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Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, in collaboration with his quisling associates in the players’ union, is apparently ready to do away with the normal and basic baseball act of four balls leading to a walk. He and they have agreed to a scheme by which the intentional walk doesn’t physically occur, but is simply motioned for from the dugout. Advertisement This is revolting, not just because Manfred is a…

“He’s a looker!” When my little league coach yelled that to our pitcher, we got the message loud and clear: The batter was waiting for a walk, so just throw strikes and make him hit his way on base. It was good advice then. It’s good advice now. If baseball really wants to fix its pace-of-game issues, they only need to make one simple change. Have the umpires call more…

Baseball, long-regarded as America’s least interesting way to use bats, is looking to shake things up in an attempt to shorten its games, presumably to attract more younger viewers here in the go-go, Fast & Furious, Snapchatting, Bagel Bitesing 2010s. According to ESPN, Major League Baseball and the players’ union have agreed on a plan to change the rules on intentional walks, allowing team managers to simply signal from the…

Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print comment sports + biz + culture + lifeGet REDEF delivered to your inbox rantnrave:// The NFL’s ratings problem — down 9 percent this past season — has drawn endless scrutiny. NASCAR is in trouble. The NBA’s regional sports networks have seen theirs fall by 15 percent this season and 20 of 30 teams have flat or lower numbers. Ratings have been used as…

Two professional soccer teams could move in to the area over the next couple of years, said Trey Brantley, CEO of First Team SC. A men’s team could move there in 2018, and he hopes for a women’s team in 2019.

Some of the Cubs‘ most impressive stats belong to “Cousin Eddie.” That would be the name of Joe Maddon‘s RV, which he drives from his home in Florida to spring training every year. This year, broadcaster Bryant Gumbel of HBO’s “Real Sports” series joined the Cubs manager for part of the trip, giving fans a glimpse of how Maddon lives when he’s on the road. The episode first aired Tuesday. “It’s…

When NASCAR released the lengths of stages for all of its Cup Series races last week, it was clear the lengths of the first two segments were designed to avoid fuel mileage racing within the segments. It’s not the most thrilling of visuals to see a driver pragmatically save fuel to make it to the end of a stage and collect bonus points while other faster cars have to pit…

Dan Le Batard comments on Wayne Shaw’s pie-eating during Sutton’s FA Cup match against Arsenal. Wayne Shaw steals the show in the FA Cup, Conan O’Brien joins Gio dos Santos and more in The Sweeper. Former sports minister Richard Caborn labelled gambling within sport a “serious problem” after Wayne Shaw’s pie-eating stunt in Sutton’s FA Cup clash with Arsenal. The 46-year-old reserve goalkeeper handed in his resignation on Tuesday as…

Dale Earnhardt Jr. might be hitching up for his last ride. A walk-off NASCAR championship and go off into the sunset? Perfect. “To come back this year, win a championship, it would be hard not to hang it up,” he said during NASCAR Media Day at Daytona International Speedway Wednesday morning. “This is the last year of my deal. I would like to race more. But if I win the championship, I’d…

Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print comment sports + biz + culture + lifeGet REDEF delivered to your inbox rantnrave:// The NFL’s ratings problem — down 9 percent this past season — has drawn endless scrutiny. NASCAR is in trouble. The NBA’s regional sports networks have seen theirs fall by 15 percent this season and 20 of 30 teams have flat or lower numbers. Ratings have been used as…

Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip has maintained that Sunday’s Daytona 500 would be the final race of his 32-year NASCAR career. The brother of Hall of Fame driver Darrell Waltrip, Michael began racing at the Cup level in 1985 and is also a Fox Sports NASCAR analyst like his brother. He’s been around NASCAR for a long time but now that he’s walking away from driving, Michael Waltrip wants NASCAR to make some…

Every year, it seems, since Mike Trout opened our eyes to the potential of the midseason callup, the Fantasy Baseball world has pinpointed some eager hopeful to target in the umpteenth round, hoping he might make a similar impact.   In 2013, it was Wil Myers. In 2014, George Springer. In 2015, Kris Bryant actually ascended to the early rounds. Last year, you could say it was Byron Buxton, which didn’t…

Last May in Kauffman Stadium, White Sox reliever Tommy Kahnle came into a game in the ninth inning and threw a wild pitch on an intentional walk before serving up a game-winning hit. The Royals scored six runs in the ninth to win the game, and Kahnle’s inability to throw an intentional ball to catcher Alex Avila factored into the meltdown. “It just got away from me,” Kahnle said the…

The players’ association has agreed to Major League Baseball’s proposal to have intentional walks without pitches this year. While the union has resisted many of MLB’s proposed innovations, players are willing to accept the intentional walk change. “As part of a broader discussion with other moving pieces, the answer is yes,” union head Tony Clark wrote Wednesday in an email to the Associated Press. “There are details, as part of…

Photo: UNO Athletics Privateers Baseball  NEW ORLEANS – Playing in front of the largest crowd at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark since the facility was rebuilt in 2014, the University of New Orleans baseball team claimed a marque victory for its home field on Tuesday night with an 11-8 victory over No. 2 LSU. BOX SCORE PDF With the victory, the Privateers improve to 4-0 for the first time…

The average major league baseball game in 2016 played for 3 hours, 2 minutes with only two teams averaging a game time of less than two hours — the Atlanta Braves were not one of them.

New Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson is a busy man.  Bucking the trend of pro athletes struggling to find purpose after sports, Johnson has become a renaissance man with a daunting list of achievements and a resume that’s a bit hard to believe. Not only has he built multiple successful businesses outside of sports, Johnson has joined ownership groups for several pro sports teams in…

Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print comment sports + biz + culture + lifeGet REDEF delivered to your inbox rantnrave:// The NFL’s ratings problem — down 9 percent this past season — has drawn endless scrutiny. NASCAR is in trouble. The NBA’s regional sports networks have seen theirs fall by 15 percent this season and 20 of 30 teams have flat or lower numbers. Ratings have been used as…

At some point during the first week of March, Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez will have his right elbow examined. “Up until then,” Gonzalez said, “there’s no updates.” Gonzalez was diagnosed with inflammation before his arrival at Camelback Ranch last week. His availability for opening day is not considered in doubt. But he may have to sit out the World Baseball Classic. Gonzalez hopes to play in one or two games…

DAYTONA BEACH — The 2017 NASCAR season is one of Hope and Change. Please don’t misconstrue this as a political reference. It is strictly business:  Important business for everyone in NASCAR from suits in the office buildings to firesuits inside the cars. NASCAR dramatically altered its playoff format in the off-season, and the big reveal comes this week at Daytona International Speedway. It’s the Big One, in so many ways. Biggest…