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Fidel Castro was a tyrant whose oppressive regime killed thousands of Cubans and forced millions more to leave the small island nation during a refugee crisis that’s lasted more than a half-century. But in ESPN’s tone-deaf remembrance piece, Castro’s atrocities are glossed over. Instead, the WorldWide Leader focuses its efforts on glorifying the dictator’s love of sport. The article, which was published shortly after Castro’s death Friday, paints him as a defiant strongman who agitated the…

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Usain Bolt has admitted he struggled to motivate himself to train before the Olympic Games in Rio but says the pressure is off as he approaches his final season on the track. The Jamaican, who won individual gold medals in the 100m and 200m in Rio before rounding it off by anchoring his country to the 4x100m title, says he is more relaxed as he prepares to retire after the…

Tucson’s Craig Cunningham, right, is in critical but stable condition after collapsing before a game Saturday. “The care he’s receiving now is unbelievable,” Coyotes GM John Chayka said.

Authorities are recommending charges against eight members of a high school baseball team in Florida for a series of alleged hazing incidents during a tournament earlier this year. Eight players from the Cooper City High School baseball team could face charges of simple battery, false imprisonment and sexual battery in connection to the alleged hazing during the tournament in Altamonte Springs in March, according to Altamonte Police Department Officer Evelyn…

This will be an article that appeals to the rational side of Major League Baseball’s negotiations with the Major League Baseball Players Association. There will be no appeals to emotion, no fawning mentions of Curt Flood, and no references to Matewan or the young Will Oldham therein. The premise is that Major League Baseball will not end on Thursday. Both sides have too much to lose, not enough to gain…

The five-year process that earned the Chicago Cubs their first World Series title since 1908 has earned them 2016 Organization of the Year honors by Baseball America. The Cubs, who overhauled their baseball operations department after the 2011 season through trades, shrewd draft picks and free-agent signings under the supervision of President Theo Epstein, earned the honor for the first time since the publication started the award in 1982. The…

We’re just a few months away from the onset of the fourth World Baseball Classic — the once-every-four-years global tournament that began play in 2006. Turns out, we could be just a few months away from the end of the World Baseball Classic in multiple senses. That’s because the 2017 tournament could be the final edition of the WBC unless there’s a significant uptick in revenue, according to Cristian Moreno…

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Andy Murray is the clear favourite to win this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year award after he was confirmed in the 16-athlete shortlist. Murray, who became a Dad for the first time in February, has enjoyed an incredible 2016, winning Wimbledon for a second time while repeating his Olympic gold medal success and celebrating a first-ever ATP Finals victory that cemented his status as the world’s No.1. A…

Alabama Crimson Tide is on the verge of making college football rankings history, again. We haven’t done the CBS Sports 128 forever, but even in its short history there has never been a wire-to-wire No. 1. In the AP Top 25 era, only Florida State Seminoles (1999) and Southern California Trojans (2004) have accomplished wire-to-wire No. 1 rankings, though oddsmakers are currently favoring Alabama’s 2016 team to join them should…

Sports Direct founder and CEO Mike Ashley. Reuters/Handout LONDON — Shares in embattled discount retailer Sports Direct are crashing on Monday morning after the financial reporting watchdog announced it is investigating the company. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) announced it is investigating the “preparation, approval and audit” of Sports Direct’s most recent results for failing to disclose Barlin Delivery as “a related party” in the company’s financial statements. The Financial Times…

JD Sports has carried on camping with a £128.3m takeover of Go Outdoors, which cements its status as the largest outdoor equipment retailer in the UK. JD Sports, already owns tent and hiking equipment retailers Blacks, Millets and Ultimate Outdoors, but will add the 58 Go Outdoors shops to its group. There had been concerns last month that talks between Go Outdoors’ backer, private equity firm 3i, and JD Sports had hit a…

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Welcome to California Inc., the weekly newsletter of the L.A. Times Business Section. I’m David Lazarus, and here’s a rundown of upcoming stories this week and the highlights of last week. The Dow Jones industrial average topped 19,000 for the first time last week as a long post-election rally continued to boost stocks, with investors betting on higher growth during the upcoming Trump administration. But trading volume has slowed, so…

Fidel Castro’s death over the weekend has, not surprisingly, led to a lot of commentary about the contradictions presented by Cuba’s late dictator. The best and most thorough example I’ve seen so far is the Miami Herald’s extensive, incredibly researched and no doubt long-in-advance written obituary of Castro. Go read it in full if the topic interests you, but nowhere will you read a better handling of the life of…

BOSTON (AP) — Singer-songwriter James Taylor has announced a summer tour of four baseball parks, culminating in a date at Fenway Park, home of his beloved Boston Red Sox. Taylor and his All-Star Band will open the tour July 14 at Nationals Park in Washington. It continues July 17 at Wrigley Field in Chicago; July 29 at AT&T Park in San Francisco; and Aug. 11 at Fenway. Bonnie Raitt is…

x Embed x Share Cuban-Americans gathered Saturday in communities around New Jersey to celebrate the death of Fidel Castro. AP In this Feb. 1, 1959 file photo, a rebel solider from Fidel Castro’s army holds the bat of Detroit catcher Charley Lau who’s playing ball in the Cuban winter league in Havana, Cuba.(Photo: AP) The end for minor-league baseball in Cuba came in July 1960. The Havana Sugar Kings of…

Year 2 is Dave Dombrowski’s chance to show off his creativity. Year 1 was paint-by-numbers. Last offseason, the Red Sox’ plan was clear cut: Find a starter, reliever and backup outfielder. The president of baseball operations signed David Price to a record contract, traded four prospects for closer Craig Kimbrel and signed outfielder Chris Young. The team got better. This winter it’s not so simple. The Red Sox’ obvious needs…