Why A’s players don’t mind trade-offs with extended protective netting

OAKLAND—Back in December, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred declared that all 30 ballparks will extend their existing protective netting in advance of the 2020 season.

The movement has its reservations among fans but seems universally supported among players. Even in Oakland, where ample foul ground already buys added insurance.

“It will be tougher to interact with the fans, maybe to throw a ball to them,” A’s shortstop Marcus Semien said Friday at the team’s media day. “I love throwing a baseball to a kid. But, at least they will be safe.”

An NBC News investigation last year found at least 808 reports of fan injuries from baseballs from 2012 through 2019. The total was “based on lawsuits, news reports, social media postings and ...

MLB rumors: Former Giants GM Bobby Evans interviewed for Astros job

A little over a year after he was fired, former Giants general manager Bobby Evans could land on his feet.

Evans interviewed for the open Houston Astros general manager position, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Saturday, citing sources.

Evans spent four seasons as the general manager of the Giants before being reassigned within the organization at the end of the 2018 season. Including the 2019 season, Evans has spent the last 26 seasons in San Francisco.

The Astros are in need of a new GM and manager after Jeff Luhnow and AJ Hinch were fired in the fallout from the sign-stealing scandal that has rocked baseball in recent weeks.

Not sure how he’d work as a candidate- he doesn’t have a background that suggests that he could clean ...

Fortified White Sox say they’re ready to contend again

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox and their long-frustrated fans say they’re primed and pumped for the team to contend in 2020.

The White Sox haven’t made the playoffs since 2008 and have endured seven straight losing seasons, but there was an optimistic buzz at the team’s sold-out fan convention Saturday after a splashy offseason.

“It hard not to be excited and feel that energy they’re giving us,” fourth-year manager Rick Renteria told the crowd. “Obviously, it’s our job to put it from paper to the field and accomplish those things you want us to accomplish.”

The AL Central title — and more — may be within reach as the White Sox emerge from a rebuild and an offseason filled with free agent signings.

‘There are better things to come:’ Canada’s Taillon upbeat during Tommy John rehab

Jameson Taillon has plenty of experience when it comes to rehabbing from injuries.

The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander has had two Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgeries during his professional career. He’s also undergone surgeries to repair a sport hernia and remove cancerous tissue from his scrotum.

“I guess rehab is in my blood now,” Taillon said.

Yet Taillon continues to be upbeat while the midst of his latest rehab. He underwent his latest Tommy John procedure in August that will cause him to miss the 2020 season.

A few words on someone ready to spend this year on the sidelines.

Morneau elected to Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Twins first baseman Justin Morneau has been elected to the club’s Hall of Fame.

Morneau will be inducted during a ceremony at Target Field before the May 23 game against the Chicago White Sox.

Morneau played 14 seasons in the major leagues, including 11 with the Twins from 2003 to 2013. He finished his Twins career hitting .278 with 289 doubles, 16 triples and 221 home runs. He also had 860 RBI, 669 runs scored and 501 walks in 1,278 games.

Justin Turner on Astros’ 2017 World Series Title: ‘It’s Hard to Feel They Earned It’

The Dodgers are speaking out on the Astros sign-stealing scandal less than two weeks after Major League Baseball confirmed Houston cheated during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

At Dodgers FanFest on Saturday, third baseman Justin Turner said it’s been hard to relive old emotions after hearing about the Astros saga. Los Angeles lost to Houston in seven games in the 2017 World Series.

“We know how hard it is to win a World Series,” Turner said. “We know that it’s something you really have to earn, and with the commissioner’s report and the evidence and what they had, it’s hard to feel like they earned it and they earned the right to be called champions.”

Turner added that he hasn’t spoken to any Astros players and wasn’t sure why former ...

Cardinals’ speed-based style thrilled baseball fans in the 1980s, but would it work today?

The St. Louis Cardinals always find a way. A way to maximize their talent. A way to stay relevant in a constantly changing landscape. Above all else, they always find a way to win baseball games.

At least that’s the narrative this generation of fans are used to. If you rewind 40 years, you’ll discover it wasn’t always this way for St. Louis.

After winning World Series titles in 1964 and 1967, the Cardinals became mired in mediocrity throughout the ‘70s and were looking for answers to begin the 1980s. That’s when owner August “Gussie” Busch called Whitey Herzog, who had recently been fired by the Kansas City Royals, and offered to let him remake the Cardinals in his vision.

What followed was the birth of “Whitey Ball” at ...

Rockies’ Trevor Story agrees to two-year, $27.5 million contract

Rockies’ all-star shortstop Trevor Story has agreed to a two-year, $27.5 million contract, a source confirmed Friday night.

The deal, first reported by ESPN, will cover the final two years of Story’s arbitration eligibility. The Rockies have not announced or confirmed the deal. The contract could be announced as soon as Saturday.

Story, 27, is scheduled to be at Coors Field Saturday for the Rockies’ fan fest.

When the Rockies and Story submitted arbitration figures for 2020, the two sides were $750,000 apart, with Story asking for $11.5 million for one year and Colorado countering with $10.75 million.

Does this mean Trevor Story can get respect?

Royals star Pérez becomes US Citizen at team’s fan event

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Already a World Series MVP, six-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove catcher, Salvador Pérez became something else when he stepped onto the main stage at the Kansas City Royals’ annual FanFest: a U.S. citizen.

Pérez took his oath of citizenship on Friday, the completion of a five-year process that he described as long and difficult, but well worth it.

“I would rather be in the World Series, bases loaded, two outs, 3-2, hitting than go through that again,” he said. “I was shaking and my eyes were super big. But it was fun.”

“Becoming a U.S. citizen is great,” said Pérez, who was born and raised in Venezuela.

Tigers PA announcer Jay Allen dies after cancer fight

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers said Jay Allen, the team’s public address announcer, has died.

“Everyone admired Jay’s faith, determination and positive mindset during his fight with cancer,” the team said in a statement Friday. “His vocal passion for the Tigers and sports across the state of Michigan endeared him to millions of fans, and his impact will never be forgotten.”

Allen joined the Tigers as Comerica Park’s public address announcer last year. His experience also included minor league baseball, arena football and high school sports.

Astros manager rumors: Brad Ausmus joins Dusty Baker, Buck Showalter, John Gibbons as candidates for

The Houston Astros aren’t wasting any time when it comes to finding their replacement for former manager A.J. Hinch, who was ousted in the wake of the team’s sign-stealing scandal last Monday. After the club was reportedly connected to former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons and former Baltimore Orioles skipper Buck Showalter for the position, another name emerged Friday.

Former Tigers and Angels manager and former Astros catcher Brad Ausmus is now a candidate for the job, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Ausmus, 50, spent 10 of his 18 seasons as a player in Houston uniform. He also managed the Tigers for four seasons and led them to a division title in 2014. Ausmus managed the Angels in 2019 and guided them to a disappointing 72-90 ...

Former Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel apologizes for 2017 cheating scandal

Former Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel spoke at SoxFest 2020 — the Chicago White Sox version of FanFest — on Friday and apologized for the Astros cheating scandal when he was on the team in 2017.

He also intimated that sign-stealing was widespread throughout the 2017 playoffs, pointing out that most teams’ pitchers and catchers were using multiple signs even when no runner was on base and able to see the signs from the catcher.

“When there’s nobody on base, when in the history of Major League Baseball has there been multiple signs?,” Keuchel told a group of reporters. “You can go back and watch film of every team in the playoffs, there were probably six of eight teams using multiple signs. It’s just what the state of baseball was at ...

He’s ‘Nat’ done yet: Virginia Beach’s Ryan Zimmerman reportedly signs one-year deal with Washington

WASHINGTON – Mr. National is not giving up his title – at least not in 2020.

In a story first reported by the Washington Post’s Barry Svrluga, Virginia Beach’s Ryan Zimmerman has agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals. Howard Fendrich of the The Associated Press reports Zimmerman, the UVA Baseball Hall of Famer, will receive a $2 million base salary. Incentives, based upon the number of games played and plate appearances, could bring the figure to as high as $5 million. The AP reports the deal includes a full no-trade clause.

Zimmerman, who will turn 36 years-old this season, became an unrestricted free agent after the Nationals’ 2019 World Series championship season.

Zimmerman holds Washington’s franchise ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 1-24-2020

Chicago Eagle, January 24, 1920:

Serbian and Roumanian convalescents were introduced to baseball by the American Y.M.C.A. representatives during the recent war. After considering the game from all angles, these persons gave it their heart-felt approval, but voted for larger bats, and balls that did not travel so swiftly.

So…softball, then.

Felipe Alou: Mets manager Luis Rojas won’t cheat baseball

Rest assured, Mets fans, new manager Luis Rojas is a good man who will not cheat the game of baseball.

Those strong words come from his father, Felipe Alou, in his first comments about Rojas becoming Mets manager at the age of 38. Alou managed 14 years in the majors after a 17-year playing career. He is an icon in the game./blockquote>

Jim Furtado Posted: January 24, 2020 at 05:56 AM | 7 comment(s)
  Beats: felipe alou, luis rojas, mets

Bloom: Red Sox won’t rush to have manager by spring training

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox are still hoping to have a manager in place by spring training, but chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said Thursday it’s possible they won’t hire someone before pitchers and catchers report Feb. 12.

“It would certainly be ideal” to have replaced Alex Cora by then — but not at the cost of rushing the process, Bloom said. “Nobody wants to be at this point in a year without a manager, obviously, so that would become even more important once we get to spring training.”

The Red Sox let Cora go last week after Commissioner Rob Manfred identified him as the ringleader in a sign-stealing scheme when he was the bench coach with the World Series champion Houston Astros in 2017. Major League ...

Major League Baseball to sponsor US Olympic softball team

Something for those interested in the Olympics to watch for:

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball is using its financial muscle to support the U.S. women’s softball team, which already is assured a spot in the Tokyo Olympics while the American men’s baseball team struggles to qualify.

MLB announced an agreement Thursday to become presenting sponsor of the women’s “Stand Beside Her” tour, a slate of exhibition games leading up to the Olympic tournament from July 22-28.

“We’re both bat and ball sports. Even though we’re not the same sport, there are so many similarities that you just can’t ignore,” said Kim Ng, MLB’s senior vice president for baseball operations. “It was important for us to make sure that they ...

How MLB Handled Sign Stealing Before Punishing Astros

Skipping ahead to offer a sample of the interesting elements of this:

1909 Highlanders

Gene McCann, a former player, was stationed behind the centerfield fence and peered through a hole with binoculars. He would tip off the scoreboard operator, who would tip vertical the horizontal bar in the “H” in Highlanders for a fastball. One day in September a trainer from the Tigers surprised McCann during a game, overpowering him and seizing the binoculars.

1910-14 Athletics

Substitute outfielder Danny Murphy, armed with binoculars, stood next to a weathervane on a rooftop in Philadelphia. He spun the weathervane north for a curveball and south for a fastball. The system worked well, except for when a gust of wind spun the weathervane in ...

Ranking the names of major league ballparks

Now that the Hall of Fame election is over and a good number of the top free agents have signed, we’re about to enter the slowest period of the offseason news cycle. Let’s kill time by making a list, shall we?

This list is inspired by yesterday’s news about Miller Park changing its name to American Family Field next year. As I noted in that post, neither of those are terrible names for a park given by a corporation which means that, yeah, some corporate-named parks are better than others.

So I thought it’d be fun to rank the names of all the parks. Let’s go

A consideration that may be of interest, given our past discussion of stadium names.

Scott Boras Says Astros Players Shouldn’t Apologize for Sign-Stealing Scandal

Agent Scott Boras doesn’t believe Houston Astros players have any reason to apologize for their roles in the team’s cheating scandal.

Speaking to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Boras explained it was the organization that put the players in a position to game the system for an advantage.

“I’m doing what my organization is telling me to do,” he said. “You installed this. You put this in front of us. Coaches and managers encourage you to use the information. It is not coming from the player individually. It is coming from the team. In my stadium. Installed. With authority.”

Boras also noted that Astros players “were not given the latest state of the rules” by Major League Baseball and the team pertaining to the use of technology and ...

Red Sox, Padres have reportedly discussed Mookie Betts trade that includes a surprising name

Tonight, on As The Mookie Turns:

Coming into the offseason, the Boston Red Sox were expected to make a blockbuster trade in order to get underneath the luxury tax. With two months remaining until Opening Day, the most obvious trade candidates—outfielders Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr., and left-handed starter David Price—all remain in town. It’s anyone’s guess as to how much longer that stays true, as the Red Sox continue to monitor the market and explore potential deals.

For evidence of that, consider how the Red Sox and San Diego Padres recently engaged on talks centered around Betts, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Lin notes that while a deal has been characterized as unlikely, the talks have included a “significant ...

Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 1-23-2020

Miller Huggins on his plans for Babe Ruth, quoted in the Chattanooga News, January 23, 1920:

He will be played in the outfield and I think right field is the place for him. We could play Ruth in left field, but I do not favor the sun field for Ruth, as playing there might affect his batting eye.
...
There has been much talk about the probability of Ruth’s being asked to choke his bat next season in order to get more hits rather than distance. To this I can say frankly that Ruth is one player who will be permitted to take his swing. When a player can average long hits as often as Ruth he is entitled to take his cut at the ball at all times.

Miller Huggins was no dummy.

Does this team have the best bullpen in NL?

But for all of their faults elsewhere, the Padres have built a pretty complete bullpen this winter. General manager A.J. Preller is hoping that might solve—or at least mask—a few of his other concerns.

On Friday, the Padres finalized a two-year deal with right-hander Craig Stammen, seemingly putting the finishing touches on a group of relievers that might project as the best in the National League. San Diego previously added Drew Pomeranz and Pierce Johnson to that mix, along with a handful of intriguing non-roster invitees to Spring Training.

Betteridge’s law of headlines probably still applies, but there are some talented relievers out there.

Odd Couple: Jeter, Walker take different routes to Hall

NEW YORK (AP) — Derek Jeter and Larry Walker rarely crossed paths during their time in the major leagues.

“There was one time in the Bahamas, playing blackjack, that we sat down for a little while with Matt Damon, and we sat there and played for a little while,” Walker recalled of a gambling evening where athletes and thespians mixed.

A baseball odd couple, they sat on the dais in a penthouse hotel ballroom, baseball’s newly minted Hall of Famers.

Jeter, a first-round draft pick, came within one vote of being the second unanimous pick.

A reminder of what the balloting that we saw come to a conclusion yesterday means to those voted in.

Mayors launch task force to oppose minor league contraction

This week in contraction news:

Dozens of mayors from across the United States have formed a task force opposing a proposal by Major League Baseball to eliminate 42 affiliated minor league franchises for the 2021 season.

The coalition launched Tuesday with three leaders and was up to 30 members by Wednesday afternoon, ranging from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Hillsboro, Oregon.

“All of us understand this plan is a major league error,” Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke said.

MLB and the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues are negotiating a minor league agreement to replace the contract expiring after the 2020 season. MLB has proposed cutting more than a quarter of its 160 affiliates, citing concerns over the quality of ...

Larry Walker’s Hall plaque to feature Rockies cap, not Expos

NEW YORK (AP) — Larry Walker’s Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown will have a Colorado Rockies cap, not a Montreal Expos hat.

Walker spoke with Hall officials after he was elected Tuesday in his 10th and final appearance on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot.

Born in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Walker made his big league debut with the Expos in August 1989 and signed with the Rockies ahead of the 1995 season. He was traded to St. Louis in August 2004 and retired after the 2005 season.

“It’s a hard decision, being a Canadian,” Walker said.

So, will this please the people of Denver, alienate those of Montreal, both, or neither?

Baseball Hall of Fame Needs to Change 5% Voting Rule

For the first time in almost two weeks, the biggest story in baseball was not about sign stealing, the Astros’ horrible public relations strategy or the banging scheme. Instead, on Tuesday we got to celebrate the careers of two new Hall of Famers: Derek Jeter and Larry Walker. Sure, Jeets didn’t get in as a unanimous selection, but neither did Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Tom Seaver or Willie Mays. Let’s not lose sleep over it.

As I watched hours of MLB Network coverage, the two storylines I followed closest were far more important than Jeter getting 100% of BBWAA to agree he’s a Hall of Famer: (1) Would Larry Waker get in? (2) How many people would vote for Bobby Abreu?

Abreu, I suspected, would be an afterthought for most voters ...

Phillies sign Francisco Liriano and Neil Walker to minor league deals

Robert Murray and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported earlier, respectively, that the Phillies signed pitcher Francisco Liriano and infielder Neil Walker to minor league contracts. If he makes the major league roster, Liriano will earn a salary of $1.5 million with an additional $1.25 million available through performance incentives. Walker’s contract information is not yet known.

Liriano, 36, struggled from 2016-18 but enjoyed a productive year out of the bullpen for the Pirates this past season. He posted a 3.47 ERA with 63 strikeouts and 35 walks over 70 innings. The lefty was quite effective against same-handed batters, limiting fellow lefties to a .659 OPS. That would figure to be a key component if Liriano makes the Phillies’ ...

Royals sign veteran OF Alex Gordon to $4M contract for 2020

KANSAS CITY, MO (AP)—The Kansas City Royals signed outfielder Alex Gordon to a $4 million contract for next season, giving the rebuilding club a veteran presence in what is expected to be a young lineup under new manager Mike Matheny.

The Royals designated right-hander Heath Fillmyer for assignment Wednesday in a corresponding roster move.

The 35-year-old Gordon, a three-time All-Star, won his seventh Gold Glove last season to move within one of Frank White for the most in franchise history. He committed just one error in 146 games played in the outfield. His seven outfield assists tied him for third among big league left fielders, and his .266 batting average was his best since the 2015 season.

Gordon was even called upon to pitch ...

MLB umpires’ union clarifies use of electronics at spring training sites

Hours after baseball commissioner Rob Manfred indicated that an electronic strike zone would be used in spring training games, the executive committee of the umpires’ union clarified that news, indicating that the electronics would not be used in place of a plate ump’s judgment.

Rather, as umpires go through their regular spring work, MLB will be operating an electronic zone for nine games in Florida as it continues to refine its system that is expected to be implemented in the years ahead.

The umpires’ committee released a statement to ESPN on Wednesday evening that read: “Reports that MLB will use ‘robo-umps’ to call balls and strikes in spring training games this year are completely inaccurate. ... Our understanding is that a ...