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Richard Justice, who joined MLB.com as an executive correspondent in 2011, has covered Major League Baseball for more than three decades and offers his insight on MLB.com and MLB.com/live.
 | Nolan Ryan spoke as a proud parent. He spoke as a baseball man, too. He thought Astros owner Jim Crane got it right in naming his oldest son, Reid Ryan, 41, the team's president of business operations on Friday.
More»Biggio, Nolan Ryan on Astros' new executive hire |
| Reid Ryan represents a connection to the Astros' past while offering an enthusiastic vision for its future. He's Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan's oldest son, and that means plenty around these parts.
More»Biggio, Nolan Ryan on Astros' new executive hire |
Okay, it wasn’t the matchup we hoped for. We wanted Justin Verlander and Yu Darvish to go toe to toe for 11 innings, both throwing 99 mph, each matching the other inning by inning. We wanted one of those games we’d be talking about whenever great pitching matchups are discussed. That we didn’t get. Verlander […]
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 | Reid Ryan's hiring as team president is a stroke of genius by Astros owner Jim Crane. It makes sense on so many levels that it's difficult to know where to start.
More»Ryan named Astros' president of baseball operations |
 | Since the Rangers and Cardinals went toe-to-toe for seven tense, wonderful games in the 2011 World Series, plenty has happened to both franchises. Yet, in a lot of ways, nothing at all has happened. In many respects, these two organizations that exchanged punches for 10 days are mirror images of one another.
More» Gast earns first career big league win |
 | Maybe the San Francisco Giants aren't going to tease us this year. Maybe, just maybe, they're going to keep rolling out quality starts and not wait until the last minute to make those playoff reservations. Regardless, we know not to take our eyes off them.
More» Lincecum shuts down the Braves, fans seven |
 | On Saturday morning, Jose Cruz will be one of the proudest parents on earth as he watches his two sons, Jose Jr. and Enrique, get their degrees in sports management from Rice University.
More» No. 25, Jose Cruz |
 | Major League Baseball is proud of its initiatives in the areas of affirmative action and diversity. It wants to be a mirror of America -- all of America, black and white, male and female. As part of that effort, the MLB Diversity Business Summit, to be held June 18-19 in Houston, will allow job seekers and entrepreneurs to meet teams at both the Major League and Minor League level, as well as an array of sponsorship partners.
More»Reinsdorf, Selig on the diversity in baseball |
The Yankees, Dodgers and Phillies would be out. They’re Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in payroll. The No. 7 Angels would be sitting home, too. So would the No. 9 White Sox and No. 10 Blue Jays. On the other end, Nos. 28, 29 and 30 would also be out. That’s the Rays, Marlins and […]
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 | With the benefit of hindsight, it's easy to see why the Angels find themselves off to their worst start in franchise history, but there's plenty of season left for them to find the form that made them one of the preseason favorites in the American League.
More» Callaspo's shot makes it a one-run game |
The Dodgers lost three straight one-run games over the weekend in San Francisco, and afterward, Don Mattingly said he liked the way his team went about things. He didn’t like the outcome, but he liked the effort, approach, etc. For this, he has taken some shots. One columnist used the world “clueless.” Which brings up […]
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 | Has Major League Baseball ever had more exciting young talent? Say hello to Carlos Gomez. And to Mark Trumbo. And Lorenzo Cain. And don't forget Bryce Harper and Adam Jones.
More» Trumbo lines a two-run homer to left |
 | The Detroit Tigers are rolling, but they should be and they know it. The veteran ballclub and defending American League champions know anything short of a return to the World Series will be disappointing but they refuse to get ahead of themselves.
More» Fielder, Pena, Dirks and Infante all go deep |
 | While Jose Reyes' injury certainly took some wind out of Toronto's sails, struggling starting pitching has been the key to the Blue Jays' early struggles.
More» Dickey forced to exit game early with injury |
 | The Nationals had a disappointing month of April, mostly due to slumps and injuries. But if you believed in them on Opening Day, there's no cause for concern yet, as general manager Mike Rizzo has built this team on reliable pitching.
More» Johnson talks about Gio's stellar start |
On this first day of May, the Red Sox, Orioles and Yankees have to be feeling pretty good about things. Let?s face it, not everyone believed in these three clubs. So far, though, they?ve passed every test. The Rockies, Royals, Pirates, Diamondbacks and Brewers are off to solid starts, too. There were significant questions about […]
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 | Those who expected the Rangers to take a step back after the offseason losses of Josh Hamilton, Mike Napoli and others were wrong, as Texas ended April as one of the game's top teams.
More» Rangers break game open with six-run sixth |
When the history of the Tampa Bay Rays is written, James Shields will have his own fat chapter. Perhaps more than any other single player, he’s responsible for the franchise becoming one of the most efficient, admired and successful in the game. Others—Stu Sternberg, Matt Silverman, Andrew Friedman—drew up the blueprint. Joe Maddon has brilliantly managed […]
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If you’re scoring at home, plate umpire Tom Hallion seemed to be more in the wrong than David Price. On the other hand, this situation was similar to the Zack Greinke-Carlos Quentin incident. In the heat of the moment, competitive people occasionally do and say things they might regret upon reflection. And that’s how things […]
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 | Despite numerous injuries to star players, the Yankees have managed to more than hold their own thanks to a group of veteran fill-ins who simply know how to get the job done.
More» Hafner drills a solo home run in the third |
To the tote board we go: Red Sox pitchers lead the majors with 218 strikeouts and need 14 more to break the franchise’s all-time record of 231 in September, 2000. They lead the majors with 10 strikeouts per 9 innings and have 14 games of 10+ strikeouts. The Reds are next with 10. Boston’s rotation […]
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 | One of the best things about baseball's All-Star Game is that it introduces an entire nation to the next wave of talent. It's one of those events that helps a young player feel he has arrived. Has baseball ever had more exciting young players?
More»MLB.com on the 2013 All-Star Game ballot |
 | Although Jose Valverde struggled enormously in his final three playoff appearances last season, his return to Detroit should add much-needed stability to the Tigers' bullpen.
More»Dombrowski on Valverde's return as Tigers closer |
 | When the Brewers started off 2-8, they didn't panic, and by staying calm and sticking to their fundamentals, they've reeled off nine straight wins to get right back in the NL Central mix.
More» Braun powers two-run shot to right in eighth |
 | General manager Dayton Moore cashed in some of the Royals' prospects to acquire proven pitchers, and the move has paid off handsomely thus far with a 10-7 record and first place in the AL Central standings.
More» Shields strikes out eight over six strong |
 | Victims were remembered and heroes were celebrated at Fenway Park on Saturday as Boston continued its healing process with an emotional pregame ceremony.
More» Ortiz speaks after anthem in Boston |
 | Dodgers pitcher Shawn Tolleson got to know West, Texas, during drives from his home in the Dallas suburbs to Baylor University. Like millions of Americans, he was horrified on Wednesday to see replays of a fertilizer plant exploding and the accompanying descriptions of the loss of life and property. But he'd be proud of his alma mater.
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He has been indestructible. He played through everything. Actually, he did more than just play. He played at the highest level. Through all the years, his expectations for himself—and our expectations for him—never changed. Two years ago when we were about to write him off, he came back better than ever. He turned 38 last […]
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The Tigers won your basic seven-reliever, 14-inning, 4-hour, 27-minute victory Wednesday in Seattle, and who doesn’t enjoy one of those? I just hope they didn’t cut off sales of grilled salmon sandwiches in the seventh inning. Speaking of shutting something down, Detroit’s bullpen was outstanding, throwing zeroes on the board for the final six innings. […]
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It seemed logical that Roy Halladay eventually would pitch a game like this. Even with diminished velocity, he still has plenty of weapons. He has always known how to use them, too. He has been relentless in his preparation, in figuring out how to attack opponents and how to adjust to what he had working […]
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