Minnesota Twins announce plans for sale after 40 years in the Pohlad family

After 40 years of owning the Minnesota Twins, the Pohlad family said Thursday it plans to sell the team.

“For the past 40 seasons, the Minnesota Twins have been part of our family’s heart and soul,” Twins executive chair Joe Pohlad, a third-generation owner, said in a statement. “This team is woven into the fabric of our lives, and the Twins community has become an extension of our family. The staff, the players, and most importantly, you, the fans — everyone who makes up this unbelievable organization — is part of that. We’ve never taken lightly the privilege of being stewards of this franchise.

“However, after months of thoughtful consideration, our family reached a decision this summer to explore selling the Twins. As we enter the next phase of this process, the time is right to make this decision public.”

NCAA pilot study finds widespread social media harassment of athletes

COLUMBIA, S.C. >> An NCAA study on social media abuse of athletes, coaches and other officials during championship events found nearly one in five posts that were flagged by an AI-based algorithm and determined to be abusive involved sexual harassment and 12% were related to sports betting, according to results of the pilot study released Thursday.

The online harassment study examined more than 72,000 messages flagged by an algorithm. Over 5,000 of those posts were confirmed to contain abusive, discriminatory or threatening content and were reported to social media companies.

The study cited one unidentified athlete who received more than 1,400 harassing messages in a two-week span.

League to expand Finals to 7-game series next season

NEW YORK >> The WNBA will expand its Finals next year to a best-of-seven format, the league announced Thursday.

The league currently has a best-of-five semifinals and finals in its playoffs with a best-of-three first round.

“This will give our fans a championship series format that they are accustomed to seeing in other sports,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said.

Engelbert said the better seeded teams will host the first, second, fifth and seventh games.

McCarty, Norlander share lead in Utah’s return to PGA Tour after 61 years

IVINS, Utah >> Henrik Norlander and Korn Ferry Tour grad Matt McCarty each played bogey-free for a 9-under 62 to share the lead Thursday in the Black Desert Championship as the PGA Tour returned to Utah for the first time in 61 years.

Black Desert Resort had a gorgeous day to make its debut with a Tom Weiskopf design cut through an ancient field of black lava and surrounded by the red rock mountains some 30 miles from Zion National Park.

Sei Young Kim cards 10-under 62 to lead LPGA event in China

SHANGHAI>> Sei Young Kim, looking for her first victory this season, opened with a 10-under 62 on Thursday to lead the first round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai tournament.

The South Korean shot a 28 on her first nine holes at the Qizhong Garden Golf Club, which included an eagle on the 17th, and then came home with a 34 on her second nine holes.

Celine Boutier of France was two shots behind with a 64, and American Lucy Li was three back with a 65