In the beginning, man created defense. For more than 100 years, man was pretty happy with itself.More recently, there has been something of a revolution. Baseball teams have always understd that defense matters, but were well into what you might call the Defensive Enlightenment. The first stage would have simply been an improved appreciation of defensive skills. This was fueled in part by the development of advanced defensive statistics such as Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) and Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). Numbers put value on what had been merely perception to that point.The second stage brought about the proliferation of shifts. There have long been some version of shifts, and shifts dont always work, but the idea makes perfect sense, in theory, and this stage isnt over. Hitters dont distribute their batted balls randomly. Teams that can anticipate can turn more of those batted balls into outs. For a while, shifts were doubling in frequency league-wide literally every year.Now, it appears that we could be entering the beginning of a third stage. Teams know defense matters. Every team these days is shifting at least some of the time. The third stage could be one of increased versatility. To see how well it can work, lk no further than the best team in Major League Baseball.The Chicago Cubs mightve just had the best defensive season in history. Even if not historically, they were easily the best defensive team in 2016, and that was due to any number of factors. Among them, though, was the flexibility granted by the roster to manager Joe Maddon. The Cubs are extremely versatile, and this isnt some happy accident. Wholesale Air Max 1 NZ . Barcelona also left injured defenders Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba out of its squad for the trip to Glasgow. That means that Marc Bartra will probably start again in the centre of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. Air Max 1 NZ Outlet . 24 Baylor in a Big 12 clash between teams trending in opposite directions. Andrew Wiggins made 10-of-12 from the foul line and scored 17 for Kansas (14-4, 5-0 Big 12), which capped a stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents unscathed. http://www.airmax1salenz.com/ . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. Air Max 1 NZ . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity ftball teams. Cheap Nike Shoes NZ . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas players who packed the rm were there to hear their coach speak. Some fought back tears.They heard Charlie Strong plead for a win this week to get their senior teammates to a bowl game. They heard him suggest that a win against TCU might be enough to save his job.And then dozens of them mobbed Strong with hugs amid laughs and praise as a teacher, mentor and builder of men.He doesnt want to fail us, and we dont want to fail him, senior defensive lineman Paul Boyette Jr. said as tears ran down his cheeks. He taught me what it really means to be a man ... My heart hurts for him.Strongs players clearly love him. It may not be enough to save him.Strong faced his weekly news conference on Monday amid reports that he will be fired after Fridays game, the result of a 5-6 record so far this season after last weeks loss to lowly Kansas, and a 16-20 mark over the past three years. The game against TCU (5-5) could be Strongs final game.Next year, I want to come back, Strong said. They said we will be evaluated after that game. I dont know how they will be thinking, but winning that game would help.Athletic director Mike Perrin on Sunday dismissed multiple reports that Strong would be fired as rumors, and said no decision would be made until after the game. Perrin didnt show up at Strongs news conference Monday and neither did schl President Greg Fenves, who has publicly supported Strong but has been silent on his future since the Kansas loss.Strong didnt think a decision on his future was already made and expected schl administrators to live up to that promise.The highest-ranking schl official to attend was Greg Vincent, vice president for diversity and community engagement. Vincent broke through the scrum of players to hug the first black head ftball coach in program history.Whats most important to me as an educator, vice president and professor, is how he develops these young men, Vincent said.Strong has two years and nearly $11 million left on a five-year guaranteed conntract.ddddddddddddHe admitted the wins and losses dont stack up but he tried to make a case Monday that he should stay despite his pr record on the field.He noted key injuries that decimated his first season, top-level recruiting and a two-deep roster packed mostly with freshmen and sophomores that he and his staff brought to Texas. The foundation for greatness is there, he said.This group of guys will win a national championship, Strong said with a nod to the players in the rm. I stand by that statement.But Texas hasnt even been close to winning the Big 12 and may not qualify for a bowl game for the second consecutive year.Strong also said hed evaluate his job tenure not just in wins and losses, but as leader for young men who need a father figure in their lives. When Strong first arrived, he set his core values that included no guns, no drugs, respecting woman and honesty. The discipline message connected with fans as Strong dismissed 10 players in his first year.Theres no direction for a lot of young people, thats part of my job, Strong said. When they leave this place, they know who they are.Wide receiver Jacorey Warrick said a group of older players mobilized to get their teammates to attend the news conference to support their coach.He doesnt have the support of people who are trying to get him out, but the people who really matter, the players, you can see where their support lies, Warrick said.Strongs situation was noted among Big 12 coaches on Monday on their weekly conference call.Kansas coach David Beaty, whose victory pushed Strong to the brink at Texas, called Strong one of the finer individuals that Ive met in college ftball.My heart aches for him -- I mean, it aches for him and his staff, Beaty said.---More AP college ftball: tball.ap.org" target="_blank">www.collegeftball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25---This story corrects spelling of Beaty in last 2 paragraphs. ' ' '