Baseball

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – Players who have won a World Series —and those who have come up short — seethed Monday at MLB 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 […]

TORONTO – Tony Fernandez, a stylish shortstop who made five All-Star teams during his 17 seasons in the major leagues and helped the Toronto Blue Jays win the 1993 World Series, died Sunday after complications from a kidney disease. He was 57. Fernandez was taken off a life support system […]

MESA, ARIZONA – Yu Darvish got hit hard by the Houston Astros during the 2017 World Series — both his ERA and reputation took quite a beating. On Sunday, after a bullpen session for the Chicago Cubs, he sought to settle the score a bit. He said the Astros, their […]

MESA, ARIZONA – Yu Darvish got hit hard by the Houston Astros during the 2017 World Series — both his ERA and reputation took quite a beating. On Sunday, after a bullpen session for the Chicago Cubs, he sought to settle the score a bit. He said the Astros, their […]

TEMPE, ARIZONA – Shohei Ohtani doesn’t just drive the ball anymore. The Los Angeles Angels’ two-way star says he got his California driver’s license in the offseason, putting the 25-year-old behind the wheel of a car for the first time. “I’m enjoying it,” Ohtani said through his interpreter Saturday after […]

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – Dusty Baker wants action from Major League Baseball: End the criticism of the Astros from across baseball over sign stealing, and take steps to ensure pitchers don’t throw at his players. “It’s not good for the game, it’s not good for kids to see it, […]

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – Kenta Maeda wonders whether the Astros’ sign stealing affected the performance of teammate Yu Darvish during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2017 World Series loss to Houston. Darvish lost Games 3 and 7. He gave up nine runs — eight earned — over just 3⅓ total innings […]

GOODYEAR, ARIZONA – Shogo Akiyama got into the batter’s box and took his first swing with the Cincinnati Reds at spring training. He barely made contact. “I was very embarrassed,” Akiyama said through translator Luke Shinoda. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow now.” He’ll get plenty more chances. Cincinnati signed Akiyama […]

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – The acquisition of Kenta Maeda took the Minnesota Twins longer than they anticipated. The trade that was made to get him, the team believes, will be well worth the wait and the price. Maeda joined the AL Central champions on Thursday morning, three days after the […]

MESA, ARIZONA – In the ocean off the Florida coast, Mike Fiers found a way to get his mind off everything this winter for a couple of hours at a time and prepare for another baseball season. Far away from the Astros scandal. No whistleblower chatter. Just tough swims in […]