MLB to return to London in ‘23
NEW YORK » Major League Baseball plans to return to London next year for the first time since 2019.
The league announced Thursday that the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will play a two-game series on June 24-25, 2023, at London Stadium. The NL Central rivals were supposed to play in London in 2020, but the games were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Cardinals are excited and honored to be a part of the London Series next year,” Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a release. “The Cardinals-Cubs rivalry is one of the best in sports, and it will be exciting to bring it to Europe for a new audience to experience.”
MLB last played in London in 2019, when the New York Yankees swept a two-game set against the Boston Red Sox in June at London Stadium. Those were also MLB’s first regular-season games played in Europe.
Chicago and St. Louis have played international games before. The Cubs opened the 2000 season in Tokyo against the New York Mets, and played a three-game series against the Montreal Expos in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2003. The Cardinals played a two-game set against Cincinnati in Mexico in 2019. WIFE OF DIAMONDBACKS GM DIES » Nicole Hazen, the wife of Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen, has died from complications due to glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. She was 45.
She was diagnosed with cancer more than two years ago. The family has four sons, Charlie, John, Teddy and Sam. The team sent a statement confirming that Hazen died on Thursday.
“Nicole lived her life and loved her family with fierceness and devotion,” the Hazen family said in a statement. “She spent every day in the service of others as a mother, wife and educator advocating for goodness. From our family, we remain forever grateful for the love, support and random acts of kindness bestowed upon us for the last two years and four months. We would not have been able to walk down this road, with her, without the help and generosity of our community.”
Mike Hazen announced he was taking a partial leave of absence last year to help take care of his wife and family.
Auto racing
VEEKAY ANNOUNCES MULTIYEAR EXTENSION » One piece of IndyCar’s silly season fell into place Thursday when Rinus VeeKay announced a multi-year extension with Ed Carpenter Racing.
The 21-year-old Dutchman said on Twitter he was staying in the No. 21 Chevrolet, and unlike recent contract dealings in both IndyCar and Formula One, this one was backed minutes later when ECR confirmed the news.
VeeKay, who was permitted to talk to other teams as of Monday of this week, entered into free agency with a new agent this season. Rather than wait to see how the situation is resolved at Chip Ganassi Racing with reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou, VeeKay decided to stay where he is and not gamble on the No. 10 at Ganassi possibly opening.
IndyCar rookie Callum Illot did the same last week when he honored a handshake deal with Juncos Hollinger Racing to return next year — even though the No. 10 could open if Palou finds a way out of his hotly contested contract. Ganassi is suing the Spaniard over a deal Palou signed to join McLaren Racing — although it’s not clear if that’s for an IndyCar or F1 seat.
“I am very excited to continue with Ed Carpenter Racing for what will be my fourth year,” VeeKay said. “Ed Carpenter
gave me the opportunity to drive for the team when I came out of Indy Lights and has let me showcase my talents in an Indy car ever since.
“The continuity at ECR is great, there have barely been any changes in my time here, and it’s very nice to have the same group of people around me all the time.”
Golf
KORDA MAKES STRONG START AT MUIRFIELD » Playing in borrowed clothes doesn’t seem to bother Jessica Korda at the Women’s British Open.
Still waiting for her suitcase to arrive in Muirfield, Korda recovered from an early bogey to shoot a 5-under 66 in the first round Thursday, putting her one shot behind leader Hinako Shibuno of Japan.
Korda made four birdies and an eagle on the 17th despite missing her normal clothes after her luggage got stuck at an airport in Switzerland.
“If anyone knows anyone at the Zurich airport that would like to put my suitcase on the one flight a day that they have coming into Edinburgh, I’d deeply appreciate it,” Korda said. “I know where it is, I have an air tag on it. I can’t get anyone to actually go get it . ... Monday I wore Megan Khang’s pants. Tuesday, I wore my sister’s pants and Wednesday I wore Alison Lee’s pants. Today I’m wearing FootJoy pants.”
Shibuno, the 2019 champion, made birdies on the first three holes and went on to card eight in total in her 65. Scotland’s Louise Duncan and Mexico’s Gabby Lopez were tied for third, two shots back.
HUH TAKES BIG LEAD AT WYNDHAM » John Huh wasn’t expecting the lowest round of his PGA Tour career Thursday in the Wyndham Championship, and he had no complaints about the score or the timing.
Huh made seven of his eight birdie attempts from 10 feet or holes and holed a 40foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th hole at Sedgefield for a 9-under 61, giving him a twoshot lead over Sungjae Im among early starters in the final tournament of the regular season.
“It’s kind of strange because like earlier I mentioned, I wasn’t really feeling great with my game and (to) shoot my career low, it’s kind of weird,” Huh said. “Sort of mixed feelings, but I’ll take this any day.”
Huh needed a round like this. He is No. 120 in the FedEx Cup — with some wiggle room because of the defectors to Saudi-funded LIV Golf — and only the top 125 advance to the lucrative postseason next week and are assured a full PGA Tour card for next season.
“I know what’s on the line, I know how important this tournament would be,” Huh said. “At the same time you’ve just got to go and play and I think I did that really well today.”
Basketball
SHUMPERT ARRESTED FOR POT POSSESSION » Former NBA player Iman Shumpert was arrested at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport last weekend for allegedly trying to bring six ounces of cannabis through security.
The police report from the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety shows police were called to a TSA checkpoint at about 3:40 p.m. on Saturday, July 30 and told there was a “sizeable amount of marijuana” found.
The police report says Shumpert told officers that the bag contained marijuana and “asked if there was any way he could make his flight” to Los Angeles, where he was supposed to pick up his daughter. He has two daughters with entertainer Teyana Taylor.
Shumpert was told no, arrested for felony possession
of marijuana and taken to the airport jail. The Tarrant County Criminal Courts system didn’t have information about a court case.
The report says Shumpert also had a magazine with 14 rounds in his backpack but no gun was found. A contact for Shumpert, his agent or a lawyer was not immediately available.
Football
JUDGE SHORTENS ROAD TO FLORES’ SUIT » A judge on Thursday quickened the time it will take to rule whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gets to decide the merits of racial discrimination claims made by Black coaches against the league and its teams, saying that it appears an effort to gather more evidence is a try at “an impermissible fishing expedition.”
U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni said in a written ruling that lawyers for coaches Brian Flores, Steve Wilks and Ray Horton cannot gather additional evidence from defendants to support their arguments that the lawsuit in Manhattan federal court should remain in court rather than be sent to arbitration.
“Because Plaintiffs should know whether they entered into any other contracts or agreements that would affect their agreement to arbitrate, the Court can only assume that they are attempting to embark on an impermissible fishing expedition,” Caproni
wrote.
Still, the judge said lawyers for the coaches may well be able to argue that the proposed arbitrator is so biased against them that the motion to compel arbitration should not be granted, but they do not need discovery to do so.
Flores, who was fired in January as head coach of the Miami Dolphins and is now an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers, filed the lawsuit in February, saying the league was “rife with racism” even as it publicly condemns it. The other coaches later joined the lawsuit, which sought unspecified damages and class-action status.
The NFL and six of its teams say the lawsuit they maintain is “without merit” is required to go to arbitration, where Goodell would be the arbitrator, according to the terms laid out in employment contracts and the NFL’s constitution.
Commnwealth Games
JAMAICA UPSETS AUSTRALIA » Jamaica caused a major upset in Commonwealth Games netball when it topped gold medal favorite Australia after a stunning comeback on Thursday.
The Sunshine Girls qualified for the medal rounds with their 57-55 triumph over the Australia Diamonds, who were also through. They will play England or defending champion New Zealand in the semifinals on Saturday.