John Sterling retires from Yankees broadcast booth at age 85
NEW YORK — John Sterling, the hyperexcitable New York Yankees broadcaster known for decades of indelible, personalized home run calls, announced his immediate retirement Monday at age 85. Sterling made the unexpected decision a few weeks into his 34th season as the Yankees’ radio play-by-play voice. He had cut back...
First Call: As Steelers talk swirls, Brandon Aiyuk’s agent denies trade request story; Tee Higgins’ future in Cincy
Pittsburgh Steelers fans interested in their team acquiring Brandon Aiyuk or Tee Higgins at wide receiver won’t be thrilled at news coming out of San Francisco and Cincinnati. We also preview the Penguins’ game against Nashville and the Pirates’ trip to New York. All that in Monday’s “First Call.” San...
Rangers reliever Brock Burke broke non-throwing hand by punching wall
HOUSTON — Texas Rangers reliever Brock Burke broke his non-throwing hand while punching a wall following a poor outing Friday night against the Houston Astros. Manager Bruce Bochy said Burke, who is a left-hander, broke his right hand when he punched the wall “out of frustration” and was placed on...
Benches and bullpens clear with Milwaukee up big in the sixth inning at BaltimoreVideo
BALTIMORE — The benches cleared quickly, and then relievers came running in from the bullpens. Why it all happened remains a mystery. That sixth-inning altercation between the Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers didn’t escalate into any real fighting, and the two main participants — and their managers — wouldn’t say...
Rockies pitcher Daniel Bard needs elbow surgery, will miss rest of season
TORONTO — Colorado right-hander Daniel Bard needs surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow and will not pitch again this season, Rockies manager Bud Black said Friday. Bard is in the final season of a $19 million, two-year deal. He has not pitched in 2024 after surgery...
Guardians ace Shane Bieber has Tommy John surgery; future uncertain
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber had Tommy John surgery Friday and will start a long recovery. The 2020 Cy Young Award winner made two strong starts this season before pain in his elbow became too overwhelming and surgery was recommended. Bieber will be sidelined for the rest of...
MLB batting average down 7 points to .242 in 1st 2 weeks, game time up 2 minutes
NEW YORK — The major league batting average dropped seven percentage points to .242 in the first two weeks of the season, while the average time of a nine-inning game rose two minutes to 2:39 in the second season of the pitch clock. Major League Baseball implemented restrictions on defensive...
Judge in sports betting case orders ex-interpreter for Ohtani to get gambling addiction treatment
LOS ANGELES — A federal judge on Friday ordered the former longtime interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani released on $25,000 bond and mandated he undergo gambling addiction treatment. Ippei Mizuhara exploited his personal and professional relationship with Ohtani to plunder $16 million from the two-way player’s bank...
Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter charged with stealing $16M from baseball star in sports betting case
LOS ANGELES — The former longtime interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is being charged with federal bank fraud for crimes involving gambling debts and theft of more than $16 million from the Japanese sensation, federal authorities said Thursday. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announced the charges Thursday. Ippei...
Orioles call up Jackson Holliday, baseball’s top-ranked prospect
BALTIMORE — Make way for baseball’s top-ranked prospect — yet another big addition from Baltimore’s stellar farm system. The Orioles called up 20-year-old infielder Jackson Holliday on Wednesday, hours before their game at Boston. Holliday was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of high school in...
Yankees’ Gerrit Cole says MLB, union bickering over pitch clock sounds like ‘divorced parents’
NEW YORK — New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole faulted MLB and the players’ association for bickering over the pitch clock last weekend, comparing their behavior to divorced parents. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner and former member of the union’s eight-man executive subcommittee spoke about the union’s statement...
AP study: 9 MLB teams cut payroll this winter; average salary up just 1.5%
NEW YORK — San Diego cut payroll by $96 million in the past year, the New York Mets by $50 million and the Los Angeles Angels by $49 million, among nine teams that slashed spending in a tepid free-agent market that sparked player unrest. The average salary increased 1.5% to...
Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg announces his retirement at 35
WASHINGTON — Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg announced his retirement Sunday, ending the 2019 World Series MVP’s injury-filled career. Since leading Washington to its only World Series title five years ago, the 35-year-old Strasburg pitched just 31 1/3 innings over eight starts. “I realized after repeated attempts to return to...
First an earthquake, now an eclipse. Yankees to play ball on same day as another natural phenomenon
NEW YORK — A 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook New York City on Friday as the Yankees went through batting practice before their home opener. Three days later, the Yankees will play after another natural phenomenon. At least this one will be expected. A solar eclipse is forecast to occur Monday...
MRI shows damage to Braves ace Spencer Strider’s elbow ligament, status in doubt
ATLANTA — Braves ace right-hander Spencer Strider has damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, an MRI revealed Saturday, leaving his status for the remainder of the season in doubt. The Braves said Strider will be evaluated further by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, at a...
Guardians ace Shane Bieber to have Tommy John surgery
CLEVELAND — Shane Bieber pitched until the pain stopped him. Cleveland’s ace will have season-ending Tommy John elbow surgery, a major blow to the Guardians and the 2020 Cy Young winner, who had looked like his dominant self in two strong recent starts. Bieber struck out a league-leading 20 and...
Mets, Julio Teheran finalize 1-year contract, filling hole in rotation
CINCINNATI — Julio Teheran and the New York Mets finalized a $2.5 million, one-year contract Friday, filling an immediate need in the team’s injury-depleted rotation. A longtime Mets nemesis with the rival Braves, the veteran right-hander is scheduled to start Monday against his former club in the opener of a...
Athletics announce plans to play the next 3 seasons in minor league park near Sacramento
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Athletics will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park near Sacramento until their planned new stadium in Las Vegas is built. The A’s announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27 with an...
Brewers place RHP Trevor Megill on concussion list after he faints in a store
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Brewers reliever Trevor Megill has gone on the seven-day concussion list after passing out while recovering from an apparent case of food poisoning. Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Wednesday that Megill suffered from food poisoning on Saturday during the team’s three-game road series with the New York...
Tigers and Mets postponed by rain for 2nd straight day, will play doubleheader Thursday
NEW YORK — For the second consecutive day, the scheduled game between the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets was postponed because of rain. Wednesday night’s game will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 12:10 p.m. on Thursday, originally an off day for both teams...
Bob Uecker begins 54th season broadcasting Brewers games after turning 90 earlier this yearVideo
MILWAUKEE — Bob Uecker was back at American Family Field once again to broadcast the Milwaukee Brewers’ home opener as team officials remained circumspect about the 90-year-old’s workload for the rest of the season. This will be Uecker’s 54th season broadcasting Brewers baseball, though he has limited himself to home...
Allderdice grad Larry Lucchino, force behind retro ballpark revolution and drought-busting Red Sox, dies at 78
BOSTON — Larry Lucchino, the force behind baseball’s retro ballpark revolution and the transformation of the Boston Red Sox from cursed losers to World Series champions, has died. He was 78. Lucchino had suffered from cancer. The Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, his last project in a career that also included...
Houston’s Ronel Blanco throws 1st no-hitter in MLB this season
HOUSTON — Ronel Blanco put a bow on a remarkable week. In a span of seven days, the Houston right-hander welcomed a new daughter, made his first opening day roster — and then threw the first no-hitter in the major leagues this season. Blanco struck out seven and walked two...
Oakland Athletics fans boycott home opener outside stadium in protest of Las Vegas moveVideo
OAKLAND, Calif. — Many fans at the Oakland Coliseum were still hanging out in the parking lot when Alex Wood delivered the first pitch of the season for the Athletics against the Cleveland Guardians. And they had no intention of going into the stadium. In protest of the A’s planned...
MLB’s percentage of international-born players drops slightly to 27.8%, lowest since 2016
NEW YORK — The percentage of Major League Baseball players born outside the 50 states dipped slightly to 27.8%, its lowest level since 2016. There were 264 players from 19 nations and territories outside of the 50 states among 949 players on opening day active rosters and injured, restricted and...
