Ultra Febo

Kamis, 04 April 2019

Astros hitting coach, Hinch tossed 1 pitch apart - ESPN

1:59 AM ET

ESPN News Services

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch and hitting coach Alex Cintron were ejected after consecutive pitches for arguing balls and strikes in the second inning of Wednesday's 4-0 loss at Texas.

According to umpire crew chief Jerry Meals, who was working third base, the Astros dugout "basically erupted'' after a called strike on the first pitch thrown to Tyler White in the top of the second.

Hinch then came out after plate umpire Ron Kulpa stared toward the dugout. Nobody was initially ejected, but soon after the manager returned to the dugout and before the next pitch, Cintron was still chirping and was tossed.

When Hinch was asked if he was upset that Kulpa kept looking toward the dugout, the manager responded, "Yeah, I think things could have been handled differently. Everybody has social media. Everybody has a broadcast. So everybody knows what happened.''

One pitch later, after another called strike, Hinch was ejected and then came out of the dugout for a heated argument with Kulpa. Hinch was pulled away by bench coach Joe Espada, who took over as the acting manager.

"So we know you argue balls and strikes is one thing. When you get ejected more aggressively, it's disappointing,'' Hinch said.

On replay, Kulpa appeared to be saying "I can do whatever I want'' while addressing Hinch.

"That's what he said, and that's apparently what he meant,'' Hinch said. "He's in charge. And obviously you make a scene I guess so everybody has to pay attention. But we'll let the league sort it out.''

Meals said Kulpa had warned the Astros bench to "knock it off'' and told Hinch that when he came out the first time.

"It was all because of the dugout complaining on pitches,'' Meals said of the ejections.

In the bottom of the first, the Astros and starter Gerrit Cole were upset with a 2-2 fastball to Joey Gallo that was called a ball. Gallo eventually drew a two-out walk but didn't score.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-04-04 07:02:02Z
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Rabu, 03 April 2019

Officials dismiss felony charge against Bennett - ESPN

5:44 PM ET

Harris County prosecutors have moved to dismiss a felony charge of injury to the elderly against veteran defensive end Michael Bennett that is related to an alleged incident after Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Bennett was a spectator in Houston to watch his brother, Martellus, then a player for the New England Patriots, on Feb. 5, 2017. After the game, Michael Bennett allegedly shoved his way onto the field, where players were gathering to celebrate, according to the DA's office. NRG security personnel, including a 66-year-old paraplegic woman, told Bennett he had to use a different entrance for field access, but he allegedly pushed her arm as he made his way through them.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said at the time that the woman suffered a sprained shoulder.

"After looking at all the evidence and applying the law, a crime could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt," Harris County District Attorney's Office chief of staff Vivian King said in a release Wednesday. "There was probable cause to warrant a charge initially, but after a careful review of all the pre-charge and post-charge evidence, we cannot prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt."

Officials said they conducted "an extensive review" that included video obtained in a prior investigation as well as surveillance video captured by the NFL and its associates.

Bennett was indicted by a grand jury in March 2018. The felony charge carried a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

"We dismissed this case in the interest of justice," King said. "After looking at all the evidence, this was the right thing to do."

Bennett, 33, was traded to the Patriots this offseason.

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2019-04-03 19:47:57Z
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Nick Wright: Westbrook's 20-20-20 game speaks to his greatness, talks next Lakers coach | THE HERD - The Herd with Colin Cowherd

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=399uNOPY_3I

2019-04-03 18:44:52Z
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2020 schedules for Xfinity Series, Gander Trucks unveiled - NASCAR

NASCAR released its 2020 schedule for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series on Wednesday, unveiling an innovative slate that mirrors the work done for next year’s Cup Series schedule and one that brings both series back to iconic Virginia short tracks for the first time in more than a decade.

The announcement also provides a clearer picture of the schedule for a historic Pocono Raceway doubleheader next summer, and a look at the tricky road to the Championship 4 — at a new venue — for both series.

Confirmed last week with the reveal of the Cup Series schedule, ISM Raceway at Phoenix will host a tripleheader championship weekend, beginning with the Gander Trucks title race Nov. 6. The Xfinity Series championship is decided the next night at the 1-mile track.

ISM Raceway at Phoenix recently completed a $178 million renovation project designed to improve the fan experience, and one which included a reconfiguration for the track’s start/finish line. The track has hosted the Round of 8 finale for all three NASCAR national series since the introduction of the NASCAR Playoffs elimination format.

RELATED: Xfinity Series schedule page

Perhaps the biggest change confirmed Wednesday is the return of the NASCAR Xfinity Series to historic Martinsville Speedway, with incredibly high stakes in the penultimate race of the season before the title field is set.

The Xfinity Series has raced at Martinsville just once in the past 25 years — in July 2006, a race won by Kevin Harvick. Martinsville will host the Gander Trucks that weekend as well, setting up the first-ever tripleheader weekend at the track.

Richmond Raceway also plays a prominent role in both schedules. The Gander Trucks will return to Richmond for the first time since 2005, while the newly renovated raceway will play host to the regular-season finale in the Xfinity Series to set the field for the 12-driver Playoff field.

“The NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series were both built on short-track racing, and it is important that short tracks remain a prominent part of our series schedules,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR managing director of racing operations and international development. “We returned to our roots in many ways with today’s announcement. Martinsville and Richmond were part of the original Xfinity and Gander Trucks schedules, and we’re excited for their return as part of a strong overall slate.”

The Xfinity Series schedule has three new tracks in its seven-race Playoffs, and two new elimination races that mirror the Cup Series at a road course and a short track.

The postseason opens Sept. 18 at Bristol Motor Speedway, with a Friday night race under the lights. After a trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway — both Bristol and Las Vegas are new to the postseason — the series concludes the Round of 12 at the Charlotte Roval.

The Round of 8 sees a Kansas-Texas-Martinsville stretch before ending at ISM Raceway.

The Gander Trucks, meanwhile, open the Playoffs at Gateway Motorsports Park. The 1.25-mile track serves as host for the first Round of 8 race on Aug. 21. A trip to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, site of the 2019 Playoffs opener, and then Bristol Motor Speedway completes the Round of 8.

RELATED: Gander Trucks schedule page

The Round of 6 starts at Las Vegas, and includes Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway before crowning a champion at ISM Raceway.

Announced last week with the 2020 Cup Series schedule reveal, Pocono Raceway will hold the first Cup Series doubleheader in NASCAR history. The Cup Series will race at the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle” on Saturday and then again on Sunday, two points-paying races in two days.

It’s officially a tripleheader weekend in Pennsylvania. The Gander Trucks joins the NASCAR Cup Series on a full Saturday of racing, and the Xfinity Series races on Sunday — also with the Cup Series. Yes, that’s four NASCAR national series races in two days.

“I definitely think it’ll be a bucket-list item for fans,” Kennedy said. “It’s going to be a unique piece of our schedule for all three series.”

The full schedules below:

2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule

Date	Track
Saturday, Feb. 15	Daytona International Speedway
Saturday, Feb. 22	Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Saturday, Feb. 29	Auto Club Speedway
Saturday, March 7	ISM Raceway
Saturday, March 14	Atlanta Motor Speedway
Saturday, March 21	Homestead-Miami Speedway
Saturday, March 28	Texas Motor Speedway
Saturday, April 4	Bristol Motor Speedway
Saturday, April 25	Talladega Superspeedway
Saturday, May 2	Dover International Speedway
Saturday, May 23	Charlotte Motor Speedway
Saturday, May 30	Mid-Ohio
Saturday, June 6	Michigan International Speedway
Saturday, June 13	Iowa Speedway
Saturday, June 20	Chicagoland Speedway
Sunday, June 28	Pocono Raceway
Saturday, July 4	Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Friday, July 10	Kentucky Speedway
Saturday, July 18	New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Saturday, Aug. 1	Iowa Speedway
Saturday, Aug. 8	Road America
Saturday, Aug. 15	Watkins Glen International
Saturday, Aug. 22	Dover International Speedway
Friday, Aug. 28	Daytona International Speedway
Saturday, Sept. 5	Darlington Raceway
Friday, Sept. 11	Richmond Raceway
Friday, Sept. 18	Bristol Motor Speedway
Saturday, Sept. 26	Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Saturday, Oct. 10	Charlotte Roval
Saturday, Oct. 17	Kansas Speedway
Saturday, Oct. 24	Texas Motor Speedway
Saturday, Oct. 31	Martinsville Speedway
Saturday, Nov. 7	ISM Raceway

2020 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series schedule

Date	Track
Friday, Feb. 14	Daytona International Speedway
Friday, Feb. 21	Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Saturday, March 14	Atlanta Motor Speedway
Friday, March 20	Homestead-Miami Speedway
Friday, March 27	Texas Motor Speedway
Saturday, April 18	Richmond Raceway
Friday, May 1	Dover International Speedway
Friday, May 15	Charlotte Motor Speedway
Saturday, May 30	Kansas Speedway
Friday, June 5	Texas Motor Speedway
Friday, June 12	Iowa Speedway
Friday, June 19	Chicagoland Speedway
Saturday, June 27	Pocono Raceway
Thursday, July 9	Kentucky Speedway
Thursday, July 30	Eldora Speedway
Saturday, Aug. 8	Michigan International Speedway
Friday, Aug. 21	Gateway Motorsports Park
Sunday, Sept. 6	Canadian Tire Motorsports Park
Thursday, Sept. 17	Bristol Motor Speedway
Friday, Sept. 25	Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Saturday, Oct. 3	Talladega Superspeedway
Friday, Oct. 30	Martinsville Speedway
Friday, Nov. 6	ISM Raceway

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2019-04-03 18:00:00Z
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Bryce Harper Pummeled The Nats Until He Heard Cheers - Deadspin

That’s a beautiful bat flip.

GIF: NBCS Philadelphia

If there were any questions about how Nationals fans would greet Bryce Harper in his return to Washington, they were answered well before first pitch. A tribute video—the thing that usually inspires warm fuzzies, before the rancor begins—was played on the scoreboard and booed vociferously. Then Harper himself was booed. And booed and booed and booed.

“I heard the boos,” Harper said, “and just remembered that I had 45,000 people and more in the city of Philadelphia that were screaming at their TVs cheering.” Some Philly fans weren’t in front of their TVs, though, or even in Philadelphia. Some number of them, maybe a couple thousand, were in Nationals Park. You could see them in the crowd if you looked closely enough, but you couldn’t really hear them yet. Not over the boos. But they could wait.

The rain helped, delaying the game 41 minutes and pushing the final out that much closer to the moment the Metro would stop running. The Phillies offense did the lion’s share, though, chasing Max Scherzer after five and then beating up on the bullpen for an 8-2 Phillies win. And Harper? Yeah, he can hit in D.C. (We knew that already.) Harper was 3-for-5 including a homer and three RBI.

It was Harper’s sixth-inning single that made the game 6-0, and sent a whole bunch of soggy, dejected Nationals fans heading for the exits. So when Harper jogged out to right field for the bottom of the inning, mostly Phillies fans were left to greet him.

And by the eighth, when the ballpark was even emptier of Nats fans, Harper’s two-run dinger sounded like it came before a home crowd.

How about that truly excellent bat flip? “It’s the emotion of the game,” Harper said. “That’s it. That’s about it.”

By the final out, the remaining crowd was no longer even slightly mixed. It was just Phillies fans chanting M-V-P, and the Phillies were exchanging post-win handshakes, and there was Harper, on the field in Washington again but this time in road grays, just the first of many, many times over the next 13 years.

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2019-04-03 13:15:00Z
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Sources: Texas A&M to hire Va. Tech's Williams - ESPN

8:49 AM ET

Texas A&M is expected to hire Virginia Tech's Buzz Williams as its next head coach, sources confirmed to ESPN.

An official announcement is expected later this week. The agreement was first reported by CBS Sports.

Williams has been considered the heavy favorite to replace Billy Kennedy since the end of last season and was essentially the only candidate for the Aggies once they parted ways with Kennedy last month. Virginia Tech's season ended with a loss to Duke in the Sweet 16 last Friday, and Williams and A&M finalized a deal in the past few days.

Williams, a Texas native who spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Texas A&M from 2004 to 2006, has been the head coach at Virginia Tech the past five seasons. He led the Hokies to three NCAA tournament appearances. Prior to taking over in Blacksburg, Williams led Marquette to five NCAA tournaments in six seasons, including three Sweet 16s and an Elite Eight run in 2013.

Kennedy was let go after eight seasons in which he went 151-116 with two NCAA tournament appearances.

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2019-04-03 13:05:29Z
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Bryce Harper returns to DC, responds to boos with long homer, epic bat flip - Fox News

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper returned to Nationals Park in Washington on Tuesday, to howling boos and shirts that spelled out “T-R-A-I-T-O-R,” but it was the former Nationals slugger who got the last laugh.

Harper, who signed a 13-year contract with the Phillies worth a then-record $330 million last month, struck out in his first at-bat against pitcher Max Scherzer. Joyous roars erupted from the home crowd after each strike and his eventual whiff on an 85 mph changeup.

BRYCE HARPER AND WIFE, KAYLA, EXPECTING FIRST CHILD

Harper added to the drama in the eighth inning. He drowned out the guttural boos of his earlier plate appearances by smacking a 458-foot two-run homer into the second deck -- punctuating the moment with an epic bat flip in the direction of his former dugout -- that put the Phillies ahead 8-2, which would be the final score.

The homer topped off a 3-for-5 night for Harper, who had three RBI. The bat flip was only one of the theatrical flourishes Harper let loose in the stadium he had called home for seven seasons.

After Ks in his first two at-bats, Harper doubled off Scherzer in the fifth and singled in a run off lefty Matt Grace in the sixth. Harper reacted to both with a "Fortnite"-inspired exaggerated wave toward the Phillies' dugout. Fans who made the trek down Interstate-95 from Philadelphia regaled him with chants of "M-V-P!" and "We got Harper!"

"Really fired me up," Harper said of the chants.

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The Nationals drafted Harper No. 1 overall in 2010 and brought him to the majors as a teen. He won NL Rookie of the Year and MVP honors with Washington on top of earning six All-Star selections in seven seasons.

"Emotional day. You're coming back here, where you've spent seven seasons of your career, and try to just go about it the right way and play your game and not worry about your surroundings and things like that," Harper said after the game. "Just trying to soak it all in and soak it up a little bit and enjoy the day."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-04-03 09:29:40Z
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