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We didnÂ’t expect, we merely hoped, that one way or the other Gary Carter would conquer the enemy that finally took him down Thursday. Knowing Carter, perhaps one of the better things we can think of his death at 57 is that at least he was granted that one final ValentineÂ’s Day, to spend with the wife he loved proudly over thirty-seven years of marriage. Until a massive attack of glioblastoma multiforme that was diagnosed almost a year ago, Carter was living proof that living well is the sweetest revenge. The exuberant young man who was considered poison because he...

You wouldn't expect to see gun control happening in Texas, but that's what will be taking place at a few Astros games this year. Here's the deal: The Astros are marking their 50th anniversary this season, so they'll be wearing an assortment of throwback uniforms for Friday home games. That includes the uniform of the Houston Colt .45s, which was the team's name for the first three years of the franchise's existence.

Radio and television broadcasts of baseball games beamed into Cuba has become the latest brainchild of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), whose Radio/TV Marti programs will make the cherished American sport available to Cuban citizens for free. The anticipated sole-source contract that BBG intends to award to Major League Baseball Properties, Inc., comes on the heels of a congressional report questioning the usefulness of such investments of U.S. taxpayer funds into Cuba-targeted programming. Similarly, it also should be noted that, late last year, Radio/TV Marti journalist Manuel Vazquez Portal resigned in protest of the station's alleged over-reliance on...

His nickname served Gary Carter well right up to his final days. “The Kid.” Once and always, “The Kid.” As his long-time friend Dave Van Horne says, even when it became clear that Mr. Carter’s battle with a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer was being lost, if a baseball person ran into him, it was the same. It was always, “Hey, how ya doing, Kid?”

Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter died Thursday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 57. Affectionately known as the “Kid” during his 19-season major league career, Carter was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2003, his sixth year on the ballot. Carter was a career .262 hitter with 324 homers and 1,225 RBIs. He hit at least 20 homers in nine seasons and topped 100 RBIs four times, leading the National League in that category in 1984 when he drove in 106 runs. Among catchers, Carter ranks third all-time in RBIs and games caught, and fifth homers...

SAN DIEGO -- Tony Gwynn is already talking after five doctors spent 14 hours removing a malignant tumor from inside the Hall of Famer's right cheek on Tuesday. According to Gwynn's wife, Alicia, the doctors performed a complex nerve-graft procedure, removing Gwynn's facial nerve and replacing it with a nerve from Gwynn's shoulder. Alicia Gwynn said her husband came out of surgery at 1 a.m. PT Wednesday, and that doctors told her they had entirely removed the cancerous growth from his parotid gland. At 8:30 a.m., Tony Gwynn was already talking, drinking water and laughing. That was not the case...

The Detroit Tigers were a few wins short of going to the World Series last year. Team ownership signed All Star first baseman Prince Fielder to a 9-year, $214 million deal in the hopes that he will help push the team over the top as well as continue strong attendance at Comerica Park. Since the club has all that extra revenue available and expect more from higher attendance, will they consider repaying Michigan taxpayers for the hundreds of millions of dollars that were used to subsidize the team's stadium? Comerica Park opened in 2000 after three years of construction and...

I have an old photo of men I've been told were some Red Sox baseball players who were dining at a restaurant back in the late 1960's. There are 3 of them in the picture. It was likely 1968 to maybe as late as 1970. It was probably during Spring training because it was taken in central Florida. Does anyone here know how I can track down living members of the team to see if any of them can identify them? I have been told they may be Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Lonborg, and Tony Conigliaro, but when I look at...

The Dallas Morning News is reporting Rangers outfielder and recovering drug addict Josh Hamilton had a relapse earlier this week when he drank alcohol at a bar. The newspaper, citing unidentified "individuals familiar with the episode," reported Thursday night that Hamilton was drinking at a Dallas area bar Monday. In a statement to the newspaper, the Rangers said they were "aware of a situation, but we don't have further comment at this time." Hamilton, 30, was suspended for more than three years for drug and alcohol use while in the Tampa Bay organization. He missed the entire 2004-05 seasons. He...

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Dutch Rennert lives just a few miles from Vero Beach Sports Village, but he doesn't always stop in to watch the action. It's January, which means it's time for umpire school in these parts. And Rennert, who worked the bases and home plates of the National League from 1973-92, knows well that this is where it all begins. About 250 students have been donning chest protectors and masks to go with their dark shirts and gray pants on the fields of three umpire schools in Florida. At The Umpire School in Vero Beach, the Wendelstedt Umpire...

Baseball's Hall of famer ,57, is in critical condition at Duke University Medical Center as doctors found more brain tumors yesterday, according to his daughter, Kimmy Bloemers. Gary Carter Bloemers wrote on the family's Web site that Carter's condition started to worsen around Christmas, when he started to complain about headaches. Carter fell on Christmas day, tearing his rotator cuff. Bloemers said her dad's condition deteriorated over the next several weeks, where he also complained about having problems balancing and feeling tired, which cased him to fall.

Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona has been arrested in his native Dominican Republic, according to multiple reports. Carmona is accused of using a false identity. According to ESPNDeportes.com, Carmona’s real name is Roberto Hernandez Heredia. He was arrested Thursday after leaving the U.S. Consulate in the Dominican Republic, where he went to get a visa in order to attend spring training in Arizona next month. “We were recently made aware of the situation that occurred today in the Dominican Republic and are currently in the process of gathering information,” Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said in a statement released by the...

When Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola called the 1986 World Series for NBC television, their recurring theme harked to Dickens: it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Baseball’s 2011 season–during which it seemed New York, perhaps inexplicably, was anxious to think of anything but the silver anniversary of those rapacious Mets—was much like that. Beginning with the worst of times—the unconsionable beating of a San Francisco Giants fan in the parking lot of a security-challenged Dodger Stadium; the tragic falling death of a Texas Rangers fan trying to spear a ball for his little son...

R.A. Dickey will go forward with his charitable plan to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro next week, despite the Mets' objections, multiple sources said Tuesday. A person close to Dickey confirmed the Mets sent a "procedural" letter to agent Bo McKinniss "just to cover themselves legally" over the summer, when the knuckleballer first began publicly discussing the excursion. Dickey is scheduled to earn $4.5 million in 2012 in the second year of a two-year $7.8 million deal. The letter stated the Mets reserve the right to void Dickey's contract if he is injured as a result of the climb. A Mets PR...

DALLAS -- Albert Pujols has agreed to a 10-year, $250 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney on Thursday. The deal includes a full no-trade clause, which Pujols had been seeking and may have been a sticking point in his negotiations with the Miami Marlins.

Cubs great earns election to Hall via Golden Era Committee DALLAS -- Ron Santo is clicking his heels in heaven. Santo, the enthusiastic, popular and very resilient former Cubs third baseman, was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday by the Golden Era Committee. Santo was one of 10 candidates on a ballot representing the era of the sport from 1947-72. "I can see him sitting on the sofa here and he'd be pumping his fist in the air, saying, 'Yes, yes,'" Santo's wife Vicki said Monday from her Arizona home. "We feel he was meant to...

Federal authorities have opened a wide-ranging investigation into the Miami Marlins' controversial ballpark deal with Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami, demanding financial information underpinning nearly $500 million in bond sales as well as records of campaign contributions from the Marlins to local and state elected leaders. In a pair of lengthy letters delivered to government attorneys Thursday, the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission gave the city and county until Jan. 6 to deliver everything from minutes of meetings between government leaders and Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, to records of Marlins finances...

... The new CBA, released Tuesday, added the words “sexual orientation” to its section on discrimination. This development was first reported by the Daily News, and later confirmed by a news release, issued jointly by MLB and the Players’ Association, that read, “Non-discrimination based on sexual orientation were added to Article XV.” Article XV, Section A of MLB’s expiring Basic Agreement, in effect from 2006-2011, states: “The provisions of this Agreement shall be applied to all Players covered by this Agreement without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.” In the new agreement, the words “sexual orientation” were added...

WASHINGTON — Baseball's new labor deal will limit the use of smokeless tobacco by players, but not ban it during games, as some public health groups had sought. A baseball union summary obtained by The Associated Press says that players have agreed not to carry tobacco cans in their back pockets or use tobacco during pregame or postgame interviews and at team functions.

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands - Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman has been stabbed to death and his brother has been arrested as a suspect, according to Dutch police. Rotterdam Police spokeswoman Patricia Wessels says police were called to a home in the Dutch port city early Monday morning and found Halman bleeding from a stab wound. The officers attempted unsuccessfully to resuscitate the 24-year-old major league baseball player. Wessels says the officers arrested Halman's 22-year-old brother. She declined to give his name, in line with Dutch privacy rules. Fox News reports that the brother's name is Jason. Wessels said the brother was...

MILWAUKEE—Major League Baseball plans to revamp its divisions and playoff format with a series of moves that will have significant ramifications for at least two of its media partners and millions of fans. MLB hopes to begin some of the changes next season, with an additional wild-card team making the playoffs in each league as part of an effort to generate more television revenue for baseball and give fans of midtier teams a reason to continue buying tickets and following games through the entire season. The four wild-card teams will play a one-game or best-of-three playoff to determine who moves...

Mention the words "London" and "Ripper" in the same sentence and most of us will naturally think of the serial killer who butchered English prostitutes in the late 1880s. But after drawing criticism for naming their squad the "London Rippers," officials say that the infamous Jack the Ripper is not the inspiration behind the nickname for their minor-league team based in the Canadian city in southwest Ontario...

MIAMI -- Within the Miami Marlins organization, a number of full-time employees started off with the franchise working as interns. The organization now is offering more career opportunities as the Marlins are prepare to conduct a job fair on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium. The job fair will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET each day at the auditorium, located at 2901 West Flagler Street in Miami.

At 9:00pm Friday night, the Florida Marlins officially unveil their new logos and uniforms, transforming themselves overnight into the Miami Marlins.

Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was abducted by gunmen Wednesday from his home in his native Venezuela. Ramos, 24, was taken away in an SUV by four armed men in Santa Ines in central Carabobo state, Kathe Vilera, spokeswoman for the catcher's Venezuelan League team, said through her official Twitter account. "This is sad, worrisome and true that Wilson Ramos has been kidnapped," she said. Ramos was playing winter ball with the Aragua Tigers. She said the rising Major League Baseball star was kidnapped at 6:45 p.m. local time (2315 GMT) and that police have been notified. Santa Ines lies...

Matty Alou, once part of an all-Alou outfield for the San Francisco Giants with brothers Felipe and Jesus, died Thursday in his native Dominican Republic. He was 72.

Ever since his Texas Rangers collapsed over the final two games of the World Series last week, Nolan Ryan says he hasn't watched the disappointing replay of David Freese's(notes) triple sailing over Nelson Cruz's(notes) head in the ninth inning of Game 6. He doesn't plan to, either. But while Ryan concedes he may accidentally see the replay while watching something else, everyone's favorite fireballer says he's going to make dang sure that another highlight won't be played when the Chicago White Sox come to opening day at Rangers Ballpark next April. That, of course, would be the clip of Ryan...

First lady Michelle Obama the other day railed at "the few at the top," who do all sorts of bad things. A few months ago, we began hearing of the "1 percent" who are responsible for the current economic mess. "They" apparently make all their money at the expense of the other 99 percent. Are they the same as last year's villains, who had not paid "their fair share" in making over $200,000 in annual income? Do they include the greedy doctors, who, the president once asserted, recklessly lop off limbs and yank tonsils for profits? Is my urologist a...

St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa is calling it a career. La Russa, only days removed from winning the World Series, made the announcement during a Monday morning news conference, the Cardinals' web site said.

Tony LaRussa retires. Press conference now.

Reggie Jackson heard Billy Martin use racial and anti-Semitic remarks then, and felt it was time to talk about them now. "You need to set the record straight," the Hall of Fame slugger told The Associated Press on Friday. "They're the truth." The late Martin managed the New York Yankees in the late 1970s, a fiery time that included a pair of World Series championships. Jackson spoke about Martin in an interview with the MLB Network that will be shown Monday night.

Seires is tied up 3-3, this is it! Matt Harrison (LH) v C Carpenter (RH)

As the World Series reaches a climax tonight in one of the most exciting Series in decades, a small storm in the world of baseball has also been brewing on the West coast. Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolf is interested in bringing the A’s to San Jose, where the Mayor is pulling out all stops to make it happen. While Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has yet to sign off on the agreement, and the league will have to vote on change, all the plans are in place to make this happen. The only hiccup is the land. AT&T and Los...

With FOX broadcaster Joe Buck echoing his father's well-known call by saying, "We will see you tomorrow night," after the Cardinals' epic 10-9 win over the Rangers in Game 6 of the World Series on Thursday, it conjured memories of the Twins' win in similar fashion over the Braves in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series. It was legendary broadcaster Jack Buck who famously said, "And we'll see you tomorrow night," after Twins center fielder Kirby Puckett launched a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning at the Metrodome to send the Series to a...

KC ties it again in the bottom of the 9th!

From the sixth inning of last night’s game, Mike Napoli hit a Chris Carpenter offering some 400 feet to center field for a long out to end a Rangers threat. In response, Carp let the obscenities fly. Grantland’s Jonah Keri comments: Carpenter may have been yelling at Napoli. As he described the tail end of the digestion process, he looked Napoli’s way. On the other hand, Ken Rosenthal claimed Carpenter was merely screaming at himself, as evidenced by his tirade continuing into the dugout, with more curse words and a chucked glove. Either way, broadcast gold. Though not as good...

MLB has postponed tonight's game 6 due to weather forecast.

For the first time, Major League Baseball put a specific number on the amount it alleges Dodgers owner Frank McCourt took out of the team -- $189.16 million -- and described the distributions as "looting." However, amid the legal and financial fine points of the Dodgers' bankruptcy, Bryan Stow could emerge as a pivotal face in the case at a critical hearing next week. Stow won't be there, of course. But, with his representatives sitting on the official committee of creditors, attorneys for the Dodgers and the league are expected to cite Stow in their arguments in a Delaware courtroom....

Pujols joins Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth as the only player to ever hit 3 home runs in a single World Series game.

Glenn Beck's hate has no place in America, much less in America's favorite pastime. Sports outlets have reported that MLB Advanced Media, the interactive arm of Major League Baseball, is teaming up with the hateful conservative commentator Glenn Beck to stream his shows online. Major League Baseball's partnership with Glenn Beck is shameful and should not be giving him a platform to spew his hate and fearmongering. MLB should immediately sever their relationship with Beck.

Their 25th anniversary seems to be more sober than an awful lot of the team was. But Allen Barra is right. Twenty-five years ago tonight launched the 1986 World Series, which the New York Mets would win in rather dramatic fashion. There was and remains nothing wrong with that. The 1986 Mets may have steamrolled the National League on the regular season, but there was nothing like a pair of hair-raising postseason sets to remind people that even teams as good as those Mets have to work, good and hard, for their prizes. Yet it seems as though even Met...

Senators urge baseball to ban tobaccoPosted: Oct 18, 2011 11:58 AM by AP WASHINGTON (AP) - Four U.S. senators and health officials from the cities hosting the World Series are urging the baseball players union to agree to a ban on chewing tobacco at games and on camera. The senators, including No. 2 Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois, and health officials from St. Louis and Arlington, Texas, made the pleas in separate letters, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press. The World Series between the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals begins in St. Louis Wednesday night. "When players use smokeless...

Los Angeles (CNN) -- The couple who bought the Los Angeles Dodgers seven years ago announced Monday they've agreed that the husband, Frank McCourt, will get the baseball team in their pending divorce. With the marital spat settled, McCourt still must persuade a judge to let him keep the team, which he placed into bankruptcy after Major League Baseball blocked him from signing a television deal to provide it with the cash needed to meet its payroll.

The Milwaukee Brewers, with apologies to Dave Anderson, died with their boots. They were buried at the mercy of the St. Louis Cardinals’ seemingly bottomless bullpen. The officiating minister was a fellow who once seemed so burned out by baseball that he thought a ring on his cell phone while sitting in a Burger King, buried in the San Diego organization, informing him he’d been traded to the Cardinals, was a practical joke, at first. Nobody’s laughing at the Rev. David Freese now. But everyone except citizens of Milwaukee might be laughing with the National League Championship Series’s most valuable...

Jim Leyland was emphatic enough. Seeing Justin Verlander on the mound again this postseason was going to be the best thing, he said, because it would come in the World Series. As for the rest of the American League Championship Series, Verlander wouldn’t even be a topic. Not in the Detroit Tigers’ manager’s mind, anyway. And it proved a moot point after the game, gutsy, but gimpy Tigers took one of the worst elimination beatings in postseason history in Arlington Saturday night. If the Tigers or their minions weren’t going to see Verlander the rest of the postseason, it’s probably...

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A question occurred Monday around the time Juan Cruz was pitching to Nelson Cruz, which was a half-inning after Alexi Ogando got the Rangers out of a seventh-inning jam and one inning before Neftali Feliz came in to close out the Rays. The question was this: Do young American baseball players understand what they're up against? Every year, hundreds of American college and high school players sign contracts and head out to go to work in the minor leagues. They show up and find the world doesn't look quite the same. Amateur baseball in this country -- especially college baseball...