Top News:
Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Spider Tack, goo cops and an open secret: Answering 20 questions about MLB's foreign-substance mess — Gerrit Cole, the New York Yankees' ace and owner of the biggest contract for a pitcher in baseball history, paused for an extremely awkward five seconds Tuesday and didn't answer a yes …
Discussion:
Covering the Corner, MLB Trade Rumors and Los Angeles Times
RELATED:
New York Post:
Gerrit Cole dodges ‘sticky’ allegations in painfully awkward moment — Gerrit Cole is sticking to his story that he has greater worries than opponents' accusations of wrongdoing. — The Yankees' ace held by far the least comfortable news conference of his pinstriped term on Tuesday afternoon …
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and baseballmusings.com
Joon Lee / ESPN:
New York Mets' Pete Alonso posits that MLB ‘manipulates the baseball’ based on free-agent class — NEW YORK — Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said Wednesday that he disagrees with MLB's crackdown on pitcher-friendly foreign substances, and that the larger issue facing the sport …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, sports.MyNorthwest.com and MLB Baseball News …
ESPN:
Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony moved to Sept. 8 — The class of 2020 — Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker — will have to wait a little bit longer to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer, it was announced Wednesday.
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley
Matthew Roberson / New York Daily News:
How things went so wrong for Jarred Kelenic to begin his big-league career — Dozens of cheerful moments have bloomed from the Mets' unconventional first-place season, but now it's getting a brief addition of schadenfreude. — Mega prospect Jarred Kelenic — the one misguidedly traded …
RELATED:
Joon Lee / ESPN:
Chris Sale certain he'll be back to help Boston Red Sox before end of season — Nearly 15 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Chris Sale says he is confident he will be ready to contribute to the Boston Red Sox before the end of the season. — “One hundred percent,” …
Discussion:
NBCSports.com and MLB Baseball News …
RELATED:
Tim Kurkjian / ESPN:
‘Sorry you had to see that’ — How baserunning has become an embarrassing problem in Major League Baseball — Editor's note: From rising strikeout totals and unwritten rules debates to connecting with a new generation of fans and a looming labor battle, baseball is at a crossroads.
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley
Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
Sonny Gray expected to miss at least two starts. What it means for the Reds rotation. — After Sonny Gray felt pain in his groin following a warmup pitch Tuesday, one of the thoughts that ran through his head was making sure it didn't become a long-term injury.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
ESPN:
Ke'Bryan Hayes had a home run called back for missing first base — Ke'Bryan Hayes homered off Walker Buehler in the first inning of Tuesday's Los Angeles Dodgers-Pittsburgh Pirates game, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead against one of the toughest opponents in the league. — Only he didn't.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Evan Petzold / Detroit Free Press:
Defense stands out for Detroit Tigers in 5-3 win over Seattle Mariners in series opener — For the first time since the 2019 season, the Detroit Tigers opened Comerica Park to full capacity for Monday's series opener with the Seattle Mariners. — The fans in the stands — 9,081 tickets sold …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and Mariners News
Richard Justice / Texas Monthly:
New Book Shows Astros Kept Cheating After 2018 — Remember how offended former Astros manager A. J. Hinch pretended to be in 2019, when reporters asked him to respond to accusations that his team was cheating during the American League Championship Series against the Yankees?
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, DRaysBay and Sports Illustrated
Tim Healey / Newsday:
Orioles pound David Peterson en route to routing Mets — BALTIMORE — he Mets might have a David Peterson problem. — He had his second stinker of a start in a row Tuesday night in the Mets' 10-3 loss to the Orioles. — In 2 2/3 innings, Peterson allowed four runs and eight hits (five doubles).