Former England Manager GRAHAM TAYLOR died aged 72. As a club manager, Taylor led Watford from the Fourth Division to runners-up in the old First Division in six years, and to the 1984 FA Cup final. He took Aston Villa to second in the First Division, returning to Watford and Villa "after his spell in charge of the national side," and managing Wolverhampton. He "became England boss" in '90 but resigned in '93 after the team failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup (BBC, 1/12). ... Former tennis player KOSEI KAMO, one of only two Japanese men who have won a title at a Grand Slam tennis tournament following World War II, "died of a heart attack." He was 84. The Japan Tennis Association said that Kamo, who with ATSUSHI MIYAGI won the 1955 U.S. Open men's doubles crown, passed away Jan. 6 due to myocardial infarction (KYODO, 1/12). ... A team source said that the MLB L.A. Dodgers do "not intend" to let right-handed pitcher KENTA MAEDA play for Japan in the World Baseball Classic in March. The source said that Dodgers President of Baseball Operations ANDREW FRIEDMAN decided not to allow the 28-year-old "hurler" to represent his country in the upcoming tournament. Maeda "was Japan's ace at the previous WBC" in '13 (KYODO, 1/12).
