Tag Archives: MLB

Appeals court upholds ruling to unseal MLB’s 2017 letter on sign stealing

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Look, if you’re going to follow a weird story, you’ve got to stay committed to following that weird story. A September 2017 letter from Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred detailing alleged sign-stealing by the New York Yankees should be … Continue reading →

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MLB’s Canadian conundrum

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an interesting wrinkle to the recently-resolved MLB lockout. With the Major League Baseball season set to start, unvaccinated players will once again need to sit out series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Players who haven’t been … Continue reading →

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MLB ends its lockout

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

One small bit of good news. Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association reached a tentative agreement on a new collective-bargaining agreement Thursday, ending the league’s 99-day lockout of the players and salvaging a 162-game season, sources familiar with … Continue reading →

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David Ortiz elected to MLB Hall of Fame

Posted on January 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations, Big Papi. With the process still tainted by the steroid era, David Ortiz was the lone player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame this year, while others like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were shut out. “Big Papi” … Continue reading →

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MLB Hall of Fame rights a couple of wrongs

Posted on December 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations, Buck O’Neil and Minnie Minoso, and the four other new Hall members. Six candidates earned election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday via the Eras Committee process, it was announced today on MLB Network. Gil Hodges, … Continue reading →

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The Hall of Fame 2022 ballot

Posted on November 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Should be another interesting year. The ballot for the 2022 BBWAA Baseball Hall of Fame class was released Monday. The 30-player ballot is headlined by some huge names in their 10th and final year on the ballot — Curt Schilling, … Continue reading →

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NAACP tells athletes to steer clear of Texas

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

At least someone is willing to take a stand. The NAACP is urging professional athletes who are free agents to boycott Texas over recent restrictive voting and abortion laws as well as policies stopping local governments from enacting coronavirus containment … Continue reading →

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Astros reach settlement with the family of the girl hit by the foul ball

Posted on August 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Some closure to a tough story. The family of a girl struck by a foul ball at Minute Maid Park during the 2019 season has reached a confidential settlement with the Astros, the family’s attorney said Friday afternoon. Because the … Continue reading →

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Astros again seek to dismiss Bolsinger lawsuit

Posted on July 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They will probably succeed. The Astros have submitted their proposal for a Harris County judge to dismiss former Toronto Blue Jays reliever Mike Bolsinger’s lawsuit against the team. Bolsinger has alleged trade misappropriation and sought more than $1 million in … Continue reading →

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Will MLB come to Central Texas?

Posted on June 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Drayton McLane thinks it might. Drayton McLane, who knows a thing or two about the subject, believes Central Texas is closing in on being able to support its own Major League Baseball team. That pronouncement might lead you to wonder … Continue reading →

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Former MLB pitcher re-files lawsuit against Astros

Posted on May 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the second attempt to sue them for damages over the sign stealing scheme from 2017. Continuing to maintain that the Astros’ 2017 sign stealing cost him a job in the major leagues, former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Mike Bolsinger … Continue reading →

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Leave me out of the ballgame

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

What a snowflake. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced he would not throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Texas Rangers’ home opening game and would boycott any other Major League Baseball events, citing the league’s decision to pull … Continue reading →

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MLB pulls 2021 All Star Game out of Georgia

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Well, well, well. Major League Baseball on Friday pulled this year’s All-Star Game out of Atlanta in protest of Georgia’s new restrictive voting law. The “Midsummer Classic” was set for July 13 at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, in addition to other … Continue reading →

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Take me out to the ballgame?

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready for this. The Texas Rangers plan to open Globe Life Field to a full-capacity crowd of 40,518 for their final two exhibition games and their regular-season home opener on April 5. … Continue reading →

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Luhnow lawsuit dismissed

Posted on February 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing left to litigate about, apparently. Former Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow’s lawsuit against the ballclub was dismissed on Friday after both parties “resolved their differences,” severing the final tie between the team and its most successful executive in history. … Continue reading →

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MLB deadens its balls

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Wait, that sounds wrong. Major League Baseball has slightly deadened its baseballs amid a years-long surge in home runs, a source confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday. MLB anticipates the changes will be subtle, and a memo to teams … Continue reading →

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The Sports Betting Alliance

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Keep an eye on this. A new alliance of major Texas sports teams has announced they will be backing legislation to allow for sports betting in Texas. The Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers, and the Dallas Mavericks are among the … Continue reading →

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Will Spring Training start on time?

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe, maybe not. Less than a month before pitchers and catchers are set to report, the Cactus League released a letter it sent to Major League Baseball in which it called for spring training to be delayed, a move it … Continue reading →

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No Hall of Famers this year

Posted on January 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Better luck next year. On Tuesday, the Baseball Writers Association of America revealed the 2021 Hall of Fame voting results. No players appeared on at least 75 percent of this year’s ballots, meaning no one will earn induction through the … Continue reading →

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MLB recognizes Negro Leagues as official major leagues

Posted on December 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

A long time coming. Major League Baseball has long celebrated the legacy of the Negro Leagues. But for the first time, MLB is officially recognizing that the quality of the segregation-era circuits was comparable to its own product from that … Continue reading →

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The Cleveland Baseball Team

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The Major League Baseball team in Cleveland will get a new name. Cleveland’s Major League Baseball franchise has decided to change its team name, moving away from the Indians moniker it has employed for more than 100 years and that … Continue reading →

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The Hall of Fame 2021 ballot

Posted on November 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Always a favorite time of the year. While the 2021 ballot announced Monday features former All-Stars such as Torii Hunter, Tim Hudson, Mark Buehrle and Barry Zito, none of its first-timers is an obvious Hall of Famer. The crowded crush … Continue reading →

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More on the Luhnow lawsuit

Posted on November 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Because I now have the brain space to think about stuff like this again. While baseball fans and courtroom voyeurs might long for a public legal showdown between Astros owner Jim Crane and former general manager Jeff Luhnow, attorneys say … Continue reading →

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Luhnow sues Astros

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be entertaining. Jeff Luhnow sued the Houston Astros for breach of contract on Sunday, alleging that Astros owner Jim Crane and Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred negotiated penalties for the sign-stealing scandal that enabled the team … Continue reading →

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What more is there to be said about the Astros sign stealing scandal?

Posted on November 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There’s at least one podcast’s worth of material out there. Rather than writing a sequel to “Astroball,” his 2018 book about the improbable rise of the Jim Crane/Jeff Luhnow-era Astros, former Sports Illustrated writer Ben Reiter opted for a six-episode … Continue reading →

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Astros ticketholder lawsuit update

Posted on November 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I share because I care. The Astros have asked the state 14th Court of Appeals to dismiss a consolidated lawsuit filed by three groups of disgruntled ticketholders, repeating many of the same arguments in favor of dismissal that they presented … Continue reading →

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MLB is on its way back

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

What a long, strange trip it was, and who knows how successful any of it will ultimately be. But here we are. The lack of a deal between MLB and the MLB Players Association led to the league imposing a … Continue reading →

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Fauci and football

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I hate to rain on your tailgate, but… The NFL is planning to begin its season on time, but Dr. Anthony Fauci pulled the reins on that optimistic view Wednesday. “Unless players are essentially in a bubble – insulated from … Continue reading →

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No Yankees letter yet

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

May we all keep following this, all the other news about baseball is terrible. The Yankees and Major League Baseball on Monday asked the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals to prevent public release of a 2017 letter from MLB commissioner … Continue reading →

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A few bumps in the road for the NBA

Posted on June 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

How’s that season restarting going? A month ago, superstar players got on a Zoom call and reportedly created a united front to support a safe return to play. A lot has changed since. Last week, the 28 NBPA player representatives all voted … Continue reading →

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We’re going to get the default MLB season

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. The Major League Baseball Players Association asked MLB to set a schedule for the 2020 season rather than counter the latest return-to-play proposal by the league, setting the stage for MLB to implement a significantly shortened schedule and deepening … Continue reading →

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A twist in the sign stealing story

Posted on June 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how twisted it gets. A federal judge ordered the unsealing of a 2017 letter from Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred to the New York Yankees that, according to court documents, detailed a “more serious, sign-stealing scheme” than … Continue reading →

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NBA sets a plan, MLB still working it out

Posted on June 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Happening today. The NBA is finalizing details of a plan which is expected to be approved by the league’s Board of Governors on Thursday, paving the way for a return from the coronavirus shutdown. The board is poised to give … Continue reading →

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MLB players make their counteroffer

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Back to the owners. The Major League Baseball Players Association delivered a return-to-play proposal to MLB on Sunday that includes a 114-game season, deferred salaries in the event of a canceled postseason and the option for all players to opt … Continue reading →

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