Sports

Sports

Major League Baseball Works To Win Fans' Trust

6:06am August 06, 2013

Monday was a historic one for Major League Baseball after 13 players were suspended for violating the league's drug policy. It's the largest group of players ever sanctioned at one time in an anti-doping action. Is baseball hoping the scope of this sends a message?

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According to author David Epstein, hitters like the Los Angeles Angels' Albert Pujols look at the movement of the pitcher's shoulder, torso or hand to help them hit the ball.

Talent Or Skill?: Homing In On The Elusive 'Sports Gene'

11:59pm August 05, 2013

Do big league hitters have naturally faster reflexes? Are African-Americans predisposed to be better athletes? In his new book, Sports Illustrated's David Epstein says science now has answers — or at least insights — to all these questions.

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Sports

A-Rod Said To Be Facing Long Suspension From Baseball

5:52am August 05, 2013

Major League Baseball is expected to hand down suspensions to several players implicated in performance enhancing drug use. New York Yankees all star Alex Rodriguez is the most prominent name on the list, and he also faces the longest suspension.

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Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers breaks his bat on a single to right field during a game in June. The rate of such breaks has been cut in half since 2008.

Sports

How Major League Baseball Alleviated Its Broken Bat Problem

6:29pm August 03, 2013

by NPR Staff

In 2008, bats split into pieces once a game on average, posing injury risks to players, umpires and even fans. The issue coincided with a rapid rise in the popularity of maple bats. So Major League Baseball called in a pinch-hitter: the U.S. Forest Service.

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Sports

Drugs And The Future Of Baseball

1:46pm August 03, 2013

Major League Baseball is expected to make an announcement soon about suspending players for using performance enhancing drugs. ESPN's Howard Bryant joins guest host Linda Wertheimer to talk sports.

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Skiers Jessie Diggins (from left), Kikkan Randall and Sadie Bjornsen finish practice. During the summer, they ski on Eagle Glacier to prepare for competition. It's one of the few places where skiers can train on snow during the summer.

Glacier Helps U.S. Ski Team Drift Ahead Of Competition

6:09pm August 01, 2013

by Annie Feidt

The U.S. cross-country ski team is in the best position to win an Olympic medal in more than a quarter century. Its secret weapon? A pristine glacier — only accessible by helicopter — in the mountains high above Anchorage. It allows the skiers to train on snow throughout the summer.

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Super Bowl volunteer Ben Schreiber distributes fan guides to any of the thousands of people who may need them while visiting Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI festivities, in 2012.

Sports

Why Would You Volunteer For Next Year's Super Bowl?

1:40pm July 31, 2013

by Frank Deford

The Super Bowl is one of the great financial bonanzas of modern times. From the players to the networks to the hotels, everybody involved with it makes a killing.

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Hazel Trexler-Campbell throws spray-painted horseshoes during the Senior Games in Cleveland on July 23.

Pickleball, Anyone? Senior Athletes Play New Games And Old

11:23am July 31, 2013

by Ina Jaffe

The National Senior Games taking place in Cleveland have some sports in common with the Summer Olympics, like track and field, basketball and swimming. There's also shuffleboard and horseshoes. And this year, there's a new sport, pickleball — a tennis/pingpong/whiffle ball hybrid — that's growing fast.

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Sports

The Trouble with PJ

11:18am July 30, 2013

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Graham Johnston, 82, poses for a portrait through an underwater window at the pool on Wednesday. Graham competed at the Senior Games in Cleveland, where more than 10,000 athletes older than 55 are competing in various sports.

Age Hasn't Stopped This Man From Swimming — And Winning

12:01pm July 29, 2013

by Ina Jaffe

Swimmer Graham Johnston, who's in his 80s now, is competing in the Senior Olympics in Cleveland. He's been swimming all his life, including competing at the 1952 Olympics for his home country of South Africa. Even at his age, he still trains five to six times a week.

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