Yankees top Forbes’ list of richest MLB clubs

Major League Baseball may lose billions to the coronavirus shutdown, but its clubs appear to be on
firm footing according to Forbes’ latest list of franchise values released Thursday.

The financial publication estimated that 28 of 30 MLB clubs appreciated in value in 2019.


The New York Yankees once again top the list, appreciating 9% to $5 billion in total value.

According to Forbes, the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, worth an estimated $5.5 billion, are the only sports franchise in the world worth more than the Yanks.

Forbes predicted that strong recent profits will “help offset any downturn from the delayed season.”

MLB has indefinitely postponed the 2020 campaign, which had been scheduled to start on March 26, as health authorities urge social distancing to slow the spread of deadly COVID-19.

Until the setback, Forbes said, MLB profits were at record highs thanks to flat player costs and increased revenue of $16 million per team on average.

Forbes calculated that the Yankees generated $683 million in revenue in 2019.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were rated the second-most valuable team at $3.4 billion, and also posted the second-highest revenue, Forbes said.

The Boston Red Sox clocked in at third at $3.3 billion, followed by the Chicago Cubs ($3.2 billion), San Francisco Giants ($3.1 billion), New York Mets ($2.4 billion), St. Louis Cardinals ($2.2 billion) and Philadelphia Phillies ($2 billion).

Only the Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins dropped in value, the Pirates by 1% and the Marlins by 2%.

Only the Marlins, valued at $980 million, were outside the billionaire club, according to the calculations by Forbes.

Agence France-Presse

Yankees clinch 1st AL East title since 2012, reach 100 wins

NEW YORK — Aroldis Chapman got Albert Pujols to swing over a slider in the dirt, and the New York Yankees jogged to the infield to exchange handshakes and hugs after clinching their first AL East title since 2012.

No wild celebration, not this year.

Hours after the startling news that pitcher Domingo Germán was placed on administrative leave under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy, the homer-happy Yankees routed the Los Angeles Angels 9-1 Thursday night to wrap up first place and breeze to their 100th win.

DJ LeMahieu hit a go-ahead, three-run homer for yet another big moment in his first year with New York and old mainstay Brett Gardner homered and had three RBIs.

Players decided it was not a night for dogpiles, not given how many already have gotten hurt, some in bizarre mishaps.

“We’re just trying to avoid injuries,” LeMahieu said.

A day after wasting a chance to clinch first place, the Yankees went ahead when LeMahieu went deep in the second inning.

Gardner, among just two holdovers from their last World Series championship team in 2009, added a solo shot in the fourth and then hit a two-run double in the sixth. Cameron Maybin and Clint Frazier homered for good measure in the eighth.

“You got a team full of savages,” slugger Aaron Judge said, invoking the word manager Aaron Boone made famous during his mid-summer rant at an umpire. “It’s been a long season, a lot of ups and downs. We’re going to celebrate and enjoy tonight, but we got a lot more baseball to play.”

Despite putting 30 players on the injured list this year, New York (100-54) made Boone the first manager to win 100 games in each of his first two major league seasons.

“We got a lot bigger fish to fry, but this is the first step along the way,” Boone said. “Nothing has got in their way. Whatever has come adversity-wise, they faced it and powered right through it.”

The Yankees open the playoffs on Oct. 4, likely against Minnesota, which leads the AL Central, or the wild-card winner.

Germán’s status for the postseason is uncertain after a breakout season. He is the Yankees’ top-winning pitcher at 18-4.

Boone and general manager Brian Cashman spoke with players before the game.

“It’s a difficult situation that none of us really know that many details about, so you just try and lay it out,” Boone said. “Sometimes things come up over the course of the season that you’re not necessarily prepared for and you just try and talk through it the best you can.”

Masahiro Tanaka (11-8), in line to start the playoff opener, allowed Kole Calhoun’s homer leading off the fourth. The Angels had just four hits in seven innings off Tanaka, who struck out six and walked one.

New York’s 19th AL East title was its first following a run of 13 in 17 years that started in Derek Jeter’s rookie season. The Yankees, led by Judge, Gary Sánchez and Gleyber Torres, will be making their 21st postseason appearance in 25 years and 55th overall — 22 more than any other team.

And they will head to the October following their 21st 100-win season, their first in back-to-back years since 2002-04.

New York moved into sole possession of the lead for good on June 15 with the start of an eight-game winning streak, beginning a spurt of 13 victories in 14 games that ended the month. The Yankees led by 6 1/2 games at the All-Star Game, won seven of their first nine after the break and have led by seven to 11 1/2 games since. And they achieved their success despite the most players on the injured list for any big league team since at least 2004.

After Wednesday’s 3-2 loss, the Yankees waited in their clubhouse for three hours until just before 1 a.m., hoping second-place Tampa Bay would lose at Los Angeles and ensure the division title for New York. But the Rays rallied in the ninth and defeated the Dodgers in 11 innings.

Protective plastic remained overnight wrapping the six large-screen televisions in the Yankees clubhouse, a sign that the bubbly celebration was not too far off. There was plenty of spraying — but non-vintage Laurent Perrier Brut. The good stuff is saved for late October.

LeMahieu’s homer off Andrew Heaney (4-6), which followed a rare infield hit by slow-legged catcher Austin Romine with two outs, landed about three rows over the scoreboard in right-center, giving him career bests of 25 homers and 97 RBIs in his first season with the Yankees. Gardner also set career highs for homers (26) and RBIs (69), and New York extended its team record with 292 long balls, one shy of major league-leading Minnesota.

“Hopefully the beginning of something special,” Gardner said.

STANTON

DH Giancarlo Stanton was 0 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts as a designated hitter his second game back from a layoff of nearly three months.

STAR TURN

Pujols had a .328 career batting average when he left St. Louis after 11 major league seasons and joined the Angels for 2012. His career average dipped to .29995 with an 0 for 4 night. His average had not been below .300 at the end of a game since a 4-for-14 start as a rookie in 2001, according to the Elias Sport Bureau.

“Not all the greatest players hit over .300,” Pujols said. “Hitting .300 would be great, but definitely, for me more important is hopefully I can win a championship before I’m done with my contract, because that’s why the front office brought me here.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Dellin Betances has been told surgery is not recommended for the partially torn left Achilles tendon that ended his season after eight pitches. Manager Aaron Boone said the foot will be in a walking boot for another four weeks. … Judge was given a day off after he landed on his right shoulder during an attempt for a diving catch Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Jamie Barria (4-8) will be on the mound at Houston, opposed by Zack Greinke (6-1).

Yankees: LHP J.A. Happ (12-8) starts Friday’s series opener against Toronto, his former team.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Rangers snap Yankees’ 220-game scoring streak

Mike Minor rebounded from a pair of rocky outings to pitch 7 1/3 innings as the Texas Rangers posted a 7-0 win over the New York Yankees, who failed to score a run for the first time in 14 months.

The start of Monday’s game was delayed almost three hours because of rain as the Rangers won for the fourth time in six games and ended the Yankees’ modest two-game win streak.


New York, who trailed 4-0 after seven innings before rallying to beat the Oakland Athletics 5-4 on Saturday, saw their 220-run scoring streak snapped.

The last time they were shut out was June 2018 against the Boston Red Sox. It was the second-longest streak of scoring a run since 1900, behind a 308-game streak by New York from August 1931 to August 1933.

Minor allowed five hits, striking out five and walking just one while throwing 111 pitches in front of a crowd of 40,000 at Yankee Stadium.

Minor struggled in his last two outings against the Los Angeles Angels.


But the Tennessee-born left hander has now completed at least seven innings for the 13th time and delivered his seventh scoreless performance this season.

He was lifted after allowing two singles in the eighth. Shawn Kelley came on and quickly ended the inning. Emmanuel Clase closed it out in the ninth.

Yankees’ starter Masahiro Tanaka gave up two runs in six innings and dropped to 10-8 on the season.

The Rangers tacked on five more runs in the eighth and ninth innings.

Tanaka, of Japan, finished with five strikeouts but walked two batters.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Swing and a miss: Yankees in another 0-2 playoff hole

HOUSTON — Swing and a miss.

After striking out 27 times in Houston, the New York Yankees are down 0-2 in the playoffs again.

Maybe they just need to get to the potential elimination games — the Yankees don’t seem to lose those.

“We’ve been facing some tough pitchers and some tough games,” rookie slugger Aaron Judge said. “We’re just going to keep going out there and keep fighting.”

New York catcher Gary Sanchez was unable to come up with a short-hop relay throw from shortstop Didi Gregorius with Jose Altuve charging toward the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Astros won 2-1 Saturday for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven AL Championship Series.

Sanchez said he simply dropped the ball on a play he’s used to making.

“The bottom line is if I catch that ball he’s going to be out,” Sanchez said through a translator.

New York has lost the first two games by the same tight score to Houston aces Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander, both former Cy Young Award winners. So just like in the Division Series, the Yankees are down 0-2 and headed back home.

“It’s not like we haven’t been here before,” said manager Joe Girardi, who turned 53 on Saturday. “But these are two tough losses.”

In their best-of-five set against the 102-win Cleveland Indians, the Yankees won three straight games when facing elimination to get to their first ALCS since 2012. And that was after winning a win-or-go-home wild-card game against Minnesota.

But after striking out 14 times in the ALCS opener, including 10 against Keuchel in his seven innings, the Yankees whiffed another 13 times Saturday against Verlander, who threw 124 pitches in a complete game.

Game 3 is Monday night at Yankee Stadium, with CC Sabathia scheduled to pitch for New York against Charlie Morton.

The Yankees have lost seven straight ALCS games dating to 2010.

Verlander was done by the time hard-throwing Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman entered in the ninth with a scoreless streak of 18 2/3 innings dating to the last time he gave up a run, on Aug. 25 against Seattle. But then Altuve hit a one-out single and scored when Carlos Correa lined a double into the right-center gap.

Judge cut off the ball at the edge of the warning track, but his throw went over the head of second baseman Starlin Castro to Gregorius on one hop at second base. Gregorius wheeled and, perhaps impeded a bit by Correa’s popup slide at second, short-hopped his throw to Sanchez.

The ball arrived in plenty of time to get Altuve, who raced all the way around from first, but Sanchez couldn’t make a clean pick and the ball squirted away as Altuve slid in safely with the winning run.

“If he comes up with it, it’s an out,” said Girardi, who quickly inquired with umpires as the Astros and their fans were starting a frenzied celebration. “I just wanted to make sure there was no interference. I didn’t see any interference at second. … It was a popup slide, that’s legal. You’re kind of hoping.”

Correa homered in the fourth for the Astros — a play that evoked memories of Jeffery Maier in the 1996 ALCS at Yankee Stadium — when a 12-year-old Houston fan reached for the liner just over the right-field wall. The ball appeared to already be beyond the reach of Judge, who was still moving toward the fence when the ball ricocheted off the boy’s glove on top of the wall and into the seats.

“I got back there a little late. He took a good swing on a ball off the plate,” Judge said. “I just wasn’t able to get back and get a good read to the wall and get up there and make a play.”

The 6-foot-7 Judge had a homer-robbing grab in Game 3 of the ALDS, when the Yankees won 1-0 to stay alive in that series.

A few pitches after Correa’s homer, Girardi and a trainer went out to check on starter Luis Severino when he uncharacteristically wound his pitching arm a few times. The 23-year-old right-hander stayed in the game then, and got the inning-ending out on a comebacker that appeared to strike the wrist of his non-pitching hand.

But Severino didn’t come out for the fifth, after the Yankees tied the game on back-to-back doubles by Aaron Hicks and Todd Frazier in the top of the inning. Severino threw only 62 pitches.

“I think it is my responsibility to protect this kid,” Girardi said. “I couldn’t take a chance.”

Girardi said Severino checked out fine with team doctors. The pitcher certainly didn’t agree with getting pulled so early.

“I told him I was good. They told me they saw something,” Severino said. “I told them that I was good and I wanted to go pitch. … I feel great. My arm feels great. I can go 20 or 30 innings more.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Yankees top Red Sox 4-1 in 16th; Boston plays under protest

BOSTON — Didi Gregorius lined a go-ahead single in the 16th inning and the New York Yankees outlasted the Boston Red Sox 4-1 Saturday in the longest game between the bitter rivals at Fenway Park since 1966.


Matt Holliday hit a tying home run off Boston closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth that cleared the Green Monster, and it took 5 hours, 50 minutes and 512 pitches to finish. That is, if it’s really over — the Red Sox put the game under protest after a bizarre play on the bases involving Holliday in the 11th.

Both teams burned through their bullpens, and the relievers won’t get much rest. The Yankees and the AL East-leading Red Sox are set for a day-night doubleheader Sunday.

Boston starter Chris Sale struck out 13 in 7 2/3 scoreless innings of three-hit ball. He leads the majors with 191 strikeouts.

Yankees starter Luis Severino allowed one run and four hits in seven innings. He gave up Mitch Moreland’s sacrifice fly in the third.

Ben Heller (1-0) went two innings. Seven Yankees relievers combined to blank Boston on four hits for nine innings.

Doug Fister (0-3) gave up three runs in the 16th. Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a double, Gregorius and Austin Romine hit RBI singles and Gary Sanchez added a sacrifice fly.

A day after Yankees blew a ninth-inning lead and lost, they rallied to win for just the eighth time in 28 games. New York closed within 3 1/2 games of Boston.

The Red Sox had been 43-0 when leading after eight. Kimbrel, the winning pitcher in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night, had his first career blown save at Fenway following 30 successful ones.

Red Sox manager John Farrell put the game under protest after an odd sequence in the 11th.

Holliday led off with a walk and Ellsbury followed with a grounder to Moreland at first base. Moreland threw to second for a forceout but Holliday retreated toward first and slid into the bag as shortstop Xander Bogaerts’ throw arrived.

Moreland wasn’t able to reach the ball, which hit Ellsbury and bounced into foul territory. Farrell argued in favor of an interference call and after a lengthy review, the umpires allowed Ellsbury to stay on first.

The clubs last played 16 at Fenway on June 4, 1966, when Jim Gosger’s three-run homer gave Boston a 6-3 victory.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Manager Joe Girardi said the club was “hopeful” that OF Aaron Hicks, on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right oblique, would “start doing some light baseball activity” when the club returns from its season-long, 11-game trip.

Red Sox: Placed RHP Joe Kelly on the 10-day DL before the game with a strained left hamstring and recalled RHP Brandon Workman from Triple-A. . RHP Blaine Boyer left with right elbow tightness. . Bogaerts put on a soft brace to support his left ring and pinkie finger under his batting glove halfway through batting practice.

HONORED

The Red Sox welcomed about 1,300 Vietnam veterans and their families onto the field during a pregame ceremony.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Bryan Mitchell (1-1, 5.06 ERA) is set for the opener and RHP Masahiro Tanaka (7-8, 5.47) in the nightcap Sunday.

Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (4-11, 4.75) and LHP David Price (4-2, 3.91) are slated to start.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Judge hits 29th homer, tying DiMaggio’s Yankee rookie mark

NEW YORK—Aaron Judge equaled Joe DiMaggio’s New York Yankees record for home runs by a rookie—before the All-Star break.

Judge hit a two-run drive into the Yankees’ bullpen in right-center in the fourth inning of Wednesday’s 7-6 loss to Toronto, his major league-leading 29th home run of the season.

DiMaggio set the Yankees rookie mark in 1936. Judge reached it in New York’s 83rd game of the season.

“Any time you’re in the sentence as someone like DiMaggio is pretty incredible,” Judge said. “It’s quite an honor.”

Connecting on a 92 mph fastball, Judge drove it 398 feet, according to MLB’s Statcast. The only other rookies to hit 29 homers before the All-Star break were Mark McGwire in 1987 (33) and Jose Abreu in 2014 (29).

Judge is hitting .331 with 65 RBIs and 104 strikeouts.

New York trailed 5-0 before the homer. Judge came up with two outs in the ninth with a runner on first and struck out against Roberto Osuna, unsuccessfully trying to check his swing on a low, outside slider.

“I got fooled,” Judge said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Yankees romp to eighth consecutive win

NEW YORK — Jordan Montgomery took a shutout into the seventh inning for his first major league win while Matt Holliday homered in his return to the lineup as the New York Yankees romped to their eighth consecutive victory by beating the Chicago White Sox 7-4 on Monday night.

Holliday put the Yankees ahead with a titanic three-run shot in a five-run third inning and Aaron Judge added a two-run homer that chased Derek Holland (1-2) with the score 7-0 in the fifth. New York has rebounded from a 1-4 start with its longest winning streak since a 10-game run in June 2012.

Making his second career start, Montgomery (1-0) immediately found himself in a first-inning jam. But the 24-year-old lefty calmly pitched his way out of it by retiring cleanup hitter Jose Abreu and streaking Avisail Garcia with runners at second and third.

Aroldis Chapman closed out for his fourth save.

BREWERS 6, CUBS 3

CHICAGO — Eric Thames homered in his club record-tying fifth straight game as Milwaukee beat Chicago.

Milwaukee never trailed after Thames hit an opposite-field homer to snap a 3-3 tie in the third inning. Jeromy Burnitz was the other Brewer to homer in five straight games in August of 1997.

Ryan Braun and Jeff Bandy also went deep for the Brewers, the only team to hit as many as three homers in a game off Chicago starter John Lackey (1-2) last season.

Brewers starter Chase Anderson (2-0) pitched five innings of three-run, seven-hit ball to pick up the victory.

BRAVES 5, PADRES 4

ATLANTA (AP) — Dansby Swanson hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning as Atlanta, boosted by Freddie Freeman’s two home runs, beat San Diego for a four-game sweep in its first series at SunTrust Park.

Swanson’s bases-loaded hit fell just in front of diving left fielder Allen Cordoba. The Braves have followed a five-game losing streak with five straight wins.

Jim Johnson (2-0) pitched the ninth.

Kurt Suzuki hit a one-out single in the Braves ninth off closer Brandon Maurer (0-1). With two outs, pinch runner Chase d’Arnaud advanced to third on Emilio Bonifacio’s bloop single in front of Cordoba’s dive.

An intentional walk to Ender Inciarte loaded the bases for Swanson, whose first career game-ending hit again fell beyond the reach of a charging Cordoba.

RED SOX 4, RAYS 3

BOSTON — Andrew Benintendi hit a go-ahead, two-run single as Boston scored three unearned runs following a dropped throw by second baseman Brad Miller to beat Tampa Bay in the annual Patriots’ Day game.

Knuckleballer Steven Wright (1-1) allowed three runs — one earned — and nine hits in six innings as Boston won its third straight. Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for a save for the third straight day, his sixth this season.

Blake Snell (0-2) gave up four runs — one earned — and seven hits in five innings. The Rays completed a 1-6 trip that followed a franchise-best 5-2 start.

INDIANS 3, TWINS 1

MINNEAPOLIS — Danny Salazar finished six innings strong after a shaky start and Michael Brantley homered and drove in two runs as Cleveland beat Minnesota.

Salazar (1-1) struck out seven and retired 15 of his last 18 batters after allowing five hits and one walk over a seven-batter stretch spanning the first two innings.

Brantley took Kyle Gibson (0-2) deep in the fifth inning, raising his career average in 13 at-bats against the Twins right-hander to .385 with four RBIs.

Cody Allen loaded the bases in the ninth, but he completed his third save by getting Joe Mauer to fly out to center field.

ASTROS 3, ANGELS 0

HOUSTON — Charlie Morton and three relievers combined for a five-hitter while Jose Altuve drove in two runs as Houston beat Los Angeles for its fifth straight win.

Morton (1-1) worked in and out of trouble over five innings, allowing five hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Chris Devenski followed Morton with two perfect innings while Luke Gregerson threw a perfect eighth and Ken Giles pitched the ninth for his third save. Astros pitchers retired the last 14 batters.

Jesse Chavez (1-2) allowed two runs and seven hits over a season-high seven innings.

CARDINALS 2, PIRATES 1

ST. LOUIS — Lance Lynn pitched seven shutout innings and Kolten Wong homered as St. Louis stopped a three-game losing streak.

The Cardinals, who had lost six of seven, are 4-9 and still have the worst record in the NL.

Lynn (1-1) allowed three hits and struck out five while walking one. Seung-Hwan Oh worked around an RBI double by pinch hitter Gregory Polanco in the ninth to record the Cardinals’ first save of the season.

Ivan Nova (1-2) gave up five hits and no walks in eight innings while striking out three.




RANGERS 7, ATHLETICS 0

OAKLAND, California — A.J. Griffin pitched six scoreless innings in his return to the Oakland Coliseum while Nomar Mazara had two hits and three RBIS as the Rangers beat the Athletics.

Carlos Gomez and Mike Napoli added two RBIs apiece to help Texas end a three-game losing streak.

Griffin (2-0) spent his first two seasons in the majors with the A’s before being released near the end of 2015 after Tommy John surgery a year earlier. He hadn’t pitched at the Coliseum since making his final start for Oakland on Sept. 18, 2013. He looked very comfortable in his return.

The Rangers’ shaggy-haired right-hander allowed one hit and one walk, retired the final 14 batters he faced and finished with eight strikeouts — one shy of his career high.

Three Texas relievers combined for the final nine outs to complete the three-hitter while Jharel Cotton (1-2) took the loss.

MARINERS 6, MARLINS 1

SEATTLE — Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz hit consecutive first-inning homers and Ariel Miranda pitched seven scoreless innings as the Mariners beat the Marlins in Ichiro Suzuki’s first visit to Safeco Field as a member of the 3,000-hit club.

Miranda (1-1) allowed four singles and only one runner to reach second base while striking out five. Nick Vincent pitched a perfect eighth before Evan Scribner allowed Christian Yelich’s third home run in the ninth.

The Mariners won their fourth straight after a 2-8 start.

Cano crushed a 2-1 pitch from Tom Koehler (0-1) 441 feet to right-center for his second home run, a two-run shot that scored Jarrod Dyson. Cruz followed with his second homer, lining a 1-1 pitch to center to make it 3-0.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, DODGERS 2

LOS ANGELES — Jake Lamb hit a solo home run in the eighth inning and David Peralta added a run-scoring triple in the ninth to lead the Diamondbacks to a victory over the Dodgers.

J.J. Hoover (1-0) threw two scoreless innings in relief of Robbie Ray to earn the victory and Fernando Rodney blanked the Dodgers in the ninth to earn his fifth save.

It was Lamb’s third homer of the season.

The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead against Ray, scoring an unearned run in the second on Logan Forsythe’s sacrifice fly and taking a two-run lead on an Enrique Hernandez solo home run in the fourth. It was his first of the year.

The Diamondbacks tied it on RBI hits by A.J. Pollock and Peralta.

Chris Hatcher (0-1) pitched 2 2/3 innings and took the loss.

source: sports.inquirer.net

MLB attendance drops 1.1 percent, still 11th-highest season

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball’s average attendance dropped 1.1 percent this season but still was the sport’s 11th-highest year.

The 30 teams combined to draw 73,159,044 fans and average 30,169, the commissioner’s office said Tuesday. That was down from last year’s total of 73.76 million and average of 30,517. The average was the lowest since 30,138 in 2010.

The record total of 79.5 million and average of 32,785 were set in 2007.

The NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers led in home attendance at 3.7 million, followed in the NL by St. Louis (3.44 million), San Francisco (3.37 million) and the Chicago Cubs (3.23 million).

Toronto topped the AL at 3.39 million, followed by the New York Yankees (3.06 million) and Los Angeles Angels (3.02 million).

Tampa Bay had the lowest home attendances at 1.29 million, and Oakland was 29th at 1.52 million. Cleveland was 28th at 1.59 million despite winning the AL Central for the first time since 2007.

Miami drew an NL-low 1.71 million.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Yankees closer Chapman agrees to accept 30-game suspension

NEW YORK — New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman agreed to accept a 30-game suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy, a penalty stemming from an altercation with his girlfriend last October.

Under the discipline announced Tuesday, the four-time All-Star will serve the penalty from the start of the Yankees’ season on April 4. He will lose 30 days of pay — $1,856,557 of his $11,325,000 salary. The agreement specifies he will be eligible for free agency after this season barring any additional suspension for off-the-field conduct that would cost him the necessary service time.

“I found Mr. Chapman’s acknowledged conduct on that day to be inappropriate … particularly his use of a firearm and the impact of that behavior on his partner,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “I am gratified that Mr. Chapman has taken responsibility for his conduct.”

Chapman became the first player penalized a finite number of games under the policy, which MLB and the players’ association agreed to in August following several high-profile incidents among NFL players. Colorado shortstop Jose Reyes was given an indefinite paid suspension last week, pending a trial scheduled for April 4, following an alleged altercation with him wife in October.

Baseball’s investigation of Chapman stemmed from Oct. 30. Chapman’s girlfriend, 22-year-old Cristina Barnea, told police he pushed and choked her. Chapman said there was an argument but that he was pushed down by Barnea’s brother, eventually getting a handgun and firing eight shots into a wall and window while locked in his garage.

The Davie Police Department and Broward Assistant State Attorney Stefanie Newman declined to file charges, saying conflicting accounts and insufficient evidence made a conviction unlikely. Under MLB’s domestic violence policy, discipline does not have to be predicated on a conviction.

Chapman, the hardest-throwing pitcher in the major leagues, was traded from the rebuilding Cincinnati Reds to the Yankees in December. He had said he would contest any suspension, but a deal was reached following negotiations with MLB.

“I want to be clear, I did not in any way harm my girlfriend that evening,” Chapman said in a statement. “However, I should have exercised better judgment with respect to certain actions, and for that I am sorry. The decision to accept a suspension, as opposed to appealing one, was made after careful consideration. I made this decision in an effort to minimize the distractions that an appeal would cause the Yankees, my new teammates and most importantly, my family.”

Chapman’s representatives and MLB had been discussing the discipline for about 10 days. A suspension of 46 days or longer would have delayed his chance to become a free agent until after the 2017 season.

The players’ association said it supported Chapman’s decision to accept the penalty and said “its members do not condone the mistreatment of others by playing or non-playing personnel.”

With the Yankees, Chapman forms a powerful back end of the bullpen along with former closer Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances.

Chapman can continue to participate in all spring training activities. The penalty starts when the Yankees open the season April 4 at home against Houston. Barring rainouts, he would be eligible to start his season May 9 when the Yankees host World Series champion Kansas City.

“We need him,” teammate Alex Rodriguez said Tuesday before the suspension was announced. “He’s a big part of our team, and I think the key in New York is you have to focus on the game, focus on your teammates, and I think he has a lot of support in that clubhouse.”

Chapman will be allowed to use team facilities while serving his suspension and likely will work out at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Florida, but he will not be permitted to play in any minor league games during that time.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig is under investigation by MLB for a fight with a bouncer at a Miami bar in November following an argument with his sister.

source: sports.inquirer.net