Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
Lucroy explains why he vetoed Cleveland
Jonathan Lucroy hit his first home run in a Rangers uniform on Thursday, the first run scored in a game versus Baltimore. Texas went on to win, 5–3.
The 30-year-old catcher, recently acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers, sat down with ESPN to discuss why he blocked the trade that would have sent him to Cleveland.
“My decision not to go to Cleveland had nothing to do with the team, but it had everything to do with my future in this game,” Lucroy explains. “It was an economic decision. Period.”
You can read Lucroy’s full explanation here.
Thanking Russell Martin for the cutter
Newly acquired Nationals closer Mark Melancon has his cut fastball to thank for his success in the majors, and it turns out he attributes his adoption of the pitch to two former teammates in particular: Brandon Lyon and Russell Martin.
According to a story in the Washington Post, Lyon, Melancon’s teammate in Houston, helped him with the mechanics, while Martin, his teammate in Pittsburgh, told the pitcher that “the pitch reminded him of the one Rivera threw. He insisted Melancon throw it as often as possible.”
Melancon revealed that Martin’s words gave him a confidence boost. Read the full story here.
Big Sexy W
Bartolo Colon got a win in the Subway Series on Thursday as the Mets defeated the Yankees, 4–1.
After the victory, Colon spoke to the media, admitting he’d been surprised not to see Alex Rodgriguez in the Yankees’ lineup.
“I was surprised not to see him because we all know that he’s always hit well against me,” he said. “I mean, I say that’s my dad.”
Cool at Coors Field
Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda took the mound at the hitter-friendly Coors Field on Thursday, and the Japanese rookie put up a good performance, allowing just two runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings. The Dodgers got the win, 4–2.
“He commands the ball really well and pitches backward,” said Rockies manager Walt Weiss. “He doesn’t throw much in the middle of the plate and doesn’t throw anything straight.”
Teixeira to retire
On Friday, news broke that Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is expected to announce his impending retirement.
The 36-year-old will call it quits at the end of the current season. Teixeira has struggled this year especially, and he’s also dealt with his share of injuries of late. Here’s a look at some of the bigger setbacks he’s faced in recent years.