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Major League Baseball’s postseason is seeing solid ratings increases over 2012, with FOX and TBS the beneficiaries.
TBS’ exclusive presentation of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals is averaging a 3.0 U.S. Household rating and 4.7 million total viewers through two games, increases of 50% and 47% compared with a 2.0 U.S. HH rating and 3.2 million total viewers for the first two games of the 2011 NLCS on TBS – the last time the network aired the NLCS – between the Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers.
The network’s NLCS Game 2 telecast yesterday afternoon, Saturday, Oct. 12 – a pitchers’ duel won by the Cardinals 1-0 – averaged a 2.2 U.S. HH rating, up 16% over Game 2 of the 2011 NLCS which aired in primetime on TBS and averaged a 1.9 U.S. HH rating. The corresponding 3.4 million total viewers for this year’s telecast is a 13% increase over the average of three million total viewers for Game 2 of the 2011 NLCS.
The 2013 American League Championship Series got underway on FOX last night with the Detroit Tigers and starter Anibal Sanchez taking the 1-0 nail-biter and no-hitting the Boston Red Sox until there was one out in the ninth inning, and the audience on FOX reflected the drama. The game delivered a 4.2/8 national household rating, with 6.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, up 20% compared to Game 1 of the 2011 ALCS on FOX (3.5/7; 5.8 million viewers) which pit the Tigers against the Texas Rangers. Last night’s game tied 2010 as FOX’s highest-rated Game 1 of an LCS since Angels-Yankees in 2009 (5.2/10; 8.4 million).
Additional ALCS Game 1 highlights:
Up 2% over last year’s 4.1/6 with 6.8 million viewers) for NLCS Game 1 on FOX (Cardinals -Giants) which aired on a Sunday with NFL lead-in.
The game posted a household rating of 4.0 with 6.4 million viewers pre-11:00 PM ET and increased 23% to 4.9 with 7.8 million viewers after 11:00 PM ET.
FOX is projected to win the night among Households and Adults 18-49.
ALCS Game 1 is projected to deliver FOX its best Saturday night prime time since the NFL playoffs in January.
Despite competition from a Michigan football game, Detroit led all markets (26.5), +23% from Detroit’s rating for 2011 ALCS Game 1 on FOX (21.5/38); Boston followed (21.8/42).
Viewership steadily grew throughout the night: 8:00-8:15 – 2.4/5; 9:00-9:15 – 3.3/6; 10:00-10:15 – 4.7/9; 11:00-11:15 – 4.7/9; 12:00-12:15 AM ET – 5.5/12
FOX and TBS See Solid Gains with MLB's League Championship TV Ratings - Forbes
TBS’ exclusive presentation of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals is averaging a 3.0 U.S. Household rating and 4.7 million total viewers through two games, increases of 50% and 47% compared with a 2.0 U.S. HH rating and 3.2 million total viewers for the first two games of the 2011 NLCS on TBS – the last time the network aired the NLCS – between the Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers.
The network’s NLCS Game 2 telecast yesterday afternoon, Saturday, Oct. 12 – a pitchers’ duel won by the Cardinals 1-0 – averaged a 2.2 U.S. HH rating, up 16% over Game 2 of the 2011 NLCS which aired in primetime on TBS and averaged a 1.9 U.S. HH rating. The corresponding 3.4 million total viewers for this year’s telecast is a 13% increase over the average of three million total viewers for Game 2 of the 2011 NLCS.
The 2013 American League Championship Series got underway on FOX last night with the Detroit Tigers and starter Anibal Sanchez taking the 1-0 nail-biter and no-hitting the Boston Red Sox until there was one out in the ninth inning, and the audience on FOX reflected the drama. The game delivered a 4.2/8 national household rating, with 6.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, up 20% compared to Game 1 of the 2011 ALCS on FOX (3.5/7; 5.8 million viewers) which pit the Tigers against the Texas Rangers. Last night’s game tied 2010 as FOX’s highest-rated Game 1 of an LCS since Angels-Yankees in 2009 (5.2/10; 8.4 million).
Additional ALCS Game 1 highlights:
Up 2% over last year’s 4.1/6 with 6.8 million viewers) for NLCS Game 1 on FOX (Cardinals -Giants) which aired on a Sunday with NFL lead-in.
The game posted a household rating of 4.0 with 6.4 million viewers pre-11:00 PM ET and increased 23% to 4.9 with 7.8 million viewers after 11:00 PM ET.
FOX is projected to win the night among Households and Adults 18-49.
ALCS Game 1 is projected to deliver FOX its best Saturday night prime time since the NFL playoffs in January.
Despite competition from a Michigan football game, Detroit led all markets (26.5), +23% from Detroit’s rating for 2011 ALCS Game 1 on FOX (21.5/38); Boston followed (21.8/42).
Viewership steadily grew throughout the night: 8:00-8:15 – 2.4/5; 9:00-9:15 – 3.3/6; 10:00-10:15 – 4.7/9; 11:00-11:15 – 4.7/9; 12:00-12:15 AM ET – 5.5/12
FOX and TBS See Solid Gains with MLB's League Championship TV Ratings - Forbes
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Major League Baseball umpire Wally Bell died of an apparent heart attack Monday, a week after working the NL playoff series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. He was 48.
The commissioner's office said Bell died in his home state of Ohio.
Bell had not been feeling well over the weekend and had been scheduled to see doctors later Monday at the Cleveland Clinic.
Bell had quintuple bypass surgery on Feb. 18, 1999, that left him with an 8-inch scar down the middle of his chest. His father survived two heart attacks before he died.
"All of us at Major League Baseball are in mourning tonight regarding the sudden passing of Wally Bell," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "I always enjoyed seeing Wally, who was a terrific umpire and such an impressive young man. On behalf of our 30 clubs, I extend my deepest condolences to Wally's family, fellow umpires and his many friends throughout the game." Bell was the first active MLB umpire to die since John McSherry passed away of a heart attack on the field in Cincinnati on opening day in 1996.
Bell worked the 2006 World Series and three All-Star games, including this year's event at Citi Field, where he was stationed at first base. A veteran of 21 big league seasons, he had also worked four league championship series and seven division series since joining the major league staff in 1993.
"It was a devastating loss for us. Wally was a true umpire's umpire," said Gerry Davis, crew chief for the NL championship series. "I think if you'll check with the players and teams they felt the same way because Wally always gave 110 percent on the field."
The umpires for Game 3 at Dodger Stadium heard about Bell's death an hour before they took the field.
"We had to regroup rather quickly and put our concentration where it needed to be," Davis said after Los Angeles beat St. Louis 3-0.
"We kept telling each other that that's the way Wally would have wanted it, and we know that that's really true. One of the things that we shared in the locker room afterwards is that I'm sure he's very proud right now," he said.
Several players from around the majors expressed their condolences on Twitter.
Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis wrote: "Wally kept game fun and loose and I always looked forward to catching with him behind plate. I will miss his personality and professionalism."
Boston pitcher Jake Peavy: "Just heard the news & devastated about the passing of Wally Bell. A great umpire, a great man."
Toronto slugger Jose Bautista: "He always had great spirits on the field, i will always remember how he teased me about my beard."
Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino: "My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Wally Bell. So sad to hear (and) will remember him tomorrow as I take the field."
According to Bell's biography on MLB-com, his proudest moment as a big league umpire was returning to the field after having open heart surgery. Two of his arteries had been 100 percent blocked, two more had been 80 percent blocked, another 70 percent.
Bell came back 11 weeks after his heart problem was detected for a game in San Diego. That night, plate umpire Mark Hirschbeck took the first ball out of play and kept it as a souvenir for Bell.
"I am deeply saddened and shocked at the loss of umpire Wally Bell," said Joe Torre, MLB executive vice president for baseball operations. "Umpiring was his life, and he touched so many people within the game of baseball. Aside from being an accomplished, All-Star-caliber umpire, Wally was a loving dad to his two teenage children. I extend my deepest condolences to them, his girlfriend Renee, the rest of his family and his admirers across Major League Baseball."
During the 2013 regular season, Bell was a member of Tim McClelland's crew.
"Wally was a great umpire, a great partner and a great friend. The umpiring community is deeply saddened by this tragic loss. He will be sorely missed by many," said major league ump Joe West, President of the World Umpires Association.
Bell is survived by his son, Jason, and daughter, Lindsey.
MLB umpire Wally Bell dead at age 48 from apparent heart attack in home state of Ohio; he worked NL playoffs between Pirates and Cardinals earlier in October, as well as 2006 World Series and 3 All-Star Games - MLB News | FOX Sports on MSN
The commissioner's office said Bell died in his home state of Ohio.
Bell had not been feeling well over the weekend and had been scheduled to see doctors later Monday at the Cleveland Clinic.
Bell had quintuple bypass surgery on Feb. 18, 1999, that left him with an 8-inch scar down the middle of his chest. His father survived two heart attacks before he died.
"All of us at Major League Baseball are in mourning tonight regarding the sudden passing of Wally Bell," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "I always enjoyed seeing Wally, who was a terrific umpire and such an impressive young man. On behalf of our 30 clubs, I extend my deepest condolences to Wally's family, fellow umpires and his many friends throughout the game." Bell was the first active MLB umpire to die since John McSherry passed away of a heart attack on the field in Cincinnati on opening day in 1996.
Bell worked the 2006 World Series and three All-Star games, including this year's event at Citi Field, where he was stationed at first base. A veteran of 21 big league seasons, he had also worked four league championship series and seven division series since joining the major league staff in 1993.
"It was a devastating loss for us. Wally was a true umpire's umpire," said Gerry Davis, crew chief for the NL championship series. "I think if you'll check with the players and teams they felt the same way because Wally always gave 110 percent on the field."
The umpires for Game 3 at Dodger Stadium heard about Bell's death an hour before they took the field.
"We had to regroup rather quickly and put our concentration where it needed to be," Davis said after Los Angeles beat St. Louis 3-0.
"We kept telling each other that that's the way Wally would have wanted it, and we know that that's really true. One of the things that we shared in the locker room afterwards is that I'm sure he's very proud right now," he said.
Several players from around the majors expressed their condolences on Twitter.
Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis wrote: "Wally kept game fun and loose and I always looked forward to catching with him behind plate. I will miss his personality and professionalism."
Boston pitcher Jake Peavy: "Just heard the news & devastated about the passing of Wally Bell. A great umpire, a great man."
Toronto slugger Jose Bautista: "He always had great spirits on the field, i will always remember how he teased me about my beard."
Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino: "My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Wally Bell. So sad to hear (and) will remember him tomorrow as I take the field."
According to Bell's biography on MLB-com, his proudest moment as a big league umpire was returning to the field after having open heart surgery. Two of his arteries had been 100 percent blocked, two more had been 80 percent blocked, another 70 percent.
Bell came back 11 weeks after his heart problem was detected for a game in San Diego. That night, plate umpire Mark Hirschbeck took the first ball out of play and kept it as a souvenir for Bell.
"I am deeply saddened and shocked at the loss of umpire Wally Bell," said Joe Torre, MLB executive vice president for baseball operations. "Umpiring was his life, and he touched so many people within the game of baseball. Aside from being an accomplished, All-Star-caliber umpire, Wally was a loving dad to his two teenage children. I extend my deepest condolences to them, his girlfriend Renee, the rest of his family and his admirers across Major League Baseball."
During the 2013 regular season, Bell was a member of Tim McClelland's crew.
"Wally was a great umpire, a great partner and a great friend. The umpiring community is deeply saddened by this tragic loss. He will be sorely missed by many," said major league ump Joe West, President of the World Umpires Association.
Bell is survived by his son, Jason, and daughter, Lindsey.
MLB umpire Wally Bell dead at age 48 from apparent heart attack in home state of Ohio; he worked NL playoffs between Pirates and Cardinals earlier in October, as well as 2006 World Series and 3 All-Star Games - MLB News | FOX Sports on MSN
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2006/12/07
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A federal judge in Buffalo is weighing whether to grant Major League Baseball’s request to unseal grand jury testimony in the case of Anthony Galea, a Toronto-based doctor who pleaded guilty in 2011 to smuggling human growth hormone into the United States. On Tuesday, lawyers for M.L.B. argued their case for unsealing the court records, which presumably would include testimony from Alex Rodriguez, who is facing a 211-game suspension stemming from claims that he took banned substances. Lawyers for Rodriguez appeared in federal court to oppose M.L.B.’s request to unseal the records.
The arguments took place in front of Judge Richard J. Arcara, a federal District Court judge in Buffalo. The hearing was closed to the public because of the secretive nature of grand jury matters, but it was confirmed by people familiar with the proceedings who were not authorized to speak on it.
The records are potentially significant to M.L.B. officials because they could provide long-sought details about Rodriguez’s ties to Galea. Galea treated a number of American athletes, including Rodriguez and Tiger Woods, but he denied providing them with performance-enhancers.
Rodriguez told M.L.B. investigators in 2010 that he had been treated by Galea but had not received banned substances.
Rodriguez’s suspension, which is being appealed in arbitration, was issued after M.L.B. said that he had used performance-enhancers from the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic in South Florida. The closed arbitration hearing, which broke Oct. 4 after five days, will continue Wednesday.
www-nytimes-com/2013/10/16/sports/baseball/mlb-requests-testimony-in-rodriguez-doctors-case-html?_r=0
The arguments took place in front of Judge Richard J. Arcara, a federal District Court judge in Buffalo. The hearing was closed to the public because of the secretive nature of grand jury matters, but it was confirmed by people familiar with the proceedings who were not authorized to speak on it.
The records are potentially significant to M.L.B. officials because they could provide long-sought details about Rodriguez’s ties to Galea. Galea treated a number of American athletes, including Rodriguez and Tiger Woods, but he denied providing them with performance-enhancers.
Rodriguez told M.L.B. investigators in 2010 that he had been treated by Galea but had not received banned substances.
Rodriguez’s suspension, which is being appealed in arbitration, was issued after M.L.B. said that he had used performance-enhancers from the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic in South Florida. The closed arbitration hearing, which broke Oct. 4 after five days, will continue Wednesday.
www-nytimes-com/2013/10/16/sports/baseball/mlb-requests-testimony-in-rodriguez-doctors-case-html?_r=0
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2006/12/07
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Alex Rodriguez’s appeal of his 211-game suspension resumed as attorneys for Major League Baseball presented additional evidence and testimony on Wednesday that they hope will convince arbitrator Fredric Horowitz to uphold the steroid-stained slugger’s unprecedented doping penalty.
MLB lawyers are believed to have called drug experts and other witnesses to the arbitration hearing to corroborate the accounts of their chief witness, Anthony Bosch, who is believed to have described extensive drug use by Rodriguez over a three-year period.
MLB chief operating officer Rob Manfred was expected to testify on Wednesday about the evidence the league gathered in an almost year-long investigation of Bosch and his now-shuttered Biogenesis anti-aging clinic, but Manfred’s appearance on the witness stand has been pushed back until Thursday.
As a result of its investigation, MLB suspended more than a dozen players, including Rodriguez, who is the only player to have challenged his suspension.
Manfred is expected to outline how MLB decided on the unprecedented number of games for A-Rod’s ban, and what evidence the league gathered to prove that Rodriguez interfered with the investigation.
The hearing is scheduled to continue through Friday but won’t resume until the week before Thanksgiving because of Horowitz’s schedule. Horowitz is expected to issue a decision on A-Rod’s fate by Christmas.
Manfred is a member of the three-person panel hearing the appeal along with Horowitz and Players Association general counsel David Prouty. Manfred will vote to uphold the suspension, which was handed down by commissioner Bud Selig, while Prouty, as the union rep, is expected to side with the player. Horowitz will cast the deciding vote on A-Rod’s punishment.
Rodriguez’s legal team, led by New York attorney Joe Tacopina, has claimed that Manfred and other MLB officials condoned unethical and even criminal behavior while baseball investigators gathered evidence in the Biogenesis case, and Tacopina was expected to cross-examine the witnesses, including Manfred.
Part of Rodriguez’s defense, echoed in a lawsuit Team A-Rod filed in New York state court earlier this month, is that MLB officials overreached in their investigation in order to exile Rodriguez from the game and burnish Selig’s legacy as a anti-steroid crusader.
On the stand, Manfred will have leeway to testify about anything that shows violations not only of the league’s joint drug agreement but anything that went astray of the collective bargaining agreement that governs baseball players’ conduct.
Read more: MLB COO Rob Manfred to argue for Alex Rodriguez suspension Thursday - NY Daily News
MLB lawyers are believed to have called drug experts and other witnesses to the arbitration hearing to corroborate the accounts of their chief witness, Anthony Bosch, who is believed to have described extensive drug use by Rodriguez over a three-year period.
MLB chief operating officer Rob Manfred was expected to testify on Wednesday about the evidence the league gathered in an almost year-long investigation of Bosch and his now-shuttered Biogenesis anti-aging clinic, but Manfred’s appearance on the witness stand has been pushed back until Thursday.
As a result of its investigation, MLB suspended more than a dozen players, including Rodriguez, who is the only player to have challenged his suspension.
Manfred is expected to outline how MLB decided on the unprecedented number of games for A-Rod’s ban, and what evidence the league gathered to prove that Rodriguez interfered with the investigation.
The hearing is scheduled to continue through Friday but won’t resume until the week before Thanksgiving because of Horowitz’s schedule. Horowitz is expected to issue a decision on A-Rod’s fate by Christmas.
Manfred is a member of the three-person panel hearing the appeal along with Horowitz and Players Association general counsel David Prouty. Manfred will vote to uphold the suspension, which was handed down by commissioner Bud Selig, while Prouty, as the union rep, is expected to side with the player. Horowitz will cast the deciding vote on A-Rod’s punishment.
Rodriguez’s legal team, led by New York attorney Joe Tacopina, has claimed that Manfred and other MLB officials condoned unethical and even criminal behavior while baseball investigators gathered evidence in the Biogenesis case, and Tacopina was expected to cross-examine the witnesses, including Manfred.
Part of Rodriguez’s defense, echoed in a lawsuit Team A-Rod filed in New York state court earlier this month, is that MLB officials overreached in their investigation in order to exile Rodriguez from the game and burnish Selig’s legacy as a anti-steroid crusader.
On the stand, Manfred will have leeway to testify about anything that shows violations not only of the league’s joint drug agreement but anything that went astray of the collective bargaining agreement that governs baseball players’ conduct.
Read more: MLB COO Rob Manfred to argue for Alex Rodriguez suspension Thursday - NY Daily News
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Nolan Ryan, citing a desire to spend more time on his ranch and with his family, is stepping down as the chief executive officer of the Rangers, effective at the end of the month.
Ryan said he has been thinking about this for some time and the decision had nothing to do with any philosophical differences he had with President of Baseball Operations Jon Daniels.
"I feel my relationship with Jon is good and our relationship didn't come into play on this," Ryan said during a press conference at the Ballpark in Arlington attended by Rangers co-chairman Ray Davis and Bob Simpson.
The Rangers will not hire a new CEO to replace Ryan. Davis will assume the role of controlling owner as far as representing the Rangers with Major League Baseball and rotate the responsibility with Simpson. Rob Matwick, who was hired by Ryan as vice president for ballpark and event operations, will oversee the business operations while Daniels remains in charge of baseball operations.
"This closes a chapter of my life in baseball," Ryan said. "I feel like it's time for me to move on and do other things. This is a decision that has been weighing on me but I feel like it's the right decision."
The break from the Rangers is complete as Davis and Simpson have bought out Ryan's share in the ownership group. Both said they tried to talk Ryan into staying on in his current role.
"We're disappointed in the decision he's made, but we understand it and now we'll turn the page and wish him well for him and his family and wish the Rangers well as well," Davis said.
In a statement issued by Major League Baseball, Commissioner Bud Selig said: "On behalf of Major League Baseball, I thank Nolan for his service to the Texas Rangers since 2008, a successful era that has been most memorable to the club's fans. During times of significant change for the franchise, Nolan has been a constant -- accessible, dedicated and an icon to his fellow Texans who love our game.
"Nolan's unique perspective as a legendary player and an accomplished executive has been invaluable to the Rangers franchise. I am certain that Nolan will continue to be a great credit to Major League Baseball and an exemplary ambassador for the National Pastime in the state of Texas and beyond."
Simpson admitted there could be some backlash over the departure of one of the most popular players in club history who also oversaw a historic turnaround of the franchise during his six years.
"There will be be some backlash because of who the man is," Simpson said. "I would ask that it's not lasting. We'll work hard to continue to bring a quality product to the field that fans have become accustomed to. I think Nolan is still a fan of the Rangers himself, so we would ask that they look at this as a transition in life. A man makes a decision in life to go in another direction, not as a condemnation of the Rangers. It's understandable that some fans love the man and want to see him here."
Ryan's son Reid was hired by the Astros this past season as their president of business operations. But the elder Ryan said he doesn't expect to work for the Astros.
"That's not in my plans," Ryan said. "I plan on going home, getting back on my ranch, doing things I haven't done in the past six years and spending some time with my grand kids and family. I don't know where I will be a year from now but this may well be the final chapter of my baseball career."
In a statement released by the Astros, Reid Ryan shared his thoughts on the news.
"As his son, I am extremely proud of what he has accomplished as both a player and as a front office executive. He was an integral part of all three of the World Series appearances by Texas teams, in 2005 with the Astros and in 2010-11 with the Rangers. "He has always treated the game with dignity and respect and has appreciated those that make our game great: the fans, players and employees."
Ryan was hired by former owner Tom Hicks as club president on Feb. 6, 2008. He later joined with an ownership group put together by Chuck Greenberg and headed by Davis and Simpson that submitted the highest bid in a bankruptcy auction on Aug. 12, 2010. When Greenberg was forced out in March 2011, Ryan added the title of CEO.
During Spring Training earlier this year, the Rangers promoted general manager Daniels to the title of president of baseball operations. Rick George, who is no longer with the organization, was named president of business operations. The moves left Ryan concerned about his role within the organization but he remained as CEO for the 2013 season after a series of meetings with Davis and Simpson.
"From a corporate standpoint, Nolan's authority didn't change at all," Davis said. "What we were trying to do was recognize the accomplishments and responsibility of our two departments, being baseball and business. So it was strictly a title change. Nolan still had all the authority a CEO in any corporation has. On all major decisions in baseball, Nolan had final decision.
"If you're going to hold people responsible for departments, then they have to have the autonomy to make decisions within their department or you don't need them. So there's going to be times when there are disagreements, perhaps. But if there are major decisions, then there has to be a consensus and that consensus would have to be from whoever the GM is, the president and the CEO and ownership."
Davis termed major decisions as being those that had a long-term financial impact on the organization. Daniels still has authority over baseball operations and he was the one who decided to let go bench coach Jackie Moore. Ryan had strongly recommended Moore when he was hired five years ago and was opposed to the dismissal. Ryan was also opposed to including pitcher C.J. Edwards in a trade with the Cubs for Matt Garza last summer.
"I can't say just because we changed titles on some people that it drove me to this decision because that's not wha
Ryan said he has been thinking about this for some time and the decision had nothing to do with any philosophical differences he had with President of Baseball Operations Jon Daniels.
"I feel my relationship with Jon is good and our relationship didn't come into play on this," Ryan said during a press conference at the Ballpark in Arlington attended by Rangers co-chairman Ray Davis and Bob Simpson.
The Rangers will not hire a new CEO to replace Ryan. Davis will assume the role of controlling owner as far as representing the Rangers with Major League Baseball and rotate the responsibility with Simpson. Rob Matwick, who was hired by Ryan as vice president for ballpark and event operations, will oversee the business operations while Daniels remains in charge of baseball operations.
"This closes a chapter of my life in baseball," Ryan said. "I feel like it's time for me to move on and do other things. This is a decision that has been weighing on me but I feel like it's the right decision."
The break from the Rangers is complete as Davis and Simpson have bought out Ryan's share in the ownership group. Both said they tried to talk Ryan into staying on in his current role.
"We're disappointed in the decision he's made, but we understand it and now we'll turn the page and wish him well for him and his family and wish the Rangers well as well," Davis said.
In a statement issued by Major League Baseball, Commissioner Bud Selig said: "On behalf of Major League Baseball, I thank Nolan for his service to the Texas Rangers since 2008, a successful era that has been most memorable to the club's fans. During times of significant change for the franchise, Nolan has been a constant -- accessible, dedicated and an icon to his fellow Texans who love our game.
"Nolan's unique perspective as a legendary player and an accomplished executive has been invaluable to the Rangers franchise. I am certain that Nolan will continue to be a great credit to Major League Baseball and an exemplary ambassador for the National Pastime in the state of Texas and beyond."
Simpson admitted there could be some backlash over the departure of one of the most popular players in club history who also oversaw a historic turnaround of the franchise during his six years.
"There will be be some backlash because of who the man is," Simpson said. "I would ask that it's not lasting. We'll work hard to continue to bring a quality product to the field that fans have become accustomed to. I think Nolan is still a fan of the Rangers himself, so we would ask that they look at this as a transition in life. A man makes a decision in life to go in another direction, not as a condemnation of the Rangers. It's understandable that some fans love the man and want to see him here."
Ryan's son Reid was hired by the Astros this past season as their president of business operations. But the elder Ryan said he doesn't expect to work for the Astros.
"That's not in my plans," Ryan said. "I plan on going home, getting back on my ranch, doing things I haven't done in the past six years and spending some time with my grand kids and family. I don't know where I will be a year from now but this may well be the final chapter of my baseball career."
In a statement released by the Astros, Reid Ryan shared his thoughts on the news.
"As his son, I am extremely proud of what he has accomplished as both a player and as a front office executive. He was an integral part of all three of the World Series appearances by Texas teams, in 2005 with the Astros and in 2010-11 with the Rangers. "He has always treated the game with dignity and respect and has appreciated those that make our game great: the fans, players and employees."
Ryan was hired by former owner Tom Hicks as club president on Feb. 6, 2008. He later joined with an ownership group put together by Chuck Greenberg and headed by Davis and Simpson that submitted the highest bid in a bankruptcy auction on Aug. 12, 2010. When Greenberg was forced out in March 2011, Ryan added the title of CEO.
During Spring Training earlier this year, the Rangers promoted general manager Daniels to the title of president of baseball operations. Rick George, who is no longer with the organization, was named president of business operations. The moves left Ryan concerned about his role within the organization but he remained as CEO for the 2013 season after a series of meetings with Davis and Simpson.
"From a corporate standpoint, Nolan's authority didn't change at all," Davis said. "What we were trying to do was recognize the accomplishments and responsibility of our two departments, being baseball and business. So it was strictly a title change. Nolan still had all the authority a CEO in any corporation has. On all major decisions in baseball, Nolan had final decision.
"If you're going to hold people responsible for departments, then they have to have the autonomy to make decisions within their department or you don't need them. So there's going to be times when there are disagreements, perhaps. But if there are major decisions, then there has to be a consensus and that consensus would have to be from whoever the GM is, the president and the CEO and ownership."
Davis termed major decisions as being those that had a long-term financial impact on the organization. Daniels still has authority over baseball operations and he was the one who decided to let go bench coach Jackie Moore. Ryan had strongly recommended Moore when he was hired five years ago and was opposed to the dismissal. Ryan was also opposed to including pitcher C.J. Edwards in a trade with the Cubs for Matt Garza last summer.
"I can't say just because we changed titles on some people that it drove me to this decision because that's not wha
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As Alex Rodriguez’s appeal hearing against Major League Baseball reached its halftime, The Post has unearthed details from what has transpired in the first eight days.
According to one source familiar with the proceedings, MLB COO Rob Manfred testified on Thursday, while being cross-examined by A-Rod’s attorney, Joseph Tacopina, that he authorized the payment of $125,000 in cash in return for documents from the shuttered South Florida anti-aging clinic Biogenesis.
A second source told The Post that A-Rod’s side testified to paying $305,000 for Biogenesis evidence, which would considerably boost MLB’s contention Rodriguez obstructed the league’s investigation.
Reached by phone on Friday evening to address his testimony, Manfred told The Post: “The fact that this player and his attorneys think it’s appropriate to talk about what I testified about is not going to convince me that it’s OK to violate the Basic Agreement.”
Tacopina, also in a telephone interview to discuss Team A-Rod’s testimony, said, “The notion that we paid any money for any Biogenesis documents is patently false, and anyone who is leaking this information knows it’s false.”
A third source said Team A-Rod acquired copies of the Biogenesis information only recently and not by paying for it, and that was the precise information that emerged in the hearing.
According to the first source, Manfred testified a member of MLB’s investigative team made two cash payments — one for $100,000 and a second for $25,000 — to Gary Jones, a former Biogenesis employee, for the information. The documents turned out to be stolen from Biogenesis founder (and now MLB’s star witness) Tony Bosch, although Manfred testified he did not know that at the time.
Baseball’s 211-game suspension of Rodriguez (as well as of 13 other players who accepted their sentences without appeal this past summer) was based primarily on the beleaguered Yankees superstar’s connections to Biogenesis.
When Rodriguez filed a lawsuit against MLB and commissioner Bud Selig on Oct. 4, the suit featured this allegation: “Dan Mullin of MLB purchased what were represented to be these stolen documents for $150,000 in cash, which was handed off in a bag at a Fort Lauderdale, Florida area restaurant.” Mullin is baseball’s senior vice president of baseball’s department of investigations.
In response to the lawsuit, MLB released a statement on Oct. 4 that read, in part, “While we vehemently deny the allegations in the complaint, none of those allegations is relevant to the real issue: whether Mr. Rodriguez violated the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.” It turns out that Team A-Rod overshot by $25,000, but the meat of the allegation was valid.
The scuttlebutt that Rodriguez purchased the Biogenesis documents first came into play back in April. While on the surface it might seem A-Rod was simply doing the same thing as MLB, baseball has contended the difference is it was leading a legitimate investigative endeavor, while Rodriguez had bad intentions in making such a purchase.
MLB completed its argument on Friday, and when action resumes — expected to be the week of Nov. 18 — it will be Team A-Rod’s turn. We’ve seen a blistering first half, replete with trash talk, raised tempers and ill-informed cheerleaders. And the second half figures to be even wackier.
Whatever slim chances of a settlement existed before this hearing began on Sept. 30, they’re far slimmer now. Both sides remain confident in victory and vindication while reserving a healthy portion of their brains and hearts to loathe the opponent.
MLB has helped add to the excitement because of its anger concerning the allegations toward its investigators. As indicated in the Oct. 4 statement, MLB views any such questions as distractions from the primary matter of Rodriguez’s alleged guilt.
I say, we can handle both. We want the chocolate and the peanut butter mixed together. We can scrutinize A-Rod, and we can scrutinize MLB. This isn’t a zero-sum game where one side is absolutely right and one absolutely wrong. It’s delightfully murkier than that, and it’s in the hands of independent arbitrator Fredric Horowitz to determine what will stand as the truth.
Are you comfortable with MLB paying $125,000 in cash to track down illegal performance-enhancing drug users? Maybe you are. There’s no harm in discussing it, though, just as we discuss how we should look upon players who use illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
Something tells me we will be discussing Rodriguez soon enough even though his hearing will not carry on during the World Series. He’s not one to lay low, and MLB won’t let him create noise without biting back.
A-Rod, MLB shelled out cash for drug evidence | New York Post
According to one source familiar with the proceedings, MLB COO Rob Manfred testified on Thursday, while being cross-examined by A-Rod’s attorney, Joseph Tacopina, that he authorized the payment of $125,000 in cash in return for documents from the shuttered South Florida anti-aging clinic Biogenesis.
A second source told The Post that A-Rod’s side testified to paying $305,000 for Biogenesis evidence, which would considerably boost MLB’s contention Rodriguez obstructed the league’s investigation.
Reached by phone on Friday evening to address his testimony, Manfred told The Post: “The fact that this player and his attorneys think it’s appropriate to talk about what I testified about is not going to convince me that it’s OK to violate the Basic Agreement.”
Tacopina, also in a telephone interview to discuss Team A-Rod’s testimony, said, “The notion that we paid any money for any Biogenesis documents is patently false, and anyone who is leaking this information knows it’s false.”
A third source said Team A-Rod acquired copies of the Biogenesis information only recently and not by paying for it, and that was the precise information that emerged in the hearing.
According to the first source, Manfred testified a member of MLB’s investigative team made two cash payments — one for $100,000 and a second for $25,000 — to Gary Jones, a former Biogenesis employee, for the information. The documents turned out to be stolen from Biogenesis founder (and now MLB’s star witness) Tony Bosch, although Manfred testified he did not know that at the time.
Baseball’s 211-game suspension of Rodriguez (as well as of 13 other players who accepted their sentences without appeal this past summer) was based primarily on the beleaguered Yankees superstar’s connections to Biogenesis.
When Rodriguez filed a lawsuit against MLB and commissioner Bud Selig on Oct. 4, the suit featured this allegation: “Dan Mullin of MLB purchased what were represented to be these stolen documents for $150,000 in cash, which was handed off in a bag at a Fort Lauderdale, Florida area restaurant.” Mullin is baseball’s senior vice president of baseball’s department of investigations.
In response to the lawsuit, MLB released a statement on Oct. 4 that read, in part, “While we vehemently deny the allegations in the complaint, none of those allegations is relevant to the real issue: whether Mr. Rodriguez violated the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.” It turns out that Team A-Rod overshot by $25,000, but the meat of the allegation was valid.
The scuttlebutt that Rodriguez purchased the Biogenesis documents first came into play back in April. While on the surface it might seem A-Rod was simply doing the same thing as MLB, baseball has contended the difference is it was leading a legitimate investigative endeavor, while Rodriguez had bad intentions in making such a purchase.
MLB completed its argument on Friday, and when action resumes — expected to be the week of Nov. 18 — it will be Team A-Rod’s turn. We’ve seen a blistering first half, replete with trash talk, raised tempers and ill-informed cheerleaders. And the second half figures to be even wackier.
Whatever slim chances of a settlement existed before this hearing began on Sept. 30, they’re far slimmer now. Both sides remain confident in victory and vindication while reserving a healthy portion of their brains and hearts to loathe the opponent.
MLB has helped add to the excitement because of its anger concerning the allegations toward its investigators. As indicated in the Oct. 4 statement, MLB views any such questions as distractions from the primary matter of Rodriguez’s alleged guilt.
I say, we can handle both. We want the chocolate and the peanut butter mixed together. We can scrutinize A-Rod, and we can scrutinize MLB. This isn’t a zero-sum game where one side is absolutely right and one absolutely wrong. It’s delightfully murkier than that, and it’s in the hands of independent arbitrator Fredric Horowitz to determine what will stand as the truth.
Are you comfortable with MLB paying $125,000 in cash to track down illegal performance-enhancing drug users? Maybe you are. There’s no harm in discussing it, though, just as we discuss how we should look upon players who use illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
Something tells me we will be discussing Rodriguez soon enough even though his hearing will not carry on during the World Series. He’s not one to lay low, and MLB won’t let him create noise without biting back.
A-Rod, MLB shelled out cash for drug evidence | New York Post
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The Red Sox rolled out another piece of familiar postseason tradition prior to Game 6 of the American League Championship Series.
The Dropkick Murphys, the Celtic rock band bred in nearby Quincy, Mass., that is known for two songs that became October anthems during the hometown team's stirring runs to the World Series championship in 2004 and 2007, performed the national anthem and another locally inspired song, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," on the Fenway Park field Saturday night as the Red Sox got ready to attempt to dropkick the Detroit Tigers from the playoffs and win their first AL pennant in six years.
The Dropkick Murphys first became tied to the Red Sox when they redid an old Red Sox song, "Tessie," and scored their first hit with it when Boston stormed through the 2004 postseason, rallying from an 0-3 deficit in the ALCS against the Yankees and then sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the Fall Classic.
The Dropkick Murphys went on to film a video for the song in Fenway Park and the tune was used in the movie, "Fever Pitch," which was set against the backdrop of the team's World Series run. "Tessie" is still played at Fenway after Red Sox wins.
"I'm Shipping Up to Boston," which was put together with music by the Murphys and lyrics by late folk singer Woody Guthrie, released on their 2005 album, The Warrior's Code, and featured on the soundtrack for the Academy Award-winning "The Departed" in 2006, also became a rally song for the Sox.
Former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon used it as his walk-up song and would often dance an Irish jig to it during the team's 2007 World Series. He repeated the dance during the club's championship parade while the Murphys played it live on his float.
On Saturday night, "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" inspired a raucous crowd to stand up and sing along.
In addition to the anthem, the Red Sox welcomed former player Bill Mueller to throw the ceremonial first pitch. Mueller was the third baseman on the 2004 Red Sox and retired after 2006.
Dropkick Murphys perform before Red Sox-Tigers Game 6 matchup | MLB-com: News
The Dropkick Murphys, the Celtic rock band bred in nearby Quincy, Mass., that is known for two songs that became October anthems during the hometown team's stirring runs to the World Series championship in 2004 and 2007, performed the national anthem and another locally inspired song, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," on the Fenway Park field Saturday night as the Red Sox got ready to attempt to dropkick the Detroit Tigers from the playoffs and win their first AL pennant in six years.
The Dropkick Murphys first became tied to the Red Sox when they redid an old Red Sox song, "Tessie," and scored their first hit with it when Boston stormed through the 2004 postseason, rallying from an 0-3 deficit in the ALCS against the Yankees and then sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the Fall Classic.
The Dropkick Murphys went on to film a video for the song in Fenway Park and the tune was used in the movie, "Fever Pitch," which was set against the backdrop of the team's World Series run. "Tessie" is still played at Fenway after Red Sox wins.
"I'm Shipping Up to Boston," which was put together with music by the Murphys and lyrics by late folk singer Woody Guthrie, released on their 2005 album, The Warrior's Code, and featured on the soundtrack for the Academy Award-winning "The Departed" in 2006, also became a rally song for the Sox.
Former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon used it as his walk-up song and would often dance an Irish jig to it during the team's 2007 World Series. He repeated the dance during the club's championship parade while the Murphys played it live on his float.
On Saturday night, "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" inspired a raucous crowd to stand up and sing along.
In addition to the anthem, the Red Sox welcomed former player Bill Mueller to throw the ceremonial first pitch. Mueller was the third baseman on the 2004 Red Sox and retired after 2006.
Dropkick Murphys perform before Red Sox-Tigers Game 6 matchup | MLB-com: News
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Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak will not submit his final 25-man roster for the World Series until Wednesday's 9 a.m. CT deadline. All indications, however, are that Allen Craig's name will be listed on it this time in advance of Game 1 (Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. CT airtime, 7:07 first pitch).
Stuck as a spectator in the first two rounds of the postseason, Craig continues to elevate his baseball activity with every intention of contributing in the World Series. On Sunday, for the second time in three days, Craig took at-bats in a simulated-game setting. Facing Tyler Lyons and Shelby Miller, Craig lined hits to all parts of the field. After each one, he ran to first base, proving to onlookers that he is no longer limited by a foot injury.
"I feel like I'm continuing to get better and finding out what I can do," Craig said, shortly after the live batting-practice session. "I'm happy with where I'm at. … I feel like I have made some progress over the last week. I don't see why I can't continue to improve. I'm not a doctor. I've never had this injury before. But over the course of the last six weeks, I've continued to get better. I feel like I timed it pretty well with the World Series starting this week, and I'm starting to feel better."
Craig has had his eyes set on the World Series since suffering a Lisfranc fracture to his left foot in a game against the Reds on Sept. 4. The recovery time was estimated to be four to six weeks, meaning that the Cardinals had to play deep into October to give their cleanup hitter a chance to return.
While there are still questions about how sharp Craig's timing will be after a seven-week break from game play, the Cardinals are convinced that he makes their offense more formidable even if the layoff leaves him slightly limited.
"The thing is for him, he is such a prolific hitter, it's definitely worth the chance," Mozeliak said. "We're trying to get him as much live pitching as we can, but to simulate Game 1 of a World Series is virtually impossible. We'll do the best we can."
With Craig, the Cardinals will have a legitimate designated hitter option for the first two games in Boston. It's an ideal fit for Craig, who has not resumed participating in defensive work. When the series shifts back to Busch Stadium next weekend, Craig will, in the least, be available off a bench that had been weakened by his absence.
And he might actually do even more. The Cardinals are not yet willing to rule out the possibility of Craig being cleared to play first base later in the World Series.
"When he would need to play the field is a week away, so you just don't know," Mozeliak said. "I think where we're at with him is we feel good. There's a chance he could help contribute."
Craig was on his way to challenging for the National League's RBI title and possibly a top finish in the NL MVP Award voting before an awkward turn at first base prematurely ended his regular season. As it was, Craig still finished the year leading the Cardinals with 97 RBIs and a .454 batting average with runners in scoring position. Overall, he hit .315.
Craig opened the season as the team's cleanup hitter and remained in that spot in the lineup for most of the year. While Matt Adams has done well as Craig's fill-in, there was never going to be an adequate way to replace the team's leading run-producer. It was just a matter of playing long enough to get Craig back.
"I mean, it's huge," catcher Yadier Molina said of Craig's impending return. "The bat that he brings the lineup, it could be the difference. I'm happy to have him back. Hopefully he'll help us to win."
Though the Cardinals' offense came to life in the NL Championship Series clincher, it has been looking for a spark for most of the month. The unit has hit .210 through 11 October games; Carlos Beltran is the only player to accrue more than five RBIs. With Craig missing in the middle, manager Mike Matheny has not had the luxury of employing a static lineup, either.
Now, it simply becomes a question of whether Craig can again be immediately effective. The layoff is bound to be a factor; how much of one remains the lone unknown.
"Obviously, games start on Wednesday, so I'm focused on getting myself ready mentally to take at-bats," Craig said. "The most important thing for me is just to focus on competing. I'm really focusing on that more than how I feel."
"There are no nerves about anything, it's just timing," hitting coach John Mabry said. "When he gets his timing back … and obviously being thrown in that situation of that magnitude, he's going to have to control his emotions. And he understands that. He's a pro at what he does. You take what you get out of it. In that spot, we have an opportunity to put a professional hitter in a DH spot who doesn't have to play the field, and we'll take what we get."
Craig will continue to increase what he does and the exertion with which he does it to get as ready as possible for Wednesday. He's just thankful for the chance.
"It's such a cool opportunity to just get back to the World Series and get back out there playing with the guys," Craig said. "It's been tough having to sit and watch and not be a part of it, because we have such a great group and it's so fun to be out there playing. They have done a good job of keeping me involved, even though I haven't been playing. I'm excited I can get out there and finish off the season with these guys."
Allen Craig excited to rejoin St. Louis Cardinals for World Series | MLB-com: News
Stuck as a spectator in the first two rounds of the postseason, Craig continues to elevate his baseball activity with every intention of contributing in the World Series. On Sunday, for the second time in three days, Craig took at-bats in a simulated-game setting. Facing Tyler Lyons and Shelby Miller, Craig lined hits to all parts of the field. After each one, he ran to first base, proving to onlookers that he is no longer limited by a foot injury.
"I feel like I'm continuing to get better and finding out what I can do," Craig said, shortly after the live batting-practice session. "I'm happy with where I'm at. … I feel like I have made some progress over the last week. I don't see why I can't continue to improve. I'm not a doctor. I've never had this injury before. But over the course of the last six weeks, I've continued to get better. I feel like I timed it pretty well with the World Series starting this week, and I'm starting to feel better."
Craig has had his eyes set on the World Series since suffering a Lisfranc fracture to his left foot in a game against the Reds on Sept. 4. The recovery time was estimated to be four to six weeks, meaning that the Cardinals had to play deep into October to give their cleanup hitter a chance to return.
While there are still questions about how sharp Craig's timing will be after a seven-week break from game play, the Cardinals are convinced that he makes their offense more formidable even if the layoff leaves him slightly limited.
"The thing is for him, he is such a prolific hitter, it's definitely worth the chance," Mozeliak said. "We're trying to get him as much live pitching as we can, but to simulate Game 1 of a World Series is virtually impossible. We'll do the best we can."
With Craig, the Cardinals will have a legitimate designated hitter option for the first two games in Boston. It's an ideal fit for Craig, who has not resumed participating in defensive work. When the series shifts back to Busch Stadium next weekend, Craig will, in the least, be available off a bench that had been weakened by his absence.
And he might actually do even more. The Cardinals are not yet willing to rule out the possibility of Craig being cleared to play first base later in the World Series.
"When he would need to play the field is a week away, so you just don't know," Mozeliak said. "I think where we're at with him is we feel good. There's a chance he could help contribute."
Craig was on his way to challenging for the National League's RBI title and possibly a top finish in the NL MVP Award voting before an awkward turn at first base prematurely ended his regular season. As it was, Craig still finished the year leading the Cardinals with 97 RBIs and a .454 batting average with runners in scoring position. Overall, he hit .315.
Craig opened the season as the team's cleanup hitter and remained in that spot in the lineup for most of the year. While Matt Adams has done well as Craig's fill-in, there was never going to be an adequate way to replace the team's leading run-producer. It was just a matter of playing long enough to get Craig back.
"I mean, it's huge," catcher Yadier Molina said of Craig's impending return. "The bat that he brings the lineup, it could be the difference. I'm happy to have him back. Hopefully he'll help us to win."
Though the Cardinals' offense came to life in the NL Championship Series clincher, it has been looking for a spark for most of the month. The unit has hit .210 through 11 October games; Carlos Beltran is the only player to accrue more than five RBIs. With Craig missing in the middle, manager Mike Matheny has not had the luxury of employing a static lineup, either.
Now, it simply becomes a question of whether Craig can again be immediately effective. The layoff is bound to be a factor; how much of one remains the lone unknown.
"Obviously, games start on Wednesday, so I'm focused on getting myself ready mentally to take at-bats," Craig said. "The most important thing for me is just to focus on competing. I'm really focusing on that more than how I feel."
"There are no nerves about anything, it's just timing," hitting coach John Mabry said. "When he gets his timing back … and obviously being thrown in that situation of that magnitude, he's going to have to control his emotions. And he understands that. He's a pro at what he does. You take what you get out of it. In that spot, we have an opportunity to put a professional hitter in a DH spot who doesn't have to play the field, and we'll take what we get."
Craig will continue to increase what he does and the exertion with which he does it to get as ready as possible for Wednesday. He's just thankful for the chance.
"It's such a cool opportunity to just get back to the World Series and get back out there playing with the guys," Craig said. "It's been tough having to sit and watch and not be a part of it, because we have such a great group and it's so fun to be out there playing. They have done a good job of keeping me involved, even though I haven't been playing. I'm excited I can get out there and finish off the season with these guys."
Allen Craig excited to rejoin St. Louis Cardinals for World Series | MLB-com: News
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All season, the most unlikely major star for the Boston Red Sox was Shane Victorino , the free agent outfielder who was every team’s alternative choice last winter. Because Boston had lost 93 games and didn’t expect to contend for a pennant this year, Victorino was considered good enough for a season of modest expectations.
Instead, Victorino excelled in all three outfield positions, got on base constantly and symbolized the slew of Red Sox who produced more than anticipated — in victories, in facial hair and in almost too much joy in Fenway Park.
The veteran Victorino, one of many Red Sox trying to revive careers, redefine themselves or blossom, actually abandoned the switch-hitting style that helped define his whole Flyin’ Hawaiian career. A groin injury curtailed his hitting left-handed for much of the second half of the season.
On Saturday night in Fenway Park, Victorino batted right-handed against right-hander Jose Veras of the Detroit Tigers. No one in this town will forget that right-handed swing, his finger-pointing prance toward first base or the chest pounding of his fist as he watched a hit for history clear the Green Monster.
As the delightful perversity of great unexpected seasons seemed to ordain, Victorino was the Red Sox whose seventh-inning grand slam home run won Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, 5-2. Thus were the Red Sox delivered unto a World Series that they barely planned.
In the kind of merciless twist that pressure games apply, Victorino’s high fly on a big Veras curveball was preceded by an error by Tiger shortstop Jose Iglesias , who began the year in Boston. Iglesias had a torrid spring to help Boston to a fast start, then slumped and was traded. Boston got the best of him and, on a grounder up the middle by Jacoby Ellsbury, an unlikely inning-ending double play but, still a possibility, the Tigers got the worst.
Perhaps the most beloved saga in baseball is the mocked losing team that makes trades, gets a new manager, finds a hot rookie, inks a free agent, gives itself a nickname, finds a castoff vet, milks unlikely career years, calls itself “Idiots,” surpasses expectations in spring, refuses to collapse in summer, reaches autumn brim with confidence and ends up in the World Series.
You’d think this kind of crazy confluence of improbabilities would be rare, something for B-list sports movies, an experience that most towns have never enjoyed. But you’d be wrong. The joyride on which the hairy Red Sox, the bearded Bostonians have taken their shocked fans this season is a wonderful and repetitive recurring trait of the game. Since 1987, 30 percent of all pennant winners were losers the previous season.
Look at the various Red Sox faces of Jonny Gomes, Mike Napoli, David Ross, Clay Buchholz, Dustin Pedroia, Will Middlebrooks, Victorino, David Ortiz — well, what you can see of them under their undisciplined facial follicles — and you see the expression of amazed joy that has landed on the mugs of 32 different losing teams that suddenly found themselves in a World Series the next year. It’s happened to 18 of MLB’s 30 franchises. And it’s been the ecstatic trek of 16 pennant winners since 1987.
MLB playoffs: Shane Victorino an unlikely star for the pennant-winning Boston Red Sox - The Washington Post
Instead, Victorino excelled in all three outfield positions, got on base constantly and symbolized the slew of Red Sox who produced more than anticipated — in victories, in facial hair and in almost too much joy in Fenway Park.
The veteran Victorino, one of many Red Sox trying to revive careers, redefine themselves or blossom, actually abandoned the switch-hitting style that helped define his whole Flyin’ Hawaiian career. A groin injury curtailed his hitting left-handed for much of the second half of the season.
On Saturday night in Fenway Park, Victorino batted right-handed against right-hander Jose Veras of the Detroit Tigers. No one in this town will forget that right-handed swing, his finger-pointing prance toward first base or the chest pounding of his fist as he watched a hit for history clear the Green Monster.
As the delightful perversity of great unexpected seasons seemed to ordain, Victorino was the Red Sox whose seventh-inning grand slam home run won Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, 5-2. Thus were the Red Sox delivered unto a World Series that they barely planned.
In the kind of merciless twist that pressure games apply, Victorino’s high fly on a big Veras curveball was preceded by an error by Tiger shortstop Jose Iglesias , who began the year in Boston. Iglesias had a torrid spring to help Boston to a fast start, then slumped and was traded. Boston got the best of him and, on a grounder up the middle by Jacoby Ellsbury, an unlikely inning-ending double play but, still a possibility, the Tigers got the worst.
Perhaps the most beloved saga in baseball is the mocked losing team that makes trades, gets a new manager, finds a hot rookie, inks a free agent, gives itself a nickname, finds a castoff vet, milks unlikely career years, calls itself “Idiots,” surpasses expectations in spring, refuses to collapse in summer, reaches autumn brim with confidence and ends up in the World Series.
You’d think this kind of crazy confluence of improbabilities would be rare, something for B-list sports movies, an experience that most towns have never enjoyed. But you’d be wrong. The joyride on which the hairy Red Sox, the bearded Bostonians have taken their shocked fans this season is a wonderful and repetitive recurring trait of the game. Since 1987, 30 percent of all pennant winners were losers the previous season.
Look at the various Red Sox faces of Jonny Gomes, Mike Napoli, David Ross, Clay Buchholz, Dustin Pedroia, Will Middlebrooks, Victorino, David Ortiz — well, what you can see of them under their undisciplined facial follicles — and you see the expression of amazed joy that has landed on the mugs of 32 different losing teams that suddenly found themselves in a World Series the next year. It’s happened to 18 of MLB’s 30 franchises. And it’s been the ecstatic trek of 16 pennant winners since 1987.
MLB playoffs: Shane Victorino an unlikely star for the pennant-winning Boston Red Sox - The Washington Post
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If you're looking for numbers to show how the Boston Red Sox can win this World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, good luck. Then again, maybe the numbers tell the real story. Maybe the numbers tell you exactly why the Red Sox can win this World Series.
They batted just .202 in six American League Championship Series games. They got just two quality starts from their rotation. And yet, the Red Sox got by the Detroit Tigers anyway.
The Red Sox won three times by one run. They delivered the game-winning hit in the seventh inning or later three times. Every game seemed to turn on one swing of the bat or one pitch, and when the Red Sox needed something, they got it. And this is pretty much the way they drew it up.
Yep, these Red Sox are right on schedule. It goes all the way back to last offseason, when general manager Ben Cherington added 11 new players.
Not one of them -- not a single one of them -- would be considered a star. Did Cherington see things others didn't? Of course, he did.
He also had a vision for what he wanted his team to be. It was a vision based on both style and substance. He wanted a physically tough, mentally resilient team. He wanted a close team, a team that worked together and played together.
If you're rolling your eyes because, hey, this is professional sports, you've missed the whole point of this club.
"We're family," Jonny Gomes said.
Perfect.
Let's not play down the talent part of this deal. The Red Sox have gobs of talent, as much as anyone in the game. But the star power came from their returning players. From Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury. From Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz.
To win an AL pennant, the stars had to perform like stars, and to a man, the Red Sox got what they needed from their primetime players.
Cherington filled in the rest of the roster with a certain kind of player. Good clubhouse guys. Big-time work-ethic guys. Some of them, like Gomes and David Ross, were role players. Others, like Mike Napoli, were better than their numbers might indicate.
Shane Victorino? He'd helped the Phillies win two National League pennants, but, coming off a down year, there was plenty of debate about how much productive baseball he had left in him.
Still, even after winning 97 regular-season games, leading the Majors in runs and doing pretty much everything right, only one of the new players would be considered a star.
Koji Uehara was signed to be a seventh- or eighth-inning reliever, a guy to help get the ball to closer Joel Hanrahan. After Hanrahan got hurt and then the next guy up, Andrew Bailey, got hurt, too, Red Sox manager John Farrell began handing the ball to Uehara to finish games.
He emerged as the AL's dominant closer in the second half of the season and closed out every Red Sox victory against the Tigers. He got a four-out save and a five-out save for a bullpen that allowed one earned run in 21 innings.
Uehara will be the same kind of presence in this World Series that Mariano Rivera once was for the Yankees. Because he's so dominant and so efficient, Farrell won't hesitate to call on him in the eighth inning. So the Cardinals will know that if they don't win it in the first six or seven innings, they're probably not going to win it.
And it's not just Uehara. The Cardinals have those big, young arms lined up for the late innings, but no bullpen is better than the Red Sox crew of Junichi Tazawa, lefty Crag Breslow and others. So if the Red Sox get what they think they're going to get from the rotation -- Lester, Buchholz, John Lackey and Jake Peavy -- they're in terrific shape.
There's also Fenway Park. Big advantage. It's not just that the fans are packed close to the field or that they're loud and passionate, and at times, intimidating. The Cardinals have loud, passionate fans, too. What the Cardinals don't have is a ballpark that plays unlike any other.
First, the Green Monster, with its odd bounces and short distance from home plate, can be a nightmare, not just for the left fielder (Matt Holliday ), but for the center fielder (Jon Jay ) figuring when to come in, when to play the bounce.
But if you're looking for the best reason the Red Sox can win this World Series, it's not in the ballpark or the bullpen or any of the numbers. It's that this club, these guys with their beards and their talk of family, has some magic going for it.
When it was winning time against the Tigers, the Red Sox did whatever they needed to do to win. They trailed Game 2 of the ALCS, 5-1, and were four outs from an 0-2 deficit at home when Ortiz drilled a game-tying, breath-taking, Tigers-crushing grand slam.
That single swing of the bat changed the direction of the entire series. From that point on, it seemed to be a matter of when, not if, for the Red Sox. Ortiz had just one single the rest of the series, but when his team most needed him, he did what the franchise guy is supposed to do.
So did Victorino. The Tigers were leading Game 6 by a 2-1 score and eight outs from handing the ball to Justin Verlander for Game 7 when Victorino stepped up with the bases loaded.
He lofted a grand slam onto the Green Monster, delivering another October moment for Red Sox Nation. He was 2-for-23 the rest of the series, and the numbers will tell you he didn't have a good ALCS. The Red Sox will tell you otherwise. The Red Sox will tell you he's a winning player, and that when it was time to step up and win the pennant, he stepped up and won it.
That's why the Red Sox can win this World Series. They're a team without a weakness, a team good enough to win an ALCS even when it doesn't play well across the board.
The Red Sox win because they hang in there, never back down and always think they'll write the ending they choose to write. That's what championship teams have done throughout the years, and this Red Sox team has that kind of vibe around it.
[url=mlb-mlb-com/news/articl
They batted just .202 in six American League Championship Series games. They got just two quality starts from their rotation. And yet, the Red Sox got by the Detroit Tigers anyway.
The Red Sox won three times by one run. They delivered the game-winning hit in the seventh inning or later three times. Every game seemed to turn on one swing of the bat or one pitch, and when the Red Sox needed something, they got it. And this is pretty much the way they drew it up.
Yep, these Red Sox are right on schedule. It goes all the way back to last offseason, when general manager Ben Cherington added 11 new players.
Not one of them -- not a single one of them -- would be considered a star. Did Cherington see things others didn't? Of course, he did.
He also had a vision for what he wanted his team to be. It was a vision based on both style and substance. He wanted a physically tough, mentally resilient team. He wanted a close team, a team that worked together and played together.
If you're rolling your eyes because, hey, this is professional sports, you've missed the whole point of this club.
"We're family," Jonny Gomes said.
Perfect.
Let's not play down the talent part of this deal. The Red Sox have gobs of talent, as much as anyone in the game. But the star power came from their returning players. From Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury. From Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz.
To win an AL pennant, the stars had to perform like stars, and to a man, the Red Sox got what they needed from their primetime players.
Cherington filled in the rest of the roster with a certain kind of player. Good clubhouse guys. Big-time work-ethic guys. Some of them, like Gomes and David Ross, were role players. Others, like Mike Napoli, were better than their numbers might indicate.
Shane Victorino? He'd helped the Phillies win two National League pennants, but, coming off a down year, there was plenty of debate about how much productive baseball he had left in him.
Still, even after winning 97 regular-season games, leading the Majors in runs and doing pretty much everything right, only one of the new players would be considered a star.
Koji Uehara was signed to be a seventh- or eighth-inning reliever, a guy to help get the ball to closer Joel Hanrahan. After Hanrahan got hurt and then the next guy up, Andrew Bailey, got hurt, too, Red Sox manager John Farrell began handing the ball to Uehara to finish games.
He emerged as the AL's dominant closer in the second half of the season and closed out every Red Sox victory against the Tigers. He got a four-out save and a five-out save for a bullpen that allowed one earned run in 21 innings.
Uehara will be the same kind of presence in this World Series that Mariano Rivera once was for the Yankees. Because he's so dominant and so efficient, Farrell won't hesitate to call on him in the eighth inning. So the Cardinals will know that if they don't win it in the first six or seven innings, they're probably not going to win it.
And it's not just Uehara. The Cardinals have those big, young arms lined up for the late innings, but no bullpen is better than the Red Sox crew of Junichi Tazawa, lefty Crag Breslow and others. So if the Red Sox get what they think they're going to get from the rotation -- Lester, Buchholz, John Lackey and Jake Peavy -- they're in terrific shape.
There's also Fenway Park. Big advantage. It's not just that the fans are packed close to the field or that they're loud and passionate, and at times, intimidating. The Cardinals have loud, passionate fans, too. What the Cardinals don't have is a ballpark that plays unlike any other.
First, the Green Monster, with its odd bounces and short distance from home plate, can be a nightmare, not just for the left fielder (Matt Holliday ), but for the center fielder (Jon Jay ) figuring when to come in, when to play the bounce.
But if you're looking for the best reason the Red Sox can win this World Series, it's not in the ballpark or the bullpen or any of the numbers. It's that this club, these guys with their beards and their talk of family, has some magic going for it.
When it was winning time against the Tigers, the Red Sox did whatever they needed to do to win. They trailed Game 2 of the ALCS, 5-1, and were four outs from an 0-2 deficit at home when Ortiz drilled a game-tying, breath-taking, Tigers-crushing grand slam.
That single swing of the bat changed the direction of the entire series. From that point on, it seemed to be a matter of when, not if, for the Red Sox. Ortiz had just one single the rest of the series, but when his team most needed him, he did what the franchise guy is supposed to do.
So did Victorino. The Tigers were leading Game 6 by a 2-1 score and eight outs from handing the ball to Justin Verlander for Game 7 when Victorino stepped up with the bases loaded.
He lofted a grand slam onto the Green Monster, delivering another October moment for Red Sox Nation. He was 2-for-23 the rest of the series, and the numbers will tell you he didn't have a good ALCS. The Red Sox will tell you otherwise. The Red Sox will tell you he's a winning player, and that when it was time to step up and win the pennant, he stepped up and won it.
That's why the Red Sox can win this World Series. They're a team without a weakness, a team good enough to win an ALCS even when it doesn't play well across the board.
The Red Sox win because they hang in there, never back down and always think they'll write the ending they choose to write. That's what championship teams have done throughout the years, and this Red Sox team has that kind of vibe around it.
[url=mlb-mlb-com/news/articl
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Carl Yastrzemski threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Wednesday night before Game 1 of the 109th World Series between the Cardinals and Red Sox -- "almost in the dirt," he said with a little relief -- and he vividly recalls his historic Triple Crown season of 1967 that ended when this same matchup of clubs produced a seven-game St. Louis victory over Boston.
And the great Yaz remembers what America's relationship was with its military at that time.
"In '67, you had a very anti-war thing," Yastrzemski told MLB.com after bringing the Fenway crowd to a roar. "Not right now where they're supporting our troops and things of that nature. So it's very different times. It was almost like things like baseball weren't important in '67, with so many protests going on and things like that."
How different life was on this night in Boston and in the United States of America. Major League Baseball is dedicating the first four games of the World Series to important community initiatives, and the theme of Game 1 was helping military veterans and their families, specifically raising awareness of Welcome Back Veterans.
As part of this effort, Yastrzemski was joined on the mound by three Medal of Honor recipients: Salvatore Giunta, Clinton Romesha and William Swenson. It is the highest honor America can confer upon its own.
"They sure have accomplished more than I have, I'll tell you that," the Hall of Famer said, humbly. "It was a great honor: Game 1 of the World Series. I told them, 'Why don't you throw out the first pitch?' They said they couldn't reach home.
"I was very happy to meet the three Medal of Honor winners, and it was my pleasure."
Yastrzemski, 74, came back with a flourish to his masses.
"Doesn't he look great?" one fan asked behind the dugout.
Indeed, this legend is in fine fettle, and Yaz said he was extremely heartened by the ovation -- soaking in every moment of it, like it was old times beside the Green Monster.
Was this as much a thrill for him as it was for the crowd?
"Yes, it is," Yastrzemski said. "And I'm glad it's happening in this way, with this special occasion being the first game of the World Series."
Yastrzemski watches the Red Sox closely, and he said it was good to put 2012 behind as an aberration in what otherwise has been a long string of success in Boston.
"I'm just happy for the turnaround that Boston made this year," Yastrzemski said. "Last year wasn't fun watching. This year, they remind me of the '67 team. Except they have better pitching. They pull together, they play together, and I look for them to win this thing."
Yastrzemski said this feels more like that 1967 series than the 2004 Fall Classic, where the Red Sox steamrolled St. Louis in four.
"They're two good teams," Yastrzemski said. "I expect it to go six or seven games -- probably seven."
Before the first pitch, the three Medal of Honor winners spent time together in the Red Sox Family Room, sharing stories and mutually appreciating what this night meant.
"I feel super privileged to be here," said Giunta, now a converted Rockies fan who has gone back to school at Colorado State. "I mean, ultimately, all of us represent the men and women who are still in uniform, still over there kicking butt on our behalf. We're here watching a baseball game while they're working for us.
"To see a country standing behind its troops the way America has stood behind us -- particularly in this combat zone, in this theater of the global war on terror, and how different it is from the Vietnam veterans -- I couldn't be any more excited. I think 12 years of war is a long time, and to have MLB, in an ultimate showcase, be able to showcase and say thank you to our returning veterans, it warms my heart."
Welcome Back Veterans was launched in 2008, and since then, MLB and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation have committed more than $28 million. To date, a total of $15 million in grants has been awarded to nonprofit agencies and hospitals supporting returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans' and their families' greatest needs, focusing on treatment and research of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program is supported by Welcome Back Veterans.
On Thursday, MLB and the Red Sox will send a delegation to a local V.A. Hospital in further recognition of the nation's military veterans.
Game 2 will focus on two longtime MLB charitable partners in Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Habitat for Humanity. The series then shifts to St. Louis, and for Game 3, MLB will highlight its commitment to youth from underserved communities through Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), the importance of education through the Breaking Barriers program, and celebrate community service through the announcement of the winner of the Clemente Award winner. Game 4 will look to inspire fans worldwide to join MLB and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) in advancing the fight against cancer.
Bank of America, the Official Bank of MLB, provided American flags for fans at each Fenway entrance, and asked those in attendance to wave the flag during "God Bless America" (before the bottom of the seventh inning) as an expression of thanks to U.S. troops.
Bank of America will donate $1 on behalf of each participating fan to Welcome Back Veterans and the Wounded Warrior Project in an effort to reach a total donation of $1 million, which will go toward helping service members and veterans succeed here at home. Bank of America's "Express Your Thanks" initiative aims to help support members of the military and veterans across the country by donating $1 for each expression of thanks. Fans can visit BankofAmerica.com/troopthanks to learn more about this program and how they can express their thanks.
In November 2010, Giunta became the first living person since the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of Honor. He was cite
And the great Yaz remembers what America's relationship was with its military at that time.
"In '67, you had a very anti-war thing," Yastrzemski told MLB.com after bringing the Fenway crowd to a roar. "Not right now where they're supporting our troops and things of that nature. So it's very different times. It was almost like things like baseball weren't important in '67, with so many protests going on and things like that."
How different life was on this night in Boston and in the United States of America. Major League Baseball is dedicating the first four games of the World Series to important community initiatives, and the theme of Game 1 was helping military veterans and their families, specifically raising awareness of Welcome Back Veterans.
As part of this effort, Yastrzemski was joined on the mound by three Medal of Honor recipients: Salvatore Giunta, Clinton Romesha and William Swenson. It is the highest honor America can confer upon its own.
"They sure have accomplished more than I have, I'll tell you that," the Hall of Famer said, humbly. "It was a great honor: Game 1 of the World Series. I told them, 'Why don't you throw out the first pitch?' They said they couldn't reach home.
"I was very happy to meet the three Medal of Honor winners, and it was my pleasure."
Yastrzemski, 74, came back with a flourish to his masses.
"Doesn't he look great?" one fan asked behind the dugout.
Indeed, this legend is in fine fettle, and Yaz said he was extremely heartened by the ovation -- soaking in every moment of it, like it was old times beside the Green Monster.
Was this as much a thrill for him as it was for the crowd?
"Yes, it is," Yastrzemski said. "And I'm glad it's happening in this way, with this special occasion being the first game of the World Series."
Yastrzemski watches the Red Sox closely, and he said it was good to put 2012 behind as an aberration in what otherwise has been a long string of success in Boston.
"I'm just happy for the turnaround that Boston made this year," Yastrzemski said. "Last year wasn't fun watching. This year, they remind me of the '67 team. Except they have better pitching. They pull together, they play together, and I look for them to win this thing."
Yastrzemski said this feels more like that 1967 series than the 2004 Fall Classic, where the Red Sox steamrolled St. Louis in four.
"They're two good teams," Yastrzemski said. "I expect it to go six or seven games -- probably seven."
Before the first pitch, the three Medal of Honor winners spent time together in the Red Sox Family Room, sharing stories and mutually appreciating what this night meant.
"I feel super privileged to be here," said Giunta, now a converted Rockies fan who has gone back to school at Colorado State. "I mean, ultimately, all of us represent the men and women who are still in uniform, still over there kicking butt on our behalf. We're here watching a baseball game while they're working for us.
"To see a country standing behind its troops the way America has stood behind us -- particularly in this combat zone, in this theater of the global war on terror, and how different it is from the Vietnam veterans -- I couldn't be any more excited. I think 12 years of war is a long time, and to have MLB, in an ultimate showcase, be able to showcase and say thank you to our returning veterans, it warms my heart."
Welcome Back Veterans was launched in 2008, and since then, MLB and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation have committed more than $28 million. To date, a total of $15 million in grants has been awarded to nonprofit agencies and hospitals supporting returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans' and their families' greatest needs, focusing on treatment and research of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program is supported by Welcome Back Veterans.
On Thursday, MLB and the Red Sox will send a delegation to a local V.A. Hospital in further recognition of the nation's military veterans.
Game 2 will focus on two longtime MLB charitable partners in Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Habitat for Humanity. The series then shifts to St. Louis, and for Game 3, MLB will highlight its commitment to youth from underserved communities through Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), the importance of education through the Breaking Barriers program, and celebrate community service through the announcement of the winner of the Clemente Award winner. Game 4 will look to inspire fans worldwide to join MLB and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) in advancing the fight against cancer.
Bank of America, the Official Bank of MLB, provided American flags for fans at each Fenway entrance, and asked those in attendance to wave the flag during "God Bless America" (before the bottom of the seventh inning) as an expression of thanks to U.S. troops.
Bank of America will donate $1 on behalf of each participating fan to Welcome Back Veterans and the Wounded Warrior Project in an effort to reach a total donation of $1 million, which will go toward helping service members and veterans succeed here at home. Bank of America's "Express Your Thanks" initiative aims to help support members of the military and veterans across the country by donating $1 for each expression of thanks. Fans can visit BankofAmerica.com/troopthanks to learn more about this program and how they can express their thanks.
In November 2010, Giunta became the first living person since the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of Honor. He was cite
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After Game 1 of the 109th World Series was dedicated to military veterans and their families, Major League Baseball continued to drive home awareness Thursday afternoon with an event that drew Commissioner Bud Selig, Red Sox chairman Tom Werner, Hall of Famer Jim Rice, Red Sox legends and other dignitaries to the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
The delegation met there with veterans who have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries in the field of combat, and they also received a lengthy tour from doctors, who unveiled some of the latest technologies, including bionics, that are helping these men and women return from horrors to live meaningful lives.
"It was very, very emotional for me," Selig said. "It means a great deal for me. I tell the clubs all the time that baseball is a social institution with important responsibilities. We are lucky we are able to do things like this. A lot of people sometimes say, 'Well, I have to do this, I have to do that.' This is a privilege, and if we can help, it's great. The work they are doing here is just stunning, hard to believe all that I saw. If we can play a role in helping people's lives get better, it makes you feel good."
The Commissioner joined representatives of the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital, who collaborated for the innovative Home Base Program. It is supported by Welcome Back Veterans, launched in 2008 by MLB and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation with more than $28 million in funding so far. A total of $15 million in grants has been awarded to non-profit agencies and hospitals supporting the greatest needs of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families, focusing on PTSD and TBI.
The event at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital was part of MLB's fifth annual World Series community initiative program for Games 1-4, each game dedicated to different themes for a lasting legacy. This one was an extension of the Game 1 theme dedicated to returning military veterans and their families.
Game 2 is focusing on two long-time MLB charitable partners in Boys & Girls Clubs and Habitat for Humanity. For Game 3 in St. Louis, MLB will highlight its commitment to youth from underserved communities through Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), the importance of education through the Breaking Barriers program, and celebrate community service through the announcement of the winner of the Robert Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Game 4 will look to inspire fans worldwide, to join MLB and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) in advancing the fight against cancer.
"Nearly 3 million young men and women have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan over the 12 years of war we have faced," said retired Brig. Gen. Jack Hammond, executive director of Home Base. "Of that, one out of every three is estimated to have some level of post-traumatic stress, and one out five is estimated to have to minor to medium traumatic brain injury associated with combat duty. Three million children have been affected as being close relatives of the service members who have deployed. We have had 22 service members commit suicide each day across America, one on active duty each day, and right now that exceeds the number of combat losses we face each day.
"The most important aspect of the program is connecting these veterans to care. Once they come home, they become part of the fabric of our country and they become part of the civilian fabric of our country and they become invisible. It takes the work of Major League Baseball, the Red Sox, some of our radio and TV outlets, to let them know and connect them to care. The important part is getting them to cross the threshold and say, I could use some help. Once they're there, Mass General has dedicated some of the best doctors in America to provide that care. And at state-of-the-art facilities such as Spalding and Mass General, we have the opportunity to provide world-class care to veterans and military families."
It has been said that for every warrior, there are 10 other warriors.
"And some of those warriors have been deeply affected," Hammond said. "Especially these young children. Imagine if you're a young kid about 12, 13 years old right now, your mom and dad may have left home for a year to 18 months on two to three occasions while you were a little kid. And each time they leave, it's tearing apart that fabric of that family and it affects those kids."
Rice was part of the tour, along with former Red Sox relievers Keith Foulke and Mike Timlin, and he said he was especially moved by the fact "they are willing and able to adapt."
"You're talking about veterans who have protected us," Rice said. "So they come home, and in many cases there's nothing to help them get [their lives] back. With these facilities, there's something to look forward to. With the technologies available, it's almost like if you've lost a limb, you're getting a better one.
"It's heartbreaking, but it's also heartwarming. A lot of players, even though they're professional athletes, can't take this. Because we've been professionals, we want everybody perfect, and life is not perfect. By playing the game of baseball, we go 0-for-4 or 0-for-3, and we are having fits. You come here and you see these guys and ladies here, and it puts it all in perspective. Life is very short. You could lose a limb at any time, or you could lose a life at any time."
MLB contingent visits wounded veterans | MLB-com: News
The delegation met there with veterans who have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries in the field of combat, and they also received a lengthy tour from doctors, who unveiled some of the latest technologies, including bionics, that are helping these men and women return from horrors to live meaningful lives.
"It was very, very emotional for me," Selig said. "It means a great deal for me. I tell the clubs all the time that baseball is a social institution with important responsibilities. We are lucky we are able to do things like this. A lot of people sometimes say, 'Well, I have to do this, I have to do that.' This is a privilege, and if we can help, it's great. The work they are doing here is just stunning, hard to believe all that I saw. If we can play a role in helping people's lives get better, it makes you feel good."
The Commissioner joined representatives of the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital, who collaborated for the innovative Home Base Program. It is supported by Welcome Back Veterans, launched in 2008 by MLB and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation with more than $28 million in funding so far. A total of $15 million in grants has been awarded to non-profit agencies and hospitals supporting the greatest needs of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families, focusing on PTSD and TBI.
The event at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital was part of MLB's fifth annual World Series community initiative program for Games 1-4, each game dedicated to different themes for a lasting legacy. This one was an extension of the Game 1 theme dedicated to returning military veterans and their families.
Game 2 is focusing on two long-time MLB charitable partners in Boys & Girls Clubs and Habitat for Humanity. For Game 3 in St. Louis, MLB will highlight its commitment to youth from underserved communities through Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), the importance of education through the Breaking Barriers program, and celebrate community service through the announcement of the winner of the Robert Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Game 4 will look to inspire fans worldwide, to join MLB and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) in advancing the fight against cancer.
"Nearly 3 million young men and women have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan over the 12 years of war we have faced," said retired Brig. Gen. Jack Hammond, executive director of Home Base. "Of that, one out of every three is estimated to have some level of post-traumatic stress, and one out five is estimated to have to minor to medium traumatic brain injury associated with combat duty. Three million children have been affected as being close relatives of the service members who have deployed. We have had 22 service members commit suicide each day across America, one on active duty each day, and right now that exceeds the number of combat losses we face each day.
"The most important aspect of the program is connecting these veterans to care. Once they come home, they become part of the fabric of our country and they become part of the civilian fabric of our country and they become invisible. It takes the work of Major League Baseball, the Red Sox, some of our radio and TV outlets, to let them know and connect them to care. The important part is getting them to cross the threshold and say, I could use some help. Once they're there, Mass General has dedicated some of the best doctors in America to provide that care. And at state-of-the-art facilities such as Spalding and Mass General, we have the opportunity to provide world-class care to veterans and military families."
It has been said that for every warrior, there are 10 other warriors.
"And some of those warriors have been deeply affected," Hammond said. "Especially these young children. Imagine if you're a young kid about 12, 13 years old right now, your mom and dad may have left home for a year to 18 months on two to three occasions while you were a little kid. And each time they leave, it's tearing apart that fabric of that family and it affects those kids."
Rice was part of the tour, along with former Red Sox relievers Keith Foulke and Mike Timlin, and he said he was especially moved by the fact "they are willing and able to adapt."
"You're talking about veterans who have protected us," Rice said. "So they come home, and in many cases there's nothing to help them get [their lives] back. With these facilities, there's something to look forward to. With the technologies available, it's almost like if you've lost a limb, you're getting a better one.
"It's heartbreaking, but it's also heartwarming. A lot of players, even though they're professional athletes, can't take this. Because we've been professionals, we want everybody perfect, and life is not perfect. By playing the game of baseball, we go 0-for-4 or 0-for-3, and we are having fits. You come here and you see these guys and ladies here, and it puts it all in perspective. Life is very short. You could lose a limb at any time, or you could lose a life at any time."
MLB contingent visits wounded veterans | MLB-com: News
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Bloomberg published valuations for all 30 Major League Baseball teams, finding that the average value of a team is at $1 billion, 35% higher than previous estimates. The Yankees and Dodgers led the way of course, valued at $3.3 and $2.1 billion, respectively. But eight other teams joined them in the billion-dollar club, including the Red Sox, Mets, Cubs, Giants, Orioles, Angels, Phillies, and Rangers.
Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times suggests that the recent sale of the Dodgers to the Magic Johnson group for $2 billion could be a big reason why teams have seen such an increase in value. Dilbeck quotes Matt Miller, the editor of Bloomberg Billionaires:
[...] the $2-billion Dodgers sale changed everything because it “really showed that you have to value all of the assets when it comes to the teams, you can’t just do revenue from ticket sales, concessions and stadium-type deals and merchandising. Really the driver of this is regional sports networks.”
On the topic of regional sports networks, the Bloomberg article points out that of the ten billion-dollar teams, the Phillies are the only team without a regional sports network. However, they are focusing on a new contract as their current one expires in 2015.
10 MLB teams valued at $1 billion or more, are the Dodgers to thank? | HardballTalk
Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times suggests that the recent sale of the Dodgers to the Magic Johnson group for $2 billion could be a big reason why teams have seen such an increase in value. Dilbeck quotes Matt Miller, the editor of Bloomberg Billionaires:
[...] the $2-billion Dodgers sale changed everything because it “really showed that you have to value all of the assets when it comes to the teams, you can’t just do revenue from ticket sales, concessions and stadium-type deals and merchandising. Really the driver of this is regional sports networks.”
On the topic of regional sports networks, the Bloomberg article points out that of the ten billion-dollar teams, the Phillies are the only team without a regional sports network. However, they are focusing on a new contract as their current one expires in 2015.
10 MLB teams valued at $1 billion or more, are the Dodgers to thank? | HardballTalk
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The wild ending to Game 3 of the World Series prompted plenty of questions over the obstruction call that led to the Cardinals’ walk-off win. Luckily, Major League Baseball’s official rules are online. The definition of Rule 7:06:
When obstruction occurs, the umpire shall call or signal “Obstruction.”
(a) If a play is being made on the obstructed runner, or if the batter-runner is obstructed before he touches first base, the ball is dead and all runners shall advance, without liability to be put out, to the bases they would have reached, in the umpire’s judgment, if there had been no obstruction. The obstructed runner shall be awarded at least one base beyond the base he had last legally touched before the obstruction. Any preceding runners, forced to advance by the award of bases as the penalty for obstruction, shall advance without liability to be put out.
Rule 7.06(a) Comment: When a play is being made on an obstructed runner, the umpire shall signal obstruction in the same manner that he calls “Time,” with both hands overhead. The ball is immediately dead when this signal is given; however, should a thrown ball be in flight before the obstruction is called by the umpire, the runners are to be awarded such bases on wild throws as they would have been awarded had not obstruction occurred. On a play where a runner was trapped between second and third and obstructed by the third baseman going into third base while the throw is in flight from the shortstop, if such throw goes into the dugout the obstructed runner is to be awarded home base. Any other runners on base in this situation would also be awarded two bases from the base they last legally touched before obstruction was called.
The rules say Allen Craig should get the extra base after the obstruction. But did Will Middlebrooks obstruct him? It doesn’t necessarily look intentional, but there’s no doubt he impeded Craig’s progress toward the plate:
The MLB obstruction rule that ended Game 3 | For The Win
When obstruction occurs, the umpire shall call or signal “Obstruction.”
(a) If a play is being made on the obstructed runner, or if the batter-runner is obstructed before he touches first base, the ball is dead and all runners shall advance, without liability to be put out, to the bases they would have reached, in the umpire’s judgment, if there had been no obstruction. The obstructed runner shall be awarded at least one base beyond the base he had last legally touched before the obstruction. Any preceding runners, forced to advance by the award of bases as the penalty for obstruction, shall advance without liability to be put out.
Rule 7.06(a) Comment: When a play is being made on an obstructed runner, the umpire shall signal obstruction in the same manner that he calls “Time,” with both hands overhead. The ball is immediately dead when this signal is given; however, should a thrown ball be in flight before the obstruction is called by the umpire, the runners are to be awarded such bases on wild throws as they would have been awarded had not obstruction occurred. On a play where a runner was trapped between second and third and obstructed by the third baseman going into third base while the throw is in flight from the shortstop, if such throw goes into the dugout the obstructed runner is to be awarded home base. Any other runners on base in this situation would also be awarded two bases from the base they last legally touched before obstruction was called.
The rules say Allen Craig should get the extra base after the obstruction. But did Will Middlebrooks obstruct him? It doesn’t necessarily look intentional, but there’s no doubt he impeded Craig’s progress toward the plate:
The MLB obstruction rule that ended Game 3 | For The Win
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A-Rod sued both MLB and Selig, and filed a separate medical malpractice suit against the Yankee physician, Chris Ahmad, and New York Presbyterian Hospital. A-Rod's team has accused MLB's investigators and COO Rob Manfred of using unethical and unprofessional tactics to carry out the investigation.
Bud Selig 'comfortable' with MLB's handling of Alex Rodriguez's suspension appeal - NY Daily News[/url]
Alex Rodriguez and his legal dream team have portrayed Bud Selig and Major League Baseball as having conducted a “witch hunt” against the Yankee slugger in connection with the Biogenesis doping scandal and Selig’s historic 211-game ban he gave A-Rod, but the baseball commissioner said Saturday that he is “very comfortable” with the way the matter has been handled by COO Rob Manfred and MLB's Department of Investigations.
“I'm very comfortable with that. Look, I'm not a lawyer in that area. I'm not a lawyer altogether. But our people, and I know it's now been written over and over again, I'm very comfortable with what they did and how they did it,” Selig told reporters at Busch Stadium in St. Louis before Game 3 of the World Series and after he presented Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran with the Roberto Clemente Award. “I've been in baseball now 50 years. I thought I had seen everything, but apparently I hadn't.”
Rodriguez was the only player linked to Biogenesis who appealed his suspension —12 others were suspended for 50 games Aug. 5, while Ryan Braun got a 65-game ban July 22 — and since his arbitration began Sept. 30, it has been a contentious battle of words between his legal team and MLB. A-Rod sued both MLB and Selig, and filed a separate medical malpractice suit against the Yankee physician, Chris Ahmad, and New York Presbyterian Hospital. A-Rod's team has accused MLB's investigators and Manfred of using unethical and unprofessional tactics to carry out the investigation.
“I don't have any comment,” Selig said when asked about the acrimony between the three-time MVP's side and MLB. “I really don't. I said months ago that I wasn't going to comment and I think it's best. There really is a lot of things I could say, but I don't think it serves anybody's best interest.
“I'm sorry for what you all have to listen to every day. That's all I'll say.”
There have been eight days of testimony at the arbitration hearing, but it is on hiatus until late November.
Independent arbitrator Fredric Horowitz is expected to rule near Christmas
Read more: Bud Selig 'comfortable' with MLB's handling of Alex Rodriguez's suspension appeal - NY Daily News
Bud Selig 'comfortable' with MLB's handling of Alex Rodriguez's suspension appeal - NY Daily News[/url]
Alex Rodriguez and his legal dream team have portrayed Bud Selig and Major League Baseball as having conducted a “witch hunt” against the Yankee slugger in connection with the Biogenesis doping scandal and Selig’s historic 211-game ban he gave A-Rod, but the baseball commissioner said Saturday that he is “very comfortable” with the way the matter has been handled by COO Rob Manfred and MLB's Department of Investigations.
“I'm very comfortable with that. Look, I'm not a lawyer in that area. I'm not a lawyer altogether. But our people, and I know it's now been written over and over again, I'm very comfortable with what they did and how they did it,” Selig told reporters at Busch Stadium in St. Louis before Game 3 of the World Series and after he presented Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran with the Roberto Clemente Award. “I've been in baseball now 50 years. I thought I had seen everything, but apparently I hadn't.”
Rodriguez was the only player linked to Biogenesis who appealed his suspension —12 others were suspended for 50 games Aug. 5, while Ryan Braun got a 65-game ban July 22 — and since his arbitration began Sept. 30, it has been a contentious battle of words between his legal team and MLB. A-Rod sued both MLB and Selig, and filed a separate medical malpractice suit against the Yankee physician, Chris Ahmad, and New York Presbyterian Hospital. A-Rod's team has accused MLB's investigators and Manfred of using unethical and unprofessional tactics to carry out the investigation.
“I don't have any comment,” Selig said when asked about the acrimony between the three-time MVP's side and MLB. “I really don't. I said months ago that I wasn't going to comment and I think it's best. There really is a lot of things I could say, but I don't think it serves anybody's best interest.
“I'm sorry for what you all have to listen to every day. That's all I'll say.”
There have been eight days of testimony at the arbitration hearing, but it is on hiatus until late November.
Independent arbitrator Fredric Horowitz is expected to rule near Christmas
Read more: Bud Selig 'comfortable' with MLB's handling of Alex Rodriguez's suspension appeal - NY Daily News
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During the broadcast of Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday night, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported on-air that MLB plans to review the obstruction rule over the winter in the wake of the dramatic ending to Game 3. As you know, Allen Craig was allowed to score the winning run on an obstruction call after tripping over Will Middlebrooks at third base.
Specifically, Rosenthal said the league will review the "intent" portion of the obstruction rule. Under the current rule, the defender does not have to intentionally impede the runner -- it certainly looked like the contact between Middlebrooks and Craig was accidental -- for obstruction to be called. Rosenthal indicated the league will look into limiting obstruction calls to intentional contact only and "forgiving" accidental contact.
Obviously, the plan to review the obstruction rule is the direct result of the Game 3 call. It occurred when all eyes were on the World Series and whenever something like that happens, some kind of action is expected. If the play happened in say, Game 2 of the NLDS, it wouldn't have been that big of a deal. I'm sure the fact that the Cardinals and Red Sox -- two of the most popular teams in the game -- were involved only added to scrutiny.
My question is this: Why are they reviewing the rule? Obstruction has been around since the dawn of time and frankly, it doesn't happen all that often. A handful of times each year -- I honestly couldn't even remember the last time I saw an obstruction call before Saturday. Suddenly now it's a problem? Just because it happened to end a World Series game doesn't mean the rule is suddenly invalid or in need of an overhaul. The last obstruction controversy was when, exactly?
As it stands, the obstruction rule is very black and white, and that's exactly how it should remain. By changing the rule to cover intentional contact only, the league would effectively be asking the umpires to read the players' minds. They would have to make a judgment call regarding intent and that will be far more controversial than what happened in Game 3. Just look at how umpires appear to arbitrarily warn benches following a hit by pitch. Judging intent is ridiculously hard.
By leaving the rule as is, the league removes any sort of judgment. It's yes or no: Did the fielder impede the runner? If yes, then obstruction. Simple as that. The players and coaches and fans and everyone else know what to expect in that situation. If you get in the way, even by accident, you will be called for obstruction. No guesswork, no nothing. That's the way it should be. Take as many variables out of the equation as possible.
Rosenthal reported MLB will simply review the obstruction rule, not that any changes are forthcoming. I hope they look at it for a few hours and decide to keep everything the way it is. It's both the easiest solution and the fairest solution. Putting the burden of judging intent on the umpires opens a much bigger can of worms and would likely create unintended consequences. Baseball has a lot of weird and quirky rules that should be revised, but obstruction is not one of them. Game 3 ended in a weird way, not a problematic way.
MLB plans to review obstruction rule - CBSSports-com
Specifically, Rosenthal said the league will review the "intent" portion of the obstruction rule. Under the current rule, the defender does not have to intentionally impede the runner -- it certainly looked like the contact between Middlebrooks and Craig was accidental -- for obstruction to be called. Rosenthal indicated the league will look into limiting obstruction calls to intentional contact only and "forgiving" accidental contact.
Obviously, the plan to review the obstruction rule is the direct result of the Game 3 call. It occurred when all eyes were on the World Series and whenever something like that happens, some kind of action is expected. If the play happened in say, Game 2 of the NLDS, it wouldn't have been that big of a deal. I'm sure the fact that the Cardinals and Red Sox -- two of the most popular teams in the game -- were involved only added to scrutiny.
My question is this: Why are they reviewing the rule? Obstruction has been around since the dawn of time and frankly, it doesn't happen all that often. A handful of times each year -- I honestly couldn't even remember the last time I saw an obstruction call before Saturday. Suddenly now it's a problem? Just because it happened to end a World Series game doesn't mean the rule is suddenly invalid or in need of an overhaul. The last obstruction controversy was when, exactly?
As it stands, the obstruction rule is very black and white, and that's exactly how it should remain. By changing the rule to cover intentional contact only, the league would effectively be asking the umpires to read the players' minds. They would have to make a judgment call regarding intent and that will be far more controversial than what happened in Game 3. Just look at how umpires appear to arbitrarily warn benches following a hit by pitch. Judging intent is ridiculously hard.
By leaving the rule as is, the league removes any sort of judgment. It's yes or no: Did the fielder impede the runner? If yes, then obstruction. Simple as that. The players and coaches and fans and everyone else know what to expect in that situation. If you get in the way, even by accident, you will be called for obstruction. No guesswork, no nothing. That's the way it should be. Take as many variables out of the equation as possible.
Rosenthal reported MLB will simply review the obstruction rule, not that any changes are forthcoming. I hope they look at it for a few hours and decide to keep everything the way it is. It's both the easiest solution and the fairest solution. Putting the burden of judging intent on the umpires opens a much bigger can of worms and would likely create unintended consequences. Baseball has a lot of weird and quirky rules that should be revised, but obstruction is not one of them. Game 3 ended in a weird way, not a problematic way.
MLB plans to review obstruction rule - CBSSports-com
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A public relations firm hired by Alex Rodriguez leaked documents to Yahoo! Sports in February linking Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun and Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli to the Biogenesis doping ring, according to documents filed by Major League Baseball in Manhattan Supreme Court Tuesday.
In its petition for an order compelling Michael S. Sitrick, owner of the Sitrick & Company P.R. firm, to comply with a subpoena in the arbitration between MLB and Rodriguez, baseball contends that Rodriguez obtained documents that “had been maintained by (Biogenesis owner Anthony) Bosch ...for the purpose of preventing MLB from obtaining those records and from uncovering evidence of Rodriguez’s use and possession of prohibited substances.”
The petition went on to say that MLB has a “good faith basis” to believe that Rodriguez or others acting on his behalf provided records to Sitrick & Company implicating Braun, Cervelli and others claiming they had received performance-enhancing substances from Bosch. The public relations firm then provided the information to Yahoo! Sports, the court papers said.
MLB’s filings noted that CBS’ 60 Minutes reported on its website in August that members of Rodriguez’s inner circle had obtained and leaked the Bosch records to Yahoo! Sports.
“It is our intention to work it out,” said Sitrick's attorney, J. Michael Hennigan of McKool Smith Hennigan. “Mr. Sitrick wants to cooperate to the extent that he can.”
The assertions in MLB’s court papers directly contradict claims by a spokesman for Rodriguez, who said last week that the embattled superstar did not attempt to obstruct MLB’s Biogenesis investigation by purchasing evidence.
The Players Association, acting as Rodriguez’s representative, agreed heading into the arbitration that Rodriguez would share any documents and information regarding his attempts to obtain Biogenesis records with MLB, the court papers say. The union, however, has told MLB that it was unable to produce the documents provided to Sitrick. The Supreme Court petition is an attempt to compel Sitrick to appear at Rodriguez’s appeal of his 211-game suspension with copies of the documents baseball says it believes are relevant to its case against Rodriguez.
“To date, MLB has received neither responsive documents from Sitrick & Co., nor an affidavit from Mr. Sitrick certifying that he and the company has or ever had the documents in question,” according to the petition. “The testimony of Mr. Sitrick is necessary to establish whether Rodriguez or his representatives have or had documents relevant to MLB’s allegations in the arbitration in their possession and when these documents were obtained.”
The Daily News reported in April that Rodriguez had purchased Biogenesis records and other evidence in an attempt to keep them from MLB investigators. A-Rod’s spokesman, Ron Berkowitz, denied then that Rodriguez or a representative purchased evidence.
The News reported earlier this month that Rodriguez’s lawyers acknowledged during the appeal of his 211-game suspension that they had spent $305,000 on evidence.
Berkowitz first denied that report, but later admitted that the evidence had been purchased this month but said it was not an attempt to interfere with baseball’s Biogenesis investigation.
Berkowitz declined comment on Tuesday.
Meanwhile in U.S. District Court for the Southern District, MLB will ask Judge Lorna G. Schofield to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Rodriguez that accuses commissioner Bud Selig of mounting a "witch hunt" against the scandal-stained superstar by Nov. 8, according to a letter one of Rodriguez's lawyers sent to the court on Monday.
MLB attorneys will argue that the Labor Management Relations Act requires that Rodriguez's dispute with baseball should be addressed by an arbitrator as outlined by the sport's collective bargaining agreement, the letter from attorney Jordan Siev said.
Team A-Rod, meanwhile, will argue that under the act, the case belongs in New York state court, where it was originally filed on Oct. 3, before MLB moved it to federal court.
The suit says Selig and other MLB officials engaged in unethical and even criminal behavior against Rodriguez to “gloss over” their past inaction and tacit approval of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.
The court papers claim MLB officials conducted a "witch hunt" against Rodriguez to secure Selig's legacy as the "savior" of the national pastime. MLB called the lawsuit a "desperate attempt" to circumvent the appeals procedure outlined in the game’s Basic Agreement.
Read more: MLB wants documents Alex Rodriguez allegedly used to rat out Ryan Braun and Francisco Cervelli - NY Daily News
In its petition for an order compelling Michael S. Sitrick, owner of the Sitrick & Company P.R. firm, to comply with a subpoena in the arbitration between MLB and Rodriguez, baseball contends that Rodriguez obtained documents that “had been maintained by (Biogenesis owner Anthony) Bosch ...for the purpose of preventing MLB from obtaining those records and from uncovering evidence of Rodriguez’s use and possession of prohibited substances.”
The petition went on to say that MLB has a “good faith basis” to believe that Rodriguez or others acting on his behalf provided records to Sitrick & Company implicating Braun, Cervelli and others claiming they had received performance-enhancing substances from Bosch. The public relations firm then provided the information to Yahoo! Sports, the court papers said.
MLB’s filings noted that CBS’ 60 Minutes reported on its website in August that members of Rodriguez’s inner circle had obtained and leaked the Bosch records to Yahoo! Sports.
“It is our intention to work it out,” said Sitrick's attorney, J. Michael Hennigan of McKool Smith Hennigan. “Mr. Sitrick wants to cooperate to the extent that he can.”
The assertions in MLB’s court papers directly contradict claims by a spokesman for Rodriguez, who said last week that the embattled superstar did not attempt to obstruct MLB’s Biogenesis investigation by purchasing evidence.
The Players Association, acting as Rodriguez’s representative, agreed heading into the arbitration that Rodriguez would share any documents and information regarding his attempts to obtain Biogenesis records with MLB, the court papers say. The union, however, has told MLB that it was unable to produce the documents provided to Sitrick. The Supreme Court petition is an attempt to compel Sitrick to appear at Rodriguez’s appeal of his 211-game suspension with copies of the documents baseball says it believes are relevant to its case against Rodriguez.
“To date, MLB has received neither responsive documents from Sitrick & Co., nor an affidavit from Mr. Sitrick certifying that he and the company has or ever had the documents in question,” according to the petition. “The testimony of Mr. Sitrick is necessary to establish whether Rodriguez or his representatives have or had documents relevant to MLB’s allegations in the arbitration in their possession and when these documents were obtained.”
The Daily News reported in April that Rodriguez had purchased Biogenesis records and other evidence in an attempt to keep them from MLB investigators. A-Rod’s spokesman, Ron Berkowitz, denied then that Rodriguez or a representative purchased evidence.
The News reported earlier this month that Rodriguez’s lawyers acknowledged during the appeal of his 211-game suspension that they had spent $305,000 on evidence.
Berkowitz first denied that report, but later admitted that the evidence had been purchased this month but said it was not an attempt to interfere with baseball’s Biogenesis investigation.
Berkowitz declined comment on Tuesday.
Meanwhile in U.S. District Court for the Southern District, MLB will ask Judge Lorna G. Schofield to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Rodriguez that accuses commissioner Bud Selig of mounting a "witch hunt" against the scandal-stained superstar by Nov. 8, according to a letter one of Rodriguez's lawyers sent to the court on Monday.
MLB attorneys will argue that the Labor Management Relations Act requires that Rodriguez's dispute with baseball should be addressed by an arbitrator as outlined by the sport's collective bargaining agreement, the letter from attorney Jordan Siev said.
Team A-Rod, meanwhile, will argue that under the act, the case belongs in New York state court, where it was originally filed on Oct. 3, before MLB moved it to federal court.
The suit says Selig and other MLB officials engaged in unethical and even criminal behavior against Rodriguez to “gloss over” their past inaction and tacit approval of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.
The court papers claim MLB officials conducted a "witch hunt" against Rodriguez to secure Selig's legacy as the "savior" of the national pastime. MLB called the lawsuit a "desperate attempt" to circumvent the appeals procedure outlined in the game’s Basic Agreement.
Read more: MLB wants documents Alex Rodriguez allegedly used to rat out Ryan Braun and Francisco Cervelli - NY Daily News
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Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and Major League Baseball have been presenting their cases before arbitrator Fredric Horowitz in New York to determine whether A-Rod's 211-game suspension will stand. Rodriguez was of course disciplined by MLB for his alleged role in the Biogenesis/PED scandal, and Rodriguez has mounted a vigorous appeal.
As a sideshow to all of that, A-Rod and MLB on Thursday stepped up the "war of words" in a big way. First, here, from the AP, is what A-Rod had to say in a statement regarding MLB's aggressive tactics during the investigation and in the wake of his lawsuit against MLB: "I am deeply troubled by my team's investigative findings with respect to MLB's conduct. How can the gross, ongoing misconduct of the MLB investigations division not be relevant to my suspension, when my suspension supposedly results directly from that division's work?
"It is sad that commissioner Selig once again is turning a blind eye, knowing that crimes are being committed under his regime. I have 100 percent faith in my legal team. To be sure, this fight is necessary to protect me, but it also serves the interests of the next 18-year-old coming into the league, to be sure he doesn't step into the house of horrors that I am being forced to walk through."
OK. That's ... pointed, to say the least. Needless to say, MLB fired off a response, in this instance from the pen of COO Rob Manfred:
"This latest, sad chapter in Mr. Rodriguez's tarnished career is yet another example of this player trying to avoid taking responsibility for his poor choices. Given the disappointing acts that Mr. Rodriguez has repeatedly made throughout his career, his expressed concern for young people rings very hollow.
"Mr. Rodriguez's use of PEDs was longer and more pervasive than any other player, and when this process is complete, the facts will prove that it is Mr. Rodriguez and his representatives who have engaged in ongoing, gross misconduct."
Mr. Manfred's rejoinder is a example of what's called "emptying both barrels."
You can expect this kind of thing to continue until this matter is resolved, and even that probably won't put an end to the sniping.
MLB: A-Rod is 'trying to avoid taking responsibility for poor choices' - CBSSports-com
As a sideshow to all of that, A-Rod and MLB on Thursday stepped up the "war of words" in a big way. First, here, from the AP, is what A-Rod had to say in a statement regarding MLB's aggressive tactics during the investigation and in the wake of his lawsuit against MLB: "I am deeply troubled by my team's investigative findings with respect to MLB's conduct. How can the gross, ongoing misconduct of the MLB investigations division not be relevant to my suspension, when my suspension supposedly results directly from that division's work?
"It is sad that commissioner Selig once again is turning a blind eye, knowing that crimes are being committed under his regime. I have 100 percent faith in my legal team. To be sure, this fight is necessary to protect me, but it also serves the interests of the next 18-year-old coming into the league, to be sure he doesn't step into the house of horrors that I am being forced to walk through."
OK. That's ... pointed, to say the least. Needless to say, MLB fired off a response, in this instance from the pen of COO Rob Manfred:
"This latest, sad chapter in Mr. Rodriguez's tarnished career is yet another example of this player trying to avoid taking responsibility for his poor choices. Given the disappointing acts that Mr. Rodriguez has repeatedly made throughout his career, his expressed concern for young people rings very hollow.
"Mr. Rodriguez's use of PEDs was longer and more pervasive than any other player, and when this process is complete, the facts will prove that it is Mr. Rodriguez and his representatives who have engaged in ongoing, gross misconduct."
Mr. Manfred's rejoinder is a example of what's called "emptying both barrels."
You can expect this kind of thing to continue until this matter is resolved, and even that probably won't put an end to the sniping.
MLB: A-Rod is 'trying to avoid taking responsibility for poor choices' - CBSSports-com
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The MLB offseason has officially arrived, and while things won't heat up for another month or so, teams are already putting together their list of needs with winter approaching.
Whether it's adding a complementary piece here and there or making a big-splash signing for one of the market's top free agents, every team has at least a few deals in mind this offseason. Really, what team couldn't use another starting pitcher or a bat with some pop if the right situation presented itself.
So here is a quick rundown of all 30 MLB teams' shopping list heading into the offseason as they look to replace departed free agents and fill any other roster holes before spring training rolls around.
Pictures: 2014 MLB Free Agency: Looking at Every Team's Offseason Shopping List | Bleacher Report
Whether it's adding a complementary piece here and there or making a big-splash signing for one of the market's top free agents, every team has at least a few deals in mind this offseason. Really, what team couldn't use another starting pitcher or a bat with some pop if the right situation presented itself.
So here is a quick rundown of all 30 MLB teams' shopping list heading into the offseason as they look to replace departed free agents and fill any other roster holes before spring training rolls around.
Pictures: 2014 MLB Free Agency: Looking at Every Team's Offseason Shopping List | Bleacher Report
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A federal judge made his first ruling in the antitrust case filed by the city of San Jose against Major League Baseball concerning the long-proposed move of the Oakland Athletics to the South Bay.
Both sides claimed victory following the Friday morning ruling by U.S. District Judge Ronald M. Whyte.
Major League Baseball said its pleased "the Court dismissed the heart of San Jose's action," and San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said he is pleased "the judge has allowed our case to move forward."
U.S. District Judge Ronald M. Whyte dismissed San Jose's antitrust claims against Major League Baseball, but has allowed the city to pursue allegations of contract interference in connection with the Oakland Athletics' stalled relocation plans.
The suit, which was filed in June, accuses MLB of conspiring again the A's proposal to move to San Jose, which baseball defines as territory of the San Francisco Giants.
In the ruling, Judge Whyte allowed the city to pursue tort interference claims MLB interfered in its contract with the A's, which involves an option to purchase land for a new ballpark downtown.''
"Although MLB's frustration of the option agreement is not an antitrust violation, MLB is nonetheless aware of the Option Contract and has engaged in acts ... indicating an intent to frustrate the contract," Whyte wrote.
MLB lawyer John Keker told the Mercury News that 99 percent of the case is now gone. But Philip Gregory, who represents San Jose, told the paper he considered the ruling "excellent."
"The judge has upheld our tort claims against Major League Baseball. Clearly, he wants the case to go forward. The A's may have lost last night, but the A's and the city of San Jose won today," Gregory said.
San Jose has been trying to bring the A's south for years.
A's owner Lew Wolff and city leaders initially tried to get baseball Commissioner Bud Selig’s approval, but after years of waiting, they moved forward with the lawsuit.
Coincidentally, the A’s lost Game 5 in Oakland Thursday night in the ALDS playoff series against the Detroit Tigers.
MORE: Verbatim reaction from officials below:
Major League Baseball issued the following statement regarding judge’s ruling:
“Major League Baseball is pleased that the Court dismissed the heart of San Jose's action and confirmed that MLB has the legal right to make decisions about the relocation of its member Clubs. The Court dismissed all of San Jose's state and federal law claims challenging that right. We are confident that the remaining state law claims, which assert that San Jose's costs associated with the option agreement for the sale of real estate were increased by the timing of MLB's decision-making process, will be decided in MLB's favor, and that San Jose has not suffered any compensable injury."
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed statement regarding U.S. District Judge Ronald White’s ruling in the City of San Jose’s lawsuit against Major League Baseball:
I am pleased that the judge has allowed our case to move forward. Major League Baseball’s unfair and anti-competitive actions are costing San Jose residents millions of dollars in annual tax revenues that could go towards paying for more police officers, firefighters, libraries, road repairs and other critical services. San Jose filed this lawsuit after waiting patiently for more than four years for a decision from Commissioner Selig. The court’s decision this brings us one step closer to paving the way for San Jose to host a major league ballclub.
San Jose Councilmember Sam Liccardo offers this comment on today’s decision by the U.S. District Court in San Jose:
“Today’s decision is the best of both worlds. I’m pleased we are moving forward on contract interference. And we expect to press the anti trust issues with a higher court and I anticipate MLB will have to come forward to defend its anti-competitive behavior.”
Oakland Mayor Jean Quan released the following statement regarding the ruling:
“Instead of lawsuits, we’re focused on what Oakland--and only Oakland--has to offer Major League Baseball and the A’s: two viable, exciting sites for a new ballpark, with site control and investors ready to make it happen whenever the League and the team make their choice.”
Judge Rejects San Jose's Antitrust Claim Against MLB | NBC Bay Area