Stephanie Apstein@stephapstein

Sports reporter, @washingtonpost

 New York, NY
si.com/author/stephanie-apst…
Joined August 2009
Pretty good.
Ohtani has the top two exit velocities, the top two distances, the top five pitch velocities and the top swing and miss count.

ALT Ohtani has the top two exit velocities, the top two distances, the top five pitch velocities and the top swing and miss count.

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On Cal Raleigh, hitter of home runs, clipper of coupons and bestower of a very unusual “player of the game” prize: bit.ly/4geFUhn
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In the instant before the team competition began at the Paris Olympics, Simone Biles asked aloud, “What if it happens again?” She did not know the answer. She competed—and won—anyway. For that, and so much more, she is @SInow’s Sportsperson of the Year: bit.ly/3PlzoJ6
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Verducci is just putting on a clinic this October. Look at this stat, and at this anecdote. He told Luke Weaver who Don Larsen was! Just amazing. bit.ly/3YjV0JC
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On the best moment of Anthony Volpe’s life: bit.ly/4e5e985
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Brian Cashman and Scott Boras, who represents Juan Soto, are chatting before Game 1 of the World Series. “Brian!” a Yankees fan shouted. “Get it done! I brought my credit card!”
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On the best game that almost anyone who saw it has ever seen: bit.ly/4e7NYxP
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Baseball is two and a half hours away, but they’re already setting records at Yankee Stadium.
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Gerrit Cole is getting in some work at shortstop during Yankees BP. (They are not hitting the ball to him.)
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The game ended two hours ago and thousands of fans are just now leaving. You can’t tell me these people don’t deserve a major league baseball team.
Crowds at BART

ALT Crowds at BART

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A few more photos
Chairs, trash cans and various detritus

ALT Chairs, trash cans and various detritus

Cobwebs on the water fountains

ALT Cobwebs on the water fountains

A pile of trash cans, some still containing trash

ALT A pile of trash cans, some still containing trash

The empty concourse with a sign saying “The future starts now” in the background

ALT The empty concourse with a sign saying “The future starts now” in the background

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I spent the penultimate night of the Oakland A’s atop Mount Davis. bit.ly/4elYrGO
Henry Dawson stands atop Mount Davis

ALT Henry Dawson stands atop Mount Davis

A crate of trash with OAKLAND spray-painted on it

ALT A crate of trash with OAKLAND spray-painted on it

Trash cans on their sides and a lone chair

ALT Trash cans on their sides and a lone chair

The view of the field from Mount Davis

ALT The view of the field from Mount Davis

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Baseball is not at the Olympics yet, but at least one baseball fan is.
Stephanie Apstein@stephapstein
25 Jul 2024
Bryce Harper wants to play in the Olympics so badly he tried to have it written into his Phillies contract. It’s starting to look like he might get his wish: bit.ly/4ftFuD0
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Gabby Thomas has spent her whole life trying to figure out whether she belongs in the elite spaces she inhabits. Now she’s owning them. “Each day, you make a decision that you belong there. And eventually you do.” bit.ly/3WnwkjK
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Suni Lee won the most prestigious award in gymnastics, then endured a devastating health collapse. Why is she back for more? “I really wanted to redeem myself.” Sometimes the only thing harder than winning gold is everything that comes next: bit.ly/4bkQzTF
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Major League Baseball announced that it is investigating Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, amid allegations that Mizuhara stole some $4.5 million from Ohtani to pay Mizuhara’s gambling debts.
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He took a bite out of it.

ALT He took a bite out of it.

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We are so lucky to be alive at the same time as @BrendanKutyNJ.
Brendan Kuty brought a full rotisserie chicken to the ballpark for lunch.

ALT Brendan Kuty brought a full rotisserie chicken to the ballpark for lunch.

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Shohei Ohtani is signing with the Dodgers. Source: Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani to Dodgers

ALT Ohtani to Dodgers
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Many people in baseball lament executive groupthink. I wrote about executive groupdress: bit.ly/4abWv1Z
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Replying to @AdamMcCalvy
I hear you! But also:
Garrett Stubbs and five beers

ALT Garrett Stubbs and five beers
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One last Creed singalong for the Rangers.
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Diamondbacks fans have begun throwing paper airplanes on the field. I’ve seen four so far. (You can see the batboy picking one up on the right side of this video while one falls on the left side.)
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No state has more iconography than Texas. How did they decide that the mascot race should be dots??
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A few dozen Phillies fans have remained at CBP to boo the Diamondbacks as they receive the NL trophy.
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Phillies owner John Middleton doing gymnastics to hand out baseballs to Phillies fans. Overheard: “Is it pandering if it f—— rules?”
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This summer, Ketel Marte was walking through the mall when he spotted some Diamondbacks shorts at Foot Locker. The better part of $1000 later, his teammates now wear and rave about them. “They’re sick.” Important journalism: bit.ly/3M5oFRE
Black Diamondbacks shorts

ALT Black Diamondbacks shorts

Teal Diamondbacks shorts

ALT Teal Diamondbacks shorts
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The Kelce brothers are here. No word about any plus-ones …
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This is the kind of bold thinking that’s going to get Bruce Bochy to the Hall of Fame.
Q. Garver did a pretty nice job in the third spot yesterday. Are you close to settling and maybe that he would stay there, or are you still going to adjust, depending on what the match-ups are? BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I'll say this. If you hit a Grand Slam, you're in there the next day. So that's a rule I had. I came up with it about ten years ago. But I think you'll see Mitch get more playing time. And I said this to Mitch. I want to get him in the mix a few days ago.

ALT Q. Garver did a pretty nice job in the third spot yesterday. Are you close to settling and maybe that he would stay there, or are you still going to adjust, depending on what the match-ups are? BRUCE BOCHY: Well, I'll say this. If you hit a Grand Slam, you're in there the next day. So that's a rule I had. I came up with it about ten years ago. But I think you'll see Mitch get more playing time. And I said this to Mitch. I want to get him in the mix a few days ago.

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Atlanta fans are throwing things onto the field in protest of the catcher’s interference call that gave the Phillies another run. Atlanta rightfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. just helped clean up.
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Rays bullpen catcher Jean Ramírez took his own life last year. Since then, his parents have tried to heal the Rays, and the Rays have tried to heal his parents. “I lost my son. But God gave me 40 sons.” Today’s @SInow Daily Cover: bit.ly/3XY9jDj
Today’s @Sinow Daily Cover

ALT Today’s @Sinow Daily Cover

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Now playing at Citi Field: Charlie Freeman pitching, Charley Kershaw batting, Matthew Prior catching, Clayton Kershaw umpiring.
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“Nasty,” energetic, unsure how to use a disposable camera—here comes the next generation of the USWNT. On the cover of this month’s issue of @SInow: bit.ly/3Na94A7
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Almost no one publicly battles and recovers from the yips. No one does it twice. Today’s @SInow Daily Cover, about Daniel Bard, anxiety and honesty: bit.ly/3WaLwPE
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Wow, this might be the best Jumbotron game I’ve ever seen. Good job by the Rays. Only two of these are real: A. Florida man takes pet python into barbershop B. Florida man eats only macaroni and cheese for 17 years C. Florida man steals forklift because he was tired of walking
A. Florida man takes pet python into barbershop B. Florida man eats only macaroni and cheese for 17 years C. Florida man steals forklift because he was tired of walking

ALT A. Florida man takes pet python into barbershop B. Florida man eats only macaroni and cheese for 17 years C. Florida man steals forklift because he was tired of walking

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Shohei Ohtani just put a baseball here.
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Eight hours before Cuba plays the US in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic in Miami, the protests outside the ballpark have begun.
Cuba Libre protest

ALT Cuba Libre protest
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Per MLB, Juan Soto home runs and Julio Rodríguez catches are more effective at attracting female fans than pink merch and fashion shows at the ballpark.
In Puerto Rico, WAPA Deportes delivered a +77% increase in comparison to 2017 for all games featuring Puerto Rico in the First Round. Puerto Rico’s game against Dominican Republic averaged a 62% share of people watching TV at the time. Twenty-four percent of viewers who watched that game were under 35 years and 55% were female viewers.

ALT In Puerto Rico, WAPA Deportes delivered a +77% increase in comparison to 2017 for all games featuring Puerto Rico in the First Round. Puerto Rico’s game against Dominican Republic averaged a 62% share of people watching TV at the time. Twenty-four percent of viewers who watched that game were under 35 years and 55% were female viewers.

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There’s a lot of news in here, but this exchange stood out to me, especially given the Angels’ history of star power with little depth. “I said, ‘You mean you need more than just Turner?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’” bit.ly/3Fgdbr5
After the Angels lost 89 games last year, Moreno says he wanted to sign shortstop Trea Turner. He asked general manager Perry Minasian about the potential cost and fit. “I kept saying, ‘What about Turner? Is this what we need?’” Moreno says. Minasian, he says, told him the Angels had multiple needs besides shortstop. “I said, ‘You mean you need more than just Turner?’” Moreno says. “He says, ‘Yeah.’ So, it’s about the distribution of money. Is it one player who makes a splash? Or is it, ‘Hey, we can spend this money on two or three players.’”

ALT After the Angels lost 89 games last year, Moreno says he wanted to sign shortstop Trea Turner. He asked general manager Perry Minasian about the potential cost and fit. “I kept saying, ‘What about Turner? Is this what we need?’” Moreno says. Minasian, he says, told him the Angels had multiple needs besides shortstop. “I said, ‘You mean you need more than just Turner?’” Moreno says. “He says, ‘Yeah.’ So, it’s about the distribution of money. Is it one player who makes a splash? Or is it, ‘Hey, we can spend this money on two or three players.’”

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Team Venezuela batting practice is a pretty cool scene. You almost never see this many players gathered around the cage, just hanging out. Parts of the WBC feel artificial, but most of it feels really real.
Team Venezuela gathered around the batting cage

ALT Team Venezuela gathered around the batting cage
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Clevinger’s statement:
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MLB says it has finished its investigation into Mike Clevinger for allegations of domestic violence and decided not to impose discipline.
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During the 2020 season—when almost no one was allowed in stadiums—two Padres jerseys went missing. Then two Giants jerseys. Then 10 Dodgers jerseys. It was a locked-room mystery, more Agatha Christie than Christy Mathewson. Who was stealing? And how? bit.ly/3EInZ0K
No shirt, Sherlock SI Daily Cover

ALT No shirt, Sherlock SI Daily Cover

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Otter’s automatic transcription service saves me so much time. It also brings me great joy when it tries to transcribe Japanese.
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Ohtani is basically declining to answer questions about whether he is open to remaining with the Angels after this season. “As of now I’m an Angel and that’s all I want to focus on.”
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Leave it to @chelsea_janes to be the only reporter prepared for it to be 40° and raining in Phoenix on day one of spring training
Hand warmers

ALT Hand warmers

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Trevor Bauer’s representatives on today’s decision:
Statement from Jon Fetterolf, Shawn Holley and Rachel Luba, Mr. Bauer’s Representatives: While we are pleased that Mr. Bauer has been reinstated immediately, we disagree that any discipline should have been imposed. That said, Mr. Bauer looks forward to his return to the field, where his goal remains to help his team win a World Series.

ALT Statement from Jon Fetterolf, Shawn Holley and Rachel Luba, Mr. Bauer’s Representatives: While we are pleased that Mr. Bauer has been reinstated immediately, we disagree that any discipline should have been imposed. That said, Mr. Bauer looks forward to his return to the field, where his goal remains to help his team win a World Series.

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Grant Wahl died of an undetected ascending aortic aneurysm. This is how he lived: “Above all, he expressed his values through his work: his commitments to seeking truth through reporting, supporting fundamental human rights, and fighting for equality.”
An autopsy was performed by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office. Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium. The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms. No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him. His death was unrelated to COVID. His death was unrelated to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious about his death.

ALT An autopsy was performed by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office. Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium. The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms. No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him. His death was unrelated to COVID. His death was unrelated to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious about his death.

Eric Wahl
@ziplamak
14 Dec 2022
A note from Grant's wife, Céline Gounder open.substack.com/pub/grantw…
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Setting up
Boras Corp backdrop, podium, reporters

ALT Boras Corp backdrop, podium, reporters

Stephanie Apstein@stephapstein
6 Dec 2022
Scott Boras is talking soon. I asked him about the most ridiculous show in baseball. “Ninety-five percent of the things I bring, they’ll throw paper at me,” he said. “‘This is terrible! Get out of here!’” That’s right—the puns could be even worse. bit.ly/3UQWSWR
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In the Red Sox suite right now. “Someone at Hyatt has a sense of humor,” team president Sam Kennedy said.
“Pessimist” wine

ALT “Pessimist” wine

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In the Red Sox suite right now. “Someone at Hyatt has a sense of humor,” team president Sam Kennedy said.
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