Auto Racing
Logano’s career year lands 24-year-old a new deal
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Team Penske signed Joey Logano to a contract extension after the best season of his career.
The team announced the multiyear deal Thursday for the Chase for the Sprint Cup contender. He’ll remain behind the wheel of the No. 22 Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and No. 22 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
The seven-year NASCAR veteran joined Team Penske at the start of the 2013 season. He has four Sprint Cup wins this season – at Bristol Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway.
Roger Penske said the 24-year-old Logano has been “everything we hoped he would be, both as a driver and as a representative of our organization.”
Golf
USA still leads Ryder Cup competition 25-12-2
GLENEAGLES, Scotland – Facts and figures for the Ryder Cup, which will start Friday at the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles, Scotland.
Format: Four matches of fourballs (better ball) and foursomes (alternate shot) on Friday and Saturday, 12 singles matches Sunday.
Points: Europe needs 14 points to retain the cup. The United States needs 14½ points to win the cup.
Series: United States leads 25-12-2.
Last time: In what has been called the “Miracle at Medinah,” Europe produced the greatest comeback for a visiting team when it rallied from a 10-6 deficit to win, 14½-13½. Ian Poulter began the rally Saturday night with birdies on his final five holes to win a fourballs match and cut the U.S. lead to four points. In Sunday singles, Sergio Garcia, Poulter and Justin Rose each won the final two holes of their matches for 1-up victories to lead the rally. Poulter went 4-0 for the week.
Captains: Paul McGinley (Europe), Tom Watson (United States).
Key statistic: Europe opens with four new partnerships.
Noteworthy: The United States has not won the Ryder Cup in Europe since 1993, the last time Tom Watson was the captain. Watson (65) will be the oldest captain in Ryder Cup history.
Quoteworthy: “The last contest, it’s kind of the main event in the first round,” U.S. captain Tom Watson said of the matchup between Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson against Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy.
MLB
La Russa tabs Stewart as Diamondbacks’ GM
PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks made 16-year major league pitcher Dave Stewart the franchise’s general manager and senior vice president.
In a restructuring of the front office under Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa, the team also named De Jon Watson senior vice president/baseball operations.
Stewart called it “the perfect challenge for me.”
It is a formidable task: rebuilding a team with the worst record in baseball.
Stewart, the Diamondbacks’ fourth general manager, is the only current general manager to coach and play in the majors. He is the fourth active manager who played in the majors, joining Ruben Amaro Jr., Billy Beane and Jerry DiPoto.
Stewart, 57, played for La Russa for eight seasons in Oakland – from 1986 to 1992, then again in 1995. Stewart’s career record is 168-129 with 19 saves and a 3.95 earned-run average, including a no-hitter.
Watson comes to Arizona after eight years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he most recently was the vice president for player development.
Watson, 48, has 29 years of baseball experience, including serving as director of professional scouting for Cleveland and director of scouting for Cincinnati.
Associated Press
