s City to the World Series in 2014 and entered the year with a major league-high nine straight 200-inning seasons. That streak e

CHICAGO -- White Sox manager Robin Ventura declined to address a report that he will step down from the job and be replaced by bench coach Rick Renteria next season.In an odd scene after Chicagos 6-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night, general manager Rick Hahn declined interview requests and White Sox players claimed they hadnt heard about the report or Venturas status.The Chicago Sun-Times reported during the game that Ventura, who is in the last year of his contract, would not return after five seasons and that Renteria, a former manager of the Chicago Cubs, would take over.Weve been over this, Ventura said. Ill talk at the end of the year.Hahn relayed a message through a team spokesman that he would answer questions at a press conference Monday scheduled by the team.You guys are telling me something I havent even heard about, third baseman Todd Frazier said, adding that I love Robin. I love him to death. Hes a good manager, for sure.Right-hander James Shields, who allowed two-run homers to Byron Buxton and Jorge Polanco to lose his major league-tying 19th game, had high praise for the 49-year-old Ventura.Hes one of the better managers Ive been around, and Ive been around some really good ones, Shields said. To be honest with you, thats the first time Im hearing this. But Robin is a good man, a good manager.Earlier this season, Ventura said he wanted to return in 2017 despite a fourth straight losing season and five years without a playoff berth. But Ventura then backtracked on that statement after USA Today reported Wednesday that the front office wanted to retain him but Ventura hadnt committed.Ventura sidestepped numerous questions about the issue after the game and said he hadnt discussed his future with the players.No, I havent talked to them about anything. Were still playing, Ventura said. All the conversations I have with them are about playing.Frazier praised the 54-year-old Renteria, who went 73-89 in one season with the Cubs in 2014. The White Sox hired him before this season.Ricks a great guy, man, Frazier said. Hes bilingual, which is great. Hes been a manager before. But like I said, its not my right to say anything. I havent heard anything and thats basically up to our brass so Im not going to get in trouble.Saturdays listless defeat continued a theme of inconsistency surrounding this years team, which started 23-10. Theyre 55-73 since.I feel bad that I wasnt able to do more for him. I know guys in here feel the same way, catcher Alex Avila said. We were a team that was expected to win coming into spring training and we didnt do that.The Twins lost their 103rd game on Friday night, the most since the franchise moved to Minnesota. On Saturday, they got 6 1/3 innings of three-hit ball from Hector Santiago (13-10) in their third win in 14 games.Buddy Boshers, J.T. Chargois and Brandon Kintzler completed the four-hitter.Shields (6-19) concluded a career-worst season split between San Diego and Chicago by allowing five runs and four hits over seven innings. His 40 home runs and 118 earned runs allowed are the most in the majors. Only Tampa Bays Chris Archer has as many losses.The 34-year-old Shields was an All-Star in Tampa Bay, helped Kansas City to the World Series in 2014 and entered the year with a major league-high nine straight 200-inning seasons. That streak ended as Shields finished with 181 2/3 innings and a 5.85 ERA.Thats just the kind of year Im having, Shields said. I make two bad pitches, and it costs me.TRAINERS ROOMWhite Sox: Tyler Saladino (herniated disk) will be evaluated by doctors before leaving for the offseason. He hopes to avoid surgery.LOT OF HOMERSShields is the first pitcher to allow 40 home runs in a season since Cincinnatis Bronson Arroyo gave up 46 in 2011.UP NEXTAmid speculation he could be traded in the offseason to accommodate a rebuild, White Sox ace Chris Sale (17-9, 3.21 ERA) seeks his career-best 18th win in Sundays season finale. RHP Jose Berrios (2-7, 8.61) starts for the Twins. Gregory Polanco Pirates Jersey . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. Erik Gonzalez Jersey .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents. http://www.pittsburghpiratesprostore.us/Francisco-Cervelli-pirates-jersey/ . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. Chad Kuhl Jersey .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. Dave Parker Jersey . On Saturday night, the normally free throw-challenged centre did just that. Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111. SAN DIEGO -- Tony Gwynn will be on everybodys mind during All-Star Game festivities, perhaps no more poignantly than how his death affected American League starter Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox.He actually made a very big impact in my life. I chewed tobacco from 2007 until the day he passed away, Sale said at a news conference Monday. I remember seeing that, and just being so shocked. He was a larger-than-life person. He was an inspiration to the game for many, many people for a lot of different reasons. But I quit that day, and I havent touched it since.In a sense, I owe him a huge thank you for not only myself but for my family and, you know, hopefully I can maybe sway somebody in the right direction as well like he did for me.Gwynn died of salivary gland cancer on June 16, 2014, at 54.Gwynn was one of the most beloved figures in San Diego sports history, as well as the face of the Padres for two decades. At the time of his death, he was in his 12th season as coach at his alma mater, San Diego State.The All-Star Game will be played Tuesday night at Petco Park. Gwynn had as much to do as anyone with the downtown ballpark being built. He played for the Padres his entire 20-year, Hall of Fame career, retiring after the 2001 season. The ballpark was approved by voters just two weeks after the Padres were swept by the New York Yankees in the 1998 World Series. Gwynn batted .500 in those four games, including hitting a home run off the right-field facade in Yankee Stadium in Game 1 off San Diegan David Wells.Gwynn will always be remembered as the greatest Padres player ever. He never played in Petco Park but there are plenty of reminders of him. Days before Gwynn was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007, the Padres unveiled a larger-than-life bronze statue of Gwynn beyond the outfield. It depicts him in the middle of his sweet left-handed swinng.ddddddddddddOne of the streets outside Petco Park is Tony Gwynn Drive. His No. 19 is one of the teams retired numbers that greets fans as they enter the ballpark.Without giving details, the Padres said Gwynn will be honored during pregame ceremonies Tuesday.Gwynns death stunned baseball.Still, there are many happy memories of the Hall of Famer, who had 3,141 hits, a .338 lifetime average and won eight NL batting titles.Some All-Stars have direct connections to Gwynn.Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers grew up in San Diego and played at Rancho Bernardo High. Gwynns son, Tony Jr., played at Poway High.Most of my memories of Tony Gwynn are because he lived very close to where I grew up, Hamels said. Being able to see him driving down the street in that Porsche that he had, youd see him go by. Playing against his son, hed go hide out in the outfield to watch his son play because he didnt want to get bothered, and it was kind of cool to know that Tony Gwynn was watching your game, even though he was watching his son. But we always convinced ourselves that Tony Gwynn was there to watch us, too.Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals was an unpolished player at West Hills High in suburban Santee, but blossomed under Gwynn at San Diego State, becoming the first overall pick in the 2009 draft.Strasburg recalled Gwynn as one of the greatest hitters of all time, No. 1, but one of the greatest people of all time, as well. I grew up a huge Tony Gwynn fan being here. Playing for him I got a chance to develop that relationship with him. I learned a lot, how to be not only the best baseball player, to be a real pro, but also to be, hopefully, a good human being.---Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson ' ' '