Major Leagues
Venezuela President Hugo Chavez congratulated Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on his World Series victory and hailed him as a national hero on Sunday.
"I dare to say you are like the king of Venezuela," Chavez told Guillen, who appeared by telephone on the president's weekly television and radio program, "Hello President."
"Your triumph is the triumph of all of Venezuela," Chavez told the Venezuelan manager, who became the first Latino manager to win the World Series. Chicago swept Houston 4-0 in the best-of-seven series.
"I'm going to try to bring the World Series trophy so that my country may enjoy what the people of the United States enjoy," Guillen said, adding, "It's the first time the World Series trophy is going to leave the United States."
Baseball is the national sport of Venezuela, and among its biggest fans is Chavez, who says he once dreamed of playing in the major leagues.
Guillen says he is not a chavista, a term used for Chavez's die-hard supporters, in an interview published in Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional on Saturday.
"I'm not a chavista. I'm a Venezuelan," Guillen was quoted as saying. He said he had answered an e-mail from a Venezuelan who was disappointed to see he had appeared publicly on another of Chavez's recent programs.
"I said I liked Chavez, but with some ideology and ideas I don't agree," Guillen was quoted as saying. "It doesn't matter to me what they think. Why not say that I like the president?"
"You are a true leader, friend," Chavez told Guillen before they said goodbye. "The whole nation is waiting for you."
It wasn't immediately clear when Guillen next planned to visit the South American country.
Al Lopez, a US Hall of Fame catcher and manager who led the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox to American League pennants in the 1950s, died on Sunday at 97.
Lopez had been hospitalized in Tampa since Friday, when he suffered a heart attack at his son's home, Al Lopez Jr. said.
Lopez was the oldest living Hall of Fame member, Hall spokesman Jeff Idelson said.
With Lopez's death, former New York Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto, 88, becomes the oldest living member of the Hall.
Lopez hit .261 with 51 homers and 652 RBIs during a 19-year career in which he was one of major league baseball's most durable catchers and set the record for most games caught at 1,918. The record was later broken by Bob Boone, then Carlton Fisk.
Lopez was best known for being the only AL manager to lead teams that finished ahead of the New York Yankees from 1949-64. He helped the Indians to the 1954 pennant and, until last week, was the last manager to lead the White Sox to the World Series -- their 1959 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"We're saddened by the news," White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said through a spokesman on Sunday. "Al lived a long and good life. We're so pleased we were able to win the World Series this year and that he was able to see it before he died."
Valentine'S day
After a two-plus hour informal and informational telephone conversation Sunday, Devil Rays officials heard enough to make Bobby Valentine the ninth official candidate for their manager's job.
But how much more they have to talk about could depend on how aggressively Valentine is pursued by the Dodgers, who are rebuilding their organization after firing general manager Paul DePodesta on Saturday, as well as how much money Chiba Lotte offers him to stay in Japan.
The Rays also appear ready to move ahead in their search for a senior front office official, seeking interviews with former Angels general manager Mike Port, who works in the commissioner's office; Blue Jays player personnel director Tony LaCava; and possibly Mariners player personnel executive Dan Evans, a former Dodgers GM. They are also considering DePodesta.
Before Sunday's phone call, Valentine said in an e-mail that "things are happening quickly" and that the Rays were "behind in the process."
Valentine, who managed the Rangers and Mets before leading Chiba Lotte to the Japan Series title, does not necessarily seem like a good fit for the Rays, given his high profile and likely hefty salary. They were interested enough, but if the Dodgers are heavily interested, and some reports suggest Valentine will be their top choice, it could be a moot point.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
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