SUZUKA, Japan (AP) — Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has not ruled out retiring at the end of the Formula 1 season, saying he is trying “very hard” to enjoy racing under the new changes.
The Red Bull driver again openly expressed his dissatisfaction on Sunday after an eighth-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, which was won by 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes.
“Privately I’m very happy," Verstappen told the BBC after the race. "You also wait for 24 races. This time it’s 22. But normally 24. And then you just think about is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you’re not enjoying your sport?"
The 28-year-old Verstappen said “That's what I'm saying” when asked by the BBC if this could be his last season.
“I want to be here to have fun and have a great time and enjoy myself. At the moment that’s not really the case,” he said. "Of course I do enjoy certain aspects. I enjoy working with my team. It’s like a second family. But once I sit in the car it’s not the most enjoyable unfortunately. I’m trying. I keep telling myself every day to try and enjoy it. It’s just very hard.”
Verstappen is among the drivers struggling after one of the most significant regulation changes in F1 took place this season.
“I can easily accept to be in P7 or P8 where I am,” he said. “Because I also know that you can’t be dominating or be first or second or whatever, fighting for a podium every time. I’m very realistic in that and I’ve been there before. I’ve not only been winning in F1.
“But at the same time when you are in P7 or P8 and you are not enjoying the whole formula behind it, it doesn’t feel natural to a racing driver," he said.
“Of course I try to adapt to it, but it’s not nice the way you have to race. It’s really anti-driving. Then at one point, yeah, it’s just not what I want to do."
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 28: Toronto Blue Jays infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) slides to the plate as Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) looks on in the bottom of the sixth inning of an MLB game between the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays on March 28, 2026, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The A’s are still looking for that first win of the season. Let’s not get swept by the Blue Jays to start the season, eh?
We got Luis Morales on the bump today for his first start of the season. The righty had a tough camp but he can start putting that all behind him with a quality outing today.
Switching things up, we like it. Shea bats leadoff on his half-day while we see Darell Hernaiz get his first start of the year at second base in place of Jeff McNeil. Will it help jump-start our year? To be determined…
MIAMI, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 18: Bruce Sherman, principle owner of the Miami Marlins, introduces Clayton McCullough (L) as the manager of the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on November 18, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In 2022, the “It’s Not My Moneyball” series was created in response to the lockout imposed by the owners that disrupted Spring Training and arguably cost Clayton Kershaw a perfect game in Minneapolis (I had fun). As the season starts, the World Baseball Classic concludes, we must revive this series as trouble looms in the distance, hanging in the air, exactly in the way a brick does not.
Introducing the Dirty Dozen
The current playoff system is allowing more teams than ever to play in postseason ball, with 23 of 30 teams making the playoffs at least once, and 12 of 30 have won their division. While I was initially skeptical, this state of affairs is an unalloyed good. The fact that MLB did not have a repeat champion for 25 years clearly demonstrates the randomness of the postseason tournament.
Those crying for “parity” point to the National Football League as a prime example, seemingly forgetting that dynasties can and do happen in a hard-salary-cap league. For all the NFL’s alleged parity, one has to go back to 2010 for a conference championship weekend without either the New England Patriots or the Kansas City Chiefs participating.
If the owners (and to a lesser extent, Hollywood) had their way, the famous line about “rich teams, poor teams, fifty feet of excrement, and then the Athletics” from the venerated film Moneyball would be true. I love the film, but it completely ignores Miguel Tejada’s MVP campaign and the young stellar rotation of Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson. But sure, let’s focus on pre-Parks and Recreation Chris Pratt, while cementing a slightly askew version of baseball economics.
If we are being entirely honest, while using the film’s framing for reference, there are the Dodgers, then teams that can feasibly keep up them on a pure spending basis in the Mets, Yankees, Phillies, and Blue Jays, then teams that are either barely going over or hovering at the 2026 luxury tax threshold of $244 million in the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Cubs.
Then we have teams at least within 60 million of the luxury tax threshold: Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Anaheim Angels, Seattle Mariners, and Kansas City Royals.
Then we have the teams bringing up the rear, with projected luxury tax payrolls from FanGraphs and threshold amounts. It’s not pretty because we are talking about over a third of the league — twelve teams, a dirty dozen of billionaire paupers.
Cincinnati Reds ($151 million, 93 million from threshold)
Cleveland Guardians ($98 million, 146 million), and
Miami Marlins ($84 million, 160 million).
It’s kind of funny, and a little pathetic, that the owners are going to pretend that Miami is not a viable baseball market during negotiations. That statement is true during the regular MLB season, as loanDepot Park is a factory of contemporary sadness. However, one would not have known that state of affairs during the recently concluded World Baseball Classic. Loud fans, who are actually allowed to sit in the upper deck in a packed house? In this economy?!? At loanDepot Park?!?
The fact that loanDepot Park is unlikely to get that full again for at least three years is a damning indictment of the incompetence of the current ownership group down there. There is a high cost to being poor or playing at being poor, in baseball’s case, in the United States.
When the Dodgers’ luxury tax bill exceeds a team’s literal payroll, a few truths become painfully clear.
First, these teams are not trying. While one would expect teams that just started rebuilding (like St. Louis and Minnesota) to have lower payrolls, there are teams in this pauper’s brigade who are clearly being subsidized by the Dodgers’ largesse.
A rebuild that never ends is just sanctioned mediocrity.
The Brewers rely on a model of self-imposed austerity in which they either draft and develop well or suffer perpetual mediocrity. This essay is not arguing that the Brewers must spend like the Dodgers, as most teams cannot. However, if a team cannot spend within the completely arbitrary yet somehow respectable $160 to $190 million range of the Diamondbacks, Mariners, Royals, and Angels (all that money wasted in Anaheim), and make itself look like a pauper compared to the San Francisco Giants, what are you doing?
To play Devil’s Advocate for a moment, there is far less margin for error when operating on a pauper’s budget.
Tampa plays in the Dinky Ice Rink that God (Usually) Forgets, and Cleveland plays in a nice ballpark, somehow won their division last year, and planned to follow up that campaign by literally doing almost nothing apart from running it back, much to the annoyance of anyone who noticed. If one were forced to find a theme in what I will call the Dirty Dozen, most members are from the Central Divisions of both leagues.
But Michael, these teams cannot possibly spend on the level of the Dodgers and other markets. Therefore, they cannot possibly retain their stars.
If such a fact were true, it would be time to strip away the league’s antitrust exemption, consider dividing the league into a Premier League and a Champions League, and introduce relegation in Major League Baseball.
[Author’s Note: Expand to 32 teams, split between 16 teams — talk about a thought experiment! The bottom two teams play a playoff series to avoid relegation. The top four teams in the lower division play in a playoff tournament, with the winner promoted. Thoughts for later.]
Capitalism is alive and well in MLB
This fact is not true, so I shall continue. One does not have to think very hard in order to come up with examples.
Bobby Witt is inarguably the best player produced by the Kansas City Royals organization in the past twenty years, although just how good is a question for our colleagues at our sister site, Royals Review. If the naysayers were correct, Witt would have hit free agency with aplomb, likely leaving the City of Fountains.
There is an unacknowledged truth about the market as it is now: there’s nothing stopping teams from spending money to lock up homegrown talent during the team control years, at the expense of buying years of arbitration (which owners generally hate) and early free agency. Witt signed for 11 years and $288 million, both franchise records.
Now, there are instances where players price themselves out of the market. Everyone seems to forget that the Dodgers let star shortstop Corey Seager depart for the Texas Rangers in a 10-year, $325 million deal. Yes, this deal occurred in the pre-Ohtani era. I would have gone 7 years at $275 million, which is the type of higher Average Annual Value deal the Dodgers could not make work with Bryce Harper et al., but one that finally worked for Kyle Tucker.
Yet most view it as a fait accompli that Paul Skenes will depart Pittsburgh and Tarik Skubal will depart Detroit at their earliest respective opportunities. Yet Skenes is only in his second year, and Skubal and the Tigers did not discuss a long-term extension this offseason, which is his last year under his current contract.
If the Tigers are just going to shrug and feign helplessness, I hope they make use of the compensatory draft pick when Skubal signs elsewhere. If an organization is going to try to embarrassingly lowball Skubal in his final year of arbitration — and what a blunder that fiasco was — one cannot be shocked when Skubal suits up for more money next year. I saw Skubal be somewhat mortal against the Dodgers in Detroit in 2024, which was the only game the Dodgers prevailed in that weekend.
If Skubal ends up in Los Angeles, the Tigers will likely only have themselves to blame. The Dodgers have both benefited from other teams’ failures (Boston re: Mookie Betts, Atlanta re: Freddie Freeman, San Francisco re: Blake Snell, Tampa re: Tyler Glasnow, Toronto re: Ohtani, Yamamoto, Sasaki, etc., etc.) and invested in infrastructure and drafting, even finding value in down-year drafts.
Stars will continue to get paid. The underlying gripe in the naysayers’ complaints, as I see it, is that these cheapskates, rather than haranguing and hectoring their own skinflint ownership into acting, would rather not follow up on the good fortune of having a star come up through the ranks in order to be paid like one.
Juan Soto’s latest contract, a 15-year, $765 million deal, is a boneheadedly stupid contract for someone with mediocre-to-awful defense and someone who is not a two-way player. If a team wants to spend stupidly, see the Mets, see the late 2000s Dodgers, etc., the market is going to allow it, and generally pay the baseball and monetary costs for it.
A loser with a checkbook is still a loser
The lazy, borderline stupid take is that imposing a salary cap and floor would improve parity in MLB and make talent more available throughout the league. Brodie Brazil argued as such recently, when a proposed $260-280 million cap and a $140-160 million floor entered the discussion, likely in an attempt to prime public opinion.
Mr. Brazil makes the dubious argument that, if the hypothetical floor and cap were imposed using this year’s payrolls, the players would end up with more money under this system than they do under the current system, and that things would not change all that dramatically, as under the proffered numbers for hard cap and floor, players would get more money overall.
While the arithmetic is technically correct, it’s an argument missing context, like confidently arguing a lump of metal falls faster than a feather when dropped from the same height (gravity is the same on both objects; wind resistance is the missing variable).
If he truly believes that last part of his argument, I have an overextended, teetering Bay Area mass transit system to sell him. I could even do a little song about it, even though it’s technically not a monorail. Rather than asking how the boot leather tastes, it is worth noting that MLB already operates under a soft cap system.
If penalties for going over or being too far under need more teeth, that discussion might be worth having. Maybe the parties will get there after setting all the goodwill generated by the 2025 World Series and the 2026 World Baseball Classic on fire.
Imagine making an extra $100 million dollars available to the owners of the Dirty Dozen right now. Does anyone honestly believe that they are going to spend this extra money on payroll rather than pocket it as they have been doing? The flip side to the Dodgers being forced to spend less money on payroll in a hardcap system is the unexpected consequence of the organization keeping more money, which they will undoubtedly use creatively to maintain their current dominance.
If anything, the Dodgers have been operating with a chip on their shoulders for a while. Years of playoff frustration and mockery, combined with unlimited money, tend to do that.
Do the naysayers really want to create additional variables for people smarter than the average front-office person to overcome? The Dodgers responded to the league’s apparent indifference toward the 2017 Trashtros’ misdeeds by transforming from a perceived squad of talented homegrown goobers into a faux-mercenary brigade that challenges the league to beat them when it counts.
Get better or get angry
The Dodgers are benefiting from mastery of the current economic system. When I now hear the lamentations of those who complain, it is the frustrated wish of those saddled with being fans of teams that are fundamentally lacking.
Shohei Ohtani was never, under any circumstances, going to be a Sacramento/Oakland/Las Vegas Athletic or Milwaukee Brewer or a Miami Marlin, 50/50 heroics aside. One can chart out the same path for Freeman, Betts, Glasnow, Snell, or just about any of the Dodgers’ current constellation of stars.
“There’s a legacy that’s already in here, and you just try to carry that [legacy] on,” said Max Muncy, now the team’s longest-tenured player after Kershaw’s departure. “You’re not trying to change it, you’re trying to keep it going.”
Baseball’s richest payroll means plenty of well-compensated stars. Which means egos and players wanting to maximize their place in a lineup that resembles the Walk of Fame. Which, in theory, breeds simmering chaos.
Except in Los Angeles, it seems.
“We don’t have the narcissistic superstar,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained.
Mookie Betts put it less delicately.
“Nobody’s being a d— in here,” he said….
…“Because we all love each other, we all trust each other,” Betts said. “We’re all very comfortable going up and telling one another our opinions. And it’s never in a derogatory (way), a tearing someone down way. It’s always in a positive manner, and it’s never like, ‘This is the end of the world.’”
There is a reason that even veteran role players like Miguel Rojas have bought into what the Dodgers are selling on the field.
Miguel Rojas says the Dodgers don’t care what anyone thinks about how they’re operating and that other teams are just “trying to blame someone for their losses” pic.twitter.com/LN6HVNw8SY
Yes, the money helps, but the Dodgers’ current run is something truly unique.
The Smoking Gun
Yes, there are multiple non-exclusive ways to build a roster: through the draft, through trades, through the open market of free agency, and through international posting. It is not one exclusive approach that works, as the Dodgers have shown excellence in all of these areas.
Per Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post,who reported on February 19, the owners have assembled an approximately $2 billion war chest as a rainy-day fund, with about $75 million from each team.
As of this essay, 15 teams have spent more on this lockout fund than on the open market. It is not a perfect one-to-one match, but it is no surprise that ten teams of the Dirty Dozen spent more on the fund than in the open market. The White Sox spent barely more than their contribution. The Giants did not, somehow, which explains a lot of the agita from San Francisco this winter.
The Players Union will never agree to a salary cap. These Dirty Dozen owners do not want to spend cash now while existing in a more forgiving system. Stars will continue to get paid, especially while deferred money is still a thing. The people caught in the crossfire of a hardcap are the mid-tier guys and the overvalued bullpen guys: your Michael Confortos, Chris Taylors, Kirby Yates, Tanner Scotts, et al, etc.
If that view is what the naysayer truly believes and is oblivious to the fact that dynasties can and do happen in a hard-cap system, I only have one thing to say: good luck. After all, a loser with a checkbook is still a loser. As long as the Dodgers remain a destination, players will continue to gravitate toward them.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 06: Jesus Luzardo #44 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in game two of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 06, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Now that the Phillies’ dreams of an undefeated season have been dashed, they’ll have to settle for going for a series victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday.
Jesus Luzardo gets the start for the Phillies. The lefthander was 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA in 2025.
MacKenzie Gore will be making his Rangers debut after coming to Texas in an offseason trade. The former National had a 2.50 ERA in three starts against the Phillies in 2025.
The Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets square off for the fourth and final time of the campaign as familiar Western Conference foes clash at Ball Arena.
Jamal Murray is enjoying the best scoring season of his career, and my Warriors vs. Nuggets predictions expect him to stay hot tonight.
Warriors vs Nuggets best bet: Jamal Murray Over 22.5 points (-110)
Jamal Murray is averaging a career-high 25.5 points per game, and he’s in the midst of a major heater right now. Murray has averaged 27.1 points across his last 16 outings, including 84 points across his last two games.
He's been a versatile scorer over that stretch, knocking down 3.4 triples and hitting 5.9 free throws per game. The Denver Nuggets' star point guard has reached 23 points in 44 of 70 games, including 20 of 33 at home.
In three matchups with the Golden State Warriors, Murray scored 21, 23, and 25 points, and Golden State’s defense presents a favorable matchup on Sunday.
Over the last 10 games, the Warriors have allowed the 10th-most points (120.8), and they sport the 19th-ranked defensive rating (117.1).
Golden State’s roster has been ravaged by injuries, and finding the players needed to slow down Murray will be no easy task.
The point total is set at 238.5, and I’m predicting a high-scoring matchup. That means Murray will have plenty of opportunities to score, and he’ll have no problem reaching the Over on such a modest scoring line — given his recent offensive success and friendly defensive matchup.
Warriors vs Nuggets same-game parlay
The Nuggets and Warriors have hit the Over at the highest and second-highest percentages, respectively. Denver is 8-2 to the Over across its last 10 games, and Golden State is 7-3. Both teams also rank in the Top 10 in pace across their last 10 games overall.
The Dubs haven't found much success against the spread on the road. Both teams have struggled to cover in recent contests, but Denver gets the edge due to health and home-court advantage. The home team has also covered in all three meetings this season.
Warriors vs Nuggets SGP
Jamal Murray Over 22.5 points
Over 238
Nuggets -11.5
Our "from downtown" SGP: Dynamic duo
Murray and Nikola Jokic made history earlier in the week, reaching 400 wins as teammates and becoming the first duo to have one player with 50 points and another with 15/15/15 in the same contest. Both should stay hot against a struggling Warriors defense.
Murray has averaged 7.3 dimes across his last nine outings. He's cashed the Over on this line in two of three matchups with Golden State.
Jokic has averaged 25.7 points across his last 15 games, hitting 26+ in seven of them. He scored at least that many points in two of three matchups with the Warriors. Over his last 15 games, the Joker has averaged 11.9 assists and recorded 12+ dimes 10 times.
Warriors vs Nuggets SGP
Jamal Murray Over 22.5 points
Jamal Murray Over 6.5 assists
Nikola Jokic Over 25.5 points
Nikola Jokic Over 11.5 assists
Warriors vs Nuggets odds
Spread: Warriors +11.5 | Nuggets -11.5
Moneyline: Warriors +450 | Nuggets -600
Over/Under: Over 238.5 | Under 238.5
Warriors vs Nuggets betting trend to know
The Golden State Warriors have hit the game total Over in 31 of their last 50 games (+10.10 Units / 18% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Warriors vs. Nuggets.
How to watch Warriors vs Nuggets
Location
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Date
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Tip-off
10:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Warriors vs Nuggets latest injuries
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That includes the difficulty — and often years of drought — of making the Final Four. It's something that, after a near trip to the Final Four in 2024, No. 3 seed Illinois finally experienced inside the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday, March 28. The Fighting Illini defeated Big Ten foe, No. 9 Iowa, in the Elite Eight to become the first team to advance to the Final Four.
Keaton Wagler won the point guard battle against Iowa's Bennett Stirtz, as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year finished with 25 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal. That line was good enough for Wagler to be named the South Region’s Most Outstanding Player after he averaged 19.0 points in two games in Houston.
"It's better than I dreamt it would ever be," he said in postgame following his team's win vs. Iowa. "Thirty-nine years in the business and that's all I'm going to say about my side of this."
But with the Illini now sitting two wins away from a national championship, curiosity has risen about when the last time Illinois — which had seen four first-round exits in the last five years entering this year's Men's NCAA Tournament — last made the Final Four.
Here's what to know.
When was the last time Illinois made Final Four?
The Illini's win over the Hawkeyes on Saturday sent them past the Elite Eight and into the Final Four for the first time since 2005. It's Illinois' sixth trip to the Final Four, where it is 1-5 in the national semifinal game.
"It feels great. From the moment we stepped on campus, we kind of got a sense of how talented we were, but it feels surreal actually being in this moment. I wouldn't want it any other way with these guys right next to me," Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic said after the Elite Eight win.
"Don't get it wrong, it's not just us three. We got guys 1 through 15 and a roomful of coaching staff, administration, guys that help us every day, managers that don't get the credit, and it took all of us to get here and it took all of us to give 100% percent of what we got to achieve this.
"Last thing I'll say is I don't want anybody to think that this is it. We didn't get to the Final Four just to get there. We're coming to win two more games, and we'll take it one game at a time."
“It’s been 21 years for the Illini, but finally, the road will take them to Indianapolis. Illinois is going to the Final Four!” pic.twitter.com/FZb8Xj2NQJ
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 29, 2026
Illinois basketball Final Four history
This is the Illini's sixth trip to the Final Four and first since 2005.
1949: lost semifinal to Kentucky, 76-47
1951: lost semifinal to Kentucky, 76-74
1952: lost semifinal to St. John's, 61-59
1989: lost semifinal to Michigan, 83-81
2005: won semifinal vs. Louisville, 72-57; lost in final to North Carolina, 75-70
It's official: The Milwaukee Bucks are eliminated from the postseason.
That, however, feels much more like the light just turned green on the speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo's future in the city.
After being blown out by the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday behind a Stephon Castle triple-double, Milwaukee is now 9.5 games back of the No. 10 seed Charlotte Hornets with nine games remaining in the season. The Bucks are eliminated. Bucks coach Doc Rivers talked about being eliminated postgame.
Will being eliminated change Antetokounmpo’s plan to try to return to the court this season once he recovers from a left knee hyperextension that led to a bone bruise? The Bucks front office has wanted him to shut it down both because of that injury and the lingering other ones that have limited him to 36 games this season, plus they should be focusing on the best draft position possible. But Antetokounmpo's push to return was always more performative and about how he views himself, so that fight may not be over.
Milwaukee missing these playoffs started last playoffs, when Damian Lillard tore his Achilles and was going to miss this season entirely because of it. That led to a desperation move by the Bucks front office, waiving and stretching the more than $112 million remaining on his contract over five years, freeing up the money to sign Myles Turner as a free agent. He did not live up to expectations for the Bucks this season.
The question now becomes, will Antetokounmpo agree to a max extension with the Bucks this offseason (something he can't sign until Oct. 1, but the talks will happen much earlier)? The Bucks' front office will explore trading more draft picks and players to upgrade the roster, but will that be enough for Antetokounmpo to see a contender and stay? The expectation in league circles is that he will tell the Bucks he will not sign an extension with them — not asking for a trade directly (something he has said he would never do) but essentially forcing the Bucks to deal him or lose him for nothing in a year — and the sides working to find him a new home this offseason.
Let the Antetokounmpo offseason speculation begin.
(Original Caption) Left to right- first row: Barnes, Adams, Shocker paschal, Braxton, Oleary, Gazzela, Sharky- middle row- Koenig, Collins, Bengough, Huggins, Boall, Ponnock, and Meusel; back row- Woods (trainer), Fred Merkle, Jones, Coons, Ward, Skiff, Hoyt, Lazzari, Ruth, Gobrig, Thomas, McQuaid, and Dugan. (Photo by George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images) | Corbis via Getty Images
The first half of the 1920s were a transformative time for the Yankees, the still relatively new franchise transitioning from an also-ran into a true behemoth. With the arrival of Babe Ruth coinciding with the beginning of the live-ball era and the assemblage of Murderers’ Row, the building of the sport’s greatest empire was just beginning. Not all who played for those teams garnered the same fanfare as your Ruth’s and Gehrig’s — some were lucky enough just to be along for the ride, and that label certainly applies to right-handed relief pitcher Herb McQuaid.
Hebert George McQuaid Born: March 29, 1899 (San Francisco, CA) Died: April 4, 1966 (Richmond, CA) Yankees Tenure: 1926
Herbert George McQuaid was born on March 29, 1899, in San Francisco, CA, to Frank McQuaid — brother-in-law to former heavyweight champion James J. Corbett — and Lillian Cecilia McQuaid (née O’Neill). He grew up just across the street from Recreation Park, home of the Class AA San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League — a young McQuaid gaining his love for the game from watching Seals games out the window of his childhood home. His family suffered tragedy when he was young, his father taking his own life during a poker game when McQuaid was just 13-years-old.
McQuaid attended Mission High School and pitched for the Visitacion Valley neighborhood team before moving to the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland prior to his senior year. By 1919 he was working as a stenographer and pitching for the St. Joseph’s Sodality team of east Oakland in the Oakland Midwinter League. He caught the attention of local professional teams when he tossed a near-no-hitter for the J.J. Kriegs store team in 1920, and earned an invitation to the training camp held by the team he watched growing up, the Seals. He threw a complete game during his audition and snuck a spot on the Opening Day roster when a pair of their pitchers were released for gambling allegations.
McQuaid threw a complete game in his professional debut, a 2-1 win over Portland at the same Recreation Park that he grew up adjacent to. That fall, Ty Cobb traveled to San Francisco as part of his barnstorming tour, and McQuaid retired him twice on a ground out and popup in another. McQuaid pitched two seasons for the Seals and one for the Los Angeles Angels — both in the PCL — and caught the eye of Cincinnati Reds scout Dick Egan, with whom he signed prior to the 1923 season.
The then-24-year-old pitcher made his MLB debut that season, giving up a run in two innings of relief of an 8-2 loss to the Pirates on June 22, 1923. The six-foot-three hurler possessed a “blinding” fastball, a fast overhand curve, and a slower, “wicked” underhand curve. Shortly thereafter, he missed over a month with a sore foot, and was later unused during a 15-game road trip when he returned from injury. However, he made nine appearances between September and October, earning his first start on September 13th and first career win nine days later. The Reds finished second in the division and missed out on the playoffs, but McQuaid finished the year with a 2.36 ERA and didn’t allow a home run across 12 appearances totaling 34.1 innings.
That winter, the Reds sold McQuaid to the St. Paul Saints of the Class AA American Association as partial payment for Chuck Dressen. He pitched two seasons for the Saints, going 21-14 in 76 appearances with a 4.39 ERA across 314 innings. In September of 1925, Saints president and former Yankees scout Bob Connery sold McQuaid to the Yankees in part to prevent him from being exposed to the Class AA draft, New York agreeing to pay St. Paul an additional $25,000 should McQuaid remain on the roster beyond May 1st.
McQuaid made the Opening Day roster and appeared in one game before the Yankees agreed to return him to the Saints. However, they made an immediate U-turn and traded pitcher Hank Johnson, outfielder Nick Cullop, two players to be named later, and cash to St. Paul to reacquire McQuaid. He made one start that season, allowing three runs in seven innings of a 4-3 win over the Tigers, and finished the year with a 6.10 ERA in 17 appearances totaling 38.1 innings having not appeared in the Yankees’ final 14 games of the regular season.
As division winners, the Yankees advanced to the World Series to face the Cardinals. McQuaid was the very last player added to the World Series roster, with instructions that he only be called as a last resort. He didn’t make an appearance as the Bombers fell to St. Louis in a seven-game instant classic. He wouldn’t pitch another game in the Majors, the Yankees selling him back to the Saints for $10,000 at the end of the season.
McQuaid pitched six more seasons in Class AA between American Association and the Pacific Coast League. He retired from professional baseball in 1932 and ran a taproom in Modesto and was later a bartender in Oakland, where he coached local youth teams in the area he grew up. He passed away from cancer on April 4, 1966, in Richmond, CA, at the age of 67. A relative footnote during a legendary decade in Yankees history, it is said that “his greatest act with the Yanks was refusing to be released.”
References
Herb McQuaid. Baseball-Reference.
Herb McQuaid. Baseball Almanac.
Gibson, Darren. “Herb McQuaid.” SABR.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Desire to remain relevant is understandable, but a glance at his behavioural pattern casts doubt on his PGA Tour and Ryder Cup involvement
It is a scene that has become more extraordinary with the passing of time. Plenty of sportspeople have been guilty of or admitted to extramarital capers. Only Tiger Woods appeared live on television, in front of a hand‑picked audience, to deliver a 14‑minute mea culpa on his transgressions.
American golf executives in their perfectly ironed slacks stood in sombre mood as Woods laid bare his “personal sins”. The venue, hilariously, was the home of the PGA Tour. Woods had no need to go into tawdry detail about his antics; the tabloid media had done that for him. “I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply,” Woods said. Sixteen years since that speech, it is worth pondering whether much has changed.
With 51 double-doubles in 69 games, Karl-Anthony Towns has put himself in elite company this season. In fact, he leads the league in that category, just edging out Nikola Jokic (50).
The New York Knicks center is almost automatic for a double-double every night, logging 12 in his last 14 outings.
His opponent, the Oklahoma City Thunder, rank 23rd in rebounds allowed per game since the All-Star break (45.2) and 22nd in offensive rebounds corralled (10.2).
Towns is averaging 11.9 rpg, with 8.8 defensive boards per game, so he should dominate this matchup on the glass and register another double-double.
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Peacock/NNC
Prop #2: Nikola Jokic Over 11.5 assists
+100 at bet365
Despite the Denver Nuggets’ five-game win streak, Nikola Jokic has had a bit of a sluggish run on the box score, with less than 25 points in four of those contests. However, the three-time MVP has still contributed in other ways.
Jokic has dished out Over 11.5 assists in four straight contests and nine of his last 11, while averaging a league-leading 10.8 dimes per game this season.
The Golden State Warriors are 20th in points against per game (118.4) and 23rd in field goals allowed per game (43.9) since the All-Star break.
The Nuggets will run up the score, and Jokic will dish out at least a dozen dimes.
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Peacock/NBC
Prop #3: Ziaire Williams Over 12.5 points
+100 at bet365
The lowly Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of another lengthy losing streak, but on the positive side, they’re seeing some progression from Ziaire Williams.
The 24-year-old has scored 16+ points in five straight games, as well as Over 12.5 points in nine of his last 12 outings.
The Sacramento Kings are just as bad as the Nets, and even worse on the defensive end. Sacramento is allowing 122.9 ppg post All-Star break — the sixth-worst mark in the NBA.
With Michael Porter Jr. out for Brooklyn, Williams is the Nets’ go-to scorer, and he’ll lead the way again tonight vs. the Kings.
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Week 23 is the most important in fantasy basketball for many players, as it is championship week in Yahoo! default leagues. Of course, with injury management and tanking being what it has become, there are a lot of leagues that have already finished up. More than half of the NBA's 30 teams play four games in Week 23, while two are limited to two games. Let's look at the schedule breakdown and some key storylines heading into Week 23.
- The Trail Blazers have the worst Week 23 schedule.
Portland and Denver have two-game weeks, but the former's schedule setup is much worse. While the Nuggets will play on Wednesday and Saturday, the latter being the lightest game day of Week 23, the Trail Blazers are active on Tuesday and Thursday. A player like Jrue Holiday or Toumani Camara will have some value to begin the week, but they'll be of no use to fantasy managers for the final three days. Managers in leagues that allow for lineups to be set daily will need to account for this when utilizing their transactions for the week. As for those competing in leagues where lineups lock for the week after a player's first game, they may need to seek alternatives on the waiver wire or within their current squad.
- Saturday is the light game day of Week 23.
There are only three games on Saturday, with five of the six teams in action playing their final Week 23 game that day. Among those teams are Denver, San Antonio and Philadelphia, which all boast some highly impactful fantasy options. And then there's Washington, which will be active on Saturday and Sunday. Alex Sarr immediately comes to mind as a valuable fantasy option whose availability may be limited at the end of Week 23. Back-to-backs have not been an issue for Will Riley or Bub Carrington, and there could be a game where Julian Reese emerges as a viable streamer. Also, that is the second back-to-back of Week 23 that the Wizards must deal with; the first begins on the final day of Week 22.
- The Cavaliers and Magic are among the teams that have two back-to-backs to navigate.
For both of these teams, their second back-to-back carries over into Week 24, the final week of the regular season. How will that impact the availability of these teams' key players for the final day of Week 23? There aren't many leagues that run through Week 24; with availability already being incredibly unpredictable, running a league through the final week of the regular season feels unnecessary. Cleveland is getting closer to full strength, but the back-to-backs may affect the availability of Jarrett Allen or Max Strus. As for the Magic, they're still awaiting the returns of Franz Wagner and Anthony Black. Will either or both return at some point during Week 23? The answer affects Tristan da Silva, who has offered solid value as the replacement in the starting lineup.
- Fantasy managers won't have Luka Dončić to begin Week 23.
Dončić's managers, hoping to get their Week 23 off to an excellent start with the Lakers hosting the Wizards on Monday, were left disappointed when the NBA announced he would be suspended for a game after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season on Friday. As a result, he'll sit out the first of four games that the Lakers are scheduled to play in Week 23. Dončić will still have games against the Cavaliers, Thunder and Mavericks, and he's clearly capable of putting up gaudy numbers in those matchups. However, missing out on an opportunity to torch a lottery-bound team is unfortunate for those going into championship week with Dončić on their roster. That said, his absence boosts the fantasy values of Austin Reaves and LeBron James.
- Will we see Anthony Edwards or Stephen Curry during Week 23?
It appears more likely that the former will be available than the latter. Edwards was cleared for all on-court activities on Friday, and while there are still a few hurdles for him to clear, playing on Monday in Dallas is a serious possibility. The Timberwolves play four games in Week 23, three of which are scheduled over the final four days (back-to-back on Thursday and Friday in Detroit and Philadelphia). The back-to-back could leave Edwards available for three games, but that's better than nothing.
As for Curry, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged on Friday that the team is “running out of games” to get their star guard back onto the court. He still has not reached the point where he's cleared for 5-on-5 activities, something the team reportedly hoped would have already happened by now. The Warriors won't play their first Week 23 game until Wednesday against the Spurs, but that's the first of two games in as many nights.
For a team that could still win 50 games this year, there’s a surprising amount of gloom around the Houston Rockets, and it’s a “where do we go from here?” derby tonight as they visit the New Orleans Pelicans.
Houston is just 7-7 in March while New Orleans has dropped four games in a row, and my Rockets vs. Pelicans predictions and NBA picks signal a struggle for both offenses tonight.
Rockets vs Pelicans prediction
Rockets vs Pelicans best bet: Under 225.5 (-110)
Put simply, this isn’t likely a matchup for basketball purists who love slick offense. That makes the Under a value pick tonight. It’s 2-7 in the New Orleans Pelicans’ last nine contests, and 41-32 for the Houston Rockets this season.
The numbers tell a compelling story for a low-scoring scrap. Houston is allowing just 110.2 ppg this year, the fourth-best mark in the league, and should lock down a New Orleans offense that may be without Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy III again.
The Pelicans have thrown Jeremiah Fears into a bigger role with the season fading away, and they looked toothless in Toronto on Friday, managing just 44 points in the first half.
Meanwhile, Houston's over-reliance on Kevin Durant to get buckets has been a storyline all year, and they’re still stuck in the bottom half of the NBA at 114.1 ppg. The lack of ball movement is at the root of the problem, with only four teams averaging fewer assists per game.
Equally, these squads have been a mess from beyond the arc this season. New Orleans ranks 26th in 3-pointers made and 25th in 3-pointers attempted; Houston ranks 27th and 29th, respectively, in those categories. That’s not the type of marksmanship to spark an Over.
When these teams squared off earlier this month in Houston, we got a 107-105 rock fight that put a spotlight on their offensive limitations. Tonight feels like a recipe for more of the same.
Rockets vs Pelicans same-game parlay
I like pairing the Under with a rebounding Over, and Amen Thompson is averaging 8.9 rpg in March. He’s gone past this O/U mark in six of his last eight outings, and he hauled in 12 boards against the Pelicans earlier this month.
The Rockets are 6-1 SU in the past seven meetings between these teams, and they have a defensive edge over a New Orleans squad that’s scored fewer than 110 points in four of its past five games.
Rockets vs Pelicans SGP
Under 225.5
Amen Thompson Over 7.5 rebounds
Rockets moneyline
Our "from downtown" SGP: Reed all about it!
One way for Houston to unclog its offense is to bump up Reed Sheppard’s minutes. He’s coming off a 15-point effort in Memphis on Friday, and he’s up to 31.8 mpg this month. His playmaking is the biggest plus, with 28 dimes across his last four contests.
Rockets vs Pelicans SGP
Reed Sheppard Over 14.5 points
Reed Sheppard Over 4.5 assists
Amen Thompson Over 7.5 rebounds
Rockets -6
Rockets vs Pelicans odds
Spread: Rockets -6 | Pelicans +6
Moneyline: Rockets -240 | Pelicans +195
Over/Under: Over 225.5 | Under 225.5
Rockets vs Pelicans betting trend to know
The Under is 28-18 in Houston's games against Western Conference opponents this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Pelicans.
How to watch Rockets vs Pelicans
Location
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Date
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
Space City Home Network, Pelicans+
Rockets vs Pelicans latest injuries
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NORTH PORT, FLORIDA - MARCH 24: Jorge Mateo #2 of the Atlanta Braves hits an RBI double in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during a Grapefruit League spring training game at CoolToday Park on March 24, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The roster has been released for today’s series finale against the Kansas City Royals. The Atlanta Braves are looking to complete the first sweep of the season on this early afternoon start, as the Royals are determined to put a stop to it.
Notice any names that stick out in today’s lineup?
Well, after reading the headline, you pretty much guessed it: shortstop Jorge Mateo is making a return to the field, but this time as a starter in the position. After scoring a run in the Braves’ late rally in the ninth inning last night, he will be returning to help the team secure its win.
Another name that’s been making headlines throughout the night is Dominic Smith, who will be returning as DH after last night’s electric finale. The rest of the lineup remains identical to yesterday’s, with Ronald Acuña Jr. batting leadoff and Mike Yastrzemski returning to left field.
Grant Holmes is taking the mound and looking to start his season appearance off on a good foot and help secure a win for the team on the defensive side.
On the Royals’ side of the field, Seth Lugo is up on the mound, with a few tweaks in today’s lineup in efforts to produce a different outcome in the finale.
Salvador Perez will be replacing Carter Jensen as the designated hitter, while Jensen will see his way to the catcher spot for the first time in the series. Jonathan India will be replaced by Nick Loftin at second base and batting in the eighth hole. And Lane Thomas will be behind Jensen, taking the place of Isaac Collins in left field.
An important ending to the series for both teams to set their season. Who will get the final word?
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 01: The Washington Nationals formally introduce their new Washington Nationals President of Baseball Operations, Paul Toboni at Nationals Park in Washington, DC on October 01, 2025. (Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Nationals have made one thing clear early in the Paul Toboni era, they will churn through a lot of players. It feels like the Nats are making some sort of roster move every other day. Whether it is small trades or waiver claims, the Nats are going to be active this season.
We saw yet another example of that yesterday when they traded for the recently DFA’d Curtis Mead. The reason why they traded for him and did not claim him is actually interesting. Mead was with the White Sox, who are obviously in the AL. For waiver claims, AL teams get first dibs on AL players. Clearly, the Nats coveted Mead, so they gave up a minor leaguer to get in front of the line.
Taking bets on players like Mead is a solid process for a rebuilding team. Curtis Mead was a top prospect just a few years ago and is still just 25. His elite hitting ability in the minors has not translated to the MLB yet, but the Nats are in a position to give him a shot. If it does not work out, they can either option Mead or just DFA him again. However, if he hits, he could stick around for a while.
What you should know about Curtis Mead: -25 years old -Former top 100 prospect, as high as 32nd on Fangraphs rankings in 2024 -76 wRC+ and 3 home runs in 90 games for TB and CHW last season -Makes hard contact, but needs a more refined plate approachpic.twitter.com/RCE2wwW5CU
Honestly, the strategy is similar to what venture capital firms do, which is what one of you said in the comments. If you take enough of these bets on players with pedigree, at least one or two of them is bound to work out. These are not moves that have much of a chance of making an impact, but the cost of these are very low. All you need for these guys is an open 40 man roster spot and sometimes a lesser known prospect.
The only one of these moves that I have not really loved is the Jorbit Vivas one. Sean Paul Linan is a flawed pitcher, but he is a real prospect. I do not love giving that up for a utility infielder with no minor league options left, especially when you already have Jose Tena. However, Toboni clearly likes Vivas’ skills at the plate, so we will see how that works out.
Spencer Nusbaum, now of the Athletic, actually predicted that the Nats will set the record for the most players rostered in a season. Right now that record is 71, which the Braves did last season. With all these minor moves Toboni is already making, the Nats are likely to at least challenge that record.
The Nationals have set their Opening Day roster. I’ve offered this bold prediction: Washington is going to break the MLB record for players rostered in a season.
Which makes this roster what, exactly? Simply the 26 players they’re taking to Chicago. https://t.co/6QDKOZLZFG
This is a departure from the Nats old ways. In the Mike Rizzo days, the Nats tended to stick with the guys they had. They would make the occasional waiver claim, and Rizzo had a couple good ones. Most notably, he claimed Hunter Harvey and Robert Garcia. However, he was not using the waiver wire at the kind of volume Toboni will. For a rebuilding team, I think Toboni’s approach makes more sense. You have room on the roster to give guys chances.
The Nats use of the waiver wire did not start just this spring though. Toboni went on a waiver claim frenzy in January and early February. He picked up guys like Joey Wiemer, Ken Waldichuk, Andre Granillo and Gus Varland, who all made the Opening Day roster. There were also guys who were only on the roster for a few days before getting DFA’d again.
Nationals have claimed LHP Richard Lovelady off waivers from Mets and DFA’d UTIL Mickey Gasper (who was only recently claimed himself). The 40-man roster merry-go-round continues.
This churn will certainly keep Nats reporters like myself on my toes. There will be a steady stream of players coming and going in DC. If just a couple of these guys hit, all of this activity will be worth it. The Nats are playing with penny stocks right now. It kind of sucks that the team is bad enough to give all these guys opportunities, but hopefully this sort of stuff will pay off in the long run.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Nikola Jokic
Ziaire Williams
Raphielle Johnson
