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LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Yokohama Stadium will host the baseball and softball competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.Yokohama was among the venues approved Wednesday by the IOC executive board for the five new sports on the Tokyo program, along with karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing.The Yokohama stadium, which was built in 1978 and has an artificial surface, is one of Japans best known baseball venues.Yokohama Stadium with its downtown skyline will provide a spectacular backdrop for Olympic baseball and softball, said Riccardo Fraccari, president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation. This is an exciting day that takes baseball and softball one step closer on the historic road to Tokyo 2020.Discussions are continuing, meanwhile, on the possibility of staging some preliminary-round baseball games in the Fukushima region. Japanese organizers have proposed holding some events in the area to support the countrys recovery from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.Three potential baseball venues in Fukushima are under consideration. Any proposal would still need formal IOC approval.Tokyo organizing committee chief Yoshiro Mori said there were no concrete discussions Wednesday about playing games in Fukushima, but added: We want to bring comfort and encouragement to people in the affected areas.Baseball and softball are returning to the Olympics in Tokyo after being dropped following the 2008 Beijing Games. They were approved as a joint bid largely because of their big popularity in Japan.The four other additional sports will be making their Olympic debuts.Karate will be held at the famed Nippon Budokan venue in Tokyo; skateboarding and climbing at the Aomi Urban Sports Venue, a temporary facility in the capital; and surfing at Tsurigasaki Beach in Chiba prefecture.Tokyo will have a total of 39 venues for the Olympics and Paralympics, including eight new permanent venues, 22 existing sites and nine temporary facilities.The venue approvals came as Tokyo seeks to reduce the cost of the games after the original budget soared to several times its original estimate. IOC officials told Tokyo organizers last week they would not accept a proposed budget of up to $20 billon, demanding further cuts.Byron Murphy Womens Jersey . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. Byron Murphy Cardinals Jersey . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. http://www.nflcardinalsrookiestore.com/Cardinals-Zach-Allen-Jersey/ . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. Zach Allen Cardinals Jersey . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. Byron Murphy Jersey . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring.The odds are, Paul Roos has two games remaining as a senior AFL coach before he enjoys a well-earned Hawaiian retirement.His Demons are riding a wave of momentum and goodwill in the hope of earning a fairytale finals berth. But whether or not they bob their noses in front of North at the last minute isnt the be-all-and-end-all when judging Roos impact at the previously hapless Melbourne Football Club.In fact, playing finals would purely be the icing on the cake for Roos. More importantly, he has completely fixed the Dees culture and helped build the quality list the club now has at its disposal, which should ensure a period of sustained success. Incidentally, Sydney are about to embark on their 14th finals series from 16 years - what Roos was able to put in place at the end of 2002 has contributed immensely to what still goes on at the Swans. Dees supporters will be hoping for a similar legacy under Simon Goodwin.Assuming the Demons miss out on finals, Roos will soon escape the AFL cocoon and its enveloping hold over both he and family. Ill be sad to see him leave. Hes had an enormous impact on me as a player and a person, and I know theres many others out there who feel the same way.So, whats Roosy really like?Words that immediately spring to mind when I think of him are honesty, empowerment, family, and competitiveness.In many ways, hes two contrasting sides to the same coin. On one side, hes one of the most caring, empathetic people Ive ever met. He has a genuine care for everyone around him and does everything in his power to help people succeed. But hes also one of the most competitive, driven people Ive ever come across in the entire football industry.A lot of people only see how calm and happy-go-lucky he is -- making jokes in press conferences and the like -- and it appears nothing phases him, but what lies beneath is someone who is fiercely competitive. He chooses his moments but can give an enormous spray, which I have been on the receiving end of. One in particular stands out -- in Round 5, 2009 when we were playing Fremantle at Subiaco in Brett Kirks 200th and Craig Boltons 150th games. I was so wound up to perform, so eager to get the result for my teammates, that I made a heap of errors early in the match. He let me have it at half-time, saying that I had cost my mates the game! But thats what I needed. The thing with Roosy is that hed already built that rapport with me, so I wanted to do the best thing for him. Hes big on building a strong connection with his players and hell then follow up during the next week after any feedback. As a player, you really value that constant flow of dialogue and knowing hes always got your back.Hes a classic case of getting players to play for him, not to spite him. It was immediately apparent as soon as he took on the caretaker role when Rodney Eade departed the Swans midway through 2002 - no one was more certain than the playing group as to who we wanted as coach. A groundswell of support from the players and supporters alike ensured he was the man to take us forward. And that attitude appears to be evident in his time at Melbourne, too.Hes also very quick witted and loves telling a story - just ask him about the time he won two points against Pete Sampras one time when staying with his good mate Brett Stevens in the U.S. - and he really makes training enjoyable, while at the same time demanding extraordinarily high standards.On the field, Roos football philosophy has always been defence wins championships and thats what he used to stem the bleeding in his first two seasons at Melbourne. But this year, he and his assistant coaches have instilled a new attacking mantra, built on an unwavering ferocity at the coalface. Several key stats show how far Melbourne have come this year:-Clearance differential has risen from 16th last year to third in 2016. -Contested possession differential has improved from 11th last season to fifth this year. -Inside 50 differential was 15th last year and is now eighth. -Their kick to handball ratio was 11th last year but 18th in 2016, which shows how they now love to flick the ball around with a lot of handball, taking the game on. They brokee away from stoppages against Hawthorn and darted through their team defence a couple of weeks ago and it shows the Dees are building a squad and game plan capable of mixing it with the best.ddddddddddddoos manages to instil confidence in both his players and assistant coaches. I remember clearly the night before the grand final in 2005, he spoke at the team meeting and said that if we went out as a team, committed to selfless acts and played like Bloods -- like we had all season -- we would beat West Coast. I put my head down on the pillow in a positive mindset that night and it reduced the stress ahead of the big game. Im hearing the same things come from this Melbourne squad. Players like Jack Watts have pointed out that they dont need to be the best player, just that they play their roles.Roos also introduced the power of meditation to a number of us at the Swans through his wife Tami, which helped us focus, heal, energise throughout a long season. Most importantly it gave us a coping mechanism for the stresses of footy - something I know is being utlised by the current Demons.Listen to Roos and you quickly understand why culture, and particularly the environment the leaders put in place, is so important. He spoke regularly about the expectations and standards that were set for him early at Fitzroy as a teenager by his peers and role models in Laurie Serafini, Bernie Quinlan and Mick Conlon.During his playing days, he wrote down a set of coaching commandments for if and when he ever ventured into coaching -- to always remind himself of the things he valued from his own coaches.The main thing I took from learning these from Roos was a focus on instilling confidence within a group. Under Eade during that period, a lot of us were low on confidence and were afraid of making mistakes but Roos backed his players to lift after making errors. His ability to communicate with someone on a human level was vital. As young men trying to find their way in the footy industry - and the world in general - that confidence was really needed. It wasnt about being sprayed on the phone after a turnover, it was about giving more and making amends.That philosophy has also been crucial in turning around the fortunes of the Demons. Roos has been honest in saying when he turned up at Melbourne, he didnt realise the enormity of the job at hand. The club was a mess, and for a man with the Midas touch, there were some major hurdles along the way, with many questioning his approach.But this wasnt just about on-field coaching. Roos had to change the whole mindset of the club, banish the negativity and poor self-talk that strangled the Dees in their tough periods. They have cleaned a lot of players out and this new, tougher outfit is filled with youthful exuberance. The mature players who remain and who have been through those dark times seem to be relishing this renaissance of the club. Roosy and the assistants clarify the players roles then reinforce them with game vision in a review meetings, to change their behaviour and strengthen their mindset.He helps creates high-performance environments driven by strong leadership through empowerment. The absolute key is that coaches dont take the reigns back once things go wrong - its a player-driven process. Thats where real development occurs and onfield leadership emerges..Will the Demons play finals? Results of course need to go their way. They will get every chance, however, with North Melbourne having to play the Swans and the Giants in these final two weeks. If the Dees can beat Carlton this Sunday, they then head to Geelong in what is always a tough place to win. If they come away victorious, they will be even more assured that they are playing a style and brand of footy that can stand up in September.The AFL industry will be worse off without Paul Roos. I hope he does return in some form one day but even if he doesnt, he can look back proudly on his incredible career as player and coach, and the impact hes had on the hundreds of young men who have been guided by him. ' ' '