Big Papi elected to HOF; Bonds, Clemens, Schilling left out
David Ortiz was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first turn on the ballot, while steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were denied entry to Cooperstown in their final year under consideration by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/C44Z35JZCJHMTBHUQHLRP4RPF4.jpg)
Florida shill candidate scheme: Dark money divided among 5 beneficiaries
Dark money sent to a Central Florida printer was divided up amongst five beneficiaries, according to new court documents released by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office in its ongoing investigation into the shill candidate scheme.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4C35BRJ7JJFKBF3AOF6DPOYIJE.jpg)
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are renting this Miami Beach mansion for $130k a month
Remember JLo’s hit single back in 2001, “Love Don’t Cost a Thing?” Well, it turns out love certainly costs at least something for the superstar, as she’s renting a waterfront mansion in Miami Beach with her ex, Ben Affleck, for over $100,000 a month.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/04-16-2021/t_eefd97a826714f76a28c993775a941f8_name_image.jpg)
Artiles and shill candidate plead not guilty; hints to defense strategy emerge
Former state Sen. Frank Artiles and Alex Rodriguez, the sham candidate Artiles is accused of masterminding, entered written not-guilty pleas Friday in the alleged plot to swing the District 37 state senate race in November.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/03-25-2021/t_1ddaa0b4b0384f1a8fb6babcf7b849c8_name_image.jpg)
11 Dem. members of Florida Congress want federal investigation into shill candidates
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The investigation into planting shill candidates in state legislative races may be widening. On Thursday, 11 Democratic members of Congress from Florida asked U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to launch a federal investigation into the shill candidates and their dark money. If the request is granted, the investigation into the sham candidates could be turbo-charged and could uncover the source of the $500,000 spent on three sham candidates last fall. AdUnited States Representative Frederica Wilson was one of the Florida House members who sent the letter to the attorney general. In at least three Florida senate races, sham candidates were planted by political operatives and funded by dark money groups in order to sway the electoral outcome.”Wilson’s solution?
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6F7LVE3EFZBFFNQIYC2GS5XMPM.jpg)
Read the warrant alleging ex-Florida Sen. Frank Artiles paid shill candidate to dupe voters
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Former state lawmaker Frank Artiles and Alex Rodriguez, a candidate allegedly paid to fool voters in the 2020 election, were booked into jail in Miami-Dade County on Thursday. Investigators say Artiles paid Rodriguez $44,708.03 “for changing his party affiliation, qualifying as an independent candidate for Senate Seat 37, and attempting to [siphon] votes from the incumbent candidate.”That Democrat incumbent shared the last name Rodriguez, and Jose Javier Rodriguez ultimately lost the District 37 vote to Republican challenger Ileana Garcia by just 32 votes. Details of the scheme are outlined by investigators in a warrant obtained by Local 10 News that can be read below:
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/03-19-2021/t_d0dd6dc925eb41c6a596e682f2bf0f57_name_image.jpg)
Ex-Florida Sen. Frank Artiles walks out of jail facing felony campaign finance charges
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Frank Artiles walked out of Miami-Dade County jail late Thursday night after posting a $5,000 bond. Shill candidate Alex Rodriguez was also booked on Thursday morning. (Courtesy of Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office)Rodriguez was released on bond Thursday afternoon and declined comment outside the jail. The plant candidate Alex Rodriguez, a deep-in-debt machinery rep who actually lived two counties away from the district, got over 6,000 votes despite not actually campaigning, nor having actual political aspirations. Alex Rodriguez, 55, told investigators that Artiles, 47, contacted him on May 15, 2020, through Facebook Messenger.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/03-17-2021/t_ff5a4e3cee3e450eb98701785c5c0383_name_image.jpg)
Ex-Sen. Frank Artiles’ home raided in shill candidate investigation
Investigators are looking for evidence of Artiles’ possible communication with Alex Rodriguez, a shill candidate in the District 37 Florida Senate race, and whether there is proof Artiles illegally paid for and paid off the sham candidate. Ad🚨Breaking: search warrant raid right now at home of resigned #Florida Sen. Frank Artiles re shill candidate he planted, Alex Rodriguez. Prosecutors have been working the case for months, following the money and communications between Artiles and Alex Rodriguez. Shill candidate Alex Rodriguez got over 6,000 votes. There is no evidence that suggests Garcia was involved or had any knowledge of the shill being planted in the race.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RYFAA66JEJAU3PDE2HUV27R7PM.jpg)
J-Rod continues: Lopez, Rodriguez say they're still together
FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2020 file photo, Jennifer Lopez, left, and Alex Rodriguez take a selfie as they arrive at the 26th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles. Lopez and Rodriguez said Saturday, March 13, 2021, in a statement that reports of their split are inaccurate, and they are working things through. Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez said Saturday that reports of their split are inaccurate, and they are working things through. “All the reports are inaccurate,” said the joint statement Saturday “from Jennifer and Alex,” emailed to The Associated Press by representatives. The couple was given the nickname "J-Rod" three years ago after they landed on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/03-13-2021/t_8de1e85f36c949a5bd14835ff25428dd_name_image.jpg)
Miami heartbreak: J-Rod calls off 2-year engagement
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez called off their two-year engagement, according to multiple reports based on anonymous sources. The former slugger proposed to the actor a couple years ago after the celebrity couple started dating in early 2017. The last time Lopez and Rodriguez posted a photo together was last month in the Dominican Republic. The couple was given the nickname, J-Rod, three years ago after they landed on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine. In 2019, Rodriguez said he and Lopez had similar backgrounds and her latest film “Second Act” reflected the ties that drew them together.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/03-12-2021/t_00ace67c2e4b495fa7ec0e88b4127710_name_image.jpg)
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez reportedly call off engagement
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have reportedly parted ways. Page Six and TMZ are reporting the couple has officially called off their engagement. The superstars first got together in 2017 before A-Rod put a massive ring on it in 2019. It’s unclear what caused the split.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IKP5EHC42VCOLHGD57KWWE6H6M.jpg)
Could more Hall of Fame shutouts be on the horizon?
The baseball Hall of Fame wont have any new players in the class of 2021 after voters decided no one had the merits on-the-field or off for enshrinement in Cooperstown on this year's ballot. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)It could be a while before the Baseball Writers' Association of America votes anyone new into the Hall of Fame. AdSchilling wrote on Facebook that he has asked the Hall of Fame to remove his name from next year’s ballot. LAST CHANCEBonds and Clemens have one more year on the writers' ballot, and Schilling does, too, unless the Hall abides by his request for removal. OTHER AVENUESEven if the BBWAA doesn't vote anyone in next year, there's still a chance someone will be elected by one of the Eras Committees, which consider players no longer eligible for the BBWAA vote.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CFFAPRIRBVBIHBWMXD3P727EXM.jpg)
Baseball Hall gets no new members; Schilling 16 votes shy
Like many baseball writers, C. Trent Rosecrans viewed the Hall of Fame vote as a labor of love. Schilling, a right-handed ace who won three World Series titles, finished 16 votes short of the 75% threshold necessary for enshrinement. Schilling, Clemens and Bonds will be joined on next year's ballot by sluggers Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz. Schilling wrote on Facebook that he would like the veterans committee to review his Hall case. “I’ll defer to the veterans committee and men whose opinions actually matter and who are in a position to actually judge a player,” Schilling wrote.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/12-04-2020/t_c711765710ce47529ef654b860574fd8_name_image.jpg)
Former Sen. Frank Artiles’ likely shill candidate wants Levine Cava’s former seat
MIAMI – Former Sen. Frank Artiles refused to talk on Thursday night about his role in planting a shill candidate in Miami-Dade’s Senate race for District 37. Given the opportunity, he did not deny Alex Rodriguez likely ran in the Senate race to disrupt Democratic votes for incumbent, Jose Javier Rodriguez. Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez applied to fill the vacant District 8 seat of Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, according to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. Alex Rodriguez, who had 6,382 voters on his side Nov. 3, is at the center of an ongoing shill candidate investigation by the State Attorney’s Office. She had denied any involvement in the shill candidate scheme.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/11-16-2020/t_54b97da5bc9849daa2351cb499cc44ea_name_image.jpg)
Miami-Dade State Senate candidate turns out to be shill funded by dark money that lives two counties away
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A man whose candidacy for a Florida state Senate seat that pushed the race into a recount appears to have had no intent on being elected. Local 10′s Glenna Milberg first spoke to Alex Rodriguez prior to the recount, though he pretended to be someone else. One of the most recent is the fake home address he listed under oath when he filed to run for state Senate. There are also collection letters for thousands more in debts, which begs the question of where the money funding Rodriguez’s run for Senate came from. Listed as a Claremont address, Advance Impression also has an address in Cutler Bay, in Senate District 37.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GSJ33FSBS5DR3MPZRXNMJWWVP4.jpg)
LeMahieu, Soto batting champs in shortest season in century
The .245 big league batting average was the the lowest since .237 in 1968 and down from .252 last year. LeMahieu hit .364 for the New York Yankees, the highest for an AL batting champion since Minnesota’s Joe Mauer hit .365 in 2009 and well ahead of 2019 AL batting champion Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox, who finished second at .322. LeMahieu won the NL batting title with Colorado in 2016. “You've got to just roll with it.”Soto batted .351 for Washington and at 21 years, 11 months, 2 days became the youngest NL batting champion. Bieber and the Chicago Cubs’ Yu Darvish tied for the major league lead in wins with eight.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KGPF4THDU5F6VPJFEHTF5SIIQE.jpg)
LEADING OFF: NL race down to final day — and maybe Monday
If St. Louis loses and San Francisco wins, the Cardinals would make up two games against Detroit on Monday that were postponed this season due to St. Louis' coronavirus outbreak. If the Giants and Brewers win, San Francisco needs St. Louis to lose both games against the Tigers on Monday. The 37-year-old Pence helped San Francisco to World Series championships in 2012 and 2014. A career .279 hitter, he had 244 home runs and 942 RBIs for Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Texas. “He had a tremendous career, did a ton for the community in San Francisco and obviously for the San Francisco Giants,” Kapler said.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LWBCZGZSXRHGZLGIQWXVVM6TZQ.jpg)
Gloria Estefan, Alex Rodriguez mark Latino impact on media
LOS ANGELES – Gloria Estefan, Alex Rodriguez and Eva Longoria will be among the participants in a monthlong online celebration of Latino contributions to television. It’s the first such event by Paley to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Among the highlights of the event (all times Eastern):— “A Tribute to Hispanic Achievements on Television,” 8 p.m. Wednesday on Yahoo Entertainment. Estefan, Longoria, Edward James Olmos, Jimmy Smits and George Lopez are among those participating, with Soledad O’Brien as moderator. — “Telemundo’s ‘La Reina del Sur’: A Conversation with the Stars,” Oct. 2, Yahoo Entertainment and Yahoo en Español.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2MNVT2BYYZEG7HFQWIHAYYHQQ4.jpg)
LEADING OFF: Blue Jays-Yanks, Padres go for 9th straight
San Diego Padres' Jurickson Profar, right, reacts after scoring on a fielder's choice in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in San Diego. Prized rookie Deivi García (1-1, 3.06 ERA) pitches for the Yankees, who have won five straight following a 5-16 slide. New York expects to get third baseman Gio Urshela and right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga back from the injured list. WILD WESTThe surging San Diego Padres go for their ninth straight victory and try to close within a half-game of the West-leading Dodgers when the NL's top two teams square off again at Petco Park. Lamb homered and doubled in his Athletics debut Monday, a 9-0 victory at Seattle that gave his new team a doubleheader split.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/743DFB3DSNE5JDEAY5GHQ2EXOU.jpg)
LEADING OFF: Blue Jays-Yanks, Darvish faces skidding Indians
Prized rookie Deivi García (1-1, 3.06 ERA) pitches for the Yankees, who have won five straight following a 5-16 slide. New York expects to get third baseman Gio Urshela and right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga back from the injured list. Sportico reported Cohen will own 95% of the team, with the rest staying with the Wilpon and Katz families. Former major league star Alex Rodriguez and fiancee Jennifer Lopez also tried to buy the team but dropped out of the bidding last month. Cohen also entered negotiations to buy the Mets last year, but the deal fell apart in February.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/B4CMVMLPGRGBZFJKFKNV66EZLM.jpg)
A-Rod/J-Lo out of Mets' bidding amid report Cohen set to buy
FILE - In this Dec. 13, 2019, file photo, Jennifer Lopez, left, and Alex Rodriguez sit courtside during an NBA basketball game between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers in Miami. Rodriguez and Lopez have retained J.P. Morgan to represent them in raising capital for a possible bid for the New York Mets. The move was first reported by Variety and confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity because it was not announced. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/B4CMVMLPGRGBZFJKFKNV66EZLM.jpg)
A-Rod/J-Lo out of Mets' bidding amid report Cohen set to buy
Rodriguez and Lopez have retained J.P. Morgan to represent them in raising capital for a possible bid for the New York Mets. Rodriguez announced Friday night that despite a fully funded offer at a record price, their group was pulling its offer. CNBC reported Friday night that Cohen had entered final negotiations and was expected to finalize a deal with the team in the coming days. Cohen also entered negotiations to purchase the Mets last year, but the deal fell apart in February. Rodriguez and Lopez emerged as potential buyers after Cohen's first negotiations fell apart.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/G7SLBB74BRDIDCCTFRN22HNFH4.jpg)
Pujols moves up, passes A-Rod on career RBIs chart
HOUSTON Los Angeles Angels star Albert Pujols continued his climb up the career charts Monday night, passing Alex Rodriguez with his 2,087th RBI. The 40-year-old Pujols hit an RBI single in the fifth inning to top A-Rod. Pujols is batting .211 with three home runs and 12 RBIs this season. He's recently been out of the lineup for the Angels, who have the worst record in the American League. The three-time MVP and 10-time All-Star has 659 career home runs, one behind Willie Mays for fifth place.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XJXBHVFYUJAIDE3GIWVVJZOIGU.jpg)
Cole just misses 20th reg-season win in row, Yanks beat Rays
With two outs and a runner on, Cole had a 1-2 count on Ji-Man Choi, who came back to hit an RBI double. Jose Martinez followed with a two-run homer on the 107th pitch from a clearly tiring Cole. Cole was bidding to tie Roger Clemens, Jake Arrieta and Rube Marquard for the third-longest streak ever. His only loss since May 2019 came in Game 1 of the World Series last October, pitching for Houston against Washington. ... Rays C Mike Zunino was mired in an 0 for 23 slide before doubling off Cole during the fifth.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZVLHEQHRABG7TFLFE74REHX3PE.jpg)
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge homers in 5th straight game
(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)NEW YORK Aaron Judge homered for the fifth consecutive game Sunday night, becoming the first New York Yankees player in 13 years to accomplish the feat. The previous Yankees hitter to go deep in five straight games was lex Rodrguez in September 2007. Judge joined A-Rod as the only players in club history to hit five home runs in the first eight games of a season. Judge had never homered in four games in a row until connecting during Saturday night's 5-2 victory over Boston. The shot Sunday gave Judge five homers and 12 RBIs in eight games this year.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HNCVNCFJZVGOLDMXZK6BXL3WQU.jpg)
Batter Up! Baseball, soundtrack of summer, is back - sort of
The Los Angeles Dodgers play the Los Angeles Angels at sunset during the fifth inning of a preseason baseball game, Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in Los Angeles. Rather than keeping players and club personnel sealed in a bubble environment, baseball teams will fly around the country, raising more health concerns. Fans won't be permitted at Nationals Park or at Dodger Stadium when Los Angeles plays San Francisco - or at any field. Going to be 2020 coronavirus baseball, Yankees star pitcher Gerrit Cole said. Its that sound, its the summer sound.___AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum and Janie McCauley and AP Sports Writers Howard Fendrich and Joe Reedy contributed to this report.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DR2LHMHD5FFDTJUKOSJ6U5H2SQ.jpg)
A look back at big hits, bad calls as MLB eyes new draft era
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)NEW YORK Baseballs amateur draft is about to enter the next phase of its ongoing development same as all those young prospects picked every year. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 version was ticketed for a move to Omaha, Nebraska, to coincide with the College World Series there. But with the top pick in the second June amateur draft in 1966, the New York Mets swung and missed. All that hype came to full fruition a decade later, when he was the World Series MVP as the Nationals won the franchises first championship last year. Prior to Appel, the only top overall picks who failed to reach the majors were Chilcott and left-hander Brien Taylor (Yankees, 1991).

Lopez, Rodriguez donate year's worth of food to elementary students
(Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)(CNN) - Students at Jacksboro Elementary School will have food to eat for the next year thanks to Jennifer Lopez and her fianc Alex Rodriguez. On Oct. 2, Goins wrote, "Today I cried at work." A food pantry was formed after her story went viral and Lopez and Rodriguez stepped up. On Wednesday Lopez posted a video on her official Instagram account which showed her and Rodriguez Facetiming with Goins and some students. "When we heard about the students and amazing teachers at Jacksboro Elementary in Tennessee, we knew we had to help," Lopez wrote in the caption of the video she posted.

Items worth $500K stolen from A-Rod's rental car
KPIX via CNN(CNN) - MLB star-turned-sports broadcaster Alex Rodriguez reportedly was the victim Sunday night of a burglary, with the items taken worth $500,000, according to CNN affiliate KPIX. Rodriguez and other members of ESPN's broadcasting crew returned from a dinner out after working the Phillies-Giants game in San Francisco when they discovered someone had broken into their rental car, the station reported. Jewelry, bags, a camera, camera equipment, a laptop computer and electrical equipment were stolen, the San Francisco Police Department said. Police did not identify whom the items belong to. The valuables were worth $500,000, KPIX reported.

Car burglar takes A-Rod's 'irreplaceable' jewelry during half-million heist
Former Major League Baseball player Alex Rodriguez was the victim of a car burglary in San Francisco. MIAMI - Alex Rodriguez, a Coral Gables resident, left about $500,000 in jewelry and electronics inside of an ESPN producer's rental car and a thief took advantage of his mistake in San Francisco. The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Monday that the former Major League Baseball player left the items inside of a black Nissan sports utility vehicle. Rodriguez told ESPN he was sad, because several of the items stolen were of "personal nature and irreplaceable with sentimental value." He told ESPN he was hopeful.

Happy 50th birthday, Jennifer Lopez!
Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS(CNN) - Naturally, Jennifer Lopez got her dance on in honor of her milestone birthday. #leoseason #itsmypartytour #july24 Feeling #happiness #gratitude #love," the caption to the video read. She also posted a boomerang video on her Instagram stories which showed her sporting a sweatsuit with the words "It's my party" running across her backside. "#HappyBirthdayJLO It's your party, Jennifer!" Lopez responded to the posting, saying, "I'm crying....I love our life...I love you so much... thank you my beautiful Macho..."The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company.