Baseball Page 1298 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Un-Rubbed Balls Create Sticky Situation For Cardinals
John Smoltz thinks the reason he got roughed up last night is because his balls were not properly rubbed down. Yet, opposing pitcher Bronson Arroyo threw just fine. Is it because he was rubbing something special on his own balls?...

Think There's No Cheating In Baseball?
Here's Joe Mauer, in Tuesday night's game, blatantly tipping pitches from second base. Trust me when I say there's nothing extraordinary about this sort of thing. [Via Total Pro Sports]...

Dancing Ump Brings Joy To Meaningless Games
Sorry Daulerio, but butt-chin down there wasn't even the most flamboyant person at a Phillies game this week. That'd be Dancin' Tim Tschida....

Eric Wedge: Dead Man Walking
Manager Eric Wedge and his coaching staff will finish out the season on the Cleveland Indians bench. But don't worry—he's still totally fired. [Plain Dealer]...

The Great Toronto Swindle
I bet that neither you nor anyone you know has ever had your seat randomly selected for those jumbotron contests. Well, here's why: Collusion. Cahoots. Flimflammery....

Former Bonds Teammate To Battle Ornery Muscular Animal
Have we learned nothing from the Junior Seau tragedy? Omar Vizquel, the oldest non-Jamie Moyer in baseball, plans to keep in shape by bullfighting in the offseason. [USA Today]...

Chuck Knoblauch Arrested For Assault
The former major leaguer was charged with choking his common law wife and hitting her in the face. I think it's safe to say he didn't hit her with a baseball. (Hey, at least I didn't mention the steroids!) [KARE11]...

Mike Blowers Knew You Would Read This Post
Journeyman everything Mike Blowers spent 11 years in the majors, but he should've spent that time in Vegas instead because the guy is scary good at predicting the outcome of baseball games—right down to the pitch counts....

A Children's Treasury Of Men Getting Blasted In The Face With Champagne
Grown men who play professional baseball like to celebrate momentous victories by furiously shaking bottles of Champagne and spraying other grown men in the face. It's such a rich tradition that we've made a happy little gallery. Enjoy!...

The Last Days Of Sal Fasano
SI Writer Jeff Pearlman goes back to the Fasano well for the most depressing piece yet. Sal's now 38, and struggling: "You can't help but question your sanity. You're driven by one thing — hope."[SI]...

Tigers And Twins Desperately Trying To Make You Care About Baseball
The 2009 baseball season has been a bit of a dud, drama-wise. So how about a final week double-header that will MEAN EVERYTHING! Or change everything. Or solve nothing? I forget how these dramatic finishes are supposed to work....

Angels Get Nick Adenhart's Jersey Drunk
Got an image you'd like to see in here first thing in the morning? Send it to [email protected]. Subject: Morning crap....

And Speaking Of Winning Organizations...
The Washington Nationals held a everything-must-go! charity auction over the weekend which included autographed baseballs from the likes of Wily Mo Pena and Ray King. [NationalsEnquirer]...

Meet The Mets' Sad Fan
Type "mets fan" into Google Images and you get a good cross-section of Mets Nation, everything from the disappointed to the dejected. A prime example: that downtrodden, scruffy-looking twentysomething with his hands held hopelessly atop his rally cap....

Baseball And Steroids: Corporate Synergy!
The company that owns the Braves is selling steroids over the Internet. That's what we in the business call "centralized distribution." [AJC]...

Is Our Children Learning (To Hate The Red Sox)?
All this talk about Obama's school speech and the indoctrination of students is ignoring the real dark power behind our educational system: Boston fans. Could one be in your child's school?...

Ichiro Finally Cracks
The normally robotic Ichiro was ejected for the first time in his career after arguing a called third strike in today's game against Toronto. Apparently, it was the old "bat in the sand" demonstration that did it.[ESPN]...

Rookie's First Big League Memory Held For Ransom
You've heard stories about ballhawks, those unwieldy characters who scoop up milestone home run balls only to hold them for ransom from the players who hit them. This is one of those tales....

Lidge Meltdown Brings On Fan Meltdown
Though this video contains a dejected Phillies fan, it could be any one of us. In just three minutes, he articulates, very inarticulately, the pain we've all felt. I present to you the Überfansch, whose transcendence will justify our existence....

Why Your Empty Stadium Sucks
This is what professional baseball in Pittsburgh looks like in late September when the Pirates are some 30 games back and 3-22 over their last 25, and the Cincinnati Reds and a bunch of world leaders are in town....