May 20, 2020 3:44 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Washington Nationals will unveil their World Series championship rings during a “virtual” ceremony shown on television and online Sunday — an unprecedented approach brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. With the start of the Major League Baseball season on hold because of the COVID-19 outbreak, Nationals owner Mark Lerner said he hopes the plan to show off the team’s hardware would provide “a moment of joy in these uncertain times.” Teams typically unveil their title rings at a home stadium packed with fans.
May 20, 2020 3:40 am
UNDATED (AP) – A limited number of NFL teams are reopening their training facilities, while many are prohibited by government restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioner Roger Goodell gave the 32 clubs the go-ahead for limited re-openings on Tuesday, as long as state and local municipalities allow them. Coaching staffs and all players, except those undergoing injury rehab, are barred from the facilities in the first phase of the league’s plan. With such states as California, New York, New Jersey, Washington and Virginia still under heavy restrictions, that immediately leaves nine franchises unable to use their facilities. The Las Vegas Raiders still have their training complex in Alameda, California.
May 18, 2020 3:46 am
JUNO BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Rory McIlroy delivered the money shot in the TaylorMade Driving Relief exhibition that raised over $5 million for COVID-19 relief funds. With the match down to a closet-to-the-pin contest after regulation, McIlroy barely stayed on the shelf left of the pin, measured at 13 feet to beat Matthew Wolff’s attempt by five feet. The final carryover gave McIlroy and Dustin Johnson $1.85 million for the American Nurses Foundation. Wolff and Fowler made $1.15 million for the CDC Foundation. Fowler had seven birdies. PGA Tour Charities allowed for online donations during the telecast, raising more than $1 million. The donations will continue until Tuesday. When the exhibition ended, more than $5.5 million had been pledged, starting with the $3 million guarantee from UnitedHeath Group.
May 17, 2020 7:49 am
Live golf returns to television Sunday with a four-man charity Skins game at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida, to benefit coronavirus relief. There won’t be any caddies, so Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff will be carrying their own bags. The only rake will be carried by a rules official. Another rules official will be the only person to handle the flagstick, if necessary. It will be the first live action on TV since the opening round of The Players Championship on March 12.
May 16, 2020 3:53 am
UNDATED (AP) – The NFL continues to take steps toward a return to normalcy since the coronavirus pandemic. NFL teams can begin reopening their facilities on Tuesday if state and local governments will allow it. Commissioner Roger Goodell has issued a memo to all 32 teams stressing that they must be in compliance with any additional public health requirements in their jurisdiction and have implemented the protocols that were developed by league medical officer Dr. Allen Sills and distributed to all clubs on May 6. The memo obtained by The Associated Press added that clubs unable to meet these criteria by Tuesday may reopen their facilities on the earliest date thereafter on which they are able to comply. Facilities have been closed since late March due to the pandemic. Each team was required to submit a plan to the league for reopening its training/practice facility this week.
May 15, 2020 4:14 am
Bob Watson, a two-time All-Star as a player who later became the first black general manager to win a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1996, has died. He was 74. The Houston Astros, for whom Watson played his first 14 major league seasons, announced the death Thursday night. Watson’s son Keith said he died from kidney disease. Watson was nicknamed “The Bull” and made the All-Star team in 1973 and ’75, hit over .300 four times and drove in at least 100 runs twice. He also holds the distinction of scoring the 1 millionth run in major league history.
May 15, 2020 4:12 am
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Dominik Simon will not return to the ice anytime soon, even if his teammates do. Simon underwent what the team called a successful shoulder surgery recently, but his recovery will take about six months. According to the team, the 25-year-old was injured Feb. 29 during a game against the San Jose Sharks.
May 13, 2020 3:46 am
NEW YORK (AP) – As Major League Baseball made an opening presentation to the players’ union Tuesday on terms to start the coronavirus-delayed season. A person familiar with the discussion told The Associated Press that MLB did not make an economic proposal during its opening presentation. The meeting lasted between three and four hours. An agreement with the players’ association is needed to play ball. Baseball owners gave their go-ahead to their proposal on Monday, a plan that could lead to the coronavirus-delayed season starting around the Fourth of July weekend in ballparks without fans. Players agreed March 26 to a deal in which they would be paid a prorated share of salaries based on the portion of the 162-game schedule that is played. As part of the deal, if no games are played they would receive service time for 2020 matching what they earned last year. Players are more interested in medical protocols and testing designed to protect them from and detect the new coronavirus.
May 13, 2020 2:51 am
The WPIAL has notified schools of the new two-year alignment for high school basketball. The League has to re-organize every two years following new enrollment classification numbers established by the PIAA. Area schools will see a few changes from the current alignment. Among those changes: Trinity’s boys section now includes New Castle while the Hillers girls team will not face Chartiers Valley in the new alignment. Here are the new alignments for area schools (Washington/Greene bold):
Boys
6A Section 2 Canon-McMillan, Peters Township, Baldwin, Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair
5A Section 1 Ringgold, Albert Gallatin, Connellsville, Laurel Highlands, Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin
5A Section 2 Trinity, Chartiers Valley, Moon, New Castle, South Fayette, West Allegheny
3A Section 4 Beth-Center, Charleroi, McGuffey, Washington, Waynesburg, Brentwood, Brownsville
2A Section 2 Burgettstown, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry, Carlynton, Northgate, Sto-Rox
2A Section 4 Bentworth, California, Carmichaels, Jeff-Morgan, Frazier, Monessen
1A Section 2 Avella, Mapletown, West Greene, Bishop Canevin, Geibel, Propel Montour
Girls
6A Section 2 Canon-McMillan, Peters Township, Baldwin, Bethel Park, Hempfield, Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair
5A Section 3 Ringgold, Trinity, Albert Gallatin, Connellsville, Laurel Highlands, Thomas Jefferson, Uniontown
3A Section 2 Bentworth, Charleroi, McGuffey, Washington, Waynesburg, Brownsville, South Park
2A Section 2 Beth-Center, California, Carmichaels, Frazier, Serra Catholic, Seton-La Salle
2A Section 3 Burgettstown, Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry, Carlynton, Northgate, Sto-Rox
1A Section 2 Avella, Jeff-Morgan, Mapletown, West Greene, Geibel, Monessen
May 11, 2020 10:26 am
UNDATED (AP) – The American Hockey League has canceled the rest of its season because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league’s board of governors made that determination in a conference call Friday. The AHL suspended its season on March 12 after the NHL did. The league hopes to be back next season but that is in jeopardy if sports must be played in empty arenas.
