CHICAGO (AP) The nations first womens professional baseball league in nearly 30 years is about to embark on its inaugural season in what marks a major milestone in the scattered history of the sport in the United States.The Women's Pro Baseball League is also part of a timeline that goes back to the very beginning of the sport.Women have always been part of this game, said Kat Williams, the chief executive officer of the International Womens Baseball Center. Weve always played, weve always umpired, weve always coached. And in some of the earliest references in the 17th century, the earliest references to something like a game of baseball, it was women that were playing it.Next up is the WPBL, which plays its first game Saturday. The league has four teams New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco for its first year, but the 15 regular-season games for each club and the playoffs will be held at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. The ballpark has a seating capacity of 5,200, and Springfield hosted one of the earliest paid womens games when the Blondes faced the Brunettes on Sept. 11, 1875.Kelsie Whitmore, Mone Davis and Ayami Sato are among the marquee names expected to play in the leagues first season. Each team will have 15 active players for the seven-inning games.Its amazing. Its one of those kind of things that we always hoped would happen, but wasnt sure that we would see it happen anytime soon, said Leslie Heaphy, the president of the IWBC and the chair of the women in baseball committee for the Society for American Baseball Research. And its fitting, it's needed, and yeah, it's exciting.Women's baseball had a breakthrough moment during World War IIWhile women have been connected to baseball since the beginning of the game, the first professional women's league was the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Immortalized in the film A League of Their Own, it ran from 1943-54.The AAGPBL began during World War II as a softball league before converting to baseball. Jean Faut, Doris Sams and Dottie Kamenshek were among the league's best players. Maybelle Blair, who pitched in the AAGPBL in 1948, is on the WPBL's advisory board.It was never intended to last past 1945 when it first started, but the fact that it lasts through 1954 tells you something about the importance, I think, said Heaphy, an associate professor at Kent State-Stark.It tells you about the determination of those involved, and I think it tells you a lot about the interest of the fans.Hollywood spurred renewed interest in women's baseballAfter the AAGPBL ceased operations, it would be another 40 years in the wake of the box office success for A League of Their Own before interest in professional womens baseball resurfaced. From 1994-97, Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro managed an all-female pro team, the Colorado Silver Bullets, that barnstormed the country facing mens amateur and semi-pro teams. The Ladies Professional Baseball League played in 1997 and part of 1998 before folding. It was based in the southwestern United States before expanding to New York and New Jersey. Former big league sluggers Bobby Bonds and George Foster were involved in another short-lived league in the mid-1990s in Florida.The Womens Baseball World Cup launched in 2004 and will be played for the 11th time in 2027. Japan has won the last eight World Cups after finishing runner-up to the U.S. in the first two.The AAGPBL and WPBL share a focus on marketing, albeit for different erasSkirts were part of the uniform for AAGPBL players, and they were required to attend charm school. There was an emphasis on femininity and ladylike behavior, according to the Baseball Hall of Fame.The WPBL is all over social media, detailing the background of its players while looking to sell tickets and merchandise.We know this was true in the 40s and 50s, that people tended then to follow the team because of the place, and then the players. Now they follow players, right? Thats what people do, Heaphy said.So I think that issue of raising awareness, both leagues recognize that.Arthur Meyerhoff, a Chicago advertising executive, played a prominent role in the creation and operation of the AAGPBL.He was a marketing guy, and he knew that had to happen, said Williams, a professor emeritus at Marshall University who is part of a WPBL advisory board with Heaphy. He knew that there has to be an image, right?"I mean, thats typical of any kind of new endeavor. You have to put forth an image. And the image I hope people are seeing with the WPBL is that these are athletes. These are good athletes. Theyre strong women. Theyre talented and smart. And I think thats the message.One of the biggest legacies of the AAGPBL is connected to what the women accomplished after their playing careers. Several of the women went to graduate school and earned advanced degrees. They took on prominent jobs while crediting the league for opening their eyes as to what was possible.The impact, the economic impact on those players and their families, they became doctors and lawyers and airplane pilots and teachers and you know things that they would (have) never had an opportunity to do, Williams said.___AP Sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Surprise report Alajbegovic will join Juventus in 33m plus bonus agreementSky Sports Deutschland claim that Juventus have agreed a 33m plus 7m add-ons deal with Bayer Leverkusen for Kerim Alajbegovic, who had been linked with Chelsea, Milan, Roma and Atalanta.The remarkable report was announced this afternoon by reporter Patrick Berger, then Fabrizio Romano also confirmed there were advanced negotiations.Alajbegovic suddenly close to JuventusSEATTLE, WASHINGTON JUNE 24: Kerim Alajbegovic #19 of Bosnia and Herzegovina scores his teams first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar at Seattle Stadium on June 24, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)It is quite the twist in the transfer tale for the Bosnia and Herzegovina international, who had spent most of the summer attracting attention from clubs, but none who were prepared to meet the 35m plus bonus asking price.SEATTLE, WASHINGTON JUNE 24: Kerim Alajbegovic #19 of Bosnia and Herzegovina celebrates scoring his teams first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar at Seattle Stadium on June 24, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Atalanta had come the closest only to back away when their proposal was rejected, then Chelsea seemed to be in advanced talks earlier today.The Juventus surge has come out of nowhere, perhaps disguised by their pursuit of PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani, or connected to the loan of Lois Openda to Olympique Lyonnais.Milan, Napoli and Roma had all been linked with teenage sensation Alajbegovic at various points, and there had been reports earlier in the summer that he was eager to make Serie A his next move.He turns 19 in September and last season scored 13 goals with four assists in 44 competitive games for RB Salzburg on loan.

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 15: Macklin Celebrini #71 of the San Jose Sharks looks on against the Chicago Blackhawks. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)Geoff Stellfox via Getty ImagesThe San Jose Sharks have signed center Macklin Celebrini to five-year, $94 million extension, the team announced on Wednesday. Celebrinis $18.8 million average annual value will become the highest in the NHL once the deal kicks in beginning with the 2027-28 season. It will surpass the $18 million Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks will earn after the Ducks matched an offer sheet he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this month.In just two seasons as a teenager in the National Hockey League and on the International stage, Macklin has established himself as one of the premier players in the world, said Sharks general manager Mike Grier in a statement.We are extremely excited to have him secured and committed as the centerpiece of a core of talented players in San Jose.As we continue our goal of building a team capable of annually competing for the Stanley Cup, we want to thank Macklin and his representatives for a respectful negotiationprocess, andacknowledge the flexibility they have provided to the team in how we allocate future dollars towards the team being constructed around Macklin.The deal allows the Sharks to buy one year of unrestricted free agency for Celebrini, who could hit the market as a 26-year-old in the summer of 2032.The 20-year-old Celebrini is entering his third NHL season and is coming off a 2025-26 campaign that saw him finish fourth in scoring with a career-high 45 goals and 115 points. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft was also the youngest NHL player to ever play for the Canadian Olympic team. Canada lost to the United States in the gold medal game in Milan-Cortina this past February to earn silver.Celebrini, whose father is the Golden State Warriors' director of sports medicine and performance, finished fourth in voting this past season for the Hart Trophy, which is awarded to the league's most valuable player.Earlier this month Celebrini was announced as the newest cover athlete for the EA Sports video game NHL 27.

When the Arizona Cardinals players arrived at their training facility back in April, making their first introductions with a new coaching staff, there was one player who Mike LaFleur wanted to seek out.As the Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator, LaFleur had twice prepared for Jordan Burch. He saw his hulking 6-foot-4, 280-pound frame, paired with the athleticism to run a 4.67-second 40-yard dash. He also, presumably, saw a lack of production: A player who, as a rookie, played 44% of snaps but finished with just one sack, one tackle for loss and a paltry 6.8% pressure rate.So LaFleur, sensing the ability to mold Burch into something greater, had a message for his young edge rusher.I think you can be as good as you want to be, LaFleur told him.In many ways, Burchs second season will be the litmus test on that prediction. Its one thing to lack consistent production as a rookie. Burch was selected with the 78th overall pick, not exactly part of the draft in which players are expected to contribute instantly. But thats still the third round, where expectations are real.During training camp, those expectations have quickly become clear. On the Cardinals first snap of 11-on-11 work last week, Burch was right there, lined up as an edge rusher with the starting defense. He has since rotated in and out of that role, sharing time primarily with Zaven Collins and Baron Browning, while Josh Sweat remains on the physically unable to perform list. Come Week 1, it seems that he will be a relied-upon piece off the pass rush.In explaining that increased responsibility, both Burch and his coaches have pointed to his increased comfort dropping into coverage in defensive coordinator Nick Rallis scheme. Last year, Burch said, he didnt always know what coverage was behind him, or where exactly he needed to be. Now, after 27 pass coverage snaps as a rookie nearly as many as in his entire college career he feels more natural in that area.If (the coaches) see if I'm out there dropping and I have confidence being able to do it and then third down, I'm able to rush, they can put me out there whenever they need me, Burch said.But while Burchs increased comfort in coverage may help him get on the field, it is not the barometer by which success will be measured. Thats not how life works as an edge rusher.And last year, Burchs 6.8% pressure rate ranked 92nd out of 94 edge rushers with at least 200 pass rush snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Among that same group, he was one of just four players to not record multiple sacks.Thats a problem for the Cardinals, because they have few other places to turn for pass rushing production. Theres Josh Sweat, who finished last season with a career-high 12 sacks, and precious little else. No other player on the current roster finished last season with more than two sacks. For comparison, every team in the NFL last year had multiple players with at least four sacks.This season, Walter Nolen should join Sweat in hitting that mark. He was excellent as a rookie when healthy by showcasing the explosiveness that made him the No. 16 overall pick.But who else can consistently get to the quarterback? Zaven Collins and Baron Browning are both known quantities; neither has more than five sacks in a season. B.J. Ojulari appears mired on the depth chart. Darius Robinson has a 3.2% pressure rate across two seasons. Roy Lopez, Andrew Billings and L.J. Collier are journeymen rotation pieces on the interior.Burch, though, still has the potential that the Cardinals drafted a year ago.Given his physical traits, Burchs go-to move has long been a speed-to-power rush, in which he bursts upfield and then attempts to explode through the offensive tackles chest. This offseason, his focus has been on expanding his repertoire of moves, so that opposing linemen have more to think about when blocking him.Then being able to do what I'm good at, Burch said. So if it's speed to power, then working something off of it. That's been (outside linebackers coach Matt Feeneys) main focus with me.Its too early in training camp to know, just yet, if that work has paid off. But its already clear that the Cardinals are relying on Burch to take that leap. Given their other options, its not hard to see why.This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals banking on this edge rusher to make leap in 2026

The New York Yankees, as well as some other New York pro sports teams, will have a new streaming home.Streaming conglomerate DAZN will be the new exclusive direct-to-customer streaming home of MSG Networks and YES Network starting this fall."MSG Networks and YES Network have entered into a landmark partnership that will make DAZN, the worlds leading sports entertainment platform, the exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming home of MSG Networks and YES Network during the 2026-2027 NBA and NHL seasons," according to a DAZN press release Wednesday. "Subscribers within the networks respective regional coverage territories will have access to live Yankees, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Devils, Islanders and Sabres games, as well as 24/7 feeds of the MSG, MSG Sportsnet, and YES networks, and a wealth of on-demand content including highlights, behind-the-scenes programming and Emmy Award-winning original series."Here are more details on what you need to know about the new streaming service:What is DAZN? DAZN has made a name for itself within the U.S. sports landscape as the go-to platform for combat sports, airing 185-plus fight nights a year with some of the sports top talent and promoters, and world-class soccer leagues and competitions, such as the UEFA Champions League and FIFA+. Outside the U.S., DAZN also brings popular U.S. sports to international audiences, including NFL Game Pass,NHL.TV, the NBA and NCAA college football and basketball.How do you pronounce DAZN?For those new to the streaming service, DAZN is pronounced "DA-Zone".Will DAZN cost more for MSG Networks and YES Network customers?Subscribers who receive MSG Networks or the YES Network as part of their pay TV subscription will continue to receive MSG and YES content, as applicable, via the DAZN platform at no additional cost, according to the press release.When will DAZN start streaming for MSG Networks, YES Network?The transition from Gotham Sports to DAZN will start later this year with the beginning of the 2026-27 NBA and NHL seasons.Will Yankees games still stream on Gotham Sports this season?Yes. Current subscribers to the Gotham Sports app will continue to receive uninterrupted access to the content they love as YES and MSG prepare to migrate users to DAZN during the 2026-27 NBA and NHL seasons.Exact timing and other details of the migration will be announced in the coming months.This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: DAZN replacing Gotham Sports as YES Network, MSG streaming home

Jul. 29Big Ten Football Media Days will continue through Thursday in Chicago.Even if we have two-plus months before the same event will take place for on the men's and women's basketball side for the Big Ten, let's do a fun exercise, where I pick which three Illinois women's basketball players I would like to hear from in early October.Of course, I have no say. It's a decision made by Illini head coach . But here's a few friendly suggestions.is No. 1 on my list. The Chicago native and Illinois starting point guard isn't just a good talker. She's not afraid to say what's on her mind at the time. That's a welcomed sight for a reporter. Like how the former Whitney Young standout said earlier this summer "something is brewing that's very good in Champaign."Jackson brings context and insight to any discussion impressive for a 19-year-old and has a personality that shows through well in an interview setting.My next choice might be a surprise to some but the fact we have yet to hear from this summer makes her inclusion important. The LSU transfer is the latest player Green and her coaching staff have circled back to on the recruiting trail and brought to Champaign. Bourage, a 5-foot-11 sophomore guard, could occupy a prominent role in the Illini rotation this winter after playing sparingly during her lone season in Baton Rouge, La., with the Tigers.While I am cheating a bit by asking for three players only two from each team attended last year's Big Ten Media Days at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont that third selection has to be .The junior forward is a key veteran on the Illinois roster as a "bridge" of sorts between that five-player senior class of , , , and that completely changed the trajectory of the Illini program alongside Green before those seniors departed at the end of the 2024-25 season and this current core Illinois group.Wallace can bring perspective and is also coming off her best college season as an All-Big Ten First Team Selection. Illinois doesn't win 22 games, qualify for the NCAA tournament for the third time in four years and reach the second round of women's March Madness with a big year from the 6-1 forward who averaged 18.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.Wallace, too, has embraced the fact she can play a major role in the Illini taking that next step as a program with Illinois looking to reach the second weekend of the NCAA tournament for only the third time in program history during the upcoming 2026-27 season. The Illini, after all, only have two Sweet 16 appearances and have never made it further.Wallace and Co. would like to change that, and the Pickerington, Ohio, native could have as many as three seasons in C-U to make that happen with the new 5-in-5 age-based eligibility rule the NCAA adopted earlier this summer.

Jul. 29On Wednesdays, we'll chop it up with our Golfer of the Week. Email nominations to .As caddy for his daughter, Jeff Woods provided sound advice throughout last weekend's Twin City tournament. Better yet, he provided frequent updates for inquiring minds wanting to know how things were going."He was texting all the updates to my family and friends," Mary Woods said. "He's a great caddy."With Dad on the bag, Mary won her first Twin City title in three tries by beating Ashley Wells on the first playoff hole Sunday at the Champaign Country Club. The 26-year-old University of Illinois graduate, who was a News-Gazette All-Area Girls' Soccer performer at Centennial (Class of '18), also played basketball and tennis in high school.Golf? She rediscovered her love of a sport she quit playing in middle school when COVID-19 hit."You gotta have fun," she said. "If you don't have a positive attitude, you're going to be in trouble."A "weekend warrior" who travels extensively for her job with Johnson & Johnson, Mary appreciated the help from Dad, a frequent tournament winner at the family's home course (Lincolnshire Fields Country Club): "He talked me out of some shots I shouldn't take. He helped me play it safe."His reward: "A big high-five and a pat on the back."Here's more from Mary, who said she'll try to repeat as Twin City champ next summer: Order on the 19th hole: Club sandwich and a Moscow mule. Favorite course: Bulls Bay Golf Club in Awendaw, S.C.My dream foursome: Nelly Korda, Cam Young and Tommy Fleetwood. Where's your Twin City plaque going? "Next to my dad's golf trophies." Pro I'm rooting for: Cam Young.

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