MLB-NATIONALS
Scherzer welcomed in DC
WASHINGTON (AP) β Former American League Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer has been introduced by the Washington Nationals as the newest member of their strong pitching staff. Scherzer and the Nationals worked out a $210 million, seven-year contract. That’s the richest contract for a right-handed pitcher. Scherzer says he picked the Nats because they look to be a team building for a long run at championships.
The 2013 American League Cy Young award winner went 18-5 with Detroit last season. He joins a starting rotation that led the majors with a 3.04 ERA in 2014.
MLB-RODRIGUEZ-BONDS
Bonds coaching A-Rod
NEW YORK (AP) β Alex Rodriguez is getting hitting tips from Barry Bonds as the Yankees third baseman prepares to return from a season-long suspension. Rodriguez spokesman Ron Berkowitz confirmed the workouts.
Rodriguezis sixth on the career list with 654 homers. Bonds leads with 762.
A-Rod admitted six years ago he used banned steroids while with Texas from 2001-03. He was suspended for last season for violations of baseball’s drug agreement and labor contract.
Bonds testified in 2003 that he was not aware substances given to him by personal trainer Greg Anderson were banned performance-enhancing drugs.
MLB-UMPS
New deal for the umpires
NEW YORK (AP) β Baseball’s umpires have ratified a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball that extends through the 2019 season. The deal was agreed to in late December and was subject to approval by MLB and the World Umpires Association. The previous agreement expired Dec. 31.
MLB-GIANTS
World champs designate Scutaro
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) β Second baseman Marco Scutaro (SKOO’-tah-roh) has been designated for assignment by the Giants as he recovers from back surgery. The Giants say they plan to retain Scutaro and continue working with him through his rehabilitation following back surgery that could end his career. It will be four-to-six months before doctors determine whether Scutaro can play baseball again.
NFL-SEAHAWKS INJURIES
Sherman’s elbow is better
RENTON, Wash. (AP) β All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman still expects to play in the Super Bowl despite injuring his left elbow in the NFC championship game.
Sherman said his elbow is “better than it was” during the fourth quarter of Seattle’s 28-22 overtime win over Green Bay.
Sherman was injured on the first play of the fourth quarter when he appeared to hyperextend his elbow. He played the rest of the game with his left arm pinned against his chest.
NFL-JETS
Jets name new coach and GM while Browns and Jags secure coordinators
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) β The New York Jets have finished their search for a new coach and general manager. Owner Woody Johnson has introduced Todd Bowles as his new coach and Mike Maccagnan as his new general manager. Johnson says the duo is the right combination to turn the franchise around after four straight non-playoff seasons.
Maccagnan was hired last Tuesday to replace the fired John Idzik and Bowles was signed a day later to replace Rex Ryan.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Showdown in Memphis
UNDATED (AP) β Division leaders Memphis and Toronto are squaring off tonight on the Grizzlies’ home court. Toronto tops the Atlantic Division with a record of 27-14 while the Grizzlies are No. 1 in the Southwest with 29 wins and 12 defeats.
Depending on what the Grizzlies do, the Mavericks or Rockets could surpass Memphis in the division race. Both Dallas and Houston start the night tied for second, a half-game back of the Grizzlies. Tonight the Rockets are playing at Golden State, the top team in the league, while the Mavericks are at Minnesota. In regard to Golden State, the Warriors have won nine of their last 10 and are 33-6.
Atlanta, the top team in the East, is home to Indiana. The Hawks have won 13 straight and are 34-8 on the season while the Pacers come into the game riding a five-game losing streak.
The rest of the schedule has Miami playing at Charlotte, the Knicks in Philadelphia in a game featuring the bottom two teams of the Atlantic Division, Utah in Cleveland to face the Cavaliers, Detroit hosting the Magic, L.A.’s Lakers at New Orleans, the Wizards home to Oklahoma City, the Nets at Sacramento and Northwest leader Portland on the road for a game with Phoenix.
T25 MEN’S-SCHEDULE
No highly ranked teams in action tonight
UNDATED (AP) β The men’s Top-25 schedule today consists of five games, none of which includes a Top-10 team. The highest-ranked squad in action is No. 12 Utah, at home to Washington State. The remaining games feature 14th-ranked Wichita State at Missouri State, No. 15 North Carolina at Wake Forest, 20th-ranked Northern Iowa home to Indiana State and 21st-ranked Baylor home to Huston-Tillotson, an NAIA school out of Austin, Texas.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Ducks facing Flames tonight
UNDATED (AP) β There’s a good matchup in Anaheim tonight as the Ducks entertain the Flames. Anaheim tops the league with 66 points while the Flames are going for a sweep of their five-game Pacific Division road trip.
Toronto’s Maple Leafs have had a tough time of late, scoring just two goals during a five-game losing streak. In three of those games they were shut out. Tonight the Leafs are facing the Senators in Ottawa. The Sens have lost six of eight.
The rest of the schedule has Chicago skating at Pittsburgh, Winnipeg home to Columbus, Boston, which has won six of seven, at Colorado and the Kings in San Jose.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Fourth day of play
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) β The two No. 1 seeds in the Australian Open are back in action this evening, U.S. time. For the men that means Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) and for the women Serena Williams.
For the most part there have been no major upsets in the first major of the new tennis season.
NOTRE DAME-ESPN
ESPN sues Notre Dame
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) β ESPN has filed a lawsuit alleging the University of Notre Dame has violated Indiana’s public records laws by withholding police records it requested about possible campus crimes involving student athletes.
Notre Dame spokesman Dennis Brown says the university believes its practices are in accordance with the law.
The lawsuit contends ESPN is entitled to an unspecified civil penalty, attorney’s fees, court costs and other expenses.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Ohio State death ruled suicide
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) β A coroner says the death of an Ohio State athlete found dead with a gunshot wound to the head will be ruled a suicide. The coroner says the final autopsy report for 22-year-old wrestler and football scout team member Kosta Karageorge (KOH’-stah KAHR’-ah-jorj) isn’t quite finished as she is awaiting neuropathology reports about Karageorge’s brain.
B0XING
Not guilty plea by Taylor
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) β Middleweight boxing champion Jermain Taylor has pleaded not guilty to charges that he pointed a gun at a man’s head and threatened to shoot three small children at a parade in Arkansas on Martin Luther King Day.
A judge revoked his bond Tuesday afternoon in a separate firearms case from August and issued a warrant for his arrest. Prosecutors say the boxer’s arrest in Little Rock this week is evidence that he has violated the terms of his release.
