12072016 sports by tribune242

SPORTS SECTION E

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2016

Tahnaj Thomas joins the Cleveland Indians SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD GRAND BAHAMIAN SIGNS PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL CONTRACT

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net ahnaj Thomas, a Grand Bahamian native who moved to New Providence at the age of 13 to further enhance his skills, is the latest Bahamian to sign a professional baseball contract. Yesterday, Thomas signed his name on the dotted line with the Cleveland Indians. Koby Perez, the director of Latin American Scouting for the Indians, conducted the historic occasion in front of Thomas’ family and executives and players from the Max D Baseball Academy. “It’s a long time coming. I just want to embrace the moment and enjoy it. It’s a pretty good feeling,” said the 17-year-old Thomas with tears in his eyes. It’s great to be called an Indian.” Thomas, who began his early education at Hugh Campbell Primary and Sister Mary Patricia High in Grand Bahama before he transferred to Leadership Academy and Max D in New Providence,

TAHNAJ THOMAS (left) shares a special moment with his father Sidney Thomas, who holds up a pin in memory of his late wife Michelle Thomas. said when he first got the call that he was going to sign the deal, he couldn’t believe it. Even now that he’s done it, he said he still doesn’t believe that it is a reality. “All of my dreams of becoming a professional baseball player have finally come through,” he said. “It didn’t matter which team that selected me. I just wanted to get into

the system.” Although he’s a shortstop, the six-foot, 4-inch Thomas was recruited as a pitcher. But he said it doesn’t matter because he’s getting the opportunity to help the Indians win a World Series after they fell short to his favourite team - the Chicago Cubs - this year. “It wasn’t shortstop, but they

signed me at the two positions,” Thomas said. “I think moving on, they are looking for me to be developed as a pitcher so I’m really excited about that.” Thomas thanked God for the opportunity that he has received from the Indians.

TIGER WOODS

The Return, Pg 5

JACOBI, SIERRA WALK AWAY WITH LIL MO TITLES JACOBI Bain yesterday clinched the boys’ 13 singles title at the 2016 Lil Mo Big International Junior Tournament at the PGA Resort & Spa in Palm BAIN Beach Gardens, Florida. Bain, playing as the No.3 seed, upset the top seed Gabreilius Guzauskas from Lithuania in identical scores of 6-2, 6-2. It was the second trophy won by the Bahamas at the tournament. On Monday, Sierra Rodgers reached the final of the girls’ 10 singles where she lost to Tatiana George Loglo of the USA 6-1, 6-2. On his way to the final, Bain defeated Nicholas Adamec of the USA, 6-2. 6-1; won 6-0, 6-0 over Niki Stoiber from Moedling, Austria and 6-0, 6-7, 10-5 over Rene Busch from Estonia. Rodgers only had to play in the semi-final, winning 6-1, 6-3 over Sabrina Jaramillo from USA. • SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 3

SEE PAGE 4

For Cartwright, long baseball ‘journey won’t stop’ By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net FOR the past decade, Albert Cartwright has been on the pro baseball circuit and, although he has not been able to break into the major league, he admitted that he felt he had a good run at it. Cartwright, who last played in the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league, is now playing in the Canadian-American Association where he has spent the past two seasons with the Ottawa Champions. Home for the holidays, Cartwright said Tuesday was all about Tahnaj Thomas, the latest Bahamian to sign a professional baseball contract. “It’s been a long journey. It’s been four years of ups and downs, not knowing if he would sign having converted from an infielder to a pitcher,” Cartwright said. “That’s how the game goes. So I’m just happy to be able to help another guy fulfil his dream. Today is very special. I know when I got drafted my mother couldn’t hold it together. She was more excited than me. This is his day, another

day for the Bahamas to be proud.” At age 29, Cartwright said he feels he’s getting closer to the end of the line but he wants to continue to assist wherever he can with the younger players coming up the ladder. “I remember when I was hitting, but now I’m doing more throwing trying to help the other guys make the transition,” Cartwright said. Drafted in round 36 in 2007 by the Houston Oilers out of Polk State Junior College in Florida, Cartwright has been a journeyman in the minor league before he moved to Canada. He’s expected to return there in January, although he’s not sure how much longer he will continue to play. “It’s been a long journey. But the journey won’t stop. I will continue to be involved in baseball,” he insisted. “I want to try to continue helping people out and try to represent the Bahamas and make this thing global. “We have a lot of guys trying to turn things around. I know when I was growing up it was basically just Antoan Richardson

CARTWRIGHT and me. We laugh everyday. Now we have so many other guys following us.” During his second sting with Ottawa, Cartwright played in 91 games where he went 110-for-377 with a batting average of .292. He posted 23 doubles, two triples and three home runs with 34 runs batted in. He also had 26 stolen bases and 32 walks (base on balls) after getting struck out 68 times. Playing second base in 81 games, Cartwright recorded 169 put outs in 441 chances, making 253 assists, 19 errors and 47 double plays for a fielding aver-

age of .957. While he has enjoyed his tenure so far in both the Minor League and the Canadian-American Association, Cartwright said he would have liked to had an opportunity to crack the major league, but he’s not disappointed at all that he didn’t. “There’s a lot of things that take place to get to the big league,” he said. “In baseball, there are a lot of politics on the side because you have at least 300 players trying to do the same thing that you are doing. “So it’s definitely a gift to get up there and it’s a luxury to stay there. I am disappointed, but I understand how the game goes. Those things you try not to think about. I just try to go out there and play baseball everyday.” In September, Cartwright and Richardson played for Great Britain at the World Baseball Classic in New York, but this time they had an additional seven other Bahamians on the team. Like many, Cartwright said he’s longing for the day when the Bahamas will be able to field its own team to play in the tournament.

“It was just a pleasure to come out there with seven Bahamians in the line-up,” he said. “That could have been a Bahamian team. But it was a pleasure and every day we cherished it. “Every morning me and Antoan got the guys up for breakfast so we could keep it tight knot. In the clubhouse, it was so nice to see all of us connecting. We had Chavez Young playing some Bahamian music and dancing to the Ronnie Butler songs in the clubhouse.” Cartwright called it the highlight of his year and he enjoyed every moment of it with the camaraderie displayed by the younger Bahamian players. With the Bahamas Government rebuilding the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium, Cartwright said he’s looking forward to some big teams coming to the Bahamas to play or at least practice here. “We have the talent and we have the guys,” he said. “We just have to bring the teams down so that we can take the game to another level.” To the younger players in the pipeline here in the

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PIERRE

‘A FLYING START’ FOR SPRINTER PROLEINE PROLEINE Pierre is off to a flying start in her debut for Highland Community College. The 2016 CV Bethel Secondary High graduate and member of the Silver Lightning Track Club, coached by female Kim Hanna, established herself as the early-season standard bearer in the NJCAA short sprints, jumping out to national leads both at 60 and 200 metres at the Kansas Bob Timmons Challenge. Competing in her first collegiate meet, the freshman won her section of the 60 metres in 7.98 seconds and claimed her section of the 200 in 26.42.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, December 7, 2016, PAGE 3

Legends stop Rebels 82-80, Caribs beat Cybots 102-94 THE University of the Bahamas Caribs pulled off another big victory to remain undefeated in the New Providence Basketball Association men's division one play, knocking off the Mail Boat Cybots 102-94 at AF Adderley Gymnasium on Monday night. Also, the Legends nipped the Rhythm Rebels 82-80 to pull off their first win in four games. With the loss, Rhythm remains winless in six games. • Here’s a summary of the games: Legends 82, Rebels 80 Mario Pickstock came through with three points in the final seconds to help the Legends prevail over the Rebels. Down 80-79 with eight seconds left on the clock, Pickstock canned a jumper to push the Legends up 81-80. After getting fouled on the next play, Pickstock went to the foul line where he converted a free throw to seal the final score. Pickstock, who came off the bench, finished with 16 points and four rebounds in the win. Clayton 'Smiley' Miller had a game high 26 points with 10 rebounds and three assists. Renardo Benson contributed 12 points with eight rebounds, Kevin 'Island' McPhee had nine points and 10 rebounds and Nipsy Jones added eight points with five assists and four rebounds. The game was evenly matched with the Legends taking an early 22-21 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Rebels used a 19-17 spurt to go up 40-39 at the half. However, the Legends regained a 65-60 advantage after the third quarter. They traded the lead in the fourth before the Legends held on at the end. Craig Buchanan had 22 points with five assists and three rebounds to pace the Rebels. Akiel Bullard had 17 points and 18 rebounds and Theo Ferguson had 16 points and eight rebounds, both off the bench, while Richard Gibson chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds.

PLAY ACTION: The Legends defeated the Rhythm Rebels 82-80 Monday night to pull off their first win in four games in the New Providence Basketball Association. Photos: Shawn Hanna/The Tribune Caribs 102, Cybots 94 The University of the Bahamas, pushing their Vince Ferguson record to 4-0, opened a 21-15 firstquarter lead only to watch as the Mail Boat responded to snatch a 45-37 halftime lead. But the Caribs, who dropped to 3-3, used a 3023 third-quarter spurt and a 35-26 margin in the fourth to secure the win. Justin Smith lit up the nets for a game high 31 points and 13 rebounds to lead the UM. Kemsy Sylvestre had 29 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, Ramon Dames had 20 points, eight assists and three rebounds, Davon Adderley came off the bench with eight points, Franklyn McKenzie had six points, five rebounds and two assists and Brian Jennings chipped in with six points off the bench. For the Mailboat, Delvonne Duncombe scored 27 points with six rebounds and four assists,

Livingstone Munnings came off the bench with 19 points and 11 rebounds, Cordero Pinder also came off the bench with 18 points and nine rebounds, Ter-

rance Brown had 10 points and both Dominique Beadle (five assists and three rebounds) and Delano Knowles (three rebounds) scored six points.

THE LEAGUE STANDINGS DIVISION ONE Vince Ferguson Division University of the Bahamas Shockers Mail Boat Cybots Rockets Legends Island Game Pros

4 4 3 2 1 1

0 1 3 3 3 3

1,000 .800 .500 .400 .250 .250

1/2 2 21/2 3 3

John Archer Division Mr Ship It Freight Regulators Commonwelth Bank Giants PJ Stingers Double R Services Limited Cleaners Rhythm Rebels

4 4 3 1 0

1 1 1 3 6

.800 .800 .750 .250 .000

1/2 3 41/2

Godfrey McQuay Division Breezes High Flyers Athletico Bahamas Triple K Stampers Bargain Wholesale Kings

2 1 1 0

0 1 1 2

1,000 .500 .500 .000

1 1 2

Charles Mackey Division Hype Basketball Johnson’s Trucking Panchos Future Ballers Elites Basketball Club

3 2 0 0

0 1 2 2 .

1,000 .666 .000 .000

1 21/2 21/2

Tonight’s Schedule 7pm - Bargain Wholesale Kings vs Triple K Stampers 8:30pm - Shockers vs Pirates

SPORTS NOTES TRACK: ROADRUNNERS BANQUET THE Roadrunners Track & Field Club is scheduled to host its 17th annual presentation and awards banquet in the Crown Ballroom of the Beach Towers of the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island on Saturday. The event is slated to begin at 7:30pm under the theme, "Opening Doors Today for Tomorrow's Successors." The guest of honour will be Geno Forbes, who will be recognised for his many contributions to the physical and educational development of the Roadrunners track and field athletes. Rosamunde Carey, the president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, is expected to bring remarks. The event allows the Roadrunners each year to celebrate and reward both the academic and athletic accomplishments of its student-athletes during the previous track season. STAR TRACKERS BANQUET THE Star Trackers Track and Field Club is all set to hold its 15th Anniversary Recognition Gala Awards Banquet December 23 at the Holy Trinity Activities Centre, Stapledon Gardens. During the evening, the club will be celebrating the successes of their student-athletes and formally recognise the club's founders and perennial supporters while raising funds to assist with the development of the programme and travel to regional and international competitions. The tickets are priced at $100 and are available from club members. CITY BOWLING LEAGUE THE most valuable player in the City Bowling League competition Monday night was Anthony Ingraham of Reach Crusaders who downed the pins for a huge 279 game and a gigantic 665 high three game set. The runner-up was Obie Okpunna of the Island Game Strokers with another big set of 655. Byron McClain of the Carib Construction struck for the second high game of 259. The leader in the ladies’ category was Driskell Rolle of the TK Falcons with a 204 second high game and a respectable 567 high three game set. She was followed by Joanne Powell of the Bahamasair Flyers with a 215 high game and a 555 second high set. • Team scores for the evening were as follows: Reach Crusaders 3, E&U Watercoolers 0; Giga Tech 3, Checker's Cafe 0; The Avengers 3, Fresh Blend 0; Carib Constructuion 2, Ten Back Strikers 1; Island Game 2, Bahamasair Flyers 1; TK Falcons 2, BEC Shockers 1; Telco Enterprises 2, CDM Knights 1.

JACOBI, SIERRA WALK AWAY WITH LIL MO TITLES

TEAM BAHAMAS members at the 2016 Lil Mo Big International Junior Tournament at the PGA Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

SIERRA RODGERS shows off her trophy.

JACOBI BAIN with his coach.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, December 7, 2016

THE TRIBUNE

Jasrado loves the Diamondbacks system By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WHEN Jasrado Chisholm signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he said he just wanted to make the best of his opportunity to play professional baseball. After his rookie season in the Pioneer League, Chisholm said it has been all that he anticipated and even a little more for him to appreciate. “It’s been amazing. I love their system,” said Chisholm about playing in the minor league. “The guys there treat you equal. So it was amazing for me. “When I was growing up, there was always a favourite on the team. But in this system, they don’t have any favourites. I mean, if they do, they don’t show it like they would show it here at home.” Chisholm, who left Faith

Temple in 2010 to enrol in Life Preparatory Academy in Wichita, Kansas before he returned here to attend Mastering Yourself Academy and playing in the Max D programme in 2015, got his break when the Diamondbacks signed him to a professional contract. This past season, Chisholm suited up for the Missoula Osprey in the rookie Pioneer League in the Diamondbacks organisation. He played in 62 games where he had 249 at-bats with 42 runs, 70 hits, 111 total bases with 12 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 37 RBI (runs batted in), 19 walks, 73 strike outs and was caught stealing four times with 13 stolen bases for a .281 average. Defensively as a shortstop, he appeared in 511.2 innings with 302 total chances, 105 putouts, 173 assists, 24 errors and 31 double plays for a rate fac-

JASRADO CHISHOLM reflects on his rookie season in the Pioneer League with the Arizona Diamondbacks. tor of 4.63 and a fielding percentage of .921. “It was an amazing season,” said Chisholm, who

participated in the AllStar game and was named the No.1 prospect for the Diamondbacks in the Pio-

neer League, calling it “the greatest accomplishment in my life so far.” While he tries to remain active working out to stay in shape over the Christmas break, Chisholm was invited to be a part of the Life Preparatory Academy Hall of Fame this weekend. He leaves town today for the event. On his return, Chisholm will spend the rest of the summer enjoying the festive occasion with his family and friends and working out with Max D in anticipation of rejoining the Major League players, whom he intends to spend some time with before he heads to spring training. Chisholm, a 18-year-old six-foot-one player, said he was extremely thrilled to see his long-time friend Tahnaj Thomas sign his professional contract yesterday with the Cleveland Indians. “Whenever he’s home,

my grandmother allows him to sleep over. She never really allows me to sleep out of the house or anyone to sleep with us, but she accepted him,” said Chisholm of Judy Chisholm, his grandmother and Hermis Chisholm, his grandfather. “He’s one of the guys that my grandmother really loves. We are very close. So to see him sign his contract is like a dream come true with both of us playing pro ball. I’m looking forward to us one day playing on the same field.” Chisholm, the son of Martinique Coakley and Jasrado Chisholm, advised the younger players to continue to work hard because “hard work pays off at all times. “When I signed, they were not even considering me on the list, but now I’m the No.1 prospect for the Diamondbacks in the Pioneer League. I believe that hard work pays off.”

For Albert Cartwright, the long baseball ‘journey won’t stop’ FROM PAGE 1 Bahamas, Cartwright said he just wants to encourage them to remain focused and committed to the cause. “I just want them to lean on each other. That’s the only way you can get through,” he said. “When we get out there, I’m just trying to teach these guys the right way to play the game because

that’s the only way they will get to the big leagues.” And even though it’s an off season for him now, Cartwright said he’s as busy as a bee, getting up at 5am to get his workout in before he heads to the Pinewood field to work with the Max D programme from noon until. “It’s a journey. We just had Tahnaj Thomas signed his contract today, but a lot of people don’t know what he went through,” Cart-

wright revealed. “It was a time when some people didn’t let him play. “Sometimes he came to the park and they say he was too small, not strong enough and there was one time that he went in the stands and sat down with us. “That’s the journey that people wouldn’t understand our know. That’s all through the minor league. “When you sign that paper, that’s a good day, but tomorrow is when the bat-

ALBERT CARTWRIGHT

tle starts. I know I went through it, others went through it and now he has to go through it. But I’m sure that with all of us pushing each other, he can make it too.” So it doesn’t matter how much longer he plays professionally, Cartwright said he will always have a role to play because he wants to see as many Bahamian players get the chance that he got to realise his dream of playing professional baseball.

17-YEAR-OLD GRAND BAHAMIAN TAHNAJ THOMAS SIGNS WITH INDIANS FROM PAGE 1 He expressed his gratitude to his deceased mother, Michelle Thomas, who passed away on April 17, his father Sidney Thomas, his house parents in New Providence, Kristy and Castino Sands, as well as his coaches in Max D, including Geron Sands, Greg Burrows Jr, Albert Cartwright and Antoan Richardson and his teammates in Max D. To his teammates in Max D, who are waiting on their opportunity to follow in his footsteps, Thomas advised them to just keep their heads high and don’t try to rush anything. “Just go with the flow. Things may not be the same and they may not go the way you want, but just thank God and be patient,” he said. Perez said they had Thomas under the radar for more than a year and because he has the ability to play two positions, they feel the sky is the limit for him. “I think Geron Sands, Greg Burrows and Albert Cartwright have done a fantastic job in making this kid a ball player and we hope that he is a future Major Leaguer for the Indians,” Perez said. With his contract signed, sealed and delivered, Perez said Thomas can now pack his bags and get ready to travel in January to Arizona for their spring training complex and a strength camp to get him acclimated to professional baseball. “Right after Christmas and the New Year, he will be heading to Goodyear, Arizona to begin his professional career during the second week of January,” Perez said. “After January, the spring training will begin, so he will stay in Arizona and extended spring training.” During spring training, Thomas will get to join Todd Isaacs Jr before a decision is made on where they will eventually play in the minor league in their quest to get to the major league. “It’s going to take a lot of hard work for him to get to the top, but we think he has all of the ingredients as far as his physical ability and baseball smarts,” Perez said. “Most importantly, he has a lot of great people around him who can help him to develop into a major league player.” After spending a week in the Dominican Republic, Perez said Thomas has been given his instructions as to what the Indians will be looking for him to do next year. In his contract, which encompasses a scholarship programme, the Indians would pay for Thomas’ tuition whenever he decides to go to school while he is playing or even if he chooses to go to college

TAHNAJ THOMAS has signed with the Cleveland Indians.

and then come back to play. With tears in his eyes and showcasing a button of his deceased wife Michelle, women’s national softball coach Sidney Thomas said his son couldn’t have gotten a better Christmas present. “I’m really happy for what we have accomplished today and I’m looking forward to seeing a big and bright future for my son Tahnaj,” he said. Having undergone one of the toughest decisions he had to make in sending his son to New Providence at the age of 13, Thomas said he always knew he had a big heart and he loved the game of baseball and would do whatever it takes to make it work. “I always knew that he would make something happen playing baseball,” the senior Thomas said. “I’m just happy to be at this road right now.” And as he now embarks on the next level in the United States, Thomas said he has advised his son to look at it as him leaving to attend college. “You’re just going to play ball now,” he said. “So it’s something different. You have to go there and do what you have to do. If you go to college, you want to get the best out of the education opportunity. “But I want him to go there and make the best of whatever opportunity is presented to him. Be respectful to the people and do what they ask him to do.” In the absence of his wife, Thomas said he wants to thank everyone in New Providence who would have played a role in his son’s life because if he had to do it all over again, he wouldn’t hesi-

SIDNEY and Tahnaj Thomas with his house parents in New Providence, Kristy and Castino Sands. tate. “They did a wonderful job,” said Thomas as he started to cry. I want to thank Mrs Kristy Sands and Mr Sands, who opened their home for him to stay in and treated him as their son. I really appreciate that. “The coaches Geron Sands, Greg Burrows and Albert Cartwright, they did a wonderful job. I can’t thank these guys enough for what they did. My wife could not be here today, but I know she’s looking down and smiling. This is what she wanted to see. This was God’s plans and I followed those plans.” Thomas is now the sixth player in the past two years that has been able to sign a contract out of Max D. He joins Dale Davis, who is a free agent after playing in the Texas Rangers organisation, Larry Alcime with the Pittsburgh Pi-

rates, Jasrado Chisholm with the Arizona Diamondbacks; Henry Thompson with the Cincinnati Reds and Lucius Fox of the San Francisco Giants. Todd Isaacs Jr, who is also a part of the Cleveland Indians and Anfernee Seymour with the Atlanta Braves were both affiliated with Max D, although they didn’t sign out of the organisation like the others mentioned above. “Seeing Tahnaj’s progress as a 13-year-old coming out of Grand Bahama makes this very special for me watching him sign a professional contract right now,” Sands said. “The hard times he went through over the past year, he was able to overcome them and now I know his mom is looking down and smiling at him. This is something that he has always wanted to do.”

Sands said he spent countless nights conversing with Thomas on the best route to get his son on the professional ranks and now the beat goes on. “It’s just showing us that we are doing something the right way and we can only get better,” Sands said. “We just want to give ourselves a little tap on the back to see that we are trying to help our country and our community.” Sands said they will continue to push forward because they have atleast 3-4 players who they are working on getting them into the pro ranks when they stage their next showcase next year. “We have some 13 and 14 year players coming up, who we hope to get off as well,” Sands said. “So we are looking at sending players off as much as we can. Once the scouts come looking, we hope to have the players ready to go.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, December 7, 2016, PAGE 5

More time needed before Tiger is judged by his scores By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — A flop shot that required feel. A wedge to a back pin that he had to trust. Tiger Woods followed those two birdies with a perfect 6-iron that he wanted to be even better, urging it to move "one yard ... one yard!" The golf ball didn't listen. Television viewers did. And his three straight birdies after going 466 days without competition sure got everyone's attention, even those who were playing. "When I saw that he was 4 under through eight, I wanted to withdraw so I could go watch him," Russell Knox said. Was he back to being Tiger Woods? Of course not. This was only the front nine of the first round at the Hero World Challenge. By the end of the week, Woods was 15th out of 17 players. What returned was the excitement of having him inside the ropes again. "Everybody loves the comeback story," Matt Kuchar said. "A guy like Tiger, good or bad, draws attention. If it's good, it gets really exciting." So he's back. And now

he's gone again. Still to be determined is when he will play and how much. There has been chatter, and nothing more at this stage, of Woods playing in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship the third week in January. HSBC already has Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson, not to mention Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson, and might not want to break the bank. But a happy and healthy week for Woods in the Bahamas — not to mention his 24 birdies — certainly raised interest. Torrey Pines is a week later and a more likely start. Woods said in his "heart of hearts" he wants to play a full schedule. It will a different one, at least early. Riviera is back on the schedule because his foundation runs it. The Valspar Championship at Innisbrook is in play because it's a week after one World Golf Championship and two weeks before another — both in the month leading to the Masters. Woods isn't eligible for either WGC event and won't be unless he wins before then. That leads to the more critical question. When will it be time to stop marvelling at seeing the red shirt and start judg-

WESTERN CONFERENCE

TIGER WOODS hits off the third fairway during the final round at the Hero World Challenge on Sunday at the Albany Golf Course in Nassau, Bahamas. ing him by red numbers on the scoreboard? Woods doesn't like any victory that doesn't come with a trophy, so he was quick to point out "silly mistakes" and six double bogeys whenever he caught himself getting too excited talking about his good golf. But he had reason to smile. Only the winner, Hideki Matsuyama, had as many sub-par holes. Woods shot 65 in the second round with no bogeys, not a tall order at Albany except that it was his first tournament in 15 months. This was a good week for him. His swing showed very little stress. It was graceful,

not violent. Woods knows he isn't among the top power players anymore, though he showed ample length off the tee, even finding an extra gear on occasion. He said before the tournament he had all the shots, and there was little evidence to suggest otherwise. He just didn't score very well. But only those wanting to see him fail cared about that after such a long layoff. That will change over time. There's just no consensus on when. "Give him three or four tournaments, maybe six tournaments, maybe around the Masters," Henrik Stenson said. "Probably give him a

TIGER WOODS hits from the sand on the 14th hole during the third round at the Hero World Challenge. (AP Photos/Lynne Sladky) number of tournaments and he might be in contention in one of the early ones next year. Then you know you have the answer quicker. It's easy to overanalyse a very limited amount of golf." Kuchar said he has low expectations of Woods in the Bahamas, and was impressed to see him start 7365-70. "I still don't hold him to any standard just yet," he said. "He's kind of a new man. Great to see. Shoot, he gets back in the hunt and wins a tournament, you'd have to put those expectations right back on him. For having nearly two years off, it's hard to hold a guy to his typ-

NBA CAPSULES Spurs move to 13-0 on the road with 105-91 win over Wolves MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points and the San Antonio Spurs improved to 13-0 on the road this season with a 105-91 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves last night. Leonard hit 11 of 15 shots after not scoring at all in the first quarter and Patty Mills scored 15 points off the bench for the Spurs (18-4), who played without Tony Parker after he bruised his left knee against Milwaukee on Wednesday night. San Antonio overcame a slow start to shoot 52.7 per cent. The Spurs moved past the 1969-70 New York Knicks to take sole possession of the second-best road start to begin a season in NBA history. The Golden State Warriors started 14-0 last year. Anthony scores 35, Knicks beat depleted Heat 114-103 MIAMI (AP) — Carmelo Anthony matched a season high with 35 points, and the New York Knicks beat the injury-ravaged Miami Heat 114-103 last night for their fourth straight victory. Kristaps Porzingis had 14 points and 12 rebounds for New York, which is three games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2012-13 season. The Knicks lost Derrick Rose to back spasms in the third quarter. Goran Dragic scored 29 points and Hassan Whiteside finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat, who fell to 2-8 at home. Pistons beat Bulls 102-91 for fourth win in 5 games AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Tobias Harris scored 22 points and the Detroit Pistons beat the Chicago Bulls 10291 last night.

ical expectation level." Brandt Snedeker was curious to see how much progress Woods makes in his next tournament. Others, like Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson, had a longer view when it came to measuring Woods by his scores. "To me, it's if we can chat next year at this point," Johnson said. "It's not so much the golf game and the golf swing and the putts being holed and contention. It's physically. Can he withstand a Tiger year, which is what, 15 to 20 events?" Curiosity has given way to anticipation. Doubts have been replaced by optimism. Reality is still months away, if not longer.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

WIZARDS guard John Wall, right, goes to the basket against Magic forward Aaron Gordon (00) last night. (AP) Andre Drummond added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons, who won for the fourth time in five games. Jimmy Butler scored 32 points and Dwyane Wade added 19 points and seven assists for Chicago, which lost its third straight. The Bulls were playing their fourth game in five nights and struggled in the fourth quarter. Magic overcome Wall’s 52 points, beat Wizards 124-116 WASHINGTON (AP) — Elfrid Payton scored 22 of his season-high 25 points in the first half and the Orlando Magic overcame John Wall’s 52-point performance to beat the Washington Wizards, 124-116 last night. Wall had the highest-scoring game of his career and kept Washington in it with 33 points in the second half as the Wizards cut the lead below 10 in the fourth quarter. The guard made 18 of 31 from the field and added eight assists.

Napoli and Benfica reach CL last 16 after Besiktas crumbles By DANIELLA MATAR Associated Press MILAN (AP) — In the only group yesterday where qualification for the Champions League knockout stages was still to be decided, Besiktas crumbled under the pressure, allowing Napoli and Benfica to progress. Napoli and Benfica had eight points going into their Group B match, one more than Besiktas, which was playing at already eliminated Dynamo Kiev. However, the Turkish side fell to a shock 6-0 defeat in a match which saw it finish with nine men. Napoli won 2-1 at Benfica to win a Champions League group for the first time. “We had already been burned once by looking at the result of the other match,” said Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri, whose team had squandered earlier chances to qualify for the last 16. “So, it really hardly mattered to us what was happening in Kiev. We wanted first place to make Napoli history.” Elsewhere, Arsenal topped Group A following its 4-1 win at Basel after Paris Saint-Germain could only draw 2-2 at home to

Ludogorets. Atletico Madrid had already secured first place in Group D but lost its perfect record in a 1-0 defeat at Bayern Munich. The final positions in Group C had already been decided and Barcelona beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-0, while Manchester City drew 1-1 against Celtic. • Here’s how yesterday’s action unfolded: GROUP A Little-used forward Lucas Perez scored a hat trick as Arsenal easily beat Basel 4-1 to finish top of its group. Getting a rare start, the Spanish forward gave Arsenal a three-goal lead by the 47th minute as the visitors coasted to victory. Mesut Ozil’s delightful assist let Alex Iwobi score in the 53rd before Basel substitute Seydou Doumbia struck a consolation goal in the 78th. Mistakes cost Paris Saint-Germain dearly as it missed out on top spot in Group A following a late 2-2 home draw with Ludogorets — an unheralded Bulgarian side that had not won any of the previous five group games.

Dutch forward Virgil Misidjan scored in the 15th minute and Brazilian forward Wanderson made it 2-1 in the 68th, shortly after Edinson Cavani had leveled for PSG. Winger Angel Di Maria saved face for PSG in the second minute of injury time with a scuffed shot, and Cavani was desperately close to grabbing the winner in the final seconds. GROUP B It was meant to be a battle to advance in Lisbon but it turned out to be a shootout for top spot as Besiktas collapsed in Ukraine. Napoli won 2-1 at Benfica but both teams qualified for the knockout stage after Besiktas fell to a surprise 6-0 thrashing at Dynamo Kiev. Substitute Dries Mertens changed the match after coming on in the 57th. The Belgium international set up the opener for Jose Callejon on the hour mark before securing the win in the 79th. Napoli gifted Benfica a consolation goal three minutes from time when Raul Albiol was caught napping, allowing Raul Jimenez to seize the moment and fire past Reina.

In Ukraine, Dynamo’s star winger Andriy Yarmolenko started the night’s torment for Besiktas with smart footwork on the byline and a cross to the far post for Artyom Besedin to score the ninth-minute opener. Besiktas looked lively for the next 20 minutes until defender Andreas Beck was dismissed for a collision with Derlis Gonzalez, who was through on goal for Dynamo. Yarmolenko scored the resulting penalty and Vitaliy Buyalskiy soon made it 3-0 with a lobbed effort after a Besiktas defensive mix-up. A deflected shot from Gonzalez provided Dynamo’s fourth in first-half stoppage time. Serhiy Sydorchuk and Junior Moraes added to the scoreline after Besiktas striker Vincent Aboubakar was red-carded for a second offense. GROUP C Lionel Messi opened the scoring in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach, but fell short of matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal record in the group stage of the Champions League. Messi struck his 10th group-

stage goal this season, one less than the 11 netted by Ronaldo with Real Madrid last season to set the record. Arda Turan scored a secondhalf hat trick. Kelechi Iheanacho began his month-long stint as Sergio Aguero’s replacement by scoring Manchester City’s equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Celtic. Iheanacho drove a rising shot into the roof of the net in the eighth minute to cancel out a fourth-minute goal by winger Patrick Roberts, who is four months into his second straight seasonlong loan at Celtic from City. GROUP D Robert Lewandowski curled in a spectacular free kick to give Bayern Munich a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid but the Spanish side still won the group, finishing with 15 points to Bayern’s 12. Bayern’s win stretched its record to 15 straight Champions League home victories and ended Atletico’s hopes of winning all six group matches. By holding PSV Eindhoven to a 0-0 draw, newcomer Rostov clinched third spot and a place in the Europa League.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, December 7, 2016, PAGE 7

Boston Red Sox get ace Chris Sale from White Sox By BEN WALKER AP Baseball Writer OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — No surprise that Chris Sale got traded. The real shocker? That the Boston Red Sox swooped in to snag him. The reloading Red Sox pulled off the biggest deal yet at the winter meetings, acquiring the dominant ace from the Chicago White Sox yesterday for a hefty package of four prospects. “The ability to get a Chris Sale doesn’t come along very often,” Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. Sale joined an already talented rotation with the AL East champions, now pitching alongside 2016 AL Young Award winner Rick Porcello, former winner David Price and knuckleballer Steven Wright. He leaves behind a shredded reputation in Chicago, suspended by the team last summer after he flew into a rage and cut up retro uniforms that club was supposed to wear. The 27-year-old Sale has

been an All-Star in each of the last five seasons, finishing high in Cy Young Award voting every time, but has never played in the postseason. To get him, Boston traded high-priced third baseman Yoan Moncada, considered by many the top young talent in baseball, along with pitchers Michael Kopech and Victor Diaz, and outfielder Luis Basabe. Sale was a top trade target across the majors this offseason, and Washington seemed to be the favourite to land him this week. “We put a lot of effort into it and thought we made a good, valiant effort ... and we fell short,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. “We reached as far as we were going to reach in the trade” with the White Sox, he said, adding he’d “been engaged with them for a couple of weeks informally and then it ratcheted up right before the meetings.” Dombrowski said he began talking to the White Sox in earnest on Friday. “I guess you can look

said. Sale was 17-10 with a 3.34 ERA and 233 strikeouts this year, a season after he led the majors by fanning 274. He also comes with his benefit: a team-favourable contract that calls for a $12 million salary next year and includes club options for 2018 at $12.5 million and 2019 at $15 million. Given his financial status, Sale “was controllable and projected to be damn good going forward, and it’s tough to give that up,” White Sox GM Rick Hahn said. “At the same time, we have to be realistic about where we are and the likelihood of, with this current group, getting to where we want to be. In the end we had to make the tough decision to let go of someone as valuable as Chris in order to pull back what we feel is a premium package that’s going to help put us in a better position long term,” he said. Drafted by the White Sox in 2010, Sale became a starter in 2012 and zoomed into a star. “He pitches with

CHRIS SALE delivers a pitch during a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Chicago on October 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty) ton got prime setup man Tyler Thornburg from Milwaukee. After that deal was announced, without tipping his hand, Dombrowski said, “We’re trying to win now, as you can see.” Few knew then exactly how hard they were trying. “That’s a big one. That’s a blockbuster. That was a wow,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman

at quickness” in different ways, Dombrowski said. To New York Mets manager Terry Collins, it was a great deal — for him, being division rivals of the NL East champion Nats. “I really thought for sure he was going to end up in Washington. I really did,” Collins said. “We dodged a bullet.” A few hours earlier, Bos-

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 56° F/13° C

TAMPA

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Times of clouds and sun

Partly cloudy with a few showers

A morning shower; clouds and sun

Clouds and sun with spotty showers

Mostly cloudy with a shower or two

Rather cloudy, a shower; breezy

High: 83°

Low: 69°

High: 81° Low: 71°

High: 79° Low: 68°

High: 78° Low: 68°

High: 81° Low: 71°

AccuWeather RealFeel

93° F

80° F

93°-77° F

88°-67° F

75°-66° F

80°-71° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

almanac

ABACO

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 73° F/23° C

4-8 knots

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 70° F/21° C

6-12 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 72° F/22° C

W S

WEST PALM BEACH

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 76° F/24° C Low: 60° F/16° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 70° F/21° C

MIAMI

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 72° F/22° C

4-8 knots

KEY WEST

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 84° F/29° C Low .................................................... 73° F/23° C Normal high ....................................... 80° F/26° C Normal low ........................................ 68° F/20° C Last year’s high ................................. 86° F/30° C Last year’s low ................................... 73° F/23° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 48.94” Normal year to date ................................... 38.79”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 69° F/21° C

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 73° F/23° C

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 73° F/23° C

4-8 knots

3-6 knots

ANDROS

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

12:56 a.m. 1:12 p.m.

2.4 2.6

7:04 a.m. 7:41 p.m.

Thursday

1:56 a.m. 2:12 p.m.

2.6 2.6

8:10 a.m. 0.4 8:37 p.m. -0.1

Friday

2:57 a.m. 3:13 p.m.

2.8 2.6

9:16 a.m. 0.2 9:34 p.m. -0.3

Saturday

3:57 a.m. 4:13 p.m.

3.0 2.7

10:19 a.m. 0.0 10:29 p.m. -0.6

Sunday

4:54 a.m. 5:11 p.m.

3.3 2.7

11:19 a.m. -0.3 11:24 p.m. -0.8

Monday

5:49 a.m. 6:07 p.m.

3.5 2.8

12:16 p.m. -0.5 ---------

Tuesday

6:42 a.m. 7:02 p.m.

3.6 2.8

12:18 a.m. -1.0 1:10 p.m. -0.7

0.5 0.1

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:42 a.m. 5:21 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

12:39 p.m. none

First

Full

Last

New

Dec. 7

Dec. 13

Dec. 20

Dec. 29

CAT ISLAND

an edge,” Red Sox manager John Farrell observed. But the relationship between Sale and the White Sox became extremely strained this year. Sale was suspended for five days without pay for destroying collared 1976-style uniforms the team was scheduled to wear July 23, saying they were uncomfortable. He lost $250,000 of his $9.15 million salary and also was fined about $12,700 — the cost of the tattered jerseys. He blamed manager Robin Ventura for not defending his players. During spring training, Sale was quite vocal about the decision to limit the time teammate Adam LaRoche’s son was allowed in the clubhouse. That flap led to hard feelings all around, along with LaRoche’s retirement. The White Sox went 7884, and haven’t made the playoffs since 2008. Boston went 93-69, then got swept by Cleveland in the AL Division Series and finish out the career of retiring slugger David Ortiz.

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 73° F/23° C

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 75° F/24° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 73° F/23° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C

4-8 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 82° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 80° F/27° C Low: 75° F/24° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 75° F/24° C

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 75° F/24° C

4-8 knots

6-12 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday:

WINDS SW at 6-12 Knots SSW at 4-8 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots SSE at 3-6 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots E at 6-12 Knots E at 7-14 Knots SSW at 4-8 Knots S at 4-8 Knots NW at 4-8 Knots S at 6-12 Knots S at 3-6 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots E at 6-12 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots ESE at 4-8 Knots E at 6-12 Knots ESE at 4-8 Knots E at 6-12 Knots S at 3-6 Knots S at 3-6 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots E at 7-14 Knots SW at 4-8 Knots SE at 3-6 Knots

WAVES 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 0-1 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 0-1 Feet 0-1 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet

VISIBILITY 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 76° F 76° F 79° F 80° F 79° F 80° F 80° F 80° F 76° F 77° F 78° F 79° F 78° F 79° F 81° F 81° F 80° F 80° F 80° F 80° F 78° F 78° F 79° F 80° F 78° F 78° F