Three Days of Major League Openers

	Opening Day is what we’ve been waiting for throughout a longer-than-usual Spring Training. Now it’s here not only on Monday, but on Sunday and Tuesday, as well. It started on Sunday night with the Texas Rangers visiting the newest member of the American League, the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The Astros made an impressive debut in the AL, trouncing the Rangers 8-2 in the major league opener and giving Bo Porter a win in his first game as manager. For the article, go to Major Leagues

Rangers' Yu Darvish Throws One-Hit Shutout

Yu Darvish was one out from a perfect game when Marwin Gonzalez grounded a clean single through the pitcher’s legs, and the Texas Rangers beat the Houston Astros 7-0 on April 3. The celebrated right-hander from Japan struck out a career-high 14 and was in complete control before Gonzalez hit the first pitch up the middle. Darvish was unable to get his glove down in time and the ball skittered into center field well beyond a desperate dive by shortstop Elvis Andrus. To read, go to Major Leagues

Stan Musial, Cardinals Hall of Fame Star

Stan Musial, the St. Louis Cardinals star who was one of the greatest players in baseball history, died Saturday, January 19. He was 92. Known as Stan the Man, Musial was a three-time MVP and helped the Cardinals win three World Series championships in the 1940s. He spent his 22-year career with the Cards and made the All-Star team 24 times. Musial hit .331 with 475 home runs before retiring in 1963. In all, Musial held 55 records, played nearly until his 43rd birthday, and got a hit with his final swing. As remarkable as he was on the field, Musial was a true gentleman in life. For the story, go to Newsletter

Josh Hamilton Builds on His Legacy

The Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout said it all in three letters: “Wow.” That was the reaction of the do-everything outfielder to the news that his team had signed Josh Hamilton from the rival Texas Rangers. He agreed to a five-year, $125 million contract. Hamilton leaves a meaningful legacy with the Rangers, who had never won a playoff series before he arrived. Hamilton has a career .304 batting average, 553 RBIs and 161 home runs. To read, go to Newsletter

Mike Trout Looking to Play Hard

Mike Trout is guaranteed to start a season in the Majors for the first time. But it’s the expectations he carried into it, on the heels of a historic rookie season, that puts the bar sky high for the Angels’ five-tool outfielder. Last season, Trout batted .326, hit 30 homers, with 83 RBIs, 49 steals and 129 runs scored. When asked about what to expect, he said “I’m just going to go out there and have fun and do what I can to help my team win.” For the article, go to Major League and Feature Stories

Earl Weaver, Hall of Fame Orioles Manager

Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver, who led the Baltimore Orioles to four American League titles and a World Series championship, died on January 19. Weaver, 82, spent his 17-year managing career with the Orioles. Known as “The Earl of Baltimore,” Weaver relished hitters who could get on base and hit the long ball, starting pitchers who could go deep in a game and fielders who could steal runs. His teams featured a number of great players, including the Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Eddie Murray and Jim Palmer. For the story, go to Feature Stories

1970 World Champions Baltimore Orioles

The 2013 Major League season marks the 43rd anniversary of one of the finest teams in baseball history, the 1970 Baltimore Orioles. The Birds, managed by Earl Weaver, defeated the Cincinnati Reds 4 games to 1 to win the ’70 World Series championship. Brooks Robinson hit .429 in the Series with two home runs and two doubles, and made several spectacular fielding plays, like this one. Diving headlong, he caught the ball and raised his glove to let the umpire know. To read and view, go to Photo Gallery

Baseball Is Still Grand in Sandy Koufax’s Eyes

Sandy Koufax, perhaps the greatest left-hander ever to step on a mound, hadn’t wore a major league uniform for more than two decades until the Dodgers got him back in blue this spring as a special adviser to owner Mark Walter. The 77-year-old Hall of Famer is in his element – teaching and relishing baseball’s camaraderie. Players pay close attention to his advice and fans crane their necks as he moves easily around the Dodgers’ complex in Glendale, Arizona. To read, go to News Release

Major League Union Leader Marvin Miller Dies

Marvin Miller, the union boss who won free agency for baseball players in 1975, ushering in an era of multi-million dollar contracts, died Tuesday, November 27, at his home in Manhattan. He was 95. He had been diagnosed with liver cancer in August. In his 16½ years as executive director of the Major League Players Association, starting in 1966, Miller fought owners on many fronts, not only achieving free agency but making the word “strike” stand for something other than a pitched ball. For the article, go to Major League

Miguel Cabrera and Buster Posey Win MVP Awards

	Miguel Cabrera has a Most Valuable Player award to go with his Triple Crown. And Buster Posey has an MVP prize to put alongside his second World Series ring. They won baseball’s top individual honors by large margins. Cabrera hit .330 with 44 homers and 139 RBIs to become the first Triple Crown winner since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Returning from a major injury, Posey became the first catcher in 70 years to win the NL batting title. For their story, go to Newsletter

No Players Make Hall of Fame

No one was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, with all-time home run leader Barry Bonds, seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clements, and slugger Sammy Sosa snubbed over suspicion they used performance enhancing drugs. It marked the first year since 1996 that no players was elected into the Hall of Fame, in what was seen as a referendum on players that compiled outsized statistics during the so-called Steroids Era. For the article, go to Feature Stories

Jacob Ruppert Is No Longer Overlooked

The question lingered silently for decades at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Why hadn’t Jacob Ruppert, the owner who presided over the Yankees’ rise to prominence, been honored with a bronze plaque? He negotiated the purchase of Babe Ruth. His scouts found Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. During his reign, the Yankees won 7 World Series and 10 AL pennants. Recently, the Hall of Fame’s new integration era committee elected Ruppert, who will be inducted posthumously July 28. To read, go to Newsletter

R.A. Dickey, David Price Win Cy Young Awards

	R.A. Dickey languished in the minors for 14 years before finally perfecting a knuckleball that made him a major league star. David Price was the top pick in the draft and an ace by age 25, throwing 98 mph heat with a left arm live enough to make the most hardened scout sing. Growing up only 34 miles apart in central Tennessee, Dickey and Price won baseball’s Cy Young Awards. The hard-throwing lefty barely beat out Justin Verlander. For the story, go to News Release

30 Seconds with Tommy John

Many pitchers can thank Tommy John and his doctors for their baseball careers. In 1974, John, then a Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander, had an elbow ligament in his pitching arm replaced with a tendon from his right forearm. The operation, ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, was performed by Dr. Frank Jobe. John, who was named the NL’s comeback player of the year in 1976, retired in 1989. He had 288 victories and a 3.34 ERA in his 26-year career with six teams. Fot this interesting interview, go to Feature Stories

Joe Garagiola Retires After 58 Years in Booth

Joe Garagiola called games with broadcasting icons as Jack Buck, Harry Caray, Curt Gowdy and Vin Scully. He spent decades on NBC’s National Game of the Week. At age 87, Garagiola has officially announced his retirement. He began broadcasting after a major league playing career. His MLB debut was with the St. Louis Cardinals, at 20, as a left-hand hitting catcher. His self-admitted mediocre playing career didn’t stop him from having one of the most high-profile careers in sports casting. To read, go to News Release

Bud Selig Calls for Tougher Penalties for Drug Cheats

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has called for tougher penalties for major leaguers who violate the sport’s drug agreement, a move the union is willing to consider. Selig said last year’s positive drug test for All-Star MVP Melky Cabrera and allegations players received banned substances from a now-closed Florida anti-aging clinic helped lead him to seek stiffer penalties as quickly as possible. Selig wants a tougher penalty for first-time offenders. Another story is “Players Talk of Stiffer Penalties for Banned Drugs.” For these stories, go to Major League and Performance Enhancing Drugs

Davey Johnson, Bob Melvin Named Managers of Year

Davey Johnson of the Washington Nationals and Bob Melvin of the Oakland Athletics were chosen as managers of the year after guiding their teams to huge turn around seasons. Melvin beat out Baltimore’s Buck Showalter for the American League honor in a close vote. Under Melvin, the A’s made a 20-game improvement. Johnson was an easy choice for the NL prize after the Nats posted the best record in the majors and made their first playoff appearance. For the article, go to News Release

Fans Treated to Terrific Trio For One Mo Year

So we’ll have at least one more season to see them all together, these three who’ve meant so much to the Yankees, and the game all over the world. Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera defined winning – 16 playoff appearances together, seven AL pennants, five World Series championships. They didn't just win. They won with dignity, with class. They played hard from start to finish and respected their opponents. For the story, go to Feature Stories

Del Crandall, One of Baseball’s Greatest Catchers

Del Crandall was generally acknowledged as one of the smartest handlers of pitchers among major league catchers. During the 1950s, with Crandall averaging better than 125 games caught per season, the Milwaukee Braves pitching staff consistently ranked among the best in the league in ERA. The man calling those pitches for the likes of Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette was Crandall. A superb defensive player with a strong arm, he helped turn the Braves into a National League powerhouse. To read, go to Feature Stories

Lee MacPhail, Executive, Led the American League

Lee MacPhail, a former president of the American League, a general manager of the Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles, died on November 8 at his home in Delray Beach, Fla. He was 95. In a baseball career that spanned five decades, he held virtually every baseball executive position except commissioner. MacPhail, who had a keen baseball mind, played a key role in building the Yankees teams that dominated baseball in the two decades after World War II. For the article, go to Newsletter

Baseball Hall of Fame Honor Scouts for First Time

They’ve been the supporting cast behind the curtain, the backup singers with anonymous names. Without them, the show wouldn’t go on. They are baseball scouts. They were honored at the 10th annual Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation banquet, founded by Chicago White Sox executive Dennis Gilbert, over the January 12-13 weekend in Beverly Hills. For the first time, scouts will be featured at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. For the story, go to Major League

Aggressive Baseball Tactics and Strategy

	An aggressive attack is the best offense in baseball. Indeed, aggressive baseball tactics can exert considerable pressure on the defense. This has been the trademark of some of the most successful major league teams in history, including the championship Los Angeles teams led by Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston. Featured in Don Weiskopf’s new Skills and Strategies page are sequence-series photos of Maury Wills, Pete Rose, Billy Grabarkewitz, Vern Fuller, Danny Cater, Manny Mota, and Bobby Valentine. To read and to view, go to Skills and Strategies

A League of Their Own Inspiration Pepper Paire-Davis

Lavonne “Pepper” Paire-Davis, a star of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League in the 1940s and an inspiration for the central character in the hit film, A League of Their Own, has died of natural causes in Van Nuys, Calif. She was 88. Paire-Davis was a model for the character played by Geena Davis. In 1944, she joined the league created out of fear that World War II would interrupt Major League Baseball. She was a catcher and shortstop and helped her teams win five championships. For the article, go to Newsletter

Pitchers Are Using Bigger, More Traditional Wind-ups

	A major change continues to occur in the game of baseball. Many pitchers are using bigger and more traditional styles of winding up. They are switching back from the no-wind-up delivery used by most pitchers the past couple of decades. Following a banner year in 2010 when he pitched two no-hitters, Adam Wainwright, on the left, joined Roy Halladay as two of baseball’s three 20-game winners. Hall of Fame great Don Drysdale, pictured here, had a 209-166 record with a 2.95 ERA and 2,486 strikeouts. For the latest report, go to Coaching Clinic

Field of Dreams’ Site Sells for $3.4 Million

If you build it … eventually it will sell for $3.4 million. That’s the price a group of investors that included Hall of Famer Wade Boggs paid for the 193-acre Iowa cornfield made famous by the mystical 1989 Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams. Go the Distance Baseball, a group of investors including Boggs, has closed on its purchase from previous owners Don and Becky Lansing. The goal is to develop the site into All-Star Ballpark Heaven – a youth sports tourney complex that will bring 12 fields and 60 clubhouses to the middle of rural northeast Iowa. For the story, go to News Release

Mike Piazza’s Poison Pen Can’t Sully Vin Scully

	There’s always a danger when a former athlete sets himself down, pen in hand, and bares his soul. “A guys’ entitled to his own opinion,” wrote Tim Dahlberg of Associated Press. “But when Mike Piazza tries to blame Vin Scully for turning the fans of Los Angeles against him, his book went from simply self-serving into a paranoid kind of fantasy land. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Scully knock a player or a coach.” Scully, one of the greatest baseball broadcasters of all-time, told The Los Angeles Times, “I just don’t do that, ever.” For the story, go to News Release

Opening New Season with Memories

While the year 2012 was a very good year for Minor League Baseball, it was not without challenges, moments of peril and losses, as a result of the economy, and natural disasters. Pat O’Conner, President of Minor League Baseball, presented for the first time: Project Brand – 160 teams, one brand. “It is time for change,” said O’Conner. He asked the minors to come together to create an industry-wide marketing program that he predicts will attract major corporate sponsors. For the story, go to Minor League

Mason Williams Shows Range Center Stage

With an ability to hit and steal bases props up his profile, Mason Williams is widely regarded as one of the game’s best defensive center fielders. This came with work. After adjusting his throwing motion, having moved from shortstop, he raised his right arm’s slot to generate more back spin on the baseball. His speed, quickness of the break, and efficiency of the route gives him range. Williams is a Yankee farm hand who will likely be playing for Class A Advanced Tampa in April. To read, go to Minor League

Dominican Republic Wins World Baseball Classic

The Dominican Republic defeated Puerto Rico 3-0 on March 19 in the World Baseball Classic championship game at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run double in the first inning that held up, and the Dominican Republic capped a dominant, unbeaten run through the WBC. Winning pitcher Samuel Deduno, the Dominican right-hander, took his team on the path to victory, and Jose Reyes led the offensive attack with a double and triple. Closer Fernando Rodney finished off the Puerto Ricans, starting a wild celebration on the infield. For the article, go to World Baseball

Puerto Rico Upsets Japan to Reach WBC Title Game

Puerto Rico ended Japan’s World Baseball Classic reign on Sunday, March 17, combining a strong pitching effort with the power of Alex Rios to win their semi-final show down 3-1 at AT&T. Rios clouted a towering two-run homer in the seventh inning off reliever Atsushi Nohmi to break open a tight pitcher’s duel. Mario Santiago was masterful in retiring the first 10 batters he faced and protecting a 1-0 first inning lead on Mike Aviles’s run-scoring single into the fifth inning. For the story, go to World Baseball

American Ballplayers Return from WBC to Reality

Good bye, WBC. Hello reality. “It’s definitely an adjustment,” said USA’s Ryan Braun, shown here scoring for USA against Puerto Rico. “You’re going from the intensity of that atmosphere and environment to this. The intensity of those games far surpasses any regular-season game I’ve ever played in. But there’s no doubt the United States will win this one day.” Braun’s teammate, Jonathan Lucroy, disagrees. “I think it’s going to be tough for us to really compete in it, unless we play year-round, which guys aren’t going to do.” To read, go to World Baseball

Mark Appel, Pitching Ace of Stanford Cardinal

Stanford opened the 2013 baseball season February 16 at Rice with a familiar towering figure on the mound. The 6-foot-5 pitching sensation Mark Appel is back for his senior season. Considered by some to be the top overall pick of the 2012 draft, Appel was expected to pursue a professional career. But the right-hander stunned the baseball world by rejecting a $3.8 million offer to return to Stanford to earn a degree and help lead the Cardinal to the College World Series in Omaha. For the article, go to High School/College/Senior

Ron Fraser, The Wizard of College Baseball

Ron Fraser, the longtime Miami baseball coach who won two national championships with the Hurricanes and whose innovative marketing ideas helped spark a surge in the college game’s popularity, has died. He was 79. Fraser led Miami to national titles in 1982 and 1985, taking Miami to the College World Series 12 times over his 30 years at the school. He also coached numerous national teams, including the 1992 USA Olympic team. He retired in 1992 with 1,271 wins. His legacy, however, may be what he did to promote the collegiate game. For the story, go to High School/College/Senior

Arizona Coach Andy Lopez Appreciates His Roots

Andy Lopez was talking about his University of Arizona baseball team. “One of the special things is my sons are on the team,” he said. Michael, a senior, is a pitcher. David, a junior, is a second baseman. They are deep on the Wildcat roster attending college. Sisters Kristi and Kerri are Arizona graduates. “I’m so blessed to be able to see my sons in baseball uniforms,” Lopez said. “I’ve seen them more (as Arizona players) than I have the rest of their lives because they played (in youth leagues and high schools) when we were playing.” In another BPA story, "Bobby Valentine Named Sacred Heart University A.D." For these articles, go to High School/College/Senior

Tony Bloomfield Sees Strange Season Turn to State Title

During the 2012 season, baseball coach Tony Bloomfield and his Cosumnes River College team in Sacramento pieced together a strangely successful season. Moving into post season play with a record of 28 wins and 16 losses, the Hawks defeated the nation’s No. 3-ranked Rio Hondo 8-6, in a 12-inning championship game in Bakersfield, California. Bloomfield was named National Coach of the Year. Cosumnes, however, did not have a home field. Construction of a new athletic complex forced the team to practice at Sheldon High School in Elk Grove. To read, go to High School/College/Senior

Lee Eilbracht, former Illini Baseball Coach, Dies

Lee Eilbracht, former Illinois head baseball coach and former Executive Director of the American Baseball Coaches Association, died on January 2. He was 88. Eilbracht is the most winning coach in Illini baseball history and earned All-American honors as a collegiate catcher. He compiled 515 wins in 27 seasons as head coach from 1952 to 1978. After lettering as a player at Illinois in 1943, Eilbracht put his college days on hold to serve in World War II, where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge as a tank driver and interpreter. For this story, go to High School/College/Senior

Jasper Reds Say Farewell to Chris Hochgesang

Bob Alles sticks to a team rule: He won’t beg any one to play. If he did, Chris Hochgesang would be the type of guy worth groveling for. Alles, the business manager for the Jasper Reds team, appreciates a player with longevity. The Reds season finale signaled the end though for Hochgesang, and along with it, three generations’ worth of services to the town’s semi-pro baseball circuit. Hochgesang’s father (John), uncle (Jeff) and grandfather (Wif) all played for the Reds. For the article, go to High School/College/Senior

Justin Dehmer Resigns as Martensdale-St. Mary’s Coach

Justin Dehmer, who led Martensdale-St. Marys to national fame with an 88-game winning streak and three consecutive state titles, has resigned as the school’s baseball coach. Dehmer said he wants to spend more time with his wife and two kids. Craig Huegel, the school’s activities director, said that Dehmer did not indicate he was leaving to pursue another job. Dehmer, a teacher at Southeast Polk, ruled out a quick return to coaching. “Maybe down the line somewhere, but not in the near future.” For the story, go to High School/College/Senior

Sandlot Baseball Games Harken to Bygone Days

	Coen Wilson’s 10-year-old legs chugged deep into center field. His eyes fixed on a baseball that seemed to carry forever at South Park Field No. 5 in Canton, Ohio. His Dave Righetti-model glove opened. The ball plunged right into the pocket. “Play of the day!” shouted Kevin Miller, a middle school science teacher and former H.S. baseball coach. Absent were the applause and cheers from parents. That’s how this group of sandlot-playing kids, under the loose direction of Miller, prefers it. To read, go to Youth Baseball

Round Up the Guys and Play Sandlot Baseball

Bobby Valentine remembers the days when he would ride around his neighborhood on his bike and round up the guys for a sandlot baseball game. “I was the ring master,” said Valentine, former major league player and manager, now an ESPN analyst, who grew up in Stamford, Conn. “All the kids in the neighborhood kept their gloves on my bike handlebars,” said Valentine, “so I’d just ride down by their houses hollering that it was time to play. We would play until dinner was on the table. The older kids taught the younger kids how to play.” For the stories, go to Youth Baseball

How to Set Up a Sandlot Baseball Game

From the time he was eight or nine, up until he was about 15, R.J. Licata was a master at organizing neighborhood games. As he looks back now, he is amazed at all the things he learned by taking on this task. “Think about the different hats I wore just trying to get a game of baseball organized. There was a lot of carefree time-wasting, but when it was time to get down to business, we knew what we needed to do.” For the story, go to Youth Baseball

Getting Kids Back to Sandlot Baseball

The key to the revival of the sandlot baseball game are the thousands of public recreation and park agencies across the country. Children today do not play enough park and school playground baseball, and there is a long, overdue need to revive the concept and promote a nationwide movement. More opportunities to play baseball in parks and playgrounds need to be provided by local park and recreation departments and school districts. City playgrounds should be open longer and the necessary equipment provided. A major effort should be made to have local recreation and park agencies nationwide, coordinated by the National Recreation and Park Association, spearhead such a movement. To learn more, go to Youth Baseball

Revival of Baseball Pick-up Games

The best way to get children to play more baseball on their own is to promote the return of pick-up games. The youth of America need to be taught how to organize pick-up games. In the Youth Baseball page, Don Weiskopf, publisher of Baseball Play America, explains the rules on how eleven favorite pick-up games are played. They include Work-up, Over the Line, Scrub, Catch a Fly and You’re Up, and a couple of Brent Mayne’s favorites, First to Ten and Play Catch. For the rules, go to Youth Baseball

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