July 81912 — Rube Marquard’s 19-game winning streak was stopped when the New York Giants lost 7-2 to the Chicago Cubs.1935 — The AL extended its All-Star winning streak to three with a 4-1 victory at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. New York Yankee Lefty Gomez went six innings, which prompted the NL to have the rules changed so that no pitcher could throw more than three innings, unless extra innings.1941 — Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox hit a three-run, two-out homer in the ninth to give the AL a dramatic 7-5 victory in the All-Star game at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. Up to that point Arky Vaughn of the Pittsburgh Pirates was the NL hero with two home runs, the first player to do so in All-Star play. Joe and Dom DiMaggio both played for the AL, marking the first time that brothers appeared in the same All-Star game.1947 — Frank Shea became the first winning rookie pitcher in the first 14 years of All-Star play as the AL nipped the NL 2-1 at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.1952 — The NL edged the... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw arrived in Los Angeles for the restart of spring training with the Dodgers and was struck by the sight of people wearing masks while walking their dogs.“It was a little unnerving, for sure,” he said Friday when the team gathered at Dodger Stadium for the first official workout leading up to the start of the season later this month.Kershaw, his wife and three children, including a 5-month-old son, traveled from their offseason home in Texas, where they had been since the coronavirus pandemic first shut down much of the U.S. in mid-March, forcing the season to be postponed from its opening day of March 26. Masks are required to be worn in public in California; other states have differing rules.“If these three months taught me anything, I really miss the game. I miss playing, I miss pitching, I miss the guys,” Kershaw said in a video conference from the bowels of the stadium. “It was a great feeling to come back.”Third baseman Justin Turner concurred, saying,... [More]

July 81912 — Rube Marquard’s 19-game winning streak was stopped when the New York Giants lost 7-2 to the Chicago Cubs.1935 — The AL extended its All-Star winning streak to three with a 4-1 victory at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. New York Yankee Lefty Gomez went six innings, which prompted the NL to have the rules changed so that no pitcher could throw more than three innings, unless extra innings.1941 — Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox hit a three-run, two-out homer in the ninth to give the AL a dramatic 7-5 victory in the All-Star game at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. Up to that point Arky Vaughn of the Pittsburgh Pirates was the NL hero with two home runs, the first player to do so in All-Star play. Joe and Dom DiMaggio both played for the AL, marking the first time that brothers appeared in the same All-Star game.1947 — Frank Shea became the first winning rookie pitcher in the first 14 years of All-Star play as the AL nipped the NL 2-1 at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.1952 — The NL edged the... [More]

This year’s baseball draft has been shortened to five rounds, meaning the number of players picked will be significantly smaller than usual. That could leave several potential contributors among the large group of undrafted players.Although expectations are higher for prospects taken in the first couple of rounds, players drafted much later can and do become major league standouts. Here’s an All-Star team of sorts, comprised only of players taken after the fifth round.(The career wins above replacement figures listed are from Baseball-Reference.com. Players are put at positions where they flourished as major leaguers — not necessarily the positions they played at the time they were drafted.)CATCHER: Mike Piazza, Dodgers (62nd round, 1988, 59.6 WAR)Only seven teams were still making selections by the 62nd round of the 1988 draft, when the Dodgers took Piazza. His father was a friend of manager Tommy Lasorda. Piazza went on to become one of the game’s top hitters, and he is the lowest-drafted... [More]

Before all the self-proclaimed purists forecasting the destruction of baseball strategy and the very sanctity of the sport as we know it go berserk bemoaning the inclusion of a designated hitter in the National League this season, remember this:In a most remarkable October full of huge momentum swings, the pivotal blow that decided last year’s World Series was delivered by, yep, the NL DH.OK, that clang resonating off the right field foul screen at Minute Maid Park — courtesy of Howie Kendrick’s home run in Game 7 for the visiting Washington Nationals — probably won’t drown out the wailing of longtime National League fans over the plan to play this virus-delayed season with a (gasp!) DH in both circuits.And it certainly won’t quell the debate that’s raged since April 6, 1973, when Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees stepped to the plate at Fenway Park as Major League Baseball’s first DH (and drew a bases-loaded walk from Luis Tiant).To many NL fans, the simple scribble of “DH” on the lineup... [More]

Before all the self-proclaimed purists forecasting the destruction of baseball strategy and the very sanctity of the sport as we know it go berserk bemoaning the inclusion of a designated hitter in the National League this season, remember this:In a most remarkable October full of huge momentum swings, the pivotal blow that decided last year’s World Series was delivered by, yep, the NL DH.OK, that clang resonating off the right field foul screen at Minute Maid Park — courtesy of Howie Kendrick’s home run in Game 7 for the visiting Washington Nationals — probably won’t drown out the wailing of longtime National League fans over the plan to play this virus-delayed season with a (gasp!) DH in both circuits.And it certainly won’t quell the debate that’s raged since April 6, 1973, when Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees stepped to the plate at Fenway Park as Major League Baseball’s first DH (and drew a bases-loaded walk from Luis Tiant).To many NL fans, the scribble of “DH” on the lineup card... [More]

Before all the self-proclaimed purists forecasting the destruction of baseball strategy and the very sanctity of the sport as we know it go berserk bemoaning the inclusion of a designated hitter in the National League this season, remember this:In a most remarkable October full of huge momentum swings, the pivotal blow that decided last year’s World Series was delivered by, yep, the NL DH.OK, that clang resonating off the right field foul screen at Minute Maid Park — courtesy of Howie Kendrick’s home run in Game 7 for the visiting Washington Nationals — probably won’t drown out the wailing of longtime National League fans over the plan to play this virus-delayed season with a (gasp!) DH in both circuits.And it certainly won’t quell the debate that’s raged since April 6, 1973, when Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees stepped to the plate at Fenway Park as Major League Baseball’s first DH (and drew a bases-loaded walk from Luis Tiant).To many NL fans, the scribble of “DH” on the lineup card... [More]

Before all the self-proclaimed purists forecasting the destruction of baseball strategy and the very sanctity of the sport as we know it go berserk bemoaning the inclusion of a designated hitter in the National League this season, remember this:In a most remarkable October full of huge momentum swings, the pivotal blow that decided last year’s World Series was delivered by, yep, the NL DH.OK, that clang resonating off the right field foul screen at Minute Maid Park — courtesy of Howie Kendrick’s home run in Game 7 for the visiting Washington Nationals — probably won’t drown out the wailing of longtime National League fans over the plan to play this virus-delayed season (gasp!) with a DH in both circuits.And it certainly won’t quell the debate that’s raged since April 6, 1973, when Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees stepped to the plate at Fenway Park as Major League Baseball’s first DH (and drew a bases-loaded walk from Luis Tiant).To many NL fans, the scribble of “DH” on the lineup card... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Walker Buehler is looking at the bright side of his spring training situation."As opposed to other years at least I have one," the Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander said after pitching four innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on a rainy Wednesday night at Camelback Ranch. Buehler, who was brought along slowly last year in the Cactus League, made his third start and threw 62 pitches in four innings. He gave up three hits and one run, walked three and struck out four.Manager Dave Roberts said before the game that he hasn't been as sharp as usual and after he came out, Buehler agreed."I'm not as sharp as I want to be," Buehler said. "It's a step forward. Still trying to figure some stuff out. Getting closer to that."I was a little sporadic today. But I'm pleased I did get some punchouts."Buehler will line up as the Dodgers' No. 2 starter, following longtime ace Clayton Kershaw to the mound when the regular season begins in two weeks.(asterisk) Dodgers third baseman... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — This wasn't what Cody Bellinger had in mind for getting his feet wet to start 2020.The Los Angeles Dodgers MVP was in the lineup for his team's spring training opener Saturday, facing the San Francisco Giants in a game delayed 2 1/2 hours due to rain in the Phoenix area. Manager Dave Roberts admitted he was nervous to start Bellinger in conditions that caused all but one other Cactus League game to get canceled, but Bellinger came out just fine. He singled and scored on Enrique Hernandez's homer, batted three times and played center field in the Dodgers' 10-4 win.Bellinger said there were minor issues only in left field, where the water from the tarp was emptied."The warning track was really wet (before the game), but they did a good job of fixing it up," Bellinger said of the Giants' grounds crew. "It turned out fine."Bellinger was certainly relieved to get back on the field after a bizarre offseason. The Dodgers first dealt with a stunning, season-ending, extra-inning... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Clayton Kershaw is pleased practically everybody in the sport seized the opportunity to tee off on the cheating Houston Astros and Commissioner Rob Manfred's handling of the scandal over the past several days.The Los Angeles Dodgers' veteran ace also believes it's time for baseball to go back to work.“This type of thing has never happened before, and people are upset by it,” Kershaw said Tuesday after the Dodgers' first full squad workout of the spring. “People feel cheated, and rightfully so. The only thing I will say now is we’ve got a great season coming up. Everybody is really excited about baseball. Baseball is in a great spot. We’ve got a lot of incredible players.”Kershaw echoed the vibe around the clubhouse with the team that was among the most damaged by — and the angriest about — the Astros' use of illegal methods during their 2017 World Series championship run. The Dodgers haven't cooled down about the revelations, but Kershaw thinks that energy can be... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Players who have won a World Series -- and those who have come up short -- seethed Monday at Commissioner Rob Manfred's reference to the sport's championship trophy as merely a "piece of metal," saying that comment reflected a disconnect between baseball's boss and those who produce the product on the field."It bothered me, man. I hated it. It made him sound really out of touch," said reliever Sean Doolittle, a member of the 2019 title-winning Washington Nationals. "That's the holy grail of our sport. That's what we show up for in the beginning of February, thinking about and working towards."Added Doolittle: "I just can't believe how out of touch that is. You're the commissioner of our game. You're the steward of this game. That's a really special thing. It's an iconic symbol of our game. Please don't say that, even off-hand, even tongue-in-cheek." As with so many things being talked about around the majors as spring training gets started, this all stems from... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Players who have won a World Series -- and those who have come up short -- seethed Monday at Commissioner Rob Manfred's reference to the sport's championship trophy as merely a "piece of metal," saying that comment reflected a disconnect between baseball's boss and those who produce the product on the field."It bothered me, man. I hated it. It made him sound really out of touch," said reliever Sean Doolittle, a member of the 2019 title-winning Washington Nationals. "That's the holy grail of our sport. That's what we show up for in the beginning of February, thinking about and working towards."Added Doolittle: "I just can't believe how out of touch that is. You're the commissioner of our game. You're the steward of this game. That's a really special thing. It's an iconic symbol of our game. Please don't say that, even off-hand, even tongue-in-cheek." As with so many things being talked about around the majors as spring training gets started, this all stems from... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Cody Bellinger thinks Houston's José Altuve stole the 2017 AL MVP award from the Yankees' Aaron Judge and the Astros swiped that year's World Series title from the Los Angeles Dodgers.“These guys were cheating for three years,’’ Bellinger said Friday at the Dodgers spring training camp. “I think what people don't realize is Altuve stole an MVP from Judge in '17. Everyone knows they stole the ring from us."The reigning NL MVP, Bellinger criticized Astros owner Jim Crane’s attempt at an apology Thursday and called MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's punishment “weak." Manager AJ Hinch and Jeff Luhnow were suspended for one season each, and the team was fined $5 million and stripped of its first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and '21. The Astros then fired Hinch and Luhnow.MLB found the Astros guilty of using video to steal catchers' signs in 2017 and 2018. Bellinger thinks the conduct continued throughout last season.“One-hundred percent,’’ Bellinger said. “I don’t... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Banking on Mookie Betts to be the missing piece in their World Series pursuit, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally pulled off a blockbluster deal with the cost-cutting Red Sox.Boston agreed to trade the 2018 AL MVP to the Dodgers on Tuesday night, according to two people with knowledge of the deal, packaging Betts with left-hander David Price in a salary dump designed to save the Red Sox tens of millions of dollars and help them dip below baseball's luxury tax threshold.The Dodgers, eager for a World Series title after losing in the 2017 and '18 Fall Classics, are sending outfielder Alex Verdugo back to the Red Sox. The deal also involves the Minnesota Twins, who are getting right-hander Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers and sending pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to Boston. Los Angeles will also get cash from Boston to offset some of the $123 million owed to Betts and Price, but the exact amount was not yet known.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Banking on Mookie Betts to be the missing piece in their World Series pursuit, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally pulled off a blockbluster deal with the cost-cutting Red Sox.Boston agreed to trade the 2018 AL MVP to the Dodgers on Tuesday night, according to two people with knowledge of the deal, packaging Betts with left-hander David Price in a salary dump designed to save the Red Sox tens of millions of dollars and help them dip below baseball's luxury tax threshold.The Dodgers, eager for a World Series title after losing in the 2017 and '18 Fall Classics, are sending outfielder Alex Verdugo back to the Red Sox. The deal also involves the Minnesota Twins, who are getting right-hander Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers and sending pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to Boston. Los Angeles will also get cash from Boston to offset some of the $123 million owed to Betts and Price, but the exact amount was not yet known.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Red Sox have agreed to trade 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers, packaging the star outfielder with left-hander David Price in a salary dump that is expected to save Boston tens of millions of dollars, according to two people with knowledge of the deal.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the trade had not been announced.The Dodgers are sending outfielder Alex Verdugo back to the Red Sox. The deal also involves the Minnesota Twins, who are getting right-hander Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers and sending pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to Boston.Los Angeles will also get cash from Boston to offset some of the $123 million owed to Betts and Price, but the exact amount was not yet known.Unable to sign Betts to a long-term deal, Boston decided to move him now rather than let the four-time All-Star leave as a free agent after the 2020 season. He will earn $27 million this season and has expressed eagerness... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers would rather earn a World Series trophy on their own than accept any scraps from the Houston Astros or Boston Red Sox, the teams that beat them in 2017 and '18.Despite being eager to focus on the upcoming season, several Dodgers publicly for the first time expressed annoyance at the Astros for the sign-stealing system used during the 2017 season, when Houston beat them in seven games in the World Series.“They cheated and they got away with it,” utilityman Kiké Hernández said Saturday during the team's annual FanFest outside Dodger Stadium. “I don't think it hurts more now than it did three years ago when we lost the Series.”Hernández said the Dodgers “had our doubts” about the Astros in 2017.“Everybody warned us. A lot of people told us to worry about them,” Hernández said. “We just thought it was just rumors, but I guess not.”Two weeks ago, Major League Baseball released the findings of its investigation, which concluded the Astros used a center-field... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A group of Los Angeles Dodgers fans is making plans to vent its frustration at the Houston Astros about baseball's sign-stealing scandal.Houston and the Dodgers don't play each other during the upcoming regular season, so Pantone 294 is snapping up tickets to the Los Angeles Angels' home opener against the Astros on April 3 in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Times reported. The group regularly organizes trips to support the Dodgers on the road.“Spirits are great, man,” utilityman Kiké Hernández said Saturday about the fans. “Positive vibes.”Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner joined several of his teammates in expressing frustration at the Astros for stealing signs during the 2017 season, when Houston beat them in seven games in the World Series.“It sucks for the fans as well. It sucks for a lot of people,” Turner said during the team's annual FanFest at Dodger Stadium.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A group of Los Angeles Dodgers fans is making plans to vent its frustration at the Houston Astros about baseball's sign-stealing scandal.Houston and the Dodgers don't play each other during the upcoming regular season, so Pantone 294 is snapping up tickets to the Los Angeles Angels' home opener against the Astros on April 3 in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Times reported. The group regularly organizes trips to support the Dodgers on the road.“Spirits are great, man,” utilityman Kike Hernandez said Saturday about the fans. “Positive vibes.”Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner joined several of his teammates in expressing frustration at the Astros for stealing signs during the 2017 season, when Houston beat them in seven games in the World Series.“It sucks for the fans as well. It sucks for a lot of people,” Turner said during the team's annual FanFest at Dodger Stadium.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports