Caracas, Venezuela– Authorities have arrested five additional suspects connected with last week’s kidnapping of major league baseball player Wilson Ramos, Venezuelan officials said Monday.

The five Colombian citizens are among 11 people detained in connection with the case, Venezuela’s justice ministry said in a statement.

Investigators released few details about the arrests, but were scheduled to release more information about the case at a press conference Monday morning.

Security forces rescued Ramos on Friday in Montalban, a mountainous region about 60 miles from the north central Venezuelan town where gunmen kidnapped him two days earlier, state media reported.

Ramos, a rising star for the Washington Nationals as a rookie this past year, was in his native country to play in Venezuela’s winter league.

But before his first game with the Aragua Tigers, gunmen kidnapped him Wednesday night from his mother’s home in Santa Ines, a team spokeswoman said.

Major league catcher Wilson Ramos has been “found alive,” two days after he was reported kidnapped by gunmen, Venezuelan state TV reported Friday.

Ramos was found by security forces in Montalban, a mountainous region about 60 miles from the north central Venezuelan town where he was last seen, according to a tweet posted late Friday by Communications Minister Andres Izarra.

Ramos was reported by state-run VTV to be healthy and unharmed.

Ramos, a rising star for the Washington Nationals as a rookie this past year, had returned to his native country to play in Venezuela’s winter league.

But before his first game with the Aragua Tigers, gunmen kidnapped him Wednesday night from his mother’s home in Santa Ines in Carabobo state, a team spokeswoman said.

On Thursday, authorities said that they had found the SUV they believe was used in the kidnapping and had created sketches of two of the gunmen.

Prior to his release Friday, news about the federal investigation was tightly guarded.

“It’s understandable that everyone wants to know what is happening with Wilson and how the investigation goes, but remember that, in these cases, patience is key,” Tigers spokeswoman Kathe Vilera said on her Twitter account. She added that keeping the details sealed could help the investigation.

“It has all the earmarks as a targeted kidnapping: selected victim, selected location, selected time,” said Chris Voss, a kidnapping specialist for Insite Security who has handled six cases involving Venezuela and who worked for the FBI for 26 years. “There’s an outside possibility that they thought they were grabbing another member of the family, but that’s extremely unlikely.”

Kidnapping as an industry has crossed the border from Colombia into Venezuela, Voss said. “When criminals next door show you a model of how to make money easily — and kidnapping is usually pretty easy money — then other kidnappers will simply ape it.”

But targeting athletes and other celebrities can be a mistake, he said. “It’s going to bring too much law enforcement scrutiny down on them; too much international scrutiny. And media attention and scrutiny from law enforcement worldwide is bad for business.”

Ramos, 24, emerged as the Nationals’ top catcher this past season. He had a .267 batting average with 15 home runs and 52 runs batted in.

Though soccer reigns in most Latin American countries, it is baseball that rules in Venezuela, which routinely feeds players to major league teams in the United States.

That pipeline has been transformed in recent years because of violence.

As Venezuela’s economy has stagnated in recent years, crimes such as kidnapping and murder have risen. According to the National Institute of Statistics, 16,917 people were kidnapped between July 2008 and July 2010, or about 23 kidnappings a day.

Baseball players who play professionally in the United States, whether in the major or minor leagues, are typically targeted for their money, though Ramos’ case is the first time a player himself has been snatched. Usually, a family member is held for ransom.

“Government, please do something because Venezuela is crumbling with so much insecurity while you say that Venezuela is safe,” Venezuelan baseball player Jose Castillo wrote on his Twitter account.

Melvin Dorta, a Venezuelan playing professionally in the U.S. Atlantic Independent League, that there are lots of opportunities in Venezuela, but also pitfalls.

Dorta has played for the Aragua Tigers and is a friend and former teammate of Ramos.

“Venezuela does have one of the best winter leagues, but it is one of the leagues where the Americans ask before going because of the insecurity and the dangers that one faces,” he said.

Those dangers have led many American teams to abandon their baseball academies in Venezuela, said Arturo Marcano, a lawyer and sports columnist who co-authored a book about the recruitment of players from Venezuela.

When major league teams noticed the talent sitting in places like the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, they increased their investment in the region. Instead of relying on scouts to find players, they instituted the academies to find, train and sign players, Marcano said.

“The goal is to identify the players and sign the players, and if you can do it as cheaply as possible, all the better,”.

As crime in Venezuela increased, however, operating the academies became dangerous for their managers and scouts.

“All of a sudden, with these safety issues, teams started to leave,” Marcano said.

At its peak, about 16 major league teams operated baseball academies in Venezuela, he said. Today, that number is only five or six. Teams have returned to the practice of sending only scouts, and then sending promising players to academies in the Dominican Republic.

Venezuelans who make it to the big leagues in the United States and return home become targets because there is a perception that they all make a lot of money, Marcano said. But for the minor leaguers and nonsuperstars in their first major league years, that is not necessarily the case.

Another aspect that may have influenced the Ramos kidnapping is that players from humble backgrounds who make money in the pros often return to the rough neighborhoods where their families live. Working-class families often don’t want to leave their neighborhoods and their friends; they may feel they don’t belong in middle- and upper-class neighborhoods. For example, Ramos was kidnapped from the home of his relatives, who had stayed in a tough area despite his success.

Remember the name: Joao Moreira. You may not have heard of him yet, but you soon will. Since arriving at Kranji nearly three years ago, the Brazilian has quickly become Singapore’s top jockey.

It’s a long way from Sao Paulo, where the 27-year-old struggled when he started his apprenticeship.

“My first six months were really bad because I didn’t have any experience,” Moreira. “(My first trainer) gave me a ride on a filly and I didn’t really have control of her in the race. He said to me, ‘Joao, you should look for another job because you don’t have the skill to be riding horses.’

“That broke my heart. But I continued to work for him and when he saw I wasn’t going to leave he started giving me advice and really helped me. After that he started giving me more opportunities, including my first Group winner. He was very important in my life and I will always appreciate that.”

So what was the advice that his trainer gave him?
“Riding horses is not that difficult, but riding horses in races is really difficult. Not only do you have to have balance and skill, but you are riding against other jockeys,” Moreira said.

“You are trying to beat them, but how? You must try to be the smartest one in the race. Really know when to make your move. Study the handicaps to see which horse is going to lead.”

The advice certainly seems to have done the trick. Moreira recently rode his 100th winner for the second consecutive season. But there is one prize in Singaporean racing that still eludes him: the Gold Cup.

“I haven’t had a winner in the Cup yet, so you could say it is my dream. The horse I’m riding (Martial Art) has got a chance so I’m just hoping.”

What will be his strategy on Sunday?

“My horse will probably be somewhere in the middle of the field or a little bit further behind,” he said.

“I want to be as close as possible to the fence and give my horse every chance. The distance is quite long (2,200 meters) so there’s time, but you don’t want to get caught wide at the first bend.”

Whether or not Moreira captures his first Gold Cup on Sunday, it seems that the jockey already has one eye on his next career move.

He is certainly not short of offers. Australia beckons — he has already enjoyed success there this season and is a popular figure Down Under, where he is nicknamed “Super Joe.” Hong Kong has also been floated as a possible next step.

His fellow jockeys at Kranji are full of praise for the charismatic Brazilian.

“This guy has got a bright future,” says veteran rider V. Sivan. “He’s young, talented and he’s gifted. Singapore is a good first step for him.”

Moreira is keeping his options open: “Nobody knows yet, not even myself!”

World number one Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the Paris Masters with a shoulder injury.

The 24-year-old moved into the last eight of the competition on Thursday with a three-set over fellow Serbian Viktor Troicki but said he was not fit enough to face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Friday’s scheduled quarterfinal.

Djokovic has been struggling with shoulder and back injuries since winning the U.S. Open in September, and was forced to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters as he missed the ATP Tour’s Asian leg.

“Sadly I have to inform you that I have withdrawn from the tournament,” he said on his official website on Friday, raising doubts that he will be fit to play in the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London this month.

“I have pushed myself to the limit by playing, and after the match yesterday my shoulder got worse.

“For this reason, I have to put my health first and withdraw even though my urges as a professional player are making me want to play until the last drop of energy.

“I am very sorry for all of you who bought tickets and wanted to come and watch me play. My season has been long and tiring, I played all of my matches at my highest level, and now my body is aching for recovery. Hoping for your understanding and support.”

Earlier in the week Djokovic rejected claims that he had played in Paris just to collect a year-end $1.6 million bonus check for finishing top of the rankings.

Djokovic would have been entitled to a $2 million bonus had he featured in all eight of the Masters 1000 events on the ATP Tour but his absence in China saw that figured reduced.

Injured Djokovic beaten in Basel semis

“It was really somehow funny for me to see how people are coming up with that story,” he said after beating Ivan Dodig on Wednesday.

“I even heard that I would get on the court and play a game just to get this money. This is ridiculous.”

Berdych completes ATP World Tour Finals line-up

Tsonga will next face the winner of Friday’s match between Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer and American John Isner.

In the other half of the draw, second seed Andy Murray takes on No. 5 Tomas Berdych, while No. 3 Roger Federer continues his bid for a first title in the French event as he plays unseeded Argentine Juan Monaco.

Australian golfer Adam Scott defended caddy Steve Williams on Wednesday following recent remarks the New Zealander made about former world number one Tiger Woods.

Williams made the comments at an event in Shanghai, China, where he was receiving a satirical award for a celebratory interview he gave after world No. 8 Scott had won their first tournament together in August.

When asked to explain the reason for his celebration at the Bridgestone Invitational, Williams, who had been fired by Woods in July, is reported to have said: “I wanted to shove it up that black a——-.”

Williams has since apologized for the comments, while 14-time major winner Woods expressed his belief that former employee Williams is not a racist after the pair spoke.

Should ‘idiot’ caddy be punished for Woods remark?

Scott, speaking ahead of this week’s Australian Open, described recent events as “unfortunate” while saying there was no place for racism in the game of golf.”He’s (Williams) a part of my team and it was all unfortunate and I felt that if I spoke up I could say my piece and I wouldn’t need to deal with it any more,” the 31-year-old told a press conference.

Woods: Former caddy not a racist

“I think it’s a very unfortunate circumstance, we don’t need that in the game and I wanted to put an end to it and I feel that I have.

“Everyone has their own opinions about the subject, so now I’ve stood by mine and said all I have to say about (it) really.”

Williams sorry for Woods remark

Scott also denied the controversy had negatively impacted his form, after slipping from third heading into the final round of last weekend’s HSBC Champions tournament to finish tied for 11th.

“I don’t think that affected my golf swing,” he said. “I would say it was just a coincidence.”

After the upcoming tournament in Sydney, both Woods and Scott will remain in Australia to take part in the ninth Presidents Cup at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

The biennial event pits players from the U.S. against an International team and will be played between November 17 and 20.

Sachin Tendulkar fell short in his quest to complete a 100th international century as India beat the West indies by five wickets in the first Test in Delhi.

The batsman, dubbed the ‘Little Master’ was 33 not out overnight and raced to 76 as he chased down the landmark but was then dismissed by spinner Devendra Bishoo.

Tendulkar has been stuck on 99 hundreds since March but did become the first player to score 15,000 runs in Test match cricket on Tuesday. He is also the highest run scorer in one day international cricket.

Despite the 38-year-old’ being trapped LBW, India needed just over one session to reach their winning target, finishing on 276-5 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.

After VVS laxman’s unbeaten 55 took India to their target, captain MS Dhoni told reporters Tendulkar would soon reach the milestone.

“The media are putting pressure on him,” he said in a press conference. “Let him score his hundred and he will do at some point in time. He is pretty good at doing that and he will do it. Let him score the hundred without pressure.

“If you are talking about the gentleman, expectations of him by the people have been high as (Mount) Everest. Since his second year in international cricket he has been the star.

“When he goes to a cricket field and scores 50, people say he has not scored runs and it has been like this each and every day.

“And what we have seen is that any individual, when he reaches a milestone, he may take a little bit more time than usual. But I think it’s around the corner.”

The second Test begins in Kolkata on Monday.

Elsewhere, South Africa took full advantage of helpful bowling conditions to reduce Australia to 214-8 in the first Test in Cape Town.

The tourists were grateful to captain Michael Clarke’s unbeaten 107 to take them past the 200 mark. Shaun Marsh (44) and Mitchell Johnson (20) were the only other players to reach double figures on a rain-affected day in South Africa.

Fast bowler Dale Steyn was the stand out performer for the hosts, taking four wickets, including the scalp of former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting.

Vernon Philander took three wickets as only 55 overs were possible on the opening day due to the weather.

World number one Novak Djokovic beat Croat Ivan Dodig 6-4 6-3 at the Paris Masters on Wednesday, a win which earned the Serb a check for $1.6 million.

A shoulder injury had cast doubt over Djokovic’s participation in the French tournament, with the 24-year-old having already pulled out of last month’s Shanghai Masters.

The top seed would have been entitled to a $2m bonus for ending the year at number one in the world rankings, but that figure is subject to the player having featured in all eight of the Masters 1000 events on the ATP Tour.

The bonus had already been reduced to $1.6m due to Djokovic’s absence in China, and would have been wiped out altogether had he failed to play in France.

But Djokovic was fit to take to the court at the indoor tournament, revealing his pleasure at being able to play in front of the Paris crowd.

“I think it’s one of the most entertaining indoor tournaments,” Djokovic told the ATP Tour’s official website. “People are coming in numbers here to watch matches. I like playing it.”

World No. 3 Andy Murray is also safely into the third round courtesy of a 6-2 6-4 defeat of home-crowd favorite Jeremy Chardy in the French capital.

The victory was second seed Murray’s 16th in-a-row, a run which stretches back to his U.S. Open semifinal defeat to Rafael Nadal and has seen him move above 16-time grand slam winner Roger Federer in the world rankings.

Murray converted three of his six break points to seal a fifth career win over world No. 110 Chardy and set up a last-16 clash with American Andy Roddick.

Federer continued his recent revival with a 6-2 6-3 win over French wildcard Adrian Mannarino. The Swiss clinched his fifth career triumph at the Swiss Indoors in Basel earlier this month, and was in fine form as he dispatched Mannarino in 56 minutes.

Fourth seed David Ferrer also earned a straight-sets success against French opposition, advancing beyond qualifier Nicolas Mahut 6-4 6-4.

The Spaniard, who is already assured of his place at the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London later this month, faced only two break points on his way to victory in one hour and 27 minutes.

Serb Janko Tipsarevic continued his bid to reach the World Tour Finals with a crushing 6-1 6-0 triumph over American Alex Bogomolov Jr.

World No. 13 Tipsarevic, who must reach the final to stand any chance of competing at the O2 Arena, now faces Tomas Berdych, the Czech who can seal his World Tour Finals berth with victory in the third round clash.

Fernando Alonso is determined to banish his demons in Abu Dhabi as he returns to the track where his 2010 Formula One world championship chances disintegrated.

The Ferrari driver was in pole position to grab his third career title last year, needing to finish in the top four to claim the crown.

But the Italian team took the decision to bring Alonso into the pits at an early stage and he spent the rest of the race stuck behind Renault’s Vitaly Petrov, finishing seventh, and handing Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel his first ever world championship.

A dominant Vettel hasn’t looked back, retaining his title with four races of the 2011 season to go and Alonso admits returning to the Yas Marina circuit will be a painful experience for him.

“It would not be honest if I told you I won’t be a bit uncomfortable thinking about it when I see the paddock for the first time,” Alonso wrote in his blog on Ferrari’s official website.

“But then the feeling will vanish and it will leave room for the present, which is about aiming to do well this weekend and in the future: to learn as much as possible with next season in mind.
“It’s right that it should be like that because in sport, as in the rest of life, you must always look ahead.

“Abu Dhabi 2010 was an important stage in my career and I have no doubt that even through that bad day, my relationship with Ferrari has become even stronger.”

Alonso, from Spain, is currently third in the drivers’ world championship standings, 13 points behind McLaren’s British driver Jenson Button in second.

But the gulf between Vettel and the rest of the field is underlined by his 134-point lead over Button.

Alonso acknowledges that winning will be “difficult” in Abu Dhabi but says he is keen to fight for a podium place to counter last year’s bitter disappointment.

“I completely appreciate that winning will be very difficult,” he said. “In this closing part of the season the relative positions are very clear but we have also seen there are some conditions in which we can fight for victory: as happened in Suzuka, for example.

“We know if we all get everything right we can fight for the top three but our natural qualifying position is on the third row. Then in the race things can go differently but that is the realistic situation.

“So our target is the podium. Apart from anything else that result would allow me to fill a gap in my trophy cabinet as Abu Dhabi is the only race on the calendar from which I have yet to bring home silverware.”

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic  — A three-judge panel court on Tuesday acquitted Baltimore Orioles pitcher Alfredo Simon of charges in the shooting death of a man in his hometown.

Simon was charged with involuntary murder in the death of Michell Esteban Castillo, 25, and with injuring the victim’s cousin Starlin Castillo, 17, early on January 1 in the nearby town of Luperon.

Defense attorneys argued that the prosecution failed to prove Simon fired the pistol that killed Castillo, who he said was a childhood friend, during a New Year’s Eve celebration.

Prosecutors claimed that Simon had bribed witnesses, including the wounded cousin, who on Tuesday appeared less certain that Simon was the shooter than he had been in previous statements to police and the media.

Prosecutors said they will wait for the official verdict to be released but plan to appeal to the regional appellate court in Santiago.

In the Dominican Republic, prosecutors can appeal an acquittal to a higher court within 20 working days. Simon faces a 10-year sentence on the charges.

The 30-year-old right-hander started 23 games for the Orioles this season and posted a record of 4-9 with a 4.90 earned-run average.

According to local news website gentetuya.com, Simon is expected to sign a $12 million contract with the Orioles.

Joe Frazier, the hard-hitting boxing heavyweight who handed the legendary Muhammad Ali his first defeat, died Monday, just a month after being diagnosed with liver cancer, his family said in a statement.

The former heavyweight champion, who was 67, became a legend in his own right and personified the gritty working-class style of his hard-knuckled hometown, Philadelphia — a fitting setting for the “Rocky” film series, starring Sylvester Stallone as hardscrabble boxer Rocky Balboa. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter called Frazier the “quintessential Philadelphia boxer.”

“You could hear him coming, snorting and grunting and puffing, like a steam engine climbing a steep grade,” Bill Lyon wrote in a Philadelphia Inquirer column about Frazier, nicknamed Smokin’ Joe.

“He was swarming and unrelenting, and he prided himself that he never took a backward step, and he reduced the Sweet Science to this brutal bit of elemental math: ‘I’ll let you hit me five times if you’ll let me hit you just once.’”

Frazier’s family issued a brief statement about his death.

“We The Family of … Smokin’ Joe Frazier, regret to inform you of his passing,” the statement said. “He transitioned from this life as ‘One of God’s Men,’ on the eve of November 7, 2011 at his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.”
Muhammad Ali said in a statement that the “world has lost a great champion.”

“I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration. My sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones,” Ali’s statement said.

Star boxer Floyd “Money” Mayweather offered to pay for Frazier’s funeral.

“My condolences go out to the family of the late great Joe Frazier,” read a post on Mayweather’s official Twitter feed. “#TheMoneyTeam will pay for his funeral services.”

Fans and well-wishers were encouraged to post their thoughts and prayers on a Facebook page at joefrazierscorner.com.

“RIP Smokin’ Joe Frazier you had heavy hands and a big heart you will be missed,” read a Facebook post .

Another post said: “One of my childhood heroes has left us …I’m really sad.”

The son of a South Carolina sharecropper, Frazier boxed during the glory days of the heavyweight division, going up against greats George Foreman, Oscar Bonavena, Joe Bugner and Jimmy Ellis.

He made his name by winning a gold medal for the United States at the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo. U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun said Frazier was “one of the greatest boxers of all time” and “was an Olympic champion and an American icon.”

Frazier used his devastating left hook with impunity during his professional career, retiring in 1976 with a 32-4-1 record and staging one last comeback fight in 1981.

HBO analyst and famed trainer Emanuel Steward, who knew Frazier from amateur boxing, told boxer Buster Mathis not to fight Frazier as a pro.

“And in 1968, they did, and Joe Frazier’s determination and strength and pressure — and that wicked left hook — he broke Buster down and knocked him out,” Steward said. “He was one of the most vicious machines I ever saw in my life.

But it was his three much-hyped fights against Ali that helped seal his legend.

Frazier bested Ali at 1971′s “Fight of the Century” at Madison Square Garden. In the 15th round, Frazier landed perhaps the most famous left hook in history, catching Ali on the jaw and dropping the former champ for a four-count, according to Frazier’s bio at the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Frazier left the ring as the undisputed champ and handed Ali his first professional loss.

“Ali was talking to him and Joe never did bow down. Ali would make a comment and Joe would talk right back. He always had that determination,” Steward said.

Ali won a 12-round decision in a January 1974 rematch, setting the stage for the classic “Thrilla in Manila” just outside the Philippine capital in 1975.

Ali took the early rounds, but Frazier rebounded before losing the last five rounds. By the end of the 14th, Frazier’s eyes were nearly swollen shut, and his corner stopped the bout, according to the biography.

Later, Ali said, “It was the closest I’ve come to death.”

Philadelphia Daily News columnist Stan Hochman noted that Frazier “summoned the skill and courage to battle Ali into the 14th round in Manila.”

“He was a fighter, pure and simple, with a style that seemed destined for a short career. Trudge forward, lean on the other guy, take two to land one,” Hochman wrote.

“‘You’ve gotta breathe on him,’” Frazier would say, in a rare attempt to define his style. ‘No shortcuts’ was his mantra. There’s a lesson there for all of us,” Hochman’s column said Tuesday.

Boxer Mike Tyson sent Twitter messages saying the era of Frazier and Ali represented an age of “competitive fighting at the highest level.”

“Each man would not give an inch until they were dead,” he said, adding that “it has always been an honor to be compared” to Frazier.

Frazier, a two-time heavyweight champion for nearly three years until he lost in January 1973 to George Foreman, ran a well-known boxing gym in Philadelphia for years.

“I don’t mind working with the kids,” Frazier’s Don Lemon in 2009. “The kids is tomorrow. And if we don’t do what we’re supposed to do for them now, how are you going (to) expect them to carry on?”

Asked whether he was similar to Rocky Balboa, Frazier replied, “Sure. I worked at the slaughterhouse. I’m the guy that ran in the streets of Philadelphia.”

Nutter said Frazier “represented the heart and soul of boxing in our great city.”

“In the ring and in the neighborhoods, he carried himself with dignity and courage. He was a true ambassador for our city. I enjoyed him as a fighter, and I really liked him as a person,” the mayor said. “The entire city mourns his passing, and we keep him and his family in our prayers.”