Twins’ Mauer says he’s retiring after 15 seasons
Minnesota Twins first baseman Joe Mauer is retiring after 15 seasons.
The Twins released a retirement statement Friday from Mauer that will run Sunday in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Mauer, a former catcher who missed significant time this season with a concussion, says in the ad that his decision “came down to my health and my family.”
In his 15 major-league seasons, Mauer appeared in six All-Star games, won three Gold Gloves, three batting titles and racked up 2,123 hits, all with his hometown Twins.
The A’s Matt Chapman and the Colorado Rockies’ Nolan Arenado, already Gold Glove winners for their defense at third base this season, were each awarded a Rawlings Platinum Glove Award as the top fielder in their respective leagues. It is the second such award for Arenado and the first for Chapman.
J.P. Ricciardi is leaving the New York Mets after eight seasons in their front office.
Ricciardi, 59, worked for the A’s from 1986 through 2001, including 12 years when Sandy Alderson was the club’s general manager, and was general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2001 through ’09. Women’s soccer: Civana Kuhlmann and Carly Malatskey scored and host Stanford also benefited from an own goal as the defending national champions opened NCAA tournament play with a 3-0 win over Seattle (10-8-3) at Cagan Stadium. The top-ranked Cardinal (18-0-2) advance to a Friday home match against either Clemson or Mississippi.
Ashley Sanchez scored two goals and Jessie Fleming added a goal and two assists as host UCLA (15-3-1) prevailed 5-0 over San Jose State (9-7-6) in another NCAA tournament first-round match. NFL: Dez Bryant’s stint with the New Orleans Saints might be over before it starts as the team fears the wide receiver tore his Achilles tendon on the last play of practice Friday, per multiple reports.
Bryant, a former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowler, signed with the Saints on Wednesday.
“Things was just starting to heat up for me,” Bryant wrote on Twitter. “I won’t question the man upstairs ... this is the ultimate test ... thank you everyone for the prayers.” Golf: Matt Kuchar shot a 7under-par 64 to build a twoshot lead at 14-under 128 over rookie Cameron Champ (62) halfway through the PGA Tour’s Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Jordan Spieth missed the cut in his final event of the year.
Sergio Garcia’s 1-under 71 moved him to 9-under 135 overall, but his four-shot lead after the first round is down to one after Louis Oosthuizen’s second-round 67 at the European Tour’s Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa.
Rory McIlroy, who is still in the running to win the Race to Dubai and end the season as European No. 1, is tied for 19th after a 71.
Paul Goydos birdied the par-5 18th for a 6-under 65 and a onestroke lead at 14-under 128 over Scott McCarron (64) in the PGA Tour Champions’ season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix.
Gaby Lopez celebrated her 25th birthday with a hole-inone that helped her to a 6-under-66 and a one-stroke lead at over Ariya Jutanugarn after the third round of the Blue Bay LPGA tournament at Hainan Island, China.