WILLIE MAYS

Elias Díaz may be the most unlikely All-Star MVP.

The COVID-19 pandemic upended learning across the United States.

There were plenty of reasons Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack to ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ shouldn't have worked.

No U.S.-born Black players are projected to be on World Series rosters when the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros meet this week.

In a surprise salute at Citi Field, the Mets have retired Willie Mays’ No. 24 as part of festivities for the organization’s first Old-Timers’ Day since 1994.

Chicago White Sox star Tim Anderson has accused Yankees slugger Josh Donaldson of making a racist remark during Saturday’s game and Major League Baseball is looking into the incident.

Miguel Cabrera needed only one at-bat on Saturday to deliver his long-awaited 3,000th career hit, quickly reaching the mark as the Detroit Tigers routed the Colorado Rockies 13-0 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.

Miguel Cabrera’s quest for his 3,000th hit was delayed for at least one more day when the game between the Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies was rained out.

A long-awaited statue of pitcher Tom Seaver has been unveiled by the New York Mets in a 40-minute ceremony that began about 2 1/2 hours before their home opener against Arizona.

Everybody expected a playoff series for the ages between the century-old rival Dodgers and Giants, and now they’ve got it.

It is only fitting that 70 years after Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ’Round the World” that the Giants and Dodgers will play in another all-or-nothing game.

The San Francisco Giants finally won the NL West without needing to wait for the rival Dodgers' result on the season’s final day, pounding the San Diego Padres 11-4 for a franchise-record 107th victory to top the 1904 New York team.

Boston left-hander Chris Sale is scheduled to make his first big league appearance in just over two years when he faces the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.

The Los Angeles Dodgers waited 32 years to win the World Series again.

Gerrit Cole starts against Houston on Thursday for the first time since leaving the Astros for a $324 million, nine-year contract with the Yankees before the 2020 season.

FILE - In this April 8, 1974, file photo Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run in Atlanta Stadium to break the all-time record set by the late Babe Ruth. 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, Jan. 22, 2021. The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. Other Records: MLB career leader in RBIs (2,297), extra-base hits (1,477) and total bases (6,856); played in 25 All-Star Games. Beginnings: Started pro career at age 17 with Indianapolis Clowns of Negro American League.

Major League Baseball has reclassified the Negro Leagues as a major league and will count the statistics and records of its 3,400 players as part of its history. Josh Gibson, the greatest of all Negro League sluggers, might just wind up with a major league record, too. The statistics and records of greats like Gibson, Paige and roughly 3,400 other players are set to join Major League Baseball's books after MLB announced Wednesday it is reclassifying the Negro Leagues as a major league. “We couldn’t be more thrilled by this recognition of the significance of the Negro Leagues in Major League Baseball history,” said Edward Schauder, legal representative for Gibson’s estate and co-founder of the Negro Leagues Players Association. “Granting MLB status to the Negro Leagues a century after their founding is profoundly gratifying.”___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Oakland stopped a nine-game losing streak in winner-take-all postseason games, a major league record that dated to the 1973 World Series. “I woke up this morning feeling like this was going to be a hard game and it was a hard game,” Melvin said. The low-budget A's had not captured a winner-take-all postseason game since beating Hall of Famer Willie Mays and the New York Mets. That prompted White Sox star Tim Anderson to say, “I guess they haven’t done their homework.”“It’s a tough one to swallow but we've got to keep going,” Anderson said. HURLING ITThe 17 pitchers, nine by Chicago, were the most in a nine-inning postseason game.

Pujols hit No. Pujols said that he received a text and email from Mays after he tied the Hall of Famer on Sunday in Colorado. Pujols added that he had not checked his phone after Friday's game to see how many congratulatory messages he had received. Pujols passed Mays with a solo drive to left. After the Rangers rallied to get within 3-2, Pujols led off the seventh with No.

Pujols connected for a solo homer with two outs in the fifth inning. He led off the seventh to extend Los Angeles’ lead to 4-2. Pujols now trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Alex Rodriguez (696). Pujols, who tied Mays last Sunday at Colorado, has one more season left on his contract with the Angels after this year. ___AP Sports Writer Tim Booth in Seattle and Baseball Writer Stephen Hawkins in Texas contributed to this report.

Trailing 3-2, the 40-year-old Pujols lined a fastball from Carlos Estevez (1-3) into the empty seats in left-center for his 660th homer. Pujols now trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Alex Rodriguez (696) on the career home run list. It was a crazy day at the plate for the Angels, who had more walks (10) than hits (six). The Angels took two of three from Rockies and wrapped up a six-game trip with a 3-3 mark. If you’re good, you’re young and you’re not hurt, you’ll work through it.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)DENVER – Albert Pujols hit his 660th career homer, tying the Los Angeles Angels slugger for fifth on the all-time list with Willie Mays. The 40-year-old Pujols now trails only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Alex Rodriguez (694) on the career home run list. Pujols has averaged 26 home runs per season over the past eight years with the Angels. His best home run season with the Angels was in 2015 when he hit 40. Pujols, who has one season left on his contract with the Angels after 2020, has gone deep four times this season.

Washington Nationals' Carter Kieboom walks away after popping out to end a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)For a second straight season, the Washington Nationals are off to an awful start. CUTTING IT CLOSEWhile the Nationals have struggled from the start, the New York Yankees figured to be in the clear for a postseason spot after their 16-6 start. In 1993, San Diego executed an infamous fire sale, dealing Fred McGriff and Gary Sheffield in the middle of the season. He would go on to become a six-time All-Star for San Diego and, eventually, a Hall of Famer.

HOUSTON Los Angeles Angels star Albert Pujols continued his climb up the career charts Monday night, passing Alex Rodriguez with his 2,087th RBI. The 40-year-old Pujols hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to top A-Rod. Pujols is batting .211 with three home runs and 12 RBIs this season. He's recently been out of the lineup for the Angels, who have the worst record in the American League. The three-time MVP and 10-time All-Star has 659 career home runs, one behind Willie Mays for fifth place.

Before those two dramatic extra innings, Ohtani started the day by issuing five walks and getting only five outs before getting pulled from his second rough start of the season. That first inning was outstanding, said Angels manager Joe Maddon, who apparently wasn't aware Ohtani was headed for an MRI during his postgame interview. Any sustained absence would be a double blow to the struggling Angels, who use Ohtani as their designated hitter on most days between his pitching starts. After a strong eight-pitch first inning, Ohtani walked his first three batters of the second. UP NEXTAstros: Baker hasn't said who will start Tuesday night when the Astros open a three-game series at Arizona.

FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2006, file photo,a Joe DiMaggio 1947 MVP Award Plaque is displayed at a news conference in New York. The plaque features the name and image of Kenesaw Mountain Landis. The other name engraved on the trophy: Kenesaw Mountain Landis. If you have the Jackie Robinson Award and the Kenesaw Mountain Landis Award, you are at diametrically opposed poles, Thorn said. Larkin recalled that shortly after he was voted MVP, he got a call from two-time NL MVP Joe Morgan.