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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"If you always think about your dreams or goals, work steadfastly towards them and continue to challenge yourself, you will definitely be able to realize those dreams or goals." ~ Tadashi Yanai, Corporate Founder And President, Also, One of the Richest People In The World
Trending: Muhammad Ali funeral arrangements and What made Muhammad Ali a hero to so many? (See the last two articles on this blog for updates). We saved the best for last!!!
Trending: Fox Sports outlines 5 ways to fix the Chicago Bears. (See the football section for Bears updates).
Trending: Warriors play fast, drain threes, blow out Cavaliers 110-77 to take 2-0 series lead. (See the basketball section for NBA Finals updates).
Trending: Muguruza’s first Slam title denies Williams 22nd and Djokovic finally wins French Open, beating Murray in final. (See the French Open section for tournament updates).
(Photo/greatbigcanvas.com)
Trending: Warriors play fast, drain threes, blow out Cavaliers 110-77 to take 2-0 series lead. (See the basketball section for NBA Finals updates).
Trending: Muguruza’s first Slam title denies Williams 22nd and Djokovic finally wins French Open, beating Murray in final. (See the French Open section for tournament updates).
Trending: William McGirt outduels Jon Curran in playoff for Memorial Tournament victory. (See the golf section for PGA and Tournament updates).
Trending: Cubs and White Sox road to the "World Series".
Cubs 2016 Record: 39-16
White Sox 2016 Record: 29-28
(See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Six Bears who must elevate play in Year 2 under Ryan Pace and John Fox.
By Rich Campbell
Bears general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox have transformed the team in their first 17 months, making it younger and jettisoning players who don't fit their schemes or desired culture.
Fans attending training camp in Bourbonnais will need a copy of the 90-man roster to keep everything straight. The Bears enter their final week of organized team activities with only 21 players who predate the arrival of Fox and Pace.
After an extensive evaluation during a 6-10 debut season, the transition continues. Some players have been elevated to more prominent roles, and other returning starters are being asked to increase their contributions. It's a vital component for a club seeking to make player development part of its identity.
We spotlight six players the Bears need to step up in Year 2 under Fox and Pace:
Adrian Amos, strong safety
As a fifth-round draft pick last year, Amos heard questions about his tackling ability. After 16 encouraging starts, the Bears are asking him to play more in the box.
"That's the opposite of what (outsiders) thought I could do," Amos said. "Now they're saying I can't play the ball. It's added motivation."
Yes, while Amos led the Bears with 108 tackles, he's still seeking his first NFL interception. He should benefit from offseason surgery on his right shoulder. Plus, he's more comfortable with his responsibilities in certain coverages, what the scheme allows him to do and what keys he should be reading.
"Eyes help you know where you have to go," he said. "They give you that jump. My eyes will help me a lot."
Kyle Fuller, cornerback
The Bears' rebuilding effort would get a much-needed boost if Fuller, a first-round pick of the previous regime, develops into a reliable contributor.
After being drafted in 2014 into a Cover-2 scheme that asked corners to play with vision, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio arrived last season with a preference for man-to-man. Fuller initially struggled, getting victimized on deep pass-interference penalties and some completions on which he didn't find the ball.
Fuller's response, however, pleased the staff. His study habits helped his play, and his confidence grew. His 15 pass breakups were second on the team, and he had two interceptions.
Already this offseason, coaches sense Fuller's confidence is fully restored. They hope that will help him play faster.
"That's the opposite of what (outsiders) thought I could do," Amos said. "Now they're saying I can't play the ball. It's added motivation."
Yes, while Amos led the Bears with 108 tackles, he's still seeking his first NFL interception. He should benefit from offseason surgery on his right shoulder. Plus, he's more comfortable with his responsibilities in certain coverages, what the scheme allows him to do and what keys he should be reading.
"Eyes help you know where you have to go," he said. "They give you that jump. My eyes will help me a lot."
Kyle Fuller, cornerback
The Bears' rebuilding effort would get a much-needed boost if Fuller, a first-round pick of the previous regime, develops into a reliable contributor.
After being drafted in 2014 into a Cover-2 scheme that asked corners to play with vision, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio arrived last season with a preference for man-to-man. Fuller initially struggled, getting victimized on deep pass-interference penalties and some completions on which he didn't find the ball.
Fuller's response, however, pleased the staff. His study habits helped his play, and his confidence grew. His 15 pass breakups were second on the team, and he had two interceptions.
Already this offseason, coaches sense Fuller's confidence is fully restored. They hope that will help him play faster.
Hroniss Grasu, center
If Pace is to build the Bears through the draft, players such as Grasu — the 71st pick last year — have to become contributors.
Grasu will be afforded opportunities to answer lingering questions from his uneven rookie season. Can he consistently anchor at the line of scrimmage? Can he finish blocks with the tenacity required of smaller centers?
"That comes with confidence, and just keep seeing yourself on tape," offensive line coach Dave Magazu said. "He knows what he needs to work on. He takes it very personal."
Grasu weighs more than 300 pounds now, Magazu said, but it remains to be seen whether that translates to better blocks.
After eight starts last season that sandwiched a three-game absence due to a neck injury, the staff hopes Grasu's experience helps his confidence and sharpness.
Jeremy Langford, running back
Part of the regime's decision not to re-sign Matt Forte was its confidence in assistant coach Stan Drayton's ability to develop running backs. Drayton understands the magnitude of replacing Forte's production, particularly on third down, where Langford knows he must make significant strides.
"The first thing is get into my routes better and be able to separate from linebackers a lot better," Langford said. "The most important part is catching the ball — catching the ball in traffic and catching the 50-50 catches."
Gaining yards after contact is the second point of emphasis for Langford. The Bears are working with last year's fourth-round pick to widen his feet on contact to improve his balance and power.
Charles Leno, left tackle
Leno was a bit of a revelation at left tackle in his second NFL season after he failed to win the preseason competition on the right side. Could Pace and Fox have stumbled onto a quality player at a premier position who cost only a seventh-round pick?Grasu will be afforded opportunities to answer lingering questions from his uneven rookie season. Can he consistently anchor at the line of scrimmage? Can he finish blocks with the tenacity required of smaller centers?
"That comes with confidence, and just keep seeing yourself on tape," offensive line coach Dave Magazu said. "He knows what he needs to work on. He takes it very personal."
Grasu weighs more than 300 pounds now, Magazu said, but it remains to be seen whether that translates to better blocks.
After eight starts last season that sandwiched a three-game absence due to a neck injury, the staff hopes Grasu's experience helps his confidence and sharpness.
Jeremy Langford, running back
Part of the regime's decision not to re-sign Matt Forte was its confidence in assistant coach Stan Drayton's ability to develop running backs. Drayton understands the magnitude of replacing Forte's production, particularly on third down, where Langford knows he must make significant strides.
"The first thing is get into my routes better and be able to separate from linebackers a lot better," Langford said. "The most important part is catching the ball — catching the ball in traffic and catching the 50-50 catches."
Gaining yards after contact is the second point of emphasis for Langford. The Bears are working with last year's fourth-round pick to widen his feet on contact to improve his balance and power.
Charles Leno, left tackle
It's premature to anoint Leno as the long-term answer, but he has an opportunity to make his case.
Leno possesses the inner drive and zeal for the game that this regime values. He studies, seeks technical help from veterans and appreciates the developmental process.
His confidence is flourishing this offseason now that he's focusing on the position he played in college. Magazu believes Leno is thicker and stronger, which could help answer the regime's questions about his anchor against bull rushes.
Zach Miller, tight end
Miller will turn 32 in October, and after re-signing on a two-year, $6 million deal in March, his emergence in 2016 probably would have a bigger impact on the current offense's effectiveness than the team's long-term plan.
But Miller isn't looking too far ahead after a breakout 2015 facilitated his ascent to the top tight end role. He can line up in different spots in the formation and has earned quarterback Jay Cutler's trust as a receiver.
The former college quarterback improved as a blocker last season because of his work with position coach Frank Smith. That part of Miller's game will be tested in his expanded role in 2016.
"He has done a great job marrying my footwork and my hand placement to where it's not really a weakness anymore," Miller said. "It's something I can work on and actually be productive in that area."
Fox Sports outlines 5 ways to fix the Chicago Bears.
By Bryan Perez
(Photo/Bearswire.com)
In a recent article published by Fox Sports, author Cameron DaSilva offered five ways to fix the Chicago Bears and restore their dominance in the NFC North.
Thankfully for Bears fans, it appears GM Ryan Pace has already taken many of the steps suggested in the piece.
The first step suggested by DaSilva is for the Bears to find a pass rush. He offered statistics to back his claim, notably the team’s 22nd-place finish among defenses with only 35 sacks in 2015.
Thankfully for Bears fans, it appears GM Ryan Pace has already taken many of the steps suggested in the piece.
The first step suggested by DaSilva is for the Bears to find a pass rush. He offered statistics to back his claim, notably the team’s 22nd-place finish among defenses with only 35 sacks in 2015.
Another suggestion offered by the Fox Sports columnist was to focus on the team’s offensive line, specifically to help QB Jay Cutler stay clean and upright.
Pace has done that this offseason with the signings of RT Bobby Massie and interior players Manny Ramirez and Ted Larsen. He spent a second-round pick on Cody Whitehair and moved Kyle Long back to his dominant position of right guard. Aside from left tackle, where the Bears have placed all of their faith in Charles Leno, Jr., the offensive line has received as much of a facelift as any position group on the team. Da Silva mentioned a need for the team to focus on building a strong running game to take pressure off of Cutler, especially now that the centerpiece of Chicago’s rushing attack — Matt Forte — is no longer with the team.
It’s a bit surprising this suggestion was even made. The intent of the piece was to offer ways the Bears could get back to contender status, implying they’ve fallen short of doing so in recent years. With Forte part of the regime that failed to meet expectations of late, it would seem like his departure wouldn’t be all that concerning.
That said, the Bears have added more talent to the running back position this offseason by way of fifth-round pick Jordan Howard, who by most accounts was one of the steals of the 2016 NFL draft. He was rated as a much higher pick during the pre-draft process, with some experts suggesting he would come off the board on day two.
Second-year man Jeremy Langford is the best bet to be the starting running back in 2016, but with third-year pro Ka’Deem Carey and Howard fighting for touches, the running game should be in very good shape.
Drafting a shut-down cornerback in 2017 was the final piece of advice offered by DaSilva, which, well, doesn’t mean much for the Bears in 2016. If it was that easy to acquire a dominant player at one of the most important positions in the game, every team would have one.
It takes a lot more than just targeting a position in the draft to fill a need. A player worthy of the pick has to be available, and if the targeted position is a shut-down cornerback, a top-five pick is likely required.
The best bet for the Bears to have that kind of presence on defense is to develop former first-round pick Kyle Fuller into one. He was drafted with that expectation and flashed the potential to be one of the league’s best during the first half of his rookie year. He’s struggled since then, but the talent is there.
What does all of this mean? The Bears are closer to being a contender than most are giving them credit for right now. If all the pieces come together in year two of head coach John Fox’s regime — which he’s proven capable of doing with Super Bowl trips in his second seasons with Carolina and Denver — then the roar will be restored in Chicago.
Bears make Nate Chandler signing official.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Bears announced Friday morning the signing of offensive lineman Nate Chandler.
Both Chandler and free agent offensive lineman Jake Long worked out for the Bears on Thursday. Ultimately the team went with Chandler, who missed all of 2015 with a knee injury. He started 11 games at right tackle in 2015 and eight games at guard and tackle in 2013.
Chandler is expected to compete at left tackle with Charles Leno Jr., and gives the Bears added versatility up front.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Can Patrick Kane Repeat His Art Ross Season?
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
There was a time in history when it seemed like the Art Ross Trophy would never leave the city of Chicago. Between the 1959-60 season and the 1967-68 season, it was a Blackhawk’s player that won the honors for the NHL’s top point scorer in the league in seven out of nine years. Bobby Hull took the honors in 1959-60, 1961-62, and again in 1965-66. Stan Mikita lead the league in scoring in 1963-64, 1964-65, 1966-67, and finally in 1967-1968. For five consecutive seasons a Blackhawk was the league’s top scorer, but after Mikita won it for the last time things changed.
First American to Win the Art Ross Trophy
The Blackhawks waited for 48 long years before one of their players once again won the Art Ross trophy. In 2016 Patrick Kane dominated the NHL and posted 106 points. To put that in perspective, the next highest point total this season was Jamie Benn who finished with 89 points. The last player to put up at least 106 points in a season was Evgeni Malkin in 2011-12, with Sidney Crosby coming close in 2013-14 with 104. Even more impressive is the fact that Kane is the first American in history to ever win the Art Ross trophy.
“It is an honor being the first American to win the scoring title as there have been so many great hockey players from the United States in the NHL,” Kane said after the conclusion of the regular season. “I take a lot of pride in that, but I also take a lot of pride in doing it with the Chicago Blackhawks. I owe a lot to my teammates, coaches and the organization as I couldn’t have done this without them. This has been a special season, but we still have a lot to accomplish as a team and I look forward to another long run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.”
When considering the fact that there are players like Brett Hull, Mike Modano, Phil Housley, Jeremy Roenix, and Keith Tkachuk, among others, who posted so many points in their 1000+ game careers, it’s impressive that Kane was the first ever American to win the trophy. It also says a lot about how talented Kane truly is in an era of the NHL where the “decline” of scoring is something that is so prominent in the news.
At just 27-years-old Kane is just entering his prime. In his first three years in the NHL Kane averaged 0.94 points per game, seasons where he was relatively healthy and played in at least 80 games. The only other times that Kane played in 80 games or more in a season were the 2011-12 and this past season, where he posted 66 points and 106 points respectively.
The 26 Game Streak
Kane went on a historic run during the 2015-16 season, in which he posted at least one point in 26 consecutive games. The previous Blackhawks record for points in consecutive games was set by Bobby Hull, with 21 games during the 1971-72 season.
“It was a fun run,” Kane said. “I think you never know what’s going to happen with the streak, or there’s a lot of games when it seemed like we were down and out, and you end up getting something at the end, whatever it may be. But, you know, it was fun breaking the American record. I was happy with that, and to break the franchise record too, that was pretty special as well. It was definitely fun while it lasted.”
It’s probably safe to assume Kane won’t be breaking any consecutive-game point streaks next season. After registering a point in 26 consecutive games Kane was seemingly focusing too much on the streak. This caused him unnecessary stress, which he hinted at when he stated “I’m excited just to play hockey now” following the conclusion of the streak in a 3-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
If the streak was taking the fun away from the game, it’s probably for the best that Kane doesn’t go on any such streaks next season.
First American to Win the Art Ross Trophy
The Blackhawks waited for 48 long years before one of their players once again won the Art Ross trophy. In 2016 Patrick Kane dominated the NHL and posted 106 points. To put that in perspective, the next highest point total this season was Jamie Benn who finished with 89 points. The last player to put up at least 106 points in a season was Evgeni Malkin in 2011-12, with Sidney Crosby coming close in 2013-14 with 104. Even more impressive is the fact that Kane is the first American in history to ever win the Art Ross trophy.
“It is an honor being the first American to win the scoring title as there have been so many great hockey players from the United States in the NHL,” Kane said after the conclusion of the regular season. “I take a lot of pride in that, but I also take a lot of pride in doing it with the Chicago Blackhawks. I owe a lot to my teammates, coaches and the organization as I couldn’t have done this without them. This has been a special season, but we still have a lot to accomplish as a team and I look forward to another long run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.”
When considering the fact that there are players like Brett Hull, Mike Modano, Phil Housley, Jeremy Roenix, and Keith Tkachuk, among others, who posted so many points in their 1000+ game careers, it’s impressive that Kane was the first ever American to win the trophy. It also says a lot about how talented Kane truly is in an era of the NHL where the “decline” of scoring is something that is so prominent in the news.
At just 27-years-old Kane is just entering his prime. In his first three years in the NHL Kane averaged 0.94 points per game, seasons where he was relatively healthy and played in at least 80 games. The only other times that Kane played in 80 games or more in a season were the 2011-12 and this past season, where he posted 66 points and 106 points respectively.
The 26 Game Streak
Kane went on a historic run during the 2015-16 season, in which he posted at least one point in 26 consecutive games. The previous Blackhawks record for points in consecutive games was set by Bobby Hull, with 21 games during the 1971-72 season.
“It was a fun run,” Kane said. “I think you never know what’s going to happen with the streak, or there’s a lot of games when it seemed like we were down and out, and you end up getting something at the end, whatever it may be. But, you know, it was fun breaking the American record. I was happy with that, and to break the franchise record too, that was pretty special as well. It was definitely fun while it lasted.”
It’s probably safe to assume Kane won’t be breaking any consecutive-game point streaks next season. After registering a point in 26 consecutive games Kane was seemingly focusing too much on the streak. This caused him unnecessary stress, which he hinted at when he stated “I’m excited just to play hockey now” following the conclusion of the streak in a 3-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
If the streak was taking the fun away from the game, it’s probably for the best that Kane doesn’t go on any such streaks next season.
Patrick Kane
Right Wing
Born Nov 19 1988 -- Buffalo, NY
Height 5.11 -- Weight 177 -- Shoots Left
Born Nov 19 1988 -- Buffalo, NY
Height 5.11 -- Weight 177 -- Shoots Left
Selected by Chicago Blackhawks round 1 #1 overall 2007 NHL Entry Draft
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05 | USNTDP Under-18 Team | NAHL | 40 | 16 | 21 | 37 | 8 | |||||
| 2005-06 | USNTDP Under-18 Team | NAHL | 15 | 17 | 17 | 34 | 12 | |||||
| 2006-07 | London Knights | OHL | 58 | 62 | 83 | 145 | 52 | 16 | 10 | 21 | 31 | 16 |
| 2007-08 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 82 | 21 | 51 | 72 | 52 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2008-09 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 80 | 25 | 45 | 70 | 42 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 12 |
| 2009-10 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 82 | 30 | 58 | 88 | 20 | 22 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 6 |
| 2010-11 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 73 | 27 | 46 | 73 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| 2011-12 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 82 | 23 | 43 | 66 | 40 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| 2012-13 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 47 | 23 | 32 | 55 | 8 | 23 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 8 |
| 2012-13 | Biel HC | Swiss-A | 20 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2013-14 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 69 | 29 | 40 | 69 | 22 | 19 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 8 |
| 2014-15 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 61 | 27 | 37 | 64 | 10 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 0 |
| 2015-16 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 82 | 46 | 60 | 106 | 30 | |||||
| 2015-16 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 7 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 14 | |||||
Patrick Kane statistics provided by hockeyDB.com
Health concerns could play a factor
Kane has missed significant time over the last few seasons due to injury. In 2013-14, Kane played in only 69 games after suffering a left-leg injury. Amazingly Kane came back from the injury and didn’t miss a beat. The young American played in 19 games while posting 20 points that post-season, despite not winning a Stanley Cup.
In the 2014-15 season Kane was once again plagued by an injury. The Buffalo-native skated in only 61 games due to a broken left-clavicle that ultimately required surgery. The initial recovery time for the injury was expected to be 12 weeks, which would have ultimately resulted in Kane missing the first two rounds of the playoffs. It was expected that Kane would return in the Western Conference Finals, but after missing 21 games the right winger was cleared and ready to play in game one of the Western Conference Quarter Finals. Injuries never seem to slow Kane down as he once again returned to form in the playoffs, scoring 23 points in 23 games to help his club win their third Stanley Cup since 2010.
The Right Linemates and Verdict
Throughout his career Patrick Kane has played with a variety of linemates to varying degrees of success. Whether he was playing at the center in an experimental role, or playing alongside Jonathan Toews, Brad Richards, or Artem Anisimov, Kane has always been one of the dominant point-producers in the league. His most successful season by far, however, came with Anisimov at center and rookie forward Artemi Panarin skating across from him on the left wing.
Playing in his first year in the league, Panarin immediately found chemistry with Kane, on a line centered by Anisimov, that simply could not be slowed down for much of the regular season. There is no reason to believe that line will be dissolved moving forward, unless the Blackhawks happen to make a trade involving Anisimov this off-season in an effort to save cap space. Trading away an effective second line center after just one season doesn’t seem very likely, but Stan Bowman has made shocking moves in the past.
With the assumption that the Blackhawks will start the 2016-17 season with a second line consisting of Panarin, Anisimov, and Kane, it’s hard to justify keeping Kane out of the Art Ross contention discussions. Panarin could hit a sophomore slump, but given the fact that he’s played professional hockey overseas and this wasn’t technically his first season, it’s just as likely that he builds off his successful NHL debut. With Panarin performing at a similar, or better rate than last year, Kane has the opportunity to build off of his successful 2015-16 campaign and produce points at an outrageous pace once again.
Scoring 100 points in today’s NHL isn’t easy, and if Kane can even reach the 90 point mark next season, it would be an accomplishment in itself.
Jake Arrieta's magical run comes to an end in Cubs loss.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
All good things come to an end.
There's no way Jake Arrieta was going to go undefeated forever.
Arrieta picked up his first loss in more than 10 months Sunday as the Cubs fell 3-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in front of 41,596 fans at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs ace had previously won his last 20 decisions dating back to August of last year. Arrieta's last loss came when Cole Hamels no-hit the Cubs July 25, 2015.
Arrieta had 12 strikeouts in five innings, but he wasn't as sharp as usual, needing 51 pitches to get through the first two frames.
Arrieta gave up nine hits and three runs, but managed to escape more damage when the Diamondbacks ran into two outs on the basepaths in the fifth inning. He had allowed just 42 hits in 75 innings this season prior to Sunday.
"They made me show that I have to be able to have the ability to throw strikes or get in the strike zone early with the intent to get into some hitter friendly counts," Arrieta said after the game. "Pitch count got up, it was just a strange day overall. Everything they put in play seemed to be a base hit. ... Just a strange day all the way around."
Maddon agreed, tipping his cap to the Diamondbacks' patience at the plate.
"His stuff was electric today," Maddon said of Arrieta. "Every time they put a ball in play, it found a hole. ... Give them credit for working good at-bats today."
Arrieta moved to 9-1 on the season and saw his ERA rise to 1.80 and WHIP to 0.96.
The Cubs could only muster two runs of support for Arrieta, and he contributed the first, helping himself out with a two-out double in the second on a ball that popped in and out of Michael Bourn's glove in the center field vines.
Javy Baez provided the second run with a solo blast to right field, but that was it against Arizona starter Patrick Corbin.
Joe Maddon was ejected in the seventh inning when he and the Cubs dugout exploded after they thought Trevor Cahill struck out Paul Goldschmidt on a check swing to end the frame. But first base umpire Tripp Gibson ruled Goldschmidt did not go around.
"I really thought he swung, I don't think there was any question about it, even from behind him," Maddon said. "My biggest concern was how to use the bullpen. I explained that to him. I said, 'Do you know what you just did? You really made it difficult to use the bullpen the rest of the game by not doing the right thing by calling him out.'
"All this stuff happened because that check swing was not called. And that's the part of the game that, it happens to everybody, but when it comes to strategy, that really messed up the bullpen. As it turned out, it didn't really matter in a sense, but I was really upset based on two things: I really thought he swung, absolutely, and on top of that I was thinking about the bullpen."
Even without Goldschmidt's check swing, Cubs pitchers still finished with 18 strikeouts in nine innings.
The Cubs now hit the road for a three-game series against the Phillies beginning Monday night on CSN, and they'll gladly take an 8-2 homestand into Philadelphia.
"I'm not upset, that's the thing," Maddon said. "I like the fact that we're upset that we lost, I love that. None of the guys accept that. But 8-2 homestand, I think we'll take that for the rest of the summer."
How Anthony Rizzo and the Cubs are dealing with defensive shifts.
By Tony Andracki
There's no way Jake Arrieta was going to go undefeated forever.
Arrieta picked up his first loss in more than 10 months Sunday as the Cubs fell 3-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in front of 41,596 fans at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs ace had previously won his last 20 decisions dating back to August of last year. Arrieta's last loss came when Cole Hamels no-hit the Cubs July 25, 2015.
Arrieta had 12 strikeouts in five innings, but he wasn't as sharp as usual, needing 51 pitches to get through the first two frames.
Arrieta gave up nine hits and three runs, but managed to escape more damage when the Diamondbacks ran into two outs on the basepaths in the fifth inning. He had allowed just 42 hits in 75 innings this season prior to Sunday.
"They made me show that I have to be able to have the ability to throw strikes or get in the strike zone early with the intent to get into some hitter friendly counts," Arrieta said after the game. "Pitch count got up, it was just a strange day overall. Everything they put in play seemed to be a base hit. ... Just a strange day all the way around."
Maddon agreed, tipping his cap to the Diamondbacks' patience at the plate.
"His stuff was electric today," Maddon said of Arrieta. "Every time they put a ball in play, it found a hole. ... Give them credit for working good at-bats today."
Arrieta moved to 9-1 on the season and saw his ERA rise to 1.80 and WHIP to 0.96.
The Cubs could only muster two runs of support for Arrieta, and he contributed the first, helping himself out with a two-out double in the second on a ball that popped in and out of Michael Bourn's glove in the center field vines.
Javy Baez provided the second run with a solo blast to right field, but that was it against Arizona starter Patrick Corbin.
Joe Maddon was ejected in the seventh inning when he and the Cubs dugout exploded after they thought Trevor Cahill struck out Paul Goldschmidt on a check swing to end the frame. But first base umpire Tripp Gibson ruled Goldschmidt did not go around.
"I really thought he swung, I don't think there was any question about it, even from behind him," Maddon said. "My biggest concern was how to use the bullpen. I explained that to him. I said, 'Do you know what you just did? You really made it difficult to use the bullpen the rest of the game by not doing the right thing by calling him out.'
"All this stuff happened because that check swing was not called. And that's the part of the game that, it happens to everybody, but when it comes to strategy, that really messed up the bullpen. As it turned out, it didn't really matter in a sense, but I was really upset based on two things: I really thought he swung, absolutely, and on top of that I was thinking about the bullpen."
Even without Goldschmidt's check swing, Cubs pitchers still finished with 18 strikeouts in nine innings.
The Cubs now hit the road for a three-game series against the Phillies beginning Monday night on CSN, and they'll gladly take an 8-2 homestand into Philadelphia.
"I'm not upset, that's the thing," Maddon said. "I like the fact that we're upset that we lost, I love that. None of the guys accept that. But 8-2 homestand, I think we'll take that for the rest of the summer."
How Anthony Rizzo and the Cubs are dealing with defensive shifts.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Baseball and luck go together like peanut butter and jelly.
"Luck" is one of those terms that's thrown around baseball games constantly by analysts, reporters, coaches, even players.
Saturday's Cubs-Diamondbacks game was a perfect example.
With the bases loaded and the Cubs up one in the eighth inning, Arizona's Rickie Weeks hit a line drive...that just so happened to be right at Ben Zobrist. Instead of at least a game-tying hit, it was inning over and, eventually, game over.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon was quick to point out after the game (and then again before Sunday's game) how "lucky" his team was to get out of that jam.
That inconsistent luck on balls in play is something that has become much more of a topic nowadays thanks to defensive shifts and advanced metrics.
Maddon thinks Anthony Rizzo — who has a .251 average — would actually be hitting 20-30 points higher if it wasn't for shifts.
"Rizz or heavy pull left-handed hitters, their numbers have been impacted by shifts," Maddon said. "I think batting averages have plummeted a bit based on data — defensively — as well as data that a pitcher could utilize.
"That kind of information was not as abundant in years past. I've talked about this where I think the decline in offense or batting average is really related to the proliferation of data in video and the ability to put guys where you want to."
Rizzo received an off-day Sunday, but he actually saw both sides of that luck firsthand in the first two games of the series against the Diamondbacks.
With Kris Bryant on second base in the first inning of Friday's ballgame, Rizzo hit a hard ground ball up the middle...right into the waiting glove of shortstop Nick Ahmed.
"When is the second baseman or shortstop playing there?" Maddon asked incredulously after the game. "He didn't do it in 19-odd-8, I know that.
"That was an absolute base hit, RBI, everybody's happy. That's a tremendous illustration what we're talking about. That is scouting defense. All that stuff conspires against left-handed hitters like him."
Of course, just a few innings later, Rizzo stroked a line drive to center field and wound up with a double when Chris Owings misjudged the ball and broke in.
In Saturday's game, Rizzo picked up a base hit on a bloop that fell between three Diamondbacks defenders.
Those last two examples were the kinds of plays that have not gone Rizzo's way so far this season.
Entering play Sunday, his batting average on balls in play was .232, 46 points below his career .278 mark.
Rizzo admitted he was shocked when he saw the ball "bounce" his way — so to speak — on Friday.
"Honestly, yes, because it just hasn't gone like that," he said. "It's baseball. They say it evens out, so you just keep hitting it hard.
"I always feel good at the plate. I always feel like I'm right there. You know, the one ball, fortunately the centerfielder didn't get a good read on there."
Rizzo also acknowledged how frustrating it can be to hit into the shift.
"You get taught to hit up the middle your whole life, so you hit the ball up the middle and there's a guy standing there," he said. "But what are you gonna do about it? Hit the ball hard. That's all you can do is keep hitting the ball hard."
Shifting has become an integral part of the game over the last half-decade. Instead of just shifting against the big, slow power hitters like Adam Dunn or David Ortiz, teams can now conceivably shift against any hitter with all the information at their disposal.
In his rant on shifting, Maddon confirmed what we already know: Hitting hasn't yet caught up to the trend. Beyond bunting into the shift, there is nothing that has emerged as a tool to aid hitters battling defensive shifts.
It's a big reason why a .400 season or 56-game hitting streak seem so impossible right now. Sure, pitching and strikeouts are up all around baseball, but the case can easily be made that batting average is down as much because of shifting (and pitching into the shift) as anything.
Think about Crash Davis' speech at the end of "Bull Durham" about how the difference between hitting .250 and .300 is one extra "groundball with eyes" or "dying quail" per week throughout the course of the season.
With shifts, those groundballs don't find their way through the infield as much.
"When you hit the ball well and you're hitting into shifts, then all of a sudden hits — from the time you're in Little League to teen ball to high school to college — hits are now outs," Maddon said. "There's a confidence component to that also.
"You lose some confidence in what you're doing even though you're doing the exact same thing that used to be successful."
Maddon talked at length about how hitting against — and bunting against — the shift aren't easy things to do.
For one, bunting only really works in some situations. You don't want to take the bat out of a power hitter's hands with two outs and nobody on just to reach first base safely.
The same can be said for hitting into a shift. Guys like Rizzo and Jason Heyward would sacrifice some power if they constantly tried to hit the ball the other way.
Plus, they're being pitched into the shift, so it's not as simple as taking the ball the other way.
Maddon feels hitters should learn to adjust to shifts early-on, especially with how hard it is to make adjustments at the big-league level.
"I think it's important that you teach these guys at least to bunt," Maddon said. "We do it a little bit. But to truly get away from shift-able players, it's got to be nurtured at the minor-league level to teach these guys to stay inside the ball, hit the ball the other way and still be able to power it somewhat.
"...The objective is to get more runs on a nightly basis as opposed to more hits. Oftentimes, if you get more hits, it's probably going to end up with more runs, but I don't want to dispute that.
"I don't want our guys going out there purely driven by base hits. Sometimes, the better option is to not make an out."
White Sox fall apart in fifth inning in loss to Tigers.
"Luck" is one of those terms that's thrown around baseball games constantly by analysts, reporters, coaches, even players.
Saturday's Cubs-Diamondbacks game was a perfect example.
With the bases loaded and the Cubs up one in the eighth inning, Arizona's Rickie Weeks hit a line drive...that just so happened to be right at Ben Zobrist. Instead of at least a game-tying hit, it was inning over and, eventually, game over.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon was quick to point out after the game (and then again before Sunday's game) how "lucky" his team was to get out of that jam.
That inconsistent luck on balls in play is something that has become much more of a topic nowadays thanks to defensive shifts and advanced metrics.
Maddon thinks Anthony Rizzo — who has a .251 average — would actually be hitting 20-30 points higher if it wasn't for shifts.
"Rizz or heavy pull left-handed hitters, their numbers have been impacted by shifts," Maddon said. "I think batting averages have plummeted a bit based on data — defensively — as well as data that a pitcher could utilize.
"That kind of information was not as abundant in years past. I've talked about this where I think the decline in offense or batting average is really related to the proliferation of data in video and the ability to put guys where you want to."
Rizzo received an off-day Sunday, but he actually saw both sides of that luck firsthand in the first two games of the series against the Diamondbacks.
With Kris Bryant on second base in the first inning of Friday's ballgame, Rizzo hit a hard ground ball up the middle...right into the waiting glove of shortstop Nick Ahmed.
"When is the second baseman or shortstop playing there?" Maddon asked incredulously after the game. "He didn't do it in 19-odd-8, I know that.
"That was an absolute base hit, RBI, everybody's happy. That's a tremendous illustration what we're talking about. That is scouting defense. All that stuff conspires against left-handed hitters like him."
Of course, just a few innings later, Rizzo stroked a line drive to center field and wound up with a double when Chris Owings misjudged the ball and broke in.
In Saturday's game, Rizzo picked up a base hit on a bloop that fell between three Diamondbacks defenders.
Those last two examples were the kinds of plays that have not gone Rizzo's way so far this season.
Entering play Sunday, his batting average on balls in play was .232, 46 points below his career .278 mark.
Rizzo admitted he was shocked when he saw the ball "bounce" his way — so to speak — on Friday.
"Honestly, yes, because it just hasn't gone like that," he said. "It's baseball. They say it evens out, so you just keep hitting it hard.
"I always feel good at the plate. I always feel like I'm right there. You know, the one ball, fortunately the centerfielder didn't get a good read on there."
Rizzo also acknowledged how frustrating it can be to hit into the shift.
"You get taught to hit up the middle your whole life, so you hit the ball up the middle and there's a guy standing there," he said. "But what are you gonna do about it? Hit the ball hard. That's all you can do is keep hitting the ball hard."
Shifting has become an integral part of the game over the last half-decade. Instead of just shifting against the big, slow power hitters like Adam Dunn or David Ortiz, teams can now conceivably shift against any hitter with all the information at their disposal.
In his rant on shifting, Maddon confirmed what we already know: Hitting hasn't yet caught up to the trend. Beyond bunting into the shift, there is nothing that has emerged as a tool to aid hitters battling defensive shifts.
It's a big reason why a .400 season or 56-game hitting streak seem so impossible right now. Sure, pitching and strikeouts are up all around baseball, but the case can easily be made that batting average is down as much because of shifting (and pitching into the shift) as anything.
Think about Crash Davis' speech at the end of "Bull Durham" about how the difference between hitting .250 and .300 is one extra "groundball with eyes" or "dying quail" per week throughout the course of the season.
With shifts, those groundballs don't find their way through the infield as much.
"When you hit the ball well and you're hitting into shifts, then all of a sudden hits — from the time you're in Little League to teen ball to high school to college — hits are now outs," Maddon said. "There's a confidence component to that also.
"You lose some confidence in what you're doing even though you're doing the exact same thing that used to be successful."
Maddon talked at length about how hitting against — and bunting against — the shift aren't easy things to do.
For one, bunting only really works in some situations. You don't want to take the bat out of a power hitter's hands with two outs and nobody on just to reach first base safely.
The same can be said for hitting into a shift. Guys like Rizzo and Jason Heyward would sacrifice some power if they constantly tried to hit the ball the other way.
Plus, they're being pitched into the shift, so it's not as simple as taking the ball the other way.
Maddon feels hitters should learn to adjust to shifts early-on, especially with how hard it is to make adjustments at the big-league level.
"I think it's important that you teach these guys at least to bunt," Maddon said. "We do it a little bit. But to truly get away from shift-able players, it's got to be nurtured at the minor-league level to teach these guys to stay inside the ball, hit the ball the other way and still be able to power it somewhat.
"...The objective is to get more runs on a nightly basis as opposed to more hits. Oftentimes, if you get more hits, it's probably going to end up with more runs, but I don't want to dispute that.
"I don't want our guys going out there purely driven by base hits. Sometimes, the better option is to not make an out."
White Sox fall apart in fifth inning in loss to Tigers.
By Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Justin Verlander pitched seven strong innings and Justin Upton drove in a pair of runs as the Detroit Tigers swept the Chicago White Sox with a 5-2 victory Sunday.
Detroit came into the series having lost eight of its last 10 games against left-handed starters, but beat a trio of Chicago lefties: Carlos Rodon, Chris Sale and Jose Quintana.
Verlander (5-5) allowed homers to Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier, but got himself out of two major jams in order to win for the third time in four starts. He gave up five hits and a walk while striking out eight.
Shane Greene and Francisco Rodriguez finished, with Rodriguez picking up his 15th save.
Quintana (5-6) took the loss, allowing a season-high five runs on nine hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. It was the first time he didn't finish five innings.
Abreu gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead with a long homer into the shrubbery atop the center field fence, but Verlander pitched out of a jam in the third.
Alex Avila, who has caught more of Verlander's starts than any other player, opened the inning with a walk and took third on Tyler Saladino's double. Verlander, though, got Adam Eaton to tap back to the mound before striking out Jason Coats and Abreu to end the inning.
The Tigers took advantage in the half, with Cameron Maybin drawing a two-out walk and scoring on Miguel Cabrera's double.
Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias saved Verlander in the top of the fifth, making a diving stop of Saladino's one-out grounder to hold Jimmy Rollins at third. James McCann then grabbed Eaton's bunt and threw him out at first to end the inning.
Quintana walked J.D. Martinez with the bases loaded to make it 2-1 in the bottom half and Nick Castellanos followed with an RBI single. Upton drove a 3-0 fastball into the left field corner for a two-run double that ended Quintana's day.
Detroit came into the series having lost eight of its last 10 games against left-handed starters, but beat a trio of Chicago lefties: Carlos Rodon, Chris Sale and Jose Quintana.
Verlander (5-5) allowed homers to Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier, but got himself out of two major jams in order to win for the third time in four starts. He gave up five hits and a walk while striking out eight.
Shane Greene and Francisco Rodriguez finished, with Rodriguez picking up his 15th save.
Quintana (5-6) took the loss, allowing a season-high five runs on nine hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. It was the first time he didn't finish five innings.
Abreu gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead with a long homer into the shrubbery atop the center field fence, but Verlander pitched out of a jam in the third.
Alex Avila, who has caught more of Verlander's starts than any other player, opened the inning with a walk and took third on Tyler Saladino's double. Verlander, though, got Adam Eaton to tap back to the mound before striking out Jason Coats and Abreu to end the inning.
The Tigers took advantage in the half, with Cameron Maybin drawing a two-out walk and scoring on Miguel Cabrera's double.
Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias saved Verlander in the top of the fifth, making a diving stop of Saladino's one-out grounder to hold Jimmy Rollins at third. James McCann then grabbed Eaton's bunt and threw him out at first to end the inning.
Quintana walked J.D. Martinez with the bases loaded to make it 2-1 in the bottom half and Nick Castellanos followed with an RBI single. Upton drove a 3-0 fastball into the left field corner for a two-run double that ended Quintana's day.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: Coats, who needed five stitches in his mouth after an outfield collision ended his major league debut Saturday, was back in the lineup. Chicago was shorthanded in the outfield, with Austin Jackson battling turf toe and Melky Cabrera away from the team to deal with a family emergency.
Tigers: Cabrera, who has been having trouble with stiffness in his lower back, seemed to be struggling on a sixth-inning at-bat, but stayed in the game.
REUNION CONTINUES
With Avila back in the lineup for Chicago in his first series as a visitor in Detroit, his former teammates continued to have fun with him. After Verlander walked him in the third, he threw over to first, causing the slow-footed Avila to burst into laughter. Later in the game, after Miguel Cabrera struck out on a pitch in the dirt, he kept trying to embrace Avila as he was trying to gather up the ball.
UP NEXT
Chicago: Off on Monday before returning home for a three-game series against Washington.
Detroit: Open a three-game home series with Toronto on Monday. Michael Fulmer (5-1, 3.24) faces J.A. Happ (6-2, 3.06). Fulmer has won three straight starts, allowing one run in 22 1/3 innings.
White Sox acquire James Shields from Padres.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The White Sox acquired James Shields and more than $30 million in cash from the San Diego Padres on Saturday.
White Sox minor-leaguers Erik Johnson and Fernando Tatis Jr. were included in the deal for the 34-year-old right-hander, who is owed roughly $58 million on his current contract.
The teams have talked since last weekend about a trade for Shields, who is 2-7 with a 4.28 ERA in 11 starts this season. Shields’ ERA sat at 3.06 before his last outing in Seattle earlier this week, when he allowed a career-high 10 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.
“He has a very long track record of durability and consistent performance,” White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. “Our scouts and analysts feel he’s going to provide us with a solid presence in that rotation.
“What we’re hoping for from James is, he’s proven he can be an elite starter in the American League historically, but that’s not what we’re asking of him going forward. The higher quality his performance is going forward, the better. But at the same time, with the way our rotation sets up the next few years, we just needed him to be a nice stabilizing presence in the middle of it.”
Multiple National League scouts believes James would thrive playing for a contending team. One said Shields has been hurt by the Padres’ porous defense.
Shields should fit nicely in the team’s rotation behind Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. He went 114-90 in nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals, including 14 games en route to an American League pennant in 2014. He has started at least 33 games a season since 2008.
Hahn has made no secret he wants to try and add on to a team that has slumped of late after a very hot start. The White Sox are 6-17 since they won 23 of their first 33 games and sit in third place in the AL Central. One area he hoped to improve is the starting rotation beyond Sale and Quintana. The White Sox continue to have high hopes for Carlos Rodon, but they’re also aware he could have ups and downs throughout his second season. They also need more production from the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation. Hahn said Saturday the decision on who is the odd man out of the rotation — Mat Latos or Miguel Gonzalez — hasn’t been determined. He also said when Shields would debut is up in the air. Shields’ next turn in the Padres’ rotation was scheduled to come Sunday.
Hahn also made it clear the White Sox have more needs than just the rotation. But he wanted to move quickly to solve that area and had financial flexibility to take on part of Shields’ contract because of the $11.5 million left after Adam LaRoche’s abrupt retirement freed up $13 million (Miguel Gonzalez received $1.5 million in April).
News of the talks surfaced between the sides last weekend. Part of the difficulty in negotiating the deal is the potential for Shields to walk away at the end of the season and become a free agent because he has an opt out in his contract.
Shields is set to earn $21 million each of the next two seasons — the Padres are on the hook for a large chunk of that — and has a $2 million buyout on his 2019 option. While the free-agent market for pitchers is razor thin next offseason, whether or not Shields, who turns 35 in December, would find a more lucrative offer remains to be seen.
“There were three elements to it,” Hahn said. “The talent exchange we had to be comfortable with. Whether the scenario played out that Shields pitched so well for us that at the end of the year he decides to test free agency and likely yields us with a comp pick at that point.
“And two, the more likely scenario at this point that he elects to play out the final two years on the club option on the contract, we had to get to the point of being comfortable from an economic standpoint how he was going to fit in going forward given his projected performance and what we were hoping to be able to surround him with it. The scenario first on the talent and then what if he leaves, what if he stays. As always, the talent part takes a lot of work in an exchange, and this one was more complicated by economic factor.”
The 2015 International League pitcher of the year, Johnson hasn’t been able to stick in the majors with the White Sox. He had nice auditions with the club in 2013 and 2015, winning six of nine decisions in 11 starts. But Johnson struggled when given a chance to make the rotation in 2014 and hasn’t been able to get on track this season.
The former second-rounder out of Cal, Johnson is 7-6 with a 4.50 ERA in 18 major league starts. He’s 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA in two starts this season.
Tatis, whose father played for five teams and hit 34 home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1999, signed an international deal for $700,000 with the White Sox last July.
White Sox minor-leaguers Erik Johnson and Fernando Tatis Jr. were included in the deal for the 34-year-old right-hander, who is owed roughly $58 million on his current contract.
The teams have talked since last weekend about a trade for Shields, who is 2-7 with a 4.28 ERA in 11 starts this season. Shields’ ERA sat at 3.06 before his last outing in Seattle earlier this week, when he allowed a career-high 10 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.
“He has a very long track record of durability and consistent performance,” White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. “Our scouts and analysts feel he’s going to provide us with a solid presence in that rotation.
“What we’re hoping for from James is, he’s proven he can be an elite starter in the American League historically, but that’s not what we’re asking of him going forward. The higher quality his performance is going forward, the better. But at the same time, with the way our rotation sets up the next few years, we just needed him to be a nice stabilizing presence in the middle of it.”
Multiple National League scouts believes James would thrive playing for a contending team. One said Shields has been hurt by the Padres’ porous defense.
Shields should fit nicely in the team’s rotation behind Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. He went 114-90 in nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals, including 14 games en route to an American League pennant in 2014. He has started at least 33 games a season since 2008.
Hahn has made no secret he wants to try and add on to a team that has slumped of late after a very hot start. The White Sox are 6-17 since they won 23 of their first 33 games and sit in third place in the AL Central. One area he hoped to improve is the starting rotation beyond Sale and Quintana. The White Sox continue to have high hopes for Carlos Rodon, but they’re also aware he could have ups and downs throughout his second season. They also need more production from the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation. Hahn said Saturday the decision on who is the odd man out of the rotation — Mat Latos or Miguel Gonzalez — hasn’t been determined. He also said when Shields would debut is up in the air. Shields’ next turn in the Padres’ rotation was scheduled to come Sunday.
Hahn also made it clear the White Sox have more needs than just the rotation. But he wanted to move quickly to solve that area and had financial flexibility to take on part of Shields’ contract because of the $11.5 million left after Adam LaRoche’s abrupt retirement freed up $13 million (Miguel Gonzalez received $1.5 million in April).
News of the talks surfaced between the sides last weekend. Part of the difficulty in negotiating the deal is the potential for Shields to walk away at the end of the season and become a free agent because he has an opt out in his contract.
Shields is set to earn $21 million each of the next two seasons — the Padres are on the hook for a large chunk of that — and has a $2 million buyout on his 2019 option. While the free-agent market for pitchers is razor thin next offseason, whether or not Shields, who turns 35 in December, would find a more lucrative offer remains to be seen.
“There were three elements to it,” Hahn said. “The talent exchange we had to be comfortable with. Whether the scenario played out that Shields pitched so well for us that at the end of the year he decides to test free agency and likely yields us with a comp pick at that point.
“And two, the more likely scenario at this point that he elects to play out the final two years on the club option on the contract, we had to get to the point of being comfortable from an economic standpoint how he was going to fit in going forward given his projected performance and what we were hoping to be able to surround him with it. The scenario first on the talent and then what if he leaves, what if he stays. As always, the talent part takes a lot of work in an exchange, and this one was more complicated by economic factor.”
The 2015 International League pitcher of the year, Johnson hasn’t been able to stick in the majors with the White Sox. He had nice auditions with the club in 2013 and 2015, winning six of nine decisions in 11 starts. But Johnson struggled when given a chance to make the rotation in 2014 and hasn’t been able to get on track this season.
The former second-rounder out of Cal, Johnson is 7-6 with a 4.50 ERA in 18 major league starts. He’s 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA in two starts this season.
Tatis, whose father played for five teams and hit 34 home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1999, signed an international deal for $700,000 with the White Sox last July.
Rick Hahn hopes James Shields trade is tip of iceberg for White Sox.
By Dan Hayes
Nothing is certain, but don’t count on James Shields being the last in-season acquisition the 2016 White Sox make.
While the club has stalled out and been hurt by its current 6-17 run, the White Sox won’t punt their season with 65 percent of the schedule to go as evidenced by Saturday’s deal for Shields.
The White Sox feel as if they have addressed one of their more pressing needs by adding right-handed stability to their rotation in Shields.
But White Sox general manager Rick Hahn is also quite certain the addition of a starting pitcher won’t solve all his team’s issues (see: left-handed bat and bullpen). He began moving the club in this direction with the release of John Danks last month, and it sounds as if Hahn is prepared to continue adding to his roster to make the White Sox a more complete club.
“There are other areas of need on this roster potentially over the coming months, and while the rotation was certainly a very important one — and frankly one we felt was going to be fairly difficult to address in the coming weeks leading up to the trade deadline given the supply and demand out there — we felt it was an important one to move on early,” Hahn said. “But it’s not the only need we see on this roster, and whether it’s from a prospect standpoint or an economic standpoint, we do feel like we are in a position over the coming weeks and months to augment the roster if the opportunities arise.”
Based on how the Shields’ deal is structured, the White Sox have both the ability to take on salary from teams looking to shed it or trade prospects to make more additions.
Of the $14 million remaining on Shields’ current salary for 2016, the White Sox are only on the hook for $5 million, according to a baseball source.
Between Shields and Miguel Gonzalez, whose split contract pays him a maximum of $1.5 million this season, the White Sox have so far used $6.5 million of the $13 million saved when Adam LaRoche retired. That could come in handy as teams look to dump players over the next two months.
Either way, Hahn promises to be on the lookout, something he’s made clear since his team began the season with a 23-10 record. Hahn is hopeful the addition of Shields fires up the White Sox until he can make another deal.
“I think an acquisition like this does have an impact in the clubhouse,” Hahn said. “Not only from the standpoint of the players realizing that the front office is similarly focused as they are to do everything in our power to help them win as many games as possible this year, but also by adding a guy who has been through these battles before, a guy who has been a leader on successful clubs and the influence he can have when its in difficult stretches like we’re currently going through right now or crunch time when it comes time for the playoffs.”
While the club has stalled out and been hurt by its current 6-17 run, the White Sox won’t punt their season with 65 percent of the schedule to go as evidenced by Saturday’s deal for Shields.
The White Sox feel as if they have addressed one of their more pressing needs by adding right-handed stability to their rotation in Shields.
But White Sox general manager Rick Hahn is also quite certain the addition of a starting pitcher won’t solve all his team’s issues (see: left-handed bat and bullpen). He began moving the club in this direction with the release of John Danks last month, and it sounds as if Hahn is prepared to continue adding to his roster to make the White Sox a more complete club.
“There are other areas of need on this roster potentially over the coming months, and while the rotation was certainly a very important one — and frankly one we felt was going to be fairly difficult to address in the coming weeks leading up to the trade deadline given the supply and demand out there — we felt it was an important one to move on early,” Hahn said. “But it’s not the only need we see on this roster, and whether it’s from a prospect standpoint or an economic standpoint, we do feel like we are in a position over the coming weeks and months to augment the roster if the opportunities arise.”
Based on how the Shields’ deal is structured, the White Sox have both the ability to take on salary from teams looking to shed it or trade prospects to make more additions.
Of the $14 million remaining on Shields’ current salary for 2016, the White Sox are only on the hook for $5 million, according to a baseball source.
Between Shields and Miguel Gonzalez, whose split contract pays him a maximum of $1.5 million this season, the White Sox have so far used $6.5 million of the $13 million saved when Adam LaRoche retired. That could come in handy as teams look to dump players over the next two months.
Either way, Hahn promises to be on the lookout, something he’s made clear since his team began the season with a 23-10 record. Hahn is hopeful the addition of Shields fires up the White Sox until he can make another deal.
“I think an acquisition like this does have an impact in the clubhouse,” Hahn said. “Not only from the standpoint of the players realizing that the front office is similarly focused as they are to do everything in our power to help them win as many games as possible this year, but also by adding a guy who has been through these battles before, a guy who has been a leader on successful clubs and the influence he can have when its in difficult stretches like we’re currently going through right now or crunch time when it comes time for the playoffs.”
White Sox purchase contract of Jason Coats from Triple-A Charlotte.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The White Sox announced on Saturday that they have purchased the contract of outfielder Jason Coats from Triple-A Charlotte.
Coats replaces pitcher Tommy Kahnle, who was optioned to Charlotte following the White Sox 10-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers Friday night.
In 43 games with Charlotte this season Coats is batting .355 with seven home runs, 24 RBI and 26 runs. He leads the International League in batting average and ranks third in OBP (.399), slugging (.567) and OPS (.966).
The 26-year-old Coats was originally selected by the White Sox in the 29th round out of the 2012 MLB Draft out of Texas Christian University.
Coats will wear jersey No. 36 and make his MLB debut when he bats eighth in Saturday's game against the Tigers.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Warriors play fast, drain threes, blow out Cavaliers 110-77 to take 2-0 series lead.
By Kurt Helin
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Cleveland’s plan going into Game 2 was to play faster, move the ball, and score better in the paint. To a man, they said their defense wasn’t the problem in Game 1, it was their offense.
Strike one. Strike two. Strike three.
While they are not out, the Cavaliers are now down 0-2 in the NBA Finals to a very confident Warriors team just playing at a higher level — particularly on defense. It’s hard to see how Cleveland wins four of the next five games.
“I thought we did hit first, but when they went small they were faster than us. Faster and longer, I thought they made the tougher plays…” Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said after the game. “I think we have to take care of the basketball, especially in transition.”
Golden State won Game 2 110-77, shooting 54.3 percent as a team and 45.5 percent from three. Game 3 is Wednesday in Cleveland.
This time it was Draymond Green who led the way with 28 points — including going 5-of-8 from three. Stephen Curry had 18 points but was limited by some foul trouble, while Klay Thompson added 17. Neither Splash Brother has had a breakout Finals game, and yet the Warriors are 2-0 having outscored the Cavaliers by 48 points.
Playing fast is the Warriors natural state of being, their comfort zone, and after a sluggish first quarter the tempo picked up — and when it did the Warriors started to pull away. They are used to defensive cross matches and switches — they do it all season long — and they know how to defend the rim when they do. It worked, Cleveland was 20-of-44 shooting in the paint for the game, and they again got bogged down in isolations when trying to exploit switching mismatches. The Warriors can defend isos if they see them coming, and Cleveland is telegraphing theirs. The result is this shot chart.
And offense is not even the Cavs biggest problem in this series.
On the other end, Cleveland knows they should switch everything against Golden State (they saw Oklahoma City do it), but they lack the discipline and communication as a team to pull it off consistently, and the Warriors eventually start to carve it up. There were moments where Cleveland defended in Game 2 like they will need to if they want to make any kind of comeback in this series. They simply can’t sustain it.
Then once the Warriors momentum gets rolling, it’s over.
LeBron James — 19 points on 17 shots — is clearly frustrated — in part with himself and his seven turnovers. Last season he tried to put the less healthy Cavaliers on his back in the Finals, and that was not good enough. This season he is supposed to have help, but the Cavaliers as a team shot 35.4 percent and only veteran Richard Jefferson showed the kind of fight this team needs much more of.
“I’m not disappointed without guys, not disappointed or frustrated with our guys. We just have to be better in every facet of the game,” LeBron said.
The Cavaliers may also have lost Kevin Love — he suffered a concussion from an inadvertent Harrison Barnes elbow, which had Love in the locker room most of the second half. He is now in the NBA’s concussion protocol, meaning he has to pass a series of tests and levels just to be able to play in Game 3 (or any future game).
What ended being a Warriors blowout didn’t start that way.
There was a sluggish first six minutes to the game, with the Warriors missing threes (they started 0-of-5 from deep) and the Cavaliers not playing with the pace or ball movement Lue preached between games. Both teams shot less than 40 percent in the first quarter. The Cavaliers had a small lead early thanks to offensive rebounds giving them four second chance points, but the Warriors responded thanks to early dominance on the boards — Golden State had seven offensive boards in the first quarter. The Cavaliers ended the first on an 8-2 run and led 21-19 after one.
In the second quarter the tempo picked up — and so did the Warriors. Cleveland was much more active defensively, which got them some transition buckets. But they can’t sustain that level of defensive focus, and when the breakdowns came the Warriors exploited it — Draymond Green was 3-of-5 from three in the second quarter, the Warriors liked the tempo and got into their natural state, and led by 15. The reasons the lead was down to 52-44 at the half was Curry picked up a third foul, and when he sat Lebron led a 7-0 run to end the quarter, a run fueled by the Warriors missing some wide-open threes.
While the game was still close, it felt like Golden State could blow it open at any point — and they did in the third outscoring Cleveland 30-18 behind 10 more points from Green and 9 from Thompson.
Once the Warriors’ train started rolling, Cleveland could do nothing to slow it.
On the other end, Cleveland knows they should switch everything against Golden State (they saw Oklahoma City do it), but they lack the discipline and communication as a team to pull it off consistently, and the Warriors eventually start to carve it up. There were moments where Cleveland defended in Game 2 like they will need to if they want to make any kind of comeback in this series. They simply can’t sustain it.
Then once the Warriors momentum gets rolling, it’s over.
LeBron James — 19 points on 17 shots — is clearly frustrated — in part with himself and his seven turnovers. Last season he tried to put the less healthy Cavaliers on his back in the Finals, and that was not good enough. This season he is supposed to have help, but the Cavaliers as a team shot 35.4 percent and only veteran Richard Jefferson showed the kind of fight this team needs much more of.
“I’m not disappointed without guys, not disappointed or frustrated with our guys. We just have to be better in every facet of the game,” LeBron said.
The Cavaliers may also have lost Kevin Love — he suffered a concussion from an inadvertent Harrison Barnes elbow, which had Love in the locker room most of the second half. He is now in the NBA’s concussion protocol, meaning he has to pass a series of tests and levels just to be able to play in Game 3 (or any future game).
What ended being a Warriors blowout didn’t start that way.
There was a sluggish first six minutes to the game, with the Warriors missing threes (they started 0-of-5 from deep) and the Cavaliers not playing with the pace or ball movement Lue preached between games. Both teams shot less than 40 percent in the first quarter. The Cavaliers had a small lead early thanks to offensive rebounds giving them four second chance points, but the Warriors responded thanks to early dominance on the boards — Golden State had seven offensive boards in the first quarter. The Cavaliers ended the first on an 8-2 run and led 21-19 after one.
In the second quarter the tempo picked up — and so did the Warriors. Cleveland was much more active defensively, which got them some transition buckets. But they can’t sustain that level of defensive focus, and when the breakdowns came the Warriors exploited it — Draymond Green was 3-of-5 from three in the second quarter, the Warriors liked the tempo and got into their natural state, and led by 15. The reasons the lead was down to 52-44 at the half was Curry picked up a third foul, and when he sat Lebron led a 7-0 run to end the quarter, a run fueled by the Warriors missing some wide-open threes.
While the game was still close, it felt like Golden State could blow it open at any point — and they did in the third outscoring Cleveland 30-18 behind 10 more points from Green and 9 from Thompson.
Once the Warriors’ train started rolling, Cleveland could do nothing to slow it.
Golf: I got a club for that..... William McGirt outduels Jon Curran in playoff for Memorial Tournament victory.
Sporting News
William McGirt beat Jon Curran on the second playoff hole to win the Memorial Tournament on Sunday. (Photo/Sporting News)
William McGirt beat Jon Curran on the second playoff hole Sunday to win the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
Jack Nicklaus' tournament has become one of the premier events on tour, and McGirt persevered some tough conditions and strong competition to earn his first PGA Tour win.
After finishing regulation at 15 under, tied with Curran, McGirt dispatched the former Vanderbilt star on their second trip to the 18th hole, with a par. With Curran facing bogey, McGirt was left with a tricky up-and-down to win the tournament with a par. He didn't disappoint.
William McGirt beat Jon Curran on the second playoff hole Sunday to win the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
Jack Nicklaus' tournament has become one of the premier events on tour, and McGirt persevered some tough conditions and strong competition to earn his first PGA Tour win.
After finishing regulation at 15 under, tied with Curran, McGirt dispatched the former Vanderbilt star on their second trip to the 18th hole, with a par. With Curran facing bogey, McGirt was left with a tricky up-and-down to win the tournament with a par. He didn't disappoint.
William McGirt has this putt to win the Memorial Tournament.#QuickHits https://t.co/uzKbOhf2Cz— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 5, 2016
Dustin Johnson, despite hitting two monster tee shots over 350 yards down the stretch, settled for solo third at 14 under after struggling on the back nine. Johnson finished the inward nine with four bogeys and two birdies. He now has six top-5 finishes this season without a win.
Rory McIlroy led a group of four talented players tied for fourth at 13 under after firing a 4-under 68 on a windy final round in Ohio. Matt Kuchar, who held the lead on the back nine Sunday, J.B Holmes and Gary Woodland also finished at 13 under.
After a short rain delay, Kuchar came back out and immediately double-bogeyed the par-4 13th. The poor hole dropped him two shots back. He was never able to make up the ground.
Emiliano Grillo also had a disappointing back nine. The talented 23-year-old, who earned his first PGA Tour win last fall, climbed all the way to 16 under until he bogeyed the first four holes on the back nine. He did birdie 14, but he double-bogeyed the par-4 17th to ball back into a tie for 11th at 11 under after shooting a 5-over 41 on the finishing nine.
McGirt, who entered the week 102nd in the world ranking, will now be in the field at the British Open and next year's Masters, among others, with this win.
Scott McCarron wins PGA Tour Champions event in Iowa.
Rory McIlroy led a group of four talented players tied for fourth at 13 under after firing a 4-under 68 on a windy final round in Ohio. Matt Kuchar, who held the lead on the back nine Sunday, J.B Holmes and Gary Woodland also finished at 13 under.
After a short rain delay, Kuchar came back out and immediately double-bogeyed the par-4 13th. The poor hole dropped him two shots back. He was never able to make up the ground.
Emiliano Grillo also had a disappointing back nine. The talented 23-year-old, who earned his first PGA Tour win last fall, climbed all the way to 16 under until he bogeyed the first four holes on the back nine. He did birdie 14, but he double-bogeyed the par-4 17th to ball back into a tie for 11th at 11 under after shooting a 5-over 41 on the finishing nine.
McGirt, who entered the week 102nd in the world ranking, will now be in the field at the British Open and next year's Masters, among others, with this win.
Scott McCarron wins PGA Tour Champions event in Iowa.
By LUKE MEREDITH
Marriage has made Scott McCarron a much better golfer.
John Daly, whose debut in Iowa helped draw record crowds all weekend, finally put together a solid round. Daly shot a 69 and wound up 1 over for the tournament, just a week after missing the cut at the Senior PGA Championship.
NASCAR: Pocono race postponed until Monday.
McCarron won the Principal Charity Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour Champions title, birdieing the final three holes for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke victory.
The 50-year-old McCarron finished at 15-under 201 at Wakonda Club to edge Miguel Angel Jimenez and Billy Andrade. Making his 17th start on the 50-and-over tour, McCarron won for the first time since taking the 2001 Bellsouth Classic for the last of his three PGA Tour titles.
McCarron didn't have a top-10 finish during the first three months of the season. But after getting hitched last month, he had back-to-back top-10s before his milestone victory in Iowa.
''She's been a phenomenal support. Even when I was thinking of hanging it up and just doing TV, she really pushed me,'' McCarron said about wife Jenny. ''I've got to hand it to her. She really stuck by me through a lot of difficult times.''
Andrade had a 68 after shooting a course-record 63 on Saturday. Jimenez shot a 67.
Duffy Waldorf (67) and Joe Durant (71) tied for fourth at 11 under, and Tom Lehman (71) and Senior PGA winner Rocco Mediate (70) were 10 under.
McCarron's surge began with an eagle on the 5th hole that put him in position to challenge the leaders, and he pulled even with a birdie on the par-4 16th.
McCarron then drilled a 36-foot birdie putt from the fringe on No. 17, and he put his approach from the rough on the 18th hole within 10 feet of the pin.
McCarron played his final 47 holes without a bogey.
''Once I got to 16 I said, 'You know, if I can birdie the last three I might have a chance to close it out.' I played some great holes the last couple of holes,'' McCarron said.
Jimenez appeared to be primed for his fourth senior tour win in just 12 starts after a long birdie putt on the 10th hole. But Jimenez bogeyed the 12th hole and could only muster pars on the 16th and 17th as McCarron surged past him.
Still, Jimenez has finished fourth or better in his last three appearances on the senior tour this season.
Andrade, Durant and Todd Hamilton began the final round in a three-way tie for the lead.
Only Andrade was truly a factor Sunday.
Andrade fell quickly from the top, with bogeys on his first three holes. But he surged back and had a relatively easy eagle putt on the 15th hole, which he left it just inches wide.
Andrade could've forced a playoff with a long-shot chip on No. 18. He didn't get it, but Andrade did sink a long putt to tie for second.
''Just a bad start. It was a funky day. The wind was swirling,'' Andrade said.
Durant also started poorly before a string of birdies on the back nine ensured a top-five finish.
Hamilton also fell apart on the front nine. Hamilton had four bogeys and, like Durant, a double bogey on No. 7. He shot a 76 to tie for 17th.
The 50-year-old McCarron finished at 15-under 201 at Wakonda Club to edge Miguel Angel Jimenez and Billy Andrade. Making his 17th start on the 50-and-over tour, McCarron won for the first time since taking the 2001 Bellsouth Classic for the last of his three PGA Tour titles.
McCarron didn't have a top-10 finish during the first three months of the season. But after getting hitched last month, he had back-to-back top-10s before his milestone victory in Iowa.
''She's been a phenomenal support. Even when I was thinking of hanging it up and just doing TV, she really pushed me,'' McCarron said about wife Jenny. ''I've got to hand it to her. She really stuck by me through a lot of difficult times.''
Andrade had a 68 after shooting a course-record 63 on Saturday. Jimenez shot a 67.
Duffy Waldorf (67) and Joe Durant (71) tied for fourth at 11 under, and Tom Lehman (71) and Senior PGA winner Rocco Mediate (70) were 10 under.
McCarron's surge began with an eagle on the 5th hole that put him in position to challenge the leaders, and he pulled even with a birdie on the par-4 16th.
McCarron then drilled a 36-foot birdie putt from the fringe on No. 17, and he put his approach from the rough on the 18th hole within 10 feet of the pin.
McCarron played his final 47 holes without a bogey.
''Once I got to 16 I said, 'You know, if I can birdie the last three I might have a chance to close it out.' I played some great holes the last couple of holes,'' McCarron said.
Jimenez appeared to be primed for his fourth senior tour win in just 12 starts after a long birdie putt on the 10th hole. But Jimenez bogeyed the 12th hole and could only muster pars on the 16th and 17th as McCarron surged past him.
Still, Jimenez has finished fourth or better in his last three appearances on the senior tour this season.
Andrade, Durant and Todd Hamilton began the final round in a three-way tie for the lead.
Only Andrade was truly a factor Sunday.
Andrade fell quickly from the top, with bogeys on his first three holes. But he surged back and had a relatively easy eagle putt on the 15th hole, which he left it just inches wide.
Andrade could've forced a playoff with a long-shot chip on No. 18. He didn't get it, but Andrade did sink a long putt to tie for second.
''Just a bad start. It was a funky day. The wind was swirling,'' Andrade said.
Durant also started poorly before a string of birdies on the back nine ensured a top-five finish.
Hamilton also fell apart on the front nine. Hamilton had four bogeys and, like Durant, a double bogey on No. 7. He shot a 76 to tie for 17th.
John Daly, whose debut in Iowa helped draw record crowds all weekend, finally put together a solid round. Daly shot a 69 and wound up 1 over for the tournament, just a week after missing the cut at the Senior PGA Championship.
NASCAR: Pocono race postponed until Monday.
By Nick Bromberg
(Photo/NASCAR)
Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono will be run on Monday.
Persistent rain -- or "weather" in NASCAR terms -- meant NASCAR and Pocono Raceway couldn't make any reasonable attempts to dry the track throughout the day and Sunday's 400-mile race will start at Noon ET on Monday.
The race will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano will start on the front row.
Saturday's Xfinity Series race was called after 53 laps because of rain and Friday's practice session was shortened because of rain as well. Cup Series teams were able to qualify on Friday afternoon and practice Saturday morning before the afternoon round of rain hit.
Earnhardt hopes to shake winless streak at Pocono.
By DAN GELSTON
Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweeted this week that he had become a fan of the cult series ''The Walking Dead.''
Fitting, perhaps, because Earnhardt has found nothing but dead ends as he tries to race into victory lane for the first time in 2016.
Earnhardt is winless for the season through 13 races, and his recent swoon has him hoping he can dig out of his slump at Pocono Raceway. Earnhardt's late-career renaissance in the No. 88 Chevrolet really took off at Pocono in 2014 when he swept both races.
Back at the tri-oval track, Earnhardt starts eighth in Sunday's race.
He won seven Sprint Cup races in 2014-15 and does have three runner-up finishes this season. But over the last five races, Earnhardt has been pedestrian with no finish better than 13th and two at 32nd or worse.
Long NASCAR's most popular driver, Earnhardt said he wasn't worried yet his winless streak. He would clinch a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship with a victory. He already had a spot secured at the point in the season each of the last two years. Earnhardt is 13th in the points standings, and the top 16 make the Chase field. He wasn't won since Phoenix in November 2015.
''At 41 years old you kind of get over that stuff,'' he said. ''I spent the first 18 years worrying myself to death. I think we are a good enough team to make it whether we get a win or not. We are a good enough team. That is not a guarantee, I just feel confident that we will get in.''
So what's wrong with his Hendrick Motorsports team?
Earnhardt said there were no easy answers, though more open communication in the car with crew chief Greg Ives would help.
''I can really bug him to death and pick his brain and try to be as knowledgeable about the car as he,'' Earnhardt said. ''So while we are out there on the race track and I'm driving it and I'm feeling something I can kind of think to the setup and give him some direction on the setup aside from his own ideas and plans that he has had over the week.''
Earnhardt hasn't spent much time out front in the clean air all season. He's led just 49 laps all season (and led in just two races) and hasn't been in the lead at any point over the last nine. Earnhardt also crashed out at Talladega and Dover.
Joe Gibbs Racing has again stamped itself the class of series this season and has won six of the last nine races and Team Penske has two victories. Martin Truex Jr., coming off a dominating victory in the Coca-Cola 600, crashed the winner's field for Furniture Row Racing. FRR, though, has an alliance with JGR is considered almost like a fifth team.
Hendrick hasn't won a race since Jimmie Johnson in late March.
''I don't doubt that Hendrick Motorsports will be as strong as they want to be at some point in this season,'' Earnhardt said. ''I feel pretty confident that we will be fine in the Chase. I look at the year Brad Keselowski won the championship, Hendrick cars were really good all year long. Brad and his team worked all year to try and find what advantage we had and they found it. They took that idea in house and made it their own and made it better.''
Earnhardt would like to find that winning formula and keep it in his house.
The two-time Daytona 500 champion has never won a Cup championship, the lone void in a career that has made him a surefire NASCAR Hall of Famer.
''It's been a rough month, but I think we can turn it around here,'' he said. ''I think we should run great here. I'm not so much worried about end of the race results. I'm more concerned with consistent speed in the car and running up front throughout the day and having consistency on pit road and in the race car.''
Kyle Larson wins rain-shortened Xfinity race at Pocono.
Hendrick hasn't won a race since Jimmie Johnson in late March.
''I don't doubt that Hendrick Motorsports will be as strong as they want to be at some point in this season,'' Earnhardt said. ''I feel pretty confident that we will be fine in the Chase. I look at the year Brad Keselowski won the championship, Hendrick cars were really good all year long. Brad and his team worked all year to try and find what advantage we had and they found it. They took that idea in house and made it their own and made it better.''
Earnhardt would like to find that winning formula and keep it in his house.
The two-time Daytona 500 champion has never won a Cup championship, the lone void in a career that has made him a surefire NASCAR Hall of Famer.
''It's been a rough month, but I think we can turn it around here,'' he said. ''I think we should run great here. I'm not so much worried about end of the race results. I'm more concerned with consistent speed in the car and running up front throughout the day and having consistency on pit road and in the race car.''
Kyle Larson wins rain-shortened Xfinity race at Pocono.
By DAN GELSTON
Kyle Larson needed rain in Pocono to snap a victory drought.
Larson had the lead when the Xfinity Series race was red-flagged and won at Pocono Raceway for his first NASCAR victory of the season.
''I'm happy with it,'' Larson said. ''Now that the race is over and we've got the win, it can clear out (Sunday) so we can race in the Cup race.''
Both Sprint Cup practices sessions were wiped out Friday and rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast Sunday around the time of the scheduled Cup race.
But the rain Saturday came at an opportune time for the 23-year-old Larson.
''These rain races, a lot of it is luck,'' he said. ''I haven't had a lot of luck this year, or my NASCAR career. Hopefully, the luck has turned and maybe we can start winning some Cup races, as well.''
Driving for owner Chip Ganassi, Larson led when the rain hit 53 laps into the scheduled 100-lap race and the race was called 1 hour, 35 minutes after the red flag came out. One of the most promising young drivers in NASCAR, Larson had come close this season to victory lane in both Sprint Cup - most notably at Dover - and the second-tier Xfinity Series but failed to win.
Thanks to some rain, he has his fourth career Xfinity win in 82 starts and first since the 2015 season finale at Homestead. Larson has yet to ever win at Sprint Cup.
''I didn't really think I'd win today but it all worked out,'' he said.
Xfinity raced Saturday for the first time at Pocono. The track has long held two Sprint Cup race weekends and added the Truck Series in 2010. The 250-miler is the first second-tier race on a track that has hosted NASCAR-sanctioned events since 1974.
''Our fans have been asking for it for a long time,'' track President Brandon Igdalsky said.
Larson called it ''pretty cool'' he won the inaugural race at Pocono.
Erik Jones, Ty Dillon, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano rounded out the top five.
''I thought by far we had one of the best cars in the field,'' Jones said. ''Just not enough time to get back into the lead and have a shot at it. It's nice to know we're that fast.''
The Xfinity debut at Pocono came with some sparks - on and off the track. A jet dryer on the track briefly caught fire before it sped off and caused any damage to the surface. In the garage, Ryan Sieg and Ryan Reed briefly scuffled after their cars connected during the race.
Daniel Suarez holds an 11-point lead over Elliott Sadler in the point standings.
The track held a moment of silence for Muhammad Ali before the race.
IndyCar still working toward solution to stop debris strikes.
By NOAH TRISTER
(Photo/YahooSports.com)
Tony Kanaan was not injured when struck in the hand by a piece of debris during the Indianapolis 500 and the incident was barely noticed during the historic 100th running of the race.
The deaths of Wilson and Formula One's Jules Bianchi from head injuries have created discussions on how to protect open-wheel drivers. F1 is planning further tests this month on a protective halo device, which could be implemented in time for the 2017 season.
Kanaan said Friday finding the right solution for IndyCar is complicated, but series leadership is on the right track.
''What we've been doing lately is a lot of studies to see how we're going to fix that,'' he said. ''We're all aware of it, I think not just in America but in Europe as well, and we're trying to figure out what's the best solution for it.''
Kanaan said the series has been researching several scenarios, but added that canopies aren't a catch-all solution for every series.
''The biggest challenge we have - F1 doesn't race in the ovals and they don't have banking - so the peripheral vision of our cars, you can put a canopy or whatever you want to do, it's different than the Formula One cars,'' Kanaan said.
Bianchi died in July following a long battle to recover from head injuries from a collision with a crane after he went off the track in rainy conditions at the Japanese Grand Prix in October 2014. Wilson died on Aug. 23, a day after being hit in the helmet by debris from another car. Two years ago, James Hinchcliffe sustained a concussion when struck in the head by debris from another car in the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis.
The halo device forms a protective structure around and above a driver's head. F1's Red Bull has proposed an alternative, a protective screen. IndyCar driver Will Power said he thinks the windscreen is more protective.
''I think IndyCar are definitely looking at a windscreen,'' Power said. ''I'm all for it, 100 percent. All for it. It's the last big step in safety that open-wheel cars need.''
Helio Castroneves has a similar stance on these potential safety measures.
''I've seen some pictures regarding - one is a halo, the second one is the windshield, and I'm in favor of it. I think this should be all part of it. All open-wheel (series) should communicate and work together because this is going to benefit everybody,'' Castroneves said. ''We've got to work fast.''
Aside from protecting other drivers, Kanaan said he's not sure much can be done about the amount of debris on the track when cars crash.
''You'd have to go back in the old days and then have less wings and body parts on the cars, so you don't have many things flying when you crash,'' he said. ''That's not going to happen.''
It's a challenge to come up with ideas that protect the heads of drivers without creating additional, unintended safety issues.
''We're all on the same page,'' Kanaan said. ''It's not easy to develop something like that overnight. ... To say, 'OK, we're going to fix one problem.' But what about if you roll over? What about if you talk about ventilation in the car? ... It might be safer for preventing debris to come in the car, but what about the other five other issues that we've created? If you roll upside down, you catch fire, and you need to get out, how do you do it?''
Kanaan expects a solution before too long - and he says it may not need to be a drastic change.
''It won't be as big as people think it needs to be. They have some studies that they know exactly how and where it needs to go,'' Kanaan said. ''We're not going to look like the popemobile.''
By Matt Reed
(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Following the U.S. Men’s National Team’s 2-0 defeat against Colombia to open their Copa America account, Jurgen Klinsmann surprised many with his comments in regards to the host nation’s play.
The former Germany international expressed his pleasure with the team’s performance and even stated that the match was “totally even.”
WOOD MUST START AT STRIKER, NOT WING
While the play of team’s attack was lackluster at best for most of the night, outside of three Clint Dempsey opportunities in the second half, much of the U.S.’ difficulties came from Klinsmann’s decision-making before the match began.
After a superb season with German side FC Union Berlin, Bobby Wood was tabbed as the USMNT’s main target up front. While Dempsey has experience playing as a striker, Wood’s youth and pace serves the team better as the most advanced player on the field.
In 31 league matches during the 2015/16 season, Wood notched 17 goals for the 2.Bundesliga club, before signing with top division side Hamburg SV this offseason.
With Wood up front, that allows either Dempsey or another American attacker like Gyasi Zardes or Darlington Nagbe to drop behind him or slide to the wing to play a more creative role.
There’s no question that Dempsey is still the team’s biggest threat in front of the net, which was clearly depicted against Colombia. His seven shots on the evening were more than anyone else on the field, so Klinsmann and Dempsey’s teammates must find a way to get him the ball in dangerous areas.
SORTING OUT DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD
Arguably the team’s biggest area of concern though is the midfield. While captain Michael Bradley has proven to be a key figure in the squad for years, Klinsmann’s choice to play him as a No. 6 really hindered the USMNT on Friday. The Colombian attack was able to maneuver its way through the center on several occasions, and Bradley’s offensive output certainly dipped as a result too.
Ideally Klinsmann would ask Kyle Beckerman or even Jermaine Jones to play as a holding midfielder in order to give the backline some stability. Both players have plenty of experience in the role, and that positioning would allow Bradley to get more touches on the ball and increase his job as a distributor.
The USMNT received what they wished for on Saturday, as Costa Rica and Paraguay played to a 0-0 draw, keeping both teams within striking distance. Now, it is up to Klinsmann and co. to get a result on home soil to at least give the squad a chance of advancing out of Group A.
American investors announce Swansea takeover.
By Matt Reed
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
With Americans becoming more and more enamored by the English game, Swansea City appears to be the next Premier League side to undergo a takeover.
Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan have announced that their consortium has purchased a 60% stake in the club, which will be official upon approval from the Premier League.
Levien is a current owner of MLS side D.C. United and formerly served as CEO of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, while Kaplan is vice-chairman for the Grizzlies and is co-founder of Oaktree Capital Group.
Swansea’s Supporters’ Trust will retain their 21.1% stake of the club, while chairman Huw Jenkins and vice-chairman Leigh Dineen will each keep a percentage of their current stakes, currently set at 13.2% and 5.3% respectively.
Swansea City will be in the United States this summer as part of their preseason tour. The Swans will take on the Richmond Kickers of the United Soccer League, as well as another opponent yet to be determined.
Judge: US women's soccer team has no right to strike.
Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan have announced that their consortium has purchased a 60% stake in the club, which will be official upon approval from the Premier League.
Levien is a current owner of MLS side D.C. United and formerly served as CEO of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, while Kaplan is vice-chairman for the Grizzlies and is co-founder of Oaktree Capital Group.
Swansea’s Supporters’ Trust will retain their 21.1% stake of the club, while chairman Huw Jenkins and vice-chairman Leigh Dineen will each keep a percentage of their current stakes, currently set at 13.2% and 5.3% respectively.
Swansea City will be in the United States this summer as part of their preseason tour. The Swans will take on the Richmond Kickers of the United Soccer League, as well as another opponent yet to be determined.
Judge: US women's soccer team has no right to strike.
By MICHAEL TARM and ANNE M. PETERSON
In this photo taken Thursday, June 2, 2016, the United States team poses for a team photo before their international friendly soccer match against the Japan in Commerce City, Colo. A federal judge said Friday, June 3,2016, the world champion U.S. women's soccer team currently does not have the right to strike to seek improved conditions and wages before the summer Olympics. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File)
A federal judge ruled the world champion U.S. women's soccer team does not have the right to strike to seek improved conditions and wages before the Summer Olympics, seeming to end the prospect of an unprecedented disruption by one of the most successful American national teams.
The case pits the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Players Association against the U.S. Soccer Federation, which sued in February to clarify the strike issue. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ruled Friday the team remains bound by a no-strike provision from its 2005-12 collective bargaining agreement.
The federation warned a strike could have forced the women's team, which is seeking its fourth straight Olympic gold medal in Brazil, to withdraw from the Games and said that would have damaged American soccer as a whole.
The union wanted the option of striking, though it hadn't said definitively that it would.
The lawsuit focused on strike rights is related to a complaint filed by five players in March with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that alleges wage discrimination by the federation. Friday's ruling does not directly impact that complaint.
U.S. stars Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Becky Sauerbrunn and Megan Rapinoe say they are paid far less than their counterparts on the men's national team. U.S. Soccer says that claim is misleading, partly because the men and women are paid differently under separate collective bargaining agreements.
During oral arguments before Coleman last week, the federation said its collective bargaining agreement remains in effect until Dec. 31, while the union says any such agreement has expired.
The union didn't immediately address whether it would appeal Coleman's decision, but in a statement to The Associated Press, the union's executive director, Richard Nichols, said the ruling didn't affect wider grievances.
''To be clear, the court's ruling today does not negate the fact that U.S. Soccer does not fairly compensate the women's national team, or in any way impact the players' demands for equal pay for equal work,'' he said.
In her 13-page opinion, Coleman said the union didn't convince her terms of the 2005-12 collective bargaining agreement - including a no-strike clause - did not carry over when the sides signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2013 modifying the previous deal with terms through 2016. Coleman was dismissive of union arguments that a no-strike provision should have been spelled out explicitly in the memorandum.
''Federal law encourages courts to be liberal in their recognition and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements, so as to lessen strife and encourage congenial relations between unions and companies,'' she wrote. ''A collective bargaining agreement may be partly or wholly oral and a written collective bargaining agreement may be orally modified.''
U.S. Soccer issued a brief statement saying officials were ''pleased with the court's decision and remain committed to negotiating a new CBA to take effect at the beginning of next year.''
The sides have continued to meet in a bid to agree to a new labor contract. If a new agreement is not reached by Dec. 31, the players would then have a clear right to give notice of a strike.
Federation lawyer Russell Sauer Jr. said during oral arguments that a no-strike clause is implied in the still-valid memorandum of understanding. A lawyer for the union balked, saying the federation failed to secure a no-strike provision in writing and cannot argue now that such a provision is implied.
Asked by the judge why the federation did not insist on a no-strike clause in the memorandum, federation lawyer Amy Quartarolo said it was made clear in emails and other communications that a no-strike provision in previous CBAs carried over into the 2013 agreement. In her ruling, Coleman largely agreed with that contention.
The U.S., which won the 2015 World Cup with a 5-2 victory over Japan, opens the defense of its Olympic title on Aug. 3 against New Zealand in Belo Horizonte.
Many players have voiced concern over gender equity in soccer. Some pointed to the comparatively hard artificial turf the women had to play on in Canada while the men's World Cup has always been played on grass.
Before the World Cup, a number of players protested over the artificial turf, with Abby Wambach leading a group that filed a complaint in a Canadian court.
The case pits the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Players Association against the U.S. Soccer Federation, which sued in February to clarify the strike issue. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ruled Friday the team remains bound by a no-strike provision from its 2005-12 collective bargaining agreement.
The federation warned a strike could have forced the women's team, which is seeking its fourth straight Olympic gold medal in Brazil, to withdraw from the Games and said that would have damaged American soccer as a whole.
The union wanted the option of striking, though it hadn't said definitively that it would.
The lawsuit focused on strike rights is related to a complaint filed by five players in March with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that alleges wage discrimination by the federation. Friday's ruling does not directly impact that complaint.
U.S. stars Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Becky Sauerbrunn and Megan Rapinoe say they are paid far less than their counterparts on the men's national team. U.S. Soccer says that claim is misleading, partly because the men and women are paid differently under separate collective bargaining agreements.
During oral arguments before Coleman last week, the federation said its collective bargaining agreement remains in effect until Dec. 31, while the union says any such agreement has expired.
The union didn't immediately address whether it would appeal Coleman's decision, but in a statement to The Associated Press, the union's executive director, Richard Nichols, said the ruling didn't affect wider grievances.
''To be clear, the court's ruling today does not negate the fact that U.S. Soccer does not fairly compensate the women's national team, or in any way impact the players' demands for equal pay for equal work,'' he said.
In her 13-page opinion, Coleman said the union didn't convince her terms of the 2005-12 collective bargaining agreement - including a no-strike clause - did not carry over when the sides signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2013 modifying the previous deal with terms through 2016. Coleman was dismissive of union arguments that a no-strike provision should have been spelled out explicitly in the memorandum.
''Federal law encourages courts to be liberal in their recognition and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements, so as to lessen strife and encourage congenial relations between unions and companies,'' she wrote. ''A collective bargaining agreement may be partly or wholly oral and a written collective bargaining agreement may be orally modified.''
U.S. Soccer issued a brief statement saying officials were ''pleased with the court's decision and remain committed to negotiating a new CBA to take effect at the beginning of next year.''
The sides have continued to meet in a bid to agree to a new labor contract. If a new agreement is not reached by Dec. 31, the players would then have a clear right to give notice of a strike.
Federation lawyer Russell Sauer Jr. said during oral arguments that a no-strike clause is implied in the still-valid memorandum of understanding. A lawyer for the union balked, saying the federation failed to secure a no-strike provision in writing and cannot argue now that such a provision is implied.
Asked by the judge why the federation did not insist on a no-strike clause in the memorandum, federation lawyer Amy Quartarolo said it was made clear in emails and other communications that a no-strike provision in previous CBAs carried over into the 2013 agreement. In her ruling, Coleman largely agreed with that contention.
The U.S., which won the 2015 World Cup with a 5-2 victory over Japan, opens the defense of its Olympic title on Aug. 3 against New Zealand in Belo Horizonte.
Many players have voiced concern over gender equity in soccer. Some pointed to the comparatively hard artificial turf the women had to play on in Canada while the men's World Cup has always been played on grass.
Before the World Cup, a number of players protested over the artificial turf, with Abby Wambach leading a group that filed a complaint in a Canadian court.
NCAAFB: SEC expands conduct policy for transfers, not incoming freshmen.
By John Taylor
(Photo/Getty Images)
Jeffery Simmons caught what many considered an undeserved — and wholly unacceptable — break from Mississippi State Thursday. A day later, the five-star 2016 signee caught a break from his conference for good measure.
In April of last year, the SEC voted to ban member institutions from accepting transfers who had been disciplined for serious misconduct at his previous school, with that defined as sexual assault, sexual violence and domestic violence. As the SEC wrapped up its annual spring meetings Friday, and as had previously been expected, the conference announced that it will be expanding that policy to include “dating violence, stalking or conduct of a nature that creates serious concern about the safety of others.”
Additionally, the expanded policy will require schools to perform background checks on any transfer before they are permitted to practice or play with the team. Those checks are expected to satisfy what’s described as the SEC’s “minimum due diligence expectations.”
However, the new policy still only applies to transfers; incoming freshmen are not subject to the policy. That, though, could change, especially in light of the Simmons situation in Starkville.
“I can envision a continuing dialogue that looks at what we’ve done on serious misconduct relative to transfers, and the question will be asked is that sufficient?” commissioner Greg Sankey said. “Should we remain there? That doesn’t predict outcomes, but I envision that will be a conversation topic going forward. But I never anticipated that we were done.
“This conference has been wrestling with the issue, and it’s not easy. I hope people can appreciate that. It’s not as if this is done in a sterile environment, and I think that’s an important conversation. I said that last year, and I’ve said that this year. There’s a point at which the legislation concluded for this week, and we’ll see what the future might hold without prediction.”
Big 12 ended bad week with another dumb decision.
By Pat Forde
In April of last year, the SEC voted to ban member institutions from accepting transfers who had been disciplined for serious misconduct at his previous school, with that defined as sexual assault, sexual violence and domestic violence. As the SEC wrapped up its annual spring meetings Friday, and as had previously been expected, the conference announced that it will be expanding that policy to include “dating violence, stalking or conduct of a nature that creates serious concern about the safety of others.”
Additionally, the expanded policy will require schools to perform background checks on any transfer before they are permitted to practice or play with the team. Those checks are expected to satisfy what’s described as the SEC’s “minimum due diligence expectations.”
However, the new policy still only applies to transfers; incoming freshmen are not subject to the policy. That, though, could change, especially in light of the Simmons situation in Starkville.
“I can envision a continuing dialogue that looks at what we’ve done on serious misconduct relative to transfers, and the question will be asked is that sufficient?” commissioner Greg Sankey said. “Should we remain there? That doesn’t predict outcomes, but I envision that will be a conversation topic going forward. But I never anticipated that we were done.
“This conference has been wrestling with the issue, and it’s not easy. I hope people can appreciate that. It’s not as if this is done in a sterile environment, and I think that’s an important conversation. I said that last year, and I’ve said that this year. There’s a point at which the legislation concluded for this week, and we’ll see what the future might hold without prediction.”
Big 12 ended bad week with another dumb decision.
By Pat Forde
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby (Photo/AP)
The Big 12 doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up.
If it grows up. If it survives.
The least stable of the Power 5 conferences concluded its annual spring meetings Friday in a state of flux, which is also the way it started the annual spring meetings. That shouldn't have been a surprise, given the presence of three interim school presidents and one school (Baylor) embroiled in a crippling scandal that culminated last week in mass leadership change.
But even by the Big 12's customary crackpot standards, this was a weird week.
Decisions were made – most notably a surprise announcement that the Big 12 will have a championship football game in 2017, despite having the best regular-season setup of any league. Decisions were made and then modified – the so-called Baker Mayfield Rule was upheld and then taken down when the league realized it was taking a lousy stand that would all but evict the best football player in the conference in 2017. And decisions were put off – namely the expansion decision, which was the primary talking point going in.
The championship game was the big news Friday. Like most else involving the Big 12, it doesn't make a lot of sense.
The playoff is only a good idea for two reasons: It will make money (of course) and it will theoretically strengthen the College Football Playoff résumé of the champion (I guess).
Those are counterbalanced by some compelling reasons not to have a playoff:
This is a conference which already has a round-robin schedule: 10 teams, nine league games, every team plays every other, every year. It's perfect. Except now they're going to force a rematch of a regular-season game, because the consultants say so.
There might be some math that concludes this gives the Big 12 a better shot at one of the four bids for a title, but it's also based on all of two years of CFP data and history. And it could serve as a double-jeopardy game for the regular-season champion, giving it much more to lose than it could win.
If you look at last year's Big 12, a championship game would have been a debacle: Oklahoma would have played Oklahoma State one week after they met to decide the regular-season title. It would have put the Sooners – who already had wrapped up a CFP bid at that point – in position to lose that bid in an upset loss. And it would have been a rematch of a 35-point blowout – not exactly compelling, not exactly fresh, not exactly fair to the team that had clearly established itself as the best in the league.
If the conference were adding teams, two divisions and a playoff would make sense. But there is no strong indication that expansion will happen. It will be studied throughout the summer and a decision is likely in a couple of months. But if the Big 12 does expand to a number that once again allows its name to make sense, it will be against the wishes of straw boss Texas. Athletic director Mike Perrin made that abundantly clear Wednesday.
The expansion roadblocks are these: With cable subscribers plummeting, there appears to be little TV appetite to fund a Big 12 Network; Texas isn't relinquishing its Longhorn Network cash cow; and the potential expansion candidates would not appreciably increase the media-rights value of the league. Basically, there is no handy mechanism that will produce a geyser of cash like the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference hit with their networks. These schools can't get there from here.
So they're opting to rearrange the deck chairs and add some money – conference estimates Friday placed the value of a title game at $27 million-$28 million. That's by no means chump change, but it likely doesn't erase the annual gap between what Big Ten and SEC schools are getting and what the Big 12 schools will make. Even with the Big 12 announcing Friday a record $30.4 million in revenue per member, that's still third-best.
Thus the Big 12 remains a vulnerable and conflicted conference. If another round of realignment comes when current media-rights contracts expire several years down the road, this remains the most likely league to be raided. And there just isn't enough quality inventory out there for the Big 12 to raid to solidify itself.
But if there is one thing the league has on its side, it's time. The schools begging to join the Big 12 – Boise State, BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Connecticut, Houston, Memphis, South Florida, etc. – will still be available a year from now if the powers decide to delay expansion this summer. Or two years from now. And as mentioned, those TV contracts don't expire for a while, which gives the Big 12 time to study the evolving, cord-cutting landscape and figure out where (or if) the big money will be available in the future.
There is time for the Big 12 to decide what it wants to be when it grows up. But it has to prove it is capable of making big decisions. This week did little to build confidence in the league's future.
NCAABKB: Kansas releases a loaded non-conference schedule.
By Scott Phillips
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Kansas is known for its current streak of Big 12 regular season titles, but head coach Bill Self has also scheduled a lot of tough non-conference games over the years to prepare the Jayhawks for the grind of the conference season.
The 2016-17 season appears to be no different.
The Jayhawks released their non-conference schedule late this week and it includes plenty of quality opponents, including a four-day stretch in which Kansas flies to Maui to play Indiana in the Armed Forces Classic before going to New York to play Duke in the Champions Classic.
A rematch against Kentucky will also take place in January as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge as the Jayhawks will travel to Lexington after hosting John Calipari’s crew last season.
The non-conference slate for Kansas also includes other notable opponents like Stanford, Davidson, UNC Asheville, Nebraska, UNLV and the CBE Classic in Kansas City.
Overall, this is another solid block of games for Kansas that should undoubtedly test them quite a bit early next season. With No. 1 recruit Josh Jackson entering Lawrence, he’ll have plenty of showcase games along with his veteran teammates as Kansas tries to prepare themselves for another Big 12 title run.
French Open: Djokovic finally wins French Open, beating Murray in final.
The 2016-17 season appears to be no different.
The Jayhawks released their non-conference schedule late this week and it includes plenty of quality opponents, including a four-day stretch in which Kansas flies to Maui to play Indiana in the Armed Forces Classic before going to New York to play Duke in the Champions Classic.
A rematch against Kentucky will also take place in January as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge as the Jayhawks will travel to Lexington after hosting John Calipari’s crew last season.
The non-conference slate for Kansas also includes other notable opponents like Stanford, Davidson, UNC Asheville, Nebraska, UNLV and the CBE Classic in Kansas City.
Overall, this is another solid block of games for Kansas that should undoubtedly test them quite a bit early next season. With No. 1 recruit Josh Jackson entering Lawrence, he’ll have plenty of showcase games along with his veteran teammates as Kansas tries to prepare themselves for another Big 12 title run.
French Open: Djokovic finally wins French Open, beating Murray in final.
Associated Press
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Novak Djokovic became the first man in nearly a half-century to win four consecutive major championships and finally earned an elusive French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, beating Andy Murray 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 on Sunday.
This was the top-seeded Djokovic’s 12th appearance at Roland Garros, and his fourth final, and after being stymied over and over in years past, he managed to cast aside a shaky opening set to dominate No. 2 Murray the rest of the way, buoyed by a supportive crowd that repeatedly chanted his nickname, “No-le!”
When his victory was over, Djokovic took a racket to etch a heart in the red clay that had given him such heartache in the past and dropped down on his back.
Since losing the 2015 final in Paris, Djokovic has won 28 Grand Slam matches in a row, from Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year, to the Australian Open in January, and now, at long last, the French Open.
The last man to hold all four major titles simultaneously was Rod Laver in 1969, when he earned a calendar-year Grand Slam. Djokovic now can set his sights on that ultimate tennis achievement, because he is halfway there.
The 29-year-old Serb’s first French Open trophy goes alongside six from the Australian Open, three from Wimbledon and two from the U.S. Open to give him a total of 12. Among men, only Roger Federer (with 17), Rafael Nadal (14) and Pete Sampras (14) own more.
On Sunday – the weather overcast but dry, unlike so much of the rainy past two weeks – the first choruses of “No-le! No-le!” accompanied Djokovic’s entrance to the court. They returned when an announcer introduced Djokovic during the warmup period. And again when he skipped from sideline to baseline to receive in the opening game – and, louder still, when Djokovic broke two-time major champion Murray to start.
All in all, it sounded as if this were Belgrade, rather than a neutral site.
Muguruza’s first Slam title denies Williams 22nd.
Associated Press
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
The day before the French Open final, Serena Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, was discussing whether his player would need to lift her level to beat Garbine Muguruza and collect a record-equaling 22nd Grand Slam title.
“I don’t know why everybody’s so impressed with Garbine,” Mouratoglou said. “Did she win a Slam ever?”
His comment, accompanied by a chuckle, was intended in a lighthearted way. About 24 hours later, his question required a new answer.
Muguruza won her first major trophy and prevented Williams yet again from collecting No. 22, outplaying the defending champion in a 7-5, 6-4 victory at Roland Garros on Saturday.
“She has a bright future, obviously,” said Williams, who at 34 is 12 years older than her Spanish opponent. “She knows how to play on the big stage and … clearly, she knows how to win Grand Slams.”
The fourth-seeded Muguruza used her big groundstrokes to keep No. 1 Williams off-balance and overcame signs of nerves in the form of nine double-faults. Most impressively, Muguruza broke Williams four times, including three in a row.
“I can’t explain with words what this day means to me,” Muguruza said.
This was her second major final; she lost to Williams at Wimbledon last year. But Muguruza has won her past two matches against Williams on the clay of Roland Garros, including in the second round in 2014. So dating to the start of the 2013 French Open, Williams is 0-2 in Paris against Muguruza, 21-0 against everyone else.
“I have grown up playing on clay,” Muguruza said during the trophy ceremony, “so for Spain, and for me, this is amazing.”
For Williams, whose timing was not exactly right much of the afternoon, Saturday’s loss postponed her pursuit of Steffi Graf’s Open-era mark of 22 major singles championships. Margaret Court holds the all-time record of 24.
Williams got No. 21 at Wimbledon in 2015, her fourth major title in a row. Since, she was beaten in the U.S. Open semifinals by Roberta Vinci, in the Australian Open final by Angelique Kerber, and now by Muguruza. It’s the first time in Williams’ career she lost back-to-back Slam finals.
“Garbine played unbelievable,” Williams said. “The only thing I can do is just keep trying.”
This year’s visit to Paris hardly could have started off more inauspiciously for Muguruza: She lost the first set she played, against 38th-ranked Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
But, oh, how Muguruza turned things around. She won her next 14 sets, displaying take-the-ball-early aggressiveness.
The final began under a slate ceiling of clouds, but at least there was none of the heavy rain that led to flooding in Paris and a temporary shutdown of the Louvre museum. The showers jumbled the tournament schedule, and Williams was in action a fourth straight day in the final.
She did not blame that or a problem with a leg muscle.
“I don’t think it’s like something that I would say: `Oh, that was the reason,”‘ Williams said.
Muguruza won the coin toss and let Williams serve first, a fascinating choice given that the American is widely regarded as the best server in the women’s game. And the decision seemed only more dubious as Muguruza put the ball on play on only one of the first six points Williams served.
And yet, it all wound up working out. And how.
Muguruza won all six points of 10 shots or more in the first set and, indeed, there was no junkballing on this day. Both women hit hard, trading bold forehands and backhands from the baseline that made it seem unfair to characterize nearly anything as an “unforced error.”
Williams finished with 39 forced errors, 18 more than Muguruza.
After a run of breaks gave Muguruza the first set and a lead in the second, Williams never recovered. She did, however, cast aside a quartet of match points for Muguruza at 5-3. There was nothing Williams could do about the fifth, which Muguruza converted with a delightful lob that landed right on the baseline.
Williams applauded. Maybe stunned by that shot, maybe stunned that she was now a Grand Slam champion, Muguruza turned toward her coach and other supporters in the stands with a blank expression. Soon, she was flat on her back, caking her dress and arms with the rust-colored clay she will never forget.
“Just goes to show you, you really have to play the big points well,” Williams said, “and I think she played the big points really well.”
That’s the sort of thing Williams’ foes usually say.
“I don’t know why everybody’s so impressed with Garbine,” Mouratoglou said. “Did she win a Slam ever?”
His comment, accompanied by a chuckle, was intended in a lighthearted way. About 24 hours later, his question required a new answer.
Muguruza won her first major trophy and prevented Williams yet again from collecting No. 22, outplaying the defending champion in a 7-5, 6-4 victory at Roland Garros on Saturday.
“She has a bright future, obviously,” said Williams, who at 34 is 12 years older than her Spanish opponent. “She knows how to play on the big stage and … clearly, she knows how to win Grand Slams.”
The fourth-seeded Muguruza used her big groundstrokes to keep No. 1 Williams off-balance and overcame signs of nerves in the form of nine double-faults. Most impressively, Muguruza broke Williams four times, including three in a row.
“I can’t explain with words what this day means to me,” Muguruza said.
This was her second major final; she lost to Williams at Wimbledon last year. But Muguruza has won her past two matches against Williams on the clay of Roland Garros, including in the second round in 2014. So dating to the start of the 2013 French Open, Williams is 0-2 in Paris against Muguruza, 21-0 against everyone else.
“I have grown up playing on clay,” Muguruza said during the trophy ceremony, “so for Spain, and for me, this is amazing.”
For Williams, whose timing was not exactly right much of the afternoon, Saturday’s loss postponed her pursuit of Steffi Graf’s Open-era mark of 22 major singles championships. Margaret Court holds the all-time record of 24.
Williams got No. 21 at Wimbledon in 2015, her fourth major title in a row. Since, she was beaten in the U.S. Open semifinals by Roberta Vinci, in the Australian Open final by Angelique Kerber, and now by Muguruza. It’s the first time in Williams’ career she lost back-to-back Slam finals.
“Garbine played unbelievable,” Williams said. “The only thing I can do is just keep trying.”
This year’s visit to Paris hardly could have started off more inauspiciously for Muguruza: She lost the first set she played, against 38th-ranked Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
But, oh, how Muguruza turned things around. She won her next 14 sets, displaying take-the-ball-early aggressiveness.
The final began under a slate ceiling of clouds, but at least there was none of the heavy rain that led to flooding in Paris and a temporary shutdown of the Louvre museum. The showers jumbled the tournament schedule, and Williams was in action a fourth straight day in the final.
She did not blame that or a problem with a leg muscle.
“I don’t think it’s like something that I would say: `Oh, that was the reason,”‘ Williams said.
Muguruza won the coin toss and let Williams serve first, a fascinating choice given that the American is widely regarded as the best server in the women’s game. And the decision seemed only more dubious as Muguruza put the ball on play on only one of the first six points Williams served.
And yet, it all wound up working out. And how.
Muguruza won all six points of 10 shots or more in the first set and, indeed, there was no junkballing on this day. Both women hit hard, trading bold forehands and backhands from the baseline that made it seem unfair to characterize nearly anything as an “unforced error.”
Williams finished with 39 forced errors, 18 more than Muguruza.
After a run of breaks gave Muguruza the first set and a lead in the second, Williams never recovered. She did, however, cast aside a quartet of match points for Muguruza at 5-3. There was nothing Williams could do about the fifth, which Muguruza converted with a delightful lob that landed right on the baseline.
Williams applauded. Maybe stunned by that shot, maybe stunned that she was now a Grand Slam champion, Muguruza turned toward her coach and other supporters in the stands with a blank expression. Soon, she was flat on her back, caking her dress and arms with the rust-colored clay she will never forget.
“Just goes to show you, you really have to play the big points well,” Williams said, “and I think she played the big points really well.”
That’s the sort of thing Williams’ foes usually say.
FYI: Muhammad Ali Funeral Arrangements.
By Andreas Hale
By Andreas Hale
The family of Muhammad Ali has released details surrounding his death and funeral plans for the legendary boxer and humanitarian who passed away on Friday at the age of 74.
Ali spent five days at an Arizona hospital for what began as respiratory issues that worsened over time. At 9:10 p.m. on Friday, Ali finally succumbed to septic shock “due to unspecified natural causes” with his wife and children by his bedside.
Septic shock stems from complications due to an infection where toxins in the body can initiate a full-body inflammatory response. It often occurs among the elderly as well as those with weakened immune systems. The infection causes inflammation and tiny blood clots to form, which block oxygen and nutrients from reaching vital organs. The blood pressure drops significantly and leads to respiratory, heart or organ failure and death.
According to a tweet by Ali’s daughter, Hana, the heart of “The Greatest” continued to beat for 30 minutes after his organs failed. “A true testament to the strength of his Spirit and Will!” she posted. She wrote on her Instagram and Twitter accounts that "no one had even seen anything like it.''
According to a release, the funeral service will take place at the KFC YUM! Center on Friday, June 10 in his hometown of Louisville, Ky. The service will be open to the public with limited seating beginning at 2:00 p.m. The service will also be streamed live from AliCenter.org.
The service will include eulogies from former President Bill Clinton, journalist Bryant Gumbel and comedian Billy Crystal.
In addition to the funeral, there will be a procession through Louisville, which will allow the general public to pay their respects to the man simply known as “The Greatest.” The route will include many locations that carried historical significance pertaining to Muhammad Ali.
For those in the Louisville area who want to pay their respects to Ali, the Muhammad Ali Center (144 N. 6th Street) will be open throughout the week. The family has asked that donations be made to the center in lieu of gifts and flowers so that the center can continue to promote Ali’s legacy of humanitarianism.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Commentary: What made Muhammad Ali a hero to so many?
By Kevin Iole
Muhammad Ali is greeted in Zaire in 1974. (Photo/AP)
Muhammad Ali was a hero to many, for many reasons. He was adored by some because of his wonderful talents as a boxer. At his peak, from 1964 through 1967, there may never have been anyone remotely as good.
He was fast, strong and precise, the very definition of a boxer. He died Friday at 74 in a Phoenix hospital due to a respiratory ailment, but his impact on the world will never be forgotten.
He was a hero to others because of his stand on the Vietnam War. He was a conscientious objector and gave up virtually everything – his career, his title, most of his income – to stand up for what he believed in.
Many called him a draft dodger. Others thought he was crazy. But his beliefs were so deeply held that none of it mattered. Not long after Ali was convicted of draft evasion in 1967, public support for the war began to erode.
Originally a pariah, Ali suddenly became the face, the voice, the very heart of the anti-war movement that would shape a generation.
To others, he was a hero for his quick wit and clever ways. He is in many ways the man that introduced trash talk to sports. He and a cornerman/friend, came up with a poem that many young people today know word for word, more than half a century since they first uttered them before his 1964 heavyweight title bout with Sonny Liston.
He was fast, strong and precise, the very definition of a boxer. He died Friday at 74 in a Phoenix hospital due to a respiratory ailment, but his impact on the world will never be forgotten.
He was a hero to others because of his stand on the Vietnam War. He was a conscientious objector and gave up virtually everything – his career, his title, most of his income – to stand up for what he believed in.
Many called him a draft dodger. Others thought he was crazy. But his beliefs were so deeply held that none of it mattered. Not long after Ali was convicted of draft evasion in 1967, public support for the war began to erode.
Originally a pariah, Ali suddenly became the face, the voice, the very heart of the anti-war movement that would shape a generation.
To others, he was a hero for his quick wit and clever ways. He is in many ways the man that introduced trash talk to sports. He and a cornerman/friend, came up with a poem that many young people today know word for word, more than half a century since they first uttered them before his 1964 heavyweight title bout with Sonny Liston.
"I'm going to float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. His hands can't hit what his eyes can't see."
He was a kind and charitable man who for most of his life gave away his fortune. His close friend of more than 50 years, Gene Kilroy, told of the time Ali went to visit a child in a leper colony in Kuala Lumpur in 1975.
"This lady came up to me in the lobby because she had seen me with Ali, and she told me her son was very sick and that he loved Ali," Kilroy said. "I said, 'Well, come on up to the room and let's tell him.' She was a poor woman who didn't have much. She tells Ali, 'My son is very sick and he loves you so much. Do you think you can visit him?' Ali said, 'Well, I do road work tomorrow at 4:30 in the morning. Can you be in the lobby at 7?'
"The next morning, she takes us to him and it's a leper colony. The people were giving them the food and sliding it under and getting away. Ali said, 'Where is he?' and he walks right up to him. He hugged him and sat with him and talked with him and he didn't care anything about the leprosy. He just wanted to make this sick kid happy."
Many people loved Ali for many reasons. I fell in love with boxing in the mid-1960s as a young boy just as Ali was blooming into "The Greatest." He was a larger-than-life figure who infiltrated so many aspects of society.
But I loved Ali for many of those reasons, all of them and more. He made you laugh. He awed you. He inspired you. He motivated you.
I didn't start covering boxing until after he'd retired. The first time I met him, Kilroy introduced us. By that point, he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. In those days, he would only occasionally speak.
On this day, he spoke more in a low murmur. He was seated when Kilroy introduced us. I leaned in to hear him, so he reached for my head and pulled it toward his mouth.
"I hear you're the greatest, because you've been nice to my friend here," he said, beaming.
But I think the reason Ali was a hero to me is because of his answer to a little boy's question. He was appearing on a television show in England in the 1970s, and the boy asked, "I'd like to know what you're going to do when you retire from boxing."
After joking that he was snoring, Ali gave a mesmerizing answer that epitomizes the love that all those who idolized him believe about him.
"The important thing about life is what's going to happen when you die," Ali said. "Are you going to go to Heaven or hell? That's eternity. How long is eternity? Let's imagine. Take the Sahara Desert. There is a lot of sand over in the Sahara Desert, right? Imagine one grain of sand represents a thousand years. When you're in hell burning, when you die and go to hell, it's forever, for ever and ever, no end. How long is that?
"I'll tell you how long eternity is. Take the Sahara Desert. I told you to wait a thousand years. And every thousand years, I want you to pick up a grain of sand until the desert is empty. Wait a thousand years and pick up a grain. Wait another thousand years before you get the next grain. Keep that up until there is no sand in the desert. Do you know how long that is?
"America's not but 200 years old. We got 800 more years to get to a thousand. It scares me to think that I'm going to die one day and go to hell. I'm on an airplane that might blow up. I'm always traveling. I might go to hell and God is going to judge my soul. The police, I might kill people. I might rob people. The authorities might not catch me. The FBI, Scotland Yard might not catch me, but when I die, God is watching me and keeping count, and I can't get away. And I'm going to burn forever and ever. I want to go to Heaven.
"So what am I going to do when I'm through fighting? I only have 16 years to be productive and get ready to meet God and go to the best place."
Whether one is religious or not is beside the point.
Ali stood for something. He was a man of principle, of courage, a man of character. The late Sen. Ted Kennedy's words eulogizing his assassinated brother, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, come to mind upon Ali's passing.
"[He] need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.
"Those of us who loved him and who take him to his rest today pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will someday come to pass for all the world."
Those words speak of the life that the son of a painter from Louisville, Ky., lived.
Those words speak of the life that the son of a painter from Louisville, Ky., lived.
Truly, Muhammad Ali was the greatest.
On
emoriesofhistory.com
1890 - The United States Polo Association was founded in New York.
1934 - Myril Hoag (New York Yankees) hit six singles in a game against the Boston Red Sox.
1939 - The New York Giants hit five home runs in the fourth inning in a 17-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
1946 - The Basketball Association of America was formed in New York City, NY.
1965 - Tom Tresh (New York Yankees) hit home runs on three consecutive at-bats against the Chicago White Sox.
1989 - Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) won the Hart Trophy for the 9th time. He was the first player in NHL history to win the same award nine times.
1992 - Eddie Murray passed Mickey Mantle on the all-time switch-hitter RBI list. Mantle held the record at 1,509.
1996 - John Valentin became the 14th player in Boston Red Sox history to hit on all at-bats during a game. He hit for the cycle when he went 4-for-4 against the Chicago White Sox.
1996 - Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) scored a first period hat-trick against the Florida Panthers in Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals. He became only the third player in NHL history to score a first-period hat-trick in the Cup Final. He was also the sixth player to score a hat-trick in the Cup Final game.
1996 - Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) tied a Stanley Cup Final record when he assisted on four goals against the Florida Panthers.
1996 - Baseball's executive council told Marge Schott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds, to give up day-to-day operations within a week or face a suspension of more than a year. Schott had caused controversy with comments she made concerning Adolph Hitler in an ESPN interview.
2003 - The Seattle Mariners were defeated by the New York Mets to end their 13-game road winning streak.
1934 - Myril Hoag (New York Yankees) hit six singles in a game against the Boston Red Sox.
1939 - The New York Giants hit five home runs in the fourth inning in a 17-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
1946 - The Basketball Association of America was formed in New York City, NY.
1965 - Tom Tresh (New York Yankees) hit home runs on three consecutive at-bats against the Chicago White Sox.
1989 - Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) won the Hart Trophy for the 9th time. He was the first player in NHL history to win the same award nine times.
1992 - Eddie Murray passed Mickey Mantle on the all-time switch-hitter RBI list. Mantle held the record at 1,509.
1996 - John Valentin became the 14th player in Boston Red Sox history to hit on all at-bats during a game. He hit for the cycle when he went 4-for-4 against the Chicago White Sox.
1996 - Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) scored a first period hat-trick against the Florida Panthers in Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals. He became only the third player in NHL history to score a first-period hat-trick in the Cup Final. He was also the sixth player to score a hat-trick in the Cup Final game.
1996 - Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) tied a Stanley Cup Final record when he assisted on four goals against the Florida Panthers.
1996 - Baseball's executive council told Marge Schott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds, to give up day-to-day operations within a week or face a suspension of more than a year. Schott had caused controversy with comments she made concerning Adolph Hitler in an ESPN interview.
2003 - The Seattle Mariners were defeated by the New York Mets to end their 13-game road winning streak.
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