The Major League Baseball Players Association has countered the owners’ latest proposal in hopes of starting the season. In the union’s new proposal, they remain adamant they receive full prorated salaries while offering to cut the regular season to 89. 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.
The Detroit Tigers are rebuilding around an impressive group of minor league pitchers. Now, it might be time to add a star hitting prospect to the mix. Whether it’s Arizona State slugger Spencer Torkelson or somebody else, Detroit has a chance to add another potential standout when it makes the No. 1 selection in tonight’s draft. Although the Tigers have been vague about their intentions, this is an opportunity to add a young position player to an organization that has done a better job stocking up on pitching prospects lately. Torkelson is ranked by mlb.com as the No. 1 prospect in the draft. Second on that list is Vanderbilt’s Austin Martin, another position player.
The Chicago Bears are ending their offseason program early. Coach Matt Nagy said nine weeks are enough and he wants his players to focus on training without having to worry about video conferences four days a week. The team will hold its final virtual meeting on Thursday — a week and a half ahead of schedule. With Halas Hall unavailable because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bears have been conducting two-hour video meetings Monday through Thursday. Veterans will be off after Thursday until training camp, though rookies will still be required to meet.
NASCAR will allow a limited number of fans to return to races later this month.
The plan for Homestead-Miami Speedway this Sunday is to allow up to 1,000 South Florida service members to attend the Cup Series race. Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama will allow up to 5,000 guests in the front stretch grandstands for the June 21 race.
NASCAR says all fans will be screened before entering, required to wear face coverings, mandated to stay six feet apart from each other and will not have access to the infield.
Athletic administrators at schools with high ticket demand are making plans to determine who gets a seat if college football stadium capacities are reduced because of concerns about coronavirus.
Nebraska has sold out every home game since 1962 and the season ticket renewal rate was 93% for this fall. Officials say priority plans being considered take into account how much money the ticket holder donates and how long he or she has held tickets.
Alabama and Ohio State are also assessing options.
After the pandemic wiped out spring practice for most major college football teams, an NCAA plan to extend preseason preparation by two weeks could help coaches and players make up for the lost time. The NCAA’s football oversight committee expects to finalize a plan Thursday that will allow for up to 12 unpadded, slow-speed practices, also known as walk-throughs, during the 14 days before the typical preseason begins in early August. Teams will be permitted up to 20 hours per week of what the NCAA calls countable athletically related activities during those extra two weeks leading into a 29-day full-blown practice schedule. The walk-throughs will be part of those 20 hours per week, along with weight training, conditioning, film study and meetings.
Major League Soccer is set to resume its season with a tournament starting July 8 in Florida. The league had suspended play on March 12 after its teams had played just two games.
The league’s 26 teams will be divided into six groups for the opening round of the tournament played without fans at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World. Sixteen teams will advance to the knockout round, with the winner earning a spot in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League.
Following the tournament, teams will resume the season in their home markets.
The PGA Tour is leaving the 8:46 a.m. tee time vacant this week at Colonial. It’s part of a tribute to George Floyd and to support efforts to end racial and social injustice.
Authorities say 8 minutes, 46 seconds is how long Floyd was pinned to the ground under a Minneapolis police officer’s knee before he died.
Commissioner Jay Monahan says the tour will have a moment of silence and reflection at 8:46 a.m. in each of the four rounds at the Charles Schwab Challenge. The moment of silence will start with three short blasts of the horn.
