Nationals convince LaRoche to extend Washington stay

inning in Game 4 of their MLB NLDS baseball series in Washington October 11, 2012. …more (Reuters) - The Washington Nationals finally persuaded Adam LaRoche to put pen to paper on Tuesday after spending the first half of the off-season courting their lead slugger.The free agent inked a two-year deal worth $24 million with an option for a third season, adding solidity to an improving Nationals team...

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Baseball-Record earnings for South Korean league

Jan 9 (Reuters) - South Korean baseball underlined its continuing growth by posting a record $33 million in revenue last year, local media reported on Wednesday.Winning gold at the Beijing Olympics and finishing runners-up at the 2009 World Baseball Classic boosted baseball's popularity and attendances crossed the 7 million-mark for the first time last year, Yonhap News agency reported.The league...

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Record earnings for South Korean league

(Reuters) - South Korean baseball underlined its continuing growth by posting a record $33 million in revenue last year, local media reported on Wednesday.Winning gold at the Beijing Olympics and finishing runners-up at the 2009 World Baseball Classic boosted baseball's popularity and attendances crossed the 7 million-mark for the first time last year, Yonhap News agency reported.The league pocketed...

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Ichiro's patience snaps with Yankees: report

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese outfielder Ichiro Suzuki has lost patience with the New York Yankees over a contract extension and has begun talking with other teams, his agent said on Friday.The Yankees have been busy locking up their principle pitchers, paying Hiroki Kuroda $15 million, Andy Pettitte $12 million and Mariano Rivera $10 million, drawing frustration from Ichiro."At the beginning we talked...

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Yankees' Rodriguez to have hip surgery

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez will likely miss the start of the 2013 Major League Baseball (MLB) season because of hip surgery, the team said on Monday.The 37-year-old Rodriguez, MLB's active home runs leader, must complete a four-to-six week pre-rehabilitation regimen before having a left hip arthroscopy in January that will require four to six months of recovery,...

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Ex-baseball star Lenny Dykstra sentenced in bankruptcy fraud case

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Lenny Dykstra, the 1980s World Series hero who pleaded guilty earlier this year to bankruptcy fraud, was sentenced on Monday to six months in federal prison and ordered to perform 500 hours of community service.The 49-year-old former ballplayer - who is already serving time in state prison for grand theft auto, lewd conduct and assault with a deadly weapon - was also ordered...

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Governor to sue NCAA over Penn State sanctions

 Gov. Tom Corbett said Tuesday he plans to sue the NCAA in federal court over stiff sanctions imposed against Penn State University in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal.The Republican governor scheduled a Wednesday news conference on the Penn State campus in State College to announce the filing in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg.A person associated with the university...

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NHL, players' union set to meet at league offices

The NHL and the union are back at the bargaining table and seem determined to work toward a deal to save the hockey season.A full day of talks was planned for Tuesday, one day after negotiations resumed following nearly three weeks apart. On Monday, the players' association presented a counterproposal to an offer made by the league late last week. The NHL spent Monday night reviewing the document,...

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Stanford holds off Wisconsin 20-14 in Rose Bowl

Although Stanford didn't score many style points in the 99th Rose Bowl, the Cardinal could celebrate because they didn't let Wisconsin score any points at all after halftime. Stepfan Taylor rushed for 89 yards and an early touchdown, Kevin Hogan passed for 123 yards, and No. 8 Stanford won its first Rose Bowl since 1972, beating the Badgers 20-14 on Tuesday night. Usua Amanam made the decisive interception...

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Pennsylvania governor to sue NCAA over Penn State sanctions

 Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett said on Tuesday he will file a federal lawsuit against the NCAA over sanctions it levied against Pennsylvania State University in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal.Corbett is scheduled to hold a news conference on Wednesday at the Nittany Lion Inn on the Penn State campus to reveal the details of the lawsuit against the governing body of...

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Red Sox look for innings in Dempster

 The Boston Red Sox have the reliable starter they sought in Ryan Dempster.He's pitched at least 200 innings in four of the past five seasons, impressive to general manager Ben Cherington but not so special to Dempster."That's your responsibility as a starting pitcher in the big leagues," Dempster said Wednesday at a news conference after his $26.5 million, two-year deal was finalized. "The norm...

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Baseball-Angels swap hitting for pitching with Mariners

Dec 19 (Reuters) - The bulked-up Los Angeles Angels swapped some hitting for pitching on Wednesday by sending first baseman/designated hitter Kendrys Morales to the Seattle Mariners for starting pitcher Jason Vargas.The Angels, who signed power-hitting Josh Hamilton to a free agent contract last week, sent some much-needed punch to Seattle to add lefthander Vargas to a rotation rotation that includes...

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Angels swap hitting for pitching with Mariners

The bulked-up Los Angeles Angels swapped some hitting for pitching on Wednesday by sending first baseman/designated hitter Kendrys Morales to the Seattle Mariners for starting pitcher Jason Vargas.The Angels, who signed power-hitting Josh Hamilton to a free agent contract last week, sent some much-needed punch to Seattle to add lefthander Vargas to a rotation that includes Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson,...

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YEARENDER-Baseball-Never-say-die Giants cap season of surprises

The never-say-die San Francisco Giants' rousing drive to the World Series title capped a year of surprises, sensational individual achievements and big-name doping controversies in Major League Baseball (MLB).Miguel Cabrera of the pennant-winning Detroit Tigers claimed the first Triple Crown sweep of the American League's (AL) major offensive categories in 45 years by slugging 44 home runs with 139...

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Never-say-die Giants cap season of surprises

The never-say-die San Francisco Giants' rousing drive to the World Series title capped a year of surprises, sensational individual achievements and big-name doping controversies in Major League Baseball (MLB).Miguel Cabrera of the pennant-winning Detroit Tigers claimed the first Triple Crown sweep of the American League's (AL) major offensive categories in 45 years by slugging 44 home runs with 139...

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Soccer-Juve defender Chiellini faces lengthy layoff

ROME, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has confirmed that he will miss Friday's Serie A meeting with Cagliari due to a calf injury.The 28-year-old Chiellini underwent a scan on Thursday and while an exact timeline for a possible return is unknown, he could be facing up to three months on the sidelines."Unfortunately the calf injury has been confirmed and I have to stop for a...

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Soccer-Qatar plough up to 200 mln euros a year into PSG-media

PARIS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Qatar will pour up to 200 million euros ($265 million) a year into Paris Saint-Germain under an advertising contract designed to help the French club meet UEFA's financial fair-play rules, according to French media.The deal, already submitted to French football's controlling body (DNCG), has been struck with the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and will run until 2016, daily...

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Column: Messi & Co. will win without coach

Even if Lionel Messi and his Barcelona teammates had no coach to guide them, you would think long and hard about betting against perhaps the greatest collection of players assembled by one club. Their success is built on foundations so solid it has seemingly become self-perpetuating, almost capable of taking care of itself.So Messi & Co. will weather the absence, hopefully brief and temporary,...

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UPDATE 1-Soccer-Hearts hit by transfer embargo over unpaid bonus

LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Hearts will be banned from buying players during the January window after the Scottish Premier League (SPL) extended a transfer embargo following the club's failure to pay bonuses to their squad.The club announced earlier that they had raised more than 1 million pounds ($1.6 million) by selling shares to their fans. But this amount was some way short of the target and they...

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Soccer-Dutch Cup last 16 results

Dec 20 (Infostrada Sports) - Results from the Dutch Cup Last 16 matches on ThursdayLast 16Thursday, December 20Groningen - Ajax Amsterdam 0-3 (halftime: 0-1)Wednesday, December 19Heerenveen - Feyenoord 2-2 (halftime: 0-1, 90 mins: 2-2, penalty shootout: 6-7)Feyenoord win 7-6 on penalties.Vitesse Arnhem - ADO '20 (III) 10-1 (halftime: 2-0)Go Ahead Eagles Deventer (II) - PEC Zwolle 2-3 (halftime: 0-0,...

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