Archives for May 2021

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A coronavirus outbreak on Mount Everest has infected at least 100 climbers and support staff, an expert mountaineering guide said, giving the first comprehensive estimate amid official Nepalese denials that the disease has spread to the world’s highest peak.

Lukas Furtenbach of Austria, who last week became the only prominent outfitter to halt his Everest expedition due to virus fears, said Saturday one of his foreign guides and six Nepali Sherpa guides have tested positive.

“I think with all the confirmed cases we know now — confirmed from (rescue) pilots, from insurance, from doctors, from expedition leaders — I have the positive tests so we can prove this,” Furtenbach told The Associated Press in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.

“We have at least 100 people minimum positive for COVID in base camp, and then the numbers might be something like 150 or 200,” he said.

He said it was obvious there were many cases at the Everest base camp because he could visibly see people were sick, and could hear people coughing in their tents.

A total of 408 foreign climbers were issued permits to climb Everest this season, aided by several hundred Sherpas and support staff who’ve been stationed at base camp since April.

Nepalese mountaineering officials have denied there are any active cases this season among climbers and support staff at all base camps for the country’s Himalayan mountains. Mountaineering was closed last year due to the pandemic.

Nepalese officials could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday. Other climbing teams have not announced any COVID-19 infections among their members or staff. Several climbers have reported testing positive after they were brought down from the Everest base camp.

Furtenbach said most teams on the mountain were not carrying virus testing kits, and that before his team pulled out, they had helped conduct tests and had confirmed two cases.

Most teams are still at base camp, hoping for clear weather next week so they can make a final push to the summit before the climbing season closes at the end of the month, Furtenbach said.

In late April, a Norwegian climber became the first to test positive at the Everest base camp. He was flown by helicopter to Kathmandu, where he was treated and later returned home.

Nepal is experiencing a virus surge, with record numbers of new infections and deaths. China last week canceled climbing from its side of Mount Everest due to fears the virus could be spread from the Nepalese side.

Nepal reported 8,607 new infections and 177 deaths on Friday, bringing the nation’s totals since the pandemic began to more than 497,000 infections and 6,024 deaths.

Copyright © 2021 . All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

CLEVELAND (AP) — César Hernández hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning off Alex Colomé, giving the Cleveland Indians a 5-3 victory over Minnesota on Saturday that dropped the Twins to 0-8 in extra-inning games this season.

Hernández’s first career game-ending home run led off the 10th and sliced over the right-field wall to score Austin Hedges, who started at second base under pandemic rules.

“I wanted to be aggressive, but I told myself to remain calm because this was the most important at-bat of the day,” Hernández said. “There is a shared mindset we have to win as many games as possible and the passion to play the best baseball we can.”

Colomé (2-4) also gave up Jordan Luplow’s leadoff homer in the 10th inning of a 5-3 loss at Cleveland on April 26, prompting his removal as Minnesota’s closer.

James Karinchak (2-0) got four outs, finishing a 4 2/3 inning hitless, scoreless performance by the Indians bullpen behind AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber.

Bieber allowed three runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six, ending his 23-game streak of at least seven strikeouts, the second-longest stretch behind the 34 by Arizona’s Randy Johnson in 1999-2000.

“We know what it’s like when Bieber is dialed in, and we went out there and got him and had a good chance to win,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We just couldn’t come up with a big hit later in the game.”

Minnesota, which trailed 3-0 after two innings, tied the score in the sixth on rookie Alex Kirilloff’s RBI single that chased Bieber. Nick Sandlin loaded the bases with two outs, then fell behind Andrelton Simmons 3-0 in the count before striking him out.

Kirilloff has hits in nine straight games and 14 RBIs in his first 14 games in the majors.

Franmil Reyes hit a two-run homer in the first for the Indians, but left in the sixth after straining a left abdominal muscle while fouling off a pitch. Reyes will undergo an MRI on Sunday morning.

Reyes’ 11th home run of the season came off Kenta Maeda, who allowed three runs and three hits in five innings while striking out six. Baldelli planned on sending Maeda out for the sixth before being told he had a strained groin.

“As my pitch count went up, my groin got a little tighter,” Maeda said.

Cleveland extended its lead to 3-0 in the second on Hedges’ RBI single. Hedges had two hits, but popped out with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth.

Minnesota closed to 3-2 on Josh Donaldson’s sacrifice fly in the third and Miguel Sanó’s homer in the fourth. Sanó has gone deep four times during a nine-game hitting streak at Progressive Field.

“It’s less of a stuff thing and more of an execution thing for me,” Bieber said. “I’ve got to be better.”

DOWN HE GOES

Indians RHP Triston McKenzie, who walked an AL-high 30 in 31 1/3 innings, was optioned to Triple-A Columbus. One of the organization’s top prospects, he allowed six runs and walked five in 3 1/3 innings Friday in a 10-0 loss.

“We felt like here, now, it wasn’t happening for him,” manager Terry Francona said. “For Triston’s development, we need to let him hit the reset at Triple-A.”

The 23-year-old McKenzie went 1-3 with a 6.89 ERA and 44 strikeouts in seven starts and one relief appearance. He helped Cleveland reach the 2020 playoffs, going 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: DH Nelson Cruz (left wrist bruise) was not in the lineup for the third straight game, but took some swings. … SS Jorge Polanco (right ankle soreness) has not played since hurting an ankle Thursday at the Angels. The injury is in the same spot where Polanco has undergone two surgeries, according to Baldelli.

Indians: C Roberto Pérez (right ring finger fracture) has been on the injured list since May 5 and is expected to be sidelined until after the All-Star break. Pérez underwent surgery to stabilize the fracture by placing three pins in his hand on May 7.

UP NEXT

Twins: LHP J.A. Happ (2-2, 5.35 ERA) gets the call in the three-game series finale. Happ has allowed 12 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings on the road, going 1-1 in three starts.

Indians: RHP Zach Plesac (4-3, 3.93 ERA) is 3-0 with a 2.20 ERA in four starts this month, striking out 19 over 28 2/3 innings.

___

More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © 2021 . All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — The games are played at Sam Suplizio Field, a dandy of a baseball diamond with a magnificent view from behind home plate of the Grand Mesa — the country’s largest flattop mountain.

The NJCAA’s Division I Junior College Baseball World Series is on after being canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 10-team, double-elimination tournament opens May 29 and runs through June 4, or June 5 if necessary.

Opening day features a quadruple-header, beginning at 9 a.m. local time, with the final game set for 7:30 p.m.

For those not in the junior college loop, walking onto the field named for a 1950s New York Yankees’ top prospect is a dream realized for any player aspiring to compete for a championship no matter the level of competition.

It’s a bit of hike to get to Grand Junction. About four hours west of Denver and 4 ½ hours southeast of Salt Lake City, it’s a place where roads marked as 25 ½ and F ¾ make perfect sense. But it’s been the host of the JUCO World Series — the condensed version —- since 1959. Recently, the contract between the NJCAA and the city was extended through 2045.

“It was a difficult year for everyone because of COVID, and it will be a little different this year,” longtime JUCO World Series tournament chairman Jamie Hamilton said. “The bottom line is our family reunion is back.”

It will be different. The stadium seats about 7,000 but can hold close to 10,000. Following the COVID-19 guidelines set by the Grand Junction Health Department, masks are optional, social distancing is required and attendance is limited to 3,000.

Most of the field will be determined by the end of the weekend, and for the first time the NJCAA will seed teams rather than using a regional rotation system.

District playoffs were played in places such as Ozark, Alabama; Salina, Kansas; Wilburton, Oklahoma; and Florence, South Carolina. The district names range from the Appalachian to the Plains.

Through Friday, teams earning trips to Grand Junction include San Jacinto College (Texas), Florence-Darlington (S.C.), Miami-Dade (Florida), Shelton State (Alabama) and Walters State (Tennessee).

The rest of the field was filled Saturday, with Indian Hills CC (Iowa), Cowley College (Kansas), Crowder College (Missouri); McLennan CC (Texas); and 2019 defending champion Central Arizona winning district titles.

Some consider San Jac the Yankees of junior college. The school has been in the tournament so often it has its own cheering — and booing — sections. It also has also produced dozens of major leaguers, including Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. The Gators (48-13, No. 4 in the NJCAA baseball poll) will be making their record-extending 24th appearance in the series, with five national championships but none since 1990. Coach Tom Arrington, in his 21st season, has a team in the tournament for the 11th time with no titles but six losses in the final game.

“There’s no doubt the buzz is back to get to Grand Junction and play for a championship,’’ said Arrington, who recently picked up career win No. 900 and is a member of the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. “It’s been such a difficult road with COVID and the issues going on with our country.

“But the Grand Junction community has created such a great atmosphere for our kids to play — and you don’t realize it until you get to such a special venue like this one.”

Christopher Parker, president and CEO of the National Junior College Athletic Association, is among those happy to have the tournament in motion again.

“This is all about us doing everything we can to keep everyone safe and still have a great atmosphere,” he said.

Most players are awed by the size of the field and the number of fans, many of them youngsters hoping for autographs. The dimensions are a major league-like 365 feet in left field, 400 in center and 330 in right.

“Many days at our home games, there’s more scouts than spectators,’’ Arrington said. “To see so many fans in a stadium, our players know it’s for real. It builds excitement. These kids worked hard to get here and want to play well.”

Oddly, the tournament is not televised. The only way to watch is through live streaming at the NJCAA website — for a fee. For now.

“We’ve had multiple conversations with national broadcast companies about getting the national championship game on TV,’’ Parker said. “I would simply say we’re having good conversations.”

Hamilton, who has guided this tournament for more than 35 years, was unsettled when the 2020 Memorial Day weekend began with no baseball.

“On the first morning, I usually wake up at 5 and I’m on the field by 6 but after eating breakfast and then reading I said, ’What am I supposed to do now?” he said. “It got to the point where my wife said, ‘Do you want to play golf or something?’”

The stage is set for the show to go on.

“The bells and whistles that we’ve had for years probably won’t be there,’’ Hamilton said, “but we’re going to show what western Colorado people do and give them a chance to play for the championship they couldn’t last year.”

JUCO Notes: There are about 180 junior colleges in Division I of the NJCAA, and dozens of top major league players got their careers rolling by playing in the JUCO World Series. Among them: Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett (Triton College, River Grove, Illinois); Brandon Belt (San Jacinto); Bryce Harper (Southern Nevada); pitchers Eric Gagne (Seminole JC, Oklahoma); Cliff Lee (Meridian JC, Mississippi); and John Lackey (Grayson County College, Denison, Texas). … Sam Suplizio was a rising star in the Yankees organization in the late 1950s before fracturing his throwing arm while sliding into second in a 1956 minor league game. He eventually settled in Grand Junction and was instrumental in bringing an MLB team to Colorado in 1993. He served for decades as tournament chairman of the JUCO World Series. He died in 2006 at 74.

Copyright © 2021 . All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Just in time for the playoffs, the NBA told its head coaches Saturday they may work without masks during games if they have been fully vaccinated.

And coaches quickly took advantage.

All eight coaches whose teams had playoff openers Saturday — Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, Milwaukee’s Mike Budenholzer, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Tyronn Lue, Dallas’ Rick Carlisle, Boston’s Brad Stevens, Brooklyn’s Steve Nash, Portland’s Terry Stotts and Denver’s Michael Malone — all roamed their sidelines without masks, the first time all season that coaches were permitted to do so.

The NBA’s updated policy is consistent with the way things have been trending in the league during the pandemic: Those who are vaccinated simply have more freedoms than those who are not.

“You just start to see more and more signs that things are coming around,” Spoelstra said. “It brings you a great deal of hope, just in general.”

Another notable change now that the playoffs are here is that crowds will be much bigger than was the case in the regular season. The Heat announced Saturday that they have been approved to have 17,000 fans starting with Game 3 of their matchup against Milwaukee on Thursday, the biggest known attendance number in the league so far this year.

Boston and Atlanta, without specifying exact numbers, said they would be near capacity in their buildings for Games 3 and 4 of their respective series against Brooklyn and New York. Dallas, New York, Brooklyn, Utah, Philadelphia and Phoenix are also planning for crowds exceeding 10,000 fans — all sizable jumps over regular-season norms.

Leaguewide, the average maximum attendance for games in Round 1 is currently about 10,600, and that could rise as the postseason goes along if the league, teams and local governments determine that they can safely bring more fans into buildings.

New York planned on welcoming up to 15,000 fans for its playoff opener Sunday at Madison Square Garden against Atlanta.

“You don’t realize how much you miss them. … It’s just great to see things sort of getting back to normal,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Only fully vaccinated head coaches, for now, can go without masks. Assistant coaches and players are still required to wear masks in the bench area.

The league memo detailing the moves, sent Saturday morning and obtained by The Associated Press, also said that head coaches will have to wear masks during halftime, during warmups and shootaround before the start of the third quarter and postgame. If opposing coaches choose to meet briefly on the court after a game, masks are encouraged.

Coaches have needed to wear masks throughout games all season, and some even got calls from the NBA with a reminder to be more committed to keeping the masks over their nose and mouth. But for the playoffs, the league said it was making the mask change “to facilitate in-game coaching duties, and in light of vaccination rates among NBA head coaches” along with recent updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Coaches will still need to participate in the NBA’s testing regimens, the league said.

In Los Angeles, public health officials were offering an additional incentive for those who are considering getting vaccinated this weekend. Residents of Los Angeles County who get their first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, on Saturday or Sunday will be eligible to enter a drawing for two season tickets for Los Angeles Lakers games next season.

More changes to NBA policy could be coming as the playoffs go along. The NBA hasn’t ruled out the possibility of arenas returning to 100% capacity for the NBA Finals in July. The league also is planning to evaluate whether teams can increase travel parties starting with the second round of the playoffs. Teams have been limited in how many staffers can travel to games throughout the season.

“We’re making progress. We’re moving in the right direction,” Budenholzer said. “Still a lot of work to be done with the virus and with COVID, but for our fans and for our players, to get to experience this competition, playoff basketball in person … it’s really exciting.”

___

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © 2021 . All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

TOKYO (AP) — If John Coates was trying to stir controversy, he succeeded.

An International Olympic Committee vice president, Coates was asked a few days ago by a Japanese reporter at an online news conference if the Tokyo Olympics would go ahead, even if a state of emergency were in force in Japan.

Coates replied: “Absolutely, yes.”

Coates said what the IOC and local organizers have been trying to persuade the Japanese public about for months: The postponed Olympics with 11,000 athletes from 200 nations and territories will open on July 23 and will be “safe and secure.”

But his defiant tone has stirred a backlash in Japan where 60-80% in polls say they do not want the Olympics to open in two months in the midst of a pandemic.

Just over 12,000 deaths in Japan — good by global standards, but poor in Asia — have been attributed to COVID-19. But Tokyo and Osaka and several other areas are under a state of emergency until May 31. And it’s likely to be extended.

There is fear of new variants spreading with only a tiny percentage of Japanese vaccinated. Estimates range between 2% and 4%.

“Right now, more than 80% of the nation’s people want the Olympics postponed or canceled,” Japanese billionaire businessman Masayoshi Son said over the weekend. He is the founder and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp. He also owns the SoftBank Hawks baseball team.

“Who is forcing this to go ahead, and under what rights?” Son added.

Technically, the games belong to the International Olympic Committee and only it has the power to cancel. Of course, any move would have to be negotiated with Japanese organizers.

There is no suggestion this will happen.

Social media criticized Coates, and also went after IOC President Thomas Bach who has said repeatedly that everyone must “sacrifice” to pull off these Olympics, which have already banned fans from abroad. A decision on local fans attending — if any — will be made next month.

The IOC relies on selling television rights for 75% of its income, and Japan has officially spent $15.4 billion to prepare the games. Government audits suggest the figure is much higher. All but $6.7 billion is public money.

The Shukan Post magazine said in its latest issue that organizers have booked all the rooms during the Olympics in at least four of Tokyo’s most expensive hotels. The magazine called the accommodations “fitting or royalty” for the IOC and others.

Tokyo organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto said Friday the “Olympic family, IOC and international federations” would amount to 23,000 visitors.

The magazine said the IOC would pay up to $400 per night for rooms, with local organizers making up any difference.

Many of Japan’s newspapers are among more than 60 local Olympic sponsors that have contributed more than $3 billion to local organizers. They have been restrained in their criticism, although one of them — the Hokkaido Shimbun — did call for unspecified action from Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Suga has said it’s the IOC that must determine the fate of the Olympics.

“That inaction itself is forfeiting the responsibility over people’s lives and health. Those in charge should take that to heart.”

The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, which is not a sponsor, called for a cancellation in an editorial on Sunday.

“We are in no mood to celebrate an event filled with fear and anxiety,” the newspaper said. “The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics should be canceled … The government must make the decision to protect the lives and livelihood of the people.”

Organizers and the IOC say that the games will be safe because of extensive testing and building a bubble around the athletes. It says more than 80% of the residents in the Olympics Village, located on Tokyo Bay, will be vaccinated.

The comments of Atsuko Saitoh, who identifies herself as midwife and former university professor, are representative of the criticism on social media. She has run unsuccessfully for Japan’s upper house and is running in the next lower house election.

“Bach and Coates do not value the lives of the athletes, others involved or the people of the host nation. It’s tantamount to predicting terrorism to say that the games will be held under an emergency, despite the overwhelming opposition in public opinion.”

___

More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Copyright © 2021 . All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.