David vs. Goliath: Altuve beats out Judge for AL MVP
Size doesn’t matter. At least not in baseball. Jose Altuve, the Houston Astros’ dynamic — and diminutive — second baseman, handily beat out Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees’ gentle giant, for the American League MVP honor announced Thursday night. But it was hardly a David vs. Goliath battle to see which of the two heavily-favored players would be the one to bring home the hardware for most valuable player. It was no surprise the 27-year-old Altuve, who is generously listed at 5 feet, 6 inches, um, tall — he’s the shortest player in the game — added his first
He finally put a ring on it: Beltran retires as World Series winner
Carlos Beltran was always a winner, but he went out a champion. After a formidable 20 year-career and enough stellar stats to get the Hall of Fame argument rolling, the Puerto Rico-born outfielder/DH decided to hang up his spikes after using his bat – and baseball brains –- to help the Houston Astros win their first-ever World Series championship this past season. The 40-year-old Beltran announced his retirement on Nov. 13, admitting he made the decision to call it a career during the middle of the 2017 season regardless of how far the Astros went in the playoffs. “At the beginning
Carlos Carrasco wins 2019 Roberto Clemente Award
Carlos Carrasco’s remarkable comeback from a cancer diagnosis to take the mound again for the Cleveland Indians wasn’t the only feel-good moment in the right-hander’s roller-coaster 2019 season. On Oct. 25, the Venezuelan native received the 2019 Roberto Clemente Award, the annual honor named for the Pittsburgh Pirates icon from Puerto Rico killed in a 1972 plane crash while bringing aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The award is given to a player who displays “extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions both on and off the field,” according to MLB, and the 32-year-old pitcher certainly lives up to
A superstar is born: Juan Soto’s 2019 postseason
To watch Juan Soto do his thing on a baseball field in October is to witness a rising superstar having the time of his life on the post-season stage. And then you realize: This guy wasn’t even old enough to drink the victory champagne in the clubhouse after each of the three clinching wins that finally brought the Washington Nationals to the World Series. Yes, the new face of the Nats turned only 21 on Oct. 25, 2019, smack in the middle of a dramatic World Series against the Astros. And he has plenty to celebrate besides becoming an official
The forgotten All-Star game: Baseball’s Latino legends played in Polo Grounds’ last game ever in 1963
It was the All-Star game few baseball fans witnessed, and few today know it was ever played at all. Nearly 60 years ago, on a warm and sunny autumn afternoon in New York, two teams comprised of Latino players from the Major Leagues squared off at the Polo Grounds for an exhibition game billed as a charity event to benefit a new Latin American Hall of Fame. Held on Oct. 12, 1963 — a week after the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the New York Yankees in the World Series — it would be the last baseball game ever played at
The day Michael Pineda got into a sticky situation
The Yankees waited a long time to reap the fruits of their controversial 2012 trade for pitcher Michael Pineda, and when the strapping, 6’7” righty finally made his Yankee debut two years later after a raft of injuries, it looked like New York had itself a future ace in the making. That is, until Pineda got caught with his hand – and neck – in the pine tar jar. Pineda was 23 and coming off a solid rookie season in 2011 for the Mariners, one that included a selection to the All-Star game when the Yankees traded power-hitting catching prospect
Pittsburgh designates Sept. 15 as Roberto Clemente Day, weeklong events celebrate Pirates legend
From September 13 through September 15, 2021, special activities have been organized by the Roberto Clemente Foundation, the city of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Pirates to celebrate September 15 as “Roberto Clemente Day” throughout Major League Baseball. The date was chosen in part to coincide with the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, the annual U.S. observance, from September 15 to October 15, which celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of Latin American citizens. Clemente Week Events Welcome Reception — Monday, September 13: Family, partners and guests from San Juan, Puerto Rico and beyond will launch Day One with a
Remembering Roberto Clemente: A life beyond baseball
While Roberto Clemente was an extraordinary baseball player, his passion for helping the underprivileged and marginalized and his love of his family and heritage are why he is so well remembered today. The first Hispanic superstar in Major League baseball, Clemente died on New Year's Eve in 1972 on his way to assist victims in earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua. Clemente, 38, a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist, was widely known for his compassion and charitable works. He was transporting supplies when the airplane carrying him and three others crashed into the ocean off his native Puerto Rico. "My father's compassion for others
