Only one World Series favorite entering the season actually won the World Series in the decade we just completed. Wait, let’s put that another way: A team that was one of the top five favorites entering the season won the World Series only once over the past decade. The 2019 Washington Nationals didn’t necessarily feel […]
Continue readingSCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Madison Bumgarner showed the Arizona Diamondbacks he’s more than a rodeo star. The team’s marquee free-agent acquisition of the offseason was solid in his first spring training outing on Thursday. He retired his first five batters, including four on strikeouts, before giving up a solo homer to Derek Dietrich. He allowed one […]
Continue readingSCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Diamondbacks knew Madison Bumgarner lives on a ranch but were unaware of his recently revealed side career as a rodeo participant. Bumgarner has been competing in rodeo events under the alias “Mason Saunders” and won $26,560 in a team-roping competition in December, he confirmed to The Athletic on Sunday. Arizona […]
Continue readingSCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Madison Bumgarner has been competing in rodeo events under the alias Mason Saunders and even won $26,560 in a team-roping competition in December, according to a story published Sunday by The Athletic. Bumgarner told the website he has discretely competed in rodeos for a while, including in March of […]
Continue readingLast week, we looked at one key statistic for each American League team. Let’s do the same now for the National League — a key number from the 2019 MLB season and how that will shape what happens in 2020. NL East | Central | West The number: 4.18. The Braves finished 11th in the […]
Continue readingLeake, 32, had an MRI on Wednesday and he said it revealed an old fracture that was aggravated by a fall while he was chasing his dog. He had a small brace on his left wrist Thursday and said that “hopefully two weeks [of inactivity] can make it feel normal. It won’t be full strength, […]
Continue readingWhen spring training kicked off a year ago, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado remained unsigned. The drama this year will center around the Houston Astros: their cheating scandal, reactions from other players about the Astros’ cheating scandal, the possibility of other teams throwing at Astros hitters in spring training, the counter-reaction from Astros pitchers and […]
Continue readingThe D-backs announced Monday that they’ve agreed to a $32.5 million, four-year deal with Nick Ahmed that runs through the 2023 season. The 29-year-old Ahmed was eligible for salary arbitration and had his hearing scheduled for Wednesday, but that won’t be needed thanks to the deal. Ahmed said his comfort in Arizona — along with […]
Continue readingA new year means endless new questions for Major League Baseball, a sport in the midst of its most engaging free-agency period in a half-decade, nearing the punishment phase of an ugly scandal, grappling with deep-seated economic questions, ever considering the quality of its on-the-field product and prepared to overhaul its minor league system. It’s […]
Continue readingMLB movement: Even Total score: 26.51 All-sport rank: 3 (down 1) Ranking by category: championships, 2 (tie); playoff berths, 2; playoff wins, 1; heartbreaks, 23; rival comparison, 2 Why they stayed the same: Because once again, the Padres finished in last place in the NL West. Despite an infusion of talent via the minors (Fernando […]
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