MLB: Sabathia posts retirement message - 'Thank you, Baseball'

New York Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia posted a farewell message on Twitter on Monday as he retired after 19 years in the major leagues.

"It all started in Vallejo, CA in my grandma's backyard throwing grapefruits at a folding chair. I could have never imagined how much this game has meant to me since," he wrote.

"Through the ups and downs, baseball has always been my home. From Cleveland, to Milwaukee, New York, and everywhere in between, I'm so thankful to have experienced this journey with every teammate past and present.

"All I ever wanted was to be a great teammate and win. I'm so proud of this year's team, we fought til the end. Love you guys! I'm going to miss going out there on the mound and competing, but it's time to say farewell. Thank you, Baseball."

The 39-year-old Sabathia, who announced before the season that this would be his last, made his final appearance in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. 

Pitching in relief last Thursday night, he suffered a partial dislocation of his left shoulder and left the game to a standing ovation at Yankee Stadium.

Sabathia was replaced on the roster and would have been ineligible for the World Series if the Yankees had advanced. The Houston Astros closed out the series in six games.

Sabathia finished his career with a 251-161 record for the Indians, Brewers and Yankees. He had a lifetime 3.74 ERA with 3,093 strikeouts in 3,577 1/3 innings.

The winner of the 2007 AL Cy Young Award, Sabathia was a six-time All-Star and part of the 2009 Yankees team that won the World Series.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Baseball: Early exit costs strongman Sabathia $500,000 bonus

New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia put solidarity over salary Thursday as he was ejected in the sixth inning of a 12-1 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida.

Sabathia was tossed with one out in the sixth after he hit Rays catcher Jesus Sucre in the thigh with a pitch -- apparent retaliation after Rays pitcher Andrew Kittredge fired a fastball behind the head of the Yankees' Austin Romine in the top of the sixth.

Sabathia's premature departure in his last scheduled start of the regular season came as he was two innings away from completing 155 innings for the season and collecting a $500,000 incentive bonus payment.

"I don't really make decisions based on money, I guess," Sabathia said. "Just go (with) you know, the right thing to do."

Kittredge's effort appeared to be a reaction to Sabathia hitting Jake Bauers in the hand in the previous inning, and it prompted a warning to both teams from officials that set the stage for Sabathia's ejection.

Sabathia mouthed and pointed toward the Rays' dugout as he left the field.

"I think we all took exception to that," Sabathia said of Kittredge's pitch near Romine's head. "I think any time your player's safety is in jeopardy, I think all guys take exception to that. We all did."

Sabathia allowed one hit over five innings, striking out five. Theoretically he could still grab the bonus if Yankees manager Aaron Boone uses him for two innings in relief in New York's upcoming series against the Red Sox in Boston.

Miguel Andujar and Luke Voit homered for the Yankees and Giancarlo Stanton went deep twice as New York took their tally to 260 home runs with three games remaining.

The 1997 Mariners hold the record with 264 homers in a season, but Stanton said the Yankees head to Boston more concerned with securing home field advantage over the Oakland Athletics in the American League Wild Card Game.

They need one win -- or one loss by the Athletics -- to do so.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

WORLD SPORTS: Dolphins fire coach, Yankees pitcher enters rehab

Dolphins fire coach Philbin after dismal start to season

Reuters

Joe Philbin became the first coaching casualty of the National Football League's 2015 season after leading the Miami Dolphins to a 1-3 start to the campaign, the team said on Monday.

Philbin was fired a day after his team failed to convert any of their 12 third down opportunities or four fourth down chances during a 27-14 loss to the AFC East division rival New York Jets at London's Wembley Stadium.

Yankees' Sabathia entering rehab, will miss playoffs

Reuters

New York Yankees veteran starting pitcher CC Sabathia is checking himself into alcohol rehabilitation and will miss the upcoming Major League Baseball postseason, the left-hander said on Monday.

"Today I am checking myself into an alcohol rehabilitation center to receive the professional care and assistance needed to treat my disease," the 35-year-old Sabathia said.

Sabathia, a six-times All-Star who won a World Series with New York in 2009, was the winning pitcher last Thursday against the rival Boston Red Sox when the Yankees clinched their first postseason berth since 2012.

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Nationals fire manager after two seasons in charge

Steve Ginsburg, Reuters
The Washington Nationals, a club that struggled all season and barely finished .500 despite a roster loaded with marquee names and assembled through a team-record $164 million payroll, fired manager Matt Williams on Monday.

Under-performing players, defensive lapses, and a slew of injuries to key players were just a few of the reasons the Nationals staggered to an 83-79 record and failed to make the postseason.

Williams, 49, won 96 games in 2014 in his first season as manager and was named National League Manager of the Year. The Nationals lost in the NL Division Series to the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

Washington opened the 2015 season as a favorite to win the World Series but the dream ended swiftly with a spate of injuries that saw Denard Span, Jayson Werth, Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman and others spend much of the year on the disabled list.

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Bouchard's concussion comeback ends in tears

Talek HARRIS, Agence France-Presse

Eugenie Bouchard's comeback match from concussion ended in tears on Monday when dizzy spells forced her to retire from her China Open first-round match against Andrea Petkovic.

On a day when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was also hit by dizziness, Bouchard lasted just 10 games before retiring from her first match since she slipped and banged her head in the locker rooms at the US Open.

Bouchard skipped last week's Wuhan Open to continue her recovery, but said she had felt ready for Beijing and was bitterly disappointed to retire.

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Venus Williams storms up 10 places after Wuhan win

Agence France-Presse

Venus Williams was the main mover at the top of the new WTA tennis rankings published on Monday, climbing 10 places to 14th.

The veteran older sister of world number one Serena Williams won the WTA tournament in Wuhan last week, as Spain's Garbine Muguruza retired during the final due to exhaustion, although she was already a set and three games down at that point.

There was some solace for the Spaniard, though, as the Wimbledon finalist climbed three places to a career high ranking of fifth.

Serbia's Ana Ivanovic was the big loser as the former French Open champion fell six places to 15th.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com