MLB
Rangers shoot high for Choo: 7 years and $130M
ARLINGTON, Texas – The Rangers made another Texas-sized deal to improve their offense: Free agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo agreed to a $130-million, seven-year contract with the Rangers, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement about the deal that is pending a physical for Choo. That person said the physical is expected to be done before Christmas, and that any formal introduction in Texas likely wouldn’t come until after the holiday Wednesday.
The deal came a month after the Rangers acquired five-time All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder in a trade with Detroit for second baseman Ian Kinsler, their primary leadoff hitter.
Texas now gets the best offensive player left in free agency, with both additions to be under contract through the 2020 season.
Choo’s deal, worth about $18.6 million per season, is the third-highest this offseason. Second baseman Robinson Cano got $240 million over 10 years from Seattle, and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, like Choo, a client of agent Scott Boras, signed a $153-million, seven-year contract with the New York Yankees.
Choo could be at the top or in the middle of the Texas lineup. He was Cincinnati’s leadoff hitter for 143 games last season, when he had a .423 on-base percentage with 20 stolen bases and 21 home runs.
Soccer
Bayern Munich wins its 5th championship in 2013
MARRAKECH, Morocco – Bayern Munich capped the greatest year in club history by beating Raja Casablanca 2-0 on Saturday for its first Club World Cup.
The European champion added a record fifth title to its trophy cabinet at the tournament of continental champions to go with the Champions League, Bundesliga, German Cup and European Super Cup triumphs.
Dante scored early to deflate the Moroccan hosts at Marrakech Stadium, and Thiago Alcantara put the Bavarians in command with his 22nd-minute goal.
Bayern manager Pep Guardiola has won the competition three times.
World Cup Ski Racing
Guay wins Italian downhill; Miller skis to 5th place
VAL GARDENA, Italy – Canada’s Erik Guay won the World Cup downhill Saturday, while Bode Miller was fifth in his best finish in a speed event this season.
A year after missing out on the victory because of changing weather, Guay finished in 1 minute, 56.65 seconds down the Saslong course. He made up time over the last few gates to edge Kjetil Jansrud of Norway by 0.12 seconds.
Johan Clarey of France finished third, and overall World Cup leader Aksel Lund Svindal was fourth.
Miller, who skipped all of last season, was fifth, 0.39 behind, giving him two top-10 finishes in his last two speed events.
Vonn skis out while clutching her surgically repaired knee
VAL D’ISÈRE, France – Lindsey Vonn skied out and clutched her knee in pain in the World Cup downhill race won by Marianne Kaufmann-Abderhalden of Switzerland on Saturday.
Vonn, with boyfriend Tiger Woods watching from the finish area, lost her balance and her left ski went up in the air, putting all her weight on her surgically repaired right knee as she skied off course.
She didn’t fall but grimaced as she pulled up, clutching her knee in a worrying sign ahead of the Sochi Olympics. However, Vonn remained optimistic that she can be ready for Sochi.
“I’m going to stick to a similar plan that I was on before,” she said. “I just need to be more careful of how many races I do.”
Kaufmann-Abderhalden earned her first World Cup victory, finishing in 1 minute, 47.28 seconds and beating defending overall champion Tina Maze of Slovenia by 0.29 seconds.
Cornelia Huetter of Austria was third, 0.52 seconds back.
Associated Press
