Baseball

3/11/2026 |  MLB report settles World Series Game 7 plate drama: IKF was out by feet, not inches (Associated Press (AP)) It was the most debated play of the year in Major League Baseball, perhaps the most dissected and discussed sequence in World Series history.
Should Isiah Kiner-Falefa have taken a bigger lead? Why did the third base coach draw a line in the dirt right there? What if IKF sprinted to the plate instead of sliding?
“I’ll think about it until the day I leave this earth,” Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider lamented.

3/11/2026 |  A stunning U.S. loss to Italy leaves World Baseball Classic fate hanging (Associated Press (AP)) HOUSTON (AP) — The surprising loss by the United States to Italy in the World Baseball Classic Tuesday night means that the Americans need help to advance to the quarterfinals.
The 8-6 defeat left the team with a 3-1 record at the end of its pool schedule. Mexico and Italy wrap up Pool B play Wednesday night where a win by the Italians will give the U.S. second place and a spot in the next round.

3/11/2026 |  MLB's ABS challenge system, explained (AXIOS Sports) Major League Baseball is debuting the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System to reduce missed calls on balls and strikes this season.
Why it matters: It aims to improve fairness on borderline judgements, especially in critical situations.
State of play: This technology-assisted review system has been tested in the minor leagues since 2022.

3/11/2026 |  World Baseball Classic news, live updates: Team USA's quarterfinal hopes rest on outcome of Italy-Mexico game (Yahoo Sports) The final day of pool play at the World Baseball Classic and there’s a lot riding on the outcome of each of the three games.
After a stunning 8-6 loss to Italy on Tuesday night, the United States now needs Italy to beat Mexico Wednesday night — or have Italy score no more than four runs in a nine-inning loss to Mexico — to reach the quarterfinals.

3/8/2026 |  World Baseball Classic’s Energy Is Winning Over MLB Stars (Front Office Sports) Even a Cy Young Award winner who’s just been through a bruising arbitration process is changed by the allure of the World Baseball Classic. 
Tigers ace Tarik Skubal was initially set to make just one start in the WBC and then promptly return to spring training with Detroit.