the 2014 trade deadline.First he dealt Russell, considered to be a centerpiece in the future of the franchise, along with right-hander Dan Straily and minor-leaguer Billy McKinney for two front-line starting pitchers, Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel.Not satisfied with a starting staff that also included Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir, Beane then sent slugger Yoenis Cespedes to Boston for Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes.The moves backfired on the As, who struggled down the stretch, lost the American League West to the Los Angeles Angels and saw their season come to a crashing halt in the wild-card playoff game.Lester, Samardzija and Hammel were all gone by the start of the 2015 season, and so of course was Russell, who made his major league debut April 25, 2015 as a Cub.Losing their No. 1 pick (11th overall) in 2012 hasnt been as crushing as many As fans had envisioned. In fact, Marcus Semien, a shortstop acquired prior to the start of the 2015 season in a trade involving Samardzija, has outhit Russell .247-.242 and out-homered him 37-25 since arriving in Oakland.Lester, meanwhile, has won 22 of 53 starts since joining the Cubs last season. He went 6-4 in 11 starts with the As.The Cubs touched down in Oakland on Thursday with the best record in baseball (66-41) and having won seven of their last eight games.However, they lost two of three the last time they played in Oakland in July 2013.I never planned on being in this type of organization, Russell, who can expect a warm ovation from the Oakland fans, said this week of the Cubs. Im very fortunate that I am.No doubt, As fans wont be so kind to Lester, who is seen as the guy who not only cost the As a fan favorite (Cespedes) but also was the goat of the 2014 playoffs.The home game will be the first for the As since they made more unpopular moves at this years trade deadline, selling off right fielder Josh Reddick and pitcher Rich Hill to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three prospects.The As lost five in a row sandwiching the trade before outlasting the Angels 8-6 in 10 innings Thursday.Losing Red and Rich hurts on the field and changes the dynamic in the clubhouse, As All-Star Stephen Vogt said in the wake of the trade. I hope bringing (Reddick) back next year (as a free agent) isnt off the table.The As counter Lester in the series opener with left-hander Dillon Overton, who takes a 1-2 and 9.33 ERA to the mound. Wholesale Baseball Jerseys For Sale . What general manager Dave Nonis called "short and productive" negotiations ended with Kessel signing a US$64-million, eight-year contract on Tuesday. MLB Jerseys Outlet . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. http://www.stitchedmlbjerseys.com/ . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Cheap Pittsburgh Pirates Jerseys .Y. -- Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has a bone to pick with the NFL schedule maker. Discount Baseball Jerseys . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. NEW YORK -- Baruch College gave 30 student-athletes more than $255,000 in improper benefits over the course of five years, NCAA officials said in a decision issued Thursday.The NCAA Division III Committee on Infractions said the schools former vice president for student affairs and enrollment management and its former head womens basketball coach both violated NCAA ethical conduct rules.As I stated unambiguously to the NCAA, Baruch College accepts, and takes full responsibility for, the fact that some improper benefits were made available to a limited number of student-athletes during the period from 2010-2015, Baruch Colleges President Mitchel B. Wallerstein said in a statement.The committee said in its report that it had not seen a high-level campus administrator who had such breadth and scope of responsibilities in an infractions case as the former vice president.The former vice president wanted to raise the profile of athletics at the college and as part of that effort he was closely involved in the recruitment, admission and awarding of financial aid for prospects and student-athletes, especially in the sport of womens basketball, Gerald Houlihan, a member of the infractions committee.The administrator and coach were not named in the report and university officials declined to name them.The former vice president, who was with the institution for 10 years, and former head womens basketball coach knowingly arranged or provided impermissible financial aid and extra benefits to student-athletes, according to the NCAA.However, the former vice president claimed he did not receive education on NCAA rules, therefore the violations were inadvertent. The former head womens basketball coach also said he had insufficient rules education, according to the NCAA.The penalties include four years of probation, a one-year postseason ban for the womens basketball team and prohibiting the coach and vice president from all athletically relaated duties for one year.ddddddddddddWhen asked about the possibility of an appeal, Baruch spokesperson Christina Latouf said the college will digest the information and respond at another time. The school in Manhattan has 18,000 students and 13 sports teams, according to its website.Violations included granting in-state residency based on athletics, providing impermissible financial aid, cash awards and extra benefits and choosing student-athletes for resident assistant positions when they were not qualified.The case started when Baruch College received two anonymous letters in early 2013 that alleged the former vice president provided two student-athletes improper financial aid. An internal investigation was conducted and a self-report was submitted to the NCAA enforcement staff in January 2014.Wallerstein said the college made some changes during the course of the NCAAs investigation, including revamping the role of the athletics director, appointing a new faculty athletics representative, establishing an athletics compliance team and improving training on student-athlete recruitment and financial aid.This was not the first time Baruch College was found to have committed major violations.In the 2004-05 and 2005-06 academic years, the womens basketball program was involved in a work-study program that wasnt monitored correctly and led to extra benefits and wages for work not completed. Penalties included one year probation, a $5,000 penalty, vacated wins, and a two-game suspension for an assistant coach.Houlihan said the prior case did not factor into the committees decision.I am committed to having an Athletics Program at Baruch College of which our students, faculty, staff, and the entire Baruch community can be proud and that is managed in an ethical and responsible fashion, Wallerstein said. ' ' '