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SPORTS Thursday 19 sepTember 2024
Brewers outperform preseason expectations again to win third NL

Central title in four years

By STEVE MEGARGEE 2016. Rather than following
AP Sports Writer Counsell to Chicago, Mur-
MILWAUKEE (AP) — These phy stayed in Milwaukee
aren’t the same Milwaukee and got his first full-time op-
Brewers who have made portunity as a major league
regular playoff appearanc- manager two weeks before
es the last several years. his 65th birthday. Murphy’s
Milwaukee became the only previous MLB manage-
first major league team to rial experience had come
clinch a division champi- as an interim manager with
onship Wednesday when it San Diego in 2015.
sealed its third NL Central ti- Murphy has kept the locker
tle in the last four years. The room loose while guiding a
Chicago Cubs’ 5-3 loss to team that hasn’t suffered
the Oakland Athletics en- more than three straight
abled the Brewers to wrap losses at any point this sea-
up the division crown. son. The Brewers are the
This marks the Brewers’ sixth only team that hasn’t had
postseason berth in the a losing streak of at least
last seven years, a remark- four games.
able accomplishment for a “I heard about what peo-
team that made the play- ple were saying,” Mur-
offs just twice in a 35-year phy said this week. “A lot
stretch from 1983-2017. But Milwaukee Brewers’ William Contreras reacts after hitting a two-run scoring double during the third of people laughed at us,
this run to the playoffs has inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (said) this is a rebuild, said
Associated Press
been a little different from things like that.”
the rest. The Brewers never agreed
Although the Brewers have Baltimore Orioles. season-ending injuries. no one ever picks us to be with that assessment. They
grown accustomed to Two-time All-Star right- None of it mattered. good just because we’re knew they had enough to
outperforming preseason hander Brandon Woodruff The Brewers took over first the Brewers,” Yelich said at contend.
expectations, the odds didn’t pitch all year as he place for good at the end the time. “It is what it is. But I “You look at the names
seemed stacked against recovered from shoulder of April and never looked think we have a chance to of the guys in this locker
them even more than usual surgery and two-time NL back. They lived up to the really surprise some people room,” third baseman
this year. reliever of the year Devin comments Yelich made at with the talent in this room.” Joey Ortiz said. “We’ve
Craig Counsell, the win- Williams missed the first half spring training amid specu- That’s just what they’ve got Christian Yelich, Willy
ningest manager in Brew- of the season with stress lation Milwaukee would done. Adames, (William) Con-
ers history, left for the rival fractures in his back. All-Star take a step backward with- The Brewers benefited from treras, Rhys Hoskins great
Cubs. Corbin Burnes, the outfielder Christian Yelich out Counsell. the leadership of Pat Mur- leaders on this team mak-
2021 NL Cy Young Award and pitchers Wade Miley “Even when we’ve been phy, who had been Coun- ing sure we’re locked in ev-
winner, was traded to the and Robert Gasser suffered good these last few years, sell’s bench coach since ery single day.”q

FIFA teams up with UN health agency for campaign to educate

world soccer about concussion

GENEVA (AP) — FIFA at all levels of soccer that make an extra substitution within the minutes, hours, and Protect” campaign.
teamed up with the World symptoms of a head injury to remove immediately a days and even weeks after “No match is worth the
Health Organization on can take up to 72 hours to player with a suspected the traumatic event,” FIFA risk.”q
Wednesday for a cam- appear. head injury. That lets team said of the new “Suspect
paign to educate the soc- Kramer continued to play medical staff evaluate
cer industry about the risks in the final against Argen- injuries at length without
of concussion injuries. tina for 14 minutes after be- the pressure of trying to
“Concussion is a public ing injured despite being in send players back into the
health issue of concern at clear distress. game.
all levels of football, and Match referee Nicola Riz- At soccer’s rules-making
many other sports, requir- zoli later said he alerted panel, known as IFAB, FIFA
ing greater levels of aware- Germany players after has consistently blocked
ness and action,” WHO Kramer asked if he was proposals to allow tempo-
director-general Tedros Ad- playing in the final. rary substitutions that would
hanom Ghebreyesus said At the 2022 World Cup, let injured players with a
in a statement. Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiran- suspected concussion be
Ten years after the alarm- vand was treated for sev- assessed just for several
ing case in the 2014 World eral minutes on the field minutes before potential-
Cup final of Germany play- after clashing heads with ly returning to the game.
er Christoph Kramer, world a teammate, then contin- FIFA medical advice is that Iran’s goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand reacts after sustaining an
soccer governing body ued to play on against Eng- symptoms can take up to injury during the World Cup group B soccer match between
FIFA is sending a toolkit to land before finally being 72 hours to develop. England and Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha,
each of its 211 national replaced. “The symptoms of a concus- Qatar, on Nov. 21, 2022. Associated Press
federations to help teach FIFA favors letting teams sion can change or evolve