Leif Skodnick

Earth

Editor-in-Chief at World Baseball Network

Words @ World Baseball Network. [email protected]. Sometimes, I write about golf and broadcast hockey, too.

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Articles

Japanese Female Pitcher Ayami Sato Debuts In Canada’s Intercounty Baseball League

2 days ago | worldbaseball.com | Leif Skodnick

About 2 minutes reading time. It was a historic Sunday afternoon for the Toronto Maple Leafs of Canada’s Intercounty Baseball League, who trotted out Ayami Sato as their starter against the Kitchener Panthers. Sato, a native of Amami Ōshima, Japan, is a three-time WBSC Women’s Baseball World Championship MVP, and now the first woman to play professionally in the Intercounty League.
World Baseball Network’s College Baseball Top 25 For May 12

3 days ago | worldbaseball.com | Leif Skodnick

About 7 minutes reading time. Here are the updated college baseball top 25 rankings from World Baseball Network as of May 12. The number next to the team’s name indicates how much they moved from last week’s rankings. A (-) sign indicates no movement and/or a new team into the top 25. 1. Oregon Ducks (38-13, 19-8 Big Ten, (-) from last week) – The Oregon Ducks maintain their number one spot in the top 25 after sweeping the Washington Huskies at home.
LMB: Pericos de Puebla Pecking Away At Diablos Rojos’ Lead in Zona Sur

3 days ago | worldbaseball.com | Leif Skodnick

About 4 minutes reading time. The last two teams to capture the Zaachila Cup, awarded to the winner of the Serie del Rey, the championship series of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, sit atop the Zona Sur standings as the LMB season approaches the end of its first month. Sure, the Diablos Rojos del Mexico, at 17-4, are performing as was expected — they’re a literal “superteam,” perhaps as much as one team could possibly be in professional baseball.
Salon de Fama del Beisbol Mexicano Inducts Five Former MLBers; 14 Players With Great Careers In Mexico

6 days ago | worldbaseball.com | Leif Skodnick

About 5 minutes reading time. The Salon de Fama del Beisbol Mexicano — the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame — announced the class of 2025, comprised of 19 new members this week. Five of the electees had significant careers in Major League Baseball, while 14 had significant careers in Mexican professional baseball. Elected to the Salon de Fama in the MLB category were Erubiel Durazo, Ismael Valdez, Rodrigo Lopez, Jorge de la Rosa, and Karim Garcia.
MLB Names Nelson Tejada As Interim Director of Office In Dominican Republic

6 days ago | worldbaseball.com | Leif Skodnick

About 2 minutes reading time. Hours after parting ways with Yerik Perez, the head of Major League Baseball’s office in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the league named Nelson Tejada as the office’s interim director, according to a report by ESPN Deportes.
Report: MLB Parts Ways Head of Dominican Republic Office, Others

1 week ago | worldbaseball.com | Leif Skodnick

About 2 minutes reading time. Yerik Perez, an attorney who headed up Major League Baseball’s office in the Dominican Republic, has parted ways with MLB, along with other staffers based in the Caribbean nation. The news was first reported by Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. “We have mutually agreed to the departure of several members of our staff in the Dominican Republic. We appreciate their service and wish them the best,” MLB told ESPN.
KBO: NC Dinos Moving All Remaining 2025 Home Games To Ulsan After Stadium Accident Caused Fan’s Death

1 week ago | worldbaseball.com | Leif Skodnick

About 2 minutes reading time. The NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization will play all their remaining home games in the 2025 season at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium, the team announced Thursday. The Dinos’ home stadium, Changwon NC Park in Changwon, was the site of a tragedy on March 29, when a female fan was struck by a falling panel during a game against the LG Twins. Two days later, the fan died of a head injury. The KBO plays a 144-game regular season.
Baltimore Orioles Sign Cuban Naykel Cruz to Free Agent Deal

1 week ago | worldbaseball.com | Leif Skodnick

About 2 minutes reading time. The Baltimore Orioles have signed left-handed pitcher Naykel Cruz, according to Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com. Cruz, 26, played in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and the 2021 and 2022 U-23 Baseball World Cups for Cuba, as well as playing four seasons in the Serie Nacional with Matanzas, a season in the Cuban Elite League with Centrales, and part of a season in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol with the Piratas de Campeche.
U.S. Treasury Dept.'s Cuban Asset Control Regulations Will Prohibit MLB Players From Returning To, Playing For Cuba

1 week ago | worldbaseball.com | Leif Skodnick

About 6 minutes reading time. A recent report from Swing Completo indicated that new regulations promulgated by the U.S. Treasury Department‘s Office of Foreign Assets Control could prevent players of Cuban origin who have taken up residence elsewhere from playing for Cuba in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
LMB: Miguel Tejada Takes Over As Manager of Bravos de Leon

1 week ago | worldbaseball.com | Leif Skodnick

About 2 minutes reading time. After a 6-9 start to the 2025 campaign, the Bravos de Leon have fired manager Matias Carrillo and elevated bench coach Miguel Tejada to the head job. Tejada, 51, played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball, hitting 30 or more homers in four different seasons and winning the American League MVP award in 2002 before playing his final summer as a professional with the Pericos de Puebla in the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol.