Cycling
Doping-tainted Astana doesn’t give up status
AIGLE, Switzerland – The doping-tainted Astana cycling team will keep its top-tier racing status next season.
The International Cycling Union says the Kazakhstan government-backed squad met the “annual registration criteria” to have its 2016 World Tour license confirmed.
Astana was put under scrutiny after five senior and development squad riders were caught doping with EPO and steroids since August 2014. In February, the sport’s governing body asked its panel to strip the license following a critical audit of Astana’s anti-doping work by the Institute of Sport Sciences of the University of Lausanne.
College Football
Luck of the Irish: Notre Dame enters playoff poll
Notre Dame moved into the top four in the second College Football Playoff selection committee rankings of the season.
Clemson remained No. 1 Tuesday night, with Alabama moving up two spots to No. 2, Ohio State staying at No. 3 and the Fighting Irish up a spot to No. 4.
Unbeaten Iowa was promoted four spots to No. 5, and Baylor is the highest-ranked Big 12 team at No. 6.
MLB
Rockies’ Arenado wins third consecutive Gold Glove
NEW YORK – World Series MVP Salvador Perez and Kansas City Royals teammates Eric Hosmer and Alcides Escobar won Gold Gloves.
The awards for fielding excellence were announced Tuesday by Rawlings.
Yoenis Cespedes won the AL prize in left field even though he was traded from Detroit to the New York Mets on July 31.
Perez was honored for the third consecutive season as the AL catcher, as was Hosmer at first base. Escobar won for the first time at shortstop.
The other AL winners were second baseman Jose Altuve and pitcher Dallas Keuchel of Houston, Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado, Tampa Bay center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun.
In the NL, catcher Yadier Molina and right fielder Jason Heyward won from St. Louis. Arizona also had two winners with first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and center fielder A.J. Pollock.
Other NL winners were Miami second baseman Dee Gordon, San Francisco shortstop Brandon Crawford, Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado, Pittsburgh left fielder Starling Marte and Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke.
Manfred on track for Rose decision before new year
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred remains on track to decide Pete Rose’s application for reinstatement by the end of next month.
Then Cincinnati’s manager, Rose agreed in 1989 to a lifetime ban from baseball after an MLB investigation concluded he bet on games involving the Reds while managing and playing. Rose applied for reinstatement in September 1997 and met with Commissioner Bud Selig in November 2002, but Selig never ruled on Rose’s application.
Manfred succeeded Selig in January, and Rose again applied to end the ban. Manfred met with Rose on Sept. 24.
NFL
No Luck for Colts QB when it comes to injuries
INDIANAPOLIS – Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is expected to miss two to six weeks after sustaining a lacerated kidney and torn abdominal muscle in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s victory over Denver.
That will make 40-year-old Matt Hasselbeck back in the starting job for the foreseeable future.
Soccer
MLS names Larin its Rookie of the Year
NEW YORK – Orlando City forward Cyle Larin was voted Major League Soccer’s Rookie of the Year.
The 20-year-old Canadian scored an MLS rookie record 17 goals in 27 games during the regular season for the expansion team. He was selected from UConn with the top pick in this year’s draft.
Associated Press
