CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Australian Football

Better Hate An Owner

Bowling

Chess

Climbing

Cricket

Curling

Cycling

Darts

Death To The NCAA

Disc Sports

Gaelic Football

Gambling

Golf

High School Sports

Horse Racing

Hurling

Infinite Replay

Jamboroo

Lacrosse

Olympics

Parasports

Pro Softball

Pro Wrestling

Racing

Rugby

Running

Skateboarding

Soccer

Sports Highlight Of The Day

Tennis

The Fights

The Great Outdoors

Volleyball

Why Your Team Sucks

Wings Week

Sports

Ray Ratto

Shohei Ohtani exultantly celebrating after getting the final out in Japan's victory over Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

The World Baseball Classic Showed The Sport Where To Find Its Joy

David Roth

A Mark Rothko painting, featuring his signature planes of color, on display in Munich's Kunsthalle in 2008.

Arts And Culture

Bob Nightengale Is Capturing The World Baseball Classic As Only He Can

Tom Ley

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 20: Kensuke Kondoh #8 and Shohei Ohtani #16 of Team Japan celebrate after scoring on a three-run home run hit by Masataka Yoshida #34 in the seventh inning during the 2023 World Baseball Classic Semifinal game between Team Mexico and Team Japan at loanDepot Park on Monday, March 20, 2023 in Miami, Florida.

Internationals

Big-Time Games Call For Big-Time Players

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Trea Turner socks a huge freaking dinger.

Trea Turner Is Now Also A God Of Dingers

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 15: Edwin Diaz #39 of Puerto Rico is helped off the field after being injured during the on-field celebration after defeating the Dominican Republic during the World Baseball Classic Pool D at loanDepot park on March 15, 2023 in Miami, Florida.

This Sucks So Bad For Edwin Díaz [Update]

Kelsey McKinney

I Am Not Weak And Afraid Like Major League Baseball’s Official Scorers

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Mitch Bratt #28 of Team Canada looks on in the dugout during Game 6 of Pool C between Team Canada and Team USA at Chase Field on Monday, March 13, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.

It’s Hard To Be A Youth At The World Baseball Classic

Ian Gibault with a broken T on his uniform

His Is So Supid

Oh No! A Picher Had A Uniform Acciden

Luis Paez-Pumar

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 12: Salvador Perez #13 of Venezuela celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run in the second inning against Puerto Rico at loanDepot park on March 12, 2023 in Miami, Florida.

Nobody Is Having More Fun At The WBC Than Venezuela

Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson looking very sad after making an out against the Royals in July of 2022.

The Detroit Tigers Flipped The Switch And Nothing Happened

Shohei Ohtani looking swole as hell during Samurai Japan's training before the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with The Distraction logo at upper left.

Podcasts

My Fabulous Vacation Home On Naboo, With Michael Schur

<a href="https://twitter.com/johnwilmeswords">John Wilmes</a> is a writer and professor in Chicago. His work has appeared in The Ringer, GQ, Chicago Reader, and The New Republic, among other places. He is the author of the novella Jad&#8217;s Dad Milo.

John Wilmes

A Compass Group employee works the hot dog concession at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.

Capital

A Fight Is Brewing In Chicago Between A Multinational Concessions Business And Its Workers

Barry Petchesky

Who Needs Umpires, Anyway?

John Middleton Spoke The Forbidden Words Of Sports Ownership

Spring Training Speech Turns Terry Francona Into Mr. Bean

Arbitration Is Broken Because Owners Broke It

The Search For The Real Jason Heyward Continues

Jacob deGrom at his introductory press conference after signing a five-year, $185 million contract with the Texas Rangers.

The Jacob deGrom Experience Is A Worrying Thing

20230215E0621DS - Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. speaks to the media

The Owners Are Getting Ornery

Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99

Diana Moskovitz

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (52) exits the game in the fifth inning during a regular season game between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers on August 06, 2022, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA.

Mike Clevinger Told His Story, So Olivia Finestead Told Hers Too

Maybe It’s A Bad Idea To Alienate Your Best Player In Order To Save Some Pocket Change

Joe Martinez, MLB Vice President of On Field Strategy, explains the new bases to the media

America’s Sportswriters Confirm: Bases Big

Where The Ghost Runner Fails

Joe West Spending His Retirement Going To War With Wikipedia Editors

Harold Castro of Leones del Caracas reacts after hitting a home run against Tiburones de la Guaira during the Game Six of the Venezuelan Baseball League Championship Series at the Universitario stadium in Caracas, on January 30, 2023.

Sports Don’t Get Much Better Than The Venezuelan Baseball Final