“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
NO GAMES PLAYED-ALL-STAR BREAK
MONDAY’S TRANSACTIONS
BASEBALL
Major League Baseball
American League
BOSTON RED SOX — Sent LHP Ryan Sherriff outright to Worcester (IL).
CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Optioned RHP Nicholas Padilla to Charlotte (IL).
NEW YORK YANKEES — Named Sean Casey hitting coach.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS — Sent RHP Rico Garcia outright to Las Vegas (PCL).
TORONTO BLUE JAYS — Reinstated RHP Jay Jackson and OF George Springer from the paternity list. Released LHP Jose Lopez. Optioned RHP Bowden Francis and INF Ernie Clement to Buffalo (IL).
National League
CINCINNATI REDS — Sent RHP Ricky Karcher outright to Louisville (IL). Sent OF Henry Ramos outright to Louisville (IL).
COLORADO ROCKIES — Optioned INF Elehuris Montero to Albuquerque (PCL).
MIAMI MARLINS – Transferred OF Jonathan Davis from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. Reinstated RHP Johnny Cueto from the 60-day IL. Optioned RHP Sean Reynolds to Jacksonville (IL).
PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Sent LHP Rob Zastryzny outright to Indianapolis (IL).
SAN DIEGO PADRES — Released DH Nelson Cruz.
BASKETBALL
National Basketball Association
CHICAGO BULLS — Signed G Jevon Carter.
HOUSTON ROCKETS — Signed G Aaron Holiday.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES — Re-signed G Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Women’s National Basketball Association
PHOENIX MERCURY — Announced general manager Jim Pittman will retire at the end of the 2023 season and named Rick U’Ren the new general manager.
FOOTBALL
National Football League
CLEVELAND BROWNS — Waived C Dawson Deaton.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS — Signed TE Josh Pederson. Waived TE Leonard Taylor with an injury designation.
HOCKEY
National Hockey League
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS — Signed LW Noah Cates and D Cam York to two-year contracts.
SAN JOSE SHARKS — Signed RW Filip Zadina to a one-year contract.
Minor League Hockey
ECHL
ECHL — Approved expansion membership for Lake Tahoe.
SOCCER
Major League Soccer
ATLANTA UNITED — Loaned M Franco Ibarra to Toronto FC in exchange for $50,000 in general allocation money (GAM).
COLORADO RAPIDS — Acquired F Rafael Navarro on a 12-month loan from S.E. Palmeiras (Brazilian Serie A), pending receipt of his international transfer certificate (ITC) and P-1 visa.
NEW ENGLAND REVOUTION — Acquired F Tomas Chancalay from Racing Club (Copa Libertadores, Argentine Primera Division), pending receipt of his international transfer certificate (ITC) and P-1 visa.
2023 INDIANA FOOTBALL”NORTH CENTRAL” SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, AUG. 18
ANDERSON AT YORKTOWN, 7 PM
CONNERSVILLE AT RICHMOND, 7 PM
SOUTH SIDE AT MARION, 7 PM
GUERIN AT MCCUTCHEON, 7 PM
LAFAYETTE JEFF AT CATHEDRAL, 7 PM
LEO AT KOKOMO, 7:30 PM
MUNCIE CENTRAL AT DELTA, 7:30 PM
PERU AT LOGANSPORT, 7 PM
WEST LAFAYETTE AT HARRISON, 7 PM
FRIDAY, AUG. 25
HARRISON AT PLAINFIELD, 7 PM
KOKOMO AT WHITELAND, 7 PM
MARION AT MISSISSINEWA, 7 PM
MCCUTCHEON AT WEST LAFAYETTE, 7:30 PM
MICHIGAN CITY AT LAFAYETTE JEFF, 7:30 PM
PENDLETON HEIGHTS AT ANDERSON, 7 PM
RICHMOND AT EATON (OHIO), 7 PM
ADAMS AT LOGANSPORT, 7 PM
YORKTOWN AT MUNCIE CENTRAL, 7 PM
FRIDAY, SEP. 1
TECH AT LAFAYETTE JEFF, 7 PM
LOGANSPORT AT KOKOMO ©, 7 PM
MARION AT HARRISON ©, 7 PM
MCCUTCHEON AT MUNCIE CENTRAL ©, 7 PM
RICHMOND AT ANDERSON ©, 7 PM
FRIDAY, SEP. 8
ANDERSON AT MARION ©, 7 PM
HARRISON AT MCCUTCHEON ©, 7 PM
LAFAYETTE JEFF AT RICHMOND ©, 7 PM
LOGANSPORT AT TECH, 7 PM
MUNCIE CENTRAL AT KOKOMO ©, 7 PM
FRIDAY, SEP. 15
HARRISON AT ANDERSON ©, 7 PM
TECH AT RICHMOND, 7 PM
KOKOMO AT MARION ©, 7 PM
MCCUTCHEON AT LOGANSPORT ©, 7 PM
MUNCIE CENTRAL AT LAFAYETTE JEFF ©, 7:30 PM
FRIDAY, SEP. 22
ANDERSON AT TECH, 7 PM
KOKOMO AT MCCUTCHEON ©, 7 PM
LAFAYETTE JEFF AT HARRISON ©, 7 PM
MARION AT LOGANSPORT ©, 7 PM
RICHMOND AT MUNCIE CENTRAL ©, 7 PM
FRIDAY, SEP. 29
ANDERSON AT KOKOMO ©, 7 PM
HARRISON AT TECH, 7 PM
MCCUTCHEON AT LAFAYETTE JEFF ©, 7 PM
MUNCIE CENTRAL AT MARION ©, 7 PM
RICHMOND AT LOGANSPORT ©, 7 PM
FRIDAY, OCT. 6
TECH AT MCCUTCHEON, 7 PM
KOKOMO AT RICHMOND ©, 7 PM
LOGANSPORT AT HARRISON ©, 7 PM
MARION AT LAFAYETTE JEFF ©, 7 PM
MUNCIE CENTRAL AT ANDERSON ©, 7 PM
FRIDAY, OCT. 13
ANDERSON AT LOGANSPORT ©, 7 PM
HARRISON AT RICHMOND ©, 7 PM
TECH AT MUNCIE CENTRAL, 7 PM
LAFAYETTE JEFF AT KOKOMO ©, 7 PM
MCCUTCHEON AT MARION ©, 7 PM
©CONFERENCE GAME
BIG 10 WEEKLY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
WEEK 1
MINNESOTA VS. NEBRASKA
THURSDAY, AUG. 31
WISCONSIN VS. BUFFALO
MICHIGAN STATE VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
MICHIGAN VS. EAST CAROLINA
PURDUE VS. FRESNO STATE
RUTGERS VS. NORTHWESTERN
INDIANA VS. OHIO STATE
ILLINOIS VS. TOLEDO
MARYLAND VS. TOWSON
IOWA VS. UTAH STATE
PENN STATE VS. WEST VIRGINIA
WEEK 2
MARYLAND VS. CHARLOTTE
PENN STATE VS. DELAWARE
MINNESOTA VS. EASTERN MICHIGAN
ILLINOIS AT KANSAS
INDIANA VS. INDIANA STATE
IOWA AT IOWA STATE
NEBRASKA AT COLORADO
PURDUE AT VIRGINIA TECH
MICHIGAN STATE VS. RICHMOND
RUTGERS VS. TEMPLE
MICHIGAN VS. UNLV
NORTHWESTERN VS. UTEP
WISCONSIN AT WASHINGTON STATE
OHIO STATE VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE
WEEK 3
MICHIGAN VS. BOWLING GREEN
WISCONSIN VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN
INDIANA VS. LOUISVILLE (IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN)
MINNESOTA AT NORTH CAROLINA
NEBRASKA VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
NORTHWESTERN AT DUKE
ILLINOIS VS. PENN STATE
PURDUE VS. SYRACUSE
MARYLAND VS. VIRGINIA
RUTGERS VS. VIRGINIA TECH
MICHIGAN STATE VS. WASHINGTON
IOWA VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN
OHIO STATE VS. WESTERN KENTUCKY
WEEK 4
INDIANA VS. AKRON
ILLINOIS VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
PENN STATE VS. IOWA
NEBRASKA VS. LOUISIANA TECH
MICHIGAN STATE VS. MARYLAND
NORTHWESTERN VS. MINNESOTA
OHIO STATE AT NOTRE DAME
MICHIGAN VS. RUTGERS
PURDUE VS. WISCONSIN
WEEK 5
PURDUE VS. ILLINOIS
MARYLAND VS. INDIANA
MINNESOTA VS. LOUISIANA
NEBRASKA VS. MICHIGAN
IOWA VS. MICHIGAN STATE
NORTHWESTERN VS. PENN STATE
RUTGERS VS. WAGNER
WEEK 6
NORTHWESTERN VS. HOWARD
OHIO STATE VS. MARYLAND
MINNESOTA VS. MICHIGAN
ILLINOIS VS. NEBRASKA
IOWA VS. PURDUE
WISCONSIN VS. RUTGERS
WEEK 7
MARYLAND VS. ILLINOIS
MICHIGAN VS. INDIANA
WISCONSIN VS. IOWA
RUTGERS VS. MICHIGAN STATE
PURDUE VS. OHIO STATE
PENN STATE VS. UMASS
WEEK 8
MICHIGAN STATE VS. MICHIGAN
IOWA VS. MINNESOTA
NEBRASKA VS. NORTHWESTERN
OHIO STATE VS. PENN STATE
INDIANA VS. RUTGERS
ILLINOIS VS. WISCONSIN
WEEK 9
PENN STATE VS. INDIANA
NORTHWESTERN VS. MARYLAND
MINNESOTA VS. MICHIGAN STATE
WISCONSIN VS. OHIO STATE
NEBRASKA VS. PURDUE
WEEK 10
MINNESOTA VS. ILLINOIS
NORTHWESTERN VS. IOWA (IN CHICAGO, IL)
MICHIGAN STATE VS. NEBRASKA
RUTGERS VS. OHIO STATE
MARYLAND VS. PENN STATE
MICHIGAN VS. PURDUE
INDIANA VS. WISCONSIN
WEEK 11
ILLINOIS VS. INDIANA
NEBRASKA VS. MARYLAND
PENN STATE VS. MICHIGAN
OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN STATE
PURDUE VS. MINNESOTA
WISCONSIN VS. NORTHWESTERN
IOWA VS. RUTGERS
WEEK 12
IOWA VS. ILLINOIS
MARYLAND VS. MICHIGAN
INDIANA VS. MICHIGAN STATE
OHIO STATE VS. MINNESOTA
WISCONSIN VS. NEBRASKA
NORTHWESTERN VS. PURDUE
PENN STATE VS. RUTGERS
WEEK 13
NEBRASKA VS. IOWA
FRIDAY, NOV. 24
PURDUE VS. INDIANA
RUTGERS VS. MARYLAND
ILLINOIS VS. NORTHWESTERN
MICHIGAN VS. OHIO STATE
MICHIGAN STATE VS. PENN STATE
MINNESOTA VS. WISCONSIN
COLTS TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26 – 10-11 A.M.
SATURDAY, AUG. 5 – 6-7:30 P.M.
SUNDAY, AUG. 6 – 2-3:45 P.M.
SATURDAY, AUG. 5 – 6-7:30 P.M.
SUNDAY, AUG. 6 – 2-3:45 P.M.
TUESDAY, AUG. 8 – 9-10:30 A.M.
THURSDAY, AUG. 10 – 9-10 A.M.
TUESDAY, AUG. 15 – 9-10 A.M.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 16 – 6-8 P.M.
THURSDAY, AUG. 17 – 6-8 P.M.
TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES
MLB NEWS
VLADIMIR GUERRERO JOINS VLADIMIR SR. AS FIRST FATHER-SON HOME RUN DERBY WINNERS
SEATTLE (AP) Of course a Junior had to do something special in Seattle.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday night, matching Vladimir Sr.’s 2007 title to become the first father-son duo to accomplish the feat.
As far as who might win a head-to-head swing-off, well, that depends.
“It’s kind of difficult right now,” the Toronto Blue Jays star said with a wide grin, speaking through a translator. “With the time, with the minutes, I’ll win. If it’s by outs, he’ll win.”
In a ballpark made famous by the Mariners’ Ken Griffey Jr. a generation earlier, Guerrero beat Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena 25-23 in the final round. He was 8 when his father won the crown in San Francisco.
“I don’t remember much about 2007,” Vladimir Jr. said. “I guess I was too young.”
Guerrero totaled 5 1/2 miles of homers – 29,390 feet to be exact. He defeated Julio Rodríguez 21-20 in the semifinals after the Mariners star hit a record 41 in the first round in front of his hometown fans.
Batting against Blue Jays manager John Schneider, Guerrero was the last semifinalist to swing and the first finalist, setting a final round record for homers to top the mark Pete Alonso set when he beat Guerrero 23-22 in 2019.
With Guerrero Jr. catching his breath while watching, Arozarena hit against Tampa Bay field coordinator Tomas Francisco. Arozarena had 21 homers in his initial 2 minutes. He had 23 with 7 seconds left in his automatic 30 seconds of bonus time before lining and popping up on his final four swings.
Guerrero had 1 minute of bonus time, earning an additional 30 seconds because he twice reached 440 feet.
“Obviously, the power that he has was incredible,” Arozarena said through a translator. “For me, I felt good going into that round. But also he was able to get a minute of bonus time. I only had the 30 seconds of bonus time.”
Vladimir Guerrero Sr. won the 2007 derby while with the Los Angeles Angels, beating the Blue Jays’ Alex Rios 3-2 in the final.
Arozarena had the most overall homers over the three rounds, 82 to Guerrero’s 72, and the most distance at 33,077 feet. Arozarena overcame Luis Robert of the Chicago White Sox 35-22 in the semifinals. Robert hit the longest drive of the night, a 484-foot shot to left in the second round. That topped the high of 476 feet by Barry Bonds in the 2001 derby in Seattle.
Trying to become the youngest Derby winner at age 22, Rodríguez knocked out Alonso, a two-time champion who hit 21. Rodríguez beat Corey Seager 32-24 in the first round last year at Dodger Stadium, then knocked out Alonso 31-23 before losing to Juan Soto 19-18 in the final.
Arozarena beat Texas’ Adolis García 24-17 in the opening pairing before a crowd of 46,952 at T-Mobile Park. García is the godfather to Arozarena’s daughter, and the two jumped into each other’s arms during warmups.
Robert knocked out Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman 28-27 in the opening round. Rutschman hit 21 left-handed, and the switch hitter then turned around to the right side and hit six more right-handed during a 30-second bonus round. From Portland, Oregon, Rutschman grew up attending Mariners games.
Guerrero, back for the first time in four years, defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts 26-11 in the first round. Four years ago at Cleveland, Guerrero hit 29 in the first round and 40 in the second, then lost to Alonso in the final.
Alonso was trying for his third title in four years. Griffey Jr. is the only three-time winner, taking the title in 1994, ’98 and ‘99.
Guerrero Sr. was a nine-time All-Star but never won a World Series. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.
Guerrero Jr. is a three-time All-Star and was MVP of the game two years ago in Denver. What’s in the future? A World Series ring? Joining dad in the Hall?
“I’m a little bit too young to think about that right now,” he said. “When I get there, then I’ll think about it, I’ll see if I match my dad or was better than my dad or not.”
YANKEES’ GERRIT COLE AND DIAMONDBACKS’ ZAC GALLEN WILL START THE MLB ALL-STAR GAME
SEATTLE (AP) Gerrit Cole had starting the All-Star Game on his baseball bucket list.
“I’ve always been like, man, I really hope I could do that one day,” the New York Yankees ace said Monday.
He’s getting his chance. Cole will start Tuesday night for the American League and Arizona’s Zac Gallen will open on the mound for NL, the first time Yankees and Diamondbacks are both All-Star starters since Roger Clemens faced Randy Johnson in the 2001 game at Seattle.
“I feel like I’ve worked hard. This is something that I dreamed of as a kid,” Gallen said. “So for it to come to fruition is everything and more, really.”
AL manager Dusty Baker of Houston and NL manager Rob Thomson of Philadelphia announced their starting lineups on Monday before the annual Home Run Derby.
Baker said Sunday that Cole wouldn’t pitch in the All-Star Game because he would be going on two days’ rest after throwing 103 pitches in a 9-2 win over the Chicago Cubs in New York on Saturday.
“He wanted it,” Baker said Monday. “A lot of guys, sometimes they might not want to pitch in this particular game, but he wanted to pitch. Hey man, if a guy like Gerrit Cole wants to pitch, I’ll let him pitch.”
“It’s just always something that I’ve wanted to do, and I feel like I’m physically able to do it,” Cole added.
Cole will start for the first time in his sixth All-Star nod. He is 9-2 with a 2.85 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 117 innings. The 32-year-old right-hander joins Lefty Gomez (five times), Red Ruffing (twice), Hank Borowy, Spud Chandler, Roger Clemens, Whitey Ford, Jimmy Key, Vic Raschi, Met Stottlemyre, Bob Turley and David Wells as Yankees All-Star starters.
Gallen, a 27-year-old right-hander, is 11-3 with a 3.04 ERA, tied for the major league lead in wins. The first-time All-Star has 125 strikeouts in 118 1/3 innings and becomes the third Diamondbacks pitcher to start an All-Star Game after Johnson in 2000 and ’01 and Curt Schilling in 2002.
Gallen said he learned of the starting assignment last Wednesday from Arizona manager Torey Lovullo.
“It’s been a whirlwind, really,” he said. “I think I found out Wednesday or Thursday morning, Torey had FaceTimed me. So I kind of had to tell white lies for the last few days to my family.”
Gallen last pitched Friday, throwing 96 pitches in a 7-3 win over Pittsburgh.
“Zac’s numbers just came out of off the page for us,” Thomson said.
Baker’s AL batting order has Texas second baseman Marcus Semien leading off, followed by Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, Tampa Bay left fielder Randy Arozarena, Texas shortstop Corey Seager, Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz, Rangers right fielder Adolis García, Baltimore center fielder Austin Hays, Texas third baseman Josh Jung and Rangers catcher Jonah Heim.
Atlanta right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. leads off for the NL, followed by Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, Dodgers center fielder Mookie Betts, Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez, St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado, Miami second baseman Luis Arraez, Braves catcher Sean Murphy, Arizona rookie left fielder Corbin Carroll and Atlanta shortstop Orlando Arcia.
Two players elected to start by fans will miss the game because of injuries. Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe on June 3 and Angels center fielder Mike Trout broke his left wrist on July 3.
NATIONAL CRISIS: AMERICAN LEAGUE OUT TO EXTEND ALL-STAR GAME DOMINANCE
SEATTLE — Nothing has been quite as all-American as the MLB All-Star Game.
The American League enters Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic at T-Mobile Park with a nine-game winning streak and only three losses to the National League in the annual exhibition since 1997.
Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch in the game because of a blister but is in the lineup batting second. Ohtani leads the majors in home runs (32) and triples (six).
On the mound, Ohtani hits the break fourth in MLB with 132 strikeouts and opponents are batting .189 against him. He started the 2022 All-Star Game and sat down the first three batters he faced in order.
“He’s the most incredible athlete I’ve ever seen playing baseball,” AL manager Dusty Baker said Monday.
With Ohtani unavailable, Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (9-2, 2.85 ERA in the first half) was named the AL starter. Cole is a six-time All-Star but last pitched in the game in 2015.
“I’ve been to a few of them and had the pleasure of watching some future Hall of Famers (start),” Cole said. “I’ve always been like, ‘Man, I really hope I can do that one day.”
He’ll go on two days rest after pitching 7 1/3 innings on Saturday and oppose Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen (11-3, 3.04 ERA).
“Guy has been here five or six times,” Baker said Monday of his decision to turn to Cole ahead of Seattle ace Luis Castillo. “About time he started.”
MLB’s most popular player based on jersey sales, Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., leads the National League lineup after becoming the first player to ever reach 20 home runs, 40 stolen bases and 50 RBIs before the All-Star break. Acuna, 25, and Ohtani led their respective leagues in All-Star Game votes. Acuna is one of eight Braves named All-Stars, tying the All-Star Game record for National League teams.
Acuna is hitting leadoff and three consecutive Los Angeles Dodgers follow him in the NL batting order, starting at No. 2 with former Atlanta teammate Freddie Freeman, followed by Mookie Betts and designated hitter J.D. Martinez.
Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez earned a repeat appearance in the Home Run Derby after a record 81 homers in 2022 and was named to the AL roster as an injury replacement for Yordan Alvarez of the Astros. Right-hander George Kirby gives Seattle three All-Stars; he was added to replace Rays righty Shan McClanahan.
“It’s going to be fun, a lot of fun,” Rodriguez said.
The early going Tuesday night might take on more of a National League vs. the Texas Rangers feel.
For the first time in 47 years, a team has five position players in the All-Star Game starting lineup. Texas had four starters voted in — catcher Jonah Heim, second baseman Marcus Semien, shortstop Corey Seager and third baseman Josh Jung — and Adolis Garcia was named as an injury replacement in the outfield with Mike Trout and Aaron Judge both unavailable. Trout was selected to his MLB-leading 11th All-Star Game, 10th as a starter, but is sidelined by a fractured wrist; Judge is fighting a foot injury.
“Any time you can make one it’s really special. To be able to share it with a bunch of your teammates is really cool,” Seager said.
Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez, the AL batting champ with the Minnesota Twins and a 2022 All-Star, is back this year on the NL side and will hit sixth in the lineup. He’s batting .383, which matches Babe Ruth (1920, Yankees) as one of the best ever first-half averages. Ty Cobb was over .400 twice, including .446 at the break in 1911.
It’s a homecoming for Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll, the NL Rookie of the Year favorite with 18 home runs, 48 RBIs, 26 stolen bases and an infinite need for tickets Tuesday night. He said he wrangled 20 total tickets for his family and friends, some of whom will make the 30-minute walk Carroll did as a kid from his Queen Anne neighborhood to the ballpark.
“I’m not sure when it’s all going to hit me, but I know I’ll appreciate it,” said Carroll.
The last time Seattle hosted the MLB All-Star Game in 2001 at the same venue — then known as Safeco Field — Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken was MVP in his 19th and final appearance in the game. The American League won 4-1.
Managers announced their batting order Monday afternoon:
National League, manager Rob Thomson (Phillies)
1. Ronald Acuña Jr., RF (ATL)
2. Freddie Freeman, 1B (LAD)
3. Mookie Betts, CF (LAD)
4. J.D. Martinez, DH (LAD)
5. Nolan Arenado, 3B (STL)
6. Luis Arraez, 2B (MIA)
7. Sean Murphy, C (ATL)
8. Corbin Carroll, LF (AZ)
9. Orlando Arcia, SS (ATL)
American League, manager Dusty Baker (Astros)
1. Marcus Semien, 2B (TEX)
2. Shohei Ohtani, DH (LAA)
3. Randy Arozarena, LF (TB)
4. Corey Seager, SS (TEX)
5. Yandy Díaz, 1B (TB)
6. Adolis García, RF (TEX)
7. Austin Hays, CF (BAL)
8. Josh Jung, 3B (TEX)
9. Jonah Heim, C (TEX)
YANKEES HIRE TV ANALYST SEAN CASEY AS HITTING COACH TO REPLACE FIRED DILLON LAWSON
SEATTLE (AP) Sean Casey was hired Monday as hitting coach of the struggling New York Yankees, a day after the team fired Dillon Lawson.
Casey, a three-time All-Star during a 12-year big league career that ended in 2008, had spent the past 15 years with MLB Network, where the 49-year-old was an analyst.
“I’ve been able to keep my finger on the pulse of the game, speaking with current big leaguers, watching a tremendous amount of video, breaking down film as part of my job and trying to figure out what hitters are doing physically and mentally,” Casey said in a statement. “So I feel good about being ready for this opportunity to teach and impart my experience and ideas.”
Casey and Yankees manager Aaron Boone were teammates on the Cincinnati Reds from 1998 to 2003.
“His passion for hitting is infectious,” Boone said in a statement. ”His ability to inspire is one of his greatest gifts, and I can’t wait for him to tap into our players and help them reach their potential. There’s no doubt in my mind that he will have a tremendous impact on our team.”
Lawson was fired following Sunday’s 7-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The Yankees are eight games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and have lost four of five.
New York’s .231 batting average is 28th among the 30 major league teams, ahead of only Detroit and Oakland. The Yankees are batting a major league-worst .218 in 31 games since Aaron Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe on June 3, going 14-17.
Casey batted .302 with 130 home runs and 735 RBIs over 12 seasons, including eight with the Reds highlighted by three NL All-Star selections. Know as “The Mayor” for his chatting with runners at first base and his charitable work, Casey also played with Pittsburgh, Detroit and Boston.
“There’s no way to cookie-cut hitters, and if you start doing that, you get into trouble and underutilize strengths they may have,” Casey said. “One thing I will stress is controlling the zone and hunting in the zone. I want them to control their process and stick to their approach with the goal of winning every pitch.”
Brian Cashman had never before fired a coach during a season since he became general manager in 1998.
MLB DRAFT
DAY 2 OF BASEBALL DRAFT INCLUDES 6 PLAYERS FROM WAKE FOREST, PLUS SON OF FORMER MAJOR LEAGUER KARROS
SEATTLE (AP) — Baseball’s amateur draft has been a fitting conclusion to a historic season at Wake Forest.
The Demon Deacons had six players drafted Monday, bringing their two-day total to nine. That’s three more than the LSU team that knocked Wake Forest out of the College World Series and went on to win the national title.
LSU, of course, had the top two picks in the draft Friday in Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, but the Deacons showed off their depth on Day 2, when rounds 3-10 took place. Wake Forest pitchers Seth Keener (third round, White Sox), Teddy McGraw (third, Mariners) and Camden Minacci (sixth, Angels) were selected, along with catcher Bennett Lee (sixth, Tigers), outfielder Tommy Hawke (sixth, Guardians) and shortstop Justin Johnson (10th, Royals).
Wake Forest reached the CWS for the first time since winning the national title in 1955. The Deacons were eliminated by LSU 2-0 in 11 innings in an epic pitching matchup between Rhett Lowder and Skenes. Lowder ended up as the seventh overall pick in this draft.
HIGHER ED
The Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals have taken only college players so far. In fact, the Orioles have drafted only outfielders and right-handed pitchers, which could help a system that is heavy on hitting prospects at the moment.
ON THE MOUND
The Pittsburgh Pirates took Skenes at No. 1 overall, and they haven’t stopped adding pitchers since. Nine of Pittsburgh’s 11 picks so far have been pitchers, all but one from college.
The San Diego Padres have taken only two pitchers, high schooler Kannon Kemp in the eighth round and two-way player Tucker Musgrove of the University of Mobile in the seventh. San Diego has only had eight picks after losing its second- and fifth-rounders for signing free agent Xander Bogaerts.
FAMILIAR NAMES
Colorado drafted third baseman Kyle Karros of UCLA in the fifth round. He’s the son of Eric Karros, who won National League Rookie of the Year honors with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1992. The elder Karros was drafted in the sixth round in 1988.
Grand Canyon outfielder Homer Bush Jr. was taken in the fourth round by San Diego. Bush’s father was also drafted by the Padres in 1991, although he spent most of his major league career with the Yankees and Blue Jays — he was dealt to Toronto as part of the trade that sent Roger Clemens to New York.
WILL HE OR WON’T HE?
Milwaukee used a sixth-round pick on high school shortstop Cooper Pratt, the No. 45-ranked prospect in the draft according to MLB Pipeline. The question now is whether the Brewers can get the Mississippi commit to sign instead of playing in college.
EXTRA CHANCES
The Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers received two picks each between the fourth and fifth rounds for losing free agents. Boston was compensated for losing Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi, New York for losing Jacob deGrom and Chris Bassitt and Los Angeles for losing Trea Turner and Tyler Anderson.
With their extra picks, the Red Sox took Georgia Tech shortstop Kristian Campbell and Wright State shortstop Justin Riemer. The Mets selected high school shortstop A.J. Ewing and Missouri pitcher Austin Troesser, and the Dodgers picked Texas outfielder Dylan Campbell and Middle Tennessee pitcher Eriq Swan.
The Mets and Orioles also received extra third-round picks because they didn’t sign their third-rounders last year. New York selected Nevada pitcher Kade Morris, and Baltimore took Arkansas outfielder Tavian Josenberger.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
NORTHWESTERN FIRES COACH PAT FITZGERALD AFTER HAZING ALLEGATIONS SURFACE WITH FOOTBALL TEAM
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) Northwestern fired coach Pat Fitzgerald on Monday amid a hazing scandal that called into question his leadership of the program and damaged the university’s reputation after it mishandled its response to the allegations.
Fitzgerald’s dismissal completed a rapid fall from grace for the former All-American linebacker, the star of the 1995 Northwestern team that won the Big Ten and played in the Rose Bowl after years of losing. The 48-year-old Fitzgerald had been firmly entrenched at his alma mater, an annual fixture on any list of college coaches with the most job security.
“The head coach is ultimately responsible for the culture of his team,” Northwestern President Michael Schill wrote in an open letter to the university community. “The hazing we investigated was widespread and clearly not a secret within the program, providing Coach Fitzgerald with the opportunity to learn what was happening. Either way, the culture in Northwestern Football, while incredible in some ways, was broken in others.”
Fitzgerald went 110-101 in 17 seasons as Northwestern’s head coach. He led the Wildcats to Big Ten West championships in 2018 and 2020, plus five bowl victories. But they went 4-20 over his last two seasons.
Fitzgerald said in a statement provided to ESPN that he had instructed his attorney to “take the necessary steps to protect my rights in accordance with the law.”
Schill wrote in his letter that athletic director Derrick Gragg will announce “the leadership for this upcoming football season” in the next couple days. The opener is Sept. 3 at Rutgers.
“I recognize that my decision will not be universally applauded, and there will be those in our community who may vehemently disagree with it,” Schill wrote. “Ultimately, I am charged with acting in the best interests of the entire University, and this decision is reflective of that. The damage done to our institution is significant, as is the harm to some of our students.”
Gragg was hired by Northwestern in June 2021. He got the job after Mike Polisky stepped down amid mounting criticism because he was named in a sexual harassment lawsuit against the Big Ten school by former Wildcats cheerleaders.
Fitzgerald had been serving a two-week suspension after the school said Friday that an investigation led by attorney Maggie Hickey of law firm ArentFox Schiff did not find “sufficient” evidence that the coaching staff knew about ongoing hazing – though there were “significant opportunities” to find out about it.
Schill, who was the president of the University of Oregon before taking over Northwestern in September, said in his Monday letter that the investigative report will remain confidential. But he wrote that, during the investigation, 11 current or former players acknowledged the hazing within the program.
“The hazing included forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature, in clear violation of Northwestern policies and values,” Schill wrote.
In his statement, Fitzgerald said Hickey’s investigation reaffirmed that he had no knowledge of any hazing within the program.
“Last Friday, Northwestern and I came to a mutual agreement regarding the appropriate resolution following the thorough investigation by Ms. Hickey,” he said. “This agreement stipulated a two-week suspension.
“Therefore, I was surprised when I learned that the president of Northwestern unilaterally revoked our agreement without any prior notification and subsequently terminated my employment.”
After Northwestern announced its suspension for Fitzgerald, The Daily Northwestern published a story on Saturday detailing allegations from a former player who described specific instances of hazing and sexual abuse. The report also indicated that Fitzgerald “may have known that hazing took place.”
That led Schill to write a letter to the university community in which he acknowledged focusing “too much on what the report concluded (Fitzgerald) didn’t know and not enough on what he should have known.” Schill went on to say that he planned to speak with university leadership, members of the board of trustees and leaders of the faculty senate to determine his next steps.
“Since Friday, I have kept going back to what we should reasonably expect from our head coaches, our faculty and our campus leaders,” Schill wrote in Monday’s letter. “And that is what led me to make this decision.”
Because the six-month investigation was confidential, Schill said in Monday’s letter that he learned many of the details recently. He spoke with the complainant on Sunday after talking to the student’s parents on Friday.
Fitzgerald, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008, was hired to coach his alma mater in 2006 after the sudden death of then-coach Randy Walker.
Many current and former players rushed to Fitzgerald’s defense after the suspension was announced.
A letter circulated on social media, signed by “The ENTIRE Northwestern Football Team” without identifying an author, said that “throughout his tenure, Coach Fitzgerald has consistently prioritized the well-being and development of his players, and we stand behind him in his unwavering commitment to our team.”
Before Fitzgerald’s dismissal was announced by the school, The Daily Northwestern published a report that had three former Northwestern players describing a “culture of enabling racism.”
The turmoil within the football program comes after the school unveiled plans in September to build a new Ryan Field. The plans call for a state-of-the-art facility featuring a reduced seating capacity and greater emphasis on the fan experience.
BIG 10 FOOTBALL: INDIANA PREVIEW
2022 Record: 4-8 overall, 2-7 in Big Ten
Head Coach: Tom Allen, 8th year: 30-40
Welcome to the new world of college football, and Indiana is how it’s possible to spin some of the change into a positive.
After an amazing run in 2020 when the entire world melted down, the program went back to being – to be nice about it – mediocre.
IU is 6-19 in its last 25 games of college football. Two of those six victories came against Idaho, and two more were against WKU.
In almost 125 years of playing college football, Indiana has enjoyed 32 winning seasons, and 23 of them came before 1980. Worse yet, ten of them came before 1920. There hasn’t been a bowl win since 1991, and there’s never been an outright Big Ten title – the 1945 team was technically in the Western Conference.
So Indiana just lost a ton of players through the transfer portal. It’s not like they helped crank out championships.
This was the worst team in the Big Ten in total defense, pass defense, tackles for loss allowed, time of possession, yards per completion, and …
Indiana was able to go get a bunch of new players to replace the old ones. Lots and lots and lots of new players.
That’s not saying these new parts will turn everything around and make Indiana a player in the Big Ten race, but at least it’s a chance for head coach Tom Allen to refresh the team and bring in a new energy.
The schedule is a problem, but there are five wins to potentially be had with the dream of a sixth – more on that at the end – and for all the issues last year, it was in the game in close losses to Maryland and Rutgers.
So the Hoosiers couldn’t beat Ohio State, Michigan, or Penn State. Big deal. Almost no one will beat them this year, either. However, the starting 22 will be interesting – transfers don’t always equal upgrades, but they certainly might in this case – and the offense could be more dynamic because …
Indiana Hoosiers Preview: Offense
Indiana has a terrific group of running backs as a nice base to potentially take the pressure off everyone else. There might not be a Bijan Robinson in the bunch, but Wake Forest transfer – and former Michigan Wolverine – Christian Turner is coming off of back-to-back 500-yard seasons with 12 scores. Former North Carolina transfer Josh Henderson showed last season he could catch with 24 grabs, and Jaylin Lucas showed flashes when he got a shot. All of them can produce, but …
The offensive line has to be far better. This used to be one of Indiana’s annual positives, and last year it allowed just about everyone to set up shop in the backfield. There’s hope with four starters back around likely All-Big Ten tackle Matthew Bedford, and with UMass transfer Max Longman a sneaky-nice get at left tackle with the versatility to play almost anywhere. But …
Everyone needs time to work, especially new QB Tayven Jackson. Jack Tuttle (Michigan) and Connor Bazelak (Bowling Green) moved on, but that’s fine. The offense needs a star to build around, and that might be Jackson, a great recruit from Tennessee who can sling it.
It’s not like the receiving corps is a weakness, but it’s going to need some untested parts to step up and shine around Cam Camper, the team’s leading receiver who made 46 grabs in just seven games before tearing his ACL midway through the year.
Indiana Hoosiers Preview: Defense
There are a ton of new options in the mix through the transfer portal. The offense got its share, but the coaching staff is throwing everything possible at the problem with the possibility of at least seven new guys starting early on, and it could be far more.
The D has to be more disruptive, and that’s where Western Michigan transfer Andre Carter comes in. Going into his sixth year, he did just about everything in the MAC as he grew into a top all-around playmaker over the last few seasons. He was a big get, Texas Tech DT Philip Blidi will take over on the inside, and there are loads of options for the front three.
Okay, fine, so a bunch of key players who’ll be missed, mainly LB Dasan McCullough who’ll be a big deal now for Oklahoma. Top tackler Aaron Casey is still around – be shocked if he’s not an All-Big ten performer in the middle – and in from Stanford comes Jacob Magnum-Farrar after making 85 stops over the last two seasons.
Welcome to the new cornerbacks. Tiawan Mullen is a Los Angeles Charger, and Christopher Keys is a Mississippi State Bulldog, but Jamier Johnson (Texas) and Nicolas Toomer (Stanford) are big juniors who should be interesting around a potentially decent group of safeties.
Indiana Hoosiers Key To The Season
Start hitting more passes. It would be nice to get more big plays, and cranking up a few home runs to open things up for the ground game, but for now – especially with a relatively green quarterback – just keep things moving.
The Hoosier passers only got to 60% twice last year, converting third downs was like pulling teeth, and overall they were among the most inefficient in America.
By the way, former Hoosier Michael Penix Jr. led the nation in passing yards per game for Washington.
NFL PREVIEW: NEW YORK JETS
The Jets became instant Super Bowl contenders the second Aaron Rodgers announced his desire to leave the Packers and play in New York with coach Robert Saleh’s talented young roster.
Obviously, there was a lengthy trade negotiation period between Rodgers’s former team and new team, with lots of finger-pointing drama before and after the trade became official. Rodgers has said a few times he wasn’t initially pushing to leave the Packers, and they were the ones looking to end the partnership to begin the era of Jordan Love.
But Jets fans probably can’t care less about the dispute, and are just thrilled they have a motivated Rodgers on their side to possibly end their title drought (dating back to 1969, when Joe Namath made the iconic Super Bowl III guarantee). There’s also plenty of buzz for the Jets aside from Rodgers, thanks to dominant rookie seasons from cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall.
But before the Jets can think about the Super Bowl, they’ll need to compete in a rugged AFC East with the Bills, Dolphins and Patriots. And to win the division, they’ll need Rodgers to return to his All-Pro form.
Biggest gamble this offseason: Trading for Rodgers
Adding a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback probably doesn’t feel like a gamble for the Jets, but there are a few risks involved with Rodgers’s arrival. He’s entering his age-40 season, and coming off a down year, for his lofty standards (3,695 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions). It’s fair to note, however, that Rodgers was dealing with injuries, and he was playing with an inexperienced receiving corps and a subpar offensive line in 2022. But if the quarterback doesn’t return to top form—say he has a Russell Wilson–like first season in New York—the Jets likely won’t be able to move on, given they’re on the hook for Rodgers’s 2024 guaranteed salary of $58.3 million. The season hasn’t started yet, but the Rodgers trade already hurt the Jets in the draft, too: Because New York swapped picks with Green Bay, moving down from No. 13 to 15 in the first round, they were barred from potentially grabbing offensive tackle Broderick Jones, who went to the Steelers at No. 14. What’s more, the Jets should have some concerns after failing to make it work with Brett Favre 15 years ago.
Toughest stretch of the season: Weeks 1 to 4
The Jets’ schedule will be tough enough playing in the loaded AFC East, but the first month might be the toughest. They open the season at home with a divisional clash versus Josh Allen and the Bills. That’s followed by a road game against the Cowboys, who are expected to once again be a top team in the NFC. In Week 3, the Jets host the Patriots, who might be a sleeper team with a talented defense. (Also, Bill Belichick has had the Jets’ number the past two decades.) The four-game gauntlet ends with a home game vs. the reigning Super Bowl champions. The new-look Jets could be in trouble by early October.
Breakout player to watch: Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II
This was a tough pick, because most of the Jets’ younger players experienced breakout seasons last year, including Gardner and Wilson, two 2022 first-round picks. But some might have forgotten that Johnson was the Jets’ third first-round pick that year. Johnson only played 34% percent of the Jets’ defensive snaps as a rookie, but he often flashed as a polished playmaker with 2.5 sacks, 29 total tackles and five quarterback hits. After waiting his turn behind Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers, Johnson could be next in line to shine under Saleh’s guidance. For bonus candidates, Bryce Huff and rookie Will McDonald IV could also be impact players on the Jets’ defensive front.
Position of strength: Secondary
Gardner’s presence alone makes the Jets’ secondary one of the best in the league, but he does have plenty of help. D.J. Reed was a quality No. 2 outside cornerback, and Michael Carter II is one of the better slot cornerbacks in the league. Also, the Jets traded for safety Chuck Clark, a stout run stopper with 101 total tackles for the Ravens last season, but Clark recently suffered a torn ACL during OTAs. That led to the Jets signing Adrian Amos, a former standout safety for the Packers. Amos could start the season next to Jordan Whitehead, who had 89 total tackles and two interceptions in 2022.
Position of weakness: Offensive tackle
The most uncertainty on the Jets’ roster surrounds the two starting tackle spots, with Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton. Heading into his age-38 season, Brown is one of the oldest starting left tackles in the league, but he played well enough last year and logged 746 offensive snaps. Becton, 24, is much younger, but he has struggled with consistency and availability throughout his career; the 2020 first-round pick was challenged by Saleh earlier this offseason to earn the starting left tackle job after Becton voiced his displeasure about playing right tackle. The tackle spots have question marks, but the Jets’ interior offensive line should be fine with a healthy Alijah Vera-Tucker, who only played seven games last season. Vera-Tucker is a guard, but he did play tackle in college.
X-factor: RB Breece Hall
It wasn’t a coincidence that the Jets’ offense drastically declined after Hall tore his ACL seven games into his rookie season. The 2022 second-round pick was a front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year before the injury, but most importantly, he provided balance to help a sluggish passing game. Hall, who recorded 463 rushing yards and four touchdowns last season, might be the key to helping Rodgers get quickly acclimated with New York’s offense.
Sleeper fantasy pick: WR Allen Lazard
Most folks in the fantasy world love Wilson in his second season, but I think Lazard could make an impact, too. After all, he has a great rapport with Rodgers from their time in Green Bay. If you’re looking for a late-round WR4 or WR5, Lazard is well worth a look. —Michael Fabiano, SI Fantasy
Best bet: Take the over on Garrett Wilson’s 1150.5 receiving yards
The reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year nearly eclipsed this mark with some combination of Zach Wilson, Mike White and Joe Flacco under center. Now he has a four-time MVP throwing him the ball. Wilson should not see a sophomore slump. —Jennifer Piacenti, SI Betting
Final record: 11–6, third in AFC East
NBA NEWS
SPURS DECIDE THAT WEMBANYAMA’S SUMMER LEAGUE IS OVER AFTER 2 GAMES
LAS VEGAS (AP) Victor Wembanyama’s first, and likely last, Summer League is over.
The San Antonio Spurs said Monday that they have seen all they needed from the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft and won’t play him during their remaining games in Las Vegas.
Wembanyama’s final numbers from two games: 36 points, 20 rebounds, eight blocks and three assists on 41% shooting from the floor. He played about 54 minutes.
The shutdown wasn’t a surprise; the Spurs never planned for Wembanyama to play the entirety of Summer League, and now they’ll have a chance to use the minutes he would have gotten to take a look at other players.
“I’m going to sit down with the Spurs to know what the next months are going to be like,” Wembanyama said Sunday night after what became his summer finale. “When to go on vacation, when to start back working out, where I’m going to practice, in San Antonio or somewhere else. I just know I’ve got two to three months – two to three great months – that are coming and they’re going to change my life.”
Shutting him down from games – San Antonio has either three or four games left in Las Vegas – starts what will be a needed break for the 19-year-old from France whose last professional season in his homeland started nearly a year ago. He was in the French playoffs up until a few days before the draft in June, and his schedule has been crazed since.
Put simply, the Spurs believe he needs a chance to rest and reset to get ready for training camp that starts in early October and then an 82-game regular season.
“In the past month, I think basketball wasn’t even 50% of my schedule,” Wembanyama said. “I can’t stand it. I know it’s a special moment in my life, but I’m glad it’s over. Honestly. I just want to hoop. I just want to work out, lift because this is my life. Obviously, every first pick is going to go through this. And it just makes me better for the future.”
It has been a whirlwind few days in Las Vegas for the Spurs. Wembanyama’s debut on Friday night had a circus-like atmosphere with a sold-out crowd and enormous attention; Sunday’s game wasn’t quite the same, but the crowd was still huge. And more big news came between those games on Saturday when Gregg Popovich’s new five-year contract to remain coach and president of the team was announced.
As would be expected, the Popovich signing delighted Wembanyama.
“There’s something great going on, starting,” Wembanyama said. “We kind of knew it was going to happen, but now it’s, let’s get it rolling. We can get started now.”
Wembanyama took part in the NBA’s required rookie transition program on Monday, where he spoke with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver – who has raved about the 7-foot-3 star many times since first meeting him in Paris in January.
“I’m not sure if anything else I’d say could put more pressure on him, because there’s already so much pressure on him and attention,” Silver said Monday while speaking to the Associated Press Sports Editors convention in Las Vegas. “But it seems, at least initially, that he’s well equipped to handle it.”
And everyone from teammates, opponents and even NBA greats like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West have raved about what they’ve seen from Wembanyama in recent days.
“The difficulty is learning how you can best contribute to a winning effort,” Abdul-Jabbar told him. “That’s what you’ve got to learn how to do with your skill set. You will find out what that is basically in preseason. You’ll find out a lot about that.”
Vegas is a showtown. Wembanyama put on a show, and the Spurs said it was enough. And now his focus shifts to his first real season.
“He’s amazing,” San Antonio guard Blake Wesley said. “He’s an amazing person on and off the court.”
BLAZERS SAY THEY’RE WILLING TO WAIT MONTHS TO RESOLVE LILLARD SAGA IF NECESSARY
LAS VEGAS (AP) Damian Lillard wants to be traded to the Miami Heat. The Portland Trail Blazers know this yet haven’t abandoned hope that the seven-time All-Star changes his mind.
And whether he does or not, the Blazers insist that they’re in no hurry.
General manager Joe Cronin, at the news conference where the team unveiled its new five-year, $160 million contract with Jerami Grant, spoke at length about the impasse with Lillard. He offered no specifics on talks – not negotiating publicly – and revealed that he hasn’t spoken with Lillard since the franchise cornerstone asked to be traded.
“We’re going to be patient,” Cronin said Monday. “We’re going to do what’s best for our team. We’re going to see, you know, how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months.”
Lillard’s trade request became publicly known on July 1, the first full day of free agency in the NBA. After the Blazers revealed that Lillard – who has spent all 11 of his pro seasons in Portland – asked out, agent Aaron Goodwin confirmed days later that the seven-time All-NBA selection wants to go to Miami.
“Dame’s position won’t change,” Goodwin told The Associated Press last week. “This entire situation was about building an opportunity for Portland to win or giving him another opportunity that he wants, which is Miami.”
The entire matter is complicated on so many levels – that the trade request became public, that Lillard wants to be traded only to Miami (he doesn’t have a no-trade clause, and Portland is under no obligation to honor that request), that he is beloved as an all-time great in Portland and that not having him on the roster simply means the team probably won’t have enough to truly compete in the loaded Western Conference.
“As a team, you always hope that you have more options,” Cronin said. “To have limited options like that, I wouldn’t call it frustrating, but it prevents you from perhaps getting the best return. So, it’s something that we’ll have to work through.”
And in his eyes, there’s still hope that Lillard changes his mind – although there’s been no indication that will happen.
“I haven’t lost hope, just because I understand this league is complicated and things change very quickly sometimes,” Cronin said.
The Blazers have a core of young talent – Anfernee Simons just turned 24, Shaedon Sharpe is going into his second season after being the No. 7 pick in 2022 and point guard Scoot Henderson is entering the league as the No. 3 pick in this draft. Cronin said he gets why Lillard would look at the Blazers, as currently constructed, and feel like there isn’t a clear path to contending for a title this coming season.
“I could see why Dame would look at it and say, ‘Well, this isn’t a win-now opportunity, or at least as much of a win-now opportunity in some other places,’” Cronin said. “So, from that regard, I understand his position and I respect it and it makes sense to me why he would like to go elsewhere.”
But Cronin also believes that great days are coming for Simons, Sharpe and Henderson.
“Those guys are going to impact winning very soon in this league,” Cronin said.
Lillard is coming off a season in which he averaged 32.2 points for the Trail Blazers. He is a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team, but he has never been close to a title in his 11 seasons in the league.
He met with Portland multiple times, asking for the roster to be upgraded to the point where he can compete for a championship. But those efforts did not go to Lillard’s liking. And now, the trade watch is on.
“It’s just hard. How do you replace Damian Lillard? Who is the person in the marketplaces that is available that is a better player than Dame?” Cronin said. “No team more than us knows what this market looks like. We’ve been trying for 18 months to find the Dame equivalent at another position or someone that’s 80% of Dame, even. So, that’s the challenge and that’s why we’ve got to keep working.”
PISTONS AND ISAIAH STEWART AGREE ON $64 MILLION, 4-YEAR EXTENSION, SOURCE TELLS AP
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons and Isaiah Stewart have agreed on a $64 million, four-year contract extension, according to a person familiar with the deal.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Monday night on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced. ESPN was first to report the post player’s deal with the Pistons.
Stewart averaged a career-high 11.3 points and 8.1 rebounds last season. He has averaged nine points and 7.8 rebounds over his three-year career and was entering the last year of his rookie contract.
The Portland Trail Blazers drafted the former Washington star with the No. 16 pick in 2020 and within the next week, he was traded to Houston and Detroit.
The 6-foot-8 Stewart provides a much-needed physical presence for the Pistons.
Detroit’s rebuilding hopes are tied largely to Cade Cunningham’s comeback from shin surgery, along with second-year pros Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, and rookie wing Ausar Thompson.
The Pistons won an NBA -low 17 games last season, and Dwane Casey stepped down as coach with one year left on his contract to take a role in the front office. The three-time NBA championship-winning franchise has earned a spot in the playoffs just twice in 14 years.
Shooting to speed up a turnaround, team owner Tom Gores gave Monty Williams a six-year contract shortly after the 2022 NBA Coach of the Year was fired by the Phoenix Suns.
ADAM SILVER DETERMINED TO KEEP INDIVIDUALS IN CONTROL OF NBA FRANCHISES
With sovereign wealth funds starting to shovel money into sports teams and leagues across the country, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Monday that he does not see any state-owned investment groups becoming the controlling owner of an NBA franchise anytime soon.
Per the NBA’s investment rules, the controlling owner of an NBA franchise must own at least 15 percent of the franchise.
If a sovereign wealth fund wants to get involved, it must have a passive investment in the organization that is worth no more than five percent. A prime example of this is the Qatar sovereign wealth fund, which last month agreed to purchase a five-percent stake in Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the controlling owner of the Washington Wizards, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics and the NHL’s Washington Capitals.
Silver wants to make sure that individuals are the ones that are primarily governing teams, though.
“I don’t want to say what could ever happen, but there’s no contemplation right now,” Silver said in Las Vegas. “I mean, it’s very important to us, putting aside sovereign wealth funds that individuals are in a position to control our teams, be responsible to the fans, be responsible to their partners and to the players.
“It’s very important to us that there be a person (in charge), and this is independent of sovereign wealth funds. I think that in terms of the connection with the community, the connection with the players and their other partners in the league.”
One of the most notable sovereign wealth funds as it relates to the sports is Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which funds LIV Golf. The PGA Tour created shockwaves across the golf world last month when it announced it planned to enter a merger with LIV.
MEN’S TENNIS
GEORGIA TECH’S EUBANKS STUNS TSITSIPAS AT WIMBLEDON TO REACH HIS FIRST GRAND SLAM QUARTERFINAL
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) Until about a week ago, even Chris Eubanks did not really believe he was capable of this sort of thing – of beating the world’s best tennis players at Wimbledon, of reaching the quarterfinals at any Grand Slam tournament, of winning match after match after match on grass courts.
“I would show up to tour events saying, ‘Oh, can I get through a couple rounds of here?’” he said during an interview the day before play began at the All England Club. “Now I genuinely can say, probably for the first time, I’m showing up to tournaments with higher expectations and really wanting to do well and put my best foot forward. I’m no longer feeling OK just being there. I know that I belong.”
Does he ever.
Eubanks, a 6-foot-7, big-serving American making his Wimbledon debut at age 27 right after claiming the first ATP title of his career, reached the quarterfinals at a major for the first time by stunning two-time Slam runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a little over three hours on Monday.
“It’s surreal. I can’t really describe it,” said Eubanks, who is from Atlanta and played college tennis at Georgia Tech.
“I just think the entire experience, all together, has just been a whirlwind. It’s been something that you dream about,” Eubanks said. “I didn’t really know if that dream would actually come true. I’m sitting here in it now, so it’s pretty cool.“
He is ranked a career-best 43rd right now and had a win-loss record of merely 6-10 before going on the run to the trophy at Mallorca, Spain, on July 1. That came on grass, which he decided he hated a month ago – calling it “the stupidest surface” in a text he sent to International Tennis Hall of Fame member Kim Clijsters – after exiting in the second round at a low-level ATP Challenger Tour event.
“Those words will never come out of my mouth for the rest of my career. The grass and I, we’ve had a very strenuous, I would say, relationship over the years,” Eubanks said after accumulating 53 winners, 16 more than Tsitsipas. “But right now, I think it’s my best friend.”
He is now on a nine-match winning streak after adding the upset of the No. 5-seeded Tsitsipas to an earlier victory over No. 12 Cam Norrie at the All England Club. Next comes another challenge, meeting No. 3 Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, for a berth in the semifinals.
“I know I need to be at my 100% and absolute best physically, tennis-wise, and mentally to try to beat him,” said Medvedev, who won his only previous meeting against Eubanks, at the Miami Masters in March. “He is not scared to make a bad shot and still to go to the net and try to finish the point there. Definitely a little bit different from other players.”
This is just the ninth Grand Slam tournament for Eubanks, who previously never had been past the second round at one of the sport’s most prestigious events. After questioning his ability to contend for titles, Eubanks thought about pursuing television commentary instead, and he’s worked on-air for Tennis Channel.
But he sure is having a terrific time with a racket in his hand these days.
And between matches, too.
“I checked my phone. It’s a bit nuts right now. It’s crazy to see my social media feed that I’m just used to kind of going to (and now) seeing it’s a lot of me. I’m like, ‘What is this? This is weird,’” Eubanks said. “But I think I’ve been able to find a way to compartmentalize everything, realize this is a pretty big moment, but also saying, ‘This is a tennis match that I need to play in a couple days.’”
During the latter stages against Tsitsipas, Eubanks waved his arms to the crowd to urge it to get louder. After smacking a one-handed down-the-line backhand winner that finished with the flourish of a flowing follow-through, giving him a break for a 4-3 edge in the fifth set, Eubanks held his right index finger to his ear, seeking more noise.
When he showed a bit of nerves while serving for the victory, missing a backhand, then a volley, he managed to settle down.
“Although it got a little bit dicey at the end,” Eubanks said, “I still could have the confidence to say: ‘I’m a server. I hit serving targets for these moments right here, and let’s just try to do what I know how to do.’”
He closed it out with a 127 mph ace followed by a forehand winner and, after shaking hands with Tsitsipas, stood at the center of the court with his thumbs up, his arms spread wide and a smile to match.
Eubanks soaked up all of the cheers – his supporters included Coco Gauff, the American who reached the fourth round in her Wimbledon debut at age 15 in 2019 and was the runner-up at 18 at the French Open last year – and then curled his fingers to turn his hands into the shape of a heart.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC WANTS WIMBLEDON TO START MATCHES EARLIER AT CENTRE COURT. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Novak Djokovic is a bit tired of not getting on Centre Court at Wimbledon until nearly 9 p.m. The waiting. The uncertainty. The rushing to try to finish matches by the 11 p.m. local curfew — or the annoyance at having to stop midway through a contest and wait until the following day to resume.
He offered a solution Monday afternoon after winning his 32nd consecutive match in the grass-court tournament by wrapping up a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-4 victory over Hubert Hurkacz that began Sunday evening but was halted after two sets: Start play in the All England Club’s main stadium earlier than 1:30 p.m. Maybe at noon, say.
“It would make a difference,” said Djokovic, who is now into the quarterfinals and three wins away from what would be a fifth championship in a row at Wimbledon, an eighth overall at the place and a 24th career Grand Slam title.
“There are different ways that I’m sure they will address this issue,” said Djokovic, whose shoes are stamped with the number “23,” a reference to his current major trophy count, “and try to avoid having these kind of problems in the future.”
Yeah, Novak, good luck with that.
The head of the club made clear there is not much of a chance of such a switch.
“Matches are happening at a time when they’re accessible to people. We’re seeing (TV) viewing figures that are beyond our expectations and beyond previous years,” club chief executive Sally Bolton said, “so I think they probably speak for themselves.”
Play begins on the smaller courts at 11 a.m. and at No. 1 Court at 1 p.m., with Centre Court the last to get play underway. Because the tournament site is right in a residential area, local rules prevent matches from continuing past 11 p.m.; often, if a set ends around 10:30 p.m., the encounter will be suspended until the next day so as not to risk going past the cutoff time.
That happened in Andy Murray’s loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round, which got stretched into a second day after being the last on the schedule at Centre Court.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
BOB HUGGINS SAYS HE PLANS TO STAY IN REHAB AND WANTS TO RETURN TO WEST VIRGINIA AS COACH
(AP) — Bob Huggins says he has checked into a rehabilitation facility following a drunken driving arrest and disputes that he resigned at West Virginia, accusing the university of releasing a “false statement” about him stepping down.
It’s the latest chapter in what is turning out to be an ugly divorce battle between the university and the Hall of Fame coach.
The Associated Press obtained a five-paragraph statement issued by Huggins on Monday through his attorney, David A. Campbell of Cleveland. Huggins said he wanted to “set the record straight on the past two weeks” since his June 16 arrest in Pittsburgh. Huggins said that he has been focused on his rehabilitation at an unspecified facility and has not responded until now to the university’s version of the events.
“I have taken responsibility for the mistake and have taken a course to verify that such a mistake will not occur in the future,” Huggins said.
He said he plans to remain in the rehab center “until I am cleared to return to my active coaching duties.”
WVU announced June 17 that Huggins had resigned. A week later, assistant coach Josh Eilert was promoted to interim head coach for the 2023-24 season. Several of Huggins’ players have already entered the transfer portal, and some have found new teams.
But Huggins said he never submitted a formal notice. Under the terms of his contract, Huggins would have had to submit a letter by registered or certified mail to voluntarily resign. Huggins said further that the university’s statement issued June 17 titled “A Message from Bob Huggins to the WVU Community” indicating he had resigned was not drafted or reviewed by him.
“This false statement was sent under my name, but no signature is included,” Huggins said. “In addition, the false, unsigned statement, was accompanied by a joint statement from the President and Athletics Director that clearly implied that they had received this purported resignation letter” from Huggins.
The university had told Campbell in a letter Saturday that “in no uncertain terms, the University will not accept Mr. Huggins’ renovation of his resignation, nor will it reinstate him as head coach of the men’s basketball program.” On Monday, the university issued another response, saying Huggins’ letter was without merit and any claim that he hadn’t resigned “is frivolous.”
Huggins said he let the university know that he was seeking rehabilitation but that WVU “was not willing to speak with me about the Pittsburgh event nor to provide me time to obtain counsel to review my Employment Agreement.”
Huggins said he met with his players the day his resignation was announced and “let them know the truth – that I did not know what would happen to me, but that if I was not their coach, I was hoping that I would be replaced by a coach that I recommended to WVU.”
The university has said Huggins met with his players and staff “to announce that he would no longer be coaching the team.”
Huggins said now that he has obtained a lawyer to review his contract and has seen the university’s comments about his current status, “it is clear that WVU did not handle the situation appropriately. More importantly, the basketball program is in need and I have a strong desire to conclude my career as the Head Basketball Coach for the program I love. I hope to meet with WVU in the near future to resolve this situation.”
Campbell wrote Sunday to Stephanie Taylor, WVU’s vice president and general counsel, requesting a meeting to discuss “an amicable resolution to this dispute.” Taylor replied Monday that the university stood by its position and won’t reinstate Huggins but she requested in writing a detail version of Campbell’s proposal before such a call is scheduled.
On Friday, Campbell wrote that the university’s resignation announcement was “based on a text message from Coach Huggins’ wife” to Steve Uryasz, West Virginia’s deputy athletic director. The university had provided The AP with a copy of a notice sent by Huggins’ wife, June, that same day. The notice was sent from an email address associated with June Huggins, with a signature indicating it was sent via iPhone. It was sent to Uryasz’s email address and did not appear to be a text message, as Campbell claimed.
West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker responded an hour later by writing, “We accept your resignation and wish you the best in retirement. We appreciate your many years of dedication to WVU.”
The resignation was announced a month after the university gave Huggins a three-game suspension for using an anti-gay slur while also denigrating Catholics during a radio interview.
The 69-year-old Huggins was the third-winningest coach all-time in Division I with 935 victories, trailing only Mike Krzyzewski of Duke (1,202) and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse (1,015), both of whom are retired. Unlike the others, Huggins did not win a national title. He took Cincinnati to the Final Four in 1992 and West Virginia in 2010.
FOUR-STAR F DALLAS THOMAS COMMITS TO CLEMSON
Dallas Thomas, a four-star power forward prospect in the Class of 2024, committed to play his college basketball at Clemson on Monday.
“Excited to announce my commitment to Clemson University! Let’s work!” Thomas wrote on Twitter.
Thomas is rated No. 64 in his class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He is also listed as the No. 11 power forward.
A native of Little Rock, Ark., Thomas chose Clemson over Arkansas, LSU, Memphis and Missouri.
He is the first commit of the 2024 cycle for coach Brad Brownell and the Tigers, who tied for third in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season but missed the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
NASCAR NEWS
BYRON EMERGING AS NASCAR’S NEXT STAR AFTER MOVING TO POINTS LEAD WITH 4TH WIN OF 2023
HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — Kevin Harvick’s farewell to Atlanta Motor Speedway provided an emotional example of NASCAR losing another of its biggest names.
The exodus of some of the sport’s stars is a concern to Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon, who says he is worried about the growth of the sport. But Gordon says there is reason for hope. Sunday night’s rain-shortened race won by William Byron served to shine a spotlight on the emerging star who drives for Hendrick.
The 25-year-old Byron leads the NASCAR Cup Series with four wins, and he moved to the top of the points standings by surviving a spin in the second stage that caused him to fall a lap behind.
At the start of the race, Harvick drove his No. 4 beside the 29 he drove to his first NASCAR win in Atlanta in 2001. The 29 was driven by grand marshal Richard Childress, who was the team owner for Harvick in 2001.
The 29 Chevrolet was built for Dale Earnhardt Sr. before Earnhardt died in a crash at the Daytona 500 weeks earlier. Following the 2001 win in Atlanta, Harvick held three fingers out of his window in tribute to Earnhardt’s No. 3, providing a lasting memory for Earnhardt fans.
The retirement of Harvick, 47, after the season removes another popular driver from competition. The sport also has seen such other stars as Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards and Gordon retire in recent years, creating a void.
Byron, who drives the 24 that Gordon made famous as a four-time Cup Series champion, appears capable of helping to fill the void. Following Sunday night’s race, Gordon spoke of Byron with pride, as a team executive and a NASCAR fan.
“To me right now it’s about building superstars and recognizable faces and names,” Gordon said. “That’s what is going to help grow the sport. We’ve lost a lot of them in a short period of time. It’s about building them back up.
“I think William is on the cusp of doing that by going to victory lane and winning races and leading as many laps as he has. That just opens up more doors and opportunities to get him in front of more kind of mainstream media and get his face and name out there to help grow the sport.”
It’s notable that Byron has moved to the top of the points race while competing on a Hendrick roster that also includes Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. Larson and Elliott won Cup Series championships in 2021 and 2020, respectively, and Elliott won last summer’s race in Atlanta.
Of the Hendrick drivers, only Byron and Larson are assured of playoff spots this year. Elliott and Bowman are still looking for their first 2023 wins.
Byron, who also won Atlanta’s spring race in 2022, already has eight career wins but insists he’s still learning.
“I just haven’t raced a lot in my career, so getting a later start I think every race is a learning experience,” Byron said, adding he is “still getting better. I thought tonight there were a lot of things I could have done better, pit road speed, decisions, there are still a lot of things you can improve. But we’re on the right track.”
The lessons learned on the track may come easier to Byron than adhering to Gordon’s desire to see his young driver promote his team and sport.
“I’m pretty reserved, introverted,” Byron said. “I’m just trying to become more comfortable.”
Gordon said Byron “does an amazing job representing the 24 and Hendrick and the sport in general as a competitor as well as just as a fine young man.
“I tell him to keep doing what he’s doing. But I’ve told our drivers in the past, I want them to reach just slightly outside their comfort zone when it comes to the media and opportunities just so they can open up more doors for their own brand. It helps us sell sponsors and it helps us grow the sport.”
TOP INDIANA NEWS/RELEASES FROM ORGANIZATIONS
INDIANA BASEBALL
TWO PICKED ON DAY TWO OF MLB DRAFT
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For the third straight season, the Indian baseball program heard at least one of its student-athletes names called within the first 10 rounds of the draft, as senior Phillip Glasser and redshirt senior Craig Yoho were each selected in the 2023 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft on Monday (July 10).
With the two selections, Indiana has had 105 Hoosier drafted all-time for a total of 116 total draft picks. Yoho was the third Hoosier to be picked by the Brewers in program history, while Glasser is the third IU pick by the Nationals all time. The duo gives head coach Jeff Mercer eight student-athlete selected in the top-10 rounds of the MLB Draft over four seasons.
For the fifth time in the last six seasons, Indiana has had a pitcher drafted in the top 10 rounds. Overall, IU has had multiple Hoosiers drafted for the 15th time in the last 16 MLB Drafts. With Yoho’s selection, 12 of the 21 draft picks under Mercer have been pitchers.
After four injury-plagued seasons to begin his collegiate career, a position change led to a breakout season for Yoho. With 1,082 days between collegiate appearances, Yoho made his IU debut on February 21 with two scoreless innings and five strikeouts against Miami (Ohio) and went on to 37 innings with just 33 hits allowed and 63 strikeouts. He was named the 2022-23 Indiana Athletics Andy Hipskind Comeback Award winner.
In 18 appearances in relief, the right-hander collected four wins, one hold and one save on the year. Two of his three wins came in Big Ten play, while his save was part of a combined shutout at Northwestern (5/5) in the series opener. He did not allow a run of his own in 10 of 18 appearances and stranded seven of 13 inherited runners. Limiting the free bases was a big part of his success, as he issued two-or-fewer walks in all 18 appearances, with zero walks in six outings. He also struck out five-or-more batters in six relief outings and struck out at least one batter in 17 of 18 appearances.
Glasser is the first IU shortstop drafted since Ethan Wilson in 2010 and the highest drafted shortstop for the Hoosiers since Brian Harris was picked in the eighth round in 1997. He appeared in 228 career games with 225 starts in his five-year collegiate career, with 110 of those starts at shortstop in two seasons at Indiana.
A career-year at the plate led to second-team All-Midwest Region honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association and second-team All-Big Ten accolades. His 70 runs scored are tied for No. 7 on the single season charts with Mickey Morandini (1988) and his 95 hits rank tied for No. 5 on the single season list with Jerrud Sabourin (2010). The left-handed hitter owned three 20-plus game reached base streaks in his Indiana career, including a career-long streak of 45 games which spanned Feb. 17-April 30, 2023, which tied the longest by an IU hitter since at least 2005 (Dustin DeMuth; 2014).
He reached base safely in 61 of 63 games and reached base multiple times on 41 occasions. With a hit in in 49 of 63 games, his season-best hitting streak spanned 13 games from April 11-April 30. He posted 32 multi-hit games, 10 multi-RBI games and 19 multi-run scored games on the year and hit .300 or better in 10 of 14 regular season weekend series played, including five of eight Big Ten weekends.
INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS
INDIANA MEN’S TENNIS ADDS TRANSFER DEACON THOMAS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––––– Indiana head coach Jeremy Wurtzman has announced the signing of Deacon Thomas to the team.
Thomas, a transfer from Xavier, will be entering his sophomore year when he arrives in Bloomington this fall.
The Houston, Texas native had a standout freshman season for the Musketeers, recording a 9-5 singles record and 5-9 doubles record. He spent time at the No. 1 and No. 2 slots of the singles lineup. When playing at No. 2 doubles, he went 8-3.
Thomas helped lead Xavier to a 12-9 record in the spring and was a unanimous selection for the Second Team All-Big East.
In his prep career, Thomas was a four-star recruit. He held a national ranking of No. 66 and had a 13-4 record against four-star players. He collected tournament wins in the 2022 18s USTA National Level 3 Tournament in Georgia and the 2020 16s USTA National Level 3 Tournament in San Antonio.
Thomas had been ranked in USTA’s National Top 100 and Texas’ Top 10 in every junior age division.
BUTLER WLACROSSE
BUTLERWLACROSSE ADDS FIVE NEWCOMERS TO 2023-24 ROSTER
Head Coach Maggie Zentgraf has announced the anticipated arrival of a talented group of freshmen as five standouts will join the Butler women’s lacrosse program this fall prior to the upcoming spring season.
Incoming Bulldogs
Ava Clemson, Spring City, Pa.
Ireland Costigan, Orangeville, Ontario, Canada
Emily Eckert, Cincinnati, Ohio
Sophia Knoblock, Sudbury, Mass.
Mila Navarro, East Greenwich, R.I.
Coach Zentgraf on the newest members of the squad:
“The Butler Women’s Lacrosse staff is thrilled with the addition of Emily, Ava, Sophia, Mila, and Ireland to our team! We think they will bring a gritty and competitive edge to our growing program. We are excited to get to know them better as people and push their potential as players and leaders as soon as they step on campus!”
The 2023-24 season will be Zentgraf’s second at the helm of the Butler women’s lacrosse program.
Ava Clemson
Spring City, Pennsylvania | Owen J. Roberts HS | 5-5, midfielder/attacker
Clemson was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at Owen J. Roberts high school, earning All-Area First Team recognition as a senior. Her team finished 27-1 and captured the PIAA 3A state title in 2023, finishing the season with a No. 13 national ranking. The midfielder/attacker amassed 87 goals, 18 assists, 151 ground balls, 121 draw controls, and 45 caused turnovers over four years. She earned several Player of the Game awards, including at a state quarterfinal, and earned All-Area and All-PAC recognition after each season. Clemson also competed in basketball and field hockey, earned distinguished honors and a spot on the honor roll, and was a member of the National Honor Society. She was a member of the 2023 AU Futures Pennsylvania Team, and her club team, NXT Black 2023, achieved a national No. 1 ranking after the 2023 season.
On choosing Butler: “Butler offers everything I was looking for in a school. It has a beautiful campus with a very strong academic program. The business program offers me everything I am looking for in order to be successful. The campus gives off the big school feeling along with the excitement of all sports. The lacrosse team is very welcoming and competitive. It offered everything I was looking for in a lacrosse program. Academics are very important to me, and Butler had everything to give back to that. Overall, the academics and the ability to be a part of a program in the Big East are everything I was looking for!”
Coach Zentgraff on Clemson: “Ava is a very smart all-around player – she will use her speed on offense to push the fast break and, with just as much effort, will ride and get a caused turnover. She is versatile, full of hustle, and knows how to get the job done on both sides of the field.”
Clemson is the daughter of Scott and Bethany Clemson and has one sibling, Keira. She plans to major in Marketing.
Ireland Costigan
Orangeville, Ontario, Canada | The Hill Academy | 5-6, midfielder
Costigan was a two-sport athlete (volleyball) at The Hill Academy where she earned Honours all four years. In club competition, she played for Orangeville Northmen. She is also a member of Team Ontario and the U21 Irish National team, participating in the European Games in the summer of 2023. Her U19 Team Ontario team won the 2022 Women’s Field Lacrosse National Championship in Alberta.
On choosing Butler: “I chose Butler because it checks off all my boxes. It’s known for its strong academic program and it allows me to play lacrosse at the highest level possible. Once speaking with, and meeting the coaches, as well as seeing the campus, I knew it was the right fit for me.”
Coach Zentgraff on Costigan: “Ireland is a powerful and speedy two-way midfielder that has a great feeding ability and vision, as well as lock-down 1v1 defense. She is disciplined, multifaceted and competitive, and will add physicality and edge to both ends of the field.”
Costigan is the daughter of Colleen and Dave Costigan and has three siblings, Connor, Sean, and Mckenna. She plans to major in Health Sciences.
Emily Eckert
Cincinnati, Ohio | Indian Hill HS | 5-8, midfielder/attacker
Eckert was a four-year varsity starter and letterwinner at Indian Hill, helping her team remain undefeated in the Cincinnati Hills League and reach the state final four for the first time in almost a decade. The two-year captain’s career totals include 99 goals, 77 assists, and 234 draw controls, and her 24 draw controls in a single game remains a school record.
Postseason awards for 2023 include: USA Lacrosse All-America, All-Ohio First Team, All-Region First Team, Indian Hill Varsity Offensive MVP, and Indian Hill Outstanding Female Athlete. Previous recognition includes 2022 All-Region Second Team, 2021 Under Armour All-America Highlight team, and 2021 Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Spring All-Star Second Team. Eckert also participated in tennis, field hockey, and basketball. In addition, she was a 12-time Scholar Athlete who was Academic All-Ohio and won multiple school spirit awards. Her club team was Major Force Lacrosse.
On choosing Butler: “The atmosphere! Campus feels like home, Hinkle is electric, the people are kind, staff is personal, size is perfect, two hours from home, so far but not too far!”
Coach Zentgraff on Eckert: “Emily was an integral part of crucial end-of-game plays in the final moments of her high school senior season. With experience in the role of captain, she is an example of what it means to be gritty and passionate. Emily will add excellent vision and consistency to our team on offense and the draw.”
Eckert is the daughter of Sarah and Ryan Eckert and has two siblings, Lauren and Meredith. She plans to major in Health Sciences.
Sophia Knoblock
Sudbury, Massachusetts | Deerfield Academy/IMG Academy | 5-9, attacker
Knoblock was a four-year varsity starter and letterwinner at Deerfield Academy and played a post-graduate season at IMG Academy. Over her career, she tallied 96 goals with 38 assists, scoring five goals in a single game on two different occasions. Honors and awards included: 2023 IMG APD award (highlights a student-athlete’s commitment to athletic progression, character development and overall personal improvement in sport as well as life), 2021 PrimeTime Classics All-Star team, 2021 Apex Preseason Showcase All-Star team, 2021 Fall Classic girls team champion and All-Tournament team selection, 2019 Brine All-America team, 2019 WPLL Futures Summit, and 2018 NorthStar Invitational. Knoblock also participated in swimming, and, academically, achieved high honors and honor roll, earned a 5.0 GPA at IMG, and was a Classical Studies graduate with distinction from Deerfield Academy. Her club team was Central Lacrosse.
On choosing Butler: “I chose Butler because of the amazing people and incredible combination of athletics and academics.”
Coach Zentgraff on Knoblock: “The two different styles of lacrosse that Sophia has been exposed to in her high school career has shaped her into a very well-rounded attacker, playing seven nationally ranked high school teams in her post-grad year at IMG. Her versatility is shown in her ability to read space on offense, find the gaps, and finish with power and accuracy from anywhere in the eight-meter.”
Knowblock is the daughter of Ann Knoblock and Henry Knoblock and has two siblings, Caroline Myers and Chris Knoblock. She plans to major in Pre-Pharmacy.
Mila Navarro
East Greenwich, Rhode Island | East Greenwich HS | 5-7, midfielder
Navarro was a four-year varsity letterwinner and three-year starter at East Greenwich. The two-year captain scored 122 goals and made 70 assists over her career, once notching 10 goals in single game. Postseason accolades included Division I First Team honors in 2023 along with Honorable Mention recognition in both 2021 & 2022. Navarro also participated in indoor track & field and crew. Her club team was Laxachusetts.
On choosing Butler: “I chose Butler because of the beautiful campus and athletic facilities as well as the academic programs and I immediately felt connected to the coaches and the rest of the team.”
Coach Zentgraff on Navarro: “Mila is a powerful two-way midfielder that sees the field very well. She is the definition of a workhorse, and we cannot wait to see what tenacious plays she brings to our midfield unit!”
Navarro is the daughter of Peter Navarro and Julie Navarro and has two siblings, McKinnon and Matthew. She plans to major in Critical Communications.
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
IRISH ADD PATRICK MOYNIHAN FOR 2023-24
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Irish have added graduate transfer Patrick Moynihan to the Irish ahead of the 2023-24 season. The forward comes to the University of Notre Dame from Providence College in Rhode Island.
“I am humbled and excited for the opportunity to wear the Notre Dame jersey,” Moynihan said. “It is a dream come true to be playing at Notre Dame.”
Moynihan spent the last four seasons with the Friars, appearing in 123 games and accumulating 71 points off 37 goals and 34 assists. He had a career year as a junior, tallying 11 goals in addition to 14 assists, for 25 total points and finished fourth on the team.
A 2019 draft pick by the New Jersey Devils (Round 6; 158 overall), Moynihan spent two seasons at the USNTDP and was a member of Team USA’s gold-medal team at the 2021 World Junior Championships.
In two seasons with the development program, Moynihan skated in 200 contests and boasted 125 points off 56 goals and 69 assists.
A 5-11, 183 lbs. native of Millis, Massachusetts, Moynihan is the son of Patrice and Michael, and has three siblings, Corey, Ciara and Cayley. His father, Michael, was a dual-sport athlete at Columbia (football and baseball) while his sister played soccer at Cornell.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
TAYLOR NAMED GREAT LAKES SUMMER COLLEGIATE LEAGUE ALL-STAR
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State infielder Jackson Taylor was named to the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League All-Star team as announced by the organization on Sunday afternoon.
Taylor, playing with the Grand Lake Mariners, was named a reserve on the South Division All-Star squad as the rising senior continues to stand out this summer in the GLSCL.
Following the weekend’s competition, Taylor is sitting with a .290 batting average with 20 hits, five doubles, two triples, and a trio of home runs. The Muncie, Ind. native has hit safely in 13 of the 17 games he’s played to date with seven multi-hit contests.
Taylor enters the July 10 week on a six-game hitting streak and has scored at least one run in his last 10 games. He’s also sitting among the GLSCL stolen base leaders on the year with 14 thefts over 17 games.
VALPO SOFTBALL
UTENDORF SIGNS WITH VALPO SOFTBALL
Valpo softball head coach Meaggan Pettipiece announced today that Kam Utendorf has signed with the Beacons and will join the program as a sophomore this coming season. Utendorf comes to Valpo after playing her freshman year at Black Hawk College.
“I’m excited to transfer to Valpo because of the strong sports management program, the energy and enthusiasm of Coach Pettipiece and Coach Jones and the beautiful campus,” Utendorf said.
Utendorf had a stellar season in the spring of 2023 for the Braves, earning Arrowhead Conference Player of the Year honors. She was also a First Team All-Region 4 and Region All-Tournament Team selection, as well as being named an All-American Scholar Athlete and Black Hawk College Female Student-Athlete of the Year. Utendorf hit at a .434 clip for the Braves and OPSed 1.073, ranking third in the nation in triples.
Utendorf played her prep softball at Columbus Grove [Ohio] H.S., where she was a two-time All-State selection. A three-time All-District, All-Conference and All-League selection, Utendorf was named Conference and League Player of the Year as a senior in 2022. She set program records for career batting average (.547) and on-base percentage (.648), while she also holds single-game marks for hits, runs, stolen bases and doubles. Utendorf played her travel ball with Ohio Hawks.
The addition of Utendorf gives the Beacons 10 newcomers entering the 2024 season, as she joins the previously announced nine incoming freshmen.
MARIAN MEN’S SOCCER
NATHAN HERRERA HIRED AS MEN’S SOCCER ASSISTANT COACH
INDIANAPOLIS – Interim head coach James Jenkins has announced the first member of the men’s soccer coaching staff. The Knights’ new head coach has hired Nathan Herrera as his assistant coach and to lead the men’s soccer DT team. Herrera comes to Marian with multiple years of coaching experience, and currently is the head coach of the USA U11’s boys soccer team.
“I am very thankful for this opportunity to join the Marian University men’s soccer coaching staff. I look forward to helping the student-athletes have a positive experience and develop their soccer ability. I am eager and excited to learn under Coach Jenkins and I cannot wait to get started in August.”
Nathan Herrera enters his first season at Marian after serving as an assistant coach for the varsity boys soccer team at New Haven High School and Riverdale High School for the girls soccer team. Herrera has also coached at the club level, serving as the current head coach for the USA U11’s boys. As a player, Herrera played two years at Indiana Tech before transferring to Central where he was a member of an OAC Conference title. The Findlay native was a three-time All-Ohio Player and was a two-time high school conference player of the year.
“Nathan is a passionate and dedicated individual. His love for the game of soccer is unmatched and I think he is the perfect candidate to help elevate our program. Nathan’s energy and charisma will no doubt have an immediate effect on our players and I am extremely excited to work with him in August.”
The new assistant coach currently resides in Indianapolis with his wife and son.
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 | 58 | 35 | .624 | – | 35 – 15 | 23 – 20 | 17 – 10 | 14 – 3 | 9 – 7 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| Baltimore | 54 | 35 | .607 | 2 | 26 – 18 | 28 – 17 | 16 – 11 | 18 – 7 | 10 – 7 | 6 – 4 | W 5 |
| Toronto | 50 | 41 | .549 | 7 | 23 – 18 | 27 – 23 | 7 – 20 | 16 – 6 | 11 – 8 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| NY Yankees | 49 | 42 | .538 | 8 | 28 – 23 | 21 – 19 | 13 – 17 | 8 – 8 | 14 – 8 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| Boston | 48 | 43 | .527 | 9 | 26 – 22 | 22 – 21 | 16 – 11 | 11 – 8 | 10 – 6 | 8 – 2 | W 5 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Cleveland | 45 | 45 | .500 | – | 24 – 22 | 21 – 23 | 7 – 8 | 13 – 13 | 13 – 6 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Minnesota | 45 | 46 | .495 | 0.5 | 26 – 22 | 19 – 24 | 12 – 17 | 18 – 12 | 5 – 4 | 5 – 5 | L 3 |
| Detroit | 39 | 50 | .438 | 5.5 | 20 – 25 | 19 – 25 | 3 – 16 | 15 – 11 | 7 – 9 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| Chi White Sox | 38 | 54 | .413 | 8 | 21 – 25 | 17 – 29 | 6 – 16 | 15 – 11 | 9 – 14 | 3 – 7 | L 2 |
| Kansas City | 26 | 65 | .286 | 19.5 | 13 – 31 | 13 – 34 | 4 – 10 | 8 – 22 | 4 – 11 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Texas | 52 | 39 | .571 | – | 27 – 18 | 25 – 21 | 11 – 11 | 11 – 5 | 16 – 11 | 3 – 7 | L 2 |
| Houston | 50 | 41 | .549 | 2 | 25 – 22 | 25 – 19 | 5 – 5 | 8 – 11 | 17 – 10 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| Seattle | 45 | 44 | .506 | 6 | 24 – 20 | 21 – 24 | 7 – 11 | 7 – 6 | 15 – 11 | 7 – 3 | W 1 |
| LA Angels | 45 | 46 | .495 | 7 | 23 – 20 | 22 – 26 | 8 – 9 | 11 – 8 | 15 – 12 | 1 – 9 | L 5 |
| Oakland | 25 | 67 | .272 | 27.5 | 12 – 32 | 13 – 35 | 5 – 18 | 7 – 8 | 4 – 23 | 4 – 6 | L 4 |
| National League | |||||||||||
| East | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Atlanta | 60 | 29 | .674 | – | 30 – 15 | 30 – 14 | 22 – 6 | 8 – 1 | 10 – 7 | 8 – 2 | L 1 |
| Miami | 53 | 39 | .576 | 8.5 | 30 – 18 | 23 – 21 | 13 – 16 | 11 – 6 | 9 – 10 | 5 – 5 | W 2 |
| Philadelphia | 48 | 41 | .539 | 12 | 22 – 16 | 26 – 25 | 9 – 15 | 9 – 4 | 11 – 12 | 6 – 4 | L 2 |
| NY Mets | 42 | 48 | .467 | 18.5 | 20 – 19 | 22 – 29 | 13 – 13 | 5 – 14 | 14 – 11 | 6 – 4 | L 2 |
| Washington | 36 | 54 | .400 | 24.5 | 15 – 32 | 21 – 22 | 9 – 16 | 5 – 9 | 9 – 13 | 4 – 6 | W 2 |
| Central | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| Cincinnati | 50 | 41 | .549 | – | 23 – 21 | 27 – 20 | 12 – 11 | 12 – 14 | 9 – 6 | 7 – 3 | L 1 |
| Milwaukee | 49 | 42 | .538 | 1 | 26 – 21 | 23 – 21 | 6 – 1 | 17 – 9 | 8 – 15 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| Chi Cubs | 42 | 47 | .472 | 7 | 21 – 22 | 21 – 25 | 6 – 13 | 12 – 11 | 9 – 8 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 41 | 49 | .456 | 8.5 | 22 – 21 | 19 – 28 | 5 – 5 | 11 – 15 | 14 – 11 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| St. Louis | 38 | 52 | .422 | 11.5 | 17 – 25 | 21 – 27 | 5 – 8 | 11 – 14 | 7 – 13 | 5 – 5 | W 2 |
| West | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | Home | Road | East | Central | West | Last 10 | Streak |
| LA Dodgers | 51 | 38 | .573 | – | 29 – 16 | 22 – 22 | 9 – 6 | 15 – 12 | 14 – 11 | 7 – 3 | W 4 |
| Arizona | 52 | 39 | .571 | – | 26 – 24 | 26 – 15 | 11 – 14 | 10 – 5 | 17 – 11 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| San Francisco | 49 | 41 | .544 | 2.5 | 26 – 22 | 23 – 19 | 10 – 9 | 13 – 7 | 15 – 10 | 4 – 6 | W 2 |
| San Diego | 43 | 47 | .478 | 8.5 | 25 – 23 | 18 – 24 | 12 – 10 | 7 – 13 | 12 – 13 | 6 – 4 | W 2 |
| Colorado | 34 | 57 | .374 | 18 | 20 – 24 | 14 – 33 | 11 – 14 | 8 – 10 | 6 – 19 | 3 – 7 | L 2 |
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1903 Waco Steers hurler Clyde Bateman makes baseball history again this season when he fires a no-hitter, beating the Fort Worth Panthers, 2-0. In May, the 26-year-old Texan hit four home runs to become only the second player in Texas League history to accomplish the feat.
1914 Red Sox hurler Babe Ruth, making his major league debut, beats the Indians, 4-3. Duffy Lewis, pinch-hitting for the 19-year-old rookie southpaw, singles in the seventh inning, giving the future slugger the first of his 94 victories in 140 decisions.
1925 At Sportsman’s Park, George Sisler becomes a one-man wrecking crew when he comes to the plate with the bases loaded in back-to-back frames in the Browns’ 10-5 victory over Washington. The St. Louis first baseman drives in seven runs in two innings, tripling with the bases jammed in the third and hitting a grand slam in the fourth.
1939 All three runs in the American League’s 3-1 All-Star Game victory are driven in by a Yankee player when their ballpark in the Bronx plays host to the Midsummer Classic. The 20-year-old Indians fireballer Bob Feller steals the show at Yankee Stadium when he hurls 3.2 scoreless innings.
1944 At Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field, Phil Cavaretta sets an All-Star Game record by reaching base five consecutive times. The 27-year-old Cub first baseman’s triple, single, and three walks helped the National League beat the Junior Circuit, 7-1.
1950 The Midsummer Classic returns to Comiskey Park, the game’s first venue, with the National League winning, 4-3, thanks to Red Schoendienst’s 14th-inning home run. The All-Star Game features many firsts:
first extra-inning contest
the first time the NL wins at an AL park
first to be broadcast on national television
1953 At Ebbets Field, Giant rookie Al Worthington throws a four-hitter, blanking the Dodgers, 6-0, marking the only game this season Brooklyn does not score a run and ends Brooklyn’s record NL streak of homering in 24 consecutive games. The 24-year-old right-hander’s whitewashing makes the National League freshman the first to throw successive shutouts at the start of a career, a feat that Karl Spooner will also match next season.
1954 Jim Command, known as Igor to his teammates, gets his first major league hit, a grand slam off Carl Erskine, and in the nightcap, he doubles in another run. The 25-year-old infielders’ offensive output during the twin bill will account for five of the six major league RBIs of his very brief 14-game career, with the final one recorded in a July 15 contest.
1954 In the first game of a doubleheader, Giants right fielder Don Mueller hits for the cycle in the team’s 13-7 victory over the Pirates at the Polo Grounds. ‘Mandrake the Magician,’ who homers in his final at-bat to complete the deed, will be the only major league player to accomplish the feat this season.
1958 The Los Angeles city council declares today ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game Day’ to celebrate the iconic baseball song’s fiftieth anniversary. In a pregame ceremony at the LA Memorial Coliseum, the Dodgers honor lyricist Jack Norworth, presenting him with a lifetime pass to any American or National League game.
1961 On a very windy day at Candlestick Park, the NL beats the American League, 5-4, in the first two All-Star Games. The contest features a record seven errors and the memorable sight of a 165-pound pitcher Stu Miller balking after being blown off the mound by a gust of wind, an exaggerated fact perpetrated over the years, according to the right-hander.
1967 Reds’ first baseman Tony Perez’s homer off A’s right-hander Catfish Hunter gives the Senior Circuit a 2-1 All-Star victory over the American League. The 15-inning Anaheim Stadium contest is the longest Midsummer Classic contest ever played.
1968 A ground-breaking ceremony takes place for the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City, which will feature separate side-by-side stadiums built explicitly for baseball and football. Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL’s Chiefs, will open in 1972, followed by the debut a year later of Royals Stadium, the new home ballpark of the American League’s franchise in the City of Fountains.
1968 After whiffing in the first inning, Bill Hands grounds out in his next at-bat, ending his major league record-setting streak for consecutive strikeouts. The Cubs’ right-hander, who goes the distance, blanking New York at Shea Stadium, 2-0, sets the dubious mark when he strikes out in fourteen straight plate appearances.
1968 Rick Renick becomes the first Twin player to homer in his first major league at-bat when he goes deep off Mickey Lolich in Minnesota’s 5-4 victory over Detroit at Metropolitan Stadium. The 24-year-old shortstop’s second-inning solo shot will be the first of 20 round-trippers he’ll hit during his five-year career, spent entirely with the Twin Cities team.
1973 Jim Northrup knocks in eight runs, scoring three times when the Tigers rout the Rangers, 14-2. The 3-for-4 performance by the Tigers’ leadoff hitter helps him record the 500th run and RBI of his career.
1976 Hank Aaron becomes the oldest major leaguer (42 years, five months, seven days) to hit a walk-off homer when he goes deep in the bottom of the tenth inning off Steve Foucault in the Brewers’ 5-4 victory over Texas at County Stadium. The ‘Hammer’ will hold the elderly distinction until Cleveland’s Jason Giambi, who will be a month and 15 days older than Henry, at the time, accomplishes the feat with a pinch-hit game-winning round-tripper in 2013.
1976 At Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, thirty-four couples marry at home plate, and a wrestling championship match takes place in a promotion billed as Headlocks and Wedlocks. The Braves take down the Mets, 9-8.
1978 Steve Garvey becomes the first two-time MVP in All-Star history. The Dodger first baseman’s game-tying, two-run single, and a triple help the National League beat the AL, 7-3, in the Jack Murphy Stadium contest.
1980 Rangers General Manager Eddie Robinson considering the deal a bargain obtains an underachieving Charlie Hough from the Dodgers at the waiver wire price of $20,000. The 32-year-old knuckleballer will not disappoint, spending 11 seasons with Texas, posting a 139-123 record and an ERA of 3.68.
1985 At the Astrodome, Astros starter Nolan Ryan fans Mets outfielder Danny Heep to become the first major leaguer to record 4000 career strikeouts. The ‘Ryan Express’ will end his 27-year Hall of Fame career whiffing 5,714 batters, establishing a major league mark unlikely to be challenged.
1987 Billy Ripken makes his debut with the Orioles, making his dad, Cal Sr., the first major league baseball skipper to manage two of his sons in the same game. The rookie second baseman and his brother Cal Jr., the team’s shortstop, collectively go 0-for-7 in Baltimore’s 2-1 loss to the Twins at Memorial Stadium.
1989 In a contest best remembered for the Ruthian blast by Bo Jackson, the game’s MVP who will join Willie Mays as the second player to hit a home run and steal a base in an All-Star Game, the American League beats the NL’s best players, 5-3, at Anaheim Stadium. During the first inning of the Midsummer Classic, former US President and one-time baseball announcer Ronald Reagan joins Vin Scully in the NBC broadcast booth.
1994 Handling four chances in the 8-1 defeat to the Rockies, Cardinal infielder Ozzie Smith passes Luis Aparicio and moves into the top spot on the all-time list for assists by a shortstop. ‘The Wizard of Oz’ will end his 19-year career in 1996 with 8,375 assists.
1995 “Don’t be like me, God gave me a body and ability to play baseball. I had everything, and I just…” – MICKEY MANTLE, Yankee legend lamenting the effects of his hard living.
Mickey Mantle makes his first public appearance since undergoing a liver transplant in June. The frail-looking Yankee legend, who will die next month, tells the dozens of people attending the Baylor University Medical Center press conference that he is not a hero but an example of the worst sort.
1995 At the Ballpark in Arlington, Marlins outfielder Jeff Conine, the tenth player to homer in his first All-Star at-bat, Craig Biggio, and Mike Piazza go deep for the Senior Circuit. Frank Thomas becomes the first White Sox player to hit a round-tripper in the Midsummer Classic when the NL out-homers the American League, 3-2.
1996 The United States Postal Service issues’ Mighty Casey”, commemorative that depicts the title character of Ernest L. Thayer’s immortal poem, ‘Casey at the Bat.’ The maligned Mudville outfielder joins Paul Bunyan, John Henry, and Pecos Bill in a pane of four postage stamps commemorating American folk heroes.
1998 Padre reliever Trevor Hoffman, brother of Dodger manager Glenn Hoffman, saves the Padres’ 4-1 victory at Chavez Ravine. The reliever’s appearance marks the first time a player has faced his sibling as the opposing team’s skipper in major league history.
1999 The first MLB Futures Game provides a stage for future major-league All-Star Alfonso Soriano to shine when the Yankees farmhand goes 2 for 3, hitting two of the game’s three home runs in the World’s 7-0 victory over the USA at Fenway Park. The former Hiroshima Carp infielder, who now plays shortstop for the Columbus Clippers, is named the contest’s MVP.
2000 At Turner Field, the AL beats the National League, 6-3, in the 71st All-Star contest, dubbed the All-Scar game due to the many stars absent from both lineups because of injuries. Yankees’ shortstop Derek Jeter and Braves’ third baseman Chipper Jones provide the offensive punch, with each going 3-for-3.
2002 The Marlins are busy on the trading block, making separate deals with the Expos and the Reds. Florida deals Ryan Dempster to Cincinnati for Juan Encarnacion, getting four players, Carl Pavano, Graeme Lloyd, Mike Mordecai, and prospect Justin Wayne from Montreal for Cliff Floyd, Wilton Guerrero, and prospect Claudio Vargas.
2002 The Indians fire Charlie Manuel and name third-base coach Joel Skinner as the interim manager, releasing their skipper after he issued an ultimatum to the front office about his status. Before his dismissal, the 58-year-old guided the team to a 39-47 record, 9.5 games behind the first-place Twins in the AL Central.
2004 Carlos Beltran, selected to be an American League All-Star, will now have an opportunity to patrol the NL outfield instead. The former Royals’ flycatcher, traded to the Astros last month, was invited by Senior Circuit skipper Jack McKeon to replace Ken Griffey, Jr., on the star-studded roster.
2006 Against the St. Joe (Mo.) Blacksnakes, Jim Eriotes leads off and strikes out for the Sioux Falls Canaries, including fouling off one of the four pitches he sees. The at-bat makes the 83-year-old former minor leaguer the oldest man to play in a professional baseball game.
2006 One strike away from ending the American League’s decade of dominance, Trevor Hoffman yields a two-run triple to Michael Young of the Texas Rangers, giving the American League a come-from-behind 3-2 All-Star Game victory at Pittsburgh’s picturesque PNC Park. The timely three-bagger off the National League closer keeps the Junior Circuit unbeaten in the Midsummer Classic since 1997, compiling a 9-0-1 record.
2006 Before starting the fifth inning of the All-Star Game in Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, Vera Clemente is escorted onto the field by 1960 World Series hero Bill Mazeroski to accept the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award on behalf of her late husband. With the scoreboard showing Roberto’s replays, tears flowing from AL skipper Ozzie Guillen, and the heartfelt ovation from the crowd, the ceremony honoring the Pirates’ Hall of Famer becomes a truly memorable moment in the history of the Midsummer Classic.
2009 On a rare 9-2 put out, Red Sox’s right fielder JD Drew forces KC’s backstop Miguel Olivo at home plate in the sixth inning. The unusual play dampens the Royals’ comeback attempt in their eventual 15-9 loss to Boston at Fenway Park.
2010 After firing Sean Berry as the club’s hitting coach, the struggling Astros name Jeff Bagwell fills the position for the remainder of the season. The former All-Star first baseman, who retired with a lifetime .297 batting average, is the all-time team leader with 449 home runs and 1,529 RBIs.
2010 At Wilmington’s (DE) Frawley Stadium, the Blue Rocks celebrate Mr. Celery’s tenth birthday, the team’s beloved mascot known for only appearing when the team scores. The inception of the ‘stalker,’ known for his CEL-ebratory dances to Blur’s ‘Song 2’ (Woo Hoo), stems from the discovery of a dusty celery costume housed in a warehouse for years.
2010 Longtime Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard dies at 99. The ‘Voice of God,’ a nickname bestowed by Reggie Jackson, informed patrons of the lineups and the players coming to bat in over 4,500 contests during his 56 years behind the ballpark’s microphone in the Bronx.
2011 Robinson Cano, the fourth straight left-handed swinger to win the competition, beats Adrian Gonzalez with 12 dingers in the final round of the Home Run Derby. The highlight of the three-hour-long contest comes when the Yankee slugger gives his father, a former major league hurler with the Astros, a huge bear hug on the mound and tells his pitcher, “I love you, Dad,” after he ties the Red Sox first baseman for the lead.
2015 On her 108th birthday, Evelyn Jones becomes the oldest person to throw the first ceremonial pitch when she tosses the ball a short distance from home plate to Felix Hernandez. The fans serenade the centenarian, wearing a Seattle jersey featuring her name and the number 108, to a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday at Safeco Field.
2021 Pablo Lopez breaks the major league record for most strikeouts at the start of a game, whiffing the first nine Braves batters he faces in the Marlins’ 7-4 victory at loanDepot park. The 25-year-old right-hander, marking a year since his father died unexpectedly of a heart attack, surpasses the previous mark of eight shared by Jim Deshaies (1986 Astros), Jacob deGrom (2014 Mets), and German Marquez (2018 Rockies).
2021 Successfully defending his Home Run Derby crown, Pete Alonso blasts 23 home runs in the finals, defeating Orioles’ first baseman Trey Mancini. The Mets slugger established a first-round record with 35 home runs in the Coors Field contest.
BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
BILLY WILLIAMS
Left Fielder
The first line of text on Billy Williams’ National Baseball Hall of Fame plaque may sum up the longtime Chicago Cubs leftfielder the best: “Soft-spoken, clutch performer was one of the most respected hitters of his day.”
Over an 18-season big league career (1959-76) – 16 spent with the Cubs – Williams had 2,711 hits, a .290 batting average, 426 home runs, hit 20 or more home runs 13 straight seasons and once held the National League record for consecutive games played with 1,117.
“Billy Williams is the best hitter, day-in and day-out, that I have ever seen,” said longtime Cubs teammate Don Kessinger. “He’s unbelievable. He didn’t hit for just one or two days, or one or two weeks. He hit all the time.”
But even in his autobiography, Williams acknowledged the perception of his career, writing: “People say I’m not an exciting player. I go out there and catch the ball and hit the ball and play the game like it should be played.”
Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau, a one-time Cubs broadcaster, said: “If he’s worried, he never shows it. It helps him mentally at the plate. I don’t think he allows outside matters to affect him once that game gets under way.”
Williams earned six All-Star Game selections, the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 1961 and he Sporting News Player of the Year Award in 1972, when he led the league with a .333 batting average while also hitting 37 home runs and driving in 122 runs.
“The leader of the Cubs is, of all people, the quiet man of the clubhouse, Billy Williams,” wrote Chicago sports columnist Bill Gleason. “Billy Williams, who seldom speaks in a voice that can be heard beyond his own cubicle – who wouldn’t say ‘Rah! Rah!’ if (Cubs owner) Phil Wrigley promised him a $10,000 bonus for each ‘Rah!’ – is the man to whom the Cubs look for leadership.
“He combines the dignity of Ernie Banks, the determination of (Ron) Santo, and the competitive fires of (Randy) Hundley, and he plays every day, every night.”
Williams was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1987.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
July 11, 1926 – Los Angeles Buccaneers franchise forms. The team dissolved after playing just one season.
The World Football League debuts as teams play in the new leagues first games. Now the bulk of the opening games were played the night prior on Wednesday July 10, 1974 but the final action of the inaugural week was scheduled for Thursday. The WFLFootball.tripod.com says the scores for week one were as follows:
Memphis 34 knocking off Detroit 15 in front of a crowd of 30,122
Hawaiians lost at Florida 7-8 as 18,625 looked on.
Houston 0 at Chicago 17 with 42,000 in attendance.
Portland got beat up at Philadelphia 8-33 with a crowd of 55,534 watching
Southern California 7 at Birmingham 11 with a nice group of fans numbering 53,231 in the stands.
Thursday, July 11 in the week one finale New York was at Jacksonville and took one on the chin 7- 14 in front of a summertime crowd of 59,112.
July 11, 1976 – The first American football club formed in Austria called the FAAFC. Football in Austria has since developed into a league that plays according to NCAA rules.
July 11, 2007 – Ladainian Tomlinson wins honors at the 15th Annual ESPY Awards.
July 11, 2000 – Future Hall of Fame Dallas wide receiver Michael Irvin retired. According to the NFL.com Michael was 3-time Super Bowl Champion, 5-time Pro Bowl selection, 1991 1st-Team All-Pro the year he ended up leading the NFL with 1,523 receiving yards. He was also selected to the 1990’s All-Decade Team. Number 88 played for 12 seasons with the Cowboys and retired as Cowboys all-time leader in receptions with 750 & 11,904 receiving yards (now 2nd behind Jason Witten in both categories).
July 11, 2011 – Linebacker Mike Vrabel retired as a player. Vrabel too was 3-time Super Bowl Champion but with the Patriots. NFL.com informs the readers that Mike was a 2007 1st-Team All-Pro & 2008 Pro Bowl selection. The great backer played 14 seasons in the League with the Steelers, Patriots & Chiefs. He currently is the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.
HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAY FOR JULY 11
July 11, 1915 – Houston, Texas – Purdue University’s halfback from 1935 through the 1937 season, Cecil Isbell was born. The National Football Foundation in their web bio on Cecil say that this player excelled as a runner, passer and punter. In 1936, he was responsible for 15 of Purdue’s 23 touchdowns; in 1937, he received All-America mention. In 1938, he was named Most Valuable Player as the College All-Stars beat the Washington Redskins 28-16. Cecil Isbell received the great honor of being selected for inclusion into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967. After his college playing days were over he played for the Green Bay Packers 1938- 42 and went into coaching in both the college and professional ranks.
PLAYERS “NOT YET” IN THE HALL OF FAME
July 11, 1935 – Darrell Dess was an Offensive Lineman from North Carolina State University that played in the NFL for Pittsburgh, NY Giants and Washington.
July 11, 1959 – Jeff Kemp was a QB out of Dartmouth that played in the NFL for the Rams and the Niners.
July 11, 1981 – Miami, Florida – Wide receiver Andre Johnson who played for the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans
July 11, 1990 – Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson was born.
July 11, 1995 – Miami, Florida -LA Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa arrived into the world.
FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
DICK ANDERSON
Position: Safety
Years: 1965-1967
Place of Birth: Midland, MI
Date of Birth: Feb 10, 1946
Jersey Number: 31
Height: 6-2
Weight: 198
High School: Boulder, CO (Boulder HS)
Richard Paul “Dick” Anderson could have played any position on the Colorado team. He stood 6-2, weighed 198, and was mobile. Mostly he played safety, but he had some plays as linebacker, and he punted. In three years he had 14 interceptions and 123 unassisted tackles; both were school records. Against Oregon in 1967, he intercepted three passes, knocked two down, made two touchdown-saving tackles, and blocked two men on a teammate’s interception return. Dick was All-America safety in 1967; his brother, Bobby, was All- America halfback in 1969; both were named to Colorado’s All-Century Team in 1989. Dick was two-time academic All- Big Eight and in 1992 received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, given to athletes who have the best citizenship records 25 years after graduating. Anderson played with the Miami Dolphins 1968-1974, 1976-1977, and was all-pro three times. He settled in Florida, was a state senator four years, and President of two firms, Cellular Trading Corp. and Anderson Insurance. He became chairman of Miami Project, a group sponsoring research on paralysis; treasurer of Club 200, which raises money for families of slain police and fire officers; and a member of NFL Player Advancement, a 12 man group serving former pros.
SPORTS NUMBERS
5 – 3 – 2 – 6 – 8 – 15 – 48 – 9 – 11 – 34 – 16
July 11, 1914 – It was an amazing day for baseball. Future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth mades his MLB debut as a pitcher for Boston Red Sox. The Bambino on the mound earned a hard fought 4-3 victory with his seven strong innings over the Cleveland Naps at Fenway Park. Even before this George Herman Ruth was somewhat of a legend. According to a SABR.org article, Babe threw a no-hitter in a 1913 semipro game in Baltimore with Jack Dunn and the Orioles. Ruth showed up eager for training camp that season, reportedly one of the first two to arrive, and was spectacular, especially in exhibitions against major-league clubs, showing himself “a sterling southpaw who (was) a terror to the big league clubs. The Red Sox pitching staff was in shambles so Ruth coming up was a bit of a breath of fresh air. They respected his pitching at that point, no one really knew about his prowess as a hitter really yet, but boy would they find out soon and then some.
July 11, 1939 – There was more than a few eyebrows raised at the 7th All Star Baseball Game when the starting line up for the American League squad was announced at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. New York Yankees and AL maanager Joe McCarthy started six players from the Yankees on that day. It was a lot more understandable when these were the six New York roster members to trot out on the field:
Joe Dimaggio ( Number 5) CF
George Selkirk (Number 3) LF [Remember it was not until June 13, 1948 that the Yankees retired 3 in honor of babe Ruth]
Red Rolfe (Number 2) 3B
Joe Gordon (Number 6) 2B
Bill Dickey (Number 8) C
Red Ruffing (Number 15) P
In front of the home crowd the AL won 3-1 and later that season the Yankees won the World Series making them the first to host an All-Star game and win the MLB title in the same season. Yes the Yankees regular roster was somewhat of an All-Star squad.
July 11, 1950 – In Chicago at good ole Comiskey Park the 17th All Star Baseball Game took place. This was the first televised MLB All-Star game and it brought quite a good contest, filled with drama and star power into American living rooms across the country as it was also the 1st extra inning All Star Game. It was a spectacular game as it went to 14 innings until the National League won 4-3 when Red Schoendienst sent a pitch from Ted Gray to the upper decks of the left field at Comiskey to break up the American league domination of the game of the summer classic. Chicago Cubs star Andy Pafko, Number 48 dramatically caught back to back balls at the wall for outs in the 12th inning to thwart the AL to end the game earlier.
Superstar Ted Williams ( Number 9) broke his elbow while making a leaping catch off-the-wall of a Ralph Kiner deep drive but somehow he remained in the game and put the AL in front 3-2 with an RBI single. Kiner in turn tied the game in the 9th inning to extend the contest. Williams later admitted that he was never the same player after this injury as he lost strength in the arm to power home runs but it did make him a smarter hitter at the age of 32. Smart indeed as a few seasons later Williams led the American League in hitting with a .388 average. The legendary Boston hitter was lost for much of the rest of the 1950 season though. Yes this All Star Game had quite an impact of the overall trajectory of the MLB.
July 11, 1971 – Philadelphia Phillies Deron Johnson wearing Number 11 drives out 3 Home Runs to cap off his streak of his 4 in a row. At 32 years old Johnson knew he had it in him to be a pwer hitter and put it on full display in going yard in his first three appearances against the Montreal Expos to help the Phillies to an 11-5 win. He also hit one over the fence in his last at bat the evening before to start the terror of four HRs in a row.
TV TUESDAY
| MLB REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| All Stars Game: National League vs American League | 8:00pm | FOX |
| NBA SUMMER LEAGUE | TIME ET | TV |
| Brooklyn vs. Milwaukee | 6:00pm | ESPNU |
| Houston vs. Oklahoma City | 6:30pm | NBATV |
| Phoenix vs. New Orleans | 8:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Portland vs. Charlotte | 8:30pm | NBATV |
| Chicago vs. Sacramento | 10:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Washington vs. San Antonio | 10:30pm | NBATV |
| SOCCER MATCHES | TIME ET | TV |
| UEFA Champions League: Hamrun Spartans vs Maccabi Haifa | 2:00pm | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Champions League: KÍ vs Ferencváros | 2:45pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Independiente vs Newell’s Old Boys | 6:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Argentina Primera División: Atlético Tucumán vs Gimnasia La Plata | 8:30pm | Paramount+ |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| Wimbledon | 8:00am | ESPN |
| Wimbledon | 12:00pm | ESPN |
| WNBA | TIME ET | TV |
| Seattle vs Washington | 7:00pm | League Pass |
| Phoenix vs Las Vegas | 10:00pm | CBSSN |