Baseball news

• The $1bn World Series champion Dodgers have everything except complacency

  31-10-2024 15:00
  Los Angeles have resources beyond the wildest dreams of most other MLB franchises. But they still had to scrap for their second title in five seasonsHours after the last out of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the field at Yankee Stadium was strewn with ribbons of gold confetti. Jack Flaherty, who started Game 1 of the World Series for the now-champion Los Angeles Dodgers, spotted Shohei Ohtani, the presumptive National League Most Valuable Player, in the middle of an interview with the ML
  
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• Ichiro Suzuki becomes first Japanese player elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame

  22-01-2025 00:49
  
  CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner also make listIchiro falls one vote short of unanimous selectionIchiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball’s Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of a unanimous selection when he was elected on Tuesday along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Sabathia’s name was on 342 ballots and Wagner’s on 325, which was 29 more than the 296 needed for t
  
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• Japanese pitching star Rōki Sasaki says he’s joining Los Angeles Dodgers

  18-01-2025 04:50
  Sasaki, 23, says he intends to sign with LA Dodgers Padres and Blue Jays were said to be other finalistsPrized Japanese pitcher Rōki Sasaki says in an Instagram post he intends to sign with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.A 23-year-old right-hander whose fastball tops 100mph, Sasaki will join fellow Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in a move many baseball executives have long expected. Continue reading...
  
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• Milwaukee Brewers’ beloved ‘Mr Baseball’ Bob Uecker dies at age of 90

  16-01-2025 18:58
  
  Uecker moved from player to successful broadcasterFormer catcher also known for role in Major LeagueBob Uecker, the voice of his hometown Milwaukee Brewers who career earned the moniker “Mr Baseball” and honors from the Hall of Fame, has died. He was 90.The team announced Uecker died on Thursday morning, calling it “one of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history.” In a statement released by the club, Uecker’s family said he had suffered from small cell
  
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• Bo Jackson gives up $21m judgment in extortion suit with niece and nephew

  15-01-2025 23:17
  Former baseball and football star gives up $21m judgmentJackson, 62, said family tried to extort money from himFormer professional football and baseball player Bo Jackson is giving up a $21m judgment against his niece and nephew, whom he said harassed and tried to extort money from him.A judge in February ruled in Jackson’s favor in the suit he had filed in April 2023 against Thomas Lee Anderson and Erica M Anderson, also known as Erica Anderson Ross. Jackson, a running back who won the He
  
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• Police report says former MLB pitcher Brian Matusz died at 37 of likely overdose

  14-01-2025 20:06
  
  Pitcher played for Orioles and Cubs during careerMother found left-hander’s body at Arizona homeThe former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz died at the age of 37 after an apparent drug overdose, according to police documents.The Orioles announced Matusz’s death last week. According to a report by the Phoenix Police Department obtained by the Baltimore Banner, Matusz’s body was found by his mother, Elizabeth, on 6 January after she went to check on him in his home. A light
  
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• MLB bans Yankee fans who interfered with Betts at World Series indefinitely

  11-01-2025 00:27
  MLB bans two spectators who grabbed Dodgers’ BettsYankee fans were ejected from World Series in OctoberMajor League Baseball has banned two fans who interfered with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts during a World Series game at Yankee Stadium from attending any games at big league ballparks.MLB sent a letter to Austin Capobianco and John P Hansen this week informing them of the decision. Continue reading...
  
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• World Sports Photography Awards 2025 winners revealed – in pictures

  10-01-2025 06:00
  
  The World Sports Photography Awards are the only global awards for sport photography and are designed to recognise and celebrate incredible sports images and the photographers who take them. More than 2,200 professional sports photographers from over 96 countries submitted more than 13,000 images across the 24 categories to this year’s competition, which all tell compelling stories of the emotion, passion, athleticism and focus that are at the heart of sport Continue reading...
  
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• Baltimore Orioles announce death of ‘cherished teammate’ Brian Matusz at age of 37

  08-01-2025 13:38
  Pitcher also played for Chicago Cubs during MLB careerLeft-hander was No 4 overall pick in 2008 draftThe Baltimore Orioles have confirmed the death of their former pitcher, Brian Matusz, at the age of 37. The team did not give a cause of death.“Our hearts are heavy tonight as we mourn the passing of former Oriole, Brian Matusz,” the team said in a statement on Tuesday night. “A staple in our clubhouse from 2009-2016, Brian was beloved throughout Birdland, and his passion for ba
  
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• Sheel Seidler, widow of late Padres owner, sues in-laws for control of team

  07-01-2025 04:35
  Widow of former Padres owner sues for ownershipSheel Seidler filed complaint in Texas probate courtThe wife of late San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler, Sheel Seidler, sued brothers-in-law Matthew and Robert on Monday, attempting to prevent another brother, John, from taking control of the team rather than her.The suit comes at a time when the Padres are among the teams recruiting Japanese pitcher Rōki Sasaki. Continue reading...
  
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• Rickey Henderson, baseball’s greatest leadoff hitter and ‘Man of Steal’, dies aged 65

  21-12-2024 21:44
  A’s icon played 24 years for nine teams from 1979 to 2003Henderson holds MLB records for stolen bases and runsRickey Henderson, baseball’s greatest leadoff hitter and the all-time stolen base king, died Friday in Oakland at the age of 65 after battling pneumonia, multiple sources confirmed on Saturday.Henderson’s career was a testament to speed, power and charisma. Over 24 seasons, he racked up a record-breaking 1,406 stolen bases, 2,295 runs scored, and 81 leadoff home runs. A
  
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• Ferocious, calm and deadly: why the Mets agreed to pay Juan Soto $765m

  09-12-2024 12:00
  The outfielder has reportedly agreed the largest contract in sports history with the Mets. It is a deal that will change baseball and the balance of power in New YorkJuan Soto agreed to a reported 15-year, $765m contract with the New York Mets on Sunday night, the largest contract in the history of professional sports by total value. But as well as the brain-frying amounts of cash involved, it also represents a shift in the dynamics of baseball.The obvious thing to say is that $765m is an obscen
  
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• Juan Soto reportedly signs $765m deal with Mets, richest contract in sports history

  09-12-2024 04:26
  26-year-old chooses Mets over rivals YankeesContract will keep Soto with Mets for 15 yearsThe New York Mets have reportedly signed superstar outfielder Juan Soto, holding off competition from the cross-city rival Yankees, in a deal worth $765m, the richest contract in sports history.Speculation has been rife for weeks about where the 26-year-old free-agent would land, with Mets, Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays among the frontrunners. Some believed he would stay
  
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• Baseball has much larger problems than the farcical ‘golden at-bat’

  05-12-2024 14:38
  The proposed rule change has been met with widespread derision. But MLB has two teams in temporary homes and an avalanche of pitcher injuriesThe first time I saw a mention of a baseball “golden at-bat” came on Monday. A few entries flashed on X, my spam detector dismissed them immediately and I moved on in search of my next distraction. A day later, I was back wasting life away on social media and there it was again: the “golden-at bat”. The internet had won: I did a litt
  
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• Liverpool must look to Red Sox and Betts amid contract dance with Salah

  29-11-2024 09:30
  The cost of truly replacing Salah would almost certainly be steeper than the price of keeping him. Just ask Boston how their Mookie Betts succession plan has panned outFenway Sports Group, the John W Henry-led company that holds a controlling stake in Liverpool FC, doesn’t need to look too far back into its own history to find a lesson that should signpost a resolution to Mohamed Salah’s contract situation.In February 2020, Mookie Betts was one of the best baseball players on the pla
  
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• Shohei Ohtani seeks $325,000 worth of baseball cards from ex-interpreter

  28-11-2024 09:06
  
  Dodgers star asks for haul of baseball cards in courtTranslator pleaded guilty to stealing $17m from playerBaseball star Shohei Ohtani wants his former interpreter to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of baseball cards he says were fraudulently bought using his money.The Los Angeles Dodgers star is also requesting Ippei Mizuhara, who previously pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly $17m from the unsuspecting athlete, return signed collectible baseball cards depi
  
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• LA Dodgers add Blake Snell on $182m contract in first megadeal of winter

  27-11-2024 16:47
  World Series champions add two-time Cy Young winnerSnell joints Ohtani and Yamamoto in Dodgers’ rotationLess than a month after winning the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are spending big again to add one of baseball’s best pitchers to their star-studded roster.Blake Snell and the Dodgers agreed to a $182m, five-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night becaus
  
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• Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani wins third MVP award, joining AL winner Aaron Judge

  22-11-2024 02:29
  Ohtani wins NL MVP award after historic 50-50 seasonJudge is unanimous choice for American League honorShohei Ohtani of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers has unanimously been named the National League Most Valuable Player, while New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge took home the American League honors in similar fashion on Thursday.The Japanese-born Ohtani earned all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to beat out New York Mets shortstop Franc
  
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• Rays’ Wander Franco arrested in DR over incident in which ‘guns were drawn’

  11-11-2024 18:03
  
  Shortstop held by police over incident on SundayPlayer facing separate charges over sexual abuse claimsPolice in the Dominican Republic have arrested Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco after an altercation involving firearms.ESPN reported that authorities held Franco and an unnamed woman for questioning on Monday after an incident in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Sunday “in which guns were drawn.” Continue reading...
  
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• Japanese ace Rōki Sasaki to become available to MLB teams this winter

  09-11-2024 14:52
  Japanese star to be posted to Major League BaseballSasaki, 23, helped Japan win World Baseball ClassicJapanese ace Rōki Sasaki will be available to Major League Baseball teams this offseason.The Chiba Lotte Marines announced Saturday they have chosen to start the process of moving the pitcher to a big league club in North America via the posting system. Continue reading...
  
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• US sports owners make huge political donations. Which party does your team’s give to?

  05-11-2024 21:00
  
  Nearly 95% of total contributions from owners across America’s major sports leagues went to Republicans. See how your team fared in our databaseSports team owners in the major North American leagues have donated at least $132.1m in federal elections since 2020, with nearly 95% of those contributions going to Republican campaigns, candidates and Super Pacs, according to research conducted by the Guardian.Nearly all of the owners of the MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, NWSL and WNBA franchises were
  
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• Dodger fans swamp downtown Los Angeles for World Series victory parade – in pictures

  01-11-2024 22:33
  Enormous crowds clad in blue take over the city to celebrate their team victory over the New York YankeesContinue reading...
  
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• Shohei Ohtani and very good boy Decoy steal show at Dodgers’ World Series parade

  01-11-2024 21:04
  Dodgers celebrate title win with long-awaited paradeClub didn’t have public celebration in 2020 due to CovidThe Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their World Series win on Friday at a rousing victory parade in downtown Los Angeles, basking in festivities they were denied when the team won the 2020 baseball championship during the Covid-19 pandemic.Hoards of fans clad in Dodger blue chanted “Freddie, Freddie” as series Most Valuable Player Freddie Freeman rode atop one of several d
  
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• The Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela was an LA icon. To the son of an immigrant, his death was personal

  01-11-2024 19:30
  The legendary Mexican pitcher died just before the Dodgers’ World Series win against the New York YankeesFernando Valenzuela died and all I wanted to do was cry.I don’t understand it. I didn’t know him, not really, not personally. The man is a legend to anyone who knows baseball. As a 20-year-old immigrant from Mexico pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he became the only Major League Baseball player to ever win the Rookie of the Year award and the Cy Young award in the same
  
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• Bob Costas retiring from MLB play-by-play announcing work after 42 years

  01-11-2024 03:44
  Costas, 72, bidding farewell to baseball commentaryHall of Fame announcer started with NBC in 1982Bob Costas is bidding farewell to baseball, the sport he is perhaps best known for, and retiring as an MLB play-by-play announcer.Costas, 72, confirmed his retirement to the Athletic on Thursday but said he will open up on his decision at a later date. Continue reading...
  
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• Bus set on fire and 12 arrests made in LA as crowds celebrate Dodgers’ World Series win

  31-10-2024 23:02
  Video shows clashes between police and crowds after Dodgers beat Yankees in New York to clinch titleRowdy crowds took to the streets in Los Angeles after the Dodgers won the World Series, setting a bus on fire, breaking into stores and setting off firecrackers. A dozen arrests were reported by police early on Thursday, but officials emphasized that most fans had celebrated peacefully.Video showed people throwing objects at police in downtown LA as sirens blared and officers told them to leave th
  
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• 'A tremendous honour': Shohei Ohtani on World Series win with the LA Dodgers – video

  31-10-2024 13:43
  The Los Angeles Dodgers’ record-breaking $700m signing Shohei Ohtani spoke to the press after the Dodgers became World Series champions for an eighth time. They came back from five runs down to win 7-6 over the New York Yankees in Game 5 to decide the series on Wednesday night in the Bronx. Ohtani said: 'We were able to get through the regular season, I think, because of the strength of this team, this organisation. And the success of the postseason is very similar to how we were able to p
  
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• Los Angeles Dodgers beat New York Yankees in Game 5 to win World Series – as it happened

  31-10-2024 05:19
  Full report: Dodgers roar back from five runs downTwo fans banned from Game 5 after interference incidentDodgers 0-0 Yankees, top 1stBetts hits a little roller up the first base line. Rizzo scoops it up, steps on first base, and that’s the second out. Continue reading...
  
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• LA Dodgers roar back from five runs down to win World Series over New York Yankees

  31-10-2024 05:01
  Dodgers beat Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to clinch titleDodgers v Yankees: Game 5 – as it happenedThe Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series champions for an eighth time after roaring back from five runs down to win 7-6 over the New York Yankees in a tightly wound Game 5 clincher on Wednesday night in the Bronx.The Yankees appeared bound to send a series they’d once trailed 3-0 back to Los Angeles for a sixth game when Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr pounced on Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty
  
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• Two Yankees fans banned from World Series Game 5 after grabbing ball from Betts

  30-10-2024 19:11
  Spectators were ejected after fan interference Yankees stay alive with Game 4 win over DodgersTwo New York Yankees fans who were ejected from Game 4 of the World Series for interfering with play have been banned from Wednesday night’s game.The league and club released a statement saying the two fans who were involved in a ball being pried from Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts’ glove would not be permitted at the game. Continue reading...
  
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