TORONTO - After months of speculation, the Toronto Blue Jays announced Monday that longtime president Paul Beeston will be returning for one more year.Beeston signed a contract extension with the club and plans to retire at the end of the 2015 campaign, team owner Rogers Communications said in a release.Beestons contract expired in October, and there was uncertainty about whether or not he would be back with several media reports claiming the Blue Jays were looking for his replacement.Jays chairman Edward Rogers said the team had been in discussions about Beestons future since his contract ended.There were many rumours flying about, but it would have been inappropriate to comment on such matters publicly, Rogers said. Make no mistake — we are elated to have Paul continue to lead the team for this season.His successor will start when he retires, the release said.We will not be commenting on the succession process or timing, Rogers said.The 69-year-old Beeston was the first Blue Jays employee in 1976 and has been with the ball club for 31 years, winning two World Series titles with the team.I love this ball club and the fans, said Beeston. I wake up every day thinking about the game and bringing another championship north of the border. Im excited for the season ahead — weve got a great group of guys who are fiercely competitive and hope to be playing ball in October.Toronto made a splash in the off-season by adding Canadian catcher Russell Martin and third baseman Josh Donaldson to an already potent lineup. However the strength and depth of the bullpen remains the biggest question mark moving forward. The Blue Jays are without a proven closer at the moment after parting ways with Casey Janssen.Beeston, a native of Welland, Ont., was named team president and chief operating officer in 1989 and chief executive officer in 1991. The Blue Jays won World Series titles in 1992 and 1993 but havent been to the post-season since.He left the team in 1997 to serve as chief operating officer in Major League Baseballs commissioners office, holding that role until 2002. Beeston later returned to the Blue Jays and was named team president and CEO in October 2009 after taking over the day-to-day operations of the club on an interim basis a year earlier after Paul Godfreys departure.General manager J.P. Ricciardi was fired near the end of the 2009 season and Beeston promoted assistant GM Alex Anthopoulos to the position. Together, they presented a long-term vision of a team that would consistently contend.Anthopoulos went to work by trading longtime ace Roy Halladay, overhauling the scouting and player development system and shuffling the coaching staff.However, the franchises long run of mediocrity has continued. The Blue Jays have either struggled or finished near the .500 mark since the changes were made.Anthopoulos made his biggest splash after the 2012 season. He acquired Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins and added N.L. Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey in a deal with the New York Mets.With expectations sky-high, the Blue Jays fell flat and finished the 2013 campaign with a 74-88 mark.This past season, Toronto enjoyed a solid first half before fading after the all-star break. The Blue Jays settled for an 83-79 record and third-place finish in the American League East. Rasheed Wallace Jersey . The Brazilian heads into Saturday afternoons race coming off a close runner-up finish to Ryan Hunter-Reay in the Indianapolis 500. Mario Hezonja Jersey . -- Syracuse was dangerously close to letting another less talented opponent pull off the upset when C. https://www.cheapblazersonline.com/1338i...ey-blazers.html. -- Downcast before the final game of what had been a difficult road trip, the Ottawa Senators found a way to dig out a little momentum in the desert before heading home. Scottie Pippen Jersey . -- Dane Fox scored his 61st and 62nd goals of the season and Brendan Gaunce had a goal and three assists as the Erie Otters downed the Kitchener Rangers 7-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Theo Ratliff Jersey . It was the first game back in Columbus for Rangers star Rick Nash, the Blue Jackets franchise leader in goals, assists and games. He was given a standing ovation during a video tribute in the first period, but was booed loud and long after a second-period, two-handed shove up high on Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Raptors look to distance themselves from the Brooklyn Nets in the Atlantic Division standings when the two teams collide Monday at Barclays Center. Watch the Raptors vs. Nets live tonight on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Raptors are four games ahead of Brooklyn for the division lead and have won two of the first three matchups this season, including a 104-103 triumph in the Empire State on Jan. 27. Mondays game should be an exciting one for how close the Raptors and Nets are in the Eastern Conference standings. Toronto will end a quick road trip against the Nets and posted a 111-104 victory Sunday in Minnesota, as DeMar DeRozan led the way with 25 points and Kyle Lowry followed with a triple-double of 20 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. "Kyle and DeMar down the stretch really turned it on," said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. "Kyles triple-double was huge for us. We needed all of his assists, all of his buckets and all of his rebounds." Terrence Ross, Amir Johnson and Steve Novak all scored 15 points for the Raptors, winners in three straight and nine of 11 games. Success beyond the 3- point line aided the Raptors, who sank 14-of-24 from long distance. Novak was 5-of-6 beyond the arc. "They shot the heck out of it from 3," said Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman. "Itts a game we just didnt do enough to win.dddddddddddd" Toronto is 17-14 on the road and unbeaten in three straight as the guest. They are third in the East standings -- one game ahead of Chicago and four in front of Brooklyn -- and will start a three-game homestand Wednesday versus Detroit, Memphis and Phoenix. Brooklyn is sixth in the conference standings and 1 1/2 games behind Washington. It will shoot for a seventh straight win at home with the Raptors in town and handed the Sacramento Kings a 104-89 defeat Sunday. Former King Marcus Thornton scored 27 points off the bench and Joe Johnson added 18. Deron Williams ended with 10 points and seven assists for a Nets team that shot 53.2 percent and scored 28 points on 25 Sacramento turnovers. "Its always fun to play your former team and see your homeboys," said Thornton, "but my job was to focus on getting this win and we did." The Nets have won five of six and 11 of their last 16 games, and have a 19-11 record at Barclays Center this season. They will visit Miami and Washington in the middle of the week. Nets veteran Kevin Garnett is still nursing a back issue and is questionable Monday versus Toronto. Garnett hasnt played since Feb. 27 at Denver. Paul Pierce (shoulder) and Andrei Kirilenko (ankle) are both questionable as well and left Sundays game. ' ' '