MLB
MLB unanimously approves expanded instant replay
PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. – Major League Baseball will expand instant replay to review close calls starting this season.
MLB announced Thursday that owners, players and umpires have approved the new system.
Each manager will be allowed to challenge at least one call per game. If he’s right, he gets another challenge. After the seventh inning, a crew chief can request a review on his own.
The so-called “neighborhood play” at second base on double plays cannot be challenged.
All reviews will be done by current MLB umpires at a New York office. Additional umpires will be hired to create a large enough staff.
Rockies avoid arbitration with Lopez and Morales
DENVER – Wilton Lopez agreed to a $2.2-million, one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.
The right-hander avoided arbitration by agreeing to the non-guaranteed contract. Lopez finished his first year as a member of the Rockies after being acquired from Houston, where he spent his first four big league seasons.
Lopez was 3-4 with a 4.06 ERA in 75 appearances last year and made $1,762,500.
DENVER – Franklin Morales and the Rockies agreed to a one-year contract for $1,712,500, avoiding arbitration.
The Rockies acquired the 27-year-old Morales and right-hander Chris Martin from the Boston Red Sox in December for infielder Jonathan Herrera.
Morales first signed with the Rockies in 2002 and pitched for Colorado from 2007 to 2011. He spent the last 2½ seasons with the Boston Red Sox.
The left-hander is 13-18 with 11 saves and a 4.38 earned-run average in 195 major league games, including 25 starts. He has limited left-handed hitters to a .194 batting average during his career.
NFL
A lame duck on the hot seat gets extended by the Jets
NEW YORK – Rex Ryan went from the hot seat to some job security – at least through the next two seasons.
The New York Jets signed the popular coach to a contract extension Thursday, removing the lame duck label from Ryan and potentially keeping him with the franchise through at least the 2015 season. Ryan, who had one year remaining on his contract, is 42-38 in the regular season in his five years with the Jets.
No further details regarding the length of the deal or financial terms were released.
Soccer
Lilly and McBride highlight the Hall’s new candidates
CHICAGO – Kristine Lilly and Brian McBride are among the first-year candidates for the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Lilly, a two-time Women’s World Cup and Olympic champion, scored 130 goals in an international record 352 appearances from 1987 to 2010. McBride is a veteran of three World Cups and scored 30 goals in 96 international appearances from 1993 to 2006.
The Hall said Thursday that Chris Klein, Eddie Lewis, Clint Mathis, Jaime Moreno, Steve Ralston, Briana Scurry and Kate Sobrero Markgraf also are on the 27-player ballot.
Raul Diaz Arce, Marco Etcheverry, Zoran Karic, Victor Nogueira and Cindy Parlow Cone are in their final year of eligibility.
Voting will run through Feb. 7. Each voter can select up to 10 players, and 66.7 percent is needed for election.
Spain remains FIFA’s No. 1; USA remains No. 14
ZURICH – European and World champion Spain remains No. 1 for the 29th consecutive month in the FIFA world rankings.
The top 25 was unchanged after a month that included only 18 international matches – all exhibitions.
Spain holds a big lead over Germany. Argentina was third, followed by Colombia, Portugal, Uruguay, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Brazil.
The United States is 14th for the third consecutive month.
Associated Press
