DUNEDIN, Florida – The Yankees roughed up R.A. Dickey on Wednesday afternoon at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, Dickeys final appearance before he throws his second consecutive Opening Day for the Blue Jays. Dickey met with the media to preview the season, discuss the clubs decision to keep Josh Thole over Erik Kratz and outline his plans for the next few days. He will not travel with the team to Montreal. Here is a transcript of the conversation: QUESTION: R.A., kind of one last chance to work a few things out as opposed to looking at it as a regular season game? DICKEY: Oh yeah. Today was not a day about results for me. I mean, ideally, it would be great to get out of there with some clean innings but what was paramount for me was to exercise my arm in a way where I felt good and I was able to use a large range of velocities and mix in pitches that I would never throw during the regular season maybe to put it in their head that thats another weapon that I might use on them later. So I did exactly what I wanted to do. I got my exercise. I came out of spring feeling good. It was a good spring for me. My velocity is there. Now its just a matter of going to work." QUESTION: Not to say anything bad about Kratz but with Thole now being named your guy, I mean he has more experience with you than pretty much any catcher. Is that a good feeling to know that Tholes going to be your guy this year? DICKEY: Yeah. Look, Kratz did a great job. He improved every time out. There is, obviously, no replacement for experience and I think thats probably the angle that the leadership was coming from in making the decision to stick with Thole. Its important for us to get off to a good start, I think, this year and whatevers going to help us do that, so to take that doubt, even if it was just a miniscule doubt, out of the equation completely is good for me. Its good for everybody. QUESTION: But they didnt ask you personally what you thought? DICKEY: No and I didnt want them to. I wanted them to evaluate it on their own. They have enough baseball people in place to be able to see with their own eyes and make the decision accordingly. Thats a tough position for a teammate to be put in and I didnt want any part of it. QUESTION: Are you comfortable throwing to (Kratz) if that happens later in the season? DICKEY: Absolutely. I thought he did a very good job of improving every time out. QUESTION: Are you as ready as you think you can be for your Opening Day assignment? DICKEY: Yes. I feel prepared. I feel confident, which is great. Last year, I didnt feel very confident simply because I didnt feel as prepared. Im really looking forward to getting started and being able to adjust my schedule this year in a way that really maximizes my preparedness has been great. To have the two games where I pitched eight innings and then to have this taper down outing is great. QUESTION: R.A., what are your plans for the two or three days the team is in Montreal? DICKEY: Well, Im going to be hanging back and staying with Josh. Josh is going to stay back. Well throw a bullpen on Friday and then well probably head over together on Saturday, meet the team and it will become regimen after that. The season will begin and Ill just be working out at the minor league complex until its time to go. QUESTION: At the beginning of camp, you were talking about how hopefully somebody steps up and becomes that surprise guy. Now youve got McGowan and Hutchison making the rotation. Has camp pretty much gone as you expected that, you know, you get some kids that come out and maybe a McGowan that no one expected? DICKEY: Yeah, I dont think it ever goes as you expect it to. Theres always a knuckleball thrown in there, you know, for lack of a better word. This year, you know, some guys have been called on to step up that maybe werent expected to. McGowan probably didnt come into spring training thinking he was going to be a starter. He may be our fourth guy in the rotation and great, hes got the stuff for it and I think he wants to do it. Like I said early on, its going to take one or two guys that you dont really count on when you come into camp stepping up and doing something special and weve got those guys in place right now. QUESTION: R.A., the routine you got back to this spring, was it very similar to what you would have done in New York or were their adjustments? DICKEY: No, its almost exactly like 2011, 2012 for me where I was able to pitch a lot early on and then get to a place where I felt comfortable with my stuff and could just go out there and get my exercise that last outing. Again, this outing in particular for me was not at all about results. It was much more just about conditioning. QUESTION: You had that upper back and neck issue, obviously, last year. Was that something that was even bothering you at the end of camp or was that something that didnt really pop up until later? DICKEY: No, I was having to kind of step on the gas. A lot of times you labour to get to where you want to get to and I was labouring last year. This year, I feel like its just coming pretty naturally for me so thats a big encouragement. QUESTION: Is there an overall different feeling with the team as you get set to break camp compared to last year? There was so much going on, expectations were different. Whats the difference in feeling this year? DICKEY: I think the heartbeat is a lot different this year. I think, one, were very comfortable. If I had a word to describe what this camp has been, its been comfortable. Guys really know that this is a big year for us collectively. Were kind of getting a mulligan this year. Last year, a lot of things went wrong. This year, were pretty much all healthy, were here, weve been here all spring, weve been able to do relationship with one another and now were in a much different place than we were last year and its a much more comfortable place. QUESTION: So does that mean it was uncomfortable a year ago? DICKEY: It was for me, sure. I mean, coming in and out of camp, WBC, people flying all over the place, people getting hurt, yeah it was uncomfortable. I dont think it was what anybody wanted last year but every team has to deal with adversity throughout the season. We just were forced to deal with it very early on. Hopefully, this year, we will not have to do that. QUESTION: Your thoughts on pitching Opening Dday. You got to do it last year but theres got to be something special about taking the mound in that first game? DICKEY: Yeah, Ive worked my whole career to try to be trustworthy. I think thats something Ive always longed to be for a team is a trustworthy component. When you get the ball on Opening Day, the manager is saying, We trust you. Thats a special thing and its not something I take lightly at all and so Im very excited and very honoured to have the honour. QUESTION: Getting back to the health issues, did you do anything differently in the offseason to change your conditioning regimen in response or in a way that might curb the possibility of a recurrence? DICKEY: Yeah, I started earlier. I started earlier in the sense that last year, at the World Baseball Classic, I had to be game-ready a lot earlier in the spring than I did this year because youre competing in, basically what it came down to, an Olympic event. You just had to really step on the gas and my body just wasnt ready for that. This year, I didnt have that. I could really take my time and I did take my time. I started a little bit earlier and I was able to pump the brakes a little bit when I needed to and get to a place where I felt very comfortable taking the next step and then the next step. Youre always trying to eliminate excuses. You dont want to have to say, well I dont feel great, or I have a WBC or we werent together. Now were starting to eliminate all those excuses out there that you could hold on to that could make you less than who you should be. So for me, being prepared and being healthy, those are not excuses for me. Adidas NMD Online Italia . Defenceman Tessa Bonhomme was among three players released from the team Tuesday morning along with defenceman Brigette Lacquette of Waterhen, Man. NMD Scontate Outlet . -- The Kelowna Rockets earned their 16th straight win with a 7-2 rout of the Portland Winterhawks in Western Hockey League action Thursday. http://www.adidasnmditalia.it/. And thats about it. After the Salukis 73-65 loss at Murray State on Tuesday night, Hinson called his players "uncoachable," "a bunch of mamas boys" and compared the disciplining of his young team to housebreaking a puppy. Adidas NMD Scontate . - Florida State has suspended Jameis Winston for the entire game against Clemson on Saturday, extending its initial punishment of one half after the quarterback made offensive and vulgar comments about female anatomy earlier this week. NMD Outlet Italia . -- The Atlanta Braves are facing the possibility of losing another pitcher for the season after general manager Frank Wren said Saturday that Cory Gearrin has a serious injury to his right elbow.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Marc-Andre Fleury made 35 saves in his 30th NHL shutout, and Chris Kunitz had two goals in a three-point game to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 on Thursday night.Kris Letang scored his first goal of the season, and Evgeni Malkin became the fifth player in team history to register 400 assists as the Penguins used their dominant power play and a steady performance from Fleury to hand the defending champion Kings just their second regulation loss.Pittsburgh went 2 for 6 with the man advantage, including two first-period goals that put the Kings on their heels.Martin Jones made 20 saves for Los Angeles, but the Kings failed to score for the second time in 10 games this season. The Kings lost in regulation for just the second time this season.DEVILS 2, JETS 1, SONEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jacob Josefson scored the lone goal in the shootout, and Cory Schneider made it stand up as New Jersey ended its tiebreaker frustration with a come-from-behind victory over Winnipeg.Michael Ryder forced overtime for New Jersey, scoring the tying goal with 3:27 left in regulation. The Devils earned the shootout victory after losing all 13 last season and one other this season.Josefson, the Devils second shootout shooter, lifted a shot over sprawling goalie Ondrej Pavelec.New Jersey earned its first home victory in four games and snapped the Jets two-game winning streak.Blake Wheeler, who led the Jets with 28 goals last season, netted his fourth of the season in the first period.BRUINS 3, SABRES 2, OTBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Brad Marchand had two goals, including the winner 1:20 into overtime, and Boston earned its third straight road victory by beating Buffalo.Drew Stafford and Tyler Ennis each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who are 0-4-1 at home this season.Marchand added an assist on Adam McQuaids goal for the Bruins. Niklas Svedberg made 13 saves for his second win of the season, both coming against Buffalo.Jhonas Enroth made 34 saves for the Sabres.Marchands tying goal at 14:30 of the third period was reviewed after he redirected Loui Erikssons shot past Enroth with his hand.LIGHTNING 4, FLYERS 3TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Steven Stamkos had two goals and an assist, and Tampa Bay beat Philadelphia.Vladislav Namestnikov and Jason Garrison scored the other Lightning goals. Tampa Bay has defeated the Flyers seven straight times at home, dating to February 2011.Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek and Michael Raffl netted goals for the Flyers, who had won three in a row.After Stamkos gave Tampa Bay a 3-1 lead with his eighth goal this season from the left circle at 5:30 of the third, Voraceks in-close shot made it a one-goal game again 68 seconds later.Garrison made it 4-2, snapping his 28-game goal drought, on the power play with 3:12 to play. Raffl cut the Flyers deficit back to one in the final minute.Stamkos had put the Lightning ahead 2-1 during a power play with 45.7 seconds remaining in the second period.PANTHERS 2, COYOTES 1SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Scottie Upshall scored 10:56 into the third period, Roberto Luongo made 32 saves in front of another small crowd, and Florida edged Arizona.The announced crowd was 7,691, just 380 more than the franchise-record low of 7,311 that watched the Panthers play Ottawa on Oct. 13th.Brandon Pirri tied it for Florida at 5:37 of the second period with a power-play goal. Jussi Jokinen and Erik Gudbranson had the assists.Coyotes goalie Mike Smith stopped 24 shots.Martin Hanzal gave Arizona a 1-0 lead with 2:33 left in the first period during a power play off assists fromm Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle.ddddddddddddBLACKHAWKS 5, SENATORS 4, SOOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Marian Hossa had a goal and an assist in Chicagos shootout win over Ottawa, reaching two milestones in the city in which he started his NHL career back in 1997.Patrick Sharp scored the only goal of the shootout. Jonathan Toews scored twice for Chicago (6-3-1), and Kris Versteeg added a goal. Scott Darling turned aside 28 shots for the win.Mark Stone, Clarke MacArthur, Bobby Ryan and Mika Zibanejad had goals for Ottawa (5-2-2). Craig Anderson made 35 saves.Hossas goal at 13:50 of the third period was his second of the season and his 1,000th career point. It came in his 1,100th NHL game.The goal was one of four in a third-period outburst between the teams that entered the frame tied 2-2.BLUES 2, DUCKS 0ST. LOUIS (AP) — Alexander Steen and Ryan Reaves scored, and Jake Allen stopped 24 shots in his second NHL shutout, leading St. Louis over Anaheim.The Blues (5-3-1) won their third consecutive game despite playing without four of their top nine forwards. David Backes and T.J. Oshie sat out because of concussions, Paul Stastny was sidelined by a shoulder injury, and Joakim Lindstrom missed the game due to an illness.The Ducks (8-3) played the second game of a four-game, six-day trip. Anaheim had won four straight against the Blues, including a 3-0 home victory on Oct. 19.Steen tipped in a long shot from Carl Gunnarsson for his second of the season 4:29 in. Reaves made it 2-0 with his second at 2:03 of the third.It was the second goal in three games for Reaves, a fourth-line enforcer, and his 13th in 203 career NHL games.Allen (2-1) posted his first shutout since March 14, 2013.WILD 4, SHARKS 3, SOST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville scored in the shootout to lift Minnesota over San Jose.Kyle Brodziak scored twice in the third period, and Koivu had a goal in the second for Minnesota, which for the second straight game overcame a 3-1, third-period deficit to win.The Wild rallied to win 4-3 Tuesday at Boston, one night after allowing five third-period goals in a 5-4 road loss to the New York Rangers.Joe Thornton, Tommy Wingels and Mirco Mueller scored for the Sharks. Antti Niemi made a career-high 43 saves.AVALANCHE 5, ISLANDERS 0DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored his first two goals of the season and Semyon Varlamov stopped 40 shots for his 14th NHL shutout, lifting Colorado over the New York Islanders.MacKinnon, the 19-year-old reigning rookie of the year, netted both of his goals in the second period, one on a power play. He later tipped a shot past goalie Chad Johnson.Cody McLeod and Marc-Andre Cliche also scored their first goals of the season. Erik Johnson added another in the third period.Varlamov was sharp against the Islanders, one of the NHLs highest scoring teams. It was his first shutout since April 5 at St. Louis.The Avalanche took command with a three-goal second period.The Islanders struggled on the power play, going 0-for-6.CANUCKS 3, CANADIENS 2, OTVANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Daniel Sedin scored a power-play goal 2:45 into overtime, off an assist from twin brother Henrik, and Vancouver bounced back from a blown lead and beat Montreal.Daniel took a feed from Henrik off the rush and scored against Carey Price for his third goal of the season after the Canucks squandered a 2-0 lead in the third period.Nick Bonino and Brad Richardson scored for Vancouver (7-3). Ryan Miller made 28 saves.Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty had goals for Montreal (8-2-1), and Price stopped 22 shots. Wholesale HoodiesNFL Shirts OutletJerseys NFL WholesaleCheap NFL Jerseys Free ShippingWholesale Jerseys CheapCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '