Major Leaguer Hits Ump in Face

Venezuela police find kidnappers' vehicle, but not him

(NEWSER) - The kidnappers of Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos still haven’t contacted his family, but Venezuelan police have tweeted to “confirm” the ballplayer is alive without providing details. In what officials say is a major breakthrough, they have found the vehicle kidnappers used to abduct Ramos, the Washington Post reports. The country’s justice minister said “the best investigators we have” are working on the case, the AP adds. More»

Female umpire speaks out against baseball's 'stained-grass ceiling'

(NEWSER) - Forget blown calls. The real problem with umpires in the MLB, says Perry Barber: A complete lack of females. Barber, who has been in the business since 1981, works high school, college, spring training, and Independent League games—and tells DoubleX , “ We’re just going to have to storm the Bastille, baby, and flood the schools with women candidates and shatter what I call the stained-grass ceiling.” More»

Postseason miscues have MLB considering drastic changes

(NEWSER) - This year’s postseason has featured the usual thrills—pitchers' duels, come-from-behind victories—and an outbreak of something unusual: botched calls by umpires. The threat of more gaffes in next week’s World Series has the tradition-bound sport considering expanding the use of instant replay beyond the verification of home runs. And not everyone objects. More»

Network knew what it was getting in scandal-plagued analyst

(NEWSER) - ESPN knew exactly what it was getting in Steve Phillips, and it has to know that it's time to cut him loose. When the network hired him, "ESPN, already having gained a well-earned reputation as the Sodom and Gomorrah of sports television, must have informed Phillips of the World Wide Leader's overriding commitment to cleaning up its image," writes Bob Raissman. The extramarital shenanigans that came to light this week aren't helping that goal. More»

(NEWSER) - Baseball isn’t the national pastime only for those lucky stiffs who can see the ball. The blind have their own version of baseball, the Wall Street Journal reports, played with a beeping softball. Players use that beeping to time their swings and dive for balls. Some aspects are simplified—batters need only run to a single base before a fielder touches the ball to score a run—but its competitors play just as hard as their sighted counterparts. More»