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The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Police reportedly find man responsible for McCullers death threats
McCullers claimed that he received the messages after the game, threatening to "find [his] kids and murder them." "I understand people are very passionate and people love the Astros and love sports, but threatening to find my kids and murder them is a little bit tough to deal with," McCullers told reporters. The Astros granted McCullers and his family 24-hour security, and finally, the man behind the threats has been discovered. ESPN reports that the Houston Police Department has identified the person behind the threats. The man in question has remained unnamed and is described as a sports bettor located overseas. A spokesperson for the department claimed that the man admitted to sending the messages after he had been gambling on an Astros game, and lost money. The man claims he was intoxicated. The spokesperson did add that the man has since relayed an apology to McCullers and his family. Charges are still being considered and the case remains open. MLB News: Diamondbacks' Corbin Burnes to undergo MRI on elbow after ominous early exit Noticeable uptick in death threats to MLB players "I think over the last few years it's definitely increased," Milwaukee's Christian Yelich said, via ESPN, in reference to the threats he's received. "It's increased to the point that you're just, 'All right, here we go.' It doesn't even really register on your radar anymore. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. You're just so used to that on a day-to-day, night-to-night basis. It's not just me. It's everybody in here, based on performance." Just last month, Boston Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks revealed that he'd also received such threats. "Threats against my life and my wife's life are horrible and cruel," said Hendriks. "Comments telling me to commit suicide and how you wish I died from cancer is disgusting and vile. Maybe you should take a step back and re-evaluate your life's purpose before hiding behind a screen attacking players and their families." Sports betting's impact on threats In an interview with ESPN, head of integrity services and athlete well-being for MLB partner Sportradar, said that while the popularization of sports betting has certainly played a factor, these messages have been coming to athletes since long before gambling became so widespread. "It is broader than just sports betting," Brown claims. "Yes, sports betting is a factor, but we see it in all forms, whether racism, transphobia, doping, geopolitical, misogyny. The abuse is insane." Sports gambling is currently legal in 38 states in the U.S., with 30 states enabling gambling from a person's mobile phone. Keep in mind though, the person who sent the threats to McCullers was located overseas. MLB News: Royals call up minor league slugging sensation Jac Caglianone
Newsweek
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
MLB News: Dodgers Lose All-Star Outfielder, RBI Leader to Hamstring Injury
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Dodgers lost the baseball's leader in runs batted in with left hamstring tightness during Monday's game against the Miami Marlins. Teoscar Hernández, a two-time All-Star outfielder, was replaced by Chris Taylor in the bottom of the fourth inning. The cause of Hernández's injury was not readily apparent. More news: MLB News: Rangers Tab Aaron Boone's Brother to Replace Fired Hitting Coach The Dodgers were leading 3-0 at the time Taylor went into center field, and Andy Pages moved from center to right. Andy Pages #44, Michael Conforto #23 and Teoscar Hernández #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after the 12-7 win against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium on April 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Andy Pages #44, Michael Conforto #23 and Teoscar Hernández #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after the 12-7 win against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium on April 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, was 2 for 2 with an RBI — his MLB-leading 34th of 2025 — in his 33rd game of the season before he was replaced. He began the day with a .305/.323/.586 slash line, nine home runs, and four stolen bases in four attempts. More news: MLB News: Insider Details What Execs Want From Sandy Alcantara Before Trade Hernández's first-inning double against Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara gave the Dodgers their first run of the game. The Dodgers later took a 5-0 lead on the strength of home runs from former National League MVPs Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani. More news: MLB News: Fan Carted Off Field After Scary Fall From Stands The Dodgers weren't necessarily banking on an MVP-level performance from Hernandez when they signed him to a free agent contract in Jan. 2024. Nonetheless, he made the NL All-Star team, won the Home Run Derby, and captured a Silver Slugger Award in his first season in Los Angeles. On a team of stars, Hernández became a fan favorite in 2024 after hitting 33 home runs and driving in 99 runs during the regular season, then helping the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. More news: MLB News: Nationals Cancel Batting Practice Due to Medical Emergency The Dodgers re-signed Hernández in January to a three-year, $66 million contract that included a $23 million signing bonus, $23.5 million in deferred salary, and a $15 million conditional option for 2029. More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Two-Time All-Star Isn't Expected to Opt Out of Red Sox Contract: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Yasmani Grandal is not expected to become a free agent Thursday, when he is eligible to opt out of his minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox, according to a new report. Chris Cotillo of reports the two-time All-Star catcher plans to stay put at Triple-A Worcester despite a clause in his minor league contract that allowed him to opt out on May 1. More news: MLB News: Insider Details What Execs Want From Sandy Alcantara Before Trade Grandal, 36, has played seven games with Boston's top farm team. He is slashing .250/.379/.500 with one home run, five RBIs, five walks, and five stolen bases in 29 plate appearances. Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins, Josh Bell of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Luis Castillo of the Cincinnati Reds and Yasmani Grandal of the Milwaukee Brewers talk during Gatorade All-Star Workout Day at Progressive Field on... Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins, Josh Bell of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Luis Castillo of the Cincinnati Reds and Yasmani Grandal of the Milwaukee Brewers talk during Gatorade All-Star Workout Day at Progressive Field on July 08, 2019 in Cleveland. MoreIn 13 seasons at the major league level (2012-24), Grandal has a .236 batting average, .345 on-base percentage and .424 slugging percentage with the San Diego Padres (2012-14), Los Angeles Dodgers (2015-18), Milwaukee Brewers (2019), Chicago White Sox (2020-23) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2024). Boston was not the only team to offer Grandal a contract coming into the season. According to Francys Romero, he turned down an offer from the Atlanta Braves and was willing to retire rather than sign a minor league deal. More news: MLB News: Fan Carted Off Field After Scary Fall From Stands Although Grandal seems to be acclimating well to Triple-A pitching at Worcester, his primary value to teams will go beyond his batting statistics. Grandal has long been regarded as a strong pitch-framing catcher. No catcher has been credited with more framing runs since Statcast began tracking the metric than Grandal (103); Buster Posey is a distant second with 66. More news: MLB News: Nationals Cancel Batting Practice Due to Medical Emergency Despite limited playing time with the Pirates last season, Grandal was credited with six framing runs, tied for eighth in MLB. Although he slashed .228/.304/.400 last season, major league catchers slashed only .234/.299/.380 as a whole in 2024, putting Grandal no worse than league-average at his position as a 35-year-old. A switch-hitter, Grandal is six years removed from the last of his two All-Star appearances (2015, 2019). He has 194 home runs and 592 RBIs in his career. More news: Cubs' Two-Time All-Star Opens Up About Alcohol, Mental Health Challenges The potential for playing time in Boston arose when the Red Sox's primary catcher, Connor Wong, fractured his left pinkie finger April 7. Wong could return from the injured list as soon as this weekend, and the timing hasn't lined up for Grandal to be promoted from Worcester to this point. For that reason, few would have been surprised if Grandal had exercised the opt-out clause in his contract and become a free agent. Cotillo reports that the Red Sox "would be amenable to granting Grandal his release at any time if the right opportunity presented itself with another club in the majors." For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
USA Today
26-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking the top 10 lineups in MLB heading into the 2025 season
Ranking the top 10 lineups in MLB heading into the 2025 season Show Caption Hide Caption Robot umpires take to the field for baseball's spring training Technology and tradition are converging this spring training as MLB tries out AI-based umpires. The dawn of a new MLB season is upon us. In some people's minds, it's actually already started. However, an overseas series between two teams you probably don't root for doesn't have the same feel as a traditional Opening Day. You get out to the game, buy some overpriced drinks and hot dogs with your friends and/or family. Nothing could ruin that day, except for watching your favorite team get shut out of course! They say defense wins championships, but offense is what keeps fans invested. You think fans want to drive an hour out to the ballpark, spend another 45 minutes looking for parking just to pay $35 for a spot three-quarters of a mile away, spend way too much money on food and drinks, just to watch a solid six innings of three-hit shutout ball? No way. Guys and girls of all ages love to see their favorite team rack up a monstrous score. They love hits. They love runs, and everyone digs the long ball. So, with that in mind, here are the lineups that are going to have fans jumping out of their seats with joy constantly throughout the 2025 season. These are the ten best lineups in MLB. MLB News: Angels release former No. 1 overall pick Mickey Moniak Best lineups in MLB 10) Texas Rangers 1. Marcus Semien, 2B2. Corey Seager, SS3. Wyatt Langford, LF4. Adolis Garcia, RF5. Joc Pederson, DH6. Josh Jung, 3B7. Jake Burger, 1B8. Jonah Heim, C9. Leody Taveras, CF The Texas Rangers' offense took a major step back in 2024, but they are bound to bounce back this season. Last year was a down year for Semien, Seager, Garcia, and Heim, yet the Rangers still ranked 18th in runs scored. With the return of Evan Carter, likely returns to form for at least some of these players, and the additions of Joc Pederson (hit .281/.392/.531 with 22 homers against righties last year) and Jake Burger (19 home runs after the All-Star break), there's a lot to love about this team's chances. 9) San Diego Padres 1. Luis Arraez, 1B2. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF3. Jackson Merrill, CF4. Manny Machado, 3B5. Xander Bogaerts, SS6. Jake Cronenworth, 2B7. Yuli Gurriel, DH8. Brandon Lockridge, LF9. Elias Diaz, C The San Diego Padres are not in a better place than they were last year. The team lost All-Star Jurickson Profar to the Atlanta Braves, but what remains is still a very competent lineup. The top five are all well above average hitters, and both Cronenworth and Gurriel are proven bats that, albeit, may need to be platooned. Still, this is a team that ranked top-ten in both runs and home runs, playing at a ballpark that has been notoriously pitcher-friendly over the last three years, ranking 28th in park factor. That shows you the power that this lineup has. 8) Baltimore Orioles 1. Colton Cowser, LF2. Adley Rutschman, C3. Jordan Westburg, 2B4. Ryan O'Hearn, DH5. Tyler O'Neill, RF6. Ryan Mountcastle, 1B7. Cedric Mullins, CF8. Ramon Urias, 3B9. Jackson Holliday, SS While the Orioles certainly had their issues a season ago, there's a lot of reason to believe they'll bounce back nicely. For one, they moved their left field wall in, which had taken away a considerable amount of home runs from players like Mountcastle in recent years. Second, while they did lose 44 home runs from Anthony Santander, they replaced him with Tyler O'Neill, a more versatile fielder who hit 31 bombs in 113 games last year. Lastly, Rutschman and Holliday are too talented to let their 2024 seasons define them. Both players will likely bounce back. Oh, and by the way, this projected Opening Day lineup doesn't even include MVP candidate Gunnar Henderson who is the obvious catalyst in this offense. 7) Chicago Cubs 1. Ian Happ, LF2. Kyle Tucker, RF3. Seiya Suzuki, DH4. Michael Busch, 1B5. Dansby Swanson, SS6. Nico Hoerner, 2B7. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF8. Matt Shaw, 3B9. Miguel Amaya, C This Cubs team ranked 12th in runs scored a season ago and improved their lineup, replacing Cody Bellinger with MVP candidate Kyle Tucker. With additional big league experience for Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Matt Shaw, the Cubs could fire more efficiently on all metrics in 2025, while still having question marks at the catcher and third base positions. 6) Boston Red Sox 1. Jarren Duran, LF2. Rafael Devers, DH3. Alex Bregman, 3B4. Triston Casas, 1B5. Trevor Story, SS6. Wilyer Abreu, RF7. Connor Wong, C8. Kristian Campbell, 2B9. Ceddanne Rafaela, CF The Alex Bregman signing doesn't tickle my fancy the way it has for most people, but everything else about this lineup screams remarkable. Kristian Campbell is a superstar in the making. Duran is an electric leadoff hitter. Devers is one of the best in the league. Casas has some serious pop in the 4-hole. Trevor Story is too talented to have his 2024 define him. Connor Wong is one of the better-hitting catchers in baseball. Oh, and they have other talented prospects like Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer waiting in the wings. The only thing to dislike is how crowded the middle infield positions are. You have Bregman, Story, Campbell, and Mayer all vying for shortstop and second base positions, so the team may not know what to do with all of them. However, if that is your biggest problem, having so many good players that you can't field them all at the same time, you're in good shape. 5) New York Yankees 1. Austin Wells, C2. Aaron Judge, RF3. Cody Bellinger, CF4. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B5. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B6. Anthony Volpe, SS7. Jasson Dominguez, LF8. Ben Rice, DH9. Oswaldo Cabrera, 3B The loss of Juan Soto is obviously huge, but the team made a solid effort to recreate him in the aggregate (shout out Brad Pitt). They brought in Cody Bellinger, who alone obviously does not replace Soto, but the addition of Paul Goldschmidt, which solidifies their hole at first base, as well as a full season from Jazz Chisholm, might just make this team as dangerous as they were a year ago. For perspective, the Yankees' first basemen slashed .216/.284/.335 last season, good for a 69 OPS+. While Goldschmidt certainly had the worst season of his career in 2024, he still put up far better numbers than what the Yankees got, and it wouldn't be shocking to see Goldschmidt improve drastically in a much more hitter-friendly ballpark. 4) New York Mets 1. Francisco Lindor, SS2. Juan Soto, RF3. Pete Alonso, 1B4. Mark Vientos, 3B5. Brandon Nimmo, LF6. Starling Marte, DH7. Jose Siri, CF8. Luis Torrens, C9. Luisangel Acuña, 2B In 2023, the New York Yankees were below league average in runs scored. In 2024, they brought on Juan Soto and were third in all of baseball. While a similar jump for the Mets shouldn't be expected, it's not out of the realm of possibility. Sure, Mark Vientos' underlying stats weren't great, but Brandon Nimmo's were solid and he had an awful year. He's bound to bounce back. Sure, Starling Marte might struggle against righties, but the Mets have Jesse Winker to platoon for him. Sure, Luisangel Acuña might be inexperienced, but he's impressed everyone who's witnessed him in action. The Mets have a knack for underperforming. Just ask any of their fans, but there's too much to like about this team's offense to place them any lower than fourth. 3) Philadelphia Phillies 1. Trea Turner, SS2. Bryce Harper, 1B3. Alec Bohm, 3B4. Kyle Schwarber, DH5. J.T. Realmuto, C6. Max Kepler, LF7. Nick Castellanos, RF8. Bryson Stott, 2B9. Brandon Marsh, CF The Phillies were a top-five offense in baseball last year and return all of their best players. While inconsistency among individual players is an issue for this group, they never seem to be inconsistent at the same time, which oddly enough, has given the Phillies a very consistent floor throughout the last several seasons. Turner and Harper are obviously tremendous players with MVP-caliber upside, but it's the raw power guys like Schwarber, Kepler, and Castellanos that make this team so deadly. Any of them could take you yard at any moment. So while their collective batting averages might be low, they still manage to put up more runs than almost every other team in baseball. 2) Atlanta Braves 1. Jurickson Profar, LF2. Austin Riley, 3B3. Matt Olson, 1B4. Marcell Ozuna, DH5. Ozzie Albies, 2B6. Michael Harris II, CF7. Drake Baldwin, C8. Jarred Kelenic, RF9. Orlando Arcia, SS That lineup above seems really solid right? After all, Olson, Riley, and Ozuna are three of the game's best pure hitters. Then there's Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris, each of whom can do serious damage on their own. I haven't even touched on the addition of Jurickson Profar, which could also be a major addition. Then you remember that Ronald Acuña Jr. is hurt and this isn't even a full-powered Braves lineup. While Acuña could very easily miss a month or more of the season, this Braves lineup is still very solid without him, arguably top-five in baseball. Then, you throw an MVP candidate in the mix and it's twenty times more deadly. While 2024 was a down season for guys like Riley and Olson, both players are too talented to not return to form in 2025. The biggest question mark on this team is Profar, who had a tremendous 2024 in San Diego, but has struggled to perform outside of Southern California for most of his career. Regardless, he boasts tremendous plate discipline, which is a must-have for a top-of-the-lineup hitter like Profar is expected to be. If Drake Baldwin can blossom into the awesome catcher he can be, Atlanta may have the best lineup in baseball top to bottom. Even if he doesn't though, Sean Murphy remains one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. He's also just one year removed from 21 homers and a 127 OPS+. He could easily bounce back. 1) Los Angeles Dodgers 1. Shohei Ohtani, DH2. Mookie Betts, SS3. Freddie Freeman, 1B4. Teoscar Hernandez, RF5. Will Smith, C6. Michael Conforto, LF7. Max Muncy, 3B8. Tommy Edman, 2B9. Andy Pages, CF Three former MVPs is tough to beat. When your lineup is so good that a former All-Star with a career 121 OPS+ in Michael Conforto is hitting near or at the bottom, you know you're going to put up a lot of runs. They've got Max Muncy, who had an OPS+ of 141 a year ago, hitting seventh. They've got Tommy Edman, who has racked up at least 40 extra-base hits in each of his last three full seasons batting eighth. This is a monster lineup and we haven't even talked about the best parts. Obviously, the gems of this lineup lie in Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. Those three alone could make the devil blush. While Betts is still battling illness as we approach Opening Day, there is plenty of reason to assume he won't be out for very long if at all. MLB News: Are Dodgers poised to repeat? Ranking teams by World Series odds
USA Today
10-03-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Dave Roberts tops MLB managers with new contract, barely cracks top 50 in sports
Dave Roberts tops MLB managers with new contract, barely cracks top 50 in sports Show Caption Hide Caption Detroit Tigers visited by Major League Baseball Players Association Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark talks to reporters March 5, 2025, about several topics in Lakeland, Florida. Fresh off his second World Series title, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts signed an extension with the organization worth $32.4 million over the next four years. That's an average annual value (AAV) of $8.1 million, pushing Roberts past Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell – five years, $40 million ($8 million AAV) – for the highest-paid manager in MLB. This was not an unexpected deal. Roberts was heading into the final year of his contract, and with talks of the extension heating up in recent weeks, it was only a matter of time before the two parties came to an agreement. USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale noted, "Roberts was in the final year of his three-year contract extension that paid him $4 million this season and now doubles his contract, making him the highest-paid manager on an annual average value basis." Still, despite the massive payday, Roberts is not one of the wealthiest managers/coaches in sports, which is surprising considering Roberts and Counsell earn significantly more than the third-highest-paid manager in MLB, Arizona's Torey Lovullo ($5 million). Despite MLB being one of the largest professional sports organizations in the world, the wealthiest manager in the league's salary would barely make a dent compared with some of the larger contracts. Here's where Roberts ranks among coaches across major sports: MLB News: Art Schallock, MLB's oldest-living player, dies at 100 Where does Roberts rank among American coaches/managers? Among American head coaches, Roberts boasts the 44th-largest salary, according to Sportico, with several NFL, NBA, college football and college basketball coaches ahead of him. Highest paid managers in sports NFL Andy Reid (Kansas City) - $20 million NBA Steve Kerr (Golden State) - $17.5 million College football Kirby Smart (Georgia) - $13 million College basketball Bill Self (Kansas) - $10.6 million MLS Phil Neville (Portland Timbers) - $1 million NHL Mike Sullivan (Pittsburgh) - $5.5 million Is Roberts worth that much? Roberts is one of the best managers in MLB. His .627 regular season winning percentage as with the Dodgers (he also had one game as San Diego Padres manager) is the best among active managers. Including the playoffs, Roberts' winning percentage is .618, which is sixth best all-time among qualified managers. In fact, there isn't a single manager who has coached since 1950 with a better winning percentage. Shockingly though, Roberts' incredible knack for winning games has earned him only one Manager of the Year Award. Roberts earned the hardware in 2016 after leading the Dodgers to a 91-71 record in his first year on the job. MLB News: Athletics unveil updated renderings for new Las Vegas stadium. See locker room, bullpens The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
