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TORONTO -- Former MLS player Herculez Gomez marked the release of the leagues salary list with a tweet and a telling hashtag. "So MLS salaries were published today. Never an easy day for anyone, very uncomfortable for all. Low or high paid. .ElephantInRoom." While salary transparency is part of doing business in North American sports, it is rare in the soccer world outside of MLS. But here, they are released by the Major Soccer League Players Union. The pay discrepancy between the stars and grunts is especially striking in MLS, where a few elite are paid outside the salary cap. The rest make do in a league that holds most of the cards when it comes to salary negotiations and free agency. At his current annual salary of $48,825 (all figures in U.S. dollars), it would take defender Mark Bloom four years ($195,300) to make what Toronto FC teammate Michael Bradley makes in one game ($191,176). Bloom, a well-spoken 26-year-old who has started all four of Torontos games this season, is not about to make waves on the subject. "It really doesnt mean much to me," he said after practice Friday "Im going to come here and do what I always do, just work hard as, work as hard as I can, improve myself day in and day out. "Those figures, you cant read too much into these. You get worried about the business side of it, then your heads going to be out of the game. So Im just focusing on whats going in on the field." Did you look at the salary figures, he was asked. "I did. Of course," he replied with a smile. "Theres a pretty wide gap. You can see that every player is pretty much underpaid," he added when pressed. "Hopefully that will get fixed and that will be addressed." Bloom joined Toronto last year after playing his way out of the minor leagues. Ironically he got his chance to start late last season when the club elected to bench English fullback Richard Eckersley, who was on the way out because of his high contract number. Bloom made $46,500 last season, about one-tenth of Eckersleys pay. Manager Ryan Nelsen acknowledges the difference in pay scale can cause problems within the locker-room when the numbers are revealed. "It does if youve got bad characters. Definitely," he said. "If youve got guys who are insecure about themselves or a wee bit jealous, yeah. A lot of teams have a lot of problems with that. "Fortunately, nobody can argue what Michael Bradleys done in his career or Jermain Defoes done in his career. And anybody who questions the difference, I just say Well go and do that. Then you can go and ask for that money." But Nelsen agrees salaries need to be raised at the bottom end. "I think they will address that," he said of MLS. Nelsen says he has been in both camps, making $24,000 as an MLS rookie in 2001 and then watching his pay grow as an English Premier League veteran. "Youve got to earn it," he said. "I always think that the market determines what you get paid. And those guys at the lower end, if they perform well, they get paid better. Its just a matter of time" Under MLS rules, a first-team roster is comprised of up to 30 players with players occupying roster spots 1-20 counting against the clubs 2014 salary cap of $3.1 million. Players occupying roster spots 1-24 must earn at least $48,500 this year while the minimum for roster spots 25-30 is $36,500. Bradley is one of three TFC designated players, meaning only $387,500 of his US$6.5-million salary counts against the cap. Bloom, whose wife is expecting their first child, did note that players who play well do get pay bumps. Just look at 21-year-old Toronto midfielder Jonathan Osorio who, after becoming a starter as a rookie last year, went to $142,600 this season from $46,500. Osorio says Bradley and fellow DPs Defoe ($6.18 million) and Gilberto ($1.2 million) have fit in smoothly. "Theyre great guys. Theyre not egotistical, noting like that," he said. "And (Brazil goalkeeper) Julio Cesar is a tremendous guy too." Connor McDavid Jersey . He was 90. The team announced Monday that Adams had died, saying he "passed away peacefully from natural causes." The son of a prominent oil executive, Adams built his own energy fortune and founded the Houston Oilers. Kris Russell Jersey . - Kyle Wood and Barclay Goodrow scored second period power-play goals to provide all of the scoring for the North Bay Battalion in a 2-0 victory over the Erie Otters in Ontario Hockey League action on Thursday. http://www.hockeyoilersshop.com/ryan-nugent-hopkins-jersey/. The team sent out a press release on Friday stating Poile was resting and recovering and that he will remain in hospital for further observation. The Predators were preparing for the game against the Wild when Poile was hit by a puck that flew off the ice at him where he was standing in a tunnel behind the bench. Esa Tikkanen Oilers Jersey . On Wednesday, Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas hit back. In a passionate defence of himself and the London clubs medical staff, the Portuguese coach rebuked the "incompetent people" who have attacked Tottenham for allowing Lloris to continue playing after being briefly knocked unconscious against Everton on Sunday. Jean-Francois Jacques Jersey . The star receiver certainly isnt celebrating it with the Texans mired in a franchise-record 13-game skid. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Moments after James Shields struck out Rockies slugger Troy Tulowitzki, catcher Salvador Perez popped to his feet behind the plate and demanded the ball. Shields raised his hands in utter confusion. "He was like, Whats going on? This is a good ball. I like this ball," Royals manager Ned Yost said, "and Salvy is making me throw the ball back in." It took Shields a moment -- and some help from the scoreboard -- to realize he had just reached 1,500 career strikeouts. It came in the sixth inning Tuesday night as he struck out the side, highlighting Kansas Citys 5-1 victory over hot-hitting Colorado. "Normally when the umpire calls for the ball, the hitter is checking the ball or whatever, wants to take it out of play," Shields said with a grin. "And Im like, I just struck the guy out! But once they pointed at the scoreboard I knew what was going on." The only run Shields (5-3) allowed came on an RBI single by Justin Morneau in the fourth inning. Shields wound up striking out eight without issuing a walk over seven sharp innings. Perez helped him out with the bat, too, hitting a solo homer. Alcides Escobar drove in a pair of runs and Lorenzo Cain added a two-run shot to provide plenty of support. Franklin Morales (3-3) gave up four runs for the Rockies. He allowed eight hits and four walks without a strikeout in five innings, needing 99 pitches just to get that far. "I need to pitch better, man, because thats my job," he said. "I try to do the best I can, but when Im behind in the count every time I got in trouble." The Royals jumped on Morales right from the start, a pair of double plays the only thing keeping the game from getting out of hand early. Still, Kansas City was able to coax a run across on a two-out single by Escobar to take the lead in the second inning. Cain made it a 3-1 lead with his two-run shot in the fourth. It was the first home run by the Royals injury-prone ooutfielder since July 4 against Cleveland.dddddddddddd The ball landed in the bullpen in left field to end a drought for Cain spanning 206 at-bats. Perez added his solo shot in the fifth, the ball landing in just about the same spot. That was more than enough support for Shields, who induced a double play to escape a jam in the second inning and then left two runners aboard in the fourth during a nice bounce-back performance at Kauffman Stadium. In his previous home start, Shields allowed eight runs and 12 hits in a loss to Detroit. "He did a good job of shutting this lineup down," Rockies catcher Jordan Pacheco said. When Shields recorded his milestone strikeout, the crowd at the K gave him a standing ovation. Shields appeared to be confused by the spontaneous applause, raising his hands on the mound as if to say, "What?" Eventually, he turned around on the rubber to see his strikeout mark on the giant video board in centre field and started chuckling. After stepping off the back of the mound, Shields tipped his cap and went back to work. He struck out Carlos Gonzalez to end the inning, then set down the Rockies in order in the seventh, finishing off his night by striking out Brandon Barnes for the second time. "I knew about 10 days ago I was getting close," Shields said. "To be honest with you, I didnt even know how many strikeouts I had in the game. But that was a pretty special moment. Once I realized it, its kind of crazy to think -- 1,500 strikeouts is quite a bit of strikeouts." NOTES: RHP Tommy Kahnle threw two shutout innings in relief for Colorado. ... The Royals placed 2B Omar Infante (sore back) on the DL and selected the contract of INF Pedro Ciriaco from Triple-A Omaha. ... The Rockies activated Josh Rutledge (illness) from the DL and optioned him to Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... LHP Jason Vargas will start Wednesday for Kansas City. RHP Jhoulys Chacin takes the mound for Colorado. ' ' '