Will Burke at work drive the Tigers berserk? | Getty Images
The White Sox have a chance today to not just sweep a road series, but in the process give Tigers players confidence that they can schedule a vacation in early October without fear of a schedule conflict. And the pitching matchup is strongly in favor of dropping a Detroit team that traded away Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize to 5 1/2 games back.
That’s because the Sox will start Sean Burke, who has been excellent all season (2.99 ERA), but superb lately, yielding just five earned runs in 30 innings in his last five starts. That would make Chicago a strong favorite under any circumstance, but they’re even more so because Detroit is countering with 32-year-old righty Drew Anderson, a reliever who pitched 1 1/3 innings for the Sox in 2020 and surrendered six runs.
Anderson is a career minor-leaguer getting his first crack at extended major league time, and he’s spent almost all of that time in the pen, with only four starts in 42 appearances. He was stretched out to as long as four innings in his last two times out, but look for a string of relievers before the day is out.
Ansderson hasn’t faced the Sox much, but Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery have both gone deep on him in a total of three at-bats. And Burke faces a Tigers lineup that is 8-for-30 against him lifetime with no dingers (but a Dingler):
First pitch is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. Central, with a chance of thunderstorms in mid-afternoon. Usual broadcast suspects.
As the Senators enter a new season, one of their biggest areas of strength is their depth at centre. There may not be a Hart Trophy candidate in there, but there’s some serious quality throughout the group.
Ten years ago, the Senators probably envisioned 18-year-old Logan Brown now being the best of this group in 2026, a skilled veteran leading the way for younger centres.
But it's a vision that never came close to reality.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss Jake Sanderson's standing among the best defensemen in the game.
At the 2016 Draft, the Senators were so excited to draft Brown that they didn't even want to risk waiting one more pick.
Pierre Dorion, less than two months into his new job as Sens GM, held the 12th overall selection. Worried that the New Jersey Devils would take Brown at 11, Dorion sent them a third-round pick for the right to switch spots with them and select the Windsor Spitfires star at No. 11.
When you think about it, the Devils' willingness to make that deal might hint that Brown wasn't actually going to be their selection. But you never know.
Brown was seen as one of the best prospects in the draft. So expectations were high. The Hockey News' Ryan Kennedy summed it up in our 2026 draft review issue.
"The Senators liked Logan Brown so much they traded up one spot to ensure they'd get him in the draft. The son of Ottawa 67's coach Jeff Brown was thrilled to go to the team he cheered for as a kid. Everyone involved will be even more thrilled if the 6-foot-6 center turns out to be the second coming of Joe Thornton."
Ten years later, and with all due respect, the Senators would have settled for the second coming of Joe Veleno.
The Senators weren't alone in seeing Brown's upside. He had 74 points in 59 games with Windsor in his draft year, and towering centres with skill don't come along too often.
But after draft day, it was one battle after another on the injury front. And even when healthy, it was clear that his skating needed further development.
Because of those two factors, he played just 30 NHL games for the Senators over four years. But his agent, Andy Scott, had another opinion of the situation right after the Sens cut him from training camp in 2019.
"I can say with full confidence, that I've really never seen another player met with such resistance by the team that drafted them early in the first round," Scott told TSN 1200 radio.
Scott pointed to the fact that the Senators were in the middle of a rebuild and were promoting "The Kids are All Right" as their slogan, arguing that if that was the case, maybe they should, you know, actually play the kids.
Brown did play 23 games with Ottawa that year, while putting up 8 points. In Belleville, he thrived with 28 points in 25 games, but as has been the case in every season of his career, it too was shortened by injury.
During training camp in 2021, five years after they drafted him, the Senators turned the page. They traded Brown to the St. Louis Blues for one season of forward Zach Sanford.
Going to St. Louis, where Brown spent a lot of years growing up, seemed like an ideal fresh start. He played a career-high 39 NHL games for the Blues in 2021-22, putting up 11 points. Brown played another 30 games for St. Louis in 2022-23, finishing with two goals and six points.
Those remain the last NHL games he's played. And while he's proven to be an excellent producer in the AHL, injuries have continued to leave him playing only small parts of seasons.
Brown signed a one-year deal with Tampa in the summer of 2023, but injuries wiped out his entire 2023-24 season. The following year, he signed an AHL contract with Syracuse and had a solid comeback season, recording 29 points in 33 games.
That was enough to convince Los Angeles to sign him to a one-year, two-way deal in July 2025. He played just 29 games for Ontario, posting 14 points.
As of this writing, Brown remains an unrestricted free agent.
Of course, criticizing a draft decision 10 years after the fact is super easy. Literally every NHL team has a long list of draft stories they'd like to rewrite.
But if the Brown pick feels like it has a little extra sting to it, there are a couple of reasons for that:
They gave up a third-round pick for the right to make an ill-fated decision.
Some pretty good players were still sitting right there.
Charlie McAvoy went three picks after Brown, 14th overall, to Boston. He's gone on to become a fantastic, hard-edged NHL defenceman, playing more than 570 games and producing more than 350 points.
And if they were really set on a skilled, 6-foot-6, 220-pound centre, Tage Thompson was still on the board too. Thompson took five years to pop as an NHL player, but he's become a star as well.
We also don't have to just cherry-pick the stars from that draft. If we're being honest, almost every first-rounder that year went on to play more NHL games than Brown's 99.
In fairness to Dorion and his crew, Brown wasn't some wild reach in 2016. He was a highly regarded prospect with a rare combination of size and skill, and the Senators weren't alone in believing he could become an impact player.
He's still only 28, so maybe his hockey story still has a chance for a happy ending. Stranger things have happened.
In the meantime, 10 years later, it's still fascinating to look back and wonder what might have been.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest headlines below:
The Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros close their three-game series tonight at Daikin Park on Sunday Night Baseball, with Bryan Woo facing Hunter Brown in the rubber match.
Houston is a -129 moneyline favorite, while Seattle is +121 with the total set at 7.5.
Our Mariners vs. Astros predictions are backing the Astros behind Brown's contact suppression. Read on for our MLB picks for Sunday, Aug. 16.
Who will win Mariners vs Astros today: Astros moneyline (-120)
The Houston Astros are my moneyline pick because their biggest offensive strength attacks Bryan Woo's clearest weakness.
Houston owns an .859 OPS against right-handed pitching at home over the last 30 days, the best mark in MLB over that span.
Woo has allowed a 43.5% hard-hit rate, ranking in the 13th percentile, while his four-seamer has been hit hard 44.3% of the time.
Hunter Brown provides the opposite matchup, holding opponents to an 85.7-mph average exit velocity and 36.2% hard-hit rate.
I'd play to -140.
COVERS INTEL:Woo throws his four-seam fastball 47.4% of the time, and opponents have produced a .418 xSLG against it.
Mariners vs Astros Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (+101)
The Seattle Mariners' recent offensive form runs directly into Brown's greatest strength.
Seattle owns just a .660 OPS over the last seven days, and Brown has been one of baseball's best pitchers at limiting any type of hard contact.
Brown ranks in the 95th percentile in hard-hit rate, allowing just a 36.2% mark with an 85.7-mph average exit velocity and .334 xSLG.
Woo has also limited barrels to 6.7%, despite allowing more general hard contact. Seattle's matchup with Brown makes it difficult for both offenses to contribute enough to clear 7.5.
I'd play to -118, or +110 at 7.
Mariners vs Astros home run prediction: Yordan Alvarez (+276)
Woo throws his four-seamer and sinker on 65.8% of his pitches, and Yordan Alvarez has destroyed both offerings. He carries a .796 xSLG, .516 xwOBA, and 59.1% hard-hit rate against four-seamers, plus a .584 xSLG and .439 xwOBA against sinkers.
If Alvarez gets anything competitive, then this matchup sets up well for him.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 43-42, +2.1 units
Over/Under bets: 48-37, +12.58 units
Mariners vs Astros weather
Houston is forecast to remain around 95 degrees near first pitch, but Daikin Park's roof guidelines call for closure when the temperature or heat index exceeds 77 degrees, so I expect a climate-controlled matchup.
Mariners vs Astros odds
Moneyline: Mariners +120 | Astros -130
Run line: Mariners +1.5 | Astros -1.5
Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5
Mariners vs Astros trend
The Astros have covered the run line in 29 of their last 50 games (+10.75 Units / 17% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Mariners vs. Astros.
How to watch Mariners vs Astros and game info
Location
Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Date
Sunday, August 16, 2026
First pitch
7:20 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Mariners starting pitcher
Bryan Woo (8-8, 4.15 ERA)
Astros starting pitcher
Hunter Brown (3-2, 2.68 ERA)
Mariners vs Astros latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Don't worry, the good people over at FanDuel are offering a 30% boost for this matchup, which gets Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez up to +114 if you want to take advantage.
Regardless, the lone elite-rated hitter in this matchup on Batters-Box covers 100% of Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo's pitch mix. On top of that, in 21 elite ratings at home this season, Alvarez has recorded at least a hit 90.48% of the time, two hits 52.38% of the time, and has gone Over this prop 71.43% of the time.
Over the big fella's last 10 games, he owns a 50% hard-hit rate and 13.3% barrel rate. Woo has allowed the last 30 lefties he has faced to produce a 58% hard-hit rate and 21.1% ground-ball rate.
Alvarez has been crushing the baseball as of late, and he broke his home run drought on Friday. Look for more bases this evening.
Take this prop down to -120, or take his alt line of 3+ hits, runs, and RBI.
Taylor Trammell Over 0.5 hits (-135)
Astros outfielder Taylor Trammell doing the bare minimum this evening feels worth paying the $1.35 juice. The 28-year-old has been crushing right-handed pitching, generating a 53% hard-hit rate and 23.5% barrel rate while owning a .308 ISO and .462 SLG over his last 30 at-bats against righties.
With Woo allowing a ton of hard-hit balls to left-handed bats and Trammell swinging it so well against right-handed pitching, simply putting the ball in play and reaching base safely feels very doable.
Use the boost, or take this down to -140.
Hunter Brown Over 17.5 outs (-130)
Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown has been shoving all season long, and he draws one of the coldest lineups in baseball on Sunday night. The Seattle Mariners' offense over their last 21 games owns a 94 wRC+, .302 wOBA, and .678 OPS.
The top of the lineup has gone extremely cold over their last 30 at-bats against right-handed pitching. Taylor Ward, Cole Young, Randy Arozarena, and Dominic Canzone all have batting averages of .250 or worse, on-base percentages of .267 or worse, and barrel rates of 5% or worse.
Brown has been fantastic over his last five starts, posting a 3.81 ERA, 3.21 xERA, and 1.13 WHIP. The right-hander has also done a great job limiting hard-hit balls during that stretch.
With Brown owning the second-highest pitcher rating on the day, along with an elite-rated matchup wOBA, ISO, strikeout rate, and ground-ball rate, I trust him to go six full innings.
Take this down to -140.
How to watch Mariners vs Astros and game info
Location
Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Date
Sunday, August 16, 2026
First pitch
7:20 p.m. ET
TV
NBC/Peacock
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Parker was a two-time NCAA national champion at Tennessee, was drafted No. 1 in 2008, and became the only player in WNBA history to be named Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. She went on to be a three-time WNBA champion and two-time league MVP (2008, 2013). Parker also is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012).
In her induction speech, Parker talked about how her journey started with her father.
The man that planted the seed
Candace Parker shares the story on how her dad positioned her at point guard, forever changing the game.
Parker also gave a big shout-out to Allen Iverson.
"In '97, my brother got drafted and traded on Draft night to the Sixers."
-throws basketball to Allen Iverson-
"And this guy right here became his teammate... the dominance and the impact he has is still felt today... I am sorry I am blown away by you having a suit that has… pic.twitter.com/5PiLZ2t03K
She also talked about being part of the fabric of the game — learning lessons from Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie and passing them on to future Hall of Famer A'Ja Wilson.
Whether Candace was a rookie or a vet, the momentum was always there
Candace Parker speaks on the impact of the early days with Lisa Leslie, and passing the torch to A'ja Wilson.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 15: Catcher Freddy Fermin #54 of the San Diego Padres waits for the throw as Angel Genao #17 of the Cleveland Guardians scores during the second inning at Progressive Field on August 15, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (66-58) at Cleveland Guardians (60-64), August 16, 2026, 10:40 a.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our thread
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 15: Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets singles in the winning run in the ninth inning of a 5-4 win against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on August 15, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets lineup
A.J. Ewing – CF
Francisco Lindor – SS
Bo Bichette – 3B
Carson Benge – RF
Jared Young – 1B
Luis Robert – LF
Brett Baty – 2B
Jorge Polanco – DH
Luis Torrens – C
SP: Christian Scott – RHP
Nationals lineup
CJ Abrams – SS
Abimelec Ortiz – 1B
Dylan Crews – RF
Daylen Lile – LF
Brady House – 3B
Jorbit Vivas – 2B
Andres Chaparro – DH
Keibert Ruiz – C
Jacob Young – CF
SP: Jake Irvin – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 1:40 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
MIAMI, FLORIDA - AUGUST 11: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on August 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are finishing a three-game set as they take on the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park.
Paul Skenes is getting the ball for the Pirates in this matchup. Skenes has lost three of his last four starts, including his last appearance against the Miami Marlins on August 11. He pitched only five innings, giving up five hits and one earned run in a 2-0 loss on the road.
Skenes dealt with a span of nearly two months, from May 17 to July 1, before rattling off three straight victories in the middle of July. He has dropped his last four games, and the Pirates have needed him to get back on track. Perhaps this is the game to do it.
The Red Sox are going with Patrick Sandoval, who is making his seventh start of the season. In his last appearance on August 11 against the Toronto Blue Jays, Sandoval had his longest outing of the year, with six innings, giving up eight hits and two runs in a 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Center. It was Sandoval’s first loss of the year, and he’s using this start as a chance to get that sour taste out of his mouth.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Patrick Sandoval (1-1, 3.30 ERA) vs. Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.88 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below.
DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 17: Starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano of the Colorado Rockies throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Coors Field on April 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers and their weary bullpen are 10 days into a stretch of 13 game days in a row, with the only thing standing between them and a rest day are the Colorado Rockies at the pitching slaughterhouse known as Coors Field in Denver.
Blake Snell was terrific last Tuesday in his return from three months on the injured list with 10 strikeouts in six strong innings against the Kansas City Royals. He’ll take the ball on Monday night in Colorado.
Tomoyuki Sugano starts for the Rockies, in his second year in MLB after last season with the Baltimore Orioles. Shohei Ohtani has five hits in eight at-bats against Sugano with three home runs and a double.
Mar 23, 2017; Clearwater, FL, USA; A Philadelphia Phillies fans holds a baseball for autographs before the start of a baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Minnesota Twins during spring training at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Phillies will go for a sweep over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Sunday.
Andrew Painter gets the start for the Phillies. The rookie is just 2-8 with a 6.27 ERA but has looked much better since returning from the minors.
BRADENTON, FL - MARCH 20: Brett Callahan #58 of the Detroit Tigers hits a single in the seventh inning during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On Sunday, the Detroit Tigers promoted left-handed hitting outfielder Brett Callahan from Triple-A to the major league club. To open a spot on the active roster as well as on the 40-man roster, outfielder Trei Cruz has been designated for assignment.
The 24-year-old Callahan has been a really nice success story even to get to this point. He was the Tigers 13th rounder out of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia back in the 2023 draft. He signed for $197,500 and made his pro debut for Low-A Lakeland late in the 2023 season. Callahan was banged up quite a bit in 2024 and again in 2025, but once he finally got beyond the injury bug, he made rapid progress in the second half of the 2025 season at High-A West Michigan.
Callahan had no helium coming out of a small college as a late round selection, but we identified the natural loft in his swing and pull-hitter tendencies early on, along with solid plate discipline and a good all-around toolkit, and ranked him 36th in the system heading into 2025. After a strong second half last year in West Michigan, he made a little noise in major league camp back in the spring, hitting a pair of pretty majestic home runs. We ranked him 26th in the farm system back in January, and Callahan then proceeded to tear through the Eastern League with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves. He hit .268/.374/.504 with 12 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and a 133 wRC+ in 265 plate appearances there, with a strikeout rate of 20.8 percent against a walk rate of 12.8 percent. As a result he’s been one of the biggest risers on national prospect lists this year.
Callahan was promoted to Triple-A Toledo along with John Peck in late June. He is an aggressive swinger who, like Hao-Yu Lee, rarely gets cheated at the plate. Callahan will take his walks, but he will still chase out of the zone too much, posting a 34.6 O-swing rate in Toledo. His strikeout rate has spiked up to 25.8 percent with the Mud Hens, and while that wasn’t a surprise, the chase rate will have to improve for Callahan to hang and ultimately thrive in the major leagues. Improving his approach at the Triple-A level was the final key to reaching the Show but he hasn’t had enough time there to work on it yet. Even so, he manages to do damage on mistake pitches even when he’s not running hot, and the Tigers might catch a bit of fire with him in a short first look at the major leagues.
Typically playing right field, but good in either corner, Callahan has enough speed and experience to handle center field, but his plus arm plays more effectively from the corners. He’s capable of stealing some bases as well. Overall it’s a pretty well-rounded profile, but he’ll likely struggle to adapt to the type of sequencing major league hitters can deal out to an aggressive young hitter. There’s still a ceiling here in which Callahan hits like Kerry Carpenter while playing better defense, but he’ll have to adapt to better pitching and put together a more disciplined approach at the plate to get enough pitches he can drive for damage.
The Tigers today selected the contract of OF Brett Callahan from Triple-A Toledo. Callahan, who will wear uniform #34, joins the first major league roster of his professional career.
This is the first season where Callahan has cleared 300 plate appearances, and those injuries stunted his progress for a while in pro ball. Despite his age, he really hasn’t had a long stretch of uninterrupted reps until this season, and since he’s been healthy he’s moved quickly through the system. We like him, but this is coming really quickly after his promotion to Triple-A Toledo, and he is going to have some struggles adapting to the major league level. That may be somewhat balanced out by the fact that he has a pretty well rounded game and will do some things to help his team win in the field and on the basepaths as well. Either way, the Tigers need some temporary corner outfield help, and Callahan has more to offer at this point than Cruz.
As for Trei Cruz, injuries in his mid-20’s, including Tommy John surgery in 2024, interrupted his development in some crucial years. He bounced back with a really good 2025 campaign that got him added to the 40-man, but wasn’t able to show much in his major league debut. He has really struggled at the Triple-A level after dealing with another injury early in the season. Now 28 years old, there just wasn’t a big breakout coming, but Cruz did become the third generation of his family to reach the major leagues and may eventually find his way to some work as a utilityman somewhere.
By hitting three home runs in his first three major league at-bats, Báez, 21, provided an unprecedented and unforgettable debut. Though fervent Cardinals fans and prospect hounds certainly anticipated Báez's arrival from Class AAA Memphis, he nonetheless was the club's No. 3 prospect and ranked a consensus top 50 prospect in all the game.
Just where did Báez come from and how did he announce his arrival so definitively? Let's explore:
Who is Joshua Báez?
Wrigley Field was filled with a significant Báez cheering section - an international cadre of supporters - for his Saturday, Aug. 16 debut. Báez was born in Boston, yet his family moved to the Dominican Republic when he was just months old. They eventually returned to the Boston area.
Báez eventually filled out his frame - he's listed at a linebacker-esque 6-3, 220 pounds - and put his raw power and overall athleticism on display as an amateur. Perfect Game ranked him the No. 1 prospect in Massachusetts, the No. 2 outfielder in the USA and No. 7 overall in 2021
He was also a two-way star, topping out at 96 mph on the mound. But it was clear hitting was his future, and he secured a college commitment to Vanderbilt.
How did the Cardinals acquire Josh Báez?
But Báez never made it to Nashville. The Cardinals chose him with the 54th overall pick in the draft, right behind Cincinnati Reds All-Star pitcher Andrew Abbott and eight picks before the San Diego Padres chose eventual two-time All-Star slugger James Wood.
He was signed to a $2.25 million bonus, more than sufficient to buy him out of his Vanderbilt commitment.
Joshua Báez minor league statistics
His first full pro season in 2022 was limited to 32 games, though Báez, then 19, managed to hit four homers and post an .870 OPS in that small sample. He repeated low A in 2023 and finally graduated to high Class A Peoria (Ill.) in 2024, but struck out 114 times in 86 games across the two levels.
Then came the breakout.
Báez needed just 38 games to leave A ball behind in 2025, earning a promotion to Class AA for the final 79 games of the year. And he made the leap deftly, posting his first 20-homer season with a combined .884 OPS. That earned him a ticket to Class AAA to begin his season - and Báez's story picked up steam.
Joshua Báez's tribute to his father
If Báez was surely on the scouting community's radar by now - he was ranked 54th overall by Baseball America, 87th by MLB Pipeline entering this season - his narrative became far widely known thanks to one night in June. Báez's father, passed away on June 16, 2023.
Two months ago, on the third anniversary of his father's death, Báez showed his flair for the dramatic: He hit a career-best four home runs for Class AAA Memphis, a night that brought his mother to tears.
"Today was just really emotional," Báez said, per MILB.com. "I was just trying to push through, and it's just insane I was able to hit four home runs in one night."
What's Joshua Báez's future with Cardinals?
Báez's splash debut couldn't have been better synced to the Cardinals' re-tooling program - and their surprise run into contention that's come with it. While the Cardinals have faded from serious wild-card contention, they remain geared toward near-term contention. Their trade deadline deal sending Lars Nootbaar to Arizona opened up at-bats in the outfield, and now left field should belong to Báez.
With Jordan Walker's breakout season finally arriving, the Cardinals potentially have a daunting look in the corner outfield spots in coming years.
Not to get too far ahead of ourselves. Báez will eventually swing and miss at a pitch. His OPS won't be 3.500 forever. Yet the baseball world surely knows his name now. And all signs point to him staying very front of mind in coming years.
Los Angeles, - August 15: Former Los Angeles Dodger Reggie Smith(second from left) with former Dodger greats is inducted into the Legends of Dodger Baseball prior to a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, August 15, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Reggie Smith got his moment in the sun on Saturday at Dodger Stadium, as he was inducted into the Legends of Dodger Baseball ahead of the Dodgers game against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Smith was surrounded by many of his former teammates from his six seasons with the Dodgers, which included pennants in 1977, 1978, and 1981, and a championship in that final trip to the Fall Classic.
“Those are pretty good ball clubs right there,” Smith said in a group interview before the ceremony. “It’s teammates like that that help to push you and inspire you do good things as we did for one another.”
Catcher Steve Yeager was in attendance, and said in a video, “Reggie Smith is a complete winner in any way, shape, or form.”
“There’s nothing he couldn’t do on a baseball field,” said Dusty Baker, who was inducted into the Legends of Dodger Baseball in 2024. “He had a shotgun arm, he had power, he was a great baserunner, a tremendous defensive player. And above all, probably one of the smartest baseball players that I’ve never been around.”
Eric Karros, who was rising through the Dodgers’ system when Smith was the organization’s minor league coordinator called Smith, “Probably outside of my father, and Tommy [Lasorda], probably the most impactful person for me in my career.”
The 81-year-old Smith was also surrounded by family, and was particularly happy that his 93-year-old brother and 95-year-old sister were in attendance as well.
Before the ceremony recounted his friendship with Dave Roberts, which goes back nearly three decades and includes annual trips to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It began when Smith was the hitting coach for Team USA in the Pan American Games in 1999, and Roberts was a player.
“We connected then and maintained that connection,” Smith said Saturday. “Dave is a good friend, and he’s like a son to me, but he’s also one of our group, we call ourselves The Outlaws.”
Among the highlights of the ceremony was speaker Rick Monday citing examples of Smith being someone the players listened to, and joked that Smith didn’t like being told he hit better left-handed than right-handed.
(Editor’s note: In Smith’s career, the switch-hitter hit .287/.369/.503 batting left-handed, and .288/.359/.455 right-handed. Monday was correct.)
In Smith’s first two full seasons with the Dodgers (1977-78), he finished fourth in National League MVP voting in both years.
“I don’t feel I was overlooked. I had a job to do,” Smith explained Saturday. “It was about trying to bring a world championship to Los Angeles, and played with a great bunch of guys.”
Among that great bunch of guys on hand for Saturday’s ceremony were Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Baker, and Manny Mota, all Legends of Dodger Baseball. Also there were fellow former teammates Yeager, Bill Russell, Ken Landreaux, Jerry Reuss, Charlie Hough, Derrel Thomas, Lee Lacy, Jerry Rotster.
Before the ceremony, Smith stumped for Davey Lopes — who passed away in April — and Russell to also be inducted into the Legends of Dodger Baseball, so that all four members of the Dodgers famed infield that played together for eight and a half seasons would be together permanently at Dodger Stadium. Smith also ended his speech on the field calling for Lopes and Russell’s induction as well.
If one name raised eyebrows with some fans when the class of 2026 to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame was announced, it was Doc Rivers.
His critics focus on his (at times spectacular) failures, but his overall resume earned the call to the Hall. Rivers is fifth all-time in wins by a coach, ahead of Hall of Famers like Phil Jackson, George Karl and Larry Brown. He has a championship ring as a coach, with the 2008 Boston Celtics. Rivers was an NBA head coach for 27 consecutive seasons, starting in Orlando, then moving to Boston, the LA Clippers, Philadelphia and Milwaukee. He has a career regular-season record of 1,191-861 (58%) and has coached in 226 playoff games. That all came after Rivers played more than 10 seasons in the NBA, and he was an All-Star in 1988.
To be fair, Rivers has had some spectacular playoff flameouts — his teams have blown 3-1 series leads three times — and had some rough exits from a couple of his stops. The voters for the Hall of Fame looked past that, and it was not a discussion for Rivers when he took to the podium Saturday night.
Rivers spoke from the podium in his trademark raspy voice, but said that was what 27 years of NBA coaching will do.
“My voice is already raspy... I want you guys to know a couple quick things. This isn’t my real voice. Coaching stole it from me... I swear I used to have a high voice and use to be able to really sing, can't do that anymore."
Rivers did talk about winning a championship in 2008 in Boston.
Doc Rivers reflects on coaching Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce and the @celtics’ 2008 NBA championship during his @Hoophall enshrinement speech! pic.twitter.com/vY44KOq9vk
The Columbus Blue Jackets have officially been ranked as one of the NHL's worst teams right now, as Proteau gave them the No. 27 spot.
"Columbus needed a big 2026 off-season, and they didn’t get it. That’s why the Blue Jackets are in 27th place in TheHockeyNews.com’s off-season ranking," Proteau wrote.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro is of Italian-Canadian descent and has been chosen to be the Grand Marshal of the 2026 Columbus Italian Festival Parade.
The parade will be on October 11th at 1 PM. The parade begins at Goodale Park in Victorian Village and will end at the festival grounds in Italian Village.
Josh Anderson - "The Andy Man" wore #53 when he first started playing games in Columbus. Anderson played a total of 267 games for the Blue Jackets, spread over six seasons. He scored 65 goals and totaled 115 points during his time with Columbus.
The 2018-19 season saw Anderson set career highs in goals, assists, and points. Unfortunately for him, he was never able to replicate that in Columbus. The following year, he tore his shoulder in December and had to have season-ending surgery, which wasn't decided until March.
Craig Rivet - 2011 - Originally drafted by Montreal in 1992, where he played the first 12 years of his career, he came to the Jackets at the end of his career in 2004. Rivet, who was the captain of the Buffalo Sabres at the time, was waived by Buffalo on February 23, 2011. On February 26, 2011, Rivet was claimed on re-entry waivers by the Jackets, where he played in 14 games and totaled 1 point. After announcing his retirement in October of 2011, he signed with the ECHL's Elmira Jackals. It was later discovered that he signed the contract to obtain his United States permanent residency.
Andy Murray - 2007-11 - Murray was drafted in the 8th round of the 2001 NHL draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets as a Center.
After playing four years at Bemidji State University, Murray turned pro and played for the Syracuse Crunch for two seasons before making his NHL Debut during the 2007-08 season. In his rookie year, he played in 39 games and totaled 10 points.
He played three more seasons in Columbus and played in 181 games. He scored 23 goals and totaled 36 points during his time with the CBJ.
Joakim Lindström - 2006 - Lindström was drafted by Columbus in the 2nd round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
Lindström made his North American debut in the last game of the 04-05 season for the Syracuse Crunch, the CBJ's AHL team. In the 05-06 season, he would make his Blue Jackets debut and play in three games. In 2008, after playing just 37 games, Lindström was traded to the Anaheim Ducks.
Marc Methot - 2006-12 - Methot was drafted by the Blue Jackets in the 6th round of the 2003 NHL Draft.
Methot played six years and 275 games for the CBJ, totaling 51 points on the Columbus blue line. He was the definition of a defensive defenseman.
On July 1, 2012, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators for future CBJ Captain Nick Foligno. After the trade to Ottawa, he would play another 349 NHL games.
Aaron Johnson - 2003-07/2011-12 - Johnson was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
Johnson played 172 games for the Jackets over two stints. Scouts said of Johnson was "A puck-moving defenseman, Johnson is a very good skater. Has good offensive instincts and can quarterback the power play. Can play a tough and physical game. Needs to improve his play in his own end."
COVERS INTEL:
Yordan Alvarez Over 1.5 total bases
