Retired (MLB)

Baseball legend Pete Rose declined to discuss an allegation of statutory rape dating back to the 1970s as he was on hand to celebrate the Philadelphia Phillies' 1980 World Series title.

"No, I’m not here to talk about that," he told Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Sorry about that. It was 55 years ago, babe."

Coffey shared more of Rose's comments:

(2/2) "You weren't even born. So you shouldn't be talking about it, because you weren't born. If you don't know a damn thing about it, don't talk about it."

— Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey) August 7, 2022

In July 2016, Rose filed a defamation lawsuit against John Dowd after Dowd alleged the 17-time All-Star had committed statutory rape while an active player. As part of his defense, Dowd obtained a sworn statement from a woman in July 2017 who said she had had a sexual relationship with Rose in the 1970s before she turned 16. He responded to the allegation by saying he did have a relationship with the woman, but it began when she was 16.

Rose and Dowd ultimately reached a settlement to drop the lawsuit in December 2017.

The Phillies planned to induct Rose into their Wall of Fame as part of its Alumni Weekend in August 2017. However, the team cited "recent events" in explaining why it would no longer be inducting Rose.

The organization addressed its decision to invite the 81-year-old ahead of Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals.

"In planning the 1980 reunion, we consulted with Pete’s teammates about his inclusion," the Phillies said July 24. "Everyone wants Pete to be part of the festivities since there would be no trophy in 1980 without him. In addition, the club received permission from the Commissioner’s Office to invite Pete as a member of the championship team."

Rose was a member of the Phillies for five years. The 1973 MVP remains MLB's all-time hit king, totaling 4,256 over his 24-year career.

Rose remains frozen out of the Baseball Hall of Fame, though, after getting banned from the game for life in 1989 for betting on games.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge passed Babe Ruth for the most home runs before August in franchise history when he smacked his 42nd of the year—and 200th all-time—Saturday against the Kansas City Royals.

Can't stop. Won't stop. @TheJudge44 🧑‍⚖️ pic.twitter.com/Zj2uOEHcZH

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 30, 2022

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com provided the list of Yankees who have hit 40 or more homers before August:

Aaron Judge is now just the third #Yankees player ever to hit 40 homers before the end of July:

Babe Ruth, 41 in 1928
Roger Maris, 40 in 1961
Aaron Judge, 40 in 2022

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) July 30, 2022

Only four players in MLB history have hit 42 or more homers before August, per Katie Sharp of Talkin' Yanks and Stathead:

Most HR Before August in MLB History:

Barry Bonds 45 (2001)
Mark McGwire 45 (1998)
Aaron Judge 42 (2022)
Sammy Sosa 42 (1998)

— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) July 30, 2022

Judge has now smacked nine home runs in his last nine games and is on pace for 67 on the year:

https://twitter.com/TalkinYanks/status/1553457216665128962

Judge also became the second-fastest player ever to hit 200 career homers behind only former Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard:

https://twitter.com/TalkinYanks/status/1553456240004579328

Judge's two-run blast off Royals starting pitcher Jonathan Heasley gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.

Judge, who hit a single and scored a run off a Gleyber Torres double after his first at-bat, moved his batting average to .301 and OPS to 1.059 following the homer.

Per Baseball Reference, Judge entered Saturday leading the majors in wins above replacement (5.4), runs scored (84) and total bases (250). His 42 homers and 91 RBI also lead the majors.

Judge should be a lock for the American League MVP at this point, and the Yankees should cruise to an AL East title and top-two seed at worst in the playoffs.

It'll remain to be seen if he and the Yanks can make (and win) the World Series for the first time in 13 years, but for now, Judge is putting on an absolute show on a daily basis.

The biggest remaining regular-season storyline is whether the impending free agent can break some home run records. Former Yankee outfielder Roger Maris holds the AL record with 61 homers, and former San Francisco Giants great Barry Bonds is the all-time leader with 73.

New York has 60 more games after Saturday's matchup with the Royals. Judge is well on pace to beat Maris' record. Bonds' mark still appears like a long shot at best, but it doesn't seem like a complete impossibility anymore with Judge averaging a home run per game over the past two weeks.

Judge and the Yanks will finish out the four-game set with the Royals on Sunday before welcoming the Seattle Mariners into town for three matchups starting Monday.

Mickey Mantle might have retired in 1968, but the New York Yankees legend is still capable of rewriting the record books.

The Associated Press' Bobby Caina Calvan reported a Mantle card from the 1952 Topps set is due to hit the auction block in August. The card's final price tag could surpass $10 million, which would shatter the existing record.

A T206 Honus Wagner fetched $6.6 million at auction in August 2021.

"The quality of the card is the key," said Heritage Auctions' Derek Grady of the Mantle card. "Four sharp corners, the gloss and the color jumps off the card."

A different Topps 1952 Mantle went for $5.2 million in January 2021, which was a record until the Wagner auction bested it.

Mantle was a seven-time World Series champion and a three-time MVP across an 18-year career. His 536 home runs and 116.3 offensive WAR remain second in Yankees history behind Babe Ruth.

Nine years after going No. 1 overall in the MLB draft, Mark Appel is finally set for his Major League Baseball debut.

According to ESPN, the Philadelphia Phillies called Appel up to the big leagues Saturday after placing reliever Connor Brogdon on the COVID-19 list.

The 30-year-old Appel tweeted the following about the landmark moment:

Completely overwhelmed. I have so many thoughts I want to share but can’t find the words, so I’ll just say this:

I’m thankful.

Today, I get to play a game I love as a Major League Baseball player.

LET’S GOOOOO @PHILLIES!!!!

— Mark Appel (@markappel26) June 25, 2022

Since the Houston Astros made him the first pick in the 2013 draft, Appel has toiled in the minors and was even out of baseball for three years from 2018 through 2020 because of labrum and rotator cuff injuries.

As a collegiate pitcher, Appel was a dominant force, going 26-13 with a 2.57 ERA and 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings in three seasons at Stanford.

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Appel eighth overall in the 2012 MLB draft, but he went back to school for one more year and saw his stock rise to the point that Houston took him first overall in the following draft.

What ensued was a minor league career full of poor play and injuries.

Appel played at every level of the minor leagues for the Astros from 2013 to 2015 before getting traded to the Phillies organization prior to the 2016 season.

After two seasons as a Phillies minor leaguer, Appel took a lengthy break from baseball and it seemed as though his dream of playing in the majors was over, but he decided to give it one more shot in 2021 when he rejoined the organization.

It was a rocky return for Appel, who went 3-6 with a 6.06 ERA in 23 appearances, including 15 starts, for the Phillies' Double-A and Triple-A teams last season.

Despite coming up as a starter, Appel focused only on being a reliever this season, and the decision has paid dividends.

In 19 games for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Appel is 5-0 with a 1.61 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, five saves and 24 strikeouts over 28 innings.

While success has been fleeting for much of his pro career, there is no question that Appel has earned the promotion with his play this season.

The call-up comes at a perfect time as well since the Phillies recently demoted closer Corey Knebel amid a rough patch and have not named a definitive replacement, meaning there is a chance Appel could put himself in the conversation for saves.

Appel's first potential opportunity to pitch in the majors will come Saturday night when the Phillies face the San Diego Padres on the road starting at 10:10 p.m. ET.

Four years after he was inducted, pitching legend Pedro Martinez finally got to savor his entry into the Canadian Baseball of Fame.

The former Montreal Expos ace was among those honored at Saturday's ceremony.

"I'm extremely honored to have the opportunity to be recognized," Martinez told B/R Walk-Off. "It's unfortunate that Montreal doesn't have a team to actually brag about having one of their members going to the Hall of Fame. It's just as big of an honor as it was [to be inducted] in the United States and the Dominican Republic as well."

The 50-year-old only spent four seasons with the Expos, but he made quite the impact during his time north of the border. He was a two-time All-Star who went 53-33 with a 3.06 ERA in 118 appearances.

Martinez's first year with the Expos in 1994, when he was part of a stacked roster that combined for one of the bigger what-ifs in recent MLB history. Montreal, which had Martinez, Moises Alou, Marquis Grissom, Cliff Floyd and Larry Walker, got off to a 74-40 start before a strike wiped out the World Series.

"I didn't expect to have the atmosphere we had," Martinez said. "It's hard to describe how passionate and supportive the fans were. It's really unfortunate that the [1994] strike happened and we could not brag today about winning the World Series. We lost all the fans after that. I'm so looking forward to seeing Montreal get another team."

The 1994 squad was dismantled piece by piece. Martinez was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr. ahead of the 1998 season.

The three-time Cy Young winner continues to have a soft spot for Montreal:

"I'm still as passionate about Montreal and Canada as I am to Boston and the Dominican Republic. It was a mutual respect and love and admiration for each other. I never played in a safer city than Montreal. I love everywhere I played, but Montreal was the safest and easiest going city that I played for. I'm so glad I was able to be embraced by the fans and people. I'm still really well-respected in Canada, all over. A lot more people remember me than I ever thought. I really enjoyed my time here in Canada."

The Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays played a pair of spring training games at Olympic Stadium in Montreal in 2016, which allowed Martinez to enjoy his old stomping grounds one more time.

Alex Rodriguez is already part-owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he reportedly could look to add an MLB franchise to his portfolio.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Rodriguez would be interested in buying his hometown Miami Marlins if the team is made available.

While the team isn't officially up for sale, Heyman notes that inquiries have increased because Marlins owner Bruce Sherman and his partners "are said to be quite displeased with a balance sheet showing them hemorrhaging money since purchasing the team." Jeffrey Loria sold the franchise for $1.2 billion in 2017.

Rodriguez has added incentive to buy the Marlins after his former New York Yankees teammate Derek Jeter stepped down as the team's CEO in February. According to Heyman, Rodriguez "surely would relish the chance to succeed where Jeter ultimately did not."

The Marlins also recently called up Rodriguez's nephew Joe Dunand, a shortstop who hit a home run in his debut May 7. Despite so many signs pointing to Rodriguez being a natural fit to buy the Marlins, Heyman was told that his interest would "depend on price."

This wouldn't be the first time that Rodriguez pursued ownership of an MLB franchise. He and his then-fiancee Jennifer Lopez finished second in the bidding to purchase the New York Mets, losing out to Steve Cohen's $2.45 billion deal.

If Miami is indeed put up for sale, Rodriguez could have substantial competition for the franchise considering its prime location.

One of the rarest and most famous baseball cards ever, a T206 Honus Wagner, sold for $1.5 million in an auction that closed Monday night.

Per Robert Edward Auctions, 75 bids were placed on the card before closing, with the bidding starting at $100,000. The winning bid came to $1,528,065.60.

This T206 Honus Wagner is unique because the top and sides are cut off, leaving it without its trademark white border. There are also a couple of creases in the card, but that clearly didn't detract from its value.

"While nobody will ever confuse this for one of the more highly graded T206 Wagners, the visual appeal is undoubtedly strong," the card's description states. "With so many Wagner cards coming in at the lowest levels of the grading scale, collectors have sought out and rewarded examples with the strongest eye appeal. The offered card boldly checks the eye appeal box."

The card was designed by the American Tobacco Company and distributed from 1909 to 1911. There are various theories that try to explain the rarity of the card, the most prominent of which state that Wagner was a nonsmoker and didn't want his likeness associated with a cigarette company, or he was simply unhappy with the sum ATC was willing to pay him.

In August last year, one of the T206 Honus Wagner cards sold for $6.6 million, setting the record for highest-priced sports card of all time. It is unknown exactly how many of the cards exist, but in February another auction company reportedly stated that the common estimate is believed to be "around 60."

Wagner spent the majority of his legendary career playing shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won the National League batting title a record eight times and helped lead the Pirates to the World Series title in 1909. Wagner was one of the first five members to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame after ending his career with a .329 batting average, 3,430 hits, 101 home runs, 1,732 RBI and 722 stolen bases.

Alex Rodriguez and business partner Marc Lore are among the latest investors in Mojo, an app that works like a stock market for professional athletes, per Kim Bhasin of Bloomberg.

The company will create a system that allows fans to buy and sell players, whose values will change based on on-field performance.

"I've always thought the idea of a sports stock market was the holy grail—the vision could transform sports, and fandom as a whole," Lore told Bhasin. "For years, I’ve heard people throw around the idea—but nobody has been able to do it. For the concept to truly work, you need underlying principles like intrinsic value and instant liquidity."

The latest funding round brought in $75 million, including Rodriguez and Lore as well as Tiger Global Management and Joshua Kushner's venture firm, Thrive Capital.

Rodriguez has been an aggressive investor in recent years since the end of his MLB career. He recently purchased a stake in the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA's Minnesota Lynx alongside Lore. 

Despite the latest investment, Rodriguez will not have a hand in daily operations at Mojo. 

The jersey that Mickey Mantle wore for his final game with the New York Yankees is up for auction.

Per the official listing from Heritage Auctions, the No. 7 jersey is from Sept. 28, 1968, when the Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-3.

This is the same jersey that Mantle wore in the 1968 All-Star Game and for home runs Nos. 534 and 535.

The jersey also comes with an inscription that reads, "To Tom, A Great Friend Always, 'The Mick.'"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhXqhXBxExg?

According to Heritage Auctions, this is the third time the Yankees jersey has been up for auction. It previously sold for $486,000 in 2017 and $850,000 in 2020.

According to TMZ Sports, it could sell for over $1 million this time around.

Mantle only had one at-bat in the final game of his career, when he hit a pop-out in the top of the first inning and was replaced by Andy Kosco. The three-time American League MVP didn't officially retire until March 1, 1969.

"I'm not going to play baseball anymore," Mantle said at the press conference, via Alex Coffey of BaseballHall.org. "That's all I know. I can't play anymore. I don't hit the ball when I need to. I can't steal when I need to. I can't score from second when I need to."

Mantle hit the 536th and final home run of his career at Yankee Stadium against the Red Sox eight days before his last MLB game.

The Yankees retired Mantle's No. 7 on June 8, 1969. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

A deformed version of the famous Honus Wagner T206 card could sell for $500,000 at auction.

Per the official listing from SCP Auctions, only "slightly more than 50 percent of the card remains" intact.

The card does come with a PSA certification number, but it doesn't have a rating because of its significant blemishes.

Half Ripped Honus Wagner 'Holy Grail' Card On Auction Block, Could Rake In $500K+ https://t.co/jBiyA3uLtI

— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) February 5, 2022

According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Honus Wagner T206 card was originally produced by the American Tobacco Company from 1909-11 before it was pulled because of his objection to being included in the set. The site added: "No one knows how many Wagners made it into circulation, and in fact no one knows how many exist today. Estimates range from 25 all the way up to 200."

It's unclear why Wagner didn't want his image used, but the Hall of Fame noted the most common story of him not wanting to be associated with tobacco "is simply not true" because he would smoke cigars and chew tobacco.

A much better version of the card sold for over $6.6 million at Robert Edward Auctions in August. Per TMZ Sports, that marked the highest sale price for a card in history, surpassing the $5.2 million for a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle and a LeBron James rookie card.

Bidding for the Wagner T206 ends Saturday at 10 p.m. ET, with the current bid at $396,633.