Events (auf Funorb) » to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal

NEW YORK -- The baseball players association says any suspensions resulting from the sports latest drug investigation likely wont be served until next year if the discipline is challenged before an arbitrator. Union head Michael Weiner expects Major League Baseball will notify the union of its plans for penalties in the next month, and the association will maintain any discipline should not be announced until after a grievance hearing, and then only if arbitrator Fredric Horowitz upholds a ban. "Were going to have a discussion with them. That discussion will include whether or not names of suspended players will be announced publicly," Weiner said Tuesday during a meeting with the Baseball Writers Association of America. Former MVPs Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun are among the more than a dozen players under investigation for ties to Biogenesis, a closed anti-aging clinic in Florida linked with the distribution of performance-enhancing drugs. MLB officials have been interviewing players, who have been represented by the union and their own lawyers. A provision in baseballs drug agreement says discipline for first offenders can be announced before a hearing if the penalty results from an allegation that became public other than through MLB or a team. Miami New Times published allegations in January, but the union could argue that a penalty results from evidence baseball has gathered rather than the newspaper account. After MLB and the union decide how to process grievances, hearings will be scheduled before Horowitz -- but not before September and possibly later. Each player is entitled to a separate hearing, and Weiner said the union wants Horowitz to hear all cases. "When all the interviews are done, we will meet with the commissioners office and well try to work something out," Weiner said. "Our players that deserve the suspensions, well try to cope with their suspensions. Our players that dont deserve suspensions, we will argue that they dont deserve a suspension. And I hope we have success. We may not have success on every single player, but I hope we have a fair amount of success." MLB Executive Vice-President Rob Manfred declined comment. Weiner spoke from a wheelchair and said symptoms have increased in the last month from a brain tumour he was diagnosed with last summer. He currently cant move his right side or right arm and must use a wheelchair. Weiner said the union will appoint a deputy executive director within a week or two. Most of his talk was dominated by the drug investigation. While most suspensions have been for positive tests since the joint drug agreement was reached in 2002, players also can be penalized for "just cause," based on other evidence. "In theory, they could be suspended for five games or 500 games," Weiner said. "We could then choose to challenge or not, but the commissioners office is not bound by the 50-100-life scale." If multiple players are disciplined, management and the union would have to decide the order of the grievance hearings. "Theyve got to prove all those cases. I like Dan Halem, a lot, but hes going to be running around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off," Weiner said, referring to an MLB senior vice-president. "If thats the circumstance, well just have to schedule them and get them done as quickly as we reasonably can. And if we have the number that you suggest, its going to take a while." Weiner said the union has taken the position that players cant be penalized for refusing to answer MLBs questions in the investigation. Arbitrator Raymond Goetz overturned Bowie Kuhns suspension of Ferguson Jenkins in 1980, ruling the pitcher couldnt be penalized for refusing to answer questions while criminal charges were pending in Canada. "Obviously we have looked at Jenkins in connection with this matter and whether or not it would apply, and our conclusion is that it clearly does," Weiner said. Speaking before Weiner in a separate session, baseball Commissioner Bud Selig repeated his call to toughen penalties in the drug agreement for 2014. "Weve heard from a lot of players that increased penalties are called for. Weve heard from a lot of other players that dont think increased penalties are called for," Weiner said. "And I imagine we will work it out at or near in early December and then have a negotiation with them over that very subject." nba jerseys sale cheap . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. authentic nba jerseys . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. http://www.cheapnbajerseyssale.com/ . A forerunning sled crashed into the worker Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center. The unidentified worker broke both legs and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. cheap nba jerseys . PAUL, Minn. cheap nfl jerseys authentic . The Croatian served 21 aces and hit 42 winners against Sijsling, who double-faulted to give Cilic a 4-3 lead in the deciding set. "All the players, they know me and they were really happy to see me and they were really happy that this is over for me," Cilic said. Conor McGregors absence from UFC 200 was supposed to be made up financially by his appearance two cards later. After all, cards that feature McGregor have yielded three of top five gates in UFC history.But, judging from whats available on Ticketmaster for the UFC 202 card that McGregor is headlining, recouping that loss is going to be a long shot.More than 2,700 tickets still havent been sold with three days to go before McGregor fights Nate Diaz in a rematch at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. That means roughly 14 percent of the arena hasnt been sold. The majority of those tickets are the premium, high-priced seats in the lower bowl, closest to the octagon.Roger Jones of Vegas Tickets, among the biggest resellers of UFC tickets, says the main factor is the new T-Mobile Arena. Having a permanent venue that is not tied to a casino, Jones said, has allowed people who wanted premium tickets to reserve them ahead of time. That means there are fewer people and companies looking for the best seats on an event-by-event basis.Its affecting everything in this arena, including concerts, Jones said. If you are Turner Construction, a big company here, youve already purchased your suite. Even a guy who has a business with decent presence in Las Vegas isnt looking around for seats at the last minute because he already got club-seat rights.Thats why, Jones said, the premium seats for UFC 202 arent selling.Jones also says he believes the UFC has overpriced most of the seats, which range from $365 to $9,995. His company, to sell its inventory, is reselling the $365 seats for $250 and seats priced at $2,950 for $1,800.Patrick Ryan, co-founder of Eventellect, a secondary market ticket distribution company, agrees.What it appears the UFC has done is to raise prices to match past prices on the secondary market, so that they dont leave money on the table, Ryan said.dddddddddddd But when brokers dont think they can make the margin on your tickets, they dont buy and that contributes to lost buzz.Ryan said the WWE is willing to leave some money on the table for the resellers, which is why, he says, approximately 5,000 seats have been resold for SummerSlam in Brooklyn this weekend and fewer than 1,200 have been resold for UFC 202.WWE, he says, rarely heads into marquee pay-per-view events with so much available inventory the week of the show, whereas that has started to become commonplace for UFC.A UFC spokesman declined to speculate on the ticket situation. Due to higher ticket prices, Saturdays event will still generate more than $7 million in live gate and might qualify as the fifth-largest ticket sales revenue event in UFC history (UFC 200 did $10.7 million). Factoring in UFC 202, recent events in Las Vegas dating back to December will still have pulled in more than $40 million at the gate.Its worth noting that the percentage of fans traveling from international markets, notably the United Kingdom and Ireland, is down. McGregors loss to Diaz in their first fight certainly is at play, as well as the frequency of McGregors fights -- many have come over several times in the past 13 months to watch their native son, so perhaps fatigue is setting in.Jones doesnt think all is lost for UFC 202. He says he is counting on a strong walk-up crowd from locals and those who happen to be in Vegas who will be convinced, come this weekend, that the best entertainment they can get will be watching the battles in the octagon. ' ' '