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Cubs slugger Bellinger declines $25M option for 2024, will test market after bounce-back season

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs slugger Cody Bellinger declined his end of a $25 million mutual option for 2024 on Friday as expected and will test the free-agent market coming off a bounce-back season.The 2019 NL MVP, Bellinger is in line for a huge payday after hitting .307 with 26 homers and 97 RBIs. It was quite a turnaround for a player cut by the Los Angeles Dodgers in November after being limited by injuries and experiencing a drastic decline on offense. The Cubs signed Bellinger to a $17.5 million, one-year contract, and he helped them stay in playoff contention until late in the year. Chicago finished second in the NL Central at 83-79 after consecutive losing seasons.Bellinger had a $12.5 million salary this year and gets a $5 million buyout.The Cubs declined their end of a $5 million mutual option on veteran right-hander Brad Boxberger. He receives an $800,000 buyout.Boxberger was limited to 22 relief appearances because of a strained right forearm and finished with a 4.95 ERA...

Ryan Blaney fastest of NASCAR title contenders in lone practice ahead of championship

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Ryan Blaney was fastest of NASCAR’s championship contenders Friday in the only practice session ahead of the title-deciding season finale Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. “Ryan Blaney gets around Phoenix really, really well,” said Blaney crew chief Jonathan Hassler. “There’s never been a time that we haven’t had speed.”Kyle Busch and Bubba Wallace, two drivers already eliminated from the playoff field, paced the Friday night practice. Blaney was third and followed by Christopher Bell, who is one of the final four drivers racing for the title. William Byron, winner at Phoenix in the spring, was seventh fastest and Kyle Larson was the slowest driver of the title contenders in 11th. Larson also grazed the wall with his Chevrolet late in the 50-minute practice session. “We have a small paint mark. No big deal,” said Larson crew chief Cliff Daniels, who said it is about the 10th time this year the team will have to repair that portion of the car a...

Sheryl Crow and Chaka Khan make the crowd go wild at the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Sheryl Crow and Chaka Khan made the crowd roar at the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday night, with the Queen of Funk doing a medley of her hits including “Ain’t Nobody” and the Southern singer-songwriter knocking out an electric version of her “If It Makes You Happy” alongside Olivia Rodrigo.Crow joined by Rodrigo — both in black — traded verses as they both played guitars. Stevie Nicks later joined Crow for a performance of “Strong Enough” and Peter Frampton came out to help sing “Everyday Is a Winding Road.”“This is a little bit like getting an Oscar for a screenplay you have not finished writing,” Crow said. She thanked her parents for unconditional love “and piano lessons.” She called music a “universal gift.”Fellow inductees Missy Elliott and Willie Nelson also were expected to be taking the mic. The ceremony in New York City is streaming live for the first time on Disney+.Laura Dern inducted Crow, calling her friend “a bad...

Ella era una auxiliar de vuelo de Pan Am y él un piloto. Su encuentro a bordo fue el principio de un romance de 50 años

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

(CNN) — La asistente de vuelo Ilona Zahn no quedó muy impresionada cuando conoció al piloto Ian Duncan.Corría el año 1970. Ilona trabajaba en la cabina de primera clase de un vuelo de Pan American Airlines de Roma a Teherán, vía Beirut y Damasco.La primera vez que Ilona vio a Ian fue un par de horas antes del despegue. Estaba de pie, con su uniforme azul cielo de Pan Am, con el resto de la tripulación en el vestíbulo del Hotel Metropole de Roma.“Estábamos esperando, charlando”, recuerda Ilona.Ian se acercó, alto, con galones de piloto en cada hombro, saludó a la tripulación y se presentó como primer oficial del vuelo.“La mayoría de los pilotos eran muy amables, se acercaban si no los conocías de antes y se presentaban”, cuenta Ilona ahora a CNN Travel. “Me pareció amigable, pero no tuve mayor impresión de él”.Entonces pasaron un par de horas. Los pasajeros estaban embarcando en un Boeing 707 en el aeropuerto. Ilona estaba ordenando las provi...

Brewers pitcher Wade Miley becomes free agent after declining mutual option, AP source says

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Left-handed pitcher Wade Miley declined his part of a $10 million mutual option for 2024 with the Milwaukee Brewers, according to a person familiar with the situation.Miley’s decision makes him a free agent. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity Friday because the move hadn’t been announced.MLB.com first reported Miley rejected his half of the option.Miley, who turns 37 this month, went 9-4 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts this season to help the Brewers win the NL Central title. He struck out 79 and walked 38 in 120 1/3 innings.Milwaukee has holes to fill in its starting rotation. Two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff underwent shoulder surgery last month and might miss the entire 2024 season.With that in mind, the Brewers agreed Thursday with right-hander Colin Rea on a $4.5 million, one-year deal that keeps him with the team. Rea went 6-6 with a 4.55 ERA for Milwaukee this season.Rea gets a $3.5 million salary next year, and the deal includes a $5.5 milli...

Wrongly measured 3-point line on Nuggets court fixed before tipoff with Mavericks

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

DENVER (AP) — The 3-point shot of Dallas forward Grant Williams felt slightly off all morning in practice on the new, brightly painted Denver Nuggets court.Turns out, it wasn't his shot at all. It was a wrongly measured 3-point line.The line's curvature was painted too far back on the blue-and-yellow floor that Denver will use for the NBA's In-season Tournament that made its debut Friday night. In the time between shootaround and the game between the Mavericks and Nuggets, the line was repainted to the right distance. Oregon State Beavers vs. Colorado Buffaloes: TV channel, time, what to know “I'm like, ‘There’s no way this is supposed to be this far,'” Williams said of his morning shootaround. “Everything was short. Plus, I could just tell from the perception, either it was the blue court and it's messing with my eyes in the empty arena, or this line is long.”Indeed, it was too far back.Williams went out in pregame warmups and he was back on target. He said there was still the fa...

Miami-Dade Parks officials demand repairs at Miami Seaquarium for attraction to keep lease

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

Miami-Dade County officials have given the Miami Seaquarium’s owner a warning that repairs are required or they could lose their lease.The county’s Parks and Recreation Department sent the Dolphin Company a notice of default, giving the attraction, which is located on Virginia Key, 45 days to fix a series of issues.A dolphin had to be treated after the marine mammal are a piece of concrete from an aging tank at the Seaquarium.Regulators also found other animal care issues and too many vacant veterinarian positions.Inspectors discovered structural problems in the facility’s sea mammal tanks, including the pool that once housed Lolita the killer whale.The orca died in August at age 57.

Family of 10 displaced after fire ignites inside Fort Lauderdale home

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

A family of 10 has been left without a place to stay after their house in Fort Lauderdale went up in flames.Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the blaze along the 1700 block of Northwest 10th Avenue, just after 7 p.m., Friday.“The first crew made entry and right away were met with heavy fire, heavy smoke,” said FLFR Assistant Fire Chief Timothy HeiserHomeowner Travis Baten told 7News he had left the house to run an errand, and that’s when his sister called him to to alert him.“They called me and said, ‘Hey, the house is on fire, and my sister was saying she’s getting the kids out of the home,” he said. “At that time it was, including my niece, seven children in the house, plus my sister. I came back, and by then, the room was engulfed. On my way back, I called 911.”Officials said firefighters had trouble reaching the fire.“They had difficulty getting to the ceiling of the fire because there is a lot...

Salem staves off near miracle comeback bid by Dennis-Yarmouth

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

SALEM — It certainly was a lot more dramatic than Salem coach Matt Bouchard wanted, but in his program’s first-ever home playoff game, the Witches survived a nearly miraculous rally from Dennis-Yarmouth to escape Bertram Field with a 33-27 win.The Witches (7-2) advance to face No. 6 Cardinal Spellman in the Div. 6 quarterfinals next week.“We knew it was going to be a battle and it was. We were lucky to pull that one out,” Bouchard said.It looked like Salem was going to cruise into the second round when Devante Ozuna scored on a 27-yard run with 1:55 left to give his squad a 33-13 lead.Dolphins quarterback Jayden Barber, who was a brilliant playmaker all game, hit Oliver Doto for a 67-yard score on the next play to cut the lead to 33-20.Still, the Dolphins were in need of two scores in 94 seconds to steal the win away. They promptly recovered an onside kick before Barber hit Peyton Kellett for a 45-yard gain to the one.Two plays later, Barber (17 of 40, 259 yards) flipped one to Brys...

Jackson Belsan (5 TD’s) leads Scituate past Wayland, 47-36

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

SCITUATE — For Scituate’s football program, one player has played the role of catalyst all year long, and he was back at it Friday.Senior quarterback Jackson Belsan finished 13-for-17 passing, racking up 266 yards to go with five touchdowns as seventh-seeded Scituate held on for a 47-36 victory over No. 10 Wayland in the opening round of the Division 4 football playoffs.Like many expected, this game had the makings of a classic during the first half. After Scituate (6-3) drew first blood on a 19-yard touchdown strike from Belsan to Lawson Foley, the Sailors watched their advantage evaporate, rapidly. Max Dressens broke off a 53-yard touchdown scamper 1:28 later, tying the score at 7-all. The schools would trade scores one more time, with Alex Burrill scampering for a five-yard touchdown for Scituate to cap the quarter.With 9:57 left in the first half, Wayland’s Michael Caulfield sprinted six yards for a touchdown, tying the score again at 14-14. By then, Sailors fans had started to ...