A vote against expanding the postseason field

A vote against expanding the postseason field
Watching college football the last two weekends, I couldn't help but keep asking myself: Why does that sport still only allow four teams into its top-level playoff? How much better would it be if every major conference winner automatically qualified, plus two at-large teams and the highest-ranked team from one of the other conferences, making up an eight-team bracket? Which also got me thinking how baseball really does have its postseason system right at the moment. Ten of the sport's 30...

MLB suspends Castro 30 games, Nats will release him

MLB suspends Castro 30 games, Nats will release him
Major League Baseball has suspended Starlin Castro for 30 days for violating the league's domestic abuse policy, and the Nationals subsequently announced they will release the veteran infielder once he completes the suspension. "My office has completed its investigation into the allegations that Starlin Castro violated Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in the league's announcement. "Having reviewed...

Strasburg backed down after continued issues with neck

Strasburg backed down after continued issues with neck
A frustrating 21 months since being named the 2019 World Series Most Valuable Player continues for Stephen Strasburg, who once again experienced neck pain while throwing during his latest bullpen session. The veteran right-hander was able to throw a bullpen session and then long toss earlier this week, but his second bullpen session caused more discomfort in his neck and forced the Nationals to keep him from throwing for now while they try to work out the next steps. "So Strasburg, once again,...

Rizzo: Nationals don't plan for Castro to return to team

Rizzo: Nationals don't plan for Castro to return to team
General manager Mike Rizzo spoke out forcefully against Starlin Castro and the recent domestic violence allegation made against the Nationals third baseman, accepting responsibility for signing him despite a previous allegation of sexual assault and saying he does not expect Castro to return to play for his team. "I am not planning on having Starlin Castro back," Rizzo said this afternoon outside the dugout at Nationals Park, taking questions from beat reporters for the first time since...

Scherzer makes case for pine tar, not stickier stuff

Scherzer makes case for pine tar, not stickier stuff
After offering an update on the status of a tweaked groin that will prevent him from starting Wednesday's series finale against the Pirates, Max Scherzer offered a lengthy take on a subject matter that has become current issue No. 1 across baseball: foreign substances. With Major League Baseball attempting to crack down on pitchers using so-called "sticky stuff" to improve their grip and spin rate, Scherzer spoke of both players' desire to allow certain substances to be used to help prevent...

Nats cleared to work out Monday, play Tuesday (updated)

Nats cleared to work out Monday, play Tuesday (updated)
The Nationals were cleared to open their season Tuesday against the Braves after another round of tests came back negative for COVID-19, and will be given the opportunity to hold a full workout for all healthy and eligible players at Nationals Park on Monday. Major League Baseball made the much anticipated announcement late tonight after another long day of uncertainty. Though the Nationals (who now have 11 players and two staff members in quarantine) saw their fourth consecutive game postponed...

A modest proposal for a better postseason format

A modest proposal for a better postseason format
Among the pressing topics reportedly still being discussed between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association as the 2021 season inches ever closer is the possibility of keeping the playoff field expanded again. You'll recall that 16 teams made the postseason in 2020, six more than ever had before. It was an acknowledgment of the inability of a 60-game season to distinguish the best teams from the rest of the pack, and most folks accepted and understood why it was needed. But now...

Nationals finished with seventh-highest payroll in 2020

Nationals finished with seventh-highest payroll in 2020
The Nationals finished the 2020 season with the seventh-largest payroll in Major League Baseball, down three slots from their position during their World Series run the previous year but still leaving them among the sport's biggest spenders. The Nats paid out a grand total of $76.2 million to all players on their 40-man roster this season, according to figures obtained and published by the Associated Press on Saturday evening. That ranked seventh in the majors, behind the World Series champion...

As football flails, MLB deserves more credit for 2020 season

As football flails, MLB deserves more credit for 2020 season
Fifteen Division I football games were canceled last week because of players, coaches and others testing positive for COVID-19. The 2020 college football season is a mess, with different teams from different conferences playing a different number of games over different stretches of time. Yet all you really hear out of that corner of the sports world are complaints about the effect these scattershot cancellations are having on the sanctity of the season. You aren't hearing any serious talk...

A look at the MLB 16-team playoffs that start today

A look at the MLB 16-team playoffs that start today
The truncated 2020 regular season is over, and it was used this year to eliminate just 14 teams. Now 16 play on in search of the World Series championship. Bracket playoff baseball is about to begin later today with four American League playoff games. The National League series begin tomorrow. So on Wednesday, there will be eight playoff games. Yep, eight. They'll start at Noon, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 p.m. Should be a wild day and night of baseball. There will be at least four more games on...

Pandemic playoffs present new challenges

Pandemic playoffs present new challenges
The baseball postseason starts Sept. 29, and after a bizarre season defined by the coronavirus, there will be nothing normal about October baseball. First of all, there will be 16 teams instead of 10, more than half of Major League Baseball's 30 teams. The wild-card round, usually a dramatic one-game playoff, has moved to a three-game format with all three games played in the ballparks of the top-seeded three division winners in each league. After that, all games will be at a neutral...

What would expanded playoffs in 2021 mean for O's, plus other notes

What would expanded playoffs in 2021 mean for O's, plus other notes
It was not a big surprise when we learned this week that Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has designs on making this year's expanded 16-team playoffs permanent. The reasons for this would start with a big one: money. Extra dollars are clearly generated and that benefits both players and owners. This also will allow for pennant races to include more teams. In 2019 we saw five playoff teams, and now there would be eight in each league. That is more than half of each league that...

Former Oriole and National Hairston recalls grandfather's Negro League career

Former Oriole and National Hairston recalls grandfather's Negro League career
The Orioles drafted Jerry Hairston Jr., in 1997, and when he made his big-league debut at Camden Yards against the Angels on Sept. 11, 1998, the Hairstons became the first African-American family to have three generations play in the major leagues. Hairston hit 26 home runs with the Orioles from 1998 through 2004 and then played with eight other teams, including the 2011 Nationals. His grandfather, Sam, played for the Birmingham Barons and won the Negro American League Triple Crown for the 1950...

MLB tightens protocols following outbreaks

MLB tightens protocols following outbreaks
After a coronavirus outbreak slammed the rosters of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, Major League Baseball added new provisions to its safety protocols, threatening suspensions for repeated or flagrant violations, according to USA TODAY Sports. The newspaper's website reported that MLB now requires players and staff to wear masks in the dugout, clubhouse and at all public places on the road as well as in the hotel. MLB's six-page memo, released Wednesday to the 30 teams, said the...

Marlins finally get back to playing ball tonight - maybe

Marlins finally get back to playing ball tonight - maybe
After a nine-day layoff because of a COVID-19 outbreak, the Miami Marlins are ready to resume their season Tuesday night against the Orioles at Camden Yards. But heavy rain and high winds, brought on by Tropical Storm Isaias skirting the East Coast, might make the Marlins wait another day. Winds of 35 mph and 3-5 inches of rain are expected in Baltimore, according to weather reports. It's been that kind of season for the Marlins. They played two exhibition games in Atlanta and started their...

More changes afoot as MLB copes with tattered schedules

More changes afoot as MLB copes with tattered schedules
This is a fair warning for baseball traditionalists: If you've grumbled about new rules in baseball this season, prepare to grumble more this weekend. The players' association is surveying members and Major League Baseball is seeing what owners think about a rule change that would allow for doubleheaders with two seven-inning games to make up lost games caused by the coronavirus outbreak on the Marlins' roster. Another possibility: Doubleheaders with a nine- and seven-inning game. The two...

Incident in Houston highlights questions around protocols and punishments

Incident in Houston highlights questions around protocols and punishments
As baseball tries to settle down and reschedule games lost to the Marlins' coronavirus outbreak, the shortened season has been hit with a debate over the Astros' sign-stealing shenanigans from the 2017 season: Major League Baseball suspended Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly for eight games - 13 percent of the season - for throwing at the Astros' Alex Bregman and taunting Carlos Correa Tuesday night in a 5-2 victory in Houston. Was it a fair punishment? The Astros beat the Dodgers in the...

Nats won't play this weekend after Marlins series is postponed

Nats won't play this weekend after Marlins series is postponed
The Nationals are playing the Blue Jays tonight at Nationals Park in the finale of a two-game series in which they are the home team. Then the two clubs will play again Wednesday and Thursday at Nationals Park, with the Blue Jays becoming the designated home team because they're not allowed to play in Toronto and their replacement home in Buffalo isn't ready yet. Then the Nationals will have the entire weekend off because they can neither play the Marlins as scheduled in Miami nor at home in...

MLB faces new coronavirus crisis early on in abbreviated schedule

MLB faces new coronavirus crisis early on in abbreviated schedule
Less than a week into the season, baseball is dealing with a coronavirus outbreak, leaving the most important question unanswered: What is the line of demarcation for calling off the 2020 season? That decision is a subjective one. The agreement between owners and players to start this season amid a pandemic gives that decision to Commissioner Rob Manfred. If at any time he thinks travel is too dangerous and the schedule takes an integrity hit, then Manfred can end the season. And after at least...

MLB, players union roll the dice on expanded postseason for 2020

MLB, players union roll the dice on expanded postseason for 2020
Baseball's postseason will have a new NBA- and NHL-like wrinkle when October arrives, at least with the number of playoff teams. Baseball's wacky season will continue into a newly designed postseason. As the 60-game schedule began Thursday night in Washington, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association announced an agreement that six more teams will be added to the postseason. Originally, there were 10 teams. Now 16 teams have a chance to make the World Series. The NBA and NHL each...