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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.

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Defector

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Ray Ratto

Group shot of the 1919 White Sox. They would after this year be known as the "Black Sox Scandal" team, due to the allegation that eight members of the team accepted bribes to lose the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

Group Shot of 1919 White Sox

Baseball Frees Its Gambling Ghosts

Santiago Espinal #4 and Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrate after winning the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Saturday, April 12, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Pittsburgh Pirates v. Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds Are Going Nowhere In Particular More Quickly Than Any Team Ever Has

ampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg greets Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr. before the Opening Day game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field on Sunday, April 3, 2016

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Rob Manfred Is The Face Of An Elite Mutiny Against Rays Owner Stuart Sternberg

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Patrick Redford

Here are three players showing three different ways to rock the diaper.

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Nike And Fanatics’ Innovative MLB Uniforms Leave Baseball Players With Unintentional Diapers

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Tom Ley

Wander Franco #5 of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Tropicana Field on August 12, 2023 in St Petersburg, Florida.

Cleveland Guardians v Tampa Bay Rays

Report: Prosecutors Now Investigating Two Official Complaints Against Wander Franco

Ginny Searle is a writer and editor at Baseball Prospectus.

Ginny Searle

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks to the assembled press before a Brewers home game in May of 2023.

San Francisco Giants v Milwaukee Brewers

The Wrong Lessons Learned

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.09

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Chris Thompson

Fans hang signs at Oakland Coliseum calling for John Fisher to sell the Athletics.

John Fisher’s Lackeys Eat Shit In Contentious Stadium Financing Hearing, May Win Anyway

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Maitreyi Anantharaman

Atlanta Braves left fielder Adam Duvall (23) exchanges a broken bat handle for a new bat with a bat boy during the Atlanta Braves vs. Baltimore Orioles MLB game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 15, 2020 in Baltimore, MD.

MLB: SEP 15 Braves at Orioles

We Will Finally Fix Baseball By Holding Bat Kids Accountable

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

World Baseball Classic Championship: United States v Japan

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

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

Spring Training Cactus League Media Day

The Owners Are Getting Ornery

National League Championship Series Game 3: San Diego Padres v. Philadelphia Phillies

Where The Ghost Runner Fails

Marc Normandin currently writes on baseball’s labor issues and more at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marcnormandin.com/">marcnormandin.com</a>, which you can read for free but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/marcnormandin">support through his Patreon</a>. His baseball writing has appeared at SB Nation, Deadspin, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Sports on Earth, The Guardian, The Nation, and TalkPoverty.

Marc Normandin

Amarillo Sod Poodles infielder Jordan Lawlar seen outlined against a bright blue sky in a game against the Frisco RoughRiders in September of 2022.

Arkansas Travelers v Amarillo Sod Poodles

Major League Baseball’s Hubris Helped Lead To Minor League Baseball’s Union

<a href="https://twitter.com/jaseidler" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jarrett Seidler</a> is the senior prospect writer and evaluation coordinator at Baseball Prospectus. He is a proud Jersey Shore local.

Jarrett Seidler

<a href="https://twitter.com/jeffpaternostro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jeffrey Paternostro</a> is the Lead Prospect Writer at Baseball Prospectus and has spent over a decade waiting for the Mets to develop one fourth-round ACC infielder.

Jeffrey Paternostro

The minor league Tampa Tarpons, under manager Rachel Balkovec, stand for the national anthem in an April 2022 game.

Dunedin Blue Jays v Tampa Tarpons

To Form A More Perfect Union

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David Roth

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, seen here wearing reflective sunglasses at the 2022 All-Star Game.

2022 Gatorade All-Star Workout Day

Rob Manfred Doesn’t Even Have To Try

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Lauren Theisen

Kansas City Royals runner tagged out by Pittsburgh Pirates fielder

Pittsburgh Pirates v Kansas City Royals

Interleague Play Is Getting Too Big For Its Own Good

92nd MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard

All Rob Manfred Can Do Is Lie About This Stuff

T-Mobile Home Run Derby

MLB’s Traveling Home Run Derby Is Very Dumb, Possibly Fun

SUN VALLEY, ID - JULY 12: Rob Manfred, commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB), attends the annual Allen &amp; Company Sun Valley Conference, July 12, 2019 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Every July, some of the world's most wealthy and powerful businesspeople from the media, finance, and technology spheres converge at the Sun Valley Resort for the exclusive weeklong conference. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Allen & Co. Holds Its Annual Sun Valley Conference In Idaho

What’s The Price Of Shame?

Detroit Tigers v Los Angeles Angels

I’m Stuck With Baseball

MLB Owners Meetings

Opening Day Never Stood A Chance

Red Sox owner John Harrington and Braves president Stan Kasten, seen listening to Bud Selig during the 1994 MLB strike.

BBA-STRIKE-OWNERS

MLB Owners Are Still Trying To Win The Labor Battles Of The 1990’s

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred leaving the MLB owners meetings with that look on his face.

MLB’s Owners Want To Make Their Favorite Loopholes Into Law

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 10: Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred answers questions during an MLB owner's meeting at the Waldorf Astoria on February 10, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. Manfred addressed the ongoing lockout of players, which owners put in place after the league's collective bargaining agreement ended on December 1, 2021. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Rob Manfred Either Thinks The Owners Are Idiots, Or That You Are

Rob Manfred, seen here perhaps inevitably wearing a vest and talking on the phone.

Allen And Company Annual Meeting Brings Business Executives, Media Moguls, And Politicians To Sun Valley, Idaho

MLB Owners Would Rather Play PR Games Than Negotiate

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Laura Wagner

World Series – Houston Astros v Washington Nationals – Game Five

Turns Out There Are Some Issues With MLB’s State Media Apparatus

Rob Manfred