BASEBALL
Donaldson traded to Tribe
Josh Donaldson’s rough season has taken a positive turn. The 2015 American League MVP was traded on Friday night by Toronto to the Cleveland Indians, who are hoping he can bolster their lineup and help them get back to the World Series. The Indians sent a player to be named to the Blue Jays for cash considerations and Donaldson, who has been limited to 36 games this season because of injuries. The 32-year-old was the league’s top player in 2015, when he batted .297 with 41 homers and 123 RBIs. It is not clear if Donaldson is to join the Indians right away or continue to rehab in the minors.
GYMNASTICS
Tracy fired after blowback
USA Gymnastics has parted ways with recently hired elite development coordinator Mary Lee Tracy, because she tried to contact Aly Raisman, one of Larry Nassar’s most outspoken victims. Only three days after being hired, Tracy on Friday said on Facebook that she was asked to resign after trying to contact Raisman to apologize in the hopes that “we could work together to make our sport better and learn from all the mistakes of the past.” USA Gymnastics said in a statement that Kelly inappropriately contacted Raisman, who is suing the organization and was critical of Kelly’s hiring, because she had previously defended Nassar.
E-SPORTS
EA starts fund for victims
Video game company Electronic Arts (EA) has donated US$1 million to the victims of a shooting at a Florida Madden NFL 19 tournament. GoFundMe on Friday announced that EA’s Jacksonville Tribute Fund has a goal of US$2 million. Authorities say 28-year-old Taylor Robertson and 22-year-old Elijah Clayton were killed at a Jacksonville mall on Sunday last week, when a fellow gamer opened fire. Eleven others were injured. EA said it has partnered with GoFundMe and the National Compassion Fund to give all of the collected funds to the wounded and the families of Robertson and Clayton.
BASKETBALL
Smith turns himself in
Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith on Friday turned himself in to police in relation to an accusation of throwing a fan’s cellphone into a construction site near a New York City restaurant in July. Joined by his lawyer, Alex Spiro, Smith walked into the New York Police Department’s 10th Precinct to discuss what happened, the New York Post reported. Smith received a desk appearance ticket and is to face misdemeanor criminal mischief charges later this year. “This is nonsense and we’re not going to respond to nonsense,” Spiro said. In the alleged incident, a 20-year-old man accused Smith of taking his phone and throwing it because he tried to take a photograph of the player. He then used someone else’s phone to call the police and open a criminal mischief complaint against Smith, the Post said.
SOCCER
UEFA head backs 2030 bid
Britain should host the World Cup in 2030, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said, adding that it “would be a wise idea” for the UK’s federations to work together, rather than England bid alone. “Infrastructure in the [UK] is very good and, in a way, if more countries bid, there is more chance to win,” he said. Initial talks were held in June by officials from England — which hosted and won the 1966 World Cup — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. “After all these years, it’s time for that part of Europe to get the World Cup,” Ceferin added.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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