After an undefeated weekend in Ottawa with six wins in three days, the Redbirds headed back across the Quebec border to play their regular season opener against the Concordia Stingers (0–1) on Sept. 5. The game opened with a two-run top of the first for Concordia, but McGill was quick[Read More…]
Baseball
Major League Baseball has a “nutting” problem
Professional sports leagues across North America all face the familiar practice of tanking: When teams underperform on purpose. They trade away their best players, neglect fan experience, refuse to sign franchise players to extensions, and intentionally make the team worse. The motivations behind tanking can vary. Oftentimes, the reason to[Read More…]
MLB’s new rule changes: Should we be excited?
Baseball fans, it’s finally here––a new era of the sport is on the horizon. With the average game length coming in at three hours and four minutes, a plummeting fanbase, and offensive output on a steady decline since the juiced ball of 2020, Major League Baseball (MLB) finally recognized its[Read More…]
The World Baseball Classic: What you need to know
Flashback to 2017: The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is underway in Los Angeles. Javy Báez and Marcus Stroman are the stars of the show as the United States defeats Puerto Rico in the gold medal game. Six years and one pandemic later, the most electrifying baseball tournament in the world[Read More…]
We’re talking about Fightins!: Inside the Philadelphia Phillies improbable World Series run
On June 3, with a record of 22–29, Joe Girardi was fired from his job as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. Five months later, the Phillies would face off against the domineering Houston Astros in the World Series, culminating in one of baseball’s greatest Cinderella stories. Being an underdog is[Read More…]
The biggest flops of the 2022 MLB season (so far)
On Oct. 5, the 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season came to a close, and the playoffs are now officially underway. Each team had memorable moments, from the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols becoming the fourth member of the 700-home run club, to the Yankees’ Aaron Judge breaking the American League[Read More…]
Albert Pujols and Aaron Judge are making history without chasing it
The last half-decade of big league baseball has been riddled with sweeping rulebook changes, suspensions, and blockbuster trades that have kept the sport in constant flux. Amidst the chaos, one of baseball’s purest elements—the home run—has convincingly held its place at the core of the sport. The 2019 season alone[Read More…]
Redbirds baseball makes long-awaited return to varsity field with 4-4 record on season
After two long years, McGill’s men’s baseball is finally back. The highly-anticipated return of one of McGill’s most competitive teams kicked off with a series against the University of Toronto (UofT) (4–0) where the Redbirds did not disappoint. McGill cleaned out the Blues, sweeping the series and scoring 18 runs[Read More…]
What on earth is going on with Major League Baseball?
Baseball is a game of highs and lows. In a game where a player hits a grandslam and makes an amazing catch in the outfield, they can also spend a significant amount of time wallowing in the dugout. While there was reason to be hopeful for the state of baseball[Read More…]
An axe to grind: It’s time for Atlanta’s ‘chop’ to go
The transition away from dehumanizing caricatures of Indigenous peoples within the sports world has been marked by many teams dropping their blatantly racist names. After years of activism, McGill changed the moniker of their men’s varsity teams to the “Redbirds” in 2019. The Washington Football Team eliminated their degrading nickname[Read More…]