BRADENTON, Florida (AP) ― Andrew McCutchen walked to the podium, brushed back his trademark dreadlocks, unfolded a sheet of paper and took a deep breath.The Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star centerfielder looked across the massive ballroom at the Dapper Dan Awards ― think Pittsburgh’s version of the ESPYs ― while accepting the 2012 Sportsman of the Year honor in January and cleared his throat.“I don’t do this a lot,” McCutchen said.Maybe, but he better get used to it. It kind of comes with the territo

March 20, 2013

American media is shedding new light on a fanatic baseball fan who inspired the movie “The Natural” starring Robert Redford. Ruth Ann Steinhagen played by actress Barbara Hershey had made countless headlines in America for nearly killing a player and was recently reported to have died three months ago.In 1949, the 19-year-old girl was so obsessive about Eddie Waitkus, a first baseman for the Chicago Cubs that she chose to check in to the same hotel as him. She left a note about “something of imp

March 20, 2013

SAN ANTONIO (AP) ― Sweeping the Dallas Mavericks in the regular season for the first time in 15 years could have been a cause for celebration. Instead, it just raised more concerns for the San Antonio Spurs. Tim Duncan had 28 points and 19 rebounds and San Antonio escaped with a 92-91 victory over Dallas when Vince Carter’s 3-point attempt bounced off the rim at the buzzer. “Overall I thought (the Mavericks) played better than us,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I thought they executed better

March 15, 2013

MIAMI (AP) ― With the score tied and two outs, Puerto Rico’s Alex Rios kept running from second base.Rios scored the go-ahead run without a play, and the Puerto Ricans rallied to oust Italy from the World Baseball Classic with a 4-3 victory Wednesday night.The Puerto Ricans went hitless in their first 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position but still overcame a 3-0 deficit to score once in the sixth inning and three times in the eighth.“With the lineup we had, it was a matter of time before

March 14, 2013

A South Korean expansion baseball team on Wednesday shot down rumors that it would relocate to another city in protest of its hometown’s decision to build a new stadium at a remote location.In a press release, the NC Dinos, based in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, said they aren’t going anywhere.“Our ballclub is only thinking about playing baseball for fans in Changwon,” the team said. “Presently, we’re not considering moving to another city.”The Dinos will join the top-flight Korea Basebal

March 13, 2013

VIERA, Florida (AP) ― Chipper Jones putting on pinstripes?The banged-up New York Yankees would love to have him. General manager Brian Cashman even said so Monday, expressing interest in the retired Atlanta Braves star.“He’d be perfect,” Cashman said at Yankees’ camp in Tampa. “I’d take Larry in a heartbeat. I think everybody would.”The eight-time All-Star third baseman ― better known by his nickname than actual first name ― quickly ended such talk.“Enough with the rumors!” Jones tweeted. “While

March 12, 2013

The great Mariano Rivera is getting set to close his career.The New York Yankees reliever plans to announce this weekend that he will retire after this season, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Thursday.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because there was no official statement. A news conference was called for Saturday at the Yankees' spring training complex in Tampa, Florida.The 43-year-old closer is Major League Baseball's saves leader with 608.

March 8, 2013

The nation’s top men’s professional basketball league will play out the season despite the cloud of a match-fixing scandal involving an active coach, the league’s commissioner said Friday.Han Sun-kyo, head of the Korean Basketball League, convened an emergency board meeting Friday to discuss fallouts from the match-fixing allegations surrounding Kang Dong-hee, head coach of the Dongbu Promy.Hours after the KBL meeting, prosecutors filed for an arrest warrant for Kang, who allegedly took cash fro

March 8, 2013

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (Yonhap News) ― Taiwan, one of South Korea’s opponents in the first round at the upcoming World Baseball Classic, appears quite vulnerable just days before the start of the tournament, a former South Korean national team manager said Thursday.Kim Kyung-moon, currently the manager of the Korea Baseball Organization club NC Dinos, said South Korea should have little trouble getting past Taiwan when the two countries clash next Tuesday.“I think Taiwan is lacking organization as a t

Feb. 28, 2013

Four South Korean teams will start their campaigns at Asia’s premier club competition this week, looking to sustain the country’s recent dominance at the annual tournament.FC Seoul, the defending champion of the first-division K League Classic, will headline the Korean contingent at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League.The AFC awards Champions League spots to the top three K League Classic clubs from the previous season and to the FA Cup winner. FC Seoul, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and

Feb. 25, 2013

South Korea will begin its quest for its first World Baseball Classic championship this week in Taiwan, trying to shake off its underdog label with yet another surprising march through the tournament.Manager Ryu Joong-il will lead the team of 28 players, including 13 pitchers, into Taichung Intercontinental Stadium in Taiwan for first round action. South Korea has been paired with Taiwan, Australia and the Netherlands in Pool B of this March 2-19 tournament.South Korea’s opening game will be aga

Feb. 25, 2013

DOU LIOU CITY, Taiwan (Yonhap News) ― A practice game between the Cuban national baseball team and a South Korean professional club was canceled Thursday over a dispute of the game ball, officials said.Cuba was to face the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization at Dou Liou Baseball Stadium here in Taiwan, as part of preparations for the March 2-19 World Baseball Classic. According to NC officials, the two sides had previously agreed that they would each pitch their own choice of the ball. B

Feb. 21, 2013