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Pitch clock transforming Red Sox viewing experience

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:16 GMT

It’s long been the worst part about following the Red Sox. The games finish too darn late.For the past two decades the Red Sox have perennially averaged among the longest game times in baseball; in recent years, often well over three hours. Since 2003, the club has led the league in 10 of 20 seasons and never ranked lower than fourth.That’s meant games regularly stretching deep into the night, often well past 10 p.m., sometimes even until almost 11.For fans who have work or school the next day, or for parents of young children, that’s a lot to ask. Yet intractable as the problem seemed, MLB’s new pace-of-play rules appear to have finally provided a solution.Tuesday night, Red Sox fans got their first taste of what a difference the pitch clock could really make. After a couple of long games to open the season, the Red Sox and Pirates played a quick 2:36 affair, which moved along at a brisk pace and wrapped up at around 9:45 p.m.Wednesday afternoon’s series finale was even faster, wit...

Dave Hyde: Stop the clock! Marlins beat Twins and time as baseball finds answer to endless problem

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:16 GMT

Hello, and welcome to loanDepot park for the first pitch between — oh, there’s one out! — the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins on — that’s two outs! — Wednesday afternoon as we time baseball’s new rule change to … stop the clock!Three minutes, three outs!Fast and foremost, the top of the first inning Wednesday still felt like the top of the morning one week into a new baseball era. Who hasn’t fallen in love with the pitch clock?It’s safe to watch baseball again without packing an overnight bag. The seventh-inning stretch isn’t a wake-up call to various body parts.Take me out to the ball game.Take me out to the cro—Well, OK, there were 8,981 fans at Wednesday’s series-closer for the Marlins. Some things don’t change quickly. The disaster of Derek Jeter (he made people actually miss Jeffrey Loria) and the lack of Marlins payroll (the New York Mets pay more for their luxury tax) this opening, 3-4 homes...

Wall Street slips following latest signs of slowing economy

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:16 GMT

By STAN CHOE (AP Business Writer)NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks on Wall Street mostly slipped Wednesday following the latest signals that the U.S. economy is slowing under the weight of much higher interest rates.The S&P 500 dipped 10.22 points, or 0.2%, to 4,090.38, a day after it broke a four-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 80.34, or 0.2%, to 33,482.72, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 129.47, or 1.1%, to 11,996.86. Yields also fell in the bond market following weaker-than-expected reports on the health of U.S. services industries and the job market. They’re the latest signs that the economy is losing momentum following a feverish set of hikes to interest rates by the Federal Reserve meant to get inflation under control.One report from the Institute for Supply Management said that growth in the U.S. services sector slowed last month by more than economists expected, as the pace of new orders cooled. A separate report suggested private employers a...

Yankees Notebook: Bombers top Phillies behind Gerrit Cole’s strong start, Michael King and Aaron Hicks face adversity

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:16 GMT

After a strong 2023 debut, Gerrit Cole shoved again. Gleyber Torres, meanwhile, continued his hot start to the season. But it was catcher Jose Trevino who put the nail in the Phillies’ coffin as the Bombers beat Philadelphia, 4-2, in a series-deciding game on Wednesday afternoon.With the Yankees already up 2-1 in the seventh inning, Trevino lined a two-run homer to left field, his first longball of the season. The shot, which came off Phillies reliever Gregory Soto, gave the Yankees a desirable cushion after the Phillies found their way onto the scoreboard earlier in the frame.Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber hit a solo homer in the eighth, but that was the most Philadelphia’s offense could muster.Prior to Trevino’s home run, Torres picked up a pair of RBI singles in the first and sixth innings. He added a double in the eighth, and he also stole two bases on the day. Torres is now hitting .421 with two dingers, six RBI and five swipes over six games to start the yea...

Johns Hopkins surgeons get $21.4 million to study pig-to-human organ transplants

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:16 GMT

Angela Roberts | (TNS) The Baltimore SunBALTIMORE — Two Johns Hopkins Medicine surgeons will receive $21.4 million over the next two years to advance research needed to successfully transplant living cells, tissues and organs from animals to humans.The scientists, Dr. Kazuhiko Yamada and Dr. Andrew Cameron, will receive the funding under two research agreements with the United Therapeutics Corp., a biotechnology company that focuses on projects meant to expand the availability of transplantable organs, Johns Hopkins Medicine said last week in a news release.Over the next two years, Yamada and Cameron plan to advance the use of genetically modified pigs in human organ transplants, improving techniques already used in the approach to reduce the risk of organ rejection and failure and to increase the likelihood of a patient’s long-term survival.The funding will help Yamada and Cameron complete the necessary studies in animals requested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before th...

Body discovered at Otay Lakes

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:16 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- An unidentified body was found at Otay Lakes on Wednesday, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department confirmed.The body was discovered sometime Wednesday in the City of San Diego reservoir and authorities entered the incident into the dispatch system at 12:07 p.m, according to SDFD. Supervisors address Fletcher scandal in first meeting since resignation announcement The cause of death is not known at this time. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will be working to identify if foul play is involved.SDFD lifeguards will be searching the lake for any additional people in the water, a spokesperson for the department said.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Ontario NDP, ATU Canada increase calls for funding, staffing for transit safety

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:16 GMT

Toronto mayoral candidates, labour leaders and Ontario’s Opposition NDP all urged various solutions Wednesday to a wave of violence on transit, including more operational funding, a task force, social supports, and physical barriers on platforms.Amalgamated Transit Union Canada president John Di Nino said at a news conference with the NDP that his union is renewing its calls for a national task force led by the provinces, adding it should be a priority for the Ontario government.“Front-line transit workers are getting assaulted with deadly weapons. Passengers are getting murdered on platforms and subway cars. And the provincial government just doesn’t give a damn,” said Di Nino.The union initially called for a national transit safety task force in late January, and said it must include transit agencies from across Canada and representatives from all levels of government.Di Nino said transit safety issues are “a national crisis” that is particularl...

Suspects in Aylmer arson that destroyed $1.1M home have ties to GTA: police

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:16 GMT

Peel Regional Police are assisting an arson investigation in Aylmer, Ont. after a newly built home was intentionally destroyed by a group of suspects with ties to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).Aylmer’s Police Service began investigating an arson incident on Aspen Parkway on March 24, 2023, at approximately 2:30 a.m.Investigators said the home had been built and completed but not moved into at the time of the fire and was destroyed with a total loss of 1.1 million.It’s alleged that a group of suspects used a large amount of gasoline that resulted in an explosion impacting the residence.The suspects then fled in a vehicle. Investigators do not know the make and model.Police believe one suspect suffered serious burn injuriesPeel police said smouldering discarded clothing was located at the scene, and investigators located and seized other evidence.With the help of the Ontario Fire Marshall and the Ontario Provincial Police Forensic Identification Unit, authorities believe ...

Police: 1 hospitalized in incident at Chicago’s Trump Tower

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:16 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Police said SWAT officers took one person to a hospital after responding to a domestic incident on Wednesday at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, located in the city’s central Loop near the Chicago River. The large police presence outside the condo-hotel quickly drew attention from workers and tourists in the busy area. Officers blocked access to the building using yellow caution tape and police vehicles.“At this time, we believe this is an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public,” Chicago Police media representatives said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. Police later said the incident was resolved with no injuries and one person was taken to a hospital “for evaluation.”The department didn’t release more detail about what prompted the large police response or how it was resolved. The Associated Press

West Virginia atheist inmate sues over Christian programming

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:16 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — An atheist and secular humanist is suing multiple officials in charge of the agency that runs West Virginia’s jails and prisons, accusing the state of violating his constitutional rights by requiring Christian-affiliated programming as a condition of release. Andrew Miller, who is currently incarcerated at Saint Marys Correctional Center and Jail, filed a lawsuit in a federal district court Tuesday alleging the state is forcing Christianity on incarcerated people and has failed to accommodate repeated requests to honor his lack of belief in God. The suit claims Miller encountered “religious coercion” in June 2021 when he entered the Pleasants County correctional facility. Miller is serving a one- to 10-year, nondeterminative sentence for breaking and entering.Miller alleges the federally-funded substance abuse treatment program he is participating in — which is a requirement for his parole consideration — is “infused with Christian practices,” includin...