Look, the reason why baseball is so anti-gambling is because they didn't want a repeat of 1919 and they didn't want the sport to turn into boxing.  They didn't want the mafia involved in rigging games in the way they still do with a lot of European sports.  That's why they adopted this extreme zero-tolerance policy almost 100 years ago.  But what Rose was actually doing was very small-time compared to the worst-case scenario.  Perhaps, left unchecked, it could have turned into something more significant over time, but the fact is it didn't.  The only way he could affect the outcome of games was to play one player in a situation versus another.  He did not actually tell people to go up there and strike out or to throw wild pitches.  While there is a threshold that he did cross, "gambling" is not like murder.  You either kill someone or you don't.  There are gradations to influencing events on which you have placed a wager.

 

I don't give a damn if the guy lied or if he's still lying.  Everyone tells lies and gets lied to every day.  What's incredible to me is how nasty people from the 80s who were involved in the investigation are still being to Pete Rose.  That was 25 years ago but these people are determined to keep kicking Pete Rose.  Perhaps he still owes people money.  But its those people's fault as much as Pete's for sinking into the world of sports gambling. 

 

 

Good points all around. I agree that there are obviously people who still have it out for Pete. He just recently started with Fox Sports as an analyst, and will have a role in the upcoming All Star Game – he was just starting to get sympathy from MLB and the general public. Someone chose to leak these pages, and someone picked the time to do so. I highly doubt it was a coincidence.

I don't think there's any doubt that somebody was sitting on this stuff the whole time.  Again, I'm just in disbelief that Pete Rose continues to be vilified long after he paid his dues.  Obviously he needed to be severely punished for violating one of the game's central values.  But what he as one of the game's best all-time players has endured is way beyond what his relatively petty "crimes" deserved.  I think Pete thought of all of this as a very small violation in his mind since, as I mentioned, the purpose of the no-gambling rule is to prevent teams from throwing games or the entire World Series.  You can't single-handedly throw a game in baseball without arousing immediate suspicion.  Pete was not conspiring to do any of this and so did not deserve a lifetime ban from the game and the Hall of Fame.   

 

 

 

 

Everyone talks about how there hasn't been a case of gambling in baseball since Pete.

 

How frequent was it before Pete's punishment? Obviously the Black Sox scandal, but were there any cases between those two? Everyone who supports the ban commonly states that there haven't been cases since. Was it even a problem in the previous 65 years?

On a lighter note: 

 

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2015/06/23/132499578/miguel-cabrera-delivers-bat-gloves-to-young-fan

Everyone talks about how there hasn't been a case of gambling in baseball since Pete.

 

How frequent was it before Pete's punishment? Obviously the Black Sox scandal, but were there any cases between those two? Everyone who supports the ban commonly states that there haven't been cases since. Was it even a problem in the previous 65 years?

 

I don't know offhand.  But I do know that games of various types continue to get thrown in Europe.  I work with a guy whose son played basketball professionally in Europe last year who said that one of his former college teammates who was also playing in Europe was told by their owner that they "had better lose" the championship.  The whole problem with betting against your team is that both teams might attempt to throw the game. 

 

I don't know if the nation vilifies Pete to the extent that Lance Armstrong has been cast out, but there are distinct differences between the two.  There was absolutely not reason why Pete Rose *had* to gamble on his teams, whereas Lance was between a rock and a hard place.  You can't be competitive in professional bicycling without at the very least pushing the rules if not breaking them because somebody else is going to and they're going to get away with it.  Then cycling itself was in a pinch because Lance's star was so valuable to the sport, so they were slow to take him down, even after they had proof of his doping.  Throw in the cancer stuff and it became one of the biggest tragedies in sports history. 

 

I do think that Lance Armstrong will make a comeback of sorts ala Oliver North or Bill Clinton.  At some point whatever his new project will be will start to snuff out the bike doping stuff.  But Pete has now had 25 years to do something productive and instead he's spent the time literally working at a casino signing autographs by day and gambling those earnings away by night.  I can't relate at all to a gambling addiction, so I can't understand how at age 70 he still gets a thrill every time he walks into a casino and with every fall of the dice.  But there are a lot worse things in this world that gambling addicts. 

 

 

We earlier talked about how close Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer came to pitching back-to-back no-hitters.  Well, now Cole Hamels has a chance for a different version of "The Vander Meer".

 

Hamels pitched a no-hitter in his last start for the Phillies.  Then was traded to the Texas Rangers before making his next start (!):  http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/29/rangers-land-ace-left-hander-cole-hamels-from-phillies/

there is crying in baseball!

the mets wilmer flores cries weds nite

when he hears a rumor he was traded

hes been a met since he was 16

the trade rumor turned out to be false

 

http://youtu.be/_lGY_jU_E0Y

 

big papi is not the only one questioning arod - hmm!

 

http://nypost.com/2015/08/04/david-ortizs-passive-aggressive-praise-of-resurgent-a-rod/

 

 

 

Dowd: Pete Rose had relations with minors

 

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/real-time/Pete-Rose-accused-of-statutory-rape.html#xuCfSq9rmyxRXvQI.99

 

Did Pete Rose bang Dowd's wife or something? He just has it out for the guy, and this seems to be a completely absurd and unsubstantiated claim.

Did Pete Rose bang Dowd's wife or something? He just has it out for the guy, and this seems to be a completely absurd and unsubstantiated claim.

 

Why even bring it up when there is no proof. Dowd is just going on what Bertolini said, no proof. If you are into 12-13 year old girls isn't that

kind of a lifelong preference?

Did Pete Rose bang Dowd's wife or something? He just has it out for the guy, and this seems to be a completely absurd and unsubstantiated claim.

 

Why even bring it up when there is no proof. Dowd is just going on what Bertolini said, no proof. If you are into 12-13 year old girls isn't that kind of a lifelong preference?

 

He probably only brought it up because he thinks Pete has a chance to be reinstated. In my opinion making such a heinous and unsubstantiated claim like this just hurts Dowd's credibility and makes him look like a petty, senile old buffoon. Not to mention, if it were true that would mean Dowd helped cover it up for decades, right?

Did Pete Rose bang Dowd's wife or something? He just has it out for the guy, and this seems to be a completely absurd and unsubstantiated claim.

 

Why even bring it up when there is no proof. Dowd is just going on what Bertolini said, no proof. If you are into 12-13 year old girls isn't that kind of a lifelong preference?

 

He probably only brought it up because he thinks Pete has a chance to be reinstated. In my opinion making such a heinous and unsubstantiated claim like this just hurts Dowd's credibility and makes him look like a petty, senile old buffoon. Not to mention, if it were true that would mean Dowd helped cover it up for decades, right?

 

Yep I agree.

Did Pete Rose bang Dowd's wife or something? He just has it out for the guy, and this seems to be a completely absurd and unsubstantiated claim.

 

Yeah, there's got to be stuff going on in the background.  It just makes no sense why 25 years after the fact he still feels a need to harass Pete Rose. 

 

cc out for the playoffs?

 

http://nypost.com/2015/10/05/theres-no-blame-in-cc-sabathia-leaving-yankees-on-eve-of-playoffs/

 

CC checked himself into alcohol rehab:

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/10/05/cc-sabathia-checks-into-alcohol-rehab-center/73386276/

CC checked himself into alcohol rehab:

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/10/05/cc-sabathia-checks-into-alcohol-rehab-center/73386276/

 

Wow. I'm wondering whether that Yankee fanbase will ever forgive him for this.

The 2015 MLB Playoffs start tonight with the AL Wild Card game.  Here's who made the playoffs:

 

ALDS: KC vs. NYY/HOU winner

- KC had the best record in the AL (95-67).  Despite their past pedigree, not many had the Yankees (87-75) making this year's playoffs.  But if the Yanks were a mild surprise, their Wild Card opponent, the Astros (86-76) were a complete shock.  Houston had three straight 100-loss seasons (2011-13), bottoming out at 51-111 in 2013, then "improving" to 70-92 last year.

 

ALDS: TOR vs. TEX

- Toronto (93-69) finally broke their 21-season playoff drought with their first appearance since they won back-to-back World Series in 1992 & 1993.  The Rangers playoff appearance isn't as big of a surprise as the appearance of the other Texas team.  But it was not expected coming off a 95-loss 2014 season.

 

NLDS: STL vs. PIT/CHI winner

- The Cardinals were the Cardinals again, dominating the NL Central with the best record in MLB this season (100-62).  But they come into the playoffs with a number of key injuries.  The Pirates had another strong season and the 2nd-best record in MLB (98-64).  The Cubs (97-65) were the surprise playoff team in the NL, with their rebuilding effort coming though a year or two earlier than expected.  They also round out a strong NL Central playoff presence and will play the wild-card game at PIT on Wednesday.

 

NLDS: LAD vs. NYM

- The Dodgers (92-70) are making their third straight playoff appearance.  Despite their franchise success, the Dodgers haven't been to a World Series since they won it in 1988.  But they're favorites to reach the Series this year with aces Greinke & Kershaw leading the way.  For the Mets (90-72), its a return to prominence after six straight losing seasons.

^ That was the best of the best for 2015.  What about the worst of the worst?  Or the most disappointing team of 2015?

 

For worst of the worst, we can go by record.  And the worst record in 2015 is . . . Philadelphia (63-99).  But it was neck-and-neck during the final month with the team that had the second worst record in MLB, the Cincinnati Reds (64-98).  13-game losing streaks in the final weeks will tend to do that.

 

The worst in the AL was Oakland (68-94), which was not a huge surprise given the way they dismantled their playoff team from last year.  But the NL had more teams with similar bad records: Atlanta (67-95); Colorado (68-94); Milwaukee (68-94); and I'd add Miami (71-91) since they were vying with Philly for the worst record most of the season until a late winning surge moved them over the 70-win plateau.

 

As for the most disappointing team.  You could choose the LA Angels (85-77).  Despite missing the post-season by only one game, the high-spending Angels lost out to the budget-minded Rangers and Astros in their own division.  Another AL West team, Seattle (76-86), had an even worse record despite similar spending on free-agents.  In the Cleveland Indians thread, one poster thought the Indians (81-80) were the most disappointing team.  It might feel that way for Tribe fans - but its hard to argue against the Washington Nationals (83-79) as one of the most disappointing teams of 2015, given their huge pre-season hype.  Plus, the Nationals literally choked away their season: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/09/bryce-harper-jonathan-papelbon-dugout-fight-choke-washington-nationals-pop-up

 

Dean Chance, Cy Young Award Winner and Yankees Nemesis, Dies at 74

 

Dean Chance, a right-hander for five major league teams whose Cy Young Award-winning year, 1964, ranks among the great season-long performances in the history of the game, died on Sunday at his home in New Pittsburg, Ohio. He was 74.

 

The cause was a heart attack, his son, Brett, said.

 

A loose-limbed — and occasionally loose-lipped — farm boy with a variety of pitches and an unusual delivery that involved turning his back on the hitter until shortly before he released the ball, Chance pitched 11 seasons in the big leagues, twice winning 20 games and enjoying special success against the Yankees, a team he beat 18 times.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/sports/baseball/dean-chance-cy-young-award-winner-and-yankees-nemesis-dies-at-74.html?_r=0

Glad to see the Cubs beat the Cardinals the other night. The biggest enemy has been defeated.

 

My preferred winners in order:

 

Houston Astros

Toronto Blue Jays

Kansas City Royals

New York Mets

Texas Rangers

LA Dodgers

Chicago Cubs

Glad to see the Cubs beat the Cardinals the other night. The biggest enemy has been defeated.

 

My preferred winners in order:

 

Houston Astros

Toronto Blue Jays

Kansas City Royals

New York Mets

Texas Rangers

LA Dodgers

Chicago Cubs

 

When the Reds do poorly I just become a hater of the NL Central.  I'm glad St. Louis lost, and now hopefully the Cubs get swept. At this point, I'd be least upset with the Mets or Toronto winning.

so its mets.

 

now royals or bluejays? hmm, i would have said bluejays.

Unfortunately we did not wind up with Cubs vs. Florida for Back to the Future day.

so its mets.

 

And the amazing thing about the Mets is that their young starting pitchers outpitched the very best of the NL on the way to the World Series.  First, outpitching Greinke and Kershaw of the Dodgers.  Then, outpitching Lester and Arrieta (the likely NL Cy Young) of the Cubs.  Before the playoffs, I'd only heard of Matt Harvey and his innings issues - but deGrom and Syndergaard have been amazingly good.

now royals or bluejays?

 

KC Royals: back-to-back appearances in the World Series

well that was a heck of a start for the world series. what a marathon game. with an inside the park home run, no less. the mets have to shake it off and win tonight to stay in this. their best pitcher vs kc's worst, so to speak.

This World Series was a match-up between the contact-hitting KC Royals and the strikeout-throwing NY Mets.  In this series, the contact hitters won: KC takes the series 4-1.

 

The first World Series win for KC since 1985.  KC came from behind - from the 8th inning on - to win 3 times in this series.

This World Series was a match-up between the contact-hitting KC Royals and the strikeout-throwing NY Mets.  In this series, the contact hitters won: KC takes the series 4-1.

 

The first World Series win for KC since 1985.  KC came from behind - from the 8th inning on - to win 3 times in this series.

 

The Mets had issues at the back end of their bullpen all year.  Needless to say, they will be seeking a lights-out closer during the off season.

not great, but not a bad series and the best team won for sure:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/02/us/world-series-mets-royals-game-5/

 

and with that the boys of summer are gone….!

Dusty Baker has been given the keys to a very good team.  A team that should be great next year.  Will the fourth time be the charm for Dusty?

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14042490/washington-nationals-hire-dusty-baker-manager

Dusty Baker has been given the keys to a very good team.  A team that should be great next year.  Will the fourth time be the charm for Dusty?

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14042490/washington-nationals-hire-dusty-baker-manager

 

If Lucas Giolito emerges as expected that will be the nastiest rotation in many years.

espn has the cubs as favorites to win it all in 2016, vegasinsider has the dodgers.

 

cardinals? mets? ???

 

just looking over the odds sites i see the tribe is ranked anywhere from 5th down to middle of the pack 13th at worst.

Not really a surprise:

 

Enquirer: MLB commissioner upholds Pete Rose's ban from baseball

 

ESPN: Still shunned: Manfred won't lift Rose's MLB ban

Meanwhile professional sports, including MLB, continue to bank off the popularity of fantasy sports betting, including gambling sites like Fan Duel, Draft Kings, etc. while slapping the wrists of players taking steroids. MLB is a joke and hopefully their viewership continues to fall as it has been doing for years now.

Meanwhile professional sports, including MLB, continue to bank off the popularity of fantasy sports betting, including gambling sites like Fan Duel, Draft Kings, etc. while slapping the wrists of players taking steroids. MLB is a joke and hopefully their viewership continues to fall as it has been doing for years now.

Yeah, MLB is a joke. Maybe players should be more like their upstanding NFL brethren, and executives should emulate Roger Goodell's impeccable management skills.

^^MLB viewership hasn't been falling. It's merely been regionalizing. MLB has never been more profitable.

Meanwhile professional sports, including MLB, continue to bank off the popularity of fantasy sports betting, including gambling sites like Fan Duel, Draft Kings, etc. while slapping the wrists of players taking steroids. MLB is a joke and hopefully their viewership continues to fall as it has been doing for years now.

 

Rule 21 is the only factor at play here.  It specifically calls for a permanent ban (subject to a reinstatement application) for anyone found to be in violation.  The commissioner has very little latitude in reinstating a player so banned, but Rose signed an agreement in 1989 that allowed for his ban to be reconsidered if he "reconfigured his life."  Rose himself admitted in his 2015 meeting with Manfred that he continues to bet on sports, including baseball.  He has not demonstrated a propensity to avoid such behavior if he were allowed to associate with baseball again.  Manfred's hands are tied.

 

Say what you will about steroids or Draft Kings - they are false equivalencies.  There was no rule in baseball that proscribed a permanent ban for steroid use, nor is there for a fan to bet on Draft Kings.  There has been a ban on betting on baseball by baseball personnel for most of a century.  Rose can't say he wasn't warned.  He also can't seem to get out of his own way.

 

While he cannot work for baseball at any level, he is free to be employed by a third party.  His ban also only covers baseball employment - the door is open for Hall of Fame consideration as that is a independent party.  It is up to the Hall to make that determination.

 

I also find it silly that you wish death to an entire industry that employs thousands because one player made a series of fateful decisions, broke a clearly defined rule, and accepted his blame and punishment in writing.  That's like saying we should shut down Amazon because someone in the Hebron warehouse got caught stealing and now Amazon won't hire him again.

^^^ It seems to be working well for the NFL. Ratings are the highest they've ever been, more people watch the average NFL game than the World Series.

 

^^ By all measures, MLB viewership is falling significantly. The big events like playoffs and the World Series have never been less popular than they are now.

 

^ I wish misfortune upon an organization that thinks someone who struggles with a clear and obvious gambling addiction (a DSM-5 classified disorder) is a bigger problem for them than people who risk their lives abusing steroids, drugs, alcohol, etc. Steroids did more damage to the integrity of the game, but MLB will never admit it because it also led to some of their most exciting players and events.

^The "big events" make up a tiny share of MLB viewership. It's a red herring. It's a completely different model from the NFL. It's like arguing that scripted dramas are dying because NBC's ratings are down. The number of eyeballs watching live baseball has never been higher, thanks to MLBAM and regional cable networks. Regional broadcasts do extremely well in their local TV markets during the season: http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2014/10/03/mlb-completely-dominated-local-prime-time-tv-during-the-2014-season/

^ Viewership within regional markets as a whole is trending downward - they have been around for some time now and peaked years ago, though there are huge variations from year to year for some teams (like Pittsburgh) based on performance/fair weather fans. The relationship of MLB viewership to other summer prime time shows (discussed in your article) is likely more indicative of the general trend of cord cutting, and that sports viewers in general are among the last holdouts to abandoning cable. So while all TV viewership is decreasing, MLB viewership isn't decreasing as much as other shows, because it's a live event and most TV viewership is no longer done live.

^I haven't seen any sources suggesting that RSN viewership has declined, but it's certainly possible. One weapon they've had for keeping total viewership high is by broadcasting more games, but that's obviously topped out now that pretty much every game is broadcast by multiple RSNs. So it's possible that average game viewership has declined, but total viewership had continued to rise.

 

The other piece of this is mobile viewing. It's no good for in-market games, but MLB At Bat was the top selling sports app for several straight years at one point, and the subscription fees bring in buckets of money (especially since MLBAM now handles the NHL's mobile viewing too). MLB is still extremely popular and profitable, even if individual games are much less watched than NFL or NBA games (of which there are many fewer).

^ The biggest thing holding MLB.TV back are the now dated blackout restrictions you mention. In my opinion MLB needs to either cease relationships with local cable channels and get every game on broadcast like the NFL, and/or allow in-market viewers to purchase MLB.TV and watch on their own devices wherever they want. Both would be preferable. I consider myself a big Reds fan, and played baseball for 15 years of my life, but I haven't seen a baseball game on a screen in years now. It is almost always on the radio in the background of whatever else I'm doing, though. A lot of younger people don't own radios, though, and if you try to listen online, in market games are blacked out.

 

I think the causes are numerous, the most obvious being the inability to readily adapt to technology that many media producers are facing. There's also some marketing problems, but to me the biggest problem that baseball faces is that some of the most exciting players and events of the past decade plus are completely tarnished by the PED scandal, something they have yet to address seriously. I remember going to two Reds games (they were either sellouts or close to it) as a kid in 1998 to see Mark McGuire, right after he broke Maris's HR record. I didn't like the team he played for, but it was still exciting to see the guy play because it was a part of history. When I found out years later that he was all juiced up at the time, it really put a damper on that memory, and the fact that MLB doesn't seem to care at all speaks volumes to me, especially as a Reds fan who has to deal with their treatment of Pete.

^For the first time, the blackout restrictions will be lifted next season in 15 markets (including CLE and CIN), but only so long as you have a cable subscription. So won't help cord-cutters, except to the extent they "borrow" their parent's cable subscription for log-in credentials (which I imagine will be fairly common). At this point, the RSN contracts are just so lucrative that MLB is surely loathe to threaten the gravy train. But as the traditional cable model falls apart, I imagine that will change.

 

Also, FYI, I don't think the on line radio broadcast streams (Gameday Audio) are subject to blackouts.

Cooperstown could learn a lesson from this:

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/2016/01/19/reds-induct-pete-rose-into-hall-fame/78993684/

big papi being very frank as usual on his final season:

 

 

David Ortiz still plans to retire, but regrets season of celebration

play

 

Kurkjian: No one has ever gone out like Ortiz (1:05)

5:41 PM ET

Marly Rivera

ESPN Writer

 

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said he regrets announcing that this will be his last season in the majors. The Dominican star feels overwhelmed by all the attention he has received, which he says has affected his extended preparation time before each game.

 

"I'm too busy. I have too many things to do. I barely have time to do anything," Ortiz told ESPN Deportes following the Red Sox's game against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. "It's very difficult for me. If I had even imagined that it would be so difficult, I wouldn't have announced anything. There are too many people I have to pay attention to, and on top of that I have to prepare for a game."

 

"Big Papi" arrives at the stadium before any other player to start the long process of preparing for a game, particularly when it comes to his feet. He says he feels so much pain in his feet every day, they are the main reason he guarantees he will never change his mind and come back for another season.

 

"Everything hurts," he said. "It even hurts to think. Last time I reached second after a double, I almost called for a timeout so they would get me out of the game. I can barely run because my feet hurt so much. I am in severe pain.

 

"One often tries to live in the moment and even when your body is saying no, you say yes, even when your body says not to. Only mental strength convinces you that you can continue. Mental strength tells you that you can keep it at it. But the body is a machine; it will give out and will send you a bill."

 

 

Lasting foot pain has made David Ortiz sure this is his final season, but the Red Sox slugger says he wishes he hadn't publicly announced that he plans to retire. Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports

Ortiz is having a historic season with the Red Sox after turning 40 in November and revealing this will be his last year after two decades in the majors. He leads MLB with 48 extra-base hits, the most for any major leaguer through 68 team games since Barry Bonds had 48 in 2001. He is also the MLB leader in doubles (29), slugging percentage (.729) and OPS (1.133).

 

His exceptional season has even earned him praise from Bonds himself. Now the hitting coach of the Miami Marlins, Bonds said in an interview with the Boston Herald that he was not surprised by Ortiz's performance, even at 40. Ortiz said Bonds' words were the ultimate compliment.

 

"Barry Bonds is the best hitter in baseball history; if there is someone who actually knows about batting and how good a hitter is, he does," said Ortiz. "For me, there's no doubt he's the best hitter in the history of baseball and him saying that about me is more than an honor. He knows what it takes to dominate in this league."

 

Despite his performance, Ortiz says that leaving baseball behind is the only decision for him, which was reiterated after a recent encounter with Hall of Famer Willie McCovey.

 

"It was so shocking ... for me when I was in San Francisco to see Willie McCovey in a wheelchair," said Ortiz. "I understand that he's older and in his 70s, but he has already spent many years in a wheelchair. That shocked me.

 

"Since 2012 I've been struggling with my feet. I arrive every day at noon for a 7 p.m. game. If it was just about hitting ... I can still hit. My mental focus is there, my hand-eye coordination, I work hard to maintain those. But after you hit comes the rest. And therein lies the problem. That's the only reason.

 

"I would love to play a couple more years because this is what I know, and this is what I like to do and you see how people treat me. But unfortunately, when your body tells you it's enough, it's enough. You have no idea the magic I have to do to play ball every day. Well, actually it's not magic, it's work. Magicians do a trick and only fool you for a little while until you figure it out. It's work; working hard in the cage every day. Hard work is the only thing that gives you consistency in this game. Nothing else."

 

 

Chicago Cubs have acquired closer Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees.  The Yankees received a four-player package headlined by the Cubs top-ranked prospect, a 19-year-old shortstop prospect currently playing in Class A:

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/17140296/new-york-yankees-agree-trade-aroldis-chapman-chicago-cubs

Many people enjoy sports for the escape it provides from daily life (I know I do).  So it is always a shock when some of the harsh reality of daily life hits the sports world.  This morning it was reported that 24-year-old Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez was one of three people killed in an overnight boating accident off Miami Beach:

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/17632541/miami-marlins-ace-jose-fernandez-dies-boating-accident

 

Fernandez was one of MLB's brightest young up-and-coming starting pitchers.  He defected from Cuba in 2008.  In 2013, he was a 21-year-old rookie-of-the-year pitcher for the Marlins with a 12-6 record and 2.19 ERA.  He missed most of the 2014 and 2015 seasons to Tommy John surgery.  But he recovered with a strong Cy Young candidate season in 2016, going 16-8 with a 2.86 ERA.

Is there tying is baseball?  Yes: http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/17673303/chicago-cubs-pittsburgh-pirates-play-major-league-baseball-first-tie-2005

 

Last night's Cubs at Pirates game was 1-1 in the sixth inning.  Then, after a one hour and twenty-three minute rain delay, the game was called.  According to MLB, all stats from the game will count.  But the tie game will not be reflected in the standings for the Cubs and Pirates.  The last time we saw a tie in MLB was on June 30, 2005 between the Astros and Reds.

 

FWIW: SI reports that the 1908 World Series champion Cubs tied four times in that season.

The MLB Playoffs start today.  And there's a good chance that a long World Series winless streak might come to an end this year.

 

- Almost everyone knows about the Chicago Cubs winless streak - the longest in MLB at 108 years - last winning the World Series in 1908.  And almost everyone in Ohio knows about the Cleveland Indians winless streak - the 2nd longest in MLB at 68 years - last winning the World Series in 1948.  But the teams with the next two longest winless streaks are also in the playoffs.

 

- Texas Rangers have a 55 year winless streak.  Their franchise has never won the World Series since they were formed as the expansion Washington Senators in 1961 (then moved to Texas in 1972).

 

- Washington Nationals have a 47 year winless streak.  Their franchise has also never won the World Series since they were formed as the expansion Montreal Expos in 1969 (then moved to Washington in 2005).