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Tag: Minor league baseball

  • MLB teams extend beer sales after pitch clock shortens games

    MLB teams extend beer sales after pitch clock shortens games

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    PHOENIX — Thanks to the pitch clock, the action is moving much faster at Major League Baseball games.

    It also means a little less time for fans to enjoy a frosty adult beverage.

    To combat that time crunch, at least four teams — the Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers — have extended alcohol sales through the eighth inning this season. Others, like the Miami Marlins and New York Mets, still have seventh-inning cutoffs, but haven’t ruled out changes.

    “Totally makes sense to me,” said Tom Lienhardt, who was sipping on a beer Tuesday night before the Brewers-Diamondbacks game at Chase Field. “Since the games are shorter, you’ve got to adjust.”

    Teams historically have stopped selling alcohol after the seventh.

    At least one team, the Baltimore Orioles, already sold alcohol through the eighth inning, or until 3 1/2 hours after first pitch, whichever came first.

    MLB games have been considerably shorter this season, largely thanks to a series of rule changes, particularly the new pitch clock. Through the first 1 1/2 weeks of the season, the average game time was down 31 minutes, on track to be the sport’s lowest since 1984.

    The minor leagues played with the pitch clock last season. At least one minor league general manager — Kevin Mahoney of the Class A Brooklyn Cyclones — said there was no dropoff in concession sales even with shorter games.

    Still, some big league teams have felt the need to make adjustments.

    The Rangers allowed some alcohol sales in the eighth inning last season, but have made that option more widely available in 2023. The team said the move to offer in-seat service to everyone — fans can order on their phones — was done partly in reaction to the pitch clock and the potential of shorter game times so fans would not have to miss extended action waiting in lines at concession stands.

    Brewers President of business operations Rick Schlesinger confirmed to MLB.com that their team’s move to extend alcohol sales through the eighth was an experiment.

    “If it turns out that this is causing an issue or we feel that it might cause an issue, then we’ll revert to what we have done previously,” Schlesinger said.

    MLB says it does not regulate when teams sell alcohol. Most franchises have used the seventh inning as a cutoff, at least partly to avoid overserving customers who could then get in their cars and drive home.

    But in reality, most teams already had areas around the ballpark where fans could get alcohol after the seventh, even if the concession stands stopped serving. Many parks are connected to restaurants or have VIP areas where the booze still flows.

    “If it cuts off sales in the seventh inning, the eighth inning or the ninth inning, that really doesn’t affect our stance because regardless, we just don’t want people to drink alcohol and then drive home from the game,” said Erin Payton, Regional Executive Director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

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    AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum, Noah Trister and Stephen Hawkins, and AP Sports Writers Dave Campbell, Alanis Thames and Ryan Kryska contributed to this report.

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Nelson Cruz 2nd-oldest Padre to homer in 10-2 rout of Braves

    Nelson Cruz 2nd-oldest Padre to homer in 10-2 rout of Braves

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    ATLANTA — Nelson Cruz isn’t eager to talk about his age.

    The slugger just wants to produce whenever he’s in the lineup, and he is proving he still belongs in the major leagues.

    Cruz hit a three-run homer and drove in six runs, and the San Diego Padres beat the Atlanta Braves 10-2 on Sunday night for their third consecutive victory.

    At 42 years and 282 days, Cruz became the second-oldest player to homer for the Padres, just one day younger than Rickey Henderson was when he went deep on Oct. 4, 2001. It was the most RBIs for Cruz since he drove in seven on July 26, 2020, for Minnesota against the Chicago White Sox.

    “It’s nice, especially against the Braves,” Cruz said. “They have a really good team, so it shows how deep we are as a team. To win three of four against the Braves tells a lot.”

    Seth Lugo pitched six effective innings for San Diego, and Ha-Seong Kim hit a two-run homer. Manny Machado finished with three hits.

    The Padres (6-4), who advanced to the NL Championship Series last year, have won three straight for the second time this season.

    The NL East champion Braves (6-4) have lost eight of the last 11 games to the Padres at Truist Park.

    Cruz, a 19-year veteran, made it 4-0 in the third with his 461st career homer.

    “I’m not going to put context to age, but he’s doing very well,” San Diego manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s got nine RBIs for us already right now, so trying to get him some good matchups.”

    Xander Bogaerts singled and advanced to third on Machado’s single when right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. took too long to throw to second. One out later, Cruz connected for the second time this season, hitting a drive to left-center off rookie Dylan Dodd’s 83-mph slider.

    Trent Grisham’s third homer put San Diego up 5-0 in the fourth. Grisham and Bogaerts have reached safely in all 10 games this season.

    Dodd (1-1), making his second career start, fell behind 6-0 in the fifth when Juan Soto and Cruz hit consecutive doubles. The lefty gave up 10 hits and seven runs in 4 1/3 innings.

    “I obviously didn’t pitch the way I wanted to,” Dodd said. “I was kind of really searching for another pitch other than the fastball. I started to show the changeup later in the game and thought that was something I should have turned to earlier once I realized the slider wasn’t very good for me today.”

    Lugo (2-0) made his fourth career start and 28th appearance against Atlanta after spending the last seven seasons with the New York Mets. He gave up five hits and one run with four walks and five strikeouts. It was his first start against the Braves since 2017.

    “I’ve been whomped up here quite a few times that I remember,” Lugo said. “I know that lineup is really tough to get through and to shut them down the way I did is really gratifying.”

    The Padres took a 10-1 lead in the sixth on a two-run single by Cruz, who was hit in the foot by a pitch from Danny Young in the ninth.

    Acuña and Matt Olson each drove in run for Atlanta. Olson’s 11 RBIs are the most in the majors for a first baseman.

    CLOSER TO RETURN

    San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr. went 1 for 4 with two walks for Triple-A El Paso in an 8-2 win at Sacramento. Tatis is hitting .231 in 13 at-bats with a double, home run and two RBIs in four games with the Chihuahuas. Barring any rainouts, he would be eligible to play for the Padres on April 20 after completing an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

    THAT’S A BALL

    Atlanta reliever Lucas Luetge was charged with an automatic ball and started the count 1-0 for taking too long with Bogaerts batting in the sixth. He walked Bogaerts four pitches later.

    TRAINER’S ROOM

    Padres: OF David Dahl was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right quadriceps strain, and utilityman Brandon Dixon was recalled from Triple-A El Paso.

    Braves: C Travis d’Arnaud was placed on the seven-day injured list after sustaining a concussion in Saturday’s game. C Chadwick Tromp was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett to take his place.

    UP NEXT

    Padres: RHP Yu Darvish (0-0, 1.80 ERA) will face Mets RHP Max Scherzer (1-1, 6.35 ERA) on Monday when the teams open a three-game series in New York.

    Braves: RHP Bryce Elder (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will face Cincinnati’s Graham Ashcraft (1-0, 1.29 ERA) on Monday night in the first of a three-game home series.

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • MLB approves first contract for minor league players

    MLB approves first contract for minor league players

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    Minor leaguers ratified their first collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball ahead of the season’s start on Friday.

    Players and league officials Wednesday agreed to a five-year deal. MLB owners are expected to vote on the agreement next week.

    The Major League Baseball Players Association, which in September began representing players with minor league contracts, said Friday that more than 99% of minor leaguers who cast ballots approved the deal. About 5,500 players are in the bargaining unit.

    “It’s a historic day for these players,” union head Tony Clark said in a statement.

    Under the agreement, minimum salaries for minor league players will rise by tens of thousands of dollars, and, for the first time, players will be paid in the offseason.

    For rookies, the salary will rise from $4,800 to $19,800. At Low Class A, salaries will grow from $11,000 to $26,200 while High Class A will grow from $13,800 to $27,300. Triple-A players will go from $17,500 to $35,800. 

    The contract comes as welcome news for minor leaguers who have historically been underpaid relative to their professional brethren in the major leagues. Some minor league players said they took odd jobs — like mowing lawns — to make ends meet during the off season. Other players have taken up part-time landscaping gigs or moonlighted as athletic trainers. 


    Minor league pitcher says he mows lawns to make ends meet

    01:44

    Minor league players will receive four weeks of retroactive spring training pay this year. They will get $625 weekly for spring training and offseason training camp and $250 weekly for offseason workouts at home.

    Most players will be guaranteed housing, and players at Double-A and Triple-A will be given a single room. Players at Low A and High A will have the option of exchanging club housing for a stipend. Players who sign for the first time at 19 or older can become minor league free agents after six seasons instead of seven.

    MLB agreed not to reduce minor league affiliates from the current 120. Beginning in 2024, teams will be allowed a maximum of 165 players under contract during the season and 175 during the offseason, down from the current limits 190 and 180.

    Players will gain rights to second medical opinions, a 401(k) plan and arbitration to contest discipline under a just cause standard. The union agreement also includes policies barring domestic violence and performance-enhancing drugs.

    The union will take over group licensing rights for players.

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  • Top prospect Volpe, 21, wins Yankees’ starting shortstop job

    Top prospect Volpe, 21, wins Yankees’ starting shortstop job

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Anthony Volpe grew up watching Derek Jeter star at shortstop for the New York Yankees.

    Now, the 21-year-old is getting the chance to be the Yankees’ opening day shortstop Thursday against the San Francisco Giants.

    The team announced Sunday after a 6-2 win over Toronto in spring training that Volpe had won the spot. New York manager Aaron Boone called the kid into his office to deliver the news.

    “My heart was beating pretty hard,” said Volpe, rated one of baseball’s best prospects. “Incredible. I’m just so excited. It’s hard for me to even put into words.”

    Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, hitting coach Dillon Lawson and bench coach Carlos Mendoza were also present.

    Volpe was able to share the news with his parents and other family members near the Yankees’ dugout and said it is something he will never forget.

    “It was pretty emotional,” Volpe said. “It was just an unbelievable moment to share with them.”

    Volpe, who grew up a Yankees fan, lived in Manhattan as a child before moving to New Jersey. Jeter was his favorite player.

    “It’s very surreal,” Volpe said. “I’ve only ever been to games at Yankee Stadium and for the most part only watched him play there.”

    Volpe is hitting .314 with three homers, five RBIs and a .417 on-base percentage in 17 Grapefruit League games. He has just 22 games of experience at Triple-A.

    Spring training started with Volpe, Oswald Peraza and holdover Isiah Kiner-Falefa competing for the everyday shortstop job. Kiner-Falefa was shifted into a utility role midway through camp, and Peraza was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday evening.

    “While certainly the performance was there, he killed it between the lines,” Boone said of Volpe. “All the other things that we’ve been hearing about showed up. There’s an energy he plays the game with, and an instinct that he has that is evident. He really checked every box that we could have had for him. Absolutely kicked the door in and earned his opportunity.”

    Volpe arrived in Florida in December to work out at the Yankees’ minor league complex.

    “He’s earned the right to take that spot, and we’re excited for him and excited for us,” Cashman said. “He just dominated all sides of the ball during February and March, and that bodes well obviously for him as we move forward.”

    Volpe was selected out of high school with the 30th overall pick in the 2019 draft from Delbarton School in New Jersey. He passed up a college commitment to Vanderbilt to sign with the Yankees.

    “It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get into the organization,” Volpe said. “This day, this feeling, this moment was kind of what I’ve worked my whole life for when I made that big decision.”

    “Right now it’s crazy,” he added. “I don’t even know what lies ahead but Thursday I just want to go out and play, and have fun.”

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    More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Braves sign new C Sean Murphy to a $73 million, 6-year deal

    Braves sign new C Sean Murphy to a $73 million, 6-year deal

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    ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves signed newly acquired catcher Sean Murphy to a $73 million, six-year contract Tuesday, locking up another key player with a long-term deal.

    The contract includes a $15 million club option for 2029 with no buyout that could raise the total value of the agreement to $88 million.

    Murphy will make $4 million in 2023, $9 million in 2024 and $15 million each season from 2025 through 2028. He agreed to donate 1% of his annual salary to the Atlanta Braves Foundation.

    The deal follows a familiar pattern of the Braves agreeing to new contracts with players who are still under club control for an extended period. Over the past year, they reached long-term deals with sluggers Austin Riley and Matt Olson, as well as rookie stars Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider.

    Atlanta has previously signed outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and second baseman Ozzie Albies to similar pacts, ensuring that seven core players are under contract for at least three more seasons — and often much longer — with club options that could extend the deals even more.

    The 28-year-old Murphy was acquired from the Oakland Athletics shortly after the winter meetings in a three-team deal that also included the Milwaukee Brewers.

    The Braves sent All-Star catcher William Contreras and minor league pitcher Justin Yeager to the Brewers, while backup catcher Manny Piña and pitching prospects Kyle Muller, Freddy Tarnok and Royber Salinas went to Oakland.

    Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos acknowledged paying a heavy price, but said it was worth the cost to acquire one of the game’s top catchers.

    “We definitely gave up a ton,” Anthopoulos said at the time. “But we got a really good player back. Getting players like that is hard.”

    Murphy batted .250 with 18 homers, 66 RBIs and a .759 OPS in 148 games this past season. He’s regarded as an elite defender, winning a Gold Glove in 2021.

    Murphy is expected to share playing time behind the plate with Travis d’Arnaud, a player with similar offensive and defensive strengths. Those two also are expected to get extensive time at designated hitter, with the idea of keeping them as fresh as possible over the long season.

    The acquisition of Murphy has been the biggest offseason move for the five-time defending NL East champions, who also added depth in their bullpen with a trade for former All-Star reliever Joe Jiménez.

    But for the second year in a row, one of the team’s most popular and productive players left in free agency.

    One year after first baseman Freddie Freeman signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, longtime Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson finalized a $177 million, seven-year deal with the Chicago Cubs.

    Vaughn Grissom and Orlando Arcia are the contenders to be Swanson’s replacement unless the Braves make a move to bring in another shortstop before opening day.

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Aaron Judge stays at 61 homers as Orioles beat Yankees 2-1

    Aaron Judge stays at 61 homers as Orioles beat Yankees 2-1

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    NEW YORK — Back in the Bronx, Aaron Judge had another sellout crowd fill Yankee Stadium hoping to see No. 62. The wait will extend into a rain-threatened weekend.

    Judge went 1 for 2 with a pair of walks as the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees 2-1 on Friday night.

    “It was a pretty electric atmosphere,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I actually found myself kind of nervous for his first at-bat, maybe just being all focused on it.”

    One game after tying the American League home run record of 61 that Yankees star Roger Maris set in 1961, Judge struck out in the first inning, singled in the third and walked in the sixth against Jordan Lyles (12-11), then was intentionally walked in the eighth by rookie Félix Bautista.

    “It was an amazing atmosphere. Probably not an empty seat out there,” Lyles said. “Everyone’s standing up. Everyone’s getting ready for something possible, something great.”

    Fans among the 47,583 on a chilly autumn night buzzed for each for the 21 pitches to Judge. His next chance comes Saturday, the 61st anniversary of Maris’ No. 61.

    “After every swing he took, you could hear audible gasps from the whole entire crowd,” Orioles rookie catcher Adley Rutschman said. “Every time he swung and just a big buildup, so that was pretty cool.”

    Judge has six games left: two this weekend against the Orioles, then four at Texas that end the regular season.

    Judge also is bidding for the first Triple Crown since Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012. Judge leads the AL with 130 RBIs and trails Minnesota’s Luis Arraez in the batting race by .3147 to .3141.

    The night was filled with bad news for the Yankees, already assured the AL East title and getting ready for their Division Series opener on Oct. 11.

    Reliever Zack Britton, just back last week from Tommy John surgery, threw a tiebreaking wild pitch in the sixth inning and immediately left with left arm fatigue.

    All-Star closer Clay Holmes had a cortisone injection Thursday and likely won’t pitch in a game until the playoffs.

    “There’s no use crying about what you do or don’t have,” Boone said. “You got to make the most of what you do. And the reality is we still have a lot of really talented guys down there.”

    Giancarlo Stanton went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and is 1 for 21 with 13 strikeouts in his last five games. He is hitting .140 in 100 at-bats since returning Aug. 25 from a month out with left Achilles tendinitis.

    “I’m hoping it’s still just a timing thing that he’s working through,” Boone said. “He’s struggling to find it right now.”

    Baltimore (81-76) was eliminated from playoff contention about two hours after the final out when Seattle beat Oakland. The Orioles assured they will stop a streak of five consecutive losing seasons.

    Ryan Mountcastle singled in a run in the first for his 84th RBI. Oswaldo Cabrera tied the score in the fifth with his fifth home run since his debut on Aug. 17.

    After going 52-110, the Orioles could become the first team since at least 1900 with a winning record one year after losing 110 or more.

    “It just means that we exceeded expectations and that our guys fought all year long,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “There’s a lot of appreciation for what these guys have done this year around the league and it’s well deserved.”

    MOUND MATTERS

    Lyles matched his career high for wins in 2019, allowing four hits in seven-plus innings. He tied his season high with nine strikeouts and walked one.

    Domingo Germán (2-4) walked his first two batters in the sixth and retired Mountcastle on a groundout, Britton walked Gunnar Henderson and then threw a pitch to pinch-hitter Jesús Aguilar that went to the backstop, and he failed to cover the plate. Rookie DL Hall pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for his first save since 2019 at Class A.

    HE”S BACK

    DJ LeMahieu played seven innings at third base and went 0 for 3 in his first game for the Yankees since a stint on the IL caused by an inflamed right second tie. He was in a 2-for-38 slide through Sept. 4 before going on the IL.

    SPEEDING

    Cedric Mullins stole two bases and tied teammate Jorge Mateo for the AL lead with 34.

    WEB GEMS

    Gold Glove CF Harrison Bader sprinted to make a diving backhand catch against Mullins on the left-center warning track in front of the 399-foot sign for the final out of the fifth inning.

    HECTOR LÓPEZ REMEMBERED

    Hector López, a member of the Yankees’ 1961 and ’62 World Series champions, has died at age 93, MLB.com reported, citing his son, Darrol. The Yankees held a moment of silence before the game. López hit .269 with 136 homers and 591 RBIs over 12 seasons for the Kansas City Athletics (1955-59) and Yankees (1959-66). He became the first Black manager at Triple-A in 1969 with the Buffalo Bisons, the Washington Senators’ top farm team.

    TRAINER’S ROOM

    Yankees: INF-OF Matt Carpenter, sidelined since breaking his left toot on Aug. 8, took batting practice and could be activated for next week’s series at Texas, though the Yankees are leaning toward having him report to a camp at Somerset, New Jersey, where he could get more at-bats ahead of the Division Series … LHP Wandy Peralta, sidelined since Sept. 18 with back tightness, threw a bullpen and will throw another Sunday before the Yankees decide whether to activate him. … RHP Frankie Montas, out since Sept. 16 with right shoulder inflammation, likely will start throwing Saturday … OF Andrew Benintendi (broken wrist) is scheduled to take swings Saturday but not against pitchers. … RHP Michael King said Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek determined his UCL was intact. King broke his right elbow while pitching against Baltimore on July 22 and anticipates being cleared for a normal offseason.

    UP NEXT

    LHP Nestor Cortes (11-4, 2.56) is scheduled to start against Baltimore’s RHP Austin Voth (5-3, 4.19) on Saturday, with rain in the forecast.

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    More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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