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Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
MLBPA chief says foreign players told to carry documentation to 'keep their job'
Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark told members of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) on Tuesday ahead of the All-Star Game that he and his office are keeping immigration top of mind with the league's large foreign presence. Roughly 28.6% of MLB players on Opening Day rosters (over 220 of the 265 foreign-born players) were of Latino descent. Amid Donald Trump's presidency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have cracked down on illegal immigration. Because of this, Clark said his office has told players to "carry their documentation wherever they go… to ensure guys are in the best possible position to get to the ballpark and keep their job." "We're… trying to put them and equip them in the best position possible to navigate the atmosphere that we're in in regards to immigration," Clark said, according to a video taken by Our Esquina. "We communicate with our players, we told them to carry their documentation wherever they go, we ensure the lines of communications are open, such that if they are having an issue or a family member is having an issue, how best can we help support them? "We've got immigration council and immigration lawyers on staff to provide support in a way that we have in the past, but not to the extent that we do now, in order to assure guys are in the best possible position to get to the ballpark and keep their job. "It is complicated, it is challenging on multiple levels, but we continue to communicate with our guys and assure them whether they're at the minor league level or at the major league level, this is how best to protect yourself in the nearest term in carrying the documentation while having an open line of communication is what we've found has worked so far." Law enforcement was spotted outside of Dodger Stadium last month. They were initially believed to be, and claimed by the Dodgers to be, ICE, which prompted protesters at the site. But in a statement of their own after ICE's denial, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said, "CBP vehicles were in the stadium parking lot very briefly," and it "had nothing to do with the Dodgers." The Dodgers said the agents had "requested permission to access the parking lots" and were denied. But an ICE spokesperson said in an email to Fox News Digital, "ICE was never at Dodgers stadium, and thus never tried to gain access." The vehicles on stadium grounds were "unrelated to any operation or enforcement," a CBP spokesperson said in a statement. Days after the incident, the Dodgers pledged $1 million to aid families impacted by the immigration arrests. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Column: For Chicago's MLB All-Stars in Atlanta, a chance to show they belong
ATLANTA — An assignment to cover the All-Star Game is a privilege I've happily accepted since my first one at Wrigley Field in 1990. They've all blended together after a few years, from the 15-inning affair at Yankee Stadium in 2008 to the 2016 game at Petco Park in San Diego, where seven Cubs players were invited to participate. The one that sticks out took place in 1995 in Arlington, Texas, in a ballpark that was deemed obsolete a couple decades later because it lacked an essential part of modern life, air conditioning. That All-Star week was made memorable by the scorching Texas heat; a BBWAA meeting at which my Chicago Tribune colleague, Hall of Fame writer Jerome Holtzman, asked the BBWAA president to put it on the record that a fellow New York writer was a 'no-good (S.O.B.)' — and because the player I was assigned to cover, White Sox slugger Frank Thomas, ditched the media by leaving during the game to fly home. It's now acceptable for All-Stars to depart soon after leaving the game, one of many changes that has made the event less fun to cover than back in the day. All-Star week still thrives despite the best efforts of MLB, which on Monday allowed ESPN clown Pat McAfee to host its media day news conference, an obvious attempt at capturing the 'bro culture' that usually tunes out the game. But this year's Midsummer Classic is fascinating for many reasons, including the introduction of Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong on the big stage, the starting matchup between Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, the mashing of catcher Cal Raleigh and the continued dominance of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, the best players of their era. Unfortunately, after consultations with the office, I was asked not to work this week to save my brain cells for the second half. 'Relax and enjoy the festivities,' I was told. 'We need your brain, or what's left of it, to be refreshed and ready for the Cubs stretch run and the Sox trade watch. Just go have fun.' 'Can I still make fun of Manfred?' I texted. 'Save it for later,' came the reply. There are 16 replacements for the All-Stars selected by fans, players and the leagues for this year's game, which makes it seem like the game itself is no longer a big deal. I empathized with Cubs starter Matthew Boyd and the many other All-Stars who wanted to participate but won't play for health or other reasons. It's 'team first,' even if this could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for some. 'I wouldn't say it was a hard decision,' Boyd said Monday on media day. 'It's one of those things that it's just a smart decision. I want to play. It doesn't mean I don't want to play. I want to pitch in this game so badly. It's one thing like, hey, you've got to be smart with. The goal is to pitch through October, and I've already thrown more innings than I have the last two years combined. 'It's a time to be smart, and because of that, I do get to enjoy this experience still, and I'll be soaking it all in.' Hopefully the 34-year-old Boyd can get back to the All-Star Game, but nothing in life is promised. Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker remembered his first one in 2022 at Dodger Stadium when he played for the Houston Astros. 'It's a cool experience and everything,' he said. 'You never know if you're going to have this opportunity to be here again. You just try and have some fun with it.' But Tucker understood Boyd's reasoning, pointing to his eight-inning masterpiece against the New York Yankees on Saturday. 'At least he can fully have fun and not worry about getting ready and prepared,' Tucker said. 'I'm sure he's having a blast right now.' It might have been the same story for White Sox starter Shane Smith. On Friday at Sox Park, manager Will Venable told the media the team would have discussions about whether Smith would be able to pitch in the All-Star Game. The Sox are trying to limit his workload this second half to keep him healthy. But Smith is the only representative for the Sox, and there was no obvious replacement if he was told not to pitch. Those discussions apparently didn't last too long. 'I'm ready to throw,' Smith said Monday. 'Whatever that looks like. Whether it's an inning or an out. Give me the ball. I'm gonna go.' For a Rule 5 draft pick who wasn't even sure he would make the team in spring training, Smith is trying to take in this journey, from pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A team in Biloxi, Miss., one year ago to being chosen by the Sox in December to participating in an All-Star Game as a rookie. 'Things change over time. It's kind of what you do with that change,' Smith said. 'You've just got to keep at it as it comes. Rule 5 happened and then spring training and the next thing you know you're 18 starts in and you're in Atlanta.' Life goes by fast, and you have to enjoy the ride while it lasts. Crow-Armstrong was already up with the Cubs last year at this time. But at the All-Star break he was hitting .203 with three home runs and 17 RBIs, just trying to prove he belonged in the big leagues. 'I don't remember what I was doing last break,' Crow-Armstrong said Monday. 'I think I was just staying in Chicago. At that time I was just focusing on picking up the pace in terms of how I was playing. It's always nice to think about what you could do a little bit better, but I wasn't quite here (as an All-Star) in my brain.' Now he's the starting National League center fielder with a chance to be a rare 40-40 player in steals and home runs. It's almost like entering an alternate universe in the same body. 'I'd be lying if I said I didn't know what my stats are, but I don't translate that into, 'I want to hit 40 homers and (steal) 40 bags,' or whatever the mark is,' Crow-Armstrong said. 'If I'm playing well, that usually translates into a better chance for the Cubbies to win ballgames. 'We've got a lot of guys that could be worrying about these benchmarks but don't. We're a good club that only worries about winning every day. … What's cooler is winning the World Series and playing in October. The 40-40 and any other accolades, it all comes second to me.' The All-Star Game has changed over the decades. To some fans, it's just not what it used to be, and I can't argue with them. But don't tell that to players who've survived some tough times to make it here in Atlanta for the first time. The struggles were worth it. Now it's time to relax and have some fun.
New York Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Will Pete Rose actually make it to Cooperstown? It's a tricky path
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic's daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! You're permanently eligible to read our newsletter. Though Rob Manfred tried not to draw the connection explicitly, there was only one practical reason to remove Pete Rose from MLB's permanently ineligible list. Since the league's all-time hits leader died last year, he has just one baseball-related thing to be eligible for: Cooperstown. Leaving the permanently ineligible list is a waypoint. Advertisement The reality is Manfred only fired a starting gun — now begins a Baseball Hall of Fame consideration process unlike any other. What will that process look like? The Athletic's Jayson Stark, who's served on an era committee before, offers a tremendous breakdown. Here's a Pulse FAQ on what's still in front of Rose: Is Rose's fate now up to the sportswriters? Not exactly. The Baseball Writers Association of America votes on most Hall candidacies, with a 75 percent threshold required for enshrinement. Last year, the BBWAA had 394 voters. But Rose played so long ago that his case will go before a much smaller 'era committee' of 16 members. These committees tend to be a mix of Hall of Famers, baseball execs, media members and historians. (You can see 2024's roster here.) They evaluate players from deep in the past who wouldn't otherwise be eligible for modern consideration. The scribes still have a role. Writers run a 'screening committee' that picks eight names for the broader era committee to consider. Assuming Rose clears that hurdle, he will need 12 of 16 era committee votes when the panel convenes in December 2027. If he gets them, he'll be in the class of 2028. (So, yes, this will all soon go on the backburner.) Is this format more favorable to Rose than if he were just on the standard ballot? Probably. Knowing and reading quite a few BBWAA members, I think baseball writers with Hall votes are less sympathetic to Rose than former players and Hall of Famers seem to be. A chunk of the BBWAA is in the 'no, never' camp on Rose. But the era committee will have Hall of Famers and execs on it, and my read of The Athletic's reporting on this is Hall of Famers (much like active managers who were around in Rose's day) are a bit more open to Rose's candidacy. Our reporters asked 12 Hall members, and I counted zero absolute 'no' answers. Advertisement This summer's class includes two players (Dave Parker and Dick Allen) who made it by way of era committee voting. In total, 117 players (and a few dozen non-players) have gotten to Cooperstown through this process. As a matter of strictly baseball, Rose is a Hall of Famer. But it's not all about baseball, is it? Voters will also consider Rose's betting on baseball, his many years of lying about it, his five-month prison term for falsifying tax returns, and a woman's sworn allegation that Rose, in his 30s at the time, had a sexual relationship with her when she was younger than 16. Hall electors haven't felt comfortable commissioning plaques for known steroid users, and Rose is in a separate but related category. This is a helpful timeline of Rose's MLB and legal problems. Cut to it, then: How likely is it that Rose gets in? I asked Tyler Kepner, an Athletic senior writer, BBWAA member since 1998 and voter in multiple Hall of Fame elections: 💬 The composition of the committee will be critical. The 16 members all meet together right before the vote, and in a setting like that, it's hard to tell what voices and arguments will be the most persuasive. My guess is that it will be very hard for Rose to get the 12 votes he needs. The Hall tells voters to consider a candidate's 'character, integrity and sportsmanship,' so I could see five or more voters rejecting Rose on that basis. Usually with divisive topics that generate passionate opinions, it's hard to get 75 percent of any voting bloc to agree. But the fact that it's a small group, meeting in person, could help Rose if his voters can sway the holdouts. More to come (in two and a half years). Long live Journalism Journalism isn't dead after all. After finishing second in the Kentucky Derby to Sovereignty, Journalism pulled off one of the most incredible comebacks you will ever see to win the 150th Preakness Stakes. The favorite in yesterday's race trailed by as many as five lengths and looked to be walled off from any shot at a final push. Somehow, Journalism split the double team before making the run of his life down the stretch. You need to watch the whole finish. Advertisement Stars advance to conference finals Mere hours after his father's death, Mark Scheifele decided to play in a must-win Game 6 for the Jets. And it was Scheifele, of course, who scored the first goal of the game. But the Stars, who had dominated the first period, equalized soon after. Scheifele was called for tripping late in regulation, and Dallas wasted no time before scoring in overtime. The final scenes from the handshake line were heartbreaking. More takeaways from Dallas as the Stars await a conference finals rematch. Caitlin Clark posts triple-double in season debut The WNBA knows Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese will always produce fireworks. It's why the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky opened their seasons against each other on ABC yesterday. Yesterday's matchup certainly produced headlines, as things got chippy between Clark and Reese. But it was Clark who had the upper hand, notching an impressive triple-double in a rout of the Sky. So much for the rivalry. More news: 📺 Soccer: West Ham vs. Nottingham Forest | 9:15 a.m. ET on USA I keep telling you to watch Forest, and Forest keeps failing to pick up three points. One win in its last five fixtures has this club's dream season on ice, as it's fallen to seventh in the Premier League, two spots out of a Champions League spot. Still, Forest has a shot, but they desperately need to beat a West Ham club that will finish just above the relegation zone along with bottomfeeders Tottenham and Manchester United. (What a year.) 📺 NBA: Nuggets at Thunder, Game 7 | 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC OKC has gotten a lot more than it bargained for from Nikola Jokić and friends. The 'and friends' part has been a big deal, too: Aaron Gordon (questionable for this one with a hamstring injury) with his clutch shooting early in the series, Julian Strawther with a critical Game 6 effort. Who will wear the cape this time? 📺 NHL: Panthers at Maple Leafs, Game 7 | 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT The biggest Leafs game since at least 2002, the team's last time making the conference finals, and arguably further back than that. Expect Toronto to offer an even more intense environment than the typical decisive game. I am a tad nervous just typing this all out. A useful read to start your Sunday: five small habits sports psychologists wish everyone practiced. This idea by Matt Barrows for an 18-game NFL schedule. (I don't think the league should go to 18 games, but it eventually will, so the schedule might as well be good.) — Alex Kirshner From the post-'Andor' rewatch: Imagine fighting the Empire every day for a decade, then seeing Han Solo get a medal three minutes after signing up. — Jason Kirk This funny story on the special memento for position players who strike out Shohei Ohtani. Seconding Jason's 'Andor' recommendation. I feel gutted and sated at the same time. What a show. — Chris Branch After multiple years with a cheap couch I bought online that felt like a movie prop, I bought a real couch this week from my neighbor, who was moving. This has changed my life in ways that I cannot express in human words. Shout out good couches. — Levi Weaver Will Sammon's dispatch from sections 203 and 204 at Yankee Stadium, aka the 'field of screams,' as Juan Soto returned Friday. Get your kid a Tonie. It's essentially a bedtime book reader — from marine life to Disney to 'Captain Underpants.' Do your read then 🤝 hand it off. — Chris Sprow Sweet potatoes as a platform for whatever toppings you need to clear out of the fridge (like these). — Torrey Hart Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on previously unreported details from the Hockey Canada trial after the lifting of a publication ban. Most-read on the website yesterday: Jared Weiss' post-mortem on the Celtics' season. Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Boston Globe
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
MLB lifts permanent ban on Pete Rose and ‘Shoeless' Joe Jackson, making both eligible for Hall of Fame
Under the Hall of Fame's current rules, it appears the earliest Rose or Jackson could be inducted would be in 2028. Rose agreed to a permanent ban on Aug. 23, 1989, following an investigation commissioned by Major League Baseball concluded Rose repeatedly bet on the Reds as a player and manager of the team from 1985-87, a violation of a long-standing MLB rule. Advertisement Rose first applied for reinstatement in September 1997, but Commissioner Bud Selig never ruled on the request. Manfred in 2015 rejected a petition for reinstatement, saying 'Rose has not presented credible evidence of a reconfigured life.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up A 17-time All-Star during a playing career from 1963-86, Rose holds record for hits (4,256), games (3,562), at-bats (14,053), plate appearances (15,890) and singles (3,215). He was the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year, 1973 MVP and 1975 World Series MVP. A three-time NL batting champion, he broke the prior hits record of 4,191 set by Ty Cobb from 1905-28. Advertisement Jackson was a .356 career hitter who was among the eight Chicago Black Sox banned for throwing the 1919 World Series. Jackson twice appeared on a BBWAA ballot before the Hall's rules change, receiving 0.9% in 1936 and 1% of a nominating vote in 1940. What else needs to happen for Rose or Jackson to reach the Hall of Fame? Under a rule adopted by the Hall's board of directors in 1991, anyone on the permanently ineligible list can't be considered for election to the Hall. Rose's reinstatement occurred too late for him to be considered for the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot. If not on the permanently banned list, Rose would have been eligible on the ballots each from 1992 through 2006. He was written in on 41 votes in 1992 and on 243 of 7,232 ballots (3.4%) over the 15 years, votes that were not counted. Without the ban, both players appear to be eligible for the Hall's Classic Baseball Era, which next meets to consider players in December 2027 and considers those whose greatest contributions to the sport were before 1980. A 10-person historical overview committee selects the ballot candidates with the approval of the Hall's board and the ballot is considered by 16 members at the winter meetings, with a 75% or higher vote needed. The committee members include Hall of Fame members, team executives and media/historians. Among the players in the 2028 class eligible for the BBWAA ballot are Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. Did Trump help get Rose reinstated? Rose's supporters have included President Donald Trump, who has said he intends to pardon Rose posthumously. Manfred discussed Rose with Trump when the pair met in April, but he hasn't disclosed specifics of their conversation. Related : Advertisement Last week, the son of Bart Giamatti, the commissioner who banned Rose, told the Globe the decision to reinstate Rose was the wrong one. 'It's obvious that Trump is pushing this mess to satisfy his own political and personal agenda,' It's not clear what a presidential pardon for Rose would entail. Rose entered guilty pleas on April 20, 1990, to two counts of filing false tax returns, admitting he failed to report $354,968 during a four-year period. Rose was sentenced on July 19, 1990, by U.S. District Judge S. Arthur Spiegel in Cincinnati to five months in prison. He also was fined $50,000 and ordered to perform 1,000 hours of community service as a gym teacher's assistant with inner-city youths in Cincinnati as part of a one-year probation period. The first three months of the probation were to be spent at the halfway house. Rose repaid the Internal Revenue Service $366,042.
Boston Globe
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
The struggling Orioles spent money, they just didn't spend it wisely
General manager Mike Elias was selected as Executive of the Year by Major League Baseball and Brandon Hyde as Manager of the year by the BBWAA. The Orioles fell back to 91-71 last season and opened this season 12-18 with the worst run differential — minus-49 — in the American League. 'It's been really disappointing for all of us in the organization,' Elias said Friday. 'It's been very difficult, and we have not performed to expectations, so we all feel that. I feel that.' Yes, it's early and talent plays over time. But the Orioles aren't moving in the right direction. Advertisement Their rotation has a 6.04 earned run average, the worst by the AL by a whopping 1.37 runs. Outside of Zach Elfin and Tomoyuki Sugano , every starter has been dreadful. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Charlie Morton was 0-5 with a 10.89 earned run average in five starts before being sent to the bullpen. The 41-year-old righthander was signed for $15 million. Kyle Gibson , who was signed as spring training ended, made his debut on Tuesday and allowed nine runs over 3⅔ innings against the Yankees. The first three hitters he faced homered over a span of five pitches. 'With the starting rotation, having injuries and also starting so poorly and putting us in a bad spot because of that, it is difficult to contend with that level of injuries,' Elias said. Advertisement 'But even that aside, they've had a poor start and that's my responsibility, and I'm in charge of baseball operations and when we have a bad record to start the year, that's my responsibility.' It's not a payroll issue. The Orioles had a $89.4 million luxury tax payroll in 2023 and it's $183 million this season. The issue is how the money was spent and whether Baltimore should have traded from its position player depth to obtain a top starter. They did that for Corbin Burnes before last season and he was 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA over 32 starts for a playoff team. But Burnes became a free agent after the season and wanted to sign with the Diamondbacks so he could live at home. Elias can't be blamed for that. But replacing a 29-year-old All-Star with Morton wasn't going to work. Sugano has pitched well, but a 35-year-old with a 92-miles-per-hour fastball isn't a player a team can build around. There should be some rotation help coming from within. Lefthander Trevor Rogers , a potentially solid starter, is working his way back from a knee injury and should return this month. Eflin, who pitched well in three starts before going on the injured list with a lat strain, is expected back in a few weeks. Righthander Grayson Rodriguez , out all season with elbow inflammation, should start throwing again in the coming weeks. Down the line, righthanders Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells could return from Tommy John surgery in August. The Orioles should have the ability to outhit some of their problems. But their core group of homegrown position players — Gunnar Henderson , Jackson Holliday , Heston Kjerstad , Ryan Mountcastle , Adley Rutschman , and Jordan Westburg — have underperformed. Advertisement Tyler O'Neill had a .668 OPS and two home runs in 18 games before going on the IL with neck inflammation. He was signed for three years and $49.5 million. Holliday, the consensus top prospect in baseball a year ago, hit .207 with a .600 OPS in his first 86 major league games, striking out 91 times in 298 plate appearances. He also has been a below-average defender at second base. Holliday is only 21, so it's no time to panic. The same is true for the Orioles as a whole. Elias has always said the goal was long-term sustainability. That's being tested now. The Orioles' homegrown group of position players, including Jackson Holliday, has underperformed. Stephanie Scarbrough/Associated Press Making his mark Chapman has impressed the Red Sox Closers are interesting guys. Their worth is based on a flawed statistic, the save. Many only throw one or two pitches particularly well and any personality quirks they have often get overlooked because, well, they're the closer. The Sox have won championships with closers who were regular guys ( Keith Foulke ), nutty guys ( Jonathan Papelbon ), and the most enthusiastic of guys ( Koji Uehara ). Now they have Aroldis Chapman , who's definitely his own guy. Chapman is 37 and has played for seven teams, five in the last four seasons. He's a Cuban who loves his coffee and is built like an NFL linebacker at 6 feet, 4 inches, 240 pounds. Related : He wears designer clothes and old-school Reebok sneakers and drives what appears to be a custom-made armored personnel carrier through the narrow streets of Boston. He's also covered in tattoos from the neck down. What matters to the Red Sox is that Chapman has managed to improve his two-seam fastball velocity this season, something that was not expected. He's averaging 100.6 m.p.h., up from 99.8 last season. Advertisement 'The velo is eye-opening,' Alex Cora said. 'The strike-throwing, too. It's been the highlight of the season so far. 'You work and the game will reward you. That's it, it's as simple as that. That guy gets up in the morning, he goes to the gym. Comes back, get some rest, goes to the gym. When he gets here, he's running laps.' Cora said Chapman has been a 'great teammate' who has looked after younger players. He's also set an example with his work ethic. 'The fact that he's still in big leagues, and it looks like he's improving, it's amazing,' the manager said. 'It's refreshing and fun to watch and I'm glad he's here with us.' Chapman has managed to improve his two-seam fastball velocity this season. David Richard/Associated Press A few other observations on the Red Sox: ▪ Jarren Duran is a vastly improved player from where he was in 2022. But avoidable mistakes still pop up from time to time. One happened on Wednesday in Toronto when he tried to score from first with no outs in the first inning on a double by Rafael Devers and was thrown out at the plate. Duran got spun around looking for the ball when he rounded second and lost his momentum. In that situation, stay at third with Alex Bregman coming up. In a game the Sox eventually lost, 7-6, in 10 innings, it was a costly out. There are no predetermined outcomes, but Bregman homered. ▪ Ceddanne Rafaela also lost focus on Wednesday when he assumed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wouldn't tag up from second on a fly ball to center in the 10th inning and was caught flat-footed when he did. Guerrero then scored the winning run. Advertisement ▪ NESN's addition of Alanna Rizzo was a good one for baseball fans. She knows and cares about the sport and brings a lot of experience, having covered the Dodgers for seven seasons and been on MLB Network. Her baseball roots run deep. She's married to Providence native Chris Iannetta , who played 14 seasons in the majors. Related : ▪ Baseball in New England: Double A Portland had all four of its weekend home games in April either rained out or snowed out. ▪ Happened across a YouTube video that described Roman Anthony as 'the best prospect in the history of the Red Sox franchise.' Anthony is an excellent player and has handled all the acclaim admirably. But take it easy. At 19, Ted Williams had a 1.182 OPS and 42 homers over 148 Triple A games in 1938. He also drew 114 walks. Jim Rice had a .987 OPS and 62 extra-base hits as a 20-year-old over 129 minor league games in 1973. At 20, Mookie Betts had a .960 OPS and 33 stolen bases in 99 games for Portland and Pawtucket in 2014, starting 46 games at second base and 45 in center field. Jarren Duran was tagged out at home Wednesday in Toronto and again Friday against Minnesota. Matthew J Lee Etc. Dodgers having depth tested With Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell on the injured list with what is being termed shoulder inflammation, the Dodgers are going to learn if they have enough starters. For now, Tony Gonsolin , Dustin May , Roki Sasaki , and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are the core of a strong rotation. Gonsolin, who missed all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery, returned on Wednesday and allowed three runs over six innings against Miami. Advertisement Clayton Kershaw is three starts into a rehab assignment and went five innings on Wednesday for Triple A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers can make it work until he returns. Shohei Ohtani ? He is 'months away' from the mound according to manager Dave Roberts . Ohtani had surgery on his right elbow — believed to be an internal brace procedure — in 2023 then needed surgery on left shoulder after the World Series last season to repair a torn left labrum. He has had full bullpen sessions but not yet been scheduled for a minor league game. Bringing back Ohtani in the second half to pitch would be bigger than any trade Los Angeles could make. Whether it's following an opener or going into the rotation, Ben Casparius should be able to give the Dodgers innings. The rookie from UConn has a 2.70 ERA in his first 14 major league outings and appeared in four postseason games last season. A bigger question for the Dodgers might be why they've had so many injuries to their pitchers in recent years. Extra bases Chandler Simpson played second base and shortstop for Georgia Tech in 2022, the same season Kristian Campbell redshirted. He was a second-round draft pick by the Rays who hit .324 with an incredible 214 stolen bases over 250 minor league games and homered once. 'There's nobody like him,' Campbell said. 'His speed is amazing.' Simpson was called up on April 19 and hit .318 in his first 11 games and was 3 for 4 on steals. In the age of launch angle and hitting the ball as hard as you can, Simpson is a contact hitter who uses his speed to get on base. 'It's a skill set that we probably haven't seen as much over time in recent years,' Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. Meanwhile the Rays sold out 22 straight games at Steinbrenner Field before drawing 8,794 for a day game on Thursday against Kansas City … When underrated José Ramirez stole a base against the Twins on Thursday, he became the first player in Cleveland history with 250 home runs and 250 steals and as well as the first third baseman in baseball history. Only 23 other players have hit those marks. The last was Hanley Ramirez , who had 271 homers and 281 steals. Ramirez joined Craig Biggio , Derek Jeter , and Robin Yount as the only players to accomplish it with one team … The Braves optioned Jarred Kelenic to Triple A Gwinnett on Monday. He hit .167 through 23 games and struck out 23 times in 60 at-bats. Kelenic was the sixth pick of the 2018 draft by Seattle then was traded to the Mets later that year as part of the package to get Robinson Cano . The 25-year-old has since hit .211 with a .658 OPS and only 0.3 bWAR over 406 games. Kelenic played in the Futures Game and was once the No. 4 prospect in the game. Sometimes the can't-miss guys do miss … After a poor start to the season (0-2 with a 6.63 ERA through four starts), Chris Sale has allowed five earned runs over his last 16⅓ innings and struck out 22. He has improved his fastball velocity and is getting swings and misses from his slider again … Aaron Judge hit a ridiculous .427/.521/.761 in April with 28 extra-base hits and 32 RBIs. Juan Soto over the same stretch: .241/.368/.384 with 10 extra-base hits and 12 RBIs. Scott Boras was at Citi Field on Thursday to check in with his client and Soto homered twice, albeit in a 4-2 loss against Arizona. The homers were his first at home this season … Tough times for All-Star closers in Ohio. The Reds optioned Alexis Diaz to Triple A Louisville after he allowed eight runs in his first six outings. Diaz has his seen his fastball velocity drop from 95.7 in 2022 to 93 this season. The Guardians kept Emmanuel Clase on the roster after he gave up nine runs and 20 hits in his first 10⅓ innings but dropped him into the eighth inning. Clase came back to get a save against the Twins on Wednesday despite giving up a run. Meanwhile Devin Williams was dropped into lower-leverage slots by the Yankees after allowing 10 earned runs on 12 hits and seven walks in his first 10 games. Williams was among the Yankees players who successfully pressed the team to change its policy on beards. Maybe he should try shaving … You probably heard Eugenio Suarez was the 17th player in history to homer four times in a game. But did you know Torey Lovullo is the first manager to have two of his players do it? He also was managing Arizona when J.D. Martinez connected four times during the 2017 season … The Yankees came into this season never having hit four home runs in the first inning. They've since done it on March 29 and again on Tuesday. They're the first major league team to do that twice in one season. Cohasset's Ben Rice had one of the home runs on Tuesday against the Orioles. Rice became a tabloid sensation last season when homered three times against the Red Sox on July 6. But he finished the season hitting .171 and was left off the postseason roster. Rice had a productive offseason, getting stronger and improving his bat speed. He hit .266 with an .958 OPS, 13 extra-base hits and 13 RBIs through 27 games … Good to hear the Atlantic League's Staten Island FerryHawks will honor the late Anthony Varvaro on May 18. Varvaro, a Staten Island native, played in the majors from 2010-15 including a stint with the Red Sox in '15. The righthander left baseball to return to New York and become a Port Authority Police officer. He was on his way to work on Sept. 11, 2022 when he was killed by a wrong-way driver in New Jersey … The best pitcher in college baseball goes to Yale? Freshman righthander Jack Ohman was 7-0 with an 0.89 ERA through his first 10 games with 71 strikeouts over 60⅔ innings. He also had hit 97 with his fastball and throws a curveball, slider and changeup. He is the son of former major league lefthander Will Ohman … New England college baseball lost a legend when former University of New Haven coach Frank 'Porky' Vieira died on April 25. Viera was 1,127-324-6 with the Chargers from 1962-2006. New Haven advanced to the Division 2 World Series 17 times, finishing second twice. Vieira also sent 11 players to the majors, Steve Bedrosian among them. Vieira scored a school-record 2,649 points as a basketball player at Quinnipiac and later was an accomplished referee, working Big East games … Happy birthday to Jack Baker , who is 75. The tall first baseman from Alabama played 14 games for the Red Sox from 1976-77 and was 3 for 26 with a home run. He was traded to Cleveland for Garry Hancock after the '77 season but didn't return to the majors and left baseball after the 1978 season. Baker returned to Alabama to work in the family business, a dairy, and still lives there. In 1972, Baker and Jim Rice were the two best hitters for Single A Winter Haven. Baker had an .862 OPS and hit 27 home runs. Rice had an .861 OPS and had 17 homers. Peter Abraham can be reached at
