The Milwaukee Brewers,Komatsu has the hitting genes

The Double-A Harrisburg Senators received their newest acquisition this week in center field prospect Erik Komatsu. The 5-foot-10, left-handed-hitter came over from the Milwaukee Brewers in the Jerry Hairston Jr. trade Saturday and made his debut last night.

Komatsu played for the Double-A Huntsville Stars under manager Mike Guerrero, who was impressed with the former Cal-State Fullerton player. Komatsu hit .294 with 19 doubles, one triple, six homers, 13 stolen bases and 40 RBIs with the Stars.

Guerrero said Komatsu also showed his defensive skills in center field with 93 games this season.

"He is a pretty good outfielder," Guerrero said. "Komatsu gets good jumps on balls and makes the routine plays. He can come from all angles. He goes back on the ball well."

Offensively, Guerrero said Komatsu is a line drive hitter who has displayed power at Double-A this season.

"He commands the strike zone well," Guerrero said. "He will surprise you and hit the ball out. Komatsu runs the bases well. He can be a sneaky base stealer. He has a tendency to fall in love with the long ball. But when he remains under control at the plate, he will hit the ball well to all fields."

Evidence of what Komatsu can do was on display in his Harrisburg debut last night. He went 2-for-4 with a stolen base.

Guerrero believes Komatsu displays good makeup and needs games just like any other prospect to refine his skills.

"(Komatsu) is a great kid and has a great attitude, (and) sometimes displays that California cool demeanor," the manager said. "Just like any other minor league player, Komatsu is trying to be more consistent in all areas. This is only his second full season. He is a pretty good player."

Guerrero said Komatsu has the ability to play all three outfield positions.

"He played center field well for us," Guerrero said. "He also played right field and left field for me."

Guerrero had Komatsu batting second or fifth in his lineup and feels Komatsu projects well to the next level.

"He has the hitting genes," Guerrero said. "Komatsu has good hand-eye coordination and was developed well at Fullerton. I think he will get an opportunity to play in the big leagues. He will get his chance one way or another."

http://www.masnsports.com/

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The Australian Medical Association (AMA) :PBS delays will cost Australia

Australian patients could suffer under the federal government's changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the peak doctors body says.

The Australian Medical Association is urging the government to reverse its decision to delay new listings to the PBS - a decision it made in February because of budget constraints.

Under the old system, medicines costing the government less then $10 million to subsidise got the go-ahead automatically if approved by an independent expert committee.

But cabinet now gets to delay consideration of all new drugs regardless of whether they've received the tick from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC).

AMA president Steve Hambleton, who spent two years on the committee ending in 2009, said the delay had already created a backlash among big drug companies.

A number of major pharmaceuticals have written to a Senate inquiry set up to investigate the changes, warning of a slide in investment and that it will take longer for new drugs to get to Australia.

Dr Hambleton said it was a big concern, and one the government had itself invited.

"We actually suggested to the government that if they proceeded with this change it would invite a political response," he told the National Press Club on Wednesday.

"This is really a political response if the companies are saying we are thinking of downgrading Australia's priority in our rolling out of our drugs."

The Senate inquiry, put forward by the coalition, was set up in June to examine how the government administrates its PBS, and is due to report back in August.

So far it has received 52 submissions, including those from major pharmaceutical companies, such as Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Cilag and AstraZeneca.

All said the government's decision had created uncertainty for the sector, which would factor in future decisions to hold clinical trials in Australia or to put new drugs on the market.

"The end result being that Australian patients will have to wait longer to access medicines," AstraZeneca's submission reads.

The companies also argued that the government was undermining its own PBS by dismissing the recommendations of the PBAC and criticised the new system as a method of saving money.

Janssen-Cilag noted that one of its drugs delayed for consideration - Sustenna - would add just under $3 million to the PBS in 2011/12 and just over that amount in 2012/13.

The cost was modest given the potential benefits for Australians suffering from schizophrenia, the company said.

Dr Hambleton said he understood the government's budget constraints, but stressed that the PBAC also considered cost implications when assessing new medicines.

"It's one of the most rigorous ways of actually looking at cost-effectiveness," he said.

"The reality is we are greatly concerned that drug companies may downgrade Australia.

"We may not get innovations until much greater in the cycle and our patients will suffer."

source: http://news.smh.com.au/

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Caroline Wozniacki

Rory McIlroy has terminally split with his long-time girlfriend Holly Sweeney and embarked on a relationship with world tennis No 1 Caroline Wozniacki.

A statement released by the Co Down star's management company, International Sports Management, last night confirmed the end of the young golf star's relationship with his former childhood sweetheart.

It said: "Rory McIlroy's long-time relationship with Holly Sweeney came to an amicable end before the Open Championship."

Sources close to McIlroy confirmed last night that McIlroy has formed a close friendship with the 21-year-old Danish tennis star.

The young golfer, who is widely tipped to be the next Tiger Woods, made two visits to Wimbledon to watch tennis following his US Open triumph four weeks ago.

However, he is believed to have met Wozniacki at the World Heavyweight title boxing match between David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg on July 2.

The following day, Wozniacki wrote on her Twitter account: "Fantastic fight! Also met Rory McIlory, who was sitting just behind me:) Really down to earth great guy:)"

McIlroy has previously admitted that he made a mistake when he broke off his relationship with his childhood sweetheart at the start of the season to concentrate on his golf.

She was pictured at his side during homecoming celebrations following his triumphant win at the US Open this summer and has been the subject of much media coverage since his astonishing victory.

"I realised pretty quickly that I had made a mistake, and I had to do a lot of begging and grovelling to get her back," he said at the time. "She is fantastic."

The pair had been going steady since they were teenagers and she was also a shoulder to cry on at Augusta National in April, when McIlroy's management team flew her out for the final day of the Masters.

"She takes my mind off golf... and having her there made Sunday night a lot easier, having someone there you really know," he said in the aftermath of his traumatic loss in Augusta.

The couple lived together with their two dogs at McIlroy's 13-acre Co Down hideaway.

But speculation about his relationship with the young tennis star, labelled "a county club couple made in heaven" in one internet blog site, has been rife since the pair were spotted having an intimate dinner together at a London restaurant earlier this month.

Tongues were also set wagging by their followers on their mutual Twitter sites with a flirty exchange of tweets, including a cheeky birthday greeting McIlroy sent the tennis player on her 21st birthday last Monday, in which he tweeted: "You're getting old."

She replied: "At least now you will be able to buy me a drink in the US" and "Not only in Hamburg", a few hours later.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

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Trends : Lil Boosie Facing New Drug Smuggling Charges In Prison

Incarcerated rapper Lil Boosie is facing extra time behind bars after he was accused of attempting to smuggle drugs into his prison cell for the second time in two months.

The hip-hop star, real name Torrence Hatch, is currently serving a four-year sentence for drug and gun possession and violating parole from a previous conviction.

He is also due to stand trial next month after pleading not guilty to a first-degree murder charge relating to a 2009 shooting in Louisiana.

But his legal woes have gone from bad to worse after he was indicted for reportedly conspiring to get hold of codeine syrup behind bars at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.

He has been charged with one count of criminal conspiracy to take contraband to and from a penal institution, and another of inciting a felony.

http://www.starpulse.com

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