Baseball

Ex-Oriole great to visit China as new U.S. sports envoy

13 August 2007 -- Washington -- Baseball Hall of Fame player Cal Ripken Jr. is taking his talents teaching kids the fundamentals of the sport to a higher level as a new U.S. State Department public diplomacy sports envoy.

Ripken’s first assignment will be visiting China October 28-November 6 to train Chinese youngsters in the Asian country’s budding baseball program.    » read more »

13 August 2007 -- The Baltimore Orioles rallied in the late innings Sunday to beat the slumping Boston Red Sox in a key Major League Baseball matchup.

Former Boston star Kevin Millar hit a game-ending three-run home run in the ninth to give the Orioles a 6-3 win. Miguel Tejada tied the game with a homer in the eighth inning.

Boston has lost four of its last six games, and now leads the American League East division by just four games ahead of the New York Yankees.    » read more »

13 August 2007 -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has named retired baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. to be a U.S. public diplomacy special envoy. Ripken, inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame last month, will begin the non-paying diplomatic role with a trip to China in October. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

Ripken, best known for playing in an all-time record 2,600 and 32 consecutive regular season games, has devoted himself to promoting youth baseball since his retirement from the major leagues in 2001.    » read more »

12 August 2007 -- New York slugger Alex Rodriguez hit a pair of two-run home runs Saturday to lead the Yankees to an 11-2 win over the Cleveland Indians in a Major League Baseball matchup.

Rodriguez leads the majors with 39 homers.

Pitcher Mike Mussina earned his 100th win as a Yankee, becoming only the ninth pitcher in the majors to win at least 100 games for two teams. He had 147 wins with the Baltimore Orioles, before coming to New York.    » read more »

09 August 2007 -- In Major League Baseball, San Francisco's Barry Bonds hit career home run number 757 in the Giants' 5-0 win over the Washington Nationals. The two-run homer came one night after Bonds' broke Hank Aaron's 33-year-old record with his 756th career homer.

In another National League contest Wednesday, Garrett Atkins drove in a career high six runs as the Colorado Rockies beat the Milwaukee Brewers 19-4. Despite the loss, the Brewers remain in first place in the NL Central division, a game ahead of Chicago.    » read more »

August 8, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement late last night on Barry Bonds hitting his 756th career home run, breaking the all-time record of Hank Aaron:

“Tonight, Barry Bonds etched his name into baseball’s history books and took his rightful place among the sport’s immortals.

“It was a great night for baseball and a great night for San Francisco - the crowd went wild.

“It was particularly exciting to see Willie Mays embrace him on the field and see Hank Aaron congratulate him on the Jumbotron.    » read more »

Glavine Becomes First Pitcher to Win 300th As A Met

August 8, 2007 -- New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today presented the Key to the City to New York Mets pitcher Tom Glavine in honor of his 300th victory, a feat achieved by only 22 other pitchers in Major League Baseball history. First given in 1702, the Key to the City of New York is presented to distinguished persons for outstanding civic contributions. The Mayor also announced today that the City will honor New York Yankees third basemen Alex Rodriguez with a Key for his 500th home run.    » read more »

08/08/2007 -- California Governor Schwarzenegger today released the following statement regarding Barry Bonds breaking the all-time home run record last night:

"I'd like to congratulate Barry Bonds on becoming Major League Baseball's all-time home run king. A native of California, Barry has made our state and the Bay Area proud by breaking the most hallowed record in sports.

I hope that his determination and perseverance inspires others to achieve their own goals."

Source: California Governor

08 August 2007 -- San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds may have set the new Major League Baseball home run record, but that did not help his team win Tuesday night's game. The Washington Nationals came back to defeat the Giants 8-6.

The Atlanta Braves beat the Mets 7-3, moving to within 3.5 games of the New York franchise in the battle to lead the National League East division.

In the American League, the Los Angeles Angels stumped Boston 10-4. The Red Sox had taken a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning but the Angels responded with five runs in their half-inning and never looked back.    » read more »

06 August 2007 -- New York Mets pitcher Tom Glavine has won his 300th game - the 23rd pitcher in Major League Baseball history to reach that milestone.

The 41-year-old Glavine left the game against the Cubs in Chicago late Sunday in the seventh inning with a five-run lead, and with the appreciative applause of Cubs fans. The Mets went on to win, 8-3.

Glavine - in his 21st major league season - becomes just the fifth left-handed pitcher to win 300 games.    » read more »

16 July 2007 -- In Major League Baseball Sunday, Minnesota's Joe Mauer drove in the game-ending run in the ninth inning to give the Twins a 4-3 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Minnesota's Justin Morneau had tied the game with a home run in the eighth inning.

In another American League contest, Mark Teixeira of Texas homered to lead off the 11th inning, leading the Rangers to a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.    » read more »

16 July 2007 -- Major League Baseball fans in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania have endured thousands of losses by the Phillies. With a 10-2 rout by the visiting St. Louis Cardinals Sunday, the Phillies have the dubious honor of being the first professional sports team to have lost 10,000 games.

Through most of the game, Philadelphia fans in the sellout crowd of 44,872 jeered their team's poor pitching and hitting. By the ninth inning, fans stood and cheered the inevitable milestone.    » read more »

15 July 2007 -- In Major League Baseball, Atlanta's Jeff Francoeur hit a bases-loaded single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Braves a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In another National League contest Saturday, Milwaukee pinch-hitter Tony Graffanino singled in the game-ending run in the 10th inning, giving the Brewers a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.    » read more »

09 July 2007 -- The Detroit Tigers held off Boston, 6-5, to complete a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox, heading into Major League Baseball's All-Star break.

Gary Sheffield hit one of three home runs Sunday off Boston pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, and also had two doubles off the Japanese star.

In another American League contest, the New York Yankees trounced the Los Angeles Angels, 12-0. Alex Rodriguez hit his majors' leading 30th homer.    » read more »

02 July 2007 -- Major League Baseball has announced the 16 starters chosen by fans for next week's All-Star Game.

Slugger Barry Bonds will be the only starter representing the host team - the San Francisco Giants.    » read more »