MLB: Judge stuck on 61 homers as Yankees win but miss no-hitter

WASHINGTON -- New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge missed another chance at hitting a record-breaking 62nd home run of the Major League Baseball season on Monday but great efforts abounded around him.

Yankees pitcher Luis Severino pitched seven no-hit innings and the batters in the lineup just ahead and after Judge homered in the eighth inning to spark New York's 3-1 victory at Texas.

Judge has three more regular-season games, two on Tuesday and another on Wednesday, to try and smash his 62nd homer to shatter the American League single-season record set by Roger Maris.

Judge matched the 61-year-old mark of 61 homers set by Yankees legend Maris in 1961 with a Wednesday blast at Toronto, but hasn't hit the record breaker in four games since.

The 30-year-old American outfielder grounded out, hit into a double play, singled and struck out against the Rangers in the first game of the season-ending series for the playoff-bound Yankees.

Severino faced the minimum 21 batters through seven no-hit innings with seven strikeouts and allowed only a lone walk in the third inning to Josh Smith. In all, 63 of his 94 pitches were for strikes.

But the 28-year-old Dominican right-hander was pulled from the mound by Yankees manager Aaron Boone before the eighth inning, a move made to ensure he would be fit when the playoffs begin after his recent return from the injured list.

Yankees right-hander Miguel Castro, another Dominican, replaced Severino and, after striking out Adolis Garcia, surrendered a single to Josh Jung on a line drive to left field to end the no-hit bid.

Jung had the weakest batting average in the Texas lineup, hitting .195.

There were homers all around leadoff batter Judge even as he failed to connect on a record-setter.

Marwin Gonzalez smashed his sixth homer of the season, a solo blast, to start the eighth inning and give the Yankees a 2-0 lead just before Judge walked to the plate.

Rangers right-hander Jonathan Hernandez then struck out Judge but moments later issued Giancarlo Stanton a pitch the Yankees slugger smacked for his 30th homer of the season to make it 3-0.

The Maris mark had served as the MLB record until beaten several times in the 1990s by Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire during baseball's notorious steroid era.

Barry Bonds, implicated in the infamous BALCO drug scandal, set MLB's single-season record of 73 homers in 2001.

Boone has said Judge's efforts this season rank above those of Sosa, McGwire and Bonds. Judge, however, said the achievements of those National League stars deserve to be recognized as the proper records.

Agence France-Presse

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.

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Yankees closer Rivera leads 2019 Baseball Hall of Fame class

NEW YORK -- Legendary New York Yankees closing pitcher Mariano Rivera, the first player unanimously voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was a fitting closer at the 2019 induction ceremonies on Sunday.

The Panamanian capped an emotional day in Cooperstown, New York, where he was inducted along with fellow closing pitcher Lee Smith, starting pitchers Mike Mussina and Roy Halladay and sluggers Edgar Martinez and Harold Baines.

Rivera and the late Halladay were the 55th and 56th players to be voted into the hall on their first ballot.

Halladay was named as a first ballot entrant in January, just over a year after his death at the age of 40 in a plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico in 2017.

Rivera's 425 votes were unprecedented in the history of Hall of Fame voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America, an acknowledgement of a 19-season career with the Yankees in which he produced 652 saves.

A 13-time All-Star, Rivera helped the Yankees win five World Series titles and seven American League pennants.

His presence helped draw a crowd of some 55,000 to the ceremony, and he said fan support had buoyed him throughout his career.

"You guys always pushed me to be the best," he said. "When I was at Yankee Stadium pitching, it felt like I was pitching with 55,000 people next to me throwing one pitch after another.

"You guys are the best and man, without your support, I cannot do it. You always pushed me to the limit."

Rivera spoke movingly of growing up a fisherman's son who dreamed of emulating Pele on a football field before finding baseball.

When he had his first chance to try out for the Yankees, he said: "I had no uniform. My spikes had a big hole in my big toe. I didn’t have a glove. But I went."

It is something that crossed everybody’s mind over the past several months, but never more so than Sunday.

Halladay's wife, Brandy, spoke on his behalf, telling the crowd she would "do the best I can to say the things I believe Roy might have said or would have wanted to say if he was here today".

"The thank yous could and should go on for days when you consider the impact so many people had on Roy's career," she said.

"I know how honored Roy would be to be sitting here with such accomplished men. Thank you for being such a good example to him and to supporting him in his career. This is not my speech to give."

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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.

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Yankees confirm slugger Stanton as newest Bronx Bomber

Slugger Giancarlo Stanton is officially a New York Yankee, with the Major League Baseball team confirming on Monday that they had obtained the reigning National League most valuable player in a trade with the Miami Marlins.

The Yankees introduced their prize signing at the MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando on Monday, Stanton saying it was time to move on and grab a chance at winning a championship, while the Marlins undertake another round of rebuilding in Miami.

“It's going to be a great new chapter in my life and my career,’ Stanton said after donning a pinstriped No. 27 jersey.

“I'm very excited to be here and to be a part of the Yankees, and I'm just looking forward to stepping up and being with this winning environment and winning culture.”

Stanton, who led the Majors in home runs (59), runs batted in (132) and slugging percentage (.631), joins a Yankees team already boasting power at the plate with American League rookie of the year Aaron Judge, who slammed 52 homers last season.

The 28-year-old Stanton's 59 home runs were the highest total in the Majors since 2001, when San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds hit 73 and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs 64.

New Yankees manager Aaron Boone smiled broadly at the prospect of adding the home run king to his potent lineup.

“You add the National League MVP to what we feel like is already a very strong lineup, the possibilities start to run through your head of what that could look like.”

Judge and Stanton will become only the second pair of team mates to have each hit at least 50 home runs in the previous season, joining the 1962 world champion Yankees who featured Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.

The trade also marks the second time in MLB history that a reigning MVP has been acquired via trade prior to the start of the following season.

In exchange for Stanton, who will earn $295 million over the next 10 years, the Yankees sent second baseman Starlin Castro, minor league right-handed pitcher Jorge Guzman and minor league infielder Jose Devers to the Marlins.

(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto, Editing by Ed Osmond and ken Ferris)

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Judge, Bellinger win top rookie awards

LOS ANGELES -- New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger were named Major League Baseball's 2017 rookies of the year on Monday.

Judge, 25, became the first Yankee player since Derek Jeter in 1996 to pick up the American League award after a dazzling debut season.

Judge blasted 52 home runs during the regular season, breaking Mark McGwire's rookie record of 49 homers in the process.

His tally also surpassed Babe Ruth's Yankees record for home runs in a season.

As well as his home run exploits, Judge made 128 runs and 114 RBIs. The Yankees star also won the Home Run Derby in Miami in July.

Andrew Benintendi of the Boston Red Sox finished second on the voting, with Baltimore's Trey Mancini third.

In the National League, Bellinger was also a unanimous pick in the awards voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Bellinger, 22, smacked 39 home runs in his debut season for the Dodgers, who lost in game seven of the World Series to the Houston Astros earlier this month.

Bellinger set an unwanted record in the postseason with 28 strikeouts, including 17 in the World Series.

Paul DeJong of the St. Louis Cardinals was second in the voting with the Pittsburgh Pirates' Josh Bell third.

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Tanaka decides to remain with Yankees

Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka is staying with the New York Yankees.

Tanaka released a statement through the Yankees on Friday that he will remain with the team for the remaining three years of his original contract.

"I have decided to stay with the Yankees for the next three seasons," the Japanese pitcher said in the statement. "It was a simple decision for me as I have truly enjoyed the past four years playing for this organization and for the wonderful fans of New York.

"I'm excited to continue to be a part of this team, and I'm committed to our goal of bringing a World Series Championship back to the Steinbrenner family, the Yankees organization, and the great fans of New York."

Tanaka had until 11:59 p.m. Saturday to opt-out of the seven-year, $155 million contract that he signed with the Yankees in 2017. He will be paid $67 million over the next three seasons.

The 29-year-old Tanaka experienced an inconsistent season by going 13-12 with a 4.74 ERA in 30 starts. He gave up a career-high 35 homers, tied for third in the AL, but also ranked in the top 10 in strikeout per nine innings (9.79), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.73) and walks per nine innings (2.07).

The Japanese pitcher concluded the regular-season with a 15-strikeout display Sept. 29 against the Toronto Blue Jays and went 2-1 with a 0.90 ERA in three postseason games. He held opponents to a .145 average in those starts.

Since joining the Yankees following a dominant career with Japan's Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, he is 52-38 with a 3.56 ERA. He sustained a partial tear of his right ulnar collateral ligament in July 2014 but opted against surgery.

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Astros beat Yankees in Game Seven to reach World Series

The Houston Astros reached Major League Baseball's World Series for the first time since 2005 after beating the New York Yankees 4-0 in Game Seven of the American League Championship Series on Saturday.

The Astros, who rallied from a 3-2 deficit in the best-of-seven series, will face the Dodgers when the World Series begins on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Astros starting pitcher Charlie Morton threw five shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out five.

Reliever Lance McCullers Jr. came on in the sixth and recorded his first career save after pitching four scoreless innings while giving up just one hit and striking out six.

The Astros scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth with the key hit coming off the bat of catcher Brian McCann, who lined a two-out double into the right field corner to score two and push the lead to 4-0.

Designated hitter Evan Gattis and second baseman Jose Altuve each contributed solo home runs in the ballgame.

Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane thanked the team's fans for sticking with the club even while it continues to recover from Hurricane Harvey, the deadly storm that ravaged the city in late August.

"Everybody has been pulling together and it is kind of a dream come true for this city to make it this far and have a chance to win the World Series," he said.

The Yankees, who had won three straight in New York to force the Astros to play two elimination games, could not find their offense in Houston, scoring just one run in the final two games of the series at Minute Maid Park.

The Yankees came within inches of tying the game with the Astros leading 1-0 in the top of the fifth.

Yankees first baseman Greg Bird raced home from third on an infield grounder but Astros third baseman Alex Bregman picked it up and made a gutsy throw to McCann at the plate for the out, which sent the orange-clad Astros fans into a frenzy.

Yankees All-Star slugger Aaron Judge came to the plate in the top of the eighth with a runner on and a chance to cut the Astros lead in half with a homer, but McCullers struck him out to end the inning and preserve the 4-0 lead.

"There are things we need to get better on and that will be a focus but I'm extremely proud of this group," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after the game.

The Astros last reached the World Series in 2005 when they were swept 4-0 by the Chicago White Sox. (Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Peter Rutherford/Amlan Chakraborty)

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Baseball: Judge delivers again as Yankees get the verdict

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge delivered once again with a home run that paved the way for a come-from-behind 6-4 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday, squaring their best-of-seven American League Championship Series at 2-2.

With the Yankees trailing 4-0 in the seventh inning, the 6-foot-7 slugger sent a towering solo home run more than 400 feet over centerfield.


That one mighty hit from Judge, who hit a three-run homer and made two outstanding catches in Monday's 8-1 win over the Astros, ignited a subdued Yankee Stadium crowd and seemed to give the team belief.

The 25-year-old delivered an encore by tying the game with a double in the eighth before the Yankees went on to take the victory and even the series.

"It's pretty surreal to be honest," Judge told reporters.

"I've been in that situation in my head a thousand times, game on the line, but the dream's not the same as reality, being out there with that crowd and that atmosphere."

The California native has taken New York by storm, breaking the Major League Baseball record for home runs in a season by a rookie (52).

His 33 homers at home also eclipsed Babe Ruth's record for home runs by a Yankee at Yankee Stadium.

Judge is favorite to win the league Rookie of the Year award, and is also rated by some experts as a contender for most valuable player honors.

"I felt Aaron's home run lit a little spark," New York manager Joe Girardi told reporters. "That was a huge at-bat by Aaron to get us in that situation.

"I'm caught up in it (the excitement) like everyone else, anticipating he's gong to do something great because we've seen it so many times this year.

"It was (a) special (atmosphere) again tonight. Every home game has been special. I feel the fans are back."

The series continues with Game 5 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, when Houston will send their number one starter Dallas Keuchel to the mound, while the Yankees will start Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka.

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Baseball: Judge gets Yankees back in ALCS in 8-1 rout

Aaron Judge hit a three-run homer and made two outstanding catches in right field as the New York Yankees beat the Houston Astros, 8-1, in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Monday.

The Astros lead the series, 2-1, heading into Game 4 on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.


Judge ensured Houston would not be going for the sweep by producing one of his best games of the postseason. He drew a walk in the third inning off Charlie Morton (0-1) and homered off Will Harris to highlight a five-run fourth.

In between plate appearances, Judge made a leaping catch at the base of the right field wall in the fourth to rob Yuli Gurriel of at least an extra-base hit and possibly a homer.

After homering, Judge raced in to make a diving catch on Cameron Maybin for the first out of the fifth.

Todd Frazier hit a three-run homer, Chase Headley had a run-scoring infield single and Frazier scored on a wild pitch as the Yankees snapped a seven-game losing streak in the ALCS.

CC Sabathia (1-0) allowed three hits in six scoreless innings and improved to 10-0 this season following a New York loss.

Morton allowed seven runs and six hits in 3-2/3 innings.

Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa were a combined 1-for-8, though Houston scored their lone run on a bases-loaded walk by Alex Bregman in the ninth.

In the second inning, following an infield single by Starlin Castro and a base hit by Aaron Hicks, Frazier hit a 2-2 fastball well into the right field seats.

The Astros threatened with two outs in the third by loading the bases on two walks and a single. Sabathia only needed two pitches to retire Correa on a soft popup.

Judge then made his leap in the fourth to catch Gurriel's fly ball.

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Correa powers Astros to win over Yankees

LOS ANGELES -- Carlos Correa homered and delivered a walk-off double for the Houston Astros in a 2-1 win over the New York Yankees in baseball's American League Championship Series on Saturday.

The Astros second straight home victory gave them a 2-0 lead over the Yankees in the best-of-seven matchup that will send one team to the World Series.


Correa's ninth-inning effort ensured the Astros capitalized on a stellar performance from starting pitcher Justin Verlander.

Correa smacked a 3-ball, 2-strike fastball from Aroldis Chapman into the right center-field gap to score Jose Altuve from first base.

Altuve raced around the bases, scoring when Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge made his relay throw toward the middle of the infield and the subsequent throw to home didn't make it to Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez in time.

Verlander worked nine innings, allowing one run on five hits with one walk and 13 strikeouts.

He threw 124 pitches -- 93 of them for strikes -- and held off the Yankees to give the Astros a chance to rally.

Both teams put runs on the board in odd ways.

Houston struck first off Yankees' right-handed hurler Luis Severino with one out in the fourth.

Correa turned around a 99-mph (159.33 Km/h) fastball from Severino for an opposite-field home run to right field.

The ball just eluded an outstretched Judge, and a young fan in the first row of outfield seats deflected it into the stands.

Officials reviewed the play to check for fan interference, but the run stood.

The Astros' lead was short-lived. With two outs in the fifth, Verlander gave up back-to-back doubles to Aaron Hicks and Todd Frazier.

Frazier's caught in the fence fronting the wall in left-centerfield and Hicks scored on a ground-rule double.

The series shifts to New York for game three on Monday. The series winner will face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or reigning champion Chicago Cubs in the World Series.

The Dodgers, who led the Major League Baseball with 104 regular-season wins, hosted game one of the National League Championship Series on Saturday with payback on their minds.

The Cubs ousted them in six games in the NLCS last season and went on to end a 108-year World Series title drought.

The Dodgers swept the Arizona Cardinals in the division series, while the Cubs are coming off a wild 9-8 series-clinching victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday.

That game lasted four hours and 37 minutes -- the longest nine-inning game in post-season history. To top it off, the Cubs' flight from Washington to Los Angeles was diverted when a passenger fell ill.

Manager Joe Maddon didn't announce left-hander Jose Quintana as his starting pitcher until Saturday morning, after the Cubs used all four of their primary starting hurlers in the last two games against the Nationals.

Clayton Kershaw was scheduled to start for the Dodgers, who left All-Star shortstop Corey Seager off their 25-man roster for the series because of a back injury.

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Baseball: Tigers down Yankees in brawl-marred game

Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera and New York Yankees catcher Austin Romine came to blows Thursday in a brawl-filled battle that saw the Tigers emerge 10-6 winners in Detroit.

Amid anger over apparent head-hunting pitches, punches flew and eight were ejected. The benches cleared three times before it was all over.

"You don't see games like this very often, for good reason, because of injury concerns," said Detroit manager Brad Ausmus -- one of those tossed from the game. "I hope I never see one again."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi and New York relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle were ejected in the sixth inning after Kahnle threw a fastball behind Cabrera's head.

Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman had finished his warmup pitches when Cabrera approached home plate and traded words with Romine.

Romine flung off his face mask and Cabrera shoved him with both hands before throwing a series of punches as Romine wrestled him to the ground.

Players from both dugouts and bullpens poured onto the field in wild scenes as Romine was ejected for the first time in his career and Cabrera for the ninth.

Cabrera said he was trying to calm things down when he got into it with Romine.

"First of all, when they threw at me, it was OK. I was cool with that," Cabrera said. "They started to argue with the umpire and I said to Romine to calm down. He said, "I'm not talking to you" and I said 'Oh, wow.' ... When I got back to home plate, I tell him, 'You got any (expletive) problem with me?'

"He said, 'Why?' I said because I try to calm (things) down and you try to act tough. And he said something like, 'You want to fight?'"

- Tensions rising -

Tensions had risen earlier, after Tigers starting pitcher Michael Fulmer hit Yankees designated hitter Gary Sanchez with a pitch in the previous inning.

Sanchez had homered earlier in the contest -- his fourth home run in the three-game series between the teams.

Girardi was certain Fulmer hit Sanchez intentionally. The Tigers said Fulmer, who recently came off the disabled list with elbow irritation, felt a 'zinger' when he released the ball.

"If you can't see that Fulmer clearly hit Sanchez on purpose, there's something wrong," Girardi said. "I think it could have really been avoidable."

And the sixth-inning melee that followed was far from the end of it.

Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances and bench coach Robby Thomson were ejected in the bottom of the seventh inning after Betances drilled Tigers catcher James McCann in the helmet with a 98 mph (157.72 Km/h) fastball -- which again caused the benches to empty.

Tigers reliever Alex Wilson was thrown out of the game after hitting Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier on the thigh with a pitch in the eighth -- again bringing players out of their dugouts and leading also to the ejection of Ausmus.

Girardi was unhappy with the officiating in general, and especially angry that Betances was ejected by crew chief Dana DeMuth after home plate umpire Carlos Torres didn't.

"To me, there's a lot of confusion and that's not to mention the strike zone late in the game. Just a very poor job on their part, very, very poor," Girardi said.

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Cowboys, Yankees top Man United as world's most valued teams

NEW YORK -- With the NFL's top sponsorship and premium seating revenues, the Dallas Cowboys were named the world's most valuable sports team Wednesday by Forbes magazine in its annual top-50 ranking.

The Cowboys, who have not won a Super Bowl since 1996, jumped five percent in value to $4.2 billion (3.68 billion euros) to defend their 2016 position. Last year they unseated Spanish football powerhouse Real Madrid atop the global list.

The 32-team NFL is the world's richest league, with an average operating profit of $91 million and no club turning less than a $26 million profit. A major reason for that was the latest NFL television package bringing annual revenues of $7 billion.

The Cowboys also boast a $1.5 billion team practice facility and headquarters that will become a retail and entertainment complex with hotels, medical center and convention center. An exclusive club offers members the chance to watch Cowboys workouts.

Only three NFL clubs missed the 50-team Forbes richest roll call -- the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills.

Major League Baseball's New York Yankees ranked second on $3.7 billion, a nine percent boost from last year. They boast $120 million in sponsorships and $130 million in premium seat revenues, tops in the major leagues. In all, eight major league clubs made the Forbes list.

Manchester United ranked a close third on $3.69 billion, hurdling Spanish rivals Barcelona ($3.64 billion) and Real Madrid ($3.58 billion). Barca was up two percent to stand fourth, Real off by the same amount in fifth overall.

In all, seven global football clubs made the list, the others being Bayern Munich, 15th on $2.71 billion; Manchester City, 35th on $2.083 billion; Arsenal, 43rd on $1.93 billion and Chelsea, 46th on $1.845 billion.

The reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots were sixth on the list at $3.4 billion, jumping six percent with their run to the NFL title.

Knicks seventh

Topping NBA clubs in seventh overall were the New York Knicks on $3.3 billion, up 10 percent in value but still weaklings on the court at 31-51. They have not had a playoff berth or winning season since 2013 and have won only one playoff series since 2000.

The NFL's New York Giants were eighth on $3.1 billion with the NFL San Francisco 49ers and NBA Los Angeles Lakers sharing ninth at $3 billion.

In all, there were seven NBA clubs on the list. The reigning champion Golden State Warriors shared 20th with the NFL Houston Texans on $2.6 billion, leaping 37 percent in value.

Last year's NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers didn't make the list but the NBA-worst Brooklyn Nets at 20-62 shared 47th on $1.8 billion, just ahead of a 50th-place deadlock between the NFL New Orleans Saints and baseball's Los Angeles Angels on $1.75 billion.

The biggest gainer was the NFL Los Angeles Rams, doubling in value after a move from St. Louis to land in 12th overall with a new stadium owned by Rams owner Stan Kroenke set to open in 2020.

Kroenke is also the biggest shareholder in Arsenal, which suffered the list's worst plunge, tumbling 20 spots and off four percent due to a decline in the British pound after Britain voted to leave the European Union.

Two teams from last year fell off the list, the NBA's Houston Rockets and English football side Liverpool. No NHL or auto racing teams made the list.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Yankees' Judge homing in on history

NEW YORK - Aaron Judge belted his major league-leading 30th home run on Friday to surpass New York Yankees icon Joe DiMaggio's club record for homers hit by a rookie.

The 25-year-old sensation led off the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium with a solo blast off Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Josh Hader.

He sent the changeup from Hader an estimated 432 feet to put the Yankees up 4-2.

It marked Judge's third straight game with a homer. He had tied DiMaggio's 1936 total of 29 home runs in a 7-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Judge is only the second rookie to reach 30 home runs before the All Star break.

Mark McGwire had 33 at the break in 1987 on the way to establishing the major league rookie record of 49 homers in a season.

Judge's effort came in a disappointing 9-4 loss to the Brewers.

Milwaukee's Jesus Aguilar hit a tiebreaking grand slam with two outs in the top of the seventh and tied a Milwaukee record with seven runs-batted-in for the Brewers.

Milwaukee's five runs in the seventh proved enough for the victory.

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

Baseball legend Yogi Berra dies aged 90: MLB

Yogi Berra, a Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees and one of baseball's most well-known players, has died, Major League Baseball said on Tuesday. He was 90 years old.

"We mourn the passing of Yankees icon and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra," the MLB said in a tweet.

The Yankees said in a tribute on Twitter: "We are deeply saddened by the loss of a Yankees legend and American hero."

Lawrence Peter Berra, known to the world as Yogi, was a tough catcher and a feared clutch hitter who helped the Yankees dominate baseball from 1947 to 1963.

On a team packed with great players like Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio, Berra led the Yanks in runs batted in for seven consecutive seasons.

He won the American League's most valuable player award three times in the 1950s, was a 15-time all star and entered baseball's Hall of Fame in 1972.

After retiring as a player, Berra became one of only six managers to lead separate American and National League teams to the World Series. (Reporting by Supriya Kurane in Bengaluru and Victoria Cavaliere in Los Angeles; Editing by Bill Trott and Hugh Lawson)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Teixeira goes big in Yankees win over White Sox

Mark Teixeira smacked two long home runs to center field for six RBIs, including a grand slam in the second inning, as the New York Yankees pounded out 18 hits in a 13-6 victory against the Chicago White Sox on Friday.

Right fielder Carlos Beltran and infielder Brendan Ryan also finished with three hits, while four other Yankees had multi-hit games.

Rookie left-hander Carlos Rodon (4-4) took the loss after allowing eight earned runs on eight hits in three-plus innings.

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (11-2) earned the win by pitching 5-2/3 innings and allowing three runs on seven hits.

White Sox designated hitter Adam LaRoche tied a career high with four hits (4-for-5, RBI) and also pitched a scoreless ninth.

The Yankees (58-44) are leading the American League East and it did not take them long to take a commanding lead.

After scoring a run on two doubles in the first, they made it a 6-0 lead with five runs in the second on five hits, including Teixeira's slam.

Rodon allowed back-to-back singles by catcher John Ryan Murphy and second baseman Brendan Ryan to start the inning, but fell into trouble after they were sacrificed to second and third.

Rodon got center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to line out for the second out, holding Ryan at third, but control issues loaded the bases on a walk, which was followed by designated hitter Alex Rodriguez's run-scoring infield hit.

Teixeira then launched his slam to center field for his 27th homer of the season and first of the game.

Eovaldi allowed two runs in the third on a two-run homer by Chicago first baseman Jose Abreu, but got five more runs of support on another five hits by his teammates in the Yankees' half of the fourth, again highlighted by a Teixeira homer, this time off right-hander Matt Albers.

That homer set a major league record for the switch-hitting Teixeira, who has homered from both sides of the plate in the same game 14 times.

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

A-Rod apologizes to Yankees for 'past several years'

New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, returning from a 162-game ban for using performance-enhancing drugs, apologized to team officials on Tuesday, the Major League Baseball club said.

The apology was given during a meeting at Yankee Stadium where Rodriguez and his attorney Jim Sharp met with team owner Hal Steinbrenner, president Randy Levine, general manager Brian Cashman, and assistant general manager Jean Afterman.

"Alex initiated the meeting and apologized to the organization for his actions over the past several years," the team said in a statement.

"There was an honest and frank discussion on all of the issues. As far as the Yankees are concerned, the next step is to play baseball in spring training."

Rodriguez, who will turn 40 in July, is still owed $61 million guaranteed over the next three years, and a potential of $30 million more in bonuses for reaching home run marks that the club is trying to get out of.

Standing fifth on MLB's all-time home run list at 654, Rodriguez's contract calls for a marketing bonus of $6 million for tying Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and matching and surpassing Barry Bonds (762) on the list.

Those bonuses were agreed by the Yankees before third baseman Rodriguez admitted in 2009 to prior steroids use and was found in 2013 to have broken the doping rules.

Given his age, a recent history of injuries and a full year's absence from the game, it remains to be seen how productive Rodriguez will be and for how much longer as he enters his 21st season.

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

US seeks $670,000 in taxes from Yankees owner

NEW YORK—The U.S. government has sued New York Yankees co-owner Hal Steinbrenner and his wife to seek more than $670,000—an amount it said was erroneously refunded to the baseball team based on a late refund claim for the 2001 tax year.

The suit filed by the Internal Revenue Service in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday stems from a time when the Yankees and the New Jersey Nets professional basketball team formed a joint venture called YankeeNets.

Hal Steinbrenner is listed as a general partner of the Yankees along with his siblings, who inherited the team when their father and longtime owner George Steinbrenner died in 2010. Hal Steinbrenner's wife Christina Steinbrenner is not listed among the team's executives.

In August 2009, the defendants filed an amended tax return for the 2001 tax year, resulting in a refund of $670,493.78, the suit said. But the return was filed more than six months after the deadline, resulting in an erroneous refund, the suit said.

"Hal Steinbrenner's representatives had no knowledge of the lawsuit and had received no prior notices regarding this matter from the IRS or any other governmental agency. We are reviewing and have no comment," Alice McGillion, a spokeswoman for the Yankees, said in a statement. — Reuters

source:gmanetwork.com