Arraez, McNeil win batting titles, Judge misses Triple Crown
NEW YORK (AP) — Minnesota’s Luis Arraez finished with the lowest average for an American League batting champion since 1968, and the Mets’ Jeff McNeil won the National League title. The New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge missed out on a Triple Crown, edged by Arraez .316 to .311 for the AL title after sitting out the final day of the regular season. McNeil sat out until the eighth inning and made it first-time batting champions in both leagues, his .326 average one point ahead of the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman. Arraez’s average was the lowest for an AL batting champion since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski at .301 in 1968.
Fan who caught Aaron Judge's 62nd HR offered $2M for ball
The owner of a sports memorabilia auction house says he has offered $2 million to the fan who caught Aaron Judge’s American League-record 62nd home run. JP Cohen, president of Memory Lane Inc. in Tustin, California, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he has texted and emailed Cory Youmans, who caught Judge’s milestone shot Tuesday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Cohen says Youmans has not yet replied. Youmans grabbed the historic souvenir on the fly as it sailed into the front row of section 31 in left field.
LeBron in Vegas? He makes an expansion pitch to Adam Silver
LAS VEGAS (AP) — LeBron James came to Las Vegas for a preseason game. And a pitch. James, who has spoken in the past about how he wants to eventually own an NBA franchise -- with Las Vegas on his mind -- sent a crystal-clear message to Commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday night, reminding him of his future plans to bring a team to the desert. Though Silver has said he expects expansion at some point, it is believed that wouldn't happen until the next Collective Bargaining Agreement and television deals are complete.
Royals fire manager Mike Matheny after 65-97 end to season
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals fired manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred on Wednesday night, shortly after the struggling franchise finished the season 65-97 with a listless 9-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. The Royals had exercised their option on Matheny’s contract for 2023 during spring training, when the club hoped it was turning the corner from also-ran to contender again. But plagued by poor pitching, struggles from young position players and failed experiments with veterans, the Royals were largely out of playoff contention by the middle of summer. Matheny is the fifth big league manager to be fired this year.
Drop the puck: What to know about the 2022-23 NHL season
The NHL season opens Friday in Europe when San Jose and Nashville face off in the first of two games in the Czech Republic. Play gets underway in North America on Tuesday when Tampa Bay visits the New York Rangers and Los Angeles hosts Vegas. The Colorado Avalanche begin their title defense and raise the franchise's third Stanley Cup banner Wednesday before opening against Chicago. There are two outdoor games: the Winter Classic at Fenway Park on Jan. 2 between Boston and Pittsburgh and the Stadium Series in Raleigh between Carolina and Washington. The regular season runs through April 13.
Ukraine links World Cup host bid to beating horrors of war
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Ukrainian soccer federation president Andriy Pavelko says hosting World Cup matches in 2030 would be “the dream of people who survived the horrors of war” after his country launched a joint bid with Spain and Portugal. The leaders of the three soccer federations joined together at UEFA headquarters to present a campaign they hope will connect people beyond the world of sports. Pavelko says the project is backed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. FIFA will pick the host in 2024. Other likely candidates are a four-nation South American bid and a Saudi Arabia-led project involving Egypt.
Judge out of Yankees starting lineup for finale after No. 62
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Yankees slugger Aaron Judge isn’t in the starting lineup for New York’s regular-season finale a day after his 62nd home run that broke Roger Maris’ 61-year-old American League single-season record. The Yankees wrapped up a four-game series in Texas. The AL East champion Yankees open the AL Division Series next Tuesday. Judge went into the final day of the regular season batting .311, trailing AL batting average leader Minnesota’s Luis Arraez. Judge is a wide leader in the other Triple Crown categories, with his 62 homers and 131 RBIs.
Commanders' Robinson practices for 1st time since shooting
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Brian Robinson Jr. practiced with the Washington Commanders for the first time since being shot twice in an attempted robbery. The rookie running back returned to the practice field just over five weeks since the shooting. He could play as soon as Sunday against Tennessee. But neither Robinson nor Rivera is prepared to commit to the Alabama product facing the Titans and making his NFL debut. The game marks six weeks to the day since he was shot in the right leg. Washington has three weeks to activate Robinson off the non-football injury list.
Close calls happening at record-setting pace in NFL
Games are going down to the wire in the NFL at an unprecedented rate this season. With a record 15 of 16 games last week being within one score in the fourth quarter, the league is having the most competitive start to a season in its history. Of the 64 games played so far, 50 of them have been within one score in the fourth quarter for the most ever through four weeks. There have been a record 23 games decided by three points or fewer and 38 decided by eight points or fewer, tied with the 2018 season for the most through four weeks.
Pro Picks leans toward Broncos to kick off Week 5
A month into the season, it’s clear Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan are still adjusting to their new teams. The star quarterbacks go head-to-head this week on Thursday night when Wilson and the Denver Broncos (2-2) host Ryan and the Indianapolis Colts (1-2-1). Wilson still hasn’t found a rhythm in rookie coach Nathaniel Hackett’s offense. Ryan has a veteran coach in Frank Reich, but ball security has been his biggest problem. He has nine fumbles and five interceptions in four games. Both teams have injury concerns at running back. The Broncos lost Javonte Williams to a season-ending knee injury. The Colts are being cautious with All-Pro Jonathan Taylor because of an ankle injury.