Newsmakers
Announced Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones, 3-0 as a college starter including a win over Oregon in the national championship game, said he will return to the Buckeyes for his final two years of eligibility. The move surprised many who expected the fanfare meant he would make himself available for the NFL draft.
• San Diego’s Petco Park will host baseball’s All-Star game in 2016, making the second straight year the game will be played at a National League site. This summer’s game will be played in Cincinnati on July 14.
• Major League Baseball will use a pitch clock this season in Triple-A and Double-A games. Commissioner Bud Selig said the decision followed a successful experiment with the clock in the Arizona Fall League. MLB officials said details of how much time will be allowed between pitches and an announcement on other measures to be tested in the minors to speed up the game will come later.
Avoided The Texas Rangers avoided salary arbitration with their expected closer, agreeing with right-hander Neftali Feliz on a one-year contract for $4,125,000. Feliz was 2-1 with 13 saves and a 1.99 earned-run average in 30 relief appearances after rejoining Texas last July. He made $3 million.
Agreed Pitcher Lance Lynn and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a $22 million, three-year contract. Lynn gets $7 million this year and $7.5 million in each of the following two seasons.
Retired The White Sox will retire the No. 14 uniform of retired captain Paul Konerko. Chicago said it will honor the six-time All-Star before a May 23 game against Minnesota. Konerko will be the 11th player whose number is retired by the White Sox. That includes Jackie Robinson, whose No. 42 was retired for all of Major League Baseball in 1997.
Renamed Major League Soccer renamed its Most Valuable Player award after Landon Donovan, its career scoring leader who retired last month after helping establish the league and boost the prominence of the U.S. national team.
Approved The Faculty Senate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham took a “no confidence” vote in the school’s president following his decision to disband the football program. Applause and chants of “UAB” broke out in the campus auditorium after the resolution was approved. The no-confidence vote is another blow to President Ray Watts. However, the votes are largely symbolic since only university trustees have the power to fire him.