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NEW YORK -- Milwaukee right-hander Phil Bickford, the 18th overall pick in baseballs 2015 amateur draft, has been suspended for the first 50 games of next season following a second positive test for a drug of abuse under the sports minor league drug program.Bickford, 21, is on the roster of Milwaukees Class A Carolina Mudcats of the Carolina League. He signed with the San Francisco for a $2,333,800 bonus and was traded at this years Aug. 1 deadline to the Brewers along with catcher Andrew Susac for left-hander Will Smith.Bickford was 7-7 with a 2.93 ERA in 22 starts and one relief appearance for three Class A teams this year, striking out 135 in 120 innings. He pitched in the All-Star Futures Game in San Diego.In addition, Toronto right-hander Pedro Loficial was suspended for 72 games following a positive test for metabolites of Stanozolol and Miami outfielder Casey Soltis was banned 50 games following a second positive test for a drug of abuse.Loficial, 21, was 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in three relief appearances and 6 2/3 innings for the Dominican Summer League Blue Jays.The 21-year-old Soltis, a fifth-round pick in 2014, hit .190 this year in 52 games at Class A Greensboro of the South-Atlantic League.Major League Baseball announced the discipline Friday. There have been 95 suspensions this year under the minor league drug program and 13 under the major league program.Vapormax Flyknit 3 Suomi . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. Vapormax Flyknit 2 Ale . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. http://www.vapormaxsuomi.com/ . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. Nike Vapormax Tukku . General manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch on Friday that he wants to see Gaboriks contributions go beyond the scoresheet before considering a long-term deal for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. Nike Vapormax Suomi . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.In this weeks column, Sky Sports Phil Clarke says Super League needs to bring reserve teams back if they are to compete with NRL sides...As Ive grown older Ive come to realise that sometimes its best to sleep on it before you make a comment or decision. Were all guilty of over reacting at times when we make irrational or emotional statements which dont really make sense.The 3-0 whitewash in the World Club Series was a sobering experience for those who thought that the Super League sides could match their NRL rivals. Much was written and said about this last week. One week on, the dust has settled and Ive had time to gather my thoughts. The results didnt really surprise me. The NRL teams should win - we are naive if we think that we have club teams that are better than theirs. Internationally we have 25 players who are competitive with their best, but several of these are playing in the NRL.At junior level they have more players to choose from, many of which have physiological advantages over our players, more money, greater media and public interest, and a stronger competition which raises the standard across the league. For the last three years the Super League clubs havent had a second or reserve team, and it has had a detrimental effect on the development of the sport. The gap with the NRL has been made wider. Phil Clarke Additionally, and perhaps more importantly in my eyes, they have more patience with players between 19 and 23 years old, and a better setup that provides these players with some games in which to improve.Fortunately for some of our young players, some clubs over here have elected to reinstate a second-team competition, so at least this is one step towards fixing that gap.We had developed a production line that put time and money into young players aged 15-19 and then had a hole for a few years if the player wasnt already good enough to play in a Super League first team when he reached his 19th birthday. North Queensland Cowboys beat Leeds Rhinos 38-4 in the World Club Challenge For the last three years the Super League clubs havent had a second or reserve team, and it has had a detrimental effect on the development of the sport. The gap with the NRL has been made wider.It was a huge mistake in my opinion and hopefully the sport is learning its lesson. I realise that there are extra costs associated with this but feel as though its a necessity.Theres almost no point in entering three teams into Club Challenges if we dont have second teams at Super League level. More effort needs to be put into making these games as good as they can be. Brisbanes Greg Eden makes a break against Wigan Colin Sanctuary is a friend of mine who is the head of physical development at the Newcastle Knights.dddddddddddd Prior to that he was responsible for the strength and conditioning at Wakefield Wildcats and so has a great position from which to help assess the players from both competitions.Ive chatted with him about this for a long while and he raised a great point about the rate of improvement in both competitions. Biggest hits Watch: Barrie and Terrys biggest hits of the weekend Rugby League is a big sport in Australia and they invest heavily to improve it on and off the field every year. With a smaller budget and fewer players to choose from over here its virtually impossible to narrow the gap on every front.Colin is an intelligent man and said that with limited resources we need to be very clever in identifying what areas of the sport we wish to see the biggest improvements.As the salary cap in the NRL increases, and Rugby Union in this country seems to get richer, we need to have a clear idea of what the sport sees as its most important goals over the next 10 years. Stevo has called for English rugby league to go back to basics Some of the issues that determine the strength of the NRL over the Super League are out of our control. Running a reserves team at every Super League club isnt.The World Club Series proved to be a popular event and the crowds enjoyed the matches, although they didnt enjoy the results. They also gave the players a goal to aim for during the season, a chance to play against the best in the world, but we have to be realistic with our expectations.The optimist in me is looking forward to WCS III in February 2017, not because I expect us to win, but because I like to cheer for the underdog, and its the greatest feeling when they win.I love the concept and hope the games are closer in 12 months time but in the meantime I am going to watch a few reserve team matches. Get a Sky Sports Pass Watch the Super League without a contract, from ￡6.99 with NOW TV.Also See:Rovers and Chester part waysRhinos v Giants: Key battlesPunditsFollow @SkySportsRL ' ' '