HOUSTON -- Tracy McGrady wants to follow Michael Jordans path to the national pastime. The retired seven-time NBA All-Star is aiming to become a baseball player, and plans to try pitching for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League. Thats the same team that Roger Clemens pitched for a couple of years ago. Jordan famously played in the Chicago White Sox organization in 1994 during his first retirement from basketball, reaching the Double-A level. A statement from the Skeeters says that it is a "lifelong dream" of McGradys to play baseball. "McGrady has demonstrated skill, determination and diligence during his training program," the statement said. "We look forward to monitoring his progress." The 34-year-old McGrady played for several teams, including the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He last played in the NBA in the 2011-12 season. The Skeeters last made national headlines when Clemens pitched two games for them in 2012 at age 50. McGrady made seven consecutive All-Star games from 2001-07. The 6-foot-8 McGrady, natural right-hander, was drafted out of high school with the ninth overall pick in 1997 by the Toronto Raptors. He spent his first three seasons with the Raptors before becoming a star with the Magic. He spent four years with the Magic and led the NBA scoring in both the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons. He then joined the Rockets where he teamed with Yao Ming to help Houston to three playoff appearances. McGrady played for the Knicks, Detroit and Atlanta after a six-year stint with the Rockets. He retired with more than 18,000 points and more than 5,000 rebounds in his career. ... Lite Racer Neo . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. [url=http://www.adisuperstardamen.de/air-max-2016/air-max-2016-damen.html]http:/... . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. [url=http://www.adisuperstardamen.de/adidas-neo-trainers.html]Adidas Neo Schuhe Damen . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. Adidas Schuhe Weiß Damen . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. Bonino scored the tying goal with 2:02 left in the third period, Jakob Silfverberg scored the deciding goal in the sixth round of the shootout and Jonas Hiller made 30 saves to lead the Ducks to a 3-2 victory over the Coyotes on Friday night. The defending Pacific Division champions are off to their best start in franchise history, winning six straight following a 6-1 loss at Colorado on opening night. Its also the first time the club has started 4-0 at home. "Last year we found ways to win no matter how we played, so its familiar to us," Bonino said. "I think everyone in here will agree that the last two games havent our best games or our sharpest games, but winning teams find ways to win no matter how ugly it is." Rostislav Klesla got his first goal of the season, Antoine Vermette also scored and Mike Smith made 37 saves for the Coyotes. "We were scared to win. That is not how you finish off hockey games," Smith said. "We were solid up until the third period, then we went out in the third and had six shots and let them come. When you give that team the chances that we gave them, sooner or later its going to get the back of the net." The Ducks were pressing for the equalizer in the Coyotes zone when Bonino threw the puck toward the net from the right point, and 6-foot-4 teammate Dustin Penner ducked his head in the low slot as it drifted past Smiths stick. "When they got the lead, they shut us down pretty good. But we continued to fight," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "This is what this group did all last year going into the third. We havent had to do it this year until tonight, but we know theyre capable of doing it. Even though it was a fluky goal, or whatever, they did it. It says that weve got character and dont want to quit. We had a lot of great chances tonight and could have scored a lot more goals." Coyotes defenceman Keith Yandle received a double-minor for cutting Daniel Wiinnik with a high stick 30 seconds before the first intermission with Anaheim leading 1-0 on Teemu Selannes goal, but Smith stopped all seven shots he faced during the ensuing four-minute power play.dddddddddddd The Ducks finished 0 for 4 with the man advantage, and are a league-worst 1 for 27. "Thats not where we want to be on the power play, but weve survived," Silfverberg said. "Today maybe wasnt our best game again, but we played really good defensively and we didnt give up too many chances." Klesla gave the Coyotes a 2-1 lead 7:54 into the third period with a screened 50-foot slap shot from the left point against Hiller, who thwarted all six Phoenix power plays. The Ducks were playing keepaway in their own zone about 9 minutes into the second period when Francois Beauchemin passed the puck behind the net to defence partner Hampus Lindholm -- and it ricocheted off Lindholms skate right to a Phoenix captain Shane Doan in the low slot. Hiller turned aside Doans quick wrist shot, but the Coyotes tied the score at 11:11 of the period. Yandle got the puck from Mike Ribeiro about 40 feet from the net and set up Vermette at the left of the crease. "We werent playing scared, but we didnt play as well once we had the lead," Doan said. "They obviously picked up their intensity a little bit more when they were down one." The Ducks didnt get their second shot on net until the 6:38 mark, but Selanne made it count with his second goal of the season and 677th of his career. NOTES: Frederik Andersen served as Hillers backup after getting recalled from Norfolk of the AHL. Viktor Fasth, who made 33 saves in Wednesdays 3-2 win over Calgary, did not dress because of a lower-body injury that occurred toward the end of Thursdays practice. ... Anaheim and the New Jersey Devils are the only teams in the league that have yet to get a goal from a defenceman. ... Sundays home game against Dallas will be the Ducks first meeting with their longtime Pacific Division rivals since the off-season realignment that reduced the league from six to four divisions and put the Stars in the Central Division. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '