Off the wire – Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

BASEBALL

Napoli to retire

Mike Napoli has announced his retirement after 12 years in the majors that included three trips to the World Series. Napoli, 37, who did not play last season because of a knee injury, announced his decision Saturday on Twitter. Napoli batted .246 with 267 home runs and 744 RBI over 1,392 games with the Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians. He entered the majors as a catcher before switching to first base. He had his best season in 2016 when he helped lead the Indians to the World Series. Napoli set career highs with 34 home runs and 101 RBI and was invaluable as a clubhouse leader for Manager Terry Francona. He helped Boston win the Series in 2013 and reached the Fall Classic with the Rangers in 2011. Napoli was an All-Star in 2012.

Services held for players

Dozens of Venezuelans were waiting in lines Saturday outside a chapel in Barquisimeto in the state of Lara, Venezuela, to bid farewell to former major league baseball player Luis Valbuena, who was killed in a car accident along with teammate Jose Castillo. Castillo’s corpse was moved earlier Saturday to a different central-west state. Valbuena, 33, and Castillo, 37, were both former players for the Houston Astros. They died late Thursday when their SUV crashed as it tried to avoid an object in the road. Officials said some bandits place or throw objects on highways to force vehicles to stop so they can rob the occupants. Carlos Rivero, a third baseball player who survived the crash, visited the chapel Saturday wearing dark sunglasses and bore a small bruise on his forehead. Four people have been detained after being found with property belonging to the athletes. Valbuena and Castillo were teammates on the Cardenales de Lara team in the Venezuelan winter league and were returning from a game in the capital when the crash occurred en route to Barquisimeto. League President Juan Jose Avila told Union Radio that he was evaluating the possibility of forbidding players from traveling in private cars to move between games, saying if the players had been on the team bus, “nothing would have happened to them.” Venezuelan teams tend to travel in buses protected by security forces.

51s now Aviators

The minor league baseball team formerly called the 51s will debut at its new suburban ballpark in April as the Las Vegas Aviators. The Howard Hughes Corp., owner of the team, unveiled the new name and logo Saturday near the 10,000-seat stadium being built at the company’s Downtown Summerlin commercial center near the Red Rock Resort casino. The team has also changed its Class AAA affiliation from the New York Mets to the Oakland Athletics. Hughes Corp. chief executive David Weinreb said the team name reflects accomplishments by the company’s billionaire namesake. Howard Hughes was a business tycoon, hotel and casino owner, engineer, film director and record-setting pilot. He died in 1976. It’s the third name for the Pacific Coast League franchise called the Stars when it moved to Las Vegas in 1983. The team previously played at Cashman Field in downtown Las Vegas.

BASKETBALL

Wade plays 1,000th game

Dwyane Wade never thought he would play 1,000 games, and he said he’s not sure what the milestone will mean. Wade is in line to become the 15th active player to appear in 1,000 regular-season games, the milestone he hit Saturday night during the Miami Heat-Los Angeles Clippers game. “I don’t even know the significance of 1,000 games,” Wade said. “I don’t know if it’s a big deal. I think it’s just another number.” The Heat might disagree with that. Nobody has played in 1,000 regular-season games for the Heat — Wade has played the most, 893 after Friday’s game in Phoenix. But he’ll be the fourth person to play career game No. 1,000 while wearing a Miami uniform, joining Rashard Lewis in 2013, Shaquille O’Neal in 2007 and Danny Schayes in 1996. Wade owns most of the Heat career records and is No. 30 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

SOCCER

U.S. paired with Sweden

The defending champion United States is again placed in a group with Sweden for the Women’s World Cup next summer in France. The draw for soccer’s premier tournament was held Saturday at a gala event in Paris amid a backdrop of unrest in the country. There were widespread clashes between police and demonstrators protesting high taxes under French President Emmanuel Macron. The Americans defeated Japan 5-2 — highlighted by Carli Lloyd‘s hat trick — in Canada at the last World Cup in 2015. The U.S. has played in every World Cup since the competition started in 1991, winning the event in 1991, 1999 and 2015. Twenty-four teams were placed in six groups at the draw. The U.S. is top-ranked and is grouped with Sweden for the fifth consecutive World Cup. Also in Group F are Thailand and Chile, which is making its World Cup debut.

FOOTBALL

W. Va. QB to skip bowl

West Virginia quarterback Will Grier won’t play for the 15th-ranked Mountaineers in the Camping World Bowl against No. 17 Syracuse, instead focusing on preparation for the NFL draft. Grier announced his decision Saturday in a statement released by West Virginia. The senior joins about a dozen high-profile college players who already have announced they will skip their team’s bowl games. The list includes Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, LSU cornerback Greedy Williams, Arizona State receiver N’Keal Harry and Michigan defensive tackle Rashan Gary. On Friday, West Virginia senior offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste announced he would not play in the bowl game. Grier was a Heisman contender this season and a finalist for the Maxwell Award as player of the year. He averaged 351 yards passing and threw 37 touchdown passes.

GOLF

3 pairs share lead

Gary Woodland and Charley Hoffman shot an 8-under 64 in modified alternate-shot play Saturday for a share of the lead in the QBE Shootout at Naples, Fla. Woodland and Hoffman birdied the final three holes to match the teams of Emiliano Grillo-Graeme McDowell and Brian Harman-Patton Kizzire at 19-under 125, with a better-ball round left at Tiburon Golf Club. Grillo-McDowell and Harman-Kizzire, tied for lead with Bryson DeChambeau and Kevin Na at 59 after the first-round scramble, each shot 66. Na and DeChambeau were a stroke back after a 67. Luke List and Charles Howell III shot 66 to get to 17 under, and LPGA Tour player Lexi Thompson and Tony Finau were another stroke back after a 67. Defending champions Steve Stricker and Sean O’Hair were 15 under after a 67.

Oosthuizen in front

Louis Oosthuizen was back in front at the South African Open in Johannesburg on Saturday after a 4-under 67 gave him a three-shot lead and a chance at his first title at his home tournament. Oosthuizen went ahead of fellow major winner Charl Schwartzel again after surrendering the lead in round two, when he fell two shots behind. The 2010 British Open winner rebounded with a strong putting display to move to a 14-under 199 overall and open a handy advantage over a group of three players tied for second at the Firethorn Course at Randpark Golf Club. Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, is among them after he struggled to a 1-over 72. Madalitso Muthiya (71) and Matt Wallace (68) are also 11 under. Oosthuizen kept it together with six birdies and two bogeys. Schwartzel couldn’t get going, making just one birdie after dropping two shots in his opening three holes. Branden Grace is 8 under and part of a group of eight players tied for fifth, six strokes off the lead. Also in that group is Ernie Els, the five-time South African Open champion who last won the tournament in 2010 and last won anywhere in 2013.

Sports on 12/09/2018