The Florida Panthers enter tonight's matchup with the Boston Bruins riding a four-game losing streak, and are desperate for points to hang around in the playoff race.
My Bruins vs. Panthers predictions expect them to get a much-needed win in a big divisional clash on home ice.
Let’s break down my NHL picks for Wednesday, February 4, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on TNT.
Bruins vs Panthers prediction
Bruins vs Panthers best bet: Panthers moneyline (-140)
While the Florida Panthers haven’t gotten the results they’ve wanted, they have largely played good hockey since Matthew Tkachuk returned to the lineup.
In the eight games with Tkachuk healthy and available, the Panthers have controlled a 57.43% share of the scoring chances. That is the second-highest mark in the league, trailing only the Lightning, who won seven of their eight games.
They are spending a lot of time on the front foot and getting significantly more chances than they’re giving up.
That can’t be said of the Boston Bruins, who sit 26th with a 45.21% scoring chance share over the same period of time.
Part of that is the penalty trouble they’ve run into, but I’m not sure that can be dismissed. They lead the league in PIMs per game and sit 26th in PK% this season. It’s nothing new; it’s the norm.
Including special teams, the Panthers will likely earn an edge in the shot/chance department this evening. They might also get reinforcements as the returns of Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell are looming.
Look for the back-to-back Stanley Cup winners to give Boston their best shot in an attempt to get some crucial points before the break.
Bruins vs Panthers same-game parlay
Tkachuk leads the Panthers in high-danger chances and expected goals over the past eight games. He’s creating a lot of looks, and that should continue tonight. He always seems to save his best for the Bruins, averaging 3.7 shots on goal over the past 23 meetings.
The Bruins have had a couple of days off since the Stadium Series game, which should benefit Hampus Lindholm. He has been very productive in similar situations, recording multiple shots in six straight following two days of rest.
Florida has won seven of the past 10 matchups with Boston. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Panthers.
How to watch Bruins vs Panthers
Location
Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL
Date
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Puck drop
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
TNT
Bruins vs Panthers latest injuries
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May 26, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians third base Gabriel Arias (13) and shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) return following the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Today, our topic for conversation is shortstop.
Which player do you prefer get the Opening Day nod as shortstop for the Cleveland Guardians – Gabriel Arias or Brayan Rocchio? And why?
Jul 1, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Ben Williamson (9) throws to first base for a force out on Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino (9) (not pictured) during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
On this week’s episode of Rays Your Voice, we discuss the recent press conference led by Governor Ron DeSantis, where major power players came out in support of the Rays new stadium plan on the Hillsborough College Dale Mabry campus. While funding was not discussed, Tuesday’s presser feels like a big step in the right direction for building a ballpark in Tampa.
We also discuss the three-team trade that saw the Rays acquire infielder Ben Williamson in exchange for Colton Ledbetter and a comp pick. Williamson is not the blockbuster acquisition that fans have been dreaming about this offseason (there was a better player involved in this deal headed to Seattle), but he does have the tools to carve a spot on this roster. We take a look at where he fits and what he brings to the table.
If you love what we do on Rays Your Voice, consider becoming a Patreon member for as little as $1/month. Also, if you’ve been a podcast listener from the jump, subscribe to our YouTube channel as well! We go live on YouTube for almost every single episode. Make sure to turn on our channel notifications so you can join us when we go live.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 1: AJ Johnson #4 of the Washington Wizards dunks the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings on February 1, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Wizards traveled to New York where they took on a savvy, veteran, professional team and got vanquished, 132-101. The home town crowd enjoyed the New York-sized victory, chanting “MVP” when Jalen Brunson shot free throws in the third quarter.
Editor’s Note: The game was played in DC.
Note back to the Editor: On TV, they showed entire sections of the stadium filled with people wearing Knicks regalia. Are you sure?!
Editor’s Note: Yes.
Wizards guard AJ Johnson scores in the team’s loss to the New York Knicks. | NBAE via Getty Images
In the grand tradition of Wizards/Bullets seeing their home stadium taken over by the opposing team’s fans, this one lands near the bottom. Sure, Lakers games probably take the top (bottom?) spot, but the Knicks faithful gave them a good run for their money last night.
Bright side: at least I got to listen to Walt Frazier, who remains thoroughly unique. Just once, I’d love to hear him on a broadcast with Charlotte Hornets play-by-play man Eric Collins. For fellow veteran Frazier watchers, last night he wore a leopard print blazer and a leopard print necktie. This ensemble is actually somewhat tame by his standards. I hope there’s a social media account that posts pictures of his outfits.
In addition to entertaining with his one-of-a-kind rhyming and SAT-word vocabulary, Frazier is a worthwhile listen on basketball topics. Last night, he shared how he returned from a sprained ankle in half the expected time by spending his nights in a chair putting his foot in and out of a bucket of ice. He talked about how some of the players being honored on “Black Excellence Night” were “my nemesis.”
And, he quickly and correctly answered the evening’s trivia question, “When was the last time the Knicks had two All-Stars in the same season.” He did have something of a cheat, considering that the correct answer was himself and Dave DeBusschere in 1974.
He also had this observation, which sounded like it could have been ripped from my notebook every time the Wizards play: “You can tell these guys are young by the turnovers they make. So careless with the ball.”
Speaking of being a “veteran,” every time I see AJ Johnson, my brain says, “A.J. English.”
For those readers who are younger than LeBron James, English was a 1990 second round pick out of Virginia Union University by the Bullets. He played two seasons for the team— 1990-91 and 1991-92. He actually wasn’t bad — at least good enough to think he could be on an NBA roster for a few years. He signed with the Portland Trail Blazers after those two years in Washington, didn’t make the team and never played in the league again.
Other highlights from the game: late in the half, the Knicks broadcaster shared the news that the Los Angeles Clippers had traded James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second round pick.
Thoughts & Observations
In the first two minutes of the game, I jotted three notes, “Walt Frazier!!!” and “George out of control closeout” and “KAT overpowers Sarr for oreb and putback hook.” Feels like I could have copy-and-pasted that over and over all night long.
In the first quarter, Mikal Bridges made a crosscourt pass to the weakside corner that used to be an example of amazing court vision and skill. It’s one John Wall made regularly. Now it’s routine in the NBA.
Under new head coach Mike Brown, the Knicks tried to manage Karl-Anthony Towns’ defensive deficiencies by forcing penetration to the middle (somewhat unorthodox at the NBA level) and helping hard from the perimeter. The result: New York gave up tons of threes and still had trouble controlling the paint. Now the Knicks are back to “icing” pick-and-roll (forcing the ball to the sideline) and trying to keep the ball out of the middle. In other words, the kind of scheme Tom Thibodeau was using.
I had several notes about Wizards players doing a poor job of helping at-rim. One example was in the second quarter — Towns drove on Sarr for an and-one dunk. The weird thing was that Kyshawn George rotated into the perfect place to contest…and did nothing. He literally just stood there with his arms at his side and watched Towns dunk. On another second quarter play, OG Anunoby drove past George. Both Bub Carrington and Bilal Coulibaly were in good “low man” position on opposite sides of the lane. Neither came over to cut off the drive or contest the dunk. I’m not sure what happened to George on the first example other than maybe he thought Sarr was in position to make a play. On the second, I suspect it was communication issue.
The Knicks led by 27 at the half, which was their biggest halftime lead of the season.
At the half, the Wizards were -25 or worse with each of the five starters on the floor. They finished the game at -30 or worse.
Especially when he’s pivoting on his left shoulder, I’d very much prefer for Sarr to settle himself and shoot the jump hook rather than a fading jumper.
In the third quarter, Walt Frazier joined me in wondering why the Wizards kept letting Jalen Brunson go left. It’s right up there with why they were literally trying to force Harden left when they played the Clippers earlier this season.
The only real drama in this one was whether the Knicks could hold Washington under 100 points (as they have each of their victims in their current seven-game winning streak), and whether they could win by 40 or more. The Knicks failed on both counts.
Four Factors
Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).
The four factors are measured by:
eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORS
KNICKS
WIZARDS
LGAVG
eFG%
61.7%
47.1%
54.3%
OREB%
22.0%
19.6%
26.1%
TOV%
8.9%
12.9%
12.7%
FTM/FGA
0.233
0.233
0.209
PACE
101
99.5
ORTG
131
100
115.5
Stats & Metrics
PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).
PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.
POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.
ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.
USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.
ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.
+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 01: Jordan Beck #27 of the Colorado Rockies is tagged out by Willy Adames #2 of the San Francisco Giants on a stolen base attempt in the first inning at Oracle Park on May 01, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
THIS IS A GUEST ROCKPILE BY CORY COHEN (@cocomajobo.bsky.social)
A lot has been written about the many ways in which the 2025 Colorado Rockies were not very good at baseball.
Most of the reasons come down to the usual suspect of poor talent that cannot easily be fixed. There is, however, one aspect of the team’s terrible performance last year that can, theoretically, be addressed without needing to overhaul the roster: good ol’ thievery.
Last year, the Rockies did steal 87 bases, which ranked a totally forgettable 23rd in the league. The problem is, they were caught a whopping 39 times en route to that total. That comes out to an abysmal 68.5% success rate, which ranked dead last. The second worst were the Kansas City Royals — a full 4% above them. Meanwhile, the New York Mets led the league all the way with an 88.4% success rate (more on them later).
The first instinct when seeing these numbers is to assume that the team was just slow.
In fact, the ‘25 Rox were pretty darn fast. All six players who got at least 100 opportunities had a sprint speed above the league average mark of 27.0 ft/sec. As a team, they ranked third in terms of average sprint speed at 27.9 feet per second behind only the Milwaukee Brewers (28.0 ft/sec) and Philadelphia Phillies (28.1 ft./sec).
So, if they’re fast, what makes them so bad at stealing bases?
There’s a ton of factors that contribute to something as messy as this, but let’s take a look at one that’s surprisingly simple.
Here’s Tyler Freeman attempting to run on Merrill Kelly:
Before the pitch, Lindor is already in motion, but Freeman remains static. By the time of the pitcher’s first move, Freeman only has a 10.7-foot lead while Lindor has already achieved a 15.5-foot one. That’s not even getting into how Lindor’s momentum lends itself to an easier time committing to the sprint.
Granted, Lindor is pretty fast (only 1.1 ft/sec slower than Freeman), so he’s perhaps an imperfect example, but you know who isn’t? Juan Soto.
After joining Lindor’s Mets, Soto started practicing an approximation of his patented home plate shuffle at first base. He proceeded to steal 38 bases in only 42 attempts despite sporting only the 549th sprint speed in the majors. The Mets as a whole had an average lead of 13.1 feet on stolen base attempts, which was comfortably the highest in the league, to go along with being last in sprint speed. That combination of furthest lead but slowest speed led to, as mentioned above, the best stolen base success rate in the game.
The Rockies average lead of 10.6 feet, on the other hand, was down at 24th — only 0.2 feet further than the league-worst Chicago White Sox.
Baseball Savant’s clip archive is full of stolen base attempts similar to the Freeman example above. Sometimes the pure speed of someone like Doyle allowed them to get away with it. Far too often, though, nearly everyone on the team from Ezequiel Tovar, to Jordan Beck, to even Zac Veen just ran themselves into an out using this technique.
What’s more, that lack of aggression does not actually appear to have saved the Rockies from being picked off. In ‘25, the New York Yankees (who Soto does not appear to have shuffled for at first base for in ‘24) were the only team to suffer more pickoffs than the Rockies while having a longer average lead on stolen base attempts. This is, perhaps, indicative of the runners having enough information on the pitcher to know when it’s safe to commit but the main point is that the formula isn’t as simple as: more lead distance equals more pickoffs.
What does this mean for this year’s Rockies?
Simply that their base stealing problems are solvable with the current roster. The foot speed is in place. With a few tweaks to their plan of attack and, dare I say, a little bit more confidence, they have the ability to turn at least this one weakness into a possible strength.
Come Opening Day, I know I’ll be watching first for any hints of Soto-esque shuffling.
Keith Law’s take on the current state of the Rockies farm system is tepid but optimistic about the combination of raw talent and a new front office. In terms of individual players, he is high on both Roldy Brito (3rd) and Jackson Cox (4th). On the flipside, Law throws some cold water on the idea of Roc Riggio as more than “an emergency call-up” long term and appears to be lower than the consensus on Cole Carrigg (17th) because he “hasn’t really made any adjustments since the Rockies took him in the second round in 2023.”
Part of a series MiLB is running in celebration of Black History Month that looks back at standout Black baseball players for minor league clubs. This is a fascinating group of names that places former RoY/Cy Young/MVP Don Newcombe alongside Curtis “Big Rig” Terry, who only had thirteen games in the majors but absolutely raked for Spokane in 2018 en route to Northwest League MVP. Most notably for this crowd, Jay Gainer, whose only big league time came as a member of the Rockies in their inaugural season, makes the honorable mentions.
The Rockies AA affiliate announced on Monday that they’ll be hosting a couple throwback games using one of their old team names on May 27th & 28th. The New Britain Rock Cats, as they will once again (briefly) be named, was far from the first identity of the club as Declan Walsh explains. With the now Yard Goats having had three team names, multiple major league affiliates, and many northeast cities as their home, it makes for a fun quick read.
May 11, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Reese Olson (45) throws a pitch against the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
The Detroit Tigers aren’t entirely running it back for 2026, but aside from adding Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, and Drew Anderson, we’re heading toward an Opening Day roster that is little changed form the 2025 edition.
There are reasons for optimism based on the club’s run as one of the top 3 teams in baseball from August 1, 2024 through August 1, 2025. However, those last two months of the season, and really from the All-Star break untll the end of the regular season, really soured the brew and left many wondering if the first half was just an extended hot streak.
My key reason for optimism, is that the Tigers actually have some top shelf prospect talent due to pitch in over the course of the season. That was sorely lacking in 2025 until Troy Melton gave them a boost down the stretch last year.
Still though, this is a fairly young roster, particularly in terms of impact players. Riley Greene is 25 years old and was mashing at a near MVP pace in the first half last year until he fell apart after the break. Spencer Torkelson is 26 and finally put together a complete season without any extended slumps. Colt Keith is 24 and has settled into the major leagues pretty nicely as a hitter, but he hasn’t started producing the power he was expected to bring to the table. Reese Olson has two good partial seasons under his belt heading into his age 26 season. Troy Melton is 25 and will open the season as a big leaguer for the first time.
You get the point. A lot of the Tigers more talented players are in that 24-26 year-old window when good players typically hit their prime years. Some may already be there, but the potential for some breakout seasons is certainly present as well.
Who’s your guy in 2026? Who on the 40-man roster would you bet on to be the breakout player for the Tigers this year?
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 27: Justin Verlander #35 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Saturday, September 27, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
We are less than a week away from San Francisco Giants pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training, which might be the best news I’ve heard in a year.
The organization has been busy over the last week, signing Harrison Bader and Luis Arráez, so it’s not an unfair assumption that there might still be moves to be made.
Earlier this offseason, the organization made statements that seemed to indicate that they were likely set with the rotation. However, the rumor mill is indicating that they might be planning a reunion with Justin Verlander for another season.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report in particular predicts that the team is the most likely landing spot for the 42 year old right-hander on a short-term deal.
As with any rumor, I’ll take this one with a grain of salt, but it is worth examining. Because it definitely feels like something they would do.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind it, depending on the specifics of any potential deal. While the team has already made moves to bolster the rotation over the off-season, it couldn’t hurt to have an additional arm for when someone inevitably gets taken out by the Marlins Death Fog or Coors Field.
Despite a rocky start to the 2025 season (a lot of which seemed to be truly awful luck), Verlander ended the year with a 3.85 ERA and FIP, with 137 strikeouts to 52 walks in 152 innings pitched. I’ll take another season of that, if the price is right.
The history of the Yankees dates back to the start of the 20th century and a humble team known then as the New York Highlanders. Their first ever game was played on April 22, 1903, against the Washington Senators, a 3-1 loss at American League Park, one of the more well-known Griffith Stadium’s predecessors in the nation’s capital (close to Gallaudet University). And stepping into the batter’s box to take the first ever at-bat in franchise history was an outfielder known as Lefty Davis.
Alphonso DeFord “Lefty” Davis Born: February 4, 1875 (Nashville, TN) Died: February 4, 1919 (Collins, NY) Yankees Tenure: 1903
Little is known about Lefty’s early life and upbringing, but Tennessee had become an epicenter of early organized baseball by the late 19th century, and the Nashville region was certainly in that mix. The Southern League, founded in 1885, was the predominant regional circuit of minor league clubs that included teams from Atlanta, Augusta, Chattanooga, Columbus, Nashville, Memphis, Birmingham, and Macon.
Davis got his start in organized baseball in 1896 at the age of 21 playing the outfield for Mobile Blackbirds of the Class-B Southern Association. In 43 games that season, Davis batted .309 in 191 at-bats and also made five relief pitching appearances to the tune of a 1.75 ERA across 36 innings. He moved up to Class-A ball the following season, batting .307 with five home runs and 12 stolen bases in 225 ABs for Detroit in the Western League. 1898 saw Davis split time between Detroit and Minneapolis Millers, and he batted .291 with two home runs and 26 stolen bases across 122 combined games. He played out his final two minor-league seasons with Minneapolis, establishing a reputation as a speedy center fielder and stolen base threat, leading to his establishment in the majors.
The Philadelphia Athletics selected Davis to their team, but before he had played a single game, he jumped to the Brooklyn Superbas as players had far more agency over where they played in the inaugural years of the NL and AL. In his debut season with Brooklyn in 1901, Davis batted just .209 in 25 games, leading to his release midseason. The Pittsburgh Pirates signed him as a free agent, and he would play out the remainder of the 1901 season with the dominant NL team of that era.
In the Steel City, Davis joined the ranks of future Hall of Famers Honus Wagner, Jack Chesbro, and Fred Clarke. He appeared in 87 games for the Pirates after making the switch, slashing .313/.415/.421 for an impressive 139 OPS+ along with two home runs and 22 stolen bases, helping Pittsburgh capture its first NL pennant. The following year, he helped the Bucs defend their NL pennant crown, though he did miss a significant portion of the season to a broken leg.
It was around this time that the Highlanders were coming into existence. With the inception of the AL in 1900, there were calls to establish a pro club in New York. However, the incumbent New York Giants of the NL blocked those plans, and so instead that franchise was awarded to Baltimore and named the Orioles in 1901. In 1902, Orioles manager and part-owner John McGraw departed Baltimore to become manager of the Giants, and the short-lived Orioles folded at the end of that season.
Prior to the start of the 1903 season, the NL and AL resolved their differences and once again a proposal to create an AL team in New York was put forward. Out of the 16 major league owners, 15 voted to approve the proposal, and thus the team that started as the Baltimore Orioles was officially chartered in New York as the Highlanders. Needing to assemble a roster for the season, the Highlanders targeted that back-to-back NL pennant winning Pirates squad. Davis, Chesbro, Jesse Tannehill, Tommy Leach, Wid Conroy, and Jack O’Connor all agreed to jump to the nascent franchise, with only Leach later reneging on his commitment.
In their inaugural game as a franchise in 1903, Chesbro was on the mound as the starting pitcher and Davis was penciled in to the leadoff spot. In the bottom of the first (the home team had the choice of batting first back then) at American League Park in Washington, DC, David grounded out against future Yankee Al Orth. Both starters pitched complete games as the Senators held on to win, 3-1.
Davis would play 104 games for the Highlanders that season, his only full season with a single major-league club in his career. He slashed .237/.319/.263 with no home runs and eleven stolen bases in 372 ABs. Manager Clark Griffith was unimpressed and succeeded in dumping Davis from the team at the conclusion of the season.
Davis returned to the minor leagues, playing two seasons for Class-A Columbus, where he would bat .275 in 148 games in 1904 and .279 in 153 games in 1905. He then returned to the Minneapolis Millers in 1906, batting .333 with 47 stolen bases in 149 games. This resulted in his final opportunity in the majors — 73 games for the Cincinnati Reds in 1907, where he batted .229/.293/.297 with one home run and nine stolen bases in 266 ABs, making the final appearance of his big league career on July 16th against Philadelphia.
Davis wasn’t quite finished with baseball, however, playing for the St. Paul Saints of the American Association in 1908 and 1909, the York White Roses of the Class-D New England League in 1911, and ending with two seasons for the Class-C Winona Packers of the Northern League in 1913 and 1914 before hanging up his cleats for good. In his retirement, he settled in Upstate New York before passing away at the young age of 44 on his birthday in 1919.
Davis typified the light-hitting, transient ballplayers of the Deadball Era. His tenure with the Yankees was short-lived, and he’s definitely overshadowed by a far more Lefty who came along a few decades later. Still, Lefty Davis remains immortalized in the history books as the first batter in franchise history.
References
Lefty Davis. Baseball-Reference.
Lefty Davis. Baseball Almanac.
Tedesco, Marie. “Minor League Baseball.” Tennessee Encyclopedia. October 8, 2017.
Gordon, David J. “The Rise and Fall of the Deadball Era.” SABR. Fall 2018 Baseball Research Journal.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 09: John Sherman, chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Royals, is seen prior to a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium on August 09, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“I think over the past couple of years, all the breaking balls that I like to throw, it kind of gave me a reality check — we’ve got to use your fastball,” Lugo said. “We’ve got to command the fastball. Get up when I need to. So that’s been my focus.”
CEO and chairman John Sherman reiterated at Saturday’s Royals Rally that he has no intention of moving the Royals.
“Look, we’re not going anywhere, and that’s what we’ve said all along,” Sherman said. “Someone else will have to do that. But I think related to the other comment about wealth and those types of things, I think that’s part of what we’re dealing with in our society. And in our case, we’re looking for a public partner, right, as I said before. We’re working day and night right now to find a way to make sure this team stays here for as long as any of us are going to be around.
“And the public partner is what ties you to a community, right? That’s really why that’s important.”
“He was asked by Team USA to pitch for them,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “And very mature decision by him to decide not to — as tempting as it was. But in his mind, he wanted to be healthy. He wanted to ramp up into the season and not be ramped up going into spring training. And I thought it was a real mature decision on his end.”
Last year, though, it was a new affliction: a rotator cuff strain, on the heels of a groin strain. The bad news was that it limited him to just over 60 innings and kept him out of the top 100 starting pitchers on the year. The good news was that he came back and showed the same stuff that launched his career just a year before. With that wide arsenal of high-stuff pitches and good command, he’s on a short list of pitchers who could win hardware this year. Which is why you take on the injury risk.
I think it would be difficult for the Royals to give Hays the opportunity to play every day. He hasn’t played center field since 2023, so I don’t think that’s an option. And even when it was sort of an option, it wasn’t even then. He played 36.2 innings that year, but the last time he played more than that was 2020. We can continue to discuss where that 105 wRC+ would rank on the 2025 Royals, but it’s also 17 points lower than what Collins produced in 2025. Sure, Hays has more of a track record, but other than a 75-plate appearance sample in 2019 at 23, he hasn’t ever even come within 10 points of what Collins did last year. And he isn’t even especially good defensively anymore, at least not by the numbers.
No player in MLB — rookie or not — posted larger gaps between actual and expected batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base average than Caglianone. It’s incredible he led the league in every one of the three. Most notably, his expected slugging ranked 10th among rookies, while his actual slugging finished fourth-worst.
Aside from his slash line, Caglianone tops all rookies in EV90, meaning the top 10% of his batted balls were hit harder than any other players. He also ranked 6th among rookies in barrel rate (12%).
Players with those numbers normally produce at a much higher rate. Caglianone has jaw dropping power in his bat, which should be on full display next year.
Jon Heyman has the breakdown on Vinnie Pasquantino’s salary and escalators.
Vinnie Pasquantino has HUGE awards escalators
Base salary of $6.9M in 2027 increases with 2026 MVP awards votes like this …
$4M for MVP
$3M-2nd thru 5th; $2M-6th-10th; $1.5M 11th-15th; $1.25M-16th-20th or $1M All MLB 1st Team ($750K-2nd Team) (Max $4.6M) https://t.co/EtaCT963Ee
The Mariners landed the white whale they’ve been after all season as the Cardinals traded infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan to the Mariners as part of a three-team deal with the Rays. The Cardinals got three prospects and a draft pick for Donovan, the best of which is pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje. Cijntje was announced as a right-handed pitcher, which is a bummer for those of us who hoped he would remain a switch-pitcher. The Cardinals hate fun. And amphibians.
The Dodgers claimed outfielder Mike Siani off of waivers and designated infielder Andy Ibanez for assignment. That’s notable because the Dodgers DFA’d Siani a month ago and also signed Ibanez to a $1.2 million major league deal a month ago.
And finally in honor of Monday’s 150th anniversary of the founding of the National League, official baseball historian John Thorn re-published this look at a new discovery of some founding documents of the league as well as the general story of how the National Association gave way to the National League.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 29: Rutger McGroarty #2 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Chicago Blackhawks at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 29, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Olympics are approaching and there’s a housekeeping note to be aware of starting this afternoon. From PuckPedia:
During the Olympics, there are restrictions on teams making player transactions. The Olympic Roster freeze goes from February 4 at 3pm ET to February 22 at 11:59 ET.
During the freeze:
-No Trades are permitted -Players can be sent down if they are waiver exempt, except for players that played in 16 of the team’s 20 NHL games prior to the freeze, or have been on the NHL roster for 80 league days prior to Jan 21 -Players can be placed on waivers during the freeze, but if the player was waived after their NHL team’s final game before the freeze, they do not have to report to their new team until February 17.
There are no restrictions on sending players down prior to the freeze.
The biggest bullets for the Penguins are likely the first two listed. Kyle Dubas will be unable to make any trades during this period – and the regular NHL trade deadline will be fast approaching on Friday March 6th soon after the Olympic freeze is lifted.
The second point handles players being moved from the NHL to AHL roster. Currently only Rutger McGroarty and Ryan Graves can be sent by Pittsburgh to Wilkes-Barre without needing waivers. Graves, who was removed from the IR on Monday, is eligible for this since he cleared waivers on 12/31 and has only played two NHL games since that point and has not been on the NHL roster for 30 days since clearing waivers due to his stint on IR. Graves has been on the AHL roster within the last 80 days to satisfy that wrinkle of the rule.
Big takeaway might be that based on the rules the Pens can keep both of these players on the NHL roster for tomorrow night’s game against Buffalo and still look to send them down to the AHL if they wish to keep them playing games over the coming weeks, it doesn’t have to be before today’s official freeze at 3pm today.
Then again, Wilkes-Barre also has a game tonight, so the Penguins could always opt to send McGroarty down before the freeze today for participation in that game. Being as McGroarty didn’t play in last night’s NHL game that would be more about strategic management to get him playing again in the AHL more than it would have anything to do with the freeze rules impacting timing, but so it goes to know that the Pens could keep McGroarty with the NHL team for tomorrow if they so wanted.
The third bullet could apply to someone like Caleb Jones, who would need to be waived today and clear tomorrow and be assigned prior to Pittsburgh’s final game before the break. Jones would also have to be healthy enough to be removed from IR, to which the Pens don’t have a spot for him currently on the 23-man roster. Those extra machinations it would take in order to re-assign Jones fully to the AHL before the freeze could go to leave him where he is for a while longer yet as he works back from a second injury this season.
Otherwise, it should be straight-forward for the team at this point going into the break. Besides the four players going to play in Italy for their respective countries (Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell and Arturs Silovs) the rest of the team can enjoy their well-earned break without having to worry about getting traded in the next few weeks as the league takes a pause.
The Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues tend to play low-event games against one another.
With both teams playing at a snail’s pace, my Blues vs. Stars predictions expect more of the same tonight.
Let’s break down my NHL picks for Wednesday, February 4.
Puck drop is set for 9:30 p.m. ET from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, with the game airing on TNT.
Blues vs Stars prediction
Blues vs Stars best bet: Under 5.5 (+110)
The Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues have played each other three times this season, and 16 total goals were scored in those games (5.33 per), and two stayed Under the number.
It’s not just the lack of goals that stands out, but the process that has led to it. Their games featured an average — yes, average — of 44 total shots on goal. The highest output we’ve seen was 50, and the Blues won the battle 26-24.
A lack of shots is not a coincidence. The Blues rank 27th in 5-on-5 pace this season, while the Stars come in at 31st. Both teams play painfully slowly and are methodical with and without the puck.
The Stars rank fourth in goals against per game and control matchups on home ice, making it difficult for the Blues, who sit 30th in scoring, to find the net.
While the Blues have struggled to keep the puck out, they actually rank Top 6 in 5-on-5 shot suppression and expected goals against over their last 10 games.
It won’t be easy for the Stars, who sit 28th in 5-on-5 scoring rate during that span, to create looks.
Expect another low-event matchup between these Central Division foes.
Blues vs Stars same-game parlay
Miro Heiskanen has averaged 2.4 shots on goal and cleared this line in 76% of his home games. That includes a multi-shot performance against the Blues in the only meeting in Dallas thus far.
Going the other way, Jimmy Snuggerud has ramped up his shot volume, averaging 2.7 shots on 5.9 attempts over his last 10, well above season averages of 2.1 shots and 4.7 attempts. He’s taking on a bigger role with so many key players sidelined.
Blues vs Stars SGP
Under 5.5
Miro Heiskanen Over 1.5 shots on goal
Jimmy Snuggerud Over 1.5 shots on goal
Blues vs Stars odds
Moneyline: Blues +185 | Stars -225
Puck Line: Blues +1.5 (-130) | Stars -1.5 (+110)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-130) | Under Under 5.5 (+110)
Blues vs Stars trend
Seven of the past 10 head-to-head meetings have gone Under the total. Find more NHL betting trends for Blues vs. Stars.
How to watch Blues vs Stars
Location
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Date
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Puck drop
9:30 p.m. ET
TV
TNT
Blues vs Stars 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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here
MILWAUKEE, WI - SEPTEMBER 28: Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Devin Williams (38) pitches during a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the New York Mets at American Family Field on September 28, 2024 in Milwaukee, WI. (Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.
Do the Mets need to sign more relievers before the 2026 season begins?
NBA trade season is in full swing, and the Boston Celtics are in the thick of the action.
The Celtics made a significant trade Tuesday, reportedly sending Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick to the Chicago Bulls in return for big man Nikola Vucevic and a second-round pick. But president of basketball operations Brad Stevens still has time to make more moves before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.
After Boston’s win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night, Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg broke down the additional flexibility Stevens and Co. gained by trimming about $6 million in salary (Simons is making $27.7 million this season, while Vucevic is making $21.5 million) and ducking under the first apron of the NBA’s luxury tax.
“They’re now off the first apron, which essentially unlocks one key benefit: If a player is waived who is making more than the mid-level exception — about $14.5 million — the Celtics can now make a play for that person,” Forsberg explained on the Celtics Talk Podcast with co-host Kayla Burton.
“Most of the time that’s minimum deals, but the Celtics actually have some trade exceptions if they needed to (take on) more (salary). … Long story short, they could make an aggressive offer towards a player who maybe was an All-Star in the past, but for whatever reason has been waived by their team.”
Forsberg is referring to the buyout market, where players who are released as a result of trades are free to sign with other teams after Thursday’s deadline. More often than not, those players are aging veterans who weren’t making a significant impact for their other teams. But there are diamonds in the rough, as the Celtics themselves proved in 2008 when they signed P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell, who were important depth pieces on a championship team.
As Forsberg pointed out, it’s also possible Boston makes another deal, with end-of-the-bench big man Chris Boucher a likely trade candidate.
“There’s probably another shoe to drop,” Forsberg said. “It’s not hard to put these pieces together. Chris Boucher was unlikely to be here long-term … so we’ll see what happens from here.
“They could look on the trade market. They still have plenty of exceptions. They have plenty of means. They might crawl back onto the first apron depending on how much salary they take on, but they could figure that part out. With the fact that Boucher’s money will come off, it should clear enough money to make some moves.”
So, which type of player should the Celtics target, either in a small trade or as a buyout signing? Forsberg lobbied for a steady veteran guard who can bolster the backcourt behind Payton Pritchard and Derrick White.
“The comp I would always use is a Kris Dunn type: a veteran guy who plays defense, can be a secondary ball-handler, spell Payton and Derrick at times,” Forsberg said. “(He’s) probably not going to play a ton of minutes in the postseason, but if you could get somebody like that on a minimum deal or end-of-season money, then it’s just another body to navigate both the end of the regular season and potential spot minutes in the postseason.
“Sometimes those guys catch lightning in a bottle.”
Dunn is set to take on a larger role with the Los Angeles Clippers after they traded James Harden, so he might be staying put. But one name to watch is veteran guard Mike Conley, who is expected to be bought out or traded by the Bulls after a three-team trade that sent him from Minnesota to Chicago.
While Conley’s best days are behind him at age 38, he has a wealth of playoff experience (108 postseason games played) and would provide experienced depth.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - SEPTEMBER 03: Jurrangelo Cijntje #7 of the Arkansas Travelers pitches prior to the game between the Amarillo Sod Poodles and the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. (Photo by Braeden Botts/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Last week I took an early look at the Cardinals projections, and before I take a look at the Cardinals again (think of last week as a preview of the final Cards projection article) I will look at the NL Central from the bottom up. And that starts with the bottom of the ocean floor, where resides the Jolly Roger. Arrrrrrrrr, me mateys.
The criteria I will use will be to simply look at each team in the NL Central’s 15 strongest players, with at least 5 rotation pitchers and top bullpen pitchers only. Plus the best of the bench. This could vary by team, because each team will have different strengths… i.e. sometimes I’ll look at a team’s bench more, or a team’s bullpen, whichever is projected to be better. But I won’t be going too deep here. 20 players total per team. Outside of that and you get into fringe players and guys that won’t be receiving too much playing time.
The Pirates
Uber-prospect Konor Griffin will be joining Paul Skenes as the other big star on the team (potentially). He looks really good out of the gate though, with a 3.5 WAR projection by ZiPS, I’m not sure what’s going on here, but he was last at AA level. Listed as a shortstop, he could be their best position player even if he’s not quite ready. And that sort of sums up the Pirates lineup for you. Now keep in mind, Griffin’s defense is where he should be getting all this value from, not his hitting, at least looking at projections for his 19 year old debut season. Really don’t know how many games he will play, but if they don’t bring him with after spring training, it’s probable he won’t debut until he’s 20, but that’s only a few months away.
Oneil Cruz is your #2 Pirate position player, or #1 if Konor Griffin is to remain in the minor leagues. That 3.5 Griffin WAR projection is over 128 games, so results may vary according to playing time.
Anyhow, Cruz, with his big time power and 30% k rate are set to be at 2.8 WAR. Just a little above average hitter and average defender with a good arm.
Projected first baseman Spencer Horwitz looks like he could possibly be the Pirates best hitter, projecting out to be at 2.2 WAR, according to ZiPS. Second baseman Nick Gonzalez is a below average hitter but an above average defender projected to be at 2.1 WAR.
Outfielder Jake Mangum looks like he won’t be much of a hitter either, probably below league average, but another good defender. 1.9 WAR.
Jared Triolo is also a below league average hitter but good defender over at third base. I see a pattern emerging.
Outfielder Jack Suwinski isn’t very good at fielding but has some potential on offense, but not a whole lot. 1.6 WAR. Rafael Flores Jr is listed as another first baseman but only projects out to 1.5 WAR. They have a guy with a great baseball name in Duce Gourson that could be another 1.5 WAR guy. I am not including him in the rest of the article because he’s at AA level, and is not projected by Depth Charts or The Bat X.
Outfielder Dominic Fletcher is projected by ZiPS to be at 1.4 WAR. And the Pirates offseason move was to acquire Brandon Lowe, who is projected to be at 1.4 WAR also, about a league average hitter.
So by now you have an idea of the Pirates main position players, who are very defense forward with a cleanup hitter who is probably good for only 23 home runs because he has strikeout issues. His batting average is expected to be at .237. It shouldn’t be hard for the Cardinals to at least have more power than this lineup, again. At least we aren’t as powerless as the Pirates. Hopefully. That will require us to hit home runs to make up for the loss of Willson Contreras.
So with defense as a potential strength, the Pirates expect to frustrate at times with run prevention, especially with ace Paul Skenes on the mound. Somewhat surprisingly to me, ZiPS projects Skenes to be right at 5 WAR in 2026. Last year he was at 6.5, so I would think the floor is at 5, but hey, I hope ZiPS is right!
Mitch Keller is a pretty good pitcher but an unexciting #2. He is projected at 2.3 WAR and had 2.5 last season. All the rest of the Pirates pitchers are projected at less than 2 WAR, with Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft projected to come closest to being 2 WAR pitchers. Color me unimpressed by this rotation, unless Skenes completely goes off. That’s exciting but, still probably not enough to overcome this overall roster. It must really suck to be a Pirates fan:/
Their bullpen looks ok but not really a big strength either. So let’s move on to comparing ZiPS to some other projection systems that I trust more than the others.
The Bat X has Konor Griffin at 88 games, much less than the other projection systems expect. I think they will probably just rush him to the majors, as long as he impresses in spring training. At least, that’s what it seems like in early February. It’s important to note that the three projection systems I’m looking at are all having him playing different numbers of games.
It would seem that the Pirates have a platoon at 2B now with Nick Gonzalez and Brandon Lowe, who project out to be about the same WAR when looking at a consensus of projections. Otherwise I’m not sure why they acquired Lowe. The Pirates could also platoon at 1B with Spencer Horwitz being a left handed hitter and Rafael Flores Jr being a right handed hitter.
Just a quick analysis of these projections’ data, shows that ZiPS is more optimistic about the Pirates position players, while The Bat X thinks they’ll flat out kind of suck. You have Fangraphs Depth Charts in the middle. The opposite is true when looking at the starting rotation concerning The Bat vs ZiPS. ZiPS might be underrating the Pirates rotation a bit or just too pessimistic. Skenes surely is going to be worth more than 5 WAR this season, right? I think 6 WAR seems like a better guess.
While the Pirates rotation definitely blows the Cardinals out of the water with a pirate cannonball, the Cardinals projected position players are going to be more valuable, even without Brendan Donovan in the lineup. And outside of Paul Skenes, their rotation isn’t THAT good (our’s just doesn’t look very good on paper right now). Maybe I’ll change my tune on that after looking around some other rotations, but I was expecting to be a little more impressed.
This was an interesting article to write, with Konor Griffin probably being a big player to watch in 2026. Or do you think Pittsburgh will give him more time in the minor leagues? With the Pirates defense and pitching combo, they could be pretty annoying this year if Griffin ends up hitting like a big leaguer. That will more likely be a season or two down the line, but now you know what to expect… the Pirates lineup might not be quite as bad in 2026, and will probably be better than that in the not too distant future.
1976
‘76 was my first full year around the sun. Little did I know how utterly confounding the world is. Perhaps the most poignant movie of the year that year was this movie called Network. It was so far ahead of its time it is still a legendary flick.
“there is only IBM, Dupont, and Exxon”
Network was quite ahead of its time! It needed to be said again. It is a very quotable movie, and was a dark look at some turbulent times (not all that different from now, really), focusing on media ethics, all the while laden with acidic humor. I mean, check out this quote:
Howard Beale: All human beings are becoming humanoids. All over the world, not just in America. We’re just getting there faster since we’re the most advanced country.
I guess I was becoming a humanoid in 1976. But, you have got to get mad!
Howard Beale: All I know is, you’ve got to get mad. You’ve got to say, “I’m a human being, goddamn it. My life has value.”
Does this sum up the human condition? I don’t know, but learning to become human has its ups and downs. People go into drone mode for a bit, then put their foot down. It’s a constant process of re-evaluating behaviors, both in others and yourself. A balancing act between memory and impulse.
Howard Beale: You’re beginning to believe the illusions we’re spinning here, you’re beginning to believe that the tube is reality and your own lives are unreal. You do. Why, whatever the tube tells you: you dress like the tube, you eat like the tube, you raise your children like the tube, you even think like the tube. This is mass madness, you maniacs. In God’s name, you people are the real thing, WE are the illusion.
Is this why I started to blog? Not about tv, but just about being on the internet? I just don’t know anymore, Howard!
Howard Beale: This is not a psychotic breakdown; it’s a cleansing moment of clarity.
Oh ok, I feel better now. I do, however, completely agree with this:
Howard Beale: Television is not the truth. Television is a goddamned amusement park.
Yes, entertainment runs the show. And capital, of course. There is plenty more to be said about what Network touches upon, and please let me hear your comments on this movie! I will say no more about it in this article.
Taxi Driver and Rocky were two other top tier movie releases in 1976!
1976 was the 200th birthday of the USA. Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford in the presidential election. Stagflation was “in”, which meant a stagnant economy with high inflation and high unemployment numbers. It was a time of transition after Vietnam and the Watergate scandal.
On January 27th, the US vetoed a UN resolution that would make Palestine an independent state. Apple computer was formed. The Atari video game Breakout was released. Tim Heidecker was born on Feb 3rd!I cannot believe that Tim is older than Lance Berkman! Who was born Feb 10th. Heck, I cannot believe I’m older than he is too! Guess Lance will be 50 soon.
In baseball, the Reds won their 2nd world series in a row in 1976 by sweeping the Yankees. The Reds also swept the Phillies! No wonder they called it the Big Red Machine. They just steamrolled in ‘76. There was a lockout in 1976, but it only lasted March 1-17, and it didn’t affect the regular season. The NL won the all-star game that year.
Our beloved Cardinals were not good back then, but neither were the Cubs. The Expos won 55 games and finished in last place, but that was the only team the Cardinals were better than, finishing 3 games behind the Cubs in 5th place, with the Phillies, Pirates, and Mets all fielding really good teams the 1976 season. Back then, there was an East and West and the Cardinals were in the East. Six teams per division.
The Royals George Brett finished behind the Cubs Bill Madlock for the batting title, Madlock batting .339! Mike Schmidt had 38 home runs, leading MLB. George Foster of the Reds had the most RBI. The Cardinals had a bright spot in John Denny leading the NL in ERA at 2.52! Somehow I don’t think I ever heard of the guy. The Mets Tom Seaver lead MLB with 235 Ks!
Joe Morgan and Thurman Munson were the MVPs that year, Morgan’s 2nd in a row! Righty Jim Palmer and lefty Randy Jones won the Cy Young Awards. Jones had won 16 games by the All Star Break, setting a record! On July 20, 1976, Hank Aaron hit his final blast, #755.
On July 24, 1976, Lyman Bostock of the Twins became the 4th Twins player to hit for the cycle, while batting 4th, going 4 for 4, scoring 4 runs, and knocking in 4 RBI! It was the first time he was batted at cleanup. What.
On August 8th, the White Sox wore shorts during the first game of a double header at Comiskey Park. I’m not sure why I included that, other than I thought it was a little random and absurd.
1976 was the 9th season in a row that Tom Seaver pitched over 200 strikeouts. Incredible! On September 10, Nolan Ryan fanned 18 White Sox hitters for a complete game 3-2 win.
October 3rd was the last game of Hank Aaron’s illustrious baseball career.
The Cardinals attendance was way down that year, showing I suppose that fans actually don’t show up when the team and the economy are bad. St Louis expects a good product.
Ok, enough random factoids, it is time for my top 10 albums of 1976!
Top 10 Albums of 1976
#1 Goblin – ‘Roller’ Italian proggers Goblin went on to have a very busy, even convoluted music career creating scores for 70’s and 80’s horror movies, but their roots were in prog rock, and Roller gives you the blueprint to their sound. It’s a bit more straight up prog rock than soundtrack, but it showed what they could do and a wild career and extensive cast of musicians resulting in the band fractioning, mutating, evolving, etc. There really is so much to say about this band. If you love cheesy but good vintage horror movie soundtrack sounds that incorporate both guitars and synthesizers, accompanied by an amazing rhythm section, you must check out the Goblin discography. They most frequently collaborated with Dario Argento.
P.S. I own a copy of this album on vinyl, which I bought at Amoeba Records while I was on vacation. It is one of my most prized possessions.
#2 Truth and Janey – ‘No Rest For The Wicked’ I don’t know what there is about this obscure proto-metal band from Cedar Rapids, IA, but I keep coming back to this album over the years. Picking up where Sabbath left off with Sabotage, we hear Truth and Janey pick up the torch while blending in a vast array of classic rock influences. However, if you told me this came out today as a new stoner rock band going for a vintage sound, I might believe you. A timeless sound of rock n’ roll cranked through double stacks. Truth and Janey plays with a swagger that few can match, almost entering Jethro Tull territory. I don’t own a copy of this on vinyl, but wish that I did. I grew up not too far from Cedar Rapids and never heard of this band until the youtube era. And because of google, I just learned that Iowa has a rock and roll Hall of Fame! I did not know that. Truth and Janey were of course inducted.
#3 Heart – ‘Dreamboat Annie’ I absolutely love this album. Another one that I own on vinyl. Just a fantastic listen, one of my favorite guitarists and two of my favorite singers in the world. Classic songs composed perfectly. Heart’s first two albums are among the very best rock albums ever recorded, in my opinion.
#4 Magma – ‘Udu Wudu’ weirdo prog funk from France… Magma created a whole new genre of music which blended prog rock, jazz fusion, classical, disco, funk, opera, and the avant garde: a genre called Zeuhl. Yes, this was before Ghostbusters. The primary unifying element of Zeuhl is not only progressive music but also an entirely made up language that exists in each band. This might sound like French, but usually it’s a made up language called Kobaïan. They have a lot of albums and you’ll just have to find your favorite one. This one leans more on the funky as the mid 70’s are apt to do. Some of them have beautiful choirs. One of the best live bands I’ve ever seen! And they brought a full band with multiple singers, organ player, etc.
#5 Dr. Aftershave and The Mixed Pickles – ‘For Missus Beastly’ this funk rock obscurity my perfectly sum up the times of the mid-70s… music like this could be heard everywhere. However, I find this album exceptionally catchy and well produced for the times. While the music performances are super fun but also virtuosic, really well rehearsed, creative, etc. I might end up wishing I had ranked this album higher up, it’s a recent find! I found that the beginning track kind of stole the show, but the whole thing is very uplifting.
#6 Rush – ‘2112’ I cannot believe that I am ranking this album this low, but there will always be some that think I’m ranking this too highly. My fandom of obscure funk bands has risen more quickly than my fandom of prog rock, which plateaued a while back now. Still love it, but not likely to do prog rock deep dives to find new stuff. Anyhow, I still love the classic prog rock album 2112 and think that it is still extremely influential, but they have so many other albums that I like even more than this one, I have to temper my fandom a bit. At times, this album sounds a bit silly, but I digress. I love Geddy Lee, Neil Peart, and Alex Lifeson. And this album will always be a classic, straddling the lines of concept album, longform prog rock, and art rock. Would love to have seen them live on tour with this in the 70’s! But I was an infant then.
#7 Zappa – ‘Zoot Allures’ the link here is to side one of this album (in that classic vinyl sound, the following links will be in remastered form), because the opening tracks of “Wind Up Working In A Gas Station”, “Black Napkins”, and “The Torture Never Stops” are among Frank Zappa’s top tier creations. I’d even go so far to say that Zoot Allures has one of the best opening three songs of almost any album! Track 1 sums up his humor, energy, and athletic musical mastery, Track 2 showcases Frank’s in the moment guitar shredding and more trippy side perhaps better than any other song, & Track 3 is one of his nastiest but most laid back funk tracks. On side 2 of the vinyl, title track “Zoot Allures” is another really fun, top tier instrumental guitar track. I could deal without the rest of the album, but these four tracks are so damn good it makes the list.
#8 King Tubby – ‘King Tubbys meets rockers uptown’ I like this King Tubby album more than last year’s one (1975), and also more than the other really good King Tubby album from 1976! You know this is good stuff. But, 1976 has stacked really good albums. No knock against King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown! Total mood music down really well and well produced. Mid 70’s was a time of emergent heavy metal, funk, prog rock, and of course, the emergence of dub reggae. An important cultural and technological development in music production techniques.
#9 Sun Ra – ‘Cosmos’ I had never heard this particular Sun Ra album, but his discography is vast! I love this album Cosmos because it emerges is spaced out free jazz side with a more 70’s funk meets jazz fusion sound. Its production however is not that smooth mid 70’s production, the bass is in your face, the drums sound pretty raw, and the whole thing more like a live recording, like many Sun Ra albums, but this one is especially intense, you can tell they are probably playing louder than usual. Every Sun Ra album is another adventure, and there are many to encounter.
#10 Chrome – ‘The Visitation’ It is not easy to believe that this album is from 1976. Chrome were always on the bleeding edge of punk, industrial metal, and weirdo psychedelic art rock, but from the get go is impressive. I have to tell you guys, this year was a lot harder to rank than 1975 and I don’t think it’s going to get any easier going forward. Chrome were proto everything and their debut is no exception, at times I am like what is even going on here but it always makes sense somehow.
Album of the year 1976
And to close this out, here is some Jurrangelo Cijntje video!
