A Miami jury on Wednesday convicted Florida sports agent Bartolo Hernandez and baseball trainer Julio Estrada accused of smuggling Cuban ballplayers into the US in search of big profits from professional free agent contracts. The verdict came after about six weeks of testimony in the trail on alien smuggling and conspiracy charges in which neither Hernandez nor Estrada took the stand. Their lawyers contended prosecutors never proved they were involved in smuggling and insisted the men ran legitimate businesses. Trial evidence showed an existing Cuban smuggling operation that brought people from the communist-run island to Mexico became the platform in 2009 for the much more lucrative trade in elite ballplayers. People involved in that operation testified it was ultimately overseen by Hernandez and Estrada. Sentencing was set for July 11 with Hernandez facing between three and 15 years in prison and Estrada facing between five and 35 years behind bars.
Royals’ C Perez to be ready
All-Star catcher Salvador Perez should be ready for the Kansas City Royals’ season opener April 3 in Minnesota after injuring his left knee playing for Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic. Perez was hurt in a home-plate collision with Royals’ backup catcher Drew Butera, who was playing for Italy. Royals’ manager Ned Yost said tests on Perez’s knee showed no structural damage, but he expressed concern about his hyperextended left elbow . . . About 3½ months after trading for Derek Norris and penciling him in as their starting catcher, the Washington Nationals released him after signing four-time All-Star catcher Matt Wieters.
. . . Tim Tebow singled twice and made a diving catch at the right-field warning track, his best day as a professional baseball player in the Mets’ 6-2 spring training loss to the Miami Marlins in Jupiter, Fla. Tebow also grounded out in the seventh, leaving him with a .214 average (3 for 14) in four games. ‘‘He’s getting better,’’ Mets manager Terry Collins said. ‘‘That was the point. That’s why he’s here, to see if he can make some strides and he’s made very good strides.’’
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Japan ousts Israel in WBC
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo sparked a five-run sixth inning with a solo home run to lead Japan over Israel, 8-3, and into the championship round of the World Baseball Classic in Los Angeles. With a perfect 6-0 record through the first two rounds, two-time champion Japan advances from Pool E along with the Netherlands, which beat Cuba 14-1 at Tokyo Dome. Israel and Cuba were eliminated
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Hockey
Hawks’ Anisimov sidelined
Blackhawks center Artem Anisimov will be sidelined for three to four weeks with a left leg injury suffered in Chicago’s 4-2 win at Montreal on Tuesday night.
Colleges
Martin takes Missouri job
Cuonzo Martin resigned at California after three seasons and was announced as the new men’s basketball coach at Missouri, where he will take over for the fired Kim Anderson. ‘‘We are thrilled that Cuonzo is returning to the Midwest and that his family will now call Columbia home,’’ Mizzou athletic director Jim Sterk said. Cal announced Martin’s resignation earlier in the day on the heels of the short-handed Golden Bears’ first-round NIT loss at home to Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday night. Cal went 21-13 this season and tied for fifth place in the Pac-12. Martin was 62-39 overall, 29-25 in conference . . . Washington fired coach Lorenzo Romar after 15 seasons at his alma mater. Romar was responsible for taking Washington to six NCAA Tournaments during his tenure. But the Huskies, who went 9-22 this season and lost their final 13 games, missed the NCAAs each of the last six seasons.
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Soccer
Arena reshuffles US roster
Bruce Arena changed half the US roster for his first World Cup qualifiers March 24 vs. Honduras in San Jose and at Panama four days later after replacing Jurgen Klinsmann and bringing back forward Clint Dempsey, goalkeeper Tim Howard and defending Geoff Cameron after lengthy illness and injury layoffs. Dempsey, 34 a veteran of three World Cups, did not play after Aug. 21 last year because of an irregular heartbeat but went the distance in Seattle’s first two MLS games this season. Howard, who turned 38 on March 6 and was a U.S. starter at the last two World Cups, injured the adductor muscle in his right thigh on Nov. 11 during the 2-1 loss to Mexico and had surgery six days later. After missing Colorado’s opener on March 4, he started last weekend and made several outstanding saves.
Miscellany
Vonn second in World Cup
Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia held off a hard-charging Lindsey Vonn to win and wrap up the overall downhill title at World Cup Finals in Aspen, Colo. Stuhec finished in 1 minute, 36.95 seconds while Vonn was 0.66 seconds back in second . . . Peter Fill of Italy retained his overall men’s downhill title after finishing second to teammate Dominik Paris at the World Cup Finals . . . NASCAR declined to penalize drivers Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and their crews for their post-race scuffle at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. ‘‘Both competitors are very clear on our expectations going forward and we will be meeting with them in person prior to practice on Friday in Phoenix,’’ said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer . . . Kei Nishikori defeated Donald Young 6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif. with his fifth straight win over the American.
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