Orioles 1B Trey Mancini expects to miss season to treat colon cancerVideo
BALTIMORE — Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini is undergoing chemotherapy for stage 3 colon cancer and expects to miss the season if major leaguers return this summer. Mancini had a malignant tumor removed shortly before turning 28 on March 18. He has been undergoing chemotherapy since April 13. “My treatment will...
MLB official testifies he thought commissioner Manfred would stop umpire Hernandez from working SeriesVideo
NEW YORK — A major league official testified he suggested Angel Hernandez be removed from consideration for the 2015 World Series because he did not think commissioner Rob Manfred would approve the umpire to work baseball’s premier event. Hernandez sued MLB in 2017, alleging race discrimination and cited his failure...
Steve Dalkowski, inspiration for ‘Bull Durham,’ dies at 80Video
Steve Dalkowski, a hard-throwing, wild left-hander whose minor league career inspired the creation of Nuke LaLoosh in the movie “Bull Durham,” has died. He was 80. He died Sunday at the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain. His sister, Patricia Cain, said Friday he had several pre-existing conditions that...
Cubs foursome sharing house, experiences awaiting baseballVideo
CHICAGO — When the coronavirus pandemic stopped spring training last month, Ian Happ offered Nico Hoerner, Zack Short and Dakota Mekkes a place to stay if they wanted to remain in Arizona. That’s how “The Compound” was born. Happ, Hoerner, Short and Mekkes — four players from the Cubs’ organization...
Red Sox stripped of draft pick, Alex Cora suspended for 2020Video
NEW YORK — The Boston Red Sox were stripped of their second-round pick in this year’s amateur draft by MLB for sign stealing in 2018 and former manager Alex Cora was suspended through the 2020 postseason for his previous conduct as bench coach with the Houston Astros. Baseball commissioner Rob...
Minor league baseball prepared to accept losing 40 affiliatesVideo
NEW YORK — The minor leagues are prepared to agree to Major League Baseball’s proposal to cut guaranteed affiliations from 160 to 120 next year, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press, a plan that would that would impact hundreds of prospects and cut player development expenses....
Fans sue MLB, teams over ticket money, ask for class action
LOS ANGELES — A pair of fans in New York sued Major League Baseball, Commissioner Rob Manfred and the 30 teams, asking for their money back for tickets and for certification of class-action status. The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles by Matthew Ajzenman, who...
MLB can cut pay, lay off managers, coaches starting May 1Video
NEW YORK — Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred made a move that allows teams to lay off or cut the pay of major and minor league managers, coaches, trainers and full-time scouts starting May 1. Manfred suspended uniform employee contracts that cover about 9,000 people, including general managers on some teams....
U mad, bro? Shut-in readers gnash teeth about Ben Roethlisberger; Mike Tomlin vs. Bill Cowher; MLB’s future
It appears the longer we stay locked inside because of coronavirus fears, the angrier our audience is getting. Yeah. Me, too. This week’s readers go after Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger, spitting baseball players and me. Mainly me. And I’m getting a little too pent up to let it go. “Treston”...
Astros manager Baker laments lack of black players on Jackie Robinson DayVideo
Houston manager Dusty Baker celebrated Jackie Robinson’s legacy on the 73rd anniversary of the fall of the major league color barrier and lamented the lack of African Americans in today’s game. “It’s frustrating because we’ve talked about it forever … but it seems like the numbers are dwindling instead of...
MLB commissioner Manfred says he will ‘turn over every stone’ for seasonVideo
NEW YORK — Rob Manfred wants MLB to be in position to take the field whenever government and health officials give the go-ahead. “I think it’s incumbent upon us to turn over every stone to try to play the game in 2020 if there’s any way we can in the...
NTSB report: Halladay had amphetamines in system, was doing acrobatics before fatal plane crashVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Baseball Hall of Famer Roy Halladay had high-levels of amphetamines in his system and was doing extreme acrobatics when he lost control of his small plane and nosedived into Tampa Bay in 2017, killing him, a National Transportation Safety Board report issued Wednesday said. Halladay had...
First Call: Watt brothers star on ‘Tonight Show’; sports movie ideas for Stephen King’s list
For “First Call” Wednesday, we try to help out renowned horror writer Stephen King. And the Watt brothers take over “The Tonight Show.” The offseason of the Watt brothers continues. Steelers T.J. and Derek Watt joined older brother J.J. Watt during a segment on “The Tonight Show” Tuesday. It was...
Giants, A’s, Diamondbacks among MLB teams in coronavirus studyVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks are two of the MLB teams participating in a study of the coronavirus that will test hundreds of people — including players — from the various clubs for antibodies. Arizona and San Francisco confirmed they were participating. The Oakland Athletics...
Yankees co-owner Hank Steinbrenner dies at 63Video
NEW YORK — Hank Steinbrenner, the oldest son of George Steinbrenner and one of the four siblings who own the controlling shares of the New York Yankees, died Tuesday at age 63. The team said he died at home in Clearwater, Fla., because of a longstanding health issue. A chain...
MLB honoring Jackie Robinson Day with online tributes
NEW YORK — Forced from the field by the new coronavirus, Major League Baseball is moving its annual celebration of Jackie Robinson online. The Jackie Robinson Foundation is launching a virtual learning hub to coincide with the 73rd anniversary Wednesday of Robinson breaking the major league color barrier. CC Sabathia...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden: Steelers draft could have ripple effect; idea of remote MLB, NHL locations
Coming off of Easter Sunday, this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast looks at a different kind of resurrection. That of the entire sports world. When will we see it? And when we do, will we recognize it? Mark and I aren’t just talking about the mechanics of the leagues getting off...
Pittsburgh native, 4-time MLB All-Star second baseman Glenn Beckert dies at 79Video
CHICAGO — Glenn Beckert, a Pittsburgh native and four-time All-Star second baseman for the Chicago Cubs in the 1960s and ’70s, died Sunday. He was 79. Citing his family, the Cubs said he died of natural causes in Florida. Beckert attended Perry High School in Pittsburgh’s North Side, where he...
Report: MLB discusses new plan to relaunch based on teams’ spring training homesVideo
After MLB swiftly downplayed its lambasted Arizona relaunch plan, it has emerged with a new idea to bring baseball back as soon as possible in 2020, in spite of the coronavirus pandemic. The league has discussed using Arizona and Florida, which host MLB’s spring training games, as dual hubs for...
MLB players, including Pirates’ Cole Tucker, to play video game tourneyVideo
NEW YORK — Blake Snell, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette are among the baseball stars switching over to PlayStation with America’s pastime on hold. Thirty big leaguers — one from each team — have signed on to play a round-robin regular season on the “MLB The Show” video game with...
Slugger Mark Reynolds says he’s retiring after 13-year runVideo
PHOENIX — Slugger Mark Reynolds is retiring after hitting 298 homers over 13 seasons with eight teams. The 36-year-old made the announcement Thursday on SiriusXM Radio. When the free agent was asked whether he still was pursuing a new team, Reynolds said he’s “moved beyond that, I’ve retired.” He added...
Pirates 22nd most valuable MLB team, according to Forbes; Yankees topVideo
NEW YORK — Forbes estimates the New York Yankees are baseball’s most valuable franchise at $5 billion, up 9% over last year and 47% more than the No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers at $3.4 billion. The Pittsburgh Pirates dropped 1% to $1.26 billion, 22nd in MLB. The Yankees are second...
Tim Benz, Jeff Erickson: Will golf lead return to TV sports?; Steelers draft trade talk; MLB Arizona idea
The biggest fantasy in the sports world right now is getting through this global pandemic and getting real games back on the field of play. But in lieu of that, Jeff Erickson of RotoWire and I do our weekly fantasy sports podcast anyway. We talk about how golf could lead...
College baseball talent level to go up with changes to MLB DraftVideo
As disappointing as it’s been to have the college baseball season shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, Michigan coach Erik Bakich sees a silver lining. “I do think the coming years will be the deepest college baseball has ever been,” he said. Division I programs stand to benefit because...
Tim Benz: Play MLB games. Or don’t. But spare us the social distancing optics.
Try to keep up, baseball fans. Because you are reading a column that’s being written while stuck in “fast forward.” In an effort to avoid a covid-19-induced shutdown, Major League Baseball is considering playing the 2020 season exclusively in a league-wide, semi-quarantined state of existence throughout the Phoenix, Az., area....
