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Padres put Tatis Jr. on IL; Machado moves to SS

Published in Baseball
Tuesday, 30 April 2019 13:32

The San Diego Padres placed rookie shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a strained left hamstring.

The move was made retroactive to Monday.

Manny Machado will move from third base to shortstop while Tatis is out, allowing Ty France to take over at third. The Padres called up right-handed pitcher Phil Maton from Triple-A El Paso to fill Tatis' spot on the roster.

Tatis left Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals in the bottom of the 10th inning after he did an awkward-looking split while trying to stretch for a throw at second base. He was unable to keep his foot on the bag on the play. He moved around gingerly while umpires reviewed the play, and he could not continue.

The 20-year-old entered this season as one of the top prospects in baseball and is hitting .300 with six homers and 13 RBIs for the Padres. The son of former major leaguer Fernando Tatis had a career-high three hits Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Mariners demote struggling Smith, recall Bishop

Published in Baseball
Tuesday, 30 April 2019 16:03

The Seattle Mariners demoted struggling outfielder Mallex Smith to Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday and recalled outfielder Braden Bishop.

Smith, acquired by the Mariners in an offseason trade that sent catcher Mike Zunino to the Tampa Bay Rays, is hitting .165 with two triples, one homer, five RBIs and eight stolen bases in 27 games this season.

The 25-year-old outfielder had a breakout season in 2018 for Tampa Bay, hitting .296 and tying for the American League with 10 triples. He also had two homers and stole 40 bases.

Bishop, 25, made the Mariners' Opening Day roster and went hitless in one at-bat before being optioned to Triple-A on March 23. He was hitting .267 with three homers and 13 RBIs in Tacoma.

Reds could bring up top prospect Senzel this week

Published in Baseball
Tuesday, 30 April 2019 15:31

NEW YORK -- The Cincinnati Reds could bring up top prospect Nick Senzel before Friday's homestand opener against San Francisco, putting the 23-year-old outfielder in position to make his major league debut against the Giants.

Reds manager David Bell says the decision has not been made yet and he has not determined whether Senzel will start Friday.

Senzel is ranked as baseball's No. 6 prospect by ESPN's Keith Law.

"He has what I would call like an edge to his game that would allow him to compete at this level," Bell said Tuesday. "He's talented. He's always hit and when he does play, reach the major leagues, there's going to be adjustments, just like there is for any player, but because of his makeup we believe it will happen for him quick."

Senzel was the second overall pick in the 2016 amateur draft from Tennessee and signed for a $6.2 million bonus.

He sprained his right ankle during a minor league spring training game on March 25 and did not make his season debut at Triple-A Louisville until April 23. He entered Tuesday hitting .296 with one double, one homer and two RBI in six games and 27 at-bats, including three hits, including a two-run homer, on Tuesday night against Toledo.

Senzel played third, shortstop and second before transitioning to the outfield this year.

"He's been an infielder his whole life, and to make the adjustment to being someone we consider that could play a major league outfield in that short a period of time, it just says a lot about his athleticism and his determination," Bell said. "He believes in himself and he's got a seriousness about him. He expects a lot of out of himself and he enjoys the competition. From what I saw, just in a brief period of time, the better the competition, the better response from him."

Senzel hit .310 with six homers and 25 RBI in 44 games at Louisville last season before season-ending surgery on June 28 to repair a broken right index finger. He returned to play in the instructional league, then had surgery Oct. 16 for bone spurs in his left, non-throwing, elbow.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Marlins demote slumping Brinson, activate Cooper

Published in Baseball
Tuesday, 30 April 2019 14:28

MIAMI -- Miami Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson was optioned Tuesday to Triple-A New Orleans, the latest setback for the team's centerpiece in the Christian Yelich trade.

Brinson is hitting .197 with 28 strikeouts in 76 at-bats for the Marlins, who have the worst record in the majors. He batted .199 last year in his first season with Miami and missed two months because of a hip injury.

"There's no doubt in my mind that I can play up here, and that I can be one of the best players in the big leagues when I do get back," Brinson said. "I've just got to go down and find myself again. I'll be back soon."

The Marlins reinstated outfielder Garrett Cooper from the 10-day injured list. He has been their opening day right fielder the past two years, but because of injuries, Tuesday night's game was just his 18th since the beginning of 2018.

Brinson will be an everyday center field for New Orleans.

"We felt it was best for him at this time to go down and sort of clear his head," Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said. "We're still immensely confident in Lewis and his ability and how he will help this organization in the long term."

Brinson, now 24, was a highly regarded prospect when acquired in the trade that sent Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers for four prospects before the 2018 season. Yelich was the NL MVP last year and ranks among the major league leaders this year in batting, home runs and RBIs.

Hill disputed the idea Brinson felt pressure from comparisons with Yelich.

"It wasn't a one-for-one deal," Hill said. "There were a lot of other pieces that make up that deal."

None of the other prospects acquired has reached the majors yet.

The Marlins put no timetable on Brinson's return from the minors.

"I wasn't getting it done," Brinson said. "It's about results up here. I've got to go down there and regroup."

How Cole Hamels found the secret to pitching in 2019

Published in Baseball
Tuesday, 30 April 2019 05:52

SEATTLE -- For 22 straight innings earlier this month, Chicago Cubs pitcher Cole Hamels was doing exactly what he wanted with a baseball: throwing it over the plate. The results showed in the form of three consecutive starts without his issuing a walk, leading to three wins for his team.

No pitcher in the history of the game wants to walk opposing hitters, but Hamels has taken a desire to avoid walks to a new level, one that is tailored to today's era. It goes like this: Walks are bad, really bad. Home runs are OK. More specifically: Solo home runs are OK.

"Even the best starters are going to give up homers," Hamels said in a dugout interview earlier this week. "If you're telling me I'll give up about 40 solo home runs, I still have room to work with to be successful. Obviously, you don't want to give them up with the game on the line."

A pitcher being OK with 40 home runs? Aces of the past might beg to differ, but even a Sandy Koufax or Bob Gibson would likely find the launch-angle era perplexing. Hamels has decided to turn into the skid, so to speak. He'd rather pump the zone with strikes, give up a few long balls and keep his team in the game without a big, multirun home run forcing him out of it. With balls leaving the yard at record rates, Hamels is trying to use the launch-angle phase to his advantage.

"I think the hitters have realized they're only going to stay around and get contracts based on home runs," he said. "You're not getting paid if you're a .300 hitter. You're not getting acknowledged on ESPN or MLB Network if you're going 3-for-4 with three singles. They don't care. It's not the fantasy talking points. They've come up with a new understanding, so you have to counter it.

"I was always a blow-them-away, down-in-the-zone-type pitcher. Now, you can try to go up there and keep walking the ladder up. I'm starting to use that to my advantage, seeing how far I can take a hitter up in the zone."

Hamels has recent experience to lean on when it comes to the dangers of walks. In his first start of the season in March, he was squeezed by the plate umpire, eventually issuing two free passes to load the bases. The next batter hit a grand slam. Those were the last walks Hamels issued until his most recent start, in which he walked six Dodgers.

"That was the thing about my last game," Hamels said. "It was 0-0, so I couldn't give up any runs, so I was a little more cautious. I ended up walking a few more guys."

That kind of game has been the exception for Hamels. His walk percentage as he takes the mound Tuesday in Seattle is his lowest since 2013 -- about the time the launch-angle phase took hold. Hamels took some beatings in the American League before he adjusted.

"You go to the AL, and you realize what damage control is," he said with a smirk. "The nature of a 1-9 lineup and what AL baseball is about. Then you start pitching around guys because of that, and it starts to get you out of whack of what pitching is all about. Coming back to the NL got me back into that mindset of what I was conditioned and how I evolved in the big leagues."

Evolving has been key for Hamels, as he's no longer in search of perfection. He thinks it's nearly impossible, as today's No. 8 hitters can launch unlike at any time in the past. Instead, he's finally taking some advice -- even if it is about 10 years old.

"A lot of information I got from older guys is coming back to me, and I'm starting to go, 'Yeah, you're right,'" Hamels said. "When you have Jamie Moyer and Roy Halladay and Cliff [Lee] and Roy Oswalt, you hear them talk, but you're young and dumb and full of all sorts of internal numbers that you want to accomplish, and that takes away from the actual goal as a team."

Hamels likely no longer has the stuff to put up those elite numbers, and the era he plays in doesn't allow for it. It's almost as if he's in damage-control mode before he even takes the mound. All of this will be put to the test on Tuesday, as the Mariners have hit the most home runs in baseball while drawing the most walks in the AL. Damage control will again need to be the name of the game for Hamels

"I look at it that way now," Hamels said. "As opposed to 'I have to go and strike out nine or 10' -- you know, getting to those numbers that you get acknowledged for -- I would rather just come away with the win."

Improve your performance with a running camp in southern Portugal

Autumn can be the ideal time to assess your running regime and set new goals – and what better way to do it than in the warmth and sunshine of the Algarve, with good company and under the guidance of professional coaches?

Following a successful first edition in 2018 which proved to be a sell-out, The Campus Run Academy is returning this year, with two four-day options to choose from.

Taking place on October 17-20 or 24-27 this year and led by 2018 British marathon champion Lily Partridge and ultra marathon runner Susie Chan, The Campus Run Academy is a running camp which caters for all abilities and is designed to help take your training to the next level in what is a unique and stunningly beautiful environment.

For four days and three nights, participants can experience coaching expertise, exclusive workshops and the remarkable coastline luxuries on offer at Quinta do Lago’s renowned resort in southern Portugal.

There will be access to advice on training, performance, recovery and nutrition, not to mention access to the host athletes and guided runs along miles of beautiful, soft and hard-packed trails next to the Atlantic ocean.

The luxury hotel stay also provides full access to the Quinta do Lago resort and its array of facilities, including the state of the art multi-sports complex, The Campus.

Places filled up quickly last year so if you’re inspired by the London Marathon to set your own targets, to improve your performance or simply to give yourself an opportunity to run and train in a glorious setting, then now’s the time to act!

To book your place visit www.fortesportsmanagement.com

“It is better to be humble and succeed for a long time,” says the world record-holder, whose winning celebrations were confined to the finish line

As he crossed the finish line, arms aloft and with a big smile spread across his face, it was clear how much a fourth Virgin Money London Marathon victory meant to Eliud Kipchoge.

He was the huge favourite going into the race, but never takes anything for granted.

The Kenyan’s time of 2:02:37 improved his own London course record. It was the second quickest ever mark on a record-eligible course, after his own world record of 2:01:39 from Berlin. He won by 18 seconds, leading Ethiopia’s Mosinet Geremew and Mule Wasihun both inside 2:03:30, to take his marathon winning streak to an impressive 10 races.

Such a performance must demand some lavish celebrations? Of course, the answer is no. As has come to be expected from this marathon master, his post-race ritual proved just as humble as his low-key lifestyle.

“I am a man who doesn’t like celebrations,” said the 34-year-old.

“I think celebrations ended yesterday at the finish line.

“I have a great team with my sponsors, management and coaches. I will get together and have tea and dinner with them.

“It’s good to go back on a low profile and just chill, stay with the family, plan for the next season and stay focused.”

He added: “The more you are humble, the more you become successful. The more you have a lot of pride, the more you can fall. It is better to be humble and succeed for a long time.”

Given all he has achieved, just how does he maintain that motivation?

“I love the sport,” he said. “That’s what drives me and that’s what acts as my ignition key.”

Kipchoge has previously spoken of his intention to defend his Olympic marathon title in Tokyo next year and although reluctant to voice specific plans for further into the future, he has confirmed that he would like to complete the World Marathon Majors series.

“I trust that before I see the sport out, I will run all six major marathons,” said the three-time Berlin champion.

With 2014 Chicago victory added to his London wins and Berlin titles, Kipchoge would need to run New York, Boston and Tokyo to complete the six-race series.

As for other global goals he must be targeting a world marathon title, perhaps in Doha later this year, to go with his Olympic gold from Rio?

“But I am world champion on the track!” the 2003 5000m winner replied with a smile.

Wimbledon goes digital with 2020 ticket ballot

Published in Tennis
Tuesday, 30 April 2019 08:43

Fans will no longer need to use pen, paper and a stamped addressed envelope to apply for Wimbledon tickets after the grass-court showpiece announced an end to a 95-year tradition.

The move to an online ballot from 2020 was among several changes confirmed by the All England Club on Tuesday.

Prize money will increase by 11.8% this year, with the total pot at the Grand Slam standing at £38m.

The men's and women's singles champions will win £2.35m, a rise of £100,000.

Prize money for early-round losers will increase by more than 10%, while there is also a double-digit increase for men's and women's doubles.

The new retractable roof over Court One will be in operation this year but the shot-clock - used at January's Australian Open - will not be.

But the device, which counts down the seconds allowed between points, is "very likely" to be introduced from 2020, All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) chief executive Richard Lewis told a news conference.

Meanwhile, the wheelchair event has been expanded to include quad singles and doubles after a trial last year.

This year's grass-court Grand Slam runs from 1 to 14 July.

Going digital

Since 1924 Wimbledon has sold the majority of its tickets through a postal ballot, which requires fans to send a stamped addressed envelope to receive an application form, which they then need to post back to the All England Club to enter the ballot.

The completed forms need to be returned by the end of the December before the July championships and fans cannot apply for specific dates or courts.

The system is set to remain the same for the online application, just without the paper and stamps.

The new online ballot does not affect the popular queue - where people often camp overnight to buy on-the-day tickets.

Prize money increases

Wimbledon has once again announced higher percentage increases in prize money for players who go out in the first three rounds of the main draw or in qualifying.

"It is a clear demonstration, once again, of our continued commitment to do what we can for players for whom it will have the most impact," AELTC chairman Philip Brook said.

Since 2011, the prize money for first-round losers has increased almost four fold, from £11,500 to £45,000.

Meanwhile, if Britain's Jamie Murray wins the men's doubles title this year, he would share £540,000 with his partner, which is a rise of 20% compared to last year.

A Wimbledon wildcard for Murray?

Wimbledon is still in the dark about whether British two-time champion Andy Murray will be playing there this year.

The 31-year-old Scot is recovering after a hip resurfacing operation in January, which he had said could end his career.

He has since said he feels no pressure to return to tennis but that he will try if his body will allow it.

The 2013 and 2016 champion could use his protected ranking to enter Wimbledon but may opt to apply for a wildcard to save that ranking for another event.

AELTC chief executive Lewis told BBC Sport that while the deadline for Murray to apply for a wildcard was 18 June, "it's not unprecedented for us to allow players a bit more time to see whether an existing injury clears up".

What are the other changes for 2019?

Among other changes announced on Tuesday was that play on the outside courts will begin half an hour earlier than previously, at 11:00 BST, and four more courts will offer Hawk-Eye technology for line calls.

The capacity of the grounds will rise to 42,000, an increase of 3,000 following the completion of work to put a roof on Court One.

The cost of the project, which comes 10 years after Wimbledon installed a retractable roof over Centre Court, has not been disclosed but Brook said it had been completed on time and on budget.

The roof will be tested at a tennis and music exhibition event on 19 May, which will be broadcast live on the BBC and raise money for a homeless fund set up by the Wimbledon Foundation.

Organisers also announced plans for a greener championships, by using only 100% recycled and recyclable water bottles and scrapping plastic bags from its racquet-stringing operation.

Thank You for the Memories Budapest!

Published in Table Tennis
Tuesday, 30 April 2019 05:25

Dear Table Tennis lovers,

What an amazing week in Budapest. For the new ITTF – from Halmstad to Budapest, it was “Game on, round 2”. The ITTF, together with the Hungarian Table Tennis Association, showed the world that great things can be achieved with a professional operation. The moves to become a more professional and modern commercial sport are now starting to shine, and we will only see even better things in the future after the wonderful decisions made in Budapest. It is not always easy to achieve change, but we knew this was not a game for “weak hearted fools”.

The performance of the Chinese team was simply amazing and won the 5 gold medals on offer in Budapest, “they play the sport like piper plays the flute”. Liu Guoliang will be smiling and hopefully move his thinking now on how to grow the sport together with the new ITTF. Saying that, there was a feeling of change in the international table tennis landscape emerging – at least on the men’s side. Ma Long is a superstar and maybe soon becomes the best ever, Tokyo is maybe needed to confirm that. But it was not all about China. A stunning silver result to Sweden’s Mattias Falck in the Men’s Singles event strikes a question – is Sweden coming back as a power?  And not to forget the amazing run of the Korean teenager An Jaehyun who had fought his way into the semi-finals from the qualification rounds. And what about Spain and Romania in the Men’s Doubles – could anyone have ever predicted that? It was so close for Portugal, settling for a bronze medal in Budapest.

On the Women’s side, it was still largely dominated by China, with Japan continuing to knock on the door. Our sport needs to look at this imbalance to get more nations in Women’s table tennis at the highest level, it’s now becoming a serious issue. That said, Liu Shiwen’s stunning run from almost being out in recent years was one for the ages. In Tokyo, we will play the Mixed Doubles event for the first time at the Olympic Games, and we saw in Halmstad the importance as the teams try to prepare themselves. Whilst China and Japan dominated, the German team reminded us that they are still very much a threat.

Off the table, the 2019 World Championships is also a wonderful success, expected to be the most followed and reported table tennis event in history. The global media coverage will be huge simply due to the spread of success at the tournament, as well as the amazing amount of content the ITTF media team has been producing.

Some of the reforms are starting to pay off also. After the changes to expand the World Championships in Halmstad, the hosting of the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals was awarded to Houston, USA. This was a historic moment for the ITTF because it meant that the World Championships will be hosted in the USA for the first time, and it will be the first time our event will be hosted outside of Asia or Europe since 1939 when the event was held in Cairo, Egypt. It is really something to be proud about. It will also be 50 years of Ping-Pong diplomacy when table tennis helped build relations between China and the USA – so I wonder if we will be able to get the leader of both countries to attend the Championships, at least we should try.

The 2022 event was awarded to Chengdu, China and whilst the World Championships have been hosted in China 5 times previously, it will be the first time to be held in Chengdu. It was also for the first time there was a competition in the number of bids, and Chengdu had to fight off serious challenge from Lisbon, Portugal and Kitakyshu, Japan for the hosting rights. All of this was only possible due to the reforms made and whilst some feel disenfranchised by these reforms, we will promise to find ways to find new benefits for all our members for supporting us on these vital and crucial decisions, especially related to the new World Championships. There were numerous other changes and in fact every proposition that the ITTF Executive committee put forward passed, that is a sign of strength that is undeniable, we are indebted to our membership for giving us time and trust.

And now we go home to prepare for the 2020 World Championships to be held in Busan next year. As we leave, we look forward for the rest of the year to achieve what we believe will be the biggest success for our sport with a new commercial future for the ITTF to start in 2021, which we must prepare now.

There are too many persons to thank – Firstly thank you Budapest and the Hungary Table Tennis Association for an amazing Job, Roland Natran and Gabor Felegyi, you are both superstars and we hope that you will continue to help table tennis on an international level. All ITTF officials who work tirelessly as volunteers, and especially the ITTF staff and everyone involved in the event whom I hope will take some rest after assisting to deliver an amazing, jam packed event.

And to end, I hope we learnt and to quote from the official song:

Saracens have signed prop Josh Ibuanokpe from Harlequins on an undisclosed-length contract.

The 23-year-old tighthead has spent five years with Quins, signing his first professional deal last summer.

He made his Premiership and European debuts this season but will leave The Stoop this summer.

"Saracens have a history of developing young players and I'm excited to see how far my game can develop with them," he said.

"I know a few of the players at the club and they've spoken about the tight-knit nature of the squad."

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said: "We are excited to have signed a player of Josh's potential and look forward to working with him at Saracens."

The signing of the former England age-group forward comes after Saracens announced that Cornish Pirates scrum-half Alex Day and Worcester hooker Jack Singleton will be joining the reigning Premiership champions at the end of the season.

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