Toronto
fromJays Journal
2 days agoBlue Jays search for pitching depth already paying off after recent injury news
The Toronto Blue Jays' offseason focus on pitching depth is proving crucial as multiple starters face injuries at the season's start.
The Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds have decided they will partner with MLB, which will produce their games for the 2026 season and beyond. The Tampa Bay Rays are also part of that mix, according to media reporter John Ourand, who first broke the news. The Cardinals, Royals and Brewers have formally announced the transition.
Since mid-May, when Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced Pete Rose would be eligible for Hall of Fame consideration and explained his specious reasonings behind it, last week's Hall of Fame vote by the 16-member Classic Era committee carried with it a certain air of inevitability for Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, the two greatest players currently not enshrined in Cooperstown.
Selected 213th overall in the 2012 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Seattle-born player spent parts of three seasons in the minor leagues before making his big league debut in 2014. Lamb only played 37 games, hitting four home runs in 133 plate appearances. The following season, Lamb played 107 games, hitting six home runs in 390 plate appearances. It wasn't until 2016 that he had an above-average season, hitting 29 home runs in 594 plate appearances in 151 games with the Diamondbacks.
2007 - Andruw Jones leaves the Braves for a two-year, $36 million deal with the Dodgers. Jones will hit .158 with just three home runs and will be released at the end of the season. 1914 - An indoor baseball game is played in Chicago to raise money for the family of recently deceased Cubs third baseman Jim Doyle. 1937 - Ford Frick was reelected as President of the National League for a three-year term.
While reports came out almost a week ago that the Jays and Cease had agreed to a contract, the organization made it official today via a press release. The deal is the largest free agent contract in franchise history, with Cease inking a seven-year pact worth $210 million that reportedly includes some deferred money. The introductory press conference will come at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, slated for sometime next week.
Medina pitched for the Mariners and Cubs from 2013-15, working 146 innings across an identical number of games. He posted a 3.08 career ERA with a 23.1% strikeout rate along with a 12.4% walk rate. Most of his success came in his first two seasons, as Medina pitched to a 2.81 ERA with a 24.3% strikeout rate and 12.6% walk rate in 125 innings for the Mariners from 2013-14.
1957 - In Game 2 of the World Series, Lew Burdette wins the first of his three decisions against the Yankees. Burdette and the Milwaukee Braves beat Bobby Shantz, 4 - 2. 1993 - The San Francisco Giants need to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers on the final day of the season to force a one-game playoff with the Atlanta Braves for the NL West title, but the Dodgers have other plans. Los Angeles rips the Giants, 12 - 1.
"It's an incredible honor to become the stewards of the Tampa Bay Rays, a franchise with a proud history and a bright future," Zalupski said in a statement. "We're all energized by the responsibility to serve Rays fans everywhere and this great game. ... We will work hard to earn the respect and confidence of our fans and new MLB partners, and we are excited about the upcoming challenge to deliver a world-class experience on and off the field."
1941 - Combined with a Cardinal defeat, the Dodgers win their first pennant in 21 years when they beat the Braves, 6 - 0. Whitlow Wyatt throws a five-hitter and Pete Reiser hits a homer in the winning cause 1946 - Handling 13 chances without an error against the Braves in an 8 - 0 loss, Giants SS Buddy Kerr runs his errorless streak to 254 chances, breaking Eddie Miller's 1940 record.
Polo Ralph Lauren is once again blending its iconic American style with the rich tradition of Major League Baseball, delivering a collaboration that is equal parts fashion and nostalgia. This latest release with MLB and New Era breathes new life into the classic baseball cap, creating a collection that speaks to both longtime fans of the sport and style enthusiasts who appreciate timeless design. With its signature preppy polish and attention to detail, the collection proves that sportswear can be both spirited and sophisticated.
1921 - The Reds and the Braves tie a major league record as their infields combine for 28 chances. The Reds won the game 7-3. 1997 - Andruw Jones hits the Braves' 10th grand slam of the season to set a new National League record. 2001 - The Braves acquire Julio Franco from the Mexico City Tigers. Franco was leading the Mexican League with a .437 average and hadn't played in the majors since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO - Randy Moffitt, a longtime Giants reliever and an inaugural member of the team's Wall of Fame in 2008, has died, the team announced on Friday afternoon. He was 76. Moffitt, the brother of tennis icon Billie Jean King, spent the first 10 years of his major-league career with the Giants after being selected by the franchise in the first round of the 1970 MLB draft. He would also pitch a season each with the Houston Astros (1982) and Toronto Blue Jays (1983).
It was back in 2021 that actor Kevin Costner famously emerged from the cornstalks at a specially constructed diamond at the "Field of Dreams" movie site and led the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees into the stadium for what turned out to be one of Major League Baseball's most memorable events. A year later, the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs visited Dyersville for another MLB matchup near the iconic field where the 1989 movie was filmed.
Frank Isbell of the Chicago White Sox set an AL record by stranding 11 teammates on the basepaths, showcasing an extraordinary failure to capitalize on scoring opportunities.