Ex-NWSL coach accused of abuse

Former Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames has been accused of misconduct stretching back decades when he was a youth team coach, well before he joined the National Women’s Soccer League team, according to a published report.

The accusations, which included verbal and emotional abuse and other inappropriate behavior, were detailed by the Washington Post on Tuesday. An elite youth player, not named by the Post, also claimed that Dames groomed her for a sexual encounter once she turned 18.

Dames was investigated by police in Arlington Heights, Ill., in 1998 after a former player said he inappropriately touched her when she was underage. Without a formal complaint, the investigation was dropped.

A lawyer for the former coach denied the accusations leveled in the Post’s story.

“Mr. Dames has a reputation as an excellent soccer coach over 25 years of coaching thousands of soccer players. With the exception of a few players disgruntled for one reason or another, the vast majority of players have thanked Mr. Dames for investing in them as players,” attorney Susan Bogart

said.

Dames was one of five coaches in the NWSL who stepped down or was fired last season for misconduct.

Baseball: The Colorado Rockies’ Bud Black, two wins shy of becoming the 66th manager in major-league history to reach 1,000, agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2023 season. Black has a 349-359 record over five seasons in Denver, including 91-72 in 2018. Obituary: Former Yankees outfielder Gerald Williams, 55, died Tuesday after dealing with cancer, his ex-teammate Derek Jeter said. Williams played 14 years in the major leagues, half with the Yankees, and also with the Brewers, Braves, Rays and Mets. He was a .255 hitter in 1,168 big-league games.