Meet the first Black baseball players

Apr 8, 2024
We're watching “The League,” a documentary about the contributions that Black baseball players and the Negro Leagues made to America’s pastime.
A magazine cover featuring Jackie Robinson in 1952.
Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images

In the golden age of sports content, traditional sports journalism is disappearing

Feb 23, 2024
The teams have the money, and remaining media outlets like ESPN are becoming more dependent on them. Author Keith O’Brien explains.
Rugby pros Mitch Kenny, left, and Brian To'o are interviewed in Manchester, England. Sports are as visible as ever, but professional coverage is waning, along with pressure for transparency and accountability.
Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

How does Shohei Ohtani's $700 million deal actually work? It's complicated

Dec 15, 2023
MLB player Shohei Ohtani recently signed a record-breaking $700 million dollar deal with the Dodgers, but there is a catch.
Shohei Ohtani, who is leaving the Angels for the Dodgers, has been called a once-in-a-generation talent for his skill as a pitcher and hitter.
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For Major League Baseball, shorter games and more action have drawn bigger crowds

Oct 3, 2023
MLB saw its highest attendance since 2017 this year, and on average, games were 24 minutes shorter than last year.
MLB instituted new rules this year aimed at shortening the length of a game. It seems to have paid off.
Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images

MLB's new rules are drawing more fans to ballparks nationwide

Jul 11, 2023
More than two-thirds of Major League Baseball teams are ushering more fans through turnstiles.
New rules include a pitch clock, which means pitchers now have 20 seconds at most to throw the ball.
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Major League Baseball rules aim for shorter games — and a bigger audience

Mar 30, 2023
One change: Pitchers will have 20 seconds or less to throw the ball. But is that enough time to capture the mood?
Shorter games could sustain the sport in the long run, according to Khalid Ballouli at the University of South Carolina.
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Empty seats, feral cats, angry fans: Oakland A's push for new home as crowds stay away

May 11, 2022
Some fans are convinced the team is trying to keep fans away as it eyes a potential new home in Las Vegas.
A's manager Mark Kotsay, left, and pitcher Frankie Montas during a contest with the Detroit Tigers. With A's home games attracting few fans, the team hopes for a new stadium to play in, built with assistance from the city.
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Cleveland's baseball team takes the field as "Guardians"

Apr 7, 2022
Economic pressures have played a role in the campaigns to change mascot names that many people consider racist.
The team changed its name after being pressured to drop branding that many people considered racist.
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After a delayed start due to pay disputes, baseball is back.
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