Mariners announce deal with first-round pick Alex Jackson

By Aaron GleemanJun 23, 2014, 6:36 PM EDT
6 Comments

Making official what was reported last week, the Mariners announced that they’ve signed first-round draft pick Alex Jackson.

Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reports that the deal is worth $4.2 million, which is about $600,000 more than the slot-recommended signing bonus for the No. 6 overall pick and will cost them a luxury tax penalty on top on that money.

Jackson was a high school catcher, but the Mariners drafted him for his high-upside bat and are expected top make him a full-time outfielder in the minors. Baseball America rated him as the fourth-best prospect in the draft class.

Long time NL umpire Dutch Rennert has died

MLB.com
By Craig CalcaterraJun 19, 2018, 10:36 AM EDT
19 Comments

MLB.com reports that long time umpire Dutch Rennert has died at the age of 88.

Rennert retired as a National League umpire after the 1992 season, so a lot of you didn’t get a chance to see him. But believe me, if you got a chance to see him in action, you’d remember him. He had one of the most distinct strikeout calls in history. He’d go turn to the side, go down on one knee, point with purpose and bellow “STRIKE . . . ONNNNNNEEEEE!”

It was quite the scene, man:

 

I used to love it when Rennert called a game I was watching on TV. I always knew the count.

Rest in Peace, Dutch. I cannot vouch for the peace of whoever is on the cloud next to yours, though.