BASEBALL
Braves extend Snitker
The Atlanta Braves have agreed to a two-year contract extension with Manager Brian Snitker, who guided the team to its first playoff berth since 2013. The deal includes a club option for 2021. Snitker was appointed interim manager in May 2016 after the firing of Fredi Gonzalez. He will be heading into his third full season as the club's manager and 43rd as a member of the organization. After a third consecutive 90-loss season in 2017, the Braves improved to 90-72 this year and won the NL East with some of baseball's best young talent, including Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Mike Foltynewicz. They lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League division series.
Rangers talk to 2 more
The Texas Rangers now have interviewed a half-dozen candidates in their search for a new manager. According to people familiar with the details, the Rangers conducted two more interviews Monday to increase the total to six. They spoke Monday in Arlington with Rocco Baldelli and David Bell. The Rangers are not making public comments about the first round of managerial interviews. Baldelli is the major league field coordinator for the Tampa Bay Rays. Bell is vice president of player development for the San Francisco Giants and the son of former Rangers third baseman Buddy Bell. Texas is looking to replace Jeff Banister, who was fired with 10 games left during the team's second consecutive losing season.
Cubs hire hitting coach
The Chicago Cubs have hired Anthony Iapoce as their major league hitting coach, replacing the fired Chili Davis. Iapoce was the major league hitting coach for the Texas Rangers the past three seasons. He spent the previous three years in the Cubs organization, and the team said he is familiar with many members of the big-league club. During Iapoce's three years in Texas, the Rangers ranked fifth in the American League in runs and fourth in home runs. The 2017 Rangers were the first MLB team with nine players to reach at least 17 home runs in the same season. Chicago won 95 games in a franchise-record fourth consecutive playoff season, but its offense was inconsistent. The Cubs finished fourth in the National League in scoring but managed one run or zero in 39 regular-season games. They scored just two runs over 22 innings in losing the NL Central tiebreaker game against Milwaukee and the NL wild-card game to Colorado.
FOOTBALL
LSU fined $100,000
The SEC fined LSU $100,000 for fans rushing the field after the Tigers topped then-No. 2 Georgia 36-16 over the weekend. The league announced the fine Monday. It cited Saturday's incident as a second violation of the SEC's policy against fans on the field. The same thing occurred against Mississippi in 2014. The SEC said fines collected against schools for violating the competition-area policy are deposited in the league's post-graduate scholarship fund. The league said a third violation could lead to a fine of up to $250,000.
Kupp doubtful
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp is not expected to play against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday due to a sprained left knee. Rams Coach Sean McVay said Monday that Kupp is week to week. Kupp was injured in the second quarter of the Rams' 23-20 victory at the Denver Broncos on Sunday when his knee bent back awkwardly on a horse-collar tackle by safety Darian Stewart. McVay said the prognosis is "fortunate news." Kupp leads the Rams with five touchdown receptions. A third-round draft pick out of Eastern Washington in 2017, Kupp has 30 receptions for 438 yards.
Allen out indefinitely
Bills rookie QB Josh Allen is out indefinitely after hurting his right throwing arm and leaving Buffalo in a quandary at quarterback. Without providing many details, Coach Sean McDermott would only list Allen as being "week to week" on Monday, a day after Allen hurt his elbow in the third quarter of a 20-13 loss at Houston. The injury to the first-round draft pick leaves McDermott having to decide between having turnover-prone backup Nathan Peterman or newly signed 12-year veteran Derek Anderson start in Buffalo's game at Indianapolis on Sunday. McDermott wouldn't provide a hint as to who would start in Allen's place. Peterman threw two interceptions, with his first returned for the deciding touchdown with 1:23 left against the Texans. Including a brief playoff appearance, the second-year player has been intercepted on 10 of his 82 career attempts.
Buccaneers fire Smith
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired defensive coordinator Mike Smith and replaced him with linebackers coach Mark Duffner. The move Monday came a day after the team's third consecutive loss after a 2-0 start, and two weeks after Dirk Koetter said he had no intentions of dismissing Smith because the Bucs' defensive woes were not the fault of any one person. Tampa Bay has the NFL's second-ranked offense and No. 1 passing attack, but is next to last in total defense and has allowed a league-high 34.6 points per game. Smith is the former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
BASKETBALL
Turner gets more years
The Indiana Pacers signed 22-year-old Myles Turner to a contract extension. Team officials made the announcement Monday but declined to provide details of the deal. It is a four-year deal worth $72 million, espn.com reported. The signing means Indiana will have two key players -- Turner and All-Star guard Victor Oladipo -- under contract for the next three seasons. Turner was taken No. 11 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Texas and finished third in the league with 1.82 blocks last season. He also averaged 12.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Witness talks Self texts
Lawyers for a former Adidas executive who's a defendant at a college basketball corruption trial zeroed in Monday on communications between a recruiting fixer and the head coach at Kansas. On cross-examination in federal court in Manhattan, a key government witness, ex-Adidas consultant Thomas "T.J." Gassnola, was confronted with a record logging a call with Coach Bill Self, as well as texts he exchanged with Self. The communications occurred amid what prosecutors say was a scheme by Gassnola, former Adidas executive James Gatto and two other defendants to funnel secret cash payments to the families of top-flight prospects to steer them toward programs sponsored by the sportswear company. In the texts last year, Gassnola told Self he was in touch with the guardian of Jayhawks recruit Silvio De Sousa. Prosecutors say De Sousa was among recruits whose families were offered payments of up to $100,000 in covert deals financed by Adidas. Self responded: "We good," according to a defense exhibit of the communication. Gassnola said: "Always. That was light work. The ball is in his court now." That same day, Gassnola asked Self to call him when he had five minutes. Defense attorney Michael Schachter told jurors records show there later was a conversation between Self's phone and Gassnola lasting almost exactly five minutes. "Do you recall what you wanted to discuss with Coach Self alone?" Schachter asked. "I don't," Gassnola responded.
TENNIS
Halep to end year No. 1
Simona Halep is back as the year-end No. 1 for the second year in a row, despite a back injury that doctors say could lead to a long-term problem. Halep, who won her first major title at this year's French Open, clinched the year-end top tennis ranking Monday but may be forced to pull out of the upcoming Kremlin Cup and the season-ending WTA Finals because of a herniated disk. "I haven't practiced 100 percent yet but today, tomorrow, I will do close to 100," Halep said in a conference call, "and I will be able to know better the next day." The 27-year-old Halep had her best year on tour in 2018, reaching the Australian Open final and then winning her first Grand Slam title a few months later at Roland Garros. But she announced at the start of this month that she had an MRI exam after retiring from her first-round match at the China Open and the herniated disk problem was found.
Sports on 10/16/2018