Griffey's 596th HR Leads Reds Past Cubs 9-2

Votto ends Pujols' two-year reign

(NEWSER) - Joey Votto overwhelmingly won the election to become the National League's MVP, the AP reports. The Cincinnati Reds first baseman ended the two-year tenure of Albert Pujols, the second-place finisher and a onetime mentor to Votto. "For him to give me time of the day and to talk about defensive stuff and ways to improve my game was very generous of him, and he certainly didn't have to do that," Votto says of Pujols. More»

Forget apple pie—nothing goes with baseball like these

(NEWSER) - Baseball season’s in full, ahem, swing, and in that spirit, Delish runs down the best ballpark hotdogs. Some highlights:

• Georgia Dog, Turner Field, Atlanta. A blanket of cole slaw and some sautéed Vidalia onions make this a winner.
• Arizona Dog, Chase Field, Phoenix. Southwest rules this foot-long—chorizo, nacho cheese, tortilla strips.
• Chicago-Style Dog, Wrigley Field. Windy City fave topped with sautéed sweet onions, “sport” peppers, diced tomatoes, briny kosher pickle spears, yellow mustard, neon-green relish, and a dash of celery salt.

Pittsburgh's futility streak longest in North American sports history

(NEWSER) - Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates set a new North American standard for consecutive losing seasons by a major sports franchise, the Post-Gazette reports, with today’s loss to the Chicago Cubs guaranteeing the team finishes with more losses than wins for the 17th year in a row. The Pirates had shared the dubious distinction with the 1933-48 Philadelphia Phillies. “Obviously, I am disappointed,” the team’s owner said. More»

Family will pay $800M for 95% stake in team, Wrigley field

(NEWSER) - It’s official: Tribune Co. has signed an agreement to sell a majority stake in the Chicago Cubs to the Ricketts family, the Chicago Tribune reports. Picked as the winning bidder for the franchise in January, family negotiated a deal to pay $800 million for a 95% stake in the Cubs, Wrigley Field, and the Tribune's stake in Comcast SportsNet Chicago. The Tribune is retaining a 5% stake in those assets. More»

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2009/enhancedroster.jsp

(AP) - Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay were selected today as the starting pitchers for tomorrow night's All-Star game in St. Louis. Lincecum, last year's National League Cy Young Award winner, is 10-2 with a 2.33 ERA for the San Francisco Giants; he got the nod from NL manager Charlie Manuel. Halladay, 10-3 with a 2.85 ERA for the Toronto Blue Jays, was chosen by American League manager Joe Maddon. More»