THE 2026 BASEBALL SEASON

[samhexum]

Miami's new GM:

 

[samhexum]

Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Claseand Luis Ortiz have been indicted by prosecutors in Brooklyn on charges involving sports betting, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN, among others. Ortiz was arrested earlier today. Clase is not currently in custody.

Clase and Ortiz are charged with “wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, and money laundering conspiracy, for their alleged roles in a scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown” according to the Department of Justice, relayed by Zack Meisel of The Athletic. The indictment details an alleged scheme that involves the pitchers purposely throwing balls so gamblers could bet on pitches being balls or strikes. It began as early as May 2023 with Clase, according to the indictment.

The allegations from prosecutors in the indictment include a specific incident on June 15, when Ortiz was paid $5K for throwing an intentional ball, and Clase received $5K for facilitating it. Co-conspirators won at least $400K on fraudulent wagers relating to Clase and at least $60K on fraudulent wagers relating to Ortiz, prosecutors allege in the indictment. Clase and Ortiz face up to 65 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

“MLB contacted federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and has fully cooperated throughout the process. We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” the league said in a statement to ESPN.

Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave in early July, and Clase followed later in the month. The pitchers had their absences extended“until further notice” at the end of August as the league continued its gambling investigation.

 

[samhexum]

NOW PLAYING IN QUEENS:

[samhexum]

Ex-MLB star Dykstra faces drug charges after traffic stop

APPLE.NEWS

---

Former MLB star Lenny Dykstra faces charges after police found drugs in his possession during a traffic stop on New Year's Day.

 

[samhexum]

I just read an article about the Royals moving in the outfield fences next season.  Would you have thought their stadium has the fifth highest altitude in MLB?  For some reason that surprised me.

[samhexum]

And in other baseball stadium related news…

Chip and Joanna Gaines, both alumni of Baylor University, have made the largest donation in the history of the university's baseball program. Their stadium will be renamed Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark.

[samhexum]

The other day, I read a long article in the athletic about an outfielder from the Angels minor league system, who was in a major car accident in September and suffered serious brain injuries, and will never be the same again and it said that his insurance was about to lapse and his mother didn't know if the team would continue to carry him on their policy and given the owners known cheapness it wasn't definite that they would continue to do so but I'm reading now that they will.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time something like this has happened. In that same article I read it mentioned (I think it was a Padres) minor-league pitcher who had a heart attack 30+ years ago while while warming up in the bullpen and still has trouble walking and talking and they sign him to a minor league contract every year to keep him on their insurance And the Dodgers have done the same thing for about 12 years now with a former prospect who has mental health issues.

[+ purplekow]

On 11/3/2025 at 10:11 AM, samhexum said:

Miami's new GM:

 

Though he is still built, this picture is at least 5 years old and probably older.  

[samhexum]

7 minutes ago, purplekow said:

Though he is still built, this picture is at least 5 years old and probably older.  

20+

[samhexum]

in a foreshadowing of the coming season...

A sewage leak seeped into the bathroom inside the New York Yankees’ clubhouse and forced fans to walk around dirty, smelly pools of water during a spring training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday afternoon.

[BuffaloKyle]

On 2/22/2026 at 4:58 PM, samhexum said:

in a foreshadowing of the coming season...

A sewage leak seeped into the bathroom inside the New York Yankees’ clubhouse and forced fans to walk around dirty, smelly pools of water during a spring training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Tampa Bay Rays must have plugged the toilets before they left at the end of last season 🚽

[samhexum]

6 minutes ago, BuffaloKyle said:

The Tampa Bay Rays must have plugged the toilets before they left at the end of last season 🚽

 

[samhexum]

St. Louis Cardinals unveil new perk where fans can eat all they want at games for $29

St. Louis is introducing its “Coca-Cola Unlimited” ticket package, starting at $29 and including all-you-can-eat concessions. As much soda, hot dogs, french fries, ice cream cups, and popcorn — among other snacks — as one can eat, all the way until the eighth inning.

They’re not the first to ever offer an all-you-can-eat option. Other franchises, including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, and Cincinnati Reds, currently have similar promotions.

The reason teams like the Cardinals are willing to take a loss on concessions is simple, says Andrew Zimbalist, the author of “May the Best Team Win: Baseball Economics and Public Policy” and an Economics professor at Smith College in Northampton, Mass.

“They’re induced to come to the ballpark because of it,” Zimbalist told The Athletic. “Even though the Cardinals might lose money on it because they’re giving away too many hot dogs and french fries, they can view that as a loss leader. Now this guy’s coming with his whole family to the ballpark, and he might not come otherwise.”

For the Cardinals, bringing supporters back to Busch Stadium is a priority. Since fans returned to ballparks after the 2020 COVID season, the Cardinals ranked in the top 10 in average attendance in MLB every year — before plummeting to 19th in 2025.

“As an organization, we are making a concerted effort to improve the fan experience,” said Vicki Bryant, the Cardinals’ vice president of event services and merchandising. “From the time they purchase a ticket until the time they leave the ballpark, we’re looking at every aspect of our operation.”

Some of the lower attendance can be attributed to the struggles of a team that hasn’t made the postseason since 2022. The hope is that even with the Cardinals’ best home run hitter, first baseman Willson Contreras (20 in 2025), having been shipped off to Boston and the team looking to rebuild, the unlimited concessions deal will lure fans in.

“No matter what you’re buying, people are very cost-conscious,” Bryant said. “The cost of concessions, the cost of the tickets, and the cost of parking, all of that goes into a decision as to whether ‘I want to come to the ballpark.’

“We’re trying to have a positive effect on the things that we can have an effect on. I certainly am not responsible for the play on the field, but we can make sure that we offer great food and beverage at a good price and have something for everybody.”

Especially if the product on the field isn’t the most alluring it’s ever been.

“This is not one of the Cardinals’ eras of best performance,” Zimbalist said. “There are many, many baseball eras or decades where the Cardinals were one of the leading teams in the National League. They’re not now.

“… They’re looking at this and thinking ‘what kind of other come-ons, what kind of other incentives and inducements can we offer to keep the fan base interested? Given that it’s not likely this year that we’re going to be competing for the postseason or certainly not competing for the division lead and certainly not competing for the World Series.”

The unlimited concessions ticket package is available on a game-by-game basis. The seats are in the “Big Mac Land” portion of the stadium in left field, which only seats about 500 people.

That section was chosen by the team due to its probability of receiving home runs, its proximity to an easily accessible concession stand, and the fact that it has previously been one of the more undersold portions of the stadium

The $29 portion of the deal is subject to change due to dynamic pricing. Bryant explained that “you’re gonna pay more, for example, when the Dodgers come into town than you will on some other days.” The ticket includes entrance and concessions. Alcohol is not part of the deal, as the promotion’s goal is to attract families.

Bryant predicts that the unlimited concessions deal will encourage parents to bring their kids, in turn creating a connection to the team and “to grow up a Cardinals fan.”

It’s not cheap to attend a ballgame. In 2024, the average ticket price for a St. Louis game was $39.49. Currently, chicken tenders cost $11.49, a jumbo hot dog is $8.49, a 20-ounce bottle of water is $5.99, and a 21-ounce fountain soda is $7.39. Even just a ticket, one hot dog and a bottle of water would add up to $53.97.

“Food prices are absolutely rising,” Bryant said. “You look at the cost of the food itself, the cost to purchase it, and the cost of labor has all continued to rise. It makes it challenging. We never want to have to increase prices. But the reality is the cost of that food is going up.”

This is the franchise’s attempt at combating those rising costs.

In a blog post by Kate McCaslin on WebstaurantStore.com, she calculated the top five and lowest five in cost of the following categories: tickets, hot dogs, and beer across the league. Then she calculated the cost of the approximate entire in-person experience of a ticket, a hot dog, and a beer for a game.

The Miami Marlins ($31.83), Arizona Diamondbacks ($33.35), and Colorado Rockies ($37.25) were the three cheapest in the league, with the Houston Astros ($78.17) listed as the most expensive.

This deal puts the Cardinals’ experience at the lowest end of this calculation, with the added all-you-can-eat feature that means you can get a whole lot more than one hot dog. And the teams hope fans decide to stay a while.

Zimbalist says that even if only helps attendance a little bit, it will still add to the in-stadium vigor the teams hope to cultivate.

“Bringing people in not only means you get revenue from the ticket sales,” Zimbalist said. “It means that you have a livelier atmosphere in the ballpark, and the ballpark becomes a more exciting place to go.

If your team’s not in first place, and your team doesn’t have Shohei Ohtani hitting home runs, you’ve got to do something else. That’s this deal.”