June 12, 2020 3:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel expects to be back when the NHL returns to play this summer. Guentzel feared his season was over in December when he injured his right shoulder immediately after scoring his 20th goal of the season. He underwent surgery the following day and expected to be out four to six months. But the league was paused in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, opening the door for Guentzel’s return. Guentzel says he is working on getting his legs back in shape but believes the Penguins “can do something special” when the playoffs begin.
June 11, 2020 4:03 am
Nick Gonzales knew that multiple mock drafts predicted the Pittsburgh Pirates would take him in the first round of the MLB Draft, and it started to feel real when he saw a photoshopped image of him in a Pirates uniform. When the New Mexico State middle infielder was still on the board Wednesday night, the Pirates used the No. 7 overall pick on a player who developed from a walk-on into one of college baseball’s best hitters. “Now, it’s a dream come true,” Gonzales said. “I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to do that. I’m kind of a comeback story. I was a walk-on. To lead into this, it’s awesome for me and awesome for kids who aren’t highly recruited in college or out of high school or whatever. It just proves to them that with hard work and determination it can really happen. Gonzales is renowned for his bat and plate discipline, as he slashed .448/.610/1.155 and led the NCAA in home runs (12), RBIs (36), runs (28) and total bases (67) in 16 games this season. He had 11 more walks than strikeouts and finished his career with an 82-game streak of reaching base.
June 11, 2020 3:59 am
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) – Martin Truex Jr. cruised down the stretch and won his first NASCAR Cup race of the season on Wednesday night in the first race under the lights at Martinsville Speedway.
Truex, the 2017 Cup champion, has been one of NASCAR’s biggest winners over the last three years, but failed to find victory lane for Joe Gibbs Racing over the first 10 races of this season.
Tick tock. The time ran out on the losing streak. Truex won the Martinsville grandfather clock on the paperclip-shaped track at just 0.526 miles. He won for the first time with new crew chief Jason Small. Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, who has two wins this season, and Joey Logano made it a 2-3-4 finish for Team Penske.
June 11, 2020 3:58 am
UNDATED (AP) – NASCAR has banned the Confederate flag from all events and properties. NASCAR says the Confederate flag runs contrary to their commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, competitors and the industry. NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from its races and properties on Wednesday, formally distancing itself from what for many is a symbol of slavery and racism that had been a familiar sight at stock car events for more than 70 years. The move comes amid social unrest around the globe following the death in police custody of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis. Protests have roiled the nation for days and Confederate monuments are being taken down across the South – the traditional fan base for NASCAR.
June 11, 2020 3:56 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Major League Baseball’s amateur draft began with the first of a pandemic-shortened five rounds. Arizona State slugger Spencer Torkelson was taken with the No. 1 overall pick by the Detroit Tigers. The Baltimore Orioles selected Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad at No. 2. Minnesota right-hander Max Meyer was third and went to Miami. Texas A&M lefty Asa Lacy was No. 4 to Kansas City. Vanderbilt shortstop Austin Martin went to Toronto to round out the first five picks.
June 10, 2020 3:46 am
CANTON, Ohio (AP) – The Pro Football Hall of Fame will reopen Wednesday after nearly a three-month closure caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The hall closed on March 16, but permission has been granted by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine for museums, science centers and zoos to open. There will be several health and safety guidelines in place for visitors and workers at the Canton shrine. All employees must wear face coverings and visitors are encouraged to do so as well. The hall is making both masks and disposable gloves available. It also will hand out a stylus to anyone wanting one for the interactive displays.
June 10, 2020 3:43 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Baseball players have moved toward teams but remained far apart economically in their latest proposal for starting the pandemic-delayed season, adamant they receive full prorated salaries while offering to cut the regular season to 89. The proposal by the players’ association, given to Major League Baseball Tuesday evening without a negotiating session, was detailed to The Associated Press by a pair of people familiar with the negotiations. They spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcements were authorized. MLB did not appear to view the proposal as productive but made no comment. MLB has said that absent an agreement it could go ahead with a shorter schedule of perhaps 50 games. Players made their move one day after management cut its proposed schedule from 82 games to 76.
June 9, 2020 3:40 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Major League Baseball is making another try to start the coronavirus-delayed season in early July. The proposal calls for a 76-game regular season, expanding the playoffs from 10 teams to as many as 16 and allowing players to earn about 75% of their prorated salaries. Players have refused cuts beyond what they agreed to in March shortly after the pandemic began, part of baseball’s again acrimonious labor relations. The arduous negotiations have jeopardized plans to hold opening day around the Fourth of July in ballparks without fans and provide entertainment to a public still emerging from months of quarantine. MLB says it can’t afford to play in ballparks without fans, and in May the owners proposed an 82-game schedule. The union countered with a 114-game schedule at prorated pay that would extend the regular season by a month through October.
June 7, 2020 7:04 am
DENVER (AP) — Seasonal colds and the flu spread through NFL locker rooms just about every year, sending some players home sick while others slog through practices hoping they’ll feel better by game day. Last December, the Patriots flew two airplanes to Houston to keep the healthy players apart from sick ones, which included seven starters. On the final weekend of the 2016 season, the Raiders were ravaged by a bug that swept through their entire roster and waylaid hopes of a deep playoff run. Now, teams have COVID-19 to worry about. Offseason workout programs have been entirely virtual since the league closed team facilities in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Coaches began returning to their offices Friday but players not seeking treatment for injuries probably won’t be allowed to return until training camps open next month. Many players polled by The Associated Press say they’re scared to return to work without a cure or a vaccine for the coronavirus that has infected millions worldwide and killed more than 100,000 Americans. But they’re putting their trust in the health protocols the NFL’s medical staff is developing for practices to resume and games to return. Safeguards are expected to include daily temperature checks and frequent virus tests, with sick players quarantined for two weeks.
June 6, 2020 4:00 am
UNDATED (AP) – More than half of the 32 NFL teams did not have their coaching staffs back at their facilities Friday even though the league has approved such returns where local governments allow them. NFL teams have been performing all their offseason duties virtually since their facilities were closed by Commissioner Roger Goodell in late March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The league is taking a slow approach to reopening those team buildings, with the latest step allowing coaching staffs to return. Only players currently rehabilitating injuries are allowed at the complexes.
