Negro Leaders

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. But two other players only had a chance to play in the Negro Leagues. For years, baseball experts have wondered how these players would have done against Major League pitching. Thanks to the Maelstrom, some of these questions have been answered.

Oscar Charleston has now been playing for the Homestead Grays for 10 seasons. Over that span, he has a lifetime .361 average with 20 HR per season and 917 SB over that time. This year, Charleston has taken Player of the Week honors 4 times and is hitting a league-leading .413 with 14 HR and 40 RBI. In addition, he hasn't committed an error all year in Centerfield.

In Houston, Cool Papa Bell is having a better Sophomore season than he did in his debut year. Bell is hitting .346 and has already hit 7 HR, despite hitting just 4 all of last year. Last season, Bell stole a jaw-dropping 195 bases. This year, he leads the National League with 71. Bell has also not yet made an error in Centerfield.

Joining the two next season will be college phenom, Satchel Paige. Though Paige had a chance to show his stuff in the Major Leagues in his prior career, it wasn't until he was already past his prime. Now he'll get a chance for a full career. These Negro Leaguers will all put their stamp on the Maelstrom, and for their lucky teams, they are showing that they deserve to play here.

Past News

Raines and Clemente Keep Holding On

Prior to this season, the Major League record for most seasons played was 27, held by Nolan Ryan (1966-1993) and Cap Anson (1871-1897). Now, two other players have joined them on the list.

In Montreal, original legend, Tim Raines, will turn 45 by the end of the season. But that hasn't led him to hang up his cleats and call it a career. It's been 10 years since Raines had his last productive season, hitting .313 with 13 HR in 2017 while stealing 76 bases. Since then, he hasn't reached 100 hits. He's still shy of 3000 for his career, and likely won't get the 83 more that he would need. But the Expos have made the playoffs for the last two years, giving him hope that he'll get a chance to earn an elusive World Series ring.

Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, Roberto Clemente is taking advantage of a long career. It's something he didn't have the opportunity to enjoy in his first round in Major League Baseball. For Clemente, it's been 9 years since his productive .303 2018 season that saw him hit 20 HR. Even so, the 44-year-old outfielder has shown some flashes of his old brilliance. He's 6 for 17 this season. And the Pirates are leading the division with a 12-5 record. It's still early, but fans are hoping the team can give Clemente one more shot at a World Championship before he retires. In both players' cases, this will likely be the last year they'll have a chance.

No MCL Repeat Likely

For the last two seasons, the Rice Owls and Ohio State Buckeyes have faced off in the College World Series. But that isn't likely this year. Despite picking up Frank Robinson, Rice was eliminated. Ohio State has tied Oklahoma with 3 games left to play.

Bees Sting Bats in Championship

It took 7 games, but the Salt Lake Bees emerged with their 1st AAA Championship thanks to a 2-hit shutout by Lawrence Ganey. It was the 6th straight season with a PCL Champion dating back to 2021 when Syracuse took the crown.