NEW YORK — Facebook friends. Transcripts of BlackBerry instant messages. Records of texts.

Major League Baseball’s investigators used an arsenal of high-tech tools to collect the evidence that persuaded a dozen players to accept 50-game suspensions this week for their ties to the Biogenesis clinic.

And when it came time to meet with the players’ association, they flashed some of their documentary proof. While there was not enough time for the union to thoroughly examine what baseball had collected, there was little doubt there was an electronic trail, one of the people familiar with the meetings said.

Until now, nearly all suspensions under MLB’s drug program resulted from positive drug tests.

Stanford retiring Elway’s No. 7 jerseySTANFORD, Calif. — Thirty years after he left school, Stanford football is retiring John Elway’s No. 7 jersey.The former Cardinal quarterback and No. 1 overall pick of the 1983 NFL draft will have his jersey retired during halftime of Stanford’s home game against Oregon on Nov. 7. Elway, now the executive vice president of the Denver Broncos, will be only the third player to have his jersey enshrined by the school, joining Ernie Nevers ( No. 1) and Jim Plunkett (No. 16).

Cooper returns to Eagles campPHILADELPHIA — Wide receiver Riley Cooper returned to the Philadelphia Eagles after a four-day excused absence to undergo sensitivity training after he was caught on film yelling a racial slur before a Kenny Chesney concert.Cooper, in his fourth year out of the University of Florida, seemed remorseful during an eight-minute press conference with the media.

Italy boat wins America’s Cup raceSAN FRANCISCO — Rebounding from a shaky start and damage to its wing sail, Italy’s Luna Rossa sped ahead of Artemis Racing of Sweden to win the opening race of the America’s Cup challenger semifinals on San Francisco Bay.The chrome-and-red Italian catamaran won by a comfortable 2 minutes.