Play ball!
The Major League Baseball (MLB) lockout ended March 10, and baseball is ready to return. MLB and the MLB Players' Association struck a deal following several days of bargaining.
According to CBS Sports, at 99 days, the lockout is the second-longest work stoppage in baseball history, behind only the 1994-95 player's strike (232 days).
April 7 is opening day, and a full 162-game schedule will be played.
Twenty-six of the 38 union leaders voted in favor of a five-year CBA that saw its members make significant gains with regard to minimum salaries and the competitive balance tax threshold, among other areas, ESPN noted. The 30 team owners ratified the deal by a unanimous vote.
Some of the other changes include designated hitters for both leagues; a 12-team postseason, with the top two division winners earning first-round byes; and additional advertising through patches on jerseys and decals on helmets.
The Chicago Blackhawks (21-30-8) fell to the Boston Bruins (35-18-5) 4-3 on March 10 in Boston's TD Garden.
Boston's David Pastrnak scored with just 17 seconds left on the clock for the victory. It was his second goal of the game.
Alex DeBrincat pushed his scoring streak to five straight games and Brandon Hagel notched a pair of goals in the loss, while Kevin Lankinen made 32 saves. With his assist in the opening frame, Patrick Kane tied Bobby Hull for second all-time in franchise points at 1,153although Stan Mikita leads with 1,467.
The Blackhawks next travel to Canada face the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, March 12.
The Chicago Bears have agreed to trade star defensive player Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for a 2022 second-round draft pick and a sixth-rounder in 2023, NFL.com noted.
As part of the deal, Los Angeles is taking on the entirety of Mack's remaining salary: three years, $63.9 million.
Mack played at an elite level in every season except his last, in which he was hampered by a foot injury that ended his year prematurely (after just seven games) and required surgery.