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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Theo Epstein is rising to a new reality.For the last few years Ive had a semi-recurring dream, maybe five or six times, where Ive woken up, wow, we just won the World Series with the Cubs. Thats unbelievable, he recalled Monday night.And then about 10 seconds later I realize it was just a dream, and then the rest of the day stinks, right? Its a pretty great feeling and then back to reality. The last five days or whatever its been, Ive been waking up with the same realization and then it takes a couple seconds. Wow! It really happened!Days after the team he designed ended a long championship drought, Epstein was voted The Sporting News Major League Baseball Executive of the Year for revitalizing the Chicago Cubs.Balloting by 56 big league executives took place before the postseason. The Cubs led the majors with 103 wins during the regular season, then beat Cleveland in a seven-game World Series last week for their first title since 1908.During the parade I kept telling my wife we need to go home to change some diapers and do some laundry, because this is not real life, he said. Weve got to get our feet back on the ground.Epstein was presented with the award at the start of the annual general managers meeting. He received 13 votes, followed by Clevelands Chris Antonetti (nine), the New York Yankees Brian Cashman (eight), Texas Jon Daniels (seven), Clevelands Mike Chernoff and Washingtons Mike Rizzo (three each), and Baltimores Dan Duquette and the Cubs Jed Hoyer (two apiece).Now 42, Epstein was the youngest general manager in major league history when Boston hired him at age 28 in November 2002. He helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series, their first title since 1918, and a second championship in 2007.Winning at 42 vs. 30, I have a greater appreciation for how hard it is and how many people have to contribute and how lucky you have to get along the way, too, he said.Epstein left Boston after the 2011 season to become president of baseball operations with the Cubs, who lost 91 games that year. As he rebuilt the team, the Cubs dropped 101 games in 2012, 96 the following year and 89 in 2014. They won 97 games last year to gain a wild card, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2008 only to get swept by the New York Mets in the NL Championship Series.This year, Chicago defeated San Francisco in the Division Series, overcame a 2-1 deficit against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series and then became the first team to rally from a 3-1 World Series deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Royals.Chicagos 10th-inning rally in Game 7 was sparked by Albert Almora Jr., the first player drafted under Epsteins regime, taken sixth overall in 2012. Third baseman Kris Bryant was drafted in 2013 and outfielder Kyle Schwarber in 2014, and the Cubs traded for pitcher Jake Arrieta (from Baltimore), first baseman Anthony Rizzo (San Diego) and shortstop Addison Russell (Oakland).Jon Lester was signed as a free agent after the 2014 season and fellow pitcher John Lackey, all-purpose player Ben Zobrist and outfielders Dexter Fowler and Jason Heyward were signed last offseason.Chicago gave Epstein a new five-year contract in September. Now the challenge is to win two in a row and match the 1907-08 Cubs.It does make you hungry just to validate it. When you can win two, I think it means even more, he said. Wed love to be the type of organization that national baseball fans think of when you think of October baseball.Aroldis Chapman, Fowler, Jason Hammel and Travis Wood have become free agents. Epstein already has been thinking about roster alterations.The mix has to change a little bit, he said. If you look to just bring back every single component and try to recreate the past, its going to change by definition. Group dynamics change. Human beings change. And so maybe its better to change it in some small ways on your terms and some intent behind it rather than just let it come back exactly the same and be stale. ... Well make some smaller changes, but I do have a feeling this nucleus is going to stay intact a lot longer than what we did in Boston.Founded in 1886, TSN ended its print edition in 2012 but remains available online.Dennis Rodman Jersey . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. Jerry West Jersey . 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Nick Van Exel Jersey . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss.The Buffalo Bills have been the most dominant team in the AFC during the past month, winning four games in a row by an average of more than 17 points.Buffalo has also beaten AFC East rival Miami in five of the last six meetings (four in blowout fashion), and coach Rex Ryan has won his last four trips to Miami, dating to his time with the New York Jets.The Dolphins (2-4) will try to reverse those trends when they host the Bills (4-2) on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.The Bills are on a four-game winning streak for the first time since the start of the 2008 season and have not won five in a row since 2004.We know that we have a job to do in front of us this week, and those four games that we won in a row mean nothing, Ryan said. We have to win this one. Were trying to win one game in a row this week, and thats kind of our approach to it.Buffalo has taken a winning record into a game at Miami four times since 2000 and lost all four of those games.Miami is 8-17 in division games since 2011, including a 31-24 loss in New England earlier this season. The Bills are the only team to defeat the Patriots this season, 16-0 in Foxboro, Mass.The Dolphins are trending up after opening a four-game homestand last week with a 30-15 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.AFC Offensive Player of the Week Jay Ajayi rushed for 204 yards, the most by any player in the NFL this season. Ryan Tannehill did not turn the ball over and was not sacked for the first time this season, and the defense produced two sacks and two takeaways while holding the Steelers to 297 yards.But Miami coach Adam Gase cautioned against using past results to predict future performance.Every week is so different, and you never know what team is going to come out on top every week, Gase said. It doesnt matter where you are ranked in the power rankings. Nobody cares on Sunday. Its about guys going out there and doing their job and being ready for that game.Buffalo leads the NFL in rushing for the second strraight season, averaging 166.dddddddddddd3 yards per game, and 211.8 yards in the four weeks since Ryan fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman and elevated running backs coach Anthony Lynn. The Bills 312 rushing yards in last weeks 45-16 win over the San Francisco 49ers was their highest output since 1992 and the most by any team in the past two seasons.Stopping the Bills ground game figures to be a daunting task for the Dolphins 31st-ranked run defense.Its a daunting task to play football in the NFL, Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake said. No matter which team youre playing, which week youre playing, youre going to be playing against the best of the best, the best to do it ever, the best in the world, so on and so on and so on.We did it last week and were going to do it next week and the week after. Thats just what happens when you play in this league.The Bills, however, have some uncertainty in the backfield after Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy was unable to finish Wednesdays practice because of a tight hamstring. McCoy ranks second in the NFL in rushing with 597 yards and first in yards per carry (5.6) among running backs with at least 50 carries.McCoys backup, Mike Gillislee, is averaging 6.8 yards per carry and Tyrod Taylor is averaging 6.8 (fifth among quarterbacks). But as center Eric Wood noted, McCoy is one of the best players in the league and were a lot better with him than we are without him.Pro Bowl defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is dealing with a hamstring injury and questionable to make his season debut Sunday.Im leaving it up to the trainers, Dareus said. Were taking things slow, but at the same time, were making sure we dont fall backwards.Robert Woods, the Bills top receiver with Sammy Watkins on injured reserve for at least another month, has been wearing a walking boot on his left foot this week. ' ' '