Off the wire

BASEBALL

Cabrera extends contract

Miguel Cabrera’s bid to become one of the greatest hitters of all time apparently will take place in a Detroit Tigers uniform. CBS Sports first reported Thursday that the Tigers and Cabrera have agreed to a long-term extension that will keep him with the club at least through 2021, if not longer. Fox Sports reports the extension is for 8 years and $248 million ($31 million per year), the second deal in baseball history worth at least $30 million per season. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, one year from free agency, signed a long-term deal for $30.7 million per season. That would put Cabrera’s total contract at 10 years, $292 million (through 2023), according to Fox Sports. That would surpass Alex Rodriguez for the largest lucrative contract in baseball history, by total value. The Tigers have planned an announcement today at their training base in Lakeland, Fla., it was learned from a person familiar with the situation.That would appear to be where they will announce Cabrera’s extension - a rousing sendoff from Florida on their final day in camp there.

Tony Clark has been confirmed as the new head of the Major League Baseball Players Association. The former All-Star became acting executive director when Michael Weiner died Nov. 21, then was given the job in a unanimous vote by the union’s executive board on Dec. 3. The union said Thursday that Clark was approved in a secret ballot and online vote conducted among players. GOLF Mickelson 9 behind

Long after the fog cleared at TPC San Antonio, Phil Mickelson remained shrouded in an increasingly alarming funk with the Masters two weeks away. Mickelson shot a 5-over 77 on Thursday in the Texas Open to fall nine strokes back during the suspended first round. Pat Perezand Danny Lee shot 4-under 68 to share the clubhouse lead and Andrew Loupe was 4 under with seven holes to play when darkness forced the suspension of play. The start was delayed 2 hours, 40 minutes because of fog, and 45 players were unable to finish the round. Area resident Cameron Beckman, Puerto Rico Open winner Chesson Hadley, Will McKenzie and Seung-Yul Noh shot 69, and Miguel Angel Carballo and Justin Hicks also were 3 under. Carballo had four left, and Hicks three. Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar shot 70. David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 1-over 73. Bryce Molder (Conway) had a 2-over 74. Scott Gardiner (Farmington) did not finish.

Miguel Angel Jimenez and fellow Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal beat Asia captain Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat 2 and 1 on Thursday to set Europe on course for a commanding 5-0 lead on the opening day of the first EurAsia Cup. In other fourballs competition, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Stephen Gallacher beat India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri 4 and 3 before Victor Dubuison and Joost Luiten made it 3-0 in by defeating Prayad Marksaeng and Siddikur Rahan 3 and 2. Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn and Thorbjorn Olesen had a 2-up victory over the Japanese pair of Koumei Oda and Hideto Tanihara and Europe completed a clean sweep when Graeme McDowell and Jamie Donaldson recovered from being 3-down to beat Kim Hyung-sung and Nicholas Fung of South Korea 3 and 1. The EurAsia Cup format is similar to the Ryder Cup, with the teams playing foursomes, or alternate shot, today and concluding with singles on Saturday.

Paula Creamer easily overcame tricky morning wind conditions for a share of the first-round lead with Mariajo Uribe in the Kia Classic at Carlsbad, Calif. Creamer and Uribe shot 5-under 67 on Thursday at Aviara to finish a stroke ahead of Cristie Kerr, Shanshan Feng, Jodi Ewart Shaddoff and Mi Hyang Lee. A playoff winner March 2 in Singapore, Creamer had six birdies and bogeyed the par-4 15th - her sixth hole of the day - after her approach plugged in the face of a bunker. In Singapore, she made a breaking, downhill 75-foot eagle putt on the second extra hole to beat Azahara Munoz. The victory ended a 79-event drought dating to the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open. Uribe, from Colombia, birdied Nos. 2-5 and 11 in her bogey-free afternoon round. Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) had three birdies and a bogey for a 2-under 70. She is tied in a pack for 12th place.

Ryan Blaum and Kyle Reifers each posted 6-under 65s Thursday to share the first-round lead at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open outside Lafayette. Fabian Gomez, Doug LaBelle II and Jeff Curl shot 66s, along with Glen Day (Little Rock), and are one stroke off the lead at 5 under in the Web.com tournament. Columbia’s Andres Echavarria is among a group tied for 8th at 4-under 67. Tag Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 3-over 74. Five players were unable to complete their rounds because of darkness.

TENNIS

Williams tops Sharapova

Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova for the 15th consecutive time Thursday, rallying in both sets to win 6-4, 6-3 in the Sony Open semifinals at Key Biscayne, Fla. Rafael Nadal advanced to the semifinals by hitting a flurry of forehand winners down the stretch to beat Milos Raonic 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Williams, seeking a record seventh Key Biscayne title, improved to 16-2 against her favorite foil. Sharapova hasn’t beaten Williams since 2004. The No. 1-ranked Williams won with a superior serve and better returns. She hit nine aces and broke five times, which helped her rebound from deficits of 4-1 in the first set and 2-0 in the second. The No. 1-ranked Nadal, who is 0-3 in Key Biscayne finals, needs one more victory to get there again. His opponent tonight will be No. 7-seeded Tomas Berdych, who advanced by beating No. 22 Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-4, 7-6 (3). Threetime champion Novak Djokovic will play in the other semifinal today against No. 20-seeded Kei Nishikori, who eliminated Roger Federer on Wednesday.

FOOTBALL Manziel shows off

Johnny Manziel put on a show at his NFL pro day for an audience that included former President George H.W. Bush. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner threw for 75 officials from 30 teams on the Texas A&M campus at College Station on Thursday. Manziel threw about 65 passes to six receivers, including A&M teammate Mike Evans, who like Manziel is expected to be a first-round pick in May’s draft.Manziel caused a stir by choosing to wear a helmet and shoulder pads during the workout. Manziel didn’t understand why it was a big deal, saying: “You play the game on shoulder pads on Sundays. Why not come out and do it? … For me it was a no-brainer.”

Police say Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay had $29,000 in cash with him when he was arrested last week on suspicion of intoxicated driving. The Indianapolis Star reports it obtained the Carmel police documents on Irsay’s March 16 arrest through a public records request. An officer writes that he stopped Irsay’s SUV after it twice stopped on a city street for no apparent reason. The officer wrote Irsay appeared disoriented and said he was trying to find his house. Much of the cash was found in a briefcase and bags on the passenger’s side floorboard. Prosecutors haven’t decided whether to charge Irsay over the numerous prescription drugs officers found in his vehicle.

Sports, Pages 18 on 03/28/2014

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