MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins have found a replacement for Joe Mauer at catcher. Rayshawn Jenkins Jersey . The Twins and catcher Kurt Suzuki agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract on Friday, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Suzuki has to pass a physical before the contract can be signed. Minnesota was in the market for a veteran catcher after announcing last month that Mauer was moving to first base. It was a difficult decision for Mauer, the two-time AL batting champion who always has felt his value to the team was highest when he was catching. But a concussion from a batted ball deflecting off his head on Aug. 19 ended his season and ultimately is what convinced Mauer to relent. The Twins had an opening at first base after trading Justin Morneau to Pittsburgh, so Mauer will take over for his long-time friend as the full-time first baseman. Once that decision was made, the Twins went into the free-agent market looking for a veteran who could handle a revamped pitching staff and give them some production at the plate. They had conversations with A.J. Pierzynski and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but both chose to sign elsewhere. Thats when the Twins turned their attention to Suzuki, who hit .232 with five homers and 32 RBIs for the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics last season. Hell be counted on to help integrate newcomers Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes to the starting rotation and bring along younger pitchers like Kyle Gibson and Alex Meyer. The 30-year-old Suzuki will also be tasked with mentoring prospect Josmil Pinto, who filled in nicely for Mauer at the end of last season. Pinto hit .342 with four homers in 21 games last season. But the 24-year-old Venezuelan has a long way to go when it comes to defence and calling a game, so Suzuki and bench coach Terry Steinbach will be there to help him along. Suzuki only threw out 12 per cent of base stealers last season, but has thrown out 26 per cent in his big league career. Joe Barksdale Jersey . But defending champion Elena Vesnina of Russia held off a strong challenge to beat Shuai Peng of China 6-3, 6-4, and there was another hard-fought victory for 2012 runner-up Angelique Kerber of Germany, who defeated Alison Riske of the United States 7-6 (6), 6-4. Jason Verrett Jersey .Impact president Joey Saputo confirmed Thursday that he is part of a group of investors whose offer to buy the 105-year-old Italian club was accepted by the teams board of directors. http://www.chargersauthenticshop.com/Chargers-Tyrell-Williams-Draft-Jersey/ .C. -- The shot that would have beaten No.Tony Stewart could still face criminal charges for running down Kevin Ward Jr. with his sprint car, even if the three-time NASCAR champion didnt mean to kill Ward, hurt him or even scare him. Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero, who announced on Tuesday that the investigation is continuing, has said that his initial findings have turned up nothing that would indicate criminal intent in the crash at the Canandaigua Motorsports Park. But legal experts agree that does not mean Stewart is in the clear. The NASCAR star could be charged with second-degree manslaughter under New York law if prosecutors believe he "recklessly caused the death of another person," with negligent homicide another possibility, according to criminal law professor Corey Rayburn Yung of the Kansas University School of Law. "The question over whether someone was reckless is a factual one, and one a prosecutor might let a jury decide," said Yung, who also posts at the Concurring Opinion blog. Athletes in competition often do things that would get the average person arrested -- think two boxers in the ring, or a baserunner sliding into second with his spikes high. But sometimes an act is so far outside the bounds of accepted sporting behaviour that it becomes a crime, as former major leaguer Jose Offerman learned when he was charged with felony assault for rushing the mound -- swinging a bat -- after he was hit by a pitch in a minor league game. So Stewart would not expect to be charged for the car-on-car bump that sent Ward spinning into the wall. But if, for example, he were to tell police that he saw Ward on the track and tried to shower him with dirt or otherwise send him a message, a first-degree manslaughter charge could be a possibility, Yung said. In a 1949 case that Yung uses in his class, midget car racer Joseph Sostilio was found guilty of manslaughter after he tried to squeeze a four foot-wide vehicle through a two-foot opening at 40 mph, crashing into another car and sending it into the one driven by Stephen D. Bishop. Bishops car flipped three times and he was killed. Sostilios conviction was upheld on appeal by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Noting that a violent or aggressive act on a football field or in a boxing ring is not necessarily a crime, Justice Henry Tilton Lummus wrote: "In the present case physical contact was not an essential part of the racing of automobiles." That was a half-century ago, and racing has changed. Melvin Ingram Jersey. Trading paint is a part of the sport, and its not even uncommon these days for racers to leave their cars to confront rivals after a crash, which Ward appeared to be doing when he was killed. "In sports we tend to allow all sorts of conduct wed never allow in another circumstance," Yung said. "But this isnt a collision. Its not in that ballpark; its something you dont expect. This is a more complicated scenario. Were assuming Stewart didnt mean to do this, and yet a death resulted." Whether Stewarts actions were part of racing depends on what the police investigation finds. Unlike the cars Stewart drives on the NASCAR circuit, the sprint cars have no radios or instrument data recorders that could tell authorities exactly what was happening when Stewart hit Ward. Povero would not say how Stewart described the accident, but he said Monday he has reviewed two videos and spoken to Stewart. "The worst thing that could happen for Stewart is if his story doesnt seem to match other evidence," Yung said. "Because then it might call into question his own story." Poveros previous comments that he found no criminal intent all but rules out the possibility of a first-degree murder charge, which would essentially require a confession that Stewart was trying to kill Ward. For second-degree murder, prosecutors would need to prove Stewart was reckless in combination with a "depraved indifference to human life." "Mr. Stewart has fully co-operated with the police officers that are investigating," Povero said in a news conference shortly after the race. "He was visibly shaken by this incident, and has promised his continuing co-operation in this investigation." After the investigation is completed, Povero said, the evidence will be turned over to the district attorney as a matter of routine. Even if he is cleared by prosecutors, though, Stewart could face a civil suit. Although the standard of proof is lower than in a criminal case, the civil court would also consider Wards state of mind at the time of the accident and whether he was also negligent in venturing into racing traffic on a dark track in a dark suit. But Stewart would also have to weigh the damage to his image and career -- with his own team, tracks and millions in endorsements -- making a quick settlement likely. 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