Cash, Kapler are managers of year
Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash became the second skipper to win manager of the year honors in back-to-back seasons, taking the American League award.
San Francisco’s Gabe Kapler won the National League honor.
Cash led the low-payroll Rays to a second consecutive AL East crown. Tampa Bay (100-62) finished with the AL’s best record before losing to Boston in the Division Series.
Bobby Cox had been the only person to win manager of the year two straight seasons, doing it with Atlanta in 2004-05.
Cash received 19 of the 30 first-place votes.
Kapler won after guiding San Francisco to a franchise-best 107 victories in his second season with the Giants. He beat out Craig
Counsell of the Milwaukee Brewers and Mike Shildt of the St. Louis Cardinals. Brian Snitker of the World Series champion Atlanta Braves and the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts were the other managers to receive votes.
Kapler received 28 of the 30 first-place votes, which were cast before the playoffs began.
The Toronto Blue Jays reached an agreement with pitcher Jose Berrios on a seven-year, $131-million deal, pending a physical, a person familiar with the matter told the Associated Press.
Georgia, Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State held their places in the College Football Playoff ranking, with Cincinnati still sitting at fifth. There was no movement in the top seven after all those teams won last week. Michigan was still No. 6 and Michigan State seventh, heading into the Spartans’ big game Saturday at Ohio State.
Notre Dame moved up a spot to eighth. Oklahoma State (9-1) is now the highest-ranked Big 12 team at ninth after Oklahoma was handed its first loss last week. Wake Forest (9-1) is No. 10, the highest-ranked team from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Illinois coach Bret Bielema tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss his team’s game at No. 18 Iowa on Saturday . ... Virginia Tech and football coach Justin Fuente mutually agreed to part ways with two games left in his sixth season with the Hokies.
Cleveland Cavaliers rookie forward Evan Mobley could be sidelined for a month with a sprained right elbow suffered Monday night in a loss to Boston . ... Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has been ruled out of Wednesday’s game against Phoenix with a sprained left ankle and knee after getting injured in a win over Denver.
Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard agreed to a five-year extension through 2025-26.
Dion Phaneuf, a former Calgary Flames star defenseman and Toronto Maple Leafs captain, announced his retirement after 14 seasons. Phaneuf, 36, hadn’t played since appearing in 67 games with the Kings in the 2018-19 season.
Defending champion Daniil Medvedev clinched his place in the ATP Finals semifinals after beating 2018 champion Alexander Zverev . ... Garbine Muguruza dominated Paula Badosa in a 6-3, 6-3 victory and will play Anett Kontaveit for
the WTA Finals title.