The pitch was so clearly not a strike – particularly not a strike three – that Albert Pujols, when he was called out, reacted like any future Hall of Famer or flustered 8-year-old would react. He dropped his bat. That’s just one of the beauties of baseball, a game that can still move grown men to be...

After nearly a decade of relative stability, the Cal State Long Beach athletic department is headed for some major changes this summer, as athletic director Vic Cegles will be leaving the school, it was a ounced Friday. Cegles is headed to the University of Co ecticut, where he’s accepting a positio...

If Dan Patrick were ever to put a listing on ZipRecruiter.com to fill a help-wanted need with his Danettes, the four-man support cast for his weekday mo ing syndicated radio show that gets a simulcast as a TV reveal on DirecTV and NBCSN from 6-to-9 a.m., what might that job descirption entail? “Tale...

After nearly a decade of relative stability, the Long Beach State athletic department is headed for some major changes this summer, as athletic director Vic Cegles will be leaving the school. Cegles is headed to UCo , where he’s accepting a position working for his protégé, Dave Benedict, who was a ...

Now that we know where, or whether, the Lakers will draft, we can pose the big question at last: Is this a good thing? On one hand, they lucked out keeping their pick, which they had a 44% chance of losing, and drawing No. 2 on top of it. On the other hand, there’s a distinct possibility they lucked...

BEVERLY HILLS — Kobe Bryant is getting advice from Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams and Jerry Bruckheimer as he redirects his competitive drive from professional basketball to his publishing and production company. One month after retiring from the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers star has a new daily routi...

The Ducks made official Friday the signing of defenseman Jacob Larsson, their 2015 top draft pick, to a three-year entry level contract. Initial reports out of Larsson’s native Sweden indicated that the club and the 19-year-old had reached an agreement. His contract is a standard rookie deal, which ...

By Joey Kaufman jkaufman@ocregister.com @joeyrkaufman on Twitter ANAHEIM — Free-agent pitcher Tim Lincecum signed a one-year contract with the Angels, the club a ounced Friday. Terms were not disclosed. The deal was first reported by Jon Heyman of the MLB Network, noting the terms of the deal were c...

Nyquist’s impressive victory in the Kentucky Derby has horse racing fans talking Triple Crown again a year after American Pharoah’s feat. With questions about his distance capability answered in the Derby and his record still perfect, is Nyquist a lock to win the second leg of the series in Saturday...

After nearly a decade of relative stability, the Long Beach State athletic department is headed for some major changes this summer, as multiple sources have confirmed to the Press-Telegram that athletic director Vic Cegles will be leaving the school. Cegles is headed to UCo , where he’s accepting a ...

Thought bubbles on a Saturday: • Canelo Alvarez gives up the WBC middleweight title instead of agreeing to fight Ge ady Golovkin at this time. Those of us who habitually put off unpleasant tasks can understand. • The Clippers’ season was ruined by injuries, of course, but when you don’t have Chris P...

Let’s go back two weeks. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was emotionally jacked up, having just knocked out Amir Khan in the sixth round at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Many of the 16,000-plus fans belonged to Alvarez, so they were equally pumped. “Like we say in Mexico, ‘We don’t (expletive) around,’” Alvare...

PARIS — Serena Williams is still haunted by her struggles en route to wi ing last year’s French Open title. After getting the flu early in the tou ament, Williams was in major trouble during her three-set semifinal win over Timea Bacsinszky, wrapping herself in ice towels during changeovers, breathi...

PARIS — In his quest to complete a career Grand Slam, Novak Djokovic could have to beat nine-time champion Rafael Nadal in the French Open semifinals. Djokovic, who will face 100th-ranked Lu Yen-hsun in the first round, was put in the same side of the draw as Nadal on Friday. The top-ranked Serb bea...

BEVERLY HILLS — Kobe Bryant is getting advice from Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams and Jerry Bruckheimer as he redirects his competitive drive from professional basketball to his publishing and production company. One month after retiring from the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers star has a new daily routi...

After a season full of injuries and players stepping up to contribute, it was appropriate for Los Alamitos High School to defeat visiting Long Beach Wilson, 7-3, in the first round of the CIF Southe Section Division 1 softball playoffs on Thursday, thanks in large part to a relief pitching performan...

The most powerful sports league in the world has landed in a region already rich in entertainment, celebrity and championships. Arrival in the Los Angeles market - and construction of a $2.66 billion complex soon to occupy 300 acres in Inglewood - doubled the value of Stan Kroenke’s NFL franchise, b...

ANAHEIM >>For all the gaps in payroll, TV exposure and farm-system raves, maybe the Angels and Dodgers might not be that different after all. Both are dependent on their generational talents (Mike Trout in Anaheim, Clayton Kershaw up the road in Los Angeles). Both have pitching staffs with thin spot...

Eric Garcetti knows well the labyrinth of rules gove ing interaction with Inte ational Olympic Committee members. A slick way to pilfer some extra face-to-face when the largest gathering of Olympic officials in the U.S. since 1996 occurred in October was to expedite them through customs. When Dr. Ro...

CIF Playoff Schedule and Results Thursday Baseball, First Round Division 2 Gahr XX, Buena XX La Mirada 1, Ayala 0 Santa Barbara 1, Bellflower 0 Paramount XX, Moorpark XX Cerritos XX, Rio Mesa XX Mayfair XX, South Hills XX Downey XX, Mission Viejo XX Division 6 Foothill Technology 3, St. Anthony 2 So...