closer - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Hear me out: Tony La Russa… Manager of the Year?
Tony La Russa could shockingly be A.L. Manager of the Year for playoff-bound White Sox...
The Top 5 Idiots of May
Welcome to Deadspin’s IDIOT OF THE MONTH, in which we make fun of famous (and non-famous!) people who have done stupid things. And May did not disappoint....
Tony La Russa doesn’t know the rules and there’s no one to save him from himself, either
Is it bad when your manager doesn’t know the rules? If we try to be fair to Tony La Russa, this is the first season this ridiculous extra-innings rule was put in place with the NL not having a DH, and La Russa doesn’t manage an NL club....
Edwin Dí<em></em>az Will Save Every Damn Game If He Has To
After closing three games in three days, Edwin Díaz was supposed to have Sunday off. It didn’t look like the Mariners would need him anyway, as they trailed the Astros heading to the ninth. But Ryon Healy homered to tie the game, and then Mitch Haniger doubled in the go-ahead run in the 10th, and Dí...
<i>Purity </i>Went To Communist East Germany And Found Itself
We’ll move further along in Purity in just a moment. First, I want to relay the story of what happened the first time I opened the book up after the last dispatch, in which I discussed how much truer and more knowledgeably written Jonathan Franzen’s one-paragraph description of Santa Cruz’s weather ...
I Found <i>Purity</i>'s First Honest Paragraph, On Page 66
When last we met, Jonathan Franzen had mucked up the early pages of his novel Purity with repeated appraisals of the sex appeal of his main character, Pip. I was creeped out, but leaving room for the possibility that Franzen might be up to something that would redeem—or at least make some sense of—a...
Pujols, Trout Mock Fernando Rodney's "Arrow" Celebration
There's nothing more frustrating than an opposing closer being demonstrative about doing his job. Say, Fernando Rodney getting the third out, then miming pulling an arrow out of his quiver, nocking it, and firing. Infuriating, if it's against you. Yesterday, the Angels got the very best possible r...
Here's What It Looks Like When You Jump On A Frozen Trampoline
This Vine is a couple weeks old, but Bob's Blitz brought it to our attention today, and it's freaking cold outside....
MLB Takes Out Full-Page Newspaper Ads To Honor Mariano Rivera
Tonight will be Mariano Rivera's final home game, a meaningless one since the Yankees were officially eliminated from postseason play last night. It'll be just the second time in his 19-year career that Rivera won't pitch into October. So today's the day for tributes....
Reds Closer Aroldis Chapman Celebrates A Save By Doing A Double-Somersault
Reds hurler Aroldis Chapman is in a weird spot. The triple-digit flamethrower is hearing calls to yank him from the closer role, and possibly put him in the Cincinnati rotation. That's not to mention his stripper issues and other stretches of bizarre behavior....
The Dropkick Murphys Won't Let Jonathan Papelbon Use His Old Entrance Music (Update)
For the longest time (or at least since The Departed made it famous), Jonathan Papelbon has been entering to the bagpipes-and-guitars opening riff of the Dropkick Murphys' "I'm Shipping Up To Boston." It made sense. The song is instantly recognizable, catchy, and it's about Boston....
Close Reading: Did Grantland Rice Misquote Grantland Rice's Most Famous Quote?
Not long ago, the staff of ESPN's Grantland objected to a letter published by our Grantland Comments and Corrections Desk, which argued that the site's slogan misquoted Grantland Rice. After extensive research, Deadspin has concluded that Grantland's version of the slogan is valid. The irregularity ...