Yankees are at odds with ESPN
Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association are in negotiations with ESPN to reschedule a New York Yankees game that would require them to start three games within 24 hours in two different cities, officials said.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity since talks are ongoing.
The Yankees are so furious that ESPN scheduled a July 8 Sunday Night Baseball game in Toronto, which precedes a doubleheader the next day in Baltimore, that they have threatened to boycott ESPN reporters the rest of the season, according to a person familiar with their protest.
The Yankees reached out to the Commissioner’s office after learning of ESPN’s plans while the players requested assistance last week from the union to intervene on their behalf.
The sides are cautiously optimistic that a resolution can be reached, with the Yankees saying it would be a health, safety and integrity issue.
The Yankees, who agreed Thursday to make up a rainout game against the Orioles on July 9 by playing a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. ET, said they never would have chosen the option if they had known ESPN was switching their July 8 game from 1 p.m. in Toronto to 8 p.m.
The Yankees, in first place in the AL East, would likely not arrive to their Baltimore hotel until about 5 a.m., and then have to play a doubleheader at Camden Yards that has now been switched to 5 p.m.
If the July 8 game is not moved back to its original time, the Yankees say they would no longer cooperate with ESPN.
Ex-Pirates pitcher Kison dies: Bruce Kison, a pitcher who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series in 1971 and 1979 and spent three decades in player development and scouting roles, has died of cancer. He was 68.
His wife, Anna Marie, said Kison died Saturday at the Tidewell Hospice in Bradenton, Fla., near his home. He had been diagnosed with renal cancer on Feb. 14.
Kison won Game 4 of the 1971 World Series – the first night game in World Series history – when he threw 61⁄3 scoreless innings of one-hit relief against Baltimore as a rookie, allowing only a bloop double to Paul Blair. He started and lost the 1979 opener against the Orioles, getting just one out and giving up five runs. He had a 5-1 record and 1.98 ERA in 10 postseason appearances, including four starts.
Kison was selected by Pittsburgh in the 14th round of the 1968 amateur draft, made his big league debut on July 4, 1971, and went 115-88 with a 3.66 ERA, 12 saves and 1,073 strikeouts in 1,8092⁄3 innings for the Pirates (1971-’79), California Angels (1980-’84) and Boston (1985).
Known for pitching inside, he hit 68 batters in 15 big league seasons. He was said to have once hit seven batters in a minor league game.