NEW YORK (AP) ― All those snazzy plays by Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez earned them more than tips of the hat from their Kansas City teammates.The Royals trio wound up snagging Gold Gloves, too.“It was something that was pretty special to watch,” Gordon said.Three Baltimore players also were honored by Rawlings on Tuesday for fielding excellence, as was St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina for the seventh year in a row.The Royals paid tribute to each other throughout a run to the World

Nov. 5, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) ― Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was voted the player of the year in balloting by his fellow Major League Baseball players.The players’ union said Monday that Kershaw also won the Marvin Miller Man of the Year award.Kershaw was 21-3 with an MLB-best 1.77 ERA. He was voted the National League’s outstanding pitcher and became the first player to win three Players Choice awards in one season since voting began in 1992.Voting was conducted Sept. 16. That was before Kershaw wen

Nov. 4, 2014

The battle for South Korean pro baseball supremacy this year will pit the three-time defending champs against an upstart offensive juggernaut.The Samsung Lions, which have won every Korea Baseball Organization crown since 2011, will take on the Nexen Heroes, which often makes good pitching staffs look dreadful, in the best-of-seven Korean Series starting Tuesday.The Lions, managed by former All-Star shortstop Ryu Joong-il, are trying to become only the second team to win four Korean Series in a

Nov. 3, 2014

The Nexen Heroes’ offense was simply too hot for the LG Twins’ pitchers to handle, as the Heroes demolished their Seoul rivals 12-2 to claim the second-round Korea Baseball Organization playoff series in four games.After mediocre offensive performances in the first two games of the best-of-five series, the Heroes’ bats appeared to have gone too cold for the team to contend.By the end of the last game, though, earlier concerns seemed like a distant memory.Their two biggest sluggers were once at t

Nov. 2, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) ― Madison Bumgarner pitched five innings of near-perfect relief and the San Francisco Giants held off the Kansas City Royals 3-2 Wednesday night in Game 7 of the World Series for their third championship in five seasons.With both starters chased early, this became a matchup of bullpens. And no one stood taller than the 6-foot-5 Bumgarner, who added to his postseason legacy with a third victory this Series.After center fielder Gregor Blanco misplayed Alex Gordon’s drive

Oct. 30, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Buster Posey was annoyed. Playfully so. The Giants catcher wanted Madison Bumgarner to do more than barely break a smile after a brilliant pitching performance put San Francisco one win from another World Series title.No way, Buster.Because in this postseason full of stars and surprises, who knows? Heck, Bumgarner might still have more work to do.Baseball took its final break Monday before the Giants and Royals settle things. Holding a 3-2 edge, San Francisco will try to cla

Oct. 28, 2014

The Kia Tigers announced on Tuesday they’ve named former All-Star Kim Ki-tai as their new manager.The Gwangju-based Korea Baseball Organization club said Kim has agreed to a three-year deal, with an annual salary of 250 million won ($237,750) and a signing bonus of another 250 million won.Kim replaces Sun Dong-yol, who abruptly resigned last Saturday, six days after signing a two-year contract extension.Kim, 45, previously managed the LG Twins in the KBO. In 2013, he took the Twins to their firs

Oct. 28, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― With every pitch, Madison Bumgarner etched his place among the World Series greats.The long, tall lefty kept slinging away and put the San Francisco Giants just one win from yet another championship, throwing a four-hitter to beat the Kansas City Royals 5-0 Sunday night for a 3-2 Series edge.Hardly menacing on the mound, Bumgarner was simply untouchable ― again ― as “MVP! MVP!” chants broke out in the late innings.And by the time the 25-year-old from Hickory, North Carolina,

Oct. 27, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval charged up a pulsating crowd with their shouts and swings, and the San Francisco Giants surged past the Kansas City Royals 11-4 Saturday to tie the World Series at two games apiece.Down by three runs in the early going and in danger of dropping into a huge hole, the Giants and their fans rallied.The win ensured the Series will go back to Kansas City to decide the championship. In the meantime, there’s Game 5 on Sunday when postseason ace Madis

Oct. 26, 2014

The way the LG Twins swung their bats against the NC Dinos in the opening playoff round in the Korea Baseball Organization over the past week, it was difficult to believe this was the same club that had, statistically, the league’s worst offense in the regular season.The Twins hammered the Dinos 11-3 on Saturday to clinch the best-of-five first round series in four games. In those four games, the Twins scored 31 runs on a whopping 55 hits. They could easily have scored more runs had they been mo

Oct. 26, 2014

San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park (USA Today-Yonhap)SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Eric Hosmer loaded up, launched a long fly and watched it sail toward McCovey Cove. Way out there in right field, near the 421-foot mark, the ball bonked off the brick wall.No splash shot.“We were definitely trying to hit them,” the Kansas City first baseman said. “We took turns trying, but no one did.” Even so, Hosmer liked what he saw during a workout Thursday as many Royals got their first look at San Francisco’s waterfron

Oct. 24, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) ― Salvador Perez and the pesky Kansas City Royals fought back from a Game 1 flop to beat the San Francisco Giants’ brilliant bullpen and even the World Series.Perez broke Game 2 open with a two-run double in a five-run sixth inning, and the Royals’ own cast of clutch relievers kept the Giants in check in a 7-2 victory Wednesday night that spiced things up as the Series shifts to San Francisco for the next three games.Jeremy Guthrie will be on the mound Friday night for

Oct. 23, 2014