“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
CHICAGO CUBS 10 CLEVELAND 1
NY YANKEES AT ST. LOUIS POSTPONED
LA DODGERS 9 KANSAS CITY 3
COLORADO 8 DETROIT 5
ARIZONA 6 LA ANGELS 2
MINNESOTA 8 BALTIMORE 1
BOSTON 5 TORONTO 0
HOUSTON 5 TEXAS 3
OAKLAND 7 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 4
TAMPA BAY 15 SEATTLE 4
CINCINNATI 7 SAN DIEGO 5 (11)
WASHINGTON 2 PHILADELPHIA 1
PITTSBURGH 8 MILWAUKEE 7
SAN FRANCISCO 5 NY METS 4
ATLANTA 16 MIAMI 4
BOX SCORES: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/MLB/SCOREBOARD.ASP
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INDIANAPOLIS 10 LOUISVILLE 8
LAKE COUNTY 4 FT. WAYNE 2
FT. WAYNE 4 LAKE COUNTY 2
WEST MICHIGAN 4 DAYTON 3
DAYTON 7 WEST MICHIGAN 6
BELOIT 5 SOUTH BEND 1
WNBA SCORES
DREAM 94 MYSTICS 89
SKY 86 SPARKS 78
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
NFL PLAYERS WHO HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED FOR GAMBLING POLICY VIOLATIONS
Four more NFL players have been suspended for violating the league’s gambling policy. The announcement means at least 10 players have been punished since receiver Calvin Ridley missed the entire 2022 season for the same infraction. Six of the 10 are no longer on NFL rosters and the following list explains who’s in, who’s out and why they were suspended:
— Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta; suspended indefinitely March 7, 2022, for betting on NFL games; traded to Jacksonville on Nov. 1, 2022; reinstated March 6, currently with Jaguars.
— Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit; suspended six games April 21 for betting on non-NFL games from an NFL facility; currently on Lions roster; could return Oct. 22 at Baltimore.
— Stanley Berryhill, WR, Detroit; suspended six games April 21 for betting on non-NFL games from an NFL facility; waived by Lions on May 9.
— Quintez Cephus, WR, Detroit; suspended indefinitely April 21 for betting on NFL games; released by Lions on April 21; cannot seek reinstatement until after 2023 season.
— C.J. Moore, S, Detroit; suspended indefinitely April 21 for betting on NFL games; released by Lions on April 21; cannot seek reinstatement until after 2023 season.
— Shaka Toney, DT, Washington; suspended indefinitely April 21 for betting on NFL games; currently on Commanders roster; cannot seek reinstatement until after 2023 season.
— Isaiah Rodgers Sr., CB, Indianapolis; suspended indefinitely June 29 for betting on NFL games; waived by Colts; cannot seek reinstatement until after 2023 season.
— Rashod Berry, DE, Indianapolis; suspended indefinitely June 29 for betting on NFL games; waived by Colts; cannot seek reinstatement until after 2023 season.
— Demetrius Taylor, DT, free agent; suspended June 29 for betting on NFL games; released by Detroit on May 10; cannot seek reinstatement until after 2023 season.
— Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT, Tennessee; suspended six games on June 29 for betting on non-NFL games from an NFL facility; currently on Titans roster; could return Oct. 29 vs. Atlanta.
AS NFL CRACKS DOWN ON PLAYERS GAMBLING, WHAT EVENTS ARE PRO ATHLETES ALLOWED TO BET ON?
The Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in Murphy vs. NCAA ushered in a new era of legalized sports betting in the U.S., allowing states to establish their own sports wagering laws.
Despite opposition from the major sports leagues, the high court overturned a federal law – the 1992 Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act – that had barred betting on football, basketball, baseball and other sports in most states.
With the ruling came a new approach to how the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL associate with the industry.
Each league prohibits its employees and players from betting on their own games. But there are variations.
Here’s a look at how the leagues operate:
IS ANY FORM OF GAMBLING BY PLAYERS PERMITTED BY THE LEAGUES?
Yes, but with caveats.
In the preamble of its 2018 gambling policy the NFL states, “Gambling, particularly on NFL games or other sports, presents potential risks to the integrity of our competition and can negatively impact team cohesion.”
But that same policy goes on to outline that, “All NFL Personnel other than Players are further prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating bets on any other professional (e.g., NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA, USTA, MLS), college (e.g., NCAA basketball), international (e.g., World Baseball Classic, World Cup), or Olympic sports competition, tournament or event.”
NFL players and personnel are not allowed to engage in gambling in NFL facilities, disclose any nonpublic NFL information, enter a sportsbook during the NFL season, or maintain any social, business or personal relationships with sports gamblers.
But they can place non-sports wagers at legally operated casinos and horse or dog racing tracks on their personal time, including during the season.
The NBA constitution doesn’t expressly forbid players from betting on other sports.
According to Major League Baseball’s 2019 policy on sports betting, “Baseball personnel may place legal bets on sports other than baseball or softball in jurisdictions in which sports betting is legal, provided that the person placing the bet is eligible under applicable law to place the wager.”
The NHL only prohibits players from gambling on league games.
WHAT ARE THE PUNISHMENTS FOR VIOLATORS OF LEAGUE GAMBLING RULES?
Anyone associated with MLB found to have violated its Rule 21, which prohibits bets placed on baseball games that don’t involve their teams, faces fines and a yearlong suspension. A permanent ban — like the one infamously given to Pete Rose — is imposed on anyone associated with the league who bets on a game they are involved in.
A person also could face penalties for failing to report any attempted gambling rule violations, including attempts by anyone who tries to solicit them to manipulate or fix a game.
The NBA’s constitution and bylaws give broad authority to the league commissioner to punish any player who “directly or indirectly, wagers money or anything of value on the outcome of any game played by a team in the league operated by the Association.” After the accused has had a chance to answer the charges, “the decision of the Commissioner shall be final, binding and conclusive and unappealable.”
The penalties could include a fine, suspension, expulsion and/or perpetual disqualification from further association with the NBA.
In its most recent collective bargaining agreement, the NHL only mentions gambling once, saying, “Gambling on any NHL Game is prohibited.” That same document also empowers the commissioner to discipline players for off-ice conduct. Potential penalties for those violations include fines, suspension, expulsion or cancellation of the player’s contract.
The NFL outlines in its gambling policy that the commissioner or his designee will decide violations of policy “on a case-by-case basis.” Violations deemed detrimental to the league could also subject the involved team or person to penalties including fines, termination of employment or banishment from the NFL for life.
HAVE ANY ATHLETES BEEN DISCIPLINED SINCE THE 2018 SUPREME COURT DECISION?
Yes, and the list is growing.
On Thursday the NFL suspended Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry of the Indianapolis Colts, and free agent Demetrius Taylor through at least the conclusion of the 2023 season for betting on NFL games in the 2022 season.
The Titans’ Nicholas Petit-Frere was suspended for the team’s first six regular season games of the 2023 season for betting on non-NFL sports at the club facility.
It comes after Detroit Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus, Lions safety C.J. Moore and Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney were also sidelined for the entire 2023 season for placing bets on NFL games. Lions wide receivers Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams each received six-game suspensions for wagering on non-NFL games, but in NFL-operated facilities.
In December, New York Jets receivers coach Miles Austin was suspended for a year for betting on non-NFL sports.
Wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season for gambling on NFL games; he was later traded from Atlanta to Jacksonville and was reinstated. In November 2019, Arizona Cardinals cornerback Josh Shaw was suspended for gambling on an NFL game; he has not played in the league since.
WHAT PARTNERSHIPS DO THE LEAGUES HAVE WITH GAMBLING COMPANIES?
Each of the four major North America sports leagues has partnerships with technology companies and sportsbooks which allow them to use official league data in their betting products as well as use the leagues’ various logos and branding in advertisements.
NHL and MLB players are also now allowed to enter ambassador roles with gambling companies, with restrictions limiting agreements to the players engaging in promotional or marketing appearances for the brands.
Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid became the first player to sign such a pact in 2022 and appeared in an advertisement for BetGM alongside hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.
Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies signed a similar deal with MaximBet last year, but the company has since gone defunct.
The NBA Players Association allows players’ images and likenesses to appear in sportsbook advertising.
NFL personnel are prohibited from using or allowing others to use their name or image directly “to promote, advertise, or publicize gambling-related enterprises” or “making personal, promotional appearances on behalf of any entity in a casino gaming area or sportsbook.”
DO PLAYERS RECEIVE MONEY FROM THE LEAGUES’ ASSOCIATIONS WITH GAMBLING?
In an open letter on Oct. 27, 2021, NFL Players Association President JC Tretter defined the revenues players are entitled to under the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement, saying they included all television deals, ticket sales, concessions, league sponsorships, local media deals and “yes, even gambling revenues are included as part of our share of revenue.” Under CBA terms, players receive a minimum of 48% of all league revenue.
The NBA Players Association’s new collective bargaining agreement with the NBA that was signed this week and will run through 2030 keeps intact a 50-50 split in revenue. But that still excludes revenues from gambling on NBA games or any aspect of NBA games generated by casinos or gambling businesses.
The new CBA also now gives players the ability to invest in and promote gambling companies. Though, there are some stipulations.
First, any ownership interest by a player in any such gaming company must not include a “management, governance, voting, or executive role.” If the entity “offers, accepts or facilitates NBA-league related bets or contests, or other transactions,” those investments are also limited to 1%. For those that don’t, the investments must be less than 50%.
Players also are obligated to disclose any such gaming company investments within 30 days of acquiring them.
Promotional or endorsement deals involving players are also now allowed, but must be general, limited to only non-NBA league sports and “not determined in any respect by NBA league wagering or outcomes.”
J.J. Watt Signs Multi-Year Deal To Be A Studio Analyst For CBS Sports
NEW YORK (AP) — J.J. Watt has signed a multi-year deal with CBS Sports to serve as a studio analyst. The announcement was made Thursday by CBS Sports President David Berson.
Watt’s first appearance will be on “The NFL Today” during Week 1 on Sept. 9. He’ll also be an analyst for NFL shows on CBS Sports Network and online.
“I love the game too much to be away from it entirely. I’m very excited to be joining CBS Sports to contribute across all their NFL shows and platforms, including working alongside and learning from JB, Coach, Boomer, Phil and Nate this fall,” Watt said in a statement. “Hopefully fans will enjoy the insights and knowledge I’ve gained over my 12 years in the NFL and if we’re lucky, we’ll share a few laughs along the way as well.”
Watt was a three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year and retired last season after a 12-year career in which he had 114 1/2 sacks. He was the 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft by Houston and spent 10 seasons with the Texans before playing the last two years for the Arizona Cardinals.
The 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year is the only player in league history to record multiple seasons with at least 20 sacks.
Watt has been busy since retiring. Watt and his wife, former U.S. soccer midfielder Kealia Watt, became investors in the Burnley Football Club in May.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MLB ROUNDUP: SHOHEI OHTANI BELTS 30TH HOMER IN ANGELS’ LOSS
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a grand slam and scored twice to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night at Anaheim, Calif.
Evan Longoria had an RBI single for the Diamondbacks, who had lost four of their previous six games.
Major league home run leader Shohei Ohtani hit his 30th of the season for the Angels, a 493-foot blast to right. Mike Trout had two of Los Angeles’ four hits as the club lost its third straight game.
Arizona’s Tommy Henry (5-1) gave up one run and four hits over 5 2/3 innings. Los Angeles’ Griffin Canning (6-3) yielded five runs and three hits in six innings.
Reds 7, Padres 5 (11 innings)
Spencer Steer drilled a game-winning, two-out, two-run homer off the upper deck in left to lead Cincinnati past visiting San Diego for its their third straight win and 15th in 18 games.
The Reds were down to their final out when Matt McLain drilled a two-run homer in the 10th to extend the see-saw contest. The game-winner came just moments after Elly De La Cruz was thrown out at the plate when his hand was blocked from sliding in safely by catcher Gary Sanchez.
Juan Soto went 3-for-5, including an RBI double in a two-run 10th inning to give the Padres a 4-2 lead before they lost for the sixth straight time.
Pirates 8, Brewers 7
Carlos Santana’s two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning lifted Pittsburgh past visiting Milwaukee for its fourth win in a row.
With the Pirates trailing 7-5 against Matt Bush (0-2), pinch hitter Ji Hwan Bae singled and, an out later, scored on Andrew McCutchen’s double. Another out later, Santana hit his ninth homer. McCutchen earlier added a homer and an RBI single. Carmen Mlodzinski (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings for the victory.
Brice Turang hit a two-run double, Christian Yelich and Owen Miller each an RBI double, and Rowdy Tellez an RBI single for the Brewers. Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta gave up three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Rays 15, Mariners 4
Randy Arozarena, Josh Lowe and Jose Siri homered as Tampa Bay rallied from an early four-run deficit to bail out ace Shane McClanahan and defeat host Seattle.
Tom Murphy homered for the Mariners, who lost their third consecutive game. The Rays broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning with an eight-run rally, and they won their third game in a row.
Tampa Bay relievers Shawn Armstrong, Jake Diekman, Kevin Kelly (4-1), Jason Adam and Colin Poche combined to allow just one hit in six scoreless innings. McClanahan, who entered the game leading the major leagues in wins (11) and ERA (2.23), allowed four runs on five hits in three innings, with three walks and one strikeout.
Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 0
James Paxton pitched into the eighth inning and was supported by three home runs as Boston defeated host Toronto to end a five-game losing streak.
Jarren Duran hit a two-run home run for the Red Sox and also made a good catch at the center field wall. Justin Turner and Masataka Yoshida added solo home runs.
Paxton (4-1) allowed three hits and two walks in 7 2/3 innings while striking out seven. Toronto starter Jose Berrios (8-6) allowed four runs and five hits while fanning eight in six innings.
Nationals 2, Phillies 1
Stone Garrett hit a two-run homer to lift Washington past host Philadelphia for its third straight win.
Dominic Smith contributed three hits and Lane Thomas had two hits for the Nationals, and Josiah Gray (6-6) allowed six hits and one run in six innings. Hunter Harvey threw a scoreless ninth inning for his seventh save.
Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez (0-2) tossed six innings and gave up seven hits and two runs, one earned. Alec Bohm led the Phillies with two hits and an RBI.
Cubs 10, Guardians 1
Justin Steele allowed three hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings and Nico Hoerner had three hits with two RBIs as Chicago rolled past visiting Cleveland.
Nick Madrigal clubbed his first home run since 2021 for one of his two hits, and Christopher Morel added a two-run shot to tie for the team lead with 14 homers as Chicago broke out to snap a four-game losing streak.
Cleveland’s Cal Quantrill (2-5) returned after missing a month with right shoulder inflammation but lasted just 3 1/3 innings, yielding six runs,. Will Brennan homered in the ninth and Amed Rosario had two of the five hits for the Guardians.
Giants 5, Mets 4
Patrick Bailey hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning as San Francisco defeated host New York, which lost 19 of 26 games in June.
Joc Pederson, batting against David Robertson (2-2), reached on a one-out error by Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and J.D. Davis drew a walk to bring up Bailey, who drilled a 432-foot blast to center on a 1-1 pitch.
Jeff McNeil had two run-scoring doubles for the Mets, while Tommy Pham homered and Omar Narvaez had a sacrifice fly.
Braves 16, Marlins 4
Matt Olson hit two of Atlanta’s six home runs and Michael Soroka earned his first win since 2019 as the Braves defeated visiting Miami and extended their winning streak to six games.
Olson went 4-for-5 with a triple, four runs and five RBIs. He leads the National League in homers (28) and RBIs (67). Eddie Rosario, Austin Riley, Sean Murphy and Ronald Acuna Jr. also went deep for the Braves, who set a franchise record for a single month with 61 homers.
The oft-injured Soroka (1-1) was making his first start at home since Aug. 3, 2020. He pitched six innings and allowed three runs on five hits and no walks with seven strikeouts.
Astros 5, Rangers 3
Jose Altuve hit the first pitch of the game out of the ballpark, but Houston needed a sixth-inning rally to defeat Texas in the opener of a four-game series at Arlington, Texas.
In the sixth, the Astros’ Mauricio Dubon had a two-run double down the left field line, the second run coming when Yainer Diaz beat the Rangers’ relay throw home to score from first. Dubon then scored on a sacrifice fly by Jake Meyers.
Houston starter Ronel Blanco (2-0) allowed three runs on four hits over five innings. Four relievers each threw a scoreless inning, including a 1-2-3 ninth by closer Ryan Pressly for his 16th save.
Twins 8, Orioles 1
Pablo Lopez pitched six strong innings, Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer and visiting Minnesota beat Baltimore in a game that started after a lengthy rain delay.
Joey Gallo and Max Kepler also homered and Royce Lewis had three hits for the Twins, who halted a three-game skid. Buxton added a double, a walk and a steal and scored twice. Lopez (4-5) allowed a run on three hits.
Adley Rutschman hit his 11th homer of the season for Baltimore, which has lost three straight. Orioles start Dean Kremer (8-4) went three-plus innings and allowed seven runs on seven hits.
Dodgers 9, Royals 3
Mookie Betts homered twice, went 4-for-4 and drove in four runs while leading Los Angeles past host Kansas City.
Leading off the game, Betts hammered a 3-1 fastball 422 feet to left, his ninth leadoff homer of the year and 45th of his career. The blast came on the fifth pitch in the major league career of Royals starter Alec Marsh.
Betts made it his 26th career multi-homer game in the third, giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead with his 22nd long ball of the year. He also walked twice as he reached safely six times, matching a career high.
Rockies 8, Tigers 5
Ezquiel Tovar homered among his two hits and Nolan Jones, Jurickson Profar and Ryan McMahon also had two hits as Colorado beat Detroit in Denver.
Rockies starter Austin Gomber (6-7) tossed a season-high seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits. Pierce Johnson earned his 13th save with one scoreless inning.
Andy Ibanez homered and had two hits for the Tigers.
Athletics 7, White Sox 4
Tony Kemp tripled in the middle of a four-run second inning, Luis Medina threw five effective innings and Oakland beat Chicago for just its third win in 15 games.
After the White Sox got to Medina (2-7) for a run in the first inning on an Eloy Jimenez RBI single, the A’s took the lead for good in the third against White Sox starter Tanner Banks (0-3).
A JJ Bleday walk and Aledmys Diaz double set the stage for the big inning, which produced its first two runs on Shea Langeliers’ RBI single and Jace Peterson’s sacrifice fly. Kemp followed with a triple to make it 3-1 before Jordan Diaz launched the inning’s second sacrifice fly.
MIKE TROUT ELECTED TO 11TH ALL-STAR GAME, 4 TEXAS PLAYERS CHOSEN TO START
NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Trout will see a bunch of new faces surrounding him at this year’s All-Star Game.
The Los Angeles Angels center fielder was selected for his 11th appearance on Thursday, and four Texas Rangers were chosen by fans for the American League’s lineup for the July 11 game at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.
Nine first-time starters were picked by fans, including three Rangers: catcher Jonah Heim, shortstop Corey Seager and rookie third baseman Josh Jung. Arizona rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll, who’s from Seattle, also was voted in, giving the starting lineups a pair of rookie position players for the third time after Rich Rollins and Tom Tresh in 1962, and Geovany Soto and Kosuke Fukodome in 2008.
You always put it in your mind that I want to do that someday,” Jung said.
Texas reached the season’s midpoint at 49-32, on track for its first winning season since 2016. The Rangers host next year’s All-Star Game.
Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien was chosen for his second start.
“We all strive to be the best we can be. And if the fans acknowledge us this year, that means we’re doing something,” Semien said.
Texas’ previous high was three starters in 2012, when Adrian Beltré, Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli were picked.
Trout was voted to start for the 10th time and will be joined in the AL lineup by teammate Shohei Ohtani, who last week was chosen at designated hitter as the league’s top-vote getter in the first round.
Tampa Bay first baseman Yandy Díaz and outfielder Randy Arozarena were among the first-time starters, joined by Atlanta shortstop Orlando Arcia and catcher Sean Murphy, Miami second baseman Luis Arraez and Carroll.
“I almost cried there,” Arraez said after learning of his election.
Arraez was batting over .400 as recently as this past weekend. His average had dipped to .392 as of Thursday.
Three Los Angeles Dodgers were picked: first baseman Freddie Freeman, outfielder Mookie Betts and designated hitter J.D. Martinez.
St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado was elected to his fifth start and eighth appearance.
Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, elected to start for the fifth time, hasn’t played since June 3 because of a torn ligament in his right big toe. Houston’s Yordan Alvarez finished fourth in the AL outfield voting.
Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. earned an outfield spot last week as the NL’s top vote-getter during the first round, from May 31 to June 22. The second round started Monday and ended Thursday.
Pitchers and reserves will be announced Sunday.
Heim edged Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman 52%-48% and Díaz beat out Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 53%-47%. The closest NL votes were both 53%-47%: Arraez over Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies and Martinez over Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper.
FRANCO, CARROLL, RYAN ON TRACK TO RECEIVE MOST FROM $50 MILLION BONUS POOL
NEW YORK (AP) — Tampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco is on track to receive the largest amount from this year’s $50 million pre-arbitration bonus pool based on his regular-season statistics.
Franco is projected to get $896,755, according to WAR calculations through June 26 that Major League Baseball sent to teams, players and agents in memo Friday that was obtained by The Associated Press.
Arizona rookie centerfielder Corbin Carroll would get $834,131, followed by Minnesota right-hander Joe Ryan ($739,015), Texas catcher Jonah Heim ($690,039), Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan ($680,600), Arizona shortstop Geraldo Perdomo ($638,768), Atlanta right-hander Elder Bryce ($634,912), Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Stelle ($614,798) and Seattle rightfielder Julio Rodríguez ($594,527).
A total of 100 players will receive the payments, established as part of last year’s collective bargaining agreement and aimed to get more money to players without sufficient service time for salary arbitration eligibility. The cutoff for 2023 was 2 years, 228 days of major league service.
Several of the eligible players have long-term contract. Franco has a $2 million salary this season as part of a $182 million, 11-year contract, Rodríguez has a $4 million salary in a $209.3 million, 12-year deal and Carroll a $1 million salary in a $111 million, eight-year agreement.
Most young players have salaries just above the minimum: Ryan earns $730,250, Heim $745,660 and McClanahan $737,000.
As part of the strike settlement, a management-union committee was established that determined the WAR formula. The agreement calls for an interim report to be distributed the week before the All-Star Game.
Based on last year, MLB anticipates $11.25 million of the pool will go to award winners and $38.75 million will be distributed based on WAR. A player earns $2.5 million for winning an MVP or Cy Young Award, $1.75 million for second, $1.5 million for third, $1 million for fourth or fifth, or for making the all-MLB first team. A player also gets $750,000 for winning Rookie of the Year and $500,000 for second, or for making the all-MLB second team.
Others on track to receive more than $500,000 are Baltimore right-hander Yennier Cano at $568,737, Tampa Bay rightfielder Luke Raley $553,188, Atlanta right-hander Spencer Strider $530,817, Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman $530,265, Texas centerfielder Leody Taveras $518,973, Tampa Bay second baseman Isaac Paredas $515,382 and Seattle right-hander George Kirby $509,445.
Cincinnati infielder Elly De La Cruz, who made his major league debut on June 6, already is projected at $262,382, just above Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase at $258,719, and De La Cruz figures to climb higher if he keeps on at the level of his hot start.
Chicago White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease received the largest amount last year at $2,457,426, followed by Houston designated hitter Yordan Alvarez at $2,381,143 and Toronto right-hander Alek Manoah at $2,191,023.
During bargaining, Major League Baseball had proposed a statistical formula to replace salary arbitration, which covers players with three-to-six years of major league service plus several of the players between two and three years. The players’ association steadfastly opposes scrapping arbitration, though St. Louis reliever Ryan Helsley said after losing his hearing that he might be open to a change.
“Maybe come up with some kind of algorithm for second- and third-year guys so you can avoid that kind of confrontation so to speak,” he said. “They’ve obviously had this system for many years now, but maybe we’ll see that in the future.”
NBA NEWS
HARRISON BARNES AGREES TO 3-YEAR, $54 MILLION DEAL TO STAY WITH KINGS, AP SOURCE SAYS
Harrison Barnes is staying with the Sacramento Kings, agreeing Thursday to a three-year, $54 million contract, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced by the team. ESPN first reported the agreement.
The deal was struck one day before the start of free agency in the NBA. Barnes will be entering his sixth year with the Kings, who went to the playoffs this past season for the first time since 2006.
He averaged 15.0 points last season, fourth-best on the Kings behind De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Kevin Huerter.
Barnes also was the only player on the Kings to appear in all 82 regular-season games — making him one of only three players in the NBA to start at least 82 games. Mikal Bridges actually started 83 for Brooklyn and Phoenix, and Nikola Vucevic started 82 for Chicago.
For his career, Barnes — a member of the U.S. Olympic team that won gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games — has averaged 14.2 points in 11 seasons.
KYRIE IRVING AGREES TO STAY WITH MAVS, DONCIC ON A $126 MILLION, 3-YEAR DEAL, AP SOURCE SAYS
DALLAS (AP) Kyrie Irving wants to run it back with Luka Doncic.
The enigmatic guard and the Dallas Mavericks agreed Friday on a $126 million, three-year contract in the opening hour of NBA free agency, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because contracts can’t be signed until Thursday.
The person said the Mavericks also had an agreement on a two-year deal with guard Seth Curry, who is set for his third stint with the club.
Irving, who wouldn’t talk about his future during his partial season with Dallas and declined to meet with reporters after the season, appeared to reference his decision to return in a one-word tweet with “peace” and “love” emojis.
The Mavericks paired All-Star starters for the first time in franchise history by adding Irving in a blockbuster deal with Brooklyn last February, but stumbled down the stretch to miss the playoffs for the first time since Doncic was a rookie in 2018-19.
Dallas was in the middle of the postseason chase when Irving joined the club, but the eight-time All-Star and Doncic, a four-time choice, were just 5-11 together with both missing multiple games because of injuries.
The Mavericks won their first two games with Irving but went 7-18 the rest of the way and couldn’t even make the play-in tournament a year after reaching the Western Conference finals.
Irving originally had been offered an extension by the Nets last summer, before their relationship fell apart and Irving asked to be dealt.
General manager Nico Harrison’s second blockbuster deal for Dallas didn’t provide the spark of his first – a 2022 trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Washington and gave the Mavs a key playoff contributor in Spencer Dinwiddie.
Dinwiddie was one of two players Dallas sent the Nets, as was defensive stalwart Dorian Finney-Smith. Defense was high on the list of reasons the two-month trial of Doncic and Irving didn’t work.
Doncic has three years remaining before the player option on the $215 million rookie max extension he signed two summers ago. He said after the season he wants to see where the superstar pairing can go.
“I wish we could continue that chemistry, relationship,” said Doncic, who finished second in the scoring race at a career-best 32.4 points per game. “It’s not going to happen in a day, in a week. It’s a building process.”
Dallas’ tumultuous season ended under the cloud of an NBA investigation after Irving didn’t play and Doncic was limited to the first quarter when the Mavs still had play-in hopes with two games remaining.
The 31-year-old Irving and Doncic both sat for a meaningless season finale after a loss to Chicago in the game in question eliminated the Mavs a season after they went to the Western Conference finals.
The 0-2 finish helped Dallas retain the 10th pick in the draft, which the Mavs parlayed into a pair of first-round picks in Duke center Dereck Lively II at No. 12 overall and Marquette’s Olivier-Maxence Prosper at 24. Had Dallas dropped to 11th or lower, the pick would have gone to the New York Knicks.
Before the trade, Irving spent three-plus seasons in Brooklyn dealing mostly with self-induced drama.
Irving missed almost all of the home games in 2021-22 because he wouldn’t get vaccinated against COVID-19, and missed eight games early last season after the team suspended him after he tweeted a link to a film containing antisemitic material. Nike ended its relationship with Irving over the tweet.
Days after sending Irving to the Mavericks, the Nets traded Kevin Durant to Phoenix in another blockbuster as the celebrated Brooklyn pairing ended with a whimper – and just one playoff series victory.
Curry, the younger brother of Golden State superstar Stephen Curry, kick-started his career the first time he was with the Mavs in 2016-17, three years after entering the NBA as an undrafted free agent.
He averaged 12.8 points in 70 games after playing just 50 games in his career before that, then spent one season in Portland before having another solid year in Dallas.
Curry left again in free agency in 2020, signing with Philadelphia. He then joined Irving in Brooklyn when he was dealt as part of the trade that sent James Harden to the 76ers and Ben Simmons to the Nets in 2022.
REPORT: G DESMOND BANE, GRIZZLIES AGREE TO $207M MAX DEAL
Guard Desmond Bane, one of the Memphis Grizzlies’ cornerstone players, agreed to a five-year, $207 million max contract extension, ESPN reported late Friday night.
Contract agreements with free agents become official July 6, per NBA rules.
Bane, whose $200 million-plus deal is the first in Grizzlies history, is now locked up long term along with teammates Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Bane, 25, who was the 30th overall pick in the 2020 draft, averaged career highs in points (21.5 per game), rebounds (5.0), assists (4.4) and field-goal percentage (48 percent) in 58 games, all starts, in 2022-23. In his three seasons, Bane has averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 202 games (151 starts).
Bane, who has improved his averages in scoring, rebounding and assists every season, has also shot at least 40 percent on 3-pointers in each of his three NBA seasons. His 228 buckets from beyond the arc last season set a franchise record.
After having surgery in May to repair a bone in his right big toe, Bane is expected to be fully recovered before the start of the season. The injury, which he sustained in November, cost him 17 games before he returned to action in December.
KHRIS MIDDLETON AGREES TO REMAIN WITH THE BUCKS ON A 3-YEAR, $102 MILLION DEAL, AP SOURCE SAYS
MILWAUKEE (AP) Three-time All-Star Khris Middleton has agreed to terms on a three-year, $102 million deal that will keep him with the Milwaukee Bucks, a person familiar with the situation said Friday.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the signing hasn’t been announced.
This move comes after Middleton, who turns 32 on Aug. 12, had declined a $40.4 million player option for the upcoming season to become a free agent.
“Khris is core to who we are and really all the success we’ve had,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst had said last week during a post-draft news conference. “Our goal is always to sustain our success and continue to compete and (have) a chance to win and be in position to win year in and year out. We hope to have him back.”
The Bucks were hoping to hold on to Middleton and free-agent center Brook Lopez as part of their nucleus alongside two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star guard Jrue Holiday as they attempt to bounce back from two straight early playoff exits.
Middleton joined the Bucks in 2013 – the same year Milwaukee drafted Antetokounmpo – and they have teamed to give the franchise one of its greatest sustained runs of success. The 2012 second-round pick made All-Star teams in 2019, 2020 and 2022.
“Giannis is arguably the best player in the world, but we have some extraordinary talent on this team as well,” new Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said during his introductory press conference. “Khris, Jrue, Brook – those guys are probably No. 1s on any other team, so I’m excited to just be a part of this team and this culture, and I’m excited to coach them all.”
Middleton helped the 2020-21 Bucks win their first title in half a century and earned a gold medal on the U.S. Olympic team shortly after the NBA Finals.
But he has been dealing with multiple injuries lately.
Middleton sprained his left medial collateral ligament in Game 2 of a 2022 first-round playoff series and missed the rest of the postseason. He played just 33 games last season while averaging 15.1 points, 4.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds.
He missed the first 20 games of the season while recovering from wrist surgery and sat out 18 straight games later in the season due to a sore right knee.
Milwaukee posted the NBA’s best regular-season record this past season but suffered a stunning 4-1 first-round playoff loss to the Miami Heat. That led to the firing of coach Mike Budenholzer, who helped Milwaukee post the NBA’s best regular-season record three of the last five years.
NBA TRANSACTION ROUNDUP: HEAT LAND JOSH RICHARDSON
Once the NBA’s free agency negotiation period began Friday, plenty of reported deals — including Kyrie Irving staying with the Dallas Mavericks and Draymond Green remaining with the Golden State Warriors — made the headlines, but there were several other moves worth noting.
The contract agreements with free agents become official July 6, per NBA free agency rules.
Here’s a look at several deals that were reportedly agreed to on Friday:
–The Miami Heat re-signed forward Kevin Love and added guard Jason Richardson, according to ESPN. The Athletic also reported that the Heat were set to trade Victor Oladipo to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Love, who will turn 35 before next season, turned his career around with Miami and played a key role in the team’s run to the NBA Finals.
A second-round pick of the Heat in 2015, Richardson, 29, gives his original team depth after Gabe Vincent reportedly joined the Los Angeles Lakers.
Oladipo, 31, spent 2 1/2 seasons in Miami. He previously played for Oklahoma City in 2016-17.
–Joe Ingles landed a deal with the Orlando Magic.
A key contributor off the bench for the Milwaukee Bucks last season, the 35-year-old forward is getting a two-year, $22 million contract with the Orlando Magic, per ESPN.
–Former MVP Derrick Rose is set to join the Memphis Grizzlies. The 34-year-old guard was a bit-part player for the New York Knicks last season.
–Forward Herb Jones is sticking with the Pelicans. Jones, 24, had declined his option on a minimum salary, opting instead to agree on a four-year, $54 million deal to stay with New Orleans, per an ESPN report.
–Veteran guard Dennis Schroeder is joining the Raptors. After losing star guard Fred Van Vleet to the Houston Rockets, Toronto landed Schroeder, 29, with a two-year deal worth a reported $26 million.
–Guard Reggie Jackson, 33, and center DeAndre Jordan, 34, will stay with the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets. Jackson’s deal is reportedly for two years and $10.25 million.
–Seth Curry, 32, is back for a third stint with the Mavericks, landing a two-year contract. The former Nets guard, one of the NBA’s best 3-point shooters, Curry played for Dallas in 2016-17 and again in 2019-20.
–The Minnesota Timberwolves are signing guard Shake Milton and forward Troy Brown. Milton, 26, formerly of the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal, per an ESPN report. Brown, 23, played for the Lakers last season.
–The San Antonio Spurs retained forward Julian Champagnie with a four-year, $12 million contract. Champagnie, 22, signed with the team in February after he was waived by the Sixers. He averaged 11 points per game for San Antonio last season.
–The Boston Celtics agreed to a deal with forward Oshae Brissett, 25. According to ESPN, Brissett will get a player option for the second year of the contract.
PORZINGIS EXCITED TO JOIN A TALENTED CELTICS ROSTER AS BOSTON CONTINUES TO RETOOL THIS OFFSEASON
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens vowed that changes were on the way after a season that began with championship expectations ended short of a return to the NBA Finals.
Boston took its first steps to ushering in its latest era with the introduction of Kristaps Porzingis on Thursday.
Porzingis said the team’s faith in him is motivating as he begins his fourth stop in the league.
“It’s the most exciting feeling that you can get,” he said. “Just the idea of that. … It made it super easy. It made (the Celtics) my complete, favorite option.”
The Celtics netted the 7-foot-3 forward from the Washington Wizards the night before the NBA draft, executing a three-team trade that also included Marcus Smart — who’d been Boston’s most-tenured veteran — heading to the Memphis Grizzlies.
The decision to part with Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year and the team’s vocal leader, was one that coach Joe Mazzulla called “tough.” He said he spoke with Smart shortly after the deal was completed.
“I was able to talk to him, and I just told him that I love him and I appreciate who he is as a person,” Mazzulla said. “You’re never going to replace a guy like him.”
But Boston is hoping the addition of Porzingis, the fourth pick of the 2015 draft coming off one of his best NBA seasons statistically, can bring a different dynamic playing alongside All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They will now constitute the lead trio of a group that also includes veterans Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Al Horford, along with fellow big man Robert Williams.
Porzingis said the success of the current group and history of the Celtics franchise is what excited him most about the trade.
“The opportunity to play for a really good team already, and to be able to add to that and hopefully to help these guys make their lives even easier … made it extremely easy for me to make that decision,” Porzingis said.
The Celtics also are likely not done, despite already having entered into luxury tax territory by signing Porzingis, who exercised his $36 million player option for next season prior to the trade.
Stevens said he’s been given the “green light” by team owners to make necessary tweaks to the roster in free agency.
The team will also need to try to figure out a possible extension for Porzingis as he enters the final year of his current deal. In addition, on July 6 Brown will also be eligible to receive a contract extension worth $295 million.
“We’re trying to win and everybody is very supportive of that from the top down,” Stevens said. “We’re going to try to put our best foot forward and do that. The required part is the right talent to build around it. We’re very fortunate to have a lot of talented players. … We’ve got guys under contract here that are really good players. Building a team that fits around that in the best way we can is what we’re trying to do.”
JAMES HARDEN PICKS UP $35.6 MILLION OPTION WITH THE 76ERS, AP SOURCE SAYS
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — James Harden picked up his $35.6 million contract option for next season with the Philadelphia 76ers, with the franchise exploring trades to move the veteran scorer, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Harden informed the 76ers of his choice Thursday ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline to pick up the option, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the decision was not made public.
The 33-year-old Harden could have declined the option and decided to try for free agency. The Sixers had the right to offer him a $210 million, four-year deal, $8 million more overall than any other team.
But the person who talked to the AP on anonymity Thursday said it while it wasn’t definite Harden would be traded, the player nicknamed The Beard expressed a desire to win a championship — which he has yet to do in his career that dates to his 2009 rookie season — in Philadelphia or with another contender.
The 76ers, per league rules, could not talk contract with Harden’s representatives before Friday and they were set to abide by the terms after they were found guilty of tampering last offseason and ultimately stripped of second-round draft picks.
The stage, though, seems set for yet another blockbuster Harden trade after he forced his way out of Houston and Brooklyn.
Nick Nurse, hired last month as Philadelphia’s coach, has stumped for Harden’s return.
“James has a decision to make, and I’d be very happy if he came back,” Nurse said this month.
Sixers forward Tobias Harris, himself in a bit of a contract quandary this summer and a perfect package fit in a Harden trade, said this week he wanted Harden back on the team.
“There’s not many guys that can go out and drop 40 in a playoff game. I think that goes under the radar a little bit too much,” Harris said. “I think James is a phenomenal player, somebody who works his tail off, and somebody’s who’s an overall great leader. Of course I want him back.”
But it appears playing as the second option behind NBA MVP Joel Embiid and chasing a championship in Philly is no longer seriously on the table.
Harden led the NBA in assists last season with 10.7 per game but it was his wildly fluctuating offense that frustrated Sixers fans and helped doom them in the Eastern Conference second-round loss to Boston.
Harden, acquired at the 2022 trade deadline from Brooklyn for Ben Simmons, scored 45 points in Game 1 and 42 in Game 4 victories against the Celtics. Harden, who turns 34 in August, and was 0 for 6 on 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 losses. He scored only nine points in Game 7, and he went scoreless in the second half.
Harden blossomed into an insolation superstar in Houston but has largely deferred to Embiid with the Sixers.
Team president Daryl Morey, who traded to bring Harden to Houston a decade ago, needs to get a big return in any deal with the Sixers in win-now mode. The Sixers have limited salary cap space, making it all but impossible to sign a quality free agent, especially one with Harden’s pedigree.
So now they’ll look to get assets in a deal — a common factor in Harden’s career. If Harden is traded, per NBA rules, he would have to play under his 2023-24 contract and would not be eligible for free agency until next season.
Harden is a 10-time All-Star but essentially forced his way with trades out of Houston and Brooklyn.
The Rockets traded Harden to the Nets in January 2021 where he was expected to form a championship trio with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. When the Big 3 fizzled, Harden was sent a year later to the Sixers for the disgruntled Simmons.
Harden declined his $47.4 million player option with the 76ers for last season and instead agreed to a two-year deal that will paid him $32 million in 2022-23. It included a player option for this coming season. He opted out of an old deal ahead of last season to stay with the 76ers and made about $14.5 million less last season than he could have earned under his previous contract.
The seven-time All-NBA player is a member of the league’s 75th anniversary team.
BRADLEY BEAL ENTERS HIS 30S WITH THE SUNS, SAYS HE’S READY TO ‘CHASE THIS RING’
PHOENIX (AP) — Bradley Beal was drafted on his 19th birthday and spent his entire 20s with the Washington Wizards, where he scored a lot of points, enjoyed a little team success, but also suffered through plenty of painful losses.
On Wednesday, he turned 30. Not a bad time for a new chapter in the three-time All-Star’s life and basketball career.
Beal was introduced as a member of the Phoenix Suns on Thursday at the Footprint Center, more than a week after he waived a no-trade clause that allowed him to be sent to the desert in exchange for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and a package of future draft picks.
“I feel refreshed, I feel rejuvenated,” Beal said. “This is an exciting moment for me. This is an awesome team.”
Beal is now part of one of the NBA’s most star-packed starting lineups, including 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant, three-time All-Star Devin Booker and former No. 1 draft pick Deandre Ayton. They’ve also got a new coach in Frank Vogel, who led the Los Angeles Lakers to a title in 2020.
“Bradley Beal is one of the best players in the NBA,” Vogel said. “We’re thrilled to have him be a Phoenix Sun with KD and Book. That forms a trio of three of the most prolific scorers in the game. A great two-way center, one of the best two-way centers in the game.
“These pieces are a great foundation for what we hope will be a championship run for this franchise.”
Beal’s arrival marks the latest big move for new owner Mat Ishbia, who has had an extremely eventful tenure since purchasing the franchise from the embattled Robert Sarver in February. Almost immediately after he was introduced, he approved the team’s big deal to land Durant at the trade deadline.
A few months later, he got into a brief sideline spat with Nuggets star Nikola Jokic during a playoff game. (The two have since made up.)
Now Ishbia and general manager James Jones have swung a deal that brings Beal and his big scoring numbers across the country. The three-time All-Star has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of the past seven seasons, including a career-high 31.3 points per game during the 2020-21 season.
Beal never got past the second round of the playoffs with the Wizards, but still has plenty of fond memories of his tenure in the nation’s capital.
“I have a lot of emotional ties to that city, my family was established there,” Beal said. “So I just want to take a moment to thank the city of D.C., thank the organization for allowing this partnership to happen.”
But Beal also admits he’s excited about his new challenge. The sharpshooting guard was often the Wizards’ main scoring option, but in Phoenix, he’ll be sharing the load with several other stars.
The Suns are trying to win their first championship since coming to the NBA in 1968. They’ve lost in the Finals three times — in 1976, 1993 and 2021.
“I’m excited to play with two Hall of Famers, I’ve never done that,” Beal said. “I’m excited what that brings. They’ll push me in ways I’ve never been pushed and hopefully I’ll do the same.”
Beal’s arrival also means the Suns will have to engage in some salary cap gymnastics to fill out their roster. The foursome of Durant, Beal, Booker and Ayton will make more than $160 million next season.
A summer of bargain hunting on the free agent market awaits, but that’s a problem to worry about another day.
For now, Beal and the Suns are relishing a roster that looks like it will be among the very best in the league during the upcoming season.
“Hopefully, we can chase this ring,” Beal said.
REPORT: TRAIL BLAZERS WAIVING F TRENDON WATFORD
The Portland Trail Blazers are set to waive forward Trendon Watford, ESPN reported Friday.
Watford, 22, averaged 7.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 62 games (12 starts) in 2022-23.
The 6-foot-9 Watford becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Undrafted out of LSU in 2021, Watford averaged 7.6 points and 4.1 boards in 48 games (10 starts) as a 2021-22 rookie.
NASCAR NEWS
2023 GRANT PARK 220: PREVIEW, BEST BETS, LONGSHOT PICK
NASCAR Cup Series faces a big unknown entering Sunday’s Grant Park 220, which will be held on a 2.2-mile, 12-turn circuit in the shadow of Chicago’s skyscrapers and just yards from the shores of Lake Michigan.
It will be a first for the Next Gen car, and how it will handle on a city street circuit is a major question mark.
“Chicago is going to be very interesting,” said A.J. Allmendinger, whose past includes street course racing in IndyCars. “A street course takes me back to my roots of racing open-wheel and being at a lot of different street courses. I think it’s a venue that, if it’s put on right, we can have a great weekend there as an industry.
“It’s a race track that a small mistake can have a huge penalty when it’s that narrow and surrounded by concrete walls. Anything can happen, and we’re not really sure what to expect. Street racing is some of the most fun I’ve had racing in my life, so I’m looking forward to getting to Chicago and trying it out in a Cup car.”
Will there be ample passing zones for Cup cars in Chicago? NBC Sports analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. said during a reconnaissance trip around the course that the racing surface actually seemed wider than he expected after first trying the iRacing simulation of the track.
GRANT PARK 200
The Place: Chicago Street Race
The Date: July 2, 5:30 p.m. ET
The Distance: 220 miles (100 laps)
Defending Champion: Chase Elliott
Cup Series Leader: Martin Truex Jr.
TV: NBC
Radio: SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
FIVE BEST BETS
Chase Elliott (+500 at BetMGM)
Time is starting to run preciously short for Elliott, who is in 25th place in the standings. He’s currently without a win – and without a spot in the playoffs. Elliott is racing into form, posting fifth- and fourth-place finishes the past two races and five top-7s in the past eight.
Martin Truex Jr. (+700)
The series leader is red hot with a win at Sonoma the most recent of five career road-course victories. Truex is riding a four-race streak of top-5s, including a runner-up his last time out at Nashville.
Kyle Larson (+800)
Larson is tied for the series lead in top-5s (seven) and in DNFs (five), and the inconsistency has him in ninth place in the standings. He’s also second in total laps led with 588. Larson opened at +700 and is second at BetMGM with 6.8 percent of the total winning bets backing him.
A.J. Allmendinger (+800)
Never mind that Allmendinger failed to finish his three most recent street course races, all in 2013. The fact he has a vast amount of experience on them has caught the public’s eye, as Allmendinger is the book’s biggest liability, leading the field with 8.1 percent of the total bets and 19.4 percent of the money. He also has five top-10s in his past six road course races, and both of Allmendinger’s Cup Series victories have come on road courses.
Kyle Busch (+1000)
A veteran with Busch’s experience should have a quick learning curve on an unknown circuit, and he does have three consecutive top-3 finishes at road courses. Currently fifth in the standings, Busch is tied for the series lead with three victories and 10 top-10s. He’s also the third biggest liability this week as Busch has drawn 6.6 and 9.9 percent of the outright winner action, respectively.
LONGSHOT PICK
Michael McDowell (+2500)
McDowell raced an IndyCar at Surfer’s Paradise in Australia in 2005, competed in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series at Long Beach in 2006 and drove at Trois-Rivieres in Quebec in the Grand American Road Racing Series in 2006.
“I think going to a new course that nobody has any experience on — tricky and challenging — it’s going to play into the hands of guys that have done races like this, and that adapt quickly,” said McDowell, who has five top-10s in his past seven road course races. “We’re talking about the best drivers in the world, so they’re going to figure it out really fast.
“I don’t think I have an ‘advantage.’ I just feel like my comfort level is a bit higher than the majority of the guys that haven’t seen a street course before. We think about this race as a race we need to go and win to get into the Playoffs. So that’s what we’re focused on.”
INDYCAR NEWS
PALOU BUILDS COMMANDING INDYCAR LEAD WHILE PREPARING TO SWITCH TEAMS NEXT YEAR
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (AP) The possibility that Alex Palou will drive for a new team as the reigning IndyCar champion next year grows increasingly likely with each race.
Palou for has won two of the last three IndyCar races heading into Sunday’s event at Road America. The Spaniard holds a commanding 51-point lead in the standings as he chases his second series title in three years.
His performance this season follows a tumultuous 2022 in which Palou attempted to leave Chip Ganassi Racing for McLaren Racing. After Ganassi sued, mediation determined Palou remained contractually bound to the team through 2023. He still plans to move to Arrow McLaren in IndyCar next season and already is one of McLaren’s reserve Formula One drivers.
“We still don’t really know what’s going to happen, so I’m not thinking about next year,” Palou said Friday. “I’m fully focused on the next couple of races. I had to deal a lot last year with the future. I know it’s not a good thing for on-track activities. That’s why I’m just focused on this practice we have today, this race, then mid-Ohio.”
Palou was asked if his fast start to the season caused him to have any second thoughts about switching teams.
“No,” Palou said. “As I said, after what I had to deal on last year, we are only focused on the season. I know that having good results, it’s only going to help myself and my future.”
The last driver to win the IndyCar championship and then leave for a different team within the same series was Dan Wheldon, who won the 2005 title with Andretti Green Racing and competed for Ganassi the following year. Dario Franchitti won the IndyCar title with Andretti Green in 2007 and moved to NASCAR with Ganassi in 2008.
Franchitti returned to IndyCar in 2009 with Ganassi.
Palou has put himself in position to join that list.
To understand the degree of his 51-point margin, consider that only 50 points separate second-place Marcus Ericsson from reigning IndyCar champion Will Power, who is eighth in the standings.
“It’s big, and I think it’s a good thing, but I don’t think we need to focus on that and be like, ‘We have such a big lead that we can give one or two races,’ “ Palou said. “We cannot, especially at IndyCar, especially with the races there are later in the year that I’ve not been that good in the past. We need to try and keep making that lead bigger and we need to win races.”
Ericsson, Palou’s teammate, is having his own contract issues.
Ericsson says he’s made it clear to Ganassi that he wants to stay, but he doesn’t have a contract in place for next year. He can start talking formally to other teams in August, though Ganassi holds exclusive negotiating rights until then.
“It’s frustrating, for sure,” Ericsson said. “I’d like to have a contract by now and know where I’d be for the future, but that’s not the case. I just have to keep pushing and keep trying to do my best. That’s all I can do, really.”
That means trying to chase Palou down in the standings.
Palou is coming off a victory at Detroit and also won on the Indianapolis road course. He won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 and was dominating the early part of the race until he was spun by Rinus VeeKay on pit road. Palou still recovered to finish fourth.
His consistency has been particularly notable, as his lone finish outside the top five was an eighth-place result at the opener in St. Petersburg.
He also won at Road America in 2021, though an early crash prevented him from having a chance at defending his title last year. The sprawling 4.014-mile, 14-turn course was re-paved last fall for the first time since 1995, creating a faster track.
Palou’s competitors believe the points race remains up for grabs since the season isn’t even halfway over. Ten events remain on the 17-race schedule.
“I think if you look at Alex specifically, he’s not had a bad race,” said Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden, who won at Road America last year, is the Indianapolis 500 winner and is third in the IndyCar standings.
“So if he keeps that up for the rest of the year, that’s going to be tough to beat for the championship,” Newgarden continued. “I think it’s probably tough to go the entire year now without having one bad result, and that doesn’t have to be a DNF (did not finish). That can be just a 12th-place day and you’ll say that’s a bad result on the year. I think you’re just seeing that because it’s still pretty dang early in the year and he’s not had a bad race.”
TONY KANAAN TO STAY WITH ARROW MCLAREN IN HYBRID ROLE FOR INDYCAR PROGRAM
(AP) — Tony Kanaan insisted after driving in his final Indianapolis 500 in May that he wasn’t done with racing entirely.
Turns out he’s not even leaving his team.
Arrow McLaren announced Thursday the creation of a new hybrid role within its racing program for Kanaan, the popular Brazilian who finished 16th in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in a fourth car for the team. Kanaan will travel with McLaren to races and tests, mentor drivers and help with commercial partnerships and business interests.
“I’m very excited to join the Arrow McLaren team in this role,” said Kanaan, the 2004 series champion and fan favorite whose 2013 victory in the Indy 500 after years of trying remains one of the most poignant in the race’s rich history.
Kanaan, who joined Arrow McLaren in November 2022, traveled with the team to most of its races early in the season. And he was intrigued by the vision of McLaren boss Zak Brown and racing director Gavin Ward.
“Zak and Gavin have a great vision for where this team is headed and what we can accomplish, so I look forward to helping us get there and making the team and the series even better,” Kanaan said. “This team works hard and has a lot of fun. That’s what racing is about, and it’s why I love being part of the team.”
While the team has yet to win this season heading into this weekend’s race at Mid-Ohio, each of McLaren’s three full-time drivers – Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi and Felix Rosenqvist – has been on the podium at least once. O’Ward has three second-place runs along with a third-place finish two weeks ago at Road America and is fourth in the points standings.
“Tony’s distinct skillset will help the team connect how we go racing to how we can make the most of our partnerships,” Ward said. “As a championship driver, he does both incredibly well – delivering on track and locking in committed partnerships. He brings a champion mindset to what we’re doing, and that’s racing to win championships while having fun doing it. Having him on the team as a multifaceted resource in his advisor role is a big win for Arrow McLaren.”
Along with helping the team’s IndyCar program, Kanaan will be involved with McLaren Racing’s heritage program.
“I’m thrilled to have Tony join Arrow McLaren and our McLaren Racing family in a more formalized capacity,” Brown said. “Having him around our team and mentoring our drivers can only make us stronger contenders.”
QUALIFYING HONDAY INDY 200: HTTP://HOSTED.STATS.COM/RACING/INDEX.ASP?PAGE=GRID&SERIES=IRL&ID=20230702023
MEN’S GOLF NEWS
MOORE, PENDRITH SHARE THE ROCKET MORTGAGE CLASSIC LEAD AT 13 UNDER
DETROIT (AP) Taylor Moore and Taylor Pendrith shared the Rocket Mortgage Classic lead at 13 under Friday, hoping to hold off a veteran trying to end a victory drought and a promising young pro aiming for his first PGA Tour victory.
Pendrith shot an 8-under 64 at Detroit Golf Club, one off the tournament record. Moore, who began the day tied with Monday qualifier Peter Kuest, had a 67 to match Pendrith at 13-under 131.
Rickie Fowler (65) and former top-ranked amateur Ludvig Aberg (67) were a shot back after two straight solid rounds.
The 34-year-old Fowler jumped into contention, chipping in for eagle from 27 feet on the par-5 17th. Fowler set himself up with a chance to for his first win since 2019 at the U.S. Open two weeks ago with an opening 62 before closing with a 75 to plummet into a fifth-place tie.
“We can’t try and press too hard,” he said. “Definitely know we can win. How I’ve played is some of the best, if not the best, I’ve felt about my game and on the course really ever.”
The 23-year-old Aberg, who starred at Texas Tech, finished the season No. 1 in the PGA Tour University ranking. The Swede became the first player to go straight from college to PGA Tour membership without going through Q-school or earning enough money or points from sponsor exemptions. He’s in his third event as a pro after tying for 25th in the Canadian Open and 24th last week in the Travelers Championship.
“I know what I’m capable of and I know that I can hit the golf shots, but you’ve got to be able to handle everything else,” Aberg said. “This is new setting for me.”
Collin Morikawa (67), Justin Lower (65), Aaron Rai (68), Adam Schenk (68) were 11 under, two strokes behind the leaders.
The 29-year-old Moore won the Valspar Championship in March when he outlasted Jordan Spieth for his first PGA Tour title. Moore missed the cut in his previous three tournaments after tying for 72nd at the PGA Championship, but said he hasn’t panicked as he would’ve in the past.
“Golf’s just such a finicky game,” he said. “I really haven’t felt like I’ve been that far off and haven’t made a cut in a couple weeks.”
On Friday, Moore opened with a bridie and had a temporary cushion with five birdies in a six-hole stretch midway through his round.
Pendrith, a big hitter from Canada, closed the gap with five birdies on his front nine and three more on his back in a bogey-free round. He tied for seventh this year in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for his best career finish.
Kuest, ranked 789th in the world, had a bogey early and late in his round to finish with a 70 that put him three shots back.
Playing for the third time as a qualifier this season, his third tee shot went way left. Faced with a risk-reward decision due to low-hanging tree branches between him and the green, he played it safe and punched a shot to his right and onto the fairway. After an accurate approach set up a 4-foot putt, he lipped out for bogey.
Justin Thomas, defending champion Tony Finau and Hideki Matsuyama missed the cut. Finau won last year at a tournament-record 26 under.
Thomas, who won 2017 FedEx champion after winning his first of two PGA Championships, was still a crowd favorite in the Motor City.
“J.T., you’re a man of the people,” a man shouted as Thomas slapped hands with fans. “Can I have your putter?”
After ranking 118th on Friday and closing in the middle of the pack on the Detroit Golf Club greens, Thomas may have thought about giving up his putter.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: THE TOP TRANSFERS IN THE BIG 10 FOR 2023
ATHLONS FOOTBALL
QB: Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin (from SMU)
Others to Watch: Jeff Sims, Nebraska (from Georgia Tech); Cade McNamara, Iowa (from Michigan); Hudson Card, Purdue (from Texas); Luke Altmyer, Illinois (from Ole Miss); Tayven Jackson, Indiana (from Tennessee); Ben Bryant, Northwestern (from Cincinnati)
RB: Sean Tyler, Minnesota (from Western Michigan)
RB: Jaren Mangham, Michigan State (from USF)
Indiana running back Christian Turner (Wake Forest)
Others to Watch: Trey Potts, Penn State (from Minnesota); Sampson James, Indiana (from Purdue); Christian Turner, Indiana (from Wake Forest); Nathan Carter, Michigan State (UConn);
WR: Tyrese Chambers, Maryland (from FIU)
WR: Dante Cephas, Penn State (from Kent State);
WR: Corey Crooms/Elijah Spencer, Minnesota
WR: Billy Kemp IV, Nebraska (from Virginia)
WR C.J. Williams, Wisconsin (from USC)
Others to Watch: Kaden Prather, Maryland (from West Virginia); Josh Fleeks, Nebraska (from Baylor); Will Pauling, Wisconsin (from Cincinnati); Bryson Green, Wisconsin (from Oklahoma State); Naseim Brantley, Rutgers (from Western Illinois); JaQuae Jackson, Rutgers (California University of Pennsylvania); Malik McClain, Penn State (from Florida State); Jahmal Edrine, Purdue (from FAU); A.J. Henning, Northwestern (from Michigan); Cam Johnson, Northwestern (from Arizona State); Alante Brown, Michigan State (from Nebraska); Seth Anderson, Iowa (from Charleston Southern); Kaleb Brown, Iowa (from Ohio State); E.J. Williams, Indiana (from Clemson); Dequece Carter, Indiana (from Fordham)
TE: Erick All, Iowa (from Michigan)
Others to Watch: Arik Gilbert, Nebraska (from Georgia); Shawn Bowman, Rutgers (from Maine); A.J. Barner, Michigan (from Indiana); Jaylan Franklin, MIchigan State (from Wisconsin); Tanner Arkin, Illinois (from Colorado State)
OL: Ben Scott, Nebraska (from Arizona State)
OL: Jake Renfro, Wisconsin (from Cincinnati)
OL: Myles Hinton, Michigan (from Stanford)
OL: Drake Nugent, Michigan (from Stanford)
OL: LaDarius Henderson, Michigan (from Arizona State)
Others to Watch: Jalen Grant, Purdue (from Bowling Green); Corey Bullock, Maryland (from North Carolina Central); Gottlieb Ayedeze, Maryland (from Frostburg State); Mike Purcell, Maryland (from Duke); Joe Huber, Wisconsin (from Cincinnati); Ben Farrell, Purdue (from Indiana Wesleyan); Preston Nichols, Purdue (from UNLV); Victor Cutler, Ohio State (from ULM); Tyler Knaack, Nebraska (from Utah); Jacob Hood, Nebraska (from Georgia); Marcus Dumervil, Maryland (from LSU); Rusty Feth, Iowa (from Miami, Ohio); Daijon Parker, Iowa (from Saginaw Valley State); Max Longman, Indiana (from UMass); Noah Bolticoff, Indiana (from TCU); Josh Simmons, Ohio State (from San Diego State);
DL: Andre Carter, Indiana (from Western Michigan)
DL: Tunmise Adeleye, Michigan State (from Texas A&M)
DL: Jordan Phillips, Maryland (from Tennessee)
DL: Darian Varner, Wisconsin (from Temple)
DL: Josaiah Stewart, Michigan (from Coastal Carolina)
Others to Watch: Elijah Jeudy, Nebraska (from Texas A&M); Matt Lawson, Northwestern (from Fresno State); Richie Hagarty, Northwestern (from Southern Illinois); Isaiah Iton, Rutgers (from Ole Miss); Jeffrey M’Ba, Purdue (from Auburn); Malik Langham, Purdue (from Vanderbilt); Isaiah Nichols, Purdue (from Arkansas); Alonzo Ford, Penn State (from Old Dominion); Tywone Malone, Ohio State (from Ole Miss); Jarrett Jackson, Michigan State (from Florida State); Jalen Sami, Michigan State (from Colorado); Dre Butler, Michigan State (from Liberty); Ken Talley, Michigan State (from Penn State); Donnell Brown, Maryland (Saint Francis PA); Marcus Burris, Indiana (from Texas A&M); Robby Harrison, Indiana (from Arizona State), Phillip Blidi, Indiana (from Texas Tech); Lanell Carr, Indiana (from West Virginia); Reginald Pearson, Northwestern (from Bethune-Cookman)
LB: Jacob Mangum-Farrar, Indiana (from Stanford)
LB: Nick Jackson, Iowa (from Virginia)
LB: MJ Sherman, Nebraska (from Georgia)
LB: Ernest Hausmann, Michigan (from Nebraska)
Others to Watch: Jeff Pietrowski, Wisconsin (from Michigan State); Ryan Selig, Minnesota (from Western Michigan); Chris Collins, Minnesota (from North Carolina); Chief Borders, Nebraska (from Florida); Anthony Jones, Indiana (from Oregon)
DB: Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State (from Ole Miss)
DB: Ja’Had Carter, Ohio State (from Syracuse)
DB: Jack Henderson, Minnesota (from Southeastern Louisiana)
DB: Salim Turner-Muhammad (Stanford)/Marquis Wilson (Penn State), Purdue
DB: Ja’Quan Sheppard, Maryland (from Cincinnati)
DB: Demetrius Hill, Illinois (from FIU)/Nicario Harper, Illinois (from Louisville)
DB Jason Maitre, Wisconsin (from Boston College)
Others to Watch: Josh Wallace, Michigan (from UMass); Nyzier Fourqurean, Wisconsin (from Grand Valley State); Michael Dixon, Rutgers (from Minnesota); Eric Rogers, Rutgers (from Northern Illinois); Markevious Brown, Purdue (from Ole Miss); Braxton Myers, Purdue (from Ole Miss); Anthony Brown, Purdue (from Arkansas); Audavion Collins, Penn State (from Mississippi State); Lorenzo Styles, Ohio State (from Notre Dame); Corey Collier, Nebraska (from Florida); Craig McDonald, Minnesota (from Auburn); Rowan Zolman, Minnesota (from Miami, Ohio); Tyler Bride, Minnesota (from Georgia Southern); Armorion Smith, Michigan State (from Cincinnati); Terry Roberts, Michigan State (from Iowa); Semar Melvin, Michigan State (from Wisconsin); Kobee Minor, Indiana (from Texas Tech); Nicholas Toomer, Indiana (from Stanford); Jamier Johnson, Indiana (from Texas); Clayton Bush, Illinois (from Southern Illinois); Tre’Von Jones, Minnesota (from Elon);
K: James Turner, Michigan (from Louisville)
Others to Watch: Nathanial Vakos, Wisconsin (from Ohio); Alex Felkins, Penn State (from Columbia)
P: Riley Thompson, Penn State (from FAU)
Others to Watch: Michael O’Shaughnessy, Michigan State (from Ohio State); Atticus Bertrams, Wisconsin (from USC)
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
INDIANA PACERS
PACERS MAKE EARLY SPLASH BY AGREEING TO 2-YEAR, $45 MILLION DEAL WITH BRUCE BROWN, SOURCE SAYS
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Indiana Pacers tried to acquire a veteran wing before last week’s NBA draft.
When that didn’t work, they shifted to Plan B – free agency.
Less than 30 minutes after teams were allowed to negotiate with free agents Friday, the Pacers and Bruce Brown Jr. agreed on a two-year contract worth $45 million, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Friday. The person, who requested anonymity because the deal has not yet been announced publicly, said the deal includes a team option for 2024-25.
“We were very, very aggressive pursuing (a trade),” general manager Chad Buchanan said last week. “There were about six guys who fit our timeline and the way we play. Unfortunately, they were not available. We started looking at other opportunities that were potentially available, that probably gave us four or five more wins next year but probably limited us in the long run.”
So they bided time and waited to make a rare, splashy, early move in free agency.
They cashed in on their salary-cap position by taking advantage of the league rules that put NBA champion Denver in a bind to re-sign Brown, a key cog in their title run. The Nuggets wanted Brown so badly that during the city’s recent championship parade, coach Mike Malone told the roaring crowd Brown wasn’t going anywhere.
Instead, he wound up with Indiana because Denver couldn’t offer anything close to the Pacers.
Brown made $6.5 million last season and the Pacers were one of the league’s few teams that was so far below the cap threshold, luxury tax or new second apron, they took a big swing for the fences.
What does Brown do for the Pacers?
He’s another young, emerging player seemingly ready for a breakout season and he’s the third defensive-minded guy Indiana has added since last week. The Pacers used their two first-round picks on power forward Jarace Walker and wing Ben Sheppard.
Coach Rick Carlisle made it clear what the Pacers needed to do during the offseason after Indiana allowed 119.5 points, the second-most in the league.
“With the excitement that’s been generated from the positives of this season, we must be very forthright about our challenges,” Carlisle said at April’s season-ending news conference. “Our challenges remain defense and rebounding.”
Brown joins a roster that already includes popular All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, two-time NBA blocks champion Myles Turner and all-rookie swingman Bennedict Mathurin.
Last season, Brown started 31 regular-season games for the Nuggets, posting averages of 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
But Indiana might not be finished making moves.
Buddy Hield, last season’s starting wing, could be on the trading bloc after finishing tied for fifth in 3-pointers per game (3.6) while shooting 45.8% from beyond the arc. He turns 31 in December, is on an expiring contract and could become viable scoring asset on a title contender.
Chris Duarte, an all-rookie guard in 2021-22, also could be on the move following an injury-plagued season put him behind Haliburton, Mathurin, rookie Andrew Nembhard and veteran T.J. McConnell on the depth chart.
Plus, the Pacers are still $48.1 million below the luxury tax and have extra draft picks, too.
HALIBURTON GETS MAX DEAL WITH PACERS
The Pacers agreed to a five-year deal worth up to $260 million with Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton’s average annual salary of $52 million should put him at about 25% of the salary cap. The deal makes him the highest-paid player in Pacers history.
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
CHOI’S GO-AHEAD, THREE-RUN BLAST LEADS INDIANS TO NINTH-INNING VICTORY
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ji Man Choi blasted a go-ahead, three-run home run with one out in the top of the ninth inning to lift the Indianapolis Indians to a win over the Louisville Bats on Friday night at Louisville Slugger Field, 10-8.
Following a fielding error to put Vinny Capra on and a one-out single by Endy Rodríguez, Choi stepped to the plate and smoked a line drive 107.6 MPH just over the right-field wall against Alan Busenitz (L, 1-1) to plate three, extending his RBI total to four on the night. The ninth-inning victory marks the first time this season the Indians (35-42, 2-1) have scored the game-winning run in their last at-bat.
The back-and-forth contest began with the Indians scoring first, taking a 2-0 lead on back-to-back bases-loaded walks to Chris Owings and Endy Rodríguez at the top of the order. There were four total walks in the frame and 13 in the contest, marking the most walks drawn by the Indians since they walked 15 times on May 5, 2022 vs. Louisville.
The Bats (41-35, 1-2) took the lead in the bottom of the third on a two-run triple by Henry Ramos and subsequent wild pitch. The Indians quickly countered to tie the game via a solo shot by Alika Williams, his second home run in as many days and third in his last five.
With the game tied at 5-5 after the Indians countered a two-run bottom of the fourth with two runs of their own in the fifth, Louisville scored another pair in the sixth and one in the seventh to take the lead. Indianapolis then scored five unanswered runs for the win, with two in the eighth coming via Choi’s first triple since 2019 and a wild pitch.
Travis MacGregor (W, 1-0) entered the game with two runners on in the bottom of the seventh and stranded the pair before closing out the contest without allowing a hit. Kyle Nicolas – who entered following opener Yohan Ramirez – struck out nine over 4.0 innings. The nine-strikeout effort marks just the second time this season and in Victory Field history that a reliever has fanned nine-plus batters, following Osvaldo Bido on April 16 vs. St. Paul.
Choi went 3-for-5 and was a double shy of the cycle, while Canaan Smith-Njigba and Williams followed with two hits apiece. Williams extended his hitting streak to eight games with his fourth-inning homer.
The Indians and Bats will face off again on Saturday night at 7:15 PM ET as Indianapolis looks to clinch at least a series split with their third consecutive win. Taking the hill for Indy will be RHP Quinn Priester (7-3, 4.36) against RHP Levi Stoudt (2-3, 5.00).
INDY ELEVEN PREVIEW
#INDvSD Preview
Indy Eleven vs San Diego Loyal SC
Saturday, July 1, 2023 – 7:30 p.m. ET
Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, Ind.
Follow Live
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed
Stats: #INDvSD MatchCenter at USLChampionship.com
2023 USL Championship Records
Indy Eleven: 5W-6L-4D (0), 19 pts; 7th in Eastern Conference
San Diego Loyal SC: 6W-5L-5D (+2), 23 pts; 6th in Western Conference
Community Health Network Sports Medicine Indy Eleven Injury Report
OUT: DF B. Rebellon (L adductor), MF J. Blake (Lower back)
QUESTIONABLE: MF S. Velasquez (L adductor)
SETTING THE SCENE
The Boys in Blue return to action Saturday when they host San Diego Loyal SC for the first and only time this season. San Diego leads the all-time series 1-0-0.
The Eleven are coming off a 2-0 win at Hartford Athletic and are 2-2-1 in their last five games. With a 5-6-4 record, Indy is seventh in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference.
San Diego is winless in its last five matches going 0-3-2 and is coming off a 2-1 loss to Pittsburgh. SD sits sixth in the Western Conference at 6-5-5.
SERIES VS. SAN DIEGO LOYAL
Saturday marks the second meeting between the two teams, with San Diego holding the 1-0-0 all-time advantage in USL Championship action. The is the first meeting of the 2023 season.
SD leads: 1-0-0
GF 0, GA 5
Recent Meetings
6.25.22 at SD L, 5-0
Last Match
2022 USL Championship Regular Season – Matchday 16
San Diego Loyal SC 5:0 Indy Eleven
Saturday, June 25, 2022
Torero Stadium– San Diego, Calif.
Scoring Summary:
SD – Thomas Amang (unassisted) 29′
SD – Kyle Vassell (unassisted) 42′
SD – Kyle Vassell (Alejandro Guido) 52′
SD – Mechack Jerome (own goal) 60′
SD – Robinson Moshobane (unassisted) 85′
LINDLEY NAMED TO USLC TEAM OF THE WEEK
A SportCenter Top-10 worthy goal earned Cam Lindley USL Championship Team of the Week honors. Additionally, Yannik Oettl earned a bench spot after helping the Eleven to a 2-0 win over Hartford Athletic.
Lindley scored the match winner in the 73rd minute off an assist from Younes Boudadi. His first goal of the 2023 season made an impression, coming in at No. 10 on SportsCenter’s Top 10. Lindley completed 52 of 57 passes in the game and won two of two tackles and five of eight duels. He currently ranks third in the USLC in passes (1,003).
In goal, Oettl earned his fifth clean sheet of the season for the Boys in Blue, registering three saves. Oettl ranks eight in the league with 41 saves and is tied for fifth with five clean sheets.
LAST TIME OUT
JUNE 24, 2023
HFD 0:2 IND
Indy Eleven won, 2-0, at Hartford Athletic as Cam Lindley’s and Douglas Martinez’s goals helped Indy earn three points on road.
Indy scored the game winning goal in the 73rd minute when Lindley took a pass from Boudadi and delivered a shot from well outside the box into the top left corner of the net giving Indy a 1-0 lead on his first goal of the season.
Douglas Martinez would add on to Indy’s lead in the fifth minute of stoppage time, when he took a pass from Roberto Molina and sent a shot that bounced off the goaltender’s gloves and into the back of net for his first goal of the season,extending Indy’s lead to 2-0.
Scoring Summary
IND – Cam Lindley (Younes Boudadi) 73’
IND – Douglas Martinez (Roberto Molina) 90 + 5’
Discipline Summary
IND – Younes Boudadi (caution) 4’
IND – Macaulay King (caution) 49’
IND – Harrison Robledo (caution) 65’
HFD – Prince Saydee (caution) 70’
IND – Cam Lindley (caution) 74’
HFD – Edgardo Rito (caution) 87’
IND – Gustavo Rissi (caution) 87’
HFD – Elvis Amoh (caution 90 + 5
INDY ELEVEN ANNOUNCES RETURN OF STEFANO PINHO
Indy Eleven announced the acquisition of forward Stefano Pinho for a second stint with the Boys in Blue. Pinho will be available for Indy pending league and federation approval. Per club policy, terms of the deal will not be disclosed.
Pinho appeared in 32 USL Championship matches in 2022 for the Eleven, making 22 starts and logging over 2,000 minutes of action. He registered a team-leading 13 goals, including four match winners, and three assists, while tallying 52 shots, including 21 on target. He returns to the Circle City after appearing in five matches for Brazilian club Paysandu SC (Campeonato Brasileiro Serie C) scoring one goal.
The 32-year-old opened his career in South America playing for youth club Fluminese FC and began his professional career on loan with Brazilian sides Guaratingueta (2012) and Madureira (2013) and Finnish club Mypa (2014).
Pinho burst onto the American soccer scene after finishing as the top scorer at the 2013 MLS Combine. In 2015, he opened his NASL career with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and went on to play for Minnesota United (2016) and The Miami FC (2017). He twice earned the league’s Golden Boot (leading scorer) and Golden Ball (MVP) awards, once with Fort Lauderdale and once with Miami FC. Pinho scored 16 USLC goals and had nine assists with Fort Lauderdale and added 17 goals and three assists with Miami FC.
In 2018, Pinho played 26 matches for MLS club Orlando City FC across MLS and U.S. Open Cup competition and scored three goals. The 2019 season saw him play for Xianjang Tianshan Leopard (2019) in China and he spent 2020-21 with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Washm. He returned to the States in 2021 to play for Austin Bold FC, where he registered a goal and an assist in 25 matches.
W LEAGUE RECAP IND 16:0 STC
WESTFIELD, Ind. (Friday, June 30, 2023) – Indy Eleven recorded a pair of hat tricks on the way to a 16-0 win over St. Charles FC in the regular season finale. With the win, the Eleven finished the season 8-1-1 and secured the USL W League’s Valley Division title. The division championship is the second for the Girls in Blue in two seasons of action.
The 16 goals scored are a club record for Indy, surpassing an 8-0 outing over St. Charles to open the 2023 season, and the total and margin of victory are the most in the league’s history. In 22 matches over two seasons, the program has scored five-plus goals on three occasions, four-plus goals four times and three-plus goals 12 times. Overall, Indy had a plus-37 goal differential over the regular season, outscoring its opponents 40-3.
As part of the 16 tallies, Maddy Williams recorded her second-career hat trick and added a fourth tally to lead the Eleven. Before Friday’s match, she owned the club’s only other three-goal game doing so in a 3-0 win over Flint City AFC on June 10, 2022.
Sam Dewey picked up the second hat trick for Indy, scoring all three of her goals in the first 45 minutes of action. Both Williams and Dewey now have a team-leading seven goals on the season.
Three more players scored double-digit goals with Addie Chester, Katie Soderstrom and Rafferty Kugler picking up two apiece, while Grace Bahr and Susie Soderstrom each added one.
Katie Soderstrom registered 10 of Indy’s 47 shots, while 13 total players had shots. Nona Reason and Emily Edwards shared the clean sheet in goal with Edwards making the lone save.
Indy will head to the Central Conference Playoffs Thursday as part of a four-team pod hosted by Flint City AFC. Opponent and game time information for the Central Conference Semifinals are to be determined.
USL W League
Indy Eleven 16:0 St. Charles FC
Friday, June 30, 2023
Grand Park Sports Complex | Westfield, Ind.
2023 USL W League Records
Indy Eleven: 8W-1L-1D (+37GD), 25pts
St. Charles FC: 1W-7L-2D (-48GD), 5pt
Scoring Summary
IND – Maddy Williams (Trinity Watson) 3’
IND – Sam Dewey 14’
IND – Grace Bahr (Penalty) 19’
IND – Addie Chester (Ella Rogers) 35’
IND – Sam Dewey (Annika Schmidt) 38’
IND – Sam Dewey 40’
IND – Addie Chester 42’
IND – Maddy Williams (Addie Chester) 48’
IND – Maddy Williams (Ella Rogers) 53’
IND – Maddy Williams (Addie Chester) 54’
IND – Own goal 58’
IND – Katie Soderstrom (Susie Soderstrom) 73’
IND – Susie Soderstrom (Grace Bahr) 77’
IND – Katie Soderstrom (Susie Soderstrom) 78’
IND – Rafferty Kugler (Penalty) 88’
IND – Rafferty Kugler (Katie Soderstrom) 89’
Discipline Summary
STC – Anastasia Barcom 87’
IND – Rafferty Kugler 90’
Indy Eleven lineup: Nona Reason (Emily Edwards 45’), Lizzie Sexton (Kristina Lynch 62’), Grace Bahr, Annika Schmidt (Alia Martin 62’), Trinity Watson, Sam Dewey (Rafferty Kugler 45’), Greta Kraszula, Ella Rogers, Addie Chester (Rhonda Ojongmboh 62’), Maddy Williams (Susie Soderstrom 62’), Katie Soderstrom
IND substitutes: Emma Johnson
INDIANA WRESTLING
INDIANA WRESTLING SIGNS TRANSFER DANNY FONGARO
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––––– Indiana head coach Angel Escobedo has announced the team’s signing of transfer Danny Fongaro.
Fongaro comes to Bloomington after spending five years at Columbia. He only competed in three seasons after taking a Greyshirt year in 2019-20 and the entire Ivy League cancelled all athletic competition in 2020-21.
In his three years on the mat, Fongaro wrestled at 141 and 149 lbs. and was a consistent force in the lineup for the Lions.
Most recently in 2022-23, Fongaro competed at 149 lbs. and had a 16-16 season with two wins by major decision and one pin. He took sixth place at the EIWA Championships while his team took fourth. The Lions went 6-7 in dual action.
In January 2023, Fongaro reached No. 33 at 149 lbs. in national rankings.
In 2021-22, he had a 20-12 record with 10 wins by major decision. He took fifth place at the EIWA Championships. As a true freshman in 2018-19, Fongaro went 16-13.
His career record stands at 52-41 entering the 2023-24 season.
Fongaro is a Lincoln City, N.J. native and attended Boonton High School. He graduated from Columbia as an Economics major. He will attend the Maurer School of Law at IU.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
EDEY TABBED BIG TEN JESSE OWENS MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Coming off one of the most-statistically dominating seasons in recent memory, Purdue men’s basketball player Zach Edey has been named the Big Ten’s Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year for the 2022-23 season.
Edey joins former NBA No. 1 Draft pick Glenn Robinson (1994) and NCAA National Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist David Boudia (2011) as recipients of the Big Ten’s most-prestigious athletic award.
Iowa women’s basketball player Caitlin Clark was named the recipient of the Big Ten’s Female Athlete of the Year.
The most-dominant player in college basketball during the 2022-23 season won all six National Player of the Year awards, winning the Wooden Award, the Naismith Trophy, The Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA), Associated Press (AP) National Player of the Year, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Player of the Year and The Sporting News National Player of the Year. In addition, he has won the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the nation’s top center.
He was named a first-team All-American by every outlet and recently was named a finalist for the top Male College Athlete ESPY award by ESPN.
Edey became the first Boilermaker since Glenn Robinson in 1994 to win National Player of the Year accolades. He is also the fifth Big Ten Player in the last 14 years to be named National Player of the Year joining Evan Turner (2010), Trey Burke (2013), Frank Kaminsky (2015) and Luka Garza (2021) as National Players of the Year.
Edey earned Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year after a remarkable junior season at Purdue. He was named a consensus first-team All-American, the second straight season that Purdue has had a consensus All-American (Jaden Ivey, 2022), after averaging 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists per game.
He became the first player in NCAA history (since blocks became an official NCAA stat) to record at least 750 points, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks and 50 assists in a season, ranking sixth nationally in scoring, second in rebounds, 19th in blocked shots and 21st in field goal percentage (.607), the only player in the NCAA database to rank in the top 25 of all four categories in the same season.
He finished the season ranking sixth on Purdue’s single-season chart for points (757), first in rebounds (438), fifth in field goals made (290), 14th in field goal percentage (.607), first in dunks (76) and second in double-doubles (27).
He has scored in double-figures in 51 straight games, the longest streak in the country, and fourth-longest streak in school history.
For his career in 99 games, he has 1,533 points, the fourth most for a player through his junior season in school history (Carsen Edwards, Glenn Robinson, Rick Mount), with 847 rebounds, 148 blocks and 106 assists.
He finished the year with eight games of at least 30 points and 10 rebounds, the most for a major-college player in the last 20 years, and his 11 games of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds are the most for a Big Ten player in the last 20 years by four games over Luka Garza (Iowa; 7). The 438 rebounds are the fourth most by a player in Big Ten history behind three seasons by Ohio State great Jerry Lucas (1960-62).
Edey became just the second player in Big Ten history to lead the league in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage and is one of just nine players (Blake Griffin, Ike Diogu, Antawn Jamison, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Walton, Lew Alcindor, Gary Bradds) to lead a major-college conference in all three categories in NCAA history. Griffin was the last to do so in 2009.
Edey also earned Big Ten Player of the Year accolades after helping Purdue to a Big Ten regular-season title, a No. 1 national ranking for seven weeks and the Big Ten Tournament title.
Earlier this season, Edey joined an exclusive list of Boilermakers to win the Big Ten Player of the Year honors, joining the late Caleb Swanigan (2017), JaJuan Johnson (2011), Glenn Robinson (1994) and Steve Scheffler (1990) as winners of the league’s top honor.
Edey is the third Boilermaker to receive the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Award, joining JaJuan Johnson (2011) and the late Caleb Swanigan (2017) as Purdue recipients. Purdue and Duke are the only institutions to have three Pete Newell Big Man of the Year award winners.
Edey was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award and earned a spot on the Big Ten’s All-Defensive team.
Edey will return for his senior season in 2023-24, looking to lead the Boilermakers to back-to-back Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles. The Boilermakers are ranked in the top five of all the “way-too-early” top-25 polls.
PURDUE MEN’S TENNIS
YOUNG ADDS SIX TO 2023 RECRUITING CLASS
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After completing his first season as head coach, Geoff Young ushered in year two of his tenure by announcing the addition of six new players in the class of 2023-24: Alexander Ekstrand, Aleksa Krivokapic, Soham Purohit, Stefan Simeunovic, Juan David Velasquez and Henrik Villanger.
“I’m very excited about this class of guys joining our team this fall,” Young said on the 2023 recruiting class. “They are all great students with tremendous upside as tennis players. This group will be the core of our team for the coming years, and I look forward to the program taking big steps forward.”
Young’s first true recruiting class features three international players (Krivokapic, Simeunovic and Villanger), two five-star recruits (Ekstrand and Velasquez), and the No. 1 recruit from the Pacific Northwest (Purohit).
The class will welcome in two established transfer players, one from the Big East (Krivokapic, DePaul) and another from the Big Ten (Simeunovic, Penn State).
Aleksa Krivokapic stands out as the class’s most decorated player. In his freshman season with the Blue Demons, he earned the Big East Freshman of the Year award by going 10-4 in singles play and 4-0 in conference matches. Before DePaul, he was undefeated against four and five-star recruits.
STEFAN SIMEUNOVIC:
6’2 | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Penn State
BEFORE PURDUE
• 4-3 record against Blue-Chip recruits
• Achieved a career-high ranking of 248 in ITF Juniors (1/3/22)
• Reached 10 quarterfinals in ITF Junior events, seven coming in the Main Draw
• Reached four semifinals in ITF Junior events
• Won four doubles titles in 2022
• Three-time Ontario Provincial Singles Champion (2017, 2019, and 2021)
• Represented Team Ontario in the 2022 Canada Games
• 2017 U12 Canada Nationals Singles Champion
• Reached eight doubles finals in ITF Junior events, winning three
• Reached the final of the J5 Victoria ITF Junior Singles Tournament in Oct. 2021
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Stefan Simeunovic
• Major: Business Analytics and Information Management
• Birthdate: Sept. 14, 2005
• Birthplace: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
• Languages Spoken: English, French, and Serbian
• Parents: Mladen and Valentina Simeunovic
• Siblings: Sister, Tara Simeunovic
• Fun Fact: Father, Mladen, played volleyball at the University of Belgrade in Serbia, from 1988-1991
Young on Simeunovic: “Stefan is our only lefty in this class and has a very steady game with tools to move forward and finish at the net. I believe he is on the brink of breaking through to the next level in the coming year.”
SOHAM PUROHIT:
5’11 | Kirkland, Wash. | Lake Washington High School
BEFORE PURDUE-
• 3-0 record against five-start recruits
• Highest ranking was No. 2 in the TennisRPI (5/4/23)
• Rated the No. 27 overall recruit in the nation on Head.com
• Ranked No. 1 on Tennis Recruiting in the Pacific Northwest and No. 56 in the nation
• Runner up at Boys U14 doubles at National Level Two
• Four-time PNW Junior Sectionals Doubles Champion
• Top-8 finish at Boys U16 Level One Clay Court Nationals
• Reached the Quarterfinals of the J4 Dededo ITF Junior Doubles Tournament in May 2022
• First Team All-King County at Lake Washington High School
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Soham Purohit
• Major: Economics
• Birthdate: Sept. 19, 2005
• Birthplace: Kirkland, Wash.
• Languages Spoken: English and Hindi
• Parents: Bhanu Purohit and Sarika Calla
• Siblings: Brother, Shubhu Purohit
• Fun Fact: Father, Bhanu, works for Google as a technical program manager, and his mother, Sarika, works at Microsoft as an engineering manager
Young on Purohit: “I’m very excited to start working with Soham this fall. I believe his game will transition nicely to college tennis.”
JUAN DAVID VELASQUEZ:
5’11 | Naples, Fla. | Emilio Sanchez Academy
BEFORE PURDUE
• Rated as a five-star recruit by Tennis Recruiting Network
• Combined 17-0 against three and four-star recruits
• Finished 2023 as the nation’s No. 42 overall recruit and the No. 9 player in the state of Florida by Head.com
• Reached the quarterfinals of the J100 Coral Gables ITF Junior Singles Tournament in May 2023
• Won his way into the main draw of two ITF Junior Singles Tournaments in 2023
• Won the J4 Boca Raton ITF Junior Doubles Tournament in November 2022
• Competed in seven different ITF World Tennis Tour Tournaments from 2021-2023
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Juan David Velasquez
• Major: Finance
• Birthdate: July 10, 2005
• Birthplace: Villavicencio, Colombia
• Languages Spoken: Spanish and English
• Parents: Norbey Velasquez and Luz Deivi
• Siblings: Brother, Juan Pablo and sister, Valentina
• Fun Fact: Juan is a big fan of F1 racing
Young on Velasquez: “JD will bring a lot of experience even though he’s a freshman. His game has taken off in the last five months and we look for him to play high in our lineup.”
HENRIK VILLANGER:
6’1 | Oslo, Norway | WANG Toppidrett Oslo
BEFORE PURDUE
• Reached five quarterfinals of ITF Junior Events, four coming in the Main Draw
• Punched his ticket to three semifinals of ITF Junior Singles Tournaments in 2022
• Runner up at the J5 Nastola ITF Junior Singles Tournament in October 2022
• Won 20 ITF Junior Event matches, 15 of which were in straight sets
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Henrik Villanger
• Major: Engineering
• Birthdate: March 27, 2004
• Birthplace: Oslo, Norway
• Languages Spoken: Norwegian and English
• Fun Fact: He is a fan of the Liverpool football team
Young on Villanger: “Henrik had a very successful junior career in his home country of Norway. He’s a very athletic player with lots of tools to help us in the Big Ten.”
ALEXANDER EKSTRAND:
6’4 | Delray Beach, Fla. | American Heritage
BEFORE PURDUE
• Rated as a five-star recruit by Tennis Recruiting Network
• Combined 23-3 record against three and four-star recruits
• Achieved a career-high ranking of 23 from TennisRPI on February 15, 2023
• Rated as the No. 36 overall recruit, and the No. 8 recruit in Florida by Head.com
• Champion and Finalist in the Battle of Boca Tournament
• South California CIF and Regionals Champion
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Alexander Ekstrand
• Preferred Name: Xander
• Major: Business and Engineering
• Birthdate: June 26, 2004
• Birthplace: Santa Monica, Calif.
• Parents: Rikard and Christine Ekstrand
• Siblings: Brothers, Markus and Karl, sisters, Sophia, Erica, Monika and Viktoria
• Fun Fact: He speaks three languages
Young on Ekstrand: “Xander is a player who is improving quickly, as he started later than most players. His length, big serve and forehand are all perfect weapons to build around as he develops.”
ALEKSA KRIVOKAPIC:
6’5 | Podgorica, Montenegro | DePaul
2023 AS A FRESHMAN AT DEPAUL
• 2023 Big East Freshman of the Year
• Went 10-4 in singles play
• Went undefeated in Big East play at 4-0
• Played at the top four positions, with a winning record at No. 1, 2 and 4
BEFORE PURDUE
• Undefeated against Four and Five-Star recruits
• 1-0 versus Blue-Chip recruits
• Achieved a career-high ranking ITF Junior ranking No. 384 on Jan. 4, 2021
• Reached the quartefinals of 6 ITF Junior Singles Tournaments
• Runner up in two ITF Juniors Doubles Tournaments
• Reached the semifinals of 4 ITF Junior Singles Tournaments
• Runner-Up at the J4 Podgorica ITF Junior Singles Tournament in September 2020
• Won his way into the Main Draw of the M15 Ulcinj ITF Men’s World Tennis Tour in May 2022
PERSONAL
• Full Name: Aleksa Krivokapic
• Major: Undecided
• Birthdate: May 15, 2003
• Birthplace: Podgorica, Montenegro
• Parents: Andrija and Ana Krivokapic
• Fun Fact: He makes a great pasta from scratch
Young on Krivokapic: “Aleksa has a year of college tennis already under his belt. That and his length and big serve will help us right away.”
BALL STATE FOOTBALL
THIRTY-FIVE CARDINAL NEWCOMERS JOIN BALL STATE FOOTBALL PROGRAM DURING SUMMER WORKOUTS
MUNCIE, Ind. – Eight transfers and 12 freshmen are among 20 new players for the Ball State football program, joining a cast of 35 newcomers to begin workouts this week at the Cardinal football facility.
The 20 new players join a list of 26 Ball State signees during signing periods last February and December. Ball State’s latest additions include:
BALL STATE 2023 SUMMER NEWCOMERS – TRANSFER STUDENT-ATHLETES:
Jack Drake | PK-P | 6-1 | 186 | Gr. | Zionsville, Ind. (Zionsville / DePauw)
Ahmad Edwards | WR | 6-1 | 180 | Alabaster, Ala. (Thompson / Jacksonville State)
Jahmad Harmon | DB | 6-0 | 180 | Fr. | Indianapolis, Ind. (Lawrence Central / Kent State)
James Makszin | DL | 6-4 | 285 | RS-Sr. | Terryville, Conn. (Norwalk / Rhode Island)
Marion Ponds | DB | 6-1 | 183 | Jr. | Wichita, Kan. (Wichita East / Coffeyville CC)
Ty Robinson | WR | 6-3 | 195 | Jr. | Aurora, Colo. (Eaglecrest / Colorado)
Jeffrey Simmons | TE | 6-6 | 240 | Fr. | Fishers, Ind. (Fishers / Miami (OH))
AJ Taylor | DB | 6-0 | 195 | RS-So. | St. Louis, Mo. (Christian / Iowa Western CC)
BALL STATE 2023 SUMMER NEWCOMERS – INCOMING FRESHMAN:
Arkel Anugwom | OL | 6-8 | 275 | Fr. | Antioch, Tenn. (Antioch)
Jake Bates | DB | 5-9 | 190 | Fr. | Mason, Ohio (Mason)
Ethan Brown | OL | 6-2 | 270 | Fr. | Amelia, Ohio (West Clermont)
Leo Collins | TE | 6-3 | 215 | Fr. | Evansville, Ind. (Evansville Memorial)
Jackson Courville | PK-P | 5-10 | 175 | Fr. | Dayton, Ohio (Centerville)
Cole Earlewine | DB | 6-0 | 198 | Fr. | Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern)
Eli Hohlt | WR | 6-0 | 180 | Fr. | Greenwood, Ind. (Center Grove)
Luke Jones | WR | 5-10 | 180 | Fr. | Farmland, Ind. (Monroe Central)
Khani McNeese | DB | 6-1 | 172 | Fr. | Chicago Heights, Ill. (Hillcrest)
Preston Ross | TE | 6-7 | 230 | Fr. | Fort Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Dwenger)
Jackson Ruess | OL | 6-4 | 287 | Fr. | Crown Point, Ind. (Crown Point)
Caleb Vogel | DL | 6-4 | 235 | Fr. | Flower Mound, Texas (Flower Mound)
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S SOCCER
SOCCER ADDS TRANSFER EMMA ELLIOTT TO 2023 ROSTER
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State soccer head coach Paul Lawrence has announced the addition of transfer Emma Elliott to the Sycamore program ahead of the 2023 season.
Elliott is a Hinsdale, Ill. native who comes to Indiana State out of UT Martin as an incoming junior midfielder.
“Emma has significant experience from her time at UT Martin, a program that has historically done well in the OVC. Emma can play in several attacking positions, and as we identified her, that was key in our decision to bring her in,” said Coach Lawrence. “Away from the field, her maturity and personality stood out when we started the process of recruiting her, and it’s been a pleasure getting to know her through this process.”
In her sophomore campaign as a Skyhawk, Elliott played in all 18 matches with one start and tallied four shots on goal in 12 total attempts. She played 613 minutes, including a season-high 49 minutes against Kentucky and Indiana State.
She saw playing time in all 18 matches as a true freshman at UT Martin, starting two contests at the midfield position. She notched her first career goal against Eastern Illinois before duplicating that feat against Murray State in the 41st minute for the game-winner. Elliott totaled five points on the season after scooping up an assist against Wright State. She landed nine shots in total behind 615 minutes on the field.
Before UT Martin, Elliott prepped at Hinsdale Central High School where she played for Tony Madonia. She scored four goals alongside tallying 10 assists during her senior year and earned all-state honors while being named to the Pioneer Press All-Area team. She was also named to the All-State Watch List prior to 2020 which was cancelled due to COVID. Elliott played for Chicago Inter Soccer Club – 2003 Red at the club level. She won the 2018 Illinois state championship and led her club team to top rankings in the state in both 2018 and 2019.
VALPO ATHLETICS
VALPO ATHLETICS INVESTS IN FACILITY UPGRADES
The Valparaiso University Department of Athletics and Director of Athletics Dr. Charles Small have announced upgrades to the Athletics-Recreation Center arena, which have been completed this summer and will enhance the fan and student-athlete experience alike during the 2023-2024 men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball seasons.
A new four-sided center hung video board display from Daktronics has been installed in the arena. This will provide wider viewing angles and closer viewing distances to enhance the fan experience at home events. New scoreboards and shot clocks have been installed through Daktronics as well. The video board and clocks all integrate together with new technology and high-quality screens.
Summer upgrades to the arena also include new lighting in the arena. The department replaced 84 metal fixtures with new, state-of-the-art LED fixtures. A new lighting-control system will be implemented to add to the gameday experience by allowing dimming, scene selection and scheduling of fixtures. Fans will notice a significantly brighter arena and lighting that pops. Valpo anticipates saving 14,270K watt hours per year, a total savings of $21,405 per year due to the energy savings.
Upgrades to the arena began during the 2022-2023 season when 12 85-inch QLED display screens were added to the arena. The move to digital signage helped the department engage students and fans. Eight screens were mounted on the corners of the arena and four on the wall near the concession area. The arena, track and mezzanine area has been painted. Paired with the new lighting, the paint adds to the energy in the arena. A total of 125 gallons of paint were used during the upgrades.
In total, Valpo Athletics invested $490,000 in the arena upgrades.
Throughout the 2022-2023 fiscal year, over 35 projects were completed to enhance Valpo Athletics facilities and over $1.2 million was invested. In addition to the aforementioned arena project, team rooms were added for volleyball and soccer, a new scoreboard debuted at softball and new lockers were installed in the golf room. In addition, as part of a campus beautification project, new walkways were installed at Brown Field including walkway lights and the parking lot around the ARC and Brown Field was repaved.
MARIAN MEN’S GOLF
STEPHEN FORD RESIGNS AS HEAD COACH OF MARIAN MEN’S GOLF
INDIANAPOLIS – On Friday June 30, Marian men’s golf head coach Stephen Ford announced his resignation from his position at Marian University. Ford, a member of the Marian Athletics Hall of Fame, served as the head coach for nine years after being hired on June 27, 2014.
“I have truly enjoyed my time over the past nine years helping mold young men into hard workers and great leaders through the game of golf,” said Ford. “The coaches, alumni, players, and families of Marian golf are what make me want to continue, but my family comes first and my next chapter will be focusing on them. I thank everyone for the support over my time here and I will be a huge KnightsGolf fan moving forward.
I won’t be far away! Go Knights!”
Ford began his coaching career at his alma mater in 2014, taking over as the second head coach in program history. In his nine seasons, Ford coached one NAIA All-American, one Crossroads League Player of the Year, one Crossroads League Newcomer of the Year, two Crossroads League Medalists, and 24 All-Crossroads League honorees. The Knights also set five records under Ford’s tutelage, with the 2019 team breaking the 36-hole record, while Jay Williams twice set the 54-hole record and tied the 72-hole mark. Brad Sprinkle also broke the 36-hole mark, and Weston Ogden set a new mark this past season for 18 holes. Ford’s teams won two Crossroads League Championships, winning the league in his first and final season. Coach Ford was named the Crossroads League Coach of the Year in both the 2014-15 and 2022-23 seasons.
The Knights saw their highest success rates on the course under Ford in the latter years of his tenure as head coach, culminating in Marian’s 2023 Crossroads League Tournament Championship. This past season, Luke Beetz was named the Crossroads League Newcomer of the Year, with Brandon Heffner winning the Crossroads League Tournament to cap Marian’s first team championship since 2015. Jay Williams became Marian’s first NAIA All-American in the 2022 season since Trey Pfund’s honor in 2013, with Ford guiding Williams to the school’s 54-hole and 72 hole records in the 2022 season. Williams also earned Crossroads League Medalist honors along with the Player of the Year honors in 2022.
As a member of the men’s golf team at Marian from 2003-07, Ford was a three-time Mid-Central College Conference honoree (Crossroads League), tournament individual medalist and earned NAIA All-America honors in 2006-07. He was the 2006-07 NAIA Region VIII Tournament individual medalist, was a four-time NAIA All-Region VIII selection and was a four-time All-MCC selection.
SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC SITES:
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
SPORTS EXTRA
MLB STANDINGS
| American League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Tampa Bay | 57 | 28 | .671 | – | 34 – 10 | 23 – 18 | 17 – 10 | 14 – 3 | 9 – 5 | 6 – 4 | W 3 |
| Baltimore | 48 | 32 | .600 | 6.5 | 25 – 17 | 23 – 15 | 14 – 9 | 14 – 6 | 10 – 7 | 5 – 5 | L 3 |
| NY Yankees | 45 | 36 | .556 | 10 | 25 – 19 | 20 – 17 | 11 – 15 | 8 – 8 | 14 – 8 | 6 – 4 | W 2 |
| Toronto | 45 | 38 | .542 | 11 | 23 – 16 | 22 – 22 | 7 – 18 | 11 – 5 | 11 – 8 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Boston | 41 | 42 | .494 | 15 | 21 – 21 | 20 – 21 | 14 – 11 | 11 – 8 | 5 – 5 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Minnesota | 41 | 42 | .494 | – | 23 – 19 | 18 – 23 | 11 – 13 | 15 – 12 | 5 – 4 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Cleveland | 39 | 42 | .481 | 1 | 20 – 19 | 19 – 23 | 7 – 8 | 10 – 12 | 13 – 6 | 6 – 4 | L 2 |
| Detroit | 35 | 46 | .432 | 5 | 18 – 21 | 17 – 25 | 2 – 14 | 15 – 11 | 6 – 7 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Chi White Sox | 36 | 48 | .429 | 5.5 | 20 – 20 | 16 – 28 | 6 – 13 | 15 – 11 | 8 – 13 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| Kansas City | 23 | 59 | .280 | 17.5 | 11 – 31 | 12 – 28 | 4 – 10 | 7 – 16 | 4 – 11 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Texas | 49 | 33 | .598 | – | 26 – 16 | 23 – 17 | 10 – 9 | 11 – 5 | 15 – 9 | 4 – 6 | L 2 |
| Houston | 45 | 37 | .549 | 4 | 22 – 19 | 23 – 18 | 5 – 5 | 8 – 11 | 14 – 6 | 6 – 4 | W 3 |
| LA Angels | 44 | 40 | .524 | 6 | 22 – 19 | 22 – 21 | 8 – 9 | 11 – 8 | 15 – 12 | 3 – 7 | L 3 |
| Seattle | 38 | 42 | .475 | 10 | 22 – 20 | 16 – 22 | 5 – 11 | 7 – 6 | 12 – 10 | 3 – 7 | L 3 |
| Oakland | 22 | 62 | .262 | 28 | 11 – 31 | 11 – 31 | 5 – 15 | 4 – 6 | 4 – 23 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Atlanta | 54 | 27 | .667 | – | 28 – 15 | 26 – 12 | 20 – 6 | 8 – 1 | 10 – 7 | 9 – 1 | W 6 |
| Miami | 48 | 35 | .578 | 7 | 25 – 16 | 23 – 19 | 11 – 13 | 8 – 5 | 9 – 10 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Philadelphia | 43 | 38 | .531 | 11 | 21 – 15 | 22 – 23 | 7 – 12 | 9 – 4 | 11 – 12 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| NY Mets | 36 | 46 | .439 | 18.5 | 18 – 19 | 18 – 27 | 13 – 13 | 5 – 14 | 8 – 9 | 2 – 8 | L 3 |
| Washington | 33 | 48 | .407 | 21 | 13 – 27 | 20 – 21 | 8 – 15 | 5 – 5 | 9 – 13 | 6 – 4 | W 3 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Cincinnati | 44 | 38 | .537 | – | 22 – 20 | 22 – 18 | 8 – 11 | 11 – 12 | 8 – 5 | 7 – 3 | W 3 |
| Milwaukee | 43 | 39 | .524 | 1 | 22 – 18 | 21 – 21 | 6 – 1 | 11 – 6 | 8 – 15 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 39 | 42 | .481 | 4.5 | 22 – 19 | 17 – 23 | 5 – 5 | 11 – 13 | 12 – 6 | 5 – 5 | W 4 |
| Chi Cubs | 38 | 42 | .475 | 5 | 21 – 20 | 17 – 22 | 6 – 13 | 10 – 9 | 9 – 8 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| St. Louis | 33 | 47 | .413 | 10 | 15 – 24 | 18 – 23 | 4 – 5 | 11 – 14 | 7 – 13 | 6 – 4 | L 2 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Arizona | 49 | 34 | .590 | – | 24 – 20 | 25 – 14 | 11 – 11 | 8 – 4 | 17 – 11 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| LA Dodgers | 46 | 35 | .568 | 2 | 24 – 15 | 22 – 20 | 9 – 6 | 12 – 11 | 14 – 11 | 7 – 3 | W 2 |
| San Francisco | 46 | 36 | .561 | 2.5 | 23 – 19 | 23 – 17 | 10 – 7 | 13 – 7 | 13 – 9 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| San Diego | 37 | 45 | .451 | 11.5 | 20 – 22 | 17 – 23 | 10 – 9 | 6 – 12 | 12 – 13 | 2 – 8 | L 6 |
| Colorado | 33 | 51 | .393 | 16.5 | 20 – 22 | 13 – 29 | 11 – 14 | 8 – 10 | 5 – 17 | 4 – 6 | W 1 |
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1859 In the first college baseball game ever played, Amherst defeats their archrival, Williams College, 73-32 (66-32 by some reports). The game, played under Massachusetts rules (a square field with no foul territory), takes place near the corner of North Street and Maplewood Avenue in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
1902 En route to a 2-0 victory over Baltimore, left-handed hurler Rube Wadell, playing in his first game for Connie Mack’s A’s, faces the minimum 27 batters, striking out 13 in the Oriole Park contest. In the sixth frame, the 25-year-old Philadelphia southpaw becomes the first American League pitcher to toss an immaculate inning when he fans Billy Gilbert, Harry Howell, and Jack Cronin on nine consecutive pitches.
1903 At Chicago’s South Side Park, Cy Young drives in the contest’s lone run with a tenth-inning double, scoring Hobe Ferris. The shutout, his fourth consecutive complete game without allowing a run, is the Boston American right-hander’s third 1-0 victory in nine days.
1910 In front of a full house, the Browns spoil the White Sox debut at Comiskey Park when Barney Pelty beats Ed Walsh and the hometown team, 2-0. The new ballpark, initially called White Sox Park for three years and later renamed for White Sox founder and owner Charles Comiskey, replaces an obsolete wooden South Side Park that had served as the home for the Pale Hose since 1901.
1914 Henry Kingman becomes the first person born in China to play in a major league game when he pinch-hits in the Yankees’ 7-4 loss to the Senators at Griffith Stadium. The 22-year-old first baseman, born in Tientsin to missionary parents, will appear in four games, playing the field in only one contest.
1916 The 42-year and four-month-old Pirates shortstop Honus Wagner becomes the oldest player to hit an inside-the-park home when he goes deep in the fourth inning off Reds’ right-hander Elmer Knetzer in the team’s 2-1 victory at Cincinnati’s Redland Field. The round-tripper will be the Flying Dutchman’s last four-bagger of his storied career, finishing with a total of 101, including 41 inside-the-parkers, hit during his 21-year tenure in the major leagues.
1920 Leaving Robison Field in midseason, the Cardinals play their first game as the home team at Sportsman’s Park, which serves as the American League’s St. Louis Browns’ ballpark, bowing to the Pirates, 6-2. After signing a ten-year lease for $20,000 annually with Browns’ president Phil Ball, the team moves six blocks to play its home games in a modern ballpark.
1920 At Fenway Park, Walter Johnson pitches the season’s only no-hitter, defeating the Red Sox, 1-0. In the seventh inning, Bucky Harris boots Harry Hooper’s grounder for an error, ruining the Big Train’s bid for a perfect game, but it’s the Senators’ second baseman’s two-out single in the bottom of the frame which drives in the game’s lone run.
1920 At Cincinnati’s Redland Field, Reds’ right-hander Fred Toney goes the distance in both ends of a twin bill, defeating the Pirates 4-1 and 5-1. The 28-year-old Nashville native’s two three-hitters set the mark for the fewest hits given up in a doubleheader by a pitcher.
1934 Bill Terry leads all vote-getters in All-Star balloting, with Babe Ruth of the Yankees getting the most votes in the American League. The Giants’ first baseman will also be the skipper of the National League team.
1934 St. Louis defeats Cincinnati, 8-6, in an 18-inning game that features both starting pitchers, Redbird right-hander Dizzy Dean and Reds southpaw Tony Freitas, throwing the first 17 frames for their teams in the Crosley Field contest. After the Cardinals tally two runs on three hits off Paul Derringer in the top of the final frame, the home team fails to score with the bases loaded, ending the four-hour and twenty-eight-minute marathon.
1941 The WNBT broadcast of the Dodgers’ 6-4 loss to the Phillies at Ebbets Field features television’s first commercial. The station, formerly known as W2XBS, airs a one-minute spot before the first pitch promoting Bulova that consists of a static image of a watch with the company’s name.
1941 In a rain-shortened nightcap against the Red Sox, Joe DiMaggio ties Wee Willie Keeler’s 1897 major league record consecutive game hit streak of 44 with the help of a difficult decision by the official scorer. Red Sox third baseman Jim Tabor makes a poor throw, but the ‘Yankee Clipper’ is given a hit by Dan Daniel of the New York World-Telegram.
1943 Although the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League will not have an All-Star Game until 1946, two teams, one composed of South Bend Blue Sox and Rockford Peaches, and the other from the Kenosha Comets and Racine Belles, put on an exhibition game. The AAGPBL contest is the first night game ever played in the historic Chicago ballpark at Wrigley Field.
1943 To save newsprint, the Sporting News begins using a tabloid format. “The Bible of Baseball,” established in 1886, became the dominant voice and major source of information for serious fans of the national pastime.
1945 Absent from the game for the longest tenure by any major leaguer, Hank Greenberg, the first player in the American League to register for the peacetime draft in 1940 in the U.S. Army, makes a dramatic return after forty-seven months, homering in his first game back from the Armed Forces. ‘Hammerin Hank’s round-tripper helps the first-place Tigers beat the A’s at Briggs Stadium, 9-5, in front of an emotional crowd of 47,700 fans.
1950 Eddye Ford’s Yankee debut is less than impressive when he gives up five runs on seven hits and walks six in 4.2 innings of relief against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The 21-year-old lefty Queens’ native, better known as Whitey, becomes the winningest pitcher in franchise history, posting a 236-106 record during his 16 seasons with the team.
1951 Joining Larry Corcoran and Cy Young, Indian right-hander Bob Feller becomes the third pitcher in major league history to pitch three career no-hitters when he defeats the Tigers, 2-1. Detroit scores its run in the fourth frame on an error, a stolen base, an errant pick-off throw, and a sac fly.
1953 Mel Parnell wins his 100th career game when Boston blanks the Bronx Bombers at Yankee Stadium, 4-0. Joining Cy Young, Joe Wood, Lefty Grove, and Joe Dobson, the southpaw from New Orleans becomes the fifth Red Sox hurler in franchise history to reach the milestone.
1957 At Memorial Stadium, Orioles’ pitcher George Zuverink and catcher Frank Zupo form the first ‘Z’ battery in major league history. Both Zees enter the Yankee Stadium contest in the tenth and final inning of the Bronx Bombers’ 3-2 victory over Baltimore.
1958 At Wrigley Field, Cubs relievers trick San Francisco’s outfielder Leon Wagner into looking under the bullpen bench for Tony Taylor’s ball, which is in play, instead of a rain gutter 45 feet away from where the ball landed. In the meantime, the batter scurries around the bases for an inside-the-park home run when the rookie cannot find the ball.
1960 H. Gabriel Murphy’s option of first refusal to buy the Senators from current owner Calvin Griffith expires. The chief minority stockholder, to stop the club from moving to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to become the Twins will lose two court decisions, preventing him from keeping the team in Washington, D.C.
1962 In the second game of a doubleheader sweep of the Indians, the White Sox become the first team in major league history to record three run-scoring sacrifice flies in one inning. Three fly balls hit by Juan Pizarro, Nellie Fox, and Al Smith to Gene Green, two of which are dropped by the Cleveland right fielder, set up the unprecedented occurrence.
1964 Five thousand cabbies and their families are at Yankee Stadium to celebrate ‘Taxi Day’ at the Bronx ballpark. Billy Bryan’s 11th-inning solo home run is the decisive blow in Kansas City’s 5-4 Wednesday afternoon victory.
1966 Woody Fryman faces the minimum 27 batters in the Pirates’ 12-0 rout of the Mets at Shea Stadium. New York leadoff hitter Ron Hunt singled to center to start the bottom of the first inning but was tagged out trying to swipe second base.
1968 Bob Gibson’s scoreless inning streak ends abruptly at 47 when a wild pitch allows Len Gabrielson to score in the first inning of the Cardinals’ 5-1 victory over the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. The Redbird right-hander, who will blank San Francisco in his next start, would have been within three innings of breaking the mark of 58 scoreless frames established in June by Don Drysdale, tonight’s losing pitcher.
(Ed. Note: Gibson’s streak may have reached 55 innings without allowing an earned run if the questionable wild pitch had been ruled a passed ball by the official scorer. – LP)
1982 With their 6-2 victory over the Orioles at Memorial Stadium, the Indians complete their first series sweep of the Birds in Baltimore in 14 years. Von Hayes’ first-inning three-run homer paces the Tribe’s attack, with Len Barker (9-3) picking up the victory.
1982 Mark Fidrych, attempting to return to the majors, and Dave Righetti, the AL Rookie of the Year, sent down by the Yankees to Triple-A Columbus after a slow start in his sophomore season, match up in one of the most memorable minor league games ever played. The chanting and cheering overflow crowd at McCoy Stadium, of 9,389, packed into the ballpark designed to accommodate 5,800 fans, vocally displays their support for the ‘Bird’ throughout the game and becomes delirious when he strikes out Butch Hobson for the final out in his improbable complete-game 7-5 victory.
1982 Considered a questionable decision due to his height, Cal Ripken is moved from third base to shortstop by Oriole manager Earl Weaver. The 6’4″ future Hall of Famer takes over the job from veteran 6’1″ infielder Mark Belanger, an eight-time Gold Glover.
1984 Paul Splittorff announces his retirement from baseball. The 37-year-old southpaw, who be an analyst on pregame and postgame shows for KMBZ radio, leaves the Royals as the all-time leader in victories/losses (166/144), innings (2,554.2), and games started (392).
1990 As Comiskey Park celebrates its 80th birthday, Yankee hurler Andy Hawkins throws a no-hitter against the White Sox but loses the game, 4-0. The right-hander is not credited with an official no-hitter because the home team doesn’t need to bat in the bottom of the ninth.
1991 During a 14-7 Orioles rout of the Angels, the teams tie a major league record, slugging 11 home runs during the Memorial Stadium contest. O’s starter Mike Mussina gives up all Halos’ round-trippers, tying Jim Palmer’s club record of giving up five gophers in an outing.
1997 Collecting his 26th save in 27 chances this season, Randy Myers records the 300th save of his career when he strikes out the side in the Orioles’ 4-1 win over Philadelphia at Camden Yards. The 34-year-old closer, finishing with 347 saves during his 19 years in the major leagues with six different teams, is the ninth reliever and the second southpaw in the game’s history to reach the milestone.
1997 After hitting a bouncer down the Astrodome’s first-base line, Tim Bogar comes all the way around to score when Manny Ramirez doesn’t play the ball after it comes to a stop under the bullpen bench. The Indians outfielder, unaware of the park’s ground rules, begins signaling to the umpire that the ball is out of play as the Astros infielder circles the bases for an easy inside-the-park home run.
2000 On the country’s 133rd birthday, a Canada Day pitching matchup features a pair of Canadian starters. At Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, Marlins right-hander Ryan Dempster, a native of British Columbia, defeats Mike Johnson of Edmonton and the Expos, 6-5.
2000 Whitey Herzog, the winningest manager in the franchise’s history with 410 victories during his five years at the helm, and Willie Wilson, a speedy outfielder who was an offensive spark plug for the team, become members of the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame. They are the 17th and 18th individuals to be honored by the club since inductions began in 1986.
2000 BARK, Baseball Aquatic Retrieval Korps, debuts at Pac Bell. Six Portuguese water dogs will be used to retrieve Splashdown home runs hit by the Giants and their opponents, which land in McCovey’s Cove.
2003 After spending a disappointing season and a half in New York, the Mets trade Roberto Alomar with cash to the White Sox for prospect Andrew Salvo, right-hander Edwin Almonte, and southpaw Royce Ring. The 12-time Gold Glove second baseman’s funk continues in the American League when the former All-Star infielder hits just .253 with Chicago.
2003 After being activated from the disabled list by the Dodgers, first baseman Fred McGriff bats cleanup and goes 2-for-4, including a double, in the team’s 7-1 loss to the Padres at Chavez Ravine. The Crime Dog’s trip to the DL was his first during 18 years in the big leagues.
2003 Just a few hours after obtaining Roberto Alomar from the Mets, the White Sox acquire outfielder Carl Everett (.274, 18, 51) from the Rangers. Texas will pick two or three players from a Chicago minor league pool, and the team will also give money to help pay part of the former outfielder’s $9.15 million deal.
2003 The Marlins set a franchise mark for runs scored and tie a team record with 25 hits, with Miguel Cabrera, Ivan Rodriguez, and Luis Castillo collecting four each. The celebration of Florida’s 20-1 victory over the Braves is subdued when a photographer needs to be airlifted to a hospital due to an injury caused by Darren Bragg’s bat flying into the stands.
2005 After walking 2,100 miles from Camp Verde (AZ) to reach Wrigley Field, Bill Holden throws the ceremonial first pitch at the Nationals-Cubs game and leads the crowd in singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the seventh-inning stretch. Inspired by the documentary, This Old Cub, about Ron Santo, who lost his legs to diabetes, the 56-year-old school teacher, with two bad knees, pounded the pavement for 172 days during his Walk the Walk campaign raising $250,000 for juvenile diabetes research.
2007 During a seven-game winning streak, Mariners’ manager Mike Hargrove unexpectedly resigns. A personality difference between the skipper of the second-place Seattle club and the team’s superstar Ichiro Suzuki appears to be the actual reason for the sudden departure.
2008 In the shortest nine-inning game in the history of Coors Field, Aaron Cook throws only 79 pitches in the one-hour, 58-minute contest. The right-hander’s five-hitter snaps the Rockies’ eight-game losing streak with the 4-0 victory over the visiting Padres.
2009 Jonathan Papelbon, in the Red Sox’ 6-5 victory at Camden Yards, retires the Baltimore batters in order in the 11th inning to become the franchise’s all-time leader in saves. The 28-year-old closer, surpassing Bob Stanley for the club record, has compiled 133 saves during his four years with the club.
2010 The first-place Rangers acquire catcher Bengie Molina and cash from the Giants for reliever Chris Ray and a minor league right-hander, Michael Main. Texas’ acquisition of the veteran backstop fills the void created by the off-season loss of Pudge Rodriguez to Washington and the inconsistent play of Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
2010 On an interim basis, Kirk Gibson, the team’s bench coach, is promoted to be the Diamondbacks’ manager, replacing A.J. Hinch, who piloted the team to an 89-123 record in a little more than a full season in the dugout. In addition to letting go of their manager, the last-place team also fires general manager Josh Byrnes.
2011 In the seventh inning of a 5-0 interleague victory of the Angels in Anaheim, Dee Gordon steals second and third base and then completes the stolen base cycle by swiping home. The Dodger shortstop becomes the 40th major leaguer to accomplish the trifecta in the same frame.
2011 The Mets pay Bobby Bonilla $1,193,248.20 and will do so every July 1st through 2035 when the former player will turn 72. The team’s management agreed to buy out the remaining $5.9 million on the contract, opting to make annual payments of nearly $1.2 million for 25 years, including 8% interest, believing significant funds were available due to their investments with Bernie Madoff, that turned out to be a Ponzi scheme.
2013 With a moment of silence before the game at Citi Field, the Mets and Diamondbacks honor the 19 firefighters who died battling a wildfire in Yarnell, Arizona. Additionally, each team hangs a jersey with the word Yarnell stitched on the back above the number 19 in their respective dugouts.
2014 Rick Porcello becomes the fourth pitcher in Tiger history, and the first since Dizzy Trout in 1944, to throw a shutout without issuing a walk or registering a strikeout when he blanks Oakland, 3-0. The Detroit right-hander, who records 17 groundball outs and 10 in the air in his 95-pitch outing, is the first major league hurler to accomplish the rare feat since Jeff Ballard’s August 21, 1989 performance for Baltimore.
2016 The Indians win their 14th consecutive game, establishing the team’s longest winning streak in franchise history when they beat the Blue Jays, 2-1, in a 19-inning marathon played at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Next season, the Tribe will shatter their club mark and set an American League record with 22 consecutive victories.
2016 The first co-ed pro team in nearly 20 years takes the field when 17-year-old outfielder Kelsie Whitmore and 25-year-old pitcher Stacy Piagno play for the Sonoma Stompers against the San Rafael Pacifics in front of an enthusiastic and supportive sellout crowd at Arnold Field. The two former members of the USA women’s baseball squad are the first females to play in a professional game since Ila Borders pitched for the St. Paul Saints in the independent Northern League in 1997.
2019 MLB cancels tonight’s scheduled Angels’ game against the Rangers after police officers find Tyler Skaggs unresponsive in the team’s hotel. Authorities do not suspect suicide or foul play as the cause of the 27-year-old’s left-hander death.
(Ed. Note: At the end of August, the Medical Examiner announced that an autopsy uncovered a mix of fentanyl, oxycodone, and alcohol in the southpaw’s system.)
FOOTBALL HISTORY
July 1, 1916 – Coca Cola markets its current formula to the public along with its distinct contoured bottle. Coke has been a long time sponsor of football at all levels.
July 1, 1931 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium officially opened on this day. The first event though did not happen until a couple of days later and it wasn’t an Indians game either according to the site BallParksofBaseball.com. According to an article in the Coshocton Tribune in Coshocton, Ohio on July 10, 1931 the Indians did not even have a lease with the new stadium, called Lakefront Stadium then, when it opened though negotiations were in progress. The Indians played their first home game at Municipal Stadium on July 3, 1932. Lakefront Stadium was used as a venue for professional football too. Wikipedia says that prior to the arrival of the Browns, the stadium was briefly the home field for two other NFL teams, the Cleveland Indians in 1931, and the Cleveland Rams from 1936 to 1937 and again from 1939 to 1941. The football Indians played two home games in their 1931 season, a 6-0 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers and a 14-0 loss to the Chicago Cardinals. The Rams were founded in 1936 as members of the second American Football League and joined the NFL in 1937. They played home games at the stadium their first two seasons, before moving to the smaller Shaw Stadium in 1938. The Browns called it home in 1946 in their inaugural season in the AAFC. The stadium was the home of the Indians and the Browns until it closed in 1993. According to an article by the UP in the Akron Beacon on July 1, 1931 the first event that the old stadium saw was the Heavy Weight Boxing tilt betwen Max Schemling and Young Stribling.
July 1, 1941 – The Bulova Watch Company became the first to purchase TV advertising when it paid a sum of $9 to air a first ever network commercial. According to the Sporting News.com the average cost of a Super Bowl Commercial in February 2020 was about $5.6 Million per every 30 second spot.
HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAYS FOR JULY 1
July 1, 1922 – Giles County, Tennessee – Don Whitmire who was with the University of Alabama in 1941 and 1942 as then Navy’s tackle from 1943 to 1944 arrived into this life. The NFF’s bio on Don says he made one All America for the NEA in 1942, was consensus All-America 1943, and unanimous All-America 1944. Rip Miller, Navy’s line coach, recruited him for the Midshipmen after spotting his picture in Street and Smith Football Magazine in 1943. Don Whitmire was honored with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956 after the National Football Foundation tabulated their votes. Right after this event his hometown of Decatur, Alabama held a parade, with 9,000 spectators lining the road to cheer the accomplishments of this gridiron legend. At his Hall of Fame induction, he said, “Football taught me the virtue of team play and enhanced my leadership qualities. These traits have been most valuable in my Navy career. Football taught me to take hard knocks and come up fighting.” This young man went to even greater heights after football. Whitmire was a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy and directed the evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. It was the biggest evacuation in world history, with 82,000 men, women and children escaping to freedom.
July 1, 1953 – Denison, Texas – Mike Haynes the great defensive back from Arizona State from 1972 to 1975 was born. This Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback played for the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders. Mr. Haynes was a 9 time Pro Bowl selection including earning First Team All-Pro honors twice in his 14 seasons in the League. He groomed his aggressive playing style while he attended Arizona State University where he earned a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 per the National Football Foundation website. As a Pro he won the Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1976 and eventually earned a Super Bowl ring while with the Raiders.
July 1, 1979 – Gainesville, Florida – Adrian Peterson the fine Georgia Southern running back of 1998 to 2001 was born. The National Football Foundation says Adrian is one of the most decorated players in college football history. Adrian Peterson of George Southern remains the all-time leading rusher in Division I (FBS and FCS) history with 6,559 yards. In 1998, Peterson set the NCAA record for most-rushing yards by a freshman with 1,932, and he finished his career as Division I’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns, a record that lasted until 2015. The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Adrian Peterson into their legendary museum in 2017. Adrian was picked in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Peterson then played for the franchise from 2002-09 and participated in Super Bowl XLI with the team.
FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
MARCUS ALLEN
Position: Halfback
Years: 1978-1981
Place of Birth: San Diego, CA
Date of Birth: Mar 26, 1960
Jersey Number: 33
Height: 6-2
Weight: 202
High School: San Diego, CA (Abraham Lincoln HS)
Marcus Allen played four years for Southern California. In his first two years he played some time at fullback. As part of his assignment, he blocked for Charles White, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1979. Allen moved to tailback, set records for rushing, and won the Heisman in 1981. He led his team in both receiving and rushing those last two years. In 1980 he rushed for 1,563 yards, second in the nation. In 1981 he rushed for 2,342. He led the nation in scoring, 12.5 points per game; rushing, 219.9 yards per game; and all-purpose running, 232.6 yards per game. In addition to the Heisman, he received the Maxwell Trophy and the Walter Camp Foundation and Pop Warner League designation as the Player of the Year. He was all-conference for the second time. Southern Cal retired his jersey No. 33. His coach, John Robinson, called him “the greatest player I ever saw.” Allen came to Southern Cal from Lincoln High, San Diego. He was state high school Player of the Year in 1977 after scoring five touchdowns in the state championship game. Allen played in the NFL 1982-97 with the Raiders and Kansas City. He then began a broadcasting career with CBS TV.
SPORTS HISTORY
July 1, 1859 – The first intercollegiate baseball game was played, as Amherst defated Williams 73-32 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. I am not quite sure they had the whole concept down on how to get someone out. Accoroding to a SABR.org article, “Amherst College was founded when Zephania Swift Moore, president of Williams College in Williamstown, in the extreme northwest corner of Western Massachusetts, resigned after a dispute over the school’s isolated location. Moore took 15 students with him and started an institution in the town of Amherst, 60 miles to the east. To this day, Williams students and alumni regard those from the upstart Amherst as renegades, “the Defectors of 1821.”
This game was played under the Massachusetts Rules, otherwise known as roundball. Some aspects of this variation of baseball included the fact that all ground was fair, runners could be put out by being hit by a thrown ball, and a single out ended each inning. It didn’t really get measured by an amount of innings or frames as they were called then , but by a predtermined score, in this case 65.
The lopsided 73-32 whooping that Amherst gave Williams, which in fact went over the agreed-upon 65-run limit during a 10-run 26th inning. Remember by rule the innings were all just one-out long, and the 3½ hours to play the game, really pretty much equaled a modern game length. the SABR post also included the fact that all-in-all, “There were only two fewer outs recorded than in a modern nine-inning contest.”
July 1, 1910 – The Chicago’s White Sox Park whic was later called Comiskey Park openened up for some business of basball. – St Louis Browns beat those White Sox, 2-0.
July 1, 1916 – Pittsburgh shortstop Honus Wagner, at the ripe old age of 42 years and 4 months, hit the ball hard and ran like the wind in Cincinnati to become the oldest player to hit an inside-the-park HR. The Bucco neded that run too as they won over the Reds, 2-1.
Maybe there was a bit of revenge one year later when these same two team met on…
July 1, 1917 – As the Reds’ Fred Toney pitched 2 complete games in doubleheader victories over those Pirates, allows 3 hits each game, fewest allowed by any pitcher winning 2 MLB games in one day.
That same day in New York…
July 1, 1917 – It was a direct breaking of NY state blue law as the Brooklyn Robins ( later to become the Dodgers) played their first Sunday MLB game in Brooklyn. The owner and manager arrested but escape with a fine as the Robins edged Philadelphia, 3-2.
July 1, 1920 – Washington Senators pitching legend Walter Johnson no-hit the Boston Red Sox 1-0 at Fenway Park. This was the only no-hitter of his illustrious career.
July 1, 1920 – The St Louis Cardinals became the renting tenants of their American League counterpart the St Louis Browns, as the Cards abandoned Robison Field midway through the MLB season and returned to Sportsman’s Park.
July 1, 1931 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium home of the MLB: Indians and the NFL: Browns, opened up with 78,189 in seating capacity. The Old Stadium was demolished 1996.
BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
EARL WEAVER
Pitching, defense and the three-run homer.
It was a formula that manager Earl Weaver and his Baltimore Orioles honed to perfection during their run as an American League powerhouse in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Orioles were stacked with talent when Weaver took over the club in 1968. Baltimore’s pitching staff featured three aces in Mike Cuellar, Dave McNally and Jim Palmer. The O’s also sported Gold Glove-caliber defenders like Davey Johnson, Mark Belanger, Paul Blair and Brooks Robinson. And it didn’t hurt to have sluggers like Frank Robinson and Boog Powell driving in the necessary runs from the middle of the lineup.
But this collection of talent still needed a leader, and that’s where Weaver came in. He was relaxed with his ballplayers and tough on umpires, and he eschewed small-ball tactics like stolen bases and hit-and-runs in favor of the big inning.
“Nobody likes to hear it, because it’s dull, but the reason you win or lose is darn near always the same: Pitching,” Weaver told the Los Angeles Times.
Weaver was a struggling second baseman in the minor leagues who earned his first chance at managing in 1956 in the South Atlantic League. He slowly worked his way up the ladder while the Orioles stocked the farm system with players he would later manage in the big leagues.
After successful stints with Double-A Elmira and Triple-A Rochester, Weaver was named Baltimore’s manager midway through the 1968 season. He took over an Orioles team that had won the 1966 World Series but had struggled for a year and a half. In 1969, Baltimore won a franchise-record 109 games and its first of three straight AL pennants. And a dynasty was born.
“(Weaver) does the best job of any manager I’ve ever known at keeping 25 ballplayers relatively happy,” Frank Robinson said. “He doesn’t do it by being their friend; he does it by never, but never, taking anything personally and by making damn sure nobody else does either.”
After a World Series defeat at the hands of the Amazin’ Mets in 1969, the Orioles roared back to beat the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970 Fall Classic. In 1971, Weaver’s team captured another AL pennant. Over those three seasons, the Orioles averaged 106 wins per season.
Weaver would eventually win another pennant with Baltimore in 1979 before retiring after the 1982 season. He returned to manage the Orioles in 1985 and 1986 before retiring again. His career winning percentage of .583 ranked sixth among managers with at least 1,000 wins at the time of his retirement.Weaver was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1996. He passed away on Jan. 19, 2013.