Quakes add Quintana to bolster back line
The Earthquakes found a potential answer to a defensive vacuum with the signing of Yeferson Quintana, a 21-year-old center back from Uruguay.
San Jose acquired the 6-foot-4 defender on a season-long loan with an option to buy, the team announced Wednesday, two days ahead of the Major League Soccer draft.
Quintana is expected to join Harold Cummings of Panama and Francois Affolder of Switzerland as the Quakes’ primary central defenders after Victor Bernardez and Andres Imperiali were not re-signed.
Jimmy Ockford, who signed in the offseason from the United Soccer League affiliate Reno, is another option.
Olympics
RIVALS TO UNITE >> The rival Koreas agreed to form their first unified Olympic team and have their athletes parade together for the first time in 11 years during the opening ceremony of next month’s Winter Olympics in South Korea.
The agreements still require approval from the International Olympic Committee. But they are the most prominent steps toward rapprochement achieved by the Koreas since they recently began exploring cooperation during the Olympics following a year of heightened tension over the North’s nuclear weapons program.
During their third day of talks at the border in about a week, senior officials reached a package of agreements, including fielding a joint women’s ice hockey team and marching together under a blue and white “unification flag” depicting their peninsula in the opening ceremony, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said.
A joint statement distributed by the ministry said the North Korean Olympic delegation will travel to South Korea across their heavily fortified land border before the Feb. 9-25 Pyeongchang Games. It said the delegation will include a 230-member cheering group, a 30-member taekwondo demonstration team, journalists, athletes and officials.
Baseball
FANS TRY TO FORCE OWNER’S OUSTER >> Some Pittsburgh Pirates fans are signing a petition to express their frustration following the team’s decision to trade star outfielder Andrew McCutchen to the Giants.
As of Wednesday, more than 28,000 fans signed a petition on change.org asking MLB to force Pirates owner Bob Nutting to sell the team.
Writing “we deserve better,” the petition’s starters aim to reach 35,000 signatures to protest the direction Nutting and the front office have taken in the offseason. Pittsburgh sent top starting pitcher Gerrit Cole to Houston on Saturday, then sent McCutchen to the Giants, shedding the organization of $20 million in salary in the process.
• The Cubs bolstered a revamped bullpen, bringing back Brian Duensing with a $7 million, two-year contract. The left-hander went 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA in 68 appearances last season.
• The Twins hired the recently retired Justin Morneau as a special assistant. Morneau will be involved in the amateur draft and player acquisition.
Colleges
OREGON AD TO HEAD FOOTBALL PLAYOFF GROUP >> Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens will become the new chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee starting next season, and three new Power Five ADs will join the 13-member panel. Mullens will be the third chairman, replacing Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt.
Joining the committee in 2018 will be Florida AD Scott Stricklin, Georgia Tech AD Todd Stansbury, Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione, former Clemson and Rice coach Ken Hatfield; former USC star and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott and former Arizona Republic sports columnist Paola Boivin. New members will serve threeyear terms.
• Texas hired Auburn football assistant Herb Hand as offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator.
Bits & pieces
RODMAN IN REHAB >> The agent for former NBA star Dennis Rodman said the Hall of Famer checked into an alcohol rehabilitation center in New Jersey after a weekend DUI arrest. Rodman was arrested in Newport Beach, California late Saturday on suspicion of DUI after being pulled over for a traffic violation. SUMMERTIME BLUES >> The NHRA Summernationals no longer has a home. The owners of Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J. informed the NHRA they no longer will host drag racing events, effective immediately.