Off the wire

TENNIS Top three familiar

The Big Three is the year-end top three, something that last happened in 2014. With Novak

Djokovic at No. 1, Rafael Nadal at No. 2 and Roger Federer at No. 3 on Monday, that trio of tennis greats leads the season’s final ATP rankings for the seventh time. This is the first time, though, that each of those three men spent some time at No. 1 during the same year. The seven changes there were the most since 1999, when there were eight. Djokovic won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2018, while Federer took the Australian Open, and Nadal earned the title at the French Open. They accounted for Nos. 1-3 in the final rankings from 2007-11 and 2014, too. For Djokovic, it marks the fifth time he has closed a year in the top spot, following 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Only

Pete Sampras, with six year-end No. 1 finishes, did it more often.

Simona Halep ended the season at No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the second consecutive year on the women’s side. She clinched that spot more than a month ago. Angelique Kerber was No. 2 among women, followed by Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka.

FOOTBALL Fournette suspended

The NFL suspended Jacksonville Jaguars running back

Leonard Fournette one game without pay for leaving the sideline, running across the field and throwing punches at Buffalo Bills defensive end Shaq

Lawson. NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan handed down the punishment Monday. He sent a letter to Fournette detailing his wrongdoing. “Video of the incident shows that you were not a participant in the play and that you ran from your sideline to the opposite side of the field to insert yourself as an active participant in a fight,” Runyan wrote. “Once you entered the fight area, you struck a member of the opposing team. Your actions adversely reflected on the NFL and have

no place in the game.” Fournette and Lawson were ejected in the third quarter of Buffalo’s 24-21 victory and continued jawing at each other as they exited the field. Fournette has three days to appeal the suspension.

Jaguars part with OC

The Jacksonville Jaguars fired offensive coordinator Nathaniel

Hackett after the team’s seventh consecutive loss. Coach Doug

Marrone made the decision Monday, one day after a 24-21 loss at Buffalo in which Blake Bortles finished with 127 yards passing. The Jaguars (3-8) had a season-low 107 yards through the air the previous week against Pittsburgh. Hackett failed to get Bortles and the offense to play anywhere close to the way they did early in the season. Injuries have been a major issue, but not enough to save Hackett’s job. Later Monday, the Jaguars announced they were benching Bortles in favor of Cody Kessler.

DE to enter draft

Rashan Gary is entering the NFL Draft and skipping his senior season at Michigan. The standout defensive end made the announcement Monday on YouTube. It was not immediately clear whether the 6-5, 281-pound Gary plans to play for the Wolverines (10-2) in their bowl game. Gary was a second-team preseason All-American and is projected to be a first-round NFL Draft pick. The junior had 44 tackles, including 7 for losses, and 3½ sacks this year in 9 games. He missed three games with a shoulder injury and appeared to be limited in other games because of the injury. He was an All-Big Ten player as a sophomore when he had 66 tackles, including 12 for losses, and 6 sacks.

BASEBALL Twins claim Cron

The Minnesota Twins claimed first baseman C.J. Cron off waivers from Tampa Bay, adding an accomplished replacement for the retired Joe Mauer. Cron batted .253 with 28 doubles, 30 home runs, 74 RBI and an .816 OPS in a career-best 2018 season

for the Rays, who designated the 28-year-old for assignment last week. Cron made $2.3 million last season and is in his second year of eligibility for salary arbitration. Cron played his first four major league seasons for the Los Angeles Angels, who selected him with the 17th overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft. With the end of Mauer’s career, the only other primary first baseman on Minnesota’s roster is Tyler Austin, who was acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees in the summer.

Yankees get Bridwell

Right-handed pitcher Parker

Bridwell was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels by the New York Yankees, who opened a roster spot by designating infielder Ronald Torreyes for assignment. Bridwell, 27, was 10-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 20 starts and one relief appearance for the Angels in 2017, then missed much of this year because of right elbow inflammation. He was 1-0 with a 17.55 ERA in one start and four relief appearances over 6 innings for the Angels, and 1-1 with an 8.68 ERA at Class AAA Salt Lake. Bridwell is 11-3 with a 4.60 ERA for Baltimore and the Angels in 28 games over three seasons. He was designated for assignment last week by the Angels. The 26-year-old Torreyes was among the most popular players in the Yankees clubhouse, a 5-8 backup often hoisted into the air by teammates to high-five 6-7

Aaron Judge. He hit .292 with 36 RBI in 315 at-bats over 108 games in 2017, but spent much of this year at Class AAA Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre.

HOCKEY Flyers fire Hextall

The Philadelphia Flyers fired General Manager Ron Hextall on Monday. Hextall was fired after 4½ seasons on the job and the Flyers struggling with a 1011-2 record under Coach Dave

Hakstol. The Flyers are coming off a 6-0 loss at Toronto and already have used five goalies this season. Flyers President Paul

Holmgren thanked Hextall for his “many significant contributions,

but it has become clear that we no longer share the same philosophical approach concerning the direction of the team.” He added that an immediate change was in the team’s best interests and he hopes to have a new general manager “as soon as possible.” Hextall played 13 seasons in the NHL and had two stints covering 11 years with the Flyers. He also spent seven seasons as assistant general manager with the Los Angeles Kings.

BASKETBALL Paul misses game

Houston Rockets guard Chris

Paul was out for Monday night’s game against the Washington Wizards with a sore left leg. It’s the second consecutive game Paul has missed. He sat out Saturday’s game in Cleveland after playing 37 minutes in an overtime victory in Detroit the night before. The Rockets said he was being rested against the Cavaliers. Houston Coach Mike

D’Antoni said Paul was day to day. Gerald Green was also out for a third consecutive game with a sore right ankle.

HORSE RACING Mirahmadi lands new gig

Frank Mirahmadi, the track announcer at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs from 2012-2015, will become Santa Anita’s new race caller when the winter meet begins Dec. 26, replacing

Michael Wrona who was let go after two years. Mirahmadi recently completed his fourth season as track announcer at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. He will conclude his race calling duties at Aqueduct in New York on Dec. 16. The 51-year-old caller also has worked at Florida’s Hialeah, Golden Gate Fields in Northern California and Louisiana Downs. He had brief stints at Santa Anita in 2014 and 2016. Wrona was informed Saturday that he would not return by Tim

Ritvo, chief operating officer for The Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita. Wrona had the job since spring 2016, when he won it after competing with three other announcers, including Mirahmadi.