SPORTS digest

YSU football No. 9 in STATS poll

Youngstown State’s football is ranked No. 9 in the STATS preseason poll. The Penguins join five other Missouri Valley Football Conference teams in the poll. The other ranked teams are North Dakota State (No. 22), South Dakota State (No. 4), UNI (No. 18), Illinois State (No. 20) and Western Illinois (No. 25).

Don Baylor, 68, dies; was AL MVP in 1979

Don Baylor, the burly slugger who once held the Major League Baseball record for being hit a pitch and later guided the expansion Colorado Rockies to the playoffs for the first time as manager of the year, died Monday of cancer. He was 68.

The 1979 American League MVP died in his hometown of Austin, Texas, after a 14-year battle with multiple myeloma, Baylor’s family said in a statement released by the Angels, the franchise for which he played more than 800 games.

Baylor played in all 162 games for the California Angels in 1979 and led the majors with career bests of 139 RBIs and 120 runs.

When the stocky Baylor retired, he had been hit by pitches a then-record 267 times, and led the majors in that category seven times.

Baylor was the first manager for the Rockies, leading them to his only playoff appearance as a manager in the franchise’s third season in 1995.

Baylor spent six years with Colorado and two-plus seasons as manager of the Chicago Cubs, from 2000-02.

Wolves want to give Wiggins max contract

MANKATO, MINN.

Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor tells The Associated Press he is ready to give Andrew Wiggins a max contract extension on his rookie deal worth close to $150 million.

Taylor says he first wants a face-to-face meeting with Wiggins to hear from the former No. 1 overall pick that he is ready to commit to the organization and take his game to another level.

Taylor spoke with Wiggins briefly when the two attended assistant coach Ryan Saunders’ wedding in July. The owner has always preferred to close deals with handshakes and frank conversations.

He averaged 23.6 points per game and shot 35.6 percent from 3-point range last season.

Hendrick Motorsports splits with Kahne

CONCORD, N.C.

Hendrick Motorsports and driver Kasey Kahne have agreed to part ways after six years.

The team said in a statement Monday that Kahne has been released from the final year of his contract, allowing him to begin pursing a Monster Energy Cup ride for 2018.

Team owner Rick Hendrick says Kahne is “a tremendous teammate and person, and he has been totally dedicated to our program since day one. I’ve always believed that he’s a special talent, and I know he will thrive in the right situation. We will do everything we can to finish the season as strong as we can.”

Perfect Spirit wins Hambletonian on DQ

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.

Perfect Spirit was awarded the $1 million Hambletonian when first-place finisher What The Hill caused another horse to go off stride in the stretch and was disqualified in trotting’s biggest race Saturday.

The judges posted the inquiry sign shortly after the Ron Burke-trained What The Hill crossed the finish line at the Meadowlands in the race for 3-year-old trotters and they deliberated about five minutes before making what is believed to be the first disqualification in the Hambletonian final.

The judges ruled that What The Hill caused Guardian Angel AS to go off stride as he squeezed into a space between the pacesetting Perfect Spirit and Devious Man. Guardian Angel AS was coming up behind the leaders and his front hoof touched the wheel of What The Hill’s sulky and went off stride.

Devious Man and Enterprise were moved up to second and third.

Staff/wire report