Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco failed to show up Thursday for a meeting with a prosecutor who is investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor.
Prosecutor Olga Diná Llaverías said the investigation will continue regardless of Franco’s no-show. She waited for the All-Star player and his lawyers at her office, but they didn’t appear.
Dominican prosecutors and police showed up on Tuesday at a Franco property in Baní, his hometown about 37 miles southwest of Santo Domingo. They did not find the 22-year-old player to request he appear for testimony.
Wander Franco of the Tampa Bay Rays during a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Tropicana Field on Aug. 12, 2023, in St Petersburg, Florida.
Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images
Franco’s U.S.-based lawyer, Jay Reisinger, declined comment.
The Dominican Republic’s prosecutors’ office said on Aug. 14 that Franco was under investigation because of postings on his social media channels suggesting he had a relationship with a minor. The Associated Press has not been able to verify the reported posts.
Franco’s no-show could be because his current lawyers may not have been summoned for the meeting. The AP had access to a document in which lawyers Luz Díaz Rodríguez, Rosalina Trueba, Cristian Cabrera and Manuel Rodríguez were dismissed by Franco.
Franco was having an All-Star season before being sidelined in August, when authorities in the Dominican Republic began investigating claims that Franco had been in a relationship with a minor.
MLB launched its own investigation, placing Franco on the restricted list on Aug. 14 before moving him to administrative leave on Aug. 22 under its the joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy with the players’ association. He was paid received service time while on administrative leave. There is no timetable for a conclusion of MLB’s investigation and whether the results of the probe might lead to discipline by MLB.
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For the last four decades Mark Rivera has been bringing down the house as Billy Joel’s saxophone player, taking over the show with his solos on classics like “New York State of Mind.” “There’s no feeling like it in the world,” Rivera laughed. “That’s my moment to step into the light.”
But when the music calls for it, he admits, he goes back into the shadow. “Do I mind the shadow? Not at all.”
Saxophone player Mark Rivera on stage with Billy Joel.
CBS News
After half a century backing up headliners like Paul McCartney, Elton John, Tony Bennett and Simon & Garfunkel, Rivera’s got something to teach the rest of us about life lived, not in the spotlight, but as the title of his recent book suggests, just to the side of it.
River is author of “Sideman: In Pursuit of the Next Gig.” Being a sideman, he said, means “knowing where your place is. That’s very important, to know where your place is in life.”
Matt Holt
Axelrod asked, “What’s the biggest mistake a sideman can make?”
“Thinking he’s more important than the name on the marquee!” Rivera replied. “Overstepping your job description, thinking that your role is greater than it is.”
Bestselling author Tim Brown has also been thinking about some unsung heroes who operate mostly in the shadows, not just in music, but sports, entertainment, and everyday life.
But don’t kids grow up dreaming of the spotlight, not the shadows? “I think you find honor in what you do every day,” Brown said of a life in the shadow of greatness. “Even if it’s not the entire dream, you can still be great at what you need to get done today. You can still feed whatever it is inside of you and go to bed that night thinking, OK, I was my best self today. Is it the whole dream? No. Is it pieces of the dream? Yeah.”
Brown’s latest book, “The Tao of the Backup Catcher,” examines backup catchers – major league baseball’s version of a sideman, told through the eyes of a retired catcher named Erik Kratz. “You’re there to give the number one guy a day off,” Kratz said.
And how important is wrestling your ego to the ground? “So important,” he said. “You can’t have your ego out in front.”
Catcher Erik Kratz of the Milwaukee Brewers stands between Manny Machado of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who’d just kicked Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar after Machado was thrown out during the tenth inning of Game Four of the National League Championship Series, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, October 16, 2018.
Jeff Gross / Getty Images
Kratz built a long, satisfying career doing something he loved, playing 11 seasons for 14 major league organizations. His longevity in major league baseball, he said, was “100%” built on being okay with not being a superstar. Once he realized his talent would only take him so far, and nowhere near stardom, he created value with a team-first attitude. “So, while I’m only playing in a third of the games, I’m there every single day,” said Kratz. “I’m working out just as hard to get ready for the game, so that when I do play – at my completely average level! – it is the best that I can be for those 26 guys.”
Grand Central Publishing
Brown says that success comes down to “finding out who you are, whatever that is, and being the best at it that you can be.”
It’s a lesson in finding contentment built on a foundation of humility and gratitude: “Humility has nothing to do with your achievements; it’s about feeling for the rest of us,” said Brown. “Gratitude for where you are, who you are, what you’re becoming, even if it’s not all you want it to be.”
Axelrod said, “There are lessons to what you learn talking to backup catchers that have great value even outside a baseball stadium: Be a part of the team and take pride and pleasure in that. You work a long time, and you’ll find personal satisfaction.”
“I think that’s true on a baseball field; it’s true on a Broadway stage; it’s true at the Hollywood Bowl,” Brown said.
Kayla Pecchioni is walking, talking, singing, dancing proof of Brown’s point. At 31 she’s just getting started on Broadway, which she said was beyond her wildest dreams as a kid. As an understudy in the musical “Paradise Square,” Pecchioni brought the audience to its feet when she’s subbed for the lead.
Axelrod asked, “Doesn’t part of you, after that experience, think to yourself, I want more of that?“
“Yeah. Yeah. It has to, right?” Pecchioni replied. “Like, when you have that highlight on you, it’s such a beautiful moment.”
As an understudy, Kayla Pecchioni stepped into the star’s role in the Broadway musical “Paradise Square.”
Kayla Pecchioni
But she’s a prodigy when it comes to how she pursues her career – and finding happiness in pursuit of something as finicky and elusive as stardom. “Have you ever heard of the term glimmers?” she said. “Glimmers are small moments in life that make you appreciative of very everyday mundane things. And I think a superpower of mine is to see the glimmers.”
And as Mark Rivera will tell you, there are plenty of glimmers to be found, even in the shadows – never playing a gig without those essential component parts Tim Brown has identified: humility and gratitude. “The more grateful I become, or the more grateful I feel for the opportunity to step into the light, and to realize the humility takes me back out of the light,” Rivera said. “I love what I do. I genuinely love what I do!”
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Story produced by Amiel Weisfogel. Editor: Remington Korper.
Jim Axelrod is the chief investigative correspondent and senior national correspondent for CBS News, reporting for “CBS This Morning,” “CBS Evening News,” “CBS Sunday Morning” and other CBS News broadcasts.
Major League Baseball is entering its final weekend as multiple playoff spots remain up for grabs. CBS Sports baseball writer Matt Snyder joins to discuss his postseason picks.
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LOS ANGELES—After months of speculation over his playing future, baseball phenom Shohei Ohtani announced Friday his plans to leave the Los Angeles Angels for a team in Major League Baseball. “It’s been an honor playing for the Angels, and I’ll be sad to leave, but like many great foreign players before me, I want to see how well I stack up against the best players in the world by joining a Major League Baseball team,” said Ohtani, who is expected to be the subject of a fierce bidding war as he joins the MLB, with teams including the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros competing to sign the two-way star. “I also want to make sure I’m not a distraction for the other players on the Angels, especially since there have been so many MLB scouts coming to my games. I know the level of play in the major leagues will be much higher than what I’ve seen on the Angels, but I’m ready, and I’m really excited to finally be part of an MLB team. I want to take my time with my decision, though, because it would be great to find a team that I can spend my entire MLB career with.” Ohtani added that if his transition to a Major League Baseball team doesn’t pan out, he could always return to the Angels.
Paterson, New Jersey — For Black baseball players from the 1920s through the 1940s, the Negro leagues were home.
Notable owners, managers and players who never made it into the history books of Major League Baseball are a major part of a new documentary called “The League,” which recounts the dramatic ups and downs of the Negro leagues.
“It’s just amazing, the trials and tribulations they had to go through, just to play the game that they loved, baseball,” director Sam Pollard told CBS News.
Pollard relied on archival material and accounts from players like the late Hank Aaron. Before being known as the man who broke Babe Ruth’s MLB career record for home runs, Aaron played for Negro league teams.
“We got one dollar a day meal money, and we would buy one loaf of bread and we would buy a big jar of peanut butter,” Aaron says in the documentary. “That’s what we lived off of for three or four days.”
The film chronicles the boom times of Black baseball, when legends like Josh Gibson were drawing huge crowds.
“It’s probably the best documentary that I’ve seen so far,” Sean Gibson, Josh Gibson’s great-grandson, told CBS News.
“He was a single father raising twins, trying to play the game of baseball during a segregation time, and also trying to make a living for his family,” Sean Gibson added.
In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first Black man to integrate the MLB, a move which marked the beginning of the end. The loss of the Negro leagues’ biggest stars led to their demise in 1960.
Stadiums like Hinchliffe in Paterson, New Jersey, would eventually fall into disrepair. In May, however, Hinchliffe reopened, serving as a sports comeback story and a symbol of urban renewal.
It was saved by local activists from demolition, undergoing a $100 million renovation. It is one of the last surviving Negro league ballparks, and once again a place of civic pride.
“To know that players like Cool Papa Bell or Satchel Paige or Larry Doby or Monte Irvin played on this field is just such a pleasure,” Pollard said.
A field of dreamers who made history, with a legacy bigger than baseball.
“It’s important history for Americans to understand,” Pollard said.
“The League” is now available on digital streaming platforms.
Infielder Bobby Bonilla of the MLB’s New York Mets at a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, July 25, 1993.
Stephen Dunn | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
Former Major League Baseball player Bobby Bonilla collects a $1,193,248.20 check from the New York Mets every July 1, and he’ll continue to do so until 2035. The catch? He hasn’t played for the team in 24 years.
Bonilla scored this deal in 2000, when the Mets still owed him $5.9 million. However, the all-star player agreed to defer his payment to let the Mets invest in the team and stadium. In return, the Mets agreed to pay Bonilla back $29.8 million over 35 years — one of the MLB’s most famous deals ever.
In fact, ever since, July 1 has been known as Bobby Bonilla Day.
“For Bobby Bonilla, they’ve taken big lump sums of money [and] instead of giving [him] money up front, they’ll convert that money into a future stream of income payments,” said certified financial planner Louis Barajas, CEO of International Private Wealth Advisors in Irvine, California. Barajas is also a member of CNBC’s Financial Advisor Council.
An annuity is a lump sum of money, often taken out of a retirement plan, which is converted into a future stream of income, or annuitized. Insurance companies guarantee payments for a set period that can span the rest of your life or beyond. Payments might begin immediately or be deferred.
The allure for investors is a guaranteed stream of income, much similar to Social Security or pensions. That can alleviate fears of running out of money in retirement.
How do insurance companies determine how much money they’re going to give you? It’s based on a couple of things, said Barajas. These include the rate of return they think they can earn on the money you give them, and your life expectancy, added Barajas.
Demand for annuities has soared this year amid concerns about the economy and lingering hints of a potential recession. Annuities struck a record sale of $310.6 billion in 2022, according to estimates released by Limra, an insurance trade group.
Annuities are an investment product that have benefited from record-high interest rates — the higher the interest rate, the better the monthly rate you’re going to get, Barajas said. Calculations are starting to change because companies have to figure out how to benefit the consumer and people are, on average, living longer, sometimes to age 95 or 100, he said.
“If you annuitize it, the company has to guarantee you that income,” said Barajas. “Once it’s annuitized, it’s guaranteed for the rest of your life.”
Annuities aren’t for everyone, however. There are many different kinds, and some can be hard to understand or come with expensive terms and fees. There can also be restrictions and important but easily overlooked fine print, including terms that make it difficult or impossible to get your principal back if you change your mind.
Here are three ways to educate yourself before signing an annuity contract, Barajas said:
Look at the insurance company’s reputation. You’re giving a significant amount of money to an annuity provider, so make sure it has a good reputation, including a strong credit rating from an agency, such as AM Best or Standard & Poor’s, and favorable reviews from customers.
Vet the agent or advisor. “Don’t pull the trigger with the first person you meet,” said Barajas. Check that the person selling you the annuity has a good reputation and a clean professional history. Ideally, pick someone who isn’t a captive agent and can work with multiple companies. “I always tell clients to ask, ‘Are you working as fiduciary for me, and can I get that in writing?’”
Consider how an annuity fits in your larger financial plan. There are no good or bad products; it’s the context, said Barajas. “What are the pros and the cons?” he said. “Every investment has a plus and a minus.” Make sure you fully understand the commitment you are about to make and talk with a financial advisor about whether other products might be a better fit for your needs.
NEW CANAAN, CT—Sources familiar with the man’s role in his child’s life confirmed to reporters Monday that local dad Marcus Weir’s parenting strategy is solely focused on ensuring his son doesn’t become a New York Yankees fan. Beginning shortly after his son Miles’ birth nine years ago, Weir reportedly concentrated the entirety of his fatherly influence on making the boy a supporter of any sports team besides the Yankees, a project he initiated by acquiring several Mets onesies in his son’s infancy. Several reports indicated that as his son has grown older, Weir has provided little encouragement for the boy’s budding interests in Legos, hockey, and books, instead looking for any sign that his son might be entertaining thoughts of liking the Yankees. To date, the strongest show of emotion the father has displayed to his son reportedly followed an instance in which Miles said “This is boring” when Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was up to bat during a Yankees–Red Sox game. However, sources close to the family noted that Weir also expressed concern that his son won’t like baseball at all, which would undermine the careful work the father has put in to raise his son as a devoted Yankee hater. At press time, reports stated that Weir had shown his first interest in his son’s social circle, offering a tactful suggestion that a boy in Miles’ class who wore a Yankees hat to school was the kind of bad kid his son shouldn’t associate with.
104-Year-Old Man Awarded WWII Medal Just To Be Nice
“High School Musical” actress Vanessa Hudgens is showing off her engagement ring for the first time, a week after rumors of her engagement to Colorado Rockies player Cole Tucker were first reported.
Hudgens, 34, shared an image of her and Tucker, 26, on Instagram Thursday showing off her ring in front of the Eiffel Tower.
“YES,” she captioned the photo. “We couldn’t be happier.”
People Magazine first reported the couple’s engagement on Feb. 3 with other reports saying they got engaged at the end of last year. The news comes just over two years after dating rumors between the two first began.
In 2021, Hudgens revealed how she met Tucker – a former Diamondbacks player who now has a minor-league contract with the Colorado Rockies – on CBS’ The Drew Barrymore Show. The two met on Zoom, Hudgens said.
“It’s so weird. … I still cannot get over the fact that it happened,” Hudgens said, adding that she had “gave up” dating for a bit right before they met. But then, while she was working on the movie “Tick, Tick… Boom!” her friend introduced her to a Zoom meditation group, which other actors and singers Joe Jonas and Wilmer Valderrama were also reportedly a part of.
“There’s a GIF in the group chat of a baseball player and he’s sliding onto a base. And I thought it was a joke, so I just responded, ‘hot.’ And then I get on the Zoom and I’m like, ‘who is that?’ And I found him and we started talking and yeah, it’s wild that we found each other over Zoom.”
.@VanessaHudgens explains the fun way she found love on a Zoom call.
— The Drew Barrymore Show (@DrewBarrymoreTV) May 7, 2021
“If I want something or someone, I’m going after ’em,” she continued. “I fully just slid into his DMs and was like, ‘hey, it was nice to meet you.’ So I think there’s no shame in making the first move.”
HAVANA (AP) — The United States will permit Major League Baseball players from Cuba to represent their home country in the World Baseball Classic next year.
The decision announced Saturday in a news release by the Baseball Federation of Cuba (FCB) could be a big step in once again turning Cuba’s national team into heavy hitters on an international stage.
Major League Baseball confirmed Monday that the U.S. granted the license to FCB. It clears the way for MLB stars such as José Abreu, Yordan Alvarez, Randy Arozarena, Yoán Moncada and Luis Robert to play for Cuba in the WBC in March if they choose to accept a potential invitation.
It’s up to each country’s national governing body to pick the players on its WBC team. Final 30-man rosters are due Feb. 7 for the WBC, which begins March 8 with Cuba facing the Netherlands in Taiwan.
While the sport of choice for much of Latin America is soccer, baseball dominates in Cuba. The island has gained fame around the world for its baseball talent.
But in recent years, hundreds of those players have defected from Cuba to play professionally elsewhere. Most notably, many have become United States residents and stars with major league teams in the U.S.
The defections are largely due to a not-so-uncommon geopolitical spat between the two seaside neighbors, leaving Cuban players stuck in the middle.
Cuban athletes competing on the island can’t earn a paycheck under the communist government, which prohibited professional sports following the Cuban revolution 60 years ago.
Longtime sanctions by the U.S. make it largely impossible for Cubans to play professionally for an American team without defecting. Meanwhile, Cuba historically has not allowed Cuban players who defected on their national team rosters.
The defections have taken a toll on Cuba’s performance in international baseball competitions. For example, the Cuban baseball team failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after years of previously winning medals in the sport.
In November, Cuba changed its tune and invited several top players who defected to represent the country in the World Baseball Classic, a tournament that features some of the sport’s top players competing in Japan, Taiwan and the U.S.
Weeks later, Cuban officials accused the Biden administration of blocking those players from representing Cuba.
In a statement Saturday, FCB President Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo called the permit a “positive step,” and said the Cuban federation should have more information about the team’s WBC roster once it has more details about the license granted by the U.S.
At the same time, Pérez Pardo also criticized the U.S., tweeting Saturday that “it is arbitrary and discriminatory that a permit from the government of this country (the U.S.) is needed to attend” the WBC.
AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick in New York contributed to this report.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Free-agent ace Jacob deGrom and the Texas Rangers agreed to a five-year contract Friday.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner leaves the New York Mets after nine seasons — the past two shortened by injuries.
After making his first start last season in early August, deGrom went 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA. He helped the Mets reach the playoffs, then opted out of his contract to become a free agent.
Texas announced the signing Friday night after the 34-year-old deGrom passed his physical.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports
HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 19: Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees looks on during the second … [+] inning against the Houston Astros in game one of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 19, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
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The postmortem press conference held by the New York Yankees assessing the ball club’s 2022 season will not be remembered for its illuminating commentaries or bold proclamations given their dismal demise at the hands of the Houston Astros for the fourth time in the postseason since the 2015 American League Wild Card ball game. The Yankees did announce they will pick up right-handed pitcher Luis Severino’s $15 million club option instead of paying him a $2.75 million buyout. Manager Aaron Boone and Senior Vice President, General Manager Brian Cashman answered a myriad of questions regarding the next steps for the Yankees as it is safe to say the franchise’s leadership is deeply committed to a process oriented approach to management instead of one solely driven by results or emotion. As the Astros hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy over their heads once again after a 4-1 Game Six victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the 118th World Series, it is imperative for the Yankees to use discomfort as a fuel for urgency when it comes to offseason planning.
Cashman’s contract had expired on October 31st and is essentially working for free until he and Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner can iron out the details on a new agreement. He just completed a five-year, $25 million contract according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. In a quarter century as general manager, Cashman has won six American League pennants and four world championships all but assuring himself a bronze plaque in the hallowed halls of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. A preeminent and well respected baseball executive, Cashman has been in the crosshairs of irate fans as some believe analytics has adversely affected the Yankees’ aggressiveness in free agency.
Given a World Series drought that has now reached 13 years in length and concerns regarding roster construction, many are left to wonder are employees in the analytics department held to a different set of standards than coaches throughout the organization. A fair and honest question given the results in recent years, but not an indictment against analytics. It is healthy to assess all methods of management as ball clubs are constantly looking for competitive advantages and being early adopters of innovative ideas. Accountability cannot solely rest on the shoulders of the ball players and coaching staff if analytics are an integral part of the organization’s culture.
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman attends batting practice during a workout ahead of … [+] Game 1 of baseball’s American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The Yankees are emphasizing the importance of process when it comes to discussions regarding results. Curiosity and sound reasoning are just as important as the ability to adapt and grow in a fast paced, results driven environment. They have little patience for employees who are unwilling to make the necessary adjustments and have become stagnant both in thought and action. Trust is evident if the Yankees are seeing employees demonstrate a high aptitude for modern baseball management while carefully explaining decisions in a manner that makes logical sense given the situation. This thought process was evident in Cashman’s remarks when it came to discussing high-contact hitters such as DJ LeMahieu and Andrew Benintendi as their injuries adversely affected the postseason roster.
It will not make the least of difference to fans if the Yankees part ways with a data scientist or two if they cannot recapture the essence of their past with a forward-thinking mentality. Intangibles have always played an integral role in cultivating the Yankees’ championship DNA. They have thrived when the clubhouse culture was a perfect blend of intensity and urgency with a splash of confidence. An endearing aspect of the most recent Yankees’ dynasty was how catcher Jorge Posada’s fiery personality fit perfectly with the quiet confidence exuded by Derek Jeter.
The Yankees must ask themselves what a championship DNA looks like in 2023 with or without free agent outfielder Aaron Judge. The reality is they will not commit over $600 million to two ball players in long-term contracts with one of them being Judge this offseason. Dreams of pairing Judge with the likes of free agent shortstops Carlos Correa or Trea Turner will stay safely in the imaginations of fans. Don’t expect a present day version of the winter prior to the 2009 season where the Yankees had invested $423.5 million into pitchers CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett along with first baseman Mark Teixeira. Besides winning their 27th world championship, the Yankees paid a $25.69 million penalty on a $226.2 million payroll for Competitive Balance Tax purposes according to the Associated Press.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 19: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees at bat during the first inning … [+] in the game against the Houston Astros in game one of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 19, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
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With Judge being priority number one, the Yankees must thrive on the discomfort that accompanies urgency and get creative when it comes to addressing deficiencies. They also must reflect on an important question: do the Yankees need a dramatic shift by overhauling their roster or is it a series of careful tweaks at certain positions? Given the changes next season regarding the limitations on defensive shifts, the Yankees need to evolve from being dangerous to excellent hitters as they ranked 21st in Major League Baseball with a 75.8 percent contact percentage according to FanGraphs.
Removing emotions and impatience, the Yankees have traditionally delivered on four key objectives: a top five payroll in Major League Baseball, 90 or more victories in a season, home attendance exceeding 3 million, and qualifying for the postseason. However, they are light years behind the Astros when it comes to the amateur draft, international scouting, free agency, payroll efficiency, avoiding the Competitive Balance Tax, high impact trades, and managerial experience. The Yankees have struggled to adjust when it comes to the big moments in the postseason, especially against the Astros.
Contrary to the sentiments expressed by Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman, the New York Yankees are still a distance away from achieving World Series glory. The gap has widened between them and the Houston Astros after seeing their current nemesis celebrate a second world championship in six years. The Yankees have amassed a plethora of cutting edge resources and talent but have yet to find the best way to develop a checks and balance system that works well for the franchise. In some instances, they must get out of their own way and stop overthinking matters by finding the glue that binds everything together. The Yankees must use the discomfort of urgency as a motivating factor this offseason and pay close attention to the Astros’ blueprint for success.
HOUSTON—Following their victory over the Philadelphia Phillies to clinch the title, the Houston Astros credited their World Series win to the subject of a future MLB investigation. “We couldn’t have done it without the tactics that will be at the center of a wide-ranging probe by MLB officials roughly 18 months from now,” said Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, adding that his teammates would always recall the thrilling series as another stain on the franchise’s legacy. “There’s no feeling like this in the world, to know that you’ve won it all, and it’s all thanks to a clandestine system developed by our bench coach and put into action by a few players who will be the subject of rumors beginning in a few months, with everything coming to light just before the 2024 season. Ultimately, we couldn’t have done it without numerous violations that will result in the suspension of multiple players and coaches, and nobody can take that away from us, even though there will be calls to vacate our championship after this all gets out in the open.” At press time, Astros owner Jim Crane reportedly congratulated the team for carrying out the subject of the investigation in such a way as to keep him immune from punishment.
PHILADELPHIA — Jeremy Peña trotted around third base, looked toward the Houston dugout and gave the most casual two-handed shrug you’ll ever see on a ballfield.
Like it was any routine game in May.
Only this was November. In the World Series. In the biggest game of his life.
Yep, this Peña postseason just kept getting better and better.
Showing the polish and poise of a proven veteran, the 25-year-old Peña put on quite an all-around performance Thursday night. He became the first rookie shortstop to homer in the World Series, added two key singles and made a critical leaping catch in a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5.
“Rookie or not rookie, it doesn’t matter,” Peña said. “We’re in the World Series. You just go out and play. Go compete and let the best man win.”
Having already won the AL Championship Series MVP award and a Gold Glove in the last two weeks, the emerging star from the Dominican Republic helped Houston move one win away from the ultimate prize — the World Series trophy.
Ahead 3-2 in the matchup with the Phillies, it’s hard to imagine now the Astros started the season with many fans wondering how in the world they would replace All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa, who signed with Minnesota as a free agent.
“I never saw it as having to fill shoes,” Peña said. “I just had to come in and be myself, play my game. But at the end of the season, once we accomplish our goal, which is to go all the way, then I’ll sit down and reflect on the journey. But there’s still work to do and we’ve got to lock in.”
Again proving the biggest moments in baseball aren’t too big for him, the expressive and exuberant Peña grounded a hard RBI single up the middle in the first inning, then reached high to spear Nick Castellanos’ liner to thwart a potential rally in the third.
In the fourth, Peña lofted a go-ahead, solo drive into the left-field seats for a 2-1 lead and chased Phillies starter Noah Syndergaard.
“It felt good off the bat but I didn’t know if it was enough,” Peña said. “I was running normal and then when the umpire signaled, that’s when I started jogging.”
Peña pointed his right index finger high as he approached second base and slapped his hands together after crossing the bag. He gave a shrug moments later — shades of Michael Jordan, maybe — and put his hands together to form a heart after touching home plate.
No wonder manager Dusty Baker and the Astros love him so much.
“Well, he came into camp as a young player. He had his eyes open. He always paid attention. You could tell he was very attentive and confident, but quiet,” Baker said. “Boy, he’s played remarkably well. Boy, I mean, he’s really carried us for a while here through this postseason, and that’s especially tough for a young player, a young shortstop. And I’m just glad we have him.”
Peña showed he could play small ball, too, adeptly delivering a hit-and-run single that set up a much-needed insurance run in the eighth.
The three-hit show made Peña 8 for 21 (.381) with a pair of doubles to go along with the homer in the World Series.
That’s all come after he was 7 for 16 (.353) with two home runs and two doubles in the four-game sweep of the Yankees in the ALCS.
“I just go out and enjoy it, have fun, play hard, play my game, and then just trust my preparation,” Peña said. “There’s a lot of preparation that’s gone into this.”
He credited his Houston teammates for helping him keep his composure under pressure in close games this time of year.
“They prepare for every single game. It rubs off on you. They have a sense of calmness because they have been here I guess four years out of the last six,” Peña said. “So you just gravitate towards them and just go out and compete and have fun.”
The Astros thought they saw something special as Peña batted .253 with 22 home runs during the regular season while excelling on defense.
This October — and November — the Astros and the baseball world have seen just how special.
“I talked to him earlier in the year about being ready, especially in a clutch situation, and to remain aggressive. And he works at it. He works at his game,” Baker said.
“Every once in a while these guys come along — not that often. But it just goes to show you, I mean, his future is very, very bright.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports
Democrats are making their final pitches to to hold onto control of the House and the Senate, and hoping to see first lady Jill Biden join them on the campaign trail. But on Friday night, the only pitching she’s likely to be watching is going to be taking place in Houston, where her beloved Phillies beat the Astros in Game 1.
“The First Lady will be closely following the World Series and cheering on her home team, the Phillies,” her office told CBS News.
There’s also a time-honored tradition among first ladies to throw out ceremonial first pitches.In 1971, Pat Nixon was the first to throw out the first pitch, according to Colleen Shogan, senior vice president and director of the David M. Rubenstein Center at the White House Historical Association. Nancy Reagan also threw out a first pitch at Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, and six and a half months later, Barbara Bush threw out the first pitch for the Texas Rangers.
Jill Biden is also not the first first-Lady baseball fan. Shogan shared a few other examples from White House history:
Grace Coolidge
President William Taft and his wife, Helen, may have been the first first couple to attend a baseball game, but President Calvin Coolidge and his wife Grace were certainly the first dedicated first-couple fans. And it was Grace Coolidge who was the more avid fan.
“The first lady who historically was the biggest baseball fan was Grace Coolidge,” Shogan said. “She came to the White House as a baseball fan but she really was an even bigger baseball fan because the Washington Senators, at the time, were in the World Series in 1924 and she went to a lot of the Senators games with the president, Calvin Coolidge. But she was admittedly the bigger baseball fan, bigger than the president. She kept score during the game.”
Former President Calvin Coolidge and first lady Grace Coolidge at a baseball game in 1924.
Library of Congress
There was one famous incident, Shogan said, where President Calvin Coolidge wanted to leave one of the World Series games to get back to the White House and Grace Coolidge “pulled his coattails and told him to sit back and wait until the game was over,” Shogan said.
When the Senators won the World Series in 1924, Coolidge “jumped up and down and was celebrating,” Shogan said.
After Coolidge left office in 1929, they moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, where Grace Coolidge then adopted the Boston Red Sox as her home team, and frequently traveled to go see them play.
“She was just known in the stadium — Fenway Park — as being one of the most dedicated fans,” Shogan said.
Bess Truman
President Harry Truman’s wife, Bess Truman, was also a big baseball devotee. She had a reputation for being prim, but had been an athlete as a young woman. She even played baseball with her brothers growing up, which was “kind of unusual in that time period,” Shogan said.
Harry and Bess Truman would attend Washington Senators games together, but he frequently was busy and couldn’t go, so Bess Truman would sometimes bring their daughter, Margaret, with her.
“Even President Truman admitted that Bess Truman was the bigger baseball fan, was a bigger baseball fan than he was,” Shogan said.
After Truman left office and the couple moved back to Missouri, she adopted the Kansas City Royals. Even into her later years, after Truman died, Bess Truman still listened to the Kansas City Royals games on the radio and watched them on television.
Barbara Bush
George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush moved to West Texas in 1948 and later the Houston area, and she adopted Texas baseball teams.
Although she was a diehard Houston Astros fan, she also rooted for the Texas Rangers when her son, future President George W. Bush, was the chairman of the team. She threw out a first pitch for the Rangers in 1989, shortly after her husband took office.
Former first lady Barbara Bush throws out the first pitch before Game 4 of National League Championship Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Houston Astros during the 2004 Major League Baseball Playoffs at Minute Maid Park, October 17, 2004 in Houston, Texas.
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Barbara Bush enjoyed scorekeeping – the mark of a true fan. George W. Bush wrote in his book, “Barbara Bush: Matriarch of a Dynasty,” that “not many people know how to score a baseball game,” according to the Houston Chronicle. Bush said he has “vivid memories of seeing her sitting at our games, keeping score.”
“She kept a detailed scorecard for every game they attended,” former Astros owner Drayton McLane told the Houston Chronicle after her death in 2018. “Every once in awhile there would be a tricky play and she would ask me, ‘How do you score that?’ and I would have to say, ‘Barbara, I don’t know,’ and get one of our baseball people to help her. She must have had hundreds of scorecards, all meticulously filled out. She said if you should do something, you should do it well.’”
Scoring baseball involves keeping track of every play of the game, including each pitch, at-bat, hit, run and out – and judging whether runs are the results of hits or errors, for instance.
The Bushes remained avid baseball fans long after he left the White House in 1993, and in 2017, George H.W. Bush threw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 5 of the World Series.
After she and her husband died in 2018, the Astros paid tribute to both of them at Opening Day 2019, with the 149th Fighter Wing of Texas Air National Guard conducting a flyover, according to the Houston Chronicle. Their grandson, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, threw the ceremonial first pitch.
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama grew up in the South Side of Chicago, and prior to living in the White House, the Obama family lived in the South Kenwood neighborhood. Former President Barack Obama made no secret of his loyalty to the South Side team, the Chicago White Sox, but Michelle Obama never talked about her loyalties until 2012.
At an event for Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day in 2012, Michelle Obama was quizzed about how big a White Sox fan she is and she had a surprising answer, according to CBS Chicago.
“I grew up a Cubs fan,” she said. “We’re a mixed marriage.”
She said she supported all of Chicago’s teams, although she had a special place in her heart for the Cubs.
“People always wonder, ‘Why are you a Cubs fan?’ because we live on the South Side,” she said, according to CBS Chicago. “But I tell them, my dad was a Cubs fan from the time I was little.”
When the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, President Obama honored the Cubs at the White House. He said Michelle Obama was a “lifelong Cubs fan,” according to NBC.
“I will tell you … in the eight years that I’ve been here, we’ve hosted at least 50 teams. Football, baseball, basketball, soccer, you name it,” Obama said. “Michelle has never come to a single event celebrating a champion until today. She came and shook hands and met with every one of these members of the Cubs organization and told a story about what it meant for her to be able to see them win. She remembers coming home from school, and her dad would be watching a Cubs game, and the bond and the family, the meaning that the Cubs had for her in terms of connecting with her father and why it meant so much to her.”
Michelle Obama also partnered with Major League Baseball as part of the Let’s Move initiative, throwing out the first pitch at the Baltimore Orioles game in 2010 as part of that program to encourage kids to exercise. She also recorded public service announcements with several MLB players.
First lady Michelle Obama shakes hands with members of the Tampa Bay Rays before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on July 20, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Greg Fiume / Getty Images
Jill Biden
The Phillies are known for having a dedicated fan base, but President Joe Biden has called his wife the “most rabid” Phillies fan.
“This team plays with such heart — so proud to be a @Phillies fan today, and every day,” she tweeted when they clinched their 2022 World Series berth
Jill Biden, a native of a Philadelphia suburb, said watching the games with her father were some of her favorite childhood memories.
“I was a little girl,” she told ABC News in 2009, recalling watching games on the family’s black-and-white Philco TV. “It was a great father-daughter memory for me.”
In the final days of the 2008 campaign when Mr. Biden was the vice presidential nominee, Jill Biden and her granddaughter Maisy were at the World Series game when the Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays.
Then-Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill watch the Philadelphia Phillies host the St. Louis Cardinals during Game 5 of the National League Divisional Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 7, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Drew Hallowell / Getty Images
“I gotta tell ya, my wife, I’m on the campaign trail, she says, ‘Joe, I’m going to the Series.’” then-Senator Joe Biden said of his wife’s decision to go home and watch her team.
Jill Biden called it “exciting” to be there when the Phillies won, and she later said it was “one of the “best nights” of the campaign.
She continued to attend Phillies games throughout Mr. Biden’s time as vice president and in the years following. She’s even been photographed embracing the Phillie Phanatic, the team’s furry green mascot.
The Phillie Phanatic hugs first lady Jill Biden prior to the game between the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 9, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Getty Images
At a campaign event last week, Mr. Biden said “even if I didn’t like Philly — I would be sleeping alone if I didn’t” root for the Philadelphia teams.
Democrats are making their final pitches to to hold onto control of the House and the Senate, and hoping to see first lady Jill Biden join them on the campaign trail. But on Friday night, the only pitching she’s likely to be watching is going to be taking place in Houston, where her beloved Phillies will be taking on the Astros in Game 1 of the World Series.
“The First Lady will be closely following the World Series and cheering on her home team, the Phillies,” her office told CBS News.
There’s also a time-honored tradition among first ladies to throw out ceremonial first pitches.In 1971, Pat Nixon was the first to throw out the first pitch, according to Colleen Shogan, senior vice president and director of the David M. Rubenstein Center at the White House Historical Association. Nancy Reagan also threw out a first pitch at Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, and six and a half months later, Barbara Bush threw out the first pitch for the Texas Rangers.
Jill Biden is also not the first first-Lady baseball fan. Shogan shared a few other examples from White House history:
Grace Coolidge
President William Taft and his wife, Helen, may have been the first first couple to attend a baseball game, but President Calvin Coolidge and his wife Grace were certainly the first dedicated first-couple fans. And it was Grace Coolidge who was the more avid fan.
“The first lady who historically was the biggest baseball fan was Grace Coolidge,” Shogan said. “She came to the White House as a baseball fan but she really was an even bigger baseball fan because the Washington Senators, at the time, were in the World Series in 1924 and she went to a lot of the Senators games with the president, Calvin Coolidge. But she was admittedly the bigger baseball fan, bigger than the president. She kept score during the game.”
Former President Calvin Coolidge and first lady Grace Coolidge at a baseball game in 1924.
Library of Congress
There was one famous incident, Shogan said, where President Calvin Coolidge wanted to leave one of the World Series games to get back to the White House and Grace Coolidge “pulled his coattails and told him to sit back and wait until the game was over,” Shogan said.
When the Senators won the World Series in 1924, Coolidge “jumped up and down and was celebrating,” Shogan said.
After Coolidge left office in 1929, they moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, where Grace Coolidge then adopted the Boston Red Sox as her home team, and frequently traveled to go see them play.
“She was just known in the stadium — Fenway Park — as being one of the most dedicated fans,” Shogan said.
Bess Truman
President Harry Truman’s wife, Bess Truman, was also a big baseball devotee. She had a reputation for being prim, but had been an athlete as a young woman. She even played baseball with her brothers growing up, which was “kind of unusual in that time period,” Shogan said.
Harry and Bess Truman would attend Washington Senators games together, but he frequently was busy and couldn’t go, so Bess Truman would sometimes bring their daughter, Margaret, with her.
“Even President Truman admitted that Bess Truman was the bigger baseball fan, was a bigger baseball fan than he was,” Shogan said.
After Truman left office and the couple moved back to Missouri, she adopted the Kansas City Royals. Even into her later years, after Truman died, Bess Truman still listened to the Kansas City Royals games on the radio and watched them on television.
Barbara Bush
George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush moved to West Texas in 1948 and later the Houston area, and she adopted Texas baseball teams.
Although she was a diehard Houston Astros fan, she also rooted for the Texas Rangers when her son, future President George W. Bush, was the chairman of the team. She threw out a first pitch for the Rangers in 1989, shortly after her husband took office.
Former first lady Barbara Bush throws out the first pitch before Game 4 of National League Championship Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Houston Astros during the 2004 Major League Baseball Playoffs at Minute Maid Park, October 17, 2004 in Houston, Texas.
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Barbara Bush enjoyed scorekeeping – the mark of a true fan. George W. Bush wrote in his book, “Barbara Bush: Matriarch of a Dynasty,” that “not many people know how to score a baseball game,” according to the Houston Chronicle. Bush said he has “vivid memories of seeing her sitting at our games, keeping score.”
“She kept a detailed scorecard for every game they attended,” former Astros owner Drayton McLane told the Houston Chronicle after her death in 2018. “Every once in awhile there would be a tricky play and she would ask me, ‘How do you score that?’ and I would have to say, ‘Barbara, I don’t know,’ and get one of our baseball people to help her. She must have had hundreds of scorecards, all meticulously filled out. She said if you should do something, you should do it well.’”
Scoring baseball involves keeping track of every play of the game, including each pitch, at-bat, hit, run and out – and judging whether runs are the results of hits or errors, for instance.
The Bushes remained avid baseball fans long after he left the White House in 1993, and in 2017, George H.W. Bush threw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 5 of the World Series.
After she and her husband died in 2018, the Astros paid tribute to both of them at Opening Day 2019, with the 149th Fighter Wing of Texas Air National Guard conducting a flyover, according to the Houston Chronicle. Their grandson, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, threw the ceremonial first pitch.
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama grew up in the South Side of Chicago, and prior to living in the White House, the Obama family lived in the South Kenwood neighborhood. Former President Barack Obama made no secret of his loyalty to the South Side team, the Chicago White Sox, but Michelle Obama never talked about her loyalties until 2012.
At an event for Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day in 2012, Michelle Obama was quizzed about how big a White Sox fan she is and she had a surprising answer, according to CBS Chicago.
“I grew up a Cubs fan,” she said. “We’re a mixed marriage.”
She said she supported all of Chicago’s teams, although she had a special place in her heart for the Cubs.
“People always wonder, ‘Why are you a Cubs fan?’ because we live on the South Side,” she said, according to CBS Chicago. “But I tell them, my dad was a Cubs fan from the time I was little.”
When the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, President Obama honored the Cubs at the White House. He said Michelle Obama was a “lifelong Cubs fan,” according to NBC.
“I will tell you … in the eight years that I’ve been here, we’ve hosted at least 50 teams. Football, baseball, basketball, soccer, you name it,” Obama said. “Michelle has never come to a single event celebrating a champion until today. She came and shook hands and met with every one of these members of the Cubs organization and told a story about what it meant for her to be able to see them win. She remembers coming home from school, and her dad would be watching a Cubs game, and the bond and the family, the meaning that the Cubs had for her in terms of connecting with her father and why it meant so much to her.”
Michelle Obama also partnered with Major League Baseball as part of the Let’s Move initiative, throwing out the first pitch at the Baltimore Orioles game in 2010 as part of that program to encourage kids to exercise. She also recorded public service announcements with several MLB players.
First lady Michelle Obama shakes hands with members of the Tampa Bay Rays before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on July 20, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Greg Fiume / Getty Images
Jill Biden
The Phillies are known for having a dedicated fan base, but President Joe Biden has called his wife the “most rabid” Phillies fan.
“This team plays with such heart — so proud to be a @Phillies fan today, and every day,” she tweeted when they clinched their 2022 World Series berth
Jill Biden, a native of a Philadelphia suburb, said watching the games with her father were some of her favorite childhood memories.
“I was a little girl,” she told ABC News in 2009, recalling watching games on the family’s black-and-white Philco TV. “It was a great father-daughter memory for me.”
In the final days of the 2008 campaign when Mr. Biden was the vice presidential nominee, Jill Biden and her granddaughter Maisy were at the World Series game when the Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays.
Then-Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill watch the Philadelphia Phillies host the St. Louis Cardinals during Game 5 of the National League Divisional Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 7, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Drew Hallowell / Getty Images
“I gotta tell ya, my wife, I’m on the campaign trail, she says, ‘Joe, I’m going to the Series.’” then-Senator Joe Biden said of his wife’s decision to go home and watch her team.
Jill Biden called it “exciting” to be there when the Phillies won, and she later said it was “one of the “best nights” of the campaign.
She continued to attend Phillies games throughout Mr. Biden’s time as vice president and in the years following. She’s even been photographed embracing the Phillie Phanatic, the team’s furry green mascot.
The Phillie Phanatic hugs first lady Jill Biden prior to the game between the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 9, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Getty Images
At a campaign event last week, Mr. Biden said “even if I didn’t like Philly — I would be sleeping alone if I didn’t” root for the Philadelphia teams.
HOUSTON—Marveling to himself as he looked up at a replay on the stadium scoreboard, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was reportedly heard saying that he still couldn’t get over how small he looked out there. “My God, I look so tiny up there—it seriously gets me every time,” said the awestruck Altuve, adding that there was “no way in hell” he was as tall as his 5-foot-6-inch listed height. “You’d think that after a decade in the majors I’d be used to it, but every time I see myself out there, I just get totally blown away by how small I am. See me up there next to Yordan [Alvarez]? The height discrepancy looks ridiculous. Every time I see myself, I just can’t believe a guy that small can play professional baseball.” At press time, Altuve was asking those around him if he used a child-size glove out there or what.
MIAMI — Skip Schumaker was a candidate to take over as manager of the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets in recent years, only to see those clubs pick someone else.
The Miami Marlins didn’t let him get away.
Schumaker has been hired by the Marlins to become the 16th manager in franchise history, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Tuesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because the Marlins had not announced the hiring.
He comes to Miami from St. Louis, where he spent this season as the bench coach. Schumaker had been a first-base coach and associate manager for San Diego from 2018 through 2021, then joined the Cardinals’ staff.
The 42-year-old Schumaker takes over in Miami for Don Mattingly, who managed the Marlins for seven seasons. Mattingly went 443-587 with Miami, winning the NL Manager of the Year award after leading the Marlins to the playoffs in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Mattingly’s contract expired when this season ended, and he and the Marlins’ front office — owner Bruce Sherman and general manager Kim Ng — agreed it would be best for both sides not to enter into a new deal.
That prompted a search by Miami, and Schumaker became the pick.
Schumaker played in the majors for 11 seasons, mostly with the Cardinals, and now gets his first managerial opportunity with Miami — which shares a spring training complex in Jupiter, Florida, with St. Louis.
Schumaker was a starter for the Cardinals team that won the 2011 World Series. The California native batted .278 in 1,149 games while primarily playing second base and the outfield. He retired in March 2016 while in camp with the Padres on a minor-league deal.
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The National League champion Phillies and the American League champion Astros will meet in the World Series starting this weekend. Matt Snyder, a baseball writer with CBS Sports, joins John Dickerson on “Prime Time” with a preview of what to watch for.
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NEW YORK — Nestor Cortes’ fastball dropped 3 mph from the end of the second inning to the third in Game 4 of the AL Championship Series, and New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone walked to the mound with head athletic trainer Tim Lentych.
“He said he was fine,” Boone recalled. “I’m not going to just pull him out of the game because he isn’t perfect.”
“It’s kind of embarrassing that that happened, obviously, with the circumstances we were in,” Cortes said.
Cortes had reaggravated his strained left groin during workouts in the five days ahead of the Division Series opener against Cleveland on Oct. 11 but made a pair of starts against the Guardians and won Game 5.
He allowed a single and a walk in the first two innings against the Astros, then walked Martín Maldonado leading off the third and had a 2-1 count on Jose Altuve when Boone made the mound visit after his eighth pitch of the inning.
“He asked me how I felt and I told him, `I feel well enough to compete. I feel great,’” Cortes recalled. “He knows I’m a competitor. He knows that it’s going to be hard to take me off the mound. And I think I showed all year that I’ve gained respect from him to leave me out there and grind through it.”
Cortes threw 17 fastballs in the first two innings against Houston ranging from 89.4 to 92.4 mph. His seven in the second inning were from 87.7 mph to 89.1 mph.
His control was off. Cortes went to three-ball counts on seven of 11 batters and he threw just 28 of 55 pitches for strikes.
“It gradually got worse. It started locking up on me there in the third,” Cortes said.
Altuve’s walk marked the first time the 27-year-old All-Star left-hander walked consecutive batters this year. He fell behind 3-1 when Pena homered on a cutter, driving it into the left-field seats.
“I don’t think that homer was because I was hurt,” Cortes said. “It was just, he put a good swing to it. I thought I had located the pitch pretty well.”
Cortes did not pitch between Aug. 21 and Sept. 8 because of a strained left groin, then returned to make five regular-season starts and two in the Division Series, when he allowed three runs in 10 innings.
“It’s been lingering for a while,” he said.
Cortes thought he could pitch through it and Boone believed him.
“We’ve been dealing with this on different levels for a couple months,” Boone said. “He said he was fine and then obviously wasn’t quite fine enough.”
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