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Locked in:

MLB set for delayed openers after a long winter

(AP) - It’ll end up being 157 how to split the game’s bil- The Rangers were champions
days between the moment lions. of Part 1. Texas signed Corey
Freddie Freeman and the Seager and Marcus Semien
Atlanta Braves won last Luckily, the legal work is now for a combined $500 million,
year’s World Series and moved to the side, and the solidifying their middle in-
the start of the 2022 base- real fun can begin. field with two monster con-
ball season. Everything in tracts.
between? Tough to sum What can Shohei Ohtani pos-
that up quickly. sibly do for an encore after an Those deals were part of a
unprecedented year of domi- one-day record $1.4 billion
A record spending spree on nance on the mound and at spent on free agents right
free agents. A bitter work the plate? Will the many mil- before the offseason went
stoppage that delayed open- lions spent by Mets owner dark. Cy Young Award win-
ing day. Steve Cohen bring a cham- ner Robbie Ray left Toronto
pionship trophy to Queens? for Seattle, and the Blue Jays
Maybe most unthinkable of Can anyone stop the Dodg- replaced him with former
all: Freeman isn’t even in At- ers after they lured Freeman Giant Kevin Gausman. The was one of the lead voices for appeared to end any hopes
lanta anymore. back to his Southern Califor- Tigers ponied up for short- players at the table. He’s back for a reunion when he traded
nia home? stop Javier Báez and starter to his day job now — and for Oakland slugger Matt Ol-
A lot to catch up on before Eduardo Rodriguez. Even good thing for New York, son and gave him a $168 mil-
the Chicago Cubs and Mil- Time to find out. the Marlins tried making a with two-time Cy Young lion, eight-year deal.
waukee Brewers open the splash, dropping $53 million Award-winning teammate
season at Wrigley Field on Baseball’s unusual offseason on Avisaíl García. Jacob deGrom beginning the Freeman landed with the
Thursday afternoon, the first was split into two segments year on the injured list. Dodgers for $162 million
of seven games that day. Cer- — a flurry of action before Max Scherzer also signed over six years, then acknowl-
tainly, the sport is ready to the 99-day lockout began early, joining Cohen and When shops re-opened in edged during his introduc-
move forward and wash off Dec. 2, and a scramble to the Mets on a $130 million, March, the most notable dra- tory press conference that
a winter when owners and get rosters set when it lifted three-year deal. He then ma surrounded Freeman and he always figured on being a
players fought — fiercely and March 10. turned his attention to base- the Braves. Atlanta general lifelong Brave.
occasionally publicly — over ball’s labor fight, where he manager Alex Anthopoulos

Tiger Woods overshadows Masters with so many scenarios

(AP) — Five players can haven’t been uttered since crumpled SUV at the bot- On the par-5 second hole, the top that Jon Rahm, Collin
go to No. 1 in the world Nov. 15, 2020, the last time tom of a hill in suburban Los Louis Oosthuizen had a Morikawa, Viktor Hovland,
by winning the Masters. Woods played — and walked Angeles from his harrowing fairway metal in hand as Patrick Cantlay and Camer-
Another can complete the — in a tournament. crash 14 months ago that left he tried to reach the green. on Smith have a mathemati-
career Grand Slam with a him confined to a hospital Only about 150 people lin- cal chance to replace him.
green jacket. Such is the For all its youth — the top bed for three months. gered behind to watch. On
depth of talent these days seven players in the world the third fairway, the caddie This is different from other
in golf on the eve of the are 30 or younger — golf still In December, when he rode for Joaquin Niemann was years in which only a few of
first major of the year. isn’t ready to let go of its past, a cart to compete in a 36-hole walking the course to check golf’s best players have any-
especially when that past is event with his son, and Matt yardages when someone sug- thing to show for it. Scheffler
And such is the power of five Woods and there was every Kuchar suggested his swing gested he should enjoy such is the only player who has
words at 10:34 a.m. Thursday reason to wonder if he would was PGA Tour-ready, Woods a quiet day. Gary Matthews won this year while ranked
that are sure to overshadow ever compete at this level smiled and said, “No, no, no, turned and smile. among the top 10. Dustin
everything else on the open- again. no. I totally disagree. I’m not Johnson and Justin Thomas
ing day of the 86th Masters. at that level. I can’t compete Woods is grouped with Oost- have gone more than a year
Along with images of Woods against these guys right now. huizen and Niemann for the without winning,
Those words from the first slipping on any of his five No.” opening two rounds. On the
tee at Augusta National green jackets are those of his other side of the course, both Rory McIlroy is not on that
And then on Tuesday, he said sides of the 15th fairway were list, though he can claim
he was going to play and add- lined with spectators to watch something far greater. The
ed a short time later, “I don’t Woods take two shots with Masters is all that keeps him
show up to an event unless I his fairway metal to reach the from becoming the sixth
think I can win it.” green. They followed him player to have won all four
in. Practice tickets are only majors.
Woods is back — again — for one day. Catch him while
and the 90 other players at you can. Woods will be long gone by
Augusta National feel like then, and that’s when every-
nothing more than an af- Rain interrupted the final day one will have a sense of how
terthought until scores are of practice after about three he can perform, walking and
posted. hours and cleared up in time playing and keeping score for
for the start of the Par 3 Tour- the first time in 508 days.
Tigermania has been in full nament, the first time that
force ever since the gates was held since 2019 because His concern is more about
opened Monday morning, of the pandemic. Storms walking on a right leg that
and the gallery filled ev- halted this edition of the Par still has plates and rods and
ery inch behind the ropes 3. screws than making solid
for the nine holes he played contact and holing a few
with Justin Thomas and Fred And then the curtain rises on putts.
Couples. It was like that again the Masters which has rarely
Wednesday, when the trio held so much intrigue. However many, everyone
played the back nine, beating will be watching, now more
the rain. Scheffler is the new No. 1 in than ever.
a world of golf so balanced at