Could more Baseball Hall of Fame shutouts be on the horizon?
It could be a while before the Baseball Writers’ Association of America votes anyone new into the Hall of Fame. BBWAA members delivered an empty class in this year’s election, which was announced Tuesday night. Curt Schilling received the most support, but the former pitcher was selected on 71.1% of...
Baseball Hall gets no new members; Curt Schilling 16 votes shy
NEW YORK — The baseball Hall of Fame won’t have any new players in the class of 2021 after voters decided no one had the merits — on-the-field or off — for enshrinement in Cooperstown on this year’s ballot. Curt Schilling, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were among the closest...
Cactus League asks MLB to delay spring training due to covid
The Cactus League and Arizona community leaders have asked Major League Baseball to delay the start of spring training due to coronavirus concerns just over three weeks before pitchers and catchers are supposed to report. The Cactus League made the request in a letter to Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred obtained...
Braves fans call for name change to Hammers to honor the late Hank AaronVideo
ATLANTA (AP) — As his adopted hometown mourned Hank Aaron’s death, some fans called on the Atlanta Braves to change their name to the Hammers in his honor. “Hammerin’ Hank” died Friday at age 86, drawing praise from all segments of society, including the current and former presidents, for his...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Hank Aaron was one of sports’ most important figures
Hank Aaron is not the all-time home-run king. The numbers don’t lie and can’t be qualified. It’s a matter of who hit the most. The scoreboard reads Barry Bonds 762, Aaron 755. But Aaron was about so much more than setting a record, even if it is baseball’s most fabled....
Hank Aaron, baseball’s 1-time home run king, dies at 86
ATLANTA — Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record and gracefully left his mark as one of baseball’s greatest all-around players, died Friday. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves, Aaron’s longtime team, said he died peacefully in his sleep....
AP source: Springer agrees to $150M, 6-year deal with JaysVideo
TORONTO — All-Star outfielder George Springer became the most prominent among baseball’s free agents to reach an agreement this offseason, a $150 million, six-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because...
Mark Madden: Situations with Brett Favre, Jared Porter show cancel culture is applied unevenly
Jared Porter got dismissed from his job as the New York Mets’ general manager because he sent a torrent of inappropriate texts to a female journalist while he was working for the Chicago Cubs in 2016. Among Porter’s texts: An image of his genitals, as reported by ESPN. Firing Porter...
Don Sutton, Hall of Fame pitcher for Dodgers, dies at 75Video
LOS ANGELES — Don Sutton, a Hall of Fame pitcher who was a stalwart of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation spanning an era from Sandy Koufax to Fernando Valenzuela, died Tuesday. He was 75. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., said Sutton died at his home in Rancho...
Mets fire GM after he sent explicit texts to female reporter
NEW YORK — New York Mets general manager Jared Porter was fired Tuesday after sending graphic, uninvited text messages and images to a female reporter in 2016 when he was working for the Chicago Cubs in their front office. Mets owner Steve Cohen said Porter was fired Tuesday morning. “We...
Former WPIAL stars Alex Kirilloff, Austin Hendrick on Baseball America’s prospect list
A pair of former WPIAL stars are ranked in Baseball America’s top 100 prospects, including one who cracked the top 20 for the first time. Plum’s Alex Kirilloff is ranked the No. 18 overall prospect and No. 1 in the Minnesota Twins organization by Baseball America. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound outfielder...
Aaron Judge avoids arbitration, signs 1-year deal with YankeesVideo
NEW YORK — Slugging outfielder Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees avoided arbitration when they agreed Friday to a one-year contract worth $10,175,000. Judge had his third straight injury-interrupted season since winning the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year award, hitting .257 with nine homers and 22 RBIs in...
Mickey Mantle rookie card sells for record $5.2 million, crushing Mike Trout record
It’s the Holy Grail. It’s the Mona Lisa. Entrepreneur Rob Gough believes he got both wrapped in one when he purchased a rare Mickey Mantle rookie baseball card for a record $5.2 million in November. “I’ve always wanted this card,” Gough recently told Forbes. “I’ve been searching for this Holy...
AP report: MLB suspends political donations after invasion of U.S. CapitolVideo
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is suspending all political contributions in the wake of last week’s invasion of the U.S. Capitol by a mob loyal to President Donald Trump, joining a wave of major corporations rethinking their efforts to lobby Washington. “In light of the unprecedented events last week...
Bianca Smith, with Sewickley roots, makes history as 1st Black woman to coach pro-level baseball
The first Black woman to coach on a professional baseball team has roots in Sewickley, and her favorite baseball team growing up was the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bianca Smith, 29, was hired Jan. 4 by the Boston Red Sox. Her role is stationed in Fort Myers, Fla., to work as a...
Tommy Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
LOS ANGELES — Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday that he...
Mega deal: Indians trade star Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco to Mets
CLEVELAND — Francisco Lindor’s moving to a new city and a new team that is willing to meet his salary demands. The four-time All-Star shortstop was traded Thursday along with pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets, who have a new owner willing to spend at baseball’s highest levels....
Spring training could be delayed for Double-A, Class A baseball teams
NEW YORK — Spring training could be delayed for Double-A and Class A players if major leaguers are not vaccinated for the novel coronavirus by the time big league practice is scheduled to start in mid-February. Major League Baseball, which has taken over operation of the minors, gave notice to...
AP source: Padres have deal in place to get Blake Snell from Rays
Two months ago, Blake Snell got yanked off the mound with a two-hit shutout going in the final game of the World Series. Now, the Tampa Bay Rays are ready to ship him out of town. The San Diego Padres are close to completing a blockbuster trade to acquire Snell...
Baseball Hall of Famer, knuckleballer Phil Niekro dies at 81
ATLANTA — Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters for more than two decades, mostly with the Atlanta Braves, has died after a long fight with cancer, the team announced Sunday. He was 81. The Braves said...
White Sox manager Tony La Russa resolves DUI case, feels ‘remorse and regret’Video
CHICAGO — White Sox manager Tony La Russa said he doesn’t have a drinking problem. He also said he has to prove it with his behavior. The 76-year-old La Russa pleaded guilty Monday to a lesser charge to resolve misdemeanor drunken driving charges stemming from his arrest nearly 10 months...
AP: MLB payrolls drop nearly $2.5B in pandemicVideo
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball payrolls plunged to $1.75 billion during the pandemic-shortened season from $4.22 billion, and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers led with $98.6 million — the smallest for the top spender in 20 years. Base wages for 40-man rosters tumbled to $1.54 billion, according...
Cleveland manager Francona says team’s name change ‘correct’Video
CLEVELAND — Manager Terry Francona praised the Cleveland Indians for trying to “do the right thing” with a name change that was inevitable — and necessary. On Friday, Francona, a New Brighton native, complimented the team’s decision to drop its name after 105 years, a switch that came after months...
MLB recognition of Negro Leagues records ‘quite significant,’ says museum presidentVideo
On Wednesday, Major League Baseball announced that it will finally recognize Negro Leagues records and statistics between the years 1920 and 1948, the year after Jackie Robinson broke the big league color barrier. It means Negro Leagues star and Hall-of-Famer Josh Gibson, who played for the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh...
MLB reclassifies Negro Leagues as major league
NEW YORK (AP) — Willie Mays will add some hits to his record, Monte Irvin’s big league batting average should climb over .300 and Satchel Paige may add nearly 150 victories to his total. Josh Gibson, the greatest of all Negro League sluggers, might just wind up with a major...
