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Senin, 23 April 2012

Roger Clemens Arrives For Perjury Trial

The Roger Clemens perjury trial moves into the next phase with the planned seating of a jury and opening arguments. Opening statements are planned for Monday afternoon.


Minggu, 22 April 2012

White Sox Pitcher Phil Humber Throws Perfect Game

SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 21:  A detail of the score...SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 21: A detail of the scoreboard after starting pitcher Philip Humber #41 of the Chicago White Sox threw a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on April 21, 2012 in Seattle, Washington. This was the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
By Josh Liebeskind / MLB.com

SEATTLE -- There are good games, and there are great games. Then there are the perfect ones that stick with you for the rest of your life.

Philip Humber will never forget what he accomplished Saturday afternoon. What started with a harmless ground-ball out turned into another out, which turned into another, and another, and another. Twenty-seven outs later, Humber had the 4-0 win over the Mariners. More importantly, he had a perfect game, and his place in the record books.

"I'm thankful -- the team played awesome," said Humber, a look of half-disbelief spread across his face. "The first thing you want to do is get a win, and it was nice to have that last run there, have that four-run lead going into the ninth.

"[Catcher] A.J. [Pierzynski] did a great job, couple of great plays in outfield and just awesome. I don't even know what to say. I don't know what Phil Humber is doing in this list. No idea what my name is doing there, but thankful it's there." CONTINUE....

Selasa, 10 April 2012

Marlins Suspend Ozzie Guillen For 5 Games

Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen has been suspended for five games because of his comments about Fidel Castro. He has again apologized and says he accepts the punishment. The suspension by the team takes effect immediately.


Jumat, 06 April 2012

Texas Rangers Unveil Statue Of Fan Who Died At Game

The Texas Rangers unveiled a statue Thursday of the fan who died after falling over an outfield railing at a game last summer. The life-size bronze statue depicts Shannon Stone and his young son wearing baseball caps.


Rabu, 28 Maret 2012

Dodgers sold to Magic Johnson's group

Current logo using "Dodgers" ScriptCurrent logo using "Dodgers" Script (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- A deal has been struck between the Dodgers and legendary Laker Magic Johnson's bidding group for the Dodgers and Dodger Stadium for $2 billion, the club announced on Tuesday night. The purchase price is the highest amount ever paid for a North American sports franchise.

The sale officially is to Guggenheim Baseball Management LLC, which includes Mark R. Walter as its controlling partner, Johnson, Peter Guber, Stan Kasten, Bobby Patton and Todd Boehly. Current owner Frank McCourt and certain affiliates of the purchasers will also be forming a joint venture, which will acquire the Chavez Ravine property and parking lots for an additional $150 million.

"I am thrilled to be part of the historic Dodger franchise and intend to build on the fantastic foundation laid by Frank McCourt as we drive the Dodgers back to the front page of the sports section in our wonderful community of Los Angeles," said Johnson. CONTINUE....

Senin, 05 Maret 2012

Judge: New York Mets Owners Owe Up To $83M To Madoff Trustee

Mets LogoImage via Wikipedia
By LARRY NEUMEISTER
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) -- A judge ruled Monday that the New York Mets' owners owe up to $83 million to the trustee recovering money for Bernard Madoff investors, though he expressed doubt that the trustee will succeed in proving at a trial this month that he's entitled to as much as $300 million more.

U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff issued his four-page ruling to narrow the subject of a March 19 trial in Manhattan that results from Trustee Irving Picard's effort to force the club's owners to pay as much as $1 billion into a fund established to repay thousands of investors cheated of billions of dollars during Madoff's decadeslong fraud. CONTINUE....

MLBPA Confident In Drug-Testing System

Ryan BraunRyan Braun (Photo credit: Steve Paluch)
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com

PHOENIX -- Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Michael Weiner expressed confidence Sunday that the confidentiality breach in the Ryan Braun case was specific in nature and would not affect future investigations under the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Weiner briefed reporters following a 90-minute meeting with Brewers players at Maryvale Baseball Park, in which he discussed baseball's new Collective Bargaining Agreement, its newly expanded playoff format and Braun's unprecedented, successful appeal of a 50-game suspension.

Players from competing clubs have quizzed Weiner about the Braun case throughout his tour of Cactus League camps, and among other issues is this: How did news of Braun's failed test leak to ESPN in mid-December, more than a month before Braun's appeals hearing and more than two months before a three-member arbitration panel rendered its ruling? And, are other players at risk of similar exposure? MORE....

Sabtu, 03 Maret 2012

MLB Adopts Expanded Format For 2012 Postseason

The Major League Baseball logo.Image via Wikipedia
The 2012 Postseason will feature a 10-team format that includes two additional Wild Card Clubs and an elimination game in each League prior to the Division Series, Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced today.

Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association agreed to the changes to the new Postseason format as a part of last year's collective bargaining. The new Basic Agreement, announced on November 22nd, provided that MLB and the MLBPA would expand the Postseason no later than 2013; that a second Wild Card would be awarded in both the American League and the National League; and that a single Postseason game would be played between each League's two Wild Card Clubs, with each winner advancing to compete among the three division champions from each League in the Division Series. Following further discussions to address player concerns, the parties agreed that the new format would be used in 2012.

The change, which was endorsed by the Commissioner's 14-member Special Committee for On-Field Matters, marks the first amendment to the Postseason since MLB adopted the six-division, eight-team Postseason structure in January of 1994. The first Postseason to be played under that format occurred in 1995.

Commissioner Selig said: "I greatly appreciate the MLBPA's cooperation in putting the new Postseason format in place this year. The enthusiasm for the 10-team structure among our Clubs, fans and partners has been overwhelming. This change increases the rewards of a division championship and allows two additional markets to experience playoff baseball each year, all while maintaining the most exclusive Postseason in professional sports."

Michael Weiner, the Executive Director of the MLBPA, said: "The players are eager to begin playing under this new format in 2012 and they look forward to moving to full realignment in 2013. Our negotiating committee and the owners' representatives worked hard to develop a schedule that should make for fairer competition and provide our fans with a very exciting season."

For the 2012 Postseason only, the five-game Division Series will begin with two home games for lower seeds, followed by up to three home games for higher seeds. This one-year change will eliminate a travel day prior to a decisive Game Five of the Division Series and was necessary because the 2012 regular season schedule was announced before the agreement on the new Postseason was reached. Next year, the Division Series will return to the 2-2-1 format used in previous years. Details on the scheduling of the new elimination games between each League's Wild Cards will be announced in the near future.

Prior to 1994, the only changes to the Postseason system in Baseball history were in 1903 and from 1919-1921, when the sport had a nine-game World Series, and in 1969, with the advent of League Championship Series play before the World Series. (Prior to the inaugural World Series in 1903, Baseball experimented with Postseason competition as compact as a best-of-five system in 1884 and as elongated as a best-of-15 series in 1887.)

Kamis, 01 Maret 2012

Wild Card Expansion For 2012 Talks Ongoing

The Major League Baseball logo.Image via Wikipedia
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are working toward a Thursday deadline to expand the playoffs by adding two additional Wild Card teams overall, creating a one-game first-round playoff in each league, beginning with the 2012 postseason.

The new format was set late last year for a 2013 inception in the new five-year Basic Agreement between the owners and union. The two sides had a deadline of about two months to negotiate the logistics of beginning it a year early.

A report on Wednesday that the deal is nearly complete could not be confirmed. A highly placed source said negotiations between the two sides were ongoing and that work still had to be done. FULL STORY....

An Emotional Jason Varitek Calls It A Career

Jason VaritekImage via Wikipedia
By Zack Meisel / MLB.com

Jason Varitek sat near home plate, but not in his typical squatting position.

He wasn't wearing a mask or chest protector. Instead, he sported a gray suit and purple tie.

The longtime Red Sox captain officially announced his retirement Thursday at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla., ending a 15-year big league career, all with Boston. READ ON....

Selasa, 28 Februari 2012

Collector Of Ryan Braun's Sample Refutes Allegations

By Adam McCalvy and AJ Cassavell / MLB.com

Five days after Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun won his appeal of a 50-game suspension by blaming a faulty collection process, the collector of Braun's sample responded with a three-page statement.

Dino Laurenzi Jr. defended himself Tuesday, saying he followed Comprehensive Drug Testing protocol in handling Braun's urine sample, and he outlined the process in which he did so.

Laurenzi, who said the situation has taken an emotional toll on him, said he would not comment further on the situation. He has hired an attorney. READ ON....

Senin, 27 Februari 2012

Mets Owner: Sale of Mets Shares Approved / New York Mets 'Very Optimistic' About 2013 All-Star Game

Mets LogoImage via Wikipedia
Mets Owner: Sale of Mets Shares Approved

By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon said on Tuesday that Major League Baseball has approved the sale of seven shares of the team, which are in escrow, and that three more could soon be on the way. Wilpon also revealed that his family has purchased two additional shares, potentially giving the Mets as much as a $240 million infusion of cash.

"[Fans] shouldn't be concerned about us owning the franchise," Wilpon said, "because we intend to own the franchise for a very long time." FULL POST....

New York Mets 'Very Optimistic' About 2013 All-Star Game

By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The Mets are still "very optimistic" about hosting the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field, principal owner Fred Wilpon said Monday, though an announcement does not appear imminent.

Wilpon indicated that the team's outstanding $25 million emergency loan from Major League Baseball will not affect its ability to host the game.

"The loan has nothing to do with it," Wilpon said. "I think the holdup on the All-Star Game is conditions have changed for New York City and their finances, and what they can do and their negotiations. We're not part of those negotiations." CONTINUE....

Ryan Zimmerman Signs Six-Year Extension With Washington Nationals

Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals dur...Image via Wikipedia
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com

VIERA, Fla. -- Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman signed a six-year, $100 million extension with a full no-trade clause on Sunday. There is also a club option for $18 million.

Zimmerman is one of six players -- along with Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Troy Tulowitzki, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp -- signed through 2019. The move means that Zimmerman will spend the rest of his career in a Nationals uniform.

"Since I've arrived here in 2006, he is the epitome of a lead-by-example guy," said general manager Mike Rizzo on why he wanted to sign Zimmerman long term. "If I said it once, I said it a million times to the other younger players: 'Just watch the way he prepares.' READ ON....

Start Of Exhibition Games Signals Spring Rush

Major League Baseball player Robert Fick with ...Image via Wikipedia
By Doug Miller / MLB.com

Let the exhibition games begin.

After weeks of pitchers' fielding practice, bullpen sessions on back fields, batting practice and intrasquad games, fans in Arizona and Florida will finally get to see the first real evidence of the coming season later this week.

We're talking about March, which means real Major League Baseball teams pitted against each other in packed stadiums as the smell of hot dogs, popcorn and sunscreen wafts through the stands. CONTINUE READING....

Sabtu, 25 Februari 2012

Bobby Valentine Bans Alcohol In Red Sox Clubhouse

By Ian Browne / MLB.com

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine announced to his team on Saturday that he will ban alcohol in the clubhouse this season. The decision came on the heels of starting pitchers admitting they consumed alcohol during games they weren't pitching in last season instead of supporting their teammates on the bench.

However, for Valentine, the rule is pretty much standard operating procedure.

"It's just what I've already done, except for when I was in Texas I guess," Valentine said. "I'm comfortable with it that way." READ ON....

Los Angeles Dodgers Sale Complicated By Frank McCourt's Decision To Keep Land Surrounding Ballpark

Dodger Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers.Image via Wikipedia
The decision by Frank McCourt to hang onto the parking lots and land surrounding Dodger Stadium is already complicating the sale of the team and caused one high-profile group to withdraw from the bidding process.

Developer Rick Caruso and former Dodgers manager Joe Torre decided to pass on bidding for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Dodger Stadium after discovering that McCourt intended to keep the lots, per the Los Angeles Times, as well as enforce an existing contract where the Dodgers lease the lots for $14 million annually. That MLB signed off on this provision is interesting and a little sloppy: it severely diminishes the value of the total package while at the same time takes out the only asset in the packages with any true upside. Indeed, having the ability to develop the land surrounding the ballpark is what interested Caruso -- and McCourt, way back when -- in the Dodgers package: it's a very attractive parcel of land for future development in the heart of Los Angeles. While there's certainly some upside in restoring the Dodger brand and bringing fans back to Dodger Stadium, it's safe to say there's considerably more upside in the development rights to Chavez Ravine. CONTINUE....

Jumat, 24 Februari 2012

MLB, Players Defend Drug Testing Program Again

The modern MLB logo was first used in 1969.Image via Wikipedia
By RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Baseball and its players' union defended their drug testing program Friday and promised to tighten collection procedures following criticism by anti-doping agencies of an arbitrator's decision to overturn NL MVP Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension.

At a news conference in Phoenix, where he reported to the Milwaukee Brewers for spring training, Braun criticized drug testing by baseball as "fatally flawed," citing the roughly 44-hour lag between when his urine was collected and when it was given to Federal Express for transport to a laboratory in Montreal. FULL STORY....

Ryan Braun's 50-game Suspension Overturned / Braun Says The Truth Prevailed

National League MVP Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension was overturned Thursday by baseball arbitrator Shyam Das, the first time a baseball player successfully challenged a drug-related penalty in a grievance.



Saying his name has been "dragged through the mud," NL MVP Ryan Braun reported to spring training Friday and addressed the media a day after his 50-game suspension for a positive drug test was overturned by an arbitrator.


In speaking, Ryan Braun Proud Of 'Integrity'

Ryan BraunImage via Wikipedia
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com

PHOENIX -- Addressing the media one day after he became the first Major Leaguer to successfully appeal a suspected violation of MLB's Drug Treatment and Prevention Program, Brewers star outfielder Ryan Braun said the ordeal has been the greatest challenge of his life.

Upon reporting to camp on Friday, Braun first thanked MLB Players Association executive director Michael Weiner, Brewers chairman and principal owner Mark Attanasio and fans who withheld judgment throughout the process. He also emphasized that the positive test was not the result of a personal medical issue or sexually transmitted disease.

"I've tried to respect this process," Braun said. "I've tried to handle the entire situation with honor, with integrity, with class, dignity and professionalism, because that's who I am. MORE....

Senin, 06 Februari 2012

Baltimore Orioles Have Had Discussions With Manny Ramirez

Manny Ramirez in the Dodger DugoutImage via Wikipedia
By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles have had "exploratory talks" with free-agent slugger Manny Ramirez's agent, executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said on Monday.

Duquette -- fresh off a morning trade with the Rockies that netted pitchers Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom in exchange for veteran starter Jeremy Guthrie -- confirmed the Orioles' long-rumored interest in Ramirez and said that the team had watched him work out.

"We are still considering the composition of this club, and some of the challenges of integrating a player like Manny into our ballclub and market," said Duquette, who as general manager of the Red Sox signed Ramirez to an eight-year, $160 million contract in December 2000. STORY....