Pete Alonso Makes MLB History with Third Career 40-Homer Season

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Pete Alonso has entered the Major League Baseball history books…

The 28-year-old half-Spanish American professional baseball player, nicknamed “Polar Bear,” homered twice and drove in four runs, reaching 40 homers and 100 RBIs for the second consecutive season as the New York Mets beat the first-place Seattle Mariners 6-3.

Alonso, a three-time MLB All-Star, hit an RBI single in the first inning before his two-run shot in the third made him the fifth player in major league history with at least three 40-homer seasons in his first five campaigns, joining MLB Hall of Famers Ralph Kiner (four times), Eddie Mathews, Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols.

“Kind of mind-baffling,” Alonso said. “Impressive names. I had no idea.”

Jeff McNeil also went deep — after finishing a homer shy of the cycle Saturday night — and New York took two of three games from the Mariners to hand them their first series loss since Aug. 11-13 against the Baltimore Orioles.

“It’s been a while,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said.

Seattle, which won a franchise-record 21 games in August, began the day leading the American League West by one game over the Houston Astros.

“We just had a historic month for the organization, and we had maybe a little setback here,” said M’s first baseman Mike Ford, who hit the second of back-to-back homers in the fourth. “But we can get right back on it.”

Alonso’s solo homer in the seventh made him the fourth player in Mets history with at least three 100-RBI seasons. David Wright reached the 100-RBI milestone five times, and Carlos Beltrán and Darryl Strawberry each did it three times.

“Through thick and thin, we know one thing: Pete’s going to walk through that door the same guy every day,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “Pleasure to be around. He never has a bad day. He cares about his teammates, cares about the Mets. And to see guys like him have success, it makes it even more enjoyable.”

Alonso’s 41 home runs are tied for the second most in a season in franchise history with Beltrán and Todd Hundley. Alonso holds the team record with 53 as a rookie in 2019.

“It seems like yesterday I was in my rookie season,” Alonso said. “This is my fifth year, and time flies. It means a lot. This place has been extremely special to me. New York’s treated me so incredibly well.”

Alonso can become a free agent following the 2024 season, and speculation has been heating up about whether the retooling Mets will trade him this winter after dealing away veteran aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander over the summer to restock the farm system.

“Everybody knows that’s part of the game until the contract is done,” New York shortstop Francisco Lindor said.

Julio Rodríguez Breaks MLB Record with 17th Hit in Four Games

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Julio Rodríguez is rewriting Major League Baseball history…

The 22-year-old Dominican professional baseball centerfielder set a MLB record with his 17th hit in four games, helping to lead the Seattle Mariners past the Houston Astros 10-3 for their fifth straight win on Saturday night.

Rodriguez, with a single to left field in the seventh inning, broke a major league record set in 1925 by Milt Stock of the Brooklyn Robins. He finished 4-for-6, giving him his fourth consecutive four-plus-hit game.

“Honestly, I knew when they put it on the scoreboard that I had set a record for a four-game span,” Rodriguez said. “Before that, I didn’t know.”

The four straight four-hit games tied Rodriguez with Stock for the longest such streak, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. He is 17-for-21 (.810) during the four-game stretch, improving his season batting average from .256 to .278.

“Julio is just smoking hot right now and it is fun to watch,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Every time up there he expects to get a hit, we expect to watch him get a hit. … Tonight obviously our offense was on it. We’ve seen Framber Valdez a lot, had really good at-bats tonight early on putting pressure on him.”

Dylan Moore homered twice for the Mariners, and Logan Gilbert (11-5) surrendered just two runs on eight hits, struck out three and walked one in six innings for his 14th quality start of the season.

The Mariners, who are 13-3 in their past 16 games, pulled to 1½ games behind the Astros for the second AL wild-card spot and maintained a half-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays for the third and final AL wild-card spot.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand Makes Major League Baseball Debut in Cincinnati Reds Game vs. San Francisco

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Christian Encarnacion-Strand has made his Major League Baseball debut…

Hoping to spark a struggling offense, the slumping Cincinnati Reds promoted the 23-year-old Latino American baseball player, a top MLB prospect and inserted him into the starting lineup against San Francisco for his MLB debut.

Encarnacion-Strand, an infielder, flied out to right in his first at-bat, hitting seventh as the designated hitter, and grounded out in the fifth. He was among four rookies in the Reds’ starting lineup, joining third baseman Elly De La Cruz, shortstop Matt McLain and pitcher Brandon Williamson.

“It means a lot,” Encarnacion-Strand said. “Now, I get to play with a really, really good group of guys. The guys have been always welcoming. The same thing in spring training, they were super, super nice to me. I don’t feel pressure or anxiety to go in there with them.”

A native of Walnut Creek, California, Encarnacion-Strand hit .331 with 21 doubles, 20 homers and 62 RBIs with a 1.042 OPS in 67 games this year for Triple-A Louisville. He led the International League with 177 total bases.

According to Major League Baseball, at 27 characters his name is the longest in big league history, five longer than Minnesota pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson. MLB included the hyphen in its count.

“He’s played well,” Reds general manager Nick Krall said. “He deserved a shot with Kevin on the injured list.”

Infielder Kevin Newman was placed on the 10-day injured list with gastritis, a move retroactive to Friday.

“It was the perfect time to bring him up. He made adjustments over the last couple of months. He is taking better at-bats. With that he’s still shown power,” Krall said. “He has been able to hit outside of the zone, but cutting down his chase rate brought the zone more to him. It allowed him to get better at the Triple-A level.”

Cincinnati entered Monday with a four-game losing streak after getting swept in a three-game series at Milwaukee. The Reds were shut out in three straight games before Sunday’s 4-3 loss.

Encarnacion-Strand was Minnesota’s fourth-round pick in the 2021 amateur draft. He was acquired last August with infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer and left-hander Steve Hajjar for right-hander Tyler Mahle.

Nolan Arenado Named a Starter for His Eighth MLB All-Star Game

Posted on June 29, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Nolan Arenado will be starting in yet another Major League Baseball All-Star Game…

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American professional baseball a third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals has been voted as a starter for the MLB All-Star Game in Seattle next month.

Arenado will be headed to the All-Star Game for the eighth time in his career.

The final round of voting was announced on Thursday evening and revealed three starters from the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers, while the MLB-leading Tampa Bay Rays will have two starters — Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena.

Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Corbin Carroll also made the team as a starter in the outfield, where he’ll join veterans Mookie Betts and Ronald Acuna Jr.

Other highlights from the second phase of voting include Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez beating out Philadelphia Phillies DH Bryce Harper in a close vote (53% to 47%), denying Harper of the National League honor after his quick return from Tommy John surgery.

Meanwhile, Mike Trout earned his 11th All-Star appearance while Freddie Freeman is the National League‘s starter at first base in his seventh All-Star Game.

MLB’s leading hitter, Luis Arraez, also was named a starter, beating out Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies. Arraez was batting over .400 as recently as this past weekend, but saw that mark drop to .392 on Thursday.

“I almost cried there,” Arraez said after learning of his election.

Albies’ teammate, catcher Sean Murphy, won out over Dodgers backstop Will Smith to garner his first All-Star appearance.

Shohei Ohtani (DH) and Acuna were previously announced as starters after leading their respective leagues in first-round voting.

All-Star pitchers and reserves will be named on Sunday.

The game takes place on Tuesday, July 11, at T-Mobile Park.

Here are the 2022 MLB All-Star Game starters:

American League
C — Jonah Heim, Rangers
1B — Yandy Diaz, Rays
2B — Marcus Semien, Rangers
SS — Corey Seager, Rangers
3B — Josh Jung, Rangers
DH — Shohei Ohtani, Angels
OF — Mike Trout, Angels
OF — Randy Arozarena, Rays
OF — Aaron Judge, Yankees

National League
C — Sean Murphy, Braves
1B — Freddie Freeman, Dodgers
2B — Luis Arraez, Marlins
SS — Orlando Arcia, Braves
3B — Nolan Arenado, Cardinals
DH — J.D. Martinez, Dodgers
OF — Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves
OF — Mookie Betts, Dodgers
OF — Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks

Elly De La Cruz Becomes Youngest MLB Player to Hit for Cycle in 51 Years

Posted on June 24, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Elly De La Cruz is making Major League Baseball history…

The 21-year-old Dominican professional baseball infielder and Cincinnati Reds rookie became the youngest MLB player to hit for the cycle in 51 years during Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves.

De La Cruz completed the cycle when he blasted a sixth-inning triple that scored teammate Jonathan India, giving the Reds an 11-7 lead.

He became the youngest player to hit for the cycle since Houston’s César Cedeño in 1972, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

De La Cruz is also the third player since 1901 to hit for the cycle within his first 15 career games.

De La Cruz also became the first Reds’ player to hit for the cycle since Eric Davis in 1989.

De La Cruz’s cycle included a third-inning home run, his third on the season.

Top MLB Prospect Elly De La Cruz Hits First MLB Home Run

Posted on June 7, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Elly De La Cruz has launched his Major League Baseball with a bang…

The 21-year-old Dominican professional baseball infielder for the Cincinnati Reds hit his first MLB home run with a 458-foot, two-run drive off the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Noah Syndergaard on Wednesday night and later tripled.

With fellow rookie Matt McLain on second base in the first inning, De La Cruz, a switch-hitter, smashed an 0-1 fastball that left the bat at 114.8 mph and landed in the last rows of the right-field stands at Great American Ball Park.

A day after making his big league debut, De La Cruz, who was named baseball’s top prospect by ESPN‘s Kiley McDaniel in his updated rankings last month, had the second-hardest-hit home run by a player 21 or younger since Statcast started tracking in 2015.

A homer by the Toronto Blue Jays‘ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on August 21, 2020, had an exit velocity of 115.9 mph.

De La Cruz tripled on a curveball in the third, a drive that went to the wall in right-center on four hops.

He reached third in 10.83 seconds, the fastest time in the major leagues this season, according to Statcast. It was the second fastest since the start of the 2020 season, behind 10.75 seconds for the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ Corbin Carroll last October 3.

Cruz was 1-for-3 with two walks in his debut Tuesday night. Wednesday night’s home run came in his sixth plate appearance.

The shortstop hit .298 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs in 38 games for Triple-A Louisville this season.

Yandy Díaz Helps Team Extend the Tampa Bays Rays Season-Opening Win Streak to 11

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Yandy Díaz and his Tampa Bay Rays teammates are inching closer to Major League Baseball history.

The Cuban-born professional baseball infielder and his Rays team members have run their season-opening win streak to 11 games, moving closer to history by defeating the Boston Red Sox 7-2 on Tuesday night.

Díaz and Brandon Lowe hit back-to-back solo shots with two out in the fifth inning. Lowe extended his homer streak to four straight games.

Isaac Paredes and Josh Lowe also connected for the Rays, and Shane McClanahan (3-0) struck out nine while pitching five-plus innings of one-run ball.

“This team is having a lot of fun right now, we’re doing what we need to do every single night,” Josh Lowe said in his postgame, on-field interview. “We’re just going to keep it rolling as long as we can.”

The 1987 Milwaukee Brewers and the 1982 Atlanta Braves share the MLB record for the best start to a season at 13-0. The Rays are closing in.

“We’re just getting good pitches to hit. That’s all, really,” Josh Lowe said. “We’ve all worked really hard to get to this point that we’re at right now. We’re keeping it simple, and staying within ourselves. … We’re doing our job.”

The four homers brought Tampa Bay’s total to 29, matching the major league record through 11 games set by the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals. It was the Rays’ third four-homer game of the young season.

“It’s unbelievable. Everyone kind of wrote us off about our offense,” McClanahan said. “But we believe in these guys, and they are showing why we believe in them. It’s been awesome.”

Boston’s Alex Cora has watched his club produce just three runs in this series, and that was after the Rays posted back-to-back shutouts of the Oakland Athletics. But the manager has been impressed with Tampa Bay’s offense, as well.

“They’re playing good baseball right now. They did a few things offensively that they have cleaned up compared to last year, their approach is a lot different,” Cora said. “They’re putting good swings on good pitches and hitting the ball out of the ballpark.”

Sech Releases Spanish-Version of MLB Ballpark Classic “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”

Posted on April 2, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Sech has scored a musical homerun…

The 29-year-old Panamanian singer has teamed up with Corona, the official beer of Major League Baseball (MLB), to release a new version of the ballpark classic “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”—but with a Latin twist.

Backed by a playful, uptempo beat, the remixed “Llevame al Juego de Beisbol” maintains the ballpark anthem’s lyrics intact but sung completely in Spanish.

“As a kid growing up in Panama, I was surrounded by a love and deep respect for the game from a young age,” Sech said in a statement. “Being able to work with an iconic brand like Corona and add my creativity to a cherished seventh-inning tradition is a truly special experience. I am so proud to have made something that represents my culture and that of so many of the players on the field.”

The track debuted in select ballparks across the country and will be played throughout the opening week of the 2023 season.

Sandy Alcantara Among Eight Former Cy Young Award Winners Set to Start on MLB Opening Day

Posted on March 25, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Sandy Alcantara is preparing for Major League Baseball’s Opening Day…

The 27-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher, who plays for the Miami Marlins, is among eight former Cy Young Award winners scheduled to start Opening Day next Thursday.

Alcantara, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner is pitted against three-time CYA honoree Max Scherzer, whose New York Mets travel to face the Marlins.

MLB teams announced their Opening Day starters on Friday as part of an effort by the league to gin up interest in the first game of a transformative season in which the game will include a pitch clock.

The MLB Opening Day slate features several first-class duels — and will include two-time winner Jacob deGrom, whose debut with the Texas Rangers was in doubt after tightness in his left side delayed his first spring training start. Philadelphia Phillies ace Aaron Nola, fresh off a World Series appearance, will get his sixth consecutive Opening Day start — the longest current active streak — and oppose the two-time Cy Young winner in a pairing of longtime NL East foes.

Nine teams had announced their starters before Friday. That list includes the Los Angeles Angels, with Shohei Ohtani coming off his World Baseball Classic MVP award, as well as the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, who will pit Gerrit Cole against Logan Webb.

Some of the other best matchups include:

Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez spearheading the Astros’ title defense at home against Chicago White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease;

Cleveland‘s Shane Bieber, the 2020 American League Cy Young winner, traveling to Seattle to face Luis Castillo;

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias getting his first Opening Day start against Arizona right-hander Zac Gallen in a battle of the third- and fifth-place finishers, respectively, in last year’s NL Cy Young voting.

Among the other Cy Young winners who will kick off their team’s season:

Milwaukee‘s Corbin Burnes, an MLB All-Star each of the past two seasons and the 2021 NL Cy Young winner, will go against the Chicago Cubs’ Marcus Stroman, who previously started Opening Day twice;

Blake Snell, the 2018 AL honoree, gets the start for San Diego at a packed Petco Park against Colorado’s German Marquez, who will get the ball for the third time on Opening Day;

Two-time winner Corey Kluber, whose Boston Red Sox will host Baltimore‘s Kyle Gibson;

Zack Greinke, who will make his third Opening Day start for Kansas City and fifth overall, will oppose Minnesota Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez, taking the mound for the first time to start a season.

Atlanta‘s Max Fried and Washington‘s Patrick Corbin both will start for the third time on Opening Day as the Nationals host the Braves.

The rest of the matchups feature at least one pitcher commencing the season for the first time:

Detroit‘s Eduardo Rodriguez debuting vs. the Rays’ Shane McClanahan, who got the call for the second straight season;

Toronto‘s Alek Manoah, coming off a third-place AL Cy Young finish, going against St. Louis’ Miles Mikolas, who inherited Opening Day duties for a second time after six-time Opening Day starter Adam Wainwright landed on the injured list Thursday with a groin strain;

Pittsburgh‘s Mitch Keller heading to Cincinnati to face Hunter Greene in the one of three matchups of pitchers who have not previously thrown Opening Day, with the others Urías vs. Gallen and Valdez vs. Cease;

Ohtani against Oakland’s Kyle Muller, the least-tenured of the 30 pitchers with just 11 major league starts and 49 big league innings under his belt. He will go for the Athletics after presumptive Opening Day starter Paul Blackburn suffered a torn nail on his right middle finger.

Late Baseball Great Roberto Clemente to be Subject of Biopic

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Roberto Clemente’s life story is headed to the silver screen…

The late baseball icon is getting the biopic treatment from producer Jonah Hirsch and actor/producer AJ Muñoz in collaboration with the Clemente family.The as-yet-untitled film will be based on the family’s best-selling book Clemente: The True Legacy of an Undying Hero.

The announcement comes on the heels of the 50th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Pirates MLB All-Star’s passing, and the recent news of select Florida schools removing books on Clemente’s life.

The film will showcase Clemente’s rise to greatness against all odds and tell his inspirational life story inclusive of both his baseball career as well as his fight for Latin American equality and social justice.

By acquiring the life rights to Clemente as well as the family-authored book, Hirsch and Muñoz alongside the legend’s sons Roberto Clemente Jr. and Luis Roberto Clemente will serve as executive producers on the project.

“I recall sitting in a meeting with our mother in the summer of 1974 about making this film, and there have been plenty of announcements over the past 50 years including major players in the industry, but nothing ever got done. Now, for the first time, we feel we found the right partners. Clemente fans have been waiting a long time for this film and we will make sure that it was worth the wait.” Roberto Clemente, Jr. said in a statement.

Luis Clemente adds, “My brother and I are very excited about this partnership since our family book will be used to tell dad’s story through our personal experiences and immediate family memories. I’m truly looking forward to working with Jonah and AJ to present this story to new generations to be inspired and to share unknown stories with the fans who will learn even more about the ‘Great One.’”

Clemente is a legendary figure in Latin American culture, having been a 15-time All-Star Major League Baseball player, as well as an advocate and a humanitarian.

Across his 18-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was awarded the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1966 and won four National League batting titles. He was also the first non-white recipient of the National League Gold Glove Award and finished his playing career with exactly 3,000 hits.

As well as being known for his contributions to baseball history, Clemente was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his humanitarian work.

“At a time when most heroes are fictional characters, we couldn’t think of a better time to elevate and reintroduce Clemente’s heroic story to a new generation,” Hirsch and Muñoz said in a joint statement.

Muñoz and his childhood friend Abe Mata, in partnership with Hirsch, established the production company Dreams Are Free around the Clemente story, which will serve as their first signature film with other Latino-driven projects in active development.

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