TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays were left scrambling after their regular-season plan was rejected by a government for the second time in five days, as the Pennsylvania Department of Health turned down their plan to share PNC Park with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
An agreement between the teams to share the picturesque stadium was locked down late Tuesday night, but was pending clearance from local and state officials. But much like Canadian federal government, which on Saturday denied a proposal for staging games at Rogers Centre, the state’s health secretary, Dr. Rachel Levine, found too much risk in the idea.
“To add travellers to this region for any reason, including for professional sports events, risks residents, visitors and members of both teams,” she said in a statement to Will Graves of The Associated Press.
Dr. Rachel Levine says in statement to AP “To add travelers to this region for any reason, including for professional sports events, risks residents, visitors and members of both teams.”
The decision delivered another massive blow to a Blue Jays organization that had been trying to regain equilibrium after the Toronto plan that had been its sole focus fell apart.
Where the Blue Jays go from here is unclear – they had also been exploring a split of Camden Yards with the Baltimore Orioles, and Buffalo’s Sahlen Field has been their reluctant, if-all-else-fails backup – but their plight underlines the challenges of staging a season amid a pandemic.
Everything right now is in the mix.
Nothing has been easy for the major leagues’ only Canadian club, which started its summer camp late while it awaited governmental approval to train in Toronto, and then had to work through player discomfort over the possibility of a summer quarantine before their regular-season plan was quashed.
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The Pirates offered them a lifeline, and are said to have gone over and above in their efforts to help out the Blue Jays. That GM Ben Cherington and AGM Steve Sanders were lured over from Toronto during the off-season surely helped, although in a statement released Monday, president Travis Williams said, “leaning in to help others is what Pittsburghers do best.”
If the logistical issues can be cleared up – and they are plentiful at any big-league park – the Orioles home schedule matches up well with the Blue Jays home schedule. The only conflicts are July 29-Aug. 2 and Aug 14-16, but figuring out where to set up an alternative clubhouse, where to locate the clubs and ensuring all protocols are followed requires time that no one has.
ESPN’s Buster Olney was the first to suggest that the Blue Jays play their entire home schedule as the host team at the stadium of their opponent, but that would turn the season into a 60-day road trip.
The Blue Jays are looking at alternative options to Pittsburgh, including going to the city of each scheduled opponent and playing as the home team.
If that were the case, the Blue Jays would never be in one spot for more than four days until Sept. 7-17, when they are set to host the Yankees and Mets and visit the Yankees.
During their initial exploratory work, the Blue Jays also looked into bouncing between Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, although a multi-stadium plan is less ideal because it means more temporary elements such as third clubhouses are needed.
Similarly, Buffalo’s Sahlen Field is also substandard when compared to big-league facilities and would need sizable infrastructure investments to bring the lighting, clubhouses and training areas up to par, and protocol compliant.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
