Machado’s issues show Showalter handled O’s clubhouse well
The Rays acquired C Mike Zunino, OF Guillermo Heredia and minor-league LHP Michael Plassmeyer in a trade with the Mariners. Zunino, 27, hit .201 last season with 20 HRs and 44 RBI. The Mariners received OF Mallex Smith, 25, who hit .296 with 40 RBI and tied for a MLB-best 10 triples and stole a career-best 40 bases last season, and minor-league OF Jake Fraley . ... The Pirates re-signed 3B Jung Ho Kang to a one-year, $3 million contract. Kang, 31, of South Korea, didn’t play in the U.S. between September 2016 and June 2018 because of visa issues connected to three DUI arrests in South Korea. He made it back to the majors in September and went 2-for-6 during the final weekend of the season.
BASEBALL:
No. 3 Notre Dame will start senior Brandon Wimbush at QB against Florida State on Saturday for Ian Book, who’s reportedly nursing an undisclosed injury. Book took a hard hit to the back and ribs last weekend against Northwestern. Wimbush was the starter last season and the first three games of this season before being replaced by Book . ... Wisconsin senior NT Olive Sagapolu will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery for a right arm injury he suffered Oct. 27 against Northwestern.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
Matt Kuchar fired a first-round 7-under 64 to grab a share of a one-stroke lead with Dominic Bozzelli and PGA Tour rookie Kramer Hickok at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It was the lowest opening round since the 2017 Phoenix Open for Kuchar, who last won in 2014 . ... Top-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn shot a 4-under 68 to take a four-stroke lead at the halfway point of the Blue Bay LPGA in Hainan Island, China. Jutanugarn reached 7-under 137. Jutanugarn’s older sister, Moriya, Jennifer Song and Gaby Lopez each shot 71 and were tied for second . ... Sergio Garcia of Spain shot an opening-round 8-under 64 to take a four-stroke lead at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa. Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, Mike Lorenzo-Vera of France and Mikko Korhonen of Finland were tied for second . ... Paul Goydos and Tim Petrovic each shot an 8-under 63 to share the lead after the first round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix. Glen Day shot 66 and was second at the PGA Tour Champions’ season finale.
GOLF:
Olivier Giroud scored to lift visiting Chelsea to a 1-0 win over BATE Borisov and into the knockout stage of the Europa League with two group-play matches left. Also, Arsenal advanced with a scoreless draw against visiting Sporting Lisbon, but striker Danny Welbeck suffered what appeared to be a serious ankle injury during the match . ... In her second international appearance, Jessica McDonald scored in the 43rd minute to lead the U.S. to a 1-0 victory over Portugal in Lisbon. The U.S. extended its unbeaten streak to 27 matches with its 500th victory since the team began play in 1985.
SOCCER:
Louis Smith, who ended Britain’s 80-year Olympic medal drought in gymnastics, retired from competition. The 29-year-old Smith won bronze on the pommel horse at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and silver in the same event at both the 2012 London Games and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. He also won team bronze in 2012.
ALSO:
The team that signs free agent Manny Machado will have taken into account his problematic on- and offfield approach that surfaced during the Dodgers’ postseason. That these issues were not a major sticking point earlier is a testament to how well Buck Showalter dealt with his mood swings in Baltimore. Buck kept team business in the Orioles’ clubhouse.
First choice: New York media are buzzing over the idea floated this week by agent Scott Boras that his client, Bryce Harper, is willing to move from the outfield to first base.
Since the Yankees are loaded in the outfield, putting Harper at first would allow for a smooth transitior. Still, the latest from MLB mavens is that the Yankees won’t bite on Harper. We’ll see. But Yankees millions would be better spent on pitching.
Media matters: His college jersey gets him on national TV, but at the risk of blasphemy, freshman Zion Williamson is bigger than Duke basketball among the young set.
To his almost two million Instagram followers, he was a one-name star – Zion! – before he arrived at Coach K’s doorstep. On the internet, his high school and AAU dunking highlights give cat videos a run for their money. Duke is accustomed to developing stars, but Williamson arrived as one. It’s another way that the 6-foot-7, 285-pound high flier is the game’s most unique newcomer.
All that: Trying to describe Zion’s unusual physical presence, ESPN’s Jay Bilas says, “He’s basically an offensive lineman that has dancer’s feet and gets off the floor like a guy that’s 175 pounds.”
Still standing: Among the great mysteries of Western civilization is how Cowboys coach Jason Garrett isn’t yet Texas toast.
Sainted: Not only does a very well-rested Dez Bryant get to work with a couple of superior offensive minds in Sean Payton and Drew Brees, but his wish to take revenge on the Cowboys could come true as soon as Nov. 29, when New Orleans visits Dallas. Not even Bryant could have imagined this scenario.
Simmer down: Apparently, traditionalists got bent out of shape when Saints receiver Michael Thomas celebrated a touchdown by digging out a cell phone he planted inside the padding of the goal post. It was sophomoric — aren’t most TD celebrations? — and led to a 15-yard penalty. But we’re talking about a silly moment in a football game, a supposed respite from the woes of the world.
Word play: On Sunday, CBS studio talking head Boomer Esiason characterized the 2-6-1 Browns as “a team in transition.” Right. Like how Hurricane Florence left parts of the Carolinas in transition. Fifteenyard penalty on Boomer for euphemism abuse.
Factoid: Did you catch the bit of trivia CBS dropped on viewers during Alabama’s win over LSU? The last coach to beat Alabama by 16 or more points? Nick Saban, when he coached LSU.