New York Mets pitchers Noah Syndergaard and Edwin Diaz will be back with the team next year, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Thursday.

"Edwin Diaz will be on our team next year. That's our full expectation," Van Wagenen said. "Noah Syndergaard will be on our team next year."

Diaz, the prize in a trade with the Seattle Mariners in December that also brought Robinson Cano back to New York, had a 5.59 ERA, seven blown saves and seven losses for the Mets. He allowed 15 home runs in the ninth inning and was replaced as closer late in the season.

"Edwin still saved 26 games for us this year," Van Wagenen said. "That was 30 percent of the wins we had."

Syndergaard was the subject of trade rumors all season while going 10-8 with career worsts in ERA (4.28) and WHIP (1.23).

Van Wagenen indicated that he expected Cano to be back as well.

"We felt like Diaz and Cano would make impacts immediately. ... We feel good about the talent those two players possess," Van Wagenen said, "and we feel confident they will be helping us make contributions in the upcoming 2020 season."

Mickey Callaway was the toast of New York when the Mets won 11 of their first 12 games with him as manager in 2018.

Less than two years later, Callaway no longer has a job.

The Mets on Thursday cut ties with the second-year manager despite an 86-76 season highlighted by a midsummer surge that put them in the postseason hunt.

Ultimately, New York fell short of October baseball, and it cost the 44-year-old Callaway his job.

"We want to thank Mickey for his consistent work ethic and dedication over the last two seasons and I'm certain these characteristics will serve him well in his next opportunity," Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said in a statement. "A decision like this is never easy. However, we believe it is in the best interest of the franchise at this time."

The Mets are the seventh team seeking a new manager this offseason, joining the Angels, Cubs, Giants, Padres, Pirates and Royals.

New York hired Callaway in October 2017, tasking the former Cleveland Indians pitching coach with turning around a team that finished with 70 wins its previous season under Terry Collins.

The immediate results were strong.

New York raced out to an 11-1 record in Callaway's first season, but besieged by injuries, the Mets went 5-21 that June and never could get back in the race, finishing 77-85 and 13 games back in the National League East.

When the Mets hired agent-turned-GM Van Wagenen last October, he said Callaway's job was safe.

With expectations high, New York struggled in the first half of 2019, falling 11 games under .500 on July 11 as big offseason acquisitions Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz looked nothing like the players Van Wagenen had hoped.

The hot seat seemed to affect Callaway, who cursed at a Newsday reporter following a tense postgame news conference in June during which the manager repeatedly was asked about a bullpen decision. He later apologized.

Plenty of Callaway's pitching moves -- not to mention other substitutions -- came into question as well.

"I put my heart and soul into this team, into this game, every single day, and I believe in those players," Callaway said Saturday. "I make unpopular decisions every day, whether it's unpopular to you guys or the players. And every decision I make is going to be unpopular to somebody. But I make decisions based on trying to win games and trying to keep these guys motivated to win as many games as they possibly can. And I think that in the end when you look back on it, our players played hard and continue to play hard for a reason. And I'm proud of that."

Soon after the June confrontation, the Mets took off, winning 15 of 16 games during a torrid stretch from July 25 to Aug. 10 that saw their record go from 46-55 to 61-56. With NL home run leader Pete Alonso and ace Jacob deGrom leading the charge, New York marched into the postseason hunt and remained there until the final days of the regular season.

They ultimately finished with an 86-76 record, a nine-game improvement from Callaway's first season. But considering the seasons Alonso and deGrom had, along with those of Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto, Seth Lugo and a host of other players, some viewed it as a disappointment.

The Mets front office apparently was among them.

New York went 163-161 under Callaway. On the final day of the season, Callaway said he had been packing up his New York apartment since last week and planned to spend 19 hours driving home to Florida on Monday and Tuesday.

He said he'd had no in-depth discussions with the front office about his future but felt no anxiety either, because he "left everything on the field."

"There's conversations that I've had with players that I'd like to have another chance at, but I learned from them," Callaway said the previous day. "There's all kinds of things that you look back on and you try to self-reflect on and want to improve upon."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES -- Justin Turner's first baseball memory occurred 39 days before his fourth birthday, at his grandmother's house in Lakewood, California, where he watched Kirk Gibson hit the legendary home run that propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series title in 1988. His recollections of that moment are hazy, progressively more so over time. But he is reminded of it constantly, as a longtime member of a Dodgers franchise that seems to play Gibson's highlight on a constant loop, biding the time until another championship moment can replace it.

As summer turned to fall, Turner was asked if he had finally grown tired of that '88 team.

He managed a smile.

"Not really," Turner said. "I'd like to think that when we win our World Series, it'll be talked about just as much."

The Dodgers are primed for yet another run at an ever-elusive championship, a pursuit that resumes with Thursday's National League Division Series opener against the Washington Nationals. (First pitch is 8:37 p.m. ET on TBS.) Meaningful Octobers have become a celebrated tradition around these parts, even though the triumphant Novembers have been nonexistent. The Dodgers have been crowned division champions seven consecutive times and have built uncommon sustainability through shrewd drafts and enviable player development. Their reign probably won't end any time soon.

This fall, however, offers a unique, fleeting opportunity.

The Dodgers are riding what seems like an ideal blend of young players coming into their own and veteran stars preserving some of their peak, an intersection that might not last much longer.

Turner, the 34-year-old third baseman, Kenley Jansen, the 10th-year closer, and Clayton Kershaw, the longtime ace, have faded toward the background while others have stepped into prominence. Cody Bellinger and Walker Buehler are the emerging stars, and Will Smith, Gavin Lux and Dustin May highlight a dizzying array of rookie contributors. But it's Turner who still embodies the Dodgers' hitting philosophy, Kershaw who still sets the tone for the rotation and Jansen who still carries the weight of the bullpen.

"They're the lifeline to our ballclub," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, "because they make everyone around them better."

Turner, Jansen and Kershaw have played in 10 postseason series together, none of which resulted in a title. They endured the disappointment of back-to-back first-round exits, felt the thrill of back-to-back pennants and dealt with the heartache of losing in the final round in consecutive years. Turner tried his best to distance himself from the memory of the last two World Series. Kershaw found comfort in his demanding routine. Jansen preserved the emotions in hopes that they would drive him, then thought otherwise.

"You gotta let it go," Jansen said. "Sometimes I feel like I hold on to it, try to let that motivate me, but it's not doing me any better. It's hurting me."

Turner has acknowledged that winning a World Series -- winning five of them -- wouldn't erase the disappointment from the ones he has lost. Kershaw has talked about being so day-to-day focused that he doesn't get consumed by the overarching pursuit of a title, adding that he would be at peace if his career ended suddenly, with or without one. Jansen, however, feels differently.

"I think it would only feel complete, for me, if we won the World Series," Jansen said. "And we've had our chances."

Kershaw, Turner and Jansen -- the Dodgers' three highest-paid players, this year and next year -- will once again have a major say in their team's chances, regardless of the help that surrounds them. The Dodgers possess a deep lineup, a star-studded rotation and a better-than-advertised bullpen. But if Jansen doesn't solidify the ninth inning or Turner doesn't return to health or Kershaw doesn't shake the October demons, hope might be lost. The trio's window would only shrink.

"I want to see us win one together," Jansen said, "and maybe win multiple together."

Kershaw is only 31 but has become a veteran presence on a team with as many as 10 prominent players under the age of 26. He is among the many who have been struck by the youth of today's sport.

"People used to say your peak was 28, 29 -- your athletic peak," Kershaw said. "And now it seems like it's closer to 23, 24."

Kershaw has taken note of how accepting veterans are of rookies these days, a stark contrast to the perpetual hazing that was so commonplace when he debuted. His approach has been to lead by example in hopes that it would spark questions from the younger players. But over time, Kershaw has found himself going out of his way more often.

"Not to say I didn't do that before," Kershaw said, "but I think it's a little more intentional now."

Turner also has found himself making more of an attempt to be a sounding board for young players.

"Let them be themselves," he said, "but continue to nudge them in the right direction."

Jansen, 32, came to the Dodgers as a 17-year-old catcher in 2005. His time with the organization has seen him transition into an All-Star reliever, get married and become a father of three. But this, he said, is the year he grew the most.

"Just learning how to get back up after failing, failing and failing," Jansen said. "I feel like I've matured a lot."

Jansen has had to live with the reality that his cutter is no longer unhittable. He learned about sequencing, struggled with his mechanics and finished the 2019 season with career highs in ERA (3.71) and blown saves (eight). But Roberts will continue to entrust Jansen as his closer, dismissing the possibility of matching up in the ninth inning.

Kershaw started the postseason opener every year from 2013 to 2017, but he gave way to Hyun-Jin Ryu in 2018 and will take a back seat to Buehler in 2019. Kershaw struggles to break 90 mph with his fastball now, but his evolution has been a source of inspiration for Jansen. Kershaw's numbers this season -- 16 wins, a 3.03 ERA, nearly 10 strikeouts per nine innings -- were a revelation.

Turner batted .296/.375/.522 with 26 home runs over this season's first five months. But he played in only four of the team's final 14 regular-season games while battling injuries to his ankle and back, and he wasn't fully cleared for postseason action until taking part in Tuesday's scrimmage.

Turner has reached the playoffs every year he has been with the Dodgers, but he still savors each trip. He broke into the majors with Baltimore Orioles teams that annually finished last in their division. It taught him to appreciate October.

"I understand that this isn't a given, that you can't just show up and play in the playoffs," Turner said. "It's a lot of work. It's something that I'm thankful for."

Winding down his 12th season with the Dodgers, Kershaw feels similarly. He was born and raised in Dallas, but he has adopted L.A. as his second home and has grown to realize what another championship would mean to this city. Since Kershaw's rookie season in 2008, the Dodgers have possessed a future star in Matt Kemp, a midseason jolt in Manny Ramirez, a co-ace in Zack Greinke, a lightning rod in Yasiel Puig and a steady run-producer in Adrian Gonzalez.

They're all gone now, but the Dodgers once again have a legitimate chance to snap a championship drought that sits at 31 years with a group that, given the 106 regular-season victories, could go down as the greatest in franchise history.

Kershaw will stop short of saying this has to be the year.

"That's for the front office to figure out. I'll just say this: We expect to win this year, and we hope to. This is as good a year as any."

 Study highlights benefits of tart cherry consumption

Bianca Andreescu will play Naomi Osaka for the first time after both players advanced to the quarter-finals of the China Open.

Osaka, 21, lost only four games with a 6-4 6-0 win over USA's Alison Riske, before Andreescu came past American qualifier Jennifer Brady 6-1 6-3.

The 19-year-old Canadian is on a 16-match-winning streak, which saw her lift the US Open trophy last month.

World number four Osaka, from Japan, is the current Australian Open Champion.

Dan Evans' bid to become the British number one ended when he lost in straight sets to John Isner in the second round of the China Open.

Evans could not break the American's serve and was beaten 7-6 (7-3) 7-5.

The 29-year-old, the world number 48, would have overtaken compatriot Kyle Edmund if he had reached the last four.

Evans' defeat leaves Andy Murray, who faces top-seed Dominic Thiem of Austria in the last eight on Friday, as the sole remaining Briton in the field.

Evans earned two break points in the ninth game of the first set but could not take either and big-serving Isner, 34, took the tie-break 7-3.

The second set looked to be heading for a tie-break too, until Isner found some magic to secure the only break of serve in the match and book a quarter-final spot against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The Greek player beat defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 4-6 6-3 6-2.

Top four seeds all from Egypt in men’s showpiece event
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent

The world’s greatest players, led by World No.1 and defending champion Ali Farag, will battle for the most prestigious title on the men’s tour when they compete in the 2019-20 PSA Men’s World Championship in Doha, Qatar, between November 8-15, 2019.

The Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex will feature 64 of the world’s leading male players as they compete for a share of the $335,000 prize fund, with 24 nations represented across the draw. In addition to capturing the trophy and the lion’s share of the prize money, the winner will also qualify for the season-ending PSA World Tour Finals.

Three former World Champions feature in the entry list, including top seed, reigning champion and 2018 Qatar Classic champion Farag, 2017 champion Mohamed ElShorbagy and 2016 winner Karim Abdel Gawad.

They, along with 2018-19 runner-up Tarek Momen, take the first four seeded positions as Egypt continue to dominate on the world stage, but they will be joined by the likes of New Zealand’s Paul Coll, Germany’s Simon Rösner, Peru’s Diego Elias and Colombia’s Miguel Angel Rodriguez, all of whom will be aiming to become the first non-Egyptian winner since Frenchman Gregory Gaultier in 2015.

That year’s runner-up Omar Mosaad, 2010 runner-up James Willstrop and the talented Mohamed Abouelghar, who reached the final of the 2018-19 CIB PSA World Tour Finals on his last PSA appearance, will also take to the court in Doha.

Some 56 of the world’s top 58 players have entered the draw, with the final eight spots comprising four winners of World Championship qualifying events, two World Squash Federation invitees and two wildcards picked by the Qatar Squash Federation.

Three Qatari men will appear in front of their home crowd, including the country’s No.1 player, Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi, and wildcards Syed Azlan Amjad and Hamad Al-Amri.

All matches will be held at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex, with play split between the glass court and the ‘traditional’ plaster side courts. Fixtures from the glass court will be streamed live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.

2019-20 PSA Men’s World Championship, Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex, Doha, Qatar, November 8-15.

Entry List:
1) Ali Farag (EGY)
2) Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)
3) Tarek Momen (EGY)
4) Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
5) Paul Coll (NZL)
6) Simon Rösner (GER)
7) Diego Elias (PER)
8) Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY)
9) Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
10) Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
11) Saurav Ghosal (IND)
12) Joel Makin (WAL)
13) Omar Mosaad (EGY)
14) Fares Dessouky (EGY)
15) Zahed Salem (EGY)
16) Gregoire Marche (FRA)
17) Daryl Selby (ENG)
18) James Willstrop (ENG)
19) Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)
20) Declan James (ENG)
21) Mazen Hesham (EGY)
22) Cesar Salazar (MEX)
23) Tom Richards (ENG)
24) Adrian Waller (ENG)
25) Mostafa Asal (EGY)
26) Leo Au (HKG)
27) Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
28) Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
29) Greg Lobban (SCO)
30) Raphael Kandra (GER)
31) Tsz Fung Yip (HKG)
32) Eain Yow Ng (MAS)
33) Max Lee (HKG)
34) Borja Golan (ESP)
35) Campbell Grayson (NZL)
36) Lucas Serme (FRA)
37) Youssef Soliman (EGY)
38) Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP)
39) George Parker (ENG)
40) Arturo Salazar (MEX)
41) Chris Simpson (ENG)
42) Alan Clyne (SCO)
43) Youssef Ibrahim (EGY)
44) Karim Ali Fathi (EGY)
45) Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
46) Ivan Yuen (MAS)
47) Todd Harrity (USA)
48) Ramit Tandon (IND)
49) Richie Fallows (ENG)
50) Mohamed El Sherbini (EGY)
51) Karim El Hammamy (EGY)
52) Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND)
53) Tayyab Aslam (PAK)
54) Ben Coleman (ENG)
55) Nathan Lake (ENG)
56) Edmon Lopez (ESP)
57) Aqeel Rehman (AUT)
58) Ryosei Kobayashi (JPN)
59) Benjamin Aubert (FRA)
60) Auguste Dussourd (FRA)
61) Shawn Delierre (CAN)
62) Kristian Frost (DEN)
Wildcard) Syed Azlan Amjad (QAT)
Wildcard) Hamad Al-Amri (QAT)  

Report by SEAN REUTHE (PSA). Edited by ALAN THATCHER.

PSA website: www.psaworldtour.com

Pictures courtesy of PSA  

Former world champion offers free taster sessions at Hallamshire
By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor

Former world champion Nick Matthew is leading a whole week of activities at the Hallamshire Club in Sheffield in the build-up to World Squash Day.

Nick, who lifted the world title three times, alongside a hat-trick of British Open triumphs, is quickly making a name for himself as an inspirational coach after hanging up his racket on the PSA World Tour last year.

He still appears in the England Squash Premier Squash League (PSL), winning for Nottingham against Newcastle earlier this week. And his Nick Matthew Academy is growing steadily alongside his coaching commitments in the States and popular Wolf On Tour exhibition nights all over the world.

For World Squash Day, Nick said: “Not only are we planning a great day’s worth of activities on World Squash Day but we have a special week’s worth of events in the build-up.

“This starts on Friday October 4 with our Season Launch night, where all Hallamshire members will get the chance to hit with our top players followed by a ‘Pro Show’ from the resident pros.

“On the weekend of October 5th-6th we will be hosting the Nick Matthew Junior Open, an England Squash sanctioned Bronze event, then on Wednesday 9th we have our first home Yorkshire League match of the season featuring some hacker who used to be half decent plus a host of upcoming players from my Academy!”

Nick added: “On Thursday 10th we are hosting a special ‘Open evening’ of the Nick Matthew Academy, which will be open to all junior players from far and wide.

“The session runs from 4pm-5.20pm (development players) and 5.20pm-6.40pm (elite players).”

Are you staging an event for @WorldSquashDay?

Check out our photos and videos (including this one⬇️) that you can download and use on your social media channels to entice players to your event ?https://t.co/Z4lj5l5HCf#WorldSquashDay #Squash @nickmatthew pic.twitter.com/EzoFdifVge

— ??????? England Squash (@englandsr) October 2, 2019

The sessions are free of charge and open to all juniors wishing to further their development in squash.

This is a great opportunity to get on court with Nick Matthew, Neil Guirey and learn from Mark Campbell on the fitness side of the game.

If you would like to book a place, please email Jayne Bonner: [email protected]

Hallamshire also have a full programme of fun activities on World Squash Day.

Also published on the World SquashDay website: www.worldsquashday.net

STUTTGART, Germany – Mercedes-Benz has announced a technology supply agreement with Formula E team Venturi Racing.

Venturi Racing will run two examples of the new Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow 01 alongside the cars fielded by the works Mercedes team, in order to accelerate the manufacturer’s learning curve in its debut Formula E season.

The technology supply will comprise the cooling system, rear frame, rear suspension, dampers, software, onboard electronics and wiring, as well as the brand-new powertrain (including inverter, motor, rear-axle components and energy management software) designed and developed at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP), the Daimler group’s global centre of excellence for high-performance hybrid technology.

“We are delighted to welcome Venturi Racing to the Mercedes family ahead of our first Formula E season,” said Ian James, Team Principal of the Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team. “At Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, we have accumulated a huge amount of knowledge in the field of high-performance electrified power units over the past few years, which will not only benefit our new Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team but also Venturi Racing. Running four cars on track in our debut season will accelerate our progress towards the ultimate goal of fighting for race wins.”

“This development marks a significant step forward for the team and, with my longstanding relationship with Mercedes-Benz, I feel very confident that we will enjoy a strong working partnership with our new powertrain suppliers”, added Susie Wolff, Venturi Racing Team Principal. “We made good progress in season 5 but our plans for season six are even more ambitious and we are doing everything within our power to make sure that we are as competitive as possible before we head to Saudi for the season opener.”

“We are taking the expertise we’ve built up over the last decade and applying it to the new challenge of Formula E,” said Andy Cowell, Managing Director of Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains. “Working together with Venturi Racing, we will be able to increase our rate of learning in our debut season, and what’s more, with a well-established team, who have been part of the series since the very first year. The lessons learned and the technologies we are working on at the race track will also be incorporated into the development of road-going vehicles over time, so the entire Mercedes-Benz family will benefit as a result.”

“We are proud to welcome Mercedes-Benz to the Venturi family as our powertrain partner for season six”, added Gildo Pastor, President, Venturi Automobiles. “Pairing our experience in high-performing electric vehicles with the racing pedigree of Mercedes is a significant step towards strengthening our position in a racing formula that is becoming ever-more-competitive. We’re all excited about this new era for the team and I’m confident this will be the start of a great journey with our new colleagues in Stuttgart and Brixworth.”