NEW YORK – Davey Johnson of the Washington Nationals and Bob Melvin of the Oakland Athletics have been chosen as managers of the year.
Johnson easily won the NL honor Tuesday after the Nationals bolted to the best record in baseball. Melvin was picked narrowly for the AL award over Baltimore’s Buck Showalter in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Johnson, who turns 70 in January, was honored for the second time. He was tabbed as the AL’s top manager in 1997, hours after he resigned from the Orioles in a feud with owner Peter Angelos.
Melvin also became a two-time winner, having been chosen in 2007 with Arizona.
Auto racing
Nationwide race coming to Ohio
NASCAR is adding Mid-Ohio to the Nationwide Series next season as the third road course on the 2013 schedule. The Aug. 17 race in Lexington will mark NASCAR’s return to Ohio, home state of series sponsor Nationwide Insurance. NASCAR last raced in Ohio in 2008 with the Truck Series. Mid-Ohio joins a June stop at Road America in Wisconsin and an August race at Watkins Glen, N.Y., as the road course events. It replaces Montreal on the 33-race schedule and marks the sixth time in nine years the Nationwide series will run an inaugural race.
Rahal joins father’s IndyCar team
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will formally introduce Graham Rahal as its new 2013 driver today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 23-year-old driver will be paired with his father, Bobby, the team’s co-owner and winner of three championships along with the 1986 Indianapolis 500. Father and son paired together only once before in IndyCar, for a 12th-place finish in the 2010 Indy 500. Bobby Rahal pulled out of full-time IndyCar racing after the 2008 season. He returned last season and the team nearly won the Indy 500 with Takuma Sato.
Baseball
Marlins-Blue Jays blockbuster trade
A person familiar with the deal says the Miami Marlins have undergone another payroll purge by trading shortstop Jose Reyes, left-hander Mark Buehrle and right-hander Josh Johnson to the Toronto Blue Jays as part of a blockbuster deal. The person said the trade sent several of the Blue Jays’ top prospects to the Marlins. The stunning agreement came less than a year after the Marlins added Reyes, Buehrle and closer Heath Bell in an uncharacteristic $191 million spending spree as they moved into a new ballpark.
Cubs sign pitcher
The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a one-year contract with former Minnesota Twins pitcher Scott Baker that guarantees $5.5 million next season. The right-hander was 63-48 with a 4.15 ERA with Minnesota from 2005 to 2011. He underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery April 17 and missed last season after being limited to 23 appearances (21 starts) in 2011.
Around the leagues
The St. Louis Cardinals have released veteran reliever Kyle McClellan, a St. Louis County native who spent five seasons with the team. He appeared in just 16 games in 2012 because of elbow and shoulder problems.
Basketball
Wawasee player receives honor
Wawasee senior KiLee Knafel was recognized as an Indiana Basketball Coaches Association/Subway Player of the Week after she had a career-best 42 points in a 64-41 victory over Westview. An Indiana-South Bend recruit, she converted 17 of 26 shots, including 7 of 10 three-pointers.
T-wolves player out for 3-4 months
Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Chase Budinger will miss the next three to four months while recovering from surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. Budinger is averaging 11.8 points.
Skiing
Vonn hospitalized
Lindsey Vonn remained hospitalized in Colorado with “severe intestinal pain” that has been affecting her for the past two weeks. Vonn’s spokesman, Lewis Kay, said the four-time overall World Cup champion was “awaiting results from diagnostic testing for severe intestinal pain.”
Soccer
Pele recovering
A Brazilian hospital says Pele is in good condition after surgery. The Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo did not release details, but local media said that the soccer great had a hip operation.
