Hank Aaron, baseball’s 1-time home run king, dies at 86
ATLANTA — Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record and gracefully left his mark as one of baseball’s greatest all-around players, died Friday. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves, Aaron’s longtime team, said he died peacefully in his sleep....
AP source: Springer agrees to $150M, 6-year deal with JaysVideo
TORONTO — All-Star outfielder George Springer became the most prominent among baseball’s free agents to reach an agreement this offseason, a $150 million, six-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because...
Mark Madden: Situations with Brett Favre, Jared Porter show cancel culture is applied unevenly
Jared Porter got dismissed from his job as the New York Mets’ general manager because he sent a torrent of inappropriate texts to a female journalist while he was working for the Chicago Cubs in 2016. Among Porter’s texts: An image of his genitals, as reported by ESPN. Firing Porter...
Don Sutton, Hall of Fame pitcher for Dodgers, dies at 75Video
LOS ANGELES — Don Sutton, a Hall of Fame pitcher who was a stalwart of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation spanning an era from Sandy Koufax to Fernando Valenzuela, died Tuesday. He was 75. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., said Sutton died at his home in Rancho...
Mets fire GM after he sent explicit texts to female reporter
NEW YORK — New York Mets general manager Jared Porter was fired Tuesday after sending graphic, uninvited text messages and images to a female reporter in 2016 when he was working for the Chicago Cubs in their front office. Mets owner Steve Cohen said Porter was fired Tuesday morning. “We...
Former WPIAL stars Alex Kirilloff, Austin Hendrick on Baseball America’s prospect list
A pair of former WPIAL stars are ranked in Baseball America’s top 100 prospects, including one who cracked the top 20 for the first time. Plum’s Alex Kirilloff is ranked the No. 18 overall prospect and No. 1 in the Minnesota Twins organization by Baseball America. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound outfielder...
Aaron Judge avoids arbitration, signs 1-year deal with YankeesVideo
NEW YORK — Slugging outfielder Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees avoided arbitration when they agreed Friday to a one-year contract worth $10,175,000. Judge had his third straight injury-interrupted season since winning the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year award, hitting .257 with nine homers and 22 RBIs in...
Mickey Mantle rookie card sells for record $5.2 million, crushing Mike Trout record
It’s the Holy Grail. It’s the Mona Lisa. Entrepreneur Rob Gough believes he got both wrapped in one when he purchased a rare Mickey Mantle rookie baseball card for a record $5.2 million in November. “I’ve always wanted this card,” Gough recently told Forbes. “I’ve been searching for this Holy...
AP report: MLB suspends political donations after invasion of U.S. CapitolVideo
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is suspending all political contributions in the wake of last week’s invasion of the U.S. Capitol by a mob loyal to President Donald Trump, joining a wave of major corporations rethinking their efforts to lobby Washington. “In light of the unprecedented events last week...
Bianca Smith, with Sewickley roots, makes history as 1st Black woman to coach pro-level baseball
The first Black woman to coach on a professional baseball team has roots in Sewickley, and her favorite baseball team growing up was the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bianca Smith, 29, was hired Jan. 4 by the Boston Red Sox. Her role is stationed in Fort Myers, Fla., to work as a...
Tommy Lasorda, fiery Hall of Fame Dodgers manager, dies at 93
LOS ANGELES — Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. He was 93. The Dodgers said Friday that he...
Mega deal: Indians trade star Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco to Mets
CLEVELAND — Francisco Lindor’s moving to a new city and a new team that is willing to meet his salary demands. The four-time All-Star shortstop was traded Thursday along with pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets, who have a new owner willing to spend at baseball’s highest levels....
Spring training could be delayed for Double-A, Class A baseball teams
NEW YORK — Spring training could be delayed for Double-A and Class A players if major leaguers are not vaccinated for the novel coronavirus by the time big league practice is scheduled to start in mid-February. Major League Baseball, which has taken over operation of the minors, gave notice to...
AP source: Padres have deal in place to get Blake Snell from Rays
Two months ago, Blake Snell got yanked off the mound with a two-hit shutout going in the final game of the World Series. Now, the Tampa Bay Rays are ready to ship him out of town. The San Diego Padres are close to completing a blockbuster trade to acquire Snell...
Baseball Hall of Famer, knuckleballer Phil Niekro dies at 81
ATLANTA — Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, who pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters for more than two decades, mostly with the Atlanta Braves, has died after a long fight with cancer, the team announced Sunday. He was 81. The Braves said...
White Sox manager Tony La Russa resolves DUI case, feels ‘remorse and regret’Video
CHICAGO — White Sox manager Tony La Russa said he doesn’t have a drinking problem. He also said he has to prove it with his behavior. The 76-year-old La Russa pleaded guilty Monday to a lesser charge to resolve misdemeanor drunken driving charges stemming from his arrest nearly 10 months...
AP: MLB payrolls drop nearly $2.5B in pandemicVideo
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball payrolls plunged to $1.75 billion during the pandemic-shortened season from $4.22 billion, and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers led with $98.6 million — the smallest for the top spender in 20 years. Base wages for 40-man rosters tumbled to $1.54 billion, according...
Cleveland manager Francona says team’s name change ‘correct’Video
CLEVELAND — Manager Terry Francona praised the Cleveland Indians for trying to “do the right thing” with a name change that was inevitable — and necessary. On Friday, Francona, a New Brighton native, complimented the team’s decision to drop its name after 105 years, a switch that came after months...
MLB recognition of Negro Leagues records ‘quite significant,’ says museum presidentVideo
On Wednesday, Major League Baseball announced that it will finally recognize Negro Leagues records and statistics between the years 1920 and 1948, the year after Jackie Robinson broke the big league color barrier. It means Negro Leagues star and Hall-of-Famer Josh Gibson, who played for the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh...
MLB reclassifies Negro Leagues as major league
NEW YORK (AP) — Willie Mays will add some hits to his record, Monte Irvin’s big league batting average should climb over .300 and Satchel Paige may add nearly 150 victories to his total. Josh Gibson, the greatest of all Negro League sluggers, might just wind up with a major...
Report: Cleveland Indians to change team nameVideo
The Indians will change the name of their franchise, the New York Times reported Sunday night. The Indians had announced in July that a “thorough review” would take place regarding the franchise name. They did not commit to a name change at that time, though it was always very likely...
Dave Dombrowski hired as Phillies’ president of baseball operationsVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Whether rebuilding or reloading, small market or large, Dave Dombrowski has been a big success at every major league stop. His next challenging project: a Philadelphia Phillies team that has gone nine years without a winning record. Dombrowski joined the Phillies as president of baseball operations Friday. “This...
Rare Babe Ruth card found by Altoona-area woman sells for $342,000
A collection of very old baseball cards turned out to be a treasure trove for an Altoona-area woman who works on the front lines of the pandemic. The woman, who did not want to be identified, was going through her late grandfather’s belongings when she found a rare 1916 Babe...
Dick Allen, fearsome hitter and 7-time All-Star, dies at 78Video
Dick Allen, a fearsome hitter who was a seven-time All-Star, the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year and the 1972 AL MVP, has died. He was 78. The Philadelphia Phillies, the team Allen started out with, announced his death on Monday. Allen’s No. 15 was retired by the Phillies in...
Adam Wainwright wins MLB’s Roberto Clemente Award
NEW YORK — Longtime St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright has won the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually by Major League Baseball for community involvement and philanthropy. Wainwright’s Big League Impact foundation and recording artist Garth Brooks’ Teammates for Kids Foundation teamed for a Home Plate Project with Texas pitcher...
