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Max Gun, who worked at the student radio station at Bloomfield Andover High, has been calling games for the L.A. Dodgers High-A affiliate the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and other teams. His voice is becoming more familiar in pro baseball, and he hopes to move up to the majors one day.(Photo: Steve Saenz/Rancho Cucamonga Quakes) Max Gun was hoping someone would give him a shot. They did and he’s had quite…

AP BY: Joseph Bottum Follow @@JosephBottum August 13, 2016 4:59 am Merl Eberly came out of high school in Clarinda, Iowa—population around 5,000—determined to make baseball his career. He got his chance, signed by the Chicago White Sox in 1957 and sent for seasoning to the minor-league farm team in Holdrege, Nebraska, where he lasted 43 games, batting .281. He was cut by the White Sox the next year. So…

Former Major League Baseball player Billy Bean waves to baseball fans after throwing out the first pitch before the start of a baseball game between the New York Mets and the San Diego Padres, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in New York. Bean threw out the pitch on the first Mets Pride Night. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson) NEW YORK (AP) — Billy Bean has come full circle,…

In the hours after the Washington Nationals announced the release of closer Jonathan Papelbon, fans took to the internet to mourn the departure of the fiery closer his teammates nicknamed the D.C. Strangler. Here are just a few of the passionate outpourings gathered from the far reaches of the internet: I’ve tripped & fallen into a well of sad Jonathan Papelbon pictures & I’m not sure I wanna be pulled…

x Embed x Share Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte tells USA Today Sports that mentally, he’s drained. USA TODAY Sports Ryan Lochte did not medal in his only individual competition, finishing fifth in the 200 medley.(Photo: Rob Schumacher, USA TODAY Sports) RIO DE JANEIRO — Ryan Lochte and three other U.S. swimmers were held up at gunpoint early Sunday morning. Lochte described the incident to NBC on Sunday afternoon. “We got pulled…

Forget the handshake that wasn’t — Israel is delighted with something much more unusual: international athletic success. While an Egyptian judoka’s refusal to shake hands with his Israeli opponent at the Rio Olympics reverberated worldwide, in Israel the focus is on national Olympic medals — something far more novel than Middle East tensions. The country entered the 2016 games with twice as many Nobel laureates as Olympic medalists. After defeating…

Media playback is not supported on this device Kenya’s Jemima Sumgong wins marathon Jemima Sumgong became the first Kenyan woman to win the Olympic marathon, beating Eunice Kirwa of Bahrain. Ethiopia’s world champion Mare Dibaba took the bronze medal as her compatriot and race favourite Tigist Tufa pulled out before the halfway mark. London Marathon winner Sumgong, 31, finished in two hours 24 minutes four seconds to end a run…

Numbers of openly gay athletes competing in Rio are said to have doubled since the 2012 summer Games in London, putting a global focus on the world of athletics, where identifying as LGBTQ does not always align with stereotypical notions of sporting. But openly LGBTQ athletes thriving in an environment sometimes thought of as homophobic or aggressive, can serve as role models to younger athletes, many of whom, may be…

Former Cardiff City midfielder Aaron Ramsey (R) starred for Wales at Euro 2016 Aaron Ramsey is an injury worry for Wales’ opening World Cup qualifier against Moldova on 5 September. Midfielder Ramsey, 25, came off in Arsenal’s Premier League opener against Liverpool because of suspected hamstring damage. The injury came after news that Crystal Palace midfielder Jonny Williams will miss Wales’ opening three qualifiers. The 22-year-old suffered an ankle injury…

I’m confused about this British swimming record, and how “It was Great Britain’s best medal haul since 1908″ (emphasis added) Aren’t there two more swimming events left? The Women’s 10km is on Monday, Men’s 10km Tuesday. Both of which are swimming events, unless they’re planning to walk somehow, or maybe waterski, or something. Indeed, if I were Keri-Anne Payne or Jack Burnell, I’d be pretty disappointed that British Swimming don’t…

Egyptian Islam El Shehaby in the contentious first round match with Israel’s Or Sasson. Forget the handshake that wasn’t – Israel is delighted with something much more unusual: international athletic success. While an Egyptian judoka’s refusal to shake hands with his Israeli opponent at the Rio Olympics reverberated worldwide, in Israel the focus is on national Olympic medals – something far more novel than Middle East tensions. The country entered the 2016…

Age: 27 Cost: £26m (reported) Position: Attacking midfielder Career so far: Started in his homeland of Armenia with Pyunik, before spells with Metalurh and Shakhtar Donetsk. Joined Dortmund three years ago, scoring 23 goals in 88 Bundesliga appearances. Had a hand in 49 goals (23 goals, 26 assists) in 52 games for Dortmund last season. What type of player is he? Plays most of his football as an attacking midfielder, but can also play in a deeper…

Media playback is not supported on this device Brilliant Neymar helps Brazil reach semis Neymar scored his first goal of the Olympics as hosts Brazil beat Colombia 2-0 to reach the semi-finals of the men’s football. The Barcelona forward curled home a free-kick after only 12 minutes, and Luan added a second after the break. Brazil will now play Honduras in Wednesday’s semi-finals after they won 1-0 against South Korea,…

The only Russian track and field athlete due to compete at the Rio Olympics has been banned by the sport’s governing body on the eve of competition. The long jumper Darya Klishina was the only Russian athlete to receive special dispensation from the International Association of Athletics Federations to compete after the rest of the country’s track and field team was banned in the wake of the state‑sponsored doping scandal…

The U.S. women’s 4×100-meter medley relay team won gold — and reached a milestone for the United States. Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Dana Vollmer and Simone Manuel teaming up to prevail at the Rio Games on Saturday night is being recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee as the nation’s 1,000th gold medal in Summer Olympics history. Manuel swam the last leg, and when she hit the wall her three teammates hugged on…

RIO DE JANEIRO The United States won the men’s 4×100 meters medley relay on Saturday after Ryan Murphy had given them a world record start that propelled Michael Phelps to a 23rd gold medal in his final Olympic race. Britain took the silver medal and Australia bronze. Phelps, who swam the third butterfly leg, ends the most successful Olympic career of all time with 23 golds, three silver and two…

Michael Phelps decided to give it one more shot, and as a result he cemented himself in the minds of a whole new generation of American sports fans. The 31-year-old won a gold medal — his fifth of the 2016 Rio Olympics and 23rd overall — by swimming the butterfly in the 4×100-meter medley relay on Saturday night in the final race of his career. The U.S. edged Great Britain…

Media playback is not supported on this device Catch up with the best of the action from day eight of the 2016 Rio Olympics Mo Farah and Laura Trott made history by claiming their third Olympic titles as Great Britain won eight medals on day eight of the Rio Games. Jessica-Ennis Hill took silver in the heptathlon, while there was a bronze for long jumper Greg Rutherford. Farah overcame a…

Media playback is not supported on this device Gold for Phelps in Olympic swansong American legend Michael Phelps won a 23rd Olympic title in his final race at a Games, as Great Britain took silver in the men’s 4x100m medley relay. The 31-year-old secured his fifth title of Rio 2016 as he teamed up with Ryan Murphy, Cody Miller and Nathan Adrian to set a new Games record of three…

Max Gun, who worked at the student radio station at Bloomfield Andover High, has been calling games for the L.A. Dodgers High-A affiliate the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and other teams. His voice is becoming more familiar in pro baseball, and he hopes to move up to the majors one day.(Photo: Steve Saenz/Rancho Cucamonga Quakes) Max Gun was hoping someone would give him a shot. They did and he’s had quite…