About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 2018)
2B Tuesday, November 27, 2018 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com SPORTS ATC\NTA BRAVES Braves make free agent splash with Donaldson, McCann JIM MONE I Associated Press Houston Astros catcher Brian McCann watches in the first inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins on April 10 in Minneapolis. Associated Press NEW YORK - The Atlanta Braves added a pair of free agents following their first division title in five years, agreeing to one-year contracts with third base- man Josh Donaldson and catcher Brian McCann. Donaldson agreed to a $23 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associ ated Press on Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical. McCann’s deal was announced by Atlanta, where he became a seven time All-Star from 2005-13. He got a $2 million, one-year contract to play near his home. Donaldson was the AL MVP with Toronto in 2015 but has struggled since. He had a hip injury in 2016, was slowed by a strained right calf in 2017 and by shoul der inflammation and a calf strain this year. A three-time All-Star who turns 32 next month, Donaldson hit .246 with eight homers and 23 RBIs in 52 games this year for Toronto and Cleveland, which acquired him on Aug. 31. His 2019 salary matches his pay this year. McCann, who turns 35 in February, is from Duluth, Georgia, and was a seven time All-Star with the Braves from 2005-13. He left to sign an $85 million, five-year contract with the New York Yankees and was traded to Houston after the 2016 sea son following the emergence of Gary Sanchez. McCann helped the Astros win their first World Series title in 2017. He hit .212 with seven homers and 23 RBIs in 63 games this year, miss ing 53 games because of arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in July. FALCONS ■ Continued from 1B guaranteed, fixing the line is imperative to Quinn. “He’s holding up well physically,” Quinn said. “He’s as tough as they come. He has no flinch to him, but it’s more than we would like, for sure, especially in the last game to have the amount of sacks and quar terback hits that we did.” Quinn suggested the inte rior line weren’t entirely to blame against the Saints as Ryan was sacked six times and hit 13 others on 53 drop- backs. It’s hard to keep him upright when the run game is struggling so much. “If we can get that going like we’re capable of, I think some of those hits come off,” Quinn said. “That’s why we don’t have the amount of throws and dropbacks that we had in some of the games. I think that’s the biggest factor on how we can take some hits off.” The defense faces a challenge against mobile quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Gus Edwards, who over the last two weeks became the first Baltimore rookie since Jamal Lewis in 2000 with consecutive 100-yard games. Defensive end Vic Beasley, defen sive tackle Grady Jarrett and line backer Deion Jones each declined inter view requests with reporters on Mon day. Reserve end Brooks Reed found hope in the Fal cons’ ability to slow Saquon Barkley and Adrian Peterson in Weeks 7 and 9. “We’re always looking to improve tackling and just being detailed in our fits,” Reed said. “Just getting down to more basic stuff. That always seems to kind of bring us back in.” SCOREBOARD Basketball/college The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 25, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking: Record Pts Prv 1. Gonzaga (32) 6-0 1590 3 2. Kansas (31) 5-0 1584 2 3. Duke (1) 5-1 1486 1 4. Virginia (1) 6-0 1396 4 5. Nevada 6-0 1329 6 6.Tennessee 4-1 1284 5 7. Michigan 6-0 1213 9 8. Auburn 5-1 1129 8 9. Michigan St. 5-1 1111 11 10. Kentucky 5-1 1022 10 11. North Carolina 6-1 943 7 12. Kansas St. 6-0 936 12 13. Virginia Tech 5-0 921 13 14. Iowa 5-0 599 20 15. Florida St. 5-1 581 14 16. Ohio St. 6-0 511 23 17. Texas 5-1 486 — 18. Oregon 4-1 439 21 19. Purdue 5-1 387 24 20. Texas Tech 6-0 380 — 21. Buffalo 5-0 351 22 22. Wisconsin 5-1 253 25 23. Villanova 5-2 217 — 24. Maryland 6-0 170 — 25. Mississippi St. 4-1 161 15 Others receiving votes: Arizona St. 156, Clemson 135, Furman 72, Creighton 65, LSU 41, Indiana 35, UCLA 30, Iowa St. 22, St. John’s 19, Minnesota 17, Miami 10, Syracuse 8,TCU 8, Arkansas 6, Nebraska 6, Notre Dame 4, UConn 4, Florida 3, UCF 3, Davidson 1, Houston 1. The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ women’s college basketball poll, with first- place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 25, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th- place vote and last week’s ranking: Record Pts Prv 1. Notre Dame (31) 6-0 775 1 2. UConn 5-0 735 2 3. Oregon 6-0 705 3 4. Baylor 6-0 674 4 5. Louisville 5-0 660 5 6. Mississippi St. 6-0 606 6 7. Maryland 6-0 576 7 8. Stanford 6-0 567 8 9. Oregon St. 5-1 523 9 10. Texas 6-0 494 10 11.Tennessee 5-0 476 11 12. Syracuse 6-1 422 14 13. N.C. State 6-0 410 15 14. Iowa 5-1 323 12 15. California 6-0 287 18 16. DePaul 3-2 285 16 17. Texas A&M 4-1 221 20 18. South Carolina 3-3 212 13 19. Arizona St. 3-2 178 19 20. Minnesota 5-0 170 23 21. Miami 6-1 148 24 22. Marquette 4-1 137 22 23. Iowa St. 5-0 93 — 24. Drake 6-1 73 — 25. Kentucky 7-0 68 — Others receiving votes: Missouri Northwestern 59, West Virginia 59, Georgia 18, South Florida 17, Virginia Tech 13, Michigan 10, Utah 6, North Carolina 5, Southern Cal 4, Florida St. 3, Boise St. 2, LSU 2. Transactions BASEBALL American League CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Claimed LHP Ian Clarkin off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Designated RHP Burch Smith for assignment. Claimed RHP Conner Greene off waivers from St. Louis. MINNESOTA TWINS — Claimed 1B C.J. Cron off waivers from Tampa Bay. NEW YORK YANKEES — Designated INF Ronald Torreyes for assignment. Claimed RHP Parker Bridwell off waivers from the L.A. Angels. SEATTLE MARINERS — Named Tim Laker hitting coach. National League ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — Signed OF Rob Refsnyder and SS Kelby Tomlinson to minor league contracts. Named Darnell Coles hitting coach, Eric Hinske assistant hitting coach and Dan Butler bullpen catcher. ATLANTA BRAVES — Agreed to terms with C Brian McCann on a one-year contract. NEW YORK METS — Claimed 0F/1B Jordan Patterson off waivers from Colorado. Named Jim Riggleman bench coach. PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Named Jacob Cruz assistant hitting coach. Frontier League FLORENCE FREEDOM — Signed LHP Mike Castellani, OF Cutter McDowell and SS Austin Wobrock to contract extensions. Signed INF Tommy Anderson, OF Rodney Tennie, and C Peter Yorgan. LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS — Signed RHP Kent Hasler and OF Zach Racusin to contract exten sions. Signed RHP Augie Gallardo. RIVER CITY RASCALS — Signed 3B Braxton Martinez to a contract extension. WINDY CITY THUNDERBOLTS — Signed RHP Steve Heilenbach to a contract extension. Signed RHP Connor Mayes and C/1B Niko Pacheco. BASKETBALL National Basketball Association NEW ORLEANS PELICANS — Recalled F Kenrich Williams from Westchester (NBAGL). FOOTBALL National Football League ARIZONA CARDINALS — Placed LB Josh Bynes and PK Phil Dawson on injured reserve. Released CB Bene Benwikere and 0L Andre Smith. Signed PK Zane Gonzalez from the practice squad. Claimed TE Darrell Daniels off waivers from Seattle. DETROIT LIONS — Placed WR Marvin Jones on injured reserve. Signed LB Nicholas Grigsby from the practice squad and DE Eric Lee to the practice squad. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Placed TE Jack Doyle on injured reserve. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS — Fired offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. LOS ANGELES RAMS — Activated CB Aqib Talib from injured reserve. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Released OL Matt Tobin. Activated RB Rex Burkhead from injured reserve. OAKLAND RAIDERS — Waived WR Johnny Holton. Released CB Arrion Springs from the practice squad. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Waived S Godwin Igwebuike. HOCKEY National Hockey League ANAHEIM DUCKS — Recalled G Angus Redmond from Reading (ECHL) to San Diego (AHL). ARIZONA COYOTES — Recalled F Mario Kempe from Tucson (AHL). COLUMBUS CREW — Recalled Fs Sam Vigneault and Kole Sherwood from Jacksonville (ECHL) to Cleveland (AHL). LOS ANGELES KINGS — Recalled F Sheldon Rempal from Ontario (AHL). MONTREAL CANADIENS — Waived D Karl Alzner. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS — Fired general man ager Ron Hextall. American Hockey League BELLEVILLE SENATORS — Recalled F Boston Leier from Brampton (ECHL). LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS — Returned G Austin Lotz to Reading (ECHL). Recalled F Alex Krushelnyski from Reading. MANITOBA MOOSE — Recalled D Jacob Cederholm and Justin Woods from Jacksonville (ECHL). MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS — Recalled F Garret Ross from Atlanta (ECHL). Assigned F Alex Overhardt to Atlanta. TORONTO MARLIES — Recalled F Giorgio Estephan from Newfoundland (ECHL). WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS — Recalled FTroy Josephs from Wheeling (ECHL). ECHL ECHL — Suspended Allen C Zach Pochiro one game. ADIRONDACK THUNDER — D Jordan McNaughton announced his retirement. ALLEN AMERICANS — Signed D Garrett Clarke. Released G Tom Hodges as emergency backup. FLORIDA EVERBLADES — Claimed D Tate Olson off waivers from Newfoundland. FORT WAYNE KOMETS — Traded G Kyle Hayton to Allen. GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS — Released G Devin Buffalo. Signed D Jake Faiella. Traded F Jordan Sims to Fort Wayne. READING ROYALS — Released G Nick Niedert. Signed G Tanner Creel. Released G Eric Vogel as emergency backup. SOCCER Major League Soccer COLUMBUS CREW — Exercised 2019 options on Gs Jon Kempin and Ben Lungaard, Ms Luis Argudo and Niko Hansen and Ds Alex Crognale, Connor Maloney, Gaston Sauro and Josh Williams. Agreed to terms with D Lalas Abubakar. FC DALLAS — Exercised 2019 options on Ms Jacori Hayes, Ryan Hollingshead and Victor Ulloa and G Kyle Zobeck. LA GALAXY — Exercised 2019 options on M Sebastian Lletget, D Daniel Steres, M Bradford Jamieson IV and G Justin Vom Steeg. SPORTING KANSAS CITY — Signed D Seth Sinovic to a one-year contract. COLLEGE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE — Fined Texas A&M $50,000 after Aggie fans surged onto the field after A&M’s 74-72 win in the seventh overtime period over No. 12 LSU on Nov. 24. ARIZONA STATE—WR N’Keal Harry will enter the NFL draft. OAKLAND — Junior G Brailen Neely left the men’s basketball team. TODAY ON TV Hockey ■ Golden Knights at Blackhawks, 8 p.m., NBCSN Basketball ■ Maryland Eastern Shore at St. John’s, 6:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1 ■ Virginia Tech at Penn State, 7 p.m., ESPN2 ■ Illinois at Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ESPNU ■ Michigan State at Louisville, 7:30 p.m., ESPN ■ Hawks at Heat, 7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Southeast ■ Fairleigh Dickinson at Providence, 8:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1 ■ NC State at Wisconsin, 9 p.m., ESPN2 ■ Pittsburgh at Iowa, 9 p.m., ESPNU ■ Indiana at Duke, 9:30 p.m., ESPN COLLEGE BASKETBALL | Mens top-25 poll MARCO GARCIA I Associated Press Gonzaga players hold the trophy after they defeated Duke, 89-87, to win the Maui Invitational on Wednesday, Nov. 21, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Bulldogs make the jump to No. 1 Gonzaga passes Kansas for top spot, Duke No. 3 BY JOHN MARSHALL Associated Press Gonzaga pulled off what some considered impos sible, stopping the Duke juggernaut in the Maui Invi tational title game without one of its best players. Now the Zags are No. 1 again. Third in last week’s poll, Gonzaga leapfrogged No. 2 Kansas to the top spot in The Associated Press Top 25 released Monday. The Zags received 32 first-place votes from a 65-person media panel, edging the Jayhawks by one. No. 3 Duke received one first-place vote despite los ing to Gonzaga in Maui and No. 4 Virginia the other one after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis title. No. 5 Nevada has its highest ranking ever after winning the Las Vegas Invi tational, with Tennessee, Michigan, Auburn, Michi gan State and Kentucky rounding out the top 10. Gonzaga (6-0) is miss ing do-everything forward Killian Tillie for the first two months of the season because of an ankle injury and was a big underdog heading into the Maui title game last week. Duke (5-1) and its cache of lottery-pick freshmen were an unstoppable force the first four weeks of the season, blowing past then- No. 2 Kentucky in the sea son opener and winning its first three games in lop sided fashion. Duke came to Maui undefeated on the Valley Isle, winning five titles in five tries, and opened with two wins to reach the title game. Gonzaga punched the Blue Devils in the gut early in the championship game and withstood a late charge, relying on its experience to hold off Duke 89-87 to win its second Maui title. The Zags are No. 1 for the third time, following stints atop the poll in 2016-17, when they reached the national title game, and in 2012-13. “They’re good. I mean they have good basketball players,” Duke coach Mike Krzyze- wski said. “They’re strong, they’re old, they’re unselfish and they play their butts off.” JAYHAWKS JUMPED Kansas was the pre season No. 1 until Duke blasted Kentucky in the opener and passed the Jay hawks for No. 1. Kansas (5-0) has done nothing but win since then yet finds itself looking up at Gonzaga. The Jayhawks beat their second top-10 opponent of the season by holding off No. 6 Tennessee in overtime to win the NIT Season Tip-Off title in New York. 900 FOR CAROLINA No. 11 North Carolina was ranked for the 900th time as a program, becom ing the first school to reach the milestone. The Tar Heels have been ranked 84 straight weeks and at least once in 62 of 71 seasons. WOLF PACK PROWLING Nevada opened the sea son with its highest pre season ranking at No. 6. The Wolf Pack (6-0) have lived up to the lofty expectations, rolling over opponents with a deep, experienced roster led by the Martin twins. Nevada won the Las Vegas Invitational by beat ing Tulsa by 10 points and UMass by 23 in the title game, moving up a spot for its highest ranking ever. CHAMPIONS RETURN Villanova dropped out of the AP Top 25 after losing to Michigan and Furman for the first back-to-back losses under coach Jay Wright in five years. The defending national champi ons are back in the poll this week at No. 23 after beating Oklahoma State and No. 15 Florida State to win the AdvoCare Invitational title in Florida. RISING Ohio State had the big gest jump in this week’s poll, moving up seven spots to No. 16 after rolling over Samford and Cleveland State. Iowa climbed six spots to No. 14 and Purdue was up five to No. 19. FALLING No. 25 Mississippi State had the biggest drop among teams still in the poll, los ing 10 spots. No. 11 North Carolina lost four sports to drop out of the top 10 fol lowing a loss to Texas in the semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational. MOVING IN Texas went from out of the poll all the way up to No. 17 after beating the Tar Heels and playing No. 9 Michigan State close in the tournament’s second title game. Texas Tech is in the AP Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 20 and Maryland came in at No. 24. MOVING OUT TCU had a precipitous drop after losing to Lip scomb at home, receiv ing eight votes after being No. 18 last week. Clemson dropped out from No. 16, LSU from 19 and UCLA from 17. Krzyzewski SEC Alabama head coach Nick Saban leads his team on the field before the national championship game against Georgia on Jan. 8 in Atlanta. ■ Continued from 1B ahead of them, Michigan, lost to Ohio State. The new rankings come out Tuesday night. Georgia has coasted to five straight wins since los ing to LSU behind the SEC’s top rushing offense. Both teams are outscoring oppo nents by wide margins, 35 points a game for Alabama and 26 for Georgia. Still, Bulldogs quarter back Jake Fromm knows that his team is in a must- win situation and Alabama might not be. “You know, very inter esting the way it kind of works out,” Fromm said. “It’s nothing that I can con trol, nothing that we can control. I just think we can only control what we can control.” Plus, it’s still the SEC championship. It’s not the ultimate prize for either of these teams but it’s still a big one. The Bulldogs are seeking back to back SEC titles for the first time since winning three straight from 1980-82. The coaches want to make sure nobody forgets that winning the league is still a big deal. Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said: DAVID GOLDMAN I Associated Press “I know our guys are excited about getting back to Atlanta because that’s always a goal for the pro gram here at the Univer sity of Georgia, to have an opportunity to go play for a championship in what’s one of the best conferences in the country, and we know what’s at stake.”
