Mets will face a very different NL East this season Braves Manager: Brian Snitker (fourth year) Spring training site: Orlando, Fla. Key additions: Snitker received a contract extension after winning NL Manager of the Year thanks to a surprising division title. The Braves were aggressive early in the offseason — signing Josh Donaldson and former…
DetailsBreaking down the Yankees’ AL East foes Orioles Manager: Brandon Hyde (first year) Spring training site: Sarasota, Fla. Key additions: Brandon Hyde replaces Buck Showalter in the dugout, with former Houston exec Mike Elias taking over for Dan Duquette as general manager. They’ll take over a team that lost 115 games last season and is…
DetailsMets spring training: What to watch for Here’s a rundown of the key things to look for during Mets’ spring training: Best position battle Peter Alonso is expected to receive every opportunity to show he can handle first base on an everyday basis and bring a powerful bat to the lineup. But Todd Frazier will…
DetailsTime to see if Michael Conforto is fully back after that fateful day It was a sleepy midweek afternoon game at the end of August, and the home team was 15 games under .500 and 20 games out of first place. When they describe the baseball season as a “grind,” these are the games they…
DetailsTwo starters-turned-relievers bullish on the Mets’ bullpen PORT ST. LUCIE — The Yankees’ bullpen is getting all the attention, deservedly so, but relievers Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo both say you shouldn’t sleep on the Mets’ new pen. “I think we are going to be great,’’ Gsellman said Saturday at First Data Field of Brodie…
DetailsMadison Bumgarner really has no use for openers The pitcher known as “MadBum” is pretty mad about the fact “openers” have come into Major League Baseball. During an appearance at Giants fanfest Saturday, San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said he received a text from Madison Bumgarner after Farhan Zaidi, the new president of baseball operations,…
DetailsMLB’s 50 most intriguing people for 2019 Rob Manfred presides over either the sickest healthy patient or the healthiest sick patient. Major league revenue has never been higher (more than $10 billion now). New substantial media deals with Fox and DAZN, a subscription-based streaming-video service, were inked this offseason, and ESPN is in the wings.…
DetailsThe life-changing mark Frank Robinson left on Alfonso Soriano By the time Alfonso Soriano was traded from the Rangers to Nationals following the 2005 season, the former Yankee had participated in two World Series, was a four-time All Star, finished third in the 2002 AL MVP race, was traded for Alex Rodriguez and played for…
DetailsReserve guard’s journey from draft bust to Knicks redemption Kadeem Allen watched the Knicks on his nights off and saw situations where he could contribute. He knew he belonged in the NBA. And he knew he only had himself to blame for not being there. At the start of his second pro season — and…
DetailsMadBum on opener: ‘I’m walking out of the ballpark’ Madison Bumgarner has made it known he’s not a fan of the “opener,” a strategy of utilizing a pitcher — usually a reliever — to get the first few outs of a game before bringing in a pitcher who would usually start or pitch long relief.…
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