BASEBALL
Pudge Rodriguez to retire
Fourteen-time All-Star Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, who caught in more games than any other MLB player, will retire on Monday, the Texas Rangers said on Thursday. Rodriguez, 40, has scheduled a news conference in Arlington, Texas, where he began his 21-year career with the Rangers in 1991 as a 19-year-old. The Puerto Rican-born catcher last played in the major leagues last year with the Washington Nationals. Rodriguez caught 2,427 games with the Rangers, Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Houston Astros and the Nationals. He batted .300 or better in 10 seasons and ended his career with a .296 average and 311 homers. Rodriguez was the 1999 AL MVP with the Rangers and the 2003 NL Championship Series MVP with the Marlins, who went on to win the World Series that year.
BASKETBALL
Howard to have back surgery
Dwight Howard will undergo surgery for a bad back, ending his season with the Orlando Magic and likely eliminating him from playing for the US at the London Olympics, the team said on Thursday. Magic general manager Otis Smith told the Orlando Sentinel that the 26-year-old center was to have surgery to fix a herniated disk yesterday in Los Angeles. “After consulting with the two doctors, it’s in his best interests to have surgery sooner rather than later,” Smith said. “Basically, the situation is not getting better. I’m not saying it got worse. It’s just not getting better.”
EQUESTRIAN
Saudi doping hearings done
The International Equestrian Federation has completed hearing doping cases involving horses ridden by members of Saudi Arabia’s Olympic jumping team. The federation said its tribunal heard cases involving Khaled al-Eid and Abdullah Sharbatly on Wednesday and Thursday, and aims to deliver verdicts within 30 days. Al-Eid was the 2000 Sydney Olympics bronze medalist and Sharbatly won silver at the 2010 World Equestrian Games. Al-Eid’s horse Vanhoeve and Sharbatly’s mount Lobster 43 both tested positive for two anti-inflammatory medications at World Cup events in Riyadh and al-Ain in Abu Dhabi respectively, from November last year to February.
BASEBALL
Aybar re-signs with Angels
Gold Glove shortstop Erick Aybar signed a four-year, US$35 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, keeping him with his only MLB club through 2016. Aybar signed the deal on Thursday, passing on the chance to try free agency this winter. The switch-hitting leadoff man posted career highs of 10 homers, 59 RBIs and 30 stolen bases last season, while winning his first Gold Glove. Aybar will get a US$1 million signing bonus.
ROWING
Man finishes Atlantic trip
A UK-based Colombian rower completed his solo trip across the Atlantic Ocean in Guyana on Thursday, after battling strong winds that blew far him off course. Nicolas Carvajal Uribe, 31, arrived at the wharf in Georgetown at 7:17pm with an escort from the country’s coast guard, a journalist witnessed. “I’m happy to be on land, finally,” Carvajal said. Carvajal left the Canary Islands on Jan. 26 and had hoped to finish his journey in Barbados, but changed plans after being pushed south by strong winds. The rower has said in a statement his aim was to cross the Atlantic “completely unsupported and under nothing but my own power in a rowing boat” to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. He said that he had so far collected about US$40,000.
RUGBY UNION
Lynagh still critical
Former Australia captain and World Cup winner Michael Lynagh is showing positive signs, but remains in a critical condition in a Brisbane hospital after suffering a stroke, his doctor said yesterday. The 48-year-old former flyhalf has been in hospital since Monday after suffering problems with his vision, coordination and balance. “This significant stroke is a rare event for someone of Michael’s age,” neurologist Rob Henderson said. “The next few days are critical, because of swelling in the region of the brainstem, but current signs are positive,” Henderson said of the former Queensland Reds player. Lynagh, who won the World Cup in 1991 and played in 72 Tests for the Wallabies, retired from international rugby in 1995 and moved to England, where he now resides.
SOCCER
Santos go top of group
Neymar scored one goal and set up another as defending champions Santos defeated The Strongest of Bolivia 2-0 to top Group 1 of the Copa Libertadores on Thursday. Fellow Brazilian club Internacional finished second in the group to also advance to the round-of-16. Internacional lost 1-0 to Juan Aurich in Peru, but it still moved on because of the loss by The Strongest. Santos finished with 13 points from six matches, five points ahead of Internacional and six in front of The Strongest. Juan Aurich were last with six points.
GOLF
Giles arrested after crash
Authorities say Australian professional golfer Matthew Giles has been arrested on suspicion of drink driving after he crashed his car into a home southeast of Phoenix, Arizona. A police report says Giles was “traveling at a very high rate of speed and tried to make a left turn” when he lost control of his car and it crashed into a single-family home on Monday. Police say the accident ruptured a natural gas line, but there were no reported injuries. They say Giles was given sobriety tests at the crash scene and results are expected in about two weeks. Giles finished 66th in the Nationwide Tour’s TPC Stonebrae Championship in California the day before the crash.
SOCCER
Contracts agreement signed
Soccer authorities across Europe have agreed on a deal for minimum standards in player contracts that should specifically protect professional players in lesser leagues and minor clubs. The FIFPro global union representing professional footballers agreed with UEFA, leagues and clubs on specific rules on commercial rights and medical issues that should become standard under the new rules. UEFA president Michel Platini was in Brussels on Thursday to sign the agreement, which will bind clubs in the 53 European federations. The rules have been under discussion for years.
SOCCER
Gonzalez to leave Schalke 04
Schalke 04 says Spanish veteran Raul Gonzalez will leave the Bundesliga club at the end of the season when his two-year contract expires. Schalke had made the 34-year-old former Real Madrid and Spain captain an offer to stay, but the club said on Thursday that he has decided to leave. The club says Raul plans to explain his future plans and reasons for leaving. Raul established himself as a fan favorite after joining Schalke last season. He has scored 27 goals in 63 Bundesliga appearances. He won the German Cup and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in his first season with Schalke.
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Shohei Ohtani on Thursday delivered his first two-homer game of the season and had six RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers poured it on with five long balls in a 19-2 victory over the visiting Athletics. Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who left no doubt by taking a 13-2 lead following a seven-run third inning. Muncy and Kim Hye-seong each had three hits for Los Angeles. Dodgers right-hander Matt Sauer led off a bullpen game by allowing two runs in four innings. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (1-1) finished with four scoreless innings after he
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