NewsBreak Original

By Paul Semendinger, Ed.D. My son shared an interesting question with me the other day. He asked what players who accumulated a career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) under 25 could be (or even should be) considered for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame?

I get it. No one cares. While it might sound interesting, at least initially, no one cares about your fantasy team. But they should. Sure, I might be biased since that is what I’m writing about here and because I cover fantasy sports, but if done correctly, there is value. A great deal of it in fact.

In a vote that was expected but dreaded by many baseball fans, Major League Baseball owners voted unanimously to approve the move by the Oakland A's to Las Vegas. There is one hurdle to get over but it's hard to see them succeeding. The Nevada teachers union still has a lawsuit pending in regards to the 380 million dollars of tax money being approved to go to the A's after the state legislature voted down teachers raises saying that they could not afford it.

The World Series is over, but I found myself listening to World Series Game 3 this week on a drive home. It was a great experience since it was unusual for me to listen to such an important game as normally, I’d be watching on TV. The ESPN radio crew of Jon Sciambi, Jessica Mendoza, Eduardo Perez, and Buster Olney were a good listen. In the bottom of the ninth inning, an egregious called strike three was made by home-plate umpire Alfonso Márquez, who by all accounts had a bad night calling balls and strikes.

Fifty-two years is a long time for a franchise to wait for their first-ever world championship. The Texas Rangers moved from Washington, D.C., in 1972 to become the Texas Rangers.

Today marks the 19th anniversary of the greatest day in Boston baseball history: Oct. 18, 2004. It is the only time in the 123-year history of the franchise that the Red Sox beat the hated New York Yankees in a playoff game twice in one day.

If you haven't seen the recently released Amazon Prime documentary "Reggie," focusing on "Mr. October" Reggie Jackson, I strongly suggest you check it out. The film is enthralling, informative and entertaining in ways that go far beyond baseball.

In a shocking turn of events, the San Francisco Giants have decided to part ways with Gabe Kapler, their manager of four seasons. This abrupt decision, announced by Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, has left fans and players alike bewildered and angry. It is, without a doubt, a grave mistake for San Francisco baseball.

The dramatic home runs of October are among the most famous moments in the history of the game. Ruth’s called shot in 1932; Mazeroski’s game-7-bottom-of-the-ninth series winner in 1960; even Gibson’s game 1 poke off Dennis Eckersley in 1988 that effectively vanquished the A’s…all are the stuff of World Series legend. But sometimes, great homers happen in September, making October glory possible. One such home run happened 85 years ago, or it will be 85 years in two days, on the 28th, at Wrigley Field in Chicago. It has its own name, forever called the “homer in the gloamin’”, and it still represents one of the finest distillations of baseball’s greatness as game and pastime.

You would think they would not got together

Stephen A. Smith, the charismatic and outspoken ESPN commentator, is renowned for his fiery takes on sports. However, one area where he could improve in enthusiasm is baseball. Smith's skepticism and dismissive comments about the sport and its fans have not gone unnoticed. This article delves into Smith's controversial statements, particularly his recent remarks about Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels, shedding light on the tensions between Smith and baseball enthusiasts.

As kids, brothers sometimes miss the opportunity to grow up as baseball teammates, usually because their age difference is more than three or four years. That situation usually carries over as teenagers when they get to high school or college. Yet if they have dreams of eventually playing professionally, one of their fantasies is often that they can play alongside each other on baseball’s biggest stage.

Although the Roberto Clemente Award stands as the only annual honor presented to an MLB player that is not based on on-field performance—valuing service above play—many of the awards recipients, like Clemente himself, have been among the game’s finest. This begs the question: how would one of these players stack up when compared to “The Great One”?

I was seated in front of the television on Aug. 10, 2023, when 28-year-old Weston Wilson, recently recalled from the Minor Leagues by the Philadelphia Phillies, whacked a solo home run in his first at-bat in the Major Leagues. In the baseball world constantly adding acronyms (WAR, FIP, WHIP), let’s call it a FABB (First-At-Bat Blast).

It is, after all, just a rulebook and a culture. It is framed by those rules, defined by the harsh reality of statistics, and shaped by the people who play it and run it. Oh, the people have a heart, but that heart is limited by the scoreboard, the will – no, the necessity – to win. The scoreboard, of course, is the ultimate statistic, but its corollaries tell the story in more detail. Whether 19th century or 21st century, the statistical measures of performance cannot be set aside, cannot be ignored just because it would feel better to do so.

The New York Yankees, a franchise synonymous with success, are currently grappling with many challenges. One such issue came to light on Tuesday as the team unexpectedly waived veteran outfielder Harrison Bader. However, what's more alarming than Bader's waiver is how he discovered his fate—a revelation reflecting deeper problems within the Yankees' front office. This incident serves as further evidence that the team's management needs to change, especially during a disappointing and frustrating season.

Tune in as FYF Sports Debates takes you on a jaw-dropping journey through the annals of MLB history, spotlighting the moments that left us in awe, ignited debates, and defined legends. From the unforgettable home runs to the most heart-stopping plays, this is the definitive countdown you can't afford to miss! It's not just baseball, it's a chronicle of America's greatest pastime!

Over the past few weeks, three notable players were recognized by their former teams as Fernando Valenzuela had his number retired by the Dodgers, the Twins inducted Joe Mauer into their Hall of Fame, and Felix Hernandez was crowned into the Mariners' Hall of Fame.

In a recent showdown between the San Diego Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks, Dominican sensation Fernando Tatis Jr. stole the spotlight with a jaw-dropping home run and an even more impressive bat flip. As Tatis Jr. sent the ball soaring into the stratosphere at a staggering 106 miles per hour, fans couldn't help but marvel at the trajectory of the hit that finally landed 419 feet away from the plate. With his 20th homer of the season, Tatis Jr. raised the score to 4-0, leaving no doubt about his power-hitting abilities.

In sports, the moments that transcend the game are what fans and players cherish most. These moments remind us that sports have the remarkable power to create connections that span beyond the boundaries of stadiums and playing fields. Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts recently shared a heartwarming experience he described as "one of the coolest moments" of his entire career.