Xander Bogaerts got called out on the weirdest pitch clock violation in Seoul

What the heck happened here?!

I honestly can tell you right off the bat: I have NO idea what happened here?

Because in the eighth inning of the second game in Seoul between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, Xander Bogaerts struck out thanks to a pitch clock violation for a third strike. Not that out of the ordinary, right?

Except, as you’ll see below, the clock was still around four seconds left, and Bogaerts is clearly ready and looking at the pitcher, so … what the heck?

That’s question fans and Bogaerts himself had on Thursday after this weird play. Check it out:

 

A baseball broke through Jake Cronenworth’s glove for the unluckiest error in Padres’ Seoul loss

How does this even happen?!

During the first official game of the MLB season, fans in Seoul saw something they won’t see again any time soon.

As the Dodgers and Padres faced off against each other in South Korea to begin the year, San Diego’s Jake Cronenworth went to field a routine ground ball hit by Gavin Lux.

While this seemed like a perfectly normal defensive play, something strange happened. Even though it seemed the first baseman did everything right, for whatever reason, the ball somehow ended up going right through his glove.

It is unclear how the ball was able to make its way past the webbing of Cronenworth’s glove as cleanly as it did.

But even if it wasn’t necessarily his fault, it counted as an error against the Padres infielder.

Additionally, this bizarre blunder gave the Dodgers the lead, 3-2, in the eighth inning after Teoscar Hernandez scored on the play. Los Angeles went on to win, 5-2.

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Umpire camera shows how impossible it is to hit Yu Darvish’s 95 MPH fastball with movement

Ump Cam is back!

The 2024 MLB season is officially back, and so is Ump Cam.

One of my favorite innovations has shown us the umpire POV of monster home runs, pitches that dart and fool hitters, and how scary an up and in fastball is.

And on Wednesday, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres playing in South Korea on ESPN, we got the Ump Cam view of a 95 MPH two-seam fastball that was a called strike. You can see it move in the middle of heading to the plate, and in slow motion, it’s even more pronounced.

Gotta love Ump Cam!

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Juan Soto trade grades: Who won the reported Yankees – Padres deal?

Who won the Juan Soto blockbuster? Here’s your answer.

It’s the deal that’s been buzzed about for what feels like all of Wednesday at the 2023 MLB Winter Meetings: Juan Soto is on his way from the San Diego Padres — who JUST traded for the young slugger in 2022! — to the New York Yankees, where the outfielder will presumably hit so many home runs as a lefty in that ballpark.

It makes sense for both teams when you think about it. But if you’re here, you’re probably wondering: Who won this deal between the two teams with massive payrolls? We have answers. Here are the grades for both the Yankees and Padres:

Juan Soto trade coming? Ranking the 7 teams reportedly interested in a deal at MLB Winter Meetings

Who should deal for Juan Soto? Let’s rank the suitors.

The hot stove cooled down, and now the temperature is about to get scalding.

The MLB winter meetings are on the horizon, and while all the buzz will be about a certain free agent pitcher/hitter by the name of Shohei Ohtani, there’s also a lot of chatter and rumors about the San Diego Padres unloading Juan Soto.

Weirdly, the Padres dealt for him just a year and a half ago. But it’s possible they may not want to pay him what he deserves in a huge new contract that’s looming, despite the fact that he had a great year last season.

Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, there are a few teams seriously in the running. Let’s rank them based on who should make the deal:

Padres pitcher and Seattle native Blake Snell to raise 12th Man Flag

Padres pitcher and Seattle native Blake Snell to raise 12th Man Flag

Thanksgiving may be synonymous with football, but for a moment there will be some love given to baseball. For the Seattle Seahawks’ Thursday Night Football showdown, San Diego Padres star pitcher – and Seattle native – Blake Snell will be raising the iconic 12th Man Flag in the south end zone.

Blake Snell, the former Shorewood High School Stormray, is coming off his second Cy Young caliber season. In 2023, Snell was a rare bright spot for the disappointing Padres. Snell helped guide San Diego to a 14-9 record in his starts and had an MLB-best 2.25 ERA. He has now won a Cy Young in both the American League and the National League.

Of course, Snell’s presense will surely have fans wondering about the team who plays just south of Lumen Field. Snell is currently a free agent, and while the Mariners aren’t thought to be in the market for starting pitching depth, bringing him home to Seattle would go a long way to repairing the damaged goodwill between the organization and its beleaguered fans.

Should Snell be announced as a surprise signing before the game, it would most assuredly warrant quite the roar from the 12th Man.

A man can dream, can’t he?

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The MLB world mourned the death of San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler

Baseball lost arguably its best owner.

The San Diego Padres announced on Tuesday that team owner and chairman Peter Seidler died at the age of 63.

Seidler took over as chairman of the team in 2020 (after serving as a part owner since 2012) and was the main reason the Padres started spending at a rate that competed with baseball’s big-market clubs. They went into the 2023 season with a top-3 payroll in baseball and defied how small-market teams typically operate.

His stated goal was to bring a World Series championship to San Diego. And despite the Padres falling short, Seidler’s commitment to the club was never in question.

After the news of his passing, MLB fans offered tributes on social media to the late Padres owner.

MLB fans can’t believe the Dodgers are on the brink of elimination vs. the surprising Diamondbacks

The Dodgers are on the brink.

Holy bad baseball, Batman. It’s ugly! Cover your eyes, Los Angeles Dodgers fans.

The Dodgers have a loaded roster filled with absolutely filthy baseball players. It’s hard not to like the talent they have: Clayton Kershaw, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Will Smith, and the list goes on. (Seriously, this team is unfair!)

The team has won ten division titles in a row dating back to 2013 and won a World Series in 2020. However, the Dodgers often cannot get out of their way. Meltdowns and the Dodgers are nearly synonymous.

For example, after winning a franchise-record 111 games, they were eliminated in the 2022 National League Division Series (NLDS) by the San Diego Padres, a team they went 14-5 against during the regular season.

It’s deja vu, as the Arizona Diamondbacks have surprised the Dodgers (we tried to tell you) and the baseball world in the 2023 NLDS with a commanding 2-0 lead as the series heads back to Arizona.

Dodgers and MLB fans expect greatness, but they’re all getting sadness. Rightfully so, they are tweeting through it, even though the Dodgers could still come back.

I am sending thoughts and good vibes and highlighting reels of better days to fans everywhere.

San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. to honor Kobe Bryant vs. Dodgers

The Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. may be looking to beat L.A. when he plays the Dodgers on Tuesday, but he will also honor Kobe Bryant.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been slumping and losing momentum in September, but they will look to get back on track when they continue a three-game set versus the San Diego Padres at home on Tuesday.

The Padres, led by former All-Star Fernando Tatis Jr., are under .500 and are unlikely to make the playoffs this season. Still, they would love to help spoil the Dodgers’ hopes of winning another World Series.

Tatis, however, is showing his respect for another Los Angeles team during the series at Dodger Stadium. He is wearing an awesome set of Air Jordan-style Kobe Bryant cleats in purple and gold that have thousands of crystals on them (h/t Lakers Daily).

The Dodgers recently honored the late Bryant and the Lakers organization during “Lakers Night” on Sept. 1. The rest of the Bryant clan was there, and it was presented with a $100,000 check by Dodgers president Stan Kasten to be put toward the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation.

The foundation, according to its website, is “a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating positive impact for underserved athletes and boys and girls in sports.”