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The distance between Los Angeles, Calif., and Sydney, Australia, is roughly 7,500 miles or 6,500 nautical miles. For Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw, the difference between an $11 million salary in 2013 and a $215 million contract extension is even bigger.

Despite the unique circumstances around Major League Baseball's Opening Day and Kershaw's freshly minted status as the highest-paid arm in the history of the sport, his dominance remains the same. In baseball, money seems to change the production and trajectory of stars on a yearly basis. After signing the record-breaking deal in the offseason, Kershaw took the mound at the Sydney Cricket Ground eager to make fans remember him for performance, not salary.

With an excellent game (6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 7 SO, 1 B😎, the 26-year-old lefty did just that. Kershaw toyed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and lifted the Dodgers to the first of what should be many wins during the 2014 season. The contract and status as the best pitcher in the sport will follow Kershaw throughout the season, but don't expect the added pressure, expectations or dollar figure to change the once-in-a-generation talent.

That was evident during his last frame in Australia. When Dodgers manager Don Mattingly walked to the mound to remove his ace from the game, Kershaw bristled. On March 22, the team can't push its most important player past the 101-pitch mark. Surely Kershaw understood why he was being removed from the game, but it didn't matter.

As a competitor and staff leader, he wanted to continue mowing down Arizona's lineup. After posting an unsightly 9.20 ERA across 14.2 spring training innings, Kershaw found fastball command and featured his typical filthy array of curveballs and sliders against a hapless and confounded Diamondbacks lineup.

Despite the spring struggles, Mattingly didn't panic or show any concern during the Cactus League slate, per Ken Gurnick of MLB-com:

Good thing is, it's Spring Training, that's why we're here. He had the same kind of spring last year. He has a level of expectation of always being good. I don't have a problem with that. He expects to be in midseason form, and we keep working toward that. He gets frustrated. That's why we love him.
Among the great qualities Kershaw possesses on the mound—velocity, command, work ethic, drive, stamina—none supersedes his desire to compete, win and perform at the highest level possible.

One game into the 2014 season, the 2013 version of Kershaw was on display.

Last season, on the path to a third consecutive ERA title, he had 17 games of at least 6.2 innings pitched and allowing one or fewer earned runs. As you would imagine, that was more than any starter in baseball by a wide margin. As the season progresses, expect a slew of double-digit strikeouts and low walk totals from a pitcher who has sported a 4.20 SO/BB since the start of the 2011 season, per Baseball-Reference.

In the season opener, Kershaw merely posted a 7-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. For him, that's a typical outing. For others, it's a career day.

Last year, he had 12 outings of at least seven strikeouts and no more than one walk, tying Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez for the league lead, per Baseball-Reference (subscription required). Since the start of the 2011 season, Kershaw has pitched 29 games of equal performance.

On Opening Day, the country was different, and the field and surface were foreign.

But when the bell rang, nothing changed for a starter on the verge of a rare career. For Kershaw, the opening tilt in Sydney might as well have been an innocuous June start against the Padres in San Diego.

That, more than seven strikeouts or run-suppressing pitching, is what stood out.

As 2014 recorded its first chapter, the narrative read much like the story of 2013 when it came to Kershaw's performance.



New MLB Season, New Mega-Contract, Same Old Clayton Kershaw Dominance | Bleacher Report

Nick Hamilton already knew he was going to be an extra player for the Indians on Monday against the Reds. The Minor League outfielder had no idea what awaited him when he arrived at Goodyear Ballpark.

Roughly 15 minutes before the game's first pitch, Indians manager Terry Francona told Hamilton that he would serve as the starting designated hitter.

"I don't mind surprises," Hamilton said with a smile after the 8-3 Cactus League victory.

It was a feel-good moment for Hamilton, not only because it was his first taste of the big leagues, but because his father, Tom Hamilton, was watching from a booth at the field. The elder Hamilton, who has called Cleveland games for 25 seasons, did not take part in the broadcast on this afternoon.

"He just wanted to be a dad," said Jim Rosenhaus, Hamilton's partner in the booth.

The decision to slot the 24-year-old Hamilton in the lineup's ninth spot was made after some initial miscommunication. Nick Swisher was originally tabbed as Cleveland's DH, but the Reds wanted to have the pitchers bat in the game. After Swisher was given the day off, Cincinnati told Cleveland it could use the DH after all.

Francona felt it was a nice opportunity to give Nick Hamilton the chance to play in front of his dad.

"We were like, you know what? Hammy's sitting up in the booth," Francona said. "I think there's always maybe a little time in Spring Training to have a nice, special moment. I'm sure both of them thought it was really cool. I know our players got a kick out of it.

"We just thought it would be a nice touch to the day."

Hamilton -- a product of Avon Lake High School, located just west of Cleveland, and a part of Kent State's College World Series team in 2012 -- went 0-for-4 in the batter's box, but the statistical line was not important. What mattered to Hamilton, who was selected in the 35th round of the '12 First-Year Player Draft, was the experience.

"It was really just a lot of fun," Hamilton said. "I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be able to get out there and get that first taste of playing in the big leagues. It was just a lot of fun and something I can learn from and build on from here.

"Eventually, looking back, I'm sure this is definitely something that I'm going to cherish."



Indians broadcaster Tom Hamilton watches son debut vs. Reds | MLB-com: News

This is one last-place finish the Astros still can’t avoid, even if the team doesn’t agree with the numbers.

Hoping to no longer be the worst team in baseball in 2014, the Astros on Tuesday were said to have the lowest salary in the majors. They’re on the books for $45 million, according to a study of all major league contracts by The Associated Press. That’s up from the $27 million figure the Astros started at last season.

The numbers may work for comparisons of players who are currently on the Astros. But Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow doesn’t put much stock in them.

“Outside accounting methods are estimates and don’t accurately reflect total payroll costs,” Luhnow reiterated Tuesday.

For example, the Astros’ AP calculation does not appear to include the $5.5 million of pitcher Wandy Rodriguez’s salary this season the Astros owe the Pirates.

Luhnow said in February that the team’s actual end-of-year payroll expenditure will be in the range of $50 million to $60 million.

Low-spending teams always have the attention of the players’ union.

“We caught a lot of heat on the low payroll, but last year you could make a case he (Luhnow) couldn’t efficiently spend it,” Astros owner Jim Crane said this weekend. “You saw us spend some money this year. I think we’ll reassess where we’re at this year, and the business plan was to spend more money next year until we get … what we need.”

The Dodgers are ending the Yankees’ 15-year streak as baseball’s biggest spenders, and as of Tuesday, had a projected payroll of $235 million. New York, which last failed to top the payroll rankings in 1998, was a distant second at $204 million.

After that, it was another huge gap to Philadelphia at $180 million, followed by Boston at $163 million and Detroit at $162 million.

The Miami Marlins, at $48 million, remain 29th.

Some large-market teams are among the smaller spenders, with the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs projected at $89 million, ranked 22nd and 23rd.

The AP’s figures include salaries and prorated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income for players on active rosters, disabled lists and the restricted list.

Dexter Fowler’s salary in 2014, for example, is $7.35 million, but it seems because he agreed to a $1 million signing bonus when the Rockies gave him a two-year deal ahead of last season, his salary this year is listed as $7.85 million — $500,000, the pro-rated amount of the signing bonus, is calculated in that figure.

Payroll figures factor in adjustments for cash transactions in trades, signing bonuses that are the responsibility of the club agreeing to the contract, option buyouts, and termination pay for released players.

For some players, parts of deferred money are discounted to reflect current values.

Here are the Astros’ salaries and the team payrolls:

Scott Feldman: $12,000,000

Dexter Fowler: $7,850,000

Jesse Crain: $3,250,000

Chad Qualls: $2,750,000

Jason Castro: $2,450,000

Matt Albers: $2,250,000

Jerome Williams: $2,100,000

Jose Altuve: $1,437,500

Jesus Guzman: $1,300,000

Matt Dominguez: $510,100

Chris Carter: $510,000

Lucas Harrell: $509,700

Dallas Keuchel: $508,700

Josh Fields: $506,500

Carlos Corporan: $505,300

Anthony Bass: $505,200

Marwin Gonzalez: $504,500

Robbie Grossman: $504,500

Brad Peacock: $504,300

Raul Valdes: $504,300

Jonathan Villar: $503,800

Brett Oberholtzer: $503,600

Kevin Chapman: $503,400

L.J. Hoes: $502,900

Marc Krauss: $502,300

Alex White: $502,000

Jarred Cosart: $500,000

Asher Wojciechowski: $500,000

Team payrolls:

Los Angeles Dodgers: $235,295,219

N.Y. Yankees: $203,812,506

Philadelphia: $180,052,723

Boston: $162,817,411

Detroit: $162,228,527

Los Angeles Angels: $155,692,000

San Francisco: $154,185,878

Texas: $136,036,172

Washington: $134,704,437

Toronto: $132,628,700

Arizona: $112,688,666

Cincinnati: $112,390,772

St. Louis: $111,020,360

Atlanta: $110,897,341

Baltimore: $107,406,623

Milwaukee: $103,844,806

Colorado: $95,832,071

Seattle: $92,081,943

Kansas City: $92,034,345

Chicago White Sox: $91,159,254

San Diego: $90,094,196

New York Mets: $89,051,758

Chicago Cubs: $89,007,857

Minnesota: $85,776,500

Oakland: $83,401,400

Cleveland: $82,534,800

Pittsburgh: $78,111,667

Tampa Bay: $77,062,891

Miami: $47,565,400

Houston: $44,544,174


Ultimate Astros » Astros rank last in MLB payroll at $45 million

For the 17th straight year, the Yankees are the most valuable Major League Baseball franchise, according to Forbes. They are worth an estimated $2.5 billion according to Mike Ozanian. The Dodgers are a distant second among MLB clubs at $2 billion, the Red Sox and even more distant third at $1.5 billion. The Rays rank 30th at $485 million.

Here's more, from Ozanian:

The New York Yankees, worth $2.5 billion, are baseball's most valuable team, as they have been each of the 17 years Forbes has compiled this scorecard. The only other U.S. sports team worth more than $2 billion is the Dallas Cowboys ($2.3 billion) of the NFL. Including the annual average of the $400 million upfront payment the team got for agreeing to sell its controlling stake in the YES Network (full disclosure: I am co-host of the RSN's Forbes SportsMoney show) to News Corp (now 21st Century Fox), the team raked in over $100 million in cable money last season, by far the most in baseball.

Even after kicking in $95 million towards the league's 34% local revenue sharing pool and their $64 million PILOT bond payments for Yankee Stadium last season, the Bronx Bombers led the league in revenue ($461 million). But there is clearly pressure on the Yankees to regain their form on their diamond: the team finished in fourth place in the AL East last season and missed the postseason for only the second time since 1994. A drop in ticket revenue last season resulted in overall revenue falling by $10 million from 2012, and in November Moody's lowered their outlook on the bonds from positive to stable while leaving its investment grade rating unchanged.

Thanks to all the new and highly lucrative television deals being handed out, franchise values are increasing at a greater rate than team revenues. Only the Mets (1 percent), Marlins (4 percent) and Astros (15 percent) saw their franchise value decline from 2013, all for pretty obvious reasons. They're bad teams and their relatively new ballparks are emptier by the year.

Revenues are at an all-time high, and when Bud Selig took over as acting commissioner in 1992, he reportedly told owners he wanted to be judged based on how franchise values increased during his tenure. How did he do? Another snippet from Ozanian:

In 1992, the average baseball team was worth $110 million, according to the Economic History of Major League Baseball, meaning team values have increased seven-fold, or at a 9.8% compound annual rate since Selig became interim boss. Since 1992, the S&P 500 stock index rose at a 7.1% (9.2% with dividends reinvested into the index) annualized rate. After adjusting for inflation, team values increased at a faster clip under Selig than any of baseball commissioner who served at least five years, save Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

What at about the other sports? Using team values published by my former employer, Financial World, the average NFL team value was $129 million in 1992 compared with $1.17 billion today. Football's 10.5% annual rate of return beats Bud. But the NBA and NHL fall short. The average basketball team has increased at an 8.8% annualized rate since 1992, to $634 million. Hockey team values have increased 9.1% annually, to an average of $413 million.

In terms of growth, both financially and popularity, Selig's tenure has been a smashing success. The game has never been healthier.

The Forbes article includes a slideshow with the franchise valuation breakdown for each team, including revenue and operating losses. Here is the list of overall franchise values:

New York Yankees - $2.5 billion
Los Angeles Dodgers - $2 billion
Boston Red Sox - $1.5 billion
Chicago Cubs - $1.2 billion
San Francisco Giants - $1 billion
Philadelphia Phillies - $975 million
Texas Rangers - $825 million
St. Louis Cardinals - $820 million
New York Mets - $800 million
Los Angeles Angels - $775 million
Atlanta Braves - $730 million
Seattle Mariners - $710 million
Washington Nationals - $700 million
Chicago White Sox - $695 million
Detroit Tigers - $680 million
Baltimore Orioles - $620 million
San Diego Padres - $615 million
Toronto Blue Jays - $610 million
Minnesota Twins - $605 million
Cincinnati Reds - $600 million
Arizona Diamondbacks - $585 million
Colorado Rockies - $575 million
Pittsburgh Pirates - $572 million
Cleveland Indians - $570 million
Milwaukee Brewers - $565 million
Houston Astros - $530 million
Miami Marlins - $500 million
Oakland Athletics - $495 million
Kansas City Royals - $490 million
Tampa Bay Rays - $485 million






Surprise! Forbes ranks Yankees as most valuable MLB franchise - CBSSports-com

Major League Baseball's modified drug policy, which is yet to be finalized, will bar from the postseason any player disciplined for performance-enhancing drug use during the regular season, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations to modify the collective bargaining agreement are ongoing.

Had that policy been in effect during the 2013 season, Detroit Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta would have been ineligible for the postseason. Peralta, who moved to the outfield for the playoffs, batted .417 and drove in five runs in the Tigers' five-game victory over the Oakland Athletics in the AL Division Series.

Peralta was suspended 50 games for his role in the Biogenesis doping scandal, but returned for the final week of the regular season and the playoffs. Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz served a similar suspension and would have been eligible for the postseason, but the Rangers lost a one-game tiebreaker (technically a regular season game) against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Peralta signed a four-year, $53 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals in November.

In the new agreement, a player would face a postseason ban even if the player had returned from his suspension before the postseason.

Baseball's revamped drug policy is expected to increase penalties for first-time offenders from 50 to 80 games and bar second offenders for an entire season - 162 games - rather than 100 games.




MLB drug policy will bar PED users from playoffs

The wrapping is off the package, and White Sox fans must be pinching themselves about Jose Abreu.

They've found their man, the big bat to lead them out of the 99-loss wilderness of 2013. That was the belief when general manager Rick Hahn signed Abreu to a $68 million contract last October, and it took Abreu seeing only five pitches on Opening Day to confirm it.

There's something different about this guy, something special. He was a more explosive hitter in Cuba than Yoenis Cespedes and his Cienfuegos teammate, Yasiel Puig, and there's no reason to think that level of hitting won't translate to Major League Baseball.

"He just seems to hit the ball hard a lot,'' said White Sox manager Robin Ventura, who had just watched Abreu's 2-for-4 debut against the Twins, in which he twice flied to center fielder Aaron Hicks, once as he was cruising onto the warning track.

Alejandro De Aza homered twice into a 22-mph wind to carry the Sox to a 5-3 victory, but even he was talking about Abreu, who took over at first base as Paul Konerko watched from the bench. There will be days when pitchers solve Abreu, for sure, but it's going to be fun watching him side by side with the game's best hitters.

"This guy, he can do it all,'' De Aza said. "He can do it all. I'm happy to be on a team with him.''

Ron Gardenhire hadn't seen Abreu hit until the second inning, when he drove a double over right fielder Oswaldo Arcia's head.

"He hit just about every ball hard, dropped the head [of the bat] on it,'' Gardenhire said. "We all heard he was very strong. We all heard how to try to pitch him. We all saw that if you don't throw the ball where you want to, he's going to hit it really hard. He dropped the head on a couple of low pitches that just jumped. As advertised, [he'] a very strong young man who can backspin a ball.''

In the Bill Veeck era, when baseball executives tried to use headlines to drive ticket sales, the Abreu signing would have been a promoter's dream. The White Sox outbid the Giants, Rockies and others to sign Abreu, who was fresh from a World Baseball Classic performance in which he hit .385 with three homers and a 1.145 OPS in only six games.

That small sample went a long way toward validating his 2011 season in Cuba, when he batted .453 with 33 home runs and 93 RBIs in 66 games for Cienfuegos. Yet, rather than try to increase the expectations that Abreu carries, the White Sox have warned fans that patience could be required because of the transition from Cuba and the learning experience he'll face against the world's best pitchers.

Maybe they're right, and maybe he'll be a runaway winner in Rookie of the Year voting and in the top 10 in the Most Valuable Player vote.

"You temper it for his sake,'' Ventura said. "A lot can be put on his shoulders. What he means to us is a lot, but he can't do it by himself.''

Abreu had exactly the type of spring that the White Sox hoped he would have. He touched all the bases, but largely stayed under the radar in Arizona, making few headlines. His .286 batting average and home run every 19 at-bats was enough to let him feel good about himself, but didn't add to the curiosity that has surrounded him since those 2011 totals in the Serie Nacional put him on the North American map.

Abreu was obviously anxious to get his MLB career started. He not only swung at the first pitch from Ricky Nolasco, but lashed it over Arcia's head for a double. The pitch was a 91-mph fastball on the outside part of the plate.

"That's the way he hits,'' said Peter Bjarkman, a columnist for baseballdecuba-com, who is considered a leading expert on Cuban baseball. "Eighty percent of his hits in Cuba were to right field.''

His second time up, Abreu also came out swinging. He swung through the first pitch for strike one, but then wouldn't offer when Nolasco threw pitches off the plate. But with men already on second and third, Nolasco couldn't fool around any longer. He threw a low strike and Abreu jumped on it for a single to center field.

The ball was hit so hard that Conor Gillaspie couldn't even think about scoring from second. But that hit gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead and led to another run when Gillaspie hustled across on a 130-foot sacrifice fly, scoring after shortstop Pedro Florimon made a circus catch near the seats.

While Abreu came out swinging, he's more likely to work counts as he settles into his rhythm for the long season. He walked 74 times in 89 games for Cienfuegos one season.

"I don't usually swing at the first pitch, but that pitch was right there and I have to take advantage of it,'' Abreu said about the second-inning double. "The same thing with the second at-bat. But that's not something that's particular with me. I don't swing at the first pitch.''

With White Sox manager of cultural development Lino Diaz translating, Abreu more than held his own in a long postgame interview in the clubhouse. He said it was an emotional day, with thoughts of his mother bringing him to tears during player introductions, but there was little expression on his face as he focused on his words.

"Muy contento,'' he said at one point, when asked about his feelings.

Not much translation is required there. Nor was there reason to spend much time dissecting his debut.

See ball. Hit ball. Repeat.

And hopefully carry a team along with him.



Phil Rogers: Cuban slugger Jose Abreu doesn't disappoint in debut | MLB-com: News

The Cubs finally scored a run, thanks to an overturned call after manager Rick Renteria challenged a play at second on Wednesday in Chicago's 4-3 loss to the Pirates.

Trailing 2-0 in the eighth against the Pirates' Mark Melancon, Emilio Bonifacio and Luis Valbuena each singled, and both advanced on Starlin Castro's groundout. Anthony Rizzo was then hit by a pitch for the second time in the game, which loaded the bases, and Nate Schierholtz hit what was ruled an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.

But Renteria challenged the call at second, saying shortstop Jordy Mercer was off the bag. Second-base umpire John Tumpane consulted with the Replay Operations Center at Major League Baseball Advanced Media's headquarters in New York, and the call was overturned. The ruling was made in 2 minutes, 24 seconds. As a result, Bonifacio scored, Rizzo was safe and Schierholtz was out at first.

Teams are not allowed to challenge the so-called "neighborhood play," but that wasn't the case in this instance.

"You can't argue a neighborhood play," Renteria said. "It was just a throw that took him off the bag. I thought we clearly saw it took him away from the bag and they saw the same thing."

With the game tied at 3 in the 13th, Renteria issued another challenge when Pedro Alvarez was called safe at third after reliever Wesley Wright fielded a bunt and tried to get the force. After review, the umpires signaled that the call on the field stands, which meant the bases were loaded with no outs. The Cubs got out of the jam courtesy of a rare 7-2-3 double play -- left fielder Junior Lake was moved into the infield -- and then a forceout at second.

Renteria was the first manager to use Major League Baseball's expanded replay on Monday.



Chicago Cubs score first run after call overturned | MLB-com: News

This is certainly not a record Royals right-hander Jeremy Guthrie wanted next to his name.

Guthrie took the mound for Kansas City on Monday afternoon at Yankee Stadium and gave up 11 earned runs in one official inning of work. Whichever way you slice it, Guthrie's brief outing qualifies as one of the worst starts in major league history.

He became just the second starter since 1914 to give up 11 earned runs while pitching one inning or fewer. Jason Jennings in 2007 with the Astros is the other.


Read more: sports-yahoo-com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/jeremy-guthrie-has-one-of-the-worst-starts-in-mlb-history-184748081-html

Texas Rangers' Joey Gallo is congratulated by third base coach Tony Beasley (27) for his home run against the Minnesota Twins during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 14, 2015, in Arlington, Texas.

They might as well change the name of the Futures Game. It’s turning into the Near-Futures Game.

Last year’s game in Target Field featured the audacious slugging of Joey Gallo, named MVP for a two-run shot during the game that still couldn’t one-up the power display he, Kris Bryant and Kennys Vargas put on in batting practice. The game ended with Noah Syndergaard retiring the World Team for a save.

A week ago, the Twins watched Gallo hit one of the longest home runs in Rangers history. They also won a game last week when Vargas lined a ninth-inning homer against the Cardinals. Bryant, the National League’s rookie of the month in May, was at Target Field again this weekend, a central component of the Cubs’ most exciting season in more than a decade. Syndergaard, now a fixture in the Mets rotation, held baseball’s best hitting team, the Blue Jays, to two hits in six innings Monday, striking out 11.

Yes, the 2015 season might be remembered for the wave of young talent flooding the game, from Joc Pederson homering in five consecutive games for the Dodgers to Carlos Correa collecting hits in nine of his first 10 games. And here in Minnesota, Eddie Rosario, who belted the first pitch he saw for a home run, has become the Twins left fielder, alongside Byron Buxton, the franchise’s most anticipated prospect in a decade.


Read more: MLB Insider: Riding a big wave of young talent - StarTribune-com

With today being the first day that MLB teams can sign international prospects, the signings are coming in fast and furious. One of the biggest story lines from this year's signing class is Melissa Mayeux, the first female player to be eligible to sign with a MLB team during this period. Her inclusion has spurred quite the controversy and discussion about women in baseball.

This signing period has provided a pipeline for MLB teams and their roster, with 30 percent of players on Opening Day rosters have come from Latin American countries. Miguel Cabrera, for example, was signed in 1999 by the then Florida Marlins as an amateur free agent.

A growing international signing period has led to an expansion of programs and developmental leagues in these countries, making this free agent period stacked with talent for the MLB teams to tap into. Near the top of the international prospect list are Vladimir Guerrero's son and nephew. Vladimir Jr. is ranked as the No. 2 international prospect by MLB-com and Gregory, his nephew, is rated as the 14th best prospect in this years class.


Read more: 2015 MLB International Signing Day Tracker - MLB Daily Dish

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DraftKings players should go hard on the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday afternoon. The Tribe hosts the Kansas City Royals, and you have to love their chances to put up solid fantasy numbers.

The Royals will send veteran pitcher Jeremy Guthrie to the mound, but he hasn't fared well against the Indians hitters. Brandon Moss, Michael Brantley, Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana are all hitting over .300 against Guthrie.

Those numbers haven't been compiled in limited at-bats. Each man has had at least 16 at-bats against Guthrie in his career. Overall, Guthrie has been a nightmare on the mound this season with his 5.36 ERA and 1.54 WHIP.

Smart DraftKings players will stack their lineup with Cleveland position players.


Read more: Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: Best MLB DFS DraftKings Lineup for July 29 | Bleacher Report

How about Los Angeles Dodgers vs Washington Nationals

Kershaw, Dodgers Host Zimmermann, Nationals

Or

St Louis Cardinals vs Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates-Cardinals on ESPN

Indeed these are high profile games but how will they pan out ?

The Yankees, and the rest of Major League Baseball, will observe Sept. 11, 2001, at Yankee Stadium Friday.

"This remembrance is part of Baseball's ongoing effort to honor those whose lives were lost and affected on that tragic day," the league said in a statement.

Yankees and Blue Jays players and coach and umpires will wear caps with a side patch of an American flag. Toronto will wear one that also recognize Canada.


Read more: Yankees, MLB to observe 9/11 anniversary | NJ-com

We shall never forget. We shall keep this day, We shall keep the events and the tears. In our minds.

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Friday at 5 p.m. ET is the deadline for all 30 Major League Baseball teams to give a qualifying offer to their free agents. We'll be updating which free agents have gotten a qualifying offer here throughout the afternoon.

A qualifying offer is a one-year, $15.8 million deal. The player would then have one week to either accept the deal -- sticking with his team for at least one year -- or reject it. In the case of the latter, the team losing the player to free agency will receive draft-pick compensation.

If a team doesn't give a qualifying offer to a departing free agent, it doesn't get draft compensation. Then again, if a qualifying offer is given to a lesser player, the team runs the risk of paying him $15.8 million next season.

The qualifying offer system has been in place since 2013 and not one player has ever accepted one.

Here's a full list of the 139 free agents (though some have retired). All of those players either received a qualifying offer or now have no draft compensation attached -- other than those players who were traded during the season. Players like Johnny Cueto, David Price and Ben Zobrist won't have draft compensation attached by virtue of having been traded, so they won't receive qualifying offers.

As for the qualifying offers extended this Friday, let's dive in. If a team has announced a qualifying offer for just one player, it's fair to assume that's the only one they offered. 2015 MLB free agency: 20 players receive qualifying offers - CBSSports-com

Rockies rookie shortstop Trevor Story wrote another chapter in the history books Friday night at Chase Field.

Story smashed a two-run home run off Arizona's Robbie Ray in the fifth inning, giving him 10 homers this month. That tied him with the Chicago White Sox's Jose Abreu for the major-league record for most home runs in April for a rookie.

The Rockies led the Diamondbacks 5-0 after five innings.

Jose Lobaton hopes to one day become a major league manager. But it’s becoming increasingly difficult for the Nationals catcher to envision his dream ever turning into a reality.

After Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was fired Tuesday because of his team’s abysmal start to the 2016 season, there are now no individuals of Hispanic descent managing in the major leagues. Gonzalez was born in Holguin, Cuba and grew up in Miami.

The absence of any Hispanic managers is a peculiar and jarring fact considering Latino players made up 28.5% of the league on Opening Day 2016, according to The Institute or Diversity and Ethics in Sport. Yet that large percentage is now completely unrepresented at the managerial level.

It’s a sorry situation that makes Lobaton — a Venezuela native — question his goals.

“I feel like I’ve got enough tools to be a manger. But at the same time, it’s real hard to me,” Lobaton said Citi Field Wednesday before the Nationals took on the Mets. “Sometimes I feel like I can. Sometimes I feel like, ‘Nah, just leave it there.’”

Lobaton said the idea of frequently addressing the media makes him think twice about pursuing a manager’s job.

Major league managers generally talk to reporters twice every day of a game. And for someone who speaks English as a second language — like Lobaton — that task can seem very daunting.

“I’ve got to learn English better and then I’ve got to talk to you guys all the time. I don’t really like that,” Lobaton said. “Sometimes the language is really important.”

But the language barrier doesn’t explain another concerning trend in the MLB that relates to the Latino population: After Gonzalez’s firing, there are only two minority managers in all of baseball — the Nationals’ Dusty Baker and the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, two African-Americans who were hired before this season.

Baker was also at Citi Field Wednesday and gave his thoughts on the lack of diversity among baseball’s managers.

“That ratio doesn’t work,” Baker said, alluding to the fact that nearly 30% of major leaguers are Hispanic. “I’m not doing the hiring. Or else I’d have hired me a long time ago.”

It should be noted that many Hispanics are part of MLB staffs as coaches. For instance, the Mets’ bullpen coach, Ricky Bones, was born in Puerto Rico.

It’s an option that is more appealing to Lobaton, largely because coaches avoid the daily media grind. And many times, top assistant coaches become primary candidates for open manager positions.

Roberts was a bench coach for the Padres before joining the Dodgers.

“I don’t’ see a lot of [Latino managers], but I’ve seen a lot of coaches,” Lobaton said. “So we’re still there. Latin people are still there. We’re just waiting for the chance. And I think it’s going to happen one day.”

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has addressed the lack of diversity among managers and thinks it’s an important issue. He said on ESPN Radio in October that “significant minority representation at entry-level jobs” and starting a “pipeline” of minority candidates is crucial to solving the problem.

Former commissioner Bud Selig also established the “Selig Rule” in 1999 — the MLB’s version of the NFL’s Rooney Rule — which requires major league teams to consider a minority candidate "for all general manager, assistant general manager, field manager, director of player development and director of scouting positions."

But few teams have truly followed the directive. And Lobaton said “it can be good” for MLB to be more active in addressing the issue.

“But at the same time,” Lobaton said, “it’s nothing about the league or that they don’t want to see Latin managers. It just is how it is.”

“It’s not about what I want. It’s about what happens.”

Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, meanwhile, doesn’t view the lack of Hispanic managers as a point of contention. Cabrera, who was also born in Venezuela, is more concerned with a person’s qualifications.

“I don’t think that matters to me,” Cabrera said when asked if Hispanics deserve more representation. “The only thing that matters to me is having a good manager. And if you have a good manager — no matter if he’s American or Latin — I don’t really care.”

Lobaton remains optimistic he’ll eventually possess those qualifications.

But first, the culture in the league must allow him to have an equal shot.

“I want to see more Latins around, I want to see more managers around, more coaches,” Lobaton said. “I don’t know if we’re just not lucky right now to have more. But I would like to have a Latin manager one day. Maybe me. Maybe I’ll be the next one.”




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