BASEBALLCHICAGO -- Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout won the AL MVP award for the second time in three years, and Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant was voted NL MVP in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.Trout batted .315 with 29 homers, 100 RBI and 30 steals. He scored 17 percent of Los Angeles runs, the highest percentage for an AL player since Rickey Henderson with the 1985 New York Yankees.A unanimous winner in 2014, Trout had finished second in three of the past four years. He becomes the first MVP from a losing team since Alex Rodriguez for Texas in 2003 and just the fifth player ever to accomplish the feat).Bryant hit .292 with 39 homers and 102 RBI in just his second year in the majors, helping the Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908.NEW YORK -- Brian McCann still wanted to catch, a lot. So with his options limited in the New York Yankees lineup, the seven-time All-Star gladly accepted a new opportunity in Houston.McCann waived his no-trade clause and was sent, along with $11 million, to the Astros for a pair of young minor league pitchers.The Yankees acquired right-handers Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman.McCanns playing time diminished in the second half of the season as rookie Gary Sanchez emerged as a power hitter behind the plate. Sanchez hit 20 home runs in just 53 games.OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics are staying put under new leadership and determined to find the right location for an intimate new ballpark that brings together the community with a great vibe for fans. One that will be privately funded and, in time, increase revenue and improve the on-field product.Committed new team President Dave Kaval just pulled off something similar in his other job: Building the San Jose Earthquakes second-year, state-of-the art Avaya Stadium, which just so happens to boast the largest outdoor bar in North America.Lew Wolff is selling all but a small stake in the As and giving up his managing partner role, turning it over to John Fisher. Wolff will become chairman emeritus and Fisher the managing partner. In addition, prior team President Michael Crowley is stepping away from day-to-day operations after nearly 20 years in the role.CHICAGO -- Commissioner Rob Manfred says baseball wants to study high-profile positions within the sport to see if certain qualifications predict success, a step that has everything to do with minority hiring.Baseball currently had no Latino managers before Rick Renteria took over the Chicago White Sox last month. Dusty Baker of the Washington Nationals and Dave Roberts from the Los Angeles Dodgers are the only black skippers among the leagues 30 teams.But there were 10 minority managers as recently as 2009.NFLCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cam Newton threw for 192 yards and a touchdown and the Carolina Panthers held off New Orleans fourth- quarter rally to beat the Saints 23-20 in a game marred by injuries to key players.Newton was 14 of 33 and threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn Jr. to help the Panthers (4-6) win for third time in three games and pull even with the Saints for third place in the NFC South.Jonathan Stewart also ran for a touchdown and Graham Gano had three field goals.However, the Panthers lost former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly (concussion), two-time All-Pro center Ryan Kalil (shoulder), defensive end Mario Addison (foot) and cornerback Leonard Johnson (chest) to injuries. Kuechly left the field on a cart while tears streamed down his face.The Saints lost running back Mark Ingram to a concussion in the third quarter.BOSTON -- Doctors who decide whether an NFL player is healthy enough to go into the game shouldnt be paid by the teams that have a stake in winning and losing -- an undeniable conflict of interest.Thats what a report released by Harvard University experts in medicine, law and ethics says.The study by the NFL Players Association-funded Football Players Health Study also recommends a short-term injured reserve for athletes recovering from a concussion, much like the system that baseball adopted five years ago.The 500-page report includes 76 recommendations addressed to 20 NFL stakeholders -- everyone from players and teams to equipment manufacturers and government regulators. The biggest message: Player safety will never be the top priority as long as those involved have competing calls on their loyalty.COLLEGE FOOTBALLHOUSTON -- Duke Catalon scored three touchdowns and Houston hurried and harassed Heisman favorite Lamar Jackson all night to propel the Cougars to a stunning 36-10 victory that dashed the third-ranked Cardinals playoff hopes.Louisville (9-2) entered the game ranked fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings, but was outdone by a Houston team that saw its own playoff hopes foiled by two losses to unranked teams after a 5-0 start.The Cardinals were unhappy they werent ranked higher in this weeks CFP rankings after losses by several top teams last week, and some players thought they let that angst affect their play.BASKETBALLOKLAHOMA CITY -- For decades, basketball players have dreamed of being like Mike.Thunder guard Russell Westbrook really is like Mike.So says Mike himself.Basketball great Michael Jordan inducted Westbrook into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame on Thursday night and heaped high praise on Westbrook, one of the most visible and accomplished Jordan Brand athletes.Westbrook is a two-time All-Star MVP and was the 2014-15 scoring champion. Last season, he posted 18 triple-doubles. This season, he has three triple-doubles and is averaging a Jordan-esque 31.8 points per game.HOCKEYVANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Coyotes forward Brad Richardson was carted off the ice on a stretcher in the second period of Arizonas 3-2 overtime loss at Vancouver and taken to a hospital.Richardson injured his right leg on an innocent-looking hit from Canucks defenseman Nikita Tryamkin with 8:37 left in the second period. The 31-year-old Richardson crumpled to the ice and threw his gloves off in agony under the 6-foot-7, 265-pound Tryamkin.Medical staffs from both teams attended to Richardson by the boards in the Canucks zone for several minutes before loading him onto a stretcher. Cheap Vapormax Plus Yellow . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. Cheap Vapormax Plus Rose . You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. http://www.cheapvapormaxplus.us/cheap-vapormax-plus-blue/ . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday. Vapormax Plus Orange . Vettel was 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull teammate Mark Webber around the Suzuka circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was two tenths of a second off Vettel. "The car balance is decent, but I think we can still improve," Vettel said. Cheap Vapormax Plus Gold . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. ATLANTA -- While the Atlanta Braves are suddenly surging, the San Diego Padres are heading in the wrong direction.Freddie Freeman homered and the Braves broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning, beating the skidding Padres 9-6 on Thursday to complete a three-game sweep.For San Diego, it was the seventh loss in nine games.One day after Minnesota dipped below Atlanta to the worst record in the majors, the Braves kept on winning behind a six solid innings from Mike Foltynewicz (8-5) and another strong showing from the offense.It was the first time theyve had five consecutive home games scoring at least seven runs since Aug. 7-10, 1953, the teams debut season in Milwaukee.Were not having the kind of season we wanted to, Freeman said. But we want to finish strong.The Braves also put together their first three-game sweep at Turner Field this season, outscoring the Padres 24-10.Freeman put Atlanta up in the third with his 28th homer, a two-run liner into the right-field seats off Jarred Cosart (0-2).After Hector Sanchez homered for the Padres in the fifth, the Braves finished off Cosart in the bottom half. Freeman walked with the bases loaded, followed by two-run singles from Matt Kemp and Anthony Recker.The Braves two previous three-game sweeps this season came on the road. Theyre still just 22-44 at Turner Field.Foltynewicz won his fourth straight decision over six starts. He went six innings, yielding just four hits though he did get touched for a pair of homers. Wil Myers went deep in the sixth, lofting a two-run shot just inside the left-field pole.Cosart lasted only 4 1/3 innings, charged with seven runs on five hits and three walks.The Padres scored three runs in the ninth off Chaz Roe before Jim Johnson came on to get the final out for his 14th save.ddddddddddddARE COMPANYMyers homer was his 24th of the season, to go along with 24 stolen bases.The last San Diego player to pull off such a double was Reggie Sanders in 1999. He had 26 homers and 36 stolen bases.NEW FACESBoth teams made some minor changes on the first day of expanded rosters.San Diego called up left-hander Ryan Buchter from Triple-A El Paso of the Pacific Coast League. He has spent most of the season with the Padres, going 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 58 games before being sent out Aug. 20 for a brief stint in the minors.The Braves, meanwhile, reinstated right-handed reliever Chris Withrow and catcher A.J. Piersynski from the 15-day disabled list, and also called up left-hander Jeb Bradley from Triple-A Gwinnett. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, Atlanta transferred injured pitcher Eric OFlaherty to the 60-day disabled list.UP NEXTPadres: LHP Clayton Richard (1-3, 3.51) gets the nod Friday as the Padres begin a three-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. The 32-year-old will be making his fourth start since signing with the Padres. He has not allowed an earned run in 14 consecutive innings.Braves: RHP Joel De La Cruz will again be seeking his first big league win when he starts the opener of a weekend series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 27-year-old is 0-7 with a 4.66 ERA in 15 games -- including eight starts -- since being called up from Triple-A Gwinnett. He 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in three appearances vs. the Phillies.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . 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