Detroit News

Chris McCosky   | The Detroit News Detroit – It was supposed to be a happy, congratulatory Zoom conference, and for the most part it was. In a span of two days last week, Tigers infielder Jeimer Candelario became for the first time a father (his wife Andreina gave birth to a baby girl) and Tiger

Andrew Seligman  |  Associated Press Chicago — Listening in on fans’ conversations during his walks home from Wrigley Field, Theo Epstein could sense their excitement as the Chicago Cubs set themselves up to capture that long-awaited World Series championship. It was as if they were all in it together. “It felt like the lines between fans and

Chris McCosky   | The Detroit News Detroit — Gene Roof can remember the first time he laid eyes on Christin Stewart. It was on the backfields at the Tigers’ training complex in Lakeland, shortly after the Tigers drafted Stewart in the first round in 2015. It became instantly clear the powerfully-built kid from Tennessee was drafted

Lynn Henning   | The Detroit News It pounds away like Miguel Cabrera in the batting cage, this thought that persists two weeks after the Tigers and AJ Hinch came together, much because of what might go down as a historic, four-hour dinner at the Hyde Park steakhouse in Birmingham. Chris Ilitch was at that dinner

Chris McCosky   | The Detroit News Detroit – This is the lone downside to restocking the farm system as quickly and effectively as the Tigers have done over the last four years: Eventually you end up with more quality prospects than you can protect on the roster. The Tigers are facing that reality this week.

Steven Wine  |  Associated Press Miami — Kim Ng became the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations in the major leagues when she was hired Friday as general manager of the Miami Marlins. Ng is believed to be the first female general manager for a men’s team in a major professional sport in North America, the

Chris McCosky   | The Detroit News Detroit — His coaching staff is all but set, minus an assistant hitting coach. He’s reached out to most of the veteran players, starting, of course, with Miguel Cabrera and Matthew Boyd. Since last September, when he knew he’d be interviewing for the job in Detroit, he’s been breaking down

Ben Walker  |  Associated Press New York — Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman easily won the NL MVP award Thursday, topping off a trying year that saw him become so ill with COVID-19 he prayed “please don’t take me.” Chicago White Sox slugger José Abreu earned the AL MVP, a reward for powering his team

Lynn Henning   | The Detroit News Baseball life is about to change at Fifth Third Field in Comstock Park, just north of Grand Rapids. That quaint club known as the West Michigan Whitecaps is growing up. It is expected to drop its old low Single A minor-league designation and its personality as a kind of

Ben Walker  |  Associated Press New York — Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman easily won the NL MVP award Thursday, topping off a trying year that saw him become so ill with COVID-19 he prayed “please don’t take me.” Chicago White Sox slugger José Abreu earned the AL MVP, a reward for powering his team

Detroit – AJ Hinch knew it was coming. Of course he did. The minute he hired former Dodgers first base coach George Lombard to be his bench coach in Detroit, he knew he’d have to answer the inevitable question about the 2017 World Series. It’s what we call in the journalism business “low-hanging fruit.” Or

Chris McCosky   | The Detroit News Detroit – He’s coming off probably the most confounding season of his six-year big-league career, what with the pandemic, the forced shutdown, the quarantines, the hurried 60-game schedule and invasive COVID-19 protocols. Not to mention his own performance issues.  He’s said thank you and goodbye to two beloved coaches

Lynn Henning   | The Detroit News Al Avila was sitting at home, in Bloomfield Hills, on Oct. 27, watching the final innings of World Series Game 6 and itching to make a phone call. As quickly as Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes headed for the mound for a hoist-and-hug of pitcher Julio Urias, which would close

The Detroit News New York — Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman and San Francisco starter Kevin Gausman accepted $18.9 million qualifying offers Wednesday, receiving one-year deals to stay with their teams rather than test what they could get in free agency. Four players declined qualifying offers at the 5 p.m. EST deadline: right-hander Trevor Bauer from Cincinnati,

Lynn Henning   | The Detroit News Al Avila was sitting at home, in Bloomfield Hills, on Oct. 27, watching the final innings of World Series Game 6 and itching to make a phone call. As quickly as Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes headed for the mound for a hoist-and-hug of pitcher Julio Urias, which would close

Jay Cohen  |  Associated Press Cleveland Indians ace Shane Bieber was the unanimous winner of the AL Cy Young Award on Wednesday night, and Trevor Bauer became the first player to take home the NL honor for the Cincinnati Reds. Using a versatile repertoire that includes a looping curveball and a wipeout slider, Bieber went

Jay Cohen  |  Associated Press By the time Kevin Cash pulled Tampa Bay ace Blake Snell from the last game of the World Series, he had already been voted Manager of the Year in the American League. Even if he ended up losing the biggest prize. It was a Sunshine State sweep for skippers Tuesday

Tony Paul   | The Detroit News Tommy Henry’s first impression of Chris Fetter was, well, man, that’s a tall fella. “He’s a 6-foot-7 slender, young dude,” Henry said, laughing. “At first, I was like, ‘Who is this guy?'” There were many more impressions to come for Henry and three years’ worth of Michigan pitchers, who learned

Jay Cohen  |  Associated Press Seattle Mariners center fielder Kyle Lewis is the unanimous winner of the AL Rookie of the Year award, and Milwaukee Brewers reliever Devin Williams won the NL honor on Monday night. The 25-year-old Lewis was one of baseball’s breakout stars during the pandemic-shortened season, batting .262 with 11 homers and

Associated Press  |  The Detroit News Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa has been charged with driving under the influence again. According to the Maricopa County Justice Courts website, the arrest occurred in February, but the case was filed on Oct. 28, one day before La Russa’s hiring was announced by the White Sox.