Top News:
ESPN:
MLB bans 4 minor league pitchers for using foreign substances to doctor baseballs — Four minor league pitchers have been suspended this season by Major League Baseball after being caught using illegal foreign substances to doctor baseballs, signaling a stronger crackdown in the game's feeder system …
Discussion:
New York Post, MLB Trade Rumors, Orange County Register, AZ Snake Pit and Beyond the Box Score
RELATED:
Bobby Nightengale / USA Today:
Nick Castellanos: MLB 'doesn't care' about pitchers using foreign substances — ST. LOUIS - With offense down across the league this season, attention is turning to the illegal foreign substances that many pitchers are believed to use. — After St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Genesis Cabrera …
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
Sources: MLB umpires to crack down on pitchers using illegal substances on baseballs — After repeated efforts by Major League Baseball to dissuade pitchers from using illegal substances to get a better grip on the ball and create more spin, the league is going to crack down on the practice by giving umpires more latitude.
Discussion:
Associated Press and Talking Chop
Zach Buchanan / The Athletic:
Former Cub Aramis Ramírez says Bob Brenly's commentary was discriminatory; Brenly to take week off of Diamondbacks broadcasts — Former Cubs star Aramis Ramírez says he felt Bob Brenly made a point of attacking and deriding him on the air when Brenly was broadcasting Cubs games …
Discussion:
ESPN, FanSided, Bleacher Nation, USA Today, NBCSports.com, Sports Illustrated, Awesemo.com and Beyond the Box Score
RELATED:
Scott Gleeson / USA Today:
Diamondbacks announcer Bob Brenly mocks Marcus Stroman's durag during broadcast — Arizona Diamondbacks announcer Bob Brenly mocked the durag of New York Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman during Tuesday night's game, a comment that drew attention from Stroman for what he called “racist undertones.”
Discussion:
New York Daily News, ESPN, Mercury News, MLB Baseball News … and Amazin' Avenue
Dennis Young / New York Daily News:
Diamondbacks announcer Bob Brenly makes pointless crack about Marcus Stroman's durag — Bob Brenly, speaking in the exact cadence of a deeply unfunny uncle repeating a bit for the third time, went way out of his way to make a joke (?) about Marcus Stroman on Tuesday night.
Discussion:
D-backs News, USA Today, MLB Baseball News … and The Athletic
Kiley McDaniel / ESPN:
Kiley McDaniel's 2021 MLB draft rankings 3.0: Two shortstops lead race to be next month's top pick — We're five weeks out from the 2021 MLB draft with college regionals starting Friday and high school seasons winding down or already wrapped up, so some consensus is building.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball, NBCSports.com and MLB Baseball News …
Deesha Thosar / New York Daily News:
Pete Alonso helps power Mets over Diamondbacks in 9th — PHOENIX — The Mets have received help from an eclectic, and largely unknown, group of heroes over their first two months of the 2021 season. Wednesday's late-game clutch base hit, however, came off the bat of a familiar name.
Discussion:
Newsday and NorthJersey.com
RELATED:
Alden Gonzalez / ESPN:
Athletics call food served to minor leaguers ‘totally unacceptable,’ say they cut ties with vendor weeks ago — A photo depicting food provided to some Oakland Athletics minor leaguers went viral on Tuesday, sparking references to the infamous Fyre Festival that allegedly once offered sandwich bread with sliced cheese for dinner.
Discussion:
San Francisco Chronicle, SFGATE, NBCSports.com, Deadspin, Mercury News, New York Post and Awesemo.com
Tim Healey / Newsday:
Marcus Stroman, bullpen can't hold down D-backs after dust-up — PHOENIX — Edwin Diaz and Trevor May blew saves in consecutive innings Tuesday night as the Mets lost to the Diamondbacks, 6-5, to end their five-game winning streak. — Josh Reddick hit a walk-off, two-run double against May in the 10th inning.
Discussion:
New York Daily News
Matthew Roberson / New York Daily News:
Aaron Boone not quite ready to panic as Yankees' offensive slump deepens — It has been ten days since the Yankees scored more than five runs in a game. Since that day, a 7- win over the White Sox on May 22, the team has gone 2-6, including a three-game sweep by the last-place Tigers …
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and Lookout Landing
Jabari Young / CNBC:
MLB launches into NFT space with help from Lou Gehrig and new company led by Fanatics — Candy Digital agreed to a licensing deal with MLB to create its NFT digital collectibles. — The company will release an exclusive Lou Gehrig nonfungible token during the Fourth of July weekend.
Discussion:
CNN, ESPN, Deadspin, Sports Illustrated and NBCSports.com
