Rumors for Major League Baseball
Players and Owners agree to new CBA
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The players and owners have agreed to a new five-year collective bargaining agreement, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The deal gives baseball 21 consecutive years of labor peace.
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Manny Ramirez can’t play in Winter League
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Disgraced baseball superstar, Manny Ramirez, can’t play in the Dominican Winter League despite his intentions becoming public knowledge yesterday. According to an MLB official close to ESPN.com, because the Dominican Winter League is affiliated with MLB, commissioner Bud Selig considers him ineligible to play.
Yesterday, it was reported that the president of the Eagles, Winston Llenas, said that Ramirez was expected to start training with his team next week.
Ramirez retired in April after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. He also faces criminal charges in Florida after being accused of slapping his wife in a recent argument.
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Mariano Rivera ties Trevor Hoffman for most saves with 601
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Yankees closer, Mariano Rivera, saved game number 601 against the Toronto Blue Jays today. “Mo,” held a 7-6 lead in the ninth to get his 601 save, tying Trevor Hoffman for most games saved in MLB history.
Rivera struck out Colby Rasmus looking for the first out of the ninth, then forced Brett Lawrie to ground out to first baseman Mark Teixeira and for the third out, Eric Thames flied out to center field.
This season, Rivera is 1-2 with a 2.05 ERA and 41 saves in 57 innings for the Yankees.
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Bud Selig wants to add two more Wild Card teams for 2012
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Baseball Commissioner, Bud Selig, wants to add one more Wild Card team, as soon as next season, to the playoff in both leagues according to Harvey Araton of the New York Times.
“I’ve been working on that just this afternoon,” Selig said. “It’s under very serious consideration. It’s got to be negotiated, but if I have my way it’ll be in time for next year.”
Even though there are a lot of “baseball purists,” as Araton points out, that still believe the “old-fashioned” pennant race is the way to go. Selig defends the Wild Cards arguing that it gave us the 2003 Marlins and 2004 Red Sox, among others.
It is still unknown how this two Wild Card teams will work out. One-day playoff game, or a best-of-three games series could be the most logical choices, but the international soccer playoff model has been suggested.
That means two games, one at each team’s home field, with aggregate scoring. The aggregate scoring will settle a tie in case each teams wins a game, meaning that the team that scored more runs, or recieved less runs will win the playoff.
Araton says though that Selig seemed to think that suggestion was intended as a joke. Even if it’s approve or it doesn’t, I (Juan Dominguez) don’t think it’s a bad idea. This will give teams like the Angels, Pirates or Diamondbacks a well deserved chance to get to the post-season.
The Marlins have won the World Series twice while clinching the Wild Card (1997 and 2003). The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim won the 2002 World Series as the AL Wild Card team, beating the San Francisco Giants, the NL Wild Card team. The Boston Red Sox, won the 2004 World Series after clinching the playoff berth as a Wild Card team.
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Video: Justin Timberlake and beer at the All-Star Game
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Just because it was one of the more classic baseball-related interviews ever, check out the video in case you missed it:
Justin Timberlake talking about Joe Buck and beer at the All-Star Game.
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All Star Starting Lineups Released
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According to Craig Calcaterra of MSNBC, Ron Washington and Bruce Bochy have announced their Starting Lineups. Starting Pitcher for the NL Is Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Starting Pitcher for the AL is Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels. The starting lineups then go as follows:
American League
1. Curtis Granderson CF New York Yankees
2. Asdrubal Cabrera SS Cleveland Indians
3. Adrian Gonzalez 1B Boston Red Sox
4. Jose Bautista RF Toronto Blue Jays
5. Josh Hamilton LF Texas Rangers
6. Adrian Beltre 3B Texas Rangers
7. David Ortiz DH Boston Red Sox
8. Robinson Cano 2B New York Yankees
9. Alex Avila C Detroit Tigers
National League
1. Rickie Weeks 2B Milwaukee Brewers
2. Carlos Beltran DH New York Mets
3. Matt Kemp CF Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Prince Fielder 1B Milwaukee Brewers
5. Brian McCann C Atlanta Braves
6. Lance Berkman RF St. Louis Cardinals
7. Matt Holliday LF St. Louis Cardinals
8. Troy Tulowitzki SS Colorado Rockies
9. Scott Rolen 3B Cincinnati Reds
The All Star game will be on Fox starting at 8 pm est tomorrow.
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2011 MLB All-Star Rosters revealed
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Major League Baseball has released the 2011 All-Stars for the 82nd Midsummer Classic to be held in Arizona’s Chase Field on July 12 (source: MLB.com):
American League
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox
2B: Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
3B: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
SS: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
OF: Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays
OF: Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees
OF: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
DH: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox
C: Alex Avila, Detroit Tigers
National League
1B: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers
2B: Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers
3B: Placido Polanco, Philadelphia Phillies
SS: Jose Reyes, New York Mets
OF: Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals
OF: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
OF: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers
C: Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
Nolan Ryan in favor of Astros joining AL
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Texas Rangers president and CEO wouldn’t mind sharing the state and the American League with their neighbors to the south – the Houston Astros. According to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com, Ryan said he would be in favor of a realignment.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to that,” Ryan said earlier this week. “I would be in favor of adding somebody, and I think it would be good if you had the Rangers and the Astros in a pennant race. I think it would add a lot of interest in the state and I think it would be good.”
Sources close to ESPN said that MLB and the players’ association have spoken about a scenario where there are two 15-team leagues where each league would compete for five playoff spots each. Two highly ranked executives believe the Astros would be the team to switch from the NL to the AL.
“If we can improve our situation, the Texas Rangers and I certainly would be open to it,” Ryan said. “It would make the rivalry in the state such a big deal, and I think the demographics in the state of Texas would help.”
The Rangers currently hold a 37-28 lead in their interleague series.
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A song endorsed by Pete Rose?
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In about a month, the name Pete Rose will once again come up for debate. Should he be in? Or did Major League Baseball do the right thing and ban him for life? You can argue either way, but until the issue is resolved enjoy this snippit of song that was sent to me by Evergreen Records, “Love Oughta Be Perfect”, where Pete Rose is quoted saying, “Hi, this is Pete Rose and I approve of this message”
Love Oughta Be Perfect
Evergreen Records
By Brad Wolf featuring Pete Rose
Used with permission from Robert Lewis of Evergreen Records, Nashville, TN
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Realignment being discussed between union and MLB
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Four sources close to Buster Olney of ESPN say that Major League Baseball and the player’s union are discussing a realignment that will include two leagues of 15 teams.
One scenario eliminates the divisions, so the 15 teams of each league would vie for five playoff spots.
“I’d still say the odds of it happening are less than 50-50,” one source said.
The two leagues of 15 teams would require one team from the National League to switch to the American League. Two highly ranked executives believe that the Houston Astros would be a possible candidate to switch leagues.
“There are still a lot of details that would have to be discussed,” one source said.
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