MLB OWNERS RATIFY FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT WITH BALLPLAYERS
new york» Baseball owners and players have ratified the sport’s new five-year collective bargaining agreement, extending their labor peace to 26 years through 2021.
The sides announced their approvals Wednesday, a day after holding votes in separate telephone meetings.
“This agreement allows us to build on the positive momentum from last season and promote a generation of young players,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
After eight work stoppages from 1972-95, the sides have negotiated deals without a strike or lockout in 2002, 2006, 2011 and this year. The new deal expires Dec. 1, 2021.
Teams voted 29-1 to approve, and Tampa Bay managing general partner Stuart Sternberg was the lone dissenting vote, a person familiar with that meeting told The Associated Press.
The deal raises the luxury tax thresholds, increases some of the tax rates, imposes a hard cap on signing bonuses for international amateurs and bans smokeless tobacco for players who do not already have majorleague service.
It also eliminates the provision that gave World Series home-field advantage to the all-star winner and bans rookie hazing that includes costumes as women.
No. 4 Baylor cruises.
Johnathan Motley had 20 points and 10 rebounds and No. 4 Baylor showed no signs of rust in a 89-59 victory over Southern.
The Bears hadn’t played since a 76-61 win over then-No. 7 Xavier on Dec. 3, but scored 15 of the game’s first 18 points and shot 64 percent in the first half to put it away early.
Jared Sam and Shawn Prudhomme scored 24 points each to lead Southern.
• Jock Landale had 15 points and 13 rebounds and No. 20 Saint Mary’s jumped to a quick lead it never relinquished to beat Western Kentucky 73-51.
• Nigel Hayes scored 24 points and No. 14 Wisconsin beat Green Bay 73-59. Zak Showalter added 16 points, including a career-high four 3-pointers, and Ethan Happ had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Badgers. The Badgers were a little lethargic to start and trailed Green Bay 12-11 almost 9 minutes into the game. But they reeled off a 20-4 run.
White Sox add lefty Holland.
Chicago agreed with left-handed starter Derek Holland on a $6 million, oneyear contract.
The 30-year-old played on World Series teams with Texas in 2010 and 2011 but missed significant time the past three seasons because of injuries.
• Baltimore reached a contract agreement with free-agent catcher Welington Castillo, pending a medical review. Castillo hit .264 with 14 homers and 68 RBIs in 111 games with Arizona last season. The 29-year-old is expected to take over from fourtime all-star Matt Wieters, who became a free agent.
• A person familiar with the situation said the Chicago Cubs and reliever Koji Uehara have agreed to a $6 million, one-year contract. The person spoke Wednesday on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced. Uehara spent the past four years in Boston.
Irish coordinator gets new job.
Western Kentucky athletic director Todd Stewart hired Mike Sanford as football coach. Sanford, 34, has been Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach the last two years.
• Ten Minnesota football players were suspended this week after a fresh investigation into an alleged sexual assault at an off-campus apartment in September, the father of a player and an attorney for several players said. The same incident led to three-game suspensions of four of the players earlier this season and now they are benched again along with six of their teammates.