DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There’s always pressure on a driver to perform when it comes to making the Daytona 500 starting field, but Noah Gragson’s attempt at this year’s Great American Race carries added significance.

Gragson, who will wheel the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Beard Motorsports at Daytona Int’l Speedway next week, looks to put the Michigan-based organization in the show and give the team something to smile about in the wake of the passing of team founder Mark Beard Sr. on Jan. 31.

The 22-year-old Las Vegas native was tabbed to succeed Brendan Gaughan behind the wheel of the entry and, while he never met Beard, feels “honored” to carry Beard’s legacy forward in his maiden Daytona 500 attempt.

“I never got to meet him; it was still early on in the relationship (when he passed away),” said Gragson of Beard during Daytona 500 Media Week on Friday. “I was hopeful to actually meet him down in Daytona. The Beard family sent me a Christmas gift and card and everything over the holidays, though, which was very generous of them and made me feel really welcomed as a part of their whole team.

“Just getting to know the family (over phone calls, etc.) and talking with them has been special, and, hopefully, I can make them all proud this week.”

Gragson and Beard Motorsports are one of eight teams in this year’s Daytona 500 field that do not have a NASCAR charter and will have to earn a starting spot in the biggest race of the year.

Gragson must either be one of the two fastest non-chartered drivers during pole qualifying on Feb. 10 or be the highest finishing such driver in his 150-mile Duel qualifying race on Feb. 11 if he wants to guarantee the No. 62 a place on the grid for the Daytona 500.

While that situation naturally puts pressure on any driver, the emotions of the task ahead are amplified for Gragson and Beard Motorsports given the recent passing of their team leader.

Gragson told SPEED SPORT he doesn’t feel added pressure to perform in the wake of Beard’s death, but he is using the situation as extra motivation to deliver a strong showing for the Beard family.

“I think it goes both ways, but I’m more leaning on it as a motivator to just go out there and run well,” he noted. “Obviously, you’re going to have pressure, because we’re not locked into the Daytona 500. We have to qualify our way in … as an open car, where the team is without a charter and that’s a lot of pressure in itself. Really, you can just try to do your best job getting up through the gears and running a nice, smooth lap (in qualifying), but the Duels are what make you nervous as a driver, I feel like.

“I think there’s a lot of pressure, just with the situation itself of trying to qualify and make the Daytona 500, but with Mr. Beard’s passing, I think it adds motivation for the whole Beard family and all the partners involved, and for myself as well. It’s more motivation and just a way to honor him and his life and the team he built. I’m very thankful for the opportunity that the Beard family has given me and their generosity to let me run the race car and to have taken a chance on me.”

That chance began with the recommendation of fellow Las Vegas native Gaughan, who hand-picked Gragson to take over the Beard Motorsports entry upon his retirement last fall.

“We all know Brendan’s a jokester, and he’s a funny guy and a talkative guy, and he called me up one day over Thanksgiving break when I went back to see my family back in Vegas. I was sitting in my room and Brendan called me and I was like, ‘This is strange. I haven’t talked to Brendan in a few months.’ I answered the phone and he asked me what my deal was with JR Motorsports and if I was allowed to run any other races and whatnot. I was like, ‘Well, I don’t know, but I can find out,’ but I didn’t know really what he was getting at. I knew he retired, but I didn’t know the Beard family wanted to continue racing in the Cup Series and on the superspeedways.

“When he told me that he wanted me to drive the (No.) 62 car for the Beard family in the Daytona 500 this year, I was surprised,” Gragson continued. “I thought he was joking with me the whole time. And then he was like, ‘Hold on, let me call Kelley (Earnhardt Miller, JRM co-owner),’ and so he calls Mrs. Kelley and he gets back to me the next day and says, ‘Man, I hate to break it to you, but she said you can’t run any other races and whatnot.’

“I was devastated for a few seconds. I actually asked him if he was serious and he started laughing and goes, ‘Nah, man, I’m just messing with you. She gave me the thumbs up and you’re good to go.”

As for the team’s strategy — both to try and make the Daytona 500 and in the race itself — Gragson said the plan shifted following Beard’s death from “be there at the end” to a new approach.

“It started off as Mr. Beard saying, ‘Hey, go out there and ride around so we have a car for the end,’ and then I got a phone call from Brendan the other day and he said that Mrs. Beard said the opposite, that she said: ‘Tell that little [expletive] to go drive it for all it’s worth,” Gragson recalled. “So we’re going to try our best. I know the car has been strong in the past and, obviously, Darren Shaw (crew chief) is a one-man band over there and he’s done a lot to make their cars run really well on the superspeedways.

“It’s incredible what these guys have been able to do and it’ll make it that much more special if we can go out and put them in the show where they deserve to be.”

Practice for the 63rd Daytona 500 begins at noon ET on Feb. 10.

WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – DIRTcar Racing is gearing up for a full season after announcing 50 races across the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series, DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series and DIRTcar Pro Stock Series.

Most Northeast race fans are familiar with the Super DIRTcar Series big-block modifieds and its 31-race schedule. Now, all four of DIRTcar’s premier Northeast series are set to clash at race tracks across the region all season long, featuring the best drivers and tracks around.

The DIRTcar 358 Modified Series, DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series — with four points regions plus the Fall Championship Challenge — and the DIRTcar Pro Stock Series have been contested for decades offering a high-level field of competition that nearly every Super DIRTcar Series star passed through during their career.

“The schedules for the 358 Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds and Pro Stocks proved to be a challenge, but for good reasons,” said Dean Reynolds, DIRTcar Racing’s Director of Northeast Series and Sanctioning. “Tracks across the region wanted Series races, but the threat of COVID restrictions and border restrictions are still very real, so we had to move traditional dates to later in the year. That took some extra time to make sure there were no conflicts and the events worked for the tracks and competitors. We’re looking forward to a great season!”

The $20,000-to-win 150-lap NAPA Super DIRT Week on Saturday, Oct. 9, showstopper highlights the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series schedule. The always-exciting 358s show up in droves at Oswego Speedway, with 83 drivers attempting to qualify through Time Trials in the previous running of NAPA Super DIRT Week.

A $10,000 prize is up for grabs at Brockville Speedway the following week on Saturday, Oct. 16. The Northeast Fall Nationals is included in the Fall Championship Challenge, which marks the final points-paying 358 race of the year.

The series trail takes the 358s to Can-Am Speedway, Mohawk Int’l Raceway, Weedsport Speedway, and Brewerton Speedway. All DIRTcar 358 Modified Series races pay $4,000-to-win or more.

Also on the schedule, but with dates to be announced, is a return to Quebec to race at Autodrome Drummond and Le RPM Speedway.

The DIRTcar Pro Stock Series is back with a 10-race schedule including eight points-paying races and two non-points specials at The Dirt Track at Charlotte as a part of the Drydene World Short Track Championship.

The schedule includes a diverse mix of tracks in Quebec, Ontario, and New York. Autodrome Granby, Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, Cornwall Motor Speedway, Can-Am Speedway, Weedsport Speedway, Mohawk Int’l Raceway and Oswego Speedway make up the challenging schedule.

When it comes to DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds, they are great in quality as well as quantity. The success of the division has laid the foundation to grow the Series into four regions: North, East, West, and Central. After the region points conclude, the Series unites for the Fall Championship Challenge which spans Outlaw Weekend at Fulton Speedway, NAPA Super DIRT Week, and the Northeast Fall Nationals at Brockville Ontario Speedway.

2021 DIRTcar 358 Modified Series Schedule *Subject to Change*

Sunday, July 11 – Cornwall Motor Speedway, Cornwall, ON
Monday, July 12 – Mohawk International Raceway, Akwesasne, NY
Friday, September 10 – Can-Am Speedway, LaFargville, NY
Friday, September 17 – Mohawk International Raceway, Akwesasne, NY
Wednesday, October 6 – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
Thursday, October 7 – Brewerton Speedway, Brewerton, NY
Saturday, October 9 – Oswego Speedway, Oswego, NY – $20,000-to-win
Saturday, October 16 – Brockville Ontario Speedway, Brockville, ON – $10,000-to-win
TBA – Autodrome Drummond, Drummondville, QC
TBA – Le RPM Speedway, St. Marcel, QC

2021 DIRTcar Pro Stock Series Schedule *Subject to Change*

Friday, June 18 – Autodrome Granby, Granby, QC
Sunday, July 4 – Cornwall Motor Speedway, Cornwall, ON
Sunday, July 25 – Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, Fultonville, NY
Friday, September 10 – Can-Am Speedway, LaFargeville, NY
Saturday, September 11 – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
Saturday, September 18 – Mohawk International Raceway, Akwesasne, NY
Saturday, September 25 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, NY
Sunday, October 10 – Oswego Speedway, Oswego, NY

World Short Track Championship *No points*

Thursday, October 28 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Concord, NC
Friday, October 29 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Concord, NC
Saturday, October 30 – The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Concord, NC

2021 DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series Schedule *Subject to Change*

Central Region

Wednesday, June 30 – Can-Am Speedway, LaFargeville, NY
Tuesday, August 4 – Thunder Mountain Speedway, Center Lisle, NY
Wednesday, August 5 – Land of Legends Raceway, Canandaigua, NY
Friday, September 10 – Can-Am Speedway, LaFargville, NY
Saturday, September 18 – Land of Legends Raceway, Canandaigua, NY
TBA – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY

North Region

Saturday, May 1 – Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, NY
Thursday, June 24 – Mohawk International Speedway, Akwesasne, NY
Friday, June 25 – Autodrome Granby, Granby, QC
Thursday, August 26 – Cornwall Motor Speedway – Cornwall, ON
Saturday, September 18 – Mohawk International Raceway, Akwesasne, NY

West Region

Tuesday, July 6 – Ransomville Speedway, Ransomville, NY
Saturday, July 31 – Genesee Speedway, Batavia, NY
Friday, August 13 – Ransomville Speedway, Ransomville, NY
Friday, September 10 – Freedom Motorsports Park – Delevan, NY
Saturday, September 11 – Merrittville Speedway, Thorold, ON
Friday, September 24 – Brighton Speedway, Brighton, ON
Saturday, September 25 – Brighton Speedway, Brighton, ON

East Region

Saturday, May 1 – Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, NY
Saturday, May 15 – Bear Ridge Speedway, Bradford, VT
Sunday, June 27 – Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, Fultonville, NY
Friday, September 10 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, NY
Sunday, September 12 – Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, Fultonville, NY

Fall Championship Challenge

Friday-Saturday, October 1-2- Fulton Speedway, Fulton, NY
Wednesday, October 6 – Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY
Thursday, October 7 – Brewerton Speedway, Brewerton, NY
Sunday, October 10 – Oswego Speedway, Oswego, NY
Saturday, October 16 – Brockville Ontario Speedway, Brockville, NY

Manchester United women's manager Casey Stoney has said that a move to League One or League Two is not a step-up from the WSL and there is a lack of respect for women managers.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

Stoney's comments follow Chelsea women's manager Emma Hayes rejecting reports earlier this week that she was on the shortlist for the head coaching role at League One side AFC Wimbledon and that she was not looking for another job.

"I think Emma Hayes put it brilliantly when she said let's starting talking about the candidate and their qualities rather than the diversity part of the subject," she said at a press conference on Friday.

"I thought it was very, very well put. I definitely don't see it [a move to the men's game] as a step-up, like Emma said I am very fortunate to manage world-class players in a team that is doing very well.

"At the same time you are very much guaranteed the sack in men's football in a lot less time in the women's game, so in terms of security that is not a step-up to be honest."

The English manager continued and reiterated the lack of respect given to female managers despite managing at the highest level of the professional women's football.

"There obviously isn't enough respect if managing a League One, League Two football club is considered a step-up from the highest level of the women's game," she said.

"You have some fantastic coaches in the women's game, you look at the success of Hayes at Chelsea and the success and knowledge she has.

"There is definitely not enough respect given to coaches like that who have earned their stipes and have done so much. It is tough when you look at the 92 football league club's and there is not enough female presence.

Stoney also spoke on the futures of USWNT stars Tobin Heath and Christen Press, who are in the final few months of their contract with the club.

"With Heath and Press they only signed a year. So it will depend where they feel that their future lies. I haven't had the conversation yet," Stoney said.

"But it is obviously a conversation that we would like to have with them. They have been good players for us over the last six-seven months, but their future is theirs.

"As a football club we love having them, we would love to keep them but they are individuals and they will make their decision."

Manchester United, who are second in the WSL, will next play sixth place Reading on Sunday as they try to overtake league leaders Chelsea.

The women's NCAA basketball tournament will be held on six courts at five venues in the San Antonio region from March 21 to April 4, it was announced Friday. The Alamodome will host the Women's Final Four, Elite Eight and Sweet 16. All 63 games of the 64-team event will be televised by the ESPN family of networks and available on the ESPN App. No decision has been made yet about fan attendance.

The first round will be in three cities: San Antonio; Austin, Texas; and San Marcos, Texas. All subsequent games will be in San Antonio.

The Alamodome had previously been scheduled as the 2021 Women's Final Four host, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire event was moved to that area for safety reasons. COVID-19 testing will take place throughout the event, and the NCAA will work with the San Antonio Metro Health department on approved medical protocols.

"Like the 2020-21 season, we know the championship will have its challenges, but we feel we have the necessary structure and safeguards in place to ensure a quality student-athlete championship experience," Division I women's basketball committee chair Nina King said in a statement. "We feel certain that one geographic region allows us to focus on the potential benefits of conducting certain safety measures in a controlled environment with competition and practice venues, medical resources and lodging for teams and officials all within close proximity."

The first round is March 21-22. The games in San Antonio will be held at the Alamodome (which will have two courts), Bill Greehey Arena at St. Mary's University and UTSA Convocation Center. Games in Austin will be at the University of Texas' Frank Erwin Center, and games in San Marcos will be at Texas State's Strahan Arena.

In the second round, March 23-24, all games will be at the three San Antonio venues. After that, all games will be at the Alamodome. The regional semifinals will be held March 27-28, the regional finals March 29-30 and the Final Four April 2 and 4. The Alamodome will be reconfigured for just one court for the Final Four.

The NCAA tournament field will be revealed on Selection Monday, March 15 (ESPN/ESPN App, 7 p.m. ET). Team travel parties will have a maximum of 34 people, and every team will be housed in hotels in San Antonio's Bexar County with other Tier 1-tested individuals.

Practices for all teams will be in San Antonio at the Alamodome's two courts and the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, which can hold nine courts. San Antonio previously hosted the Women's Final Four in 2002 and 2010.

"We appreciate the historical significance of moving the entire championship to one region and want to acknowledge the work by the women's basketball committee and staff, our hosts, local organizers, and ESPN that has allowed us to make plans for a successful 2021 championship," Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president of women's basketball, said in a statement. "We're fortunate to be working with San Antonio, which features one of the most experienced local organizing committees in the country."

The Ohio State-Michigan matchup, as well as the rest of the Big Ten's traditional rivalry games, will return to the final week of the regular season in 2021, it was announced Friday as the conference released its revised 2021 football schedule.

The schedule has some differences from the one originally released in 2017, including the location of some games as well as the order in which they are played.

Ohio State, who represented the Big Ten in the College Football Playoff this past season, will open up their conference slate against Minnesota on Thursday, Sept. 4.

In addition to the annual clash between the Buckeyes and Wolverines, which will be held in Ann Arbor this season, other rivalry games slated for Nov. 27 include Wisconsin-Minnesota, Northwestern-Illinois and Indiana-Purdue.

? #B1G Schedule Update ?

2021 #B1GFootball is right around the corner ?
Which game are you most excited about?

?️ ▶️ https://t.co/Mk9wABz2En pic.twitter.com/KoztgZ7H5D

— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) February 5, 2021

The official schedule also features a couple of neutral site games -- Nebraska and Illinois will tentatively kick off the Big Ten season in Dublin, Ireland on Aug. 28, while Wisconsin will face Notre Dame on Sept. 25 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Adding intrigue to that matchup is that former Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan could be facing his former team after announcing his transfer to Notre Dame this offseason.

Sources also told ESPN's Adam Rittenberg that Northwestern's home game against Purdue on Nov. 20 will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Wildcats were scheduled to play Wisconsin at Wrigley Field last season before the schedules changed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Bret Bielema, who was hired as Illinois' coach on Dec. 19, will face his former team in Wisconsin for the first time on Oct. 9 in Champaign.

Indiana, which finished 6-1 in the Big Ten last season, will open its season on the road against Iowa. The Hoosiers also host Cincinnati in Week 3.

Week 2 also has intriguing nonconference matchups as Ohio State will host Oregon, Michigan will visit Washington, and Iowa will resume its rivalry with Iowa State on the road.

The New York Mets on Friday defeated J.D. Davis in the first of 13 scheduled salary arbitration cases this month, as the third baseman/outfielder will receive a raise from $592,463 to $2.1 million rather than his $2,475,000 request.

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander also lost his case. He also will receive $2.1 million, after he had asked for a raise from $572,500 to $2,475,000.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi was the lone winner in the three cases Friday, getting a raise from $850,000 to $2.45 million after the team had argued for $1.85 million.

Because of the pandemic, hearings are being conducted by Zoom for the first time rather than in person.

Davis, 27, hit .247 with six homers and 19 RBIs during the pandemic-shortened season.

Santander, 26, hit .261 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs in the pandemic-shortened season. He was eligible for arbitration for the first time.

The 29-year-old Choi hit .230 with three homers and 16 RBIs last year, then batted .240 (10 for 40) with two homers and four RBIs as the Rays advanced to the World Series and lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He batted .261 with 19 homers and 63 RBIs in 2019.

Still scheduled for hearings are Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes and pitcher Walker Buehler; Tampa Bay reliever Ryan Yarbrough; Houston shortstop Carlos Correa; St. Louis pitcher Jack Flaherty; Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ; Los Angeles Angeles pitcher/outfielder Shohei Ohtani; San Francisco second baseman Donovan Solano; and Atlanta pitcher Mike Sorotka and shortstop Dansby Swanson.

Teams won seven of 12 hearings last year, including six of the first seven, and had a winning record for the fourth time in six years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CONCORD, N.C. – With two seasons under its belt as the title sponsor for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, NOS Energy Drink has extended its partnership with the Outlaws in a multi-year deal.

The extension will make NOS Energy Drink one of the longest-running title sponsors in the history of the Outlaws – including providing full support for the tour during last year’s COVID-19 hindered season.

“NOS Energy Drink has been a tremendous title sponsor that’s only elevated the World of Outlaws brand,” said Brian Carter, World of Outlaws CEO. “We’re thrilled NOS Energy has decided to extend its title sponsorship of ‘The Greatest Show on Dirt’ as the Sprint Car Series heads for one of its most exciting seasons in 2021.”

Along with its title sponsorship, NOS Energy Drink will continue its fan engagement with race fans by having a sampling station at every World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event.

Fans will again be able to get a complimentary NOS Energy Drink at a sampling station on-site at each track, with every drink flavor available.

“The reception from World of Outlaws fans over the past two years has been incredible and we couldn’t be happier to continue our role as the Series’ title sponsor,” said Lauren Albano, NOS Energy Drink marketing director. “The World of Outlaws is a true representation of raw passion and human horsepower. We’re excited to see our partnership grow on and off the track for years to come.”

Since joining the World of Outlaws as the title sponsor in 2019, fans have been treated to some of the most exciting races in the Outlaws’ history and two thrilling championship battles that came down to the last lap both years.

This year, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will see the nation’s top sprint car drivers compete for increased purses at more than 90 races across 28 states.

“You couldn’t ask for a better partnership with NOS Energy Drink,” said Tish Sheets, World Racing Group client services executive director. “The company has been an exceptional supporter of the World of Outlaws and created exciting fan engagement ventures through the free sample pod and entertaining videos.

“We’re looking forward to several more exciting years with NOS Energy Drink.”

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Kalitta Motorsports announced Friday the extension of its marketing partnership with SealMaster.

SealMaster has been a major player in the NHRA at a variety of levels, and Kalitta Motorsports has enjoyed a direct, longstanding partnership with the Sandusky, Ohio, based company since 2014.

“We are excited to be extending our relationship with SealMaster,” said Chad Head, Kalitta Motorsports general manager. “Over the years we have worked together to host franchisees and entertain their guests. Our goal has always been to use NHRA and our teams as assets to help SealMaster continue to grow business across the country. They have been great supporters of the sport and everyone at Kalitta Motorsports is proud to have them on our team.”

With locations throughout the United States, SealMaster utilizes the Kalitta Motorsports VIP hospitality experience as both an incentive and engagement tool, capitalizing on NHRA’s corresponding national footprint. Through its partnership with Kalitta Motorsports, SealMaster branding will be displayed on the Top Fuel dragsters driven by Doug Kalitta and Shawn Langdon throughout the upcoming NHRA season.

“Our Partnerships with Kalitta Motorsports and the NHRA give SealMaster franchisees the opportunity to reward customers, employees, and even local youth groups with amazing, up-close experiences coast to coast,” says Franchise Development Director Jason Hedlesky. “And the fans, team, and overall NHRA community are great. They’ve rewarded us with their business and we truly appreciate that. We also get great opportunities to network and share information with people interested in becoming SealMaster franchisees or getting into the sealcoating contracting business.”

Zinedine Zidane reacted angrily to questions about his Real Madrid future, asking for "respect" and said journalists should "tell me to my face that you want me to go," adding that changes are likely at the end of the season.

The French coach was giving his first news conference -- ahead of Madrid's La Liga match at Huesca on Saturday -- since recovering from COVID-19, which saw him miss their last two games.

- Stream LIVE games and replays on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

A 2-1 defeat to Levante last weekend saw Madrid fall 10 points behind leaders Atletico Madrid -- who also have a game in hand -- in the title race, while they were also knocked out of the Spanish Supercopa and Copa del Rey last month.

"Are you serious? Everyday I'm out, and you know it," a visibly angry Zidane said when asked if he was being defensive of his position and his team. "Last year we won the league.

"We did. Real Madrid... Next year they'll have to do things, make changes maybe. But this year we have the right to fight. Let us fight.

"We won the league last year, not 10 years ago. Show a bit of respect for that. You [journalists] say a lot of things. But you have to take responsibility. Tell me to my face: I want you to go. We want you to go. But you have to say it, not behind my back."

Zidane -- who won three consecutive Champions League titles in his first spell as coach from 2016 to 2018 -- appeared ready to admit that he could lose his job this summer if the team fail to overtake Atletico in La Liga or deliver in Europe.

Madrid play Atalanta in the Champions League round of 16, with the first leg on Feb, 24.

"I'm responsible for this squad. If things don't work, you have to look at who's responsible," he said. "Next year, for sure something will have to be done. But this year this squad deserves to keep going."

Zidane also said that his time in self-isolation recovering from coronavirus hadn't helped his state of mind.

"One day I'm out, the next day I'm in, the next day we draw or lose and I'm out," he added. "Every time we play a bad game I get asked about it. I don't deserve that treatment.

"I'm a bit angry, I've been locked in a cage for two weeks and looking forward to getting out and showing that I'll fight until the end."

Zidane was also asked about Eden Hazard -- putting the latest muscular injury which could see the forward miss the next month down to "bad luck" -- and admitted that he had been reluctant to see Martin Odegaard join Arsenal on loan.

"He wanted to leave, he wanted to play. We spoke two or three times," he said. "If a player wants to play and has an opportunity elsewhere, when it's the player's request... he could stay, fight, be calm, it's a long season, he's an interesting player but in the end that didn't happen. It's everyone's decision."

The Baseball Writers' Association of America has voted to remove the name of J.G. Taylor Spink, former publisher of The Sporting News, from the award given annually by baseball's Hall of Fame for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.

The BBWAA said Friday that 325 of 334 voters, 97%, had voted to remove the name following research into racism by Spink. The award voted on annually by BBWAA members will now be known as the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.

Spink was publisher of The Sporting News from 1914 until he died in 1962.

Starting last summer, Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle researched evidence of racism by Spink, and The Sporting News endorsed the name change last month.

"Spink was the publisher of the largest, most powerful baseball publication in the country for nearly half a century, and he used that position to strongly advocate against the integration of the sport," Sporting News senior writer Ryan Fagan wrote.

Fagan wrote that Spink's Sporting News contained "racist language, ugly stereotypes and derogatory portrayals of Negro League players and other Black Americans during Spink's time as publisher, especially in the era before Jackie Robinson made his MLB debut in 1947."

The BBWAA said in a release that no name will be attached to the award for now.

The change follows the October decision to remove the name of former baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis from the annual MVP Award plaque.

Proposals to rename the awards were made in July by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic for the MVP award and Jenkins for the Spink Award.

In a story by The Associated Press in June, former MVP winners Barry Larkin, Mike Schmidt and Terry Pendleton said they favored pulling Landis' name from the MVP award plaque because of concerns over his handling of Black players. The BBWAA announced in October that 89% of 311 voters had voted to remove Landis' name.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.