MLB-ROYALS-DIEKMAN
Royals, Diekman agree to $2.75M deal with option for 2020
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals and reliever Jake Diekman have agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract that includes a mutual option for the 2020 season.
The Royals made room on the 40-man roster by placing right-hander Jesse Hahn on the 60-day injured list. Hahn is still recovering from Tommy John surgery and is not expected before opening day.
The 32-year-old Diekman spent last season with the Rangers and Diamondbacks, making 71 appearances with a career-worst 4.73 ERA. But he's shown shutdown ability during a seven-year career that included a stop in Philadelphia, going 14-15 with a 3.75 ERA. Diekman is guaranteed $2.25 million in 2019 and has a $500,000 buyout for 2020.
The Royals' bullpen was a mess all of last season, and there are plenty of jobs up for grabs this spring training. Kevin McCarthy and Wily Peralta are the only safe bets to make the team.
PITINO-GREEK CUP
Pitino's Greek team reaches final after walkout on refs
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Rick Pitino is back in a final.
However, the Greek team he's coaching reached the final after their opponents walked out at halftime because of poor officiating.
Greece's government has condemned a walkout by the basketball club Olympiakos during the Greek Cup semifinal game on Wednesday. The club forfeited the game in Athens after leaving while trailing 40-25.
A spokesman for the team said he was "disgusted" with the quality of the refereeing.
Greece's deputy minister for sport, Giorgos Vassiliadis, described the game as a "blow to the sport" but said he couldn't interfere with the referee selection process.
Pitino tweeted after the incident, "Well, in 42 years of coaching, I thought I had seen it all."
Pitino's Panathinaikos team will play in Sunday's final against PAOK in Crete.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NC STATE-LOCKETT
NC State's Lockett facing charge of assault on a female
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina State backup guard Eric Lockett has been charged with assault on a female.
According to court records, Lockett was being held without bond in the Wake County Jail on Thursday following an incident that took place Tuesday. No further details were immediately available.
Coach Kevin Keatts says Lockett has been suspended indefinitely from the team but declined further comment. The 23-year-old Lockett missed the Wolfpack's 73-58 victory over Syracuse on Wednesday night for what the school described as a "personal matter."
The Georgia native transferred to N.C. State this season after graduating from Florida International and is averaging five points and roughly 17 minutes per game.
MINNESOTA DULUTH COACH-DISCRIMINATION
Ex-college hockey coach's court-ordered award now $4.2M
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — A discrimination and retaliation award is growing for a former women's hockey coach who sued the University of Minnesota Duluth.
A federal judge granted a motion Wednesday to award Shannon Miller an additional $460,000 in pay and future benefits. That brings the total award to the former coach to about $4.2 million.
A federal jury last spring awarded Miller $3.7 million in lost wages and benefits, and for emotional distress. The jury determined the university discriminated against Miller on the basis of gender and retaliated against her for making Title IX complaints regarding the disparity between the men's and women's hockey programs.
Miller was among the most successful women's hockey coaches, but the school declined to renew her contract in late 2014 after 16 seasons. Miller returned to coaching with the Canadian Women's Hockey League's Calgary Inferno.
WORLDS-WOMEN'S GIANT SLALOM
Shiffrin in 4th after 1st run of giant slalom at worlds
ARE, Sweden (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin will have to overcome extreme weather conditions and a deficit of 0.44 seconds to win the giant slalom for a second gold medal at the world championships.
The American was in fourth place Thursday — behind Viktoria Rebensburg, Petra Vlhova and Ragnhild Mowinckel — heading into the second leg.
Racing in winds that reached more than 40 mph on a surface that has been affected by two days of rain, Shiffrin was the second skier out on a shortened course and had a rueful look after crossing the line.
Rebensburg, the Olympic champion in giant slalom in 2010, took a 0.19-second lead over Vlhova and has a good chance of winning Germany a first medal at this year's worlds in the eighth event. She also won silver in the giant slalom in the 2015 worlds in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
The world championships have been heavily affected by changing weather in central Sweden. The first run of the giant slalom went off from the reserve start.
WADA-NORTH KOREA
North Korean athlete drug testing program ruled sub-standard
MONTREAL (AP) — The World Anti-Doping Agency says it ruled North Korea's testing program non-compliant for failing to meet international standards.
The judgment casts doubt on how North Korea's athletes are tested as the International Olympic Committee explores options to field combined Korean teams at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
WADA says its concerns will be raised when the IOC meets Friday with sports and government officials from North and South Korea.
Without specifying details, WADA says North Korea's Anti-Doping Committee lost its accreditation for "non-conformities related to the implementation of its testing program."
WADA says North Korea did not dispute the ruling after missing a four-month deadline to improve the program.
Doping control tests will now be supervised by China's anti-doping agency at North Korea's expense.
PGA-GENESIS OPEN
Mickelson delivers drama before rain stops play at Riviera
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Phil Mickelson opened with a par Thursday at the Genesis Open before wet conditions halted play at Riviera after less than an hour.
Typical of Mickelson, it was no ordinary par.
Mickelson drove into a bunker on the short par-4 10th when the horn sounded to stop play. Because the weather presented no danger, players were allowed to finish the hole. Mickelson went over the green into a slightly plugged lie in the bunker behind the green. Unable to control the spin, his shot rolled over the green into a third bunker.
And right when it looked as if he was headed for a big number, Lefty holed his fourth shot for par.
He walked back to his caddie and said with a wide smile, "How about we go in now?"
