Cleveland’s Steven Vogt and Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy win Manager of the Year for 2nd straight season

Cleveland’s Steven Vogt is the AL Manager of the Year for the second straight year. Same for Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy on the NL side. Vogt received 17 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, beating out Toronto’s John Schneider and Seattle’s Dan Wilson. Voting was conducted before the postseason. Murphy got 27 first-place votes. Cincinnati’s Terry Francona was second, followed by Philadelphia’s Rob Thomson. The last AL manager to win the award in consecutive seasons was Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash in 2020 and 2021. The previous NL manager was Bobby Cox for Atlanta in 2004 and 2005.

Ohio State stays atop the CFP rankings; Indiana stays at 2, followed by Texas A&M

Ohio State stayed atop the College Football Playoff rankings for the second straight week, while Indiana remained at No. 2 despite barely squeaking out a victory last week while third-ranked Texas A&M coasted. Alabama and Georgia rounded out the same top five as in last week’s season-opening rankings. Texas Tech jumped two spots to No. 6, moving one notch ahead of Mississippi.

Mavericks fire GM Nico Harrison 9 months after widely panned Luka Doncic trade

The Dallas Mavericks have fired general manager Nico Harrison nine months after the Luka Doncic trade that backfired on the franchise. The move comes a day after Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont attended a 116-114 loss to Milwaukee during which fans again chanted “fire Nico.” It’s been a familiar scene since the blockbuster deal that brought Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers and angered the Dallas fan base. Harrison was in his fourth season and engineered three trades that helped Dallas on two deep playoff runs. The ill-fated Doncic deal and a slow start to the first full season without the young superstar led to a stunning downfall.

Carlos Alcaraz beats Taylor Fritz and moves within 1 win of year-end No. 1

TURIN, Italy — Carlos Alcaraz is one win away from securing the year-ending No. 1 ranking. Alcaraz rallied past Taylor Fritz 6-7 (2), 7-5, 6-3 at the ATP Finals and now needs to either win his final group match against Lorenzo Musetti or his next match in the semifinals to finish a year No. 1 for the second time in his career. Alcaraz improved to 2-0 at the season-ending event for the top eight players and sealed a spot in the semifinals later on when Musetti held off Alex de Minaur 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. If Alcaraz doesn’t win another match and Jannik Sinner goes undefeated to defend his title then Sinner will finish No. 1.

Buffalo Bills add receiver depth by signing former Chiefs player Mecole Hardman to practice squad

Unable to land a receiver at the NFL trade deadline last week, the Buffalo Bills turned to the free agent pool by signing Mecole Hardman to their practice squad. The 27-year-old has six seasons of NFL experience, including five-plus with the Kansas City Chiefs. After closing last season in KC with a knee injury, Hardman has been out of a job since being released off Green Bay’s practice squad on Sept. 23. The Bills have been in the market for receiver depth to improve a Josh Allen-led passing game that’s had difficulty pushing the ball downfield this season.

Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown pleads not guilty to attempted murder charge stemming from Miami shooting

Former NFL star Antonio Brown was returning Tuesday to Miami to face an attempted murder charge stemming from a May shooting, with his lawyer filing a not guilty plea on his behalf. Jail records in Essex County, New Jersey, show Brown was released late Tuesday morning for the transfer to Florida. The former All-Pro wide receiver had waived extradition to Florida from New Jersey, where he was brought following his arrest in Dubai. Brown’s lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh, said in an email that he has already filed a not guilty plea to the attempted murder charge. Brown could be in a Miami courtroom as early as Wednesday morning for a bond hearing.

Mavericks fire GM Nico Harrison 9 months after widely panned Luka Doncic trade

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks have fired general manager Nico Harrison nine months after the Luka Doncic trade that backfired on the franchise. The move comes a day after Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont attended a 116-114 loss to Milwaukee during which fans again chanted “fire Nico.” It’s been a familiar scene since the blockbuster deal that brought Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers and angered the Dallas fan base. Harrison was in his fourth season and engineered three trades that helped Dallas on two deep playoff runs. The ill-fated Doncic deal and a slow start to the first full season without the young superstar led to a stunning downfall.

Raiders sign kicker Greg Joseph to practice squad amid Daniel Carlson’s struggles

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders have signed kicker Greg Joseph to their practice squad. This move suggests they might replace Daniel Carlson if his struggles continue. Carlson missed a crucial 48-yard field goal in Thursday’s 10-7 loss to Denver. He also missed an extra point in an overtime loss to Jacksonville four days earlier. Coach Pete Carroll says Carlson is working on his mental game to improve performance. Carlson is in the final season of his contract. Joseph, who was in San Francisco’s training camp this summer, has kicked for six teams in six years.