Oakland, Calif.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity on Sunday because the meeting was not made public. Oakland executives remained confident as recently as the baseball winter meetings last month in Las Vegas that Murray would report to spring training this year and pursue baseball. MLB joined the efforts to persuade the dual-sport star, sending someone from its marketing group to the meeting, the source said.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Murray’s Sooners lost in a college football playoff semifinal Dec. 29 to eventual runner-up Alabama.
Drafted last June in the first round as the ninth overall pick, the outfielder signed with Oakland for $4.66 million. There was an agreement between the team and Murray that he would play football this year, then skip his senior season to begin his pro baseball career — and A’s manager Bob Melvin as well as executive Billy Beane and general manager David Forst closely followed Oklahoma football in 2018.
Solskjaer, Man U Blank Spurs
London
Surpassing the great Matt Busby in 1946, Solskjaer has now opened his United reign with a club-record six successive victories after beating Tottenham, 1-0, in the Premier League on Sunday. It was secured by Marcus Rashford’s first-half goal and 11 second-half saves by goalkeeper David de Gea.
United remains sixth in the standings, just as it was when Jose Mourinho was fired last month. But thanks to Arsenal’s struggles, United is now behind the London club on goal difference. Chelsea, in the fourth and final Champions League place, is only six points in front of United and Arsenal.
United is used to far loftier targets — winning the league a record 20 times — but it has failed to do so in the chaotic years since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Everton is now up to 10th in the standings, three points ahead of Bournemouth, which has lost nine of its last 12 league games, after a 2-0 win over the Cherries on Sunday.
Michigan Cuts Ties With Exec
Ann Arbor, Mich.
USA Gymnastics parted ways with Faehn as senior vice president in May after she was criticized by victims of Larry Nassar, the former national team doctor serving decades in prison for abusing athletes.
Faehn was with the Wolverines for a meet at Alabama on Friday.
