BASEBALL

If there’s a song that’s become the theme of 2022 in the sports world, it’s definitely “Narco.”

This is no ordinary canine.

Whenever any high school baseball rankings come out, it’s hard to ever see a team in those rankings not from states such as Florida, Texas, California, Arizona, Mississippi or Georgia. But for most of the year, St. Mary’s was ranked No. 1 in the country by MaxPreps.

It’s hard enough for any school to get to a state baseball final, let alone a school in a city where prep baseball is an afterthought. But the improbable nature of Edison’s run goes even further than that.

2022 marks 100 years since the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that professional baseball is exempt from the Sherman Antitrust Act.

The camera phones were raised high and the anticipation was buzzing through the stadium. When it finally happened, nearly 40,000 fans in Detroit cheered, got goosebumps, and even cried tears of joy that they got to be part of baseball history on Saturday.

On April 15, 1947, at 28 years old, Jackie Robinson put on his first Brooklyn Dodgers uniform and stepped on to the diamond. He became the first Black player in modern baseball history and broke the major league baseball “color line.”

Baseball’s regular season begins this week, so that means the abbreviated spring training session for teams, which started late due to the offseason lockout, is over.

Cracker Jill was launched ahead of the regular season opener to celebrate women who break barriers in sports.

Police said one male in his 60s and one female in her 20s were struck in parking lot No. 1 at Raymond James Stadium

NEW YORK — (AP) — Baseball's amateur draft will be held in Los Angeles from July 17-19, its second straight season located at the city of the All-Star Game. In 2023, the top six selections with be determined by a weighted lottery involving all teams that don't reach this year's playoffs. MLB will hold a draft combine at San Diego's Petco Park from June 14-20, the commissioner's office said Thursday. The draft will be 20 rounds under the new collective bargaining agreement between MLB ad the players' association, matching the total last year. ___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

What do you think of these changes for the baseball season?

Major League Baseball extended its deadline for salvaging opening day and a 162-game season until Tuesday at 5 p.m. after a marathon of 13 bargaining sessions over 16 1/2 hours produced progress toward a deal but left the sides still far apart.

Major League Baseball is currently in a lockout, if the lockout is lifted, Spring Training will could start at the end of the month.

ALCS Red Sox Astros Baseball Grounds crew personnel apply the final touches to a postseason field logo at Minute Maid Park before baseball practice in Houston, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. The Houston Astros host the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Friday. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) (Tony Gutierrez)HOUSTON — (AP) — Baseball’s ninth work stoppage and first in 26 years appears almost certain to start Dec. 2, freezing the free-agent market and threatening the start of spring training in February. Uncertainty over the 2022 season probably will cause high-spending clubs to delay reaching pricier player agreements. The average major league salary dropped from $4,097,122 in 2017 to $3,881,021 in 2020, before accounting for prorated pay caused by the pandemic, according to the players’ association.

Baseball’s ninth work stoppage and first in 26 years appears almost certain to start Dec. 2, freezing the free-agent market and threatening the start of spring training in February. Free agents can start signing with any team on the sixth day following the World Series, and this year’s group includes Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Freddie Freeman, Trevor Story, Max Scherzer, Marcus Semien, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Michael Conforto and Kevin Gausman.

Baseball’s biggest payroll couldn’t buy the Los Angeles Dodgers another championship. Saturday night’s 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series ended the Dodgers’ streak of seven consecutive postseason wins in elimination games. Max Scherzer watched helplessly from the dugout, unable to go in Game 6 as planned because of lingering fatigue in his powerful right arm.

It’s always been one of the most murky areas in baseball: What exactly constitutes a check-swing.

Tim Anderson recently admitted he has never watched “Field of Dreams.” Well, he just submitted a pretty good script for a sequel.

Fans were probably a little puzzled at first when the news broke announcing the new nickname for Cleveland’s baseball team.

It’s official: The Cleveland Indians will become the Cleveland Guardians.

If you think trying to hit a baseball off a professional pitcher is hard, it might not have anything on trying to hit a Wiffle Ball off a professional.

Minor league pitcher Tyler Zombro was kept overnight at a hospital and remains in stable condition after being struck in the head by a line drive.

Spencer Turnbull pitched the fifth no-hitter in the majors already this season, sending the Detroit Tigers to a 5-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

The Cincinnati Reds will offer fans a chance to get a ticket for $10 if they show the ticket office their vaccination card with at least one shot completed.

The Texas Rangers are the first team to approach capacity with their stadium since the coronavirus shutdown of sports more than a year ago.

As Major League Baseball had Opening Day around the country on Thursday, the Daytona Tortugas minor league team prepared for its season that starts in May.

It is time for Opening Day for Major League Baseball. Fans all over the country live for this day. In a world still fighting Covid-19 this is a much anticipated Opening Day.

Mask use would be dropped from dugouts and bullpens, and electronic tracing devices would be eliminated when 85% of major league players and primary field staff are vaccinated against the coronavirus. AdNot many players have been vaccinated, according to MLB, but it expects the pace to increase after teams return to their home cities from spring training. Once the 85% threshold is reached, fully vaccinated players and staff would be able to eat and drink on flights. AdFully vaccinated people who have close contact with someone with COVID-19 would not have to quarantine unless they exhibit symptoms. Vaccinated players and staff would have the option to reduce PCR saliva testing to twice weekly, similar to Tier 2 staff, such as front office and clubhouse employees, owners and groundskeepers.

Roberto Clemente was the first Latino to be inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The legacy of Roberto Clemente is still treasured today, proven nearly 50 years after his death. In fact, the Orange County School Board unanimously voted to rename the facility Roberto Clemente Middle on Sept. 21, coincidentally during Hispanic Heritage Month. Becoming baseball’s most prominent Afro-LatinoRoberto Clemente started his Major League Baseball career with the Pittsburg Pirates. The son of a sugarcane worker, Clemente began his professional baseball career just after finishing high school.

ATLANTA – Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday. The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. “Hammerin’ Hank” set a wide array of career hitting records during a 23-year career spent mostly with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, including RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases. WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 5: Hank Aaron #44 of the Atlanta Braves takes batting practice before an MLB Spring Training game on March 5, 1972 in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Hammerin’ Hank” set multiple hitting records during a 23-year career spent mostly with the Braves, including RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases.

Kim Ng is pictured with Tommy Lasorda during spring training in this 2005 file photo. LOS ANGELES – Tommy Lasorda, the fiery Hall of Fame manager who guided the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series titles and later became an ambassador for the sport he loved during his 71 years with the franchise, has died. The Dodgers said Friday that he had a heart attack at his home in Fullerton. Resuscitation attempts were made en route to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday. Lasorda had a history of heart problems, including a heart attack in 1996 that ended his managerial career.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 6 of the baseball World Series Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)Two months ago, Blake Snell got yanked off the mound with a two-hit shutout going in the final game of the World Series. Now, the Tampa Bay Rays are ready to ship him out of town. The San Diego Padres are close to completing a blockbuster trade to acquire Snell from the defending AL champions. The Athletic was first to report the players headed from San Diego to Tampa Bay if the trade is finalized.

MIAMI – Kim Ng started her Major League Baseball career as an intern, and three decades later she's still on the rise while shattering ceilings. Ng became the majors' highest-ranking woman in baseball operations when she was hired Friday as general manager of the Miami Marlins. “After decades of determination, it is the honor of my career to lead the Miami Marlins,” Ng said in a statement. “We look forward to Kim bringing a wealth of knowledge and championship-level experience to the Miami Marlins,” Jeter said in a statement. “All of us at Major League Baseball are thrilled for Kim and the opportunity she has earned with the Marlins,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

After Lowe finally busted out in Game 2 of the World Series, the Rays and Dodgers are tied deep in the heart of Texas. Snell attacked with breaking pitches in the strike zone, not his usual pattern, against a Dodgers team that doesn't often chase. SHORT HOPSSnell’s nine strikeouts were the most in a World Series game by a pitcher who didn't last five innings. Dodgers: Buehler threw six shutout innings to win Game 6 of the NL Championship Series against Atlanta and force Game 7. His only previous World Series start was Game 3 against Boston in 2018, when he fired seven scoreless innings in the only game the Dodgers won.

While appointing Sonia Sotomayor as a justice for the Supreme Court in 2009, then-President Barack Obama caught a few people by surprise when he said, “Some say Judge Sotomayor saved baseball.”

FILE - In this April 9, 1965, file photo, Lou Brock, of the St. Louis Cardinals, poses in Missouri. The Cards were World Series champions in 1964 and 1967 and lost to the Detroit Tigers in seven games in 1968. Brock was even better in postseason play, batting .391 with four homers, 16 RBIs and 14 steals in 21 World Series games. For Brock, base stealing was an art form and a kind of warfare. He also made two damaging mistakes that helped cost St. Louis the 68 World Series.

(2020 Getty Images)A lone Boston Red Sox employee eats a hot dog in the stands before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on July 26, 2020 in Boston. (2020 Getty Images)A peek at Tropicana Field during a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Atlanta Braves on July 27, 2020 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (2020 Getty Images)A mask is placed on the Teammates Statue on Opening Day at Fenway Park on July 24, 2020 in Boston. (2020 Getty Images)A general view of of cardboard cutouts placed in the seats before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on July 25, 2020. (2020 Getty Images)With information from the Associated Press.

Miami Marlins' manager Don Mattingly looks out from the dugout during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)MIAMI The Miami Marlins' coronavirus outbreak could endanger the Major League Baseball season, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday, although he doesn't believe games needs to stop now. More than a dozen Marlins players and staff members tested positive for COVID-19, stranding the team in Philadelphia and raising anew questions about MLB's attempts to conduct a season. The Marlins outbreak was the talk of baseball, and Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez choked on his words as he discussed the situation. Whether that was shutting down a part of the season, the whole season, that depends on the circumstances.

Miami Marlins' manager Don Mattingly looks out from the dugout during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)MIAMI The Miami Marlins' home opener Monday night against Baltimore has been postponed as the Marlins deal with a coronavirus outbreak that stranded them in Philadelphia. The Marlins postponed their flight home Sunday night after their series finale against the Phillies. No reasons were given for the moves, but manager Don Mattingly said those who tested positive would be quarantined in Philadelphia. The Marlins' precarious health raised anew doubts about MLBs ability to finish the season during a pandemic.

Miami Marlins' manager Don Mattingly looks out from the dugout during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)MIAMI The Miami Marlins scratched right-hander Jose Urena from his scheduled start Sunday in Philadelphia and delayed their postgame trip home amid concerns about a possible coronavirus outbreak within the team. No reason was given for Urena being scratched in the series finale, which Miami won 11-6. Manager Don Mattingly said the Marlins decided to wait until Monday to leave Philadelphia, and they plan to arrive in Miami hours before their home opener against Baltimore. Miami catcher Jorge Alfaro went on the injured list hours before the season opener Friday at Philadelphia.

... Theres going to be a lot of excuses thrown around by a lot of different players and teams. Eleven different pitchers earned at least one save in 2019, and the shortened season will pose new challenges. The Rays hold a team option for 2021, however the 36-year-old right-hander isnt sure how much longer he wants to play. With the minor league season cancelled because of the pandemic, the Rays hope the experience will be beneficial to his development. There arent many guys across baseball that possess the talent he has, Rays general manager Erik Neander said entering spring training.

The Tampa Bay Times reports the University of South Floridas Florida Public Archaeology Network has registered the property with the state as a historic cemetery site. A survey would include rolling ground-penetrating radar that can detect graves across the full 12 acres. Thirty years ago, residents stepped forward when the city prepared to pave parking lots 1 and 2 for Tropicana Field. The city was unaware that the network filed the report, but said it is aware of the possibility that graves are still there. While we believe individuals buried there have been interred elsewhere, the mayor gave the green light to staff recently to begin the process of confirming this.

In this image from surveillance camera video provided by KGO-TV/ABC7, a young mountain lion wanders through the station's parking lot in San Francisco Tuesday, June 16, 2020. The disoriented cougar roamed the streets of the city for two days until he was spotted by a police officer near Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. Campbell said officials get reports of cougars in San Francisco about once a year. We never had a mountain lion right in the middle of downtown San Francisco, Campbell said. If approached by the mountain lion, make yourself appear big and shout."

Published: May 25, 2020, 7:00 am Updated: May 25, 2020, 10:25 amPENSACOLA, Fla. A Florida team is selling people the ultimate baseball experience by putting their oceanview stadium up for rent on AirBnB for $1,500 a night. The Pensacola Blue Wahoos says guests will have access to the clubhouse, a large bedroom, the batting cage and the field. And although the listing had no reviews, the stadium has been fully booked through July. The team said on a Facebook post that it was waiting to hear more on the schedule for the 2020 season from league officials before opening more dates for vacation rentals between July and October. The Minor League Baseball delayed the start of the 2020 season as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The ski resort will open for limited spring skiing and riding on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. At least one resort high in the Colorado Rockies is planning to reopen after a more than two-month hiatus caused by the coronavirus. Jared Polis is expected to make an announcement involving all Colorado ski resorts Monday. Still, some are choosing not to allow late spring skiing. Kate Brown signed an executive order allowing skiing and snowboarding to resume across the state.

Has it really been about 100 years since arguably America’s first true sports icon was in his heyday?

Luis "Lou" Manuel Castro played baseball at Manhattan College in New York before he was signed by the Athletics and legendary manager Connie Mack.

Beep baseball lets blind players step up to the plate Equipment outfitted with distinct sounds allows the blind and visually impaired participate in “beep baseball.” WISH’s Jessica Hayes reports.

Baseball expands its use of instant replay in upcoming season Opening day for Major League Baseball is almost here and this season, new rules involving instant replay go into effect. Don Dahler reports on how the change will effect the game.