Giants ace Lincecum cited for marijuana possession: Another golden boy tarnished. Will Selig take a stand? It's not like pot is a performance enhancer...at least on the mound.

posted by lab to baseball at 12:11 PM - 20 comments

Girardi risks his life helping accident victim after the series celebration: Yankees manager Joe Girardi not only won the World Series, but he also helped an accident victim on his way home from the game.

posted by JButton to baseball at 02:35 PM - 11 comments

Yankees Win World Series: The New York Yankees have won their 27th World Series, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in game 6 behind Hideki Matsui's world-record-tying 6 RBI. Matsui, whose seven-year, $73 million contract has run out, won the MVP after hitting 8-for-13 in the series with 3 home runs and 8 RBI. "We needed this World Series win," writes Joanna Malloy of the New York Daily News. "Those without health insurance, who pay medical bills out of their dwindling savings. Those who trusted the pumped-up muscle of Wall Street, only to see it go as flaccid and tremulous as an unreliable old wrestler with bad habits." Team owner George Steinbrenner was not on hand, watching it from his home in Tampa.

posted by rcade to baseball at 06:50 AM - 102 comments

Phillies Force Game 6 with 8-6 Squeaker: Philadelphia Phillies starter Cliff Lee won his second game of the World Series in an 8-6 game 5 win over the New York Yankees, narrowing the series gap to 3-2. More late inning Yankees heroics were not enough to overcome the Phillies' six-run lead. "All season, the Phillies have talked of their mental fortitude, of the way they shed defeat like a waterproof deck," writes David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer, mixing metaphors like a Blendtec Total Blender. The defeat-shedding waterproof Phillies will throw Pedro Martinez against either Andy Pettitte on three days' rest or seldom-used Chad Gaudin.

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:01 AM - 32 comments

Utley ties Reggie's World Series Record: Utley has hit five homers in five games, tying Reggie Jackson (1977) as the only other player in history with that many in a single World Series. And Mr. November will have at least one more opportunity, in Game 6 tomorrow in New York, to replace Mr. October in the record books.

posted by DudeDykstra to baseball at 03:19 AM - 21 comments

Yankees One Win Away After Brad Lidge Collapse: After the Philadelphia Phillies tied the game on an eighth inning home run by Pedro Feliz, closer Brad Lidge gave up three two-out runs to the New York Yankees in the ninth. The 7-4 win in game 4 puts the Yankees one win away from their [placeholder for obscenely large number] World Series crown. Joba Chamberlain, while wallowing in misery in the dugout for blowing the lead on the Feliz home run, got the win.

posted by rcade to baseball at 07:22 AM - 16 comments

Yankees Take 2-1 Series Lead Behind A-Rod, Pettitte: Andy Pettitte hit a game-tying RBI single and won a record 17th postseason game as the New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5 in game 3 of the World Series. Alex Rodriguez hit the first instant-replay home run in Series history and Jayson Werth hit two home runs for the Phillies in a losing effort. Managerial decisions come into play tonight, as Joe Girardi calls on ace C.C. Sabathia to start while Charlie Manuel holds on to Cliff Lee for game 5.

posted by rcade to baseball at 07:39 AM - 9 comments

Aluminum Bat Maker Liable in Baseball Player's Death: The manufacturer of Louisville Slugger bats, Hillerich & Bradsby, has been ordered to pay $792,000 in a product liability lawsuit to the estate of Brandon Patch, an 18-year-old American Legion pitcher killed in 2006 when struck in the temple by a batted ball hit by an aluminum bat. The jury found that the company failed to warn users of the danger of its aluminum bats, which strike balls 8 mph faster than wooden ones, according to physicist Daniel A. Russell. The Patches believe aluminum bats should be banned. "We should go back to the way baseball is supposed to be played," said Debbie Patch.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:59 AM - 56 comments

Yankees Even Series Behind Burnett, Rivera: A.J. Burnett gave up one run over seven innings and Mariano Rivera got a six-out save as the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 in game 2, evening the World Series at one game apiece. Rivera notched his 38th postseason save, 22 more than anyone else in Major League history. Pitchers from Arkansas represented by Darek Braunecker are 2-0 this Series.

posted by rcade to baseball at 08:46 AM - 28 comments

Tim McCarver Sings: "As Tim McCarver is fond of saying, 'A picture is worth a thousand words,' and in the process of listening to an entire great American songbook, your brain will take you away to anywhere between three and seven pictures, idylls and reveries that tap into the collective unconscious memory of what it meant to walk amidst Eden."-- a review of the new album, Tim McCarver Sings Selections from The Great American Songbook

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:37 AM - 12 comments

Cliff Lee Dominates as Phillies Take Game 1: Cliff Lee threw a complete-game six hitter as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Yankees 6-1 in game 1 of the World Series. Chase Utley had two solo homers off losing pitcher C.C. Sabathia, including the winning run -- becoming the first left-hander in the Series to hit two home runs off a left-handed pitcher since some guy named Babe Ruth. "You've got to go out there and think you're going to get everybody out, and think you can," Lee said. I think he can I think he can.

posted by rcade to baseball at 07:27 AM - 15 comments

Scranton Caught Between New York and Philly: The towns of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., which are almost equidistant from New York City and Philadelphia, have another reason for their loyalties to be divided in the World Series. Known for Dunder-Mifflin and Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, the cities were a Phillies minor league affiliate from 1989 to 2006 and are now a Yankees affiliate. As many as 16 players in the series played for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons.

posted by rcade to baseball at 01:08 PM - 6 comments

The Great Willie Mays could have been a New York Yankee: Sorry if this has been seen, but I just found this and thought it was interesting, especially given the Yankees advancing to the World Series this week. Also, though it was pretty historically significant. This is about a new book about Willie Mays, called Willie's Boys.

posted by jjdm to baseball at 08:57 PM - 1 comment

The Nation is Well Again - the Yankees are back in the World Series: Normally reliable and skilled NY Times writer Tyler Kepner loses his balance and goes over the hometown edge, stating that postseason baseball has been ordinary and without drama since the last time the Yankees were in the World Series, and suggesting that there is a direct correlation between the absence of the Yankees and the woefulness of the playoffs. In one fell swoop, A-Rod's childlike wonder at his first trip to the Series is brought back to earth by a return to arrogance. From the pages of the newspaper of record, no less.

posted by beaverboard to baseball at 07:18 PM - 14 comments

Yankees, Phillies Meet Again in World Series: When the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies meet Wednesday in game one of the World Series, it will mark the second time the storied franchises have faced each other in the Fall Classic. In 1950, the Yankees were led by Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio and Whitey Ford, while the Phillies had Richie Ashburn, Robin Roberts and the "Whiz Kids." The Yanks won the first three games by one run and went on to sweep the series. One month before they played, Phillies' 17-game winner Curt Simmons was called up to military service in Korea.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:53 AM - 8 comments

Mark McGwire to rejoin Cardinals?: "We're getting closer," La Russa told ESPN.com on Sunday. "But nothing has been decided yet. I can't tell you anything yet."

posted by BoKnows to baseball at 08:08 PM - 49 comments

Acta joins Indians: If anyone has Cleveland to win the AL Central next season, you may want to look again.

posted by jjzucal to baseball at 05:33 PM - 2 comments

Press box versus box score: Big league game stories are conventionally formulaic. So why not create them using an actual formula? Stats Monkey is a project aimed at automatically generating those staples of sports journalism by analyzing box scores and play-by-play feeds. Toronto Star writer Cathal Kelly fires back by revealing the secret process used by human journalists to come up with those precious 700 words, and breaking down a side-by-side comparison.

posted by DrJohnEvans to baseball at 10:56 AM - 7 comments

Dodgers' Frank McCourt fires wife as CEO as couple seeks divorce: Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has fired his wife Jamie as CEO of the Dodgers, in what is certain to be a messy divorce. The question now being asked ... can Jamie McCourt be fired, if she is considered the co-owner of the team.

posted by cletus7777 to baseball at 10:30 PM - 6 comments

Phillies Move on to World Series: The defending champion Philadelphia Phillies downed the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games, winning 10-4 to advance to the World Series. They're attempting to become the first National League team to repeat as champs since the Cincinnati Reds in 1976. "We're looking at the best Philadelphia team of all time," writes Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Phil Sheridan. "Not just the best major-league baseball team, mind you, but the greatest Philadelphia team of any era, in any sport."

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:02 AM - 16 comments

ESPN's Steve Phillips caught in affair with 22-year-old production assistant: Recently revealed that ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips had an affair with a 22-year-old production assistant, who then allegedly went all "Fatal Attraction" on him after the breakup. Phone calls, a graphic letter (with a vivid description of Phillips' crotch), and even a fake Facebook account to get family info from Phillips' kid. Weird stuff.

posted by cletus7777 to baseball at 12:57 PM - 76 comments

Can the Yankees Be Stopped?: The New York Yankees have begun to look unbeatable, Joe Posnanski writes for Sports Illustrated. Particularly in the final three innings where their slugging percentage has been .511 this year. "Pitcher after pitcher will talk about how it's just such a mental grind to face the Yankees because there are no breaks in the lineup, no easy outs, no hitters you can relax against. They all take pitches. They all have power. The Yankees are just constant pressure -- the ocean beating against the shore -- and like boxers working the body they feel confident that they will get you in the later rounds."

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:31 AM - 59 comments

Manny's Grab, Clutch Hits Help Dodgers Tie NLCS: "Matt Kemp hit a go ahead homer, Casey Blake's first NLCS RBI stood as the decisive run and Manny Ramirez made a game-saving catch to give L.A. a series-tying 4-3 win over Philly." Or at least that's what the MLB.Com web site reported last night. The Phillies came back in the ninth inning to take a 3-1 series lead.

posted by rcade to baseball at 12:58 PM - 7 comments

Vincent: Baseball Should Train Its Own Umpires: As this continues to be a postseason defined by blown calls, former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent writes in today's New York Times that the sport's umpires need an upgrade. "Major League Baseball does not train its own umpires, and therefore it has not established practices that would attract the best people," Vincent writes. "To attract the kind of young people any business would want, Major League Baseball should establish a thoroughly professional training system for umpires -- and ensure that every official it hires is up to the job."

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:29 AM - 15 comments

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie, the team's chief executive, have separated: raising questions about the potential effect of their rift on the ownership of the franchise as the Dodgers prepare to start the National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies today at Dodger Stadium.

posted by cjets to baseball at 10:25 AM - 15 comments

Angels Sweep Red Sox, Head to ALCS: Dave Henderson's first pitch mojo wasn't enough. Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who had never allowed a run in 26 postseason innings, blew a ninth-inning save Sunday as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim came back and won 7-6, completing a 3-0 sweep of their series.

posted by rcade to baseball at 06:38 PM - 26 comments

Another call for instant replay: "The human element. That's the best argument purists muster against widespread instant replay in Major League Baseball," writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. "Let's see how that works: Umpires make mistakes because they're human, and -- that makes it OK! Somehow, it's difficult to believe such reasoning would stand up in a court of law or, say, anywhere in the world not populated by baseball's dopey decision makers who don't understand that a huge integrity problem is about to smack them in the face."

posted by jemikeos to baseball at 11:59 PM - 16 comments

Dodgers Sweep Cardinals, Advance to NLCS: The Los Angeles Dodgers won 5-1 over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night, sweeping their three-game playoff series to reach the National League Championship Series for the second straight year. The Cards went 1-9 after wrapping up the NL Central.

posted by rcade to baseball at 10:57 PM - 18 comments

Seats of Gold: Yankee Stadium's Legends Suite Was Sparsely Populated At Times This Season - A Sign Of What Greed Does To Loyalty.

posted by justgary to baseball at 04:24 PM - 6 comments

Umpire Billy Evans: In all probability when the 1919 series is over, a diagnosis of it will show that the final result was brought about by some unusual situation or freak happening that was given no consideration when the relative strength of the two clubs was considered.

posted by justgary to baseball at 02:54 PM - 4 comments

Babe Ruth the way you've never seen him before: MLB productions releases film of Babe Ruth never publicly seen.

posted by cjets to baseball at 08:27 PM - 7 comments

Young Fan Gets Back Ryan Howard's 200th Career Home Run Ball: Back in July, when the Phillies' Ryan Howard hit his 200th career home run, it was noteworthy because he achieved the milestone in fewer games than anyone in major league history.

posted by BornIcon to baseball at 01:34 PM - 26 comments

Twins, Tigers Will Decide AL Central in Playoff: For the third straight year -- a new record -- the Major League Baseball season has been extended by a day to break a divisional tie. The Detroit Tigers (86-76) will travel to Minnesota to face the Twins (86-76) at 5:07 p.m. Eastern Tuesday. Unlike past years there was no coin flip: Minnesota won the season series 11-7 between the teams, earning the right to host this game in a rule change. In a sad milestone for indoor baseball purists, this could be the last baseball game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

posted by rcade to baseball at 09:47 AM - 14 comments

Top 7 Underrated Baseball Moments since 1990: A short summary of baseball moments since 1990 that have kind of slid under the radar and really should have gotten or should continue to get some pub as some of the greatest performances and records of this era.

posted by BoKnows to baseball at 03:34 PM - 2 comments

Axe comes down on Ricciardi : The Toronto Blue Jays fired general manager J.P. Ricciardi on Saturday, ending an eventful eight-year reign marked by frequent controversy and mediocre teams never good enough to reach the postseason. Many fans will wonder what took so long as Ricciardi, along with centre-fielder Vernon Wells, had become the lightning rod for those most frustrated with the team's playoff drought, which dates back to 1993 when the Blue Jays won their second consecutive World Series. Wells has five years remaining on his $127-million, seven-year deal, an albatross contract that will handcuff the club for many seasons to come. The team managed to escape the $60-million remaining on Rios's deal when he was claimed off waivers by the White Sox, but Ricciardi got nothing in return. Ricciardi twice caused spats by publicly wondering if former pitcher A.J. Burnett's injuries were simply in his head.

He had countless memorable quotes over the years, perhaps the definitive one coming during a radio show while taking calls from fans.

"It's not a lie if we know the truth," he said about the back injury story concocted for B.J. Ryan when the left-hander was actually having elbow issues in 2007.

posted by tommytrump to baseball at 12:48 PM - 13 comments

Book: Cryogenics Workers Batted Around Ted Williams' Head: As if the story of Ted Williams' death wasn't sad enough already, his head was abused by workers at the Alcor cryogenics facility where it was stored, former Alcor executive Larry Johnson alleges in a new book. A worker played batting practice with his head to get it unstuck from a tunafish can, Johnson claims. "Nothing in the book is as gruesome as Johnson's descriptions of what happened to Williams' body," the New York Post reports.

posted by rcade to baseball at 03:26 PM - 9 comments

A Moving Tribute: Angels Celebrate Playoff Berth with Nick Adenhart: Traditionally, when a Major League Baseball team secures a playoff spot, they have a party in the clubhouse where they spray champagne and beer all over the place. On Monday night, the Angels won the American League West and clinched a playoff berth. While celebrating in the clubhouse, the Angels grabbed the jersey of the late Nick Adenhart and began pouring champagne on it.

posted by BornIcon to baseball at 01:04 PM - 16 comments

Cleveland Indians Fire Manager Eric Wedge: The Cleveland Indians have fired manager Eric Wedge and his entire coaching staff. In his seven seasons with the team, Wedge was 560-568. He'll finish out the last six games of the year. Two years ago, he led the Indians to a 96-66 record, AL Central championship and a trip to the ALCS.

posted by rcade to baseball at 05:03 PM - 5 comments

Mike Blowers sees the future: The Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays are out of the playoff race. The radio broadcast of their game on September 27th probably didn't have a lot of listeners on Sunday morning in Seattle, but those who were listening got to hear a wild prediction by Mariners' color commentator and former player Mike Blowers on the pregame show, and the subsequent hilarity in the broadcast booth when his prediction came true.

posted by fumblerooski to baseball at 11:18 PM - 14 comments

Zambrano thinking retirement?: "It's been a disappointing season," he replied. "People say, 'Why can't you pitch like that all the time?' It's not all the time I feel like that."

posted by BoKnows to baseball at 01:00 PM - 4 comments