Free Republic

Jose Canseco was held for nearly 10 hours by immigration authorities after agents said they stopped the former baseball star as he attempted to bring a fertility drug from Mexico, his lawyer said Friday. Canceco was detained at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing Thursday after agents searched his vehicle and said they found human chorionic gonadotropin, which is illegal without a prescription, said his attorney, Gregory Emerson. Emerson declined to say if Canseco — who admitted to using steroids in a 2005 book that also alleged steroid use by other baseball players — had the drug, which is banned...

NLCS Game 2 on now from Philadelphia. Phillies are now at bat, bottom of the 4th. Phillies lead 8-5, after a 3-run homer from Manny Rameriez.

Phillies lead 3-2 at the top of the 8th. What do people think of the Air National Guardsman singing "God Bless America"? How did she do?

MILWAUKEE -- Nothing like a little contention to stunt a Phillies comeback. Down by three runs in Game 3 of the National League Division Series, the Phillies loaded the bases Saturday on three consecutive singles to open the ninth inning. It was by far their most productive rally of the evening. And it ended just as abruptly as it had begun. Charging toward second base when Pedro Feliz hit a routine double-play ball toward third, Shane Victorino never slid. Instead, he ducked his head and rammed directly into Brewers second baseman Craig Counsell, knocking him backward as he received Bill...

Kuroda vs. Harden. First pitch, 9:07 CDT.

Billingsley vs. Zambrano. First pitch, 8:37 CDT.

5:37 CDT first pitch at Wrigley Field in Chicago! Dempster vs. Lowe. Line-ups will be announced soon.

"The joke used to be that Washington was first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League."

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- Fred Merkle was born in Watertown, Wis., in 1888, but he spent only one year there before his family moved to Toledo, Ohio. Still, that didn't prevent Watertown resident David Stalker from claiming Merkle as the town's very own. He spearheaded an effort to erect a monument in Merkle's honor. Set in black marble with a baseball perched on top, the monument notes that Merkle was a "potent line-drive hitter and agile first-baseman." It says he was a member of six World Series teams. However, there is no mention on the monument of the play that earned...

CHICAGO -- Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has yet to solicit Ozzie Guillen's help or advice in relation to fulfilling his ongoing quest of bringing the 2016 Olympics to Chicago. Not unlike the shoot-from-the-lip manner Guillen has operated under since taking over the White Sox in 2004, the opinionated manager recently offered up his own solution to clinch the bid. It involves the Cubs and White Sox and a special postseason meeting that has not taken place since 1906, which astonishingly also marks the last time both teams qualified for the playoffs during the same season. "Like I said two...

One hundred years ago this afternoon, the New York Giants and the Chicago Cubs played a game that can still be found on baseball's figurative Mount Rushmore, next to the Bobby Thompson home run game, the Sandy Amoros catch game, Don Larsen's perfect game, and the game where Carlton Fisk waved it fair. No one who played in or saw the game is alive. The Polo Grounds, where it was played, was demolished a half century ago. Doesn't matter. Some games just endure. More specifically, what happened on Sept. 23, 1908, was this. With the first breezes of autumn in...

The Empire's new kingdom: Yankees' deep pockets about to get deeper September 21, 2008 Bruce Schoenfeld For Sporting News Justin Morneau stands inches from a stain on the ceiling of the Yankee Stadium visitors' clubhouse, which has seen better days -- better decades, actually -- while he lists liabilities that make the storied old structure something less than state-of-the-art. At 6-4, Minnesota's All-Star first baseman barely fits in the room. "These aren't the biggest clubhouses in the league," he says. "The batting cage is all the way down at the other end." Morneau has come of age playing in late-model...

It is almost playoff and World Series time again in Major League Baseball. Here are the CURRENT STANDINGS and how things are shaping up for the playoffs. It is not a happy time for the New York Yankees, whose chance of even making the playoffs this year is very, very slim. There is a reason the Yankees have not won the World Series since 2000. It is called THE HILLARY CURSE. A few years ago, the Boston Red Sox finally broke the CURSE OF THE BAMBINO. The Chicago Cubs are still burdened by the CURSE OF THE BILLY GOAT. We...

CHICAGO -- The Cubs are back-to-back division champions for the first time in 100 years. Chicago clinched the National League Central by beating St. Louis, 5-4. The club has consecutive division titles for the first time since 1907-08, when the Cubs last won the World Series with one division per league. They're the first NL club to secure a playoff spot. "Just finishing is the most important thing," center fielder Jim Edmonds said. "You never know what can happen in the last week of the season, and you don't want to be anywhere near the pennant race, because it could...

Giambi's legacy with Yankees? Generosity Ken Davidoff 12:00 PM EDT, September 17, 2008 It could be that Jason Giambi's finest hour as a Yankee didn't occur on the field, or in the dugout, or in front of a grand jury in San Francisco. No, Giambi, whose colorful Yankees tenure is very likely coming to an end after seven memorable seasons, arguably shined the brightest in a back room of the Yankees' clubhouse, in the fall of 2003. The Yankees were holding their "shares meeting," when the players who have been on the club for the entire season convene and decide...

Let's hear a little baseball chatter here! AL EAST Tampa Bay leads division by a game over Boston with the two teams squaring off in a three game series starting tonight. Yankees are in fourth, a half game behind the Blue Jays--and the last game at Yankee Stadium is set for Sunday night on ESPN. AL CENTRAL/WEST White Sox lead Twins by 1.5 games. Angels clinched the west and lead Texas by a mere 19.5 games. Curse of Hillary? The Obama campaign reminds me of the Yanks' fortune this year. Down down down Another close race in the NL EAST...

Carlos Zambrano just no-hit the Houston Astros in Milwaukee, where they were playing due to the Hurricane Ike rain-out in Houston. Zambrano gave up only one walk, got a hit and scored a run in the 5-0 Chicago Cubs victory.

(English-language translation) Amid fanfare, the Puerto Rico Professional Baseball League reappeared yesterday with a formal introduction to the media of its new name [now in English], Puerto Rico Baseball League, and a new logo. Its President José A. Andreu García announced that the season, which begins on November 6, will be dedicated to the late manager José "Ronquito" García. After a one-year recess, the "new league" emphasized that it comes with a change, revealing countless innovations that should delight both local and foreign fans since there will be interleague games with the Dominican Republic. "A recess was announced one year...

Baseball is as American as ... tea and crumpets?

Thirty-nine years ago today, a black cat found Ron Santo in the on-deck circle at Shea Stadium in New York, walked around him, then headed through the Cubs' dugout, past manager Leo Durocher and disappeared under the stands. Of course, the Cubs' high hopes during an extraordinary season disappeared right behind the feline. They lost to the New York Mets that night -- the sixth of eight straight losses -- and the next day, the Mets overtook them in the National League East race for good. ''At the time, I didn't think anything of it,'' Santo told the New York...

Baseball Physics: Anatomy of a Home Run In less time than it takes to blink an eye, pro hitters routinely achieve the extraordinary. By Davin Coburn Illustrations by Intoaroute Photograph by Getty Images Published in the June 2007 issue. When Ryan Zimmerman stands at the plate, there’s no time to analyze physics. “I’m thinking about what the pitcher might throw in that situation,” says the 22-year-old rising star with the Washington Nationals. “I have to eliminate as many options as I can before he releases the ball.” Twenty times last season, Zimmerman pounded a pitch into the seats. Now PM...

Claiming to be an avid White Sox fan, presidential candidate Senator Obama belittled fans of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. “Cubs fans aren’t serious students of the game,” Obama charged. “They’re just there to have a few beers and pass the time. It’s probably just as well. Because it’s been 100 years since the Cubs won the Super Bowl.”

As Major League Baseball showcased its stars in famed Yankee Stadium, the player who emerged from the All-Star break as the biggest star of all, Texas Ranger outfielder Josh Hamilton, spent most of his time pointing to someone greater than himself. Hamilton, whose career and his life were nearly ended by drug addiction, wowed the masses in person and on TV during Monday night's Home Run Derby, but he used his national platform to give credit to God for his athletic ability. "I can't believe what God has done in my life and how quickly He has done it," Hamilton...

Imagine if liberal principals were applied to sports, so that the best team is shamed and punished for oppressing the others, and the team that manages to lose the most games is awarded the championship to encourage self-esteem. In Little League, it's already happening: Nine-year-old Jericho Scott is a good baseball player — too good, it turns out. The right-hander has a fastball that tops out at about 40 mph. He throws so hard that the Youth Baseball League of New Haven told his coach that the boy could not pitch any more. When Jericho took the mound anyway last...

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP)—Nine-year-old Jericho Scott is a good baseball player— too good, it turns out. The right-hander has a fastball that tops out at about 40 mph. He throws so hard that the Youth Baseball League of New Haven told his coach that the boy could not pitch any more. When Jericho took the mound anyway last week, the opposing team forfeited the game, packed its gear and left, his coach said. Officials for the three-year-old league, which has eight teams and about 100 players, said they will disband Jericho’s team, redistributing its players among other squads, and offered...

We all knew Barack Obama is a White Sox fan, but the presumed Democratic presidential nominee took it a bit further in an interview with ESPN. Obama joked about the stereotype of Cubs fans, who probably are tired of being described as partying people-watchers instead of serious baseball fans. "You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer, beautiful people up there," Obama said, according to transcripts released by ESPN. "People aren't watching the game. It's not serious. White Sox, that's baseball." The interview, which took place Wednesday in Greensboro, N.C., will be aired on SportsCenter tonight at 5. Here...

A Connecticut youth baseball team with a phenomenal 9-year-old pitcher has been disqualified because its team is too good. The team, Will Power Fitness, has an 8-0 record thanks in large part to pitcher Jericho Scott, the New Haven Register reports. His pitching is so fast and accurate, the Liga Juvenil De Baseball De New Haven asked the team's coach, Wilfred Vidro, to replace him so he wouldn't frighten other players.

Sometime soon, perhaps as early as the end of August, Major League Baseball will enter a new era, an electronic era well beyond center field cameras, radar guns and QuesTec. The era of instant replay will represent a fundamental shift in the way the game is called. On Wednesday, MLB officials and the World Umpires Association ratified an agreement for the use of instant replay. A source close to the negotiations said an agreement between MLB and the Players Association is expected to be ratified within 48 hours. From there, it's just a matter of time before the final touches...

South Korea surprises defending champion Cuba for baseball gold South Korea finished Olympics with 9-0 record Cuba's only two losses in '08 Games came to S. Korea Bases loaded double play in ninth inning sealed win BEIJING (AP) -- Campeones no more. There's a new champion in Olympic baseball: the surprising, gutsy South Koreans. South Korea captured gold and capped a perfect and improbable Olympic run with the country's biggest win yet in international baseball, a 3-2 victory over defending champion Cuba on Saturday night in the final of the Beijing Games.

I hope this is okay to post. But a couple of things. First what do you think of my Cubs? Second who's your team and favorite player? Third if you found out a player was a complete opposite of you beliefs wise would it affect your opinion of him? My answers 1. I thought they'd be good but this team is awesome. Despite what might be 2 losses in a row to the Marlins. 2. Cubs. Kerry Wood or Ryan Dempster. 3. I don't think conservatives are this way. We like to watch the guys play and don't care how...

Listen to the Skip Carey Memorial Service from this afternoon.

Slugger Manny Ramirez's stormy relationship with the Boston Red Sox is over. Ramirez has been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, ESPN.com's Amy K. Nelson first reported. The Red Sox will pay the remaining $7 million of Ramirez's contract, ESPN.com's Peter Gammons reported. Jason Bay is going to Boston and the Pittsburgh Pirates get four minor leaguers as part of the three-way deal.

Spinners Get Politically Correct, Incorrect This Week Salute to the sensitive nature of political correctness, July 23-24  LOWELL, MA – The Lowell Spinners, Class A affiliate of the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox, announced today that this week’s upcoming homestand against the State College Spikes, a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate, will salute both the sensitive nature of political correctness and incorrectness.   WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 – Political Correctness Night at LeLacheur Park. Returning for a second season, the Spinners will take measures to make sure nobody—including the players—leaves the ballpark offended. Players committing an error will not be identified for...

Ladies and gentlemen, The Bronx is sunburning. Yankee fans are seeing - and turning - red over a ban on sunscreen, which Stadium security guards say was widely expanded in the last few weeks. Security guards collected garbage bags full of sunblock at the entrances to Yankee Stadium over the sweltering weekend, when temps hit 96 degrees and the UV index reached a skin-scorching 9 out of 10 - a move team officials said was to protect the Stadium from terrorism. But fans baking in the bleachers and upper deck argued that the sun may be a bigger threat than...

Last innings for Yankee Stadium 'The House That Ruth Built,' closing at the end of the season, hosts the All-Star Game on Tuesday. By Ron Scherer | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor from the July 14, 2008 edition Reporter Ron Scherer remembers some big moments at Yankee Stadium.New York - When the players take the diamond for baseball's 79th All-Star Game on Tuesday, the talk is more likely to be about the venue – Yankee Stadium – than the game itself. YOUTUBE - THE CURSE OF HILLARY

Okay as we just had the All Star Game (what a thrilling game) what does everyone think as we head into the 2nd half? Which is your favorite team and players?

Did anyone see the Homerun Derby at Yankee Stadium last night? As a Mets fan I usually only watch National League teams, so I had only heard about Josh Hamilton's story and haven't really seen him in action. This guy is a beast though. I have never seen a display of power like the one he put on last night. And just think that he did it, and is in the middle of this incredible season he is having, after missing 3 full years and practically no time in the minors. Unbelieveable. The real life version of The Natural.

Barry Bonds' agent said "it's pretty obvious" the home run king won't play in the majors this year, his strongest comments to date about the unlikelihood of Bonds returning to uniform. "I'm not optimistic any team will take him," agent Jeff Borris told The Chronicle on Monday. "I'm not a pessimistic person by nature, but it's pretty obvious he will not be a major-leaguer in 2008, because no team believes that he will be a good fit." Borris said the 43-year-old Bonds, who had 28 homers and 66 RBIs with a .480 on-base percentage for the Giants last year, isn't...

In moments of candor, players will share their opinions on the guys across the diamond. Listen to Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson talk about Arizona Diamondbacks righthander Brandon Webb: "He throws that sinker, and it's totally unfair. It comes in looking like a hittable pitch, and then it drops right down and you miss it. You know it's going to drop, but you can't help but swing at it because it looks so good. Then, if you do make contact, it's a heavy pitch and it's just like hitting a bowling ball. You're not going to drive it." Players aren't...

Tuesday, July 8th 2008, 4:00 AM Alex Rodriguez's bitter divorce took an ugly turn on Monday night when Team A-Rod accused his estranged wife of going on a spiteful spending spree in Paris. Spurned spouse Cynthia Rodriguez used the Yankee slugger's credit card to the tune of $100,000 to punish him for a dalliance with Madonna that both he and the Material Girl deny, an A-Rod pal said. "She's been spending wildly," the friend said. "She spent close to $100,000 on her jaunt to Paris." Cynthia flew the godparents of her daughters, Dodd and Sabina Romero, and their older...

With the 2008 All-Star rosters set to be announced Sunday and the requisite number of big-market stars currently leading the voting, it’s time to take a look at who would make the Midsummer Classic if the selections were based solely on first-half performance. For the record, I’m in support of letting the fans decide the starters. The All-Star Game, at its core, is an exhibition, and we the fans should get to see who we want. Besides, the fans are voting for people like Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki because they have established themselves as stars over...

June 30, 2008 -- CHICAGO -- Capt. Dan Rooney delivered a perfect strike Thursday afternoon in Wrigley Field. But, the pitch he made off the mound meant much more. The 35-year-old PGA Professional from Broken Arrow, Okla., and founder of Patriot Golf Day and the Folds of Honor Foundation, Rooney will be serving his country once again this fall by making his third tour of Iraq as an F-16 fighter pilot.

For only the 4th time in MLB history, a team that failed to get a hit in a game has won that game.

BEACHWOOD, Ohio -- A local community has canceled an all-star game for youth baseball players because it doesn't want to exclude anyone. People in Beachwood are upset, and it's not just parents and children. The issue is when is a child just learning a game and when are they old enough to compete in it? The city of Beachwood and its recreation department drew the line at age 12. The phone lines lit up on WTAM on Thursday morning as parents and sports fans called to voice their opinion on the city canceling its all-star game for 9- to 12-year-olds....

AMAZING catch! This girl ought to be playing Pro ball.... LOVE the expressions on the faces of the paid players! BallGirl

Fresno State Defeats Georgia 6-1 to win CWS (2-1). At least this year's Georgia choke will make people forget about UNC choking in 2006.

If the roles were reversed, Georgia football coach Mark Richt would've been proud. Richt made the flight to Omaha hoping to see the Georgia baseball team win the national title. Instead, he saw a football game. Well, at least in the score sense. After using clutch hitting and closer Josh Fields to overwhelm Fresno State in the series opener, Fresno took round two 19-10 using a barrage of offense. Georgia coach Dave Perno felt like he was on the gridiron. "We had a tough time defending the post pattern across the middle. It was killing us," he jokingly said about...

Has anyone emailed you a link to that awesome footage of the ball girl making a stunning catch in foul territory during a minor league baseball game between the Fresno Grizzlies and the Tacoma Rainiers?    The video has been making the rounds on the Internet and likely fooling a lot of people, but what we are seeing is, in fact, staged. It is actually a viral video for Gatorade titled "Ball Girl" that was created by Chicago's Element 79 Partners and directed by Baker Smith of harvest, Santa Monica.    In a cluttered environment full of viral work that isn't really...

To their everlasting horror, the global-warming alarmists have discovered that ExxonMobil advertises with the Washington Nationals. This act of free enterprise cannot go unpunished, so the global-warming alarmists have initiated a campaign to educate the Lerner family and baseball-supporting public in the hope the Nationals will end their relationship with ExxonMobil. It is unclear whether the global-warming alarmists walked to the ballpark from their homes, took mass transportation or drove there in an automobile. That, of course, is often the rub with the global-warming zealots. They talk a good game if it concerns you, your neighbor and the person down...

Curt Schilling statement from his blog: 22 years ago June the Boston Red Sox picked a Freshman Pitcher from Yavapai Junior College (the best JC team in the nation btw!) in the 2nd round of the (Last!) January Draft. 3 World Series rings, 3k innings plus later, there’s a chance it’s all over. To all of the well wishers, thank you. To all of the anti-Schilling people, thank you. Both sets of you were inspiration and motivation to be whatever it is I was for 19 some odd years on a major league mound. I am set to have what...