BASEBALL
La Russa back next season
Tony La Russa will remain with the St Louis Cardinals to manage another season after signing a new one-year contract, the team said on Monday. La Russa, the franchise’s most successful manager in terms of wins, has signed the deal, which has a mutual option of an extension for the 2012 season. “We are excited to have Tony returning and are looking forward to 2011,” Cardinals chairman and chief executive Bill DeWitt Jr said on the team’s Web site (stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com). La Russa has spent 15 seasons with the Cardinals guiding the franchise to the 2006 World Series and eight division titles.
BASEBALL
Mariners hire new manager
The Seattle Mariners, who last reached the playoffs a decade ago, officially confirmed Eric Wedge as their new manager on Monday. “Eric brings the energy, passion and leadership that we think is important as we move forward and he has a track record of winning at the major league and minor league levels,” Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said in a statement. Wedge has faced the task of rebuilding a struggling franchise before. He did it in Cleveland, where he took the Indians within one victory of reaching the World Series in 2007. “Seattle is a great city for me and my family. With the fan support, the ballpark, the ownership and management, the Mariners are in a great position to be very successful,” Wedge said.
BOXING
Tyson charity visit canceled
A five-day charity visit by former undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has been called off because of poor ticket sales, the organizers announced in Prague on Monday. The 44-year-old — who was world heavyweight champion from 1986 to 1990 — had been due to arrive here yesterday. “The tickets were unfortunately too expensive for the local market,” said the Swiss promoter Rey Karpf, quoted by Czech agency CTK. It would have cost 2,000 euros (US$2,780) to train with the former champion, 1,000 euros for spending an evening with him and 120,000 euros for dinner with Tyson. According to CTK, the organizers were going to pay Tyson US$1 million a day with part of that going to a Prague children’s hospital.
FOOTBALL
Junior Seau drives off cliff
Longtime NFL standout linebacker Junior Seau has driven off a cliff in Southern California and is hospitalized with minor injuries. The crash happened less than nine hours after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. Carlsbad police say the 12-time Pro Bowler’s Cadillac SUV was found on the beach about 9m below the roadside. Police Lieutenant Paul Mendez said Seau was conscious.
BADMINTON
Lee at Asian Games doubtful
World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei is doubtful for next month’s Asian Games with an ankle injury, the latest in a list of niggling ailments. The Malaysian two-time Commonwealth Games champion was to undergo an MRI scan to determine the extent of the injury. “He complained of pain ... on Saturday [after his return from New Delhi]. I had a look at it on Sunday and we are now investigating the injury,” Malaysia’s National Sports Institute director Ramlan Aziz told Malaysia’s Star newspaper. “We will not be able to make any conclusion on his preparation for the Asian Games, not until we are able to review all the reports following the treatment he gets over the next few days.”
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two