MLB owners ratify deal; final pitch could be closer to Christmas than HalloweenVideo
NEW YORK — If the final pitch of the 2020 baseball season comes closer to Christmas than Halloween, that’s fine with the players. MLB owners ratified a 17-page agreement with the union Friday in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with players willing to extend the season as long as...
Fantasy podcast: How MLB delay is impacting drafts; pitching injuries; Ebron vs. Eifert; QB draft slot
Major League Baseball’s commissioner has spoken, and it looks like Rob Manfred is waving the white flag on a full 162-game season because of the coronavirus delay. Not only is that a big deal for fans of the game but also for those who play fantasy baseball. In our weekly...
Bill Bartholomay, who moved Braves to Atlanta, dies at 91Video
ATLANTA — Bill Bartholomay, the former baseball owner who moved the Braves from from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966 to become MLB’s first team in the South, has died. He was 91. Bartholomay died Wednesday at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, according to his daughter, Jamie. Braves Hall of Famer Hank Aaron...
Cubs-Cardinals series in London reportedly canceled because of coronavirusVideo
MLB has made no formal announcement regarding the status of the London Series, but an England-based newspaper reported Thursday the two-game series between the Cubs and Cardinals has been canceled. The Sun reported organizers canceled the series, scheduled for June 13-14 at London Stadium, in the wake of the coronavirus...
MLB players keep service time in new deal; draft could be trimmedVideo
NEW YORK — Players agreed to a deal with MLB that would preserve service time in the event this season is canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, a person familiar with the agreement told the Associated Press. As part of the agreement Thursday night, management was given the right to...
MLB uniform maker switches to producing medical masks, gownsVideo
PHILADELPHIA — The Bryce Harper jersey that could have been worn this baseball season by the biggest Philadelphia Phillies fan is now a protective mask in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Fanatics, the company that manufactures uniforms for MLB, has suspended production on jerseys and is instead using the...
Doubleheaders? Winter windup? Baseball’s 2020 could be creativeVideo
PHOENIX — It has been another ideal week of March weather in central Arizona, with highs in the 70s and plenty of sunshine. Perfect for an Opening Day baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves that isn’t happening as planned because of the coronavirus pandemic. That reality was...
Tim Dahlberg: Enough greed, just shorten the baseball seasonVideo
Major league owners and players seem to be in rare agreement. They want to play as many games as possible, as soon as possible. Ordinarily that would be something to cheer for. But one look at the line of people in masks stretching outside Costco at 7 a.m. is evidence...
MLB ballparks will remain eerily empty on ‘opening day’
ARLINGTON, Texas — There will be no hot dogs on the grill, no beer on tap, no vendors in the stands selling peanuts and Cracker Jack. The shiny new stadium deep in the heart of Texas will still be waiting for its first Rangers game. Instead of warming up for...
First Call: Steelers embracing Watt Bros. fun, Jameis Winston chatter continues, MLB unlikely to play 162
Thursday’s “First Call” makes the Watt brother era official with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jameis Winston chatter won’t stop. Major League Baseball is accepting that a shortened year can’t be avoided. Can Tom Brady still throw a decent deep ball? And Obi Toppin is off to the NBA. As much...
Even if there is no MLB season, players still can be free agentsVideo
NEW YORK — Mookie Betts and all the players set to be free agents after the 2020 season still would get that chance if there is no baseball this year, part of a broad deal being negotiated by the commissioner’s office and the players’ association. If there is no season...
U mad, bro? ‘Anti-social’ distancing edition: Readers vent about Steelers, MLB, even… the U.S. Senate?
Pent-up “Breakfast With Benz” readers are angry “Breakfast With Benz” readers. It appears some of you who click on this page daily are not taking the pandemic shutdown well. You are lashing out at the Steelers backup quarterbacks, Antonio Brown, baseball, and… …the U.S. Senate? That’s a new one. Hey,...
Mets star Noah Syndergaard needs Tommy John surgeryVideo
NEW YORK — Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard has a torn elbow ligament and needs Tommy John surgery that will keep him out of action this year. New York medical director Dr. David Altchek will operate Thursday. “After experiencing discomfort in his elbow before spring training was suspended due to the...
Ben Frederickson: Time for MLB owners, players to find common groundVideo
Adam Wainwright was the best Cardinal to ask. The veteran starter has been in the game long enough to get a grasp of its ups and downs. He’s not afraid to speak his mind. He also knows how far and fast his words can carry. It was this combination that...
Pitt product Kevan Smith trying to catch on with Tampa Bay Rays
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Kevan Smith took some blindside hits during his days as a quarterback at Seneca Valley and Pitt. However, no blitzing linebacker or safety ever hit Smith in quite the way Los Angeles Angels general manager Billy Eppler did during a phone conversation in November. Eppler informed...
The ripple effect of huge NFL moves, delayed MLB season in the fantasy sports world
Not only is the NFL free agent madness impacting the actual league, but it’s also having a major impact on the fantasy football world. A ton of skill-position players moved, so Jeff Erickson and I have plenty to discuss for our weekly fantasy sports podcast. Obviously, Tom Brady going to...
Rockies manager Bud Black pitches doubleheaders to make up gamesVideo
Let’s play two? Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black would be down for doubleheaders. Maybe even a couple a week. That might be a necessity to make up games once a baseball season delayed by the new coronavirus gets underway. “In theory, yeah, I think all of us would be up...
Red Sox ace Chris Sale to have Tommy John surgeryVideo
BOSTON — Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale will have Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, an operation that would keep him out the entire 2020 baseball season if and when it resumes after the coronavirus pandemic. The team made the announcement Thursday, two weeks after saying that the...
MLB gives minor leaguers spring per diems; salaries TBDVideo
NEW YORK — Minor league players shut out of spring training camps will receive allowances from teams through April 8, and a plan is underway to compensate those players during the postponed portion of the regular season. Major League Baseball said Thursday that minor leaguers will receive their allowances —...
MLB could skip 2020 draftVideo
NEW YORK — MLB is considering skipping its amateur draft this year and putting off the next international signing period as a way to preserve cash while games are affected by the coronavirus, people familiar with the discussions told the Associated Press. Talks between management and the players’ association are...
How fantasy sports, gambling are affected by coronavirus; odd team surfaces for Tom Brady
Sports is a multibillion-dollar business. So is sports gambling. So is the fantasy sports industry. And a lot of people in those lines of work are being impacted by the absence of sports because of the coronavirus outbreak. Much like the casual players and big-money investors. Our friend Jeff Erickson...
MLB cancels spring games, delays openers
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is delaying the start of its season by at least two weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak and suspended the rest of its spring training game schedule. Opening day had been scheduled for March 26. Statement from Major League Baseball: pic.twitter.com/0bWS5VTRPu— MLB (@MLB) March...
AP source: MLB prefers teams flip sites if virus shuts parks
NEW YORK — If Major League Baseball can’t play in front of fans at a team’s home ballpark because of the virus outbreak, the sport’s first preference likely would be to switch games to the visiting team’s stadium if possible, a person familiar with the deliberations told The Associated Press....
Astros’ Justin Verlander has lat strain, unlikely to be ready for openerVideo
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander has a mild strain of a back muscle and said it would “probably take a miracle” for him to pitch on Opening Day against the Los Angeles Angels on March 26. In an effort to remain positive, Verlander quickly added,...
NHL, MLB, NBA, MLS close locker room access amid coronavirus outbreakVideo
MIAMI — The NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer are closing access to locker rooms and clubhouses to all non-essential personnel in response to the coronavirus crisis, the leagues announced in a joint statement Monday night. The leagues said they made the decision “after consultation with infectious...
