MLB-SANTANA
Twins pitcher banned 80 games for drugs
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) β Minnesota Twins pitcher Ervin Santana has been suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Stanozolol.
This is the third penalty for a positive Stanozolol test reported by MLB in the last eight days, following Seattle pitcher David Rollins and Atlanta pitcher Arodys Vizcaino (vihs-ky-AH’-noh).
Santana must sit out the first half of the season. This is his first season with the Twins after signing a four-year, $55 million contract. He’ll lose $5,901,639 of his $13.5 million salary this season.
Santana said in a statement released by the players’ union he “can’t pinpoint” how the substance entered his body.
MLB-HAMILTON
Arbitrator rules no punishment
NEW YORK (AP) β An arbitrator has ruled Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton will not be disciplined by Major League Baseball for violating his treatment program. In a statement MLB said it disagreed with the decision. The Angels and MLB says they are disappointed and disagree with the arbitrator’s ruling.
Hamilton, the 2010 AL MVP, is subject to the treatment program for prior violations involving drugs of abuse.
He self-reported a new violation this year, a person familiar with the case said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because those details were not made public.
A four-person treatment board created by baseball’s joint drug program, which includes one lawyer and one medical representative each appointed by management and the players’ association, deadlocked 2-2 on whether Hamilton should be disciplined. That caused the need for an arbitrator to break the tie.
Hamilton has played poorly during the first two years of his five-year, $125 million contract with the Angels, who still owe him roughly $90 million over the next three years.
MLB-BRAVES
Rodriguez released by Braves
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) β Left-hander Wandy Rodriguez has been released by the Atlanta Braves. The 36-year-old, at spring training with a minor league contract, became expendable when Atlanta acquired Trevor Cahill (KAY’-hihl) from Arizona on Thursday night. In 10 big-league seasons Rodriguez is 91-94 with a 4.06 earned run average. He has played with Houston and Pittsburgh.
MLB-GIANTS
New deals for the skipper and GM
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) β Success in sports means a new contract and such is the case for manager Bruce Bochy (BOH’-chee) and general manager Brian Sabean (SAY’-bee-ihn) of the world champion San Francisco Giants. Each has had his contract extended through the 2019 season.
Giants President and CEO Larry Baer says retaining Bochy and Sabean long-term was his top priority this offseason. He says the two are the foundation of three World Series champions and signify the franchise’s strength and stability.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-AP AWARDS
Kaminsky and Calipari earn top honors
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β Kentucky’s John Calipari and Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky have been named the coach and player of the year by The Associated Press. All Calipari has done is lead his team to a 38-0 record and a spot in the Final Four. The Wildcats are the first team in 24 years to reach the Final Four undefeated. Calipari is the third Kentucky coach to win the award, which started in 1967. Eddie Sutton won in 1986 and Tubby Smith in 2003.
Tony Bennett of Virginia was second with nine votes while Mike Brey of Notre Dame got five.
Kaminsky, a 7-footer who anchored Wisconsin’s run to a second straight Final Four, was a runaway choice as The AP player of the year. He averaged 18.7 points and 8.0 rebounds a game while shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from 3-point range. “Frank the Tank” was the main reason the Badgers are back in the Final four. He received 58 votes from the 65-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor (juh-LIHL’ oh-KUH’-for) received five votes and Kentucky’s Wille Caulaey-Stein and Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant had one each.
FINAL FOUR
Crunch time in Indy
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β The excitement continues to build in Indianapolis as more and more fans arrive for Saturday’s national semifinals in the NCAA Tournament. The opening game of the Final Four features Michigan State, which has a record of 27-11, against Duke, which checks in at 33-4. The second game has 38-0 Kentucky playing 35-3 Wisconsin. Michigan State is the only team that is not a regional No. 1 seed.
The winners will, of course, advance to the championship game Monday Night in Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Indianapolis Colts.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-BLACK COACHES
Efforts underway to increase number of minority coaches
UNDATED (AP) β A group of prominent black coaches headlined by Tubby Smith and Shaka (SHAH’-kuh) Smart is forming an organization to address the dwindling numbers of minority head coaches in college basketball.
The National Association for Coaching Equity and Development is in response to the dissolution of the Black Coaches Association. Ten years after minority coaches held more than 25 percent of the jobs across the country, the percentage dropped to 22 percent last year. And another 12 minority coaches have been fired this season.
GOLF-MASTERS
Woods is in
UNDATED (AP) β Tiger Woods has made up his mind and says he will play the Masters next week. After two trips to Augusta National this week, Woods announced his return to competition on his website.
Woods hasn’t played since Feb. 5, when he walked off the golf course at Torrey Pines with what he described as tightness in his lower back. He said a week later he would not play again until his game was acceptable for tournament standards.
NFL-TRADE
Bucs and Skins deal
WASHINGTON (AP) β The Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have worked out a trade. The transaction sends two-time Pro Bowl safety Dashon Goldson to the Redskins for an undisclosed 2016 draft pick.
The Redskins need help in the their secondary as they are replacing 2014 starting safeties Ryan Clark, who retired, and Brandon Meriweather, who is an unrestricted free agent. Goldson went to the Pro Bowl following his 2011 and 2012 seasons with the 49ers.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Battling it out for a playoff berth
UNDATED (AP) β Teams vying for a berth in the playoffs are in action this evening in the NBA. In the Eastern Conference standings, Boston and Miami are tied for the bottom two spots while Charlotte is a game and a-half back and Indiana two back. This evening, the Bobcats and Pacers are meeting in Indianapolis while Boston is home to Milwaukee. The Heat, which lost in Cleveland last night, have the night off.
In the Western standings, Oklahoma City is holding down the eighth and final spot, and tonight the Thunder are at Memphis. The Grizzlies are a half game back of Houston in the Southwest Division. Right behind the Thunder for that eighth spot is New Orleans and tonight the Pelicans are at Sacramento.
Your remaining games feature the Knicks at Washington, Brooklyn home to Toronto, the Pistons in Chicago, Minnesota home to Orlando, the Nuggets at San Antonio and the Lakers hosting the Blazers.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Top teams jockey for position tonight
UNDATED (AP) β Chicago and St. Louis are looking to make a move on Central Division leader Nashville this evening. The first-place Predators, who have the night off, lead the division with 103 points while the Blues have 101 and the Blackhawks 100. Tonight, Chicago is in Buffalo to face the Sabres while the Blues are in Dallas for a game with the Stars.
Montreal can move back into a first-place tie in the Eastern Conference standings with a win over the Devils in New Jersey. The Canadiens, who have 103 points, start the day two points back of the Rangers, who have the night off.
The rest of the schedule has Arizona at San Jose and Colorado at Anaheim. The Ducks, who have wrapped up the Pacific Division, top the Western Conference by four points over Nashville.
PGA-HOUSTON OPEN
Two-way tie for clubhouse lead
HOUSTON (AP) β Shawn Stefani and J.B. Holmes share the clubhouse lead during the second round of the PGA’s Houston Open. Stefani followed up his opening round 66 with a 3-under-69 to stand 9 shots under par while Holmes 2-under-70. There are players still on the front nine.
LPGA-AVA
Early second results
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) β The second round of the LPGA’s ANA Inspiration tournament in Rancho Mirage, California, is underway. The early clubhouse leader is Sei Young Kim who shot a 7-under-65 to go with her first round 72. Morgan Pressel is in the clubhouse at minus-five while Brittany Lincicome and Jenny Sin are 4-under.
HOCKEY-WOMEN’S WORLD’S
U.S. routs Russia
MALMO, Sweden (AP) β The American team in the women’s world hockey championship has advanced to the gold medal game with a lopsided 13-1 win over Russia. The Americans have reached the final in all 16 championships and have won four of the last five.
Brianna Decker led the U.S. with three goals while goalie Jessie Vetter faced just five shots over two periods before Alex Rigsby turned away three in the third.
The gold medal game is Saturday.
