UNDATED (AP) — For a lot of minor league umpires, this is shaping up as a rough year. More and more, it's looking as if there won't be any minor league season because of the coronavirus pandemic. That means no income right now for the 236 umps who work everywhere from Triple-A ball down to the rookie leagues. And with no games, they're left without a significant way to improve their craft. That could force some of them to make their toughest call. Either wait until next spring to continue a career of umpiring or leave baseball and find another line of work.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have moved -- not actually, but legally. The Royals changed their legal home from Missouri to Delaware last fall during the process of the team’s sale from David Glass to a group headed by John Sherman. The switch was mentioned in court papers in a suit by minor leaguers against Major League Baseball. Kansas City Royals Baseball Corp., a Missouri corporation, became Kansas City Royals Baseball Club Inc., a Delaware corporation, on Nov 19. That corporation became Kansas City Royals Baseball Club LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Two-time NCAA all-around champion gymnast Maggie Nichols and Heisman Trophy runner-up Jalen Hurts are the Big 12 Athletes of the Year. That gives Oklahoma a sweep of the conference’s top individual awards for the third time in five years. It was the second time for Nichols to be honored as the Big 12′s top female athlete. Nichols also became “Athlete A” when she dropped her anonymity in 2018 to help others who were abused by former U.S. team doctor Larry Nassar speak up. Nichols competed at the elite level for USA gymnastics before arriving at Oklahoma in the fall of 2016 and winning 11 NCAA trophies.
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Former Georgetown guard Mac McClung has signed with Texas Tech following junior Davide Moretti's departure from the Red Raiders to play professionally at home in Italy. McClung had put his name in the transfer portal after removing it from consideration from the NBA draft. He has two seasons of college eligibility remaining after leading the Hoyas with 15.7 points a game this past season. He played in only 21 of Georgetown’s 32 games because of a right foot injury.
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Chase Elliott reeled in Kevin Harvick with 27 laps remaining and closed out the win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Thursday night. Elliott was charging hard on Harvick with about 35 laps remaining when he asked if he had enough fuel to make it to the finish. He stayed on the track and came away with his first Cup win of the season. Elliott shook off a pair of tough losses to finish about 2.2 seconds ahead of runner-up Denny Hamlin.
UNDATED (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam says racing will be allowed to resume in the state without spectators. The governor says NASCAR will race at Martinsville Speedway on June 10, and that other forms of auto racing and horse racing also are cleared to resume. NASCAR was originally scheduled to make its first of two stops at Martinsville in early May, but the event was postponed because of the outbreak.
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks have added another option at running back by signing veteran Carlos Hyde to a one-year. Hyde is coming off the best season of his career after rushing for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns with Houston. It was his first 1,000-yard NFL campaign. Hyde’s addition is a significant move after leading rusher Chris Carson suffered a significant hip injury late last season. Coach Pete Carroll has indicated Carson should be healthy for the season.
CHARLOTTE, (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms with free agent cornerback Eli Apple after losing free agent James Bradberry to the Giants. Apple has started 48 games during four NFL seasons but has never lived up to the billing of being the 10th overall selection in the 2016 draft out of Ohio State. He recorded 58 tackles and one forced fumble while starting 15 games for the Saints last season.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights has found a Connecticut policy that allows transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports is illegal. The office says the policy violates Title IX, the federal civil rights law guarantees equal education opportunities for women, including in athletics. The ruling comes in response to a complaint filed last year by several female track athletes, who argued that two transgender runners who were identified as male at birth had an unfair physical advantage. The dispute also is the subject of a federal lawsuit.