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After strong spring, Bailey Ober still doesn’t know where he’ll start the season

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:58:51 GMT

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The uncertainty around his roster status, Bailey Ober admits, has been tough on him.His wife, Montana, has served as a sounding board when he needs to vent and a distraction when he needs to take his mind off of baseball. Chasing around four kids under the age of 4 helps, too.“It’s definitely hard,” Ober said. “But it’s a little better when I come home and I get to play with the kids in the pool and enjoy being a dad.”The right-hander did everything in his power this spring to make the Twins’ decision as difficult as possible. And while they haven’t yet told him whether he will start the season in the majors or at Triple-A, the signs point toward St. Paul.Ober, who finished off his spring slate by giving up three runs in four innings on Saturday, had not given up a run — or even a hit — in his first three Grapefruit League appearances. He spent the offseason trying to get quicker and stronger and said he felt like that had paid off .“I think it’s all out of my han...

Timberwolves’ big ball lineup looked good Wednesday. But it’s about to be put to the test

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:58:51 GMT

Big ball is about to be put to the test.The approach was ridiculed nationally after Minnesota traded for 7-foot-1 Rudy Gobert to pair with 7-foot Karl-Anthony Towns. It was an official zig while much of the rest of the league zagged with small approaches, particularly with their late-game closing lineups.The early returns were not good. Minnesota went 10-11 in its first 21 contests before Towns went down with a calf strain that caused him to miss four months and forced the Timberwolves to return to more traditional, one-big lineups.But Towns came back Wednesday and with him came again the big-ball approach. Not only did Towns and Gobert share the floor for minutes in the Wolves’ 125-1214 win over Atlanta on Wednesday, but Naz Reid also reverted to playing power forward alongside either center.The same lineups that looked ugly for the first quarter of the season somehow meshed against Atlanta. Minnesota was able to punish the Hawks down low — scoring 62 points in the paint to A...

Saturday’s Twins lineup that could be Opening Day preview

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:58:51 GMT

FORT MYERS, Fla. — On Friday, the Twins announced their Opening Day starter. Saturday, they might have given a sneak preview of their Opening Day lineup. For the first time all spring, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli wrote out a lineup that looks like it could resemble the one he could trot out Thursday in Kansas City.“I don’t have an Opening Day lineup done,” Baldelli said. “But (this is) a good looking lineup.”Joey Gallo led off and played first base in the Twins’ 9-4 loss to the Braves at Hammond Stadium. He was followed by Carlos Correa at shortstop and Byron Buxton as the designated hitter. Right fielder Max Kepler hit cleanup, followed by Jose Miranda, playing third base for the first time all spring, and Trevor Larnach in left. Michael A. Taylor manned center and Nick Gordon played second.Ryan Jeffers hit last, the only name unlikely to be in the Opening Day lineup. That’s expected to be Christian Vázquez, who had caught the two previous days and had the day off.The Twins will f...

Father/son coaching tandem Dick, Scott Hormann focus on fundamentals with rising Lutheran baseball

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:58:51 GMT

Dick Hormann played baseball in Japan, so naturally he wants his Lutheran Lions to approach the game like the Samurai.Dick, 86, is Lutheran’s assistant coach under his son, Scott Hormann. Dick’s in his 57th year coaching across four states, but before that, he was a third baseman on an Army team from 1958-62 at Camp Zama — a post just outside Tokyo.Stationed there as part of the United States’ plan to re-establish rapport with Japan following World War II, Dick’s Army team played the minor league teams associated with Nippon Professional Baseball franchises as well as company teams. If he could, Dick would time-travel his Lions back to those days in Japan, just to show them “the team we need to be.”“Today, kids come up and they see the fence and think it’s all about hitting it over the wall,” Dick said. “But they’ve got to understand the game — and the fact that so far, we’re not getting beat by other teams, we&...

Colorado Buffs women’s basketball heads to offseason with excitement about future

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:58:51 GMT

SEATTLE — Colorado’s season came to a close on Friday night, but the Buffaloes aren’t planning to go anywhere.An 87-77 loss to Iowa in the Sweet 16 might sting for a while, but the CU women’s basketball team is likely to use that as inspiration for its future.“This team will definitely be back and I think everybody knows who Colorado is now,” point guard Jaylyn Sherrod said. “We’ve earned some respect behind our name. Just continue to be hungry.”Under the direction of head coach JR Payne, the Buffs have shown a tendency to use disappointment as fuel. During her seven seasons at CU, Payne has put together a 119-93 record and the program continues to improve.Three seasons into Payne’s tenure, the Buffs were just 44-52, and they were last in the Pac-12 in 2019. In 2020, they began the upward trajectory, going 16-14 and finishing 10th in the Pac-12. They were expecting a WNIT bid before the postseason was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Colorado’s Jaylyn Sherrod (00) lea...

Pedestrian killed in Denver hit-and-run; suspect vehicle found

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:58:51 GMT

A pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Denver, and a Medina Alert was issued in the incident.The fatal crash happened about 8 p.m. Friday at West 14th Avenue and Federal Boulevard, according to investigators.On Saturday, police found a white 2006 Ford F-150 pickup, the suspect vehicle, and a Medina Alert connected to the incident was deactivated.Alert deactivated. The vehicle has been found. pic.twitter.com/NBEWYNGZ5R— CBI (@CBI_Colorado) March 25, 2023An investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the incident, the truck or suspect driver, is asked to call 911 or Denver police at 720-913-2000. 

'There's nothing left': Deep South tornadoes kill 26

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:58:51 GMT

ROLLING FORK, Miss. (AP) — Rescuers raced Saturday to search for survivors and help hundreds of people left homeless after a powerful tornado cut a devastating path through Mississippi, killing at least 25 people, injuring dozens, flattening entire blocks and obliterating houses in at least one Mississippi Delta town as it carved a path of destruction for more than an hour. One person was killed in Alabama.The tornado devastated a swath of the town of Rolling Fork, reducing homes to piles of rubble, flipping cars on their sides and toppling the town's water tower. Residents hunkered down in bath tubs and hallways during Friday night's storm and later broke into a John Deere store that they converted into a triage center for the wounded.The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency announced late Saturday afternoon in a tweet that the death toll had risen to 25 from 23. Four people previously reported missing have been found, but dozens also were injured. “There’s nothing left,” said W...

Correction: Beethoven’s hair

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:58:51 GMT

A front-page story published Friday about genetic research debunking Beethoven’s connection to a lock of hair at San Jose State’s Beethoven Center incorrectly reported the university’s involvement with skull fragments once linked to the composer. The fragments had been on loan to the center for research and never on display.

Silicon Valley and the world at large reacts to the death of Intel co-founder Gordon Moore

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:58:51 GMT

Silicon Valley continues to both mourn the loss and celebrate the legacy of Gordon Moore, the Intel and Fairchild Semiconductor co-founder and tech icon who died on Friday at the age of 94 at his home in Hawaii.“The world lost a giant in Gordon Moore, who was one of Silicon Valley’s founding fathers and a true visionary who helped pave the way for the technological revolution,” Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted. “All of us who followed owe him a debt of gratitude. May he rest in peace.”Cook was one of many from the tech world who took to social media to express their gratitude for the mighty contributions Moore made to the industry during his life.“RIP Gordon Moore,” tweeted Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google. “His vision inspired so many of us to pursue technology, was an inspiration to me. Thoughts with his family and everyone at Intel.”Moore will be remembered, of course, for starting Intel with Robert Noyce in 1968 in Mountain View...

Gary Payton II probable for Sunday’s game against Minnesota

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:58:51 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors’ wait for Gary Payton II’s return could soon be over.Six weeks after he rejoined his former team via trade, Payton might finally suit up for Golden State this weekend.Payton scrimmaged Friday and went through a light practice Saturday, coach Steve Kerr said. He’s listed as probable for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, meaning he’ll warm-up with the intention of playing. Kerr anticipates Payton will play under a minutes restriction.“It feels good,” said Payton, who also said Saturday is the best he’s felt since his July procedure. “I’m starting to feel like myself, I’m excited to get back out here.” Payton has been limited to just 15 games this season and hasn’t played since Feb. 8 as he’s dealt with what he called lingering pain from an offseason surgery to repair a core muscle — an issue that was flagged during a physical that put the four-te...