Darryl Strawberry’s life has long read like a Major League Baseball box score gone off the rails — stunning highs, crushing lows, and a late-inning redemption that feels like it was scripted for the silver screen. On one hand, there’s the young phenom who burst onto the scene in 1983, the National League Rookie of the Year, whose bat and charisma made him an eight-time All-Star and a cornerstone of the New York Mets’ power-hitting lineup. Over 17 seasons, Strawberry amassed 335 home runs, more than 1,000 RBI, and 221 stolen bases. For fans, he was the epitome of the Mets’ magic. Off the field, however, life had other plans.
Strawberry’s post-baseball years were a litany of troubles. In 1995, he pleaded guilty to a felony count of tax evasion, failing to report $350,000 in income from memorabilia, personal appearances, and autographs. Legal and financial repercussions followed. In 1998, colon cancer struck, requiring surgery and chemotherapy. By the next year, he faced more legal trouble — pleading no contest to cocaine possession and soliciting a prostitute, and enduring probation violations that included arrests on his 40th birthday. He ultimately served 11 months in the Florida state prison system and was finally released in 2003.
But there was a pivot — a spiritual turning point that would redefine the man behind the stats. Strawberry encountered Jesus Christ in 1991, but it took years for his faith to anchor him. A key figure in his journey was Tracy, a born-again Christian who had her own battles with addiction. Together, they found a shared path to sobriety and purpose. Their partnership evolved into Strawberry Ministries, a ministry dedicated to helping addicts, teens, and communities find hope through faith. He describes it simply: “This experience has deepened my faith and commitment to working for His kingdom as a true follower of Jesus Christ.”
The latest chapter arrived in a phone call from the White House. President Donald Trump personally called Strawberry to announce a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-pardon-strawberry-mets-drugs-tax-evasion-cf64f71f89461b61c1424daf7e5c2dd9">full pardon </a>for his past tax and drug offenses, citing his post-career sobriety and Christian ministry. Strawberry shared the moment on Instagram, describing the surreal conversation: sitting at home caring for his wife, half-asleep, and suddenly hearing Trump’s voice praising his baseball career and granting him a full pardon. “Overwhelmed with gratitude,” Strawberry wrote, “thanking God for setting me free from my past, helping me become a better Man, Husband and Father.”
Last year, at 62, Strawberry continued to face life’s hurdles. He <a href="https://cbn.com/news/health/baseball-star-darryl-strawberry-points-gods-amazing-grace-after-surviving-heart-attack?utm_source=chatgpt.com">suffered a heart attack,</a> yet emerged with his faith intact, praising God for another chance at life. The Mets, too, have honored him: Strawberry is one of 10 former Mets to have his number retired by the team. The others include legendary Yankees manager Casey Stengel, who became the Mets’ first manager; former manager Gil Hodges, who led the “Amazin’ Mets” to their first World Series title in 1969; Willie Mays; Tom Seaver; Jerry Koosman; Mike Piazza; Keith Hernandez; Dwight Gooden; and David Wright.
Darryl Strawberry’s story is a testament to resilience, redemption, and the transformative power of faith.

New York Mets v Los Angeles Dodgers

Trump Pardons MLB Legend Darryl Strawberry, Whose Christian Faith Turned His Life Around

Celebrities

Darryl Strawberry

Donald Trump

Executive

Major League Baseball

New York Mets

Pardon

U.S.

Puerto Rican recording artist Bad Bunny is getting slammed for a video clip that appears to show him remaining seated during the singing of “God Bless America” at the New York Yankees game Tuesday night.
The <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/10/08/bad-bunny-remains-seated-during-god-bless-america/?adid=social-tw">short clip</a>, first shared with TMZ, reported as not having any common indicators of AI generation, includes the crowd singing “guide her,” which is part of the line “stand beside her and guide her.”
The U.S. Flag Code recommends standing, placing your hand over your heart, and facing the flag when “The Star-Spangled Banner” is sung, but it makes no similar recommendations for “God Bless America.” However, it is seen as a sign of respect to stand for the song during sporting events, and most individuals seated near Bad Bunny at the Yankees game are seen standing in the clip. The custom started after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when MLB started playing “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch to honor first responders, victims, and the military.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EXCLUSIVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EXCLUSIVE</a> 🚨 Bad Bunny remained seated during &#8216;God Bless America&#8217; at a Yankees Game, video shows. <a href="https://t.co/jKOfQ4Qj3G">https://t.co/jKOfQ4Qj3G</a> <a href="https://t.co/rkP9NnGgdH">pic.twitter.com/rkP9NnGgdH</a>
— TMZ (@TMZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/1976005408708763998?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The recording artist, whose legal name is Benito Ocasio, has already frustrated many Americans who believe he has disrespected the United States. Ocasio was selected to perform at Super Bowl LX in February despite previously refusing to tour in the United States due to his anti-ICE stance.
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Ocasio referred to ICE agents as “motherf***ers” and “sons of b****es” in a video he posted to Instagram.
The three-time Grammy Award-winner said during a recent interview that he didn’t book any tour stops in the United States because he was worried ICE agents would target concert attendees.
“There was the issue of — like, f***ing ICE could be outside. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
Social media users also pointed out that none of Bad Bunny’s songs are in English.
He later addressed the backlash he and the NFL received following the Super Bowl halftime announcement, advising viewers to learn Spanish if they didn’t like it.
Bad Bunny did part of his monologue in Spanish during a recent appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” The singer then switched to English, saying, “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
There have been calls to boycott the NFL and replace Bad Bunny as the halftime performer ever since the announcement was made. 
President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-absolutely-ridiculous-that-nfl-chose-bad-bunny-for-super-bowl-halftime-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weighed in</a> on Bad Bunny being chosen as the Super Bowl halftime performer, saying, “I never heard of him. I don’t know who he is, I don’t know why they’re doing it, it’s crazy, and then they blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment, I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Bad Bunny

Super Bowl Halftime Performer Bad Bunny Refuses To Stand For ‘God Bless America’

Super Bowl Halftime Performer Bad Bunny Refuses To Stand For 'God Bless America'

Entertainment

New York

New York City

New York Yankees

Patriotism

singer

Super Bowl

The Major League Baseball playoffs are here, which means the Boys of Summer are ready to battle for the ultimate prize – those oversized, coveted World Series rings.
What better time to look back at some of the very best baseball movies ever made? Some moved us or made us laugh. Others provided powerful lessons on the sport’s cultural impact.
All are worth a rewatch this time of year — in between playoff games, of course.
<h2>&#8220;The Natural&#8221;</h2>
<div id="attachment_978629" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978629" class="wp-image-978629 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-407x576.jpg" alt="Robert Redford. &quot;The Natural.&quot; copyright 1984 TriStar Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-53-AM-3445-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Copyright 1984 TriStar Pictures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB.</div>
This 1984 keeper casts Robert Redford as an aging ballplayer attempting an unlikely comeback. Those &#8220;natural&#8221; talents helped him get this far, but his complicated past suggests that even God-given skills may not be enough. The all-star cast includes Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, and Richard Farnsworth under the direction of Barry Levinson (&#8220;Diner&#8221;) in his cinematic prime. &#8220;The Natural&#8221; packs plenty of magical realism into the narrative, focused on redemption and our all-American passion for second acts.
<h2>“Bull Durham”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978637" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978637" class="size-large wp-image-978637" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-407x576.jpg" alt="Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon. Bull Durham. Copyright 1988 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-08-58-AM-8592-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Copyright 1988 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. IMDB.</div>
Kevin Costner at the dawn of his legendary career. Susan Sarandon selling a sultry big-league “whisperer” like no other. A gangly Tim Robbins playing an &#8220;aw-shucks&#8221; pitcher coming into his own. There’s so much to love about this baseball rom-com, from the inspired dialogue to the bittersweet story of a minor league lifer coming oh, so close to The Show only to be upstaged by the new kid. Director Ron Shelton’s affinity for sports movies played out over multiple films (“Blue Chips,” “Tin Cup”), but he got the elixir just right with this 1988 gem.
<h2>“Field of Dreams”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978645" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978645" class="size-large wp-image-978645" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-407x576.jpg" alt="Field of Dreams. 1989. Universal Pictures. Gordon Company. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-01-AM-2743-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Field of Dreams. 1989. Universal Pictures. Gordon Company. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
The 1989 sports fantasy has an almost spiritual pull on audiences, particularly sports fans. And understandably so. Once again, Costner is front and center in a story that weaves the national pastime together with fathers and sons, heartland USA, and redemption arcs.
The sublime cast, including Ray Liotta, Burt Lancaster (his final big-screen role), and James Earl Jones — who gives gravitas to the ultimate baseball movie.
“If you build it, they will come.” Try fighting back the goosebumps whenever that line is uttered. If the film isn’t enough, there’s a <a href="https://www.fieldofdreamsmoviesite.com/visit">Field of Dreams movie site attraction</a> in Dyersville, Iowa, for movie lovers.
<h2>“42”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978647" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978647" class="size-large wp-image-978647" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-407x576.jpg" alt="42. Warner Bros. Legendary Entertainment. 2013. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-07-AM-3910-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />42. Warner Bros. Legendary Entertainment. 2013. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
This overlooked 2013 film recalls one of the sport’s most impactful players. Sure, Jackie Robinson broke the “color barrier” by becoming baseball’s first black player, but it&#8217;s how he did it, with grace, class, and nonviolence in his heart, that made him an icon.
The late, genuinely great Chadwick Boseman brings Jackie to life, capturing both the player and the man behind the moment. Harrison Ford’s supporting turn as Branch Rickey, the Dodgers’ owner who took the biggest risk of his professional life by inserting Robinson into the lineup, is the film’s most welcome surprise.
Had “42” been made a few years later, it might have been stained by woke sentiments. Instead, it’s a fitting tribute to an American hero.
<h2>“Moneyball”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978651" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978651" class="size-large wp-image-978651" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-407x576.jpg" alt="Moneyball. 2011. Sony Pictures Entertainment. Columbia Pictures. Scott Rudin Productions. Michael De Luca Productions. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-11-AM-4954-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Moneyball. 2011. Sony Pictures Entertainment. Columbia Pictures. Scott Rudin Productions. Michael De Luca Productions. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
A movie about baseball statistics? Yawn. Not even close in this case, thanks to the fascinating source material – author Michael Lewis’ tome of the same name.
Brad Pitt stars as GM Billy Beane in the story of the 2002 Oakland A’s, a mid-tier franchise that used a new approach to field a winning team. They couldn’t outspend the Yankees or Dodgers, but by deploying “sabermetrics” they defied the game’s odds.
It’s a fascinating look at modern baseball that&#8217;s given heft by a killer cast, including Jonah Hill, Chris Pratt, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
<h2>“The Bad News Bears”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978673" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978673" class="size-large wp-image-978673" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-407x576.jpg" alt="The Bad News Bears. 1976. Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-20-AM-9232-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />The Bad News Bears. 1976. Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
Put this one in the “They couldn’t make THAT” today Hall of Fame. Walter Matthau plays the crusty coach of a ne’er-do-well Little League team that has more fight in it than even he realizes.
What makes it “problematic?” Consider the infamous scene where Matthau’s character passes out on the pitcher’s mound after one too many brews. Or how teammates swap racial slurs as casually as relay throws.
That’s not why these “Bears” are unforgettable. The film teems with fascinating characters, from pitching whiz Amanda (Tatum O’Neal) to bad boy Kelly (Jackie Earle Haley). The championship game is a keeper, brimming with suspense and the cold realities baseball supplies. 
<h2>“Major League”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978685" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978685" class="size-large wp-image-978685" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-407x576.jpg" alt="Major League. Photo by Mirage Enterprises. Paramount Pictures. Morgan Creek Entertainment. Copyright 1989. All rights reserved." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-28-AM-5947-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Major League. Photo by Mirage Enterprises. Paramount Pictures. Morgan Creek Entertainment. Copyright 1989. All rights reserved.</div>
This 1989 corker captures the sillier side of baseball. The ensemble cast isn’t as deep as the Yankees’ Murderers’ Row, but everyone owned their parts to perfection. Tom Berenger. Charlie Sheen. Wesley Snipes. Corbin Bernsen. Bob Uecker. They’re all key elements in a seemingly inept Cleveland Indians (triggering!) franchise destined to lose enough games to spark the team’s sale.
Except they keep finding ways to win.
The comedy stays mostly faithful to the sport while doubling down on its colorful characters, crazy storylines, and underdog theatrics. Oh, and it’s relentlessly funny, even if it sparked two inferior sequels. 
<h2>“Eight Men Out”</h2>
<div id="attachment_978691" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-978691" class="size-large wp-image-978691" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-407x576.jpg" alt="Eight Men Out. 1989. Orion Pictures. MGM. All rights reserved. IMDB." width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MixCollage-30-Sep-2025-09-31-AM-6690-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes=" (max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" />Eight Men Out. 1989. Orion Pictures. MGM. All rights reserved. IMDB.</div>
“Major League” offered a palate cleanser a year after this sobering 1988 drama. Director John Sayles recreates the Black Sox Scandal, recalling how a pennant-winning team threw the World Series to appease the betting crowd. And, of course, earn a little scratch at a time when athletes weren’t as absurdly wealthy as they are today.
The White Sox assembled a &#8220;can’t-miss&#8221; squad of stars, but the persnickety owners refused to reward them for an unforgettable season. Enter some opportunistic gamblers who give key players an offer they should refuse, but don’t.
The strong cast includes D.B. Sweeney, John Cusack, and, yes, Charlie Sheen.
It’s baseball’s darkest hour, a cautionary tale that has kept the sport (mostly) clean ever since. We’ll leave the Barry Bonds debate for another day.
<h3><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a></h3>
<h2>Honorable Mention: “The Naked Gun”</h2>
No, director David Zucker’s spoof classic isn’t a baseball film, per se, though the film’s extended finale does take place during a baseball game. Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) impersonates an umpire to stop an assassination, finding himself calling balls and strikes in the process.
It’s one of the funniest moments of the film, capped by Drebin-the-umpire crying, “strike threeeee!” before the ball ever reaches the catcher’s mitt. It’s a perfectly silly baseball sequence, and one impossible not to include here.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-27-Sep-2025-11-41-AM-2576

The Best Baseball Movies To Watch This Postseason

Baseball

Hollywood

Kevin Costner

Movies

New York Mets announcer Gary Cohen struggled to wrap his brain around the fact that Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw skipped a game to attend the memorial service for assassinated conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Cohen, announcing Tuesday&#8217;s game between the Cubs and the Mets alongside former MLB player Todd Zeile, remarked on the fact that Shaw had missed a game over the weekend — one the Cubs ultimately lost to the Cincinnati Reds — and that he&#8217;d missed it to attend Kirk&#8217;s memorial service.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Mets announcers Gary Cohen &amp; Todd Zeile mindblown that Matt Shaw would skip a game to attend his close friend, Charlie Kirk&#8217;s, memorial.
&#8220;The thought of leaving your team in the middle of a race for any reason other than a family emergency really strikes me as weird.&#8221;
What&#8217;s… <a href="https://t.co/O3vkKTbQ5N">pic.twitter.com/O3vkKTbQ5N</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1970943097078272094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I don&#8217;t want to talk about any of the politics of it, but the thought of leaving your team in the middle of a race for any reason other than a family emergency, really strikes me as weird,&#8221; Cohen said.
Zeile appeared to agree with Cohen&#8217;s assessment, adding, &#8220;It&#8217;s unusual, I think it&#8217;s unprecedented at least from my experience as a player, and I think it made it a little more unusual that it was not revealed until after it came to issue because he was thought to be in the dugout and maybe available, and was not, and that&#8217;s how it was revealed.&#8221;
Shaw defended the move, saying, &#8220;My connection with Charlie was through our [Christian] faith. And that’s something that drives me every day, the reason why I’m able to do what I do every day, and that’s something I’m extremely thankful for. I know without my faith and without the many blessings I’ve been given in my life, that I wouldn’t be here, be able to talk to you guys, able to help this team eventually go and win championships.&#8221;
Shaw said that he&#8217;d met Kirk when they lived in the same apartment complex in Arizona, and that they had been friends since. It was Kirk&#8217;s widow, Erika Kirk, who reached out and invited Shaw to attend her husband&#8217;s service.
&#8220;When [Charlie was shot], a lot of emotions came over me. I didn’t foresee that happening. I don’t know how to describe everything that happened, how I was feeling, but I will say I was tearing up pretty good,&#8221; Shaw said, describing the moment he&#8217;d learned of his friend&#8217;s death. &#8220;I had a lot of [teammates] supporting me, and that will be something I’ll remember for my entire life.&#8221;
Kirk&#8217;s chief of staff at TPUSA, Mikey McCoy, responded to Cohen by sharing video of Kirk and Shaw together just one month before the assassination.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A little over a month ago Charlie’s dream came true… he got the opportunity to walk on Wrigley Field and after &#8211; see his friend Matt Shaw hit a home run.
A month later, Charlie is gone and Matt Shaw is receiving backlash for attending his friend’s memorial.
Shame on Gary… <a href="https://t.co/pUErnV3OKb">pic.twitter.com/pUErnV3OKb</a>
— Mikey McCoy (@Michael_McCoyy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Michael_McCoyy/status/1971077867007308257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;A little over a month ago Charlie’s dream came true … he got the opportunity to walk on Wrigley Field and after — see his friend Matt Shaw hit a home run. A month later, Charlie is gone and Matt Shaw is receiving backlash for attending his friend’s memorial. Shame on Gary Cohen,&#8221; he said.
McCoy was not the only one criticizing Cohen, either.
&#8220;Last night, New York Mets broadcaster, Gary Cohen tried shaming Matt Shaw for going to Charlie Kirk’s memorial. Today, Matt Shaw went 3-4 w/ 3 runs &amp; an RBI in the Cubs 10-3 win Poetic justice,&#8221; Jon Root posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Last night, New York Mets broadcaster, Gary Cohen tried shaming Matt Shaw for going to Charlie Kirk’s memorial.
Today, Matt Shaw went 3-4 w/ 3 runs &amp; an RBI in the Cubs 10-3 win
Poetic justice 👏
<a href="https://t.co/HPJVzgqdUk">pic.twitter.com/HPJVzgqdUk</a>
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonnyRoot_/status/1971081453699203575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Matt Shaw saw his friend get shot and killed&#8230;his wife requested that he be there and Gary Cohen’s got a problem with that because the Cubs are in a pennant race?&#8221; Greg Giannotti added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Matt Shaw saw his friend get shot and killed&#8230;his wife requested that he be there and Gary Cohen’s got a problem with that because the Cubs are in a pennant race?&#8221; &#8211; Gregg Giannotti took issue with Gary Cohen questioning Matt Shaw attending Charlie Kirk&#8217;s memorial service <a href="https://t.co/QEXL3iktsn">pic.twitter.com/QEXL3iktsn</a>
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1970923443756597282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Mets Announcer Gary Cohen was very confused that Matt Shaw of the Cubs took off a game to go to Charlie Kirk&#8217;s funeral. But had no issue with THE ENTIRE TEAM forfeiting a game for George Floyd&#8230; This is the liberal brain rot,&#8221; another posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mets Announcer Gary Cohen was very confused that Matt Shaw of the Cubs took off a game to go to Charlie Kirk&#8217;s funeral.
But had no issue with THE ENTIRE TEAM forfeiting a game for George Floyd&#8230;
This is the liberal brain rot <a href="https://t.co/pL7aP2w0Hl">pic.twitter.com/pL7aP2w0Hl</a>
— kevin smith (@kevin_smith45) <a href="https://twitter.com/kevin_smith45/status/1971203029912477858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A number also said that Cohen owed Shaw an apology.

Chicago Cubs v Cincinnati Reds

Mets Announcer Can’t Wrap His Brain Around Cubs Player Skipping Game For Charlie Kirk Memorial

Mets Announcer Can't Wrap His Brain Around Cubs Player Skipping Game For Charlie Kirk Memorial

Charlie Kirk

Chicago Cubs

Media

Politics

Three strikes and you&#8217;re out! Maybe not so fast anymore after Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that it will roll out a new rule allowing players to appeal to robot umpires to overturn pitches they think were incorrectly called by human umpires.
The new rule will take effect for the entire 2026 MLB season and will give each team two opportunities to challenge whether a pitch was correctly ruled a strike or ball. The pitch will then be assessed through a complex automated camera system to judge whether the human umpire was correct.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: Major League Baseball will use the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) during the entire 2026 season
ABS CHALLENGE RULES:
&#8211; Each team will get two challenges and can keep them if they&#8217;re successful
&#8211; Challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher, or… <a href="https://t.co/xHkRIbHrRx">pic.twitter.com/xHkRIbHrRx</a>
— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1970546182893248800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The rule to bring the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System to the MLB was approved Tuesday by the MLB’s Joint Competition Committee. The system had previously been used in the Minor Leagues, as well as during MLB spring training and the All-Star Game.
The new rules will allow two appeals per game for each team to challenge a pitch call. Challenges must be initiated by a pitcher, batter, or catcher right after the pitch. To challenge, the pitcher will tap his hat or helmet to let the umpire know. According to the MLB, “no help from the dugout or other players on the field is allowed.”
If a game goes into extra innings, each team will get one challenge per inning if it used up its challenges in regulation.
“Throughout this process we have worked on deploying the system in a way that’s acceptable to players. The strong preference from players for the Challenge format over using the technology to call every pitch was a key factor in determining the system we are announcing today,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said.
The MLB said that the system was “powered by T-Mobile 5G network&#8221; and &#8220;uses cameras set up around the perimeter of the field to track the location of each pitch and a graphic on the scoreboard shows the result of the challenge.”
&#8220;We’ve accomplished a lot through our longstanding partnership with MLB, and the rollout of ABS — powered by T-Mobile 5G — is one of our most exciting milestones yet,” said Mike Katz, the president of marketing, strategy and products at T-Mobile. “It’s a powerful example of how we’re using our technology to help MLB innovate, while preserving the character of the game we love.&#8221;

MLB: SEP 18 Giants at Dodgers

Major League Baseball Makes Final Decision On Robot Umpires

General

Sports

Photos have been circulating online of L.A. Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen honoring conservative Charlie Kirk at last night&#8217;s game against the San Francisco Giants.
Treinen wrote the name &#8220;Charlie Kirk,&#8221; sandwiched between two crosses, on the side of his hat.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Blake Treinen with ✝️Charlie Kirk✝️ on his hat tonight 🙏 <a href="https://t.co/ZKApLCDO1m">pic.twitter.com/ZKApLCDO1m</a>
— decoy (@decoyposts) <a href="https://twitter.com/decoyposts/status/1966726435466604785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
Kirk, 31, was assassinated while answering questions at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Kirk had massive influence with young conservatives, founding Turning Point USA at just 18 years old. The conservative was known just as well for speaking openly about his faith in God as he was for talking politics.
As highlighted by The Daily Wire, Kirk was asked before his death about how he wanted to be remembered. Unsurprisingly, he pointed to his faith in Jesus Christ.
“How do you wanna be remembered? … [If] everything just goes away [and] you could be associated with one thing, how would you want to be remembered?” Kirk was asked.
“I want to be remembered for courage for my faith,” Kirk responded. “That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith in my life.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Charlie Kirk on how he wanted to be remembered.
Question: “How would you wanna be remembered?”
Charlie: “I wanna be remembered for courage for my faith. That that would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith in my life.” <a href="https://t.co/fwBV9UVefc">pic.twitter.com/fwBV9UVefc</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1965974414748692572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Treinen, too, has been outspoken about his Christian faith. When the Dodgers won the World Series in 2024, for example, the pitcher <a href="https://churchleaders.com/news/500008-god-is-absolutely-god-says-pitcher-blake-treinen-after-dodgers-win-world-series.html">said</a>, &#8220;God is absolutely good.&#8221;
&#8220;I gotta give a shout out to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for this moment, man. It’s a lot of hard work, what I’ve gone through,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;This moment is such a blessing.”
Taking on questions from the press, Treinen said it was &#8220;God&#8221; on his mind after the final game. &#8220;Everything I’ve been through, it’s just so good to be here and have this platform,&#8221; he said.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dodgers-ace-clayton-kershaw-adds-bible-reference-to-rainbow-hat-for-pride-night">Dodgers Ace Clayton Kershaw Adds Bible Reference To Rainbow Hat For Pride Night</a>

World Series – Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Yankees – Game 5

Star Dodgers Pitcher Pays Tribute To Charlie Kirk On Mound

Christianity

Los Angeles Dodgers

Religion

A father who found himself at the center of a viral home run ball dispute says he’s “still in disbelief” after what was supposed to be a special father-son moment at a Phillies game turned into a nationwide backlash.
Drew Feltwell, who grew up in New Jersey but now lives in Florida, raced over to grab a home run ball hit by Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader at Friday’s game hosted by the Miami Marlins. But after he gave the ball to his son, Lincoln, an irate woman dubbed “Phillies Karen” stormed over and demanded he give it to her. Eventually, Feltwell gave in and handed the ball to the woman. This sparked outrage online and led to a campaign to dox and shame her for her actions. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A Phillies fan retrieves a home run ball for his son and this woman is furious she did not get the ball <a href="https://t.co/kDMMJrw2R5">pic.twitter.com/kDMMJrw2R5</a>
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/JomboyMedia/status/1964136365253083609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Feltwell family has been treated to many gifts in the wake of the baseball controversy, including a meeting with Bader, who gave Lincoln <a href="https://x.com/Phillies/status/1964152246779662478">a signed baseball bat</a>. A rep from the Marlins also gave Lincoln a bag of merchandise, and entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis <a href="https://x.com/marcuslemonis/status/1964181482672459822">wrote</a> on X that he’d be buying the family World Series tickets and an RV.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Going home with a signed bat from Bader <a href="https://t.co/pCaXHSjLgL">pic.twitter.com/pCaXHSjLgL</a>
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) <a href="https://twitter.com/Phillies/status/1964152246779662478?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Feltwell <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/sports/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-young-fan-harrison-bader-viral-home-run-ball-dispute/4264863/">told</a> NBC10 Philadelphia that they were celebrating Lincoln’s 10th birthday. “We’re just trying to make this week about him,” he said. “I felt like super dad putting that ball in his glove and giving him a hug.”
The father said the woman began screaming at him, saying, “That’s my ball!”
“Still in disbelief that she walked down there like that,” he told the outlet. “Just trying to set an example of how to de-escalate a situation in front of my son, I guess.”
He said he later apologized to Lincoln about his decision to hand over the baseball.
“I wish I had the ball for my son to put in his room next to the bat, but if I had the ball, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the bat, so it worked out fine,” Feltwell added, saying the woman was booed out of the stadium shortly after the confrontation took place.
“I hope that ball means a lot to her,” he said.
There’s been some back and forth online over how the situation was handled, who was in the right, and whether the backlash went too far. Several people were misidentified as the woman who demanded the baseball.
A woman named Cheryl Richardson-Wagner insists she wasn’t Phillies Karen. “OK everyone … I’m not the crazy Philly Mom (but I sure would love to be as thin as she is and move as fast) …. And I’m a Red Sox fan,” she shared on Facebook.
After one rumor took hold that the Phillies fan was a Hammonton School District employee, the district also issued a statement. 
“The woman identified on social media as ‘Phillies Karen’ is not, and has never been an employee of the Hammonton Public Schools located in Hammonton, New Jersey,” the district said. “Anyone who works for our school district, attended as a student or lives in our community would obviously have caught the ball bare-handed in the first place, avoiding this entire situation!”

Harrison Bader

‘Still in Disbelief’: Dad Caught In Viral Home Run Ball Drama Speaks Out

Dad From Viral Home Run Baseball Argument Speaks Out, 'Still In Disbelief'

Philadelphia Phillies

viral video

The president of the Cleveland Guardians rebuffed President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the team re-adopt its prior name, the Cleveland Indians.
Trump’s suggestion came amid his statements calling for the NFL’s Washington Commanders to re-adopt the name Washington Redskins. On Sunday, he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114885987478070699">wrote</a> on Truth Social:
<blockquote>
The Washington “Whatever’s” should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this. Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a storied past. Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen. Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!
</blockquote>
Five hours later, he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114887236310446076">added</a>:
<blockquote>
My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way. I may put a restriction on them that if they don&#8217;t change the name back to the original &#8220;Washington Redskins,&#8221; and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, &#8220;Washington Commanders,&#8221; I won&#8217;t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone. Cleveland should do the same with the Cleveland Indians. The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. What he doesn&#8217;t understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election. Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!
</blockquote>
Guardians president Chris Antonetti responded, “I understand there are very different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago, but it’s a decision we made and we’ve gotten the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians over the last four years and we’re excited about the future that’s in front of us,” as <a href="https://x.com/zackmeisel/status/1946961807198875727?s=46&amp;t=LuLzStMNvByXMHfO71_ucQ">The Athletic</a> reported.
At a campaign rally in March 2024 in Dayton, Ohio, Trump <a href="applewebdata://B140A885-0203-4914-B564-DAE509C43B86/v">slammed</a> the Dolan family, declaring, “I like sports and I like tradition. So you have a team called the Cleveland Indians. Indians. They&#8217;re Indians. And they took the team Cleveland Indians and made it to the Cleveland Guardians. Almost like they&#8217;re in charge of a trust fund.”
In December 2020, months after demonstrations related to the death of George Floyd called for racial justice, the Cleveland franchise announced it would drop the “Indians” name due to growing pressure around racial sensitivity. Some groups had criticized the team&#8217;s Chief Wahoo logo as an offensive caricature that was culturally disrespectful. The franchise announced the new name, “Guardians,&#8221; in July 2021, and it was officially used as the 2022 season began. When the current Cleveland major league baseball franchise was established in 1901 as one of the six original teams of the American League, it was called the “Blues.” That name was changed to the “Naps” in 1904 when the fans voted to honor their star player, Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie.
After Lajoie left the team in 1915, the team’s name was changed to the &#8220;Indians.&#8221; However, some have asserted that the name was intended to honor former player Louis Sockalexis, a Native American. Major League Baseball has a different explanation, writing on <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/cleveland-guardians-team-name-history">MLB.com</a>:
<blockquote>
There are old newspaper records that show that the baseball writers were left to vote on a name and had decided on Indians. In 1914, the Boston Braves had won the World Series, which could leave some to wonder if the name for Cleveland &#8212; the last-place team that season &#8212; was inspired by one that experienced great success. 
</blockquote>
The Indians won two World Series titles; the first in 1920, defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers in a series that featured three historic highlights in the last game, all from the Indians: right fielder Elmer Smith blasting the first-ever World Series grand slam; starting pitcher Jim Bagby slamming a three-run homer, the first home run by a pitcher in World Series history, and the most dazzling: an unassisted triple play by Indians second baseman Bill Wambsganss, the only one in World Series history. There have been only 15 unassisted plays in MLB history, rarer than a perfect game thrown by a pitcher.
In 1948, the Indians defeated the Boston Braves in the World Series, led by player-manager shortstop Lou Boudreau, who also won the Most Valuable Player award that year.

Tampa Bay Rays v Cleveland Indians

MLB Exec Responds To Trump Demand To Un-Woke Team Name

Business

Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland Indians

Social Issues

New York Yankees all-star Aaron Judge this week discussed his faith in God, when asked about money and fame.
Judge was <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMG2BgGg2QU/">asked</a> on Monday by a CBN Sports reporter, &#8220;What would you say to someone who thinks fame and fortune is the answer to all their problems?&#8221;
Judge responded by pointing his fans to Jesus. &#8220;Our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. He’s given me this platform, this ability,&#8221; Judge said. &#8220;The fame, getting the chance to do this is great and all, but it’s not fulfilling as much as the relationship I have with Him.&#8221;
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During the MLB All-Star Game on Monday, Judge showcased a bat that featured his daughter’s name, Nora, and a Bible verse reference.
&#8220;For we live by faith, not by sight,&#8221; the verse, 2 Corinthians 5:7, reads. Judge&#8217;s bat says, &#8220;Faith, not sight.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_948589" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-948589" class="wp-image-948589 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224529063-864x576.jpg" alt="The bat of Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees before the Workout during MLB All-Star Week at Truist Park on July 14, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224529063-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224529063-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224529063-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2224529063.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />New York Yankees/Getty Images</div>
Judge has been open about his Christian faith his whole career. The ball player&#8217;s social media <a href="https://x.com/thejudge44?lang=en">bio</a> reads in part, &#8220;Christian. Faith, Family, then Baseball.&#8221;
The athlete has spoken specifically about his adoptive parents and how their love informs his faith, as well.
&#8220;The position I was in, being adopted by my parents &#8212; for them to pick me, choose me, to put me in their lives, it&#8217;s incredible,&#8221; Judge, who was adopted when he was a one-year-old, <a href="https://sportsspectrum.com/sport/baseball/2025/05/01/yankees-aaron-judge-blistering-start-faith-foundation/">said</a> last year. &#8220;Having His blessings, keeping the faith through good times and bad times, knowing He&#8217;s always with me, that&#8217;s definitely helped me get to this position.&#8221;
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Judge learned he was adopted at age ten. “I knew I didn’t look like them,” he <a href="https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/columnists/bob-klapisch/2017/06/23/klapisch-aaron-judge-never-forgot-his-roots/420872001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NorthJersey.com in 2024. “I finally said, ‘Okay, what’s going on?’ And that’s when they told me.&#8221;
&#8220;I was fine with that, they were the only parents I ever knew,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It actually wasn’t a big deal.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dodgers-ace-clayton-kershaw-adds-bible-reference-to-rainbow-hat-for-pride-night">Dodgers Ace Clayton Kershaw Adds Bible Reference To Rainbow Hat For Pride Night</a>
</div>

Aaron Judge

Yankees All-Star Aaron Judge Asked About Fortune And Fame, Directs Fans To Jesus

Bible

Activists say climate change is causing increased home runs in major league baseball games, but the so-called science ignores the the actual mechanics of how baseball works.
Climate Central <a href="https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/baseball-season-heating-up-2025">published</a> a report saying 26 of the 27 MLB cities have experienced increased temperatures during baseball season from 1970 to 2024. The result, it says, is a 1% increase in home runs between 2010 and 2019.
Hot temperatures can indeed impact how baseballs fly. Warm air is less dense and reduces drag on the ball, making it fly farther. But a change in the number of home runs has far more to do with the ball than with the climate.
In the 2010s, MLB experienced a 46% increase in home runs, higher than the 44% spike from the steroid era in the 1990s, Sports Illustrated <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/12/23/baseball-decade-in-review">reported</a>. That included a record-breaking spike in 2019, breaking a previous record set in 2017.
An independent study, commissioned by the MLB, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-releases-independent-study-of-home-run-surge">found</a> that the increase was the result of changes to the ball. The 2019 ball had lower stitches that led to reduced drag, making the ball travel farther than previous years. That change accounted for 60% of the increase in home runs, with the other 40% coming from changes in hitting strategies.
&#8220;Just to give you an idea, the change in seam height of a fraction of the thickness of a sheet of paper like this would give you a measurable effect in the change in the drag,&#8221; said Alan Nathan, professor emeritus of physics at the University of Illinois and one of the researchers of the study.
The original climate change study <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/104/5/BAMS-D-22-0235.1.xml#fig1">admitted</a> the ball stitching had a greater impact on ball performance than increased temperatures.
&#8220;Other factors such as changes in the height of the stitches on the baseball appear to have been more important in driving recent home run trends,&#8221; the study said.
But Climate Central dismissed the MLB&#8217;s study as &#8220;ongoing research&#8221; that was simply &#8220;testing various explanations&#8221; for the increase in home runs.
This year <a href="https://x.com/hausfath/status/1919483498458427874">could be</a> the second-hottest on record behind 2024, according to climate scientist Zeke Hausfather. If the climate change home run theory is accurate, the MLB should be seeing an increase of about 58 home runs this year.
But &#8220;home runs as a percentage of fly balls hit in March, April and May are at an eight-year low&#8221; across 28 of 30 MLB stadiums, The Athletic <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250613142104/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6422877/2025/06/13/mlb-baseball-fly-ball-distance-drag/">found</a>.
Instead of seeing less drag due to hot temperatures, the 2025 season has seen more drag on the ball. Baseballs are coming up about four feet short compared to the previous nine seasons, according to a review by The Athletic of public MLB data.
The league has identified a possible, tiny change to the ball&#8217;s seam width or height but has not made any conclusions, The Athletic said.
The increase in drag comes after MLB has altered the ball to reduce year-to-year swings in drag, the outlet reported.
&#8220;MLB bought the ball manufacturer, changed the bounciness of the inner core and installed humidors in every park,&#8221; the outlet said.
Drag became less varied in the four seasons after those changes, and the league has yet to identify the causes of this year&#8217;s increased drag.
Nathan told The Athletic that, correcting for air density, game-time temperature, and elevation, the ball traveled more than three feet farther in 2024. Still, he said there is more research to do.
&#8220;I would not take this to be the definitive word on the subject, as there is much more analysis one might do,” Nathan said.

Houston Chronicle

Swing And A Miss: Activists Blame Home Run Spike On Climate Change, Ignore How Baseball Works

Report Says Climate Change Increases Home Runs But Ignores How Baseball Works

Climate Change

On Wednesday, I had a pretty incredible experience. I went to the Vatican for an event at St. Peter&#8217;s Square that’s held every Wednesday when the Pope holds a general audience.
It’s an amazing event. There are tens of thousands of people — divided by country of origin — who gather in St. Peter&#8217;s Square from all over the world. It&#8217;s a reminder that godly, Biblical values are the guiding force for billions of people around the world. The world seems like a very dark place from time to time, but the reality is that if you stick to eternal values, it does make the world a brighter place.
The Pope came in his vehicle, drove around, greeted the entire audience, and then he came up in the center of St. Peter&#8217;s Square, right in front of the basilica, and gave an address about the Bible which was read out loud in a variety of different languages.
I got to sit up there near where the Pope was. What the Pope said was quite beautiful. He quoted from the Book of John, the story about the Pool of Bethesda, in which Jesus goes to the Pool of Bethesda, where there are people who are ill and people who are paralyzed. There&#8217;s a man there who&#8217;s been sick and infirm for 38 years. And Jesus goes to that man and he tells him that he ought to get up, take his mat with him, and walk.
And the Pope said we should all reflect on Jesus&#8217; statement. At that moment when we feel stuck and trapped in a dead end, instead of allowing that to become an excuse for others to take care of us, we should not allow this to become a justification to avoid making decisions about our lives. Instead, we should get away from fatalism and embrace personal responsibility.
It is these kinds of messages that are implicit in the Biblical narrative that the Pope is spreading, and that is a wonderful thing for our civilization.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2220-member-exclusive?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=The+Ben+Shapiro+Show&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
I&#8217;ve talked about this before — I&#8217;m an Orthodox Jew. Obviously. I don&#8217;t have a dog in the fight when it comes to internal battles over doctrine in Catholicism, except to the extent that the Catholic Church remains a lodestone for Western civilization, a great spreader of Biblical values to humanity.
In the same way, there are Protestant churches that do the same. People of God, people of the book, people of the Bible are spreading eternal values. It is worth acknowledging that and honoring that.
That&#8217;s actually what I said to the Pope when I had an opportunity to meet him. I handed him a letter asking for an interview and introduced myself. You&#8217;re supposed to bring the Pope a gift.
I explained who I was. (Obviously, he has a lot of things to do, so I doubt he&#8217;s a regular listener to my show.) At this point, I explained to him that I was there to pay honor to the fact that he was representative of biblical values in the world. Then I added, “I happen to have been a devout White Sox fan since the time I was a child.”
Of course, Pope Leo is a White Sox fan. He recently spoke at Comiskey Park via video to some 30,000 people.
I told him that while he is Catholic and I am Jewish, one of the miracles that we can agree on is the 2005 White Sox winning the World Series. I brought with me from my personal collection a 2005 World Series White Sox baseball signed by the entire team, and gave it to him.
He seemed a little bit surprised, not by the fact that I was giving a gift, but because it was a gift and not just me showing him something cool, I suppose. You could see him crack a bit of a smile as he received it. He was pretty delighted by it.
So it was really a terrific experience. Honestly, the entire event was amazing.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It was an honor to meet His Holiness, <a href="https://twitter.com/Pontifex?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pontifex</a> in Vatican City today, and to thank him for standing up for Biblical values in a chaotic world…and to present him with a signed 2005 White Sox World Series baseball I had in my collection (we’re both fans). <a href="https://t.co/hxlhUnKU7F">pic.twitter.com/hxlhUnKU7F</a>
&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1935350580458733762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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My impression of him is that Pope Leo seems to be a man who has enmeshed himself in the office. And when you meet the Pope, you can see he’s a deeply humble man. You can tell that right away just from meeting him. And you could see the sheer joy that he had, I think, from getting the baseball, which is such a small thing for this man who has the weight of the spiritual fate of over a billion people on his shoulders.
I share that because there are a lot of moments in the political world that are not uplifting. There are a lot of moments that are fraught, that feel as though darkness is encroaching.
And so, there needs to be a meeting of the minds between all of us who believe in Biblical values, and that those Biblical values ought to be purveyed. It&#8217;s one of the reasons why I have encouraged people who are Catholic to go to church, people who are Protestant to go to church, and Jews to go to synagogue and relearn their traditions and engage with those traditions.
I&#8217;m very much in favor of the strengthening of the Catholic Church and the strengthening of Protestant churches all over the United States and the rest of the West.
I&#8217;m very much in favor of people reengaging with the values that made the West what it was in the first place.

Pope Leo XIV Arrives To Lead His Weekly General Audience At St Peter’s Square In The Vatican On June 18, 2025.

I Met The Pope. It Was Amazing.

Ben Shapiro

Catholic Church

Catholics

Italy

Opinion

Pope Leo

The Vatican

Longtime Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw added a subtle change to his Pride Night cap, printing &#8220;GEN 9:12-16&#8221; next to the rainbow-colored team logo.
Leading Report (@leadingreport) shared the news via X along with a photo of Kershaw&#8217;s cap and the text of the verses the pitcher was referencing — verses that reference God&#8217;s promise to Noah, when He sent the rainbow as a sign that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw wrote “Genesis 9:12-16” on his ‘pride’ hat.
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 
13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and… <a href="https://t.co/mPU94lYPxk">pic.twitter.com/mPU94lYPxk</a>
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeadingReport/status/1934018900221423971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;BREAKING: Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw wrote &#8216;Genesis 9:12-16&#8242; on his ‘pride’ hat. 12 And God said, &#8216;This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.&#8217; Genesis 9:12-16 ESV,&#8221; the post read.
Kershaw, a Christian, also <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/dodgers-clayton-kershaw-displays-bible-passage-hat-during-pride-night">spoke out</a> in 2023 when the team planned to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence — a group of &#8220;queer and trans nuns&#8221; who combine drag and religious imagery — by announcing the team&#8217;s faith and family night early.
&#8220;I think we were always going to do Christian Faith Day this year, but I think the timing of our announcement was sped up,&#8221; Kershaw said. &#8220;Picking a date and doing those different things was part of it as well. Yes, it was in response to the highlighting of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence [by the Dodgers].&#8221;
Kershaw said at the time that his objection was specifically to the Sisters and that he did not plan to boycott Pride Night, &#8220;I don’t agree with making fun of other people’s religions. It has nothing to do with anything other than that. I just don’t think that, no matter what religion you are, you should make fun of somebody else’s religion. So, that’s something that I definitely don’t agree with.&#8221;

Los Angeles Dodgers v St. Louis Cardinals

Dodgers Ace Clayton Kershaw Adds Bible Reference To Rainbow Hat For Pride Night

Pride Month

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