Netherlands tops Cuba at World Baseball Classic

The 20-team World Baseball Classic got underway after a six-year absence with the Netherlands defeating Cuba 4-2 in a Group A game in Taiwan to open the tournament.

In a late game on Wednesday in Taiwan, Panama defeated the hosts 12-5.

Play in Group B begins on Thursday in Tokyo with South Korea playing Australia and host Japan — led by Angels star Shohei Ohtani — up against China. Play in Groups C and D begins Saturday in Phoenix and Miami.

The United States won the last tournament in 2017 and is among the favorites with the Dominican Republic and Japan. Japan has won it twice (2006, 2009) and the Dominicans once (2013).

This is the first World Baseball Classic in which MLB players are eligible to play for Cuba. Former MLB player Yoenis Cespedes, who played for Cuba in the event in 2009, hit .458 in that tournament and began his MLB career three years later with the Oakland Athletics. He played in part of eight seasons with Oakland, Boston, Detroit and the New York Mets.

Cespedes, playing as the DH, was hitless and walked twice as Cuba managed only three hits. The game was a matchup between the two favorites in the group, giving the Dutch a big lift right out of the gate.

Cuba went ahead 1-0 in the second on a double by Yadil Mujica to score Yoelkis Guibert.

Didi Gregorius singled home Roger Bernadina to tie it 1-1 in the third. The Netherlands took a 4-1 lead in the sixth when Josh Palacios singled home Gregorius, and a single from Chadwick Tromp scored two more.

NFL

WITNESSES: MICHAEL IRVIN’S ENOUNTER WITH WOMAN WAS FRIENDLY >> Two men who were in a Phoenix hotel lobby the night that Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin was accused of misconduct with a female employee said Wednesday they didn’t see him do anything wrong and that his brief interaction with the woman appeared friendly.

Phil Watkins of Australia and Bryn Davis of Philadelphia appeared at a news conference by video link with Irvin and his attorney.

Irvin has filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against a “Jane Doe” and Marriott International Inc., alleging that a false misconduct claim on Feb. 5 caused him to be kicked out of the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel hotel and removed from the NFL Network’s Super Bowl week coverage.

Basketball

USA BASKETBALL TO PLAY

GREECE, GERMANY AT ABU DHABI >> USA Basketball will play a pair of games in Abu Dhabi this summer on its way to the World Cup in the Philippines.

The federation announced an agreement with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism on Wednesday, and as part of that deal the U.S. will bring Germany and Greece there for games in August.

The U.S. will host the three-game series, and it’ll mark the first time that the men’s national team will play in the United Arab Emirates. The Americans will play Greece on Aug. 18 and Germany on Aug. 20; Germany and Greece will play there on Aug. 19. ALL-FEMALE ENSEMBLE SET

FOR BROADCAST OF NBA GAME ON ESPN >> On the court, it will be the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans. Taking center stage, an all-female ensemble that will produce the broadcast.

It’s the second straight year ESPN has orchestrated an NBA game led by an allfemale broadcast crew, with this version being held on International Women’s Day. Beth Mowins and Doris Burke will call the action, with more than 70 women taking part in Wednesday’s pregame and game coverage.

They’ll fill the roles of analyst, commentators, producers, directors, graphic designers, statisticians and social media operators.

Really, though, it feels almost like any other day at the office for Malika Andrews.

NO. 1 HOUSTON GUARD

SASSER IS AAC TOP PLAYER, SAMPSON COACH >> Houston senior guard Marcus Sasser was named the American Athletic Conference player of the year on Wednesday after a vote of the league’s 11 coaches.

Ninth-year Houston coach Kelvin Sampson was picked by his peers as coach of the year after the No. 1 Cougars (29-2, 17-1 AAC) won their second regularseason title in a row. They are the top seed for this week’s conference tournament, which they will try to win for the third consecutive year.

Sasser and Memphis senior guard Kendric Davis were the only unanimous picks for the All-AAC firstteam. Cincinnati guard Landers Nolley II, Memphis forward DeAndre Williams and Tulane guard Jalen Cook rounded out the top five players.

PAU GASOL GETS EMOTIONAL AS LAKERS RETIRE HIS NO. 16 JERSEY >> When Pau Gasol joined the Los Angeles Lakers just over 15 years ago, the Spanish 7-footer banished his ego, redoubled his work ethic and immediately turned this team into contenders who eventually became champions.

Gasol and Kobe Bryant did it all together, and their numbers now hang side by side in the Lakers’ arena.

The Lakers retired Gasol’s No. 16 jersey Tuesday night, honoring the genteel big man who spent the best seasons of his 18-year NBA career with Bryant in Los Angeles. The Lakers reached three straight NBA Finals after Gasol’s arrival in February 2008, winning championships in 2009 and 2010.

“I think I’ve done as good as I could to really embrace it and savor it, but tonight really exceeds any dream or expectation that I’ve had,” Gasol said before the game while wearing one championship ring on each hand. “It means so much, and obviously with Kobe up there, it just adds something meaningful and powerful and sad and happy and painful and joyful. It’s a lot of things.”

Sports

ATHLETES SUE IVY LEAGUE

OVER ITS NO-SCHOLARSHIP POLICY >> A pair of basketball players from Brown allege in a federal lawsuit that the Ivy League’s policy of not offering athletic scholarships amounts to a pricefixing agreement that denies athletes proper financial aid and payment for their services.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Connecticut by attorneys representing Grace Kirk, a member of Brown’s women’s team, and Tamenang Choh, who played for the men’s team from 2017 through 2022.

They are seeking class-action status to represent all current and former athletes at the eight Ivy League schools dating back to those recruited since March 2019.

The suit argues Ivy League schools illegally conspired to limit financial aid and not compensate athletes for their services.

Auto racing

KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN TO RETURN

TO NASCAR AND RACE AGAIN AT COTA >> Kimi Räikkönen will again enter a NASCAR Cup Series race, this time at Circuit of the Americas, where the Finnish driver scored the final victory of his Formula One career in 2018.

Räikkönen will again race for Trackhouse Entertainment Group in its special Project91 entry that is designed to give a seat in NASCAR to drivers from others disciplines. Räikkönen made his Cup Series debut last August for Trackhouse at Watkins Glen, where he was competitive until he was collected in a crash and finished 37th.

“I had a fantastic time in NASCAR,” the Finnish driver said. “There was a lot to learn in a very short amount of time, but everyone was very helpful, the competition was a big challenge. This time I get to race on a track I am familiar with so there won’t be as steep of a learning curve. I want to have fun, but also do as well as we can.”