Xander Bogaerts reaped the first honor for his breakout 2015 season with the Red Sox, winning the American League’s Silver Slugger Award at shortstop in a vote of major league managers and coaches. Second in the AL in batting average (.320) and hits (196), Bogaerts also totaled 35 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs, 81 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, 32 walks, and 84 runs in 156 games. At 23, he is the youngest Red Sox player to receive the award, and the third shortstop, joining Nomar Garciaparra (1997) and John Valentin (1995). From May 31 through the end of the season, Bogaerts led all major league players with a .340 batting average. AL batting champion Miguel Cabrera (Tigers) and league hits leader Jose Altuve (Astros) were winners at first and second base, respectively. Complete list, D9 . . . The Red Sox and former club president/CEO Larry Lucchino will receive a community achievement award from B’nai B’rith International Tuesday at Fenway Park.
Simmons dealt to Angels
The Braves traded two-time Gold Glove shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Angels for shortstop Erick Aybar, top pitching prospect Chris Ellis, and 22-year-old lefthander Sean Newbomb, a Middleboro High graduate who was LA’s first-round pick in the 2014 draft. Atlanta also will receive $2.5 million, while the Angels get minor league catcher Jose Briceno. Simmons was named the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday, offsetting his mediocre offensive skills with spectacular work in the field. Aybar has been the Angels’ starting shortstop since 2008. The 6-foot-5-inch Newcomb, the 14th overall selection out of the University of Hartford, compiled a 2.36 earned run average in 136 innings at three minor league levels last season . . . The Mariners acquired 38-year-old reliever Joaquin Benoit (6-5, 2.34 ERA last season) from the Padres for a pair of minor league prospects . . . Outfielder Colby Rasmus (25 HRs, 61 RBIs) has reportedly accepted the Astros’ one-year, $15.8 million qualifier offer, the first free agent to agree to such a deal . . . Catcher A .J. Pierzynski and the Braves agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal . . . Former Nationals manager Matt Williams returned to the Diamondbacks as third base coach. . . . The Athletics hired former Red Sox outfielder Mark Kotsay as bench coach.
Olympics
Russia admits to doping
With an Olympic boycott ruled out, Russia is planning to at least partially admit it has a doping problem. Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told the Associated Press there will ‘‘not in any case’’ be a boycott of next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. A short time later, Vadim Zelicheno, the acting president of the Russian track federation, told the AP he is ready to own up to some of the charges leveled in the World Anti-Doping Agency commission’s massive report on doping in the country. The governing body of track and field is expected to rule Friday on whether to suspend Russia from competition because of the doping scandal. If Russia is banned, the country’s track and field team could be excluded from next year’s Olympics. IOC president Thomas Bach, meanwhile, met with Russian Olympic Committee head Alexander Zhukov and other officials in Lausanne, Switzerland, amid signs that both sides were working toward an agreement that could avoid a ban. In one move, the Russian Olympic Committee asked former Russian track federation president Valentin Balakhnichev to resign from its executive board . . . Golden Sachs executive Gene Sykes was named the new CEO of the Los Angeles bid for the 2024 Olympics, but he will not accept a paycheck.
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Miscellany
ND slips by Northeastern
Sophomore Jordan Gross scored a pair of goals and Andrew Oglevie had the winner to propel 18th-ranked Notre Dame (5-2-2, 3-0-0) to a 3-2 win over Northeastern in a Hockey East matchup in South Bend, Ind. Zach Aston-Reese and Brendan Collier connected for NU (1-8-1, 0-4-1) . . . Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter left a Swiss hospital after spending a week having his health assessed, roughly a month after the 79-year-old was suspended for 90 days by the FIFA ethics committee . . . Todd Gilliland won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at age 15 to become the youngest winner in Phoenix International Raceway’s 52-year history. He is the son of NASCAR Sprint Cup driver David Gilliland . . . The attorney for Katina Powell said his client will meet next week with the NCAA to share ‘‘demonstrative evidence’’ regarding the escort’s allegations that former Louisville men’s basketball assistant Andre McGee hired her and other dancers to strip and have sex with recruits and Cardinals players . . . The Red Wings gave Justin Abdelkader a seven-year contract extension worth nearly $30 million . . . The Pacers expect 19-year-old rookie center Myles Turner to miss at least four weeks with a chip fracture in his left thumb, sustained in Wednesday’s 102-91 win over the Celtics . . . Justin Leonard (6-under 65) shares the lead with three others in the PGA OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Mexico.
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