Braun's 2 HR Pace Brewers

Ryan Braun says test is wrong, appeals

(NEWSER) - Ryan Braun, the reigning MVP of Major League Baseball's National League, has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and faces a 50-game suspension, reports ESPN . The Milwaukee Brewers player vigorously denied using performance enhancers, with a spokesman blaming "highly unusual circumstances." Braun himself was more to the point—"It's BS," he said. More»

Deal is for 10 years, $250 million

(NEWSER) - The Los Angeles Angels made two huge splashes today, snatching up two of the biggest free agents on the market: Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson. Pujols has agreed to a 10-year deal worth between $250 and $260 million, a source tells Yahoo! Sports . Depending on the exact number, it may be the second-biggest baseball contract ever—behind Alex Rodriguez's $275 million deal with the Yankees—and according to ESPN, it includes a full no-trade clause. More»

Manager announces retirement days after World Series win

(NEWSER) - If you’re going to retire, there may be no sweeter time to do it than three days after winning the World Series: “I think this just feels like it's time to end it,” said St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa today, as he announced his retirement at a Busch Stadium news conference. “Other than some of the personal attachments, I feel good,” he said. “I feel good that this is the right decision.” More»

St. Louis beats Texas in Game 7, 6-2

(NEWSER) - It lacked the drama of Game 6 , but Cardinals fans don't care: St. Louis beat the Texas Rangers 6-2 in Game 7 tonight to win the World Series. The Cardinals went up for good in the third on a solo home run from Allen Craig that made it 3-2. As for Game 6 hero David Freese, he doubled in the bottom of the first to knock in two runs, tie the game, and set an MLB record with 21 postseason RBI. Freese, who grew up in St. Louis, was named Series MVP. Game blog from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is here . More»

Sportswriters breathless after last night's epic World Series game

(NEWSER) - The words “best ever” are being thrown around a lot this morning, after the Cardinals’ epic 10-9 win over the Texans in Game 6 of the World Series. Here’s what the breathless sportswriters out there are saying:

• “The term ‘baseball game’ doesn’t begin to do justice to this remarkable life experience,” writes Jayson Stark of ESPN . No matter how many postseason games you’ve seen, “you would have a very, very, very difficult time making a case that any of them were better than this one.”
• From the ninth inning on, “you couldn’t breathe,” writes Jonah Keri of Grantland . “We'd crossed the plane of reality to some screenwriter's fantasy.” This could only happen in baseball, the game with no clock, the “game where time stands still, and the impossible becomes possible.”