baseball

7 things to know about the Texas Rangers’ first World Series win

By David Brandt, Associated Press

Considering the heartache this club endured 12 years ago in one of the all-time Fall Classic gut punches, Texas was certainly due.

Tim Wakefield, knuckleball-wielding pitcher who helped Red Sox win 2004 World Series, dies at 57

By Jimmy Golen, Associated Press

Tim Wakefield, the knuckleballing workhorse of the Red Sox pitching staff who bounced back after giving up a season-ending home run to the Yankees in the 2003 playoffs to help Boston win its curse-busting World Series title the following year,…

MLB teams embrace Pride Nights despite pushback

By Jay Cohen, Associated Press

All but one big league team will celebrate Pride Night this season, yet the sport remains hampered by ongoing issues around LGBTQ+ inclusivity.

MLB teams extend alcohol sales after new pitch clock shortens games

By David Brandt, Associated Press

Thanks to the pitch clock, the action is moving much faster at Major League Baseball games. It also means a little less time for fans to enjoy a frosty adult beverage.

Climate change boosts temperatures and home runs, researchers say

By Seth Borenstein, Associated Press

Hotter, thinner air that allows balls to fly farther contributed a tiny bit to a surge in home runs since 2010, according to a statistical analysis by Dartmouth College scientists published in Friday’s Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

In a storybook ending, Ohtani strikes out Trout at World Baseball Classic for Japanese championship

By Ronald Blum, Associated Press

Shohei Ohtani emerged from the bullpen and fanned Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out in a matchup the whole baseball world wanted to see, leading Japan over the defending champion United States 3-2 for its first…

Tim McCarver, All-Star catcher and broadcaster, dies at 81

By Hillel Italie, Associated Press

The famed broadcaster and former St. Louis Cardinals star Tim McCarver has died. He was 81. During 60 years in major league baseball, McCarver played in two All-Star games and on two World Series championship teams.

All-Star 3rd baseman Scott Rolen elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

By Ronald Blum, Associated Press

Slick-fielding third baseman Scott Rolen has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with five votes to spare above the 75 percent needed.

Fan who snagged baseball at Yankees game unsure what he’ll do with it

By Associated Press

Dallas baseball fan Cory Youmans made the catch of a lifetime, snagging the ball that New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit for his American League-record 62nd home run.

Yankees star Aaron Judge hits 62nd home run to break Roger Maris’ American League record

By Stephen Hawkins, Associated Press

While Maris' 61 for the Yankees in 1961 had been exceeded six times previously, all were tainted by the stench of steroids. That includes Barry Bonds' 73 for the the San Francisco Giants in 2001.