who also has a string of casinos throughout Ohio,

The San Francisco Giants landed the top-tier closer they have been seeking for months, agreeing to a four-year, $62 million contract with right-hander Mark Melancon on Monday.Its the richest contract ever for a closer, topping?Jonathan Papelbons four-year, $50 million deal with the Phillies from 2012-15 and Mariano Riveras $15 million annual value total in 2011-12 with the Yankees. But that record isnt expected to last long. Fellow closers?Aroldis Chapman?and Kenley Jansen?are set to sign new contracts this offseason.Really excited to have Mark, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said in a text message. Got to know him on a trip to Taiwan in 2011. Fills an important need for us. Great to get one of the premier closers in the game.Pending a physical, the pitcher will receive a $20 million signing bonus, $8 million of which is deferred, then salaries of $4 million in 2017, $10 million in 18 and $14 million in each of the 19 and 2020 seasons. He has a full no-trade clause and the chance to opt out after the first two years.With the bullpen largely to blame for their postseason demise -- and for the teams collapse during the second half of the season -- the Giants have prioritized the acquisition of an established closer for the 2017 season.The Giants bullpen failed to hold a 5-2 lead in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs, with five relievers unable to finish the game in an eventual 6-5 loss that ended their season.?Adding a premier closer was our main priority this offseason, general manager Bobby Evans said. Mark solidifies the back end of our bullpen and fills a critical role. He brings talent, leadership and experience to our pitching staff.Melancon, 31, was acquired by the Washington Nationals at this seasons trade deadline from the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving Washington a consistent solution to its closer problem, in contrast to the performance of usurped Washington closer Papelbon.Melancon finished with a combined 47 saves and 1.64 ERA in 71 1/3 innings over his 75 appearances, having converted 30 of 33 save opportunities for the Pirates last season and then 17 of 18 for the Nationals.The trade from Pittsburgh to Washington for left-handed reliever Felipe Rivero and pitching prospect Taylor Hearn was the fourth of Melancons career.He was traded from the New York Yankees to Houston at the 2010 deadline, from the Astros to the Red Sox in the winter of 2011 and from Boston to Pittsburgh in the winter of 2012. As an eligible free agent, the righty made $9.65 million last season.Melancon led the majors with 51 saves in 2015.Nationals GM Mike Rizzo, speaking at baseballs winter meetings in National Harbor, Maryland, said Washington made an offer to Melancon.We gave him an offer that we felt was market value and what we were comfortable giving him. Youre talking about one of the elite closers in the game and a great teammate, Rizzo said. Conducted himself perfectly as a Washington National. At the end of the day, the Giants offered him more, and he took the deal. Thats what free agencys all about. ...?Theyve got themselves a great citizen and a great pitcher. Cheap Nike Shoes Australia . -- Stanford squashed Oregons national championship hopes again, schooling the Ducks in power football. Cheap Nike Shoes Australia . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. https://www.shoesaustraliaonline.com/ .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Cheap Shoes Australia Free Shipping .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. Clearance Shoes Australia . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season.NEW YORK -- Pat Williams is pretty good at being lucky, and hes got a hunch. "I got a funny feeling that this could be another Magic year, here. For some reason, Ive just got the feel," Williams said. Orlando sure could use it. Following a difficult first season after trading Dwight Howard, the Magic are hoping Williams can bring them more lottery luck. Armed with the best odds and their three-time winner back on stage, the Magic will try to jump-start the rebuilding process Tuesday night by landing the rights to the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Williams has won four times, including victories in 1992, 93 and 2004 with the Magic. They used the most recent one to draft Howard, and no team since has entered with the best odds and won the lottery. The Magic were back in the lottery the next two years but were busy playing in the post-season every spring since until this one, when they finished an NBA-worst 20-62 after sending Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers last August in a four-team deal. That gives them a 25 per cent chance at winning the rights to choose first in a draft that appears uncertain. Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel is considered the top choice, though he could miss the first two months of the season while recovering from a torn ACL. Williams, the longtime team executive, thinks a victory would give the Magic and their fans a boost. "And obviously, to be in that first slot, it gives you lots of flexibility," he said. "Even in a year like this when there a lot of uncertainties with the draft -- there doesnt appear to be a franchise turner, but there are lots of good players in this draft who will have NBA careers. But if we could pull off a win here, it would give our city just a big lift and after a tough year that would be more than welcome." Williams, in good spirits and saying he feels well 2 1/2 years after being diagnosed with blood cancer, jokes about his lottery history. The Magic celebrate it, with pingpong balls in their trophy case. Hes been so good that the NBA was forced to change the lottery process after Orlandos second victory. The Magic won the 1992 lottery and picked Shaquille ONeal, then barely missed the playoffs in his rookie season. Yet they won again with just one pingpong baall out of 66, swapping the rights to Chris Webber for Penny Hardaway, and starting with the 1994 lottery the NBA tweaked the system to give the worst team an even better chance to win and making it nearly impossible for the lottery team with the best record to pull the upset.dddddddddddd "The Orlando rules," Williams said. The biggest loser now has 250 chances out of 1,000 but keeps coming up empty. The Charlotte Bobcats had the worst winning percentage in NBA history last season but slipped to No. 2, missing their chance to pick college player of the year Anthony Davis. Davis will be at the Times Square Studios on Tuesday to represent New Orleans in the Pelicans introduction for much of the national audience. The former Hornets name change became official at the end of the regular season. The Pelicans have the fifth-best odds at 8.8 per cent. Charlotte is second at 19.9 per cent, followed by Cleveland (15.6) and Phoenix (11.9). The lottery has supplanted the playoffs as Clevelands off-season destination. The Cavaliers are in the lottery for the third straight year, a run that began when LeBron James packed his bags and headed for Miami Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who also has a string of casinos throughout Ohio, will be hoping for a little luck when the pingpong balls drop. The Cavs won the lottery in 2011 and used the No. 1 overall pick on point guard Kyrie Irving, who was named an All-Star this past season. Last year, the Cavs picked fourth and chose Dion Waiters, who had a solid rookie season. Cleveland has four of the top 33 picks -- Nos. 19, 31 and 33 -- in this years draft and intend to add some talent and depth for coach Mike Brown, who Gilbert has brought back after firing him three years ago. The draft is June 27 at Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets. Williams and the Magic have been gone so long that he isnt even sure the setup in the new location, after it was held for years in Secaucus, N.J., at an old NBA Entertainment studio. "Well have to see if we still have our Magic touch in the next decade," he said. "But were ready, we come loaded for bear. We worked hard and earned our 25 per cent chance through 82 games, and that puts us in the pole position here." ' ' '