Posts

Posted on

Jim Edmonds should be in the Hall of Fame as a St Louis Cardinal

Thinking back on those incredibly talented early 00’s Cardinal teams, just a few players come to mind that have stood the test of time in my rapidly aging mind. Two of them are shoe ins as Hall of Famers, but I think there is one more that really stands out besides Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina: Jim Edmonds.

As much as I love Scott Rolen as one of the best Cardinals third basemen ever, Scott could never match Jim Edmonds hitting, who was nearly as good as a defender. It was nice to have two of the best players ever on your team back in 2004 or so! But Edmonds stuck out because of the home runs from center field.

I’m not saying that Rolen shouldn’t have made the Hall of Fame; far from it. I think of Rolen as another favorite player, but much more of a stoic. He made elite defense look easy. I’m not a small hall guy. I find the Hall of Fame more on the Shame side of things, for a variety of reasons, but in the spirit of brevity: it has become oddly selective and biased. It always has been that way, but now the Hall has fought to keep up with the times. Whatever those sports authority HOF voters are up to, I’m not that impressed. I don’t really like the system of electing players to the Hall of Fame, but I also don’t have the answers. Is it that the system cannot keep up with the amount of new players and needs to be changed? Or should it be leaving players on the cusp out of the induction?

Voting will improve now that we are surrounded with new statcast technology that is integrated even into MLB’s website and the stadiums themselves, it’s become about as mainstream as it gets. It remains to be seen how the BBWAA will evaluate the balance of offensive and defensive value going forward, while comparing it to the past. Players like Nolan Arenado will certainly be compelling cases when the time comes.

Just for fun, I am going to compare Jim Edmonds to Scott Rolen via Fangraphs:

Scott Rolen

  • Right around 70 WAR career
  • Peak year 2004: 9 WAR, 159 wRC+
  • 4 seasons of 4+ WAR
  • Over 300 HR, over 1200 RBI

Jim Edmonds

  • 64.5 WAR
  • Peak year 2004: 8.3 WAR, 168 wRC+
  • 10 seasons of 4+ WAR
  • Nearly 400 HR, 1 short of 1200 RBI

This is sort of an apples to oranges argument, where it appears that Rolen is a little better of a player, except that Jim runs away with the show with a lot more years at a more premium value. Add to that the fact that Scott Rolen derived more of his value through ridiculously elite defense, while Edmonds was the better hitter by career wRC+.

Maybe it comes down to longevity? Jim Edmonds played in 2011 games, while Scott Rolen played in 2038.

How about 6+ fWAR seasons? Rolen had 4, Edmonds had 6.

Perhaps the argument I’m making might be more to show that Arenado could make the Hall of Fame? I cannot see any reason why Jim Edmonds shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame if Scott Rolen is in. Center field is a premium position, but elite defense at third base is also extremely valuable. If you’re a small Hall guy, maybe neither is in.

Nolan Arenado has some work to do if he’s going to match either of these guy’s WAR totals. He’s just over 50 in total. He has more home runs than Rolen, so his home run total is fine. Arenado is well over 200 games away from 2,000 games. He will need a resurgence in the desert to reach that milestone.

Arenado does have 4 seasons of 6+ WAR though. That might end up being important. During Edmonds’ last five seasons or so, he was no longer himself, so maybe that left a bad taste in the BBWAA writer’s palettes… Arenado’s on-base percentage fell off a cliff after his big career year of 2022 (7.2 WAR), so what people might remember is him losing his abilities at the plate, while his elite defense dwindles. I hope he turns it around, but we no longer need to bank on it.

How about a homer happy comparison? Arenado has had three 40+ HR seasons and seven 30+. Rolen had no 40 home run seasons, and three 30+ seasons. Edmonds had two 40+ HR seasons and four 30+. So of the three, you’d have to argue peak Arenado was the best home run hitter. It’s now when the Coors effect of the Mile High City comes in, and I guess you could say that the three players are pretty similar overall, with Nolan Arenado lacking the longevity career-wise, so far.

It will be an interesting test for Nolan Arenado to play as many games as Scott Rolen, but maybe that’s a goal worth working towards. They are rather similar players in some ways.

If you go by the website Baseball Reference, Scott Rolen retains his WAR total but Edmonds falls behind. BR’s defensive evaluation of Edmonds doesn’t see Jim as valuable as fangraphs. So maybe both players are borderline cases? Maybe I’ll open another can of worms!

So what just happened: Andruw Jones has entered the conversation. He is now a Hall of Famer. How does he compare here? He is between Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen in career WAR total. He has 6! 6+ fWAR peak seasons. And nine 4+ WAR seasons! But Jim still has that beat with 10. The thing with Andruw Jones though, is that he doesn’t have a monster season, at least not like any of these Cardinal players have had. His wRC+ never peaked past 140, and he derives a lot of his value from defense. But! He had a 50+ home run season, and over 400 HR. He also played in more games than any of these guys. Even more of a power hitter.

In the end, maybe this whole time it was Andruw Jones playing alongside the career trek of Jim Edmonds, while being a little better defender and hitting even more home runs, which ultimately held back Edmonds from the Hall. When using Baseball Reference, Jones also falls back towards a 60 WAR total, but still higher than the Edmonds total. It’s so close though, that Edmonds seems to have gotten jobbed by the voting system, sort of falling through the cracks.

It seems like a good time to mention that ex-Cardinal Carlos Beltran has been inducted into the Hall of Fame! Mostly known for being one of the greatest postseason hitters of all time (and a certain scandal), Beltran certainly had a really damned good career. Beltran and Jones had rather similar WAR totals. Carlos had four 6+ fWAR seasons. Nine 4+ WAR seasons just like Andruw. But again, Edmonds with the ten four plus! It does seem like a snub. Can anyone explain the logistics of the system that lead to Jim not getting the recognition? Was it his annoying broadcasting career? I kid I kid!

One must wonder if Edmonds had played one more season to cross the 400 HR and 1200 RBI barrier, which he fell just short of. He could have used one more extra award, or something, anything, to put him over the top. He just played at a time with a ton of good baseball players. Jim Edmonds had a career OPS of .903! Jones was .823 with a much lower career batting average. They say the elite defenders make it look easy, but Jim Edmonds made it look fun. And his moonshot home runs were a thing to behold. He should be in.

The Bling

  • Edmonds was a 4 time all star, 8 gold gloves, 1 silver slugger
  • Rolen was a 7 time all star, also 8 gold gloves and 1 silver slugger
  • Beltran was a 9 time all star, 3 gold gloves, and 2 silver slugger awards
  • Jones was a 5 time all star with 10 gold gloves, a silver slugger, and he lead the league in HR and RBI in 2005
  • Arenado is a bit different by having an incredible amount of platinum gloves, he has the highest MVP career share rank of all 5 players here based on baseball reference, while being another 8 time all star like Edmonds and Rolen, obtaining 5 silver sluggers. So for a while there he was known as the player for top tier defense with a lot of offense thrown in, less of a longevity guy and more of peak guy and an accolades collector, at least so far

Arenado might be showing some wear and tear: he is 7th in at bats among active players. He will be close to #1 in that department in a couple years if he can stay on the field. If he retired today, he would be top 100 all time in slugging percentage with .507! Nolan is 100th all time in career home runs, currently.

One thing that will NOT put Arenado over the top is postseason numbers. He is 1-4 in postseason series with a .385 OPS. That one win was a Rockies win over the Cubs, at least! Andruw Jones on the other hand, went to a lot of postseason games and batted .796 OPS! However, Nolan Arenado does not know what it is like to lose two World Series like Andruw Jones.

Scott Rolen was in 7 postseason series with the Cardinals. He was a .678 OPS postseason hitter, but won most series he was in except the 2004 world series! Of course, he won the trophy in 2006, to make up for that. Rolen’s peak postseason heroics can be summed up in the 2004 NLCS vs Houston where he hit 3 home runs against them! Allowing the Cardinals to advance to the World Series.

Jim Edmonds postseason should be brought up more in regards to his case for the Hall of Fame. He played in 46 postseason games and accrued 263 postseason plate appearances. He hit 13 home runs during that timeframe at an .874 OPS clip! That’s a home run for every 20 or so PA! He was victorious in more postseason series than not, Edmonds best postseason performances being in 2000 vs Atlanta in the NLDS (1.886 OPS), 2002 vs the Giants in the NLCS (1.105 OPS), 7 RBI vs Houston in the 2004 NLCS, and 2005 vs the Padres in the NLDS (1.280 OPS). No wonder they called him Jimmy Baseball.

Like Edmonds and Rolen, Beltran is also 1-1 in World Series play. But to outdo Jim Edmonds really good postseason numbers, Beltran was just on a whole other level than most postseason players. A postseason OPS north of 1.000 is legendary. 1.021 to be exact. He won in 9 postseason series and lost in 6, so he was no stranger to the postseason with 65 games and 256 PA. About the same but not quite as many plate appearances as Edmonds, but in almost 20 more games over the years. Beltran had 16 postseason home runs which is more than Edmonds 13…. but, Jim did it in a lot less postseason games played. And get this: both Edmonds and Beltran have 42 RBI in the postseason. Maybe Edmonds really did get the Hall of Fame snub? He fell just short, or just fell through the cracks in the voting process.

As for Arenado, I think it only fair to remember that he hasn’t been on the right teams at the right time to amass postseason numbers like the other guys. His postseason performance so far could be attributed to small sample size nonsense. He has been stuck on teams that haven’t been nearly so successful.

Speaking of voting, I’m going to give StrawPoll a try! Vote accordingly, I hope the links work.

Should Edmonds be in the Hall of Fame? – StrawPoll
Nolan Arenado is a more complicated Hall of Fame case. Does he make it according to the BB… – StrawPoll

***

Best of 2025 Music cont’d

Today I am going to share with you the results of my last few posts, examining the best songs of 2025 through my own lists and a ton of other people’s year end lists, creating one big mega playlist and then narrowing it down to only 76 songs (just what it turned out to be, wanted to keep it at least under triple digits). I think I started out with 600 songs that I liked and then picked the best ones from that. There’s also a heavy metal version.

Also, I’m going to share with you a few choice cuts, songs that are making me happy at the moment. Which is not so easy to do in the middle of the winter. Sometimes I like dark and heavy, but sometimes I just want chill or downtempo lounge music of some form or other.

2025 Albums of the Year (link contains article with the bandcamp and youtube links)

  • Holy Scum – ‘All We Have Is Never’
  • Lychgate – ‘Precipice’
  • Grails – ‘Miracle Music’
  • Dax Riggs – ‘7 Songs for Spiders’
  • Neptunian Maximalism – ‘Le Sacre Du Soleil Invaincu’
  • Tortoise – ‘Touch’
  • Yowie – ‘Taking Umbrage’
  • Stratford Rise – self-titled EP
  • easterlin – ‘reverb claymore EP’

*FACS & Martröð were added, but I am going to leave them in the honorable mention category

Honorable Mentions

  • FACS – ‘Wish Defense’
  • Martröð – ‘Draumsýnir Eldsins’
  • Swans – ‘Birthing’
  • Mary Halvorson – ‘About Ghosts’
  • Haunted Horses – ‘Dweller’
  • Nourished By Time – ‘The Passionate Ones’
  • Cheer Accident – ‘Admission’
  • Earthball – ‘Outside Over There’
  • Sallow Moth – ‘Mossbane Lantern’
  • Cloutchaser – ‘Spongebob’
  • Tulpa – ‘Plum Pinball’
  • Lifeguard – ‘Ripped and Torn’
  • Matmos – ‘Metallic Life Review’
  • The Mars Volta – ‘Lucro sucio; Los ojos del vacio
  • Barren Path – ‘Grieving’

*added Honorable Mention albums this week:

Best Songs VEB article

Best Songs of 2025 playlist

Happy songs…

Best Songs of 2025 List google docs

That wraps up my 2025 coverage. Thanks for checking it out or for just reading the baseball part. Pitchers and catchers report in less than a month! Just gotta get through the winter. Rock on.

Posted on

Chicago Cubs history unpacked, January 21

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.

“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.

Happy Birthday to Mike Krukow*, farewell Hollywood Stars,and other stories for the discerning reader. 

Today in baseball history:

Cubs Birthdays:Mike Krukow*, Dave Smith, Alan Benes.

Today in History:

  • 1522 – Head Inquisitor Adrian Florisz Boeyens is elected pope.
  • 1793 – Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine in Paris, following his conviction for “high treason” by the newly created French Parliament (Convention nationale), during the French Revolution.

Common sources:

*pictured.

Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.

Posted on

Game Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Calgary Flames 1/21/26

Who:Pittsburgh Penguins (23-14-11, 57 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division) @ Calgary Flames (21-23-5, 47 points, 7th place Pacific Division)

When: 9:30 p.m. eastern

How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh, SN1 and TVAS in Canada, streaming on ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: The road trip continues tomorrow night in Edmonton, then an uncharacteristic two-day break gives the chance for some team bonding until the trip finishes up in Vancouver on Sunday. After that the Pens get a few days to regroup after heading home, not playing again until next Thursday Jan 29th to start their busy run to the upcoming Olympic break.

Opponent Track: Since we last saw the Flames in Pittsburgh on January 10th they went on to finish their eastern road trip with a loss to Columbus and win over Chicago before returning home to split another pair of games with a win over the Islanders last Saturday followed by a loss (in overtime) to the Devils in their last game on Monday. Thus continues an up-and-down stretch where they’ve won six out of the last 12 games (6-5-1).

Season Series: The Flames took a 2-1 decision in a rough and tumble game a couple weeks ago, Logan Cooley made 27 saves to break Pittsburgh’s then six-game winning streak. Egor Chinakhov scored the lone goal for the Pens, Matthew Coronato’s third period goal to break a 1-1 tie helped Calgary secure the win.

Hidden Stat: Rickard Rakell is on a three-game point streak. Pittsburgh is 12-2-2 this season when Rakell records a point (h/t Pens PR).

Getting to know the Flames

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Connor Zary – Nazem Kadri – Matvei Gridin

Jonathan Huberdeau – Morgan Frost – Joel Farabee

Yegor Sharangovich – Mikael Backlund – Matt Coronato

Ryan Lomberg – Justin Kirkland – Adam Klapka

DEFENSEMEN

Kevin Bahl / Zach Whitecloud

Yan Kuznetsov / MacKenzie Weegar

Joel Hanley / Hunter Brzustewicz

Goalies: Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley

Potential scratches: Dryden Hunt, Brayden Pachal

Injured Reserve: Blake Coleman, John Beecher, Samuel Honzek, Jake Bean

  • The biggest change to the lines from the last recent PIT/CGY game is the trade departure of key defenseman Rasmus Andersson and the addition of Whitecloud from that transaction. It’s a big loss to the current squad – Anderssen had 10 goals and 30 points this season for the Flames, ranking third on the team in both categories.
  • The 21-year old Brzustewicz has replaced Anderssen on the top power play. Despite only having one career NHL point in 16 games, he has an offensive profile with a 92 point season in the OHL in 2023-24 and 44 points in the AHL since the start of the 2024-25 season.
  • Coleman, who was on IR back for the Jan 10th game, has dropped his no contact jersey in practice and may be nearing a return.
  • Perhaps luckily for Chinakhov, Brayden Pachal has been a scratch lately.
  • Wolf has been Calgary’s primary goalie, but lately there’s been more of an even split due to Cooley playing really well lately (including, as mentioned, in Calgary’s recent win over the Pens). The two Flames goalies have each played three out of the last six games, Cooley did play their last game. He picked up the loss in OT, but stopped 29/31 shots to get there. Given how well he did against Pittsburgh in the recent past, it’ll be interesting to see if the Flames go back to Cooley for this game or turn the net back over to their usual starter in Wolf, who is only 1-5-0 with a .891 save% and 3.71 GAA in the calendar year of 2026 (compared to Cooley’s 2-0-1 record, .951 save% and 1.33 GAA stat line).

Season stats
via hockeydb

  • The size and ruggedness of the Flames really stood out in their last game against the Pens. Klapka at 6’8” and 235 pounds is a menace and was getting under the skin of several Penguin players. Klapka’s 172 hits this season ranks 4th in the entire NHL, he’s going to throw the body on the forecheck on every available opportunity. Kevin Bahl at 6’6”, 230 has been a force averaging over 21 minutes per game this season, and has four assists in his last six games. Yan Kuznetsov presents another big body on the blueline, Pachal laid one of the biggest hits of the season last game. Mackenzie Weegar isn’t a huge frame, but a stout one with 117 hits this season. That game had a lot of tempers raised with post-whistle scrums and physicality throughout, surely that fresh memory will be at the top of everyone’s minds for tonight.
  • Generating offense has been a real struggle for the Flames. Their 2.55 goals/game mark is only 29th in the NHL, their power play at 14.9% is a dreadful 31st. It’s not for a lack of trying (28.9 shots/game ranks 12th) but the lack of skill and overall ability has hindered them in a major way.

Key to the game: Penguins vs. goalie

This one is pretty cut and dry; while the Flames have been impotent offensively and don’t have a lot going for them these days, the one area they are getting great inputs from is the play of their goalies. Early in the season that was Wolf, lately it’s been Cooley as the hot hand.

The Pens ran up a 2.75 expected goal total against Calgary on January 10th, yet Cooley only gave up one actual goal and the Flames won a 2-1 game almost entirely due to the strong play of their goalie. The Flames low overall talent level gives them a very narrow path towards winning games, they’re going to need a goalie to steal it for them more often than not. That presents a clear challenge for Pittsburgh in this game: overcome the Flames’ strongest suit in the goalie factor (whether it ends up being Cooley or Wolf) and the rest ought to be right there for the taking. A performance for the Pens similar to the last game against Seattle (where Pittsburgh scored 5 non-empty net goals on 2.88 expected) would be the ideal in this game, as it would in just about any game. Given Calgary’s unimpressive defensive metrics, that should be on the table, though Pittsburgh (at 9th in expected 5v5 goals and just 21st in 5v5 actual goals) will need to execute on their chances in ways they didn’t in the last meeting.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust

Egor Chinakhov  – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin

Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Brett Kulak / Kris Letang?

Parker Wotherspoon / Ryan Shea

Ryan Graves / Connor Clifton

Goalies:  Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs

Potential Scratches: Jack St. Ivany, Kevin Hayes, Ilya Solovyov

IR: Erik Karlsson, Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones

  • All eyes will be on Letang after he missed practice yesterday and was deemed day-to-day with an upper body injury by the team. Letang’s potential absence or lack of being 100% is a huge blow for an already depleted blueline that doesn’t have Erik Karlsson.
  • Karlsson has said he’s feeling better but won’t play tonight, though it’s hard to tell when he’s being serious or not. You would think he’s not playing tonight, but who knows.
  • The current goalie rotation would mean Silovs plays tonight, though in game strategy with a very tough matchup looming tomorrow against Edmonton, does Dan Muse make a departure from that in hopes to put the goalie in better form out for the first game of the b-2-b where presumably the team has a better chance of a positive result? If not, Must may be bet Skinner can raise his levels against his former team tomorrow, though they already have seen Skinner play against the Oilers and it didn’t go well (5 goals against on 22 shots) which also can be a data point for the current decision.
  • Found it curious when early yesterday the Pens somewhat quietly sent Joona Koppanen back to the AHL, which didn’t make much sense on a long road trip like this. Turns out that was a precursor move to open up an NHL roster spot for the trade to bring in Ilya Solovyov and then it made perfect sense.

The multi-point master

Sidney Crosby is riding a streak of three-straight games with multiple points. Last game pushed him past Gordie Howe, the next one will tie Mark Messier and Marcel Dionne. Seemingly every game Crosby is approaching and/or passing legendary names in any number of categories – the two points last game vs. Seattle tied Mario Lemieux’s total of 784 road points.

Posted on

DitD & Open Post – 1/21/26: Back-to-Back Wins Edition

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

Simon Nemec played the hero again as he tallied the overtime game-winner to give the Devils a 2-1 win on Monday. Lenni Hameenaho made his NHL debut, and Luke Hughes left the game with an injury. [Devils NHL]

Truly a cursed season:

Then on Tuesday, the Devils scored twice and held on for dear life in the third period against Connor McDavid and the Oilers to take a 2-1 win. [Devils NHL]

What life is like on the bench for the Devils: “Obviously, the coach can help a little bit, which he does, just addressing some structural things. But if guys aren’t going, if everyone is kind of lagging behind, you have to drag each other into the fight.” [The Hockey News]

Could the Leafs be a potential fit for a Dougie Hamilton trade? [The Athletic ($)]

“Should the New Jersey Devils be buyers this season? That depends. Rentals are out of the equation unless they go on some insane Buffalo Sabres-like heater over the next few weeks. That seems unlikely, though, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be buyers. Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald should be looking to add pieces that will help the team beyond the 2025-26 season, but there is a certain type of player he should be targeting.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]

John MacLean talks about notable moments in his career, the late Pat Burns and plenty more ahead of his induction into the Devils Ring of Honor on Jan. 27: [NHL.com]

Hockey Links

Where might Artemi Panarin end up in a trade? A look at a few potential destinations: [The Athletic ($)]

Linus Ullmark talks about his absence from the Senators: “The real reason is mental health. And there’s been a lot going on for a long time. I would say dating back to, ever since the trade, and a lot of things have been positive as well throughout the years or these times. But a lot of the things that I had gone through or worried about hasn’t really been dealt with in the right way. And so, things have been piling on – off the ice, on the ice, stuff like that. And it comes a time – and you never know when – where the cup starts to overflow.” [TSN]

Goalie fight!

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Posted on

Mets acquire CF Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with the White Sox

CHICAGO (AP) — The New York Mets acquired Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, filling a hole in center field.

New York sent infielder Luisangel Acuña and minor league pitcher Truman Pauley to Chicago for Robert, who has struggled with injuries and inconsistency since a stellar 2023 season. The Mets had been looking for outfield help since they traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien. They were in the mix for Kyle Tucker before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The trade was announced after New York finalized a $126 million, three-year contract with Bo Bichette , a two-time All-Star shortstop who is moving to third base with the Mets.

Robert hit a career-low .223 with 14 homers, 53 RBIs and a career-best 33 steals in 110 games last year. Despite the shaky performance, the White Sox picked up his $20 million option for 2026. Robert's contract also has a $20 million club option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout. New York is looking to return to the playoffs after it faded to an 83-79 record last year. Popular slugger Pete Alonso and star closer Edwin Díaz departed in free agency, but the Mets signed closer Devin Williams , reliever Luke Weaver and infielder Jorge Polanco .

The 23-year-old Acuña hit .234 with eight RBIs and 16 steals in 95 games with New York last season. Acuña, who can play second base, third base and shortstop, was acquired by the Mets in a July 2023 trade with the Rangers for Max Scherzer. Acuña joins a promising group of young position players that also includes Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth.

The White Sox finished last in the AL Central last year with a 60-102 record, a 19-game improvement from the previous season. Pauley, 22, was a 12th-round pick in the 2025 amateur draft out of Harvard. He had no record and a 2.08 ERA in three starts with Class A St. Lucie last year.

Robert, who turns 29 in August, made his major league debut with Chicago in 2020, winning a Gold Glove and finishing second to Kyle Lewis in balloting for AL Rookie of the Year. He made the AL All-Star team in 2023, when he hit .264 with 38 homers, 80 RBIs and 20 steals in 145 games.

Robert got off to a tough start last year, batting .190 with nine homers, 35 RBIs and 93 strikeouts in his first 79 games. He was believed to be on the market ahead of the trade deadline, but the White Sox opted to keep the slumping slugger.

He was much better after the All-Star break, hitting .298 (34 for 114) with five homers and 18 RBIs in 31 games. He was placed on the 10-day injured list on Aug. 27 with a left hamstring strain , ending his season.

Posted on

Mets trading for Luis Robert Jr. is the low-risk move Steve Cohen can afford to make

The trade deadline had passed last season and Luis Robert Jr. was making the Mets wish they’d finished off a deal they’d talked about for the Chicago White Sox center fielder, tearing it up at the plate for a month. But then he strained his left hamstring in late August, finishing him for the season.

Call it the Luis Robert conundrum. 

"He was really swinging the bat well again last July and August," one scout told me Tuesday night, after the Mets traded for Robert, "making you think, 'OK, he’s going to be that star center fielder we all thought he’d be.' And then, boom, he’s hurt again and you have no idea what to make of him long-term."

Yes, because of injuries and inconsistency at the plate, Robert had disappointing seasons in 2024 and 2025, leaving everyone in baseball wondering if he’ll ever reach the star-like potential he flashed at times during his six seasons in Chicago, hitting 38 home runs as recently as 2023. 

David Stearns clearly believes he will, perhaps in part because he’s still only 28, with age always seeming to be a major factor in every move he makes. 

In any case, the Mets’ president of baseball ops engaged the White Sox regarding Robert at the trade deadline last summer before deeming the asking price too high and instead dealing for Cedric Mullins, which turned out to be a mistake.

This time the asking price apparently was more reasonable, as Stearns gave up Luisangel Acuña, who was expendable due to the Mets’ glut of infielders, and low-minors pitcher Truman Pauley. 

The White Sox probably had little leverage because the Mets might be the only team in baseball willing to gamble $22 million on Robert —  $20 million in salary the Sox owed him next season and a $2 million buyout if they choose not to pick up another $20 million club option for 2027. 

Jul 18, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park.
Jul 18, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

That’s where Steve Cohen’s financial muscle pays off. He’s willing to bet the $22 million that Robert will rediscover the form that made him a rising star earlier in his career. 

At worst, Robert gives the Mets excellent defense in center field as well as important development time for Carson Benge at Triple-A before he possibly fulfills the Mets’ belief that he’s a star-in-the-making. 

At best, meanwhile, Robert rediscovers his offensive form and becomes a force in the lineup as well as a premium center fielder. 

In that sense it’s worth the gamble, especially because the Mets have the depth in prospect capital to make such a deal without really feeling any pain. Barring injuries, Acuña had little chance of playing in the big leagues in 2026, with Marcus Semien at second base, Bo Bichette at third, Brett Baty looming as the likely utility infielder, and top prospect Jett Williams on the doorstep as a middle infielder as well. 

In addition, the Mets still have the chips to trade for a quality starting pitcher, most likely the Milwaukee Brewers’ Freddy Peralta, if they go that route rather than signing Framber Valdez. 

So we’ll see. There is great intrigue regarding Robert, in part simply because of his tools, and in part because of a belief among many in baseball that he’ll benefit from moving out of a losing culture in Chicago to a high-energy environment with the types of star players the Mets have.

As for the tools, noted stats expert Sarah Langs tweeted that last season only three players ranked in the 90th percentile or better of MLB players in both sprint speed and bat speed: Robert, Oneil Cruz, and Julio Rodriguez. 

"Oh, he looks the part," was the way the scout put it. "He’ll have some days where he looks like one of the best players in baseball. But he’s got a lot of holes in his swing, and he chases too much, so there are days when he looks overmatched."

Indeed, the last two seasons Robert has ranked as a below-average major league hitter, with OPS+ numbers of 86 and 85, respectively. 

Yet he also had that season in 2023 where he had a whopping 75 extra-base hits and a .542 slugging percentage. 

Then there was that period last year in July and August over 31 games when Robert slashed .298/.352/.456 with five home runs, 18 RBI, 24 runs scored and 11 stolen bases. 

"It was as good as he had looked over any sustained period of time since ’23," the scout said. "He seemed to have a lot of confidence. And then he got hurt again. So who knows what you’ll get next season. But I like what the Mets are doing because it’s a relatively low-risk move. 

"If he doesn’t hit or he gets hurt again, they just decline the option for ’27 and move on."

With Robert in center, the Mets could still use a left fielder to replace Brandon Nimmo. If they sign Cody Bellinger their offseason suddenly turns into a home run, presuming they add at least one quality starter. That doesn’t seem likely now, after guaranteeing Bichette and Robert $64 million for next season, but maybe Cohen is in spend mode again. 

Most importantly, the Mets still need a front-of-the-rotation pitcher. But in the last few days they’ve made moves to dramatically change the feel of the offseason, making it clear that Stearns and Cohen will spend big to get impact players. 

Bichette was a slam dunk, at least in terms of who he is offensively. Robert is quite the opposite, but a chance they can afford to take. 

Posted on

Ten times a late-season injury has changed a team’s fortunes across sports

Ten times a late-season injury has changed a team’s fortunes across sportsFor the Denver Broncos, irrepressible optimism was replaced by exorbitant doubt in a matter of moments.

The Broncos will have to continue their journey through the AFC Championship Game, and potentially beyond, without starting quarterback Bo Nix. It was announced shortly after Denver’s 33-30 AFC divisional-round win over the Buffalo Bills that Nix had broken his ankle on one of the game’s final plays.

The injury means backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham will be asked to start at home against the New England Patriots with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Denver entered the postseason as the AFC’s No. 1 seed and owns an 8-1 home record this season. But the sudden change at quarterback has made the Patriots 5.5-point favorites and dramatically shifted the outlook of the Broncos’ season.

It is not the first time across sports that a late-season injury to a key player has significantly altered championship hopes. In some cases, backups stepped in and saved the day.

In Week 14 of the 2017 NFL season, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles came in for injured MVP candidate Carson Wentz and finished the journey through a Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots.

In 1990, Jeff Hostetler took over for New York Giants starting quarterback Phil Simms, who broke his foot in Week 15. Five wins and one precariously wide-right kick from Buffalo Bills kicker Scott Norwood later, Hostetler and the Giants were Super Bowl champions.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out. Here are 10 examples across sports in which a major injury changed a team’s fortune. Let us know in the comments which ones we missed.

Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, 2019 Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors suffered a double whammy in the 2019 NBA Finals. With the Warriors trailing the series 3-1 entering Game 5, Durant tore his Achilles after just 12 minutes of court time. Golden State managed to win the game to stay alive, but then Klay Thompson tore his ACL in Game 6. Without the team’s second- and third-leading scorers that season, the Warriors lost the finals 4-2 to the Toronto Raptors.

By the start of the next season, Durant was with the Brooklyn Nets. Thompson would miss the entire season, and Stephen Curry played only five games after breaking his left hand.

Kenyon Martin, 1999-2000 Cincinnati Bearcats

The Bearcats were 28-2, ranked No. 1, and in Martin had the national player of the year and eventual No. 1 NBA Draft pick by the New Jersey Nets. But the big man broke his fibula in the Conference USA Tournament. UC was dropped to a No. 2 seed, then lost in the second round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament, 69-61, to Tulsa.

Martin had led the conference in scoring (18.9 points per game) and blocks (3.5), while adding 9.7 rebounds. Without Martin, the Bearcats were outrebounded 39-34 in their tournament loss to the Golden Hurricane.

Kyrie Irving, 2015 Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs’ All-Star point guard fractured his kneecap in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals, the first of four straight finals matchups between the Cavaliers and Warriors.

In the prior series, Kevin Love suffered a severe left shoulder injury against the Boston Celtics that knocked him out of the finals as well. Though LeBron James tried to carry the load alone, the absence of the team’s second- and third-leading scorers and leading rebounder was too much even for James to overcome.

The Warriors went on to win the series in six games, their first of four titles in the Steph Curry-Steve Kerr era.

Tyrese Haliburton, 2025 Indiana Pacers

Haliburton was the Pacers’ best player in the 2025 playoffs, taking Indiana to Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the favored Oklahoma City Thunder.

But he was playing with a strained right calf that he suffered in Game 5, and it proved to be a ticking time bomb. After catching fire and hitting three triples in the first seven minutes of Game 7, his calf gave out on a drive, and he tore his Achilles.

As Haliburton left the court in tears, the Pacers were trailing only 18-16. Oklahoma City went on to win 103-91 to take the series.

Colt McCoy, 2009-10 Texas Longhorns

Texas’ starting quarterback, a first-team All-American, suffered a pinched nerve in his throwing shoulder in the first quarter of the 2010 national championship game against Alabama.

McCoy had finished third in Heisman voting that season, but freshman Garrett Gilbert had to replace him, and Texas lost 37-21 to a Crimson Tide squad led by Heisman winner Mark Ingram.

Juju Watkins, 2025 USC Trojans

USC was a No. 1 seed in the 2025 NCAA Women’s Tournament when Watkins tore her ACL against Mississippi State in the second round. Watkins was fourth in the nation in scoring that season, averaging 23.9 points per game. She won AP player of the year and was named a first-team AP All-American after leading USC to a Big Ten title.

Without her, the Trojans managed to dispatch the Bulldogs 96-59 and advanced to the Elite Eight, where they lost to eventual champion UConn, 78-64.

Jim Rice, 1975 Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox had two leading contenders for AL Rookie of the Year in 1975, future Hall of Famer Jim Rice and outfielder Fred Lynn. Lynn took home rookie of the year and AL MVP, the first to win both in the same year, but Rice was stellar that season as well. He hit 22 home runs with a .309 batting average, .350 on-base and .491 slugging percentage.

In late September, Rice broke his hand after being hit by a pitch against the Detroit Tigers. He missed the rest of the season, including the entire postseason. In his absence, the Red Sox made the Fall Classic, but lost to the Cincinnati Reds in an exhilarating seven-game series coined “the series that saved baseball.”

The defeat also furthered the “Curse of the Bambino,” as Boston had remained without a championship since selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees following the 1919 season. The World Series could not break the curse until 2004.

Brock Purdy, 2022-23 San Francisco 49ers

Purdy’s improbable rookie season ended at the worst time, with a UCL injury in the first quarter of the 2023 NFC Championship Game against the Eagles, which the 49ers lost 31-7. The Mr. Irrelevant pick, taken last in the 2022 NFL Draft, had fought his way up from the practice squad to take over starting duties that season in Week 13 after Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo suffered major injuries.

Purdy had won seven consecutive games, including the first two rounds of the playoffs, before being forced to exit the NFC Championship Game. Josh Johnson was tabbed to finish the game but suffered a concussion in the third quarter, which, for a brief moment, had running back Christian McCaffrey readying a helmet with a radio before Purdy returned. Purdy was unable to throw, however, and simply had to hand the ball off for the remainder of the game.

Carey Price, 2013-14 Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens goaltender suffered a knee injury when New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider crashed into him in Game 1 of the 2014 Eastern Conference final. Price was out for the rest of the series, and the Canadiens lost the series 4-2.

Price had career bests in games played (59), wins (34), goals-against average (2.32) and save percentage (.927) that season. Without him for much of the series, the Rangers peppered the Montreal net for 23 goals over six games, an average of 3.83 per contest.

Derrick Rose, 2011-12 Chicago Bulls

Chicago’s point guard was on top of the basketball world entering the 2012 NBA playoffs. Chicago was the No. 1 seed, and Rose was one year removed from being the youngest MVP in NBA history.

But he tore his ACL in Game 1 of the first-round series against the eighth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. Without its MVP, Chicago lost the series 4-2, and Rose’s career never fully recovered. Since then, the Bulls have only been to the playoffs five times and have only won two playoff series.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Montreal Canadiens, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Texas Longhorns, Cincinnati Bearcats, USC Trojans, NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB, College Football, Men's College Basketball, Women's College Basketball

2026 The Athletic Media Company

Posted on

NBA power rankings: Knicks slide as offense sputters in losing streak

The next several weeks will be busy for the NBA calendar.

First, the trading deadline is a little more than two weeks away, and any blockbuster deals could alter the balance of power within the league. Then, All-Star Game weekend is set for Feb. 15, and starters were already announced.

Yet, as several teams that started the season hot have cooled somewhat, the action on the court has continued. The most obvious example of that is the New York Knicks, who have lost nine of their last 11 games.

Here are USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings after Week 12 of the 2025-26 regular season:

USA TODAY Sports NBA power rankings

Note: Records and stats through Jan. 20. Parentheses show movement from last week’s rankings.

NBA Week 13 power rankings: Top 10

1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 36-8 (—)

2. Detroit Pistons, 31-10 (—)

3. San Antonio Spurs, 30-14 (—)

4. Denver Nuggets, 29-15 (—)

5. Boston Celtics, 26-16 (—)

6. Phoenix Suns, 27-17 (+2)

7. Toronto Raptors, 26-19 (+2)

8. Houston Rockets, 26-15 (+7)

9. Minnesota Timberwolves, 27-17 (-2)

10. Los Angeles Lakers, 26-16

While the Thunder won’t challenge for the best record in NBA history, and while they may drop the occasional game, it’s clear they remain a threat to repeat. Their defense is elite and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might be marching toward his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award. Speaking of MVP candidates, the Nuggets have remained competitive in the absence of Nikola Jokić, and still boast the league’s top offensive rating (122.9). With the slide the Knicks have taken, Boston is now in the No. 2 seed in the East, and there may need to be a serious conversation about what to do if and when Jayson Tatum is cleared to return from his torn Achilles.

NBA Week 13 power rankings: Nos. 11-20

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown talks wth guard Jalen Brunson in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden.

11. New York Knicks, 25-18 (-5)

12. Philadelphia 76ers, 23-19 (-1)

13. Cleveland Cavaliers, 24-20 (—)

14. Golden State Warriors, 25-20 (+2)

15. Orlando Magic, 23-19 (-3)

16. Miami Heat, 23-21 (+1)

17. Portland Trail Blazers, 22-22 (+1)

18. Chicago Bulls, 21-22 (+2)

19. Los Angeles Clippers, 19-24 (+2)

20. Atlanta Hawks, 20-25 (-6)

The Knicks held a players-only meeting amid a four-game losing streak. Their offense has stagnated as the actions rely on Jalen Brunson far too much. The Warriors had been playing better recently, but don’t be surprised if they tumble down this list soon; with Jimmy Butler (torn anterior cruciate ligament) out for the season, their offense should struggle significantly. And the Trail Blazers and Clippers are a pair of teams out west who have found their rhythm.

NBA Week 13 power rankings: Nos. 21-30

21. Memphis Grizzlies, 18-23 (+1)

22. Milwaukee Bucks, 18-24 (-3)

23. Dallas Mavericks, 18-26 (+2)

24. Charlotte Hornets, 16-27 (-1)

25. Utah Jazz, 15-29 (-1)

26. Brooklyn Nets, 12-29 (+1)

27. Sacramento Kings, 12-32 (+2)

28. Indiana Pacers, 10-34 (—)

29. Washington Wizards, 10-32 (-3)

30. New Orleans Pelicans, 10-35 (—)

The Grizzlies got Ja Morant (right calf contusion) back, and he delivered, dropping 24-13-5 in a win over the Magic. Memphis, though, will need to determine if his fit on the roster is sustainable, or if it can flip him for any assets in a trade. Dallas has been something of a surprise recently, winning three consecutive, including a 17-point blowout against the Knicks. Even without Anthony Davis, No. 1 rookie Cooper Flagg continues to improve with each passing week. And the Wizards showed some promise in late December, but have since lost seven consecutive games, and are tied with the Hawks for the worst offensive rating (107.6) in January.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA power rankings: New York Knicks falling, Houston Rockets rising

Posted on

Welcome to Duncanville: why the road to the NBA runs through Dallas

Former No 1 draft pick Cade Cunningham is one of several Dallas-area players starring in the NBA.Photograph: Ryan Sun/AP

Another season, another name, another kid from Dallas. At street level, the city appears to be like any other – yet it continues to produce league-shaping NBA players. The main highway through Dallas cleaves down the middle of Texas. Taking it south brings you closer to the center of the state’s basketball talent pool. The road slopes downward as the city’s cosmopolitan polish thins out, neighborhoods split cleanly from downtown by sun-baked concrete and beige. Pink, green, and blue houses sit behind chain link fences, where yards are scoured down to dirt. Auto mechanic shops line the frontage roads with open bays and hand-painted signs peeling in the sun. Farther south, the road dips again, and space opens up to the heart of the story.

Welcome to Duncanville.

By then, you’re already deep inside a suburb that’s transformed its high school system into an NBA pipeline. Duncanville isn’t an outlier. It’s the clearest expression of how serious North Texas has become about harvesting basketball lightning. Dallas is the incubator. Duncanville is the headquarters.

Two of the nation’s most important high school basketball buildings sit here. First, Duncanville High School holds more basketball memory than some professional arenas. State titles in 2019, 2021, and 2025, led by NBA rising stars Anthony Black and Ron Holland II, hang as proof. Few public high school programs in the country have consistently produced more NBA players than Duncanville, which has provided the league with six pros in the last five years.

But not all hoops history is clean. The University Interscholastic League (UIL), Texas’s governing body for public-school athletics, stripped Duncanville’s 2022 Class 6A championship after eligibility violations tied to improper enrollment and academic ineligibility, including issues related to Black’s grades. Had that title remained, Duncanville would have been credited with three consecutive state championships (2019, 2021, and 2022); the 2020 season was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Such a distinction, unmatched by any other Texas Class 6A boys’ program in the modern era, would have formally inscribed the school as a rare three-peat champion in UIL records.

That season, Duncanville became the first Texas school to be crowned MaxPreps National Champion since 2010. During the early 2020s, Duncanville and nearby Richardson High School were not only the two highest-ranked schools in Texas but also, at one point, ranked first and second in the entire nation. Those two teams featured three future NBA lottery picks and produced five NBA players between them.

Since 2020, Dallas-Fort Worth has produced multiple NBA lottery picks: Black (sixth overall in 2023); Cason Wallace (10th overall in 2023); Holland (fifth overall in 2024); and Tre Johnson (sixth overall in 2025).

Related: Life after LeBron James: who will inherit the NBA’s future?

North Texas has also cultivated rising stars drafted outside the 14 lottery spots, including Liam McNeeley, Keyonte George, Ja’Kobe Walter and Marcus Sasser. Then there are the two superstars: the Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, who starred at South Garland High School, and 2021 No 1 pick Cade Cunningham – both All-Star starters this year. Born and raised in nearby Arlington, Cunningham played his first two years of high school ball at Bowie High School before transferring and eventually being drafted first overall by the Detroit Pistons. He was the first No 1 overall pick from the Dallas-Fort Worth area in more than 20 years, since Kenyon Martin in 2000.

Digging further past the high school,the highway delivers you to the second basketball mecca: Duncanville Fieldhouse. For decades the building, a state-of-the-art sports facility and events venue with six full-sized hardwood basketball courts, has functioned as both proving ground and sanctuary – a cathedral of sweat. College coaches, NBA scouts and generations of future pros have cycled through its courts, long before anyone knew their names – Trae Young, De’Aaron Fox, Desmond Bane – stacking eras atop one another in a living archive of Dallas basketball.

Come back next weekend, and you could be watching a future NBA All-Star in the making.

These tournaments turn Duncanville Fieldhouse into a reunion. Former teammates spot each other across courts, dap up and argue about who cooked whom a decade ago, adding another stratum to the region’s mythology, sons repping the same jerseys their fathers and grandfathers once did. Dallas basketball history unfurls in real time as the smack-talk swells. The lineage doesn’t stop at one gym.

Less than 15 minutes from Duncanville sits Faith Family Academy, wedged between South Dallas’ Laurel Land Cemetery and the ghetto-fabulous mall, Big T Bazaar. Faith Family is caught between death and hustle, daring kids to dream bigger. In Dallas basketball, a few miles is no distance at all – just another exit, another set of jerseys, the same stakes.

Like Duncanville, Faith Family has long been among the country’s most accomplished and relentlessly dominant boys’ basketball programs. A distinction that tends to sound hyperbolic until one begins listing years. Between 2019 and 2024, the school assembled four UIL state championships – an ascent that spanned classifications as Faith Family moved upward, defying the gravity of Texas high school sports. That run was echoed and then surpassed by another three-peat in Class 4A from 2022 through 2024, placing the program among the select handful of Texas schools to have won three straight state titles.

Last season, its first beyond the confines of the UIL, Faith Family, an Oak Cliff–based charter school, entered the Elite Interscholastic Basketball Conference – among the nation’s most unforgiving prep leagues – and promptly claimed the league championship. In the 2026 state rankings, Faith Family alone places two players inside the Texas top seven: twins Gavin and Gallagher Placide, an interior pairing signed to play together at Wake Forest. Nor are they an anomaly. Across the Trinity River, Dynamic Prep accounts for three top-12 Texans; farther north, Frisco Heritage adds two top-nine prospects, including the son of former NBA All-Star Josh Howard – evidence that the gravitational center of Texas, and the nation, basketball has shifted decisively toward Dallas.

Both Duncanville and Faith Family are projected to yield picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. Faith Family alumnus JT Toppin, who carried Texas Tech to the Elite Eight last season, is now a sophomore and appears pro-bound. Duncanville’s KJ Lewis, a former teammate of Black and Holland, now plays at Georgetown. Toppin follows a path already worn by rising Boston Celtics forward Jordan Walsh, another Faith Family alumnus.

What Dallas has consistently molded is modern NBA wings: long, pliable athletes who blur positional lines. These 6ft 6in to 6ft 9in initiators defend multiple positions, handle the ball, create off the dribble, and orchestrate offense in real-time. Players like Cunningham and Black are the architects of the new game, excelling as two-way threats in a league that prizes size and versatility above all else.

This season, the Dallas pipeline has reached the league’s highest tier. Cunningham and Maxey sit among the NBA’s MVP candidates, while George continues to ascend into a star role. Dallas is shaping the league’s center of gravity. Even last season’s NBA Finals featured two area players facing off: Wallace for Oklahoma City and Myles Turner for Indiana.

Why Dallas? The city is different because its basketball ecosystem is unusually integrated, not fragmented.In most major cities, elite talent splinters between private schools, sneaker circuits and suburban flight, while public schools are drained of continuity. North Texas does the opposite. Public schools like Duncanville, charters like Faith Family, AAU programs and prep powerhouses all orbit the same geography, often the same neighborhoods, feeding one another instead of competing. Talent stays local longer, playing against peers of equal caliber night after night. It’s created rich density. For thousands of kids here, basketball is one of the few systems that still rewards imagination with something resembling upward mobility, proving American alchemy still has the ability to turn a leather ball into a key.

Former players have come to Dallas to invest in its basketball future, most notably Jermaine O’Neal, who founded Dynamic Prep. The program has started this season strong, earning the No 1 spot in the SC Next Top 25 team rankings as of early December. Dynamic Prep is led by the top-ranked national prospect in the 2027 class: Marcus Spears Jr, son of the Dallas Cowboys legend. Two of the school’s former stars, including O’Neal’s son, are now freshmen at Southern Methodist University. Another notable area connection is Dawson Battie, the nephew of NBA legend Tony Battie, who plays for Dallas’ St Mark’s and is ranked as the 11th-bestplayer in the 2027 class.

Perhaps most integral is the deep-rooted AAU culture in South Dallas. At its center is Urban DFW Elite, led by Jade Colbert, the first and only Black woman to serve as an AAU CEO in the country. Urban DFW Elite has become its own pipeline, producing NBA talent including Marcus Sasser, Darrell Arthur and Dink Pate.

This season, 19 of the league’s 30 teams roster at least one North Texas player, from MVP candidates in Cunningham and Maxey to rising stars like Black and George. While those numbers may not seem remarkable for a large metropolitan area, Dallas has often been ignored as a basketball city when compared with places such as Atlanta, New York and Atlanta. Dallas players extend across the league like highways, connecting the NBA back to the heat of a North Texas summer.

Those roads all trace back to the same kind of Dallas neighborhood: unremarkable stretches of urban sprawl where some of the most consequential basketball institutions in Texas – and arguably the country – call home. No coastline, just churches and cemeteries. And hallowed basketball gyms, where one generation after another learns the work. In all that ordinariness, the extraordinary emerged. Of all the different roads that lead to the NBA, Dallas has become the most heavily traveled highway in the state.

Posted on

Islanders vs. Kraken Gameday News: Getaway day

They’re almost finished! The Islanders will finish their season-long seven-game road trip in Seattle tonight, with a chance to make it 4-2-1, which would be a success no matter how they get there.

Seattle has lost three in a row and is just outside the wild card in the West. But they feel like they’re healthy for the first time all season. (Don’t wanna hear it, try losing a top-six winger and top-four D for the whole season.)

Reminder that tonight’s 9:30 start is on TNT/HBO Max. First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News

  • Previewing tonight: The rematch of an epic…1-0 shootout win in November on Long Island. [Isles]
  • The Islanders are hoping to end this road trip with two victories. They’re halfway there. [Newsday]
  • The secret to Anthony Duclair’s recent surge is he did what any of us would do when slumping: try Casey Cizikas’ stick. [Post]
  • Max Tsyplakov’s second season has been a tough one, and being essentially benched in the second half of the game in Vancouver doesn’t help. Patrick Roy wants to use him again (and more) though. [Post]
  • Prospect Report: Kashawn Aitcheson continues to roll. [Isles]
  • ICYMI: This week’s Islanders Anxiety podcast featured an epic MasterLeafs Theater that I personally joined to narrate, because I am a great appreciator of fine literature. [LHH]
  • Matthew Schaefer continues to make history in his rookie year. [THN]
  • Islanders coaching legend John MacLean reflects on (finally) getting into the Devils’ Ring of Honor. [NHL]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores include wins for the Canadiens, Senators and the Sabres, who now have an identical record with the Islanders.

This goalie fight between Bobrovsky and Nedejlkovic was warranted and beautiful:

  • We have a trade to announce: Kiefer Sherwood goes to the Sharks for a couple of picks and such. [NHL]
  • Stan Fischler digs into the archives from 1979 and an interview with the late Glenn Hall on how he became a goalie and developed “the butterfly.” He loved playing on the ponds as a kid: “Forwards didn’t have to worry about staying in their lanes and coaches weren’t around to bother us.” [NHL]
  • How did the Rangers rebuild fail — despite gobs and gobs of good fortune — so badly? By being the Rangers. Team APPLESAUCE. [Gretz Substack]
  • Speaking of which, the Tri-State Hockey Podcast with Arthur Staple takes on the Rangers Applesauce letter, the Islanders road trip and probably something about the Devils, too. [YouTube]
  • Adam Foote receives a vote of confidence from management in Vancouver, and honestly I wouldn’t want to waste an epic tank opportunity either. [NHL]
  • And coincidentally, he called out the team’s veterans for a bad culture after the loss to the Isles. [Sportsnet]
  • Darcy Kuemper is injured again. [Sportsnet]
Posted on

Pens Points: A forceful and fun fourth line

Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…

What is a traditional fourth line in hockey? Muckers and grinders with no skill? Don’t tell that to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are getting meaningful contributions from the trio of Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte, and Noel Acciari while the team continues to bag crucial points. [PensBurgh]

The Penguins made another minor transaction on Tuesday, acquiring defenseman Ilya Solovyov from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Valtteri Puustinen and a seventh-round draft pick in 2026. [Trib Live]

Other housekeeping notes: The Penguins reassigned forward Joona Koppanen to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Tuesday after he was called up to the NHL on Sunday. He did not dress for the Penguins in Monday’s 6-3 win against the Seattle Kraken. [Trib Live]

As I type this, I still can’t believe it’s been 10 years. The Penguins announced on Tuesday that they would honor the 2016 Stanley Cup-winning team when Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers visit Pittsburgh on Jan. 31. It is planned to be a blast from the past, with many familiar faces invited to attend. [Trib Live]

The Penguins’ penalty kill ranks fourth in the NHL (83.1%) following Monday’s win over the Kraken. The players on the shorthanded unit believe the strategies implemented by new head coach Dan Muse and his staff are reasons why the PK is among the best in the NHL. [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL…

A blow for Team Sweden: All indications are Jonas Brodin and Leo Carlsson will be unavailable for the upcoming Olympic tournament, head coach Sam Hallam said on Tuesday. [Sportsnet]

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson has apologized for comments he made regarding his team’s goaltending after a loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Sanderson, whether purposefully or not, directed his emotionally charged words toward goalie Leevi Merilainen, who has since been demoted to the AHL’s Belleville Senators. [TSN]

Posted on

Today on Pinstripe Alley – 1/21/26

I hope you enjoyed some respite from Cody Bellinger Purgatory yesterday, with the Hall of Fame results released last night. Both Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, a couple of former Yankees, made it in, and notably, Andy Pettitte made some gains as he nears the end of his tenure on the BBWAA ballot. Congrats to Carlos and Andruw!

On the site today, John writes up a great Yankees free-agent signing of this decade, that of Johnny Damon, and Kevin profiles pitcher Andy Hawkins. Also, Nolan analyzes the state of the shortstop position in the Yankee organization, and, we welcome back an old friend! Be sure to say hello to Andrés, who will be returning to PSA with a piece on Jasson Domínguez.

Questions/Prompts:

1. So, does the Mets’ acquisition of Luis Robert Jr. take them out of the Cody Bellinger sweepstakes?

2. Were you surprised to see both Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jons go into the Hall yesterday?

Posted on

Rory McIlroy says LIV and PGA Tour 'too far apart' to strike a deal

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy believes the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have grown “too far apart” to form an alliance and bring a splintered sport back together.

“I just don’t see a world where it can happen at this point,” McIlroy said Wednesday at the Dubai Desert Classic on the European tour.

Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour from LIV has brought into sharper focus the fading hopes of any form of deal being struck by top officials on the two circuits.

Even U.S. President Donald Trump has gotten involved in negotiations at one point, but there’s no sign of a commercial partnership that was first mooted in 2023 when the tours announced a framework agreement.

To McIlroy, who was once one of the most outspoken critics of LIV before distancing himself from talks, it looks as far away as ever.

“Just I don’t see a world where the two or three sides or whoever it is will give up enough,” he said, in a reference to the involvement of the European tour in talks. “Like for reunification to happen, every side is going to feel like they will have lost, where you really want every side to feel like they have won.

“I think they are just too far apart for that to happen.”

Message to Rahm, Hatton

Among the top players still with LIV are Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who were McIlroy's teammates in Europe's Ryder Cup win at Bethpage Black last year.

Rahm and Hatton are currently going through an appeal process after being sanctioned with fines by the European tour for playing the LIV Golf circuit. They are still allowed into European tour events while the process plays out.

McIlroy said paying the fines would be a sign of their commitment to the Europe's Ryder Cup team ahead of the 2027 matches in Ireland.

“We went really hard on the Americans about being paid to play the Ryder Cup, and we also said that we would pay to play in Ryder Cups,” McIlroy said. “There’s two guys that can prove it.”

McIlroy's goals

McIlroy will be playing on the European tour for a second straight week, having finished tied for third at the Dubai Invitational on Sunday. He shared the lead at one stage in the final round but wound up two strokes back from winner Nacho Elvira.

The No. 2-ranked McIlroy said he is constantly shifting his expectations and goals after completing the career Grand Slam last year.

For the Northern Irishman, it’s mostly about “finding joy in the process.”

“I think I need to show up at tournaments with enthusiasm every single time,” he said. “So playing in the places that I want to play, playing the tournaments I want to play. Not feeling like I’m at a tournament because I’m obligated or have to be there but because I want to be there.”

Asked what he still wanted to achieve in golf, McIlroy said: “Olympic medal. (British) Open at St. Andrews. Yeah, maybe like a U.S. Open at one of those like old, traditional golf courses — whether it’s Shinnecock this year or Winged Foot or Pebble Beach, (or) Merion.

“I would have told you two years ago,” he added, “if I won the Masters, it would have been great and I could have retired or whatever. But when you keep doing things, the goal posts keep moving, and you just keep finding new things that you want to do.”

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Posted on

Football season is over. Here's what you missed so far in college basketball

A college football national champion has been crowned, which means it’s time to turn the spotlight on college basketball.

The men’s season is in full swing as conference play is underway, and there has been plenty to discuss — from sensational freshmen, national title favorites and disappointments. The season is more than halfway done, and Selection Sunday is just 54 days away before one of the most exciting months in sports tips off.

So what’s happened in the first two months, and what should be paid attention to as we approach the NCAA tournament? Here are the top storylines in college hoops:

Who is the best college basketball team so far?

Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) dribbles the ball during the second half of the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at McKale Memorial Center.

Arizona sits atop the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll with a perfect 18-0 start.

The Wildcats have running through every opponents ever since the season opening win over defending champion Florida, with a blend of young (Koa Peat and Brayden Burries) and experience (Jaden Bradley and Motiejus Krivas) paving the way. They average 90 points a game, win by an average margin of 21 points and have done it against talented teams with a 7-0 Quad 1 record.

Arizona has been a regular-season power under Tommy Lloyd, but he may finally have the right recipe to break the long Final Four drought in Tucson.

Plenty of national championship contenders exist

While Arizona is at the top, other teams lurking in the water. It sounds odd, but there's parity — it's just at the top level, as you can easily make the case for several teams to win it all.

Michigan, Connecticut, Purdue, Duke have proven to be formidable teams that are on a straight path to March. You also can't forget Houston, Gonzaga, Iowa State and Nebraska (more on the Cornhuskers soon). It's making for a very compelling race for the top seeds in the bracket.

Last season was the second time and first since 2008 with all four No. 1 seeds making the Final Four. There's a solid chance that could happen again in 2006.

Can Florida repeat?

What's harder than winning a national championship? Doing it again, and Florida is learning how challenging it is to repeat.

The Gators lost so much from last season's title team, but Todd Golden restocked it to give optimism they could contend. It was a rough beginning with a season opening loss to Arizona and a 5-4 start, falling to marquee opponents in close contests. However, Florida has found a rhythm since then, winning eight of its past nine with some notable ranked wins during the stretch. While it has five losses, they've all been by at least six points.

It feels like Florida has mostly been written off from defending its crown, but don't count out the Gators just yet. They have found an identity and can be a top-four seed in a bracket.

Historic runs for Nebraska, BYU

Two programs are chasing unprecedented highs, one expected and one out of nowhere.

Let's start with Brigham Young, which brought in talented freshman AJ Dybantsa to take the Cougars to the next level after reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. BYU is on track, eyeing those signature wins that will solidify what could lead to their first Final Four in program history.

In Lincoln, it's a dream. Nebraska remains undefeated, rallying the campus around a sport that hasn't had much significance. The Cornhuskers have proven they aren't a fluke and not only are in position to finally get their first NCAA tournament win, but there could be much more in store.

Fantastic freshmen

Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) reacts during the second half against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

This may be the best freshmen class in some time, with the new kids on the block taking over and having NBA teams drooling of them turning pro.

Dybantsa has not disappointed from BYU, showcasing No. 1 pick potential with 22.5 points per game. Duke's Cameron Boozer is a certified bucket-getter for the Blue Devils, and Kansas' Darryn Peterson has commanded the floor, even though injuries have limited him. An emerging star has been North Carolina big man Caleb Wilson.

You also can't forget Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. and Houston guard Kingston Fleming, Peat and Burries at Arizona, as well as several other talented freshmen. They'll all be fun to watch in the tournament and could make up most of the lottery picks in the 2026 NBA draft.

Braden Smith chases assist record

Preseason national player of the year favorite Braden Smith is still in great position to win the award, with the Purdue guard closing in on the all-time assists record while leading a Boilermakers team still chasing that first national title.

Smith leads the country with 9.4 assists per game, and with 927 career dimes, is 149 more away from Bobby Hurley's record of 1,076. With that average, Smith can break the 36-year-old record by the time the NCAA tournament begins, cementing himself among the best point guards to play the game. The Boilermakers are hoping there are more opportunities for him to go up the leaderboard deep in March.

Big 12, Big Ten powers

The toughest conference is really a tie between the Big 12 and Big Ten, making it a gauntlet for any team to survive. Combined the conferences make up 10 of the top 13 spots in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, with five each.

Both leagues dominated the nonconference schedules, winning more than 80% of such contests and the only two to have a winning percentage over 50% against other Power conference teams. It's going to be entertaining to watch these conference races and who ends up at the top, and there's a great chance the national champion emerges from the Big 12 or Big Ten.

ACC is back

After sending just four teams to the NCAA tournament last season, the ACC has responded emphatically and looks like it can prove its worth against other Power conferences.

It's no surprise Duke, North Carolina and Louisville have done well, but there's been some surprises like Virginia, surging under Ryan Odom, and Clemson not skipping a beat. There's also been NCAA tournament-worthy starts from Miami, NC State and SMU, with squads like Virginia Tech, Stanford and California lurking. It's been a fun league to watch again. There's a good chance the ACC can double its amount of bids in March, and not just have Duke be the only one advancing.

Who steps up in SEC?

The SEC was the class of college basketball last season with a record 14 teams in March Madness, two of whom made the Final Four. The conference isn't as strong as it was, but it remains as open of a race to who can emerge.

There's no real power team, with Vanderbilt leaking after its 16-0 start. Florida has been mentioned, and other squads in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Texas A&M have shown potential but aren't just complete. Kentucky and Tennessee have mostly disappointed and are hard to trust. The SEC will likely send at least eight teams, but you can't confidently say who those eight will be and if they will be able to replicate any success.

Transfer portal frustration

A major talking point has been the new players coming to college basketball, and whether they should be allowed to play. There's been some controversy about allowing former professional basketball players to play college basketball, whether they were in the G League or actual NBA draft picks.

They've been ruled eligible to play, drawing the ire of the most prominent coaches in the country from Tom Izzo to John Calipari as the NCAA watches. Will the trend continue, or will there be changes made after so much disapproval?

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball top storylines to watch with college football over

Posted on

The unlikely rise of Baylor Scheierman

Following another playoff-like matchup against the Eastern Conference–leading Detroit Pistons, head coach Joe Mazzulla praised the defensive strides second-year wing Baylor Scheierman has made, even in defeat. 

When asked about Scheierman’s growth as a decision-maker on both ends of the floor, Mazzulla pointed to a different area of development. “To me, his growth is more about his defensive versatility,” he said. 

That versatility has not gone unnoticed by those who regularly watch the Celtics. Scheierman exceeded expectations defensively as a rookie, particularly as a playmaker on that end, but seeing him take on such varied assignments — “sometimes he’ll guard the best player, sometimes he’ll guard the big,” as Mazzulla noted — stood out enough to warrant a deeper look into his defensive impact. 

Last year, albeit in low minutes, we didn’t see much of Scheierman guarding many different positions or quite frankly, the ability to, and the numbers show it per Bball Index. 

A portion of this is definitely attributed to the fact that more of his playing time last season came in garbage minutes, but even as he began to crack the rotation toward the end of the year, he was typically matched up against low-usage players on opposing teams.  

This year, things look much different.  

Scheierman has dramatically flipped several metrics that have proven important to the Celtics this season, including matchup difficulty, defensive positional versatility, and the percentage of time spent guarding stars and starters. Among those, the spike in matchup difficulty stands out most.  

His defensive impact is impressive on its own, but it becomes even more striking when considering that he’s gone from guarding the least threatening players to consistently taking on the league’s top scorers.  

Last season, he ranked at the very bottom of the league, just the 3rd percentile, in matchup difficulty. This year, he has catapulted to the 70th percentile, a shift that has been a major factor in boosting his overall defensive positional versatility grade from the 58th percentile to an elite 98th percentile, placing him among the league’s best. 

Mazzulla highlighted Scheierman’s versatility in Monday’s game, saying, “There’s a couple possessions where he’s on [Isaiah] Stewart, a couple possessions where he’s on [Cade] Cunningham.” The Stewart matchup, in particular, may have flown under the radar.  

The Celtics’ bigs ran into serious foul trouble in the first half. Neemias Queta picked up two fouls, while Luka Garza accumulated four in just three minutes and 15 seconds of play. Xavier Tillman saw some time, but for the final three minutes of the second quarter, Scheierman, who hadn’t played in the opening frame, was tasked with playing center on defense.  

Here, he hits an important three stopping a Pistons run then goes down and matches up with Stewart. As Cade drives, he’s right there to stop the drive forcing a shot over the top which allows Derrick White to swat it.  

In the third quarter, Sam Hauser picked up his fourth foul just three minutes in, which led to Scheierman logging the remaining nine minutes of the period. During that stretch, he matched up with Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, and Tobias Harris on multiple possessions.  

He also shined in the team’s only win over the Pistons this season, logging a season-high 30 minutes, scoring 13 points, and delivering strong defensive play.  

But when we talk about versatility, there’s one clip that sums it all up.  

Mazzulla closed his remarks on Scheierman by saying, “I think just his continued growth in defensive physicality and understanding of the system is kind of where he’s made the most growth to where you build a level of trust.”  

When your coach is willing to ask you to guard superstars as different as Cade Cunningham and Victor Wembanyama, it’s safe to say that trust has been earned.