The Upper Deck — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

Welcome to The Upper Deck, Baseball America’s daily look at the biggest stories around the game and some lighter fare.

THE KRAKEN CRACKS ONE

The Yankees, specifically general manager Brian Cashman, pinned the nickname “The Kraken” on Gary Sanchez for his monstrous power production. On Tuesday against the Tigers, the Kraken was unleashed. Sanchez hit a 493-foot homer in the first inning, the second-longest this season, behind only teammate Aaron Judge’s 495-foot blast. Sanchez added an opposite-field homer in the ninth, his 25th of the season.

STRIKEOUT STREAK SNAPPED

Speaking of Judge, his MLB-record streak of 37 straight games with at least one strikeout ended Tuesday. He walked three times and singled before being removed for a pinch-hitter in the seventh.

STANTON SMASH

No player has been hotter than Giancarlo Stanton since the all-star break and he added to that Tuesday with his 46th homer and 13th this month, setting a Marlins record for any month. Since the break, he has 20 homers in just 127 at-bats, an .850 slugging percentage.

OLDIE BUT STILL A GOODY

Stanton’s Marlins teammate Ichiro Suzuki is not known for power but he also went deep Tuesday in a doubleheader sweep of the Phillies. Ichiro, 43, hit a 432-foot bomb, the longest he has hit in the Statcast era. His previous long long ball went 391 feet.

FENCING

Palm ball. pic.twitter.com/CH2SxOEdoF

— MLB (@MLB) August 23, 2017

While he and his teammates were going yard, Christian Yelich was also taking away. He robbed Nick Williams, who had homered earlier in the game, of a second big fly. Yelich, Ozuna and Stanton all homered in the doubleheader.

COOL HAND LUKE

He gone! The first strikeout for @LGio27 in a #WhiteSox uniform! pic.twitter.com/2adI93LUQG

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 23, 2017

A night after Carson Fulmer made his first big league start, Giolito made his White Sox debut in a start against the Twins. He fared far better than Fulmer, allowing six hits and four runs in six innings, but still took the loss in a 4-1 defeat.

FAREWELL, FELO

After more than 70 years of broadcasting, 2001 HOF Frick Award winner Felo Ramírez will be remembered forever. https://t.co/OAGyZktYyc pic.twitter.com/NHNOkyyv8R

— Baseball Hall ? (@baseballhall) August 22, 2017

Hall of Fame broadcaster Rafael “Felo” Ramirez died Aug. 21 in Miami, the Marlins said Tuesday. He was 94.

Ramirez fell and struck his head while getting off the Marlins team bus April 26 in Philadelphia and spent two months in a Delaware hospital before he was brought to Miami. Ramirez began his career in Cuba in 1945 and had been the Marlins’ Spanish-language announcer since their first season in 1993.

“Felo Ramirez had a decorated career in sports broadcasting and was especially known for his excellence in baseball,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “He was part of many historic moments in the game and worked more than 30 All-Star Games and World Series. Felo was a pillar of goodwill to all of Latino baseball, covering 40 Caribbean World Series, and a great ambassador for the Marlins throughout their entire history. On behalf of Major League Baseball, we will always remember his many contributions to what is now a proudly global game.”

HORTON HEARS AN EXTENSION

Head coach @UOCoachHorton signs contract to stay with Ducks through 2020 season. #GoDucks https://t.co/exNh4J8Q54

— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) August 22, 2017

Oregon coach George Horton, who has a record of 322-223 in nine seasons with five trips to the regionals, received a contract extension through 2020 with a mutual option for a third year at a reported $500,000

“We appreciate George’s leadership in building Oregon baseball, and we are excited about the future,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said in the statement.

The Ducks’ 234 victories in the past six seasons are tied for 15th most in Division I in that time, but they have missed the postseason the past two years and were just 30-25 this season.