Sports
Published Sat Jan 01 2000 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Sports news from our favorite local teams
LEADING OFF: Cards back in action, Yanks seizing AL East
The Cardinals are set to resume their season by hosting the Cubs. St. Louis has been off since last Friday, when two players returned positive coronavirus tests. Seven players in total have tested positive, including star catcher Yadier Molina. Ace Jack Flaherty (1-0, 2.57), who said he kept his arm fresh this week by throwing baseballs into a hotel mattress, is set to pitch against Chicago veteran Jon Lester (1-0, 0.82). Meanwhile, the New York Yankees could have a commanding lead on AL East-rival Tampa Bay by the end of the weekend.
LEADING OFF: No ball in New York; Francona still away
The Subway Series scheduled for this weekend has been postponed after two members of the Mets tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday. The Mets say they won’t have any team workouts this weekend, instead letting players and coaches isolate at home while New York and Major League Baseball undertake more testing and contact tracing measures. It’s a well-timed pause in the season for the Yankees, who placed shortstop Gleyber Torres and left-hander James Paxton on their crowded injured list Friday. New York was already without star hitters Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu, as well as left-hander Zack Britton, right-hander Tommy Kahnle and backup catcher Kyle Higashioka.
The Latest: Boca Juniors halts trainings after virus cases
Boca Juniors says it has COVID-19 cases in its squad, threatening preparations for its first Copa Libertadores match on Sept. 17
Filly Ramona Hill favored in $1 million Hambletonian
The $1 million Hambletonian and favored Ramona Hill have come a long way since the coronavirus pandemic shut down sports. Trotting’s most prestigious race, scheduled for Saturday at the Meadowlands, was a question mark until May when New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy gave approval for the sport to start in early June. Ramona Hill won the the Breeders Crown for 2-year-old filly trotters late last season and then was named the Dan Patch Award winner for her age group. She has been the surprise among 3-year-olds this year.
The Latest: Clemson pauses DE Xavier Thomas for virus-plus.
Clemson starting defensive end Xavier Thomas has been medically shutdown since March because of several illnesses, including COVID-19
NFL, union agree to extend daily coronavirus testing
The NFL has extended daily coronavirus testing for players and staff until further notice even though the positive test rate from the first two weeks of camp has been less than 1 percent. Daily testing was supposed to stop after two weeks if the positive rate was below 5 percent. But the NFL and union have decided to extend it even though the league's medical director is “pleasantly surprised” by a positive test rate of less than 1 percent.
Mulligan: Extra year of NCAA eligibility for fall athletes?
Whether college football players play a lot in the fall, a little in the spring or not all over the next 10 moths, some athletic administrators want to give them all a mulligan on the 2020-21 season. The NCAA Division I Council meets Wednesday with two important issues on the agenda: What will happen with the eligibility of fall sports athletes heading into an uncertain season already impacted by the pandemic? Also, should the NCAA stage fall sports championship events in the spring now that most of Division I has punted on trying to play sports in the first portion of the school year. On the first question, the idea of simply turning off the eligibility clock for everyone seems to be gaining traction.
Player virus case hits 4th game in UEFA qualifying rounds
A player testing positive for COVID-19 forced a Europa League preliminary game to be postponed Thursday. Its the fourth such incident in the early qualifying rounds for UEFA’s club competitions that run through September and involve teams from 55 countries. All 4 affected games so far saw positive tests within visiting teams. The latest was a team from Kosovo playing in San Marino. Virus cases have also been overseen by public authorities in Switzerland, Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands. Slovan Bratislava is flying replacement players from Slovakia to the Faroes to play a delayed Champions League qualifying game on Friday.
AP Source: ESPN tabs Levy, Griese and Riddick for MNF booth
Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Louis Riddick will be the new announce team for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” according to a person familiar with the decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the network has not announced its decision. ESPN biographer Jim Miller was the first to report on the new booth. The trio has familiarity working together. They called the late game in last season’s Week 1 doubleheader between Denver and Oakland.