MLB
Four umpires will get their first World Series call
NEW YORK – Boosted by their strong results on replay challenges this season, several umpires will get to work the World Series for the first time.
The seven-man crew includes a rare four newcomers, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press this week. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Major League Baseball hadn’t made an announcement yet.
Eric Cooper, Jerry Meals, Jim Reynolds and Hunter Wendelstedt are heading to their first World Series.
Jeff Kellogg will be the crew chief and call his fifth World Series when Kansas City will host San Francisco in Game 1 on Tuesday night. Ted Barrett and Jeff Nelson will work the Fall Classic for the third time.
Friedman says Dodgers ‘definitely’ keep Mattingly
LOS ANGELES – The new president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers plans to hire a new general manager and retain Don Mattingly as manager.
Andrew Friedman was introduced at Dodger Stadium on Friday, and he said Mattingly “definitely” will be the manager next season. Mattingly has two years remaining on his three-year deal.
Baseball lifer Banister makes his home in Texas
ARLINGTON, Texas – Jeff Banister is a baseball lifer who calls Texas home. He grew up there and played his entire amateur career there before getting drafted.
Now, the former catcher who got a pinch-hit single in his only major league at-bat, who temporarily was paralyzed from the neck down after a home-plate collision in junior college and who overcame bone cancer with multiple surgeries in high school is a big-league manager in the Lone Star State.
Banister, 50, was introduced Friday as the new manager of the Texas Rangers after 29 years in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization as a coach, instructor and player at all levels.
NFL
Super Bowl champions trade Harvin to Jets
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – The New York Jets acquired wide receiver Percy Harvin from the Seattle Seahawks.
Two people familiar with the trade told The Associated Press on Friday that Harvin, a star in last season’s Super Bowl but injury prone throughout his career, was headed to the Jets. The people spoke anonymously because the deal was not officially announced by either club.
The 26-year-old Harvin played in only 43 career games since being a first-round pick (22nd overall) by Minnesota in 2009. He was traded to the Seahawks in 2013, appearing in just one regular-season game. But he had two rushes for 45 yards and ran back the second-half kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown in Seattle’s 43-8 win over Denver in the Super Bowl.
Soccer
USA beats Guatemala, but Morgan is hurt in victory
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – Star forward Alex Morgan left in the 37th minute after turning her left ankle, a blow to the United States in its 5-0 win over Guatemala in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship.
Morgan, who has 49 goals in 77 international appearances, first hurt the ankle during training late last October, then played against Brazil on Nov. 10. She was sidelined until returning to action with her club, the Portland Thorns, on June 7.
Morgan was to have a magnetic resonance imaging examination to determine the extent of the injury.
Tobin Heath scored twice, and Whitney Engen, Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe had one goal each, as the U.S. improved to 2-0 in the group stage of the tournament, which serves as qualifying for next year’s World Cup.
U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo earned her 75th shutout.
Associated Press
