Associated Press stories, Page 1688
Minor league to experiment with electronic catchers’ signalsVideo
Catchers’ signals — and stealing them — could become a relic if an experimental electronic device is successful. MLB will give catchers in the Low A West league the option starting Aug. 3 to use a 12-button transmitter that can be strapped with Velcro around a catcher’s wristband. Receivers fit...
Knocking off Ohio State goal for rest of Big TenVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — There aren’t many revelations to be learned about Ohio State’s recent dominance in the Big Ten. But say the school’s name to Indiana senior wide receiver Ty Fryfogle and he smiles with anticipation. “I’m ready to beat ‘em,” Fryfogle said during Friday’s media days session at Lucas Oil...
Pitching-starved Mets acquire left-hander Rich Hill from RaysVideo
NEW YORK — The pitching-thin New York Mets on Friday acquired left-hander Rich Hill from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays are getting right-hander Tommy Hunter and minor league catcher Matt Dyer in return. The 41-year-old Hill is 6-4 with a 3.89 ERA in 19 starts for the contending Rays....
College sports trading cards latest byproduct of NIL policyVideo
You’ll soon be able to collect trading cards of your favorite college athletes, the latest offshoot of the NCAA’s milestone decision to allow student-athletes to monetize their fame without compromising their eligibility. Panini America is launching product lines for football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and Olympic sports for college...
New commissioners thrust into conference realignment chaosVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Conference realignment is back on the table in college sports just as three Power Five conferences are breaking in relatively new commissioners. While the Big 12 is trying to keep Oklahoma and Texas from being poached by the SEC, the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC could be challenged...
Flyers trade 1st-round pick to Sabres for defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres launched their offseason overhaul Friday by trading veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen to the Philadelphia Flyers. Buffalo acquired fifth-year defenseman Robert Hagg and the Flyers first-round pick, 14th overall, in a trade struck hours before the Sabres were scheduled to select first in the NHL...
Firefighters officially end search in Florida condo collapse
Firefighters officially ended their search for bodies in the debris of the collapsed Surfside condo building on Friday, even as police and forensic specialists continue working to identify human remains. Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah told The Associated Press that the fire department’s role in recovering remains at the...
GM issues 2nd Bolt recall; faulty batteries can cause fires
General Motors is recalling some older Chevrolet Bolts for a second time to fix persistent battery problems that can set the electric cars ablaze. Until repairs are done, GM says owners should park the cars outdoors, limit charging to 90% of battery capacity, and not deplete batteries below 70 miles...
Jolie-Pitt divorce judge disqualified by appeals court
LOS ANGELES — A California appeals court on Friday disqualified a private judge being used by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in their divorce case, handing Jolie a major victory. The 2nd District Court of Appeal agreed with Jolie that Judge John W. Ouderkirk didn’t sufficiently disclose business relationships with...
League doctor: 80% of NFL players have begun vaccination process
The number of NFL players in the covid-19 vaccination process has reached 80%, with nine teams having 90% or more of their players in that category. Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s medical director, said Friday that nearly all Tier 1 and Tier 2 team employees — those who deal directly...
Pa. Republicans criticize decision to decertify voting machines
HARRISBURG — Republican state lawmakers are criticizing the decision by Pennsylvania’s top election official to decertify the voting machines a sparsely populated county used in the 2020 presidential election. Acting Secretary of State Veronica Degraffenreid decertified the machines after Fulton County disclosed it had agreed to requests by local Republican...
Confederate bust moved from Tennessee Capitol building
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The bust of a Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader that had been displayed prominently inside of the Tennessee Capitol for decades was removed from its pedestal on Friday. The image of Nathan Bedford Forrest has sparked protests ever since its installation in 1978. Some...
Naomi Osaka lights flame as toned-down opening ceremony kicks off pandemic Olympics
TOKYO — Belated and beleaguered, the virus-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympics finally opened Friday night with cascading fireworks and made-for-TV choreography that unfolded in a near-empty stadium, a colorful but strangely subdued ceremony that set a striking tone to match a unique pandemic Games. As their opening played out, devoid of...
Cleveland’s baseball team changing name from Indians to Guardians
CLEVELAND — Known as the Indians since 1915, Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team will be called Guardians. The ballclub announced the name change Friday — effective at the end of the 2021 season — with a video on Twitter narrated by actor and team fan Tom Hanks. The decision ends...
Western wildfires: Crews make progress on huge Oregon blaze
BLY, Ore. — The nation’s largest wildfire raged through southern Oregon on Friday but crews were scaling back some night operations as hard work and weaker winds helped reduce the spread of flames even as wildfires continued to threaten homes in neighboring California. The Bootleg Fire, which has destroyed an...
Crafty cockatoos master dumpster diving and teach each other
WASHINGTON — A few years ago, a Sydney scientist noticed a sulfur-crested cockatoo opening his trash bin. Not every resident would be thrilled, but ornithologist Richard Major was impressed by the ingenuity. It’s quite a feat for a bird to grasp a bin lid with its beak, pry it open,...
With muted ceremony and empty stadium, Tokyo Olympics begin
TOKYO — Belated and beleaguered, the virus-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympics finally opened Friday night with cascading fireworks and made-for-TV choreography that unfolded in a near-empty stadium, a colorful but strangely subdued ceremony that set a striking tone to match a unique pandemic Games. As their opening played out, devoid of...
Rickie Fowler part of 3-way tie atop PGA Tour’s 3M leaderboardVideo
BLAINE, Minn. — Rickie Fowler’s improved driving helped him shoot a 5-under-par 65 on Sunday in the final round of the British Open. Looking for a late push in the FedEx Cup standings, Fowler carried over the strong play Thursday with a 7-under 64 in the first round of the...
Trimmer Ezekiel Elliott feeds off motivation from Cowboys’ 2020 downerVideo
Ezekiel Elliott is the lightest he has been in nearly a decade and believes he hasn’t lost the breakaway ability that helped make him a two-time NFL rushing champion for the Dallas Cowboys. The star running back didn’t need much motivation to get in that kind of shape coming off...
Sabres to open NHL Draft featuring Michigan, mystery, KrakenVideo
The focus of attention falls squarely on the Buffalo Sabres to kick off an NHL Draft heavily themed by Michigan, mystery and the expansion Seattle Kraken. General manager Kevyn Adams isn’t tipping his hand on whether Buffalo will use the No. 1 pick to select defenseman Owen Power, the consensus...
Michael Jordan, Bubba Wallace struggle in 1st year together as NASCAR teamVideo
LOUDON, N.H. — The 23XI Racing team posted a slideshow of the Bubba Wallace firesuit collection and asked fans to comment on their favorite. The designs were from business plucked straight out of Super Bowl ad space: Wallace was dressed by top companies in fast food, fantasy sports and auto...
Kraken create nucleus in expansion draft, but more to comeVideo
SEATTLE — For the entirety of his NHL career, anytime Mark Giordano pulled on a jersey, there was always a heavy dose of red. When he pulled on the sweater of the Kraken, the only red visible was from the menacing eye in the center of the Seattle logo. “After...
Rays land slugger Nelson Cruz in trade with TwinsVideo
CLEVELAND — Nelson Cruz packed up his big bat and joined a contender. The Tampa Bay Rays acquired Cruz, one of baseball’s most proven sluggers, in a four-player trade with the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night. Moments before opening a four-game series at Cleveland, the Rays, who entered the night...
Jets assistant coach Greg Knapp dies of injuries from bicycle accident
NEW YORK — New York Jets assistant coach Greg Knapp died Thursday of injuries suffered in a bicycle accident Saturday near his home in California. He was 58. Knapp’s family released a statement through the team that the longtime NFL assistant coach died at 2:32 p.m. EDT. “Greg Knapp (aka...
Potential Texas, Oklahoma move to SEC could tip realignment dominosVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Barry Alvarez lived through the tidal wave of conference realignment that swept over college sports in the early 2010s as Wisconsin’s athletic director, watching the Big Ten grow to 14 teams from the Midwest to the East Coast. Another round of shuffling could be on the horizon, with...
