This is part of an occasional series comprising MLB season previews.
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Category: mlb
Report: Jung Ho Kang Denied Visa, In Doubt To Make 2017 Season
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang has reportedly been denied a visa to the United States, according to Korean news outlet KBS. Kang has missed all of spring training at this point, and is now questionable to make it to the states for the 2017 season.
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Jake Arrieta Jacks Longest-Ever Measured Dinger By A Pitcher
Jake Arrieta stepped up to the plate for the first time at spring training this afternoon and he promptly picked up where he left off last year, smashing a Zack Greinke pitch 465 feet off into the stands. This is the longest dinger by a pitcher in the Statcast-era. It would have been one of the 25 longest shots of the…
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Asdrubal Cabrera Got Ejected While Running To First
Spring training is a long, monotonous motherfucker, and playing meaningless games day after day appears can fry the patience of players and umps alike. During the fourth inning of a game between the Mets and the Nationals this afternoon, Asdrubal Cabera managed to get himself ejected in the middle of legging out a…
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White Sox Manager Rick Renteria Makes Queso Fundido
The Chicago White Sox will be relying on new manager Rick Renteria to develop their promising young players this year. Whether he can do anything like he did during his 2014 stint as manager of the Chicago Cubs, when he helped turn first baseman Anthony Rizzo and starting pitcher Jake Arrieta into stars, remains to be…
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Is Theo Epstein The World's Greatest Leader?
Team USA Wants To Inspire Baseball Kids To Be Boring Fun-Haters
Ahead of Team USA’s World Baseball Classic final against Puerto Rico tonight, some American baseball men said some eye-rolling shit. Team USA’s second baseman Ian Kinsler told the New York Times he hoped the team could inspire the youth to Play The Right Way and grow up to be fun-hating baseball men, just like him and…
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White Sox Option Adam Engel To Triple-A
The Chicago White Sox, who have spent much of the spring evaluating center fielders, are that much closer to making what will certainly be a tough choice today, as 25-year-old Adam Engel, a candidate for the job, has been optioned to the team’s AAA affiliate in Charlotte. The team announced the transaction on Twitter:
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Kodai Senga Looked Like The Real Deal
In the top of the eighth inning of the World Baseball Classic semi-final Tuesday night between Japan and the U.S., Japanese relief pitcher Kodai Senga gave up an RBI fielder’s choice to Adam Jones that plated Brandon Crawford and put the Americans up 2-1. Third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda bobbled the ball on the wet…
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Dan Duquette: Orioles Fans Hate Jose Bautista, Prefer "Working Class" Players
Over the summer, Orioles general manager Dan Duquette told then-free agent outfielder Jose Bautista that the O’s weren’t in a position to sign him because of how despised he is by Baltimore fans. In an interview with MLB.com yesterday, Duquette reiterated that theory and went one step further, explaining specifically…
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Yankees Player Owns Hairless Cat
With spring training no longer a novelty and no actual games to cover, baseball’s news cycle is stuck in a brief rut where it has to rely on waterskiing squirrels to stay alive. Today’s example comes to you in the form of a hairless cat named Mr. Delicious. He belongs to Yankees first baseman Greg Bird.
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Starting Extra Innings With Runners On Base Just Plain Sucks
Bunt, sacrifice fly, intentional walk. Those are three of the most boring plays in baseball, and if MLB actually implements its proposed rule to start the 11th inning and beyond with men on first and third, we’ll be seeing scores of games decided by some combination of those plays.
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White Sox Sign Tim Anderson To Long-Term Deal
The Chicago White Sox have signed promising 23-year-old shortstop Tim Anderson to a six-year contract extension. Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune has the details:
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The Rockies Think They Can Win, Now They Just Have To Go Do It
Not Everyone Was Thrilled With Adam Jones's Catch
Adam Jones Robs Manny Machado Homer
It was Oriole-on-Oriole crime as Adam Jones made a stunning play to rob Manny Machado of a sure home run, and holding onto the slim 4-2 U.S. lead over the Dominican Republic.
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Phillies Catcher Recovers With Diving Grab After Bobbling The Ball
Ryan Hanigan is fourth on the Phillies’ depth chart at catcher, but he got a little time in the spotlight today with this diving catch to save face after bobbling the ball. (Insofar as any player gets time in the spotlight at this point in March, at least.)
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Matt Davidson May Be Part Of The White Sox's Designated Hitter Rotation
One open question for the Chicago White Sox this spring has been just what they’ll do about their situation at designated hitter, given that they don’t have a single player ideally suited to seize the role full-time. With Opening Day approaching, it appears they’ll be going with a committee, reports Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald
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The Red Sox Have Chris Sale And That's Really All That Matters
Something's Up With Scott Kazmir
For a guy with such an extensive injury history, Scott Kazmir’s last few years in the league have gone about as well as anyone could have hoped. He tossed 183 innings and had a 3.10 ERA pitching for the Astros and A’s in 2015, and managed 136 innings in 26 starts for the Dodgers last year. He went into spring…
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It's Manny Machado Highlight Time
Manny Machado helped his Dominican Republic team in a defensive battle against Venezuela tonight with a defensive play that showed the Orioles third baseman is in mid-season form.
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The Marlins' Spring Training Inspiration Included Smashing A Cinderblock On Don Mattingly's Chest
The Marlins have had a hell of an offseason—grappling with the September death of their best player, José Fernández, coupled with a series of rather insane political and business rumors about team owner and disgusting rich person Jeffrey Loria. So it’s perhaps not surprising that they felt the need to try something…
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The Dodgers Somehow Pull Off The Trick Of Being Rich And Charming
Hawk Harrelson To Remain Face Of White Sox Even After Retirement
For years, broadcaster Hawk Harrelson has been the face of the Chicago White Sox. Players have come and players have gone, the Sox have been up and they’ve been down, but even more than a Mark Buehrle cutter or a Frank Thomas home run, Harrelson’s unique passion and commitment have defined the South Siders to the rest…
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Investigators: José Fernández Was Intoxicated And Driving Boat At Top Speed In Fatal Crash
José Fernández was the operator of the boat that crashed into a jetty in the early hours of September 25, 2016, killing him and two friends, Eduardo Rivero and Emilio Macias instantly, according to the investigation report released this morning by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The full report…
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Cody Asche Is Coming On Strong For The White Sox
While top prospect Yoan Moncada will get a lot of deserved attention for smacking his first longball of the spring today, there was other dong-related news out of the Chicago White Sox’s 7-3 win over the Kansas City Royals. Cody Asche crushed a big home run—his third this spring—as a designated hitter. CSN’s Dan Hayes…
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MLB Agent And Trainer Found Guilty In Cuban Smuggling Trial
Sports agent Bartolo Hernandez and baseball trainer Julio Estrada could not overcome a mountain of evidence and testimony from Cuban-born Major League Baseball players who linked the two Florida men to a human trafficking ring that brought Cuban players into the U.S.
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Respect Carlos Beltran's Blonde Beard
Astros designated hitter Carlos Beltran has been raking at the Word Baseball Classic, and he’s also gotten a head start on his Scott Steiner Halloween costume.
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Javier Baez Started Celebrating This Tag Before He Even Caught The Ball
Puerto Rico beat the Dominican Republic 3-1 this evening in both teams’ first second-round game. Yadier Molina drove in two runs and five Puerto Rican pitchers kept the WBC’s best offense very quiet. Puerto Rico’s defense came up big all game, starting with Eddie Rosario’s rocket of a throw in the first inning.
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The Long Slog Of The Cuban Baseball Player Smuggling Trial Is Nearly Over
After six grueling weeks of testimony, both sides delivered their closing arguments today in the criminal trial of two men charged with conspiracy and human smuggling for their part in getting Cuban baseball players into the United States. Federal prosecutors in Miami reiterated today their point that the two men…
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