When Trevor Hoffman used to jog in from the bullpen ahead of the ninth inning at home, AC/DC's “Hells Bells” boomed out of the speakers and batters knew they had a tall task ahead of them. When Wyatt Hoffman, son of the Hall of Famer, took the mound Wednesday night

Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. This edition, covering the month of May, features reptile cameos, offensive explosions, oppositional surnames and, of course, much more. Keeping track of this type of thing is a team effort, so get in touch

2024 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Adrian Beltré and star infielder Michael Young both left their mark on the MLB All-Star Game with the Texas Rangers. Beltré was a three-time selection with the Rangers while Young made seven All-Star appearances, trailing only Ivan Rodriguez (10) for the most in

Welcome to Promo Preview, a monthly round-up of Minor League Baseball promotions to look forward to. June highlights include iconic socks, bipedal cows, regional food battles and, of course, much more. Dive in.

Discussions of hitting prospects typically involve a breakdown of tools and skills. Who has the most raw power? Who has the best feel to hit? Even with the advent of so much more data, these evaluations often provide at least a little subjectivity. Imagine if, in one day, you could

When you go out to a Minor League Baseball game, it's a good idea to show up hungry. Maybe nobody is more familiar with this wisdom than Joey Chestnut, the 16-time champion of the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. On Saturday night, Chestnut brought his appetite to a Toledo

Minor League Baseball is full of front office rookies, those who are working their debut season in the industry. Mary Cortez is one of them and, to get there, took a far more circuitous path than most. For three decades Cortez was on the road for six months a year,

It’s the screwball seen ‘round the world. Cardinals pitching prospect Ettore Giulianelli has one of the funkiest breaking balls in Minor League Baseball, and one such pitch in particular has caught the internet’s attention.

Minor League Baseball is going to the dogs. In just about every corner of the country, you can find a team with a Bark at the Park night on the calendar. If MiLB and your dog sounds like a pretty good combo, add in another classic summertime tradition: the road

No matter how much or how little time you’ve spent around the game of baseball, you surely know the refrain: “Take me out to the ballgame … buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack.” Eating a cicada is never mentioned. But on Tuesday night at Toyota Field, they seemed to

If home runs, diving catches, and nonstop baseball action are your thing, then you're in luck: MLB's Home Run Derby X is returning to four new cities for 2024. The three-on-three home run derby has gone around the country and the world and will now stop at some of the

On the field, Minor League Baseball is all about the future: See tomorrow’s stars, today. This forward-looking mentality is often combined with ballpark celebrations of past eras, via salutes to defunct teams, retired players and beloved pop culture properties. Jump in the way-back machine and join us as we explore

After a multi-season hiatus, Crooked Numbers returns with a heaping portion of Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. This edition, covering the start of the season through the end of April, has a disproportionate number of items from the Triple-A level. As for why that is, who knows? Maybe

Welcome to Promo Preview, a monthly compendium of Minor League Baseball promotions to look forward to. May's highlights include nonagenarian icons, Mardi Gras sweets, reinterpretations of local disasters and, of course, much more. Let's get to it.

Some mascots are good for a laugh. Some get you amped up. Some make you feel warm and fuzzy. Mudonna T. Pig -- a neon-pink porcine cheerleader nicknamed "the divine swine" and "the dutchess of pork" who has been entertaining St. Paul Saints fans for over 20 years -- was

There are a kajillion reasons to love baseball -- especially Minor League Baseball. The bobblehead, which has been greeted with an enthusiastic "Yes" from baseball fans at least since MLB put out a set featuring the likes of Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays in 1960, combines many of

Trash Pandas, go for launch! One of the more popular Minor League monikers, Double-A Rocket City combined a pair of nicknames during its relocation from Mobile to Huntsville, Ala., following the 2019 season.

Ninety Minor League Baseball teams open up Friday, joining the 30 Triple-A squads that kicked off the 2024 campaign on March 29. And with every Minor League season comes Minor League promotions, the vast array of theme nights and giveaways taking place on a nightly basis as supplements to the

Across the Minor Leagues this season, umpires will be wearing "JP" patches on their hats, paying tribute to the impact of Jay Pierce on the profession. Pierce, 40, who passed away in September after a four-year battle with colon cancer, umpired for seven seasons from 2006-12 in the Gulf Coast,

It is all happening in Minor League Baseball. Every organization’s quest for a World Series title and every future star’s journey to big league greatness is built here. It’s where new fans are made and baseball lifers congregate in dugouts, front offices, press boxes and the stands. It’s where wild,

Technically, the Minor League season at non-Triple-A affiliates doesn’t begin until Friday. But at Double-A Pensacola, things got off to a bright and colorful start.

Spring Breakout is just around the corner, and all 30 teams have set their rosters ahead of the March 14-17 showcase games.

One of the great joys of the annual All-Star Futures Game is the chance to put some of the game’s top prospects on one field in the middle of the summer and let them show off the tools that make them the future of baseball. But what if instead of

Baseball is unique among the major sports in terms of how common it is for players to be drafted more than once, often including players who are chosen both out of high school and college. Since the inaugural Draft in 1965, 30 players have been picked in the first round

Matthew DeSantis knew he had a good shot. DeSantis, the co-founder of the Bhutan Baseball and Softball Association, took a look through the viewfinder, where members of the Thimphu Red Pandas -- the first baseball club in the country -- were playing in front of Bhutan's famous Buddha Dordenma statue.