BARRY BONDS

Carlos Beltrán, John Lackey and Jered Weaver are among 14 newcomers on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s Hall of Fame ballot in what could turn into an evaluation of the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal.

A few of MLB's biggest and most controversial stars from the steroid era could be voted into the Hall of Fame soon.

Steroids-tainted stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Rafael Palmeiro are on the eight-man ballot for the Hall of Fame’s contemporary baseball era committee, which meets Dec. 4 in San Diego.

For now and forever, Dusty Baker, the epic storyteller, first-class name-dropper, toothpick chewer and baseball lifer will bear a most distinguished title.

Dusty Baker has been here before.

Dusty Baker has been here before. It’s hard not to think of the last time the Astros’ manager was up 3-2 in the Fall Classic as he leads the team back to Houston Saturday night for Game 6 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies needing just one win for a championship. In 2002, Baker’s San Francisco Giants and big bopper Barry Bonds entered Game 6 against the Anaheim Angels up by the same margin.

No U.S.-born Black players are projected to be on World Series rosters when the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros meet this week.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said that fans can "make their own judgment" when it comes to deciding who holds the record for the most home runs in a single season.

Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.

The New York Yankees' star outfielder has broken the 61-year-old record set by fellow Yankee Roger Maris back in 1961.

Aaron Judge has hit his 62nd home run of the season to break Roger Maris’ American League record.

Albert Pujols hit his 703rd home run, breaking a tie with Babe Ruth for second place in career RBIs, but the St. Louis Cardinals lost to Pittsburgh 3-2 when the Pirates drew four consecutive walks in the ninth inning to force home the winning run.

Albert Pujols has hit his 703rd home run, breaking a tie with Babe Ruth for second place in career RBIs.

Albert Pujols slammed his 702nd career home run and drove in three runs in the Cardinals' 7-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols has hit his 701st home run, connecting against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Babe Ruth swatted his then-record 60th home run on Sept. 30, 1927. His total has since been surpassed by five players, but his achievement has only grown in stature across the decades.

Roger Maris Jr. considers the home run feats of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa to be illegitimate and says Aaron Judge should be recognized as the holder of the big league season standard if the New York Yankees slugger hits No. 62.

When Aaron Judge’s American League record-tying 61st home run dropped into Toronto’s bullpen, coach Matt Buschmann picked it up.

Aaron Judge's homerless streak put him into a class of his own among 60-home-run hitters in Monday night's loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols hit his 700th career home run, becoming the fourth player to reach the milestone in major league history.

Albert Pujols joined Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth as the only players in MLB history to hit 700 home runs in their careers on Friday.

Albert Pujols has hit his 699th career home run, continuing his remarkable run toward history in his final season.

Sal Durante was 19 when he caught Roger Maris’ record-breaking 61st home run in 1961.

Aaron Judge and Albert Pujols could make this a milestone week for home runs.

Albert Pujols hit his 698th home run, a tying two-run drive in the sixth inning that sparked the St. Louis Cardinals over the Cincinnati Reds 6-5.

Albert Pujols hit his 698th home run, a two-run drive that pulled the St Louis Cardinals into a sixth-inning tie with the Cincinnati Reds.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said that 73 home runs is the record as he chases the American League record for home runs in a season.

Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina made history with the first pitch of the game, then the record-setting battery helped the St. Louis Cardinals extend their NL Central lead by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1.

Albert Pujols hit his 697th home run, moving past Alex Rodriguez into fourth place on the career list and doing it in dramatic fashion with a ninth-inning drive that rallied the St. Louis Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3.

Albert Pujols hit his 696th home run, tying Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the career list, and the St. Louis Cardinals rallied past the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5.

Aaron Judge homered for the fourth straight game, hitting No. 55 of the year in a doubleheader opener against Minnesota to set the New York Yankees’ season record for right-handed hitters.

Albert Pujols hit his 695th career home run in the eighth inning and Miles Mikolas tossed eight scoreless innings to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0.

Albert Pujols hit career homer No. 693, Jordan Montgomery pitched a one-hitter and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 1-0 for their season-high eighth straight victory.

The playoff-hopeful Seattle Mariners are holding their collective breath that All-Star rookie Julio Rodríguez isn’t seriously injured.

Aaron Judge became the second-fastest player in major league history to reach 200 career home runs, and the New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 8-2.

Yankees star Aaron Judge became the second-fastest player in major league history to reach 200 career home runs with a two-run drive in the second inning for New York against the Kansas City Royals.

LeBron James liked the clown nose.

Aaron Judge homered twice to match Roger Maris’ franchise record of 33 before the All-Star break, Matt Carpenter also connected twice and drove in seven runs, and the New York Yankees throttled the Boston Red Sox 14-1.

Hanser Alberto hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the ninth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers climbed out of a huge hole in a 7-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera were added to All-Star Game rosters by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred under a provision in the sport’s new labor agreement.

Rylan Bannon became just the third Baltimore player since 2000 to get a hit on the first pitch of his big league career, Jorge Mateo and Anthony Bemboom homered and the Orioles beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2.

Angels manager Joe Maddon ordered the second bases-loaded intentional walk of his career and only the third in the majors since at least 1950, and Shohei Ohtani homered twice to lead Los Angeles past the Texas Rangers 9-6.

Angels manager Joe Maddon intentionally walked Texas Rangers star Corey Seager with the bases loaded Friday night, the third time that’s happened in major league history.

Two people familiar with the sport’s Joint Drug Program tell The Associated Press that Major League Baseball has stopped testing players for steroids for the first time in nearly 20 years due to the expiration of the sport’s drug agreement.

With Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling off the ballot, next year’s Baseball Hall of Fame vote figures to be a bit less contentious.

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.

Baseball Hall of Fame voters get one last chance to elect, or ignore, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and David Ortiz appear to be the only players with a chance at Hall of Fame enshrinement when results are unveiled Tuesday, with Ortiz most likely to get in on his first try.

Buck O’Neil, a champion of Black ballplayers during a monumental, eight-decade career on and off the field, has joined Minnie Miñoso, Gil Hodges and three others in being elected to the baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.

David Ortiz, Ryan Howard, Tim Lincecum and Alex Rodriguez are among 13 first-time candidates on the Hall of Fame ballot of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, joining 17 holdovers.

Logan Webb struck out 10 pitching masterfully in his postseason debut, Buster Posey hit a two-run homer that held up, and the 107-win San Francisco Giants blanked the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 in the opener of their NL Division Series.

Trea Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston’s Yuli Gurriel won their first batting titles in a season of boom and bust that saw four teams lose 100 games for only the third time, and four 90-game winners in the AL East alone.

On that sunny morning two decades ago, in the hours and minutes and seconds before everything changed, sports was playing its usual role in the fabric of life.

Boston left-hander Chris Sale is scheduled to make his first big league appearance in just over two years when he faces the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.

Kris Bryant homered in his Giants debut, a two-out solo shot in the third inning, and San Francisco beat the Houston Astros 5-3 on Sunday.

A showcase for Shohei Ohtani became a grand stage for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., too.

Debates about right and left at the All-Star Game used to deal with pitchers or perhaps batting orders.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. joined his father as an All-Star and Fernando Tatis Jr. accomplished a feat his dad never achieved.

Kyle Schwarber’s exploits have now progressed into truly rarified air.

Mets ace Jacob deGrom can set the team record for scoreless innings when he starts against the Phillies at Citi Field on Saturday.

The Baseball Hall of Fame won't 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. He later wrote on Facebook that he has asked the Hall of Fame to remove his name from next year's ballot. Hall of Fame Board Chairman Janes Forbes Clark said in a statement that the board "will consider the request at our next meeting." Schilling, Clemens and Bonds will be joined on next year's ballot by sluggers Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz. BBWAA members are instructed to elect Hall members "based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

The Baseball Hall of Fame won't 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. He later wrote on Facebook that he has asked the Hall of Fame to remove his name from next year's ballot. Hall of Fame Board Chairman Janes Forbes Clark said in a statement that the board "will consider the request at our next meeting." Schilling, Clemens and Bonds will be joined on next year's ballot by sluggers Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz. BBWAA members are instructed to elect Hall members "based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."