Baseball talks

underway

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball players seek expanded free agency and salary arbitration rights. They also want to nearly double the major league minimum salary and increase revenue sharing among teams.

The union presented these proposals Wednesday, a day before Major League Baseball is expected to suggest a salary cap. The current labor contract expires Dec. 1, and a lockout is anticipated. MLB opposes the union’s proposals, arguing they worsen competitive balance issues.

Players propose increased revenue sharing to guarantee small-market clubs a minimum of $240 million annually.

Congress eyes

college sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — The senators trying to fix college sports will introduce a bipartisan bill designed to break a congressional logjam that would regulate payments to players, limit them to one “free” transfer over their careers and create a “Lane Kiffin Rule” to restrict coach movement during the season.

Senators Ted Cruz, a Republican, and Maria Cantwell, a Democrat, briefed The Associated Press on details of the bill they crafted in hopes it could get the 60 votes needed to clear the Senate. They are trying to overcome more than a year of inaction in Congress, which is seeking to enshrine rules created by a lawsuit settlement that allowed players to be paid.

World Cup

prices soar

NEW YORK (AP) — FIFA is under fresh scrutiny for sky-high World Cup ticket prices and sales tactics that fans say left them with worse deals than they wanted. The attorneys general in New York and New Jersey, which is hosting eight World Cup matches including the final, announced Tuesday that they are investigating whether FIFA’s ticketing practices violated consumer protection laws. They have sent subpoenas to soccer’s global governing body demanding information on a range of ticketing issues, including FIFA’s use of “variable pricing” models that sent ticket prices soaring for most matches, and redrawn stadium maps that fans say relocated their seats far from the pitch. FIFA declined to comment.

Trump to

watch Knicks

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he plans to take in an NBA Finals game in New York when the series comes to Madison Square Garden next month. Trump says New York Knicks owner James Dolan asked Trump to join him when the Knicks play either the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Knicks reached the finals for the first time since 1999 after sweeping Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals. Trump, a New York native, praised the Knicks’ performance and called their return to the championship round after decades of futility “great to see.”

Kelce invests

in Guardians

CLEVELAND (AP) — Travis Kelce is a three-time Super Bowl champion, four-time All-Pro and fiance of music superstar Taylor Swift. On Wednesday he added minority investor in the Cleveland Guardians to his resumé. The Guardians announced before their game against the Washington Nationals that the Kansas City Chiefs tight end has purchased a minority share in the franchise.

The Cleveland Heights native bought a small share of David Blitzer’s 35% stake. Blitzer can become the controlling owner after the 2027 season or he can wait to exercise that option later.

Golden Knights

in finals

(AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights have reached the Stanley Cup Final after firing coach Bruce Cassidy and hiring John Tortorella.

Tortorella took over in March after the team lost six of seven games. Vegas finished the season 7-0-1 and has gone 12-4 in the playoffs, including a sweep of Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado. Tortorella could become the eighth coach to win the Cup after taking over mid-season. This achievement has happened five times since 2000.

If Tortorella makes it six, that would match the combined total in the NFL, NBA, and MLB over their long histories.