OBIT-GWYNN
Hall of Famer dies at 54
SAN DIEGO (AP) β Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn has passed away at the age of 54 from cancer. The eight-time National League batting champ and 15-time All-Star spent his entire career with the San Diego Padres. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007. Gwynn finished his career with five Gold Glove awards as well as 319 stolen bases.
He made headlines in 1994 when he toyed with a .400 batting average, something not achieved in decades. He finished the strike shortened season with a .394 average.
Gwynn had two operations for cancer in his right cheek between August 2010 and February 2012. The second surgery was complicated, with surgeons removing a facial nerve because it was intertwined with a tumor inside his right cheek.
Gwynn had said he believed the cancer was from chewing tobacco.
WORLD CUP
U.S. set to go
NATAL, Brazil (AP) β The U.S. starts play in the World Cup later today. The Americans are going to face Ghana, the nation which knocked the U.S. out of the last two World Cups.
Just hours before the match it was announced that two members of the team from Ghana, World Cup veterans Michael Essien and Kevin- Prince Boateng, were left out of the starting lineup.
A two-day downpour has flooded some streets in the northeastern Brazilian beach town of Natal, where the game is being played. While the skies started to clear a bit Sunday, the forecast was unsettled for tonight’s game. A total of 3.11 inches of rain fell Friday and 2.95 more Saturday.
Still, the field appeared firm during workouts Sunday at the new facility built for the World Cup. It’s designed to resemble the nearby sand dunes.
History says the U.S. needs to win this game as the U.S. has never advanced after starting with a loss.
Thousands of U.S. fans are expected as the U.S. Soccer Federation said it sold its official allotment of about 2,000 tickets.
In the first match of the day, Germany defeated Portugal 4-0. Thomas Mueller scored a hat trick for the Germans.
Nigeria and Iran played to a 0-0 stalemate, the first draw of the World Cup.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Royals open series in Detroit
UNDATED (AP) β The surprising Kansas City Royals open up a big series in Detroit tonight. The Tigers, who have won just five of their last 10 games, are playing host to the red-hot Royals who have won seven straight. A check of the American League Central standings shows the Royals are just 1 Β½ games back of the Tigers in the standings. Justin Verlander, who is having a very un-Verlander kind of season with six wins and six defeats, is facing KC’s Jason Vargas who is 6-2.
A check of the rest of the schedule shows the Indians and Angels opening up a four game set in Cleveland, Baltimore at Tampa Bay in an American League East contest, the Cubs in Miami against the Marlins, Minnesota at Boston, the Braves at home to the Phillies in an NL East game, the Mets in St. Louis, Arizona at home to Milwaukee, Texas at Oakland, the Dodgers hosting the Rockies and the Padres in Seattle.
MLB-MARLINS
Miami inks top pick
MIAMI (AP) β Right-hander Tyler Kolek, the second overall pick in the baseball draft, has signed with the Miami Marlins. The Marlins have signed 19 of their 42 draft picks, including their first five.
The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Kolek pitched for Shepherd High School in Texas, where his fastball consistently registered in the upper 90s and exceeded 100 mph.
SCHUMACHER RELEASED
Veteran F1 driver leaves the hospital
BERLIN (AP) β The manager for seven-time World Driving champion Michael Schumacher says the Formula One great is no longer in a coma and has left a French hospital where he had been receiving treatment since a skiing accident in December. His manager says Schumacher will continue his long rehabilitation “away from the public eye.”
SUPREME COURT-SCOTTIE PIPPEN
High court rejects Scottie Pippen defamation case
WASHINGTON (AP) β Former NBA star Scottie Pippen has failed to convince the Supreme Court that he was defamed by several media outlets. The Supreme Court has declined to revive a defamation lawsuit that the former Chicago Bulls star filed against several media companies for falsely reporting he had filed for bankruptcy. Lower courts found that as a public figure, Pippen could not show the reports were published with actual malice.
