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• Royals Sign Harold Castro To Minor League Contract
The Royals announced that utilityman Harold Castro was signed to a minor league contract. The 31-year-old Castro will get an invitation to Kansas City’s big league spring camp. Castro is no stranger to the AL Central, as he spent his entire pro career (and his first five MLB seasons) with the Tigers before joining the…...2025
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• Today in White Sox History: January 17

On this day 23 years ago, Jermaine Dye re-upped with Oakland. His next stop, however, would be a star turn in Chicago. | JOHN G. MABANGLO/AFP via Getty Images Jermaine Dye signs his last deal before heading to Chicago 2002 After one injury-plagued, controversial season with the White Sox, pitcher David Wells signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Yankees. Wells won only five games...2025
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• Five infield free agents the Brewers should look to add before spring training

Michael McLoone-Imagn Images With Willy Adames gone, the Brewers have a (potential) glaring hole in the infield After Willy Adames left Milwaukee for San Francisco in early December, the Brewers have chosen to fill that hole with...Caleb Durbin? Adames signed with the Giants on December 10 and, since that time, the only major league additions the Brewers have made are acquiring Nestor Cort...2025
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• Today in White Sox History: January 9

This Sept. 9, 2011 appearance on Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day turned out to be the second-to-last game of Shane Lindsay’s MLB career. | Brian D. Kersey/Getty Images Two free agent relievers, signed and released on the same day 1993 St. Michaels, Md. honored future Hall-of-Famer and town native Harold Baines by declaring every January 9 from that day forward to be Harold Baines Day. Baines ha...2025
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• One perfect free-agent signing for every AL Central team

The American League Central was a division full of surprises in 2024, with three of the five teams earning postseason berths. How can those teams, along with the others in the AL Central, improve in 2025? Here's a realistic free-agent acquisition that could pay dividends for each franchise....2025
• Why Tigers need to go big for 2025 after surprising playoff run with AL Central there for Detroit's taking

The Tigers have made a few moves so far this winter but now's the time to double down...2025

• Today in White Sox History: January 17
2025

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• Today in White Sox History: January 9
2025

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• Royals Rumblings - News for January 6, 2025

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images Be safe out there! MLB.com lists one question each team must answer before spring training. Royals: Have they done enough to upgrade the lineup?The Royals were aggressive early on this offseason with their top priority of finding a leadoff hitter to help deepen the lineup and get someone on base for Bobby Witt Jr. Their answer is Jonathan India, whom the ...2025
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• A Cubs fan’s guide to the postseason: Division Series weekend

Kyle Schwarber should lead off for the Phillies for their third straight postseason | Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images There’s a lot of David and Goliath in these matchups They don’t call it the Wild Card for nothing, folks. It’s’ already been a few ridiculous days of baseball. It started with the Mets bonkers comeback against Atlanta in the first game of a doubleheader to make the post...2024
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• The postseason shirts of 2014 and 2015

Bobby Witt is “October Ready” in 2024! | Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images These might all be in my closet (Ed note: I’ve been wanting to do this story for a while and just got around to it in August. It was suppose to be used as a future Friday Rumblings topic. However, as the Royals drew closer to the playoffs and I hadn’t run it yet, I asked around if it would make a good stand alon...2024
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• How should the Royals set their postseason rotation?

Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Matt Quatraro has some strong options. On Sunday afternoon, Michael Wacha took the mound in Kansas City with a chance at a sweep over the Minnesota Twins. Pitching to a tight strike zone from home plate umpire Shane Livensparger, Wacha threw a gem, punching out seven Twins batters across seven scoreless innings. The Royals completed...2024
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• Takeaways from Braves-Rockies: A missed opportunity

Photo by Todd Kirkland/MLB Photos via Getty Images The Braves still won the series but they also missed a golden chance gain as much ground as possible in the NL Wild Card race. Heading into this series, the Atlanta Braves were going for a sweep in order to set the record straight against a Colorado Rockies team that tripped them up in a major way back at Coors Field. For the first two ga...2024
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• Braves News: Atlanta loses weekend series to Phillies, Tyler Matzek back with franchise, more

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports A weekend of struggles leaves the Braves clinging to their playoff lives. Atlanta had their chances all weekend to either split or even win their big weekend series against the Phillies. But some questionable managerial decisions and the inability to convert run scoring opportunities resulted in the Braves losing three our of four to Philadelphia, including...2024
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• On The Horizon: Cubs vs. Twins series preview

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images The Cubs begin a two-week stretch vs. American League clubs. The Twins just completed a three-game sweep of the White Sox and outscored them 29-11. I suspect the other Chicago team, the Cubs, will give them a tougher series. For more on the Twins, here’s Benjamin Jones, managing editor of our SB Nation Twins site Twinkie Town. Things are quite different...2024
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• A Game of Groans

Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images Much like the smash hit TV series about a quest for power, the 8th season of the White Sox rebuild is letting fans down. But even after a historically bad start, showrunner Jerry Reinsdorf appears keen to do nothing but watch it burn. Chaos is a Ladder Jerry Reinsdorf — the beleaguered owner of the Chicago White Sox — grimaced in disgust as he watched his team ...2024
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• AL Central Notes: Abreu, Kipnis, Moustakas, Cuthbert, Sano
White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu shed over ten pounds already this offseason, James Fegan of The Athletic writes. The weight loss comes thanks in part to a diet with a lot more fish and white meat. But aside from eating healthier, the Cuban native has another, more surprising goal: to steal more bases. Abreu…...2018
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• Scott Miller's Starting 9: Fifty-Six Reasons to Pay Attention in Spring Training
2016

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• Relentless Royals Can't Wait to Swing—and They Rarely Miss
2015

Visit the page Kansas City Royals

2025
"In the NL East, you cannot moneyball your way to playoff appearances like you can in the AL Central."

2024
"Four, that the AL Central was a weak division with no runaway favorite."

2023
"com/niINdTR2b8— MLB (@MLB) June 29, 2023 The AL Central is still without a team at or above ."

2022
"Guardians clinch 1st AL Central title since '18"

2021
"A 7-2 win over Cleveland on Thursday has given the White Sox their first AL Central title in 13 years."

2020
"AL East Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays AL Central Chicago White Sox Cleveland Indians…"

2019
"Avila, 33 in January, is no stranger to the AL Central, having spent parts of eight seasons with the Tigers plus…"

2018
"Some rumblings from around both the NL and AL Central divisions… Reports back in December indicated that Cubs swingman Mike Montgomery wanted to be a full-time starting pitcher, though the southpaw told reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times) that he was just indicating his preference rather than demanding a role change."

2017
"That inched the club one victory closer to the 1916 New York Giants' MLB-record run of 26 wins in a row, and trimmed the Tribe's magic number to three to clinch the AL Central crown."

2016
"They are sitting atop their division and rank fourth in the AL in runs scored with 271, more than any other team in the AL Central."

2015
"Crown jewel: KC wins AL Central"

2014
"Jeff Samardzija has returned to Chicago, and the White Sox apparently have their sights set on returning to AL Central contention."

• Royals Sign Harold Castro To Minor League Contract
2025

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• Today in White Sox History: January 17
2025

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• Five infield free agents the Brewers should look to add before spring training
2025

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• Today in White Sox History: January 9
2025

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• Royals Rumblings - News for January 6, 2025
2025

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• AL Central Notes: Royals Pitching, Rodriguez, Manning
With Michael Wacha retained on a three-year deal worth at least $51MM, “we don’t expect to be in the market for a starter moving forward. We’re going to focus on some other things,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo told MLB.com’s Maria Guardado and other reporters during the Winter Meetings. Picollo cited the projected top five…...2024
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• Royals Review Roundtable: The Hot Stove season will soon begin

Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images We ask our writers about what they expect this off-season. The Royals’ season is over, and once the World Series concludes, the off-season will begin. Before the wheeling and dealing begins, we assembled our writers to discuss the season that was and look forward for what could be an exciting Hot Stove season. The 2024 season saw the ...2024
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• It’s nice to focus on the playoffs in October instead of scapegoat season

Hugs are for the playoffs. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images Postseason or Silly Season? Glad we have the former One of the perks of the Royals making the playoffs is that I don’t have to worry about wholesale changes to the team’s front office or coaching staff. Sure, that may happen when if the Royals are eliminated (and even if they’re not), but right now, just days—not even a week!—after the ...2024
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• A Cubs fan’s guide to the postseason: Division Series weekend
2024

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• How should the Royals set their postseason rotation?
2024

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• Editorial: If the Nationals win the MASN case, they must splash the cash

Brad Mills-Imagn Images A win for the Nationals should mean a win for fans In the midst of another relatively cheap offseason for the Washington Nationals, a development came this week in the ongoing MASN case that could change the teams future. According to Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun, the Nationals filed a petition to uphold a previous MLB committee ruling that stated the Orioles ...2025
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• How should the Royals set their postseason rotation?
2024

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• Braves News: Atlanta loses weekend series to Phillies, Tyler Matzek back with franchise, more
2024

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• Tigers 6, White Sox 3: Another day, another L

Andrew Vaughn is slashing .321/.365/.500 over his last 15 games. | Quinn Harris/Getty Images Detroit sweeps Chicago and hands them their 101st defeat I know, shocker. It was another loss and anemic offensive showing by the White Sox. They move to 8-38 against the AL Central and 31-101 overall. To call this season miserable is an understatement. I’ve genuinely run out of words to describe ...2024
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• On The Horizon: Cubs vs. Twins series preview
2024

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• A Game of Groans
2024

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• The Royals have a real shot to win the AL Central now

Vinnie Pasquantino #9 of the Kansas City Royals reacts after being doused with water by Bobby Witt Jr. #7 after defeating the Houston Astros at Kauffman Stadium on April 10, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. | Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images They’ve started brilliantly This offseason, the Kansas City Royals wanted to compete in 2024. Not in the technical sense of the word; the 2023 Roya...2024
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• Royals Review Roundtable: The 2024 season

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images Our writers discuss the off-season and expectations for this year. After one of the busier off-seasons in recent Royals history, the 2024 regular season is finally here! The Royals spent over $100 million on free agents, adding infielder Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson, outfielder Hunter Renfroe, starting pitchers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, and relie...2024
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• The narrow path to 90 wins

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports The path to the playoffs is narrow, and it’s unlikely the Royals will find it. Every year, I put the Royals’ schedule into a spreadsheet and follow a simple formula to create a path to a 90-win season: Win or split series at home. Win or split road series against weaker teams. Don’t get swept. I don’t figure in any sweeps and split all four-game and two-game...2024
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• SB Nation Reacts: Voters pick the Cubs to win the NL Central

Getty Images And other results from the latest survey. Many BCB readers have said they think the Cubs should be the favorite to win the NL Central in 2024. I’m among those, largely because the Cubs have improved and the rest of their division rivals have not. The results from the latest SB Nation Reacts survey show that fans across MLB agree with that: Personally, I’m thinki...2024
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• Today in White Sox History: January 9
2025

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• Editorial: If the Nationals win the MASN case, they must splash the cash
2025

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• Royals Rumblings - News for January 2, 2025

Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images The holiday season is officially over (unless you’re Catholic I guess). A bunch of Royals listcles from MLB dot com to start you off, first with one potential breakout prospect: Royals: Asbel Gonzalez, OF (No. 20) Scouts love their no-doubt center fielders, and Gonzalez has wowed plenty of Royals evaluators with his defense and speed...2025
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• AL Central Notes: Royals Pitching, Rodriguez, Manning
2024

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• A Cubs fan’s guide to the postseason: Division Series weekend
2024

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• The postseason shirts of 2014 and 2015
2024

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• Tigers 6, White Sox 3: Another day, another L
2024

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• The sadness of being a White Sox fan

The beautiful city of Chicago and White Sox fans deserve better, and someday soon I hope we get it. | Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images How a historically bad start to the season tops off one of the most disappointing endings to a rebuild we have seen The timeline of the recent Chicago White Sox seasons looks like a movie trailer no one would want to watch: In 2017 and 20...2024
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• The best Royals-related Sports Illustrated covers

One of the best sports publications appears to be dead. This week came the news that publisher The Arena Group was laying off virtually the entire staff of Sports Illustrated. The group had been operating with a branding license from Authentic Brands, and once it missed a quarterly license payment, the license was terminated, leading to the layoffs. The long-venerated magazine has been published s...2024
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• Today in White Sox History: January 21

The 2011 season was a disaster, but on this day 13 years ago, spirits were high — and Ozzie Guillén was guaranteed the 2012 season. | Brian Kersey/Getty Images Ozzie gets a freebie 1985 The White Sox signed free agent pitcher Dave Wehrmeister. Wehrmeister was a No. 3 overall pick in the 1973 January draft, by the San Diego Padres. Still, players bypassed in the summer and grabbed later (b...2024
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• Crown jewel: KC wins AL Central
The Royals became the first Major League team to clinch a division title this season on Thursday as they rallied past the Mariners, 10-4, after Lorenzo Cain's two-run single in the sixth inning ignited a late-game rally and Johnny Cueto turned in seven strong innings of three-run ball....2015
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• Rap Group 'Center of Attention' Makes Hype Song for Kansas City Royals
2015

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• Jordan Zimmermann to Tigers: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction
2015

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• AL Central 2015 Preview: Sleepers, X-Factors and Predictions
2015

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• Tribe flying high with full team effort
Look at the Indians. They are sitting atop their division and rank fourth in the AL in runs scored with 271, more than any other team in the AL Central. How's that?...2016
• White Sox acquire Samardzija from A's
Jeff Samardzija has returned to Chicago, and the White Sox apparently have their sights set on returning to AL Central contention. The White Sox and A's completed a trade Tuesday that sent Samardzija and fellow pitcher Michael Ynoa to Chicago in exchange for right-handed pitcher Chris Bassitt, catcher Josh Phegley, first baseman Rangel Ravelo and infielder Marcus Semien....2014
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• Ben Zobrist to Royals: Latest Trade Details, Comments and Reaction
2015

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• Royals Clinch 2015 Playoff Berth: Highlights, Twitter Reaction to Celebration
2015

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55. AL Central

• A Game of Groans
2024

Read about Nuccio DiNuzzo
• Ryan Puts Cubs In An 11K Headlock
Slowly, paper extrudes from a fax machine. A hand brings it to a face and we read, "Need Joe R...an down at the Pentagon. Damn, we need toner! Joe R...an? Who the hell is that?! Oh, I know..." A chair swivels around to the CIA Director, he screams, "Send Joe Ryan (5 IP, 2 ER, 4 baserunners, 11 Ks, ERA at 2.45) to the Pentagon! I can only assume they need a guy with a 10.2 K/9, 1.2 BB/9 -- yowzas! ...2021
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• 1st-Place Indians Make AL Central Statement with Sweep of Defending Champ Royals
2016

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• Royals Still Have All the Ingredients of Their Championship Formula in 2016
2016

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• Scott Miller's Starting 9: Why Won't Anyone Take a Chance on Yoenis Cespedes?
2016

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• MLB Offseason Has Created Most Wide-Open A.L. Battle in Recent Memory
2015

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• Melky Cabrera Signing Makes White Sox MLB Offseason's Most Improved
2014

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• Today in White Sox History: January 17
2025

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• Five infield free agents the Brewers should look to add before spring training
2025

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• Today in White Sox History: January 9
2025

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• Why Tigers need to go big for 2025 after surprising playoff run with AL Central there for Detroit's taking
2025
• Royals Rumblings - News for January 6, 2025
2025

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• Editorial: If the Nationals win the MASN case, they must splash the cash
2025

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• Royals Rumblings - News for January 2, 2025
2025

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• Royals Review Roundtable: The Hot Stove season will soon begin
2024

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• It’s nice to focus on the playoffs in October instead of scapegoat season
2024

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• A Cubs fan’s guide to the postseason: Division Series weekend
2024

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• Takeaways from Braves-Rockies: A missed opportunity
2024

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• Braves Hall of Fame Profile: Bartolo Colon

Bartolo Colon’s 21-year career saw him play for 11 different teams including the Atlanta Braves in 2017. | Photo by Patrick Duffy/Beam Imagination/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images He won more games than any Latin American pitcher in MLB history and won an American League Cy Young Award. Should that be enough for “Big Sexy” to gain entrance into Cooperstown? When you say the nickname “Big Sexy” ...2024
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• What can be learned from White Sox history?

Figure out a way to bring these two guys back to life, and all shall be well. The history of the inglorious season of 1970, that is The White Sox of 1970 have been ingloriously brought to the fore by the White Sox of 2023, as 101 losses is the most for the team since that dreaded 1970 record-setter. But while there is very little hope that the current powers-that-be in Bridgeport can keep...2023
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• South Side Sox Summary: Week 23

Chris Getz is all smiles, while the rest of us are steeped in anger. | Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports Off-the-field drama again grabs the headlines Welcome to the SSS Summary — a little review of what happened this past week in Chicago White Sox baseball, including on-the-field play, the front office jibber-jabber, and everything in between. Even if you don’t want to remember what happened,...2023
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• Another embarrassing Bummer
Go home, Bummer. | Michael Reaves/Getty Images Stellar White Sox pitching by Cease is punished by nonexistent offense and the mother of all Bummers Happy Monday, White Sox fans, and Happy Wasted Dylan Cease Day. Chances are that you drifted off to dreamland shortly after the seemingly random 8:38 p.m. CST start, in which case I’m here to help you fill in those sleepy gaps. I hope you had ...2023
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• AL Central Notes: Royals, Boone, Jackson, Tribe, Tigers
With Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, and Mike Moustakas all hitting free agency, there has been wide speculation that the Royals could be entering a rebuild phase. This is the general consensus around the league, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star writes, even if Hosmer is re-signed. The club itself is unsure about its contention…...2017
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• Francisco Lindor's Big Day Highlights Status as MLB's Most Overlooked Star
2016

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• Scott Miller's Starting 9: Robinson Cano Rekindles Spark of MVP-Type Megastar
2016

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• Accusations of Broken Promises, Ugly Words: White Sox Rift Smashes Wide Open
2016

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• Justin Verlander's Temporary License Tag Stolen in Thief's Alleged Crime Spree
2016

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