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Dellin Betances feels like he has something to prove to Mets fans
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Dellin Betances is not the reliever he once was, when he consistently avoided injuries and put up All-Star numbers for the Yankees from 2014-18. In the past two years alone he’s struggled with Achilles, shoulder and lat injuries that significantly impacted his velocity and overall performance on the mound. Really, Mets fans haven’t even seen a flash of the dominant Betances that brought down the house in the Bronx. This season, as Betances said he feels “tremendously better” than last year when he was still recovering from a partial tear of his left Achilles, he feels li...
New York Daily News
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Jose Abreu, reigning AL MVP, tests positive for COVID-19, keeping him away from White Sox spring training
GLENDALE, Ariz. — American League MVP Jose Abreu will remain away from the Chicago White Sox for the “next several days” because of a positive COVID-19 test, general manager Rick Hahn announced Wednesday. The move, Hahn said in a statement, is in compliance with Major League Baseball intake protocols. “Jose, who is completely asymptomatic, believes he contracted a mild case of the disease in January, which is reinforced by the presence of COVID antibodies in additional testing,” Hahn said in a statement. “Other than being frustrated, Jose feels great and, like the rest of us, is looking forwar...
Chicago Tribune
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Mariners Team President Kevin Mather Apologizes After Discussing Service-Time Manipulations
There have been various disagreements and distrust growing between the MLB and the MLBPA. Areas of disagreement from the players union stem from teams tanking, teams scaling back on their free-agent spending, and manipulating the service time of their top prospects. The collective bargaining agreement expires in December, and negotiations are expected to be difficult. Service-time manipulation is one of the widespread uses by teams but is difficult to prove. Kris Bryant filed a grievance against the Chicago Cubs for manipulating his service time in 2015. Unfortunately, Bryant lost the case due...
uSports.org
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Clayton Kershaw Interested In Re-signing With Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw has put to rest rumors of retirement for now. On Sunday, the All-Star pitcher announced that he is interested in re-signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 33-year-old pitcher had finally achieved his quest for a World Series ring after the Dodgers won it in 2020. It has been widely speculated that he would be retiring after this season, now that he has accomplished what he had sought out to do. The speculation increased after it was revealed that, earlier this month, Kershaw did not discuss a contract extension with the team. Not to mention, the pitcher was unsure if he even...
uSports.org
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How one lifelong Mariners fan accidentally took down the team’s president, Kevin Mather
Eric Hess has witnessed many of the most iconic moments in Seattle Mariners history. On Oct. 8, 1995, a young Hess was there in the Kingdome when Ken Griffey Jr. slid home to score the winning run on Edgar Martinez’s double to beat the Yankees. On July 15, 1999, he was in attendance for the first game played at T-Mobile Park (then Safeco Field). On July 21, 2019, he sat through stifling heat at Martinez’s Hall of Fame induction in Cooperstown, New York. And at precisely 9:41 p.m. on Feb. 20, 2021, Hess clicked on a YouTube video and unintentionally became part of Mariners history, setting off ...
The Seattle Times
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Mets ace Jacob deGrom hits 99 mph on radar gun while throwing live batting practice
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The only thing hotter than the FIorida sun is Jacob deGrom’s fastball. Even though it’s early, the Mets ace is bringing the heat. DeGrom took the mound for a live batting practice session on Tuesday afternoon and the only way his coaches knew it wasn’t a real game was because of the smile he kept flashing after he threw his pitches. “It’s getting ridiculous,” Mets manager Luis Rojas said of deGrom. “Showing up today, he’s throwing 99.” DeGrom faced Jeff McNeil, who seemed utterly relieved that he won’t have to dig in against him during the regular season, Pete Alonso, wh...
New York Daily News
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Cardinals open with spring in their step, questions off the bat: 'We feel we're going to be pretty good, so let's go to work'
JUPITER, Fla. — An annual scene that signals the arrival of the Cardinals as a complete team, their full squad decked in red and out under the Florida sun for the first time, is when at least 30 players line up along the right-field line on Field 1 and face at least 30 teammates to play catch. The percussion of the baseballs shuttling between 60 gloves fills the air, like a birdcall that’s arrhythmic, chaotic, and as beautiful as any music. It was absent to the ear Monday. “All of sudden you hear the ball popping in the glove, in a fashion that is not normal because there are so many people pl...
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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Kansas City Royals pitchers don’t want to be limited coming off a pandemic season
Kansas City Royals right-hander Brady Singer is not here for your talk of innings limits or how much he should be allowed to throw in his first full season in the majors. He has humored interviewers when asked the question, but that’s just because he’s polite. Singer, 24, will be one of many young pitchers at the center of what will be an ongoing debate about protecting arms over 162 games coming off a shortened season. He also personified one of general manager Dayton Moore’s familiar taglines, specifically: We’re not going to put limitations on our players. “I don’t know what the innings loo...
The Kansas City Star
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Yankees ace Gerrit Cole frustrated by service-time manipulation and analytics being used against players
TAMPA, Fla. — Gerrit Cole can wear two hats in a season. Obviously, Cole is wearing the navy-and-white cap of the Yankees ace, carrying the expectations of an organization that hasn’t been to a World Series in 11 years. Still, he was recently elected to the union’s sub-executive committee and is very committed to the players’ association as they head into a bargaining year. Tuesday, after reading the admission of service-time manipulation among other controversial comments by former Seattle Mariners president Kevin Mather, Cole expressed his frustration. With the current collective bargaining ...
New York Daily News
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A’s: Why Trevor Rosenthal took the type of deal Marcus Semien turned down
Days before pitchers and catchers were due to report to Mesa, the Oakland A’s roster was anemic. Not decimated — the talent and core from past contending seasons remained. But the A’s didn’t have a counter punch as other teams purged its overflowing bin of free agents. They seemed resigned to start retreating out of contention. But through a flurry of moves in the final hours, the A’s sent a bat signal that they weren’t sitting on their hinders. They could make a better team, despite the extreme budgetary confines. That’s what sealed the deal for Trevor Rosenthal, who ultimately sign a one-yea...
The Mercury News
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