Sports briefs
No fans at Pocono races
Pocono Raceway will hold its NASCAR weekend without fans.
The Cup Series is scheduled to race June 27-28 and Truck and second-tier Xfinity races also will be held that weekend. Pocono says in a message to fans “it will certainly miss your passion, laughs, cheers, and smiles as the green flag drops in the Pocono Mountains.”
Pocono says it will expedite a refund or account credit.
Pocono Raceway is in Monroe County, which is under a yellow designation. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said earlier this month that if the county moved to yellow, then NASCAR may hold the two races with no spectators present and guidelines followed to keep competitors safe.
Federer tops list of highest-paid athletes
Roger Federer leads the annual Forbes ranking of highest-paid athletes with what the magazine says is $106.3 million in total earnings.
He is the first tennis player to top the list since it was first compiled in 1990.
The owner of a men’s-record 20 Grand Slam singles titles made $6.3 million of that haul from tennis prize money, with the rest from endorsements and appearances fees, according to Forbes.
Soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar took spots 2-4, with the NBA’s LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant at Nos. 5-7, followed by Tiger Woods at No. 8.
NFL players Kirk Cousins and Carson Wentz round out the top 10.
Two women were in the top 100, both tennis players.
MLB teams cut hundreds of minor leaguers
Major league teams have released hundreds of young players with the minor league season in doubt due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Over 200 players were cut Friday and more than 400 have been released over the past month according to transactions posted at MiLB.com.
The start of the minor league season was postponed in March and players were mostly sent home from spring training. While Major League Baseball and the players’ association are negotiating terms to play big league ball this summer, it’s unlikely there will be minor league games.
Minor league players not on 40-man rosters were promised $400 per week through May 31 by a policy drafted by MLB. At least 15 teams have promised to extend those allowances through at least June, with Oakland the only club known to be ending its stipends at the end of May.
The Chicago White Sox were among the clubs to make cuts, but they will continue to pay $400 per week to the 25 players released last week.
Lower-level players were hit hardest by cuts, with at least 172 players released from the rookie-level Gulf Coast, Arizona and Dominican Summer Leagues.
Baseball will hold its amateur draft June 10, but MLB has shortened the draft from 40 rounds to five.