2019 – The two-act opera “The Fix”, composed by Joel Puckett, has its premiere at the Minnesota Opera in St. Paul, MN. It is inspired by events around the Black Sox Scandal, which marks its 100th anniversary this year.
2019 – Commissioner Rob Manfred announces rule changes for the coming season. While the idea of a pitch clock has been dropped, other measures adopted include: lowering the number of mound visits from six to five, following the successful introduction of the rule in 2018; a shorter break between innings; making the July 31st trading deadline a hard one, with no trades allowed for the two remaining months of the season; a shift in procedure for nominating starters in the All-Star Game and additional bonuses for participants in the Home Run Derby; beginning next season, a clear roster limit, with 26 during the first five months and 28 for September, with all teams being required to respect the limits; and a minimum of three batters faced for relief pitchers, barring injury or the end of the half-inning, also starting with the 2020 season.
2019 – Astros pitcher Francis Martes, recovering from Tommy John surgery, is handed an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a PED.
2019 – Veteran OF Adam Jones, one of a number of prominent free agents still on the market, signs a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks for $3 million.
2019 – Major League Baseball announces that it has reached an agreement with the independent Atlantic League to have the circuit test out some potential rule changes this year, including larger bases, moving back the pitcher’s mound by two feet, limiting defensive shifts and imposing a minimum numbers of batters faced a by a relief pitcher brought into the game. All balls and strikes will also be called by an automated system, and not the home plate umpire, except for a few specific exceptions.
2019 – Pitcher Steven Wright of the Red Sox is suspended for 80 games for violating Major League Baseball’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
2019 – After a second opinion, Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez resigns himself to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a tear in his throwing elbow. He will miss the entire season as a result.
2019 – San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer takes a leave of absence from his duties after a video showing him physically abusing his wife Pamela in a public park a few days earlier surfaces on the web.
2019 – The Phillies introduce their new marquee player in free agent OF Bryce Harper, just signed to a record-breaking 13-year deal worth $330 million.
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