Free Republic

MLB players’ union has been discussing a handful of potential neutral stadiums that could host baseball games to restart the 2020 season, New York Yankees pitcher Zack Britton said Wednesday. Britton told MLB Network Radio that about five sites have been talked about in meetings about potentially getting the season back up and running. The season was suspended and Opening Day was delayed because of the coronavirus outbreak. MLB PLAYERS UNION CONSIDERS PLAYING GAMES WITH NO FANS TO START SEASON, ANGELS PITCHER SAYS “I know there's sites that have already been discussed -- I'm not sure if I should even...

In many respects, the New York Yankees just completed an extraordinary decade. Over the past 10 regular seasons, they won 921 games, more than any other team in baseball. They made the playoffs seven times—no other team played into October more often. The 2010s were a success by every measure—that is, except for the only one their fans actually care about: winning the World Series. New York’s season-ending defeat to the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series on Saturday means that for the first time since the 1910s, they have gone a full calendar decade without so much...

The Daily Beast published an article Sunday accusing Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Mariano Rivera of “secret far-right politics,” solely on the basis of the fact that he is a Christian who supports the State of Israel. The story, by Robert Silverman, is titled, “Inside Baseball Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera’s Secret Far-Right Politics.” But there is no evidence of “secret far-right politics” in the article. Instead, there is just an extensive recounting of Rivera’s support for Israel. Silverman says that despite the admiration the legendary New York Yankees closer has received from fans, he has “served at the pleasure...

Mel Stottlemyre, who spent over 40 years in baseball as a New York Yankees pitcher and pitching coach for both the Yankees and the New York Mets, died on Sunday at 77. Stottlemyre, who is survived by his wife and two sons, had been battling bone marrow cancer for 20 years. Stottlemyre spent almost 25 years as a pitching coach, and built a reputation as a legend. From 1984 to 1993 he worked with the New York Mets and tutored the rotation — which included guys like Ron Darling and Doc Gooden — that led the Mets to their 1986...

Leave it to a Red Sox scribe to rain on Mariano Rivera’s historic quest. Bill Ballou, of the Worcester, Mass., Telegram, spent about 1,500 words Saturday arguing that the Yankees legend shouldn’t receive a bid into the Hall. We checked the calendar. April Fools’ is months away. “...The Save — the baseball kind — is the lowest-hanging fruit on the game’s statistical tree,” Ballou writes. “Closers are its naked emperors.” Ballou continuously bashes the role of the closer, and even brings up Craig Kimbrel for sake of argument.

One pitch cost New York Yankee hurler C.C. Sabathia a lot of money Thursday. Sabathia was tossed from Thursday’s game after hitting Tampa Bays Rays catcher Jesus Sucre in the bottom of the sixth inning. Umpire Vic Carapazza determined that it was in retaliation for a pitch thrown by Rays reliever Andrew Kittredge at Austin Romine in the top of the sixth. Sabathia didn’t deny that it was thrown in response to Kittredge throwing at Romine. But it did cost him some money. He has an incentive clause in his contract that said if he pitched 155 innings this year,...

When the New York Mets held their first LGBTQ Pride Night in August 2016, fans waved rainbow flags in the stadium, the Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps Marching Band performed, Citi Field’s giant Coca-Cola sign was lit up in rainbow colors and the Kiss Cam caught several same-sex smooches throughout the game. In keeping with tradition, the team honored a veteran at the game, and for that first Pride Night, the Mets honored a gay Army vet. Nearly two years later, however, the Mets’ hometown rivals — the New York Yankees — have yet to host a Pride Night...

It may be spring, but it feels like winter for the Northeast this morning as a snowstorm moves through Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and New England. The latest The snowfall rate at New York's LaGuardia Airport reached 2 inches per hour this morning. New York City saw 5.5 inches of snow this morning -- its heaviest April snowfall since 1982 when the city was dumped with 9.6 inches. Kimberly Richardson ✔ @kemrichardson7 Wow! #nyc right now #centralpark Beautiful but enough !!!!! #snow @ABC7NY 8:43 AM - Apr 2, 2018 The New York Yankees canceled today's home opener due to...

Joe Girardi will not be back next season as manager of the New York Yankees, sources told David Kaplan of ESPN 1000 in Chicago on Thursday. Girardi just concluded a four-year, $16 million contract, and he and the team agreed to part ways, sources said. They will make an announcement later Thursday. Girardi, 53, and the Yankees came within one game of going to the World Series this year, losing to the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. In 10 years at the helm, Girardi won one World Series and made the playoffs six times....

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge made history Saturday afternoon against the Toronto Blue Jays when he hit his 52nd home run of the season and 33rd at Yankee Stadium. According to Newsday's Laura Albanese, Judge passed Babe Ruth to set the single-season franchise home record. ESPN Stats & Info noted Ruth's mark was established in 1921, when the Yankees played at the Polo Grounds. Fox Sports MLB relayed video of the record-setting solo blast, which traveled 484 feet, according to the New York Daily News' Mike Mazzeo.

Yankee owner George Steinbrenner died in 2010, but his appreciation for the men and women in blue who protect New York City lives on. For 32 years, Steinbrenner's Yankee Silver Shield Foundation has provided for the education of the children of New York City police officers, firemen and Port Authority employees who died in the line of duty, and will do so for the family of NYPD officer Rafael Ramos, gunned down by a cold-blooded killer Saturday along with his partner, Wenjian Liu. The foundation will pay for the education of Ramos' son, 13-year-old Jaden, and another son, Justin, who...

Former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner had tremendous appreciation for the the men and women who serve as New York City firefighters, cops and Port Authority members.. It's why he started the Yankee Silver Shield Foundation, which for nearly 32 years has provided for the education of children whose parents were killed in the line of duty. The New York Daily News reports that Steinbrenner's foundation will provide the money needed to support the education of both of Ramos' sons. "Who's going to take care of these kids," Steinbrenner asked his friend, former Olympian Jim Fuchs, who would run the foundation...

“What do you mean, there’s gambling going on here; I didn’t know there was gambling going on; round up the usual suspects,” said the “Casablanca” police chief to Humphrey Bogart. This paraphrase of bewilderment on steroids comes to mind in the A-Rod debacle. The 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal is no longer MLB’s most famous outrage, and the news boys will have to ask that iconic “Say It Ain’t So, Joe,” question all over again. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson’s written confession still is gone missing, and the Windy City is no longer numero uno in baseball’s wall of shame. The A-Rod,...

Class envy and entitlement at the ballpark

Skowron, a four-time All-Star, was the Yankees’ regular first baseman from 1955-62, averaging 21 homers and 75 RBI and finished his career with a .282 average, 211 homers and 888 RBI. He was especially lethal in the World Series in which he compiled a .293 average, eight homers and 29 RBI in 39 games over eight Fall Classics. In the 1956 World Series for the Yankees, Skowron had been held hitless by the Dodgers until the seventh game when he came to bat with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and hit a grand slam homer into the left...

NFL quarteback Tim Tebow and NBA star Dwyane Wade took in the Yankees-Angels game Sunday night (April 15). They were not there together, but were sitting near each other and did stand up at one point to say hello. But when Tebow's face was flashed on the jumbotron he was met with a loud chorus of boos, despite wearing a Yankees cap. D-Wade was booed briefly as well, but the boos turned to cheers when he put on his Yankees hat. ESPN reports that Nick Swisher, outfielder/first baseman for the Yankees, was asked about Tebow's reception from the fans after...

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday that the Yankees have made a "fair and appropriate" contract offer to Derek Jeter and suggested that if the 36-year-old shortstop thinks otherwise, he should shop himself around to find out.

She's persona non Gaga. A fuming Hal Steinbrenner informed Yankee Stadium executives that Lady Gaga is permanently banned from the team's clubhouse after her boozy antics -- including swigging whiskey and repeatedly fondling her boobs -- during a visit to the house that Ruth built Friday night, sources told The Post. The songstress and two girlfriends sauntered their way into the Bombers' clubhouse -- without team approval -- and hung out for 30 minutes after the team lost to the Mets. She met six players -- including Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano -- while the "Poker Face" singer kept slurring...

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama welcomes the world champion New York Yankees to the White House Monday afternoon. The Yankees, their coaches and staff will meet with Obama, who is a Chicago White Sox fan on most days.

The bad news continues for Gov. David Paterson -- he was just charged by the state's Commission on Public Integrity with violating the gift ban under the state's ethics laws for getting free tickets to game one of the 2009 World Series. He may face criminal charges in that case too. (...)