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SPORTS Tuesday 9 July 2019

Who’s on second?

All-Star Game set to

trot out free runners

By BEN WALKER goal is to shorten games
AP Baseball Writer and save wear and tear on
CLEVELAND (AP) — We’ve pitching staffs.
seen Reggie hit the light “Kind of weird,” McNeil ob-
tower, Pete Rose crush a served.
catcher to score the win- Still, it could be real timely.
ning run and a tribute to The last two All-Star Games
Ted Williams that sent shiv- both went extras — Rob-
ers through Fenway Park. inson Cano hit a leadoff
But come the All-Star Game homer in the 10th at Miami
on Tuesday night, baseball in 2017, Alex Bregman did
fans might witness some- the same last year in Wash-
thing they’ve never seen ington.
before. Plus, there was the 15-in- Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, left, tags out New York Mets’ Jeff McNeil at home plate
Automatic runners. ning affair at Yankee on a ball hit by Pete Alonso during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, June 25, 2019,
Already employed in the Stadium in 2008 and the in Philadelphia. Alonso was safe at first on the play.
minors, the World Baseball dreaded 2002 game in Mil- Associated Press
Classic and Olympic soft- waukee that was declared the Red Sox had a mixed night. the runner over in that situ-
ball, a new rule will take a very unpopular tie after view. NL manager Dave “It’s not an ideal scenario ation. It will be interesting to
effect in front of a major the 11th. Roberts of the Dodgers was for a reliever because we’re see in baseball if the same
league audience: Every Naturally, in a sport where firm.“I’d rather not see it in the ones that get stuck with strategy is used.”
extra inning in All-Star play change comes slowly, not play tomorrow. I’d rather it,” he said. “You’re com- The automatic runner will
— top half and bottom — everyone is thrilled with this see nine innings of base- ing into a situation already be the player who made
begins with a free runner at experiment. To many, in- ball. And going forward with the guy on base in a the last out of the previ-
second base. stant intentional walks, con- ... I don’t know, probably tie game, there’s so many ous inning. But in a caveat,
“They’re doing that? Real- stant shifts and talk about the wrong thing to say, but possibilities that can hap- players who have left the
ly?” Houston reliever Ryan robot umpires has skewed I kind of like it the way it is pen.” All-Star Game can re-enter
Pressly asked Monday. “I the game enough. right now,” he said. “For the All-Star Game, I un- to run.
did not know that.” If it’s any consolation, com- Some teams actually tried derstand it. And now with For official scoring purpos-
The crowd at Progressive missioner Rob Manfred says this out during spring train- home-field advantage not es, if a freebie scores, it will
Field got a glimpse of the there are no foreseeable ing, starting with ties in the being decided by it, I don’t count as an unearned run.
future, maybe, on Sunday plans to put free runners on ninth. San Francisco man- think it’s the worst thing in As for strategy, what to do
night when the Futures base in the regular season. ager Bruce Bochy was the the world,” he said. with that runner?
Game tried the rule for an “I know how people are first to give it a go — mass Olympic star pitcher Jennie “There’s a lot of different
inning. No one scored, and against it, especially play- confusion ensued, mostly Finch felt the pressure of ways you can play it, too. I
the showcase for young ers in the game. Yeah, the because he forgot to tell the runner-on-second tie- mean, you can either bunt
talent wound up in a tie. tradition is big in this sport, his players what was hap- breaker. him over or swing to get
Jeff McNeil, the top hitter just like a lot of top-tier pening. “It changes everything,” him over, or you can try to
in the majors this year, saw sports,” Baltimore pitcher Oakland right-hander Liam she said during the All-Star hit. You’ve got to play for
the scenario a lot last sea- John Means said. Hendriks realizes he could festivities. “Normally, in soft- more than one run there,”
son in Triple-A. There, the AL manager Alex Cora of be on the spot Tuesday ball, there’s a bunt to get McNeil said.q

Sharks re-sign Kevin Labanc to

1-year, $1 million deal

By STEPHEN WHYNO general manager Doug period that propelled the
AP Hockey Writer Wilson said. “We think it’s Sharks to knock off Vegas.
After losing a lot of talent in an important contract for He became the first player
free agency, the San Jose us but also a great oppor- in NHL history to record four
Sharks locked up a young tunity for a guy that we points in a single period in a
player who should be cru- know his game is just go- Game 7 of a playoff series.
cial to their success next ing to grow and become “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t
season. a part of the core of our watch the highlights from
San Jose on Monday re- team.” that game a couple times,”
signed 23-year-old forward Labanc set career highs Labanc said.
Kevin Labanc to a one- with 17 goals including Labanc developed his
year, $1 million contract. four game-winners, 39 as- all-around game during
With Joe Pavelski, Joonas sists and 56 points last sea- his third NHL season and
Donskoi and Gustav Ny- son and helped the Sharks showed he could produce
quist gone , the Sharks are reach the Western Confer- with talented linemates.
counting on Labanc con- ence final. His most memo- He thrived with Joe Thorn-
tinuing his career progres- rable moments came in ton and Marcus Sorensen
sion and taking advantage Game 7 of the first round but could see time with the In this May 15, 2019, file photo, San Jose Sharks’ Kevin Labanc
(62) moves the puck against St. Louis Blues during the third period
of a bigger role. when he had three assists likes of Timo Meier, Tomas in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference
“We know that his best and the go-ahead goal on Hertl and Logan Couture in final series in St. Louis.
hockey’s ahead of him,” the power play in the third 2019-20.q Associated Press