Russell Steinberg Articles - Page 17

Bud Black will return to manage the Colorado Rockies in 2025, the team announced on Tuesday. Black and the Rockies agreed on another one-year extension after the team finished 61-101 in 2024, the worst record in the National League. Black is 537-657 in eight seasons as Colorado manager, passing Clint Hurdle this season for most […]

One year ago, the Las Vegas Aces did more than just celebrate in Brooklyn. After defeating the New York Liberty to win their second straight WNBA championship, they paraded through the bowels of Barclays Center. Kelsey Plum had a boombox in hand and led other members of the team into the interview room to crash […]

Despite finishing the 2024 regular season with the best record in the WNBA, the New York Liberty faced their share of challenges. They lost games, lost players to injury, and even got kicked out of their own home arena for the Commissioner’s Cup championship game. However, after a humbling 95-81 road loss to the Las […]

The New York Liberty could have won the 2023 WNBA championship. They were the clear second-best team, facing a juggernaut Las Vegas Aces squad that was down two starters heading into Game 4 of the Finals. The Aces just made a few more plays, beating the Liberty by a point in the deciding game and […]

There’s not much that can dampen the mood for a Major League Baseball team when they clinch the playoffs, but the injury update the Atlanta Braves got on Chris Sale just might do it. Hours after the Braves scratched Sale from their must-win Game 162 on Monday, manager Brian Snitker told reporters that he “does […]

The death of Pete Rose has sent shockwaves across Major League Baseball, and as expected, the tributes have started to pour in. Hall of Famer Wade Boggs added his thoughts in a post via X on Monday night. Words can’t describe how I feel right now my Idol and friend growing up wanting to be […]

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expects Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas to be ready for the start of the National League Division Series on Saturday. If they can’t go, however, he has a plan. With Freeman nursing a sprained ankle and Rojas dealing with a left adductor injury, both hope to be on the […]

Once the MLB Postseason begins, every team has a shot. Hall of Famer David Ortiz knows that as well as anybody, winning his first ring on the legendary 2004 Boston Red Sox team that broke the Curse of the Bambino. But if there’s one team that Big Papi is going to single out this year […]

A whirlwind Monday for the Atlanta Braves has taken a serious turn for the worse. Just minutes after losing the first game of a season-defining doubleheader to the New York Mets on Monday, the team has scratched Cy Young favorite Chris Sale from Game 2 due to back spasms, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. […]

After a disappointing 2024 season that saw the St. Louis Cardinals finish third in the National League Central, team owner Bill DeWitt is ready to shake things up. DeWitt has hired Chaim Bloom, the former Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays general manager, to lead the Cardinals forward as President of Baseball Operations. Bloom […]

On Opening Day, the Kansas City Royals had a 13% chance to make the 2024 MLB postseason, according to FanGraphs. Fast-forward to today and the Royals are about to open their American League Wild Card series against the Orioles in Baltimore. The surprising season, of course, was no accident. Bobby Witt Jr. has had a […]

You didn’t have to watch last year’s WNBA Playoffs to know the New York Liberty had unfinished business with A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces. It was apparent from the start in Game 1 of their semifinals series, which the Liberty won, 87-77, at Barclays Center to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five […]

NEW YORK — Nearly two hours before the New York Liberty officially began their 2024 WNBA Playoff campaign on Sunday afternoon against the Atlanta Dream, Sabrina Ionescu was on the court at Barclays Center getting some shots up. And she wasn’t missing. Ionescu appeared relaxed, smiling and joking with her coaches and the media while […]

Courtney Vandersloot thinks the media is making too much of her new role coming off the bench for the New York Liberty. She may be right. Sandy Brondello swapped Vandersloot for rookie Leonie Fiebich in Game 1 of the WNBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday — an 83-69 Liberty win — and it […]

The New York Mets are in position to reach the MLB Postseason for the second time in three years, but they’ll need to close strong to hold off the Atlanta Braves. Entering play on Monday, the Mets are 87-69, tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second Wild Card spot. By virtue of MLB tiebreaker […]

It may be hard to believe, but the Philadelphia Phillies are National League East champions for the first time since 2011. The Phillies defeated the Chicago Cubs, 6-2, at Citizens Bank Park on Monday night, setting off a wild celebration among fans as the team punched its third straight trip to the MLB postseason. Predictably, […]

Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher says he is “so very sorry” that the franchise is moving after 57 years, but fans aren’t buying it. Fisher penned an open letter to the Athletics fanbase that he released on Monday in which he looked back on the triumphs and more memories from the past half century. He […]

The Detroit Tigers will promote top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe as the team looks to secure a playoff spot, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reported on Monday. The 22-year-old will pitch out of the bullpen for now, Stavenhagen added. He also reported that the Tigers will designate Shelby Miller for assignment as a corresponding move. […]

The New York Mets have fought their way into the MLB postseason picture. As of Monday, September 23, they occupy the third and final National League Wild Card spot, leading the Atlanta Braves by two games. They’re in the playoff hunt, but even if the Mets manage to earn a ticket to October, don’t go […]

Godzilla’s still got it. Video has surfaced on X of former Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui blasting a home run at age 50, and New York fans are losing their minds. Behold, that classic stance and swing that sent 175 balls into the seats during his 10-year MLB career. Hideki Matsui, now 50 years old, hits […]

Three days after losing to the Atlanta Dream in a listless regular season finale, the New York Liberty refused to have a repeat performance on Sunday. Against the same Atlanta team, rookie Leonie Fiebich scorched the nets to lead her Liberty to an 83-69 win in Game 1 of the first round of the WNBA […]

After the New York Liberty swept the Dallas Wings in two road games earlier this month, the team flew back to New York with a feeling of accomplishment. Their coach, Sandy Brondello, wasn’t with them. Brondello instead flew to Phoenix where she joined her former players at the Footprint Center to honor the 2014 WNBA […]

The New York Liberty have officially accomplished all they can in the 2024 regular season. Their 87-71 victory over the Washington Mystics on Tuesday night gives them the No. 1 seed in the WNBA Playoffs, set to begin on Sunday. New York has one more regular season game, Thursday night at home against the Atlanta […]

Red Sox manager Alex Cora will not face suspension for comments he made on Sunday regarding Boston potentially throwing at Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, Boston beat writer Chris Cotillo first reported. Speaking to reporters before the Yankees and Red Sox met for their weekend series finale at Yankee Stadium, Cora was asked if the drama […]

For the 24th season in a row, we will not have a repeat World Series champion. The Texas Rangers are out of the playoff race at eight games below .500 as of September 16. It’s been a steep fall for the team that hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy just last October. Despite a disappointing 2024, the […]

Los Angeles Dodgers have placed backup catcher Austin Barnes on the injured list with a fractured left big toe, the team announced on Monday. LA has recalled catcher Hunter Feduccia to replace him. Barnes exited the Dodgers’ 9-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday in the fifth inning and manager Dave Roberts did not […]

The Twins are clinging to a playoff spot for dear life and Minnesota has added an ex-Baltimore Orioles pitcher for the home stretch. The Twins claimed lefty Cole Irvin off waivers, designating Randy Dobnak for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Minnesota will place Irvin on the active roster prior to their game […]

One day after leaving the Mets’ game Sunday against the Phillies with back discomfort, shortstop Francisco Lindor is out of the New York lineup Monday night. Jose Iglesias will lead off and play shortstop for the Mets against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. The issue cropped back up in the first inning of the […]

Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is nearing free agency and his agent, Scott Boras, has already gone to work on his client’s behalf. Part of that means not limiting the top third base free agent on the market to his position. Boras reminded teams that Bregman “can also play second base,” per Chandler Rome […]

The New York Liberty needed a reminder that they’re not invincible. The Minnesota Lynx were happy to help. The Lynx dominated the Liberty for three quarters on Sunday at Barclays Center, withstanding a furious New York comeback in the fourth to win, 88-79. A Liberty win would have secured the No. 1 seed in the […]

Before the Liberty took on the Wings on Tuesday in the first of two straight games in Dallas, head coach Sandy Brondello stressed the potential pitfalls that lay before her team. “Another team that has nothing to lose. They’re out of the playoffs,” she said of the Wings. “They’re the most dangerous teams because they […]

There should be no debate in the WNBA over who the top two candidates are for Rookie of the Year. There’s also no reason Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich shouldn’t be on the short list for the best of the rest. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have put up better numbers and have undeniably had better […]

The beleaguered Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff got some rare good news on Tuesday. Tony Gonsolin, who has not pitched in the Majors this season, will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. It will be his first time on a professional mound since August 13, 2023. It is the 15th time this […]

After the Boston Red Sox designated Bobby Dalbec for assignment on Sunday, the Red Sox infielder has cleared waivers. The team assigned him to Triple-A Worcester on Monday. A fourth-round pick out of Arizona in 2016, Dalbec first reached the Major Leagues in 2020. Though he burst onto the scene with eight home runs in […]

Michael Kopech lost eight games and had a 4.74 ERA in 43 relief appearances for the Chicago White Sox in the first half of the 2024 season. But since Chicago traded Kopech to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 29, he has been nearly unhittable, posting a 0.53 ERA and cutting his walk rate by […]

As September gets going, the San Francisco Giants are in real danger of finishing their third consecutive season without a winning record. At 71-73, they’re technically not out of the playoff race, but suffice it to say things have not gone as expected for a team that brought in Blake Snell, Matt Chapman, and Robbie […]

Anthony Santander’s career year continues. The Baltimore Orioles right fielder hit his 40th home run of the season Monday night and made a little history in the process. With his blast, which came in the top of the 7th inning of Baltimore’s game against the Boston Red Sox, he became the first switch hitter since […]

Alec Bohm expects to return to the Philadelphia Phillies lineup soon, but he’s not pain-free just yet. The third baseman spoke to the media on Monday, three days after the Phillies placed him on the injured list with a left hand strain. “I can tell it’s getting better each day,” he said, per Scott Lauber […]

Two days after Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy implied Kumar Rocker would not pitch in the Majors this year, Rocker is on the verge of doing just that. The Rangers will call up their pitching prospect after two stellar starts in Triple-A, the team announced on Monday. Rocker, the No. 3 overall pick in the […]