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SPORTS Thursday 12 december 2019
MLB instituting 3-batter minimum for 2020 season

By RONALD BLUM agree to that provision, it
AP Baseball Writer also said it will not chal-
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Major lenge it.
League Baseball is pushing "It's already come up in
ahead with a rules change a lot of conversations. It's
for 2020 that requires pitch- definitely on my brain,"
ers to face at least three new Chicago Cubs man-
batters or finish a half-in- ager David Ross said. "You
ning. will see definitely see a
Baseball Commissioner Rob change."
Manfred also said Wednes- New Philadelphia manager
day the injured list for pitch- Joe Girardi said the use of
ers will revert to 15 days one-batter situational left-
from 10 days. In tandem, handers had decreased in
pitchers optioned to the recent seasons.
minors will have to spend "I think the game has kind
15 days with farm teams of went to multiple-inning
before they can be re- pitchers anyway, in a sense
called unless they replace guys that can give you
a pitcher going on the IL. more than three outs," he
As part of a March 8 agree- said.
ment with the players' as- "Depending how many left-
sociation, management handers they have, maybe Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during the Major League Baseball winter meetings Wednesday,
had the right to make the you spread your left-hand- Dec. 11, 2019, in San Diego.
changes for 2020. ers out. So if they have a Associated Press
"I've been kind of contem- guy that is efficient in get-
plating things in my head, ting left-handed-hitters out, certain day-night double- with a 10-day option recall Two-way players are ex-
what we want to do and you surround him with two headers through Aug. 31 minimum. There still will be empt if they have pitched
what we want to see and beasts that are right-hand- will become a 27th player a seven-day concussion IL 20 innings and made 20
the kind of pitchers we ed hitters." in those situations. and a 60-day IL for longer- starts with at least three
want in our bullpen," said Active rosters will increase Teams may carry no more term injuries. plate appearances in the
Dave Martinez, manager of by one to 26 from opening than 13 pitchers through Position players will be current or previous year.
the World Series champion day through Aug. 31 and Aug. 31 and no more than prohibited from pitching MLB is still working with team
Washington Nationals said. will drop from 40 to 28 from 14 from Sept. 1 through the through the ninth inning local television networks to
All pitchers must face at Sept. end of the regular season. unless the player's team is determine whether half-in-
least three batters or end 1 through the end of the Baseball's regular injured winning or losing by six or ning breaks for games not
a half-inning, unless injured. regular season. What had list will remain at 10 days more runs when he takes on national TV can be cut
While the union refused to been a 26th player for for position players along the mound. to 1 minute, 55 seconds.q

Russian boxers to boycott Olympics if sanctions not lifted

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH ter the Russian Revolution said they would still stay at
AP Sports Writer of 1917, the Soviet Union home even if Russia's ath-
Russian boxers will only take refused to compete in the letes in other sports decid-
part in the Tokyo Olympics Olympics and hosted its ed to take part.
if doping sanctions forc- own Spartakiads — named "If other sports are guilty and
ing them to compete as after the ancient rebel slave people have breached the
neutral athletes are over- Spartacus — with a strong WADA code, why are we
turned, the general secre- socialist slant. However, the punished?" he said. "We
tary of the Russian Boxing Soviet Union began com- are for honest sport and
Federation told The Associ- peting at the Olympics in against doping. We want
ated Press on Wednesday. 1952 and Russians gener- our sport to be clean ... If
Umar Kremlev said he has ally take great pride in the someone breaks the rules,
spoken with the Olympic country's Olympic achieve- we push them out."
boxing team and they ments since then. Russia is a major power
"unanimously" rejected the If the sanctions aren't over- in amateur and Olym-
conditions laid out by the Wires go to microphones above a logo of the Russian Olympic turned, Kremlev said Rus- pic boxing. It hosted both
World Anti-Doping Agency Committee during President of the Russian Olympic Committee sian boxers would prefer to men's and women's world
as punishment for manipu- Stanislav Pozdnyakov's news conference in Moscow, Russia, turn pro rather than com- championships this year,
lating doping data. Monday, Dec. 9, 2019. pete at the Olympics. finishing at the top of the
The WADA sanctions, an- Associated Press "A world champion (in pro- medals table at the wom-
nounced on Monday, ban fessional boxing) is better en's event and second in
the use of the Russian team going for medals, but for "This ruling show the clear known than an Olympic the men's championships.
name, flag or anthem at a that feeling that I brought crisis in international sports champion," Kremlev said, The International Olympic
range of major sports com- the highest honor home for institutions. I believe that adding the Russian anthem Committee has taken di-
petitions over the next four my country." Russia could host its own would be played before rect charge of boxing at
years, including next year's Separately, the speaker of games at home," Valentina pro title fights. the Tokyo Olympics after
Olympics. Russia's upper house of par- Matvienko said in com- Kremlev said boxers are be- criticizing chronic financial
"They said we won't go with- liament said Russia could ments reported by the In- ing asked to shoulder the problems and infighting
out our flag and anthem," create an alternative to terfax news agency. blame for offenses com- at the International Boxing
Kremlev said. "We aren't the Olympics. There is a precedent. Af- mitted in other sports. He Association.q