TALKING POINTS

Editor’s Note

Due to an earlier deadline of 8 p.m. throughout the pandemic, some games might not make it into the print edition of your Valley Press. Please find the following full stories on our website at www. avpress.com: Major League Baseball: Dodgers at Athletics. National Hockey League: Ducks at Sharks. National Basketball Association: Trail Blazers at Clippers.

US weighs Beijing Olympics boycott with partners, allies

WASHINGTON — The State Department said Tuesday the Biden administration is considering a possible boycott of the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics to protest China’s human rights record.

Department spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. is consulting with like-minded countries around the world to determine how to proceed. Price says the administration is discussing China strategy, including participation in the Olympics, with a number of partners and allies in order to present a united front.

“Part of our review of those Olympics and our thinking will involve close consultations with partners and allies around the world,” he told reporters. “We have consistently said when it comes to our concerns with the government in Beijing, including Beijing’s egregious human rights violations, its conduct of genocide in the case of Xingjiang, that what the United States does is meaningful, what the United States does will have impact, but everything we do that brings along our allies and partners will have all the more influence with Beijing.”

Human rights groups are protesting China’s hosting of the Games, which are set to start in February 2022. They have urged a diplomatic or straight-up boycott of the event to call attention to alleged Chinese abuses against Uyghurs, Tibetans, and residents of Hong Kong.

Price declined to say when a decision might be made, but noted there is still almost a year until the Games are set to begin.

Scioscia to manage US in Olympic baseball qualifying

Mike Scioscia has the tough task of reaching the Olympic baseball tournament with a U.S. roster likely to include players cut during spring training and prospects not needed by their clubs this summer.

Scioscia was hired Tuesday by USA Baseball as the third manager of the U.S. baseball team in this Olympic qualifying cycle and will try to get the Americans to the tournament in Japan this summer.

The former Los Angeles Angels manager will lead the U.S. at the pandemic-delayed second-chance qualifying event, the Baseball

Americas Qualifier, to be played in June in Florida.

Only players not on 26man major league rosters and injured lists will be eligible to play.

“I’m very, very comfortable that we’re going to put together the type of team, particularly a pitching staff, that’s going to be able to carry us through a short series,” Scioscia said. “We’re going to look within and play the way we need to play with this group of guys.”

Scioscia said he has had a good response from general managers about making players available.

“There’s naturally guys that are on the roster or close to the roster that they’re going to hold tight for common-sense reasons,” he said. “But I think the response has been terrific. It is incumbent on every general manager of every team to worry about their organization first, but that being said, the guys — I think the GMs recognize the great opportunity they have to move some players forward, and they’ve been very, very cooperative.”

Joe Girardi quit as U.S. manager in October 2019 to pursue a major league managing job — he was hired by the Philadelphia Phillies — and Scott Brosius took over.

COVID-hit Nats make many moves before 1st game of season

WASHINGTON — Starting pitchers Jon Lester and Patrick Corbin, closer Brad Hand and four position players expected in the lineup — left fielder Kyle Schwarber, first baseman Josh Bell, second baseman Josh Harrison and catcher Yan Gomes — were put on the 10-day injured list by the Washington Nationals on Tuesday.

Backup catcher Alex Avila and reserve infielder Jordy Mercer also went on the IL before Washington played its first game of the season at home against the Atlanta Braves.

The Nationals’ first four games on the schedule were postponed because of a coronavirus outbreak within the team. Four players tested positive for COVID-19, and an additional seven were placed under quarantine after contact tracing found that they might have been exposed to the illness.

The Nationals have not publicly identified the 11 players involved. The team’s announcement of those nine players on the IL did not specify why they are sidelined.

A 10th player who was put on the injured list on Tuesday, reliever Will Harris, was taken off the active roster for what the team said was right hand inflammation.

About 17 million view Baylor’s championship win over Gonzaga

NEW YORK — Even an NCAA championship matchup between two widely acknowledged as the best men’s college basketball teams in the country wasn’t enough to set the television world afire.

An estimated 16.92 million people watched Baylor win the national championship title by routing previously unbeaten Gonzaga on Monday, the Nielsen company said.

That’s down nearly 14% from the 2019 title game between Virginia and Texas Tech. Last year’s NCAA basketball tourney was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Viewership declines are hardly unusual in today’s world. Awards show ratings have been cratering. Given that this year’s NCAA football championship saw its ratings plummet 27% percent, the basketball ratings weren’t half bad.

This was the first men’s Final Four with no teams from the Eastern time zone, where nearly half of the country’s television viewers are located.

Saturday’s men’s semifinal — already considered a classic — where Gonzaga beat UCLA in overtime on a last-second shot was seen live by just under 15 million people.