Rangers unveil diversity internships
ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers have established a fellowship program named after the late Charley Pride that will offer 10-week paid internships for students from diverse backgrounds to have the opportunity to work in the team’s front office.
Five rising college juniors or seniors will be chosen each year for the Charley Pride Fellowship Program, which is part of an effort to diversify baseball off the field and in the front office. The program was unveiled Thursday, which would have been the Country Music Hall of Fame singer’s 87th birthday.
Rangers CEO Neil Leibman said the program was Pride’s idea and that details were being discussed before Pride died in December of complications from COVID-19.
Pride, who had a half-century connection with the Rangers and was part of their ownership group the past 10 years, was the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. His music career came after he played baseball in the Negro American League and the Pioneer League in the 1950s.
During the 10-week program, each student in the program will rotate through three different front office departments, which they will select based on their interests.
Yankees, Mets can have fans at games
The New York Yankees and Mets will be allowed to start the season with a maximum 20 percent capacity.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced at a news conference Thursday that the Yankees could have up to 10,850 fans for their April 1 opener against Toronto at Yankee Stadium and the Mets could have up to 8,384 for their April 8 home opener against Miami at Citi Field.
Attendees will have to provide proof of immunization against COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 test. That requirement will be re-evaluated in mid-May.
Mets’ Carrasco injures hamstring
New Mets pitcher Carlos Carrasco strained his right hamstring during conditioning after throwing batting practice Thursday and seems certain to miss the start of the season.
Carrasco, a righthander, who turns 34 on Sunday, has has not appeared any any exhibition games this year.
He is in remission from leukemia and had the coronavirus vaccine, causing him to start spring training workouts behind other players. He then stopped throwing for a stretch because of elbow soreness.
Carrasco was traded by Cleveland with All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor on Jan. 7 for young infielders Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario, and minor league prospects in righthander Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Green.
Carrasco went 3-4 in 12 starts with a 2.91 ERA in 2020, his best since a career-best 2.55 ERA when he split 2014 between Cleveland’s rotation and bullpen. He has an 88-73 career record with a 3.73 ERA.