Have you seen the new Mattingly Wood Bats yet?

Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan has spearheaded a group to purchase the Texas Rangers. He and businessman Chuck Greenberg's tremendous efforts to purchase the team were unanimously approved by the MLB and its owners. The group paid a reported 590 million dollars for the rights to the team, outbidding Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. To read more about Ryan's purchase and what the future holds for the Texas Rangers organization, please read this article from Yahoo!.com. 

Thirteen year old Chelsea Baker will become only the second woman in history to be honored in the MLB Hall of Fame. The knuckleball pitcher from Plant City, Florida has experienced tremendous success since she learned her famous knuckleball from former Yankees pitcher Joe Niekro when she was nine years old. To read more about her induction and what it means to the future of women in baseball, please read this article by MLB Fanhouse

Bud Selig, who owned the Milwaukee Brewers from 1970 until 1992 when he became acting commissioner for MLB, will have a statue erected in his honor outside of Miller Park, the Brewers' home. This statue is scheduled to be unveiled Aug 24. Selig has been the commissioner of baseball since 1992, having given his daughter the team at that time. To read more about this tremendous honor for the commissioner  and what it means to the Brewers and Milwaukee, please read this article from ESPN.com. 

Don Mattingly will finally get a chance to do what many Dodgers fans predict he will do within the next couple years; manage. This October, he will begin managing the Phoenix Desert Dogs, a team made up of prospects from the Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins, New York Yankees and Oakland A's. The six team Arizona Fall League will begin play October 12 and run until November 20. To read more about the team and Mattingly's reaction to his first managing opportunity, please read the article by the Phoenix News.

Former player Andre Dawson, manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey will be inducted into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame this weekend. Dawson, who spent time in Montreal and the Chicago Cubs, will be inducted as an Expo. Herzog, who managed the St. Louis Cardinals for most of the 1980's to 3 NL pennants and a World Series, will go in as a Cardinal. Harvey umpired 18 years, doing several World Series and All-Star games. To read more about these three soon to be immortals' careers, please read the article by MLB.com

Lou Piniella, World Series manager of the 1990 Cincinnati Reds, along with several other teams, has announced his retirement effective at the end of this season. Piniella, currently with the Chicago Cubs, also managed the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Rays during his successful 23 year career as a major league manager. He will retire the 14th winningest manager in major league history, having notched 1,826 wins as of Tuesdays game against the Astros. For more on "Sweet Lou's" announcement and the tremendous legacy he will leave behind, please read this article from MLB.com.

First round draft picks of the Orioles, Rays, Angels, Brewers, Pirates and Padres made the First Team of the baseball magazines annual list. Most of the players will be playing for minor or major league clubs next year, while others have opted to play baseball in college next year. To see the list in its entirety, please follow this link to Baseball America

Brian McCann's bases-clearing double with the bases loaded put the National League ahead 3-1 in the 7th inning of Tuesday's All-Star Game. The NL never relinquished that lead and went on to win its first All-Star game since 1996. The Braves catcher took home the MVP honors, while Nationals' Matt Capps picked up the win, and the Yankees' Phil Hughes was credited with the loss. For more on the game, its box score, and commentary from those who played in it, see this article written by the MLB.

At the age of 80, George M. Steinbrenner, who has owned the New York Yankees for over 30 years, died of a massive heart attack on Tuesday, July 13. During his ownership of the most successful franchise in Major League Baseball, his teams won seven World Series titles, more than any team in that time period. Known as a disciplinarian who would do anything to win, his rugged business decisions and in-your face behavior made him a recognizable public figure throughout the country. To learn more about the life and death of the most successful owner in all of sports, please read this article from MLB.com