Tag Archives: MLB

MLB.com reports: Major League Baseball is mourning the loss of one of its own. Billy Bean, the league’s Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, passed away at his home on Tuesday after an 11-month battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Bean, who was diagnosed last September, was 60 years old. “Our hearts are broken today as we mourn our …

ESPN reports: Major League Baseball has permanently banned Tucupita Marcano after determining that the infielder placed hundreds of bets on baseball, including wagers on games involving the Pittsburgh Pirates when he was with the team last season. MLB announced Marcano’s lifetime ban Tuesday, saying that an investigation showed he violated Rule 21(d)(2) of the league’s betting rules and policies. Marcano …

The Independent reports: Fox News was forced to issue an on-air apology for mistakenly including baseball Hall of Famer Frank Thomas in a tribute to celebrities who passed away in 2023. During an in memoriam segment on Friday morning’s edition of The Faulkner Focus, Fox showed footage of the 55-year-old former Chicago White Sox slugger next to the graphic: “Frank …

AM New York reports: Major League Baseball is testing facial authentication-based entry that would allow ticketed fans to walk directly into stadiums — a convenient new arrival method that the league says won’t compromise on safety and security. The Philadelphia Phillies have partnered with MLB to use their stadium as the site of a pilot program called Go-Ahead Entry, which …

ESPN reports: Whit Merrifield said last month that he might be willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 if it meant playing for a team in contention, even though he had refused to get the shot while playing for the last-place Kansas City Royals. He’ll have to make that decision now. In a unique and potentially unprecedented situation, the Royals traded …

“It’s an extremely unfortunate situation. Obviously my teammates know how I feel about them and how bad I want to be out there with them. But it’s just an unfortunate that I’m not able to make the trip. “I’m a healthy 31-year-old professional athlete that I just didn’t feel the need to get it. I’ve had COVID a couple times …

CBS Sports reports: At least five players on the Tampa Bay Rays roster opted not to wear a patch the team added to their uniforms intended to celebrate Pride month in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox (box score). During the team’s 16th annual Pride Night celebration Rays caps and uniforms had logos colored in the style of …

From the right wing sports site Outkick: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has vetoed a $35 million legislation for a Pasco County facility that’s earmarked for the Tampa Bay Rays’ spring training, OutKick has learned.  DeSantis’s decision is in response to the Rays politicizing recent shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde. The decision follows DeSantis’ response to Disney. In April, DeSantis revoked …

ESPN reports: Major League Baseball announced a 324-game suspension for Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer on Friday, the equivalent of two full seasons, making it by far the most severe punishment handed out under the sport’s domestic violence policy. Bauer promptly released a statement announcing he was appealing the suspension, thus becoming the first player to appeal punishment through …

Yahoo Sports reports: Military Appreciation Day didn’t go as planned for the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. It went so bad that it triggered an evacuation of the U.S. Capitol. The Capitol complex was evacuated due to an “aircraft posing a probable threat” on Wednesday afternoon. Thankfully it didn’t last long, and the Capitol was given the all-clear minutes after the …

The Associated Press reports: Major League Baseball is dropping regular COVID-19 testing for all but symptomatic individuals while maintaining an ability to move games if the public health situation in an area deteriorates. MLB and the players’ association finalized their 2022 coronavirus protocols on Tuesday, easing pandemic restrictions five days after reaching a collective bargaining agreement. Some on-field issues have …

Yahoo Sports reports: Nine days after commissioner Rob Manfred canceled opening day and over three months into an owner-implemented lockout, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association agreed to a new labor contract Thursday afternoon in New York City, ensuring a full season. Call it the 11th hour or the bottom of the ninth, but after the union successfully …

NBC News reports: Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred canceled 93 more games Wednesday, appearing to close the remaining chance to play a full 162-game schedule and threatening locked out players with loss of salary and service time. After the sides narrowed many economic differences and became bogged down over management’s attempt to gain an international amateur draft, MLB announced two additional …

The Associated Press reports: Major League Baseball has canceled opening day, with Commissioner Rob Manfred announcing Tuesday the sport will lose regular-season games over a labor dispute for the first time in 27 years after acrimonious lockout talks collapsed in the hours before management’s deadline. Manfred said he is canceling the first two series of the season that was set …

Yahoo Sports reports: Before the World Series arrived in Atlanta, the Braves announced that former president Donald Trump would be attending Saturday night’s Game 4. Saturday afternoon, just before 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Trump sent an email to his mailing list, which read, in full: “Looking forward to being at the World Series in Atlanta tonight. Thank you to the …

Playbook reports: Remember when Major League Baseball moved the All-Star Game out of Atlanta in protest of Georgia’s new law imposing restrictions on voting? Well, consider it payback time. Heritage Action is launching a new six-figure ad buy to air in Georgia and D.C. during Game 3 of the World Series tonight — when the Atlanta Braves will play host …

Fox News reports: Country music star Travis Tritt sang the national anthem before Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Saturday amid his very public declaration not to perform at venues that require any kind of coronavirus vaccine or mask mandate. Wearing a Braves jersey, Tritt received a smattering of applause when he was announced as a “country …

The Hill reports: The Washington Nationals plan to terminate the contracts of employees who refuse to comply with their COVID-19 rules. Sources told Washington Post Nats beat reporter Jesse Dougherty that team Vice President Bob Boone, pitching coordinator Brad Holman and minor league pitching coach Larry Pardo are ending their tenure with the club. The Nationals’ vaccine mandate went into …

The Cleveland Scene reports: In a Tom Hanks-narrated video posted to social media this morning, the Cleveland baseball team has formally announced what had been rumored earlier this week: They will become the Cleveland Guardians. After an extensive, opaque, process involving community engagement with local stakeholders and the purported consideration of more than 1,100 names, the team settled on one …

Washington’s NBC News affiliate reports: Three people were shot and wounded outside Nationals Park during a game between the Nats and the San Diego Padres on Saturday night, sending fans scrambling for safety and prompting the suspension of the game. The gunshots caused panic among fans inside the stadium, some of whom ducked for cover, hiding underneath tables and behind …