Baseball Page 1328 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

The Mets Take One Step Closer To Inevitable Implosion
This is going to be an interesting, rain-soaked weekend in baseball for the Northeast's playoff-challenged teams. Last night's Mets loss was just...wow. After switching over to ESPN to watch the game once the Phillies got completely waxed by the Braves, I was fully prepared to root for the Bastard M...

Twins Make Final, Headlong Dash Toward AL Central Title
With the Twins' most crucial three-game series of the season looming on Monday night, the Minneapolis Pioneer Press ran a column with the following headline: It's Not Likely That The Twins Can Sweep Their Final Two Series. That's the spirit, Twin Cities! But despite themselves, Minnesota fans find t...

Red Sox Clinch Playoffs, Celebrate Accordingly
Question for the day: Is the pictured celebration by the Red Sox on Tuesday really warranted, considering that all they clinched was a wild-card playoff berth? Sure, it's the playoffs, and that's cause for happiness, I suppose. But you didn't even win your division (although technically they still c...

The Tampa Bay Rays Are Still Adjusting To Success
The Rays have been a remarkable story all year and are headed to their first playoff appearance in the short history of the franchise, but they are still adjusting to the center stage of Octoberdom. The biggest stumbling block for them right now? They can't think of anyone to throw out the first pit...

Little Stein Just Wants People To Acknowledge The Unfairness Of It All
It just really isn't fair, and Hank Steinbrenner wants everyone to know it. Just take a look at the standings, everyone. The Yankees will finish with more wins than the Dodgers this season, yet the Dodgers are going to the playoffs, and the Yankees aren't! Oh, the horrid inequity of it all. In an ar...

Give Him Liberty, Or Give Him Beer: Rowdy Fan Says He Was 'Striking Back For Red Sox Nation'
When his colonial ancestors were being oppressed by a larger, more formidable power, they fought back the only way they knew how; with bold, guerrilla tactics. Could Red Sox fan Chris Sciesinski do any less? Trapped behind enemy lines at Tropicana Field, taunted and scorned beyond all reason by Tamp...

City Attempts To Curb Excessive Drunkenness Of Joyful Cubs Fans
That means you too, Cuban. Bracing for the inevitable rush on booze-ingestion during the Cubs' playoff run, the Windy City is bars to voluntarily cease all alcohol sales after the 7th-inning in Wrigleyville area bars during a "clinch game" to prevent any "ugly alcohol-related incidents" from ruining...

Stomp The Yard: These Mascot Groupies Could Be Yours Next Season
OK, your wish to become the Boston Red Sox mascot didn't work out so well. Life seldom affords second chances, but here's an exception. Play your cards right, and you could be the next Stomper, costumed mascot of the Oakland Athletics! Get to work on that cover letter! (This is true: You'll need a c...

Yankee Stadium Security Will Not Tolerate Your Remarks On Leafy Vegetables
Hunter Walker of Digital City writes about the last night at Yankee Stadium, including a fight on the subway on the way in, and a curious scene in the bleachers when security apparently reached new heights of Steinbrennian Fascism. If the following account is any indication, new Yankee Stadium will ...

Gary Sheffield; No Saner Now Than He Was On Friday
As Gary Sheffield held a large steak to his aching melon over the weekend, Bob Watson, the Major League Baseball official in charge of on-field discipline, confirmed that he will review video of Friday's brawl between the Tigers and Cleveland Indians to levy possible fines and/or suspensions. Meanwh...

Cubs Aren't Taking Any Chances, Curse-Wise
Perhaps recognizing that the tons of bad publicity the story had been generating just wasn't worth it, the Chicago Cubs relented on Saturday and let 104-year-old Leo Hildebrand throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to their game with the Cardinals. Here is Leo throwing the hard cheese, although...

A Little Yankee Stadium Nostalgia, Part II
They said goodbye to Yankee Stadium on Sunday, and even Woody Allen was there; and when he shows up at a party, you know it's important. On Friday we asked for you to give us your favorite stories connected to YS, and you came through in impressive — and in some cases downright terrifying — fashion....

The Houston Astros Politely Reject Bud Selig's Apology
When Hurricane Ike rained on the party inside Minute Maid Park in Houston last weekend, Bud Selig infamously made the Astros play two games at a "neutral site", Milwaukee's Miller Park. As you can imagine, this was not well received in the Astros' clubhouse. Houston, which had been red hot prior to...

October in Tampa
• For the first time in franchise history, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are Playoff-bound. Back in Spring Training, everyone laughed when starter Scott Kazmir said his Rays were going to the dance. After all, the team had finished in last place the previous season. Well, who's laughing now? ...

Will King George Miss Yankee Stadium's Final Game?
George Steinbrenner's offspring - Hal, Hank, Jennifer, and Jessica - will all be on hand for the historic occasion in New York tomorrow night, but it appears as though the old man (who, for years, has pushed for his Yankees to get a new ballpark) will not be in attendance. King George, who official...

Gary Sheffield Shall Avenge Himself
This morning, we touched on the punches Gary Sheffield's melon absorbed at the hands of Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona last night. What we didn't get into was Gary's reaction after the game, specifically, his diabolical plot to avenge himself tonight when the teams meet again in Cleveland. ...

Zambrano's Occupied Mind, the Mets Un-Collapse, and We Go Brawlin'
• Carlos's previous outing ended in spectacular glory; this one not so much. Zambrano, having flown back from Venezuela after the passing of his grandmother earlier in the week, was shellacked by the Cards to the tune of eight runs and six hits. He didn't make it past the second inning, and the Cub...

So Hard To Say Goodbye: Remembering Yankee Stadium
There are only three games remaining in old Yankee Stadium — they're already putting up the lettering on the new yard across the street — so we thought we'd pause for a moment to let Deadspin readers reminisce a bit. Here are your Yankee Stadium stories, and let me say that this has been some entert...

Brewers Bid Adieu To NL Central Race
This photo is from Tuesday, but it speaks volumes for today, as the Brewers lost to the Cubs, 7-6 in 12 innings, to finally, slowly slip underneath the surface of the cold waters of the National League Central and sink to their demise. I feel your pain, Milwaukee; I, too, thought this might be your ...

Getting To Know Jose Reyes' Alleged Road Beef
So yesterday, after I posted the New York Daily News story about Jose Reyes' alleged side-sex lady ,"Bentley Matthews," Deadspin received an interesting email from an individual who said she was a relative of Ms. Matthews and claimed to know the "real identity of Jose Reyes' mistress." Fun. I was cu...