TERRIFYING MOMENT DODGERS STAR FALLS HEADFIRST DOWN FLIGHT OF STAIRS INTO OPPONENT'S DUGOUT

Freddie Freeman avoided serious injury Wednesday night when the Los Angeles Dodgers' first baseman took a frightening tumble down the stairs and into the visitors' dugout while trying to catch a ball.

Freeman isn't sure whether he'll play when the Dodgers begin an important four-game series with the MLB-leading Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, but he's grateful his freefall to the dugout floor wasn't worse.

'I didn't hit my head, so that was the key part there,' Freeman, who shares four children with his wife Chelsea, said.

'I am sore. Kneecaps are sore. Shoulder is sore. Hand sore. Wrist sore. I mean, I fell. (But) I'm in good spirits.'

Freeman stayed in the game and finished the top of the eighth, but Tommy Edman pinch hit for him in the bottom of the inning before Los Angeles closed out a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals, its fourth in five games.

The right side of Freeman's body took the punishment, but the 2024 World Series MVP apparently didn't break any bones.

Freddie Freeman took a frightening tumble down the stairs and into the visitors' dugout

He'll wait to see how he feels in the morning before he decides whether to play Thursday night when the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers welcome Milwaukee in a rematch of last year's National League Championship Series.

Freeman said he simply miscalculated the location of the dugout railing while he tracked Isaac Collins' foul pop.

'I went to lean, like I was going to lean against the rail to catch the ball - and obviously there was no rail,' Freeman said with a smile.

Freeman, who turns 37 in one month, said he was fortunate to fall all the way into the dugout, missing the top flight of stairs entirely.

That's because when he landed, his head stuck out into the open space above the second flight of stairs that goes down into the visitors' clubhouse instead of banging on the ground.

'Luckily, I was tall, so I missed everything else,' the 6-foot-4 Freeman cracked.

This wasn't Freeman's first fielding misadventure: He said he fell into the seats in Arizona roughly a decade ago while he was with the Atlanta Braves.

The Orange County native and childhood Angels fan also said he still remembers the infamous 1999 opening-day dugout fall by Mo Vaughn, who got hurt on the first play of his first game with the Halos.

The Royals rushed to Freeman's side after the fall, urging him to stay on the ground. Freeman decided to get up anyway, and the Dodgers' training staff rushed across the field to check on him.

'I think that we really dodged a bullet,' Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. 'Very scary visually. For right now, he's in good spirits, which I think is a good sign. Just kind of total body soreness.'

It comes a day after Freeman's wife Chelsea revealed she thought she might be suffering a heart attack during a recent emergency trip to the hospital.

She suffered frightening symptoms while her husband was away playing with the Dodgers, prompting her to call 911 after waking up in the middle of the night with sharp pain in her back and chest.

Sharing details via her Instagram Stories, the mom-of-four revealed she feared the pain might be a heart attack.

'It was really scary, especially since Freddie was out of town on the road,' she wrote.

- MAX WINTERS

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ICHIRO BECOMES FIRST JAPANESE PLAYER ELECTED TO MLB HALL OF FAME

Hit king Ichiro Suzuki has become the first Japanese player elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame (Kazuhiro NOGI)

Global baseball's hit king Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese-born player elected to Major League baseball's Hall of Fame on Tuesday, just one vote shy of unanimous selection.

The Seattle Mariners star headlines the 2025 Hall of Fame class to be enshrined at Cooperstown, New York, which also includes pitcher CC Sabathia and relief pitcher Billy Wagner.

In his first year of eligibility, the 51-year-old Ichiro was chosen in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America -- but Yankees pitching great Mariano Rivera remains the only unanimously elected Hall of Famer.

At a press conference at the Mariners' ballpark, Ichiro said he was still absorbing the news after getting the official Hall of Fame call.

"Happiness and all the joy will probably come later," he said. "At that time, it was just a relief."

The call to Cooperstown was something he hadn't imagined even as he rose to stardom in his homeland.

"There was a time that I didn't even know if I'd get the chance to play in the MLB. So what an honor it is for me to be here and to be a Hall of Famer. It's a special day."

The Mariners made it even more special, announcing they would retire his No. 51 jersey next August.

"Ichiro is a superstar who has inspired the hopes and dreams of many," Tokyo's top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.

Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh called it a "very happy moment."

"Now I hope Ohtani will continue to work hard and close the gap between Japan and the US," Oh said in comments carried by public broadcaster NHK, referring to current top MLB star Shohei Ohtani.

- More hits than Rose -

Ichiro was 27 when he made his debut with the Mariners in 2001, becoming the first Japanese position player, as opposed to a pitcher, to play in the US major leagues.

He won both American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year honors that year, going on to earn 10 All-Star nods, 10 Gold Glove awards and three Silver Slugger Awards.

The player finished his career with 3,089 hits in MLB -- on top of 1,278 he piled up in nine years in Japan.

His 4,367 hits as a professional are the most of any player in baseball history, surpassing MLB's all-time leader Pete Rose (4,256).

Ichiro amassed two batting titles, 1,420 runs and 509 stolen bases in 19 Major League seasons while expanding the horizons for Japanese players aiming to make the move stateside when some doubted that their skills would translate to MLB.

In 2004 Ichiro won his second batting title and broke George Sisler's 84-year-old record with 262 hits -- part of a stretch of 10 straight seasons with at least 200 hits.

He had brief stints with the Yankees and Marlins before finishing his career with the Mariners, retiring in 2019 and remaining with the club as a special assistant to the chairman.

- 'One of a kind' -

"Ichiro is truly one of a kind," Mariners president Jerry Dipoto said.

"His commitment, legendary work ethic, physical endurance, mental toughness, attention to detail and passion for the game are all on a different level."

Sabathia, a left-handed starting pitcher who won a World Series with the New York Yankees, was also elected in his first year of eligibility while Wagner, an imposing closing pitcher, was elected in his 10th and final appearance on the writers' ballot.

Sabathia pitched more than 3,577 innings and piled up 251 wins. With 3,093 strikeouts he's one of only 15 pitchers, and one of just three left-handers, with at least 3,000 strikeouts and 250 wins.

He won the American League Cy Young Award with Cleveland in 2007 and helped the Yankees to the 2009 World Series title in the first of his 11 seasons in the Bronx.

Wagner is the ninth closing pitcher to be elected to the Hall of Fame. In 16 seasons with the Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Braves he compiled 422 saves with 1,196 strikeouts, earning All-Star honors seven times.

- AFP

CHIBA LOTTE MARINES TO POST JAPANESE STAR ROKI SASAKI TO MLB

The Chiba Lotte Marines announced Saturday they will begin the process of posting Roki Sasaki, the Japanese right-hander considered one of the most talented pitchers in the world, paving the way for the 23-year-old to join Major League Baseball in 2025.

The posting system is the method of transfer between MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball that makes him available to all 30 teams.

Sasaki, nicknamed "The Monster of the Reiwa Era," throws a fastball that regularly reaches triple digits and complements it with a frontline split-fingered fastball and a slider.

Because of his age, Sasaki is considered an international amateur free agent and can sign only a minor league contract, which drastically limits how much teams can pay him -- and how much Lotte reaps through the associated 20% posting fee. Players who are at least 25 with six years played in a foreign league can sign major league contracts when posted. Had he waited, Sasaki could have sought a deal for hundreds of millions of dollars, similar to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in late December for 12 years and $325 million. Instead, Sasaki, who asked to be posted last year but was denied by the team, will take a similar path as Shohei Ohtani, the superstar who arrived in MLB at 23 and signed with the Los Angeles Angels for $2.3 million.

The timing of Sasaki's posting -- which has yet to be set, sources said -- will determine whether he falls into the 2024 or 2025 international amateur class. When a player is posted, he has a 45-day window to sign with a major league team. Though Sasaki would join an organization on a minor league deal, a team can add him to its major league roster before the 2025 season.

International amateur bonus pools are capped, with the top teams this year able to spend just over $7.1 million, larger-market, higher-spending teams at $4.6 million and the rest in between. Teams can add up to 60% of their allotted pools by trading for other teams' bonus-pool money. Most teams have spent the majority of their 2024 bonus pools already, with the signing period for international free agents running from Jan. 15 to Dec. 15 annually.

Were the official posting to be delayed until mid-December -- it typically takes weeks to complete the process -- Sasaki could sign when the 2025 international period opens Jan. 15. Though most teams have commitments lined up for players in that period -- the top bonus pools are around $7.5 million and the bottom around $5.1 million -- they could trade for international bonus space or free up money by not honoring nonbinding commitments they have made to teenagers from Latin American countries, an infrequent but not unheard of occurrence.

Roki Sasaki, a 23-year-old right-hander who plays for Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines, is considered one of the most talented pitchers in the world. AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko

For a player of Sasaki's talent, teams are likely to do whatever they can to convince him to sign.

Sasaki emerged as a national star in Japan five years ago during Koshien, the national high school baseball tournament that is one of the country's biggest annual sporting events. Over an eight-day period, he threw more than 500 pitches, including a 12-inning, 21-strikeout, 194-pitch complete game.

In 2022, at 20, Sasaki threw a 19-strikeout perfect game for Lotte and followed in his next start a week later with eight more perfect innings before being pulled. Sasaki's immense fastball velocity shown during the 2023 World Baseball Classic -- he averaged 100.5 mph in Japan's semifinal start against Mexico -- introduced him to an international audience, and though his request to join MLB after the 2023 season went unmet by Lotte, the inevitability of his departure only grew.

Sasaki did not sign his 2024 contract until January, just before Lotte began spring training. Rarely do players hold out from signing their deals until then, and the episode wound up a precursor for what would come after a 10-5 season in which Sasaki posted a 2.35 ERA, struck out 129, walked 32 and gave up two home runs in 111 innings.

Often players are posted when Japanese teams regard them as having "earned" the privilege, multiple sources familiar with past postings said. Though Sasaki has shown flashes of brilliance over his 394⅔ innings -- going 29-15 with a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts against 88 walks in 64 starts over four seasons -- he would not arrive in MLB with the same sort of résumé as his predecessors.

The rousing success of Japanese players in MLB has been one of the game's biggest stories of the past decade, with soon-to-be three-time MVP Ohani, Yamamoto, left-handers Shota Imanaga (Chicago Cubs) and Yusei Kikuchi (free agent), and outfielders Seiya Suzuki (Cubs) and Masataka Yoshida (Boston Red Sox) all going through the posting system. Right-hander Kodai Senga joined the New York Mets without a posting fee after 11 seasons with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

MLB teams had braced for the possibility that Lotte would hold onto Sasaki for at least two more years, allowing him to reach 25 and for the organization to experience the full financial benefit of the posting. NPB teams control players' rights for nine seasons before they reach free agency and can operate outside of the posting system. Had Lotte waited until after the 2026 season, it could have received tens of millions of dollars via the posting fee paid by the acquiring team. The Dodgers paid the Orix Blue Wave more than $50 million after signing Yamamoto.

Los Angeles will be linked strongly to Sasaki, but assuming he will go to the Dodgers is premature. While the presence of Sasaki's Samurai Japan teammates Ohtani and Yamamoto in Los Angeles is advantageous, the attention they bring -- and the media horde that follows them -- adds a different element than other teams.

Throughout the 2024 season, MLB presidents of baseball operations and general managers were fixtures at Sasaki's starts. Sasaki is close with right-hander Yu Darvish, whose team, the San Diego Padres, figures to be a potential landing spot. Both New York teams have extreme interest in Sasaki, though he could also opt for an organization with pedigree and experience (the Chicago Cubs), a team in an international city (the Toronto Blue Jays), one whose past success with Japanese players still resonates (Darvish started his career with the Texas Rangers) or those whose reputation for bringing the best out in players might appeal (the Tampa Bay Rays). Plenty of other franchises can -- and will -- make strong appeals to Sasaki once he is posted.

Unlike a traditional free agency, Sasaki's comes with a financial ceiling, making him a bargain to all 30 teams. Sasaki's talent is not in doubt to anyone, even as average fastball velocity this season dropped by two ticks, down to just above 97 mph. Sasaki showed plenty of ability to ramp it up to triple digits when desired, and he could soon develop into the hardest-throwing starter in MLB. His best pitch is still the splitter, whose movement profile makes it unique, even in an MLB where the split has come back into vogue in recent seasons.

Durability is the biggest question with Sasaki. His career high in innings is 129⅓, set in 2022. This year, he made 18 starts after a torn oblique and right arm soreness caused him to sit out about a quarter of his outings.

The recruitment of Sasaki comes amid a free agent period that is expected to move more quickly than recent years and adds a layer of intrigue into an offseason in which Sasaki would join free agent outfielder Juan Soto and right-hander Corbin Burnes as the most coveted players available -- at a fraction of the price.

- Jeff Passan, ESPN

SHOHEI OHTANI FIRST 50/50 PLAYER IN MAJOR LEAGUE HISTORY

Shohei Ohtani hits a three-run home run to become the first player in Major League Baseball history to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

MIAMI -- Shohei Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to reach the 50/50 club on Thursday, and he did so in dominant fashion -- with three home runs and two stolen bases in a six-hit game that led the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 20-4, postseason-clinching victory.

"It was something I wanted to get over as quickly as possible. And, you know, it's something that I'm going to cherish for a very long time," Ohtani said through an interpreter.

Ohtani opened the game with a line-drive double off the wall in right-center field against Miami Marlins starter Edward Cabrera, then picked up his 50th steal of the season by swiping third base. A second-inning single was followed by stolen base No. 51. Ohtani then added a two-run double in the third -- before getting thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple -- and followed with a 438-foot home run into LoanDepot Park's second deck in the sixth for his 49th home run.

Ohtani came to bat again with runners on second and third and two outs in the seventh inning, prompting many to wonder whether the Marlins would pitch to him. They did -- and Ohtani delivered, taking a 1-2 curveball from Mike Baumann and lofting it over the fence in left-center field for his 50th home run of the season.

Ohtani roared as he made his way up the first-base line, then stepped out of the dugout for a curtain call after celebrating with teammates. He then giggled as he made his way back into the first-base dugout the next half-inning -- after clobbering a 440-foot home run off Marlins infielder Vidal Brujan.

"To be honest, I'm the one probably most surprised," Ohtani said. "I have no idea where this came from, but I'm glad that it was going well today."

Ohtani's three homers, six hits and 10 RBIs all set career highs. The 10 RBIs set a Dodgers record. He became the first player with three home runs and two stolen bases in a game since at least 1900 and the first player since RBIs became official in 1920 with 10 RBIs and five extra-base hits in a game. Ohtani also became the second player since at least 1901 with six hits in a game, including five for extra bases, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The man who secured a 40/40 season with a walk-off grand slam on Aug. 23 had found another way to reach history in grand fashion.

The Dodgers' convincing victory secured them another playoff spot. For Ohtani, it will be his first. The two-way star has played in 866 games without reaching the postseason, the most among active players.

Soon -- officially -- that will come to an end.

"Obviously I changed teams this year and my goal has always been to make it to the playoffs," Ohtani said. "It's something that I've really worked hard [for] and I'm really happy to make it, so now my goal is to be able to perform well in the playoff situations."

MAY'S DEATH SPARKS TRIBUTE FROM BASEBALL WORLD AND BEYOND

 Tributes poured in for Willie Mays following news that the Major League Baseball great died on Tuesday at the age of 93, with the Hall of Famer being remembered as a "legend and pioneer" of the game.

Mays was an electrifying centrefielder during a 23-year playing career during which he established himself as one of the greatest all-around players of all time.

"Today we have lost a true legend," said San Francisco Giants Chairman Greg Johnson.

"In the pantheon of baseball greats, Willie Mays' combination of tremendous talent, keen intellect, showmanship, and boundless joy set him apart."

Mays, who was known as the "Say Hey Kid" because of his standard greeting, spent most of his career with the Giants -- six in New York and 15 in San Francisco -- before finishing up with the New York Mets in 1972 and 1973.

"Willie Mays was one of the greatest to ever play the game," said Mets owner Steve Cohen.

"Willie ended his Hall of Fame career in Queens and was a key piece to the 1973 NL championship team. Mays played with a style and grace like no one else."

Mays made his professional debut with the Negro League's Birmingham Black Barons at age 17. When his death was 1973 during a Barons game on Tuesday, those in attendance stood and saluted him with an applause.

Fellow Giants legend Barry Bonds, who is Mays' godson, also took to social media to pay tribute.

"I am beyond devastated and overcome with emotion," Bonds wrote on Instagram.

"I have no words to describe what you mean to me - you helped shape me to be who I am today. Thank you for being my Godfather and always being there. Give my dad a hug for me. Rest in peace Willie, I love you forever."

Teams from across MLB mourned Mays' death.

The Los Angeles Dodgers called him "incomparable" and the Boston Red Sox said he was a "legend and pioneer of the game".

The tributes also came in from outside of MLB.

"His impact extends far beyond baseball," California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement, while Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson said on social media that Mays was "one of the main reasons I fell in love with baseball".

- Reuters 

MLB BANS TUCUPITA MARCANO FOR LIFE OF BETTING ON BASEBALL ⚾, FOUR OTHERS GET ONE-YEAR SUSPENSION

AP

 NEW YORK (AP) — San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport and four others were suspended for one year by Major League Baseball on Tuesday in the game’s biggest gambling scandal in decades.

MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 in October 2022 and from last July through November with a legal sportsbook. He became the first active player in a century banned for life because of gambling.

Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly was suspended for one year for betting on baseball while in the minor leagues and three minor leaguers also were banned for one year for betting on big league games: pitchers Jay Groome of San Diego and Andrew Saalfrank of Arizona, and infielder José Rodríguez of Philadelphia. Each of those four players wagered under $1,000. Saalfrank and Rodríguez played previously in the majors.

“The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball’s rules and policies governing gambling conduct is a critical component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The longstanding prohibition against betting on Major League Baseball games by those in the sport has been a bedrock principle for over a century. We have been clear that the privilege of playing in baseball comes with a responsibility to refrain from engaging in certain types of behavior that are legal for other people.”

Marcano is the first active major leaguer banned for life under the sport's gambling provision since New York Giants outfielder Jimmy O'Connell in 1924. Pete Rose, baseball's career hits leader, agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 after an investigation concluded he bet on Cincinnati Reds games while managing the team.

Major League Rule 21, posted in every clubhouse, states betting on any baseball game in which a player, umpire, league official or team employee has no duty to perform results in a one-year suspension. Betting on a game in which the person has a duty to perform results in a lifetime ban.

Marcano became the second North American athlete banned for gambling in recent months. The NBA gave Toronto's Jontay Porter a lifetime ban in April after concluding he disclosed confidential information to bettors and wagered on games, including on the Raptors to lose.

MLB said it was tipped off in March about the betting activity by a legal sports betting operator. None of the players punished played in any games on which they wagered, and all players denied to MLB they had inside information relevant to their bets or the games they gambled on – testimonies that MLB says align with the data received from the sportsbook.

In its announcement, MLB detailed the bets alleged for each player,

Marcano’s 387 baseball bets included international games and 231 MLB-related wagers for $87,319 between Oct. 16, 2022, and last Nov. 1. Twenty-five of those bets included wagers on Pirates games while he was on the team’s major league roster. Now 24, Marcano, has not played since tearing his right ACL last July 24 and was receiving medical treatment at PNC Park last year.

Marcano bet almost exclusively on the outcomes of games and lost all of his parlay bets involving the Pirates, winning just 4.3% of all of his MLB-related bets.

Marcano made his major league debut on April 1, 2021, and has a .217 average with five homers, 34 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 149 games. He has played in both the infield and outfield.

“While the thorough investigation revealed no evidence of any games being compromised, influenced or manipulated in any way in this case, protecting the integrity of our game is paramount,” the Pirates said in a statement.

The other four players did not bet on games involving their assigned teams.

Kelly placed 10 bets on nine major league games from Oct. 5-17, 2021, while a minor league player assigned to Houston's Triple-A Sugar Land farm team. The bets included wagers on outcomes, over/under on runs and an individual pitcher’s strikeout total. Three of the nine games involved the major league Astros. His wagers totaled $99.22 and resulted in $28.30 of winnings.

Kelly, 31, was 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 28 games this season, last pitching on Saturday at Atlanta. The former first-round draft pick appeared in 46 games over the past three seasons.

Groome, a 25-year-old who had been on a minor league injured list since mid-April, placed 32 MLB-related bets from July 22, 2020, through July 24, 2021, including 24 on the Boston Red Sox major league team while he was assigned to Boston's High-A team in Greenville, South Carolina. The sport detailed he wagered $453.74 on 30 MLB games and had a net loss of $433.54, receiving payouts on only two wagers. His betting included parlays.

Rodríguez, 23, has been at Double-A Reading this season. He placed 31 bets on baseball on Sept. 30, 2021, and from June 5 through July 30 in 2022, including 28 on MLB and three on college baseball. The total included seven involving the Chicago White Sox at the time he was assigned to their Double-A team in Birmingham, Alabama. Two of the White Sox bets involved outcomes and the others were on runs scored. He bet $749.09 on baseball, of which $724.09 was on MLB-related bets that included parlays.

Saalfrank, 26, pitched in 21 games for Arizona last year between the regular season and postseason, including three World Series games, and two this year before he was optioned to Triple-A Reno on May 1. He placed 29 baseball bets from Sept. 9 through Oct. 29 in 2021 and on March 9, 2022, including 28 on MLB and one parlay on college baseball. He placed four bets on the big league Diamondbacks while on the injured list of their Low A farm team. His baseball bets totaled $445.87 on baseball, including $444.07 on MLB, and lost $272.64 on MLB bets and $1.80 on the college wager. He won just five of 28 MLB bets, which included outcomes, runs and pitcher strikeouts.

- RONALD BLUM

MLB OFFICIALLY INCORPORATES STATISTICS OF FORMER NIGRO LEAGUES PLAYERS

USA TODAY Sports 

 Major League Baseball has officially incorporated statistics of former Negro Leagues players from 1920-1948 into its historical records on Wednesday in a move that saw all-time greats like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb replaced atop some categories.

Because of the changes several MLB records, including career leader in batting average, are now held by Hall of Famer Josh Gibson while the career totals of players like Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson will also reflect their Negro Leagues totals.

"We are proud that the official historical record now includes the players of the Negro Leagues," MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred said in a news release.

"This initiative is focused on ensuring that future generations of fans have access to the statistics and milestones of all those who made the Negro Leagues possible.

"Their accomplishments on the field will be a gateway to broader learning about this triumph in American history and the path that led to Jackie Robinson's 1947 Dodger debut."

Given the changes, Gibson now holds the all-time lead with a .372 batting average, surpassing Hall of Famer Cobb's career .367 batting average. Gibson also replaced Hall of Famer Ruth atop the career slugging percentage list with a .718 total.

Gibson is now MLB's all-time career leader in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base plus slugging percentage, and holds the all-time single-season records in each of the categories.

The statistics of more than 2,300 Negro Leagues ballplayers from 1920-1948 launched on Wednesday in a newly integrated database on MLB's website.

According to the news release, it is estimated that the available Negro Leagues records between 1920-1948 are nearly 75% complete and future findings may result in additional changes to the game's all-time leaderboards.

MLB announced in 2020 that it would correct "a longtime oversight" and incorporate the statistics of the Negro Leagues, in which Black players competed after being forced out of MLB competition due to racism and segregation laws.

The changes to many long-held records follow an evaluation by the independent Negro Leagues Statistical Review Committee, which was chaired by John Thorn, the Official Historian of Major League Baseball.

"Shortened Negro League schedules, interspersed with revenue-raising exhibition games, were born of MLB’s exclusionary practices," Thorn said in the MLB release.

"To deny the best Black players of the era their rightful place among all-time leaders would be a double penalty."

- Reuters 

DODGERS' YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO MAKES FIRST APPEARANCE VS. GIANTS

USA TODAY Sports 

 The banged-up San Francisco Giants will get their first look at one of their primary offseason targets, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, when they open a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.

Neither Yamamoto (4-1, 2.79 ERA) nor the Giants' scheduled starter Monday, Jordan Hicks (3-1, 2.30), pitched when the rivals met in Los Angeles in the first week of the season. The Dodgers swept that three-game set, taking the last two games by identical 5-4 counts.

Before spending big money on Blake Snell during training camp, the Giants were among the teams in the bidding for Yamamoto, a five-time All-Star and three-time Pacific League Most Valuable Player in Japan.

The Dodgers won the bidding war with a 12-year, $325 million offer.

The 25-year-old right-hander struggled in his first Major League Baseball start -- that came against the San Diego Padres in the series played in South Korea -- but he has been as advertised since, pitching to a 1.76 ERA with a 4-0 record in his past seven starts.

He has won his past three outings, giving up just two runs in 20 innings.

Yamamoto will see a Giants team decimated by injuries, but nonetheless on a two-game winning streak. Injury replacement Casey Schmitt was the hero of Sunday's 6-5, 10-inning home win over the Cincinnati Reds with a walk-off double.

The Giants prevailed despite having to go without catcher Patrick Bailey, who called in sick, and for the most part without leadoff man Jung Hoo Lee, who is believed to have dislocated his left shoulder while crashing into the center-field fence in the top of the first inning. He is set to undergo an MRI on Monday.

San Francisco already was without injured Michael Conforto, Nick Ahmed, Jorge Soler and Austin Slater, as well as starting pitchers Snell, Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray.

Shortly after Luis Matos, promoted from Triple-A before the game, scampered home with the winning run Sunday, Giants manager Bob Melvin scratched his head and tried to explain how his undermanned crew had done it.

"It's great to win a game when you have a lot of bad news during the course of it," he insisted. "It ended up being a good day as far as win/loss.

"It's just one of those times in the season when you've got to persevere. Win a game -- that's what it's all about -- and we'll regroup tomorrow."

The Dodgers flew into town Sunday night having lost two of three in San Diego. They scored only one run in a walk-off defeat Friday, before getting shut out Sunday.

The Dodgers elected to rest star Shohei Ohtani in the series finale after he complained of lower-back tightness Saturday. He is expected to play in the opener in San Francisco.

"I personally believe I can play, but really just taking it easy today," he said before Sunday's game, through an interpreter. "I was told I would be getting a day off (this week). Just earlier than I expected."

Ohtani has faced Hicks just once in their careers, grounding into a forceout last May. Ohtani played for the Los Angeles Angels and Hicks for the St. Louis Cardinals at the time.

Hicks has dominated the Dodgers in eight previous head-to-heads, seven of which have been in relief. He's gone 0-0 while allowing just four hits and no runs over those 9 2/3 innings with 17 strikeouts.

The right-hander's only previous start against the Dodgers came for the Cardinals in July 2022, a game in which he allowed a hit and three walks in 1 2/3 innings, but no runs.

- Reuters 

MLB PRESENCE IN MEXICO GOES BEYOND JUST HOSTING ANOTHER REGULAR SEASON

AP Photo 

 MEXICO CITY (AP) — When the Houston Astros take on the Colorado Rockies this weekend, it will be the seventh regular-season series played in Mexico. Major League Baseball's presence in the country, however, goes far beyond that.

Mexico became one of only six countries in the world with an MLB office in 2016. For Rodrigo Fernandez, the head of the organization south of the border, the regular-season series may be the biggest event, but it's far from the only one held in the country.

Among those, the MLB office runs a program called First Pitch to promote the game among kids. Another is the MLB Cup, a nation-wide tournament for 11 and 12 year olds that recently finished its fifth championship.

“For us (the series) is the cherry on top of the cake because we have many activities through the year,” Fernandez told The Associated Press. “The MLB Cup is broadcasted by ESPN and is the biggest tournament of its kind in Mexico. Those kids are Mexico’s future.”

The MLB office in Mexico, alongside the Mexican baseball federation, held the tournament with 28 teams. The finals were played in Mexico City.

“We want to send the message to kids that we are interested in them playing baseball. Many of them will probably end up being signed by the Mexican Baseball League, but also, they are going to play for the national team in their age group,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez has been the only director of the office since its creation in 2016. Before taking over, he worked as general manager of operations for World Wrestling Entertainment for Mexico and Latin America.

Besides Mexico, Major League Baseball has offices in London, Tokyo, Beijing and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The office is inside a luxury tower adjacent to the upscale Artz Pedregal shopping mall in the southern part of the city.

Even though Fernandez's position remains the same, some of the goals from MLB in Mexico have changed. In 2016, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said he wanted to see if Mexico could be a potential site for expansion. But a year ago, Manfred said he’s “never been close to the idea of Mexico as an expansion opportunity.”

“Commissioner Manfred has a commitment and very high interest in Mexico, however there are several factors that have made us change our strategies and now solidifying the local leagues is the main step for us,” Fernandez said.

The MLB office in Mexico already works closely with the Mexican baseball federation and they are trying to forge a closer relationship with the Mexican Baseball League, led by league president Horacio de la Vega.

Since de la Vega took over in 2021, the league has seen increased attendance at stadiums, the games are broadcast on national TV and on streaming services. That has helped grow the sport’s popularity among a new generation of fans.

“I think (fan attendance) has increased, before there were a lot of old people in the park,” 63-year-old fan Carlos Hernandez said before a game between the Diablos Rojos and Tigres in Mexico City. “And now there are more fans, especially young ones.”

According to Othon Diaz, the Diablos Rojos president, nine years ago 53% of the team’s fans were 55 years or older and now 74% of them are under 45. Also, they averaged 3,000 fans per game and now it’s up to 11,000.

For some of those hard-core fans, having an MLB regular-season series is nice, but only for those who can afford it.

Fernandez said tickets for the Astros-Rockies series sold out in an hour and now the asking price on the resale market goes from $70 up to $580.

“It’s a good show, but the ticket prices are a little bit high. With the cheapest one you could come (to see the Diablos Rojos) for half of a season,” said Hernandez, who went to see the Diablos with his wife and two sons.

Mexico first hosted MLB games in August 1996, when the San Diego Padres faced the New York Mets in Monterrey. The Padres faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018. And in 2019, the Cincinnati Reds played the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Houston Astros faced the Los Angeles Angels.

Mexico City was due to host a series between the Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2020, but it was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, the Padres played against the San Francisco Giants.

According to Fernandez, there are plans to bring regular-season games to Mexico every year through 2026, though not necessarily at the same venue. Meanwhile, the work continues to help spread the popularity of baseball in the country.

-CARLOS RODRÍGUEZ

SOURCES: JAPANESE STAR YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO GOES TO DODGERS FOR 12 YEARS, $325M

Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a 12-year, $325 million contract, sources told ESPN on Thursday, ending a frenzied free agency with the largest deal for a pitcher in years and value in Major League Baseball history.

The deal, for which Los Angeles will pay an additional $50.6 million posting fee to Yamamoto's previous team, the Orix Buffaloes, pushed the Dodgers' free agent spending this winter to more than $1 billion, following the 10-year, $700 million contract they gave to Shohei Ohtani, Yamamoto's countryman.

Yamamoto, who has a pair of opt-outs in the contract, will receive a $50 million signing bonus, sources said. Unlike Ohtani's deal, in which $680 million is deferred 10 years out, Yamamoto's contract does not contain any deferred money.

The deal, which is pending a physical, comes after a wild 48 hours in which the Dodgers outlasted the New York Mets, who offered a similar contract, and the New York Yankees, who were long the favorite but ended up offering $300 million, sources said. The Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays were in the bidding, too, but couldn't overcome the Dodgers, who have now accounted for more than half the spending across MLB in free agency this winter.

SHOHEI OHTANI, BASEBALL’S 2-WAY STAR, BECOMES FORST 2-TIME UNANIMOUS MVP

AP Photo 

NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani's injury remains mysterious. His dominance is clear.

After captivating baseball with his unprecedented combination of high-level hitting and premium pitching, the two-way star became the first two-time unanimous Most Valuable Player when he won the American League honor on Thursday.

While Ohtani appeared on the televised Major League Baseball Network announcement, with a dog in his lap, the prized free agent did not speak on the media call that had been scheduled to follow.

Major League Baseball said Ohtani was not available due to circumstances beyond his control. He has not spoken with reporters since Aug. 9, two weeks before a pitching injury that required surgery and will keep him off a mound until 2025.

ANGEL'S OHTANI RULED OUT FOR THE SEASON

USA TODAY Sports 

Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani will not play again this season after suffering a side strain, the Major League Baseball (MLB) team said on Saturday.

The three-time All-Star's pitching season was already over after he suffered torn elbow ligaments.

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