CLEARWATER, Fla. — When you think of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball, and if you’re of a certain age, you probably think of the Oakland A’s and the legacy of Mark McGwire, or maybe San Francisco and Barry Bonds’ BALCO scandal. If you’re a bit younger, maybe it’s Ryan Braun and the Brewers or the five Royals ...Read more

MIAMI — After logging the biggest hit of the tournament, pulling a change-up into the gap in left-center field, Eugenio Suarez glided into second base and raised his arms high in the air as his Venezuela teammates emptied from the dugout to celebrate at home plate.

Not too long after, Venezuela was officially on the top of the baseball world....Read more

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The next time Cam Schlittler’s spidey-sense starts tingling, the Yankees starter should have a handy tool at his disposal.

That’s because PETA — yes, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — said Tuesday that it is “rushing” a shipment of humane bug catchers to the Bombers “to ensure that any ...Read more

We look to sports as a way to share lessons about sportsmanship, teamwork and respect for others. When the Dodgers visited the White House last year, Clayton Kershaw delivered a short but moving speech about the "selflessness and humility" that built a foundation for a championship.

"This organization exemplifies what it means to come together ...Read more

AUBURN, Calif. — Speaking in a Placer County courtroom, Adrienne Spohr said Samantha Scott’s “deceit and chosen silence” destroyed her family. Scott admitted to lying to police to protect Daniel Serafini, the man who shot Spohr’s parents in an ambush five years ago as the couple watched TV in their living room.

“She allowed a killer...Read more

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Gerrit Cole is ready for game action.

Well, exhibition game action, anyway, as the Yankees’ announced that the right-hander is scheduled to start Wednesday’s spring training contest against the Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field. It will be Cole’s first start of any kind since undergoing Tommy John surgery a ...Read more

LAKELAND, Fla. — Otto Kemp anticipated a slow start to the spring.

After undergoing two procedures over the winter — a bone fragment removed from his left knee and a left shoulder cleanup — the Phillies’ utility player didn’t come in with too many expectations right away. While spring training numbers are always hard to put stock into...Read more

MIAMI — It seemed like only a matter of time before Venezuela got its big hit, that momentum-swinging spark that would tilt this World Baseball Classic semifinal against Italy in its favor.

It finally came in the seventh inning.

And, naturally, it came from Ronald Acuna Jr.

The superstar leadoff hitter and right fielder logged the first ...Read more

Nolan McLean is ready for this moment.

With a World Baseball Classic championship on the line, Team USA is turning to the standout Mets rookie to start Tuesday night’s final at LoanDepot Park in Miami.

McLean wouldn’t have it any other way.

“If you work your whole life at something, you want to be put in these spots,” McLean said ...Read more

Team USA vanquished the Dominican Republic. The defending champions, Japan, already had been dismissed.

So … congratulations to the United States for winning the World Baseball Classic?

Not so fast, and certainly not based on Sunday's tense but hardly crisp 2-1 victory in which the U.S. eliminated the Dominican Republic.

"That was high-...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers agreed to a deal granting Uniqlo naming rights to the field at Dodger Stadium, according to the Athletic — marking the first time in the 64-year history of the stadium that a corporate sponsorship has been attached to it.

Dodger Stadium's name remains unchanged. The organization made it a priority to keep the name ...Read more

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani expressed regret Monday for his "shortcomings" following Japan's early exit from the World Baseball Classic.

It is unclear what those shortcomings might have been. Over four games during this year's tournament, Ohtani led Japan with a .462 batting average, three home runs and seven RBI in 13 at-bats.

Those stats are ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Wait, what? That's me whenever I see a list of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball that doesn't include the Los Angeles Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the top three — or not until No. 7, like MLB Network's did.

It's hard to believe there are professional ball-watchers who want us to believe there are a handful of ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — They’ll live to regret it, according to most everything I hear, so let’s name them directly before the issue blossoms toward its full baseball clarity or merely chugs off into the historical fog: The teams who passed in the 2024 draft on Konnor Griffin were the Guardians, Reds, Rockies, A’s, Royals, White Sox, Cardinals and ...Read more

MIAMI — Sunday’s World Baseball Classic semifinal was as much a chess match as it was a heavyweight bout between two of the top teams in the tournament.

The star power between the United States and Dominican Republic arguably rivaled any matchup seen on a baseball diamond before. MVPs, Cy Young winners, All-Stars litter both rosters.

So ...Read more

SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh — villain.

You buying it? Because I'm not.

The American catcher has probably been the most-mentioned name in baseball over the past few days, and not for reasons he wants. It's because he refused to shake the hand of Seattle Mariners teammate Randy Arozarena when Randy offered said hand to Raleigh at the plate in a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — It started with a Shohei shot.

Ohtani began the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo for Team Japan with a double on the first pitch he saw and then, one inning later, a grand slam … of course he did.

It continued with an espresso shot ...

The hitters of lovable Team Italy celebrated home runs with shots of Italian espresso in a ...Read more

LAKELAND, Fla. — Following his dominant four-inning effort in the World Baseball Classic on Monday evening against Mexico, Paul Skenes fielded questions from the media alongside his USA teammate Roman Anthony and manager Mark DeRosa.

The reigning National League Cy Young winner discussed the “electric” atmosphere at Houston’s Daikin ...Read more

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Numbers were crunched. Video was studied. Players, managers and coaches were interrogated.

And once all the data was collected, parsed and analyzed for baseball’s new video system for reviewing balls and strikes, we came up with this rather technical description:

Um, kinda funky?

In an absolutely charming way, of ...Read more