Fresh off agreeing to a one-year extension to remain with the St. Louis Cardinals, longtime catcher Yadier Molina announced he plans to retire following the 2022 season.
Molina verified speculation that the 2022 campaign would be his last at a press conference prior to St. Louis' home game against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. The Cardinals announced on Tuesday that the 10-time All-Star would be returning next season on a one-year deal.
The 39-year-old has spent his entire 18-year career with St. Louis, though a return in 2021 was not finalised until he and the Cardinals were able to agree to a one-year, $9million contract just prior to the start of spring training. Molina said he wanted to avoid a similar situation this winter and informed his agent to begin negotiations as soon as possible.
"That's why my agent and myself came to [president of baseball operations John Mozeliak] and told them I want to stay here," Molina said. "I want to get it done this early and not put this on the organisation in free agency again, because it's going to be my last year and I want to finish here with this great organisation."
A key member of the Cardinals' last two World Series championship teams in 2006 and 2011, Molina's 2,120 career games played are the third-most in franchise history behind only Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Lou Brock. He holds the major league record for most games as a catcher with one team at 2,081, and his nine Gold Gloves trail only Ivan Rodriguez (13) and Johnny Bench for the most by a catcher.
"It gives me great pleasure to announce that Yadier Molina will continue his franchise legacy for another season in 2022," Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt, Jr. said in Tuesday's press release. "Yadi has continued to play at an All-Star level this season and has already established himself among the greatest players to have ever worn the birds on the bat."
Molina has started 95 of the Cardinals' 124 games behind the plate this season and ranks third on the team with 51 RBIs to go along with a .259 average and eight home runs.
England took complete control of their third Test with India after bowling out their opponents for just 78 on day one at Headingley and replying with 120-0.
The tourists, leading 1-0 in the series and seeking back-to-back Test wins in England for just a second time, were wiped out in just over 40 overs after electing to bat first.
Virat Kohli's side surrendered their last six wickets for 30 and England made a more-that-steady start to their reply by the end of play on Wednesday thanks to Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed.
Star man James Anderson got England off to a flier as he picked up three wickets for the loss of six runs in his opening spell of eight overs, dismissing KL Rahul (0), Cheteshwar Pujara (1) and Kohli (7) in quick succession.
India were in trouble at 21-3 and, while they were given temporary respite by Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, the latter was soon sent packing by Ollie Robinson for 18.
Robinson picked up from where he left off after lunch with the wicket of Rishabh Pant, who edged straight into the hands of Jos Buttler for just two runs.
That was Buttler's fifth catch and England were not finished there as Craig Overton, in for Mark Wood, got Sharma – India's top scorer with 19 runs – caught trying an awkward pull shot.
Mohammed Shami was then caught at third slip by Rory Burns for a golden duck, before Sam Curran got Ravi Jadeja (4) and Jasprit Bumrah (0) both out lbw.
Mohammed Siraj (3) was the last to fall for a shocked India, the ball coming off his bat and landing in the hands of Joe Root at slip, leaving India with their ninth-lowest total in Test history.
England had the chance to get some runs on the board before the end of play and their batters steadily backed up their bowlers' hard work.
Burns and Hameed produced an unbroken century stand for the first wicket to give England a lead of 42.
Burns reached 52 by the close of play – his 10th Test half-century – and partner Hameed will resume at 60 not out on Thursday as England look to close in on an emphatic victory to level the series.
Headingley horror for India
India posted their third-lowest total against England with 78 runs and their lowest since 1974 when skittled for 42 at Lord's.
It was India's third-lowest score ever after electing to bat first, meanwhile, behind the 76 they managed against South Africa in 2008 and 75 against the West Indies in 1987.
England were rampant and Anderson in particular was in inspired form, setting the tone early on. Buttler also deserves special praise as he took five catches in an innings for a second time, previously doing so against the West Indies in 2015.
Hameed steps up on return to top two
Burns and Hameed refused to be budged as England became only the third side in Test history to bowl out the opposition and end day one in the lead with both openers still in play.
That is the 22nd new opening partnership used by England in the past nine years, with Hameed opening the batting in Test cricket for the first time since 2016 after jumping the order following Dawid Malan's recall.
Both men faced more than 100 balls but looked comfortable for large parts, with England's opening partnership registering a century at home for only the third time in five years.
Primoz Roglic powered clear of the pack in a thrilling conclusion to claim his second stage victory of the 2021 Vuelta a Espana on Wednesday.
The Jumbo-Visma rider crashed on Tuesday but put that behind him by holding off Enric Mas and Miguel Angel Lopez at the end of the 133.6-kilometre stretch from Antequera to Valdepenas de Jaen on stage 11.
Magnus Cort for a while looked as though he would claim a second stage triumph of his own, but he was caught inside the final 150 metres of the uphill climb and eventually finished down in 25th.
Instead, it was Roglic who timed his burst to perfection as he moved away from the main pack and finished three seconds clear of Movistar's Mas.
Roglic stays third in the general classification, one minute and 56 seconds behind Odd Christian Eiking, who is 58s ahead of Guillaume Martin after finishing strongly to end in 10th place.
"It was close again, eh? It was a hard stage," Roglic said after the race. "It was short but super hot again. I was also suffering a lot but luckily at the end I had enough for a win.
"Mas is also really super strong and luckily I had a little more at the end. It's always nice to win. You never know when it's the last one.
"It was a nice finish with a steep uphill where I can normally do well.
"It was a nice challenge, and the team did an amazing job pushing hard all day and keeping the breakaway at a distance so big thanks to them."
STAGE RESULT
1. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 3:11:00
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +0:03
3. Miguel Angel Lopez (Movistar) +0:05
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Odd Christian Eiking (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) 41:48:57
2. Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) +0:58
3. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) +1:56
Points Classification
1. Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 180
2. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 101
3. Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education–Nippo) 84
King of the Mountains
1. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) 31
2. Romain Bardet (Team DSM) 22
3. Michael Storer (Team DSM) 17
What's next?
Thursday's stage is another hilly one that starts in Jaen and concludes 175km later in the city of Cordoba. There are two climbs in the final third of the stage, providing a chance to break away.
Trevor Lawrence will begin the 2021 NFL season as the starting quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, coach Urban Meyer has confirmed.
The number one overall pick had been widely expected to come straight into the team since he was selected, and that decision was made official on Wednesday.
Lawrence can now prepare for Week 1 and the Houston Texans, who are expected to be one of the worst teams in the league this year.
That September 12 meeting should therefore give Lawrence the opportunity to display his outstanding talent.
The Jaguars will hope the transition is as seamless as it was for Lawrence at college, where he threw for 3,280 yards, 30 touchdowns and just four interceptions in his freshman year at Clemson.
He tossed for 90 scores across 40 games in his three-year college career and was well established as the leading prospect in a strong QB class.
Lawrence led all Power 5 passers in well-thrown percentage in 2020, delivering a well-thrown, accurate ball on 84.31 per cent of his passes. The average was 75.37 per cent.
The 21-year-old, under first-time NFL coach Meyer, will hope to lead improvement in Jacksonville after a miserable 1-15 record last time out, the Jags' third consecutive year without playoff football.
They and Lawrence have been dealt a blow this week, however, as his Clemson team-mate and fellow first-round pick Travis Etienne suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury.
Across four college seasons, including three with Lawrence, the dual-threat running back racked up 1,115 receiving yards, ranking third in the FBS.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has urged the Premier League and La Liga to release its players in a "show of solidarity" for the upcoming international break.
Starting after this weekend's matches, the break will run for two weeks and see the resumption of qualifiers for next year's World Cup in Qatar.
Due to strict rules that would require players to quarantine for 10 days upon their return – and no exemption granted by the government – the Premier League has refused to release nearly 60 players travelling to 26 countries on the United Kingdom's red list.
Countries on that list for travel to and from the UK require arrivals to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days upon their return, regardless of vaccination status.
With the English top flight set to resume on September 11, this would mean returning players could miss up to three games should their club also be involved in European competition.
LaLiga subsequently followed suit by refusing to release 25 players from 13 different clubs for qualifiers to be played in South America.
However, Infantino, who said he has written to UK prime minister Boris Johnson for support, has encouraged both leagues to reconsider their actions and "preserve and protect sporting integrity".
"I am calling on a show of solidarity from every member association, every league, and every club, to do what is both right and fair for the global game," he said.
"Many of the best players in the world compete in leagues in England and Spain, and we believe these countries also share the responsibility to preserve and protect the sporting integrity of competitions around the world.
"I have suggested that an approach similar to that adopted by the UK government for the final stages of the Euro 2020 (hosted at Wembley) be implemented for the upcoming international matches."
Patrick Mouratoglou says Serena Williams' "heartbreaking" withdrawal from the US Open was the "only possible decision" for the American.
Williams on Wednesday revealed she will not play in her home grand slam due to injury.
The 23-time major champion has not played on the WTA Tour since suffering a torn hamstring at Wimbledon in June and she has not fully recovered.
Mouratoglou, Williams' coach, stated that pulling out of the final slam of the year was the only option for the six-time US Open singles champion.
He tweeted: "Since she had to pull out from Wimbledon, @serenawilliams has been fully committed to her recovery and we've done everything we could so that she could compete at the @usopen. But her body isn't ready. It is heartbreaking, but this is the only possible decision."
Williams posted on Instagram earlier in the day: "After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have decided to withdraw from the US Open to allow my body to heal completely from a torn hamstring,
"New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favourite places to play – I'll miss seeing the fans but will be cheering everyone on from afar. Thank you for your continued support and love. I’ll see you soon."
Williams, who turns 40 next month, is the latest high-profile withdrawal from the tournament after Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal pulled out through injury
It will be the first time since 1997 that the US Open will be played without Williams, Federer or Nadal.
Misbah-ul-Haq will remain in the Caribbean when the Pakistan squad fly home on Wednesday after the head coach tested positive for coronavirus.
The former Pakistan batsman must quarantine for 10 days after he was the only member of the touring party to return a positive PCR test.
Misbah had been due to head home a day after Pakistan salvaged a 1-1 Test series draw with West Indies, winning by 109 runs at Sabina Park.
A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) statement said: "Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has tested positive and, as such, will not depart for Lahore with his side later today (Wednesday).
"Misbah, who is asymptomatic, will now undergo a 10-day quarantine, following which he will depart for Pakistan.
"Misbah was the only Pakistan squad member who failed two pre-departure PCR tests. All other members will leave Jamaica as per schedule later today.
"The PCB is constantly in touch with Cricket West Indies who have confirmed that Misbah will be shifted to another hotel for the 10-day quarantine with a medical specialist assigned to look after his health and wellbeing."
Pakistan's next assignment is a home ODI series against New Zealand next month.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce concedes that Elaine Thompson-Herah is much closer to the 100m world record than she is but says that it good that women are now able to challenge the 33-year-old standard set by American Florence Griffith-Joyner.
The Tokyo Olympics 100m silver medalist was speaking at a press conference Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she, Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson will once again line up for the 100m in a field that also includes local talents Mujinga Kamnundji, Ajla del Ponte and Marie Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast.
Talk of the world record heated up last weekend when Thompson-Herah sped to a world-leading and personal best 10.54 while winning the blue-riband dash at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. The time is only 0.05s off the world record of 10.49.
Fraser-Pryce, who ran a personal best of 10.63 in June, believes that the world record is now being challenged is a boon for the sport and women’s sprinting.
“As for running the world record, Elaine is much, much closer than I am so it’s good to be able to challenge a record that for women that for a long time we thought was impossible,” she told media gathered for the press conference,” and it speaks to the evolution of sprinting and what mechanics can do to sprinting and the different things that are involved in sprinting, so to be able to be in that conversation or to have that conversation is truly remarkable.”
Fraser-Pryce, who ran 10.73 while finishing second to Thompson-Herah in Eugene, expressed optimism that fast times – maybe even the world record - can be achieved on the track in Lausanne on Thursday.
“I know that Lausanne has a very good track; I ran 10.7 here in 2019 after coming off a plane, so I know it’s a very good track. So, hopefully, tomorrow the ladies will have a superb race and we will see how it goes at the end.”
Harry Kane is in contention to make his first start of the season against Pacos de Ferreira after confirming he is staying at Tottenham beyond the end of this transfer window.
The Manchester City-linked striker put a temporary end to speculation regarding his future on Wednesday by declaring that he is "100 per cent focused" on Spurs.
England captain Kane was not included in Tottenham's squad for their first two games of the campaign, but he returned as a second-half substitute in Sunday's win at Wolves.
He has been named in Spurs' squad for Thursday's Europa Conference League play-off tie with Pacos, which the north London outfit trail 1-0 from last week's first leg.
Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo is happy to be able to move on from the transfer saga, which has somewhat overshadowed his side's positive start to the new Premier League season.
"It's great news, fantastic news for everybody," Nuno said when asked about Kane committing his future to Spurs.
"I think since Harry returned to us, he's been working hard. This is what we value. His attitude in training has been great.
"It's now finished – Harry's going to be with us. He worked today and is an option for tomorrow. Like I said, fantastic news for everybody.
"We are all very happy. He is one of the best players in the world. We are all very happy, delighted to have one more option to the season ahead of us."
Kane has scored 221 goals in 337 appearances for Tottenham in all competitions and is second only to Jimmy Graves (266) in the list of the club's all-time top scorers.
The 28-year-old's 37 goal involvements last season were his most across a league campaign to date, while his 14 assists doubled a previous high of seven in 2016-17.
Despite Kane admitting in May that he was at a "crossroads" in his career, Nuno has no doubt over the prolific striker's motivation to continue playing for Spurs.
"I think it's up to us and everybody, the player himself, to get this motivation. There shouldn't be any kind of doubts to pay for Spurs," he said.
"This is an amazing club, a good team, and we we need everybody involved during this process. It's good hat this issue is over and we can proceed as normal."
Tottenham made 11 changes to their starting line-up for last week's trip to Portugal, which they lost to a first-half strike from Lucas Silva.
Spurs must now turn things around when Pacos visit Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday, with Nuno expected to name a stronger side this time around.
When further probed on whether Kane is in line to start, Nuno said: "Let's see, we still have to decide. He trained today. It was a fantastic training session.
"But we still have to decide the starting team for tomorrow. There are a lot of things to understand. This week is different, we are all together.
"That allows us to make different decisions, different circumstances. It's a must win game, with the tie to be decided tomorrow."
Jamaica’s Olympic medalists and their coaches are set for a financial windfall under what the Jamaica Olympic Association has dubbed an ‘Olympic Rewards Programme’ worth J$41 million. The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) contributed $J5m to the programme while Supreme Ventures Foundation and Mayberry Investments, contributed JS30m and J$6m, respectively.
One US dollar is approximately J$155.
The money is to be placed in individual investment accounts at Mayberry Investments for a period of three years or until the athlete’s retirement from track and field, whichever comes first. At the end of the period, the athlete decides whether to cash in their investments or maintain his or her account.
Under the programme, a gold medalist gets J$6 million, a silver medalist gets J$4 million while a bronze medal winner will be rewarded with J$2 million.
A similar amount will be maintained for the relays but for the relay gold medalists, the J$6 million will be shared among members while for the women’s 4x400 metres relay team that placed third, J$2 million will be shared among the members of the squad.
Coaches will also be rewarded for their work. J$1 million will go to a coach whose athlete won a gold medal, $750,000 for the coach whose athlete won a silver medal and $500,000 for the coach whose athlete won a bronze medal.
The rewards programme, JOA President Christopher Samuda said is part of a broader vision of the association.
“For the Jamaica Olympic Association this partnership represents critical aspects of our vision for the future of the business of sport and emphasizes our conviction that the lives of athletes and coaches matter beyond the present,” Samuda said.
“The Jamaica Olympic Association, Supreme Ventures Limited and Mayberry Investments Limited have come together in an investment trilogy, at the heart of which are Jamaica's athletes and coaches and the strategy of which resides in financial prudence and security.”
Meanwhile, Peter McConnell, Chairman, Supreme Ventures Foundation, praised the athletes for their success. “We are incredibly proud of all athletes who have ever represented Jamaica on the world stage, and we are grateful to have this opportunity to reward this year’s cohort of medalists,” he said.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Christopher Berry, the Executive Chairman of Mayberry Investments Limited.
“Mayberry wishes to congratulate all the athletes that represented us at the Olympics and all of the people who worked so hard to make this national effort yet another success,” he said.
Elaine Thompson won gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the Olympic Games while Hansle Parchment won gold in the 100m hurdles. Meanwhile, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won a silver medal in the 100m and a gold medal as a member of the 4x100m team. Shericka Jackson won a bronze medal in the 100m and gold as a member of the 4x100m that also included Briana Williams. Natasha Morrison and Remona Burchell were alternates.
Megan Tapper won a bronze medal in the 100m hurdles.
Jackson, Candice McLeod, Roneisha McGregor, Tovea Jenkins, Junelle Bromfield and Stacy-Ann Williams comprised the 4x400m relay squad.
There was light rain in the morning and afternoon, but that did not prevent the Puerto Rico men’s team from taking a strong lead on the first day of the 64th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships (CAGC). 47 top golfers from 6 Caribbean countries compete this August 24-26 at the Country Club at Grand Reserve, Rio Grande, in beautiful Puerto Rico!
Vying for the Hoerman Cup (Best Male Team), Puerto Rico has pulled far ahead with 2 over par, while Jamaica is in second place (+21) followed by Dominican Republic (+24) and Trinidad & Tobago (+31).
In the ladies division, competing for the George Teale Trophy, Puerto Rico women’s team has managed to capture the top spot with 6 over par. On their heels are Dominican Republic (+11) and US Virgin Islands (+15).
The individual standings is a close finish in round 1 with the men performing well. Gustavo Rangel of Puerto Rico leads with 3 under par, shooting 69. Following closely in second place is Rhadames Peña of Dominican Republic (-2) and third is tied between Jamaica’s Justin Burrowes and Roberto Nieves -- who both shot even par.
The individual standings in the women’s division is even closer. Tying for the first position with 74 strokes at 2 over par is Yae Eun Kim of the Dominican Republic, US Virgin Islands’ Alexandra Swayne, and Puerto Rico’s Camila Negroni. They are trailed by Darianys Guzman (+4) of Puerto Rico and Madelyn Newkirk (+6) of Jamaica.
Sidney Wolf, President of the CGA and Golf PR, welcomed the delegates at a luncheon that took place at the golf course on August 23. He gave a brief history on the event including the Arthur Ziadie trophy (see standings), which will be presented to the overall winning country.
“We are very happy to see the many juniors who have stepped up to compete in the CAGC this year. Our juniors are the future of golf in the Caribbean,” said Wolf. He specially acknowledged Jodi Munn-Barrow, who joined the CGA Council this year as its first woman and who was also recently announced as the first woman president of the Jamaica Golf Association.
The president closed by thanking sponsors which included: R&A, Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Banco Popular, Titleist, and Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve, who he said were a few among the many who helped to make the event a reality.
Serena Williams has withdrawn from the US Open after failing to fully recover from a torn hamstring.
The 23-time grand slam champion, who won six of those titles at Flushing Meadows, has not played on the WTA Tour since sustaining the injury at Wimbledon in June.
She skipped last week's Western and Southern Open in the hope of being ready in time for the her home major in New York, but has now taken the decision to pull out of the event.
"After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have decided to withdraw from the US Open to allow my body to heal completely from a torn hamstring," Williams posted on her Instagram account on Wednesday.
"New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favourite places to play – I'll miss seeing the fans but will be cheering everyone on from afar. Thank you for your continued support and love. I’ll see you soon."
It is 30 years since the great Michael Schumacher's first race in an incredible Formula One career.
The legendary German driver made his debut at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, a track where his son will showcase his talents this weekend.
Schumacher went on to claim his maiden F1 victory at the same circuit in 1992 and retired with a staggering 91 victories to his name, having claimed seven world titles.
To mark the anniversary of his bow in Belgium, Stats Perform picks out some of the standout numbers Schumacher racked up in an astonishing 19 F1 seasons.
JORDAN'S LOSS IS BENETTON'S GAIN
Schumacher stepped in for his first F1 race for Jordan and impressively qualified in seventh before retiring on the first lap due to clutch problems.
He spent the rest of the season driving for Benetton, picking up four points from six races.
Schumacher won once in each of the next two seasons, then won back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995 before making a lucrative move to Ferrari.
UNPRECEDENTED DOMINANCE
Schumacher established himself as one of the all-time greats during his decade with Ferrari, claiming his third world title in 2000.
That was the start of an unprecedented period of dominance, as he claimed a record five consecutive world titles.
Schumacher broke Juan Manuel Fangio's all-time record of being crowned world champion five times as he went from strength to strength before Fernando Alonso dethroned him in 2005.
SCALING NEW HEIGHTS TO SEVENTH HEAVEN
The 2004 season was Schumacher's most dominant as he won 13 of 18 races and was on the podium 15 times.
No driver has bettered that tally of victories for a season, but Lewis Hamilton last year matched Schumacher's haul of seven world titles.
Schumacher amassed an incredible 148 points in 2004 and that was the last time he won the championship.
RACKING UP THE RECORDS
Schumacher broke the record for F1 victories and finished with 91, a total Mercedes great Hamilton has gone on to surpass.
The 77 fastest laps set by Schumacher is a record, as is his 15 seasons with a victory and his 17 podium finishes in a season, set in 2002.
His 19 consecutive top-three finishes has never been bettered and nor has his 15 top-two finishes in a row, along with the most hat-tricks (pole, win and fastest lap) achieved by a driver with 22.
Schumacher's 181 races with Ferrari is the record for driving with the same constructor.
THRIVING IN FRANCE
The French Grand Prix was the race where Schumacher had the most victories, taking the top step of the podium eight times – another record.
He won at Magny-Cours for the first time in 1994 and his final win at the circuit came 12 years later.
Schumacher also holds the record for most poles at the same race with eight in Japan.
Andriy Lunin has become the latest Real Madrid player to test positive for coronavirus.
The back-up goalkeeper has been named in Madrid's squad for their first two LaLiga games of the season but will now have to serve a period of self-isolation.
He is the fourth Madrid player to contract COVID-19 over the past month after David Alaba, Karim Benzema and Alvaro Odriozola also returned positive tests.
Ukraine keeper Lunin previously tested positive while away with his national side last October, although it turned out to be a false positive and he was cleared to return to action.
Madrid confirmed the news in a short statement on their official website on Wednesday, though they did not clarify whether the 22-year-old was asymptomatic.
Lunin joined Madrid in 2018 but has made just one appearance – in last season's shock Copa del Rey defeat to Alcoyano – having spent three previous spells out on loan.
Carlo Ancelotti's side travel to Real Betis on Saturday in their final game before the first international break of the season.
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