PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks have extended the contracts of manager Kirk Gibson and general manager Kevin Towers. Erik Haula Golden Knights Jersey . Contracts for both had been set to expire after the coming season. The team would not divulge the lengths of the contracts or even whether the lengths were the same for both. Team President Derrick Hall said after Mondays announcement that Gibson and Towers asked that the length of the deals be kept secret. "I dont understand why the contracts of people in management are public knowledge," Towers said. "Its between myself, Derrick, (managing general partner) Ken (Kendrick) and Gibby." Last October, the team declined to exercise options to extend both contracts, but Hall said he has felt all along that the Diamondbacks shouldnt go into the season with the two facing the last year of their deals. "Theres constant distraction and a labeling of whos on the hot seat," Hall said, "Are they feeling the pressure?" Besides, Hall said, "These are guys I have a lot of confidence in." In fact, Hall said he probably would have preferred to have the extensions in place sooner. He said that when the contracts werent extended last fall, it was with the understanding that there would be talks on a new deal for both. Gibson and Towers have had three full seasons together, and their most successful was their first. The Diamondbacks won 94 games in 2012 and took the NL West title before falling to Milwaukee in five games in the divisional playoffs. Arizona has gone 81-81 each of the past two seasons. "Im certainly very excited," Towers said, "as is Gibby. This is a place where we hope we get to spend the rest of our careers at." Gibson, a standout football player at Michigan State, played 17 seasons in the majors, 12 with the Detroit Tigers. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, earning the NL most valuable player award. In the playoffs that season, he hit one of the most memorable home runs in World Series history. Playing virtually on one leg because of a severe knee injury, Gibson hit a game-winning, two-run home run off Oaklands Dennis Eckersley in Game 1, limping around the bases and pumping his fist in triumph. The Dodgers went on to win the series. Gibson was hired as Arizonas bench coach in 2007 and was named interim manager when A.J. Hinch was fired on July 1, 2010. Towers, former GM of the San Diego Padres, came on board as general manager in September of that year, and one of his first decisions was whether to keep Gibson as manager. He did and the team went on to have that highly successful 2010 season. But the Diamondbacks stumbled the next two seasons in the vastly improved NL West, with pitching-rich San Francisco winning in 2012 and the just-plain-rich Dodgers taking it in 2013. Towers said he wants to develop "a ball club that not only has a chance to win the NL West but hopefully go deep into the post-season." "I dont take these things lightly," he said. "There are only 30 of these jobs." He said that the jobs "arent easy" and require the confidence of the clubs top executives and ownership. Towers said that going into the final year of a contract probably would have been more of a distraction for Gibson, given the high public profile of the managers job and his duties directing a teams day-to-day operation. Pitchers and catchers report for spring training at the Diamondbacks Scottsdale facility on Thursday. They are the first team to begin spring training because of Arizonas early season-opening two-game series against the Dodgers in Australia. Towers has said the team wants to acquire a No. 1 starter, but added on Monday "theres not too many of those guys out there." "The markets not the same as it was two months ago," he said. Nate Schmidt Jersey . Edmonton opened the season with 14 straight victories before falling Friday night 10-8 to the host Colorado Mammoth in National Lacrosse League action. Custom Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys . This time, it was Eric Chavezs turn. Stuck in a rut since coming off the disabled list, Chavez hit the first pitch he saw in the ninth inning for a run-scoring single, sending the Diamondbacks to another walk-off victory, 4-3 over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night. http://www.goldenknightshockeyshop.com/maxime-lagace-hockey-jersey/ . The Arena das Dunas in the northeastern city of Natal sustained minor damage during the protests, but demonstrators stayed away on Sunday and officials said the stadium passed its first test, with only minor adjustments needed going forward.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Calgary Flames are spoilers once again. With losses in three straight and seven of their last 10 games, the Nashville Predators have seriously damaged their already slim playoff chances. The Predators hope to boost their fading postseason hopes when they visit the Flames for Fridays clash at the Saddledome. Calgary is one of only two teams behind the Predators in the Western Conference standings. With only 12 games left in its regular-season schedule, Nashville is 11 points behind Phoenix for the last wild card berth in the West. The Flames, who trail Nashville by five points in the standings, can win the season series against the Preds on Friday. Nashville earned a 4-2 home win on Jan. 14, but Calgary responded 10 days later with a 5-4 shootout victory at the Saddledome. Nashville has won six of nine in the series overall, but the Flames have claimed three straight and five of the last six encounters in Calgary. Although the Flames are headed for a fifth straight year out of the playoffs, the club has played solid hockey of late, picking up their third win in four games with Tuesdays home victory over Buffalo. Mike Cammalleri and Paul Byron scored in the third period to help the Flames earn the 3-1 decision, while Calgarys Joni Ortio, in his eighth NHL start, outdueled Buffalos Nathan Lieuwen. Ortio gave up one goal on four shots in the first period -- Drew Staffords wraparound after a Calgary turnover behind the net -- and only needed to record 13 saves for the win. Joe Colborne scored the other goal for the Flames in the second period. "The boys regrouped between the first and second and we skated so much better. We saw our team working and making great plays," Flames head coach Bob Hartley said. The win pushed Calgarys record on home ice this season to 16-16-3. The Flames will visit Edmonton on Saturday before returning to the Saddledome for a thrree-game homestand against San Jose, Anaheim and the New York Rangers. Teemu Pulkkinen Golden Knights Jersey. With an average of 2.34 goals per game, the Predators offence has been a sore spot for the club all season long. The problem has been magnified of late, as Nashville has been held to one goal or less in seven of its past 10 games. The Preds have notched a total of two goals during their current three-game slide and the club was shut out Wednesday night in Vancouver, dropping a 2-0 decision against the Canucks. That setback came one day after Nashville opened a four-game road trip with a 5-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the bottom team in the Western Conference. Rookie goaltender Eddie Lack of the Canucks made 30 saves to frustrate the Predators on Wednesday. Nashville failed to score despite having four power- play opportunities, including two in the third period. Carter Hutton turned aside 20-of-22 shots for the Predators to take a tough- luck loss. "Weve got to get some goals for our goaltender," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "Carter Hutton had a good game for us. We need some production from our forwards. Weve got virtually zero. If our defense arent scoring, were not scoring it seems like." Nashville lost forward Paul Gaustad to an upper-body injury on Wednesday and he expects to miss tonights contest. Gaustad has nine goals and seven assists in 70 games this season. The Preds recalled Calle Jarnkrok from the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL and the forward is set to make his NHL debut on Friday. Jarnkrok was acquired from Detroit before the trade deadline in the deal that sent David Legwand to the Red Wings. The 22-year-old Swede has compiled 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 62 total AHL games with Milwaukee and the Grand Rapids Griffins this season. Nashville, which will complete its current swing this Sunday in Chicago, is 14-14-6 as the road team this season. Cheap NFL Gear Cheap NFL Jerseys Outlet Stitched Jerseys Disocunt Football Jerseys Cheap NFL T-shirts Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China ' ' '