Gausman. Gardner is hitting .318 in 22 at-bats against the righ

The showman in Kevin Greene sometimes overshadowed the football player. Not that the outside linebacker who spent 15 seasons posing over fallen quarterbacks seemed to care.There was the preening after most of his 160 career sacks, third most in NFL history. The side gig in professional wrestling. The unmistakable untamed blonde hair. The mouth that didnt seem to have an off switch, be it on the field, in the locker room or in life.The image Greene carefully cultivated as a hell raiser for four teams from 1985-99 belied the ardent student underneath. How else to explain how a former walk-on at Auburn molded himself into a 6-foot-3, 247-pound force of nature, one that now finds himself in the rarest company of all: the Hall of Fame?I wasnt the biggest (and) I wasnt fastest, Greene said. But as long as you have a motor, you have heart ... that will overcome any physical limitations.Outsmarting opponents helps. For all of Greenes considerable charisma, the most important moments of his career often came in silent film sessions far away from the cameras as he searched for weaknesses to exploit.I figured out how to pass rush, Greene said. I figured out how to put a guy, an offensive tackle three to four inches taller, 80 pounds heavier, put him in a position of failure, and I did that.Over and over again.Perhaps the most startling aspects of Greenes time with the Rams, Steelers, 49ers and Panthers were his durability and productivity. He missed just a dozen games at a position where longevity is fleeting. Ten times he finished with at least 10 sacks, including 12 with Carolina in his final season in 1999 at age 37.Kevin to me represents all the things you want in a Hall of Famer: great work ethic, passion and love for the game, great consistency, said longtime NFL coach Dom Capers, who will present Greene for induction. He brought that energy and enthusiasm into the locker room every Sunday.It occasionally bubbled over, but that energy is what set Greene apart. There were days while Capers was coaching the Panthers -- where Greene served as both outside linebacker and coach-in-training -- when Capers would wring his hands over how to set the proper emotional tone. Turns out, he neednt have bothered.You always worried if you have the right things to say before a game, Capers said. But I never had to worry about that because Kevin would have that locker room so wired up before we took the field.Call it the byproduct of a fervent devotion that extended far beyond mere Xs and Os. Teammates were brothers. The players he led while spending five seasons as a linebackers coach in Green Bay from 2009-13 were his boys.The way he approached the game is the way he approached life, said Packers linebacker Clay Matthews. It might rub some people the wrong way as far as how he went about his business. But at the same time, he coached us for truly the love of the game. It wasnt about the money. It wasnt about the fame.That doesnt mean Greene was averse to chasing glory. He played eight seasons for the Rams, playing with a brazen style that seemed like a perfect fit in glitzy Los Angeles. Yet one season under taciturn Chuck Knox in 1992 left him cold. He planned an expansive tour when he hit free agency in the spring of 1993. It didnt last long. One trip through the Fort Pitt tunnel -- with downtown Pittsburgh exploding into view as he crossed the confluence of the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers -- and a brief chat with Steelers coach Bill Cowher did the trick.I knew 15 minutes talking to coach Cowher, Id found my home, Greene said.Serving as a tag-team partner with fellow outside linebacker Greg Lloyd, Greene led a revival of the Steel Curtain defense that propelled Pittsburgh to three straight playoff berths and a spot in the 1996 Super Bowl.While the ultimate prize never materialized and he left for Carolina after the season, theres little doubt where Greene considers his true NFL home. Greene will receive his Hall of Fame ring during a halftime ceremony at Heinz Field on Oct. 2 when the Steelers host Kansas City.I really bleed black and gold, he said. That really was the pinnacle of my career. We just crushed people. We had the right attitudes on defense.One that began with Greene and Lloyd and cascaded down the roster.His intensity, his leadership, his productivity on the field, was Hall-of-Fame quality, said former Steelers safety turned coach Carnell Lake. From classroom work to offseason conditioning, hes what you wanted in a teammate.And in a coach too. Matthews credits Greene for turning him into a perennial Pro Bowler with the Packers, one whose football life closely mirrors that of his mentor. A former college walk-on like Greene, Matthews found a kindred spirit when he arrived in Green Bay in 2009.I felt like we really kind of hit it off just being guys who were looked down upon and not expecting much, Matthews said. I think ultimately, he wanted to go out there and prove not only did he belong, but he was the best at doing it.And if you didnt like the way -- or the volume -- with which he did it, that was your problem.---AP Sports Writer Genaro Armas in Green Bay, Wisconsin contributed to this report.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Custom Yankees Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Wholesale Custom Yankees Shirts . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. http://www.customyankeesjersey.com/ .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Custom Yankees Jersey China . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. Custom Yankees Jerseys . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. BALTIMORE -- Veteran left-hander CC Sabathia has had a distinguished career since signing with to the New York Yankees in 2009.Several members of the Baltimore Orioles have enjoyed success against Sabathia in many American League East battles.And Baltimores veterans have a large sample size against Sabathia, who enters Saturdays start at Camden Yards with a record of 8-11 and a 4.31 ERA this season.Third baseman Manny Machado has 40 at-bats against Sabathia and is hitting .325.Shortstop J.J. Hardy has an average of .343 in 35 at-bats against the New York lefty while center fielder Adam Jones, who has missed several games with a hamstring issue, has an average of .235 with two homers in 34 at-bats against Sabathia over the past five years.Chris Davis is batting .188 with one homer in 32 at-bats against Sabathia. Steve Pearce, acquired recently from the Tampa Bay Rays, is hitting .333 in 18 at-bats while Nolan Reimold, another right-handed batter, is hitting .286 in 21 at-bats against Sabathia and homered off him in the sixth inning Sunday in New York.The New York starter is 19-9 with a 3.35 ERA in his career against the Orioles, with a mark of 11-6, 3.51 at Baltimore. He is 14-9 with the Yankees against the Birds in his career. He is one of 10 pitchers in the modern era to make 200 starts with two different clubs and he is the active MLB leader in strikeouts (2,699) and complete games (38).Sabathia allowed three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings against the Orioles on Sunday in New York but was saddled with the 5-0 loss. He fanned eight in that game and exited with a 1-0 lead before Adam Warren allowed a two-run single to Pearce in the seventh.The Yankees will need some innings from the Sabathia Chad Green left after 1 2/3 innings due to right elbow pain in Fridays 8-0 loss.It was just something I didnt feel was right so I thought I should say something. Hopefully its nothing too serious, but well see tomorrow, Green said. I dont know when it actually happened, but at some point in the inning I just couldnt...breaking ball didnt feel right coming out of my hand. Fastball didnt feel right.Green gavve up four runs in 1 2/3 innings as the Yankees had getting just two hits off Dylan Bundy and two relievers.ddddddddddddTomorrows game is really important, Yankees manager Joe Girardi saidAdded Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner: Tomorrows obviously a very important game. Its a very important series this weekend against the Orioles and today obviously didnt go our way.The Yankees are 3 1/2 games out of the second wild card spot and have gone scoreless in their last 18 innings against the Orioles after scoring 27 times in the first two games last weekend at Yankee Stadium.Are the Yankees in danger of falling out of the post-season hunt?Kevin Gausman is responsible for keeping the Yankees off the scoreboard and starts Saturday. He improved to 6-10 with a 3.73 ERA when he pitched seven effective innings in Baltimores 5-0 win in New York.That was probably as good as Ive seen him, Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said.Jacoby Ellsbury is hitting .160 in 25 at-bats against Gausman. Gardner is hitting .318 in 22 at-bats against the right-hander while Brian McCann is hitting .182 in 22 at-bats while Chase Headley is at .273 in 11 trips to the plate.Lost in the four homers hit by the Orioles on Friday and the shutout pitching of starter Dylan Bundy and the bullpen was the infield defense.?? Manny Machado made a fine diving catch and a nice throw to retire a runner as first baseman Chris Davis made a nice pick in the dirt.Second baseman Jonathan Schoop went up the middle to rob Starlin Castro of a hit in the second with a strong throw to Davis.Jonathan made a great play up the middle, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. Chris Davis had a short hop.If Gausman can let his fielders do the work Saturday and the Orioles continue to hit homers at historic levels the Yankees could be hard pressed to stay in the playoff hunt even with veteran Sabathia on the mound.The Orioles are three games games back of the first-place Blue Jays and are now 3 1/2 games ahead of the fourth-place Yankees. ' ' '