Rockies Journal: MLB pitch clock, shorter games were huge success

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:48:37 GMT

Rockies Journal: MLB pitch clock, shorter games were huge success The Rockies’ 103-loss season was interminable. Or so it seemed.But it was actually 1,579 minutes shorter than their 94-loss season a year ago.We can all thank the baseball gods, Major League Baseball, and the pitch clock for that. Despite the objections of the players’ association, MLB instituted a pitch clock this season set at 15 seconds with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on base.Players might have grumbled during spring training but the change was a grand slam and any controversy melted into the background. I can’t tell you how many games I covered where the Rockies were in the seventh or eighth inning at the two-hour mark. I was amazed, pleased and thankful that deadlines weren’t pressed quite as often.Plus, it was nice to often see the fans — especially the kids — still in the stands at the end of the night. The 3 1/2-hour games that used to be commonplace at Coors Field are not so common anymore.It’s not just that the games wer...

The pallid bat is California's newest state symbol: Here’s what makes it special

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:48:37 GMT

The pallid bat is California's newest state symbol: Here’s what makes it special California’s list of official state symbols continues to grow after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 732, which designated the pallid bat as the official state bat.The bat’s official designation as a state emblem is more than just a coincidence as Halloween approaches but more so because bats play a significant role in the state’s agriculture.Bats eats “many pest species, including those contributing to health risks such as mosquitoes, wasps, and flies. A female bat nursing her young will eat more than two-thirds of her body weight in insects and arthropods every night,” according to the bill’s text. New California law to limit how much landlords can charge for security deposits Bats statewide also provide “more than $1,000,000,000 worth of pest control to California agriculture."State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, D-Los San Fernando Valley, authored the legislation inspired by one of her constituents.“I had a constituent of my district from Granada Hills come up to me when she was ...

Bay Area high school football roundup 2023: Best of Week 9 action

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:48:37 GMT

Bay Area high school football roundup 2023: Best of Week 9 action Welcome back to the Bay Area News Group’s high school football roundup.Here, you’ll find all the details from the weekend’s action in this news organization’s coverage area, which encompasses teams that play in leagues based primarily in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.Check back every Saturday during the season for scores, highlights and top performers, updated throughout the day.If you have not already, please subscribe here for complete digital access all season long. Your contributions keep us going.On to the roundup …Ranked teamsNo. 2 De La Salle 31, No. 6 El Cerrito 12On an emotional day for De La Salle after the sudden death of defensive line coach Steve Jacoby, the Spartans scored the first 31 points, which included a scoop-and-score by linebacker/edge rusher Drew Cunningham. DLS improved to 6-2. El Cerrito is 7-1. Darren Sabedra has the full story here.No. 3 San Ramon Valley 14, No. 7 California 0Marco Jones ran for a touchdown, caught a TD, blocke...

Child care unaffordable for most Va. families with young children, state report says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:48:37 GMT

Child care unaffordable for most Va. families with young children, state report says Child care is unaffordable for the majority of Virginia families with young children, and nearly all of the state’s low-income families with young children, according to a new report by the state’s oversight agency of the Virginia General Assembly.The Oct. 16 report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, “Virginia’s Self-Sufficiency Programs and the Availability and Affordability of Child Care,” seeks to “review the effectiveness of the Commonwealth’s programs for helping poor Virginias improve their employment and wages and make progress toward self-sufficiency.”Child care is unaffordable to 85% of Virginia families with infants, 82% of families with toddlers and 74% of families with preschoolers, according to the report.For low-income Virginians, the percentages are even higher: Child care is unaffordable for 98% of families with infants and toddlers, and 97% with preschoolers, the report said.The JLARC report says ful...

Pittsburgh Steelers come off bye for rare road meeting with Los Angeles Rams

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:48:37 GMT

Pittsburgh Steelers come off bye for rare road meeting with Los Angeles Rams PITTSBURGH (3-2) at LOS ANGELES RAMS (3-3)Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT, FoxBETTING LINE: Rams by 3, according to FanDuel SportsBookAGAINST THE SPREAD: Steelers 3-2; Rams 3-1-2.SERIES RECORD: Rams lead 15-10-2.LAST MEETING: Steelers beat Rams 17-12 on Nov. 10, 2019, in Pittsburgh.LAST WEEK: Steelers had bye, beat Ravens 17-10 on Oct. 8; Rams beat Cardinals 26-9.STEELERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (28), PASS (27), SCORING (30)STEELERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (29), PASS (25), SCORING (20)RAMS OFFENSE: OVERALL (7), RUSH (17), PASS (6), SCORING (12)RAMS DEFENSE: OVERALL (13), RUSH (22), PASS (13), SCORING (11T)TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Steelers plus-5; Rams minus-1STEELERS PLAYER TO WATCH: LB T.J. Watt. The All-Pro edge rusher’s eight sacks through five games are well ahead of his pace in 2021 when he tied Michael Strahan’s NFL record with 22 1/2 and won Defensive Player of the Year. Watt has also swatted down four passes, forced three fumbles, recovered two and scored a touchdown...

¿Cómo funciona el balotaje en las elecciones en Argentina? ¿Cuándo se da?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:48:37 GMT

¿Cómo funciona el balotaje en las elecciones en Argentina? ¿Cuándo se da? (CNN Español) — El balotaje es la manera en que las elecciones en Argentina se resuelven cuando en primera vuelta no hay un ganador contundente y, de cara a las elecciones presidenciales que se avecinan en el país, los candidatos están pendientes de si habrá o no segunda vuelta después de las elecciones del 22 de octubre.El balotaje está establecido por ley en el Código Electoral en el artículo 148 que establece que tanto presidente como vicepresidente se elegirán por votación nacional al menos tres meses antes de que se termine el periodo del presidente en curso.La segunda vuelta llegará si una fórmula presidencial no alcanza el 45% de los votos válidos emitidos. O si esa fórmula obtiene el 40% de los votos, pero no tiene una diferencia mayor a 10 puntos porcentuales del total de los votos afirmativos válidos.“Si ninguna formula alcanzare esas mayorías y diferencias de acuerdo al escrutinio ejecutado por las Juntas Electorales, y cuyo resultado único para toda la Nación...

Pakistan’s self-exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returns home ahead of a parliamentary vote

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:48:37 GMT

Pakistan’s self-exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returns home ahead of a parliamentary vote ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived home Saturday on a chartered plane from Dubai, ending four years of self-imposed exile in London as he seeks to win the support of voters in parliamentary elections due in January.Sharif, who was elected prime minister three times, is expected to face tough competition from the party of the former premier and his main rival, Imran Khan. He was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 and is currently imprisoned after a court convicted and sentenced him to three years in a graft case. Sharif has been a fugitive since he failed to appear before a Pakistani court in 2019 following his conviction and a 10-year prison sentence on corruption charges. Khan, at the time, had allowed him to travel abroad to receive medical treatment after complaining of chest pains. Sharif later prolonged his stay in London, saying his doctors were not allowing him to return to Pakistan. A Pakistani federal court on Thursday gra...

Horarios de las elecciones generales en Argentina: ¿hasta qué hora se puede votar y cuándo cierran las urnas?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:48:37 GMT

Horarios de las elecciones generales en Argentina: ¿hasta qué hora se puede votar y cuándo cierran las urnas? (CNN Español) — Este domingo 22 de octubre se celebran en Argentina las elecciones generales. Entre otras cosas, se definirá quién será el o la futura presidenta del país.¿Cómo son los horarios?Para votar podrás hacerlo en el establecimiento que determine el padrón electoral, que puedes consultar aquí.Las urnas se abrirán a partir de las 8 a.m., hora local, hasta las 18:00 horas. Si para el momento del cierre aún hay personas esperando votar, se les permitirá hacerlo hasta que ya no quede nadie más en fila. Por eso, en muchos distritos puede extenderse la jornada cívica más allá del horario fijado.Solo puedes votar en el establecimiento y la mesa que te corresponden según el domicilio que tengas registrado en tu documento.Para votar es necesario presentarse con un documento de identidad argentino como la libreta de enrolamiento/libreta cívica, el DNI o con el documento cívico que figura en el padrón electoral.Votar en las elecciones generales es obligatorio para los electores ...

Bobby Charlton: Manchester United great and England World Cup winner dies aged 86

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:48:37 GMT

Bobby Charlton: Manchester United great and England World Cup winner dies aged 86 (CNN) — Bobby Charlton, the Manchester United great who played a starring role in England’s 1966 World Cup victory, has died at the age of 86, the Premier League club said on Saturday.Charlton is widely considered as one of the greatest soccer players of all time.“The club’s heartfelt sympathies are with his wife Lady Norma, his daughters and grandchildren, and all who loved him,” Manchester United said in a statement.The club described him as a “hero to millions, not just in Manchester, or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world.”“He was admired as much for his sportsmanship and integrity as he was for his outstanding qualities as a footballer; Sir Bobby will always be remembered as a giant of the game,” the statement added.He made 758 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 249 goals over his 17 years at the club.Charlton won the league title three time, the FA Cup and the European Cup – now known as the Champions League – with Manchester United.He ...

Police seek help identifying person connected to car vandalisms in Roxbury

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:48:37 GMT

Police seek help identifying person connected to car vandalisms in Roxbury The Boston police are seeking the public’s help to identify an individual who was seen leaving Nubian station in Roxbury and vandalizing multiple vehicles toward the Grove Hall Branch of the Boston Public Library early Saturday morning, police said.Officials said the individual was seen at the bus stop, formerly Dudley Station, around 2:39 a.m. and broke into vehicles up Warren Street, through the Stop and Shop parking lot and on to Stanwood Street.The individual was last seen fleeing down Normandy Street from the area of the library around 3:30 a.m.Police say the individual appears to be a Black male, wearing his hair in a bun, a gray sweatshirt, jeans with multiple holes. He also has bright white sneakers and a silver necklace.Anyone with any information is asked to call investigators at (617) 343-4275. Those wishing to remain anonymous can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463).