Chipper Jones, the Atlanta Braves’ longtime switch-hitting third baseman, will turn 40 in April. He has been in the majors for 17 years and in that time has put together a Hall of Fame worthy career. And he isn’t ready to hang up his spikes. “As long as I stay healthy and I’m having fun, [...]

On September 29th, 2007, New York Mets ace John Maine toed the rubber against the Florida Marlins trying to keep his team in the playoff hunt. New York was in the midst of a September collapse of epic proportions, having lost five games in a row and the seven-game NL East lead they held with [...]

“Well, just put it this way, at 10 past three, about 20 minutes after Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports broke this story, I talked to Jim Leyland. He didn’t know anything about it. ‘Nobody has talked to me. Can’t be true.’ That’s how fast (the signing happened).” That was MLB Network’

My friend Erik and I stood at the counter in Webfoot, a relatively new bar on the University of Oregon campus, and took in the final few minutes of the Los Angeles Clippers game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on the big-screen. As we watched, we struck up a conversation with a man named Jay sitting [...]

I’m not saying it’s right, but were I raised on a dirt floor in the Dominican Republic and found I could throw a baseball a little, and that seemed like more fun than, say, working a tobacco farm for a few pesos a day, I’d change my name to Doris Day and wear a wedding [...]

On Friday, the New York Yankees sent Jesus Montero packing. They lost the power and high batting average he was expected to bring. And with an aging lineup, his absence appeared to leave a hole. That might not longer be the case. Jorge Vazquez is beyond ready, waiting for his time to come. The road [...]

The New York Yankees have always been potent offensively. The lack of consistent starting pitching has been their downfall. On Friday, the front office did its part to try to rectify the problem. In the early evening, they signed former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal worth $10 million. It was [

On December 9th, 2004, Tracy McGrady did something unbelievable. His Houston Rockets were down 74-68 to the San Antonio Spurs at home with 44.2 seconds remaining. Then they weren’t behind at all. McGrady’s 13-point performance over the final 35 seconds, capped off by a game-winning three after a steal, is etched

Twenty-seven names are on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America Hall of Fame ballot for the class of 2012, and none of them are shoe-ins to be enshrined. The announcement comes Monday, and though most of the game’s former stars aren’t worthy this becomes a time to reminiscence and remember just how

Entering the 2012 Rose Bowl against the dangerous Wisconsin Badgers, the Oregon Ducks were trying to get a couple of monkeys off their back. They hadn’t won this particular bowl in since 1917, and, more importantly, they hadn’t won a monumental game against a marquee opponent in recent memory. There was the Rose

Michael Redd’s 11-year NBA journey has taken him down many welcoming and unwelcoming streets. He went from a second-round draft pick to an All Star to the face of Milwaukee’s franchise to an injury-prone lucrative contract with a surgically repaired knee to potentially having nothing left to give at the young ag

The Oakland Athletics are known for Moneyball, both the book and the film, and General Manager Billy Beane, who was behind the philosophy, is continuing the cycle. Heading the low-payroll American League team, he has consistently been unable to afford to retain star players. This offseason, he has once again turned those st

Prince Fielder, in the heart of his prime and equipped with one of baseball’s most dangerous bats, is without a team and without many suitors. He is just 27 years old and hit .299 with 38 homers and 120 rbi’s last season in leading the Milwaukee Brewers to the postseason. He is one of only [...]

As I mentioned in an article on Pinwheel Empire, I went to see the Portland Trail Blazers take on the Milwaukee Bucks in 2005. Rooting for the Blazers is to be presumed, but that was not the case. I was there to see the Bucks play. I was there to see Michael Redd play. Redd, [...]

As a fan of the NBA growing up, I had an unexpected favorite team. The Portland Trail Blazers, given their proximity and their talent, captured my attention, but the Sacramento Kings teams were followed more closely by a young kid in Eugene, Oregon. From the late 1990s to 2005, they were very electrifying and fast-paced, [.

Four years ago, Jed Lowrie was moving up the ladder in the Boston Red Sox farm system as their top hitting minor-leauger. He won an award to that affect, following a 2007 season spent with the Portland Sea Dogs and Pawtucket Red Sox in which he batted .298 with a .383 On Base Percentage. He [...]

A spokesman for Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun vehemently denied the National League MVP’s reported steroid use, but if he is indeed guilty of taking what is termed a “prohibited substance” Saturday was a sad day for baseball and a sad day in Wisconsin. “There are highly unusual circumstances s

As Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia boarded his airplane back to California from the Winter Meetings, he received a phone call. It was Artie Moreno, the team’s owner. He was calling to inform him Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson–the best hitter and pitcher on the free-agent market–were comi

The Florida Marlins had been known for their inability to keep star players. Now the Miami Marlins are signing stars. They weren’t kidding when they essentially said they would show the offseason’s top free-agents the money. According to various reports, the team with a new name, new uniforms, and a new ballpark

The St. Louis Cardinals are World Series Champions. David Freese got a key to the city. Impending free-agent Albert Pujols had a statue unveiled outside Busch Stadium. And manager Tony La Russa hung up his spikes on cloud-nine. What was once unthinkable had taken place. How did they reach this remarkable conclusion? It was

Pat Burrell, now 35, was once given the nickname ‘Pat the Bat.’ He was called this dating back to his days at the University of Miami. He hated it. It suited him, though. Before he left for the pros after his junior season, he crushed 61 homers and drove in 187 rbi’s in 162 games [...]

After their performances this season, the Boston Red Sox’s Jacoby Ellsbury and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Matt Kemp deserved to win the MVP awards in their respective leagues. Considering neither took home the hardware, it is difficult to maintain the belief that writers should vote for the Most Valuable Player or

Facing one of college football’s best quarterbacks, a powerful running attack, and giant tight ends in a hostile environment, the Oregon Ducks had plenty to worry about entering their matchup against the Stanford Cardinal. So much was made about the Cardinal and quarterback Andrew Luck before and during the game on ES

The Philadelphia Phillies have signed Jonathan Papelbon to a four-year deal worth upwards of $50 million, with a vesting option for 2016 that could make the contract worth $60 million over five years. It is an incredible amount of money for a player who will pitch 70 innings a season at most, but the 30-year-old [...]

The Penn State Board of Trustees fired Joe Paterno, the football team’s head coach since 1966, over the phone Wednesday evening in the aftermath of the sex scandal that has rocked College Station and the country. President Graham Spanier was also removed from his position on a surreal evening that had thousands of Pen

On Monday afternoon, Boston Red Sox President Larry Lucchino said the team was in the “fourth inning” of its managerial search. If Mike Maddux hadn’t withdrawn his name from their hat Lucchino and company may be in the later innings. The Texas Rangers superb pitching coach and brother of future Hall of Fam

After predicting the destinations for this baseball offseason’s top-five free-agents, it is time to finish out the top-ten. This year’s crop of talent is fairly deep, with plenty of players looking to cash in and make an impact. Where will they end up? 6. David Ortiz Ortiz said after the Boston Red Sox season en

There are many questions surrounding who will manage the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, with both teams interviewing some of the same candidates, but not to be overlooked is free-agency. And this year’s crop is talent-laden with unknown destinations. So where will they go? 1. Albert Pujols This past week, coming off

It has been reported that Tony La Russa gave the St. Louis Cardinals front office notice in August that he would be leaving his post as manager at season’s end. At that time, it was hard not to believe his tenure would come to a conclusion in a month. The Cardinals were 10-plus games behind [...]

After Allen Craig caught the final out of Game 7, the St. Louis Cardinals left-fielder thrust his arms into the air, ran towards center-fielder Jon Jay, jumped into his arms, then sprinted with him towards the celebratory dog-pile. The two looked at each other as they ran in, and talked along the way, trying to [...]