NEW YORK (AP) — So, where were we?Mid-March, a spring training exhibition between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. Even before the final out, both sides had gotten the official word: Major League Baseball was shutting down immediately because of the coronavirus pandemic.“It felt like the most meaningless baseball game in the history of the sport,” Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said.So now, they’ll try again.A skewed, 60-game schedule, rather than the full plate of 162, with opening day on July 23 or 24. A shortened, contorted season ordered by Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday night after billionaire owners and multimillion-dollar players couldn’t come to a new economic agreement against the backdrop of the virus outbreak.“What happens when we all get it?” Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted this week.From the start, a sprint to the finish. Got to come out strong. Remember last year: The Washington Nationals began 27-33 and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Rob Manfred knows many fans were angered by the financial fight between Major League Baseball and the players’ association during a pandemic. “We need to get back on the field, and we need to in a less-charged environment start to have conversations about how we — and the we in that sentence is the commissioner’s office, my staff, the clubs and the MLBPA and the players — can be better going forward,” he said Wednesday during an interview with The Associated Press. “We owe it to our fans to be better than we’ve been last three months.”Spring training was cut short by the novel coronavirus on March 12. The sides reached an initial agreement on March 26, which was to have been opening day. That deal called for players to receive prorated salaries, get $170 million in advances and receive a guarantee of service time in the event no games were played this year. When it became clear the only way to start the season was to play in empty ballparks, the sides battled publicly over... [More]

Ron Gardenhire and Dusty Baker are a little uneasy. Jim Crane hopes his Houston Astros can play in front of fans at some point.As baseball scrambles to start an abbreviated season, the prevailing mood is one of nervous excitement.“Is it a risk? Absolutely,” said Gardenhire, the 62-year-old manager of the Detroit Tigers. "There’s risk involved in this. We all know it, and we’re willing to go try to do this thing. I would never want to jump ship with my team, but we’re going to hopefully do everything right as far as protocol goes, and take care of each other and keep everybody healthy as best we possibly can.”Major League Baseball set a 60-game schedule Tuesday night, and now the sport will try its best to complete a season and crown a champion amid a coronavirus pandemic that still looms over much of American life. Players report to camps July 1 — hard to call it “spring training” at this time of year — and the regular season is supposed to start about three weeks later.It already feels... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — So, where were we?Mid-March, a spring training exhibition between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. Even before the final out, both sides had gotten the official word: Major League Baseball was shutting down immediately because of the coronavirus pandemic.“It felt like the most meaningless baseball game in the history of the sport,” Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said.So now, they’ll try again.A skewed, 60-game schedule, rather than the full plate of 162, with opening day on July 23 or 24. A shortened, contorted season ordered by Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday night after billionaire owners and multimillion-dollar players couldn’t come to a new economic agreement against the backdrop of the virus outbreak.“What happens when we all get it?” Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted this week.From the start, a sprint to the finish. Got to come out strong. Remember last year: The Washington Nationals began 27-33 and... [More]

All-Star outfielder Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies has become the first Major League Baseball player known to have tested positive for the coronavirus.A person familiar with Blackmon’s situation confirmed the test result to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because there was no official announcement.The Denver Post first reported Blackmon’s condition, saying Tuesday that three Rockies players had tested positive for COVID-19.Blackmon is a four-time All-Star slugger who hit .314 with 32 home runs and 86 RBIs last season. He turns 34 on July 1, the day players are set to begin reporting for the resumption of spring training.Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred imposed a 60-game season Tuesday night after failed financial negotiations between owners and players. The season that’s been delayed by the pandemic will begin either July 23 or 24.Numerous teams have said they have players who have tested positive for the virus without identifying any of them. The Philadelphia... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Maybe this gives fans a sense of what it will mean to have a Major League Baseball season shrunk down to just 60 games this year during the pandemic: Where were the Washington Nationals that far into 2019?Last year, the Nationals played their 60th of 162 games on June 4 -- and came back to beat the visiting Chicago White Sox 9-5 in an interleague matchup to “improve” their record to 27-33.Doesn’t look much like the mark of a soon-to-be World Series champion.At that point in the year, Washington’s .450 winning percentage left it much, much closer to the bottom of the standings than the top: fourth in the five-team NL East and 13th in the 15-club National League, not nearly good enough to get into the postseason, even one as expanded as the 16 total participants proposed (but not yet agreed-to) for 2020.In a sport that prides itself on weeding out pretenders and confirming contenders over the long haul, they were hardly the only ones whose season would have looked a lot... [More]

All-Star outfielder Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies has become the first Major League Baseball player known to have tested positive for the coronavirus.A person familiar with Blackmon’s situation confirmed the test result to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because there was no official announcement.The Denver Post first reported Blackmon’s condition, saying Tuesday that three Rockies players had tested positive for COVID-19.Blackmon is a four-time All-Star slugger who hit .314 with 32 home runs and 86 RBIs last season. He turns 34 on July 1, the day players are set to begin reporting for the resumption of spring training.Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred imposed a 60-game season Tuesday night after failed financial negotiations between owners and players. The season that’s been delayed by the pandemic will begin either July 23 or 24.The Philadelphia Phillies have said seven players have tested positive for the virus without identifying any of them. The... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball issued a 60-game schedule Tuesday night that will start July 23 or 24 in empty ballparks as the sport tries to push ahead amid the coronavirus pandemic following months of acrimony.A dramatically altered season with games full of new rules was the final result of failed financial negotiations. But for fans eager to see any baseball this year, at least now they can look forward to opening day.The announcement by MLB came while more players continue to test positive for the virus — at least seven on the Philadelphia Phillies alone and Colorado star Charlie Blackmon. And a stark realization remained, that if health situations deteriorate, all games could still be wiped out.“What happens when we all get it?" Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted Monday.One day after the players' association rejected an economic agreement and left open the possibility of a grievance seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, the bickering sides agreed on an operations... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — So, where were we?Mid-March, a spring training exhibition between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. Even before the final out, both sides had gotten the official word: Major League Baseball was shutting down immediately because of the coronavirus pandemic.“It felt like the most meaningless baseball game in the history of the sport,” Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said.So now, they’ll try again.A skewed, 60-game schedule, rather than the full plate of 162, with opening day on July 23 or 24. A shortened, contorted season ordered by Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday night after billionaire owners and multimillion-dollar players couldn’t come to a new economic agreement against the backdrop of the virus outbreak.“What happens when we all get it?” Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted this week.From the start, a sprint to the finish. Got to come out strong. Remember last year: The Washington Nationals began 27-33 and... [More]

June 251934 — Pitcher John Broaca tied a major league record by striking out five consecutive times but pitched the Yankees to an 11-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Lou Gehrig had better luck at the plate, hitting for the cycle.1937 — Augie Galan of Chicago became the first National League switch-hitter to hit home runs from both sides of the plate as the Cubs beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 11-2.1950 — Chicago’s Hank Sauer hit two home runs and two doubles to pace the Cubs to an 11-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.1961 — Baltimore and California used a major league record 16 pitchers, eight by each side, as the Orioles edged the Angels 9-8 on Ron Hansen’s 14th-inning homer.1968 — Bobby Bonds, in his first major league game, hit a grand slam off John Purdin to help San Francisco to a 9-0 win over Los Angeles.1998 — Sammy Sosa broke the major league record for homers in a month, hitting his 19th of June leading off the seventh inning of the Cubs’ 6-4 loss to Detroit. Sosa passed... [More]

All-Star outfielder Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies has become the first Major League Baseball player known to have tested positive for the coronavirus.A person familiar with Blackmon’s situation confirmed the test result to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement.The Denver Post first reported Blackmon’s condition, saying Tuesday that three Rockies players had tested positive.Blackmon is a four-time All-Star slugger who hit .314 with 32 home runs and 86 RBIs last season. He turns 34 on July 1, the day players are set to begin reporting for the resumption of spring training.Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred imposed a 60-game season Tuesday night after failed financial negotiations between owners and players. The season that’s been delayed by the pandemic will begin either July 23 or 24.The Philadelphia Phillies have said seven players have tested positive for the virus without identifying any of them. Several other teams have said... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — So, where were we?Mid-March, a spring training exhibition between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. Even before the final out, both sides had gotten the official word: Major League Baseball was shutting down immediately because of the coronavirus pandemic.“It felt like the most meaningless baseball game in the history of the sport,” Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter said.So now, they’ll try again.A skewed, 60-game schedule, rather than the full plate of 162, with opening day on July 23 or 24. A shortened, contorted season ordered by Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday night after billionaire owners and multimillion-dollar players couldn’t come to a new economic agreement against the backdrop of the virus outbreak.“What happens when we all get it?” Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted this week.From the start, a sprint to the finish. Got to come out strong. Remember last year: The Washington Nationals began 27-33 and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball issued a 60-game schedule Tuesday night that will start July 23 or 24 in empty ballparks as the sport tries to push ahead amid the coronavirus following months of acrimony.A dramatically altered season with games full of new rules was the final result of failed financial negotiations. But for fans eager to see any baseball this year, at least now they can look forward to opening day.The announcement by MLB came while more players continue to test positive for the virus — at least seven on the Philadelphia Phillies alone. And a stark realization remained, that if health situations deteriorate, all games could still be wiped out.“What happens when we all get it?" Milwaukee pitcher Brett Anderson tweeted Monday.One day after the players' association rejected an economic agreement and left open the possibility of a grievance seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, the bickering sides agreed on an operations manual. Baseball Commissioner Rob... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball held off formally imposing a 60-game schedule Tuesday on its feuding players while negotiating an operations manual, but was on track to start the season from July 23-26 in empty ballparks.Owners and players have spent more than three months of mostly fruitless talks on how to play amid the coronavirus pandemic.A day after the players’ association rejected a negotiated agreement to account for the financial fallout of the virus outbreak, Commissioner Rob Manfred was hoping to announce a schedule. It would be MLB’s shortest since the 1878 National League season.There was still one issue in the manual of protocols still unresolved, several people said.In a twist, the sides intend to expand the designated hitter to games involving National League teams and institute the radical innovation of starting extra innings with a runner on second base. Those provisions were in the agreement the union rejected Monday but were to survive as part of the operations... [More]

June 241936 — Rookie Joe DiMaggio hit two homers in the fifth inning and added two doubles in the New York Yankees’ 18-4 victory over the St. Louis Browns.1950 — Wes Westrum of the New York Giants hit three home runs and a triple in a 12-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.1955 — Harmon Killebrew hit his first major league homer, off Billy Hoeft at Griffith Stadium, but the Detroit Tigers beat the Washington Senators 18-7.1962 — Jack Reed, a substitute outfielder, hit a homer off Phil Regan in the 22nd inning to give the New York Yankees a 9-7 win over the Detroit Tigers in a game that lasted 7 hours, 22 minutes. It was the only homer Reed hit in the majors.1968 — Jim Northrup tied a major league record by hitting two grand slams in one game as the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians 14-3.1983 — Don Sutton of the Milwaukee Brewers became the eighth pitcher in major league history to strike out 3,000 batters. Sutton’s 3,000th victim was Cleveland’s Alan Bannister in a 3-2 win over the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball plans to unilaterally issue a 60-game schedule for its shortest season since 1878 after the players' association rejected a negotiated deal of the same length, putting the sport on track for a combative return to the field amid the coronavirus pandemic.Commissioner Rob Manfred and union head Tony Clark met last week and outlined plans that included expanding the playoffs from 10 teams to 16, widening use of the designated hitter to National League games and an experiment to start extra innings with a runner on second base. But the latest version of the deal proposed by MLB was rejected by the Major League Baseball Players Association’s executive board in a 33-5 vote on Monday. Those innovations now disappear.“Needless to say, we are disappointed by this development,” MLB said in a statement. “The framework provided an opportunity for MLB and its players to work together to confront the difficulties and challenges presented by the pandemic. It gave our... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball plans to unilaterally issue a 60-game schedule for its shortest season since 1878 after the players' association rejected a negotiated deal of the same length, putting the sport on track for a combative return to the field amid the coronavirus pandemic.Six days after Commissioner Rob Manfred and union head Tony Clark negotiated to expand the playoffs from 10 teams to 16, widen use of the designated hitter to National League games and introduce an experiment to start extra innings with a runner on second base, the deal was rejected by the Major League Baseball Players Association's executive board in a 33-5 vote.Those innovations now disappear.“Needless to say, we are disappointed by this development,” MLB said in a statement. “The framework provided an opportunity for MLB and its players to work together to confront the difficulties and challenges presented by the pandemic. It gave our fans the chance to see an exciting new postseason format. And, it... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball plans to unilaterally issue a 60-game schedule for its shortest season since 1878 after the players' association rejected a negotiated deal of the same length, putting the sport on track for a combative and possibly unhappy return to the field amid the coronavirus pandemic.Six days after baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and union head Tony Clark negotiated to expand the playoffs from 10 teams to 16, widen use of the designated hitter to National League games and introduce an experiment to start extra innings with a runner on second base, the deal was rejected by the Major League Baseball Players Association's executive board in a 33-5 vote.“Needless to say, we are disappointed by this development,” MLB said in a statement. “The framework provided an opportunity for MLB and its players to work together to confront the difficulties and challenges presented by the pandemic. It gave our fans the chance to see an exciting new postseason format. And, it... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The executive board of the Major League Baseball Players Association rejected a proposed 60-game schedule by a 33-5 vote, daring Commissioner Rob Manfred to give a unilateral order for the regular season's start and provoke what figures to be lengthy and costly litigation over the impact of the coronavirus.The union's vote was confirmed by a person familiar with the meeting who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the balloting was not made public.The union said in a statement that the “board reaffirmed the players’ eagerness to return to work as soon and as safely as possible."“To that end we anticipate finalizing a comprehensive set of health and safety protocols with Major League Baseball in the coming days, and we await word from the league on the resumption of spring training camps and a proposed 2020 schedule,” the union said. Manfred was expected to take the next step later Monday as baseball descends into the type of labor strife that led... [More]

June 231917 — In baseball’s greatest relief effort, Ernie Shore of the Boston Red Sox came in for Babe Ruth with nobody out and a man on first. The base runner was cut down stealing and Shore retired all 26 batters he faced to gain a 4-0 victory over Washington. Ruth walked Eddie Foster to open the game and was ejected after arguing with umpire Brick Owens.1950 — Hoot Evers’ winning home run in the ninth inning gave the Detroit Tigers a 10-9 victory over the New York Yankees as the teams combined for 11 home runs, a major league record. The Yankees hit six and the Tigers five.1963 — Jimmie Piersall, playing for the Mets in New York, hit his 100th career home run and celebrated by running around the bases backward.1971 — Rick Wise of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds and hit two homers. Wise became the first pitcher to hit two homers while throwing a no-hitter.1973 — Pitcher Ken Brett of the Philadelphia Phillies hit a home run in the fourth consecutive... [More]