baseball
Billie Joe Armstrong is Bay Area to the death. The Green Day frontman has long flown the flag of his hometown of Oakland, CA, and nothing has fired him up more than the heartbreaking loss over the past few years of the proud city’s professional sports franchises, the Oakland A’s and NFL’s Raiders.
Now he’s doing something about it.
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The Hollywood Reporter revealed on Wednesday (March 5) that Armstrong has joined fellow Oaktown legend rapper Too $hort as part of the ownership group of the Oakland Ballers, the new independent Pioneer League team that as of this year will be the Bay’s only professional baseball team; the A’s are playing in Sacramento for the next two years ahead of a planned move to Las Vegas in 2028 and the Raiders left in 2020 for Las Vegas.
“This is all about bringing families to a ball game,” Armstrong told THR. “After the A’s left, the town was heartbroken. The Ballers are going to bring good vibes back to Oakland and the broader East Bay.” The privately owned team played their first season in 2024 in the new 4,000-capacity Raimondi Park, which drew baseball lovers for its first season with a unique offer that allowed more than 2,200 fans to buy a share in the team and take seats on its board; the minimum buy-in is $510, a nod to the Bay Area’s area code.
$hort Dogg told THR that he thinks the Ballers are a shining example of what his city’s value proposition. “Oakland is the connection, it’s the diverse city of all walks of life and cultures. We respect each other’s originality, you can be you and with your people,” he said. “It’s ‘I f–k with you regardless.”
And, not for nothing, the “Blow the Whistle” MC — who said he worked as a vendor at the old Oakland Coliseum in high school — loves the name, too. “If I can’t brag on a big-league franchise I can brag on being a Baller,” he said of the team whose name is a pointed rejoinder to former MLB team the A’s. The two musicians bought in as part of the second round of community investment that opened this week, aimed at raising $2 million.
While the amount of Armstrong and Too $hort’s investment has not been revealed, one of the Ballers’ co-founders, Bryan Carmel, said their stake is not just another example of a celebrity swooping in to try and goose a team’s prospects, a la Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds’ purchase of revival of Welsh soccer team Wrexham, chronicled on the FX series Welcome to Wrexham.
Carmel said Armstrong’s relationship with the Ballers began when the rocker and his wife showed up at a game last year. “I looked over and there they were, sitting in front of my parents,” Carmel said. “And then I looked again and they were at the merch stand and Billie Joe was buying a T-shirt. It was crazy because we were playing Green Day songs earlier — not because he was there but just because we’re an Oakland club so we play Green Day songs.”
Armstrong spray-painted the Oakland B’s name over the Oakland A’s logo at the Rogers Center in Toronto last year.
“Sports in the Bay Area have been transforming over the last couple of years. We’ve had some emotional goodbyes to teams we grew up with, but recently there has been a major shift,” Armstrong told The Athletic. “The Oakland Ballers and the Oakland Roots and Soul represent everything I love and grew up on in the Bay Area. The welcoming atmosphere, DIY attitude and the people behind it make me proud to be an investor and support the next generation of teams kids in the Bay will be proud of.”
The Ballers hosted an open try-out last year that led to the signing of history-making right-handed pitcher Kelsie Whitmore, their first female player and, in 2022, the first woman to sign a professional contract with a Major League Baseball Partner League team. The team will kick off their second season on Mary 20.
From now on, the Yankees will celebrate being the kings of the hill only if they’ve earned it. As announced this week, the Major League Baseball team has decided to end its tradition of playing Frank Sinatra‘s “New York, New York” over stadium speakers at the end of each game, win or lose, now opting […]
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After decades of having a “clean shaven” policy for their players, the New York Yankees are finally getting with the times (kinda) and allowing their baseball superstars to grow beards and look like manly men when taking the field going forward.
According to Daily Mail, New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner announced Friday (Feb. 21) that he was reversing George Steinbrenner’s age-old policy of having his players hit the field with no mustache or beard, which in turn alienated many star free agents over the years who love their facial hair as much as they love their money. Though Steinbrenner made it clear that said bears would have to be well-groomed, at least Yankees players and potential free agents now have the option of growing their designer stubbles when playing for the Bronx Bombers.
Per Daily Mail:
The full statement reads: ‘In recent weeks I have spoken to a large number of former and current Yankees — spanning several eras — to elicit their perspectives on our longstanding facial hair and grooming policy, and I appreciate their earnest and varied feedback.
‘These most recent conversations are an extension of ongoing internal dialogue that dates back several years. Ultimately the final decision rests with me, and after great consideration, we will be amending our expectations to allow our players and uniformed personnel to have well-groomed beards moving forward.
‘It is the appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy.’
Well, that only took four decades.
Naturally, fans were overjoyed with the rule change as many free agents have balked at signing with the Yankees based off the rule alone while others have joined the Yankees and shaven off their signature facial hair to look, well, kind of corny. Just sayin’.
In recent years, the policy had been described as outdated by many of its critics, and players who have left the franchise have repeatedly criticized it.
Among the most vocal critics were Andrew McCutchen and Clint Frazier, while some other players from around the league have even claimed they would not join the Yankees purely because of the ruling.
With the LA Dodgers building a super-duper squad out in Los Angeles and Juan Soto famously choosing the Mets over the Yankees, it looks like Hal Steinbrenner is taking no chances on missing out on any potential superstar free agent going forward and has taken the first step in ensuring that they can offer their potential target the most simplest of enjoyments, a full grown and well-groomed beard.
If Cashman can get the team an excellent world-renowned barber to park his talents at Yankees Stadium, it might be a wrap for the rest of the league going forward. Who wouldn’t wanna sign with the Bronx Bombers?
What do y’all think about the Yankees move on having players rock beards? Let us know in the comments section below.
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After months of speculation and anticipation, MLB superstar slugger Juan Soto has decided to stay in New York City, but unfortunately, for Yankees fans he’ll be relocating to Queens as he signed a massive $765 million deal with the New York Mets.
Needless to say, half of the Big Apple is on cloud 9 while the other half is heartbroken and distraught. At least Juan Soto remains a New Yorker, right? Yes, a 15-year $765 million contract seems ridiculous, but the man is only 26-years-old and has already built himself a career worthy of the Hall of Fame, so by the time his contract is up he’ll still probably be a problem when stepping into the batter’s box.
According to NPR, Soto’s record-breaking contract isn’t only well-earned but well-deserved.
Per NPR:
From the beginning of his major league career, the Dominican-born Soto has been a star. In his first start as a 19-year-old with the Nationals, he hit a home run in his first appearance at the plate. He quickly became a fan favorite with his easy smile and “Soto shuffle,” his trademark shimmy at the plate. He won a World Series title with the team in 2019, the first in the franchise’s history.
In 2022, he was traded to the San Diego Padres, who then dealt him to the New York Yankees ahead of the 2024 season.
On a one-year deal in New York, Soto had the best year of his still-young career, with 41 regular season home runs and another four in the playoffs during the Yankees’ unsuccessful bid for the World Series. He received the third-most votes in the American League MVP race. Since his debut in 2018, he’s won a total of five Silver Slugger awards and four All-Star game appearances.
Yankees fans were hoping to see Soto and Aaron Judge terrorize pitchers for years to come, but it now seems like it’ll be Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor doing the terrorizing.
How do y’all feel about Juan Soto bouncing on the Bronx to turn up in Queens? Let us know in the comments section below. We know this guy wasn’t too happy…
https://twitter.com/NickTurturro1/status/1865994781433970844
Brad Paisley stepped into the baseball diamond on Friday night (Oct. 25), where he performed the national anthem at the first game of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Accompanied by a green electric […]
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s romance has already taken the NFL by storm, so it was only a matter of time before it enchanted another major sports league. After the couple stepped out at Game 1 of the American League Championship Series in New York City Monday (Oct. 14), the official MLB TikTok account […]
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With the MLB Division Series in full swing, there are four teams in the American League and four teams in the National League looking to advanced to the Championship Series in their respective leagues.
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Who’s Playing During MLB Division Series?
There are four series (best-of-five games) scheduled. All of these post-season games broadcast across Fox, FS1, TBS and truTV, and stream on Max.
Wednesday, Oct. 9:
Game 3 — Cleveland Guardians at Detroit Tigers: 3:08 p.m. ET/12:08 p.m. PT, TBS/Max
Game 4 — Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets: 5:08 p.m. ET/2:08 p.m. PT, FS1
Game 3 — New York Yankees at Kansas City Royals: 7:08 p.m. ET/4:08 p.m. PT, TBS/Max
Game 4 — Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres: 9:08 p.m. ET/5:08 p.m. PT, FS1
Thursday, Oct. 10:
Game 4 — Cleveland Guardians at Detroit Tigers: 6:08 p.m. ET/3:08 p.m. PT, TBS/Max
Game 4 — New York Yankees at Kansas City Royals: 8:08 p.m. ET/5:08 p.m. PT, TBS/Max
Where to Watch MLB Division Series for Free
For cord-cutters, there are a few ways to watch MLB Division Series on Fox, FS1, TBS and truTV if you don’t have cable. DirecTV Stream has a five-day free trial, while other streaming services, such as Hulu + Live TV, also offers a free trial, so you can watch games for free.
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Keep reading for more details on how to watch MLB Division Series with DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.
How to Watch MLB Division Series with DirecTV Stream
A subscription to DirecTV Stream — which comes with Fox, FS1, TBS and truTV for MLB Division Series baseball — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels starting at $69.99 per month. The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as NBC, CBS and PBS, while you can also watch many cable networks, including ABC, ESPN, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.
How to Watch MLB Division Series with Hulu + Live TV
The MLB Division Series on Fox, FS1, TBS and truTV is watchable with Hulu + Live TV too. Prices for the cable alternative start at $76.99 per month, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost.
Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one bundle. It also features many other networks, including CBS, ABC, ESPN, Hallmark Channel, BET, CMT, Disney Channel, NBC, Fox Sports and more.
How to Watch MLB Division Series With Fubo
To watch MLB Division Series on Fox and FS1, Fubo starts at $59.99 per month (the streamer’s current deal) with nearly 200 channels — including local and cable — that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. And with a seven-day free trial, you can watch for free, if you act fast and sign up now. Fubo doesn’t include TBS and truTV with any of their plans.
The service even gets you live access to local broadcast networks including NBC, Fox and CBS, while it also has dozens of cable networks, such as ABC, ESPN, Bravo, CMT, ID, TV Land, VH1, TLC, E!, MTV, FX, Ion, OWN, Paramount Network and much more.
How to Watch MLB Division Series With Max
During the MLB Division Series, games that are broadcasting on TBS and truTV are also available to steam on Max via the B/R Sports hub. The services starts at $9.99 per month and features hit movies and TV shows, including Barbie, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Dune: Part II, Civil War and more. It also features pro sports from leagues such as NBA, NHL, NCAA March Madness and others. Learn more about Max here.
MLB Division Series broadcast across Fox, FS1, TBS and truTV, while these post-season games are streamable with DirecTV Stream and Max.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Now that the 2024 MLB regular season is over and done with, it’s now time for the post-season to begin, with the top teams in the league competing to win the World Series.
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See latest videos, charts and news
For the opening playoffs Wild Card Series, there are four teams in the American League and four teams in the National League looking to advanced to the Championship Series in their respective leagues.
Who’s Playing During MLB Wild Card Series?
There are four series (best-of-three games) scheduled starting on Tuesday, Oct. 1. All of these post-season games broadcast across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2.
Tuesday, Oct. 1:
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Game 1 — Detroit Tigers at Houston Astros: 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT, ABC
Game 1 — Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles: 4:20 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT, ESPN2
Game 1 — New York Mets at Milwaukee Brewers: 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT, ESPN
Game 1 — Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres: 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT, ESPN
Wednesday, Oct. 2:
Game 2 — Detroit Tigers at Houston Astros: 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT, ABC
Game 2 — Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles: 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, ESPN
Game 2 — New York Mets at Milwaukee Brewers: 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, ESPN
Game 2 — Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres: 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT, ESPN2
Thursday, Oct. 3:
Game 3 (if necessary) — Detroit Tigers at Houston Astros: 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT, ABC
Game 3 (if necessary) — Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles: 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, ESPN
Game 3 (if necessary) — New York Mets at Milwaukee Brewers: 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, ESPN
Game 3 (if necessary) — Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres: 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT, ESPN2
Where to Watch MLB Wild Card Series for Free
For cord-cutters, there are a few ways to watch MLB Wild Card Series on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, if you don’t have cable. DirecTV Stream has a five-day free trial, while other streaming services — such as Hulu + Live TV and Fubo — also offer free trials, so you can watch games for free.
Keep reading for more details on how to watch MLB Wild Card Series with DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.
How to Watch MLB Wild Card Series with DirecTV Stream
A subscription to DirecTV Stream — which comes with ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 for MLB Wild Card Series baseball — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $69.99 per month. The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as NBC, CBS and PBS, while you can also watch many cable networks, including FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.
How to Watch MLB Wild Card Series with Hulu + Live TV
The MLB Wild Card Series on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 is watchable with Hulu + Live TV too. Prices for the cable alternative start at $76.99 per month, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost.
Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one bundle. It also features many other networks, including CBS, Hallmark Channel, BET, CMT, Disney Channel, NBC, Fox Sports and more.
How to Watch MLB Wild Card Series With Fubo
To watch MLB Wild Card Series on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, Fubo starts at $59.99 per month (the streamer’s current deal) with nearly 200 channels — including local and cable — that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. And with a seven-day free trial, you can watch for free, if you act fast and sign up now.
The service even gets you live access to local broadcast networks including NBC, Fox and CBS, while it also has dozens of cable networks, such as Bravo, CMT, ID, TV Land, VH1, TLC, E!, FS1, MTV, FX, Ion, OWN, Paramount Network and much more.
Starting on Tuesday, Oct. 1, MLB Wild Card Series broadcast across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, while these post-season games are streamable with DirecTV Stream.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
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You can always count on Ludacris to Luda. The MC showed up wearing giant Air Force 1’s to throw the first pitch at an Atlanta Braves game.
As spotted on Sneaker News the Disturbing The Peace mogul was invited by the his local MLB team to participate in the opening tradition. To everyone’s surprised the Ludacris showed up with the same fake “Hulk” arms from his iconic “Get Back” video. To make the cypher complete he wore a pair of giant white on white Air Force 1’s that he sported in the video for “Stand Up”, cut off denim shorts, a Braves jersey and a blinged out watch on the wrist.
As expected those who were at Truist Park loved the outfit and cheered him on as he walked to the mound. Surprisingly Ludacris was able to throw a respectable pitch even while wearing the oversized costume. Following the ceremony he took pictures, waved to fans and made it clear the honor was all his. Each ticket holder received a Ludacris bobble head figurine to commemorate Ludacris Night.
When I move, you move (just like that)#LudaNight pic.twitter.com/KHb78lrwos
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 4, 2024
You can see footage of Ludacris’ entrance and first pitch below.
The Atlanta Braves made it all about Ludacris on Wednesday night (Sept. 4) when the team honored the hometown hero with a bobblehead night and a ceremonial first pitch. After handing out the bobble to the first 15,000 fans who showed up at Truist Park — depicting the Grammy-winning MC wearing jeans, a throwback Hank […]