CINCINNATI (AP) ― The Reds made a $14.1 million qualifying offer to leadoff hitter Choo Shin-soo on Monday, but decided against the same approach for right-hander Bronson Arroyo and four others.They chose not to make qualifying offers to infielder Cesar Izturis, right-handed reliever Nick Masset and left-handed relievers Manny Parra and Zach Duke. All could re-sign with the Reds as free agents.Choo was one of the top leadoff hitters in the majors with a .423 on-base percentage, a .285 batting av

BaseballNov. 5, 2013

Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yu-na will enter a minor event in Croatia next month in her injury-ridden preparation for the upcoming Winter Games, her agency said Tuesday.Kim will compete at the Golden Spin of Zagreb from Dec. 5-8 in Zagreb, Croatia, All That Sports said in a press release. It will be Kim’s first international competition of this season and could also be her last before the Sochi Winter Olympics next February.Kim came down with a foot injury in September and was forced to

More SportsNov. 5, 2013

The newly named head coach of South Korean men’s soccer team at next year’s Asian Games said Tuesday he’s confident of winning the continental gold medal on home soil.Lee Kwang-jong, appointed Monday as the bench boss of the squad, said he feels the South Korean players are “in the upper echelon” in the region, and that they should be able to reach the top of the podium when Incheon, a metropolitan city just west of Seoul, hosts the Asian Games next September.“I’ve watched our youth players for

SoccerNov. 5, 2013

Streaking domestic league striker Kim Shin-wook made it back on the national soccer team on Monday for two friendly matches set for later this month.Much-maligned forward Park Chu-young, meanwhile, remained on the outside looking in, despite making his long-awaited appearance for Arsenal in the English Premier League last week.Head coach Hong Myung-bo announced the team of 23 players for the Nov. 15 match against Switzerland at home and the Nov. 19 contest against Russia in Dubai.Kim, a towering

SoccerNov. 4, 2013

PARIS (AP) ― Novak Djokovic beat defending champion David Ferrer 7-5, 7-5 Sunday to win the Paris Masters for his 17th straight match victory and sixth title of the season.The second-seeded Serb still has a slim chance to finish the season ranked ahead of No. 1 Rafael Nadal. Djokovic improved to 11-5 against Ferrer, who was looking to become the first player to win back-to-back Paris Masters titles.“Summer was up and down,” Djokovic said, “and now again I’m playing on a very high level and have

More SportsNov. 4, 2013

BOSTON (AP) ― From the Green Monster to the Charles River, the bearded champions celebrated their improbable journey with another familiar sight in Boston.The World Series trophy.For the third time in 10 years, the Red Sox carried the prize through their city in a “rolling rally” of amphibious “duck boats” as thousands of fans lined the streets and the banks of the waterway that separates Boston from Cambridge.The most poignant moment occurred early in Saturday’s trip when the vehicles stopped a

BaseballNov. 3, 2013

PARIS (AFP) ― Defending champion David Ferrer upset compatriot and world No. 1 Rafael Nadal on Saturday to reach the Paris Masters final where he will meet Novak Djokovic who eliminated Roger Federer.Ferrer, 31, who won his only Masters title last year in the French capital, dominated his fellow Spaniard 6-3, 7-5 to set up the championship decider against Djokovic who came back to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 against the 2011 Paris champion. No player has successfully defended the Paris title after previou

More SportsNov. 3, 2013

LONDON (AFP) ― Arsenal reasserted their title credentials on Saturday with an impressive 2-0 victory over Liverpool that sent them five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.Arsene Wenger had seen his side beaten by Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea in their previous two home games, but they prevailed through goals from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey to confirm their role as the team to beat.Liverpool arrived at the Emirates Stadium hoping to leapfrog Arsenal to the top of the table, b

SoccerNov. 3, 2013

The Samsung Lions are the champions of South Korean baseball for the third straight year.The Lions defeated the Doosan Bears 7-3 on Friday to capture the Korean Series in seven games, earning their third consecutive Korea Baseball Organization championship.At their home Daegu Stadium, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the Lions blew the game wide open with a five-run sixth inning, as they became the first club to win the pennant and the Korean Series in three straight years.They are also

BaseballNov. 1, 2013

Hur In-hoi of Korea, 26, captured his second KPGA Tour win at the Herald-KYJ Tour Championship on Friday.In the final round at Lotte Skyhill Golf Club in Seogwipo on Jejudo Island, Hur shot a 1-under 71 for a total of 12-under 276. The second place was shared by three players: Choi Joon-woo, Kim Hyung-tae and Kim Gi-whan. They were four strokes behind Hur, who carded four birdies against three bogeys in the final round.  “Honestly, I didn’t expect to win. I tried to take pleasure in playing, as

GolfNov. 1, 2013