BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) - Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros have grown together, enduring an arduous rebuild and coming out the other side among baseball’s best.
These days, nobody is standing taller.
Altuve won the American League MVP award, towering over New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge by a wide margin and capping Houston’s championship season with another piece of hardware.
Giancarlo Stanton won the NL MVP, edging Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds in the closest vote since 1979.
The 5-foot-6 Altuve drew 27 of the 30 first-place votes in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
“I was surprised that I won it,” Altuve said. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Major League Baseball will change rules to speed games next year with or without an agreement with the players’ association.
Management proposed last offseason to institute a 20-second pitch clock, allow one trip to the mound by a catcher per pitcher each inning and raise the bottom of the strike zone from just beneath the kneecap to its pre-1996 level at the top of the kneecap. The union didn’t agree, and clubs have the right to impose those changes unilaterally for 2018.
Players and MLB have held initial bargaining since summer, and MLB chief legal officer Dan Halem said this week he would like an agreement by mid-January.
SOCCER
NEW YORK (AP) - An ex-marketing executive from Argentina is due back on the witness stand for a fourth day in the U.S. corruption case against three former South American soccer officials.
On Thursday, Alejandro Burzaco testified at a New York trial he arranged to pay 30 soccer officials about $160 million in bribes since the early 2000s.
He offered the estimate during cross-examination in a case stemming from a sprawling investigation of FIFA (FEE’-fuh), the sports governing body.
The defendants are among more than 40 officials and executives accused of taking part in an international scheme involving tens of millions of dollars in bribes tied to the awards of lucrative broadcasting and hosting rights for soccer tournaments.
Burzaco is cooperating as part of a plea deal. His testimony is expected to conclude Friday.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump urged three suspended UCLA basketball players to thank China’s president for their freedom after they shoplifted in China.
The president’s suggestion came a day after he tweeted: “Do you think the three UCLA basketball players will say thank you President Trump. They were headed for 10 years in jail.”
The trio apologized that day and publicly thanked Trump, who was in Asia last week, for his help. On Thursday morning, the president sent another tweet: “You’re welcome. go out and give a big Thank You to President Xi Jinping of China who made your release possible.”
In the same tweet, Trump said, “HAVE A GREAT LIFE! Be careful, there are many pitfalls on the long and winding road of life!”
PREP SPORTS
ROBBINSVILLE, N.J. (AP) - Transgender high school athletes in New Jersey no longer need documentation to support their gender identity.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association on Wednesday approved a policy that allows athletes to simply notify the school administration if they want to change gender. Previously, they needed a doctor’s note or official documentation.
Association attorney Steve Goodell said a new state law requires that students be allowed to participate in activities corresponding to their gender identities, but the organization didn’t want to wait for the state education department to act.
“We wanted to give our schools firm guidance on how this should happen,” Goodell told the Press of Atlantic City.
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