Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones elected to baseball's Hall of Fame
NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones have been elected to baseball's Hall of Fame. Beltrán, in his fourth ballot appearance, received 84.2% of the votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Jones, in his ninth appearance, was picked on 78.4% of ballots. Beltrán's vote percentage has steadily increased since 2023. He was also briefly hired as the New York Mets' manager in 2019. Jones started with just 7.3% in 2018 but has steadily climbed. They will be inducted in Cooperstown, New York, on July 26, along with second baseman Jeff Kent.
Man City stunned by tiny Bodø/Glimt in huge Champions League upset and Arsenal into round of 16
Manchester City has lost 3-1 at tiny Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt in one of the most humiliating upsets in Champions League history, while defending champion Paris Saint-Germain was also on the end of an unexpected defeat at Sporting Lisbon. Vinícius Júnior turned jeers from his own fans to cheers by scoring for Real Madrid in a 6-1 win over Monaco. Arsenal became the first team to secure direct qualification for the round of 16 after a 3-1 victory at Inter Milan, maintaining its 100% record in the league stage after seven games.
Mets acquire CF Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with the White Sox
CHICAGO (AP) — The New York Mets have acquired center fielder Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. New York sent infielder Luisangel Acuña and minor league pitcher Truman Pauley to Chicago for Robert, who has struggled with injuries and inconsistency since a stellar 2023 season. The Mets had been looking for outfield help since they traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien. They were in the mix for Kyle Tucker before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bilodeau's late 3-pointer helps UCLA stun No. 4 Purdue, snapping Boilermakers' 9-game winning streak
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tyler Bilodeau hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with eight seconds left, leading UCLA to a 69-67 win over No. 4 Purdue. It snapped Purdue's nine-game winning streak in its first visit to Pauley Pavilion in 26 years. C.J. Cox missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. Fans stormed the court on a night when UCLA honored John Wooden, the Indiana native and Purdue alumnus. Donovan Dent led the Bruins with 23 points and 13 assists. It was Purdue's first loss since Dec. 6 and kept the Boilers from taking sole possession of first place in the Big Ten over idle Nebraska.
Hoosiers receive hero's welcome in return to Bloomington as football national champions
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — The Indiana Hoosiers were ready to party Tuesday night, and hundreds of loyal fans joined them when they arrived back on campus in Bloomington. Turning out in freezing temperatures and brutally cold wind chills, fans, players and coaches celebrated college football’s implausible national champions. Fans chanted “Hoo, hoo, hoo, Hoo-siers,” as the team buses arrived at Indiana's practice facility. Parking lots filled up at Indianapolis International Airport with fans hoping to greet the team, and some ended up following the buses in their card as the players were escorted by police back to campus.
No. 1 Indiana tops final AP Top 25 football poll of season as Big Ten's title run reaches 3 straight
Indiana is No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 after finishing a 16-0 season with a victory over Miami in the College Football Playoff championship game. The Hoosiers are the third straight Big Ten national champion and No. 1 team in the final poll, following 2024 Ohio State and 2023 Michigan. No. 2 Miami ended with its highest ranking since the 2002 season. The last time the Hurricanes finished in the top 10 was in 2003. Mississippi, Oregon and Ohio State were next. The Big Ten had three teams in the top five for the second straight year.
Warriors prepare to go forward without Jimmy Butler after season-ending right knee injury
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors are still coming to terms with how dramatically their season changes now given Jimmy Butler’s season-ending right knee injury and how they must depend on their depth going forward without the do-everything guard. An MRI exam after the injury revealed Butler tore the ACL in his right knee during the third quarter of a 135-112 victory Monday against his former Miami team and will need surgery. He landed awkwardly moments after catching a pass in the paint following a collision with the Heat’s Davion Mitchell. Butler’s surgery date hadn’t been set.
New coach John Harbaugh embraces the challenge of turning the Giants back into contenders
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — John Harbaugh takes over as coach of the New York Giants with plenty of power over shaping their future and an eagerness to turn them back into a contender. Harbaugh is reporting directly to ownership rather than general manager Joe Schoen, a structure that he's comfortable with from his nearly two decades with the Baltimore Ravens. While everyone involved is trying to downplay the arrangement, there is no doubt that Harbaugh is now the chief decision-maker in football operations. The 63-year Super Bowl champion brings instant credibility and immediate winning expectations to an organization that has struggled to sustain success.
Duke files a lawsuit against QB Darian Mensah to enforce his contract and block a transfer
Duke has filed a lawsuit against quarterback Darian Mensah seeking to block his efforts to transfer and reach a contract with another school to play elsewhere next season. The university filed its complaint in Durham County Superior Court on Monday. That came three days after Mensah reversed his previously announced plan to return to the Blue Devils. The complaint states Duke's two-season contract with Mensah runs through 2026. It also argues that the contract requires any dispute to go through arbitration to reach resolution.
Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka reaches the third round at the Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka has defeated Bai Zhouxuan 6-3, 6-1 to reach the third round of the Australian Open. Sabalenka needed seven set points at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday to take the first set against the defensive minded Chinese player, who used clever drop shots to help her stay in the match. In the second set, Sabalenka broke Bai in the first and third games.
