Patriot Park to host Eastern District soccer tourneys Saturday

The South Carolina Recreation and Parks Eastern District soccer championships will be played on Saturday at Patriot Park SportPlex.

The age groups involved in the tournament are 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 15-and-under and 17-and-under. Each age group will include all-star teams from Sumter.

The first matches are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. with the championship matches set for 5:30 p.m.

Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under

MLB widens Astros sign-stealing investigation

ARLINGTON, Texas - Major League Baseball has widened its investigation of alleged sign stealing by the Houston Astros and will probe activity by the team over the past three seasons.

After the conclusion of owners meetings Thursday, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB will "investigate the Astros situation as thoroughly as humanly possible." The probe includes the team's firing of an assistant general manager during the World Series for clubhouse comments directed at female reporters, behavior the club at first accused Sports Illustrated of fabricating.

"That investigation is going to encompass not only what we know about '17, but also '18 and '19," Manfred said. "To the extent we are talking to people all over the industry, former employees, competitors, whatever, to the extent that we find other leads, we're going to follow these leads."

Manfred has said for now the Astros are the only team being investigated for cheating allegations.

"Our clubs, all 30 of them, recognize that the integrity of the competition on the field is crucial to what we do every day," he said. "I think that there's wide support across the industry for the idea that when we have a problem in this area, there should be firm, serious disciplinary action that discourages people from engaging in this type of behavior."

Congressmen ask MLB to reconsider cutting many minor league affiliates

WASHINGTON - Nearly one-quarter of the members of the U.S. House of Representatives asked Major League Baseball to reconsider its proposal for a restructuring of the minor leagues after the 2020 season that would lead to 42 teams being dropped from their current circuits.

Reps. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., and David McKinley. R-W.Va., took the lead in the letter sent Tuesday to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and signed by 106 members of the House.

"The abandonment of minor league clubs by Major League Baseball would devastate our communities, their bond purchasers, and other stakeholders affected by the potential loss of these clubs," the letter said. "We want you to fully understand the impact this could have not only on the communities we represent, but also on the long-term support that Congress has always afforded our national pastime on a wide variety of legislative initiatives."

The Professional Baseball Agreement between Major League Baseball and the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues expires after the 2020 season. The 176 minor league teams affiliated with the NAPBL combined to draw 41.5 million fans this year.

MLB's initial proposal, first reported by Baseball America on Oct. 18, would drop four Double-A teams: Binghamton, New York, and Erie, Pennsylvania, of the Eastern League and Chattanooga and Jackson, Tennessee, of the Southern League. The plan would eliminate the 28 teams from four Class A Short Season and Rookie Advanced leagues that do not play at spring training complexes and would lower the minimum guaranteed affiliation agreements from 160 to 120.

Catcher Grandal signs with White Sox

CHICAGO - Yasmani Grandal saw a young team stocked with promising pitchers and hitters. He envisioned a bright future for the Chicago White Sox, and he chose to be part of it.

No longer burdened by draft-pick compensation, Grandal found the multiyear contract he failed to get last offseason. The All-Star catcher agreed Thursday to a $73 million, four-year contract with the White Sox.

Selected for the All-Star team for the second time, the 31-year-old hit .246 and had career bests with 28 homers and 77 RBIs. He declined to exercise his part of the option and became a free agent again.

A free agent may only be given a qualifying offer once, so there was no draft-pick compensation attached this offseason. Chicago's deal will pay him $18.25 million annually.