Boston faces elimination Thursday night
CLEVELAND, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Major League Baseball's one-sided playoffs resume Thursday night with the Boston Red Sox facing elimination against Cleveland.
With the Indians owning a 3-1 lead in the American League Championship Series, Josh Beckett will attempt to keep his team's season alive.
Beckett, the only 20-game winner in the majors this year, captured the first game of the series before the Indians ran off three straight victories. He will face first-game loser C.C. Sabathia.
Cleveland hopes to continue this year's playoff trend -- one that has seen all of the series turn into runaways.
Teams that have advanced in the playoffs thus far have lost a total of one game -- a triumph by the New York Yankees in Game 3 of their division series against Cleveland.
The streaking Colorado Rockies, winners of 21 of their last 22 games, will meet the Boston-Cleveland survivor when the World Series opens next Wednesday.
Cabrera wins Grand Slam of Golf
TUCKER'S TOWN, Bermuda, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Angel Cabrera birdied the third playoff hole Wednesday to defeat Padraig Harrington and capture the PGA’s Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda.
Cabrera shot a 2-under-par 68, while Harrington carded a 1-under 69 on the final 18 holes. Both players finished the two-round event at 4-under 136.
Cabrera, the reigning U.S. Open champion and the first non-American winner of this event in a decade, forced the playoff with an eagle at the par-5 18th hole while Harrington was making a birdie.
Jim Furyk, who got into the field when PGA Champion Tiger Woods pulled out, triple-bogeyed the 11th to fall off the pace, and Masters winner Zach Johnson bogeyed the 18th hole to end his chances of joining the playoff.
Furyk (67) finished at 2-under 138, and Johnson (68) was at 1-under 139.
N.Y. Yankee execs torn over Torre
TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 17 (UPI) -- The Joe Torre watch remained unproductive Wednesday as the second day of meetings within the New York Yankees' organization provided no results.
General Manager Brian Cashman and owner George Steinbrenner failed to come up with a consensus for the Yankees' future with the chief topic being whether Torre would remain as the team's manager for a 13th season.
New York, after rallying during the second half of the campaign to make the playoffs, was eliminated in the first round by Cleveland.
"The Yankees have completed their discussions today," team spokesman Howard Rubenstein said. "No decisions have been made concerning Joe Torre. The discussions will continue."
Steinbrenner indicated to a New York newspaper during the Yankees-Indians series that Torre could lose his job if Cleveland prevailed.
Torre is in the final year of a contract worth $7 million per year. Under his guidance, the Yankees have won the World Series four times and have made the playoffs 12 straight years.
Everett recovering from spinal injury
BUFFALO, N.Y., Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Buffalo tight end Kevin Everett said Wednesday he was making progress in his recovery from a spinal injury doctors originally said would leave him paralyzed.
Everett issued a statement through the Bills that he is taking steps with the assistance of a walker. He suffered the injury during Buffalo's season-opening game Sept. 9.
"This week, with the assistance of a walker, I was able to take steps, and I have been able to move in my wheelchair, both of which are great triumphs for me," Everett said in the statement. "I maintain a positive attitude and feel fortunate every day that I am alive and well.
"I value and appreciate the unfailing support of my family, my friends, my doctors, and my fans.
"I am deeply humbled by all of your support, your thoughts and your prayers during this trying period in my life."
Report: Chicago lags in its Olympic bid
CHICAGO, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- A report says Chicago needs to make significant changes in its bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
The Chicago Sun-Times said Wednesday the 65-page report was prepared by a study group composed of 40 prominent local business and civic leaders.
The newspaper noted the group recommends strengthening the "mandate and resources" of World Business Chicago to attract global trade and development; the city must spend more to attract foreign tourists, expedite expansion of O'Hare Airport and reform both its mass transit and city colleges systems.
"The very things that strengthen Chicago's global future also will strengthen our Olympic bid," said former MacArthur Foundation President Adele Simmons, one of the authors of the report.
"If Chicago is really going to thrive as a global city, it needs to engage all of these pieces."
The report's sponsor, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, said Chicago spends one-tenth as much as Orlando, one-twentieth as much as Las Vegas and virtually nothing outside the Midwest to attract tourists.
