KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Once the new year rolled around, Ned Yost turned his attention to the upcoming season, the new pieces that the Kansas City Royals brought in and the possibilities for new lineups.He made the prospect of a contract extension seem almost like an afterthought.I think were in great shape headed into this year, Yost said Tuesday, shortly after the club announced their managers one-year boost through the 2016 season.We came as close as you can to winning a world championship last year, he said, and when you dont do it, it leaves a taste in your mouth. Its something you strive to do, and I think everyone in that locker room will tell you they want to finish this thing off.Yost became the Royals manager in May 2010 and presided over a massive rebuilding effort that culminated with the end of a 29-year playoff drought this past season. The Royals took San Francisco to the seventh game of the World Series, leaving the tying run on third base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, before their season finally ended.With most of the major pieces of that team back, combined with free-agent acquisitions such as Alex Rios, Kendrys Morales and Edinson Volquez, hopes in Kansas City are higher than ever that the long-downtrodden franchise will be able to compete for the post-season again.As we all know, baseball is a very tough business, Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. Youre always striving for organizational harmony, and we have our key leaders — in this case the manager — signed through the next two years, it helps to create that harmony.The longest-tenured manager in club history, Yost will soon become its winningest. He already has 373 victories, trailing only Dick Howser (404) and Whitey Herzog (410), and should eclipse two of the franchises iconic names by the time summer rolls around.Yosts contract was due to expire after the upcoming season, but there was little question that he would receive an extension. He has a close relationship with Moore dating to their days in the Braves organization, and Yosts ability to guide a young and unproven lineup to its first AL pennant since the Reagan administration only strengthened his organizational standing.Not everything has gone perfectly for Yost, of course.He has often been lampooned for his in-game adjustments, including a questionable decision to use starter Yordano Ventura out of the bullpen in the playoffs. And his often-surly nature, which has seemed to mellow with time, has drawn the ire of some longtime Royals fans.He came to our organization in a point in time when we needed to be re-energized, and Ned brought a lot of hope and optimism, Moore said. Those are the character traits that we believe are very important for a successful major league manager.Yost said hes been busier this off-season than ever, doing appearances and events just about every weekend since the season ended. But even as he sat in a deer stand on Tuesday, waiting for something worth shooting to amble by, his thoughts were already on the upcoming season.I go back and I look at the World Series and theres not much I would have done different, Yost said. I feel like we were in every single game. You look at the matchups we had, the situations that ended up costing us, they were all matchups we wanted. ... They just didnt work out. But you still have that taste, you know? You were that close to winning the World Series. Taylor Rapp Rams Jersey . And Richard Bachman, their rookie goalie, is facing a penalty shot a few seconds after the opening face-off. No pressure, right? Bachman stood his ground against Zack Kassian and saw the puck dribble off the Canuck rookies stick, then settled in and backstopped the Stars to a 5-2 win over Vancouver Tuesday that put Dallas in first place in the Pacific Division. Deacon Jones Youth Jersey . "It was awesome," he said. Coming off an ugly three-game sweep at the hands of the Yankees, Toronto found itself in a deep hole early after the Reds put an eight spot up on starter Liam Hendriks (six runs in 1 2/3 innings pitched) and Todd Redmond in the second. http://www.laramsfootballshops.com/tyler-higbee-jersey/. And former Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson certainly knows his pain. "Its pretty hard to coach there without allowing some of these things to kind of affect you," Wilson told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in his ESPN. Torry Holt Youth Jersey . Amid a rain of confetti, Shabazz Napier basked in the celebration on the court after being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four following the 60-54 win over Kentucky. Andrew Whitworth Youth Jersey .com) - Robert Martin and Josh Hicks combined for more than 300 yards rushing and three touchdowns, as Rutgers rolled past North Carolina, 40-21, in the Quick Lane Bowl.LAS VEGAS -- Oddsmakers had trouble picking the favourite in what figures to be one of the most evenly matched -- and heavily bet -- Super Bowls ever. Bettors knew who they wanted, though, putting early money on Denver and making the Broncos a slight favourite to beat the Seattle Seahawks in most of this citys legal betting parlours. Denver was favoured by 1 point at several books in the early betting, while others had the Broncos as high as a 3-point pick. The move to the Broncos came after some books had initially made the Seahawks as much as a 2-point pick in the game. "Were just trying to figure out what the market will be and get a feel of where money will go," said Jay Kornegay, who runs the LVH sports book and initially had the Seahawks favoured. "At this point it doesnt take a lot to move the line." At the South Point sports book, Jimmy Vaccaro was on the phone talking about where he thought the line was going to go when a bettor came to the window and put $25,000 on the Broncos. That moved the game from pick em to the Broncos being favoured by 1 point, as the odds were adjusted to take in the bet. "Take your best shot," Vaccaro said. "Its an intriguing matchup with no clear cut favourite." Time was just running out in Seattles win over the San Francisco 49ers when the first odds for the Super Bowl were posted at most books. Bettors quickly reacted by putting most of the early money on the Broncos in an initial burst oof enthusiasm for a game so even that some think it will break the record of $98.dddddddddddd9 million bet in Nevadas legal sports books last year. "Its incredible already, theyre lined up betting this game like it started a half hour from now," Vaccaro said. "If we dont do $100 million on this game Id be really puzzled." Kornegay said he made the Seahawks a 2-point favourite in his opening line because the Seahawks have a slightly higher power rating than the Broncos and a defence that might be the key in a game played outdoors in what could be cold temperatures. "With the game being in New York and the early forecast for below normal temperatures that favours a defensive team," he said. "It also favours a running team and thats certainly an advantage to the Seahawks." Bettors, though, liked Peyton Manning and his chances of winning another Super Bowl, and they didnt wait long to bet the Broncos. Sports books adjust the line to try to balance money on each team, and the LVH went from posting Seattle as a 2-point favourite to Denver being favoured by 1 point in less than an hour. Most big bettors -- the so-called "sharps" who can move a line all by themselves -- wait until much closer to the game before placing their bets. "Its all small stuff now," Vaccaro said. "The smart guys are not going to grab either side right now until they see how this shakes out." 23:41ET 19-01-14 ' ' '