Baseball Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski, known for walk-off home run in 1960 World Series, dies at 89
Bill Mazeroski, the Hall of Fame second baseman who won eight Gold Glove awards for his steady work in the field and the hearts of countless Pittsburgh Pirates fans for his historic walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, has died at the age of 89. The Pirates announced his death on Saturday. Pirates owner Bob Nutting said Mazeroski, who died Friday, “was one of a kind, a true Pirates legend.” The Pirates retired Mazeroski’s No. 9 in 1987. The club had a statue of him erected on Bill Mazeroski Way in 2010.
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami reloads for a run at a second straight MLS title
Less than three months removed from its first MLS Cup championship, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami shows no signs of a letdown. The Herons have assembled perhaps the strongest roster in Major League Soccer history heading into a season that begins this weekend and bookends around the biggest event of them all, the World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Messi is coming off his second straight MVP award, the first player in MLS history to accomplish that feat. But he’s hardly going it alone in Miami, which pulled off an impressive reload.
Luka Doncic scores 38 and the Lakers hold off the Clippers 125-122 to split LA rivals’ season series
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic had 38 points and 11 assists, Austin Reaves added 29 points and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Los Angeles Clippers down the stretch for a 125-122 victory. LeBron James had 13 points and 11 assists for the Lakers in their return from the All-Star break. They blew a 15-point lead in the second half, but Doncic scored 12 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers split the four-game season series with their crosstown rivals. Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points before missing the final 5:10 with an apparent ankle injury for the Clippers.
Former NHL great Jaromir Jagr talks about retirement in his 38th professional season
PRAGUE (AP) — The storied hockey career of Jaromir Jagr might be coming to an end. The former NHL great is currently in his 38th professional season, with his hometown Kladno Knights in the Czech league, and strongly indicated fans might not get to see him on the ice any more. “Probably not,” Jagr said in an interview on Instagram. It wasn’t clear if Jagr will play again this season. The 54-year-old winger has played just six games in the league for Kladno this season. His last game was on December 21. Jagr made his debut for Kladno at 16 and returned to the club in 2018 when the Calgary Flames released him. Jagr praised the “great” hockey at the Milan Cortina Games.
Goepper walks away with knee sprain, hurt shin after crash in all-or-nothing Olympic halfpipe gamble
LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Team officials say U.S. freeskier Nick Goepper checked out of the hospital with only a knee sprain and a bad shin bruise after a scary fall in the halfpipe finals at the Winter Olympics. The 31-year-old Goepper went flying above the halfpipe and came down on his back before bouncing to the bottom. He stood up and walked gingerly and holding his back. Goepper finished fourth. Gold medalist Alex Ferreira was in awe of the attempt, saying it took real guts for Goepper to try it.
Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul takes 3rd-round lead at her home LPGA Thailand tournament
CHONBURI, Thailand (AP) — World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul has birdied her final three holes for a 6-under 66 and a two-stroke lead going into the final round of her home LPGA Thailand tournament. Thitikul made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th to break away from a four-way tie for the lead Saturday, then saw her eagle chip just slide past the hole on 18 before tapping in for a birdie. Thitikul had a 54-hole total of 20-under 196 at the Siam Country Club Old Course.
Just over half ball/strike challenges successful on first day of spring training games
Just over half the ball/strike challenges were successful on the first day of spring training games as Major League Baseball prepared for the first regular-season use of the automated ball-strike system — the so-called robot umpires. Thirteen of 23 calls were overturned during the five games, MLB said, which came to 56.5%. There were an average of 4.6 challenges per game and 2.6 overturned calls per game. Seven challenges were made of plate umpire Alex MacKay’s calls during Arizona’s 3-2 win against Colorado, and six were successful. The Diamondbacks had four of five decisions reversed and the Rockies were 2 for 2 in challenges.
Unbeaten Floyd Mayweather says he will return to pro boxing 9 years after his retirement
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Floyd Mayweather says he is ending his nine-year retirement and returning to competitive boxing this summer. He turns 49 on Tuesday. Mayweather hasn’t fought in a real boxing match since 2017, when he beat Conor McGregor and retired for the third time. The former five-division world champion has still been in the ring regularly throughout his 40s with a series of lucrative exhibition bouts. Mayweather already has announced yet another exhibition coming up this spring against 59-year-old Mike Tyson, although no location or television partner has been confirmed.
Riviera newcomers Penge and Bridgeman share lead at Genesis with McIlroy on their heels
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marco Penge and Jacob Bridgeman are playing Riviera for the first time and like what they see. Each shot 64 and share the 36-hole lead in the Genesis Invitational. One shot behind is Rory McIlroy who has made only one bogey through 36 holes. That’s a big difference from last week at Pebble Beach when he made three double bogeys and a triple bogey. Scottie Scheffler is 12 shots behind. But at least he has a tee time Saturday. Scheffler made four birdies on the last 10 holes and make a 7-foot par on the last just to make the cut.
Scheffler has another slow start and was happy to get a weekend at Riviera
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scottie Scheffler says he has a weird relationship with Riviera. At least he gets another two rounds to figure it out. Scheffler had four birdies on his last 10 holes to rally with a 68 and make the cut on the number at the Genesis Invitational. This is one of only three signature events that have a 36-hole cut to the top 50 and anyone within 10 shots of the lead. Scheffler was still 12 shots behind but he did enough right to at least finish in the top 50. This is the third straight week he has fallen behind early.
Murakami shakes off traffic delay ahead of Cactus League debut with the White Sox
MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Munetaka Murakami had two hits and two RBIs in his Cactus League debut with the Chicago White Sox. The Japanese slugger was momentarily removed from the starting lineup after he got caught in some traffic on his way to Sloan Park. But he arrived about 20 minutes before the first pitch. Murakami was part of a slate of debuts on the first day of spring training games. Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso and Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado homered for their new teams, and Alex Bregman went 0 for 2 while playing three innings in his first game with the Cubs.