New York Times - Baseball

Now Pitching for the Yankees … These 13 Guys

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 21:44:48 GMT

A quirk in Major League Baseball’s modified postseason format could lead to an unusual assortment of pitchers getting innings aside from the usual starters and relievers.The Yankees will need a lot more than ace Gerrit Cole to get through the playoffs in the modified format.

Derek Jeter Is Back in the Postseason With a Whole New Perspective

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 17:57:44 GMT

Jeter played 158 playoff games as a Yankee. This week, he’ll experience his first as the Marlins’ chief executive: “It’s completely different, because you have no control whatsoever.”Derek Jeter is in his third season as the Miami Marlins’ chief executive. He is also a part owner of the team.

M.L.B.’s 60-Game Leaderboard, Annotated and Adjusted

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 16:45:11 GMT

A pitching triple crown, a potentially cursed batting feat and a 59*-homer season were among the highlights of a season that will stand out like a sore thumb in record books.D.J. LeMahieu led the majors with a .364 batting average. He is just the second player to have a batting crown in both the American and National leagues, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Best 60-Game Stretch in a Century Belongs to Ichiro Suzuki

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 07:00:08 GMT

No one managed to hit .400 this year despite excited speculation about the possibility in a truncated season, underscoring how impressive Suzuki’s late-season stretch in 2004 was.Ichiro Suzuki during the final game of the 2004 regular season, in which he broke the season hits record and hit .460 across a 60-game stretch.

Yankees’ Regular Season Ends With a Loss and Two Individual Titles

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 01:15:17 GMT

Luke Voit claimed the American League home run title, D.J. LeMahieu won the batting title, and the Yankees learned they were headed to Cleveland for their first-round postseason series.D.J. LeMahieu, who had two hits on Sunday, became the first Yankee to win a batting title since Bernie Williams in 1998.

After a Halt, Then a Sprint, the Cardinals Land in the Playoffs Again

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 01:14:00 GMT

After a Covid-19 outbreak, the Cardinals crammed 53 games into the season’s final 44 days. On Sunday, they emerged from a chaotic National League field with a postseason spot.Catcher Yadier Molina celebrated with teammates after the Cardinals clinched a postseason berth by beating the Brewers on Sunday.

With Wilpons Set to Cede Control, the Mets End an Era of What-Ifs

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 20:45:39 GMT

After his entanglement in the Madoff Ponzi scheme, the longtime Mets owner Fred Wilpon vowed to fight to keep his team. He did, but the scandal altered the course of his reign.Fred Wilpon at spring training in 2013. Provided the sale of the Mets to Steven Cohen is approved, the team’s game on Sunday was its last with Wilpon as the principal owner.

After Season of Challenges, Marlins Are on the Verge of a Breakthrough

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 22:54:05 GMT

Miami lost 105 games last year, and started this season with an alarming coronavirus outbreak. Yet, somehow, they are poised to end their 17-year postseason drought.A rain-delayed win against the Atlanta Braves put the Miami Marlins tantalizingly close to clinching their first postseason berth since 2003.

How a Baseball Outsider Became the Yankees’ Pitching Guru

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 17:57:22 GMT

Matt Blake never pitched professionally, and spent his first years out of college as a salesman. “It’s for the better,” one Yankees reliever said of Blake’s background.Just five years removed from coaching high school baseball, Matt Blake is now the Yankees’ pitching coach.

Home-Field Advantage Won’t Matter This October. Did It Ever?

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 09:00:23 GMT

With Major League Baseball holding the postseason at neutral sites, the games will lack their usual raucous atmosphere. But recent history suggests playing at home doesn’t make much of a difference, anyway.Dodger Stadium will be one of the four postseason venues this fall, still devoid of fans.

Sandy Alderson Set to Return to Mets as Team President

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 20:16:30 GMT

Steven Cohen, the presumptive new owner of the team, announced he would be hiring Alderson, who was the Mets’ general manager from 2010 to 2018.Sandy Alderson left the Mets in 2018 because of health concerns, but he announced a year later that he was cancer free.

M.L.B. Awards: In a Short Season, Veterans Are Standing Out

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 17:50:16 GMT

The top contenders for baseball’s annual awards include two 30-somethings who could take home the Most Valuable Player Awards.Freddie Freeman is having an M.V.P.-caliber season despite dealing with a frightening Covid-19 case before the season.

Fans Find a Way to Watch Baseball During the Pandemic

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 09:00:42 GMT

Baseball fans have found ways to watch live baseball in person this season despite not being allowed in the stands.

Betty Bushman, an Early Female Baseball Voice, Dies at 89

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 19:55:01 GMT

Hired in 1964 to provide the women’s perspective on radio broadcasts of the Kansas City Athletics’ games, she made history. But her tenure was brief.Betty Bushman, then known as Betty Caywood, in the broadcast booth for the Kansas City Athletics at Yankee Stadium in 1964.

Charles Peterson, Veteran Minor Leaguer and M.L.B. Scout, Dies at 46

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 15:39:35 GMT

As a football player, he caught a pass to win the state title for his South Carolina high school. He was later a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals. He died of complications of Covid-19.

With Kids in Sports Bubbles, These Parents Are Desperate for a Way In

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 12:42:14 GMT

Many parents are used to following their pro-athlete offspring from game to game. With the pandemic keeping them out of stadiums, some are getting creative.Carl Tuch quarantined in Las Vegas at the house of his son, Alex Tuch of the Golden Knights, in hopes of being allowed to go watch him play in the N.H.L. playoffs.

Players’ Alliance Gets $10 Million From M.L.B. and Union to Build Diversity

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 14:18:30 GMT

The money is a substantial boost to the 12-week-old group formed by current and former players to increase Black participation at all levels of the sport.Dee Gordon and Cameron Maybin in 2018. The two players helped come up with the idea for the Players Alliance this summer.

Pandemic, Unrest, Fires? An M.L.B. Rookie Still Smashes Home Runs

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 07:00:12 GMT

Kyle Lewis of the Seattle Mariners is a top contender for the American League Rookie of the Year Award in a shortened season upended by postponements and delays.

Yankees Clinch Playoff Berth in Pandemic-Shortened Season

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 01:23:46 GMT

Despite a loss to the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees are in the postseason because of baseball math dictated by a loss by the Seattle Mariners.Luke Volt of the Yankees rounding the bases after a home run Sunday against the Red Sox. Although the Yankees lost, they ended up in the playoffs anyway.