“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
LA DODGERS 10 BALTIMORE 3
CLEVELAND 10 PITTSBURGH 1
SAN DIEGO 9 TORONTO 1
NY METS 11 CHICAGO WHITE SOX 10
COLORADO 4 HOUSTON 3
TEXAS 5 TAMPA BAY 3
KANSAS CITY 11 DETROIT 10
LA ANGELS 5 NY YANKEES 1
OAKLAND 3 BOSTON 0
MINNESOTA 10 SEATTLE 3
SAN FRANCISCO 4 CINCINNATI 2 (10)
SAN FRANCISCO 11 CINCINNATI 10
PHILADELPHIA 4 MILWAUKEE 3
ARIZONA 16 ATLANTA 13
ST. LOUIS 5 MIAMI 2 (10)
CHICAGO CUBS 17 WASHINGTON 3
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
IOWA 7 INDIANAPOLIS 3
WEST MICHIGAN 4 SOUTH BEND 0
LAKE COUNTY 8 FORT WAYNE 5
WNBA
ATLANTA 82 MINNESOTA 73
PHOENIX 72 CONNECTICUT 66
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
ALL-STAR GAME WEDNESDAY
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 1
FRIDAY
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
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
WEEK 0
SATURDAY, AUG. 26
NOTRE DAME VS. NAVY (DUBLIN, IRELAND) | 2:30 P.M. | NBC
MERCER VS. NORTH ALABAMA (MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
JACKSONVILLE STATE VS. UTEP | 5:30 P.M. | CBSSN
NEW MEXICO STATE VS. UMASS | 7 P.M. | ESPN
SAN DIEGO STATE VS. OHIO | 7 P.M. | FS1
VANDERBILT VS. HAWAI’I | 7:30 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
JACKSON STATE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (ATLANTA, GEORGIA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
USC VS. SAN JOSE STATE | 8 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
LOUISIANA TECH VS. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL | 9 P.M. | CBSSN
WEEK 1
THURSDAY, AUG. 31
WAKE FOREST VS. ELON | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
UCF VS. KENT STATE | 7 P.M. | FS1
GEORGIA STATE VS. RHODE ISLAND | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
WESTERN MICHIGAN VS. ST. FRANCIS (PA) | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
UCONN VS. NC STATE | 7:30 P.M. | CBSSN
MINNESOTA VS. NEBRASKA | 8 P.M. | FOX
MISSOURI VS. SOUTH DAKOTA | 8 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
UTAH VS. FLORIDA | 8 P.M. | ESPN
TULSA VS. ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
UAB VS. NORTH CAROLINA A&T | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
ARIZONA STATE VS. SOUTHERN UTAH | 10 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
FRIDAY, SEPT. 1
EASTERN MICHIGAN VS. HOWARD | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
MICHIGAN STATE VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN | 7 P.M. | FS1
MIAMI (FLA.) VS. MIAMI (OHIO) | 7 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
GEORGIA TECH VS. LOUISVILLE (MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
KANSAS VS. MISSOURI STATE | 8 P.M. | ESPN+
HAWAI’I VS. STANFORD | 11 P.M. | CBSSN
SATURDAY, SEPT. 2
IOWA VS. UTAH STATE | 12 P.M. | FS1
KENTUCKY VS. BALL STATE | 12 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
LIBERTY VS. BOWLING GREEN | 12 P.M. | CBSSN
MICHIGAN VS. EAST CAROLINA | 12 P.M. | PEACOCK
PURDUE VS. FRESNO STATE | 12 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
SMU VS. LOUISIANA TECH | 12 P.M. | ESPNU
TENNESSEE VS. VIRGINIA (NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE) | 12 P.M. | ABC
TCU VS. COLORADO | 12 P.M. | FOX
BOSTON COLLEGE VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS | 12 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
OKLAHOMA VS. ARKANSAS STATE | 12 P.M. | ESPN
OLE MISS VS. MERCER | 2 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
IOWA STATE VS. UNI | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
TEMPLE VS. AKRON | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
OHIO VS. LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY | 2 P.M. | ESPN+
AIR FORCE VS. ROBERT MORRIS | 2 P.M. | ALTITUDE SPORTS
OREGON VS. PORTLAND STATE | 3 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
INDIANA VS. OHIO STATE | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
AUBURN VS. UMASS | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
MARYLAND VS. TOWSON | 3:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
WISCONSIN VS. BUFFALO | 3:30 P.M. | FS1
WESTERN KENTUCKY VS. SOUTH FLORIDA | 3:30 P.M. | CBSSN
WASHINGTON VS. BOISE STATE | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
NOTRE DAME VS. TENNESSEE STATE | 3:30 P.M. | NBC
PITT VS. WOFFORD | 3:30 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
CINCINNATI VS. EASTERN KENTUCKY | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
TEXAS VS. RICE | 3:30 P.M. | FOX
APPALACHIAN STATE VS. GARDNER-WEBB | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
ARKANSAS VS. WESTERN CAROLINA | 4 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
MISSISSIPPI STATE VS. SE LOUISIANA | 4 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
NORTH TEXAS VS. CAL | 4 P.M. | ESPNU
SYRACUSE VS. COLGATE | 4 P.M. | ESPN+/ACCNX
GEORGIA VS. UT MARTIN | 6 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
CHARLOTTE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA ATLANTIC VS. MONMOUTH | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
GEORGIA SOUTHERN VS. THE CITADEL | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
JAMES MADISON VS. BUCKNELL | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
MARSHALL VS. ALBANY | 6 P.M. | ESPN+
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL VS. MAINE | 6:30 P.M. | ESPN+
USC VS. NEVADA | 6:30 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
TEXAS A&M VS. NEW MEXICO | 7 P.M. | ESPN
UL MONROE VS. ARMY | 7 P.M. | NFL NETWORK
VANDERBILT VS. ALABAMA A&M | 7 P.M. | ESPN+/SECN+
COLORADO STATE VS. WASHINGTON STATE | 7 P.M. | CBSSN
BAYLOR VS. TEXAS STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
HOUSTON VS. UTSA | 7 P.M. | FS1
KANSAS STATE VS. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
OKLAHOMA STATE VS. CENTRAL ARKANSAS | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
MEMPHIS VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTHERN MISS VS. ALCORN STATE | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
TROY VS. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | 7 P.M. | ESPN+
ALABAMA VS. MIDDLE TENNESSEE | 7:30 P.M. | SEC NETWORK
ILLINOIS VS. TOLEDO | 7:30 P.M. | BIG TEN NETWORK
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NORTH CAROLINA (CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
PENN STATE VS. WEST VIRGINIA | 7:30 P.M. | NBC
WYOMING VS. TEXAS TECH | 7:30 P.M. | CBS
LOUISIANA VS. NORTHWESTERN STATE | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN+
VIRGINIA TECH VS. OLD DOMINION | 8 P.M. | ACC NETWORK
TULANE VS. SOUTH ALABAMA | 8 P.M. | ESPNU
NEW MEXICO STATE VS. WESTERN ILLINOIS | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
UTEP VS. UIW | 9 P.M. | ESPN+
ARIZONA VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA | 10 P.M. | PAC-12 NETWORK
BYU VS. SAM HOUSTON | 10:15 P.M. | FS1
UCLA VS. COASTAL CAROLINA | 10:30 P.M. | ESPN
SAN DIEGO STATE VS. IDAHO STATE | 10:30 P.M. | CBSSN
SUNDAY, SEPT. 3
RUTGERS VS. NORTHWESTERN | 12 P.M. | CBS
SAN JOSE STATE VS. OREGON STATE | 3:30 P.M. | CBS
FLORIDA STATE VS. LSU (ORLANDO, FLORIDA) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
MONDAY, SEPT. 4
DUKE VS. CLEMSON | 8 P.M. | ESPN
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.
NFL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE
NFL/HALL OF FAME GAME – AUGUST 3
N.Y. JETS VS. CLEVELAND (NBC), 8:00
WEEK 1
THURSDAY, AUGUST 10
HOUSTON AT NEW ENGLAND, 7:00
MINNESOTA AT SEATTLE, 10:00
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11
N.Y. GIANTS AT DETROIT, 7:00
GREEN BAY AT CINCINNATI, 7:00
ATLANTA AT MIAMI, 7:00
PITTSBURGH AT TAMPA BAY, 7:00
WASHINGTON AT CLEVELAND, 7:30
DENVER AT ARIZONA, 10:00
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12
INDIANAPOLIS AT BUFFALO, 1:00
TENNESSEE AT CHICAGO, 1:00
N.Y. JETS AT CAROLINA, 4:00
JACKSONVILLE AT DALLAS, 5:00
PHILADELPHIA AT BALTIMORE, 7:00
L.A. CHARGERS AT L.A. RAMS, 9:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 13
KANSAS CITY AT NEW ORLEANS, 1:00
SAN FRANCISCO AT LAS VEGAS, 4:00
WEEK 2
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17
CLEVELAND AT PHILADELPHIA, 7:30
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18
CAROLINA AT N.Y. GIANTS, 7:00
CINCINNATI AT ATLANTA, 7:30
SATURDAY, AUGUST 19
JACKSONVILLE AT DETROIT, 1:00
MIAMI AT HOUSTON, 4:00
BUFFALO AT PITTSBURGH, 6:30
CHICAGO AT INDIANAPOLIS, 7:00
TAMPA BAY AT N.Y. JETS, 7:30
KANSAS CITY AT ARIZONA, 8:00
NEW ENGLAND AT GREEN BAY, 8:00
TENNESSEE AT MINNESOTA, 8:00
DENVER AT SAN FRANCISCO, 8:30
LAS VEGAS AT L.A. RAMS, 9:00
DALLAS AT SEATTLE, 10:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 20
NEW ORLEANS AT L.A. CHARGERS, 7:05
MONDAY, AUGUST 21
BALTIMORE AT WASHINGTON (ESPN), 8:00
WEEK 3
THURSDAY, AUGUST 24
PITTSBURGH AT ATLANTA, 7:30
INDIANAPOLIS AT PHILADELPHIA (PRIME VIDEO), 8:00
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25
DETROIT AT CAROLINA (CBS), 8:00
NEW ENGLAND AT TENNESSEE, 8:15
L.A. CHARGERS AT SAN FRANCISCO, 10:00
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26
BUFFALO AT CHICAGO, 1:00
SEATTLE AT GREEN BAY, 1:00
CLEVELAND AT KANSAS CITY, 1:00
ARIZONA AT MINNESOTA, 1:00
N.Y. JETS AT N.Y. GIANTS, 6:00
CINCINNATI AT WASHINGTON, 6:05
MIAMI AT JACKSONVILLE, 7:00
BALTIMORE AT TAMPA BAY, 7:00
LAS VEGAS AT DALLAS, 8:00
L.A. RAMS AT DENVER, 9:00
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27
HOUSTON AT NEW ORLEANS (FOX), 8:00
WEEK 1 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
DETROIT LIONS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (THU) 7:20P (CT) 8:20P NBC
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
HOUSTON TEXANS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS 12:00P (CT) 1:00P CBS
TENNESSEE TITANS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 12:00P (CT) 1:00P CBS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT CHICAGO BEARS 3:25P (CT) 4:25P FOX
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT DENVER BRONCOS 2:25P (MT) 4:25P CBS
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS 1:25P (PT) 4:25P CBS
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 4:25P (ET) 4:25P CBS
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1:25P (PT) 4:25P FOX
DALLAS COWBOYS AT NEW YORK GIANTS 8:20P (ET) 8:20P NBC
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW YORK JETS (MON) 8:15P (ET) 8:15P ESPN/ABC
TUESDAY’S TRANSACTIONS
BASEBALL
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE
BALTIMORE ORIOLES — REINSTATED LHP CIONEL PEREZ FROM THE 15-DAY IL. OPTIONED LHP NICK VESPI TO NORFOLK (IL).
CHICAGO WHITE SOX — AGREED TO TERMS WITH OF GEORGE WOLKOW AND 2B RIKUU NISHIDA.
CLEVELAND GUARDIANS — ASSIGNED RHP PEYTON BATTENFIELD TO COLUMBUS (IL) ON A REHAB ASSIGNMENT. OPTIONED RHP CODY MORRIS TO COLUMBUS. RECALLED LHP LOGAN ALLEN FROM COLUMBUS.
HOUSTON ASTROS — AGREED TO TERMS WITH RHPS ALONZO TREDWELL AND DEREK TRUE, OFS ANTHONY HUEZO AND CAM FISHER, CS WILL BUSH AND GARRET GUILLEMETTE, SSS PASCANEL FERRERAS AND CHASE JAWORSKY ON MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACTS. AGREED TO TERMS WITH FREE AGENT RHP HUDSON LEACH ON A MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS — REINSTATED RF EDWARD OLIVARES FROM THE 10-DAY IL. OPTIONED 2B SAMAD TAYLOR TO OMAHA (IL).
NEW YORK YANKEES — AGREED TO TERMS WITH INF GEORGE LOMBARD JR. AND RHPS CADE SMITH, BRIAN HENDRY AND NICHOLAS JUDICE, OF JARED WEGNER, 1B KIKO ROMERO, LHP KYLE CARR.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS — SENT CB RAMON LAUREANO TO LAS VEGAS (PCL) ON A REHAB ASSIGNMENT.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — RECALLED RHP LUIS FRIAS FROM RENO (PCL). PLACED LHP ANDREW CHAFIN ON THE PATERNITY LIST.
ATLANTA BRAVES — PLACED LHP KOLBY ALLARD ON THE 60-DAY IL, RETROACTIVE TO JULY 17. SELECTED THE CONTRACT OF 2B FORREST WALL FROM GWINNETT (IL).
MIAMI MARLINS — SENT RF AVISAIL GARCIA TO PENSACOLA (FSL) ON A REHAB ASSIGNMENT.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS — RECALLED RHP TREVOR MEGILL FROM NASHVILLE (IL).
PITTSBURGH PIRATES — AGREED TO TERMS WITH RHP PAUL SKENES.
SAN DIEGO PADRES — DESIGNATED 2B ROUGNED ODOR FOR ASSIGNMENT. REINSTATED C LUIS CAMPUSANO FROM THE 60-DAY IL. TRANSFERRED RHP REISS KEHR FROM THE 15-DAY IL TO THE 60-DAY IL. RECALLED 1B ALFONSO RIVAS FROM EL PASO (PCL). OPTIONED 3B BRANDON DIXON AND 1B AUSTIN NOLA TO EL PASO. SELECTED THE CONTRACT OF LF TAYLOR KOHLWEY FROM EL PASO.
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS — RECALLED RHP COLE WAITES FROM SACRAMENTO (PCL) AND PLACED HIM ON THE 60-DAY IL. REINSTATED OF HELIOT RAMOS FROM HIS REHAB ASSIGNMENT AN OPTIONED HIM TO SACRAMENTO.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS — SENT C ISRAEL PINEDA TO THE FLORIDA COAST LEAGUE (FCL) NATIONALS ON A REHAB ASSIGNMENT.
BASKETBALL
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
BROOKLYN NETS — SIGNED G ARMONI BROOKS TO A TWO-WAY CONTRACT. WAIVED F RAIQUAN GRAY.
PHOENIX SUNS — SIGNED C BOL BOL.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS — RE-SIGNED G TRE JONES TO A CONTRACT.
FOOTBALL
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
DETROIT LIONS — SIGNED S BRIAN BRANCH TO A ROOKIE CONTRACT.
GREEN BAY PACKERS — SIGNED QB ALEX MCGOUGH.
MIAMI DOLPHINS — PLACED CB ETHAN BONNER ON THE ACTIVE/NON-FOOTBALL INJURY LIST AND LB ZEKE VANDENBURGH ON INJURED RESERVE.
CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMERS — RELEASED WR AMARE JONES AND DB BRAD MUHAMMAD.
HOCKEY
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
BUFFALO SABRES — SIGNED F LINUS WEISSBACH TO A ONE-YEAR, TWO-WAY CONTRACT.
FLORIDA PANTHERS — AGREED TO TERMS WITH D JOHN LUDVIG ON A TWO-YEAR, TWO-WAY CONTRACT AND D CASEY FITZGERALD ON A ONE-YEAR, TWO-WAY CONTRACT.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS — SIGNED G JAKUB SHAREK TO A TWO-YEAR, TWO-WAY CONTRACT.
MINOR LEAGUE HOCKEY
EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
READING ROYALS — NAMED JOHN SNOWDEN ASSISTANT COACH.
SOCCER
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
MINNESOTA UNITED — SIGN D ETHAN BRISTOW FROM TRANMERE ROVERS OF THE ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE TWO THROUGH THE 2025 SEASON WITH A CLUB OPTION FOR 2026 PENDING RECEIPT OF HIS INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER CERTIFICATE (ITC) AND HIS P1 VISA.
PHILADELPHIA UNION — SIGNED D OLWETHU MAKHANYA TO A TWO-AND-A-HALF-YEAR CONTRACT WITH OPTIONS THROUGH 2027 FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF HIS INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER CERTIFICATE (ITC) AND HIS P1 VISA.
NATIONAL WOMEN’S SOCCER LEAGUE
UTAH ROYALS FC — NAMED KELLY COUSINS (CHAMBERS) SPORTING DIRECTOR.
COLLEGE
MEMPHIS — NAMED CORY BARTON MEN’S BASEBALL PITCHING COACH.
RUTGERS — NAMED NNEKA ENEMKPALI ASSISTANT COACH/DIRECTOR OF RECRUITING FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL.
SAINT JOSEPH’S —PROMOTED PHILLIP LAWRENCE-RICKS TO PLAYER DEVELOPMENT COACH FOR MEN’S BASKETBALL.
SIU-EDWARDSVILLE — NAMED ERIC CRIST ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR EVENTS AND FACILITIES.
WASHINGTON (MD.) — NAMED JACOB HALEM ASSISTANT MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SWIMMING COACH.
TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
1ST LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST PAT FITZGERALD AND NORTHWESTERN LEADERS STEMMING FROM A HAZING SCANDAL
A former Northwestern football player filed the first lawsuit against Pat Fitzgerald and members of the school’s leadership, seeking damages stemming from a hazing scandal that cost the former football coach his job.
The player, identified in the lawsuit as John Doe, alleged Tuesday in the Cook County Court in Chicago that Fitzgerald, Northwestern University President Michael Schill, the board of trustees and athletic director Derrick Gragg enabled and concealed sexual misconduct and racial discrimination.
The player, who was on the football team from 2018 to 2022, had his filing submitted by the Chicago-based Salvi Law Firm.
“It wasn’t just confined to one bad actor,” attorney Parker Stinar said in an interview with The Associated Press.
The lawsuit allegations include naked players in locker rooms forcing freshmen to also strip naked and then perform various acts. It also accuses Fitzgerald of enabling a culture of racism, including forcing players of color to cut their hair and behave differently to be more in line with the “Wildcat Way.”
Northwestern spokesperson Jon Yates said the school’s policy is to not comment on the specifics of pending litigation.
In a letter to Northwestern’s faculty and staff, Schill wrote that an outside firm will be hired to evaluate how the school detects threats to student-athletes’ welfare and to examine the athletics culture in Evanston, Illinois, and its relationship to academics at the prestigious institution.
“In the wake of this unfortunate situation, my job is to work closely with you to not just restore trust in the athletic program, but to make it better and more closely integrated with our academic mission,” Schill wrote.
Fitzgerald’s agent, Bryan Harlan, declined comment and the office of Fitzgerald’s lawyer, Dan Webb, said Tuesday that Webb had no comment. Webb, a former U.S. attorney, has been one of the most sought after private lawyers in the country for decades. A message seeking comment was left with Gragg.
More lawsuits, filed by multiple law firms, are expected to follow from former football and baseball players as well as from student-athletes who played other sports for the Wildcats.
Criminal charges are also possible.
Illinois, like nearly all states in recent decades, has criminalized hazing. It is typically a Class A misdemeanor, which can carry up to one year in prison.
At least eight former Northwestern football players have retained attorneys after recent revelations that led to Fitzgerald’s firing and sharp criticism of university leadership for its initial response to the allegations.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the Chicago-based Levin & Perconti law firm have scheduled a news conference Wednesday morning in Chicago with former Northwestern athletes. Crump has represented the families of George Floyd and others in high-profile civil rights cases.
Stinar represented about 200 of the 1,050 people who shared in a $490 million financial settlement last year with the University of Michigan after saying they were sexually assaulted by a late sports doctor, Robert Anderson. The attorney also had clients among the hundreds of victims of sexual abuse by former Michigan State and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar and were part of a $380 million settlement in late 2021.
Northwestern may eventually join a long list of American universities that have made large payouts after accusations of sexual abuse.
Fitzgerald was fired last week after a university investigation found allegations of hazing by 11 current or former players, including “forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature,” Schill wrote.
Fitzgerald, who led Northwestern for 17 seasons and was a star linebacker for the Wildcats, has maintained he had no knowledge of the hazing. Fitzgerald said after being fired that he was working with Harlan and Webb to “protect my rights in accordance with the law.”
After the school initially suspended Fitzgerald, The Daily Northwestern published an article including allegations from a former player who described specific instances of hazing and abuse and suggested he may have been aware.
“He knew what was going on and he permitted it for years upon years upon years,” Stinar told the AP.
MEN’S GOLF
COLUMN: PGA TOUR’S MONAHAN RETURNS TO WORK AND THE CLOCK IS TICKING ON DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT FOR LIV
HOYLAKE, England (AP) — Walking through glass doors, up a flight of stairs and turning left into the office of the PGA Tour commissioner was always going to be a lot easier for Jay Monahan than walking onto the range and facing players who feel betrayed.
At least he has time on his side.
The players whose opinions matter the most are across the Atlantic Ocean from PGA Tour headquarters in Florida. And while questions (without answers) persist about a proposed partnership (without details) with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf, all anyone really cares about at the British Open is whose name gets engraved on that silver claret jug.
And then?
The PGA Tour is likely to announce its 2024 schedule sometime next week. A few weeks later is the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
“I will plan to join you in person at a tournament as soon as possible and address any and all questions you may have,” Monahan said in a letter sent to the players last week in announcing his return.
Oh, there will be questions.
Since the PGA Tour’s version of D-Day — maybe the “D” stands for disillusionment — on June 6 when the shocking about-face deal with the Saudis was announced:
— Monahan faced a heated player meeting in Canada that included suggestions he be replaced.
— He stepped away for five weeks because of a “medical situation.”
— A federal judge dismissed antitrust litigation.
— Tom Watson issued a letter to Monahan wanting to know if a deal with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia was the only way forward.
— Former AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson resigned from the PGA Tour board out of protest.
— The U.S. Senate released 275 pages of emails, texts and other documents related to the deal.
— Ron Price, the tour’s chief operating officer, and board member Jimmy Dunne, who spearheaded the deal, appeared before a Senate hearing on the agreement.
And where did all that lead?
“Honestly, we’ve very much in the dark about it,” Jordan Spieth said after the hearing.
And this from Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world:
“As a player on tour, we still don’t really have a lot of clarity as to what’s going on, and that’s a bit worrisome. They keep saying it’s a player-run organization, and we don’t really have the information that we need.”
The clock is ticking for Monahan in more ways than one.
According to the framework agreement, the sides have until Dec. 31 to work out the details (although they can agree to an extension). That becomes a priority for Monahan, and this time he has to include more than two board members.
Any definitive agreement, if it gets that far, must be approved by the board.
The other question: How can Monahan survive this?
With few exceptions, players typically don’t care about much else beyond their pro-am times and whether their courtesy cars have a full tank of gas. But this one stings, because so many players chose to turn down free money (LIV Golf) for a tour built on meritocracy.
That’s where the betrayal comes in.
“If you want to call it one of the rockier times on tour, the guy who was supposed to be there for us wasn’t,” Xander Schauffele said. “Obviously he had some health issues. I’m glad that he said he’s feeling much better. But yeah, I’d say he has a lot of tough questions to answer in his return.
“I don’t trust people easily. He had my trust and he has a lot less of it now,” Schauffele said. “So I don’t stand alone when I say that.”
Jon Rahm preached patience. He said Tuesday he thought Monahan was doing a “fantastic” job for the tour and the players. And even after he mentioned the surprise U-turn in dealing with the tour’s Saudi rivals, he downgraded Monahan’s job rating only from “fantastic” to “great.”
“And right now after that happened, I only think it’s fair to give them the right time to work things out,” Rahm said. “I still think they have the best interest of the players at heart. All we have right now, it’s a framework agreement. It’s an agreement to have an agreement. We really don’t have anything right now to be able to say or judge what they’ve done.”
The shock of the announcement, and the feeling that members had no voice in a members organization, will wear off soon enough.
Getting rid of the lawsuits was critical — not only for the tour and its legal fees but for the Saudis, who already were digging in against having to be deposed. The seemingly endless supply of PIF money meant LIV Golf wasn’t going anywhere, and neither was the temptation for more players to defect. A deal felt inevitable no matter how hard a line Monahan toed.
But there’s that issue of trust. Monahan had said he was prepared for criticism that he was a hypocrite. The feeling of betrayal is tougher to overcome.
“There’s an issue at the tour with trust. It’s obvious why,” said Adam Scott, who as Player Advisory Council chairman will join the board next year. “We did a complete about-face on everything we’ve said. There are still tons of questions. We haven’t had any answers. Jay has not been here for a while. Hopefully when he returns comes more answers, and people can find whether that’s palatable or not.”
But first he has to look them in the eye.
Only then will he begin to know whether they find answers palatable, and whether they are palatable coming from Monahan.
RORY MCILROY IS LAYING LOW AHEAD OF THE BRITISH OPEN AS HE TRIES TO END HIS MAJOR DROUGHT
HOYLAKE, England (AP) — The most telling comment from Rory McIlroy about this British Open, and his hopes of ending an astonishing nine-year drought in the majors, is that he said nothing at all.
For the second straight major, McIlroy removed himself from the lineup of pre-tournament news conferences, instead offering a few vague quotes through the R&A and random interviews.
The attention on him is greater than ever, on and off the golf course.
He has been the strongest voice for the PGA Tour in its battle with LIV Golf, now shockingly a proposed partnership. Inside the ropes, he is coming off a win at the Scottish Open and now returns to Royal Liverpool, where he won wire-to-wire the last time the Open was here in 2014.
Rain fell on the already green links of Hoylake on Tuesday, conditions that suited McIlroy in his previous four major titles, all of which led Padraig Harrington to refer to McIlroy as a “person of interest” this week.
“Everything seems to be setting up nicely,” Harrington said.
The question now is whether McIlroy is like other multiple major champions who collected all their trophies in a short period of time, or whether this nine-year drought is a long aberration.
Harrington was one of those players, collecting his three titles in a span of six majors. Jordan Spieth won three legs of Grand Slam over three years. Nick Price won three out of nine majors at the height of his game and never got another.
McIlroy won his four majors from the 2011 U.S. Open through the 2014 PGA Championship, and he looked to just be getting started. He is 34, considered the prime years for a golfer, though he also is in his 16th full year as a pro.
“Patience — it’s a horrible thing for Rory,” Harrington said. “Oftentimes, you win your first, maybe there’s two or three in there pretty quickly. From 10 years ago, there’s more players around. It’s not as free and easy, is it? It’s not a foregone conclusion.
“We keep seeing that — players come into the pomp of their career, they look unbeatable for a period of time, usually two seasons,” he said. “Look, he can win any week and he’s got to have good feelings going into Hoylake.”
Twenty-four players have won majors since McIlroy captured his last one at rain-soaked Valhalla in the 2014 PGA Championship, some multiple times — Brooks Koepka with five, Spieth with three, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson with two each.
It’s not getting any easier.
McIlroy returned to No. 2 in the world with his victory in the Scottish Open. He said he would have arrived at Hoylake with confidence even without winning based on his consistent play the last few months — six consecutive finishes in the top 10, including his runner-up finish in the U.S. Open last month that ran his drought to 33 majors without winning.
Rahm won the Masters in April, adding to his U.S. Open title two years ago.
“I can understand how when you get on a roll like that and win one, next time you’re in position you win another, well, it’s only fair to believe that the next one you’re going to be ready to handle the moment,” he said.
Harrington’s goal during his back-to-back British Open titles (2007-08) and the PGA Championship in 2008 was to get to the back nine and take it from there. Confidence was everything, and that starts with belief in his game.
He was asked his theory on players winning majors in bunches.
“The difference when you’re winning those tournaments is you’re not looking over your shoulder,” he said. “If you believe you can win with your ‘B’ game, your ‘A’ game shows up. If you think you need your ‘A’ game, your ‘B’ game turns up. That’s the nature of golf.”
That has worked best for Koepka, who figures the majors are the easiest to win by eliminating who has realistic chances and what number of players are typically on their game that week. The list keeps shrinking.
He won four times in a span of four majors, and then he added his fifth at the PGA Championship in May, which he attributed mainly to finally feeling healthy again. And his love for the majors begins with discipline in knowing what shots to take and how to avoid big numbers.
“Just be as disciplined as you can and know where to miss it,” he said. “I think that’s why I’ve had such success. It’s just understanding the moment, the shot, where it needs to miss.”
At Royal Liverpool, that starts with avoiding the pot bunkers off the tee, and that’s what McIlroy did so well in 2014 when he built a five-shot lead going into the final round and was never seriously threatened.
Golf felt easy then, and at times it still does.
McIlroy has won 19 times around the world since his last major. Of the players who went nine years or more between majors, only Gene Sarazen (1923 PGA to 1932 U.S. Open) won more often with 25. Back then, there were only three majors.
“He’s obviously a tremendously talented player and he’s put himself in position and it hasn’t happened yet. I can’t say what goes through his mind, obviously,” Rahm said. “He wants to get to five — not many players have gotten to five. He still has a lot of years to play ahead of him, so I know he wants to keep adding to that tally.
“I’m pretty sure he will get that number five at some point.”
BRITISH OPEN RETURNS TO HOYLAKE, PGA TOUR AND EUROPEAN TOUR ARE IN TAHOE AREA
ROYAL AND ANCIENT GOLF CLUB
BRITISH OPEN
Site: Hoylake, England.
Course: Royal Liverpool GC. Yardage: 7,313. Par: 71.
Prize money: $16.5 million. Winner’s share: $3 million.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 4 a.m. to 3 p.m. (USA Network); Saturday, 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. (USA Network), 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. (USA Network), 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. (NBC).
Defending champion: Cameron Smith.
Last British Open champion at Royal Liverpool: Rory McIlroy.
Notes: This is the 13th time for Royal Liverpool to host the British Open, starting with 1897 and most recently in 2014. … Cameron Smith will try to become the first back-to-back Open champion since Padraig Harrington in 2007-08. … Tiger Woods won in 2006. He is missing his third straight major while recovering from ankle surgery. … Rory McIlroy has gone 33 majors without winning. He has a mathematical chance to return to No. 1 by winning the British Open. … Scottie Scheffler has finished in the top five at his last seven tournaments, two of them majors. … The prize money is up $2.5 million from a year ago, though it still rates as the smallest purse among the four majors. … No one has ever won the Open more than once at Royal Liverpool. … For Americans who play for Saudi-funded LIV Golf, the British Open is the last chance to earn Ryder Cup points. … Eight of the last nine major champions were in their 20s. The exception was Brooks Koepka (33) at the PGA Championship.
Next year: Royal Troon.
Online: https://www.theopen.com/
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PGA TOUR AND EUROPEAN TOUR
BARRACUDA CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Truckee, California.
Course: Tahoe Mountain Club (Old Greenwood). Yardage: 7,480. Par: 71.
Prize money: $3.8 million. Winner’s share: $684,000.
Television: Thursday-Sunday, 5-8 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Chez Reavie.
FedEx Cup leader: Jon Rahm.
Race to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.
Last week: Rory McIlroy won the Scottish Open and Vincent Norrman won the Barbasol Championship.
Notes: This is the second straight week a PGA Tour event in the United States is co-sanctioned with the European tour. … The event uses the Modified Stableford scoring system in which five points are awarded for eagle, two for a birdie, one point is deducted for a bogey and three points are deducted for a double bogey. … The field includes three winners from this season — Vincent Norrman, Nick Hardy and Nico Echavarria. … Nicholas Lindheim is playing. He won last week on the Korn Ferry Tour. … Brandt Snedeker is playing on a sponsor exemption … Among players in the field who were in the Scottish Open last week are Keith Mitchell, Jimmy Walker, Troy Merritt and Charley Hoffman. Merritt was planning to play in Kentucky until he got into the Scottish Open. … Erik van Rooyen also was at the Scottish Open. He won the Barracuda Championship two years ago and converted that into an appearance at the Tour Championship. … Geoff Ogilvy is playing. The Barracuda Championship in 2014 was his last professional win.
Next week: 3M Open.
Online: https://www.pgatour.com/ and https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/
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LPGA TOUR
DOW GREAT LAKES BAY INVITATIONAL
Site: Midland, Michigan.
Course: Midland CC. Yardage: 6,256. Par: 70.
Prize money: $2.7 million. Winner’s share: $202,500 apiece.
Defending champions: Jennifer Kupcho and Lizette Salas.
Television: Wednesday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Thursday, noon to 3 p.m. (Golf Channel); Friday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 4-6 p.m. (CBS).
Race to CME Globe leader: Ruoning Yin.
Last week: Linn Grant won the Dana Open.
Notes: The tournament starts on Wednesday and ends on Saturday, giving players an extra day of travel to get to France for the Evian Championship. … In its fifth year, this is the only team event on the LPGA Tour. … The format is alternate shot for the first and third rounds and better-ball for the second and fourth rounds. … Lexi Thompson is in the field. She has gone four years since her last victory. This is her first start since missing the cut in the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. … Georgia Hall is in the field after going from Pebble Beach to play in the Aramco Team Series in London. After this week in Michigan, she goes to France for the LPGA Tour’s fourth major of the year. … Thai sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn won the tournament two years ago. They are not playing this year. … KPMG Women’s PGA champion Ruoning Yin is the only player from the top 10 in the women’s world ranking who is playing.
Next week: Amundi Evian Championship.
Online: https://www.lpga.com/
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KORN FERRY TOUR
PRICE CUTTER CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Springfield, Missouri.
Course: Highland Springs CC. Yardage: 7,115. Par: 72.
Prize money: $1 million. Winner’s share: $180,000.
Television: None.
Defending champion: David Kocher.
Points leader: Ben Kohles.
Last week: Nicholas Lindheim won the The Ascendant.
Next week: NV5 Invitational.
Online: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour
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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Last week: Steve Stricker won the Kaulig Companies Championship.
Next week: Senior British Open.
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Steve Stricker.
Online: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions
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LIV GOLF
Last tournament: Cameron Smith won LIV Golf-London.
Next tournament: LIV Golf-Greenbrier on Aug. 3-6.
Points leader: Talor Gooch.
Online: https://www.livgolf.com/
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OTHER TOURS
Epson Tour: Twin Bridges Championship, Pinehaven CC, Guilderland, New York. Previous winner: Lucy Li. Online: https://www.epsontour.com/
USGA: U.S. Girls Junior, Eisenhower GC, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Defending champion: Yana Wilson. Online: https://www.usga.org/
Ladies European Tour: La Sella Open, La Sella Golf, Alicante, Spain. Defending champion: New tournament. Television: Thursday-Sunday, 7-10 a.m. (Golf Channel). Online: https://ladieseuropeantour.com/
Challenge Tour: Big Green Egg German Challenge, Wittelsbacher GC, Neuburg an der Donau, Germany. Previous winner: Alejandro Del Rey. Online: https://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/
PGA Tour Canada: Commissionaires Ottawa Open, Eagle Creek GC, Dunrobin, Ontario. Defending champion: New tournament. Online: https://www.pgatour.com/canada
Sunshine Tour: SunBet Challenge-Wild Coast, Wild Coast Sun CC, Port Edward, South Africa. Defending champion: Merrick Bremner. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/
Japan LPGA: Daito Kentaku Eheyanet Ladies, The Queen’s Hill GC Fukuoka, Japan. Defending champion: Erika Kikuchi. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
MLB ROUNDUP: D-BACKS BEST BRAVES IN 29-RUN GAME
Christian Walker homered twice and drove in five runs, Geraldo Perdomo delivered a tiebreaking, two-run double in the ninth inning and the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks outlasted the Atlanta Braves 16-13 on Tuesday.
Emmanuel Rivera homered and Ketel Marte had three hits and three RBIs for Arizona, which snapped a four-game losing streak. Miguel Castro (5-3) pitched a scoreless eighth inning before Kevin Ginkel struck out the side in the ninth for his first save.
The D-backs prevailed in the wild contest despite the efforts of Atlanta’s Austin Riley, who homered twice and had a career-high seven RBIs. Orlando Arcia added a two-run homer and Sean Murphy drove in two runs.
Arizona tied the game at 13-13 with two outs in the eighth when Dominic Canzone delivered an RBI single for his first career hit. The D-backs moved ahead in the ninth when Perdomo doubled in two runs off Raisel Iglesias (3-4) and Marte followed with an RBI single.
Twins 10, Mariners 3
Alex Kirilloff finished a double shy of a cycle and Bailey Ober overcame a rocky beginning to pitch six quality innings as Minnesota defeated host Seattle.
Edouard Julien, Kyle Farmer and Carlos Correa also homered for the Twins, who won for the fourth time in five games since the All-Star break. Ober (6-4) allowed three runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts. All three runs and six of the hits against the right-hander came in the first inning.
Eugenio Suarez went deep for Seattle on his 32nd birthday. Mariners rookie Bryan Woo (1-2) allowed seven runs, six earned, on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings, with three walks and four strikeouts.
Giants 11, Reds 10
Wilmer Flores homered twice and drove in five runs to lead visiting San Francisco to a seventh straight win in a slugfest vs. Cincinnati.
It came after Flores had two doubles and a home run in the 10th inning as the Giants won the completion of Monday’s suspended game 4-2. Flores finished the two games with 16 total bases, marking the first time a Giants player had at least eight total bases in back-to-back games since Barry Bonds in 2002.
Joey Votto belted his 350th career home run as the Reds lost their season-worst sixth straight game. Jake Fraley, Will Benson and Christian Encarnacion-Strand also homered.
Giants 4, Reds 2 (10 innings, conclusion of suspended game)
Joc Pederson had a go-ahead double in a two-run 10th inning as visiting San Francisco beat Cincinnati in the conclusion of Monday’s suspended game for its sixth straight win.
Pederson doubled home automatic runner Brett Wisely, and Michael Conforto grounded into a run-scoring fielder’s choice to score Pederson and give San Francisco a two-run cushion against Ian Gibaut (8-2).
Tyler Rogers (3-4) earned the win, while Camilo Doval retired all three batters faced in the 10th for his major-league-leading 29th save. Jonathan India homered and fell just a triple shy of the cycle for the Reds, who lost their fifth straight game.
Athletics 3, Red Sox 0
Ryan Noda and JJ Bleday hit early home runs, Luis Medina combined with four relievers on a five-hitter and host Oakland snapped an eight-game losing streak by beating Boston.
Medina (3-7) limited the Red Sox to three hits and one walk in 5 2/3 innings, striking out six. Sam Long, Shintaro Fujinami, Sam Moll and Trevor May also contributed to Oakland’s second shutout of the season, which allowed the A’s to beat the Red Sox for the first time in five meetings this month.
The hosts did all their scoring in the second inning against Red Sox opener Joe Jacques (1-1). Noda led off with his 11th homer of the season and, after Aledmys Diaz reached on an infield single, Bleday launched his sixth homer to make it 3-0.
Cubs 17, Nationals 3
Patrick Wisdom’s tiebreaking homer highlighted a six-run seventh inning, and Seiya Suzuki also went deep during a four-hit night as Chicago blew out visiting Washington.
Suzuki, Miguel Amaya and Mike Tauchman each had three RBIs, while Nico Hoerner and Miles Mastrobuoni posted three hits and two runs apiece as the Cubs matched a season high with 20 hits. Chicago produced its highest run total since a 21-0 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 23, 2022.
Lane Thomas hit a one-out solo shot in the first for Washington, which made it 3-0 via Corey Dickerson’s two-run single in the second.
Mets 11, White Sox 10
Francisco Alvarez hit a pair of two-run homers for host New York, which held off Chicago.
Brett Baty and DJ Stewart also homered for the Mets. Jeff McNeil went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, while Tommy Pham had an RBI double and scored three times. Francisco Lindor hit a run-scoring double and Pete Alonso added a sacrifice fly.
Yasmani Grandal homered and finished with three RBIs while Jake Burger had two doubles and three RBIs for the White Sox, who trailed 11-4 before scoring five times in the seventh. Tim Anderson was 3-for-5 with a run-scoring double.
Guardians 10, Pirates 1
Josh Naylor had two home runs and six RBIs, Josh Bell added a two-run shot and Logan Allen pitched five scoreless innings as visiting Cleveland pummeled Pittsburgh.
Amed Rosario and Myles Straw each added an RBI single for the Guardians, who have won the first two games of the series by a combined 21-1. Allen (4-2), a rookie who was recalled earlier Tuesday to make the start, gave up one hit while striking out eight and walking one.
Connor Joe homered for the Pirates, who have lost five in a row and nine of 10. Mitch Keller (9-5) gave up eight runs and 10 hits in six innings.
Phillies 4, Brewers 3
Kyle Schwarber homered for the fourth consecutive game, Bryson Stott added two hits and an RBI and host Philadelphia defeated Milwaukee.
Schwarber launched Julio Teheran’s first pitch of the game to left for his 26th homer of the season. Phillies starter Aaron Nola (9-6) tossed 7 1/3 innings and gave up five hits and three runs, two earned, with six strikeouts and no walks.
Andruw Monasterio led the Brewers with a double, a single, two runs and an RBI. Brice Turang also collected two hits for Milwaukee, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.
Angels 5, Yankees 1
Mickey Moniak went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs, and Patrick Sandoval pitched 7 1/3 innings of two-hit, one-run ball to lead Los Angeles past New York in Anaheim, Calif.
Sandoval (5-7) threw 99 pitches and struck out seven against three walks. Shohei Ohtani drove in a run with his major-league-best seventh triple of the year.
Yankees starter Domino German (5-6) gave up five runs on four hits in six innings. Gleyber Torres homered for New York, which took its third consecutive loss and fell to 2-8 in the past 10.
Padres 9, Blue Jays 1
Juan Soto hit one of four San Diego homers and drove in three runs while Joe Musgrove continued his stellar pitching as the Padres coasted to a victory over host Toronto in the opener of a three-game series.
Manny Machado, Gary Sanchez and Trent Grisham also homered for the Padres, who are 4-12 in their past 16 road games. Musgrove (9-2) gave up one run and five hits over six innings while improving to 8-0 over his last 10 starts.
Bo Bichette had two hits for Toronto, which had a four-game winning streak halted. Alek Manoah (2-8) allowed four runs and three hits in three-plus innings. He walked five and struck out none while throwing 92 pitches before exiting.
Dodgers 10, Orioles 3
Jason Heyward hit a three-run home run to power a five-run second inning and visiting Los Angeles pulled away for a victory over Baltimore.
Rookie right-hander Michael Grove (2-2) gave up one run over five-plus innings as the Dodgers won for the eighth time in their past nine games. Will Smith had four hits and Freddie Freeman had three for the second consecutive game.
Aaron Hicks amassed two hits and two RBIs for the Orioles, while right-hander Tyler Wells (7-5) gave up five runs to tie a season high over a season-low two innings. Baltimore’s defense committed four errors.
Cardinals 5, Marlins 2 (10 innings)
Nolan Arenado hit a three-run walk-off homer in the 10th inning and Brendan Donovan also went deep as St. Louis knocked off visiting Miami for its fourth straight win.
Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery allowed one run on six hits and two walks in six innings. JoJo Romero (2-0), the fifth Cardinals pitcher, blanked the Marlins in the 10th inning to earn the victory.
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera returned from the injured list to allow one run on two hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out six in his first outing since June 13. Jon Berti went 3-for-4 with two runs for the Marlins.
Royals 11, Tigers 10
Dairon Blanco recorded career highs of four hits and three RBIs, and fellow rookie Maikel Garcia drove in a career-best four runs as host Kansas City outslugged Detroit.
Edward Olivares scored three times to go along with two hits and two RBIs for the Royals, who posted just their third win in the past 12 games.
Spencer Torkelson homered twice and drove in five runs for the Tigers, who had won three of four games since the All-Star break. Javier Baez also had three hits.
Rangers 5, Rays 3
Marcus Semien belted his 199th career home run, Corey Seager also went deep and Texas beat Tampa Bay in a battle of division leaders in Arlington, Texas.
It was a pitchers’ duel most of the night. Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi (11-3) threw six shutout innings to earn the win. Rays starter Taj Bradley (5-6) allowed two runs over five-plus innings while striking out nine.
Semien finished with three hits, while teammate Travis Jankowski went 2-for-4 with an RBI double. Randy Arozarena (2-for-4) and Brandon Lowe homered for the Rays.
Rockies 4, Astros 3
Kris Bryant and Ryan McMahon hit consecutive home runs in the first inning and Colorado beat Houston in Denver.
McMahon finished with two hits, Fernando Abad (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief and Justin Lawrence earned his sixth save for the Rockies.
Alex Bregman had two hits and an RBI for the Astros, who took just their sixth loss in 27 games to the Rockies, dating back to the start of the 2013 season.
BRAVES PLACE LEFTY ALLARD ON 60-DAY INJURED LIST WITH NERVE INFLAMMATION IN SHOULDER
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves placed left-hander Kolby Allard on the 60-day injured list after he was diagnosed with nerve inflammation in his left shoulder.
Allard was removed in the second inning of Sunday’s 8-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. He told manager Brian Snitker he felt “some tingling in his fingers” after throwing a pitch.
“I just noticed him moving his arm and his shoulder and something didn’t look right,” Snitker said following the game.
Allard allowed four runs on seven hits in 1 1/3 innings and has a 6.57 ERA in four games, including three starts.
The Braves recalled outfielder Forrest Wall, 27, from Triple-A Gwinnett before Monday night’s series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
PADRES CUT VETERAN INF ODOR, ACTIVATE C CAMPUSANO BEFORE GAME AT TORONTO
TORONTO (AP) — Infielder Rougned Odor was cut by the struggling San Diego Padres. who activated catcher Luis Campusano from the 60-day injured list before Tuesday night’s game at Toronto.
San Diego selected the contract of outfielder Taylor Kohlwey from Triple- El Paso and recalled infielder Alfonso Rivas from the Chihuahuas. Catcher Austin Nola and utilityman Brandon Dixon were optioned to Triple-A, and right-hander Reiss Knehr was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day IL.
Odor has been a target of fan ire in Toronto since punching then-Blue Jays slugger José Bautista in a game at Texas in May 2016, sparking a benches-clearing brawl. Toronto eliminated the Rangers from the playoffs in 2015 and 2016.
A 10-year veteran who has also played for Baltimore and the New York Yankees, Odor was batting .210 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 59 games.
Campusano has not played since April 14 because of a damaged ligament in his left thumb.
4TH OVERALL PICK LANGFORD’S $8 MILLION SIGNING BONUS LARGEST EVER FOR TEXAS RANGERS DRAFTEE
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Fourth overall draft pick Wyatt Langford, the catcher-turned-college outfielder who hit 47 homers at Florida the past two seasons, got an $8 million signing bonus Tuesday that was the largest ever for a player drafted by the Texas Rangers.
“We think he’s the perfect fit for what we’re building here,” Rangers general manager Chris Young said. “Who he is as a person, his winning pedigree and certainly the talent as a player.”
After appearing in only four games as a pinch-hitter as a college freshman, Langford become a starting outfielder for Florida. He hit .355 while tying the school record with 26 homers as a sophomore in 2022, and this year hit .373 with 21 homers as the Gators advanced to the championship round of the College World Series.
“Obviously going through my freshman year, I really didn’t have any expectations. … I just want to play on the college stage first,” Langford said. “Probably about halfway through my sophomore year, when I was playing really well and people started talking and stuff like that, I kind of realized I have a shot.”
Langford’s introduction at Globe Life Field came on the same day that Pittsburgh came to terms with top overall pick Paul Skenes, a pitcher from LSU, on a record $9.2 million signing bonus.
Before Skenes and Langford, there had been only four bigger signing bonuses for drafted players. The record had been the $8.42 million Detroit gave infielder Spencer Torkelson after he was the first overall pick in 2000.
LSU outfielder Dylan Crews, the second overall pick by Washington on July 9, was unsigned. Prep outfielder Max Clark, the third overall pick by the Tigers, got a $7.7 million signing bonus, which was below the slot value for No. 3 and was the slotted number for the fourth pick.
“It’s all happened so fast and I feel like I was in the middle of my season just a few days ago,” Langford said. “It’s a little surreal right now.”
Langford’s college career ended in the College World Series, where he hit hit a 456-foot homer against Virginia that was the longest at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. He went 5-for-5 with a homer in Game 2 of the best-of-three championship series that Florida won, and also homered in the deciding game won by LSU.
“We put so much time and effort in scouting Wyatt, that’s like icing on the cake at the end,” Rangers scouting director Kip Fagg said. “Reality, probably our minds were made up before that. But it’s always good to see, and it makes you feel a little bitter that he’s out there performing on a big stage like the College World Series.”
Young said Langford will report to the team’s facility in Arizona with the rest of the Rangers draft class to go through the standard onboarding process before getting assigned to a team.
Langford is the fourth consecutive Southeastern Conference player the Rangers have taken with their first pick. He follows Vanderbilt pitchers Kumar Rocker (third overall in 2022, $5.2 million signing bonus) and Jack Leiter ( second overall in 2021, $7.9 million signing bonus ), and Mississippi State infielder Justin Foscue (14th overall in 2020).
Josh Jung, drafted eighth overall by the Rangers out of Texas Tech in 2019, made his big league debut last September and as a rookie this season was voted in as a starter for the American League squad in the All-Star game.
PIRATES SIGN NO. 1 PICK PAUL SKENES TO RECORD $9.2M DEAL
Former LSU right-hander Paul Skenes, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, signed a contract that includes a record $9.2 million signing bonus with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.
Regarded as the best power pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg, Skenes’ deal eclipses the previous rookie record deal between the Detroit Tigers and 2020 No. 1 pick Spencer Torkelson ($8.42 million).
Skenes’ scouting report includes a fastball clocked at 102 mph and a mid-80s slider that made him an ace during his time with the Tigers, going 12-2 with a 1.69 ERA in 19 starts in 2023. He was named National Player of the Year and National Pitcher of the Year before helping LSU prevail at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., where he earned CWS Most Outstanding Player honors.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Skenes will begin his pro career at the Florida Complex League in Bradenton.
“We obviously love the ability and what the future holds,” Cherington said. “But we’re really excited Paul Skenes the person is going to be a Pirate.”
LSU teammate Dylan Crews, the No. 2 pick in the draft to the Nationals, hasn’t signed yet. Detroit signed No. 3 pick Max Clark, an outfielder from Franklin Community High School in Indiana, to a deal that includes a $7.7 million bonus.
MLB TAKES OVER BROADCAST OF DIAMONDBACKS GAMES FROM DIAMOND SPORTS
(AP) — Major League Baseball will take over broadcasts of Arizona Diamondbacks games after a federal bankruptcy judge on Tuesday granted a motion for Diamond Sports to reject its rights agreement.
MLB will take over production of the broadcasts beginning with Tuesday’s game at Atlanta. The Diamondbacks are the second team where MLB has had to step in to deliver the games.
MLB took over the broadcasts of San Diego Padres games May 31 after Diamond Sports missed a rights fees payment and let the grace period expire. The league set up a local media department during the offseason to prepare for a bankruptcy filing by Diamond Sports, which took place in March.
Diamond Sports, which owns 19 regional sports networks under the Bally Sports banner, determined its contract with the Diamondbacks was not profitable. It had a large rights payment due on July 1, but both sides tried to negotiate an amended agreement.
Bally Sports Arizona paid the Diamondbacks on a per-game basis for any games played after July 1.
Diamond Sports has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in Texas since March. The company said in a financial filing last fall that it had debt of $8.67 billion.
“Given the inability to reach an agreement with the Diamondbacks and MLB, we have rejected that rights contract, which had financial terms that were not aligned with Diamond’s long-term plans,” Diamond Sports Group said in a statement. “We value the relationships we have built with the Diamondbacks and their passionate fans, and we wish them the best going forward.
“We are continuing to broadcast games for all other teams under contract without disruption and we anticipate making all rights payments to the remainder of the MLB teams in our portfolio through the end of this season.”
Fans in the Diamondbacks’ home television market will be able to watch games on DirecTV, Cox, Spectrum/Charter, Xfinity/Comcast, Mediacom, Orbitel, Optimum/Suddenlink, TDS and Fubo. MLB will also offer a direct-to-consumer streaming subscription for $19.99 per month or $54.99 for the rest of the season by registering at MLB.TV.
Diamondbacks games through Sunday will be available for free with an MLB login at MLB.com, Dbacks.com and in the MLB apps on mobile and connected devices.
The Diamondbacks signed a 20-year, $1.5 billion contract with Fox Sports Networks in 2015. Diamond Sports Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group bought the regional sports networks from The Walt Disney Co. for nearly $10 billion in 2019. Disney was required by the Department of Justice to sell the networks for its acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s film and television assets to be approved.
Diamond Sports said in a recent filing that it loses significant amounts of money under the agreement with the Diamondbacks and that the deal “no longer fits” within its long-term plans.
The Diamondbacks are a part owner of Bally Sports Arizona. After years of struggling, the Diamondbacks are one of the surprise teams in baseball this season with a 52-42 record.
MLB said in a release that Arizona’s games will be available in approximately 5.6 million homes in its local market, a 506% jump in reach. MLB also noted that Padres viewership has increased by 9.5% to an average of 578,000 viewers since it took over distributing games.
With the Diamondbacks off Bally Sports, Diamond has the rights to 38 professional teams – 12 baseball, 14 NBA and 12 NHL.
The Arizona Coyotes remain the only team on Bally Sports Arizona. The network did not exercise its right of first refusal to renew its deal with the Phoenix Suns, who are moving their games to local television and Kiswe, a streaming service.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
GEORGIA’S KIRBY SMART SAYS COMPLACENCY IS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO THE BULLDOGS’ THREE-PEAT HOPES
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Kirby Smart says complacency is the biggest challenge his Georgia Bulldogs face while trying to add a third straight national football championship.
Smart and his Bulldogs also don’t have history on their side.
Winning back-to-back national championships is tough enough. No Division I program has strung together three consecutive college football titles since Minnesota in 1934-1936, even though powers ranging from Alabama, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Nebraska have had their chances.
So Smart said Tuesday at Southeastern Conference Media Days that he and his staff have not talked with the Bulldogs about having a chance to do something not done in nearly 90 years.
“We’ve certainly looked at some three-peat scenarios of teams like the (NBA’s Chicago) Bulls and different sports teams that they might actually know about,” Smart said. “No offense to the Minnesota 1935 team, but I don’t know if it’s going to resonate with my audience.”
Smart insisted he doesn’t care about what he called a “three-peat, the two-peat or the one-peat.”
“I care about complacency,” he said. “If the focus is on that and the outcomes, I think the rest will take care of itself in terms of allowing our guys to focus on being the best they can be.”
Smart has had his hands full off the field since routing TCU in January, when Georgia made history with its first back-to-back national titles. The program’s offseason has been marred by problems including a string of reckless driving and speeding offenses.
Offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staff member Chandler LeCroy were killed in a car wreck hours after the Bulldogs’ championship parade and ceremony. A woman seriously injured in the crash sued Georgia’s athletics association and former Bulldogs defensive tackle Jalen Carter last week for damages.
Smart said he’s disappointed anytime there’s a traffic incident. He noted Georgia has a history of traffic citations but defended his Bulldogs by saying they aren’t having more now than in past years. Speeding, especially at very high speeds, is not safe, and Smart said they’re trying to eradicate that.
Slowing down drivers ages 18 to 20 isn’t easy.
“It’s when it happened to me as a student-athlete,” Smart said. “That’s when speeding happens. What we want to do is take that out and make it safe and not have high speeds.”
Georgia goes into this season as the SEC’s top target in the league’s final year having Eastern and Western Divisions. The Bulldogs routed LSU in December for their first SEC championship since 2017.
“Everyone is trying to catch up to us,” senior tight end Brock Bowers said.
Senior center Sedrick Van Pran actually has heard about that Minnesota team. He also understands that Stetson Bennett now is in NFL. So is linebacker Nolan Smith and defensive lineman Jordan Davis.
“Those previous two years really don’t matter to what we are trying to accomplish this year,” Van Pran said. “And there’s really just an understanding that this is a brand-new team. The past two years are not here. So in our mind, it’s not really a three-peat.”
Smart has worked to find ways to keep his Bulldogs from being complacent. This offseason he used the New Zealand All Blacks rugby program, ranked No. 1 more than all countries combined since world rankings began in 2003, as an example of maintaining excellence.
“One of their big mantras is ‘Better never rests,’” Smart said. “We believe that. Those are strong words now when you think about it. Think deep on it. ‘Better never rests.’ Our kids understand it. Our kids have learned it.”
Smart said Georgia won’t be controlled by “outside narratives” or talk about who starts at quarterback, though Carson Beck was Bennett’s backup last year. The Bulldogs have back six starters on offense, led by Bowers and Van Pran, and eight returning on defense.
That offense will have a new coordinator in Mike Bobo after Todd Monken left for the NFL and the Baltimore Ravens in February. Georgia averaged 41.1 points a game last season and set school records by averaging 501.1 yards total offense and 7.17 yards per play.
That was then. This is now. And Smart said these Bulldogs have to define themselves.
“We don’t know where that goes,” he said.
Make no mistake: The eventual target is a trip to Atlanta on Dec. 2 and a third straight appearance in the SEC championship game.
HUGH FREEZE SEES AUBURN IN ‘UPPER ECHELON’ OF SEC IN ’23
Hugh Freeze returns to the SEC as head coach at Auburn, where expectations are rising for the Tigers to be one of the league’s contenders.
Freeze signed a six-year deal with an average annual value of $6.5 million after four seasons with eight or more wins at Liberty.
“I would see us in the upper echelon of this conference,” Freeze said of Auburn. “We have the facilities, we have the support, we have the administration and you’re in an area that football’s important.”
Freeze, 53, was coach at Ole Miss for five seasons and inherits an Auburn program desperate to rediscover the glory days. He said he wasn’t expecting the door to re-open to the conference after he was dismissed by Ole Miss in the wake of a scandal involving female escorts.
The Plains opted for the change following the in-season dismissal of Bryan Harsin, who compiled a 9-12 record at Auburn before his contract was bought out. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, a former star running back for the program, was named the interim coach after Harsin’s 3-5 start, and the Tigers finished 5-7. They’ve won only two bowl games — in 2015 and 2018 — the past 11 seasons.
One pressing question entering August practices: Where will Freeze turn at quarterback? There are four quarterbacks vying for the job in a competition Freeze said he prefers over anointing a No. 1 right now.
“Quarterback-wise, that’s going to be a challenge for us,” Freeze said.
Among them is Robby Ashford, a player Freeze is confident can help — somewhere — this season.
“He’s probably the absolute best athlete I’ve ever coached at that position,” Freeze said. “I think he’s dynamic in so many ways.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: CLEMSON
2022 Record: 11-3 overall, 9-0 in ACC
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney, 16th year: 161-39
Clemson is still amazing, everyone.
The program didn’t make the College Football Playoff over the last two seasons and all of a sudden it’s doom and gloom, and the game has passed Dabo Swinney by, and Florida State is about to take over the ACC, and …
Clemson was one decent fourth quarter drive away from going to the CFP.
I got into a few friendly debates about this, but had Clemson been able to hang on/get BT Potter in field goal range in the 31-30 loss to South Carolina, and assuming it would still go on to throttle North Carolina 39-10 for the ACC title, no way, no how, NO CHANCE does the College Football Playoff committee leave out a 12-1 ACC Champion Clemson.
Not only that, but Clemson almost certainly would’ve been the 3 seed vs Michigan – TCU, who lost the Big 12 Championship, would’ve been 4 vs Georgia – and then take your guess on whether or not the Wolverine team that showed up against the Horned Frogs would’ve played the same way vs the Tigers, and then …
Clemson would’ve likely been annihilated in the national championship against Georgia, just like it couldn’t push past Ohio State in the 2020 season’s semis, and just like it got throttled by the epic 2019 LSU team in the title game – but now we’re dealing with first world college football program concerns.
Again, Clemson was almost certainly two points away from seven playoffs in eight years. Instead, it suffered the indignity of losing to the hated rival, and went on to look totally outclassed by Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.
And that’s going to be the issue going forward. Clemson can win 11 games, go unbeaten in conference play – not counting losing to Notre Dame – win the ACC title, and go to a fantastic bowl game, and it all seems like a – it’s the wrong word, but okay – failure because of what Dabo Swinney has created.
But his style and stubbornness needs to prove his way really is the right way.
The guy who supposedly was going to quit if college players got paid – but has a contract worth well over $100 million – is still around even though Clemson has joined the world of NIL, too. That’s fine – he’s hardly alone among coaches in his NIL thoughts – but what Swinney hasn’t relented to is the transfer portal.
It’s so crazy it just might work. Part of the success at Clemson was the continuity, especially in the coaching staff, and Swinney has vowed his teams would be built from within. There’s something to that – more of a sense of loyalty, less stress when it comes to making a mistake, more of a one-of-us feeling that the players really are part of something. It’s actually a terrific selling point.
That’s fine, but as the South Carolina game – and others throughout the season – showed, Clemson might have been one reliable healthy deep threat and one extra veteran playmaking defensive back away from maybe playing for the national title. So this year, all of that in-house talent had better be the stuff, because this is it. There is no going the free agent route to do any upgrading.
It all needs to lead to 12-1. Next year in the expanded College Football Playoff, Clemson should have a permanent residence as long as it keeps the losses to two or fewer every year.
To take that extra step, though, and be back in the national title picture – and God forbid Florida State really does rise up and rock the ACC and/or it’s a third straight year without a CFP appearance – this needs to be the season that proves Dabo right.
TCU’s offense hit the downfield shots Clemson’s O struggled to come up with last season. The Horned Frog attack was balanced, explosive, and very, very clutch, and now it’s up to its former offensive coordinator Garrett Riley to reboot the Tigers.
Clemson was hardly awful – 410 yards and 33 points per game, great on third downs, solid at running the ball – but there were too many turnovers, not enough big passing plays, and the whole thing was too inconsistent. And now …
You don’t have DJ Uiagalelei to kick around anymore. He was better than he got credit for considering the receivers had an okay season, but he wasn’t Trevor, Deshaun, or Tajh, and he wasn’t Cade Klubnik. Now Uiagalelei is an Oregon State Beaver, and all the pressure is on Klubnik to play up to his superstar recruit status.
He was amazing in the ACC Championship – 20-of-24 for 279 yards – but even with the 320 yards in the Orange Bowl against Tennessee, he struggled a bit. The talent is undeniable, the next level passing skills are there, he can run, and now the gig is all his. But …
Not to position shame, but again, the receivers – who were hardly bad – weren’t always amazing. Uiagalelei wasn’t always great, but he didn’t get a ton of help, either. Like everywhere else on Clemson, there’s a ton of potential star power in the receiving corps, but it needs to shine through.
That starts with getting the deep shots on the outside from Adam Randall – who should be amazing now that he’s healthy; more on that in the Key Player blurb – Beaux Collins has to show off that NFL upside even more after averaging 17 yards per catch on his 22 grabs, and leading receiver Antonio Williams has to build on a solid 56-catch season with 604 yards. The pieces are there, and that includes 25-catch TE Jake Briningstool to work as more than just a safety valve for Klubnik.
Will Shipley is a great all-around back – 1,182 yards and 15 scores, 38 catches – and 230-pound Phil Mafah added 515 yards and four scores. Between these two and Klubnik, the ground game will be strong behind a line that was decent at keeping defenses out of the backfield and good enough for the ground game.
The interior with guards Marcus Tate and Walker Parks along with C Will Putnam will be among the best in the ACC, and now it’s up to the young sophomore tackles Blake Miller and Tristan Leigh to take over as steady mainstays.
Yes, the secondary needed to do a bit more against the better passers considering the pieces in place, and yeah, the run defense was a bit concerning in the loss to Notre Dame and fight against Florida State, but the pass rush was among the best in the country, overall the run D was great, and talent-wise, this group is LOADED and deep. It starts with
The tackles. What’s the difference between the SEC and everyone else? No one has the 300-pound guys inside who can move like that conference gets. Clemson is obviously not in the SEC, but it’s one of the reasons it’s been able to compete at the highest of levels in the Dabo Swinney era – the tackles are always phenomenal.
The combination of Duke Orhorhoro and Tyler Davis is right there with the best in the country. The proven depth is way thin, but the two main guys are killers, and now …
The ends have to come through. Xavier Thomas has been fine, but he hasn’t been up to his 5-star super-recruit potential quite yet, and it’s asking a ton for Justin Mascoll to be another Myles Murphy on the other side.
The same issues with developed depth are there with the linebacking corps, too – cost of doing business if you don’t dabble with the portal – but the starting three is potentially devastating. The 1-2 punch of Jeremiah Trotter inside and Barrett Carter outside will get to everything – 161 combined tackles last season with 13 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, four picks, and 13 broken up passes. Wade Woodaz is a great looking outside linebacker taking over for new Baltimore Raven Trenton Simpson.
The talent is there in the secondary, but now the big plays have to come. Nate Wiggins is a future NFL starting corner with 12 broken up passes last season with an end-to-end pick six in the ACC title game against North Carolina, but that was his only interception. Sheridan Jones has been around for forever and has NFL tools, but he has just two picks and four broken up passes in four years. They’re both great, but again, they need to come up with more game-changing plays.
S Jalyn Phillips was second on the team with 74 tackles, and Andrew Mukaba is a Swiss army knife who can play anywhere and produce. RJ Mickens is a good safety in the mix – he led the team with three picks to go along with 47 tackles.
WHY THE SEC AND BIG 12 CAN HAVE THRIVING COLLEGE FOOTBALL RIVALRY
(USA TODAY)
The SEC’s next invasion of Big 12 terrain will occur in 2024.
This one, though, only really affects sports hacks like me who cover college football. SEC Media Days will navigate to Dallas next July, conference commissioner Greg Sankey announced Monday. This is hardly a paradigm-shifting development, but it’s notable because the Big 12 conducts its annual preseason media bash at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Once again, the SEC will flex some muscle in a region that used to belong to the Big 12. The SEC’s so-called “talkin’ season” going to Dallas will be a direct reminder of how the SEC raided the Big 12 to grow in number, influence, territory and financial might. The SEC’s past two expansions came at the Big 12’s expense – first Texas A&M and Missouri, then Oklahoma and Texas.
That growth elevated the SEC into super-conference stratum, and the Big Ten paralleled the SEC’s ascent as the Power Five morphed into a Super Two.
A battle is underway between the remaining Power Five leagues to claim that No. 3 conference perch.
Despite its membership losses, the Big 12 is best positioned to claim that spot, a credit to how its commissioner, Brett Yormark, steadied the conference after it lost Oklahoma and Texas. Yormark struck a new media rights deal that will keep the Big 12 on the ESPN and FOX airwaves, and he rounded up four quality additions − Brigham Young, Cincinnati, Central Florida and Houston − that will begin Big 12 competition this year.
Still, the Big 12 harbors some hurt feelings, which became apparent when some of its most prominent voices directed zingers at former or departing members.
TCU football coach Sonny Dykes recently belittled the SEC performances of Missouri and Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy lamented that Oklahoma’s Big 12 exit will end the Bedlam rivalry. Yormark downplayed the reality of his conference losing two members that gobble of blue-chip football talent.
Such comments make the Big 12 sound like a jealous ex, but for the conference to best position itself for the future, it should embrace the SEC as, if not an ally, at least a potential partner to enhance its business opportunities and perception.
What better way for the Big 12 to show it belongs in the conversation with the Super Two than by beating SEC teams on the field?
Big 12 teams should seize any chance to play Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M. Gundy is looking at this wrong. If Oklahoma State punched back at Oklahoma on the field, that would serve as the ultimate revenge, not to mention improving the Pokes’ standing for a 12-team College Football Playoff.
Several other SEC members, such as Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State, make for logical nonconference opponents, too.
The SEC’s top rung clearly outpaces the Big 12’s. For evidence, consult the score of the national championship game in January. But the Big 12 still boasts plenty of teams that can tussle with your average SEC opponent. Two seasons ago, bowl game results included Baylor beating Mississippi, Central Florida toppling Florida, Kansas State stopping LSU and Texas Tech trouncing Mississippi State.
As for men’s basketball, the Big 12 already was ranked as the nation’s best conference. Adding BYU, Cincinnati and Houston bolsters that reputation.
The Big Ten and SEC may be college football’s twin powers, but historically, they don’t meet often in regular-season games. Cue the Big 12.
Fact is, SEC institutions have a lot in common with certain Big 12 peers. The SEC clearly thinks so, as it showed when it coveted four Big 12 schools for membership. Bitter emotions caused by past raids should be redirected into a mutually beneficial interconference rivalry.
College football schedules are made years in advance. Already, some Big 12-SEC nonconference games highlight future dockets. Auburn and Baylor are set to play in 2025 and 2026, and Missouri and Kansas will renew their rivalry in those seasons. Florida and UCF will play their first meeting of a three-game series in 2024. And Houston and LSU will meet in 2027 in a matchup that has ingredients for a semi-regular series.
Don’t let this be the end of such scheduling opportunities.
TCU needs one more nonconference opponent in 2024. Oklahoma has an opening. How about it, Dykes? Care to prove that leaving the Big 12 for the SEC is a losing move?
The Big 12 and SEC have locked arms before. When the college football season teetered on the brink in 2020 amid the COVID pandemic, the Big 12 and the ACC initially were the only Power Five members to unite with the SEC in pledging to play that fall. The Big Ten and Pac-12 later came around.
For years, the Big 12/SEC challenge highlighted men’s and women’s basketball nonconference scheduling.
Yormark doesn’t want to stand still. He desires more expansion. Meanwhile, the ACC is hamstrung by a long-term media rights deal that has caused fissures in its membership, while the Pac-12 spins its tires in search of a new media rights deal as it tries to retain its membership.
This is the Big 12’s moment.
The SEC is persistent in its invasion of Big 12 territory, and that plants seeds for an interconference battle.
What better way for the Big 12 to prove it belongs on a tier with the big boys than to challenge the bully that keeps shoving its way onto Big 12 turf?
NFL NEWS
SETTLING ON TOM BRADY’S SUCCESSOR WILL BE BUCCANEERS’ TOP PRIORITY IN TRAINING CAMP
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (8-10)
CAMP SITE: Tampa, Florida
KEY ADDITIONS: QB Baker Mayfield, G Matt Feiler, DL Greg Gaines, S Ryan Neal, RB Chase Edmonds, DL Calijah Kancey.
KEY LOSSES: QB Tom Brady, T Donovan Smith, G Shaq Mason, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, S Mike Edwards, RB Leonard Fournette, TE Cameron Brate, WR Julio Jones, K Ryan Succop, S Ryan Logan, RB Giovani Bernard.
KEY STORYLINES: Brady retired after last season’s first-round playoff loss, and the competition between Mayfield and third-year pro Kyle Trask to become the seven-time Super Bowl champion’s successor will extend into training camp. Second-year coach Todd Bowles also faces the task of retooling a leaky offensive line, rejuvenating one of the NFL’s least productive running games and restoring the confidence of a defense that wasn’t as reliable as usual in Brady’s final season.
FANDUEL SUPER BOWL ODDS: +7500
BROWNS, QB DESHAUN WATSON HEAD INTO SECOND CAMP WITH SUSPENSION IN PAST, RAISED EXPECTATIONS
CLEVELAND BROWNS (7-10)
CAMP SITES: White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.; Berea, Ohio
KEY ADDITIONS: Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, DE Za’Darius Smith, S Juan Thornhill, DT Dalvin Tomlinson, DE Ogbo Okoronkwo, S Rodney McLeod, WR Elijah Moore, WR Marquise Goodwin, TE Jordan Akins, rookie WR Cedric Tillman, QB Joshua Dobbs.
KEY LOSSES: Defensive coordinator Joe Woods, special team coordinator Mike Priefer, QB Jacoby Brissett, DE Jadeveon Clowney, S John Johnson III, S Ronnie Harrison, RB Kareem Hunt, DE Chase Winovich, T Chris Hubbard, RB D’Ernest Johnson, LB Deion Jones, CB Greedy Williams.
KEY STORYLINES: Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s legal entanglements are no longer a distraction or excuse for the Browns, one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments the past two seasons. Watson played just six games last season — his first with Cleveland — after being suspended 11 by the NFL for violating its personal conduct policy after he was accused of sexual assault by two dozen women during massage therapy sessions while playing for Houston. Watson needs to develop chemistry with Moore and Goodwin, speedy playmakers brought in to stretch the field. Cleveland invested heavily into fixing its defensive front, and it’s up to Schwartz to improve a unit that woefully underperformed in 2022. Thornhill, who won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs last season, should improve a secondary beset by communication problems throughout much of last season. This is a critical season for coach Kevin Stefanski, who enters Year 4 with his most talented roster and expectations that the Browns will challenge Cincinnati for the AFC North title.
FANDUEL SUPER BOWL ODDS: +2800
THE EAGLES HEAD INTO CAMP WITH A DEEP ROSTER AND SUPER BOWL ASPIRATIONS
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (16-4)
CAMP SITE: Philadelphia
KEY ADDITIONS: DT Jalen Carter, LB Nolan Smith, LB Nicholas Morrow, RB Rashaad Penny, RB D’Andre Swift, QB Marcus Mariota, S Terrell Edmunds, offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, defensive coordinator Sean Desai.
KEY LOSSES: DT Javon Hargrave, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, LB T.J. Edwards, RB Miles Sanders, RG Isaac Seumalo, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, offensive coordinator Shane Steichen.
KEY STORYLINES: The Eagles are talented and deep on both sides of the ball, though there still are some questions heading into camp. Offensively, the biggest question mark and probable training camp competition is who will replace running back Miles Sanders (1,269 yards, 11 TDs last season). Incumbent Kenneth Gainwell, trade acquisition D’Andre Swift and free-agent signee Rashaad Penny will be in competition for the No. 1 back spot. Philadelphia also needs a right guard after Isaac Seumalo signed with the Steelers in the offseason. Cam Jurgens, a 2022 second-round pick, could slide over from his natural center position to fill the spot. On defense, the Eagles lost five starters from a unit that finished first against the pass and No. 2 overall in 2022. Safety appears to be the team’s biggest need, with returnees Avonte Maddox and Reed Blankenship the likely front-runners as starters. They will be pushed by rookie third-round pick Sydney Brown and free-agent signee Terrell Edmunds. In addition to the players, the Eagles have new leaders on offense and defense with the departure of coordinators Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon, now the head coaches of the Colts and Cardinals, respectively. On offense, the Eagles promoted quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson while hiring Sean Desai to lead the defense. Johnson never has been an NFL coordinator while Desai has limited experience in the role, so their leadership will be something to watch during camp.
FANDUEL SUPER BOWL ODDS: +800
HERE WE GO AGAIN: BRONCOS UNDERGO YET ANOTHER RESET WITH SEAN PAYTON TRYING TO RESCUE RUSSELL WILSON
DENVER BRONCOS (5-12)
CAMP SITE: Englewood, Colorado
KEY ADDITIONS: HC Sean Payton, OC Vance Joseph, OLB Frank Clark, K Elliott Fry, WR Marvin Mims, G Ben Powers, RB Samaje Perine, WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, DE Zach Allen, TE Chris Manhertz, OT Mike McGlinchey, QB Jarett Stidham, P Riley Dixon.
KEY LOSSES: K Brandon McManus, DE Dre’Mont Jones, G Dalton Risner, T Calvin Anderson, OL Graham Glasgow, CB Ronald Darby.
KEY STORYLINES: It all boils down to whether quarterback Russell Wilson can show that 2022 was an abnormality and not his new normal. Shockingly bad under novice head coach Nathaniel Hackett, Wilson’s dive was one of the biggest surprises last season and it came on the heels of the Broncos signing him to an enormous contract extension following his acquisition from Seattle. The Broncos retooled their porous offensive line to put beefier pocket protectors in front of Wilson. Payton promises to build his offense around the ground game, taking pressure off his quarterback but putting it on Javonte Williams who is coming off a knee injury. Williams says he’ll be ready for camp but free agent addition Samaje Perine will carry the load until Williams is full-go. Denver hasn’t sniffed the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50 in Peyton Manning’s farewell game in 2016 and he’s already been in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for two years.
FANDUEL SUPER BOWL ODDS: +4500
PATRIOTS HEAD INTO CAMP LOOKING TO BUILD ON OFFSEASON OFFENSIVE OVERALL
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (8-9)
CAMP SITE: Foxborough, Mass.
KEY ADDITIONS: Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, Offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, OT Calvin Anderson, OT Riley Reiff, TE Mike Gesicki, TE Anthony Firkser, QB Trace McSorley, LB Chris Board, CB Christian Gonzalez, DE Keion White, LB Marte Mapu, OL Jake Andrews, K Chad Ryland.
KEY LOSSES: WR Jakobi Meyers, QB Brian Hoyer, WR Nelson Agholor, OT Isaiah Wynn, RB Damien Harris, P Jake Bailey, CB Joejuan Williams.
KEY STORYLINES: The Patriots struggled last season after coach Bill Belichick entrusted the development of quarterback Mac Jones and the offense to a pair of first-time offensive coaches in play-caller Matt Patricia and quarterbacks coach Joe Judge. Patricia left to join the Eagles’ coaching staff. Judge will return, but will be working mostly on special teams. To steer the course correction, Belichick has put the offense in the hands of new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who previously held the job for five seasons. How O’Brien puts his stamp on the unit, integrates new players such as JuJu Smith-Schuster and rebuilds the protection around Jones is the story to watch this summer. The defense also some holes to plug, notably in the secondary after safety Devin McCourty’s retirement.
FANDUEL SUPER BOWL ODDS: +5500
NFL PREVIEW: DALLAS COWBOYS
When Dak Prescott delivered a dud against the 49ers in last year’s divisional round to give the Cowboys another quick postseason exit, it might have signaled the beginning of the end of an era in Dallas.
Prescott wasn’t shown the door for the poor performance, but the pressure is high for him to finally get the Cowboys over the hump, partly because he’s due for another deal. His current contract doesn’t have guaranteed money past this year, and his cap number will balloon to $59.45 million in 2024, according to Over the Cap.
It might be a make-or-break season for Prescott, but running back Ezekiel Elliott and tight end Dalton Schultz are already gone—neither got an extra year to make it work in Dallas. (Although, there’s a possibility of a reunion with Elliott because he remains a free agent). Tony Pollard is the new lead back after a breakout 2022 season, while tight ends Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker (a rookie) will look to replicate Schultz’s production.
The team also parted with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who guided the Cowboys to four prolific statistical seasons as the play-caller, but ultimately did them no favors in the postseason.
With Moore gone, the pressure is high for coach Mike McCarthy, who holds a different philosophy than the now offensive coordinator of the Chargers. McCarthy also made the bold decision to take over as the offensive play-caller, something he hasn’t done since 2018 when he was the head coach of the Packers.
The Cowboys once again have a talented roster, but changes could occur next season at critical positions if they don’t at least reach the NFC title game for what would be the first time since 1995.
Biggest gamble this offseason: Trading for Cooks and Gilmore
Instead of splurging in free agency, the Cowboys traded for wide receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Stephon Gilmore, sending Day 3 draft picks to the Texans and Colts, respectively. It was a creative way of improving the roster without having to overpay for players on the open market and probably the necessary option with limited cap space due to Prescott’s hefty contract. (The Cowboys also kept in mind the looming contract extensions for Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs and CeeDee Lamb.) Although that approach was a smart move financially, Dallas is now banking on two players who might be past their primes. Gilmore proved last season with the Colts he still has plenty left to offer, but he’s heading into his age-33 season. Cooks is younger—he’ll turn 30 in September—but he’s coming off a down 2022 season and has dealt with many injuries in his career. The Cowboys need Cooks to be a standout No. 2 wideout to Lamb and for Gilmore to do the same for Diggs if they want to finally get past the divisional round.
Toughest stretch of the season: Weeks 13 to 17
The Cowboys will have a brutal five-game stretch near the end of the regular season, starting with a home game vs. the Seahawks. They’ll then host the Eagles in Week 14 before back-to-back road games against the Bills and Dolphins. That’s three consecutive games against potential Super Bowl contenders, but the schedule doesn’t get any easier after that: Dallas will host a Week 17 game with the Lions, who are also receiving plenty of hype. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Seahawks and Lions are on the same level as the Eagles, Bills and Dolphins.
Breakout player to watch: Edge rusher Sam Williams
It’s tough to go with Williams here due to the depth at the position (more on that later). But given how impressive he was, playing limited snaps as a rookie, Williams has a strong chance of cracking the rotation if he continues to ascend in his second season. The 2022 second-round pick made impact plays (four sacks, 10 tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits) despite playing only 27% of the team’s defensive snaps last season. With the Cowboys having so many talented edge rushers, Williams will likely continue taking advantage of his matchups to possibly record more than 10 sacks in ’23.
Position of strength: Edge rusher
Williams is so buried on the depth chart because he plays behind the starting duo of Parsons, a two-time first-team All-Pro, and DeMarcus Lawrence, a three-time Pro Bowler. Also, Dorance Armstrong Jr. is a quality edge rusher with 8.5 sacks last season, and Dante Fowler Jr. continues to be a reliable playmaker. With Parsons moving full time to defensive end, rookie DeMarvion Overshown might take over the veteran’s former role of splitting time on the defensive line and at linebacker. The Cowboys could have a pass-rushing rotation that goes six deep on the edges.
Position of weakness: Interior defensive line
The Cowboys struggled with stopping the run last season, leading them to draft defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the first round for this year’s draft. Smith was known in college for defending the run, but the Cowboys haven’t had much luck with inexperienced players making an immediate impact on the interior of the defensive line: Osa Odighizuwa, a 2021 third-round pick, and Neville Gallimore, a ’20 third-round pick, have been inconsistent to start their careers.
X-factor: WR Michael Gallup
The Cowboys are counting on Lamb and Cooks to form one of the better receiving duos in the league, but they also need Gallup to finally deliver a complete season after a few down years. Gallup has flashed often in his first five seasons, but he tends to have long stretches of disappearing from the offense, and injuries over the past few years haven’t helped. If Gallup can return to what he did in 2019, with 66 catches for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns, Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense will be tough to stop this season.
Sleeper fantasy pick: TE Jake Ferguson
The Cowboys drafted Schoonmaker in the 2023 second round, but Ferguson is still the tight end to target on their roster. While a committee could emerge, we know Dallas likes to use a primary tight end on offense. Ferguson is the best of its trio of options. He’s a deep league flier. —Michael Fabiano, SI Fantasy
Best bet: Take the over on CeeDee Lamb’s 1100.5 receiving yards
Just as he did in each of his last two seasons, Lamb will hit this again. Entering his fourth season with the Cowboys, the wide receiver has the most experience and chemistry with Prescott. Especially with no Schultz on the roster, Cooks and Gallup won’t keep Lamb from exceeding this total. —Jennifer Piacenti, SI Betting
RUNNING BACKS EXPRESS OUTRAGE AT LACK OF CONTRACT ACTION
Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry weren’t shy about voicing their displeasure after fellow running backs Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard were unable to reach multi-year contracts ahead of the deadline for franchise-tagged players.
Barkley, Jacobs and Pollard are in line to play under the $10.091 million tag this season, provided the first two sign the tender.
While Barkley tweeted “It is what it is” on Monday, Taylor had a much longer response in regard to the situation surrounding the New York Giants running back.
“1. If you’re good enough, they’ll find you. 2. If you work hard enough, you’ll succeed,” the Colts running back wrote on Twitter. “…If you succeed … 3. You boost the Organization …and then… Doesn’t matter, you’re a RB.”
Henry, a two-time rushing champion for the Tennessee Titans, took an even strong stance.
“At this point, just take the RB position out the game then,” he tweeted. “The ones that want to be great & work as hard as they can to give their all to an organization, just seems like it don’t even matter. I’m with every RB that’s fighting to get what they deserve.”
San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey, who is the NFL’s highest-paid running back at $16 million per season, labeled the situation as “criminal.”
Pittsburgh Steelers standout Najee Harris said in part that the “notion that we deserve less is a joke.”
Barkley, 26, was the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after a dynamic career at Penn State. He posted a career-high 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 games (all starts) last season while playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal.
The Giants’ current regime of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll did not draft Barkley, but he appeared to be part of their long-term plans. Reports indicated that the sides were negotiating a long-term deal up until the deadline.
The Las Vegas Raiders did not pick up the fifth-year option on Jacobs’ rookie contract a year ago.
Jacobs, 25, responded by putting up 1,653 rushing yards on 340 touches (4.9 per attempt) and 12 touchdowns while starting all 17 games. He added 400 receiving yards in order to lead the league with 2,053 total yards from scrimmage. He was a first-team All-Pro and received his second Pro Bowl nod.
The Dallas Cowboys’ running game will go through Pollard, who is taking over RB1 from the released Ezekiel Elliott. Pollard took part in offseason activities as he recovered from ankle surgery, and he is expected to be ready to go when training camp opens July 26.
Pollard, 26, was selected to his first Pro Bowl after last season, in which he ran for a career-high 1,007 yards. He added 39 receptions for 371 yards, and he scored a combined 12 touchdowns in 16 games (four starts).
JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER (KNEE) READY TO GO FOR CAMP
Free-agent acquisition JuJu Smith-Schuster is fully recovered from a knee injury and ready to go for the opening of training camp with the New England Patriots next week.
Smith-Schuster told the Boston Globe on Monday that he will be a full participant when camp kicks off July 26. Smith-Schuster missed the team’s entire offseason program after sustaining a knee injury in the postseason with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Smith-Schuster signed a three-year contract worth $33 million with the Patriots in March.
Smith-Schuster, 26, caught 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns for the Chiefs in 2022, his only season in Kansas City.
He reportedly sustained his knee in the AFC Championship Game but played through it, racking up 10 catches for 89 yards in the Chiefs’ postseason run, culminating with a Super Bowl victory.
Smith-Schuster, a former second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has 401 career receptions for 4,788 yards and 29 TDs.
TITANS’ MIKE VRABEL ON DEANDRE HOPKINS: ‘CONFIDENT’ HE’LL HELP
Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel on Tuesday defended his team’s reported signing of DeAndre Hopkins after the club failed in its previous attempt to bring in a veteran high-profile wide receiver.
The Titans’ previously attempted to bolster their wide receiver room in 2021 with the signing of star Julio Jones. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection, however, finished with just 31 catches for 434 yards and one touchdown in 10 games during his lone season with Tennessee.
On Sunday, multiple media outlets reported Hopkins will sign with the Titans on a two-year, $26 million contract worth up to $32 million with incentives. He reportedly will receive a base salary of $12 million in the first season with a chance to increase to $15 million.
“I don’t think whatever happened in the past with another player is going to apply to this particular player,” Vrabel said on Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “If things come up, we’ll have to work through them. We wouldn’t have signed him or wanted to sign him if we weren’t confident he’d help us.”
Hopkins, 31, and Vrabel were together with the Houston Texans when the latter was their linebackers coach (2014-16) and defensive coordinator (2017). Hopkins met with the team in Nashville last month.
The Arizona Cardinals released Hopkins on May 26 after they reportedly failed to find a trade partner.
A three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection, Hopkins has 853 catches for 11,298 yards and 71 touchdowns in 145 games (all starts) with the Texans (2013-19) and Cardinals.
Hopkins had 64 catches for 717 yards with three touchdowns during a 2022 season in which he missed the first six games while serving a suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. He sat out the final two games with a knee injury.
Since trading A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the 2022 season, the Titans have been looking for a new WR1. Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Kyle Philips are the current projected starters.
This is the first major splash for new Titans general manager Ran Carthon, who was hired in January to replace Jon Robinson.
WR DESEAN JACKSON CLARIFIES POST, SAYS HE’S NOT RETIRING
Three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson clarified a post on social media that many interpreted as a retirement announcement.
Jackson, 36, initially caused a stir on Sunday morning with the following post on Instagram:
“Did it my way 15 years strong!! Neva anotha like it! #0ne0fone”
Two days later, Jackson took to social media in a bid to clear the air.
“They reaching my last post wasn’t a retirement post! I just had to get some stuff off my chest! Y’all will know when the Boi retire!” he wrote on Instagram.
Jackson, who is an unrestricted free agent, had nine catches for 153 yards in seven games (one start) last season with the Baltimore Ravens.
He has 641 receptions for 11,263 yards and 58 touchdowns in 183 games (159 starts) with the Philadelphia Eagles (2008-13, 2019-20), Washington franchise (2014-16), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017-18), Los Angeles Rams (2021), Las Vegas Raiders (2021) and Ravens (2022).
A second-round pick by the Eagles in 2008, Jackson led the NFL in yards per reception in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018.
MAHOMES WANTS CHIEFS TO ‘KEEP BUILDING’ TOWARD RARE SUPER BOWL REPEAT
Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes reported for training camp Tuesday and is already thinking about how the reigning Super Bowl champions can keep competing in a stacked AFC.
“The thing this year is how we can keep building?” the quarterback said, according to NFL.com’s Michael Baca. “Obviously, we won the Super Bowl last year and it was amazing, but we still have a lot of young guys, and we want to continue to get better and better. You look around the AFC, everyone has gotten better. So you want to continue to build and build and not be satisfied with what we did last year and see if we can take that next step.”
The New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens, among other AFC teams, significantly improved their rosters this offseason. New York made headlines when it traded for four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. Meanwhile, Baltimore re-signed quarterback Lamar Jackson, added two new starting receivers, and hired Todd Monken as the new offensive coordinator.
Kansas City won its second Super Bowl with Mahomes in February. Only seven NFL franchises have ever lifted the Lombardi Trophy in back-to-back years – the New England Patriots were the most recent club to achieve the feat in 2003-04. Led by Mahomes, Kansas City reached consecutive big games in 2019-20 but fell short against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV after winning the previous campaign.
The Chiefs, who’ve hosted the AFC title game for five straight seasons, bolstered their offense by signing tackles Jawaan Taylor and Donovan Smith and drafting wide receiver Rashee Rice in the second round. Defensively, the AFC West club used a first-round pick on defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Kansas City also signed lineman Charles Omenihu.
“I’m always confident that we have a chance to get to the Super Bowl, but I understand it’s a process, I understand it’s not easy,” Mahomes added. “We want to have a special group that kinda can carry out a legacy, and I think we have the right guys and now let’s just go out there and do it.”
The quarterback also addressed the ankle injury that bothered him for most of the playoffs, saying it “feels great” ahead of the new season.
“Going into OTAs a little bit, I was still a little timid about running and cutting and doing stuff like that,” Mahomes said. “But when I got closer to that minicamp and that later OTA stage, I got the confidence back in my ankle. I’m sure I’m not gonna be running a lot right now, but we’ll be testing it a lot.”
The Chiefs kick off the 2023 season against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 7.
NHL NEWS
GALCHENYUK TO CHECK INTO PLAYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AFTER OUTBURST DURING ARREST
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Former Arizona Coyotes player Alex Galchenyuk is entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and apologized for hurling threats at officers during his arrest earlier this month.
Galchenyuk tweeted a letter on Tuesday apologizing for repeatedly using racial slurs toward an officer in training and threated to have two officers killed following a July 9 traffic stop.
“I am deeply ashamed of my recent behavior and I am beyond sorry to everyone I offended and hurt,” he wrote. “It was uncalled for, it was horrific and it has ruined this great new opportunity I was given by the Coyotes. I am beyond embarrassed and disappointed with myself and I feel awful for everyone I have let down.”
A Scottsdale Police Department report said Galchenyuk was erratic and aggressive toward officers after apparently crashing a car into a sign.
Galchenyuk resisted the officers’ efforts to handcuff him and repeatedly uttered a racial slur toward the officer in training on the way to the Scottsdale jail, the report said. He also threatened to have the officers and their families killed, citing connections in Moscow.
Galchenyuk was arrested on charges of private property hit-and-run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest and threatening or intimidating, police said.
Galchenyuk apologized to the Coyotes, their fans and the police officers for his “despicable and disrespectful behavior” in his letter, saying he was checking himself into the player assistance program.
“I am doing this to get the help I need and hope to never make a mistake like this again,” he wrote.
The Coyotes signed Galchenyuk to a one-year, $775,000 contract on July 1 for his third stint with the team. Following his arrest, the Coyotes put Galchenyuk on unconditional waivers and terminated his contract the next day.
AUTO RACING
MARTIN TRUEX JR. ‘BAD AT MAKING BIG DECISIONS’ AS HE PONDERS NASCAR RETIREMENT
LOUDON, N.H. (AP) — With three wins, a lead in the points standings, and a NASCAR championship push ahead, the good times are rolling again for Martin Truex Jr.
So why quit now?
Joe Gibbs asked himself the same question about Truex as the Hall of Fame owner tries to keep Monday’s winner at New Hampshire in the fold of his eponymous race team for one more season.
The 82-year-old Gibbs playfully nudged Truex to make the call soon: Retire or give it another run at JGR.
“He tells me the same thing every year, that I’m right in the middle of trying to make this decision,” Gibbs said. “I go, come on, what are you talking about, man? You’re making money, you’re having fun, you’re driving race cars. Come on.”
If Gibbs can’t get an easy answer yet, maybe he should consult Truex’s dad.
The retired racer, who won a regional stock car race at New Hampshire 29 years earlier, believed a big rebound season for his son may fuel the resolve to return in the No. 19 Toyota in 2024.
“The way they’re running, I would be surprised if he retired,” the elder Truex said Tuesday by phone. “But that’s up to him.”
The JGR driver has publicly pondered retirement for a second straight season. Truex quieted season-long speculation last June that he could retire at the end of 2022 with a succinct statement: “ I’m back. ”
Last year, the possibility of retirement seemed a bit more understandable. The 43-year-old Truex struggled in the first season of NASCAR’s new Next Gen stock car. He failed to win a race or make the playoffs for the first time since 2014 when he drove for now-defunct Furniture Row Racing, the organization where he would shortly undergo a career rebirth and win the 2017 championship.
Once FRR went away, Truex moved to Gibbs and won seven races in his first season. He’s a three-time championship runner-up since moving to Gibbs and he’s won 19 races since joining the organization — including his first one in 30 tries at New Hampshire.
Truex insisted he’s honestly conflicted about the outcome.
“I’m bad at making big decisions,” he said.
Truex has figured out the car and the results show he’s in sync with crew chief James Small. Truex has won three of the last 10 Cup races — oddly, Dover and New Hampshire were on Mondays — and has four other top 10s over that span.
“I think it’s just learning these new cars,” Truex Sr. said. “It’s a whole new different package. It takes a little time, especially with no practicing. So whoever hits it is gonna look like a superstar.”
And that’s his son right now.
“They’re on to something,” Truex Sr. said.
Truex, who is 0 for 19 in the Daytona 500, picked up two of his more meaningful victories of his career this season.
The first came in May at Dover when he was part of a family sweep at the track. Younger brother Ryan won the second-tier Xfinity Series race for his first NASCAR victory across all three national series in 188 career starts. Big brother was the first one to poke his head in Ryan’s Toyota as he pulled it into victory lane. Dad was there to celebrate with both sons.
“That was awesome. Like a dream come true,” Truex Sr. said.
Then came New Hampshire. The elder Truex, who raised his family in Mayetta, New Jersey, still owns the Maryland-based clam supplier Sea Watch International. He had enough free weekends to race stock cars, mostly in the Northeast. He even made 15 starts in what is now the Xfinity Series.
It was those family trips to the track — Ryan tweeted an old photo of him, Martin and their mother at the track — that helped form Truex’s earliest racing memories. It also helped get Truex hooked on racing — and dad could tell he had a prodigy.
“I knew that when he was 12 years old racing go-karts,” Truex said. “He was above his class. He was good at it.”
Truex Sr. won the 1994 Auto Palace/Slick 50 150 in the Busch North Series in July 1994 at Loudon. (Naturally, his sponsor was Blount Seafood). Ryan Truex won at Loudon, too, taking the checkered flag in 2010 in a K&N Pro Series East race. Martin had just turned 20 when he won he won a regional stock car series race at the track in the same race his father finished fifth.
His father then promptly retired.
“He’s like, ‘you’re too good. I need to give you my cars, the best equipment I have and put everything behind you,’” Truex Jr. said. “I’m like, why are you doing that? (He said) ’You can win here and keep going.’”
Truex hasn’t stopped yet.
But the time to hang up the helmet is coming.
Truex said he was poised to buy a saltwater fishing boat so he could spend his free days on the water in search of some tuna. It sounded like a perfect retirement gift to himself. Dad said don’t worry, if Truex wants to keep racing and still fish, the family has a Viking 56 Convertible at their disposal.
Truex laughed as he said his family “screwed up” for not attending Monday’s win. That’s OK. Truex Sr. said the family already booked their trip for the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Phoenix because he thinks Truex will race for the championship?
“Absolutely,” the elder Truex said.
But will Phoenix also serve as the last time Truex will strap in and drive the Toyota?
“I wish I had more time to figure out what I want to do next year, but I don’t,” he said. “So I’ll know soon and you’ll know soon.”
POCONO RACEWAY HAS ALWAYS BEEN UNIQUE IN NASCAR
Pocono Raceway, in the beautiful mountain-scape of Long Pond, Pa., has long been highly regarded for not only the racing it produces, but also the historical moments it has hosted in one of the most unique locales that NASCAR visits. Its motto “Back to the Good Old Days” speaks volumes about the track’s history and the atmosphere, appreciated by fans attending the races and teams competing in them.
The 2.5-mile track in Northeastern Pennsylvania’s foothills plays host to this week’s NASCAR Cup Series HighPoint.com 400 (Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) — the 90th NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono.
Pocono Raceway is still operated as a family business — a third generation of the Mattioli and Igdalsky family overseeing the facility created, cared for and loved by Dr. Joseph “Doc” and Dr. Rose Mattioli.
The facility initially offered up a well-received three-quarter mile track that opened in 1968, but the family decided to realize more potential — a booming local race scene and the benefit of having big cities such as New York City and Philadelphia less than a two-hour drive away.
The “Tricky Triangle” as Pocono is known is applauded for both its one-of-a-kind track layout and the competition it annually produces. Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rodger Ward designed the big track in the early 1970s to deliver a unique and competitive race product — and his success was apparent immediately in Pocono’s 1974 debut on the NASCAR schedule.
The track is the same length as Daytona International Speedway, but its layout makes it one of the most unique offerings on any series schedule. Instead of four turns as is most typical at tracks where NASCAR visits, Pocono features three turns — each entirely different and built to resemble a corner from other famous venues.
Turn 1, for example, features 14-degree banking and is built to be like Trenton (N.J.) Speedway — one of the Northeast’s famed racing facilities until it closed in 1980. Turn 2 is nicknamed “The Tunnel Turn” and banked eight degrees, its shape is similar to a turn at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Turn 3 is banked six degrees and was specifically built as ode to a Midwestern classic: The Milwaukee Mile.
There is even a message on the Pocono racetrack wall that reads, “What turn 4?” And the Pocono front straightaway — at 3,740 feet — is the longest straight of any track on the schedule.
The inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race was held in August 1974 and featured a non-surprising storyline: Richard Petty leading the field to the checkered flag and claiming that first Pocono victory by 18 seconds over Buddy Baker.
Through the years, racing’s best have hoisted trophies at the track. Tim Richmond (1986-87) and Bobby Allison (1982-83) each won three consecutive races there. NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough won the 1979 race that featured 56 lead changes, a track record that still holds today.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon and current Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin hold the record for most wins at Pocono Raceway, each claiming six victories. In fact, Hamlin boasts some amazing history at the track. His Pocono win in 2006 marked the first of his storied NASCAR Cup Series career, and he answered it with a trophy in the season’s second race too — earning a rare rookie sweep.
“I don’t know what it was,” Hamlin says even today of his success at the Pocono track. “I remember my first time there just sitting out on pit road waiting for some sort of veteran to drive by me so I could follow him, and I remember it was Mark Martin. I went out there and I was probably five, six car lengths behind him and was like, ‘OK, this is the line you take.’
“And then five or six laps later, I passed him. And I was like, all right, I think I got it. It was just an interesting scenario and it really fit my driving style.
“I think it’s a racetrack where a certain driving style rewards it. I’ve always been a guy that’s been easy on the entry and hard on the exit and with the long straightaways there I think that really made my car fast doing that.”
A popular driver and now perennial championship challenger, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney celebrated his career first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Pocono in 2017, then driving for the Wood Brothers Racing team. The win was especially significant for Blaney, who remembers making his first quarter-midget race start at the track’s quarter-mile as a kid — marking the launch of his racing career.
“I never thought about it until we won there, but it’s kinda cool, that’s where I made my first quarter-midget start and got started racing,” Blaney said. “My dad’s family is from not too far away (in Ohio) so there are a couple connections.”
“Every track has their fame in their own right. It might not have the same crown jewel effect like Daytona or Darlington, but Pocono has great significance to me and it’s super cool that I won there with the Wood Brothers. They won there twice before — with Neil Bonnet and Pearson — so that was cool to add my name to the guys that won there at that track.”
Hamlin (2006) and RFK Racing driver Chris Buescher (2016) join Blaney as active drivers who scored their first victory at the renowned facility.
“This is our roots and a lot of our fans are here,” Hamlin said of the importance of the Pocono track. “When you look at the upgrades the facility has made, you definitely want to reward them for that investment and care. And I think the fans have showed up and supported it.”
NBA NEWS
KINGS AGREE TO 1-YEAR DEAL WITH C NERLENS NOEL
Free agent center Nerlens Noel and the Sacramento Kings are in agreement on a one-year deal worth $3.1 million, his agent told ESPN on Tuesday.
Noel, 29, played in just 17 games last season between Detroit and Brooklyn, averaging 2.1 points and 2.7 rebounds.
He averages 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds across nine seasons with six teams. He was selected No. 6 overall in the 2013 draft.
WNBA NEWS
MERCURY’S DEFENSE SHUTS DOWN SUN
Sophie Cunningham scored 17 points and the Phoenix Mercury put together one of their best games of the year Tuesday night to surprise the Connecticut Sun 72-66 in Phoenix.
Diana Taurasi added 15 points for the Mercury (5-15), while Brittney Griner chipped in 12 points and Moriah Jefferson hit for 11.
More important, Phoenix held the WNBA’s fourth-highest-scoring team 18 points under its average, limiting Connecticut to 36.1 percent shooting from the field. It marked just the second time this year the Mercury kept an opponent under 70 points.
DeWanna Bonner scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Sun (15-6), while Alyssa Thomas added 11 points and seven assists. Tiffany Hayes and reserve DiJonai Carrington each tallied 10 points.
The Sun cut a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to 63-61 when Bonner canned a pullup jumper with 6:04 left. However, the Mercury went on a game-sealing 9-1 run, and Connecticut didn’t make a field goal for the game’s remainder.
Griner converted two foul shots with 1:28 remaining to give Phoenix a 72-62 cushion, and the hosts coasted to the finish line. The Mercury turned 12 Sun turnovers into 18 points and hit 11 of 26 3-point attempts (42.3 percent). The Sun shot 6 of 16 (37.5 percent) from long distance.
Cunningham insisted before the game that Phoenix had all the right pieces but that it was just a matter of getting them to match at the right time. That started with a 9-2 run late in the first quarter. Taurasi capped the surge with a jumper with 1:30 left in the period, and the Mercury took a 19-15 lead to the second.
Using the 3-point arc well, Phoenix canned three bombs in just over 4 1/2 minutes of the second quarter, and the Mercury held a 39-25 advantage at the 2:02 mark. Phoenix took a 43-34 edge to halftime, thanks to 54.8 percent shooting from the field. Connecticut hit 35.5 percent of its field-goal attempts prior to the break.
Connecticut pulled within 46-43 on a three-point play by Bonner with 6:24 left in the third quarter but went cold after that. When Cunningham drained a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining, the Mercury owned a 58-48 cushion going to the fourth.
DREAM BUILD BIG LEAD, HOLD ON TO BEAT LYNX
Rhyne Howard scored a team-high 21 points and the Atlanta Dream held off a Minnesota Lynx rally in the second half to extend their winning streak to seven with an 82-73 decision on Tuesday in College Park, Ga.
Howard’s three-point play with the shot clock running down at the 1:37 mark of the fourth quarter gave the Dream a 78-68 advantage, part of an 11-0 run that saw the hosts hold Minnesota without a point for a 4:09 stretch.
Nia Coffey and reserve Asia (AD) Durr added 13 points each for the Dream, while Allisha Gray hit for 12 despite running into first-half foul trouble. Atlanta (12-8) won despite making only 9 of 35 shots from the field in the second half (25.7 percent), including 1 of 14 from the 3-point arc (7.1 percent).
Napheesa Collier starred in defeat for the Lynx, pumping in a game-high 35 points on 13-of-24 shooting and also grabbing nine rebounds. However, Kayla McBride was the team’s only other double-figure scorer with 12. The Lynx took their third consecutive loss.
Minnesota (9-12) trailed 51-29 late in the second quarter but rallied within 69-68 when Collier drilled a 3-pointer with 5:15 left in the contest. The Lynx missed three opportunities to tie the game, enabling the Dream to pull away.
Atlanta completely controlled the first half, taking advantage of a Minnesota defense that allowed 113 and 107 points in its two games prior to the All-Star break. The Dream scored 15 points in the game’s first three minutes and held a 32-22 lead after one quarter.
Three-point shooting enabled Atlanta to go up by as much as 22 points in the second quarter before settling for a 54-37 advantage at the break. The Dream shot 12 of 19 from long distance in the half, outscoring the Lynx 36-6 on 3-pointers.
Minnesota made its move in the third quarter, playing its best defense in a few weeks. The Lynx held Atlanta to 11 points and ended the period with a 9-1 run, McBride sinking a pullup jumper to cut the deficit to 65-59 going to the fourth quarter.
COLLEGE ATHLETICS
REPORT: SDSU MUST PAY LEGAL FEES AFTER THREAT TO EXIT MOUNTAIN WEST
San Diego State can stay in the Mountain West through the 2024-25 school year, the conference reportedly told the school, but at a price of paying legal fees stemming from its attempted exit.
The conference’s board of directors met Monday and reached that decision, although they also agreed to pay out more than $6.6 million they had withheld from the school, Yahoo Sports reported on Tuesday.
San Diego State, which had been mentioned as a possible target of the Big 12, announced its intention last month to leave the Mountain West after the upcoming school year. The departure meant triggering an exit fee of $34 million to the conference, although the school hoped to halve that fee because it announced its decision to leave before July 1.
However, when the school had no clear plans where it would land later in June, it asked the Mountain West for extra time to set its future course, without paying the higher fee. Just before the deadline, the school backtracked and said it was not leaving at all.
The conference maintained that San Diego State had already withdrawn and needed to pay the exit fee, and withheld some of the money it owed the school as an installment on that fee.
The conference made that payment on Tuesday, according to Yahoo Sports.
TOP INDIANA NEWS/RELEASES FROM ORGANIZATIONS
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
THE HORSESHOE CLASSICM FIELD SET FOR WEEK 1
The Indiana High School football season kicks-off August 18 and the Horseshoe Classic field was announced Tuesday. Cathedral takes on Lafayette Jeff and Noblesville plays Mt. Vernon.
Cathedral went 10-2 last season while Jeff is coming off a 9-3 campaign. Cathedral beat Jeff in the season opener last year 43-12. Cathedral is led by Colorado recruit QB Danny O’Neil.
Noblesville want 4-7 last season while Mt. Vernon was 6-4. The Millers return RB Logan Shoffner (1,414 rushing yards) while Mt. Vernon will count on QB Luke Ertel (1,659 passing yards and 16 TD’s).
INDIANS BASEBALL
CAPRA HOMERS IN INDIANS’ 7-3 LOSS AT IOWA
DES MOINES, Iowa – Vinny Capra ripped a solo home run and run-scoring double, but the Indianapolis Indians couldn’t string together hits in a 7-3 loss to the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday night at Principal Park.
Iowa (53-36, 10-6) never trailed in the series opener, scoring three runs in the second inning and two more in the fourth to put away the Indians. Edwin Rios opened the scoring with his fourth home run in Triple-A this season, and Yonathan Perlaza laced a two-out, two-run double. After Capra cleared the left-field wall with his second home run of the season in the third, Perlaza pushed the home team’s advantage to 5-1 with a two-out, two-run shot.
Indianapolis (42-48, 9-7) inched within two runs again in the fifth behind Capra’s RBI double and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rodolfo Castro, but Luis Vazquez doubled home Alexander Canario in the home half. Bryce Windham added a sacrifice fly for Iowa in the eighth.
Already with a career-high 20-game hitting streak this season, Miguel Andújar extended his current hitting streak to 15 games with a single to center field in the fifth inning.
Nick Neidert (W, 5-3) threw 3.0 innings of one-hit ball in relief. Luis Ortiz (L, 2-3) was charged with six earned runs on eight hits and four walks with two strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched.
The Indians and I-Cubs continue their series on Wednesday at 1:08 PM ET. LHP Cam Alldred (5-2, 4.40) is expected to start for Indy against RHP Ben Brown (4-6, 5.76).
INDIANA FEVER
GAME PREVIEW: FEVER TIP OFF SECOND HALF OF THE REGULAR SEASON AT WASHINGTON
Indiana Fever at Washington Mystics
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Capital One Arena | 11:30 a.m. ET
Broadcast Information
Fever Facebook
Pat Boylan (play-by-play), Bria Goss (analyst)
The Indiana Fever (5-15) will travel to Washington on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. to take on the Washington Mystics following the All-Star break. The Fever and the Mystics have each won a game in the 2023 regular-season series as they enter the third of four matchups between the two teams this season.
On June 13, Indiana took the first game in the series, 87-66, to earn its first home win of the 2023 season. In their most recent matchup on July 7, the Fever fell to the Mystics, 96-88, at Entertainment and Sports Arena despite reducing a 17-point Washington lead to four points on one occasion. Fever guard Lexie Hull led all Indiana scorers as she notched a career-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Hull was followed by NaLyssa Smith who recorded 19 points and Kelsey Mitchell who netted 18 points. For Washington, the Mystics were guided by Brittney Sykes’ season-high 29 points and Ariel Atkins’ season-high 26 points.
In addition, Indiana shot a season-high 55.0 percent (33-of-60) from the floor and 50.0 percent (9-of-18) from the three-point line.
The Fever enter Wednesday’s matchup following a week-long break during which two of Indiana’s players participated in the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game. Rookie center Aliyah Boston started for Team Wilson and recorded a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with six points, two assists and a steal. Mitchell came off the bench for Team Stewart in the win and contributed two points, three rebounds to go along with two assists.
Mitchell has consistently led Indiana in scoring this season with an average of 16.7 points per contest. She ranks in the top 20 in the WNBA in scoring average while also nearing a top-20 ranking in three-point field goal percentage shooting 37.2 percent (48-of-129) from beyond the arc. She also averages 3.0 assists per game so far this season.
As the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year heading into the second half of the season, Boston currently leads all 2023 rookies in scoring average (15.4 ppg), rebounds (8.4 rpg), blocks (1.3 bpg) and minutes played (31.0 mpg). In addition, Boston maintains her number one spot in the league in field goal percentage while shooting 61.0 percent (122-of-200) from the court.
With the absence of starters Smith and Hull, the Fever have relied on Victoria Vivians, Emma Cannon and Grace Berger to provide impactful minutes. In Indiana’s most recent matchup against the New York Liberty on July 12, Cannon tied a career-high 19 points on a season-high seven made field goals while pulling down eight rebounds. Berger set career bests of 15 points, seven rebounds, three steals and 36 minutes of play, and Vivians added three points, nine rebounds and three steals. Indiana’s bench outscored the Liberty, 34-15, in the overtime loss last Wednesday. Boston was the leading the scorer of the game and knocked down a tying three-pointer that sent the teams into extra minutes. She notched 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor.
For Washington, the Mystics (11-8) enter the matchup after defeating the Seattle Storm, 93-86, back on July 11. With leading scorer Elena Delle Donne (18.2 ppg), Shakira Austin (11.4 ppg) and Atkins (12.5 ppg) out with injury, the Mystics are supported in scoring by Sykes and Cloud who average 13.1 and 10.9 points per contest respectively.
Probable Starters
Indiana Fever (5-15)
Guard – Kelsey Mitchell (16.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 3.0 apg)
Guard – Erica Wheeler (8.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 5.0 apg)
Guard – Kristy Wallace (7.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Forward – Victoria Vivians (4.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Center – Aliyah Boston (15.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.3 bpg)
Washington Mystics (11-8)
Guard – Brittney Sykes (13.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.5 apg)
Guard – Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (5.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Guard – Natasha Cloud (10.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 6.2 apg)
Forward – Tianna Hawkins (7.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Forward – Myisha Hines-Allen (5.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.7 spg)
Game Status Report
Indiana: Lexie Hull – out (broken nose), NaLyssa Smith – out (left foot stress fracture)
Washington: TBA
BUTLER WOMEN’S GOLF
TALENTED PAIR JOINS BUTLER WOMEN’S GOLF
Jolie Guyette and Ashley Freitas are the latest additions to the Butler women’s golf program, joining head coach Christie Cates’ roster for the 2023-24 season.
Guyette is a junior transfer Mesa Community College who led her team to a ninth-place finish at the 2023 NJCAA Division I National Championship and was also a major contributor when the program finished fifth at the same event her freshman season.
Freitas is a recent graduate from Homestead High School in Sunnyvale, California.
“I’m excited to welcome both Jolie and Ashley to the team!” exclaimed Cates. “I’m confident that their desire to be the best players and teammates they can be will make them valuable additions to our program.”
Guyette, who was homeschooled during her high school years, finished in a tie for third at the May, 2021, Wisconsin State Girls Golf Championships, shooting a 155 (+11). She was a three-time All-Conference First Team selection and finished runner-up in the 2019 Fox River Classic Conference tournament.
Freitas was a two-time varsity letterwinner at Homestead and earned medalist honors in 10 events her senior season. She appeared in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League finals on two occasions, earning Top 10 finishes at both events, and was second in scoring average in the league her final season. Freitas made two CIF Central Coast Section appearances and received all-league accolades following three seasons, including First Team recognition her final year when she was the team’s MVP.
Freitas also participated in softball, earning a varsity letter, as well as basketball. In the classroom, she earned outstanding student awards in multiple subjects and was named an Academic Scholar-Athlete.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MORRISSETTE ELEVATED TO ASSISTANT COACH FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State 12th-year head women’s basketball coach Brady Sallee has promoted Casey Morrissette from director of recruiting and basketball operations to an assistant coach, effective immediately.
“I’m thrilled to be able to provide this opportunity for Casey,” Sallee said. “She has paid her dues and has proven her loyalty to me and this program. Casey has earned this position and will continue to make our program better and better.”
Morrissette joined the Cardinal family in 2020. In just three seasons, Morrissette has helped the Cardinals tie the program record for most wins in a season (26) in 2022-23. Along with a tie for second in the Mid-American Conference standings (2023) and an appearance in the MAC Tourney title game in 2022. She was also a member of the staff that saw the Cardinals appear in back-to back (2022 & 2023) postseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) appearances.
“Over the past three years, I have had the special privilege to be able to serve the Ball State Women’s Basketball program as the Director of Basketball Operations,” Morrissette said. “During this period, I have had the unique opportunity to see a program pour deeply into their student athletes and have witnessed a culture that cultivates integrity, loyalty, and togetherness. Coach Sallee’s investment into my growth in the operations of collegiate basketball has been tremendous and has contributed to a profound respect for what it means to be a coach. With that being said, I am excited to be stepping into a new role as the Ball State Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach. Chirp Chirp!”
Before Morrissette’s arrival at Ball State, she spent two years as an assistant at Indiana Tech. As a member of the Warriors staff, Morrissette helped with the development of practice plans and the recruitment of prospective student-athletes. She was also in charge of numerous community outreach programs the team participated in.
A native of Wakeman, Ohio, Morrissette played four years of collegiate basketball for the University of Mount Union. She earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference honorable mention honors after starting every game for the Raiders her senior season. She averaged 10.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in her final year.
Morrissette obtained her bachelor’s degree in exercise science with a minor in coaching from Mount Union in 2019.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES TO PLAY AT BALL DAWGS CLASSIC IN LAS VEGAS NOV. 21-24
HENDERSON, NEV. – The Indiana State University Sycamores will join five other men’s basketball teams in Las Vegas on Thanksgiving week when the Ball Dawgs Classic tips at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, home of the NBA G League Ignite. The event is managed by veteran Las Vegas promoter bdG Sports which has managed numerous college basketball events across the Las Vegas Valley, including the Big West Championships at The Dollar Loan Center.
The men’s event will feature three games each day on Nov. 21, 22 and 24 includes the following teams:
• Indiana State (Missouri Valley) – 23-13 record last season
• New Mexico (Mountain West) – 22-12 record
• Pepperdine (WCC) – 9-22 record
• Rice (AAC) – 19-16 record
• Toledo (MAC) – 27-8 record
• UC Irvine (Big West) – 23-12 record
NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament participants Stanford and Florida State headline the four-team women’s field. The women’s action tips on Nov. 22 with first-round play. Following an off-day on Thanksgiving, consolation and championship games will be played. The women’s field features:
• Belmont (Missouri Valley) – 23-12 record, Missouri Valley Conference regular season champions
• Florida State (ACC) – 23-10, NCAA Tournament berth
• Stanford (Pac-12) – 29-6 record, Pac-12 regular season champions, NCAA Tournament berth
• Northwestern (Big Ten) – 9-21 record
Pairings for both men’s and women’s games will be announced at a later date.
bdG Sports has partnered with Ball Dawgs, a fast-rising sports content provider with more than 825,000 followers on its social media platforms, to promote the games and showcase the action on the court.
“Our firm has quickly found a home at The Dollar Loan Center as we annually manage the Big West Championships at the site, provide operational support for the Ignite home games and have launched and managed our own events at the arena over the past year,” said bdG Sports President & CEO Brooks Downing. “We look forward to generating excitement and exposure for the teams and players in this event through our partnership with Ball Dawgs and hope that translates to a packed building on Thanksgiving week.”
The Dollar Loan Center opened in March 2022 as home to the Vegas Golden Knights’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. A product of a public-private partnership between the City of Henderson and a group of investors led by Bill Foley, the 5,567-seat arena is operated by the Foley Entertainment Group. The Dollar Loan Center, also home to the Indoor Football League’s Vegas Knight Hawks, NBA G League’s Ignite, Big West Basketball Championships and the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, sits in the heart of Henderson, a suburb of Las Vegas which has grown to become Nevada’s second largest city with more than 330,000 residents.
FULL SCHEDULE
Tuesday, Nov. 21
Three men’s games starting at 3:30 p.m. PT
Wednesday, Nov. 22
Two women’s games starting at 11 a.m. PT
Three men’s games starting at 4 p.m. PT
Friday, Nov. 24
Three men’s games starting at 11 a.m. PT
Two women’s games starting at 6:30 p.m. PT
VALPO VOLLEYBALL
VALPO ANNOUNCES 2023 VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE
Coming off its third postseason appearance in the last five seasons, the Valpo volleyball program released its schedule for the upcoming 2023 season today — a schedule which features 12 home matches at the ARC.
Valpo kicks off the 2023 campaign at Eastern Illinois’ Panther Invitational Aug. 25-26, facing Akron and ULM in addition to the host Panthers. The Beacons then step away from tournament play briefly for a midweek match at Big Ten foe Illinois Aug. 29.
Valpo kicks off the home slate Sept. 1-2 as it hosts the Popcorn Classic at the ARC. The two-day, six-match event also features Western Illinois, Eastern Michigan and Oakland. This marks the 12th time in the tenure of head coach Carin Avery that Valpo will host an in-season tournament — Valpo has claimed seven of the previous 11 tournament titles, including last season’s Popcorn Classic.
Tournaments the following two weekends close out the Beacons’ nonconference schedule. Valpo heads to Austin Peay’s Stacheville Challenge Sept. 8-9, also taking on Big Ten foe Indiana and Lindenwood in Clarksville. The program’s final tournament of the season takes place Sept. 15-16, as the Beacons go to the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational, matching up with SIUE and Miami (Ohio) before closing out the tournament versus the host Mastodons.
The always-challenging Missouri Valley Conference slate opens Sept. 22 at the ARC against Missouri State. The 18-match Valley schedule sees Valpo take on Belmont, Murray State, Indiana State and Evansville once apiece and the other seven teams twice.
The Beacons close their home schedule on Nov. 11 against UNI, while the regular season concludes Nov. 15 at UIC. The 2023 MVC Tournament will be hosted by Missouri State Nov. 19-22, with the top eight teams in the regular season standings vying for the title and the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Valpo returns 12 letterwinners from last year’s squad, which posted a 22-11 overall record — the program’s 17th 20-win campaign in Avery’s 21 seasons at the helm. The Beacons earned a bid to the 2022 NIVC, the program’s third postseason bid in the last five years, and are the only team in the Valley to finish in the top half of the MVC standings in each of the last six seasons.
U OF INDY BASEBALL
BRADY WARE, UINDY BASEBALL RECOGNIZED AT NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – Former UIndy baseball student-athlete Brady Ware will forever be remembered for his historic performance on April 7, 2023, when the graduate student hit for the cycle and pitched a no-hitter in the same game from Greyhound Park on the south side of Indianapolis.
Ware, along with several other members of the program, donated his jersey on Tuesday to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, where, of course, houses the most prolific achievements in the history of the sport. Museum President Josh Rawitch accepted the historic threads. From the recap on UIndyAthletics.com on April 7: “Ware’s no-no was the first for a Greyhound since Jordan Tackett’s in 2015, while his cycle is first since Jake Hartley’s in 2013. He is the first Hound to accomplish both in the same game, and perhaps the first-ever NCAA student-athlete to accomplish this feat.”
MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER
MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER: KNIGHTS SET TO OPEN 2023 SEASON ON AUGUST 11
INDIANAPOLIS – With less than a month, the Marian women’s soccer team is set to begin their 2023 season as head coach Justin Sullivan will lead his third Knights team. Marian will travel to Campbellsville (Ky.) on August 11 for their first action of the season in a friendly against the Tigers. The Knights will officially kick the 2023 campaign off on the road with a matchup against Saint Ambrose (Iowa) on August 19.
In 2022, Marian had their best overall team record at 21-1-2 (.944) which included a trip to the NAIA National Championship for the fourth-straight season, earning NAIA National Runner-Up. The Knights also claimed the Crossroads League Regular Season Championship and held the No. 2 spot in the NAIA rankings throughout a majority of the season. The Marian women’s soccer team tied a program record of four NAIA All-Americans.
KEY DEPARTURES
Marian graduated some key experience from last season’s team, with six starters and a total of 10 seniors who played a significant role. Among the group is NAIA All-American’s Erin Oleksak and Allie Schlom. Oleksak is a four-time NAIA First Team All-American and Crossroads League Player of the Year. Oleksak was the team’s second leader in goals with 20 and ends her career with the program record for goals, assists, points, and game-winning goals. An NAIA Second Team All-American selection in 2022, Schlom was the team’s third leader in goals. Schlom was second on the team in assists and tied the single season assist record with 13 in the 2021 season.
From the defensive core, Marian will lose Isabelle Stanfield, Maya Decker, and Noelle Rolfsen. The Knights also graduate Jacelyn Smith, who garnered All-Crossroads League First Team honors. Smith was a consistent starter and tallied five goals while dishing out three assists on the season.
KEY RETURNERS
Marian brings back a good depth of experience from last season’s team with five starters returning and others who saw substantial minutes on the pitch. Camryn Gietl and Naomi Walters are among the returners, with the two being named to the NAIA All-American Second Team. Walters comes back as last year’s leader in goals with 21, including five games with two or more goals. Gietl was the Crossroads League Newcomer of the Year, playing a major role in the back line for the Knights and tallying two goals on the season.
The remaining starters for the Knights were Marian Corro Celma, Delaney Taylor, and Gretchen Mallin, with all three starting nearly every match. The trio played a large role in both the midfield and on defense. Other notable returners are Lindsey Stoughton and Jensen Summers who saw significant minutes on the field last season season.
NEWCOMERS
Marian brings in 11 new players to the mix this season after losing 10. With open spots in the lineup, there is opportunity for the newcomers to come in and make an impact on the field. Amid the new talent includes two transfers coming from NCAA Division I schools.
The Marian season opens on August 11 in Campbellsville, Ky., with a friendly, before having their season opener on August 19 at Saint Ambrose (Iowa).
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 | 60 | 38 | .612 | – | 35 – 15 | 25 – 23 | 17 – 10 | 16 – 4 | 9 – 9 | 3 – 7 | L 3 |
| BALTIMORE | 57 | 37 | .606 | 1 | 29 – 20 | 28 – 17 | 16 – 11 | 18 – 7 | 10 – 7 | 8 – 2 | L 2 |
| TORONTO | 53 | 42 | .558 | 5.5 | 26 – 19 | 27 – 23 | 7 – 20 | 16 – 6 | 11 – 8 | 8 – 2 | L 1 |
| BOSTON | 51 | 45 | .531 | 8 | 26 – 22 | 25 – 23 | 16 – 11 | 11 – 8 | 11 – 7 | 8 – 2 | L 1 |
| NY YANKEES | 50 | 46 | .521 | 9 | 28 – 23 | 22 – 23 | 13 – 17 | 8 – 8 | 14 – 10 | 2 – 8 | L 3 |
| CENTRAL | |||||||||||
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | EAST | CENTRAL | WEST | LAST 10 | STREAK |
| MINNESOTA | 49 | 47 | .510 | – | 26 – 22 | 23 – 25 | 12 – 17 | 18 – 12 | 9 – 5 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| CLEVELAND | 47 | 48 | .495 | 1.5 | 24 – 22 | 23 – 26 | 7 – 8 | 13 – 13 | 13 – 9 | 5 – 5 | W 2 |
| DETROIT | 42 | 52 | .447 | 6 | 20 – 25 | 22 – 27 | 3 – 16 | 16 – 12 | 9 – 10 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| CHI WHITE SOX | 40 | 56 | .417 | 9 | 21 – 25 | 19 – 31 | 6 – 16 | 15 – 11 | 9 – 14 | 3 – 7 | L 1 |
| KANSAS CITY | 28 | 68 | .292 | 21 | 15 – 34 | 13 – 34 | 5 – 12 | 9 – 23 | 4 – 11 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| WEST | |||||||||||
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | EAST | CENTRAL | WEST | LAST 10 | STREAK |
| TEXAS | 57 | 39 | .594 | – | 32 – 18 | 25 – 21 | 13 – 11 | 14 – 5 | 16 – 11 | 6 – 4 | W 5 |
| HOUSTON | 52 | 43 | .547 | 4.5 | 25 – 22 | 27 – 21 | 5 – 5 | 8 – 11 | 19 – 11 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| LA ANGELS | 48 | 48 | .500 | 9 | 26 – 22 | 22 – 26 | 10 – 9 | 11 – 8 | 16 – 14 | 3 – 7 | W 2 |
| SEATTLE | 47 | 47 | .500 | 9 | 26 – 23 | 21 – 24 | 7 – 11 | 9 – 9 | 15 – 11 | 5 – 5 | L 1 |
| OAKLAND | 26 | 71 | .268 | 31.5 | 13 – 36 | 13 – 35 | 6 – 19 | 7 – 11 | 4 – 23 | 2 – 8 | W 1 |
| NATIONAL LEAGUE | |||||||||||
| EAST | |||||||||||
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | EAST | CENTRAL | WEST | LAST 10 | STREAK |
| ATLANTA | 61 | 32 | .656 | – | 31 – 18 | 30 – 14 | 22 – 6 | 8 – 1 | 10 – 8 | 5 – 5 | L 3 |
| PHILADELPHIA | 52 | 42 | .553 | 9.5 | 26 – 17 | 26 – 25 | 9 – 15 | 10 – 4 | 14 – 13 | 7 – 3 | W 4 |
| MIAMI | 53 | 44 | .546 | 10 | 30 – 18 | 23 – 26 | 13 – 16 | 11 – 8 | 9 – 10 | 3 – 7 | L 5 |
| NY METS | 44 | 50 | .468 | 17.5 | 22 – 21 | 22 – 29 | 13 – 13 | 5 – 14 | 15 – 13 | 6 – 4 | W 2 |
| WASHINGTON | 38 | 57 | .400 | 24 | 15 – 32 | 23 – 25 | 9 – 16 | 7 – 12 | 9 – 13 | 4 – 6 | L 1 |
| CENTRAL | |||||||||||
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | EAST | CENTRAL | WEST | LAST 10 | STREAK |
| MILWAUKEE | 52 | 43 | .547 | – | 26 – 21 | 26 – 22 | 6 – 2 | 20 – 9 | 8 – 15 | 6 – 4 | L 1 |
| CINCINNATI | 50 | 46 | .521 | 2.5 | 23 – 26 | 27 – 20 | 12 – 11 | 12 – 17 | 9 – 8 | 3 – 7 | L 6 |
| CHI CUBS | 44 | 50 | .468 | 7.5 | 23 – 25 | 21 – 25 | 7 – 14 | 12 – 11 | 9 – 8 | 5 – 5 | W 1 |
| ST. LOUIS | 42 | 53 | .442 | 10 | 21 – 26 | 21 – 27 | 9 – 9 | 11 – 14 | 7 – 13 | 7 – 3 | W 4 |
| PITTSBURGH | 41 | 54 | .432 | 11 | 22 – 26 | 19 – 28 | 5 – 5 | 11 – 15 | 14 – 14 | 1 – 9 | L 5 |
| WEST | |||||||||||
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | EAST | CENTRAL | WEST | LAST 10 | STREAK |
| LA DODGERS | 55 | 39 | .585 | – | 29 – 16 | 26 – 23 | 11 – 7 | 15 – 12 | 14 – 11 | 8 – 2 | W 2 |
| SAN FRANCISCO | 54 | 41 | .568 | 1.5 | 26 – 22 | 28 – 19 | 10 – 9 | 18 – 7 | 15 – 10 | 8 – 2 | W 7 |
| ARIZONA | 53 | 42 | .558 | 2.5 | 26 – 24 | 27 – 18 | 12 – 14 | 10 – 5 | 17 – 11 | 3 – 7 | W 1 |
| SAN DIEGO | 45 | 50 | .474 | 10.5 | 25 – 23 | 20 – 27 | 13 – 13 | 7 – 13 | 12 – 13 | 6 – 4 | W 1 |
| COLORADO | 37 | 58 | .389 | 18.5 | 23 – 25 | 14 – 33 | 11 – 14 | 8 – 10 | 6 – 19 | 4 – 6 | W 2 |
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1902 In front of a near-capacity crowd, John McGraw, the last-place team’s third skipper this season, begins his 30-year tenure as the Giants’ manager, playing shortstop in a 5-3 loss to the Phillies at the Polo Grounds. The fiery 29-year-old Mugsy left the fledgling American League Orioles midseason, bringing three key players from Baltimore, first baseman Dan McGann, catcher Roger Bresnahan, and right-hander Joe McGinnity, all of who started in today’s game.
1909 During the top of the second inning of a 6-1 win over the Red Sox at Cleveland’s League Park, Neal Ball executes the first unassisted triple play in the post-1900 era of baseball. The Naps (Indians) shortstop catches an Ambrose McConnell line drive, steps on second to force out Heinie Wagner, and then tags Jake Stahl for the third out as he comes from first base.
1910 Cy Young wins his 500th game when the Naps beat the Senators in 11 innings at American League Park, 5-4. During his 22-year major league career, from 1890-1911, pitching for five different teams, the 43-year-old right-hander compiled 511 victories, 94 more than Walter Johnson, who is second on the all-time list.
1911 Former circus acrobat Walter Carlisle completes an unassisted triple-play for Vernon (LA) of the Pacific Coast League when he catches a ball in shallow center field, flips and touches second base, and beats the runner back to first base.
1912 Future Hall of Famer Rube Marquard wins his 20th game when the Giants beat St. Louis at the Polo Grounds, 6-3. The 25-year-old right-hander, who will finish the season with a 26-11 record, reaches the coveted milestone quicker than any other hurler in history.
1915 The Washington Senators steal eight tainted bases in one inning off catcher Steve O’Neil in the team’s 11-4 victory over the Indians at League Park. The first inning thievery includes a balk considered a stolen base by the rules of the time and a series of odd plays scored differently today.
1920 Babe Ruth, with the first of his two homers in the nightcap of a twin bill against Chicago at the Polo Grounds, becomes the first player to hit 30 home runs in a season. The historic homer, a two-run, fourth-inning shot off Dickey Kerr, breaks his season mark of 29, and the ‘Rajah of Rap’ will finish the season with a resounding 54 round-trippers.
1924 Cardinals hurler Hi Bell goes the distance in both games of a Sportsman’s Park doubleheader, beating the Braves, 6-1 and 2-1. The 27-year-old rookie right-hander from Kentucky will be the last National League pitcher to record two complete-game victories in one day.
1927 The Giants honor John McGraw, the team’s manager since 1902, with a Silver Jubilee celebration, showering ‘Mugsy’ with gifts that include a huge silver loving cup, a silver platter, and a silver cane for his 25 years of service to the club. During the pregame ceremony at the Polo Grounds, the rain doesn’t dampen the spirits of the enthusiastic crowd of 25,000 fans, which includes Mayor Jimmy Walker, many former players, Commissioner Landis, George M. Cohan, and Commander Richard E. Byrd.
1933 Red Sox catcher Rick Ferrell hits a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning off his brother after Wes had gone deep in the top of the frame in the Indians’ 9-8 victory at Fenway Park. The pair of round-trippers marks the third time brothers have homered in the same game, but the first time the feat has been accomplished by siblings on opposing teams.
1936 Seventeen-year-old Iowa farm boy Bob Feller makes his major league debut, pitching one inning of relief against the Senators in Washington, D.C. The hard-throwing ‘kid’ allows no hits and no runs, striking out none and walking two batters.
1946 During a contest between Chicago and the Red Sox, Red Jones ejects 14 members of the White Sox for their bench jockeying initiated when the ump warns Chisox hurler Joe Haynes after he knocks down Ted Williams with a pitch. Although reported for years that a ventriloquist sitting behind the visitors’ dugout raised the ire of the arbitrator, interviews with the participants more than sixty years later reveal many believe third-base coach Mule Haas precipitated the incident by making rude sounds and infuriating remarks.
1960 Pedro Ramos one-hits Detroit in the Senators’ 5-0 victory at Briggs Stadium. Rocky Colavito’s lead-off single to centerfield in the eighth inning spoils the Washington right-hander’s bid for a no-hitter.
1960 In his major league debut, Giants’ rookie righty Juan Marichal one-hits the Phillies at Candlestick Park, 2-0. Philadelphia’s lone hit is a two-out eighth-inning single by pinch-hitter Clay Dalrymple.
1964 In his major league debut, 23-year-old Indian rookie Luis Tiant throws a complete game, a four-hit shutout, to beat Whitey Ford and the Yankees in New York, 3-0. The popular Cuban right-hander will compile a 229-172 record (.571) pitching for six teams during his 19 years in the big leagues.
1966 In the first major league game to be played entirely on artificial turf, dubbed Astroturf, Houston beats the Phillies at the Astrodome, 8-2. Due to a limited supply of the material, only the resurfaced infield was ready before the Astros’ April home opener, with the installation of the outfield, covering painted dirt, occurring during an extended road trip and first used after the All-Star Break.
1966 In his final at-bat in the major leagues, Cardinals starter Tracy Stallard grounds out to the shortstop in the Redbirds’ 10-9 victory over Atlanta. During his seven-year tenure, the right-hander, best known for giving up Roger Maris’s 61st home run, sets a major league record by failing to get a base-on-balls in his 247 appearances at the plate.
1967 Tom Matchick’s two-run home run gives Detroit a dramatic 5-4 walk-off victory over Baltimore at Tiger Stadium. The rookie shortstop’s round-tripper, the first of only four he will hit in his six-year major league career, comes with two outs off Moe Drabowsky.
1969 Washington starter Joe Coleman throws his third consecutive shutout when he blanks the Bronx Bombers, 4-0. The 22-year-old right-hander, the Senators’ first-round pick (third overall) of the amateur draft in 1965, faces only 29 batters in his two-hit masterpiece in New York.
1972 Luke Walker singles off Cecil Upshaw to break an 0-for-39 drought at the plate. The Pirates’ southpaw pitches three innings of one-hit shutout baseball to pick up a save in the 8-3 victory over the Braves at Three Rivers Stadium.
1973 To quell a controversy over deserving players not being selected for the All-Star Game, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn grants permission to both leagues to increase their roster size to 29 players for next week’s contest in Kansas City’s Royals Stadium. The National League selects fading superstar Willie Mays, with the Junior Circuit adding Nolan Ryan, not originally picked by American League manager Dick Williams, although the Angel right-hander was the first pitcher since Johnny Vander Meer, the starter in the 1938 Midsummer Classic, to have two no-hitters before the break.
1974 Dick Bosman no-hits the A’s at Cleveland Stadium. The 30-year-old right-hander misses a perfect game because of his fourth-inning throwing error, which gives Oakland their lone baserunner in the Indians’ 4-0 victory.
1975 At Candlestick Park, Doug Rader, batting eighth, plays the entire game without getting an official at-bat. The Cardinals walk the Giants catcher four times, three intentionally, to get to John Montefusco, San Francisco’s starter, who goes 0-for-4 at the plate but tosses a complete game to get the win in San Francisco’s 5-2 victory.
1977 With a four-run first inning, the National League coasts to a 7-5 All-Star win over the AL. The victory of the Mid-Summer Classic at the renovated Yankee Stadium marks the Senior Circuit’s sixth straight victory and their 14th in the last 15 games.
1980 Roy Lee Jackson retires the last 19 batters he faces en route to a complete-game victory in the Mets’ 13-3 rout of the Reds at Riverfront Stadium. The 26-year-old right-hander benefits from his teammates’ 20-hit barrage in the Cincinnati contest.
1982 In front of 29,000 enthusiastic fans at Washington’s RFK Stadium, the American League beats the NL in the first-ever Old-timer’s All-Star Classic, 7-2. Warren Spahn gives up a lead-off homer, over the shortened left-field fence, to 75-year-old Luke Appling, a Hall of Fame infielder who played his entire career with the White Sox.
1982 Tony Gwynn doubles off southpaw Sid Monge for his first major league hit. The 22-year-old rookie outfielder, who will end his Hall of Fame career with 3,141 hits, goes 2-for-4 with a sacrifice fly in the Padres’ 7-6 loss to Philadelphia at Jack Murphy Stadium.
1989 Joe Carter blasts a trio of homers in the Indians’ 10-1 rout of Minnesota, marking the second time he has gone deep three times in a game this season. The Cleveland outfielder’s fourth three-home run career contest ties Lou Gehrig for the American League record.
1995 The Devil Rays name Chuck LaMar as the franchise’s first general manager. Under the leadership of the former Braves assistant GM, the expansion team will compile a 518-777 (.400) record during the first eight years of its existence.
1998 Contributing to the Blue Jays’ 9-3 victory over the Yankees, Carlos Delgado becomes the first player to reach the SkyDome’s fifth deck with his Ruthian home run to right field. The massive blast, the Toronto’s first baseman’s 19th round-tripper of the season, snaps a 0-for-29 slump.
1999 In a 7-6 interleague victory over Cincinnati, Jeff Weaver becomes the first Tigers pitcher to hit a double in 27 years. The last Detroit hurler to accomplish the feat was Chuck Seelbach, who banged a two-bagger off Lloyd Allen of the Angels on August 20, 1972.
2000 The Blue Jays, hoping to strengthen their rotation during the pennant race with the first-place Yankees, trade minor league infielder Michael Young to Texas for Esteban Loaiza, who will post a disappointing 5-7 record down the stretch for the short-term contenders. The Rangers’ newest prospect will develop into a perennial All-Star shortstop, batting .301 during his 13 seasons with the Texan team.
2001 Arizona southpaw Randy Johnson sets a major league record for strikeouts by a reliever when he fans 16 batters, completing last night’s suspended game stopped in the top of the third inning. The ‘Big Unit’ gets the victory when the Diamondbacks beat the Padres, 3-0, in the Qualcomm Stadium contest.
2004 In Pacific Coast League action at Portland’s PGE Park, minor leaguer Tagg Bozied hits a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Tacoma Rainiers, 8-5. Upon his arrival at home plate, the Beavers’ first baseman, jumping for joy, ruptures the patella tendon to his left knee and needs to be taken to Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital by ambulance.
2005 Winning its second consecutive 1-0 contest, the Red Sox limit the Kansas City offense to four hits. The last time two straight 1-0 games occurred in Fenway Park was in 1916, when Babe Ruth and Ernie Shore blanked the Yankees and A’s, respectively, on June 22 and 23 for the eventual World Champs.
2009 Ian Kinsler becomes the fifth major league baseball player to hit a lead-off and walk-off home run for his team in the same game. The Rangers’ second baseman led off the bottom of the first inning with a round-tripper off Francisco Liriano, ending the contest in the bottom of the 12th with a game-ending two-run blast off R.A. Dickey to give Texas a 6-4 victory over Minnesota.
2013 A surprise sixth contender participates in the Presidents Race when Sharknado, a character from the SyFy original movie about sharks being brought on land by a waterspout, ambushes George, Tom, Teddy, and Bill in the Nationals Park dash. Although Sharknado successfully blows past four of his competitors but does not pass Abe, who, thanks to the wind to his back, secures a first-place finish.
2013 Houston’s Brandon Barnes, who goes 5-for-5, scores three times and drives in two runs in the Astros’ 10-7 loss to Seattle at Minute Maid Park, and collects the eighth cycle in franchise history. The Astros center fielder joins Cesar Cedeno (1972, 1976), Bob Watson (1977), Andujar Cedeno (1992), Jeff Bagwell (2001), Craig Biggio (2002), and Luke Scott (2006) when his eighth-inning double completes the historic accomplishment.
2014 Reminiscent of the White Sox’s infamous 1979 Disco Demolition Night promotion, the Charleston RiverDogs, the Yankees’ farm team in the Class A South Atlantic League, admit fans who bring Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus items to the game for one dollar. At the end of the Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park contest, the team blows up the pop singers’ albums and memorabilia in a giant box.
2015 During the Reds’ 5-3 loss to the Indians at Great American Ball Park, Aroldis Chapman records his 500th career strikeout, setting a major-league record for the fewest innings needed to reach the milestone. The Reds closer accomplishes the feat in 292 frames to break Craig Kimbrel’s previous mark of 305 established by the Padres reliever earlier this season.
2015 After a two-and-a-half-hour delay, the Angels finally call off their game against the Red Sox, the team’s first postponement because of inclement weather, ending a streak of 1,609 consecutive contests. The last rainout in Anaheim washed out the contest against the White Sox on June 16, 1995.
BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
GEORGE WRIGHT
Executive
George Wright was baseball’s first superstar player – an extraordinary shortstop who excelled for the game’s first openly all-professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings.
Born Jan. 28, 1847 in New York City, Wright belonged to one of the city’s preeminent sporting families. His father, Samuel, was a top professional at Harlem’s St. George Cricket Club who sought to make cricket as popular in America as it was in his native England.
In the 1850s, the St. George club moved across the Hudson River to the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, N.J., for more playing space. It was there that George and his older brother, Harry, would become infatuated with the new game of baseball. Though he was promoted to his father’s pro cricket team by age 16, George was equally interested in baseball and joined Harry on the New York Gothams amateur club in 1864.
Wright began his baseball career as a catcher before a foul tip to the throat caused him to move to shortstop. Still just a teenager, Wright’s natural athletic prowess quickly earned him a reputation as one of the best ballplayers in New York.
Wright moved to Philadelphia to become a cricket pro in 1865, but then quickly bounced from the Gothams to Long Island’s Morrisania and then to a Washington D.C. baseball club organized by the U.S. Treasury Department. Wright’s talents were in high demand and he was praised by many as the best player in the country.
“There isn’t an infielder in the game today who had anything on George Wright when it came to playing shortstop, and certainly there was none during his time,” Hall of Famer Deacon White later said. “George fielded hard-hit balls bare-handed, gathered them up or speared them when in the air with either hand. He was an expert and accurate thrower, being able to throw with either hand.”
The Washington Nationals club embarked one of baseball’s first tours in July 1867, and followed their shortstop’s lead to phenomenal success. The Nationals beat Harry Wright’s Cincinnati team by a score of 53-10 and later attracted a crowd of 9,000 paying customers who watched the Nationals defeat the Chicago Excelsiors 49-4. Over 29 games during the tour, George Wright collected an estimated 186 hits.
Wright was a pioneer at his position, becoming the first shortstop to play deep in front of the outfield grass to improve his range. He was named America’s best shortstop by the New York Clipper after the 1868 season.
In 1869, Wright helped make history by signing with Harry’s all-professional Cincinnati Red Stockings club. With a $1,400 salary, George was Cincinnati’s highest-paid player and unquestionably its greatest star. Batting out of the leadoff spot, Wright was otherworldly during his first season in the Queen City, belting 49 home runs among 304 hits (an average of nearly six per game), scoring 339 runs and sporting a .629 batting average while leading the Red Stockings to a perfect 57-0 record.
“George Wright never had any equal as a fielder, base runner and batsman,” said Hall of Famer Jim O’Rourke. “All his qualifications taken together, he was really in a class by himself, and I do not know of a ball player today who was ever entitled to be considered in the same breath with him.”
The Wright brothers led Cincinnati to another 27 consecutive wins the following season before other newly-formed professional clubs caught up with them. The Red Stockings’ attendance fell sharply after losing six games in 1870, causing the club’s board of directors to disband the team and return to amateurism. Undeterred, the brothers formed a club in Boston as part of the new National Association and created another dynasty.
With Harry guiding the team as manager, George flourished as one of the NA’s star players and led Boston to four consecutive pennants. After suffering a broken leg in 1871, Wright batted .387 in 1873, led the league with 15 triples in 1874 and bolstered his team to an incredible 71-8 record in 1875.
Though his skills declined in the late 1870s, Wright found glory once again when he captained the Providence Grays to a pennant over Harry’s Bostons in 1879. After his final professional baseball season in 1882, Wright remained one of America’s best cricket players through the turn of the century. He also gained additional fame as a sporting goods pioneer who brought tennis and hockey equipment to the American public for the first time. Wright is also credited with creating the first golf course in New England.
Wright’s contributions to baseball are still easily recognizable in today’s game. In 1869, he advocated for a rule that enabled a baserunner to overrun first base in order to avoid collisions with the fielder. He also pioneered the shortstop’s strategy of sharing the middle base with the second baseman on double plays, depending upon which side of the infield a ball is hit.
Wright passed away on Aug. 21, 1937, the same year he was elected to the Hall of Fame.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Walter Camp released the article for the press July 19, 1924 and in his presser he told of how abuses in the game were forcing rules revisions in areas such as the use of tees and eliminating some loopholes in the football code. Offset goal posts were in question by many and addressed in the new rules as well as the prohibition of wearing stiff hard leather shoulder pads without padded coverings and rules on sharp metal spikes of the players’ cleats. A real odd one for us to read today is that substitute players were not permitted to talk or even call out the word “signal” without being penalized. A big one added in 1924 that we still use today is that players shifting in the offense before the snap had to come to a complete stop for a moment to establish position. This was not in effect for the man in motion rule adopted back in 1895 but only for offensive shifts. The officials were given power that day as well to instruct time keepers to keep the clock rolling if they felt a team was trying to gain an advantage by delaying the game during substitution time outs etc… Other changes were that a player couldn’t exit out of bounds and legally return to the field during a play and that the penalty for an illegal forward pass was switched from 10 to 15 yards of enforcement. The officials were limited to only the referee having a whistle and the time keeper having the signal pistol to notify the ref when time expired for each period. The most noticeable change Camp says though was to eliminate kicking tees altogether from the game. Balls were to be kicked from the ground, without mounds of earth but a fellow player may hold the ball in place for the kicker.
July 19, 1989 – NFL owners tally a unanimous vote to start the World League of American Football in European cities. The League was later renamed NFL Europe. The newly formed league operated from 1991 through 2007 and developed many players that went on to play in the NFL.
July 19, 1999 – The San Francisco 49ers re-signed star wideout Terrell Owens to a 7-year, $35 million contract extension per the NFL.com. Unfortunately after the 2003 season Owens became so disgruntled with the franchise he wanted to leave. After a botched effort to trade Terrel to the Baltimore Ravens and a missed deadline by his agent to void the contract eventually the parties came to a mutual understanding that Owens became a free agent and signed with the Philadelphia Eagels and later became a Dallas Cowboy.
We remember Legends of the Game
July 19, 1868 – Charlie Wharton was a guard from the University of Pennsylvania who entered the College Football Hall of Fame in the selection year of 1963. The Penn teams of 1894 & 95 won back to back National Championships on undefeated seasons, much to the credit of Wharton and fellow Hall of Fame guard Charlie Gelbert per the National Football Foundation. Wharton was described in old articles to take out opposing lineman in a Paul Bunyan axe swinging style (which may be a tad illegal in today’s game). After football he served as a Delaware state senator from 1914-1917.
July 19, 1898 – Frank Schwab was guard out of Lafayette College in Easton, PA. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1958 according to the National Football Foundation. Schwab was a coal miner until he joined the Army during World War I. He played football with other soldiers where Lafayette head coach Jock Sutherland took notice and persuaded the 5’11” 180 youngster to attend school and play some ball. His uncanny ability to diagnose and defend opposing team’s plays provided many fantastic defensive stops by Schwab. He excelled in the classroom as well becoming class president as well as receiving many scholastic honors at the college.
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
3 – 9 – 14 – 32 – 24 – 6 – 27 – 4 – 21 – 30 – 19 -16 – 8
July 19, 1909 – Cleveland shortstop Neal Ball completed the first modern unassisted triple play in Major League Baseball history as the Cleveland Indians posted a 6-1 win over the Boston Red Sox
July 19, 1910 – Cleveland Naps stud pitcher, Cy Young won the 500th game of his Baseball HOF career as Cleveland knocked off the Washington Senators, 5 – 2, in 11 innings. Young is in fact the only pitcher in MLB history to reach the 500 win milestone plateau. Walter Johnson is the next closest with a a distant 417 victories on the mound.
July 19, 1920 – Babe Ruth, Number 3 of the New York Yankees hit his 30th home run of the 1920 baseball season, breaking his own single-season record. He would attain 54 throughout the season, before breaking that record the next year.
July 19, 1933 – For the first time in MLB history, there were two brothers on opposite teams that each hit homeruns in same game – Rick Ferrell (Red Sox Number 9) and Wes Ferrell (Number 14 for the Cleveland Indians)
July 19, 1936 – A great prospect in unveiled! 17 year old Cleveland Indians future Baseball HOF pitcher Bob Feller, wearing Number 9 that season, made his MLB debut in relief in a 9-5 loss to the Washington Senators at Griffith Stadium, Washington DC.
July 19, 1950 – The New York Yankees inked their first Black players, Number 32, Elston Howard, and Frank Baines. Howard remained a Yankee fixture in the line up for 13 seasons
July 19, 1973 – New York Mets outfielder and future Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays, Number 24 was named to the National League All Star team for 24th time (he tied Stan Musial a very famous Number 6 of the Cardinals)
July 19, 1974 – Cleveland Indians pitcher Dick Bosman, Number 27 tossed a hitter no-no against the Oakland A’s, 4-0
July 19, 1982 – At the first annual Cracker Jack Oldtimers Classic , a 75-year-old Luke Appling (who wore Number 4 for much of his career with the White Sox) hit a 250-foot rocket shot off of Warren Spahn (who wore Number 21 for many seasons with the Braves). The retired players of the AL beat those of the NL 7-2.
July 19, 1989 – Cleveland Indians cleanup hitter Joe Carter, wearing Number 30 on his jersey, had hit his 4th game with having registered 3 homeruns.
July 19, 1990 – Pinstriped clad Number 19, Dave Righetti pitched in his 499th game as a roster member of the New York Yankee organization. In so doing he passed legend Whitey Ford (who wore Number 16 for the majority of his Yankee career) with having the most appearances as a Yankee
July 19, 1991 – Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr., wearing Number 8 proved what a true iron man he was as he played in his 1,500th consecutive game
FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
VOLNEY ASHFORD
Position: Coach
Years: 1937-42, 1946-67
Place of Birth: Chicago, IL
Date of Birth: Nov 15, 1907
Place of Death: Marshall, MO
Date of Death: Oct 14, 1973
From 1941-47, Missouri Valley College reeled off a 41-game winning streak with Coach Volney Ashford at the helm. Ashford coached the Vikings for over 30 years (1937- 67). The Missouri Valley grad?s 41-game winning streak, ranks fifth all-time in all divisions of college football. Ashford led the Vikings to unanimous national acclaim as the No. 1 small college team in the country in 1949. He was named Little All-American Coach of the Year in 1950 and twice received the NAIA Award of Merit. In 1959, he was named NAIA Coach of the Year, and his overall record ranks him in the top ten of all-time college coaches. In 1971, Ashford retired and took over as vice-president of development for the university. Ashford is a member of numerous other Halls of Fame. He passed away in 1973.
TV SPORTS WEDNESDAY
| MLB REGULAR SEASON | TIME ET | TV |
| Cleveland at Pittsburgh | 12:35pm | MLBN ATTSN-PIT Bally SPorts |
| LA Dodgers at Baltimore | 1:05pm | MLBN Spectrum MASN/2 |
| Tampa Bay at Texas | 2:05pm | Bally Sports |
| Miami at St. Louis | 2:15pm | Bally Sports |
| Houston at Colorado | 3:10pm | ATTSN-SW ATTSN-RM |
| Boston at Oakland | 3:37pm | NESN NBCS-CA |
| Milwaukee at Philadelphia | 6:40pm | Bally Sports NBCS-PHI |
| NY Yankees at LA Angels | 7:07pm | MLBN YES Bally Sports |
| San Diego at Toronto | 7:07pm | MLBN Bally Sports Sportsnet |
| Chi. White Sox at NY Mets | 7:10pm | NBCS-CHI SNY |
| San Francisco at Cincinnati | 7:10pm | NBCS-BAY Bally Sports |
| Arizona at Atlanta | 7:20pm | Bally Sports |
| Washington at Chi. Cubs | 8:05pm | MASN/2 MARQ |
| Detroit at Kansas City | 8:10pm | Bally Sports |
| Minnesota at Seattle | 9:40pm | Bally Sports Root Sports |
| SOCCER MATCHES | TIME ET | TV |
| UEFA Champions League: Valmiera / BSS vs Olimpija | 11:00am | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Champions League: Ferencváros vs KÍ | 12:00pm | Paramount+ |
| UEFA Champions League: Swift Hesperange vs Slovan Bratislava | 2:00pm | Paramount+ |
| WNBA | TIME ET | TV |
| Indiana vs Washignton | 11:30am | League Pass |
| Dallas vs New York | 1:00pm | NBATV |