Tag: MLB

Jerry Reinsdorf dropped a TL:DR statement to explain how he’s gonna fix the White Sox (he won’t)

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s statement was as empty as the calories in a bottle of Gatorade.

With the most losses in a single season in MLB history, the 2024 Chicago White Sox might be the worst professional baseball team ever assembled. To top it all off, they’ve been neglected, they’ve been poorly managed, and they’ve already promised that almost no help is coming in the 2025 offseason.

Yet owner Jerry Reinsdorf — easily the biggest villain in Chicago sports right now — seems to think people still want to listen to what he has to say.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

During the fourth quarter of a tight Chicago Bears game, Reinsdorf released a personal written statement roughly eight paragraphs long. In it, he promised to fix the team moving forward after an embarrassing year, but I won’t lie. That’s only an assumption because no one with functioning brain cells wants to read this man’s treatise as the actual sports cultural staple of the city (the Bears) were trying to secure a win:

The ego on Reinsdorf to think people would want to read this much about what he has to say at any time, let alone while the Bears are playing. That alone should tell you nothing meaningful will change about the White Sox moving forward. His words are beyond empty.

4 scenarios for how the Mets-Braves doubleheader could lead both to the MLB postseason

Monday’s doubleheader between the Mets and Braves will likely determine who gets a wild-card spot, but there are several ways both teams could still get in.

The 2024 MLB wild-card race has certainly been a roller coaster, and while the postseason field is now totally set in the American League, there are still two spots to be claimed in the National League.

As things currently stand, those final spots are occupied by the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, which both sit at 87-71 and have a tiebreaker over the fourth-place Arizona Diamondbacks (88-72).

There’s only one hangup: The Mets and Braves conclude the regular season with a doubleheader against each other on Monday. Arizona, meanwhile, has just two more games remaining against the San Diego Padres, who have already punched their ticket as a wild card.

While it may seem like that will spell doom for one of them, there are actually quite a few scenarios where both can clinch an MLB postseason spot.

Here’s a brief rundown of how it could happen.

Diamondbacks lose out, Mets and Braves win next 2, split doubleheader

This is easily the most intriguing possible scenario here as it would establish something of a prisoner’s dilemma for the division rivals entering the doubleheader. A split would lock Arizona out of the wild-card race as Atlanta and New York would finish one game ahead of it if they win their next two games ahead of the doubleheader against the Royals and Brewers respectively.

Diamondbacks split, Mets and Braves split next 2, split doubleheader

Because of the tiebreakers both teams hold over Arizona, they actually don’t even need to win both of their games prior to the doubleheader in the event Arizona splits its next two. If both teams split those matchups and then split the doubleheader, they would both still get in ahead of the Diamondbacks thanks to that tiebreaker.

Diamondbacks lose out, Mets and Braves split next 2, split doubleheader

New York and Atlanta don’t need to win their games on Saturday and Sunday to avoid the necessity of a tiebreaker. Even if they split those games, a doubleheader split would still get both into the field if Arizona drops both games to the Padres this weekend.

Diamondbacks win out, Mets and Braves win next 2, split doubleheader

Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, their fate is not in their hands due to the tiebreak. Even if they win their final two games, wins on Saturday and Sunday from the Braves and Mets followed by a Monday split would create a three-way tie and leave Arizona on the outside looking in.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1374]

Even Livvy Dunne was stunned Paul Skenes struck out Juan Soto and Aaron Judge back-to-back

Paul Skenes!

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes further proved his absolute excellence on the mound on Saturday by striking out two superstars in a row.

During his team’s first inning against the hosting New York Yankees, Skenes impressively struck out Juan Soto and Aaron Judge back-to-back to keep New York from getting on base with two of its best players.

This was just outrageously cool from Skenes. LSU gymnastics star Livvy Dunne, who is dating Skenes, also had the best reaction in the stands to her boyfriend’s stellar sequence in the game.

Skenes’ rookie season has been one for the ages, as moments like this more than prove.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1374]

ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Athletic’s Shams Charania reportedly top candidates to replace Adrian Wojnarowski

ESPN is looking for a replacement for Adrian Wojnarowski, who announced his shocking retirement recently.

When Adrian Wojnarowski announced his retirement from ESPN nearly two weeks ago, it shocked the sports world because he had cemented himself as the breaker of (mostly) NBA news and was a staple of the sport with his Woj bombs.

Before the shock wore off, fans started speculating about who could replace Wojnarowski with many pointing to Shams Charania as an obvious choice.

ESPN baseball insider Jeff Passan is a top candidate for the job, along with Charania, according to a new report from The Athletic on Saturday. The report cited six sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The report about top candidates to replace Wojnarowski follows news this week that ESPN laid off NBA writer Zach Lowe.

More from The Athletic‘s Andrew Marchand:

Passan, 44, followed the same path as Wojnarowski by first becoming a top insider at Yahoo Sports before moving to ESPN. Passan makes in the neighborhood of $1 million per year, according to sources briefed on his contract. Wojnarowski left $20 million on his deal when he left journalism to become the general manager of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team. Wojnarowski was earning around $7 million per season.

Besides the potential for greater earnings for Passan, ESPN has a long-term relationship with the NBA as it just signed an 11-year extension to be the home of the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, ESPN’s marriage to baseball is in a tenuous stage. It has an opt-out in its current contract, which is for $540 million per season, that it is expected to use or threaten to use by the end of next season. While ESPN could stay in business with MLB, it is not guaranteed. ESPN has an interest in MLB’s local rights, which could be where the two sides come together.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393248]

Garrett Crochet records six strikeouts at Detroit

Former Tennessee baseball pitcher Garrett Crochet records six strikeouts at Detroit.

Detroit (86-74) defeated Chicago (39-121), 4-1, on Friday at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan.

Former Tennessee pitcher Garrett Crochet started for the White Sox. He pitched four innings and recorded six strikeouts. The former Vol allowed four hits and one walk.

Crochet totaled 62 pitches, including 41 strikes, against the Tigers.

After Friday’s win, Detroit clinched an American League wild card spot in the playoffs.

Crochet was selected by the White Sox in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft (No. 11 overall).

He played for the Vols from 2018-20, appearing in 36 games. Crochet (10-9) recorded 149 strikeouts during his career at Tennessee.

The former Vol went to Tennessee from Ocean Springs High School in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Crochet was selected by Milwaukee in the 34th round of the 2017 MLB draft. He signed with the Vols over Texas and Tulane.

Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images

The A’s radio broadcast offered the most melancholic farewell to Oakland Coliseum

“The memories hopefully will last forever. May those memories be a blessing.”

It’s now official: the Athletics have played their final baseball game in Oakland.

On Thursday, the Athletics closed out their time in Oakland with one final win in front of fans as starting next season, the team will briefly stop in Sacramento before eventually landing in Las Vegas. Going into Thursday’s final game, fans were taking seats from Oakland Coliseum and a staffer even generously helped shovel dirt as souvenirs before the final curtain.

MORE: 11 heartbreaking signs that fans brought to the final A’s game in Oakland.

As the final pitch came down and the game was won, A’s radio announcer Ken Korach brought it all home with a poignant and emotional farewell for all the memories made by fans, players, and staffers alike.

A’s play final game at Oakland Coliseum, watch John Facenda narrate Raiders early days there

As the A’s end their final game at Oakland Coliseum, watch John Facenda narrate Raiders early days there

It’s an end of an era in Oakland…again. Nearly five years after the Raiders played their final game at Oakland Coliseum, the A’s have now done the same.

With the A’s planning to also pull up stakes and head for Vegas, they wrapped up their time in Oakland Coliseum Thursday with a win over the Texas Rangers.

https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1839426835358314781

And with this final game in this iconic stadium, let’s take a little trip back to the early days in the A’s first season in Oakland and the Raiders entering their third season at the Coliseum, just after taking the team to Super Bowl II.

https://twitter.com/KevG163/status/1839314870375952856

The plan is for the A’s to play in Sacramento for the next few years until a new stadium is built for them. Plan being the operative word.

Fans in Oakland have been urging owner John Fisher to sell the team in the hopes of a new ownership engaging in actual negotiations to build a new stadium in Oakland.

But Fisher’s intentions were always to take the team away so he could cash in the same way the Raiders did — by landing billions in public money with a move to Las Vegas.

A’s legend Barry Zito performed a pitchy national anthem for final Oakland game

Sing us off, Barry Zito!

The Oakland A’s played their final game at The Coliseum on Thursday ahead of the team’s move to Las Vegas.

In honor of the historic farewell, the A’s brought back a franchise great and fan favorite to sing the national anthem.

Former Oakland pitcher Barry Zito returned to where he started his MLB career to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” for all the A’s fans in attendance.

This was such a special moment for the franchise, as Zito was one of the best arms to ever come through Oakland and did a pretty solid, if … pitchy … job on the mic.

It’s bittersweet to see a franchise great return to send off The Coliseum, and Zito did the A’s proud with this national anthem performance.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1374]

How MLB foolishly botched a crucial Mets-Braves series amid Hurricane Helene warnings

The solution was so obvious and yet MLB ignored it anyway.

The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves are in a tight race for a spot in the postseason and are playing each other in one final series.

But unfortunately the biggest opponent for either roster is not the other team and instead the weather in Atlanta. Hurricane Helene is forecasted to pass through the area and will almost definitely cause delays due to severe conditions.

As both teams compete for a playoff berth and for one of the wild card spots in the National League, the timing is impossibly bad for both teams because it could lead to a potential double header rescheduled for Monday before the postseason begins.

This was easily avoidable, though, as MLB absolutely had all of the warnings possible that this is what the weather would look like in Atlanta.

They could have easily played the first game of the series on Monday night, when both teams had an off day. Then, they could have scheduled a double header for Tuesday when the conditions were still clear and finished out the series before Helene.

Or they could have moved to a neutral site and played the entirety of the three-game series with no impact from the weather.

Instead, however, MLB will likely ask the Mets to travel to Milwaukee to play the Brewers and the Braves to host an entirely new series against the Royals. After that is over, the Mets would have to rush back to Atlanta for two more games that would potentially get played immediately before the playoffs.

Considering that at least one and perhaps even both teams could make the playoffs over the Diamondbacks, asking them to play a double-header the day before the postseason begins is irrational and poor planning.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1374]

Caitlin Clark is already getting invites from teams to do baseball broadcasts, including the Phillies

Coming soon to MLB broadcast booths: Caitlin Clark?

If she ever wants a break from the WNBA, Indiana Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark can always call baseball games.

After her impromptu commentary of a recent Philadelphia Phillies baseball game went viral, Clark received some invitations from baseball teams to join the booth to broadcast one of their games.

One of those invitations actually came from the Phillies. Philly television broadcaster Tom McCarthy invited Clark to call one of their games when she finds some free time, via the team’s TikTok account.

During media availability on Saturday, Clark said her boyfriend, Butler men’s basketball assistant Connor McCaffrey, grew up a Phillies fan, which could be a sign she takes up the team on its offer.

@phillies

#stitch with @lexiehull @Caitlin Clark you’re welcome on the mic anytime! #mlb #wnba #philly

♬ original sound – Phillies

Clark also said her in-moment broadcasting made her appreciate the professionals in the business.

https://twitter.com/MatthewByrne1/status/1837586046080458838

Besides the Phillies, Clark got an invitation to do some broadcasts from the Milwaukee Brewers, the MLB team the Phillies were playing, and the minor league Savannah Bananas.

Maybe one day we’ll get Clark on a baseball broadcast?

https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1837517660373868741

https://twitter.com/BananaBall_/status/1837502099732545704

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=421393215]