Play ball: Korean baseball league begins in empty stadiums
SEOUL, South Korea — The new baseball season began in South Korea on Tuesday with the crack of the bat and the sound of the ball smacking into the catcher’s mitt echoing around empty stadiums. After a weeks-long delay because of the coronavirus pandemic, umpires wore protective masks and cheerleaders...
Tim Benz: Ideas for ESPN’s next docuseries after ‘The Last Dance.’ Cast your vote.
ESPN’s “The Last Dance” has been quite a hit. The 10-part documentary series on Michael Jordan and the Bulls of the 1990s is generating an incredible buzz. Pittsburgh Penguins Radio Network host Brian Metzer joined me for our usual “Breakfast With Benz” hockey podcast, and we spun the conversation into...
Baseball artists, writers shut out by coronavirus pandemicVideo
NEW YORK — Anika Orrock was all warmed up for her big pitch. On the mound at Yankee Stadium, tossing out the ceremonial first ball. On Tuesday night, though, the baseball illustrator and cartoonist will be far from the Bronx. Instead of starting off the Pittsburgh Pirates-New York Yankees game,...
‘The Wax Pack’ chronicles road trip inspired by baseball cards
NEW YORK — Brad Balukjian tore open a pack of 1986 Topps baseball cards, chewed the stale, brittle bubblegum and then planned a road trip most sports fans could only dream about. The college biology professor set out to meet every player whose image appeared on those old pieces of...
Nationals manager Martinez determined to celebrate ’19 World Series in front of fansVideo
WASHINGTON — No one knows for sure how, when and where — or, truly, even if — MLB will play games in 2020. Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez feels certain of this much: His team will wait to properly mark its World Series championship with spectators in the seats. “I’m...
Sources: MLB, umpires reach pay deal during coronavirus pandemic
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball and its umpires have reached a deal to cover a 2020 pay structure during the coronavirus pandemic, including a 50% cut in May and nothing more this year if no games are played. The sides struck an agreement late Thursday night, two people told...
Hall of Famer Andre Dawson deals with coronavirus as morticianVideo
MIAMI — The man consoling mourners and directing his staff at Paradise Memorial Funeral Home might look familiar if he wasn’t wearing a mask. It’s baseball Hall of Famer Andre Dawson. Owning a funeral home took some getting used to, Dawson said Thursday, and now he’s adjusting to life as...
Baseball Hall of Fame cancels induction ceremonyVideo
Derek Jeter, Larry Walker and the rest of this year’s Baseball Hall of Fame class will have to wait another year for their big moment at Cooperstown. The Hall of Fame announced Wednesday it has canceled the July 26 induction ceremony because of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the class will...
MLB teams adjusting as pandemic affects draft preparation
The Detroit Tigers can feel certain about one thing: They have the No. 1 pick in the draft. What that MLB Draft will look like, when and where it will take place and how the selections will be made still isn’t clear. “It’s going to present different challenges, probably,” said...
Sources: Major League Baseball opening options include 3 regional divisions
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is exploring various options that could allow the season to start if the medical situation allows, including a plan in which the 30 teams could be split into three regional divisions. Among the formats is one in which teams could be restricted to playing...
MLB reverses ticket policy, clearing way for teams to offer refunds to fans
With more than 400 major league games already called off because of the coronavirus outbreak, the league Tuesday reversed a policy that had restricted fans from widespread refunds on tickets to those games. On a conference call, Major League Baseball informed team officials that they no longer needed to advise...
Orioles 1B Trey Mancini expects to miss season to treat colon cancerVideo
BALTIMORE — Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini is undergoing chemotherapy for stage 3 colon cancer and expects to miss the season if major leaguers return this summer. Mancini had a malignant tumor removed shortly before turning 28 on March 18. He has been undergoing chemotherapy since April 13. “My treatment will...
MLB official testifies he thought commissioner Manfred would stop umpire Hernandez from working SeriesVideo
NEW YORK — A major league official testified he suggested Angel Hernandez be removed from consideration for the 2015 World Series because he did not think commissioner Rob Manfred would approve the umpire to work baseball’s premier event. Hernandez sued MLB in 2017, alleging race discrimination and cited his failure...
Steve Dalkowski, inspiration for ‘Bull Durham,’ dies at 80Video
Steve Dalkowski, a hard-throwing, wild left-hander whose minor league career inspired the creation of Nuke LaLoosh in the movie “Bull Durham,” has died. He was 80. He died Sunday at the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain. His sister, Patricia Cain, said Friday he had several pre-existing conditions that...
Cubs foursome sharing house, experiences awaiting baseballVideo
CHICAGO — When the coronavirus pandemic stopped spring training last month, Ian Happ offered Nico Hoerner, Zack Short and Dakota Mekkes a place to stay if they wanted to remain in Arizona. That’s how “The Compound” was born. Happ, Hoerner, Short and Mekkes — four players from the Cubs’ organization...
Red Sox stripped of draft pick, Alex Cora suspended for 2020Video
NEW YORK — The Boston Red Sox were stripped of their second-round pick in this year’s amateur draft by MLB for sign stealing in 2018 and former manager Alex Cora was suspended through the 2020 postseason for his previous conduct as bench coach with the Houston Astros. Baseball commissioner Rob...
Minor league baseball prepared to accept losing 40 affiliatesVideo
NEW YORK — The minor leagues are prepared to agree to Major League Baseball’s proposal to cut guaranteed affiliations from 160 to 120 next year, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press, a plan that would that would impact hundreds of prospects and cut player development expenses....
Fans sue MLB, teams over ticket money, ask for class action
LOS ANGELES — A pair of fans in New York sued Major League Baseball, Commissioner Rob Manfred and the 30 teams, asking for their money back for tickets and for certification of class-action status. The lawsuit was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles by Matthew Ajzenman, who...
MLB can cut pay, lay off managers, coaches starting May 1Video
NEW YORK — Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred made a move that allows teams to lay off or cut the pay of major and minor league managers, coaches, trainers and full-time scouts starting May 1. Manfred suspended uniform employee contracts that cover about 9,000 people, including general managers on some teams....
U mad, bro? Shut-in readers gnash teeth about Ben Roethlisberger; Mike Tomlin vs. Bill Cowher; MLB’s future
It appears the longer we stay locked inside because of coronavirus fears, the angrier our audience is getting. Yeah. Me, too. This week’s readers go after Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger, spitting baseball players and me. Mainly me. And I’m getting a little too pent up to let it go. “Treston”...
Astros manager Baker laments lack of black players on Jackie Robinson DayVideo
Houston manager Dusty Baker celebrated Jackie Robinson’s legacy on the 73rd anniversary of the fall of the major league color barrier and lamented the lack of African Americans in today’s game. “It’s frustrating because we’ve talked about it forever … but it seems like the numbers are dwindling instead of...
MLB commissioner Manfred says he will ‘turn over every stone’ for seasonVideo
NEW YORK — Rob Manfred wants MLB to be in position to take the field whenever government and health officials give the go-ahead. “I think it’s incumbent upon us to turn over every stone to try to play the game in 2020 if there’s any way we can in the...
NTSB report: Halladay had amphetamines in system, was doing acrobatics before fatal plane crashVideo
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Baseball Hall of Famer Roy Halladay had high-levels of amphetamines in his system and was doing extreme acrobatics when he lost control of his small plane and nosedived into Tampa Bay in 2017, killing him, a National Transportation Safety Board report issued Wednesday said. Halladay had...
First Call: Watt brothers star on ‘Tonight Show’; sports movie ideas for Stephen King’s list
For “First Call” Wednesday, we try to help out renowned horror writer Stephen King. And the Watt brothers take over “The Tonight Show.” The offseason of the Watt brothers continues. Steelers T.J. and Derek Watt joined older brother J.J. Watt during a segment on “The Tonight Show” Tuesday. It was...
Giants, A’s, Diamondbacks among MLB teams in coronavirus studyVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks are two of the MLB teams participating in a study of the coronavirus that will test hundreds of people — including players — from the various clubs for antibodies. Arizona and San Francisco confirmed they were participating. The Oakland Athletics...
