Baseball

A San Francisco Giants fan snatched the homer on Father's Day while holding his 1-year-old son. One day earlier, another Giants fan caught a foul ball while also holding a child.

In professional sports, it's the players who get all the attention. But commentator Frank Deford says referees, who so often go unnoticed, bring their own style and artistry to their craft.

It's been the home of the Cubs since 1916, and in all that time, the team has never won a World Series. So why do fans keep showing up? Locals say Wrigley's hallowed status isn't just about baseball.

The latest expression of over-the-top stadium food is a $25 bat-shaped corn dog packed with cheddar cheese, bacon and jalapeños. Its creator says he's game for some competition between teams.

Outside of sport, the word "hustle" has a negative connotation: A hustle is a scam; a hustler a flimflam man. But in the world of sports, says commentator Frank Deford, you can never hustle too much.

Commentator Frank Deford has a modest proposal to make baseball more interesting: cut an inch and a half off each side of home plate. It'd lead to a better game to both play and watch, he says.

Major League Baseball has gone on a "witch hunt" to destroy Rodriguez's reputation and career, the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit is especially critical of baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, accusing him of trying to make an example of Rodriguez.

The regular season ended with a dramatic no-hitter and a tie that will force an elimination game. But the season's finish also means that Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez can start his formal appeal of a 211-game suspension.

The greatest closer in baseball history threw his last pitch at Yankee Stadium Thursday night. Rivera, who's heading off to retirement, shed some tears as his teammates and a sell-out crowd cheered.

A 24-year-old Dodgers fan was stabbed to death, after leaving the ballpark on Wednesday. Police said it was another incident sparked by a Dodgers-Giants rivalry.