BASEBALL
Drillers change affiliates
The Tulsa Drillers will become the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers starting next season. The Texas League team held a news conference Wednesday to announce a two-year "introductory" agreement with the Dodgers. Two or four years were the only options, according to Drillers General Manager Mike Melega. The Drillers just completed their 12th season as an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Major league teams agree to player development Contracts with their affiliates that last either two years or four years. Teams are not allowed to bid money to recruit affiliates, but the Drillers' facilities and high attendance make them attractive to major league clubs. The Dodgers' previous Double-A affiliate was located in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Minnesota Twins announced Wednesday they have a four-year agreement with Chattanooga. The Dodgers also announced that Oklahoma City is their new Triple-A affiliate.
• Officials with the Albuquerque Isotopes and the Colorado Rockies signed a four-year player development agreement during a news conference Wednesday, marking the official move of the major league team's Triple-A affiliation from Colorado Springs to Albuquerque. The Isotopes had been affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2008 until the team cut its ties last month.
• Major League Baseball suspended umpire Joe West for one game without pay for "grabbing the jersey" of Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon. West ejected Papelbon on Sunday after believing the closer grabbed his crotch in an obscene gesture to fans. Papelbon, who got into a face-to-face argument with West, was suspended seven games by the league on Monday.
• Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman is appealing his six-game suspension that Major League Baseball imposed for throwing at the head of a Baltimore hitter. MLB penalized Stroman, 23, on Wednesday and also fined the rookie an undisclosed amount. The suspension had been set to start Wednesday night when the Blue Jays played at Baltimore. Because Stroman is appealing, no penalty will take effect until there is a resolution.
BASKETBALL
Missouri freshmen suspended
Missouri freshmen Jakeenan Gant and D'Angelo Allen have been suspended after getting arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor third-degree assault. Coach Kim Anderson said in a statement that the players would not participate in team activities while the school gathers information. According to published reports, the players and a third man were arrested after reports of an assault early Sunday. The 6-foot-8 Gant was Mr. Basketball in Georgia his senior season and was among 21 players selected to participate in USA Basketball's U18 National Team training camp. The 6-foot-7 Allen, of Dallas, signed with Missouri soon after Anderson was hired in April.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Vols' WR to miss another
Tennessee Coach Butch Jones said wide receiver Von Pearson won't play in the Volunteers' next game Sept. 27 at No. 13 Georgia as the junior college transfer recovers from a high ankle sprain. Jones said Pearson wouldn't be available for the Georgia game. Jones said "right now we're really working exceptionally hard to get him back for the (Oct. 4) Florida game, but as you know, the body heals in different time frames. It heals when it's ready to heal." Pearson has 7 catches for 98 yards and 1 touchdown. He hurt his left ankle in a 34-19 victory over Arkansas State on Sept. 6. The injury kept him from playing last week in a 34-10 loss at No. 4 Oklahoma.
HORSE RACING
Fair Grounds cuts purses
A pending lawsuit by a group of quarter horse owners, trainers and jockeys has forced the Fair Grounds in New Orleans to substantially reduce purses for the upcoming thoroughbred meet, including a 40 percent cut for the Louisiana Derby. The Louisiana Derby purse is now $600,000, down from $1 million. In all, The Advocate in Baton Rouge, La., reports stakes purses will be cut by 30 percent and overnight purses by 17 percent -- a total of $2.7 million -- although some or all of the money could be restored if the lawsuit is resolved. The lawsuit challenges the distribution of video poker proceeds dating back to 2008, a portion of which was to go toward quarter horse purses. The 143rd thoroughbred season at the Fair Grounds opens Nov. 21 and runs through March 29.
• New England's only thoroughbred horse racing track has told its workers it will close by year's end because Mohegan Sun did not win a Massachusetts license for a resort casino at Suffolk Downs in Boston. Suffolk Downs' chief operating officer Chip Tuttle said workers were told Wednesday that the live horse racing season that ends Sept. 29 will be the track's last. Suffolk Downs will continue to offer simulcast racing until November or December. Tuttle said track owners Richard Fields and Joe O'Donnell have lost about $50 million to $60 million on the track over the last several years. The closing will affect hundreds of track-related workers. Massachusetts gambling regulators this week picked Wynn Resorts' $1.1 billion casino project for the Everett waterfront over Connecticut-based Mohegan Sun's $1.1 billion proposal.
• Kenzadargent, the 2-5 favorite, easily won the $78,400 allowance feature for fillies and mares at Belmont Park on Wednesday. The gray 3-year-old is 2 for 2 in the United States after compiling a 1 for 12 mark in her native France. Irad Ortiz, Jr. was aboard for trainer Chad Brown as Kenzadargent beat Rubindy by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:35.27 for a mile over the turf course rated good. Kenzadargent paid $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10. Rubindy returned $4.10 and $2.40, and Image of Anna paid $2.20 to show.
TENNIS
Tsonga advances at Moselle
Top-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga served 10 aces and saved all five break points to defeat Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 7-6 (7), 6-4 at the Moselle Open in Metz, France. Tsonga, who won the title in Metz in 2011 and 2012, was runner-up to fellow Frenchman Gilles Simon last year. He will face eighth-seeded David Goffin of Belgium or German Tobias Kamke in the quarterfinals of the indoor tournament. Tsonga can still qualify for the ATP finals in London from Nov. 9-16 with a strong finish to the season. The Frenchman won his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title last month in Toronto with a straight-sets victory over Roger Federer.
BASKETBALL
Nuggets' Hickson suspended
Denver Nuggets center/forward J.J. Hickson was suspended for five games without pay by the NBA on Wednesday for violating the terms of the anti-drug program. Hickson averaged 11.8 rebounds and 9.2 rebounds in 69 games last season, his first with Denver. He has played six seasons in the NBA with Cleveland, Sacramento, Portland and Denver, averaging 10.1 points and 7.2 rebounds.
• The New York Knicks signed former St. John's forward Orlando Sanchez. The 6-foot-9 Dominican national team player averaged 7.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 22.3 minutes in 32 games last season for St. John's. He also played two seasons at Monroe College.
Sports on 09/18/2014