Show notes
MLB – Major League Baseball – Opening Day 2023 Today Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m. Detroit Tigers at Tampa Bay Rays, 3:10 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 2:45 Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros, 7:08 p.m. MLB – MLB opening day offers clocks, shift bans, Ohtani and Judge A major shift is coming to Major League Baseball, starting on opening day today. New rules are now in effect. There will be clocks at stadiums to hurry along pitchers and hitters, and there are restrictions on defensive shifts for fielders. The full slate of 15 games includes matchups at Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium. Aaron Judge will aiming at his own home run record, Shohei Ohtani will be trending with every pitch and swing and Houston manager Dusty Baker is trying to win another World Series ring. MLB – AP source: Minor leaguers reach 5-year labor deal with MLB Minor league baseball players reached a historic initial collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball on Wednesday that will more than double player salaries, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details were not announced. The sides reached the five-year deal on Wednesday, two days before the start of the minor league season and hours after a federal judge gave final approval to a $185 million settlement reached with MLB last May of a lawsuit filed in 2014 alleging violations of federal minimum wage laws. Under the new deal, minimum salaries in Triple-A will rise from $17,500 to $45,800. MLB – MLB broadcasters adapting to faster pace under new rules Major league pitchers and batters aren’t the only ones going on the clock this season. Big league broadcasters have also been using spring training to adjust to baseball’s new rhythm amid a series of rules changes. When the season opens Thursday, Major League Baseball will usher in an age of sharper, quicker and more concise commentary. For a generation of play-by-play pros who grew up idolizing loquacious storytellers like Hall of Famer Vin Scully, it’s been an adjustment. But not necessarily an unwelcome one. MLB – Cubs’ Happ: ‘Nothing really to report’ on negotiations All-Star outfielder Ian Happ appears poised to enter the season with an expiring contract after he and the Chicago Cubs were unable to agree on a new deal. Happ had “nothing really to report” and “no real comment on it.” He says he is not breaking off talks, but adds: “That also doesn’t mean anything.” Happ is eligible for free agency after the upcoming season. Chicago hosts the Milwaukee Brewers on opening day on Thursday. The Cubs did lock in one key player, finalizing a $35 million, three-year contract infielder Nico Hoerner on Wednesday. That contract begins in 2024. Hoerner is moving to second base after playing shortstop last season with the arrival of All-Star Dansby Swanson on a $177 million, seven-year contract. NFL – NFL hits highs in diverse executives, lacks in head coaches The NFL took another step at the owners meetings to increase diversity throughout the league while continuing to face criticism and a lawsuit for lack of representation among head coaches. Each team is now required to have a person in charge of diversity, equity and inclusion. Currently, 15 clubs have a DEI head and two others have someone leading that department and another one. The league has reached milestone points in diverse hirings in the front office but critics point to the sidelines where there are only three Black head coaches in a sport that had 56.4% Black players in 2022. NCAABB – A different March Madness: Online hate for the athletes A toxic cauldron on social media is one of the minefields players in the NCAA Tournament must navigate. In an era of increased sensitivity to athlete mental health, never have there been more outside voices scrutinizing their every move. In the third part of a series on social media’s impact on March Madness, The Associated Press found that turning off social media is an option but not really a practical one. It’s unrealistic with the way society interacts in the 21st century. And many athletes need to use social media for endorsement deals. All of that, the AP found, comes with a toll best illustrated by spikes among athletes in anxiety and depression over the past two years. NCAAWBKB – Women making case in tourney for own March Madness TV deal The NCAA has gotten mostly positive reviews for its new women’s Sweet 16 format during March Madness. Hosting games it two cities instead of the traditional four set attendance records higher TV ratings. The two regionals combined to set an all-time attendance mark for the Sweet 16, following up the record mark set the first weekend. The switch in format was done for a few reasons including helping get a separate TV deal for the women’s tournament. The current NCAA TV deal ends next summer.. The current NCAA TV deal ends next summer. The NCAA also hopes the success leads to more cities bidding to host the regional games and eventually the Final Four. The current NCAA TV deal ends next summer. The next bid cycle starts in July where regional hosting will be decided from 2027-31. NBA – National Basketball Association Last Night Oklahoma City Thunder 107, Detroit Pistons 106 Milwaukee Bucks 149, Indiana Pacers 136 Los Angeles Lakers 121, Chicago Bulls 110 Thunder 107, Pistons 106 – Jalen Williams’ late tip-in gives Thunder win over Pistons Rookie Jalen Williams’ putback with less than a second remaining gave the Oklahoma City Thunder a 107-106 win over the Detroit Pistons. Oklahoma City entered the night two games under .500 and hanging onto the final Western Conference play-in spot. The Thunder were coming off a loss to the Charlotte Hornets and couldn’t afford another defeat against a team near the bottom of the league’s standings. Williams answered the call with 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Lu Dort scored 20 points, Aaron Wiggins scored 19 and Josh Giddey added 18 for the Thunder. Jaden Ivey had 24 to lead the Pistons. Bucks 149, Pacers 136 – Holiday has career-high 51 points, Bucks beat Pacers 149-136 Jrue Holiday scored a career-high 51 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 38 points in a triple-double and the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks beat the Indiana Pacers 149-136 on Wednesday night. Antetokounmpo added 17 rebounds and 12 assists to help the Bucks improve to 55-21. He returned after sitting out Monday night in a victory at Detroit because of a sore knee. Holiday had 18 points in the third quarter, when the Bucks scored a season-high 46 points to build a 12-point lead. He was 20 of 30 from the field with three 3-pointers and hit 8 of 10 free throws. Rookie Bennedict Mathurin led Indiana with 29 points. Lakers 121, Bulls 110 – LeBron James, Anthony Davis lead Lakers past Bulls 121-110 LeBron James scored 25 points in his return to the starting lineup, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Chicago Bulls 121-110. James also had seven rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes in his second game back after he was sidelined for a month because of a torn tendon in his right foot. The four-time MVP scored 19 points in Sunday’s 118-108 loss to Chicago in just his second appearance as a reserve in his 20-year NBA career. Lakers star Anthony Davis had 38 points and 10 rebounds in his hometown. Nikola Vucevic had 29 points and 12 rebounds for Chicago. NBA – Bulls C Drummond ruled out after posting about mental health Bulls center Andre Drummond missed the team’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers after he posted on Twitter that he was deleting his social media apps to focus on his mental health. The team says Drummond is out because of personal reasons. Coach Billy Donovan says he is hopeful about the possibility of Drummond traveling with the team ahead of Friday night’s game at Charlotte. Drummond posted on Thursday that it was time to focus on his mental health. NBA – NBA, players still talking about new deal as deadline looms NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says he’s hopeful that a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players can get done by the end of this week, though he stopped short of predicting that a deal would actually get struck. The league and the National Basketball Players Association are facing a midnight Friday deadline for either side to decide that they will opt out of the deal and end the current CBA on June 30. That opt-out deadline already has been extended twice, and Silver said the NBA’s plan is to exercise that option if there is no deal by Friday night. NHL – National Hockey League Tonight Carolina Hurricanes at Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 p.m. St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m. NCAA – NIL – Congressional hearing targets ‘NIL chaos’ in college sports A congressional hearing targeting what one lawmaker called “NIL chaos” in college sports drifted into the consequences of college athletes being deemed employees. A subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held the first hearing Wednesday related to college sports in the House or Senate in more than two years. The intended focus was name, image and likeness compensation for athletes. College sports leaders have been asking for a federal law to bring uniform regulation to the way athletes can earn money through sponsorship or endorsement deals. AHL – American Hockey League Last Night Chicago Wolves 3, Grand Rapids Griffins 2 – Shootout MCCAA – Junior College Athletics Today Baseball Kellogg Community College at Lake Michigan College, 2:00 p.m. MHSAA – Divine Child’s Kennedy Blair wins Michigan AP D2 POY award Kennedy Blair of Dearborn Divine Child has been named the Michigan Associated Press Division 2 Player of the Year. The Miss Basketball finalist had a tremendous senior season for the Falcons, wrapping up her four years of playing on varsity. She averaged 25 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 4.0 steals and 2.0 blocked shots a game this season. In her four seasons, she scored 1,451 career points and pulled down 565 rebounds MHSAA – High School Sports Last Night Girls Soccer St. Joseph at Edwardsburg, PPD to 3/30 South Haven 6, Our Lady of the Lake 1 Niles 6, Buchanan 2 Berrien Springs 2, New Buffalo 0 Grand Rapids Covenant Christian at Allegan, PPD Hamilton 5, Fennville 1 Baseball Bridgman at Edwardsburg, PPD Softball Bridgman at Niles, PPD Brandywine at Constantine, PPD Tonight Girls Soccer St. Joseph at Edwardsburg, 5:30 p.m. Watervliet at Berrien Springs, 5:30 p.m. Baseball Our Lady of the Lake at Bridgman, 5:15 p.m. Buchanan at Coloma, 4:30 p.m. Eau Claire at Lawrence, 4:15 p.m. New Buffalo at Brandywine, 4:30 p.m. Berrien Springs at River Valley, 4:15 p.m. Hartford at Paw Paw, 4:30 p.m. (DH) Bloomingdale at Fennville, 4:30 p.m. Softball Buchanan at Coloma, 4:15 p.m. Eau Claire at Lawrence, 4:15 p.m. Hartford at Paw Paw, 4:30 p.m. (DH) Bloomingdale at Fennville, 4:30 p.m.Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Livers, left, and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, right, dive for a loose ball in the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James drives to the basket as Chicago Bulls’ Alex Caruso defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.