Forest will want – and probably need – to make this game a mess. If it’s open and played through midfield, Arsenal will open them up because, with the guile they’ve added by buying Guimaraes, along with an in-form Odegaard, they have the ability to exploit space. For that reason, Forest need bodies everywhere, especially in the middle of the pitch, forcing them wide, where Saka might just’ve lost the spring in his acceleration following last season’s achilles injury while, on the other side, Eze isn’t going to go on the outside.
Elsewhere, 10-man Sunderland trail Bournemouth 2-0 with seconds remaining, while Brighton have splattered Palace 5-0 to move second above Arsenal, their goal difference +18. Ridiculous behaviour.
Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther has been diagnosed with a left knee sprain and is expected to miss the opening weeks of the 2026-27 NBA regular season, including the season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 22.
The team announced that Strawther suffered the injury during a preseason matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers and will be sidelined as he undergoes rehabilitation.
Strawther sustained the injury in the third quarter of the game on Oct. 16 when his leg got caught under his body, causing him to bend and land awkwardly. After undergoing an evaluation by the Nuggets' medical staff, it was determined that he had suffered a left knee sprain.
Strawther will be re-evaluated in approximately six weeks to determine if he is healthy enough to resume basketball activities.
Selected by Denver as the 29th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Strawther has started 18 games in his career and averaged 7.2 points over 57 appearances last season.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 17: Yandy Díaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after hitting a two run Home Run during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game four of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 17, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Tampa Bay Rays have evened up the series thanks to a fantastic performance from Nick Martinez and the offensive big three coming alive.
Now the Guardians and Rays will basically play a best of three series to determines who will take the American League pennant and move on to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series.
Standing in the Rays way this afternoon is southpaw Parker Messick, who the Rays faced and beat in the second game of the ALCS, mostly thanks to a well timed error by future Hall of Famer Jose Ramirez. Overall, Messick allowed three runs — zero earned — on six hits, while walking two and striking out three.
Meanwhile the ace of the Rays staff, Drew Rasmussen, returns to the mound after a solid performance in the first game of this series. Rasmussen battled the Cleveland lineup for the duration of his outing as the Guardians hitters grinded through each at bat and managed to collect eight hits. Still, the Guardians only managed two runs, both on solo homeruns, while striking out seven times and didn’t draw a walk. Rasmussen pitched into the 7th inning but was done for the day after Patrick Bailey tagged him for a homerun.
The Rays will need a lengthy performane from Rasmussen this afternoon after the bullpen’s hefty usage during game four, but there isn’t anyone else they’d rather have on the mound today.
Just 12.2 overs possible on first day of second Test
Bowler seizes his opportunity with two wickets
If there is a theme to Scott Boland’s Test career, it’s making the most of limited opportunity. Finding a way into the team in 2021 when it seemed that chance had passed him by, remaining fourth in line for three spots, playing at the whim of absence, yet in those moments becoming a wrecking force, causing rashes of wickets, taking first-over strikes, threatening hat-tricks and once making good.
So began the second Test in Gqeberha, another match he wasn’t supposed to play, on a day that didn’t get 13 overs bowled, yet there he was. Making the score 20 for two. Squeezing into the game through the tiniest gap, like Eugene Tooms escaping from a cell.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 16: Ryan McMahon #19 of the New York Yankees reacts to striking out against the Minnesota Twins in the 13th inning at Target Field on September 16, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Yankees 5-4 in 13 innings. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the Yankees’ season over for 2026, we here at Pinstripe Alley have been looking back at the campaign. With how it ended, a lot of our coverage has come through a lens of frustration, but we’ve looked back at some of the good and bad all the same. However, now it’s time to look back on some pure stupidity.
We’ve ranked things like the best and worst moments of the year. We’ve talked about some of the best individual performances of the season. However, I am a connoisseur of stupid baseball: games that go 15 innings, ones that feature game changing plays that are ridiculous errors instead of home runs, stuff like that. Every year, I like to take part in our end-of-season reviews by ranking the dumbest games of the year, and we’ve reached that point for 2026.
Now, it should be noted, this is not a worst games of the season list (or worst moments; check out Andrés for that). We’re not just ranking the most consequential losses, or biggest blown leads, or whatever. This is purely the games that were the dumbest in how they played out.
Honorable Mention
It didn’t feel right putting it in the rankings since there was no baseball actually played, but we’ll give a mention to the rainout on the final day of the regular season. With a nor’easter wreaking havoc and the game not meaning anything in the standings for either the Yankees or Orioles, it was obvious this game was never actually going to be played. However, the game was put into a delay and just stayed there for hours until it was finally called off. The Yankees never even actually released a lineup. Ridiculous.
The aforementioned nor’easter messed with the entirety of the final series of the season, which had an impact on some other events. The Yankees were planning on holding the ceremony for CC Sabathia’s number retirement ahead of the game against the Orioles on Saturday, September 26th. However, the expected rain led to the teams instead forgoing Saturday’s game in favor of a doubleheader on Friday. The new plan was to hold Sabathia’s ceremony ahead of the opening game of the twin bill (in accordance with his wishes). However with it now being an afternoon game on a weekday, the crowd was not remotely as full as it could’ve or should’ve been for a moment like that.
Plus, when the game started, the Yankees got absolutely blown to smithereens. The Yankees gave Brendan Beck a spot start as they prepared for the postseason, and he got smoked for seven runs in five innings. We honestly weren’t far away from seeing if CC himself could eat some innings out of the bullpen.
After a rare bad outing from Cam Schlittler, the Yankees found themselves down 6-0 going into the bottom of the fifth. Back-to-back homers from Austin Wells and Trent Grisham cut into the lead, but they still trailed in the seventh. There, a trio of homers brought the Yankees all the way back, with a two-run moonshot from Luis García Jr. give the Bombers a very unexpected lead.
However, the good vibes from that comeback only lasted so long. Ryan Yarbrough allowed a triple to lead off the eighth, at which point Angel Chivili came in. Chivili’s final numbers for the season only look so-so, but that’s almost entirely because of this game. He had a 0.57 ERA in 15.2 innings coming in and wouldn’t appear again after this performance (at least partially due to injury). In this game, Chivili allowed seven runs on six hits, including three home runs. In one inning of work, he put up a -0.512 Win Probability Added. Losing games after big comebacks happen, but rarely do they happen in such an immediate and drastic way.
As I said, this isn’t purely a ranking of the most meaningful losses, but as it happens, one of those was also especially dumb. After crushing the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, the Yankees then went to the Trop to take on the Rays. They then proceeded to get no-hit into the eighth inning by Rays’ ace Drew Rasmussen. Plus, when they finally did get it hit on an Austin Wells double, this happened, and it ended up being the only one they got:
In general, I’m not one to truly hate on a Yankee player. Sure, there are some bad ones that pop up every now and then, but usually any anger I have is to the front office/management for putting them in bad situations, rather than hating a player who is generally trying their best. However, one particular play made me something of a hater when it comes to backup catcher Ali Sánchez.
In one game in Chicago against the White Sox, the Yankees had already blown a late lead, sending it to extra innings. In the 11th, they got the lead back thanks to an Anthony Volpe sacrifice fly. In what turned out to be his final game as a Yankee, Camilo Doval entered for the 11th and got two quick outs, albeit one was a grounder that did allow the auto-runner to move to third. However, the Yankees were just one out away, and all they had to do was focus on Andrew Benintendi at the plate.
Someone apparently forgot to remind Sánchez that. Following a pitch during the next at-bat, he attempted to check back Munetaka Murakami at third. However, his throw got past Ryan McMahon, allowing Murakami to come home and tie the game.
Errors happen to even the best players and best defenders, yes. However, what was so galling about that one was that — to use a tennis term — it was unforced. Again, they were an out away from the win, you just needed to focus on the batter. Sure, throw to third if you catch the runner completely sleeping and a mile off the bag, but that wasn’t the case. The risk was too much considering the consequences if it went wrong, and it went very wrong. Naturally, the White Sox proceeded to win the game the following inning.
The Yankees’ struggles in extra innings since the introduction of the automatic runner are often remarked on. Since that rule was introduced in 2020, the Yankees have gone 49-54 in extra inning games. While that’s not that far under .500, they actually went 25-18 in extras from 2020-22, so they have just a .400 winning percentage since then. They’ve also been the second-worst road team in extras in this time at 19-36. Arguably no game epitomizes those struggles than this one.
Having been shutout for eight innings at Target Field, the Yankees somewhat miraculously tied the game with two outs in the ninth on a two-RBI double from Anthony Volpe. Mind you, a lot of us, including Volpe himself, thought the ball was going over the fence for a two-run homer. However, it didn’t and the Yankees couldn’t score Volpe, sending it to extras.
In the top of 10th, Ali Sánchez, of all people, came up with a single to score the auto-runner and give the Yankees the lead. Despite having closer David Bednar on the hill, the Yankees couldn’t close the deal as Luke Keaschall hit a game-tying single on just the third pitch of the inning, and Bednar eventually needed a double play to escape the inning.
However in the 11th, José Caballero hit a sacrifice fly to restore that lead. Surely, they could hold on this time? No, Bednar again allowed a lead-off single, with a run then scoring on a Royce Lewis sacrifice fly.
To start the 12th, the Yankees put the first two runners on, adding to the auto-runner to load the bases. However, a Heliot Ramos double play and a Sánchez groundout caused the Yankees to put up a goose egg. Eventually all of that came back to haunt the Yankees. In the 13th, Victor Caratini singled off John Schreiber to win the game for the Twins.
This was also the game where Aaron Judge exited early with a calf injury, from which he never returned.
It wasn’t the most meaningful loss of the season — although with the Yankees still trying to chase down Tampa Bay in the division, it wasn’t nothing — however, it absolutely was the most ridiculous.
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 12: Raptor the mascot of the Toronto Raptors performs during a break in the action while wearing a throwback Huskies jersey during NBA game action against the New York Knicks at Air Canada Centre on November 12, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On the 80th anniversary of the 1946-47 Basketball Association of America (BAA) season, the Toronto Raptors get a rare opportunity to mark the occasion of the city’s first professional basketball team. But, unfortunately, they probably won’t take it.
The National Basketball Association as we know it has its roots in the BAA, which later went on to merge with the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949, to create an early version of the NBA. The Association of America had its first game on November 1st, 1946, where the New York Knicks faced off against the Toronto Huskies in the Maple Leaf Gardens.
Right there at Church and Carlton, the Huskies lost their first game by two points, ending in a 68-66 loss for Toronto: the team would only play one season in the BAA, collapsing by 1947. But! En-route to making history (and failing soon after), the Huskies established the first brand identity for Torontonian professional basketball.
TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 12: Raptor the mascot of the Toronto Raptors performs during a break in the action while wearing a throwback Huskies jersey during NBA game action against the New York Knicks at Air Canada Centre on November 12, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The blue jerseys are striking, bold, and a massive departure from anything the Raptors have done aesthetically in a long time. While taking on the Huskies’ colours is not reinventing the wheel, doing so would be a great callback not only to 80 years since the beginning of the BAA, but to the Raptors’ 2016-17 tribute to the Huskies, and those great years with Lowry and DeRozan.
TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 08: Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the Toronto Raptors tips off against Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Huskies night as the Raptors commemorate the Toronto Huskies with throwback jerseys during NBA game action at Air Canada Centre on December 8, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who would say no to the idea of a cute, giant dog on the hardwood, at least for a few nights a year?
The Raptors have had a somewhat stale brand identity over the years. It seems that the franchise has become allergic to divergence from the red-black-white colour scheme it’s maintained on-and-off for the past 20 years.
While there have been reports that the team will, next season, finally rebrand and bring back purple as a part of the team’s visual identity, my heart goes out to the Husky that could have been. It feels like every year, each time has a million jerseys. And the Raptors have maybe two good ones. And that’s being generous.
The Huskies have come back before, with the 2009-10 Raptors sporting it, but with Chris Bosh’s departure, so to went the sense of fun from the Raptors’ design choices.
Now, are either of the previous jerseys total works of art? I wouldn’t go that far. But, beyond being charming, these jerseys reflect Canada’s role in the history of basketball, something that can be easily ignored. In a league of 30 teams, with 29 of them being American, the Raptors should fight tooth and nail to set themselves apart, and remind their opponents that the basketball league they know and love started right here in the 6ix.
The Raptors have not yet announced their City Edition jerseys for this year, and the Husky look would be a perfect fit. But, it is entirely likely that they will choose to take this year to honour the retirement of Kyle Lowry by turning him into a Raptor, and putting that illustration on a city edition jersey.
The Raptors have unveiled a Kyle Lowry-themed logo ahead of his jersey retirement this upcoming season 7⃣
Cool. Fine. And if it came down to it, nine out of ten times, I’m probably making that call as well.
But, every time I think about those jerseys, I remember DeRozan dropping 41 points and whipping the Celtics in them, on a bright blue and white court. And I wish that the Raptors would do a better job commemorating their roots.
Los Angeles, - October 15: Jake Bauers, hoists up the mvp trophy after defeating the Dodgers 6-4 to win Game 4 of a NLCS playoff baseball game and advance to the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday, October 15, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
There are, possibly, only six more MLB games left on the calendar for 2026. Ten at most. Baseball has been a part of our daily lives going back to March. But in a few short weeks it will be gone. Winter will come. And with a looming lockout, there’s no telling how long that winter will last. But while we don’t yet know when we’ll see MLB baseball next, we do when we’ll next see some banana ball. The Savannah Bananas released their 2027 schedule, which stretches from early February to late September, including international dates and games played in football stadia. As for New England, we get summer stops in Worcester and Portland. (Boston Globe)
But about that looming lockout. How will CBA negotiations be impacted by the fact that the three teams left standing represent three of the smallest markets in baseball? “Under the soon-expiring CBA that has governed the sport since 2022, spending had a correlation coefficient of 0.31 to team wins and losses — meaning, if carving the pie of what goes into successful team building, about 31 percent of it would go to how much a team spent. That’s a lot — and, in fact, is up from a 0.23 correlation coefficient in the prior two CBAs (2012-16, ′17-21). But the other things that go into team-building — scouting and drafting well, coaching and developing players to be their best, well-integrated analytics, culture, luck, and more — account collectively for a much larger share of the pie that determines team success.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
One of the small market Brewers’ keys to success this year has been the production of late-bloomer Jake Bauers. Could he be a good fit for the Sox this offseason? “Bauers may not be a household name. But a peek under the hood at his profile paints the picture of a late bloomer who doesn’t strike out often, works the count, and has a propensity for tearing the cover off the ball. Given Boston’s emphasis on bat speed and hard-hit percentages, a player like Bauers should hold plenty of appeal.” (Connor Ryan, Boston.com)
Even if the Sox do sign Jake Bauers in the offseason, the most intriguing new player at Spring Training next year will likely be super-prospect Franklin Arias. Everyone already knows about him, so here’s a look at a few other, more under-the-radar names making their way up the Red Sox organizational ladder. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
The Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer experiences will perhaps lead the Sox to exercise additional caution with respect to Arias. But the fact of the matter is that he’s doing to determine a lot about how the 2027 Red Sox roster fits together. “I am 100 percent convinced that he’s ready to be their everyday shortstop,” said one MLB evaluator witha rival team.Initially, however, that could come with its own issues. To install Arias, untested, as the team’s starting shortstop, would mean displacing Trevor Story, who remains a hugely popular and respected figure in the Red Sox clubhouse.“ (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
NEW YORK, NY - 1956:: Infielder Andy Carey #6 of the New York Yankees poses for a portrait prior to a game in 1956 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York. (Photo by: Diamond Images/Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The 1950s were an incredible era for the Yankees. They won six championships in the decade, and a few more in the years immediately before and after it. You can probably name the legends from that time: Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford. However, every team needs supporting pieces, and one of that era’s would be celebrating a birthday today.
Andrew Arthur “Andy” Carey Born: October 18, 1931 (Oakland, CA) Died: December 15, 2011 (Newport Beach, CA) Yankees Tenure: 1952-60
At birth, Carey was known as Andrew Arthur Hexem. However, his parents split when he was young and Carey didn’t have much contact with his biological father after that. His mother eventually remarried to Kenneth Carey — who had been her divorce attorney — and the future Yankee took on his stepfather’s last name.
Carey and his stepfather bonded over sports, and it became clear in his youth that the son was quite good at one. A star pitcher and third baseman in high school, Carey rebuffed several MLB teams and instead attended St. Mary’s College in the Bay Area. However, the school dropped their baseball program due to monetary issues after his freshman season, leading to Carey listening to major league offers. He eventually agreed to terms with the Yankees for $60,000 — a record for the franchise in the aftermath of the “Bonus Baby” rule being repealed.
With the Yankees, Carey had the reputation as a bit of a cocky young player. He made the team out of spring training 1952 after impressing in the Grapefruit League, but ended up spending the year going up and down from the minors. He stuck around starting in 1953 and would be a fixture for the team for years to come.
While he would spend most of his career at third base, the Yankees initially hoped to make him as flexible as possible in the field, as they looked to find a potential successor to Phil Rizzuto at shortstop. However, Carey viewed himself as a third baseman and pushed back against manager Casey Stengel. That would be a recurring them throughout Carey’s career, as he often was the subject of Stengel’s anger. Stengel heard from Carey’s minor league career that he could be motivated through anger. Carey was also winning to talk back himself, and the two would butt heads throughout the third baseman’s career.
On the field, Carey had his good years and bad. He broke out in 1954, hitting .302/.373/.423 in 122 games. He was credited with 3.6 fWAR that season, but only had two others where he was over even 1.5. However, he was still a fixture for the team in a highly successful era.
Despite being part of the team in 1953, Carey did not appear in that year’s victorious World Series. However, Carey did appear in four Fall Classics over his career, helping the Yankees win two of them: 1956 and ‘58. While he didn’t hit particularly well in either of those victorious series, he appeared in all and started six of seven games in 1956. He was also credited with making some key defensive plays to help preserve Don Larsen’s perfect game, and he later drove in a run during New York’s narrow 3-1 victory over Milwaukee in the 1957 opener.
He only recorded one hit in 1958, but it was an eighth inning single in Game 7, and he was on base for Bill Skowron’s three-run homer that basically put the series to bed.
For his career as a Yankee, Carey hit .266/.332/.397, which graded out to an exactly average 100 OPS+. However, with a new crop of youngsters coming through, Carey ended up being surpassed at third base by Clete Boyer. He only appeared in 41 games in 1959. After a handful of games the following season, the Yankees traded him to the Kansas City Athletics for Bob Cerv in May 1960.
Carey was traded a couple more times over his final years. He played for all of the A’s, White Sox, and Dodgers over the 1960-62 seasons. He also had been traded to the Phillies by the White Sox, but refused to report to Philadelphia. Eventually, Chicago worked out a deal with the Dodgers, where Carey would spend the final season of his career. He retired from baseball following the 1962 season.
Following his playing career, Carey settled back in the LA area and sold insurance (when he wasn’t scuba diving). He was married a couple times throughout his life, including one to actress Lucy Marlow. One of his children with Marlow — James — tragically died at the age of 23. Some sources cite his death as coming in a car crash, but SABR postulates that his name, location, and death date matches up with that of a man who was killed in a shootout with police following a robbery. Carey himself passed away in 2011 at the age of 80 due to Lewy body dementia.
Andy Carey doesn’t quite get the level of acclaim that a lot of other Yankees of that era do, but all of them played some role in one of the most impressive dynasties to ever grace the field.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
With this photo, I resume my photo sleuthing series that I generally run in baseball offseasons.
Before I get to this one, I’ll again put out a call: If you have any old Cubs or Wrigley Field (or even other baseball) photos you’d like me to sleuth, please send them along!
The sleuthing project for this photo isn’t about the date or location, because I already know that from the filename of the photo when I found it. It was “houstoncoltsfirstgamecubs.jpg.”
So this photo shows the very first pitch thrown by Houston’s MLB franchise. The pitcher is Bobby Shantz, who had been a pretty good lefty for the Philadelphia A’s a decade earlier — AL MVP in 1952 — and also put together some good years for the Yankees later in the 1950s, pitching for them in the World Series in 1957 and 1960. By 1961 he was about to turn 36 and so was left unprotected in the expansion draft.
Picked up by Houston, he was made their Opening Day starter on this day, April 11, 1962. This photo depicts him throwing that first pitch, to Lou Brock, that day’s leadoff hitter for the Cubs. Shantz wound up striking out Brock.
The sleuthing I’d like you to do is this. On the scoreboard, it shows Brock’s average as .353. That might be a bit small in the photo at the top of the post, so here’s a screenshot enlarging it:
Now, that couldn’t be possible if you’re the first batter of the season in your first at-bat, right?
I thought maybe this might be his BA from spring training. Unfortunately, back in that day, newspapers didn’t really keep track of spring numbers like they do now. In fact, MLB doesn’t have any spring stats on its website from before 2006. In trying to find out Brock’s 1962 spring BA, I did find one note that said he had hit safely in 18 straight spring games. Based on that, a .353 spring BA for Brock is certainly plausible.
Thus I’ll leave it to the sleuths among you: Can you find definitive proof of Brock’s 1962 spring batting average? Let us know.
The Cubs went 18-9 in spring training in 1962. Billy Williams had been the 1961 NL Rookie of the Year, and many observers were very high on Brock, who was about to turn 23 and who had played just four games for the Cubs in ‘61, and another rookie, Ken Hubbs. Many writers thought the Cubs could finish sixth or seventh in the new 10-team NL in 1962, which would have been an improvement over their 90-loss, seventh out of eight finish in ‘61.
Welp. Didn’t happen. The upstart expansion Colts pounded 13 hits, including three home runs, off five Cubs pitchers and won that Opening Day game 11-2. Ernie Banks’ first homer of the year (he’d hit 37 that year) was about the only Cubs highlight of the game. In fact, Houston swept that opening series and wound up finishing ahead of the Cubs, going 64-96 to the Cubs’ 59-103. It was the first-ever 100-loss season for the Cubs, which they wound up matching in 1966.
Shantz threw a complete game that day, but it was one of only three games he would pitch for Houston. On May 7 he was traded to the Cardinals for John Anderson and Carl Warwick. Warwick would later play for the Cubs in 1966, and Shantz pitched in 20 games for the Cubs in 1964 after coming over in the infamous deal that would send Brock to the Cardinals.
Just another little slice of Cubs and MLB history. And let us know if you find definitive proof of Lou Brock’s spring BA in 1962.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors controls the ball against Mohamed Diawara #51 of the New York Knicks during the first quarter of a preseason game at Madison Square Garden on October 15, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last weekend without official NBA content popping up our timelines, folks.
Last couple of sleeps before the next time you hit the sack there’s another (or multiple!) new banners hanging from the MSG rafters.
On delegating responsibilities to his assistant coaches and veteran players:
“My coaches can do their job, they can teach, take the lead in the areas that they need to, going by the practice plan and then on top of that, our veteran players, especially with the new guys, they can coach those guys because they kind of got a feel and they kind of know what we’re expecting on both ends of the floor.”
On his emotions ahead of the Knicks’ championship ring ceremony and banner raising:
“Obviously I’m going to be filled with a lot of different emotions. That’s a special moment. I’m going to be a little selfish, but for me individually, not only that, for my family, for the people in the organization, the team, the players, the other coaches, but just as importantly, the city of New York and the fans of the Knicks all around the world … so to see that happening while knowing the history of it, and knowing how hard it is to let alone get there on top of winning it, it’s going to be an awesome feeling with a ton of emotion inside. We’re all human, the trick is now to really appreciate and enjoy that moment and still try to lock in and get ready for the game and know you got to move forward once it’s over.”
On the challenges of defending an NBA championship:
“There are a lot of challenges in trying to do that. That’s why it hasn’t happened in the NBA in the last eight, nine years. In all of sports, you don’t hear a ton about back-to-back champions in the modern sports world no matter what sport it is you’re playing. The added quote, unquote pressure that some people may allow to seep in as the year goes on, there could be more jealousies, that the team is not connected, and people forget about sacrificing for the betterment of the team. Everybody has naturally been telling you how great you are the whole summer, and so you think you’re great, and you don’t have to go through and/or embrace the process like you did when you got there the first time because you think you know and it’s just going to happen in moments when you think it needs to happen. There’s a lot that can impact it.
“And for me, the biggest thing is trying to make sure our group understands that this is a new season, it’s a new team, and there are new challenges in front of us. Therefore, it’s not about the end result, we have to really make sure we focus our energy and effort on the process, by embracing all the details of the process. And if we do, that’s going to give us our best opportunity to do it again.”
On how the Knicks will handle being the hunted team:
“That’s another one, everybody likes to play the Knicks anyway, especially in MSG, and now it’s just an added carrot to the whole deal. We have a mature group, and that’s one of the main things that gives me — I don’t know if hope is the right word — but gives me hope that we’re going to take this or embrace this process like no other. I truly believe that the maturity of the group is going to help when it comes to all of it, not just being The Hunted, but handling being patted on the back all year, and media scrutiny that we’re going to be under and pressures of the other things that we’re going to be under. I think that’s what’s going to help a ton.”
On Jalen Brunson’s superpower:
“His focus and determination.”
On OG Anunoby’s superpower:
“His potential with his size, his athleticism, and his skillset.”
On Karl-Anthony Towns’ superpower:
“His skillset and his size.”
On Mikal Bridges’ superpower:
“His versatility.”
On Josh Hart’s superpower:
“His ability to connect the group, with sacrifice and determination.”
On his expectations for the Knicks’ bench:
“I’m excited about it. I’m looking forward to giving guys an opportunity that they might not have gotten before.”
On replacing Mitchell Robinson’s contributions following his departure to Boston:
“I talked to our guys about this. When I was in Golden State, we had a really good team the year we won back-to-back (2017 and 2018) and KD [Kevin Durant] left after that [after the 2019 season] and everybody thought that, rightfully so, we were going to go into the tank, because you can’t replace KD with one player. In 2022, we won it again, we basically had the same core minus KD. We replaced him basically with a young Jordan Poole, Otto Porter and Andrew Wiggins. And collectively, those three guys plus the rest of the group just brought a little bit more to the table, and we were able to get it done in 2022. So it’s no different with Mitch. Mitch is a great player. We’re not bringing Andre [Drummond] in here to quote, unquote be Mitch. Andre’s going to be Andre, but that means everybody else has to give a little bit more defensively, and has to give a little bit more when it comes to offensive and defensive rebounding,”
On the Knicks fans and how New York celebrates its championship teams:
“It’s like no other. This is my fifth championship that I’ve been a part of in some really good cities.
“Love you guys, love your energy. Keep bringing it, because we’re looking forward to having another fun year.”
On the improved Eastern Conference and increased competition:
“You see what goes on. A lot of teams got better, and it’s good. Excited for all of the other teams; you love when the competition’s high. Who doesn’t love that?”
Andre Drummond
On developing his jump shot throughout his NBA career:
“I did it when no one was watching. … So here we are, 15 years later, s–t, better late than never, right?”
On the skills that have allowed him to remain in the NBA entering his 15th season:
“Be a master of what I do. I mean, I’m able to rebound the ball at a high clip still. Obviously with the addition of the three-point shot, being able to be a good pick-and-roll defender, and just a great locker room guy altogether is really what keeps me around.”
On his passing ability and how his game has evolved:
“I love to pass, I love to see the floor, and I play well in the pocket. … The game is changing, [my] guards like to score, and I throw the pocket pass in.”
Jalen Brunson
On Andre Drummond establishing his own identity rather than replacing Mitchell Robinson:
“not coming in to be Mitch, he’s coming in to be himself.”
On Mike Brown taking time to build a personal relationship with him:
“He came down to Jersey in the summer, and we sat, had dinner, talked for two-and-a-half, three hours, whatever, and did not talk about basketball or what we were gonna do. So that just tells you who he is. That’s a genuine dude, and he just wanted to get to know all of us before we got into our jobs and to see what we had to do as a team. But it’s just genuinely who he is.”
“I want y’all to know I’m ready for y’all. Y’all not ready for me, I’m applying all pressure on y’all all summer…Y’all was sleeping on me…All gas no brakes-that’s gone be me rest of my life”
— Dink Pate’s 12 straight for Westchester wins last game of year, Mark Pope courtside pic.twitter.com/RP4ZHvJrfo
On Mike Brown addressing the team’s personal struggles and contract uncertainty:
“Mike talked about mindfulness. He talked about the situation to all of us openly, and we all talked as a team, as a family — the coaches and players — and it’s still so amazing to see how connected this team is, to see how much of a family unit we really are.
“It was really cool to have a coach talk to us about being you, about the struggles in life, and us being together and understanding where everyone is in life and the situations they deal with as a family, as brothers, that will allow us to even be more connected and allows us to even be a better team. That was an amazing job by him as our leader to approach the elephant in the room and to allow us, the players and the coaches and the ones who are on that core into Game 4, Game 5, who really found a way to get this title back to New York, allowing us to be human.”
Josh Hart
On Andre Drummond’s skill set:
“Way better passing than I thought he was.”
On Mike Brown’s leadership style and personality:
“Honestly, I didn’t know he was a military baby until you said it. Obviously, he’s someone who commands attention and respect and those kinds of things.”
“Now, he’s super chill. He’s a great person, lets us know, holds us accountable when we’re out there not doing what we’re supposed to do.
“He’s more of a ‘Who let the dogs out’ kind of guy.”
On McBride’s desire for a contract extension and the possibility of future negotiations:
“No doubt, he would love to get that. But at the end of the day, you work for the Knicks and it takes two sides to get a deal done. And if the Knicks aren’t ready to do extensions right now, then we just gotta buckle up and go have a great season. He’ll be a free agent this summer, but we’ll see. We’ve got a great relationship with [president] Leon [Rose] and the front office. We’ll see: there may be opportunities during the season, maybe in the near future. Who knows where we’ll be able to have those conversations.”
On McBride’s contributions to the Knicks and his willingness to play through injury:
“We’ve spoken to the Knicks throughout the summer. Miles, like any player in his position, would love to get an extension. I think he’s earned it. He’s been a huge part of where that organization has gone over the last three or four years. He’s been their sixth man. A lot of people don’t realize how hurt he played last year in the playoffs. He had abdominal surgery that caused him to miss a couple of months. He came back and he wasn’t really right yet, but he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to be there for his teammates.”
Joel Embiid, on facing the Knicks on opening night: "I don't really feel like watching that whole ceremony, so I guess I'll be in the locker room."
"It's the first game…The way I see it is taking it day-by-day, slowing getting better…It's about the process that it takes to… pic.twitter.com/tdExscxMlX
On the Philadelphia 76ers being the biggest threat to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference:
“The East has caught up with the West. You have the 76ers, obviously, you have the Toronto Raptors, you have Giannis [Antetokounmpo] with Miami, I think they’re still a few pieces away. But to me, if I had to pick one, it would be the 76ers. Nick Nurse won a championship [as coach of the Raptors in 2019]. Nick Nurse had to figure how pieces worked when he was in Toronto. And when you have guys that have high IQs — Jaylen Brown is a Finals MVP, LeBron James is [not just] arguably the greatest player but one of the smartest players to play the game of basketball. That’s not going to be a hard adjustment. … Offensively I see them getting out and running. I could see them being probably the best transition team offensively in the league. But I also could see them figuring things out on the fly while they’re still winning games during the regular season. And I also see LeBron James bringing out the best in Joel Embiid.”
On how Mike Brown should handle Karl-Anthony Towns’ contract situation:
“KAT is an emotional guy. And if I’m Mike Brown, the biggest thing is from a personal side, I would just want Towns to know that he’s loved on a day-to-day basis. That don’t mean that there’s not going to be times where you have to call him out in film, but if I’m Mike Brown, I’d go the extra mile to extend my love, whether that’s on the road, him meeting him for breakfast before shootaround, maybe dinners, just to let him know his value. And to let him know that he’s a huge and the most important part of this team. … It would be through actions and less through words.”
On the challenges of defending an NBA championship:
“The first thing is health, obviously. The second thing is getting through the regular season knowing that everywhere in every game that you play, you’re going to get everyone’s best shot. But last but not least is having everyone continue to lose themselves in the team and play agenda-free basketball. Because what ends up happening is when you win a championship, because of the praise that you get in the offseason, everyone starts to believe that they were the reason and guys come back and want a bigger role, instead of staying and playing and being a star of that role that helped them win the championship.”
On Jalen Brunson’s development into an elite player and leader:
“Offensively, I believe that Jalen Brunson over the last three years before Giannis was injured, has been consistently the best player in the Eastern Conference. But last year we saw him take that leap of accountability. We saw him doing the little things of fighting to get over screens. We saw him doing things of getting back in transition and getting extra possessions by taking charges. We saw him take over a Game 4 in Madison Square Garden in the second half to direct traffic and get buckets. We just saw leadership, right? We saw a guy in probably the hardest market to play in, have composure, have leadership and be able to perform on the biggest moments. But I think the most important thing is that he accepted the challenge of actually playing defense and playing enough defense where he wasn’t a liability. But also playing defense where the Spurs couldn’t hunt him out on the big stage. … He’s one of if not my favorite players in the NBA, but history tells us that we haven’t had a back-to-back champion in the last 8-9 years.”
There were a lot of problems with the 2026 Mets, a depressing and lengthy list that we don’t need to rehash here. The bullpen, however, was not one of them. Prior to the trade deadline, the Mets’ relief corp posted a 3.82 ERA with a 3.79 xERA and 15.1 K-BB%. That latter mark ranked 4th in baseball, and those numbers get even better if you remove Devin Williams’ contributions.
Brooks Raley was a big part of that success. Over 41.1 innings, the 38-year-old posted a 2.45 ERA with a 2.37 xERA. For most of the year, he was a highly effective 7th inning or setup man in Carlos Mendoza’s and then Andy Green’s arsenal.
That performance certainly earned Raley some advocates among Met fans, but was more a classic instance of a decent reliever having a hot couple months rather than someone ascending to elite status. Raley’s stuff metrics remained just okay. His slider is a plus pitch, but everything else was effectively slop. He survived more on weak contact than a particular propensity for whiffs, and his 15.0% K-BB% ranked an unremarkable 75th among relievers. The writing was pretty clearly on the wall for some sort of regression.
Enjoyably but unsurprisingly, said regression hit after Raley was shipped down to Philadelphia. He posted a 7.94 ERA over 11.1 innings with the Phillies, was a significant contributor to what would’ve been one of the most epic late-season collapses of all time, and was ultimately left off the postseason roster for the Wild Card round. Funnily, there wasn’t really a huge change to Raley before and after the trade; this was effectively the same pitcher just getting wildly different results. That’s baseball, Susan.
Now, the Mets surely would’ve preferred to be in a position where Raley’s strong first four months actually helped them reach the postseason, but they were able to parlay that performance into a couple interesting prospects. John Spikerman is a speed and OBP-oriented 4th outfield prospect, one who saw an uptick in exit velocities before the trade and actually hit for more after joining the Mets. To be clear, this took his power from “none” to “a bit below average.” That’s enough to make him an actual prospect who could play a bench role at some point in the next season or two.
Luke Gabrysh, meanwhile, continues to show some truly disgusting stuff; he had the best slider in MiLB per Stuff+, and had one of the ten best arsenals overall. Public facing stuff metrics are imperfect (and vastly inferior to what teams are using at this point), but these sort of numbers mean a lot more than his minor league ERA and indicate that the Mets got a potential steal here. Expect him to feature somewhat prominently in this offseason’s list process.
So yes, the Mets did not get exactly what they wanted out of Raley’s hot four months. But they made the best of a bad situation, leveraging an unsustainable performance to pick the pocket of a division rival at the deadline. Hopefully Gabrysh and Spikerman can twist that knife further for the Phillies in 2027 and beyond.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 17: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after hitting an RBI Double during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game four of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 17, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Sunday everybody. Here take these links. No really, take them. Take them quickly. You have to go! Right now! Run! RUN!
In Mariners news…
Carlos Mendoza, who earlier this week joined the Phillies coaching staff, reportedly withdrew his name from consideration as the next Mariners manager to accept his new job. One would certainly hope, and perhaps expect, that a manager job would be more desirable than an assistant coach job, and this news does not inspire a ton of confidence in how the search is going.
Carlos Mendoza was a candidate for the Mariners' managerial job before withdrawing his name to become the Phillies' third base and infield coach, sources told ESPN. The Mariners and Astros are currently the two teams looking for a manager.
Adam Jude at the Seattle Times laid out five of the core questions that the organization has to find answers for before the lockout starts.
A handful of players formerly on minor league contracts elected free agency earlier this week, including infielder Miles Mastrobuoni.
Around the league…
The Rays big bats led the way in their Game 4 win over the Guardians last night to even the series at two games apiece. Game 5 is in Cleveland today at 2:08 pmPST on TBS.
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto may spend less time behind the plate next season, as it seems his thirteenth season behind the plate really took a big toll on him. Realmuto himself seemed to cite the responsibilities of ABS challenges as being especially draining.
WBO heavyweight champion targets big paydays against Hrgovic, Kabayel and Itauma after second round win
Thirty minutes after Daniel Dubois had dismantled Fabio Wardley in less than two rounds on Saturday night, his promoter Frank Warren shook his head in slight awe as he described the intensity before the annihilation: “I went in the dressing room beforehand like I normally do and I couldn’t have a conversation with Daniel because he was so zoned in and focused. It showed when he got in the ring. He went out there on a seek-and-destroy mission.”
Dubois resembled a much bigger and heavier version of a young Mike Tyson as, wearing black trunks and a black cape, he walked to the ring with intense purpose. There was not a flicker of emotion as he marched quickly towards Wardley for their WBO world title rematch.
French Open finalist wins 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 for her first title
Kartal will become new British No 1 after record run
Sonay Kartal missed out on winning the biggest title of her career as her brilliant run at the Wuhan Open ended in a final defeat by Maja Chwalinska.
Kartal has enjoyed her best tournament only a fortnight after returning from six months out with a back injury, but her efforts appeared to catch up with her as she faded in a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 loss.
