Tag Archives: Rob Manfred

MLB owners approve A’s move to Las Vegas

Posted on November 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still not fully resolved, but this is going to happen, like it or not. Major League Baseball owners voted unanimously Thursday to allow the Oakland Athletics to move to Las Vegas, paving the way for the second relocation of … Continue reading →

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Rob Manfred’s regrets

Posted on July 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

He has one in particular that is of interest. In an extensive interview with TIME that was published Wednesday, the baseball commissioner talked about a lot of his successes in the sport, including the recent rules changes that has made for quicker games, but … Continue reading →

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The future Las Vegas A’s

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I mentioned this story in passing in that post about MLB in Utah, but it deserves a closer look. The Oakland Athletics have signed a binding agreement to purchase 49 acres (with an option for additional land) near the Las … Continue reading →

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MLB in Utah?

Posted on April 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s on the table. A Salt Lake City consortium led by the former owner of the Utah Jazz plans to pursue a Major League Baseball franchise in the coming years, touting the area’s population growth, strong economy and baseball history … Continue reading →

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Speedier baseball

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A faster-paced game with more action is exactly what MLB hoped for with its myriad rule changes, and so far it’s exactly what it has gotten. Major League Baseball’s new rules are working as hoped through the first four days … Continue reading →

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MLB reaches tentative CBA with minor leaguers

Posted on April 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Impressive. Minor league baseball players and Major League Baseball struck a tentative deal Wednesday on the first collective bargaining agreement between the sides that will more than double player pay and represents the largest-ever gains in the rights of minor … Continue reading →

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Won’t someone think of the catchers?

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There’s at least one constituency affected by the looming future of robo umps that isn’t so sure about the whole thing. While pitch clocks, bigger bases and other rules changes debut this year at the major league level, the Automated Ball-Strike System will receive its … Continue reading →

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MLB to recognize MLBPA representation of minor leaguers

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association on Saturday finalized a card-check agreement expected to formalize the league recognizing the union as the bargaining representative for a unit of minor league players in excess of 5,000 members, sources … Continue reading →

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Here comes the pitch clock

Posted on September 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some foundational rule changes are coming to MLB next year. A pitch timer, limits on defensive shifts and bigger bases are coming to Major League Baseball in 2023. Following recent experiments in the Minor Leagues, the recently formed Joint Competition … Continue reading →

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MLBPA seeks to represent minor leaguers

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see, though there are some questions that will need to be answered. The Major League Baseball Players Association took an initial step toward unionizing the minor leagues Sunday night, sending out authorization cards that will allow minor league … Continue reading →

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Baseball fans are mostly OK with the idea of robot umps

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

So says a poll, so it must be true. MLB fans, it may be time to welcome your robot overlords. Baseball is known for its long-standing traditions, unwritten rules about players’ on-field conduct and a fan base that skews older … Continue reading →

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Rob Manfred speaks

Posted on July 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

About the Astros and other things. When it comes to the Astros’ sign-stealing saga and its aftermath, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred does have one big regret. Was it his non-punishment of any individual players or granting immunity to … Continue reading →

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We finally see that Manfred letter to the Yankees

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron headline is blaring, but I kind of think we already knew most of this stuff. Major League Baseball fined the New York Yankees $100,000 in 2017 for using their replay room and dugout phone to steal their opponent’s … Continue reading →

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Courts keep turning the Yankees down

Posted on April 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Time to give up and move on, y’all. The New York Yankees keep taking losses in court. A federal appeals court has denied the team’s latest attempt to keep a 2017 letter from Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred detailing … Continue reading →

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Do tell, Chris

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. A rival of the Astros during their current run as a Major League Baseball power said Houston wasn’t the only team that’s resorted to cheating. Red Sox lefthander Chris Sale, who pitched … Continue reading →

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Carlos Beltrán speaks about sign stealing

Posted on April 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Carlos Beltrán, the venerated designated hitter painted by Major League Baseball as a ringleader of Houston’s electronic sign-stealing scheme during the 2017 season, said this week he “wished somebody would’ve said something” and stopped the trashcan banging scheme. … Continue reading →

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Yankees still fighting to keep that MLB letter under wraps

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, it can’t hurt to ask. The New York Yankees plan to continue to fight the unsealing of a letter from MLB detailing alleged sign-stealing by the organization. The Athletic, citing a source with knowledge of the team’s plans, reported … Continue reading →

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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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