MIAMI - Mat Latos sat in the left-field plaza at Marlins Park as he reminisced about attending the first game in franchise history when he was 5 years old. Tracy Mcgrady Jersey .A few feet away, Michael Morse shared his memories of going to the same game.The two new teammates are South Florida natives who grew up Marlins fans, and they joined their favourite team as a result of deals last week. The Marlins also acquired Dee Gordon, a Central Florida native who attended games in Miami as a youngster when his father, former major leaguer Tom Gordon, pitched against the Marlins.Its a blessing to be able to play for a team you grew up watching, Latos said. You take pride in that. This your home turf.The Marlins held a celebratory news conference Friday to welcome the newcomers. Shortly after the session disbanded, the Marlins busy front office added two more players, acquiring infielder Martin Prado and right-handed pitcher David Phelps from the New York Yankees for right-handed pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, first-baseman Garrett Jones and minor league right-handed pitcher Domingo German.Several hours later, they were at it again, shipping NL comeback player of the year, third baseman Casey McGehee, to San Francisco for a pair of right-handed minor league pitchers, Kendry Flores and Luis Castillo.Morse, who was born in Fort Lauderdale, was 11 when he sat in the upper deck in right field watching the Marlins first game in 1993. He remembered the questionable called strike on the franchises first pitch from Charlie Hough.It was a little outside, Morse said with a laugh.Latos said he went to 15 to 20 games a year as a kid and afterward would chase players outside the stadium seeking autographs.I cant express how amazing it is to come home, Latos said.The right-hander, who further strengthens Miamis solid rotation, was acquired in a trade with the Reds. Gordon, a leadoff hitter and All-Star second baseman, was obtained in a seven-player trade with the Dodgers. Morse, who is expected to play first base and bat cleanup behind Giancarlo Stanton, signed a $16 million, two-year contract as a free agent.This is home, Morse said. This is where Ive grown up. This is where my wifes home is. Her family is from here. My family is from here. My soon-to-be first child will be from here. This is unreal.As Marlins fans Morse and Latos know all too well, the team hasnt been the playoffs since its World Series championship season in 2003. But the newcomers agree the flurry of off-season moves has positioned the Marlins as potential contenders in the NL East.They want to win, and theyre showing it right now, Morse said — and that was before the trade with the Yankees was disclosed. This organization is on the rise once again, and Im so happy to be a part of it. Aaron Gordon Jersey . According to a report from ESPN, the veteran safety has signed another one-year deal with the team Raiders, the team that drafted him, and who he returned to last year after a long stint with the Green Bay Packers. Custom Orlando Magic Jerseys . -- The Chicago Bears agreed Tuesday to a one-year contract with defensive lineman Israel Idonije and are bringing him back for a second stint. http://www.magicbasketballprostore.com/kids-shaquille-o-neal-magic-jersey/ . -- Two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana agreed Tuesday to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles as he tries to come back from the second major operation on his left shoulder.TORONTO -- Phil Kessel had the game-winning goal, but it was his near fight with a familiar foe that sparked the Toronto Maple Leafs to a comeback victory Saturday night. Kessel scored the second of three straight goals for the Maple Leafs in the third period as they recovered to beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 at Air Canada Centre. He assisted on the Maple Leafs third goal and almost had the first Gordie Howe hat trick - a goal, an assist and a fight - of his NHL career when he and pesky Alexandre Burrows scuffled and just about dropped the gloves late in the second period. It would have been the second fight of the season for Kessel and Burrows, who officially scrapped back on Nov. 2 in Vancouver. The two each got roughing minors in Saturdays game, with Burrows getting an additional minor for high-sticking. "(Kessel) wasnt too thrilled about all that and neither was anyone on the bench," said linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Maybe you can look at that as something that got Phil a little bit excited." At the time of the fracas, the Canucks were clinging to a 1-0 lead on a goal by Ryan Kesler in the last minute of the first. That all changed in the third period, when the Leafs broke out with three goals in the span of 4:42. "It was a one-goal hockey game and here we had an opportunity to pull a hockey game out of the fire by scoring one goal and giving ourselves a chance," said Leafs coach Randy Carlyle. "We have a break coming, and it would make everybody feel a lot better about themselves with a win here versus a loss." The win was the 11th in the past 14 games for the Leafs and their seventh straight at home. "About six games ago, we really focused in on playing well going into the break," said Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf. "We feel weve done that. Weve gotten some big wins. We wanted to get as many points as we could going into the break and we did that." The Canucks lost their seventh straight game and their 16th in their past 20. Theyve scored just 37 goals in that span. Vancouver is now 8-23-5 when scoring less than three goals in game (excluding the shootout). The Canucks are a near perfect 19-1-4 when scoring three or more. "Weve dug ourselves a pretty big hole here, but we need to look at it as a challenge when we get bback," said Canucks coach John Tortorella. D.J. Augustin Jersey. "I do believe well be healthier to fight our way through it. Were not dead and gone. Weve allowed a lot of teams to get back in and pass us, as far the playoffs are concerned. But we still have enough games to crawl back in." Mason Raymond and van Riemsdyk also scored for Toronto. Jonathan Bernier made 23 saves for the win. Roberto Luongo stopped 30 shots in defeat. Vancouvers lone goal came when Kesler took a pass in the high slot from Chris Higgins and flicked a weak wrist shot at the goal. Bernier tried to stop it with his blocker, but it deflected downwards into the net. The Canucks held onto that lead after two periods. "We just wanted to stick with it," van Riemsdyk said. "We know we didnt play necessarily as well as we could. We were playing a little bit loose with the puck. We got back to just cycling them down low and trying to create off that." Raymond got Toronto on the board at 7:23 when he circled the Canucks net and snuck a wrist shot past Luongo for his 16th goal of the season. The Leafs then took their first lead of the game at 10:03. On a delayed penalty call, with a sixth attacker on the ice for Bernier, Kessel snapped a shot near the Canucks blueline that found its way past a screened Luongo. It was Kessels 31st of the season. Tyler Bozaks assist on the goal was the 100th of his NHL career. Two minutes and two seconds after the Leafs took the lead, van Riemsdyk made it 3-1 when his shot at the side of the goal bounced of Alexander Edler and into the Canucks goal. It was his 24th of the season. "We got to be really happy about the last month or so," Bernier said. "Weve been playing really well. Now we just got to take some rest and hit the reset button because the real season is coming after (the break). We have to make sure were ready for the next 22 games." Notes: Canucks centre Henrik Sedin sat out his second-straight game due to injuryaLeafs centre Jay McClement didnt return after suffering an upper-body injury when he fell awkwardly into the end boards early in the second periodaThe game was a rare 6 p.m. start for a Toronto home game on SaturdayaIt was the final game for both teams before the NHL shuts down for the Winter Olympics. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Discount Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping Cheapest College Jerseys Sale Cheap Football Jerseys China Nike NFL Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys From China MLB Jerseys Outlet Canada Wholesale NBA Jerseys Canada Store Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '