Trump's support of Rose among the voices Manfred listened to in ruling MLB ban ended with death
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's support of Pete Rose was among the factors Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred weighed when he decided last month that permanent bans by the sport ended with death, which allows the career hits leader to be considered for the Hall of Fame.
Manfred announced the new interpretation on May 13, a decision that allows Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson to be considered for a Hall committee vote in December 2027.
'The president was one of a number of voices that was supportive of the idea that this was the right decision,' Manfred said Wednesday during a news conference at an owners meeting. 'Obviously, I have respect for the office and the advice that he gave I paid attention to, but I had a lot of other people that were weighing in on the topic, as well.'
Rose and then-Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti agreed to a permanent ban in August 1989 after an investigation commissioned by MLB concluded Rose repeatedly bet on the Reds as a player and manager for the team from 1985-87, a violation of a long-standing MLB rule. The Hall of Fame in 1991 decided people on the permanent banned list were ineligible for consideration.
'Those who really think about the reasons that I did it think that it is the right decision, and other people I think largely get confused with whether he's going to be in the Hall of Fame or not and maybe don't think that was so good,' Manfred said. Robot umpires
Computer technology to appeal ball/strike calls could be in place for the 2026 regular season. Manfred said use of the Automated Ball-Strike System was likely to be considered by the 11-man competition committee, which includes six management representatives.
During a spring training experiment in 288 games, teams were successful on 52.2% of their ball/strike challenges using the Automated Ball-Strike System.
'I do think that we're going to pursue the possibility of change in that process and we'll see what comes out at the end of that,' he said. 'The teams are really positive about ABS. I do have that unscientific system that I use: my email traffic. And my distinct impression is that using ABS in spring training has made people more prone to complain of balls and strike calls via email to me referencing the need for ABS.'
An experiment with a technology system to challenge checked-swing calls started in the Class A Florida State League on May 20. That is not under consideration for MLB use in 2026.
'I think we've got to get over the hump in terms of either doing ABS or not doing it before you'd get into the complication of a separate kind of challenge,' Manfred said. Baseball in 2028 Olympics
Baseball is returning to the Olympics in 2028 after being played from 1992 to 2008 and then in 2021.
MLB is considering whether to allow big league players to be used at the 2028 Games. It did not allow players on 40-man rosters to participate in the 2021 Olympics and many teams discouraged top eligible prospects from playing.
'We made some progress with LA 2028 in terms of what it could look like,' Manfred said. 'We have some other business partners that we need to talk to about, changes that would need to be made in order to accommodate the Olympics. I think we're going to go forward with that process.'
Manfred said the players' union appears to be supportive. Labor and possible salary cap proposal
A decision on MLB's bargaining positions with the players' association, including whether to propose a salary cap, will be made after this season. Bargaining is likely to start in the spring of 2026 for a successor to the five-year agreement with the union that ended a 99-day lockout on March 10, 2022. The deal expires on Dec. 1, 2026.
An ownership economic study committee was formed in early 2023, sparking speculation about a renewed push for a salary-cap system aimed at decreasing payroll disparity.
'Payroll disparity is such a fact of life among the ownership group that there's not a lot of need for talking about whether we have it or not. Everybody kind of gets it,' Manfred said. 'We understand that it has become a bigger problem for us, but there has not been a lot of conversation about that particular topic.'
When MLB proposed a cap in 1994, players struck for 7 1/2 months in 1994 and '95, leading to the first cancellation of the World Series since 1904.
'Obviously, over the winter we're going to have to decide what is going to be out there from our perspective, but no decisions on that topic so far,' Manfred said. Broadcasting
MLB hopes to reach a deal before the All-Star break on a Sunday night national broadcast package and for the Home Run Derby to replace the agreement ESPN said in February it was ending after this season. Manfred said MLB is negotiating with three parties and is weighing traditional broadcasters and streaming services, who may pay more but have a smaller audience.
Manfred regrets giving ESPN the right to opt out, which is causing a negotiation for rights lasting three seasons. MLB's contracts with Fox and Turner end after the 2028 season.
'If you're talking about what we're doing for the next three years, I would overweight reach,' Manfred said. 'The larger negotiation we'll have for the post-'28 period and we continue to believe that reach drives our live business.' Tropicana Field repair
Tampa Bay hopes to return to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, next season after playing home games this year across the bay at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the New York Yankees' spring training home.
The St. Petersburg City Council approved $22.5 million in April to repair the roof, destroyed by Hurricane Milton last Oct. 9. A new roof is being built in Germany and will be shipped to Florida.
'Repair of the stadium is moving along. We remain optimistic that we will be ready either for opening day or very shortly thereafter,' Manfred said. 'Obviously, the big contingency is what happens with hurricane season.' Athletics Las Vegas ballpark
A formal groundbreaking hasn't taken place for the Athletics' planned ballpark to open in 2028, though work is being done at the site and a ceremony could be held this month.
'My understanding is they believe they're going to make opening day '28,' Manfred said. Attendance up slightly from 2024
Attendance averaged 28,081 through Tuesday and 900 dates, up 1.4% from 27,687 through the same point last year, when MLB finished with a 0.9% rise to 29,568 for its highest average since 30,042 in 2017. MLB could finish with an average increase in three straight years not impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for the first time since 2004-07. Tariffs on baseballs
While MLB is not concerned about Trump administration tariffs raising the cost of big league baseballs, which are manufactured in Costa Rica, the impact on minor league balls is a concern.
'The minor league baseball is made in China. That's more of an issue,' Manfred said.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
recommended
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
25 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Mr. Clutch: Tyrese Haliburton keeps delivering in the ultimate moments for the Pacers
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — You are Tyrese Haliburton. You went to the Eastern Conference finals last year and got swept. You went to the Olympics last summer and didn't play much. You came into this season with high expectations and your Indiana Pacers got off to a 10-15 start. And on top of that, some of your NBA peers evidently think you are overrated. You got angry. 'I think as a group, we take everything personal,' Haliburton said. 'It's not just me. It's everybody. I feel like that's the DNA of this group and that's not just me.' The anger fueled focus, the focus became confidence, and the confidence delivered a 1-0 series lead in the NBA Finals. Haliburton's penchant for last-second heroics — one of the stories of these playoffs — showed up again Thursday night, his jumper with 0.3 seconds left going into finals lore and giving the Pacers a 111-110 win over the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers led for 0.0001% of that game. It was enough. 'When it comes to the moments, he wants the ball,' Pacers teammate Myles Turner said. 'He wants to be the one to hit that shot. He doesn't shy away from the moment and it's very important this time of the year to have a go-to guy. He just keeps finding a way and we keep putting the ball in the right positions and the rest is history.' Haliburton is 4 for 4 in the final 2 seconds of fourth quarters and overtimes in these playoffs, all of those shots either giving the Pacers a win or sending a game into OT before they won it there. The rest of the NBA, in those situations this spring: 4 for 26, combined. If Haliburton takes one of those beat-the-clock shots in the first three quarters of games in these playoffs, he's a mere mortal, just 1 for 7 in those situations. But with the game on the line, he's perfect. 'You don't want to live and die with the best player on the other team taking a game winner with a couple seconds left,' Thunder guard Alex Caruso said. No, especially when that best player on the other team is Haliburton. Just ask Milwaukee. Or Cleveland. Or New York. They could have all told Oklahoma City who was going to take the big shot and what was probably going to happen. Against the Bucks on April 29, it was a layup with 1.4 seconds left that capped a rally from seven points down in the final 34.6 seconds of overtime. Final score: Pacers 119, Bucks 118, and that series ended there. In Cleveland on May 6, it was a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left for a 120-119 win — capping a rally from seven points down in the final 48 seconds. At Madison Square Garden against the Knicks on May 21, a game the Pacers trailed 121-112 with 51.1 seconds left, he hit a jumper with no time left to force OT and Indiana would win again. All those plays came with a little something extra. His father, John Haliburton, got a little too exuberant with Giannis Antetokounmpo after the Bucks game and wasn't allowed to come to the next few games; the ban has since been lifted. Haliburton did a certain dance that the NBA doesn't like much after the shot against the Cavs. He made a choke signal, a la what Pacers legend Reggie Miller did against New York a generation earlier, after hitting the shot against the Knicks. But on Thursday, all business. These finals are a long way from over, and he knows it. Game 2 is Sunday night in Oklahoma City. 'Again, another big comeback but there's a lot more work to do,' Haliburton said. 'That's just one game. And this is the best team in the NBA, and they don't lose often. So, we expect them to respond. We've got to be prepared for that. We got a couple days to watch film, see where we can get better.' Haliburton is in his first year of a supermax contract that will pay him about $245 million along the way. He has the Olympic gold medal from last summer and surely will be a serious candidate to play for USA Basketball again at the Los Angeles Games in 2028. He's now a two-time All-NBA selection. And he's officially a certified postseason, late-game hero. Three more wins, and he'll be an NBA champion as well. The anger is gone. Haliburton was all smiles after Game 1, for obvious reasons. 'Ultimate, ultimate confidence in himself,' Turner said. 'Some players will say they have it but there's other players that show it, and he's going to let you know about it, too. That's one of the things I respect about him. He's a baller and a hooper and really just a gamer.' And in his NBA Finals debut, Haliburton reminded the world that's the case. 'This group never gives up," Haliburton said. 'We never believe that the game is over until it hits zero, and that's just the God's honest truth. That's just the confidence that we have as a group, and I think that's a big reason why this is going on.' ___
San Francisco Chronicle
25 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Cam Smith's meteoric rise to the majors: A story of dedication and discipline
HOUSTON (AP) — When Cam Smith made his MLB debut on opening day for the Houston Astros, it was the third-fastest that someone had gone from the draft to the majors. Selected 14th overall by the Cubs in last year's draft, Smith played just 32 minor league games, including five at Double-A, before moving to the big leagues. Behind the rookie's meteoric ascent was years of work, preparation and planning coupled with a team working behind the scenes to help him reach the majors in near record time. His mother muses about him being 'too serious.' His hitting coach Aaron Capista says that he's 'built different.' Jason Romano, his longtime adviser and current agent at Excel Sports Management, says that he's unlike anyone he's ever known. Teammate Mauricio Dubon proclaims: 'He's gonna be a big star in the big leagues.' Smith routinely arrives at the ballpark more than six hours before night games, has never had a sip of alcohol and says he hasn't even tried anything with caffeine. 'Everybody's really good at this level,' he explained. 'So, I've got to do something different to get an edge.' 'I don't want to have to rely on anything,' he said. 'I want to keep life as simple as I can." His mother, Stephanie Hocza, encouraged him to let loose in high school and maybe go to a party or two. 'I would tell him he was too serious and he needed to just have a little fun and not just be about baseball,' she said. 'But he really did not take my advice.' Smith, who was part of the trade that sent Kyle Tucker to Chicago, has heated up after a slow start and hit .307 in May to bring his season average entering Tuesday to .255 with three homers, eight doubles and 17 RBIs in 46 games. A performance made more impressive considering the 22-year-old was still playing for Florida State at this time last year. Many in the Astros organization rave about Smith's maturity. That could be traced back to a childhood where he had to grow up fast being raised by a single mother who often worked long hours to keep the family afloat. In middle school, Smith would come home from school and do homework before walking to a grocery store where he'd often buy a sub sandwich for dinner while Hocza worked until 10 p.m. most nights as a cook at a Lake Worth, Florida, bingo hall. 'He had to mature because he had to be responsible for his things,' Hocza said. 'I couldn't be there every night like most parents.' Though it was difficult at the time, Hocza now sees those early days with her son as a blessing. 'The best thing to do for your kids is make them figure it out,' she said. 'It was kind of forced upon him, but he definitely made the most of it and it turned him into who he is.' Baseball wasn't a first love for Smith, but it stuck eventually Smith's grandmother, Pattie Thomas, a lifelong Cubs fan, signed him up for T-ball when he was just 5 years old. The pair often attended spring training and minor league games in Jupiter, Florida. The young Smith was way more into the arcade on the concourse than watching the games. 'It's always funny to talk about how I wasn't too interested and now I do it for a living,' he said. By high school, he'd grown to love the game but still wasn't sure he could make it a career until scouts started coming to his games. 'Then I realized that I can play this for a long time,' he said. His first offer was from Florida Atlantic, and when the longtime Florida State fan got his second offer from the Seminoles, he immediately committed to them. After his freshman season at Florida State, his advisers recognized that he needed help to stop chasing pitches, correct some swing-and-miss issues and adjust his high groundball rate before playing in the Cape Cod League. They knew it was his chance to make an impression with scouts and raise his draft status. To chart his progress, Smith, Capista and Romano met on weekly FaceTime calls where they'd review his at-bats and emphasize the importance of trusting his judgment at the plate. Smith stopped chasing sliders and swinging at weak-contact pitches, and it led to an increase in walks and decrease in strikeouts. He became the top hitter in the league, batting .347 with 14 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 26 RBIs. That propelled him to a great sophomore season where he earned second-team All-America honors and led the Seminoles to the College World Series to help his draft stock rise. A rapid rise through pro ball After being drafted by the Cubs, Smith played 27 games of A ball. It was there that he really heated up, hitting a home run in six consecutive games for Myrtle Beach. That was another boost to his confidence. 'Yeah, 100% because I didn't know I could ever do that,' he said. Capista wasn't surprised at the success Smith was having because of the kind of person he is. 'When you get the response and the feedback of someone like Cam, you quickly learn that he's built different, he's wired different,' Capista said. 'It's so cliche to say you want to be great ... but when you hear it and you get to know someone like Cam, you quickly learn that he means it, and he does the work, he does the stuff in the background that no one sees.' Before spring training Smith visited the Maven Baseball Lab, where they helped him refine his swing path so he could take another step forward. 'I could see a video that my bat was getting pretty flat early before I would go to swing and I'm just glad I had somebody like them to explain it to me,' he said. 'Break it down like: 'Hey, you're dumping the water out of the cup too early. Let's keep that upright a little longer.'' After the trade to Houston, Smith quickly impressed. He hit .342 with four homers and 11 RBIs this spring while navigating the move from third base to right field to make the opening day roster. 'He was not overwhelmed by the spots we put him in,' manager Joe Espada said. 'He's mentally tough. He can deal with the obstacles and ups and downs of a season.' Now that Smith's made it to the majors, he's hoping to inspire others like him to do it. Smith, whose mother is white and father is Black, hopes to get more Black kids involved in the game. 'I didn't really have somebody to look up to or who was able to talk to me about being African American and playing baseball,' he said. 'So, I wanted to be that influence on other young players to inspire them to know that it's possible and to know that they can do it.' He doesn't have a relationship with his father, but he has connected with his paternal grandmother, an aunt and other relatives on that side of the family in recent years. His mother said not knowing a lot about them as a child spurred him to learn more about his culture and who he was. 'It's more of just wanting a piece of that and wanting to just cherish that side of him,' she said. 'Even though he didn't have that in his life, that's still part of who he is.'
USA Today
27 minutes ago
- USA Today
Q&A: Livvy Dunne's life after gymnastics, the pitch she 'taught' Paul Skenes and more
Q&A: Livvy Dunne's life after gymnastics, the pitch she 'taught' Paul Skenes and more Show Caption Hide Caption Livvy Dunne on life after LSU gymnastics and what future holds Meghan Hall sat down with former LSU gymnastics star Livvy Dunne to see how she's transitioning to life away from the sport. Sports Seriously The gymnastics career of influencer Livvy Dunne is over after 20 years, and life without the one thing that took up so much of her time is something she's still processing. Dunne, who began gymnastics when she was just three years old, spent five years at LSU and won an NCAA title with the Tigers in 2024. During her time in Baton Rouge, she also began sharing gymnastics videos on social media, which seemingly skyrocketed her fame overnight and helped her become an NIL trailblazer. Dunne is no longer competing, but says gymnastics will never leave her, and she'll always be a gymnast at heart. She currently maintains relationships with her LSU teammates, who have now become sisters to her as she maneuvers through what's next. "I think the transition from being a DI athlete [in] any sport to no longer doing your passion ― I think that is a very hard transition," Dunne told For The Win while promoting her partnership with Invisalign. "Gymnastics consumed so much of my childhood, so to no longer do it anymore is crazy. It really is." For The Win recently sat down with Dunne to talk about life after gymnastics, the pitch she "taught" her boyfriend, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, and her head-turning split on the Sports Illustrated runway. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Are there any recommended changes you would make to the NIL system to better help women athletes? NIL, that world, is constantly evolving. I think that no matter what, I will always advocate for women's sports. I started a fund at LSU called the Livvy Fund, and it's to help provide NIL deals for female athletes. I'm going to continue doing that. I think that's part of my legacy as a college athlete at LSU. I would love to help keep providing NIL deals and help educating women on working with brands and getting those deals, because it's definitely more difficult as a female athlete to get NIL. For most men, I think they're being paid to play ― some of the top NIL earners ― and that's not the case for women. I did brand deals. I worked with brands to get the revenue. So, to help women, educate them, help them get deals, help them be the bosses of their own life, I think that's so important. What do you think it would mean to Simone Biles to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics? I think she's already so accomplished. She's been the GOAT in my eyes. She is the GOAT, and I think if she goes to L.A. ... That would make it her fourth Olympics. This is her, I don't know, third victory lap. That would be crazy. She definitely could do it. I'm not sure if it's in the cards for her. I don't know if she wants to, but she's the best gymnast of all time, and I have nothing but respect for her as an athlete and as a person. How did you manage to get through your Sports Illustrated cover shoot with an injured knee? I had no choice but to be in the zone because I was actually at the end of my gymnastics season, and we had a day off after the Auburn gymnastics meet that we competed at. Flew right to Bermuda. Did the photo shoot on a fractured kneecap. Didn't know I was shooting for a cover. They hadn't told me. So, I was just doing a normal shoot. Took some pain medicine for my was really fun. I love working with Sports Illustrated. They make me feel confident. I smiled. My smile makes me feel confident during my photoshoots, and even if I get nervous, my default is to go back to a smile, take a deep breath, smile. Get the shot I need. I flew back to school, and I was told that I got a cover. It was pretty crazy. It all happened so fast, and I was so excited. Who triple-dog dared you to do a split on the Sports Illustrated runway? Well, I tweeted that I got triple-dog dared. It was just a joke. It was funny because it was pretty spur of the moment. We had a rehearsal. We did the walkthrough. We did the rehearsal of the runway show, and I did not do a split. I kind of just thought of it while I was laying on the beach. I consulted with my sister, and I did it. I just had to do it. It felt right in the moment. And it was fun ... It was the most fun runway show ever. It was the only one I've never been to, but I had a blast. They had me open the show, which I have never even walked on a runway. So, it was pretty surreal to open the Sports Illustrated runway show. I had to pull out a split because it felt right. Is there a gymnastics move Paul could actually pull off? Oooo. I think Paul could be a good bar swinger because of how tall he is. His lines would be beautiful. I don't really think that he could do any specific skill because he's too scared of getting hurt, but I think he could be good at swinging bars. I think that he would have a very nice line. Is there a pitch that you know you could pull off on a baseball field? Yeah, a splinker. I taught him that in the offseason. [said with a serious face] No, I'm kidding. I didn't teach him that, but I think I could do it.
