Jimmy Butler's debut with the Miami Heat has been put off for a few more games.

Butler's girlfriend gave birth to the couple's child Wednesday night, coach Erik Spoelstra said, so the Heat's high-profile offseason addition will not travel with the team on its two-game road trip to play the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

"Jimmy Butler is now a proud father to a baby daughter," Spoelstra announced Friday. "We're thrilled for him, and we're really excited."

Butler, 30, missed the Heat's home opener against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday to be there for the child's birth. He was present in the morning for the game-day shootaround, then told the team around midafternoon that he wasn't going to be able to play.

Spoelstra assured reporters that "everything's fine'' and said there was no reason for concern.

The four-time All-Star was a big offseason acquisition for the Heat this past summer, agreeing to a four-year, $142 million deal in a sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.

CJ McCollum has doubled down on the Portland Trail Blazers' expectations for this season, leveling a championship-or-bust mantra after an offseason of unprecedented player movement within the rest of the NBA.

McCollum, in an essay published by The Players' Tribune, set NBA title expectations for the Blazers in a Western Conference he calls "ours for the taking."

"Our goal is to win a championship," McCollum says. "Not to build toward it, but to make it to the NBA Finals, and win the whole thing. We've put the work in. We know what it takes, and we know what we have."

McCollum and the Blazers enter the season with an overhauled roster.

Three of their starters from the 2019 playoff run are gone, leaving McCollum and Damian Lillard as the two holdovers. The Blazers dealt forward Maurice Harkless as part of a four-team trade that brought center Hassan Whiteside to Portland. They also added wing Kent Bazemore via trade and signed veteran free agents Pau Gasol, Mario Hezonja and Anthony Tolliver.

"I think that in past years, we might have been a little hesitant to say that we're trying to win a championship," McCollum wrote in the essay. "We've always had that mindset, but we've never been very vocal about it. I guess it's because outside of Portland and in the media, people haven't put us in that conversation. So it's like ... nobody had given us permission.

"Well, I can tell you right now that we don't need permission."

Despite being an underdog to beat Oklahoma City in the opening round of last season's playoffs, Portland knocked off the Thunder in five games on Lillard's series-winning 3-pointer. The Blazers then went on to beat the Nuggets, winning Game 7 in Denver, before being swept by the Golden State Warriors in the conference finals.

McCollum's confidence is bolstered by a three-year, $100 million contract extension he agreed to in July, extending his current deal to five years and $157 million. The new deal will start with the 2021-22 season. The Blazers also signed Lillard to a four-year, $196 million extension this summer, keeping him under contract through the 2025 season.

"We have the right team, the right coach, the right mindset ... and the right fans," McCollum said. "We've got it all.

"Now all we need to do is finish the job."

Information from ESPN's Kevin Pelton was used in this report.

NEW YORK -- Umpire Joe West has sued Paul Lo Duca for defamation after the former catcher alleged West gave pitcher Billy Wagner a bigger strike zone in exchange for letting the umpire borrow a vintage car.

In a complaint filed Tuesday in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan, West contends Lo Duca said during an April 18 podcast on The Action Network that he had been ejected 15 times during his major league career -- and eight or nine had been by West.

The complaint says Lo Duca claimed in the podcast that Wagner told him the reason he got three straight strikeout calls from West during a New York Mets game against Philadelphia in 2006 or 2007 -- with Lo Duca catching -- was because the pitcher had allowed West to drive his 1957 Chevy.

West said in the suit that Lo Duca was ejected eight times in his career and only once by West. The umpire denied any favoritism and said Wagner did not pitch in the only Mets-Phillies game that West worked behind the plate during 2006 and 2007.

A four-time All-Star, Lo Duca played in the major leagues from 1998-2008. Andrew Mongelluzzi, his last listed agent, did not return a call seeking comment.

West's suit also named The Action Network as a defendant. The Action Network did not respond to an email seeking comment.

The 66-year-old West is the major leagues' senior umpire. He debuted in 1976, became a full-time staff member two years later and worked 5,312 regular-season games, second to Bill Klem's 5,370.

CLEVELAND -- Carlos Carrasco didn't let cancer stop him from helping others. It inspired him to do more.

The Cleveland Indians' pitcher, who was diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia in May, has won the 2019 Roberto Clemente Award. It is given annually by Major League Baseball to recognize a player's high character, community involvement and positive contributions.

Despite being sick and sidelined for months during this season, Carrasco's positive attitude never wavered and his efforts never slowed. The 32-year-old frequently visited children fighting the disease at area hospitals while receiving medical treatment for his own illness.

"It's something that I love to do, helping a lot of kids and families," said Carrasco, a father of five.

Each of baseball's 30 teams submitted a nominee for the Clemente Award. Carrasco was chosen by a panel that included Commissioner Rob Manfred, Clemente's widow, Vera, and media members.

Carrasco will be presented with the award Friday night before Game 3 of the World Series in Washington. On Saturday, he'll be on the field during Game 4 to participate in baseball's "Stand Up To Cancer" campaign, something he did during a tribute during July's All-Star Game in Cleveland.

Carrasco is the third Indians player to win the award, joining Hall of Famer Jim Thome (2002) and Andre Thornton (1979).

MLB has honored players for their philanthropic efforts since 1971. The award is named for the 15-time All-Star killed in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

Words can't describe what @Cookie_Carrasco means to our community and organization.

THANK YOU for making such a big impact on and off the field. Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/R9Vr0KhHFJ

— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) October 25, 2019

In the past year, Carrasco and his wife, Karry, have provided box lunches to the homeless in Tampa, Florida. They've given scholarships to single mothers and traveled to Africa, distributing shoes, shirts and backpacks to children.

Carrasco's most passionate endeavor, however, has been helping those in his native Venezuela. He's donated toys at Christmas and money for food and medical supplies to a country in a political crisis that has forced millions to flee.

But it was in Cleveland, where the popular right-hander had an equally profound impact.

Carrasco, who was traded to the Indians from Philadelphia in 2009, began visiting hospitals in 2014. After one visit, he said one of his daughters cut off some hair and told him, "just give it to the kids."

It moved Carrasco to want to help in any way he could.

"My wife was looking at me and we almost started crying," he said. "Everything started from there."

Carrasco could have never imagined that one day he would be fighting cancer just like those kids. He had felt fatigued for months before tests revealed he had chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

He was forced to leave baseball to face a perhaps life-threatening affliction. During his battle, Carrasco has been lifted by his teammates and has drawn strength from his hospital visits.

"I told them, all those kids and teenagers and families there, if I can do it, they can do it, too," he said. "So never give up and just keep it strong."

Carrasco was determined to pitch again this season, and he returned after more than three months away in relief on Sept. 3 in Tampa, where he has an offseason home. Carrasco said he's feeling "great" and has been running and throwing with the goal of being ready for spring training.

And while he hopes to help the Indians, Carrasco wants to leave a legacy outside the foul lines.

"The way that I want the people to remember me is like a great human being, great person, as a great player, too," he said. "That is more important. Baseball is not forever."

JEREZ, Spain – The Andalucía region of southern Spain is known for its rich culture and strong identity, and Friday it was championship day for the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series.

Three of the four class titles were decided in the two 50-minute races contested on the 13-turn, 2.751-mile Circuito de Jerez.

Corey Lewis and Richy Antinucci, co-drivers of the No. 129 entry, had to wait to celebrate their Pro Class championship until the second race ended as their third-place finish was good enough for them to hold on to their lead.

“This was a total team effort,” Lewis said after the race. “We were able to keep the points where they needed to be, and it came down to the wire. Richy did a great job today, and all season long.”

“I tried to stay focused my entire stint,” Antinucci said. “There was a lot to manage while I was in the car, and Corey left me with a lot of tire. I want to give a big thank you to Change Racing and Lamborghini Charlotte.”

Two titles were decided earlier Friday in the first race as McKay Snow, in the No. 163 Change Racing/Lamborghini Charlotte entry, finished off the Am Class title by finishing second.

“This season was about being consistent,” Snow said. “We had a lot of bad luck this season, but we knew what we needed to do today, and that’s what we got with our second-place finish. We ended having enough points to win the championship, and that’s what matters.”

The championships by the No. 129 and No. 163 also gave Change Racing and Lamborghini Charlotte the Team and Dealer titles.

“It has been an amazing year,” Eddie Littlefield, owner of Change Racing and Lamborghini Charlotte, said. “They hung in there all season and it came down to the end. No matter what might have gone wrong during the year, they stayed the course and kept us going in the right direction. I am proud of everyone involved with the teams.”

Mel Johnson finished off the LB Cup crown after his fourth-place finish.

“It’s been a fun year,” Johnson said. “I got off to a great start as I won the first four races, and then with Tom’s help in the second half of the season managed to sneak in for the championship.”

The Pro Am Class title was already wrapped up before the teams descended on Jerez by the duo of Damon Ockey and Jacob Eidson in the No. 109 US RaceTronics/Lamborghini Vancouver entry.

“We were clean out there again today in both races, and that is what we have tried to do all season long,” said Eidson. “Hopefully, we can continue that in the World Finals in the next two days and we can see where we can finish.”

JAMAICA, Va. – Virginia Motor Speedway officials have released the dates for the speedway’s marquee events next season.

The season’s first marquee event will be held Thursday, April 16, with the return of 410 sprint cars for a $10,000 to win, $1000 to start event. Thursday Night Thunder will once again feature the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions in action. The UMP Modified division will again be the support class.

May 30 will see the return of the Ultimate Super Late Model Series for the $20,000-to-win King of the Commonwealth, along with a $3,000 to win FASTRAK National event for Pro Late Models.

On Aug. 1, the Ultimate Super Late Model Series stars and cars will return for the 44th annual USA 100, which pays $20,000-to-win. There will also be a $3,000-to-win FASTRAK National event for Pro Late Models.

The FASTRAK Racing Series Touring Series competitors will get one more chance to get dialed in for the $50,000-to-win FASTRAK World Championship on Saturday, August 22nd, with the $3,000-to-win Prelude to the World Championship. The event will mark the third $3,000-to-win event of the season for the Pro Late Model division.

Finally, the FASTRAK World Championship will be held Sept. 18-19, with Sept. 19 main event paying a whopping $50,000 to the winner and $2,050 to start. The UMP Modified division will be the support division once again.

“We are thrilled to be returning to Virginia Motor Speedway for four great race events in 2020. We certainly appreciate everything the Sawyer family and the entire VMS do to put on these events as they are no small undertaking. We look forward to the King of the Commonwealth, USA 100, Prelude to the World Championship and the 2020 FASTRAK World Championship at this remarkable facility,” commented FASTRAK International Executive Vice-President DJ Irvine.

PORT ROYAL, Pa. – With inclement weather projected to hit Port Royal Speedway Saturday evening, World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and track officials are taking the proactive step of moving up the start times for Saturday’s race.

Front gates and pit gates will open at 11 a.m. Cars are now scheduled to be on track for motor heat and Hot Laps by 1 p.m. and opening ceremonies is scheduled for 2 p.m.

All times are tentative based on the weather.

Tickets already purchased for Saturday’s event will still be honored.

Everything you need to know about this weekend's Premier League action, all in one place.

Jump to: Will Spurs learn their lesson? | Who will Emery pick vs. Palace? | Sheffield United out for revenge | Fantasy tips | Stats of the weekend | Kane replacing Eriksen? | Match to watch | Man United need some luck | What will VAR do next? | Predictions

THE WEEKEND'S BIG QUESTIONS

Will Spurs take lessons from United (Manchester and Sheffield) to face Liverpool?

It wouldn't be fair on a few other teams, most notably Sheffield United, to say that Manchester United provided a blueprint of how to stop Liverpool last weekend. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was not the first manager to use wing-backs to push up and halt the forward raids of Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, thus cutting off one of Liverpool's more threatening attacking options, but he was the first this season for whom it worked in any tangible sense, in that they actually took points off Liverpool.

You would almost be surprised if Tottenham don't do that on Sunday, not least because they're used to the required 3-5-2/3-4-3 system, so the question probably then becomes: What can Liverpool do to stop being stopped? Because they will have to at some point; as opposition managers see the tactic working, they will use it more and more, so Liverpool must figure out a way to combat it.

Who will Unai Emery pick against Crystal Palace?

Arsenal have only actually lost twice in the Premier League this season, so from that extremely basic perspective it might seem odd to witness the discontent grow in their fan base. Then you actually watch them play.

There are several questions about how Unai Emery is managing Arsenal at the moment, but a big one is his team selection: Why, given that his best two players are strikers and seem to enjoy playing with each other, has he not figured out a way to get Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the team every week? Why is Joe Willock being played in a different role most games? Why isn't Lucas Torreira playing more? Why did Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney have very promising run-outs in the Carabao Cup more than a month ago, but have subsequently only appeared in the Europa League? And why, even if you acknowledge his performances have not justified his talent, has Mesut Ozil been ostracised so unequivocally?

In short, it's going to be fascinating to see who Emery picks to face Crystal Palace on Sunday, which, even considering the 3-2 win over Vitoria Guimaraes on Thursday, is a colossal game for both club and manager.

Will there be a little extra edge to Sheffield United vs. West Ham?

Neil Warnock still talks about the 2006-07 season. That was his first shot at the Premier League, with his hometown club Sheffield United, but, in his mind at least, they were cheated out of survival by an illegitimate player. West Ham eventually agreed to pay the Blades £20 million after being found guilty of breaching third-party ownership rules over Carlos Tevez, but for Warnock it was already too late. His chance at the top flight was gone, United relegated on the final day, at least in part because of Tevez's astonishing late-season run of form.

Saturday will see the first meeting of the two clubs since that season, and while current Blades manager Chris Wilder said this week that it was all "water under the bridge," it won't be a surprise if there is just a little extra edge to this game.

- ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now!
- VAR in the Premier League: Ultimate guide
- Ogden: Man Utd need Kane. Are they bold enough to get him?

FANTASY TIPS

Kieran Darcy has some tips for the weekend action. Read his full preview here and set your team lineup!

Must-have player: Raheem Sterling, Tier 1 midfielder

Manchester City scored five goals in their Champions League win over Atalanta on Tuesday. Sterling provided the assist on the first one, drew the penalty for the second, and then scored the final three himself.

Worth considering: Daniel James, Tier 2 midfielder

James hasn't scored in his past five games but got an assist against Liverpool last week, and now faces Norwich City, who have conceded 21 goals in nine games -- no team have conceded more.

Avoid at all costs: Teemu Pukki, Tier 2 forward

Pukki hasn't scored in four straight games against Burnley, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Bournemouth, and now he'll be up against Manchester United, who are tops in the league in terms of xG (expected goals) conceded at 9.06.

STATS OF THE WEEKEND

Information provided by ESPN Stats & Information

- Tammy Abraham is tied with Sergio Aguero as top scorer in the Premier League this season with eight goals and is the top away scorer (six).

- Aston Villa lost their past nine Premier League away meetings vs. Manchester City by an aggregate score of 30-4. Their last league win against City away from home was a 2-0 victory in April 2007.

- The home team has never won in eight previous Premier League meetings between Watford and Bournemouth (0-2-6 W-L-D). No fixture in Premier League history has been played more without a home win (Leicester-West Brom also eight).

MEN TO WATCH

Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen

Watching Tottenham blitz Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday, it was interesting to note the developing role of Kane -- who now looks like their best creator as well as their best goal scorer -- and what impact that will have on the rest of the squad. Eriksen is the most obvious man who could lose out, and not just this time because he wants to leave and is being marginalised by Mauricio Pochettino accordingly.

Kane cannot literally perform the roles of a No. 9 and No. 10 simultaneously, but him switching between the two only really works with some dynamic attackers behind him, who will push on when he drops deep. Son Heung-Min, Erik Lamela, Dele Alli and Lucas Moura are all better suited to that job than Eriksen, who frankly would probably just get in the way when Kane moves back. It's possible that Kane's development as a player is, for now at least, making Eriksen's role obsolete.

THE GAME YOU'RE NOT PLANNING TO WATCH -- BUT SHOULD

Everton vs. Brighton

What to make of Everton this season? At times they've looked pretty good, at times they've been absolutely desperate. Last weekend's win over West Ham came after four straight defeats, a run that was starting to make Marco Silva's position look a little precarious. Equally Brighton, whose performances under Graham Potter have been generally quite positive but their results inconsistent, need to start picking up points before that positivity starts to be consumed by a relegation battle. This could be a fascinating tussle.

THE TEAM THAT NEEDS A BIT OF LUCK

Manchester United

You could argue that Manchester United got their luck last weekend when, after a perfectly planned first hour or so against Liverpool, they were fortunate to escape with a draw after they dropped so deep that they invited the Premier League leaders to attack, attack and attack for the final 30 minutes. But Solskjaer would probably say instead that it was a fine result that gave some reward to performances that have deserved just that over the past few weeks.

After a long journey back from Belgrade this week, they could have done without a potentially ticklish trip to Norwich, and while the Canaries have only picked up a point since beating Manchester City in September, they tend to save their best performances for the big teams. United would take a spot of fortune leading the way this time.

ONE THING THAT WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN

VAR will overturn a penalty decision

Well, it's got to happen at some point, surely?

It's becoming increasingly hard for proponents of VAR in the Premier League to make convincing cases in its defence, as every week seems to bring an example of how it is merely confusing matters rather than making them clearer and fairer. We have seen a wide selection of obvious penalties not given by the video review system this season, the latest example coming last weekend when Gerard Deulofeu was clearly tripped by Toby Alderweireld, only for the erroneous on-field decision to be backed. We're told that VAR is an evolving process, that tweaks are being made, but at the moment the failure of the video assistant referee to use video to assist the referee is embarrassing and hugely unfair.

PREDICTIONS

Southampton 1-2 Leicester City

Manchester City 4-0 Aston Villa

Watford 1-1 Bournemouth

West Ham United 2-2 Sheffield United

Brighton & Hove Albion 0-1 Everton

Burnley 1-3 Chelsea

Newcastle United 1-2 Wolves

Norwich City 2-2 Manchester United

Liverpool 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal 1-2 Crystal Palace

They heaved, they cheered, they even sang 'happy birthday' to Abhimanyu Mithun, who had a 30th to remember. If you happened to be at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday and closed your eyes, you could have imagined you were at an international game. Or perhaps an IPL match because chants of "Aaaar Ceeee Beeee" kept ringing out.

It was not a match involving either India or the Royal Challengers. The occasion was the Vijay Hazare Trophy final, pitting traditional rivals against each other: Karnataka v Tamil Nadu. Two teams that have shared the most number of titles in this domestic one-day tournament.

The old rivalry was lent new spark by the number of high-profile players participating. Eleven of the 22 players on show - Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Mithun, R Ashwin, Dinesh Karthik, M Vijay, Vijay Shankar, Washington Sundar and Abhinav Mukund - have played for India at one time or the other in the past few years.

The importance of the game was underlined by the presence of Ashwin and Agarwal in particular. They didn't need to be there for the game - they chose to dash from Ranchi, the venue of India's final Test against South Africa, to join their respective teams before the semi-finals.

The Bengaluru crowds came in a body to witness the match, and its multiple one-on-one contests, making for a pleasant change from the domestic cricket cliche of three men and a dog as the only viewers. It wasn't a full house, not even close. It was approximately 4,000 strong - but 4,000 can make the noise of forty thousand when they chant in unison. And 4,000 at a domestic match is, quite simply, unheard of. In early 2013, when the Ranji Trophy-winning Mumbai side were playing against Rest of India, the most the Wankhede Stadium had on any of the five days of the game was 1,000 spectators - and that was on the day Sachin Tendulkar was scoring an immaculate century. The Wankhede couldn't draw more than 1,000 when Tendulkar was batting - that's how big the 4,000 figure is.

A Karnataka State Cricket Association official who has barely missed a match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium since the early 1970s reckoned that this was the largest crowd he had seen for a domestic match here in 20 years.

They came to see two teams with a storied history taking on each other, but they came in droves because of the players in those two teams.

Even those who didn't have an India cap yet were still relatively well known. There was Devdutt Padikkal, the tournament's highest run-getter, K Gowtham, familiar through IPL exploits, and Shahrukh Khan, who has shot into the limelight by dint of name and deeds, along with the likes of B Aparajith, M Ashwin and T Natarajan who have all been part of IPL and/or India Under-19 teams.

That rain eventually curtailed the finish did not dampen spirits, of the crowd or the players.

"It's always a nice feeling to play in front of a crowd, that's what you play sport for," Tamil Nadu captain Karthik said. "At the end of the day, sport is about entertainment and you want to have people watch you, clap for you, and go through all the emotions that you go through on the field. So it's always good to have a crowd. I was really happy that people turned out in numbers. If we can find ways to get probably a little more engagement from the public, it'll be even better."

For Karnataka captain Pandey, it was the passionate support that mattered. "We were glad we had a game in Bangalore, because the crowd is always behind us from the first ball," he said. "Not only these one-dayers but even in the Ranji Trophy, they always come and back us. Maybe it's more numbers today, but any voice from outside beyond the 11 guys playing inside definitely helps. Great bunch of people coming and supporting us, it was definitely an advantage."

The turnout for this match in the light of what new BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said about making domestic cricketers his first priority is significant. While Ganguly spoke in terms of increasing remuneration, this match showed that domestic cricket could be a draw for fans too.

"We have to make sure the best tournament in the country is competitive, and it remains important to everyone now because that's where you get the Kohlis and MS Dhonis, Ajinkya Rahanes and Rohit Sharmas of Indian cricket," Ganguly had said. "So that structure has to be the best, both structure-wise and financially, and that will happen. That will be the first thing that will be done by the Apex Council."

The more top cricketers are available to play in domestic competitions, the more competitive it will be. And part of the 'structure' that Ganguly spoke of, is surely properly marketing the domestic game. Imagine if it could receive the treatment that international series or the IPL gets. Granted, all domestic games won't have international stars and the pull that this final had - but domestic players can also be made into stars with the proper exposure. And giving domestic cricketers a wider audience is part of looking after them.

This Vijay Hazare Trophy final has charted a path, and it's upto the BCCI to now take it.

Worcestershire have announced that chief executive Matt Rawnsley has left the club with immediate effect.

In a terse statement, the club offered its thanks to Rawnsley and said that the board "wish him every success in the future".

Club chairman Fanos Hira will handle club matters while the position is vacant, while the club's 'cricket steering group' will continue to take control of cricketing affairs.

The circumstances of Rawnsley's departure are unclear, though the club said that further comments would be made "in due course".

Since Rawnsley re-joined the club in March 2018, Worcestershire had won their maiden T20 Blast title in 2018, and again reached the final this season where they suffered a last-ball defeat to Essex.

But they only finished eighth in the Championship in 2019 having been tipped by most for a promotion challenge, which represented their worst finish since the introduction of two divisions in 2000.

Rawnsley also sat on the board of Birmingham Phoenix - the Edgbaston-based side in the Hundred - and was an advocate of the new competition. It is expected that his successor will replace him in that role too.