Former Edmonton Oilers' forward Milan Lucic has officially announced his retirement after 17 NHL seasons and 1,177 games.
The former Stanley Cup champion with the Boston Bruins wraps up his career with 586 regular-season points and 77 more in the playoffs, also playing for the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames.
Lucic hadn’t played in the NHL since 2023-24 but attempted a comeback in 2025-26, including brief stints in the AHL and overseas. Last season, he had a PTO with the St. Louis Blues but was cut. He played 26 EIHL games after joining the Fife Flyers in late December and recorded 5 goals, 7 assists, 18 PIMs and a +/- of -14.
His career effectively ended following a domestic incident in 2023, though charges were later dropped. Still, the latter part of his career, including his struggles both on and off the ice, will likely place a bit of a cloud over his career run. His repeated controversies in his personal life will have stained his legacy.
As for the positives, he retires as a physical, productive power forward, one of the best of his era. With the Oilers, he played 243 regular season games, scoring 39 goals. His best run came with the team in 2016-17, when he scored 23 goals during the season.
Milan Lucic is officially announcing his retirement following 1,177 career NHL games played – wishing all the best to the 2010-11 #StanleyCup champ👏 pic.twitter.com/X4QF1dWqt3
The courtside seats in Cleveland will soon have a blank space.
The chair Taylor Swift sat in during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks has been listed for auction.
According to the listing on The Realist, the opening bid was $100 and, after 38 bids as of Sunday, was listed at $6,000. The auction is set to end June 14, per the listing.
“As one of the most recognized and influential artists of her generation, the occupant of this chair has earned worldwide acclaim through a career defined by commercial success, critical recognition, and multiple Grammy Award victories,” the bidding description reads. “Her attendance reflects the cultural reach of the NBA Playoffs and the significance of the Eastern Conference Finals as one of the most visible events in sports.”
These courtside chairs were used during the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena by some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment, music, and film as they watched one of the most talked-about playoff series of the year unfold. pic.twitter.com/MH1oSiXcKz
Swift attended the game on May 23 at Rocket Arena with her fiancée, Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs star and an Ohio native. The chair Kelce sat in is also up for auction at, as of Sunday, $525 after 30 bids.
But it was a cruel summer for the Cavaliers, who lost the game the couple attended 121-108 en route to getting swept in the series – meaning those courtside seats won’t be needed any time soon.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kielce attend the game between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers during Game 3 of the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals on May 23, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images)
The chair features a Cavaliers logo, arm rests and a cup holder. The listing says an authenticator was on site to witness Swift’s use of the chair during the game, and the item features a Gold OVD.
“This chair serves as a tangible artifact from a nationally celebrated postseason event,” the listing reads.” “Its connection to one of the world’s most recognizable entertainers adds a distinctive layer of provenance to an item tied directly to the atmosphere and excitement of the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals, further reflecting the Cavaliers’ position at the intersection of sports and pop culture.”
Other seats used by celebrities in the series are also being auctioned. The chair that actor and Knicks fan Ben Stiller sat in during the Knicks’ Game 4 series clincher is listed, as of Sunday, at $385 after 17 bids. Timothée Chalamet’s seat for that game is listed for $106 after 16 bids — and bidders can make it a set by also adding the chair used by Chalamet’s girlfriend Kylie Jenner, which is up to $280 after 21 bids.
“Throughout the 2026 postseason, Chalamet emerged as one of the most visible celebrity supporters of New York basketball,” the listing reads. “Whether attending games at Madison Square Garden or traveling to road playoff matchups, his presence became closely associated with the team’s deepest playoff run in nearly three decades. Television broadcasts, social media coverage, and national headlines regularly featured Chalamet among the faces of a fan base experiencing a long-awaited return to championship contention.”
The Knicks return to Madison Square Garden on Monday for the team’s first NBA Finals home game in 27 years. Holding a 2-0 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs, the team is two wins away from its first championship since 1973. Tickets to the games are at record highs, with the lowest asking prices on the secondary market at five figures.
Celebrity row at the Garden will be full of A-listers. Regulars like Spike Lee, Stiller, Chalamet, Jenner and Tracy Morgan are expected to attend. President Donald Trump will be in the building. Maybe Swift, a New York resident, will even show up.
The former Maple Leaf scored the fastest three goals by a single player in Cup Final history, requiring just six minutes and 10 seconds to beat a record previously held by Maurice “Rocket” Richard from 1957 (6:21).
Since he also assisted on Hertl’s goal, Marner became only the second player in NHL Finals history — joining Frank Foyston (1919) — to post four points in a single period.
The 29-year-old is also just the second player in history to record a natural hat trick in a single period at this point in the playoffs, joining Ted Lindsay (1955). After this latest performance, Marner leads the playoffs by a considerable margin with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 19 games.
Golden Knights wing Mitch Marner (93) scores on Hurricanes goalie Frederik Anderson during the second period in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 6, 2026. AP Photo/John Locher
He is considered the frontrunner for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL playoff MVP.
“Well, I think a lot of guys made great plays to set me up,” Marner told reporters after Vegas took a 2-1 series lead Saturday night. “I think you need five guys on the ice to all be on the same page. And I thought our line did a really good job of that throughout the entire night.”
The hat trick and the 4-0 Vegas lead stood as the game’s only notables for a very short time.
Mitch Marner (93) celebrates scoring one of his three goals during the Golden Knights’ double-overtime win over the Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 6, 2026. AP Photo/John Locher
Carolina saw to that by setting a new record for the fastest three goals scored by a team in the final. Jordan Martinook, Taylor Hall and Jordan Staal each struck within 39 seconds to pull the Hurricanes within one goal less than eight minutes into the third period, smashing the previous record of 56 seconds set by the Canadiens in 1954.
The equalizer came off the stick of Andrei Svechnikov while on the power play later in the frame.
Saturday was ultimately the highest-scoring Game 3 in Stanley Cup Final history.
In addition to the nine goals, two Vegas scores were overturned in the second period. The play on Mark Stone’s goal was deemed offside and goaltender interference disallowed Jack Eichel’s goal.
Jerry Stackhouse won’t be returning as a Warriors assistant for the 2026-27 NBA season, but he gained some valuable knowledge while coaching under Steve Kerr for the last two years.
On a recent episode of FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back,” Stackhouse shared a key lesson from Kerr that he will take into the rest of his coaching career, specifically referencing when Golden State was without injured stars Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler this past season.
“With Steve, it was all about, you know, he wants those guys’ joy. His messaging was always on point,” Stackhouse explained. “I think with guys, from the standpoint of when we lost Steph and we were down, I think he still found a way to find positives in what was happening and using it as growth moments and growth opportunities. And I think for us, we saw our younger guys get better, probably guys that we weren’t counting on going into the season.
“And then when Jimmy went down and when Steph went down, then it was like, okay, this is this an opportunity for you guys to step up. I thought Gui Santos took a really big step for, like I said, a guy that wasn’t even really penciled in, but once he got his opportunity — I think he’s going to provide a lot of depth for the Warriors this year because of that. …
“I saw how how Steve, you know, he wants conversation. He wants to make sure that you understand — even the coaching staff — just constantly confirming with everybody to make sure that you know where you stand and and you know what we’re trying to get accomplished.”
The short-handed Warriors, missing their two best players for an extended stretch, limped through the back end of the regular season before their eventual loss in the NBA play-in tournament.
But as Stackhouse mentioned, there were still some positives that came out of that difficult period — specifically Santos’ emergence as a solid rotation piece. After the 2026 NBA All-Star break, the 23-year-old averaged 15.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 31.3 minutes across 24 games (including 21 starts).
That experience could be invaluable for someone like Santos once the Warriors — hopefully — get healthy next season, as the team attempts to make one last deep playoff run.
And if Santos contributes significantly, like Stackhouse believes, Kerr certainly would deserve credit for helping develop the former No. 55 overall pick.
Mitchell Robinson no longer has a technical foul from Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals on his ledger.
The NBA on Saturday rescinded the tech given to the Knicks center during the second quarter of their 105-104 win over the Spurs in San Antonio on Friday after the league reviewed the play.
Robinson and 7-foot-4 Spurs star Victor Wembanyama were fighting for position when Wembanyama pushed Robinson, who pushed him back, though the contact didn’t seem egregious.
Mitchell Robinson was given a technical foul for this interaction with Victor Wembanyama. pic.twitter.com/otGZRBddmb
Yet Robinson was called for a tech with 4:56 left in the first half and then was subbed out of the game for Karl-Anthony Towns.
It could have impacted the game as Wembanyama made the technical free throw the Spurs were awarded, but the Knicks escaped with the win and lead the series 2-0 entering Monday’s Game 3 at Madison Square Garden.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (l.) was called for a technical foul on this play with the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (r.) in the second quarter during Game 2 of the NBA Fianls on June 5, 2026. ABC
“I know we needed stops and I had picked up a few fouls on him,” Robinson said. “I think, what, three, like early on? So in my mind, I was just like, defend without fouling. So that was kind of like how it went. Just great contest, and just kind of how it went.”
Robinson finished Game 2 with seven points, three rebounds, one block and one steal in 14 minutes. He was 3-for-6 from the free-throw line as the Spurs intentionally put him on the line a few times.
The eighth-year Knick fractured the fifth metacarpal in his right hand, reportedly at home, and had surgery ahead of the Finals. He’s been wearing a wrap around his right hand.
The Buffalo Sabres have a number of scenarios involving their roster construction this summer, and with limited cap space available, it could force GM Jarmo Kekalainen to make some trades to clear salary or get something in return for winger Alex Tuch before he hits the open market on July 1.
The 30-year-old winger, along with Tampa Bay defenseman Darren Raddysh, will be the most hotly pursued free agent target. With just $12.9 million in available cap space and the price disparity between what Tuch’s representatives are looking for and what the Sabres are reportedly willing to offer makes the odds of him returning to Buffalo a long shot, especially with the salary cap going to $104 million this summer.
One option open to the Sabres may be to shop Tuch’s rights before July 1 to a club that wants the option of exclusive negotiating rights, but that would undoubtedly only yield a mid-round draft pick in return. Another option that could yield a more significant return would be to follow the Mitch Marner model that the Toronto Maple Leafs were forced into last June with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Marner had determined, according to various reports his intent on signing with the Golden Knights, going back to the start of his final year in Toronto, and blocked a trade to Carolina using his no-movement clause at the 2025 trade deadline. In late June, the Leafs negotiated an eight-year, $96 million extension with Marner and traded him to Vegas for center Nicolas Roy. Vegas needed to clear Roy’s $3 million cap hit to fit the winger’s $12 million AAV and the eight-year deal allowed the Golden Knights to lower the AAV to a more manageable number.
With Tuch, the Sabres are the only club that can sign the 30-year-old to a longer term deal, and if he goes to market in July, the max he can receive is a six-year contract under the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement. A sign-and-trade might be worth something to the club Tuch is interested in signing with, since it would decrease his AAV and it would be beneficial to the Sabres, with them potentially getting a higher draft pick, player or prospect in the deal.
Another situation that Kekalainen will have to deal with is RFA defenseman Michael Kesselring. The 26-year-old had an injury-riddled season with the Sabres, playing only 34 games, with two assists and 50 penalty minutes. The right-handed blueliner is only one year away from unrestricted free agency and after expecting to be a top-four defender with Buffalo, he is likely to be slotted on the bottom pairing.
With Kekalainen looking to extend Bowen Byram this summer, re-signing Kesselring to anything more than a one-year deal is unlikely, and with their being a dearth of righty blueliners in free agency this summer, the Sabres could potentially acquire a useful piece in return for someone who might not be in their future plans.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 06: Jacob Young #30 of the Washington Nationals reacts after hitting a triple against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at Chase Field on June 06, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. Nationals won 6-1. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With back to back convincing wins against the Diamondbacks, the Nationals are back above .500. They have also made up all the ground they lost in the Wild Card race, sitting just one game back of a playoff spot on June 7th. The fact that the Wild Card is even worth mentioning speaks to the craziness of this turnaround.
#ICYMI: BIG BIG Series: The Washington Nationals’ May surge is real: 2nd in the NL East, 1 game back in the Wild Card, and an offense that leads MLB in runs, home runs and extra-base hits.
James Wood is leading the way, Keibert Ruiz is catching fire, and the Marlins are next.… pic.twitter.com/NUySjMGDDg
— TheNatsReport 🇺🇸 ⚾ (@TheNatsReport) June 1, 2026
Since 2021, the Nats have never truly been in the hunt this deep in the season. Now, we are just one game behind the Padres, Pirates and Cubs in a crowded National League. I wish the Nats were in the American League because the playoff race in that league truly feels like a race to the bottom. Right now, the 31-33 Rangers hold a playoff spot.
As a whole, the National League is the much stronger one this year. You can see that in the records. NL division leaders are 45-24 against the AL, while AL division leaders are only 31-29 against the NL. The Nats would only be one game back in the AL West right now, despite being 11 games out of their own division.
There are a lot of good teams in the National League, and the Nats have fared well against those opponents. The Padres and D-Backs are in the Wild Card hunt, and the Nats have now won series against both. They swept the Brewers earlier in the year and took a series off the Braves in Atlanta. This team has the firepower, but competing in this hard scrabble NL is tough.
If the Nats were in the AL, I would be more bullish on our postseason hopes. However, in this league, there are so many teams that are looking to win now. For me, a realistic goal is to stick close to .500. Staying in a playoff race is just a cherry on top.
I do think that being competitive is good for this team long term. Core players like Wood and Abrams have mostly just seen losing in DC. It is good for them to know what it is like to consistently win ballgames. There is a standard being set in DC, and the league is taking notice. Hopefully, this will make free agents want to play in DC moving forward.
A winning culture is sprouting, but the Nationals are also becoming a place where players can develop. These players are always looking to improve, and Washington, DC is full of success stories. Just look at Zack Littell, who was brutal to start the season after signing late. The Nats coaching staff and front office stuck with him, and after making adjustments, he is throwing the ball at a near elite level.
Zack Littell is 6-0 with a 2.27 ERA over his last seven appearances dating back to May 1. Quite the turnaround. Credit to Littell, the coaches, and analytics staff. 🤯 https://t.co/2oBd8uRZri
If you are a free agent hitter, you should also want to be coming to DC. Just about everyone on this team has gotten better. Curtis Mead has been a massive organizational win, finally living up to his prospect pedigree at 25 years old. Jacob Young has been turned into a power hitter, and Keibert Ruiz went from a lost cause to a solid starting catcher.
There are also young stars to build around here. James Wood has become one of the best players in the entire league this season. CJ Abrams also looks poised to become an All-Star starter. These are pillars of the franchise, and the next step will be building around those guys.
James Wood hit his 17th home run of the season. He leads National League outfielders in the next categories:
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) June 6, 2026
The Nats are only one game back of a playoff spot in what was supposed to be a rebuild year. Really, I still think this is a rebuilding year. There are so many clear holes on the roster, yet this team is still succeeding. If they get into the playoffs this year, it would be a truly miraculous turnaround. However, I think this year is that season where the Nats finish around .500 and then build on it in the future.
For a long time, fans have wondered when the next version of that 2011 season would come. Despite going 80-81, that 2011 season was a very important one in Nats history. It was the year where fans felt like the rebuild was starting to push towards something. Playoff success and division titles felt like they were on the horizon.
In 2024 and 2025, Nats fans wondered if the next 2011 would come. However, both years, they fell short of that and remained deep in a rebuild. With a new regime coming in and trading MacKenzie Gore, the Nats felt further away from that than ever entering this season. However, on June 7th, the Nats appear ahead of schedule.
The new 2011 is finally here, and this offseason would be a good time for Mark Lerner and Paul Toboni to push their chips to the middle of the table. Now would be the time for that Jayson Werth signing and Gio Gonzalez trade. Let’s see how the rest of the season plays out, and just go along for the ride. The Paul Toboni/Blake Butera ride has been fun so far, and I am trusting the process.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 06: Jack Leiter #22 of the Texas Rangers pitches during the first inning of a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field on June 06, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, folks…
The Texas Rangers fell to the Cleveland Guardians last night by a score of 6-0.
Frankly, most discussion around the Houston Rockets these days airs on the side of irritating. They’re in an irritating position. The Rockets are young, but Durant isn’t. They’re good, but not good enough. They’re X, which is good, but they aren’t Y, which is better. The Rockets are like the time you saw your favorite artist live, but the seats were worse than you’d thought, and the guy in front of you is really tall, and even though you’re at the Kanye West concert, and he hasn’t had his antisemitic meltdown yet, it’s not as special as you want.
Ugh.
This conversation will be annoying because it’s going to be cliched. Two teams are in the NBA Finals. Every year, that leaves 28 teams (and their fans, and their semiprofessional writers) wondering how they got there, and how they can get there. It’s the age-old search for the NBA’s new meta.
Yet, here I am, writing the generic “what can the Rockets learn from an NBA Finalist” piece. Here’s the deal: These teams advanced to the NBA Finals. The Rockets did not. So surely, there’s something to be learned here.
From the Spurs, there isn’t much to learn. You just need to get so remarkably lucky in the draft that even rational people entertain conspiracy theories. You can draft Josh Primo, Blake Wesley, Jeremy Sochan, Rob Dillingham, an old man, and an infant all in the first round. If you get to draft Victor Wembanyama and Dylan Harper, you can just stash the baby on Amen Thompson and camp Wemby in the paint.
The Knicks are different. What they’re doing demands admiration. There was precious little luck involved in their process.
How did they do it?
The Knicks made smart, bold decisions
It starts with Jalen Brunson.
When the Knicks handed him a four-year, $104 million deal, you wouldn’t have to search far to find someone who thought it was an overpay. By the time he signed a five-year, $156 million extension, it was widely understood that he was taking a massive discount to enhance the team’s cap flexibility. Outside of that signing, this group was largely built on the trade market.
The Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and a pick deal evoked the Hitler vs. Stalin meme. The Knicks were flipping a losing player for another, slightly better losing player. A chorus of eye rolls.
RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley for OG Anunoby. This was perceived as a good deal, and it was. We’ll elaborate later.
Five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges? Outlandish. You’d have to win a championship to justify this deal, and the Knicks weren’t winning any championships. This leads me to the first quality this front office has shown that the Rockets could learn from:
Sheer, unadulterated audacity.
Let’s get back to that Anunoby deal. Barrett was 23. He was averaging a respectable 18.2 points per game. Rest assured that he had supporters who felt he’d reach his ceiling if the Knicks were just patient. The team identified him as a sub-championship player and moved him anyway.
It was bold. Fortune favors the brave. It’s a consistent theme in the Knicks’ decision-making process. They’re seemingly impervious to outside noise. This organization has done whatever it thought it needed to do. It has trusted its own internal evaluation process, and it has paid off.
This is not about any particular Rocket. Barrett, as a talented-but-flawed, productive young player, could be Thompson, Alperen Sengun, or Reed Sheppard. The point is that if the Rockets do not believe any one of these young guys could get on the floor in the NBA Finals, they should trade them and live with the fan outrage. The fans will calm down when the team is in the NBA Finals.
Did I mention the NBA Finals?
The Knicks have targeted playoff-proof players
Towns’ turn as a plus defender has certainly been unexpected. Now that it’s happened, take a look at the Knicks’ playoff rotation.
See any non-shooters besides Mitchell Robinson? See any defensive liabilities at all? That’s right, you don’t. One non-shooter. Zero defensive liabilities.
Here’s an analogy I’ve been toying with lately. A team’s offensive creation is its weapon. Shooting and defense are its armor. The defensive aspect of that analogy is obvious, but spacing the floor protects your star creator’s ability to create.
In the NBA Finals, you can afford as few weak links as possible. This isn’t unique to the Knicks. The Thunder, Celtics, and Bucks’ rosters were all similarly constructed. Even the Nuggets insulated the best offensive creator in the world (at the time) with a platoon of shooters and defenders.
Ultimately, this entire piece just reduces to another “Sengun and Thompson can’t shoot, Sengun and Sheppard are both questionable defenders” piece. It’s the reality the Rockets need to be facing. They should look to the Knicks, who realized they didn’t have a championship-caliber roster and took bold steps to build one.
That doesn’t mean trade everyone now. The Rockets can continue building through the draft. The first step is to find their Brunson (yes, I know Towns is on track for Finals MVP, but Brunson bears the brunt of the defensive pressure). It doesn’t matter how you do that, but once you do, you can’t be scared to part with beloved young players to put the right team around him.
In time, the Rockets might be fun to talk about again.
May 30, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller (23) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
On a Friday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates lost 6-3 to the Atlanta Braves on the road. With that loss, a new issue is opening up for the team, and the issue is starting pitcher Mitch Keller.
Keller started the game, and he went 4.2 innings allowing seven hits, six earned runs and walking three batters. He threw 99 pitches in not even four complete innings of the game.
Friday night’s loss is not the first time we saw the 30-year-old pitcher struggle. The last game Keller pitched was on May 30 against the Minnesota Twins. In that game, he allowed 10 hits and seven earned runs in just four innings pitched.
The right-handed pitcher also had mediocre performances lately against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Colorado Rockies. In the game against the Cards, he allowed 4 earned runs in the 9-6 loss, and in the game against the Rockies, he allowed seven hits and six earned runs in a 10-4 loss against one of the worst teams in baseball.
The recent struggles bring up the tough question. Has Mitch Keller lost his touch ?
I think they do, which is not easy for me to say. Some of his most recent struggles are coming against non playoff teams like the Twins and the Rockies. To start the season, a lot of people believed that the Bucs had one of the strongest starting rotations in the Majors, but because of his mediocre performances of late, it looks like Keller is towards the bottom of the rotation.
Keller had two really solid seasons in 2023 and in 2024 for Pittsburgh. During his only All-Star campaign in 2023, he set a career-best in strikeouts (210) and innings pitched (194.1) while posting 13 wins and a strong 4.21 ERA. That year he cemented himself as the ace of the Pirates rotation.
Last year, Keller had a rough 6-15 record, but I thought a lot of those losses were on the struggling offense. His ERA last season was actually pretty solid at 4.19, and he had 150 strikeouts, which wasn’t bad either.
To start this season, he has a 5-3 record which is a little deceiving. Right now he has a 4.81 ERA in 13 games pitched, which is high. I don’t think Mitch Keller has been terrible, but he definitely has been disappointing of late after a decent start.
The Pirates also need to have Keller go longer into games. The former All Star hasn’t gotten past the sixth inning since May 1. With the bullpen still being shaky, it is important to have the starters go longer into their starts so the bullpen is relied on as much.
I like Keller a lot, and I don’t like that he has been terrible, but he is pitching as well as the team needs him to do right now. If the Pirates want to keep pace with the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, they need the pitching to be better, and it starts with Mitch Keller.
Comment below if you think Mitch Keller has touch his touch on the mound.
Jun 6, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) dives in safe at home ahead of the tag by Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) in the third inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Before Pride Night at Dodger Stadium last night, the Los Angeles Dodgers unveiled a new, permanent display honoring the lives of Glenn Burke and Billy Bean.
The trade deadline is now less than two months away, and some teams are having to come to terms that 2026 might not be their year. One such team is the Boston Red Sox, who have a surplus of catchers on their roster, as well as some effective arms in their bullpen. The Sox aren’t truly out of it (yet) but their upcoming schedule may solidify them as sellers within the next couple weeks.
I will talk from time to time about the “shape” of a win. As much fun as these come from behind, walk-off wins are, it would be okay to have some mundane wins too. It’s ironic that Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Pete Crow-Armstrong have been publicly seen hanging out this year. The Bears set an NFL record for games in a single season in which they were losing in the fourth quarter and eventually won. The Cubs are leading major league baseball in walk-off wins. This was their eighth. Both teams have had a pretty special season in terms of come from behind.
In the long run, the problem is that these types of wins are often a little fluky. The win against the A’s happened, in part, because the A’s had used a lot of bullpen in securing a pair of one-run wins against the Cubs. I’m sure the Bears coaching and management staff would all say that if they have to rely on a lot of last-second wins in the upcoming season, they’ll probably struggle. Yes, there is something a team picks up in terms of confidence and standing up to pressure that comes from these wins. But as we saw in the couple of games where Williams and the Bears didn’t complete their comeback attempts, one bad bounce or one odd play can derail one of those games.
I’m reminded of the Cubs front office pointing out that the best teams aren’t necessarily the best in close games. The best teams win the most games comfortably and don’t have to sweat out one of those unfortunate bad plays. You want to build a model that builds a team that just straight out wins games. Unfortunately, this Cubs team and that Bears team weren’t really those teams. The margins were too close. Everything was necessarily a grind. So here we are. It’s not going to be easy or pretty. But this team is still in the hunt. In for a penny, in for a pound. Let’s take the journey.
A quick hat tip to most of the Cub pitching staff. Two runs allowed in 10 innings is an excellent performance. A homer off of Caleb Thielbar (who did strike out two of the three he faced) and Daniel Palencia’s rough ninth inning was really the only blemishes for the pitching staff. Everyone else was pretty superb. As is so often the case with games like this, there are very few contributions that you could take out of the stack and still see a Cubs win. Every little bit helps.
Three Positives:
I mean, this was Pete Crow-Armstrong’s game. Four hits, two of them homers. One tied the game in the sixth and one tied the game in the ninth. Very nice.
Ben Brown threw 5.1 innings, faced just 19 hitters and allowed a hit, a walk and hit a batter. He struck out five. I continue to think any path to staying competitive is going to look just like this 16-20 batters faced for the starter and get out of there. Don’t save bullets or worry about setting things up for facing a hitter three times.
Jacob Webb threw two scoreless innings. He did have to face eight hitters to get six outs, but he’s been a god send in the bullpen. With he and Brown both throwing, you saw the two most effective Cub pitchers so far in one game.
Game 65, June 6: Cubs 3, Giants 2 (34-31)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.737). 4-5, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Hero: Ben Brown (.310). 5.1 IP, 19 BF, H, BB, 0 ER, 5 K, HBP
Sidekick: Ryan Rolison (.308). IP, 2 K
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Daniel Palencia (-.305). IP, 5 BF, 2 H, 0 ER, K
Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.175). 0-4
Kid: Alex Bregman (-.175) . 0-3, BB, K
WPA Play of the Game: Pete Crow-Armstrong’s game-tying, solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. (.489)
Giants Play of the Game: Bryce Eldrige singled with a runner on first and one out in the ninth, the game tied. (.186).
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 64 Winner: Seiya Suzuki received 61 of 105 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Michael Busch +22
Ben Brown +11.5
Pete Crow-Armstrong/Michael Conforto +10
Carson Kelly +9.5
Ryan Rolison/Phil Maton/Jameson Taillon -8
Caleb Thielbar -9
Matt Shaw -10
Dansby Swanson -11
Seiya Suzuki -26.5
Win Pace: 84.7
Up Next: The third and final game of the series. Jameson Taillon (2-5, 5.13, 66.2 IP) starts for the Cubs. He’s allowed nine homers in his last four starts (21 IP). Last time, he was pretty decent over 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk. Hopefully he can do that again. 25-year-old right hander Trevor McDonald (2-3, 4.50, 34 IP) starts for the Giants. Making just his seventh start of the year for the Giants, McDonald has lost his last three starts, allowing 12 earned runs in 15 innings of work.
It’s been a long time since the Cubs won a series. How about now?
San Diego Padres pitcher Jhony Brito (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Frustration best describes the San Diego Padres’ current stretch in the 2026 season. The team has lost 11 of its last 12 games and fallen into third place in the National League West standings.
The blame can go all around; the Padres offense has been non-existent since Opening Day. The starting rotation has created a mess by allowing games to get out of reach before the bullpen can put the fire out. The hope is that Jhony Brito can provide a much-needed spark, as he is on the verge of returning to the majors.
Canning and Giolito have been ineffective
The last two weeks have been disastrous for the Friars’ starting rotation. They have posted a 5.12 ERA over the last 12 games. The team finished May with a 13-15 record and enters June with a rousing 0-5 mark.
Both Griffin Canning (0-4 with a 7.16 ERA) and Lucas Giolito (2-1 with a 4.86 ERA) have been ineffective as replacements for Nick Pivetta and German Marquez in the rotation. Most of their outings start strong, only to unravel with a costly home run or a sudden loss of commanding the strike zone. Neither can recover to limit the damage, nor can they wiggle out of jams.
The frustration among the Friar Faithful is that both pitchers have regressed and fail to get key outs. Too often, they find themselves ambushed after challenging hitters with mistake pitches that major leaguers rarely miss.
Brito could make season debut in June
The Padres cannot squander too much more ground in the standings, as the call for Brito to come up cannot be too far away. He was activated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to El Paso. Brito completed his 30-day rehab window after missing last season for UCL brace and flexor tendon repair surgery.
The Friars split his rehab assignment between Peoria in the Arizona Complex League and the Friars’ Double-A affiliate, the San Antonio Missions. The results have been encouraging.
In six starts, Brito posted a 3.33 ERA over 24.1 innings pitched, but he threw between 50 and 60 pitches in each outing. His return to the majors is contingent on Brito restoring his arm strength during his current minor league stay.
Also, the Padres must monitor his walk-to-strike ratio, as his control has been outstanding thus far. Brito has thrown a heavy sinker, changeup, and the occasional fastball that limited hard contact in his rehab starts.
Adding stability to the starting rotation would be ideal, but not at the risk of Brito sustaining another arm injury. He may have an innings limit as part of the long-term recovery process. The front office must determine whether his value is greater in the bullpen or the starting rotation.
The clock is ticking on the 2026 season. The Friars cannot allow Canning and Giolito to string along more bad outings before making a change.
Dante Nori of the Reading Fightin Phils signs autographs during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on April 19, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
It wasn’t exactly the type of night to brag about the hitting prospects that are on the farm for the Phillies, while two injuries occurred that are both something the team is going to want to be careful with in the coming days. Let’s see how the kids did.
Lehigh Valley 3, Rochester 2
Alan Rangel was the star for the IronPigs, going six innings on the mound and only allowing three hits on two runs, striking out eight. He’s seen his role changed quite a bit with the team, bouncing between starter and bulk guy depending on what the big league team wants/needs. Seeing as how he is basically their next points of depth, he’ll need to keep pitching well. For the offense, Bryan de la Cruz had two hits, including an RBI double while Christian Cairo also chipped in two hits.
Binghamton 4, Reading 1
Quite the display of offensive struggle, the Fightin’ Phils managed only one run on five hits as they were shut down by Rumble Ponies starter Jonathan Santucci. Erick Brito had two hits on the day, while Aroon Escobar drove in the only run for Reading with an RBI single. The biggest story of the game was Dante Nori needing to come out after coming up lame on a groundout.
Dante Nori was removed from Reading’s game following this groundout in the fourth inning tonight. He appears to pull up limping a little just before getting to the bag pic.twitter.com/UOAoM9BCMO
At least Nick Biddison had two hits, both being doubles. Because boy did the pitching struggle for the BlueClaws. Ryan Drombowski got smacked around in 3 1/3 innings, surrendering eight runs on seven hits. The bullpen did manage to get a few other outs, but Giussepe Velasquez gave up four more runs to seal the loss. Tough night.
St. Lucie 5, Clearwater 1
Speaking of concerning injuries:
Clearwater catcher Alirio Ferrebus left tonight’s game after being hit by this foul ball pic.twitter.com/us1admlydP
Well, I’d probably take the rest of the night off too if I was allowed.
Three hits was all that was produced by Clearwater, a sleepy night for the Threshers. The pitching wasn’t much to write home about either, so let’s just chalk this one up to one to be forgotten.
(Original Caption) New York Yankees star catcher, Thurman Munson was killed 8/2/79 in a crash of his private plane near Canton, Ohio, where he lived. Munson, 32, who recently got his pilot's certification, was practicing landings and takeoffs when the plane crashed 1,000 feet short of the runway of Akron-Canton Regional Airport.
On April 17, 1976, the Yankees made an announcement unlike any they’d made in over 40 years. For the first time since Lou Gehrig received the honor in 1935, the Bronx Bombers had a new captain. He was a man manager Billy Martin, known more for his temperamental clashing with players than his effusive praise of them, called “a born leader” on the occasion of his anointment. A player who, despite making four All-Star teams, winning Rookie of the Year honors, and earning three Gold Gloves, had his greatest glory ahead of him. The captaincy of baseball’s premier franchise was coming out of unofficial retirement for the great Thurman Munson.
Thurman Lee Munson Born: June 7, 1947 (Akron, OH) Died: August 2, 1979 (Summit County, OH) Yankees Tenure: 1969-79
Munson grew up in Canton, Ohio. As with many star athletes of his era, young Thurman excelled at football, basketball, and baseball, but it was the latter that won his heart. In particular, the art of hitting was his passion. Munson only began catching because he was the only player on his high school team who could handle a fireballing pitcher on the squad. He spurned several football scholarship offers to take a full-ride baseball scholarship from Kent State, where he’d make the College All-American team, hitting .413 his junior year.
The Yankees jumped on that offensive talent, selecting him fourth overall in the 1968 MLB Draft. Munson appeared to arrive to pro ball fully formed, hitting .301 in 71 games at Double A the very year he was drafted. He was even more dynamic in ‘69, hitting .363 for Triple-A Syracuse. That performance was too much for the Yankees to ignore. After a brief cup of coffee in August, the 22-year-old was called up on September 5th to start both halves of a doubleheader behind the dish. He collected three hits and took hold of the Yankees’ starting gig at backstop, a role he would not relinquish.
If 1969 was Munson’s stepping stone to the big leagues, 1970 was his coming out party. He hit .302 with 35 extra-base hits, a level of production at the catcher position that brought him to within one vote of unanimous selection for AL Rookie of the Year. The man who would garner (and, to some extent, foster) an image as a taciturn veteran later in the decade played the role of brash young phenom early in his career. “He was cocky in a good sense, very confident,” his teammate Fritz Peterson said. “He was so talented he could get away with it. He also had quite a sense of humor. All of the players liked him from the beginning.”
Munson’s ascent coincided with the Yankees’ best season since they reached the World Series in ‘64, as their new catcher helped lead them to 93 wins and a second-place finish in the newly-christened AL East. Over the following five years, Munson would prove his rookie season was no fluke. Between 1971 and ‘75, he slashed .284/.345/.408 while taking home three Gold Gloves. Perhaps even more impressively, he averaged over 140 games a year while manning baseball’s most physically demanding position. Munson was not bashful in outlining the catcher’s — and, by extension, his — importance to a baseball team.
“The catcher is the most important man in the game. He does the same kind of job a quarterback does in football. He directs the pitchers and calls the game for them. He must know the capabilities and weaknesses of each batter who comes to the plate. He also acts as kind of a field general because from his position he can oversee the entire field. Even more, he has the important duty of protecting home plate as the runner comes tearing in to try to make the score.”
However, his Yankees would not surpass the 90-win threshold again in those seasons. Amidst that stretch, George Steinbrenner would buy the Yankees from CBS, giving the franchise an ostentatious figurehead and an open checkbook. The Yankees began to see the fruits of new ownership in 1975, when the Boss signed Catfish Hunter to the first big-money free agent deal in baseball history and he won 23 games en route to a Cy Young runner-up finish.
It was the following season, with Munson entrenched as team captain, that the Yankees would take the next step, winning 97 games and taking the East. In a deep and formidable lineup, the 29-year-old almost always hit third and delivered, batting .302 with 105 RBI. That offensive performance, paired with his defensive ability and handling of a surging pitching staff, netted him the 1976 AL MVP, joining Yogi Berra and Elston Howard as the third Yankees catcher to do so.
Munson was a force in the ALCS against the rival Royals, hitting .435 in a series that came down to a decisive Game 5. In a back-and-forth affair that would end in a 7-6 Yankees victory, the Yankee captain collected two separate RBI base knocks that equated to the difference in the game. He was even better in the World Series, going 9-for-17, but the rest of his team would not follow as New York was swept by Cincinnati.
That offseason came with another encouraging announcement for Munson. Steinbrenner agreed to pay him $1.25 million over five years, making him the team’s highest-paid player. Munson disclosed at the time a verbal agreement that Steinbrenner would adjust the contract if needed to ensure he remained atop the team’s payroll no matter who they signed in the interim. It wasn’t much later that he learned of a free agent agreement that would pay veteran slugger Reggie Jackson between $3 million and $3.5 million over the same time period. This broken trust with Steinbrenner contributed not only to a rift in their relationship but the beginnings of a disdain for Jackson and a general calcification of Munson’s already ornery public persona.
The Yankees’ 1977 season would become the stuff of legend. Reggie and Billy fighting in the dugout at Fenway. Jackson’s infamous “straw that stirs the drink” interview. Billy refusing to bat Reggie cleanup. With the Bronx Zoo open for business, Munson may no longer have been the Yankees’ biggest star or most dynamic personality, but he continued to rake, hitting .308 and driving in 100 for the third straight year. It would be Jackson, who Munson had ironically nicknamed “Mr. October” early on the playoffs as he struggled, who rose to the challenge in the World Series, hitting three homers in the clincher and earning the derisive moniker in earnest. But Munson was his usual, reliable self, hitting .304 with a pair of homers to help the Yankees topple first the Royals and then the Dodgers for their 21st title.
The next year brought much of the same. Munson, now in his 30s, was slowed by a series of injuries, including sore knees, nerve damage in his thumb, and bursitis in his right arm. These issues sapped him of his power, as he hit only six homers, the fewest since his rookie season. Munson still hit .297 and appeared in 125 games behind the dish, providing a steadying force as the Yankees overcame a 14-game deficit and Martin’s mid-season departure to take the East in a thrilling, one-game playoff against Boston. In what would become known as the Bucky Dent game, Munson delivered a key RBI double in the seventh to provide some much-needed insurance.
He kept it going in the playoffs, hitting .302 as the Yankees once again defeated Kansas City and LA to repeat.
On August 2, 1979, with the Yankees in the midst of a disappointing campaign and while dealing with knee injuries that were making it difficult for him to catch every day, Munson went to the Canton-Akron airport to work on landings in his new Cessna twin engine jet. After earning his pilot’s license in the 1977 offseason, aviation had become a passion and an avenue for more easily visiting his family back in Ohio during the season. While attempting his third landing of the day, the Cessna clipped three trees before crashing and setting fire, taking the life of its pilot.
The tragedy sent the baseball world into mourning. The brash Steinbrenner, famous for his aphorism that winning was second in importance only to breathing, could not help but puncture that façade.
“There is very little I can say to adequately express my feelings at this moment. I’ve lost a dear friend, a pal and one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever known. We spent many hours together talking baseball and business. He loved his family, he was our leader. The great sport, which made him so famous, seems so very small and unimportant now. And there lies a great lesson for all of us.”
The Yankees continued to play, in part at the request of Munson’s widow, Diana. The captain’s funeral was held on August 6th in Ohio, with the full team in attendance and his close friends and teammates Bobby Murcer and Lou Piniella delivering eulogies. That evening, they returned to the Bronx to face the Orioles, with Murcer accounting for all five Yankees runs and walking off Baltimore in a cathartic victory.
After his untimely passing, Munson’s legacy has remained central for the team to which he devoted himself for 11 seasons. His number 15 was retired immediately after his death and a plaque was added in Monument Park the following year. His locker remained untouched until the Yankees moved to their new ballpark in 2009, at which point it was transferred to the stadium’s museum. A replica of the locker is also on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Diana Munson remains a fixture of Old-Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium, invariably receiving a strong ovation in memory of her husband. On what would have been his 79th birthday, join us in celebrating the extraordinary life of Thurman Munson.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
