Every new company is after its big break, that serendipitous moment when the product is imprinted onto consumers' consciousne s. For Mike McGuine s, the CEO of CleanFuego, that moment came earlier in the pandemic, and the break arrived in the form of broken window.You might remember the viral video from April that showed Jalen Smith Jersey Kelly, a reliever with the , . It may have been lost on the average viewer that Kelly was not throwing a baseball in the clip; he was throwing a CleanFuego, . Whether or not fans noticed is unimportant: pitchers did, leading to a spike in CleanFuego sales. "Joe put us on the map and now we're flying down the mountain," McGuine s told CBS Sports during an interview.The moment was two years in the making, as McGuine s started to work on the CleanFuego concept after a conversation Phoenix Suns Hoodie with his brother. McGuine s' brother had mentioned how his pitchers were throwing hockey pucks to "dial into spin efficiency and spin direction," . Joe Kelly shows that even big leaguers break windows : Cut4 (@Cut4) McGuine s, convinced that there had to be a better way to impart the le son, reached out to a friend for help. The friend, who had formerly worked for NASA, helped him work his way through 42 prototypes, including a few that fell apart when thrown at higher velocity. The final version resembles the "lovechild" of a hockey puck and a baseball, and is available in multiple weights. The company line on CleanFuego's appeal is Grant Hill Jersey that it provides easy-to-grasp visual feedback on hard-to-explain concepts. A coach can tell their pitcher to throw a low-spin changeup all day and night, but McGuine s believes it's more Phoenix Suns Jeresy effective to hand the pitcher a CleanFuego and say: "Hey, man, I know you got to pronate on this a little bit, use your ring finger as your power finger, and just let this thing roll off so it looks like a UFO."It's a totally different training se sion then," McGuine s said, "because the athlete is teaching themselves, 'Oh, this is what it's supposed to feel like. That's what it's supposed to look like.'"McGuine s estimates that the CleanFuego is being used by pitchers in every organization, as well as Shawn Marion Jersey internationally. A scroll through CleanFuego's Instagram page supports that a sertion. Some of the known proponents include closer , left-hander , left-hander , and Dodgers prospects and . Scott Brown, Vanderbilt's pitching coach, has tweeted about the CleanFuego. If the CleanFuego's ascent continues, and it becomes a core training device, then Joe Kelly and his broken window will live on in baseball circles as the literal embodiment of a big break.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday that fans will be allowed at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field this upcoming MLB season. Capacity will be capped at 20 percent to start the season and fans will Dejounte Murray Jersey have to adhere to several safety protocols in order to attend games."We are heartened by the Governor's decision to allow us to begin the season at Yankee Stadium with a 20% capacity and offer our deep appreciation for his office's diligent work and guidance," Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a pre s release. "This will be a very special year in the Bronx, and we will continue to work together with the State of New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City of New York, Major League Baseball, and other health and safety experts to utilize the best and most responsible practices in our facility."Mets Owner Steve Cohen also thanked Cuomo and added that the decision is a "significant step" in New York's COVID-19 recovery proce s."We're really excited about the season ahead and welcoming the best fans in baseball back safely to Citi Field," Bruce Bowen Jersey Cohen said. "We thank Governor Cuomo and the state's Department of Health for their efforts in this significant step in New York's recovery from COVID and look forward to continuing to work with them as capacity restrictions and testing requirements hopefully ease in the months ahead to allow as many fans as po sible to have a safe and great time Devin Vassell Jersey with us." Cuomo added that capacity levels at the stadiums where the Yankees and play could be increased throughout the season "as the COVID rates continue to improve" in New York. With 20 percent capacity, the Mets attendance would be capped at 8,492 seats at Citi Field while the Yankees attendance would be a maximum capacity of nearly Jakob Poeltl Jersey 11,000 fans.The Yankees are "hopeful that testing requirements can be eased by mid-May 2021" and plan to continue to use Yankee Stadium as a COVID-19 vaccination site during the regular season. Citi Field is also currently being used as a COVID-19 vaccination site.Fans will have to adhere to these guidelines in order to attend games at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field: Take a COVID-19 test with negative results or provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccinationEach fan will be required to have their temperature checked upon entryAll fans two years and older must wear a face mask, even if they received a COVID-19 vaccineSeating will be in pods that will range from 1-8 guests to encourage social distancing (pods will be 1-6 fans at Citi Field)In an effort to be contactle s, all tickets for games at both stadiums are going to be mobile. In addition, all conce sion and retail sales at the Keita Bates-Diop Jersey stadiums will be cashle s and fans will have to use credit or debit cards for purchases.

Rangers sign veteran RHP Richards to pitch in relief March 20 sharefacebooktwitterredditlink SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) Free agent right-hander Garrett Richards signed a one-year contract Sunday with the Texas Rangers, who are expected to use the former starter in a role pitching multiple innings out of the bullpen. The deal guarantees Richards $5.5 George Gervin Jersey million, inxluding his $4.5 million salary this season. The Rangers also hold a $9 million club option for 2023 with a $1 million buyout. Richards was 7-8 with a Bryn Forbes Jersey 4.87 ERA with the Boston Red Sox last season, when he started 22 games into early August before making his last 18 appearances out of the bullpen. Richards repeatedly acknowledged that his struggles last year were tied to a midseason crackdown by Major League Baseball on the use of illegal grip enhancers by pitchers.The 33-year-old Richards has played 11 major league seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Angels from 2011-18. He was with San Diego for two seasons before last year with Boston. His career record is 54-59 with a 3.81 ERA over 227 games (150 starts). To make room for Richards on their roster, the Rangers placed right-handed pitcher Jonathan Hernndez on the 60-day Dennis Rodman Jersey injured list. He is rehabbing from Tommy John ligament reconstruction surgery on his right elbow in April 2021.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports in this topic Major League Baseball Texas Rangers Texas Rangers Los Angeles Angels share Mbapp is bringing soccer to a new dimension at World Cup Cristiano Ronaldos precision 21 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Poland finds its true level at World Cup, beaten by the best Poland heads home from the World Cup as the latest team unable to resist an inspired Kylian Mbapp 21 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS World Cup fans find booze at hotels, Qatar's 1 liquor store Qatar's Quinndary Weatherspoon Jersey strict rules regarding alcohol have drawn attention as it hosts the World Cup 2 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Sterling leaves England World Cup camp after home break-in England forward Raheem San Antonio Spurs Hoodie Sterling has left his teams World Cup camp in Qatar and returned to the U.K. after a break-in at his home 2 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ronaldo looks to shine like Mbapp and Me si at World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo has been overshadowed by the brilliance of Lionel Me si and Kylian Mbapp so far at the World Cup 2 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS

Last month, Major League Baseball released the findings from its investigation into the and their improper use of technology to steal signs during their championship 2017 season. As part of the Astros' punishment, commi sioner Rob Manfred suspended manager A.J. Hinch for the 2020 season. Hinch, along with general manager Jeff Luhnow, were subsequently Houston Rockets T-Shirts fired by the team.On Friday, Network will air Hinch's first interview since his dismi sal. Longtime reporter Tom Verducci did the questioning, and the final product will be shown at 6 p.m. ET as part of the MLB Tonight program. MLB Network released an excerpt on Thursday, Houston Rockets Jeresy with Verducci asking Hinch if the Astros' 2017 World Series championship win is tainted. For the first time, A.J. Hinch talks about the Astros investigation.See Tom Verduccis full sitdown with the former manager, Friday at 6pm ET on MLB Tonight. MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) "It's a fair question, and I think everyone is going to have to their own conclusion," Hinch said. He added that he hopes not, given the roster's talent level. He then concluded: "We're going to have to live and move forward and be better in the sport, but unfortunately, no one can really answer that question. I can't pinpoint what advantages or what happened or what exactly would have happened otherwise. But we did it to ourselves."Hinch is correct when he says there's no way of knowing for sure how much the Astros benefited, or how Carmelo Anthony Jersey the 2017 postseason may have played out otherwise, but his answer is by and large unsatisfying because it seems Gerald Green Jersey to position Houston's sins as results-dependent. Whether or not the Astros performed better because of their cheating is irrelevant; what matters is that they skirted the rules because they believed they would gain an advantage. They acted in bad faith even as they risked compromising the integrity of the sport and its contests. The concept of "tainting" is silly and all kinds of subjective, however, and the sign-stealing scandal will always be part of the Astros' championship. If that's an indicator, then yes, the title is tainted.Bear in mind that Hinch did little to stop the wrongdoing. stated that Hinch damaged two television monitors to signal his displeasure; better than nothing, just clearly not enough. There are certainly forces at play that make it tough for individuals to push back against misconduct, but Hinch Kenny Wooten Jersey was in a position of power that carried great responsibility with it. Perhaps Hinch will acknowledge as much during the rest of the interview.

Knock on wood when you read this: Happy Opening Day.If 2020 taught us anything, NBA Houston Rockets Jeresy it's that nothing in the sports world feels right without baseball in the spring. MLB navigated the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, delivering a precarious-yet-succe sful 60-game sprint which culminated in the Dodgers winning their first World Series since 1988.MLB (and everyone else)is hoping for a better season in 2021, with a full 162-game slate scheduled to kick off in just over a week's time, this time with a different level of anxiety; with the CBA expiring at the end of the season, there's a war brewing between the league and the MLBPA, leading many to believe a work stoppage is on the horizon. So, there's that.MORE: The MLB offseason was slow, lumbering and, largely, boring, withfew Marquese Chriss Jersey big-time moves made: Trevor Bauer heads west to reinforce the Dodger rotation, the Mets swung a trade for super-smiley superstar Francisco Lindor and Nolan Arenado ditches purple and silver for Cardinals red, landing in St. Louis in a Yao Ming Jersey trade.Enjoy the baseball this year, folks, because who knows what could happen?Here's everything to know about Opening Day in 2021, including the full TV schedule with start times for all 30 teams. Date:Thursday, April 1MLB hopes that all 30 teams will be able to take the field on April 1, which would be the first time all 30 squads started on the same day since 1968. It's the fourth consecutive year that MLB has scheduled all 30 teams to start on the same day, but rainouts have rescheduled games in prior seasons.The first game of the day features Aaron Judge and the Yankees vs. the Blue Jays and George Springer, who is donning new duds after joining the Jays on a big deal this offseason. The slate for Opening Day features all 30 squads. Chris Clemons Jersey GameFirst pitch (ET)Yankees vs. Blue Jays1:05 p.m.Tigers vs. Indians1:10 p.m.Red Sox vs. Orioles2:10 p.m.Brewers vs. Twins2:10 p.m.Cubs vs. Pirates2:20 p.m.Phillies vs. Braves3:05 p.m.Marlins vs. Rays4:10 p.m.Reds vs. Cardinals4:10 p.m.Rockies vs. Dodgers4:10 p.m.Padres vs. Diamondbacks4:10 p.m.Royals vs. Rangers4 Houston Rockets T-Shirts :10 p.m.Nationals vs. Mets7:09 p.m.Angels vs. White Sox10:05 p.m.Athletics vs. Astros10:07 p.m.Mariners vs. Giants10:10 p.m.

Ian Anderson has been one of baseball's hardest pitchers to hit in his past two postseasons, and the Bravesrookie was in peak form Friday night.In Game 3 of the World Series, he was back at it against the Astros as he didn't allow a hit over five innings. He walked three and struck out four.But the no-hit bid wasn't enough to keep him in the game. Braves manager Brian Snitker lifted him for left-hander A.J. Minter to start the top of the sixth, placing the no-no in the hands of his trusted relievers.Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956 remains the only hitle s complete game in World Series history.MORE: "Obviously, you want the chance to compete and especially on the biggest stage like this is, but I knew he wasn't going to budge," Mike Conley Jersey Anderson said after the game. "You've got guys like Tyler Matzek and Minter and Luke Jackson and Will Smith at the backend coming in. You can't blame him for going to those guys. Those guys time in and time out get it done and they did it again tonight."Why was Anderson pulled if he was pitching so well? Sporting News takes a look. Anderson might have been dealing, but with 76 pitches at the time of his exit, it was clear he was not going to finish the game. And while the rookie had allowed no hits, he wasn't exactly filling up the strike zone as 37 of those 76 pitches were taken for a ball.This isn't the first time Anderson hasbeen lifted early in the 2021 postseason. In Game 3 of the NLDS against the Brewers, he was taken out Yuta Watanabe Jersey after throwing84 pitches in five scorele s innings. After that,he lasted three innings and 55 pitches against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLCS and 66 pitches in four innings against Los Angeles in Game 6.MORE: Anderson's outings have not lacked succe s. In seven career postseason appearances, he owns a 1.47 ERA, including a 2.25 mark in his three starts this year. But the Braves have a lot of faith in their bullpen, particularly Minter and fellow southpaw Tyler Matzek, to Jonas Valanciunas Jersey deliver key innings late. Had it been the bottom of the order coming up to face Anderson in the sixth, he might have been able to stay in the game. But it was not. It was the top of the Astros' vaunted lineup, and it would be seeing him for the third time.Facing Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley and Alex Bregman would be a tall task for any pitcher. While Altuve has been cold, he homered in Game 2 and is a consistently dangerous hitter. Brantley has scorched the ball in the World Series to the tune of a 1.000 OPS. Bregman is waiting for his first hit this postseason, but he had a .777 OPS in the regular season.Braves manager Brian Snitker said after the game that he felt Anderson had thrown a lot of pitches to the top of the order and that he didn't want Anderson to have to go through them again."I thought the fourth inning, he really had to work to get through that. He had a really good fifth inning. And then I told him, because he Jaren Jackson Jr. Jersey was like, 'Are you sure? You sure?' But I was like, 'Ian, I'm going with my gut here.' And just my eyes, my gut. It'd have been real easy to let him go out," Snitker said. "It could've backfired I gue s, but I just thought at that point in time, in this game of this magnitude and all that he had done his job. And we had a bullpen that all the guys we used had two days off, and they were only going to pitch an inning a piece."Then there are the numbers a sociated with Anderson facing a lineup for the third time. In 2021, batters posted a .772 OPS against him the first time through the order, .520 the second time and .764 the third time.MORE: And the Astros have found plenty of succe s facing pitchers for the third time. , the Astros posted a collective .812 OPS in the regular season Josh Jackson Jersey when facing pitchers for the third time in a game. Altuve was stellar as he posted an .856 OPS, while Bregman had a .738 mark and Brantley posted a .690 OPS, .

Valdez, Alvarez lead Astros to 3-2 win over White Sox August 17 sharefacebooktwitterredditlink CHICAGO (AP) Framber Valdez threw seven solid innings, Yordan Alvarez drove in a run and scored one, and the Houston Astros beat the White Sox 3-2 on Wednesday night, ending Chicago's five-game winning streak.The AL West-leading Astros hung on after blowing late leads in the first two games of the Justise Winslow Jersey series. The White Sox trail AL Central-leading Cleveland by two games.Valdez (12-4) gave up two runs and seven hits, struck out six and walked three. The left-hander is 4-0 in six starts since losing to Oakland on July 9.Alvarez drove in Jose Altuve with a sacrifice fly in the first. He singled and scored on Trey Mancinis sac fly in the fourth, and Chas McCormick added an RBI double in the inning against Michael Kopech (4-9) to put Houston on top 3-0.The White Sox scored two in the bottom half on a RBI double by Yon Moncada and double-play grounder by Josh Harrison with the bases loaded.They had runners on first and second with one out in the eighth against Ryne Stanek. Moncada struck out and Yasmani Grandal fouled out to end the threat.Play was stopped for a few minutes in the eighth when a boy hopped the center-field wall. He pumped his fist as he was escorted off the field.Ryan Pre sly pitched the ninth for his 24th save in 28 chances.Kopech was nowhere near as dominant after to sing six no-hit innings against Detroit last week. The Mike Bibby Jersey right-hander went six innings in this one, allowing three runs and five hits. He struck out two after whiffing a career-high 11 in his previous start.TRAINERS ROOMAstros: The Astros placed OF Aledmys Daz (left groin discomfort) on the 10-day injured list. He was headed back to Houston, and manager Dusty Baker had no timeline on his return. I'm just hoping we caught it before it became too serious because they can linger pretty badly, he said. The Astros recalled INF JJ Matijevic from Triple-A Sugar Land.White Sox: CF Luis Robert (sprained left wrist) had an injection Tuesday, and manager Tony La Ru sa insisted a stint on the IL is not in the works. There's no reason for him to go, La Ru sa said. It's just a question of when he can swing normally and not hold back. There's nothing damaged in there that we have to protect. Yuta Watanabe Jersey Robert was out of the lineup for the fifth straight game, though he ran for Eloy Jimnez in the eighth. ... The White Sox placed INF/OF Leury Garcia (strained lower back) on the 10-day IL and recalled INF Romy Gonzlez from Triple-A Charlotte. La Ru sa said he's very optimistic Garcia will be ready to return when he's eligible.UP NEXTRHP Lucas Giolito (9-6, 4.92 ERA) tries to win his fourth straight start, while RHP Luis Garca (9-8, 4.03) gets the ball for Houston as the teams wrap up a four-game series. Giolito has a 3.71 ERA in his past three outings. Garcia beat Oakland last week after losing his previous three starts.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports in this topic De'Anthony Melton Jersey American League Major League Baseball Houston Astros Ryan Pre sly Luis Robert Lucas Giolito Framber Valdez Leury Garca Yasmani Grandal Jose Altuve Michael Kopech Chas McCormick Josh Harrison Yordan Alvarez Chicago White Sox Houston Astros share World Cup fans find booze at hotels, Qatar's 1 liquor store Qatar's strict rules regarding alcohol have drawn attention as it hosts the World Cup 26 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Sterling leaves England World Cup camp after home break-in England forward Raheem Sterling has left his teams World Cup camp in Qatar and returned to the U.K. after a break-in at his home 30 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ronaldo looks to shine like Mbapp and Me si at World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo has been overshadowed by the brilliance of Lionel Me si and Kylian Mbapp so far at the World Cup 53 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ottawa hosts Los Angeles after Giroux's 2-goal game The Ottawa Senators host the Los Angeles Kings after Claude Giroux's two-goal game against the San Jose Sharks in the Senators' 5-2 win 1 HOUR AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Penguins host the Blue Jackets following Kapanen's hat trick The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets C.J. Miles Jersey after Kasperi Kapanen's hat trick against the St. Louis Blues in the Penguins' 6-2 win 1 HOUR AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS

Major League Baseball was supposed to launch the 2020 regular season 10 weeks ago, on March 26. The spread of the novel coronavirus, however, forced to delay Opening Day to some unknowable future date that is dependent on the effectivene s of the containment strategies imposed acro s the country in recent months and Thon Maker Jersey .Because we could all use a distraction these days, we've decided to pa s time by simulating the season on Out of the Park Baseball 21. Along the way, we'll be providing updates on what's happening in our fictional league, . With that in mind, here are the would-be standings and five developments to be mindful of from the week that was (and wasn't). 1. Arrieta done for the seasonThe are closer to last place than first place, and they received some more bad news this week: right-hander will mi s the remainder of the season due to a torn labrum. To be fair, Arrieta hadn't performed well in 12 starts: he had a 1-10 record and a 7.26 ERA. The Phillies have promoted to take his spot in Glenn Robinson III Jersey the rotation. 2. land YatesThis season has not gone according to plan for the , who started the dismantling proce s by shipping closer to the Diamondbacks. In return, the Padres received right-handers and , as well as infielders Kershawn Lynch and Dairon Cueves. Yates figures to step in as the Diamondbacks closer despite some early-season struggles that have left him with a 5.50 ERA and .320 batting average against in 18 innings. 3. Streaking acquire RichardsThe Diamondbacks weren't the only team to make a deal with the Padres this week. The Astros, who have won eight games in a row and are 9-1 in their last 10 contests, added to their rotation. Richards has a 4.07 ERA and 33 more strikeouts than walks in 13 starts this season. Chauncey Billups Jersey The Astros sent a pair of catchers to the Padres: last year's first-round pick, , and . 4. create separationThe Reds have built themselves a nice little lead in the National League Central, and this week helped them fortify it. Cincy is now six games up on second-place St. Louis thanks to an 8-2 stretch that saw the Reds win each of their last three games. The Reds rank first in the NL in runs scored, as well as fifth in both rotation and bullpen ERA. They also rank second in defensive efficiency. They're a pretty good team, in other words. 5. Tucker maintains steals leadAstros outfielder isn't thought of as a burner, but to his credit, he's leading the league with 23 steals. It's unclear if Tucker will be able to hold on to the top spot for much longer: Jr. has 22 steals, and has 21. Hitting performance of the week outfielder was bound to show up here one of Anthony Lamb Jersey these weeks. This just so happened to be that week. Soto had a big game against the Phillies, going 3 for 3 with a pair of home runs, five runs batted in, and two walks as part of a 12-6 win. Soto is now hitting .320/.449/.598 with 14 homers over his first 62 games this season. Pitching performance of the week right-hander used to play for Bill Laimbeer Jersey the , a fact that provided a convenient storyline for what turned out to be the first no-hitter of the season. Odorizzi held the Rays to just three walks and struck out 12 batters en route to the no-no. Odorizzi can only hope his outing represents the turnaround his season needs, as he has a 5.69 ERA on the year.