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Associated Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Baseball players' union head hopeful of major leaguers participating in 2028 Olympics
ATLANTA (AP) — Baseball players' union head Tony Clark says plans are moving ahead exploring the possibility of using major leaguers in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 'There's a lot of work that need to be done,' he told the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Tuesday. 'We're hopeful that we can figure our way through it.' The World Baseball Softball Confederation said Monday the baseball tournament will be played from July 15-20 at Dodger Stadium. MLB is considering whether it can interrupt its 2028 season to allow major leaguers to participate, which could necessitate changes to the sport's national television contracts. Clark said among the issues are insurance and 'what does it mean for those players that aren't participating?' ___ AP MLB:
New York Times
23-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Series preview: What to watch as Cardinals, Cubs face off for first time this season
It took 89 days, but at long last, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals will finally play each other in a pivotal division matchup. The Cubs (46-31) have cruised atop the National League Central for the majority of the season. The Cardinals (42-36) have been a pleasant — if not remarkable — surprise. In a year designed to be about player development and preparing for future seasons, St. Louis has surpassed expectations and is proving to be a competitive club. It's made for a compelling division race so far: 4 1/2 games separate these two historic rivals (and don't forget the Milwaukee Brewers, who sit between the two at 43-35). The Cardinals will host the Cubs for four games at Busch Stadium starting Monday. To preview the series, Cardinals beat writer Katie Woo and Cubs beat writer Sahadev Sharma break down three areas to watch as these archrivals finally meet in 2025. tuck = activated#VoteCubs // — Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 22, 2025 Katie Woo: The Cardinals rotation was projected by most to be its Achilles' heel. Instead, it's helped them gain their footing. St. Louis starters have thrown the sixth-most innings in MLB (427 2/3) while posting a 3.96 ERA, a mark that ranks right at league average. And like we all predicted, it's Erick Fedde who leads the rotation with his 3.54 ERA. The Cardinals (once again) are not a swing-and-miss staff. Sonny Gray leads the rotation with 90 strikeouts, but the next pitcher on that list is Matthew Liberatore with 66. It's a groundball-reliant staff, but they've done an exceptional job pitching to their strengths — no team in baseball has recorded more ground-ball outs than the Cardinals' 455. Advertisement What has really been the difference-maker for St. Louis is its health. During an era when pitching injuries are at an all-time high, the Cardinals have not had a significant injury to their pitching staff. The organization has been extremely intentional about maximizing rest and keeping its starting pitchers on a six-day schedule. That's why they've implemented a six-man rotation at times, turning to Michael McGreevy as a spot starter when needed. That pattern will continue this series. Though not yet official, McGreevy should start one of the next four games, likely Tuesday. Sahadev Sharma: No one would have been surprised had the Cubs collapsed with Justin Steele out for the season and Shota Imanaga getting hurt May 4. But somehow, they've grown their division lead in that time. There are probably three main reasons why. First, Matthew Boyd has pitched like an All-Star. He's been stellar and stayed healthy. Jameson Taillon has been an inning-eating, quality-start machine. He has had issues with the long ball, but he doesn't walk batters and is a leader in the clubhouse. Those two have been tremendously valuable. Finally, rookie Cade Horton isn't going to blow anyone away with his numbers just yet, but he's displayed the type of poise on the mound rarely seen by youngsters. Imanaga will return soon, likely in St. Louis, but it'd be a surprise if Horton, who replaced Imanaga in the rotation, is going anywhere. He appears to be just scratching the surface. Sharma: Pete Crow-Armstrong is a freak on defense. You have to watch him in person to fully appreciate the speed and breaks he gets on the ball. He's a menace on the basepaths, as well. He will chase pitches out of the zone, so he can sometimes look rough. But he can also hit balls out of the park that are at his ankles or his eyes. His power display has been remarkable this season, and he deserves a lot of credit for making mechanical tweaks that have led to him emerging as a superstar. Oh, to be young and good at baseball. — Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 19, 2025 Woo: The Cardinals don't have a clear budding star like Crow-Armstrong, but what Brendan Donovan has done can't be ignored. He can play around the diamond, but he's solidified himself as the starting second baseman. Manager Oli Marmol has hit Donovan third most of the season, but with Lars Nootbaar working his way back up from a slump, Donovan has become the default leadoff hitter. His .308 average (third highest in the National League behind only Will Smith and Freddie Freeman) made that decision fairly easy. Donovan is the type of gritty, old-school player the Cardinals seemed to churn out regularly a decade ago. He's become a fan favorite because of his play style. Advertisement Woo: After a two-year hiatus, the Cardinals are again a strong defensive club. They lead baseball with 24 outs above average. Masyn Winn is a legit shortstop, and Victor Scott II can match Crow-Armstrong in center field in terms of standout plays. Nolan Arenado is still Nolan Arenado, and old friend Willson Contreras has become a top first baseman in the National League (seriously, check the stats). The offense took a significant hit with Iván Herrera (hamstring strain) out for several weeks, but Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman have swung hot bats lately, regardless of opposing handedness. NOLAN ARENADO GOES ALL OUT! — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 25, 2025 The biggest strength for this team is its resilience, as evidenced by 19 comeback wins. The Cardinals play a lot of close ballgames and hardly ever get blown out. That's what makes this squad dangerous — regardless of scenario, you can rarely count it out. Sharma: Everyone should know the Cubs offense is great. They faced some amazing starting pitching in June — MacKenzie Gore, Tarik Skubal, Zack Wheeler and Paul Skenes are just a handful — so it's been a so-so month. But make no mistake, this offense is fearsome. Beyond that, they have a lot of speed and they're aggressive on the basepaths. They've made a habit of not giving the opposition easy outs and forcing mistakes. When you do that against this lineup, it likely will cost you. The defense at every position is stellar, and that rarely slumps. Finally, after a dreadful start to the season, the bullpen has turned into a strength. Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, Daniel Palencia and Caleb Thielbar are just a handful of names you likely aren't aware are doing brilliant work in relief for the Cubs. (Photo of Matthew Boyd: Geoff Stellfox / Getty Images)
New York Times
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Presenting the Cardinals' All-Quarter Century Team, the best in St. Louis since 2000
Editor's note: The Athletic is marking 2025 by naming an MLB All-Quarter Century Team, selected by Jayson Stark. We're inviting readers to take our survey and make their picks for the best players at each position since 2000, with the results announced in an upcoming story. Some of our beat writers are picking All-Quarter Century Teams for the teams they cover. Check this page to find all of our All-Quarter Century Team coverage. Advertisement Full disclosure: This last quarter-century of baseball is all I've ever known. As a baseball writer still grasping to her late-20s, I grew up in an era when the St. Louis Cardinals set the standard in drafting and development. It wasn't until much later, when I took over as The Athletic's Cardinals beat writer in 2021, that I started to understand just how imperative that era was for this franchise. The Cardinals have made the playoffs in 16 of their past 25 seasons, including two World Series championships. Even during their current down stretch, they remain one of baseball's most prestigious and respected franchises. That's partly what made this exercise so hard (the other part being that I was a pre-teen/early teenager during the Cardinals' most dominant stretches). But if I know how to do one thing, it's how to annoy people with relentless questions. And that's exactly what I did as I surveyed various people around the ballpark over the past week, taking as many different opinions on players before my final submission. Below is The Athletic's official St. Louis Cardinals All-Quarter Century team. I look forward to you all agreeing with me. In the case that you don't, I'll try to do better when we do this again in 2050. Wow, who saw this one coming? I mean, he's only a two-time World Series champion, a 10-time All-Star, a nine-time Gold Glove Award winner, a future Hall of Famer and one of the best defensive catchers the game will ever see. Enough said. OK, I promise these get less obvious as we go on. But the resume of Mr. 703 speaks for itself. A World Series winner, twice. A three-time National League MVP, all with St. Louis. An 11-time All-Star. A six-time Silver Slugger and a two-time Gold Glove Award winner. He should be a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection when he's eligible in 2028. Advertisement No disrespect to his 10-year stint with the Los Angeles Angels, but when you think Albert Pujols, you think the St. Louis Cardinals. Some of his most magical swings came wearing the Birds on the Bat. The memorable moments range from his first career homer on April 6, 2001 (when he would later go on to win the National League Rookie of the Year), to his monstrous homer off Brad Lidge in the 2005 NLCS, to his first home run back in a Cardinals uniform in 2022 — the beginning of a truly storybook final season. And of course, there were career home runs No. 699 and No. 700 on the same night at Dodger Stadium. Who's forgetting that? In a franchise rich with legends and heroes, Pujols stands among the very top. There will simply never be another No. 5. Carpenter, who spent 12 of his 14 MLB seasons with St. Louis, debuted with the Cardinals when St. Louis was on a roll. His gritty, hard-nosed style captured the hearts of Cardinals fans, who certainly had plenty to cheer about from 2011-2015. Those times coincided with the start of Carpenter's career. He was a back-to-back All-Star in 2013 and 2014, and notched his third selection in 2016. In 2013, he led the National League in hits (199) and doubles (55) and won a Silver Slugger at second base. There has been no shortage of tenacious middle infielders in St. Louis (seriously, it's like a factory out here). But Carpenter's time with the Cardinals was special. He announced his retirement earlier in the month and is all but a lock for the Cardinals Hall of Fame. Renteria spent six seasons with the Cardinals, winning two Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers and a National League pennant in that time. He was also a two-time All-Star selection, so not too shabby. Rentería is the only player in Cardinals history to win Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards in the same season twice. He ranks second in shortstops in franchise history in home runs (71) and stolen bases (148) and third in batting average (.290, with a minimum of 1,500 plate appearances), hits (973) and RBIs (415). Advertisement Rentería was named to the team's 2025 Hall of Fame class in early April and will be inducted this September. Rolen was an All-Star in four of his six seasons with the Cardinals and was a key piece of their 2006 World Series team — the franchise's first title in a 24-year span. He was also instrumental in the team's National League championship season in 2004, where he set career highs in (deep breath) home runs (34), RBIs (124), batting average (.314), on-base percentage (.409), slugging percentage (.598) and OPS (1.007). He finished fourth in MVP voting that year, behind teammates Pujols and Jim Edmonds (who, spoiler, might be on this list as well). Rolen helped spark the Cardinals to four postseason appearances (including two World Series) and played in 32 playoff games for St. Louis. His booming home run off Roger Clemens in Game 7 of the NLCS that season ultimately sent the Cardinals to the World Series in 2004. While Rolen played for four organizations throughout his 17 MLB seasons, he chose to represent the Cardinals when he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023. The Cardinals are no strangers to excellence at the hot corner, and Nolan Arenado is certainly worthy of consideration here. But given Rolen's extensive postseason experience, it's his spot for now. He's a seven-time All-Star (four with St. Louis), a four-time Silver Slugger, a 2011 World Series champion and a Cardinal Hall of Famer. After coming to the Cardinals halfway through the 2009 season, the organization inked him to the largest free-agent contract in franchise history at the time. Good thing they did. Holliday led the Cardinals in OPS for three consecutive seasons from 2012-2014 and received MVP votes in five of his eight seasons as a Cardinal. In his 982 games with St. Louis, Holliday hit .293/.380/.494 and tallied 1,048 hits, 237 doubles, 156 homers and 616 RBIs. Holliday ranks third all time among Cardinals outfielders in home runs (behind Stan Musial and Ray Lankford) and was instrumental in the team's run in the early 2010s. Advertisement Edmonds was the definition of center-field superiority during his time with St. Louis. After being traded to the Cardinals in 2000, Edmonds won six straight Gold Gloves and was a human highlight reel in the outfield, dazzling fans with his rugged style. The Cardinals reached the playoffs in all but two of the eight seasons he played in St. Louis. In those eight seasons, Edmonds was an All-Star three times, hit .285 with 241 home runs — ranking fourth all time within the franchise — and won the Silver Slugger Award in 2004. Edmonds was elected into the Cardinals' inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2014 and remains an organizational favorite amongst Cardinals fans. Taguchi came to St. Louis in 2022, his age-32 season, becoming the Cardinals' first Japanese-born signing. It wasn't until 2004 when he started making an impact, but his role in the Cardinals' 2006 World Series championship turned him into a fan favorite. During the 2006 postseason, Taguchi hit a scorching .400/.438/.867 with two homers, tying his regular-season total. Other right fielders who played for the Cardinals (J.D. Drew, Lance Berkman, Larry Walker, to name a few) might have more prestigious career resumes. But Taguchi's impact in a short time in St. Louis matters more, given what it led to. This rotation features 515 Cardinals wins (200 from Wainwright), four World Series championships, 11 All-Star selections and two Cardinals Hall of Fame berths (and two more coming, once Lynn and Wainwright are eligible). Pick your favorite here, you can't go wrong. Few closers were as effective as Isringhausen in the 2000s. In the seven seasons he spent as the Cardinals' closer (from 2002 to 2008), Isringhausen made 401 appearances and holds the franchise record for saves (217) and ranks third amongst Cardinals relievers in strikeouts (373). He established the Cardinals' then-single-season record for saves in 2004 with 47, and followed up that performance with an All-Star selection in 2005. During Isringhausen's tenure, the Cardinals won the National League Central Division four times, the National League pennant twice and the World Series in 2006. He logged 408 innings and posted a 2.98 ERA with 217 total saves. Even with other stellar closers that followed behind him (Trevor Rosenthal and Ryan Helsley, both of whom have broken his previous single-season save record), Isringhausen still reigns supreme as the Cardinals' ninth-inning man. (Top photo of Yadier Molina, left, and Albert Pujols from 2022: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Associated Press
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Brewers send RHP Tobias Myers to Triple-A Nashville and recall reliever Elvis Peguero
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers optioned right-handed pitcher Tobias Myers to Triple-A Nashville and recalled right-handed reliever Elvis Peguero on Sunday. Myers, 26, got sent to the minors one day after he allowed two runs, three hits and three walks over four innings in a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. After starting this season on the injured list with a strained left oblique, Myers has gone 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in five appearances, including four starts. He has struck out 11 and has allowed 10 walks and 15 hits in 16 1/3 innings. He went 9-6 with a 3.00 ERA as a rookie last season and was named the Brewers' most valuable pitcher by the Milwaukee chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. He closed that season by pitching five shutout innings in the decisive Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series, a game the Brewers eventually lost 4-2 to the New York Mets. Peguero, 28, has gone 0-0 with a 5.68 ERA in five relief appearances for Milwaukee this year. He had an 0-0 record and 2.25 ERA in seven games with Nashville. ___ AP MLB:
