Braves' weird World Series win - who needs a no-hitter? - was a modern masterpiece  —  ATLANTA - The modern baseball fan is best advised to accept the inevitable.  —  Whether or not you love or loathe the way the game is planned, played and managed, the sport is entrenched …

Nagy will not coach Sunday's game vs. 49ers  —  Matt Nagy remains quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19 Monday and will not coach Sunday's home game against the 49ers, the Bears announced Saturday.  —  Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will assume head-coaching duties for Sunday's contest at Soldier Field.

San Diego Padres hire Oakland Athletics' Bob Melvin as new manager, sources say  —  MLB, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics  —  The San Diego Padres hired Bob Melvin to a three-year contract as their new manager Thursday, bringing on one of the most respected figures in baseball …

PETA calls for the MLB to change term ‘bullpen’ to the ‘arm barn’ to be sensitive to cows  —  The World Series is underway and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are asking Major League Baseball to do one thing: change the term ‘bullpen’ to ‘arm barn’.

Why the end of the opener strategy is coming to baseball  —  When the Los Angeles Dodgers faced a winner-take-all game in the NLDS against the San Francisco Giants, L.A.'s pitching options included two guys who have won Cy Young Awards and two more who might win that hardware in the future.

Sources: Rangers hire Philadelphia's Josh Bonifay as farm director  —  Bonifay, 43, spent one season on manager Jeff Banister's staff as field coordinator in 2017.  —  The Rangers have settled on their first significant offseason hire in the restructuring of the player development department …

Gold Glove Award finalists unveiled  —  The 2021 Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalists were unveiled on Twitter on Thursday.  The winners will be revealed on Sunday, Nov. 7, on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET.  —  AMERICAN LEAGUE  —  PITCHER  —  José Berríos, Blue Jays  —  Dallas Keuchel, White Sox

Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani, Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper among Players Choice Awards winners  —  Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer and Robbie Ray highlighted the list of those who claimed Players Choice Awards for the 2021 season.  The awards, announced Thursday on ESPN …

Tony La Russa, 77, is set to return as Chicago White Sox manager in 2022: 'We're making plans, talking about next year, absolutely'  —  As the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves prepared to play Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday night, Tony La Russa was watching the Chicago Bulls …

Kyle Beach: John Doe  —  After playing major junior hockey with the Everett Silvertips and Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Western Hockey League, Kyle Beach was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round, 11th overall, in the 2008 NHL entry draft.  —  Kyle was recalled during …