Search

Byline: Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY By the time Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association gave the go-ahead to slap advertising patches on jerseys, the modern consumer had long [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist PHOENIX - It has been nine weeks and four days since the Texas Rangers celebrated the first World Series championship in franchise history. Well, here we [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist CHICAGO - Fans are chanting his name from the Murphy's Bleachers rooftops to the patio bar at Rizzo's Bar & Inn in Wrigleyville. They're bowing in [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY MESA, Ariz. - Dansby Swanson, born and raised in Georgia, grew up watching his favorite players become legends, but somewhere along the way money muddied [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY PEORIA, Ariz. - They are baseball superstars, the cornerstones of their teams, worth a combined $386 million. Center fielder Julio Rodriguez is already the face [...]

Byline: Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY LOS ANGELES - There is so much still ahead for Willson and William Contreras. Already a World Series champion catcher with the Chicago Cubs, Willson [...]

Byline: Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY Anthony Rizzo, who as a Chicago Cub said he chose not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine because he was 'taking some more time to see [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist CHICAGO - If Kris Bryant played like this a year ago, he wouldn't be with the Cubs today. If Bryant wasn't playing like an MVP candidate [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY The Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals have come and gone, with three weeks remaining to grab free agents before the Christmas holiday. There were [...]

Byline: Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY Today, the Chicago Cubs will decide whether to harvest that seventh season they essentially stole from Kris Bryant. One year from now, Major League Baseball's [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist, USA TODAY MESA, Ariz. - Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, one of the intriguing and cerebral players in the game, tries to quietly blend into the [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist, USA TODAY ST. LOUIS - It wasn't a deeply emotional news conference Sunday, rather more of a celebration. Cubs president Theo Epstein thanked manager Joe Maddon [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist, USA TODAY NEW YORK - It was casually talked about in clubhouses this summer, even privately discussed in meetings, leaving players to wonder whether they'll need [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist, USA TODAY NEW YORK - Cubs outfielder Nick Castellanos sits in front of his locker, slowly wrapping tape around his bats, while his mind is rapidly [...]

Byline: Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY Kris Bryant was not among the 11 buzz-worthy players on the podium for Major League Baseball's promotional spot that urged all to 'Let the kids [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist, USA TODAY PHOENIX - Joe Maddon might be 65 going on 45 and cooler than plenty of players at least half his age, but he's still [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist, USA TODAY MESA, Ariz. - Addison Russell, the old man on the diamond, walks off the field, plops into a golf cart, wipes the perspiration off [...]

Byline: Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY MESA, Ariz. - Kris Bryant says every spring, he typically sits down with members of the Chicago Cubs front office to discuss the year ahead, [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, USA TODAYMESA, Ariz. - The Cubs' apology tour continued Monday when chairman Tom Ricketts talked to the team about the embarrassment brought on by his father's racist [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist, USA TODAYMESA, Ariz. - This wasn't the Cubs' annual state-of-the-franchise address Tuesday on the eve of spring training.It was a confessional.Cubs President Theo Epstein spent more [...]

Byline: Nancy Armour, Columnist, USA TODAYLAKE FOREST, Ill. - There aren't many coaches who would lend a player his car.Not many who'd let a player hang around his house on [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist, USA TODAYLAS VEGAS - Joe Maddon strolls through the lobby of Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and can barely take more than a few steps before [...]

Byline: Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY We are heading toward an unprecedented postseason in Major League Baseball, and we're not talking about progressive bullpen use or the diminished impact of the [...]

CHICAGO - Cole Hamels reached down, stuffed a few shirts, shorts, socks and underwear into his duffel bag, and sheepishly shrugged his shoulders. 'Sorry, had to bring my laundry in,' [...]

Byline: Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY SAN FRANCISCO - Like any other first-time participant, Cubs second baseman Javier Baez was elated to be chosen for the All-Star Game, and as [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist, USA Today While Major League Baseball players typically are among the most notorious bachelors, a gaggle are opting to start families before free agency and watch [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, Columnist, USA Today They are the Millennial version of Ernie Banks and Billy Williams, the bookend faces of the Cubs. Anthony Rizzo, 28, and Kris Bryant, 26, [...]

Byline: Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY MESA, Ariz. - After Game 7 of last year's World Series, Brandon Morrow fulfilled the dream of many a player when he donated his [...]

Byline: Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY Sports or inaction -- that occurred this winter, when the market was depressed for superstars and role players alike. Yet the Chicago Cubs superstar and [...]

Byline: Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Sports MESA, Ariz. - Anthony Rizzo was diagnosed with cancer 10 years ago and endured six months of chemotherapy. That wasn't as difficult as [...]

Byline: Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY MESA, Ariz. - Of all the messages of support and condolence Anthony Rizzo has received since learning about Wednesday's mass shooting at his old [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, bnighten@usatoday.com, USA TODAY Sports Chris Singleton is sitting in the parking lot behind the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, his eyes fixed on the oldest AME church [...]

Byline: Jorge L. Ortiz, @jorgelortiz, USA TODAY Sports Jason Heyward didn't have big plans for his 28th birthday Wednesday, which he spent playing a couple of innings in the Chicago [...]

Byline: Jorge L. Ortiz, @jorgelortiz, USA TODAY Sports Willson Contreras' growing list of accomplishments -- budding recognition as one of the game's top catchers, a key role in the Chicago [...]

Byline: Kevin Santo, @Kevin_M_Santo, USA TODAY Sports Jake Arrieta appears to be more forgiving than the Chicago Cubs organization. The Cubs decided to cut catcher Miguel Montero on Wednesday -- [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, bnighten@usatoday.com, USA TODAY Sports This is where it all began, just a mile beyond the Green Monster, where Theo Epstein fell in love with baseball as a [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, bnighten@usatoday.com, USA TODAY Sports He's the most famous backup catcher since Joe Garagiola and Bob Uecker. He's bigger than Chicago Cubs stars Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, bnighten@usatoday.com, USA TODAY Sports Eric Gagne gave up his movie career, along with his trademark goggles, for the opportunity to pitch for his country and perhaps launch [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, bnighten@usatoday.com, USA TODAY Sports Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant and his wife, Jessica, pull up in their white Jeep, slowly walk around the building and stare [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, bnighten@usatoday.com, USA TODAY Sports Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell has the keys to his hometown of Pensacola, but not to his own home. He won a historic [...]

Byline: Scott Boeck, @scott_boeck, USA TODAY Sports USA TODAY Sports is examining the most intriguing cases on baseball's 2017 Hall of Fame ballot ahead of the Jan. 18 election results. [...]

Byline: Jorge L. Ortiz, @jorgelortiz, USA TODAY Sports Kris Bryant was propelled by his team. Mike Trout had to overcome his. This year's newly minted MVPs in the National and [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, @bnightengale, USA TODAY Sports Thanksgiving is almost here, and when Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts and his family gather, he knows no meal will be complete without [...]

Byline: Bob Klapisch, @BobKlap, USA TODAY Sports You didn't have to be a Chicago Cubs fan or a baseball fan or a follower of any kind to appreciate this Rembrandt [...]

Byline: Nancy Armour, narmour@usatoday.com, USA TODAY Sports The scariest part about Kris Bryant is that he's only going to get better. That sounds almost unfathomable, or maybe greedy, given that [...]

Byline: Gabe Lacques, @gabelacques, USA TODAY Sports With their World Series hopes flickering but an outstanding young core of players returning, the Chicago Cubs already know their primary task for [...]

Byline: Bob Nightengale, bnighten@usatoday.com, USA TODAY Sports The letters would arrive every week in his mailbox at Wrigley Field. Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber would carefully open the envelope, slowly [...]

Byline: Jorge L. Ortiz, @jorgelortiz, USA TODAY Sports Thanks in large part to Andrew Miller's exploits, the unconventional use of elite relievers has emerged as a central theme of this [...]

Byline: Jorge L. Ortiz, @jorgelortiz, USA TODAY Sports Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez have known each other for years, going back to their childhood in Puerto Rico. They played for [...]

Byline: Jorge L. Ortiz, @jorgelortiz, USA TODAY Sports The word 'fearless' comes up time and again when Willson Contreras' name is mentioned, and it doesn't take much effort to find [...]