In one of his last official acts as Commissioner, just hours before stepping down from the position that he held for 23 transformative years, Bud Selig accepted yet another honor Saturday night. He was given the Long and Meritorious Service Award at the annual New York Baseball Writers’ Association of America dinner.

Trade talks between the Phillies and Brewers regarding closer Jonathan Papelbon have “dissipated,” Brewers general manager Doug Melvin told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Saturday.

It was just two St. Paul natives having lunch in their hometown this week, but for Joe Mauer, it was a chance to keep picking the brain of new Twins manager and Hall of Famer Paul Molitor.

Dustin Pedroia no longer has any questions about his health, or any doubts about the kind of season he can have in 2015.

Vince Coleman will join the team as a baserunning coach, advisor and consultant, working this season at the big league and the Minor League level, per general manager Rick Hahn. Coleman, who had 752 career stolen bases in 929 attempts, begins his new job in Spring Training.

The first NHL outdoor game in Colorado sports history will take place Feb. 27, 2016, at Coors Field, when the Colorado Avalanche host the Detroit Red Wings. The game, which is part of the Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, will also mark the first time the Avalanche will play an official outdoor game.

During his 13 years playing for the Cubs, Mark Grace got to know Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, but it was the first time that he met Banks that stands out.

New htting coach Keven Seitzer spent three days this week working on B.J. Upton’s swing and believes the veteran will rebound in 2015.

The A’s are prepared to begin the 2015 season without All-Star closer Sean Doolittle, who has a slight rotator cuff tear in his left shoulder.

MLB Network’s list of the top 10 right fielders in the Majors Leagues right now has a bit of a National League flair. Seven of the players listed — including six of the top seven — hail from the Senior Circuit, with the largest concentration (three apiece) in the NL East and the NL Central.

Sometimes you just turn on a voice recorder and let a person talk. You might have done it with a grandparent at a family reunion. Phil Rogers did it a couple of times with Ernie Banks at events in 2010.

If a Mount Rushmore existed for Indians greats, Larry Doby would undoubtedly have a place on the mountain top. Doby was not only an icon for the franchise, but a trailblazer for black players in the American League.

Ernie Banks never seemed to have a bad day, and isn’t that why we loved him? His was a journey filled with laughter and joy, and with a smile that lit up rooms and warmed hearts for 83 years.

The news of Ernie Banks’ death on Friday, eight days shy of his 84th birthday, brought a flood of memories to contemporaries. Those who knew the man during his playing days as “Mr. Cub” — and well beyond — will tell you he was as universally loved and respected as any player the game of baseball has seen.

Ernie Banks arrived in Chicago by way of the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League, where he played under manager John “Buck” O’Neil, one of the eventual founders of the Negro Leagues Museum. Banks frequently checked in on the museum and was one of its proudest supporters.

Cubs icon Ernie Banks, who would’ve celebrated his 84th birthday in one week on Jan. 31, passed away Friday. His death sparked an outpouring of reaction.

Billy Williams felt the absence of Ernie Banks during Cubs Convention last weekend, and Williams’ biggest fears came true Friday, when he heard his former teammate and longtime friend had passed away.