Sports briefs
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Brewers’ Uribe, others suspended for brawl
MILWAUKEE | Milwaukee reliever Abner Uribe was suspended for six games and starter Freddy Peralta for five on Wednesday for their roles in a brawl during a Brewers’ game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Rays outfielder Jose Siri was suspended for three games, a penalty later cut to two, and Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy for two by Mike Hill, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president for on-field operations. All four also were fined.
Murphy started his suspension on Wednesday, when associate manager Rickie Weeks led the team against the Rays.
Uribe and Peralta appealed to MLB special assistant John McHale Jr., and their discipline remained pending until the appeal is resolved. Later Wednesday, Uribe was optioned to Triple-A Nashville.
Siri dropped his appeal as part of an agreement cutting the penalty to two games, and he served the first game as the Rays lost 7-1 Wednesday.
MLB cited Peralta for intentionally throwing at Siri, and Murphy was cited for Peralta’s actions plus “inappropriate conduct towards umpires.” Uribe was disciplined for causing a benches-clearing incident and Siri for his actions during the incident.
Before Wednesday’s game, Siri revealed a bruise on his left leg that he received after getting hit by a 3-0 fastball from Peralta in the sixth inning of the Brewers’ 8-2 victory Tuesday. That incident led to the ejection of Peralta and Murphy.
The animosity between Siri and the Brewers had been building since he took a long look at his solo home run off Peralta in the third inning.
After Siri grounded out leading off the eighth against Uribe, the two exchanged words near first base and Uribe threw a punch at Siri, who then took a wild swing at the pitcher. Milwaukee first baseman Rhys Hoskins tried to break up the fight and was knocked to the ground as dugouts and bullpens emptied.
Siri wasn’t in the Rays’ starting lineup Wednesday but said he planned on getting treatment and would be available later in the game.
“He was the one who threw first. I don’t think I did anything bad,” Siri said through an interpreter. “Of course, I would expect (Uribe) to get a suspension. Me, I might even get a game or two.”
Siri said he remained unsure why Uribe took a swing at him.
“When I was in the on-deck circle and he was warming up I felt like he kept looking over at me and staring at me, so I just had that feeling,” Siri said. “Obviously, when I went to first base, I confirmed that he had a problem with me.”
Uribe assessed the situation after Tuesday’s game.
“I think there were some words shared that didn’t have much to do with the game, that probably shouldn’t have been shared there in that exchange,” he said through an interpreter.
Siri stressed on Wednesday he has no dispute with Peralta.
“I never really had a problem with Peralta. Never have,” he said. “He hit me, and I just went to first base.”
Siri said celebrations by pitchers and batters alike are part of the game but insisted that he wasn’t trying to show up Peralta.
“I don’t think I did anything wrong. I stood there. I didn’t look at it. I put my head down and just ran,” he said.
Murphy had been ejected from each of the Brewers’ previous two games. He was tossed from a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday after arguing with a decision that kept the Brewers from scoring the tying run in the ninth inning.
Bears’ plan for stadium remains ‘non-starter’ after meeting
CHICAGO | The Chicago Bears’ proposal to fund a new lakefront stadium remains a “non-starter,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office said after top aides met with team officials on Wednesday.
The Bears unveiled a nearly $5 billion plan calling for public funding last week for an enclosed facility to be built next to their longtime home at Soldier Field. Though the governor did not rule out more discussions, the team clearly is facing an uphill battle.
“As the Governor has said, the current proposal is a non-starter for the state,” press secretary Alex Gough said in a statement. “In order to subsidize a brand new stadium for a privately owned sports team, the Governor would need to see a demonstrable and tangible benefit to the taxpayers of Illinois. The Governor’s office remains open to conversations with the Bears, lawmakers, and other stakeholders with the understanding that responsible fiscal stewardship of tax-payer dollars remains the foremost priority.”
Pritzker’s chief of staff Anne Caprara and deputy governor Andy Manar met with the Bears, who called it “a productive conversation.”
“We share a commitment to protecting the taxpayers of Illinois and look forward to further discussions,” the team added.
The Bears’ plan calls for $3.2 billion for the new stadium plus an additional $1.5 billion in infrastructure. The team and the city said the project would add green and open space while improving access to the city’s Museum Campus.
The proposal calls for $2.025 billion from the Bears, $300 million from an NFL loan and $900 million in bonds from the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. The funding from the ISFA would involve extending bonds of the existing 2% hotel tax.
Mayor Brandon Johnson gave a full-throated endorsement last week, saying the project is in line with Daniel Burnham’s “Plan of Chicago.” He said there would be no tax hikes or new taxes for Chicago residents. But Pritzker and other state legislators are skeptical of the plan.
The Bears spent $197.2 million more than a year ago to purchase the site of the shuttered Arlington International Racecourse from Churchill Downs Inc. They envisioned building a stadium on the 326-acre tract of land some 30 miles northwest of Soldier Field, with restaurants, retail and more on the property — all for about $5 billion, with some taxpayer help.
The Bears had said they would pay for the stadium in Arlington Heights, with taxpayer dollars covering infrastructure costs such as roads and sewers. Those plans stalled, with the team citing a property assessment it said was too high.
T-wolves plan for Finch to be with them for Game 1 versus Nuggets
MINNEAPOLIS | The Minnesota Timberwolves are planning for coach Chris Finch to be with them in Denver to begin their Western Conference semifinal series following his knee surgery — and considering seating configurations that would allow him to safely be on the bench during games.
Finch’s procedure to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee Wednesday went well, according to assistant coach Micah Nori, who has temporarily taken the lead in Finch’s absence. Finch directed the initiation of the strategy for the Nuggets earlier this week before going into surgery.
The team will fly Thursday night to Denver ahead of Saturday’s Game 1. Provided his recovery is on track, Finch would likely travel separately to allow more healing time, Nori said.
In the NBA, the bench is cramped with reserve players and large coaching and training staffs with high-priced floor seats surrounding them to be right on top of the action. It will be a challenge to create enough space for Finch to keep his leg extended, and to be out of harm’s way in case another loose-ball chase or player collision comes too close for comfort. The Timberwolves have discussed relocating head athletic trainer Gregg Farnam’s seat to give Finch room.
If they can’t make that setup work, Finch would likely join the team in the locker room for pregame and halftime meetings and watch the action from above in a suite.
“In typical Finchy fashion, he’s like, ‘I don’t want to sit there and send text messages to somebody behind the bench,’” Nori said.
With largely the same rotation players as last year and a coaching staff with strong chemistry in a third full season together, the Timberwolves are confident they can weather the disruption of Finch’s injury without missing a beat on the court.
“I’m not saying Finchy isn’t funny and all that stuff, but Finchy can seem a little more serious than Micah, and it’s good to have that kind of balance,” said point guard Mike Conley, who won the NBA’s Teammate of the Year award Wednesday. “Guys really respect Micah and what he brings to our team.”
Finch finished third in the voting for the NBA Coach of the Year award, which went to Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault.
“He does not want to be the focus. He trusts all of us. He trusts the players. He’s like, ‘You guys do yourselves. You’ve done enough,’” Nori said. “The players, at the end of the day, are going to be the ones who decide this series.”
Finch was hurt when Conley collided with him late in the Game 4 win at Phoenix that gave the Timberwolves their first series sweep in franchise history.
“He made us all feel better to see him in great spirits the next day and being able to travel back with us,” center Rudy Gobert said. “It’s unfortunate, obviously, but we’re here to support him and we’re going to try to make him proud from a distance.”
WNBA ticket sales on StubHub are up 93%
The wave of incoming rookies such as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso and the return of popular players A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum of the defending champion Las Vegas Aces have led to unprecedented demand for WNBA games on one of the world’s largest ticket resale platforms.
StubHub announced its sales for WNBA games as of Wednesday were up 93% compared with last season. The increase followed StubHub’s record sales for the women’s NCAA Tournament and for the 2023 WNBA Finals, spokesperson Adam Budelli said.
The highest ticket demand was for the Aces, who host three of the top 10-selling games. A total of six Aces season tickets, starting at $906 for 20 home games, remained. Overall sales for the Aces have nearly tripled (up 190%) compared with this time a year ago.
The New York Liberty, featuring 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart, were the second-most in-demand team with sales up 30%.
The Indiana Fever, which drafted Clark No. 1 overall, are the top trending team on StubHub with more than 500 tickets for games involving the Fever sold since Tuesday.
A floor-level seat for the Fever’s preseason road game against Dallas on Friday was listed at $791. Top price for a ticket to the Fever’s preseason home game against Atlanta on May 10 was $672.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper apologizes for inappropriate comment
TAMPA, Fla. | Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper opened his end-of-season news conference Wednesday apologizing for making what he called an inappropriate analogy of putting skirts on goalies.
Cooper after the Game 5 loss that eliminated his team from the playoffs on Monday night vented about two questionable goaltender interference rulings that contributed to Florida’s 6-1 win. The Lightning had two goals disallowed when the NHL situation room deemed a player interfered with Sergei Bobrovsky each time.
The league’s longest-tenured coach said he was sincerely sorry especially as a father of two daughters who play sports and a supporter of women’s hockey.
“It’s one of those minutes if you could just reach back and grab the words back, I would’ve,” Cooper said. “Quite frankly, it was wrong and I’ve got to go and explain myself to my girls. … I sincerely apologize to all I offended. It’s pained me more than the actual series loss itself.”
Tampa Bay has made the playoffs in 10 of his 11 seasons on the job and won the Stanley Cup back to back in 2020 and ‘21.
—From AP reports
