The New York Times - USA (2020-07-31)

B12 Y THE NEW YORK TIMES SPORTS FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020

BASEBALL SCOREBOARD

Major League Baseball had to
shuffle its schedule yet again on
Thursday, postponing the Phila-
delphia Phillies’ scheduled games
for this weekend after a coach and
a clubhouse attendant received
positive test results for the coro-
navirus.
The Phillies had been sched-
uled to play a doubleheader with
the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday
in Philadelphia and another game
on Sunday, but the positive tests
caused the team to shut down
their stadium, Citizens Bank Park,
for baseball activity.
“Our plans right now are to stay
put and let M.L.B. work through
whatever they’re working
through, and then they’re going to
let us know what’s our next step,”
Toronto Manager Charlie Mon-
toyo told reporters on Thursday,
before the Blue Jays’ game in
Washington. “But we’re not going
to Philadelphia. Those games
have been postponed.”
The Phillies are the second
team, with the Miami Marlins, to
be forced to miss a full week of ac-
tion because of the pandemic. The
Marlins, who played three games
in Philadelphia last weekend,
have had 19 positive tests for the
coronavirus within their traveling
party, including 17 players.
The team has remained in isola-
tion in Philadelphia while receiv-
ing testing and treatment. No
Phillies players are known to have
tested positive since the season
began, but Major League Baseball
felt the Phillies’ recent exposure
to the Marlins made it unwise to
go ahead with the games this
weekend.
“Had this happened a week ago,
that would have been the answer,
because in our manual, we talk
about what to do when there’s a
positive case and how we handle
contact tracing,” said Dr. Gary
Green, M.L.B.’s medical director.
“But the commissioner correctly
decided that this was an extraor-
dinary situation, and we wanted
to go beyond the manual and re-
assure the public as well as the
players and the staff that we were
taking every possible precaution.”
The Phillies had been sched-
uled to play in Miami next week,
but with the Marlins in limbo,
M.L.B. has instead scheduled the
Phillies for four games against the
Yankees, on Monday and Tuesday

in the Bronx and in Philadelphia on Wednesday and Thursday. The Yankees had been scheduled to play at Tampa Bay on Thursday, but now they will most likely make up that game as part of a doubleheader that weekend. The adjustments underscore how flexible M.L.B. and its clubs must be while playing during the pandemic, with the abbreviated schedule subject to reorganiza- tion based on circumstances. The Yankees and the Orioles, who were supposed to face the Phillies and the Marlins this week, switched to a two-game series against each other in Baltimore. The Nationals and the Blue Jays, who were scheduled to play the Marlins and the Phillies this weekend, are now idle. Missing a full week will make it all but impossible for the Phillies

and the Marlins to squeeze in a full 60-game schedule. To do so, the teams would each have to play 57 games in 56 days from Monday through the end of the regular season on Sept. 27. They could fill in some games on off days or make up some with doubleheaders — which may include games that last just seven innings — but the league no longer views 60 games as a must for each team, given the unprecedented disruptions. As M.L.B. tries to untangle the Marlins’ outbreak — and how it originated — the league has in- structed teams to more closely monitor players’ adherence to safety rules. Each team will have one employee serve as a compli- ance officer, making sure players observe health protocols at the ballpark and do not leave the team hotel on the road, except for

games. “The difficulty — and you’re seeing this across the country with contact tracing — it’s very difficult to know exactly where somebody picked something up, because people don’t just go to one place,” Dr. Green said. “It is a little bit difficult to determine where that actually occurred. But our contact tracers have been working on that as well as our depart- ment of investigations. They have been doing that pretty much full- time since this happened.” Dr. Green emphasized that M.L.B. had performed more than 11,000 coronavirus tests since the Marlins’ outbreak, and no players on any of the other 29 teams have tested positive. “Twenty-nine out of 30 is a pretty good batting average,” he said. “So what that means is over-

all, it’s been successful. Obviously we’re upset there’s been an outbreak with one team, which is one team too many, but if you look at our positive rate overall, even with the Marlins, since the sur- veillance started it’s about .1 per- cent.” Dr. Green said it was up to the players and teams to follow the protocols both at the ballparks and away from them to limit the spread of the virus. But he said the league understood all along that some positive tests would occur. “We were never under any illu- sions that this was going to be per- fect or that we weren’t going to get positive cases,” he said. “The whole idea was to try to mitigate that and be able to play sports within the setting of a pandemic, which has never been done before.”

Phillies Postpone Games After 2 Staff Members Test Positive

By TYLER KEPNER

Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Monday. The stadium has been shut down for baseball activities through the weekend.

YONG KIM/THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

The National Women’s Hockey
League announced plans on
Wednesday to postpone the start
of its season from November to
January, becoming one of the first
North American professional
leagues to move its schedule to
2021 because of the pandemic.
According to Anya Packer, di-
rector of the N.W.H.L. Players As-
sociation, the decision was
reached by the league’s safety
committee weeks ago. That panel
of about 20 members includes in-
fectious disease experts, league
executives and members of the
players’ association who have had
calls every two weeks since the
committee’s formation in April.
The league said it would make
decisions about medical proto-
cols, ticketing and arena capacity
for fans before the start of the sea-
son. “Our decisions are directed
by science and driven entirely by
safety,” Michelle Picard, the
league’s deputy commissioner,
said in an email. “In a pandemic,

you’re not thinking about being opportunistic as a business. We’re doing what’s best for the players, staff, fans, media, and everyone in the communities where we play our games.” This was to be a year of expan- sion for the league, which added a Toronto franchise in April. The N.W.H.L. said it still hoped to run a 20-game regular season, with each team playing two games over 10 consecutive weekends. The playoffs are slated for late March, with an all-star game to be played after the championship. While the delay will be a finan- cial setback for the N.W.H.L., which relies heavily on ticket revenue, a January start provides more time to ensure adequate safety protocols and to navigate travel restrictions as practices be- gin in the fall. Saroya Tinker, a rookie with the Metropolitan Riv- eters who is training in Toronto, said she was relieved by the league’s decision. “From a public health stand-

point, I think that many professional leagues need to take a step back and put their players’ health and safety first, rather than rush- ing back into play,” she said. Teams will be allowed to hold optional practices beginning Sept. 21, with formal practices starting the week of Oct. 19. Packer said the committee con- sulted with the National Women’s Soccer League and W.N.B.A. on their protocols, heeded guidelines from the Centers for Disease Con- trol and Prevention, and worked with the authorities in cities where its teams are based. She also confirmed that players would still receive their full sala- ries. Last season, the N.W.H.L.’s highest announced salary was $15,000. Because a majority of N.W.H.L. players earn income from other jobs, the league never considered a “bubble” envi- ronment, as the N.H.L. has de- ployed. “To protect the health of the players, I think that’s never a bad

decision,” Nicole LaVoi, director of the University of Minnesota’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport, said of moving the league’s start back to January. “I think anyone that studies sports, we would probably be remiss if we didn’t think it was too soon, just for the very reasons we see are happening in Major

League Baseball now.” The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, which organizes many Olympic stars to play in exhibition games, has not yet announced its 2020-21 schedule. U.S.A. Hockey, which regularly hosts a women’s hockey national festival in August, has not announced 2020 plans.

Women’s League Pushes Schedule Back

By SETH BERKMAN

The N.W.H.L. said that it hoped to schedule a 20-game regular season, with each team playing two games over 10 weekends.

HILARY SWIFT FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

BASKETBALL

N.B.A. SCHEDULE All Times E.D.T. All games in Orlando, Fla. Thursday, July 30 Utah vs. New Orleans L.A. Clippers vs. L.A. Lakers Friday, July 31 Orlando vs. Nets, 2:30 p.m. Memphis vs. Portland, 4 p.m. Phoenix vs. Washington, 4 p.m. Boston vs. Milwaukee, 6:30 p.m. Sacramento vs. San Antonio, 8 p.m. Houston vs. Dallas, 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 Miami vs. Denver, 1 p.m. Utah vs. Oklahoma City, 3:30 p.m. New Orleans vs. L.A. Clippers, 6 p.m. Philadelphia vs. Indianapolis, 7 p.m. L.A. Lakers vs. Toronto, 8:30 p.m.

N.H.L. STANLEY CUP QUALIFIERS SCHEDULE All Times E.D.T. Saturday, Aug. 1 At Toronto Carolina vs. Rangers, 12 p.m. Islanders vs. Florida, 4 p.m. Pittsburgh vs. Montreal, 8 p.m. At Edmonton Edmonton vs. Chicago, 3 p.m. Calgary vs. Winnipeg, 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2 Toronto Boston vs. Philadelphia, 3 p.m. Toronto vs. Columbus, 8 p.m. Edmonton Nashville vs. Arizona, 2 p.m. Colorado vs. St. Louis, 6:30 p.m. Vancouver vs. Minnesota, 10:30 p.m.

HOCKEY

N.H.L. EXHIBITION SCHEDULE All Times E.D.T. Thursday, July 30 Nashville 2, Dallas 0 Boston vs. Columbus, Toronto Vegas vs. Arizona, Edmonton

SOCCER

M.L.S. IS BACK TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE All Times E.D.T. All matches played at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando, Fla. Playoffs Thursday, July 30 Sporting Kansas City at Philadelphia Friday, July 31 Los Angeles FC at Orlando City, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 Minnesota at San Jose, 8 p.m. Portland at N.Y.C.F.C., 10:30 p.m.

BASEBALL

AMERICAN LEAGUE East W L Pct GB Yankees 3 1 .750 — Tampa Bay 4 2 .667 — Toronto 3 3 .500 1 Baltimore 2 2 .500 1 Boston 2 4 .333 2 Central W L Pct GB Minnesota 4 1 .800 — Cleveland 4 2 .667 { Detroit 4 2 .667 { Chicago 2 4 .333 2{ Kansas City 2 4 .333 2 { West W L Pct GB Houston 3 3 .500 — Oakland 3 3 .500 — Texas 2 3 .400 { Los Angeles 2 4 .333 1 Seattle 2 4 .333 1 THURSDAY Yankees at Baltimore Boston at Mets Washington at Toronto Cleveland at Minnesota Kansas City at Detroit Tampa Bay at Atlanta Seattle at L.A. Angels FRIDAY Boston (Weber 0-1) at Yankees (Montgomery 0-0), 7:05 Cincinnati (Bauer 0-0) at Detroit (Turnbull 0-0), 7:10 Tampa Bay (Snell 0-0) at Baltimore (Milone 0-1), 7:35 Chicago White Sox (Keuchel 1-0) at Kansas City (TBD), 8:05 Cleveland (Clevinger 0-0) at Minnesota (TBD), 8:10 Houston (McCullers Jr. 1-0) at L.A. Angels (TBD), 9:10 Texas (Minor 0-1) at San Francisco (TBD), 9:10 Oakland (Manaea 0-1) at Seattle (Walker 0-1), 9:40 NATIONAL LEAGUE East W L Pct GB Miami 2 1 .667 — Atlanta 3 3 .500 { Mets 3 3 .500 { Philadelphia 1 2 .333 1 Washington 2 4 .333 1{ Central W L Pct GB Chicago 4 2 .667 — Milwaukee 3 3 .500 1 St. Louis 2 3 .400 1 { Cincinnati 2 4 .333 2 Pittsburgh 2 4 .333 2 West W L Pct GB Colorado 4 1 .800 — Los Angeles 4 2 .667 { San Diego 4 2 .667 { San Francisco 3 3 .500 1 { Arizona 2 4 .333 2{ THURSDAY Boston at Mets Washington at Toronto Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Tampa Bay at Atlanta L.A. Dodgers at Arizona San Diego at San Francisco FRIDAY Mets (Porcello 0-1) at Atlanta (Newcomb 0-0), 7:10 St. Louis (Flaherty 1-0) at Milwaukee (Anderson 0-0), 2:10 Cincinnati (Bauer 0-0) at Detroit (Turnbull 0-0), 7:10 San Diego (Richards 0-0) at Colorado (Gray 0-0), 8:10 Pittsburgh (Williams 0-1) at Chicago Cubs (Chatwood 1-0), 8:15 Texas (Minor 0-1) at San Francisco (TBD), 9:10 L.A. Dodgers (TBD) at Arizona (Gallen 0-0), 9:40

W.N.B.A. SCHEDULE All times E.D.T. Thursday, July 30 Seattle at Washington Chicago at Minnesota Connecticut at Los Angeles Friday, July 31 Liberty at Atlanta, 7 p.m. Indiana at Dallas, 8 p.m. Las Vegas at Phoenix, 10 p.m. Saturday's Games Minnesota at Connecticut, 4 p.m. Washington at Chicago, 6 p.m. Los Angeles at Seattle, 8 p.m

GOLF

HERO OPEN At Forest of Arden Country Club Birmingham, England Purse: $1.306 million Yardage: 7213; Par: 72 First Round Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez Spain 29-33—62 -10 Pablo Larrazabal Spain........31-33—64 -8 Miguel Angel Jimenez Spain....32-32—64 -8 Oliver Farr Wales ............33-32—65 -7 Rasmus Hojgaard Denmark ....35-31—66 -6 Ashley Chesters England ......34-32—66 -6 Justin Walters South Africa .....34-32—66 -6 Laurie Canter England ........36-31—67 -5 Connor Syme Scotland........31-36—67 -5 Matthew Southgate England....33-34—67 -5 Thomas Detry Belgium........33-34—67 -5 Sihwan Kim United States......35-32—67 -5 Robin Roussel France.........32-35—67 -5 Alexander Levy France........33-34—67 -5 Joel Stalter France...........33-34—67 -5 Mikko Korhonen Finland .......33-34—67 -5 Wil Besseling Netherlands......32-35—67 -5 Sean Crocker United States ....35-32—67 -5

HOCKEY

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

As universities desperately try
to rescue the college football sea-
son while the coronavirus pan-
demic continues to grip the coun-
try, the Southeastern Conference
became the latest — and most in-
fluential — league to push back
the start of its season and trim its
schedule to conference-only
games.
The SEC’s decision, made by
the conference’s 14 university
presidents, comes one day after
the Atlantic Coast Conference
came to a similar conclusion —
also including Notre Dame, which
is a member of the conference in
other sports but usually an inde-
pendent in football.
The SEC announced it would
move the start of the season back
by at least three weeks, to Sept.
26, and play 10 games, which
would leave each school with an
open date — along with another
open weekend preceding the con-
ference championship game,
which is now scheduled for Dec.
19.
The Big Ten and the Pac-12 con-
ferences had previously an-
nounced they would play only

conference games this season. That leaves only the Big 12 among the so-called Power 5 conferences that has not amended its schedule, though the conference on Thursday did cancel its media day, which had already been pushed back. The shrinking and fluid schedules are the extraordinary meas- ures being taken to ensure that universities can salvage the lucra- tive television revenues that, along with an unpaid labor force — the players — fuel the college athletics industrial complex. The SEC brought in $720.6 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending last Aug. 31, according to USA To- day. Even without fans, the schools still stand to receive considerable payouts from their broadcast deals. The Big Ten has the richest TV contract, paying its schools as much as $54 million each last season. The conference-only schedules have meant the cancellation of certain rivalry games, like South Carolina and Clemson, and marquee interleague games, like Alabama and Southern California,

which had been scheduled in Ar- lington, Tex., and Texas at Louisi- ana State. But by playing only conference games, schools can mostly avoid traveling outside their regions and also can more firmly stand- ardize virus testing and safety protocols.

“We believe these schedule adjustments offer the best opportu- nity to complete a full season by giving us the ability to adapt to the fluid nature of the virus and the flexibility to adjust schedules as necessary if disruptions occur,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement announcing

the changes. The SEC plans to announce its new schedule next month. The college football season, though, is increasingly in jeop- ardy at a time when the virus, which had caused nearly 152,000 deaths in the United States as of Thursday, has shown few signs of slowing. The difficulty of playing even a truncated season has been on display in the last week in Ma- jor League Baseball, which saw the Miami Marlins temporarily shut down — and their opponents rescheduled — after half the ros- ter contracted the virus. More than a dozen college football teams — with Michigan State, Colorado State and Rutgers among the latest — have been forced to abandon football work- outs over the summer after out- breaks. Meanwhile, Penn State re- ported eight positive coronavirus tests among its athletes on Wednesday. Conditions have recently been dire in many of the 11 states that are part of the SEC footprint — including Florida and Mississippi, which is experiencing the great- est increase in cases per capita.

SEC Delays Its Start and Pares Down to Conference-Only Play

By BILLY WITZ

The SEC is planning to open its football season on Sept. 26, with each team scheduled for 10 conference games over 11 weeks.

JOHN BAZEMORE/ASSOCIATED PRESS

BD

The New York Times - USA (2020-07-31)

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