SAN DIEGO — Baseballs used during the 2019 regular season had less drag on average, contributing to a power surge that resulted in a record number of home runs, according to a study commissioned by Major League Baseball and released by the league Wednesday. The report produced by a committee...
With Each Pitch at Series, Call Gets Louder for Robot Umps
HOUSTON — From the box seats to the far reaches of the bleachers, all 40,000 umpires in the stands at Nationals Park were sure they could tell: Gerrit Cole's fastball to Victor Robles missed the strike zone. By at least an inch, clearly. That's not how Lance Barksdale saw it....
Mets’ Alonso Buys Custom 9/11 Cleats for Teammates
NEW YORK — Pete Alonso has been full of surprises during a memorable rookie season with the Mets. For fans in his new home city, his gesture Wednesday night might be the biggest home run yet. Alonso coordinated the purchase and production of custom 9/11 cleats for Mets players to...
Fans Elect Historically Young NL Lineup for All-Star Game
NEW YORK — Surrounded by sweet-swinging sluggers Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger and Ronald Acuña Jr., All-Star stalwart Nolan Arenado is set for a new role with the National League — elder statesman. "It shows how good these young guys are," Arenado said. The five-time All-Star will be joined by a...
What the Dodgers’ and Giants’ 1958 Move West Meant for America
Few phrases are as evocative of a mythical, imagined urban past as “Brooklyn Dodgers.” Those two words, particularly in the borough that is now a punch line for hipster jokes, bring to mind a different America, one where the U.S. saw itself as more of a political innocent just discovering...
MLB Suspends Giants CEO Larry Baer for Altercation With Wife
SAN FRANCISCO — Major League Baseball suspended San Francisco Giants President and CEO Larry Baer without pay through July 1 after a video showed him in a physical altercation with his wife. Commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday his office conducted an investigation of the events shown on a video released...
Ichiro Walks Off Into History in ‘Sayonara’ at Tokyo Dome
TOKYO — Ichiro Suzuki has said "sayonara." The 45-year-old Seattle Mariners star announced his retirement Thursday night, shortly after waving goodbye at the Tokyo Dome during a 5-4 win over Oakland in 12 innings. Ichiro went 0 for 4 and was pulled from right field in the eighth, saluting his...
Hall of Famer, Pioneering Manager Frank Robinson Dies at 83
Crowding the plate, fearsome and fearless, Frank Robinson hammered his way into the Hall of Fame. His legacy, however, was cemented that day in 1975 when he simply stood in the dugout at old Cleveland Stadium — the first black manager in Major League Baseball. Robinson, the only player to...
Hernandez's HR in 12th Leads Giants to 5-3 Win Over Padres
SAN DIEGO — Their early 3-0 lead long gone, the San Francisco Giants got some big plays late to had the free-falling San Diego Padres their sixth straight loss. Gorkys Hernandez hit a go-ahead home run leading off the 12th inning, Will Smith struck out the last four San Diego...
Ted Williams' Mexican-American Heritage Explored in PBS Film
ALBQUERQUE, N.M. — Ted Williams is the last major league baseball player to hit over .400. The Boston Red Sox slugger captivated millions with his dazzling swing and towering homers throughout the 1940s and 1950s in competition with New York Yankees hero Joe DiMaggio. But beneath the smiles and happy...