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The MLB is finally doing right by the exceptional athletes who dominated the Negro Leagues by allowing them to have their well-deserved place in Baseball’s record books.
Spotted on ESPN, the MLB is finally correcting what it called a “longtime oversight” by incorporating the Negro Leagues’ records for more than 2,300 players into its record books.
MLB’s decision greatly benefits Homestead Gray’s legendary catcher, Josh Gibson.
With the move, Josh Gibson surpassed Ty Cobb, becoming Major League Baseball’s career leader with a .372 batting average, passing Cobb’s .367.
Gibson’s .466 average for the 1943 Homestead Grays is now the season standard. Charlie “Chino” Smith is right behind Gibson with his .451 for the 1929 New York Lincoln Giants, eclipsing Hugh Duffy, who batted .440 for the National League’s Boston team in 1894.
Another massive milestone for Gibson (.718) and OPS (1.177) puts him ahead of the great Babe Ruth (.690 and 1.164) in slugging percentage.
“It’s a show of respect for great players who performed in the Negro Leagues due to circumstances beyond their control and once those circumstances changed demonstrated that they were truly major leaguers,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday. “Maybe the single biggest factor was the success of players who played in the Negro Leagues and then came to the big leagues.”
MLB Players Positively React To The News
The news of the Negro Leagues stats finally being added to MLB’s record books is being positively received by players around the league.
“You get to learn about a lot of names and a lot of people that we may not have heard about,” Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen said per ESPN. “Now that Josh Gibson is at the top of OPS and batting average and a few other categories, it’s great news. But it’s more than just that and the numbers. It’s great that you now get to learn about the players in the Negro Leagues. … I’ll be able to do some more deep diving into some names that I may not have heard of.”
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene said the decision was “long overdue,” adding, “It is really exciting. I’m going to have to do a little bit more research and understand some of the history to kind of rewire my brain on some of the best players.”
Ty Cobb’s great-grandson, Tyrus Cobb, praised the decision.
“Baseball history is a part of U.S. history, and I think (the) major leagues acknowledging and incorporating the Negro Leagues is a huge step in kind of bringing all the parts of baseball history together,” Cobb said. “And I think it’s actually pretty exciting that there’s a new statistical batting average leader.”
Cobb, 32, who works in commercial real estate, also said he would “take a closer look” into Gibson’s career after passing Ty Cobb.
Social Media Reactions About The Negro Leagues Inclusion In MLB Records
While there is plenty of positive sentiment about the decision, we are not surprised there are people who are BIG MAD about the Negro Leagues’ fantastic players getting their just due.
“Babe Ruth rolling over in his grave,” a user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another user added, “Not a fan of this we understand they weren’t allowed to play and that sucks but they didn’t account these stats in the majors and it shouldn’t count towards MLB records.”
BIG MAD, indeed.
Welp, thankfully, their opinions do not matter.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
3. Exactly
4. Pretty much
5. Curtis Granderson is right
8. All in the comments BIG MAD
Rimas Sports — an agency partnership between Bad Bunny and executives Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda — has signed The Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. to an exclusive representation agreement, the company tells Billboard. “We are thrilled to welcome the Acuña family to Rimas Sports,” Miranda, CEO of Rimas Sports, said in a statement. […]
ENHYPEN are getting ready to take ENGENE’s out to the ballgame. The seven-man K-pop boy band announced on Friday morning (April 19) that their fans can catch members Heeseung, Jay and Ni-Ki at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on April 29, where the trio will throw out the first pitch at that day’s game between the […]
It appears that wedding bells may be in order for Vanessa Hudgens and Cole Tucker! According to People, the High School Musical star and the professional baseball player, tied the knot in Tulum, Mexico.
Although both Hudgens, 34, and Tucker, 27, have yet to comment on the reports, photos of the Tick, Tick… Boom! star posing in a white dress made the rounds on X (formerly Twitter) over the weekend (Dec. 3). A post from former High School Musical co-star Monique Coleman added more fuel to the rumors; the Emmy-nominated host shared clips of a sunny beach on her Instagram Story, tagging her location as Tulum, Mexico.
Billboard has reached out to representatives for both Hudgens and Tucker for comment.
In a 2021 Drew Barrymore Show interview, Hudgens recounted how got in touch with Tucker after meeting him in a Zoom meditation group during the peak of COVID-19 lockdowns. “I fully just slid into his DMs and was like, ‘Hey it was nice to meet you,’” she said. “I think there’s no shame in making the first move. If you want it, why wait for someone else to give you what you want?”
On Valentine’s Day 2021 (Feb. 14), Hudgens made the couple Instagram official when she posted a sweep snap of them sharing a kiss. “It’s you, it’s me, it’s us. @cotuck ❤️💋🤟🏽,” she captioned the post. By Feb. 9, 2023, the couple confirmed their engagement — again via Instagram — with a post captioned, “YES. We couldn’t be happier.”
News of Hudgens’ reported marriage closes a busy year for the multi-hyphenate. This year, she starred in the Lily Rabe-directed drama Downtown Owl, hosted the pre-show for the 95th Academy Awards and continued to prep for the forthcoming fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise.
Vanessa Hudgens has earned 15 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, including the top 10 hits “Breaking Free” (No. 4) and “What Time Is It” (No. 6) from the High School Musical and High School Musical 2 soundtracks, respectively. On the Billboard 200, she has charted both of her solo studio albums: 2006’s V (No. 24) and 2008’s Identified (No. 23).
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. was named the 2023 National League Most Valuable Player last week — and to celebrate, a song named after the Venezuelan athlete’s nickname, “La Bestia,” has been released.
Backed by a catchy dembow beat and lyrics chanted by Dominican artist Niko Eme, “La Bestia” is the perfect sing-along song to hype up fans at a baseball game. “Who am I? Who am I? Who am I? The beast,” says the repetitive chorus in Spanish.
“We wanted something that felt global and to do something we could put a chant to,” award-winning Mexican-American producer Samuel Ash tells Billboard. “I felt that dembow is perfect for that because it’s something you could repeat with a gang of people. We wanted something that was high energy. So that’s just what I felt when we were coming up with ideas of what direction to go in as far as the style of music. I know dembow is a Dominican genre but I felt that it could still feel global and resonate with him as a Venezuelan.”
The song is only the second effort the Atlanta Braves have released as part of a sports-meets-music initiative that launched this year. The first song was “Home of the Braves” by Zaytoven featuring Young Dro to celebrate the launch of the Braves City Connect jerseys.
“Part of it is trying to figure out how we can connect to our audience in unique ways and out-of-the-box ways,” elaborates Eugene Brooks, director of diversity marketing of the Atlanta Braves. “The objective is how do we reach people where they are, especially the younger audiences, through all the different platforms?”
“La Bestia” was created within a week and released the day Acuña was crowned MVP. Both Brooks and Ash admit they kept the song under the radar, hoping — but never doubting — that Acuña Jr. would get the title.
The 25-year-old four-time All-Star won his first career MVP in his sixth major-league season, marking the eighth time a Braves player has nabbed the title after Freddie Freeman (2020), Chipper Jones (1999), Terry Pendleton (1991), Dale Murphy (1982, 1983), Hank Aaron (1957), Robert Elliott (1947) and Johnny Evers (1914). “He was a unanimous selection, receiving 30 of 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He finished with 420 points, 150 more than runner-up Mookie Betts,” according to a press statement.
As for having his own song, one that will hopefully become his walk-up anthem next year, Brooks assured that Acuña loves it.
“From what I know, he was very shocked that we would create something like this specifically for him,” he says. “As a whole, I think it forces you to look at baseball differently now with how we attract fans and what we want to do. It’s also a way to celebrate our players in a unique manner. So it kind of creates synergies between the player and the organization.”
“This initiative that we’re doing with the Braves is so important for the Latino community,” Ash adds. “I feel that we’re in a season where we’re walking and opening doors so that the people behind us can run. I’m very excited about it.”
Listen to “La Bestia” below:
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After performing “America the Beautiful” at the Super Bowl in 2021, Grammy-winning R&B star H.E.R. is set to add another massive sporting event to her résumé. Via a press release on Wednesday (Oct. 25), Major League Baseball announced that the “Focus” singer will sing the national anthem ahead of Game 1 of the 2023 World […]
Through his Morgan Wallen Foundation, the “Last Night” hitmaker — along with the Major League Baseball & MLB Players Association Youth Development Foundation and other local donors — teamed with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville to help revitalize the Parkwood Community Club baseball and softball complex in North Nashville.
The Morgan Wallen Foundation has donated $500,000, with the MLB-MLBPA YDF donating the same amount, for a total of $1 million donated toward revitalization efforts. Other donors include the Speer Foundation, Airbnb, Nashville Sounds baseball and Wallen’s booking agency, the Neal Agency.
Wallen grew up playing baseball as a child and had hoped to pursue a career in baseball, until an injury sidelined those aspirations and he set his sights on a music career instead.
“I started the Morgan Wallen Foundation to support youth in two areas – sports and music,” Wallen said via a statement. “When I heard about Parkwood, right here in Nashville, I knew I wanted to help. Every child deserves a chance to play ball and be part of a team, and I truly appreciate this opportunity to be part of Parkwood’s next inning. I can’t wait to come back out here and see the park once it has been renovated.”
“In visiting the historic fields, I instantly felt the significance of Parkwood to Nashville’s baseball and softball community,” said Jean Lee Batrus, Executive Director, MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, via statement. “These sports have the power to strengthen lives and communities. YDF is thrilled to team up with Habitat for Humanity and other partnering organizations who are equally passionate about empowering youth access to baseball and softball.”
“The Nashville Sounds utilize the power of baseball to positively impact our community,” added Adam English, General Manager, Nashville Sounds. “Through our participation in “The Nine” program, this project is a great way for us to make an impact in giving all kids access to the best baseball facilities possible. My hope is that renovating these fields will yield a new generation of great ball players in Nashville, just like six-time MLB All-Star Mookie Betts.”
The contributions will support a larger fundraising goal aimed at creating a 59-acre park, as well as providing homes for 26 Habitat for Humanity homes in District 2.
The MLB-MLBPA YDF is a joint initiative by Major League Baseball and the Players Association to support efforts that aid in improving the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the United States and globally.
Metro Boomin is preparing fans everywhere for Major League Baseball’s Opening Day on Thursday (March 30) with a special video.
The nearly three-minute clip from MLB Network’s studio programming kicks off with Metro (who’s wearing a baseball cap that reps his hometown team, the St. Louis Cardinals) opening up Pro Tools on his laptop and gearing up to make hits — a normal day for the multi-platinum producer — which he compares to players gearing up for a 162-game regular season.
“Whenever I start working on a new record, there are a million different ways that it can go. I might try something new. I might just want to pick up where I left off with the last big hit. Link up with an old friend, or get a bunch of the big dogs together. Go get them young hitters, or help someone trying to follow up a huge hit,” he says as “Trance” (featuring Travis Scott and Young Thug) from his latest Billboard 200-topping album Heroes & Villains plays in the background. “Sometimes you find an artist that breaks all the rules. Sometimes, the rules change right in front of your eyes. But all throughout, you’ve gotta be true to yourself, ya dig? Inject that flavor and that sauce that makes whatever you’re creating different from everything anyone else has ever come up with.”
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The piece features several images and highlights of MLB rising stars and veterans, including Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, Justin Verlander of the New York Mets, Julio Rodríguez of the Seattle Mariners and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Miami Marlins. Later, the song shifts to the John Legend-assisted “On Time” from Metro’s Heroes & Villains.
“You can’t beat this time of year. Everybody’s staring at 162,” Metro says while peering into the camera. “162 chances to make that beautiful music…. It’s time to play ball.”
Watch the “Eyes on 162” clip below.
Daddy Yankee gets to swing for the fences in his new role as ambassador for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
As part of his ambassadorial duties, the reggaeton artist throws his superstar status behind an anthem for the current tournament, “Chispa,” which he co-produced with Play-N-Skilz.
According to a statement from organizers, “Chispa” will be featured across WBC and MLB social platforms, and with the Classic’s coverage, in-park activations and more.
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Also, Daddy Yankee is expected to attend several games played at loanDeport park in Miami throughout the tournament, which he launched by throwing out the first pitch last Sunday (March 12) before the Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico game.
Much has happened in the year since Yankee announced his retirement from music.
The Puerto Rican artist (born Raymond Ayala) ends his touring career on a high, with his La Ultima Vuelta trek raking-in $197.8 million and 1.9 million tickets sold over 83 shows in 2022, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
That’s by some distance the biggest tour of his career, and behind only Bad Bunny among Latin artists.
Yankee’s collaboration with Luis Fonsi, “Despacito,” last year extend its reign as the most-viewed music video on YouTube, by hitting the magical 8 billion streams milestone. And his final album, 2022’s Legendaddy, gave Yankee a career-high No. 8 peak on the Billboard 200, his second top 10 appearance on the all-genres chart.
The 46-year-old artist’s beloved Puerto Rico is one of 20 nations competing in the Classic, which reaches its climax March 21 in Miami. Sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), it’s the sport’s premier international competition — essentially, the world cup for baseball.
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Baseball is back! While the official 2023 Major League Baseball season doesn’t start until March 30, spring training kicked off on Friday (Feb. 24).
Friday’s MLB pre-season matchups include the Texas Rangers vs. Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners vs. San Diego Padres and an exhibition game between the Boston Red Sox and Northeastern Huskies. All three games are available on MLB.TV.
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On Saturday, the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies will face off along with the Kansas City Royals vs. Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jay vs. Pittsburgh Pirates and more.
Keep reading for a breakdown of MLB.TV and other streaming options.
How to Watch MLB.TV on Prime Video
Now that stadiums are back at full capacity after two years of COVID delays, canceled games and smaller crowds, fans have the option of enjoying games in person — or from the couch. If you chose the latter, then it’s time to join MLB.TV.
With MLB.tv on Prime Video, baseball fans stream MLB games on a smart TV, computer, phone and other compatible devices. For Prime members, Amazon’s streaming arm is an easy choice as the platform offers a free trial to MLB.TV. Baseball fans can also land a free trial at MLB.com.
What is MLB.TV? It’s a subscription package that lets you watch and stream thousands of major and minor league games live and on demand. You’ll get live access to out-of-market feeds for all regular season MLB games that aren’t subject to regional, national or another kind of blackout.
According to Amazon, live regular season games included in your subscription will feature out-of-market teams only. Nationally televised games and local team games televised in your area including MLB playoff games, the World Series and the All-Star Game will not be available for live streaming with MLB.TV.
MLB.tv on Prime Video
$24.99/month after 7-day free trial
MLB.TV is $24.99/month to stream 250+ spring training games, plus every out-of-market game and you can cancel anytime. The annual plan is $145.99 or $129.99 for a Single Team Pass. If you subscribe through Amazon Prime, the fee will be added to your Prime membership ($14.99/month or $139/year after a 30-day free trial.
How to Watch MLB Games on Fubo, ESPN+ and More
When it comes to nationally televised MLB games, there are plenty of ways to watch and stream without cable or satellite. For example, you can stream MLB games on Fubo TV, Vidgo, DirectTV Stream, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, Roku devices and ExpressVPN (to stream internationally).
Can you watch MLB on YouTube TV? Unfortunately, YouTube dropped MLB Network in January.
Meanwhile, ESPN and ESPN+ will carry a combined 10 MLB spring training games starting with next week’s matchup between the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals. The game will air on ESPN on Monday (Feb. 27) at 1 p.m. ET and stream on the ESPN app.
ESPN+
$9.99/month
Six spring training games will stream on ESPN+ from March 23-March 28. MLB spring training coverage will air on ESPN and stream on the app from Feb. 27- March 2. See the full schedule here.
How to Watch MLB Games on Apple TV+
Although the 2023 season hasn’t launched yet, Friday Night Baseball is returning to Appel TV+. For now, fans can relive the 2022 season and other sports like Major League Soccer until MLB games return. Apple TV+ is $6.99/month after a weeklong free trial.
MLB on Apple TV
$6.99/month after 7-day free trial
Want more baseball goodies? For officially licensed gear celebrating your favorite teams, hit up Fanatics, Dick Sporting Goods and the MLB Shop. Other MLB products and apparel can be found at major retailers such as Amazon, Kohl’s, and Walmart.
Visit MLB.com for a full schedule of baseball games for the new season.