Browsing: Braun

Nov 17, 2025, 12:33 PM ET

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp are among 12 newcomers on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released Monday, and Carlos Beltrán heads 15 holdovers after falling 19 votes shy in 2025 balloting.

Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy and Rick Porcello also are among the first-time eligibles, joined by Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnación, Gio González, Alex Gordon, Nick Markakis and Hunter Pence.

Cole Hamels — who threw a no-hitter in 2015 against the Cubs — along with Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp are among 12 newcomers on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Carlos Beltrán heads 15 holdovers after falling 19 votes shy in 2025 balloting. Jeff Chiu/AP

Beltrán received 277 of 394 votes for 70.3% in the 2025 balloting, when Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected.

A nine-time All-Star, Beltrán hit .279 with 435 homers and 1,587 RBIs over 20 seasons with Kansas City (1999-2004), Houston (2004, 2017), the New York Mets (2005-11), San Francisco (2011), St. Louis (2012-13), the New York Yankees (2014-16) and Texas (2016).

He received 46.5% support in his first ballot appearance in 2023, then rose to 57.1% in his second.

Beltrán was the only player cited by name in baseball commissioner Rob Manfred’s 2020 report concluding the Astros used electronics in violation of rules to steal signs during Houston’s run to the 2017 World Series title and again in the 2018 season. Three days after the report was issued, the Mets said Beltrán was out as their manager, just 2½ months after he was hired.

Other holdovers include steroids-tainted stars Alex Rodriguez (146 votes, 37.1%) and Manny Ramirez (135, 34.3%), along with Andruw Jones (261, 66.2%), Chase Utley (157, 39.8%), Andy Pettitte (110, 27.9%), Félix Hernández (81, 20.6%), Bobby Abreu (77, 19.5%), Jimmy Rollins (71, 18%), Omar Vizquel (70, 17.8%), Dustin Pedroia (47, 11.9%), Mark Buehrle (45, 11.4%), Francisco Rodríguez (40, 10.2%), David Wright (32, 8.1%) and Torii Hunter (20, 5.1%).

Pettitte is on the ballot for the eighth time after doubling support from 13.5% in 2024. A player can appear on the ballot up to 10 times.

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BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years of membership are eligible to vote. Ballots must be postmarked by Dec. 31, and results will be announced Jan. 20. Anyone elected will be inducted July 26 along with anyone chosen Dec. 7 by the hall’s contemporary baseball era committee ballot considering eight players whose greatest contributions to the sport were from 1980 on.

Hamels, a four-time All-Star, was 163-122 with a 3.43 ERA for Philadelphia (2006-15), Texas (2015-18), the Chicago Cubs (2018-19) and Atlanta (2020), pitching a no-hitter for the Phillies against the Cubs on July 25, 2015. He was MVP of the 2008 NL Championship Series and World Series as Philadelphia won its second title, its first since 1980.

Braun, the 2011 MVP and a six-time All-Star, hit .296 with 352 homers and 1,154 RBIs for Milwaukee from 2007 to 2020. He was suspended for the final 65 games of the 2013 season for violations of baseball’s drug program and labor contract. A 50-game suspension for an alleged positive test in 2011 was overturned after Braun challenged the chain of custody of the urine sample.

Kemp, a three-time All-Star, batted .284 with 287 homers and 1,031 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006-14, 2018), San Diego (2015-16), Atlanta (2016-17), Cincinnati (2019) and Colorado (2020).

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy are being considered by the contemporary era committee, along with Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.

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COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp are among 12 newcomers on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, and Carlos Beltrán heads 15 holdovers after falling 19 votes shy in 2025 balloting.

Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy and Rick Porcello also are among the first-time eligibles, joined by Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnación, Gio González, Alex Gordon, Nick Markakis and Hunter Pence.

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Beltrán received 277 of 394 votes for 70.3% in the 2025 balloting, when Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected.

A nine-time All-Star, Beltrán hit .279 with 435 homers and 1,587 RBIs over 17 seasons with Kansas City (1999-2004), Houston (2004, â€17), the New York Mets (2005-11), San Francisco (2011), St. Louis (2012-13), the New York Yankees (20014-16) and Texas (2016).

He received 46.5% support in his first ballot appearance in 2023, then rose to 57.1% in his second.

Beltrán was the only player cited by name in baseball Commissioner Rob Manfredâ€s 2020 report concluding the Astros used electronics in violation of rules to steal signs during Houstonâ€s run to the 2017 World Series title and again in the 2018 season. Three days after the report was issued, the New York Mets said Beltrán was out as their manager, just 2 1/2 months after he was hired.

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Other holdovers include steroids-tainted stars Alex Rodriguez (146 votes, 37.1%) and Manny Ramirez (135, 34.3%) along with Andruw Jones (261, 66.2%), Chase Utley (157, 39.8%), Andy Pettitte (110, 27.9%), Félix Hernández (81, 20.6%), Bobby Abreu (77, 19.5%), Jimmy Rollins (71, 18%), Omar Vizquel (70, 17.8%), Dustin Pedroia (47, 11.9%), Mark Buehrle (45, 11.4%), Francisco Rodríguez (40, 10.2%), David Wright (32, 8.1%) and Torii Hunter (20, 5.1%).

Pettitte is on the ballot for the eighth time after doubling support from 13.5% in 2024. A player can appear on the ballot up to 10 times.

BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years of membership are eligible to vote. Ballots must be postmarked by Dec. 31 and results will be announced Jan. 20. Anyone elected will be inducted on July 26 along with anyone chosen Dec. 7 by the hallâ€s contemporary baseball era committee ballot considering eight players whose greatest contributions to the sport were from 1980 on.

Hamels, a four-time All-Star, was 163-122 with a 3.43 ERA for Philadelphia (2006-15), Texas (2015-18), the Chicago Cubs (2018-19) and Atlanta (2020), pitching a no-hitter from the Phillies against the Cubs on July 25, 2015. He was MVP of the 2008 NL Championship Series and World Series as Philadelphia won its second title, its first since 1980.

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Braun, the 2011 MVP and a six-time All-Star, hit .296 with 352 homers and 1,154 RBIs for Milwaukee from 2007-20. He was suspended for the final 65 games of the 2013 season for violations of baseballâ€s drug program and labor contract. A 50-game suspension for an alleged positive test in 2011 was overturned after Braun challenged the chain of custody of the urine sample.

Kemp, a three-time All-Star, batted .284 with 287 homers and 1,031 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006-14, â€18), San Diego (2015-16), Atlanta (2016-17), Cincinnati (2019) and Colorado (2020).

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy are being considered by the contemporary era committee along with Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.

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Braun Strowman claims thereâ€s “no problem†with Paul Heyman—but based on his new interview and the paper trail on X/Twitter, it sure doesnâ€t sound like the full story.

On the October 21, 2025 episode of TMZ Inside the Ring, Strowman finally addressed his online back-and-forth with Heyman, but his explanation directly contradicts what actually happened.

“I gotta stop you right there. I keep getting this ‘tweeting with Paul Heyman.†I never even talked about Paul or acknowledged Paul. I donâ€t know why he got so upset and came at me with thinking that I was a kid — especially because he gets to see my face every commercial break on SmackDown. And letâ€s be for real, if anybody knows about me having a show about ordering everything on the menu, youâ€d think Paul would know.â€

Except… Strowman did mention Heyman. On October 7, he posted an old clip of himself destroying Roman Reigns in 2017—complete with ambulance footage and stretcher shots—to clap back at Heymanâ€s recent RAW claim that Reigns has “never been beaten so badly he had to be stretchered out.†Braun didnâ€t stop there. He added a direct insult aimed at Heymanâ€s appearance:

“yea ok Oswald Cobblepot!!â€

The “Penguin†reference wasnâ€t subtle, and it didnâ€t go unanswered. On October 8, Heyman responded with pure venom masked in faux-respect.

“Dear Mr. Strowman,
Your post was brought to my attention. I have nothing negative to say about you, nor to you sir. In fact, I am actually relieved and indeed celebratory to learn youâ€re still alive, something most of us didnâ€t realize and even fewer cared about.
With Love and Respect,
Paul Heyman.â€

Rather than fire back with more insults, Strowman flipped the moment into a PR opportunity. On October 9, he responded:

“Morning Paul,
Thank you for such a thoughtful, kind, caring note but Iâ€ve been quite busy and just getting started. Why donâ€t you tune in to #EverythingOnTheMenu premiering 10/24 on @usanetwork following @wwe #Smackdown. Stay well my friend! Hereâ€s a preview:â€

He attached a promo for his upcoming USA Network show Everything On The Menu, using Heymanâ€s sarcasm to shine a spotlight on his brand. But back to the interview. Strowman insisted it was all misinterpreted and that he never even meant to stir anything up.

“I have no idea. I guess I struck a nerve or something. I donâ€t know. I didnâ€t deliberately, intentionally mean to talk to him or any of that stuff. Maybe heâ€s just sensitive or something. Or maybe he misses me. Thatâ€s probably what it is. People wait and hear struggling a little bit and they realize that when the monsterâ€s on TV, it draws ratings. So, who knows? I have no problems with nobody. Iâ€m my own man. I can handle business how I need to handle business.â€

Still, claiming he “never acknowledged Paul†just doesnâ€t line up with whatâ€s been posted. The original “Cobblepot†tweet, the callback to their 2017 feud, and the subsequent shade from Heyman suggest Braun knew exactly what he was doing. If anything, Strowmanâ€s version of events looks like strategic backpedaling—playing it cool while continuing to get his name out there and promote his new show.

Is Braun Strowman trying to play innocent while stirring the pot? Drop your take in the comments and tell us what you really think.

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Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun has agreed to a five-year, $125 million rookie contract extension with the franchise, agent Bill Duffy of WME Basketball told ESPN on Monday.

Braun, the No. 21 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, has been a developmental find and success for the Nuggets brass. The Nuggets’ top executives, Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace, made it a priority to negotiate a new long-term deal to lock in Braun as part of the franchise’s core moving forward.

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Braun became a full-time starter and averaged 15.4 points last season, up from 7.3 points in 2023-24, while recording 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 39.7% 3-point shooting per game over 79 contests (77 starts). He was one of just five players to average at least 15 points and five rebounds while shooting 58% from the field and the only non-center on that list.

Braun’s growth at shooting guard is vital to support perennial MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, star guard Jamal Murray, integral forward Aaron Gordon and newcomer Cameron Johnson. Specifically in transition, Braun provides offense for the Nuggets, leading the NBA in total fast-break points last season, according to ESPN Research. He became the first player with at least 400 fast-break points in a season since Buddy Hield in 2018-19.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, are not expected to reach a rookie extension with Peyton Watson ahead of Monday’s deadline, sources said. Watson was the Nuggets’ No. 30 selection in the 2022 draft.

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The Denver Nuggets rewarded one of their talented young players after his continued improvement last year.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Nuggets signed swingman Christian Braun to a five-year contract extension worth $125 million on Monday. He was originally set to make $4.9 million during the 2025-26 season, which was been the final year on his rookie deal.

NBA insider Jake Fischer previously reported that “the low end” of the range Braun was seeking in his new contract was estimated to be around $25 million per year, so the youngster got his wish.

The No. 21 pick in the 2022 draft, Braun made a jump in his third year with averages of 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals across 79 games with 77 starts. He had averaged 7.3 points during his sophomore season, making him one of two players to increase his scoring average by more than eight points alongside Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. He was also incredibly efficient, shooting 58.0 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from three-point range.

During the postseason, Braun ranked fourth on the Nuggets with 12.6 points per game while adding 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals. Denver fell in the Western Conference Semifinals after pushing the eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games.

The Nuggets added depth around star center Nikola Jokic and point guard Jamal Murray this offseason, but extending Braun makes it clear that he’s also a big part of their future. While they acquired swingman Cameron Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets, they didn’t make a pick in the 2025 draft, making Braun’s presence even more important for their young core.

If Braun continues his upward trajectory, he could be in for a bigger role this season as Denver tries to return to title contention.

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Between being “The Oracle” for both WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and their Vision stablemates Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed, as well as reuniting with Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman has plenty on his docket, enough that one would think Heyman would be too busy to get into social media squabbles. But Heyman does apparently have enough free time that he can still go back and forth with others on X, especially when its former WWE star Brawn Strowman.

Shortly after a segment on “WWE Raw” this past Monday where Heyman suggested that Reed had been the only wrestler to ever force Roman Reigns to leave the arena on a stretcher, Strowman took to X to remind Heyman he had done so, among other things, years earlier, even posting photographic evidence. Seemingly insulted by Heyman’s false claim, Strowman mockingly referred to “The Oracle” as Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin.

🥱🥱🥱🥱 yea ok Oswald Cobblepot!! pic.twitter.com/8STKzZIyqi

— The Monster of all Monsters (@Adamscherr99) October 7, 2025

It took two days, but Heyman finally responded to Strowman on Wednesday evening with a statement.

“Dear Mr. Strowman,” Heyman said. “Your post was brought to my attention. I have nothing negative to say about you, nor to you sir. In fact, I am actually relieved and indeed celebratory to learn you’re still alive, something most of us didn’t realize and even fewer cared about. With love and respect, Paul Heyman.”

pic.twitter.com/AqaN5j8QL3

— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) October 9, 2025

On Thursday morning, Strowman responded to Heyman’s message with a response that will have some wondering if the heat between the two of them was staged. Strowman thanked Heyman for “a thoughtful, kind, caring note,” before mentioning that he had been busy getting ready for the premiere of his upcoming TV series “Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman.” The former WWE star noted the series would debut this Friday, following “WWE SmackDown,” and implored Heyman to tune in, even sending him a sneak peak after wishing Heyman well.

Morning Paul,

Thank you for such a thoughtful, kind, caring note but I’ve been quite busy and just getting started. Why don’t you tune in to #EverythingOnTheMenu premiering 10/24 on @usanetwork following @wwe #Smackdown. Stay well my friend! Here’s a preview:…

— The Monster of all Monsters (@Adamscherr99) October 9, 2025

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The Oracle Paul Heyman has responded to Braun Strowman’s claim following recent RAW.

Roman Reigns kicked off the October 6 episode of WWE RAW to address the Dallas, Texas crowd, but was interrupted immediately by the Oracle and ‘Big’ Bronson Reed. The Auszilla took shots at Reigns’ family, naming his father and uncle. He then challenged Reed for a match in Texas, but he turned down the challenge, setting up an Australian Street Fight for Crown Jewel Saturday.

During this segment, there was a moment when Heyman claimed that Reed was the first wrestler in WWE to send Roman Reigns out on a stretcher. No one before him did that; it was the first time that Reigns was stretchered out of the arena. Listening to these claims, the Monster Among Men Braun Strowman took to X and voiced his frustration over being omitted from WWE history.

He called Heyman ‘Oswald Cobblepot’ and uploaded an image of the segment from 2017 where he injured Reigns, leading to him being stretchered out from the arena, later flipping the ambulance. Read about it here.

Now, Heyman has responded to this callout by Strowman, writing:

Dear Mr. Strowman, Your post was brought to my attention. I have nothing negative to say about you, nor to you, sir. In fact, I am actually relieved and indeed celebratory to learn you’re still alive, something most of us didn’t realize and even fewer cared about.

With Love and Respect,
Paul Heyman

pic.twitter.com/AqaN5j8QL3

— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) October 9, 2025

This fiery response by Heyman to Strowman has caught the attention of the entire world. The Oracle is known for his mic work and his witty responses, and this response to Strowman was another example of that.

Braun Strowman’s Monstrousity in WWE

Strowman was known for his unsettling and humongous presence in WWE. Gifted with immense strength, he used to manhandle stars around, totally dominating the ring. And it took more than one wrestler to bring him under control. Given his size and mass, it was nearly impossible for any wrestler to lift the Monster up and over the ring.

He is known for flipping multiple vehicles during his time on WWE TV. Starting with the ambulance flip in 2017, many vehicles have been Strowman’s victims over the years. In 2018, he demolished a TV production truck after an outburst. In 2019, he pushed over Mr McMahon’s limousine, and in 2020, he flipped over a van with The Miz and John Morrison inside it.

If somebody forgets to acknowledge their actions even after all these proofs, it is expected that the Monster will get mad.

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WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman has issued a response to a post from former WWE talent Braun Strowman where Strowman called him “Oswald Cobblepot.”

Strowman’s post on Monday came in response to a line from a Heyman promo on Monday’s Raw where Heyman said that no one but The Vision had ever forced Roman Reigns to do a stretcher job before.

Strowman posted an image of an angle where Reigns was stretchered out at the hands of Strowman, then Strowman tipped the stretcher over:

Strowman wrote: yea ok Oswald Cobblepot!!

Oswald Cobblepot is the name of The Penguin character in Batman lore and the HBO Max show The Penguin.

Heyman responded in an Instagram story on Wednesday writing:

Dear Mr. Strowman,

Your post was brought to my attention. I have nothing negative to say about you, nor to you sir.

In fact, I am actually relieved and indeed celebratory to learn you’re still alive, something most of us didn’t realize and even fewer cared about.

With Love and Respect,

Paul Heyman

The root of the social media beef between Heyman and Strowman may stem from the post-WrestleMania 41 edition of The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN where Heyman relayed a story that Strowman had approached him crying because he was not part of the WrestleMania card, with Heyman saying that he told Strowman “that he sucks” and that’s why he was left off the show.

“Literally Braun Strowman goes up to crying that heâ€s not on WrestleMania and I tell him straight to his face, heâ€s not on WrestleMania because he sucks, did he get mad at me? Nope heâ€s rolling with the punches.â€

— Paul Heyman pic.twitter.com/1h3P3XeQDy

— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) April 21, 2025

Strowman’s WWE contract expired this past July as the company elected not to renew his deal, ending his second tenure with the company.

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Paul Heyman didnâ€t stay silent for long after Braun Strowman roasted him on Twitter—and his response was pure Paul Heyman.

The exchange started when Strowman called out Heyman for claiming on WWE Raw that Roman Reigns had “never been beaten so badly he had to be stretchered out.†Strowman fired back with brutal receipts from their 2017 feud, posting screenshots of the infamous backstage beatdown where he destroyed Reigns and flipped an ambulance. Along with the pictures, Strowman wrote:

“yea ok Oswald Cobblepot!!â€

The Penguin reference didnâ€t go unnoticed—and on October 8, Paul Heyman responded with a message dripping in sarcasm and condescension. Addressing Strowman directly, Heyman wrote:

“Dear Mr. Strowman,
Your post was brought to my attention. I have nothing negative to say about you, nor to you sir. In fact, I am actually relieved and indeed celebratory to learn youâ€re still alive, something most of us didnâ€t realize and even fewer cared about.
With Love and Respect,
Paul Heyman.â€

Heymanâ€s tweet instantly reignited the online feud. The two have a long history, as Heyman was once aligned with Roman Reigns when Strowman was one of his fiercest rivals. Now, years later, both men are back in the headlines thanks to a sarcastic jab that only Heyman could pull off.

Paul Heymanâ€s biting response proves he hasnâ€t lost a step when it comes to verbal warfare. Whether itâ€s in the ring, behind the scenes, or online, Heyman continues to master the art of humiliation with a few perfectly chosen words. Strowman might have started this one, but Heymanâ€s reply just reminded everyone why heâ€s still one of the sharpest talkers in wrestling today.

Do you think Paul Heyman went too far with his response to Braun Strowman or did he have it coming? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

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Paul Heyman has hit back at Braun Strowman after the former WWE Superstar brought up his past with Roman Reigns. During the October 6, episode of WWE Raw, Heyman claimed that Roman Reigns has never been attacked so badly that he needed to be stretchered out, until he collided with Bronson Reed.

This earned a response from Strowman, who refuted Heyman’s claim. Comparing Heyman to DC Comics character Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, Braun pointed out that an attack from him once resulted in Reigns needing to be stretchered.

Now, Heyman has responded. Defending his failing to recall Strowman’s attack on Reigns, the WWE Hall of Famer teased that he, like many others, failed to remember Braun was even alive.

“Dear Mr. Strowman,

Your post was brought to my attention.

I have nothing negative to say about you, nor to you sir.

In fact, I am actually relieved and indeed celebratory to lean you’re still alive, something most of us didn’t realize and even fewer cared about.

With Love and Respect, Paul Heyman.”

Strowman was released from WWE earlier this year, his second time being cut from the promotion within a four-year window. Strowman’s second run with WWE saw him return in September 2022 though he never held gold during his comeback.

Strowman and Reigns battled in 2017 and 2018, and briefly in 2020 over the Universal Championship. Now, Strowman’s future rests outside WWE and it remains to be seen what’s next for the Monster Among Men.

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